HAUSCHKA & HILDUR GUDNADOTTIR Pan Tone (Sonic Pieces) cd 19.98
Time to get swept away by some deep dreamy Icelandic beauty, as our favorite experimental cellist Hildur Gudnadottir teams up with composer and pianist Hauschka for a stunning collaboration. We already deeply smitten with the meditative music Gudnadottir has made on her own as well as in collaboration with Angel, BJ Nilsen, Mum, et cetera. But we hadn't spent much time with the music of Hauschka, but this pairing definitely has us wanting to hear more of his stuff. Together they create music that sounds like a solemn soundtrack for ghost towns, abandoned buildings, and isolated existence.
With elements in sound, composition and an overall feeling that reminds us of some of our favorite works by Gavin Bryars, Charlamagne Palestine, Harold Budd, Sylvain Chauveau, and The Rachels, this is one of those records we love playing early on a crisp winter morning or as it turns dark on a Sunday night and it's time to clear our heads of the distractions of the world, and start taking deep breaths and immersing ourselves in thoughtful introspection. Utterly beautiful and stirring.
MPEG Stream: "#283"
MPEG Stream: "Cool Gray 1"
MPEG Stream: "#304"

HAUSER, FRITZ Solodrumming (Celestial Harmonies) cd 16.98

MPEG Stream: "Disturbed Balance"
MPEG Stream: "Ocean One"
MPEG Stream: "Puzzle"

HAUSER, FRITZ & MICHAEL ASKILL Space: Music For Bells, Cymbals And Gong (Celestial Harmonies) cd 15.98

MPEG Stream: "3:05"
MPEG Stream: "5:17"
MPEG Stream: "5:44"

HAVE A NICE LIFE Deathconsciousness (Enemies List) 2xcd-r + book 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Let's just get it right out in the open, first thing. This should have been record of the week. It's beautiful, weird as fuck, mysterious, it's two whole discs of far out sounds, it comes with a massive photocopied book, filled with lyrics and text from some mysterious professor, and they're called Have A Nice Life...
BUT, the band decided to not make any more copies, and let us have their last 40. It will probably be available as a download or something in the future, but for now, these are the last 40 physical copies available EVER. And the only way, as far as we know, to get the book as well.
So what's the deal with Have A Nice Life? People are always emailing us about the new wave of shoegaze bands, nu-gaze as some folks like to call it (the same ones who now have us using the term metalgaze), and someone recommended Have A Nice Life, telling us the band was some sort of doom, metal, black metal, gothic, new wave, shoe gaze outfit, so obviously we were pretty curious. So we emailed the band. No response. Emailed the label. No response. Then we just happened to be going through piles of records, and found this one just sitting on the desk, where it must have been for weeks, a cool creepy cover, a color painting of a man's arm, bleeding, the words "the plow that broke the plains" on a black field above it. And it was bundled with a book. Hmmm. With the word Deathconsciousness printed on the front. And wham. It clicked. Those guys had already sent us a copy, which had somehow slipped through the cracks. So we quickly threw it on, and it was everything we had expected, everything we had hoped for, and more. We finally got in touch with the band, who told us they were not going to make any more, but would make one final batch for us.
So here they are.
Two discs, jam packed with dark blissed out shoegazey, new wave-y, slightly metallic nearly perfect pop. The songs insanely varied, but impossible cohesive. Some sort of sprawling bliss rock opera. Each track, perfect on its own, but even more perfect as part of the bigger whole.
The first disc is the prettier and poppier of the two. The opening track is a creepy stretch of Goblin like synth ambience, peppered with simple minor key acoustic guitar, haunting and lovely, which quickly gives way to thick ropy basslines, and reverbed electronic drums, a definitely Joy Division vibe, swirls of thick guitar, gorgeous melodies and heartfelt vocals, it's dirgey and doomy and depressive, but so catchy and poppy. The next track is a big blown out pop epic, all effected vocal harmonies and washed out watercolor guitars, reminding us quite a bit of M83. The rest of the first disc slips easily from gloomy goth pop, to minimal drone, to shimmery shoegaze, often all at once. The disc finishes off with a gloomy dirge, all downtuned grindguitar and pointillist piano. Softly crooned vocals, and a surprisingly catchy melody.
Which perfect leads into the second, darker and heavier disc, which begins with a track the boasts probably the greatest song title EVER: "Waiting For Black Metal Records In The Mail". But don't be expecting any black metal, instead it's a killer slab of eighties style indie doom pop, jangly guitar, propulsive drumming, and killer vocals, all wound into an awesome blast of hooky retro gloom, very reminiscent of the Comsat Angels. Hot on the heels comes another awesomely named song: "Holy Fucking Shit: 40,000", but again the title gives no clue that the song is a lilting mostly acoustic jam, with more piano, sad vocals, minor key melodies, a super reverby eighties production, all set to that Casio keyboard preset metronome rhythm. But about half way through, the track shifts and becomes a pounding rocker, the guitars thick and distorted, the drums pounding, but then all around synths buzz, vocals croon, the heaviness transformed into something much more dreamy and blissy. "The Future" is an aggro, almost no wave workout, all jagged guitars and shouted vocals, and more of that thick throbbing bass, but just like the rest of the tracks, it gets totally twisted around, his time by the addition of fake strings, and yet another killer and totally irresistible hook.
"Earthmover" finishes things off, but instead of being some dirgey doom epic, it's another blissed out popscape, lots and lots of fuzz and buzz, glistening melodies, minimal rhythms, all buried beneath layers of woozy whir and sun dappled sparkle. Almost like a much prettier and poppier Nadja.
And the thing about this record and these songs, is that, they all manage to be outrageously catchy, but not obviously so, and while they straddle about a million different genres, they manage to weave them all seamlessly into each other, making Deathconsciousness feel less like a rock band's collection of songs, and more like one massive organic mass of blackened dronepop jangle-goth bliss. Which as far as we're concerned it actually is.
The packaging is amazing. A slimline dvd case, two cd-r's each hand spray painted, full color cover, super spare and striking, and then there's the book. A dvd sized 80 page book, filled with lyrics, liner notes, woodcuts, engravings, illustrations, and a massive amount of text on the soul, spirituality, death, sorcery, Medieval heresy and more, all supposedly penned by an East Coast professor and scholar.
So awesome!
MPEG Stream: "Waiting For Black Metal Records To Come In The Mail"
MPEG Stream: "Holy Fucking Shit: 40,000"
MPEG Stream: "Bloodhail"
MPEG Stream: "The Big Gloom"
MPEG Stream: "Hunter"

HAVOHEJ Dethrone the Son of God (Hells Headbangers) cd 13.98

HAVOK UNIT / ANDOCEANS / THE SIN:DECAY Synaethesia - The Requiem Reveries (Vendlus) cd 10.98
From Finland, a three-way split of chaotic industrial metal, chock full of noisy distortion, dance beats, and scary samples. Two of these bands are actually the SAME band, they just changed their name (Havoc Unit was known for the past ten years as AndOceans, who did several previous albums of avant-garde black metal that we liked in the past). So you get the first ever Havoc Unit track, and the last from And Oceans, plus two (very different) remixes of each. And then there's the third band, The Sin:Decay, also in the same brutal industrial-metal vein, and it turns out it's a side project of one of the members of Havoc Unit/And Oceans... So despite being a "split", this could easily be heard as an album by just one band, Havoc Unit we'll say for simplicity's sake. And Havoc Unit, oddly enough, sound a bit like the '90s band Canadian Malhavoc, if you remember them. So well worth checking out if you're any of the following: a fan of AndOceans / a fan of Malhavoc / just into some blackened industrial metal weirdness. Brought to us by the rather off-the-wall metal label Vendlus (Wolves In The Throne Room, Grayceon, Audiopain, etc.).
MPEG Stream: "With Discipline Upon Mankind"
MPEG Stream: "Mvsn (Atyd Rmx)"

HAWD GANKSTUH RAPPUHS MC'S (WID GHATZ) Wake Up and Smell the Piss (Load) cd 14.98
You can never have too much Hawd Gangstuh Rappuhs MC's (Wid Ghatz). And god knows we're trying! Full length number two, in less than a year, and it's everything you've come to love from these East Coast miscreants. Bad drum programming, stupid lyrics, bad skits, horrible sense of humor. Fucking Brilliant. If the last HGRMWG was too much skit and not enough music for you, then this should balance it out, much more music, hardly any skits, and not as much rapping as you might expect. But the rapping that is there is really stupid and really, really funny. Includes what I think was their first track ever, the Cypress Hill spoof 'The Bong (Get In The)'.
RealAudio clip: "The Bong (Get In the)"
RealAudio clip: "Operation Albino"

HAWD GANKSTUH RAPPUHS MC'S WID GHATZ 2 Hype 2 Wype (WordSound) cd 14.98
Oh yeah! Finally, a full length from the best worst rap group EVER. God Albino, Duke Crapmore and Flybot Van Damn are three skinny white guys who absolutely destroy on the mic. Fuck Paul Barman and his wacky 'college guy' shtick, this is the shit. Stupid and funky and juvenile and offensive and so so funny. HGRMWG are like the Geto Boys, if the Geto Boys were immature, whiny, skinny white art-school drop outs. We've been following these guys for a while -- they've contributed standout tracks to all three of the WordSound comps as well as cameos on the Spectre records. Primitive loops, lo-fi recording, ridiculous fake voices, and lots and lots of skits! And ANYONE who bought a Steven Schultz record off the last list, HAS to buy this. In fact, I'm just gonna go through the files and send out copies to those people. You know who you are...

HAWD GANKSTUH RAPPUHS MCS WID GATZ s/t (Black Hoodz/Wordsound) 10 7.98
The history of rap will forever change with Guy Albino, Dook Crapmore, and Flybot Van Damn, a trio that is easily the most retarded hip hop outfit ever to grace the earth. Self deprecating, bombastic lyrics proclaim themselves as the mythical 'Sucker MCs' ridiculed throughout hip hop since the beginning of time, while shouting about being stupid white kids high on crack... loaded with scatalogical rhetoric that we really want Snoop Dogg to utter, through an exemplary rhythmic if wholly caucasian delivery... the ultimate transmutation of African-American culture into a suburban nightmare via Phoenix, Arizona. Absolute.
So highly recommended by Andee...

HAWG JAW Send Out The Dogs (Throne) cd 13.98

HAWK AND A HACKSAW, A Cervantine (LM Duplication) cd 14.98
Latest disc from Mr. Jeremy Barnes, formerly of legendary indie rockers Neutral Milk Hotel, and a staple of various other Elephant 6 bands, but for the last nearly nine years, the mastermind behind A Hawk And A Hacksaw, his solo project turned proper band, which performs music in the style of American folk music and Eastern European, Turkish and Balkan folk music. Now expanded to an EIGHT(!) piece, not counting various guest musicians, the expanded instrumentation of accordion, bass drum, cymbal, violin, viola, bouzouki, trumpet, flugelhorn, tuba, euphonium, dumbek, riq, guitar, cello, dobro, clarinet, and saxophone, has made the group's sound even more rich and expansive and expressive, from gypsy folk, to wild flamenco, to super intricate and lush klezmer music, Romanian folk music, Mariachi... Barnes and company are voracious, and deftly master whatever music they try their hand at, all woven into an incredibly festive, almost psychedelic, world music brew, which slips from frenetic and energetic and irresistibly danceable, to moody and mournful, to woozy and weary, to propulsive and playful. We had sort of forgotten how great this stuff was, but we can't seem to stop listening to this new one. A new favorite for sure.
Gorgeously packaged in a textured papers, screen printed, origiami style sleeve.
MPEG Stream: "No Rest For The Wicked"
MPEG Stream: "Mana Thelo Enan Andra"

HAWK AND A HACKSAW, A Cervantine (LM Duplication) lp 14.98
Latest disc from Mr. Jeremy Barnes, formerly of legendary indie rockers Neutral Milk Hotel, and a staple of various other Elephant 6 bands, but for the last nearly nine years, the mastermind behind A Hawk And A Hacksaw, his solo project turned proper band, which performs music in the style of American folk music and Eastern European, Turkish and Balkan folk music. Now expanded to an EIGHT(!) piece, not counting various guest musicians, the expanded instrumentation of accordion, bass drum, cymbal, violin, viola, bouzouki, trumpet, flugelhorn, tuba, euphonium, dumbek, riq, guitar, cello, dobro, clarinet, and saxophone, has made the group's sound even more rich and expansive and expressive, from gypsy folk, to wild flamenco, to super intricate and lush klezmer music, Romanian folk music, Mariachi... Barnes and company are voracious, and deftly master whatever music they try their hand at, all woven into an incredibly festive, almost psychedelic, world music brew, which slips from frenetic and energetic and irresistibly danceable, to moody and mournful, to woozy and weary, to propulsive and playful. We had sort of forgotten how great this stuff was, but we can't seem to stop listening to this new one. A new favorite for sure.
Gorgeously packaged in a textured papers, screen printed, origiami style sleeve.
MPEG Stream: "No Rest For The Wicked"
MPEG Stream: "Mana Thelo Enan Andra"

HAWK AND A HACKSAW, A Darkness At Noon (Leaf) cd 14.98
... is noneother than Elephant 6 Collective member Jeremy Barnes (of Neutral Milk Hotel and Bablicon). We know very well the degree of creativity and craft that goes into all of the E6 family's musical endeavors, and Barnes' latest musical pursuits are no exception. This is his second release under this moniker, and it picks up right where his self-titled debut left off, traversing the great expanse of folk music from around the globe (of which he's done his fair share of exploring in the past year). However, whereas he made his first AHAAH album all by his lonesome, for this one he recruited a full band. Heck, we can see why! In typical E6 fashion, he's encorporated an overflowing mixed bag o' acoustic instruments (various horns, bagpipes, accordion, ouds, piano, harp and assorted percussion). Barnes invites seemingly divergent elements from distant plains to entwine on Darkness At Noon. Keep your ears peeled for moments influenced by klezmer, flamenco and mariachi as well as interludes seemingly inspired by Carl Stalling, Steve Reich, and the solo accordion work of Lars Hollmer (member of Swedish prog rock greats Samla Mammas Manna). Like musical ivy, they creep and wind their way in and around each other. Very much in a similar film soundtrack-y vein to Tin Hat Trio's most recent album, the gorgeous Book Of Silk. The lead-off track "Laughter In The Dark" is a fitting entrance point. The seven minute long, richly atmospheric piece gradually lures you away from the lights and roar of the city towards more fire-lit enchanted surroundings. Barnes allows his adventurous spirit to run free, and we're fortunate to have a front row seat on his musical caravan.
MPEG Stream: "Laughter In The Dark"
MPEG Stream: "A Black And White Rainbow"

HAWK AND A HACKSAW, A Deliverance (Leaf) lp 15.98
Also available on vinyl... Following up their glorious, but sadly very limited edition 78rpm 10" record Foni Tu Argile, A Hawk And A Hacksaw present their latest full length via more modern technological means. As always, the band remain deeply reverent and faithful to the traditional Eastern European gypsy folk styles that they hold near and dear. Their songs rush by at a frenzied pace. It's almost faster than your toe can tap, but the music does spur your limbs into action. We found ourselves moving a bit quicker around the store while it played. Even without our morning coffee fix! So if you've been trying to kick caffeine, maybe consider this a healthy substitute... no, seriously! Check out the wild piano action on "Kertesz" and the twisting horns on "Turkiye". Amazing musicianship! Stunning stuff! They do slow things down briefly for numbers such as the mesmerizing "Raggle Taggle" (though it ends with an unexpected lively clip!) and "I Am Not A Gambling Man", only to start back up again at an even more frantic tempo! If you've dug their previous recordings, this will surely please you a-plenty! Also recommended for fans of Beirut and Gogol Bordello!
MPEG Stream: "KertŽsz"
MPEG Stream: "Raggle Taggle"

HAWK AND A HACKSAW, A Delivrance (Leaf ) cd 14.98
Following up their glorious, but sadly very limited edition 78rpm 10" record Foni Tu Argile, A Hawk And A Hacksaw present their latest full length via more modern technological means. As always, the band remain deeply reverent and faithful to the traditional Eastern European gypsy folk styles that they hold near and dear. Their songs rush by at a frenzied pace. It's almost faster than your toe can tap, but the music does spur your limbs into action. We found ourselves moving a bit quicker around the store while it played. Even without our morning coffee fix! So if you've been trying to kick caffeine, maybe consider this a healthy substitute... no, seriously! Check out the wild piano action on "Kertesz" and the twisting horns on "Turkiye". Amazing musicianship! Stunning stuff! They do slow things down briefly for numbers such as the mesmerizing "Raggle Taggle" (though it ends with an unexpected lively clip!) and "I Am Not A Gambling Man", only to start back up again at an even more frantic tempo! If you've dug their previous recordings, this will surely please you a-plenty! Also recommended for fans of Beirut and Gogol Bordello!
MPEG Stream: "KertŽsz"
MPEG Stream: "Raggle Taggle"

HAWK AND A HACKSAW, A The Way The Wind Blows (Leaf) cd 14.98
Wow! If you loved this duo's last album Darkness At Noon and/or Beirut's Gulag Arkestar album and/or eastern European folk music in general, keep the love a-flowin' cause we think this might be your new fave! Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost (also of Beirut) clearly possess a deep respect, admiration and understanding of traditional Balkan, Bavarian and Turkish gypsy music. Together with guests Beirut's Zach Condon and old aQ faves Fanfare Ciocarlia, they've crafted a fantastic, faithful patchwork of the distinct regions' sounds. In fact, the latter were recorded in the tiny remote village of Zece Prajini, Romania. The air prickles with the intricate interwoven rhythms of sputtering brass, rattling percussion, reeling accordions and flourishing strings. Immensely vibrant and moving. Very very recommended!
MPEG Stream: "In The River"
MPEG Stream: "Oporto"

HAWK AND A HACKSAW, A The Way The Wind Blows (Leaf) lp 15.98
Wow! If you loved this duo's last album Darkness At Noon and/or Beirut's Gulag Arkestar album and/or eastern European folk music in general, keep the love a-flowin' cause we think this might be your new fave! Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost (also of Beirut) clearly possess a deep respect, admiration and understanding of traditional Balkan, Bavarian and Turkish gypsy music. Together with guests Beirut's Zach Condon and old aQ faves Fanfare Ciocarlia, they've crafted a fantastic, faithful patchwork of the distinct regions' sounds. In fact, the latter were recorded in the tiny remote village of Zece Prajini, Romania. The air prickles with the intricate interwoven rhythms of sputtering brass, rattling percussion, reeling accordions and flourishing strings. Immensely vibrant and moving. Very very recommended!
MPEG Stream: "In The River"
MPEG Stream: "Oporto"

HAWK AND A HACKSAW, A & THE HUN HANGAR ENSEMBLE s/t (Leaf) cd+dvd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
No sense in messing with a sure thing! A Hawk And A Hacksaw's latest release delivers more of their wonderful authentic Balkan folk sounds, but this time we also get the added delight of visual accompaniments. The group's enthusiasm and deep reverence for the music's history and artistry remains true, lively, and vibrant. Sure to please their growing legions of fans and win them a few more in the process.
MPEG Stream: "Kiraly Sirat‡s"
MPEG Stream: "Romanian Hora And Bulgar"

HAWK, GERALD King Of The River Canoe (Abduction) cd 13.98
I believe that this is the first recording for Gerald Hawk, who managed to land this recording on the Sun City Girls' Abduction label. I have to say that this is more interesting than the recent series of monthly Sun City Girls releases, sounding much more like the solo recordings from either of the Bishop brothers. Simple off key acoustic guitar strum with a Jandekian vocal meandering that often has a ghostly double as an ominous whisper. Certainly for fans of No Neck Blues Band and the aforementioned Sun City Girls.

HAWK, GERALD The Honey Guide Bird (Abduction) cd 14.98
Second album from Gerald Hawk on the Sun City Girls' Abduction label. As on his first recording, King Of The River Canoe Mr. Hawk continues to delve deeper into his unique mumbling, psycho-sexual, angry-Jandek folk. However, on The Honey Guide Bird brooding experimental folk takes a back seat to dark soundscapes. Using looped recordings, guitar, processed keyboards, short wave radio blasts (even some snippets of numbers stations recordings), field recordings and ring modulated vocals this album sound much more like Zoviet-France than No Neck Blues Band.
MPEG Stream: "Bought You A Lollipop Store Just To Watch You Suck On Things"
MPEG Stream: "The Southern Mediterranean Giants"

HAWKEYE What A Pity (Special Remix) 7" 2.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "Get Ur Freak On" (Missy Elliott).

HAWKINS, CLAY Infinite Symphony (Visionguild) cd 11.98
Local singer-songwriter who surprises with a remarkably un-singer/songwriter debut. Fahey/Nick Drakey fingerpickin'.

HAWKINS, CLAY Traveling Songs (Visionguild) cd 10.98
Traveling Songs is the second folksy twang album from Mr. Clay Hawkins. Vocally, he falls close to the sensitive male singer/songwriter tree a la Damien Jurado, Elliott Smith -- earnest and deeply heartfelt -- but where this album truly shines is when it's just him playing solo in his acoustic guitar on songs such as "Stepping Lightly" (or when he's simply joined by the sound of birds twittering on the ninth song "The Trip"). This Bay Area-based gent originally hails from Arizona and it shows. His skillful string plucking glows with golden desert sunset tones. Very comforting and warm.
MPEG Stream: "Stepping Lightly"
MPEG Stream: "The Trip"

HAWKINS, SCREAMIN' JAY At Home With Screamin' Jay Hawkins (Rumble) lp 24.00

HAWKINS, SCREAMIN' JAY Cow Fingers & Mosquito Pie (Epic) cd 8.98

HAWKWIND Doremi Fasol Latido (EMI) cd 16.98
Back in stock, slightly higher price, still so worth it!!
I've been going Hawkwind crazy lately. I [Andee] pretty much missed out on Hawkwind completely the first time around. I was only 2 years old when this record came out. Later, I missed out again, having opted out of the whole high school, pot smoking, parking lot, Pink Floyd, Hawkwind thing as well. Third time's the charm though, and I am now immersing myself completely in HAWKWIND! And I'm not entirely surprised to find that some of my favorite bands have been borrowing heavily from Hawkwind (consciously or not) for years. This stuff is heavy and drone-y and hypnotic and endless. Like the Stooges or the MC5 stretched and stretched until they become these epic riffscapes of wah wah guitars and thrumming low end drone, all stretched loosely over an unwavering motorik beat. Monster Magnet, Circle, Salvatore, and basically every stoner metal band/psych rock ensemble I have ever heard owe it all to the 'wind, whether they know it or not. This is one of the best falling asleep records I have ever owned. And if did smoke pot, I bet you anything it would be perfect for that too. Features a youthful Lemmy Kilmister, pre-Motorhead.
This reissue contains the original album plus 5 bonus tracks!
MPEG Stream: "Brainstorm"
MPEG Stream: "Space Is Deep"

HAWKWIND Hall Of The Mountain Grill (EMI) cd 16.98
Back in stock, slightly higher price, still so worth it!!
I've been going Hawkwind crazy lately. I [Andee] pretty much missed out on Hawkwind completely the first time around. I was only 2 years old when this record came out. Later, I missed out again, having opted out of the whole high school, pot smoking, parking lot, Pink Floyd, Hawkwind thing as well. Third time's the charm though, and I am now immersing myself completely in HAWKWIND! And I'm not entirely surprised to find that some of my favorite bands have been borrowing heavily from Hawkwind (consciously or not) for years. This stuff is heavy and drone-y and hypnotic and endless. Like the Stooges or the MC5 stretched and stretched until they become these epic riffscapes of wah wah guitars and thrumming low end drone, all stretched loosely over an unwavering motorik beat. Monster Magnet, Circle, Salvatore, and basically every stoner metal band/psych rock ensemble I have ever heard owe it all to the 'wind, whether they know it or not. This is one of the best falling asleep records I have ever owned. And if did smoke pot, I bet you anything it would be perfect for that too. Features a youthful Lemmy Kilmister, pre-Motorhead.
This reissue contains the original album plus 5 bonus tracks!
MPEG Stream: "The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear In Smoke)"
MPEG Stream: "Wind Of Change"

HAWKWIND In Search Of Space (EMI) cd 16.98
Back in stock, slightly higher price, still so worth it!!
If you need a little background on my [Andee's] current Hawkwind obsession see the review for "Doremi Fasol Latido" elsewhere on this list. Needless to say, these records are killing me. How did I mange to miss Hawkwind for all this time. All the stuff I love, stoner rock, metal, drone, drone rock (a la Circle, Salvatore) drug soaked alcohol drenced rock and roll...Hawkwind has got it in spades. Relentless fuzzed out riffs that seem to go on forever, with a rhythm section that locks into a groove and stays in it, steady to the end. This stuff doesn't just lull me to sleep, it blisses me out. I feel like I'm in a different state of mind as I sink deeper and deeper into these super rocking MC5-on-angeldust vibes. Space-y and drone-y and hypnotic and fucking magical. Fans of Circle and all that kind of hypnotic repetitive psych need to own this stuff (if you don't already)!
Originally released in 1971. This reissue contains the whole original album plus 3 bonus tracks.
MPEG Stream: "You Shouldn't Do That"
MPEG Stream: "You Know You're Only Dreaming"

HAWKWIND Levitation (Atomhenge) 3cd 40.00

HAWKWIND P.X.R.5 (Atomhenge / Cherry Red) cd 23.00

HAWKWIND Quark, Strangeness, And Charm (Atomhenge / Cherry Red) 2cd 30.00

HAWKWIND Space Ritual (EMI) 2cd 33.00
Back in stock, slightly higher price, still so worth it!!
Two discs of sonic mayhem beamed from space through a hazy cloud of pot smoke. Hawkwind are seriously kicking my [Andee's] ass. This is a double live disc of Hawkwind at their best (that would be Lemmy-era). Taking the studio cuts and stretching them out, twisting them all out of shape and turning them into endless jams, looping and repetetive and hypnotic. Once the rhythm section locks into their motorik groove, the rest of the band just follows, through a swirling morass of drug addled psychedlia and into another plane altogether. Never has a band made me want to get high so much. [This from a guy who's completely straight-edge.] I already almost feel high just listening, when I'm all stretched out, eyes closed, stereo turned up as loud as it'll go, my whole body vibrating from the sound, my mind drifting off. Like a faster, meaner, hippier Spacemen 3 but with better drugs, or Loop or Godflesh or Circle or any band that tries to transport you through repetition and subtle shift. Simple riffs spread out into a warm landscape of fuzz and thrum, while flutes and saxophones and tweaked wah wah guitars ride wildly atop the mayhem. So so so so good. Hawkwind make music to take drugs to make music by better than almost anyone else. This reissue contains the original live double album plus 3 bonus tracks.
MPEG Stream: "Born To Go"
MPEG Stream: "Down Through The Night "

HAWKWIND Space Ritual Sundown V. 2 (Abstract Sounds) 2cd 14.98

HAWKWIND Space Ritual: Collectors Edition (EMI) 2cd 19.98
Two discs of sonic mayhem beamed from space through a hazy cloud of pot smoke. Hawkwind are seriously kicking my [Andee's] ass. This is a double live disc of Hawkwind at their best (that would be Lemmy-era). Taking the studio cuts and stretching them out, twisting them all out of shape and turning them into endless jams, looping and repetetive and hypnotic. Once the rhythm section locks into their motorik groove, the rest of the band just follows, through a swirling morass of drug addled psychedlia and into another plane altogether. Never has a band made me want to get high so much. [This from a guy who's completely straight-edge.] I already almost feel high just listening, when I'm all stretched out, eyes closed, stereo turned up as loud as it'll go, my whole body vibrating from the sound, my mind drifting off. Like a faster, meaner, hippier Spacemen 3 but with better drugs, or Loop or Godflesh or Circle or any band that tries to transport you through repetition and subtle shift. Simple riffs spread out into a warm landscape of fuzz and thrum, while flutes and saxophones and tweaked wah wah guitars ride wildly atop the mayhem. So so so so good. Hawkwind make music to take drugs to make music by better than almost anyone else.

HAWKWIND The Text Of Festival (East World) cd 12.98

HAWKWIND The Text Of Festival (Let Them Eat Vinyl) 2lp 23.00

HAWTHORNE, MAYER A Strange Arrangement (Stones Throw) cd 12.98
Mayer Hawthorne is the pseudonym for Ann Arbor native and multi-instrumentalist/DJ /producer, Andrew Cohen, who began recording as the retro-soul heavy Mayer Hawthorne as a sort of joke.
When Stones Throw label head Peanut Butter Wolf first heard it, he thought he was listening to reedits of some obscure late sixties soul singles, not realizing Cohen had laid down all the tracks himself. Cohen is definitely channeling the same retro soul vibe that the Daptone label is putting out, and listening to this, he's got all the right soul references down from The Dells, The Delfonics, The Stylistics and The Moments, with the benefit of great song writing hooks. His first single, "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out", released on a red heart shaped 45 is probably the most groovy breakup song we've ever heard (It ironically get played a lot at weddings!). But our favorite track is the second single, "Maybe So, Maybe No", that shows that his hip blue-eyed soul persona is no mere shtick, but a viable modern soul force to be reckoned with.
MPEG Stream: "Maybe So, Maybe No"
MPEG Stream: "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out"
MPEG Stream: "Green Eyed Love"

HAWTHORNE, MAYER How Do You Do (Universal Republic) cd 13.98
One of the most intoxicating male voices we've heard in so long belongs to Mayer Hawthorne. On How Do You Do, he makes the leap from the indie Stones Throw to the big time, now finding a home on Universal, but luckily his soulful music is not compromised one bit. In fact when we first heard Mayer Hawthorne a couple years ago we had a feeling he could get HUGE. Looks like maybe we were right.
His blue eyed soul shines nice and bright on this new outing and shows off both his ability to create such a seductive mood, while also his super strong song writing chops. Equally influenced by amazing singers like Al Green, Dusty Springfield, Otis Redding, Smokey Robinson as well as sweet sounding west coast pop like The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Herman's Hermits and The Louvin Spoonful, there's just no denying he creates make-out jams that sound so damn good, and thus he's amassed a pretty awesome list of bigtime fans which include Dam-Funk, Peanut Butter Wolf, and even Snoop Dogg who appears on "Can't Stop", a totally killer track on How Do You Do. Speaking of amazing guests, legendary psych-funk guitar god Dennis Coffey plays on two tracks as well.
The only thing we don't love about this record is the album cover and the marketing campaign that Universal has launched in support of it. We understand that they want to make him a huge star, but truthfully Hawthorne is so much more talented then what major labels like to push as the next big thing.
He is not just a pretty face and voice, he wrote and produced every track on the album, and his sense of arrangements and pop structure are so spot on. But like we we were always told, you can't judge books or records by their covers, cause what's inside is what really counts, and the songs on How Do You Do are pure proof.
MPEG Stream: "A Long Time"
MPEG Stream: "Can't Stop ( Feat. Snoop Dogg)"
MPEG Stream: "Stick Around"

HAWTHORNE, MAYER How Do You Do (Universal Republic) lp 17.98
One of the most intoxicating male voices we've heard in so long belongs to Mayer Hawthorne. On How Do You Do, he makes the leap from the indie Stones Throw to the big time, now finding a home on Universal, but luckily his soulful music is not compromised one bit. In fact when we first heard Mayer Hawthorne a couple years ago we had a feeling he could get HUGE. Looks like maybe we were right.
His blue eyed soul shines nice and bright on this new outing and shows off both his ability to create such a seductive mood, while also his super strong song writing chops. Equally influenced by amazing singers like Al Green, Dusty Springfield, Otis Redding, Smokey Robinson as well as sweet sounding west coast pop like The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Herman's Hermits and The Louvin Spoonful, there's just no denying he creates make-out jams that sound so damn good, and thus he's amassed a pretty awesome list of bigtime fans which include Dam-Funk, Peanut Butter Wolf, and even Snoop Dogg who appears on "Can't Stop", a totally killer track on How Do You Do. Speaking of amazing guests, legendary psych-funk guitar god Dennis Coffey plays on two tracks as well.
The only thing we don't love about this record is the album cover and the marketing campaign that Universal has launched in support of it. We understand that they want to make him a huge star, but truthfully Hawthorne is so much more talented then what major labels like to push as the next big thing.
He is not just a pretty face and voice, he wrote and produced every track on the album, and his sense of arrangements and pop structure are so spot on. But like we we were always told, you can't judge books or records by their covers, cause what's inside is what really counts, and the songs on How Do You Do are pure proof.
MPEG Stream: "A Long Time"
MPEG Stream: "Can't Stop ( Feat. Snoop Dogg)"
MPEG Stream: "Stick Around"

HAWTIN, RICHIE DE9: Closer To The (R)Edit (Minus Inc.) 10" 8.98
Now available on vinyl, in a condensed, editted form.
Richie Hawtin (aka Plastikman) really wants you to know the concept behind this album. So, in his own words, here it is: "After recording, sampling, cutting and splicing over 100 tracks down to their most basic components, I ended up with a collection of over 300 loops, ranging from 1 note to 4 bars. I then started to recreate and reinterpret each track, putting the pieces back together as if an audio jigsaw puzzle -- using effects and edits as the glue in between each piece. This represents what those loops became and how their interactions created something that had not existed before."
Well, not exactly.
In reconstructing his decontructed history of Detroit / Berlin techno, Hawtin hasn't really "created something which had not existed before" as much as he's stated the obvious: the techno rhythm is wholly interchangeable. There, of course, are differences amongst the work of Wolfgang Voigt, Carl Craig, Maurizio, Stewart Walker, and Richie Hawtin... but their use of techno's rhythm is all virtually identical. Thus, in cutting all of those tracks down to a near molecular level (where the sampled sounds don't much opportunity to manifest their uniqueness), Hawtin is purposefully not emphasizing techno's aesthetic individuality, but its ultimate uniformity. So, Hawtin's "DE9: Closer To The Edit" may technically be something new, but it really sounds exactly like what techno should sound like -- big 909 or 808 four-on-the-floor drum kicks with tight cybernetic arpeggiations.
This is NOT a slight against this record, it's just that Hawtin has failed in achieving his lofty goals, BUT Hawtin has created a really great techno record, sounding just like Jeff Mills' "X-103" or his previous "Decks, EFX, and 909."

HAWTIN, RICHIE DE9: Closer To the Edit (Novamute) cd 15.98
Richie Hawtin (aka Plastikman) really wants you to know the concept behind this album. So, in his own words, here it is: "After recording, sampling, cutting and splicing over 100 tracks down to their most basic components, I ended up with a collection of over 300 loops, ranging from 1 note to 4 bars. I then started to recreate and reinterpret each track, putting the pieces back together as if an audio jigsaw puzzle -- using effects and edits as the glue in between each piece. This represents what those loops became and how their interactions created something that had not existed before."
Well, not exactly.
In reconstructing his decontructed history of Detroit / Berlin techno, Hawtin hasn't really "created something which had not existed before" as much as he's stated the obvious: the techno rhythm is wholly interchangeable. There, of course, are differences amongst the work of Wolfgang Voigt, Carl Craig, Maurizio, Stewart Walker, and Richie Hawtin... but their use of techno's rhythm is all virtually identical. Thus, in cutting all of those tracks down to a near molecular level (where the sampled sounds don't much opportunity to manifest their uniqueness), Hawtin is purposefully not emphasizing techno's aesthetic individuality, but its ultimate uniformity. So, Hawtin's "DE9: Closer To The Edit" may technically be something new, but it really sounds exactly like what techno should sound like -- big 909 or 808 four-on-the-floor drum kicks with tight cybernetic arpeggiations.
This is NOT a slight against this record, it's just that Hawtin has failed in achieving his lofty goals, BUT Hawtin has created a really great techno record, sounding just like Jeff Mills' "X-103" or his previous "Decks, EFX, and 909."
RealAudio clip: "track 1"

HAWTIN, RICHIE Orange (Minus) cd 8.98
Orange is Richie Hawtin's tribute to Yello and built claustrophobic Detroit tech-house remix of Yello's 'Oh Yeah', sounding more like the early Plus 8 singles than the recent Plastikman output. Anyway, it's packaged in those cute cd cases that look like they should hold contraceptives.

HAYAINO DAISUKI Headbanger's Karaoke Club Dangerous Fire (Hydra Head) cd 11.98
Heavy music obsessives and grind freaks the world over were crushed by the end of Discordance Axis. And rightfully so. Never had a band so artfully combined, furious relentless grindcore, crushing metal, intelligent lyrics, and a visual conceptual aesthetic that was as obtuse and confusional as it was striking and absolutely beautiful.
We had all secretly hoped that the band would reform, record another record, anything, but alas it never seemed to happen. We heard very little from the various members, except for drum dynamo Dave Witte who seemed to be drumming for more bands than humanly possible, as well as focusing on his retro party thrash outfit Municipal Waste.
But finally, one of the other Discordance dudes as resurfaced, vocalist Jon Chang, and holy shit. His new band, Hayaino Daisuki is everything we could have hoped for, but absolutely nothing we would have expected. Chang's amazing impossible shriek is of course still present, but the music is anything but techgrind. Instead it's some sort of supercharged power metal. Like Blind Guardian with a grind makeover. The guitars are furious, the drumming relentless, but the songs are epic with guitar harmonies, incredibly catchy riffs, tons of parts, even some almost-falsetto vocals tangled up in and around Chang's banshee wail. A lot of Headbanger's Karaoke Club Dangerous Fire sounds amazingly like an Iron Maiden 45 played back at 78. Fucking majestic and masterful and soaring and heavy as fuck, with killer little bursts of frenzied riffing, some squiggly leads, stop start dynamics. Minus the vocals, this sounds like the heaviest fucking band from the eighties you never heard. Add the vocals, and it's just genius. Two great tastes that SHOULD not taste great together but do. This is hyper, blown out, freaked out, head spinning, super melodic, grinding hook filled heaviness. The first in what we can only hope is a new musical movement, the New Wave Of Grind Heavy Metal. NWOGHM!!!!
The packaging is pretty nuts too. Nowhere does it mention the members of the band, instead, the elaborate booklet and digipak is filled with pictures of some super cute all girl heavy metal band, with names like Speed Satan, Divebomb Valentine and Psychic Warlock Assassin, with spikes, bullet belts, torn t-shirts, ripped tank tops, and of course flames everywhere. The booklet is made up to be like some obscure Japanese metal zine, filled with band photos, record reviews, comics and more. And while it seems totally random and bizarre, it totally suits the classic (grind) metal inside.
MPEG Stream: "Horobi Monogatari"
MPEG Stream: "Haairo Ikotsu Gakidou"

HAYAINO DAISUKI Invincible Gate Mind Of The Infernal Fire Hell... Or Did You Mean Hawaii Daisuke? (Hydra Head) cd ep 13.98
The easiest way to describe Hayaino Daisuki is like this: they're the band we always wished existed. Imagine classic eighties metal but about 100 times as fast and furious, or maybe a blasting grind version of power metal, or Iron Maiden crossed with Discordance Axis. That last one being particularly appropriate, seeing as Hayaino Daisuki is the new band of former DA screamer Jon Chang, even though the band do everything in their power to disguise who is in fact in the band, the first record purported to be a bunch of teenage metal girls, this one has a huge booklet with comics and interviews and lyrics, but very little actually band info.
But it hardly matters, once you lay ears on this stuff, you'll be totally and utterly obsessed, it may be only 12 minutes, but if you play it ten times in a row it's 120 minutes, and we DARE you to try to just listen to this once. Music this heavy and fast and furious and brutal should not be this catchy. The riffs are incredible, the drumming insane, the vocals of course are untouchable, and the wild leads and constant shredding harmonies is what pushes this over the top. What more do you need to know than 'Iron Maiden meets Discordance Axis'? Absolutely nothing. But if you're looking for something that totally shred and slays, is crazy catchy, you'd be hard pressed to find something more perfect than this. It's either the most melodic and hook filled shredding grind record ever, or the most blasting brutal grinding power metal record ever. Either way, this totally destroys, and is quickly becoming our favorite 12 minutes of music this year. Now 24 minutes. Now 36 minutes. Now 48 minutes...
MPEG Stream: "Ghosts Of Purgatory"
MPEG Stream: "Blood"

HAYASAKA, FUMIO & MASARU SATO Akira Kurosawa's Movie Soundtracks (Doxy) 4lp box 80.00
Most folks who would be interested in something like this probably don't even need to read the review. C'mon, it's a 4lp collection of Akira Kurosawa soundtracks, that's Akira Kurosawa soundtracks ON VINYL, in a cool multiple gatefold sleeve, it includes the soundtracks to such classics as Roshomon, Seven Samurai, The Throne Of Blood, The Hidden Fortress, Ikiru and Record Of A Living Being. To be fair, it's been a while since we've seen these films, but if we remember correctly, and we're pretty sure we do, the music was, and IS, incredible. AMAZING. Allan even had a friend of ours pick up a pricey Kurosawa soundtrack cd box for him years ago when she was visiting Japan, at the time the only way to get that music, but this is the first time we've ever seen these ON VINYL! We've only been ordering one of these at a time, cuz of the steep price, but every time we get one in, some one nabs it right away. So if you want one, by all means, order it, if we run out we should hopefully be able to get more pretty quickly. There's not a single person who works here who isn't insanely tempted to take this home. So probably better if someone out there buys it before someone here does!!!

HAYES, ISAAC Hot Buttered Soul (Stax) lp 14.98

HAYES, ISAAC Shaft (OST) (CMG / Stax) cd 10.98

HAYES, SEAN A Thousand Tiny Pieces (Snail Blue) cd 11.98
Hey all you Alabama Chickens! Or admirers of Bay Area country boy Sean Hayes' album of that very name! If you're in the Bay Area, you just might've seen him performing with his pal Ms Jolie Holland recently. Such a great combination! From the clamour of folks coming in askin' about him, it seems like he made quite an impression. Well, we're happy to report that we've got a couple of his earlier releases for y'all straight from the man himself. Each proves him to be a prolific and consistently high caliber singer / songwriter.
This one is his debut full length originally released in 1999, and what really struck us right off the bat was how soulful Hayes' vocal delivery is on it. In fact, when combined with the meditative barebones folk guitar plucking, it bears more than a striking resemblance to that of Tracy Chapman. That in itself is by no means a bad thing, just a little startling, and apart from that initial oddness, this reveals itself to be another fine, achingly expressive album from Mr. Hayes. Fourteen songs in all.
MPEG Stream: "Candles, Birds, Water"
MPEG Stream: "Mary Magdalene"

HAYES, SEAN Alabama Chicken (Snail Blue) cd 11.98
Now, we might wanna recommend right here and now that you not be mislead by the cover and title of this cd which sort of suggested (to us at least) something akin to a Southern Culture On The Skids style hootenanny. Not so! Although we wouldn't doubt that this gent can kick up some dust on his own. Instead, how 'bout some southern Americana twang from right here in SF? Sean Hayes is the man slinging this fine Alabama Chicken, and he's joined by a luminous group of guest players. To name just a couple of them... AQ fave Jolie Holland plays her fiddle and sings on a couple of songs, and AQ dear friend Will Waghorn plays drums on a bunch of 'em too. Actually the title track is one that Holland and Waghorn both grace, and it's definitely a highlight. It's ever so solemn, haunting and perhaps the most fleshed out of the album's down home dozen with the aforementioned fiddle, as well as some ghostly musical saw, banjo, and marimba. The rest are more barebones and intimate, allowing individual instruments to linger and lope all by their lonesome. A bittersweet swoop of harmonica, some understated acoustic guitar, a handful of soft piano keys, a hushed brush-tap on a snare drum and high hat. Lovely! Hayes' softly ragged, mournful voice (Andee compared it to James Taylor) pairs so well with Holland's -- like kindred spirits -- it makes you yearn for more of their stirring duets. We'd venture to say that if you've been swooning to Ms. Holland and The Be Good Tanyas, you just might want to check this out too. Even if you haven't, please do! A moving, earnest and earthy album.
MPEG Stream: "Alabama Chicken"
MPEG Stream: "Two Big Eyes"

HAYES, SEAN Big Black Hole And The Little Baby Star (Sean Hayes Music) cd 11.98
The name Sean Hayes has swiftly become one that you can trust for some really good down-home listenin'. His ever-growing following around these parts know very well that this man has a special way with both word and song. His last album, the laidback bluesy beauty Alabama Chicken from 2003, really made its mark on the Bay Area country folk community, equally appealing to fans of his fellow indie folksters Will Oldham, Jason Molina and his pal Jolie Holland as well as fans of the less grassroots-y types such as Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson or country rock vets John Hiatt and Graham Parker. This, the eagerly anticipated Big Black Hole And The Little Baby Star, is his fourth full length. Honing, fleshing out and expanding on that which came before, it sure doesn't disappoint. Not one to let the grass grow beneath his feet nor one to rest on his laurels, Hayes continues to grow as a deeply soulful songcraftsman, discovering and exploring new broader possibilities in his music. Refreshing and strong from start to finish, Big Black Hole And The Little Baby Star's fourteen songs find him at his most confident and effortless. He's joined by a number of fellow SF musical luminaries Ara Anderson (Iron & The Albatross), Etienne DeRocher, Ches Smith (Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant), Todd Roper and Kathryn Jensen. Be sure to check out the album's closing number, the slowly grooving "Turnaroundturnmeon" that perhaps offers a glimpse of his future directions. Sure to convert many many more ears to this gent's warm, earthy aural finery. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Boom Boom Goes The Day"
MPEG Stream: "Turnaroundturnmeon"