OOIOO (Time Bomb) lp 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Yoshimi P-We (Boredoms/UFO or Die/Free Kitten) has a side-project, the all female rock group with a name that's apparently pronounced "oh oh eye oh oh." Kind of a development from her crazy solo singles on Ecstatic Peace. Julie Cafritz and Eye Yamantaka put in guest appearances.

OOIOO Eye Remix (Thrill Jockey) cd ep 5.98
We have always loved Yoshimi, whether she's bashing the skins in the Boredoms, hanging out with Kim Gordon in Free Kitten or kicking up a serious ruckus in OOIOO, her main love these days. Hot of the heels of their latest outing Taiga comes this scorching remix e.p. courtesy of Yoshimi's Boredoms cohort Eye Yamatsuka. He takes the Roberto De Simone inspired standout tracks Uma and Umo and turns them into hot flashes of an African influenced late night rave that we wish we could be at. The other two tracks are the original versions from Taiga.
MPEG Stream: "Eye Mix 1"
MPEG Stream: "Eye Mix 2"

OOIOO Eye Remix (Thrill Jockey) lp 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Also on vinyl. We have always loved Yoshimi, whether she's bashing the skins in the Boredoms, hanging out with Kim Gordon in Free Kitten or kicking up a serious ruckus in OOIOO, her main love these days. Hot of the heels of their latest outing Taiga comes this scorching remix e.p. courtesy of Yoshimi's Boredoms cohort Eye Yamatsuka. He takes the Roberto De Simone inspired standout tracks Uma and Umo and turns them into hot flashes of an African influenced late night rave that we wish we could be at. The other two tracks are the original versions from Taiga.
MPEG Stream: "Eye Mix 1"
MPEG Stream: "Eye Mix 2"

OOPS, THEE Happy Charlie EP (Slovenly) cd ep 12.98
Initially we were mostly intrigued by this new ep from Italian punx Thee Oops, cuz the six year old daughter of a friend of ours, has a band called the Oops, where she and her same aged friend, each sit at a drum kit, and try to hit all the drums without hitting the cymbals, and every time they do, they both shout "OOPS!"
This record is by no means as cute as that, but then what really could be? Instead, these guys have tacked on an extra E and delivered 10 short sharp blasts of furious, catchy as fuck punk rock, nothing twisted or weird or experimental, just three chords, pounding drums, yowled vox, and hooks galore. Like all the best punk rock, these songs are essentially pop songs, super charged, revved up and let loose. Opener "1994" has been stuck in our head for weeks, even after only a handful of listens, and the more we listen to this (ten songs in a little over 12 minutes, so it's a lot!), the more it's true of pretty much every song here. Wild little squalls of lead guitar, crazy catchy choruses, some kick ass riffs, the songs flitting from anthemic singalongs to crunchy almost metallic punk to J-Church / Jawbreaker style pop punk to fuzzy midtempo UK punk rock to Toy Dolls style hyper pop. They even do a Beastie Boys cover (as in old punk rock BB!!). So great!
Vinyl folks, fyi, this will be coming out as a double 7" sometime soon.
MPEG Stream: "1994"
MPEG Stream: "Happy Charlie"
MPEG Stream: "Global Warming"
MPEG Stream: "Hope You Die Tonight"

OOPS, THEE Happy Charlie EP (Slovenly) 2x7" 12.98
Here's the vinyl version! Initially we were mostly intrigued by this new ep from Italian punx Thee Oops, cuz the six year old daughter of a friend of ours, has a band called the Oops, where she and her same aged friend, each sit at a drum kit, and try to hit all the drums without hitting the cymbals, and every time they do, they both shout "OOPS!"
This record is by no means as cute as that, but then what really could be? Instead, these guys have tacked on an extra E and delivered 10 short sharp blasts of furious, catchy as fuck punk rock, nothing twisted or weird or experimental, just three chords, pounding drums, yowled vox, and hooks galore. Like all the best punk rock, these songs are essentially pop songs, super charged, revved up and let loose. Opener "1994" has been stuck in our head for weeks, even after only a handful of listens, and the more we listen to this (ten songs in a little over 12 minutes, so it's a lot!), the more it's true of pretty much every song here. Wild little squalls of lead guitar, crazy catchy choruses, some kick ass riffs, the songs flitting from anthemic singalongs to crunchy almost metallic punk to J-Church / Jawbreaker style pop punk to fuzzy midtempo UK punk rock to Toy Dolls style hyper pop. They even do a Beastie Boys cover (as in old punk rock BB!!). So great!
MPEG Stream: "1994"
MPEG Stream: "Happy Charlie"
MPEG Stream: "Global Warming"
MPEG Stream: "Hope You Die Tonight"

OP8 Slush (Thirsty Ear) cd 15.98
Attention all Calexico, Giant Sand, and Lisa Germano fans! In case you missed it the first time around, the collaboration between those fine artists has been re-issued. Yessiree, and those jubilant cheers you may be hearing are undoubtably coming from Cup. Why? Well, 'cause it's one of her absolute most favorite albums ever. Not just another Giant Sand side project. No! It's a magical one-time combination of John Convertino, Joey Burns, Howe Gelb AND Lisa Germano. The beautiful rich twang we've grown to know and love from the gents' main projects (Calexico and Giant Sand) is most definitely in full glorious bloom here. Combine it with Ms Germano's off-kilter, melancholic vocal delivery and you've got yourself one very special album. Odd textures and noises creep in to keep the slow bittersweet melodies company. Originally released in 1997, these eleven moody, heartswelling 'n' handwringing songs never ever fail to break Cup's heart (especially tracks #3 and #5). Beautiful downer music. Includes a breathy, slow-winding world-weary duet between Germano and Gelb covering Lee Hazlewood's "Sand". Damn fine listening. Sooo very very recommended.
RealAudio clip: "If I Think Of Love"
RealAudio clip: "It's A Rainbow"

OPEN HAND The Dream (Trustkill) cd 14.98

OPEN HAND You And Me (Trustkill) cd 14.98
The first thing you notice is the amazing die-cut artwork. Orange and red overlapping circles each with target like concentric inner circles, cut to resemble a fuzzy washed out mountainscape of orbs and spheres, with the tray card cut so the cd nestles perfectly into one of the valleys. So nice. The second thing you notice, or the first thing you notice once you throw this in the player, is how compltely KICK ASS this record is. This is literally all we've been listening to the last few weeks! We always talk about Queens Of The Stone Age as being this guilty pleasure we all seem to have. But what's so guilty about liking them? They rock, have great catchy songs, the remnants of that huge sun baked Kyuss fuzz guitar. What's not to love? Well, it could be our aversion to the whole MTV / VH1, dating or not dating Brody Dalle?, People Magazine / US Magazine, Dave Grohl killing time, supergroup, more crooning than rocking, not really about the music anymore?, corporate rock element. Yeah, could be.
So what if there was a band of young guys, who put out a record on punk / metalcore label Trustkill, and who took all of the stuff that made QOTSA so great, but turned that stuff inside out, and added all sorts of other disparate elements, turning what could have been just a decent QOTSA rip off into one of the coolest, catchiest rock records of the year?! Well, we'd probably make it record of the week and gush like giddy music nerds. So let us commence gushing, shall we?
Imagine huge fuzz guitars, unfurling super rocking Kyuss / Rocket From The Crypt / Burning Brides sort of stoner garage pop riffs, sometimes langorous and lysergic, sometimes so heavy and intense it's almost impossible to not air guitar! One track in particular, "The Kaleidoscope" has perhaps one of the best riffs EVER (sez Andee and Jason) an impossibly God-like Kyuss / Sabbath fusion, that gets everyone in the store nodding along like Wayne And Garth in Wayne's World. So we've got the riffs, now we go to the vocals, which go from breathy falsetto, to growly indie whine, to howled rock wail, with plenty of occasional female vocals, sometimes employed in surprisingly unorthadox ways giving a couple of the songs a really bizarre edge. Hard to describe, you just have to hear it.
But this is not just about rocking, as much as we wouldn't mind that at all. No, there's lots of weird wonderful pop experimentation all over, from loping bass driven Pinback-ish lullabies, droning brooding minor key dirges reminiscent of the Deftones or maybe Tool, some Sonic Youth-y skree and textural weirdness, even some moody electronic miserablism that has Depeche Mode worship written all over it. It all works so well together somehow, heavy and head banging, dreamy and blissed out. Can't believe this band isn't HUGE. But we're secretly a little glad they aren't. For now at least. The sticker on the front insists that You And Me "obliterates the boundaries between indie rock, stoner rock, metal, emo and garage." Before we heard it we were pretty sure that was some serious label hyperbole, but now we're not so sure. Open Hand take all that stuff and more, wrapping everything around some of the best pop songs we've heard in ages and comes up with a record that hasn't stopped kicking our ass since we got it. Record of the week is always a tricky proposition, we try to make it something out of the ordinary, something mysterious and weird, maybe something hard to find or impossible to get or maybe just overlooked, but once in a while, those things don't seem to matter as much as the simple fact that a record gets played over and over and over over, every day, all day, here AND at home, on our computers, in our iPod's, with no end in sight, that speaks volumes. And sure, maybe you can catch their video on MTV once in a while, or maybe hear them on the radio, but that's not a bad thing at all. If only everything on the radio or on MTV was this good. The world would be a much better (and most likely much stranger) place!
MPEG Stream: "Pure Concentrated Evil"
MPEG Stream: "Her Song"
MPEG Stream: "Tough Girl"
MPEG Stream: "The Kaleidoscope"

OPEN MIND, THE s/t (Sunbeam) cd 16.98
In their vigilant unearthing of one-off psych and folk obscurities, the Sunbeam label has been one of our favorite reissue labels even if their catalog can sometimes be hit and miss. Their vision, however is remarkably consistent, never reissuing a rare record just for the sake of it being rare, and making a practice of working with the original artists whenever possible to put together these reissues, like this one, a 1969 British psych rock rarity by The Open Mind, who were a mop-topped gang of guys from the paisley era. They liked to stroll on the harder, rockier side of the '60s psych-pop street, and this album contains a few gems for sure, *especially* the first of the four bonus tracks included, their truly great single "Magic Potion". That's the one for which they'll really be remembered (and it can be found on the Speaking My Mind: New Rubble Volume 2 compilation as well). It was also later covered by '90s space rock band Sundial. In additition, this reish includes the full complement of liner notes and vintage photos.
MPEG Stream: "Horses And Chariots"
MPEG Stream: "Cast A Spell"
MPEG Stream: "Magic Potion"

OPEN MIND, THE s/t (Sunbeam) lp 24.00
Now reissued on vinyl!
In their vigilant unearthing of one-off psych and folk obscurities, the Sunbeam label has been one of our favorite reissue labels even if their catalog can sometimes be hit and miss. Their vision, however is remarkably consistent, never reissuing a rare record just for the sake of it being rare, and making a practice of working with the original artists whenever possible to put together these reissues, like this one, a 1969 British psych rock rarity by The Open Mind, who were a mop-topped gang of guys from the paisley era. They liked to stroll on the harder, rockier side of the '60s psych-pop street, and this album contains a few gems for sure, *especially* the first of the four bonus tracks included, their truly great single "Magic Potion". That's the one for which they'll really be remembered (and it can be found on the Speaking My Mind: New Rubble Volume 2 compilation as well). It was also later covered by '90s space rock band Sundial. We think some proto-metal fans might dig it too!
MPEG Stream: "Horses And Chariots"
MPEG Stream: "Cast A Spell"
MPEG Stream: "Magic Potion"

OPETH Ghost Reveries (Roadrunner) cd 17.98
One of our very favorite metal bands returns with a new album, a domestic release for big-league metal label Roadrunner, which made us wonder if they'd somehow gone all nu-metal on us. Opeth as an Ozzfest band? Well, this is the slickest Opeth record yet, surely. And there's clean singing on here that does seem like it might be geared for (gasp) radio airplay...but, that singing is in the same song with total death metal growling. So it's really the same ol' Opeth we know and love. A well produced, super dynamic and atmospheric blend of death metal and progressive rock, with epic-length songs, ripping technical playing, and sensitive acoustic interludes. And a healthy dose of Mellotron and other keys, moreso even than in the past, as they've now made their keyboardist an official, permanent band member. It could be we're hearing a hint of nu-metal in some of the bouncier, stop start bits...but put that in the context of proggy baroque keyboards, and this is definitely not Slipknot or Korn, that's for sure. And if Opeth can turn what they do into "pop" music and get away with it, more power to 'em. Not that that's likely...
Is this eighth Opeth opus destined to be considered a classic like several of their earlier albums? Well, c'mon, it's undeniably tough for 'em to top what they've done in the past, regardless of how good this is! We are glad to have all the shades of Opeth back together on one album after the heavy disc/light disc dichotomy of their twin previous releases Deliverance and Damnation. And anyway, at this point we can't imagine any Opeth fan daring to not purchase, listen to, and (out of love or awe) worship this!
MPEG Stream: "The Ghost Of Perdition"
MPEG Stream: "The Baying Of Hounds"

OPETH Ghost Reveries (Roadrunner) 2lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now on vinyl! One of our very favorite metal bands returns with a new album, a domestic release for big-league metal label Roadrunner, which made us wonder if they'd somehow gone all nu-metal on us. Opeth as an Ozzfest band? Well, this is the slickest Opeth record yet, surely. And there's clean singing on here that does seem like it might be geared for (gasp) radio airplay...but, that singing is in the same song with total death metal growling. So it's really the same ol' Opeth we know and love. A well produced, super dynamic and atmospheric blend of death metal and progressive rock, with epic-length songs, ripping technical playing, and sensitive acoustic interludes. And a healthy dose of Mellotron and other keys, moreso even than in the past, as they've now made their keyboardist an official, permanent band member. It could be we're hearing a hint of nu-metal in some of the bouncier, stop start bits...but put that in the context of proggy baroque keyboards, and this is definitely not Slipknot or Korn, that's for sure. And if Opeth can turn what they do into "pop" music and get away with it, more power to 'em. Not that that's likely...
Is this eighth Opeth opus destined to be considered a classic like several of their earlier albums? Well, c'mon, it's undeniably tough for 'em to top what they've done in the past, regardless of how good this is! We are glad to have all the shades of Opeth back together on one album after the heavy disc/light disc dichotomy of their twin previous releases Deliverance and Damnation. And anyway, at this point we can't imagine any Opeth fan daring to not purchase, listen to, and (out of love or awe) worship this!
MPEG Stream: "The Ghost Of Perdition"
MPEG Stream: "The Baying Of Hounds"

OPETH Heritage (Roadrunner Records) cd 17.98

OPHIUCUS s/t (Lion Productions) cd 16.98
Lion Productions brings us another super obscure psych/prog reish that's pretty darn cool. France, 1972: the dawning of Ophicus, an astrologically inclined band staffed by some serious musicians from the French rock/pop scene, including a former member of Zoo. They certainly had a lot of promise, this debut album of theirs being a gorgeous and eclectic (and sometimes experimental) stylistic mix, encompassing everything from lilting acoustic folk to lush symphonic pop to raw backporch blues to heavy fuzz acid rockin' grooviness (Francais Metal de Proto ooh la la!). Sublime string orchestration, lovely vocal arrangements, and memorable melodies contribute to the wonderful moody atmosphere that pervades this album despite its diversity.
There's a lot to like here. This disc's 20 tracks include eight bonus cuts taken from a unreleased second album, among them several English language versions of songs from the debut meant for international release. And Lion (as is typical of them) provides a fairly hefty cd booklet into the bargain, full of photos, lyrics, and brand new liner notes from the band themselves, including commentaries on each track (for example: "'Darbouka' was meant to silently convey the feeling of oppression and the impossibility of expressing where it comes from"). If you liked the previous Lion reissues from France (Classical M, Ilous & Decuyper) you definitely should check out Ophicus, likewise if you've been digging that Pop Made In France comp we highlighted recently.
MPEG Stream: "Prenez, Donnez"
MPEG Stream: "Darbouka"
MPEG Stream: "Ne Cherche Plus"

OPHIUCUS s/t (Wah Wah) lp 30.00
Another Wah Wah vinyl reissue of something Lion reissued on cd previously, here's the review we wrote then (note this lp lacks the bonus tracks Lion were able to squeeze onto the cd):
Lion Productions brings us another super obscure psych/prog reish that's pretty darn cool. France, 1972: the dawning of Ophicus, an astrologically inclined band staffed by some serious musicians from the French rock/pop scene, including a former member of Zoo. They certainly had a lot of promise, this debut album of theirs being a gorgeous and eclectic (and sometimes experimental) stylistic mix, encompassing everything from lilting acoustic folk to lush symphonic pop to raw backporch blues to heavy fuzz acid rockin' grooviness (Francais Metal de Proto ooh la la!). Sublime string orchestration, lovely vocal arrangements, and memorable melodies contribute to the wonderful moody atmosphere that pervades this album despite its diversity.
If you like other French psych stuff we've reviewed, like Classical M and Ilous & Decuyper, you definitely should check out Ophicus.
MPEG Stream: "Prenez, Donnez"
MPEG Stream: "Darbouka"
MPEG Stream: "Ne Cherche Plus"

OPTIGANALLY YOURS Exclusively Talentmaker! (Absolutely Kosher) cd 14.98
Optiganally Yours is the duo of Rob Crow (Thingy, Heavy Vegetable, Pinback) and Pea Hicks (the curator of the ludicrous Lucas & Friends album). Rob Crow's quirky and complex popcore vocal harmonies dreamily float behind Hicks' exotica devices; the Chilton Talentmaker, the Vako Orchetrston, and the Knickerbocker Bell Organ. No Optigans were used or destroyed in the making of this album.

OPTIMO Psyche Out (Eskimo Recordings) cd 16.98
Raver Techno DJs like their psych music too! That's the idea with this disc, wherein two edgy Scottish DJs who spin as Optimo (JG Wilkes and JD Twitch are their names), present a mix of spaced-out grooves from the past and present, some danceable, some towards the "chill-out" side of things. Everything from old school freak rock like Silver Apples' "Oscillations" and Hawkwind's "Hash Cake '77" to club trax like "Acid Thunder (Fast Eddie Mix)" and a Carl Craig remix of Throbbing Gristle... It's pretty varied, actually, mashing the Chambers Brothers' psychedelic R&B anthem "Time Has Come Today" right next to "Johnny Cash" by Scottish indie-rockers the Sons & Daughters, for instance. However, bewarned a lot of this is pretty house-y and electro-y, maybe not for someone normally shies away from dance music (though who knows, maybe you'll find you like some of it -- and it could cross-over the other way too). It's not clear to us what makes a bunch of this so "psychedelic" after all.
But then we thought of this: Nanjo Asahito, bassist for Japanese garage psych acts High Rise and Mainliner, told us once that, for breakfast, he preferred sausage to bacon because sausage was "more psychedelic"... we think what he meant (aside from a joke) is that sausage is mix of things, and that a mix is always more psychedelic... well there you go. Ingredients in Psyche Out's sausage include, besides the aforementioned: Delia Gonzalez and Gavin Russom, Vapourspace, The Stranglers, Acid Test, The Temptations, Sinnamon, Herbie Hancock, Simple Minds, Systeme Imaginique, Dinosaur, Dorau/Kohncke, Sweet Exorcist, Mr. Fingers, Chris and Cosey, Damien Donato, Koenig Cylinders, Hole In One, The Step, and Skatt Bros.
MPEG Stream: DELIA GONZALEZ AND GAVIN RUSSOM "Rise (DFA Mix) [w/ a little Silver Apples too!]"
MPEG Stream: DORAU/KOHNCKE "Durch Die Nacht (Geiger Mix)"

OPTIMO Walkabout (Endless Flight) cd 16.98
Now this is the kind of DJ mix cd we like! Optimo (a pair of Glaswegian DJs, though only one of 'em is responsible for this release) have already proved, with mixes like last year's Psyche Out, that they can throw down some proto-industrial or psychedelic rock tracks into a seamless set of mainly modern electronic dance stuff and make it work just fine, perking our ears up for sure. On this disc, Optimo start off with some vintage Throbbing Gristle from TG's 1979 debut LP, then skipping years (but not changing gears, that much) follow it with a recent cut by Kompakt artist Grungerman (aka Wolfgang Voigt). And so it goes. An eclectic, eccentric mix indeed. Other artists on here include: Suicide, Herbert, Black Dice, Marc Houle, Like A Tim, Godsy, Databrain, Leny Dee & Nicolai Vorkapich, 6K, Shane Berry, and Eventell and Metaboman. And Finland is represented by both Pan Sonic and Philius. At about the halfway point, Optimo even manage to include something by Japanese psych-heavies Boris! "My Machine" off of Pink, which though fuzzed-out and beat-less, somehow segues smoothly betwixt the much more dance-friendly tracks found to either end of it. Maybe the only unintentional glitch in the program is the track by Thomas Brinkmann -- though y'know we love him, his "Momomexico" included here is a bit of a party-pooper, unless a voice intoning "Mexico... Mexico... Mexico..." is your idea of a dancefloor filler. But once past that repetitious voice bit, it's a good 'un. And really, the idea isn't really that you're gonna put this on to dance to, is it? That's the question with a lot of electronic "dance" music we sell I suppose. Maybe drive, work out, jog, something like that though.
And as techno-y and house-y as a lot of this is, there's a healthy amount of grinding droning experimental bzzzz everywhere on here too. We imagine that at an Optimo night in Glasgow, there's probably people dancing, but just as many sitting there nodding their heads, spacing out. If you're like us, you might pick this up 'cause of the names you know and as a result get introduced to some cool stuff you wouldn't otherwise have heard. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: LIKE A TIM "Aibe Stracie"
MPEG Stream: EVENTELL AND METABOMAN "Control A Zoid"

ORANGE BICYCLE Hyacinth Threads (Edsel) 2cd 19.98
Two cds packed full of the happy, trippy sounds of the '60s. You know what I'm talkin' about... the Beach Boys and the Mamas & Papas. Ah yes, super sunny, uplifting and just a little bit tweaked were this obscure late-'60s British pop group. Clocking in at a total of 33 tracks, this just might be all the Orange Bicycle you'll ever need!

ORANGE CAKE MIX A Shadow Of Eclipse & Other Phases Of The Moon (Blackbean & Placenta) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

ORANGE CAKE MIX Lovecloud and Secret Tape (Blackbean & Placenta) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Epic, jangly pop, made amazingly enough, by one guy. For fans of GBV, East River Pipe, and Roger McGuinn. Really nice. Pick this up quick, before twenty more OCM releases come out and you forget about this one...

ORANGE CAKE MIX Microcosmic Wonderland (Audio Information Phenomena) cd 8.98
More midtempo loungey pop gems from the extremely prolific James Rao.

ORANGE CAKE MIX Microcosmic Wonderland (Audio Information Phenomena) 10" 7.98
More midtempo loungey pop gems from the extremely prolific James Rao.

ORANGE GLASS s/t (self-released) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
What is it about Nova Scotia and pop music? Has one place produced so much great indie pop music in the last 20+ years? Ever? We don't think so. Sloan, Eric's Trip, Hardship Post, Super Friendz, The Inbreds, Thrush Hermit, Jale, The Memories Attack... And that Halifax sound, while hard to describe exactly, is immediately recognizable by the pop savvy, but even if you've never heard any of those bands (and if you haven't, well hell, get on it!), if you love the rocking jangle of nineties indie pop, if you grew up listening to records on Sub Pop, and K, and Kill Rock Stars, and love big crunchy riffs, even bigger hooks, gloriously lo-fi production, keening sad boy vox, lyrics about love and girls and heartbreak, then you need to do some digging, and why not start here, with this collection of tracks from long defunct indie rockers Orange Glass.
Now we consider ourselves pretty big fans of all those bands, Andee even released the most recent record by The Memories Attack, which happens to feature a member of Eric's Trip AND Mr. Ron Bates, a longtime aQ customer, and frontman for the late great Orange Glass. How did we not know about OG. Everything about them screams BAND WE WOULD HAVE LOVED AND OBSESSED OVER AND PUT ON EVERY MIXTAPE!! But better late than never.
None of the Orange Glass records are available anymore, but Bates recently decided to put together a compilation, of album tracks, singles, compilation tracks, unreleased recordings, to pass out to his friends, we convinced him to let us have 20 of the 50 he made, so odds are once these are gone, they are gone for good. So don't miss out, you'll be sorry.
There's a definite sonic link to Eric's Trip, and of course the Memories Attack, from hissy lo-fi 4 track bedroom folk, to rambunctious crashing power pop, fuzzy guitars, wild drumming, and of course hooks hooks hooks, another one of those bands that should have been huge, or if not huge, at least as popular as all the above mentioned outfits. The sound quality varies greatly from super raw demo rehearsal space sound, to full on studio shine, but nothing can disguise how fun and catchy and amazing these songs are, and Orange Glass were, and for those with an indie rock heart, you may have just discovered a new favorite that by all rights should have been an old favorite too.
Super nice silver metallic covers, inside liner notes on where all the tracks comes from, each one hand numbered, LIMITED TO 50 COPIES!!!
MPEG Stream: "Preoccupied"
MPEG Stream: "Saturn And The Moon"
MPEG Stream: "Wait A Day"
MPEG Stream: "Knock Wood"
MPEG Stream: "Cosmic Pilot"

ORANGE JUICE The Glasgow School (Domino) cd 15.98
Scottish pop fans, here's something you don't want to miss... especially if you missed 'em the first time around over two decades ago! These highly influential Scots finally receive a long-overdue, respectful retrospective compilation. Edwyn Collins, Steven Daly, James Kirk and David McClymont's distinct combination of sugary sweet jangle pop sensibilities with a wry wit and sharp tongue definitely made an impression on the young hearts and minds of bands such as Belle & Sebastian (on the sticker affixed to the shrinkwrap, Stuart Murdoch is quoted voicing his deep reverence), Heavenly and The Pastels, let alone more recent upstarts such as Arcade Fire and Franz Ferdinand (Alex Kapranos' devotion is also noted on the abovementioned sticker).
For The Glasgow School, Domino Records has unearthed the band's first four singles (originally released on indie label Postcard Records) along with eleven songs recorded in 1981 which were originally intended to be their debut album Ostrich Churchyard which was also to be released on Postcard. That never came to pass, and the album would in turn be rerecorded and renamed You Can't Hide Your Love Forever and released on Polydor in 1982. Ostrich Churchyard was eventually released in 1992. Also included are two previously unreleased songs -- "Blokes On 45" from a Peel Session and a raucous cover of The Ramones' "I Don't Care" from a pre-Orange Juice rehearsal tape when they went by the moniker the Nu-Sonics.
Beautifully packaged like a hardcover book with an introduction and song-by-song liner notes by Steven Daly as well as a scattering of live and candid snapshots. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Falling And Laughing"
MPEG Stream: "Breakfast Time"

ORANGE SUNSHINE Bullseye Of Being (Leaf Hound) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Orange Sunshine are a freaky, fuzzed-out power trio from Holland who really really wish they existed in San Francisco circa 1969. Their sound, their graphics, even their name is inspired by heavy Frisco sixties legends Blue Cheer (Orange Sunshine being another "brand" of LSD). They just were in the USA on tour, and we saw 'em live a few weeks back at the Hemlock. Their singing drummer was definitely the star of the show. Long haired, bearded, totally hippified, he was a wild man, pulling crazy faces the whole time he was playing. It seemed quite likely that his number one drummer hero growing up was Animal from The Muppets. Coming to San Francisco to play their Blue Cheer-y music, they took it as far as they could -- even doin' their own version of "Summertime Blues"!!
This new album of theirs (don't believe where it says on the back cover that it was recorded in 1970, that's more fantasy on their part, though they do their best to make that claim almost seem likely) makes us think Acid Mothers Temple crossed with Blue Cheer. Not too hard to imagine, eh? This disc's opener, the 15 and a half minute "Ruler Of The Universe" leans towards the AMT side of that equation, being a spacey, faux Eastern sitar and tablas raga meets flying saucer lift-off sort of epic. Following that, the three minutes of "Speed" sizzle nicely. Then we get a fairly faithful cover of Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love". They just couldn't resist cranking out Jack Bruce's (not Eric Clapton's) most famous riff themselves we guess. Nothing wrong with that, but we liked how on their earlier Love=Acid, Space=Hell album they picked things to cover that actual '60s heavy rock bands would have done, like stuff by Bo Diddley. Still it's cool hearing it given the Blue Cheer, we mean Orange Sunshine treatment. Next up, "Demonize" (or is it "Demon's Eye"?) is a blown-out, wailin' stomper that wouldn't have been out of place on Vincebus Eruptum -- although it's actually a Deep Purple cover. And then the album comes to a fuzzy finale with another Blue Cheerish number entitled "Balls Knockin'". Turns out that's the only track here that's NOT a cover. Though we've never heard of the bands that did "Speed" and "Ruler Of The Universe" before: Ron Allen Light Show and Terry Brooke's Strange, respectively. Kinda makes up for the obviousness of the Cream choice. Seems like these guys really DO live in their own drugged-out, time-looped 1968-1971 universe and it's real nice of them to let us join 'em for the authentic acid rock experience now and then!
MPEG Stream: "Balls Knockin'"
MPEG Stream: "Ruler Of The Universe"

ORANGER New Comes And Goes (Eenie Meenie) cd 13.98
SF's Oranger continue to spread the love around, dishing out their generous offerings of sunbeam-bright tunes on a different label each time. Here, they've popped up on Eenie Meenie Records. Following up last year's 2cd Shutdown The Sun on Jackpine Records, New Comes And Goes' buoyant baker's dozen is once again sure to please Oranger's fans as well as those of fellow West Coast noise-poppers The Posies and Beulah. More polished, but still retaining a bit of the rough-around-the-edges, mischievous charm that characterised Shutdown and the album that came before it Quietvibrationland (released in 2000 on former Pavementer Scott Kannberg's label Amazing Grease). The album runs the gamut from bubblegum heights to more 'serious' mid-tempo downers, and we have to say that we do prefer the songs on which the band keep the mood upbeat and the energy high. That's when they shine the brightest (at least we think so). A side note: the album cover and font choice seem a little incongruous though, bringing to mind wee hours Euro dance punk festivities rather than a California beach-destined convertible on a scorchin' summer afternoon (which is what we associate this band's music with).
MPEG Stream: "Crooked In The Weird Of The Catacombs"
MPEG Stream: "Sukiyaki"

ORANGER Quietvibrationland (Amazing Grease) cd 14.98
These SF super-pop boys bring us a new full length full of, yes, very Beach Boys-influenced shining tunes, but they've polished this album up into something all their own. With nods to the rest of their Elephant 6 comrades. Glorious vocal harmonies soar. Buoyant melodies bounce along seemingly without a care in the world. Well-written, well-crafted and well-performed. For fans of Olivia Tremor Control, the Posies, Sloan.

ORANGER Shutdown The Sun (Jackpine) 2cd 14.98
With the final shows of popsters Beulah looming on the horizon, waste no time wonderin' who's gonna slip their tootsies into their fine shoes and be the new Cinderella of the Bay Area pop ball. 'Cause while Beulah were soaking up a good deal of the city's pop spotlight over the past few years, their pop brethren Oranger were quietly honing their songcraft. The results? A shining album reminiscent of the great pop of the Posies, Olivia Tremor Control, Apples In Stereo, Beulah and yes of course the Beatles and Beach Boys. On this new cd (that comes with bonus disc of fine rare goodies!), Oranger have really come into their own, revealing an impressive range -- able to funk it up, lounge it down or twang it all around, and still maintain their shiny playful pop foundations. Heaps of delightful vocal harmonies, infectious hooks and fully fleshed out arrangements.
MPEG Stream: "Going Under"
MPEG Stream: "Bluest Glass Eye Sea"

ORBISON, ROY In Dreams (Sony) cd 12.98
Undoubtedly, there are at least a few Roy Orbison songs somewhere in your collection. Most likely in the form of a greatest hits collection. Or covered by another artist. Which makes perfect sense as he wrote hit after hit, most of which have become part of our general consciousness, known to those who grew up with Orbison's songs back when, and to younger folks who may have heard them in David Lynch films. But Orbison was an artist of incredible depth and emotion and the way his actual albums were crafted deserve to be heard from start to finish, the way they were conceived. In Dreams is for sure his absolute masterpiece. A record which reaches tje very heart of longing, loss and yearning. While millions of records would follow dealing with many of these same heartbroken sentiments none of them quite understood and musically portrayed the beauty of anguish like Roy Orbison's records did. With lush instrumentation and his soaring unmistakable voice, In Dreams is a record that gets under your skin. A record for lonely nights, rainy days, and long drives. A dramatic flare that you can never doubt, not even for a second. What's so striking when you listen to In Dreams is how it actually could be be a greatest hits album. Who else could craft an entire album full of such perfect songs, each and everyone deserving to be played over and over again? Every one of these songs could be the song to take that devastating mix you're making to the next level. Every one of these songs brings a cinematic level of beauty to the heartache that undoubtedly all of us have felt at one time or another. No matter whether your current musical obsessions are psych-folk, black metal, prog, emo, indie rock, etc etc we dare you to listen to this record and not be moved. Timeless beauty and the ultimate anguish.
MPEG Stream: "Dream"
MPEG Stream: "House Without Windows"
MPEG Stream: "Shahdaroba"

ORCHESTRA OF THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE s/t (Discus) 2cd 22.00
As soon as we heard this the massive and mesmeric sounds found here on the debut from the Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere, we knew it was Record Of The Week material! And while it's the record of our week (and many weeks to come, we imagine), it was three years in the making, a grandiose accomplishment involving the efforts of around 40 musicians and singers.
The British new music ensemble responsible for this sprawling double cd has an appropriately evocative name, they are in the business of generating clouds of sound from on high, and they are indeed a sort of Orchestra, certainly a lot of musicians on a lot of intruments making a BIG sound, the actual core group of the UOA itself comprising only five folks, but they're augmented by a string quartet (the La Garotte String Quartet), a woodwinds ensemble (The Divine Winds), and a 25 person avant-garde choral group (Juxtavoices).
Together, the UOA and friends create a hybrid akin to 20th century classical chamber music meets propulsive krautrock meets '70s cosmic jazz (some parts, like the ten minute track "Coherent Backscattering" that closes the first disc, remind us of the wonderful Alice Coltrane With Strings album World Galaxy, complete with what sounds like varispeed tape manipulation)É But it's probably most heavily influenced by the work of modern minimalist master Terry Riley in particular - imagine portions of the Riley/Cale album Church Of Anthrax heavied up by a psychedelic stage band, with tons of synth and electronics amidst the strings and horns and percussive skitter. Other comparisons we could cite include the Swedish sixties psych groups Parson Sound/International Harvester (also big Riley fans), some large prog jazz rock ensembles of the '70s, like Keith Tippett's Canterbury based Centipede, and krautrockers Out Of Focus (circa Four Letter Monday Afternoon), as well as various underground free drone ensembles of more recent vintage.
The two part, twenty-plus-minute "Seen From Above" early in the first disc is really worth the price of admission alone, a tour de force that sums up the glories of the OUA without revealing quite all the secrets that you'll encounter elsewhere on these two densely-packed discs (77+ minutes disc 1, 76+ minutes disc 2, no wasted space in other words, you get your money's worth!). The piece is full of droning deep rumbles that resolve into strong bass pulsations, graced with gorgeous organ tones, and dramatic drum rolls and cymbal crashes.
But the next track, the 10 minute plus "The Opposition Effect" is equally impressive, getting even heavier with the krautROCK elements, and brings the Juxtavoices to bear as well, with some intense vocal chant that reminds us of the aforementioned International Harvester.
And so it goes, and goes, the UOA at times bombastic and heavy, at others more hauntingly subtle and murmuring, with squeaks and mumbles, like an orchestra tuning up, in a murky sonic miasma. Much of this is stirring & cinematic, with parts that remind us of Godspeed! You Black Emperor and experimental Norwegian "death-jazzers" Supersilent too. The latter especially on disc two, which opens in an even, ah, moodier mood, the sound ever more abstract and ambient on "An Open Vista Is Revealed", followed by "He Died Before I Could Get My Revenge", which begins with shimmering jittering electronics and stumbling drums. Towards the end of that track, the Juxtavoices ensemble is employed to provide a bed of buried, layered and effected vocal snippets on the subject of the track's disturbing title (giving both a "hearing creepy voices in your head" and "overheard noisy cocktail party conversation" vibe at once). On both discs, the Juxtavoices talents are used judiciously in ways that really put this over the top in the sheer weirdness dep't., really letting it all out in feral, primal form amidst the murk of disc two's closer "Their Dark Presence Stretches Through The Void".
Oh, and eventually of course the krauty drum propulsion kicks in on this disc as well.
Essentially, the UOA take krautrock derived, pounding rhythmic hypnosis a la Circle, and combines it with the symphonic majesty of something like another recent aQ Record Of The Week, the reissue of William Sheller's glorious Lux Aeterna, if you can imagine that, or (if you've ever heard it) Richard Youngs' pseudo prog-rock Ilk project taken to Magma-like orchestral extremes.
At the core of the UOA, is English composer/improviser Martin Archer, also a member of The Divine Winds, and organizer of Juxtavoices. He's a quite prolific musician, who runs the Discus label that put this out, and we should really review more of his releases in future. Previously, Archer's name HAS appeared on the aQ list as a key member of crushing industrial doom/free jazz prog outfit Combat Astronomy, much loved by us; he's also the fellow responsible for the Saint Agnes Fountain album from about ten years ago, a clever hoax that purported to be an early '70s recording from a fictional female Japanese minimalist composer named Masayo Asahara (and if you liked that Martin Archer alter-ego as much as we did, you'll totally dig the UOA, they seem to share a lot of the same sonic inspirations). We're less familiar with the other key member of the UOA, multi-instrumentalist Chris Bywater, responsible for a good deal of the compositions and arrangements as well.
Martin and Chris, we're impressed! And this couldn't be more up our alley, as you can perhaps judge by the artists we've attempted to compare this to. In a word, wow.
MPEG Stream: "Seen From Above Part 2 (excerpt 1)"
MPEG Stream: "Seen From Above Part 2 (excerpt 2)"
MPEG Stream: "The Opposition Effect"
MPEG Stream: "Coherent Backscattering"
MPEG Stream: "He Died Before I Could Get My Revenge"
MPEG Stream: "The Umbral Length Of Shadows"

ORCHESTRA PETER THOMAS Orion 2000 (The Omni Recording Corporation) cd 17.98
Groovy, baby! Are you a filmmaker making a movie about sex kittens on the moon? A crime drama with rocket ships and ray guns? A documentary about swinging space aliens building the pyramids? Or just daydreaming about such subjects? Well, have we (and Omni) got the totally fab, pre-fab soundtrack for you!! Swank futuric funky jazz loungey freakbeat electronic grooves perfect for any kitschy exploito-flick you could imagine, pounded out by a band led by composer Peter Thomas, whom perhaps you know already as the man responsible for scoring Raumpatrouille (Space Patrol), a classic German '60s sci-fi TV show. His "in-kraut" stylings on many, many other soundtracks have earned him a cult following.
This exuberant disc consists of prime Peter Thomas stuff, material recorded in 1970, released as an obscure library music lp in 1975, and never before released on cd, until now! Remastered, from the original master tapes, and expanded with 4 rare bonus tracks, this features 16 tracks in total, most about 2-3 minutes in length, each categorized variously as either "Beat", "Electric Beat", "Strong Beat", "Rock Beat", or "Fast Beat", for what it's worth. They've ALL got bombastic beats, along with brassy horns, sizzling synths, fluttering flutes, and occasional wordless vocals... Any TV commercial or film project that was wild enough to made use of this library music would sound pretty hip, considering that the players in the Orchestra Peter Thomas included close associates and/or members of krautrockers Amon Duul II and Brainticket... Oh, and on lead guitar, Vampyros Lesbos co-composer Siggi Schwab!
Definitely another awesome Omni find. Packaged with informative, photo-illustrated liner notes, where you can read about PT's one of a kind "Tho-Wi-Phon" synthesizer, among other interesting things.
MPEG Stream: "Mars Close Up"
MPEG Stream: "Power Boost"
MPEG Stream: "Flash Point"
MPEG Stream: "Rockin' Computer"

ORCHESTRA PETER THOMAS Orion 2000 (Roundtable / The Omni Recording Corporation) lp 27.00
Now on vinyl, following Omni's cd version highlighted here a few months back!
Groovy, baby! Are you a filmmaker making a movie about sex kittens on the moon? A crime drama with rocket ships and ray guns? A documentary about swinging space aliens building the pyramids? Or just daydreaming about such subjects? Well, have we (and Omni) got the totally fab, pre-fab soundtrack for you!! Swank futuric funky jazz loungey freakbeat electronic grooves perfect for any kitschy exploito-flick you could imagine, pounded out by a band led by composer Peter Thomas, whom perhaps you know already as the man responsible for scoring Raumpatrouille (Space Patrol), a classic German '60s sci-fi TV show. His "in-kraut" stylings on many, many other soundtracks have earned him a cult following.
This exuberant album consists of prime Peter Thomas stuff, material recorded in 1970, released as an obscure library music lp in 1975, and out of circulation until now! Remastered, from the original master tapes (but without the 4 bonus tracks of the cd version), this features 12 tracks in total, most about 2-3 minutes in length, each categorized variously as either "Beat", "Electric Beat", "Strong Beat", "Rock Beat", or "Fast Beat", for what it's worth. They've ALL got bombastic beats, along with brassy horns, sizzling synths, fluttering flutes, and occasional wordless vocals... Any TV commercial or film project that was wild enough to made use of this library music would sound pretty hip, considering that the players in the Orchestra Peter Thomas included close associates and/or members of krautrockers Amon Duul II and Brainticket... Oh, and on lead guitar, Vampyros Lesbos co-composer Siggi Schwab!
Definitely another awesome Omni find. Packaged with informative liner notes, where you can read about PT's one of a kind "Tho-Wi-Phon" synthesizer, among other interesting things.
MPEG Stream: "Mars Close Up"
MPEG Stream: "Power Boost"
MPEG Stream: "Flash Point"
MPEG Stream: "Rockin' Computer"

ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVERS IN THE DARK (OMD) Dazzle Ships (Expanded) (Virgin) cd 14.98
We've all got our old favorite records that maybe we haven't heard in a while, but it only takes a few bars of the lead-off track to immediately bring it all back and make us wanna dust 'em off again... This was the case when a special order was recently placed for Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark's 1983 album "Dazzle Ships"- a seeming direct follow-up to Kraftwerk's 'Radioactivity' - featuring shortwave radio broadcasts, chiming synth lines, speak-and-spells, and earnest, emotive vocals. Take tracks like the bouyant "Telegraph"- it's pure synth-pop goodness, combining an innocent exuberance with considerably more weighty, dark subject matter. An overlooked experimental electronic pop gem, this album is full of wonderful songs and sounds, courtesy of core members Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey. In a time when 'the '80s' are seemingly everywhere - and frequently in the most watered-down, cliche forms - it's nice to catch a few quality moments with a brilliant, good old friend. FYI: Jim thinks 'Organization' is way better, but this is definitely OMD's most exploratory moment. Features the extended remixes of Genetic Engineering and Telegraph and those singles b-sides.
MPEG Stream: "Telegraph"
MPEG Stream: "ABC Auto-Industry"
MPEG Stream: "Of All The Things We've Made"

ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK Organisation (Virgin) cd 15.98

ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK s/t (Microwerks) cd 13.98
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark may forever be known for their '80s pop classic "If You Leave" which graced the Pretty In Pink soundtrack, but the band's first four records stand at the vanguard of British synth-pop. Unashamed by their influences from Kraftwerk and Brian Eno (especially Another Green World), OMD were keen on experimenting with electronics, synths, and drum machines in a new wave / pop context with a knack for the melodic pop hook to offset their mechanical plonk and bleep. Where The Human League were exceptionally coy with their ironic embrace of consumer culture (making their platinum clad singles all the more confounding), OMD were romantic at heart. Even the references to 20th Century warfare (i.e. Dazzle Ships, Enola Gay, The Messerschmidt Twins, Bunker Soldiers) find the band lyrically transposing the languages of love and war. Bittersweet at times, but never grim!
The eponymous record was the debut for OMD, released in February 1980. The single from the album, "Electricity," was a corker, a remake of a song from an earlier EP released by Factory. Here, it's a ridiculously catchy song with plenty of Man-Machine overtures in its crisp rhythm and plunky electric piano melody. With its sweeping tone-bend melodies and gliding electronic rhythms, "Bunker Soldiers" is one of those templates that had been emulated by almost every minimal wave project from 1980 to present. This cd reissue contains two versions of "Messages," with a single version fleshing out the tinny melodies with a springy Peter Hook inspired bassline... but no matter which version you're talking about, it's still fantastic. There are a few bonus tracks tacked on to the original program, including the spectral dirge "I Betray My Friends" and a cover of Velvet Underground's "Waiting For The Man" which is cute but unnecessary. Regardless, it's totally great to have this album back in print again, especially in the ongoing revisionism of minimal wave, synth punk, and new wave romanticism.
MPEG Stream: "Bunker Soldiers"
MPEG Stream: "Almost"
MPEG Stream: "Electricity"
MPEG Stream: "Messages (Single Version)"

ORCHID Totality (Clean Plate) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Orchid has to be the best of all the emo / screamo / math metal / hardcore bands around. Or -were- the best, they seem to have hung it up recently (some of the guys went on to form the brilliantly monickered Bucket Full Of Teeth). Furiously heavy, super dense sound, HUGE guitars, killer riffs, impossibly complex songs, and somehow with all that going on they manage to be one of the catchiest heavy bands EVER. Not poppy or hooky exactly, but every convoluted riff, every unlikely memory sticks in your head like crazy. When people salivate over bands like the Locust and the Daughters, as much as we like those bands, the Orchid totally crush them, heavier and catchier and weirder (without being gimmicky). Hard to explain exactly why this stuff is so good, it just sounds so fucking huge and heavy, all the best parts of punk rock and metal wrapped up in a big spiky fiery ball of pent up aggression and musical brutality. Often referred to as chaotic emo grind, and we're not sure we could come up with anything better or more accurate. Totality collects all the long out of print seven inches, splits and compilation tracks, all on cd for the first time. Packaged in a cool silkscreened red jewel case.
MPEG Stream: "New Ideas in Mathematics"
MPEG Stream: "She Has A Cold, Cold Heart"
MPEG Stream: "Panopticism"

ORCUTT, BILL A New Way to Pay Old Debts (Editions Mego) cd 16.98
Finally available on cd, the previously vinyl-only debut lp from former Harry Pussy guitarist Bill Orcutt. And as we mentioned in our review of the lp, don't be expecting a blown out noise record, instead, this is solo guitar, Orcutt's take on Fahey, although his take is decidedly more twisted and chaotic and idiosyncratic and NOISY. The cd version features a bunch of bonus tracks not on the original vinyl (but more on those later)...
When we first got the lp in, we couldn't keep it in stock, we kept having to postpone reviewing it in fact, 'cause every time a new list Friday would roll around, we'd discover that we had sold out again and would have to wait for Orcutt to drop off more records, when the same thing would happen again. We finally got enough to list and review and they blew out of here, and again, we'd sell 'em as fast as we could get 'em in, until finally there were no more to be had.
Thankfully the cd version is less limited and should ne a wee bit more available. But now you're probably asking yourself, what's so great about this, why have they been flying out of here? Maybe it's 'cause this was picked by the editors of The Wire as number 3 in their top 50 albums of 2009. Or maybe 'cause so many AQ customers have an unhealthy obsession with the seminal underground '90s no wavey noise rock outfit that Orcutt used to abuse his guitar in, the notorious Harry Pussy. But this is pretty far from the skronk and spazz of HP. Well, it's still noisy in its way, but what Orcutt is playing here on this solo guitar album is "the blues". In an "American (very) Primitive" style. That's right, it's kinda the Harry Pussy version of John Fahey or something. Totally tangled, out there improvs from a guy who's really really feeling it, you can tell.
His steel string acoustic guitar is only strung with four strings (missing the two in the middle, apparently, who needs 'em) and it's recorded up close and personal, played in a choppily percussive, and definitely emotive way. Appalachian angst that's sometimes stark, the background hum or tape hiss somehow somber, but mostly crowded with energetic bluesy bursts of notes spilling all over themselves, punctuated by occasional yelps and hollers as the spirit moves him. Imagine an agitated, ADD old timey outsider artist on Mississippi, also part Tetuzi Akiyama, part Jandek...
Sure, there's some folks who might bring out the hoary old argument that "I could play like that too". But they didn't, and Orcutt did, and we're digging it! Definitely for fans of avant electric guitar freakouts - even though this is all-acoustic!
The cd version tacks on six bonus tracks, two from a 7" single we never even saw (or heard) and 4 unreleased tracks exclusive to this release, and if anything, the extra tracks are alternatingly more melodic and pretty, more intense and frenzied, but they all sound cut from the same fucked up, outsider psychedelic guitar freakout cloth. So awesome!
MPEG Stream: "Lip Rich"
MPEG Stream: "My Reckless Parts"

ORCUTT, BILL A New Way to Pay Old Debts (Palilalia Records) lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Holy moly, we've already sold a TON of these before even listing it! In fact, we meant to review it on list #336, and then on #337, but we kept running out of 'em before list day so we couldn't. Well, now or never, we just got our last batch of these records direct from Mr. Orcutt himself, 20 copies and he says that's it, he's not going to repress it again. So, you ask, what's so great about this, why have they been flying out of here? Maybe it's 'cause this was picked by the editors of The Wire as number 3 in their top 50 albums of 2009. Or maybe 'cause so many AQ customers have an unhealthy obsession with the seminal underground '90s no wavey noise rock outfit that Orcutt used to abuse his guitar in, the notorious Harry Pussy. But this is pretty far from the skronk and spazz of HP. Well, it's still noisy in its way, but what Orcutt is playing here on this solo guitar album is "the blues". In an "American (very) Primitive" style. That's right, it's kinda the Harry Pussy version of John Fahey or something. Totally tangled, out there improvs from a guy who's really really feeling it, you can tell.
His steel string acoustic guitar is only strung with four strings (missing the two in the middle, apparently, who needs 'em) and it's recorded up close and personal, played in a choppily percussive, and definitely emotive way. Appalachian angst that's sometimes stark, the background hum or tape hiss somehow somber, but mostly crowded with energetic bluesy bursts of notes spilling all over themselves, punctuated by occasional yelps and hollers as the spirit moves him. Imagine an agitated, ADD old timey outsider artist on Mississippi, also part Tetuzi Akiyama, part Jandek...
Sure, there's some folks who might bring out the hoary old argument that "I could play like that too". But they didn't, and Orcutt did, and we're digging it! Definitely for fans of avant electric guitar freakouts - even though this is all-acoustic! Grab it while you can if it sounds good to you (it does to us).
MPEG Stream: "Lip Rich"
MPEG Stream: "My Reckless Parts"

ORCUTT, BILL Solo CD (Audible Hiss) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Harry Pussy guitarist Orcutt takes a stroll on his own. Fans of that band's punk-skronk sound will approve.

ORDO EQUILIBRIO Reaping The Fallen... The First Harvest (Cold Meat Industry) cd 16.98
An exceptional album from this Swedish dark ambient outfit (featuring Tomas from Archon Satani) whose thematic usage of bondage and religious / occult imagery is done much better than the run of the mill Goth-with-a-sampler ensemble. Ritual chants, Sol Invictus-inspired angst-filled guitar strum, and monstrous washes of darkness invoked from the abyss.

OREGON BIKE TRAILS High School Lover (Father / Daughter Records) 7" 8.98

ORGAN, THE Grab That Gun (Mint / 604) cd 14.98
These Young Canadian gals are hitting that '80s wonderfully dour British rock pop sound (The Smiths, The Cure and The Church... oops, they're Australian) right on the mark. And we totally love it! No, it's probably not anything you haven't heard before, but it is very very good... particularly notable and impressive when you find out that the five gals are only in their early twenties. Yes, they do indeed have a big ol' Hammond organ as one of their instruments, however the guitars and vocals are what defines the band's retro sound. Lead vocalist Katie Sketch possesses a depth of expression that's much broader, seeming much older, wiser and world-wearier than her years. So strong and emotive, think a young female Morrissey. And as a fitting counterpart, Debora Cohen's lanky guitar tone is straight-up Johnny Marr. Hindered only by some rather stiff drumming (unfortunately not quite on par with the rest of the band's level of composure), Grab The Sun is packed with moody, yet super infectious songs like the lead-off track "Brother" with its punchy, youthful girl gang sing-a-long chorus, "Sinking Hearts", the very Smiths-y "A Sudden Death" and the great album-closer "Memorize The City". Oh yeah, and FYI: If this band already seems familiar to you (apart from their decidedly retro sound), it might be because you saw them a couple of years ago opening for their Mint Records labelmates New Pornographers.
MPEG Stream: "Brother"
MPEG Stream: "Memorize The City"

ORGAN, THE Thieves (Mint) cd ep 9.98
After Vancouver's dourest rainy day pop darlings The Organ decided to call it quits a couple of years ago - much to the chagrin of retro Brit swagger lovin' melancholics everywhere - the gals got back together for one final recording session before going their separate ways. The results are the half dozen songs that make up this posthumous release. As with their highly lauded and beloved debut album 2004's Grab That Gun, Thieves captures the still fresh-faced quartet's sullenly brooding, distinctively Smiths-leaning, catchy melodies. By the way, yes, this was released late last year, but it took a little while to get a hold of them. better late than never, we think they're well worth the wait! A wistfully downcast, bittersweet treat.
MPEG Stream: "Even In The Night"
MPEG Stream: "Let The Bells Ring"

ORGANISATION, THE Tone Float lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Pre-Kraftwerk cosmic hippy krautrock classic now re-issued on (probably quite limited) vinyl.

ORIENT EXPRESS s/t (Fallout) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Huzzah! Another middle-eastern pop-psych gem! Like the John Berberian lps we featured last list, The Orient Express released their sole record on the Mainstream label in 1969. Played on electric versions of sitar. oud, melodica, and minitar, this trio comprised of French and Iranian musicians with deft skills of traditional instruments create an engaging fusion of east-west grooves. A little more than a third of the songs have vocals either in Arabic or English. Not as heavy as The Devil's Anvil, but more psych than the Berberian lps, these spellbinding pieces weave sitar funk and eastern pop like a sublime melding of Mogollar and The Byrds. The English songs may sound a tad naive at first, but there's not that many of them and on repeated listens have really endeared themselves to us. So Awesome!
MPEG Stream: "Layla"
MPEG Stream: "Caravan of Silk"
MPEG Stream: "Azaar"
MPEG Stream: "For A Moment"

ORIENTAL SUNSHINE Dedicated To The Bird We Love (Sunbeam) cd 16.98
Dreamy rare psych-folk from Norway 1970. Gentle, lilting female and male vocals singing through gauzy Eastern-inflected arrangements of sitars and flutes. There is a nice transported quality to the songs as they seemingly take you through imagined mythic geographies. The perfect soundtrack to float down the Nile in a boat made of reeds, or to prepare virgins for tribal sacrifices to erupting volcanoes.
MPEG Stream: "Across Your Life"
MPEG Stream: "Where You Went"

ORIENTAL SUNSHINE Dedicated To The Bird We Love (Sunbeam) lp 24.00
Now on vinyl!!! Dreamy rare psych-folk from Norway circa 1970. Gentle, lilting female and male vocals singing through gauzy Eastern-inflected arrangements of sitars and flutes. There is a nice transported quality to the songs as they seemingly take you through imagined mythic geographies. The perfect soundtrack music for floating down the Nile in a boat made of reeds, or to prepare virgins for tribal sacrifices to erupting volcanoes.
MPEG Stream: "Across Your Life"
MPEG Stream: "Where You Went"

ORIGINAL SILENCE The First Original Silence (Smalltown Supersound) cd 17.98

ORION RIGEL DOMMISSE What I Want From You Is Sweet (Language Of Stone) cd 14.98