ETERNAL TAPESTRY A World Out Of Time (Thrill Jockey) lp+cd-r 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We may have mentioned it before, but it seems like Thrill Jockey is quickly establishing itself as an indie powerhouse. Not that they weren't already, but recently, they've been taking on band after amazing band, loads of aQ faves (heck, this week's Record Of The Week from Golden Void is also on TJ!), and broadening their scope to include, well, anything really, from the twisted experimental plunderphonic electronica of Matmos, to the brooding mesmer of Barn Owl, not to mention all the various strains of modern psychedelia, including a particularly virulent version practiced by long time aQ faves Eternal Tapestry, who in the past have been know to create records from hours of tapes, multiple jams melted down into one single slab of head heaviness, but apparently, A World Out Of Time finds the band going old school, and recording essentially live, single takes, the band locking into endless grooves, and blissed out kosmische freakouts. And all of the usual E-Tap radness is present, but there are definitely some surprises, like the 12+ minute opener, which is of course rife with thick whirls of drone and bleary shimmer, but is also laced with sax, and is driven primarily by some groovy classic rock guitar, it's like the Grateful Dead or the Allmann Brothers, but WAY more tripped out, imagine some obscure psych rock festival in the late sixties, early seventies, everyone, wasted and weary, and this is the band that goes on last, playing for HOURS, continuing to rock out as the sun begins to rise. It has that sort of wasted, endless psych vibe, and it definitely suits em, and of course it gets even more tripped out and drowsily squiggly near the end, although the end here feels pretty arbitrary, as if the track could have played on forever.
And weirdly, that retro vibe continues over the rest of the record, the sound slipping from dizzying mini-ragas, laced with bloopy electronics and loads of sitar like buzz, to full on fuzz rock proto metal, heart of the sun space rock, to loping tribal minimalism that sounds like No Neck Blues Band or Avarus, to straight up druggy psychedelic folk, replete with Donovan like vox, low end horn blurt, and swirling backwards fuzz guitar, and check out the purloined opening riff on "Apocalypse Troll"! There are some moments, where the band go for it, and deliver some blistering blown out heavy psych, and for the most part, the sound manages to not be that far removed from the Eternal Tapestry we know and love, but simply recasts it, the various influences brazenly displayed, old school Fillmore psychedelic classic rock transformed into modern space psych bliss!
While they last, the record is accompanied by a super limited cd-r, called Prometheus Rising, a killer collection of previously unheard/unreleased material handpicked by the band, ranging from droned out hypno-kraut grooves to full on wild psychedelic squall blowouts to hazy loping, brooding FX drenched drifts, to super spare kosmische ambience, even a couple blast of surprisingly rocking melodic fuzz-rock freakouts! We're the only store in the States to have this bonus cd-r, but they won't last long.
MPEG Stream: "When I Was In Your Mind"
MPEG Stream: "Alone Against Tomorrow"
MPEG Stream: "The Weird Stone"
MPEG Stream: "Apocalypse Troll"

ETERNAL TAPESTRY Beyond The 4th Door (Thrill Jockey) cd 15.98
Latest from these Portland psych rockers, their first for new label Thrill Jockey, which is where they now call home, alongside their pals, SF dronerockers Barn Owl.
For Beyond The 4th Door, these guys haven't really changed their MO all that much, but then as they say, why fix what ain't broke? The opener is a sprawling smoldering psychedelic drift, all minimal stripped down drums, effected guitar, processed vox, deep low end buzz, and helicopter like thrum, the sound twangy and sun baked, almost like they're taking a page from label mates Barn Owl, the same sort of deserty drift, but ET augment their drift with strange effects, whirring synths, culminating in a thick buzzing denouement, before slipping right back into a slowly fading outro.
That track bleeds right into the next, another chunk of psychedelic smolder, this time the guitars more distorted, a sound that reminds us of Flower Travellin' Band actually, like those wailing vox could swoop in at any second. Instead, the song unfurls, a mesmerizing chunk of hypo psychedelia, which again blurs right into the next track, a hazy slow burner, all tangled psych guitars, and shuffling skeletal rhythms, and finally on this one, the band get heavy (not crazy heavy, but heaviER), there's some sax here too, but it almost sounds just like another guitar, the band unleashing loose softly chaotic squalls of dueling guitars/sax, the whole thing hazy and druggy and pretty excellent, the sort of modern shit that should moss definitely appeal to all the Japrock obsessives who worship at the alter of Les Rallizes.
The record finishes with two sprawling epics, "Reflections In A Mirage", a droney, twangy, stretch of minimal, spacious shuffle, vocals return, to chant, and moan ominously, while the guitars warble and buzz, all tangled an spidery, draped over swirls of shimmery drone, the song never explodes or climaxes, which only makes it cooler, the instruments gradually blurring together and finally coalescing into a closing stretch of layered drone. The comes "Time Winds Through A Glass, Clearly", topping out at 12 minutes, beginning like some strange sort of country jam, loping low slung bass, and twangy reverbed guitars, soon sizzling clouds of cymbal shimmer drift overhead, the saxophone returns and skronks off in the distance, the song drifts and lopes and meanders, slowly picking up steam, but staying mostly restrained, until the last few minutes, where the band do let loose again, the drums pounding, the guitars distorted, wild streaks of psychedelic leads everywhere, a serious sonic squall, but only briefly, before things quickly settle back down and the track unwinds in a soft psychedelic haze. Great stuff. And refreshing that they managed to avoid the ubiquitous soft/loud, slow build, explosive ending thing that seems to be the way most bands do psychedelic space rock, instead, each song was a expansive sprawling epics that were both hypnotic and heavy, mesmerizing and mysteriousÉ
MPEG Stream: "Ancient Echoes"
MPEG Stream: "Cosmic Manhunt"
MPEG Stream: "Galactic Derelict"

ETERNAL TAPESTRY Beyond The 4th Door (Thrill Jockey) lp 16.98
Latest from these Portland psych rockers, their first for new label Thrill Jockey, which is where they now call home, alongside their pals, SF dronerockers Barn Owl.
For Beyond The 4th Door, these guys haven't really changed their MO all that much, but then as they say, why fix what ain't broke? The opener is a sprawling smoldering psychedelic drift, all minimal stripped down drums, effected guitar, processed vox, deep low end buzz, and helicopter like thrum, the sound twangy and sun baked, almost like they're taking a page from label mates Barn Owl, the same sort of deserty drift, but ET augment their drift with strange effects, whirring synths, culminating in a thick buzzing denouement, before slipping right back into a slowly fading outro.
That track bleeds right into the next, another chunk of psychedelic smolder, this time the guitars more distorted, a sound that reminds us of Flower Travellin' Band actually, like those wailing vox could swoop in at any second. Instead, the song unfurls, a mesmerizing chunk of hypo psychedelia, which again blurs right into the next track, a hazy slow burner, all tangled psych guitars, and shuffling skeletal rhythms, and finally on this one, the band get heavy (not crazy heavy, but heaviER), there's some sax here too, but it almost sounds just like another guitar, the band unleashing loose softly chaotic squalls of dueling guitars/sax, the whole thing hazy and druggy and pretty excellent, the sort of modern shit that should moss definitely appeal to all the Japrock obsessives who worship at the alter of Les Rallizes.
The record finishes with two sprawling epics, "Reflections In A Mirage", a droney, twangy, stretch of minimal, spacious shuffle, vocals return, to chant, and moan ominously, while the guitars warble and buzz, all tangled an spidery, draped over swirls of shimmery drone, the song never explodes or climaxes, which only makes it cooler, the instruments gradually blurring together and finally coalescing into a closing stretch of layered drone. The comes "Time Winds Through A Glass, Clearly", topping out at 12 minutes, beginning like some strange sort of country jam, loping low slung bass, and twangy reverbed guitars, soon sizzling clouds of cymbal shimmer drift overhead, the saxophone returns and skronks off in the distance, the song drifts and lopes and meanders, slowly picking up steam, but staying mostly restrained, until the last few minutes, where the band do let loose again, the drums pounding, the guitars distorted, wild streaks of psychedelic leads everywhere, a serious sonic squall, but only briefly, before things quickly settle back down and the track unwinds in a soft psychedelic haze. Great stuff. And refreshing that they managed to avoid the ubiquitous soft/loud, slow build, explosive ending thing that seems to be the way most bands do psychedelic space rock, instead, each song was a expansive sprawling epics that were both hypnotic and heavy, mesmerizing and mysteriousÉ
MPEG Stream: "Ancient Echoes"
MPEG Stream: "Cosmic Manhunt"
MPEG Stream: "Galactic Derelict"

ETERNAL TAPESTRY Dawn In 2 Dimensions (Thrill Jockey) lp 16.98
Latest (vinyl-only) blast of psychedelic heaviness from these Portland space rockers, and much like the last record, the awesome Beyond The Fourth Door, Dawn In 2 Dimensions finds the band stretching way out, unfurling hazy, druggy, psych-drone epics, with pounding caveman drums anchoring clouds of white hot guitar squall, and horns too, the band don't even bother with the slow build or an intro or anything, they just launch right into "Wholeodrome" and start jamming, and we're immediately struck by how much fans of bands like White Hills and Carlton Melton and the Heads and all those outfits, should be flipping out over these guys as well, it's some fantastically heady stuff, heart of the sun sort of lysergic heaviness, rife with chanted vocals, lush layered riffing, and those tangled guitar melodies, a laid back psychedelic shredding drifting atop the groups churning spaciness. The opener is the perfect introduction, and surprisingly short at 4:33 considering it could have easily stretched out and filled up the whole side, and we're guessing live it probably does get even more blown/stretched out.
And while the label touts this as the band trying to capture the energy of their "blistering live shows", there's still plenty of super laid back stoned out psych, in fact "Bread Of Dreams" spends most of its nearly seven minutes in a dirgey effects heavy haze, only exploding into some fierce heaviness near the end, only to transform into a bit of pastoral acoustic folk, wrapped in some weirdly tweaked (and heavily panned) birdsong. "Marrow Of The Wand" offers up something similar, a bit more krautrocky and propulsive maybe, but still super laid back, and almost Grateful Dead sounding (albeit a much more spaced out and druggy version), that again does devolve into a wild psych squall freakout right at the very end.
It's the B side that really seems to display the band at their rawest and heaviest, a sidelong 3 part epic, that spends a good chunk brooding ominously, slowly building, all spidery melodies and stripped down rhythmic shuffle, before slipping into some Stooges-y swagger, some buzz drenched heavy rock crunch, the middle portion being downright headbangable, before the final kraut-psych stretch, that finds the band locking into a woozy mesmeric groove, that again, could probably go on forever, pounding through a cloud of swirling psychguitar, before finally stumbling to a halt.
Heavy psych heads and psychedelic space rockers should really already be hip to these guys, but if for some reason that's not the case, get his now, and clear a space on your shelf next to Wooden Shjips, Moon Duo, White Hills, Carlton Melton, etc...

ETERNAL TAPESTRY Mystic Induction (Not Not Fun) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

ETERNAL TAPESTRY Palace of The Night Skies (Three Lobed) lp+cd 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
So when the Eternal Tapestry guys ripped through town last month, they dropped off a few cdrs, needless to say, they were gone in no time. We even had to keep bugging them to send more down to the shop because so many of you loyal psych heads couldn't get enough of ETAP's cosmic fury!! Well, we are pleased to present the latest full length lp from Portland's heaviest psych sludge trio, Palace of The Night Skies! The good people at Three Lobed bring us this tripped out, fuzzed out psychedelic masterpiece, golden shimmering riffs plodding on into infinity, wailing fuzz from the depths of a swirling acid trip, all anchored to Earth by Jed Bindeman's (Heavy Winged) in the pocket, solid as rock drumming. Prism Light Traveler, Side A, kicks things off with a krauty, stoned-out riff, repetitive and hypnotic, Nick Bindeman (JOMF, Tunnels) and Dewey Mahood sacrifice their guitars at the psychedelic altar of kraut riffage. Layers of wailing feedback, endless washes of blaring tones burn a hole right through the speakers, the gates of infinity are opened and all trippers are welcome inside. Side B, titled The Hidden Void, begins with the slowest riff we've heard these guys unleash. Soooo slooow and trudging, like someone falling asleep while playing, kinda reminds us of listening to a Les Rallizes Denudes lp at half speed. Other layers of wailing guitar and distant drones slowly creep into the mix as the slow paced, stonerific trudge plods on. We love how heeeeavy and loud the record sounds, so raw and fucked up, just they type of low-fi warmth we love with our psych. Palace of The Night Skies is essential, especially for fans of Bong, Wooden Shjips, Parson Sound, Loop or anything remotely psychedelic. Limited to 730 copies, each lp comes with a cd (cd also includes one bonus track!) and is housed in a beautifully prinited, cosmic cover. Don't be left in the dust on this heavy-kraut gem!!
MPEG Stream: "Prism Light Traveller"
MPEG Stream: "The Hidden Void"

ETERNAL TAPESTRY Seas of Silk (Digitalis Ltd.) cassette 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's unreal how much awesome, trippy music is coming out of Portland these days. Either there's something funky in the water up there, or Portlanders just know how to keep it real. Real fucked up and tripped out that is. Either way, we couldn't be more happy about all the amazing things happening in Portland lately. And Eternal Tapestry is no exception. These dudes just rolled through town on a short West Coast tour, and they made sure to drop off a nice stack of goodies. This is their brand spankin' new tape on the Digitalis Ltd. label and we're super into it. Krauty, spaced-out, bluesy improv that hits hard. For those of you who don't know, Eternal Tapestry features the famed Bindeman brothers, Jed (Heavy Winged!) on drums and Nick (Jackie-o! and Tunnels) sharing guitar duties with Dewey Mahood. In the same vein as Parson Sound or Can, these guys have really nailed the art of weaving improv in and out of catchy riffs, really sweet. Sadly, this one's already sold out on the label's end and we only got 10 copies! So act now before it's too late!

ETERNAL TAPESTRY Spring Tour 2009 (self-released) cd-r 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
So when these guys came into the shop to drop off their newest tour cd-r, we expected to hear more of the usual E-Tap free bluesy psych jamming. And psych-heads be assured there is a fine amount of freak-out guitar and hypnotic, driving drums here, but the Bindemen brothers and their third, Dewey Mahood have reached an all-time best with this one. They seem to have taken a more gritty and punk influenced direction here, instead of bluesy, the riffs are gritty and damaged in a Black Flag meets Wooden Shjips kinda way. Still very cosmic and sprawling, this shit is waaay darker and waaay more heavy then any other E-Tap stuff we've heard to date. There's even some totally unexpected riffs that are borderline stoner doom! Yes! With apathetic, mumbled Dead C type vocals over turning riffage that bleeds with feedback and gnarled fuuuuuzzzzzzz, we're really diggin' this new direction these dudes are headin' in, totally recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Cosmic Dream"
MPEG Stream: "Tree Of Life"

ETERNAL TAPESTRY The Invisible Landscape (Not Not Fun) lp 16.98
Another slab of spacd out kosmiche kraut riffage from these psychedelic warlords, their sound all Loop-ed guitars, propulsive in the pocket drumming, buried weary vox, all manner of lysergic effects, hazy distorted all over the place, locked into mesmerizingly repetitive grooves, sounds good huh? Anyone into Wooden Shjips, White Hills, Spacemen 3, if you haven't discovered these guys, you need to turn in your garage rock space drone trip out card RIGHT NOW.
But it's not too late, grab one one of these, dim the lights, fire up the hookah, rev up the magic carpet, and let this shit send you straight into the heart of the sun.
Unlike those other bands we mentioned, Eternal Tapestry is a bit more loose, on the verge of chaos, a drugged-out, raw as heck, punk kraut space rock, like locking Black Flag and Parson Sound in a basement full of wah and fuzz pedals and waiting for the destruction to begin. Their shit just keeps getting better and better. Invisible Landscapes picks up where their first Not Not Fun LP, Mystic Induction, left off, only this time the boys seem to have polished their sound. Don't get us wrong, E Tap still brings that raw, blown out tube amp destruction, but the trio seem more solid, more graceful about balancing their rawness with in the pocket rhythms and more clear cut song structures. The sound is a bit more unhinged and abstract, the songs slipping into some mathiness here and there, some free psych freakouts now and again, but always finding their way back to THE GROOVE.
It's Hawkwind worship of the highest order for sure, but filtered through a more modern drone-psych vibe. The A-side is absolute acid fried space jam bliss, any one into any of the above bands who lays their ears on this, will immediately have a new obsession. The flipside is much more soulful and laid back, the drumming super minimal, the guitars chiming and glistening, tons of wah wah (of course), killer hooks too, all over the place... Invisible Landscapes also touches on some new territory for the group, at times veering into a fast paced, hypnotic, machine-like plod, kind of like the Stooges covering a Suicide song, pretty damn sweet. Nick Bindeman and Dewey Mahood send hazy vocals and blissed out guitar solos into the grey sky while Jed Bindeman pounds away on his kit like a lawless locomotive with his sights on the horizon. Heavy hitting, blistering psych-punk that will keep you head banging 'til the early morn, and then there's the closer, a total classic space pop ur-jam, dipped in fuzzy crunch and shoegaze shimmer. NICE!

ETERNAL TAPESTRY & SUN ARAW Night Gallery (Thrill Jockey) cd 15.98
Recorded live in 2010 at South By Southwest, in Austin Texas, in a large empty TV studio and then broadcast on the radio, this psychedelic summit matched up long time pals Sun Araw (aka Cameron Stallones) and Eternal Tapestry for a single improvised performance, 45 minutes of dreamy psychedelic drift, spaced out krautrock, and full on freaked out heaviness! Presented here as played, without overdubs, the only edits being those that separate the jam into 4 tracks. The ET&SA band quickly settle into a lysergic drift, a whirling shimmery haze, laced with fluttery flute, cymbal shimmer, and spidery guitars, a slow build to some seriously explosive spacerock swirl, a chaotic cacophonous crescendo, before settling back down into another stretch of hushed drift, this time heavy on the whirring organ, and still laced with plenty of flute, a little bit jazzy, a lot free and drifty, leading directly into the second movement.
Movement two finds the band immediately locking into some krautpsych hypnorock, some saxophone audible for the first time, the multiple guitars all tangled up in constantly shifting harmonies, the sound mesmerizing and hypnotic, simultaneously ramping up, but also blissing out, vocals swoop in, wreathed in echo and delay, eventually everything fading out but the whirring synths, the shuffling drums, the sax, and some wailing vocals buried in the mix. The third movement is the shortest of the four, and is another slow build, but this time as the sound blossoms it also gradually grows more minimal, the arrangement more spacious and spare, the guitars and sax drifting in an expanse of shimmery thrum and muted horns, washed out and dreamlike.
Finally, the band unfurl the 14+ minute final movement, a swirling shimmering expanse of warm layered keyboards, subtle guitar shadings, and even more subtle sax, the bass offering up deep pulses, everything hazy and crystalline, the drums finally kick in and the band launch into a woozy lumbering space-drone groove, the guitars getting more crunchy, the effects thicker, never truly exploding, instead just cranked up a notch, letting the guitars howl and wail, a druggy dirgey chunk of psychedelic kraut-drone blooz. Nice.
Vinyl version includes a download coupon, fyi.
MPEG Stream: "Night Gallery I"
MPEG Stream: "Night Gallery II"

ETERNAL TAPESTRY & SUN ARAW Night Gallery (Thrill Jockey) lp 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Recorded live in 2010 at South By Southwest, in Austin Texas, in a large empty TV studio and then broadcast on the radio, this psychedelic summit matched up long time pals Sun Araw (aka Cameron Stallones) and Eternal Tapestry for a single improvised performance, 45 minutes of dreamy psychedelic drift, spaced out krautrock, and full on freaked out heaviness! Presented here as played, without overdubs, the only edits being those that separate the jam into 4 tracks. The ET&SA band quickly settle into a lysergic drift, a whirling shimmery haze, laced with fluttery flute, cymbal shimmer, and spidery guitars, a slow build to some seriously explosive spacerock swirl, a chaotic cacophonous crescendo, before settling back down into another stretch of hushed drift, this time heavy on the whirring organ, and still laced with plenty of flute, a little bit jazzy, a lot free and drifty, leading directly into the second movement.
Movement two finds the band immediately locking into some krautpsych hypnorock, some saxophone audible for the first time, the multiple guitars all tangled up in constantly shifting harmonies, the sound mesmerizing and hypnotic, simultaneously ramping up, but also blissing out, vocals swoop in, wreathed in echo and delay, eventually everything fading out but the whirring synths, the shuffling drums, the sax, and some wailing vocals buried in the mix. The third movement is the shortest of the four, and is another slow build, but this time as the sound blossoms it also gradually grows more minimal, the arrangement more spacious and spare, the guitars and sax drifting in an expanse of shimmery thrum and muted horns, washed out and dreamlike.
Finally, the band unfurl the 14+ minute final movement, a swirling shimmering expanse of warm layered keyboards, subtle guitar shadings, and even more subtle sax, the bass offering up deep pulses, everything hazy and crystalline, the drums finally kick in and the band launch into a woozy lumbering space-drone groove, the guitars getting more crunchy, the effects thicker, never truly exploding, instead just cranked up a notch, letting the guitars howl and wail, a druggy dirgey chunk of psychedelic kraut-drone blooz. Nice.
Vinyl version includes a download coupon, fyi.
MPEG Stream: "Night Gallery I"
MPEG Stream: "Night Gallery II"

ETHER Music For Air Raids (Extreme) cd 15.98
Ether's "Music For Air Raids" could easily be an open letter to Caspar Brotzmann, asking him to consider that Ether be the new backing band for his guitar pyrotechnics. This six piece ensemble fits all of the Caspar Brotzmann Massaker requirements -- big tribal rhythms, plodding basslines, interesting production tricks, and an overall masculinity that propels Ether's sound. A sound that's complete in itself, without the added Brotzmann guitar that we find ourselves fantasizing about.

ETHERNET Opus 2 (Kranky) cd 14.98
We've never reviewed anything by Ethernet before, but now upon the release of ambient composer Tim Gray's third album under the moniker and second for the Kranky label, we wonder to ourselves why it took us so long. Opus 2 is cut from the same cloth as many ambient drone composers we've loved so much in the past: Aphex Twin, Tim Hecker, Gas, White Rainbow, Boards of Canada, etc. In fact it reminds us some of BoC's polygonal musical forms, but pulled apart under layers of the kind of warm propulsive chill often explored in the Kompakt label's Ambient Pop series. Largely composed in a process of self-hypnotic improvisation, the resulting pieces are culled of overtly compositional elements, so instead we hear layers of polished down melodic forms and rhythmic pulsations under a brilliant haze of wondrous sonic drift. Beginning gently with waves of airy exploratory melodies that soon become overwhelmed by an embryonic vastness of sound that is both pastoral and bleak, the sun-dappled vibrancy soon mired in weathered earthy textures and slow windswept turbulence that gradually darken in gorgeous decay. Quite lovely!
MPEG Stream: "Monarch"
MPEG Stream: "Correction"
MPEG Stream: "Pieroma"

ETTINGER, DYLAN Lifetime Of Romance (Not Not Fun) cd 12.98

ETTINGER, DYLAN Lion Of Judah (Not Not Fun) 7" 6.98
Dylan Ettinger's New Age Outlaws lp was a big hit around here, a sprawling collection of retro futuristic psychedelic synthwave that we described as Expo 70 covering Zombi. On this follow up single, some of that stuff is still present, but Ettinger has definitely taken his sound in a new direction. The core sound is still a murky sort of retro cold wave, but it's the execution, and the constituent parts, primitive programmed beats, swirling soaring synths, and most notably, ethereal echo drenched vox that slip from falsetto to more dramatic croon and back again, there's even some melodica, which helps create the weirdly dubbed out vibe, the tangles of melody disappearing in a sea of deem thrum and blissed out beats, sounding a bit like Gary Numan at 16rpm.
The flipside begins with a stripped down rhythm, pulsing and throbbing within clouds of bleep and bloop, of buzz and glitch, a downtempo cold wave, muddy and smeary, the vocals buried this time around, reminding us of Tricky teaming up with some modern synth outfit, the results are dreamily druggy...

ETTINGER, DYLAN New Age Outlaws (Not Not Fun) lp 14.98
Originally released on cassette, this chunk of psychedelic atmospheric synth-fi futurism has been gussied up, the original tracks, remixed and/or re-recorded with more parts, more music, subtle alterations here and there, not so subtle changes as well, but since we missed out on the cassette completely, it hardly matters, and according to the label, this is indeed the definitive version.
So who the heck is Dylan Ettinger? We have no idea, but what we do know, is that New Age Outlaws is a fantastic collection of synth driven sc-fi new age/wave atmospherics. Fans of Majeure, Zombi, Umberto and similarly minded retro futurists will definitely dig.
Just check out the sprawling nearly 12 minute opener, "City Lights, City Streets", that ends up sounding like Expo 70 covering Zombi, droned out and mesmerizing, thick layered synths, slowly unfurling melodies, a simple robotic rhythm, bits of psychedelic wah guitar, thick swells of rumbling crumbling low end, a slow burning epic, that only really shifts gears _ of the way through, when some of the low end drops out leaving the high end to shimmer and soar and glisten, infused with some swirling minor key melodies, only to build to a Sunroof!-like climax, with synth melodies that sound weirdly like sun baked steel drums, everything hazy and washed out and gorgeously blissy.
The rest of the record explores similarly spacey and psychedelic territory, the sound raw and buzzy, "Rico's Pawn Shop" loops a strange stuttery bit of melody, beneath warm whirring chords, and some rubbery synth bass, that man loop never letting up, while the various other synths tangle and intertwine. "Gordon's Theme" is more mellow, more muted and minimal, but again, anchored to a simple synth loop that entrances while the various surrounding sounds paint in the rest of the picture, adding warm lustrous ambience, deep layered textures, a gorgeous hazy sonic drift.
Imagine James Ferraro trying his hand at this sort of Carpenter/Goblin style synth wave, primitive loops, strange hypnogogic melodies, not sleek and polished, more home brewed, which is precisely what makes New Age Outlaws so unique, so strange and so good.
LIMITED TO 490 COPIES!!

ETURIVI Ylhaisten Kastien Kelvottomat Jalkelaiset (Verdura) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
RESTOCKED! We first listed this a few months ago...
Our friends in Finland are a prolific lot. From the label that just brought us that wonderful Magyar Posse album, comes another band, this time with some familiar faces -- it features members of Circle, Ektroverde, Pharaoh Overlord, Kirvasto and Keuhkot. Eturivi, however, have their own weird sound. Creaking, creepy stuff, with droning science fictional tool shop electronics and glitchy rhythms. Electric organ, rattling percussion, plinking guitars all make for a mysterious background to the equally mysterious voices you'll hear. This has what seems like a bit of a theatrical aspect, with dramatic vocals declaiming something in Finnish (we presume) over the junkyard folk music. It's kinda quiet (in a noisy way though), until the next to last track, "Lian Jaljilla", when chugging guitars kick in and Eturivi fully reveals their Circle lineage, dealing out distorted stabs of motorik spacerock. The prevalence of spoken foreign-language vocals might not make this as accessible as some of Jussi & co.'s other projects -- you do feel like you're missing something by not understanding the words -- but it's still one that lots of fans will want to add to their shelf-ful of Finnish weirdness.
MPEG Stream: "Saavutus"
MPEG Stream: "Lian Jaljilla"

EUBANKS, BRIAN / J. P. JENKINS split (Olde English) lp 15.98
You might not recognize these two names, but you probably recognize the bands they call home, all big time AQ faves. Bryan Eubanks is the man behind GOD, whose last disc on Jyrk we raved about a while back, and J.P. Jenkins is a member of Portland outfit Ghosting (as well as the Portland Bike Ensemble).
Two sidelong tracks, both lovely, and neither are all that far removed from these guys' actual bands. Eubanks side is a never ending (well, almost) wall of grinding low level hum, a relentless buzz, warm and layered and slowly shifting, sounding like a lo-fi Phill Niblock, blissful and meditative, the sort of track that when it stops, your ears almost pop, so suddenly deprived of the drone that was filling them moments earlier. Sometimes the simplest sounds are the most pleasing, and this sort of fuzzy hum is the sort of thing we could listen to forever (and we listened to it with the record reverser, which we also sell, and it sounded even cooler backwards! But then again, what doesn't?!)
Jenkins side sounds like it could have come straight off a Ghosting record, which is not at all a bad thing. A cloudy expanse of simple finger picked guitar nestled amidst soft focus billows of reverberating metallic hum. Eventually the hum dissipates, and what's left is some haunting alien Appalachia, with various notes hurled skyward and stretched into long peals of moaning high end drift. So nice.
LIMITED TO 300 COPIES!! Each one stamped on the lp label, housed in hand assembled and hand screened sleeves with a printed insert, two different color sleeves: gold on black cover or blue on white.

EUGENIUS Oomalama & Tireless Wireless (Fire) 2cd 23.00
If you ever wondered what the Vaselines might have sounded like, if they were a bit darker, and heavier and a little more shoegazey, well, look no further. Eugenius, the post Vaselines project of Eugene Kelly, briefly called Captain America before they were sued, and featuring members of Teenage Fanclub and BMX Bandits, is that band, taking the classic Glasgow pop sound and roughing it up a bit, adding a little Loop and Spacemen 3 and Swervedriver to the mix. Or according to Kelly it was actually Big Star, The Byrds and Neil Young And Crazy Horse, but same difference. Don't believe us? Go listen to "Flame On", then maybe "Oomalama", we'll wait...
What'd we tell you? Big fuzzed out heavy guitars, crashing drums, soaring choruses, wild psychedelic leads, all wrapped around classic Vaselines style pop, it might sound like a weird mix, but once you get into it, you kind of wish more bands sounded like that. And while some did attempt a similar melding of pop and power, in a distinctly NOT power pop fashion, these guys were just super special, due in a big way to Kelly's incredible songwriting. In fact it's pretty easy to imagine any of your favorite Vaselines tunes, redone Eugenius style, which is essentially what Eugenius was, a super charged grungier shoegazier Vaselines, and if that doesn't sound awesome, then go ahead and listen to those sound samples again, and if it still doesn't sound amazing, then we just give up.
Pretty much all the songs here are killer. "Flame On" might be our favorite, but "Breakfast" is jangly perfect pop, "One's Too Many" almost sounds like old punker Lemonheads, "Hot Dog" is a gorgeous string laden mix tape breakup jam if there ever was one, "Buttermilk" is fuzzy and distorted and catchy as hell and totally sounds like it could have / should have been a Vaselines tune, a bunch of the songs sound like Teenage Fanclub, which makes sense, but again, Kelly's songs are just magical. The music is incredible, but the lyrics too, funny, clever, sincere, goofy, this record still ranks up there as one of our all time pop faves. If you've never heard it you're in for a HUGE treat.
This reissue tacks on two old Captain America tracks, including a fantastic cover of Beat Happening's "Indian Summer", which sounds like it could be a Eugenius original, and there's also a bonus disc of acoustic radio sessions, which features stripped down versions of three Eugenius songs, two Vaselines songs, and "Indian Summer" again...
So so so so so great!!!
MPEG Stream: "Flame On"
MPEG Stream: "Oomalama"
MPEG Stream: "Hot Dog"
MPEG Stream: "Bed-In"

EUPHONE The Calendar of Unlucky Days (Jade Tree) cd 10.98
A band with the complex rhythms and left-of-centre melodies with the post-rock/pseudo-jazz sound of Tortoise, and produced by Casey Rice no less.

EUPHORIA A Gift From Euphoria (Rev-ola) cd 15.98
What do you get when you mix orchestrated, over the top schmaltzy balladry a la Scott Walker, twangy, Sunset Boulevard bluegrass a la the Byrds, footstomping campfire hoedowns, groovy and insanely tweaked sixties psych a la Os Mutantes, fuzzed out guitars, angelic harmonies and tons of ridiculous sound effects?? An Aquarius Record of the Week, obviously!
The tale of this seemingly forgotten masterpiece is a ridiculously long and convoluted one (you can read all about it in the liner notes), but needless to say, boy are we lucky that we're finally able to dig into this amazing recording. And quite honestly, amazing might not be a strong enough word to describe this totally wacked, far out chunk of sixties psychedelia. No wonder it disappeared without a trace on it's very limited release. Way too weird for 1969! Maybe even too weird for 2004. But that's precisely what makes this record so great!
An unfettered creative outpouring of two men's visions, merged into one not-entirely-cohesive-but-strangely-compelling whole. Things start off with a grand, orchestrated epic, all strings and epic swells, dreamy vocals and minor key melodies (sounding not at all unlike recent Lambchop, only with Scott Walker on vocals!). A somewhat misleading intro, as track two is a rollicking bluegrass workout that sounds uncannily like Gram Parsons and the Byrds. And the sound stays pretty Byrds-like for the rest of the record, but drenched in dreamy shimmer, fuzzy guitar leads way up in the mix, totally damaged, with studio fuckery and sound effects galore (we think maybe they had just bought a sound effect record and couldn't not use it). Track three, "Did You Get The Letter", pretty much synopsizes the whole record in six minutes. A simple twangy ditty, gets yanked suddenly aside, just as the vocalist sings "Change it!" revealing, a fuzzy, druggy, twangy pop song beneath, slide guitars wrapped in thick swaths of reverb, dizzying backwards melodies, spoken word snippets, bells and whistles, and a mess of sound effects: screams, soldiers marching, gunfire, trains and finally a nuclear explosion that fades into nothingness. But then the song fades back in and unexpectedly picks up right where it fell apart.
And it just gets weirder and weirder and better and better. The sound of a circus midway fades into a sweet country ballad, all orchestral swells and melancholy strings, grinding fuzz guitar rock gives way to sugary ballads, lots of woooh's and ahhh's, Sgt Peppers-ish lyrics (all diamonds and strawberries, etc), propulsive Mitch Mitchell-ish drumming, wild guitar leads, handclaps and shakers, some almost-metal riffing, and plenty of unlikely fades, bizarre edits, fake crowd sounds, wild jungle beasts roaring and rutting, running footsteps, slamming doors, but always coalescing back into some of the most perfect psychedelic country rock we've ever heard. Needless to say, this one is highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Lisa"
MPEG Stream: "The Stone River Hill Song"
MPEG Stream: "Did You Get The Letter"
MPEG Stream: "Suicide On The Hillside Sunday Morning After Tea"

EURO BOYS Long Day's Flight 'Till Tomorrow (Man's Ruin) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Guitarist Euroboy of Turbonegro (Sweden's most shockin' and punk rockin' cross between the MC5 and the Village People) steps out with a new band, playing a surprising combination of flared-trouser '70s retro-rawk and similarly '70s lava-lamp lounge kitsch. Way groovy and certainly unusual for Man's Ruin. An AQ party fave (well, that's projecting into a future AQ party scenario)!

EUROPA La Ultima Emocion (Dark Entries) lp 15.98
We love how far and wide across the globe Dark Entries have been traveling to find us some of the best and most overlooked synth sounds of the early '80s. This time out they take us to Valencia, Spain in 1980 for the bright, DIY inspired synth pop of Europa. Originally released as a cassette, these songs now get their proper place on wax and goddamn is this a set of irresistible electro-pop perfection. Just goes to show that the UK wasn't the only place turning out amazing, catchy, synth pop bands, as this really stands at the same level of excellence as records by folks like Depeche Mode, OMD, and The Human League that were released around this time.
While most bands that surrounded them in Valencia were still trapped in over the top prog rock conventions, Europa took inspiration from punk and the burgeoning electronic scene and proved that you didn't need fancy, expensive equipment to make an awesome sounding record. They built their synths from scratch, and recorded this on a 4-track reel-to-reel, and it pretty much blows away what so many folks these days with so many more resources and endless plug-in's use when trying to capture this sort of sound. Some reissues are cooler in theory than in actual listening pleasure, but this one is all about pleasure! Anyone who loves great early synth-pop will want to jump on this right away. Viva Europa!
MPEG Stream: "Introduccion"
MPEG Stream: "Quien Soy Yo"
MPEG Stream: "Sentir Tu Cuerp"
MPEG Stream: "Europa"

EUROPE The Final Countdown (Columbia) cd 5.00
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**

EVANGELISTA Hello, Voyager (Constellation) cd 15.98
Few can express utter gut wrenching, hand wringing torment while still embracing a melodic beauty like Carla Bozulich. Diamanda Galas and P.J. Harvey are the only others who immediately come to mind. Evangelista is her new project which also features members of A Silver Mt. Zion whose presence is definitely felt throughout. Their debut full length Hello, Voyager threaten to drown the listener in the overwhelming current of despairing bleakness and broken beauty. Some songs swagger in bluesy defiance, some plod on in a saturnine somnabulism, some assault with gritty dissonance ("Truth Is Dark Like Outer Space" which recalls the untethered drama of bands such as the sadly defunct Pleasure Forever), some sweep you up in a lush stringed devastation ("The Blue Room"). No sunlight reaches the deep recesses of this music, you get the sense that the voyager in the title will never come up for air. No happy endings here, Evangelista haunts long after the final gloomy notes have faded... awesome.
MPEG Stream: "The Blue Room"
MPEG Stream: "Truth Is Dark Like Outer Space"

EVANGELISTA In Animal Tongue (Constellation) cd 14.98

EVANGELISTA In Animal Tongue (Constellation) lp 19.98

EVANGELISTA Prince Of Truth (Constelation) cd 16.98
Prince of Truth, the follow-up to 2008's Hello, Voyager, walks a beautiful, cacophonous path. Carla Bozulich, the force behind Evangelista, is definitely one of a kind, or at least one of a very, very select few. She has assembled a group of excellent musicians that weave equal doses of melody and chaos around loose structures of songs without having them dissolve into utter randomness or pretentious noodling. Dominic Cramp on keys knows when to really take it up a notch and when to compliment others by adding just that little extra something; Tara Barnes, Carla's longtime low-end collaborator, is a rock on which to cling in choppy waters; Nels Cline on guitar needs no introduction; and the incomparable Ches Smith (of Xiu Xiu / Good for Cows / John Zorn) on drums... these are just a few of the amazing musicians on Prince of Truth.
The record opens with "The Slayer": two and a half minutes of noise introduce the listener to what is to come before Carla's vocals and a few cymbal washes add solidity to the mix. Cellos and what sounds like tape loops start off the second track, "Tremble Dragonfly," before they fade into a slow dirge held together by Carla's voice, some sleigh bells and strings. "Dragonfly" sounds like a really, really drugged out B-side off Tom Waits' Black Rider. What could be better?
Though the chaos is prepared to perfection, when the album gets a bit stripped down you can really tell that Evangelista is a rare gem indeed. "I Lay There in Front of Me Covered in Ice" is possibly the most melodic song on the record. Multiple vocal tracks ride high over an electric organ and minimal percussion, combining into something that makes us want to cry everytime we listen to it.
Carla Bozulich has been a staple of the underground music scene for a long time, and we have loved everything from the Geraldine Fibbers to Ethyl Meatplow to her latest incarnation as Evangelista. If you haven't discovered her genius yet, Prince of Truth is a perfect introduction.
MPEG Stream: "The Slayer"
MPEG Stream: "I Lay There in Front of Me Covered in Ice"
MPEG Stream: "You Are a Jaguar"

EVANGELISTA Prince Of Truth (Constellation) lp + cd 25.00
Prince of Truth, the follow-up to 2008's Hello, Voyager, walks a beautiful, cacophonous path. Carla Bozulich, the force behind Evangelista, is definitely one of a kind, or at least one of a very, very select few. She has assembled a group of excellent musicians that weave equal doses of melody and chaos around loose structures of songs without having them dissolve into utter randomness or pretentious noodling. Dominic Cramp on keys knows when to really take it up a notch and when to compliment others by adding just that little extra something; Tara Barnes, Carla's longtime low-end collaborator, is a rock on which to cling in choppy waters; Nels Cline on guitar needs no introduction; and the incomparable Ches Smith (of Xiu Xiu / Good for Cows / John Zorn) on drums... these are just a few of the amazing musicians on Prince of Truth.
The record opens with "The Slayer": two and a half minutes of noise introduce the listener to what is to come before Carla's vocals and a few cymbal washes add solidity to the mix. Cellos and what sounds like tape loops start off the second track, "Tremble Dragonfly," before they fade into a slow dirge held together by Carla's voice, some sleigh bells and strings. "Dragonfly" sounds like a really, really drugged out B-side off Tom Waits' Black Rider. What could be better?
Though the chaos is prepared to perfection, when the album gets a bit stripped down you can really tell that Evangelista is a rare gem indeed. "I Lay There in Front of Me Covered in Ice" is possibly the most melodic song on the record. Multiple vocal tracks ride high over an electric organ and minimal percussion, combining into something that makes us want to cry everytime we listen to it.
Carla Bozulich has been a staple of the underground music scene for a long time, and we have loved everything from the Geraldine Fibbers to Ethyl Meatplow to her latest incarnation as Evangelista. If you haven't discovered her genius yet, Prince of Truth is a perfect introduction.
MPEG Stream: "The Slayer"
MPEG Stream: "I Lay There in Front of Me Covered in Ice"
MPEG Stream: "You Are a Jaguar"

EVANS THE DEATH Catch Your Cold (Slumberland / Fortuna Pop) 7" 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Brand new single from the most recent record by Evans The Death, which we reviewed a little while back. The A side is obviously to be found on that record, so if you already have that, it's the bizarre B side that's the reason to pick this up. More on that in a sec. For everyone else, who may not yet have heard this noise pop combo, who are a bit heavier and crunchier than most outfits on Slumberland, low slung basslines, some serious distorted jangle, the A side here complete with a killer chorus and of course the super distinctive vocals, which you sort of have to hear. Definitely makes EtD a unique proposition. But yeah, check out the sample, and you might be as smitten as we were.
For folks who are already hip to EtD, the B side is a weird experiment, that sounds a bit like a sea shanty, super bass driven, but weirdly sing songy, with super bizarre vox, a strangled mewling for most of the track, but a second voice joins in and sounds a bit like a mumbling moaning pirate. Weird and pretty cool.
Super swank packaging with embossed / silver foil lettering.
MPEG Stream: "Catch Your Cold"

EVANS THE DEATH s/t (Slumberland) cd 12.98
Most Slumberland releases tend toward the washed out and dreamily jangly, sort of ethereal and dream poppy, so when we threw this on, we were kind of thrown for a loop by the opening track "Bo Diddley", with its serious crunch and punkish pound, and were immediately smitten by the oddly named Evans The Death. Noisy pop, a little bit heavy and rocking, gloriously distorted and fuzzed out, that surprise though was immediately trumped once the vocalist opened her mouth, and let loose with one of the coolest, strangest, most distinctive voices we've heard in ages. A sonorous croon that soars and wails flitting into an impossible falsetto at the drop of a hat, and somehow, once you get settled into EtD's sound, it's impossible to imagine any other vocalist fitting in. The cool thing, is even sans the vocals, the music is pretty epic, flitting from churning Pixies-ish pound, to bleary eyed shoegaze trip out, to garage-y fuzz pop, to classic power pop crunch, the arrangements are a little mathy, the melodies epic and catchy like crazy, the sound lush and layered and loud, and then the vocals come in, and it's impossible to resist. Heck, they even have a song called "A Small Child Punched Me In The Face", which might just be the catchiest song with the weirdest title EVER. Quickly becoming a new pop fave, and "Bo Diddley", definite contender for pop jam of the year...
MPEG Stream: "Bo Diddley"
MPEG Stream: "Catch Your Cold"
MPEG Stream: "Sleeping Song, So Long"

EVANS THE DEATH s/t (Slumberland) lp 14.98
Most Slumberland releases tend toward the washed out and dreamily jangly, sort of ethereal and dream poppy, so when we threw this on, we were kind of thrown for a loop by the opening track "Bo Diddley", with its serious crunch and punkish pound, and were immediately smitten by the oddly named Evans The Death. Noisy pop, a little bit heavy and rocking, gloriously distorted and fuzzed out, that surprise though was immediately trumped once the vocalist opened her mouth, and let loose with one of the coolest, strangest, most distinctive voices we've heard in ages. A sonorous croon that soars and wails flitting into an impossible falsetto at the drop of a hat, and somehow, once you get settled into EtD's sound, it's impossible to imagine any other vocalist fitting in. The cool thing, is even sans the vocals, the music is pretty epic, flitting from churning Pixies-ish pound, to bleary eyed shoegaze trip out, to garage-y fuzz pop, to classic power pop crunch, the arrangements are a little mathy, the melodies epic and catchy like crazy, the sound lush and layered and loud, and then the vocals come in, and it's impossible to resist. Heck, they even have a song called "A Small Child Punched Me In The Face", which might just be the catchiest song with the weirdest title EVER. Quickly becoming a new pop fave, and "Bo Diddley", definite contender for pop jam of the year...
MPEG Stream: "Bo Diddley"
MPEG Stream: "Catch Your Cold"
MPEG Stream: "Sleeping Song, So Long"

EVANS, GRANT Jewels From The House Of Worms (A Guide To Saints) cassette 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This super limited tape was released by the new Room 40 cassette imprint A Guide To Saints. It's already out of print at the source, and we've only got a small amount so we won't dwell too much on this. Grant Evans, of course, is one of the proprietors of the incredible Hooker Vision label out of Georgia, and he's also responsible for the druggy, dreamy dronemuzik under the guises Nova Scotia Arms, Crippling, and Quiet Evenings (this being in collaboration with his wife Rachel aka Motion Sickness Of Time Travel). The A side sports contemplative synth lines with innervision pursuits that are buried through thick pedal effects of phase-shifted oscillations and low-pass distortion, giving a decidedly lo-fi spell of rural psychedelia. The B-side is a more gnarled affair with scabrous drones swarming with tight flanges and corrosive textures. The cosmic synths do reemerge through these thickets of noise, with Evans still conjuring the darker facets of Maeror Tri. Thirty-eight minutes in length. Too bad we couldn't get more.

EVANS, JESSIE Is It Fire? (Fantomette) cd 14.98
For those who love rhythm, attention! Is it Fire?, Jessie Evans' first solo record, has enough percussion to satisfy even the most energetic dancefloor junkie. Latin- and African-inspired beats programmed by Jessie are masterfully enhanced with live percussion performed by Toby Dammit (of Iggy Pop fame) and, on a few tracks, none other than Budgie (of the Banshees/Creatures). For the most part, the instrumentation is kept to a minimum, letting the rhythm drive the songs. Saxophone and bass played by Jessie add melody, and the occasional trumpet and other horns (played by Martin Wenk of Calexico) enhance the Latin air. A couple of songs are even sung in Spanish. Synths pop up every once in a while, and, except on a track or three, are left buried in the mix, serving only to add a little flavor. Sometimes, as on the last Vanishing LP, the vocals are fuzzed out into incomprehension, more of a washy layer than a narrative, opting to let the drums tell the story. And what a story they tell!
Don't misunderstand: there's a lot going on within every track. Jessie had been bringing us great music for years, now: The Subtonix, The Vanishing, Autonervous. Is it Fire? is a strong notch on the belt of an artist who will hopefully continue to bring us great music for a long time.
MPEG Stream: "Is it Fire?"
MPEG Stream: "Ninos del Espacio"
MPEG Stream: "To the Sun"

EVANS, JESSIE Is It Fire? (Fantomette) lp 14.98
For those who love rhythm, attention! Is it Fire?, Jessie Evans' first solo record, has enough percussion to satisfy even the most energetic dancefloor junkie. Latin- and African-inspired beats programmed by Jessie are masterfully enhanced with live percussion performed by Toby Dammit (of Iggy Pop fame) and, on a few tracks, none other than Budgie (of the Banshees/Creatures). For the most part, the instrumentation is kept to a minimum, letting the rhythm drive the songs. Saxophone and bass played by Jessie add melody, and the occasional trumpet and other horns (played by Martin Wenk of Calexico) enhance the Latin air. A couple of songs are even sung in Spanish. Synths pop up every once in a while, and, except on a track or three, are left buried in the mix, serving only to add a little flavor. Sometimes, as on the last Vanishing LP, the vocals are fuzzed out into incomprehension, more of a washy layer than a narrative, opting to let the drums tell the story. And what a story they tell!
Don't misunderstand: there's a lot going on within every track. Jessie had been bringing us great music for years, now: The Subtonix, The Vanishing, Autonervous. Is it Fire? is a strong notch on the belt of an artist who will hopefully continue to bring us great music for a long time.
MPEG Stream: "Is it Fire?"
MPEG Stream: "Ninos del Espacio"
MPEG Stream: "To the Sun"

EVANS, PETER + WEASEL WALTER GROUP Oculus Ex Abyssus (self-released) lp 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

EVAPORATORS, THE Gassy Jack And Other Tales (Nardwuar / Mint) cd 16.98
Nardwuar the Human Serviette whomps us with a double whammy this fine December day! Not only do we have his new double dvd Welcome To My Castle! (the prequel to last year's Doot Doola Doot Doo... Doot Doo! 2dvd), but also his band's new album! Over the years, Thee Evaporators have become quite the well-oiled garage rawk hotrod featuring members of venerable Vancouver bands The New Pornographers, The Smugglers, and Slow.
They're at the top of their game here. Guitarist David Carswell's riffage is particularly tasty. Those that know and love Nardwuar are well familiar with his often atonal off-key squawking style of singing. This time around he's almost tuneful! Much like the probing questions he asks his interview subjects, Nardwuar's lyrics have a habit of being hilarious, educational and topical -- often all at the same time! On these fourteen songs he sings about a butterknife, social housing for the needy, a dance move called the 'eggbeater', Sasquatch, and bacon among other things. Need we say, super fun and super silly! The cd ends with an ancient interview clip with Courtney Love which sorta harshed out our good times. In closing, we wish to add that we don't want to keep on belaboring the point, but we have to ask once again, what is it with Canadians and unfortunate nicknames (and bandnames)?! Apparently it's not just a recent phenomenon either. There was a historic Vancouver figure called Gassy Jack! Yikes!
MPEG Stream: "Gassy Jack"
MPEG Stream: "You Got Me Into This, Now You Get Me Out!"

EVAPORATORS, THE / ANDREW W.K. A Wild Pear (Nardwar The Human Serviette / Mint) 7" 6.98
Ba-booom! This a Nardwuar The Human Serviette alert! A short dose is contained on this here record - a split 7" between Nardwuar's band The Evaporators and a certain Andrew W.K.
Yeah, we were sort of braced when this showed up. Can you say "Gung ho!"? Two irrepressible individuals and their respective cohorts go toe to toe, wreaking some good ol' garage rock havoc. Mr. W.K. covers two awesome songs by two awesome Canadian bands, punk rock legends Vancouver's Subhumans and the mighty Toronto duo The Leather Uppers. It's a relatively stripped down W.K. compared to his stadium rock persona of yore, but it's no less bombastic. Nardwuar and co. tackle a tune by obscure Montrealers Les Hou-Lops as well as deliver one of their own, the sillily juvenilely titled "The Bombs In My Pants". If you're seeking a ridiculous fun listen and some extremely obscure pop trivia, this is for you! Bonus "treats": a brief clip of Nardwuar interviewing W.K. as well as a printed insert that verges on old school obsessive zine-ish-ness documenting among other things the coming together of the two. Actually, attempting to read the tiny solidly packed text will probably take longer than listening to these five songs!

EVAPORATORS, THEE Ripple Rock (Alternative Tentacles / Mint) cd 14.98
Who are Thee Evaporators? And who is this Nardwuar The Human Serviette who leads their charge?! To most in the college radio / indie music scene he needs no introduction... and his legions of admirers / worshippers continues to grow by the minute. Man of many hats (preferably knit or tartan): tenacious interviewer, loose cannon tv and radio host, obsessive Canadian historian (and not just about music, check out the mining story behind the title track!), and irrepressible band leader of Thee Evaporators. He cannot be stopped -- not even by a mysterious brain hemorrhage a few years back! -- and unlike many other recent seemingly similar guerrilla interviewers, he's not out to simply fuck with people. His enthusiasm is genuine. His research can be fascinating and unbelievably thorough. Who's been placed under the Nardwuar microscope/microphone? The list is mind-blowing. Here's just a sampling: Politicians Mikhael Gorbachev, Gerald Ford, former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and ahem, Dan Quayle, self-help impressarios Tony Robbins and Tom Vu, hard rockers Gene Simmons, Thor, Sebastian Bach, Alice Cooper, Kevin Dubrow and Slayer, hip hop artists Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes, alt-gods the Strokes, Blur, Beck, Bright Eyes, White Stripes and Sonic Youth, punk legends D.O.A., The Damned, Sex Pistols' Paul Cook, TV personalities Jimmie Walker, Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Bob Denver (aka Gilligan), TV evangelist Earnest Angley, child stars Jerry Mathers, Eve Plumb, and Corey Feldman... the list goes on and on!
His band's music is by no means as eclectic, however it can be just as entertaining and educational. On the surface it comes across as pretty straightforward garage pop/rock, but you just might discover a little nugget in each song that sets it apart from the rest. It certainly helps heaps that he's got a solid band backing him up to boot. They are longtime friends bassist John Collins from the New Pornographers, his JC/DC recording studio partner and kickass guitarist Dave Carswell (also of Vancouver garage rawk vets The Smugglers as well as a former touring member of Zumpano) and drummer/grpahic artist Scott Livingstone. Infectious hooks and uplifting choruses grace such tunes as the cryptically titled "I.D.N.M.F.T.T.M.W.M.F.A." (translation: I Don't Need My Friends To Tell Me Who My Friends Are!). However, please be forewarned, the vocals may be an acquired taste. They often sound as though he's been hitting the helium tank... hard, but they do make a perfect foil for the occasional noodly '60s Farfisa organ. As well, The Evaps song titles and lyrics frequently tend to lean heavily on the silly button. You might be put off by titles such as "Addicted To Cheese" and "Shittin' Party", but the songs themselves are mighty hard to resist... particularly if you're a garage pop fan.
A side note: It's notable that this album finds itself on Jello Biafra's label (albeit licensed from longtime Nardwuar supporters Mint) for Mr. Biafra has been a worthy interview combatant for over a decade.
Extras: Interspersed with the music are a couple of interview snippits with Snoop Doggy Dogg and Rahzel (for more you'll just have to visit his humungous website). Plus you also get a handful of bonus tracks by Thee Dublins (the alter ego of the Evaporators' alter ego Thee Goblins).
MPEG Stream: "I.D.N.M.F.T.T.M.W.M.F.A."
MPEG Stream: "Shittin' Party "

EVENING, THE s/t (self-released) cd 5.98
The 6-song debut from these SF dark, seething rockers is a drugged-out and writhing affair. Shades of Sonic Youth and Radiohead. Their use of sexy boy vocal harmonies and lovely melodies are quite alluring. I can't wait to see what they go on to become. Very promising.
RealAudio clip: "Near Death"

EVENS, THE Get Evens (Dischord) cd 11.98
Ian Mackaye threw us all for an unexpected but delightful loop a couple years ago with the debut offering from his new project with longtime Dischord cohort Amy Farina (ex-Warmers). Fugazi and Minor Threat fans weren't met with loud guitars and screaming vocals but instead really insightful and melodic pop songs that proved turning down didn't mean losing spirit. In fact it once again demonstrates the sensitivity and awareness that was always one of Fugazi's best attributes too. Get Evens is the second album from The Evens and while the debut seemed to focus more on personal topics this time out politics rise right to the surface. But really if we're going to hear protest songs at a time like this we'll gladly listen to Mackaye's. Living In DC for as long as they have it would be impossible not to be reminded on a daily basis of your neighbors in the White House and on Capitol Hill. Ian and Amy would like many of those neighbors to go far, far away and it's certainly not hard to understand why. While we find ourselves a little more drawn to their debut, this is still a strong offering. With the future of Fugazi quite unclear we're happy that Ian's found a new outlet for his passion. And by all means go see the Evens live the next time they play an all-ages show in your town for six bucks. Their show a couple years back here in SF at the Swedish American Hall was such an uplifting and inspiring night that it still holds a special place in our hearts.
MPEG Stream: "Cache Is Empty"
MPEG Stream: "Everybody Knows"

EVENS, THE Get Evens (Dischord) lp 14.98
NOW ON VINYL!!
Ian Mackaye threw us all for an unexpected but delightful loop a couple years ago with the debut offering from his new project with longtime Dischord cohort Amy Farina (ex-Warmers). Fugazi and Minor Threat fans weren't met with loud guitars and screaming vocals but instead really insightful and melodic pop songs that proved turning down didn't mean losing spirit. In fact it once again demonstrates the sensitivity and awareness that was always one of Fugazi's best attributes too. Get Evens is the second album from The Evens and while the debut seemed to focus more on personal topics this time out politics rise right to the surface. But really if we're going to hear protest songs at a time like this we'll gladly listen to Mackaye's. Living In DC for as long as they have it would be impossible not to be reminded on a daily basis of your neighbors in the White House and on Capitol Hill. Ian and Amy would like many of those neighbors to go far, far away and it's certainly not hard to understand why. While we find ourselves a little more drawn to their debut, this is still a strong offering. With the future of Fugazi quite unclear we're happy that Ian's found a new outlet for his passion. And by all means go see the Evens live the next time they play an all-ages show in your town for six bucks. Their show a couple years back here in SF at the Swedish American Hall was such an uplifting and inspiring night that it still holds a special place in our hearts.
MPEG Stream: "Cache Is Empty"
MPEG Stream: "Everybody Knows"

EVENS, THE s/t (Dischord) cd 11.98
For those of you wonderin' what Ian MacKaye's been up to lately... here's your answer! Hearing this self-titled debut from The Evens is like hopping into a time machine heading back a decade or so, but oddly it's a sound from the past that's very different from what we know was MacKaye's musical past (Fugazi, Minor Threat). No, although The Evens are clearly a no-frills duo, this is soft-around-the-edges indie pop much like what was coming out of Olympia, Washington / Washington, DC circa '95 (for example Tsunami, Spinanes, and Lois) but with a little of the darker, brooding boy/girl rock a la Versus from around the same time. Check out MacKaye's surprisingly boyish vocals! They're a great match with Amy Farina's sweet voice.
MPEG Stream: "Shelter Two"
MPEG Stream: "All These Governors"

EVERGREEN TERRACE Burned Alive By Time (Eulogy) cd 14.98
More metalcore. We just can't get enough. And this is most definitely the next contender for best metalcore record ever. So heavy and weird and catchy. And by now you know we especially love the metalcore when it's generously dappled with huge chunks of goopy, heart-on-your-sleeve, mix-tape, lonely-boy, bittersweet and broken-hearted E M O! There's plenty of downtuned chugging, and blazing blast beats, half-time, moshed out breakdowns, wickedly complex, stop-on-a-dime metallic crunch, pummelling percussive tumult and squealing feedback drenched harmonies. And Evergreen Terrace do completely destroy. This is seriously one of the best metalcore records EVER. But where they really prove their mettle is in the melodic breakdowns... the EMO. They're just so catchy and bittersweet, tiny pockets of perfect pop, like a little bit of Sunny Day Real Estate dropped in the thick of an At The Gates record. So fucking great. Make sure and stick it out until after the final song, 'cause there's a hidden track, a wickedly metallized Depeche Mode cover. Which is so good it just makes me long for a metal band that could actually write songs like that instead of covering em. Until then, who wants to start a crushingly heavy metal band called Violator, that just plays Depeche Mode's Violater album start to finish. Get in touch.
MPEG Stream: "Understanding The Fear That Lies Within"
MPEG Stream: "No Donnie, These Men Are Nihilist"

EVERGREEN TERRACE Sincerity Is An Easy Disguise In This Business (Eulogy) cd 13.98

MPEG Stream: "Dogfight"
MPEG Stream: "I Can See my House From Here"

EVERGREEN TERRACE Wolfbiker (Metal Blade) cd 14.98

EVERLASTING ARMS, THE s/t (self-released) lp 9.98
These Everlasting Arms embrace (sorry for the pun, we couldn't resist) the moody angularities of post punk. Some of the more shadowy, dramatic, tumultuous moments brings to mind the awesome but dearly departed SF band Pleasure Forever, while others project a more straightforward rock-ness. Propulsive, occasionally explosive and mathy with angstful male vocals that you would guess comes from SoCal (think: ThreeOneG or Gold Standard Labs). Pressed on vinyl the color of popcorn Jelly Bellys (pale swirly yellow) with sleeves hand-silkscreened by the band themselves.

EVERLOVELY LIGHTNINGHEART Cusp (Double H Noise Industries) cd 14.98
We'd been hearing about this band for ages. But had no real idea what to expect. This was most definitely not it.
Everlovely Lightningheart are a 3 piece (or 14 piece if you count all the contributors) ensemble, whose debut has somehow found its way to Hydra Head imprint Double H Noise Industries. That distinction is most definitely important in this case, so all you Hydra Head geeks expecting more Isis / Pelican / Old Man Gloom can relax, sit back, throw on the headphones and prepare for a distinctly unheavy, but beautifully fucked up sonic experience.
It's one slow growing 40 minute track, that is all over the map sonically, never getting heavy, in fact there are no RIFFS here, this is abstract free noise, but most of the noise is of the subtle subdued variety. ELLH would most certainly be at home on Kranky, Celebrate Psi Phenomenon, PseudoArcana, or any one of a hundred microlabels who have been unfurling gentle abstract soundscapes.
Everlovely cover a lot of ground in 40 minutes, most of the time is spent drifting lazily through slow shifting fields of ethereal sound, ever lovely indeed. A reverb drenched piano plays some sort of dirgey ballad before dissipating into chimes and tinkling bells, which are quickly smoothed out into an abstract lowercase drift. Soon buzzing steel strings and squealing sine waves join the fray, becoming some sort of otherworldly Appalachia. The rest of the record is like strolling through little sonic vignettes, from clattery percussive workouts, to lilting dreamlike melodies, to some fuzzy muted metallic guitar, to soundscapes of keening strings and delicate chimes, it's all quite beautiful, an incredibly compelling listen, but definitely the kind of soundwork that requires the listener to -really- listen to truly appreciate everything that is going on. Sometime it's foolish to list all the instruments used on a record, but with music like this, it's as much about the instruments as it is the players: accordion, various metals, a creosote bush, exhaust pipe, receivers, bass, acoustic guitar, microphone, metal bucket, blood, wood, piano, rivers, springs, sheet metal, distortion pedals, cymbals, hand made harp, drums, skin, jars full of liquid, broken glass, bells, a boot, tin cans, frying pan, record player, broken clarinet, harmonica, megaphone firecrackers, xylophone, as well as objects and IDEAS like a feather, ghosts, gasping for life, jars full of memories, breathing, dragon's blood, bat wing, icicles, monsoons, scars, bullets, thoughts, trains and more. Phew. Recorded in a monastery's barn, the dead end of a tunnel, a train station, various abandoned rooms, hallways and basements and the desert. Sounds like it too!
Packaged in a striking gatefold with a dense animal collage cover, each disc comes with a hand sewn booklet.
MPEG Stream: "Cusp"

EVERY MOVE A PICTURE Heart = Weapon (V2) cd 13.98
Heads up! Better late than never, Every Move A Picture have arrived with their V2 debut album. Their pouty boy vocals, '80s synths, crunchy guitars and butt-shakin' beat are all primed and ready to out-Faint The Faint, out-Killers The Killers and... aw, you get the picture, doncha? They do a mighty fine job of it too. Nothing you haven't heard before, but well-written and slickly executed, and pretty much guaranteed to get the kids on the dancefloor.
MPEG Stream: "Mission Bell"
MPEG Stream: "The Best Is On The Outside"

EVERY MOVE A PICTURE Signs Of Life (Diyorelse) cd ep 6.98
Combine equal doses of Brit pop (Pulp, Supergrass and Blur) and danse-punque (The Faint, Franz Ferdinand) and maybe a dash of Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" for good measure, and what do you get? Well, not quite a mojito, but more like the debut EP from this new SF band! Five sleek, stylishly coiffed, appealingly infectious songs composed of all the ingredients for a good time -- lanky electric guitars, arpeggiated bleep-blops and synth strings, cocky (we assume faux?) Britboy vocals and an omnipresent thumpin' beat. Sure to fit very nicely alongside those bands mentioned above as well as current hip bands like Kaiser Chiefs and Bloc Party. After just one listen, I could already tell this'll make for some great dancin' and drivin' music (and I don't even drive!).
MPEG Stream: "Signs Of Life"
MPEG Stream: "Chemical Burns"