LEGEND OF APPLE JACK, THE (Hit Thing) dvd+cd 24.00
Short films get the shaft. A deft film maker can pack as much action and emotion and breathtaking imagery into 15 minutes as they can into two hours. In fact sometimes, two hours means a brilliant 15 minute idea gets stretched way too far. Apple Jack is a super cute, poignant, incredibly well made tale of two escaped convicts, a little boy mourning the death of his mother, and how all of these lives interact on the eve of the fateful broadcast of Orson Welles' War Of The Worlds.
A perfect mix of grainy fuzzy film stock, live action footage, old photographs, subtle computer animation, and some of the most incredible production design ever, from the same folks who did the Iron Giant. Gorgeous shots of star filled nighttime skies, dizzying swirls of slow motion and some fantastic character actors. The whole thing narrated by country legend Randy Travis, sounding quite a bit like Waylon Jennings spinning tales of those good ol' boys on the Dukes Of Hazzard.
The soundtrack is fantastic, a glorious mix of creepy sci-fi outerspace weirdness, didgeridoo's and moaning horns, bleeping and blooping FX and plenty of ominous ambience, some twangy steel string bluegrass, plenty of minor key strum and Western shimmer, and of course huge swaths of super dramatic classic 1940's style orchestration, like a twangier, less over the top version of Danny Elfman's Nightmare Before Christmas and the Corpse Bride scores. Includes two discs, the movie on one, and the soundtrack expanded to 49 minutes on the other. On its own, the soundtrack is dreamy and dramatic and eminently listenable, but in the context of the film, it becomes magical.
NTSC and all region. Packaged in a gorgeous hard cover book.

LEGEND, THE The Everett True Connection (3 Acre Floor) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Everett True happened to get a rather sweet journalism assignment for NME and Melody Maker in 1989 to write about the up and coming record label Sub Pop and their cozy collection of albums from Nirvana, Screaming Trees, Dwarves, Soundgarden, etc. He stuck around Seattle during the early '90s and became what some have called "rock-crit godfather of grunge," after hobnobbing with the 'stars' of Sub Pop. Occasionally, True was known to break out into song, opening for a number of these groups as The Legend and landing a 7" on Sub Pop. Nearly a decade later, True who now resides in his native England returns as The Legend with an album on 3 Acre Floor run by the Jewelled Antler eccentric Jason Honea.
Musically, The Legend has very little in common with the Northwest sound that he wrote about in the early '90s, rather choosing the instantly urgent jangle of the Go-Betweens, the Terminals, and the general C86 sound of British indie-pop (albeit far grittier). The liner-notes written by True get the gist of the music: "After about 10 attempts we found it best not to change any rhythm or melody too rapidly, and I stumbled across a new approach to making up words. Up to that point, I'd be trying to pull random lines from old soul songs from my memory, and shout them out over the scratchy guitar."
RealAudio clip: "Spokane"
RealAudio clip: "Tacoma"

LEGENDARY PINK DOTS A Perfect Mystery (Caciocavallo / Soleilmoon) cd 14.98
The Legendary Pink Dots venture further into 70s Germanic trance / space rock (Neu!, Gunter Schickert) with hypno-motorik bass thudding and repetitive rhythms becoming the prime elements for the LPD songwriting ---this mainly due to the increased presence and influence of the astoundingly talented Ryan Moore (aka Twilight Circus Dub Sound System). The album flows with wonderful transitions from rich drones to Niels Van Hoornblower's complex sax arrangements. In spite of the title "A Perfect Mystery", Edward Ka-Spel's lyrics here are less cryptic (and perhaps a little pedestrian) on a couple of tracks. However, as most LPD records are full of indiscretions (notably bad Fellini-esque carnival tunes), this is a minor infraction to an otherwise great record by an ever-evolving group of musicians. LPD's crushed velvet and black nail polish romanticism is retained in a baroque sheen that coats the album, but they have long ventured forth from their goth beginnings. And if their recent SF performance ---a beautifully enveloping evening that enthralled all present at the sold-out Slim's--- is any indication this album is destined to reach perhaps LPD's widest audience yet, and deservingly so.

LEGENDARY PINK DOTS Nemesis Online (Soleilmoon) cd 15.98
The initial listen to each unheard Legendary Pink Dots album is a frustrating experience as one waits for that one utterly crappy piece of carnivalesque junk to ruin an otherwise decent album of gothic psychedelia. Fortunately for Nemesis Online, that one song is missing... Making this quite an enjoyable LPD record of unnerving lullabies and noirish beats not too disimilar to Portishead.

LEGENDARY PINK DOTS Plutonium Blonde (ROIR) cd 16.98
It's been over a quarter of a century now that the Legendary Pink Dots have been unleashing their dark and brooding psychedelic spaced out sounds and they've somehow managed to maintain a seriously strong cult following despite being ignored by much of the underground music establishment (they've pretty much always been ignored by Wire magazine ferinstance). While we can't say we've stayed up to date with all of their recent output, Plutonium Blonde grabbed our attention in a BIG way from our very first listen and we've since been spending lots of time with its languid and melancholic sounds. Such a perfect blissed out Sunday night record to put on when you have nowhere to go and all you want to do is melt into the couch and daydream. Edward Ka-Spel sounds as iconic as ever and this really does sound like the Dots at their best, creating moody and dramatic songs that remind us of later period Coil covering mid-'70s Pink Floyd. Really nice!
MPEG Stream: "Faded Photograph"
MPEG Stream: "Torchsong"
MPEG Stream: "Oceans Blue"

LEGENDARY PINK DOTS Stained Glass Soma Fountains (Soleilmoon) 2cd 21.00
The Legendary Pink Dots is an unusual crypto-pop collective whose expressive sonic adventures blur the well-demarcated subcultures of '60s psychedelia and '80s doom 'n' gloom. Stained Glass Soma Fountain, a collection of LPD rarities from the early '80s. Primitive keyboards and drum machines playfully march through baroque fusions of New Wave and psychedelia, hinting perhaps at the underappreciated pop of Brian Eno.

LEGENDARY STARDUST COWBOY, THE Paralyzed!! His Vintage Recordings 1968-81 (EM Records) cd 25.00
EM strikes again! Another out of left field release from our favorite weirdo reissue label. This time it's a career retrospective of the one and only Legendary Stardust Cowboy. More heard of than actually heard, this super deluxe collection gathers up all the essential bits and pieces from the Ledge's tumultuous career, from his first single, "Paralyzed" recorded in 1968 by a then unknown T-Bone Burnett (who also played drums) all the way up to tracks from his 1984 album Rock-It To Stardum.
But who is the Legendary Stardust Cowboy, and why does anyone care? Well, it's been a long time since we heard this stuff, and boy does it sound even more totally wacked than we remember. It's like stripped down country rhythm and blues with a maniacal madman screaming and howling, in a totally unintelligible much mouthed howl over the top. Anyone familiar with Brak from Space Ghost Coast To Coast or with Omer, the crazy guy who plays guitar on various corners of Valencia Street might have an inkling of what's going on here. Or imagine AQ fave Jon Wayne (the band not the man) recording a record after full frontal lobotomies. Completely mental, ultra damaged, outsider country rock. Hard to believe the reaction the 'Ledge must have gotten when he appeared on Laugh In in 1968, these days we're exposed to so much insane music and so many weird records, but back then, this must have been the freakiest goddamn thing America had ever seen or heard.
For some songs, the Ledge cranks it down, and delivers his demented narrative in a sung-spoken drawl, like a more damaged twangy Lou Reed, but even those tracks are peppered with stumbling spastic drums, fake bird calls, random bits of talking, studio sounds, detuned guitars, weird bursts of way-up-in-the-mix sci-fi synths and all manner of bleating trumpets.
THE definitive slab of outsider country music. Like some impossibly demented mix of Chet Atkins, Reynols, Daniel Johnston, Brak, Jon Wayne, Joe Meek, Buddy Holly, Wild Man Fischer and Hasil Adkins.
And as with all EM releases gorgeously and extravagantly packaged, in an oversized Japanese style jewel case, a huge booklet packed with liner notes (most in Japanese), photos and lyrics and of course a Japanese style obi. The entire thing beautifully printed with gold ink on white. Leaves us saying "wow" for a bunch of different reasons!
MPEG Stream: "Paralyzed"
MPEG Stream: "Who's Knocking On My Door"
MPEG Stream: "I Took A Trip (On A Gemini Spaceship)"

LEGION OF DOOM For Those Of The Blood (ISO666) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

LEGION OF DOOM God Is Dead (ISO666) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

LEGION OF DOOM Kingdom Of Endless Darkness (ISO666) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

LEGION OF TWO Riffs (Planet Mu) cd 14.98
Of all the 'electronica' labels out there, we're beginning to think Planet Mu might be our favorite, certain the most relevant. For a while Warp were unbeatable, Aphex Twin, Boards Of Canada, Squarepusher, Plaid, Autechre, and while that stuff still rules, Warp definitely seems like old guard, whereas Planet Mu has been moving forward, pushing boundaries, even the old school artists on Planet Mu seem to be similarly progressive. So compare the Planet Mu roster to the above Warp one: Venetian Snares, Shitmat, Distance, Vex'd, Pinch, Boxcutter, Neil Landstrumm, Eero Johannes, Milanese, Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble... Planet Mu is always on the cusp of whatever new sound surfaces, the home to most of the kick ass dubstep released in the US, but still supporting it's older artists, who in turn support the label by changing and transforming and progressing. All that said, we still were totally blindsided by Legion Of Two.
With a record title like Riffs, we were already prepared for something different, and a record called Riffs on Planet Mu definitely had us intrigued, but still we would have never expected this. Imagine Neurosis doing dubstep, or some ambient doom band dabbling in electronica, or a heavier, more modern and avant Tortoise, thick sheets of distorted buzz, plenty of bleeps and bloops, that awesome hoovery dubstep bass buzz, but with REAL drums, big drums, pounding and punishing and massive, just take the opening one two punch. The first track, a sort of intro, is a swirling cloud of hiss and whir, streaks of feedback, layer upon layer of gauzy distorted thrum, peppered with bursts of big booming drums, until the song finally kicks in, and it's like Black Boned Angel or something, but a bit stripped down, and instead of downtuned riffage, it's a sea of undulating synths, and rumbling low end, and shards of melody and feedback swirling all around the pounding lumbering doomic crush. We almost wish that track was the whole of the record, but then we would have missed out on the second track, which is where we got the dubstep Neurosis thing, that's not quite accurate, but for an 'electronic' record it definitely doesn't get heavier than this, a loping drum part, over deep throbbing low end, laced with little space-y squelches, and some woodpecker clicks, as well as intense bursts of in-the-red bass fuzz, and finally some techno synths laced over the top, the sound getting thicker and thicker and heavier and heavier, eventually building to a full on glitched out effects drenched psychedelic electronic freakout, the rhythm never faltering, finishing off with a fierce almost metallic dirge. Holy shit. How did these guys end up on Planet Mu, and how the hell did they come up with this bizarre sonic hybrid?
The whole record is sort of a series of rhythmic workouts, from crushing metallic dubstep, to blissed out post rock, to mathy techno jams, to deep listening laid back grooves, but all anchored by the incredible drumming, and the sound of real drums, which is probably what makes this stuff sound so fresh and organic, live drums and electronics end up creating something dense and blown out, heavy and 'live' sounding.
"Palace (Dub)" isn't so much dub, as a tangled bit of complex looped drumming, beneath a repetitive synth line and some buzzing bass squelches, and diaphanous sheets of high end shimmer in the background, tense and dramatic and cinematic, almost like a more twisted avant mathy electronic Goblin or Zombi. "Legion Of Two", is a loping almost eighties sounding groove, with some of the buzziest heaviest synth sounds ever, and plenty of tweaked effects, and soaring faux strings, and tinkling late night glimmer. Much of the second half of the record is more laid back, soporific, almost jazzy, hence the Tortoise comparison, looped and hypnotic, the drums and bass locked into totally mesmerizing jams, while all around keyboards chime and ring out, the melodies haunting and minor key, occasionally slipping into jagged bursts of stuttery noise drenched stop start riff heavy math rock, before slipping back into the groove. The lengthy "Handling Noise" finds the band doing so just fine, crafting a long slow burning creepfest, all otherworldly swells, strange electronic sounds, creepy ambience, jazzy drum skitter, all wreathed in static and crackle and hiss, exploding in the last few minutes in a full on Nadja style shoegaze, noise rock psychdrone blow out. "It Really Does Take Time" is the most electronic of the bunch, a bit house-y, with dubbed out effects, weird loops of children's voices, haunting and trippy, but this track too finally exploding in a frenzy of tribal rhythms and wild psychedelic synths.
The record finishes off with the 10+ minute "Cast Out Your Demons", which is like a dubby space rock jam, big loping drums, sizzling space-y synths, whirling effects, but within all the blissedout stargazing mesmer, subtle bits of dubby guitar, the drums really driving the track, to a gorgeous hazy drone drenched outro, definitely reminds us of White Hills or one of those modern psych combos, but infused with some weirdly abstract space dub.
Really cool stuff, and even with the preceding lengthy review, hard to describe, or at least hard to do justice to. This record has been on repeat play since the day it showed up, in the store, at home, on the headphones, at once groovy and dark, hazy and heavy, druggy and psychedelic, electronic and metallic, a gorgeous confusional chunk of psych-dub space doom free jazz noise rock. Or something. Whatever you call it, most definitely one of our new favorites...
MPEG Stream: "(Intro) Starbound"
MPEG Stream: "And Now We Wait"
MPEG Stream: "Palace (Dub)"
MPEG Stream: "Legion Of Two"

LEGION OF TWO Riffs (Planet Mu) lp 17.98
Of all the 'electronica' labels out there, we're beginning to think Planet Mu might be our favorite, certain the most relevant. For a while Warp were unbeatable, Aphex Twin, Boards Of Canada, Squarepusher, Plaid, Autechre, and while that stuff still rules, Warp definitely seems like old guard, whereas Planet Mu has been moving forward, pushing boundaries, even the old school artists on Planet Mu seem to be similarly progressive. So compare the Planet Mu roster to the above Warp one: Venetian Snares, Shitmat, Distance, Vex'd, Pinch, Boxcutter, Neil Landstrumm, Eero Johannes, Milanese, Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble... Planet Mu is always on the cusp of whatever new sound surfaces, the home to most of the kick ass dubstep released in the US, but still supporting it's older artists, who in turn support the label by changing and transforming and progressing. All that said, we still were totally blindsided by Legion Of Two.
With a record title like Riffs, we were already prepared for something different, and a record called Riffs on Planet Mu definitely had us intrigued, but still we would have never expected this. Imagine Neurosis doing dubstep, or some ambient doom band dabbling in electronica, or a heavier, more modern and avant Tortoise, thick sheets of distorted buzz, plenty of bleeps and bloops, that awesome hoovery dubstep bass buzz, but with REAL drums, big drums, pounding and punishing and massive, just take the opening one two punch. The first track, a sort of intro, is a swirling cloud of hiss and whir, streaks of feedback, layer upon layer of gauzy distorted thrum, peppered with bursts of big booming drums, until the song finally kicks in, and it's like Black Boned Angel or something, but a bit stripped down, and instead of downtuned riffage, it's a sea of undulating synths, and rumbling low end, and shards of melody and feedback swirling all around the pounding lumbering doomic crush. We almost wish that track was the whole of the record, but then we would have missed out on the second track, which is where we got the dubstep Neurosis thing, that's not quite accurate, but for an 'electronic' record it definitely doesn't get heavier than this, a loping drum part, over deep throbbing low end, laced with little space-y squelches, and some woodpecker clicks, as well as intense bursts of in-the-red bass fuzz, and finally some techno synths laced over the top, the sound getting thicker and thicker and heavier and heavier, eventually building to a full on glitched out effects drenched psychedelic electronic freakout, the rhythm never faltering, finishing off with a fierce almost metallic dirge. Holy shit. How did these guys end up on Planet Mu, and how the hell did they come up with this bizarre sonic hybrid?
The whole record is sort of a series of rhythmic workouts, from crushing metallic dubstep, to blissed out post rock, to mathy techno jams, to deep listening laid back grooves, but all anchored by the incredible drumming, and the sound of real drums, which is probably what makes this stuff sound so fresh and organic, live drums and electronics end up creating something dense and blown out, heavy and 'live' sounding.
"Palace (Dub)" isn't so much dub, as a tangled bit of complex looped drumming, beneath a repetitive synth line and some buzzing bass squelches, and diaphanous sheets of high end shimmer in the background, tense and dramatic and cinematic, almost like a more twisted avant mathy electronic Goblin or Zombi. "Legion Of Two", is a loping almost eighties sounding groove, with some of the buzziest heaviest synth sounds ever, and plenty of tweaked effects, and soaring faux strings, and tinkling late night glimmer. Much of the second half of the record is more laid back, soporific, almost jazzy, hence the Tortoise comparison, looped and hypnotic, the drums and bass locked into totally mesmerizing jams, while all around keyboards chime and ring out, the melodies haunting and minor key, occasionally slipping into jagged bursts of stuttery noise drenched stop start riff heavy math rock, before slipping back into the groove. The lengthy "Handling Noise" finds the band doing so just fine, crafting a long slow burning creepfest, all otherworldly swells, strange electronic sounds, creepy ambience, jazzy drum skitter, all wreathed in static and crackle and hiss, exploding in the last few minutes in a full on Nadja style shoegaze, noise rock psychdrone blow out. "It Really Does Take Time" is the most electronic of the bunch, a bit house-y, with dubbed out effects, weird loops of children's voices, haunting and trippy, but this track too finally exploding in a frenzy of tribal rhythms and wild psychedelic synths.
The record finishes off with the 10+ minute "Cast Out Your Demons", which is like a dubby space rock jam, big loping drums, sizzling space-y synths, whirling effects, but within all the blissedout stargazing mesmer, subtle bits of dubby guitar, the drums really driving the track, to a gorgeous hazy drone drenched outro, definitely reminds us of White Hills or one of those modern psych combos, but infused with some weirdly abstract space dub.
Really cool stuff, and even with the preceding lengthy review, hard to describe, or at least hard to do justice to. This record has been on repeat play since the day it showed up, in the store, at home, on the headphones, at once groovy and dark, hazy and heavy, druggy and psychedelic, electronic and metallic, a gorgeous confusional chunk of psych-dub space doom free jazz noise rock. Or something. Whatever you call it, most definitely one of our new favorites...
MPEG Stream: "(Intro) Starbound"
MPEG Stream: "And Now We Wait"
MPEG Stream: "Palace (Dub)"
MPEG Stream: "Legion Of Two"

LEGONG: DANCE OF THE VIRGINS (Milestone) dvd 34.00
Here's a fine specimen of film history and a semi-authentic look at Bali in the early 20th century. Filmed on location in 1933 in glorious Technicolor, the film fell almost immediately into obscurity. Its lackluster success was perhaps due to the perception amongst critics of the director as a Hollywood dilletante. For while Legong was directed by French aristocrat the Marquis Henry de la Falaise de la Coudray, the project was produced with funds from his current wife at the time -- the actress Constance Bennett. Falaise was certainly jumping on board the boats of F.W. Murnau and Robert Flaherty, the latter's Nanook of the North was the groundbreaking docu-fiction for which Murnau took inspiration for his final masterpiece in 1931. So when Falaise came around two years later with a film shot on location on the exotic isle of Bali with an all native cast and boasting cultural authenticity, it was met with heavy skepticism. In retrospect however, aside from Falaise's dubious credentials as a filmmaker, the project stands the test of time. Woven into this sad tale of unrequited love are stunning shots of Balinese life and ceremony, inluding the Legong and Barong dances and cremation ceremonies. But perhaps what makes this DVD most worth getting worked up about is the newly added score collaboratively composed by Richard Marriott and I Made Subandi and performed by the Club Foot Orchestra and Gamelan Sekar Jaya. And before all you purists get worked up about it: yes, the original score is also included. So you can choose either one when you watch the film. The new score however is absolutely stunning. It's wonderfully tempered scene to scene with parts featuring only the Club Foot Orchestra, others with solely Sekar Jaya and parts where both play. Along with completely newly composed material there are some sections where Club Foot Orchestra echoes the original score, while in others Sekar Jaya performs the traditional pieces that you witness on the screen. While it would be impossible to sync up the sound for an entire dance without a recut of the film, they do manage to arrange their pieces in the film such that during both a Barong and Legong dance there are scenes which perfectly match up to the dancers' movements. Included along with the entire film, presented completely restored and uncut (the British print in the day censored images of violence, while the American print censored the nudity) for the first time are a 1956 documentary entitled Gods Of Bali by Robert Snyder, Falaise's Kliou, The Killer (which had been believed to have been lost) and an interview with composers Subandi and Marriott.

LEHN, THOMAS / MARCUS SCHMICKLER BART (Erstwhile) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The deal here is you've got two musicians from Cologne, Germany who met while playing in Keith Rowe's M.I.M.E.O. group, collaborating on a analog/digital synth and computer -based disc that takes Lehn's improv experience and melds it with Schmickler's expertise in electronic studio post-production (Schmickler being responsible for the excellent studio-based neo-krautrock Pluramon project, remember). "Bart" features dynamic abstract electronics, lots of zaps, squeaks and growls, like listening to a roomful of dysfunctional robots "talk" to themselves, with rapid interruptions of silence and distortion.

LEHTISALOFAMILY Interplay (Ektro) cd 14.98
The Finnish sport of wife-carrying involves a man with a strong constitution carrying a fine young woman (who, while not neccessarily his wife, must be from his village) along an obstacle course through the woods, swamps, and fields against his fellow competitors. An odd spectacle to say the least, but it may shed some light onto the family reunion activities of the Lehtisalo family. Jussi Lehtisalo has made quite a name for himself as the mastermind of Circle and Ektroverde, and has asked his parents to join him on this peculiar album. The simple hypnosis found on both Circle and Ektroverde are certainly present, albeit in primitive drum machines and infuriatingly off-kilter percussive riffs. Ethereal sounds meander through the rhythms do little to give away their more sinister attributes as coming from dental equipment. A very bleak and very intriguing album.

LEINONEN, VILLE Raastinlauluja (Fonal) cd 17.98

LEKMAN, JENS Night Falls Over Kortedala (Secretly Canadian) cd 14.98
Everyone's favorite Swede-heart returns as heart-achingly honest as ever with Night Falls Over Kortedala, his third full-length album. In 2005 we reported obvious comparisons to Mark Kozelek, Morrissey, Erlend Oye, and Stephin Merritt after listening to Lekman's Oh You're So Silent Jens album, comparisons which can be easily called upon when describing Night Falls as well.
Much like Stephin Merritt, the thing that we like most about Lekman is his ability to tell a really really good story through song. Artists like Lekman make you feel as if you're there, in the moment being described, because no words are held back to fit into the music, yet the music doesn't suffer as a result. On Night Falls the music teeters between glittery pop mantras (begging yet another comparison: Belle and Sebastian) and down-tempo love ballads lushly arranged with strings, horns, and enough flute to at least make you think of the Love Boat theme song and similar TV themes. It seems as if the music is written into the lyrics, a scene painted so vividly that you have to wonder if most other artists write their lyrics into the music and thus aren't always able to say what they want or even mean. We hope you'll be as pleased with Night Falls Over Koredala as we are.
MPEG Stream: "Sipping On the Sweet Nectar"
MPEG Stream: "Shirin"

LEKMAN, JENS Night Falls Over Kortedala (Secretly Canadian) lp 13.98
Everyone's favorite Swede-heart returns as heart-achingly honest as ever with Night Falls Over Kortedala, his third full-length album. In 2005 we reported obvious comparisons to Mark Kozelek, Morrissey, Erlend Oye, and Stephin Merritt after listening to Lekman's Oh You're So Silent Jens album, comparisons which can be easily called upon when describing Night Falls as well.
Much like Stephin Merritt, the thing that we like most about Lekman is his ability to tell a really really good story through song. Artists like Lekman make you feel as if you're there, in the moment being described, because no words are held back to fit into the music, yet the music doesn't suffer as a result. On Night Falls the music teeters between glittery pop mantras (begging yet another comparison: Belle and Sebastian) and down-tempo love ballads lushly arranged with strings, horns, and enough flute to at least make you think of the Love Boat theme song and similar TV themes. It seems as if the music is written into the lyrics, a scene painted so vividly that you have to wonder if most other artists write their lyrics into the music and thus aren't always able to say what they want or even mean. We hope you'll be as pleased with Night Falls Over Koredala as we are.
MPEG Stream: "Sipping On the Sweet Nectar"
MPEG Stream: "Shirin"

LEKMAN, JENS Oh You're So Silent Jens (Secretly Canadian) cd 14.98
Whether intentional or not, Jens Lekman is one heckuva celebrity impersonator. On his new album, the Swedish gent does uncanny impressions of Mark Kozelek, Morrissey, Erlend Oye, and Stephin Merritt among others. Take for instance the remarkably Magnetic Fields-y tune "Black Cab". We should note that where the similarities lie is not just in his varied vocal deliverys, but in the way he also rearranges his instrumentation for each tune -- thoroughly recreating the other artists' sounds, be they Mancini-esque swirling strings'n'harps, warm strummy guitars with gently sparkling chimes or a little tickling of the ivories. A couple of other songs struck us a strangely familiar, and then we realised what they reminded us of... Peter Paul & Mary's "Puff The Magic Dragon"! He's not shy about borrowing either. Take for example the song "Pocketful Of Money". He wisely knew better than to attempt Calvin Johnson's baritone and instead duets with a sample of Johnson singing "I'll come running with a heart on fire" from the Beat Happening tune "Gravedigger's Blues". Whoa, sorta weird. We even suspect he even nabbed a melodic phrase from The Carpenters' song "Yesterday Once More" for his harp embellished seventh song "Rocky Dennis' Farewell Song" which is followed by the oh so Joe Jackson meets Morrissey number "Rocky Dennis In Heaven". Aaah, if you can somehow turn a blind eye to the "hey, this sounds like ____!" distraction, and you like the folks Lekman sounds like, you'll surely find much to enjoy on Oh, You're So Silent Jens. All irkiness aside, we still think this is a very pretty album well suited to accompany a string of spring sunrises.
MPEG Stream: "Black Cab"
MPEG Stream: "Pocketful Of Money"

LEMONADE s/t (True Panther Sounds) cd 14.98
With the blink of an eye Lemonade have left San Francisco and relocated to New York, but before they moved away they injected the SF scene with a great shot of left-field dance floor vision, playing at and DJ'ing some of the most sweaty and fun filled parties around town. Musically they pump out hyper-color splashes imbedded in a sound that brings to mind Public Image Ltd, Gang Gang Dance, The Rapture, !!!, Gang of Four, and Tussle. We're sad we don't have the privilege of getting to see them play as often as we used to, but now we finally have their record to blast as loud as we like.
MPEG Stream: "Big Weekend"
MPEG Stream: "Sunchips"
MPEG Stream: "Bliss Out"

LEMONHEADS It's a Shame About Ray (Atlantic / Rhino) cd+dvd 24.00
A lot of how you feel about a record is determined by when you first heard it, or at least when you listened to it most. Some records remind us of college, others about a specific relationship, a breakup, but it's amazing how music can embody a memory so completely. And how the same music can mean so many different things for so many different people.
A lot of folks our age, probably first heard The Lemonheads' It's A Shame About Ray when they were in their early twenties, maybe just out of college, or like some of us, just sort of wandering aimlessly instead of college. And while we're not sure if it's just the above mentioned musical memory, or if these songs actually embody that sort of shiftless rootless confusional youth. Regardless, it's a pretty fantastic record, that sounds as good, and as timeless as it did 15 years ago. The pop minded around here might rank Ray as one of the best pop records EVER. And listening to this again, we still would.
It's the sort of record that is so part of our musical lives, it's hard to review, like Slint's Spiderland, when we find out someone doesn't actually own it, we freak out and insist that whoever it is BUY IT IMMEDIATELY. So for folks reading this, who dig pop music, and who don't own this, for fuck's sake, buy it now. It's so catchy and rocking and sad and emo and pretty and hooky and perfect.
"Rockin' Stroll" is one of the all time best record openers, super kick ass and catchy, the vocals a lazy drawl over super propulsive riffing, "Rudderless" is all minor key and dissonant melody, but with a main hook to die for, and a killer chorus, "My Drug Buddy" has to be one of the best drug songs ever, sad and sweet and heartbreaking, "Alison's Starting To Happen" another rocker that subtly and sweetly reminds us of the Lemonheads' punk rock past, we could go on song by song, every one perfect in their own way. It's been a while since we've listened to this record all the way through, but immediately we were singing along, every word, drumming, air guitaring, Ray is just so fun, and so simple, but one of those records that never gets old, and we never get tired of listening to it.
It would be well worth buying even if this wasn't the super deluxe version, but since it is, even Lemonheads fans who already own it will have to think hard about buying it again, might be worth it. The record includes the original bonus track, their cover of "Mrs. Robinson", the acoustic B-side "Shaky Ground", and the whole record in demo form, really awesome acoustic sketches of each song, that manage to sound just as cool, and way more intimate than the actual recorded versions. The dvd includes ALL the music videos, as well as some live acoustic performances, all wrapped up in a fancy fold out digipak housed in a plastic slipcase, but that's all just the icing, the record's 12 songs are well worth the price of admission all on their own.
Absolutely and without a doubt, one of the best pop records of the last twenty years. Buy it. You won't be sorry.
MPEG Stream: "Rockin' Stroll"
MPEG Stream: "Confetti"
MPEG Stream: "My Drug Buddy"
MPEG Stream: "Alison's Starting To Happen"

LEMONHEADS Varshons (The End) cd 14.98
Our musical hearts can't help but be warmed by a new Lemonheads record. Sure the last few were pretty meh, And for the last decade Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando has been more well known for drug problems and celebrity dalliances that the punk rock and later indie rock that made the Lemonheads so awesome. And hell, even the last few records, while not even approaching the greatness that was Shame About Ray or Lick or Creator, still had a few killer tracks.
Varshons is the long rumored Lemonheads cover record, and if one can overlook the two unlikely celebrity guest spots, which would be Kate Moss and Liv Tyler, then probably the biggest surprise here is the song selection. Probably most well known to most folks for their cover of Simon And Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson", the Lemonheads always had kick ass and often unlikely covers in their repertoire, Suzanne Vega's "My Name Is Luka", Kiss's "Plaster Caster", Charles Manson's "Home Is Where You're Happy", the Misfits' "Skulls", New Kids On The Block's "Step By Step", the Stone Poney's "Different Drum", Gram Parsons' "Brass Buttons", and this new all covers record continues Dando's eclectic choice of covers, including tracks by GG Allin, Townes Van Zandt, Sam Gopal (Lemmy's pre-Hawkwind outfit), legendary garage rockers Green Fuz, Wire, UK psych rockers July, punk rock legends Fuckemos, Leonard Cohen, and even pop songwriter for hire and former 4 Non Blonde Linda Perry among others. The story is that Dando and Gibby from the Butthole Surfers (who produced the record) became pals and Gibby started making Dando mixtapes like crazy, from which most of these tracks were culled, which helps explain the unlikely inclusion of Texas punk rockers Fuckemos. But how cool is that, we sure wouldn't mind a monthly mixtape from the man responsible for Hairway To Steven and Locust Abortion Technician!
For the most part, none of these tracks is super radical sounding, beyond the fact that the more rocking originals sound a bit stripped down, and the fact that you might not have ever expected to hear the Lemonheads covering GG Allin of Fuckemos, Dando deftly transforms each song, no matter how UN-Lemonheads, into a song that sounds like it could have actually been a Dando original.
Dando's voice is much deeper these days, a bit more raw, so the country-ish tunes here sound great, Gram Parson's "I Just Can't Take It Anymore", Townes Van Zandt's classic "Waiting Around To Die", even GG Allin's expletive laced "Layin' Up With Linda" becomes a David Allan Coe-worthy twangy outlaw country hoedown. The Sam Gopal cover is laced with buzzing sitars and skittery tablas, the July jam is all wah guitars and shuffling percussion, tripped out and psychedelic. Wire's "Fragile" sounds awesome all stripped down and acoustic. The Green Fuz track is slithery and slow burning, with warm guitar buzz and muted rhythms, swirling effects and a druggy swirl of backwards guitars. The Leonard Cohen cover, "Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye" is appropriately dark and moody and torch songy, Liv Tyler offering up some breathy hushed vocals that sound great next to Dando's. But then there's the record's one weak spot, a cover of Arling & Cameron's "Dirty Robot", that either sounds like a favor, or a ploy to get in Kate Moss' panties, she being the one contributing the sung/spoken cold Euro new wave vocals over some crunchy guitars, weird vocoders, and some seriously dated nineties sounding electro. We'll just skip that one and hope it worked.
Minus that one track, we're pretty into all the versions here, or Varshons, we've missed Dando, his voice and that particular Lemonheads sound, let's hope these covers have gotten him all revved up to make a new proper Lemonheads full length. It's about time!
MPEG Stream: "Waiting Around To Die (Townes Van Zandt)"
MPEG Stream: "Green Fuz (Randy Alvey & Green Fuz)"
MPEG Stream: "Yesterlove (Sam Gopal)"

LEMONHEADS, THE s/t (Vagrant) cd 16.98
HOLY SHIT! A new Lemonheads record. We can not tell you how absolutely thrilling that is. Sure, their last record sucked. And Evan Dando's solo stuff was pretty mediocre. And maybe he is kind of a prick. But c'mon! So what?! It's A Shame About Ray was one of the world's most perfect slabs of heartbreaking indie jangle. I don't even really do drugs but "My Drug Buddy" had me absolutely wishing I had my own drug buddy. Could anything be more romantic? Go a little further back, Lovey, Lick, Hate Your Friends, the perfect collision of punk rock brattiness and pop song perfection. And they just kept getting better and better. I can't really think of another band that occupied so much space on pretty much every single mix tape I ever made. Even covering Suzanne Vega's "Luka" which could have and should have been a disaster, ended up sounding miles better than the original. Anyway, any pop kid worth anything is at their very heart, a huge Lemonheads obsessive. How could you not be?
So a brand new Lemonheads record is a seriously big deal. And as if we couldn't be more excited, the other 2/3 of the Lemonheads is basically the Descendents!!! Bill Stevenson and Karl Alvarez, FUCK YEAH.
So now we've pretty much got the dream band. So how does the new Lemonheads stack up? Well, we've only had this record for a few days, but since the second it's come in we've been listening to it nonstop, and it's growing on us like crazy. Dando's voice is a little deeper, a little more scratchy and weathered sounding, but it suits him, and the new material. The sound is just so instantly familiar it's like a big ol' indie rock hug.
Shit, we've been in indie rock heaven lately. Sebadoh III, Archers Of Loaf's Icky Mettle, and now a new Lemonheads. Almost makes us feel like we're in college again. Anyway, imagine It's A Shame About Ray, a little less laid back, a little more mature, but the same sort of mix of sweet jangly minor key laments and super rocking kick ass power pop. The hooks aren't as immediately obvious as they were on Ray, but the more we listen, the more we find ourselves getting bits and pieces lodged firmly in our heads. We're guessing that after spending a few more weeks with it, this might be one of our favorite pop records of the year.
MPEG Stream: "Black Gown"
MPEG Stream: "Become The Enemy"
MPEG Stream: "Pittsburgh"

LENCHATIN, PAZ Songs For Luci (Black Tent Press) lp 23.00
One of two new releases from newly launched boutique label/press Black Tent, the other being the long circulating but never released until now Pajo disc of Misfits covers also reviewed this list, and this, the first solo release from Paz Lenchatin, who some of you might know as a member of Tool side project A Perfect Circle, and, more recently, and perhaps relevantly, of The Entrance Band.
We weren't sure what to expect, but it's actually quite lovely. Acoustic guitar, violin, ethereal vocals, a sort of folky chamber country, singing strings, all moody and cinematic, a little sun dappled and washed out, the arrangements spare and minor key, the guitars delicate and crystalline, sometimes almost bluegrass sounding, sometimes seriously old timey sounding, the vocals are what set it apart, when Lenchatin isn't doing her best Patsy Cline, her voice is a breathless angelic croon, that sounds like it would be more at home on a Grouper record than here, but it transforms these simple stripped down folk songs into something a bit more transcendent. So so lovely.
And the packaging, WOW. 130 gram vinyl, housed in a thick sleeve with a 2 color serigraph on French Paper, comes with a cd (not a cd-r) featuring all the music on the lp. LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES!
MPEG Stream: "Kentucky Hymn"
MPEG Stream: "365"
MPEG Stream: "The Parade"

LENNON, JOHN Mind Games (EMI) cd 29.00

LENNON, JOHN / YOKO ONO Wedding Album (Ryko) cd 15.98
Finally reissued, and with bonus tracks galore! Yoko rules, y'all should know it. Beginners might want to start with Plastic Ono Band.

LENNON, JOHN/YOKO ONO Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins (Ryko) cd 15.98

LENNON, JOHN/YOKO ONO Unfinished Music No. 2: Life With The Lions (Ryko) cd 15.98

LENNON, SEAN Friendly Fire (Capitol) cd+dvd 24.00
Surely you're familiar with the theory "free spirited parents = straight laced kids" (and vice versa)? Well, it sure doesn't apply to the offspring of Lennon and Ono, neither creatively nor socially speaking. Sean Lennon has struck a balance between making the scene with Hollywood starlets on his arm and building a solid body of work of his own. And even though his pedigree looms large and he's definitely drawn on a celebrity cast of supporting characters for this project, his music doesn't show even an inkling of a sense of entitlement. While his debut album was imbued with a wide eyed, first crush kind of openness, the far more ambitious Friendly Fire presents an older and wiser but no less earnest Sean Lennon. He's crafted not only a lovely full album of music, but also a companion film. The cd is comprised of nine unassuming, but very well crafted gentle pop songs plus a T-Rex cover that find themselves at the meeting point between The Raspberries, The Posies and Rufus Wainwright. Super mellow, sweet and charming. The cover art features a number of equally unflashy Neapolitan ice cream colored simple line drawings that do recall those of his father. As far as the accompanying dvd is concerned, we can't comment on the film yet 'cause we haven't had a chance to watch it, but we'll let you know that it stars Lennon, Bijou Phillips, Lindsay Lohan, Asia Argento, Jordana Brewster, Devon Aoki and Carrie Fisher.
MPEG Stream: "Dead Meat"
MPEG Stream: "On Again Off Again"

LENNOX, ANNIE Bare (BMG) cd 17.98
Annie Lennox sure takes her own sweet time. It's been over a decade since the fabulous Eurythmics disbanded and eight years since the release of her second solo album Medusa. And for this, her long-awaited studio follow-up titled Bare, she delivers what we'd like to think of as her counterpart to Raymond Scott's Soothing Sounds For Baby series. Simply stated, it might be more appropriately named "Soothing Sounds for Grown-ups". Smartie-pants-ness aside, this is really, absolutely 'Adult Contemporary' -- a sleek, lushly produced, deeply personal album just as you'd expect from this fine chanteuse -- much like that of Peter Gabriel or Sting. Although she's definitely not assuming the countless guises that she once did in her Eurythmics days -- sharply suited androgynous redhead, vinyl-clad dominatrix, ultra-blonde '60s lounge singer -- her vocal performances and personas are as potent as ever in whichever genre she chooses.
MPEG Stream: "A Thousand Beautiful Things"
MPEG Stream: "The Saddest Song I've Got"

LENO s/t (BMG Spain) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
From the album cover -- an oddly staged photo featuring four long haired dudes with peculiar, only-in the-seventies fashion sense (high top Converse sneakers or bare feet, tube socks, floral print shirt and white vest and pants, bathrobe, shorts, little red hat...) relaxing at a cafe table -- you wouldn't necessarily guess that this is as heavy as it is. But it is. Though this first (and best) album by Spanish hard rockers Leno dates from 1979, it definitely sounds a few years older than that. Total early '70s heavy proto-metal in sound (which means that if you come into the store looking for it, you'll find it in our new "heavy '70s proto metal" section that lives in our "vintage psych rock" rack) for fans of all that stuff like Dust, Toad, Bang, Buffalo, Budgie, Blues Creation, Socrates Drank The Conium, etc. Wild, riffy rock with tough, rough wailing (Spanish-language) vocals and lots and lots of *killer* guitar that gets almost Sabbathy in spots. Man, we love finding obscure stuff like this that sounds so classic the second you put it on. Pretty darn kick ass.
MPEG Stream: "El Oportunista"
MPEG Stream: "Este Madrid"

LENTO Earthen (Supernatural Cat) cd 21.00
When we got the Supernaturals Vol.1 cd that teamed up Italy's UFOmammut and Lento (or Lent0?) we knew who UFOmammut were. The snailkings of psychedelic heavy sludge stoner metal awesomeness, a perfect hybrid of Electric Wizard's drugged-out doom and Hawkwind's even spacier, uh, spaciness. Big fans of UFOmammut we already were. But who were this Lento?? Now we have that band's out-on-their-own debut, and now we know. Lento are Italy's all-instrumental answer to Isis. They're Italy's masters of sinister, atmospheric, super-heavy post rock chugga chugga. The seven tracks of Earthen are divided between full-on, blown-out, heavy-riffing clobber and more restrained, near-ambient dronology, usually dynamically within the same song, though there's several tracks given over entirely to the latter, as on "Emersion Of The Islands" a drone-piece with crackling sferic-like sounds... It's a majestic, metallic post-rock soundtrack to a trudging trip across the cratered surface of some airless planetoid, an epic slog under unknown stars, bathed in space radiation, amidst the ruined remains of ancient alien technology... Or at least that's what we're getting from all their drone and grit and feedback, crashing cymbals, and monolithic riffage. Though Earthen's theme, as expressed in the song titles and artwork, appears actually to be more "Subterrestrial" than extra-terrestrial.
First off & obviously we'd recommend this to fans of their pals UFOmammut... the rigid, mechanical Godflesh-like elements that we've detected in UFOmammut's music are more prominent here, with some isolationist Lustmord ambience thrown in as well. Certainly check out Lento if you're into Godflesh (and Justin Broadrick's Jesu too), Isis, Nadja, Dumb & The Ugly, Hyatari... and of course if you liked that Supernaturals Vol.1 disc. This, and UFOmammut's new one Idolum also reviewed this list, are both fine follow-ups to that.
Similar to that new UFOmammut, this "regular" edition of Earthen is packaged in one of those newfangled rounded-corner jewel cases. There is (or was) a special limited edition of Earthen, too, with arty inserts and all, but we got precisely one of those 'cause they cost so damn much. If you're interested, ask, we might still have it... $49! Otherwise, this $21.00 edition is recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Need"
MPEG Stream: "Subterrestrial"
MPEG Stream: "Earth"

LEO, TED & THE PHARMACISTS Hearts Of Oak (Lookout!) cd 13.98
We're so glad that the world is finally waking up to the genius of Ted Leo. We have been huge fans since his early days fronting the aggro mod-pop band Chisel. And the things that made Chisel so appealing have only intensified and matured since then. Jangly, super catchy hooks, classic riffs, amazingly literate, clever and funny lyrics, and that voice! A soaring almost falsetto that is keening and straining at impossible registers one moment, belting it out at others. So awesome. The sound is still sort of mod-pop, think the Jam/Style Council, Thin Lizzy, Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson all wrapped up in a sensitive thirtysomething emo boy! And all filtered through Leo's knack for inventive arrangements and weird chordal choices. This is not easy or simple pop. This is the kind of stuff that rewards repeated listens. The hooks are there, but they aren't obvious. And the melodies are infectious, but not cloying. And to me that's the best kind of pop record. One that stays fresh and offers something new everytime you hear it. Leo is seriously one of the best pop songwriters around. And he just keeps getting better.
RealAudio clip: "Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone?"
RealAudio clip: "I'm A Ghost"
RealAudio clip: "The High Party"
RealAudio clip: "Hearts Of Oak"

LEO, TED & THE PHARMACISTS The Brutalist Bricks (Matador) cd 13.98
We've pretty much always loved Ted Leo, and his totally thrilling, energetic mod pop. Ever since his early days with his first band Chisel, Leo has proven himself a master songsmith, always backed up by a crack band, always armed with a clutch of killer songs that manage to be poignant and meaningful, but also catchy and anthemic, guitars howl and riffs crunch, and that voice, so clear and powerful, the second he opens his mouth, he's got you. The Jam has always been an obvious reference point, so too Thin Lizzy, and nothing has changed on that front. In some ways The Brutalist Bricks is a little less immediate, and requires a few more listens before it really sinks in, but that's usually the case with records that are bound to end up favorites. That immediate super satisfying sugar rush of sound is replaced with a record that will have the same impact in a week or a month or a year, maybe even moreso. Songs that blossom a little more with each play. The Brutalist Bricks also sounds a bit more polished, a little more commercial, a smidge less raw and urgent, which will no doubt bug some, but it actually suits him, and like we always say, we'd WAY rather hear Ted Leo on the radio than John Mayer, and even with that extra bit of polish and occasional big studio flourish, none of that would mean shit if these songs weren't great, and if Leo weren't in fine form, thankfully they are and he is. If you dug his other records, you'll definitely dig this one. And anyone into kick ass classic sounding power pop, who hasn't checked out Leo, should absolutely grab one of these right now.
MPEG Stream: "The Mighty Sparrow"
MPEG Stream: "Mourning In America"
MPEG Stream: "Ativan Eyes"
MPEG Stream: "Even Heroes Have To Die"

LEO, TED & THE PHARMACISTS The Brutalist Bricks (Matador) lp 15.98
We've pretty much always loved Ted Leo, and his totally thrilling, energetic mod pop. Ever since his early days with his first band Chisel, Leo has proven himself a master songsmith, always backed up by a crack band, always armed with a clutch of killer songs that manage to be poignant and meaningful, but also catchy and anthemic, guitars howl and riffs crunch, and that voice, so clear and powerful, the second he opens his mouth, he's got you. The Jam has always been an obvious reference point, so too Thin Lizzy, and nothing has changed on that front. In some ways The Brutalist Bricks is a little less immediate, and requires a few more listens before it really sinks in, but that's usually the case with records that are bound to end up favorites. That immediate super satisfying sugar rush of sound is replaced with a record that will have the same impact in a week or a month or a year, maybe even moreso. Songs that blossom a little more with each play. The Brutalist Bricks also sounds a bit more polished, a little more commercial, a smidge less raw and urgent, which will no doubt bug some, but it actually suits him, and like we always say, we'd WAY rather hear Ted Leo on the radio than John Mayer, and even with that extra bit of polish and occasional big studio flourish, none of that would mean shit if these songs weren't great, and if Leo weren't in fine form, thankfully they are and he is. If you dug his other records, you'll definitely dig this one. And anyone into kick ass classic sounding power pop, who hasn't checked out Leo, should absolutely grab one of these right now.
MPEG Stream: "The Mighty Sparrow"
MPEG Stream: "Mourning In America"
MPEG Stream: "Ativan Eyes"
MPEG Stream: "Even Heroes Have To Die"

LEO, TED / PHARMACISTS The Tyranny of Distance (Lookout!) cd 14.98
Ted Leo, former leader of the criminally overlooked D.C. mod-pop outfit Chisel, with his pick-up band the Pharmacists, continues on his unique pop trajectory, somewhere between the jumpy caffeinated pop of his old outfit Chisel, the mod emotion of the Jam, the kick ass rock of Thin Lizzy and the perfect pop of old Elvis Costello. Super smart and sentimental (especially the lyrics: wry and clever, but heartfelt and really unique), but playful and infectious at the same time. This record is a definite contender for pop record of the year. And Leo has one of the best voices we've heard. High and crystal clear, he belts out these songs, occasionally slipping smoothly into a perfect falsetto that makes you stand on your toes just listening to it. I got to see him perfrom these songs live a few months ago, just him and a guitar, and it was just as good live. His voice was perfect, the songs were perfect. Leo is a total pop genius. Hopefully this record will help more and more people finally realise this and they will jump, and dance, and sing along, and buy all his records!
Leo is joined on this record by his brother Chris (who fronts the Lapse) on drums and percussion. Brendan Canty (of Fugazi) plays some drums as does his brother James. And Amy Dominguez (who plays on every indie rock record that needs a cellist it seems like) plays cello.
This record is so good. Really.
RealAudio clip: "Under The Hedge"
RealAudio clip: "Biomusicology"
RealAudio clip: "Tinorous Me"
RealAudio clip: "My Vien Ilin"
RealAudio clip: "You Coul Die (Or This Might End)"

LEO, TED / THE PHARMACISTS Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead (Lookout!) cd 10.98
If you've been reading the AQ list, you know how much we love Ted Leo. His gorgeously keening vocals, jangly mod guitars, brilliantly funny lyrics, and unique songsmithery have really made him one of the most appealing singer/songwriters going these days. Screw Rufus Wainwright, forget Elliott Smith. A dense heady mix of the Jam, Elvis Costello, and Thin Lizzy, mixed with an undeniable knack for irresistably catchy indie rock. This sort-of-EP is a bit of a stopover until the next full length with a few originals, a few solo vocal/guitar tracks and some unique covers. The Jam cover is an obvious choice ("Ghosts"), then there's a version of the celtic sixties standard "Dirty Old Town", and a Split Enz cover. THAT could have been a travesty, and although it makes me want to hear the original more than anything, Leo manages to make it enough his own that it's worth checking out! Can't wait for the next full length.
MPEG Stream: "Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead"
MPEG Stream: "Ghosts"

LEO, TED AND THE PHARMACISTS Dirty Old Town (Plexifilm) dvd 21.00

LEO, TED AND THE PHARMACISTS Living With The Living (Touch And Go) cd 14.98
Yippeee! Ted Leo And The Pharmacists are back!
The opening track kicks things into gear with sharp crunchy guitars that penetrate right to the roots of your hair and teeth(!). Said guitars are feverishly strummed atop a runaway train drumbeat... oh, and don't forget the handclaps! NEVER! As always, Leo's sound is very mod inspired a la The Jam with a little eighties power pop vocal flavor (Elvis Costello and Rick Springfield) and hard rock (lots of Thin Lizzy) in there. That said, Living With The Living keeps us on our toes with a couple twists that caught us by surprise -- three of 'em being the bizarre jig in the sixth tune "A Bottle Of Buckie", the fiery rock blast of "Bomb.Repeat.Bomb" and the unpredictable reggae turn on "The Unwanted Things". A neat balance of boyish charm, winking pop hooks, and anthemic balls-out rawk power!
Bonus alert! The first pressing of the cd includes a five-song cdep, and the initial vinyl edition includes a coupon for a free MP3 download of the entire album plus some extra non-album MP3s! More Leo to love!
MPEG Stream: "A Bottle Of Buckie"
MPEG Stream: "Bomb.Repeat.Bomb"

LEO, TED AND THE PHARMACISTS Living With The Living (Touch And Go) 2lp 15.98
Yippeee! Ted Leo And The Pharmacists are back!
The opening track kicks things into gear with sharp crunchy guitars that penetrate right to the roots of your hair and teeth(!). Said guitars are feverishly strummed atop a runaway train drumbeat... oh, and don't forget the handclaps! NEVER! As always, Leo's sound is very mod inspired a la The Jam with a little eighties power pop vocal flavor (Elvis Costello and Rick Springfield) and hard rock (lots of Thin Lizzy) in there. That said, Living With The Living keeps us on our toes with a couple twists that caught us by surprise -- three of 'em being the bizarre jig in the sixth tune "A Bottle Of Buckie", the fiery rock blast of "Bomb.Repeat.Bomb" and the unpredictable reggae turn on "The Unwanted Things". A neat balance of boyish charm, winking pop hooks, and anthemic balls-out rawk power!
Bonus alert! The first pressing of the cd includes a five-song cdep, and the initial vinyl edition includes a coupon for a free MP3 download of the entire album plus some extra non-album MP3s! More Leo to love!
MPEG Stream: "A Bottle Of Buckie"
MPEG Stream: "Bomb.Repeat.Bomb"

LEO, TED AND THE PHARMACISTS Shake The Sheets (Lookout!) cd 14.98
Is Ted Leo the new voice of our generation? We wish. If only music this catchy and smart could be the sound of today's youth (and the not so young, can't leave ourselves out) instead of Good Charlotte and Hilary Duff.
Shake The Streets is the newest release from Ted Leo and his band the Pharmacists and continues where the last record left off, channelling classic rock (Thin Lizzy), mod rock (the Jam), classic new wave pop (Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson) and indie rock (Leo's former outfit, the indie-mod Chisel) into music that somehow sounds like all of those and none of those. Huge riffs collide with indie jangle, Leo's soaring vocals (often slipping into an impossible falsetto) spinning tales of love, loss, politics, drug policy (!) and all sort of other subjects not often sung about in pop music. This is definitely Leo's least immediately catchy record so far, but as is often the case, now that it's been out for a while and we've had a chance to listen to it a bunch, it's blossomed into an absolutely amazing pop record. Unforgettable riffs, those sort of muted major key Thin Lizzy hooks, really strange and convoluted arrangements (not so much so that they ruin the pop element), clever sharp tongued lyrics and of course Leo's crystal clear vocals. Leo's music is really something special, kick ass rock that sounds perfect blasting from your car stereo flying down the highway, but works just as well on a mixtape for that special someone, and works even better sitting on your bed with headphones reading along with the lyrics!
MPEG Stream: "Me And Mia"
MPEG Stream: "The Angels' Share"

LEO, TED. RX The One AM Radio (Translucence) cd ep 5.98

LEONARD COHEN I'M YOUR MAN OST (Verve) cd 15.98
Here's a unique kind of movie soundtrack, and an excellent one at that! Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man features live recordings of Martha and Rufus Wainwright, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Teddy Thompson, Nick Cave, Antony (of And The Johnsons), Beth Orton, Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, The Handsome Family, Perla Batalla, Julie Christensen, U2 and the man himself, Leonard Cohen. The performances (except for the Cohen/U2 one) were part of Hal Willner's production "Came So Far For Beauty: An Evening Of Leonard Cohen Songs" which took place twice in Brighton, England (2004) and Sydney, Australia (2005). Cool!
MPEG Stream: ANTONY "If It Be Your Will"
MPEG Stream: RUFUS WAINWRIGHT "Chelsea Hotel No. 2"
MPEG Stream: JARVIS COCKER "I Can't Forget"

LEONARD, JIM Super Saw (EM Records) cd 19.98
The musical saw has long been used in popular music as a mysterious embellishment much like the similarly haunting theremin, but on Jim Leonard's Super Saw the instrument's ghostly howl takes center stage. Leonard is nothing short of virtuoso (he also wrote a book about the instrument!) and was a bit of a saw renegade. Here he incorporates some of his own distinct playing innovations, namely the speedy "saw shredder" bowing style which stand in stark contrast to other saw players' extended tones. On the first few numbers his performance is accompanied by delightful sounds that resemble actual construction (like sanding, gentle hammering and yes, sawing). Mind you, it's in a most melodic and playful fashion. The rest of the album is a strange coming together of lonesome cowboy twang, rousing ragtime, mystic waltzes and cocktail exotica. At times it's so otherworldly, you'd almost expect a vocal appearance by exotica great Yma Sumac. Additional instrumentation fleshing out the selection of nineteen originals and familiar standards includes banjo, Hawaiian style guitar, harmonica, and organs.
Apparently this Japanese import is the only release of Leonard's music currently available. And as always beautifully and painstakingly packaged by those folks at EM record in Japan!
MPEG Stream: "Tico Tico"
MPEG Stream: "Under The Double Eagle"

LEONE, DOMINIQUE Abstract Expression (Important) cd 14.98
Ambitious power-prog-pop!?! Mixing elements of everything from Magma to the Fiery Furnaces, The Boredoms to the Dirty Projectors, Van Dyke Parks to Heavy Vegetable. A fun and colorful ride.
MPEG Stream: "Cover Yourself"
MPEG Stream: "Reasonable Snow"

LERCHE, SONDRE Two Way Monologue (Astralwerks) cd 16.98
The second full length from this Norwegian heartbreaker has arrived! And from the very first couple of songs, who can deny the heartmelting power of Lerche's sensitive boyish croon? In-store play has drawn plenty of enthusiastic queries. Definitely brings to mind the music of Jeff Buckley or Rufus Wainwright -- particularly the latter with the grand Bacharach-ian orchestral flourishes. However on the very next tune, he shifts his delivery to a much more forthright Robyn Hitchcock quirkiness and the music follows suit. Indeed, it's a finely composed, lush and sophisticated pop album that covers a much broader scope than Lerche's impressive debut Faces Down. And although it's certainly much less obvious this time around, in each song you can catch more than fleeting glimpses of his clear Beatles and Beach Boys worship. If you have a penchant for heaping spoonfuls of well-crafted pop sugary sweets, this is for you!
MPEG Stream: "Track You Down"
MPEG Stream: "Wet Ground"

LERMAN, RICHARD Music Of Richard Lerman 1964-1987 - Featuring Travelon Gamelon (Music For Bicycles) (EM Records) cd 29.00
Japan's EM records strikes again. Without a doubt, the coolest, weirdest, most amazing re-issue label EVER!! We could list again all the killer reissues we've carried and reviewed and raved about over the past year or two, but we've done that in pretty much every other EM review, so do a label search for EM Records on the AQ website, and prepare to have your mind blown!
Another long lost, long sought after holy grail of sorts, dug up and dusted off and beautifully presented by EM, Travelon Gamelon, a piece by Richard Lerman for amplified bicycles! Performed on stage with upturned bikes, but also, performed on the streets, the bikes mic'ed and each with it's own tiny amplifier broadcasting the various sounds of the bike rolling along streets, the metallic flutter of spokes, the sounds of passing cars, squeaking brakes, whipping wind, all woven into the organic whole. A piece of moving music, constantly shifting, obviously improvised and random, and so totally wonderful.
There are two versions of the piece, which has been performed for years all over the world, one is the concert version, which features musicians on stage, with upside down bikes, using various implements with which to strike, rub and bow the different parts of the bicycles, these are the versions that are the most gamelan like, a gorgeous assemblage of metallic clangs and percussive clamor. From dreamy and spare, to cacophonous and wildly chaotic. A sort of junkyard gamelan, definitely clattery but also strangely melodic.
But it's the other versions, the Promenade versions, that are the most exciting. These pieces are basically field recordings of cyclists on mic'ed and amplified bicycles, every sound their riding creates being broadcast through little speakers affixed to the bikes, and recorded by Lerman! So not only is this group of bikes creating this gorgeous whirring mechanical ambience, that sound is also travelling through city streets, a self contained performance of sorts, a strange little cloud of metallic shimmer and buzzing mechanical ambience performed for all passersby. It's also cool to hear the organizers' instructions, children laughing and playing, running alongside, ringing their own bike bells, you can hear Lerman giving orders to the cyclists as they prepare to begin the piece, and various warnings like "Watch out for the metal!" Street cleaners, random cars, voices and footsteps, all a sort of organic backdrop to the divine slow shifting whir the bicycles produce. Constantly shifting, and changing, depending on the speed of the bikes, the direction of the amplifiers the placement of the mics, the people or cars, amazing. It reminds us a bit of the Taj Mahal Travellers in fact, TMT's method of broadcasting their sounds out of loudspeakers, and then recapturing them with microphones placed at various distances, well, Travelon Gamelon is almost like a mobile Taj Mahal Travellers. So cool!
This collection would be well worth it for disc one alone, 5 lengthy excerpts from various performances of Travelon Gamelon, but also included is a second disc, of various other pieces Lerman composed and performed over the years spanning 1964-1986.
"For Two Of Them" is a soundscape of old records, a spring reverb, and manipulated tapes, very dark and dreamy, a fuzzy, multilayered drone shot through with streaks of metallic shimmer and sounding not all that different than contemporary noismakers like the Starving Weirdos, the Skaters and the like. In fact, most of the pieces on disc two, could just as easily come from some super limited cd-r we just managed to track down. "Sections For Screen, Performers And Audience" features the score presented as a film projected on a screen, the performers face the screen with their backs to the audience, and their improvisations are electronically modified into a gorgeous bit of twisted Twentieth Century. "End Of The Line" is a very dramatic tape piece based on the deaths of close friends, and is another piece that sounds presciently modern, huge dramatic swells, very melancholic and resonant, huge fields of drone and buzz. Even tracks like "Soundspot", a piece for amplified 40 foot Slinky, with its gorgeously resonant creaking and moaning and whistling metallic buzz, and "Music For Plinky And Straw", a piece for bendy straw and reverb, creating a dense field of abstract melodies, crystalline shimmer and percussive chimes, sound less Twentieth Century and more like any number of modern free noise abstract drone releases! This is the sort of collection we wish had been expanded to 4 discs, or 8 discs!! We want more.
But even with two discs there is plenty here to keep you busy and your ears full and happy for sure. Two hours plus of remarkable sound, a massive booklet, with tons of photos, liner notes in both English and Japanese, as well as notes on each individual piece, but also included are a rare video of a Trevelon Gamelon performance, as well as one of Lerman performing his piece for bendy straw, plus scores for several pieces, and a killer photo guide to building a tape delay out of two walkmans!! SO SO SO RECOMMENDED!
The perfect record to bring music nerds and bike nerds together (most of us here are both!)...
MPEG Stream: "Promenade Version [Boston, MA, July 2, 1979]"
MPEG Stream: "Concert Version [Pittsburg, PA, June 6, 1981]"
MPEG Stream: "For Two Of Them [1964]"
MPEG Stream: "Sections For Screen, Performers And Audience [1975]"

LES FLEURS DE PAVOT s/t (Underground Masters) cd 21.00

LES GEORGES LENINGRAD Deux Hot Dogs Moutarde Chou (Alien8 Recordings) cd 14.98

LES GEORGES LENINGRAD Supa Doopa Remix (Troubleman) cd ep 8.98
Yes. Yes. Yes. Hmmmm, yes. Yes. And Yes! While some people around here might be incredibly annoyed by our ridiculous French-Canadian electropop-artrock-postpunk friends, Les Georges Lenningrad, others of us can't get enough of 'em. Ainsi, pour nous qui t'adore [so for those of us who adore them], this remix cd ep lands on open ears and, um, dancing feet. And as always, it features some cool handmade-or-sewn-'n-scanned artwork. Meow. I wish they would handmake me a fuzzy shirt.
MPEG Stream: "Akufen Soutien-Georges - remix"