MERMEN, THE The Amazing California Health And Happiness Road Show (Mesa) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
At last a new disc from ever-popular local "stoner surf" band The Mermen. Heavy reverby surf rock, like a psychedelic Dick Dale.

MERRITT, STEPHIN Eban & Charley (OST) (Merge) cd 14.98
The first 2002 peep from the prolific pen of Stephin Merritt (following the epic "69 Love Songs 3-cd box set) comes not as a new Magnetic Fields, Future Bible Heroes nor Sixths album, but as an indie film soundtrack. Sounding just as you'd expect film music composed by Mr. Magnetic Fields would... lovely, lonely, spartan and droll. Lingering piano and harpsichord notes, brief solemnly sung moments that I wouldn't quite classify as songs (which include despairing renderings of O Tannenbaum and Greensleeves), clinky-clunky, off-kilter antique toy instrument sounds and experimental soundscapes. Word has it he's been deep in recordingland working on new Magnetic Fields and Future Bible Heroes albums, but until those surface...
RealAudio clip: "Maria Maria Maria"
RealAudio clip: "Some Summer Day"

MERRITT, STEPHIN Obscurities (Merge) cd 14.98
Oh the glory days. Remember when all our favorite bands were still sort of our own little secret that the larger mainstream world both didn't know about and could care less about. That's how it was almost two decades ago when The Magnetic Fields first hit the scene. Before getting the attention of NPR and culture vultures far and wide with the release of 69 Love Songs, Stephin Merritt was one of the most unsung songwriters of our generation. Whether it was with The Magnetic Fields or when he recorded under the monikers of The 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, or the Gothic Archies, he carved out a space as one of the most unique and versatile songwriters we had heard in ages.
Obscurities draws from this magical era. Taking rare and unreleased tracks dating back to his days on Merge in the mid-late '90s. And we have to admit, this record is really reminding us why we fell so hard in love with his songs in the first place. The poignant and wicked smart lyrics, the deadpan delivery, the range of song forms from lo-fi C86 inspired blasts to more delicate and introspective twee. And we must mention that this contains one of our favorite songs of all time. "I Don't Believe You" by The Magnetic Fields, and it's not the version that came out on their Nonesuch debut, I, but instead the version from the long out of print Merge 7", that a few of us here have probably played over and over more then any other song in the world. well worth the price of admission for that practically perfect chunk of lo-fi pop bliss!
While we still dig what Merritt has been doing in recent years, in fact we made the 2008 Magnetic Fields album Distortion a Record Of The Week, we have to admit this is the era that will always be most near and dear to our hearts and ears. Absolutely essential!
MPEG Stream: "I Don't Believe You (The Magnetic Fields)"
MPEG Stream: "Yet Another Girl (The 6ths)"
MPEG Stream: "Rats In The Garbage Of The Western World (The Magnetic Fields)"

MERRITT, STEPHIN Obscurities (Merge) lp 17.98
Oh the glory days. Remember when all our favorite bands were still sort of our own little secret that the larger mainstream world both didn't know about and could care less about. That's how it was almost two decades ago when The Magnetic Fields first hit the scene. Before getting the attention of NPR and culture vultures far and wide with the release of 69 Love Songs, Stephin Merritt was one of the most unsung songwriters of our generation. Whether it was with The Magnetic Fields or when he recorded under the monikers of The 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, or the Gothic Archies, he carved out a space as one of the most unique and versatile songwriters we had heard in ages.
Obscurities draws from this magical era. Taking rare and unreleased tracks dating back to his days on Merge in the mid-late '90s. And we have to admit, this record is really reminding us why we fell so hard in love with his songs in the first place. The poignant and wicked smart lyrics, the deadpan delivery, the range of song forms from lo-fi C86 inspired blasts to more delicate and introspective twee. And we must mention that this contains one of our favorite songs of all time. "I Don't Believe You" by The Magnetic Fields, and it's not the version that came out on their Nonesuch debut, I, but instead the version from the long out of print Merge 7", that a few of us here have probably played over and over more then any other song in the world. well worth the price of admission for that practically perfect chunk of lo-fi pop bliss!
While we still dig what Merritt has been doing in recent years, in fact we made the 2008 Magnetic Fields album Distortion a Record Of The Week, we have to admit this is the era that will always be most near and dear to our hearts and ears. Absolutely essential!
MPEG Stream: "I Don't Believe You (The Magnetic Fields)"
MPEG Stream: "Yet Another Girl (The 6ths)"
MPEG Stream: "Rats In The Garbage Of The Western World (The Magnetic Fields)"

MERRITT, STEPHIN Pieces Of April Soundtrack (Nonesuch) cd 11.98
If you're at all familiar with the AQ gang, you already know very well that Cup gives the heartiest of thumth-upths to lisp-friendly Stephin Merritt and his various projects (Magnetic Fields, Sixths, Future Bible Heroes, etc). If you're at all unfamiliar with the man and his music, consider this your prime opportunity to get acquainted. We haven't seen the movie yet, so we can't comment on the music's relation to the film. However, we can say that in comparison to his previous soundtrack album for the film Eban & Charley which included a varied selection of songs and instrumental soundscapes, this is solely a collection of songs. It's a great sampling of previously released Magnetic Fields and Sixths songs (from 69 Love Songs and Hyacinths And Thistles respectively) as well as previously unreleased MF and solo Merritt works. Actually one of the two Sixths songs that's included -- "You You You You You" sung by Squirrel Nut Zippers' Katharine Whalen -- is indeed one of Cup's absolute faves. Aaah, such consistently top notch, achingly pretty, sweetheart songs. No one pinpoints the many matters of the heart from first blush to cold shoulder to brutal heartache in such wonderfully droll fashion as Mr. Merritt.
Note: Please be forewarned this cd tips the scales at just over 26 minutes, but oh what a splendid 26 minutes it is! Very recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Dreams Anymore"
MPEG Stream: "You You You You You"

MERRITT, STEPHIN Showtunes (Nonesuch) cd 16.98
Hoooo boy, what can we say about the latest Stephin Merritt release? This is a tough one. On the first day that we had this album in stock, it provoked some of the most immediate and strongest reactions. To put it mildly, we've got some pretty damn diehard Merritt supporters around here (we might add, some of them are card-carrying showtune lovers too!), but even they had to swiftly flee the scene of this album by the third song. Did we mention it's comprised of a whopping 26 opera-heavy compositions that he collaborated on with China's opera star Chen Shi-Zheng for three stage presentations (Orphan Of Zhao, Peach Blossom Fan and My Life As A Fairy Tale)? Yup, this modern day pop Pied Piper left his usual gang of merry pop pranksters at the rock club and trotted himself right down into high art theater row. We suspect those blinding Broadway lights might've shorted out a few of his good-sense-o-meters. Unquestionably, this is one of Merritt's most bizarre, ambitious and ballsy releases to date. As far from his Magnetic Fields, The Sixths, Future Bible Heroes, Gothic Archies et al as he (and you) can get! Be forewarned, 'tis an acquired taste.
MPEG Stream: "At Madam Plum's"
MPEG Stream: "What A F*cking Lovely Day"

MERRY-GO-ROUND, THE Listen, Listen: The Definitive Collection (Rev-Ola) cd 15.98
Anthology from Emitt Rhodes and The Merry-Go-Round containing the seminal first album as well as American Dream, which although sometimes billed as the Second Merry-Go-Round album is actually the first Emitt Rhodes solo album.
Contains all their Beatles-by-way-of-Hawthorne, CA hits, including "Live", "Time Shall Show The Wiser", (famously covered by Fairport Convention on their debut) and "You're A Very Lovely Woman".

MERRY-GO-ROUND, THE You're A Very Lovely Woman / Live (Sundazed) lp 21.00

MERRY-GO-ROUND, THE You're A Very Lovely Woman / Live (Sundazed) lp 21.00

MERZBOW Cycle (Very Friendly) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

MERZBOW / BASTARD NOISE (Release) cd 14.98
Split cd between Japan's prolific master of noise and the noiser side of California "power violence" heroes Man Is The Bastard. Very nice packaging, by the way.

MESCALITO One Path In A Million (Tummy Touch) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

MESSAGE From Books And Dreams (Citystudio Media) cd 23.00

MESSES s/t (self-released) cd-r 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Looking for some pretty, hushed, gentle, folksy acoustic pop? Well, the debut cd-r ep by SF's Messes just might hit the spot. Their six songs are very intimate and sensitive singer/songwriterly along the lines of Elliott Smith. The 19-minute cd-r is lovingly packaged in a sewn paper sleeve festooned with bird imagery.
MPEG Stream: "Quiet Voices"
MPEG Stream: "Goodnight Clementine"

METABOLISMUS Mauser Ok (Amish Records) 7" 10.98

METABOLISMUS Spriesswartsdrall (Amish Records) cd 13.98
Krautrock like they used to make, from these modern-day heirs to the glorious kosmiche tradition. The German collective Metabolismus has actually been around since the '80s, but this is only their second domestically released album (available last year on LP, but now on cd). Indeed, most of their other releases have been super-obscure rarities. But with their "Terra Incognita" album released on US label Blackjack a few years back, they turned a few ears around here, and we were excited to see the followup make it to cd. Wonderful, psychedelic stuff, mostly-instrumental explorations, experimental yet pretty, proving that the heyday of Faust and Can and Popul Vuh and Cluster and the like is not forgotten.

METAL BOYS Tokio Airport (Acute Records) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
After wowing fans of underground music a few months back with a long-awaited cd reissue of material by pioneering French punk-industrial act Metal Urbain, the Acute label is back with a sequel -- the 1980 album from Metal Boys, the band that Metal Urbain morphed into after their '78 break-up. After a few years of failed studio sessions and line-up shake-ups and random gigging, that is. But in 1980 leader Eric Debris and co. returned under the guise of Metal Boys with this album. What with the rise of New Wave, perhaps it seemed the the scene had caught up with them, but not entirely -- their music is way more twisted and dissonant and experimental than most New Wave pop that's for sure! And their new incarnation still retained the fuzzed guitars, sci-fi synths, and tick-tock drum programming that made Metal Urbain so great. The biggest difference was their new singer, a woman named China who sang in English not French (which makes some of this sound just a bit sillier than Anglophones might have thought about Metal Urbain). There's 19 tracks here, including 9 previously unreleased bonus tracks, incorporating hints of everything from rockabilly to proto-house to Devo-isms to industrial noise-scapes. Perhaps of special note are the two seven-minute bonus tracks from what was supposed to be an Eric Debris 12" release, truly spaced-out slices of minimalist Geiger-counter disco entitled "Disco Future" and "Outer Space". And maybe they did know something about disco future -- as we said before in our review of Metal Urbain's Anarchy In Paris!, this reissue couldn't be more timely. What these guys were doing 25 years ago is definitely the in sound, now. Sooooo retro-hip. Definitely don't buy any more Liars or Chicks On Speed or The Faint or DFA stuff, or anything like that until you've checked out these originators.
MPEG Stream: "New Malden"
MPEG Stream: "Tokio Airport"

METAL MOUNTAINS Golden Trees (Amish) lp 23.00
Also in stock on vinyl!
Long before psych folk became the flavor of the month in the indie scene there was the Tower Recordings. A group responsible for some of our favorite drugged out psych-pop EVER, with such nice swirling textures, delivered with such a gorgeous touch. The members of Tower Recordings have forged pretty of remarkable solo carrers of their own. Folks like P.G. Six, Samara Lubelski, Matt Valentine, etc.
Metal Mountains is a brand new project that reunites Tower Recordings members Samara Lubelski, Pat Gubler (P.G. Six) and Helen Rush. There is a real magic between them as this is one of the most beautiful and mournful sounding albums we have heard in ages. Delicate composition stripped away of any fat yet stretched out so nice with haunting instrumentation and a minimilist approach to creating a songs that make you sway so softly as you float away from all that surrounds you. It's restrained and understated without being uptight. A soft tension blankets the warm, moody recordings and we are left with a stunning and sublime set of songs.
MPEG Stream: "Structures In The Sun"
MPEG Stream: "The Golden Trees That Shade Us"
MPEG Stream: "Prisms"

METAL ROUGE Three For Malachi Ritscher (Root Strata) cd 12.98
Metal Rouge is an unlikely combo, as the two members live half way round the world from each other making music that does not lend itself to digital filesharing. Andrew Scott is the New Zealand citizen in the group, having worked with Nigel Wright in the past as Nest; and the Californian of Metal Rouge is Helga Fassonaki, who seems to be the globetrotter of the two with huge amount of exhibitions and performances on both sides of the Pacific. Andrew and Helga declare their intentions as being "concerned primarily with pure thoughtless formless now and its expression through sound" or rather, they improvise toward the drone supreme with plenty of detours along the way. Andrew's tools are the pedal steel and guitar pedals; and Helga's instrument of choice is a Persian dulcimer jacked up through plenty of FX pedals as well. After a handful of tapes and cd-rs, Three For Malachi Ritscher appears to be their first proper cd, with kudos going to ever impressive curatorial hands at Root Strata.
From a strictly aesthetic / geographic axis, Metal Rouge is the perfect sum of its parts, situating all of the free-noise / freak-folk aspects that we love about both LA's Not Not Fun scene and NZ's PseudoArcana label. So, through the psychedelic damage of their pedal steel and dulcimer duets, Metal Rouge weaves a post-krautrock / Dream Syndicate atmosphere of thumbing drones built out of arcing layers of spectral tones and spidery pluckings. Tones glisten and vibrate with that unsettled narcotic feel of Pocahaunted's disembodied vocals and drug-drone mantras, but these are WAY better. The two also have clearly been listening to Matthew Bower as there's a few cut-the-power conclusions to the soaring heights of their drone stupor, leaving us hanging in a dizzying limbo at the moment of silence. Very nicely done.
LIMITED TO 300 COPIES!!!!
MPEG Stream: "Anger, Awaken"
MPEG Stream: "Love, Awaken"
MPEG Stream: "Sorrow, Awaken"

METAL URBAIN Anarchy In Paris! (Acute Records) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Nope, Metal Urbain weren't a metal band, they were PUNK, way back when. This seminal '77 punk outfit were basically the French answer to the Sex Pistols. Only, with synths -- a la Suicide -- along with their guitars (no bass), and a customized Korg Minipops 120 keeping the beat. Their urgent tick-tock metronomic rhythms, distorted guitars n' synth effects, and shouted French vocals (with clever and shocking lyrics, we're told -- their online translations via Babblefish are certainly bizarre) still sound great 25 years on.
Metal Urbain are one of those bands whose legend has grown in inverse proportion to the availability of their recordings (kinda like last list's Record of the Week, the Homosexuals). Now, at long long last, all their crucial cuts are available again on this compact disc, so you can judge for yourself how rad Metal Urbain really were. With their noisy raw rockin' and avant-garde style, we'd say pretty rad indeed. Though their songs can't quite compete with the Pistols' classics, they match 'em in attitude and get mega bonus points for their use and abuse of electronics, which makes them ultra fashionable today. Really, what with today's electro-clash art-punk scene, this is the perfect time for Metal Urbain to emerge again. Chances are you're already a Metal Urbain fan without even knowing it... Punk history buffs will need/want this too (first record ever on Rough Trade!) but we think whether you "need" this or not, you'll probably like it.
The 24 tracks found here, a few of 'em previously unreleased, argue for this band's unique charm.
Who can resist such primitive drum machine action, sizzling synth blasts and whooshes, and sheer anarchistic punk energy? Of course they're brimming with punk snottiness (they're French after all). But their punk is tinged with proto-new wave (a few of the later tracks definitely veer in that direction) and psychedelic elements, drawing on the band's early influences from Eno, Fripp, the Velvets and Hawkwind! Though, despite the talk of "robocore", "spacepunk" and "terrorbeat" in the (lengthy and interesting) liner notes, they still sound closer to the Ramones, than, say, Atari Teenage Riot. Still, Steve Albini claims Metal Urbain, via nth-generation cassette tape dubs, as an inspiration for Big Black, and we can believe that too. Great stuff.
MPEG Stream: "Panik"
MPEG Stream: "Lady Coca Cola"

METALLIC FALCONS Desert Doughnuts (Voodoo-Eros) cd 15.98
Metallic Falcons is the collaborative project of Cocorosie's Sierra Cassidy and partner in musical crime Matteh Baim. Their debut is a bewildering yet utterly beguiling amalgam of neo-folk's earthen weavings, rock's electricity, cathedral-reverbed choral vocals and some as yet unpinpointables. At times Desert Doughnuts is quite reminiscent of reverential to Jarboe-era Swans in its broken beauty and spiralling dark dreams. However there's much more that rings familiar here than that aspect. Could it be the additional contributing efforts from the likes of Antony, Jana Hunter and Devendra Banhart? Why yes, it definitely could! Together they've crafted a most hauntingly beautiful patchwork tapestry that -- dare we say? -- on a few passages surpasses the individuals' solo missions.
MPEG Stream: "Airships"
MPEG Stream: "Nighttime And Morning"

METALLICA Ride the Lightning (Warner Bros.) cd 17.98

METAPHROG / HEY / MUM Louis : Dreams Never Die (Fat Cat) cd + book 14.98
It's a great week for Mum fans! We just got in their Nightly Cares 3"cd/7" single and this 'all ages' graphic novel which stars Louis, the dumpling-ish looking main character (he kinda looks like a crudely drawn baby turtle creature that could be from Andee's fave Homestar Runner website), as well as a supporting cast of frollicking carrots, mechanical dogs, polka-dot mushrooms, a wizard and a frumpy Hitler-looking villain. There's some great lines of dialogue (a sampling: "My eyebrows are crawling all over my face" and "Suffocating in a custard world"), but you might be wondering how is Mum involved? Well, they along with the band Hey have each contributed a wistful version of the theme song "Dreams Never Die To FC" for the accompanying cd which also contains some animated Louis flicks with Mum/Hey soundtrack music to boot.
MPEG Stream: "Dreams Never Die To FC"

METH SORES Destroy Life / Clever (self-released) one sided 7" lathe cut 9.98
Debut blast of noisy, filthy, swaggery, feral, gloom punk from this SF trio, who go by the lovely sobriquet Meth Sores, and these guys definitely live up (or down) to the name, spewing a seriously caustic brew of jagged, crumblingly distorted guitars, blown out bass buzz, yowled, reverbed vox buried in the mix, and a barrage of chaotic drum destruction, this raw, primitive sound only further enhanced by the medium, a hand made, one sided lathe-cut 7", which makes the sound that much more lo-fi, and in-the-red, perfectly suited to the group's vibe, but the end result is so awesomely distorted and damaged, it's hard to imagine the band sounding this good, and this utterly trashy and fucked up in the flesh. But check out the sound samples, it's the tracks before being carved into that slab of plastic, and goddamn if it doesn't sound just as good. Think Joy Division crossed with Lubricated Goat, or the Unsane covering Iceage, or something that fantastically noisy and gloriously gloomy, two totally blown out psychedelic noisepunk goth / gloomwave noiserock jams, easily some of the coolest local stuff we've heard in a while. And yeah, SUPER LIMITED too.
MPEG Stream: "Deastroy Life"
MPEG Stream: "Clever"

METH TEETH Everything Went Wrong (Woodsist) lp 14.98

METRIC Fantasies (Last Gang) cd 15.98

METRIC Live It Out (Last Gang) cd 14.98
You might've heard of this Canadian band 'cuz of their ties to Broken Social Scene (Haines is a member), but as we've mentioned before they're nothing like that Northern indie rock dynamo (although from the sounds of the 'Scene's latest self-titled album they might be moving more in the direction of Metric - some kind of metric conversion? hahaha!). However, if you're not yet familiar with Metric, imagine a 'modern day' incarnation of punchy crunchy girl fronted pop bands such as Veruca Salt, Elastica and maybe even Transvision Vamp. Frontwoman/keyboardist Emily Haines' saucy, cooed vocals alternate between coy'n'girlish and world-weary'n'womanly. Apart from the very last year electro-clash-y coverart, this is a great follow-up to last year's Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?
MPEG Stream: "Empty"
MPEG Stream: "Patriarch On A Vespa"

METRIC Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? (Everloving) cd 16.98
Metric's frontwoman Ms Emily Haines may be a member of that fine Canadian group Broken Social Scene, but you should by no means assume that her other endeavours are going to sound anything like the Broken Social Scensters. Metric crafts sleek, revved up new wavey pop that brings to mind the mid-90s driving sounds of Elastica, Breeders and Veruca Salt. James Shaw's chunky electric guitars and Joules Scott-Key's snappy drumming propel each song while Haines' woozy keyboards and sassy, cooing vocals charm and swoon -- quite reminiscent of Cardigans' Nina Persson and Throwing Muses' Tanya Donnelly. Energetic and fun.
MPEG Stream: "IOU"
MPEG Stream: "Combat"

METROPOLITAN Side Effects (Crank Automotive) cd 7.98

METROSCHIFTER / SHIPPING NEWS (Initial) split cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Post rock team up...the Shipping News half is live. Unusual packaging note: it's in a jewel case, but the "booklet" is actually a piece of metal, very nice.

METZ s/t (Sub Pop) cd 14.98
We had never even heard of Canadian noise rockers Metz, until this record just showed up, but holy shit is it kicking our asses. Heavy and hooky, weirdly groovy, a bit mathy, a psychedelic grinding, churning, pounding blast of drum heavy crunch, the vocals all but buried in the mix, but still an integral part of the sound. The coolest thing about the record though might have to be the production. Instead of being super blown out, or ultra heavy, the sound is weirdly abstract, murky and muddy one second, blisteringly loud the next, certain parts smoothed out into tranced out hypno-rock, others exploding into prismatic noise pop freakouts. And yet somehow every track here manages to be impossibly catchy. We've read comparisons to Jesus Lizard, which might be the most apt, but while Metz are no doubt influenced by JL, their sound is much murkier, much more minimal, with many of the songs collapsing into weird drum-centric breakdowns, a pounding rhythm surrounded by swirls of effects, or some sinewy drum and bass lope, or something similarly abstract and stripped down, only to explode right back into another bout of melody infused near metallic churn. The label talks about how these guys have one of the loudest drummers ever, and while it's usually pretty impossible to capture that sort of thing on record, the drums here are definitely a HUGE part of the sound. They always are in a trio, but the drums here pretty much define the sound, driving, powerful, not overly bombastic, but recorded in such a way that they crush, that aforementioned weird production applied heavily to the drums, causing them to be muted thumps one second, rib cage rattling booms the next, the guitar and bass treated similarly, thick, gristly buzz on some tracks, detuned murky twang on others.
The single "Wet Blanket" is the band at their most classic noise rock, sounding very much like a band you might have seen play with Jesus Lizard or Don Cabellero, and anyone who digs those kinds of outfits should definitely check these guys out too, but even at their catchiest, like on "Wet Blanket", they still seem to slip into that sort of almost krautrock like mesmer, churning looped cyclical hypno-rock sprawls that transform song into sound, reminding us of other similarly inclined combos like Psychic Paramount or recent aQ Record Of The Week-ers Aluk Todolo, but with Metz, those moments, as tranced out as they may be, invariably lead back to something more rocking and melodic.
Easily our noise rock record of the year. Folks who dug the last album from The Men, another aQ ROTW, but who might be after something a bit more fierce and feral, this might just be your new favorite record.
MPEG Stream: "Headache"
MPEG Stream: "Get Off"
MPEG Stream: "Sad Pricks"
MPEG Stream: "Rats"
MPEG Stream: "Wet Blanket"

METZ s/t (Sub Pop) lp 15.98
NOW ON VINYL!!
We had never even heard of Canadian noise rockers Metz, until this record just showed up, but holy shit is it kicking our asses. Heavy and hooky, weirdly groovy, a bit mathy, a psychedelic grinding, churning, pounding blast of drum heavy crunch, the vocals all but buried in the mix, but still an integral part of the sound. The coolest thing about the record though might have to be the production. Instead of being super blown out, or ultra heavy, the sound is weirdly abstract, murky and muddy one second, blisteringly loud the next, certain parts smoothed out into tranced out hypno-rock, others exploding into prismatic noise pop freakouts. And yet somehow every track here manages to be impossibly catchy. We've read comparisons to Jesus Lizard, which might be the most apt, but while Metz are no doubt influenced by JL, their sound is much murkier, much more minimal, with many of the songs collapsing into weird drum-centric breakdowns, a pounding rhythm surrounded by swirls of effects, or some sinewy drum and bass lope, or something similarly abstract and stripped down, only to explode right back into another bout of melody infused near metallic churn. The label talks about how these guys have one of the loudest drummers ever, and while it's usually pretty impossible to capture that sort of thing on record, the drums here are definitely a HUGE part of the sound. They always are in a trio, but the drums here pretty much define the sound, driving, powerful, not overly bombastic, but recorded in such a way that they crush, that aforementioned weird production applied heavily to the drums, causing them to be muted thumps one second, rib cage rattling booms the next, the guitar and bass treated similarly, thick, gristly buzz on some tracks, detuned murky twang on others.
The single "Wet Blanket" is the band at their most classic noise rock, sounding very much like a band you might have seen play with Jesus Lizard or Don Cabellero, and anyone who digs those kinds of outfits should definitely check these guys out too, but even at their catchiest, like on "Wet Blanket", they still seem to slip into that sort of almost krautrock like mesmer, churning looped cyclical hypno-rock sprawls that transform song into sound, reminding us of other similarly inclined combos like Psychic Paramount or recent aQ Record Of The Week-ers Aluk Todolo, but with Metz, those moments, as tranced out as they may be, invariably lead back to something more rocking and melodic.
Easily our noise rock record of the year. Folks who dug the last album from The Men, another aQ ROTW, but who might be after something a bit more fierce and feral, this might just be your new favorite record.
MPEG Stream: "Headache"
MPEG Stream: "Get Off"
MPEG Stream: "Sad Pricks"
MPEG Stream: "Rats"
MPEG Stream: "Wet Blanket"

MEW And The Glass Handed Kites (Columbia) cd 13.98

MPEG Stream: "Circuitry Of The Wolf"
MPEG Stream: "Chinaberry Tree"
MPEG Stream: "Why Are You Looking Grave"

MEW No More Stories Are Told Today I'm Sorry They Washed Away No More Stories The World Is Grey I'm Tired Let's Wash Away (Columbia) cd 13.98
We've been meaning to review this for a while, the latest from Mew, another band who have gotten short shrift on the aQ list, which is a shame, cuz we dig em a lot, they're pretty hard to describe though, poppy and a little bit commercial, but also way proggy, strangely twisted, catchy, but in an oblique, WAY left of center way, gnarled guitars, skittery rhythms, gorgeous vocals... thankfully, our customer Derek was able to get a better handle on Mew than we've been able to, so take it away Derek:
The title of Mew's latest record's makes it seem a tad bit pretentious and a bit too "precious." The record is both, but still immensely enjoyable. (Their last album, And the Glass Handed Kites, was great too - even more rocking, and with loads of low end!) The sound is a little like late '80s Rush filtered through the Flaming Lips and played by Care Bears in a room made of sheet metal. The Mew guys (from Copenhagen) have come out and said they're a "pop" band, but their notion of what bubblegum pop should be is intricate, proggy, far out and a little spacey -loosed from many of the traditional tropes of pop music. In an alternate universe, they'd be teen idols with hordes of screaming fans and respected 'artists' simultaneously. (Apparently, there is such an alternate universe, and it's called "Scandinavia", where they're hugely popular - sort of like that odd interval of pop history here when the members of Yes were showing up on fluorescent Trapper Keepers.)
Outwardly uncool but accomplished and somewhat unhinged and really pretty fantastic - dig the first track, which is actually two different songs played forward and in reverse!!!

MEW No More Stories Are Told Today I'm Sorry They Washed Away No More Stories The World Is Grey I'm Tired Let's Wash Away (Columbia) 2lp 23.00
We've been meaning to review this for a while, the latest from Mew, another band who have gotten short shrift on the aQ list, which is a shame, cuz we dig em a lot, they're pretty hard to describe though, poppy and a little bit commercial, but also way proggy, strangely twisted, catchy, but in an oblique, WAY left of center way, gnarled guitars, skittery rhythms, gorgeous vocals... thankfully, our customer Derek was able to get a better handle on Mew than we've been able to, so take it away Derek:
The title of Mew's latest record's makes it seem a tad bit pretentious and a bit too "precious." The record is both, but still immensely enjoyable. (Their last album, And the Glass Handed Kites, was great too - even more rocking, and with loads of low end!) The sound is a little like late '80s Rush filtered through the Flaming Lips and played by Care Bears in a room made of sheet metal. The Mew guys (from Copenhagen) have come out and said they're a "pop" band, but their notion of what bubblegum pop should be is intricate, proggy, far out and a little spacey -loosed from many of the traditional tropes of pop music. In an alternate universe, they'd be teen idols with hordes of screaming fans and respected 'artists' simultaneously. (Apparently, there is such an alternate universe, and it's called "Scandinavia", where they're hugely popular - sort of like that odd interval of pop history here when the members of Yes were showing up on fluorescent Trapper Keepers.)
Outwardly uncool but accomplished and somewhat unhinged and really pretty fantastic - dig the first track, which is actually two different songs played forward and in reverse!!!

MGMT Congratulations (Columbia) cd 16.98
For as much hype, attention and press these guys get we have to admit not many of us at the store even heard their debut. We caught a song here and there and we could tell it was fun catchy stuff but we weren't quite sure what all the fuss was about. With their new album we decided to dig in a bit and damn are we glad we did. Because at the end of the day, and all the fashion spreads, magazine covers, teenage adornment, blog hype, it all doesn't matter if the music doesn't hold up. And with Congratulations, MGMT have shown they are a band that can back up their good looks and youthful energy with totally awesome music!
While much had been made about how 'weird' this album was supposed to be compared to their debut, it might be 'weird' for people who are only used to top 40 music, but to us it sounds like delicious breezy psych pop. So awesome how they tap into a really cool Elephant Six vibe, reminding us of some of our favorite records from Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, and Apples In Stereo. The album truly is just that, an album. From start to finish they have created a work that flows with such ease and isn't about standout singles, but instead really is about the entire experience of listening to the record from start to finish. With Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3) enlisted to produce the record they knew where to go for just the right touch, a distinctly psychedelic feel that references more of The Beatles psych tendencies than lots of the modern psych peddlers. We also think a lot about one of favorite underrated bands of the past, Beachwood Sparks, as the sounds on Congratulations remind us a lot of some of our favorite BS jams. There is something so genuine sounding and less forced then we somehow were expecting in this record. If we would have received this as some random band's cd-r, we would all be freaking out about what an amazing pop discovery we just made. So just because they are on a huge label and get tons of hype and press, don't write this record off, it deserves your ears because it's really fucking good!
The first batch of the cds comes with a scratch off cover, a weird coin and a 32 page booklet. The first pressing of the lps also comes with a scratch off cover, and is pressed on 180 gram vinyl.
MPEG Stream: "It's Working"
MPEG Stream: "I Found A Whistle"
MPEG Stream: "Flash Delirium"

MGMT Congratulations (Columbia) 2lp 27.00
For as much hype, attention and press these guys get we have to admit not many of us at the store even heard their debut. We caught a song here and there and we could tell it was fun catchy stuff but we weren't quite sure what all the fuss was about. With their new album we decided to dig in a bit and damn are we glad we did. Because at the end of the day, and all the fashion spreads, magazine covers, teenage adornment, blog hype, it all doesn't matter if the music doesn't hold up. And with Congratulations, MGMT have shown they are a band that can back up their good looks and youthful energy with totally awesome music!
While much had been made about how 'weird' this album was supposed to be compared to their debut, it might be 'weird' for people who are only used to top 40 music, but to us it sounds like delicious breezy psych pop. So awesome how they tap into a really cool Elephant Six vibe, reminding us of some of our favorite records from Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, and Apples In Stereo. The album truly is just that, an album. From start to finish they have created a work that flows with such ease and isn't about standout singles, but instead really is about the entire experience of listening to the record from start to finish. With Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3) enlisted to produce the record they knew where to go for just the right touch, a distinctly psychedelic feel that references more of The Beatles psych tendencies than lots of the modern psych peddlers. We also think a lot about one of favorite underrated bands of the past, Beachwood Sparks, as the sounds on Congratulations remind us a lot of some of our favorite BS jams. There is something so genuine sounding and less forced then we somehow were expecting in this record. If we would have received this as some random band's cd-r, we would all be freaking out about what an amazing pop discovery we just made. So just because they are on a huge label and get tons of hype and press, don't write this record off, it deserves your ears because it's really fucking good!
The first batch of the cds comes with a scratch off cover, a weird coin and a 32 page booklet. The first pressing of the lps also comes with a scratch off cover, and is pressed on 180 gram vinyl.
MPEG Stream: "It's Working"
MPEG Stream: "I Found A Whistle"
MPEG Stream: "Flash Delirium"

MGMT Oracular Spectacular (Columbia) cd 13.98

MGR Nova Lux (Neurot) cd 14.98
Okay, we blew it. We did. We let this MGR record slip right under our radar. And we regret it. We do. As we've said before, the only thing better than discovering some new record that totally kicks your ass, is discovering some record you ignored or missed for some reason, only to have your ass kicked retroactively. Such is the case with MGR. And to prove just how sorry we are, not only are we listing this disc (a few months late) but we also got a super limited cd-r direct from the band reviewed elsewhere on this list.
Not sure why we didn't give this a listen when it first came out, our defense, as flimsy as it may seem, is that we thought MGR was the abbreviation for manager, so we just sort of figured, that was kind of a dumb name so why bother. MGR actually stands for Mustard Gas And Roses and is the work of one M. Gallagher from postrock metal heavyweights Isis, and is actually quite amazing.
Imagine Isis with all the bombast stripped away, all traces of metal removed, leaving only sinewy minor key guitars to drift over vast expanses of droning shimmer, skeletal but incredibly lush. Dark, moody, melancholy soundscapes, the background a warm swirl of sound, guitars drifting in the fuzzy haze above, unfurling gorgeously melancholic melodies, while all around huge swaths of sound shimmer and shift. There's some lap steel, but it's just another gauzy layer of sound, there are beats here and there, but those already minimal rhythms are processed into indistinct throbs and minimal shuffles and buried way down in the murk, making those tracks sound like some sort of post rock Gas. So good.
MPEG Stream: "I"
MPEG Stream: "II"

MGR Nova Lux (Viva Hate) lp 17.98
Finally available on vinyl. Full color jackets and full color printed inner sleeves. Pressed on nice thick vinyl. And a handful of the copies we got are on clear/blue/grey splatter vinyl, so you just might get lucky. Here's our review of the cd from a few months back:
Okay, we blew it. We did. We let this MGR record slip right under our radar. And we regret it. We do. As we've said before, the only thing better than discovering some new record that totally kicks your ass, is discovering some record you ignored or missed for some reason, only to have your ass kicked retroactively. Such is the case with MGR. And to prove just how sorry we are, not only are we listing this disc (a few months late) but we also got a super limited cd-r direct from the band reviewed elsewhere on this list.
Not sure why we didn't give this a listen when it first came out, our defense, as flimsy as it may seem, is that we thought MGR was the abbreviation for manager, so we just sort of figured, that was kind of a dumb name so why bother. MGR actually stands for Mustard Gas And Roses and is the work of one M. Gallagher from postrock metal heavyweights Isis, and is actually quite amazing.
Imagine Isis with all the bombast stripped away, all traces of metal removed, leaving only sinewy minor key guitars to drift over vast expanses of droning shimmer, skeletal but incredibly lush. Dark, moody, melancholy soundscapes, the background a warm swirl of sound, guitars drifting in the fuzzy haze above, unfurling gorgeously melancholic melodies, while all around huge swaths of sound shimmer and shift. There's some lap steel, but it's just another gauzy layer of sound, there are beats here and there, but those already minimal rhythms are processed into indistinct throbs and minimal shuffles and buried way down in the murk, making those tracks sound like some sort of post rock Gas. So good.
MPEG Stream: "I"
MPEG Stream: "II"

MI AMI Ark Of The Covenant (Lovers Rock) 12" 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Over the last couple years Mi Ami have become a serious and sweaty inspiration for the music scene here in San Francisco. Whether it's playing and hosting all night dance parties in living rooms, or DJ'ing African jams and cosmic disco in dark rooms with reckless abandon, the three guys in Mi Ami have shown that they have a deep and vast appreciation for music of all styles and variations. This is a band whose record collections are as likely to have vinyl from DNA and JFA as they would M.I.A. and MDC. But thankfully, they are one of the few bands who makes music as cool and exciting as the records in their collections. It's been so hard to actually get a hold of any of their recordings until now, unless you were lucky enough to snag one of their previous slabs of vinyl at one of their high energy body moving live shows. Chances are that this will likely be most folks' first chance to get a hold of Mi Ami on record, and this 12" is a really great introduction to what they're all about. And what they're all about is all over the map, from dub to disco, no wave to post-punk. Yet somehow they find a way to meld all those sounds into something distinctly their own. While members of the band were previously in Black Eyes and even did some time in The Rapture, Mi Ami is truly a beast of its own vision. "Ark Of The Covenant" finds them firing at full throttle with no-wave aspirations and heavy grooves to keep the blasts hitting so right. The B-side which is "The Ark (Version)" finds them dubbing out with such spacious delight, the energy and vibrancy reminds us a lot of how we felt when Tussle first hit the scene. We can't wait to see what the future holds for Mi Ami as they continue to pull from such rich and varied influences from the past while feeling so committed to the present.

MI AMI Echonoecho (Quarterstick Records) 12" 5.98
Yeay! We are so excited that SF's own Mi Ami were recently snapped up by Quarterstick and as we type this are on the road touring the States! It's just a matter of time before these guys start becoming loved all across the map for their high energy approach to genre bending, percussive, heavy and sweat inducing colorful rhythms. Echonoecho is the first song on what will be their new full length Watersports and once again they get to let shine their love of the 12" format. Side A finds the song in its full almost nine minutes of glory. High pitched vocals come blasting right out of the gate along with frenzied instrumentation for a totally epic and catchy track that sounds like some kind of joyous meeting of Nation Of Ulysses, The Rapture and Liquid Liquid. And we have to say that Mi Ami shine so brightly with the 'Version' sides of their singles. Dubbed out for maximum slow burn perfection. We can't wait for the full length, but we hope they keep cranking out 12"s as well cause they are one of the few groups around today who really know how to make the most of this special format.
MPEG Stream: "Echononecho"

MI AMI Steal Your Face (Thrill Jockey) cd 15.98
There aren't too many bands you can say sound "unlike anything else". San Francisco's own Mi Ami is one of those rare groups. For the past few years they have been setting SF, and more recently a good deal of the rest of the world, on fire with their spastic blend of skronky rhythmic awesomeness. Things are constantly moving, and the band's secret weapon is no doubt drummer Damon Palermo, who pulls double duty in cosmic explorers Jonas Reinhardt (whose Powers Of Audition record we recently listed). Of course, the other two members, guitarist/shrieker Daniel Martin-McCormick and bassist Jacob Long (both former members of legendary Dischord band Black Eyes), are just as essential in contributing to the sonic maelstrom that makes up Mi Ami's sound. Warmly distorted guitars howl and slash relentlessly, while the grooving basslines hold the foundation as the drums carry the songs all over the place without letting up. And then there are Martin-McCormick's feral screams, practically an instrument on their own. They manage to sound totally fun but with a firebeathing delivery that will also make you stop to think about songs like "Native Americans (Born In The U.S.A.)". The band has been expertly building up its sound over the past few releases, and they possess a keen production sense which makes Steal Your Face their strongest effort yet. The sound is frantic and ridiculously fun most of the time, but they also know how to slow things down, like on the mellow yet tense groove of "Dreamers", which rides slow and steady in a haze of dubbed out, feedback laced atmospheres. There is a constant sense of adventure here, and in never limited themselves Mi Ami have arrived at a seriously unique sound, one where amazing whirlwind rhythms and quirky electronics merge perfectly with a punk aesthetic. Ten years ago, this would have been a pretty difficult combination to imagine, but this is 2010 and Mi Ami own this sound. Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Harmonics (Genius Of Love)"
MPEG Stream: "Latin Lover"
MPEG Stream: "Native Americans (Born In The U.S.A.)"

MI AMI Steal Your Face (Thrill Jockey) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
There aren't too many bands you can say sound "unlike anything else". San Francisco's own Mi Ami is one of those rare groups. For the past few years they have been setting SF, and more recently a good deal of the rest of the world, on fire with their spastic blend of skronky rhythmic awesomeness. Things are constantly moving, and the band's secret weapon is no doubt drummer Damon Palermo, who pulls double duty in cosmic explorers Jonas Reinhardt (whose Powers Of Audition record we recently listed). Of course, the other two members, guitarist/shrieker Daniel Martin-McCormick and bassist Jacob Long (both former members of legendary Dischord band Black Eyes), are just as essential in contributing to the sonic maelstrom that makes up Mi Ami's sound. Warmly distorted guitars howl and slash relentlessly, while the grooving basslines hold the foundation as the drums carry the songs all over the place without letting up. And then there are Martin-McCormick's feral screams, practically an instrument on their own. They manage to sound totally fun but with a firebeathing delivery that will also make you stop to think about songs like "Native Americans (Born In The U.S.A.)". The band has been expertly building up its sound over the past few releases, and they possess a keen production sense which makes Steal Your Face their strongest effort yet. The sound is frantic and ridiculously fun most of the time, but they also know how to slow things down, like on the mellow yet tense groove of "Dreamers", which rides slow and steady in a haze of dubbed out, feedback laced atmospheres. There is a constant sense of adventure here, and in never limited themselves Mi Ami have arrived at a seriously unique sound, one where amazing whirlwind rhythms and quirky electronics merge perfectly with a punk aesthetic. Ten years ago, this would have been a pretty difficult combination to imagine, but this is 2010 and Mi Ami own this sound. Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Harmonics (Genius Of Love)"
MPEG Stream: "Latin Lover"
MPEG Stream: "Native Americans (Born In The U.S.A.)"

MI AMI Towers Fall (Hoss) 12" 16.98
Hoss is a newish label that are working with eclectic minded bands (Excepter, Lichens, WZT Hearts, Ecstatic Sunshine, Jason Forest, etc.) for limited edition vinyl releases where the artists are encouraged to really push and expand a side of their musical DNA in a way that they haven't before. So it makes perfect sense that they reeled in San Francisco's Mi Ami to launch their new "techno" series, which allows Mi Ami the opportunity to fully indulge in their love of techno and craft some serious dance floor burners. We hope Mi Ami keep exploring this side as they really understand how to weave an array of dance/electronic influences into such a fresh and eclectic sound. This is not the screamy/punky side of Mi Ami, instead Towers Fall finds the boys crafting a truly unique slice of electronica that somehow fuses the Berlin school, Chicago and Detroit house and even dubstep, without sounding stale, retro or rehashed. Each side of this 12" is about 10 minutes long, giving the tracks space to breathe and sprawl so nicely. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Towers Fall"
MPEG Stream: "Towers Fall (Cassette Mix)"

MI AMI Watersports (Quarterstick) cd 14.98
It's been a pretty great several months for San Francisco's Mi Ami. They went from being a living room party band secret to getting signed to Quarterstick and touring the nation, with Europe coming up on their horizon this spring. With a few now-hard-to-get 12"s under their belt we were anxious to hear what shape their debut full length would take. Watersports (such a dirty album name, and we love the cover photo!) definitely brings the full voltage, power and energy of their live shows. While much is made about their incorporation of dub, disco and cosmic influences, listening to an entire Mi Ami full length we're very much reminded of their punk and post-hardcore roots, with ex-members of Dischord's Black Eyes making up 2/3 of the band and a spazzy and high pitched squealed vocal delivery that reminds us a lot of some of those great '90s post-hardcore bands like Native Nod, Nation Of Ulysses, Rye Coalition, Antioch Arrow, etc.
Sonically however there is much more at play in Mi Ami's bag of tricks and while the vocals may be a make it or break it scenario for some folks, you can't deny the energy, enthusiasm and visceral fury bursting out of their creative and lively songs.
MPEG Stream: "The Man In Your House"
MPEG Stream: "New Guitar"
MPEG Stream: "Freed From Sin"

MI AMI Watersports (Quarterstick) lp 14.98
It's been a pretty great several months for San Francisco's Mi Ami. They went from being a living room party band secret to getting signed to Quarterstick and touring the nation, with Europe coming up on their horizon this spring. With a few now-hard-to-get 12"s under their belt we were anxious to hear what shape their debut full length would take. Watersports (such a dirty album name, and we love the cover photo!) definitely brings the full voltage, power and energy of their live shows. While much is made about their incorporation of dub, disco and cosmic influences, listening to an entire Mi Ami full length we're very much reminded of their punk and post-hardcore roots, with ex-members of Dischord's Black Eyes making up 2/3 of the band and a spazzy and high pitched squealed vocal delivery that reminds us a lot of some of those great '90s post-hardcore bands like Native Nod, Nation Of Ulysses, Rye Coalition, Antioch Arrow, etc.
Sonically however there is much more at play in Mi Ami's bag of tricks and while the vocals may be a make it or break it scenario for some folks, you can't deny the energy, enthusiasm and visceral fury bursting out of their creative and lively songs.
MPEG Stream: "The Man In Your House"
MPEG Stream: "New Guitar"
MPEG Stream: "Freed From Sin"

MI AND L'AU s/t (Young God) cd 14.98
Mi was a model from Finland working in France when he met L'au. The two fell in love and started making music together. L'au has the kind of sweet delicate voice that hits you immediately when you hear it. Together they make delicate and gentle sounds perfect for those cold nights when all you want to do is lay inside and cuddle with someone you care about. Kind of like the more gentle side of Nico. Devendra Banhart wrote his song "Gentle Soul" for Mi, and after listening to this record you can tell this is the work of two very gentle and in love souls.
MPEG Stream: "Philosopher"
MPEG Stream: "Boxer"

MIA & JONAH Shine I (self-released) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

MIASMA & THE CAROUSEL OF HEADLESS HORSES Manfauna (Latitudes 0:14) (Latitudes / Southern) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We haven't heard from these guys in a while, not since their Perils disc on Mimicry from a few years back. And now they're back, as part of the ever expanding Latitudes series. Featuring members of long time AQ faves Guapo, Miasma are equally as progtastic as Guapo, but where Guapo channel the hard and heavy side of classic prog, Miasma, are more dramatic, with a gipsy folk flair, an Eastern European vibe, jaunty, and playful, cinematic and a bit over the top. Like the soundtrack to some Edward Gorey cartoon come to life. Dark and dangerous, but wild and weirdly wonderful at the same time.
The opening track here begins with a moody gipsy folk hoedown, stings and horns, woven in an intricate dance, before the drums kick in and the song is transformed into epic and intense krautrocky prog. Warm wheezing keyboards, angular riffing, wild octopoidal drumming, intricate arrangements, super dramatic keyboards and strings
A bit of a Goblin vibe, the song builds and builds and builds, a frenzied musical pagan ritual, it's hard not to imagine the band in all black, flowing robes and witches hats, performing in front of some huge stone circle on the top of a massive hill. The second track is a creeping dark ambient sprawl, lurching "Boris The Spider" bassline over whispering winds, clouds of cymbal sizzle, deep cavernous rumbles, haunting organs, mysterious effects that drift from speaker to speakerÉ
The final track begins like a simple piano and violin chamber music piece, with a definite Eastern European flair, before about halfway through, when the drums and bass kick in, and we're back in the prog, the drums complex and intricate, the bass, lumbering and minor key, the piano more and more frenzied as if trying to keep up with the drums, finally all the parts coalescing into a massive moody riff, bordering on classic doom territory, before everything drops out once again leaving just the piano and strings, until the drums come back in, then finally the bass and the guitar, the climax, intense and dramatic, epic and majestic!
Comes packaged in a super intricate hand screened die cut fold over sleeve with a full color insert. The cover has a sticker affixed to the front and each copy is hand stamped and numbered. Limited to 1000 copies worldwide, 500 of which made it to the United States, we got about 25 copiesÉ
MPEG Stream: "Manticore"
MPEG Stream: "Taus"