KID SISTER Ultraviolet (Universal Republic) cd 12.98

KID SPATULA Full Sunken Breaks (Ziq) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Even more than his pal the Aphex Twin, Mike Paradinas likes the pretty and the melodic and that's why he crosses over so well. Mike's undergone several dozen facelifts since we last saw him as Kid Spatula, having the surgeon's putty knife mold him from µ-Ziq to Kid Spatula then to Tusken Raiders and Jake Slazenger, then back to µ-Ziq then to just Mike (as in Mike & Rich, a record with Aphex Twin) and back to µ-Ziq... It seems that Paradinas' surgeon came pretty close to reclaiming the warped electro-thud of his brilliant 1996 "Spatula Freak" album. Squiggly electronica noise bleeding over fractured breakbeats, and occasional techno stomps makes for darn good listening for the most part. Those wacky fart & grunt noises remain, though, to prove what a big dork he still is.

KID SPATULA Full Sunken Breaks (Ziq) 3lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Even more than his pal the Aphex Twin, Mike Paradinas likes the pretty and the melodic and that's why he crosses over so well. Mike's undergone several dozen facelifts since we last saw him as Kid Spatula, having the surgeon's putty knife mold him from µ-Ziq to Kid Spatula then to Tusken Raiders and Jake Slazenge, then back to µ-Zia then to just Mike (as in Mike & Rich, a record with Aphex Twin) and back to µ-Ziq... It seems that Paradinas' surgeon came pretty close to reclaiming the warped electro-thud of his brilliant 1996 "Spatula Freak" album. Squiggly electronica noise bleeding over fractured breakbeats, and occasional techno stomps makes for darn good listening for the most part. Those wacky fart & grunt noises remain, though, to prove what a big dork he still is.

KID SPATULA Meast (Planet Mu) 2cd 15.98
You might have noticed the curious term "clown-hop" listed amongst the numerous micro-genres of our electronica section, and wondered what the fuck that is. Admittedly, "clown-hop" is a genre that really doesn't exist outside of the context of Mike Paradinas (and maybe Atom Heart), as I'm pretty sure the term was coined to describe the tongue in cheek collaboration between Paradinas (aka Mu-Ziq, Jake Slazenger, and Kid Spatula) and Richard James (aka The Aphex Twin). Regardless, the funny shoe still fits so why not make Paradinas wear the clumsy name...?
Meast is the third album done under Paradinas' Kid Spatula moniker. Yes, irony is central to the album; but unlike most ironists who eschew quality control in their smug productions, Paradinas' productions always sound amazing. Meast is actually a collection of unreleased material from 1994-1998, a period of time which offered the best Paradinas material (e.g. Mu-Ziq's Tango 'n' Vectiv and Bluff Limbo). Meast obviously resembles much of that work wherein jazzy two-step drum & bass rhythms clashed with pseudo-electro breakbeat clunkiness, yet his sublime plinkity-plonk melodies managed to hold everything together. Within this body of work, Paradinas infused a much needed wit to the reigning IDM sounds of mid-90s electronica.
MPEG Stream: "Housewife"
MPEG Stream: "Trike"

KIDS AQUARIUS T SHIRT 2T The very glam, sparkly silver on black T shirt for kiddies - size: 2T T shirt 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The very glam, sparkly silver on black T shirt for the kiddies - size: 2T

KIDS AQUARIUS T SHIRT 4T The very glam, sparkly silver on black T shirt for kiddies - size: 4T T shirt 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The very glam, sparkly silver on black T shirt for the kiddies - size: 4T

KIDS INDESTRUCIBLE s/t (Gooom) cd ep 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

KIDS OF WIDNEY HIGH Let's Get Busy (Ipecac) cd 17.98
Second album from these amazing kids, students at unique program at L.A.'s Widney High School where disabled students are taught about music and helped to write and sing their own songs. The results are sometimes funny, sometimes really sad and sometimes just completely bizarre. On Mike Patton's Ipecac label.

KIDS ON A CRIME SPREE We Love You So Bad (Slumberland) cd ep 8.98
Another new release from Slumberland, who have been cranking out release after release since they resurfaced after a bit of a break, thankfully all these new Slumberland jams kill, and this latest one is no different. Featuring a bunch of folks from psych pop combo From Bubblegum To Sky (who are pretty dang great, even though we've never managed to review anything, yet!), this is a modern homage to Phil Spector and the old Brill Building songsmiths, and yeah, we know, everyone and their mother have a reverby garage rock band that is trying to do that whole Phil Spector wall of sound thing, and there are plenty of Something-Girls or Girls-Something bands, Dum Dum, Vivian, At Dawn and the rest, who are doing it quite well thank you.
But fuck it, there's always room for another fuzzy, dreamy retro sixties style pop band, especially if the songs are great, and the sound is warm and wonderful, and Kids On A Crime Spree nail it on both counts, using old equipment and vintage recording techniques to capture that classic sound, these guys pull it off songwise too, with warm crunchy softly fuzzy guitars, plenty of jangle, hooks galore, and an awesome second guitar, all warm and woozy, clean and clear, playing the melody over the top of the fuzzy jangle, we LOVE that. Just check out "I Don't Want To Call You Baby, Baby", shades of the Raveonettes for sure, the same sort of washed out dreaminess, but there's just something about KOACS that make these songs sound special. "Trumpets Of Death" has those super echoey vocals, but adds some fat fuzzy bass, and a bizarre chorus that seems to have nothing to do with the titular trumpets of death.
All the songs here are awesome, warm and fuzzy, sunshiney and handclappy, hazey and dreamily druggy, softly psychedelic, mixing the classic pop sound that they're paying tribute to, but adding little subtle modern sonic bits that help make this stuff sound special, with some tracks erupting into crunchy fuzzy almost punky blasters, while others getting all warped and blurred and laid back, finally finishing with the piano pounding fuzz bass buzzing "Jean-Paul Sartre 2", which adds a glistening super melodic chorus to the otherwise fuzzed out feedback drenched verses, as well as a cool dynamic stop/start post chorus bridge, and some soaring, super melodic vocals, a strangely tweaked and twisted take on classic popsmithery, that definitely has us hoping that the next record will head more in that direction.
MPEG Stream: " I Don't Want To Call You Baby, Baby"
MPEG Stream: "It's In My Blood"
MPEG Stream: "Sweet Tooth"

KIDS ON A CRIME SPREE We Love You So Bad (Slumberland) 12" 10.98
Another new release from Slumberland, who have been cranking out release after release since they resurfaced after a bit of a break, thankfully all these new Slumberland jams kill, and this latest one is no different. Featuring a bunch of folks from psych pop combo From Bubblegum To Sky (who are pretty dang great, even though we've never managed to review anything, yet!), this is a modern homage to Phil Spector and the old Brill Building songsmiths, and yeah, we know, everyone and their mother have a reverby garage rock band that is trying to do that whole Phil Spector wall of sound thing, and there are plenty of Something-Girls or Girls-Something bands, Dum Dum, Vivian, At Dawn and the rest, who are doing it quite well thank you.
But fuck it, there's always room for another fuzzy, dreamy retro sixties style pop band, especially if the songs are great, and the sound is warm and wonderful, and Kids On A Crime Spree nail it on both counts, using old equipment and vintage recording techniques to capture that classic sound, these guys pull it off songwise too, with warm crunchy softly fuzzy guitars, plenty of jangle, hooks galore, and an awesome second guitar, all warm and woozy, clean and clear, playing the melody over the top of the fuzzy jangle, we LOVE that. Just check out "I Don't Want To Call You Baby, Baby", shades of the Raveonettes for sure, the same sort of washed out dreaminess, but there's just something about KOACS that make these songs sound special. "Trumpets Of Death" has those super echoey vocals, but adds some fat fuzzy bass, and a bizarre chorus that seems to have nothing to do with the titular trumpets of death.
All the songs here are awesome, warm and fuzzy, sunshiney and handclappy, hazey and dreamily druggy, softly psychedelic, mixing the classic pop sound that they're paying tribute to, but adding little subtle modern sonic bits that help make this stuff sound special, with some tracks erupting into crunchy fuzzy almost punky blasters, while others getting all warped and blurred and laid back, finally finishing with the piano pounding fuzz bass buzzing "Jean-Paul Sartre 2", which adds a glistening super melodic chorus to the otherwise fuzzed out feedback drenched verses, as well as a cool dynamic stop/start post chorus bridge, and some soaring, super melodic vocals, a strangely tweaked and twisted take on classic popsmithery, that definitely has us hoping that the next record will head more in that direction.
MPEG Stream: " I Don't Want To Call You Baby, Baby"
MPEG Stream: "It's In My Blood"
MPEG Stream: "Sweet Tooth"

KIDUDE, BI Zanzibara 4 : The Diva of Zanzibari Music (Buda Musique) cd 15.98

KIILA Heartcore (Fonal) cd 17.98
Finland's Kiila play, for want of a better description, experimental indie-rock. They share with other Finnish bands like Circle a predeliction for the effective use of repetition, utilizing loops like band member Sami "Es" Sanpakkila's solo A Love Cycle record. Kiila specialize in going off on adventurous, but mostly low-key explorations, from moments of happy pop to dark strum to noisier beats and drones. They take many approaches to music making, but as the extensive liner notes/essay state, their art is rooted in their listening, both to others music and to their own material, which is thoroughly crafted but never "complete". I'm not so much a fan of Kiila's occasional English-language vocals (Finnish is so much better, guys!) but those vocals are indie-rock standard and anyway much of this is instrumental. A very nice discovery -- and even if this record wasn't as good as it is, it would be worth it for the fucked-up but gorgeous, stumbling final track "Heartflowers".
RealAudio clip: "Contemporaries"
RealAudio clip: "Crystal Fields"
RealAudio clip: "Heatflowers"

KIILA Silmat Sulkaset (Fonal) cd 17.98
Some of you will remember Kiila from their 2001 album Heartcore, a lovely disc of low-key indie rock and Circle-like loopage from a couple friends of ours in Finland. In the intervening years, Kiila has morphed a bit. Their new disc Silmat Sulkaset is quite as nice as Heartcore, even better we think as the band has both expanded into a seven-piece ensemble and simultaneous seemingly retreated into the Finnish forest where they now play achingly beautiful psychedelic folk rock, not unlike the more traditionally-influenced efforts of '70s Swedes like Arbete Och Fritid and Trad Gras Och Stenar, venturing into the improv territory of fellow Finnish forest-dwellers Kemialliset Ystavat as well. Male and female voices sing sweetly (in Finnish only -- taking our advice?) over sundry acoustic guitars, electric drones, wavering flutes, and hand percussion. Magical, melodic, mysterious. Krautrock ghosts smile on them. The USA might offer comparisons like Black Forest/Black Sea, Skygreen Leopards, Golden Hotel and Espers, but the Finnish folk element here is irreplaceable... Really really nice. Nice Fonal packaging too!
MPEG Stream: "Kelmeja"
MPEG Stream: "Kateet Linnut"
MPEG Stream: "Tapanima Aukesi Vuori"

KIILA Tuota Tuota (Fonal) cd 17.98
Of all the Finnish bands we love, and all the bands on Finnish label Fonal, Kiila might just be the most traditionally indie rock. But then that's really relative, since we're talking about Finland, and the fact that Kiila is made up of members of other, much more far out bands like Es, Kemialliset Ystavat, Avarus, Anaksimadros. So you can figure that even though Kiila traffic in indie rock, it's unlike most indie rock you know.
Right off the bat the first track reminds us of a much more blissed out folkier Animal Collective, chiming guitars, delicate fingerpicking, softly tangled harmonies, reverbed abstract vocals, sunshine-y and dreamy, really quite lovely. The rest of the record is not so blissed out though, the second track is a fiddle laced bit of indie rocking, jangly guitars, propulsive drumming, lots of swirling drone-y organs, and much more traditional sounding vocals, in fact it almost reminds us a little of Wilco, albeit filtered through the cracked Finnish pop sensibility. The rest of the record continues in a simialr direction, channeling much of what we love about indie rock, but infusing it with plenty of twang, Finnish forest folkiness, and plenty of off kilter weirdness, whether it's thick sheets of undulating buzz, fluries of birdsong, streaks of tripped out effects or thick swells of rumbling low end crunch, those various elements are deftly woven into more traditional pop smithery.
A few tracks revisit the dreamy folkiness of the record opener, stripped down to just acoustic guitar, fiddle and voice, while others are almost entirely vocal harmony drive, and at least one is a gorgeous droned out synthscape, and another is a ramshackle horn flecked, chaotically percussive tripped out free jam.
The sounds are lush and beautiful, jangly and poppy, and just a little bit twisted and fractured, they may be the most 'traditional' sounding of all our Finnish faves, but that still means this is weirder and more awesomely abstract thatn 90 percent of music out there.
Gorgeous Fonal packaging as always, the cd in a full color 6 panel cardboard gatefold jacket, with a printed inner sleeve which includes liner notes and lyrics and cool printed Japanese style obi, the vinyl in a normal but quite colorful sleeve.
MPEG Stream: "Viisi Hirvasta"
MPEG Stream: "Kevatlaulu"
MPEG Stream: "Portaissa"

KIILA Tuota Tuota (Fonal) lp 17.98
Of all the Finnish bands we love, and all the bands on Finnish label Fonal, Kiila might just be the most traditionally indie rock. But then that's really relative, since we're talking about Finland, and the fact that Kiila is made up of members of other, much more far out bands like Es, Kemialliset Ystavat, Avarus, Anaksimadros. So you can figure that even though Kiila traffic in indie rock, it's unlike most indie rock you know.
Right off the bat the first track reminds us of a much more blissed out folkier Animal Collective, chiming guitars, delicate fingerpicking, softly tangled harmonies, reverbed abstract vocals, sunshine-y and dreamy, really quite lovely. The rest of the record is not so blissed out though, the second track is a fiddle laced bit of indie rocking, jangly guitars, propulsive drumming, lots of swirling drone-y organs, and much more traditional sounding vocals, in fact it almost reminds us a little of Wilco, albeit filtered through the cracked Finnish pop sensibility. The rest of the record continues in a simialr direction, channeling much of what we love about indie rock, but infusing it with plenty of twang, Finnish forest folkiness, and plenty of off kilter weirdness, whether it's thick sheets of undulating buzz, fluries of birdsong, streaks of tripped out effects or thick swells of rumbling low end crunch, those various elements are deftly woven into more traditional pop smithery.
A few tracks revisit the dreamy folkiness of the record opener, stripped down to just acoustic guitar, fiddle and voice, while others are almost entirely vocal harmony drive, and at least one is a gorgeous droned out synthscape, and another is a ramshackle horn flecked, chaotically percussive tripped out free jam.
The sounds are lush and beautiful, jangly and poppy, and just a little bit twisted and fractured, they may be the most 'traditional' sounding of all our Finnish faves, but that still means this is weirder and more awesomely abstract thatn 90 percent of music out there.
Gorgeous Fonal packaging as always, the cd in a full color 6 panel cardboard gatefold jacket, with a printed inner sleeve which includes liner notes and lyrics and cool printed Japanese style obi, the vinyl in a normal but quite colorful sleeve.
MPEG Stream: "Viisi Hirvasta"
MPEG Stream: "Kevatlaulu"
MPEG Stream: "Portaissa"

KIKURI (HAINO, KEIJI & MASAMI AKITA) Pulverized Purple (Victo) cd 15.98
Oh boy. It had to happen. And it did, at 2007's Festival International de Musique Actuelle in Victoriaville, Quebec. Kikuri is the heavyweight team up of two folks who cast long shadows in the realm of Japanese underground music: Japanoise master Merzbow (for he is Masami Akita) and that totemic Tokyo psych veteran, Keiji Haino, longtime leader of the free rock band Fushitsusha. There they are in the photo on the inside of the cd booklet, Haino and Akita both standing stoically in a leafy green forest... hey has Haino's hair turned grey, a la J. Mascis (with bangs)?? It's about time (not for the grey, for the team up). Haino has collaborated recently with Tatsuya Yoshida of Ruins (including another highlight on this week's list!), and KK Null of Zeni Geva, and some years back with all of Boris, but this one's definitely as earthshaking (literally) as any of those, if not moreso.
So, think this might be dark, dense, and noisy? You're right! Putting this on is like telling your stereo, wake up, time to die!!! The first four of five tracks on this disc are all extreme, crinkled, screaming, disssstorrtted NOISE. It's interestingly varied, and very Merzbovian - although the cryptic, wordy song titles which are definitely the work of poetic soul Keiji Haino... such as: "Give Me Back That Colour You Stole From My Guts" (track 3) and "That Place Into Which You Fell Was Lined With A Cushion Of Pain And Is No Proof Of You Continuing Existence" (track 4). Yep, these initial four tracks of brutal catharsis, all but one of them over 10 minutes long, are quite excellent if you're a Merzbow fan, though those who know Haino will definitely be able to hear his input too, beyond the titles. The track "By Mischance That Soul I Devoured Was A Transparent, Vertical Blues" features bursts of his trademark tortured vocals amidst the throbbing hissing static that could be the work of either party. (Making it more of a "blues" is an outsider guitar part, well we think that's a guitar, plucked probably by Haino.) In any case, up to track five, this disc sounds most like Merzbow, with Haino as a special guest. But then, tipping the balance back towards Haino and his special brand of electric guitar apocalypse, comes the disc's last and longest track, with the shortest title, "Pulverized Purple". That's got to be Haino's title too, 'cause he has always had a thing about the color purple, no not the Alice Walker book. It takes up about half the disc, over 30 minutes long. And while it too is plenty distorted and noisy, like what came before it, it also features gobs and gobs of totally recognizable-as-guitar guitar playing, sheer howling psychedelic feedback style, that had even Andee here (who normally is a Haino hater, weirdly enough, and also thinks he's heard enough Merzbow already) declaring that this was fantastic. Heavy, heavy, droney, droney, and definitely worth the price of admission even if you maybe wouldn't normally buy a Merzbow record. Allan, who IS a big Haino fan, is happy that Andee has finally found something he likes by Haino (in large part 'cause it downplays his distinctive vocal stylings in favor of the way out heavy guitar wailin'). Shut up and play yer guitar is Andee's advice for Haino, and he takes it here. This is definitely something for fans of Fushitsusha (natch), Skullflower, White Heaven, Boris, Brotzmann (Caspar), Les Rallizes, LSD-march... The thick feedback wranglin' and added buzz and hiss sounds a bit like Hendrix' famous "Star Spangled Banner" trip given Striborg-style production!! Meanwhile, Masami Akita gets behind the kit to provide urgent drum tumble and cymbal splatter, reminding us that he played drums on that ol' krautrocky Crystal Fist cd that was a fave 'round here some years back. Damn. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Give Me Back That Colour You Stole From My Guts"
MPEG Stream: "Pulverized Purple"

KILARA / HELLCHILD Righteousness Is Immortal (Rhetoric) cd 11.98
A split release between Kilara (heavy, slugde rock from Virginia sorta like Eyehategod, but with an unhealthy hillbilly country obsession) and Hellchild (Japanese strangled hardcore who were previously on Howling Bull and here covers Venom).

KILGOUR, DAVID A Feather in the Engine (Merge) cd 14.98
David Kilgour's name will be familiar to anyone who was into the New Zealand indie rock scene of the '80s and early '90s -- he was a founding member of The Clean and Great Unwashed, etc. His solo album Here Come the Cars (1991) is one of my very favorite records of that time, and this new one doesn't beat it, but it comes close. Kilgour's solo style is hushed and somber (although not as melancholy as fellow Kiwi Roy Montgomery), yet at times upbeat and pretty, filled with crystalline picked guitars and softly enunciated vocals. Like an Arctic Sea -- chilled and so still, yet with oceans of emotion going on underneath, if you care enough to listen for the subtleties (and if you can stand my cliched descriptions!) Not a major album but decent.
RealAudio clip: "Today is Gonna Be Mine"
RealAudio clip: "Sept. 98"

KILGOUR, DAVID First Steps and False Alarms (Ajax) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The best of the worst -- demos of demos. 20 songs, intakes and outtakes, "ideas i've used". From New Zealand so you can be pretty sure it's great (though this rule does *not* apply to some recent Flying Nun output).

KILGOUR, DAVID First Steps and False Alarms (Ajax) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The best of the worst -- demos of demos. 20 songs, intakes and outtakes, "ideas i've used". From New Zealand so you can be pretty sure it's great (though this rule does *not* apply to some recent Flying Nun output).

KILGOUR, DAVID Frozen Orange (Merge) cd 14.98
The latest shimmering album from New Zealand's pop fave David Kilgour can only and justly be described through the following haiku:
frozen orange pop
from sea-shanty, autumn comes
to green ocean wash
MPEG Stream: "Living In Space"
MPEG Stream: "Frozen Orange"

KILGOUR, DAVID The Far Now (Merge) cd 13.98
So good to hear New Zealand's David Kilgour continuing to keep things nice 'n' simple. His sixth full length The Far Now contains more of his high calibre, straightforward singer/songwriter pop tunes in league with The Go-Betweens, Mountain Goats and Robyn Hitchcock. Y'know, that cardigan sweater and argyle sock wearin' intellectual pop songs filled with jangly guitars, wide-eyed innocence and poetic sweetheart hooks that get you... right... there! Ever so gently nails your heartstrings every time.
MPEG Stream: "Sun Of God"
MPEG Stream: "I Cut My Heart Out Once"

KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE s/t (Planet Mu) cd 14.98
The minute we threw this on, we were totally captivated. The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble are a gloriously creepy crawly mutant jazz combo, equal parts DJ Shadow's Endtroducing, seventies horror movie soundtracks, late night jazz and super sluggish blown out trip hop. The KDJE originally formed to create live soundtracks for films by FM Murnau, Fritz Lang and the like, taking their inspiration from such unlikely sources as animators the Quay Brothers and artists Bosch, Picasso and Goya and boy does it show. A full on group, not one dude and his laptop, the KDJE unfurl haunting imaginary soundtracks, dark and dense, smoky and noir, everything in rich lustrous shades of black and grey, shuffling jazzy skitter underpins melancholy moaning horns bathed in reverb, pizzicato strings and minor key guitars hover and dart furtively, a drizzly rainy day jazz dirge, so creepy and mysterious and lovely, and that's just the first song. The rest of the record wanders similarly rainslicked streets, hat pulled down low, collar pulled way up, face obscured by shadows, the wet streets reflecting the orange grey glow of the streetlights, the buildings like totem poles of shadowy ghosts, the sky a blackish grey, turning the vibrant city into a lonely monochrome. This record is just so ominous and foreboding, so emotionally charged, so haunting and murky, imagine DJ Shadow collaborating with Tricky, mix in plenty of Raymond Chandler some dingy bars, some laid back jazz, some doomy dark ambience, some muted Boards Of Canada shuffle and thump, the whole thing drenched in late night ambience and warm warped M83 style whir and you'll have a rough idea. The ultimate soundtrack for late night lonely walks through the city.
MPEG Stream: "The Nothing Changes"
MPEG Stream: "Pearls For Swine"
RealAudio clip: "Adaptation Of The Koto Song"

KILL Inverted Funeral (Total Holocaust) cd 9.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**
Full length number two from these Swedish necro black metallers, featuring members of Bestial Mockery, Devil Lee Rot, Diabolicum, Necroplasma and Church Bizarre, so you pretty much have an idea of what you're in for. But before we get to the grim sounds within, let's talk about the kick ass cover art. From the amazing bat winged Kill logo, to the awesome high school binder cover drawing of a priest impaled on an inverted cross (drawn by The Being, from Dutch black metallers Haatstrijd), and of course the record is called Inverted Funeral, the cover gorgeously printed in a distressed sepia toned ink on thick textured paper, making the drawing look like it could have come from some ancient, -demonic- binder instead.Ê
Inside, it's much as you might expect, or hope, a black world of grim buzz, frosty and cold, harsh thrashing primitive and raw old school black metal. Pounding drums, buzzing black riffage, bestial vocals, and lots of bass (weird for black metal bands where the bass is usually lost in the swirls of buzz and blast), huge thick swaths of low end, with the bass even taking up the main riff on a few tracks. Nothing here for the casual black metal traveller, or curious lookieloo, so beware posers, this is for the troo, the kvlt, the grim, fans of Darkthrone, Beherit, Ildjarn and other primitive black thrashers... Awesome.Ê
MPEG Stream: "Inverted Funeral"
MPEG Stream: "Deathmessiah"
MPEG Stream: "Morbid Curse"

KILL BILL VOL. 1 (OST) (A Band Apart/Maverick/WMG Soundtracks) cd 17.98
Still haven't seen the film -- Windy sez it's good though -- but we've had the soundtrack in stock for a little while and thought we'd go ahead and list it 'cause it's got some pretty great stuff on it. Basically, this isn't a full-blown score by some Hollywood film composer, but rather a Quentin Tarantino mix tape of sorts. And a rather eclectic, but well-programmed, mix tape indeed! There's everything from The RZA to Zamfir, from Nancy Sinatra to Neu! on here. Some of it was indeed written for the film (The RZA's cuts, including bonus kung-fu fight scene music and sound effects) while some of the tracks were taken from *other* films and TV sources (like Quincy Jones' Ironside theme). There's some surprising selections, including a ten-minute 1977 disco-funk version of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" that's a great centerpiece to what's a very hip, well-informed compilation, demonstrating the good taste of Quentin Tarantino, or his music supervisor at least. (Quentin Tarantino -- good taste? What?) Anyway, this works fine as a stand-alone album, and no doubt will bring all sorts of visual, gory remembrances to those who've seen the Kill Bill flick itself.
MPEG Stream: NANCY SINATRA "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)"
MPEG Stream: SANTA ESMERALDA "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"

KILL BILL, VOL 2 (OST) (Maverick) cd 16.98
Another sonic souvenir for Tarantino film fans...and, like the soundtrack to Vol. 1, this stands on its own as an excellent 'mix tape' even for those who haven't seen the Kill Bill flicks. Whatever you might think of Tarantino's indulgent exercise(s) in revenge fantasy and cinematic homage, you can't argue with such soundtrack selections as Johnny Cash, Ennio Morricone, Charlie Feathers, and the RZA (among others).
MPEG Stream: LUIS BACALOV "Summertime Killer"
MPEG Stream: MALCOLM MCLAREN "About Her"

KILL CREEK The Will To Strike (Second Nature) 2cd 15.98

KILL ME TOMORROW I Require Chocolate / Rats For Sale (Gold Standard Laboratories) 7" 4.98
2 blasts of no-wave/new-wave from these 3 San Diego transplants who are an instrumental part of the whole San Diego new/no wave scene. Really arty and heartrenching. Kind of similar to Xiu Xiu (see AQ lists #133 and #145), who they play with often. Live they have this circular bench full of effect pedals and drum machines that has one band member hunched over like a mad scientist as he tweaks and contorts the sound. This record had Andee running around the store singing (in his best Nick Cave/Peter Murphy voice) "I've got rats for sale!! I'VE GOT RATS FOR SALE!!!!"

KILL ME TOMORROW The Garbageman and The Prostitute (GSL) cd 14.98
Kill Me Tomorrow really tear things up in strange and wonderful ways on their new album. Dissonant art punk in a similar vein to that of Xiu Xiu and Frog Eyes, but more likely to draw blood -- much more aggressive and unhinged. KMT's angular no-wave propulsions also conjures images of a bastard offspring of Sonic Youth and The Residents. Not to mention, their cover of Captain Beefheart's "Hot Head" only adds to the madness. Super cool and totally hectic!
MPEG Stream: "The Best Siren Is A Flesh Siren"
MPEG Stream: "Age Of Shrug"

KILL THE CLIENT Escalation Of Hostility (Willowtip) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Defend"
MPEG Stream: "Worker Ant Syndrome"
MPEG Stream: "In God You Thrust"

KILL THE CLIENT Wage Slave (Counter) cd 10.98
This is it, far as I'm concerned. The only record I think tops the mighty Pig Destroyer's masterpiece "Terrifyer" this year. This is absolute technical grind perfection, and one of the fastest and most intense 15 minutes of music ever committed to tape. No song on here breaks the hundred-second mark and yet you feel utterly beaten by disc's end -- the pace is relentless, the riffs ever-changing and the intensity exhausting as this Texas quartet blaze through 11 tracks of politically-charged grind. Imagine a cross between the manic controlled chaos of classic Brutal Truth and the technical off-time wizardry of Cryptopsy and then speed everything up tenfold and you're beginning to approach the full-on assault that this band delivers.
Individual playing is just stunning here -- the singer is positively monstrous, sounding like a dead ringer for Brutal Truth's Kevin Sharp and espousing refreshingly thoughtful and original political lyrics on such topics as the Russian mafia, economics, JFK conspiracy theories and even food dyes. The guitars are razor-sharp -- it makes sense that Jody of criminally-underrated tech-metal juggernauts Kalibas was in the band for a while -- both bands demand a proficiency from their players that belie the simplicity usually associated with genre. And then there's the drumming! You knew this was comingÉthis guy is fucking insane! Some of the fastest playing ever. On some songs, the blast beat is the SLOW part, I shit you not. For anyone even remotely interested in metal and grind, I simply can not recommend this record enough. Once you allow the wash of noise to bury you into submission, there's a good amount of complexity and memorable moments to wrap your head around. But really the music presented here far surpasses the constraints of the usual metal and grind conventions and summates to a sublime aural ferocity that pushes the very limits of human playing abilities. Yes, it's that good.
MPEG Stream: "Suka Voina"
MPEG Stream: "America...Sold!"

KILL THE VULTURES s/t (JIB) cd 14.98

KILLAH PRIEST View from Masada (MCA) cd 16.98
First Wu Tang record in a while that hasn't completely sucked (not counting the Method Man/Redman genius collaboration). No GZA production this time, but it doesn't matter all that much since whoever they got seems to be doing his very best GZA impression, and all things considered, has sort of outdone the master. Simple stuttery beats over cinematic strings and tinkling pianos with KP'S smooth but damaged and unfunky flow.

KILLERS, THE Day & Age (Island) cd 15.98

KILLERS, THE Hot Fuss (Island) cd 15.98
Every label seems to want / need their own retro-styled band (Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, et al) these days, and Island Records' entry into the fray appears to be The Killers. They've nabbed all the catchy tropes from your favorite '80s bands, and created a wholly unoriginal but entirely catchy fusion of all of 'em. You get glimpses of the sounds of Duran Duran, The Cure, New Order and Pulp, but perhaps less poncy and sullen. Indeed what sets them apart from F.F. and I. (and what just might widen their potential audience immensely) is the degree to which they embrace the flashy and bombastic (think: The Darkness through a new wave filter). Scientifically formulated to trigger the nostalgia button in VH1 Classic watchin' thirty-somethings.
MPEG Stream: "On Top"
MPEG Stream: "Smile Like you Mean It"

KILLERS, THE Sam's Town (Island) cd 15.98
First off, doesn't the cover for the latest Killers album looks like one of those '90s dime-a-dozen major label bad rock releases that you end up seeing a slew of the next week in the used bin? Oh they're Anton Corbijn photos? Big whoop. We hope you're able to get past that unfortunateness, and give 'er a spin though. We did and can attest that the music fares much better than the packaging. This Las Vegas combo extend their shelf life past the fifteen minutes of fame afforded them by their single "Somebody Told Me". For their sophomore release, it sounds like The Killers are aggressively aiming to avoid being 'so two years ago' by shedding the '80s Duran Duran-isms and going heavier on the more timeless big rock pomp.
Slicker than ever, oozing with cocky confidence and so radio-ready. While a few Cure-ish moments do crop up, the band is modeling themselves more like anthemic grandeur of maybe U2, Yes and Queen. Funnily enough though, instead of that, we were thinking 'Gowan warbling with Interpol'. What? Too harsh? Nah. They're big boys now.
MPEG Stream: "When You Were Young"
MPEG Stream: "Uncle Jonny"

KILLERS, THE Sawdust (Island) cd 16.98
The Killers have some ol' odds and ends for you to shake your ass to! Sawdust is their catch-all of b-sides and rarities from the past four years. It totally captures their speedy sleek transformation from remarkably poncy Duran Duran-ites to sullen Joy Divisioners to big modern rock U2-ians in the span of just a few years. Beats us how'd they wrangled up the services of Lou Reed to sing on a tune, but they did for "Tranquilize". Includes four previously unreleased tracks.
MPEG Stream: "Tranquilize"
MPEG Stream: "Where The White Boys Dance"

KILLING JOKE Absolute Dissent (Spinefarm) cd 14.98
Killing Joke's self-titled tour de force in 2003 left us breathless, electrified, floored. The intent and precision of that musical attack was mighty, and the impact was pronounced on mind, body and spirit. Their last album Hosannas From The Basement Of Hell as well as this one are similar in their unwavering address of universal crises, but they have more of a live performance feel. Absolute Dissent is definitely more raw and punk a la early Killing Joke... not surprising though since it features the band's original line-up - Jaz Coleman, Geordie Walker, Paul Ferguson and Youth! A sludgey bassy roar rumbles through each song while Walker's trademark eviscerating guitar and Coleman's raging vocals slash their way to your ears. Pretty much anything this 32 year old band does can easily lay to waste most of the current hard rock, metal, punk, hardcore, you name it. The band's sound remains unmistakable and imposing, still vital and volatile all these years later, due largely to Coleman and Walker. Check out the propulsion of "Fresh Fever From The Sky" or the metallic firepower of "This World Hell". The second to last song "Here Comes The Singularity" hits the punk-pop nail on the head. Ultra catchy, but unlike the hooky yet inert anthems of current young bands of that genre, theirs actually present potent ideas with thought-provoking lyrics. That said, the album's seemingly most anomalous song, the slower, haunting "The Raven King" is also its highlight, calling to mind the atmospheric modern rock of Muse, Radiohead or newer Cave-In even. Beautiful and epic, a grand lament! All hail Killing Joke!
MPEG Stream: "The Raven King"
MPEG Stream: "Fresh Fever From The Sky"
MPEG Stream: "Here Comes The Singularity"

KILLING JOKE Fire Dances (EG) cd 13.98

KILLING JOKE Hosannas From The Basement Of Hell (Cooking Vinyl) cd 15.98

KILLING JOKE Inside Extremities: Mixes, Rehearsals And Live (Candlelight USA) 2cd 14.98
We have mixed feelings about dvds and cds that come with bonus material that are primarily comprised of demos, alternate versions, etc... amounting to a mountain of stuff that was rejected for the album or movie proper in the first place. In one hand we have the "More is better, isn't it?" argument and in the other we have the "It wasn't intended to be heard by the public, was it?" debate. More often than not the extras and bonus material serve as nothing more than filler.
Enter Killing Joke's new double disc compilation titled Inside Extremities: Mixes, Rehearsals And Live -- a standalone release which in its entirety is a bit of a convulsive listen, but an electrifying document of the band circa 1990-91. Simply stated, with a band like Killing Joke virtually everything is invaluable, nothing is extraneous.
For fans and recording geeks (like us!), the first disc of rehearsal recordings is a fascinating peek behind the curtain of this mighty band's process in preparation for the recording of their 1990 album Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions. It features undeniably the band's finest, most potent lineup: Geordie Walker's massive guitars snake and roam, but are never ever aimless; Paul Raven's bass is a dirty molten boil; Martin Atkins' drums with a precise yet thunderous tribal pummel; and Jaz Coleman's bracing vocals slice through anything in its path. Even with the (we assume) one microphone room recordings on a lot of these tracks, Killing Joke's raw ideas and raw performances are riveting and filled with conviction.
Oh yes, and let's not forget that there's a second disc too which is a recording of a 1991 live concert in France. The band's performance is blistering, a phenomenal rock maelstrom. Actually we were surprised that it wasn't made the central focus of the release. The disc of rehearsal recordings could easily have been made the bonus accompaniment to the live cd (or to the forthcoming reissue of the album proper for that matter). A strange decision, but nevertheless, as a whole this makes for perfect preparation for the imminent reissue of the Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions.
MPEG Stream: "Money Is Not Our God (rehearsal)"
MPEG Stream: "Intravenous (live)"

KILLING JOKE Revelations (EG) cd 13.98

KILLING JOKE s/t (2003) (Zuma) cd 14.98
It would be a considerable understatement to say this new Killing Joke album is a sobering listening experience -- it's a fierce, visceral, and bleak call to battle. It rocks and rages with echoes of their 1981 debut (and first self-titled) album's feel and spirit. Yes, genuinely punk, and yes, genuinely metal... although those stifling labels can't and won't adhere to this band. Frankly, very few artists today can capture the pure seething energy that this, Killing Joke's second self-titled album, has harnessed.
Jaz Coleman tears out of your speakers like a man possessed. His deeply inspired vocal performance delivers some of his most inhuman gutteral growls, anguished howls and demonic hisses. Birlliant. His lyrics, brutally direct, are steeped in immense disgust and despair, with hard-hitting political critiques -- cross-hairs unquestionably zeroing in on Bush, September 11th and America -- interestingly, a lot of the heavy duty ones are omitted from the liner notes.
Geordie Walker's thunderstorm of guitars drill and grind, at once both tightly clenched and loosely slung -- pelting your ears with metallic shards and sinewed debris. Original bassists Youth and Paul Raven consume any remaining air with glowering lines that boil and stew. With each song, the unrelenting roar of Killing Joke closes in around you.
Drummer Dave Grohl -- apparently not busy enough with Foo Fighters and Queens Of The Stone Age -- does an excellent job immersing himself in the Killing Joke realm, closely resembling the pummeling precision and tribal thrash of Martin Atkins. Hopefully Grohl's presence (his name is stickered prominently on the front of the cd) will draw younger audiences to this venerable band.
Unlike other bands from the past who've regrouped recently for one last hurrah or to cash in on the latest retro trends, it's clear Killing Joke have resurfaced because they truly have something vital to convey (just as they did back in 1990 with Extremities... dirt... etc). They don't churn out albums year after year to fulfill record contract obligations -- they make music with a piercing focus when they feel the need and when it is needed.
Andy Gill's production is beautiful and huge (but not too 'modern rock'), making for a generally accessible and current sounding album (although some of the tracks are overly long) -- one that should have hard music fans clambering.
If you were ever into Killing Joke, check out this album! If you're new, this is a pretty good place to start.
MPEG Stream: "Dark Forces"
MPEG Stream: "Total Invasion"
MPEG Stream: "Implant"

KILLING JOKE s/t (first album, 1980) (EG) cd 13.98

KILLING JOKE The Unperverted Pantomime? (Pilot) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"The Unperverted Pantomime?" is a hodge-podge of some of the earliest Killing Joke recordings from the late '70s and early '80s. At that time, the band walked a similar post-punk path as Gang of Four and Public Image Limited, with discordant guitars crashing against a mutant dub rhythm section. Those who heard their early masterpiece "Turn To Red" on the "Wild Dub: Dread Meets Punk Rocker" compilation should know what to expect from these cuts, which include a bunch of early singles, a few radio session pieces, and some live recordings. None of these tracks have appeared on CD before. Unfortunately, neither the sound quality nor the performances of the live cuts are terribly good. Oh well. "The Unperverted Pantomine?" paints early Killing Joke as a fantastic studio band, and a less than ideal stage act. Overall, their new self-titled full length is a much more prime example of the incredibly blistering, volatile music of which this band is capable.
MPEG Stream: "Nervous System"
MPEG Stream: "Follow The Leader"

KILLING JOKE What's This For ...! (EG) cd 13.98

KILLS Midnight Boom (Domino) cd 14.98

KILLS, THE Fried My Little Brains (Rough Trade) cd ep 4.98
If you were snoozing a few months ago [uh, kinda like we were...] when The Kills' full length debut Keep On Your Mean Side came out, then goshdarnit, you've gotta check out this hot lil' ep. This duo have been drawing plenty of White Stripes comparisons... and they're certainly not unwarranted. The Kills' sound is plenty trashy bluesy garage rock, but dare we say this pair have something a bit more interesting and darkly intriguing going on? The proceedings are also infused with a dramatic flair, a dash of hillbilly stomp and a hefty dollop of slouch 'n' slur in the ol' Royal Trux or X tradition too. This ep's title track comes straight from the album but it also includes two new ones as well as a video for the forementioned song.
MPEG Stream: "Jewel Thief"

KILLS, THE Keep On Your Mean Side (Rough Trade) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hot damn! Wherever you are, The Kills are gonna find you, take you down and sex you up! Keep On Your Mean Side contains a dozen super smokin' gritty blues rock numbers! Yeah, you're no doubt thinking "more goddamn blues rock male/female duos?!" And yes, with White Stripes, Boss Hog et al packing the garage, it's nearing its saturation point. I know! I know! But do yourself a favor throw out that old toboggan and give those buckets of leftover paint the heave-ho 'cause you've gotta make some room for The Kills! We'll admit, we were sleeping on the job back in April when this album came out, but their most recent ep "Fried My Little Brains" sure snapped up to attention. A major part of the success of The Kills sound is the vocal chemistry between the myteriously named VV and Hotel (aka Alison Mosshart formerly of Discount and Jamie Hince). She sings, speaks and moans in her great, slightly broken voice - so throaty and soulful and not unlike P.J. Harvey, it just might leave you reeling - and his mildly British oft-muttered delivery is the perfect foil. A fantastic smoldering, down'n'dirty debut.
MPEG Stream: "Pull A U"
MPEG Stream: "Black Rooster"

KILLS, THE No Wow (Rough Trade) cd 11.98
For their second album, The Kills have taken a more urgent, aggressive stance with most notably Alison Mosshart sounding even more like Ms Polly Jean Harvey (circa Rid Of Me) than she did before and more than the lady herself does these days. And when Jamie Hince sings along they're a total deadringer for Boss Hog... that is if PJ gave Christina the boot. Ultra gritty, tense and sultry.
MPEG Stream: "Dead Road 7"
MPEG Stream: "The Good Ones"