KVELERTAK s/t (Indie Recordings) cd 14.98
It was beginning to get pretty ridiculous, for ages we were hearing all about this band, how great they were, reading about them in metal mags, hearing other metal bands rave about them, much talk of how amazing their record was, appearances in top ten lists, pictures of the super striking John Baizley cover art everywhere, even beginnings of a backlash on the blogs about how overhyped they were, but the only problem was, you couldn't find the record ANYWHERE! At least in the US, we spent months and months, trying every metal distro, every non metal distro, we had just about given up, when voila, it finally got picked up and released domestically, with a whole mess of bonus tracks to boot. So was the wait worth it? Does Kvelertak live up to the hype?
Well, yeah, actually it was. This stuff IS pretty awesome, and bizarre, a weird blend of blasting black metal and D-beat cock-rock Turbonegro style over the top rock. Just have a listen to the opening track, which explodes in a frenzy of buzz and blast and shriek, only to switch gears into a way more groovy heavy metal punk pound, the shrieked vocals the only thing keeping it from going full Turbonegro. In fact, the NON black metal parts kind of sound like a supercharged Hellacopters, which is not at all a bad thing. And the sound is epic, the production massive, the energy through the roof.
But it's that sort of heavy rock groove thing, that might deter lots of the more true and kvlt metalheads. "Mjod" is all pounding pianos and tamborines, and big rock riffage, epic and swinging, that Hellacopters vibe huge, and the vocals are shrieky, not counting the deep bellowed gang vocals on the chorus, there's even a little acoustic guitar break, and then suddenly, a stretch of blasting black metal, which slips right back into the soaring cock rocky chorus. And so it goes. Hard to tell if these guys are black metallers indulging their inner KISS (or Turbonegro, or Hellacopters, or...), or if it's just some heavy rockers who toss in a blast here and there or a little tremlo picking to add some cult cred. Cuz it is a weird mix, and it doesn't always flow so smoothly, but we're digging it a lot, and if anything, it sounds like these guys probably KILL live. And that definitely comes across here big time.
MPEG Stream: "Ulvetid"
MPEG Stream: "Mjod"
MPEG Stream: "Fossegrim"
MPEG Stream: "Sultans Of Satan"

KVELL Anti Religion (Misanthropic Art Productions) cd 13.98

KWELI, TALIB Beautiful Struggle (Rawkus) cd 15.98
Talib Kweli, who formally worked with Mos Def in Black Star, releases his latest album to critical acclaim. Featuring Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans and Common, Beautiful Struggle is very cool until about half way through, at "Around My Way". Whoah -- is that a riff from The Police? Umm, yeah. Huh? Couldn't one of his friends have told him that's just not cool, man? Well anyway, "We Got The Beat", featuring Res, leads the album back into goodness. Post-bling acts like Kweli are on the rise right now. "People buy my music not because I'm socially conscious but because it's dope," he says. "There's a lot of people who put out conscious music that doesn't sound good, and it's not interesting. The music has to come first, before the message." This recording and its production are tantamount to how delicious it can sound without shouting about banging and ho's.
MPEG Stream: "Going Hard"
MPEG Stream: "Back Up Offa Me"

KWELI, TALIB Eardrum (Blacksmith) cd 13.98

KWELI, TALIB Quality (Rawkus) cd 15.98
Brooklynite rapper Talib Kweli's name literally means "seeker of truth" -- if his parents were that cool then you can imagine how conscious and smart he must be. After releasing highly regarded albums with Mos Def (Black Star) and Hi Tek, his newest album is a solo affair, although he certainly had plenty of help: Mos Def, DJ Quik, Pharoahe Monch, Black Thought, Cocoa Brovaz, RES, & more. And the record may feature a different producer on almost every track, but said producers prove themselves uniformly great, especially when they lend their smart ears to the choosing of sample material, all of which is unpredictable and not overused. There's driving rock guitar in the first song, emotional viola on several tracks, a killer Chi-lites sample on "Guerrilla Monsoon." Al Green, Black Sheep, Eddie Kendricks. "Get By" -- which might as well be considered a remix of one of Windy's favorite songs of all time, Nina Simone's epic version of "Sinnerman" -- makes excellent use of Simone's handclaps and the way she leaps all over the piano. Listen to that track for sure. Really nicely done and consistent. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Get By"
RealAudio clip: "Guerilla Monsoon"

KWELI, TALIB Right About Now (Koch) cd 16.98
No doubt one of the best mc's hip-hop has to offer. His first two albums stand right up their as two of the finest hip-hop records of this decade. While his last release seemed to be a bit of a slip and reached for more commercial success Right About Now finds Kweli back to basics and what he does best. While filler and unfunny skits seem to haunt so many hip hop albums, Kweli keeps keen focus throughout the entire record. With the help of friends like Mos Def and MF Doom he's put together a super solid mix of songs that will remind you of why you fell in love with him in the first place.
MPEG Stream: "Drugs, Basketball & Rap"
MPEG Stream: "Supreme Supreme"

KWELI, TALIB & HI-TEK Reflection Eternal (Rawkus) cd 16.98

KWELI, TALIB & HI-TEK Reflection Eternal (Rawkus) 2lp 16.98

KWELI, TALIB & MADLIB Liberation (Blacksmith Music) cd 17.98

KWISP Teriyaki Vest Odyssey (Pinephone) cd 11.98
Attention fans of that '60s experimental psychedelic freakout The Fifty Foot Hose: members of the '90s reunion group have resurfaced with this new entity simply named Kwisp. Walter Funk and Reid Johnston craft sonic DaDa-esque squirreliness composed of squelch-effected vocalizations, a jumble of found sounds and dialogue samples, wheezy horn spasms, analog burblings and masses of custom made instruments. With guests Daevid Allen, Fifty Foot Hose founder Cork Marcheschi, and Mandible Chatter's Grant Miller.
MPEG Stream: "Dragon Titties"
MPEG Stream: "Ether Bunny's Music For The Masses"

KWJAZ s/t (Not Not Fun) cd 13.98
Sold about a billion (really) of this record when it first came out on cassette early in 2011, then even more (a trillion?) when it was reissued on lp, and now it's finally available on cd, and it tacks on TWO BONUS TRACKS not on either of the other versions!!
Here's what we had to say about Kwjaz when we first laid ears on it/them way back when:
Wow. We can't get over this incredibly cosmic, tripped-out debut cassette from KWJAZ. SF mastermind Peter Berends decides that space is the place and sets his sights for uncharted musical territory. Falling somewhere between outsider instrumental pop and dubbed-out psychedelic ethno-jazz, Berends leads a colorful excursion into the astral unknown. The two, side-long tracks unfold like some otherworldly mix-tape, deep basslines giving way to sizzling warbling drones, cut-up bits of rhythmic clatter ooze and materialize into slow grooving monuments to the stars. Chopped up samples and distorted swells melt into a lo-fi woozy web. Hazy, primitive beats (picture a slowed down Ethiopiques loop) rock and sway as horns, electric piano and weirdo samples add to the celestial crunk. And keep in mind, though KWJAZ is weird, far-out and strange, this humble album is overflowing with musicianship and close attention to layering and detail.
What makes all the tripped-out, genre defying weirdness so satisfying is Berends's ability to form these diverse elements into a propulsive, evocative musical journey through time and genre. Moments of cool jazz tranquility unexpectedly morph into trip-hop fantasy ballads, long-tone new age bliss suddenly shifts into West African romps, and somehow all these tangents seem impossibly and seamlessly linked. We can't recommend this one enough!
Fans of Hype Williams, Rangers or Ducktails will not want to miss out on this lysergic masterpiece!
MPEG Stream: "Once In Babylon"
MPEG Stream: "Frighteous Wane"

KWJAZ s/t (Not Not Fun) lp 14.98
Sold about a billion (really) of these when it came out on cassette via Brunch Groupe, which of course rapidly went out of print, and have been waiting eagerly ever since for the vinyl version, which is now here at last thanks to Not Not Fun, yay!
Wow. We can't get over this incredibly cosmic, tripped-out debut cassette from KWJAZ. SF mastermind Peter Berends decides that space is the place and sets his sights for uncharted musical territory. Falling somewhere between outsider instrumental pop and dubbed-out psychedelic ethno-jazz, Berends leads a colorful excursion into the astral unknown. The two, side-long tracks unfold like some otherworldly mix-tape, deep basslines giving way to sizzling warbling drones, cut-up bits of rhythmic clatter ooze and materialize into slow grooving monuments to the stars. Chopped up samples and distorted swells melt into a lo-fi woozy web. Hazy, primitive beats (picture a slowed down Ethiopiques loop) rock and sway as horns, electric piano and weirdo samples add to the celestial crunk. And keep in mind, though KWJAZ is weird, far-out and strange, this humble cassette is overflowing with musicianship and close attention to layering and detail.
What makes all the tripped-out, genre defying weirdness so satisfying is Berends's ability to form these diverse elements into a propulsive, evocative musical journey through time and genre. Moments of cool jazz tranquility unexpectedly morph into trip-hop fantasy ballads, long-tone new age bliss suddenly shifts into West African romps, and somehow all these tangents seem impossibly and seamlessly linked. We can't recommend this one enough!
Fans of Hype Williams, Rangers or Ducktails will not want to miss out on this lysergic masterpiece!
MPEG Stream: "Once In Babylon"
MPEG Stream: "Frighteous Wane"

KWJAZ s/t (Brunch Groupe) cassette 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Wow. We can't get over this incredibly cosmic, tripped-out debut cassette from KWJAZ. SF mastermind Peter Berends decides that space is the place and sets his sights for uncharted musical territory. Falling somewhere between outsider instrumental pop and dubbed-out psychedelic ethno-jazz, Berends leads a colorful excursion into the astral unknown. The two, side-long tracks unfold like some otherworldly mix-tape, deep basslines giving way to sizzling warbling drones, cut-up bits of rhythmic clatter ooze and materialize into slow grooving monuments to the stars. Chopped up samples and distorted swells melt into a lo-fi woozy web. Hazy, primitive beats (picture a slowed down Ethiopiques loop) rock and sway as horns, electric piano and weirdo samples add to the celestial crunk. And keep in mind, though KWJAZ is weird, far-out and strange, this humble cassette is overflowing with musicianship and close attention to layering and detail.
What makes all the tripped-out, genre defying weirdness so satisfying is Berends's ability to form these diverse elements into a propulsive, evocative musical journey through time and genre. Moments of cool jazz tranquility unexpectedly morph into trip-hop fantasy ballads, long-tone new age bliss suddenly shifts into West African romps, and somehow all these tangents seem impossibly and seamlessly linked. We can't recommend this one enough!
Limited to an edition of 121, fans of Hype Williams, Rangers or Ducktails will not want to miss out on this lysergic masterpiece!
MPEG Stream: "Once In Babylon"
MPEG Stream: "Frighteous Wane"

KYBURZ, HANSPETER Malstrom / The Voynich Cipher Manuscript / Parts (Kairos) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another great document of 20th century (verging on 21st in this case) classical music, on the always-pretty-amazing German label Kairos. This disc features three pieces from the 1990s by Kyburz, a Lagos-born, German-educated Swiss composer who currently teaches at Berlin's Hochschule fu(umlaut)r Musik. His music is dark and dramatic, turbulent but full of beauty and secrets (it's *about* secrets in the case of "The Voynich Cipher Manuscript"). Liner notes compare Kyburz to filmmakers the Coen Brothers and David Lynch, in his use of brutality and surprise and, in a sense, comedy.
RealAudio clip: "The Voynich Cipher Manuscript pt.4"
RealAudio clip: "Parts pt. 1"

KYLA Into The Depths (Turannum) 7" 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This brand new 7" from Swedish depressive black metaller Kyla sounds exactly how you might expect, considering the man behind Kyla is also responsible for the equally black and depressive Hypothermia, as well as counting himself a member of damaged black metal pop weirdos Lifelover.
Kyla traffic in a sound we love, a woozy, super distorted, melancholic, minor key buzz, which begins all warbly and minimal before giving way to a mesmerizing trancelike not-quite-blast. The vocals are howled and anguished and echo drenched and nearly hysterical sounding at points, but they surface only here and there, leaving most of the record to pound out a hypnotic blackened dirge. The guitars are downtuned and almost sludgey sounding in tone, the drums muffled enough to blend in with the blurred guitars and rumbling low end, the B-side has a weird pop vibe running through it, and a killer main melody, reminding us big time of Lifelover, but the vocals are even more unhinged, exploding in squalls of terrifying shriek.
Pressed on ultra thick vinyl, housed in super striking black and white sleeves, and of course VERY LIMITED!

KYLER Pur Cosy Tales (Planet Mu) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Marvin Mole For Prime Minister"
MPEG Stream: "Lovejoy"
MPEG Stream: "Hish Speed Dubbin'"

KYLESA A Spiral Shadow (Season Of Mist) cd 14.98
Kylesa are another one of those bands we've always dug, but for whatever reason, have never reviewed ANY of their records. So time to remedy that omission right now, with this, their 5th full length, since 2001, when the band was born out of the dissolution of Savannah sludge metal outfit Damad, and like Damad, Kylesa trafficked in a similarly sludgey Southern sound, epic crushing downtuned riffs, howled vox and dense tribal drumming. Heavily influenced by Neurosis, Kylesa kicked out jams that were doomy and low slung, swampy and thick, crushing riffage giving way to stretches of rhythmic mesmer, only to explode into another head caving burst of metallic crush.
Over the years though, Kylesa's sound has changed dramatically, like their Southern sonic compatriots Baroness, their music started out super heavy and sludgey, almost punk, feral and fierce and crusty and brutal, and gradually developed into something much more psychedelic, melodic, and at times downright poppy.
On A Spiral Shadow, the songs concern themselves with texture and arrangement as much as pummel, moreso in many cases, the dual drummers adding an awesome and densely rhythmic element, with the band sometimes breaking down into total Crash Worship drum jams (and live, the stage is littered with drums, so the guitarists can join in), the guitars too, for as much as they grind and churn and chug, they also soar and chime, melodies and harmonies woven into intricate psychscapes, the songs slipping easily from hooky metallic psych pop to fierce doomy plod and back again, howled male vocals switch off with more melodic female vox, it's easy to see why this seems to be Kylesa's 'breakout' record. It's still heavy, and complex, and metal, but also hooky and melodic and sort of tripped out and psychedelic. Makes sense that folks into Mastodon and newer Baroness are all over this stuff. And rightfully so.
If we had to pick a favorite track it would probably be "Don't Look Back" which is so dangerously poppy, it almost sounds out of place, like it might belong on a Torche record, or like it must be some nineties indie rock cover, but for all it's extreme hookiness, and incredibly catchy guitar harmonies, the sound is still thick and lush, with some seriously crunchy verses, and some pummeling drumming, holy shit, it's just so goddamn catchy, this song totally KILLS.
The thing is though, the more we listen to this record, the less this track really stands out, and the more the rest of the songs seem to start sounding nearly as catchy, even at it's heaviest, A spiral Shadow is infused with melody and texture, the arrangements hypnotic and trancelike, soaring epic crescendos and stretched out hypnodronerock all tangled up with gnarled downtuned pound and fierce churning pummel, and for every bit of metallic chug there's some mysterious melodic warmth or poppy psychedelic shimmer woven in. Awesome.
MPEG Stream: "Don't Look Back"
MPEG Stream: "Tired Climb"
MPEG Stream: "Drop Out"
MPEG Stream: "Distance Closing In"

KYLESA No Ending / A 100 Degree Heat Index (Prank) cd 6.98

KYLESA Time Will Fuse Its Worth (Prosthetic) cd 15.98

MPEG Stream: "What Becomes An End"
MPEG Stream: "Hollow Severer"

KYLESA To Walk A Middle Course (Prosthetic) cd 11.98

KYOAKU NO INTENTION Astral Projection (PSF) cd 22.00
Second album of extreme electric guitar and drums improv action from the duo of Munehiro Narita and Shoji Hano, this time under the name Kyoaku No Intention (Worst Intention) which was the title of their previous PSF release (as well as the name of an early '80s project led by Narita prior to his formation of the Tokyo psych rock legends High Rise). The original Kyoaku No Intention left behind no available recorded traces, so we can't say how closely it forshadowed the sounds heard on Astral Projection. But with Narita's distorted, screaming guitar and Hano's tumbling drums, this disc can't be any less "out" than what Narita got up to 20 years ago. Shoji Hano is primarily a free-jazz drummer, though he's experienced in various psychedelic rock combos (Mainliner for one). Meanwhile, Munehiro Narita is of course the sort of underground Japanese guitar god that Hano is used to playing with (previous sparring partners include Keiji Haino and Kawabata Makoto). So you can expect serious speedfreak Hendrix psych-spurts alongside more moody, almost jazzy clatter over the three long, live tracks that writhe and burn on this disc. Lovers of way out, free-to-be-skree electric guitar mangling and drum wrangling will want to stick this in their ears right quick!
MPEG Stream: "track 2"

KYOZIN YUENI DEKAI s/t (self-released) cd-r 5.98

KYRGYZ (TOM CARTER, ROBERT HORTON, LOREN CHASSE, CHRISTINE BOEPPLE) s/t (Digitalis Industries) cd 12.98
Not sure what you call a group like Kyrgyz, um... other than Kyrgyz, but if this were some stadium rock record, or eighties hair metal record, one might call it a supergroup. But since it's more of a rumbling trancey free drone record we'll just stick with Kyrgyz. The fruits of an afternoon hang out / dinner party / recording session / jam, this disc is a gorgeous, dreamy, noisy slab of slow shifting abstract drones. Not the sort of minimal, single tone stretched out into infinity sort of drone, no these tracks are dense with varied instrumentation and lots of cooks in the kitchen, all swirled into a hypnotic whole. Kyrgyz just so happens to feature Robert Horton, Tom Carter of Charalambides, Loren Chasse (Thuja, Blithe Sons, etc.) and one of our former mailorder ladies Christine Boepple (Whysp, ex-Skygreen Leopards Skyband).
Equal parts, traditional minimalism (La Monte Young, Tony Conrad, Angus Maclise) and modern free folk drone new weird America whatever (Sunroof!, Birchville Cat Motel, Omit, Avarus, etc.), Kyrgyz take an impossible array of instrumentaion and somehow boil it all down into a deep, dark msyterious sound all their own. Lap steel, dobro, e bow, voice recorder, guitar, wah wah, computer, boot, sex machine, el flosser, dulcimer, vitaminder, cd-r's, tapes, minidisc, sleigh bells, percussion, Tibetan bells, cassette recorder, sheng, pitch pipe, hurdy gurdy, phlanger, music box, khaen and even saxophone, all beautifully tangled up into blissed out smears of dense ambience and dreamy drone.
MPEG Stream: "Clown Hands Dokalmak"
MPEG Stream: "Hirzur Vadisi (Peaceful Valley)"

KYUSS Queens Of The Stone Age (Man's Ruin) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Includes the songs from their Man's Ruin 10" (that featured a cover of Sabbath's "Into The Void"), as well as recordings by guitarist John Homme's post-Kyuss outfit Gamma Ray (now called Queens Of The Stone Age because of the other Gamma Ray that all you Helloween fans are of course familiar with).