FAHEY, JOHN The Mill Pond (Little Brother) 2x7" 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A double 7" in a handsomely silkscreened package from this modern legend. Guitar, voice and electronics.

FAHEY, JOHN The New Possibility: John Fahey's Guitar Soli Christmas Album / Christmas With John Fahey Vol. II (Rhino / Takoma) cd 14.98
If there was ever an argument for Christmas albums that you could play all year, John Fahey's two Christmas records of solo guitar music would be at the top of our lists. Recorded in 1968 and 1975 respectively and included here on one cd, Fahey covers a lot of traditional territory in such a way that makes classic Christmas songs altogether fresh and new. Quiet, understated and peaceful, Fahey's song selection is far reaching past the usual carols we're familiar with and into more obscure Episcopal hymns from his childhood, and even a few songs of his own invention, including the incredible 12 minute improvisation, "Christmas Fantasy (Part II)". So Beautiful!
MPEG Stream: "Joy To The World"
MPEG Stream: "Christ's Saints of God Fantasy"
MPEG Stream: "Christmas Fantasy (Part II)"

FAHEY, JOHN The Yellow Princess (Comet Records) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Reissue of classic Fahey from 1969, and originally released on Vanguard Records. Fans of his early work such as "Death Chants" will love this, his eighth album. Pretty near faithful recreation of the original artwork (exactly for lp). The cd comes in a handsomely printed gatefold cardboard sleeve with all the original liner notes. Recommended!

FAHEY, JOHN The Yellow Princess (Vanguard) cd 17.98
Here's a nice new reissue of this Fahey classic (his eighth album, originally released in 1968). The iconoclastic "American primitive" guitarist is at his finger-pickin' best here, performing pieces loaded with spacious, aching, pristine loveliness, like "View (East From The Top Of The Riggs Road/B&O Trestle)", "Dance Of The Inhabitants Of The Invisible City Of Bladensburg", and the title track, indeed a jaunty clipper ship of a tune. All in some ways traditionally inspired, but with a unique, creative talent to additionally experiment and innovate. Entering Fahey's world on The Yellow Princess (or via other classic albums of his like Death Chants, Breakdowns And Military Marches or The Legend Of Blind Joe Death), is to behold a wondrous architecture of beauty and meaning, held aloft by one man's fingertips, with help from the spirits of the past.
One reason that this new reissue is so nice is that they've tacked on several bonus tracks! Three of 'em, recorded in 1965 ("the lost Elektra demos"), all previously unreleased. And, appended to Fahey's own original, inimitable and illuminating liner notes in the thick cd booklet, there's new notes also from modern day Fahey acolytes/appreciators Glenn Jones (of Cul de Sac) and M. Ward.
MPEG Stream: "The Yellow Princess"
MPEG Stream: "March! For Martin Luther King"

FAHEY, JOHN The Yellow Princess (Comet Records) lp 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Reissue of classic Fahey from 1969, and originally released on Vanguard Records. Fans of his early work such as "Death Chants" will love this, his eighth album. Pretty near faithful recreation of the original artwork (exactly for lp). The cd comes in a handsomely printed gatefold cardboard sleeve with all the original liner notes. Recommended!

FAHEY, JOHN The Yellow Princess (Vangard) lp 25.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

FAHEY, JOHN Twilight On Prince Georges Avenue (Rounder) cd 10.98
This compilation seemed to have come out of nowhere, but it's noteworthy because it collects the best of Fahey's Varrick years. Varrick, for those who may not know, was (still is?) a subsidiary of Rounder Records and in the eighties and early nineties they released a string of Fahey releases from 1984's Let Go to 1992's Old Girlfriends and Other Horrible Memories. Yes, these were Fahey's lost-in-the-wilderness years, and these releases with their bad eighties new age-y artwork and hodgepodge song selections (lots of cover versions from Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stravinsky, Bola Sete and Eric Clapton, with only a few originals) have never been the sought-after records in his huge body of work. But this compilation takes most of the Fahey originals from those releases and puts them together on one disc for the first time, spotlighting an otherwise overlooked period of his career to great measure. His originals from this period, though few, were among the best pieces these releases had to offer, from the Delta excursionary "Black Mommy" to the sad Hawaiian guitar of "Love On Waikiki". (Thankfully, the compilers left off his version of "Layla"!) This is one of those occasions where a 'best of' comp is the way to go, so Rounder has done quite a service here for Fahey fans!
MPEG Stream: "Black Mommy"
MPEG Stream: "Improv In E Minor"
MPEG Stream: "Love On Waikiki"

FAHEY, JOHN Vampire Vultures (Drag City) book 17.98

FAHEY, JOHN Voice of the Turtle (Takoma) cd 15.98

FAHEY, JOHN Womblife (Table of the Elements) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another wonderful record of Fahey's experimental bluegrass guitar.

FAHEY, JOHN Your Past Comes Back To Haunt You: The Fonotone Years (1958-1965) (Dust-To-Digital / Revenant) 5cd + book box 87.00
Young fans of John Fahey who may have thought it all began with Blind Joe Death and the Takoma label will be in hidden treasure heaven with this incredible 5cd box set of Fahey's earliest recorded output for Joe Bussard's Fonotone label, the very last 78 rpm record label. Seasoned fans who may have long tired of seeking out these rarer than rare "cut-on-demand" releases can breathe a sigh of relief that these recordings made between 1958-1965 have been lovingly archived with a big beautiful 88 page book filled with liner notes, extensive histories, anecdotes, indexes, track-by-track commentary, photographs, and production information by Fahey follower Glenn Jones, who has worked for years on this project with a host of contributors. Here are 115 tracks, most of which are on cd for the first time.
It's hard to quantify how many of the originals were made, because Fonotone was a cut on demand mailorder label, meaning someone would have to order the title and the records would be hand cut (not pressed like they are today) from the master tape. Since each one was cut in real time, there were often slight discrepancies in the speed of the record, making each one a unique individual object. While Bussard claims he sold a lot of Fahey's records during his 14 year label lifespan, Jones was never sure if that meant 50 copies or one hundred or more, but given the scarcity of them in the collector resale market, Jones surmises that they might not have been more than 5 complete sets made. So there is a lot of gold to be discovered here. While some of the tracks are early recordings of Fahey Takoma-era classics like "Transcendental Waterfall" and "In Christ, There Is No East or West", there are a myriad of recordings attributed to Blind Thomas, one of Fahey's lost bluesman alter-egos, but unlike his more well-known alter-ego Blind Joe Death, Blind Thomas sang in a gruff world-weary manner, which we'll leave it up to the listener to decide if that is a good or bad thing. Our favorites are a few lovely collaborative tracks with flautist Nancy Maclean and folksinger Fran Vandiver, as well as a long beautiful instrumental track played with Indian instruments ("Western Medley").
But there is so much to pore over and obsess about here that any review we can write can hardly contain our enthusiasm and amazement over such a huge and immersive labor of love. Another score for Dust-To-Digital!!!
(Who, by the way, also just brought out an amazing 4cd boxed collection of vintage African 78s called Opika Pende that is equally impressive and can be found elsewhere on the aQ site)
MPEG Stream: "Buck Dancer's Choice 1"
MPEG Stream: "Green River Blues (as Blind Thomas)"
MPEG Stream: "Wissenschaftlich River Blues Part 2 (as Blind Thomas)"
MPEG Stream: "Revelations On The Banks Of The Pawtuxent"
MPEG Stream: "Dreaming Under the B&O Trestle (w/ Nancy Maclean)"
MPEG Stream: "Take This Hammer (w/ Fran Vandiver)"
MPEG Stream: "Portland Cement Factory"
MPEG Stream: "I Am a Rake and Rambling Boy"
MPEG Stream: "Western Medley"

FAHEY, JOHN & CUL DE SAC The Epiphany of Glenn Jones (Thirsty Ear) cd 15.98
Boston psych/folk/space rockers Cul de Sac covered a Fahey tune on their first album, Ecim, and here they finally get to collaborate with their hero, an ordeal (so say the liner notes) but with quite excellent results as expected.

FAHEY, JOHN, AND HIS ORCHESTRA After the Ball (Collector's Choice ) cd 16.98
John Fahey's second major label album was sort of a continuation of the fuller-sounding, more-musicians, New-Orleans-brass-band direction he had begun with the 1972 album Of Rivers and Religion. There's clarinet, trombone, trumpet, ukulele, mandolin, alto sax, etc. all (in my opinion) drowning out the perfect-on-its-own sound of Fahey's guitar. After the Ball is okay, but for Fahey completists only.
And let's all get a kick out of the terrible, terrible cover art, featuring a couple in prom gear waltzing blissfully under a disco ball. Oh my GOD it's bad.
RealAudio clip: "Hawaiian Two-Step"
RealAudio clip: "New Orleans Shuffle"

FAHRES, MICHAEL The Tubes (Cold Blue) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "The Tubes"
MPEG Stream: "Savan"

FAILING LIGHTS s/t (Intransitive Recordings) cd 14.98
Failing Lights is the solo project of Mike Connelly, who's better known for the cacophony he produces in the Hair Police and Wolf Eyes. The lo-fi soundsculpting embraced by both of those aforementioned projects is present here as well, but the capacity for ultra-violence and raw explosiveness is replaced by an unsettling atmosphere of dread. The album opens with a somber metallic klang repeating over a building rumble of controlled low-end feedback, and electronic bleeps all set off in various delay patterns. It's a very primitive, but very evocative form of cold industrially-minded musique concrete, coming pretty damn close to what Premature Ejaculation had done in the '80s. This band itself was something of an obtuse performance-art cross-pollination of LAFMS wild-eyed experimentation and Los Angeles goth chic (after all Rozz Williams of Christian Death was in Premature Ejaculation.) Anyway, Connelly is one to leave lots of space between his episodes of grim rumblings, lazer shot electronics, tape machinations, and sporadic bursts of power electronics overdose. By the middle of the record, Connelly uses these empty spaces to push forward an unstable, Jandekishly strummed guitar through a murk of tape decay. This can be hardly qualified as a song; it's more of conscious disintegration of a song, slumping into a stupor right before crumbling out of existence. The finale of the album comes by way of a crusty chord organ, that expands from a reedy whine into a scruffy powerdrone that's equal parts Charlemagne Palestine and Gate. Disquieting to say the least!
MPEG Stream: "Moon On The First Hunt"
MPEG Stream: "Serve In Silence"
MPEG Stream: "The Comfort Zone"

FAINT, THE (blank-wave arcade) (Saddle Creek) cd 15.98
Check out these stylin' Brit-inflected synth-wavers from Nebraska! The Faint make music that's coolly sparse and punchy with synth sounds straight outta the '80s. And they throw in a well-placed hook or herky-jerk when they see fit. Makes me think of a young, pouty, punky Pulp. Quite good, yes.
RealAudio clip: "Sex Is Personal"

FAINT, THE Danse Macabre (Saddle Creek) cd 13.98
Holy Duran Duran! I Am VSS-bender! What if Ladytron were all guys and into Talk Talk instead of drawing 'inspiration' from Kraftwerk? Yes folks, it's kinda like that. Song-oriented new wave that sounds like the '80s actually happened! Vocoded vocals, disco beats, sequenced bass lines. The Faint are from Omaha, Nebraska, are quite good, and their suburban midwest influences should take them quite a ways -- that is, they're not too challenging for most AQ customers, but 'different' enough to be interesting for 'most' people... there's some very good music on 'Danse Macabre' (cheesy title though). Songs to make you dance. "Your Retro Career Melted" has a damn catchy chorus. Well worth checkin' out. Daft Punk/Orgy fans, if they only knew.
RealAudio clip: "Agenda Suicide"
RealAudio clip: "Your Retro Career Melted"

FAINT, THE Danse Macabre Remixes (Astralwerks) cd 16.98
Remixes can be pretty darn hit-or-miss. Among other things, they can breathe life into lackluster songs, or obscure the originals way far beyond any recognition, or fuse two sonic worlds into something new, magical and completely faithful to both artists. Not quite sure yet where these Danse Macabre remixes fall. On the first few listens, I was struck with the sense that most of the remix artists here seem to have very little affinity to the band - diluting the punch and catchiness of these Nebraskans' songs into just so-so, slick house and techno tracks. I mean, the original Danse Macabre songs are entirely capable of packing a dancefloor on their own, thank you very much! Participants includes Paul Oakenfold, Junior Sanchez, Ursula 1000, Tommie Sunshine, and Photek.

FAINT, THE Fasciinatiion (Blank.Wav) cd 12.98
Rad! If you're already a fan of this Omaha, NE band, you're gonna love this! And if you're an older (i.e., pre-Danse Macabre) fan you're probably going to love it even more 'cause it's juiced up with some earlier Faint elements (like some infectious hooks and saucy lyrics) that the band more or less ditched on their last album, Wet From Birth. That album had the band going in a more balls-out rock direction, and their live shows followed suit. Fasciination finds them getting back to the synthesizers and electronics - super textured, thick and gnarly! -- and perhaps increasingly so. They seem to have devoted much more attention to sculpting the sound design, but not at the expense of the aggressive energy and the songs themselves. Although their access to recording production resources has no doubt increased with their popularity, they haven't been blinded by the bright lights or technology. Nothing's too glossy and no one seems to be sitting on any laurels, they still sound like The Faint. As we've said before this band too often gets unjustly lumped in with the legions of dumbshit vacuous dance punk bands, but c'mon, it's usually just a new-wave prejudiced knee-jerk reaction to the synth sounds and arpeggiated basslines (something which the band no longer seems to rely on anyways!). If you dismissed them long ago, you just might want to give Fasciination a spin because while they're quite capable and willing to whip a dance party into a frenzy, The Faint have always had far more going on in both craft and intent. Released on their own label Blank.Wav.
MPEG Stream: "Get Seduced"
MPEG Stream: "Machine In The Ghost"

FAINT, THE Media (Saddle Creek) cd 14.98
Check out the early sounds of Nebraska's new wavers' The Faint. This is their first album which was released back in '98.

FAINT, THE Mote (Gold Standard Laboratories) 12" 9.98
Grab this up before it's gone! The Faint take on Sonic Youth's "Mote" for this one-off GSL release (their usual label is Saddle Creek) and they do so in supreme synth-rock style. They busted this track out for their encore at their recent show here in SF. These lanky Omaha new wavers are positively driving the kids wild. Triggering the dance mechanism in all. This vinyl-only release also includes two remixes by The Lack and Psyrendust as well as a track entitled "Dust" with fellow Nebraskans Bright Eyes.

FAINT, THE Wet From Birth (Saddle Creek) cd 13.98
The long-awaited,Êhighly anticipated follow-up to the ultra rad Danse Macabre album has arrived, saddled with the burden of high expectations (it also comes with perhaps the worst title and cover art). Unfortunately and unjustly lumped in with the vapid electro-clash crowd (they were actually head and shoulders above the dance-punk fashionista pack -- showing some brain behind the style sheen), The Faint's new album has already been receiving the post-trend backlash. A number of us here at AQ dug D.M. quite a lot and wanted toÊresist that post-trend trend, hoping for an onwards and upwards progression from that album. We'd heard rumblings about intriguing changes in direction, new focuses, etc. However much to our chagrin, the first song struck usÊlike an uninspiredÊrehash of something that didn't even make the cut last time, but with the addition of more high-tech bells and whistles (E.L.O.-esque string flourishes, a wider range of vocal processing, etc). Their former insanely infectious hooks are nowhere to be found. Disappointed, we found ourselves asking, did they too succumb toÊthe vacuous hipster hype machine? Well, not entirely... although it does seemÊthat when they were making this album they wereÊat least partially conscious of the newfound demands of appealing to the more mainstream kids. There are many songs that are clearly going to be instant crowd pleasers, but they're also among the band's most superficial work with lots of simplistic 'short-hand for new wave' accessories. That saidÊWet From Birth hasÊsome of The Faint's mostÊballsy 'rock' soundingÊsongs in years (check out the big distorted nu metal-ish guitars in "Dropkick The Punks").ÊAs well, vocalist Todd Baechle has clearly been working on his delivery, expanding his dynamic range so as to not have to rely on studio applied effectsÊto provideÊdepth, personas, etc.ÊSimply put, he's no longer enslaved to the vocoder.ÊTheÊspace between the highs and lows of this album are considerable (for instance, the abovementioned "Dropkick..." is revved-up and exciting, while the album's single "Disappear" isÊdownright aggravating), but we suppose that's to be expected from a bandÊpoised to make the jump to the next level of commercial success while at the same time still trying toÊekeÊout some artistic progress.ÊNonetheless, we'd still recommend revisiting Danse Macabre or their earlier Blank Wave Arcade.
MPEG Stream: "I Disappear"
MPEG Stream: "Dropkick The Punks"

FAINT, THE Wet From Birth (Saddle Creek) lp 13.98
The long-awaited,Êhighly anticipated follow-up to the ultra rad Danse Macabre album has arrived, saddled with the burden of high expectations (it also comes with perhaps the worst title and cover art). Unfortunately and unjustly lumped in with the vapid electro-clash crowd (they were actually head and shoulders above the dance-punk fashionista pack -- showing some brain behind the style sheen), The Faint's new album has already been receiving the post-trend backlash. A number of us here at AQ dug D.M. quite a lot and wanted toÊresist that post-trend trend, hoping for an onwards and upwards progression from that album. We'd heard rumblings about intriguing changes in direction, new focuses, etc. However much to our chagrin, the first song struck usÊlike an uninspiredÊrehash of something that didn't even make the cut last time, but with the addition of more high-tech bells and whistles (E.L.O.-esque string flourishes, a wider range of vocal processing, etc). Their former insanely infectious hooks are nowhere to be found. Disappointed, we found ourselves asking, did they too succumb toÊthe vacuous hipster hype machine? Well, not entirely... although it does seemÊthat when they were making this album they wereÊat least partially conscious of the newfound demands of appealing to the more mainstream kids. There are many songs that are clearly going to be instant crowd pleasers, but they're also among the band's most superficial work with lots of simplistic 'short-hand for new wave' accessories. That saidÊWet From Birth hasÊsome of The Faint's mostÊballsy 'rock' soundingÊsongs in years (check out the big distorted nu metal-ish guitars in "Dropkick The Punks").ÊAs well, vocalist Todd Baechle has clearly been working on his delivery, expanding his dynamic range so as to not have to rely on studio applied effectsÊto provideÊdepth, personas, etc.ÊSimply put, he's no longer enslaved to the vocoder.ÊTheÊspace between the highs and lows of this album are considerable (for instance, the abovementioned "Dropkick..." is revved-up and exciting, while the album's single "Disappear" isÊdownright aggravating), but we suppose that's to be expected from a bandÊpoised to make the jump to the next level of commercial success while at the same time still trying toÊekeÊout some artistic progress.ÊNonetheless, we'd still recommend revisiting Danse Macabre or their earlier Blank Wave Arcade.
MPEG Stream: "I Disappear"
MPEG Stream: "Dropkick The Punks"

FAIR, JAD & WILLETT, JASON Twister (Dark Beloved Cloud) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Angular art rock, very lo-fi. This is an extremely limited edition of 100 clear vinyl lps hand cut in New Zealand, and we've got the West Coast exclusive.

FAIR, YVONNE The Bitch Is Black (Reel Music) cd 14.98
Besides the incomparable freakiness of Betty Davis, and sheer force that is Chaka Khan, we don't see too many female soul singers that can equally seduce us with their soulful wiles, then go in for the kill with their hard-hitting funk edge, and still make us feel their pain. Beginning her career as a featured singer for the James Brown Revue, Fair cut her teeth at Motown recording a single with Marvin Gaye that made Motown producer Norman Whitfield (Undisputed Truth, Rose Royce) take notice, producing a string of singles in the early seventies. Her lone album, The Bitch is Black has been thankfully reissued by Reel Music and features her version of The Temptations classic "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", Stevie Wonder's "Tell Me Something Good" and her UK hit "It Should Have Been Me", a spurned lover's soul-shattering breakdown. Just check out the cover, you don't want to mess with this 'bitch'!
MPEG Stream: "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns me On"
MPEG Stream: "It Should Have Been Me"
MPEG Stream: "Let Your Hair Down"

FAIRFIELD PARLOUR From Home To Home (Repertoire) cd 21.00
If you have been digging the recent Kaleidoscope (UK) reissues, then here is another treat: This re-issue of Fairfield Parlour's debut album on the Vertigo label, From Home to Home. The story behind this album and band name have never been fully made clear, as Kaleidoscope and Fairfield Parlour were the same band. Perhaps tired of being confused with the American band Kaleidoscope, who were better known; or sensing that the candy-coated psychedelia they had been dabbling in for two albums was waning fast, Kaleidoscope decided to adopt the new band moniker, Fairfield Parlour, and change their look from colorful twee paisley folksters to Old Tyme country-psych balladeers. So what is the music like? Well, while there is definitely a more haunting, lushly orchestrated sound evoking a darkly antique and mystical psych-pop vibe full of harpsichord, mellotrons, flutes and 12-string guitars, and the songwriting is more serious, it's not too far from a type of sound Kaleidoscope would have naturally progressed toward had they kept the same name. Lots of bands of the era from the Kinks to the Byrds had similar stylistic evolutions from psych pop to roots rock, but perhaps the band (or the label) felt that audiences somehow wouldn't make the transition. We can't help but think the confusion over the name change only made things worse for the band (they disbanded the following year after making one more album which was never released), it's a shame too because this album is really really great! This re-issue features the original album plus eight bonus tracks of singles demos, and alternate tracks. For fans of Euphoria, The Byrds, the Incredible String band and Muswell Hillbillies-era Kinks.
MPEG Stream: "In My Box"
MPEG Stream: "Soldier of the Flesh"

FAIRFIELD, FRANK s/t (Tompkins Square) cd 14.98

FAIRFIELD, FRANK s/t (Tompkins Square) lp 14.98

FAIRPORT CONVENTION Heyday (Island) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
For some time now I've been meaning to make this *great* album "Oldie but Goodie of the Week", and then lo and behold, it got reissued with 8 extra tracks! So it is with great pleasure that we offer Fairport Convention's Heyday. I'm a big fan of this band, who formed in the late '60s and whose sound melded traditional British Isles folk music with rock influences. Heyday is actually Fairport at their most rock -- it predates their better known (and much more "traditional" classics such as Unhalfbricking and Liege & Leaf), and is almost completely comprised of covers. This earliest incarnation of Fairport (which has since seen almost all its founding members move on) included the immensely talented Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny, Simon Nicol, Ian Matthews. Thompson's sublime guitarwork on Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" absolutely brings that song to its feet, plus they cover Cohen's "Bird on a Wire" and animate tracks by Joni Mitchell, Richard Farina, the Everly Bros, Gene Clark, etc. The eight extra songs included with this extended version of Heyday were similarly recorded in the late '60s and are mostly covers / traditionals, including tracks by Bob Dylan and Jackson C. Frank. They're more folky and less rock than the proper Heyday tracks, but in that they tantalize the listener by offering a glimpse at where the band was going, they're more than worthwhile.
That these tracks made it to tape is lucky -- the band performed live on the radio about once a month but tried to never repeat themselves! So it is a precious document, and it sounds great. You will never tire of Heyday.
RealAudio clip: "Suzanne"
RealAudio clip: "Tried So Hard"
RealAudio clip: "Si Tu Dois Partir"
RealAudio clip: "Gone, Gone, Gone"

FAIRPORT CONVENTION Liege & Lief (Island) cd 17.98

FAIRPORT CONVENTION Liege and Lief (4 Men With Beards) lp 17.98

FAIRPORT CONVENTION Unhalfbricking (Water) cd 15.98
The first four Fairport Convention albums are canon, no doubt about it. But while many may disagree with the inclusion of the first album, the one before Sandy Denny joined, and their full on embrace of traditional folk material on the fourth, Leige and Lief, pretty much all Fairport fans can agree that their second album, What We Did On Our Holidays, and third, Unhalfbricking are their very best. Thankfully Water has reissued both.
Unhalfbricking? What the hell does that mean? Perhaps the title was alluding to the transitional shedding of American rock elements that had featured more prominently on their first two records and laying the foundation towards redefining a traditional British sound. Sure there are still Dylan covers, in fact three of them, but the exiting of Ian Matthews brought in another Fairport stalwart, fiddler Dave Swarbrick which tipped the balance musically towards classic British folk. And what's more British than this cover? We think that's Sandy Denny's parents. So awesome! Of course, strong songwriting doesn't hurt, and Sandy Denny contributes her most famous song, "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" and the equally haunting "Autopsy". But the finest moment of the album (and prescient of their future sound) goes to the eleven minute take on the traditional tune, "A Sailor's Life". Rumor has it, that they recorded this song in a single take because Denny, suffering from a cold, didn't think she could sing it more than once (though she wouldn't stop smoking). It's definitely the band at their peak and one of the finest recordings they made. Unfortunately, as we mentioned in the "What We Did On Our Holidays" review, the band was cursed and this was the last record for teenage drummer, Martin Lamble, who died in a freak accident involving the band's van. This cemented their future foray towards traditional material as the band refused to play live any of the music that they previously recorded with Lamble. But it's the air of that legendary rock curse (which would also tragically claim Sandy Denny, eight years later) that gives the early music of Fairport Convention it's mysteriously bewitching and dark edge. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Autopsy"
MPEG Stream: "A Sailor's Life"
MPEG Stream: "Who Knows Where The Time Goes"

FAIRPORT CONVENTION Unhalfbricking (4 Men With Beards) lp 16.98
Newly reissued on vinyl!
The first four Fairport Convention albums are canon, no doubt about it. But while many may disagree with the inclusion of the first album, the one before Sandy Denny joined, and their full on embrace of traditional folk material on the fourth, Leige and Lief, pretty much all Fairport fans can agree that their second album, What We Did On Our Holidays, and third, Unhalfbricking are their very best. Thankfully Water has reissued both.
Unhalfbricking? What the hell does that mean? Perhaps the title was alluding to the transitional shedding of American rock elements that had featured more prominently on their first two records and laying the foundation towards redefining a traditional British sound. Sure there are still Dylan covers, in fact three of them, but the exiting of Ian Matthews brought in another Fairport stalwart, fiddler Dave Swarbrick which tipped the balance musically towards classic British folk. And what's more British than this cover? We think that's Sandy Denny's parents. So awesome! Of course, strong songwriting doesn't hurt, and Sandy Denny contributes her most famous song, "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" and the equally haunting "Autopsy". But the finest moment of the album (and prescient of their future sound) goes to the eleven minute take on the traditional tune, "A Sailor's Life". Rumor has it, that they recorded this song in a single take because Denny, suffering from a cold, didn't think she could sing it more than once (though she wouldn't stop smoking). It's definitely the band at their peak and one of the finest recordings they made. Unfortunately, as we mentioned in the "What We Did On Our Holidays" review, the band was cursed and this was the last record for teenage drummer, Martin Lamble, who died in a freak accident involving the band's van. This cemented their future foray towards traditional material as the band refused to play live any of the music that they previously recorded with Lamble. But it's the air of that legendary rock curse (which would also tragically claim Sandy Denny, eight years later) that gives the early music of Fairport Convention it's mysteriously bewitching and dark edge. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Autopsy"
MPEG Stream: "A Sailor's Life"
MPEG Stream: "Who Knows Where The Time Goes"

FAIRPORT CONVENTION What We Did On Our Holidays (Water) cd 15.98
The first four Fairport Convention albums are canon, no doubt about it. But while many may disagree with the inclusion of the first album, the one before Sandy Denny joined, and their full on embracement of traditional folk material on the fourth, Leige and Lief, pretty much all Fairport fans can agree that their second album, What We Did On Our Holidays, and third, Unhalfbricking are their very best. Thankfully Water has reissued both.
What We Did On Our Holidays is our definite favorite. If there were one classic British folk-rock record we could recommend, it would be this one, mainly because it's so unclassic sounding. Here is the band at their most adventurous and unsettled, moving into different territory with each song. Mixing covers of American songwriters Joni Mitchell and Dylan with a wide array of original numbers and spirited takes on traditional material, we're taken through a trip of lively blues stomps, eastern mysticism, ghostly ballads and the best pairing of male and female vocal harmonies from Ian Matthews and Sandy Denny. Fairport Convention had the blessing of being made up of many other talented songwriters and musicians as well, including Richard Thompson, Martin Lamble, Simon Nicol, and Ashley Hutchings, but they were forever cursed by never having the same line-up twice on any of their records. While replacing former co-lead singer Judy Dyble (Giles, Giles and Fripp, Trader Horne) with Sandy Denny definitely upped their musical profile, this was sadly the last record for Ian Matthews. He went on to found Matthew's Southern Comfort and then later pursue his own solo work, but it just wasn't on the same par as his work on the first two Fairport albums. This is arguably the best line-up they had which makes for our highest recommendation.
MPEG Stream: "Book Song"
MPEG Stream: "Tales In Hard Time"
MPEG Stream: "She Moves Through The Fair"

FAIRPORT CONVENTION What We Did On Our Holidays (4 Men With Beards) lp 16.98
Newly reissued on vinyl!!.
The first four Fairport Convention albums are canon, no doubt about it. But while many may disagree with the inclusion of the first album, the one before Sandy Denny joined, and their full on embracement of traditional folk material on the fourth, Leige and Lief, pretty much all Fairport fans can agree that their second album, What We Did On Our Holidays, and third, Unhalfbricking are their very best. Thankfully Water has reissued both.
What We Did On Our Holidays is our definite favorite. If there were one classic British folk-rock record we could recommend, it would be this one, mainly because it's so unclassic sounding. Here is the band at their most adventurous and unsettled, moving into different territory with each song. Mixing covers of American songwriters Joni Mitchell and Dylan with a wide array of original numbers and spirited takes on traditional material, we're taken through a trip of lively blues stomps, eastern mysticism, ghostly ballads and the best pairing of male and female vocal harmonies from Ian Matthews and Sandy Denny. Fairport Convention had the blessing of being made up of many other talented songwriters and musicians as well, including Richard Thompson, Martin Lamble, Simon Nicol, and Ashley Hutchings, but they were forever cursed by never having the same line-up twice on any of their records. While replacing former co-lead singer Judy Dyble (Giles, Giles and Fripp, Trader Horne) with Sandy Denny definitely upped their musical profile, this was sadly the last record for Ian Matthews. He went on to found Matthew's Southern Comfort and then later pursue his own solo work, but it just wasn't on the same par as his work on the first two Fairport albums. This is arguably the best line-up they had which makes for our highest recommendation.
MPEG Stream: "Book Song"
MPEG Stream: "Tales In Hard Time"
MPEG Stream: "She Moves Through The Fair"

FAITED, THONGHUAD Diew Sor Isan : The North East Thai Violin Of Thonghuad Faited (Em Records) cd 22.00
We've been totally obsessed with EM's recent reissue of Istikhbars & Improvisations by Algerian pianist Mustapha Skandrani, and before we even had a chance to begin wearing that one out, along comes yet another magnificent gem, this one from Thai violinist Thonghuad Faited, the Thai violin in question a two stringed sor, a mainstay of Isan music (which you may have heard on the Sublime Frequencies compilation ISAN: Folk and Pop Music of Northeast Thailand); Faited being perhaps the instrument's greatest proponent, and one of the few sor players to have made the transition from background musician to revered solo artist.
Diew Sor Isan is the first proper anthology from Faited, gathering up many of his finest performances from various recordings, many of which are available here for the first time outside of Thailand, Faited's sound part of the 'Molam' tradition, again, sampled on another couple of Sublime Frequencies comps, Molam: Thai Country Groove From Isan volumes 1 and 2, Molam is the dominant musical tradition in rural Thailand and is focused around the exotic meditative melodies of the sor, and a style of playing that in some ways is definitely reminiscent of Celtic music as well as bluegrass, but ultimately it remains so distinctive, and utterly unique, the music collected here lush and emotional, dreamily melodic and groovy, from aching solo sor pieces, to lush full band grooves, sensual and soulful, to haunting percussion driven folk, to much more modern sounding Thai funk, from fuzzy garage-y grooves, to gorgeous vocal / sor interplay, some of the tracks super distinctive, the melodies especially the vocals, will be instantly recognizable to folks who remember the Butthole Surfers' purloined-Thai-music-sampling jam "Kuntz", Faited's sor so versatile, whether unfurling smooth, clean sinewy melodies, or sawing way wildly, the Thai folk version of 'shredding', it's no wonder he's a star, ALL the tracks here mesmerizing, every time we put this one, we end up just pushing repeat and listening to it over and over and over again. So fantastic.
The cd is housed in a full color gatefold cardboard sleeve, the lp in a nice full color jacket, both with a fold out full color insert with photos, and liner notes in both English and Japanese.
MPEG Stream: "Diew Sor"
MPEG Stream: "Diew Sor Kid Hod Baan"
MPEG Stream: "Ruammit"
MPEG Stream: "Eua Aree See Sor"

FAITED, THONGHUAD Diew Sor Isan : The North East Thai Violin Of Thonghuad Faited (Em Records) lp 24.00
We've been totally obsessed with EM's recent reissue of Istikhbars & Improvisations by Algerian pianist Mustapha Skandrani, and before we even had a chance to begin wearing that one out, along comes yet another magnificent gem, this one from Thai violinist Thonghuad Faited, the Thai violin in question a two stringed sor, a mainstay of Isan music (which you may have heard on the Sublime Frequencies compilation ISAN: Folk and Pop Music of Northeast Thailand); Faited being perhaps the instrument's greatest proponent, and one of the few sor players to have made the transition from background musician to revered solo artist.
Diew Sor Isan is the first proper anthology from Faited, gathering up many of his finest performances from various recordings, many of which are available here for the first time outside of Thailand, Faited's sound part of the 'Molam' tradition, again, sampled on another couple of Sublime Frequencies comps, Molam: Thai Country Groove From Isan volumes 1 and 2, Molam is the dominant musical tradition in rural Thailand and is focused around the exotic meditative melodies of the sor, and a style of playing that in some ways is definitely reminiscent of Celtic music as well as bluegrass, but ultimately it remains so distinctive, and utterly unique, the music collected here lush and emotional, dreamily melodic and groovy, from aching solo sor pieces, to lush full band grooves, sensual and soulful, to haunting percussion driven folk, to much more modern sounding Thai funk, from fuzzy garage-y grooves, to gorgeous vocal / sor interplay, some of the tracks super distinctive, the melodies especially the vocals, will be instantly recognizable to folks who remember the Butthole Surfers' purloined-Thai-music-sampling jam "Kuntz", Faited's sor so versatile, whether unfurling smooth, clean sinewy melodies, or sawing way wildly, the Thai folk version of 'shredding', it's no wonder he's a star, ALL the tracks here mesmerizing, every time we put this one, we end up just pushing repeat and listening to it over and over and over again. So fantastic.
The cd is housed in a full color gatefold cardboard sleeve, the lp in a nice full color jacket, both with a fold out full color insert with photos, and liner notes in both English and Japanese.
MPEG Stream: "Diew Sor"
MPEG Stream: "Diew Sor Kid Hod Baan"
MPEG Stream: "Ruammit"
MPEG Stream: "Eua Aree See Sor"

FAITH / VOID split (Dischord) lp 12.98

FAITHFULL, MARIANNE Before The Poison (Anti) cd 16.98
Like Ali G's German fashion maven, Bruno, says, "Marianne Faithfull gets a... Wattschhupp." And actually, much to the credit of her co-writers this round (PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Damon Albarn, and Jon Brion) these songs are good. Real good. Faithfull weaves her vocals around each song's style and rhythm. With Harvey, the tracks are punkish and throbbing or slow and moody. With Cave, melodramatic and artfully tragic. With Albarn, big and britpoppy. Brion's nursery-lullaby, "City of Quartz", closes the album with a scattering of kinder-esque instruments, faux-glockenspiel, toy piano, etc. Indeed. Faithfull and company offer a grand performance of the highest caliber! Mmmyes... Bravo.
MPEG Stream: "My Friends Have"
MPEG Stream: "There Is A Ghost"

FAITHFULL, MARIANNE Come My Way (Lilith ) cd 16.98
Where the long, amazing and intense road that is Mariane Faithfull's music career began. This is her debut (actually one of two simultaneous debuts) she released in 1965. This was the darker companion to the more cheerful pop of her self titled release of that same year. The record gives a sneak peak at the darker side of Faithfull, that would unravel in the decades to come. She takes on many folk standards and with her immaculate voice and charismatic touch and makes them very much her own. Relevant as ever, as these days you can hear her influence all over the recent great underground folk scene through the voices and stylings of folks like Marissa Nadler and Josephine Foster amongst many. With her own great release last year Before the Poison it's really nice to get a listen back to her roots and marvel at the trajectory of an amazing artist's career. The record ends perfectly with "Sister Morphine" which she penned with one time lover Mick and his cohort Keith, which predated their rendition on Sticky Fingers. When you can love what someone made in 1965 as much as you love what they came out with in 2005 you know you are dealing with someone so totally special. While those boys Mick and Keith, we haven't cared about them for decades.
MPEG Stream: "Lonesome Traveller"
MPEG Stream: "Sister Morphine"

FAITHFULL, MARIANNE Easy Come Easy Go (Decca) cd 16.98
Besides being such a cultural icon, Marianne Faithful has some pretty amazing music in her back catalog. Her last album, 2005's Before The Poison was one of the most potent and emotionally stunning records of her career. It's an album some of us still listen to a lot, her voice with all its life experience shines through with so much truth, pain, and beauty. Her latest record, Easy Come Easy Go finds her tackling twelve cover songs and while we do think there should be a moratorium on covers albums, heck Marianne Faithful can do whatever she wants, and has made a career of turning other people's songs into her own.
If you are a musician and got a call that Marianne Faithful wanted to cover your song you would likely be pretty thrilled and honored, so we can't even imagine what folks like the Espers or the Decemberists thought when they got word that Marianne was going to cover their songs (those covers are two of the big standout tracks on this record!). Along the same lines, getting the call to be a part of Marianne's back up band would be pretty much mind blowing as well, so it's no surprise that the musicians on this album are some of the biggest heavy hitters around: Jim White (Dirty Three, Smog, Cat Power, etc.) on drums. Marc Ribot on guitar, Greg Cohen on bass and the list goes on and on. She also called upon some pretty recognizable voices to join her on some of the tracks like Antony, Cat Power, Rufus Wainwright, Jarvis Cocker and Nick Cave!
But make no mistake, this record is still totally all about Marianne Faithful and the way her weathered but brilliant voice is able to truly wrap itself around your ears. Whether tackling tracks by Dolly Parton, Brian Eno, Merle Haggard, Smokey Robinson, Morrissey or Judee Sill, she brings such emotional weight and such a volatile punch to these songs. Produced by Hal Willner, whom she last worked with on Strange Weather, you can feel his influence a bit too much on a few of the tracks, which go for a more old timey/cabaret feel, but luckily there are only a few of those, the rest of the album is much more driving, powerful and present sounding.
While The Rolling Stones may have ushered her into the spotlight all those decades ago, it's clear that as time has gone on Marianne Faithful sounds a million times more relevant and full of integrity than the Stones do now. A true living legend!
MPEG Stream: "The Crane Wife 3"
MPEG Stream: "Hold On Hold On"
MPEG Stream: "Ooh Baby Baby"

FAITHFULL, MARIANNE Kissin Time (Virgin) cd 22.00
Having just got back from tour with my band, during which I read Marianne Faithfull's autobiography, I have to say this release is timely. I feel like I know her. I could tell you about all of her sexual exploits, and all the drugs she did, the rock stars she hung around. Sadly that's all anyone ever cares to speak of in regard to Miss Faithfull. Why? Well... probably because it's a lot more exciting than her music. This is her first record in 3 years. Beck, Jarvis Cocker (of Pulp), Dave Stewart (of the Eurythmics) as well as Blur all help her out on this one - 'though not nearly enough. After reading the book I didn't like her at all. I got tired of her bragging and dull stories, and after listening to this cd (twice) I was equally unimpressed. Bad techno with horrible droning vocals and embarrassing lyrics. The music really embodies how I feel about her; substanceless, dull, show-offy crap. Unbearable.
RealAudio clip: "Sex With Strangers"
RealAudio clip: "Wherever I Go"

FAKESCH, MICHAEL Marion (Musik Aus Strom / Studio K7) cd 16.98
Swathed in stealthy Designer's Republic packaging, Michael Fakesch's "Marion" is the first solo album from half of the German electronica duo, Funkstorung. As with most Funkstorung related projects, Fakesch's sound is superficially identical to that of Autechre. Yet, upon closer investigation, "Marion" veers ever so slightly from the archetypal Autechre sound with a bleaker take on the streaming pulse of melodic "electrons" and a more spastic fracturing of the electro breakbeat.

FAKESCH, MICHAEL Marion (Musik Aus Strom / Studio K7) 2lp 19.98
Swathed in stealthy Designer's Republic packaging, Michael Fakesch's "Marion" is the first solo album from half of the German electronica duo, Funkstorung. As with most Funkstorung related projects, Fakesch's sound is superficially identical to that of Autechre. Yet, upon closer investigation, "Marion" veers ever so slightly from the archetypal Autechre sound with a bleaker take on the streaming pulse of melodic "electrons" and a more spastic fracturing of the electro breakbeat.

FAKEYOUROWNDEATH s/t (self-released) cd ep 3.00
New San Francisco band featuring ex-members of Elephone. While they're still in their infancy as a band they have recorded a debut ep, almost like a demo, just to get their music out in the world. And from the sounds of these four songs they're off to a pretty good start. Driving guitar fueled rockers that remind us a bit of folks like Interpol, The Editors and even Afghan Whigs. Will be cool to see what the future holds for them. And super cool that this ep so cheap.
MPEG Stream: "Mouth To Speak"
MPEG Stream: "Few Plus One"

FALCON Die Wontcha (Liquid Flames) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Those of you into obscure '70s heavy rock - or cult '80s metal for that matter - ought to be interested in this new album from the power trio Falcon. It's their second record, following a self titled debut in 2004. That one featured a cover of Bang's "Redman", and also a cameo vocal performance by Bobby Liebling of Pentagram, on a song dedicated to the memory of Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott... and that should give you an idea of where Falcon is coming from, in terms of influences/atmosphere. Capturing the spirit of the '70s proto-metal that we dig so much here at AQ too. Bang! Pentagram! 'Lizzy! c'mon!! Some other obvious selling points in Falcon's favor has to do with who's who in the band. They've got Greg Lindstrom from '80s epic doomsters Cirith Ungol on bass and Darin McCloskey of stoner metal act Pale Divine on drums. The third, crucial part of the trio is vocalist/guitarist Perry Grayson, who used to play in a much more technical power metal band called Destiny's End but gave that up to concentrate on his true love (well, next to the weird pulp fiction of H.P. Lovecraft), full on '70s-sounding downer rock. He's one of those guys with the crazy record collection full of vintage vinyl proto-metal platters, trying to bring it all back to life a la Magnus from Witchcraft. And being a badass guitar player with heavy friends makes it look easy, with Falcon now on to their second album, this one, so let's tell y'all some more about it...
Die Wontcha - love the title, love the cover art, which we can only guess was probably lifted from an old issue of Weird Tales or something like that - features ten tracks of groovy, rockin', bellbottomed '70s heaviness worship. Nine are Falcon originals, the tenth a killer cover of "Leader" by Aussie proto-metallers Buffalo (you'll find the original on their 1972 album Dead Forever, the reissue of which is reviewed elsewhere on our site). Since Perry recently relocated from LA to Australia, it's even more appropriate they do a Buffalo song. And boy howdy does it fit in with their own material.
The disc starts off with Lindstrom's lament for Scottish Formula 1 race car driver Jimmy Clark, who died in a tragic crash back in '68. It's totally the sort of thing a band like this back in the '70s would have written... almost a modern-day folk song. Definitely very Thin Lizzyish, with Perry's slightly gruff, deep voiced vocals, melodic minor key guitar leads, and classic, loping, hummable riffage. For those more into fantasy subjects, a couple tracks later Falcon's got "The King Of Elfland's Daughter", inspired by a poem by Irish fantasist Lord Dunsany. It too has a lot of Lizzyish licks...
Everywhere, Falcon's fuzzed out guitar and fat riffs scream '70s, as do the lyrics, Perry dropping lines like "back in the days of yore/hippie to the core" and "hit the stage with heavy rockin' band/tour the world kickin' out the jams/turn the amps up loud/stun the crowd". Yep, that's rock n' roll like they used to do, and Falcon bring it. But maybe the best expression of Falcon's mission is found in the lyrics to the disc's final track, penned by Lindstrom, entitled "Show You All" - which is all about going to a big show by some currently popular so-called rock band and unavoidably thinking they could do much, much better, Perry singing: "I want to jump on stage/and show you how all to play". That's kinda cocky, but we're sure some of you will share Falcon's sentiments, folks we'd recommend this to who also enjoy such quality, ripping n' riffy bands with retro-rawk '70s influences as Witchcraft, Burning Saviours, Bible Of The Devil, Slough Feg, Danava, Drunk Horse, etc... Some tracks, like "No Future" also remind us of the mood created by Wino's old band The Obsessed.
By the way, although we never listed it before, we do have a just a few copies of Falcon's equally rad s/t album in stock as well, the one with the Bobby L. cameo. We figured since we were highlighting this, some folks might want to pick that one up too, so we got some from the band. They're a little cheaper, 'cause the copies we have of that are pro duped cd-rs, not actual cds, FYI. They still have the same cool metallic foil stamped covers of the original cd version, though. And *this* disc is indeed a real cd, not a cd-r.
MPEG Stream: "Jimmy Clark"
MPEG Stream: "Careless"

FALCON s/t (Liquid Flames) cd-r 9.98
1st album from these retro-proto-metal-doomin' throwbacks, featuring guest vocals on one cut by Bobby L. from Pentagram!!! NOTE: the ones we have are cd-rs, not real cds. The packaging is the same as the original cd version, but the band ran out of disc so had cd-rs made to use up the overrun of covers they had on hand...

FALCONER Among Beggars And Thieves (Metal Blade) cd 14.98

FALCONER Chapters From A Vale Forlorn (Metal Blade) cd 15.98
Falconer's self-titled debut from last year was one of the "true metal" sensations around AQ at the time (that is, for Andee and Allan anyway, and I think we're getting Windy into 'em now too). The band's folk-derived melodicism and sheer heavy metal might was an unbeatable combination. This new disc is just as good, with songs that threaten to stick in your head for weeks (you're warned, listen to the sound samples a couple of times and you'll be humming 'em tomorrow). Of course, the folkiness and subject matter of songs like "Enter The Glade", "Lament Of A Minstrel" or "We Sold Our Homesteads" may seem silly to some, but that's ok. We like 'em that way. (The Lord Weird Slough Feg is another good example.) But it's not all Medieval folk-epics. Other songs, like "Busted To The Floor", demonstrate the rockin' Rainbow/Riot side of Falconer, complete with jamming Deep Purplish keyboards. You may recall the guitarist and drummer of Falconer used to be in a Viking black metal band called Mithotyn that we also really liked. They broke up but we're happy Falconer was the result, maintaining Mithotyn's heaviness but upping the melodic content. (Mithotyn fans, note: their sought-after final album, "Gathered Round The Oaken Table", has been reissued and is now back in stock!) The guitarist's riffs are still heavy, and catchier than ever, and their totally-NOT-black-metal vocalist utterly shines. It's not so much his voice itself that gets us, but his style and ability. He's damn good, and (because of his theatrical background) he does stuff other singers wouldn't think of -- there's lots of interesting detail in his vocal arrangements and delivery. He helps make Falconer one of the best 'power metal' bands on the planet. Catchy, heavy, majestic, a bit ridiculous, what more do you want?
RealAudio clip: "The Clarion Call"
RealAudio clip: "Busted To The Floor"

FALCONER Grime Vs. Grandeur (Metal Blade) cd 15.98
No, the title isn't referring to the techno sort of Grime! This is the fourth album from the Swedish power-metal troupe, who if they DJed would certainly play tracks by Metal Church, Yngwie's Rising Force, and Judas Priest, not Dizzee Rascal. If you know who they are, by now you're either a fan of Falconer mainman Stefan Weinerhall's distinctive guitar work and '80s inspired, storm-the-castle-style of metal songsmithery, or this just isn't your sort of thing. But if you haven't heard 'em before and do think you might be interested, we'd suggest checking out one of their other albums, their self-titled debut perhaps, or follow-up Chapters From A Vale Forlorn, before this one. Fans, though, will find that Grime Vs. Grandeur's got all the usual Falconer sing-along theatrics and folky bits. Weinerhall's guitar playing -- his medieval riffs and melodies -- remains individual and recognizable, something quite unusual in a genre that's often so, uh, generic. He's to be applauded for that. The wailing vocalist -- the kind of Euro power-metal belter who can (and does) rhyme "rose" with "overdose" -- isn't so distinctive, but he gets the job done though. Overall, what we've got here is another Falconer album, and you probably know if you need one or not. Cheesy? Definitely, sure. And this could be their cheesiest. But they're still a better band than many in this genre, for some of us (Allan and Andee) quite the guilty pleasure.
MPEG Stream: "Purgatory Time"
MPEG Stream: "Child Of The Wild"