PARLOUR Googler (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 13.98
Much like the cloud of plastic googly eyes that festoon the cover of this cd, Parlour's music has the tendency to drift off in all directions. From track to track and moment to moment, they're ever-morphing stylistically and tempo-wise. That's not to say that this album is scattered or haphazard. Not at all, there is a unifying slow, meandering flow to the proceedings, and it's all definitely rooted in the postrock camp. Perhaps the diversity is due to the fact that these tracks were done over a five year period in a number of different locales? Or perhaps it's still the lingering traces of the members past projects (The For Carnation, Aerial M, Crain)? Yes, the latter is particularly apparent. Nevertheless, Googler is an intriguing journey through melodic guitar and bass cycles, driving rhythms, warm drones and prickly textures. At times propulsive and sharp-edged while at others smooth and delicate. Six lengthy songs in all.
RealAudio clip: "Jojolinine"
RealAudio clip: "Regulkfro Reel"

PARLOUR Hives Fives (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd ep 9.98
New 20 minute four song ep from Louisville post rockers Parlour. While there's no escaping their deep connection to Tortoise -- we're talking circa Millions Now Living... -- they also have a broad arsenal of musical weapons at their disposal which make them stand out. Most significantly is the inclusion of both bass clarinet and tenor saxophone as prominant leaders in their sonic pallette, but also richly endowed with the sounds of tasteful analogy synths, jangling guitars and the requisite bass and drums. To be fair to Parlour, and maybe give a little more credit where credit is due, their sound is probably even closer to that of Pell Mell (who were squeezing out their own surfy brand of instrumental post rock long before Tortoise ever played a single note).
MPEG Stream: "Such (A One Year Stem)"
MPEG Stream: "Timorme"

PARLOUR Octopus Off-Broadway ( Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 14.98
Led by Tim Furnish (Crain, Aerial M, For Carnation), this Louisville group is quite beautiful. It's a post rock instrumental record... and yeah, there's a lot of those out right now! However, this is totally at the higher end of the quality spectrum. The lulling Tortoise-like grooves that the band gets into are super warm and organic sounding, as opposed to too much electronics. I like that. Added twists *do* occur on a synth, but ironically enough, these are some of the warmest sounds on the record -- reminding me of flutes, wooden percussive implements, random harmonizing squiggles. It's not the most challenging record in the world, but it don't hafta be. a worthy indierock answer to Boards of Canada or Gas. A very pretty, very nice surprise.
RealAudio clip: "Stipendlax"
RealAudio clip: "Aflipperput"

PARMEGIANI, BERNARD Chants Magnetiques (Fractal) cd 22.00
Had Fractal not dusted off this gem of French electronic composition, there's a good chance this disc might have found its way back into circulation through elusive Icelandic cd-r label Creel Pone. Bernard Parmegiani was one of the many composers who cut their teeth at the highly influential INA-GRM studio / label / laboratory of sound, alongside the likes of Pierre Henry, Luc Ferrari, and Xenakis. Favoring an acousmatic strategy that reveals sound in a manner that sublimates its origins, Parmegiani is best known for his grandiose La Creation Du Monde whereby the composer attempts to address the sound that predates the Big Bang, as well as its polyphonous explosion through a constantly spiralling thrum of electronic vibration. Chants Magnetiques (which translates as Magnetic Fields, and Fractal is quick to point out that this album precedes the Jean Michel Jarre album of the same name by several years) is easily the darkest album in Parmegiani's body of work; and perhaps, the paranoiac qualities of Chants Magnetiques were the reason for its obscure status for so long. The opening round of erratic electric squiggles slides into a languid drone of sustained strings, whilst a robotic hammering strikes against what sounds like springloaded doors. Occasionally chipper but usually damaged electronic percolations and atonal blasts of prog organs intermingle with sheet metal cacophony and convulsive buzzings, only to sulk into subterranean layers of sound haunted by mad scientist chords on the organ and spooky atmospherics that never sound cheesy in spite of the references. The entire composition is executed with an incredible precision and complexity, easily positioning itself as a clear influence upon the later work of Autechre. One not to miss.
MPEG Stream: "Vibrations"
MPEG Stream: "Pulsion"

PARMEGIANI, BERNARD Da Natura Sonorum (INA/GRM) cd 21.00
Listening to "Da Natura Sonorum" it's easy to understand where Autechre borrowed their mutable rhythms from. Often cited as a huge influence upon those figureheads of current abstract electronica, Bernard Parmegiani emphasized the "instantaneousness of the ephemeral and the mobility of the repetitive" within his fusionist compositions between musique concrete and live instrumentation. While Autechre took this agenda (and particularly Parmegiani's ping-pong algorithms of granular synthesis) to a post-electro / fractured breakbeat context, Parmegiani is firmly rooted in the traditions of INA GRM electronic music. Over the two distinct suites of "Da Natura Sonorum," Parmegiani couples electronic and tape constuctions with lengthy sustained chords from live instruments at times attaining a Feldman-esque flutter of multiple French Horns, yet the second passage exhibits more fleeting compositions for the orchestral elements in favor of dense collages of electronics.
RealAudio clip: "Conjugaison du Timbre"
RealAudio clip: "Pleins et Delies"

PARMEGIANI, BERNARD JazzEx (Fractal) cd 21.00
We've been a fan of French musique concrete composer, Bernard Parmegiani for awhile now. His sound engineer's background brings forth a stunningly unique view of music-making through which he combines improvisational intuition with an excellent sense of compositional form. JazzEx is a collection of four of his earliest works: "JazzEx" (1966), a composition for electronic tape and Jazz Quartet from the 1966 Festival de Royan; "Pop Eclectic" (1969), an electro-acoustique divertimento that mixes natural and synthetic sounds and was composed for the Peter Foldes movie; "Du Pop a l'Ane" (1969), a plunderphonics sound collage using pop and symphonic sounds; "Et Apres" (1973), an amazing electronic tango composition featuring Michel Portal on bandoneon. This is an important period of Parmegiani's work, noting his first major steps in this eclectic sound language. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Pop Eclectic"
MPEG Stream: "Du Pop a l'Ane"

PARMEGIANI, BERNARD La Creation Du Monde (INA/GRM) cd 21.00
Bernard Parmegiani is a French musique concrete / electronic music composer who has worked extensively with the influential INA GRM recording studio / label. While a number of 20th Century composers avidly footnote their work with dense historical references and conceptual overviews, Parmegiani favors the acousmatic approach (currently espoused by Francisco Lopez) of creating a hallucinatory sound without revealing what caused it. Such a philosophy favoring mystery over intention is perfectly suited to the cosmologically tinged composition "Le Creation Du Monde" (1982-1984). Parmegiani expresses the cosmic beginning through gradual introductions and transformations of dense, yet ephemeral fragments of sound which mutate and coalesce into warm, buzzing timbres and aqueous percolations. While the tonalities to "Le Creation Du Monde" are comparable to Xenakis's "Persepolis" or Stockhausen's "Mikrophonie," Parmegiani's volatile collage aesthetic falls much closer to the non-academic forms of early Nurse With Wound. Good work.
RealAudio clip: "Instant 0"
RealAudio clip: "Jeux De Confrigurations"
RealAudio clip: "Polyphonie"

PARMEGIANI, BERNARD La Memoire Des Sons (INA-GRM) cd 21.00
"Le Memoire Des Sons" collects three pieces from the French musique concrete composer Bernard Parmegiani, including "Capture Ephemere" (1967), "Sons-Jeu" (1987), and "La Memoire des Sons" (2001). As with his previous works including his masterpiece "La Creation Du Monde," Parmegiani follows an acousmatic approach to contextualizing how his heavily processed sounds are to be perceived. Despite the span of 34 years in between all of these recordings, there is a remarkable similarity in how Parmegian fractures the source material into generative particles tumbling, exploding, flanging, dissolving, sparkling, and timestretching into very plastic sound constructions, that clearly follow the strict rules of what musique concrete should be according to the precepts of the French state sponsored institution INA-GRM.
RealAudio clip: "Capture Ephemere"

PARMEGIANI, BERNARD Pop'eclectic (Plate Lunch) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Odd-ball music conrete from this legendary French composer. This disc presents archival material from 1966-1973, thereby predating the pop cut-ups of Christian Marclay by a good bit. The four pieces here feature a patchwork of styles, at times fused with symphonic elements, or having free jazz musicians play over prerecorded tapes of electro-acoustic music. Important, influential, and a fun listen, too!

PARMEGIANI, BERNARD Violostries (INA-GRM) 2cd 30.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

PARMEGIANI, BERNARD / FRANCOIS BAYLE Divine Comedie: Enfer / Purgatoire (MFA) 2cd 29.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

PARMENTIER Luxsound (Sigma) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Parmentier is a collaboration between New Zealand's Rosy Parlene and Dion Workman (ex-Thela) who combine to create scratchy drawn out soundscapes with bleak, claustrophobic drones and rhythms approximating at time the Chain Reaction pulse, by building loops out of skipping records. The end result is similar to Boyd Rice's infamous Black Album, but far more beautiful.

PARRENIN, EMMANUELLE Maison Rose (Lion) cd 14.98
Haunting and lovely avant-folk recording from French multi-instrumentalist Emmanuelle Parrenin. Recorded in 1977, Parrenin's fascination and adeptness with ancient traditional stringed instruments such as the harp, hurdy-gurdy, spinet, and dulcimer, gives a unique spin on her more forward thinking compositions. Often compared to Vashti Bunyan and Linda Perhacs due to her sweet multi-tracked vocals which accompany about half of the songs, we think the later recording date puts her more in line with Kay Hoffman's Floret Silva (another progressive folk masterpiece recorded the same year) or the kosmiche pastoral vibe of Popol Vuh due to the layered Celtic-inflected droning harmonies she evokes from her instruments. Beautiful and so recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Chibault et L'Arbre D'Or"
MPEG Stream: "Apres L'Ondee"

PARRENIN, EMMANUELLE Maison Rose (Lion) lp 30.00
Now, reissued on vinyl too!
Haunting and lovely avant-folk recording from French multi-instrumentalist Emmanuelle Parrenin. Recorded in 1977, Parrenin's fascination and adeptness with ancient traditional stringed instruments such as the harp, hurdy-gurdy, spinet, and dulcimer, gives a unique spin on her more forward thinking compositions. Often compared to Vashti Bunyan and Linda Perhacs due to her sweet multi-tracked vocals which accompany about half of the songs, we think the later recording date puts her more in line with Kay Hoffman's Floret Silva (another progressive folk masterpiece recorded the same year) or the kosmiche pastoral vibe of Popol Vuh due to the layered Celtic-inflected droning harmonies she evokes from her instruments. Beautiful and so recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Chibault et L'Arbre D'Or"
MPEG Stream: "Apres L'Ondee"

PARRY / SOEGAARD Off The Map (Hwyl Nofio) cd 14.98
Back in stock!!
We've long been huge champions of the highly unpronounceable UK outfit Hwyl Nofio, aka Steve Parry. Every record some new world of sound, haunting and mysterious, delicate and lovely, creepy and dreamy. Judging by how quickly we sell through most of the Hwyl records, you all feel very much the same way. 
Off The Map is the long in the works collaboration between Hwyl's Steve Parry, and fellow guitarist Fredrik Soegaard, who had been a contributor on previous Hwyl recordings. Thus it's not really a huge stretch to imagine that some of Off The Map might sound a bit like Hywl Nofio, and it does, while at the same time taking off in its own distinct directions. 
Two guitar players, each with their own approach to the instrument, both seeming to fit together perfectly. Much more active than the often subdued Hwyl records, these two guitars tangle and wrangle and the results are quite lovely, from buzzing metallic drones, and complex webs of melody and overtones, to burbling cauldrons of electronic sputter and squiggle, to gorgeously melodic soundscapes of sparkle and glimmer, to chest rattling steel stringed lowbuzz, to damaged atonal acoustic folk, peppered with squeaky balloon streaks of high end guitar, to blissed out washes of soft shimmer and muted melody, to grinding Wolf Eyesian industrial scrapescapes, complete with haunting pterodactyl skree and throbbing metallic crunch, to dizzying arrays of all-over-the-place screech and splatter and flurries of upper register trills, to soft billowing waves of warm sun drenched sonic buzzstorms...
Every track is dramatically different, but they all seem to fit together, like chapters in a book, each track a tiny piece of the story, every one hinting at what is to come, each retaining ghostly memories of what came before, part of the joy is figuring out the story, following the record from end to end, it's a journey through sound, letting your ears lead the way, but the great thing about Off The Map, and music in general, if you don't care about the 'story' or the 'journey', the sounds offer just as much on their own, sans emotional and intellectual intent, just sweet simple sonics to set your ear drums abuzz. 
MPEG Stream: "Off The Map"
MPEG Stream: "Unstrung 101"
MPEG Stream: "Map"
MPEG Stream: "Abstract 0 9"

PARSON Throw Some Ds (Planet Mu) 12" 7.98

PARSON SOUND s/t (Subliminal Sounds) 2cd 34.00
Before we actually listened to this reissue, we didn't expect too much from these fairly obscure Swedish psychedelic underground rockers, having never heard them before, and knowing only that they were an earlier incarnation of another Swedish hippy rock outfit (Träd, Gräs och Stenar) whose much-hyped live album failed to impress us when it was issued on cd several years ago by this same label. So how was it that this band could deserve a double cd collection? Well, they do. Man, were we wrong! These guys were great! [Something also borne out by the more recent reissues of Harvester, International Harvester, and the actual Träd, Gräs och Stenar studio album, all of which are worth getting too.] This is a completely astounding collection of dark shimmering drones and super heavy tranced out minimal psych-rock recorded in 1967 and '68. At times freaky and chaotic, but most often hypnotically locked into stoned grooves, this is some of the best heavy psych we've ever heard. Their shifting instrumentation (the list includes guitar, bass, drums, organ, double-bass, electric-cello, flute, cowbell, saxophone, hand drums, acoustic guitar, tape recorder, and...seance? huh?) is employed in both intricate and extended studio recordings and totally primal and euphoric live performances over the course of these two discs. Parson Sound crafted music that, while reminiscient of the Taj Mahal Travellers, Terry Riley, Flower Travelling Band and the like, is almost wholly their own. If you were told that this was a new, 2001 recording you'd think that it must be some Japanese Acid Mothers Temple style psych-rock supergroup, or Bardo Pond on some hitherto unknown variety of really really good drugs...wow! Yet again we are amazed at the musical treasures hidden in the not-so-ancient past, and greatful to the fans and labels that dig 'em up for reissues like this one. And Subliminal Sounds does it right, packaging these archival recordings with detailed liner notes, and evocative art and photos -- although the music is all that's needed to make you wish you'd been born old and Swedish enough to have been at one of the free-rock happenings documented here!
RealAudio clip: "Tio Minuter"
RealAudio clip: "From Tunis To India In Fullmoon (On Testosterone)"
RealAudio clip: "India (Slight Return)"
RealAudio clip: "A Glimpse Inside The Glyptotec-66"

PARSONS, DAVID Earthlight (Celestial Harmonies) cd 15.98
David Parsons is not as well known outside of New Age circles as say Deuter or Kitaro, but in the case of this New Zealand artist who's been releasing music since the early eighties, obscurity in that particular genre is an asset rather than a liability. Parsons makes the kind of New Age music we really dig a lot around here, the kind that exceeds the boundaries of the genre into areas of experimental drone, pastoral Kosmiche music and 20th century composition. Like Eberhard Schoener (another krauty 'New Ager' we love), Parsons is known mostly for a cross-cultural fusion of Eastern and Western musical forms that feature lots of ethnic instruments and field recordings, on Earthlight, Parsons only uses synthesizers, where he programmed in his own sounds built completely from scratch. Deep bottom-heavy Ur-drones, and soft phased in high tones converge on fields of repetitive gamelan-ish arppegiations and filtered washes of bell tones. Really Nice!
MPEG Stream: "Earthlight"
MPEG Stream: "Altai Himalaya"
MPEG Stream: "Corona"

PARSONS, GRAM Another Side Of This Life (Sundazed) cd 13.98
Normally a discovery like this, lost unreleased recordings of the late great Gram Parsons, would have everyone freaking out. I mean, this is the grievous angel! He was personally responsible for some of the most beautiful country rock ever, AND he was in the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers.
But our initial excitement may have been a bit premature. These are home recorded demos from 1965-1966, a time when GP was immersed in the New York folk scene, so most of the songs have that Greenwich Village/Dylan/folkie vibe, not much of the twang that would become his 'sound'. The sound we've all come to know and love. The covers range from Buffy Saint-Marie to Fred Neil to Lieber and Stoller. And normally, unreleased/unheard tracks would be the treasure here, but in this case it's the songs that would resurface later (albeit in different incarnations) that are the most interesting. Probably his most famous song, 'Brass Buttons', is included here, stripped down and kind of tentative sounding, and it's just really cool to hear a 'classic' in its fetal stages. Too bad there wasn't more of that. The bottom line, is that this one's for the completists and GP obsessives and I imagine there are quite a few of you out there.
RealAudio clip: "Brass Buttons"
RealAudio clip: "Another Side Of This Life (Fred Neil)"

PARSONS, GRAM Another Side Of This Life (Sundazed) lp 15.98
Normally a discovery like this, lost unreleased recordings of the late great Gram Parsons, would have everyone freaking out. I mean, this is the grievous angel! He was personally responsible for some of the most beautiful country rock ever, AND he was in the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers.
But our initial excitement may have been a bit premature. These are home recorded demos from 1965-1966, a time when GP was immersed in the New York folk scene, so most of the songs have that Greenwich Village/Dylan/folkie vibe, not much of the twang that would become his 'sound'. The sound we've all come to know and love. The covers range from Buffy Saint-Marie to Fred Neil to Lieber and Stoller. And normally, unreleased/unheard tracks would be the treasure here, but in this case it's the songs that would resurface later (albeit in different incarnations) that are the most interesting. Probably his most famous song, 'Brass Buttons', is included here, stripped down and kind of tentative sounding, and it's just really cool to hear a 'classic' in its fetal stages. Too bad there wasn't more of that. The bottom line is that this one's for the completists and GP obsessives, and I imagine there are quite a few of you out there.

PARSONS, GRAM Archives Vol. 1 (Amoeba) 2cd 21.00
Wow, here's something we're sure a few folks -- specifically Gram Parsons fans -- wished they'd found under the tree a few days ago!
Ah well, better late than never! Here's just the facts:
Gram Parsons and The Flying Burrito Bros.
Live at the Avalon Ballroom here in SF.
Two evenings back in April 1969.
Awesome.
These two cds feature 25 remastered live recordings
as well as two recently unearthed home recorded demos! they're packaged in a beautiful 5"x5.75" hardcover 20-page book. It sounds great. It looks great. A fantastic document of '60s Americana!

PARSONS, GRAM Fallen Angels - Live 1973 (Rhino) cd 16.98

PARSONS, GRAM GP / Grievous Angel (Reprise) cd 14.98
An absolutely essential album in any self-respecting country rock music fan... seriously. It just doesn't get much better than this. A true classic. 'Nuf said.

PARSONS, GRAM Sacred Hearts and Fallen Angels Anthology (Rhino) 2cd 28.00
Rhino releases a very nice anthology covering the broad swath of Gram Parsons' short (he died in his mid-twenties) but brilliant career, thru almost all the bands he took part in, including the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and the Flying Burrito Bros. (There's nothing from the early group the Shilohs, but they weren't all that good anyway.) Plus, of course, the two completely seminal solo albums he made with Emmylou Harris in the early 1970s. Yes, the phrase "seminal" is an overused cliche, but if you're already a Parsons fan then you'll know its use is appropriate here. Gram Parsons basically invented the country rock genre that has since found flower in the "no depression" alt.country scene that's alive and well today. He named it Cosmic American Music. He felt equal love for the honkytonk and the outlaws, for the rock and the folkies, and combined them in a way that is completely his own, that is super listenable and sing-along-able and heartbreakingly beautiful. Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Son Volt, Jayhawks, the Creekdippers, Old 97s, Dieselhed, Beachwood Sparks, Whiskeytown... they are all indebted to Gram Parsons.
If you don't already have his solo records and the single Byrds album he appeared on (Sweetheart of the Rodeo), then why not give this anthology a try. It's got one previously unreleased Int.Sub.Band outtake (that's quite good), copious liner notes, including notes on each song included, plus lots of photos of Parsons in his Nudie suits that I'd never seen before, some words from Emmylou, and it's all packaged in a very nice slipcase. Recommended.
Note: we always carry the two solo albums he made -- GP and Grievous Angel -- which have been released on one disc.
RealAudio clip: BYRDS "You Don't Miss Your Water"
RealAudio clip: GRAM PARSONS "$1000 Wedding"
RealAudio clip: GRAM PARSONS "To Love Somebody"
RealAudio clip: INTERNATIONAL SUBMARINE BAND "Knee Deep in the Blues"

PARSONS, GRAM The Complete Reprise Sessions (Warner / Rhino) 3cd 38.00
The enigma of Gram Parsons remains ever elusive. Considered the Father of Country Rock by pioneering the concept of a rock band playing country music through his contributions with The Incredible Submarine Band, The Flying Burrito Bros, and The Byrds later output, namely Sweetheart of the Rodeo (An interesting side note: the recent reissue of Sweetheart of the Rodeo restores Parsons vocal tracks which originally had to be removed due to contractual obligations with Lee Hazelwood's LHI label who released the sole Incredible Submarine Band album.). But it's Parson's two solo records on Reprise, G.P. from 1972 and Grievous Angel from 1973 that cemented his legend and legacy due to his untimely death from a morphine and tequila overdose near the Joshua Tree National Monument only weeks after the Grievous Angel sessions were completed. He was 27 years old. While there have been numerous 2 disc compilations and anthologies highlighting various periods of Parsons short but incredibly productive and influential career, including his years as a Greenwich village folkie, as well as live sets, there has never been a box set to completely round out his influence. So this new 3 disc box set showcasing his two solo records with a bonus disc of stripped down alternate takes and interviews will only offer minimal new insights. Previously only available as a two-fer, these absolutely essential solo albums have now been given room to breathe and stand up as two completely individual listening experiences, while the alternate takes only emphasize the loss of one of the finest country voices. So utterly heartbreaking. The only happiness that comes from these sessions is the magical presence of EmmyLou Harris who was introduced to the world with these records and was an equal partner in their making, and without her, the legacy of these recordings would not shine as brightly.
MPEG Stream: "A Song For You"
MPEG Stream: "Brass Buttons"
MPEG Stream: "In My Hour of Darkness"

PARSONS, GRAM / FLYING BURRITO BROS. Sleepless Nights (Warner) cd 18.98

PART TIMER Blue (Flau) cd 14.98
Back in 2006, we reviewed a record by a mysterious band (or person) called Part Timer. Whose sound was a gorgeous lush dreamfolk, overlaid with bits of glitch and electronic skitter. At the time, that sort of thing was all the rage, for a band to take their pedestrian folk or indie pop, and then cover it with electronic bits, to make it edgy or hip or whatever. But Part Timer seemed to effortlessly transcend that. Their sound organic, but with the various electronic elements an integral part of not just the sound, but the composition as well.
On a trip to Japan about a year ago, we took a long train ride through the countryside, up a mountain, to a monastery tucked way on top of a forest covered mountain. That record was the soundtrack, and it was perfect, the sound of green trees rushing past, little villages tucked into the mountain side, the movement of the train, the blue skies, the world rushing by, clouds, birds, the sound is just s soft and lovely and tranquil and beautiful.
We were super excited to discover that there was in fact another Part Timer record, which we finally managed to get from a tiny Japanese label, and we're happy to report, it's just as gorgeous as the other one.
Acoustic guitars weave tranquil little melodies, super spare rhythms are constructed from bits of glitch and record crackle, the sound of birds and children playing constantly in the background, like this is the soundtrack to some warm afternoon stroll though a tiny village, cobblestone streets, the world lush and verdant, bits of vocals surface here and there, offering the tiniest hint of melody, muted chiming bells ring out, simple melodies plucked out on old pianos, the sound of creaking machinery, moaning violins, sweeping strings, it sounds like a lot of sound, but the sound is never dense or cluttered, instead it's spacious and airy, nearly weightless at times, the sound of floating on a puffy white cloud through a crystal clear summer sky.
At its heart Blau is a simple soft folk record, but the folk drifts through strange landscapes of subtle sonic variation, the electronic bits never intrusive, gently complimenting the lilting guitars, the voices and textures and field recordings wrapped around the melodies like some soft down comforter, everything about Blau is tranquil and dreamlike, warm and so utterly soothing. Some of the prettiest pop folk we've ever heard.
MPEG Stream: "Theme From Part Timer"
MPEG Stream: "Unknown"
MPEG Stream: "Four Timer (Mix One)"
MPEG Stream: "Hide All You Like"

PART TIMER s/t (Moteer) cd 15.98
We really have to come up with a name for this stuff. You know, that sort of deconstructed fragmented pop, glitchy crumbling, fuzzed out ambient weirdness, everything blurry and buzzy and soft focus. Jeck, Tim Hecker, Fennesz, Machinefabriek, Jasper TX, and now Part Timer. It's another one of THOSE SOUNDS, the kind of sounds we can't ever get enough of, just like super hard ragga jungle or buzzy drone-y black metal, it's a sound that we are absolutely in love with. If we could figure out away to make these records go on forever and ever and ever we surely would (for now, the repeat button will have to suffice).
But as we've mentioned in the past, it's not enough just to assemble some lilting folk or some pretty ambience, and then haphazardly "fuck it up" with weird electronic bleeps and bloops or fuzzy drones. No, it takes someone special to allow organic prettiness and jagged digital disruptions to co-exist so perfectly. It's like some strange alchemical art, allowing two such disparate sounds to exist as one, as if we couldn't possibly imagine them separate.
And rarely has there been a more beautiful, and subtle example of this art than on this debut release from Part Timer.
First and foremost, this is simply a gorgeous dreamfolk record, glistening guitar melodies, languid and lazy, sweet and sundappled, with tinkling piano, fluttering flutes, ethereal angelic female vocals, drifting bits of abstract twang and distant reverbed horns, shuffling muted rhythms, a breathtaking collection of shimmery pop folk perfection. And that's before we even consider the fascinating and constantly fluctuating production, a series of bizarre treatments, rendering each little perfect pop nugget or drifting free folk flitter in a completely different light.
A little bit of soft folky twang, becomes a haunting stuttering soundscape of steel strings and weird tape recorder clicks, sweet pop vocals become totally obscured beneath filmy layers of fuzzy distortion and glitchy grit. Weird almost-IDM rhythms materialize from distinctly un-techno song parts, before coming apart into some murky ambient drift. The whole record is glazed with strange bits of sonic sorcery, a little sprinkling of dusty old looped record crackle, warm smears of fuzzy foggy melodic murmur, warped warbles and staticky grit, chopped and shuffled vocals, thick drifts of white noise tape hiss, all miraculously managing to act more as subtle accompaniment rather than overpowering noise.
The perfect blend. Catchy and simple, dreamy and lovely, but slightly off kilter and subtly damaged. Like discovering a tape of some lost folk pop classic, all degraded and decayed, and then trying to repair and reassemble it, but realizing that there is too much tape hiss and too many drop outs to fully restore the tape, only then realizing that somehow, the final product, this, is even more lovely than the original could have ever been.
MPEG Stream: "Unwritten Letter To No. 9"
MPEG Stream: "We Made A Big Mistake"
MPEG Stream: "Daytona"

PART, ARVO Kanon Pokajanen (ECM) cd 23.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Music inspired by the early Russian Orthodox Church. Graceful and minimal as his music always is. Thick book of liner notes.

PART, ARVO Litany (ECM) cd 15.98
World premiere recording.

PARTCH, HARRY 17 Lyrics of Li Po (Tzadik) cd 16.98
The obi reads: Composer, theorist, inventor of musical instruments, and one of the most colorful characters of 20th century music, Harry Partch broke with Western tradition and forged a new music based on a more primal, corporeal integration of the elements of speech, rhythm and performance. This is the first complete recording of one of Partch's earliest extant compositions. Featuring Ted Mook and Stephen Kalm.

PARTCH, HARRY Collection Volume 1 (New World / CRI) cd 16.98
Seems like it's about time that Harry Partch's recordings should be permanently available and not continually cycle in and out of print. If he hasn't yet been "canonized" in the eyes of academia, he's been so by the rest of the world by now. If all other reasons were eliminated, the mere mention of "builders of unusual instruments" puts Harry Partch at the top of most people's heads. His gorgeously hand crafted and other worldly sounding instruments were built not on a whim, but out of necessity. Which brings to mind the second reason why Harry Partch resides at the top of so many lists: microtonal music. No one before him had a so thoroughly codified and premeditated way of dividing the "octave" into harmonic and melodic divisions. 43 scale degrees is what he eventually settled on, which is why he had to either heavily modify or build from scratch his instruments. But his chosing 43 tones and his handling of them wasn't just for effect, like many of those composers who preceded him. Most of his compositions didn't even use all 43 notes. Instead Partch had developed his own scales and modes -- derived from ancient Greece along as well as from around the globe. His compositions were a veritable hodge podge of influences: American folk music, Chinese classical, African, Greek, Balinese, Javanese, and on and on. To top it off, the musicans performing his works were expected to sing and dance while they played their respective instruments. And while he was a demanding composer with very specific and strongly argued opinions about music (his book Genesis Of A Music is not only an in depth look at his own theories, but a scathing critique of western classical music), his compositions were largely quite accessible. The tracks here were recorded between 1950 and 1953 with the exception of "Ulysses At The Edge" which was recorded in 1958 and originally released on Harry Partch's own Gate Five record label. Oh, that's another thing, he was probably the first DIY record producer / label owner / mail order business. The majority of Partch's instruments were either percussion, in the form of large and varied marimba-like instruments and zithers. One particular marimba, the Marimba Eroica had only two notes, a resonater 8 feet long and was played with huge and heavy padded mallets. You can imagine how that one sounds. And yet all of his instruments are not only unique sounding, but beautiful and haunting as well. The Cloud Chamber Bowls were a set of glass carboys cut in half and tuned to Partch's scale and sounds as close to a glass gong as anything could. But the most fucked up of all is the Chromelodeon, a heavily modified reed pump organ that sounds like the devil itself when it plays clusters of notes or simple chords. Along with Ulysses, Volume 1 of the Harry Partch collection includes Eleven Intrusions, a song cycle utilizing ten of Partch's instruments accompanying voice; Plectra & Percussion Dances, a suite of three unrelated pieces utilizing the entire Partch orchestra of instruments. These newly reprinted CRI editions come with hefty booklets with archival photos and extensive liner notes.
MPEG Stream: "Castor & Pollux"
MPEG Stream: "Ring Around The Moon"

PARTCH, HARRY Collection Volume 2 (New World / CRI) cd 16.98
Four of Harry Partch's earliest compositions, works he later grouped together as The Wayard, comprise the first half of this collection. The four pieces: U.S. Highball, San Francisco, The Letter and Barstow were written between 1941 and 1943 after Partch received a Guggenheim Fellowship. This after he'd spent much of the previous 10 years hoboing around the country, picking up odd jobs as he could get them throughout the depression. It's no wonder then that the topics of these pieces have much, if not everything, to do with his experiences during this period. These are classic Partch, combining social commentary and humor to create odd oratorios (the texts of these pieces are included in the accompanying booklet) that are spoken as much as they are sung and done so with that quintessential vocal style that just smacks of the 50's. I think that's what makes these recordings sound all that much more interesting and odd. You expect the voices you hear to be pitching Listerine or a Chevy Corvair, not kicking it with an iconoclast hobo composer. The final composition here, And On The Seventh Day Petals Fell In Petaluma, is a radical contrast to these earlier pieces and makes for a nice juxtaposition for this collection. Completed in 1966, it's one of the few pieces Partch composed that is strictly instrumental and completely lacking any kind of "program". Further, it utilizes the entire cache of the now fully realized Partch orchestra of instruments.
MPEG Stream: "U.S. Highball"
MPEG Stream: "And On The Seventh Day Petals Fell In Petaluma"

PARTCH, HARRY Collection Volume 3 (New World / CRI) cd 16.98
The choice of Partch works selected for this third volume of his music highlight the corporeal aspects of his art: be it incorporating dance and drama into his compositions or scoring for films. One piece, "Rotate The Body In All Of Its Planes" (1961), was even written for gymnasts while performing at the Collegiate Gymnastics Championship at the University of Illinois Charles Pond and later preserved onto film by Madeline Tourtelot. "Windsong" (1958) is another composition for a film collaboration with Tourtelot. The first piece on the disc, "The Dreamer That Remains" (1972) was Partch's last completed work. Commissioned by long time friend Betty Freeman, The Dreamer was a largely autobiographical work, detailing childhood memories, his hoboing days and even outing himself to the world -- something that caused Freeman some consternation at the time. The final piece, "Water! Water! -- An Intermission With Prologues And Epilogues" (1961), is a satyrical piece of theater postulating that the greatest satisfaction for the audience in any performance was the arrival of intermission when they could finally leave their seats for some refreshments.
MPEG Stream: "The Dreamer That Remains"
MPEG Stream: "Water! Water!"

PARTCH, HARRY Collection Volume 4 - The Bewitched (New World / CRI) cd 16.98
Love him or... don't love him ("hate him" seems a little extreme for a man as benign as Harry Partch), he had to have been the greatest idealist in the history of Western music -- not to mention the greatest iconoclast. It's not enough to disassemble the chromatic scale and build an entirely new harmonic theory around a division of some 43 tones to the octave or assemble an entire orchestra of insanely gorgeous hand built instruments, but he also insisted on a corporeal execution of almost all his works. The Bewitched was the first large scale composition in which the musicians were also expected to sing and dance as they played. Not something that most performers or audiences would balk at today, but this was 1957, not 1967. Even today his music sounds completely unlike anything else. Bewitched begins with just the rumblings of the marimba eroica, the two note bass marimba, which are almost inaudible unless you have some serious subwoofer action. One by one the entire cast of the Partch orchestra chimes in on different melodic themes, and building in counterpoint with one another at each turn. Musically it's an extremely strong composition, with great thematic development, beautiful and haunting melodies (as wonderful as any in his other compositions). One of the greatest aspects of The Bewitched however is Partch's treatment of the human voice. Whether done intentionally to stress the "primitive" aspirations of his music, or for lack of a worthy libretto, all the vocals are wordless chanting and singing. I know a lot of people can't seem to get into Partch's works (like "Revelation In A Courthouse Park" and "Barsto") because they find the lyrics corny. Those who can't get into his music because of this might want to give Partch a second chance with The Bewitched. The voice of the performer playing The Witch, the lead role in The Bewitched, sounds an awful lot like exotica chanteuse Yma Sumac. In fact the whole composition sounds a lot like a more academic Martin Denny scoring an episode of Star Trek (Shatner, not Stewart for all you young-uns) -- what with all the marimba-like instruments. And yet in sections which feature clarinet, piccolo and cello Partch's themes begin to sound surprisingly pastoral, like his antithetical contemporary Aaron Copland. Which is not to make Partch look like some stuffed shirt. I don't think anyone would confuse his music for the creative wellspring of a tenured faculty at some ivy league school. One need look no further than the titles for each scene to see that Partch's sense of humor wouldn't be caught dead in academia. For instance, scene five is titled "Visions Fill the Eyes of a Defeated Basketball Team in the Shower Room", or scene ten: "The Cogniscenti Are Plunged into a Demonic Descent While at Cocktails". Like the other discs in this Partch reissue series this one comes with a nice fat booklet with historical and biographical notes, photos and detailed descriptions of each scene in the performance (which, by the way, is the original 1957 monaural recording). Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Scene 2 - Exercises in Harmony and Counterpoint Are Tried in a Court of Ancient Ritual"
MPEG Stream: "Scene 8 - A Court in its Own Contempt Rises to a Motherly Apotheosis"

PARTNERSHIPS Double Love Suicide (Blackbean & Placenta) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

PARTON, DOLLY Little Sparrow (Sugar Hill) cd 16.98
The timeless songbird of country music again explores her bluegrass roots. Employing many of the bluegrass stars on her previous album The Grass is Blue, Dolly tackles some standards ("I Get a Kick Out of You", "I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby", and her own "Down from Dover") and eight self-penned originals. Some country, some bluegrass. Alison Kraus again guests as harmony vocalist. And Dolly's not above letting the musicians display their talents without her voice in the forefront, like the smoking mandolin solo on "I Get a Kick Out of You." Wonderful and strong!
RealAudio clip: "I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby"
RealAudio clip: "Mountain Angel"
RealAudio clip: "Marry Me"

PARTON, DOLLY Mission Chapel Memories: 1971-1975 (Raven) cd 22.00
Oh Dolly! How we love you so. And how could we not. Dolly is like the wise, fun and sassy aunt we wish we all had. Someone who tells it like it is but never lets the hardships of life take away her spirit or sass. Mission Chapel Memories is without a doubt the greatest collection of Dolly's songs in a brief yet totally special moment of her musical career (1971-1975). During this prolific era she released eight albums as well as four duet collections with her mentor the late great Porter Wagoner. From classic songs you might know like "Coat Of Many Colors", "The Bargain Store" and "Jolene" to more obscure Dolly tracks that just might become your new favorites, as well as some secret weapons / devastating tracks for the next mix you make like "Loneliness Found Me", "Comes And Goes" and "When Someone Wants To Leave." This is Dolly at her most pure and raw. Proving that well before she became a huge pop star and cultural icon, she was responsible for writing, singing and playing some of the most sad, striking and salt of the earth country songs ever recorded. What makes Dolly so amazing and important is how truly universal her songs and sentiments are. No one else could draw as diverse of a fan base and loyal following as Dolly. From country music enthusiasts and southern baptists to punkers and queer activists everyone can relate and grasp onto the magic of Dolly. In recent years folks like the White Stripes, The Gossip and Jenny Hoyston have helped champion Dolly's music, exposing it to a new generation that maybe would have missed out on some truly amazing songs. And if you've been looking for that one document that really captures Dolly's music in its full glory this is the one to have!
MPEG Stream: "Bargain Store"
MPEG Stream: "When Someone Wants To Leave"
MPEG Stream: "Love Is Only As Strong (As Your Weakest Moment)"

PARTON, DOLLY The Grass is Blue (Sugar Hill) cd 16.98
Wow! After 40 years-and-counting, Dolly Parton releases her very first all-bluegrass recording. For this she chose some of the best bluegrass musicians in the world, including Sam Bush (founder of New Grass Revival and, according to No Depression magazine, "generally considered one of the top three bluegrass mandolin players in the world"), dobro player Jerry Douglas ("acknowledged to be the best in the world"), fiddler Stuart Duncan, guitarist Bryan Sutton and banjoist Jim Mills (both ex-Ricky Skaggs band), along with the angelvoiced Alison Krauss and Patty Loveless as backup singers. Alternately growling, yowling, and crooning her own originals and covers of Hazel Dickens, Blackfoot, Lester Flatt, the Louvin Brothers, and Johnny Cash, this is Dolly at her best -- without slick, deadening prodcution values that's cost many a country album its vitality and life. If you thought Alison Krauss' last record was a little too watered-down-commercial and you already have all the Freakwater albums, then this record is for you.

PARTON, DOLLY Those Were The Days (Sugar Hill) cd 17.98
We were thinkin' about Ms Dolly the other day, and how much we love her The Grass Is Green album and admire her spirit. Much like Charo, she's often described (or dismissed) as cartoonish and ahem, larger than life (heck, there's no question that they're both fully aware of this fact, and ahem, maximize it!). And also much like Charo, she's got indisputable chops. Hmmm, we will give the edge to Ms Dolly though 'cause she's got Dollywood! She just keeps kickin' butt year after year and keeps ya guessin'. Here she sings the oldies -- so many dear songs that we recall from our childhood! And she's invited the original singers to join her. A sweet, moving concept, lovingly realized.
MPEG Stream: "Those Were The Days"
MPEG Stream: "Both Sides Now"

PARTRIDGE, ANDY & HAROLD BUDD Through the Hill (Hannibal) cd 16.98
This long out of print Partridge/Budd collaboration has been reissued with different cover art, more liner notes (offering an account of how these two unlikely musical bedfellows came to meet and how these recordings came to be) and a bonus track! For those unfamiliar with the album from its original release back in 1994 and those who might be expecting more of a pop presence considering the intelligent hook-writing talents of XTC's frontman Partridge, you'll soon discover that this album sounds nothing like XTC and everything like Harold Budd. The seventeen tracks are divided into seven sections -- Prelude, Geography, Interlude, Structures, Interlude, Artifacts and Postlude. Meditative soundscapes with occasional spoken word segments (actually Partridge's poetry as read aloud by Budd). Shimmery percussive washes weighted by solemn piano and guitar lines, analog synthesizer textures and cycles played out on Indian and African bells. Elegant and beautiful.
MPEG Stream: "The Place Of Odd Glances"
MPEG Stream: "Mantle Of Peacock Bones"

PARTS OF SPEECH Collider (self-released) cd 11.98

PARTY MONSTER Original Soundtrack (TVT) cd 17.98

PARTY OF HELICOPTERS Mt. Forever (Troubleman Unlimited) cd 10.98
This band is supposed to sound like a combination of My Bloody Valentine and Iron Maiden. Intriguing, no? But, while I can hear the MBV (the vocals), and the Maiden (it's not entirely hype; one track at least really does seem to cop some licks from Maiden circa "Killers"), there's also a more ordinary pop punk sound at play here. No offense meant, but the combo of MBV, Iron Maiden, and J-Church is a wee bit less intriguing than just the former two. Definitely ok emo-punk-whatever with some math rock slightly metallic leanings, for folks who find the Champs too hard and want somebody singing about something...is that too mean? This WAS enjoyable, but perhaps a little let down by their own hype.

PARTY OF HELICOPTERS Please Believe It (Velocette) cd 10.98
With this, the post-rock pop band Party of Helicopters' third album, some of us here at AQ can be considered fans for sure, as we've gotten more and more into 'em over their last couple releases. The original hype line on 'em -- My Bloody Valentine meets Iron Maiden -- was just too good to be true, and the inevitable disappointment took its toll. But we must admit, there is a kernel of truth to that description... These Ohio boys play a sort of emo/punk/pop hybrid with twisty guitar lines, hints of classic metal riffing, noisy shoegazer textures, and Pixies-ish catchiness. Musically their powerful guitars are mathy and a bit metally, kinda like post-hardcore outits The Great Unravelling and Universal Order Of Armaggedon, but with different, higher, breathy, near falsetto vocals. Not higher in an '80s metal way, though, it's more like you could imagine the vocals emanating from a tiny, precious perfumed box with a sensitive boy singer inside. We're reminded a bit of some San Diego bands -- the pop vocal arrangements of Rob Crow's Heavy Vegetable with the muscle and sinew of Drive Like Jehu's guitars, and the complexity of both bands. Very cool.
MPEG Stream: "The Good Punk"
MPEG Stream: "Cover Me"

PARTY OF HELICOPTERS, THE Space... And How Sweet It Was (Troubleman Unlimited) 2cd 14.98
The Party Of Helicopters bring you emo at its most intense. The first disc of their double whammy reminded me quite a bit of the awesome, early '90s Pacific Northwest group who called themselves Treepeople (Doug Martsch's band prior to Built To Spill). Blending aggressive, angstful male vocals with some pretty catchy, twisting guitar licks. The second disc offers up a trippy, ten minute long opening track with a wall of guitar washes that brings their occasional comparisons to My Bloody Valentine much more into focus. Layer upon layer of cyclical vocals over rounds of edgy, driving guitar riffs. An impressive sequel to their debut two years ago, Mt. Forever.
RealAudio clip: "Crawling"
RealAudio clip: "The Conquering"

PARTYLINE Girls With Glasses (Retard Disco) cd ep 8.98
Uhh, is the name of the record label telling us sumthin'? Dunno, but one thing's for sure, the hyperactive, prolific gal Allison Wolfe just can't sit still. She's got so many musical projects past and present, it's hard to keep track of 'em all -- Bratmobile, Cold Cold Hearts, Deep Lust, Da Hawney Troof, and the list goes on! Not to mention that they're usually three-piecers. Her bands have all been dead set on raisin' the indie grrrrl roof. So it comes as no surprise that her latest outing Partyline continues to stir up a raucous garage rawk racket. Musicianship and finesse be damned! Such is the case with their debut EP Girls With Glasses and its half dozen super lo-fi, rudimentary bashed out on guitar, bass and drums tunes.
MPEG Stream: "Unsafe At Any Speed"
MPEG Stream: "Nuthaus"

PARVEZ, USTAD SHAHID Kushal (Dunya) cd 17.98

PASCAL Hello My Name Is (Uvulittle) cd 9.98
About a couple of years ago, a cd-r was dropped off here at Aquarius for consignment consideration. We liked what we heard and swiftly emailed the mysterious Pascal to bring us a bunch. Alas, there was no response. But just the other day, who should walk though our door? Pascal... with a completed cd in hand! Seems he wanted to make sure everything was just right. So at long last, we now have the elusive album in stock with a full digipak. The music is just as we recall - raw acoustic folk songs with reverb-y highly emotive vocals, ramshackle percussion, and strummy guitars. At times his top-of-his-lungs delivery is strikingly similar to that of AQ fave Jeff Mangum. To be frank, some customers and staffers even found the resemblance a bit unsettling. Nevertheless, Pascal has his own stories to tell/sing. Check out the lovely "You'll Pick My Name". Lend him your ear!
RealAudio clip: "Mr. Jenkins"
RealAudio clip: "You'll Pick My Name"

PASS INTO SILENCE Calm Like A Millpond (Kompakt) cd 16.98