PALACE MUSIC Lost Blues & Others (Drag City) cd 14.98

PALACE MUSIC Lost Blues & Others (Drag City) 2lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

PALACE MUSIC Viva Last Blues (Drag City) cd 14.98

PALAIS SCHAUMBURG Lupa (Phonogram / Tapete) cd 17.98
Reissued obscurity for fans of Gang Of Four / Pop Group.

PALAIS SCHAUMBURG s/t (Phonogram / Tapete) cd 17.98
Reissued obscurity for fans of Gang Of Four / Pop Group.

PALANCE, JACK s/t (Water) cd 15.98
Yes, this is a Jack Palance album. You know, that scary Ripley's Believe It Or Not guy. Plus he was in some movies and stuff. Of course, you know him, you love him. Back in 1969, someone at Warner Bros. though it would be a good idea for Jack to make a record. Maybe 'cause he'd been in some westerns, or maybe 'cause he dug Lee Hazlewood and Johnny Cash, or maybe 'cause the country-rock thing lends itself well to a semi-spoken word delivery when you can't really sing all that well, Jack grew a moustache, went to Nashville and, with the help of some studio pros, cut this album. Now it's been reissued on cd with a big ol' booklet of liner notes and everything. And it is pretty entertaining, totally orchestrated, with backing singers and so on, Jack Palance recognizable as himself, playing upon his sinister, tough guy screen persona with ballads like "Meanest Guy That Ever Lived" (that one he wrote himself, in fact). Now we wish somebody would reissue the Telly Savalas LP!
MPEG Stream: "Meanest Guy That Ever Lived"

PALE HOARSE s/t (self-released) cd ep 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Follow-up to their stellar debut, The Gospels, this eponymous ep by local folk duo Pale Hoarse gives us five more gorgeous tracks of strung out sorrow. One of them a beautiful cover of Gene Clark's "With Tomorrow". This time the songs seem to be less about sin and salvation and more geared towards a nature-reverent British folk approach. Their dual male/female harmonies reminding us of a more mournful John Doe and Exene Cervenka, but on this ep exuding a more smoldering hopefulness than the dusty haunted doom of their debut. Quite lovely!
MPEG Stream: "Temple Bell Song"
MPEG Stream: "Nameless"

PALE HOARSE The Gospels (self-released) cd-r 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Not to be confused with the heavy sludge doom of Pale Horse, local San Francisco duo of Kyle Ranson and Kimberly Pierce channel apocalyptic doom through a completely different sensibility. Using mainly just spare acoustic guitar, tambourine, and beautiful two-part vocal harmonies, The Gospels is a sermon of haunting southern gothic songs filled with death, despair and hard-living. Their sound reminds us at times like early Palace brothers, or a way stripped down Brightblack (before they added the Morning Light to their name), occasionally conjuring up dusty images in our minds of small town buskers singing for their supper and salvation. Thankfully, Pale Hoarse do not play up the vintage Americana card too heavy-handedly, instead using spare arrangements to tread on dark but universal themes. Perfect for Sunday Mornings coming down from the sins of the previous night and you just can't make it to church. Housed in a silk-screened paper bag with hand sewn leather envelope for the cd and insert with lyrics and drawings. So Beautiful and VERY LIMITED!
MPEG Stream: "Sarah"
MPEG Stream: "Darkness Has Overtaken Me"
MPEG Stream: "Pale Horse"

PALMER, CLIVE Banjoland (Sunbeam Records) cd 16.98

PALMS SPRING Nightwalker cassette + button 5.00

MPEG Stream: "Metropolitan"
MPEG Stream: "At Last, We Have Class!"

PAN AMERICAN 360 Business/360 Bypass (Kranky) cd 14.98
2nd album from Mark Nelson's other project (he's also in Labradford) has all of the exceptionally slo-mo electronics, blurry guitar, and dubby processing found on the first Pan American album, but with guest appearances from Alan & Mimi of Low on vocals (which is good) and Rob Mazurek of Isotope 217 on coronet (which is jazz). Its sad to witness such digressions of good post-rock into questionable jazz-fusion wankiness.

PAN AMERICAN Cloud Room, Glass Room (Kranky) cd 14.98
Mark Nelson began recording under the Pan American moniker back in 1997, overlapping his contributions in the seminal slowcore, post-rock trio Labradford. He continued on with Pan American after Labradford called it quits a couple years later, and even as Pan American's catalogue has now eclipsed that of Labradford, much of Pan American's sound stems from the Labradford ethos -- spacious melodies, an electronic dubby minimalism, the whisper of a song, and a world-weary miserablism. Here on Cloud Room, Glass Room, Nelson has rechristened Pan American as a full fledged band with avant-drone percussionist Steven Hess (On, Haptic, etc.) at his side and former Labradford bassist Bobby Donne returning to the fray once again. Throughout Cloud Room, Glass Room, there are plenty of slumping passages of restrained guitar drones and layered electronic wash that are as contemplative and open-ended as the night sky. Pan American puncture spells of this ambience with some far more structured pieces when Hess grounds Nelson's guitar drifts with a sense of rhythm, even on the quietly locomotive skitter of "Project for an Apartment Building." Add Donne back into the mix, and it's easy to hear the ghosts of Labradford once again. "Virginia Waveform" could almost be a Codeine instrumental with those slow descending basslines and washed out, blurring guitars, and the opening cut "The Cloud Room" with its weightless flutter from guitars and electronics hovering above the earthbound rhythm section with its decidedly American-frontiersman slow pacing.
MPEG Stream: "The Cloud Room"
MPEG Stream: "Virginia Waveform"

PAN AMERICAN Cloud Room, Glass Room (Kranky) 2lp 19.98
Mark Nelson began recording under the Pan American moniker back in 1997, overlapping his contributions in the seminal slowcore, post-rock trio Labradford. He continued on with Pan American after Labradford called it quits a couple years later, and even as Pan American's catalogue has now eclipsed that of Labradford, much of Pan American's sound stems from the Labradford ethos -- spacious melodies, an electronic dubby minimalism, the whisper of a song, and a world-weary miserablism. Here on Cloud Room, Glass Room, Nelson has rechristened Pan American as a full fledged band with avant-drone percussionist Steven Hess (On, Haptic, etc.) at his side and former Labradford bassist Bobby Donne returning to the fray once again. Throughout Cloud Room, Glass Room, there are plenty of slumping passages of restrained guitar drones and layered electronic wash that are as contemplative and open-ended as the night sky. Pan American puncture spells of this ambience with some far more structured pieces when Hess grounds Nelson's guitar drifts with a sense of rhythm, even on the quietly locomotive skitter of "Project for an Apartment Building." Add Donne back into the mix, and it's easy to hear the ghosts of Labradford once again. "Virginia Waveform" could almost be a Codeine instrumental with those slow descending basslines and washed out, blurring guitars, and the opening cut "The Cloud Room" with its weightless flutter from guitars and electronics hovering above the earthbound rhythm section with its decidedly American-frontiersman slow pacing.
MPEG Stream: "The Cloud Room"
MPEG Stream: "Virginia Waveform"

PAN AMERICAN For Waiting For Chasing (Kranky) cd 13.98
Pan American is the solo project of Mark Nelson, who we first discovered via the late great Labradford, a group whose gorgeous brooding minimal post rock most definitely informed much of what's gone on since. Nelson began Pan American to explore his blossoming interest in computer music, electronica, dub and techno, stretching the sounds he created in Labradford and crafting dark landscapes of mysterious electronic sound, dreamlike stretches of minimal droning drift, and skittering softly stuttering and swirling textured ambience.
For Waiting For Chasing was originally released in a super limited edition back in 2006, and is easily PA's most minimal outing, skeletal and spare, haunting and otherworldly, the songs here drift, and slowly unfold, the rhythms are less rhythmic, and more textural, the opener here, "Love Song" is the perfect example, chittering clicks are draped over lush layers of whirling chordal thrum, chiming bells unfurl muted melodies, the sounds softly smeared into bleary streaks, bits of field recordings, static, glitch, all woven into PA's gorgeous soft swells of sound. Absolutely lovely dreamlike ambience, but flecked with distinctly un-ambient elements, which is what makes the sounds here so compelling.
Later PA records definitely moved in directions that some of us found way less appealing, but it's pretty impossible not to love this one.
Fields of crackle and mournful creak, looped melodies buried under layers of hiss and hum, woozy and warbly and dreamily indistinct, crumbling textures, smoldering layers, hazy fields of glimmer and muted loops, Oval like underwater swirl, dubbed out barely there beats stretch into heartbeat like pulses, bell like tones, glitch bursts of staticky melody, it's all just so fantastically hushed and lovely, culminating in the final track, "Amulls" which is as much about the melody, way down in the mix, off in the distance, a softly reverbed lullaby, tinkling piano, drifting minor key melody, all beneath a patina of crackle, a crackle which almost begins to sound rhythmic, like the some nearly invisible crystalline framework, around the delicate melancholy within. So so nice.
MPEG Stream: "Love Song"
MPEG Stream: "Are You Ready"
MPEG Stream: "Amulls"

PAN AMERICAN For Waiting For Chasing (Kranky) lp 14.98
Pan American is the solo project of Mark Nelson, who we first discovered via the late great Labradford, a group whose gorgeous brooding minimal post rock most definitely informed much of what's gone on since. Nelson began Pan American to explore his blossoming interest in computer music, electronica, dub and techno, stretching the sounds he created in Labradford and crafting dark landscapes of mysterious electronic sound, dreamlike stretches of minimal droning drift, and skittering softly stuttering and swirling textured ambience.
For Waiting For Chasing was originally released in a super limited edition back in 2006, and is easily PA's most minimal outing, skeletal and spare, haunting and otherworldly, the songs here drift, and slowly unfold, the rhythms are less rhythmic, and more textural, the opener here, "Love Song" is the perfect example, chittering clicks are draped over lush layers of whirling chordal thrum, chiming bells unfurl muted melodies, the sounds softly smeared into bleary streaks, bits of field recordings, static, glitch, all woven into PA's gorgeous soft swells of sound. Absolutely lovely dreamlike ambience, but flecked with distinctly un-ambient elements, which is what makes the sounds here so compelling.
Later PA records definitely moved in directions that some of us found way less appealing, but it's pretty impossible not to love this one.
Fields of crackle and mournful creak, looped melodies buried under layers of hiss and hum, woozy and warbly and dreamily indistinct, crumbling textures, smoldering layers, hazy fields of glimmer and muted loops, Oval like underwater swirl, dubbed out barely there beats stretch into heartbeat like pulses, bell like tones, glitch bursts of staticky melody, it's all just so fantastically hushed and lovely, culminating in the final track, "Amulls" which is as much about the melody, way down in the mix, off in the distance, a softly reverbed lullaby, tinkling piano, drifting minor key melody, all beneath a patina of crackle, a crackle which almost begins to sound rhythmic, like the some nearly invisible crystalline framework, around the delicate melancholy within. So so nice.
MPEG Stream: "Love Song"
MPEG Stream: "Are You Ready"
MPEG Stream: "Amulls"

PAN AMERICAN Quiet City (Kranky ) lp 11.98
Eight serene pastoral soundscapes is what's in store for you on the fourth full length from Pan American (aka Mark Nelson, also a member of Labradford). All awash with a soft insect-like buzzing, this album is much less minimal than its predecessor. Ghostly extended tones -- some warmly enveloping, others banshee-shrill -- are emitted from both acoustic (trumpet and flugelhorn) and electronic sources, while meditative guitar string plucking provides some more active movement to the proceedings. Vocals appear fleetingly as mere vaporous whispers. Indeed, Nelson seems once again hell-bent (uh, maybe that's too strong a word?) on lulling us all into the most pleasing slumber. This is the perfect disc for your most stressed-out friend.
Special note regarding the cd version: We're not sure how long they'll be around, but if you're quick like a bunny, you'll nab yourself a copy that comes with a bonus dvd!
MPEG Stream: "Before"
MPEG Stream: "Hall and Skylight"

PAN AMERICAN Quiet City (Kranky ) cd + dvd 16.98
Eight serene pastoral soundscapes is what's in store for you on the fourth full length from Pan American (aka Mark Nelson, also a member of Labradford). All awash with a soft insect-like buzzing, this album is much less minimal than its predecessor. Ghostly extended tones -- some warmly enveloping, others banshee-shrill -- are emitted from both acoustic (trumpet and flugelhorn) and electronic sources, while meditative guitar string plucking provides some more active movement to the proceedings. Vocals appear fleetingly as mere vaporous whispers. Indeed, Nelson seems once again hell-bent (uh, maybe that's too strong a word?) on lulling us all into the most pleasing slumber. This is the perfect disc for your most stressed-out friend.
Special note regarding the cd version: We're not sure how long they'll be around, but if you're quick like a bunny, you'll nab yourself a copy that comes with a bonus dvd!
MPEG Stream: "Before"
MPEG Stream: "Hall and Skylight"

PAN AMERICAN The River Made No Sound (Kranky) cd 14.98
More soothing, minimal atmospheric washes with deeeep bass thuds from Mark Nelson (also of Labradford). We've had a number of people come in lately asking for "relaxing music", and well, if any of those folks are listening now, they can be assured that Pan American's follow-up to their lovely 360 Business/360 Bypass is the perfect sonic relief they've been seeking. Spacious and airily ambient. No guarantees, but these 55 minutes of calm might be just what you need if your day takes a stressful turn.
RealAudio clip: "Right Of Return"

PAN AMERICAN White Bird Release (Kranky) cd 14.98
Labradford had long been the American precursor to the lugubrious noir that Bohren & Der Club Of Gore had masterfully grafted with doom. But now that Labradford has quietly ceased activities, guitarist Mark Nelson has fully embraced his solo project Pan American, which had been running concurrently with Labradford for the past seven or eight years. Without Bobby Donne's lonesome bass as a foundation to work with, Nelson's Pan American has relied heavily upon glitchy electronic rhythms and dub-injected studio tricks with varying degrees of success. Perhaps now that Labradford is no more, the Pan American project has taken on a greater sense of purpose as White Bird Release is easily the most accomplished Pan American record to date. There's much less of that dubby electronica to be found on this album; but when employed, Nelson's skeletal pulses enjoy a rich noir ethos resembling those scarce moments of darkened prog-rock dirge for organ and drums offered up on that Deathprod boxset a few years back. But for the most part, Nelson seems comfortable with the Fripp & Eno style streams of pastoral guitar ambience dotted with softened static, smokey vibes, and gracefully arcing drones.
The album is based on a letter from Dr. Robert Goddard to H.G. Wells written in 1932 and concerned with the possibility of space flight. While many of the obvious references to White Bird Release harken to the deep space cosmology from the '70s (e.g. Fripp & Eno, Cluster, Schulze, etc.), Nelson's work is not a departure from this rock travelling around the sun, but rather a glance upward to the heavens, while remaining firmly grounded below.
The cd has one extra track not to be found on the vinyl.
MPEG Stream: "There Can Be No Thought Of Finishing"
MPEG Stream: "For Aiming At The Stars"
MPEG Stream: "In A Letter To H.G. Wells, 1932"

PAN AMERICAN White Bird Release (Kranky) lp 13.98
Labradford had long been the American precursor to the lugubrious noir that Bohren & Der Club Of Gore had masterfully grafted with doom. But now that Labradford has quietly ceased activities, guitarist Mark Nelson has fully embraced his solo project Pan American, which had been running concurrently with Labradford for the past seven or eight years. Without Bobby Donne's lonesome bass as a foundation to work with, Nelson's Pan American has relied heavily upon glitchy electronic rhythms and dub-injected studio tricks with varying degrees of success. Perhaps now that Labradford is no more, the Pan American project has taken on a greater sense of purpose as White Bird Release is easily the most accomplished Pan American record to date. There's much less of that dubby electronica to be found on this album; but when employed, Nelson's skeletal pulses enjoy a rich noir ethos resembling those scarce moments of darkened prog-rock dirge for organ and drums offered up on that Deathprod boxset a few years back. But for the most part, Nelson seems comfortable with the Fripp & Eno style streams of pastoral guitar ambience dotted with softened static, smokey vibes, and gracefully arcing drones.
The album is based on a letter from Dr. Robert Goddard to H.G. Wells written in 1932 and concerned with the possibility of space flight. While many of the obvious references to White Bird Release harken to the deep space cosmology from the '70s (e.g. Fripp & Eno, Cluster, Schulze, etc.), Nelson's work is not a departure from this rock travelling around the sun, but rather a glance upward to the heavens, while remaining firmly grounded below.
The cd has one extra track not to be found on the vinyl.
MPEG Stream: "There Can Be No Thought Of Finishing"
MPEG Stream: "For Aiming At The Stars"

PAN AMERICAN / JANEK SCHAEFER (Fat Cat) 12" 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
So far this series of split singles which has features nothing but gems from Gescom, V/VM, Foehn, and Third Eye Foundation strikes gold again with a split between Pan American and Janek Shaefer. Pan American is the solo project from Mark Nelson, the guitarist for Labradford, whose propensity for bleak Southern Gothic atmosphere could easily fit on a David Lynch score, complete with somber Fender Rhodes organ chords and dubbed out electronica. The Wire calls architect Janek Schaefer "Nelson's evil twin" as he develops noisy soundwashes constructed with a custom-built turntable which picks up every last speck of dust and magnifies them into percussive noise blasts.

PAN-AMERICAN 360 Business 360 Bypass (Kranky) cd 13.98
Solo project of Labradford guitarist Mark Nelson makes it onto cd, who adopts a dubbed-out electronica approach to the murky southern gothic soundtracks already mastered by the aforementioned Labradford. Very lovely, and Labradford fans certainly will feel at home. Highly recommended!

PAN-AMERICAN 360 Business 360 Bypass (Kranky) lp 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Solo project of Labradford guitarist Mark Nelson makes it onto cd, who adopts a dubbed-out electronica approach to the murky southern gothic soundtracks already mastered by the aforementioned Labradford. Very lovely, and Labradford fans certainly will feel at home. Highly recommended!

PANDA BEAR Bro's (Fat Cat) 12" 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Animal Collective's Panda Bear has been releasing an amazing string of singles and splits in anticipation of his new solo album, and this newest single, Bro's, is the best yet.
An extended dose of Phil Spectorish wall of sound, Brill Building beats, layered and shifting vocal harmonies and a hint of Jim "Witchi Tai" Pepper's Native American jazz pop reverie. The B-side is a subdued remix by Terrestrial Tones that complements the single nicely!

PANDA BEAR I'm Not / Comfy In Nautica (Uunited Acoustic Recordings) cd ep 5.98
Now on cd, and mercifully cheaper than the pricey 7" version we already reviewed, as follows:
Oh panda bears, they're so peculiarly roly-poly, black and white. Wait a sec, one of these things is not like the others! This entity calls himself Panda Bear, but there is little if anything in common with those creatures. Well, they do have opposable thumbs. Perhaps he survives on a strict diet of bamboo shoots? Seems unlikely. Anyways, this music maker, also known as Noah Lennox, also known as one of the founders of Animal Collective, has followed up his fine solo album Young Prayer which came out last year with this two-song 7" record. Oh and we should add that he somehow also finds time to record under the moniker Jane (whose recent Coconuts cd we've been throughly enjoying) to boot. "I'm Not" and "Comfy In Nautica" are both definitely in a similar hazy vein as his Jane material -- psych, avant-folk, drones among other things are once again drawn together into his whirlpool of sound -- but perhaps there's a bit more of a pop influence that makes its way into the mix to very good effect. Fits nicely right between Jane and the most recent Animal Collective album Feels. This is also apparently on the cdep format but we haven't gotten those yet...
MPEG Stream: "I'm Not"
MPEG Stream: "Comfy In Nautica"

PANDA BEAR I'm Not / Comfy In Nautica (Uunited Acoustic Records) 7" 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Oh panda bears, they're so peculiarly roly-poly, black and white. Wait a sec, one of these things is not like the others! This entity calls himself Panda Bear, but there is little if anything in common with those creatures. Well, they do have opposable thumbs. Perhaps he survives on a strict diet of bamboo shoots? Seems unlikely. Anyways, this music maker, also known as Noah Lennox, also known as one of the founders of Animal Collective, has followed up his fine solo album Young Prayer which came out last year with this two-song 7" record. Oh and we should add that he somehow also finds time to record under the moniker Jane (whose recent Coconuts cd we've been throughly enjoying) to boot. "I'm Not" and "Comfy In Nautica" are both definitely in a similar hazy vein as his Jane material -- psych, avant-folk, drones among other things are once again drawn together into his whirlpool of sound -- but perhaps there's a bit more of a pop influence that makes its way into the mix to very good effect. Fits nicely right between Jane and the most recent Animal Collective album Feels. This is also apparently on the cdep format but we haven't gotten those yet...

PANDA BEAR Person Pitch (Paw Tracks) cd 14.98
This is one of those rare records that totally captures and captivates you the very first time you hear, and somehow you can already tell that it's most definitely going to be a part of your life for a long time to come. With its expansive sound and spot on use of repetition and irresistible melodies this is an album with so much charm and character, so much power and passion, that it's impossible not to get swept up in its sunbaked glaze.
Person Pitch arrived right around the first day of Spring and we immediately found ourselves basking in the sun dappled glory of this, the latest outing from Noah Lennox, who not only records as Panda Bear on his own, but also is a member of like minded sonic explorers Animal Collective and Jane. Brian Wilson and Beach Boys inspired records are old hat these days and in fact we've sort of begun to dread the singular vision and by rote re-creation of bands aping the colorful pop melodies that Wilson created. Sugary Beach Boys worship has grown so prevalent in the last several years, we were definitely bit skeptical when we started hearing about the very Beach Boys-esque new Panda Bear record. But what's so refreshing about Person Pitch is hearing someone finally dig deeper, discovering the more magical and glorious elements of the Brian Wilson/Beach Boys sound. Taking ideas and inspiration from the experimental and instrumental golden gem "Diamond Head" on the Friends album as well as creating gloriously high in the sky vocal melodies Lennox has found a way to mix oddity with conventional beauty and the results are divine. Stretching sound and using repetition to create a trance like state that makes you wanna close your eyes and rock your body back and forth or just space out and stare into space until you start really seeing stars.
We already know this will be the soundtrack to so many warm summer nights, spontaneous afternoon getaways, and car rides on the coast heading for the beach and getting lost in sand, sky and sun. So totally recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Bros"
MPEG Stream: "Good Girls/Carrots"
MPEG Stream: "Comfy In Nautica"

PANDA BEAR Person Pitch (Paw Tracks) lp 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! Here's what we said about the cd version:
This is one of those rare records that totally captures and captivates you the very first time you hear, and somehow you can already tell that it's most definitely going to be a part of your life for a long time to come. With its expansive sound and spot on use of repetition and irresistible melodies this is an album with so much charm and character, so much power and passion, that it's impossible not to get swept up in its sunbaked glaze.
Person Pitch arrived right around the first day of Spring and we immediately found ourselves basking in the sun dappled glory of this, the latest outing from Noah Lennox, who not only records as Panda Bear on his own, but also is a member of like minded sonic explorers Animal Collective and Jane. Brian Wilson and Beach Boys inspired records are old hat these days and in fact we've sort of begun to dread the singular vision and by rote re-creation of bands aping the colorful pop melodies that Wilson created. Sugary Beach Boys worship has grown so prevalent in the last several years, we were definitely bit skeptical when we started hearing about the very Beach Boys-esque new Panda Bear record. But what's so refreshing about Person Pitch is hearing someone finally dig deeper, discovering the more magical and glorious elements of the Brian Wilson/Beach Boys sound. Taking ideas and inspiration from the experimental and instrumental golden gem "Diamond Head" on the Friends album as well as creating gloriously high in the sky vocal melodies Lennox has found a way to mix oddity with conventional beauty and the results are divine. Stretching sound and using repetition to create a trance like state that makes you wanna close your eyes and rock your body back and forth or just space out and stare into space until you start really seeing stars.
We already know this will be the soundtrack to so many warm summer nights, spontaneous afternoon getaways, and car rides on the coast heading for the beach and getting lost in sand, sky and sun. So totally recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Bros"
MPEG Stream: "Good Girls/Carrots"
MPEG Stream: "Comfy In Nautica"

PANDA BEAR Surfers Hymn (Kompakt) 7" 10.98

PANDA BEAR Surfers RMX (Kompakt) 12" 14.98

PANDA BEAR Tomboy (Paw Tracks) cd 14.98
How do you follow up one of the most well received and influential albums of the last decade? Well if you're Panda Bear you just make another brilliant record that isn't afraid to veer from the formula of the previous album, the beloved Person Pitch, and create a new tapestry of trance inducing unrivaled pop bliss. While not as immediately catchy and in your face as Person Pitch, Tomboy displays a more nuanced and subtle approach to Panda Bear's production and songwriting, while still filled with such lush sound and so many golden hooks and dreamy melodies. There is almost a song cycle feeling to Tomboy, each song interconnected and unfurling with such a tranquil and hypnotic flow It's remarkable how Panda Bear is able to sing almost nonstop throughout this album, yet his voice really does still seem like another instrument, perfectly floating just above the sea of sound below, radiating a glowing sonic warmth throughout the album.
It would have been easy for Panda Bear to do another take at Beach Boys influenced psychedelia, and there is plenty of that still present, but we love how he took his time making this record and really created a new record with a new sound with its own singular vision. There are moments of course, that seem to follow in the considerable wake of Person Pitch, but there are so many new sounds and approaches which all serve to make Tomboy its own fantastic and hauntingly original beast, as potent and satisfying as his past glories. Maybe even moreso. So great!
MPEG Stream: "You Can Count On Me"
MPEG Stream: "Tomboy"
MPEG Stream: "Slow Motion"

PANDA BEAR Tomboy (Paw Tracks) lp 17.98
Also now in stock on vinyl!
How do you follow up one of the most well received and influential albums of the last decade? Well if you're Panda Bear you just make another brilliant record that isn't afraid to veer from the formula of the previous album, the beloved Person Pitch, and create a new tapestry of trance inducing unrivalled pop bliss. While not as immediately catchy and in your face as Person Pitch, Tomboy displays a more nuanced and subtle approach to Panda Bear's production and songwriting, while still filled with such lush sound and so many golden hooks and dreamy melodies. There is almost a song cycle feeling to Tomboy, each song interconnected and unfurling with such a tranquil and hypnotic flow . It's remarkable how Panda Bear is able to sing almost nonstop throughout this album yet his voice really does still seem like another instrument, perfectly floating just above the sea of sound below, radiating a glowing sonic warmth throughout the album.
It would have been easy for Panda Bear to do another take at Beach Boys influenced psychedelia, and there is plenty of that still present, but we love how he took his time making this record and really created a new record with a new sound with its own singular vision. There are moments of course, that seem to follow in the considerable wake of Person Pitch, but there are so many new sounds and approaches which all serve to make Tomboy its own fantastic and hauntingly original beast, as potent and satisfying as his past glories. Maybe even moreso. So great!
MPEG Stream: "You Can Count On Me"
MPEG Stream: "Tomboy"
MPEG Stream: "Slow Motion"

PANDA BEAR Young Prayer (Paw Tracks) cd 14.98
Who doesn't love a panda bear? This PB is of the rare musical breed also found to fraternize with the likes of the enigmatic Animal Collective and Avey Tare. Live, they're really something to experience with all improv-ing participants seemingly locked on the same wavelength (sorta like U.S. Maple, but not quite). Obviously on record, this astonishing psychic connection is much less apparent. Anyways, this is Panda Bear's solo album, but he was by no means all by his lonesome. Indeed, some of his Animal Collective brethren were close at hand. The proceedings were captured by Deakin and produced by Come Winter, both of the AC. Much of the loosely-strung, meandering avant folk deconstructions and psychedelic experimentations on Young Prayer seems randomly pieced together, but on closer scrutiny you will find some grasp of order. Very hushed, unadorned and introspective with mournful non-verbal vocals reaching out through the precarious acoustic guitar pluck 'n' strum foundations. Not for everyone, but fans of Animal Collective and co. will surely feel the mesmerizing allure of this Panda Bear.
MPEG Stream: "track 2"
MPEG Stream: "track 5"

PANDA BEAR Young Prayer (Paw Tracks) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Who doesn't love a panda bear? This PB is of the rare musical breed also found to fraternize with the likes of the enigmatic Animal Collective and Avey Tare. Live, they're really something to experience with all improv-ing participants seemingly locked on the same wavelength (sorta like U.S. Maple, but not quite). Obviously on record, this astonishing psychic connection is much less apparent. Anyways, this is Panda Bear's solo album, but he was by no means all by his lonesome. Indeed, some of his Animal Collective brethren were close at hand. The proceedings were captured by Deakin and produced by Come Winter, both of the AC. Much of the loosely-strung, meandering avant folk deconstructions and psychedelic experimentations on Young Prayer seems randomly pieced together, but on closer scrutiny you will find some grasp of order. Very hushed, unadorned and introspective with mournful non-verbal vocals reaching out through the precarious acoustic guitar pluck 'n' strum foundations. Not for everyone, but fans of Animal Collective and co. will surely feel the mesmerizing allure of this Panda Bear.
MPEG Stream: "track 2"
MPEG Stream: "track 5"

PANORAMA AFRO Afro Justice (Howling Bull) 7" 2.99
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This is probably the weirdest band on Howling Bull. Chaotic, off kilter hardcore, mixed with sloppy funk and all out Boredoms-ish weirdness.

PANSY DIVISION Wish I'd Taken Pictures (Lookout) cd 13.98

PANSY DIVISION Wish I'd Taken Pictures (Lookout) lp 9.98
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PANSY DIVISION W/ JELLO BIAFRA Average Men (Alternative Tentacles) 7" 5.98
We're actually surprised it's taken this long for Jello and Pansy Division to join forces, as they both have been some of the loudest, proudest and most subversive voices in rock n roll's underground for the last several decades. While of course Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys fame and head honcho of Alternative Tentacles has been around forever it made us feel a bit old to find out this release is in celebration of Pansy Division's 20th year of being a band. "Average Men" is the track with Biafra on vocals and it's a perfect match as the lyrics have the same kind of sarcastic and smart ass bite as so many of his classics. The song takes aim at those average dudes sitting at the counter of a bar or restaurant whose lives revolve around the junk food they eat, the bad beer they drink and the high class Hooters restaurant they salivate over. The 'b' side is without Jello and it finds Pansy Division covering an early track by their friends and former touring mates Green Day. Here's hoping Jello & Pansy Division crank out some more subversive pop together and continue to agitate those who need it for several more decades to come!

PANTALEIMON Cloudburst (Durtro Jnana) cd 10.98
Pantaleimon is the work of Andria Degens, who may be best known as the wife of David Tibet from Current 93; and she, like many of Tibet's friends and partners, has contributed on occasion to the Current 93 cause. It goes without saying that the Pantaleimon project shares plenty of Current 93's inspirations from British folk music; but where Tibet uses those musical archetypes as a medium for mystical revelation, Degens' approach is far more impressionistic and delicate. Given song titles such as "Crystalline Rain," "Ascension of the Sun," and the title track of this 20 minute EP, the splendor of nature springs from her elliptical guitar instrumentals that draw favorable comparisons to the likes of Marissa Nadler and Steven R. Smith.
MPEG Stream: "Cloudburst"
MPEG Stream: "Crystalline Rain"

PANTALEIMON Heart of the Sun (Durtro Jnana) cd 14.98
We loved Pantalimon's ep Cloudburst from last year but somehow we managed to miss the full length that followed Mercy Oceans. We will for sure make sure to try to track that down but for now on Heart of the Sun, we get to hear many of those songs retouched, reworked, remixed. The sparse, delicate hazy folk of Pantaleimon remixed? Don't worry there are no cheesy beats, awkward turntables or sloppy hands on any of these songs. In fact the first time we listened we had no idea that any of these songs were in fact remixes. Maybe it's because we hadn't heard any of these songs in their first incarnation. But wow, we were drawn in immediately. Andria Degens is making such beautiful and haunting music as Pantalimon that we almost hesitate to mention that she's married to David Tibet of Current 93, as her own music more then stands on its own. But if folks who haven't heard her before and are C93 fans check this out then the more ears that hear Pantaleimon the better!
While the sound is similar to the music of folks like Fursaxa, Grouper and Christina Carter, there is much more immediacy, focus and a connection to folk history in the songs of Pantaleimon. While less hazy then some of her peers there is a seemingly sonic mist hanging over her songs which stops you in your tracks. There is also a rustic quality in these stripped down songs that makes us think of Bridget St. John and Hala Strana recording a record together. Plenty of folks help out by adding sounds and ambience but all do so with much subtly and respect. Who knew Andrew W.K. could be so subtle, his tasteful keyboards are heard on the record's opener, and the list of other contributors/remixers reads like a who's who of the musical underground (Colin Potter, Andrew Lilies, Stephen O'Malley, Fovea Hex, Lilium, etc). Heart Of The Sun is becoming the record we listen to both early in the morning and then late at night as we surrender to sleep. So beautiful!
MPEG Stream: "The Sun Came Out (Dawn Porous)"
MPEG Stream: "Today For Shore"
MPEG Stream: "Under The Water (Iridescence)"
MPEG Stream: "Heart Of The Sun (Shimmering)"

PANTALEIMON Mercy Oceans (Dutro/Jnana) cd 14.98
No time like the present to catch up with the past. We missed the boat on Mercy Oceans when it first came out last year but last list you might remember that we couldn't stop gushing about the latest Pantaleimon record, Heart Of The Sun, which was actually comprised of reworked and retouched version of songs from this disc right here. We're happy to report that the songs in their original incarnation are just as stunning, stark and beautiful as the altered versions we fell in love with on Heart Of The Sun. Andri Degens has really made a place for herself far above and beyond so many of the modern folk herd. What makes Degens so special is the way she allows her songs to breathe and the great attention paid to creating such a rich and textured ambiance, which runs throughout the record. There are some really nice and tasteful guest spots by Baby Dee and Isobel Campbell and we can never get enough of Andri's stunning and breathtaking dulcimer. Her voice and delivery continues to remind us of two of our favorite artists, Bridget St John and Sibylle Baier and the songs on Mercy Oceans resonate with such dignity and beauty.
MPEG Stream: "The Sun Came Out"
MPEG Stream: "At Dawn"
MPEG Stream: "High Star"

PANTALEIMON Under The Water (Bluesanct) 7" 8.98

PANTHA DU PRINCE Black Noise (Rough Trade) lp 16.98
We first heard Pantha Du Prince last year on his excellent 12" The Splendour, and we knew we had most definitely discovered a new (to us!) important force in the word of electronica. With the release of his third full length, he seals the deal, demonstrating for sure, with every song, that he's absolutely one of the most interesting, nuanced and unique modern electronic musicians today.
Bringing such warmth and emotion to his meticulously crafted songs, we're reminded a bit of early Four Tet and the first Mum record. Delicate, and brimming with layers of warm shimmer. There are a couple tracks which feature guests, including Panda Bear on vocals for one track, but to be honest we don't think Pantha Du Prince really needs vocals at all, as his songs are already so expansive, so complete, immaculately constructed, and so so evocative, allowing the listener to process the sounds in a wide range of ways. The vocal tracks are definitely nice, and do add a bit of a pop element, but its the rest of the album that really strikes such a strong chord with us. We're always so impressed when someone is able to bring such rich nuance and mood to purely instrumental music (electronic or otherwise) and Pantha Du Prince does it so well. It's also appealing that there's really not a quick electronic sub-genre to put him in, it's not dubstep, space disco, techno, etc. In some ways it reminds us a bit of that special moment in the late '90s when folks like Four Tet, Mum, Opiate, B. Fleishmann first surfaced, adding that emotional warmth to an electronic world which had been so cold for so long. We've been listening to this on constant repeat and the more we listen the deeper we get into loving what Pantha Du Prince is all about. Definite contender for electronic record of the year!
MPEG Stream: "The Splendour"
MPEG Stream: "Im Bann"
MPEG Stream: "Behind The Stars"

PANTHA DU PRINCE Stick To My Side (Rough Trade) 12" 8.98

PANTHER Secret Lawns (Fryk Beat) cd 14.98
Weird rock alert! Young and a little wet behind the ears, on their debut album this Portland, OR band Panther seem to be channelling the cryptic, kaleidoscopic eccentricities of Mr. Bungle. High on creative and imaginative spirit, albeit somewhat less proficient and seamless than that sadly defunct SF juggernaut. Freaky and a bit cracked is their execution of proggy, loopy organ and electronic noodlings and mainman Charlie Salas-Humana's rollercoaster vocalizing that alternately brings to mind Mike Patton and TV On The Radio.
MPEG Stream: "Use Your Mouth Your Breath To Breath"
MPEG Stream: "You Don't Want Your Nails Done"

PANTHERS Are You Down?? (Troubleman Unlimited) cd 11.98
New York City's Panthers feature a couple of faces that you just might find familiar - namely Kip from The Red Scare and Justin from Turing Machine. Red-hot, charging rock assault that reminded me of any one of the numerous seminal post-punk outfits lead by Mr. Tonie Joy (Convocation Of, Moss Icon, or Born Against to name a few). Sinewy and angstful. The band's name/graphics suggest a Detroit Stooges/MC5 political rawk concept, but you sure wouldn't get that just from hearing 'em.
RealAudio clip: "Are You Down??"

PANTS YELL! Alison Statton (Soft Abuse) cd 14.98
Odd, the folks at the Soft Abuse call this "modern pop music", but to us it sound totally like late '80s/early '90s breezy indie pop. Ah, everything old is new again! Heck, the album title sums it up well. Alison Statton was the singer for aQ fave seminal post-punk-popsters Young Marble Giants. She's the gal with the sweetly unassuming, unadorned not always pitch-perfect voice. Other appropriate touchstones include Galaxie 500, Orange Juice, Belle And Sebastian circa Tigermilk or Aislers Set (or the softer Wyatt Cusick side of Trackstar). Despite their whimsical exclamation of a band name, their music doesn't make any sudden moves or dial up the volume knob. Nope, this is yummy strummy jangle pep.
MPEG Stream: "More Purple"
MPEG Stream: "Magenta And Green"

PANTS, JAMES I Live Inside An Egg (Stones Throw) 7" 8.98
4 tracks of sci-fi chill-funk weirdness in the same vein as his latest full length, Seven Seals.

PANTS, JAMES s/t (Stones Throw) cd 15.98
James Pants last record, Seven Seals was a favorite for some of us here and while we thought he was going to venture into some far-off new territory with this follow-up full length, we were pleasantly surprised, though a bit perplexed, that he didn't. The songs still ride the gloomy new wave funk of Seven Seals, but it comes across as something you'd hear from the Captured Tracks label more than a Stones Throw release. The feel is less cosmically thematic and instead concentrates on truly well-crafted songs and catchy pop hooks among the murky lo-fi synth filtration. He has mentioned in interviews that he was inspired by Twin Peaks and '50s diner sounds, and there is definitely a creepy retro edge to even the most poppy songs, with elements of dubby ambiance and occasionally ethereal vocals provided by Lucrecia Dalt. But the more we listen to this, the more we're liking it even more than the last record. Its haunting pop-funk transmissions take time to weave their spell, but once transfixed, it's hard to pull away!
MPEG Stream: "Beta"
MPEG Stream: "Every Night I Dream"
MPEG Stream: "Screams Of Passion"
MPEG Stream: "Incantation"

PANTS, JAMES Seven Seals (Stones Throw) cd 15.98
It's apparent from Seven Seals that James Pants is one artist that does not want be pigeonholed. We already got a glimpse into his all-but-the-kitchen-sink approach towards cosmic funk on his Stones Throw debut, Welcome. But on Seven Seals, he takes us to a whole other universe, one where Vangelis gets high with Bauhaus and George Clinton while listening to Hawkwind. Seriously! And the weird thing is that it shouldn't work but it does! Pants is definitely exploring the gothier sides of new wave here with deep dour vocals but with an eye towards a dark retro-futurism and cosmic pop turbulence in the synth and rhythm treatments. Imagine Dam-Funk, Cold Cave and Neon Indian mashed together and broadcast out to a desolate planet where the atmosphere is really heavy and everything is silver, streamlined and egg-shaped and on the verge of being blown apart by cosmic forces. This is their soundtrack.
MPEG Stream: "A Chip In The Hand"
MPEG Stream: "Wormhole"
MPEG Stream: "Sky Warning"