MAGNETIC FIELDS Holiday (Merge) lp 17.98
One of our all time favorite Magnetic Fields albums finally reissued on vinyl! Holiday was first released in 1993, and marked a big shift for Stephen Merritt as it was the album on which his idiosyncratic voice began to take center stage. While his earlier outings always had his female muses singing lead, Holiday was the moment that voice of his became the prominent focal point of the band. It was also the record where his songwriting skills started to reach the next level of being so crazy good. As we go back and listen to this again we are struck by the thought that just about every one of these songs made it on a mix-tape that we made at some point in the '90s. "Strange Powers", "Desert Island", "Take Ecstasy With Me", "All You Ever Do Is Walk Away", "The Trouble I've Been Looking For", it goes on and on. Most bands wish they could have that many standout tracks throughout their career, let alone on a single album. We could go on and on, as this really does represent our favorite era of the Magnetic Fields. This is pop perfection!
MPEG Stream: "Deep Sea Diving Suit"
MPEG Stream: "Torn Green Velvet Eyes"

MAGNETIC FIELDS i (Nonesuch) cd 16.98
Alright all you Stephin Merritt / Magnetic Fields fanatics, the wait is finally over! Your patience has been rewarded with this splendid new full length. Sure, in the time that's passed since their 1999 epic 69 Love Songs triple cd, Merritt's work on film soundtracks (Pieces of April and Eban & Charley) as well as his other projects The Sixths and Future Bible Heroes have kept our bittersweet cravings at bay, but really, they're no substitute for a genuine Magnetic Fields album, right? Right!
This glorious album is comprised completely of songs beginning with the letter "i" (mostly in the role of the pronoun). All but one is brand new (the second song "I Don't Believe You", previously released on a 1998 7" single, makes a welcome reappearance -- it's an old Andee mixtape fave!). This thematic choice makes us muse whether this is the beginning of a new wry Merritt endeavour, an alphabetical adventure (albeit starting a little out of order)?! Overall, i is a hushed, acoustic chamber music affair. Even the lone dancier number "I Thought You Were My Boyfriend" is considerably low key. He's set aside his assorted synthesizers and drum machines for the time being. Instead, he's favored minimal arrangements with just his and Claudia Gonson's voices, some percussion and one or two of the following instruments -- piano, guitar, banjo, harpsichord, sitar and cello. Not at all surprisingly, the results are deeply moving and captivating. Merritt's singing reaches its most torchy, frail and vulnerable range... and it's absolutely heartbreakingly wonderful! Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Is This What They Used To Call Love"
MPEG Stream: "I Thought You Were My Boyfriend"

MAGNETIC FIELDS The Wayward Bus / Distant Plastic Trees (Merge) cd 13.98
The first two Magnetic Fields albums reissued by Merge Records on one disc! This is where you go when you need to hear the early genius of Stephin Merritt. Putting his lo-fi keyboards and drum machines to wonderful use. These two full lengths feature the vocals of Susan Anway. Merritt didn't take on vocal duties until subsequent releases. Her voice however is a fitting female counterpart to his deep croon - so droll, yet drenched with romantic longing. Alternately reminiscent of '60s Brill Building girl group pop and glistening, lush chamber pop. Classic heartbreak music. Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "When You Were My Baby"
MPEG Stream: "100,000 Fireflies"

MAGNETIC FIELDS, THE Love At The Bottom Of The Sea (Merge) cd 14.98
For their return to Merge Records, The Magnetic Fields have made their first release featuring synthesizers in over 10 years. After a slew of "concept" records (i, Realism, Distortion), it seems that Stephin Merritt has made a conscious effort to go back to his Holiday or Charm of the Highway Strip roots, and the results are somewhat mixed. There's plenty of punning and playfulness in his lyrics, a few harpsichords and hand claps. The songs (at least the first few) are extraordinarily catchy and well put together, and oh so clever, but despite the return to form, there's something lacking from the record that makes it as a whole a bit disappointing. Not disappointing necessarily for dedicated fans, perhaps, and Stephin Merritt has PLENTY of those. It just feels a bit like Merritt & Co. set out to make a record because they felt that they needed to, rather than because they actually had anything new to say. Love at the Bottom of the Sea is not their finest work, but it's the most true to form disc they've put forth in a decade. Also noteworthy is the appearance of San Francisco's own Randy Walker (aka Carletta Sue Kay) on backup vocals on a few tracks!
MPEG Stream: "Andrew In Drag"
MPEG Stream: "Your Girlfriend's Face"
MPEG Stream: "Infatuation (With Your Gyration)"

MAGNETIC FIELDS, THE Love At The Bottom Of The Sea (Merge) lp 21.00
For their return to Merge Records, The Magnetic Fields have made their first release featuring synthesizers in over 10 years. After a slew of "concept" records (i, Realism, Distortion), it seems that Stephin Merritt has made a conscious effort to go back to his Holiday or Charm of the Highway Strip roots, and the results are somewhat mixed. There's plenty of punning and playfulness in his lyrics, a few harpsichords and hand claps. The songs (at least the first few) are extraordinarily catchy and well put together, and oh so clever, but despite the return to form, there's something lacking from the record that makes it as a whole a bit disappointing. Not disappointing necessarily for dedicated fans, perhaps, and Stephin Merritt has PLENTY of those. It just feels a bit like Merritt & Co. set out to make a record because they felt that they needed to, rather than because they actually had anything new to say. Love at the Bottom of the Sea is not their finest work, but it's the most true to form disc they've put forth in a decade. Also noteworthy is the appearance of San Francisco's own Randy Walker (aka Carletta Sue Kay) on backup vocals on a few tracks!
MPEG Stream: "Andrew In Drag"
MPEG Stream: "Your Girlfriend's Face"
MPEG Stream: "Infatuation (With Your Gyration)"

MAGNETIC FIELDS, THE Realism (Nonesuch) cd 16.98
Nobody makes misery and endless longing sound better then Stephin Merritt. As it's been raining nonstop in San Francisco we've been eagerly awaiting this new Magnetic Fields album since pretty much nothing sounds better when it's gray and grim outside, than the beautifully morose pop that Merritt and his comrades create.
Realism is very much the counterpoint to the last Magnetic Fields album, Distortion, which was all plugged in, in the red, filled with fuzz, a sonic nod to the Jesus & Mary Chain. Realism goes in the opposite direction. Made completely with acoustic instruments, this is their 'baroque folk' album. In many ways it has much of the same kind of sound and style found on 69 Love Songs, the masterpiece which catapulted Magnetic Fields from indie sweethearts to full on cultural icons. Merritt is no doubt one of the best songwriters of this generation, both in the memorable lyrics he writes and the nuanced arrangements he creates. Like all great songwriters Merritt is able to create in a wide variety of styles. In the past he's made electronic pop, fuzzy lo-fi rock, ukulele stompers, and shoegaze like dreaminess. And when you see The Magnetic Fields play live its so awesome because they often change the arrangements and styles of their songs, like when they toured for Distortion they actually played all those loud rocking songs all hushed and acoustic!
Realism is another reminder that no matter what style, aesthetic or theme Merritt choses to work within he's always able to emerge with memorable and moving songs that will have remain emotionally and sonically relevant for so many years to come.
MPEG Stream: "You Must Be Out Of Your Mind"
MPEG Stream: "I Don't Know What To Say"
MPEG Stream: "Walk A Lonely Road"

MAGNETIC FIELDS, THE Realism (Nonesuch) lp 21.00
Nobody makes misery and endless longing sound better then Stephin Merritt. As it's been raining nonstop in San Francisco we've been eagerly awaiting this new Magnetic Fields album since pretty much nothing sounds better when it's gray and grim outside, than the beautifully morose pop that Merritt and his comrades create.
Realism is very much the counterpoint to the last Magnetic Fields album, Distortion, which was all plugged in, in the red, filled with fuzz, a sonic nod to the Jesus & Mary Chain. Realism goes in the opposite direction. Made completely with acoustic instruments, this is their 'baroque folk' album. In many ways it has much of the same kind of sound and style found on 69 Love Songs, the masterpiece which catapulted Magnetic Fields from indie sweethearts to full on cultural icons. Merritt is no doubt one of the best songwriters of this generation, both in the memorable lyrics he writes and the nuanced arrangements he creates. Like all great songwriters Merritt is able to create in a wide variety of styles. In the past he's made electronic pop, fuzzy lo-fi rock, ukulele stompers, and shoegaze like dreaminess. And when you see The Magnetic Fields play live its so awesome because they often change the arrangements and styles of their songs, like when they toured for Distortion they actually played all those loud rocking songs all hushed and acoustic!
Realism is another reminder that no matter what style, aesthetic or theme Merritt choses to work within he's always able to emerge with memorable and moving songs that will have remain emotionally and sonically relevant for so many years to come.
MPEG Stream: "You Must Be Out Of Your Mind"
MPEG Stream: "I Don't Know What To Say"
MPEG Stream: "Walk A Lonely Road"

MAGNETIC STRIPPER Extended Play-R (Suitcase) 7" 5.50
Given the look and sound of this short EP, Magnetic Stripper could be some terminally obscure DIY-industrial-synth project circa 1982, with the tinny drum machines, noisy blurts from various synths, and plenty of references to Absolute Body Control, Minimal Man, The Units, and Chris Carter's synth moments within Throbbing Gristle. But in fact, this is the work of San Francisco's James Ellis, currently working and performing today. There are four short pieces that would make for a great teaser for a forthcoming record, with the weird-science array of disjointed synth melodies and electro-static squiggling, all hanging upon skeletal drum machine pulses. The title track has more of a bedroom project New Wave feel with its motorik rhythms and percolated step sequencing. The other three tracks take more of an early SPK direction with all of the drum rhythms taking on a lumbering pace, minus the snarled noise and grizzy imagery. Both sides of the 7" end on perfectly executed locked grooves, and the single comes with a retro-looking button. Very cool.

MAGNOG (Kranky) cd 14.98
Newest Kranky artists sound just like you'd expect them to, maybe a little smoother, not as scratchy or invigorating as Flying Saucer Attack, yet song #3 has a vocal track that's just tantalizingly buried enough you'll find yrself playing it over and over again trying to decipher the words, not at all an unpleasant exercise. Several pieces feature Jessamine's inspiring keyboardist Andy Brown. What does Magnog mean, or refer to?

MAGNOG (Kranky) 2lp 12.98
Newest Kranky artists sound just like you'd expect them to, maybe a little smoother, not as scratchy or invigorating as Flying Saucer Attack, yet song #3 has a vocal track that's just tantalizingly buried enough you'll find yrself playing it over and over again trying to decipher the words, not at all an unpleasant exercise. Several pieces feature Jessamine's inspiring keyboardist Andy Brown. What does Magnog mean, or refer to?

MAGNOG More Weather (Kranky) 2cd 15.98
Pacific NW space-rock band's home-recorded demos, '94-'96 or so, taking up two compact discs. Jessamine Jr.?

MAGNOLIA (original sound track) (Reprise) cd 17.98
9 new songs by Aimee Mann, remember her? Til Tuesday? The girl with one long braid coming out of her short new wave do. Since her songs are all over the film Magnolia, this soundtrack is sort of like her new album. Also included, two of the greatest songs ever written: Supertramp's Goodbye Stranger and Logical Song.

MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. Josephine (Secretly Canadian) cd 12.98
What can be said that hasn't been said already about the mighty Americana troubadour Jason Molina? He continues to weave his wonderful rustic folk pop tapestry in various deep dark shades of sorrow. On Josephine, he once again absolutely nails the heartbreak and the despair in classic country rock fashion. Of the generous list of fourteen tunes, standouts include the title track as well as "Little Sad Eyes", but the best might be "Knoxville Girl". Check 'em out!
MPEG Stream: "Josephine"
MPEG Stream: "Little Sad Eyes"
MPEG Stream: "Knoxville Girl"

MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. Josephine (Secretly Canadian) lp 14.98
What can be said that hasn't been said already about the mighty Americana troubadour Jason Molina? He continues to weave his wonderful rustic folk pop tapestry in various deep dark shades of sorrow. On Josephine, he once again absolutely nails the heartbreak and the despair in classic country rock fashion. Of the generous list of fourteen tunes, standouts include the title track as well as "Little Sad Eyes", but the best might be "Knoxville Girl". Check 'em out!
MPEG Stream: "Josephine"
MPEG Stream: "Little Sad Eyes"
MPEG Stream: "Knoxville Girl"

MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. Sojourner (Secretly Canadian) 4cd+dvd 45.00
Geez, Jason Molina, what are you tryin' to do to us!? How the heck can we possibly sufficiently listen, watch, digest and report in on your new release that includes four cds and one dvd? If we did, well, it would probably take weeks and the release wouldn't be new anymore! We have heard some of it, and not surprisingly, the few songs we did hear were prime Molina fare -- well-worn, roaming loner melancholia -- but in the interest of timeliness, we'll let the sticker on the shrinkwrap of this special wooden boxed set say it all... "Secretly Canadian is proud to present The Sojourner Boxset. It is the accumulated work of thirteen musicians, five locations, four recording engineers, three filmmakers, two designers and one songwriter, including enough material for three full lengths, one EP and one DVD. Explore the celestial map of Jason Molina and the various constellations of his... Magnolia Electric Co."

MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. Trials & Errors (Secretly Canadian) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Perhaps following his Amalgamated Sons Of Rest cohort Will Oldham's multi-naming lead (y'know making music as Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Palace Music/Brothers/Songs, etc) and to mark a new chapter in his musical travels, Jason Molina (aka Songs:Ohia) has assumed a new performance moniker. It is Magnolia Electric Co., and it was the title of his final album as Songs: Ohia. Aaah, a rose by any other name...! Anyways, your official introduction to M.E.C. is the hearty country rock of this live album which was recorded in Brussels in 2003 (psst, a studio album is set to be released in the spring!). Maybe to ease his fans through the name change, Molina mixes the old with the new, performing a bunch of new songs as well as a few Songs:Ohia tunes. Actually many of these songs also recall those good ol' days of AQ fave Uncle Tupelo -- not only is Molina's vocal delivery very often akin to Jay Farrar's, but the guitar tone, pacing and mood are quite similar as well -- particularly on fine songs such as "North Star". Fans take note, this cd release is a "limited" pressing of 10,000!
MPEG Stream: "North Star"
MPEG Stream: "The Last 3 Human Words"

MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. Trials & Errors (Secretly Canadian) 2lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Perhaps following his Amalgamated Sons Of Rest cohort Will Oldham's multi-naming lead (y'know making music as Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Palace Music/Brothers/Songs, etc) and to mark a new chapter in his musical travels, Jason Molina (aka Songs:Ohia) has assumed a new performance moniker. It is Magnolia Electric Co., and it was the title of his final album as Songs: Ohia. Aaah, a rose by any other name...! Anyways, your official introduction to M.E.C. is the hearty country rock of this live album which was recorded in Brussels in 2003 (psst, a studio album is set to be released in the spring!). Maybe to ease his fans through the name change, Molina mixes the old with the new, performing a bunch of new songs as well as a few Songs:Ohia tunes. Actually many of these songs also recall those good ol' days of AQ fave Uncle Tupelo -- not only is Molina's vocal delivery very often akin to Jay Farrar's, but the guitar tone, pacing and mood are quite similar as well -- particularly on fine songs such as "North Star". Fans take note, this vinyl is assuredly even more limited than the cd version.
MPEG Stream: "North Star"
MPEG Stream: "The Last 3 Human Words"

MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. What Comes After The Blues (Secretly Canadian) cd 14.98
Regardless of under which moniker he chooses to release his music, you'll usually find Mr. Jason Molina's recordings falling into one of two baskets -- his threadbare, rumpled melancholia or his considerably more fleshed out tavern rock. For this, the official studio recorded debut of his new band Magnolia Electric Co., he's found a fine middle ground. Molina mellows out the Co's electricity ever so gently on What Comes After The Blues, and the results are a startlingly Neil Young-ish album. For those of you who were looking forward to more Magnolia Electric Co. bootstompers like those on their recent now-out-of-print live album Trials & Errors, sorry, these are more along the lines of mid-tempo weep-in-your-beer numbers. The already-heavy-hearted songs are made even more achingly lovely by the addition of the equally forlorn trumpet, violin and guest female vocals courtesy of Jennie Benford of Jim & Jennie And The Pinetops. Definitely check out the Jennie-sung second song "The Night Shift Lullaby".
MPEG Stream: "The Dark Don't Hide It"
MPEG Stream: "The Night Shift Lullaby "

MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. What Comes After The Blues (Secretly Canadian) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Regardless of under which moniker he chooses to release his music, you'll usually find Mr. Jason Molina's recordings falling into one of two baskets -- his threadbare, rumpled melancholia or his considerably more fleshed out tavern rock. For this, the official studio recorded debut of his new band Magnolia Electric Co., he's found a fine middle ground. Molina mellows out the Co's electricity ever so gently on What Comes After The Blues, and the results are a startlingly Neil Young-ish album. For those of you who were looking forward to more Magnolia Electric Co. bootstompers like those on their recent now-out-of-print live album Trials & Errors, sorry, these are more along the lines of mid-tempo weep-in-your-beer numbers. The already-heavy-hearted songs are made even more achingly lovely by the addition of the equally forlorn trumpet, violin and guest female vocals courtesy of Jennie Benford of Jim & Jennie And The Pinetops. Definitely check out the Jennie-sung second song "The Night Shift Lullaby".
MPEG Stream: "The Dark Don't Hide It"
MPEG Stream: "The Night Shift Lullaby "

MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO., THE Hard To Love A Man (Secretly Canadian) cd ep 9.98
Sticking with his Magnolia Electric Co. moniker, Mr. Jason Molina (aka Songs: Ohia) follows up his last full length What Comes After The Blues with this new five-song EP. The first four tunes are of his trademark beleaguered, drown your sorrows folk stylings, while for the fifth Molina does his best Warren Zevon on a rendition of "Werewolves Of London". Aaawoooooo!
MPEG Stream: "Hard To Love A Man"
MPEG Stream: "Werewolves Of London"

MAGNOLIA THUNDERPUSSY Starin' Down The Sun (Mar Vista) cd 14.98

MAGNUSON, ANN In the Luv Show (Geffen) cd 14.98
Ex-Bongwater. Kramer must be weeping.

MAGYAR POSSE Kings Of Time (Verdura) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
At long, long last the first two albums by this big AQ fave are back in stock!! Good timing too 'cause there's a brand new album called Random Avenger peeking up over the horizon!
Finnish post-rock heavyweights Magyar Posse return with a second, even better, album. Like their first, We Will Carry You Over The Mountains, Kings of Time will appeal first and foremost to fans of God Speed You Black Emperor and/or Mogwai. And while these comparisons may be a double-edged sword for Magyar Posse, the blade that cuts closest -- that of being seen as derivative -- might as well be a butter knife. Truthfully, Magyar Posse outdo what others have done before them. They're like the Alban Berg or Anton Webern of post-rock to Tortoise or GSYBE's Arnold Schoenberg. Kings of Time is an instrumental concept album on par with Pink Floyd, or an epic soundtrack worthy of Ennio Morricone's tip of the hat. Using a plethora of instrumental variations, from sparse reverb laden guitar to full blown orchestral arrangements of epic proportions -- all modern recording studio wizardry, Magyar Posse recontextualize leit motifs, and develop melodies like no one else in the post rock camp can. Reminiscent at times of Morricone's spaghetti western soundtracks they incorporate cooing wordless vocals into the mix with the utmost in subtlety. If some filmmaker doesn't snatch this band up to write a soundtrack to their film soon, we'll be really surprised. Completely amazing.
MPEG Stream: "Kings of Time, Track 2"
MPEG Stream: "Kings of Time, Track 5"

MAGYAR POSSE Random Avenger (Verdura) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
FINNISH INSTRUMENTAL CINEMATIC EPIC PROGROCK ALERT!!!
Okay, now that we've got your attention. When Andee was in Finland a few years back, Jussi from Circle took him to a tiny club to see a friend's band play, and the band totally destroyed, they were so epic, so massive, it was like seeing Godspeed! You Black Emperor play in a broom closet. Huge glowing swells of sound, totally memorable melodies, gorgeous arrangements, all swirled into majestic sweeping soaring emotional epics. Even back then, before the band even had a record out. Not soon after, they did in fact release a record, and we were immediately in love. The band was Magyar Posse, and that first record totally captured the majestic might of the band, while at the same time adding all sorts of sonic subtleties and even more dense layers of sound. A second record followed and somehow the band managed to sound even bigger and better. We had been hearing about a brand new record for a while, and were thrilled when a big box showed up a few days ago from Finland and inside was Random Avenger, the newest release from Magyar Posse. We were almost ready to be disappointed considering how much we dug those other records, or at least preparing ourselves to just be happy for more of the same, but if anything, the band have expanded their sound even further, coming up with epic soundscapes even more intense and epic and emotional than before.
This record, even more than the others, sounds like it just has to be a real soundtrack. Pop music is not meant to be so dense and rife with emotion, painting pictures with wordless music as vibrant as if there were in fact lyrics telling a story. The sound is very prog, intensely cinematic and while it is dark and dreamy it can also be strangely playful. Some moments, we're transported to some lost Bond film, others we find ourselves in some dusty Leone Western, while still others we're lost on some moonlit street running for our lives in a mysterious Italian giallo. The first track, "Whirlpool Of Terror And Tension" is a lush and dense, multilayered world of sound, with a strange sort of Bolero staccato rhythm, with strange scrabbly guitars, abstract sixties style female vocals, minor key guitar twangs, chimes and bells, keening guitars feedback, and simple propulsive drumming. The main riff is very Morricone, but is backed up by a thick wash of soaring strings and gorgeous glockenspiel, it's almost impossible not to close your eyes and see a cool sixties Mondrian style credit sequence for some Danger Diabolik style caper movie. That vibe definitely permeates the whole record, but each track definitely has it's own feel and distinct emotion. A handful of the tracks take Magyar's progressive post-rock into definite Goblin / Zombi territory with minor key strings, relentless rhythms, pulsing drums and new wave synths locked into angular krautrock grooves, while spacey sound effects swoop and swirl, strings soar and sing, and again we're just transported to whole new worlds, but worlds with totally kick ass soundtracks!
This is definitely still post-rock, and thus will appeal to fans of Tortoise and Godspeed and Cerberus Shoal and Cyann & Ben and Explosions In The Sky and the like but Magyar Posse have something totally their own going on. A unique sonic vision, an alternate musical universe, where a pair of headphones and a walkman transform you into a super spy or a wily seductress or a hired killer, and turns your boring neighborhood into 1960's Paris, or a dusty ghost town or a secret base in the Arctic. This is music as dense and as rich and as much of an escape as any book or any film could ever be, and music that can have such an incredible effect on the listener, is way too rare. And so very precious.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
MPEG Stream: "Whirlpool Of Terror And Tension"
MPEG Stream: "Sudden Death"
MPEG Stream: "Popzag"

MAGYAR POSSE We Will Carry You Over The Mountains (Verdura) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
At long, long last the first two albums by this big AQ fave are back in stock!! Good timing too 'cause there's a brand new album called Random Avenger peeking up over the horizon! Here's what we said when we first discovered Magyar Posse's debut some years ago:
We've really been enjoying this find from Finland: Magyar Posse have put together a really great set of sweeping, emotive post-rock instrumentals highly reminiscent of the excellent, out of print "La Planete Sauvage" (aka Fantastic Planet) soundtrack, believe it or not. Orchestral embellishments introduce the icy sounds of reverb-laden guitar and trembling electric organ. Suave drums and spooky glockenspiel melodies mix with manifestations of krautrock in the funky basslines and oscillating, Moog-y synth sounds. Occasionally, plaintive vocals are subtly placed low in the mix, buried in layers of echo. And is that the haunting voice of a musical saw I hear? Why yes, it is! The whole thing builds into climactic crescendos a la Godspeed You Black Emperor. Truly splendid! Andee actually saw this band play when he was visiting over in Finland not long ago -- they hail from Pori, also the hometown of AQ-faves Circle, and we think any Circle fans ought to like the Posse. It's really majestic, beautiful stuff, and more original and a lot less wimpy than the general run of post-rock that they might get lumped in with. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Witchcraft"
MPEG Stream: "Sleepwalker"

MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA Apocalpyse (Columbia) cd 5.00
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**

MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA Between Nothingness & Eternity (Columbia) cd 5.00
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**

MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA Visions Of The Emerald Beyond (Columbia) cd 5.00
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**

MAHER SHALAL HASH BAZ Blues Du Jour (Geographic) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The unique underground Japanese group Maher Shalal Hash Baz -- a mostly untrained ensemble that plays simple, psychedelic pop songs with child-like innocence and imprecison -- recently performed a pair of shows here in the Bay Area. I caught the one over in Oakland, and it was amazing. Beautiful, shambolic, jazz-flecked primitive pop groove. The weirdest thing, was that they tried REALLY HARD to play the songs 'correctly'. Leader Tori Kudo even stopped the band on several occasions to instruct the bass player (his wife, I believe) on how to play a song's bass line properly. It was a bit uncomfortable, actually, but I'm not totally sure it wasn't intentional. After all, the impact of their naive novice musicanship is lost when the whole audience expects it -- so why not throw everyone off balance by making it seem like it's NOT supposed to sound so warped and damaged, even when it is?? Brilliant. Even the parked car that was set on fire down the block during the show couldn't compete. So, it's nice now to get these two new Maher documents. Blues Du Jour is the full length, and by that we mean it's got 41 tracks on it! Some are full songs, ballads, others short sketches, interludes, cryptic and lovely. Sweetly retarded horns and jangling guitars wearing innocent smiles, music that's cute and quaint but also serious and heartfelt. You'll hear hints of Ghost, the Beatles, Faust, Syd Barrett... Wrong never sounded so right. Meanwhile, they're also released an ep called Open Field that includes four songs from the full-length plus one special mix that features Bill Wells and members of The Pastels. Get it if you can't handle the full 41 tracks or you need everything with Bill Wells on it...
MPEG Stream: "White Dream"
MPEG Stream: "What's Your Business Here Elijah?"

MAHER SHALAL HASH BAZ Blues Du Jour (Geographic) lp 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The unique underground Japanese group Maher Shalal Hash Baz -- a mostly untrained ensemble that plays simple, psychedelic pop songs with child-like innocence and imprecison -- recently performed a pair of shows here in the Bay Area. I caught the one over in Oakland, and it was amazing. Beautiful, shambolic, jazz-flecked primitive pop groove. The weirdest thing, was that they tried REALLY HARD to play the songs 'correctly'. Leader Tori Kudo even stopped the band on several occasions to instruct the bass player (his wife, I believe) on how to play a song's bass line properly. It was a bit uncomfortable, actually, but I'm not totally sure it wasn't intentional. After all, the impact of their naive novice musicanship is lost when the whole audience expects it -- so why not throw everyone off balance by making it seem like it's NOT supposed to sound so warped and damaged, even when it is?? Brilliant. Even the parked car that was set on fire down the block during the show couldn't compete. So, it's nice now to get these two new Maher documents. Blues Du Jour is the full length, and by that we mean it's got 41 tracks on it! Some are full songs, ballads, others short sketches, interludes, cryptic and lovely. Sweetly retarded horns and jangling guitars wearing innocent smiles, music that's cute and quaint but also serious and heartfelt. You'll hear hints of Ghost, the Beatles, Faust, Syd Barrett... Wrong never sounded so right. Meanwhile, they're also released an ep called Open Field that includes four songs from the full-length plus one special mix that features Bill Wells and members of The Pastels. Get it if you can't handle the full 41 tracks or you need everything with Bill Wells on it...
MPEG Stream: "White Dream"
MPEG Stream: "What's Your Business Here Elijah?"

MAHER SHALAL HASH BAZ Live 1984-85 (Kunitachi Kibun) (PSF) cd 22.00
If you thought that recent recordings by Japanese shambolic psychedelic pop outfit Maher Shalal Hash Baz sound full of simple, child-like naivety, imagine the even less-trained, even more-Shaggsy charm of this band back, say, twenty years ago! Well you actually don't have to imagine 'cause now PSF has provided us with this disc of archival live recordings, from performances in 1984 and 1985. That's truly delving into Tori Kudo's troupe's earliest years (he started the band in '83). In fact, the 1984 performance documented here was in fact their FIRST EVER gig, opening for High Rise and Kousokoya! May have been High Rise's first show too... (hmm, does that mean PSF has tapes of their sets as well?). Their entropic sound was much like it is today, though. Not-quite-jazz horns bleat out distressed melodies over stumbling beats, gentle vocals hold your hand as guitars are strummed with more feeling than finesse. The recording quality is suitably lo-fi and tape-hissy and makes this even more of a warm blanket of softly sunny clangy jangle and blissful pop chaos, so wrong it's right. Ariel Pink's got nothing on this. With interesting liner notes about these early daze from Kudo, translated into English by Alan Cummings.
MPEG Stream: "Unknown Happiness"
MPEG Stream: "View From Midheaven Of Itami Airport"

MAHER SHALAL HASH BAZ Open Field (Geographic) cd ep 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
See the review of Maher Shalal Hash Baz's Blues Du Jour album for information.

MAIN Mort Aux Vaches: Exosphere (Staalplaat) cd 19.98
Exosphere is Main's second contribution to the ongoing series of VPRO radio commissions, following a three way split with Flying Saucer Attack and White Winged Moth. Robert Hampson launched the Main project over a decade ago, after jettisoning the blackened hypno-rock of his incredible ensemble Loop in favor of a droning deconstruction and ambient isolationism that he qualified as 'drumless space.' A few years after the drums left and Main's structures became more and more abstract, Hampson set his guitar down to collect dust for good, as Main has now become entirely about digital fragmentation with a parallel aesthetic to Janek Shaeffer, Roel Meelkop, and Ekkehard Ehlers. For Exosphere, Hampson began with the recordings of those elements of a journey that are typically uninteresting and often forgotten, such as the taxi cab to the airport or the time waiting at the train station. With all of his DSP filters run amok, very little of those field recordings retain their original banality; instead, they acquire a dynamic expressivity with shivering digital textures, anxious time-stretching ripples, and monolithic drones that have more in common with the holy minimalism of Phil Niblock and LaMonte Young than the digital aersolization of Fennesz. Staalplaat continues their unique packaging of the Mort Aux Vaches series with a single piece of trifolded paper, holding the disc in place with a winged-brad. For Exosphere, Staalplaat cleverly recycles the waxy cardboard from orange juice containers.
MPEG Stream: "Part 2"
MPEG Stream: "Part 3"

MAIN / WHITE WINGED MOTH / FLYING SAUCER ATTACK Mort Aux Vaches (Staalplaat) cd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Staalplaat continues their "Mort Aux Vaches" series of commissioned radio broadcasts with this split release between Main, White Winged Moth, and Flying Saucer Attack. These recordings find all three experimental guitarist artists at their quietest and on their best behavior. Flying Saucer Attack gets the most attention with 4 softly played acoustic guitar tracks that are buried underneathe a building wall of reverb -- sort of like the mellower pieces on FSA's recent album "Mirror". Main offers a 15 minute track for treated guitars that is quite active by the standards of Robert Hampson's increasingly inaudible outfit. Tiny samples of malfunctioning guitar cables and soft scrapes on the strings repeat throughout the composition along with a bell like tonal drone. White Winged Moth (aka New Zealander Dean Roberts) also presents a 15 minute piece, with his humid guitar drones. Altogether this is an excellent compilation of work.
RealAudio clip: FLYING SAUCER ATTACK "#2"
RealAudio clip: MAIN "Counterglow"

MAINLINER Mainliner Sonic (Charnel Music) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Nanjo, Kawabata and Yoshida return, with another blast of High Rise-style psychedelic riffery. Turn it up past, like, "2", and give your stereo speakers a few final thrilling moments before they fry.

MAINLINER Mellow Out (Riot Season) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
At last, a reissue of the debut album from Japanese heavy psych trio Mainliner. It came out on Charnel Music in '96, but has been out of print for a long while now and with its unavailability has grown in stature. Of course, it's a great record, the one that Acid Mothers Temple were trying to emulate on their recent "Electric Heavyland" set. And yep, it does feature AMT's Kawabata Makoto on 'motorpsycho' guitar, along with free jazzer Hajime Koizumi on drums and bassist Nanjo Asahito of the legendary High Rise. Mainliner always was just a slight variant on the High Rise template (themselves a variant on the Les Rallizes Denudes template it seems), formed originally by Nanjo 'cause his High Rise bandmates were averse to touring and he wanted to take his rock on the road, or so the story goes. Anyway, this disc was Mainliner's first and best, all players outdoing themselves in the realms of psychedelic heavy garage improv distortion overload. So, if you missed it the first time around, now's your chance to experience this classic. It's nice to have it back in just 'cause now we're listening to it again and we'd forgotten how great it is. Rock!
MPEG Stream: "Black Sky"

MAINLINER Mellow Out (Riot Season) lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now, for the first time, on vinyl! Yes, in addition to reissuing the debut cd from Japanese heavy psych trio Mainliner, Riot Season have gone and pressed it on wax. A pressing probably not long for this world, however... Here's what we just wrote about the cd version: It came out on Charnel Music in '96, but has been out of print for a long while now and with its unavailability has grown in stature. Of course, it's a great record, the one that Acid Mothers Temple were trying to emulate on their recent "Electric Heavyland" set. And yep, it does feature AMT's Kawabata Makoto on 'motorpsycho' guitar, along with free jazzer Hajime Koizumi on drums and bassist Nanjo Asahito of the legendary High Rise. Mainliner always was just a slight variant on the High Rise template (themselves a variant on the Les Rallizes Denudes template it seems), formed originally by Nanjo 'cause his High Rise bandmates were averse to touring and he wanted to take his rock on the road, or so the story goes. Anyway, this disc was Mainliner's first and best, all players outdoing themselves in the realms of psychedelic heavy garage improv distortion overload. So, if you missed it the first time around, now's your chance to experience this classic. It's nice to have it back in just 'cause now we're listening to it again and we'd forgotten how great it is. Rock!
MPEG Stream: "Black Sky"

MAJEURE Solar Maximum (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 14.98
Prepare to be soothed and elated. Here's the second album from Majeure, aka A.E. Paterra, one half of Zombi. (FYI, the other half of Zombi, Steve Moore, also has a new solo album out, Light Echoes on Cuneiform, that we'll hopefully have reviewed for you next time around!)
Any longtime aQ customer knows we're big Zombi fans, and of the duo's respective solo work too. In fact, the first Majeure album, Timespan, was a Record Of The Week. So this new one, well, it's great, that's a given really. But beyond that, we're have a hard time coming up with stuff to say about it. What to add to what we've said already about Majeure's brand of propulsive, synth-laden, spacey instrumentals? (Of Timespan, we wrote: "Sprawling spaced out sci-fi electronic minimal kraut disco epics of the highest order. Fusing the creepy film music of Vangelis and John Carpenter with the pulsing hypnotic minimalism of Steve Reich or Philip Glass, even some propulsive motorik Can style krautrock, all woven into sprawling spaced out psychedelic futuristic retro faux film music, layered synths, looped melodies, and a killer mix of programmed rhythms and live drumming".) This new disc is a bit less sprawling, with only one of the six songs breaking into the double-digits duration-wise. And the mood is perhaps lighter and lovelier. But otherwise, what? We will stress that A.E. Paterra really knows what he's doing. (Moore too, on his discs.) This is well-crafted, retro cosmic shimmering synth bliss with some groove, yeah. We're lovin' it. It's like New Age disco music, and we mean that in a good way.
Ok, why not let's list all the gear Paterra is credited with playing on this: "drums, Moog Source, Moog Voyager OS, Kawai SX-240, Korg Lambda, Korg Polysix, Roland Alpha Juno 2 + Roland PG-300, Arp Omni II, Ursa Major Space Station, Mu-Tron Bi Phase, and an old German plate reverb". You don't even have to know what all that stuff is to get an idea about what this album is like. But gadgetry aside, what's more important is, like we said, Paterra knows how to use all those synths to make truly mesmeric music, that sounds both authentic and enjoyable.
Majeure's retro-vision isn't limited to the music - the art and graphic design is nostalgically spot-on. In fact, while there will be a vinyl lp release of this (which was bumped back a bit), the compact disc is the way to go anyway, on account of how they've replicated the '80s look, including the text explaining the superior performance of the Compact Disc Digital Audio System, and how to care for your new cd ("If you follow these suggestions, the Compact Disc will provide a lifetime of pure listening enjoyment"), which proudly bears the DDD code meaning a digital tape recorder was used for recording, mixing and mastering. At the same time, the cover looks like it's been reduced down from an lp-sized original, everything in tiny type, the tracklist divided between a side 1 and side 2. Nice.
MPEG Stream: "Maximum Overture"
MPEG Stream: "Solar Maximum"
MPEG Stream: "Extreme Northern Lights"

MAJEURE Solar Maximum (Temporary Residence Ltd.) lp 22.00
NOW ON VINYL!!
Prepare to be soothed and elated. Here's the second album from Majeure, aka A.E. Paterra, one half of Zombi. Any longtime aQ customer knows we're big Zombi fans, and of the duo's respective solo work too. In fact, the first Majeure album, Timespan, was a Record Of The Week. So this new one, well, it's great, that's a given really. But beyond that, we're have a hard time coming up with stuff to say about it. What to add to what we've said already about Majeure's brand of propulsive, synth-laden, spacey instrumentals? (Of Timespan, we wrote: "Sprawling spaced out sci-fi electronic minimal kraut disco epics of the highest order. Fusing the creepy film music of Vangelis and John Carpenter with the pulsing hypnotic minimalism of Steve Reich or Philip Glass, even some propulsive motorik Can style krautrock, all woven into sprawling spaced out psychedelic futuristic retro faux film music, layered synths, looped melodies, and a killer mix of programmed rhythms and live drumming".) This new disc is a bit less sprawling, with only one of the six songs breaking into the double-digits duration-wise. And the mood is perhaps lighter and lovelier. But otherwise, what? We will stress that A.E. Paterra really knows what he's doing. (Moore too, on his discs.) This is well-crafted, retro cosmic shimmering synth bliss with some groove, yeah. We're lovin' it. It's like New Age disco music, and we mean that in a good way.
Ok, why not let's list all the gear Paterra is credited with playing on this: "drums, Moog Source, Moog Voyager OS, Kawai SX-240, Korg Lambda, Korg Polysix, Roland Alpha Juno 2 + Roland PG-300, Arp Omni II, Ursa Major Space Station, Mu-Tron Bi Phase, and an old German plate reverb". You don't even have to know what all that stuff is to get an idea about what this album is like. But gadgetry aside, what's more important is, like we said, Paterra knows how to use all those synths to make truly mesmeric music, that sounds both authentic and enjoyable.
MPEG Stream: "Maximum Overture"
MPEG Stream: "Solar Maximum"
MPEG Stream: "Extreme Northern Lights"

MAJEURE Timespan (Temporary Residence Ltd.) 2cd 16.98
Majeure is the drumming half of electronic sci-fi prog synth duo Zombi, and explores similar territory on his 3 song debut. A measly 3 songs you say? Yeah, but 3 songs in 42 minutes! That's right, sprawling spaced out sci-fi electronic minimal kraut disco epics of the highest order. Fusing the creepy film music of Vangelis and John Carpenter with the pulsing hypnotic minimalism of Steve Reich or Philip Glass, even some propulsive motorik Can style krautrock, all woven into sprawling spaced out psychedelic futuristic retro faux film music, layered synths, looped melodies, and a killer mix of programmed rhythms and live drumming, the vibe is ominous and epic, so evocative, it's impossible not to imagine some sort of insane fight in zero gravity, jump suited androids grappling amidst a strange neon latticework, or some futuristic car chase, through dimly lit streets, a grim crumbling futureworld, where the outcome of said chase will determine the fate of humanity.
The opener, the awesomely sci-fi named "The Dresden Codex", is a total future space disco kraut jam, the first half a throbbing mesmerizing krautdronesynthscape, eventually, bass drifts in as does awesomely fuzzy bass synth, the melodies dramatic and epic, a slow build that gets more and more intense before fading out into a stripped down moody bit of synthy drift, before exploding back into action, the live drums going nuts, suddenly it sounds a bit like a way more sci-fi Trans Am too, with a little M83 fuzz thrown in for good measure. "Teleforce" is all afternoon special straight to video science fiction, with its throbbing low end synth, and simple drumming, but the sound quickly gets thicker and more dense, and all ominous and intense, thick layers of rumble and whir over that machinelike pulse, then in come soaring strings, and after a brief bit of tension building Carpenter like spaced out minimalism, a lazer battle ensues, the track churning and chugging amidst a sky full of swirling effects and lazerblast-like pyew-pyew-pyew's...
Finally, the album finishes off with the 18+ minute "Timespan", beginning with a cloud of rumbles and whirs, before the sky fills with flecks of synth and space-y FX, a haunting bit of Logan's Run ambience, before the track slips right back into some groovy eighties sci fi synth disco, and for the next 10+ minutes, we're careening though a neon lit future world, battling on dancefloors, soaring between strange obelisk like structures, dodging lazer fire, running for our lives from lumbering robots, and finally destroying the mainframe and liberating the human race, all to the strains of some of the coolest, retro sci-fi sounds since, well, since these sounds weren't really retro at all.
Making an awesome album even awesomer, the cd version (but not, sadly, the vinyl) comes with a bonus remix disc (reissuing an out of print 12"), featuring reinterpretations of the album tracks by Steve Moore (the other half of Zombi), Justin Broadrick of Jesu, and Black Strobe. Moore takes "Timespan" and roughs it up a bit, giving it a more bruised, darkened and ominous cast, still an eighties soundtrack, but this time it's some dark foreign film, death more imminent, the end of civilization a foregone conclusion, but this is the sound of a ragtag group of survivors, hurling themselves into the void, on a desperate quest to save the universe, all to the strains of a pulsing Goblin / Carpenter score. Broadrick takes "Teleforce", and does something to it, hard to say exactly what, but suddenly it sounds like a warped Moroder post rock remix 12" spinning off kilter, warbly and hypnotic, eventually blissing out, more and more minimal and skeletal and softly psychedelic, before a bad ass dubby last few minutes, thumping muted rhythms, underpinning eighties new wave synths, and clouds of M83 style haze, a fucking killer groove that would seal the deal had the deal not already been WELL sealed. And finally, Black Strobe rework "The Dresden Codex" into something much more house-y and minimal, a sort of gleaming late night futuristic drift through mysterious silvery danceclubs, and exclusive penthouse parties, everything prismatic and blurred by a space age cocktail of psychotropics, a night spent cavorting in your gleaming surrogate body, your consciousness painting the town red, while your physical form sits safely in stasis at home, this is the sound of that soul shearing, head spinning rush, as an entire night's debauchery is downloaded in a 17 minute timelapse sonic injection, a heady, hypnotic, burst of electronic color. So rad.
The double compact disc comes in a super fancy, oversized mini lp style gatefold sleeve. And the vinyl version, also gatefold packaged, includes a digital download so you can iPod it.
MPEG Stream: "The Dresden Codex"
MPEG Stream: "Teleforce"

MAJEURE Timespan (Temporary Residence Ltd.) 2lp 16.98
Majeure is the drumming half of electronic sci-fi prog synth duo Zombi, and explores similar territory on his 3 song debut. A measly 3 songs you say? Yeah, but 3 songs in 42 minutes! That's right, sprawling spaced out sci-fi electronic minimal kraut disco epics of the highest order. Fusing the creepy film music of Vangelis and John Carpenter with the pulsing hypnotic minimalism of Steve Reich or Philip Glass, even some propulsive motorik Can style krautrock, all woven into sprawling spaced out psychedelic futuristic retro faux film music, layered synths, looped melodies, and a killer mix of programmed rhythms and live drumming, the vibe is ominous and epic, so evocative, it's impossible not to imagine some sort of insane fight in zero gravity, jump suited androids grappling amidst a strange neon latticework, or some futuristic car chase, through dimly lit streets, a grim crumbling futureworld, where the outcome of said chase will determine the fate of humanity.
The opener, the awesomely sci-fi named "The Dresden Codex", is a total future space disco kraut jam, the first half a throbbing mesmerizing krautdronesynthscape, eventually, bass drifts in as does awesomely fuzzy bass synth, the melodies dramatic and epic, a slow build that gets more and more intense before fading out into a stripped down moody bit of synthy drift, before exploding back into action, the live drums going nuts, suddenly it sounds a bit like a way more sci-fi Trans Am too, with a little M83 fuzz thrown in for good measure. "Teleforce" is all afternoon special straight to video science fiction, with its throbbing low end synth, and simple drumming, but the sound quickly gets thicker and more dense, and all ominous and intense, thick layers of rumble and whir over that macth and space-y FX, a haunting bit of Logan's Run ambience, before the track slips right back into some groovy eighties sci fi synth disco, and for the next 10+ minutes, we're careening though a neon lit future world, battling on dancefloors, soaring between strange obelisk like structures, dodging lazer fire, running for our lives from lumbering robots, and finally destroying the mainframe and liberating the human race, all to the strains of some of the coolest, retro sci-fi sounds since, well, since these sounds weren't really retro at all.
Making an awesome album even awesomer, the cd version (but not, sadly, the vinyl) comes with a bonus remix disc (reissuing an out of print 12"), featuring reinterpretations of the album tracks by Steve Moore (the other half of Zombi), Justin Broadrick of Jesu, and Black Strobe. Moore takes "Timespan" and roughs it up a bit, giving it a more bruised, darkened and ominous cast, still an eighties soundtrack, but this time it's some dark foreign film, death more imminent, the end of civilization a foregone conclusion, but this is the sound of a ragtag group of survivors, hurling themselves into the void, on a desperate quest to save the universe, all to the strains of a pulsing Goblin / Carpenter score. Broadrick takes "Teleforce", and does something to it, hard to say exactly what, but suddenly it sounds like a warped Moroder post rock remix 12" spinning off kilter, warbly and hypnotic, eventually blissing out, more and more minimal and skeletal and softly psychedelic, before a bad ass dubby last few minutes, thumping muted rhythms, underpinning eighties new wave synths, and clouds of M83 style haze, a fucking killer groove that would seal the deal had the deal not already been WELL sealed. And finally, Black Strobe rework "The Dresden Codex" into something much more house-y and minimal, a sort of gleaming late night futuristic drift through mysterious silvery danceclubs, and exclusive penthouse parties, everything prismatic and blurred by a space age cocktail of psychotropics, a night spent cavorting in your gleaming surrogate body, your consciousness painting the town red, while your physical form sits safely in stasis at home, this is the sound of that soul shearing, head spinning rush, as an entire night's debauchery is downloaded in a 17 minute timelapse sonic injection, a heady, hypnotic, burst of electronic color. So rad.
The double compact disc comes in a super fancy, oversized mini lp style gatefold sleeve. And the vinyl version, also gatefold packaged, includes a digital download so you can iPod it.
MPEG Stream: "The Dresden Codex"
MPEG Stream: "Teleforce"

MAJEURE Timespan Remixes (Temporary Residence Ltd.) 12" 16.98
Recently reissued as a bonus disc accompanying Majeures's Timespan full length, these three tracks were originally available as a 12", featuring reinterpretations of the album tracks by Steve Moore (the other half of Zombi), Justin Broadrick of Jesu, and Black Strobe.
Moore takes "Timespan" and roughs it up a bit, giving it a more bruised, darkened and ominous cast, still an eighties soundtrack, but this time it's some dark foreign film, death more imminent, the end of civilization a foregone conclusion, but this is the sound of a ragtag group of survivors, hurling themselves into the void, on a desperate quest to save the universe, all to the strains of a pulsing Goblin / Carpenter score. Broadrick takes "Teleforce", and does something to it, hard to say exactly what, but suddenly it sounds like a warped Moroder post rock remix 12" spinning off kilter, warbly and hypnotic, eventually blissing out, more and more minimal and skeletal and softly psychedelic, before a bad ass dubby last few minutes, thumping muted rhythms, underpinning eighties new wave synths, and clouds of M83 style haze, a fucking killer groove that would seal the deal had the deal not already been WELL sealed. And finally, Black Strobe rework "The Dresden Codex" into something much more house-y and minimal, a sort of gleaming late night futuristic drift through mysterious silvery danceclubs, and exclusive penthouse parties, everything prismatic and blurred by a space age cocktail of psychotropics, a night spent cavorting in your gleaming surrogate body, your consciousness painting the town red, while your physical form sits safely in stasis at home, this is the sound of that soul shearing, head spinning rush, as an entire night's debauchery is downloaded in a 17 minute timelapse sonic injection, a heady, hypnotic, burst of electronic color. So rad.

MAJOR STARS Distant Effects (Squealer) cd 14.98
Here's guitarists Wayne Rogers and Kate Biggars again with their third album under the Major Stars moniker, after working together previously in such similarily-psychedelic bands as Crystalized Movements, Magic Hour, B.O.R.B., and the not-to-be-forgotten Wormdoom.
As you might expect from these Terrastock rock heroes, "Distant Effects" features a lot of nimble psych guitar solos, dirty with effects and wanky (very Hendrix like). The drumming, also, is big and bombastic. We like a lot of this, except, as unfortunately tends to be the case with Mr. Rogers' stuff, for the vocals. His lackluster pipes project a sincere indie-boy dullness, without being heartbreaking or special enough to excuse. Aside from that drawback, "Distant Effects" is a fine album for fans of 60's inspired psych guitar jamming (which is what happens a few minutes into each track once Wayne shuts up and the band starts to cook), with a great recording sound and a varied style from song to song, of which there are just four, reaching a bit over a half hour, culminating in the 14 minutes and 45 seconds of "Elephant", which sees the Major Stars really stretching out with some righteous heaviness. On Squealer, where it seems to belong, seeing as how that label is also home to several High Rise and Acid Mothers Temple releases!
RealAudio clip: "No Higher Meaning"
RealAudio clip: "Hardly Mention"
RealAudio clip: "Are We"

MAJOR STARS Mirror / Messenger (Drag City) cd 15.98

MAJOR STARS Return To Form (Drag City) cd 14.98
Not quite, unfortunately.

MAJOR STARS Return To Form (Drag City) lp 15.98
Not quite, unfortunately.

MAJOR STARS Rock Sounds of People (Twisted Village) lp 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Kate Biggar and Wayne Rogers of Crystallized Movements, Magic Hour, and the highly-regarded Twisted Village label and store.

MAJOR STARS Space/Time (Twisted Village) cd 13.98
Now on cd, the 2nd Major Stars album (with bonus track from an out of print 12"). This record starts off innocuously enough but by the time the last track "Dream of the Accidental Bird" reaches its tenth minute, you're in distortion heaven. 1/2 instrumental, the first "side" with singing, the second saying "the heck with that, let's jam!" and thus without. Either way, the psychrawk blow-out factor is in full effect as one might expect from anything having to do with guitarist Wayne Rogers (Crystallized Movements, Magic Hour, etc.).

MAJOR STARS Synoptikon (Important) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "The Ravager"
MPEG Stream: "Pocket"

MAJOR STARS Synoptikon (Twisted Village) lp 14.98