LIARS Sisterworld (Mute) 2cd 21.00
Liars are such a strange band, we've mentioned it before, but it definitely bears repeating, it seems like they get some sort of sick satisfaction out of gleefully subverting all expectations, some sort of thrill from annoying their loyal fanbase. Every record could go in any of a million directions, some far less appealing than others, and often, it's those less appealing directions that the band find most alluring. So it's usually best to approach a new Liars record prepared to be, at the very least disappointed, quite possibly pissed off.
Sisterworld however was immediately appealing, yeah, sure, a bit weird, but it's the Liars, this time they unfurl a sort of slow burning mystery of a record, super dramatic, with some gorgeous guitar playing and rough, whiskey soaked vocals, moaning cellos, sweet vocal harmonies, a twisted dark pop, with bursts of angular noise rock. Album opener "Scissor" might be one of the best songs they've written, with brooding, moody verses, a soaring bridge with lush harmony vocals, and a crashing synth driven breakdown blow out.
The rest of the record is sort of a schizophrenic mess, but in a good way, the band dipping their toes into woozy gloom pop, twisted cabaret, dreamy swirly string laden swoon, weird angular synth punk, hushed crystalline balladry, skeletal new wave, atonal noise flecked indie rock, furious buzzing dirge rock, but all the various shades and permutations held together, by that Liars vibe that's hard to quantify, but for being as scattershot as Sisterworld seems, it's also a weirdly cohesive set of songs, twisted for sure, but well crafted, and oddly and subtly catchy to boot.
While they last, we have the super deluxe, double disc, which comes in an incredible accordion foldout mini hard cover die cut book packaging, and a whole disc of remixes, from folks like Atlas Sound, Tunde Adebimpe from TV On The Radio, the Melvins (!), Devendra Banhart, Thom Yorke, Boyd Rice and more! Most of the remixes are super radical, the songs all twisted up and reimagined, without losing the essence of the originals, a few add electronics, a couple get all chopped and screwed and looped, one or two are heavied up, and one even gets some female rapper action, pretty wacked, but what would you expect from a remix of a record that's already pretty weird to begin with? The more we listen to the remix disc, we almost might like it more than the record proper....
MPEG Stream: "Scissor"
MPEG Stream: "No Barrier Fun"
MPEG Stream: "Here Comes All The People"
MPEG Stream: "Drip"

LIARS They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top (Blast First / Mute) cd 16.98
Well, here we have another band mining the whole 99/Y records arty disco punk legacy (see also: !!!, Rapture, etc). In this Mute re-release of their Gern Blandsten debut (a sign, perhaps, of blow-up potential), Liars certainly aren't trying to hide their influences; hell, they make a whole track out of putting lyrics over ESG's "UFO." Now that would be a criticism- only the Liars are really fucking good at what they do. Vocalist Angus Andrews has the perfect super tough shout/growl to pull of the hefty dose of bad attitude spewed by their abstractly funky tunes, home to the requisite dance beats and heavy bass alongside cold noise and drum machine. The short album of ass-shakers is topped off with a 30-minute looped epic, which is either hypnotic or dreadfully boring, I'm not sure. Anyway, "They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top" will find a cozy place in your record collection next to the Pop Group and Liquid Liquid, as well as a place in magazine articles about new hot shit bands from NYC. And hey, they deserve it.
RealAudio clip: "Track 2"
RealAudio clip: "Track 5"
RealAudio clip: "Track 9 "

LIARS They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top (Blast First / Mute) lp 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Well, here we have another band mining the whole 99/Y records arty disco punk legacy (see also: !!!, Rapture, etc). In this Mute re-release of their Gern Blandsten debut (a sign, perhaps, of blow-up potential), Liars certainly aren't trying to hide their influences; hell, they make a whole track out of putting lyrics over ESG's "UFO." Now that would be a criticism- only the Liars are really fucking good at what they do. Vocalist Angus Andrews has the perfect super tough shout/growl to pull of the hefty dose of bad attitude spewed by their abstractly funky tunes, home to the requisite dance beats and heavy bass alongside cold noise and drum machine. The short album of ass-shakers is topped off with a 30-minute looped epic, which is either hypnotic or dreadfully boring, I'm not sure. Anyway, "They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top" will find a cozy place in your record collection next to the Pop Group and Liquid Liquid, as well as a place in magazine articles about new hot shit bands from NYC. And hey, they deserve it.

LIARS We Fenced Other Gardens With The Bones Of Our Own (Mute) cd ep 9.98

LIARS, THE Fins To Make Us More Fish-Like (Mute) cd ep 9.98
More frantic punk disco from the Liars. As we mentioned before, these boys wear their post-punk influences on their sleeve (Pop Group, ESG and the like), but they perform with such a raw, visceral intensity that they rise above mere redundancy. These three new tough, sweatily sexy tracks definitely hit the spot.
RealAudio clip: "Pillars Were Hollow And Filled With Candy, So We"

LIARS, THE They Were Wrong So We Drowned (Mute) cd 16.98
Not sure what to say about these guys. Wanted to hate 'em with all the hype and next big thing talk being thrown around, but damn if they aren't pretty cool and weird and kickass. With an obvious sense of humor, the Liars kick out atonal blasts of jagged post punk/new wave absurdism on this, their second album, that is sometimes annoying as fuck, but just as often has us bobbing our heads, tapping our feet and wanting to hit the dance floor and squirm and wiggle our contorted bodies to the sort-of-grooves and obtuse rhythms!
MPEG Stream: "Steam Rose From The Lifeless Cloak"
MPEG Stream: "There's Always Room On The Broom"

LIBERTINES, THE s/t (Rough Trade) cd 15.98
With the monstrous hype machine churning away for this UK band (there's even a glowing testimonial from The Clash's Mick Jones plastered on the shrinkwrap!), I was really braced for disappointment, but y'know what? The Libertines are a-ok! They're pretty darn fun, and just might have you sock-hoppin' around your living room in no time. Yes, they do get compare quite a bit to the aforementioned Clash, but it's primarily apparent in their gritty energy and Brit badboy posturing rather than in any social or political agenda. They actually possess more pop bounce making them more comparable to The Jam. Plus, they have the added charming attraction of an audible genuine Brit accent in the vocals.
MPEG Stream: "Can't Stand Me Now"
MPEG Stream: "Campaign Of Hate"

LIBERTINES, THE Time For Heroes: The Best Of The Libertines (Rough Trade) cd 10.98
Don't know 'bout you, but we've found it a bit irksome (and laughable) how bands who've only released a couple of albums have been getting "Best Of" cds. Yes, it's true that audience attention spans have gotten so short, popular music fans are seemingly at their most fickle, and as a result the shelf life of bands has too. So shrewd record company marketing departments have adopted the "Best Of" release as a ploy to remind fans of the band/pop star they held so dear only a couple years or months ago (possibly the worst one to date? "The Best of Martika"). Often they have arbitrarily selected songs to pad up the 'hits'. Yeeesh, we guess it's not really lie if they really do think the chosen songs are the BEST of the artist's body of work, but...
Anyhoo, this is our longwinded introduction to The Libertines' Time For Heroes cd. Yeah, they were probably more known for band member Pete Doherty and Kate Moss' tabloid exploits than their music. That's sort of unfortunate because they were a pretty good U.K. band with two albums that had A FEW good, solidly catchy, swaggering songs that blended garage rawk revivalism and post-punk fervor... you get them all here. Time For Heroes features what someone (apparently some were fans) deemed the band's best material from their 2004 self-titled sophomore album and 2002 debut Up The Bracket along with some b-sides. Heck, both albums in their entirety could probably fit on the one cd... and then they could've called it "ALL Of The Libertines"! Hahahaha. So silly.
MPEG Stream: "Can't Stand Me Now"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Look Back Into The Sun"

LIBRA Schock (Cinevox) cd 22.00
Compact disc reissue of a rare '70s Italian horror movie soundtrack (for Mario Bava's 1977 film "Schock") from a very Goblin-like band called Libra. Fittingly for the murderous, paranormal goings-on of Bava's flick, this album is full of gothic keyboards, eerie wordless vocal choirs, queasy prog-funk synth vamps, and ominous drum-scapes. Libra really rock out on the Schock theme, while elsewhere they deal in creepy electronic ambience. Bands like Libra can make sweet lullabies seem scarier than full-on screams and metal guitars, and yet their spooky piano instrumentals wouldn't be out of place if used as intros for Cradle of Filth songs. Soundtrack/horror/Goblin fans will be pleased.
RealAudio clip: "The Shock"
RealAudio clip: "L'Incubo"
RealAudio clip: "Transfert III"
RealAudio clip: "Il Fantasma Suona Il Piano"

LIBRANESS Yesterday And Tomorrow's Shells (TigerStyle) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
On this solo venture, Ash Bowie (former guitarist for Polvo and Helium) rips it up and makes a quite a raucous din. Not unlike early-mid Sebadoh (a la "III" which I loved to bits). In fact on track #4 called "Toy Planetarium" Ash does his best whisper-y voiced, plunky guitared Lou Barlow. Then moves on into more strummy distorted chords and peculiar melodic mish mash. One moment gently emo-indie and the next noisy enfant terrible. 14 tracks in all.

LICHT, ALAN Plays Well (Crank Automotive) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Guitarist Licht (ex-Love Child, Run On, etc) indeed plays well (and then weirdly) on this new solo effort. Two long, half-hour-plus tracks, the first, "Remington Khan", is a dexterous display of hypnotic note-pickin' (and building backing drone) that Licht intends as a tribute to both Fluxus hillbilly drone violinist Henry Flynt and Licht's old pal and fellow guitar-meister Jim O'Rourke, and it is certainly evocative of both. The second track, "The Old Victrola" is quite different, taking Captain Beefheart's "Wel" as a starting point and subjecting it to layers of distorted guitar skree, before (bizarrely) a lengthy sampled disco-diva segment begins. That then mutates into fucked up organ-drone. Shades of Terry Riley's "You're No Good"? Anway, it's a pretty weird track. No wonder Licht suggests that the two pieces on "Plays Well" need not be listened to consecutively. All in all, pretty great stuff from Mr. Licht, probably one of his best releases to date.
RealAudio clip: "Remington Khan"
RealAudio clip: "The Old Victrola"

LICKETS, THE Here (On Earth) (International Corporation) lp 14.98
We talk all the time about not judging books by their covers, which for us often means bands by their band names, cuz really, the Flaming Lips, Bitchin Bajas, Bathtub Shitter (ok, that one's awesome), Cream Abdul Babar, Scrotum Poles, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, so many kick ass bands saddled with unfortunate monickers. NOT that we're lumping Bay Area duo The Lickets in with those outfits, but they do actually bring up another part of that whole book/cover, band/bandname situation, in that we never would have expected this sort of gloriously blissed out electronic psychedelic drift from a band called the Lickets. We were actually imagining this would be some sort of roots rock, or stripped down pop rock sort of thing, but this is anything but, The Lickets traffic in the sort of stuff aQ folks go nuts for: dreamy transcendental, glistening, textured kosmische psych folk drift of the highest order.
The tracks her merge billowy clouds of wispy chordal drift with constellations of subtle glitch, the edges worn away, the various sounds bleeding into one another, like the soundtrack to a time lapse film of two solar systems merging, hazy and spaced out, touching on the krautdrone of Expo 70, the gauzy melodic shimmer of Tim Hecker, the dreamlike drift of Pop Ambience, infused with little bits of classic krautrock. Acoustic guitars surface amidst swirling abstract pulsations, melodies melt and ooze, the tracks slowly expanding and evolving, occasionally slipping into something more overtly shoegazey, wrangling jangle guitars into vast smears of melodic blur, laced with tinkling chiming melodies, looped and layered into blustery soundscapes, while other tracks sound almost like old soundtracks to mysterious filmstrips about the emptiness of space, one track even shrugs off the hazy shimmer entirely, leaving just a sweetly lovely stretch of fluttery seventies style folk, replete with breathy vocals and wheezing accordion, before quickly returning to the bleary buzzy drift that defines the rest of the record. And as varied as the record is, the sounds are all held together by a lush, dreamlike melodic component that turns this set of songs into some sort of divine celestial songsuite. So good!
MPEG Stream: "Transpersonal Earth Spirals"
MPEG Stream: "The Intervals Between The Ordered Worlds"
MPEG Stream: "Here (On Earth)"

LICORICE ROOTS Shades Of Streamers (Essay) cd 15.98
Hmmm, sure sounds like these fellers have been chewing on something a bit more potent than licorice roots! While we're not sure about Shades Of Streamers' anti-inflammatory and expectorant properties we can confirm that the sound is strangely melted and slightly druggy. Originally signed to the more than appropriate New York art rock label Shimmy Disc (home to Bongwater, King Missile, early Boredoms, Ruins and Ween), Edward Moyse, Arthur Marks and Dave Milsom have been making experimental folk rock music for many moons that wavers and roams in the zone between Ariel Pink and Ween. Disarmingly warped.
MPEG Stream: "Starswept Dancer"
MPEG Stream: "Meteor Queene"

LIECHTENSTEIN Survival Strategies In A Modern World (Slumberland) cd 10.98
If someone would have played this for us all 'invisible jukebox' style we would have sworn it was some '80s/early '90s lost gem in the same league as AQ favorites like Young Marble Giants, Vaselines, Shop Assistants, Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, etc. There is such a cool sound and energy to these songs, the vocals do really remind us of Amelia Fletcher (Talulah Gosh, Heavenly) which is a great thing, but the band does have a freshness to them which has kept this record on heavy rotation since it arrived in the store.
The way they draw from twee pop, garage rock, and girl groups to create such breezy and catchy delights is a wonder to behold. Lots of Survival Strategies reminds us of how much we loved the Aisler Set and how the time is ripe for them to reunite! Liechtenstein would make great tourmates for folks like Brilliant Colors or Vivian Girls or heck a reformed Aislers Set. We don't want to sound like a broken record, but man are we happy that Slumberland is back and putting out such great pop gems!
The 10" comes on colored vinyl and with a code for a free download of the album.
MPEG Stream: "Postcard"
MPEG Stream: "Reflections"
MPEG Stream: "White Dress"

LIECHTENSTEIN Survival Strategies In A Modern World (Slumberland) 10" 10.98
If someone would have played this for us all 'invisible jukebox' style we would have sworn it was some '80s/early '90s lost gem in the same league as AQ favorites like Young Marble Giants, Vaselines, Shop Assistants, Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, etc. There is such a cool sound and energy to these songs, the vocals do really remind us of Amelia Fletcher (Talulah Gosh, Heavenly) which is a great thing, but the band does have a freshness to them which has kept this record on heavy rotation since it arrived in the store.
The way they draw from twee pop, garage rock, and girl groups to create such breezy and catchy delights is a wonder to behold. Lots of Survival Strategies reminds us of how much we loved the Aisler Set and how the time is ripe for them to reunite! Liechtenstein would make great tourmates for folks like Brilliant Colors or Vivian Girls or heck a reformed Aislers Set. We don't want to sound like a broken record, but man are we happy that Slumberland is back and putting out such great pop gems!
The 10" comes on colored vinyl and with a code for a free download of the album.
MPEG Stream: "Postcard"
MPEG Stream: "Reflections"
MPEG Stream: "White Dress"

LIES, THE Resigned (Kill Rock Stars) cd 13.98
Local treasures The Lies know that on the one hand there's abject depression that's fun for no one including your audience, yet on the other hand there's the kind of romantic depression whose embodiment in musical form can be quite beautiful and delicate to behold. The latter is what The Lies excel in. This isn't the doleful folk downerisms perfected by Black Heart Trio; this is angular and bleak synth 'n guitar driven pop with a strong Joy Division / Talk Talk flavor. Dale Shaw's voice, while not as deep as Ian Curtis', is similarly heavy with a pale gravity that rings stark and true. The music is filled out with two guitars, sparse yet dramatic drumming, lush cello, wintry bare-trees-evoking piano, and utterly sadly melodic korg synth stylings. The Lies should cover "I Melt With You"! Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Accident & Emergency"
RealAudio clip: "A Certain Surround"
RealAudio clip: "Sight & Sound"

LIES, THE Underdogs and Infidels (Kill Rock Stars) cd 11.98
A veritable local super group: Sadie and Sarah from the Bonnot Gang, Casey from Weakling, Tracy from Heavens To Betsy and Flying Tigers, and of course Dale, from Blood Sausage, the Bonnot Gang, the Cut Throats, and the video store across the street! Bleak and dark and hypnotic, like a dirgey garage band playing World of Skin, Tindersticks and Joy Division. Recommended.

LIFE s/t (Mellotronen) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
All right. Now this is what I'm talkin' about. 1971, yeah! Andee's always kidding me that I (Allan) think 1971 is the best year for rock music ever. That's not true of course ('69 and '70 and '72 were no slouches either!), but I do rate it pretty highly. There were SO MANY great records that year, among them Tago Mago, First Utterance, Nursery Cryme, Music To Eat, Satori, Master Of Reality, Funkadelic, Neu! 1, Culpeper's Orchard, Demon And Eleven Children, Love It To Death, In Search Of Space, Stormcock...ohmigod...there's so many. I don't know how I would have survived if I was of a music-buying age in 1971. But I was only two years old. It's sure would have been tough to make a top ten list if I was working at Aquarius back then!! But I'm pretty sure that this Life album (if I even woulda known about it, I wonder if Aquarius ever stocked the original import LP?) would have made that list. Seriously.
Of course, even if folks back then probably didn't appreciate it (foolishly thinking that rock was in some sorta prog-clogged doldrums) they were living in some special times. Especially special if you like the hard/heavy/acid rock like I do.
Ok, more about Life then: they were a skilled Swedish psych-prog trio that spun songs that incorporate (sometimes in the same composition) two quite different but equally excellent extremes -- they do some light n' lush, very pretty pop with piano and full orchestration. But then there's also a lotta rib-rattling dirge-rock with glacial, gargantuan guitars! The combination is epic and elegant, and puts 'em (in my book) almost in the same league as Queen and Deep Purple and Uriah Heep! A quick n' dirty description might be Cream-meets-Queen. And this was before Queen ever released an album. For '71, the heaviness is right up there. Killer songs, stellar vocals, a definite stoner spirit. I can't imagine any of AQ's customers who are real '70s proto-metal freaks not digging this album, even if you don't normally get into the poppier stuff...just 'cause it's SO GOOD. And the lighter fare is integral even to the slabs of heaviosity for which you're really gonna worship this album. Yeah, it's heavy, and even when not, it's damn bombastic. In a way that makes even the tracks that are the most doomy and downer definitely also have a lively, uplifting vibe. I'm telling you, if Life were British and had made more than one album (instead of breaking up 'cause of joining the cast of the Swedish touring production of Hair!), you'd know about 'em already. I mean, they'd be '70s classic rock royalty for sure, at least as famous as, I dunno, Nazareth.
Getting back to the whole 1971 thing: in actuality, this album was originally released in 1970 with Swedish lyrics, then released with English language vocals in '71, and that version is the only one to be reissued on cd. Normally I prefer bands to sing in their native tongue, but this guy is a such a good singer, and avoids any embarrassing accent-issues, and the lyrics are pretty cool ("Once I saw a castle / made by rocks and sand / I used to touch that castle / with my magic hand"). A couple of the bonus tracks are in Swedish, too (where they suddenly sound like Dungen gone arena!).
Now I don't want to freak out and make like this is the best record EVER or anything, but it's really really good and is something that should be much better known that's for sure. So we've ordered a few to try and spread the word...
MPEG Stream: "Many Years Ago"
MPEG Stream: "She Walks Across The Room"
MPEG Stream: "Sailing In The Sunshine"

LIFE s/t (Golden Pavillion) lp 27.00
Proto-metal vinyl reissue of the week (at least!). We've had a cd version of this in the past, which we think has gone out of print, and in any case it's cool to have it on wax now! Here's what we said about this heavy fave before...
All right. Now this is what I'm talkin' about. 1971, yeah! Andee's always kidding me that I (Allan) think 1971 is the best year for rock music ever. That's not true of course ('69 and '70 and '72 were no slouches either!), but I do rate it pretty highly. There were SO MANY great records that year, among them Tago Mago, First Utterance, Nursery Cryme, Music To Eat, Satori, Master Of Reality, Funkadelic, Neu! 1, Culpeper's Orchard, Demon And Eleven Children, Love It To Death, In Search Of Space, Stormcock...ohmigod...there's so many. I don't know how I would have survived if I was of a music-buying age in 1971. But I was only two years old. It's sure would have been tough to make a top ten list if I was working at Aquarius back then!! But I'm pretty sure that this Life album (if I even woulda known about it, I wonder if Aquarius ever stocked the original import lp?) would have made that list. Seriously.
Of course, even if folks back then probably didn't appreciate it (foolishly thinking that rock was in some sorta prog-clogged doldrums) they were living in some special times. Especially special if you like the hard/heavy/acid rock like I do.
Ok, more about Life then: they were a skilled Swedish psych-prog trio that spun songs that incorporate (sometimes in the same composition) two quite different but equally excellent extremes -- they do some light n' lush, very pretty pop with piano and full orchestration. But then there's also a lotta rib-rattling dirge-rock with glacial, gargantuan guitars! The combination is epic and elegant, and puts 'em (in my book) almost in the same league as Queen and Deep Purple and Uriah Heep! A quick n' dirty description might be Cream-meets-Queen. And this was before Queen ever released an album. For '71, the heaviness is right up there. Killer songs, stellar vocals, a definite stoner spirit. I can't imagine any of AQ's customers who are real '70s proto-metal freaks not digging this album, even if you don't normally get into the poppier stuff...just 'cause it's SO GOOD. And the lighter fare is integral even to the slabs of heaviosity for which you're really gonna worship this album. Yeah, it's heavy, and even when not, it's damn bombastic. In a way that makes even the tracks that are the most doomy and downer definitely also have a lively, uplifting vibe. I'm telling you, if Life were British and had made more than one album (instead of breaking up 'cause of joining the cast of the Swedish touring production of Hair!), you'd know about 'em already. I mean, they'd be '70s classic rock royalty for sure, at least as famous as, I dunno, Nazareth.
Getting back to the whole 1971 thing: in actuality, this album was originally released in 1970 with Swedish lyrics, then released with English language vocals in '71, and that version is the only one to be reissued. Normally I prefer bands to sing in their native tongue, but this guy is a such a good singer, and avoids any embarrassing accent-issues, and the lyrics are pretty cool ("Once I saw a castle / made by rocks and sand / I used to touch that castle / with my magic hand"). A couple of the bonus tracks are in Swedish, too (where they suddenly sound like Dungen gone arena!).
Now I don't want to freak out and make like this is the best record EVER or anything, but it's really really good and is something that should be much better known that's for sure. So we've ordered a few to try and spread the word...
Import vinyl, gatefold sleeve, limited to 700 copies.
MPEG Stream: "Many Years Ago"
MPEG Stream: "She Walks Across The Room"
MPEG Stream: "Sailing In The Sunshine"

LIFE AQUATIC, THE (OST) (Hollywood) cd 17.98
None of us were surprised by how good this movie was. After all, we pretty much all love Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tennenbaums, and of course Rushmore. And really none of us should have been surprised by how great this soundtrack is either, since Wes Anderson movies are as much about the music as the movie itself. But somehow the soundtrack was a surprise. For the content as much as the way it was incorporated into the movie. The focus of the soundtrack has to be the gorgeous acoustic numbers by cast member Seu Jorge. There are 5 of them, and they just happen to all be Bowie covers, and are all sung in Portugeuse! I'm not a huge Bowie fan, but the minute we walked out of the theater, I was hoping that the soundtrack would have those tracks, and it did! Warm and languid, melancholy and dreamy, Jorge's tracks are absolutely beautiful, giving those classic rock and roll numbers a totally different nuance. And once you see the movie, those tracks will make even more (non)sense! But that's not all. Classic tracks by the Zombies, Joan Baez, Scott Walker, and the Stooges! The Stooges' "Search And Destroy" has always been one of those songs that makes you want to rumble -- that RIFF! -- and it's put to excellent use in the film! Plus a killer score by Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh. But a discussion of The Life Aquatic would not be complete without a quick digression into "The Cheadle". Not sure how many of you saw Ocean's Eleven, but Don Cheadle played a demolitions expert, with the WORST British accent ever. FOR NO REASON! Responding to every query with "Right guvnuh!" or "Cherrio!" Arghh. So infuriating. WHY WHY WHY? So consequently, pointless and poorly-performed accents are now referred to as "The Cheadle" (others refer to it as "The Kidman"). So in Life Aquatic, Owen Wilson is the one responsible for "The Cheadle", a Southern accent that at best is superfluous, and in execution is thick and impenetrable sometimes, totally non-existent at others. But fear not, that hardly detracts from how great this film is. Owen Wilson is still cute. Bill Murray still rules. The movie is still amazing and funny. And the music is still perfect!
MPEG Stream: "Rebel Rebel"
MPEG Stream: "Rock N' Roll Suicide"
MPEG Stream: "Life On Mars?"

LIFE ON EARTH Look!! There Is Life On Earth! (Subliminal Sounds) cd 16.98
From the first few notes, we were totally sold. A wild freaked out psychedelic flute solo, why don't all bands start their records like that? Cuz we probably couldn't handle it! But it makes sense here, when you realize that Life On Earth just so happens to be dudes from Swedish psych rockers Dungen! Obviously Dungen fans are gonna want this, the sound is similar, maybe not quite as rocking, a little more laid back and hippified, groovy and space-y and definitely psychedelic, but still so so good.Ê
Fronted by Dungen-eerÊMattias Gustavsson, but with musical back up from other Dungen folks, and such unlikely musical bedfellows as Town & Country and Mia Doi Todd, Life On Earth is Gustavsson's musical tribute to, well, life on earth. The sheer exuberant joy of it, happiness and sunshine and love and brotherhood and wildlife and blue skies and nature and dreams and beauty and most importantly some super kick ass folky proggy psych rock bliss...
Flute is everywhere, and obviously for that we are truly thankful, but it drift and flutters amidst gorgeous and tranquil swirly folky forests of sound. Silky threads of acoustic guitar, swoonsome strings, harmony vocals, lyrics both in Swedish AND English, bongos and simple percussion, some slithery rhythmic grooves, some killer squalls of psych guitar growl, long stretches of hushed dreaminess, with cooing vocals and muted melodies and super tripped out heart-of-the-sun druggy jams, complete with slow motion riffing and reverbed outer space vocals, the whole disc is actually very Beatles-esque (albeit at their most experimental and HIGH) giving Dungen's sound even more of a sixties pop makeover.
Surprisingly (or maybe not so) the record finishes off with nearly 30 minutes of barely there lower case ambience, bits of percussion, keening high end glimmer, all drifting in wide open expanses of mumbled drones and hushed shimmer, a super longform abstract raga, that sounds like something you'd be more likely to find on Celebrate Psi Phenomenon or Pseudo Arcana than on a Dungen related record... Awesome.Ê
MPEG Stream: "Life On Earth"
MPEG Stream: "Sell Your Soul To Me"
MPEG Stream: "City By The Sea"

LIFE ON EARTH Look!! There Is Life On Earth! (Subliminal Sounds) 2lp 28.00
Also available on (import) vinyl!
From the first few notes, we were totally sold. A wild freaked out psychedelic flute solo, why don't all bands start their records like that? Cuz we probably couldn't handle it! But it makes sense here, when you realize that Life On Earth just so happens to be dudes from Swedish psych rockers Dungen! Obviously Dungen fans are gonna want this, the sound is similar, maybe not quite as rocking, a little more laid back and hippified, groovy and space-y and definitely psychedelic, but still so so good.Ê
Fronted by Dungen-eerÊMattias Gustavsson, but with musical back up from other Dungen folks, and such unlikely musical bedfellows as Town & Country and Mia Doi Todd, Life On Earth is Gustavsson's musical tribute to, well, life on earth. The sheer exuberant joy of it, happiness and sunshine and love and brotherhood and wildlife and blue skies and nature and dreams and beauty and most importantly some super kick ass folky proggy psych rock bliss...
Flute is everywhere, and obviously for that we are truly thankful, but it drift and flutters amidst gorgeous and tranquil swirly folky forests of sound. Silky threads of acoustic guitar, swoonsome strings, harmony vocals, lyrics both in Swedish AND English, bongos and simple percussion, some slithery rhythmic grooves, some killer squalls of psych guitar growl, long stretches of hushed dreaminess, with cooing vocals and muted melodies and super tripped out heart-of-the-sun druggy jams, complete with slow motion riffing and reverbed outer space vocals, the whole disc is actually very Beatles-esque (albeit at their most experimental and HIGH) giving Dungen's sound even more of a sixties pop makeover.
Surprisingly (or maybe not so) the record finishes off with nearly 30 minutes of barely there lower case ambience, bits of percussion, keening high end glimmer, all drifting in wide open expanses of mumbled drones and hushed shimmer, a super longform abstract raga, that sounds like something you'd be more likely to find on Celebrate Psi Phenomenon or Pseudo Arcana than on a Dungen related record... Awesome.Ê
MPEG Stream: "Life On Earth"
MPEG Stream: "Sell Your Soul To Me"
MPEG Stream: "City By The Sea"

LIFE ON EARTH, THE Your Karma Is Coming (self-released) cd 9.98

LIFE WITHOUT BUILDINGS Any Other City (DC/Baltimore) cd 16.98
Domestic reissue of the debut from the unusual Scottish quartet. This edition comes in a jewel case and features the bonus cut "Daylighting". Here's what we said in March 2001 about "Any Other City":
Life Without Buildings is the next big thing according to the often overzealous and easily bought UK music press, but this time, they just might be right. Definitely too weird to -actually- be the next big thing, Life Without Buildings does offer some new and appealing sounds. They have an indie-rock jangle somewhere between Sleater Kinney's urgency and The Smith's precious perfection; but the lyrics are a different bag all together. Vocalist Sue Tompkins never stops her ongoing monologue (word has it that live, she sits on a stool reading from her notebook) with a thick Northern accent and a semi-drunken slur, sounding much like the female counterpart to that guy from Prolapse. Fans of the Raincoats will love this.
RealAudio clip: "Juno"
RealAudio clip: "PS Exclusive"

LIFEGUARDS Mist King Urth (Fading Captain Series) cd 15.98
Aha! Yet another installment in Robert Pollard's Fading Captain series. The mysteriously titled Mist King Urth is credited to the equally mysterious group known as Lifeguards. And just who do you think they might be? But of course, it's another Pollard collaborative effort. This time he's hooked back up with fellow GBVer Doug Gillard. Pollard sang and wrote the tunes while Gillard played the all instruments, and it's no surprise that the results are quite appealing. Ah yes, a rose by any other name.... Raw electric guitars crunch about while Pollard sings in a particularly strange, affected manner. Very fired up and rocked out.
MPEG Stream: "Starts At The River"
MPEG Stream: "Shorter Virgins"

LIFELOVER Dekadens (Osmose) cd ep 10.98
Latest from Swedish blackened doom pop weirdos Lifelover, which we have been trying to get for a while, and it's a doozy, melding the twisted demented depressive black metal strangeness of their early records, with the more streamlined, lush heaviness of their most recent recordings, resulting in what might be their most full realized release yet.
Featuring members of Ondskapt, Hypothermia, Dimhymn and IXXI, one could be forgiven for expecting something much more grim and black, hateful and harrowing, but instead, the band have been moving more toward a sound much more akin to groups like Katatonia, epic, lush, depressive doom pop, the guitars and drums massive, the melodies melancholy and mournful, but with the unhinged maniacal vocals that defined the first few records. Live videos display the group's incredible (and incredibly bloody) stage presence, with the vocalist, wearing a white long sleeve dress shirt, and doing some strange herky jerky dances, but within a few songs, things get decidedly darker, that white shirt soaked through with blood, the band locked into a frenzied fierce assault, but STILL, the music manages to be lush and sprawling and epic and weirdly impossibly poppy. Not sure why it works, or even how, but Lifelover are not only master showmen, but masters of crafting off kilter blackened pop. And Dekadens is most definitely testament to that. Not nearly as weird or experimental as past records, the first four tracks are a practically flawless explosion of the sound these guys have seemed to master, the production loud and lush, the riffing incredible, the drums not blasting, but pounding, the vocals a shrieking caterwaul, all wound into some incredible heavy pop music, still with hints of blackness, some double kick drumming, chugging guitars, those vocals, but however much of that there is, this still is ultimately pop music.
The second half of the record, things get a bit weirder; "Androider" almost sounds like some sort of alien modern rock, if it weren't for those unhinged vocals, it's not hard to imagine a song like this ending up on MTV, with some woozy clean guitar breaks, a soaring chorus, and some clean crooning vox, eventually slipping into a gorgeous minor key lament. "Visomdsord" is all clean guitar and skeletal drumming, soaring melancholy melodies, weirdly processed spoken vocals, gloomy Joy Divisiony basslines, and a second half that gets more and more dreamy and abstract. And then finally "Destination: Ingenstans" has possibly the poppiest main riff of the bunch, total sugary sweet, still distorted and crunchy, but majestic and major key, before a brief hushed drifty interlude, and then a burst of mathy proggy blackened heaviness, maybe the heaviest thing on the record, before the song chills out again, returning to something much more meditative, clean guitars, jangly and shimmery, the only vestige of blackened weirdness, a still tortured hellish howl, creating something at once dreamlike and melodic, haunting and harrowing.
So goddamn good. Lifelover are probably one of the most original 'black metal' bands around. And one of our favorites, and it's hard for us to imagine anyone listening to Dekadens not agreeing wholeheartedly...
MPEG Stream: "Luguber Framtid"
MPEG Stream: "Myspys"
MPEG Stream: "Androider"
MPEG Stream: "Destination: Ingenstans"

LIFELOVER Sjukdom (Prophecy Productions) cd 16.98
It's strange watching videos of Lifelover performing live. With the sound turned down, you would probably think you were watching the sickest, noisiest, grimmest band ever, the frontman in a white shirt, seemingly in some sort of trance at the front of the stage, cutting himself up until he's a sopping bloody mess, covered in scars, his mouth wide open, seemingly howling demonically, but as most of you already know, the sound of Lifelover is far removed from grim black buzz, or dirgey blackened sludge, instead, they traffic is a sort of doom pop, surprisingly melodic, still metallic, but often with piano, and synths, juxtaposing wild hysterical vox, with music that is frankly not that far removed from the mainstream. But that's the magic of Lifelover, they are a seriously twisted entity, sonic and otherwise, their records sprawling confusional free for all's that shift tone and timbre constantly, brooding and dark one minute, wild and heavy the next, the vocals over the top and super dramatic. A sound that's dark and depressive, but totally melodic and catchy. We've loved pretty much every record so far, and their records get played all the time in the shop, even by the non metalheads, especially by the non metalheads. That's not to say this is not metal, it most definitely is, just its own unique strain.
On first listen, we were tempted to proclaim Sjukdom the heaviest Lifelover yet, and while repeated listens do reveal the record's hidden melodic secrets, we definitely think the ratio of distorted heaviness to plaintive melancholy doom pop is definitely above average here.
The opener sets the tone, with some seriously chuggy metallic riffage, but laced over some mournful minor key piano, the vocals slipping from anguished shriek to more guttural howl, the song surprisingly catchy, the drums weirdly processed so they almost sound programmed, the track slipping into an almost punk rock blast before slipping right back into the more metallic midtempo crunch.
It's definitely the best sounding Lifelover yet, in terms of production, the guitars are massive, thick, super distorted, the vocals manage to be audible, bizarre, but not overbearing, the drums might be the only weak spot, triggered sounding, but as the record grows on you, the drums start to sound, right, somehow. And the songs, super catchy, melding the sort of Katatonia style depressive metallic melancholia, with depressive black metal ambience, the piano, which sort of defines their sound, as much as the guitars certainly, and the vocals, which are so emotional, expressive, tortured, bizarre, grunting to shrieking, to whispering to mewling.
And beyond the Lifelover 'sound', these guys do whip up some fantastic audio weirdness, peppering the record with strange samples, swirling snippets of other songs, haunting interludes, mysterious stretches of ambience, even whole songs that totally stand out, like "Bitterljuv Kakofoni", with its hushed backwards guitars, tortured growled vox, all over a weird super minimal, ultra distorted rhythm, laced with minimal piano, and haunting guitar twang, creepy and beautiful. There's also the strummy blissy "Utdrag", that sounds like Lifelover's take on jangle pop, sounding a bit like the singer's other outfit Hypothermia, minus the piano.
If you liked the other Lifelovers, you're gonna dig this one too, not their weirdest, but definitely their catchiest, and best produced, and it's a total grower. At first we were convinced it could never live up to Erotik or Pulver, but now we find ourselves listening to it like crazy, and digging it as much as those other ones if not more.
MPEG Stream: "Svart Galla"
MPEG Stream: "Led By Misfortune"
MPEG Stream: "Expandera"
MPEG Stream: "Karma"

LIGHT ASYLUM In Tension E.P. (Mexican Summer) 12" 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Pure Diva-Goth greatness! Light Asylum bring a much needed emotional weight and darkness to the current realm of left-field dance floor weirdos. Led by the striking and powerful voice of Shannon Funchess, who makes us think of Grace Jones being kidnapped out of Studio 54 and dragged to a dark and dirgy, gothy warehouse filled with whips and chains.
Funchess has paid her dues over the years, starting out in weird DIY bands in Seattle that played with groups like 7 Year Bitch and The Gits, before making her move to New York where she was quickly spotted and recruited by folks like !!!, TV On The Radio, and Telepath to guest on their albums and perform at live shows. With Light Asylum Funchess seems finally able to fully realize her unique vision. Probably one of the few black girls to be wearing a Joy Division t-shirt when she was a teen, she has a special ability to bring a strong sensuality to doom and gloom. Fans of Zola Jesus, Former Ghost, Blessure Grave, Bauhaus, early Nine Inch Nails, Joy Division, Magas, Gina X, Teengirl Fantasy, etc. will want to jump on this right away.
Besides digging the music so much, we have to say In Tension boasts one of our favorite record covers of the year!

LIGHT BRIGHT HIGHWAY Moon Glory And The Seventh Sun (Two Ohm Hop) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
These here Texas drone rockers show that they have much in common with others in their homeland (Stars of the Lid, Ultrasound, Charalambides, 26, etc.) on this beautiful lp (white vinyl, if you must know). Each side consists of slow, hazy pieces that devolve from Mogwai-like explosive melodies into deep sleepy drones. Quite exceptional.

LIGHT, THE Turn On... The Light (UT Records) cd 13.98

LIGHTNING s/t (Arf! Arf!) cd 14.98

LIGHTNING BOLT Earthly Delights (Load) cd 14.98
It's hard to believe it's been almost 4 years since the last Lightning Bolt record. It does seem like they've been touring pretty much nonstop for the last decade, and nothing compares to seeing these guys live, set up on the floor, right in the middle of the pit, the volume deafening, the energy contagious, the playing frantic and furious, these guys are pretty untouchable live, and the way they make such a din with just bass and drums, makes all other rhythm section duos sound sad in comparison. And while records rarely capture the intensity of live performances, LB records have been pretty consistently kick ass, heavy and complex, a bit murky and lo-fi. but if you've ever seen the band, their equipment looks like they built it from scraps, so one might imagine the recordings would be similarly haphazard.
Earthly Delights picks up pretty much right where Hypermagic Mountain left off. The bass buzzes and sings, somehow filling up the low end, while spitting out squiggly melodies, the drums galloping wildly, explosive fills, jumbled math melting rhythms, the vocals super distorted yelps, the songs weirdly catchy, or if not specifically catchy in the traditional sense, the repeated riffs and motifs get lodged in your head, and you pretty much want them to go on forever, and they sort of do. And the thing is, not a whole lot has changed in the ensuing years since the last record, but why should anything have changed? You don't fix what ain't broke, and anyway, NO ONE sounds like Lightning Bolt, and they were already insanely tight, so not sure things could get any tighter, if anything, it's just another batch of bad ass LB jams, which is more then enough. Of course there's the very metal 12 minute closing track, that will have you wondering how the fuck any one can play like that non stop for 12 whole minutes, which will then lead you to wonder how they play like that for a WHOLE SET. Better not to wonder, just let them do their superhuman noise rock thing, you just sit back and enjoy it, or better yet jump around like crazy and try to keep up.
MPEG Stream: "Sound Guardians"
MPEG Stream: "Nation Of Boar"
MPEG Stream: "Transmissionary"

LIGHTNING BOLT Earthly Delights (Load) 2lp 17.98
It's hard to believe it's been almost 4 years since the last Lightning Bolt record. It does seem like they've been touring pretty much nonstop for the last decade, and nothing compares to seeing these guys live, set up on the floor, right in the middle of the pit, the volume deafening, the energy contagious, the playing frantic and furious, these guys are pretty untouchable live, and the way they make such a din with just bass and drums, makes all other rhythm section duos sound sad in comparison. And while records rarely capture the intensity of live performances, LB records have been pretty consistently kick ass, heavy and complex, a bit murky and lo-fi. but if you've ever seen the band, their equipment looks like they built it from scraps, so one might imagine the recordings would be similarly haphazard.
Earthly Delights picks up pretty much right where Hypermagic Mountain left off. The bass buzzes and sings, somehow filling up the low end, while spitting out squiggly melodies, the drums galloping wildly, explosive fills, jumbled math melting rhythms, the vocals super distorted yelps, the songs weirdly catchy, or if not specifically catchy in the traditional sense, the repeated riffs and motifs get lodged in your head, and you pretty much want them to go on forever, and they sort of do. And the thing is, not a whole lot has changed in the ensuing years since the last record, but why should anything have changed? You don't fix what ain't broke, and anyway, NO ONE sounds like Lightning Bolt, and they were already insanely tight, so not sure things could get any tighter, if anything, it's just another batch of bad ass LB jams, which is more then enough. Of course there's the very metal 12 minute closing track, that will have you wondering how the fuck any one can play like that non stop for 12 whole minutes, which will then lead you to wonder how they play like that for a WHOLE SET. Better not to wonder, just let them do their superhuman noise rock thing, you just sit back and enjoy it, or better yet jump around like crazy and try to keep up.
MPEG Stream: "Sound Guardians"
MPEG Stream: "Nation Of Boar"
MPEG Stream: "Transmissionary"

LIGHTNING BOLT Hypermagic Mountain (Load) cd 14.98
Hypermagic Mountain leaves the popular Rhode Island spazz-core duo Lightning Bolt's other records huffing glue and passed out in the dust, believe it or not. On the bass, Brian Gibson covers some of the same wandering scale build-up stuff he's always done, but with so much more intensity and concentration... and needless to say SO MUCH FASTER!! Hard to believe a bass can produce riffs and licks as insane as these. In fact, when the drums drop out and the bass is left to go nuts, it almost sounds like Van Halen's "Eruption". Woah. And drummer Brian Chippendale is as impenetrable as he's been in the past but again, SO MUCH FASTER. WTF?! Did they take some sort of vegan super-power pills? There's also a healthy smathering (a slathering? a lathering? more than a smattering) of hard-rock riffage all over the place that in conjunction with endless super-speed drum insanity (note drumnerds: only one kick drum), create an amazing and noise-manic rockin' sound.
And was ist dat? Woah again! Some choicest moments indeed start to reference a sense of "song", moreso than we've ever heard from them before. We're damn impressed! In so many different ways, this album is incredibly surprising. As mind-numbingly stand-alone awesome as they were before, they are so much more now somehow. LB records have always been a strange beast in terms of production, c'mon, how would YOU record a wall of ear melting bass and non stop spastic drum splatter? But it was never really about sound quality, the production was an afterthought really, who cares when you're soaked in sweat and pinballing around a dayglo pit. The recording quality here is a bit muddier than their previous, already sort of a little muddy sounding albums Wonderful Rainbow and Ride The Skies, but it suits this ultra riffy LB of new for sure. Longtime 'Bolt fans have probably been hankering for greater levels of grit and distortion anyway, like in the old days, so it makes perfect sense that their new sound only adds to their spiffy new riffier hard-rocking maelstrom!
MPEG Stream: "2 Morro Morro Land"
MPEG Stream: "Captain Caveman"

LIGHTNING BOLT Hypermagic Mountain (Load) lp 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hypermagic Mountain leaves the popular Rhode Island spazz-core duo Lightning Bolt's other records huffing glue and passed out in the dust, believe it or not. On the bass, Brian Gibson covers some of the same wandering scale build-up stuff he's always done, but with so much more intensity and concentration... and needless to say SO MUCH FASTER!! Hard to believe a bass can produce riffs and licks as insane as these. In fact, when the drums drop out and the bass is left to go nuts, it almost sounds like Van Halen's "Eruption". Woah. And drummer Brian Chippendale is as impenetrable as he's been in the past but again, SO MUCH FASTER. WTF?! Did they take some sort of vegan super-power pills? There's also a healthy smathering (a slathering? a lathering? more than a smattering) of hard-rock riffage all over the place that in conjunction with endless super-speed drum insanity (note drumnerds: only one kick drum), create an amazing and noise-manic rockin' sound.
And was ist dat? Woah again! Some choicest moments indeed start to reference a sense of "song", moreso than we've ever heard from them before. We're damn impressed! In so many different ways, this album is incredibly surprising. As mind-numbingly stand-alone awesome as they were before, they are so much more now somehow. LB records have always been a strange beast in terms of production, c'mon, how would YOU record a wall of ear melting bass and non stop spastic drum splatter? But it was never really about sound quality, the production was an afterthought really, who cares when you're soaked in sweat and pinballing around a dayglo pit. The recording quality here is a bit muddier than their previous, already sort of a little muddy sounding albums Wonderful Rainbow and Ride The Skies, but it suits this ultra riffy LB of new for sure. Longtime 'Bolt fans have probably been hankering for greater levels of grit and distortion anyway, like in the old days, so it makes perfect sense that their new sound only adds to their spiffy new riffier hard-rocking maelstrom!
MPEG Stream: "2 Morro Morro Land"
MPEG Stream: "Captain Caveman"

LIGHTNING BOLT Ride The Skies (Load) cd 15.98
This is the long-awaited, highly anticipated full length release from Providence, RI's amazing bass and drums duo LIGHTNING BOLT! Imagine Tokyo drums/bass duo Ruins in their early years: way obvious prog influence and heavy as fuck, then subtract the zeuhl (Magma) inspired vocals and substitute a super distorted vocal scree (supplied by drummer Chippendale via contact mic shoved down his throat and secured by a tight fitting spandex mask, or something like that). But although Lightning Bolt exhibit the dexterity of the Ruins (who themselves are no strangers to noise) the particular sort of abrasive sound LB generates places them closer to (but beyond) that other infamous drums/bass outfit, Godheadsilo. The distorted bass frequencies are less a side product of their songs than a building block of their compositions themselves...which often build up to a point where instrumental precision blurs, parts being played so fast and/or repetitively to achieve a mind-numbing stasis, a kinetic drone-buzz. On "Ride the Skies", our dynamic duo rips out eight tracks of spastic, nervous energy. If you're familiar with their past releases, you'll notice a cleaner production, which is almost shocking given their aesthetic of noise and, well, shitty production (it suited them, really). However, the new sound only proves their acrobatic abilities and dynamicism, and it'll still drill the wax out of your ears. Great! The screenprinted vinyl edition was lovingly hand crafted at the now defunct Fort Thunder in Providence, RI.
MPEG Stream: "Forcefield"
MPEG Stream: "Saint Jacques"

LIGHTNING BOLT Ride The Skies (Load) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is the long-awaited, highly anticipated full length release from Providence, RI's amazing bass and drums duo LIGHTNING BOLT! Imagine Tokyo drums/bass duo Ruins in their early years: way obvious prog influence and heavy as fuck, then subtract the zeuhl (Magma) inspired vocals and substitute a super distorted vocal scree (supplied by drummer Chippendale via contact mic shoved down his throat and secured by a tight fitting spandex mask, or something like that). But although Lightning Bolt exhibit the dexterity of the Ruins (who themselves are no strangers to noise) the particular sort of abrasive sound LB generates places them closer to (but beyond) that other infamous drums/bass outfit, Godheadsilo. The distorted bass frequencies are less a side product of their songs than a building block of their compositions themselves...which often build up to a point where instrumental precision blurs, parts being played so fast and/or repetitively to achieve a mind-numbing stasis, a kinetic drone-buzz. On "Ride the Skies", our dynamic duo rips out eight tracks of spastic, nervous energy. If you're familiar with their past releases, you'll notice a cleaner production, which is almost shocking given their aesthetic of noise and, well, shitty production (it suited them, really). However, the new sound only proves their acrobatic abilities and dynamicism, and it'll still drill the wax out of your ears. Great! The screenprinted vinyl edition was lovingly hand crafted at the now defunct Fort Thunder in Providence, RI.

LIGHTNING BOLT s/t (Load) cd 12.98
Finally, the debut LP from Providence, RI's Lightning Bolt gets reissued! Now on cd for the first time, with over forty minutes of bonus live material! When this record first hit the streets a couple of years ago, people either instantly fell in love with or completely despised this band. With its shitty production (basically the equivalent of a dictaphone set on the floor right between the drums and monster bass cabinets), it's understandable that some wrote this off as some wanky noise-art-rock act. But for the few and proud that could withstand the muck, there lied a wonderfully hypnotic, repetitive machine, heavy as fuck and amazing, as it was only two boys, Brian Chippendale (drums, vocals) and Brian Gibson (bass). Only after witnessing the duo's incredible live performance did people start to understand the intensity and complexity inherent in Lightning Bolt. Listening to this document now isn't nearly as exciting as when it first surfaced, solely due to the fact that Brian and Brian have gone on to write more complex songs and produce more dense and dynamic recordings, not to mention the fact that their current live set is tighter, faster, louder and the crowd is way more crazy and out of control! But until the next record surfaces, this reissue will hold over fans, old and new, as there are previously unreleased live recordings aplenty. Fans of Ruins and Godheadsilo take note if you haven't already, though ultimately Lightning Bolt is a completely different beast altogether... Undoubtedly recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Into The Valley"
RealAudio clip: "Fleeing The Valley Of Whirling Knives"

LIGHTNING BOLT The Power Of Salad & Milkshakes (Load) dvd 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Holy shit! The Bolt get a proper visual document for those of you who missed out on the live action! Or if you were there and couldn't see past the rabid flurry of sweat and flesh of the adrenalin charged audiences! Or if you did see everything and now you want to see yourself on film, you narcissistic bastard! Speaking of which, camera whore and AQ doorman John Dwyer makes his international film debut as himself and as Pink of Pink and Brown, he's all over this thing like flies on shit, relaxing in someone's backyard completely in costume or just bobbing along to the live action!! Anyway, the film takes us across America with one of the loudest bands on the planet. Join Brian Chippendale and Brian Gibson as they whip unsuspecting crowds into disco frenzied mosh pits. Rarely does a band make the audience bang their heads *and* shake their booties -- these kids do it right. Watch indie rock nerds get knocked over as they're trapped in the Bolt's surprise attack from the back of the room, opposite the stage. See scenesters get ridiculously stupid as Gibson's 3800 watt tower scrapes earwax outta their pretty little heads! If you couldn't really get into their records (since their music certainly has a physical element which could only be imagined whether you've seen them or not), this will definitely knock you on your ass! Bonus features include two hilariously animated music videos, a remix video by Libythth, a gallery of Brian Chippendale's wonderfully screenprinted poster art and a humorous clip of the duo rehearsing and discussing the relevance of their art. Very well done.

LIGHTNING BOLT The Power Of Salad & Milkshakes (Load) video 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Holy shit! The Bolt get a proper visual document for those of you who missed out on the live action! Or if you were there and couldn't see past the rabid flurry of sweat and flesh of the adrenalin charged audiences! Or if you did see everything and now you want to see yourself on film, you narcissistic bastard! Speaking of which, camera whore and AQ doorman John Dwyer makes his international film debut as himself and as Pink of Pink and Brown, he's all over this thing like flies on shit, relaxing in someone's backyard completely in costume or just bobbing along to the live action!! Anyway, the film takes us across America with one of the loudest bands on the planet. Join Brian Chippendale and Brian Gibson as they whip unsuspecting crowds into disco frenzied mosh pits. Rarely does a band make the audience bang their heads *and* shake their booties -- these kids do it right. Watch indie rock nerds get knocked over as they're trapped in the Bolt's surprise attack from the back of the room, opposite the stage. See scenesters get ridiculously stupid as Gibson's 3800 watt tower scrapes earwax outta their pretty little heads! If you couldn't really get into their records (since their music certainly has a physical element which could only be imagined whether you've seen them or not), this will definitely knock you on your ass! Bonus features include two hilariously animated music videos, a remix video by Libythth, a gallery of Brian Chippendale's wonderfully screenprinted poster art and a humorous clip of the duo rehearsing and discussing the relevance of their art. Very well done.

LIGHTNING BOLT Wonderful Rainbow (Load) cd 14.98
Delightfully distorted and happily hectic, everyone's favorite Rhode Island bass/drums duo, the incredible Lightning Bolt, strike again with "Wonderful Rainbow", inflicting more of their maddeningly mathy, colorfully chaotic, utterly infectious, riotously weird, stripped-down and amped-up rawk on the world! Sounds a lot like the previous Lightning Bolt opus "Ride The Skies" -- they still love that "Frere Jacques" progression -- and thus should not disappoint their legions of fans. Not much more to say, really -- if you like them already, or Hella, or Ruins, we're pretty sure you'll dig this. Old old Bolt fans should be aware, they have NOT gone back to the totally wrecked recording quality of their earliest efforts, a criticism (of sorts) that some also leveled against "Ride The Skies", but I think the dextrous spazz vs. sheer noise balance here is just right.
RealAudio clip: "2 Towers"
RealAudio clip: "Duel"

LIGHTNING BOLT Wonderful Rainbow (Load) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Delightfully distorted and happily hectic, everyone's favorite Rhode Island bass/drums duo, the incredible Lightning Bolt, strike again with "Wonderful Rainbow", inflicting more of their maddeningly mathy, colorfully chaotic, utterly infectious, riotously weird, stripped-down and amped-up rawk on the world! Sounds a lot like the previous Lightning Bolt opus "Ride The Skies" -- they still love that "Frere Jacques" progression -- and thus should not disappoint their legions of fans. Not much more to say, really -- if you like them already, or Hella, or Ruins, we're pretty sure you'll dig this. Old old Bolt fans should be aware, they have NOT gone back to the totally wrecked recording quality of their earliest efforts, a criticism (of sorts) that some also leveled against "Ride The Skies", but I think the dextrous spazz vs. sheer noise balance here is just right.

LIGHTNING BUG SITUATION, THE s/t (self-released) cd 12.98
For those of you who enjoyed Bay Area band The Speakers' cd tribute to W.B. Yeats (Yeats Is Greats: The Speakers Sing The Poems of W.B. Yeats), here's something new from one half of that duo.
This cd is an audio family album or scrapbook of sorts, drifting through scenes and memories with recordings of family members speaking interwoven with collaged soundscapes. The liner notes focus on the recent birth of the artist's first child, and the impact of this new presence is palpable throughout the album. While we're sure this'll particularly be appealing to his friends and relatives, it makes for an offkilter warm fuzzy listen for absolute strangers too.
MPEG Stream: "Under Your Jacket"
MPEG Stream: "Message To Myself After Franny Was Born"

LIGHTNING DUST Infinite Light (Jagjaguwar) cd 14.98

LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION Falling Off The Lavender Bridge (Domino) cd 14.98
Sorry Lightspeed Champion, but we had to check and doublecheck that your new album wasn't a new one by '90s college radio darlings Versus or Whysall Lane! Your boy/girl vocals are a deadringer for theirs -- so very very Balayut/Toups-esque. However, it's not just in the singing department that we hear the similarities. Hey, we're not complaining. Check out those intelligent, sensitive, heartfelt lyrics, finely crafted tunes!
Though Lightspeed Champion is primarily the work of one Londoner named Dev Hynes (formerly of Test Icicles) and this album was released by Domino Records, he is joined by many luminaries from the Saddle Creek label because the album was recorded in Omaha, Nebraska. Lending a welcome hand are Mike Mogis, Nate Walcott, Emmy The Great (hers is the sweet female vocal counterpart to Hynes') and members of The Faint, Cursive, and Tilly And The Wall. They finish off the album off with a lovely chamber string outro. This here's some really good indie pop, sure to become a college radio staple!
MPEG Stream: "Galaxy Of The Lost"
MPEG Stream: "No Surprise (For Wendela) / Midnight Surprise"

LIKE A KIND OF MATADOR Halfway To Dangerous (tUMULt) cd 11.98
First and final release from this now defunct UK trio who meld crushing slow motion doomdronesludge with haunting prog and drifting abstract ambience.
A swirling, slow moving prog-doom juggernaut. Massive downtuned riffage churns around fluttery flutes, while wheezing accordions whirl beneath angelic female vox and warm whirring organs, all wound into subtly complex expanses of slow motion heaviness and epic cinematic dronemetal...almost like a magnificent, hypothetical Boris/Bardo Pond collaboration.
Three looooooong songs, the shortest just shy of ten minutes, the longest clocking in at twenty, each a slow burning slow build, layers of drones and hushed shimmer, often taking upwards of half the song before the various elements coalesce into actual riffs, the drums kicking in and the band lurching into a massive ultradoom start / stop groove, explosions of blown out buzz giving way to long stretches of hushed whisper, only to be swallowed up again by another roiling onslaught, a heaving wall of downtuned guitars, a pounding barrage of thunderous percussion.
All the while, a simple, repeating motif, hovers above, or lurks just below the caustic grinding heaviness, floating like some sonic specter, the vocals dreamy and drifty, a subtle seventies pagan folk vibe infusing the otherwise crushing doom. The flute unfurling dreamy melancholic melodies over vast expanses of crumbling distortion, laced with glistening harmonics, and warm blurred soft focus shimmer. The drums slipping from abstract minimal crush to monstrous lumbering groove. Hypnotic, repetitive, mesmerizing, trancelike.
At once familiar, and essential listening for fans of SUNNO))), Harvey Milk, Earth, Monarch and all thing slow, low and heavy. But at the same time, strangely alien, with a subtle muted beauty lurking at the heart of LAKOM's gloriously epic crumbling black mass of sound, within each song a breathless subtlety, a deep haunting otherworldliness, transforming dense low end explorations into something much more expansive and divine. Even at its very heaviest, it still manages to sound woozy and dreamlike, haunting and pretty, and utterly breathtaking.
MPEG Stream: "Sweet Mother Of Pearl (Women Are My World)"
MPEG Stream: "Mambo Jambo"

LIKE YOUNG, THE Last Secrets (Polyvinyl) cd 14.98
Ooh punchy pop fans, here's a new one for y'all! Don't let the solitary piano introduction fool ya! From there on it's nuthin' but big big big emotive pop with hefty guitars and snappy drums very much in the tradition of beloved popsters Weezer, The Anniversary and Superchunk. Lots of boy/girl vocal harmonies, which you know a lot of us can't resist! We haveta say tho' that this album's sound is something of a surprise coming from this married couple (or is it brother sister duo? we've heard conflicting reports) 'cause the last time we heard from them they were totally 'White Stripes'. A bit perplexing, but shucks, we like 'em now and that's all that matters. Go ahead bounce around your bedroom to this one... we'll be right there with ya!
MPEG Stream: "For Money Or Love"
MPEG Stream: "Spell It Out"

LIL BUNNIES 50 Children's Favorites (Rockin' Bones) lp 14.98
There was a rumor about this group a couple of years ago that went something like this: a small town parade is terrorized by a gang of punks dressed in bunny outfits, they hijack a float and frighten away confused and innocent little children. Word of this gets around and a show is booked at Berkeley's Gilman Street. Our jackass heroes show up with a bunch of stinkbombs, a riot breaks out as the Lil Bunnies slip out the back and take off in their van. Dunno if all that's true or not, but it's a surefire way to hype a band.

LILAC s/t (Omega) 12" 11.98
We're pretty lucky that some of our favorite records are recorded literally just a few blocks from the store. Such is the case with the vinyl debut (totally different recording and songs from their s/t cd-r we listed last year) from one of San Francisco's most promising new bands, Lilac.
Recorded at Different Fur studios, this slab of wax is filled with five great tracks of hazy psych-pop perfection. We love how it taps into that captivating moment of late '80s turning into early '90s underground rock, just before things got very shoegazey. Like early singles by My Bloody Valentine, the charged melodies of the Jesus And Mary Chain, the smokey seduction of Opal, the driving daydreams of Ride, and a more upbeat and rocking Mazzy Star. They take a Creation records blueprint and infuse their own mark as these songs are the sounds of a band we think (and hope) we'll be hearing from for a long time. Like their local buddies Girls, Lilac's take on pop is filled with such enthusiasm and undeniable spirit. You can tell this is a band who lives to play music, and this recording really does their sound and spirit so much justice. Pressed on white vinyl, and comes with a coupon for a digital download.

LILAC s/t (self-released) cd-r 3.98
Fuzzed-out, jangly garage-pop dreaminess from SF's Lilac, new project from guitarist of local favorites Bridez. Heavy hitting distorted guitars strummed under dual male/female vocals, distant organ haze fluttering about, amp melting leads sailing over bratty lyrics and pure punk rock attitude, all thrown together into a super catchy, blurred-out rock and roll bonanza.
MPEG Stream: "So Young"
MPEG Stream: "Cars"