EPOXIES Stop The Future (Fat Wreck Chords) cd 13.98
Yup, the '80s have been 'back' for a while, haven't they? Each day an old new wave-y trend rears its head, but you might question if some of 'em should've been left alone and undisturbed. While many elements of the Epoxies' aesthetic might fall in that category -- theirs is an almost cartoonish rendering of '80s schtick, decked out in plastic sci-fi goggles, duct tape, blinding neon hues, quirky pseudonyms (Shock Diode, Ray Cathode, FM Static and Doctor Grip... ahh, there was always, inexplicably a token doctor in '80s band lineups, wasn't there? but he was always the keyboard player... this guy's the drummer! wtf?) and a key-tar (y'know the keyboard that you wear like a guitar) -- it's hard to resist their sincere, high spirited, retro-futuristic romp... and why should you anyways?! Their effervescent self-titled debut a couple of years ago kept spirits high around these parts for quite a while. Very inspired by the likes of Blondie, Kim Wilde, Josie Cotton. Now, it might be just our imagination but it sounds as though the band have 'Fat'tened (haha!) and punked up their sound even more for their debut on Fat Wreck Chords. Fat Mike even produced it! So they're not as alien a presence among the rest of that label's roster as we'd anticipated, and actually pulls them more in line with the likes of the Muffs. Stop The Future oozes with suburban-teens-hangin'-out-at-the-mall nostalgia. With lead singer Roxy singing about radiation, TV sets, living on video, and dreaming of microwaves, it's ripe for a new John Hughes movie soundtrack. One thing that's particularly noticeable is that she's singing in a broader range, taking a deeper tone on a few songs, providing a darker counterpart to the boys' still peppy as fuck backing vocals, crunchy guitar, bass, bubblegum synths and drums. Gotta give 'em props too for covering the Scorpions' cool tune "Robot Man" so thoroughly that Roxy even sings the word "vision" as Klaus Meine does... "wishun"! Yay! The album's final song takes a turn into an unexpected different but no less '80s-y zone -- very Erasure style synth pop! We'll leave it up to you to decide if that's a good or bad thing. They're certainly a band you've gotta see live to experience their totally rad fun energy, but this album does come very close. A great summer album!
MPEG Stream: "Robot Man"
MPEG Stream: "Toys"

ERASE ERRATA Alphabet Series U (Tomlab) 7" 6.98
Hot on the heels of the great new Jenny Hoyston record that we're in love with comes a little 7" from her main act, Erase Errata. We're so happy that Tomlab is on a mission to save the seven inch, as it will always be one of our favorite music listenin' formats. Nothing better then a little slab o wax from one of your favorite bands. Erase Errata are in top form here as we know they love 45's as much as we do, so they wouldn't dare just put some throwaway tracks on one. These two exclusive tracks explode with the passion and late night urgency that have become trademarks of their sound. Tapping into the early spirit of P.I.L in a way that sounds so fresh and gripping. Songs that you will want to listen to over and over and no better way to do that then by laying down the needle to the wax again and again. Seven inch perfection!

ERASE ERRATA At Crystal Palace (Troubleman Unlimited) cd 12.98
We sung the praises of Erase Errata's previous album Other Animals 'cause of their jagged guitar attacks and high-strung, bratty vocals fronting no-wave / post-punk / post-disco grooves, and those of you who wanted more more more will be thrilled with their sophomore effort At Crystal Palace. It's not a whole lot different than the debut, and this isn't going to be a problem for the majority of EE's fans who will enjoy hearing the same piercing guitar riffs, elliptical basslines, and ass-shaking rhythms over and over again. Perhaps the vocals are less paranoiac and the overall intensity of the album is toned down just a enough to be noticable. Yet the differences are slight. For those hoping Erase Errata would take off on a new tangent, well, maybe next time. Hopefully, unlike their historical precedents -- bands like Pere Ubu, The Slits, and The Pop Group (all of which hold incredible influence over Erase Errata) -- who eventually devolved into lame imitations of themselves, Erase Errata when they decide to do something new, will really surprise us. But as second records go, At Crystal Palace is pretty great.
MPEG Stream: "Let's Be Active"
MPEG Stream: "Ca. Viewing"

ERASE ERRATA At Crystal Palace (Troubleman Unlimited) lp 12.98
We sung the praises of Erase Errata's previous album Other Animals 'cause of their jagged guitar attacks and high-strung, bratty vocals fronting no-wave / post-punk / post-disco grooves, and those of you who wanted more more more will be thrilled with their sophomore effort At Crystal Palace. It's not a whole lot different than the debut, and this isn't going to be a problem for the majority of EE's fans who will enjoy hearing the same piercing guitar riffs, elliptical basslines, and ass-shaking rhythms over and over again. Perhaps the vocals are less paranoiac and the overall intensity of the album is toned down just a enough to be noticable. Yet the differences are slight. For those hoping Erase Errata would take off on a new tangent, well, maybe next time. Hopefully, unlike their historical precedents -- bands like Pere Ubu, The Slits, and The Pop Group (all of which hold incredible influence over Erase Errata) -- who eventually devolved into lame imitations of themselves, Erase Errata when they decide to do something new, will really surprise us. But as second records go, At Crystal Palace is pretty great.

ERASE ERRATA Damaged (Kill Rock Stars) 7" 5.98

ERASE ERRATA Dancing Machine: Erase Errata Remix Record (Troubleman Unlimited) cd ep 12.98
As Erase Errata is another awesome Bay Area band whose tight, jagged sound defies you not to shake your bee-hind, what we said about the Numbers remix album a few lists back also applies--(Erase Errata), all by themselves, have a firm handle on taking the tools of punk rock and using them as instruments of total dancefloor destruction, making them prime candidates for re-interpretions of their songs that highlight, rather than obliterate, their inherent status as dance tunes-- although it ends up that most of the songs on this disc were actually more danceable *before* being put through the remix grinder. Coming in at opposite ends of the "dance" remix spectrum on this release are Adult and Kevin Blechdom. Adult's fairly subtle remix is the track most deserving the title "Dancing Machine," taking Erase Errata's angular, funky bassline and urgent vocals and coating the whole thing in a crisp synth veneer. Robotic boogie mania ensues. The Blechdom track, on the other hand, is a backwards tape scrubbin' hyper sped-up electronic noise fest, with out-of-control video game bursts, soprano ooh-ing, and a snippet of the song in its original form alluded to in the mix here and there, all topped off with some nice country fiddle (crossed over from Wobbly et al's Wide Open Spaces?). Thoroughly deconstructed and rearranged according to her unique sonic worldview, Blechdom makes the Erase Errata material entirely her own. "Dancing Machine" also includes mixes by Matmos and Kid 606.
MPEG Stream: "Marathon (Adult Remix)"
MPEG Stream: "Rat Race (Kevin Blechdom Remix)"

ERASE ERRATA Dancing Machine: Erase Errata Remix Record (Troubleman Unlimited) 12" 10.98
As Erase Errata is another awesome Bay Area band whose tight, jagged sound defies you not to shake your bee-hind, what we said about the Numbers remix album a few lists back also applies--(Erase Errata), all by themselves, have a firm handle on taking the tools of punk rock and using them as instruments of total dancefloor destruction, making them prime candidates for re-interpretions of their songs that highlight, rather than obliterate, their inherent status as dance tunes-- although it ends up that most of the songs on this disc were actually more danceable *before* being put through the remix grinder. Coming in at opposite ends of the "dance" remix spectrum on this release are Adult and Kevin Blechdom. Adult's fairly subtle remix is the track most deserving the title "Dancing Machine," taking Erase Errata's angular, funky bassline and urgent vocals and coating the whole thing in a crisp synth veneer. Robotic boogie mania ensues. The Blechdom track, on the other hand, is a backwards tape scrubbin' hyper sped-up electronic noise fest, with out-of-control video game bursts, soprano ooh-ing, and a snippet of the song in its original form alluded to in the mix here and there, all topped off with some nice country fiddle (crossed over from Wobbly et al's Wide Open Spaces?). Thoroughly deconstructed and rearranged according to her unique sonic worldview, Blechdom makes the Erase Errata material entirely her own. "Dancing Machine" also includes mixes by Matmos and Kid 606.

ERASE ERRATA Nightlife (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
It's been a few years since Erase Errata's dazzling "Crystal Ships" and since then they've lost band member Sara Jaffe, toyed with the replacing her with another person, then wisely decided to forge ahead as a trio and keep the original EE spirit alive. This is their first outing for Kill Rock Stars and it's definitely a perfect fit. As their politics and guitars are sounding as sharp, angular, and urgent as ever. While they have always held their politics close to their hearts, on Nightlife they are even more up front and in command with pointed words backed up by tough sounding guitars. This is a much leaner meaner sounding Erase Errata. While many of their contemporaries have gotten softer, fluffier, more primed for MTV, we're happy to say that EE is keeping it real and as always with them so irresistibly passionate. Punk rock may have fallen in the hands of some pretty half hearted unimaginative folks over the years but Erase Errata are here to show us that the possibility and potential of punk can still pack a brilliant punch!
MPEG Stream: "Tax Dollar"
MPEG Stream: "Rider"

ERASE ERRATA Nightlife (Kill Rock Stars) lp 13.98
It's been a few years since Erase Errata's dazzling "Crystal Ships" and since then they've lost band member Sara Jaffe, toyed with the replacing her with another person, then wisely decided to forge ahead as a trio and keep the original EE spirit alive. This is their first outing for Kill Rock Stars and it's definitely a perfect fit. As their politics and guitars are sounding as sharp, angular, and urgent as ever. While they have always held their politics close to their hearts, on Nightlife they are even more up front and in command with pointed words backed up by tough sounding guitars. This is a much leaner meaner sounding Erase Errata. While many of their contemporaries have gotten softer, fluffier, more primed for MTV, we're happy to say that EE is keeping it real and as always with them so irresistibly passionate. Punk rock may have fallen in the hands of some pretty half hearted unimaginative folks over the years but Erase Errata are here to show us that the possibility and potential of punk can still pack a brilliant punch!
MPEG Stream: "Tax Dollar"
MPEG Stream: "Rider"

ERASE ERRATA Other Animals (Troubleman Unlimited) cd 11.98
The highly anticipated debut full length from four Oakland/SF gals with little intention other than to make furious, loud music that demands your ears and shakes your ass. In this day and age, it's hard to make a strong distinction in a punk context and Erase Errata are by no means truly innovative, but nor should they be dismissed as totally derivative. It would be far too easy, not to mention insulting, to compare them to whatever post-punk Rough Trade / obscure no-wave reference comes to mind. But with their intense schizophrenic vocal stylings, piercing guitar dissonance, the occasional colorful trumpet and keyboards, playful yet driving bass lines and rhythms so demanding and right on, these women are impossible to ignore. Recorded in the Spring of 2001 in Michigan, these fifteen tracks breeze by in a brief, but sweet thirty minutes with the irresistible fast paced numbers "Tongue Tied", "Billy Mummy", "French Canadia" and the crowd mover "Marathon" grabbing your attention right off the bat. The complex melodies of "Delivery" and "Other Animals Are #1" are like melodic rollercoasters that fall apart and miraculously shape together again. From the transcendent, combustible rhythms of "High Society" to the restless, high strung "Fault List" and "C.Rex" to the beautifully sung "Dexterity Is #2" that just stumps you near the end, this record never loses momentum. And then there's all that wonderful noise in between. Such emotional and textural shifts could make for a mess of an album, yet Erase Errata manage to weave their own nest from which new, wonderful, other animals emerge.
RealAudio clip: "Fault List"
RealAudio clip: "Other Animals Are 1"
RealAudio clip: "Marathon"

ERASE ERRATA Other Animals (Troubleman Unlimited) lp 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The highly anticipated debut full length from four Oakland/SF gals with little intention other than to make furious, loud music that demands your ears and shakes your ass. In this day and age, it's hard to make a strong distinction in a punk context and Erase Errata are by no means truly innovative, but nor should they be dismissed as totally derivative. It would be far too easy, not to mention insulting, to compare them to whatever post-punk Rough Trade / obscure no-wave reference comes to mind. But with their intense schizophrenic vocal stylings, piercing guitar dissonance, the occasional colorful trumpet and keyboards, playful yet driving bass lines and rhythms so demanding and right on, these women are impossible to ignore. Recorded in the Spring of 2001 in Michigan, these fifteen tracks breeze by in a brief, but sweet thirty minutes with the irresistible fast paced numbers "Tongue Tied", "Billy Mummy", "French Canadia" and the crowd mover "Marathon" grabbing your attention right off the bat. The complex melodies of "Delivery" and "Other Animals Are #1" are like melodic rollercoasters that fall apart and miraculously shape together again. From the transcendent, combustible rhythms of "High Society" to the restless, high strung "Fault List" and "C.Rex" to the beautifully sung "Dexterity Is #2" that just stumps you near the end, this record never loses momentum. And then there's all that wonderful noise in between. Such emotional and textural shifts could make for a mess of an album, yet Erase Errata manage to weave their own nest from which new, wonderful, other animals emerge.

ERASE ERRATA / NUMBERS split (Tigerbeat6) 3" cd ep 6.98
Two songs each from Erase Errata and Numbers on the mildly annoying 3" cd format (maybe I have an unhealthy attatchment to my record player, but these brief tunes would've fit beeyootifully on a 7"...) Numbers are great, and "Goin' Insane" and "Palo Alto" give you all the crunchy moog basslines and shouty, distorted boy/girl vocals you could ask for in a space so tight it's claustrophobic, but Erase Errata... damn, they are SUPER hot!
Strong, continuously inventive basslines & super tight drumming form the backbone, enhanced by guitar that provides jagged texture rather than structure. Then the vocals: commanding, Mark E. Smith style commentary that might, for a brief moment, turn into full, vibratoed song before turning back into a sharp, observatory talk/rant. Kick ass. The brevity, skimpy packaging, and questionable format may work against my ability to recommend that you shell out $6.98 for this release, but let me say that the songs from two of the Bay Area's finest definitely deliver.
RealAudio clip: NUMBERS "Goin' Insane"
RealAudio clip: ERASE ERRATA "Retreat, The Most Familiar, Extensive, I Bet!"

EREHIA Manuzkritoz Ze (Smogless) cd 17.98
Mexico's answer to the Ruins, it seems: a bass/drums duo (with occasional violin and other instrumentation) playing a frenetic style of way-out there prog rock, and sharing a definite Magma influence. Aggravating, perhaps, if you're not in the mood, but otherwise dark, heavy, hyper, and enjoyably convoluted.

ERGO SUM Mexico (Lion Productions ) cd 15.98

ERIC'S TRIP Love Tara (Sub Pop) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
In case you missed it on our mystery themed in-between list last week, something we reviewed just for that, for the first time...
Another one of our all time favorite bands who never made it on the aQ list, mostly due to the fact that all of the group's records, and in fact, their whole career (not counting the reunion), predated the modern incarnation of the New Arrivals List. We really wanted to include them on this week's list, for the obvious reason (obvious if you've sussed out the theme of this week's list, that is), but really we were basically itching for an excuse to gush like crazy over these indie pop legends.
Hailing from the same Canadian province that brought us other indie rock luminaries such as Sloan, Hardship Post, Jale, and lots of others, Eric's Trip were the very first Canadian band to sign to Sub Pop (who ended up popularizing the ensuing Nova Scotian pop rush, as it were), releasing just three full lengths before calling it a day. Love Tara, was their first, originally released in 1993, and is a glorious, ramshackle collection of perfect lo-fi fuzzy indie pop, like some delirious mix of the mopey sad boy 4-trackery of Sebadoh, the fuzzed out crunch of Dinosaur Jr, and of course the lush noisiness of the band who gave them their name, these guys and gal were absolute pop geniuses, even the most fragmented/abstract tracks here will get lodged in your head like crazy, and when they do let loose, they can definitely rock with the best of them. Hushed acoustic bedroom ballads, buzzy psychedelic indie rock blowouts, the production sweetly off kilter and home brewed, the bass lines fat and fuzzy, the guitars thick and gorgeously corrosive, the boy vocals, courtesy of Rick White and Chris Thompson (now of The Memories Attack, whose most recent record was released on Andee's tUMULt label), are earnest and heartfelt, that perfect plaintive sadboy croon, perfectly balanced by the sweet angelic voice of Julie Dorion, whose solo records we HAVE raved about on the aQ list, all in the service of some of THEE catchiest songs EVER. Alternatingly hushed and dreamy, heavy and hazy, even nearly two decades later, this record, and this band, put most other pop music to shame. So absolutely recommended, one of those rare records that we find ourselves listening to all the time, and have since we were in our twenties. Glad it's still in print. SO GREAT!!!
MPEG Stream: "Behind The Garage"
MPEG Stream: "Anytime You Want"
MPEG Stream: "Stove"
MPEG Stream: "Follow"

ERIC'S TRIP Purple Blue (Sub Pop) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

ERIC'S TRIP Purple Blue (Sub Pop) lp 11.98
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ERICKSON, ROKY I Have Always Been Here Before (Shout! Factory) 2cd 31.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We've gotta admit it, due to this comprehensive double cd collection of songs by the legendary Roky Erickson, those of us that weren't already are now newly devout fans of his work. Sure, we always liked his hits with '60s Texas psych pioneers the 13th Floor Elevators, of course, but god DAMN. Wow. This collection touches on the best of the 13th Floor Elevators while moreso elaborating on the multitude of music Roky created afterward, solo and with his band The Aliens (among others). Of course we knew that "You're Gonna Miss Me" was a stone classic of slightly-psycho garage-psych, and that 'whup-whup-whup' electric jug sound (the 13th Floor Elevators' trademark) has also never failed to fascinate. But somehow we'd never investigated much further, thinking that perhaps the sad saga of Erickson's life (a psychedelic drug-damaged downward spiral) might be more interesting than his music. How wrong we were... disc two here is all post-1980 and a lot of it is brilliant. And of course totally weird.
Maybe you know the story of how, after the inevitable break-up of the LSD-fueled Elevators, Roky was busted for pot in 1969 and, given the choice between spending time in jail or in a mental institution, he chose the latter, claiming insanity. Doing so, however, only led him to suffer through painful shock-therapy and liquid thorazine treatments, rendering him more frail and emotionally damaged than before his admittance. Years after this "therapy", while living in a housing project in Austin, Erickson was busted for mail fraud. He had been stealing his neighbors' mail, taping it up on his apartment walls, unopened. So, you get the gist that the fellow's mental state is precarious at best, right? Add his obsession with schlocky horror films and you get songs like "I Think Up Demons" and his band being called Bleib Alien (bleib, an anagram for Bible).
So, disc one (22 tracks) starts off with a bunch of his '60s singles with The Spades and the 13th Floor Elevators, before moving on to the first of several "comebacks" in the mid-'70s. The songs that followed his institutionalization were either blissful country-type psych tunes or outer-space paranoia-laced ragers. "Starry Eyes" is one of our favorites. A beautiful, earnest, heart-felt melody and that lends loveliness to his throat-scratched lyricism. And then there's "Click Your Fingers Applauding The Play." Not really sure how he got his guitar to sound like that, but it's pretty amazing. Searing and raging with electricity. Really, there are so many amazing tracks on the first disc. Listening to 'em all, we were half-expecting the second disc to pale in comparison. BUT NO. It's totally jammin with his later-era songs, 21 of 'em. One (new) fave of ours here is the doomy "Bloody Hammer" from 1981 which totally makes us understand how that Swedish band Witchcraft was influnced by Erickson just as much as by Pentagram -- it sounds so much like it coulda been on Witchcraft's album! But even as late as '95 Erikson was releasing solid material in his inimitable style. With the same effectiveness in songwriting capability as later-era Johnny Cash, Erickson offers us "True Love Cast Out All Evil" (from 1988) among others.
Yup, this anthology is some essential stuff all right. And it's nicely packaged with liner notes that give a pretty good biographical picture of Erickson and detail the music and its players. You gotta check out the incredible assortment of photos too!
MPEG Stream: "You're Gonna Miss Me"
MPEG Stream: "Starry Eyes"
MPEG Stream: "Click Your Fingers Applauding The Play"

ERICKSON, ROKY & EVIL HOOK WILDLIFE E.T. (Sympathy) cd 13.98
First time on cd. Out of print for, like, 15 years or so. The cartoon cover art is hideous, but do as we did, turn the cover around for a lovely, blurry photo portrait of Roky.

ERICKSON, ROKY & THE BLACK ANGELS Night Of The Vampire (Black Angels Inc. ) dvd 16.98

ERICKSON, ROKY WITH OKKERVIL RIVER True Love Cast Out All Evil (Anti) cd 16.98
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ERICKSON, ROKY WITH OKKERVIL RIVER True Love Cast Out All Evil (Anti) lp 16.98
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ERIK Look Where I Am (Radioactive) cd 17.98
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ERNA SCHMIDT Live 69 - 71 (Garden Of Delights) cd 21.00
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First off, in the long tradition of bands with people's names, Erna Schmidt is a band, not a person.
Okay. Now that that's sorted, Erna Schmidt were a German band signed to the Ohr label, that never managed to release an lp due to the untimely departure of their flute player. But live they were a terror, with songs stretching past the 45 minute mark and often completely improvised, furious and rocking, but also melodic and dreamy. This disc really captures all that. Recorded live during the years 69-71, this definitely captures the raw intensity of their stage show and the sound quality is really great. Meandering epics that run the gamut from ethereal melodic folkishness to stampeding freaked out psych rock, to groovy boogie breakdowns. Heavy on the flute, heavy on the guitar solos, and some truly kick ass drumming.
RealAudio clip: "Weib Gott"

EROC 3 (Brain / Revisited) cd 17.98
And here's the third Eroc album, originally released in 1979 but containing odds and ends of music recorded by Eroc with or without his band Grobschnitt from as far back as 1969. There's some bonus tracks added on to this cd reish that date from 2001-2004 as well, and actually they fit right in amazingly enough!
Compared to Eroc 2, a lot more 'listenable' (less crazy German jabbering!), Another cool one from this new AQ krautrock fave.

EROC Eroc 1 (Universal) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is a Krautrock masterpiece!!! This cd reissue of the 1975 debut release by Eroc has totally floored us. Eroc's the solo project of Joachim Heinz Ehrig, who was the drummer in Grobschnitt. He used his solo project as a way to explore electronics, cutups and sound collage all surrounding totally beautiful & harmonic instrumental pieces. Of the albums he made under the Eroc moniker this is the one that shimmers with the most beauty while still showing his crazy range and unpredictability. From the blissed out to the abizarre, Eroc 1 is one of those records that you can't believe you've never heard before, and one that once heard will surely go down as one of your favorite psych/kraut/prog gems of the '70s.
Every time this plays in the store, someone in the back inevitably comes up front to see what the heck is playing. And often they begin to think that if this keeps up, they just might just have a new favorite record. Striking the perfect balance between experimentation and melody, Eroc melded the use of modular synthesizers, tape, overdubs, sound generators, guitars and percussion into an incredibly forward thinking, densely layered, crazily original sound. There is a golden sonic glow reminiscent of the best moments of Cluster / Harmonia, every track is fantastic and original, each one drives us wild, and the four bonus tracks on this collection are just as good as any of the tracks on the album proper! You can hear the early blueprints of so many musical movements that would take shape in the decades following Eroc's 1975 debut. Moments of dreaminess that foreshadow Durutti Column, glimmering electronics that anyone on Morr Music would kill for, and an integration of so many elements that sonically predate groups like Fridge by decades! We can imagine Andy Votel (Prog Is Not A 4 Letter Word, Finders Keepers) freaking out over this album much like Julian Cope who sang this disc's praises on his Head Heritage website.
And certainly all of us here at AQ have discovered a record that is pretty much a shoo-in for many of our all time favorite lists!
MPEG Stream: "Kleine Eva"
MPEG Stream: "Norderland"
MPEG Stream: "Sternchen"

EROC Eroc 2 (Zwei) (Revisited) cd 17.98
The Brain reissue series on Revisited continues to bring us the crazy krautrock goodies! Of course, having already raved about the first solo album from the drummer for theatrical prog loonies Grobschnitt, Joachim Ehrig aka Eroc, we were exceedingly curious about this second one. Ja, Eroc 1 was a HUGE hit 'round here. After all, we called it a "krautrock masterpiece" and compared it to all sorts of favorite things, from Harmonia to Fridge! So, what's the deal with Eroc 2, originally released a year later in 1976? The cut-up confusionality that was a deliberate, delightful part of Eroc's debut is continued here, but taken to further extremes, which makes this more of a DIFFICULT spin at times. It's more bizarre, with the curiosity factor up and the overall listenability factor slightly down.
Like Eroc 1, this has its share of moody, melodic, synth-laden instrumental bliss-outs for the Cluster fans in the house. Eroc 2's electronics also venture into carefree, Bavarian dances for Liederhosen wearing' hippies. And then there's a bunch of paranoiac freakouts to give Faust a run for their money! In a word: Quirky. Heck, downright weird. But it's krautrock, that's what we came for. The mood of the music displays good and bad vibes both -- and a sense of humor, we're pretty sure (though our lack of German makes it tough know just what's a joke). There's a healthy amount of talking (auf Deutsch) all over this album. Singing too. Though there's lots of purely instrumental parts as well. But with 30 tracks (13 of 'em bonus cuts!), some of them dense epics, many others brief under-a-minute interludes of insanity, the puzzling and the pleasing are in rough proportion. Amidst Eroc's wonderful spacey, synthy, psychedelic music, you'll hear all sorts of stuff. Children's voices. Babbling outbursts. Electronic squiggles -- and the sound of maniacal sawing? Oh and orgasmic (male) moaning... Perhaps it's all some sort of concept album and all this makes sense, tied together in some strange narrative. Or, they're all nonsense non sequiturs, anyway? We don't know, but are amused/intrigued/entertained. Definitely, get Eroc 1 first, but check this out too. If you like your krautrock to be uber krauty, full of surreal surprises and jokes you won't get, you'll probably dig this. Like Eroc 1, this consists of stuff recorded in Eroc's home studio, growing out of tapes intended to augment Grobschnitt's live shows. Both records turned into personal LP-length visions well worthy to stand alone.
Can't wait to hear Eroc 3, which is supposedly also been reissued or will be soon...
MPEG Stream: "Nebelwelt"
MPEG Stream: "Geleert Worte"
MPEG Stream: "Sonnenfluch"
MPEG Stream: "Morley's Orgasm"

EROC Wolkenreise (Brain) cd 17.98

ERSEN s/t (Finders Keepers) cd 23.00
In the last few years we all seem to have come down with serious cases of "Anatolian fever"! With amazing reissues of '70s Turkish psych by the likes of Selda, Mogollar, 3 Hur El, Erkin Koray, Edip Akbayram, Bunalim, Mustafa Ozkent and a bunch of great comps. We've been totally and completely blown away time after time by how charged and colorful the sounds coming from the Turkish underground in the '70s were.
Now Ersen gets the proper reissue treatment from Finders Keepers and it's about time, as his amazing and seductive voice has been evoking the most resplendently colorful memories and images of people and places. With instrumentation that's as immediate, funk filled and catchy as his comrades Selda and Edip Akbayram, and a voice that can really do no wrong, Ersen has become our newest Turkish Psych obsession.
It's amazing how well these songs have stood the test of time, sounding so alive, and relevant nearly 35 years after they were first recorded. Ersen has a very special place in Turkish music history, being a vocalist for a period of time for the pioneers of Turkish psych/pop, Mogollar. The truth is Ersen's voice could probably sing over any kind of music and make it all sound so damn good, as it's soulful and filled with such flair, that sort of voice doesn't come around that often. It's no surprise that hip-hop folks like Oh No, Madlib and the whole Stones Throw family have been quite obsessed with Ersen's sounds as well, every song jam packed with so many breakbeats and innovative sounds, just begging to be sampled and blasted on the dance floor. A true gem from a magical era in Turkish psychedelia!
MPEG Stream: "Temek"
MPEG Stream: "Gunese Don Cicegem"
MPEG Stream: "Garip Gonlum"

ES A Love Cycle (Fonal) cd 17.98
BACK IN PRINT! One of our old Finnish faves. In new, non-jewelcase packaging like most recent Fonal releases. Here's the review from AQ list 109: Coming out of the same Finnish scene that spawned AQ-faves Circle and Ektroverde, Es is the work of Sami Sanpakkila, who in addition to this solo project, also plays in various bands like Kiila and Velvolino. He also runs Fonal records. (I guess all that is how he keeps himself busy during those long cold dark winters). His previous disc, Flick, was guitar-based, a beautiful, psychedelic (in a modern way) guitar-electronics meditation. For "A Love Cycle" he focuses not on guitar but on the use of loops from scratchy old records, reminding us very strongly of the work of AQ-fave Philip Jeck! It's a very pretty and hypnotic album, also very melancholic and at points darkly ominous. The record crackle is a real presence, its sound seemingly as significant as the music in the looped records' grooves. On one track this vinyl hum is joined by a female's humming vocals, and on others Sami layers synth and beats over the loops. A Love Cycle conjures up an inviting and mysterious soundworld. Very nice.
MPEG Stream: "Les Fleurs Sont Des Bonnes Auditrices"
MPEG Stream: "Twenty-Five Twenty-Five"

ES Flick (Fonal) cd 16.98
Es is the work of Finland's Sami Sanpakkila. This is the first work that we've encountered from Es, though Sanpakkila is closely connected to the out-rock ensembles of Circle and Ektroverde. The nine tracks are hermetic sculptures built out of beautifully gossamer guitar playing with Zoviet France like backing loops and atmospheres. Fans of early Durutti Column or Steven R. Smith's evocative work should definitely take note.

ES Kaikkenuden Kauneus Ja Kasittamattomyys (Fonal) cd 17.98
Here's the third album from our Finnish friend Sami Sanpakkila, who is also a member of Kiila and Kemialliset Ystavat, and runs the excellent Fonal label. Excellent 'cause of releasing wonderful records like this, his new effort under the name Es. The previous two Es albums, Flick and A Love Cycle, were all about mesmerizing, looping soundscapes. Now Kaikkeuden Kauneus Ja Kasittamattomyys -- in English, The Beauty and Inconceivableness of Everything -- continues Sami's explorations in meditative modern psychedelia, somewhat sad but beautiful, with guitar, some very lovely piano, and various field recordings mixed in. On some tracks, this sounds like Sami has dragged a few of A Love Cycle's turntables out into his garden, where he sits with the birds and plants and makes music while a female friend sings so nicely. It's like Philip Jeck meets Jewelled Antler. Definitely for fans of JA, as well as Kemialliset and the recent Kiila record. As always, we say, yay Finland!
MPEG Stream: "Pehmea Iho"
MPEG Stream: "Sadekellot"

ES Kesamaan Lapset (Fonal) cd 17.98
Brand new record from this Finnish aQ fave, every new album a slowly blossoming mystery in sound, whether it's manipulated chunks of old vinyl, rickety campfire psychedelia, or expansive soundscapes of delicate crystalline shimmer. Es is the musical monicker of Sami Sanpakkila, who also plays in some other aQ Finnish favorites, most notably Kemialliset Ystavat and Kiila, and who is often joined by various members of the ever shifting and constantly collaborating Finnish underground community.
Kesamaan Lapset seems to be a record composed and performed entirely on keyboards and synthesizers, the opening track is a gloriously sun dappled chunk of skittery sunshiney new age synths, lush swoonsome swells of fuzzy whir, tinkling little melodies, and soft tangles of squiggly glitches, looped and chopped, like a more kinetic caffeinated Oval. The follow up begins with some circusy lo-fi keyboard melodies, that get more and more dense and intricate before the vocals swoop in, super effected and lush, wrapped in delay and reverb, ghostly and otherworldly, drifting lazily and dreamily over the softly chaotic jumble of tones and melodic fragments, managing to be pretty and soft, but fractured and off kilter at the same time.
The first of the two long tracks is a slow building dronescape, thick swells of warm lush organ whir, beneath delicate spidery piano melodies, the whole thing growing ever brighter and more insistent, various keyboards beginning to stutter and skitter creating all manner of incidental rhythms before finishing off in a dense swirl of hissy soft focus drift.
The 21 minute title track is all woozy dream pop, female vocals, over a constantly undulating bed of looped pianos and swirling synths, male vocals offer up some unlikely harmonies, horns slowly surface as do gauzy clouds of effects, before transforming into a deep, dark, almost brooding bit of keyboard driven drift, replete with all manner of Oval like digital glitch, warbly and underwater sounding, super hypnotic and intense, eventually giving way to a strange bit of majestic fanfare before fading out in a brief blur of warm abstract melody.
The final brief track is a buzzed out coda, all electronic glitchery, fuzzy drones, plonked electric piano, howled vocals buried in the mix, tons of grit and texture, buzz and whir, like a way more abstract Animal Collective.
Certainly a bit different than any of the other Es releases, but in its own warm and warped, tripped out and twisted way, a logical extension of Es's ever expanding soundworld. And we dig it.
As always, the packaging is super cool full color 4 panel gatefold, with some amazing childhood photos, printed insert with more cool art and liner notes, and a gold and white printed obi.
MPEG Stream: "Ennen Oli Huonommin"
MPEG Stream: "Kesa Ja Hymyilevat Huulet"
MPEG Stream: "Sateet Sun Sielusta"

ES Kesamaan Lapset (Fonal) lp 17.98
Also on lp, finally available for us to list for the first time! Here's what we said about the cd...
Brand new record from this Finnish aQ fave, every new album a slowly blossoming mystery in sound, whether it's manipulated chunks of old vinyl, rickety campfire psychedelia, or expansive soundscapes of delicate crystalline shimmer. Es is the musical monicker of Sami Sanpakkila, who also plays in some other aQ Finnish favorites, most notably Kemialliset Ystavat and Kiila, and who is often joined by various members of the ever shifting and constantly collaborating Finnish underground community.
Kesamaan Lapset seems to be a record composed and performed entirely on keyboards and synthesizers, the opening track is a gloriously sun dappled chunk of skittery sunshiney new age synths, lush swoonsome swells of fuzzy whir, tinkling little melodies, and soft tangles of squiggly glitches, looped and chopped, like a more kinetic caffeinated Oval. The follow up begins with some circusy lo-fi keyboard melodies, that get more and more dense and intricate before the vocals swoop in, super effected and lush, wrapped in delay and reverb, ghostly and otherworldly, drifting lazily and dreamily over the softly chaotic jumble of tones and melodic fragments, managing to be pretty and soft, but fractured and off kilter at the same time.
The first of the two long tracks is a slow building dronescape, thick swells of warm lush organ whir, beneath delicate spidery piano melodies, the whole thing growing ever brighter and more insistent, various keyboards beginning to stutter and skitter creating all manner of incidental rhythms before finishing off in a dense swirl of hissy soft focus drift.
The 21 minute title track is all woozy dream pop, female vocals, over a constantly undulating bed of looped pianos and swirling synths, male vocals offer up some unlikely harmonies, horns slowly surface as do gauzy clouds of effects, before transforming into a deep, dark, almost brooding bit of keyboard driven drift, replete with all manner of Oval like digital glitch, warbly and underwater sounding, super hypnotic and intense, eventually giving way to a strange bit of majestic fanfare before fading out in a brief blur of warm abstract melody.
The final brief track is a buzzed out coda, all electronic glitchery, fuzzy drones, plonked electric piano, howled vocals buried in the mix, tons of grit and texture, buzz and whir, like a way more abstract Animal Collective.
Certainly a bit different than any of the other Es releases, but in its own warm and warped, tripped out and twisted way, a logical extension of Es's ever expanding soundworld. And we dig it.
MPEG Stream: "Ennen Oli Huonommin"
MPEG Stream: "Kesa Ja Hymyilevat Huulet"
MPEG Stream: "Sateet Sun Sielusta"

ES / SAMI SANPAKKILA Early Filmworks 1996 - 2006 (Fonal) dvd 21.00

ESCAPADE But Distractions Abound (Submergence) cd 13.98
One of the first times we heard from NYC space/post/synth/psych rock combo Escapade was on a split with Acid Mothers Temple. And damn if they didn't manage to hold their own. In fact, if memory serves, their propulsive synthy space drone ended up outshining AMT's same already familiar psych rock freakout.
So here we are a few years later, with the latest full length from these guys, and we're happy to say it's just as solid. Maybe even a little bit more trippy and spacey. Which is of course a very good thing. As we've mentioned in the past, modern prog/space/psych rock can tend toward the cheesy, a very few bands manage to bliss out and rock out with out sounding like Hawkwind lite. Escapade are definitely among the elite, with their stretched out jams, and some simple motorik rhythms that definitely remind us of Circle. In fact, if you took the looped riffing out of Circle and injected some scrabbling psychedelic freakouts you'd pretty much Escapade. Throw in some buzzing sitars, some tripped out abstract This Heat-isms, some wild free jazz drumming here and there, some billowing clouds of dense space rock FX, some soaring heart-of-the-sun leads, and all sorts of droning atmosphere, and you're in for a kick ass tripped out drug drenched space rock freakout. Fans of Circle, Kinski, Acid Mothers Temple, Hawkwind and the like will definitely want to check this out...
MPEG Stream: "Partial Memory Occurence"
MPEG Stream: "Coldth"

ESCAPADE Rule #3 (Submergence) cd 14.98
Latest (though last year's) release from this band, in stock for the first time. Escapade are an almost-all-instrumental American band that falls into the amorphous space/prog/trance/post/psych/synth rock category. Some of that stort of stuff done by modern day bands can get kinda cheesy and wanky, but these guys thankfully stay on the more acceptable side of the genre, so if you're heavily into, say, Circle and Subarachnoid Space you'll probably like Escapade. (Sporting a ponytail might not hurt either...just kidding.) The opening track "A Symphony Of Sirens", a nearly twenty minute epic of slow moving menace, pretty much tells you all you need to know. Thudding bass, cavernous drums, meandering electric guitar leads, dubby effects...sleepy and droney and repetitive. It's a bit like Pharaoh Overlord's latest I suppose. And if that doesn't tell you enough about 'em, they follow that up with a largely-improvised take on the Pink Floyd classic "Interstellar Overdrive"! This comes to us via the label that just brought us the new F/i (see elsewhere this list), and prior to that the "Flourescent Tunnelvision" spacerock compilation we gave the thumbs up to a while back -- you'll find an Escapade track on there too.
MPEG Stream: "A Symphony Of Sirens"

ESG A South Bronx Story 2 (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Rarities discs from most bands usually seem superfluous or at the very least only for their most obsessed fans, but when it comes to ESG, we'll gladly take any kind of extra material we can get!
If you don't already own the first volume of A South Bronx Story we hereby demand that you stop reading this and get it right away! It's an all time AQ favorite that you can still hear blasting in the store all the time, and it's one of those records that just about everyone we've ever played it for has totally fallen head over heels for. Volume 2 features lots of alternative mixes, b-sides and unreleased tracks, from their early days all the way up until their more present incarnation. The day this arrived we of course immediately threw it on and every single person in the store at one point or another made their way up to the counter to find out what was playing. It was so cool because they were all folks who don't normally gravitate toward dance minded music, but their ears obviously knew that this was the real deal, and no matter what your regular sonic inclinations may be, it's pretty much impossible not to be swept up by the wholly unique sounds of ESG. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Bam Bam Jam"
MPEG Stream: "Earn It"
MPEG Stream: "Like This"

ESG Come Away With ESG (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
With a brand new record released earlier this year and their first ever live show here in SF, it's for sure been nonstop ESG fever here at AQ. We could probably write the longest most glowing review ever of that live show but suffice to say it was a mind blowing experience which we aren't soon going to forget.
When ESG were on tour last year in Japan they realized that people were spending hundreds of dollars to get their hands on their rare second album called Come Away With ESG, so they asked Soul Jazz to reissue it and now here it is, all gussied up and at a nice price. Originally released in 1983 on 99 Records, the great NY underground label that also put out records by folks like Glen Branca, Bush Tetras, Liquid Liquid, etc. While the bulk of these songs can be found on the great A South Bronx Story collection it's still so thrilling and a little mind blowing to understand how an entire album can actually sound like the best greatest hits album you've ever heard. Pretty much hands down the best dance music made in this quarter century. ESG have been sampled on countless hip-hop records, helping to inspire an entire generation of forward minded dance/punk/dub/funk artists, and have thus continued to keep their vision alive and well. For those who already have A South Bronx story there are a few absolute gems on here not included on that collection. And for those who don't have any ESG yet in their collection, get this right away!!!
MPEG Stream: "You Make No Sense"
MPEG Stream: "The Beat"

ESMERINE If Only A Sweet Surrender To The Nights To Come Be True (Resonant) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Esmerine is yet another offering from the Constellation camp, best known for Godspeed You Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion, and Set Fire To Flames. Unlike those groups with their massive ensembles, Esmerine pairs the sound down to two performers Bruce Cawdron and Beckie Foon, who happen to be members of all three of those aforementioned projects. This reduced membership personalizes all of the instrumentation, allowing for greater room for interplay between the instrumentation than the necessarily controlled orchestrations from the majority of the Constellation crew; yet, Esmerine does maintain that signature of emotionally isolated expansiveness. With just strings, marimba, drums, and a sparse use of electronics, Esmerine's debut album is an evocative collection of sparsely composed, neo-classical duets that mine the same Eastern European sensibilities of the much lauded Kopernik album although there are spots when Cawdron and Foon pick up the pace considerably for some 'heavy' moments that resemble the Metallica covering chamber ensemble Apocalyptica. Nice.
MPEG Stream: "Majestic Whispers..."
MPEG Stream: "Leaving No Room For Fear"

ESP SUMMER LP (Perdition Plastics) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
After several cassettes, etc., the debut cd of "quiet songs" by the duo of Warren DeFevere of (His Name Is Alive, Princess Dragon-Mom) and Ian Masters (Pale Saints).

ESP. BEETLES With The (Time Stereo) cd-r 11.98
When Warn Defever is not busy leading the His Name Is Alive troops or running Time Stereo, it seems he should be taking a breather, but no! He's got many more irons in the fire. This is the re-mastered re-ssue of the originally cassette only release from one of his many side projects. A lo-fi experimental mish-mash of chopped up jams and samples.
RealAudio clip: "Track 1"

ESPERS II (Drag City) cd 14.98
The mystical and romantic decay of powers past is a prevalent theme on Espers second full length outing. With titles like "Dead King, Dead Queen", "Widow's Weed" and "Children of Stone", the thwarting of innocence and nature are met by a beautifully ruinous demise. While the past Espers releases have been mostly acoustic affairs using dulcimers, autoharps and harpsichords, on II, we hear a more heavily spacious psychedelic sound underpinning the acoustic arrangements while still maintaining their traditional mostly female acid folk vocal styles. Like Pentangle by way of Blue Oyster Cult (they covered BOC's Flaming Telepaths on their last EP, the Weed Tree), this new release shows Espers in top form worthy of many repeated listenings. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Cruel Storm"
MPEG Stream: "Moon Occults The Sun"

ESPERS II (Drag City) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The mystical and romantic decay of powers past is a prevalent theme on Espers second full length outing. With titles like Dead King, Dead Queen, Widow's Weed and Children of Stone, the thwarting of innocence and nature are met by a beautifully ruinous demise. While the past Espers releases have been mostly acoustic affairs using dulcimers, autoharps and harpsichords, on II, we hear a more heavily spacious psychedelic sound underpinning the acoustic arrangements while still maintaining their traditional mostly female acid folk vocal styles. Like Pentangle by way of Blue Oyster Cult (They covered BOC's Flaming Telepaths on their last EP, the Weed Tree), this new release shows Espers in top form worthy of many repeated listenings. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Cruel Storm"
MPEG Stream: "Moon Occults The Sun"

ESPERS III (Drag City) cd 14.98
It's been over three years since we've heard from this awesome Philadelphia collective, but that doesn't mean they haven't been busy. What with scoring and touring the Valerie Project (the re-imagined soundtrack to Jaromil Jires' Valerie And Her Week of Wonders), solo projects and collaborations from members Meg Baird and Helena Espvall, and focussing on Greg Weeks' psych-folk label, Language of Stone, it's amazing the band found any time to record. But they have and what's even more amazing is how great it sounds, releasing perhaps our favorite of their records. While the last record, II expanded upon the acid folk of their debut into a gauzy nocturnal medieval acid-psych, the songs on III return to sun-dappled realms, without losing any of their dark majesty. There's still a heavy British folk vibe, and Week's soaring guitar lines have lost none of their power, but the mood is more relaxed and warmer, allowing moments of seventies west-coast psych to seep through and mellow the proceedings a bit. But that doesn't mean there aren't any shadows, as Espers know how to work those magically dark undercurrents into even the brightest of songs. This is the band at the height of their power, lets hope it keeps going higher!
MPEG Stream: "Caroline"
MPEG Stream: "That Which Darkly Thrives"
MPEG Stream: "Another Moon Song"

ESPERS III (Drag City) lp 17.98
It's been over three years since we've heard from this awesome Philadelphia collective, but that doesn't mean they haven't been busy. What with scoring and touring the Valerie Project (the re-imagined soundtrack to Jaromil Jires' Valerie And Her Week of Wonders), solo projects and collaborations from members Meg Baird and Helena Espvall, and focussing on Greg Weeks' psych-folk label, Language of Stone, it's amazing the band found any time to record. But they have and what's even more amazing is how great it sounds, releasing perhaps our favorite of their records. While the last record, II expanded upon the acid folk of their debut into a gauzy nocturnal medieval acid-psych, the songs on III return to sun-dappled realms, without losing any of their dark majesty. There's still a heavy British folk vibe, and Week's soaring guitar lines have lost none of their power, but the mood is more relaxed and warmer, allowing moments of seventies west-coast psych to seep through and mellow the proceedings a bit. But that doesn't mean there aren't any shadows, as Espers know how to work those magically dark undercurrents into even the brightest of songs. This is the band at the height of their power, lets hope it keeps going higher!
MPEG Stream: "Caroline"
MPEG Stream: "That Which Darkly Thrives"
MPEG Stream: "Another Moon Song"

ESPERS s/t (Locust) cd 14.98
Usually, when a friend of yours slowly begins to sink into a druggy oblivion, you do everything in your power to help them, and keep them from that fate. But when that druggy oblivion is musical and that friend is Greg Weeks, you wait anxiously for the descent to bear musical fruit. Thus we have the Espers. A modern classic of shimmery psychedelia and seventies inspired pagan folk (and the drugs are sonic, not narcotic, so fear not Mr. and Mrs. Weeks). Sweet and melodic, but with a subtly dark and utterly creepy underbelly. The sound is heavy on the Incredible String Band, Pentangle, Fairport Convention and hippy folk of that era, but with elements of the sweet pop ballad and with a dash of Comus, that's right, Comus! And we don't invoke the name of Comus lightly. But don't let all this talk of folk and prog put you off. Espers beautifully tread paths of indie rock shimmer just as deftly, offering much to love for fans of Windy And Carl, Landing, and all things Ptolemaic Terrascope. Sweetly angelic female vocals float and hover alongside Weeks' warm sweet croon, over spare lilting folk, woven from delicately plucked steel string guitars, haunting violins and cellos, sweet swirling flutes, and the distinctive zing of dulcimers. Occasionally distorted guitar leaps wildly from the haze (two members are credited with "acid leads" after all!) lending the whole thing an acid soaked vibe. Weeks' last full length solo record was an AQ Record of the Week way back in 2001 with its mournful introspection, fuzzed out melodies and dreamy cloudy ambience. Espers follow a similar path, a lonely, meandering, path through the ancient forest, sunlight filtering faintly through the canopy. Travelling minstrels sing sadly, softly, offering sweet sounds to seek safety in those darkened, timeless glades.
MPEG Stream: "Flowery Noontide"
MPEG Stream: "Meadow"
MPEG Stream: "Riding"

ESPERS The Weed Tree (Locust) cd 14.98
This new 37 minute release from psychedelic Philly folksters Espers isn't exactly their eagerly-awaited second album proper (which remains tantalizingly on the horizon). Instead, with The Weed Tree they offer up a sort of "teaser" disc that consists almost entirely of cover songs, with the only Espers original being the the grand and morose "Dead King" that closes the album. The covers include a couple of traditional tunes ("Rosemary Tree" and "Black Is The Color") alongside an eclectic but in the end utterly appropriate mix of material from the likes of the Durutti Column, Nico, Michael Hurley, and even Blue Oyster Cult. Although that might seem like a diverse bunch, in the hands of Espers these songs all do seem to belong together in one natural organism, the roots and branches and leaves of this Weed Tree. Echoing '70s artists like the Incredible String Band, Linda Perhacs and Vashti Bunyan, Espers' music (or here, their take on other people's music) is delicate and dreamy, sad but lovely acoustic folk with a lurking psych presence coming from the humming organ drones and acid guitar flashes... and these songs all lean heavily upon the band's sweet female vocals and harmonies.
Their folky, vaguely madrigal-like take on BOC's "Flaming Telepaths" builds into a freaked-out (but far from hard rock) climax, sounding the most of anything here like something from Espers member Greg Weeks' Awake Like Sleep album (beloved here at AQ). As are Espers themselves! Really nice. If you haven't heard Espers before, but like the other current acid-folk stuff happening such as Josephine Foster and Six Organs and Vetiver and P.G. Six and so forth, this would be a fine place to start! And of course fans will be pleased, as this helps tide us over until the true full-length follow up to their debut appears.
MPEG Stream: "Rosemary Tree"
MPEG Stream: "Blue Mountain"

ESPERS The Weed Tree (Locust) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
NOW ON VINYL!
This new 37 minute release from psychedelic Philly folksters Espers isn't exactly their eagerly-awaited second album proper (which remains tantalizingly on the horizon). Instead, with The Weed Tree they offer up a sort of "teaser" disc that consists almost entirely of cover songs, with the only Espers original being the the grand and morose "Dead King" that closes the album. The covers include a couple of traditional tunes ("Rosemary Tree" and "Black Is The Color") alongside an eclectic but in the end utterly appropriate mix of material from the likes of the Durutti Column, Nico, Michael Hurley, and even Blue Oyster Cult. Although that might seem like a diverse bunch, in the hands of Espers these songs all do seem to belong together in one natural organism, the roots and branches and leaves of this Weed Tree. Echoing '70s artists like the Incredible String Band, Linda Perhacs and Vashti Bunyan, Espers' music (or here, their take on other people's music) is delicate and dreamy, sad but lovely acoustic folk with a lurking psych presence coming from the humming organ drones and acid guitar flashes... and these songs all lean heavily upon the band's sweet female vocals and harmonies.
Their folky, vaguely madrigal-like take on BOC's "Flaming Telepaths" builds into a freaked-out (but far from hard rock) climax, sounding the most of anything here like something from Espers member Greg Weeks' Awake Like Sleep album (beloved here at AQ). As are Espers themselves! Really nice. If you haven't heard Espers before, but like the other current acid-folk stuff happening such as Josephine Foster and Six Organs and Vetiver and P.G. Six and so forth, this would be a fine place to start! And of course fans will be pleased, as this helps tide us over until the true full-length follow up to their debut appears.
MPEG Stream: "Rosemary Tree"
MPEG Stream: "Blue Mountain"

ESPVALL, HELENA Nimis & Arx (Fire Museum / Pax Recordings) cd 13.98
For those of you, like us, who may only know the Swedish cellist Helena Espvall from her work with the recent crop of neo-psych folk artists like Espers, Fursaxa, and Samara Lubelski, as well as being a member of Vashti Bunyan's touring band, you may be surprised, like we were, at the avant-garde leanings on her solo debut Nimis & Arx. However, after learning that Espvall has played with numerous free improv, dance and theater groups as well as with 20th century avant luminaries Pauline Oliveros and Eugene Chadbourne, we shouldn't really be surprised at all. With production and electronics provided by George Korein of Infidel?/Castro!, Nimis & Arx is a free improv maelstrom of cello, recorder, guitar and voice that is equal parts beautiful, difficult, tense and transcendent. Even the late, great Arthur Russell had not dragged his cello this far out into uncharted waters and that's saying something!
MPEG Stream: "Kretslopp Av Blod Och Stjarnor"
MPEG Stream: "Multiplication Broken and Restored I"
MPEG Stream: "Mar Amarga"