PARTNERSHIPS Double Love Suicide (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.

PARTON, DOLLY Those Were The Days (Sugar Hill) cd 17.98
We were thinkin' about Ms Dolly the other day, and how much we love her The Grass Is Green album and admire her spirit. Much like Charo, she's often described (or dismissed) as cartoonish and ahem, larger than life (heck, there's no question that they're both fully aware of this fact, and ahem, maximize it!). And also much like Charo, she's got indisputable chops. Hmmm, we will give the edge to Ms Dolly though 'cause she's got Dollywood! She just keeps kickin' butt year after year and keeps ya guessin'. Here she sings the oldies -- so many dear songs that we recall from our childhood! And she's invited the original singers to join her. A sweet, moving concept, lovingly realized.
MPEG Stream: "Those Were The Days"
MPEG Stream: "Both Sides Now"

PARTS OF SPEECH Collider (self-released) cd 11.98

PARTY OF HELICOPTERS Mt. Forever (Troubleman Unlimited) cd 10.98
This band is supposed to sound like a combination of My Bloody Valentine and Iron Maiden. Intriguing, no? But, while I can hear the MBV (the vocals), and the Maiden (it's not entirely hype; one track at least really does seem to cop some licks from Maiden circa "Killers"), there's also a more ordinary pop punk sound at play here. No offense meant, but the combo of MBV, Iron Maiden, and J-Church is a wee bit less intriguing than just the former two. Definitely ok emo-punk-whatever with some math rock slightly metallic leanings, for folks who find the Champs too hard and want somebody singing about something...is that too mean? This WAS enjoyable, but perhaps a little let down by their own hype.

PARTY OF HELICOPTERS Please Believe It (Velocette) cd 10.98
With this, the post-rock pop band Party of Helicopters' third album, some of us here at AQ can be considered fans for sure, as we've gotten more and more into 'em over their last couple releases. The original hype line on 'em -- My Bloody Valentine meets Iron Maiden -- was just too good to be true, and the inevitable disappointment took its toll. But we must admit, there is a kernel of truth to that description... These Ohio boys play a sort of emo/punk/pop hybrid with twisty guitar lines, hints of classic metal riffing, noisy shoegazer textures, and Pixies-ish catchiness. Musically their powerful guitars are mathy and a bit metally, kinda like post-hardcore outits The Great Unravelling and Universal Order Of Armaggedon, but with different, higher, breathy, near falsetto vocals. Not higher in an '80s metal way, though, it's more like you could imagine the vocals emanating from a tiny, precious perfumed box with a sensitive boy singer inside. We're reminded a bit of some San Diego bands -- the pop vocal arrangements of Rob Crow's Heavy Vegetable with the muscle and sinew of Drive Like Jehu's guitars, and the complexity of both bands. Very cool.
MPEG Stream: "The Good Punk"
MPEG Stream: "Cover Me"

PARTY OF HELICOPTERS, THE Space... And How Sweet It Was (Troubleman Unlimited) 2cd 14.98
The Party Of Helicopters bring you emo at its most intense. The first disc of their double whammy reminded me quite a bit of the awesome, early '90s Pacific Northwest group who called themselves Treepeople (Doug Martsch's band prior to Built To Spill). Blending aggressive, angstful male vocals with some pretty catchy, twisting guitar licks. The second disc offers up a trippy, ten minute long opening track with a wall of guitar washes that brings their occasional comparisons to My Bloody Valentine much more into focus. Layer upon layer of cyclical vocals over rounds of edgy, driving guitar riffs. An impressive sequel to their debut two years ago, Mt. Forever.
RealAudio clip: "Crawling"
RealAudio clip: "The Conquering"

PARTYLINE Girls With Glasses (Retard Disco) cd ep 8.98
Uhh, is the name of the record label telling us sumthin'? Dunno, but one thing's for sure, the hyperactive, prolific gal Allison Wolfe just can't sit still. She's got so many musical projects past and present, it's hard to keep track of 'em all -- Bratmobile, Cold Cold Hearts, Deep Lust, Da Hawney Troof, and the list goes on! Not to mention that they're usually three-piecers. Her bands have all been dead set on raisin' the indie grrrrl roof. So it comes as no surprise that her latest outing Partyline continues to stir up a raucous garage rawk racket. Musicianship and finesse be damned! Such is the case with their debut EP Girls With Glasses and its half dozen super lo-fi, rudimentary bashed out on guitar, bass and drums tunes.
MPEG Stream: "Unsafe At Any Speed"
MPEG Stream: "Nuthaus"

PASCAL Hello My Name Is (Uvulittle) cd 9.98
About a couple of years ago, a cd-r was dropped off here at Aquarius for consignment consideration. We liked what we heard and swiftly emailed the mysterious Pascal to bring us a bunch. Alas, there was no response. But just the other day, who should walk though our door? Pascal... with a completed cd in hand! Seems he wanted to make sure everything was just right. So at long last, we now have the elusive album in stock with a full digipak. The music is just as we recall - raw acoustic folk songs with reverb-y highly emotive vocals, ramshackle percussion, and strummy guitars. At times his top-of-his-lungs delivery is strikingly similar to that of AQ fave Jeff Mangum. To be frank, some customers and staffers even found the resemblance a bit unsettling. Nevertheless, Pascal has his own stories to tell/sing. Check out the lovely "You'll Pick My Name". Lend him your ear!
RealAudio clip: "Mr. Jenkins"
RealAudio clip: "You'll Pick My Name"

PASSION PIT Little Secrets (Columbia) 7" 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

PASSION PIT Manners (French Kiss) cd 12.98
The kids are going crazy for this band. Check it out and see if you believe the hype...
MPEG Stream: "Little Secrets"
MPEG Stream: "Let Your Love Grow Tall"

PASSIONISTAS, THE God's Boat (New & Used Records) cd 12.98
A big sticker on the shrinkwrap announces that this cd was produced by Kelley Stoltz! But keep in mind though that doesn't mean The Passionistas' music is gonna sound like Kelley's. Nope, their debut album God's Boat falls into the quirky indie rock barrel of monkeys that recalls late '80s early 90s college rock. Y'know, the kind that wore dress ties with t-shirts. We might even guess that the vocals were being sung by Brak (y'know, of Space Ghost Coast To Coast)! Is that a good or bad thing? You decide! The Passionistas' loopy, light-hearted playfulness also finds its way into the album artwork which features American flag killer whales and a kimono wearing band member (the other two members opted for the more traditional indie rock hoodie and torn jeans ensemble). Loose, laidback and chock full of nuts. 15 songs in all.
MPEG Stream: "God's Boat"
MPEG Stream: "Silver Spurs"

PASSIONISTAS, THE / HARD PLACE split (World Famous In SF) 7" 7.98
The Passionistas have been gaining some well deserved attention here in SF with their super catchy and colorful pop hooks, dipping their musical toes into both power pop and glam, providing the missing link between Big Star and Sparks. Speaking of Sparks, Hard Place open their side of this split with a very Sparks influenced and triumphant sounding pop nugget. There's a very early '80s larger-than-life, arena-ready aesthetic to their sound, yet it's delivered with such earnest spirit. We suspect there is some Van Halen, Andrew W.K. and maybe even a Jefferson Starship record in their collections. We lean a little towards The Passionistas on this split, but pop enthusiasts will find lots to like on both sides of this little piece of wax.

PASTELS Illuminati (Up) cd 13.98
The beloved Scottish pop band gets the star remix treatment from My Bloody Valentine (who contribute 2 tracks), Stereolab, Mouse on Mars, Kid Loco, Cornelius, Third Eye Foundation, Make*Up, Jim O'Rourke, To Rococo Rot, John McEntire of Tortoise, etc. It's an uneven collection that's much more mellow and minimalist than we had anticipated for a tribute to such a rockin' twee group, but still good listening.

PASTELS The Last Great Wilderness (Geographic) cd 12.98
This is indeed a new Pastels album, but it's almost unrecognizably so! That might be due to the fact that it is a soundtrack for the film The Last Great Wilderness. Truly, most of the music here more closely resemble that of any number of jazzy post-rock, and yes, soundtrack-composing combos from Chicago. muted horns, delicate chimes, vocal sighs, subdued bass, plucked guitar notes. This is the case up until the sixth song. That's because the song in question is these earnest, lo-fi Scots' previously released cover of Sly And The Family Stone's "Everybody Is A Star" with dear Katrina singing ever so sweetly. The only other vocal song is the saucy closing number "I Picked A Flower" by The Nu Forest who are in fact the Pastels fronted by the fabulous Jarvis Cocker of Pulp in his ultra-swank croon mode. Film unseen, this does make for a lovely bliss-out listening experience though not necessarily a distinctly Pastels' one.
MPEG Stream: "Dark Vincente"
MPEG Stream: "I Picked A Flower"

PASTELS Yoga (Up) cd ep 7.98
Scottish pop simply doesn't get much softer and twee. On this lil' EP they cover Some Velvet Sidewalk's "Boardwalkin", offer two versions of "Yoga" (one is the album version from Mobile Safari) and and additional track called "Winter Olympic Glory" which I found to be the highlight of this release. Dreamy!

PASTELS / TENNISCOATS Two Sunsets (Geographic / Domino) cd 14.98
If you're looking to get to dreamboat island there really is no better way than to go with the Pastels & Tenniscoats as your dreamy and breezy ship captains. We're not sure how Glasgow legends Pastels and Tokyo's Tenniscoats linked up but it makes complete perfect sense as they each have perfected soft and soothing twee escapades like no one else. Pastels have been around the block, beginning in the 1980's where they helped usher in a new refreshing sound that would influence folks across the globe and plant the seeds for labels like K records. Tenniscoats have been around for the last few years and ever since we heard their pastoral and blissful take on hushed pop we became big fans. Our love of them only increased when their singer Saya performed at an instore here at AQ with Satomi of Deerhoof in their side project OneOne. This is truly a collaborative effort with members from both bands playing on every track and vocals trade off quite nicely and equally between each group, but all together the sounds of each band mesh with each other so well and with such ease that nothing feels forced about the combination of these two groups. So perfect that the artwork inside features a picture of the groups together sitting on such lush green grass, as we always want to be laying in some scenic peaceful park starring into the sky when we hear the dreamy sounds these groups create. Dreamboat island, we have arrived!
MPEG Stream: "Two Sunsets"
MPEG Stream: "Boats"
MPEG Stream: "Tokyo Glasgow"

PASTELS / TENNISCOATS Two Sunsets (Geographic / Domino) lp 22.00
Now on Vinyl!
If you're looking to get to dreamboat island there really is no better way than to go with the Pastels & Tenniscoats as your dreamy and breezy ship captains. We're not sure how Glasgow legends Pastels and Tokyo's Tenniscoats linked up but it makes complete perfect sense as they each have perfected soft and soothing twee escapades like no one else. Pastels have been around the block, beginning in the 1980's where they helped usher in a new refreshing sound that would influence folks across the globe and plant the seeds for labels like K records. Tenniscoats have been around for the last few years and ever since we heard their pastoral and blissful take on hushed pop we became big fans. Our love of them only increased when their singer Saya performed at an instore here at AQ with Satomi of Deerhoof in their side project OneOne. This is truly a collaborative effort with members from both bands playing on every track and vocals trade off quite nicely and equally between each group, but all together the sounds of each band mesh with each other so well and with such ease that nothing feels forced about the combination of these two groups. So perfect that the artwork inside features a picture of the groups together sitting on such lush green grass, as we always want to be laying in some scenic peaceful park starring into the sky when we hear the dreamy sounds these groups create. Dreamboat island, we have arrived!
MPEG Stream: "Two Sunsets"
MPEG Stream: "Boats"
MPEG Stream: "Tokyo Glasgow"

PASTELS, THE Truckload Of Trouble (Fire) cd 15.98
Time for Pastels fans to rejoice 'cause this wonderful compilation has been freshly repressed! Originally released back in 2007, Truckload Of Trouble collects a heap of these beloved Scottish popsters' singles which were released on Fire Records circa 1986 through 1993. Following on the heels of The Vaselines' Enter The Vaselines reissue, this is indeed a welcome resurfacing of another immensely influential UK indie twee band's music (as a matter of fact, The Vaselines' Eugene Kelly even joined The Pastels fold for a spell!). Sure, the playing chops and singing pitch of these early purveyors of lo-fi might've been somewhat rough-hewn and wobbly through the years, but their melodic hooks were consistently engaging, and their bittersweet lyrics utterly heartfelt. There was a delightful immediacy, an earnest yet wry humor and an abundance of puppy dog exuberance that always shone through. Theirs were the songs of cardigans and crushes which when strung together fashioned the sweetest, ramshackle, jingle-jangle twee pop daydreams! Their cover of Michael Nesmith's "Different Drum" is still one of Cup's favoritest songs for a rainy day. Other blithe standouts include the supremely singalong-able "Nothing To Be Done" and Daniel Johnston's "Speeding Motorcycle" later covered again by their early tourmates Yo La Tengo. You really can trace the sound of so many of our favorite bands back to the inspiration of The Pastels. From Belle & Sebastian, Henry's Dress, Black Tambourine, Camera Obscura, The Concretes, Sebadoh, Pavement, Seam, Jesus & Mary Chain, Dean Wareham (Luna, Galaxie 500, et al), Amelia Fletcher (Heavenly, Talulah Gosh, Marine Research, Tender Trap, et al) and on and on. Beyond the legendary impact their music has had, these songs still sound so damn great all these years later.
MPEG Stream: "Nothing To Be Done"
MPEG Stream: "Different Drum"
MPEG Stream: "Speeding Motorcycle"
MPEG Stream: "Comin' Through"

PASTELS, THE Up For A Bit With The Pastels (Fire Records) lp 16.98

PATAPHONIE Le Matin Blanc (Gazul/Musea) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Some heavy, mostly instrumental French prog-rock from '78, newly reissued. A generally spooky atmosphere with moments of prettiness, with influences ranging from jazz to classical to (of course!) fellow French jazz-classical progsters Magma... This reissue includes over thirty minutes of live material. Not up there with Magma, Heldon, or Shub Niggurath, but still some second-tier stuff worth checking out for fans of that genre/scene.

PATERNOSTER s/t (Green Tree) cd 16.98
This has been a longtime favorite around these parts but was always impossible to keep in stock. So finally we get a chance to relist it for everybody who may have blinked and missed it the first time around. Now reissued in a spiffy digipak and at a significantly lower price!
One of the saddest records ever made. Prime krautrock (from Austria), circa 1972, what goths would have listened too had there been goths back then. Complete with full-blown psychedelic guitar freakouts, coupled with somber church-like organ and a vocalist who sounds on the verge of tears throughout the album. Oh so sad. Here's the lyrics from their song "Blind Children": 'Rotten eyeballs feet between/Hanging down the cheese machine/Hew it strew it do it too/Say it slay it just to do/Try to call yourself on the phone/Surely you are not at home/Sweep the swept floor once again/Stab yourself and feel the pain/Then stand and watch the speed/Clean your eyeballs wash your feet/Listen and repeat'. Or from "Stop These Lines": 'Morning peace dusty air/Clean your teeth comb your hair/Dressed in clothes you always wear/Go to work I won't be there/Lunchtime snackbar eating chips/Ketchup's running down your lips/Deadeyed waiters selling bibs/Which you have to fix with clips/Sitting waiting find an end/Meaningless with no comment/Is this life in your own hand/People are like grains of sand/Pick up streets and pull down skylines/Ravish women blast the mines/Burn the whiskies spill the wines/Find beginnings stop these lines'.
A most melancholic, wonderful record, and it's too bad that it's the sort of thing usually relegated to the prog/psych collectors' corner (y'know, because of the distribution and press that this sort of reissue gets). More people (people without ponytails and huge record collections) should get to hear this. So, even though it's not a really new reissue at all, we ordered a bunch to turn people on to. It's an odd, but excellent, hidden treasure!
MPEG Stream: "Realization"
MPEG Stream: "Stop These Lines"
MPEG Stream: "Blind Children"
MPEG Stream: "The Pope Is Wrong"

PATRON SAINTS, THE Fohhoh Bohob (Time-Lag) cd 18.98

PATRON SAINTS, THE Fohhoh Bohob (Time-Lag) lp+7" 20.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**
We've found a couple copies of Time-Lag's fancy vinyl reissue of this obscure private press psych pop record, recorded by some teenage weirdos in 1969. VERY underground and DIY, quite charming in that regard.

PATTERN, THE Immediately (Lookout) cd ep 7.98
Trashy retro-rock guitars back up former PeeChees vocalist and Lookout! Records' wheeler'n'dealer Chris Applegren's trademark bratty boy nasal howling. Live, they're a lively flailing rock'n'roll party, but on record they've yet to capture that energy. Instead they come across as a rather anemic teen garage channelling of the motor city's finest. While their live shows undoubtedly win them new fans wherever they go, it's open to question whether their records do likewise. Time to revisit the originals, MC5 and the Stooges, who took care of business so thoroughly over thirty years ago.
RealAudio clip: "Breakfast"

PATTERN, THE Real Feelness (Lookout) cd 14.98
In the year of the Strokes and the Vines and the Hives, here is our own local 'where the hell did they come from' wonders. They played the Reading festival, are huge in Europe and are on the lips of all in the hipster retro know. They have that 70's New York / Detroit sleaze rock sound, with the snotty vocals and the relatively rad guitar sound. Apparently influenced by Richard Hell, The Stooges etc. but with a soul flare. All veterans of rock, coming from the likes of The Peechees (vocalist Christopher), Heart of Snow (drummer Scott), Saint James Infirmary (guitarist Jason), Nuisance (guitarist Andy) and The Cuts. Cool.
RealAudio clip: "Fragile Awareness"
RealAudio clip: "Nothing Of Value"

PATTERSON, ARCHIE Eurock: European Rock And The Second Culture (Eurock Publications) book 45.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This, my friends, is a not a book, but a tome. Over 700 pages, collecting together almost every important piece of writing that appeared in Archie Patterson's Eurock 'zine during its existence from 1973 to 1990, and more. Eurock magazine was all about prog / psych / krautrock / space rock / electronic stuff (in later years, entering into New Age territory to be sure), not just from Europe actually but from around the world. The earlier material is particularily cool 'cause Eurock's coverage of bands like Amon Duul and Can is like reading a current magazine's stuff about Godspeed You Black Emperor! or Acid Mothers Temple...it puts things then and now into perspective. There's tons of obscure lore in here to uncover -- paging through at random I found articles about Ash Ra Tempel and Area, a piece on '70s Yugoslavian rock, a recent interview with Magma's Christian Vander, a review of a 1980 Rock In Opposition festival, and even an interview with our favorite '70s Italian prog band Osanna! In addition, as a special bonus, this book includes a seven-page appreciation of Amon Duul written in 1971 (for Creem magazine) by famous rock crit Lester Bangs, that I for one have always wanted to read. Basically, this book, I mean, tome, is highly recommended to all weird kraut / psych / prog music fiends!
NB: All of this and more (excepting some new pieces and the Bangs article), I believe, is also to be found on the still-available Eurock cd-rom production "Golden Age" that we reviewed on AQ list #105 -- but we have to say that the book format is far superior for reading and browsing, though of course it lacks the multi-media content etc. I'd pick this up a lot more often than I'd pop the cd-rom into my Mac.

PATTON, MIKE A Perfect Place (Ipecac) cd 16.98

PATTON, MIKE Mondo Cane (Ipecac) cd 16.98
As with most projects endowed with Mike Patton's presence (both past and present: Fantomas, Peeping Tom, Tomahawk, Lovage, Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, etc), the production on his latest solo release is absolutely stellar, but also unexpectedly playful and fun! Mondo Cane is a delirious romp through Italian pop music of decades long past. Of course, Patton's vocal acrobatics need no introduction - his ability to leap from silken dinner jacket croon to belching guttural aggression to high pitched histrionic extremities is well documented and arguably unrivalled by any contemporary artist. Here his pipes are in top form. Fluent in Italian, Patton effortlessly and gleefully leaps head first into Italo-pop of the '40s, '50s and '60s, making stops in suave lounge, bold operatics, orchestral opulence, and beyond. Our ears were particularly tickled pink by his rendition of "Deep Down" from Mario Bava's campy psychedelic thriller Danger Diabolik. Debonair, audacious, and wildly entertaining!
MPEG Stream: "Deep Down"
MPEG Stream: "Urlo Negro"

PAUL NEWMAN Machine Is Not Broken (My Pal God) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
After a couple of Trance Syndicate releases, Paul Newman (the band whose bassist's name is also Paul Newman) follows the humid instrumental post-rock done Texas style from Winsdor For The Derby or Bedhead.

PAUL NEWMAN Re-Issue (My Pal God) cd 12.98

PAUL NEWMAN This Is How It Is Lost (Emperor Jones) cd 13.98

PAVEMENT Brighten The Corners (Matador) cd 10.98
We wasted much time rolling round the floor laughing at Cory Brown's Pavement 'review', that we thought we'd get some use out if it by reprinting here: "Well, there was this one Lollapalooza show we did, I think it was the middle of the tour, and Bob was getting out of control, as he tends to do. He just started going off, dancing crazily around the stage yelling 'Cacahuate!' Which means peanut in Mexican. Then he got pissed that the kids were moshing to 'Cut Your Hair' for, like, the umpteenth time, so he decided to moon the audience. Just then, some kid threw a tangerine at the stage and it got caught right between his cheeks. That was cool."

PAVEMENT Brighten The Corners (Matador) lp 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We wasted much time rolling round the floor laughing at Cory Brown's Pavement 'review', that we thought we'd get some use out if it by reprinting here: "Well, there was this one Lollapalooza show we did, I think it was the middle of the tour, and Bob was getting out of control, as he tends to do. He just started going off, dancing crazily around the stage yelling 'Cacahuate!' Which means peanut in Mexican. Then he got pissed that the kids were moshing to 'Cut Your Hair' for, like, the umpteenth time, so he decided to moon the audience. Just then, some kid threw a tangerine at the stage and it got caught right between his cheeks. That was cool."

PAVEMENT Brighten The Corners: Nicene Creedence Ed. (Matador) 2cd 15.98
By the time we reached Pavement's Brighten The Corners, the band had ceased being a fucked up lo-fi noise drenched fractured pop underground phenom, and had transformed into something much more respectable. They embodied nineties college rock, they were most definitely indie rock darlings big time. But to be fair, with what sounded like a bid for commercial success, the band did manage to retain plenty of their snarky humor, and the hooks and catchiness that used to be buried under sheets of white noise or recorded from within a tin can on a dictaphone, are now on display for all to see, the sound lush and thick and polished and rocking and heck, it suits them. The opening one two punch of "Stereo" and "Shady Lane" is pretty tough to beat. "Stereo" with it's crunchy guitar, and goofy lyrics about Geddy Lee, and Shady Lane, with it's lilting sing songy main melody, and that super simple guitar line that is more catchy than you might thing at first. And a gorgeously, slightly atonal chorus seals the deal. Fuck it, by this time, we had made peace with the fact that the band would never make another Westing or Slanted, and all that was left to do was to luxuriate in Pavement's twisted crafty pop genius, and so we did. And so we are again. Pop music has definitely changed a lot in the last decade, so it's refreshing to hear this stuff again, and it's comforting to realize just how great it still sounds. The record proper is peppered with some weirdness, some fractured production, some strange druggy jams, some sung spoken Velvets style jams, but those are all part and parcel of Pavement's weird lovable pop universe.
As with past deluxe reissues, Brighten gets all the bells and whistles, a gorgeous digipak, housed in a fancy diecut slipcover, a HUGE booklet with essays and liner notes and track info and tons of photos, and of course, a shitload of B-sides and unreleased tracks, a whole extra disc in fact, including some BBC sessions, a Clean cover (!), some live tracks, live on the radio performances, the aforementioned multitude of B-sides and two versions of the Space Ghost Theme!!!
MPEG Stream: "Stereo"
MPEG Stream: "Shady Lane / J Vs. S"
MPEG Stream: "Transport Is Arranged"
MPEG Stream: "Date w/ IKEA"

PAVEMENT Brighten The Corners: Nicene Creedence Ed. (Matador) 4lp 60.00
Now available on vinyl, a limited edition 4lp set, that includes EIGHT tracks not on the deluxe cd reissue, 5 of which are completely unreleased, ONE of which is NEVER-BEFORE-HEARD!! Also includes a full size 16 page booklet. Pricey but super badass!!
By the time we reached Pavement's Brighten The Corners, the band had ceased being a fucked up lo-fi noise drenched fractured pop underground phenom, and had transformed into something much more respectable. They embodied nineties college rock, they were most definitely indie rock darlings big time. But to be fair, with what sounded like a bid for commercial success, the band did manage to retain plenty of their snarky humor, and the hooks and catchiness that used to be buried under sheets of white noise or recorded from within a tin can on a dictaphone, are now on display for all to see, the sound lush and thick and polished and rocking and heck, it suits them. The opening one two punch of "Stereo" and "Shady Lane" is pretty tough to beat. "Stereo" with it's crunchy guitar, and goofy lyrics about Geddy Lee, and Shady Lane, with it's lilting sing songy main melody, and that super simple guitar line that is more catchy than you might thing at first. And a gorgeously, slightly atonal chorus seals the deal. Fuck it, by this time, we had made peace with the fact that the band would never make another Westing or Slanted, and all that was left to do was to luxuriate in Pavement's twisted crafty pop genius, and so we did. And so we are again. Pop music has definitely changed a lot in the last decade, so it's refreshing to hear this stuff again, and it's comforting to realize just how great it still sounds. The record proper is peppered with some weirdness, some fractured production, some strange druggy jams, some sung spoken Velvets style jams, but those are all part and parcel of Pavement's weird lovable pop universe.
As with past deluxe reissues, Brighten gets all the bells and whistles, a gorgeous ultra deluxe gatefold, a huge booklet with essays and liner notes and track info and tons of photos, and of course, a shitload of B-sides and unreleased tracks, including some BBC sessions, a Clean cover (!), some live tracks, live on the radio performances, the aforementioned multitude of B-sides and two versions of the Space Ghost Theme!!!
MPEG Stream: "Stereo"
MPEG Stream: "Shady Lane / J Vs. S"
MPEG Stream: "Transport Is Arranged"
MPEG Stream: "Date w/ IKEA"

PAVEMENT Crooked Rain Crooked Rain (Matador) 2cd 15.98
It's kind of sad when we hear stuff played to death, no matter how good it is, we find ourselves never wanting to hear it again. That's definitely the curse of commercial radio. I mean, can you imagine if you had never heard Led Zeppelin, or AC/DC or even "Freebird". How totally psyched you'd be. You would have your ass kicked on a daily basis. The same sort of thing happened with nineties indie rock. It was a time unmatched since, with band after band crafting perfect, clever jangly pop songs, but after a while, all it would have taken was hearing "Cut Your Hair" one more time to drive us into a psychotic rage. But given a little distance, and then given the chance to revisit arguably one of the finest moments in indie rock, one can't help but be blown away once again. Westing By Musket And Sextant may have been Pavement's experimental artrock masterpiece, and Slanted And Enchanted was THE ONE, the record that launched whatever you want to call it, indie rock, nineties college rock, slacker rock. But we all know that Crooked Rain was their finest moment. Where their sloppy chaotic need-to-annoy roots perfectly meshed with brilliant song writing, clever and witty lyrics and perect pop instrumentation. Lo-fi only in attitude, Crooked Rain was a solid 10. A perfect indie pop masterpiece. Shambolic and always on the verge of collapse but still so utterly without equal. No filler to be found. Or if there was filler, it was so good that you couldn't imagine the record without it. And then of course there was "Cut Your Hair", maybe the best indie rock song ever, with it's ridiculously catchy melody, ooh ooh vocals and snarky Stone Temple Pilots bashing lyrics.
So here we are ten years later and you know what? It's just as good as you remember. And the icing on the double cd reissue cake is nine single b-sides, two compilation tracks including Andee's favorite Pavement song ever "Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence", a sort-of heartfelt ode to R.E.M. featuring the unforgettably funny (but right on) refrain: "TIME AFTER TIME WAS MY LEAST FAVORITE SONG!!" and a whole frickin' disc of unreleased tracks recorded during the Crooked Rain sessions. Twenty one new (to us at least) tracks plus a Peel session (R.I.P. John Peel) from 1994.
So do yourself a favor and pick this up, and maybe also Guided By Voices' Bee Thousand and revisit indie rock's golden years and come to the somewhat shocking realisation, much like we did, that nothing has even come close since then.
MPEG Stream: "Silence Kit"
MPEG Stream: "Elevate Me Later"
MPEG Stream: "Stop Breathin'"
MPEG Stream: "Unfair"
MPEG Stream: "Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence"

PAVEMENT Live Europaturnen MCMXCVII (Record Store Day) (Matador) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

PAVEMENT Major League (Matador) cd 4.98
Hey Stephen, do you remember when you didn't take your indie rock super stardom for granted? When you liked Beefheart? What the fuck happened? Why do you have to write such crappy adult contemporary rock songs now?

PAVEMENT Quarantine The Past (Matador) cd 11.98
Is there really any need for a Pavement greatest hits? Maybe not. But listening to this again, we are definitely reminded of just how fucking great these guys were, and how incredible these songs are. Most of us have all their records and thus all these songs, but for the uninitiated, we really can't imagine how blown away someone would be hearing all these songs for the first time AT ONCE. Probably be too much. So many stone cold indie rock classics, even the weaker tracks are still miles above most other indie rock. And the gems, the 'hits', still untouchable.
Songs spanning the groups entire career, including some compilation tracks including what might be our favorite Pavement track ever, "Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence", from the No Alternative comp, a fractured, gnarled weirdo pop gem, with plenty of that Pavement style namedropping, mostly about R.E.M., featuring a classic sort-of-chorus: a howled "'Time After Time' was my least favorite song", and a totally tripped out buzzing synth, clattery, spoken word outro. Plus there's "Summer Babe", still the defining Pavement jam for most of us. As is "Trigger Cut". And of course there's "Cut Your Hair" and "Range Life" and well, we could go on and on...
Needless to say, if you were just looking for a killer Pavement mixtape, then this will totally hit the spot, and if you've somehow never heard Pavement, or only heard one or two of their later records, then hell, this should definitely set you straight, and while it might be unnecessary, we can tell you that around here we've been playing the shit out of this, which pretty much says it all.
MPEG Stream: "Gold Soundz"
MPEG Stream: "Cut Your Hair"
MPEG Stream: "Shady Lane / J Vs. S"
MPEG Stream: "Summer Babe (Winter Version)"
MPEG Stream: "Box Elder"
MPEG Stream: "Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence"

PAVEMENT Quarantine The Past (Matador) lp 15.98
Is there really any need for a Pavement greatest hits? Maybe not. But listening to this again, we are definitely reminded of just how fucking great these guys were, and how incredible these songs are. Most of us have all their records and thus all these songs, but for the uninitiated, we really can't imagine how blown away someone would be hearing all these songs for the first time AT ONCE. Probably be too much. So many stone cold indie rock classics, even the weaker tracks are still miles above most other indie rock. And the gems, the 'hits', still untouchable.
Songs spanning the groups entire career, including some compilation tracks including what might be our favorite Pavement track ever, "Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence", from the No Alternative comp, a fractured, gnarled weirdo pop gem, with plenty of that Pavement style namedropping, mostly about R.E.M., featuring a classic sort-of-chorus: a howled "'Time After Time' was my least favorite song", and a totally tripped out buzzing synth, clattery, spoken word outro. Plus there's "Summer Babe", still the defining Pavement jam for most of us. As is "Trigger Cut". And of course there's "Cut Your Hair" and "Range Life" and well, we could go on and on...
Needless to say, if you were just looking for a killer Pavement mixtape, then this will totally hit the spot, and if you've somehow never heard Pavement, or only heard one or two of their later records, then hell, this should definitely set you straight, and while it might be unnecessary, we can tell you that around here we've been playing the shit out of this, which pretty much says it all.
MPEG Stream: "Gold Soundz"
MPEG Stream: "Cut Your Hair"
MPEG Stream: "Shady Lane / J Vs. S"
MPEG Stream: "Summer Babe (WInter Version)"
MPEG Stream: "Box Elder"
MPEG Stream: "Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence"

PAVEMENT Quarantine The Past (Record Store Day Version) (Matador) 2lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

PAVEMENT Slanted & Enchanted (Matador) lp 16.98

PAVEMENT Slanted & Enchanted: Luxe & Reduxe (Matador) cd 15.98
As much as we've whined and moaned about Pavement's last few albums being, in our opinion, a little less than wonderful, no one can dispute the fact that Slanted & Enchanted is one fucking great record. If you've never heard Pavement's first proper full length debut, stop reading right now. Just buy it. It's like the zenith of indie rock. It could be the only indie rock record you own and you would still have the best of the genre. (And if you disagree, we might just have to challenge you to an indie rock duel!) The songs are so satisfyingly melodic yet delivered all fractured and suffused with a lackadaisical sort of ironic -ness. Which was at one point cool, remember?
Anyway, what we have here is a deluxe double disc reissue for the price of a single disc. In addition to the entire Slanted & Enchanted album, you get: several tracks from the Slanted session, a John Peel octet of tunes, the Watery Domestic ep, tracks from the Watery session, and an entire live show! A total of 48 tracks, 23 of which are previously unreleased.
The accompanying booklet is full of juicy tidbits from Matador label guys Chris Lombardi and Gerard Cosloy, Drag City founder Dan Koretzky (both labels wanted to release it), their booker, and the band itself. So essential.
MPEG Stream: "Summer Babe"
MPEG Stream: "No Life Singed Her"
MPEG Stream: "In The Mouth A Desert"

PAVEMENT Slanted And Enchanted (Matador) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

PAVEMENT Slow Century (Matador) dvd 26.00

PAVEMENT Spit On A Stranger (Matador) 7" 3.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Features four tracks not to be found anywhere else (but only one, different from those on the cd, on the 7").

PAVEMENT Spit On A Stranger (Matador) cdep 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Features four tracks not to be found anywhere else (but only one, different from those on the cd, on the 7").

PAVEMENT Terror Twilight (Matador) cd 14.98

PAVEMENT Westing (By Musket And Sextant) (Matador) cd 14.98

PAVEMENT Westing (By Musket And Sextant) (Drag City) lp 15.98