PIXIES s/t (4AD) dvd 15.98
No introduction is needed here, and dare we say if you're a Pixies fan, you need this DVD. The disc consists of an entire live set of the Pixies in England during their 1988 tour with the Throwing Muses, 7 videos for which the band members' fresh faced cuteness more than makes up for the often barely successful conceptual video direction, footage of the band on the road in Europe and the USA, and a 50 minute documentary in which the likes of David Bowie, Bono, Blur, PJ Harvey and Radiohead all gush over the Pixies legacy and the band members themselves (sans Ms Deal) share their feelings as well. All this for one great price!

PIXIES Surfer Rosa (4AD) cd 10.98

PIXIES Surfer Rosa (4AD) lp 16.98
Their first full length album from 1988 reissued, albeit temporarily, by 4AD on vinyl. Includes the tracks: Bone Machine, Break My Body, Something Against You, Broken Face, Gigantic, River Euphrates, Where Is My Mind?, Cactus, Tony's Theme, Oh My Golly!, Vamos, I'm Amazed, and Brick Is Red.

PIXIES Trompe Le Monde (4AD) cd 10.98

PIXIES Wave Of Mutilation: Best Of Pixies (4AD) cd 13.98
Dunno. You either have them all already, or you don't, is probably the first response to seeing a Pixies "Best Of". However, kudos to 4AD for not trying to screw with everyone by lumping a live cd with a best of like Elektra/4AD did with their "Death To The Pixies" two cd collection. What first time Pixies buyer would be tempted to shell out $23 for a best of collection? Better still, for this much cheaper price of $13.98, Pixies initiates get six more tracks (for a hefty total of 23 great Pixies tunes) than the former anthology. Along with classics "Bone Machine", "Caribou", "Gigantic", "Monkey Gone To Heaven", "Wave of Mutilation", "Broken Face", "Vamo", "Where is My Mind?", "Tame" (and much more) this collection includes the excellent cover the Pixies did of Neil Young's "Winterlong" for the Bridge School tribute album years ago.
MPEG Stream: "Bone Machine"
MPEG Stream: "Tame"
MPEG Stream: "Winterlong"

PIXIES, THE Loud Quiet Loud: A Film About The Pixies (MVD Visual) dvd 19.98
In the past couple months, we've gotten a pair of dvds documenting two venerable bands' recent resurrections: 'Mission Of Burma: Not A Photograph' and this one 'Loud Quiet Loud: A Film About The Pixies'. Filmmakers Steven Cantor and Matthew Galkin followed the four original members Frank Black (ahem, Black Francis), Kim Deal, Joey Santiago and David Lovering on their sold-out 2004 reunion trek across North America and Europe eleven years after their split. Lots of live and backstage footage reveal that despite their audiences' rabid adoration, the band members aren't exactly having a bonding experience. At times the atmosphere of interpersonal tension and alienation could be cut with a knife. Bringing the viewer into this air of uneasy distance is the fact that oddly enough it's not the band's music that furnishes the documentary's incidental soundtrack but that of Daniel Lanois! Loud Quiet Loud features some fan-thrilling live footage, but it's not a good time ride by any means.

PIZZA Sunsets Suck (self-released) cd-r 5.98
Pizza is either the best name or the worst name for a band, depending on what the band sounds like. From the cover art, we were expecting this to be another Dodos wannabe band, in which case, the name would be terrible! But we we're pleasantly surprised and thankful that this doesn't sound anything like that. Pizza is a local Mission district male / female duo that channel the cute lo-fi pop of early Deerhoof, Tenniscoats and Coconut with the homemade woozy hip-hop vibe of groups like Black Moth Super Rainbow and Why? These six songs (strangely without titles) over 17 minutes are some of the most endearingly refreshing and snarky weirdo pop we've heard in awhile. Thus making their name oddly fitting. Who can say no to pizza?
MPEG Stream: "Track 2"
MPEG Stream: "Track 3"
MPEG Stream: "Track 6"

PIZZICATO FIVE Happy End of the World (Matador) cd 15.98
Wherein the Japanese trio play with Junglish beats along with their normal Bacharach-inspired pop.

PIZZICATO FIVE Happy End of the World (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.
Wherein the Japanese trio play with Junglish beats along with their normal Bacharach-inspired pop.

PIZZICATO FIVE Playboy & Playgirl (Matador) cd 13.98
Swank new disc from these Japanese pop faves.

PIZZICATO FIVE Playboy & Playgirl (Matador) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Swank new disc from these Japanese pop faves.

PIZZICATO FIVE Remix Album: Happy End Of You (Matador) cd 13.98
Compiles the series of 12" remixes of material from P5's Happy End Of The World album, plus a couple of new remixes... Remixers include The Automator, Dimitri From Paris, Oval, 808 State, Sean O'Hagan (High Llamas), John "Plunderphonics" Oswald, Saint Etienne, Momus, Gusgus, and others.

PIZZICATO FIVE Remix Album: Happy End Of You (Matador) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Compiles the series of 12" remixes of material from P5's Happy End Of The World album, plus a couple of new remixes... Remixers include The Automator, Dimitri From Paris, Oval, 808 State, Sean O'Hagan (High Llamas), John "Plunderphonics" Oswald, Saint Etienne, Momus, Gusgus, and others.

PIZZICATO FIVE Remix Series Volume 5 (Matador) 12" 5.98
John "Plunderphonics" Oswald and Oval take a stab at it.

PLACES Autopilot Knows You Best (Absolutely Kosher) cd 13.98
Polished sweet-tart pop with vocals to melt your heart. The Places are Amy Annelle and Ryan Stowe, and I believe all they need to get things done are their gentle guitars and her voice which is a warm and honeyed combination of Karen Carpenter and Lois. On this record however, the instrumentation swells to lush proportions with a full band including strings, keyboards, and accordion. Hear them make everything soft and laidback and lovely.

PLACES, THE Songs For Creeps (High Plains) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The Places' new album is filled with drifty, dreamy folk pop that every so often detours into more cacophonous realms. It makes for a slightly off-kilter and woozy listen (maybe that's where the creeps in the title come in?). Simple strummed acoustic guitars provide a warm blanketing foundation while the electric six-strings splinter off noisy shards. Lead singer Amy Annelle's voice has acquired a few more quirky earthy edges since we last heard her on Autopilot Knows You Best back in 2000. Indeed, these days her voice draws more comparisons to Julie Doiron, Lisa Germano and the Be Good Tanyas, than Karen Carpenter or Lois.
Quite affecting and wonderfully world-weary.
MPEG Stream: "My Weary Eye"
MPEG Stream: "Gold To Green"

PLAGUE LOUNGE The Wicker Image (New World of Sound/Holy Mountain) lp 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Eureka, CA based power trio operating on the Blue Cheer/Fushitsusha axis of heavy psych sound with an unusual "folk-vibe" that permeates the murk.

PLAIN RIDE On The Flow (Ektro) cd 14.98
On our pal Jussi of Circle's Ektro label, here's the debut from a Finnish band called Plain Ride, who are sorta psychedelic and folky but are also sorta plain ol' alt-rock. Nothing wrong with that though -- and Circle fans should note that this band features the guitar and vocals of Janne Westerlund, currently the lead guitarist in Circle (if you saw 'em on tour in the States this year, he was the one least likely to be wearing a shirt). Citing Nick Drake and the Soft Boys (among others) as influences, he sings in English, and perhaps only his Finnish accent and the occasional echoes of Circle's propulsive krautrocky rhythms and prog-friendly keyboards will betray this album's origins, as it's for sure one of the most "mainstream" things we've heard yet from the Circle camp. Not top 40 radio mainstream of course, but also not freaky hypnotic spacerock or stoner drone either! Janne & co.'s songs are moody and dramatic, conventionally melodic with verse-chorus-verse structures... quite nice indie-rock for the most part if you're not looking for Circle's brand of weirdness. We might like this a bit better if the lyrics weren't in English, but that might just be our bias against...um...lyrics.
The band is a quartet, plus guests. So in addition to your basic guitar/bass/drums and keys, you get some lapsteel, piano (ivories tinkled by Mika Ratto of Circle), and even a little trombone.
MPEG Stream: "Welcome New Void"
MPEG Stream: "God Of Rain"

PLAIN RIDE Stonebridge (Ektro) cd 14.98

PLAIN RIDE Strange Trial (Ektro) cd 14.98
Second, equally nice album from this indie rock side project by the guitarist from Circle!!

PLAINSONG s/t (Water) 2cd 17.98

PLAN TO PINK Debutante Ball (Extra Small) cd 10.98
A shiny new quartet is here in SF delivering buoyant, jangly guitar pop that initally seems quite straightforward. But wait! Plan To Pink are gonna keep you on your toes with their fair share of unexpected twists and turns in both tempo and style. They move confidently from rollicking feisty punk pop to almost-lullaby mellowness often within the span of one tune. Tandem singers Andria Alefhi and Jaime Borschuk keep right in pace, shifting their vocal delivery (often quite drastically) with grace and ease. Their vocals alternately bring to mind Throwing Muses and Helium. Add some xylophone, viola and a dash of cornet and clarinet for good measure. Voila! What a fine introduction!
RealAudio clip: "Vaudeville Trickster"
RealAudio clip: "Winner At Macy's"

PLAN TO PINK Press Your Luck (Extra Small) cd 10.98
Plan To Pink have made leaps and bounds in polishin' up and fleshin' out their already glowing indie pop sounds. This is the follow-up to 2002's perky punchy Debutante's Ball. Press Your Luck eases back on the feist of its predecessor in favor of the pretty with the sweetest results. The eleven sunshiney swoonsome tunes would make an ideal soundtrack for a day at the beach. Definitely for fans of Dressy Bessy, Tiger Trap and Aisler's Set, but maybe also the Rob Crow / Heavy Vegetable camp too (particularly on the final song "Hazard Lights"). Note: the two songs from their previous Spring Project / Lemon Fresh 7" make a reappearance here.
MPEG Stream: "Ten Key "
MPEG Stream: "Hazard Lights"

PLAN TO PINK The Spring Project (Extra Small) 7" 3.98
A light, dreamy and all too short record from these Bay Area honey-pie popsters. Me thinks these two songs -- "The Spring Project" and "Lemon Fresh" -- might tickle the fancy of pretty pop fans even more than the quartet's fine Debutante Ball cd from late last year! Super soft and sweet.

PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS We Ride To Fight (No Idea) cd 13.98

PLANET SEVEN The Tomorrow That Never Was (Default) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
New disc from this local (track 7: "Lost On Valencia") instrumental surf rock combo. Solid stuff for the genre, groovy, catchy and reverby just like it should be, with a bit of a '60s psych vibe, and also some underlying menace -- you can understand why the dudes in Anthrax once covered the surf classic "Pipeline", there's a definite hidden connection between surf music and metal. Motorhead fans Planet Seven prove that, with some metally licks and an overall "heavy" (for a surf band) sound. Seems like they'd be fun live. Nice cover/booklet art that appears to be taken from old pulpy sci fi paperbacks.
RealAudio clip: "Jack Scratch"
RealAudio clip: "Long Ride"

PLANET TR Let The Cosmos Ring (Spirit Of Orr) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
AKA Tower Recordings. Another nice disc of lofi psych folk from these guys.

PLANKTON WAT Crystal Wizard (Stunned) cd-r 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Freakin' awesome steel stringed explorations through space and time with Dewey Mahood, guitarist of Portland's Eternal Tapestry! He's released a handful of tapes in the past, but Crystal Wizard is the first cd-r release from this psychedelic mystery man, and it's a doozy. Layers of bells, hazy vocal drones and colorful whips of delayed guitar adorn the steel-stringed compositions. Roots music meets psychedelia in a wild hoopla of acoustic trippiness. Super limited and complete with cosmic artwork by Mr. Mahood himself. Yes!
MPEG Stream: "Still Water"
MPEG Stream: "Serenity Boundless in Black Night"

PLANKTON WAT Shadows (Sloow Tapes) cassette 6.98
Latest solo excursion from Dewey Mahood of Portland's top notch psych force, Eternal Tapestry. We popped this into the tape deck expecting droning guitar and swirls of drifting loops, but we couldn't be more worng. Mahood presents two sides of dry steel-string fingerpicking, loosely and effortlessly delivered for a haunting offering of home recorded Americana. Recorded after the unfortunate passing of Jack Rose, Mahood was inspired to put the effects pedals aside and record his acousitc compositions straight to tape.

PLANKTON WAT Shadows (Sloow Tapes) cassette 6.98
Latest solo excursion from Dewey Mahood of Portland's top notch psych force, Eternal Tapestry. We popped this into the tape deck expecting droning guitar and swirls of drifting loops, but we couldn't be more worng. Mahood presents two sides of dry steel-string fingerpicking, loosely and effortlessly delivered for a haunting offering of home recorded Americana. Recorded after the unfortunate passing of Jack Rose, Mahood was inspired to put the effects pedals aside and record his acousitc compositions straight to tape.

PLANKTON WAT Spirits (Thrill Jockey) cd 15.98

PLANKTON WAT Spirits (Thrill Jockey) lp 15.98

PLASMATICS Beyond The Valley of 1984 (MVD Audio) lp 17.98

PLASMATICS Coup D'Etat (Rock Candy) cd 17.98
For a lot of folks, the Plasmatics were a band that was more seen than actually heard. With Wendy O. Williams and her mohawk and duct tape covered nipples, nearly seven foot tall guitarist Richie Stotts, often clad in a mask and a French maid's outfit, the whole band was a motley crew of subversive imagery, punk, metal, bondage, sex and violence. When this record came out in 1983, a lot of us were just getting into metal, and the Plasmatics just seemed too PUNK. Sure, the young boys among us couldn't get enough of the near nude Williams destroying guitars with a chainsaw, or amps with a sledgehammer or even cars and buildings. But we just figured we wouldn't dig the music. When we finally did hear the band, this record specifically, we were blown away and kicking ourselves BIG TIME. This was indeed METAL. Sure it was punky in a lot of ways, but more than anything the Plasmatics were whipping up some serious heavy metal.
Described as "One part Grand Guignol, one part minimalist / kamikaze conceptual art and one part Texas Chainsaw Massacre," the Plasmatics also managed to be one part AC/DC, one part Motorhead, and one part New Wave Of American Heavy Metal (NWOAHM?). It was easy to forget that the Plasmatics were actually a band. A good one. Live shows were orgies of destruction, blowing up cars, smashing televisions, destroying instruments, in magazines and interviews, that's all anyone wanted to talk about. That and the nipples, but fuck if this isn't an absolutely killer metal record. Huge riffs, classic eighties metal hooks, and Williams' throaty growl/howl. Catchy and complex, head banging and fists in the air, like a female fronted AC/DC-Motorhead hybrid (and indeed, they cover Motorhead's "No Class"!), with strange little bits of glistening pop here and there, where Williams would really sing, delicate and lovely, before launching back into a vitriolic face smashing metallic pummel. Awesome!
Totally remastered, with extensive liner notes, tons of photos, and FOUR bonus tracks: two demos, a work-in-progress recording and a hilarious radio ad! This is the first release we've reviewed from a new line of eighties hard rock and metal reissues on the Rock Candy label. Other releases include records by Armored Saint, Icon, Ted Nugent, Billy Squier, Coney Hatch, Ram Jam, Helix, Riot and more!!!
MPEG Stream: "Put Your Love In Me"
MPEG Stream: "Stop"
MPEG Stream: "Lightning Breaks"

PLASTIC CLOUD, THE s/t (Pacemaker / Lion Productions) cd 15.98
Back in stock! We listed this as follows, back in March, and feel that a few of you need to buy this who didn't, so here it is again!
Here's a new reissue of this well-regarded one-shot '60 psych artifact. Canada's Plastic Cloud (they have to be psych with a name like that, eh?) issued this, their sole album, on the Allied label in 1968. And if you like fuzz, it's for you! These darkly melodic psychedelic tunes, maybe something like a harder-edged Kaleidoscope (UK), don't stint on the killer fuzz tone. The band -- four modish lookin' gents in their early '20s named Brian, Randy, Mike and Don -- sure got the fuzz-laced, post-Peppers acid-psych-pop sound down, complete with sinewy psuedo Eastern sitarish stylings, vocal harmonies, and trippy lyrics with themes ranging from notions of reality to anti-war polemic. Those lyrics are presented in this cd's booklet alongside the LP's original J.R.R.-meets-the-Jabberwocky liner notes, photos, and a facsimile of the press release that heralded the LP's release. As melodic '60s vocal psych-pop goes, this is pretty decent (though no threat to the Beatles or the Beach Boys)...but when they unleash the fuzz guitar, that's when your hair will get hard if you're at all receptive to such soundz. A must-have for fuzz-freaks, essential to any serious '60s psych collection, no doubt. And dabblers may be get hooked too. Fer instance, if you took a shot on the Sam Gopal reish we reviewed recently, and were satisfied, you might wanna make this next item for your personal '60s hit parade.
MPEG Stream: "Shadows Of Your Mind"
MPEG Stream: "Dainty General Rides"

PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND Flashing Open (Rocket Recordings) cd 13.98
We listed the lp version of this a while back, and dug it quite a bit. But with the cd reissue and repeated listening we've come to realise this is even better that we previously thought. This is some seriously mind blowing acid fried, freaked out, scuzzy, dirty sloppy psychedelic space rock. Mr. Plastic Crimewave (that's right Plastic Crimewave is the man, the PCW -Sound- is the band), is an underground psych rock guru from Chicago who has played with loads of Japanese psych rock legends and likeminded free / folk rockers in the past like Charalambides, Six Organs of Admittance, Comets on Fire, Pelt, etc. His band sounds like an unholy mix of Hawkwind, Monster Magnet, Acid Mothers Temple, F/i and lots and lots of drugs. Kicking out the jams from their outerspace garage, PCS unfurl a hazy and gorgeously psychedelic cosmic tapestry, albeit a filthy and tattered one, littered with beer bottles and cigarettes from all the long haired psychedelic noisefreaks who've been crashing on it. Space-garage-grunge psychedelia of the highest (lowest?) order, with brief detours into drone-y lo-fi Velvets inspired gloom rock, rhythmic psych-folk, and even some shimmery, summery shoe-gazey space rock bliss. Fans of Acid Mother's Temple will definitely dig this as will most of you psychedelic noisefreaks! Includes bonus tracks from a 7" as well...
MPEG Stream: "No Vision"
MPEG Stream: "Caged Firetheme"

PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND Flashing Open (Eclipse) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Don't know too much about Mr. Plastic Crimewave (that's right Plastic Crimewave is the man, the PCW -Sound- is the band), do know that he is an underground psych rock guru from Chicago who has played with loads of Japanese psych rock legends and likeminded free/folk rockers like Charalambides, Six Organs of Admittance, Comets on Fire, Pelt, etc. This five piece kicks out the jams, a sloppy, nasty, scuzzy, acid-fried, freak out psychedelia garage-grunge, with brief detours into drone-y lo-fi Velvets inspired gloom rock, rhythmic psych-folk, and even some shimmery, summery shoe-gazey space rock. Fans of Acid Mothers Temple will definitely dig this.

PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND No Wonderland (Prophase) cd 14.98
We listed the lp version of this a while back, a mind blowing outerspace garagekraut freakout, and the turntable deficient have been waiting anxiously ever since. Finally this massive chunk of modern psychedelic space rock gets digitized and rendered in some non-vinyl format. So here it is, and it sounds just as good as ever. And exactly like it did on vinyl. Murky, muddy and gloriously druggy, a tripped out krautrock space drone classic, total drugrock bliss.
Plastic Crimewave are about the closest any modern band has come to channeling the spirit and the sound of vintage Hawkwind, which means FUCK YEAH! Slow burning, psychedelic dirges, thick sinewy basslines, tripped out acid guitars, dense with reverb and echo, a brain melting excursion to the outer reaches of the galaxy, each track a slow building epic, a droning druggy dirge rock, eventually exploding into jagged shards of spastic feedback freakout. Vocals doused in alien reverb and all manner of filthy FX. Occasionally the band bursts into corrosive chunks of Stooges style stomp and swagger, still wreathed in reverb and wrapped in layer after layer of thick psychedelic fuzz, but they always settle back down into some expansive neverending drone drenched krautrock space groove. The fucked up vocals and the relentless tribal percussion also make us think of some sort of Hawkwind / Butthole Surfers collaboration, which is nothing but a good thing.
Features a who's who of new weird underground psych folk superstar guests: Devendra Banhart, Tara Burke (Fursaxa), Josephine Foster, Spires That In The Sunset Rise, as well as Michael Yonkers, many of whom contribute haunting spoken word interludes, as well as flutes, violins, autoharp, bells, harp, sitar, and of course some "fuzz guitar blasts" from Yonkers!
MPEG Stream: "Korean Ghost Ship"
MPEG Stream: "Far In / Out"

PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND No Wonderland (Eclipse) 2lp 23.00
Two massive slabs of modern psychedelic space rock. Plastic Crimewave are about the closest any modern band has come to channeling the spirit and the sound of vintage Hawkwind, which means FUCK YEAH! Slow burning, psychedelic dirges, thick sinewy basslines, tripped out acid guitars, dense with reverb and echo, a brain melting excursion to the outer reaches of the galaxy, each track a slow building epic, a droning druggy dirge rock, eventually exploding into jagged shards of spastic feedback freakout. Occasionally they'll burst into corrosive chunks of Stooges style stomp and swagger, still doused in reverb and wrapped in layer after layer of thick psychedelic fuzz. Features a who's who of new weird underground psych folk superstar guests: Devendra Banhart, Tara Burke (Fursaxa), Josephine Foster, Spires That In The Sunset Rise, as well as Michael Yonkers!!
Super thick vinyl in an unbelievably deluxe gatefold.

PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND s/t (Prophase) cd 14.98
The lp is almost already gone, soon out of print, but fear not, like a burning black sun plummeting from the heavens comes a digital version of this blown out blast of drugged out garage stomp space rock...
The welcome return of the mighty Plastic Crimewave and his druggy spaced out SOUND. Another vinyl only missive from the outer reaches of whatever galaxy these guys call home. Unequal parts Stooges, Monster Magnet, Hawkwind and the Butthole Surfers. Freaked out murky space garage jams, with plenty of psych guitar crunch, woozy, drone-y melodies, wild squiggly leads, plenty of groove and swagger, snarled vocals that remind us of Crazyhead or Zodiac Mindwarp (how are those for obscure references), all wound up into swirling buzzy blowouts, that go from slow burning throb to heart of the sun freakout, the guitars unfurling distorted streaks of sound, the drums solid and steady, the bass spreading out like a thick black fog. Been digging the Heads, White Hills, Titan and that stuff, and somehow missed out on Plastic Crimewave? Now's your chance to catch up.
The second side finishes off with a super long, sprawling space kraut dirge, that sounds a bit like a more psychedelic Circle, looped and reptitive and hypnotic, tons of effects, a repeated riff, the background a ever increasing swirl of buzz and whir and reverb and delay, the whole track seeming to slow down and melt into an oozing ambience, that drifts and shimmers and rumbles before fading out completely.
What more do you need to know? If you're jonesing for a druggy tripped out krautdrone space rock fix, you've come to the right place...
MPEG Stream: "(I Am) Planet Crushing"
MPEG Stream: "Dead Island Boogie"

PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND s/t (Eclipse) lp 21.00
The welcome return of the mighty Plastic Crimewave and his druggy spaced out SOUND. Another vinyl only missive from the outer reaches of whatever galaxy these guys call home. Unequal parts Stooges, Monster Magnet, Hawkwind and the Butthole Surfers. Freaked out murky space garage jams, with plenty of psych guitar crunch, woozy, drone-y melodies, wild squiggly leads, plenty of groove and swagger, snarled vocals that remind us of Crazyhead or Zodiac Mindwarp (how are those for obscure references), all wound up into swirling buzzy blowouts, that go from slow burning throb to heart of the sun freakout, the guitars unfurling distorted streaks of sound, the drums solid and steady, the bass spreading out like a thick black fog. Been digging the Heads, White Hills, Titan and that stuff, and somehow missed out on Plastic Crimewave? Now's your chance to catch up.
The second side finishes off with a super long, sprawling space kraut dirge, that sounds a bit like a more psychedelic Circle, looped and reptitive and hypnotic, tons of effects, a repeated riff, the background a ever increasing swirl of buzz and whir and reverb and delay, the whole track seeming to slow down and melt into an oozing ambience, that drifts and shimmers and rumbles before fading out completely.
What more do you need to know? If you're jonesing for a druggy tripped out krautdrone space rock fix, you've come to the right place...

PLASTIC FLOWERS Strange Neighbors (Wierd) 7" 8.98

PLASTILINA MOSH Juan Manuel (Virgin) cd 15.98

PLATEAUS Beach Coma (Art Fag) 7" 8.98
Another blast of fuzzy, jangly, distorto surf garage pop, that will no doubt appeal to fans of Wavves, Drums, Best Coast and the rest of the current crop of retro poppers. Plateaus' sound is all crunchy drums, fuzzed out guitars and lazy, laid back beach boy vox, there's a definite sixties vibe, plenty of reverb, and a warm beach-y sonic haze, but it's way more crisp and crunchy than many of their reverb dependent brethren. The opener's a short sharp chunk of blissed out 3 chord jangle pop, while the second track on the A side manages to sound a bit punkier, but also a bit power poppier. The B side is the reason to grab this though, a super hooky, ultra power poppy jangly gem, killer melodies, a chorus to die for, sounding a bit like Eat Skull crossed with The Fresh & Onlys which is most definitely not a bad thing at all.

PLATEAUS Do It For You (Hozac) 7" 6.50
We reviewed the debut 7" from these San Diego garage pop surf punks a while back, and recommended them to fans of Waaves, Drums and Best Coast, and on this most recent single, not too much has changed. They may have dialed back the surfiness a bit, but otherwise, there's still plenty of jangle and crunch, the A side a short sharp burst of off kilter noise pop, super hooky, with a crazy sing song-y vocal line, laced with squalls of psych guitars, while the B side has an old school classic girl group vibe, sounding a bit like Phil Spector produced era Ramones, tribal drums, murky riffage, snarly vox, crazy catchy harmonies and a wicked main hook. Good stuff, and still dying for a full lengthÉ
LIMITED TO 475 COPIES!!

PLATEAUS s/t (Art Fag) cd 13.98
Looks like we've got a new contender for pop record of the year! After a clutch of kick ass singles, the debut full length from these San Diego garage pop punks more than fulfills the promise of those 7"s, a non stop barrage of hook heavy noise pop bliss out, big jangly crunchy guitars, pounding drums, echo drenched whiney boy vox, hooks galore, crazy catchy choruses, everything sort of lo-fi and blown out, the songs laced with occasional squalls of psychguitar freakout, and super distorted guitar melodies woven into the jangle and crunch, the sound a little bit surfy, a lot bit garagey. Some of the tracks definitely remind us of Thee Oh Sees, some of the others like Jeff The Brotherhood, we described these guys in a past review as Eat Skull crossed with the Fresh & Onlys, which is still pretty on the mark, although on this full length, Plateaus have really come into their own, taking everything they've borrowed and transforming it into something their very own, all the sounds cranked, and in the red, the vibe is loud as fuck, but still beholden to classic jangle pop. It's not hard to imagine these guys actually hailing from NZ and not SD, their sound rife with classic Kiwi jangle popisms, but obviously filtered through the current crop of garage pop. Not sure what else to say, other than we can't stop listening to this, and every time we play it we have a new favorite songs. Summer may be gone but drop that top, put on a hat and scarf, bundle up and blast this like you were cruising down the coast, basking in the summer sun...
MPEG Stream: "Black Out"
MPEG Stream: "Beach Coma"
MPEG Stream: "The District"
MPEG Stream: "Oh Man"

PLATEAUS s/t (Art Fag) lp 14.98
NOW ON VINYL!!
Looks like we've got a new contender for pop record of the year! After a clutch of kick ass singles, the debut full length from these San Diego garage pop punks more than fulfills the promise of those 7"s, a non stop barrage of hook heavy noise pop bliss out, big jangly crunchy guitars, pounding drums, echo drenched whiney boy vox, hooks galore, crazy catchy choruses, everything sort of lo-fi and blown out, the songs laced with occasional squalls of psychguitar freakout, and super distorted guitar melodies woven into the jangle and crunch, the sound a little bit surfy, a lot bit garagey. Some of the tracks definitely remind us of Thee Oh Sees, some of the others like Jeff The Brotherhood, we described these guys in a past review as Eat Skull crossed with the Fresh & Onlys, which is still pretty on the mark, although on this full length, Plateaus have really come into their own, taking everything they've borrowed and transforming it into something their very own, all the sounds cranked, and in the red, the vibe is loud as fuck, but still beholden to classic jangle pop. It's not hard to imagine these guys actually hailing from NZ and not SD, their sound rife with classic Kiwi jangle popisms, but obviously filtered through the current crop of garage pop. Not sure what else to say, other than we can't stop listening to this, and every time we play it we have a new favorite songs. Summer may be gone but drop that top, put on a hat and scarf, bundle up and blast this like you were cruising down the coast, basking in the summer sun...
MPEG Stream: "Black Out"
MPEG Stream: "Beach Coma"
MPEG Stream: "The District"
MPEG Stream: "Oh Man"

PLAYING ENEMY Cesarean (Escape Artist) cd 14.98
New record from these ex-Rorshach, ex-Kiss It Goodbye folks, so you can imagine what it sounds like. Roaring, complex, pummeling east cost style metal core. No huge progression, but if Coalesce, Kiss It Goodbye, and that sort of stuff is your bag, this'll hit the spot.

PLEASED, THE One Piece From The Middle (self-released) cd-r 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If you like The Strokes, this new SF group sound JUST LIKE THEM! The lead vocalist is a deadringer for Julian Casablancas. Slouchy sullen singing over hectic, jangly guitars.
MPEG Stream: "If You Can Afford It"

PLEASURE FOREVER Alter (Sub Pop) cd 13.98
Cup was absent when this album arrived back in May, and now upon compiling her best of the year list -- on which it is included -- felt it deserved a revisiting... Live and on record, Pleasure Forever draw you into their lair. Many make it only to the threshold, and choose to go no further believing they've got this band figured out. For instance, you might've seen their name lumped in with the dime-a-dozen Birthday Party / Nick Cave / These Immortal Souls wannabes, but David Clifford (drums), Joshua Hughes (guitar) and Andrew Rothbard (vocals, keyboards) achieve so much more than a mimicry of style. There may be some sonic similarities, but their sound is more concentrated and elusive with more far-reaching reference points. They simply cannot be pigeonholed so easily. Allow yourself to immerse deeper and a whole fantastic (in the true sense of the word) world unfolds before you. The lyrics alone conjure images of the grotesque and the elegant meeting in the folds of slightly threadbare velvet drapes. Layer upon layer of intricate effected guitar haze, roar and searing shards build and crash, a gorgeous web of keyboard melodies, and a thunderous dynamic relationship between drums and keyboard bass - indeed, they are a group whose art is capable of kicking your ass with just one initial listen, but also rewards the listener each subsequent spin. Quite simply, few bands approach the intensity, complexity and conviction of Pleasure Forever. There's a tangible chemistry between the three gents (not at all surprising as they've been linked together through three musical incarnations, previously The VSS and Slaves). Each knows when and where to make space for the others, and when to lock together in a full-on empassioned assault. Their heights are nothing short of glorious, their depths are darker than most would dare to go. Case in point? The third song, "Aeon Flame". It all begins calmly enough - some warbly vibes introduce a sumptious candlelit cabaret scene - only to have an ominous figure drift over to hiss heavy predictions in your ear as his accomplices close in with deep bending notes and imposing clouds of distortion. Alter is drenched with tarnished opulence: delirious visions of calliopes, wickedly decadent crowds of grimaces and howls, a piano pirouetting endlessly. Intoxicating. Stunning. Recommended! Note: Recently there's been rumors of a breakup, and if they are in fact true, then we'd best be making the most of two P.F. albums in existence, shan't we?
MPEG Stream: "Aeon Flame"
MPEG Stream: "Axis Exalt"