LITTLE WINGS Black Grass (Gnomelife) cassette 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

LITTLE WINGS Light Green Leaves (K) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Little Wings' Kyle Field has this warbly, almost on the verge on breaking voice -- similar in a way to Will Oldham, although they don't actually sound alike -- which he lets go into huge, room-filling fullness when playing live. On record, far more restraint is exercised, which is unfortunate, but what's lost in immediate impact is replaced by gentle subtlety and the added textures of instruments besides Field's trusty kid-sized nylon string guitar --a bit of bass, soft drums, a melodica melody here and there. All of the songs on this record feel incredibly intimate, although not in an annoying emo sharing-my-pain way. Rather, these songs are comforting and real, like a gathering of your closest friends. Several of Little Wing's friends (including Hugh from the Lowdown) are gathered here, in fact, to lend backing vocals, in (& out of) varying degrees of tune, but always with warmth & enthusiasm. The songs on "Light Green Leaves" aren't as super catchy as some on his last record "Wonderue," but they are still fine examples of Field's songcrafting skills. Included is perhaps the final chapter of the "Shredder" saga, truly heartbreaking tales of the obsolescence of an old school skater. This is sweet, charming stuff, fans of Little Wings pals Microphones as well as of the sunnier Palace & Bonnie Billy moments should check it out.
RealAudio clip: "Look At What The Light Did Now"
RealAudio clip: "Fall Sweep"
RealAudio clip: "The Way I Deux"

LITTLE WINGS Made It Rain (Gnomelife) cassette 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

LIVERPOOL Por Favor Sucesso (Shadoks Music) cd 17.98
We pretty much thought the well had run dry as far as great lost tropicalia gems goes. A few years back there was an explosion of amazing finds from this fertile era in Brazilian music history, with records by folks like Som Imaginario, Ronnie Von, Paulo Bagunca and Alceu Valenca & Gerardo Azevedo.
While there has been totally essential reissues of many of the biggest names of tropicalia (Jorge Ben, Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso, etc.) it was looking like we were going to have to concede that there might not be anymore totally obscure gems left. Of course time after time we're always blown away by unearthed discoveries that just sound way too damn good to have remained obscure and unheard for so long. Such is the case for Liverpool, who released this record in 1969 and of course by their name you know they were influenced by some of the paisley sounds coming out of the UK, and they incorporated that influence into their own take on breezy and driving tropicalia. With a vocal delivery and arrangements that would sound right at home on some of Caetano Veloso's best outings, Liverpool were just as potent mellow and sun baked as they were rocking and psychedelic. We're so happy this has been unearthed for us to finally appreciate, an absolute classic!
MPEG Stream: "Por Favor Sucesso"
MPEG Stream: "Paz & Amor"
MPEG Stream: "Planador"

LIVING JARBOE / LARSEN Krzykognia (Tank Pictures) dvd 21.00

LMO, VON Future Language (Flemish Masters) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
As the cover art proclaims: "The group from the future is here now! Advance yourself!" And well, Von Lmo has actually been bringing the future to us for quite some time now. This CD reissue of his classic early 80s LP includes the awesome track "Leave Your Body" that certain list-recipients might be familar with from the re-recorded version on one of Lmo's 90s underappreciated (but great) "comeback" efforts. Von Lmo exists in a futureworld not of synths, robotics and electronic blips'n'bleeps. No, it is instead one of skronky saxophone, raw garage-y guitar mayhem, balsa wood spacecrafts, and raging positivity. After all, "this album is dedicated to the advancement of the United States space program". And who can resist music that comes vacuum-packed in silver suits with giant red snowboots?

LMO, VON Red Resistor (Variant) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Includes a full 31 minutes of "X+Z=0." -Advance Yourself.-

LMO, VON Tranceformer (Future Language 2.001) (Munster) cd 15.98
The reissue of this bizarre figure's collected sonic disturbances comes by way of Munster Records in Spain - licensed from the man himself. It includes the 1981 album "Future Lenguage" (or "Future Languaje" or "Future Language" depending on which edition you're looking at, previously available on Flemish Masters) as well as "Tranceformer" which was his compilation of demos, rarities and live stuff. The electrifying packaging is chock full of slogans ("Advance Yourself!"), info tidbits (this group is "from the future" and this music was "recorded in space"), not to mention mad mad silver spacesuits and huge red moonboots! Von Lmo's impassioned singing style often brings to mind the untethered energy of Jello Biafra, Tomata Du Plenty, and Lux Interior. And when he chants "Leave your body!", look out! It's absolute frenzy. The music is just as frantic. Propulsive sax a la James Chance over raw garage punk guitar, bass and drums. There are a few songs where the group slows it down somewhat, but it seems that it's then that things get even more tense, eccentric and strange. The aforementioned packaging includes a fold-out filled with extensive, entertaining liner notes written by Von Lmo.
RealAudio clip: "Leave Your Body"
RealAudio clip: "This Is Pop Rock"
RealAudio clip: "Black Noise Toys"
RealAudio clip: "We're Not Crazy"

LOBDELL, STEVEN WRAY Automatic Writing By The Moon (Holy Mountain) cd 13.98
First solo album in the burgeoning career of guitarist and Holy Mountain hero Steven Wray Lobdell, best known for his work in the recent incarnation of seminal krautrockers Faust, as well as his bands The Davis Redford Triad and Sufi Mind Game. Oh, yeah, and he played on that weirdo Baseball Astrologer LP too. Like all those projects, this is as psychedelic as all get out, but not at all freaky, distorted and overdriven: rather, this is acoustic, folky instrumental stuff, including a beautiful cover of a tune by Chilean folkie Victor Jara as well as much cosmic improv. It's the combination of wondrous playing and studio overdubs and effects that play the tricks on your mind. Lovely & recommended.

LOBDELL, STEVEN WRAY Live At Club Donut (Holy Mountain) lp 14.98
This live show from an actual establishment called Club Doughnut, features Lobdell, sometime Faust member and head of the mighty Davis Redford Triad, all by his lonesome, with just an electric guitar but holy fuck can this man wrangle amazing sounds out of those six strings. From acid fried Eastern tinged raga, to super effected psych freakout, to massive walls of Skullflower like skree, to full on riff destroying sonic mayhem to warm rumbling ambience, all assembled from the unlikeliest guitar sounds, crumbling super distorted throb, crystalline angelic shimmer, and flat out head caving crunch. Fans of Jack Rose, Pelt, Skullflower, Total, and all things massive gorgeous guitar will be floored.
MPEG Stream: "Live At Club Doughnut 1"

LOCUST, THE Flight of the Wounded Locust (GSL) cd ep 9.98
Finally on cd (the 7" got a headstart earlier this year) and with bonus tracks to boot! This ep also includes their songs from the puddle-shaped split 7" they did with Arab On Radar. If you're familiar with this San Diego quartet, you already know that their tracks rarely reach the one minute mark. Short convulsions of contorted thick synth lines, pummelling blast beats, spastic shrieks. Well, as a finale, the title track swells to a ridiculously relentless three minute evil carnival. A feverish sonic assault of organized chaos. Oh and did I mention the song titles? Absurd, lengthy and often inflammatory bundles of words like "Gluing Carpet on Your Genitals Does Not Make You A Cantaloupe" or "Spitting In The Faces Of Fools As A Source Of Nutrition". Awesome, but the faint of heart should definitely steer clear.
RealAudio clip: "Siphoning Projectiles During Selective Amnesia"
RealAudio clip: "Get Off The Cross The Wood Is Needed"

LOCUST, THE Flight Of The Wounded Locust (GSL) 4 x 7" 28.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
How many times can you re-release the same record? Many times it seems. So here is yet another version of the Locust's ultra-brief masterpice of spazzy, keyboard-flecked new wave grind. The twist this time is that the tracks are split up over 4 colored vinyl 7"s that just happen to be shaped like puzzle pieces, that all fit together to form.....a four colored...ummm...square! Kinda hoping for some sort of picture or something, but it's still pretty cool. AND VERY COLLECTABLE of course!!!! Limited to 3000.

LOCUST, THE Follow The Flock Step In Shit (Three.One.G) cd ep 7.98
A reissue... well, sorta. Two of these early songs from San Diego sonic assault circus The Locust (along with the peculiar 'nose removal' cover art) were formerly available on a split 5" vinyl picture disc with their pals Jenny Piccolo. It was released on Justin Locust's label Three.One.G. back in 1999. The pair o' eardrum blisters now re-emerge with one more song on an odd little roundish square cdep (those boys love their novelty shaped records and cds, don't they?!). Total running time of these three songs? Just over three minutes!
MPEG Stream: "Follow The Flock Step In Shit"

LOCUST, THE Limited Edition Fan Club Single (I Don't Feel A Thing) 7" 3.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Attention, everyone! In the "we thought something smelled fishy" department:
It has come to light that this 7" is definitely NOT The Locust. Apparently it is a very elaborate bootleg prank. Be warned bootlegger, The Locust.
A mysterious release from the Seattle-based fanclub of San Diego sonic assault team The Locust. This lathe-cut 7" is one side sight (a screen-print of The Locust's one-winged logo), and one side sound (six uncharacteristically spartan, yet suitably spasmodic shrieking spurts). No instruments in sight, just "vocals". The lad who dropped these off here described the stuff as "experimental"... oh. The sleeves were printed on an array of colored paper, but we've got the super deluxe silver cardstock! Yes, drool-worthy. Apparently a very very small pressing of 400 - of which we have only a wee handful. So, hop to it, bud!

LOCUST, THE New Erections (Anti) cd 13.98
Holy shit... New Erections indeed! While in the past The Locust have been frequently typecast as just another obnoxious, bratty, fuck-you band of perpetual malcontents, they've grown to be one of the most tight, virulent units around. This album's first track alone ("Aotkpta") turns the hardcore and metal contingents on their collective ear. Old Locust fans fear not, there's still plenty of splatter and thunder, but there's also a fierce precision that sets them apart from the pack. If there was any question, New Erections confirms that the band's four members have got chops to spare. Unlike many of their contemporaries who equate the punk rock ethos with rushed and raw sloppiness, The Locust slice through your ear cartilage with speed and exacting mathematics, leaving them a bloody heap of complex tatters. Exceptional musicianship at every turn coupled with their consistently concentrated tenacious count-that-shit! fury, not to mention Joey Karam's obvious thorough knowledge of analog synthesis makes for a huge, awesome sounding end result. With regards to the latter, Karam's synthesizers are all analog which means each gnarly sound (of which there are many!) needed to be individually dialed in, honed and crafted. Furthermore, it's not an overstatement to say that at this point Gabe Serbian can go toe to toe with any of today's top drummers. Another new development that was immediately noticeable was that their multi-part vocals have been pitched down from their trademark screech-bark making the nihilistic lyrics somewhat more decipherable.
Still as short-winded as ever, The Locust are the lean mean masters of succinctness, executing all of the above in less than twenty four minutes. Fucking great!
MPEG Stream: "Aotkpta"
MPEG Stream: "We Have Reached An Official Verdict: Nobody Gives A Shit"
MPEG Stream: "The UnwillingÉLed By The UnqualifiedÉDoing The UnnecessaryÉFor The Ungrateful"
MPEG Stream: "One Manometer Away From Mutually Assured Relocation"

LOCUST, THE Plague Soundscapes (Anti) cd 13.98
Who would have thought that The Locust and Tom Waits would ever be on the same label? And that that label would be run by the guy from Bad Religion? Certainly not me. But it's true. San Diego's The Locust (the 'the' is mandatory) find their new home on Anti, part of the mighty punk rock label Epitaph, and have thankfully made the always daunting major label leap with their stupid/funny song titles, new camouflage bug-boy costumes, and grinding new wave hyperblast pummel intact. Twenty three songs, averaging about 55 seconds each, all with song titles like "Identity Exchange Program Rectum Return Policy", "Earwax Halo Manufactured For The Champion In All Of Us", and "Late For A Double Date With A Pile Of Atoms In The Water Closet." The Locust are a crushing grindcore juggernaut, that somehow ended up with new wave synthesizers, that bloop and bleep and fart over everything, turning what could have been run of the mill grind into a wild circus-y funhouse of splattery blast beats, riffs that slither from metal to no wave and back again in the span of seconds, and rumbling, fuzzed out synths that make the whole thing sound like Adult. or Fischerspooner having the shit beat out of them by Agoraphobic Nosebleed. If only!!
MPEG Stream: "Live From The Russian Compound"
MPEG Stream: "Wet Dream War Machine"
MPEG Stream: "Who Wants A Dose Of The Clap?"
MPEG Stream: "Recyclable Body Fluids In Human Form"

LOCUST, THE s/t (Gold Standard Laboratories) 3" cd 9.98
Finally on cd, most, if not all of the recorded output from San Diego's purveyors of new wave grind thus far! Short, sharp, minute-long blasts of shrieking fury. "Hey, you've got your blast beat in my Moog..." Completely essential. The cover art cops from the inner gatefold art of Queen's "News Of The World" if you need to know.

LOCUST, THE s/t (GSL) 3" cd 10.98
Not to be confused with The Locust's self-titled 3"cd *album* from 1999, this self-titled 3"cd is classified as an EP... it only has eleven songs after all! It was originally released back in 1997 on 7" vinyl. So all of you that missed out the first time around, and all of you who are new to the spasmodic surging splendor and analog assault of this fierce San Diego foursome (perhaps via their considerably more widely available Plague Soundscapes album on Anti Records), strap your tourniquet around this baby!
MPEG Stream: "Halfway to a Worthless Ideal Arrangement"
MPEG Stream: "#99"

LOCUST, THE Safety Second, Body Last (Ipecac) cd ep 10.98
Got a bunch more of these in, and figured we'd list it again since it's one of our favorite Locust records that some of you may have missed last time around.
Have those blisters on your eardrums finally healed from listening to The Locust's 2003 full length Plague Soundscapes? Good... 'cuz the boys have returned to do some more damage. Their Safety Second, Body Last EP threatens to tear right through your eardrums and get to gnawing on those cochleas. Mmmm. Each of the two tracks is remarkably lengthy (well, at least for this band whose songs usually clock in at under a minute long!). The first is just over six minutes long, while the second is just under four. Mind you, there are quiet moments in each track that sorta breaks things up into more familiar Locust-y shorter spurts. Plus to make things even more puzzling, printed on the back of the cd are not two but four (!) song titles complete with subtitles (happy to see that their song titles are still in top form, if a little uncharacteristically short-winded). Overall, this is a bit slower, more sludge-y and more grinding than usual, but it still offers up their trademark acid-spit screamo vocals, blurble-fart synths and rapidfire drumming. That said, this is by no means simply a no-brain, messy pile of noise. No! In case you're not familiar with this band, there's definitely a degree of precision and order to The Locust's music. There's rhythmic switch-ups and twisted synth melodies that make their presence more than felt throughout the ten minutes.
FYI: This time they come via Mike Patton's label Ipecac Recordings, home to many likeminded auditory system abusing artists.
MPEG Stream: "Armless And Overactive"
MPEG Stream: "One Decent Leg"

LOCUST, THE & VARIOUS ARTISTS Well I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle (Gold Standard Laboratories) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Finally on cd! Originally released as a double 12": one record containing less than a minute's worth of the trademark sonic pummelling by San Diego's The Locust plus an ultra stunning etched b-side, and the other record filled with the same song getting all remixed and electronically fucked up by a variety of their friends, from Christoph De Babalon (a 109-second carnivorous nightmare) to Kid 606 (much more Kid than Locust) to Bastard Noise (a truncated 47-second splatter) to I Am Spoonbender (abducting us on an epic 6-minute Locust adventure), and others. The only disappointment with this cd version would have to be the packaging. Let's face it, visually the military green camo cd is no match for the twin toxic lime, etched vinyl attack, but if you need some good morning music...so much better than an alarm clock.

LOCUST, THE / MELT BANANA split (GSL) 7" 5.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We stocked up on this one, but it'll probably still go real fast 'cause, well, the word for fans of either band is "rabid". You know what I'm talking about if you're one of 'em. And it's on colored vinyl, a nice marbled orange color. The music? Extreme hardcore. 5 songs from San Diego screamo kids The Locust and 2 from Japanese spazzers Melt Banana. With disturbing cover art from Born Against's Sam McPheeters.

LOEWENSTEIN, JASON At Sixes And Sevens (Sub Pop) cd 14.98
Best known as the bass player for Sebadoh (he also joined Will and Ned Oldham on Palace Music's "Viva Last Blues"), Jason Loewenstein sets out on his own with his first solo album. In Sebadoh, it was inevitable that his songwriting skills would be overshadowed by the irrepressible works of Barlow. Nevertheless, he did contribute an increasing number of songs on later albums. Unfortunately it seems what made those songs work more often than not was the presence of Barlow. Left to his own devices, Loewenstein veers into straight-up indie rock terrain full of loose and stringy electric guitars and trundling bass ("Circles"). There's driving numbers that fit well with the current crop of Hellacopters and Hives rock'n'roll ("Codes"), and strange grungey "heavy metal" guitars ("H/M"). The songs that seem to click here (like "Upstate") are the ones you soon realise sound just like Sebadoh crossed with Sonic Youth.
RealAudio clip: "Codes"
RealAudio clip: "Circles"
RealAudio clip: "Upstate"
RealAudio clip: "H/M"

LOFTY PILLARS, THE Amsterdam (Truckstop) cd 14.98
Led by Michael Krassner of Boxhead Ensemble, The Lofty Pillars deliver a rich, earthy second full length. Considerably less pop than their "When We Were Lost" album but no less lovely and orchestral. If you liked their previous release or perhaps the beautiful, moving sounds of Calexico, this is for you. The Lofty Pillars also feature folks who play with Wilco, Simon Joyner, and Robbie Fulks, as well as Chicago cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm.
RealAudio clip: "Amsterdam"

LOFTY PILLARS, THE When We Were Lost (Truckstop) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Michael Krassner, known as the leader of the tangentially Tortoise/Chicago-scene-related soundtrack "supergroup" the Boxhead Ensemble, debuts his new band, also featuring songwriting partner Wil Hendricks. The Lofty Pillars don't play the doleful chamber-music stuff that Boxhead Ensemble specialized in though: this is much more of a pop thing.

LOG, BOB, III School Bus (Fat Possum/Epitaph) cd 12.98
Solo project from member of Doo Rag, and that's exactly how it sounds.

LOG, BOB, III School Bus (Fat Possum/Epitaph) lp 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Solo project from member of Doo Rag, and that's exactly how it sounds.

LOGH A Sunset Panorama (Hydra Head) cd 14.98
The strangely monikered Logh are a Swedish outfit who traffic in slightly dissonant indie post rock a la Sonic Youth. In fact they sound quite a bit like Sonic Youth at times. Not sure how they ended up on Hydra Head, but what the heck, we all have our soft side, and we know the guys at HH love more than just metal, so now they're finally opening up and showing us their secret sensitive side. But Logh are not -soft- really, just softer than their Hydra Head labelmates. A lot of the Sonic Youthisms are due to frontman Matthias Friberg's very Thurston-like laconic drawl, vocals almost spoken, in that immediately recognizable indie sing-song, but where Sonic Youth veer into atonal guitar skree, Logh sort of drift through various stages of jangle and lilt, at their most propulsive and rocking, they could be mistaken for Blonde Redhead, but they spend way more time droning dreamily along, warm washes of guitar over shuffling simple rhythms, guitars chime and ring out. At times Logh sound like an indie doom band, with lots of plodding tempos beneath blissed out guitarscapes, vocals sprawled lazily over the top. Really dark and shimmery, moody and angular. A Sunset Panorama is a haunting late night soundscape of dark indie jangle and lazy post rock guitar scrawl, sunny on the outside, but the songs reveal their ominous and creepy darksides a little bit more on each listen. Which is definitely what makes Logh so appealing and presumably what makes them feel right at home on Hydra Head, nestled firmly between Oxbow, Old Man Gloom, Pelican, Discordance Axis, Cave In and Jesu, which, the more we listen, doesn't seem like such an odd thing after all.
MPEG Stream: "Fell Into The Well"
MPEG Stream: "A Sunset Knife Fight"

LOIRI, VESA-MATTI 4+20 (Porter) lp 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This 1971 Finnish flute folk jazz freakout, now available on vinyl too!!
If you're anything like us, all it will take is three simple words to convince you that you need this: FLUTE. FINLAND. 1971. Okay, so that last one's not really a word, but yes, this fantastic chunk of Finnish Flute heavy jazz folk was indeed released in that magical year, and is pretty much everything you could hope for from a seventies Finnish flautist, it's groovy, jazzy, folky, a little bit rocking and a lot bit pretty goddamn weird. Just take the opening track, after some field recordings of seagulls and lapping waves on the shore, Loiri whistles along to some simply strummed acoustic guitar, and suddenly you realize it's essentially a jazzed up cover of Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home", hand drums and flutes swing in, some deep wordless "la la" vocalizing and then it's back to the waves and birds. Definitely an odd way to start a record, but these guys are Finnish after all.
The rest of the record is not so obviously strange (or is it?), the second track is some groovy flute driven folk, the flute playing is stellar, woozy stand up bass, intricate hand drumming and more steel string strum, there's some bluesy psychedelic guitar leads, and then there's a drum solo, accompanied by humming (or is that kazoo), and then it's right back into it, Loiri often singing and vocalizing through the flute (a la Roland Kirk), which makes it even more far out.
The record shifts gears constantly, the next track begins playful sing songy lullaby, suddenly transforming into some sort of gypsy folk music the next, what sounds like a drunken tavern sing along, and then it's right back to the lullaby like fluttery flute of the opening, and then a strange old field recording of a carnival or circus. All a single track. The next track is more straight ahead jazz, some incredible flute playing and amazing drumming, the next track too, sounding almost Latin Jazz, but then along comes "Mummon Kaappikello" a groovy bit of big band jazz, backing up some sped up chipmunk vocals, turning the otherwise trade jazz into something totally warped, and then it's right back into it, some seriously swinging seventies jazz funk, and still more kick ass flute.
The final three tracks are more folky jazzy grooviness, some serious strum heavy drum driven rhythmic jazz, gives way to some jazzy cabaret, with deep crooned dramatic vocals, and finally finishing off with a brief bit of folky flute and acoustic guitar that returns to the opening bit of Blind Faith. Wow. Awesome, and bizarre and amazing and easily one of the coolest things Porter has dug up. And again: FINLAND. FLUTE. 1971.
Eye popping pop art cover with a big foldout poster, both depicting Loiri in aviator's helmet and goggles, with a painted on bright yellow and red bullseye shirt and little angle's wings!
MPEG Stream: "4 + 20 (Session 1. A)"
MPEG Stream: "Turkish Coffee"
MPEG Stream: "Candle Dance"
MPEG Stream: "Coming Home Baby"

LONE PIGEON Concubine Rice (Domino) cd 14.98
The one man band Lone Pigeon is a project of Gordon Anderson, one of the co-founders of the Beta Band (who were originally called The Pigeons, hence his current moniker) but who left in 1996 before they hit the big time. You can definitely hear the specific flavor that he imparted to the Beta Band -- the happy-go-lucky melodies, the repetitive, echoing, lonely vocals -- but this record is much more lo-fi, stripped down, and thus incredibly intimate. You really feel as if you've been offered (whether ya want it or not) entry into the guy's twisted brain, like the weirdo solo Skip Spence record, Oar, also did. I like this a lot more than the the Beta Band's later efforts made without him, and if you prefer the early Beta Band songs, sweet McCartney-penned Beatles tracks, Smiley Smile, Syd Barrett, etc, and can handle a little meandering, then you should listen to this record.
RealAudio clip: "King Creosote's Wineglass Symphony"
RealAudio clip: "Lonely Vagabond"

LONELADY Nerve Up (Warp) cd 16.98

LONELY HEARTS Make Yourself At Home (DIYOrElse) cd 4.98

LONELY SAMOANS, THE Here Come... (Rainbow Pig) cd 9.98

LONESOME ORGANIST (Thrill Jockey) 7" 3.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A guy and an organ - sounds like a party to me.

LONESOME ORGANIST Cavalcade (Thrill Jockey) cd 13.98
Chicago's favorite (perhaps only) one man band plays an assortment of instruments (often at once) including: melodica, chord organ, chime piano, steel pan, speed up guitar, tap shoes, saw, and more. From catchy pop songs to moody soundscapes, really cool.

LONESOME ORGANIST Forms And Follies (Thrill Jockey) cd 15.98
The lone Chicago fellow Jeremy Jacobsen might indeed be the Lonesome Organist, but he's also exceedingly adept at a number of other instruments and assorted noisemakers. He incorporates them all into his music which is just as varied in style as it is in instrumentation. With so much going on, you might think things would get a little chaotic or out of hand, but no! Jacobsen's got it all well under control with some very fine songcraft and musicianship. There's a sense of the grand and the tiny coming together on Forms And Follies. A bigtop circus! A vaudeville theater! An antique musicbox! In fact, you might even find his music stirring fond memories of the Musee Mechanique here in San Francisco, but then before you know it he's suddenly shifted gears over to a distorted trashy garage tune, then to a frantic organ mouse chase, then to some haunting barbershop-quartet-meets-Brian-Wilson-style vocal harmonizingand then... ??? Seemingly oblivious to current trends, Jacobsen follows his muse through dreams, nightmares, toyboxes, genres and decades. Won't you join him? Plus if the music ain't enough, the cd comes with a big (cd jewelcase sized) flipbook which shows some of the Lonesome Organist's hijinks. A splendid bizarre delight!
MPEG Stream: "Walking To Weston's"
MPEG Stream: "The Victory Of Sheila's Nap"

LONEY DEAR Dear John (Polyvinyl) cd 15.98
No, the name is not Lonely, Dear!!! Can't tell you how many times we've seen this one-man band's moniker spelled incorrectly. It irks us, and we imagine it must drive him nuts too! Anyhoo, all that business aside, we've been diggin this Swedish gent's new album plenty. It starts out far more driving and far less sweet than 2007's Loney, Noir. Last time he drew easy vocal comparisons to Arcade Fire, but his fifth album Dear John finds him slipping gracefully in line with the elaborate high tech bedroom recordings of Postal Service. Hmmm, haven't heard from them in quite a while, so it's a fine time for Loney Dear's dreamily wistful electronic pop to fill the void. Lovely, dear!
MPEG Stream: "I Was Only Going Out"
MPEG Stream: "Summers"

LONEY DEAR Dear John (Polyvinyl) lp 15.98
No, the name is not Lonely, Dear!!! Can't tell you how many times we've seen this one-man band's moniker spelled incorrectly. It irks us, and we imagine it must drive him nuts too! Anyhoo, all that business aside, we've been diggin this Swedish gent's new album plenty. It starts out far more driving and far less sweet than 2007's Loney, Noir. Last time he drew easy vocal comparisons to Arcade Fire, but his fifth album Dear John finds him slipping gracefully in line with the elaborate high tech bedroom recordings of Postal Service. Hmmm, haven't heard from them in quite a while, so it's a fine time for Loney Dear's dreamily wistful electronic pop to fill the void. Lovely, dear!
MPEG Stream: "I Was Only Going Out"
MPEG Stream: "Summers"

LONEY, DEAR Loney, Noir (Sub Pop) cd 13.98
Loney, Dear is a one man band from Sweden whose given name might not be Loney, but his music is very very dear. In fact, his name is Emil Svanangen and he makes fey, verging-on-twee, pop. Loney, Noir is shaded in soft pastel hues with ultra high male vocals. We thought it fit quite well alongside Arcade Fire. What do you think? Super charming and breezy, no?
MPEG Stream: "Sinister In A State Of Hope"
MPEG Stream: "I Am The Odd One"

LONG AGO AND RIGHT NOW AUDIOZINE (self-released) 2cd-r 9.98
Such an SF treat! Former Erase Errata Sara Jaffe and Melissa Klein have assembled a spoken word and music audiozine all about San Francisco called Long Ago And Right Now. Brimming with thirty candid on-the-street recordings of stories and songs from and about the Bay Area. Intimate and engaging. Handcrafted in the same fashion as her Erase Errata tour diary that we carried last year (machine-stitch bound and screenprinted).
MPEG Stream: STREET VENDOR "Street Vendor's Place"
MPEG Stream: JAFFE, SARA "Sea Song"

LONG BLONDES, THE Someone To Drive You Home (Rough Trade) cd 14.98
The Long Blondes are neither lengthy tressed nor flaxen haired, but we won't hold the false advertising against them. Ha ha! They are mighty hip and cute tho'! These three gals and two fellas from Sheffield, UK are raring to go go go with their high octane kicky punchy tunes. Their bio offers influential touchstones Human League, ABC and Pulp, but after hearing their debut album Someone To Drive You Home we'd bet their record collections are also heavy with '80s lipgloss'd goddesses Blondie, Kim Wilde and Pat Benetar. Super pop good times with more than a little sassy edge.
MPEG Stream: "Lust In The Movies"
MPEG Stream: "In The Company Of Women"

LONG LIVE DEATH Bound To the Wheel (Secret Eye) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

LONG LIVE DEATH To Do More Than God...To Die (Secret Eye) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Back in stock! Solemn, folkish "spirituals" from a band about which we know just a few things: they're from Balitmore and include members of the very-different-sounding Oxes, and they spent some time last year on tour opening for Will Oldham, who was apparently taken by Long Live Death's "incantory" aspects. Their music is melancholic and stately, not quite of our world, though clearly with an indie-rock pedigree. A short little album (just over 25 minutes) of some power and grace. And, along with voices, cello, gongs, flute, bells, and violin there's musical saw on it, which is always a plus!
MPEG Stream: "There Is No Death"
MPEG Stream: "That Summer"

LONG WINTERS, THE The Worst You Can Do Is Harm (Barsuk) cd 13.98
From the lead-off track, I might have expected The Long Winters' debut full length to be somewhat of a dour downer of an album, but by the second song things definitely pick up. Barsuk has likened mainman John Roderick's songwriting style and vocal delivery to Smog and/or The Band, but for me it brought to mind a number of other artists. Robert Pollard/Guided by Voices or David Gedge/Wedding Present or Andy Partidge/XTC are just a few. To be honest, I'm really not sure if I found this album appealing because of or in spite of these observances, but I did quite enjoy it nonetheless. Mr. Roderick is joined by Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla and Harvey Danger's Sean Nelson with special guests a-plenty from other Pacific Northwest bands: Ken Stringfellow (Posies), Jim Roth (Built To Spill) and Joe Ross (Sunny Day Real Estate).
RealAudio clip: "Car Parts "
RealAudio clip: "Medicine Cabinet Pirate"

LONG, MERIC Dodo Bird (self-released) cd 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This long time big time aQ fave finally in stock once again!
This Dodo Bird is charming from the very first song! The other four gentle folk pop tunes with their effusive acoustic guitar and soft-spoken male vocals are pretty darn lovely too. The gent behind all of them is Meric Long, a singer/songwriter from right here in SF (fyi: he's recently performed under the moniker Dodo Bird). This is his impressive debut ep, and it's super confident and composed. Very much in the easygoing, engaging tradition of Simon And Garfunkel, Astrud Gilberto, and definitely recommended for fans of Iron & Wine, Kings Of Convenience and Elliott Smith. Can't wait for more!
MPEG Stream: "Notes"
MPEG Stream: "Fiends"

LONG, P.W. Remembered (Touch & Go) cd 14.98

LOOP A Gilded Eternity (Reactor) 2cd 16.98
The final two installments in the long overdue comprehensive Loop reissue campaign are finally here. World In Your Eyes, the newly expanded 12" collection, reviewed elsewhere on this week's list, and this right here, the final proper Loop album, A Gilded Eternity.
Contemporaries of legendary drug rockers Spacemen 3, Loop took the same sonic influences but rocked a little harder, opting out of the extended soporific drifts the defined the Spacemen, (although they were perfectly capable of blissing out with the best of them) and instead creating looped, krautrock spacejams, that were downright heavy, as well as being space-y, druggy and surprisingly catchy. Guitars were fuzzed out, vocals way down in the mix, reverb and delay EVERYWHERE, riffs often processed into stuttering textures and looped rhythms, the drums alternatingly motorik and skeletal, and pounding and explosive, all wreathed in a glorious otherworldly haze.
A Gilded Eternity, their final record, originally released in 1990, might just be their heaviest and most rocking yet, definitely their tightest, album opener "Vapour" has one of those riffs TO DIE FOR, the main melody is so completely catchy, the song a woozy, repetitive chunk of gloriously propulsive dronerock, less space-y than much of what came before, but definitely more rocking and relentless. the next track "Afterglow" pushes that new heaviness even further, sounding not unlike Swervedriver, big crunchy distorted guitars, pounding tribal drumming, the arrangement a lurching start stop, that slips into cool washed out breakdowns, before exploding right back into the stuttery groove. And so it goes, the band unfurling their masterwork, in a career of masterful works, "Blood" is total abstract minimal krautrock, the guitars stripped away, leaving just a super spare drum part, wrapped all up in processed vocals and swirling effects, another jam that easily could have gone on for 10 more minutes. But then just like that, the band slip back into "Breath Into Me", whipping up another killer riff, the track a looped space garage groove that rivals record opener "Vapour". The record proper ends with the nearly 10 minute "Be Here Now", the Loop version of a slow jam, beginning with some strange processed guitar, the band ease into a languorous groove that drifts druggily through soft focus clouds of lysergic buzz, brief squalls of wild wah guitar, but remaining locked and looped, the weary vocals drifting above the warm endless buzz.
A Guilded Eternity comes with a bonus disc as well, perhaps the least critical of the bonus material, considering it contains 5 demo tracks and 3 Peel Sessions, BUT, it also includes the Loop track "Shot With A Diamond", which happens to be Jim's favorite Loop track alongside "Arc-Light." This track provides the perfect sonic segue between Loop and the sounds guitarist Robert Hampson would later explore with his post Loop solo project Main, an ominous bit of electronic sample laced dronemusic, creepy and haunting and so fucking awesome. Previously only available as a 7" single, and as a bonus track on the original cassette version. Essential!
In fact, all four of these Loop reissues are absolutely required listening for anyone with even the mildest interest in sounds space-y, druggy, metallic and psychedelic!!!
MPEG Stream: "Vapour"
MPEG Stream: "Afterglow"
MPEG Stream: "Be Here Now"
MPEG Stream: "Shot With A Diamond"

LOOP Fade Out (Reactor) 2cd 16.98
When people think of spaced out, drone-y drug rock, Spacemen 3 seem to get all the love, which is of course fair, Spacemen 3 totally rule, their music is magical, especially for some of us who will probably only ever experience drug use by strapping on a pair of headphones and blasting Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To. But c'mon, let's share the love, with another group, who existed during the same time, in basically the same place, and who were sonically quite similar, yet crafted their own distinctive and incredibly iconic body of work, one that has been criminally unavailable for years now. These two reissues are the first in what will hopefully be a comprehensive reissue campaign for London space rockers Loop.
For years, Loop have been a favorite of in-the-know music nerds, whose Spacemen 3 collection is most likely rivaled by their Loop collection, and basically, to love one, is indeed to love the other. You like thick looped guitars, blown out distorted buzz, krautrocky rhythms, song structures that are simple, cyclical, repetitive, hypnotic, guitars dripping with effects, vocals drawled lazily and buried in the mix, everything hazy and washed out and bleary eyed and druggy. Wait, were we talking about Loop or Spacemen 3? Exactly. The main difference to our ears, was that Loop always seemed to rock way harder. The Spacemen would often flutter off in tripped out ambient flights of fancy, dropping the drums completely, letting the guitar pulse and throb, the vocals drifting ethereally over the top. And sure, Loop were capable of that too, but seemed to hew closer to a more driving sound, the drums much more integral to their overall vibe. The sound of Loop was equal parts krautrock and space rock, and their name was definitely referenced their sound. Loop mainman Hampson would even go on to form Main, a more tranquil guitar loop based outfit, whose obsession with texture and loops absolutely informed all of the Loop recordings. The guitars were thick, wreathed in distortion, delay, reverb, doused in effects, that not only altered their timbre, and their tone, but also often made the guitars sound backwards, creating woozy of kilter jams that seemed to slowly and subtly shift and change shapes before our very ears. The vocals weary and washed out, the drums skeletal and simple, but all fused into totally tripped out, drugged out, kraut-infused space rock bliss.
Fade Out was record number two for Loop, and found the band making a definite move forward in terms of production and sound, and an obvious shift away fro a sound they shared with countrymen Spacemen 3. The sound on Fade Out is much heavier, and way louder, the guitars sharper and more jagged, the bass more present, the vocals way more prominent, the sound immediately less druggy and washed out and more rocking. "Black Sun" is a propulsive slab of spaced out garage-y krautrock, the guitars ringing out, the second guitar a buzzing over the top, the drums busy and powerful, the whole thing still wreathed in effects, but now the murk had been replaced with something much more effulgent, a strange burnished glow, suffusing the sound, less like laying in darkness and watching colors swirl and shimmer, and more like staring directly into the sun. "This Is Where You End" continues on in the same vein, with gruff almost growled vocals, over that distinctive looped guitar figure, with multiple guitars offering up extra melody and texture.
"Fever Knife" stands out as it slows things way down, and the guitars are muted, not quite as sharp, with plenty of squiggly fun house mirror guitar melodies intertwined with that main riff, the tempo, a head nodding soporific groove, definitely reaching back a bit to the sound of Heaven's End. But then comes "Torched" with a incendiary guitar sound so loud and in the red, it threatens to blow your speakers, dwarfing the drums and bass in the background, churning and soaring, white hot and blown out big time.
The title track is another slowed down druggy dirge, the main riff lumbering woozily along side a steady simple beat, haunting processed vocals, and chunks of extra guitar buzz, the whole thing downright doomy. The last three tracks are gorgeous squalls of druggy throb and crumbling guitar buzz, the record finishing up with a short stretch of shimmering ambient drift. SO GREAT!!
The deluxe reissue of Fade Out not only comes in a super spiffy full color mini lp style gatefold sleeve, with printed inner sleeves, it also comes with a whole bonus disc, featuring a whole mess of extra stuff, alternate mixes of three tracks on the record, an awesome demo version of "This Is Where You End", the Peel Sessions from the Fade Out era, and most exciting of all a series of Fade Out Guitar Loops, from shimmering high end buzz, to whirring smears of low end rumble, definitely hinting at Hampson's post-Loop outfit Main.
SO TOTALLY AND UTTERLY RECOMMENDED. ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL! And for recent converts to the world of druggy space rock, anyone who has been digging local droney drug rockers Wooden Shjips (and we know there are LOTS of you out there), will definitely fall in love with Loop!!
MPEG Stream: "Black Sun"
MPEG Stream: "This Is Where You End"
MPEG Stream: "Fade Out"

LOOP Heaven's End (Reactor) 2cd 16.98
When people think of spaced out, drone-y drug rock, Spacemen 3 seem to get all the love, which is of course fair, Spacemen 3 totally rule, their music is magical, especially for some of us who will probably only ever experience drug use by strapping on a pair of headphones and blasting Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To. But c'mon, let's share the love, with another group, who existed during the same time, in basically the same place, and who were sonically quite similar, yet crafted their own distinctive and incredibly iconic body of work, one that has been criminally unavailable for years now. These two reissues are the first in what will hopefully be a comprehensive reissue campaign for London space rockers Loop.
For years, Loop have been a favorite of in-the-know music nerds, whose Spacemen 3 collection is most likely rivaled by their Loop collection, and basically, to love one, is indeed to love the other. You like thick looped guitars, blown out distorted buzz, krautrocky rhythms, song structures that are simple, cyclical, repetitive, hypnotic, guitars dripping with effects, vocals drawled lazily and buried in the mix, everything hazy and washed out and bleary eyed and druggy. Wait, were we talking about Loop or Spacemen 3? Exactly. The main difference to our ears, was that Loop always seemed to rock way harder. The Spacemen would often flutter off in tripped out ambient flights of fancy, dropping the drums completely, letting the guitar pulse and throb, the vocals drifting ethereally over the top. And sure, Loop were capable of that too, but seemed to hew closer to a more driving sound, the drums much more integral to their overall vibe. The sound of Loop was equal parts Krautrock and space rock, and their name was definitely referenced their sound. Loop mainman Hampson would even go on to form Main, a more guitar loop based outfit, whose obsession with texture and loops absolutely informed all of the Loop recordings. The guitars were thick, wreathed in distortion, delay, reverb, doused in effects, that not only altered their timbre, and their tone, but also often made the guitars sound backwards, creating woozy of kilter jams that seemed to slowly and subtly shift and change shapes before our very ears. The vocals weary and washed out, the drums skeletal and simple, but all fused into totally tripped out, drugged out, kraut infused space rock bliss.
Heaven's End was Loop's debut, released in 1987, just a year after Spacemen 3's first record (and apparently Spacemen 3 were always quite annoyed by constantly being compared to Loop), and inadvertent or not, it's the Loop record that is the most Spacemen sounding. Lo-fi, raw and gritty. The opener "Soundhead" is surprisingly rocking, with lots of wah guitar, propulsive drumming, ethereal vocals, the song that would define the sound of Loop, but it's the second track where the record really gets going, slipping into a slow motion Stooges groove, a lurching looped riff, the vocals buried in the mix, the drums a simple pound, a main refrain that's catchy as fuck, the whole thing constantly repeated over and over and over and over, totally blissed out and trancelike. The following track slips even further out, the guitars super sharp and buzz drenched, the tempo a lugubrious crawl, the drums total barebones, swirling spaced out effects, the guitar billowing out into soft focus buzzscapes over which the rest of the instrumentation seems to hover weightless. The title track is a simple garage-y pound, with the cymbals and the guitars looped backwards (hinting at some Teenage Filmstars to come maybe?), the guitar stuttering creating incidental rhythms, very druggy and mesmeric. And so it goes, each song, a simple motif, locked in and set on repeat, the core remaining near static, looped into infinity, while all around that groove various guitars and effects and voices swirl and whirl and spin and stretch and shimmer divinely. Easily one of our all time favorite records for sure.
This deluxe reissue not only comes in a super spiffy full color mini lp style gatefold sleeve, with printed inner sleeves, it also comes with a whole bonus disc, featuring alternate mixes of two of the album tracks, as well as a killer cover of Suicide's "Rocket USA", with a cool programmed drum beat, tripped out psychedelic guitars, and hushed almost crooned vocals, and the three tracks from the Peel Sessions, included a seriously stretched out version of "Straight To Your Heart". SO AWESOME!!!
SO TOTALLY AND UTTERLY RECOMMENDED. ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL! And for recent converts to the world of druggy space rock, anyone who has been digging local droney drug rockers Wooden Shjips (and we know there are LOTS of you out there), will definitely fall in love with Loop!!
MPEG Stream: "Soundhead"
MPEG Stream: "Straight To Your Heart"
MPEG Stream: "Forever"

LOOP Heaven's End (Reactor) lp 17.98
THIS FORMER AQ RECORD OF THE WEEK, NOW REISSUED ON VINYL!!
When people think of spaced out, drone-y drug rock, Spacemen 3 seem to get all the love, which is of course fair, Spacemen 3 totally rule, their music is magical, especially for some of us who will probably only ever experience drug use by strapping on a pair of headphones and blasting Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To. But c'mon, let's share the love, with another group, who existed during the same time, in basically the same place, and who were sonically quite similar, yet crafted their own distinctive and incredibly iconic body of work, one that has been criminally unavailable for years now. These two reissues are the first in what will hopefully be a comprehensive reissue campaign for London space rockers Loop.
For years, Loop have been a favorite of in-the-know music nerds, whose Spacemen 3 collection is most likely rivaled by their Loop collection, and basically, to love one, is indeed to love the other. You like thick looped guitars, blown out distorted buzz, krautrocky rhythms, song structures that are simple, cyclical, repetitive, hypnotic, guitars dripping with effects, vocals drawled lazily and buried in the mix, everything hazy and washed out and bleary eyed and druggy. Wait, were we talking about Loop or Spacemen 3? Exactly. The main difference to our ears, was that Loop always seemed to rock way harder. The Spacemen would often flutter off in tripped out ambient flights of fancy, dropping the drums completely, letting the guitar pulse and throb, the vocals drifting ethereally over the top. And sure, Loop were capable of that too, but seemed to hew closer to a more driving sound, the drums much more integral to their overall vibe. The sound of Loop was equal parts Krautrock and space rock, and their name was definitely referenced their sound. Loop mainman Hampson would even go on to form Main, a more guitar loop based outfit, whose obsession with texture and loops absolutely informed all of the Loop recordings. The guitars were thick, wreathed in distortion, delay, reverb, doused in effects, that not only altered their timbre, and their tone, but also often made the guitars sound backwards, creating woozy of kilter jams that seemed to slowly and subtly shift and change shapes before our very ears. The vocals weary and washed out, the drums skeletal and simple, but all fused into totally tripped out, drugged out, kraut infused space rock bliss.
Heaven's End was Loop's debut, released in 1987, just a year after Spacemen 3's first record (and apparently Spacemen 3 were always quite annoyed by constantly being compared to Loop), and inadvertent or not, it's the Loop record that is the most Spacemen sounding. Lo-fi, raw and gritty. The opener "Soundhead" is surprisingly rocking, with lots of wah guitar, propulsive drumming, ethereal vocals, the song that would define the sound of Loop, but it's the second track where the record really gets going, slipping into a slow motion Stooges groove, a lurching looped riff, the vocals buried in the mix, the drums a simple pound, a main refrain that's catchy as fuck, the whole thing constantly repeated over and over and over and over, totally blissed out and trancelike. The following track slips even further out, the guitars super sharp and buzz drenched, the tempo a lugubrious crawl, the drums total barebones, swirling spaced out effects, the guitar billowing out into soft focus buzzscapes over which the rest of the instrumentation seems to hover weightless. The title track is a simple garage-y pound, with the cymbals and the guitars looped backwards (hinting at some Teenage Filmstars to come maybe?), the guitar stuttering creating incidental rhythms, very druggy and mesmeric. And so it goes, each song, a simple motif, locked in and set on repeat, the core remaining near static, looped into infinity, while all around that groove various guitars and effects and voices swirl and whirl and spin and stretch and shimmer divinely. Easily one of our all time favorite records for sure.
SO TOTALLY AND UTTERLY RECOMMENDED. ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL! And for recent converts to the world of druggy space rock, anyone who has been digging local droney drug rockers Wooden Shjips (and we know there are LOTS of you out there), will definitely fall in love with Loop!!
MPEG Stream: "Soundhead"
MPEG Stream: "Straight To Your Heart"
MPEG Stream: "Forever"

LOOP World In Your Eyes (Reactor) 3cd 22.00
Finally!! Ever since the first two Loop records got the deluxe multidisc reissue treatment, we've been anxiously awaiting the last two, their final record A Gilded Eternity, and this one right here, many folks around here's favorite, a compilation of 12"s called World In Your Eyes. Originally released in 1987, the updated World In Your Eyes is even better, a TRIPLE disc collection of 12"s, 7"s, bonus tracks, unreleased tracks, demos, and covers.
Seemingly always (unfairly) overshadowed by their sonic brethren the Spacemen 3, Loop managed to give the drugged out drone rock thing their own distinct spin, infusing some serious krautrock mesmer and some metallic muscle into their slow burning drones and effects drenched psychrock workouts. Slipping easily from super dreamy one riff blown out hypno rock, to in-the-red space garage pound, to hushed soft focus inner space drift, Loop were masters of modern psychedelia.
Take the 10 minute drug drift of "Burning World", with its processed guitar chug, the swirling clouds of effects, the blooping bass, the motorik drums, like the perfect mix of Can and Hawkwind. Or "Brittle Head Girl", which sounded like a spacier more tripped out Galaxie 500, its lazy drawled vocals, and woozy guitar hook, and that irresistible bassline. Or "I'll Take You There", a super fuzzed out bit of garage-y space groove, the band easily out spacing the Spacemen themselves. We could probably go track by track, every one here is a gem, and the extras! Holy shit. Where to start? Besides a plethora of demos, live tracks and the like, this collection also includes some incredible covers, A spaced out version of a Pop Group track, Neil Young's "Cinammon Girl", Nick Drake's "Pink Moon" and Can's "Mother Sky (which Andee sez is better than the original, yeah we know, we know). Then there's the Arc-Lite 12" that takes up the first half of the third disc, one of our favorite Loop eps, and the track "Arc-Lite (Sonar)" is one of the best Loop jams ever, with its relentless riffing, it's strange flurries of tribal drumming, the echo drenched vox and the swooping streaks of effects, a 4 minute song that could easily have been ten times that. The song is reimagined as the "(Radar)" version, getting sort of supercharged, heavier and fleshier, less spare and skeletal and jangly than the original. There's a third version still, that gets all remixed into something less space rocky and more tripped out and dizzying. Let's not forget the ten minute "Sunburst", a sprawling bit of lysergic minimal krautdrone, woozy and druggy and slow burning. There's also the legendary live Prisma Europa Live 12", and finally, to top it all off, Loop's Godflesh cover, from their Loopflesh split 7", where each band covered the other, one of our Holy Grail 7"s, if anyone out there has one they can part with, we will be forever in your debt, and of course it's a killer, Godflesh's "Like Rats" transformed into something much spacier but no less menacing, in fact, it's most definitely the heaviest meanest slab of Loop-age ever, while still retaining plenty of that Loop-ed FX drenched shimmer. So goddamn GREAT.
These reissues have been shuffling tracks around enough to cause a little confusion, as some of the tracks on the original issue of WIYE are left off here, but are tacked on elsewhere on the other reissues, and disc 3 here seems like it could have been included on the Gilded Eternity disc as this disc highlights one of our favorite Loop tracks, the above mentioned Arc-Light, originally a 1989 single, which was lumped onto the cd edition of A Gilded Eternity which came out a year later in 1990. But who really cares, as long as it's all here, and it's ALL here, and then some. Space rock and drone rock and psychedelic rock fanatics should buy all four, one of the most supremely transcendent and kick ass bodies of work in rock. Hyperbole? We think NOT.
Killer packaging, three paper sleeves with various reproductions of the included 12"s, all housed in a slipcover, with a booklet that includes track listings credits, but sadly, not much in the way of liner notes.
MPEG Stream: "Head On"
MPEG Stream: "Burning World"
MPEG Stream: "Mother Sky"
MPEG Stream: "Pink Moon"
MPEG Stream: "Cinnamon Girl"
MPEG Stream: "Arc-Lite (Sonar)"