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
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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.

DIE PROPYLGRUPPE Produkt 01 (Petit Mal Music) 3" cd-r 8.98
Two alumni from the rotating cast of characters who've graced the stage with Nurse With Wound and irr. app. (ext.) comprise this Bay Area duo with the kraut-inspired name Die Propylgruppe, starring the willfully enigmatic R.K. Faulhaber and aQuarius' own rusting artist Jim Haynes. Over the years, Faulhaber has been near to completing album after album, only to never quite get them finished, including one that's long been slated for release on United Dairies; but will probably languish unheard except for a few leaked snippets and hand-burned discs passed out at his rare solo performances. He's one of those brilliant artists who gets far too distracted with new ideas and new forms so that the unfinished just continues to pile up. One of those many ideas that he has is a theoretical concept of 'texture music' defining a cross-section of non-populist and experimental forms that cuts across the 20th century of Xenakis, Boulez, the Hafler Trio, Conrad Schnitzler, etc. Again, a few of these ideas have been actually released, but many remain in an ephemeral headspace. So, we probably have Haynes to thank for actually getting the release of Die Propylgruppe underway; and there better damn well be more coming! He quipped that the two were striving to make an Omit record, and ended up somewhere totally other, through the sounds of analog machinery running amok and wrangled into mechanoid loops and hypnotic patterns, interwoven with arcing drones that align with the nebula peering psychedelia of Schnitzler's Black Album crossed with the industrial-era primitivism of early :zoviet*france: (think Gris or Mohnomische). But by the end of the 20 minute piece, the two maniacally transform themselves into merchants of the danse macabre with an atonal step sequenced synth locked onto suitably wobbling drum machine and strangely groaning electro-acoustic loops. Frankensteinan electronics at its best, and would not be out of place on PAN or Spectrum Spools. Limited to 100 copies in lovely packaging with handcrafted wood artwork!
MPEG Stream: "Produkt 01 (extract 1)"
MPEG Stream: "Produkt 01 (extract 2)"

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
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE. SORRY
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
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
**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 GHOSTS Shout It In (Classic Bar Music) 7" 5.98

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
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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.

DISK, DJ Ancient Termites (Bomb) 2lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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.

DISPARITION Transmutations (self-released) cd 10.98
After a couple years of seeming hibernation (or incubation?), IDM and Drum'n'Bass appear to be flourishing again with a whole bunch of new artists.
Take for instance last week's aQ pick of the week Boxcutter (who blend IDM with dubstep) and this album from the Bay Area's Disparition. These folks are crafting some dark and heady electronic music. We're curious if mainman Jon Bernstein's decision to name his debut Permutations was inspired by the likes of Praxis and Amon Tobin -- the former (aka Bill Laswell with Buckethead) have an album by the same title, and the latter released an album titled Permutation back in 1998. Another rather appropriate point of reference might be Twilight Circus Dub Soundsystem, but considerably less densely packed and more vaporous. Cool.
MPEG Stream: "Atom And If"
MPEG Stream: "Mitteleuropa"

DISPIRIT Rehearsal At Oboreten (self-released) cassette 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We probably don't even need to bother with a review for this one if we start out with this detail: Dispirit is the latest project from John Gossard, best known as the mastermind behind SF black metal legends Weakling as well as gothed out metallers the Gault and doom merchants Asunder. But that wouldn't be giving something as awesome as this the respect it deserves, because this shit SLAYS. That part probably isn't too much of a surprise. What IS a surprise is how Dispirit can crank out a rehearsal tape that shames pretty much any other black metal band out there today. The lo-fi recording actually works perfectly in establishing an atmosphere that is, yes, grim, but also just HUGE and cavernous sounding, not to mention just plain eerie. The end results are the perfect soundtrack to dying in a mud pit in some war torn hell hole with flames all around. Or a score for the end of the world, civilization crumbling, the world as we know it descending into the pits of hell. We can only wonder what the future holds when this band sets out to make a record proper. No doubt the reason for this cassette's success is the fact that these guys can tear shit up like no one's business. Their use of mournful, heavily sustained guitars will certainly appeal to fans of Weakling, while the plodding doominess that leads these two songs to their furious, blast ridden midsections and majestic outros shows the link to Asunder. In a world where there is simply too much black metal, it's bands like this that make you realize why you became obsessed in the first place. Gossard possesses the perfect black metal vocal style, a terrifying banshee shriek that refuses to be buried beneath the equally impressive relentless instrumentation and blitzkrieg drumming. While retaining the essence of black metal, Dispirit also remain unique and true to themselves with a style of black metal that is distinctly American. Unbelievable stuff.
MPEG Stream: "Ixtab's Lure"
MPEG Stream: "Bitumen Amnii"

DJ SHITBIRD / REVENGE Welcome To The Party (Narnack) cd 11.98
Er...let's see, the press for this says: "A typically retarded new EP split between two of underground San Francisco's favorite treats". Favorite treats we suppose if you're into the most annoying Load-label stuff too, but we won't argue with retarded. But that doesn't mean we're saying you won't like this -- the market for primitive beats, synth abuse, and noisy silly punk-dance chaos is a burgeoning one after all. And there's some local celebs involved in these two acts as well: DJ Shitbird consists of members of Comets On Fire, the Lowdown, Crack W.A.R., Big Techno Werewolves, and Lil Pocketknife, while Revenge consists of the infamous John Dwyer (Coachwhips, Pink & Brown, Zeigenbock Koph, OCS...) and a dude from the Numbers. It seems that Narnack ain't signing up anything, even for a split, without scenester cred galore. Both bands are equally goofy, with Revenge being noisier and DJ Shitbird cuter (but more cringe-inducing), I suppose. Check out the sound clips to see if they get your booty moving or just make you gag...
MPEG Stream: REVENGE "Bird On A Wire"
MPEG Stream: DJ SHITBIRD "Pocketsfull of Party"

DODOS All Night b/w Horns (French Kiss) 7" 4.98
It's been a few weeks since the madness and fun of Record Store Day, but actually there were a few intended-for-Record-Store-Day releases that were delayed, and are only now, luckily, falling into our laps.
Here's one, a shredding 7" from local heroes The Dodos that just arrived and hooo boy we're happy that it has, as these are two of the most rocking and raw tracks from these guys that we've ever heard. Both tracks are previously unreleased and show how great these guys are at crafting impassioned and driving songs, so focused and so ecstatic. What's extra cool about these songs is they are a bit less produced and shiny than their albums, showing that this is indeed a band that sounds just as good raw and rugged as lush and orchestrated. Makes us so excited to see these guys play and experience all this frenetic sonic energy live. Grab one of these while they last! LIMITED NUMBERED EDITION!

DODOS No Color (French Kiss) cd 13.98
The Dodos continue to remain one of the most immediate and satisfying voices to rise above the crowded indie rock scene. With each subsequent record they've built on what came before, pushing it a little further every time, their sound becoming more fleshed out and fully realized, and the songs just getting better and better.
With their last outing, Time To Die, Dodos showed they could make a record that kept their frenetic energy but also really raised the bar on their songwriting capacity. On No Color, they've made an album that so perfectly melds their unique ability to sound so urgent while also being rife with such lush melodic layers, unique time changes, incredible guitar shredding, and powerful percussion, all of which really makes their songs sound like sonic marching orders to get through the mundane of the every day.
There is an epic nature to these tracks, as Dodos have the rare ability to make a four minute song sound so big and wide in scope, yet still remain grounded by an intimacy that shines through it all. It doesn't hurt that their pal Neko Case joined them on many of these songs. Alongside Pinback, they stand as one of the most substantial and engaging indie rock bands around!
MPEG Stream: "Black Night"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Try And Hide It"
MPEG Stream: "Good"

DODOS No Color (French Kiss) lp 17.98
The Dodos continue to remain one of the most immediate and satisfying voices to rise above the crowded indie rock scene. With each subsequent record they've built on what came before, pushing it a little further every time, their sound becoming more fleshed out and fully realized, and the songs just getting better and better.
With their last outing, Time To Die, Dodos showed they could make a record that kept their frenetic energy but also really raised the bar on their songwriting capacity. On No Color, they've made an album that so perfectly melds their unique ability to sound so urgent while also being rife with such lush melodic layers, unique time changes, incredible guitar shredding, and powerful percussion, all of which really makes their songs sound like sonic marching orders to get through the mundane of the every day.
There is an epic nature to these tracks, as Dodos have the rare ability to make a four minute song sound so big and wide in scope, yet still remain grounded by an intimacy that shines through it all. It doesn't hurt that their pal Neko Case joined them on many of these songs. Alongside Pinback, they stand as one of the most substantial and engaging indie rock bands around!
MPEG Stream: "Black Night"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Try And Hide It"
MPEG Stream: "Good"

DODOS Time To Die (French Kiss) cd 13.98
Long gone are the days when Meric Long's sweet vocals and talented songwriting skills were just our little secret. After carrying his debut self released cd-r from a few years back, Meric has merged his forces into creating one of the most refreshing and rewarding bands in the modern indie-pop landscape. The Dodos have proven to be a force to be reckoned with, their record from last year, Visiter, launched them into the stratosphere and rewarded them with a whole new and very large fan base. Which was well deserved considering that Visiter was most definitely the sound of a band finding their sound, everything falling into place perfectly, passion, hooks and creative instrumentation. Time To Die finds the band sounding even more assured with a refined sound that is pretty darn irresistible. Like a more effervescent Built To Spill, The Dodos create songs that have maximum mix-tape potency, every song here a gem, really not a wasted moment or a throwaway track anywhere to be found. While not many of today's indie rock bands really do it for us, The Dodos are a shining exception!
MPEG Stream: "Two Medicines"
MPEG Stream: "Fables"
MPEG Stream: "Time To Die"

DODOS Time To Die (French Kiss) lp 17.98
Long gone are the days when Meric Long's sweet vocals and talented songwriting skills were just our little secret. After carrying his debut self released cd-r from a few years back, Meric has merged his forces into creating one of the most refreshing and rewarding bands in the modern indie-pop landscape. The Dodos have proven to be a force to be reckoned with, their record from last year, Visiter, launched them into the stratosphere and rewarded them with a whole new and very large fan base. Which was well deserved considering that Visiter was most definitely the sound of a band finding their sound, everything falling into place perfectly, passion, hooks and creative instrumentation. Time To Die finds the band sounding even more assured with a refined sound that is pretty darn irresistible. Like a more effervescent Built To Spill, The Dodos create songs that have maximum mix-tape potency, every song here a gem, really not a wasted moment or a throwaway track anywhere to be found. While not many of today's indie rock bands really do it for us, The Dodos are a shining exception!
MPEG Stream: "Two Medicines"
MPEG Stream: "Fables"
MPEG Stream: "Time To Die"

DODOS, THE Beware Of The Maniacs (self-released) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now On Vinyl!
Meric Long, the man behind The Dodos, was calling his band The Dodo Bird for a spell, which just so happened to be the title of his debut cd-r release which we carried earlier this year (which was billed as a Meric Long album). Now they go by the abbreviated The Dodos. Confused? Well, all you need to remember is that Meric Long along with percussionist Logan Kroeber are The Dodos. Their engaging music makes keeping them in mind and heart as easy as pie!
As far as we can tell unlike their namesake they are neither feathered and flightless nor extinct. In fact, from the sounds of this, their first full length cd, these Dodos are flourishing, blossoming, ready to take flight. With his contemplative lyrics, terrific songwriting and rich arrangements of vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, percussion and... trombone(!), Long more than makes good on the impressive promise he showed on his debut. Throughout the proceedings he exudes a warm charm and confidence and an occasional willingness to gently nudge the boundaries of the acoustic folk singer/songwriter terrain. Jeff Mangum and John Darnielle, set a place at the table for The Dodos!
MPEG Stream: "Beards"
MPEG Stream: "The Ball"

DODOS, THE Visiter (French Kiss) cd 13.98
It's really exciting to be digging a band just as they are hitting their special 'moment in time.' Such is the case with San Francisco's The Dodos. We've been championing the work of Meric Long for the last couple years with his self-released records, released under his given name, also as The Dodo Birds and finally as The Dodos. With Visiter, The Dodos are no longer our little secret, as the rest of the world has finally taken notice of Meric and Logan Kroeber and their fantastic debut for French Kiss. We love when every once in a while a band who truly deserves the hype and press, actually gets it. From the opening seconds of this record you can hear and feel that this is a record that they poured all of themselves into. Their is an immediacy and urgency in Visiter that draws you right in and makes you want to listen again and again.
The instrumentation is so well thought out and the recording keeps things punchy and tight but never too glossy or slick. We hear the influence of recent Animal Collective, the rich back catalog of the Elephant Six collective, Polvo, the more rocking elements of Vetiver and we also are reminded a lot of a way underrated band from Boston from the late '90s / early '00s called The Wicked Farleys (yes bad name but they were so rad!)
What really sets The Dodos apart from the indie rock herd is what a great vocalist Meric Long is, he has a truly beautiful voice that he isn't afraid to actually USE, but is also never too precious with, even occasionally letting out some exhilarating screams as well. And while other bands who have a great vocalist usually lack, and tend to bore with their instrumentation, The Dodos truly have the entire package. Musically they are so charged and varied, creating sounds that get you to stand tall at attention as they make your heart beat a bit faster and give you goosebumps. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Red And Purple"
MPEG Stream: "Paint The Rust"
MPEG Stream: "The Season"

DODOS, THE (DODO BIRD) Beware Of The Maniacs (self-released) cd 12.98
Meric Long, the man behind Dodo Bird, is now calling his band Dodo Bird, which just so happened to be the title of his debut cd-r release which we carried earlier this year (which was billed as a Meric Long album). Confused? Just get this, that Meric Long along with percussionist Logan Kroeber are now Dodo Bird, but as far as we can tell unlike their namesake they are neither feathered and flightless nor extinct. In fact, from the sounds of this, their first full length cd, this Dodo Bird is flourishing, blossoming, ready to take flight. With his contemplative lyrics, terrific songwriting and rich arrangements of vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, percussion and... trombone(!), Long more than makes good on the impressive promise he showed on his debut. Throughout the proceedings he exudes a warm charm and confidence and an occasional willingness to gently nudge the boundaries of the acoustic folk singer/songwriter terrain. Jeff Mangum and John Darnielle, set a place at the table for Dodo Bird!
MPEG Stream: "Beards"
MPEG Stream: "The Ball"

DOLLY ROCKER Hello, Dolly Rocker! cd 12.98
Fans of the recent Low / Dirty Three In the Fishtank collaborations should clamber and swoon to this new SF outfit. Sparse drumming and strumming, and lulling bass and strings share the space with the quietly emotive female vocals. Mellow and melancholic.

DOLORVOTRE s/t (Ajna) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Folks outside of the Bay Area may not be privy to the burgeoning black metal scene known as the Black Twilight Circle, a small insular group of musicians all playing in multiple bands, all on different instruments and in different arrangements, a scene modeled after the legendary French Les Legions Noires, which featured Mutiilation, Belketre, Aakon Keetrah, Torgeist, Vlad Tepes and others. In the case of the Black Twilight Circle, the bands include Blue Hummingbird On The Left (the only one we've reviewed on the aQ list until now), Volahn, Ashdautas, Axeman, Arizmenda, Kalathonn, Kuxan Suum and others, but Dolorvotre is the first group to get a proper cd release, and on the ruling Ajna label to boot, previously released on tape, several times in fact, this is the first full length from the duo Dolorvotre, and is raw and lo-fi, primitive in part, but also surprisingly progressive and experimental, the band offering up simple slabs of black blast alongside haunting doomy creeps, their songs laced with surprising melodies, weird little guitar filigree, the vocals often doused in strange effects, the tempos shifting constantly, the two piece managing to sound surprisingly lush and full, even with the primitive recordings, the vibe crusty and almost D-beatish at times, those elements though woven deftly into something much more grand, with headphones, much of what sounds raw and primitive reveals itself as way more layered and complex, the record peppered with haunting folky interludes, acoustic guitars draped over chanted vox and swirling synths, the haunting moodiness of those interludes bleeding over into the songs proper, and imbuing the record with a strange black energy that definitely transforms it into something much intense and unique.
LIMITED TO 300 COPIES!!
MPEG Stream: "Brilliant Brightness"
MPEG Stream: "DMT"
MPEG Stream: "Worship Black Twilight"

DOLORVOTRE s/t (Ajna / Crepusculo Negro) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
NOW ON VINYL!!
Folks outside of the Bay Area may not be privy to the burgeoning black metal scene known as the Black Twilight Circle, a small insular group of musicians all playing in multiple bands, all on different instruments and in different arrangements, a scene modeled after the legendary French Les Legions Noires, which featured Mutiilation, Belketre, Aakon Keetrah, Torgeist, Vlad Tepes and others. In the case of the Black Twilight Circle, the bands include Blue Hummingbird On The Left (the only one we've reviewed on the aQ list until now), Volahn, Ashdautas, Axeman, Arizmenda, Kalathonn, Kuxan Suum and others, but Dolorvotre is the first group to get a proper cd release, and on the ruling Ajna label to boot, previously released on tape, several times in fact, this is the first full length from the duo Dolorvotre, and is raw and lo-fi, primitive in part, but also surprisingly progressive and experimental, the band offering up simple slabs of black blast alongside haunting doomy creeps, their songs laced with surprising melodies, weird little guitar filigree, the vocals often doused in strange effects, the tempos shifting constantly, the two piece managing to sound surprisingly lush and full, even with the primitive recordings, the vibe crusty and almost D-beatish at times, those elements though woven deftly into something much more grand, with headphones, much of what sounds raw and primitive reveals itself as way more layered and complex, the record peppered with haunting folky interludes, acoustic guitars draped over chanted vox and swirling synths, the haunting moodiness of those interludes bleeding over into the songs proper, and imbuing the record with a strange black energy that definitely transforms it into something much intense and unique.
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES!!
MPEG Stream: "Brilliant Brightness"
MPEG Stream: "DMT"
MPEG Stream: "Worship Black Twilight"

DOSE ONE Ha (Purple 100) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Ha"
MPEG Stream: "The Tale Of The Private mind"
MPEG Stream: "The Universe In 6 Jumps"

DOSE ONE Hemispheres (Anticon) cd 14.98
Dose One, of underground hip hop phenomenon the Anticon collective, here reissues his 1997 debut and it's a doozy. Filled with hiccupping beats and incredibly deft rhyming. Not doom-laden, like some other hip hop we've been enjoying (ClouDdead, Zion I), this is more fresh and not as heavy but still bass-thumping. Mr Dibbs, Mr Len (Company Flow), J Rawls, etc on the decks and behind the board.
RealAudio clip: "Bronchial Cleansing"
RealAudio clip: "Civilization"
RealAudio clip: "Spitfire"

DOUBLE U White Night, Floating Anchor (Emperor Jones) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
I like this record so much but I can't for the life of me think of how to describe them. Of course they sound A LOT like The Thinking Fellers, as every review will tell you, but I doubt they would deny that. It's when I go to describe the music I'm at a loss. It's rich and creepy, sounds like demented nursery rhymes. The vocals are unique to say the least. Ranging from little girl eeriness, whispering in your ear to booming and indecipherable. Most of the songs are groovy meandering numbers, with odd scraping, sliding, creeping sounds. and there are some carnivalesqe songs that give you the chills like a good horror movie. Odd instrumentation recorded with expertise by Tim Green at Louder Studios. Art rock that will scare you.
RealAudio clip: "Sheepo"
RealAudio clip: "White Night, Floating Anchor"

DOUGLAS, DAVE Five (Soul Note) cd 15.98
Hard-to-find Italian import of this trumpeter recently heard with John Zorn's Masada. Mark Feldman on violin, plus Erik Friedlander on cello, Drew Gress and Michael Sarin. Excellent.

DOUGLAS, DAVE Stargazer (Arabesque Recordings) cd 15.98
"Music by and for Wayne Shorter" featuring John Zorn's Masada members trumpeter Douglas and drummer Joey Baron, along with Chris Speed, Joshua Roseman, Uri Caine, and James Genus.

DOWN RIVER Rememory (Out Of Round Records) cd 11.98
The local label Out of Round has been laboring quietly in the background, not calling a lot of attention to itself yet turning out record after record that are consistently of similar mood -- due to the fact that they all play on each others recordings. The homegrown label's "sound", then, is one of a grimy circus atmosphere, like Fellini's La Strada if it was set in some dusty corner of an urban American metropolis. There are lots of slowed down polkas and depressed waltz time-signatures, dour vocals, sad accoridans, and dolefully plucked guitars. Great mood music for the Tom Waits fan in all of us who feels like Waits is just too hip for his own good these days.
Check out www.outofroundrecords.com -- we carry all of their releases. For a limited time only, get an out of Round Records label sampler free with purchase of this disc.

DR. DRE DEL Dr. Dre Del's Mic of Defiance cassette 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Debut cassette from local parody-rapper (& member of a popular local punk band) Dr. Dre Del, featuring "over 45 sexy, surly jams & hundreds of bad words". Samples used and abused range from the expected P-Funk to Emperor, Oxbow, Herb Alpert, and Harvey Sid Fisher! Funny stuff indeed.

DRAGONTIME s/t (Psychic Arts) cd-r 7.98
We may have unfairly pegged local guitarist Matt Baldwin. His records are big time faves around here, gorgeous mesmerizing guitarscapes, from raga infused psychedelic folk to Fripp / Rother style cosmic guitar explorations, we sell them like crazy, and they get played all the time in the store as well, so when it cam time to review a recent release on Baldwin's Psychic Arts label, we were all prepared for some blissed out guitarscapery, but instead, we got Cryptic Cross, a twisted lo-fi weirdo metal band from the East Bay, whose sound was murky and buzzy and psychedelic and sort of insane, and really about as far as you can get from Baldwin's solo records. So we were determined not to make the same mistake with this most recent Psychic Arts release, from the strangely named Dragontime, another group from Oakland, the cd featuring some cool psychedelic Rainbow Brite style paste on cover art, that definitely points to something a bit on the weird side.
And it's that artwork that maybe gives the biggest clue to what's going on here, cuz it's as far removed from the warped metal of Cryptic Cross as it is from Matt Baldwin's records. The opening track is all pulsing rhythms and synth swirls, kind of new agey, a little bit like video game music, a bit of swirly kosmische shimmer, quite cool actually, but definitely not what we were expecting, a sort of prismatic glistening rainbowscape. The second tracks adds ethereal female vox, and it's transformed into a soundtrack to some low budget fantasy film, a little 4AD, a little swoonsome shoegaze dreampop. After that the record continues to mutate and shift, from fuzzy, warbly organ minimalism, to an almost jazzy sounding lo-fi synth heavy tropical ballad, and from strange alien Asian video game folk music, all processed vox and dreamy melodies, to a murky, softly buzz shimmerscape, and from skeletal sun dappled folk pop, to droned out ominous cinematic synthscapery.
Definitely far out, and seriously super cool too, a little like a female Fastest, conjuring up her own sort of 8-bit shoegaze soundworld, that we can't seem to stop listening to...
LIMITED TO 100 COPIES, hand numbered!
MPEG Stream: "Futures"
MPEG Stream: "Sombra Sola"
MPEG Stream: "Beltane"