ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI In Case We Die (Bar/None) cd 16.98
This is the kind of exuberant, indie pop, composed mishmash formerly only found spouting most gushingly from the likes of the Elephant 6 Collective. In the last couple of years younger upstarts have blossomed, predominantly from Canada, such as Hidden Cameras, P:Ano, Arcade Fire et al. It's music that's certainly got its roots in indie pop characterised by a vocal combination of yelped group sing-a-long, melodramatic male crooning and kiddie-style sing-song, playfully peculiar instrumentation, and drawing from a broad array of divergent inspirations (as far as band influences go, Flaming Lips and Olivia Tremor Control immediately come to mind). Disregard the country mentioned in their name, Architecture In Helsinki are from Australia and they jump gleefully from ramshackle hand clappers to sweet hopscotch sockhoppers to funky groovy finger snappers and back again. Listening to In Case We Die is sorta like playin' a game of hide and seek one sunshine-y afternoon in the park with a bunch of your buddies (which just happens to include the girl or boy you've had a secret crush on) -- running, tumbling and spinning around like there's no tomorrow. You think you've got 'em and right when you do they duck out of view only to pop up elsewhere else just outta reach. This album bubbles over with the goodest of giddy good feelings.
MPEG Stream: "Neverevereverdid"
MPEG Stream: "Do The Whirlwind"

ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI Like It Or Not (Polyvinyl Record Co.) cd ep 8.98
Andee calls this style of music "jumprope-y"! Give 'er a listen and you'll see why! If you dig The Go-Team's Thunder, Lightning, Strike album... ahhh, you might think we're gonna say "buy this!" But we're not, we're gonna say "buy Thunder, Lightning, Strike again... or pretty much any other cd!" This is not one of Architecture In Helsinki's brighter moments Think: a rollerskating David Byrne impersonator gettin' down with some cheesy casio keyboards... except for the fourth track when someone let Fred Schneider on the mic (well, not really!) and then Elmo too (no, not really!). This is proably supposed to be fun good times music, but it's bumming us out! Like it or not? You tell us!

ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI Like It Or Not (Polyvinyl Record Co.) 12" 8.98
Andee calls this style of music "jumprope-y"! Give 'er a listen and you'll see why! If you dig The Go-Team's Thunder, Lightning, Strike album... ahhh, you might think we're gonna say "buy this!" But we're not, we're gonna say "buy Thunder, Lightning, Strike again... or pretty much any other cd!" This is not one of Architecture In Helsinki's brighter moments Think: a rollerskating David Byrne impersonator gettin' down with some cheesy casio keyboards... except for the fourth track when someone let Fred Schneider on the mic (well, not really!) and then Elmo too (no, not really!). This is proably supposed to be fun good times music, but it's bumming us out! Like it or not? You tell us!

ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI Places Like This (Polyvinyl) cd 14.98
Here we have the third full-length from Australia's Architecture In Helsinki, and it's a doozy. Places Like This sees the sextet branching off in all sorts of different directions to put together a record that is as scattered (in a good way?) as the cover art. The best tracks on the record seem to be the straight up pop songs. "Nothing's Wrong" begins with your standard acoustic strum with vocalist Cameron Bird belting out lyrics comparable in style and delivery to Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock (a vocal style Bird employs frequently throughout).
Soon enough bass, minimal drums, fuzzy guitars, and Kelli Sutherland's sharp and airy vocals create an overall sense that AIH has probably been most influenced by bands on the Elephant 6 or Kindercore labels (Of Montreal, Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, Apples In Stereo and the like) in golden heyday of perfect indie pop. "Underwater" is a no-frills pop song that reminds us of the softer side of Essex Green or Masters Of The Hemisphere. The track lands smack in the middle of the album and provides a nice respite from the other style the band seems to be toying with -- throwing pop conventions out the window in lieu of a more unstructured quirky pop madness. There is a whole lot happening in some songs, ranging from way too many instruments to sudden time changes, giving the impression that the band may have written some of these songs and thought "now what would these sound like if we were to put it 'em a blender?" The result is sometimes cool, but at other times a bit much. We're on the fence about this one. Have a listen and see what you think, particularly if you are curious to hear what AIH's "2 note apocalyptic swamp axe" sounds like!
MPEG Stream: "Hold Music"
MPEG Stream: "Red Turned White"

ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI Places Like This (Polyvinyl) lp 14.98
Here we have the third full-length from Australia's Architecture In Helsinki, and it's a doozy. Places Like This sees the sextet branching off in all sorts of different directions to put together a record that is as scattered (in a good way?) as the cover art. The best tracks on the record seem to be the straight up pop songs. "Nothing's Wrong" begins with your standard acoustic strum with vocalist Cameron Bird belting out lyrics comparable in style and delivery to Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock (a vocal style Bird employs frequently throughout).
Soon enough bass, minimal drums, fuzzy guitars, and Kelli Sutherland's sharp and airy vocals create an overall sense that AIH has probably been most influenced by bands on the Elephant 6 or Kindercore labels (Of Montreal, Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, Apples In Stereo and the like) in golden heyday of perfect indie pop. "Underwater" is a no-frills pop song that reminds us of the softer side of Essex Green or Masters Of The Hemisphere. The track lands smack in the middle of the album and provides a nice respite from the other style the band seems to be toying with -- throwing pop conventions out the window in lieu of a more unstructured quirky pop madness. There is a whole lot happening in some songs, ranging from way too many instruments to sudden time changes, giving the impression that the band may have written some of these songs and thought "now what would these sound like if we were to put it 'em a blender?" The result is sometimes cool, but at other times a bit much. We're on the fence about this one. Have a listen and see what you think, particularly if you are curious to hear what AIH's "2 note apocalyptic swamp axe" sounds like!
MPEG Stream: "Hold Music"
MPEG Stream: "Red Turned White"

ARCTIC MONKEYS Favorite Worst Nightmare (Domino) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Brainstorm"
MPEG Stream: "Teddy Picker"
MPEG Stream: "D Is For Dangerous"
MPEG Stream: "Balaclava"

ARCTIC MONKEYS Humbug (Domino) cd 14.98
Not entirely sure why we never reviewed the Arctic Monkeys' Favorite Worst Nightmare, considering how much we flipped for their debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, that second one was good too, but here we are at record number three, Humbug, and their sound has definitely taken a strange turn. It still sounds like THEM, but it's much darker, more brooding and crunchy, less kinetic and snotty and wild. Could be lots of things, musical maturity, regular maturity (after all they were all in their teens when they recorded that first record), lots of people are blaming Queens Of The Stone Age's Josh Homme, who handled most of the production, but maybe 'blaming' is the wrong word, cuz as far as we're concerned, there's no blame to be assigned, if anything Humbug is just a grower. On first listen, nothing stood out single wise, like the first record. But then "Crying Lightning" caught our ear big time, with its big drums and fuzzy bass, and spidery guitar lines, it only took a few listens and BANG, heavy rotation. And so it went with the rest of the record, track by track, blossoming into a new favorite, the sound definitely beefier, heavier, more crunchy, that we can give Homme some credit for, but as for everything else, blame the band, at least for making another killer record of super catchy crunchy new wavey post punk pop. Dig it!
MPEG Stream: "My Propeller"
MPEG Stream: "Crying Lightning"
MPEG Stream: "Dangerous Animals"

ARCTIC MONKEYS Humbug (Domino) lp 23.00
Not entirely sure why we never reviewed the Arctic Monkeys' Favorite Worst Nightmare, considering how much we flipped for their debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, that second one was good too, but here we are at record number three, Humbug, and their sound has definitely taken a strange turn. It still sounds like THEM, but it's much darker, more brooding and crunchy, less kinetic and snotty and wild. Could be lots of things, musical maturity, regular maturity (after all they were all in their teens when they recorded that first record), lots of people are blaming Queens Of The Stone Age's Josh Homme, who handled most of the production, but maybe 'blaming' is the wrong word, cuz as far as we're concerned, there's no blame to be assigned, if anything Humbug is just a grower. On first listen, nothing stood out single wise, like the first record. But then "Crying Lightning" caught our ear big time, with its big drums and fuzzy bass, and spidery guitar lines, it only took a few listens and BANG, heavy rotation. And so it went with the rest of the record, track by track, blossoming into a new favorite, the sound definitely beefier, heavier, more crunchy, that we can give Homme some credit for, but as for everything else, blame the band, at least for making another killer record of super catchy crunchy new wavey post punk pop. Dig it!
MPEG Stream: "My Propeller"
MPEG Stream: "Crying Lightning"
MPEG Stream: "Dangerous Animals"

ARCTIC MONKEYS Suck It And See (Domino) cd 14.98
Arctic Monkey's 2006 debut, the awesomely titled Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, remains one of THEE best pop records of this new millennium, snarly, and crunchy, snotty and catchy as fuck, every song was a blast of youthful vigor and pop chops at odds with the bands' youth and the fact that Whatever was their debut. Subsequent records Favourite Worst Nightmare and Humbug showed the band toning down the snotty pop in favor of something much more measured, polished and refined, and while in some ways, that shift was a disappointment, it also revealed the group as something much more than an overhyped blogworthy flash in the pan.
Which brings us to their most recent, record number four, Suck It And See, which based on the title, we imagined might even signal a return to the snotty swagger of their debut, but if anything, the opposite is true. Easily the most 'mature' record yet, with the opening track, sounding almost like it could be some lost Supergrass or Oasis jam, brooding, and majestic, hooky and total classic Britpop. Which is pretty much where most of the record situates itself. But unlike Favourite and Humbug, this one is not a grower - it doesn't have to be, this one is hooky as hell right out of the gate, mixing in a bit of Weezer power poppiness into their distinctly British pop sound, the guitars jangle and chime, the rhythm section is tight and unobtrusive, the vocals are much more smooth and croony, than snarly and snotty, and like we said, the songs are to die for. Probably won't supplant Whatever as out favorite Arctic Monkeys record, but of the other three, it's rapidly becoming our number two...
MPEG Stream: "She's Thunderstorms"
MPEG Stream: "Black Treacle"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair"
MPEG Stream: "Love Is A Laserquest"

ARCTIC MONKEYS Suck It And See (Domino) cd 21.00
Arctic Monkey's 2006 debut, the awesomely titled Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, remains one of THEE best pop records of this new millennium, snarly, and crunchy, snotty and catchy as fuck, every song was a blast of youthful vigor and pop chops at odds with the bands' youth and the fact that Whatever was their debut. Subsequent records Favourite Worst Nightmare and Humbug showed the band toning down the snotty pop in favor of something much more measured, polished and refined, and while in some ways, that shift was a disappointment, it also revealed the group as something much more than an overhyped blogworthy flash in the pan.
Which brings us to their most recent, record number four, Suck It And See, which based on the title, we imagined might even signal a return to the snotty swagger of their debut, but if anything, the opposite is true. Easily the most 'mature' record yet, with the opening track, sounding almost like it could be some lost Supergrass or Oasis jam, brooding, and majestic, hooky and total classic Britpop. Which is pretty much where most of the record situates itself. But unlike Favourite and Humbug, this one is not a grower - it doesn't have to be, this one is hooky as hell right out of the gate, mixing in a bit of Weezer power poppiness into their distinctly British pop sound, the guitars jangle and chime, the rhythm section is tight and unobtrusive, the vocals are much more smooth and croony, than snarly and snotty, and like we said, the songs are to die for. Probably won't supplant Whatever as out favorite Arctic Monkeys record, but of the other three, it's rapidly becoming our number two...
MPEG Stream: "She's Thunderstorms"
MPEG Stream: "Black Treacle"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair"
MPEG Stream: "Love Is A Laserquest"

ARCTIC MONKEYS Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Domino) cd 14.98
Okay, yeah, we know. Who really gives a shit about the Arctic Monkeys? Oh, you mean besides the British press and the band's thousands of friends on MySpace and every hipster in tight pants who is "so over" the Killers and Interpol and Franz Ferdinand? We weren't even going to review this. In fact we were prepared to hate it. A band with that much hype before they even have a record out can never be a good thing. British new music mag NME voted the Arctic Monkeys one of the 50 best British bands OF ALL TIME!! I'd be afraid to see numbers 51 through 100, the ones who were bumped to make room for a band who at the time had only released a single.
But, and it's a BIG BUT, this record is awesome. Really. It does pain us to admit it, but this is one of the best new records we've heard in ages. Wouldn't go so far as top 50 British bands ever, but shit man, we can't stop listening to this. Seriously, every day.
So what's it sound like? Well, it definitely fits comfortably right there amidst the Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Maximo Park, Kaiser Chiefs, some folks around here think they sound just like Hot Hot Heat for that brief moment when they were really really good. Not so much channelling 'new wave' but more sort of reimagining the sound of the Fall, but where Pavement turned the fall into ironic indie slouch rock jangle, the Arctic Monkeys twist it into some impossibly hooky dancey drunken night out at the pub.
Angular guitars, sort of scrape-y and edgy and scrappy and jagged, super kinetic almost funky rhythms, killer melodies, bouncy tempos, lots of shuffle and start stop jangle and roar. And killer keening vocals, a little bit whine-y, but scruffy and capable of wailing when necessary. And the most amazingly thick Northern English drawl, ya know when the word "scumbag" sounds like "skoooombeg".
And let's not forget the songs. By now most of you have heard the excellently titled "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor", a perfect blast of bubbly snotty bouncy dance punk. But then there's tracks like "When The Sun Goes Down" with its moody sad boy intro all sweet sad vocals and minor key clean guitars that explode into a pounding kick ass chaotic rocker, with a killer riff and a totally impossible to resist groove. And the thing is, every song on here is just as good. So while the band will probably end up disappearing, breaking up or calling it quits after this record, I mean, how impossible is it to live up to all the critical accolades (imagine being held up alongside bands like the Clash and the Jam, all before the age of 20) but for now, you might as well believe the hype.
MPEG Stream: "When The Sun Goes Down"
MPEG Stream: "The View From The Afternoon"
MPEG Stream: "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor"

ARCTURUS The Sham Mirrors (Ad Astra Enterprises) cd 13.98
They'rrrrre back! Norway's archetypal artsy "post-black metal" supergroup, featuring members of Ulver, Mayhem, and more. We thought they'd broken up after 1998's peak of bizarreness, "La Masquerade Infernale", as all we'd heard from them since then was a (supposedly) posthumous remix disc, the weird and wonderful "Disguised Masters". But no, apparently the 21st century got them going again, and here's a new album, a 2002 space odyssey full of more of their unclassifable art-rock meets black metal meets electronica hybrid! Basically, imagine Emperor trying their hand at "OK Computer", or late-period Faith No More pretending to make a Dimmu Borgir album.
One of the main figures in Arcturus (you may know) is Garm from Ulver (he's also boss of the amazing Jester label, current home to Ulver, When, Rotoscope, Bogus Blimp, Single Unit, Origami Galaktika, etc.) who is responsible for "voices of ghosts and monkeys and general manipulation" and lyrics. His songwriting partner Steinar Sverd Johnsen handles keyboards and composes the music. Out of the rest of the Arcturus lineup, "Lords of Chaos" readers will also recognize Hellhammer (of Mayhem and about a million other Nordic metal outfits) on "drums and flames". The band is rounded out by "high guitar rider" Knut M. Valle and "low guitar driver" Dag F. Gravem. Emperor's Ihsahn contributes "spitting voice" on one track as well.
Together these guys meld majestic keys, blasting drums, soaring vocals, melodic piano runs, rasping screams, and electronic atmospheres into what can only be described as Arcturus music. It's similar to "La Masquerade", but what seems new is how catchy and poppy some of this is. But, at the same time it's also quite metal indeed. Dark and heavy, not allowing the keyboards to overpower the guitars. And, after the gangsta rap and drum and bass remixes found on "Disguised Masters", this record seems almost normal! That is, if you can consider bombastic sci-fi metallic prog pop 'normal'. I guess it is, in the more advanced universe Garm and company inhabit. Brilliant!
RealAudio clip: "Kinetic"
RealAudio clip: "Nightmare Heaven"
RealAudio clip: "Ad Absurdum"

ARE WEAPONS Free In The Streets (Defend Music) cd 13.98

AREA Event '76 (Akarma) cd 16.98

AREA Live Concerts Box (Akarma) 3cd 46.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Italian "International Popular Group" Area were a '70s prog rock band. But they went far beyond the ELP/King Crimson/Yes worship of many of their peers. Area's music incorporated avantgarde jazz improv, new electoacoustic composition, dramatic and bizarre vocal experiments, folk, and a heavy dose of radical politics. They are not an easy group to get a handle on, not at all. But they were group like none other, who along with Magma are a heavy influence on current Japanese proggers Ruins, for one.
This handsome box contains three cds of Area recorded live at their peak circa 1976, in Paris, Lisbon, and Milan. The latter concert takes up two whole cds, and features avant-jazz guests Steve Lacy (sax) and Paul Lytton (percussion). Area perform many of their signature tracks from such albums as "Crac!", "Maledetti", "Caution Radiation Area", and "Arbeit Macht Frei", plus several live-only improvs. Disc three also includes two bonus solo tracks by Area singer (and John Cage collaborator) Demetrio Stratos.
Inside the box, the cds are packaged in miniature lp style sleeves, and are accompanied by a booklet featuring photos, notes, lyrics, and a discography. Definitely a worthy package for fans of Area, but probably too daunting a place to start for those unfamiliar with the group!
RealAudio clip: "Arbeit Macht Frei"
RealAudio clip: "Lobotomia"
RealAudio clip: "L'abbattimento dello Zeppelin"

AREA Revolution (Cramps) 4cd 56.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
More crazy radical jazzy Italian prog than you can handle! The first four albums by the amazing Area all in one handy box set: Arbeit Macht Frei, Caution Radiation Area, Crac, Are(A)zione. Next to Magma, one of Yoshida from the Ruins favorite '70s prog acts.

ARIEL PINK Witchhunt Suite For World War III (Melted Mailbox) 12" 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
On his recent trip to San Francisco, Ariel Pink made time not only for a secret gig at one of our favorite dives but also for a trip into AQ with his colorful entourage. He not only came to shop, but he also just so happened to come armed with this ultra-limited one-sided 12", a record none of us knew even existed.
Everyone remembers where they were on Sept 11, 2001, and somehow it didn't surprise us to find out where Ariel Pink was on that monumental day, inside his bedroom with his four track right at his side. In his own words this record is: "An epic 17-minute prog-pop suite, literally recorded September 11th, 2001, inspired and addressing the hot-off-the-press adrenaline rush of our nation in shock, caught in real time."
And we have to say that this is pretty much everything we would have hoped for. Classic Ariel Pink stretched out and laced with maximum paranoia. Fuzzy lo-fi pop with spazzed out instrumental passages that's so in its own world you can't help but want to join Mr. Pink in there too. We only have a handful of these left and once they are gone they are gone for good, so good luck!

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Before Today (4AD) cd 14.98
What a long strange trip it's been for Ariel Pink. Going from total outsider weirdo pop secret to the man pretty much single handedly responsible for inspiring a legion of like minded left-field pop peddlers like Kurt Vile, John Maus, Gary War, Blank Dogs, Wavves, Ducktails, Brian Glaze, Night Control, Neon Indian, and on and on.
Now finally, after all these years, AP's finally enjoying the respect and attention he deserves, and he's been rewarded with his first big time and widely distributed release, on 4AD, of all labels!! Anyone who has seen him and The Haunted Graffiti play lately know that while there is still a total weird and warbly vibe to their sound, they are a much more song based outfit, and way more straightforward than their way more fractured and fucked up earlier sound. Not to fear though, Before Today is not some glossy makeover of the Ariel Pink we all know and love, but it is for sure the most coherent, produced and focused album he's created. From glam-like '70s rockers, to yacht rock on acid, to super colorful fuzzy pop bliss, this is a record that explores so many different sonic territories.
It's also, by far, the 'breeziest' record he's made, the sounds often has us feeling like we're swirling in pink tinged clouds while a '70s soft-rock radio soundtrack bleeds into something a bit more subversive, and all the while, candy coated cereal comes raining down from the skies. AP's been at it for about a decade now, way beyond the lifespan of most 'bands', carving out his completely singular idiosyncratic voice, and it really makes sense, that more and more people are embracing his twisted sound, and showering him with the love and praise he's been getting from folks like us for years...
(By the way, there is vinyl of this too, we ran out and when we tried to restock, the label was temporarily out... might have something to do with the fact that one of the lps we did get, turned out to have a Christina Aguilera record inside it, not the AP one! Almost seems like something AP would do on purpose... we'll keep you posted.)
MPEG Stream: "L'estat"
MPEG Stream: "Round And Round"
MPEG Stream: "Revolution's A Lie"
MPEG Stream: "Reminiscences"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Before Today (4AD) lp 14.98
Also now in stock on vinyl, hopefully none of these actually have Christina Aguilera lps inside...
What a long strange trip it's been for Ariel Pink. Going from total outsider weirdo pop secret to the man pretty much single handedly responsible for inspiring a legion of like-minded leftfield pop peddlers like Kurt Vile, John Maus, Gary War, Blank Dogs, Wavves, Ducktails, Brian Glaze, Night Control, Neon Indian, and on and on.
Now finally, after all these years, AP's finally enjoying the respect and attention he deserves, and he's been rewarded with his first big time and widely distributed release, on 4AD, of all labels!! Anyone who has seen him and The Haunted Graffiti play lately know that while there is still a total weird and warbly vibe to their sound, they are a much more song based outift, and way more straightforward than their way more fractured and fucked up earlier sound. Not to fear though, Before Today is not some glossy makeover of the Ariel Pink we all know and love, but it is for sure the most coherent, produced and focused album he's created. From glam-like '70s rockers, to yacht rock on acid, to super colorful fuzzy pop bliss, this is a record that explores so many different sonic territories.
It's also, by far, the 'breeziest' record he's made, the sounds often has us feeling like we're swirling in pink tinged clouds while a '70s soft-rock radio soundtrack bleeds into something a bit more subversive, and all the while, candy coated cereal comes raining down from the skies. AP's been at it for about a decade now, way beyond the lifespan of most 'bands', carving out his completely singular idiosyncratic voice, and it really makes sense, that more and more people are embracing his twisted sound, and showering him with the love and praise he's been getting from folks like us for years...
MPEG Stream: "L'estat (Acc. To The Widow's Maid)"
MPEG Stream: "Round And Round"
MPEG Stream: "Revolution's A Lie"
MPEG Stream: "Reminiscences"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Fast Forward (Gloriette) lp 27.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If you were one of the lucky few to snag a copy of Ariel Pink's self released 2002 cd Scared Famous, when it came with an extra disc, well, this was it, Fast Forward, a collection of AP's earliest recorded songs from '00-'01, and if you DID manage to get one of these, well, then you know how damn great and bizarre this is. Sadly that pressing went out of print in a flash so chances are most of you and most of us don't actually have these songs. So it's cool that Gloriette is giving them their well deserved, first ever vinyl pressing.
It's a little crazy to think that just a little while ago, Ariel Pink was in town opening for The Flaming Lips and then took off on a co-headlining tour with Os Mutantes, cuz when we first heard these songs almost a decade ago we were pretty sure he would remain this really amazing secret of the damaged left-field pop underground. Luckily sometimes the world catches up and catches on, and Ariel has leaped out of the fringe and into the limelight as one of the most original musicians of the last decade, influencing a whole wave of bands and labels along the way, all of whom have tapped into his primitive style of recording and creating damaged pop.
Fast Forward shows just how out there and fucked up his recordings were from the get go yet still always filled with layered pop prettiness that if lifted from the layers of lo-fi hiss would be any slick pop band's dream songs.
So stoked that this is finally available and on vinyl to boot. Best grab one quick as the world of Ariel Pink vinyl tends to be quite fleeting.

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Flashback (Cooler Cat) 7" 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Snagged these from Ariel himself on his recent swing through town. Four brand new songs that find him and his Haunted Graffiti continuing to push the boundaries of their outsider pop orbit. "Flashback" is almost like their would-be arena-pop hit somehow infusing their warped world into a Cheap Trick like anthem gone so wrong it's right, and we can't help but love the over the top hair metal feel that runs throughout. While the other song on the 'a' side also has an almost party-vibe to it the two songs on the 'b' side have much more of a melty and drugged out feel. These have been flying out of here since we got them in the store so we only have a handful left and when they are gone, we'll do our best to get more but sadly that's probably all she wrote....

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI My Molly EP (Tiny Creatures) 7" 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Wow! Ariel Pink is on a hot streak! Just this year alone we've fallen for his limited edition and now out of print Latitudes series cd, his new project Holy Shit and now this new 7" which features some of the best Ariel Pink songs we've heard yet! A totally tasty Smiths cover on the 'b' side and pretty much warped pop perfection dripping from each groove. This is why we still love 7"s so much. So fun to pick up the needle and hear Ariel Pink take us to a wonderful world of Kodachrome bliss over and over again. We're still so smitten...

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Oddities Sodomies Vol.1 ( Vinyl International) lp 23.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Long before we were drooling over the damaged pop sounds of folks like John Maus, Night Control, Gary War and Blank Dogs there was the AM radio gone haywire sound of Ariel Pink and his Haunted Graffiti. No one really knew what to do with his songs when they first starting appearing on wax and disc but it didn't take long for people to realize that something pretty special was at work in this mysterious outsider's approach to making warped and hazy fucked up pop. While you look consider folks like R. Stevie Moore as clearing the way for weirdoes like Ariel Pink, but what makes Ariel's output so interesting is that it's not just that it has an 'outsider' aesthetic but that the songs are so fucking good!
This is a collection of odds and ends (hence the title) recorded from 1997-2004 and it ranks right near the top of his recorded oeuvre. This record is just so fantastic, the sort of record that's perfect to have spinning in your bedroom or living room on those days you just wanna lay around all day and get lost in the alternate universe in which these songs swim and splash and frolic. We were only able to grab a handful of these from Ariel himself when he passed through town recently so snag one fast because when we run out it might take us a while to get more...

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Scared Famous (Human Ear) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Ariel Pink is back! He and his Haunted Graffiti gang continue to mess round with a barrel of nutty effects and other ramshackle fun! The results are sorta like when you've reached that half fucked-up point of the evening when you realize everything's more than slightly 'off'. Faces and voices start to slide into distorted grins and grimaces. Multiple layers of helium balloon vocals, bristly electric guitars, willy-nilly keyboards, and other noise making gizmos seem to all be following someone else's lead. In fact, Scared Famous sounds like the kid brother of Ween's Pure Guava album. Warped, weird and scratchy like an old woolen argyle sock in a mud puddle, Ariel Pink's broken melodies are at once endearing and maddening.
MPEG Stream: "Are You Gonna Look After My Boys?"
MPEG Stream: "Scared Famous"
MPEG Stream: "Inmates Of Heartahe"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Worn Copy (Paw Tracks) cd 15.98
More Ariel Pinkness for you and yours. There's definitely been a change of heart 'round these parts regarding the virtues of idiosyncratic LA indie-pop singer-songwriter Ariel Pink and his Animal Collective-approved, damaged DIY take on R&B/noise/folk/electronics. Originally only a few of us dug him, but now with repeat exposure even grumpy ol' Andee kinda likes the guy (or at least -this- record). So it's nice that Paw Tracks has reissued AP's Worn Copy, another sprawling set of transmissions of eccentric, retro-referencing lo-fi weirdness that can't obscure (and maybe enhances) his genuine pop genius. The stream of consciousness psycho-babble about getting credit at the pawn shop, something truly bizarre about peninsulas, the triumph that is ZZ Top, and of course his orgiastic sexual escapades are things that give someone like Devendra Banhart a run for his money on sheer weirdness factor, and then there's tons of strange references to early '80s cheez-ball bands like Journey and Loverboy smeared underneath a mess of lo-fi production and baffling idiosyncracies. Maybe get The Doldrums first, if you haven't checked out Ariel Pink (and his Haunted Graffiti) yet. But if you're a fan, chances are your copy of Worn Copy soon will be.
Cd version includes a bonus video, btw.
MPEG Stream: "Credit!"
MPEG Stream: "One On One"
MPEG Stream: "Cable Access Follies"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Worn Copy (Paw Tracks) 2lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
More Ariel Pinkness for you and yours. There's definitely been a change of heart 'round these parts regarding the virtues of idiosyncratic LA indie-pop singer-songwriter Ariel Pink and his Animal Collective-approved, damaged DIY take on R&B/noise/folk/electronics. Originally only a few of us dug him, but now with repeat exposure even grumpy ol' Andee kinda likes the guy (or at least -this- record). So it's nice that Paw Tracks has reissued AP's Worn Copy, another sprawling set of transmissions of eccentric, retro-referencing lo-fi weirdness that can't obscure (and maybe enhances) his genuine pop genius. The stream of consciousness psycho-babble about getting credit at the pawn shop, something truly bizarre about peninsulas, the triumph that is ZZ Top, and of course his orgiastic sexual escapades are things that give someone like Devendra Banhart a run for his money on sheer weirdness factor, and then there's tons of strange references to early '80s cheez-ball bands like Journey and Loverboy smeared underneath a mess of lo-fi production and baffling idiosyncracies. Maybe get The Doldrums first, if you haven't checked out Ariel Pink (and his Haunted Graffiti) yet. But if you're a fan, chances are your copy of Worn Copy soon will be.
Cd version includes a bonus video, btw.
MPEG Stream: "Credit!"
MPEG Stream: "One On One"
MPEG Stream: "Cable Access Follies"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI 2 The Doldrums (Carpark) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Few records in recent memory have provoked such a breach of unanimity here at Aquarius. Some of us (Andee, Byram) are the naysayers who feel that the artist's eccentricities ring rather hollow -- i.e, fucking around rather than genuinely fucked up. Meanwhile Jim and Allan lean towards the positive on this one. (Aw heck they'll come right out and admit it: they like the Ariel Pink.) And it hasn't helped (or has it?) that several of our friends have come out as big Ariel Pink supporters. You know how that is. Either you want to jump on the bandwagon (Allan?) or you want to be the contradictory one (Andee?). So if you come into the store and ask somebody here about this record, you'll surely get an impassioned opinion, but who knows on what side it will be.
So what's the deal with Ariel Pink anyway? perhaps you're now wondering. Well he's this young dude from LA and he makes lo-fi fucked up pop music, his heavily effected falsetto vocal stylings drifting out from damaged electronics and naive guitar fumblings. The Animal Collective heard a demo and fell in love with it (you see, Ariel Pink is a love or hate propostion, we think) and had to release this new album on their label Paw Tracks. It kinda sounds like fey '80s Brit-pop, all melodic and swoony, being broadcast via a static-y radio signal, for that far-away, timelost vibe. And then, even more weirdly, there's an element of '70s soul/R&B too! A strange mix...visiting the Fall's dubby adventures...or channelling an adolescent Bowie...and catchy as all get out. Beneath all the orchestral samples and looped beats and layered vocals and generally warped warbliness of this, lies some solid songwriting. Yessir, what might seem at first listen like home-taped half-assedness reveals depth and feeling and...we'll even say talent. Reveals to those of us that like it, that is. So what did it take for Jim and Allan to get into this? Well our Jewelled Antler buddies Loren and Glenn helped to convince us, 'cause they're fans...and also, Allan went and saw Ariel Pink live at the Hemlock a few weeks ago, and though it was a technically disastrous show, it was also one of those completely enjoyable, amusing, so-bad-it's-good experiences. Charismatic chaos. The show seemed to prove that AP is the real deal, not a poser but a genuine, authentically fucked up (drug-addled?) musical wonder. So now the album has grown on Allan quite a bit. And you know what? Even Andee is now admitting that Ariel Pink is at least "stupidly charming."
MPEG Stream: "Among Dreams"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Think Twice (Love)"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI 2 The Doldrums / Vital Pink (Carpark) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Few records in recent memory have provoked such a breach of unanimity here at Aquarius. Some of us (Andee, Byram) are the naysayers who feel that the artist's eccentricities ring rather hollow -- i.e, fucking around rather than genuinely fucked up. Meanwhile Jim and Allan lean towards the positive on this one. (Aw heck they'll come right out and admit it: they like the Ariel Pink.) And it hasn't helped (or has it?) that several of our friends have come out as big Ariel Pink supporters. You know how that is. Either you want to jump on the bandwagon (Allan?) or you want to be the contradictory one (Andee?). So if you come into the store and ask somebody here about this record, you'll surely get an impassioned opinion, but who knows on what side it will be.
So what's the deal with Ariel Pink anyway? perhaps you're now wondering. Well he's this young dude from LA and he makes lo-fi fucked up pop music, his heavily effected falsetto vocal stylings drifting out from damaged electronics and naive guitar fumblings. The Animal Collective heard a demo and fell in love with it (you see, Ariel Pink is a love or hate propostion, we think) and had to release this new album on their label Paw Tracks. It kinda sounds like fey '80s Brit-pop, all melodic and swoony, being broadcast via a static-y radio signal, for that far-away, timelost vibe. And then, even more weirdly, there's an element of '70s soul/R&B too! A strange mix...visiting the Fall's dubby adventures...or channelling an adolescent Bowie...and catchy as all get out. Beneath all the orchestral samples and looped beats and layered vocals and generally warped warbliness of this, lies some solid songwriting. Yessir, what might seem at first listen like home-taped half-assedness reveals depth and feeling and...we'll even say talent. Reveals to those of us that like it, that is. So what did it take for Jim and Allan to get into this? Well our Jewelled Antler buddies Loren and Glenn helped to convince us, 'cause they're fans...and also, Allan went and saw Ariel Pink live at the Hemlock a few weeks ago, and though it was a technically disastrous show, it was also one of those completely enjoyable, amusing, so-bad-it's-good experiences. Charismatic chaos. The show seemed to prove that AP is the real deal, not a poser but a genuine, authentically fucked up (drug-addled?) musical wonder. So now the album has grown on Allan quite a bit. And you know what? Even Andee is now admitting that Ariel Pink is at least "stupidly charming."
MPEG Stream: "Among Dreams"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Think Twice (Love)"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI 5 House Arrest (Paw Tracks) cd 14.98
After the idiosyncratic pop of Ariel Pink had been uncritically applauded by everybody who had been slathering praise on the Animal Collective (after AC discovered the Los Angeles song-sorcerer), there's been a bit of a backlash in the "indie" press directed toward House Arrest. What the fuck? House Arrest is just as imbalanced and peculiar an album as The Doldrums and Worn Copy. So why pick on this record? It makes no sense. Throughout his brief career, Airel Pink has never been easily digestible thanks to production standards stuck in the mud and a trainwreck approach to multi-tracking rhythms; but out of the sonic dreck, Pink has always exhibited a knack for conjuring uncanny pop hooks that tap into the collective consciousness of anybody who grew up in the late '70s and early '80s listening to AM radio where the quintessence of heaviness would be Night Ranger or Journey. House Arrest liberates the pop hooks (some of which have been shamelessly lifted) from one-hit wonder jangle, disco-lite pop, white soul crooning, and schmatzy power ballads through his chemically deranged yet free-spirited aesthetic. It could be that nobody really likes Ariel Pink all that much to begin with; and we can't really blame anybody as Ariel Pink's nostalgic pastiche is far more challenging to listen to than the next garage-rock band or the next band cashing in on the Factory Records revival kick. But seriously, if you liked either of those aforementioned records, then House Arrest will totally hit the spot.
MPEG Stream: "Hardcore Pops Are Fun"
MPEG Stream: "Interesting Results"
MPEG Stream: "Alisa"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI 5 House Arrest (Paw Tracks) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
After the idiosyncratic pop of Ariel Pink had been uncritically applauded by everybody who had been slathering praise on the Animal Collective (after AC discovered the Los Angeles song-sorcerer), there's been a bit of a backlash in the "indie" press directed toward House Arrest. What the fuck? House Arrest is just as imbalanced and peculiar an album as The Doldrums and Worn Copy. So why pick on this record? It makes no sense. Throughout his brief career, Airel Pink has never been easily digestible thanks to production standards stuck in the mud and a trainwreck approach to multi-tracking rhythms; but out of the sonic dreck, Pink has always exhibited a knack for conjuring uncanny pop hooks that tap into the collective consciousness of anybody who grew up in the late '70s and early '80s listening to AM radio where the quintessence of heaviness would be Night Ranger or Journey. House Arrest liberates the pop hooks (some of which have been shamelessly lifted) from one-hit wonder jangle, disco-lite pop, white soul crooning, and schmatzy power ballads through his chemically deranged yet free-spirited aesthetic. It could be that nobody really likes Ariel Pink all that much to begin with; and we can't really blame anybody as Ariel Pink's nostalgic pastiche is far more challenging to listen to than the next garage-rock band or the next band cashing in on the Factory Records revival kick. But seriously, if you liked either of those aforementioned records, then House Arrest will totally hit the spot.
MPEG Stream: "Hardcore Pops Are Fun"
MPEG Stream: "Interesting Results"
MPEG Stream: "Alisa"

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI 6 Loverboy (Cooler Cat Records) 2lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Recorded back in 2001-2002, Loverboy was originally released as a bonus second disc with the first pressing of the House Arrest album. Later pressings did not include this record, and led many folks to freak out and obsess and do everything in their power to track it down!
So it should come as a delight to outsider pop lovers and Ariel Pink fans everywhere to discover that Loverboy is finally getting a proper release, as a super deluxe double lp. It's the one Ariel Pink record that features the most musical input from his buddy and bigtime AQ favorite John Maus, who co-wrote a few of the tracks and whose instantly recognizable deep croon can be heard on a few other tracks as well. AP also gives a much deserved nod to one of his idols, R. Stevie Moore, kicking out a cover of "Hobbies Galore", and on top of all that, it's also the record where we first got a sneak peak what would become the Holy Shit record that AP would make with Matt Fishbeck, as the track "I Don't Need Enemies" from that record first appeared here.
Like a boy-man running wild in a bedroom filled with demons and a busted 4-track, Loverboy is that boy-man's warped take on AM radio if it was programmed by drugged out visionaries from another planet. Loverboy has some of our favorite Ariel Pink songs to date, and definitely displays AP's range, from the absurd to the profound, hinting at his true potential. Like most Ariel Pink vinyl we're never sure how long these will stay in print, so best act fast if you want to get one of these for your collection.

ARIESTA BIRAWA Vol.1 (Shadoks Music) cd 15.98
The world-wide search for RARE PSYCHEDELIC GEMS bears fruit yet again, with this cd reissue of an impossible-to-find LP from Indonesia, originally released in 1973. Beautiful, groovy stuff, that blends Western psych and prog stylings with a definite homegrown Indonesian touch (there's only one song sung in English, the rest in their native tongue). Much more light than heavy this is, but there's no lack of wailing guitar. Imagine, maybe, if you will (if you can!), Santana meets The Steps... The music of Ariesta Birawa provides plenty of yearning vocals, gentle flute, ethnic percussion, melancholic fragility, and sunshiney melodies that we figure any fan of the further-flung installments in Shadoks' Love, Peace & Poetry psychedelia compilation series should enjoy. Likewise for those who dig the Cambodian Rocks and Thai Beat comps...
MPEG Stream: "Si Ompong"
MPEG Stream: "Will Never Die"

ARIZONA AMP & ALTERNATOR s/t (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98
'Tis definitely one of Howe Gelb's less strange musical outings, but a few of his trademark slightly disorienting eccentricities still pop up here and there. Arizona Amp & Alternator takes him and a bunch of his musical friends loping down a long dark country road. Mind you, despite the name their travels mostly wound their way through Modesto and Denmark with very brief stops in Gelb's hometown Tucson, AZ. His collaborators this time include M. Ward, Scout Niblett, Arcade Fire's Jeremy Gara and members of Grandaddy. The second song, a duet with Danish vocalist Marie Frank, ventures quite close to the fine recordings he did with the Calexico boys and Lisa Germano under the moniker OP8 a number of years ago. Further down the line on the album's fifth song, Frank's vocals bring to mind a haunting cross between Bjork and Jolie Holland. 18 songs total. As usual, top notch and heartily recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Where The Wind Turns The Skin To Leather"
MPEG Stream: "Man On A String"

ARK, THE State Of The Ark (EMI Sweden) cd 16.98
Popular Swedish rock act The Ark, whom we were disappointed didn't sound more like Dungen...

ARKANSAW MAN s/t (Radium / Table Of The Elements) cd ep 12.98
An amazing lost artpunk artifact from the early eighties San Francisco punk rock scene, and we're talking really lost, as no one we know had even heard of these guys, but from the very first note we were smitten.
The opener is a super spare and spacious bit of post punk dub, subtly groovy, a throbbing new wave bass line, sounding like Gang Of Four or Interpol slowed waaaaaaaaay down, a simple krautrock beat peppered with handclaps, some dissonant guitar clang and a bit of moody post rock strum and jangle, with the occasional huge dissonant wash of atonal horns. Dark and creepy and almost danceable at times, that is if your dance of choice is some sort of zombie shuffle.
The other three tracks are not nearly as spare, but have the same sort of angular clang and low slung groove, the vocals sort of sung spoken, the rhythms loping and tribal, guitar harmonics ringing out, bits of angular riffage, vocals very reminiscent of Slint actually, laconic and buried way down in the mix. Stumblingly propulsive, the mix occasionally engulfed by some weird low end swell and some damaged electronics, the whole thing lurching and lumbering amidst a swirl of off kilter guitars and dubbed out ambience, it's sort of like Gang Of Four mixed with Slint mixed with This Heat. Which, we hardly need to tell you, is a very good thing indeed.
MPEG Stream: "The Ballroom"
MPEG Stream: "Angels / Aliens"

ARKHAM s/t (Cuneiform) cd 16.98
Careful students of the works of European avant-progressive rock giants Magma and Univers Zero might be excited, or at least curious, about this new Cuneiform release. Arkham was a very early '70s Belgium-based prog band featuring drummer Daniel Denis (briefly a member of Magma, and later a founding member of UZ in '74) and keyboardist Jean-Luc Manderlier (who joined Magma in '72 for their classic Mekanik Destructiw Kommandoh album). Arkham therefore has quite a place in the euro-prog rock family tree! This all-instrumental keys/bass/drums trio are indeed "lost legends" -- they never recorded an LP, but did tape their many shows and rehearsals (not leaving out the drum solos!), resulting many years later in the compilation of this cd. Their trio format and obvious virtuosity might recall ELP, but their jazz tendencies place them closer to the Soft Machine. Arkham (despite the Lovecraftian name) was definitely not nearly so dark and otherworldly as the bands Denis and Manderlier later were involved with, but still this is one for prog/fusion fans to check out. Oh, and while the sound isn't perfect, it's not terrible, and of course it's the best Arkham you're gonna hear.
RealAudio clip: "Monolithic Progression With Anticipated Rupture"
RealAudio clip: "Tight Trousers"

ARMAGEDDON s/t (Esoteric) cd 23.00
A few things you might want to know about Armageddon (this band/album, not the Biblical battlefield of the Apocalypse described in the Book Of Revelations, and presumably depicted on the album cover, with the longhaired band lounging about smoking cigarettes in the foreground):
1) Despite the name, it's not a really heavy metal. Recorded in 1974, you could certainly call it "proto-metal", though, as well as "heavy progressive".
2) Don't confuse 'em with the other proto-metal band with more-or-less the same name. That band spells their name with two g's and one d. This band spells their name with one g and two d's. That Armaggedon were from Germany's krautrock scene, this Armageddon were a UK-USA sorta supergroup.
3) Their singer was Keith Relf, originally of The Yardbirds and later Renaissance, and this was his last recorded project before his tragic death from electrocution whilst practicing guitar in '76.
4) On drums, was Bobby Caldwell of Captain Beyond. There's some extra proto-metal cred!
5) And perhaps most importantly, this band included 2 ex-members of British bluesrock act Steamhammer, guitarist Martin Pugh and bassist Louis Cennamo. Steamhammer's best and proggiest album, Speech, is a long-time AQ fave in the heavy prog / proto-metal genre, recently reissued and relisted here not long ago. If you dig Speech, you'll also want to hear Armageddon, in fact, they open up here with a completely rippin' song, "Buzzard", that's adapted from a track on Speech.
6) According to the sleeve, Cennamo claimed to be the "originator of the electric bowed bass guitar".
7) Armageddon's sole, self-titled album has been newly reissued on cd by the Esoteric label, superseding the previous (and hard to find) Repertoire edition, with nicer packaging.
8) Oh yeah, it totally kicks ass and rocks hard, while maintaining an aura of psychedelic hippie higher-minded mysticism. We mentioned speedster "Buzzard", then there's "Silver Tightrope" and "Paths And Planes And Future Gains", both of which sound kinda like a combination of Yes and Captain Beyond, in different and complex ways. "Last Stand Before" is a rollickin', almost funky one too, and then the album wraps up with the four-part epic "Basking In The White Of The Midnight Sun", full of fierce fuzz, percussive bombardment, and some of the heaviest harmonica soloing this side of Sabbath's "The Wizard". What with their pedigree, Armageddon had a knack for breakneck (and quite catchy!) bluesrock riffage, like we said rippin' from the get-go of "Buzzard" through to the finale of "Basking", energetic and exuberant throughout but for the occasional calmer bit of reverie (like on "Silver Tightrope") wherein Relf takes the listener for some lovely astral trippin'.
9) We recommend it, especially to all proto-metal, heavy prog fiends! You know who you are, if you like Captain Beyond, Steamhammer, early Wishbone Ash, Wild Turkey, Tarkus, Toad, early Deep Purple, etc...
That's it. If you want to know more, there's always the liner notes, so buy the disc!! Then you'll get to hear the whole thing too.
MPEG Stream: "Buzzard"
MPEG Stream: "Paths And Planes And Future Gains"

ARMS AND SLEEPERS Bliss Was It In That Dawn To Be Alive (Fake Chapter) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here's one to sink into! The new album from Cambridge, MA's Arms And Sleepers is the perfect instrumental soundtrack for golden sunrises and amber sunsets. For its approximately half hour running time, the gentle ebb and flow of Bliss Was It In That Dawn To Be Alive effectively slows your day down. This is envelopingly sumptuous, airily expansive ambient music with world-y beats not heard since the heydays of Dead Can Dance, Delerium or Enigma. Very hypnotic and soothing.
MPEG Stream: "Beneath Bricks And Books"
MPEG Stream: "Warm"

ARNALDS, OLAFUR Eulogy For Evolution (Erased Tapes) cd 17.98
That magical air in Iceland continues spawn some of the most soaring and beautiful sounds found anywhere on the globe. At just 21 years old, Olafur Arnalds is emerging as a strong voice in a new wave of modern classical inspired majestic sounds. On this, his debut full length, he employs strings, piano, guitar, organ, melodica and subtle ambient electronics at times, to create incredibly rich and lush sounds. Inspired by everyone from Eric Satie, to John Luther Adams, Kronos Quartet to the Rachels and even Godspeed You Black Emperor, as well as, of course, his countrymen Sigur Ros who he's often perfromed with live. Somber and elegant and packaged beautifully with artwork that compliments the kind of fragments of memory his beautiful music evokes.
MPEG Stream: "1953"
MPEG Stream: "3326"

ARP The Soft Wave (Smalltown Supersound) cd 16.98
The second full length release from Arp (aka Alexis Georgopolous from Q+A and The Alps), not including the very fine collaboration with Anthony Moore released earlier this year, The Soft Wave expounds and expands upon his stellar debut, In Light. The kosmiche synth textures from that release that harkened back to Cluster and Harmonia are still evident, but the compositions are stronger and more complex. The frame of reference has widened and one can hear touches of the instrumental works of John Cale and David Bowie as well as bits of fourth world Brian Eno and Debussy. But Arp uses these familiar qualities as departure points into his own refined world of space and sound that he builds upon with a dynamic sense of warmth, pattern and texture. There's even one vocal track, "From A Balcony Overlooking The Sea" that alludes to a progression yet to come. We're looking forward to it!
MPEG Stream: "Pastoral Symphony"
MPEG Stream: "Catch Wave"
MPEG Stream: "From A Balcony Overlooking The Sea"

ARP The Soft Wave (Smalltown Supersound) lp 16.98
NOW ON VINYL!!
The second full length release from Arp (aka Alexis Georgopolous from Q+A and The Alps), not including the very fine collaboration with Anthony Moore released earlier this year, The Soft Wave expounds and expands upon his stellar debut, In Light. The kosmiche synth textures from that release that harkened back to Cluster and Harmonia are still evident, but the compositions are stronger and more complex. The frame of reference has widened and one can hear touches of the instrumental works of John Cale and David Bowie as well as bits of fourth world Brian Eno and Debussy. But Arp uses these familiar qualities as departure points into his own refined world of space and sound that he builds upon with a dynamic sense of warmth, pattern and texture. There's even one vocal track, "From A Balcony Overlooking The Sea" that alludes to a progression yet to come. We're looking forward to it!
MPEG Stream: "Pastoral Symphony"
MPEG Stream: "Catch Wave"
MPEG Stream: "From A Balcony Overlooking The Sea"

ARS NOVA s/t (Sundazed) cd 14.98

ART BEARS The Art Box (ReR) 6cd 98.00
Finally! The Art Box sees the light of day. A gorgeous boxset from one of the most influential / seminal / legendary art-rock bands ever. For those out of the loop, the Art Bears featured guitarist / composer Fred Frith, drummer / percussionist Chris Cutler, and vocalist Dagmar Krause. This boxset contains the band's first three albums (Hopes & Fears, Winter Songs, The World As It Is Today) all remastered and gussied up. Also included are two discs of remixes and reworkings from Christian Marclay, Ground Zero, the Residents, Biota and loads more. And finally a whole disc of unreleased rarities!

ART BRUT Art Brut Vs. Satan (Downtown Music) cd 14.98
We love Art Brut. Their first record, Bang Bang Rock & Roll was an awesome slab of Fall worship, complete with angular guitars, caffeinated grooves, and the singer's snarky ironic sung/spoken vocalizing, sounding like the hipster bastard child of Mark E. Smith. Their first hit from that record, "Formed A Band", took the piss out of plenty of bands, but was pretty self deprecating at the same time. The line "And yes, this is my singing voice, it's not irony, it's not rock & roll, we're just talking to the kids" pretty much says it all.
The second record was a bit of a let down, seemed a little milquetoast, a bit watered down, there were definitely some killer moments, but not nearly enough. Vs. Satan however finds the band kicking ass once again, the music is as always, total bouncy new wave pop, the guitars jagged and crunchy, the drums propulsive and frenetic, a sound that definitely falls in line with sonic compatriots like the Arctic Monkeys, Maximo Park and the like, but it's the vocals that really set this apart. Imagine The Fall (there's no way around mentioning the Fall with Art Brut) if they were in their twenties or very early thirties right now, and were raised on, well, The Fall among other groups, and sang about comic books and milkshakes and being accused of never growing up and girls and other bands and public transportation and not having a driver's license and other mundanities of modern life. Sounds stupid, and maybe it is, but it's also goofy and good fun, often clever, cheeky, snide, but just as often tossed off, but fuck it, these guys aren't trying to change the world, they're having a good time, making an awesome racket, and we're having a great time listening to it. Plus these songs are wicked catchy, just listen to the opening one two punch of "Alcoholics Unanimous" and "DC Comics And Chocolate Milkshakes" and see if you're not totally sold. Two of our favorite new wave pop jams of the year for sure.
MPEG Stream: "Alcoholics Unanimous"
MPEG Stream: "DC Comics And Chocaolate Milkshakes"
MPEG Stream: "The Passenger"

ART BRUT Bang Bang Rock & Roll (Downtown) cd 13.98
Now available domestically!
When you first put this on your stereo, it might almost have you convinced that it's some lost '80s British post-punk band, that is, until you zero in on the lyrics. Majorly hipster, irony-laden, clever-clever phrases spoken-sung in such an over the top British accent that it nears jokeish Mark E. Smith impersonations. In the first song "Formed A Band" there's even a reference to it -- "And yes, this is my singing voice, it's not irony, it's not Rock'n'Roll, we're just talking, to the Kids." Pretty silly stuff playing dress-up in The Fall's closet. But still pretty darn cool. Funny rock anecdote / rumor: Art Brut's first single was on Rough Trade, who were also planning on releasing their full length, that is until supposedly one of the Rough Trade head honchos went and saw them play, decided they were the worst, most amateur rock band he had ever seen and had them promptly dropped from Rough Trade!
MPEG Stream: "Formed A Band"
MPEG Stream: "Moving To L.A."

ART BRUT Brilliant! Tragic! (Cooking Vinyl) cd 14.98
Brilliant and tragic are both words that perfectly capture the the vibe of snarky new wave poppers Art Brut, whose latest full length continues to explore a world of jaded hipsters and bittersweet loneliness, of Peter Pan complexes and of misplaced childhoods, of drinking, partying and rocking, of football and Axl Rose. Axl Rose? Well this is Art Brut after all, whose sound is classic modern new wave power pop, think Maximo Park and the Killers and Franz Ferdinand and the Arctic Monkeys, but whose secret weapon is vocalist Eddie Argos, who more speaks than sings, and who is fucking hilarious, talking shit, confessing deep dark secrets, talking gigs and jazz and rehearsal spaces and girls and yeah Axl Rose. Simultaneously snotty and self important, self deprecating and confessional, Argos has such a way with words, whether it's lamenting the fact that they only play for nine minutes, have two songs and are "working in a genre you don't understand" on "Clever Clever Jazz" or proclaiming "I want to give the world the finger, with the exception of my favorite lead singer" on "Axl Rose", or how awesome it is to have ESP on "I Am The Psychic". Goofy, silly, energetic, caffeinated, hooky as hell, these guys are tough to resist, which is why we gave up trying a long time ago.
MPEG Stream: "Clever Clever Jazz"
MPEG Stream: "Lost Weekend"
MPEG Stream: "Axl Rose"

ART BRUT It's A Bit Complicated (Banana) cd 14.98
Despite the title of Art Brut's second full length, this doesn't seem a bit complicated at all. And although their singer Eddie Argos still sounds like he could very well be Mark E Smith's smartaleck kid brother, the trademark sneering cynical tone is softened by lighter, more juvenile topics -- "Sorry if my accent's flawed I learnt my German from a 7" record." and "People in love lie around and get fat. I didn't want us to end up like that." Ho ho! No shortage of jaded, sardonic witticisms, but unlike the pointed vitriol of Mr. Smith, Art Brut isn't tackling any big issues or aiming to lower the socio-political boom on anyone any time soon. No rallying cries here, their lyrics are more self deprecating and defeatist -- "Life is what you make it, and I made mine a mess." But while the vocals might be exuding an apathetic shrug, they get roped into the good times, uplifted and fueled by the band's crunchy guitars and snappy drumming. Super tongue-in-cheeky London pop.
MPEG Stream: "People In Love"
MPEG Stream: "I Will Survive"

ART FLEURY I Luoghi Del Potere (Die-Schachtel) cd 27.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
There's thankfully more than a few labels whose reliable track record and special aesthetic makes us ALWAYS interested in what they're putting out. Several examples: EM Records, Hapna, Ektro, Holy Mountain, Paradigms, Lampse, and Andee's own tUMULt (of course). Also among those "likely essential" labels is Italy's Die Schachtel, an outfit that either digs up the most wonderful Italian experimental obscurities from the '70s or presents the most intriguing new underground bands from their country, always in super-snazzy packaging. Unfortunately, 'cause so much of their output is so great, it's tough for us to keep up with 'em all, but here at least is a review of our of their more recent gems, a cd reissue of an unusual 1980 record by what was a young Italian group called Art Fleury, who played shows with the likes of Area and Henry Cow and was right there on the cutting edge of politically and musically radical avant-prog, Rock In Opposition sound-making... This album of theirs, the title of which means "The Places Of Power", was apparently conceived as an imaginary soundtrack of sorts, and it's indeed quite soundtracky, you could imagine this being the score to a very arty, serious and suspenseful Italian film. It's a sonic collage that effectively deploys skittering percussion and tape-splicing studio fuckery, instrumental prog bombast and jazz improv freedom, the proceedings often infused with moody textures of glitch and crackle, visited by musical cues or voices set amidst radio static, as if sampled from a random spin of the dial. This is very much in keeping with the sounds of modern-day Die Schachtel acts like A and Christa Pfangen, and their colleagues 3/4hadbeeneliminated. We're also reminded of AQ faves Village Of Savoonga, and to several of Art Fleury's contemporaries or near-contemporaries like Faust, This Heat, and Nurse With Wound. You probably get the idea: recommended!
This cd comes packaged in a oversized cardboard box, inclosing a booklet with liner notes along with a poster of the album's black & white cover graphic of a clenched fist. By the way, while six tracks are listed, there's only five actually indexed on the cd, implying that two are run together... thus we might not have gotten the titles of our sound clips right (i.e "e=mc2" might be "La Morte Al Lavoro" actually).
MPEG Stream: "e=mc2"
MPEG Stream: "L'Overdose"
MPEG Stream: "Uno Spettro Si Aggira Per"

ART MUSEUMS Dancing With A Hole In Your Heart (Slumberland) 7" 3.98
Local art pop outfit Art Museums know that a really great pop song can and maybe should be less then two minutes long, yet still be filled with so much punchy sonic style and flare. With "Dancing With A Hole In Your Heart" they have crafted one of the best 88 second pop songs we have heard in ages. It makes us think of early Magnetic Fields covering The Vaselines, in other words pure pop perfection!
The other two songs are no slouches either, in fact they are as strong as anything that was on their great full length debut, Rough Frame. This makes us excited for what a new album would sound like, as they seem to only be getting better with time... except we think maybe they just broke up, if so, bummer!

ART MUSEUMS Rough Frame (Woodsist) cd 13.98
Sometimes it's easy to take the musicians who live in our city for granted. We see them around all the time, lots of them shop in the store, so the mystique and mystery that you usually have with bands from far away doesn't really exist. So when we found out that our pal Glenn Donaldson (Skygreen Leopards, Thuja, Blithe Sons) and Joseph Alper (Skygreen Leopards, Whysp) had begun a new off-kilter pop project we were thinking, "cool we're sure it's going to be good", but holy fuck, once we actually put it on we realized it was GREAT! And if we didn't know the folks involved it's the kind of listening experience that would have sent us right to the Internet to Google all the names of the players involved, to figure out who the hell these guys were, and even more importantly, what year this weird pop record was actually from!!
Art Museums use primitive 4-track recording techniques with equally rudimentary drum machines which serve as the perfect tools for their totally endearing, catchy yet understated songs that sounds so innocent and carefree and definitely harken back to the classic C86 days.... For sure looking to The Television Personalities and such as HUGE influences, but borrowing and paying homage to their pop forebears in such an incredibly fresh and vibrant way. These are the kind of songs that just keep growing on you and getting further and further under your skin on repeated listens. Like the best Chris Knox songs or if The Shins went way lo-fi and covered early Guided By Voices. Or Belle and Sebastian getting their XTC on, in like a lone lazy afternoon. Art Museums have created that rare recording, a pop album that is smart and rewarding yet also just so damn fun to listen to. An absolute must have!
MPEG Stream: "We Can't Handle It"
MPEG Stream: "Rough Frame"
MPEG Stream: "So Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore"