ROHAN ROHAN & GHOST Deeply In Love (Killa) 7" 2.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" (Eve).

ROKY ERICKSON You're Gonna Miss Me (Palm / Manga) dvd 33.00

ROLL THE DICE In Dust (Leaf) cd 14.98
Latest from this Swedish duo, whose day jobs just so happen to be producing tracks for artists like Fever Ray and the Knife, but whose musical heart seems to belong to groups like Goblin and folks like John Carpenter, their records gorgeous, dark, cinematic soundscapes of swirling synths and pulsing rhythms, and this latest disc is no different, although if anything, it's much more subtle, and carefully crafted, as well as being quite a bit darker. Where past recordings evoked the the swirl of space, conjuring up streaks of celestial kosmische-ness, or the sleek streamlined imagined future of high speeds and automation, this new record is much more grimy and menacing. Even the opening track eschews the usual RTD hallmarks, and instead locks into a relentless groove, all ominous tension, and haunting repetition, no beats, to soaring synths, just a throbbing cyclical melodic played on old analog instruments that seem to decay as the track progresses growing more and more distorted. One might imagine the record might let up, but the following track is another looped bit of synth-y tension, a blooping minor key melody, over dark minor key swells, but laced with some gorgeous elegiac piano, which adds a serious gravitas to the proceeding, but in no way lightens the mood. This is fantastic stuff, the soundtrack to some dark dystopian future otherworld, as imagined and rendered in analog sound.
The sounds range from hushed piano drive ambient swirls, to creepy lumbering dirges, from gristly expanses of electro-drone thrum to blurred ominous synth buzz blur, and from blurred almost symphonic drift to washed out almost Eurodisco sounding grooves, but all held together by those dark dolorous piano melodies, and that melancholic mood that seems to infuse all the sounds here. Dark and mysterious, a grim and gorgeous glimpse of a dark kosmische underworld.
MPEG Stream: "Iron Bridge"
MPEG Stream: "Calling All Workers"
MPEG Stream: "Maelstrom"
MPEG Stream: "The Skull Is Built Into The Tool"

ROLL THE DICE In Dust (Leaf) 2lp+cd 23.00
Latest from this Swedish duo, whose day jobs just so happen to be producing tracks for artists like Fever Ray and the Knife, but whose musical heart seems to belong to groups like Goblin and folks like John Carpenter, their records gorgeous, dark, cinematic soundscapes of swirling synths and pulsing rhythms, and this latest disc is no different, although if anything, it's much more subtle, and carefully crafted, as well as being quite a bit darker. Where past recordings evoked the the swirl of space, conjuring up streaks of celestial kosmische-ness, or the sleek streamlined imagined future of high speeds and automation, this new record is much more grimy and menacing. Even the opening track eschews the usual RTD hallmarks, and instead locks into a relentless groove, all ominous tension, and haunting repetition, no beats, to soaring synths, just a throbbing cyclical melodic played on old analog instruments that seem to decay as the track progresses growing more and more distorted. One might imagine the record might let up, but the following track is another looped bit of synth-y tension, a blooping minor key melody, over dark minor key swells, but laced with some gorgeous elegiac piano, which adds a serious gravitas to the proceeding, but in no way lightens the mood. This is fantastic stuff, the soundtrack to some dark dystopian future otherworld, as imagined and rendered in analog sound.
The sounds range from hushed piano drive ambient swirls, to creepy lumbering dirges, from gristly expanses of electro-drone thrum to blurred ominous synth buzz blur, and from blurred almost symphonic drift to washed out almost Eurodisco sounding grooves, but all held together by those dark dolorous piano melodies, and that melancholic mood that seems to infuse all the sounds here. Dark and mysterious, a grim and gorgeous glimpse of a dark kosmische underworld.
MPEG Stream: "Iron Bridge"
MPEG Stream: "Calling All Workers"
MPEG Stream: "Maelstrom"
MPEG Stream: "The Skull Is Built Into The Tool"

ROLL THE DICE Live In Gothenberg - August 7 - 2010 (Leaf) lp 10.98
A super special limited Record Store Day release from these Swedish duo, a production team who has worked with Fever Ray and the Knife among others, but who on their own create super cinematic synthscapes that definitely appeal to fans of Umberto, Zombi, Majeure and the rest of the new wave of Carpenter worship.
This 2 track 12" was recorded live in Sweden in 2010, and features two sprawling sidelong epics, each a fantastically evocative chunk of synth heavy soundtracky pulse and shimmer. The A side is some seriously spaced out krautdrone drift, equal parts Tangerine Dream and John Carpenter, the sound grows more and more dense as the track progresses, from minimal, to a dark haunting throb, the sound more noisy, more aggressive, before exploding in a final burst of frantic synth freakout. The flipside unfurls sweeping pulses that seem to swoop from speaker to speaker, a dreamy melancholy melody draped over the top. Distant swells, thick swaths of low end buzz, the vibe super cinematic, and darkly tense, multiple melodies overlap and interact, layer upon layer, the sound ever more dense and dark, the second half finds the sounds changing dramatically, the percussion ultra distorted, the eighties soundtrack feel even more pronounced, again finishing off with a barrage of wild glitched out synths. Great stuff.
And again, a SUPER LIMITED Record Store Day release. We were lucky to get enough copies to list post-RSD, which means these most definitely won't be around for long.

ROLL THE DICE s/t (Digitalis) cd 15.98
This AQ fave, originally issued this past winter on vinyl (and long since out of print in that format) is finally available on cd, definitely a good thing!
A bit of a left field release for Digitalis, Roll The Dice is a duo from Sweden, producers who have worked with The Knife and Fever Ray, but who here, serve up some sort of futuristic retro John Carpenter / Goblin style synthscapes, albeit with their own twist.
The sound is most definitely spacey, and synthy, and soundtracky, throbbing, pulsing, subtly psychedelic, the continuous sci-fi pulse that seems to drive every low budget movie made in the eighties, but wrapped around elements that are distinctly more earthy and organic, a little bit of folk, some broody minimalism, even (and especially) a bit of pop, definitely a strange hybrid, but of the two elements it definitely leans heavily in the synth/space/retro direction. That said, these guys cover a lot of ground, slipping from full on Goblin pulse, all haunting and minor key, to moody poppy playfulness, to long drifts of shimmering spaced out ambience and even extended moments of almost Basic Channel-like deep dub minimalism, all of those held together by the presence, either subtle or pronounced, of that relentless, pulsing sci-fi synth line.
The flipside finds RTD getting all blissed out and Pop Ambient, washed out, shimmery, sun dappled and glimmery, crystalline melodies, and barely there buried soft focus rhythms, before closing the record with what sounds like the music behind the credits from some super obscure, eighties, straight to video thriller, slow and spacious and smoldering, ominous and a bit creepy, but still spacey and synthy.
Anyone into recent records from Umberto, D.A., Anima Morte, Somnam, Pulse Emitter, Steve Moore, as well as yeah, of course, the aforementioned Goblin, Zombi and John Carpenter, would do well to check this out too.
MPEG Stream: "The New Black"
MPEG Stream: "Axel"
MPEG Stream: "Guadeloupe"

ROLL THE DICE s/t (Digitalis) lp 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A bit of a left field release for Digitalis, Roll The Dice is a duo from Sweden, producers who have worked with The Knife and Fever Ray, but who here, serve up some sort of futuristic retro John Carpenter / Goblin style synthscapes, albeit with their own twist.
The sound is most definitely spacey, and synthy, and soundtracky, throbbing, pulsing, subtly psychedelic, the continuous sci-fi pulse that seems to drive every low budget movie made in the eighties, but wrapped around elements that are distinctly more earthy and organic, a little bit of folk, some broody minimalism, even (and especially) a bit of pop, definitely a strange hybrid, but of the two elements it definitely leans heavily in the synth/space/retro direction. That said, these guys cover a lot of ground, slipping from full on Goblin pulse, all haunting and minor key, to moody poppy playfulness, to long drifts of shimmering spaced out ambience and even extended moments of almost Basic Channel-like deep dub minimalism, all of those held together by the presence, either subtle or pronounced, of that relentless, pulsing sci-fi synth line.
The flipside finds RTD getting all blissed out and Pop Ambient, washed out, shimmery, sun dappled and glimmery, crystalline melodies, and barely there buried soft focus rhythms, before closing the record with what sounds like the music behind the credits from some super obscure, eighties, straight to video thriller, slow and spacious and smoldering, ominous and a bit creepy, but still spacey and synthy.
Anyone into recent records from Umberto, D.A., Anima Morte, Somnam, Pulse Emitter, Steve Moore, as well as yeah, of course, the aforementioned Goblin, Zombi and John Carpenter, would do well to check this out too.
SOLD OUT AT THE LABEL, super limited, not sure how long these will be around.

ROLLER, THE Wasted Heritage (Cyclopean) lp 12.98
Latest from these Texas based heavies, and their first record to make it on the aQ list. Which seems weird considering how fucking kick ass and so very aQ this stuff sounds. Plus as much as we try not to judge a book by its cover, how can we not when said cover is a sprawling expanse of forest, with a rainbow soaring overhead, and in the midst of this jungle like foliage, a row of full stacks and a drumkit, right in front of what appears to be a river. Hell had we not already heard this, we would have been sold big time. And then, there's the fact that the first two minutes of record opener "Candle Black" essentially sounds like a Slayer 45 spinning at 33rpm, one of THOSE riffs, and then when the band does kick in, and cranks it up, it sounds like a doom-ed out stonery sludge combo channeling Slayer, into something much less speed metal, and way more lurching, lumbering doom sludge majesty. The band locking into mesmerizing and supremely headbangable grooves, the vocals a gruff growly bellow, the sound slipping from low slung riffery, to soaring epic almost-post-rock, to churning math flecked doom, to death march plod and back again.
Four songs, nearly 40 minutes, the longest jam 14+, the shortest nearly 7, this is dense, chugging, crusty, metallic, grim, doom-ed, sludge-y, slow burn, blackened, tripped out, mathy, stonery, Sabbathy heaviness that will no doubt hit the spot for anyone into similarly minded outfits like Bongripper, The Sword, Sourvein, Eyehategod, etc...
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES, housed in a super heavy, deluxe gatefold sleeve. Includes digital download too!
MPEG Stream: "Candle Black"
MPEG Stream: "Of Feather And Bone"

ROLLERBALL Long Walk for Ice Cream (Cochon Records) cd 14.98
Rollerball scares up all sorts of psychologically charged demons within their cabaret theatrics, not unlike the atmospheres that saturate the works of Barry Adamson and to a lesser extent Tom Waits and Nick Cave (due to the fact that Rollerball's vocal duets / croons are engaging, but not as engrossingly powerful as either Waits or Cave, but the accompaniments remain similar). The slow patter of brushed drums, a minor chord on a piano, and melody lines from clarinet, accordion, and trumpet fix a darkened mood upon their jazz-decay creakiness. Occasionally, Rollerball dissolves the structures into epic free-jazz spaciousness that recalls their Portland comrades Jackie-O Motherfucker. "Long Walk For Ice Cream" collects the "Sam Donaldson" 7" single and the "Zapatos" 10" previously released through Cochon as well as four new tracks.
RealAudio clip: "Theme From A Movie With Characters"
RealAudio clip: "Blu Lu"

ROLLING STONES, THE Exile on Main Street (Universal) cd 15.98

ROLLING STONES, THE Exile On Main Street (Universal) 2lp 35.00

ROLLINS, HENRY Nights Behind The Tree Line (2.13.61) cd 11.98

ROLLINS, SONNY Soneymoon (Get back) cd 16.98

ROLLO Pinhole (Inoxia) lp 21.00
As much as we'd prefer not to, we're sure some of you would appreciate if we started this review with one of those AQ alerts. Goes something like: BORIS ALERT!!!! BORIS ALERT!!!! NEW ON INOXIA!!!! BORIS RELATED NEW RELEASE!!!! Okay, so now all you Boris obsessive can skip right to the buy button and move on, you're probably gonna want this, cuz A. it's on Inoxia, and B. it's produced by Atsuo from Boris! Oh, and let's not forget C. IT'S LIMITED TO 500 COPIES!!!
For the rest of you, who need more than a loose Boris connection, this is in fact a pretty awesome slab of drifting droning acid psych. No huge pounding sludge, or blown out fuzz rock, most of the tracks on Pinhole meander aimlessly, wandering from fluttery folks, to ambient drift, and back again, with the occasional squall of distorted buzz.
The record opens with a thick wash of blurred guitar, dense and swirling, groaning waves of distortion flecked with streaks of feedback, while beneath lurks a playful little melody, gently swaying peacefully beneath the sonic turbulence. Then suddenly, the record shifts gears, and we're floating weightless through some sun dappled glade, lilting detuned guitars unfurl gentle melodies all wistful and abstract, WAY off in the background some tape hiss and crumbling distortion. It's very spare and lo-fi, wreathed in sparkling solar flares and soft focus reverb, sort of like a druggy mix of Jandek, Loren Connors and the Durutti Column. Elsewhere reverbed guitars sway suspended in clouds subtle delay, nursery rhyme melodies and hummed / mumbled vocals draped over a shimmery crystalline latticework of delicate drifts of sound, super simple and unobtrusive percussion as well as barely audible field recordings. Now and again, the band launches into some super aggressive strumming, kicking up dense clouds of high end skree and blown out free noise fuzz, but even at their noisiest, Rollo are never far away from settling back down into another long stretch of soft psychfolk shimmer. Good stuff for sure. Not necessarily sonically something Boris fans will automatically love, although some of this did remind us of Boris at their dreamiest and most abstract, but fans of Japanese stuff like L, Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Masaki Batoh, Eddie Marcon and the like will be in heaven.

ROLLO TREADWAY, THE s/t (Rollosound) cd 14.98
Pop music definitely seems more and more like a lost art every day. For every hundred bands that can whip up a chaotic noise rock racket, or every thousand bands who tune down and unfurl walls of crumbling low end sludge, there are maybe only one or two bands, who are creating true, timeless, amazing pop music. Rife with amazing production, incredible songwriting, lush harmonies, clever lyrics, mind blowing hooks, maybe even horns and strings, and out of those bands, maybe only a fraction are doing something truly original. Aping the Beach Boys or the Zombies or the Beatles can only take you so far. And to be totally honest, way too many bands claim the Beach Boys or the Zombies as an inspiration, most taking just the surface stuff, which was only part of the musical magic involved.
So thus we have the strangely named Rollo Treadway, from Brooklyn, although on first listen we would have sworn they were from sixties London, or perhaps sixties Los Angeles. This disc showed up out of the blue in the mail one day, and on first listen we were already proclaiming this pop record of the year. How could we not, this is everything we love. Retro pop so good, that if you didn't know better, you might assume this was the real thing. And heck, it IS the real thing, just 40 years later. The strangest thing about this band is the fact that the drummer is Blake Fleming, formerly of the Mars Volta, and before that, the godlike Laddio Bolocko! But don't be expecting any of that sort of stuff, this is pure pop. Lush, string laden, harmony drenched pop. Mellotrons, warm organs, jangly guitars, and some of the most gorgeous breathy vocals harmonies we've heard in ages. The other amazing thing about this disc, is that it's a concept record of sorts, the first song, "Kidnapped" is sung by the male half of a couple of siblings who have been kidnapped, it's strangely moving, and super creepy. Later in the record, a track begins with the sound of a typewriter, and the song reveals itself as a letter from the kidnapper to the kids' family. The high concept never derails the songs though, and the songs are damn near perfect.
The opener, is quite possible THE pop song of the year. Quite reminiscent of Belle And Sebastian's "Step Into My Office, Baby" from their Dear Catastrophe Waitress (a record even the B&S hating Andee LOVES), beginning with twangy Western guitar, some cool percussion, maracas, shakers, a woozy guitar melody, all beneath a super effected stuttering main riff, then a circusy bridge, with gorgeous falsetto vocals, soaring strings, even some horns, a very Zombies like string break, there's even a flute solo. It manages to be dreamy and ethereal, but also surprisingly rocking. We've probably listened to this song a hundred times since we first got this in. Thankfully, the rest of the record is just as gorgeous, borrowing heavily from the above mentioned influences, but wrapping those influences in their own distinct song writing, some incredible intricate guitars, super varied drumming and percussion, horns and strings everywhere, whirring organs, but the focal point is definitely the vocals, lush and whispery and soft, the harmonies rich and layered and seemingly effortless.
"Dear Mr. Doe" continues the kidnapping plotline, the typewriter leading into a jaunty organ riff, and a simple propulsive rhythm, wandering bassline, and the vocals, multi tracked, each one complimenting the other, vibes, more organs, a shimmery sixties groove, almost dreamlike, while the lyrics instruct the parents not to call the police and where to leave the money if they ever hope to see the kids alive again.
It's really hard to explain what exactly is so magical about this record, other than the sound is amazing, and the songs are fantastic. Just listen to the sound samples, if "Kidnapped" doesn't immediately send you into paroxysms of pop bliss, then you need to march right down to your local Pop Music headquarters and turn in your membership. Pop kids of any stripe will dig this like crazy. If you love the Zombies, Beach Boys, Badfinger, Beatles, Kinks, or more modern pop revivalists like Jellyfish, the Three O'Clock, the Wondermints, Silver Sun, Redd Kross, Belle And Sebastian you will definitely love getting lost in the Rollo Treadway's lush baroque pop wonderland.
MPEG Stream: "Kidnapped"
MPEG Stream: "Dear Mr. Doe"
MPEG Stream: "Rua Gararu 188"
MPEG Stream: "You Laugh, I Cry"

ROM = PARI View (Sub Rosa) cd 15.98
The debut album from this Japan-based duo is a kick ass electronica album with some very heavy influences from Aphex Twin. So much so you'd think you were listening to extra tracks produced by Richard James himself right after his Boy / Girl EP. Very Nice!

ROMAN BATHHOUSE Las Vegas Dirge (Hactivist) cd ep 5.98
Roman Bathhouse is one Carl DiSalvo, an SF experimental sound artist recently relocated to Pittsburgh (PA or CA, I don't know...). Lots of steamboat style horns, low rumbles and vinyl crackle. Sort of a lo-fi small scale amateur version of Philip Jeck. Sort of. On Hactivist, run by the forward thinking folks behind Creation Is Crucifixion.

ROMAN SOLDIERS s/t (Captured Tracks) 7" 6.98
Can't imagine a team up that would have lo-fi underground noise poppers more in a tizzy than this, Roman Soldiers, which is actually Blank Dogs AND Gary War together for the first time, crafting some of the most warped and warbly and ultra tweaked new wave downer pop ever, even by both groups already warped and warbly standards.
This plays at 45, but fair warning, it sounded pretty rad at 33, even more miserable and murky, but that's the advanced version, only for those of you who think you can handle it.
Two tracks, both a sort of creepy sci-fi electro new wave top 40, a definite Butthole Surfers vibe, mostly due to the vocals, which are SUPER heavily effected, muddy and reverby, the guitars are jagged and angular and jangly, of course there's plenty of synths all over the place, rumbling and buzzing, the whole record gloriously washed out and woozy. The flipside is total Gary Numan worship, thick slithery synths, cool laid back distorted vocals, a killer main hook, just some practically perfect doomy gloomy electro pop, again infused with that alternate universe FM radio wooooze. Here's hoping these guys stick it out together long enough to whip up a full length!

ROMAN TORMENT / FEED THE DRAGON split (Anarchymoon Recordings) lp 10.98
This here is a noise record. No way to sugar coat it. There are bits and parts that are less than noisy, some subtle sonics and strange ambience, but ultimately, to dig this, you need a taste for NOISE.
Roman Torment is a blast of face melting ear shredding rooooaaarr. A dense smear of sonic chaos, grinding shrieking howling, thick crumbling masses of sound, blinding streaks of feedback, bursts of speaker shredding grit. Intense and thick and L O U D.
Feed The Dragon, are all about the noise too, but they creep up on it slowly, starting out with some minimal glitch and stutter, a swirling, scraping ambience, lots of low end and distant sonic gristle, before gradually building into a thick undulating swell of electronic buzz and rumbling sonic grind, sheets of skree draped over throbbing pulses of crunch and grind, that gets so thick and heavy near the end, it almost begins to resemble something distinctly metallic, like Earth or SUNNO))), but of course way noisier...
LIMITED TO 300 COPIES. Pressed on super thick vinyl. with cool and creepy paste on art.

ROMANCE Bleak Memories (Noise Museum) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The new solo project from avant-ambient guitarist & programmer James Plotkin (Old/Scorn/Flux/Plotkin-Spybey/etc.). Rhythmic electronic instrumental pop (a bit techno-y like Locust), infused with weird patches of pretty piano, hissing noise and Ovalish stutter.

ROMANICK, CHRISTY & KAREN LANGLIE 4,29 (lildiscs) 3" cd-r 8.98

MPEG Stream: "4.29 Part 1"

ROMANOS, GEORGE 2 Little... (a Greek label) cd 18.98
Import of Greek folk artist that the Forced Exposure crowd is all over.

ROMANOWSKI Holidays With Romanowski (self-released) cd-r 8.98
The tireless SF DJ Romanowski brings good tidings with his brand new festive mix, Holidays With Romanowski! His turntable boughs are weighed heavily with old soul and hip hop classics. Nice.

ROMANOWSKI My Adidas cd 14.98
Local DJ Romanowski and Greg "P-Nut" Galinsky put together an art show featuring sixteen pairs of plain white Adidas shell toes. each decorated to within an inch of its life by sixteen artists. Some of them look pretty cool, like Romanowski's which he bronzed and be-winged. The show opened in SF and will travel to LA, Tokyo, Berlin, Paris, and finally NYC. Romanoski mixed this cd as a special soundtrack to accompany the show, and in addition to several of his own previously-unreleased tracks, there are contributions from Latyrx, Poets of Rhythm, Rad, Exotic Pets, Viva Brazil, etc. Fine mood music for an ultra hip event such as this. Made specially for the art show and limited to only a few stores. Nice photos of the shoes too.
RealAudio clip: ROMANOWSKI "My Adidas Intro"
RealAudio clip: VIVA BRAZIL "Skindo-Le-Le"
RealAudio clip: LATYRX "Say That"

ROMANOWSKI Party In My Pants (Future Primitive Sound) cd 12.98

ROMANOWSKI Party In My Pants Remixed (Trouser Trout) 2cd 17.98

ROMANOWSKI Steady Rocking (Future Primitive Sound) cd 12.98

ROMANOWSKI / J.A. WHITEFIELD Opiated Circutry Board (Trouser Trout) cd 9.98

ROMEO VOID Benefactor (Wounded Bird) cd 16.98
Here's a reissue of this Bay Area band's sophomore release from 1982. Romeo Void were perhaps most known for their underground hit "Never Say Never" (aka "I might like you better if we slept together" song). That propulsive number which was characterized by some jagged sax, some time signature twists and vocalist Debora Iyall's distinct edgy delivery is indeed on this album along with eight others, many of which bear a striking resemblance to that one song. Also included on this 2006 pressing are four bonus tracks (one of which is a 12" version of "Never Say Never"). Cool.
MPEG Stream: "Never Say Never (12" Version)"
MPEG Stream: "Shake The Hands Of Time"

ROMEO, MAX Crazy World Of Dub (Jamaican Recordings) cd 14.98

ROMERO, DAMIEN Twins (Tone Filth) 2lp 27.00

ROMP A Moment On The Air (FMN Sound Factory) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Japanese instrumental trio, equal parts King Crimson, Don Caballero, Circle, Ruins, Altered States...pretty great and affordable too.

RONDELLES Shined Nickels and Loose Change (K) cd 14.98
You just may have heard us raging about the punky pop magic that was The Rondelles last album entitled "The Fox". Really, it was one of Cup's top picks from 1999. Well, when the time came to press play on this their newest sock hop offering, we were positively giddy. Granted this is a bit of a mishmash collection containing six new songs, two K Records singles and a Teenbeat Records compilation track, but... is it just us or are the hooks not gliding as easily off lead singer Juliet's tongue nor are they embedding themselves in your brain as instantly and deeply? In fact, many songs seem to be unfinished. Still a fun time, but sadly nothing comes near the the absolutely uplifting lo-fi pop anthems found on "The Fox". Includes a handful of eyebrow-raising covers (Madonna's "Like a Prayer" The Shimmy Beckers' "Cafeteria Rock" and the seasonal "Angels We Have Heard On High"). Bummer.
RealAudio clip: "Like A Prayer"
RealAudio clip: "Safety In Numbers"

RONDELLES The Fox (TeenBeat) cd 13.98
Bubblegum rock'n'roll action from Albuquerque! Peppy, high-spirited tunes for your next rollerskate party. This cd has not left Cup's stereo since it came out. Yes, it's that good from start to finish. Snappy songs, super hooks. Confident vocals at once youthfully exuberant, world weary, and wise beyond their years. An ultra-great trio sure to glue a smile on your face. Hey, Donnas fans in need of a more pop fix...this is definitely for you!

RONDELLES TV Zombie (K) 7" 2.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
With this release, The Rondelles hold the honor of being number XCIX (#99) in the International Pop Underground Singles Series. Hooray! Quite simply, this Albuquerque band continues to kick some super power-punk-pop ass --- albeit here in only two very brief bursts. Just a little single to keep us happy 'til the follow-up to the fabulous "Fox" album appears. More Rondelles, please!

RONDELLUS Sabbatum (The Music Cartel / Bed The Bug) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Finally back in stock, now as a domestic release on stoner rock label TMC, licensed from Estonia's Bed The Bug Records: the amazing "Sabbatum".
OK, here's an Aquarius-approved 'high concept' album, all right: Estonian medieval music group Rondellus performing covers of Ozzy-era BLACK SABBATH songs translated into Latin!!! Now *this* sounds like a Black Mass! Backed by lute, harmonium, psaltery, frame drum, bagpipe, and sundry other early instruments, Rondellus' male and female vocalists sing Latin versions of "Verres militares" ("War Pigs"), "Funambulus domesticus" ("A National Acrobat"), "Symptoma mundi" ("Symptom of the Universe"), and nine others -- it's all amazingly beautiful, and soooooo appropriate for Sabbath. Some songs are immediately recognizable, others will probably sound familiar to dedicated Sabbath fans only. Partly that's because of the unique arrangements, and partly because the songs selected for "Sabbatum" thankfully avoid (except for "War Pigs") the over-obvious: there's no "Iron Man" or "Paranoid"; indeed, instead they even picked a few less well known songs like "Junior's Eyes" and "A Hard Road" from Ozzy's last album with the Sabs, 1978's "Never Say Die"! Cool! There's plenty of variation in the instrumentation and vocal arrangements throughout the disc, and it's obvious a lot of hard work and love of Sabbath went into it. Maybe you know (another AQ-fave disc) the Atrium Musicae de Madrid's reconstruction of what ancient Greek music might have sounded like? This is along the same lines, imagining what it would have been like if Iommi/Butler/Osbourne/Ward had made church music back in the 13th century!! Rondellus' languid, haunting renditions demonstrate how timeless Sabbath's music is.
One of the best, and most original, 'tribute' records ever. Now they should go on tour with Apocalyptica (the Finnish cello quartet that does Metallica covers)!
RealAudio clip: "Oculi filioli"
RealAudio clip: "Funambulus domesticus"
RealAudio clip: "Post Aeternitatem"

RONDO BROTHERS No Time Left On Earth (War Chant) cd 9.98

RONETTES, THE Be My Baby: The Very Best Of The Ronettes (Phil Spector Records / Legacy) cd 13.98
Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls, Best Coast, Girls At Dawn, and on and on. So many of our favorite lo-fi garage pop bands of the last few years share one common bond, a deep love and appreciation for Phil Spector's production and the girl groups that he helped bring to life. When it comes to his production and THAT sound he perfected, it just doesn't get more classic than with The Ronettes. The 'Wall of Sound', the drenched reverb, the hypnotic warmth, the catchy melodies, the heartache and yearning.
Makes it extra heartbreaking and bittersweet to revisit these songs knowing all we do now about the troubling relationship that Phil Spector and Ronnie Spector had and of course the ongoing black cloud that haunts Spector's life. But no one can ever take away the amazing and revolutionary sounds he helped create with The Ronettes. These recordings really did help shape the landscape of so much of the best pop music that would follow over the next quarter century. From The Beach Boys to The Ramones, all of the greats have been influenced by the sounds of The Ronettes.
MPEG Stream: "I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine"
MPEG Stream: "Be My Baby"
MPEG Stream: "Walking In The Rain"
MPEG Stream: "Here I Sit"

RONRUINS Ketsunoana (Pandemonium) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Ron Anderson of the Molecules teams up with the Ruins, to play hyperspeed absurdist prog.

ROOF Untraceable Cigar (Red Note) cd 19.98
1996 uber-group recording featuring Tom Cora on Cello, Lux Ex on Bass, Phil Minton on Vocals and Michael Vatcher on drums. One of those rare and amazing efforts that continues to impress me every time I hear it. I guess it takes heavyweights such as these four, with broad backgrounds in music to produce such a unique album that is both completely out there skronk, and retaining catchy songlike membrane to every piece. Highly recommended. Includes a cover of Harry Partch's "The Letter."

ROOFIES Blame It On The Roofies (Mangina) cd 10.98
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ROOK VALLADE s/t (Dial ) 10" 9.98
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A super limited lathe cut 10" (pressed by Peter King in NZ) from the man XLR8R magazine calls "the John Coltrane of techno" also known as O.S.T. Caustic metallic tones and bleak timestretched drones fight for space with the heavy clatter of drum programming which slowly dissolve into a rather sad electronica number. I could see this thing being one of those legendary releases that IDM fanatics will shell out alot of money for in about five years. Now's your chance.

ROOT Black Seal (Redblack) cd 14.98
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Probably the best metal band to come out of the Czech Republic (and though it may seem unlikely, there are quite a few!) is the ominously monikered Root. Around for almost 15 years now, Root continue to make amazing records, evolving and growing with each release, from their roots (ahem) in raw black metal to avant-garde almost-operas more recently. "Black Seal" is easily their best, blending their old, simpler metal sound, and their new more polished, more melodic direction.
Classic eighties sounding metal, with killer riffs, amazing harmony leads, great production, super interesting and complex songs, and wildly creative drumming, but it's the vocals of Root leader Big Boss that really push this over the top. From warbly maniac-lounge-singer wailing to hushed chants to occasional guttural growls (not like death metal cookie monster vocals, more like sinister preacher threatening sinners with the end of the world), to absolutely dreamy, rich and lustrous lower register crooning. And somehow these bizarre vocals complement the music perfectly, with the band deftly veering between almost-thrash-metal, doomy Sabbath style epics, classic sounding hard rock, and awesome Katatonia-esque moody minor key masterpieces with hymn like harmony vocals. The whole record is dark and moody and heavy, personal, introspective and creepy. It all culminates perfectly in the album's final track, an intense and beautiful mid tempo epic, with chugging guitars and wispy minor key synths and gorgeous melodies. Big Boss contributes perhaps his best vocals of the record with a Nick Cave sort of baritone spinning a heartwrenching tale of loss and sorrow, that slowly turns into a bizarre acapella chant, with rich, low harmony vocals that go on and on and on for a full 15 minutes! SO bizarre but SO great!
RealAudio clip: "The Incantation Of Thessalonian Women"
RealAudio clip: "Nativity"

ROOT Daemon Viam Invenient (Shindy) cd 15.98
We'd be exceedingly remiss (in our duty to Satan) if we were never to list the most recent record from long-running Czech "black metal" (or "dark heavy metal") practitioners Root. Their eighth full-length studio album, 2007's Daemon Viam Invenient begins with an acoustic prologue, after which Root then launch into the storming "Human", an auspicious beginning to this fully epic and idiosyncratic collection of ripping tracks. Band mainstay, vocalist Big Boss (bedecked with face paint that makes his bald head look like a badly cracked egg) is in fine form, mixing up rasping croaks and whispers with almost-operatic bellowing that's melodic, yet deep and gruff. On that aforementioned intro, he even sings quite softly & sensitively, sounding a bit like a shaky Leonard Cohen with a Czech accent! Likewise, Root's music shifts gears continuously, moody moments swept aside by catchy riffs, choppy chunky rhythms, swarms of shred guitar soloing, and prominent basslines. Imagine a modernized version of '80s evil like Bathory and Mercyful Fate competing with the WTF? factor of a band like Sigh. And, as always with Root, there's an unholy dose of Eastern European eccentricity at play here too. Or, maybe the baroque bizarreness is all them. Fans, who have learned to expect the unexpected (and extreme) from these guys, should be satisfied.
MPEG Stream: "Human"
MPEG Stream: "Awakening"

ROOT Dema (Nuclear War Now! Productions) 4lp / shirt / box 60.00
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Last copies, last chance!! ROOT!!!
Ultra limited, insanely deluxe quadruple lp box set from the greatest weirdo black metal band to ever come out of the Czech Republic. Fronted by the truly iconic Big Boss, with his evil black face paint and booming low voiced delivery, he howls dramatically over fierce black riffing and weirdly romantic keyboards, a buzzing blackness reminiscent of Venom or Bathory, but WAY weirder. Definitely one of Andee and Allan's all time favorite black metal bands. This box set contains all of Root's demo tapes from the late 1980's plus various bonus live recordings taken from the Death Metal Session Festival vol. 2 (Prague 1988). Also included is a massive 32 page 12" x 12" booklet containing tons of photos from the band's early days, flyers, newspaper clippings, interviews, fanzine articles, and lots more. 4 lps in two deluxe gatefold jackets, an XL Root t-shirt, a big poster, all housed in a custom made box printed in red, black and metallic silver, sealed with a vellum obi with a foil-stamped logo. Holy crap, this is amazing. You have to see it to believe it. Definitely one of the most extravagant packages we've ever seen. And c'mon, it's ROOT!!!

ROOT Kargeras + Hell Symphony (Redblack) 2cd 19.98
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The Czech Republic's Root are one of the most talented, original, and eccentric black metal outfits around. Slowly we in the West are getting clued in to their stuff. Here's two of their earlier efforts remastered and repackaged as a double cd: 1991's relatively raw "Hell Symphony" and 1995's more advanced and melodic "Kargeras". Also included: some live bonus tracks recorded in 2000.

ROOT Madness Of The Graves (Redblack Productions) cd 14.98
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Damn, the new Root! Weird black metal from Czech just gets weirder. They're set apart from all others by their sense of drama, and by vocalist/mainman Big Boss and his deep voiced delivery. And the unbridled dementia they bring to their very metal, very odd songwriting and arrangments. Originals they most certainly are, combining killer blackened riffage with romantic keyboards and parts that sound a bit Jesus Lizardy though they might not be aware of it. One of the most striking tracks, "The Last Gate (The Story Of Demons)", uses tribal drumming and overlapping vocal chants to approximate the sounds of demonic possession or worship (or something), making Root sound like Sepultura's Roots (until insane chipmunk voices like those on the last Sigh album kick in!). Wow.
MPEG Stream: "Madness Of The Graves (Calling)"
MPEG Stream: "The Last Gate (The Story Of Demons)"

ROOT The Book (Redblack) cd 14.98
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Root is Czech black metal band, led by vocalist/visionary Big Boss. They've been around for a long time now, developing from rather primitive and fucked up black metal to the likes of this album: classical-leaning heavy metal opera weirdness. As fucked up as their earlier stuff but so much more advanced. Really amazing and strange, with Big Boss' sub-baritone vocal stylings being only the first of the many eccentricities on display here. Recommended.

ROOT The Revelation (Sheer) cd 14.98
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Czech bizarro-black metallers Root present the previously unreleased *English* version of their excellent "Zjeveni" opus, as "just a document of ability and lust of the Root original musical ideas"!

ROOT The Revelation (Nuclear War Now!!!) cd 9.98
For years now we've been singing the praises of these weirdo Czech black metallers, fronted by the enigmatic Big Boss, a big guy with some crazy evil panda face make up and a super unique bellow. Their sound, at least in the beginning, raw and grim like classic Hellhammer and Celtic Frost, but often slowed down, more midtempo, lumbering and lurching, sometimes blasting chaotically, but more often than not, fantastically plodding, the guitars super raw, the sound lo-fi, but perfectly suited to Root occultic and cult-y sounding metal, and the truly strange vocals of Big Boss just sealing the deal, from froglike croak, to demonic croak, to raspy croon, to multitracked, almost Butthole Surfers sounding alien drawl, there's just something so mysterious and magical about these guys. Easily one of our all time favorites.
Revelation, originally recorded in 1990, is a re-recording of their Zjevni debut, with all the lyrics redone in English. And while it's been 20+ years, The Revelation still sounds just as good, and haunting, and heavy as ever. Sure it's black metal, but this is more old school classic metal, with black elements. It's more witchy and doomy and creepy and atmospheric and dirgey, which only makes the fast bits sound that much more fast, the chugging guitars and way-up-in-the-mix double kick drumming. And all the heavy parts are balanced by the multiple song intros, acoustic guitars, analog synths, weird bits of percussion, swirling atmospheres, Big Boss's strange almost liturgical sounding spoken word, each intro a little mysterious sonic ritual designed to evoke some ancient atmosphere, perfect to conjure up the next blast of stumbling buzz drenched blackness. Totally cult and totally genius.
Includes new liner notes...
MPEG Stream: "The Revelation"
MPEG Stream: "Aralyon"
MPEG Stream: "Song For Satan"