DEERHOOF Friend Opportunity (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
So weird and so wonderful! Man, if only the Krofft Supershow was still on the air Deerhoof would be the best house band ever. Sid and Marty's tweaked candy-colored tv show trips are the perfect visual match for this Bay Area band's sounds. Imagine taking your sugar-buzzed ears for a wild rollercoaster ride on which the loops and corkscrews are all twisted into such macrame knots that you lose all sense of which way is up! Delirious thrills and chills galore. Friend Opportunity continues on from where The Runners Four left off with even grander scale productions that wouldn't be at all out of place in some theatrical musical... a very psychedelic one, mind you! We heart Deerhoof!
MPEG Stream: "The Galaxist"
MPEG Stream: "Matchbook Seeks Maniac"

DEERHOOF Green Cosmos (Menlo Park) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
For Green Cosmos, Deerhoof have kicked things up a notch on their already-deliciously frenetic art-rock quirk-o-meter, and they've done so in impressive style! They've not only branched off in ways that may appeal to a broader audience without alienating their old fans, but also locked into some more out-there planes. Quite a bit more melodic and composed, but also sorta like a tricked-out Beatles' "Revolution #9" mashed up with candy-coated anime soundtracks and of course some Capt. Beefheart and Melt-Banana too. At times very bizarre and epic with its grand assemlbage of tinkly toybox sounds, winky guitar stabs, tight rhythmic progressions and those pussycat-cooing vocals. You can easily imagine this accompanying a giant puppet show. Or if we were to compare it to an amusement park ride, it'd be some sorta mongrel mutant of a rollercoaster and a bumper car. Only seven songs (six new, two revised older ones "Come See The Duck" and "Byun") clocking in at around fifteen minutes, but oh such utterly splendid precision and chaos in every twisted adventure pop bite. Wheeeeeeeee!
MPEG Stream: "Spiral Golden Tower"
MPEG Stream: "Koneko Kitten"

DEERHOOF Green Cosmos (Record Store Day Version) (Kill Rock Stars) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Thanks to RSD, back again on vinyl while they last. What we said when this first came out: For Green Cosmos, Deerhoof have kicked things up a notch on their already-deliciously frenetic art-rock quirk-o-meter, and they've done so in impressive style! They've not only branched off in ways that may appeal to a broader audience without alienating their old fans, but also locked into some more out-there planes. Quite a bit more melodic and composed, but also sorta like a tricked-out Beatles' "Revolution #9" mashed up with candy-coated anime soundtracks and of course some Capt. Beefheart and Melt-Banana too. At times very bizarre and epic with its grand assemlbage of tinkly toybox sounds, winky guitar stabs, tight rhythmic progressions and those pussycat-cooing vocals. You can easily imagine this accompanying a giant puppet show. Or if we were to compare it to an amusement park ride, it'd be some sorta mongrel mutant of a rollercoaster and a bumper car. Only seven songs (six new, two revised older ones "Come See The Duck" and "Byun") clocking in at around fifteen minutes, but oh such utterly splendid precision and chaos in every twisted adventure pop bite. Wheeeeeeeee!
MPEG Stream: "Spiral Golden Tower"
MPEG Stream: "Koneko Kitten"

DEERHOOF Holdypaws (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
2nd disc on KRS by this cult San Francisco outfit. Featuring one-half of the unfortunately underappreciated and thus long-gone Nitre Pit (who were a kind of Melvins-meets-Caroliner band), Deerhoof experiment with weird, angular, noisy, pop. Slightly reminiscent of the Thinking Fellers, with female vocals, surreal lyrics, and assorted other strangeness.

DEERHOOF Live Koalamagic (Dual Plover) cd 10.98
Not really new, but we have a more consistent supply than when this was first released. Koalamagic collects five tracks of live performances spanning various lineups between 1996 and 2000, two of which are longer, uncut sets. Countless fans have praised Deerhoof as one of the best live acts in America right now, hear what everyone's raving about! If you haven't already seen Deerhoof live, well, this won't necessarily make up for it, nor will it be completely indicative of how they are live now, but it's a nice document of what was and why you might want to get out of the house once in a while. Get this if only for their legendary, frenzied, uninterrupted twenty minute set from Club Hot! in 2000. And if you're still wondering what the heck this Deerhoof is we're talking about, I guess this live album isn't the release for you -- try their album Reveille (or at least read our review of it).
MPEG Stream: "Gore In Rut"
MPEG Stream: "A Town Test Site"

DEERHOOF Matchbook Seeks Maniac / Makko Shobu (Picture Disc) (Kill Rock Stars) 7" 5.50
Nice single from AQ faves Deerhoof which has a different mix of "Matchbook Seeks Maniac" from their latest album Friend Opportunity and a b-side which is a charming and enchanting short track that displays their continued push towards even more vividly creative pop. A picture disc whose spinning colors match the brightness of Deerhoof's spirited sound.

DEERHOOF Milk Man (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
It is incredible that this prog damaged pop group from San Francisco, which thrives on simplicity, can continually create complexly playful and riddling compositions while maintaining a bashful earnestness that totally offsets any and all chances that their musical prowess and ingenuity will falter into the category of 'wank'. Through Deerhoof's ten year existence, there have been numerous changes in personnel and instrumentation, but even through these variables there is a solidarity and consistency in the songwriting that is uniquely Deerhoof. While not as wildly cacophonous and volatile as 1997's The Man The King The Girl, there has been a return of sorts here (as on last year's Apple O') to a certain looseness that had been held back on the lushly crafted Reveille. Milk Man, their sixth long player, maintains the taut rock sound perfected on Apple O' whilst introducing more sonically diverse elements to the everyday Deerhoof palette (most notably: crackling electronics, horns and/or woodwinds -- is that a flute or a pocket trumpet on "Milking"? -- synthesizers and organs, and what sounds like to these ears, a Happy Apple*?) John Deiterich and Chris Cohen's awkwardly perfect harmonizations weave into Greg Saunier's John-French-by-way-of-Keith-Moon drumb blasts, emblazoned with Satomi Matsuzaki's mesmerizing vocal ornaments on rockers like the opening title track, "That Big Orange Sun Run Over Speed Light" and "Milking". The lovely "Desaparecere" is an electronically backed number that evokes the Brazilian work of Joao and Astrud Gilberto (though the lyrics are in Spanish rather than Portuguese...). The previously released single "C", is reprised here in all its hand-clapping and falsetto glory. As beautiful and bewildering as past releases, what I think shines through most on Milk Man is its cohesive solidarity as a single album.
*for those who are curious (like Allan, who had to ask), a Happy Apple was a children's toy made by Fisher Price in the seventies. It's basically a six inch tall plastic apple with a happy face that, when shaken, makes a pretty polyphonic "chiming bells" sound. Kinda like windchimes, but muted since the elements which makes the sounds are encased in plastic. If you crack one open, you'll see that it's a simple circular design of four or five metal rods of varying length, with a pendulum-like ball in the center that hammers at them when agitated. I have a few of 'em at home, I always pick them up at flea markets. No two sound exactly alike! Anyway, there are occasional chiming sounds on this new Deerhoof record that I suspect are in fact from a Happy Apple, but I could be wrong...
MPEG Stream: "Milk Man"
MPEG Stream: "Milking"
MPEG Stream: "That Big Orange Sun"

DEERHOOF Milk Man (Free Porcupine Society) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Yowza, now on vinyl! What we said about the cd last list: It is incredible that this prog damaged pop group from San Francisco, which thrives on simplicity, can continually create complexly playful and riddling compositions while maintaining a bashful earnestness that totally offsets any and all chances that their musical prowess and ingenuity will falter into the category of 'wank'. Through Deerhoof's ten year existence, there have been numerous changes in personnel and instrumentation, but even through these variables there is a solidarity and consistency in the songwriting that is uniquely Deerhoof. While not as wildly cacophonous and volatile as 1997's The Man The King The Girl, there has been a return of sorts here (as on last year's Apple O') to a certain looseness that had been held back on the lushly crafted Reveille. Milk Man, their sixth long player, maintains the taut rock sound perfected on Apple O' whilst introducing more sonically diverse elements to the everyday Deerhoof palette (most notably: crackling electronics, horns and/or woodwinds -- is that a flute or a pocket trumpet on 'Milking'? -- synthesizers and organs, and what sounds like to these ears, a Happy Apple*?) John Deiterich and Chris Cohen's awkwardly perfect harmonizations weave into Greg Saunier's John-French-by-way-of-Keith-Moon drumb blasts, emblazoned with Satomi Matsuzaki's mesmerizing vocal ornaments on rockers like the opening title track, 'That Big Orange Sun Run Over Speed Light' and 'Milking'. The lovely 'Desaparecere' is an electronically backed number that evokes the Brazilian work of Joao and Astrud Gilberto (though the lyrics are in Spanish rather than Portuguese...). The previously released single 'C', is reprised here in all its hand-clapping and falsetto glory. As beautiful and bewildering as past releases, what I think shines through most on Milk Man is its cohesive solidarity as a single album.
*for those who are curious (like Allan, who had to ask), a Happy Apple was a children's toy made by Fisher Price in the seventies. It's basically a six inch tall plastic apple with a happy face that, when shaken, makes a pretty polyphonic "chiming bells" sound. Kinda like windchimes, but muted since the elements which makes the sounds are encased in plastic. If you crack one open, you'll see that it's a simple circular design of four or five metal rods of varying length, with a pendulum-like ball in the center that hammers at them when agitated. I have a few of 'em at home, I always pick them up at flea markets. No two sound exactly alike! Anyway, there are occasional chiming sounds on this new Deerhoof record that I suspect are in fact from a Happy Apple, but I could be wrong...
MPEG Stream: "Milk Man"
MPEG Stream: "Milking"
MPEG Stream: "That Big Orange Sun"

DEERHOOF Milk Man (Polyvinyl) lp 14.98
Repressed and back in stock!!
Our original review: It is incredible that this prog damaged pop group from San Francisco, which thrives on simplicity, can continually create complexly playful and riddling compositions while maintaining a bashful earnestness that totally offsets any and all chances that their musical prowess and ingenuity will falter into the category of 'wank'. Through Deerhoof's ten year existence, there have been numerous changes in personnel and instrumentation, but even through these variables there is a solidarity and consistency in the songwriting that is uniquely Deerhoof. While not as wildly cacophonous and volatile as 1997's The Man The King The Girl, there has been a return of sorts here (as on last year's Apple O') to a certain looseness that had been held back on the lushly crafted Reveille. Milk Man, their sixth long player, maintains the taut rock sound perfected on Apple O' whilst introducing more sonically diverse elements to the everyday Deerhoof palette (most notably: crackling electronics, horns and/or woodwinds - is that a flute or a pocket trumpet on 'Milking'? - synthesizers and organs, and what sounds like to these ears, a Happy Apple*?) John Deiterich and Chris Cohen's awkwardly perfect harmonizations weave into Greg Saunier's John-French-by-way-of-Keith-Moon drum blasts, emblazoned with Satomi Matsuzaki's mesmerizing vocal ornaments on rockers like the opening title track, 'That Big Orange Sun Run Over Speed Light' and 'Milking'. The lovely 'Desaparecere' is an electronically backed number that evokes the Brazilian work of Joao and Astrud Gilberto (though the lyrics are in Spanish rather than Portuguese...). The previously released single 'C', is reprised here in all its hand-clapping and falsetto glory. As beautiful and bewildering as past releases, what I think shines through most on Milk Man is its cohesive solidarity as a single album.
*for those who are curious (like Allan, who had to ask), a Happy Apple was a children's toy made by Fisher Price in the seventies. It's basically a six inch tall plastic apple with a happy face that, when shaken, makes a pretty polyphonic "chiming bells" sound. Kinda like windchimes, but muted since the elements which makes the sounds are encased in plastic. If you crack one open, you'll see that it's a simple circular design of four or five metal rods of varying length, with a pendulum-like ball in the center that hammers at them when agitated. I have a few of 'em at home, I always pick them up at flea markets. No two sound exactly alike! Anyway, there are occasional chiming sounds on this new Deerhoof record that I suspect are in fact from a Happy Apple, but I could be wrong...
MPEG Stream: "Milk Man"
MPEG Stream: "Milking"
MPEG Stream: "That Big Orange Sun"

DEERHOOF Offend Maggie (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
Our long standing love affair with Deerhoof is still in full force after all these years. Not only do they continue to make fantastic and rewarding music, but they've managed to remain in touch with the wondrous spirit and deep creativity that made them so irresistible right from ther beginning. While their sound has been fleshed out and fine tuned over the years, they have not lost any of the unique and off kilter elements that made their music so special. They're perhaps the only band you can play for your two year old niece AND your weird druggy psychedelic uncle, and chances are they both would be bopping and bouncing and grinning like crazy and loving every sound coming out of the speakers.
Offend Maggie could just be their most effortless sounding outing to date, it's so cool that despite being such precise and proficient players they've found a way to make their songs jump, hop and skip through all sorts of wonderful shapes and colors without ever sounding self conscious. There is a delightful freedom and sense of play and wonder in these songs that has us falling in love with Deerhoof all over again. Much like the most recent outing by Stereolab, the songs on Offend Maggie really start blossoming after repeated listens and we're pretty sure we'll be spinning this over and over for the rest of the year. It's almost a decade since they were our little San Francisco secret, and now they've shared tours with the likes of Radiohead and The Flaming Lips, and earned a spot as one of the more popular and respected bands in the indie rock world while keeping their music so innovative and inspired and original!
MPEG Stream: "Offend Maggie"
MPEG Stream: "Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back"
MPEG Stream: "The Tears Of Music And Love"

DEERHOOF Offend Maggie (Kill Rock Stars) lp 14.98
Our long standing love affair with Deerhoof is still in full force after all these years. Not only do they continue to make fantastic and rewarding music, but they've managed to remain in touch with the wondrous spirit and deep creativity that made them so irresistible right from ther beginning. While their sound has been fleshed out and fine tuned over the years, they have not lost any of the unique and off kilter elements that made their music so special. They're perhaps the only band you can play for your two year old niece AND your weird druggy psychedelic uncle, and chances are they both would be bopping and bouncing and grinning like crazy and loving every sound coming out of the speakers.
Offend Maggie could just be their most effortless sounding outing to date, it's so cool that despite being such precise and proficient players they've found a way to make their songs jump, hop and skip through all sorts of wonderful shapes and colors without ever sounding self conscious. There is a delightful freedom and sense of play and wonder in these songs that has us falling in love with Deerhoof all over again. Much like the most recent outing by Stereolab, the songs on Offend Maggie really start blossoming after repeated listens and we're pretty sure we'll be spinning this over and over for the rest of the year. It's almost a decade since they were our little San Francisco secret, and now they've shared tours with the likes of Radiohead and The Flaming Lips, and earned a spot as one of the more popular and respected bands in the indie rock world while keeping their music so innovative and inspired and original!
MPEG Stream: "Offend Maggie"
MPEG Stream: "Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back"
MPEG Stream: "The Tears Of Music And Love"

DEERHOOF Reveille (5RC / Kill Rock Stars) cd 15.98
Gosh. What can I say? This is absolutely the finest moment of Deerhoof's recorded output. At 34 minutes, there is absolutely no filler on Reveille: it is an astonishingly precise and accomplished half hour of some of the most challenging, interesting avant-rock we've heard in a long long time. Jeff loves this album so much he almost started a record label just to put it out! The local trio of Satomi Matsuzaki, John Dieterich and Greg Saunier are old school; you can hear in their music the lessons they learned from vintage Bay Area weirdos like Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 and Caroliner, and from the famously avant garde Mills College music program -- all of which have resulted in a great, eccentric band whose aesthetic is fully formed, mature and confident. Satomi's light, singsong vocal delivery (similar to Boredoms' Yoshimi, Blonde Redhead, Yoko Ono) careens from stereo left to stereo right, a dose of melody and almost j-pop sweetness that plays perfectly against the macabre repeating guitar lines and the great, unpredictable, muscular drumming. Sudden stops and starts punctuate eight minute songs against one minute collages of noisy audio squiggles. Much like the Thinking Fellers did, Deerhoof juxtaposes melodic passages against weighty, distorted guitar a la Sonic Youth; they rarely descend to all-too-easy verse/chorus/verse trad songwriting, yet amazingly enough the album is quite accessible. Experimental music that everyone can enjoy. Wonderful. This record is perfection.
MPEG Stream: "The Magnificent Bird Will Rise"
MPEG Stream: "Punch Buggy Valves"

DEERHOOF Reveille (Global Buddy) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Finally on vinyl in cool hand screened sleeves!!
Gosh. What can I say? This is absolutely the finest moment of Deerhoof's recorded output. At 34 minutes, there is absolutely no filler on Reveille: it is an astonishingly precise and accomplished half hour of some of the most challenging, interesting avant-rock we've heard in a long long time. Jeff loves this album so much he almost started a record label just to put it out! The local trio of Satomi Matsuzaki, John Dieterich and Greg Saunier are old school; you can hear in their music the lessons they learned from vintage Bay Area weirdos like Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 and Caroliner, and from the famously avant garde Mills College music program -- all of which have resulted in a great, eccentric band whose aesthetic is fully formed, mature and confident. Satomi's light, singsong vocal delivery (similar to Boredoms' Yoshimi, Blonde Redhead, Yoko Ono) careens from stereo left to stereo right, a dose of melody and almost j-pop sweetness that plays perfectly against the macabre repeating guitar lines and the great, unpredictable, muscular drumming. Sudden stops and starts punctuate eight minute songs against one minute collages of noisy audio squiggles. Much like the Thinking Fellers did, Deerhoof juxtaposes melodic passages against weighty, distorted guitar a la Sonic Youth; they rarely descend to all-too-easy verse/chorus/verse trad songwriting, yet amazingly enough the album is quite accessible. Experimental music that everyone can enjoy. Wonderful. This record is perfection.
RealAudio clip: "This Magnificent Bird Will Rise"
RealAudio clip: "Our Angel's Ululu"
RealAudio clip: "Frenzied Handsome, Hello!"
RealAudio clip: "Punch Buggy Valves"

DEERHOOF s/t (Insignificant) 7" 3.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
First single from the beloved SF trio, back when they were a quartet, and before their new guitarist, who now plays bass... Heavy art sludge that retains elements of their Nitre Pit roots. The left and right channels are separate songs that can be listened to separately or combined. Plus, there's amazing etched art that covers the entire record -- you can even see it across the grooves, but, amazingly, it doesn't affect the sound.

DEERHOOF Se Piangi, Se Ridi / Strawberry Bananas (333) 7" 7.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
In delicious kool-aid orange vinyl! The title of Deerhoof's first track on this 7", "Se Piangi, Se Ridi" -- translation: "If You Cry, If You Laugh", is a sparse number, with delicate but damaged vocals and an intermittant drum hit recorded so it sounds like someone's getting hit with a hammer. Almost like this song is more about the process than the final piece, which is nice, but it made me want to cry. Apparently, it's a collage-ish interpretation of an old Italian pop-song by MINA. On the flip side, "Strawberry Bananas" is a like a Turkish pop tune, Deerhoof style! It's pretty amazing. Like, a beautiful scoop of joy that sadly melts away like strawberry-banana flavoured ice cream...

DEERHOOF The Man, The King, The Girl (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
Amazing blend of Caroliner sludge, and Melvins slop from this local groop. (Includes members of the late great Nitre Pit.)

DEERHOOF The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
This record is so much fun! It makes us feel as though we were eating mochi ice cream and then swinging from the monkey bars with long lost friends. The Runners Four starts off a bit slooower than some earlier Deerhoof material, but that's not to say it's lacking at all...just less, how you say, hyperactive and chaotic. The Runners Four still has the child-like candy-bright sheen that you come to expect from Deerhoof, and it comes across as refreshing and lively. There is beauty in their animated quirkiness and their unique method of coloring/scribbling -- with passionate and precocious disorganization and wonderful semi-sensical flourishes -- a little outside the lines with every crayon in the box. Not as bold in its musical hopscotching as their previous Reveille album, but definitely recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Twin Killers"
MPEG Stream: "After Me the Deluge"
MPEG Stream: "You're Our Two"

DEERHOOF The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars) 2lp 21.00
NOW ON VINYL!
This record is so much fun! It makes us feel as though we were eating mochi ice cream and then swinging from the monkey bars with long lost friends. The Runners Four starts off a bit slooower than some earlier Deerhoof material, but that's not to say it's lacking at all...just less, how you say, hyperactive and chaotic. The Runners Four still has the child-like candy-bright sheen that you come to expect from Deerhoof, and it comes across as refreshing and lively. There is beauty in their animated quirkiness and their unique method of coloring/scribbling -- with passionate and precocious disorganization and wonderful semi-sensical flourishes -- a little outside the lines with every crayon in the box. Not as bold in its musical hopscotching as their previous Reveille album, but definitely recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Twin Killers"
MPEG Stream: "After Me the Deluge"
MPEG Stream: "You're Our Two"

DEERHOOF Vs. Evil (Polyvinyl) cd 13.98
How do you make a record that is your most unique, ambitious and weird, but also your most accessible at the same time? How, after ten albums are you still able to create an album that sounds so damn refreshing, creative and full of new ideas? There aren't really answers to these questions, except for the fact that you are Deerhoof. How after all these years they've maintained their artistic creativity, yet been able to explore new avenues, techniques and approaches along the way, still boggles themind. With their first non Kill Rock Stars full length in almost a decade, Deerhoof make Polyvinyl proud with one of the most far reaching, exciting and enjoyable albums we've heard in ages.
Further pushing their love of sounds and music from across the globe, Vs. Evil finds Deerhoof taking those sounds and with them exploring an awesome psychedelic spy soundtrack vibe, as well as a twisted take on sparkling teenage pop music, all of which displays a band at their most sensual, surprising and innovative.
Deerhoof most deserve all the love and adoration they seem to be receiving, and we are hoping this is the record that will push them to that next level, alongside folks like The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, etc., as we can't think of a more creative or exciting band that has paid their dues and stayed true to their mission of all out creativity and sonic excellence!
MPEG Stream: "Qui Dorm, Nomes Somia"
MPEG Stream: "Behold A Marvel In The Darkness"
MPEG Stream: "The Merry Barracks"

DEERHOOF Vs. Evil (Polyvinyl) lp 15.98
How do you make a record that is your most unique, ambitious and weird, but also your most accessible at the same time? How, after ten albums are you still able to create an album that sounds so damn refreshing, creative and full of new ideas? There aren't really answers to these questions, except for the fact that you are Deerhoof. How after all these years they've maintained their artistic creativity, yet been able to explore new avenues, techniques and approaches along the way, still boggles themind. With their first non Kill Rock Stars full length in almost a decade, Deerhoof make Polyvinyl proud with one of the most far reaching, exciting and enjoyable albums we've heard in ages.
Further pushing their love of sounds and music from across the globe, Vs. Evil finds Deerhoof taking those sounds and with them exploring an awesome psychedelic spy soundtrack vibe, as well as a twisted take on sparkling teenage pop music, all of which displays a band at their most sensual, surprising and innovative.
Deerhoof most deserve all the love and adoration they seem to be receiving, and we are hoping this is the record that will push them to that next level, alongside folks like The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, etc., as we can't think of a more creative or exciting band that has paid their dues and stayed true to their mission of all out creativity and sonic excellence!
MPEG Stream: "Qui Dorm, Nomes Somia"
MPEG Stream: "Behold A Marvel In The Darkness"
MPEG Stream: "The Merry Barracks"

DEERHOOF / SICBAY split (Modern Radio Record Label) 7" 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A little somethin' to accompany your new Deerhoof Green Cosmos cdep! This split record delivers two suitably unpredictable tunes from that Bay Area band as well as a single more conventional guitar-driven song from Minneapolis based trio Sicbay. Deerhoof's music has always been heavy on the sharp angles and tightly knotted rhythms, and these songs are no exception if a bit moodier than we've come to expect from them. Pretty darn great!

DELTA SONG One Year To Sea (self-released) cd-r 5.98
SF group Delta Song make a pleasing mellow racket on their seven song cd-r. Their music is primarily draped around a jazzy post-rock framework - much like San Diego's Tristeza or any number of Chicago combos - however what sets them apart are their distinct warbled folky male vocals. Maybe not for everyone, in-store play has drawn both very warm and chilly response to the singing. Wanna decide for yourself? Check out "Exorcist IV" (which also stands apart from the other six, in that it sounds as though it was recorded in a school classroom). All in all, a very well executed and promising debut.
RealAudio clip: "Hearing Carry Over"
RealAudio clip: "Exorcist IV"

DELTRON 3030 Positive Contact (75 Ark) cd 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here's the label-supplied blurb: "'Positive Contact' is the new single from the most talked-about Space Age Hip Hop Opera of the 31st Century, Deltron 3030. Featuring remixes of both 'Positive Contact' and 'Time Keeps On Slipping' (featuring Damon Albarn of Blur). Track listing includes radio edits, instrumentals, acapellas. Remixes by Charlie Clouser (Nince Inch Nails), Cut Chemist and Mike Simpson (Dust Brothers) & surprise bonus tracks not found on Deltron 3030."

DELTRON 3030 Positive Contact (75 Ark) 12" 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here's the label-supplied blurb: "'Positive Contact' is the new single from the most talked-about Space Age Hip Hop Opera of the 31st Century, Deltron 3030. Featuring remixes of both 'Positive Contact' and 'Time Keeps On Slipping' (featuring Damon Albarn of Blur). Track listing includes radio edits, instrumentals, acapellas. Remixes by Charlie Clouser (Nince Inch Nails), Cut Chemist and Mike Simpson (Dust Brothers) & surprise bonus tracks not found on Deltron 3030."

DELTRON 3030 The Instrumentals (75 Ark) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Back in October of 2000 when the Deltron 3030 album came out we expressed our sadness that an album of such great potential was sullied by the pedestrian vocal stylings of Del "Tha Funky Homosapien" and hoped that at some point Dan The Automator would release an instrumental companion version, much as had been done with the Dr Octagon release. Well, our wish has been granted and -- thanks to Dan and Kid Koala -- we are not disappointed. The Automator's skills behind the board are just unparalleled and should never be subsumed into the background. He puts together grooves and unlikely samples so cleverly that let's face it, the guy should win an award or somethin'. (Hopefully the Thai Elephants and Hermann Nitsch records we forced Dan to buy a few weeks ago will pop up on a future album!) Anyway, the AQ-collective wish has come true -- this is the Instrumentals version of the Deltron 3030 album, and it's *good*. Some of the tracks sound as atmospheric and brooding as the best work of DJ Shadow, yeah, that's how good this record is. Del still pops up on a track or two, and Sean Lennon lends some incidental vocals to "Madness". Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "3030"
RealAudio clip: "Madness"
RealAudio clip: "Time Keeps on Slipping"

DELTRON 3030 The Instrumentals (75 Ark) 2lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Back in October of 2000 when the Deltron 3030 album came out we expressed our sadness that an album of such great potential was sullied by the pedestrian vocal stylings of Del "Tha Funky Homosapien" and hoped that at some point Dan The Automator would release an instrumental companion version, much as had been done with the Dr Octagon release. Well, our wish has been granted and -- thanks to Dan and Kid Koala -- we are not disappointed. The Automator's skills behind the board are just unparalleled and should never be subsumed into the background. He puts together grooves and unlikely samples so cleverly that let's face it, the guy should win an award or somethin'. (Hopefully the Thai Elephants and Hermann Nitsch records we forced Dan to buy a few weeks ago will pop up on a future album!) Anyway, the AQ-collective wish has come true -- this is the Instrumentals version of the Deltron 3030 album, and it's *good*. Some of the tracks sound as atmospheric and brooding as the best work of DJ Shadow, yeah, that's how good this record is. Del still pops up on a track or two, and Sean Lennon lends some incidental vocals to "Madness". Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "3030"
RealAudio clip: "Madness"
RealAudio clip: "Time Keeps on Slipping"

DENT Stimmung (Magnetic) cd 14.98
Long beloved on cassette here at the store, this has been issued on Jonathan Segel's label. With an idiosyncratic singer and Jonathan's fiddle, this reminds me of a more mature and less self-conscious U.S. Saucer.

DEPRESSOR Lord Of The Flesh / Black God's Shadow + 4 (self-released) 2 x 7" 14.98
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Even if the two blood red slabs of thrashing blackened demonic death metal weren't enough to sell you on this here ultra evil double 7", then the obscenely extravagant packaging almost certainly would. Packaged in a thick black gatefold, printed in metallic silver ink, like some ancient lost book of magic, alchemy and evil, with the inner pages printed on parchment, edges actually burnt and candle wax dripped here and there, portraying horrific images of demons and planets with all the text in some mysterious lost language of runes and symbols. This is seriously one of the most intense and insanely packaged records we have ever seen (hence the price, hand made, and according to the band they take forever to assemble and burn and melt!). We passed it around when we first got these, gawking and examining them like they were some priceless artifacts, and for you metalheads and record geeks they just might be! SUPER SUPER LIMITED!!!

DESANTO, SUGAR PIE Go Go Power: The Complete Chess Singles 1961-1966 (Kent Soul) cd 24.00
While labels like The Numero Group and Soul Jazz have done a great job of unearthing so much amazing soul that slipped under the radar back in the day, there is still so much true golden soul to be mined. Of course there are the amazing songs here and there that some groups and folks created back in the day that have been included on compilations of lost soul, but then there are also artists who have entire legacies of amazing recordings and while they were not totally obscure, they just never got the full on fame & recognition they so rightfully deserved. Folks like Irma Thomas, Carla Thomas, Betty Everett, Betty Harris, etc. Sugar Pie DeSanto deserves a special place on that list as well. These are all people that with luck treating them a little different would be held in the same limelight as Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, etc. Sugar Pie, who has lived most of her life right here in the Bay Area is truly a living legend. This collection of her Chess singles from 1961-'66 is filled with pure hip-shaking soul drenched rompers that burn with flare and sass. There is a strength and conviction in her delivery that makes her songs as deep hitting as they are fun and toe-tapping. This is full on sock-hop style dance floor burners, that you could imagine The Rolling Stones listening to at the time and getting inspiration and ideas from. So damn sassy, as she sings it like she means it. There are even a few duets with Etta James, and thinking of those two strong powerful women in the same recording booth gives us chills!
Sugar Pie Desanto has had such an amazing life with many ups and downs. She was a singer and touring member in the Johnny Otis Review as well as the James Brown revue. Her own live shows are something of magical legend, as folks who were lucky enough to see her back in the '60s still brag about what a mind blowing performance she put on. Just a few years ago her Oakland home was destroyed in a terrible fire, claiming the life of her husband. There were some benefit concerts in the Bay Area to help her during this difficult time and we're also hoping that this collection of her music helps with those burdens as well and more importantly shares her amazing music with a whole new set of ears. Awesome!
MPEG Stream: "Go Go Power"
MPEG Stream: "Do I Make Myself Clear"
MPEG Stream: "Mama Didn't Raise No Fools"

DESERT OF TRAUN Part III: The Lilac Moon (Bruhtal Shocks Music) cd 10.98

DESOTO REDS Hanglide Thru Yer Window (Floating Man) cd 11.98
Those Desoto Reds sure have a knack for writing the sweet pop hooks and winking lyrical twists. Each tune comes with heaping servings of horns, organs, vocal harmonies... and fun! The first song "Allowed Loud" sounds like a cross between the themes from two incongruous TV shows (The Partridge Family and Crank Yankers). It's a playful pairing of punchy and perky pop. Whoa, is that enough 'p' words for ya?! Definitely for fans of those seemingly long-forgotten quirky early '90s college radio pop bands such as Too Much Joy (remember them?).
MPEG Stream: "Allowed Loud"
MPEG Stream: "My Affair With Julia Roberts"

DHAMAAL SF Transitions EP (Dhamaal ) cd-r 8.98
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For those unfamiliar with Dhamaal SF (now abbreviated from Dhamaal Soundsystem), they're a Bay Area consortium of musicians and djs devoted to creating and promoting club music with a strong focus on Southeast Asian influences. Their lushly textured tracks are filled with sputtery frenetic breakbeats and are anchored by some deeeep dark dubby bass that's sure to stir much movin' and groovin'. This cd-r is their latest release which includes the album version of their track "Twilight Creeper" from their self-titled debut released last year ('twas definitely one of the highlights), as well as two new tracks and a remix of another album track "Z Motion". With guests Asian Dub Foundation's Dr. Das and Shiva Soundsystem!
MPEG Stream: "Bol Breaker"
MPEG Stream: "Z Motion (Shiva Soundsystem's Horn And Tusk Remix)"

DHAMAAL SOUNDSYSTEM s/t (Surya Vault) cd 14.98
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The Bay Area music collective known as Dhamaal Soundsystem encorporate the vibrant sounds and influences of Southeast Asian music into their own with impressive results. At once gracefully fluid and aggressively edgy, they skillfully blend the electronic (spine-rattlin' breakbeats, thick dubbed out synth basslines) with the acoustic (tabla, sitar, flute and occasionally vocals). If you dig the potent sounds of groups such as Asian Dub Foundation or Tabla Beat Science, definitely check out the very like-minded Dhamaal. It's a fiery, elaborate and entirely dancefloor ready debut. Great!

MPEG Stream: "Oppaari"
MPEG Stream: "Twilight Creeper"

DIDIMAO s/t (Cococonk Records) lp 11.98
Hell yeah! We've been experiencing a pretty rad renaissance in fucked up (in a great way) music coming out of the Bay Area recently. Didimao are for sure way fucked up and that fucked up sound just hits the spot so right on. Dark and spastic, psychedelic and eccentric, creepy and crawling - this is one of those awesome bands that you really can't sum up with one quick line or a single easy reference. But of course it is our job to try, so what we will say, is that they remind us a bit of the really exploratory stuff that came out of the post-punk scene back in the day, you know, like Saccharine Trust or Butthole Surfers as well as nice hints of Nurse With Wound, Mr. Bungle/Secret Chiefs, Silver Daggers, early Boredoms, Faust, Caroliner, Sun City Girls, 7 Year Rabbit Cycle etc. Anyone can be weird and out there, but Didimao have a true psychedelic spirit that really makes this record an awesome tripped out adventure to listen to, moving through so many sonic spaces and exploring each of them in such interesting and organic ways. Their cover of The Urinals "Surfing With The Shah" is taking us to some pretty fucking epic place where punks get hijacked by psychedelic droners which is, for lack of a better word sooooo rad! Makes perfect sense that Didimao used to jam in the same space Wildildlife, the two share a similar disregard for genre and are constantly blurring and melding different styles and sounds. Totally refreshing, confusing and rewarding. This is one fried and fucked up musical missive that we highly recommend!
MPEG Stream: "Fingernails"
MPEG Stream: "Surfing With The Shah"
MPEG Stream: "Pregnant Cop"

DIE MONITR BATSS / MATMOS Di/vorce Series #2 (Ache) 7" 5.98
For the second installment of Ache Records' Di/vorce split 7" series, they've corralled AQ pals Matmos and the haphazard Die Monitr Batss from the Pacific Northwest. For their part of the bargain, Die Monitr Batss offer up some skronky, lo-fi, no-wave aspirations. Meanwhile on the flipside, Matmos tackle Gladys Knight & The Pips' "On And On" although it's pretty darn difficult to recognize it once it's been put through the duo's surgical choppity chop treatment. Indeed, their contribution is an assemblage of deep, gravelly fragments of funk. Limited pressing of 1000.

DIELECTRIC DRONE ALL-STARS Dr. One (Dielectric Records) 2cd 12.98
A couple lists back, we reviewed the most excellent "Dielectric Vol. 1" comp cd from our friend Drew(cifer)'s most excellent Dielectric label. Not one to rest on his laurels, Drew now presents a double cd dose of drone, from a pick-up band dubbed the Dielectric Drone All-Stars. It's all part of Drew's desire to mix and match interesting musicians, facilitating creative collaborative collisions in the studio where he works. This project was based on improvised performances (with the instruction to 'drone') by musicians who had perhaps never even met one another before, later processed and mixed by Drew. The results are pretty stellar for this sort of thing, good enough that Drew decided that not just one but two discs were in order. The All-Stars are comprised of Karen Stackpole (forty inch symphonic gong), Bill Norertker (double bass), Garth Klippert (accordion), Tony Cross (violin), Ben Hayes (didgeridoos), and Drew himself in the guise of Die Elektrischen (electric train). Yes, you read that right, electric train! Kinda makes up for any qualms you might have about the digeridoos... If you've already heard the comp tracks or 12" records on Dielectric by either Ms. Stackpole or Mr. Elektrischen, you'll have an idea of the sort of detailed, dark, dense drone they can conjure. Ok, without using the word 'drone' again, let's try to describe this. The lengthy (of course) tracks can be spacey and wide open, or claustrophobic and ominous. The shimmer of the gong and the sawing of the strings and the breathing of the digeridoo are all almost felt more than heard, I mean, you can pick out things from the mix but the various textures are merged into a slow moving mass, a glacial agglomeration that sometimes sounds more like weather phenomena than 'music'. Then again, there's passages on here very 'classical' in tone. There's a lot of depth and dynamics to these tracks, which succeed at being haunting and even beautiful. Recommended to anyone into the d-word. The dronologists here find this compares favorably with the likes of Organum!
MPEG Stream: "Amon Hen"
MPEG Stream: "Plotinian Plateau"

DIELECTRIC FIELD RECORDING ALL-STARS Re: Record (Dielectric) cd 10.98
Final release from beloved local label Dielectric, so sad, but what a way to go! After a clutch of killer releases, some simple and lovely, some high concept, all beautifully executed and assembled, each sonically breathtaking: the Dielectric Drone All-Stars, the Dielectric Minimalist All-Stars, a handful of super limited cd-r's as well as a four pack of killer 12"s, Dielectric bows out with their most expansive and sonically overwhelming release, the Dielectric Field Recording All-Stars, and like each of the Dielectric All-Stars releases, the title says it all, minimal, drone, and now field recordings. Although all three of those distinctions tend to blur together, especially here.
The All-Stars this time around are ten strong: label head honcho Drew Webster, Jen Boyd, Leticia Casteneda, Cria Cuervos, Mark Griswold, WIll Mitchell, Maggi Payne, Toby Paddock, Rudy Trubitt and Aaron Ximm. As with any record like this, there are three critical elements, the players, the sounds, and how those sounds are woven into something listenable. Sometimes a straight field recording can be as compelling as the most intricately composed piece of music, but sometimes, it's exciting to hear a piece of music only to learn later that it was actually a recording of insects or cars or sneezes or whatever. The Field Recording All-Stars got you covered either way.
The above ten recordists, compiled an incredible palette of sounds, from all over the world, there's even a chart inside the cd booklet, to see who contributed what sound to each track. The sources are overwhelming to just read, let alone hear: a floating restaurant in Barcelona, Spain, evening in Oakland, California, song on Chinese radio station, eating an apple, pigs in a pen, squeaky shoe, tomato, red ball, phasing radio, Voice of Vietnam, space shuttle, shortwave, Barcelona subway, SF 6am, freezer, blue angels, record player, various radio broadcasts, buskers in Paris Metro, under a dock Berkeley, CA, incident on subway, Chile, dog versus rattlesnake, finger-picked acoustic guitar, weird buzz, air traffic controller, storm drain, weird radio, underwater, answering machine, TV show, shortwave sweep, protest march, failing speaker, Rise up!, protest drums, Riley running, police siren, crosswalk signal, police dispersing demonstrators, turntable, creek pebbles, buoy, leaky organ oscillator tube, Wuhan taxi dispatcher, Chinese busker, wasp nest, streetlight, skipping cd, church mass on radio, unknown feedback, violin, psalter & ball bearing and a slide guitar! Phew!
Now, not all of those sounds are present on each track. Some tracks play out like straight field recordings, voices, vehicles, birds, animals, strange clatter and thumps, footsteps, dogs barking different texture and timbres presented raw and unprocessed, but on other tracks, the various sounds were woven together by Webster, aka Die Elektrischen into fantastical soundscapes, running the gamut from deep cavernous drones, grinding metallic melodies, strangely rhythmic bits of skitter and shuffle, dreamy backwards warble, slow shifting underwater shimmer, a few tracks even almost rock, the core being some sort of buzzing guitar or vibrating steel string, with the various found sounds simply adding to the texture or lurking in the background as another layer of sound, while other tracks are epic and expansive, mysterious new worlds of sonic wonder, like wandering beneath strange colored skies, or slow shifting landscapes, swimming in strange seas, every track is like a sonic road map of some unexplored territory, some soft and shimmery, some harsh and brutal, others just really really strange, but every one totally listenable and truly fascinating. This is one of those discs that is definitely amazing on first listen, but benefits from closer scrutiny, repeated listens, deeper listenings reveal so much more going on, layer after layer, each unfolding and blossoming and blurring into each other like some dizzying kaleidoscope of sound. So good.
MPEG Stream: "Making A Recording... Go Away Please"
MPEG Stream: "Crunchy Frog"
MPEG Stream: "Aether"
MPEG Stream: "Bigger Fewer Smaller Manyer"

DIESELHED Chico and the Flute (Bongload) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Even if all they had were their unbelievably catchy melodies and those heartbreakingly lovely harmonies, Dieselhed would fucking rule. But there's so much more. The band's brilliance lies in being able to set marvelously "regular" slice-of-life lyrics to the most unexpectedly epic song structures. (Example: One of their most epic pieces of bombastic melodicism, "Forklift Test", is set to lyrics about passing a forklift driver test.)
The band has always been foremost a rock band with twang in its heart, and often that heart is worn on Dieselhed's sleeve. Chico and the Flute, however, marks a very slight turn away from the twanginess and into a more gently-mocking AM-radio soft rock/soul flavor -- as evidenced by their cover of the classic Stax hit "Starting All Over Again". It's great stuff, and this album features three or four of their best songs ever. We recommend that if you're new to the band, you start with "Elephant Rest Home", their fourth album, first. If you're already as big a fan of Dieselhed as I am, though, then this record is pretty much a necessity.
RealAudio clip: "Gentle Grooming"
RealAudio clip: "Bright Lights"

DIESELHED Elephant Rest Home (Bongload) cd 13.98
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Dieselhed's 4th album is a sweet collection of all of the slow songs and ballads that have become their well loved standards in their live sets, yet have not made their way onto tape until now! Their 'real life' catalog of straightforward, quotidian lyrics about life in Eureka, drunken mishaps on Alaskan fishing boats, lap dancing, etc... are perfectly complemented by twangy, melodic hooks and stunningly sublime harmonies worthy of comparisons to Louvin Brothers and Lennon-McCartney. One of Windy's all-time favorite bands.
RealAudio clip: "Trucker's Alibi"

DIESELHED Shallow Water Blackout (Amarillo) cd 11.98
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One of San Francisco's best bands breaks out with their 3rd full length, a little more twang and slow and a little less rock than their previous work but JUST AS GREAT. We can't stress enough how rewarding a close reading of Virgil and Zack's lyrics can be ("Is that paint, I can't tell / A white square where a picture fell"). And don't forget to wait for the last hidden track, "Yoga Instructor").

DIESELHED Tales of a Brown Dragon (Amarillo) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT, SORRY. PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT.
My favorite local band has come the closest to recreating the glory of their live shows! All the recent favorites are here: "Brown Dragon" (which everyone thinks is the "Station Wagon Song"), "Pizza Box," "Wedding Song," "John the Butcher Boy," "Snow Blind in the Liquor Store." Bonus: all the lyrics are printed on various casks and teapots. Guests include "Neckhead" (Bungle's Trey Spruance) and Ralph Carney. The lyrics to "Forklift Test," one of Dieselhed's more epic songs are so brilliantly mundane:

this guy at work he just bought
a revolutionary car part.
it's called the ionizer and it reverses the electrical charge
as the gas hits the carb.
well he tried to sell me one
even though i did not have a car.

DILETTANTES, THE 101 Tambourines (Strange Touch) cd 13.98
This new(ish) SF quintet have some recognizable faces from the Bay Area music scene onboard. We suspect there might not be over a hundred tambourines on this album, but front man the mutton-chopped Joel Gion (formerly of Brian Jonestown Massacre) gives the one he's got a thorough workout here nonetheless. His band The Dilletantes blend the key sounds of all the '70s rock kingpins. Y'know, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, MC5! The tambourine and maraca peppered results are the kind of loose bluesy rawk'n'roll that never goes out of style!
MPEG Stream: "Ready To Go"
MPEG Stream: "Like Crazy"

DILS, THE Dils Dils Dils (Dionysus) cd 14.98
Long overdue collection from these punk rock pioneers. This is a collection spanning 1977-1981 and includes their three singles (that's all they ever released) as well as some demos! I (Sadie) didn't pay too much attention to the Dils in the past. I knew that they were in Cheech and Chong's movie 'Up In Smoke', and they were the opeing band for the Clash's first US tour, but what I didn't know is how great and catchy and punk and melodic they were. Check it out!
RealAudio clip: "It's Not Worth It"
RealAudio clip: "Sound Of The Rain"
RealAudio clip: "Blow Up"

DILUTE Grape Blueprints Pour Spinach Olive Grape (54û40' Or Fight!) cd 12.98
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There's real stark emotion nakedly playing across the music of local quartet Dilute, whose totally epic tone recalls Flaming Lips, and vocalist Marty Anderson sounds just like a cross between Neil Young and the Lips' Wayne Coyne, a male version of the gentle warble of Victoria Williams. Lurching exclamation points, millisecond shards of noise, serene fingerpicked arpeggios and sad romantic melodies. It's all minor key, spacious, restrained yet explosive. Nice.
RealAudio clip: "1"
RealAudio clip: "Alphabet"

DILUTE The Gypsy Valentine Curve cd 11.98
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Man oh man, with bands like The Church Steps, For Stars, Erase Errata, and Dilute (and many others), the Bay Area scene is getting to be so interesting and original again. None of this spacerock bulls---; people are writing songs again. There's real stark emotion nakedly playing across the music of local quartet Dilute, whose totally epic tone recalls Flaming Lips, and vocalist Marty Anderson sounds just like a cross between Neil Young and the Lips' Wayne Coyne. Yet Dilute strips out all the bombastic orchestration of, say, the Lips and instead leaves in just the lurching exclamation points, millisecond shards of noise, and fills in the rest of the music with serene fingerpicked arpeggios and sad romantic melodies. The songs remind me of Fuck's (in fact, fans of Fuck will love this) -- deconstructed and barely there; multisectioned with lots of hinted-at yet unstated segues and harmonies that your brain automatically fills in without the band having to. That takes smarts and a lot of musicianly restraint. This is a wonderful record!
RealAudio clip: "Bea"
RealAudio clip: "Freedumb"

DILUTE The Gypsy Valentine Curve + Special Bonus 3" Disk (Toad) cd + 3"cd 13.98
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One of the Bay Area's most wonderful bands sees a reissue of its debut (and IMO best) album, here in a deeeeluxe Japanese pressing -- thick gatefold cover with obi, 2 full color artwork prints, and a 3" live disc, on Andee's pal Hama's new Toad label.
There's real stark emotion nakedly playing across the music of Dilute, whose totally epic tone recalls Flaming Lips, and vocalist Marty Anderson sounds just like a cross between Neil Young and the Lips' Wayne Coyne. Yet Dilute strips out all the bombastic orchestration of, say, the Lips and instead leaves in just the lurching exclamation points, millisecond shards of noise, and fills in the rest of the music with serene fingerpicked arpeggios and sad romantic melodies. The songs remind me of Fuck's (in fact, fans of Fuck will *love* this) -- deconstructed and barely there; multisectioned with lots of hinted-at yet unstated segues and harmonies that your brain automatically fills in without the band having to. That takes smarts and a lot of musicianly restraint. This is a wonderful record!
MPEG Stream: "Bea"
MPEG Stream: "Freedumb"

DIMLAIA s/t (Stonehenge / Destructure) lp 12.98

DIMMER Remissions (Isounderscore) 2lp 15.00
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**SALE **SALE* *SALE**
Not to be confused with the Dimmer that was born from NZ's Straightjacket Fits, this Dimmer brings together two stalwarts of the California experimental community: Thomas Dimuzio and Joseph Hammer. The former skirts the boundaries between electro-acoustic technologies and improvisational abstraction, having collaborated with the likes of Chris Cutler, Matmos, Wobbly, Scott Arford, Illusion Of Safety and countless others. Mr. Hammer is one of the prominent members of the willfully oblique Los Angeles Free Music Society, having participated in such projects as Solid Eye, Points Of Friction, and Steaming Coils. Hammer's instrument of choice is the reel-to-reel tape deck, through which he can muster an uncanny palette of sound, noise, and drone. The two have worked together off and on for a good part of the last decade, with a handful of performances throughout California and a couple of releases - Remissions being their second and collecting some of the best moments from those live gigs.
"Sky Wire" builds insectoid buzzes and creepily harmonic drones out of the interplay between Hammer's rough-hewn tape manipulation and Dimuzio's deftly rendered swells, somewhere between Machinefabriek and Christoph Heemann. "Sun Dog" grafts blackened noise onto an electrocutioner's hum, with Hammer's start 'n' stop tapes popping into view like a detached Burroughs cut-up. Both "Gases That Emit Light" and "Giant Eagle" continue along these same strategies with eerie clouds of drones that fold and collapse between harmonic resonance and dissonance with unsettled bursts of soft focus noise. This is really exceptional stuff, and certainly some of the best that we've encountered from either artists individually.

DIRTY PICTURES, THE Shuttin' Out The World (self-released) cd 11.98
Shuttin' Out The World is your (and our) introduction to the fine sounds of these transplanted Dubliners, now based here in SF. It's an impressive debut album filled with somber, elegant rock pop songs. The duo Pierce Healy and Ciaran McFeeney (along with their musical comrades Desmond Shea, Dave Douglas and Jeff Lucas) craft a lush, shadowy tapestry from a variety of guitars, keyboards, strings, percussion and samples. Wonderfully earthy and resonant. Healy's deep vocals on occasion bring to mind a cross between the sensitive ache of Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo, the subtler moments of drama from Thom Yorke of Radiohead and the warm depths of Richard Buckner. Very nice.
MPEG Stream: "Whiskey"
MPEG Stream: "Distraction"

DISK, DJ Ancient Termites (Bomb) cd 13.98
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From Shiggerfraggar and Invisibl Skratch Piklz fame! Currently DJing for Primus, MCM and the Monster and GR2, Disk has finally released his solo debut album on the friendly Bomb label, based in Noe Valley believe it or not. This is not nearly as hyper as the Mixmaster Mike record, preferring mellow and subtle trickery that just begs for a club DJ to mess with.