KING KONG Movie Star (Drag City) cd ep 5.98
Many moons ago Ethan Buckler was in a soon-to-be-genre-defining band called Slint, but very swiftly he came to the realization that his musical calling was something quite different... something more poppy and dance-y. He assembled his own band and dubbed them King Kong. Together they made totally trashy, tweaked, funky pop tunes that sound as though they were influenced equally by cop show theme songs, the B-52s, Jonathan Richman and a hen house! Fast forward about sixteen years, and well, here we are... Just in time to coincide with his former band's reunion (and the remake of the classic movie to boot!), Buckler and the kind folks at Drag City Records have rejuvenated his own King Kong with this cdep reissue of three songs originally self-released back in 1989, then reissued on 7" by Drag City in 1995.
MPEG Stream: "Movie Star"

KING LOSER You Cannot Kill What Does Not Live (Flying Nun) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Chris Heazlewood's noisy trio kicks ass as it summons the ghost of Dick Dale. Or something. From New Zealand so. You. Know. It's. Good.

KING MISSILE Mystical Shit / Fluting On The Hump (Instinct / Shimmy Disc) cd 12.98
There was a time when Shimmy Disc could do no wrong. Hard to believe but true. Bongwater, Velvet Monkeys, Fred Lane! Equally hard to believe, is that there was a record of spoken word set to music, that was amazing, funny and fucked and not at all as annoying as the sobriquet spoken word might lead you to believe. John S. Hall was a struggling poet in New York who hooked up with the enigmatic Dogbowl (check out Tit! An Opera, one of Andee's all time favorite records) and who together started King Missile (Dog Fly Religion) -- the dog fly religion part was dropped when Dogbowl left. This disc combines the first King Missle Record and the third (the second is the also amazing They), both of which are so goddamn funny and surprisingly clever and catchy. Most of you probably remember "Jesus Was Way Cool" which was a huge hit for a while. And that pretty much is the King Missle formula. Hall reciting absurd stories over all sorts of musical backdrops. Fluting On The Hump offers up two of the best King Missile songs, "Take Stuff From Work" and "Sensitive Artist". Both funny and scathing in their own way. By record number three, Dogbowl had left and was replaced with the King Missile lineup that would basically continue until today. But nothing was lost, in fact the music became less random and strange and more focused letting Hall get even weirder. The creepy sex tale of "Gary And Melissa", the stupidly cute "Cheesecake Truck", the brilliant "Jesus Was Way Cool" and on and on and on. We hadn't listened to this record in a while, but it's just as good as we remember it. Fun and funny, weird and wonderful.
MPEG Stream: "Take Stuff From Work"
MPEG Stream: "Sensitive Artist"
MPEG Stream: "Gary And Melissa"
MPEG Stream: "Jesus Was Way Cool"

KING TUFF Mind Blow (Spirit of Orr) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A few years ago, before Kyle Thomas delved into the neo-acid folk of Feathers or the stoner metal of Witch, he began working on his first musical project King Tuff, a buzzy and bright concoction of glam punk and '70s power pop, casually playing out with his friends at parties and recording songs in his basement. Finally having more time to devote to the project after a couple exhaustive years touring with Feathers, playing in Witch, and keeping up a side career as a visual artist, the uber-limited cd-r label, Spirit of Oar has released these early recordings to precede King Tuff's upcoming Fall tour, and what a treat!!. Imagine Sweet, Zolar X, and Televison playing at your Sweet Sixteen. Fucking Rad! Did we say limited?? Only 100 made and we got a handful, and not really sure if we can ever get more.
MPEG Stream: "Dancing On You"
MPEG Stream: "So Desperate"

KING, JD & THE COACHMEN American Mercury (Ecstatic Peace) cd 10.98
BACK IN STOCK, this highlight from list #251...
The Coachmen are probably mostly known as the band that featured a pre-Sonic Youth Thurston Moore. We always just assumed that JD King was in fact a made up entity and was in fact Moore. But apparently the two met way back in 1976, bonding over their love of all things Velvet Underground, Flamin' Groovies and the like. So the two joined forces, started a band, and jammed around NY until they broke up in 1979. At which point Moore went on to Sonic Youth while King went on to become a illustrator / cartoonist. A few of those records came out in the mid eighties on Ecstatic Peace, which is probably why we all assumed that The Coachmen was just Moore in disguise. But King and the Coachmen resurfaced in the mid nineties with a new record before sort of fading away again, and then wham! 2006 and they're back again!
So what the heck do these Coachmen sound like? Well, it's been ages since we've heard the old records, but we do remember it maybe being some sort of disconnected convoluted garage rock buzz blues stomp although it's been so long it's all a bit fuzzy. But fuzzy actually does begin to describe JD King And The Coachmen circa 2006. Imagine abstract streaks of fuzzed out guitar and dreamy tendrils of minor key melodies, hovering over thick swells of distorted buzz and a dense web of noodily bass lines, peppered with muted percussive thuds, or deep cavernous tangles of dense guitar over angular riffs and thick swaths of fuzznoise and simple tambourine, or tripped out space rock drift all tangled up in thickly reverbed guitar, freaked out psychguitar drift and moody mumbling backdrops of shimmering acoustic guitar and muddy bass rumble, or a tripped out disembodied Stoogesy stomp wrapped in swirling layers of distorted psychedelia and warm whirls of frothy fuzz.
This is some sort of alien garage rock, some disembodied blues, broadcast from some other time (past? future? both?) from some other plane, a mysterious alternate universe that has more in common musically with bands like the No Neck Blues Band, Avarus, Excepter, Sunburned Hand and the rest of those druggy free rock troubadours than it does with the Velvets or the Groovies. But that's the magic, it's like King and his cohorts are a tribe of modern mediums, who mixed up a magical brew of guitar, bass and percussion, managing to conjure up a brood of garage rock ghosts of the past, letting them get all tangled up with the free noise spectres of the present.
MPEG Stream: "Agony (For Arshile Gorky)"
MPEG Stream: "Bees Caught In The Wrong Hive"
MPEG Stream: "Blues For Elizabeth Bentley"

KINGDOM COME (ARTHUR BROWN'S) Galactic Zoo Dossier (Sanctuary / Castle) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Most people probably know Arthur Brown, if at all, as the leader of the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, kind of a one-hit wonder in the UK and the US with their 1968 single "Fire". But I remember a few years ago somebody playing me a '70s vintage LP by Arthur Brown, and it was a pretty amazing, freaked out space rock artifact. I'm pretty sure it was one of these three Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come records that have just been reissued, remastered with bonus cuts -- although next to "amazing" I'd also have to use the word "ridiculous" 'cause these sure are some gonzo, over the top examples of early '70s rock excess. The story goes that after his "I am the God of Hellfire" 15 minutes of f(l)ame, Arthur's Crazy World broke up, and then he eventually regrouped with this band, who were dedicated to an altogether heavier, more guitar-oriented sort of showmanship, from dark psych-prog to simply silly music hall theatrics. Brown was capable of some incredible vocal stylings, from Tom Jones worthy croonery to sheer sheer manaical dramaturgy, and he demonstrates that full range on these discs, coming across a bit like early Alice Cooper (who may in turn have been influenced by Brown originally). Totally wigged out and acid fried, chaotic and confused. What they're trying to get across is hard to say, but if you delight in both failed genius and '70s hippy zaniness, then Arthur Brown is your new prog rock hero.
Galactic Zoo Dossier, from '71, was the first of the three Kingdom Come albums. You'll note that it was good enuff for a present-day psych fanzine to be named after it. A classic of sorts. Then came 1972's self-titled Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come record, whose contents, according to the liner notes, were affected by the band's communal living situation and increased LSD consumption. It's a little more disjointed than the first record but it does contain the "Traffic Light Song" which was both a pop psychology metaphor for personality types and an excuse for the band to wear traffic light costumes on stage as part of their increasingly bizarre live show. Last comes 1973's Journey, which may be the best of the three, or at least the weirdest, because rather than a human drummer, Journey features electronic drum machine rhythms programmed by Brown himself. Apparently the drummer on the previous two albums ran off with the bass player's wife! So they went with a drum machine, quite an unusal lark back in 1973 for sure! (And we thought that the Metal Urbain album was ahead of its time!). Crudely, it's kind of a collision of psychedelia and new wave and it's pretty cool. Though, all three discs have proto new wave elements alongside the space-rock and Zappa-ish tomfoolery. So, even now Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come isn't like anything else you've really ever heard (although whether the band was "good" or not is another, very subjective matter). Be brave and investigate!
MPEG Stream: "Internal Messenger"
MPEG Stream: "Metal Monster"

KINGDOM COME (ARTHUR BROWN'S) Journey (Sanctuary / Castle) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Most people probably know Arthur Brown, if at all, as the leader of the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, kind of a one-hit wonder in the UK and the US with their 1968 single "Fire". But I remember a few years ago somebody playing me a '70s vintage LP by Arthur Brown, and it was a pretty amazing, freaked out space rock artifact. I'm pretty sure it was one of these three Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come records that have just been reissued, remastered with bonus cuts -- although next to "amazing" I'd also have to use the word "ridiculous" 'cause these sure are some gonzo, over the top examples of early '70s rock excess. The story goes that after his "I am the God of Hellfire" 15 minutes of f(l)ame, Arthur's Crazy World broke up, and then he eventually regrouped with this band, who were dedicated to an altogether heavier, more guitar-oriented sort of showmanship, from dark psych-prog to simply silly music hall theatrics. Brown was capable of some incredible vocal stylings, from Tom Jones worthy croonery to sheer sheer manaical dramaturgy, and he demonstrates that full range on these discs, coming across a bit like early Alice Cooper (who may in turn have been influenced by Brown originally). Totally wigged out and acid fried, chaotic and confused. What they're trying to get across is hard to say, but if you delight in both failed genius and '70s hippy zaniness, then Arthur Brown is your new prog rock hero.
Galactic Zoo Dossier, from '71, was the first of the three Kingdom Come albums. You'll note that it was good enuff for a present-day psych fanzine to be named after it. A classic of sorts. Then came 1972's self-titled Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come record, whose contents, according to the liner notes, were affected by the band's communal living situation and increased LSD consumption. It's a little more disjointed than the first record but it does contain the "Traffic Light Song" which was both a pop psychology metaphor for personality types and an excuse for the band to wear traffic light costumes on stage as part of their increasingly bizarre live show. Last comes 1973's Journey, which may be the best of the three, or at least the weirdest, because rather than a human drummer, Journey features electronic drum machine rhythms programmed by Brown himself. Apparently the drummer on the previous two albums ran off with the bass player's wife! So they went with a drum machine, quite an unusal lark back in 1973 for sure! (And we thought that the Metal Urbain album was ahead of its time!). Crudely, it's kind of a collision of psychedelia and new wave and it's pretty cool. Though, all three discs have proto new wave elements alongside the space-rock and Zappaish tomfoolery. So, even now Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come isn't like anything else you've really ever heard (although whether the band was "good" or not is another, very subjective matter). Be brave and investigate!
MPEG Stream: "Time Captives"
MPEG Stream: "Superficial Roadblocks"

KINGDOM COME (ARTHUR BROWN'S) s/t (Sanctuary / Castle) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Most people probably know Arthur Brown, if at all, as the leader of the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, kind of a one-hit wonder in the UK and the US with their 1968 single "Fire". But I remember a few years ago somebody playing me a '70s vintage LP by Arthur Brown, and it was a pretty amazing, freaked out space rock artifact. I'm pretty sure it was one of these three Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come records that have just been reissued, remastered with bonus cuts -- although next to "amazing" I'd also have to use the word "ridiculous" 'cause these sure are some gonzo, over the top examples of early '70s rock excess. The story goes that after his "I am the God of Hellfire" 15 minutes of f(l)ame, Arthur's Crazy World broke up, and then he eventually regrouped with this band, who were dedicated to an altogether heavier, more guitar-oriented sort of showmanship, from dark psych-prog to simply silly music hall theatrics. Brown was capable of some incredible vocal stylings, from Tom Jones worthy croonery to sheer sheer manaical dramaturgy, and he demonstrates that full range on these discs, coming across a bit like early Alice Cooper (who may in turn have been influenced by Brown originally). Totally wigged out and acid fried, chaotic and confused. What they're trying to get across is hard to say, but if you delight in both failed genius and '70s hippy zaniness, then Arthur Brown is your new prog rock hero.
Galactic Zoo Dossier, from '71, was the first of the three Kingdom Come albums. You'll note that it was good enuff for a present-day psych fanzine to be named after it. A classic of sorts. Then came 1972's self-titled Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come record, whose contents, according to the liner notes, were affected by the band's communal living situation and increased LSD consumption. It's a little more disjointed than the first record but it does contain the "Traffic Light Song" which was both a pop psychology metaphor for personality types and an excuse for the band to wear traffic light costumes on stage as part of their increasingly bizarre live show. Last comes 1973's Journey, which may be the best of the three, or at least the weirdest, because rather than a human drummer, Journey features electronic drum machine rhythms programmed by Brown himself. Apparently the drummer on the previous two albums ran off with the bass player's wife! So they went with a drum machine, quite an unusal lark back in 1973 for sure! (And we thought that the Metal Urbain album was ahead of its time!). Crudely, it's kind of a collision of psychedelia and new wave and it's pretty cool. Though, all three discs have proto new wave elements alongside the space-rock and Zappaish tomfoolery. So, even now Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come isn't like anything else you've really ever heard (although whether the band was "good" or not is another, very subjective matter). Be brave and investigate!
MPEG Stream: "A Scientific Experiment Featuring 'Lower Colonic Irrigation'"
MPEG Stream: "Traffic Light Song"

KINGS OF CONVENIENCE Quiet Is The New Loud (Astralwerks / Source) cd 15.98
Pretty ridiculously accomplished indiepop duo from as unlikely a place as Bergen, Norway -- also known as the hometown of incarcerated black metal poster boy Burzum/Varg Vikernes. Somehow I don't think the Kings were friends with Varg, as their music is so gentle, so lovely, so chillingly sweet that they bring to mind the very similar Belle and Sebastian, Sea and Cake, and Donovan. In other words, Varg would rather have stabbed his best friend in the back than have to listen to the quietly beautiful Kings of Convenience. Don't be befuddled by the fact that this album is on Source/Astralwerks -- their previous record was on the much more appropriate Kindercore label and fans of the indiepop genre that Kindercore documents so well will totally wet their pants over this. A pleasant record, and if AQ had a "song of the week" category, this record's instantly classic first song "Winning a Battle, Losing the War" would be it.
RealAudio clip: "Winning a Battle, Losing the War"
RealAudio clip: "Toxic Girl"

KINGS OF CONVENIENCE Riot On An Empty Street (Astralwerks) cd 17.98
Norway's answer to Simon & Garfunkel have returned! KOC vocalist Erlend Oye's interim solo efforts have left us flat, but his band's second full length sure doesn't! These folks are experts at dreamy pop songwriting, crafting the gentlest acoustic loveliness. Be forewarned, this may be far too soft and sweet for some folks, but if you have a penchant for songs that glow like sunbeams through honey (sorry... too cheesy?), don't miss Riot On An Empty Street (nor for that matter its predecessor Quiet Is The New Loud). Simply gorgeous end-of-summer songs.
MPEG Stream: "Homesick"
MPEG Stream: "Gold In The Air Of Summer"

KINGS OF CONVENIENCE s/t (Kindercore) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

KINGS OF CONVENIENCE Versus (Astralwerks) cd 16.98
The warm, folky daydream music of Norway's Kings Of Convenience get remixed and remade in a variety of ways by the likes of Four Tet, Andy Votel, Alfie and Ladytron among others. Also included are a collaboration with Erot and some newly arranged tracks (one with strings!). Adding a bit of groove and new shading to their already pretty pop tunes. Shifting the ideal listening locale for Kings of Convenience from a breezy day at the park to a stylin' late night lounge - especially on such tracks like the one by Evil Tordevil. And quite effectively accomplished too. Not just another "let's put the seemingly incongruous together and see what twisted cocktail comes out!" Give 'em a listen!
RealAudio clip: FOUR TET "The Weight Of My Words"
RealAudio clip: EVIL TORDEVIL "Leaning Against The Wall"
RealAudio clip: LADYTRON "Little Kids"

KINGS OF LEON Aha Shake Heartbreak (RCA) cd 11.98
Quelle hype! A huge, full page story following their sex, drugs n' rocknroll filled tour through New York in the New York Times, shamelessly spells out how they do it, where they did it and why the Hell they would. But alas, they're young and new, new, new! An easy push by the industry, right? Well, yes. But their album is actually pretty great!

KINGSBURY MANX, THE Let You Down (Overcoat) cd 14.98
Okay, so is it just me or does this remind you of Alan Parsons' "Eye In The Sky"? Apologies to Kingsbury Manx, but once that vocal familiarity popped into my head it kinda got difficult to hear much else. Anyway, setting those initial comparisons aside, this is a pleasing, tranquil, folky pop sophomore release. Not a big departure from their self-titled debut, so if you enjoyed that one here's more of the same! This certainly seems to be the week of mellow. Add this to the list of current super soothers: Edison Woods, American Analog Set, and Owen.

KINGSLEY, GERSHON Music To Moog By (Dagored) cd 15.98
'60s Moog-pop pioneer Gershon Kingsley, of Perrey and Kingsley fame, made some fab music without partner Jean-Jacques Perrey as well -- such as his hit single "Pop Corn" which you'll find on this at-long-last reissued edition of Kingsley's 1969 masterpiece, the incredibly FUN album Music To Moog By. Along with snazzy originals like "Pop Corn" and energetic album-opener "Hey, Hey", Kingsley also gives the Moog instrumental treatment to Simon and Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair" and both "Nowhere Man" and "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles. He also sneaks in some Beethoven too, and takes writing credit for a manic version of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"! Sometimes his Moog sounds like a church organ, other times like the whip-whip-wap of a hip hop dj's turntable. It's a frothy, hip, pop-psychedelic space age 'electronica' album all right. Released the year man landed on the moon, you can imagine it spinning on the Apollo 11 hi-fi, had the astronauts been partying up there. Wonderful stuff.
MPEG Stream: "Hey, Hey"
MPEG Stream: "Paperback Writer"
MPEG Stream: "Pop Corn"

KINGSLEY, GERSHON Music To Moog By (Dagored) lp 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
'60s Moog-pop pioneer Gershon Kingsley, of Perrey and Kingsley fame, made some fab music without partner Jean-Jacques Perrey as well -- such as his hit single "Pop Corn" which you'll find on this at-long-last reissued edition of Kingsley's 1969 masterpiece, the incredibly FUN album Music To Moog By. Along with snazzy originals like "Pop Corn" and energetic album-opener "Hey, Hey", Kingsley also gives the Moog instrumental treatment to Simon and Garfunkle's "Scarborough Fair" and The both "Nowhere Man" and "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles. He also sneaks in some Beethoven too, and takes writing credit for a manic version of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"! Sometimes his Moog sounds like a church organ, other times like the whip-whip-wap of a hip hop dj's turntable. It's a frothy, hip, pop-psychedelic space age 'electronica' album all right. Released the year man landed on the moon, you can imagine it spinning on the Apollo 11 hi-fi, had the astronauts been partying up there. Wonderful stuff.

KINKS BBC Sessions 1964-1977 (Sanctuary) 2cd 23.00
Double disc collection compiling the entire surviving body of the Kinks recordings for the BBC between 1964 and 1977. Includes an 18 page booklet with information on each of the sessions and a bio of the band.

KINKS, THE Are The Village Preservation Society (Sanctuary) 3cd 29.00
This total Kinks classic from 1968 receives the deluxe remastered reissue treatment... and deservingly so! Such an utterly expansive, deeply influential work that has more than stood the test of time. It's a whopping three discs -- the first is the album in stereo with four bonus tracks, the second is the album in mono with six bonus tracks, and the third is filled with 22 rarities (alternate versions, BBC sessions, etc). As an added treat, the liner note booklet includes interviews with the Davies brothers. 'Nuf said!
MPEG Stream: "Village Green (Orchestral Overdub)"
MPEG Stream: "Animal Farm (BBC Session Remix)"

KINSKI Airs Above Your Station (Sub Pop) cd 14.98
One of the so-called Terrastock Nation's heaviest ass-kickers, Pacific NW "space-rock" troupe Kinski continue their levitational ascent with this new full-length. We've especially been looking forward to it ever since Sub Pop released the teaser Semaphore ep late last year, which garnered high marks from us. The so-heavy-and-wintry-majestic-that-it's-almost-black metal title track from that ep reappears here, alongside seven new cuts that both drone-on and rock-out. Lengthy epics abound, structured to begin with moody, melodic mellowness before bursting into denser action at the half-way point, and are primarily instrumentals, with the fuzz of the overdriven guitars and the wallop of the drums taking full flight. From repetitive shoegazer post-rock to experimental pop to ambient Floydian psych, Kinski never falter, always full of energy, with sheer "set the controls for the nearest black hole" gravity-multiplying heaviness never far from kicking in. With Airs, Kinski should be taking their place in the space/drone rock fandom realm next to the likes of Circle, Sonic Youth, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Subarachnoid Space, and a host of your cosmic krautrock greats of the past. Ol' Klaus would be proud.
RealAudio clip: "Schedule For Using Pillows & Beanbags"
RealAudio clip: "Your Lights Are (Out Or) Burning Badly"

KINSKI Airs Above Your Station (Strange Attractors Audio House) 2lp 14.98
Double el-pee vinyl version via Strange Attractors (cd on Sub Pop)...
One of the so-called Terrastock Nation's heaviest ass-kickers, Pacific NW "space-rock" troupe Kinski continue their levitational ascent with this new full-length. We've especially been looking forward to it ever since Sub Pop released the teaser Semaphore ep late last year, which garnered high marks from us. The so-heavy-and-wintry-majestic-that-it's-almost-black metal title track from that ep reappears here, alongside seven new cuts that both drone-on and rock-out. Lengthy epics abound, structured to begin with moody, melodic mellowness before bursting into denser action at the half-way point, and are primarily instrumentals, with the fuzz of the guitars and the wallop of the drums taking full flight. From repetitive shoegazer post-rock to experimental pop to ambient Floydian psych, Kinski never falter, always full of energy, with sheer "set the controls for the nearest black hole" gravity-multiplying heaviness never far from kicking in. With Airs, Kinski should be taking their place in the space/drone rock fandom realm next to the likes of Circle, Sonic Youth, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Subarachnoid Space, and a host of your cosmic krautrock greats of the past. Ol' Klaus would be proud.

KINSKI Alpine Static (Sub Pop) cd 14.98
God! How we love instrumental rock records! And while we'll be the first to admit that there have been some great vocalists, almost always, when we throw on a new record, we wait all tensed up, cowering, just waiting for the vocals to come in, and make or break the record. Well, thankfully we've never had that problem with Kinski (even on the rare occasions they do add vocals), a four piece mostly instrumental space rock band from Seattle, who we've loved from day one. Not just 'cuz of their killer monicker (we LOVE Klaus Kinski!) but for their blissed out shoegazey Hawkwind meets My Bloody Valentine meets Pink Floyd instrumental spaced out bliss rock. So the first thing we noticed when we threw on Alpine Static was how much, well, more rocking it was! I mean, they definitely rocked before, no doubt about it, but in much more of a laid back, stoned and moody and a little bit mellowed out way. But on Alpine Static, Kinski most definitely kick out the jams. There were moments on past records that hinted at the heavy and/or poppy rocking the band was capable of, but this is the record where uptempo RAWK is the first order of business. So take Kinski's knack for droning repetitive hypnorock, and then wrap that around some hyperdistorted Heavy Rocks (a la Boris), a bit of technical shredding (a la the Fucking Champs), some pulsing propulsive krautrock (a la Neu!), some ultra caustic squalls of guitar noise (a la Comets On Fire), some crunchy, stacatto dirgerock pound (a la Circle at their fiercest), a bit of moody post rock (a la June Of 44), some epic and blown out guitar freakouts (a la Dinosaur Jr., Swervedriver, Pixies) and then the occasional return to that blissed out cosmic dronerock Kinski are also so adept at and you've got a seriously solid slab of head banging, hip shaking space rocking kosmik heavy rock jams!
MPEG Stream: "Hot Stenographer"
MPEG Stream: "The Wives Of Artie Shaw"
MPEG Stream: "Hiding Drugs In The Temple (Part 2)"

KINSKI Alpine Static (Sub Pop) lp 15.98
God! How we love instrumental rock records! And while we'll be the first to admit that there have been some great vocalists, almost always, when we throw on a new record, we wait all tensed up, cowering, just waiting for the vocals to come in, and make or break the record. Well, thankfully we've never had that problem with Kinski (even on the rare occasions they do add vocals), a four piece mostly instrumental space rock band from Seattle, who we've loved from day one. Not just 'cuz of their killer monicker (we LOVE Klaus Kinski!) but for their blissed out shoegazey Hawkwind meets My Bloody Valentine meets Pink Floyd instrumental spaced out bliss rock. So the first thing we noticed when we threw on Alpine Static was how much, well, more rocking it was! I mean, they definitely rocked before, no doubt about it, but in much more of a laid back, stoned and moody and a little bit mellowed out way. But on Alpine Static, Kinski most definitely kick out the jams. There were moments on past records that hinted at the heavy and/or poppy rocking the band was capable of, but this is the record where uptempo RAWK is the first order of business. So take Kinski's knack for droning repetitive hypnorock, and then wrap that around some hyperdistorted Heavy Rocks (a la Boris), a bit of technical shredding (a la the Fucking Champs), some pulsing propulsive krautrock (a la Neu!), some ultra caustic squalls of guitar noise (a la Comets On Fire), some crunchy, stacatto dirgerock pound (a la Circle at their fiercest), a bit of moody post rock (a la June Of 44), some epic and blown out guitar freakouts (a la Dinosaur Jr., Swervedriver, Pixies) and then the occasional return to that blissed out cosmic dronerock Kinski are also so adept at and you've got a seriously solid slab of head banging, hip shaking space rocking kosmik heavy rock jams!
MPEG Stream: "Hot Stenographer"
MPEG Stream: "The Wives Of Artie Shaw"
MPEG Stream: "Hiding Drugs In The Temple (Part 2)"

KINSKI Be Gentle With The Warm Turtle (Intellectual Drunks Records / Strange Attractors Audio House) cd 13.98
Hot on the heels of their fine new full-length Alpine Static comes these long-awaited reissues of this Seattle space-rock band's first two albums: their debut, SpaceLaunch For Frenchie, originally self-released by the band, the second, Be Gentle With The Warm Turtle, originally issued on the now-defunct Pacifico label. Both have been tragically out of print for the past few years. Now that Kinksi is popular and all, it's about time these became available again! Both come with bonus tracks making the wait all the more rewarding.
1999's SpaceLaunch For Frenchie (what's up with that title, exactly?) is loaded down with the bonus tracks, actually. In addition to the original six songs on the album, there's four songs from an earlier 4-track demo tape, as well as a stormy, unreleased SpaceLaunch outtake. In total, 73 minutes of hummable, jamming, shoegazing, effects-pedal-reliant rawk! Whoo-hoo! Fans, feel free to freak out. Kinksi's Chris Martin notes on the back cover, "There are a few goofy moments, perhaps, but what the hell." I mean, you can't complain, it's the first album that a lot of us have never even heard before, plus more stuff. (Except we can complain that there's just just one flimsy square of paper for a cd "booklet" which is always lame.)
The album is definitely a youthful version of the Kinski you know and love: warm, fuzzy, floating melodic space rock instrumentals. And non-instrumentals too, with indie-rock vocals emerging on such tracks as "Floundering & Fluctuating" and their energetic cover of Spacemen 3's "Losing Touch With My Mind". Mostly this is mopey, mellow post-rock prettiness with plenty of hints towards the more massive sound that Kinski now reliably delivers. Some of the 4-track demos are maybe a bit poppier, but are still indicative of both their influences and future direction -- take the overtly Sonic Youthish "E-Jam (Daydream Intonation)" for instance. That's a track later re-recorded for their second album, demonstrating that Kinski fans going back to this older, unheard material won't be thrown for too many loops.
Then there's Be Gentle With The Warm Turtle, the 2001 album that first said to us, hi I'm Kinski! We quickly made friends with the music and wrote something like this about it: "Dense and hypnotic, warm and droney guitar rock. Everytime we play this in the store, everyone in the store wants to know what it is. Like some weird mix of old Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. Big extended jams, simple and dumb, noisy and epic. Pretty great." It's still totally recommended, a fuzzy favorite for sure. Get it now if you missed it before! And this reissue also boasts a bonus track, only one of 'em but it's quite nice, a quiet coda to the album called "Montgomery".
MPEG Stream: "New India"
MPEG Stream: "Newport"

KINSKI Don't Climb On And Take The Holy Water (Strange Attractors Audio House) cd 13.98
Like the sticker on the cover of this says, it's "the next Kinski record but not the NEXT Kinski record". That is, it's not a studio album follow-up to Airs Above Your Station, last year's brilliant opus from this growing-ever-more-popular Seattle space rock outfit. What it is, is an album of live improvs played by Kinski minus their drummer -- just guitars and guitars and synth and effects, lots and lots of 'em. Apparently they enjoy doing shows of improvised material like this under the pseudonym Herzog, and this disc collects recordings of what they feel are some of the best of those sessions. For sure Kinski fans will be pleased, as these three guitar-wielding seekers of truth sure know how to craft some dense and beautiful sonic excursions, spacey and magnificent, especially the album's 29 minute tour-de-force "The Misprint In The Gutenberg Print Shop". Crackling with potential energy and eerie with tripped-out drone, Don't Climb On... is a document all 'heads' will surely appreciate, only upping our anticipation of their next (NEXT) venture.
MPEG Stream: "The Misprint In The Gutenberg Print Shop"
MPEG Stream: "Crepes the Cheap"

KINSKI Down Below It's Chaos (Sub Pop) cd 14.98
Such a good blend of glorious spaced-out shoegazing FUZZ and sheer toe-tapping POP. The Kinski guys and gals have mastered it. Maybe some folks aren't up for that combo but we can't get enough, and Kinski have plenty of fans so... Their latest is another slab of blown out, heavy yet gentle guitar explorations, this time adding more in the way of vocals to the mix (but they're still more-or-less an instrumental act, with singing only on three of the nine cuts here). Some moments seem really rock n' roll, others totally placid and lovely. It's space rock, it's indie pop, it's post rock (with that loud/soft dynamic, the loud parts adorned with hecka psychedelic fuzz though), it's uh, Kinski. As always, should get the nod from those into Dead Meadow, Monster Magnet, Bardo Pond stoner jams... and who are fans of the likes of Boris and Circle and Acid Mothers Temple... and who dig Kinski's Northwestern grunge ancestors on Sub Pop... and oh yeah, who love SONIC YOUTH.
Besides the added presence of vocals, also new to the Kinski scene this time 'round is Hammond B3 electric organ, heard on a few cuts, notably the driving "Child Had To Catch A Train". Shades of Deep Purple!
FYI for some unknown reason, the cover of the digipak comes in red, green, and blue tinted versions, other than that they're the same and if you're a mailorder customer you'll get a random color. And guess what? The cover of the vinyl version is purple!
MPEG Stream: "Crybaby Blowout"
MPEG Stream: "Passwords & Alcohol"
MPEG Stream: "Plan, Steal, Drive"

KINSKI Down Below It's Chaos (Sub Pop) lp 14.98
Such a good blend of glorious spaced-out shoegazing FUZZ and sheer toe-tapping POP. The Kinski guys and gals have mastered it. Maybe some folks aren't up for that combo but we can't get enough, and Kinski have plenty of fans so... Their latest is another slab of blown out, heavy yet gentle guitar explorations, this time adding more in the way of vocals to the mix (but they're still more-or-less an instrumental act, with singing only on three of the nine cuts here). Some moments seem really rock n' roll, others totally placid and lovely. It's space rock, it's indie pop, it's post rock (with that loud/soft dynamic, the loud parts adorned with hecka psychedelic fuzz though), it's uh, Kinski. As always, should get the nod from those into Dead Meadow, Monster Magnet, Bardo Pond stoner jams... and who are fans of the likes of Boris and Circle and Acid Mothers Temple... and who dig Kinski's Northwestern grunge ancestors on Sub Pop... and oh yeah, who love SONIC YOUTH.
Besides the added presence of vocals, also new to the Kinski scene this time 'round is Hammond B3 electric organ, heard on a few cuts, notably the driving "Child Had To Catch A Train". Shades of Deep Purple!
FYI for some unknown reason, the cover of the digipak comes in red, green, and blue tinted versions, other than that they're the same and if you're a mailorder customer you'll get a random color. And guess what? The cover of the vinyl version is purple!
MPEG Stream: "Crybaby Blowout"
MPEG Stream: "Passwords & Alcohol"
MPEG Stream: "Plan, Steal, Drive"

KINSKI Semaphore (Sub Pop) cd ep 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here's a little 23-minute ep from Pacific Northwest outfit Kinski, following up their excellent "Be Gentle With The Warm Turtle" debut on the Pacifico label. Now they're on Sub Pop, with a new album to follow in the new year. Kinski are a band who obviously love their krautrock and their Floyd, playing that space rock / post rock / psychedelic rock stuff we love too, a la Circle, Mogwai, Codeine, MBV...
"Semaphore" starts things off in the now expected Kinski manner, erupting into a warm fuzz bath for yr ears, heavy and doleful enough to almost be mistaken from some instrumental Norwegian black metal concoction at moments! The next song, "Point That Thing Somewhere Else" pops things up a bit, with a lively drum beat and some indie-rock vocals (the only singing on the disc). Following that, "The Bunnies Are Tough" gets all droney and experimental and scary. Fourth and final track "I Wouldn't Hurt A Fly" returns to the loud guitar zone for a dynamic and heavy eight-minute epic that recalls Godspeed You Black Emperor! mixed with Mogwai. We look forward to Kinski's upcoming full-length!
RealAudio clip: "Semaphore"

KINSKI SpaceLaunch For Frenchie (Intellectual Drunks Records / Strange Attractors Audio House) cd 13.98
Hot on the heels of their fine new full-length Alpine Static comes these long-awaited reissues of this Seattle space-rock band's first two albums: their debut, SpaceLaunch For Frenchie, originally self-released by the band, the second, Be Gentle With The Warm Turtle, originally issued on the now-defunct Pacifico label. Both have been tragically out of print for the past few years. Now that Kinksi is popular and all, it's about time these became available again! Both come with bonus tracks making the wait all the more rewarding.
1999's SpaceLaunch For Frenchie (what's up with that title, exactly?) is loaded down with the bonus tracks, actually. In addition to the original six songs on the album, there's four songs from an earlier 4-track demo tape, as well as a stormy, unreleased SpaceLaunch outtake. In total, 73 minutes of hummable, jamming, shoegazing, effects-pedal-reliant rawk! Whoo-hoo! Fans, feel free to freak out. Kinksi's Chris Martin notes on the back cover, "There are a few goofy moments, perhaps, but what the hell." I mean, you can't complain, it's the first album that a lot of us have never even heard before, plus more stuff. (Except we can complain that there's just just one flimsy square of paper for a cd "booklet" which is always lame.)
The album is definitely a youthful version of the Kinski you know and love: warm, fuzzy, floating melodic space rock instrumentals. And non-instrumentals too, with indie-rock vocals emerging on such tracks as "Floundering & Fluctuating" and their energetic cover of Spacemen 3's "Losing Touch With My Mind". Mostly this is mopey, mellow post-rock prettiness with plenty of hints towards the more massive sound that Kinski now reliably delivers. Some of the 4-track demos are maybe a bit poppier, but are still indicative of both their influences and future direction -- take the overtly Sonic Youthish "E-Jam (Daydream Intonation)" for instance. That's a track later re-recorded for their second album, demonstrating that Kinski fans going back to this older, unheard material won't be thrown for too many loops.
Then there's Be Gentle With The Warm Turtle, the 2001 album that first said to us, hi I'm Kinski! We quickly made friends with the music and wrote something like this about it: "Dense and hypnotic, warm and droney guitar rock. Everytime we play this in the store, everyone in the store wants to know what it is. Like some weird mix of old Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. Big extended jams, simple and dumb, noisy and epic. Pretty great." It's still totally recommended, a fuzzy favorite for sure. Get it now if you missed it before! And this reissue also boasts a bonus track, only one of 'em but it's quite nice, a quiet coda to the album called "Montgomery".
MPEG Stream: "Staring"
MPEG Stream: "Loud With Drinks"

KINSKI / ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE s/t (Sub Pop) cd 9.98
This lovely (and bargain-priced) record is the result of a beautiful band-meets-band story. You know, two bands with beards meet and make friends for life. Actually, does Kinski have beards? We're just guessin'. (Note: there's ladies in both bands, we're not accusing them of having beards or anything.) Seattle cosmonauts Kinski and guitarist/guru Kawabata Makoto of the popular Japanese underground musical commune Acid Mothers Temple go way back, to when Kinski opened for Mainliner's 1999 US tour. Sooner or later they had to collaborate, and we're not complaining. Even if you find AMT a mite too prolific, at least this release is 50% Kinski, who haven't yet reached the product overload stage that AMT share with Merzbow and precious few others. Thus no need to feel guilty about adding this to your shelf of AMT releases.
So, we get four tracks to absorb here. First up, is Kinski's "Fell Asleep On Your Lawn". Its ten minutes start off all quiet n' pretty before going into spacelaunch mode. They fire their rockets, come back to earth, and then blast off again. Maybe they don't fly as high as the best of their recent Airs Above Your Station album, but it's still a good track. Then, track two sees Kinski visiting Japan, playing a pre-dinner jam at AMT "dancin' king" Higashi Hiroshi's flat, with Higashi and Kawabata sitting in on guitar. It's really beautiful, almost ambient, hushed space drone stuff that's so sleepy that I woulda thought it was an after-dinner jam instead. Lovely. The third track comes from the same 'session' but has extra added AMT overdubs, so you hear from the whole AMT crew plus the Kinski quartet. It has a similar mood to track two but is denser. Lastly, track four is just AMT, offering their companion to Kinski's opening cut, though it's twice as long, called "Virginal Plane 5:23". It's a swirling stoned jam not unlike their Electric Heavyland album. All in all, real nice disc from these international cosmic comrades, packaged in some cool Boredoms-meet-Man Or Astroman? lookin' cover art. Vinyl limited, cd not.
MPEG Stream: KINSKI "Fell Asleep On Your Lawn"
MPEG Stream: ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE + KINSKI "Planet Crazy Gold"

KINSKI / ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE s/t (Sub Pop) 2lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This lovely record is the result of a beautiful band-meets-band story. You know, two bands with beards meet and make friends for life. Actually, does Kinski have beards? We're just guessin'. (Note: there's ladies in both bands, we're not accusing them of having beards or anything.) Seattle cosmonauts Kinski and guitarist/guru Kawabata Makoto of the popular Japanese underground musical commune Acid Mothers Temple go way back, to when Kinski opened for Mainliner's 1999 US tour. Sooner or later they had to collaborate, and we're not complaining. Even if you find AMT a mite too prolific, at least this release is 50% Kinski, who haven't yet reached the product overload stage that AMT share with Merzbow and precious few others. Thus no need to feel guilty about adding this to your shelf of AMT releases.
So, we get four tracks to absorb here. First up, is Kinski's "Fell Asleep On Your Lawn". Its ten minutes start off all quiet n' pretty before going into spacelaunch mode. They fire their rockets, come back to earth, and then blast off again. Maybe they don't fly as high as the best of their recent Airs Above Your Station album, but it's still a good track. Then, track two sees Kinski visiting Japan, playing a pre-dinner jam at AMT "dancin' king" Higashi Hiroshi's flat, with Higashi and Kawabata sitting in on guitar. It's really beautiful, almost ambient, hushed space drone stuff that's so sleepy that I woulda thought it was an after-dinner jam instead. Lovely. The third track comes from the same 'session' but has extra added AMT overdubs, so you hear from the whole AMT crew plus the Kinski quartet. It has a similar mood to track two but is denser. Lastly, track four is just AMT, offering their companion to Kinski's opening cut, though it's twice as long, called "Virginal Plane 5:23". It's a swirling stoned jam not unlike their Electric Heavyland album. All in all, real nice disc from these international cosmic comrades, packaged in some cool Boredoms-meet-Man Or Astroman? lookin' cover art. Vinyl limited, cd not.

KINSKI / PAIK / SURFACE OF ECEYON Crickets And Fireflies (Music Fellowship) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
There's over 70 minutes of high-flying, low-droning instrumental space rock on this here split cd! AQ-faves Kinski start things off with "Keep Clear Of Me, I Am Maneuvering With Difficulty", a twenty-minute long improv which gives them plenty of time to build from quiet, outer-space atmospherics to the sort of loud, fuzzed-out mantric heaviness that we love 'em for. Their driving rock mayhem attains levels of distortion that the Acid Mothers Temple would envy, before Kinski bring things down into a nice cosmic drone zone to end the piece. Easily as good as anything on their excellent new Sub Pop album Airs Above Your Station reviewed here last list. Next comes a band with whom we were not familiar, Paik (named after artist Nam June?). Their two tracks clock in at about twenty minutes total too. Ponderous yet shimmery, you probably won't realize you're not still listening to Kinski -- no complaints there. Real nice & pretty. And then Surface of Eceon (another AQ-fave, related to Landing) take a half-hour to soothingly drone their way through this disc's finale. Blissful. These three were definitely a good choice of bands to share a split, style AND quality-wise. Kinski definitely get up to the most rock action, but the other two bands space out beautifully. Recommended to all you psychedelic post-rock drone-heads.
RealAudio clip: KINSKI "Keep Clear Of Me, I Am Maneuvering With Difficulty"
RealAudio clip: PAIK "Eva"

KIPPLE Flashes Of Irrational Happiness (Evander Music) cd 14.98
Along with the "irrational happiness" in this album's title there are also flashes of madness and brilliance throughout the proceedings. Bringing together free roaming avant jazz with elements of tiki exotica, psychedelia, post rock and so much more, the new Bay Area combo known as Kipple craft a loose, open musical weave that's often quite reminiscent of awesome fellow SF artists such as pop collagists Milk Cult and the uncategorizable keyboardist Graham Connah. It's no wonder about the latter 'cause he just happens to make many a wonderful contribution throughout the album. Also featured prominently are Moe! Staiano (formerly of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Idiot Flesh) and Ches Smith (Secret Chiefs 3, Marc Ribot, Xiu Xiu, Carla Bozulich or Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant). Keeps you on your toes, and keeps those toes a-tapping thanks to a creative and tight rhythm section. Moodily captivating. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Crafty Apples"
MPEG Stream: "Infinity Plus One"

KIRCHIN, BASIL Quantum (Trunk) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Apparently, Basil Kirchin is a highly regarded, even legendary composer in some circles. Not surprising we hadn't heard of him as his only two recordings were released in 1971 and 1973 and disappeared without a trace. Some of you may recognise the name as it can be found on that legendary Nurse With Wound list of influences, and it doesn't take more than a few minutes of Quantum to see why. This recording, also from 1973, has never been released until now and is a pretty wild ride. Perplexing but quite amazing. Buzzing synth tones weave a warm and warbly melody while sweet female vocals, soaked in reverb, emote atop them (think Bjork mixed with Brigitte Fontaine), sputtering free jazz (courtesy of Evan Parker) lurches wildly over a swirling sonic miasma of industrial clatter, found sounds, voices and birds chirping, rumbling drones, strings and xylophones, roaring lions, creaking and scraped strings and grand tonal swells. And that's just part one! Part two starts off with the moaning, hysterical vocals of an old woman (his wife) mixed with the random voices of autistic children, before a regal trumpet call sounds out over a swirl of hissing white noise and turns into a nursery rhyme rhythm played by a calliope and accompanied by what sounds like a very simple jazz combo. Eventually the voices return, over a writhing bed of screeching free jazz, intensifying, and lending the proceedings a truly terrifying and disturbed vibe. The rest of part two skips schizophrenically from atonal modern classical, to Bjorkish ballads, to haunting dronescapes, to mad jazz-splatter, to Namtchylak-ish wild vocalisations. Gorgeous and haunting and WAY OUT. Hard to believe this was recorded 30 years ago. And hard to believe he's remained a secret for so long. But according to the liner notes, this is just the first in a series of Kirchin reissues. Can't wait!
MPEG Stream: "Quantum - Part One - Once Upon A Time (excerpt)"

KIRVASTO Taydellisia Kysymykia (Bad Vugum) cd 14.98
The Bad Vugum, er, 'super group' of Finnish luminaries from the likes of Circle, Sweetheart, Keuhkot, and Aavikko is a culmination of hypnotic experimental rock that resembles the more laid back 'cocktail' album from Circle "Hissi".

KISS Ace Frehley (Lilith) picture disc lp 19.98
We can't really think of anything that more symbolizes our musical generation than the four Kiss solo records released way back in 1978. Well, okay, maybe if we tried we could think of a few things, BUT C'MON!!! KISS!!! ACE, PAUL, GENE and PETER!! Sure bands do solo records all the time. But it was never more of a production than when the biggest band in the world decided to simultaneously release 4 solo records, each adorned with a killer airbrushed painting of the artist, in full Kiss makeup and backlit with different colors. This was a huge deal when it happened, and while the records didn't sell nearly as well as the worst selling Kiss record, they still became instantly iconic and most folks we know, owned 'em, and listened to 'em and many of those same folks hung the covers on their walls!! Hell, even sludge masters the Melvins did their own version, even going so far as to emulate the original cheesy cover paintings. But now they are available as PICTURE DISCS!!! Holy shit!!! If there was ever a set of records more ripe for picture disc immortalization we sure as shit can't think of any. So the real question is which one to buy. C'mon. As if there was any other answer, ALL OF THEM. Seriously, what kind of doofus would only want one. They are a set. One at a time is okay, but you are gonna NEED all four. They have been on the wall at Aquarius facing the counter since they were released and they look SOOOO badass all in a row. Worth building a little Kiss shelf in your bedroom just to display these beauties for sure!
So Ace's solo record is pretty much univerally accepted as the best of the four. Pretty heavy and catchy, it definitely proved that maybe Paul and Gene could have let him write more songs for Kiss. "New York Groove" was an actual hit. But there were some killer hard rockers on there: "Rip It Out", "Snow Blind"... Definitely the only one of the four solo records that got heavy play (or any play at all actually). But who cares? You know you need all four!

KISS Ace, Gene, Peter & Paul (Lilith) 4cd 54.00
We can't really think of anything that more symbolizes our musical generation than the four Kiss solo records released way back in 1978. Well, okay, maybe if we tried we could think of a few things, BUT C'MON!!! KISS!!! ACE, PAUL, GENE and PETER!! Sure bands do solo records all the time. But it was never more of a production than when the biggest band in the world decided to simultaneously release 4 solo records, each adorned with a killer airbrushed painting of the artist, in full Kiss makeup and backlit with different colors. This was a huge deal when it happened, and while the records didn't sell nearly as well as the worst selling Kiss record, they still became instantly iconic and most folks we know, owned 'em, and listened to 'em and many of those same folks hung the covers on their walls!! Hell, even sludge masters the Melvins did their own version, even going so far as to emulate the original cheesy cover paintings. But now they are available as PICTURE DISCS and as a super deluxe QUADRUPLE CD SET!!! Holy shit!!! If there was ever a set of records more ripe for that sort of immortalization we sure as shit can't think of any. So the real question is which one to buy. C'mon. As if there was any other answer, ALL OF THEM. Which is perfect cuz they come all together. Anyway, what kind of doofus would only want one. They are a set. One at a time is okay, but you NEED all four. The picture discs have been on the wall at Aquarius facing the counter since they were released and they look SOOOO badass all in a row.
So Ace's solo record is pretty much univerally accepted as the best of the four. Pretty heavy and catchy, it definitely proveed that maybe Paul and Gene could have let him write more songs for Kiss. "New York Groove" was an actual hit. But there were some killer hard rockers on there: "Rip It Out", "Snow Blind"... Definitely the only one of the four solo records that got heavy play (or any play at all actually).
Gene's record was the biggest surprise. We all expected some serious heaviness from THE DEMON, but instead got Beatlesy jangle, funk and DISCO!! Weird. Maybe the most listened to disc for novelty value. Featured some serious guest star power: Joe Perry from Aerosmith, Bob Seger, Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, Janis Ian and Donna Summer. Woah.
Peter's record was considered by pretty much everybody to be the worst of the bunch. Some of us tried extra hard to like it, cuz, c'mon he was the DRUMMER. Of Kiss!!!! Peter leaned more toward the ballad end of the spectrum which should have boded well since most of his Kiss contributions were ballads, and were also some of the band's biggest hits! But his solo record, even in the ballad department tended to be a bit, well, weak. There are definite moments. And there might have been a minor hit or two, but mostly this disc exists to complete the set.
Paul's record sounded the most like a straight up Kiss record since he was the principal songwriter anyway. While it lacked the spark of a lot of the Kiss material it was still pretty decent. Hard rocking and catchy. Also featured legendary drummer Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Rod Stewart, King Kobra!) on the skins!
This four disc set comes packaged in a super deluxe printed slipcase, the four covers on one side, some Russian text on the other. Inside, all the discs are housed in a massive fold out sleeve, like those things grandmas keep pictures of their grandchildren in, with each disc exposed, as each one has a reproduction of the cover ON the disc! So cool. Also includes a Detroit Rock City bottle opener. Fuck yeah!

KISS Destroyer (Mercury / Casablanca) cd 10.98
Those of you who have been reading our New Arrivals list carefully for the past month know that I (Allan) have embarked upon a quixotic little project, reviewing one old KISS album per list. Why? Dunno. I guess 'cause Kiss rooooooooool. So, so far I've done write ups on two of the more kwestionable Kiss platters of the make up era, the disco inflected (infested?) Dynasty (1979) and the Styx-ish concept album Music From The Elder (1980). Go back and read about 'em if you didn't, we'd be happy to sell a few more of those...any of those. This time 'round, however, I thought it best to feature a maybe more acclaimed, essential Kiss album. I've chosen... Destroyer! From the Bicentennial year of 1976, their fourth studio album, coming after in-concert classic Alive!, Destroyer is one of the biggest Kiss successes ever. In part 'cause of drummer Peter Criss' surprise hit ballad, "Beth". But you're not gonna buy this for "Beth" (probably). You're gonna get it for the heavier fare here, such classics as "Detroit Rock City", remarkably Sabbathy in the riff dep't, and "God Of Thunder", a song Paul wrote for Gene for obvious reasons, of course this album's most heavy metal moment. Catchy, campy party starters like "King Of The Nighttime World", "Shout It Out Loud", "Do You Love Me?" (cowritten with Kim Fowley) are all over the place here too. Along with much studio embellishment both within and between songs, album opener "Detroit Rock City" getting a sound collage intro new to you if you've only heard it on the radio before.
Basically, if someone were to ask us what Kiss sounds like, we'd wouldn't hesitate to reach for Destroyer. The glammy, cartoony '70s kitsch Kiss phenomenon was about as full in effect here as anyplace else. Just check out the larger than life, band portrait on the cover. Wouldn't you want that on your lunchbox? And elementary schoolkids' older siblings could appreciate that Kiss was ready to rock hard for respect, capable of competing with the likes of Grand Funk sure enough but also doing battle in the arenas with some of the more metal acts of the era. So, Destroyer: hit ballad, hit rockers, good times all around, what more do you want? And well, heck, if we have to tell you too much about THIS album, maybe Kiss just isn't for you. C'mon nostalgia, do your thing...
MPEG Stream: "God Of Thunder"
MPEG Stream: "Sweet Pain"

KISS Dynasty (Casablanca / Mercury) cd 10.98
Ok, we just realized there's not nearly enough KISS reviewed on our website. All that's there really is some weird Russian picture disc 12" versions of the Peter, Paul, Gene and Ace solo albums. Also two of the three multi-dvd volumes of video KISStory. And that's it. Well, I (Allan) am going through a bit of a Kiss phase right now, so I thought I'd start stocking and reviewing some Kiss albums, one at a time. They're cheap enough. And no, I'm not reliving my childhood, it's not a nostalgia thing, actually when I was a kid I wasn't into Kiss at all. I remember looking at elementary school classmates Kiss lunch boxes and thinking, that's meant for kids, it's way too clownish, so I'm not into it... is that the sort of snobbery that led me to work in a record store? just kidding. However, I've come around on Kiss. Now I'm a bit obsessed, and lately have been trying to build up my Kiss collection on (remastered) cd.
This is the most recent one I've acquired, and it wasn't high on my list 'cause usually it's derided as one of the weakest of the Kiss albums from the original makeup era, its 1979 release finding Kiss incorporating some DISCO elements to their music, much to the chagrin of Kiss's hard rocking fanbase. Of course, that almost makes it all the more appropriate for reconsideration in today's pro-disco musical climate. And I was surprised to find out just how much I liked it!
It was the first Kiss studio album to appear after those solo discs, and song-by-song it's striking how such stylistically disparate tracks co-exist, from the four Kiss members, almost as if it was a various artist collection. That's because, while not only do all four original members get songwriting credit (along with some outside helpers), all four get vocal turns as well (which, I think, only also ever happened on its 1977 predecessor Love Gun). There's three songs sung by Paul Stanley, three by Ace Frehley, two by Gene Simmons, and one Peter Criss.
The album starts off with the hit single "I Was Made For Loving You" (written by Stanley, with an assist from producer Vinnie Poncia and song doctor Desmond Childs). It was one of Kiss's biggest hits, actually, and you can see why, but also why diehard fans might have been upset... total, total disco. Stanley really lets loose his inner diva! It's a pretty great song though, even with the smooth cheese factor. Supposedly Stanley wrote it to show how easy it was to write a disco song, though that doesn't explain why he needed those other guys to help with it. We could imagine a banging remix by somebody like Lindstrom being a big hit today!! Love the propulsive disco drumming (not catman Criss, but secret session replacement Anton Fig, as on most of the album). Stanley also came up with another disco-ish cut "Sure Know Something" and the heavier (but still cheesy) "Magic Touch", all of 'em catchy as heck. Gene's "Charisma" is another cool KISS-style (of course) bubblegum hard rock meets disco crossover, with groovy echoey production touches. Definitely a highlight. "X-Ray Eyes" is his other entry here, and it's always nice to hear the distinctive singing of the demonic one. Ace does a cool Stones cover ("2,000 Man") and two originals of his own, including the punkish "Hard Times". His other number "Save Your Love" is pretty garagey too. And then the sole Peter Criss cut, "Dirty Livin'", sorta explains why he wasn't in the band for that much longer.
In some ways, it's all the more awesome, that the same disc featuring the most disco-ish stuff also has total punk rock on it too. I mean seriously, Ace's rough, super shitty, shouty singing on "Hard Times" (as well as the streetwise lyrics about living in the "citay", cutting school to "space our heads out" in the park) is pretty darn punk, especially when you realize it's found on three million selling album that also boasts a super polished, poppy disco hit single!
So, even on one of the most maligned (next to Music From The Elder, perhaps) of the make-up era Kiss platters, I found a lot to like. I've been playing it a lot (ask anybody). Maybe it's time you should give it another chance... or, for the younger of you, a first chance... and like I said, it's cheap! I'll review some more Kiss soon, maybe The Elder, which also actually has its moments too.
MPEG Stream: "Charisma"
MPEG Stream: "Hard Times"
MPEG Stream: "I Was Made For Loving You"

KISS Gene Simmons (Lilith) picture disc lp 19.98
We can't really think of anything that more symbolizes our musical generation than the four Kiss solo records released way back in 1978. Well, okay, maybe if we tried we could think of a few things, BUT C'MON!!! KISS!!! ACE, PAUL, GENE and PETER!! Sure bands do solo records all the time. But it was never more of a production than when the biggest band in the world decided to simultaneously release 4 solo records, each adorned with a killer airbrushed painting of the artist, in full Kiss makeup and backlit with different colors. This was a huge deal when it happened, and while the records didn't sell nearly as well as the worst selling Kiss record, they still became instantly iconic and most folks we know, owned 'em, and listened to 'em and many of those same folks hung the covers on their walls!! Hell, even sludge masters the Melvins did their own version, even going so far as to emulate the original cheesy cover paintings. But now they are available as PICTURE DISCS!!! Holy shit!!! If there was ever a set of records more ripe for picture disc immortalization we sure as shit can't think of any. So the real question is which one to buy. C'mon. As if there was any other answer, ALL OF THEM. Seriously, what kind of doofus would only want one. They are a set. One at a time is okay, but you are gonna NEED all four. They have been on the wall at Aquarius facing the counter since they were released and they look SOOOO badass all in a row. Worth building a little Kiss shelf in your bedroom just to display these beauties for sure!
Gene's record was the biggest surprise. We all expected some serious heaviness from THE DEMON, but instead got Beatlesy jangle, funk and DISCO!! Weird. Maybe the most listened to disc for novelty value. Featured some serious guest star power: Joe Perry from Aerosmith, Bob Seger, Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, Janis Ian and Donna Summer. Woah.
But who cares? You know you need all four!

KISS Kissology: The Ultimate Collection - Vol. 2 1978-1991 (VH1 Classic) 3dvd 40.00
Finally, volume two in what seems to be an ongoing series of amazing archival dvd releases from "the hottest band in the world", Kiss, and as awesome as this set is, and it is, we're sort of hoping it's the last, cuz it spans the years 1978 to 1991, and by then, Kiss was a whole different, way less appealing proposition. Obviously, EVERY Kiss fanatic is absolutely gonna NEED this (and at least a few of us here would count ourselves as such), but only the truly diehard (and dare we say, ummm... misguided) will make it all the way to disc 3, as that's the way later stuff, but up until then it's a total blast. It's probably best to just give a run down of all the amazing stuff included, beginning with:
1979's Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park! Worth the price of admission alone for this legendary made for TV movie, presented here, on dvd for the first time, with the slightly altered title (not sure why) of Kiss In Attack Of The Phantoms. Maybe the altered title is due to the fact that it now includes additional and alternate Kiss concert footage as well as music from the various members' solo albums. Huh? But who cares?! What a prime slice of killer hard rock history. Filmed at Magic Mountain in Valencia California, the band take on a mad inventor who has created a legion of robotic phantoms who kidnap patrons of the park with the ultimate goal of destroying Kiss or stealing their secret amulets or something. Most notable for the fact that this was the first time most of us had ever seen Kiss -not- rocking on stage, sitting, talking, and hanging out and hamming it up BIG TIME. We get to hear Ace Frehley's maniacal laugh, observe Paul Stanley's queen-y swish, and Gene Simmons barely speaks at all, mostly delivering his lines in an overdubbed monster roar/growl. But the band look amazing, and are goofy and funny and engaging, the live performances are killer. Made us feel like we were 9 years old again...
Also on the first disc, the band are interviewed by a very grumpy Edwin Newman on the short lived show Land Of Hype And Glory, with some cool interviews and some amazing live footage. And then disc one finishes off with a bang, featuring an excerpt of the band on The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder. It's a crime that it's only an excerpt. Super funny and animated, Ace Frehley is on fire (and seriously wasted) cackling like a madman, sparring with Snyder, the whole band collapsing into uproarious laughter every few minutes, in jokes and barbs flying every which way, so casual and relaxed and super fun, they break for commercial and never come back... arrrghhh!!! Hopefully the rest will be included in a future Snyder/Tomorrow Show dvd release.
Disc two starts off pretty rough, with the music video for "Shandi" from 1980, remember that song? Neither do we. But it's brutal, Night Ranger ballady pap, with the super cheesy eighties style video, bad, but still kinda fun. Next up a CNN interview with Peter Criss after leaving the band, And for some reason, he keeps his face hidden the whole time, as he discusses his future plans and  his frustrations after writing a number one smash for Kiss ("Beth"). Then some amazing outtakes as the band attempt to film a promo for their upcoming trip to Australia, and to introduce new drummer Eric Carr. The band blow take after take, mainly because Frehley seems to be utterly wasted. Pretty funny stuff though. After that some killer footage of Kiss live on German TV doing two more random songs ("She's So European" and "Talk To Me") and then an amazing documentary about the band's first trip down under. Streets mobbed with Aussie youths in full Kiss makeup, and much like in the first volume, various public officials greeting the band with open arms. The rest of the disc is mostly live stuff, a long set in Australia in 1980, lots of hits, including the band doing some of our favorite tracks from Ace's solo record (the only truly great solo record of the four). 
Then a real treat (well, sort of) for the truly obsessed. A three song live performance of tracks form Kiss's concept record The Elder!!! The band have really short hair, and the songs are bizarre and proggy, but The Elder truly is weirdly cool for being one of the most hated Kiss discs. Finally, the band kick ass on a killer lip synched version of one of their better later songs "I Love It Loud", featuring new guitarist Vinnie Vincent.
Disc three is the weak link, but there are still some moments worth checking out. Mostly live footage, the best of it being the band performing in front of a huge crowd in Rio, doing some old Kiss classics, cuz up next is the legendary MTV special where the band were shown without makeup for the very first time. Hosted by MTV veejay J.J. Jackson, the show begins by showing awesome glamor shots of each member in full makeup, then dissolving to the haggard pasty makeupless dudes -behind- the masks. I remember even back in the day it being fairly anticlimactic. But seeing it again immediately transported us back to the living room of our childhood homes, Cheetos in one hand, coke in the other, DYING to find out what Kiss REALLY LOOKED LIKE. The rest of the disc is mostly live stuff, some pretty good, the band sans makeup, some awesome moments, the giant tank drum riser, some problematically glam costumes, and some really bad songs. There's a brief clip of the MTV news segment where it was announced that drummer Eric Carr had died from cancer at the age of 41. Still really sad. And it finishes off with the video for maybe one of the cheesiest Kiss songs ever, "God Gave Rock And Roll To You"....
Beautifully packaged as before, massive multi panel fold out dvd digipak style cover, with killer photos, a reproduction of a ticket to see Kiss And The Phantom Of The Park, a bonus dvd featuring Kiss live at Budokan in Japan on the Crazy Nights tour (of interest only to the most fanatic of the Kiss Army, like our friend Josh maybe...) and a huge booklet, with liner notes, and photos, and anecdotes regarding each segment, including our favorite, a bit about Eric Carr's original makeup before he became the Fox, when he was some sort of bird, with a ruffled feathered jumpsuit, padded in the front like a penguin and a yellow beak painted on his face! Wish there were photos of that. 
According to the booklet, volume three is coming soon, which would cover 1992 and beyond it would seem, although it's hard to imagine that being very interesting, but at least they could include footage from 11 farewell tours, and 5 or 6 last-tours-ever as well as 3 more unmaskings and 2 re-make-upings... but whatever, this volume and the first are absolutely well worth owning. 
Now we're gonna go make some popcorn, and watch Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park for about the millionth time....

KISS Kissology: The Ultimate Kiss Collection - Vol.1 1974-1977 (VH1 Classic Records) 2dvd 31.00
We know you either want this, or know someone who would like it as a Christmas present! After all, it says right on the back of this thing: "Here it is, everything you ever wanted in one box." Wow. Some statement. But it's true -- as long as everything you ever wanted is more than six hours of over the top rock spectacle from "the best band in the land", the one and only KISS, back in their prime. This is all from their early days, when they were young and hungry and basically taking over the world. It's undeniably classic rock and roll from four guys who had come up with a great visual gimmick as well. Total childhood nostalgia for a lot of us, that's for sure (not for Allan here, though, who remembers thinking that KISS looked like clowns and felt he as a child was being condescended to...he's since changed his tune and now loves KISS). So yeah, we definitely recommend this DVD box. It's overwhelming, there's so much incredible footage on here. TV appearances (The Mike Douglas Show 1974, ABC's In Concert 1974, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert 1977, and more), full concerts (Cobo Hall, 1976, Budokan 1977, Winterland 1975, more), and miscellaneous goodies -- promo clips, interviews, and best of all, a documentary about KISS being invited to Cadillac, Michigan in 1975 to do a concert in the local high school gymnasium 'cause the high school football team was using KISS music and face paint to get pumped up and win their games. KISS is given the key to the city, has breakfast (in full regalia!) with the mayor, high school principal, and other local authorities, does KISS makeup for them (!), and then takes off by helicopter from the football field!! Amazing. Shows how much of a cultural phenomenon they really were, and remain.
This box is billed as "the definitive visual KISS collection." We believe it! It's all remastered & restored, with bonus audio commentary from Gene and Paul. And, while supplies last, we've got copies that come with an additional bonus dvd disc -- that's right, another half hour of live KISS, from Madison Square Garden, 1977. Plus, there's also a backstage pass sticker for the Spring Tour '75, and a booklet with photos and notes, wherein we learn, in a discussion of that Cadillac Michigan documentary, that Ace felt bad for Paul 'cause "you can't wear jackets over this stuff... [and] a lot of times he doesn't have a shirt on. A lot of times we would get sick but nobody would know." It's cold in October, in Michigan! Meanwhile, Gene had a difficult night of sleeping alone 'cause their manager insisted he not molest the underage high school girls...

KISS Love Gun (Mercury) cd 12.98

KISS Music From The Elder (Mercury / Casablanca) cd 10.98
I (Allan) have been going through a bit of a Kiss phase lately, as you already know if you saw my write-up of Dynasty last list. In that review, I said we needed more Kiss records on our website and I'd be trying to review a Kiss klassic every few weeks, as long as I continue on my current Kiss kick... I also suggested (threatened?) that the next one I'd review would be Music From The Elder, one of the least-popular Kiss albums ever. They didn't even tour for it. But it's also one of the strangest Kiss albums ever, and thus makes a perfect subject for review on the AQ site. It's also, I just found out, one of Andee's faves. So, here we go...
I'd been warily curious about this oddball album for a long time before finally picking it up. Why? Well, 'cause 1981's Music From The Elder was Kiss's misguided attempt at prog. That's right, Kiss doing a concept (koncept?) album! Or an imaginary soundtrack. That sort of thing. It was either Gene Simmons' or producer Bob Ezrin's brilliant idea, with Paul Stanley all for it too, though apparently Ace Frehley wasn't that into it (new drummer Eric Carr didn't get a vote). Commercially speaking, they should have listened to Ace, as The Elder stiffed sales-wise. And it's doubtful that The Elder earned Kiss any critical respect, either, though that's probably what they were hoping would happen. To be taken seriously as musicians... though why a band essentially famous for wearing clown makeup thought that would ever happen is of course a mystery!
As you might expect, plenty of The Elder is pretentious, with soundtracky, synthy orchestrated interludes, and a narrative that's on the murky side. Something about a immortal order of do-gooders finding and training a boy to become a champion against encroaching evil? There's a table and a rose and an odyssey and a character named Morpheus and some other stuff too. However, despite all that dodginess, it's also got some worthy songs on it that have been unfairly underrated and overlooked in the Kiss canon. Several of them, strangely enough, co-written by none other than Lou Reed! Fact. Though they don't sound much like The Velvet Underground...
It also includes one of Kiss's most medieval, metallic tracks up to that point in time, the galloping glory that is "The Oath". Paul Stanley breaks out the falsetto for that one, and it's simultaneously flowery and kick-ass. Kiss sounds a bit like fellow New Yorkers Manowar here, and maybe were responding to the rise of the NWOBHM.
Elsewhere, they're more like Styx, doing the pomp rock thing pretty well on such mellower, melodic cuts as "Only You", "Under The Rose", and the gentle lament "A World Without Heroes". I can see how fans would have found some of this even less acceptably Kiss-like than the disco-inflected Dynasty... but these tracks are growers.
Gene's plodding groover "Mr. Blackwell" (written with Reed) is another highlight. I'd love to hear the Melvins cover this one, I can practically hear it in my imagination. Meanwhile, Ace fans will be happy to hear from the Spaceman on the jaunty-sounding yet lyrically doomy "Dark Light" (wherein, despite his misgivings about this whole Elder idea, he contributes both his charmingly unpolished vocal stylings as well as some speedy guitar soling). The other track for which Ace gets a writing credit, "Escape From The Island" (what island?), is a crunching instrumental notable for his guitar solo as well.
And last but not least, album-ender "I" is definitely a decent Kiss anthem, uplifting & chest-beating ("I believe in me/I believe is something more than you can understand/Yes I believe in me"), with a cinematic voiceover dropped in to tie it to the "story line" of The Elder.
So, this is the album to get if you want to hear Kiss doing something a bit different. True, not many people did, but that doesn't mean it was all bad; in fact, it's much better than I expected. I've been spinning this quite a bit, actually. Consider it a contrarian cult classic. Its very failure as "Kiss product" really makes it all the more affecting emotionally, humanizing this oft-cartoony band somehow. And it's not like you've heard these songs a million times before, either. Hmmm... if I know AQ customers, chances are good that this will turn out to be our best selling Kiss title, by virtue of its very unpopularity everywhere else!
But, next time, I'll review something with actual hits on it, something less unusual/more essential, for those of you who don't have ANY Kiss in your kollection...
MPEG Stream: "The Oath"
MPEG Stream: "Mr. Blackwell"
MPEG Stream: "Only You"

KISS Paul Stanley (Lilith) picture disc lp 19.98
We can't really think of anything that more symbolizes our musical generation than the four Kiss solo records released way back in 1978. Well, okay, maybe if we tried we could think of a few things, BUT C'MON!!! KISS!!! ACE, PAUL, GENE and PETER!! Sure bands do solo records all the time. But it was never more of a production than when the biggest band in the world decided to simultaneously release 4 solo records, each adorned with a killer airbrushed painting of the artist, in full Kiss makeup and backlit with different colors. This was a huge deal when it happened, and while the records didn't sell nearly as well as the worst selling Kiss record, they still became instantly iconic and most folks we know, owned 'em, and listened to 'em and many of those same folks hung the covers on their walls!! Hell, even sludge masters the Melvins did their own version, even going so far as to emulate the original cheesy cover paintings. But now they are available as PICTURE DISCS!!! Holy shit!!! If there was ever a set of records more ripe for picture disc immortalization we sure as shit can't think of any. So the real question is which one to buy. C'mon. As if there was any other answer, ALL OF THEM. Seriously, what kind of doofus would only want one. They are a set. One at a time is okay, but you are gonna NEED all four. They have been on the wall at Aquarius facing the counter since they were released and they look SOOOO badass all in a row. Worth building a little Kiss shelf in your bedroom just to display these beauties for sure!
Paul's record sounded the most like a straight up Kiss record since he was the principal songwriter anyway. While it lacked the spark of a lot of the Kiss material it was still pretty decent. Hard rocking and catchy. Also featured legendary drummer Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Rod Stewart, King Kobra, Blue Murder!) on the skins!
But who cares? You know you need all four!

KISS Peter Criss (Lilith) picture disc lp 19.98
We can't really think of anything that more symbolizes our musical generation than the four Kiss solo records released way back in 1978. Well, okay, maybe if we tried we could think of a few things, BUT C'MON!!! KISS!!! ACE, PAUL, GENE and PETER!! Sure bands do solo records all the time. But it was never more of a production than when the biggest band in the world decided to simultaneously release 4 solo records, each adorned with a killer airbrushed painting of the artist, in full Kiss makeup and backlit with different colors. This was a huge deal when it happened, and while the records didn't sell nearly as well as the worst selling Kiss record, they still became instantly iconic and most folks we know, owned 'em, and listened to 'em and many of those same folks hung the covers on their walls!! Hell, even sludge masters the Melvins did their own version, even going so far as to emulate the original cheesy cover paintings. But now they are available as PICTURE DISCS!!! Holy shit!!! If there was ever a set of records more ripe for picture disc immortalization we sure as shit can't think of any. So the real question is which one to buy. C'mon. As if there was any other answer, ALL OF THEM. Seriously, what kind of doofus would only want one. They are a set. One at a time is okay, but you are gonna NEED all four. They have been on the wall at Aquarius facing the counter since they were released and they look SOOOO badass all in a row. Worth building a little Kiss shelf in your bedroom just to display these beauties for sure!
Peter's record was considered by pretty much everybody to be the worst of the bunch. Some of us tried extra hard to like it, cuz, c'mon he was the DRUMMER. Of Kiss!!!! Peter leaned more toward the ballad end of the spectrum which should have boded well since most of his Kiss contributions were ballads, and were also some of the band's biggest hits! But his solo record, even in the ballad department tended to be a bit, well, weak. There are definite moments. And there might have been a minor hit or two, but mostly this disc exists to complete the set. And who cares anyway? You know you need all four!

KISS IT GOODBYE (Revelation) cd 12.98
Ex-Deadguy, Rorschach. Murdercore! 100% Andee-approved.

KISS-OPOLY The Game That Lets You Rock And Roll All Night! (Late For The Sky) boardgame 25.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
You know you want it. THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD!! Well, er...anyway, it's KISS monopoly, how cool is that? As much as it pains us to give any more money to the Kiss business concern, this game is pretty awesome. Instead of little metal cars and boots, you get Gene's bass, Gene's boot, a bag of money (obviously), Paul's Kiss fireman's hat, the Kiss Army logo, and a guitar (hard to tell if it's Paul's or Ace's). And the board is totally redone too with the railroads replaced by the four solo albums (although Music From The Elder is conspicuously absent), the jail space is replaced by the SOLD OUT SHOW: Standing In Line space and the "properties" are all albums and singles and action figures and of course the pinball machine. Then the cards are things like breaking a string on Starchild's guitar, getting singed by Gene's firebreathing, winning second place in a Girls Of Kiss beauty pageant and of course getting inducted into the Kiss Army. Not sure how fun it is to actually play (we haven't cracked one open yet), but boy will this make your dusty old game shelf a whole lot cooler!

KISSING SPELL Los Pajaros (Essex) cd 17.98

KITCHEN AND THE PLASTIC SPOONS Best Off - Recordings 1980-81 (Ill Wind) cd 23.00
Wow! An amazingly weird Swedish new wave punk band that burned bright for one short year way back in 1980. Kitchen & The Plastic Spoons were herky jerky, full of demented pep and enough deranged energy to make themselves a seriously freaked out and super unique proposition. Sort of how we always wished new wave sounded, not overly polished but instead kind of demented and mad in all the right ways. Like The Pop Group and the Dead Kennedys all mixed up with Siouxsie and Johnny Lydon taking turns on vocals. As much as this makes us think of some of the more well known (relatively) bands of the era like The Slits, Raincoats, Au Pairs, Liliput and Maximum Joy, there is something so singular and unique about Kitchen And The Plastic Spoons that makes it kind of surprising that this i the first time these tracks have been dug up in almost 30 years. It's amazing how vibrant and timely this still sounds. It's hard not to imagine that bands like Erase Errata had somehoww gotten their hands on one of the few hundred original lp's and used it as a sort of template or inspiration. With all the hype in recent years over lost punk reissues from the likes of The Homosexuals, Crime and The Metal Boys this might just take the cake for a long overdue rediscovery of a truly weird punk classic!
MPEG Stream: "In Bars"
MPEG Stream: "Uddevalla"
MPEG Stream: "Psch"

KITCHEN CYNICS, THE Parallel Dog Days (Secret Eye) cd