ATIVIN Night Mute (Secretly Canadian) cd 12.98
First things first, we'll forewarn you that we totally thought (and you might too) that this was an electro-clash album when we saw the cd's cover photo (band name-less and album title-less, it features an anonymous gal in Brooklyn-perfect denim short-shorts and blue suede knee-boots). But no! This is Ativin! Just when we all though the batteries had run dead in the math-rockers' calculators, out pops a new album from this band. Loud... quiet... loud... it doesn't really matter that it's 2004, Ativin are gonna post-rock you like it's 1992 (fyi: the year after the release of Slint's genre-defining Spiderland album). Granted it's something they do exceedingly well, but there's little that really distinguishes them from the pack... perhaps tenacity? It is definitely more aggressive (i.e, 'loud') than their last album, 2002's gently pensive Interiors. This album spurred us to muse that this band (as well as many other post-rock bands) has the chops to rather easily slip themselves into the metal section (Allan drew comparisons to the recent reviewed Switchblade album) -- if they'd relinquish their boyish indie-slouchin'.
MPEG Stream: "Night Terror"
MPEG Stream: "Sleep Well"

ATLAS SOUND Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (Kranky) cd 14.98
From his work with Deerhunter to his excellent solo project Atlas Sound to other various artistic projects, Bradford Cox has some serious creative consistency. It seems like part of that reliability is based on the fact that all of his work seems to be approaching the same types of emotions from slightly different angles. That's not to say the sonic spectrum he occupies is not varied, but there is the feeling that everything operates based on the same type of tension. Well, Atlas Sound's Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel is no different. In Deerhunter, the more upbeat '60s influenced indie pop and the glistening analog landscapes seem more distant from each other. Here, Cox seems to have fused the two into a more singular package, in a good way. All of the songs are in a similar range, but the presentation of various melodies is interesting enough for everything to stand alone. Ah, let's see, maybe those hungry for specific band comparisons can take faith in an impressive list. For instance: Jesus and Mary Chain, Seefeel, Ulrich Schnauss, Caribou, and ... White Rainbow and Valet, which is interesting. Why? Well, because Adam Forkner of White Rainbow and Honey Owens of Valet are two members of the Atlas Sound live band. Alongside the crew are also Brian Foote of Nudge (along with Ms. Owens), and someone we just don't know named Stephanie Macksey. But in company like that, we're sure she's done great stuff too! If you, like us, occasionally need to embark upon an interstellar journey into emotions both inspirational and bleak, look no further, here's your guide. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Ativan"
MPEG Stream: "Winter Vacation"

ATLAS SOUND Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (Kranky) 2lp 16.98
Now available on vinyl!
From his work with Deerhunter to his excellent solo project Atlas Sound to other various artistic projects, Bradford Cox has some serious creative consistency. It seems like part of that reliability is based on the fact that all of his work seems to be approaching the same types of emotions from slightly different angles. That's not to say the sonic spectrum he occupies is not varied, but there is the feeling that everything operates based on the same type of tension. Well, Atlas Sound's Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel is no different. In Deerhunter, the more upbeat '60s influenced indie pop and the glistening analog landscapes seem more distant from each other. Here, Cox seems to have fused the two into a more singular package, in a good way. All of the songs are in a similar range, but the presentation of various melodies is interesting enough for everything to stand alone. Ah, let's see, maybe those hungry for specific band comparisons can take faith in an impressive list. For instance: Jesus and Mary Chain, Seefeel, Ulrich Schnauss, Caribou, and ... White Rainbow and Valet, which is interesting. Why? Well, because Adam Forkner of White Rainbow and Honey Owens of Valet are two members of the Atlas Sound live band. Alongside the crew are also Brian Foote of Nudge (along with Ms. Owens), and someone we just don't know named Stephanie Macksey. But in company like that, we're sure she's done great stuff too! If you, like us, occasionally need to embark upon an interstellar journey into emotions both inspirational and bleak, look no further, here's your guide. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Ativan"
MPEG Stream: "Winter Vacation"

ATLAS SOUND Logos (Kranky) cd 14.98
With this new Atlas Sound release, it's getting harder to distinguish the dividing line between this project and Bradford Cox's main band, Deerhunter. With Atlas Sound's debut, it was obvious that the project was designed to be a more experimental testing ground for more introspective ideas that wouldn't fly so easily in Deerhunter. But after Deerhunter's epic double release last year and follow-up ep this year, expecting a big sway in a different direction from Atlas Sound is perhaps too much to expect. Not that there aren't good songs here, but we wish he pushed the experimental side further instead of keeping the songs in their signature hazy structures. The farthest out and best songs here are where he collaborates with Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear) and Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab, though they sound more like great Panda Bear and Stereolab tracks than Atlas Sound songs. Overall, not a bad release, just not what we were hoping for.
MPEG Stream: "Walkabout (with Noah Lennox)"
MPEG Stream: "Sheila"
MPEG Stream: "Quick Canal (with Laetetia Sadier)"

ATLAS SOUND Logos (Kranky) lp 13.98
With this new Atlas Sound release, it's getting harder to distinguish the dividing line between this project and Bradford Cox's main band, Deerhunter. With Atlas Sound's debut, it was obvious that the project was designed to be a more experimental testing ground for more introspective ideas that wouldn't fly so easily in Deerhunter. But after Deerhunter's epic double release last year and follow-up ep this year, expecting a big sway in a different direction from Atlas Sound is perhaps too much to expect. Not that there aren't good songs here, but we wish he pushed the experimental side further instead of keeping the songs in their signature hazy structures. The farthest out and best songs here are where he collaborates with Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear) and Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab, though they sound more like great Panda Bear and Stereolab tracks than Atlas Sound songs. Overall, not a bad release, just not what we were hoping for.
MPEG Stream: "Walkabout (with Noah Lennox)"
MPEG Stream: "Sheila"
MPEG Stream: "Quick Canal (with Laetetia Sadier)"

ATLAS SOUND Parallax (4AD) cd 14.98
With Bradford Cox seemingly concentrating on both equally these days, it's difficult to tell which is actually the 'side project', Deerhunter or Atlas Sound. Parallax is Cox's third solo outing as Atlas Sound and finds him continuing his quest for dream-pop glory. The two best tracks on his last album, Logos, were the songs where Panda Bear and Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab) essentially stole the show. This time out besides a guest spot by MGMT's Andrew Vanwyngarden, the focus is for sure on Cox's voice and spacey song constructions. It's an album that doesn't explode out of the speakers, but the songs slowly unfold on repeated listens. A grower, not a shower for sure.
NOTE for mailorder customers, if you're considering ordering this on vinyl: Unfortunately this week's shipment from Matador/4AD/XL arrived today with one corner of every single piece of vinyl in the box slightly bent, argh. So, don't order this now if you're super anal about such things. We'll get replacements next week. Folks buying this in person in the shop, of course, can see for themselves if they mind the bent corner or not. Sorry!
MPEG Stream: "Amplifiers"
MPEG Stream: "The Shakes"
MPEG Stream: "Modern Aquatic Nightsongs"

ATLAS SOUND Parallax (4AD) lp 16.98
With Bradford Cox seemingly concentrating on both equally these days, it's difficult to tell which is actually the 'side project', Deerhunter or Atlas Sound. Parallax is Cox's third solo outing as Atlas Sound and finds him continuing his quest for dream-pop glory. The two best tracks on his last album, Logos, were the songs where Panda Bear and Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab) essentially stole the show. This time out besides a guest spot by MGMT's Andrew Vanwyngarden, the focus is for sure on Cox's voice and spacey song constructions. It's an album that doesn't explode out of the speakers, but the songs slowly unfold on repeated listens. A grower, not a shower for sure.
NOTE for mailorder customers, if you're considering ordering this on vinyl: Unfortunately this week's shipment from Matador/4AD/XL arrived today with one corner of every single piece of vinyl in the box slightly bent, argh. So, don't order this now if you're super anal about such things. We'll get replacements next week. Folks buying this in person in the shop, of course, can see for themselves if they mind the bent corner or not. Sorry!
MPEG Stream: "Amplifiers"
MPEG Stream: "The Shakes"
MPEG Stream: "Modern Aquatic Nightsongs"

ATLAS SOUND Parallax / Oh Ricky (4AD) 7" 5.98
Two new gems from Atlas Sound (aka, Bradford Cox from Deerhunter). The A side, "Parallax" sounds like a song written in on the bridge of a ship lost at sea. Bittersweet melodies so tender they feel like they could unravel at any moment. The B side "Oh Ricky" is more hypnotic and dizzying, showing the versatility in sonic scope that Cox has developed over the years. We can't tell for sure but it almost sounds like thumb piano providing the core of the track, with disjointed layers of Cox's vocals. Both songs are awesome, and "Oh Ricky" is exclusive to this 7" and won't be on the immediately impending new album.

ATMAN Personal Forest (Drunken Fish) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This Polish psyche/folk band is kind of like Penguin Cafe Orchestra meets spacerock, and the music is created with woodwinds, jew's harp, Polish dulcimer, sitar, zither, and Tibetan liturgical instruments. Highly recommended, esp. for Terrascopishly-inclined folks.

ATMAN FEATURING ANNA NACHER Tradition (Drunken Fish) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

ATMOSPHERE Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EP's (Rhymesayers) cd 16.98
If Company Flow are the scary guys in hip hop that stand on the street corner, take drugs, mutter to themselves, sleep in cardboard boxes, think they're from space, and generally freak everyone out, then Atmosphere are CF's goofy little brothers that everyone's worried will turn out just like CF, if they're not careful.
Musically, Atmosphere are much much smoother, like Del or maybe Gang Starr. Nice and smooth and really good, but missing all the grit and nastiness and mania that makes CF so fucking awesome.
But if Company Flow is too weird for you a lot of the time (or if you just like it smooth), give this a try.

ATMOSPHERE Seven's Travels (Epitaph) cd 16.98

ATOM & HIS PACKAGE Redefining Music (Hopeless) cd 13.98
Newest record by everyone's favorite one man (and one machine!) band that sings exclusively about punk rock, and his friends, and the metric system and a bunch of other dorky crap! Yep. It's Atom and his Package. Not much has changed, except for some more metallic 'guitar work'. But if you loved the nerdy, ultra catchy, synth/punk rock of the last few AahP release, then you'll love this one. Plus he does 3 Mountain Goats covers!
Byram thinks it sounds like retarded They Might Be Giants. I think it sounds like Ween, if they were 15 years old, and listened to Slayer and straightedge. Either way, pretty funny, and pretty great. And some nifty Vermiform cover art.
RealAudio clip: "Going To Georgia"

ATOM & HIS PACKAGE Redefining Music (Hopeless) lp 9.98
Newest record by everyone's favorite one man (and one machine!) band that sings exclusively about punk rock, and his friends, and the metric system and a bunch of other dorky crap! Yep. It's Atom and his Package. Not much has changed, except for some more metallic 'guitar work'. But if you loved the nerdy, ultra catchy, synth/punk rock of the last few AahP release, then you'll love this one. Plus he does 3 Mountain Goats covers!
Byram thinks it sounds like retarded They Might Be Giants. I think it sounds like Ween, if they were 15 years old, and listened to Slayer and straightedge. Either way, pretty funny, and pretty great. And some nifty Vermiform cover art.

ATOMBOMBPOCKETKNIFE God Save The ABPK (Southern) cd 13.98
Proving that indie rock is still alive and kicking is this Chicago quartet. While other likeminded bands have faded from the college radio dial or reconfigured or changed musical directions, Atombombpocketknife (or ABPK for short) keep that catchy, mathy rock flag a-flying on this their third full length. They've been around since '98, but those years were also spent split between assorted day jobs (tour sound engineer for other bands, social worker, website boss) and side projects. With such full schedules it's a wonder they have time to hook up for music, and perhaps that's what's kept them from progressing. Don't be mistaken, they certainly do possess the solid chops to execute their rock mission, it's just not a very challenging one for themselves or their listeners. So although many of their songs are very much in a similar melodic, emotive, and slightly angular vein, they're probably not destined to don the indie rock crown recently vacated by the great Unwound. Which is unfortunate 'cause we catch glimpses of the skills and capabilities of rock victory, but overall they fall short and register ABPK as an also-ran.

ATOMIC 7 ... en Hillbilly Caliente (Mint) cd 14.98
Back in 2002 a fine instrumental cd appeared right around the time of year nearing the holiday season. 'Twas by the band Atomic 7, 'twas called Gowns By Edith Head, and 'twas a splendid, festive (yet not holiday specific) album packed with sparkling electric guitar magic courtesy of the sweet, bespectacled gent known as Brian Connelly (formerly of Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet and occasional guitarist for Neko Case -- you can hear him on her latest live album, The Tigers Have Spoken). Well, this Toronto based trio have returned with another lively goodie! En Hillbilly Caliente's almost as big as the 19-song-long 'Gowns, clocking in at seventeen wittily titled songs. Connelly truly works wonders with his ol' six string crafting frantic gallopin' rockabilly and surf numbers, swayin' tiki lounge swooners and creepin' villain-in-the-shadows mood pieces. All with equal ease and enthusiasm. Such a fun listen! Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Bury My Foot At Wounded Mouth"
MPEG Stream: "Devil's Mittens"

ATOMIC 7 Gowns By Edith Head (Mint) cd 14.98
Aaah, how I've yearned for the magic of the Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet. Y'know the fab Torontonian trio behind the insanely catchy theme song to Kids In The Hall? Not to mention their three amazing albums in the early '90s that melded the raw sounds of surf and punk music with a truly absurd wit.
But wait, what's this I hear? Holy dewy drops of spring! This sounds remarkably like those Shadowy folks. Well, particularly that unmistakable, slinky yet blistering guitar of Mr. Brian Connelly. He's back with a new trio. A masterful guitarist with a wicked sense of humor, his sly quirks come through in each of these nineteen (!) songs. By the way, you might've also experienced his fine guitar stylings live and on record with AQ fave Ms Neko Case. Jumping genres with tireless finesse and flourish at the mere flick of guitar pick - campy tiki cocktail lounge, fiery rockabilly rave-ups, slowly smouldering western twang - Atomic 7 is where the good times are.
This will undoubtably make for a great holiday party album without all those darn season-specific lyrics. Super festive. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Her Sassy Kiss"
RealAudio clip: "Artistry In Nachos"

ATOMIC FOREST Obsession (Now-Again) cd 21.00
Talk about obsession! That's what produced this, a super deluxe collection of the fuzzed-out greatness that is Atomic Forest, the premier hard rock/psych act from India in the '70s (and the only one to make an album - in fact, they made two).
Some of you may already be aware of Atomic Forest from their track on an international fuzz-psych comp called Obsession that came and went a while back (yep, that comp took both its title and its cover artwork from the Atomic Forest's debut lp, Obsession '77). More likely, you've heard the brilliant Deep Purple cover "Mary Long" that they contributed to the Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga! compilation of vintage sub-continental grooviness, seeing as we made that particular item a Record Of The Week and sold a ton of 'em.
Really, their name alone is almost reason enough to be obsessed with Atomic Forest. Also that their music is just so much fuzz-filled fun. So we're stoked that the Now-Again label, blessings be upon them, decided that it'd be cool to do a full-on Atomic Forest archival reissue, collecting ALL their extant recordings, from both their Obsession '77 album (recorded circa 1977, natch, but released in 1981) and their other one, Hit Movie Themes, recorded at the same time and also released in '81, under the name of bandleader/bassist Keith Kanga. Plus six previously unreleased bonus tracks (including an intense 7 minute live version of Hendrix's "Foxy Lady"), amounting to 17 tracks in total.
Of those 17, there's lots of covers - a weird wide variety of 'em in fact, ranging from tracks by the disparate likes of The Beatles, Osibisa, the aforementioned Deep Purple, to such "hit movie themes" indeed as the "Theme From The Godfather" and "Windmills Of Your Mind"! And that's no surprise, 'cause like so many bands of the era, Atomic Forest earned their bread - and their rep - on the live circuit, where you had to play the hits... As well as playing gigs at hotel discotheques, the Atomic Rooster guys also honed their chops in an Indian production of Jesus Christ Superstar, by the way. So they were versatile, to say the least. And thus the material here ranges from the heavy (Jethro Tull's "Locomotive Breath", Atomic Forest's own "Obsession '77" in either fast or slow versions) to somewhat softer stuff - like, well, "Windmills Of Your Mind"! But ALL of it is super groovy, and dosed with killer fuzz guitar and distorted tabla beats, and sometimes wild theremin-like electronics. That it's all by the same band at first seems a bit unlikely but then it all begins to come together, Atomic Forest (a bit like Indonesia's badass AKA) as fluent at playing moody jazz-funk as they are kicking out heavy rock jams, and no slouches at catchy pop psych either. And while this collection consists of mostly covers, their originals fit right in alongside these better known tunes, including two takes of a track called "Butterfly" that's a bit of a riff on the riff from "Freddie's Dead" by Curtis Mayfield, but infused with freaky synth.
This package represents the fruits of Now-Again head honcho Egon's obsessed quest to find out more about - and hear more of - Atomic Forest. And the packaging is deluxe, all right. Much like Now-Again's equally elaborate collection of Indonesian psych rarities, Those Shocking Shaking Days, where we first heard AKA, this comes slipcased, containing a thick, miniature-lp style sleeve holding the cd, tucked in there alongside a super thick, square bound 44 page booklet, its bright orange pages full of vintage newspaper clippings, rare photographs, and other ephemera - along with lengthy, extensively researched liner notes, discussing the history of the band and its members, the result of much diligent work tracking down the musicians and their relatives to share their stories. So this is really like getting a cd AND a book. The double vinyl version, likewise, is fancy, packaged with a similarly huge booklet in a sturdy sleeve. Nice!
MPEG Stream: "Obsession '77 (Slow)"
MPEG Stream: "Locomotive Breath"
MPEG Stream: "Theme From The Godfather"

ATOMIC FOREST Obsession (Now-Again) 2lp 27.00
Talk about obsession! That's what produced this, a super deluxe collection of the fuzzed-out greatness that is Atomic Forest, the premier hard rock/psych act from India in the '70s (and the only one to make an album - in fact, they made two).
Some of you may already be aware of Atomic Forest from their track on an international fuzz-psych comp called Obsession that came and went a while back (yep, that comp took both its title and its cover artwork from the Atomic Forest's debut lp, Obsession '77). More likely, you've heard the brilliant Deep Purple cover "Mary Long" that they contributed to the Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga! compilation of vintage sub-continental grooviness, seeing as we made that particular item a Record Of The Week and sold a ton of 'em.
Really, their name alone is almost reason enough to be obsessed with Atomic Forest. Also that their music is just so much fuzz-filled fun. So we're stoked that the Now-Again label, blessings be upon them, decided that it'd be cool to do a full-on Atomic Forest archival reissue, collecting ALL their extant recordings, from both their Obsession '77 album (recorded circa 1977, natch, but released in 1981) and their other one, Hit Movie Themes, recorded at the same time and also released in '81, under the name of bandleader/bassist Keith Kanga. Plus six previously unreleased bonus tracks (including an intense 7 minute live version of Hendrix's "Foxy Lady"), amounting to 17 tracks in total.
Of those 17, there's lots of covers - a weird wide variety of 'em in fact, ranging from tracks by the disparate likes of The Beatles, Osibisa, the aforementioned Deep Purple, to such "hit movie themes" indeed as the "Theme From The Godfather" and "Windmills Of Your Mind"! And that's no surprise, 'cause like so many bands of the era, Atomic Forest earned their bread - and their rep - on the live circuit, where you had to play the hits... As well as playing gigs at hotel discotheques, the Atomic Rooster guys also honed their chops in an Indian production of Jesus Christ Superstar, by the way. So they were versatile, to say the least. And thus the material here ranges from the heavy (Jethro Tull's "Locomotive Breath", Atomic Forest's own "Obsession '77" in either fast or slow versions) to somewhat softer stuff - like, well, "Windmills Of Your Mind"! But ALL of it is super groovy, and dosed with killer fuzz guitar and distorted tabla beats, and sometimes wild theremin-like electronics. That it's all by the same band at first seems a bit unlikely but then it all begins to come together, Atomic Forest (a bit like Indonesia's badass AKA) as fluent at playing moody jazz-funk as they are kicking out heavy rock jams, and no slouches at catchy pop psych either. And while this collection consists of mostly covers, their originals fit right in alongside these better known tunes, including two takes of a track called "Butterfly" that's a bit of a riff on the riff from "Freddie's Dead" by Curtis Mayfield, but infused with freaky synth.
This package represents the fruits of Now-Again head honcho Egon's obsessed quest to find out more about - and hear more of - Atomic Forest. And the packaging is deluxe, all right. Much like Now-Again's equally elaborate collection of Indonesian psych rarities, Those Shocking Shaking Days, where we first heard AKA, this comes slipcased, containing a thick, miniature-lp style sleeve holding the cd, tucked in there alongside a super thick, square bound 44 page booklet, its bright orange pages full of vintage newspaper clippings, rare photographs, and other ephemera - along with lengthy, extensively researched liner notes, discussing the history of the band and its members, the result of much diligent work tracking down the musicians and their relatives to share their stories. So this is really like getting a cd AND a book. The double vinyl version, likewise, is fancy, packaged with a similarly huge booklet in a sturdy sleeve. Nice!
MPEG Stream: "Obsession '77 (Slow)"
MPEG Stream: "Locomotive Breath"
MPEG Stream: "Theme From The Godfather"

ATOMIC ROOSTER Death Walks Behind You (Expanded Deluxe Edition) (Castle) cd 10.98
OK, we recently dealt with the Frijid Pink, now here's another important example of early proto-heaviness for us to *finally* list on our site. And they too have a funny name - Atomic Rooster! This album, from 1971 (natch), is probably their best and most significant (though their next lp, In Hearing Of is also up there too). Death Walks Behind You was the band's second album, but their first with new drummer Paul Hammond and new guitarist John DuCann (aka John Cann), who had previously played in psych outfits Andromeda, The Attack, and others. He's best known though for his stint in Atomic Rooster - though we really wish there were decent reissues available of his and Hammond's post-AR band Hard Stuff for us to list, they're one of proto-metal's best kept secrets! But while DuCann brings a lot to this album with his guitar playing and singing, the real star of the show remains organist and main songwriter Vincent Crane, who had founded the band originally in 1969 with his former Crazy World Of Arthur Brown bandmate Carl Palmer (who split from Atomic Rooster after their debut to join up with Emerson and Lake, y'know). Vincent Crane's Hammer horror Hammond organ and piano playing has a lot to do with this record's doomy quality. Though they never took it to the extreme that Black Sabbath did, Atomic Rooster - and this album in particular, from its title and creepy William Blake cover painting to the gloomy, yet groovy music itself - certainly made good use of the spooky/dark/evil/occult vibe that later became a staple of the heavy metal genre. Eight bleak and bombastic tracks here, laced with lots of that good ol' "hairy funk" as DJ Andy Votel would put it. As far as heavy duty organ-based prog/psych goes, you've got to give it up to Atomic Rooster!!
FYI, this expanded deluxe version is jewel-cased, in a slipcase, and includes six bonus tracks: b-sides, demos, and BBC radio sessions. So 14 tracks total. Yeah!
MPEG Stream: "Death Walks Behind You"
MPEG Stream: "Tomorrow Night"

ATTACK, THE The Complete Recordings From 1967-68 (Acme Gramophone / Lion Productions) cd 15.98
The title of this disc should clue you in about what you're getting here from this relatively obscure '60s British band, known today mainly for its revolving door membership that gave 'em connections to the Marmalade, The Nice and Atomic Rooster. There's fifteen songs here, recorded for the Decca label 'round the years indicated, mostly mostly tracks from unissued singles and a few that did actually make it out (weirdly, a lot of the best tunes on here are the previously unreleased ones!). At their best, the Attack indeed attack with some excellent freakbeat -- psych with a hard edge, distorted and nicely fuzzed-out, with Kinks style proto-metal licks. At their worst, some of this is a bit on the generic side, trying for a hit. But there's something here for every lover of the '60s psych explosion, touching on twee, faux-Eastern, and the aformentioned heavier stuff. And some of the lyrics (like "Strange House") are so naively trippy they're quite amusing.
As mentioned, The Attack featured in their ranks both former and future members of Marmelade and The Nice, but I'd heard of this band only 'cause they eventually turned into Five Day Week Straw People and thence Andromeda who then gave up guitarist John DuCann to Atomic Rooster...from which he eventually split to form Hard Stuff. Now, none of those bands have we ever listed or reviewed reissues of...but I guess we should. Atomic Rooster's Death Walks Behind You is a definite classic. And I love the two Hard Stuff albums, which we sometimes have on cd, but they're never reliably in stock. So, this we're listing for two sorts of folks: the ones who are into '60s psych and are familiar with of all the bands mentioned above and were waiting for The Attack tracks to someday appear on cd (here you go!). The other sort of person we're listing this for is someone who's happy to check out some obscure '60 UK hard psych reissue they're never heard of before just 'cause we say it's pretty cool (here you go, too!). The Attack IS pretty cool, at least about 50 percent of it anyway.
MPEG Stream: "Feel Like Flying"
MPEG Stream: "Mr. Pinnodmy's Dilemma"

AU s/t (Aagoo Records) cd 11.98
Here's the eponymous debut from Portland's Au, whose multi-pronouncable name and jubilant freak-folk expressionism is authored by one Luke Wyland with a rotating crew of sodden musicians in tow. Like any self-respecting avant-freak-folk minstrel, Wyland incorporates everything and the kitchen sink into his recordings (guitars, mandolins, accordions, bongos, xylophones, and whatever was lying around for percussion), but his tunes enjoy a unique sensibility marked by his classical piano training with some hefty leanings towards Terry Riley. These bucolic songs balance between an Appalachian earnestness and Animal Collective's wide-eyed ramshackledness, all in part thanks to Wyland's pointilist clouds of charmed minimalism. With a voice that croons, cackles, and wails as the reincarnation of Brian Eno's 70s pop guise channeled into a post-Devenda Banhart persona, Wyland situates himself as the ringleader to Au's ecstatic escapades which wildly shift from rustic, pastoral atmospheres of cyclical piano flutter and saloon-swooning ditties into a frolicking bluster of cacophonic percussion, guitars, and Wyland's polydactyl piano. Rumor has it that Au's shambolic twang has caught the ear of One Little Indian, who had expressed considerable interest in signing the group. While things are probably look up for Au's future, things already look pretty damn good judging from this release.
MPEG Stream: "Boute"
MPEG Stream: "Sum"
MPEG Stream: "Death"

AU PAIRS Sense & Sensuality (Castle) cd 14.98
The world's been totally overwhelmed lately by modern practicioners of "classic new wave", with loads of groups aping Gang Of Four, A Certain Ratio, and all that, as well as less creative bands who don't even manage to extend their influences that far, instead trying to be the next Interpol or Rapture. While we've most certainly been digging Interpol, and the Rapture, and the Moving Units, if there's one thing we've learned, it's that no matter how good these bands are, the originals were so much better. In terms of songs and sound and originality and everything. One group that was a big part of the original sound but hasn't gotten nearly the attention they deserve is Au Pairs. Kurt Kobain was a huge fan, as are Greil Marcus and John Peel. And now so are we! This reissue is a couple years old, but the recent vinyl reissue reminded us that we let this slip through the cracks, and we figured some of you might be as psyched as we were to discover this amazing slab of dark and danceable new wave. Better late than never. This is the second album from Au Pairs and definitely their best, sonically referencing Gang Of Four, Mekons, Television, and even the Talking Heads. Au Pairs was one of the first groups who practiced what they preached, especially in terms of sexual equality, with a half male and half female lineup, and no obvious "front person". Featuring baffling (for the time at least) cover art adapted from a Russian minimalist and lyrics about domestic violence, menstruation, terrorism, drug addiction and all sorts of 'heavy' subjects, Au Pairs were quite the anomaly, which perhaps explains their marginal status. The music is fantastic though, lots of reverb and ambient jangle, some almost disco moments (Allan thought it sounded like Frankie Goes To Hollywood at times), angular guitars, jazzy horns, throbbing, bouncing basslines, tribal percussion and funky rhythms, with both male and female vocals. The male vocals bear an uncanny resemblance to The Alarm's Mike Peters and are the perfect foil for Lesley Woods' throaty wail. Not sure what it is about this record, but we've been listening to it nonstop. Fans of all the above mentioned bands should definitely pick this up!
MPEG Stream: "Stepping Out Of Line"
MPEG Stream: "Sex Without Stress"

AU PAIRS Sense & Sensuality ( Earmark) lp 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The world's been totally overwhelmed lately by modern practicioners of "classic new wave", with loads of groups aping Gang Of Four, A Certain Ratio, and all that, as well as less creative bands who don't even manage to extend their influences that far, instead trying to be the next Interpol or Rapture. While we've most certainly been digging Interpol, and the Rapture, and the Moving Units, if there's one thing we've learned, it's that no matter how good these bands are, the originals were so much better. In terms of songs and sound and originality and everything. One group that was a big part of the original sound but hasn't gotten nearly the attention they deserve is Au Pairs. Kurt Kobain was a huge fan, as are Greil Marcus and John Peel. And now so are we! This reissue is a couple years old, but the recent vinyl reissue reminded us that we let this slip through the cracks, and we figured some of you might be as psyched as we were to discover this amazing slab of dark and danceable new wave. Better late than never. This is the second album from Au Pairs and definitely their best, sonically referencing Gang Of Four, Mekons, Television, and even the Talking Heads. Au Pairs was one of the first groups who practiced what they preached, especially in terms of sexual equality, with a half male and half female lineup, and no obvious "front person". Featuring baffling (for the time at least) cover art adapted from a Russian minimalist and lyrics about domestic violence, menstruation, terrorism, drug addiction and all sorts of 'heavy' subjects, Au Pairs were quite the anomaly, which perhaps explains their marginal status. The music is fantastic though, lots of reverb and ambient jangle, some almost disco moments (Allan thought it sounded like Frankie Goes To Hollywood at times), angular guitars, jazzy horns, throbbing, bouncing basslines, tribal percussion and funky rhythms, with both male and female vocals. The male vocals bear an uncanny resemblance to The Alarm's Mike Peters and are the perfect foil for Lesley Woods' throaty wail. Not sure what it is about this record, but we've been listening to it nonstop. Fans of all the above mentioned bands should definitely pick this up!
MPEG Stream: "Stepping Out Of Line"
MPEG Stream: "Sex Without Stress"

AUDIO KOLLAPS Panzer (Epistrophy) cd 16.98
The German label that brought us the first two albums from ambient doom-jazzers Bohren & Der Club Of Gore is much better known for crusty punk/metal/hc stuff. One of their top acts is Audio Kollaps, who tear it up on their latest, the aptly-titled juggernaut of blurring brutality that is Panzer. It's full of fast, fierce grinding metal with chugging breakdowns and gruff, German-language vocals growling lyrics that we're pretty sure must be politically progressive, anti-war diatribes. Though, just from listening to this aggro music, you wouldn't necessarily take 'em for peaceniks!
MPEG Stream: "Schuld"
MPEG Stream: "Was Ist Die Warheit?"

AUDIO LEARNING CENTER Cope Park (Vagrant) cd 14.98
So I know most of you don't remember the band Pond, which is a damn shame. We've been trying to track down copies of their sadly now out of print final album Rock Collection forever so we could list it, to no avail. It's one of the greatest weirdest pop records ever, though. And like lots of great weird records, it got them dropped from their label and most likely led to the end of the band. I always wondered how a band could make a completely brilliant record, see it overlooked and ignored and not just give up. But lucky for us these guys just won't give up. We have an amazing array of absolutely brilliant post-Pond projects: Charlie Campbell's Goldcard which we raved about a few lists back, and now the second album from Pond frontman Chris Brady's Audio Learning Center. Where Goldcard was an eccentric hodgepodge of ultrapersonal diary-like ditties, home recorded and all over the place, Audio Learning Center is definitely a band, a ROCK band. But it's unlike a lot of the rock you'll hear these days. Very similar to the final Pond record, guitars warble hypnotic little melodies before roaring riffs overtake them, retreating just as quickly leaving just delicate little melodies for Brady to sing over. And as with most bands, it's the songs, AND the voice. The songs are weird convoluted minor key prog-pop excursions, meandering dizzily from part to part but always returning to a hook that pierces your heart and sticks in your head. And Brady has such a unique voice, throaty and gravelly, but at the same time whine-y, almost cracking and straining to reach those high high notes, lending everything an intensely earnest, almost desparate cast. Think Built To Spill, the Weakerthans, Afghan Whigs, but way more rocking and hypnotic, and way more dark and angst ridden. Sure it's on Vagrant, THE emo label, and ALC does fit to a degree, but Brady's emotions and neuroses are so much deeper and more desperate than most of emo's typical girl/boy/my parents don't understand sentiments. But sonically, there's just some one-in-a-million, alchemical intangible perfection, THAT voice and THESE songs, that give this record such resonance. Hard to know how to process this stuff. Makes you want to jump around and bang your head and air guitar, but at the same time makes you want to hole up in your room, and think about everything and everyone you've lost, and try to figure out what the hell anything means. Which is exactly what makes this record, and this band so fucking great.
MPEG Stream: "The Neverwills"
MPEG Stream: "Cope Park"
MPEG Stream: "Happy Endings"

AUDIO LEARNING CENTER Friendships Often Fade Away (Vagrant) cd 14.98
What the hell is it gonna take for Chris Brady to be huge?!?! How many great records and perfect pop songs qualifies someone for super stardom?? First he fronted the criminally underrated Pond, who with their major label swansong 'Rock Collection' breathed new life into power pop or rock or whatever you want to call it, with equal parts Posies, Cracker and Built To Spill while retaining plenty of their grungy Sub Pop sound of old. Now he's back with a new band, Audio Learning Center, and a sound that is thankfully not all that far removed from the last Pond record. Maybe a little slower and more sensitive (it is on Vagrant after all, home of the Get Up Kids, Saves The Day, etc.) but still catchy, melodic, and rocking, with clever, poignant lyrics, strange arrangements and his gorgeous keening whiny boy voice, always straining to reach those notes that will make all the difference in the world. And they do. Andee's new favorite pop record.
RealAudio clip: "Favorite"
RealAudio clip: "Shell"
RealAudio clip: "Hand Me Downs"

AUDIO LEARNING CENTER Friendships Often Fade Away (Vagrant) lp 10.98
What the hell is it gonna take for Chris Brady to be huge?!?! How many great records and perfect pop songs qualifies someone for super stardom?? First he fronted the criminally underrated Pond, who with their major label swansong 'Rock Collection' breathed new life into power pop or rock or whatever you want to call it, with equal parts Posies, Cracker and Built To Spill while retaining plenty of their grungy Sub Pop sound of old. Now he's back with a new band, Audio Learning Center, and a sound that is thankfully not all that far removed from the last Pond record. Maybe a little slower and more sensitive (it is on Vagrant after all, home of the Get Up Kids, Saves The Day, etc.) but still catchy, melodic, and rocking, with clever, poignant lyrics, strange arrangements and his gorgeous keening whiny boy voice, always straining to reach those notes that will make all the difference in the world. And they do. Andee's new favorite pop record.

AUDIO OUT SEND, !GO MEXICO! AND GIBSON CUYLER (V/A) Ace of Spades Series Volume 7 - March, 2005 (E14) cd-r 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Ace Of Spades is a cd-r series of live recordings showcasing the intimate acoustic music of a variety of local indie artists. The series so far boasts consistently strong performances from all participants (well played and well recorded at Mama Buzz Cafe in Oakland).
The Volume 7 - March, 2005 edition features a half dozen tunes from Audio Out Send, five from !Go Mexico! and three from Gibson Cuyler.
MPEG Stream: AUDIO OUT SEND "Rolling Heads"
MPEG Stream: !GO MEXICO! "Better To Be Used Than Alone"
MPEG Stream: GIBSON CUYLER "Wild Style"

AUDIOSLAVE Out Of Exile (Interscope) cd 15.98

AUDIOSLAVE Revelations (Epic) cd 16.98

AUDIOSLAVE s/t (Epic / Interscope) cd 15.98
Who ever said grunge was dead was wrong wrong wrong! Chris Cornell joined all of Rage Against The Machine (minus the singer) in May 2001. After some tumultous band strife they bust out with this, their first release, which brings you so back to the early 90's it's hard to believe (or understand). This has all the sludginess of Mudhoney, the murkyness of Green River and of course sounds a lot like Soundgarden. Dynamic and slick recording, with a familiar, if out of date sound. If you're sad cuz you're bored of your old grunge here's some brand new songs that sound as if they came right out of a time capsule.
RealAudio clip: "Cochise"
RealAudio clip: "Like a Stone"

AUER, JON 6 1/2 (Pattern) cd ep 9.98
The last few Posies records (and Posies related records) haven't been entirely satisfying for those of us who have been yearning for that lush, powerful, harmony-vocal-soaked pop. Both Ken and Jon have been dabbling in random solo projects, and the Posies released a sub par live record, and an acoustic record of oldies but goodies (that -was- actually quite good). So this EP comes as quite a surprise. All covers, and all transformed into lush Posies-pop. Things start off with a lovely and understated (and instrumental) version of 'Bonnie and Clyde', the Serge Gainsbourg classic. Then a Chameleons UK and a Swervedriver tune, both slowed down and blissed out. Then it gets really weird. A totally heartfelt, and completely beautiful cover of Ween's 'Baby Bitch', that almost manages to out-schmaltz the original. Next comes a Grant Hart tune that sounds custom made for the Posies treatment. The EP finishes off with an almost straight version of the Psychedelic Furs' 'Love My Way' and a softly strummed, purposely delicate version of Madonna's 'Beautiful Stranger'. This'll have to hold you over until the long-awaited-perhaps-never-to-come new Posies record.
RealAudio clip: "Baby Bitch"
RealAudio clip: "Green Eyes"
RealAudio clip: "Beautiful Stanger"

AUER, JON Songs From The Year Of Our Demise (Pattern 25) cd 14.98
Together or apart those Posies' gents Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer never fail to do a number on your pop-loving heartstrings. Wonder if it irks them that seldom is one mentioned without reference to the other or to their band for that matter (if so, we apologize for adding one more to the stack), but geez, it's pretty difficult not to do! They're all so deeply interwoven. While other bands' members usually strike out on his or her own to follow a muse that doesn't mesh with their main band, these guys' solo endeavors all inevitably end up sounding like The Posies whether or not they intended it to be so. Auer's vocals have always been the aural equivalent of a big ol' ice cream sundae. Ever so slightly smoother and fuller than Stringfellow's, but no less sweet and irresistible. That was fine and dandy when they (and we) were young pups, but how do they fare today as veteran songsmiths? Well, if Songs From The Year Of Our Demise is any indication, very very good, thank you! Auer has taken his sweet time issuing forth a solo album meticulously refining each and very facet himself (Stringfellow's been much more prolific on that side of things), but it's so worth the wait! This man is downright wizardly at composing counter melodies and vocal harmonies and they're everywhere on this labor of love. And yes, it does sound incredibly like a Posies album albeit a bit darker and more introspective, but are we complaining? Hell no! Those guys have brought us so much pop joy over the years in all of their incarnations, and we're pleased as punch that their fountain is showing no signs of stopping.
MPEG Stream: "Six Feet Under"
MPEG Stream: "Bottom Of The Bottle"

AUER, JON The Perfect Size (Houston Party) cd 8.98
Yes indeed folks, this here is a little 5-song ep from the gent who along with Ken Stringfellow make up the fabulous Posies. As the credits tell, Mr. Auer makes all the noise on this release (with the exception of some drum assistance from Darius Minwalla on two tracks). And what can I say other than this release exhibits yet more shining examples of his fine pop songwriting skills. The only problem you may find is that if you're at all familiar with the Posies, you can't help but feel that something is missing here because it's the fabulous vocal interplay between Jon and Ken Posie that elevates their exceptional individual talents to pop greatness. Nevertheless, these are some top notch tunes including a cover of "Gold Star For Robot Boy" by another pop genius, Guided By Voices' Robert Pollard.

AUFGEHOBEN Khora (Holy Mountain) cd 13.98
Pop quiz! Or not so "pop" really. Whom have we ever compared to Anaal Nathrakh -and- This Heat -and- High Rise -and- Merzbow?? Why Aufgehoben of course. Their name sounds German (it means something along the lines of "nullified" or "voided" in that language). And early on, their music did have krautrocky, rhythmic underpinning. Underpinning brutal ultra distorted NOISE rock that is. And that noise has gotten only noisier and noisier, believe it or not (disbelieve at your peril).
Aufgehoben are in fact from England, and certainly fit in with the harsh n' heavy tradition of bands like Skullflower, God, Ramleh, and more recently, Shit And Shine, with whom they share the multiple drummers thing, though Aufgehoben manage to make do with just two of the species freaking out on their drum kits. They also utilize "bricks and metal" as well as the usual guitars and electronics.
But if you had to guess, from just listening to 'em, you'd probably pick Japan as their country of origin. Again, 'cause of the sheer noisiness of this, but also 'cause of how the album's last, longest track "Jederfursich..." (26:57) is an epic, repetitively pounding psych guitar blow out (blow up?) that would have the combined forces of both Boris and Merzbow running for cover... whereas the tracks that precede it aren't quite as "rock", though no less noisy, maybe more so, in the vein of Wolf Eyes, who too might reach for the earplugs when confronted with this.
Khora's first track "Ignorance Oblivion Contempt" is a vigorous splattering of utterly fried sounds, shrill shards of feedback and frantic trash-compacting percussion colliding and imploding and becoming one dense, writhing mass. That's followed by "Annex Organon", which features a more sparse sort of clatter, but you'd still better be careful about turning up the volume! Next, on "A Bastard Reasoning", we get over ten minutes of mayhem that begin with random meteor strikes of percussive, concussive distortion and then turn into a rumbling, tumbling skree-for-all. Damn.
The relative rockiness n' riffiness of the aforementioned fourth and final track, even if the riffs sound like they're played with explosives rather than on guitars, is just a slightly more controlled sort of chaos, building and building and building... kinda like a Cadaver In Drag track -being- dragged, behind a tank, down a rocky road.
No, Aufgehoben's brand of utterly destroyed instrumental improv has NOT been tamed at all on Khora, their 5th album, and 2nd for Holy Mountain, who quite rightly hail that ultimate track "Jederfursich..." as being "easily the most massive song of the year". Being obsessed with Les Rallizes Denudes and Keiji Haino, and putting out Blues Control and Wooden Shjips records, would lead you too to say things like that about Aufgehoben. Get this and see, we think you'll agree... This damage is definitely for fans of similar subversive sonic conspirators and AQ faves Shit And Shine.
MPEG Stream: "Ignorance Oblivion Contempt"
MPEG Stream: "Jederfursich..."

AUFGEHOBEN Anno Fauve (Riot Season) cd 21.00
There's not a band around these days that more embodies the concepts of LOUD, and NOISY than the UK's mighty Aufgehoben. But being loud and noisy is not enough on their own. If it were, we'd sure have a lot fewer shitty bands floating around. No, Aufgehoben (formerly Aufgehoben No Process) are masters of their craft. That craft being ear splitting, strangely rhythmic, massively overblown super distorted totally fucked up noise rock. This stuff is so amazing, and amazingly alien, it's hard to know how to describe it. It's sort of like free jazz, meets free noise, meets Krautrock. Maybe Laddio Bolocko covering Masonna. Or a handful of This Heat Records and a handful of Merzbow records run through a meat grinder and then performed by Sun Ra. Or Mainliner and God (the '90s British noise band, not the deity) going toe-to-toe. A mind bendingly perplexing polyphonous cacophony of zig zagging melodies, almost like someone dropped a handful of notes in a particle accelerator and let 'er rip. If you thought their previous two albums were head-smashers and ear-melters, you'll be blown away by this one. Featuring, as on their prior Magnetic Mountain opus, the guest "stereo guitar" of British improv maverick Gary Smith. Yes, as we've said of them before, "the Anaal Nathrakh of improv noise rock" are back and all pretenders should be running scared.
MPEG Stream: "Solar Ipse"
MPEG Stream: "Avant Primitiv"

AUFGEHOBEN Anno Fauve (Fourier Transform) lp 44.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
There's not a band around these days that more embodies the concepts of LOUD, and NOISY than the UK's mighty Aufgehoben. But being loud and noisy is not enough on their own. If it were, we'd sure have a lot fewer shitty bands floating around. No, Aufgehoben (formerly Aufgehoben No Process) are masters of their craft. That craft being ear splitting, strangely rhythmic, massively overblown super distorted totally fucked up noise rock. This stuff is so amazing, and amazingly alien, it's hard to know how to describe it. It's sort of like free jazz, meets free noise, meets Krautrock. Maybe Laddio Bolocko covering Masonna. Or a handful of This Heat Records and a handful of Merzbow records run through a meat grinder and then performed by Sun Ra. Or Mainliner and God (the '90s British noise band, not the deity) going toe-to-toe. A mind bendingly perplexing polyphonous cacophony of zig zagging melodies, almost like someone dropped a handful of notes in a particle accelerator and let 'er rip. If you thought their previous two albums were head-smashers and ear-melters, you'll be blown away by this one. Featuring, as on their prior Magnetic Mountain opus, the guest "stereo guitar" of British improv maverick Gary Smith. Yes, as we've said of them before, "the Anaal Nathrakh of improv noise rock" are back and all pretenders should be running scared. THIS IS TH SUPER SUPER LIMITED ALREADY OUT OF PRINT VINYL VERSION, only 200 copies made, pressed on heavy transparent vinyl, housed between two thick perspex sheets with four interchangeable translucent paper inserts, wrapped in white electrical cable and individually numbered with a photograph of a 'found' number!!!
MPEG Stream: "Solar Ipse"
MPEG Stream: "Avant Primitiv"

AUGHRA & MOSH PATROL Is There Anyone Else Outside? (Magic Bullet) cd 12.98
We weren't sure what to expect from a band made up of one partÊabstract experimental postrock math metal grinders Forensics, and one partÊepic sweeping soundscapers This Will Destroy You, with the word 'mosh' in their band name, and very Donnie Darko-esque cover art featuring a little girl holding hands with a man in an oversized, raggedy bunny suit. But whatever we may have been expecting, it wasn't this...
The first descriptor that comes to mind would be something likeÊemo-ambient, each track a dark and glistening, shimmery and abstract streak of sound, some poppy and propulsive, others skittery and electronic, still others super minimal and softly blurred. But each of them gloriously fuzzy and blissy and dreamy, and a little bit emo...
From the soft focus swirling drift of "Always Oversleeps" sounding like some strange Tim Hecker / Machinefabriek / Jasper TX hybrid, to the lilting piano / guitar drift of "Dog Years", that transforms part way through into a loping Flaming Lips style groove with distorted bass and strange alien drums, to the barely there ambience of "A Bluff Carried More Resolutely Through To The Final Limit", a lengthy found sound, soft synth shimmer, like sitting on the beach, listening to a Niblock performance from a mile way. Elsewhere, "Courage & Courtesy" sounds like some lost slowcore classic, all arpeggiated minor key guitar, simple drums and a warm buzzing drone in the background, "I Love You, Please Come Back" is the greatest electro indie track, the Postal Service never wrote, equal parts Autechre skitter and Death Cab swoon pop, "The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same" is a sprawling twangscape, steel strings buzzing lazily in a wide open expanse of billowy breezy sound... the record continued to wander all over the place, every stop some gloriously warm and soothing sonic confection, before finishing off with "One Day We Will Grow Old And Forget The Things We Had When We Were Young", a dense fuzzy wash of thick layered drones and swirling muted buzz, epic and about as heavy as this record gets, sounding not unlike Nadja at their most tranquil... So good.Ê
MPEG Stream: "Always Oversleeps"
MPEG Stream: "Dog Years"
MPEG Stream: "A Bluff Carried More Resolutely Through To The Final Limit"
MPEG Stream: "Courage & Courtesy"

AUGUST BORN s/t (Drag City) cd 14.98
All you free-folk fans have a real sweet treat here! Six Organs Of Admittance + L = August Born. That's right, this gentle, emotive, improvised-sounding folk album finds Ben Chasny of Six Organs Of Admittance teamed up with Hiroyuki Usui of the mysterious Japanese psych-folk unit L, whose lone album Holy Letters from 1992 became a Record Of The Week here at AQ when it was reissued last year on VHF. If you've heard of L, you're surely familiar with Six Organs. And if you like both of them (as we do), then the idea of this collaboration has probably already piqued your interest. We might as well just say, it's real nice, and let you come n' get it 'cause it's pretty much a no-brainer! Lonesome, loose, lovely music from two like-minded souls, collaborating across the vastness of the Pacific (via air mail, we suppose), Hiroyuki recording in Tokyo and Chasny in Northern California. The music here went back and forth between Chasny and Hiroyuki as many as five times, with each musician adding both electric and acoustic guitar and voice and other sounds/instrumentation -- tambora, autoharp, bass, tinkling bells, field recordings of gurgling water, and more -- building up these songs in ghostly layers that allow them to remain rather spare and delicate. The eleven tracks that resulted from this long-distance collaboration are so very pretty and mellow and somewhat melancholic -- a strum here, a percussive knock there, with loose melodic guitar and bass lines underpinning the rambling, pensive, and lowkey (if not always in key) vocals. It's wonderful, wandering, wondering music, for a sunlit afternoon reverie. In addition to the previous works of Six Organs and L, we're reminded of Richard Youngs, Jandek, Nagisa Ni Te, and some Jewelled Antler stuff.
MPEG Stream: "More Dead Bird Blues"
MPEG Stream: "A Lot Like You"

AUGUST BORN s/t (Drag City) lp 14.98
All you free-folk fans have a real sweet treat here! Six Organs Of Admittance + L = August Born. That's right, this gentle, emotive, improvised-sounding folk album finds Ben Chasny of Six Organs Of Admittance teamed up with Hiroyuki Usui of the mysterious Japanese psych-folk unit L, whose lone album Holy Letters from 1992 became a Record Of The Week here at AQ when it was reissued last year on VHF. If you've heard of L, you're surely familiar with Six Organs. And if you like both of them (as we do), then the idea of this collaboration has probably already piqued your interest. We might as well just say, it's real nice, and let you come n' get it 'cause it's pretty much a no-brainer! Lonesome, loose, lovely music from two like-minded souls, collaborating across the vastness of the Pacific (via air mail, we suppose), Hiroyuki recording in Tokyo and Chasny in Northern California. The music here went back and forth between Chasny and Hiroyuki as many as five times, with each musician adding both electric and acoustic guitar and voice and other sounds/instrumentation -- tambora, autoharp, bass, tinkling bells, field recordings of gurgling water, and more -- building up these songs in ghostly layers that allow them to remain rather spare and delicate. The eleven tracks that resulted from this long-distance collaboration are so very pretty and mellow and somewhat melancholic -- a strum here, a percussive knock there, with loose melodic guitar and bass lines underpinning the rambling, pensive, and lowkey (if not always in key) vocals. It's wonderful, wandering, wondering music, for a sunlit afternoon reverie. In addition to the previous works of Six Organs and L, we're reminded of Richard Youngs, Jandek, Nagisa Ni Te, and some Jewelled Antler stuff.
MPEG Stream: "More Dead Bird Blues"
MPEG Stream: "A Lot Like You"

AUM RIFLE, THE A Peal Of Bells (Shrimper) cd 13.98

AUN Motorsleep (Alien8) cd 15.98
The term 'doom' gets bandied about quite a bit these days (by us, too, to be sure). It's gotten to the point that anything slow and low gets described as doom. There's a certain cool quotient attached to 'doom' it seems, and all sorts of music makers have been taking advantage of that by doing their best to infuse their music, be it metal or pop or drone or electronic, with some of that doomy magic.
But as we all know, doom is more that playing slow, more than tuning way down, more than plodding lugubriously, it's about evoking a mood, creating an atmosphere of dread, of DOOM, using those sounds to paint a bleak and abject picture, rendered in shades of grey and black, especially black. We're not really that uppity when it comes to people branding themselves doom, but in the case of Aun it might be a bit misleading. Not to say Motorsleep is not a killer record, it is for sure, and it is plenty dark and dreary and rumbly and droney, and heavy, okay, a little bit doomy, but really only a bit. To these ears Aun sound way more like Machinefabriek or Jasper TX, with some Nadja or Jesu mixed in. There's not much riffing, it's not all that heavy, instead, it's mysterious and murky, blurred loops laced with buzz and crumble, are woven into haunting melodies, the songs all blend into one another, like one massive organic piece split into movements, and it does get heavier and louder, but more sort of like Sunroof! heavy, a sort of sun dappled upper register ur-drone, more than any sort of crushing pummel or churning pound.
The music at its most minimal shimmers and glistens, spidery bits of crystalline sound set amidst deep rumbling tones and slow shifting textures, often building into almost orchestral swells, sometimes slipping into something murky and blurred and barely metallic, other times glimmering like and expanse of starry sky, not so much doomy as just dark and dolorous. This might well be too dreamy and drifty for troo doomlords, but for anyone into fuzzy distorted shimmer, Japer TX, Machinefabriek, Tim Hecker and that sort of washed out buzz flecked loveliness, then Aun will definitely hit the spot.
MPEG Stream: "Motorsleep"
MPEG Stream: "Protection"
MPEG Stream: "Erzot"

AUSTERITY PROGRAM Backsliders And Apostates Will Burn (Hydra Head) cd 10.98
This is probably gonna sound like total sacrilege. And it is, we know it is, but it's all we can think when we're listening to these guys, quite possibly our favorite drum machine driven duo, is that yeah, they sound like Big Black, the super distorted guitar chug, the sung spoken vox, the thick floor shaking bass, the fucked up and funny lyrics, it's like Big Black, bit kind of, well, you know, BETTER.
There we said it. And before you get your hate mail machine in motion, realize, that we revere Big Black, every single song, a fucking misanthropic masterpiece, but if you were to ask us, what could make BB better? Well, we would have said, let's see, you could make it heavier, make the songs more complex, add tons more dynamics, fuck it, the Austerity Program is just that, like a super charged, ultra heavy, way more complex Big Black, but they are so much more, they have taken that sound, that classic, timeless (to us at least) sound, and made it all their own.
The super tense slow build of "Song 25", with its sprawling guitar buzz, and hushed spoken vocals, gradually growing more and more intense, the drum machine and buzzing bass soon joining in, a churning low slung dirge, the guitar doesn't even show up until a minute left in the song, but suddenly the track is transformed into a lurching metal machine prog blow out, with some awesomely weirdly clipped rhythms, chugging guitar, it's the sort of part most bands would (and should) stretch out for minutes, but the AP make it last seconds, cuz they know, they have way more up their sleeves.
"Song 26" explodes in a throbbing downtuned crush, stopping, starting, stuttering, hiccupping, until things bliss out, and suddenly it's a shimmery whispered drift, only to lurch into a grinding metallic robotic pound, finally finishing off with more churn and crunch. "Song 27" starts off all distorted strum and more clipped drum machine, droney and tense and hypnotic, before splintering into a stop start stutter, that explodes into what sounds like "Jordan, Minnesota" at triple speed, and then back again, a fucking epic proto prog metal jam with some MIT worthy drum machine programming, and anguished ultra pissed vox.
"Track 29" might be the weirdest, and perhaps the coolest of the bunch, a cloud of soaring guitars, a chugging bass, and another robotic looped rhythm, but the vocals are sung, sweetly, a lovely melodic counterpoint to the churn and chug beneath it, taking some subtle detours throughout, but always returning to that relentless crunch, another track, that seems way too brief at 5:30, epic and melodic and majestic and heavy and fucking awesome.
We've listened to these 4 songs about 20 times, and we're bound to go 20 more, but they've got us really hoping there's a full length around the corner. And yeah, that means buy it, it RULES.
MPEG Stream: "Song 25"
MPEG Stream: "Song 26"

AUSTERITY PROGRAM Backsliders And Apostates Will Burn (Hydra Head) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A proper / regular lp version of this killer chunk of mechanized Big Black-ian post metal crush will hit the shelves this summer, but we managed to get a small handful of the super special test pressing version direct from the band. Special for many reasons, the first being, it's LIMITED TO ONLY 40 COPIES! Of which we got 8! And while the vinyl itself is the test pressing it comes in a full color sleeve much like the forthcoming normal version, but it also includes the whole cd, proper packaging and all, some inserts, AND a needle cleaning kit, hand prepared by the band to make the test pressing sound even better. And why should you care? Here's why:
This is probably gonna sound like total sacrilege. And it is, we know it is, but it's all we can think when we're listening to these guys, quite possibly our favorite drum machine driven duo, is that yeah, they sound like Big Black, the super distorted guitar chug, the sung spoken vox, the thick floor shaking bass, the fucked up and funny lyrics, it's like Big Black, bit kind of, well, you know, BETTER.
There we said it. And before you get your hate mail machine in motion, realize, that we revere Big Black, every single song, a fucking misanthropic masterpiece, but if you were to ask us, what could make BB better? Well, we would have said, let's see, you could make it heavier, make the songs more complex, add tons more dynamics, fuck it, the Austerity Program is just that, like a super charged, ultra heavy, way more complex Big Black, but they are so much more, they have taken that sound, that classic, timeless (to us at least) sound, and made it all their own.
The super tense slow build of "Song 25", with its sprawling guitar buzz, and hushed spoken vocals, gradually growing more and more intense, the drum machine and buzzing bass soon joining in, a churning low slung dirge, the guitar doesn't even show up until a minute left in the song, but suddenly the track is transformed into a lurching metal machine prog blow out, with some awesomely weirdly clipped rhythms, chugging guitar, it's the sort of part most bands would (and should) stretch out for minutes, but the AP make it last seconds, cuz they know, they have way more up their sleeves.
"Song 26" explodes in a throbbing downtuned crush, stopping, starting, stuttering, hiccupping, until things bliss out, and suddenly it's a shimmery whispered drift, only to lurch into a grinding metallic robotic pound, finally finishing off with more churn and crunch. "Song 27" starts off all distorted strum and more clipped drum machine, droney and tense and hypnotic, before splintering into a stop start stutter, that explodes into what sounds like "Jordan, Minnesota" at triple speed, and then back again, a fucking epic proto prog metal jam with some MIT worthy drum machine programming, and anguished ultra pissed vox.
"Track 29" might be the weirdest, and perhaps the coolest of the bunch, a cloud of soaring guitars, a chugging bass, and another robotic looped rhythm, but the vocals are sung, sweetly, a lovely melodic counterpoint to the churn and chug beneath it, taking some subtle detours throughout, but always returning to that relentless crunch, another track, that seems way too brief at 5:30, epic and melodic and majestic and heavy and fucking awesome.
We've listened to these 4 songs about 20 times, and we're bound to go 20 more, but they've got us really hoping there's a full length around the corner. And yeah, that means buy it, it RULES.
MPEG Stream: "Song 25"
MPEG Stream: "Song 26"

AUSTERITY PROGRAM Backsliders And Apostates Will Burn (Data DVD-R) (Hydra Head) dvd-r 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This latest chunk of mechanized Big Black-ian post metal crush from aQ faves is not only available as a super limited test pressing / needle cleaning kit version elsewhere on this list, it is now also available as this even more limited data dvd-r, which contains 24 bit .wav files of song mixdowns and all the seperate instrument tracks, as well as instructions and artwork files. Why you ask? Well, so you can customize the record how ever you want, ditch the vocals, crank the vocals, blow out the drums, remix it, add sitar, tuba, sing along yourself, you've got the parts, use 'em to make your very own and utterly unique version of Backsliders And Apostates Will Burn! Oh, and you can always still just listen to it, and you should, cuz it rules...
This is probably gonna sound like total sacrilege. And it is, we know it is, but it's all we can think when we're listening to these guys, quite possibly our favorite drum machine driven duo, is that yeah, they sound like Big Black, the super distorted guitar chug, the sung spoken vox, the thick floor shaking bass, the fucked up and funny lyrics, it's like Big Black, bit kind of, well, you know, BETTER.
There we said it. And before you get your hate mail machine in motion, realize, that we revere Big Black, every single song, a fucking misanthropic masterpiece, but if you were to ask us, what could make BB better? Well, we would have said, let's see, you could make it heavier, make the songs more complex, add tons more dynamics, fuck it, the Austerity Program is just that, like a super charged, ultra heavy, way more complex Big Black, but they are so much more, they have taken that sound, that classic, timeless (to us at least) sound, and made it all their own.
The super tense slow build of "Song 25", with its sprawling guitar buzz, and hushed spoken vocals, gradually growing more and more intense, the drum machine and buzzing bass soon joining in, a churning low slung dirge, the guitar doesn't even show up until a minute left in the song, but suddenly the track is transformed into a lurching metal machine prog blow out, with some awesomely weirdly clipped rhythms, chugging guitar, it's the sort of part most bands would (and should) stretch out for minutes, but the AP make it last seconds, cuz they know, they have way more up their sleeves.
"Song 26" explodes in a throbbing downtuned crush, stopping, starting, stuttering, hiccupping, until things bliss out, and suddenly it's a shimmery whispered drift, only to lurch into a grinding metallic robotic pound, finally finishing off with more churn and crunch. "Song 27" starts off all distorted strum and more clipped drum machine, droney and tense and hypnotic, before splintering into a stop start stutter, that explodes into what sounds like "Jordan, Minnesota" at triple speed, and then back again, a fucking epic proto prog metal jam with some MIT worthy drum machine programming, and anguished ultra pissed vox.
"Track 29" might be the weirdest, and perhaps the coolest of the bunch, a cloud of soaring guitars, a chugging bass, and another robotic looped rhythm, but the vocals are sung, sweetly, a lovely melodic counterpoint to the churn and chug beneath it, taking some subtle detours throughout, but always returning to that relentless crunch, another track, that seems way too brief at 5:30, epic and melodic and majestic and heavy and fucking awesome.
We've listened to these 4 songs about 20 times, and we're bound to go 20 more, but they've got us really hoping there's a full length around the corner. And yeah, that means buy it, it RULES.
MPEG Stream: "Song 25"
MPEG Stream: "Song 26"

AUSTERITY PROGRAM, THE Song 20 (The River) (Hydra Head) 7" 7.98
A while back we made the debut full length from drum machine noise rock duo The Austerity Program our record of the week. And we still throw it on pretty regularly. Heavy, abrasive, hooky, a modern Big Black, but with a way better sense of humor.
We've been waiting patiently for the band to release something else, and now the waiting has finally paid off. A brand new two track 7", featuring "Track 20" and the oh so illusive "Track 1". One of these days we'll figure out their modus operandi, do they just pick numbers at random to attach to songs? Or, as we hope, are they chronological, all written in a flurry of activity, and picked out haphazardly for various releases. Thus this 7" would contain one of their more recent tracks, and the very first one! It sort of sounds like it too, but more on that in a second.
"Track 20" brings it all back, it starts out all slow and brooding, but soon launches into a surprisingly melodic blast of machinelike metal, of industrial noise rock indie pop, not sure what to call it, but it most definitely hits the spot. Super distorted guitars, Justin Foley's anguished howls, the drums as sharp and creatively programmed as ever. Part way through there's a killer mathy breakdown, the riffs splintering into space, complete with some swooping backwards high-hats, and a big finish where the drums get wild enough that it almost sounds like a real drummer.
But the flip side, "Track 1", is KILLER, super dynamic stop / start arrangement, the riffing eventually locking into a seriously buzzy loop, the whole track turning a wee bit black metal in face, even the drums get turned up a notch with flurries of double kick drum, underpinning the instrumental crush above. In some ways, it almost sounds unfinished, like a sketch almost, but even in its sketch like form, it's most definitely one of our favorite AP tracks yet!
SUPER LIMITED of course, packaged in a cool thick sleeve made out of some mysterious map, inside, a little sticker guiding you to a download of the two tracks!

AUSTERITY PROGRAM, THE Terra Nova (Hydra Head) cd ep 9.98
The power of independent trucking indeed! This is some serious Big Black worship. Which is not a bad thing. I mean, if you're gonna find inspiration for your two-guys-and-a-drum-machine rock band, you can't really do better than the mighty 'Black. While no band can possibly hope to approach the ferocity and misanthropy of BB at their prime, The Austerity Program make a pretty good go of it, especially considering they are probably nice, respectable young men with not nearly as much opinion/pent-up anger/baggage as Big Black front man Steve Albini and thus have to work a bit harder to get ANGRY enough to make music this pissed. Screeching, clanging guitars, over machinelike rhythms, with half shouted/half sung vocals adding slight melody to the caustic, abrasive noisescapes. It's got a bit more of a post rock feel, but that's not a bad thing. It definitely helps make The Austerity Program sound a little more like themselves. Good stuff.
MPEG Stream: "Song 3"

AUTHORITIES, THE Puppy Love (Get Hip) cd 14.98
Rabid punk obsessives and collectors are probably already familiar with this eighties Stockton punk rock band, having been featured on the legendary first volume of the Killed By Death series and having released an almost 'classic' single called "I Hate Cops" (of course), and we have to admit, when we first got this reissue in, we immediately recognized the iconic cover photo, with a big dog licking the face of a policeman, but we have never actually heard them until now. Turns out, "I Hate Cops" is a killer jam, with the guitar simulating the siren at the beginning, and a wicked anthemic chorus (and don't let that first line throw you off, they say that all cops are "piggers"). The flipside "Radiationmasturbation" is pretty awesome too with some of thee most ridiculous lyrics ever. Poppy and hooky, punk as fuck, killer riffs, some wild shredding lead guitars, a killer vocalist, and some seriously kick ass songs, hard to believe these guys managed to stay so far under the radar for so long. This comp collects pretty much everything the group ever recorded, 14 songs, 22 minutes, all of it ruling!
Includes a big booklet with lyrics and liner notes.
MPEG Stream: "Godhead"
MPEG Stream: "Slam The Ham"
MPEG Stream: "Between The Thighs"
MPEG Stream: "Your Life"

AUTISTIC DAUGHTERS Jealousy & Diamond (Kranky) cd 14.98
Our first thoughts on finding out just who was in this new band Autistic Daughters were that it was our dream of a glitch-drone rock supergroup! Yup, we're pretty keen the line-up of Autistic Daughters on their debut release for Kranky (LP on Staubgold): New Zealand's Dean Roberts + Viennese improv scenesters Werner Dafeldecker and Martin Brandlmayr. Guitarist Roberts we know from his old bands Thela and White Winged Moth, not to mention his fine solo recordings like Be Mine Tonight (also on Kranky) and And The Black Moths Play The Grand Cinema (recently reissued on Staubgold, and raved about here a few weeks ago!). Meanwhile drummer and vibraphonist Martin Brandlmayr has been an integral part of several AQ-fave recordings, playing in various post-rock/glitch/jazz groupings, among them Radian and Trapist. Bassist Dafeldecker we've also encountered playing in numerous interesting situations. So what have they all got up to together here? Again, the common thread of all three members previous projects is the combination of live playing with electronics and processing in the studio, and that's the modus operandi here. Like the Roberts records mention above, this is in a slow-moving, mopey, mellow vein, full of hazy, droning textures, fragmented melodies, and shuffling, sorta This Heat-ish percussion. Roberts sings (and, in addition to guitar, plays harmonium and harmonica), and his gentle vocals guide this towards being a sort of indie-pop Radian, something fans of, say, Village Of Savoonga will probably like. And there's a Kinks cover: "Rainy Day In June", that fits right in and goes some way to suggest that Roberts and co. see what they're doing as much in the rock/pop tradition as being about electro-acoustic experimention. Quite nice!
MPEG Stream: "The Glasshouse and the Gift-Horse"
MPEG Stream: "Spend It On The Enemy (While It Was Raining)"