LEISURE BIRDS Globe Master (Moon Glyph) lp + 7" 14.98
This is the first we've heard from Minneapolis sci-fi garage combo Leisure Birds, whose second lp comes courtesy of the Moon Glyph label, newly relocated to the Bay Area, and the sound Of Leisure Birds sounds custom made for us (and you we're guessing), blissed out psychedelic kosmische synthscapery mixed with trancey minimal spaced out garage rock drift, sort of Spacemen 3 doing something a bit more kraut-agey. Just have a listen to the opening track, all electronic shimmer, and slow brooding synth swell, which is soon joined by buzzing sitar like guitars, and a muted rhythmic drum pulse, the vocals come in and they're all lazy and hazy and washed out, it's like Moon Duo on tranquilizers, woozy and druggy and so divine, and then out of nowhere, about 5+ minutes in, the song bursts into something WAY more propulsive, driving bassline, pounding drums, distorted guitars, never quite exploding into full on rocking out, but seriously driving and psychedelic. The rest of the record follows suit, bloopy synths and swirling electronics drift in clouds, wrapped around motorik beats, and slithery basslines, locked into hypno-rock trance outs, peppered with lush swirls of majestic chordal shimmer, but more often drifting along soporifically, druggy and drowsy, late night space rock minimalism for gradual come downs, or all night trip outs. There are moments that get pretty rocking, but even then, the sound stays pretty washed out and gauzey, and more often than note seems to gradually transform into another gorgeous stretch of blissed out space rock drift. Most definitely for fans of Moon Duo, Spyrals, Spacemen 3, Radar Eyes, Date Palms, and all things psychedelic, spacey and kosmische...
Includes a bonus 7" with a two song epilogue to the record, and also includes a download code (only for the album proper, not the 7"). Super striking futuristic cover art too.
MPEG Stream: "SETI Signals"
MPEG Stream: "Silver Runner"
MPEG Stream: "Egyptian Ring"
MPEG Stream: "Globe Master"

LEKMAN, JENS Night Falls Over Kortedala (Secretly Canadian) cd 14.98
Everyone's favorite Swede-heart returns as heart-achingly honest as ever with Night Falls Over Kortedala, his third full-length album. In 2005 we reported obvious comparisons to Mark Kozelek, Morrissey, Erlend Oye, and Stephin Merritt after listening to Lekman's Oh You're So Silent Jens album, comparisons which can be easily called upon when describing Night Falls as well.
Much like Stephin Merritt, the thing that we like most about Lekman is his ability to tell a really really good story through song. Artists like Lekman make you feel as if you're there, in the moment being described, because no words are held back to fit into the music, yet the music doesn't suffer as a result. On Night Falls the music teeters between glittery pop mantras (begging yet another comparison: Belle and Sebastian) and down-tempo love ballads lushly arranged with strings, horns, and enough flute to at least make you think of the Love Boat theme song and similar TV themes. It seems as if the music is written into the lyrics, a scene painted so vividly that you have to wonder if most other artists write their lyrics into the music and thus aren't always able to say what they want or even mean. We hope you'll be as pleased with Night Falls Over Koredala as we are.
MPEG Stream: "Sipping On the Sweet Nectar"
MPEG Stream: "Shirin"

LEKMAN, JENS Night Falls Over Kortedala (Secretly Canadian) lp 13.98
Everyone's favorite Swede-heart returns as heart-achingly honest as ever with Night Falls Over Kortedala, his third full-length album. In 2005 we reported obvious comparisons to Mark Kozelek, Morrissey, Erlend Oye, and Stephin Merritt after listening to Lekman's Oh You're So Silent Jens album, comparisons which can be easily called upon when describing Night Falls as well.
Much like Stephin Merritt, the thing that we like most about Lekman is his ability to tell a really really good story through song. Artists like Lekman make you feel as if you're there, in the moment being described, because no words are held back to fit into the music, yet the music doesn't suffer as a result. On Night Falls the music teeters between glittery pop mantras (begging yet another comparison: Belle and Sebastian) and down-tempo love ballads lushly arranged with strings, horns, and enough flute to at least make you think of the Love Boat theme song and similar TV themes. It seems as if the music is written into the lyrics, a scene painted so vividly that you have to wonder if most other artists write their lyrics into the music and thus aren't always able to say what they want or even mean. We hope you'll be as pleased with Night Falls Over Koredala as we are.
MPEG Stream: "Sipping On the Sweet Nectar"
MPEG Stream: "Shirin"

LEKMAN, JENS Oh You're So Silent Jens (Secretly Canadian) cd 14.98
Whether intentional or not, Jens Lekman is one heckuva celebrity impersonator. On his new album, the Swedish gent does uncanny impressions of Mark Kozelek, Morrissey, Erlend Oye, and Stephin Merritt among others. Take for instance the remarkably Magnetic Fields-y tune "Black Cab". We should note that where the similarities lie is not just in his varied vocal deliverys, but in the way he also rearranges his instrumentation for each tune -- thoroughly recreating the other artists' sounds, be they Mancini-esque swirling strings'n'harps, warm strummy guitars with gently sparkling chimes or a little tickling of the ivories. A couple of other songs struck us a strangely familiar, and then we realised what they reminded us of... Peter Paul & Mary's "Puff The Magic Dragon"! He's not shy about borrowing either. Take for example the song "Pocketful Of Money". He wisely knew better than to attempt Calvin Johnson's baritone and instead duets with a sample of Johnson singing "I'll come running with a heart on fire" from the Beat Happening tune "Gravedigger's Blues". Whoa, sorta weird. We even suspect he even nabbed a melodic phrase from The Carpenters' song "Yesterday Once More" for his harp embellished seventh song "Rocky Dennis' Farewell Song" which is followed by the oh so Joe Jackson meets Morrissey number "Rocky Dennis In Heaven". Aaah, if you can somehow turn a blind eye to the "hey, this sounds like ____!" distraction, and you like the folks Lekman sounds like, you'll surely find much to enjoy on Oh, You're So Silent Jens. All irkiness aside, we still think this is a very pretty album well suited to accompany a string of spring sunrises.
MPEG Stream: "Black Cab"
MPEG Stream: "Pocketful Of Money"

LEMONADE Pure Moods (True Panther Sounds) 12" 8.98

LEMONADE s/t (True Panther Sounds) cd 14.98
With the blink of an eye Lemonade have left San Francisco and relocated to New York, but before they moved away they injected the SF scene with a great shot of left-field dance floor vision, playing at and DJ'ing some of the most sweaty and fun filled parties around town. Musically they pump out hyper-color splashes imbedded in a sound that brings to mind Public Image Ltd, Gang Gang Dance, The Rapture, !!!, Gang of Four, and Tussle. We're sad we don't have the privilege of getting to see them play as often as we used to, but now we finally have their record to blast as loud as we like.
MPEG Stream: "Big Weekend"
MPEG Stream: "Sunchips"
MPEG Stream: "Bliss Out"

LEMONHEADS It's a Shame About Ray (Atlantic / Rhino) cd+dvd 24.00
A lot of how you feel about a record is determined by when you first heard it, or at least when you listened to it most. Some records remind us of college, others about a specific relationship, a breakup, but it's amazing how music can embody a memory so completely. And how the same music can mean so many different things for so many different people.
A lot of folks our age, probably first heard The Lemonheads' It's A Shame About Ray when they were in their early twenties, maybe just out of college, or like some of us, just sort of wandering aimlessly instead of college. And while we're not sure if it's just the above mentioned musical memory, or if these songs actually embody that sort of shiftless rootless confusional youth. Regardless, it's a pretty fantastic record, that sounds as good, and as timeless as it did 15 years ago. The pop minded around here might rank Ray as one of the best pop records EVER. And listening to this again, we still would.
It's the sort of record that is so part of our musical lives, it's hard to review, like Slint's Spiderland, when we find out someone doesn't actually own it, we freak out and insist that whoever it is BUY IT IMMEDIATELY. So for folks reading this, who dig pop music, and who don't own this, for fuck's sake, buy it now. It's so catchy and rocking and sad and emo and pretty and hooky and perfect.
"Rockin' Stroll" is one of the all time best record openers, super kick ass and catchy, the vocals a lazy drawl over super propulsive riffing, "Rudderless" is all minor key and dissonant melody, but with a main hook to die for, and a killer chorus, "My Drug Buddy" has to be one of the best drug songs ever, sad and sweet and heartbreaking, "Alison's Starting To Happen" another rocker that subtly and sweetly reminds us of the Lemonheads' punk rock past, we could go on song by song, every one perfect in their own way. It's been a while since we've listened to this record all the way through, but immediately we were singing along, every word, drumming, air guitaring, Ray is just so fun, and so simple, but one of those records that never gets old, and we never get tired of listening to it.
It would be well worth buying even if this wasn't the super deluxe version, but since it is, even Lemonheads fans who already own it will have to think hard about buying it again, might be worth it. The record includes the original bonus track, their cover of "Mrs. Robinson", the acoustic B-side "Shaky Ground", and the whole record in demo form, really awesome acoustic sketches of each song, that manage to sound just as cool, and way more intimate than the actual recorded versions. The dvd includes ALL the music videos, as well as some live acoustic performances, all wrapped up in a fancy fold out digipak housed in a plastic slipcase, but that's all just the icing, the record's 12 songs are well worth the price of admission all on their own.
Absolutely and without a doubt, one of the best pop records of the last twenty years. Buy it. You won't be sorry.
MPEG Stream: "Rockin' Stroll"
MPEG Stream: "Confetti"
MPEG Stream: "My Drug Buddy"
MPEG Stream: "Alison's Starting To Happen"

LEMONHEADS Varshons (The End) cd 14.98
Our musical hearts can't help but be warmed by a new Lemonheads record. Sure the last few were pretty meh, And for the last decade Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando has been more well known for drug problems and celebrity dalliances that the punk rock and later indie rock that made the Lemonheads so awesome. And hell, even the last few records, while not even approaching the greatness that was Shame About Ray or Lick or Creator, still had a few killer tracks.
Varshons is the long rumored Lemonheads cover record, and if one can overlook the two unlikely celebrity guest spots, which would be Kate Moss and Liv Tyler, then probably the biggest surprise here is the song selection. Probably most well known to most folks for their cover of Simon And Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson", the Lemonheads always had kick ass and often unlikely covers in their repertoire, Suzanne Vega's "My Name Is Luka", Kiss's "Plaster Caster", Charles Manson's "Home Is Where You're Happy", the Misfits' "Skulls", New Kids On The Block's "Step By Step", the Stone Poney's "Different Drum", Gram Parsons' "Brass Buttons", and this new all covers record continues Dando's eclectic choice of covers, including tracks by GG Allin, Townes Van Zandt, Sam Gopal (Lemmy's pre-Hawkwind outfit), legendary garage rockers Green Fuz, Wire, UK psych rockers July, punk rock legends Fuckemos, Leonard Cohen, and even pop songwriter for hire and former 4 Non Blonde Linda Perry among others. The story is that Dando and Gibby from the Butthole Surfers (who produced the record) became pals and Gibby started making Dando mixtapes like crazy, from which most of these tracks were culled, which helps explain the unlikely inclusion of Texas punk rockers Fuckemos. But how cool is that, we sure wouldn't mind a monthly mixtape from the man responsible for Hairway To Steven and Locust Abortion Technician!
For the most part, none of these tracks is super radical sounding, beyond the fact that the more rocking originals sound a bit stripped down, and the fact that you might not have ever expected to hear the Lemonheads covering GG Allin of Fuckemos, Dando deftly transforms each song, no matter how UN-Lemonheads, into a song that sounds like it could have actually been a Dando original.
Dando's voice is much deeper these days, a bit more raw, so the country-ish tunes here sound great, Gram Parson's "I Just Can't Take It Anymore", Townes Van Zandt's classic "Waiting Around To Die", even GG Allin's expletive laced "Layin' Up With Linda" becomes a David Allan Coe-worthy twangy outlaw country hoedown. The Sam Gopal cover is laced with buzzing sitars and skittery tablas, the July jam is all wah guitars and shuffling percussion, tripped out and psychedelic. Wire's "Fragile" sounds awesome all stripped down and acoustic. The Green Fuz track is slithery and slow burning, with warm guitar buzz and muted rhythms, swirling effects and a druggy swirl of backwards guitars. The Leonard Cohen cover, "Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye" is appropriately dark and moody and torch songy, Liv Tyler offering up some breathy hushed vocals that sound great next to Dando's. But then there's the record's one weak spot, a cover of Arling & Cameron's "Dirty Robot", that either sounds like a favor, or a ploy to get in Kate Moss' panties, she being the one contributing the sung/spoken cold Euro new wave vocals over some crunchy guitars, weird vocoders, and some seriously dated nineties sounding electro. We'll just skip that one and hope it worked.
Minus that one track, we're pretty into all the versions here, or Varshons, we've missed Dando, his voice and that particular Lemonheads sound, let's hope these covers have gotten him all revved up to make a new proper Lemonheads full length. It's about time!
MPEG Stream: "Waiting Around To Die (Townes Van Zandt)"
MPEG Stream: "Green Fuz (Randy Alvey & Green Fuz)"
MPEG Stream: "Yesterlove (Sam Gopal)"

LEMONHEADS, THE s/t (Vagrant) cd 16.98
HOLY SHIT! A new Lemonheads record. We can not tell you how absolutely thrilling that is. Sure, their last record sucked. And Evan Dando's solo stuff was pretty mediocre. And maybe he is kind of a prick. But c'mon! So what?! It's A Shame About Ray was one of the world's most perfect slabs of heartbreaking indie jangle. I don't even really do drugs but "My Drug Buddy" had me absolutely wishing I had my own drug buddy. Could anything be more romantic? Go a little further back, Lovey, Lick, Hate Your Friends, the perfect collision of punk rock brattiness and pop song perfection. And they just kept getting better and better. I can't really think of another band that occupied so much space on pretty much every single mix tape I ever made. Even covering Suzanne Vega's "Luka" which could have and should have been a disaster, ended up sounding miles better than the original. Anyway, any pop kid worth anything is at their very heart, a huge Lemonheads obsessive. How could you not be?
So a brand new Lemonheads record is a seriously big deal. And as if we couldn't be more excited, the other 2/3 of the Lemonheads is basically the Descendents!!! Bill Stevenson and Karl Alvarez, FUCK YEAH.
So now we've pretty much got the dream band. So how does the new Lemonheads stack up? Well, we've only had this record for a few days, but since the second it's come in we've been listening to it nonstop, and it's growing on us like crazy. Dando's voice is a little deeper, a little more scratchy and weathered sounding, but it suits him, and the new material. The sound is just so instantly familiar it's like a big ol' indie rock hug.
Shit, we've been in indie rock heaven lately. Sebadoh III, Archers Of Loaf's Icky Mettle, and now a new Lemonheads. Almost makes us feel like we're in college again. Anyway, imagine It's A Shame About Ray, a little less laid back, a little more mature, but the same sort of mix of sweet jangly minor key laments and super rocking kick ass power pop. The hooks aren't as immediately obvious as they were on Ray, but the more we listen, the more we find ourselves getting bits and pieces lodged firmly in our heads. We're guessing that after spending a few more weeks with it, this might be one of our favorite pop records of the year.
MPEG Stream: "Black Gown"
MPEG Stream: "Become The Enemy"
MPEG Stream: "Pittsburgh"

LENCHATIN, PAZ Songs For Luci (Black Tent Press) lp 23.00
One of two new releases from newly launched boutique label/press Black Tent, the other being the long circulating but never released until now Pajo disc of Misfits covers also reviewed this list, and this, the first solo release from Paz Lenchatin, who some of you might know as a member of Tool side project A Perfect Circle, and, more recently, and perhaps relevantly, of The Entrance Band.
We weren't sure what to expect, but it's actually quite lovely. Acoustic guitar, violin, ethereal vocals, a sort of folky chamber country, singing strings, all moody and cinematic, a little sun dappled and washed out, the arrangements spare and minor key, the guitars delicate and crystalline, sometimes almost bluegrass sounding, sometimes seriously old timey sounding, the vocals are what set it apart, when Lenchatin isn't doing her best Patsy Cline, her voice is a breathless angelic croon, that sounds like it would be more at home on a Grouper record than here, but it transforms these simple stripped down folk songs into something a bit more transcendent. So so lovely.
And the packaging, WOW. 130 gram vinyl, housed in a thick sleeve with a 2 color serigraph on French Paper, comes with a cd (not a cd-r) featuring all the music on the lp. LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES!
MPEG Stream: "Kentucky Hymn"
MPEG Stream: "365"
MPEG Stream: "The Parade"

LENINGRAD BLUES MACHINE s/t (Nux Organization) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
All right folks (specifically, psych lovers and/or Japanophiles)... here's a literal "warehouse find", copies of a long out of print cd that we ourselves discovered during a visit to one of our suppliers, recently! It was worth all the dust-induced sneezing to find, too. Fans of Japanese uber heavies Zeni Geva might know the name, as Leningrad Blues Machine was the heavy, shambolic psych outfit led by KK Null's guitar partner in ZG, Tabata Mitsuru (who was also an early member of the Boredoms as well). Bass player Hayashi Naoto also was in UFO or Die, FYI. This blown-out blues explosion of a debut was originally released via Null's Nux Org label in 1993, but the songs on this disc were actually recorded much earlier, as it consists of material from two shows at Egg Plant, Osaka in November of 1987 and February of '88, plus a couple tracks recorded to 8-track in Kyoto's Queer studio, 1987. There's nine tracks total, although the song "Russian Asshole" appears THREE TIMES in different renditions. That's brilliant, we think. Evidently it can be considered the Leningrad Blues Machine's "theme song". And it's a good 'un, a great example of the distortodelic, fuzz and feedback filled garage stomp at which they slay, in the tradition of near contemporaries The Heads, fellow countrymen High Rise, or spiritual forefathers Blue Cheer, whose classic cover of "Summertime Blues" is in fact sampled and looped as the intro to LBM's own "Bad Blossom" here! Speaking of ye olde influences, "Woodstock Monster" definitely channels some Stooges and MC5. But in 1988, stuff like that wasn't exactly off-handedly "retro" the same way we'd think about it today - it was just weird! LBM are also way more chaotic and noisy than a really retro band woulda been back then. You can also hear that they were on the same path as certain Seattle bands around the same time, or a few years later... this is Japanese proto-grunge, from a year or so before Mudhoney's earliest singles hit the racks. In LBM's case, it's grunge with grim grandeur, when you hear the melancholic majesty of tracks like "Roman Castevet" and other lugubrious epics here, which also bring to mind the more recent generation of downer "Tokyo Flashback" acts like Up-Tight, Miminokoto, and LSD-march.
Recommended to fans of The Heads, Mudhoney, Zeni Geva, people who think some Russians are assholes, etc. Grab it quick, we really only found a few, and then that's it, they're gone... though we do think that LGM themselves are possibly still active, sometimes, even now. And probably playing some of the same songs. For sure, "Russian Asshole"!
MPEG Stream: "Russian Asshole"
MPEG Stream: "Woodstock Monster"
MPEG Stream: "Bad Blossom"

LENNON, JOHN Mind Games (EMI) cd 29.00

LENNON, JOHN / YOKO ONO Wedding Album (Ryko) cd 15.98
Finally reissued, and with bonus tracks galore! Yoko rules, y'all should know it. Beginners might want to start with Plastic Ono Band.

LENNON, JOHN/YOKO ONO Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins (Ryko) cd 15.98

LENNON, JOHN/YOKO ONO Unfinished Music No. 2: Life With The Lions (Ryko) cd 15.98

LENNON, SEAN Friendly Fire (Capitol) cd+dvd 24.00
Surely you're familiar with the theory "free spirited parents = straight laced kids" (and vice versa)? Well, it sure doesn't apply to the offspring of Lennon and Ono, neither creatively nor socially speaking. Sean Lennon has struck a balance between making the scene with Hollywood starlets on his arm and building a solid body of work of his own. And even though his pedigree looms large and he's definitely drawn on a celebrity cast of supporting characters for this project, his music doesn't show even an inkling of a sense of entitlement. While his debut album was imbued with a wide eyed, first crush kind of openness, the far more ambitious Friendly Fire presents an older and wiser but no less earnest Sean Lennon. He's crafted not only a lovely full album of music, but also a companion film. The cd is comprised of nine unassuming, but very well crafted gentle pop songs plus a T-Rex cover that find themselves at the meeting point between The Raspberries, The Posies and Rufus Wainwright. Super mellow, sweet and charming. The cover art features a number of equally unflashy Neapolitan ice cream colored simple line drawings that do recall those of his father. As far as the accompanying dvd is concerned, we can't comment on the film yet 'cause we haven't had a chance to watch it, but we'll let you know that it stars Lennon, Bijou Phillips, Lindsay Lohan, Asia Argento, Jordana Brewster, Devon Aoki and Carrie Fisher.
MPEG Stream: "Dead Meat"
MPEG Stream: "On Again Off Again"

LENNOX, ANNIE Bare (BMG) cd 17.98
Annie Lennox sure takes her own sweet time. It's been over a decade since the fabulous Eurythmics disbanded and eight years since the release of her second solo album Medusa. And for this, her long-awaited studio follow-up titled Bare, she delivers what we'd like to think of as her counterpart to Raymond Scott's Soothing Sounds For Baby series. Simply stated, it might be more appropriately named "Soothing Sounds for Grown-ups". Smartie-pants-ness aside, this is really, absolutely 'Adult Contemporary' -- a sleek, lushly produced, deeply personal album just as you'd expect from this fine chanteuse -- much like that of Peter Gabriel or Sting. Although she's definitely not assuming the countless guises that she once did in her Eurythmics days -- sharply suited androgynous redhead, vinyl-clad dominatrix, ultra-blonde '60s lounge singer -- her vocal performances and personas are as potent as ever in whichever genre she chooses.
MPEG Stream: "A Thousand Beautiful Things"
MPEG Stream: "The Saddest Song I've Got"

LENO s/t (BMG Spain) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
From the album cover -- an oddly staged photo featuring four long haired dudes with peculiar, only-in the-seventies fashion sense (high top Converse sneakers or bare feet, tube socks, floral print shirt and white vest and pants, bathrobe, shorts, little red hat...) relaxing at a cafe table -- you wouldn't necessarily guess that this is as heavy as it is. But it is. Though this first (and best) album by Spanish hard rockers Leno dates from 1979, it definitely sounds a few years older than that. Total early '70s heavy proto-metal in sound (which means that if you come into the store looking for it, you'll find it in our new "heavy '70s proto metal" section that lives in our "vintage psych rock" rack) for fans of all that stuff like Dust, Toad, Bang, Buffalo, Budgie, Blues Creation, Socrates Drank The Conium, etc. Wild, riffy rock with tough, rough wailing (Spanish-language) vocals and lots and lots of *killer* guitar that gets almost Sabbathy in spots. Man, we love finding obscure stuff like this that sounds so classic the second you put it on. Pretty darn kick ass.
MPEG Stream: "El Oportunista"
MPEG Stream: "Este Madrid"

LENO s/t (Vinilisssimo) lp 27.00
Vinyl reissue of this sorta Sabbathy '70s stormer from Spain. We're stoked, 'cause we stocked a cd reissue some years back, that's now out of print. This is how we praised it then:
You wouldn't necessarily guess from the album cover - an oddly staged photo featuring four long haired dudes with peculiar, only-in the-seventies fashion sense (high top Converse sneakers or bare feet, tube socks, floral print shirt and white vest and pants, bathrobe, shorts, little red hat...) relaxing at a cafe table - that this is as heavy as it is. But it is. Though this first (and best) album by Spanish hard rockers Leno dates from 1979, it definitely sounds a few years older than that. Total early '70s heavy proto-metal in sound for fans of all that stuff like Dust, Toad, Bang, Buffalo, Budgie, Blues Creation, Socrates Drank The Conium, etc. Wild, riffy rock with tough, rough wailing (Spanish-language) vocals and lots and lots of *killer* guitar that gets almost Sabbathy in spots. Man, we love finding obscure stuff like this that sounds so classic the second you put it on. Pretty darn kick ass.
Limited edition, 180 gram vinyl.
MPEG Stream: "El Oportunista"
MPEG Stream: "Este Madrid"

LENTO Anxiety Despair Languish (Denovali Recordings) cd 16.98
It's been a while since we've heard from these Italian atmospheric epic post-prog, math-metal heavies, who in the past have shared a split with psychedelic doomlords and countrymen Ufomammut, and who gave us the stunning Earthen record we raved about a while back, and if anything since then, it seems like everything we dug about these guys has been further honed, their sound still a swirling, chugging, dense and driving, sprawling epic instru-metal, but just, MORE. More mathy, more psychedelic, more proggy, in fact, where most bands like this deliver a handful of lengthy mega-epics, allowing the songs to continually morph and cycle through the millions of parts, Lento cram their metal prog majesty into short, regular song lengths, the longest barely cracking 4 minutes, a few brief two minute blasts, but with most hovering around the 3 minute pop song mark. But there's no way any of these tracks will be mistaken for pop songs, sure, some are dangerously catchy, but for the most part, each song is a dizzying collision of multiple parts, constantly shifting textures, flitting from moody brood, to howling metallic fury, to fluttery folky drift, to loping post rock drift, to hushed jazzy shuffle, to churning almost blackness, to soaring Godspeed worthy, keyboard wreathed swirl and soar, and really, in lesser hands it all might feel like too much, like a band cramming way too many parts into way too little song, but somehow Lento make it feel strangely natural. It's a wild ride for sure, and one that is pretty sonically dizzying, but the songs all feel linked sonically, some sort of prog-math songsuite, and while their Earthen record had a bit of a churning industrial feel, we likened it to Godflesh, and Jesu, as well as more obvious comparisons like Isis and Nadja, the sound here is way more varied, and organic, more math rock and noise rock, with hints of power metal and post rock and spaced out psych and whatever else these weirdos want to mix into their strange sonic brew.
We hear lots of Isis and Nadja still, but plenty of Dutch instrumental metal legends Gore too, as well as LOTS of longtime obscuro aQ faves Fuehler, definitely some shades of the Fucking Champs, the aforementioned power metallisms in places, the mathy chug of Meshuggah for sure, but for the most part, Anxiety Despair Languish is just a fantastically forward thinking, wildly progressive, sonically heavy rock record that RULES, and should have metalheads (and heck adventurous non metalheads) of all stripes losing their shit big time.
The vinyl version is 180 gram and includes a download code.

LENTO Anxiety Despair Languish (Denovali Recordings) 2lp 39.00
It's been a while since we've heard from these Italian atmospheric epic post-prog, math-metal heavies, who in the past have shared a split with psychedelic doomlords and countrymen Ufomammut, and who gave us the stunning Earthen record we raved about a while back, and if anything since then, it seems like everything we dug about these guys has been further honed, their sound still a swirling, chugging, dense and driving, sprawling epic instru-metal, but just, MORE. More mathy, more psychedelic, more proggy, in fact, where most bands like this deliver a handful of lengthy mega-epics, allowing the songs to continually morph and cycle through the millions of parts, Lento cram their metal prog majesty into short, regular song lengths, the longest barely cracking 4 minutes, a few brief two minute blasts, but with most hovering around the 3 minute pop song mark. But there's no way any of these tracks will be mistaken for pop songs, sure, some are dangerously catchy, but for the most part, each song is a dizzying collision of multiple parts, constantly shifting textures, flitting from moody brood, to howling metallic fury, to fluttery folky drift, to loping post rock drift, to hushed jazzy shuffle, to churning almost blackness, to soaring Godspeed worthy, keyboard wreathed swirl and soar, and really, in lesser hands it all might feel like too much, like a band cramming way too many parts into way too little song, but somehow Lento make it feel strangely natural. It's a wild ride for sure, and one that is pretty sonically dizzying, but the songs all feel linked sonically, some sort of prog-math songsuite, and while their Earthen record had a bit of a churning industrial feel, we likened it to Godflesh, and Jesu, as well as more obvious comparisons like Isis and Nadja, the sound here is way more varied, and organic, more math rock and noise rock, with hints of power metal and post rock and spaced out psych and whatever else these weirdos want to mix into their strange sonic brew.
We hear lots of Isis and Nadja still, but plenty of Dutch instrumental metal legends Gore too, as well as LOTS of longtime obscuro aQ faves Fuehler, definitely some shades of the Fucking Champs, the aforementioned power metallisms in places, the mathy chug of Meshuggah for sure, but for the most part, Anxiety Despair Languish is just a fantastically forward thinking, wildly progressive, sonically heavy rock record that RULES, and should have metalheads (and heck adventurous non metalheads) of all stripes losing their shit big time.
The vinyl version is 180 gram and includes a download code.

LENTO Earthen (Supernatural Cat) cd 21.00
When we got the Supernaturals Vol.1 cd that teamed up Italy's UFOmammut and Lento (or Lent0?) we knew who UFOmammut were. The snailkings of psychedelic heavy sludge stoner metal awesomeness, a perfect hybrid of Electric Wizard's drugged-out doom and Hawkwind's even spacier, uh, spaciness. Big fans of UFOmammut we already were. But who were this Lento?? Now we have that band's out-on-their-own debut, and now we know. Lento are Italy's all-instrumental answer to Isis. They're Italy's masters of sinister, atmospheric, super-heavy post rock chugga chugga. The seven tracks of Earthen are divided between full-on, blown-out, heavy-riffing clobber and more restrained, near-ambient dronology, usually dynamically within the same song, though there's several tracks given over entirely to the latter, as on "Emersion Of The Islands" a drone-piece with crackling sferic-like sounds... It's a majestic, metallic post-rock soundtrack to a trudging trip across the cratered surface of some airless planetoid, an epic slog under unknown stars, bathed in space radiation, amidst the ruined remains of ancient alien technology... Or at least that's what we're getting from all their drone and grit and feedback, crashing cymbals, and monolithic riffage. Though Earthen's theme, as expressed in the song titles and artwork, appears actually to be more "Subterrestrial" than extra-terrestrial.
First off & obviously we'd recommend this to fans of their pals UFOmammut... the rigid, mechanical Godflesh-like elements that we've detected in UFOmammut's music are more prominent here, with some isolationist Lustmord ambience thrown in as well. Certainly check out Lento if you're into Godflesh (and Justin Broadrick's Jesu too), Isis, Nadja, Dumb & The Ugly, Hyatari... and of course if you liked that Supernaturals Vol.1 disc. This, and UFOmammut's new one Idolum also reviewed this list, are both fine follow-ups to that.
Similar to that new UFOmammut, this "regular" edition of Earthen is packaged in one of those newfangled rounded-corner jewel cases. There is (or was) a special limited edition of Earthen, too, with arty inserts and all, but we got precisely one of those 'cause they cost so damn much. If you're interested, ask, we might still have it... $49! Otherwise, this $21.00 edition is recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Need"
MPEG Stream: "Subterrestrial"
MPEG Stream: "Earth"

LENZ Ways To End A Day (1-2-3-4 Go!) cd 11.98
We missed the first two singles from these self proclaimed 'ice-poppers', but we're digging this new full length a bunch, the sound not that far removed from the current crop of garage-y jangle pop, not hard to imagine this coming out on Sacred Bones or Captured Tracks, and like some of those groups, these guys look back to the eighties too, but more toward groups like Modern English and Echo & The Bunnymen. There's a definitely new wave vibe, and lots of the tracks here sound like they would have fit perfectly on some John Hughes soundtrack for sure. But unlike a lot of bands with similar influences, Lenz don't seem to spend as much time and energy aping that era's sound and production, although much of this does sound genuinely eighties, but much of it sound way too polished and modern, opener "Moody Michelle" melodically is a total throwback, but otherwise, it's a sweet slab of super hooky jangle pop.
"Roman Holiday" though IS a bit more lo-fi, with a distinctly old school production, and a cool angular guitar melody/vocal line that sounds like it could have come from some classic MTV era new wave pop hit, with a verse and a bridge that are equally crazy catchy, and that has us hearing Thompson Twins and Duran Duran, albeit a lot more gritty and psychedelic. But really, of the current crop of retro pop, this Lenz record has been stuck on our turntables, and lodged in our heads nonstop, and if the measure of a record is how hard it is to actually stop listening to it in order to listen to something ELSE, then this is most definitely a new fave. Fans of Blank Dogs, Big Troubles, Craft Spells and other sonically similar eighties jangle pop throwbacks will be in heaven (seventeen?)...
MPEG Stream: "Roman Holiday"
MPEG Stream: "Moody Michelle"
MPEG Stream: "Feeling"
MPEG Stream: "Humans"

LENZ Ways To End A Day (1-2-3-4 Go!) lp 14.98
We missed the first two singles from these self proclaimed 'ice-poppers', but we're digging this new full length a bunch, the sound not that far removed from the current crop of garage-y jangle pop, not hard to imagine this coming out on Sacred Bones or Captured Tracks, and like some of those groups, these guys look back to the eighties too, but more toward groups like Modern English and Echo & The Bunnymen. There's a definitely new wave vibe, and lots of the tracks here sound like they would have fit perfectly on some John Hughes soundtrack for sure. But unlike a lot of bands with similar influences, Lenz don't seem to spend as much time and energy aping that era's sound and production, although much of this does sound genuinely eighties, but much of it sound way too polished and modern, opener "Moody Michelle" melodically is a total throwback, but otherwise, it's a sweet slab of super hooky jangle pop.
"Roman Holiday" though IS a bit more lo-fi, with a distinctly old school production, and a cool angular guitar melody/vocal line that sounds like it could have come from some classic MTV era new wave pop hit, with a verse and a bridge that are equally crazy catchy, and that has us hearing Thompson Twins and Duran Duran, albeit a lot more gritty and psychedelic. But really, of the current crop of retro pop, this Lenz record has been stuck on our turntables, and lodged in our heads nonstop, and if the measure of a record is how hard it is to actually stop listening to it in order to listen to something ELSE, then this is most definitely a new fave. Fans of Blank Dogs, Big Troubles, Craft Spells and other sonically similar eighties jangle pop throwbacks will be in heaven (seventeen?)...
MPEG Stream: "Roman Holiday"
MPEG Stream: "Moody Michelle"
MPEG Stream: "Feeling"
MPEG Stream: "Humans"

LEO, TED & THE PHARMACISTS Hearts Of Oak (Lookout!) cd 13.98
We're so glad that the world is finally waking up to the genius of Ted Leo. We have been huge fans since his early days fronting the aggro mod-pop band Chisel. And the things that made Chisel so appealing have only intensified and matured since then. Jangly, super catchy hooks, classic riffs, amazingly literate, clever and funny lyrics, and that voice! A soaring almost falsetto that is keening and straining at impossible registers one moment, belting it out at others. So awesome. The sound is still sort of mod-pop, think the Jam/Style Council, Thin Lizzy, Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson all wrapped up in a sensitive thirtysomething emo boy! And all filtered through Leo's knack for inventive arrangements and weird chordal choices. This is not easy or simple pop. This is the kind of stuff that rewards repeated listens. The hooks are there, but they aren't obvious. And the melodies are infectious, but not cloying. And to me that's the best kind of pop record. One that stays fresh and offers something new everytime you hear it. Leo is seriously one of the best pop songwriters around. And he just keeps getting better.
RealAudio clip: "Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone?"
RealAudio clip: "I'm A Ghost"
RealAudio clip: "The High Party"
RealAudio clip: "Hearts Of Oak"

LEO, TED & THE PHARMACISTS The Brutalist Bricks (Matador) cd 13.98
We've pretty much always loved Ted Leo, and his totally thrilling, energetic mod pop. Ever since his early days with his first band Chisel, Leo has proven himself a master songsmith, always backed up by a crack band, always armed with a clutch of killer songs that manage to be poignant and meaningful, but also catchy and anthemic, guitars howl and riffs crunch, and that voice, so clear and powerful, the second he opens his mouth, he's got you. The Jam has always been an obvious reference point, so too Thin Lizzy, and nothing has changed on that front. In some ways The Brutalist Bricks is a little less immediate, and requires a few more listens before it really sinks in, but that's usually the case with records that are bound to end up favorites. That immediate super satisfying sugar rush of sound is replaced with a record that will have the same impact in a week or a month or a year, maybe even moreso. Songs that blossom a little more with each play. The Brutalist Bricks also sounds a bit more polished, a little more commercial, a smidge less raw and urgent, which will no doubt bug some, but it actually suits him, and like we always say, we'd WAY rather hear Ted Leo on the radio than John Mayer, and even with that extra bit of polish and occasional big studio flourish, none of that would mean shit if these songs weren't great, and if Leo weren't in fine form, thankfully they are and he is. If you dug his other records, you'll definitely dig this one. And anyone into kick ass classic sounding power pop, who hasn't checked out Leo, should absolutely grab one of these right now.
MPEG Stream: "The Mighty Sparrow"
MPEG Stream: "Mourning In America"
MPEG Stream: "Ativan Eyes"
MPEG Stream: "Even Heroes Have To Die"

LEO, TED & THE PHARMACISTS The Brutalist Bricks (Matador) lp 15.98
We've pretty much always loved Ted Leo, and his totally thrilling, energetic mod pop. Ever since his early days with his first band Chisel, Leo has proven himself a master songsmith, always backed up by a crack band, always armed with a clutch of killer songs that manage to be poignant and meaningful, but also catchy and anthemic, guitars howl and riffs crunch, and that voice, so clear and powerful, the second he opens his mouth, he's got you. The Jam has always been an obvious reference point, so too Thin Lizzy, and nothing has changed on that front. In some ways The Brutalist Bricks is a little less immediate, and requires a few more listens before it really sinks in, but that's usually the case with records that are bound to end up favorites. That immediate super satisfying sugar rush of sound is replaced with a record that will have the same impact in a week or a month or a year, maybe even moreso. Songs that blossom a little more with each play. The Brutalist Bricks also sounds a bit more polished, a little more commercial, a smidge less raw and urgent, which will no doubt bug some, but it actually suits him, and like we always say, we'd WAY rather hear Ted Leo on the radio than John Mayer, and even with that extra bit of polish and occasional big studio flourish, none of that would mean shit if these songs weren't great, and if Leo weren't in fine form, thankfully they are and he is. If you dug his other records, you'll definitely dig this one. And anyone into kick ass classic sounding power pop, who hasn't checked out Leo, should absolutely grab one of these right now.
MPEG Stream: "The Mighty Sparrow"
MPEG Stream: "Mourning In America"
MPEG Stream: "Ativan Eyes"
MPEG Stream: "Even Heroes Have To Die"

LEO, TED & THE PHARMACISTS The Oldest House / North Coast (Matador) 7" 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

LEO, TED / PHARMACISTS The Tyranny of Distance (Lookout!) cd 14.98
Ted Leo, former leader of the criminally overlooked D.C. mod-pop outfit Chisel, with his pick-up band the Pharmacists, continues on his unique pop trajectory, somewhere between the jumpy caffeinated pop of his old outfit Chisel, the mod emotion of the Jam, the kick ass rock of Thin Lizzy and the perfect pop of old Elvis Costello. Super smart and sentimental (especially the lyrics: wry and clever, but heartfelt and really unique), but playful and infectious at the same time. This record is a definite contender for pop record of the year. And Leo has one of the best voices we've heard. High and crystal clear, he belts out these songs, occasionally slipping smoothly into a perfect falsetto that makes you stand on your toes just listening to it. I got to see him perfrom these songs live a few months ago, just him and a guitar, and it was just as good live. His voice was perfect, the songs were perfect. Leo is a total pop genius. Hopefully this record will help more and more people finally realise this and they will jump, and dance, and sing along, and buy all his records!
Leo is joined on this record by his brother Chris (who fronts the Lapse) on drums and percussion. Brendan Canty (of Fugazi) plays some drums as does his brother James. And Amy Dominguez (who plays on every indie rock record that needs a cellist it seems like) plays cello.
This record is so good. Really.
RealAudio clip: "Under The Hedge"
RealAudio clip: "Biomusicology"
RealAudio clip: "Tinorous Me"
RealAudio clip: "My Vien Ilin"
RealAudio clip: "You Coul Die (Or This Might End)"

LEO, TED / THE PHARMACISTS Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead (Lookout!) cd 10.98
If you've been reading the AQ list, you know how much we love Ted Leo. His gorgeously keening vocals, jangly mod guitars, brilliantly funny lyrics, and unique songsmithery have really made him one of the most appealing singer/songwriters going these days. Screw Rufus Wainwright, forget Elliott Smith. A dense heady mix of the Jam, Elvis Costello, and Thin Lizzy, mixed with an undeniable knack for irresistably catchy indie rock. This sort-of-EP is a bit of a stopover until the next full length with a few originals, a few solo vocal/guitar tracks and some unique covers. The Jam cover is an obvious choice ("Ghosts"), then there's a version of the celtic sixties standard "Dirty Old Town", and a Split Enz cover. THAT could have been a travesty, and although it makes me want to hear the original more than anything, Leo manages to make it enough his own that it's worth checking out! Can't wait for the next full length.
MPEG Stream: "Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead"
MPEG Stream: "Ghosts"

LEO, TED AND THE PHARMACISTS Living With The Living (Touch And Go) cd 14.98
Yippeee! Ted Leo And The Pharmacists are back!
The opening track kicks things into gear with sharp crunchy guitars that penetrate right to the roots of your hair and teeth(!). Said guitars are feverishly strummed atop a runaway train drumbeat... oh, and don't forget the handclaps! NEVER! As always, Leo's sound is very mod inspired a la The Jam with a little eighties power pop vocal flavor (Elvis Costello and Rick Springfield) and hard rock (lots of Thin Lizzy) in there. That said, Living With The Living keeps us on our toes with a couple twists that caught us by surprise -- three of 'em being the bizarre jig in the sixth tune "A Bottle Of Buckie", the fiery rock blast of "Bomb.Repeat.Bomb" and the unpredictable reggae turn on "The Unwanted Things". A neat balance of boyish charm, winking pop hooks, and anthemic balls-out rawk power!
Bonus alert! The first pressing of the cd includes a five-song cdep, and the initial vinyl edition includes a coupon for a free MP3 download of the entire album plus some extra non-album MP3s! More Leo to love!
MPEG Stream: "A Bottle Of Buckie"
MPEG Stream: "Bomb.Repeat.Bomb"

LEO, TED AND THE PHARMACISTS Living With The Living (Touch And Go) 2lp 15.98
Yippeee! Ted Leo And The Pharmacists are back!
The opening track kicks things into gear with sharp crunchy guitars that penetrate right to the roots of your hair and teeth(!). Said guitars are feverishly strummed atop a runaway train drumbeat... oh, and don't forget the handclaps! NEVER! As always, Leo's sound is very mod inspired a la The Jam with a little eighties power pop vocal flavor (Elvis Costello and Rick Springfield) and hard rock (lots of Thin Lizzy) in there. That said, Living With The Living keeps us on our toes with a couple twists that caught us by surprise -- three of 'em being the bizarre jig in the sixth tune "A Bottle Of Buckie", the fiery rock blast of "Bomb.Repeat.Bomb" and the unpredictable reggae turn on "The Unwanted Things". A neat balance of boyish charm, winking pop hooks, and anthemic balls-out rawk power!
Bonus alert! The first pressing of the cd includes a five-song cdep, and the initial vinyl edition includes a coupon for a free MP3 download of the entire album plus some extra non-album MP3s! More Leo to love!
MPEG Stream: "A Bottle Of Buckie"
MPEG Stream: "Bomb.Repeat.Bomb"

LEO, TED AND THE PHARMACISTS Shake The Sheets (Lookout!) cd 14.98
Is Ted Leo the new voice of our generation? We wish. If only music this catchy and smart could be the sound of today's youth (and the not so young, can't leave ourselves out) instead of Good Charlotte and Hilary Duff.
Shake The Streets is the newest release from Ted Leo and his band the Pharmacists and continues where the last record left off, channelling classic rock (Thin Lizzy), mod rock (the Jam), classic new wave pop (Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson) and indie rock (Leo's former outfit, the indie-mod Chisel) into music that somehow sounds like all of those and none of those. Huge riffs collide with indie jangle, Leo's soaring vocals (often slipping into an impossible falsetto) spinning tales of love, loss, politics, drug policy (!) and all sort of other subjects not often sung about in pop music. This is definitely Leo's least immediately catchy record so far, but as is often the case, now that it's been out for a while and we've had a chance to listen to it a bunch, it's blossomed into an absolutely amazing pop record. Unforgettable riffs, those sort of muted major key Thin Lizzy hooks, really strange and convoluted arrangements (not so much so that they ruin the pop element), clever sharp tongued lyrics and of course Leo's crystal clear vocals. Leo's music is really something special, kick ass rock that sounds perfect blasting from your car stereo flying down the highway, but works just as well on a mixtape for that special someone, and works even better sitting on your bed with headphones reading along with the lyrics!
MPEG Stream: "Me And Mia"
MPEG Stream: "The Angels' Share"

LEO, TED. RX The One AM Radio (Translucence) cd ep 5.98

LEONARD COHEN I'M YOUR MAN OST (Verve) cd 15.98
Here's a unique kind of movie soundtrack, and an excellent one at that! Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man features live recordings of Martha and Rufus Wainwright, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Teddy Thompson, Nick Cave, Antony (of And The Johnsons), Beth Orton, Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, The Handsome Family, Perla Batalla, Julie Christensen, U2 and the man himself, Leonard Cohen. The performances (except for the Cohen/U2 one) were part of Hal Willner's production "Came So Far For Beauty: An Evening Of Leonard Cohen Songs" which took place twice in Brighton, England (2004) and Sydney, Australia (2005). Cool!
MPEG Stream: ANTONY "If It Be Your Will"
MPEG Stream: RUFUS WAINWRIGHT "Chelsea Hotel No. 2"
MPEG Stream: JARVIS COCKER "I Can't Forget"

LEONE, DOMINIQUE Abstract Expression (Important) cd 14.98
Ambitious power-prog-pop!?! Mixing elements of everything from Magma to the Fiery Furnaces, The Boredoms to the Dirty Projectors, Van Dyke Parks to Heavy Vegetable. A fun and colorful ride.
MPEG Stream: "Cover Yourself"
MPEG Stream: "Reasonable Snow"

LERCHE, SONDRE Two Way Monologue (Astralwerks) cd 16.98
The second full length from this Norwegian heartbreaker has arrived! And from the very first couple of songs, who can deny the heartmelting power of Lerche's sensitive boyish croon? In-store play has drawn plenty of enthusiastic queries. Definitely brings to mind the music of Jeff Buckley or Rufus Wainwright -- particularly the latter with the grand Bacharach-ian orchestral flourishes. However on the very next tune, he shifts his delivery to a much more forthright Robyn Hitchcock quirkiness and the music follows suit. Indeed, it's a finely composed, lush and sophisticated pop album that covers a much broader scope than Lerche's impressive debut Faces Down. And although it's certainly much less obvious this time around, in each song you can catch more than fleeting glimpses of his clear Beatles and Beach Boys worship. If you have a penchant for heaping spoonfuls of well-crafted pop sugary sweets, this is for you!
MPEG Stream: "Track You Down"
MPEG Stream: "Wet Ground"

LES BLOUSONS NOIRS Les Blousons Noirs 1961 - 1962 (Born Bad) cd 17.98
A totally twisted blast of primitive outsider garage rock from this mysterious sixties French combo, whose sound exists in some what-the-fuck nether region between the Shaggs and Hasil Adkins, a woozy, stumbling, low fidelity workout that begins with a warped cover of Gene Vincent's "Be Bop A-Lula", which pretty much lays it all out, detuned angular guitar strum, shuffling drum stumble, slightly off key vocal croon WAY up in the mix, the whole thing loose and off kilter, weaving drunkenly from verse to chorus and back again, total bad ass swagger wrapped in a utter earnestness, the sort of band who can only pull off stuff this weird and fucking nuts, cuz they're convinced they rule, and rule they do. Every time we play this in the store someone asks what it is an invariably ends up buying it. We were smitten from the very first listen.
Two long lost eps combined into one mind blowing sixteen minute 'long player', a record that our pals at WFMU are nuts for, as we are now too, and like them, we were suspicious that this was not in fact some modern band taking the piss, crafting some fucked up fractured 'lost gem' but by all accounts this is the real deal, which makes sense cuz this sort of warped genius is tough to fake, and genius it is, catchy has heck, even in its damaged sonic stumble, we find ourselves humming along to every misstep, sour note and warbly vocal, and also find ourselves listening this pretty much more than almost anything else, which really says it all.
MPEG Stream: "Be Bop Alula"
MPEG Stream: "Eddie Sois Bon"
MPEG Stream: "Depuis Que Ma Mome"

LES DEMONIAQUES Teenage Lust (True Panther Sounds) 7" flexi-disc single 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
What is it about the flexidisc? We were shocked by the resurgence of interest in cassettes, but we could NEVER have predicted that the flexidisc would be next. But hell, we actually love those things, and for what they lack in fidelity and sound quality, they make up for in cool quirkiness. Take this flexidisc right here, a sort of picture flexidisc, a square record adorned with a naked woman's torso, housed in a printed plastic sleeve covering up the sexy bits, includes a postcard with liner notes and a download code, this is in fact the debut release from Les Demoniaques, a duo made up of gothy songstress Tamaryn and Dee Dee from The Dum Dum Girls, and sounds pretty much exactly how you might imagine, a gloomy gothic ballad / sixties girl group fuzz pop hybrid, all woozy and warm, reverby and shimmery, the vocals softly echoed, the music repetitive and trancelike, no drums that we could hear, hazy and drifty and jangly, a super short and sweet bit of dreamy gloom pop, peppered with some synthy swirl, and some divine "oooh's" and "aaah's", oh yeah, and it's a Jesus And Mary Chain cover! Definitely has us hankering for more and has us wondering if they can whip up some originals that can live up to this psychedelic shoegaze classic, here's hoping...
LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES.

LES DISCRETS Ariettes Oubliees (Prophecy) cd 13.98
Latest from these French post black metal shoegazers, who seem forever doomed to live in the shadow of their countrymen Alcest and Amesoeurs, which makes sense, cuz most folks might in fact have a little trouble telling them apart. It's a shame though, because removed from the whole 'post black metal' equation (like really, all three of these band should be at this point), Les Discrets are masterful practitioners of fuzzed out, distortion drenched shoegaze dreampop heaviness. While they have essentially given up any pretense of being a black metal band of any stripe, their are some hints of blackness here, mostly in the occasional atonal riffage, and the brief stretch of guitar buzz and blast beat, but if anything, they definitely have more in common with the soaring dramatic metallic gloom pop of Katatonia, or the shoegaze blissiness of 4AD and Creation. There's plenty of buzz and pound, big soaring guitars, epic riffage, but even at their heaviest, Les Discrets are still a pop band, which is really what makes this stuff so great, every song here, gorgeously melancholic, epic and hook filled, maybe not necessarily in the classic verse chorus verse sense, but their knack for unforgettable melodies, for lush enveloping textures, for hypnorock mesmer, are unmatched, and yeah, we'll say it, even by their more famous countrymen. And when they slow it down, LD are capable of great beauty, of hushed crystalline mystery that sounds even more dramatic in the midst of a sprawling progged out black pop shoegaze epic. And all that said, of the three flagship post BM shoegaze combos, at this point we'd have to say LD might be out favorites. It could be simply because this is new, and these songs are fresh, but we're thinking it's much more than that.
MPEG Stream: "La Traversee"
MPEG Stream: "Le Mouvement Perpetuel"
MPEG Stream: "Ariette Oubliees I Je Devine A Travers Un Murmure..."

LES DISCRETS Septembre Et Ses Dernieres Pensees (Prophecy) cd 16.98
The easiest way to describe Les Discrets is thus: anyone who loves Alcest or Amesoeurs, is gonna love these guys too. Which makes perfect sense, they're French, their sound is a blissed out shoegazey post-black metal pop, and heck they even share members with Alcest.
But unlike Alcest, whom these guys shared a split release with not too long ago, Les Discrets have pretty much eliminated all and any blackness from their sound. Only the barest traces, only shadowy vestiges remain, no harsh vocals, no blast beats, no frenzied riffing, no Les Discrets is like an even more poppy blissed out Alcest, all jangle and chime and soar and shimmer. And as we mentioned in the Alcest review elsewhere on this week's list, these guys are inexplicably beloved by black metallers. With Alcest it makes a bit more sense, as there is actually some blackness, but the blackness in Les Discrets has been infused with sunlight, transforming black into bursts of greys and blues, hazy and gauzy, a sound more akin to Katatonia really, majestic and epic and heartfelt and emotional, still heavy for sure, even a little mathy, but more than anything, lush and dreamy and shimmery, shoegazey and softly fuzzy, lots of clean guitars, acoustic jangle, crooned vocals, warm whirling effects, all mixed into the woozy distorted crunch and softly blown out buzz, the result, while not remotely black metal, is turning out to be one of our favorite shoegaze gloom pop records ever!
MPEG Stream: "L'Echappee"
MPEG Stream: "Les Feuilles De L'Olivier"
MPEG Stream: "Song For Mountains"
MPEG Stream: "Sur Les Quais"

LES FLEURS DE PAVOT s/t (Underground Masters) cd 21.00

LES GEORGES LENINGRAD Deux Hot Dogs Moutarde Chou (Alien8 Recordings) cd 14.98

LES GEORGES LENINGRAD Supa Doopa Remix (Troubleman) cd ep 8.98
Yes. Yes. Yes. Hmmmm, yes. Yes. And Yes! While some people around here might be incredibly annoyed by our ridiculous French-Canadian electropop-artrock-postpunk friends, Les Georges Lenningrad, others of us can't get enough of 'em. Ainsi, pour nous qui t'adore [so for those of us who adore them], this remix cd ep lands on open ears and, um, dancing feet. And as always, it features some cool handmade-or-sewn-'n-scanned artwork. Meow. I wish they would handmake me a fuzzy shirt.
MPEG Stream: "Akufen Soutien-Georges - remix"

LES GEORGES LENINGRAD Sur Les Traces De Black Eskimo (Alien8 Recordings) cd 14.98
Ahhhh ouuuuiii... Le nouveau super rockin' release from our French-Canadian friends Les Georges Leningrad. Poney, Bobo and Mingo (a trio now after losing one member through interpersonal conflict) deliver astounding electronoisepop compositions on Sur Les Traces De Black Eskimo. Groovy beats and spastic outbursts are prominent characters in the song craft they call petrochemical rock. Why they are obsessed with 'black eskimo', je ne sais pas. Mais, je t'aime, Les Georges. If you have the chance to see them live, they generously offer an award-winning show, featuring self-made costumes and an arresting stage presence. Their artwork is all done by the band members themselves and est la superbe. Check it!
MPEG Stream: "Missing Gary"
MPEG Stream: "Fifi F."

LES GOTHS Reve De Silence (Shadoks Music) cd 17.98
We have to say, that lots of the time, when a band is touted as being some lost heavy psych or proto-metal classic, it often eventually turns out to sound sonically more like blues rock or bar rock, with merely HINTS of that psychedelic heaviness that lured us in, in the first place. Such is most definitely NOT the case with obscure French psychedelic rockers Les Goths, who within one track, establish themselves as a serious sonic juggernaut, obviously beholden to Hendrix and Cream and Blue Cheer, and yeah, with hints of sixties blues rock, but with a tendency for wild super distorted guitar playing and wicked bombastic drumming and dramatic vox, not to mention a raw, in-the-red production which only enhances the band's fierce sound. Some of us were definitely reminded of sixties Swedish psych trio Baby Grandmothers, and anyone who bought their now out of print reissue on Subliminal Sounds (and that was a whole lot of you!) is for sure gonna want this. Check out the first song and see if you're not totally sold, a four minute non-stop blast of buzz drenched riffage and effects soaked garage psych pound, the guitars thick and distorted, the drums WAY up in the mix, the vox too, everything reverbed and echoey and a little blown out, some wild psychedelic leads, a total lost classic garage psych classic for sure. We've probably listened to this track a hundred times since we first got this in, it's the sort of track that would steal the show on any vintage psych comp, in fact it's the sort of track that would inspire someone to CREATE an obscure psych comp. The song gets more and more distorted and druggy as it goes, we dare say worth the price of admission alone. But once you get over being obsessed with that track (if you ever do), there's lots more here to dig into.
Tracks like "I Remember" are bluesy groovers, displaying the band's love of groups like the Animals, but even here, the sound is a little twisted, the arrangements a bit off kilter, with a little bit of that girl group vibe, cool soaring harmony vocals, with some super intense about-to-crack lead vox, all hazy and dreamy, and then the band slip right back into something a bit heavier and more propulsive like "Out Of The Sun" with its low slung bass groove, wild tangled guitars and chaotic super busy drumming, the whole thing sort of sun baked and druggy, with some cool churning chuggy riffage surfacing throughout.
The rest of the record offers up more of the same, long stretches of brooding bluesiness, groovy psychedelic shuffles, and pounding garage-y stomps, in equal measure, always with some killer guitar work and easily some of the best drumming we've heard, which had us wishing there was a way to nominate Les Goths drummer Bruno Frascone as should have/could have been drum legend. Consider him so nominated! One of our favorite new garage / psych reissues for sure!
Like with all Shadoks releases, plenty of rare photos, lyrics and liner notes.
MPEG Stream: "Turn Over"
MPEG Stream: "I Remember"
MPEG Stream: "Out Of The Sun"
MPEG Stream: "Le Jour Etait Gris"

LES MALEDICTUS SOUND s/t (Mucho Gusto) cd 14.98
Previously a vinyl-only reissue, now also available on cd -- the crazy French-Canadian sound of 1968! Collectors (like Jello Biafra) have apparently been salivating over this bizarre record for years. A wild psychedelic big-band instrumental soundtrack trip, it sounds like. Titles include "Inside My Brain", "Concerto Genocide", and "Monster Cocktail". What does it all mean? We really don't know, but it's certainly entertaining, and fans of mind-bending exotica will want to check this out. Very much the ridiculous kind of thing only possible in the late sixties acid-era.
UPDATED SIDE NOTE: Of course we didn't realize this 'til much later that Les Maledictus Sound was one of many nom de plumes of the bizarre pop freak eccentric, Jean Pierre Massiera, who has gotten a much deserved renaissance these days with three separate compilations of far-out material! All amazing! Check 'em out elsewhere on the site!
MPEG Stream: "Kriminal Theme"
MPEG Stream: "Inside My Brain"

LES MALEDICTUS SOUND s/t (Mucho Gusto) lp 21.00
For all of you who got excited about the new vinyl volume in the Total Freakout "series" that we listed last time, we've now also got newly reissued vinyl of this old fave also on Mucho Gusto. Like the stuff on Total Freakout Vol. 33, this is far out Francophone freakiness, in this case Les Maledictus Sound being one of the many projects (cf. Venus Gang, Visitors, Herman's Rocket...) helmed by eccentric genius pop producer Jean-Pierre Massiera, whom hopefully you know from the various cool comps (Psychoses: Discoid, Psychoses: Freakoid, and B-Music's Midnight Massiera) of his stuff that we've stocked.
Here's what we said way back when, when this was originally reissued on cd: The crazy French-Canadian sound of 1968! Collectors (like Jello Biafra) have apparently been salivating over this bizarre record for years. A wild psychedelic big-band instrumental soundtrack trip, it sounds like. Titles include "Inside My Brain", "Concerto Genocide", and "Monster Cocktail". What does it all mean? We really don't know, but it's certainly entertaining, and fans of mind-bending exotica will want to check this out. Very much the ridiculous kind of thing only possible in the late sixties acid-era.
MPEG Stream: "Kriminal Theme"
MPEG Stream: "Inside My Brain"

LES OLIVENSTEINS s/t (Born Bad) cd 16.98
Putain de merde!! '70s French noisy garage punk rock insanity here, courtesy of France's Born Bad label who know their shit (they brought us some early '60s French rock insanity not too long ago from Les Blousons Noirs, remember). We've been wanting to review this for a while too, finally got a few imports in on both cd and vinyl. It's an offical compilation of most what remains of the recorded legacy of these cult '77 era punks, named after psychiatrist and drug addiction treatment specialist Claude Olivenstein. They were worthy contemporaries of the great Metal Urbain, sounding totally killed by death. The 13 tracks here range from their killer singles to even rawer and wigger demos to live material, some of it previously unissued, rescued from dusty old cassette tapes and so forth. Like their countrymen and early '70s forefathers Rotomagus, they never made a full-length album - or rather, this is it, 30+ years later!
Savage, slashing stuff, the vocals en francias delivered with a snotty sneer, the rhythms chugging and cooking like rock 'n' roll should, guitar jangle mixing it up with some wild lashings of noisy fuzz and distortion. Crazy. Like certain other obscure '70s French faves we can think of (Angelface, Soggy) there's plenty of Stooges-y shake appeal here. Also, if Metal Urbain was in fact the French answer to the Sex Pistols, these guys were ready to back 'em up in a pinch. They also have a cute little doo-wop thing going too with the ironically sunshiney "La Nuit Tragique", while the groovy twang of "Olivenstein Je T'ai Dans Les Veines" (performed here live) reminds us of both Radio Birdman and The Stranglers. Oui oui, recommended! (Compact disc version comes enhanced with a QuickTime video of Les Olivensteins performing "Euthanasie" on TV.)
MPEG Stream: "Fier De Ne Rien Faire"
MPEG Stream: "Euthanasie (demo)"
MPEG Stream: "Olivenstein Je T'ai Dans Les Veines (live)"

LES OLIVENSTEINS s/t (Born Bad) lp 21.00
Putain de merde!! '70s French noisy garage punk rock insanity here, courtesy of France's Born Bad label who know their shit (they brought us some early '60s French rock insanity not too long ago from Les Blousons Noirs, remember). We've been wanting to review this for a while too, finally got a few imports in on both cd and vinyl. It's an offical compilation of most what remains of the recorded legacy of these cult '77 era punks, named after psychiatrist and drug addiction treatment specialist Claude Olivenstein. They were worthy contemporaries of the great Metal Urbain, sounding totally killed by death. The 13 tracks here range from their killer singles to even rawer and wigger demos to live material, some of it previously unissued, rescued from dusty old cassette tapes and so forth. Like their countrymen and early '70s forefathers Rotomagus, they never made a full-length album - or rather, this is it, 30+ years later!
Savage, slashing stuff, the vocals en francias delivered with a snotty sneer, the rhythms chugging and cooking like rock 'n' roll should, guitar jangle mixing it up with some wild lashings of noisy fuzz and distortion. Crazy. Like certain other obscure '70s French faves we can think of (Angelface, Soggy) there's plenty of Stooges-y shake appeal here. Also, if Metal Urbain was in fact the French answer to the Sex Pistols, these guys were ready to back 'em up in a pinch. They also have a cute little doo-wop thing going too with the ironically sunshiney "La Nuit Tragique", while the groovy twang of "Olivenstein Je T'ai Dans Les Veines" (performed here live) reminds us of both Radio Birdman and The Stranglers. Oui oui, recommended! (Compact disc version comes enhanced with a QuickTime video of Les Olivensteins performing "Euthanasie" on TV.)
MPEG Stream: "Fier De Ne Rien Faire"
MPEG Stream: "Euthanasie (demo)"
MPEG Stream: "Olivenstein Je T'ai Dans Les Veines (live)"