!CARLOS! Bigger Teeth (Headhunter/Cargo) cd 11.98
Local boys play smart and plucky noise pop.

13 & GOD s/t (Anticon / Alien Transistor) cd 14.98
This is essentially the perfect mix of Anticon's off kilter avant indie hip hop, and the Notwist's melancholy electronic bliss rock. Which makes perfect sense considering that 13 And God is made up of 3/5 of the Notwist (Markus and Micha Acher, Martin Gretschmann) and all of Anticon's Themselves (Doseone, Dax, and Jel). The rest of the Notwist (drummer Martin Messerschmid and guitarist Max Punktezahl) help with production and several tracks feature guest vocals from Steffi Bohm of Ms. John Soda and Valerie Trebeljahr of Lali Puna. That should give some idea of what 13 And God is all about. Dreamy expanses of melancholy glitchpop, wistful and wandering, simple shuffling and loping drum beats, fuzzy synth melodies, warm warbling loops, soft focused and otherworldly, and then the strange entangling of Notwist-like breathy effervescent vocals and Doesone's rapid fire tongue twisting helium affected flow. Seems like it would be a mess, but surprisingly, they manage to make it all fit perfectly. Fans of the Notwist's Neon Golden should find this essential (assuming they aren't averse to a little hip hop here and there) and fans of Themselves, Doseone and those sorts of things will most likely just find this to be yet another perfect piece in Anticon's always evolving musical puzzle.
MPEG Stream: "Low Heaven"
MPEG Stream: "Men Of Station"
MPEG Stream: "Superman On Ice"

13 & GOD s/t (Anticon / Alien Transistor) 2lp 14.98
This is essentially the perfect mix of Anticon's off kilter avant indie hip hop, and the Notwist's melancholy electronic bliss rock. Which makes perfect sense considering that 13 And God is made up of 3/5 of the Notwist (Markus and Micha Acher, Martin Gretschmann) and all of Anticon's Themselves (Doseone, Dax, and Jel). The rest of the Notwist (drummer Martin Messerschmid and guitarist Max Punktezahl) help with production and several tracks feature guest vocals from Steffi Bohm of Ms. John Soda and Valerie Trebeljahr of Lali Puna. That should give some idea of what 13 And God is all about. Dreamy expanses of melancholy glitchpop, wistful and wandering, simple shuffling and loping drum beats, fuzzy synth melodies, warm warbling loops, soft focused and otherworldly, and then the strange entangling of Notwist-like breathy effervescent vocals and Doesone's rapid fire tongue twisting helium affected flow. Seems like it would be a mess, but surprisingly, they manage to make it all fit perfectly. Fans of the Notwist's Neon Golden should find this essential (assuming they aren't averse to a little hip hop here and there) and fans of Themselves, Doseone and those sorts of things will most likely just find this to be yet another perfect piece in Anticon's always evolving musical puzzle.
MPEG Stream: "Low Heaven"
MPEG Stream: "Men Of Station"
MPEG Stream: "Superman On Ice"

16 BITCH PILE UP Bury Me Deep (Troniks) cd 11.98
The undead never tire and we never tire of them.
It seems 16 Bitch Pile Up don't either. This is their new zombie themed album. Sarah Bernat, Sarah Cathers and Shannon Walter's particular brand of gratings, dronings and groanings do indeed resemble the sounds one would imagine a crusty zombie would make as s/he dragged half-shorn limbs across a deserted junkyard -- snagging flaps of decomposed flesh on random rusted detritus. A horrorsome gnarl of unwashed murky experimental noise.
MPEG Stream: "They Buried The Dead Boy... But Not Deep Enough"
MPEG Stream: "The Earth Was Loose"

16 BITCH PILE UP The Hairless Whisperer (American Tapes) picture disc 14.98

20 MINUTE LOOP s/t cd 9.98
If you were to combine the energy and raw emotion of P.J. Harvey or Ani Difranco, the pacing and melodic swoops of the Throwing Muses, and the boy/girl vocals of the late P.E.E., you just might find 20 Minute Loop in your ears. If this sounds pleasing, you should definitely check out the debut album from this Bay Area group.

20 MINUTE LOOP Yawn + House = Explosion (Fortune) cd 13.98
20 Minute Loop have made absolute leaps and bounds since their sophomore release back in 2001... heck, that album, Decline of Day, was already pretty damn good! For one thing they've polished their boy / girl vocals to an utter golden honeyed glow and lushed up the whole 20ML picture. Just check out the second song "Cora May"! A terrific pop tune! Indeed, this album does much to define their own sound from those who've influenced the band which in the past were much more apparent -- namely Throwing Muses and Breeders. Really, Yawn + House = Explosion should garner the band total 'college radio darling' status! Yay!
MPEG Stream: "Cora May"
MPEG Stream: "5 AM To 9 AM"

28TH DAY The Complete Recordings (Innerstate) 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 '80s and a good portion of the '90s were, for a lot of people, all about indie rock. And 28th Day were right there laying down some of the most bright and lively tracks of the mid '80s, alongside other pioneers like REM and the Replacements, Beat Happening and the Rain Parade. Comprised of the effervescent Barbara Manning on bass, Cole Marquis (Snowmen) on guitar, and present day DIW label / magazine impressario Mike Cloward, 28th Day hailed from Chico, CA and this album contains all of their recordings plus 4 previously unreleased live tracks and 3 previously unreleased demos. Fans of Barbara Manning will find this amped-up, electrified indie rock a welcome addition to the sweeter, purer material found on her later recordings. Furious guitar strumming, a hint of paisley underground psychedelia... some have compared their sound to the British folk rockers Trees.
MPEG Stream: "Pages Turn"
MPEG Stream: "25 Pills"

3 LEAFS Eat The Earth (self-released) cd-r 9.98
We've been waiting for this one for a while now. The infamous, and much talked about "mushroom record" from this SF improv psychedelic space rock collective. So called, because the entire thing was conceived, created, performed AND recorded while the entire band was under the influence of magic mushrooms.
Close to 40 minutes (edited down from much more than that, although it's unclear whether it was also edited in the same state), of gorgeous, tripped out, abstract psychedelia, sprawling swirls of kosmische drift, all blurred guitars, krautrock like pulses, streaks of druggy FX, throbbing propulsive bass, equal parts total spaced out ambience, and head nodding hypnotic motorik churn, the opening track "Fahren Bei Tag", starts off with nearly 5 minutes of hazy atmospheric exploration, before the drums finally kick in, and it's another minute or two before the band lock into a serious cosmic kraut groove, but when they do, it's exultant, the pulsing bass and stripped down drumming, surrounded by gorgeous peals of fragmented melody, thick corrosive swells of undulating high end, grinding chunks of feedback drenched chordal buzz, all winding down after about 13 minutes, leading directly into a bit of super melodic Neu! worship, with some washed out swirl and shimmer and a playful meditative main melody, this time the vibe much more new age-y and drifty, sun dappled and dreamy, the warm processed guitars conjuring up a lush layered bed of rapid pulses, over which synths whir and warble, and that main melody drifts on and on.
The title track, clocking in at 13+ minutes, is definitely the record's centerpiece, a dark brooding epic, haunting and otherworldly. The rhythm skeletal and spare, the wheezing keyboards hovering amidst rubbery basslines and glitch electronics, the vibe very gothic and gloomy, but shot through with bits of melody and light, it's a slow build, but not in the traditional sense, it doesn't get louder or heavier so much as subtly more intense, totally hypnotic and mesmerizing, the core sounds soon joined by bird calls and other field recordings, strange burbling liquids (bongs perhaps?), swooping streaks of electronics and processed effects, it sounds like it could have gone on for another 13 minutes (and probably did).
The final track, is another organ driven droner, dark and dense and deep, the drums more free and skittery, everything muted and washed out, the organs doing most of the melodic heavy lifting, and much of the textural as well, the bass thick and ropy, anchoring the whole thing, keeping it from drifting off into the stratosphere. Warm and whirring, dreamily druggy and so so good.
We tend to love everything 3 Leafs does, but this might just be their best. Although we can't vouch for how it sounds when listened to on mushrooms as well. Guess we'll leave that up to some of you out there.
Featuring members of the Fresh & Onlys, Tussle, Horn Of Dagoth, Amocoma, Citay and a bunch more. And most definitely recommended for fans of Expo 70, White Hills, the Heads, Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound, Bardo Pond, Eternal Tapestry, Sleepy Sun, Burnt Hills, Gnod and other practitioners of modern kraut / space / psych. And it's probably pretty dang limited too...
MPEG Stream: "Puppies On Parade"
MPEG Stream: "We Eat The Earth"

3 LEAFS Inward Sun (self-released) cd-r 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If we didn't know better we might think this was some lost psychrock gem recently discovered, dug up and put on cd for the first time. With an infectious tribal groove running throughout and a seriously drugged out vibe these five jams definitely sound like they could be from some Amon Duul rehearsal recorded on a boombox in a dirty old German garage filled with dirt, mildew, mushrooms and lots of good weed. But truth be told these are actually new sounds from a local supergroup of sorts made up of members from Horn of Dagoth, Black Fiction, Tussle and Citay. The no frills cd-r packaging and raw recording are the perfect visual analog to 3 Leafs' primitive take on deep in the woods psychedelic rock.
MPEG Stream: "El Otro Lado del Cielo"
MPEG Stream: "Baile con Redman"

3 LEAFS Space Rock Tulip (self-released) lp 14.98
It's been a few years since we reviewed anything from these local spaced out psychrockers, and there have been at least a couple releases since Inward Sun, the last one we reviewed way back in 2007. Listening to Space Rock Tulip now, we're kicking ourselves big time. This stuff is awesome. Blissed out, effects flecked krauty space rock, heavy on the drift and shimmer and meander. Strings buzz, sounds swoop and stutter backwards, the drums are simple and motorik, synths whir, flutes flutter, the group slips from full on heart of the sun space jam, to Circle-esque hypnorock, to ethereal almost ambient groove, to Eastern style ur-drone to Santana sounding Latin tinged psychedelic rock to heavy tripped out metallic sounding stoner rock freakouts to full on trippy dubbiness, all woven into one extended and nearly seamless druggy outrock sprawl.
Anyone into The Heads, White Hills, Monster Magnet, Expo 70, White Hills, Burnt Hills, Titan, Gunslingers, Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound, or any of that kraut/space rock bliss, will definitely flip for these guys. Features a whole mess of local luminaries, who do or have done time in other bands like: the Fresh And Onlys, Tussle, Citay, Amocoma, Horn Of Dagoth, Black Fiction, Subarachnoid Space, Six Eye Columbia and more...
MPEG Stream: "No Control"
MPEG Stream: "Acorn"

3 LEAFS Titular Lines (self-released) cd-r 6.98
3 Leafs have slowly become not only one of our favorite psychedelic bands in San Francisco, but maybe even worldwide. We've dug everything they've released so far, but it was with their last release, Eat The Earth, that we really realized something really special was being created via their approach to improv based spaced out psych. With Titular Lines, we get further proof that this is a group truly invested in the essence of psychedelic music making. Too many of their counterparts seem very connected to one specific moment or era of psych rock, but what makes 3 Leafs stand above the crowd is how they really are true aficionados of such a wide spanning range of mind melting sounds.
The record starts off with a warm and woozy jam that sounds like some amazing lost outtake from a Miles Davis recording circa Live-Evil / Bitches Brew. As the record continues it shifts, twists and turns into hypnotic spells of sound that take us on a magical ride through a landscape of sonic wonder, rife with moments that recall Ennio Morricone, the Necks, Ash Ra Temple, Magma, Blues Control, Parson Sound, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Ariel Kalma, Eternal Tapestry, Sun Araw, the Organisation, White Hills, and others. We love how there is patience and an elegant pacing to the music of 3 Leafs. While others want to hit you over the head with just how 'psych' and 'weird' they are, 3 Leafs allow their tracks to slowly evolve with layer upon layer, allowing you to more deeply feel the evolved feeling of these sounds. This group definitely has the ability to sound shimmering and majestic as well as raw and haunting. So many other psych bands right now are getting all kinds of wide spread praise and acclaim, but we feel 3 Leafs deserves just as much attention as this is psych made with a deeper understanding and a long lasting impact.
MPEG Stream: "Titular Lines"
MPEG Stream: "Coriolis Wind"
MPEG Stream: "The International Section"
MPEG Stream: "Where Do You Live Again?"

3 LEAFS Would (self-released) cd-r 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

MPEG Stream: "A Hint Of Return"
MPEG Stream: "Delta Dance"

5/5/2000 Reflektionen Musique (Post Replica) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A long look through a dark tunnel into the cloudy past of drone explorationists 5/5/2000, a duo made up of aQ pal Nathan Berliguette, formerly of tech grind outift Creation Is Crucifixion as well as the man responsible for bringing the glorious sounds of the Arboga Teenage Riot to these shores and our ears (and for that we he will never be forgiven, er... I mean forgotten) and Travis Ryan, frontman of gore soaked death metallers Cattle Decapitation and nominee for Sexiest Vegetarian In The World. But none of that really prepares you for the sound of 5/5/2000, named for a rare planetary alignment that was supposed to signal the coming of the Antichrist. Their sounds is not technical, not grind, not metal, instead, these three extended tracks explore different facets of the drone, from soft billowy tranquil ambience to soaring space like shimmer to creaking, corrosive machinelike whir to a thick whirl like the washed out fuzz of a million vacuum cleaners to the out of focus sepia toned drift of soft edged rumble and melancholy instrumental mumble. All three tracks are gorgeous, dense drones thick with swirling reverb, fuzzy tape hiss, and all manner of fragmented melodies and layer after layer of rich warm sound. While supplies last, you'll get the special limited edition version, limited to 100, hand numbered, packaged in an oversized sparkly silver, velcro sealed cardboard sleeve, with three pins affixed to the front. After those are gone it's back to the normal jewel case version...
MPEG Stream: "There Was Never A Moment When The End Of The World Was Not Real"
MPEG Stream: "Surface Of The Sun"

51717 557 (self-released) cd 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Is it a zip code? Nope. A padlock combination? We're not quite sure, but in the case of Bay Area artist 51717's also mysteriously numerically titled debut 557, the figures add up to seven atmospheric instrumental tracks of resonant bells, bassy shoves, prickly electronics and plucked strings. Ultra Spartan chiminess is gradually overtaken by more ominous cloudy distortions. Packaged in a handmade, hand-painted gold envelope.
MPEG Stream: "Utrecht"
MPEG Stream: "Leiden"

7 YEAR RABBIT CYCLE Ache Horns (Free Porcupine Society) cd 14.98
A Bay Area super group of sorts featuring Rob Fisk (ex-Deerhoof, Badgerlore), Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu), Kelly Goodefisk (ex-Deerhoof), Ches Smith (superstar drummer, he's played with Tom Waits, John Zorn, Mr. Bungle, Nels Cline, Fred Frith, etc.) and George Chen (k.i.t., man about town). Ok now that we've got that out of the way on to the music. This is lovely and dark folk rock. You can for sure hear the remnants of the Deerhoof past that some of the members share, and a collective art-punk past that recalls moments of Saccharine Trust / the weirder side of SST, all delivered in a much more dusky, dusty woods kind of way. With one foot planted in improv free rock and another in darkwoods folk, 7 Year Rabbit Cycle hold tight to their punk roots with one hand while their other runs its fingers through dirt, leaves and soil.
MPEG Stream: "Puppies"
MPEG Stream: "Pirate"

A MINOR FOREST Flemish Altruism (Constituent Parts 1993-1996) (Thrill Jockey) cd 13.98
We asked beloved AQ-reader Douglas Mosurak to say a few words about Andee's band's new record:
"October 22, 1996: Bay Area rock trio A Minor Forest stop indie rock dead. Their new double LP on Thrill Jockey is so incredible, and subsequently so complete, that no other records of its kind need to be produced anymore. Lesser bands of their stripe are currently being petitioned to break up immediately to save embarrassment. And while some people will miss, like, June of 44 or the Archers of Loaf for a little while, with the proper exposure to Flemish Altruism, they'll forget all about it. AMF manage to piece together everything good about every post-Big Black and every post-Heroin outfit into a seamless, epic sound; fairly dense, deeply emotional and thoroughly human. They have the sense of humor required to lift it off, too. Some of their songs prefer to hide in the corner; some lunge for your throat. Their style is such that their original ideas fill in with ones borrowed from their rich lineage in such a manner that pays tribute without disrespect. It's a thoroughly engaging sound that I'd rank up there with the Bitch Magnet discography, with the Bastro LPs, with the Gore records, with the cream of the Gravity crop, even with the Shellac album. Best rock record of 1996, and currently outweighing all proposed rock concepts until the close of the millenium. Buy two. Wow."

A MINOR FOREST Flemish Altruism (Constituent Parts 1993-1996) (Thrill Jockey) 2lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We asked beloved AQ-reader Douglas Mosurak to say a few words about Andee's band's new record:
"October 22, 1996: Bay Area rock trio A Minor Forest stop indie rock dead. Their new double LP on Thrill Jockey is so incredible, and subsequently so complete, that no other records of its kind need to be produced anymore. Lesser bands of their stripe are currently being petitioned to break up immediately to save embarrassment. And while some people will miss, like, June of 44 or the Archers of Loaf for a little while, with the proper exposure to Flemish Altruism, they'll forget all about it. AMF manage to piece together everything good about every post-Big Black and every post-Heroin outfit into a seamless, epic sound; fairly dense, deeply emotional and thoroughly human. They have the sense of humor required to lift it off, too. Some of their songs prefer to hide in the corner; some lunge for your throat. Their style is such that their original ideas fill in with ones borrowed from their rich lineage in such a manner that pays tribute without disrespect. It's a thoroughly engaging sound that I'd rank up there with the Bitch Magnet discography, with the Bastro LPs, with the Gore records, with the cream of the Gravity crop, even with the Shellac album. Best rock record of 1996, and currently outweighing all proposed rock concepts until the close of the millenium. Buy two. Wow."

A MINOR FOREST Inindependence (Thrill Jockey) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Simply put, this may be the last bastion of rock on Thrill Jockey, before they devolve into a purely electronic/jazz label. Sure we may be boasting a little, because A Minor Forest is our very own Andee Connors' band. But this truly is a great record of delicate math rock instrumentations executed with violent precision. AMF again spared no expense with the exquisite packaging!

A MINOR FOREST Inindependence (Thrill Jockey) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Simply put, this may be the last bastion of rock on Thrill Jockey, before they devolve into a purely electronic/jazz label. Sure we may be boasting a little, because A Minor Forest is our very own Andee Connors' band. But this truly is a great record of delicate math rock instrumentations executed with violent precision. AMF again spared no expense with the exquisite packaging!

A MINOR FOREST Inindependence (Thrill Jockey) 2lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Simply put, this may be the last bastion of rock on Thrill Jockey, before they devolve into a purely electronic/jazz label. Sure we may be boasting a little, because A Minor Forest is our very own Andee Connors' band. But this truly is a great record of delicate math rock instrumentations executed with violent precision. AMF again spared no expense with the exquisite packaging!

A TRIP DOWN MARKET STREET 1905 / 2005 (MX Entertainment) dvd 18.98
A San Francisco treat! Market Street is one of SF's most renowned main thoroughfares. Over a hundred years ago a gent named Jack Kuttner made a film about it appropriately titled A Trip Down Market Street. The rare pre-1906 earthquake film is a mesmerizing black and white silent cinema procession of horse and buggy carriages, automobiles, cable cars and pedestrians -- all captured through the unblinking eye of a stationary camera placed on the front of a cable car heading north on Market. A hundred years later two filmmakers Melinda Stone and Sprague Anderson made a new film which shares not only the name, but also the approach and spirit of the original. We have to say that one of the stars of this color re-creation are SF's wonderful vintage streetcars which have been acquired in recent years from cities around the world. They're always a treat to see and to ride. This dvd was produced by San Francisco's Exploratorium, and commemorates the centennial of the former, documenting the outdoor celebration and screening which took place on September 24th 2005 and compiles both of the films along with a whole lot of other Market Street inspired and related historic and newly commissioned filmworks and photographs. Although the original 1905 film was silent, both films were scored beautifully for this dvd by Beth Custer. A wonderful document!

A-TRAK Enter Ralph Wiggum (Stones Throw) 7" 3.99
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The newest member of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz releases on 7" on Peanut Butter Wolf's local label.

ABBASI BROTHERS, THE Something Like Nostalgia (Dynamophone) cd 13.98
Another new addition to the steadily growing flock on the Bay Area's Dynamophone label (also see the new boxed 3" cdr by Curium on this list)!
The shimmering atmospheric piano dappled washes on their debut Something Like Nostalgia are a perfect fit. The Abbasi Brothers follow serenely in the formidable footsteps of granddaddies of ambient quietude Brian Eno and Philip Glass. Really really pretty.
MPEG Stream: "Kompa"
MPEG Stream: "Camera Flashes Blue"

ABOVE THE ORANGE TREES / CHRISTIAN KIEFER The Inexplicable Falling (Mudita) cd 9.98
A split cd between Christian Kiefer and Jeff Pitcher's project Above the Orange Trees. Both musicians add to the canon of super sad singer songwriters: Jeff Pitcher's completely heartbroken songs are lushly melodic and quietly epic, bringing to mind Joel Phelps (ex-Silkworm) and Talk Talk; while Christian Kiefer's tracks are even more anguished than Pitcher's (if that's even possible), similar to the stillness of Low, the warm earthiness of Mark Kozelek, and the macabre twang of Songs:Ohia and Will Oldham/Palace. The artists also each contribute a cover of one of the others songs. Depressing in a good way.
RealAudio clip: ABOVE THE ORANGE TREES "Erendira"
RealAudio clip: CHRISTIAN KIEFER "With Fishes"

ACEPHALIX Aporia (Prank) cd 11.98
Ever since their self titled 7", reviewed last year, we've been dying for a full length from these SF heavies, their sound an insanely punishing, ultra downtuned metallic crust punk, that's just about the most metal thing to come out on Prank, but Acephalix still manage to straddle that line between metal and punk, they're probably more a punk rock band than a metal band we think, but then that line is already so blurred with bands like Anti Cimex, the Cro-Mags, Motorhead, Nausea, Celtic Frost, Sacrilege, all of whom most definitely inform Acephalix's sound. And what a sound, the guitars crunchy and corrosive, the drums crushing, the bass thick and dense, and the vocals, holy shit, howling, hellish and guttural, doesn't seem like anybody, should be able to conjure up that sort of demonic bellow, anybody human at least which is exactly what makes it so intense.
Plus the band lace their chugging metallic crust with killer harmonized style classic metal leads, and even when they're not unleashing full on leads, the songs are laced with streaks of feedback, bursts of tangled melody, spidery and all interwoven into the roiling crusty blackness below. The tracks veer from frenzied black thrash to lumbering doom to full on D-beat crush, the sound just so fucking heavy and dense and yeah, sometimes weirdly melodic, some of these songs get lodged in your head for sure, which is not something you'd expect at all from this sort of grim metallic filth. These guys just might give Burmese a run for their money as our favorite heavy locals, which is saying a whole hell of a lot.
The packaging on both the vinyl and cd are pretty sweet, but the cd version includes one extra track, a gloriously grim, chugging crusty creep... just so you know...
MPEG Stream: "Immanent"
MPEG Stream: "Rectal Grave"
MPEG Stream: "Ascetix"
MPEG Stream: "Past/Present"
MPEG Stream: "Only The Dying"

ACEPHALIX Aporia (Prank) lp 10.98
Ever since their self titled 7", reviewed last year, we've been dying for a full length from these SF heavies, their sound an insanely punishing, ultra downtuned metallic crust punk, that's just about the most metal thing to come out on Prank, but Acephalix still manage to straddle that line between metal and punk, they're probably more a punk rock band than a metal band we think, but then that line is already so blurred with bands like Anti Cimex, the Cro-Mags, Motorhead, Nausea, Celtic Frost, Sacrilege, all of whom most definitely inform Acephalix's sound. And what a sound, the guitars crunchy and corrosive, the drums crushing, the bass thick and dense, and the vocals, holy shit, howling, hellish and guttural, doesn't seem like anybody, should be able to conjure up that sort of demonic bellow, anybody human at least which is exactly what makes it so intense.
Plus the band lace their chugging metallic crust with killer harmonized style classic metal leads, and even when they're not unleashing full on leads, the songs are laced with streaks of feedback, bursts of tangled melody, spidery and all interwoven into the roiling crusty blackness below. The tracks veer from frenzied black thrash to lumbering doom to full on D-beat crush, the sound just so fucking heavy and dense and yeah, sometimes weirdly melodic, some of these songs get lodged in your head for sure, which is not something you'd expect at all from this sort of grim metallic filth. These guys just might give Burmese a run for their money as our favorite heavy locals, which is saying a whole hell of a lot.
The packaging on both the vinyl and cd are pretty sweet, but the cd version includes one extra track, a gloriously grim, chugging crusty creep... just so you know...
MPEG Stream: "Immanent"
MPEG Stream: "Rectal Grave"
MPEG Stream: "Ascetix"
MPEG Stream: "Past/Present"
MPEG Stream: "Only The Dying"

ACEPHALIX Interminable Night (Southern Lord) cd 11.98
This local metallic crust outfit's first record was released on venerable punk label Prank, who found, upon receiving the masters for this, Acephalix's second full length, that the band's sound had gotten, well, WAY TOO METAL. Which while bad news for the punks, was most definitely good news for the rest of us. Especially considering their sound on Aporia, was already pretty dang metal, and while at the time, we did concede that they were probably more of a punk band, we also cited groups like Anti Cimex, the Cro-Mags, Motorhead, Nausea, Celtic Frost, Sacrilege, all of whom blur that line, and while Acephalix may have been more punk back then, even if just barely, they definitely sound more metal now. And have found a new home on Southern Lord, who seem to have a newfound obsession with crust punk and metal.
So yeah, while this is more metal, it's still plenty punk, the tempos especially, not dirgey and doomy (although there are moments), or blazing and blasting, instead songs seem to gravitate toward that galloping punk rock rhythm, but wedded to sounds more distinctly metal, thick, downtuned riffage, and some very Maiden sounding guitar parts, not to mention some seriously shredding leads, everything crusty and murky and HEAVY. One distinctive holdover from the first record is the vocals, a terrifying bellow that occasionally slips into an equally terrifying shriek, and that sounds even more menacing and bad ass when coupled to the group's more overtly metallic pummel.
LIMITED TO 2000 COPIES, each one hand numbered.
MPEG Stream: "Christ Hole"
MPEG Stream: "Immemorial Past"
MPEG Stream: "Daemonic Sign"

ACEPHALIX s/t (Prank) 7" 4.50
Debut release from this Bay Area horde, fucking killer, grinding, pummeling old school downtuned metallic crust, equal parts Celtic Frost, Anti Cimex, Cro-Mags and any other of the classic crushers.
Thick, super distorted ultra heavy guitars, pounding drums, and some of the sickest, gnarled bellowed vocals we've ever heard. The riffs destroy, there are even GUITAR SOLOS, which shred, the songs are mostly midtempo, weirdly groove here and there, even some awesome Iron Maiden style harmonized guitars, and always crazy catchy and heavy as fuck. We find ourselves listening to this over and over and over. Can't wait for the full length.
Super swank packaging, silver metallic foil printed on thick black and white sleeves, pressed on nice thick vinyl, and includes a printed insert.

ACID KING III (Small Stone) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
San Fran stoner metal heroes (and heroine) Acid King roll their big ol' ball of fuzz in our direction with this latest (presumably third, but we didn't count 'em) album of heavy Sabbath-influenced spacey sludge rock. Singer/guitarist Lori S. and company kick out the jams (albeit slowly) on such tracks as "2 Wheel Nation", "Heavy Load" and "Into The Ground". With her wailing moan drifting over the sort of plodding, low-end riff repetition you'd expect from pals of Boris, this is one for those of you into the likes of Om, Sons Of Otis, Dead Meadow, that sort of thing. Of course, you might nod off before the cool guitar part or catchy bit of the song heaves into view...but that's the risk you take with a lot of the stonier stoner stuff like this!
MPEG Stream: "Heavy Load"
MPEG Stream: "War Of The Mind"

ADAM ELK Labello (Dep't of Ways & Means) cd 11.98
Solo album from Mommyhead's frontman Elk.

ADELAIDE s/t (self-released) 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.
This new Portland, OR band Adelaide make pastel-hued instrumentals from the swirlingly pretty side of post-rock. Each of the five tracks is sort of the aural equivalent of a dewy spring blossom gently nodding its head under the weight of the water droplets. Everything's all softly focussed with shimmery cymbal washes, gauzy guitarwork and chiming keyboard melodies. Very nice.
MPEG Stream: "Games Without End"
MPEG Stream: "Entrance"

AEMAE The Helical Word (Isounderscore) cd 10.98
First record from longtime AQ pal / customer Brandon Nickell aka Aemae, two long years in the works and we dare say it was well worth the wait. A gorgeous and exquisitely crafted abstract free noise drone record. Dark and deliriously dense, a perfect amalgamation of the experimental dronework of the Hafler Trio, the sweeping skreescapes of Sunrooof! and Vibracathedral Orchestra and the abstract minimalism of Mirror or Jonathan Coleclough. As well, this has plenty of distinctly unique sonic elements. Heavily reverbed chimes and bells are smeared into a twinkling fog, slowly thickening into a dense slab of electrical impulses, woven together so tightly it resembles a buzzing ball of hornets, a throbbing thrumming drone. Strange steel drum like electronic pulses, an alien gamelan, pickes out a tranquil melody beneath swooping and blooping spaciness, sheets of industrial shuffle, scrape and rumble, leaving sparkling trails of dense and complex almost IDM skitter in their wake, albeit wrapped in thick gauzy veils of warm reverberant flutter. All stretched into distant, soft focus soundscapes of warbling whir and creaking ambience. Quite lovely and sublime!
MPEG Stream: "Walking Along Edges"
MPEG Stream: "41667"

AERIAL RUIN 133306668 (self-released) cd-r 5.98
This 22 minute cd-r is the debut for Aerial Ruin, the solo project of Erik Moggridge (guitarist for SF's bearded metal stalwarts Old Grandad). He was assisted in this dark endeavor by Eric Peterson of fellow Bay Area hard rock vets Lost Goat. Don't be expecting a rush of thunderous volume, guitar solos and downtuned heaviness though! Taking a considerably different path, Moggridge has crafted a half dozen songs of somber acoustic folk. Very hushed and slow creeping. The man himself likened it to slowcore leaders Low, but we hear more shades of Mark Lanegan or the solo efforts of Neurosis' Steve Von Till and Scott Kelly.
MPEG Stream: "To Slave"

AERO-MIC'D I Think You're Great (Aero-Mic'd records) cd 7.98
Artist/Designer/Musician Wayne Smith's third outing as Aero-Mic'd (not including last years collaboration with the Sadnesses, Cloud Mama) is a family affair but not in the usual familial way. Made to coincide with a exhibition of new artworks at Queen's Nails Annex in San Francisco, I Think You're Great, includes many guest appearances from friends and local luminaries, including video artist Anne McGuire on vocals, writer Kevin Killian (intoning a series of tai chi movements on opening track "Cloud Hands"), and performer/painter Cliff Hengst, all of whom have been collaborating on each others' projects off and on for at least the past ten years. Smith is a master of mining magical significance through the filtering, manipulating and repetition of found sounds and images (celebrity, the cultic and the mundane play against each other constantly). On the title track, clocking in at over 15 minutes (an epic by Aero-mic'd standards whose songs normally clock in at under 2 minutes), he expands his sound from previous efforts by including excerpts from a live performance at the Headlands last year with William Collins from Mire on guitar and tibetan bowls and Cliff Hengst on percussion. Intermixed with the live and programmed bells and filtered guitars, Smith includes one of his signature sound pieces, "Hello", recorded by calling people randomly from the phone book and recording their standard but delightfully varied greetings. With I Think You're Great, the feeling is definitely mutual!
MPEG Stream: "Last Four Shakers"
MPEG Stream: "I Think You're Great"

AERO-MIC'D & SADNESSES Cloud Mama (Aero-Mic'd) cd-r 7.98
According to the back of this limited-to-100-copies cd-r release, the mathematical equation is as follows:
Aero-Mic'd + The Sadnesses = Cloud Mama
And if you ask us, that adds up perfectly well. It's no secret, we here at AQ have been mighty fond of the past two releases by SF's Aero-Mic'd, and this new collaborative effort with the likeminded Sadnesses is no exception. Ultra delicate glitchiness, wispy clouds of shimmer, whimsical sounds and song titles. Oh so nice 'n' soothing. We only wish it were longer than its fleeting 25 minutes.
MPEG Stream: "The Righter You Smell"
MPEG Stream: "Inefficiency Of Candy Clocks"

AGENT RIBBONS Chateau Crone (Antenna Farm) cd 11.98
We're always happy to get a new release by Agent Ribbons, and it's extra nice to hear the gals stretching their creative limbs on their latest full length. On Chateau Crone, they dish up an impressive patchwork quilt of new tunes with both passion and aplomb. A bit less sugar and playful than their previous outings, and a bit more shadowy, lush, edgy and eclectic - bringing together elements of cabaret, garage rock, '60s Brill Building girl groups, a bit baroque pop, a bit Balkan gypsy too. Once again, they nestle in comfortably alongside the likes of Cocorosie and Ditty Bops, but also to our delight, the Aislers Set! In fact, the vocals at times are a striking deadringer for AS's Amy Linton. You need look no further than the opening track "I'm Alright". Indeed, that's some infectious, smoky, swaggering retro garage poppiness they're slingin' there! For sure, they are as daydreamy and breezy as ever, but occasionally those dreams take a spookier Theremin-laced turn. Very recommended!
MPEG Stream: "I'm Alright"
MPEG Stream: "Your Hands My Hands"

AGENT RIBBONS Chateau Crone (Antenna Farm) lp 14.98
We're always happy to get a new release by Agent Ribbons, and it's extra nice to hear the gals stretching their creative limbs on their latest full length. On Chateau Crone, they dish up an impressive patchwork quilt of new tunes with both passion and aplomb. A bit less sugar and playful than their previous outings, and a bit more shadowy, lush, edgy and eclectic - bringing together elements of cabaret, garage rock, '60s Brill Building girl groups, a bit baroque pop, a bit Balkan gypsy too. Once again, they nestle in comfortably alongside the likes of Cocorosie and Ditty Bops, but also to our delight, the Aislers Set! In fact, the vocals at times are a striking deadringer for AS's Amy Linton. You need look no further than the opening track "I'm Alright". Indeed, that's some infectious, smoky, swaggering retro garage poppiness they're slingin' there! For sure, they are as daydreamy and breezy as ever, but occasionally those dreams take a spookier Theremin-laced turn. Very recommended!
MPEG Stream: "I'm Alright"
MPEG Stream: "Your Hands My Hands"

AGENT RIBBONS On Time Travel And Romance (self-released) cd 12.98
It's always nice when a little word of mouth proves fruitful! SF solo troubadour Garrett Pierce (whose own fine musical wares we've stocked a-plenty) recommended these female songstresses to us recently. Agent Ribbons are two gals Natalie Gordon and Lauren Hess who hail from Sacramento, CA. Their folk pop sound is very old tyme-y, down-home-y, with an almost impromptu feel. They sing quirky lyrics atop a Spartan backdrop of strummed electric guitars, accordion and drums. Very light, playful and girly. They name such other female artists as Mirah, Josephine Foster, Faun Fables, Mary Timony, Blossom Dearie, Jolie Holland, Ditty Bops and Dame Darcy as influences, and you can definitely hear it on On Time Travel And Romance. Highlights include the very Holland-y heartfelt "Call Me Margaret" and delightfully dipsy "Chelsea". Fun, warm and welcoming! We think fans of Rilo Kiley will take a shine to this too.
MPEG Stream: "Chelsea, Let's Go Join The Circus"
MPEG Stream: "Call Me Margaret"

AGENTS DEL FUTURO Mydrone (Dielectric) cd-r 11.98
Our pal Drucifer's Dielectric label has been laying low of late, for the most part... yet Drucifer did dig this debut recording from Agents Del Futuro enough to add it to the Dielectric discog as a limited edition cd-r packaged in a colorful, collaged, oversized, silkscreened folder! ADF (a one man band, that man being local Mission-dweller Jesse Clark, a painter and percussionist) makes improvisational use of all sorts of acoustic instruments and non-instruments (some of 'em include: bike wheel, Korg 770, squeaky door, doumbek, dried seed pods, Paiste 22" symphonic gong, Turkish tea cups, marimba, radio, echoplex, harmonium, sandpaper, bass, singing bowl, drum set, piano, tuned Nepalese gongs, voicemail, billiards...) along with electronic processing and tape looping of the sounds produced, to create the 17 tracks of Mydrone. Some of it is indeed droney, other parts almost poppy... there's lotsa noisiness, fractured beats, glitchtronic sampling, some singing... all of it together kinda broken down and damaged and unpredictable. A fun lo-fi stew of soundmaking weirdness, running the gamut from dreamy to jittery, that totally fits into the Dielectric roster alongside artists like Die Elektrischen, Karen Stackpole, Gerrit, the Dielectric Minimalist All-Stars, and Brian and Chris.
MPEG Stream: "Not Fucking Printz"
MPEG Stream: "Mydrone"

AGENTS DEL FUTURO The Mist Hardships (Agents Del Futuro) cd 8.98
We last heard from Agents Del Futuro, aka Bay Area composer/soundmaker/electronic alchemist Jesse Clark way back in 2006, when he released a killer cd-r on the Dielectric label (we have 1 or 2 copies left, just ask if you want one!), a head spinning array of beats and glitched out electronics, sampled sounds and acoustic instruments, all woven into a noisy, fractured, skittery, stuttery sonic stew.
This latest album, finds Clark working from the same template, but with a much more nuanced and subtle approach, less noisy and ramshackle than the last record, this one sounds more composed, more arranged, more lush and layered, more organic, and ultimately more fully realized. The sound a sprawling swirl of pizzicato melodies, of warm whirling ambience, Autechre like shards of clipped electronic beats and fractured melodies, fuzzy, twangy guitars, deep shimmering drones, delicate piano, muted rhythmic pulses, hazy super distorted Tim Hecker like blurscapes, delicate crystalline expanses of ethereal drift, soaring strings, simple propulsive rhythms, all wound up into a distinctly post rock sound, that sort of moody, brooding meandering minimal instrumental drift that we love so much, the slow build, a bit of twang, a little Godspeed, a little Scenic, but instead of the usual guitar bass drums, the songs here are cobbled together mad scientist style from the above mentioned elements, fused together gracefully and seamlessly, creating a sound at once lush and organic, mysterious and softly cacophonous. And if that wasn't enough, it's also a concept record, based on the 1783 eruption of Iceland's Laki fissure,Êwhich resulted in a massive ash storm that lasted almost a year, killing crops, cattle, and thousands of people...
Cool stuff for sure. And most definitely recommended for anyone into abstract electronics and avant minimal post rock, preferably some kick ass mix of the two...
MPEG Stream: "Perennial Selaphobia"
MPEG Stream: "Adumbrate The Uprising"
MPEG Stream: "The Rogue To Stockholm"

AGENTS DEL FUTURO The Mist Hardships (Agents Del Futuro) lp+cd 14.98
We last heard from Agents Del Futuro, aka Bay Area composer/soundmaker/electronic alchemist Jesse Clark way back in 2006, when he released a killer cd-r on the Dielectric label (we have 1 or 2 copies left, just ask if you want one!), a head spinning array of beats and glitched out electronics, sampled sounds and acoustic instruments, all woven into a noisy, fractured, skittery, stuttery sonic stew.
This latest album, finds Clark working from the same template, but with a much more nuanced and subtle approach, less noisy and ramshackle than the last record, this one sounds more composed, more arranged, more lush and layered, more organic, and ultimately more fully realized. The sound a sprawling swirl of pizzicato melodies, of warm whirling ambience, Autechre like shards of clipped electronic beats and fractured melodies, fuzzy, twangy guitars, deep shimmering drones, delicate piano, muted rhythmic pulses, hazy super distorted Tim Hecker like blurscapes, delicate crystalline expanses of ethereal drift, soaring strings, simple propulsive rhythms, all wound up into a distinctly post rock sound, that sort of moody, brooding meandering minimal instrumental drift that we love so much, the slow build, a bit of twang, a little Godspeed, a little Scenic, but instead of the usual guitar bass drums, the songs here are cobbled together mad scientist style from the above mentioned elements, fused together gracefully and seamlessly, creating a sound at once lush and organic, mysterious and softly cacophonous. And if that wasn't enough, it's also a concept record, based on the 1783 eruption of Iceland's Laki fissure,Êwhich resulted in a massive ash storm that lasted almost a year, killing crops, cattle, and thousands of people...
Cool stuff for sure. And most definitely recommended for anyone into abstract electronics and avant minimal post rock, preferably some kick ass mix of the two...
MPEG Stream: "Perennial Selaphobia"
MPEG Stream: "Adumbrate The Uprising"
MPEG Stream: "The Rogue To Stockholm"

AISLERS SET Terrible Things Happen (Slumberland) cd 12.98
This is the debut album from the highly anticipated new project from Amy of Henry's Dress/Go Sailor, Alicia of Poundsign, Wyatt Trackstar, and Yoshi of Scenic Vermont. And what a debut it is! There's certainly no shortage of fine songsmiths in this SF combo, and the resulting pop chemistry is pretty darn magical. Soft, pretty and a bit droll, but with ample bounce and feist when required. Superb indie pop gems that are not to be missed... really! You need this now... or bear the wrath of Sadie!
MPEG Stream: "California"
MPEG Stream: "Long Division"

AISLERS SET The Last Match (Slumberland) cd 13.98
Local popsters Aislers Set finally return with their second, super anticipated full length. Unabashed mod-pop fans of the Postcard Records / Belle & Sebastian / Zombies variety, the Aislers' first album Terrible Things Happen has been a steady bestseller at AQ ever since it came out 2 years ago. Look for the same to happen with The Last Match -- it's that toothsomely good and that insanely catchy. Warm, jangly with honest to goodness real songs. Belle and Sebastian are rumored to be big fans, and coincidentally enough, when we play this in the store some folks mistake the Aislers Set for B&S when Wyatt, not Amy, is singing.
MPEG Stream: "Balloon Song"
MPEG Stream: "The Red Door"

AISLERS SET / THE FAIRWAYS Yeh Yeh / The Rain Fell Down (Yakamashi Records-Chocolate Bars & Crashing Cars) 7" 3.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Split single from two beloved local groups doing the noisepop so well. The Aisler Set track is a version of the French pop classic. Lovely artwork and foldout poster by comic book artist Adrian Tomine of Optic Nerve fame.

AL QAEDA SEPTET, THE Radio Peel L.A. (Skrot Up) cassette 5.98
Latest jam from local improvised noiseniks Al Qaeda (featuring one of the guitarists from aQ SF black metal faves Sutekh Hexen), here expanded to a sprawling septet, recorded live on the radio in LA. Guitars, tape loops, oscillators, drums, percussion, metal, and trumpet, all woven into a strange sort of abstract avant free noise minimalism. Spidery free jazz tendrils underpin thick swaths of brooding low end, industrial percussion and room sound are blurred into backdrops for swirls of white noise hiss, streaks of feedback, and lurching loops. It's noisy, but more a soft cacophony, a slow build, the drums not about propulsion, at least not at first, eventually the cymbal sizzle and drum splatter coalesces into a sort of krautrock groove (although that other stuff does continue right on, there are multiple drummers after all), but once the drums lock in, the clouds of ever shifting noise and texture get the anchor they need, and you can almost hear it in all the players as they seem to lock in alongside the rhythm, playing more fierce, the sounds more jagged and caustic, but the whole thing sort of more structured. The sound shifts eventually, the drums becoming more motorik, while the sounds around the drums grow more abstract, like a field of electronic buzz, sheet of billowing low end, before eventually fading out.
The second piece starts out drum heavy right off the bat, and the track is a murky monster, the guitars not so much riffing and unfurling swaths of soft focus guitarnoise and little curlicues of melody, this one does get heavy, a churning slab of krautnoise that sounds like an updated version of Parson Sound or Faust. The next track set dials back the heavy, letting the trumpet drift in a field of skittery snare and abstract electronics, the drums eventually coming together, into something like abstract krautjazz, left to meander into the final number which is a hazy washed out expanse of layered tones, of distant melodies, of overlapping loops, a blurred droney drift, that thickens as the set progresses, darkening too, before the drums kick in hard, and the sound solidifies into a droned out blur, the trumpet playing a strangely mournful lament over the top, while the rest of the band churns and chugs their way through a final blackened free noise blow out.
LIMITED TO 50 COPIES, each one machine numbered.

ALBOTH/RUINS/MOLECULES/BELLY BUTTON/MUG (Pandemonium) 7" 3.99
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
R: Hyper kinetic bass/drums prog.
M: Bay Area jazz prog.
A: Swiss Young Gods style arty bombast.
BB: Noisey post rock.
M: Jazzy art brut funk rock.

ALIAS & EHREN Lillian (Anticon) cd 14.98
Despite what I am about to say, this is indeed an ultra groovy dream of an album and is well worth picking up. Really! It is unfortunate that these associations do tend to cloud the listening experience, but even without being much of a TV watcher I have to say that this new collaboration between Alias and his little brother Ehren (particularly the fifth track) really reminded us of that (albeit great) Aphex Twin track that was used in a bank commercial... alas! What distinguishes Alias & Ehren from Richard D. James here though is that they direct their spotlight to the sounds of saxophones for the melodic elements in their music. Overall, they're sound is more in line with the likes of Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel, Postal Service), Canada's Caribou, or the artists on the German pretty pop-tronic label Morr Music. Breezy and blissful, but not unexpectedly with a little more rhythm and bass presence.
MPEG Stream: "Back & Forth "
MPEG Stream: "Miso Stomp"

ALPS, THE Easy Action (Mexican Summer) lp 21.00
Latest from these sunshiney new age krautfolk drifters, a trio featuring our very own Scott Hewicker, along with Jefre Cantu (Tarentel, Root Strata) and Alexis Georgopoulos (Arp), The Alps' Easy Action is record number five if you're keeping track, although it's not in fact exactly a proper full length, instead, it's a bit of a collaged inbetweener, a gorgeous, surprisingly noisy at times, druggy and deliriously delightful hodgepodge assembled from various sources, old tapes from past sessions, unused takes from their last record Le Voyage, a handful of new recordings, as well as various other sounds, all meticulously assembled in the studio into a pretty fantastic record.
As mentioned above, the sound here is not nearly as laid back and soft focus as Le Voyage. That record definitely found the band in full on meandering mode, the guitars were jangly, the rhythms subtle and minimal, when there were rhythms, the noise was kept to a minimum, it was all about tone and timbre, ambience and atmosphere, the propulsion seemingly an afterthought, the band happy to let the songs drift lazily, but if a rhythm did surface, the band would just let that rhythm guide them, until it eventually wound down, leaving the band to drift ever onward. But here, the sound is actually a bit fierce, and a little dark. The opener starts with a cloud of swirling textures and hushed effects, muted melodies, and little flecks of buzz and glitch, but it's not long before a black cloud of grinding distortion and hissing electronics threaten to swallow up the other sounds, the song is transformed into a swirling bit of soft noise chaos, culminating in a strange stuttery glitched out finale. Wow. As if that weren't enough, the second track too delivers some powerful drumming, laid over some tangled steel string guitar, and some buzzing psychedelic guitar, a guitar that gets wilder and noisier as the track progresses before everything drops out leaving just the guitar unwinding a swirling cloud of FX heavy freakout.
And so it goes, "Pink Orange" is more of a interlude, a looped bit of processed guitar, but then "For Isabel" drifts in with its seventies folk guitar, but then suddenly glitches out, as some strange bits of studio buzz swoop in, the gorgeous looped guitar figure wreathed in a cloud of hiss and buzz, and rapidly expanding crunch, good stuff for sure, just surprisingly intense.
"Loves Of A Blonde" is a sprawling bit of abstract droney drift, some steel string buzz, some muted percussion, more crunchy distorted guitar noise, a sort of abstract raga, underpinned by dark piano chords, everything wreathed in gristly bits of static, eventually, all the noise fading out, leaving just some sitar like buzz and some echoey piano, the prettiest stretch on the record thus far. The title track dabbles in some dub, adding a little reggae inflection to a loping slo-mo krautrock groove, the guitars warm and shimmery, the bass sinewy and melodic, but even here, the band lay a thick bit of crunchy, lo-fi guitar fuzz over the otherwise tranquil proceedings, which we quite like, and definitely adds a needed edge to the otherwise placid drift underneath.
The rest of the record unwinds similarly, with the band taking the more serene and melodic elements and fusing them to strange studio misfires, and random, but fantastic bits of noisiness, tinkling looped melodies, that seems to fluctuate wildly within a field of hyperactive static, transforming a shimmery sleepy loop into a mysterious bit of crumbling crunch. They take a break on the hushed and crystal clear solo guitar outing "Reflections For Peter Green", only to slip right back into it with the nearly 10 minute "Instant Light" which was previously released on the super limited Root Strata cd-r A Path Through The Sun), a track that builds slowly, lush steel string strums drifting beneath whirling bits of distant ambience, definitely channeling the spirit of Le Voyage, but the band pile on some lush, effulgent guitar buzz, and some keening layered guitardrones, filling the sky with warm sonic streaks, while underneath the sound continues to drift along melodically, a practically perfect balance between the dreamy old and the more abrasive new, before finishing off with a brief 2 minute swirl of whirling, swirling, blurred and smeared, echo drenched new age shimmer. So good. And a bit of a sonic surprise. Which has us wondering if their next proper studio full length will find the band incorporating some of this new found, more 'difficult' audio experimentation. We sure hope so!
Super limited, and packaged in a super elaborate fold out psychedelic pyramid sleeve, designed by artist Tauba Auerbach, that is easily one of the coolest things we've seen.
Includes a download code as well.
MPEG Stream: "Today & Tomorrow"
MPEG Stream: "Spray"
MPEG Stream: "Pink Orange"
MPEG Stream: "Easy Action"
MPEG Stream: "Until Tomorrow"