RAMMSTEIN Reise, Reise (Universal) cd 15.98
How can you not love Rammstein? Huge metallic riffs. Pounding thunderous Teutonic rhythms. Uber-grandiose fist pumping anthems. Crystal clear perfect production. And let's not forget the live spectacle of flames and explosions and fireworks (and of course the infamous flame-throwing codpiece). They are the perfect blend of orchestral black metal bombast a la Cradle Of Filth / Dimmu Borgir and Laibach style Wagnerian industrial pomp. Plus when they lock into a groove, they sound strangely like Finnish hypno-rockers Circle. Which is ALWAYS a good thing. This is probably the best Rammstein record yet. The songs are heavy and catchy and weird and really really good. All of the above sonic elements are in full effect, with lots of that Circle-ish mesmer we can't get enough of, as well as a couple standout tracks, a really biting anti-America song that is sung in English, with lyrics that reference the Wonderbra (!) and Coca-Cola and explain that "This is not a love song, I don't sing my mother tongue", a track sung partially in Russian, as well as a really amazing track with killer female vocal counterpoint. Plus strings, a choir, a full orchestra, and of course vocalist Till Lindemann's instantly recognizable, totally menacing, low low low growl. So good. Another band who if you can get beyond the endless 'hype' and media bullshit, will totally and completely kick your ass.
MPEG Stream: "Reise, Reise"
MPEG Stream: "Los"

RAMONE, JOEY Don't Worry About Me (Sanctuary) cd 17.98
We're all very sad that Joey Ramone died. But we're also sort of sad that this is the record that was left for us to remember him by. This whole package pulls shamelessly on the ol' heartstrings, the title "Don't Worry About Me", and the timing -- released while our wounds are still fresh -- and then to add insult to injury the record just kind of sucks. It's so clean sounding, you just can't compare it to the Ramones cuz it's on a whole different planet. It's poppy and goofy, but without the charm that made the Ramones special. A lot of people seem to like it, the reviews so far have all been positive, but I think maybe people are a bit hesitant to slam the record all things considered. Do yourself a favor and throw on your old beat up copy of 'Rocket To Russia' and toast to Joey and make up your own appropriate tribute.
RealAudio clip: "Don't Worry About Me"
RealAudio clip: "Mr. Punchy"
RealAudio clip: "What A Wonderful World "

RAMONES End Of The Century, The Story Of The Ramones (Rhino) dvd 23.00
Tommy, Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee, and Marky. They lived to see themselves reach iconic status. Yet, through intense inter-personal strife impacted by the eclipsing success of the musical acts that followed in their footsteps, these guys seem to have barely enjoyed anything at all. This incredibly well-made rockumentary tells the story of four kids from Forest Hills, Queens who bonded over a mutual admiration of The Stooges and found a way out of their shitty home and school-life by playing music together. It follows their early career in the 70's as The Ramones, playing gnarly Bowery-bum ridden CBGB's alongside other new acts like Television, Talking Heads and Blondie to touring through Europe and Latin America with huge sold-out gigs. Success seemed to shine on them overseas solely, while in small shitty clubs across the US, they were boo'd, jeered, laughed at or the subject of thrown bottles and cans. Simultaneously, their record sales refused to escalate as they had hoped.
The Ramones were a musical force, however. Their songs were brutal, consice and earnest. Their sound was fast, fierce and fucking impenetrable - in the vein of garagey Americana pop punk. But God dammit, you already knew that! Well, you've probably forgotten how fucking GOOD they were. You'll see some pretty amazing live footage inside this over-two-hour film. Early live shows and incredibly endearing interviews with bandmembers (save Johnny) will regenerate anyone's adoration for these boys. Their story also emphasizes the emotions involved in being a Ramone. This is a tragic but important part of who they were. For instance, of the band's original personnel, Tommy (the only one to quit pretty early on), is the only one still alive.
Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy created an inspirational legacy and this documentation does its absolute best to communicate to us their lives' work. It will award you with an awesome fight on stage, a re-telling of their experience with producer Phil Spector, priceless moments of Dee Dee's "other musical exploration", and... aw, c'mon, did you really think I'd tell you any more? I will tell you this and none more: extra features include bonus interview footage and among other things, the Marky Ramone Drum Technique! All you drummers out there will appreciate that little nugget.
By far, End Of The Century, The Story of The Ramones is not only an important addition to any rock collection, it's absolutely informative and inspirational to any musician and/or music-lover. But hey ho this baby's Region 1.

RAMONES Road To Ruin (Sire) lp 14.98
While the debut Ramones album, gets much of the punk rock history glory, (as it should, cuz it really one of the greatest albums of all time!) we could still make a strong argument for Road To Ruin being our favorite Ramones album. Their fourth album, released in 1978, Road To Ruin is pretty much as good as pop music gets! Filled with classic Ramones blitzkrieg fast punk pop, as well as showing another side of themselves on their awesome cover of the Sonny & Cher classic "Needles & Pins". All we really have to say is that this is the album that inspired the Bad Brains to become a band, as they got their moniker from the song "Bad Brain". We love this record so much because besides the well known Ramones songs on here like "I Wanna Be Sedated", "I Wanted Everything", and "I Just Wanna Have Something To Do" there are so many awesome songs that somehow never end up on any of the many different Ramones best-of collections. While they really are a band who have been immortalized on so many of those collections, all their records deserve individual attention. They really just didn't slip up that much, or ever actually. Not one throwaway song on Road To Ruin, it all rules!

RAMONES s/t (Warner Archives) cd 12.98
Awesome! Reissued in 2001, this cd features eight bonus tracks which include a bunch of demo versions for songs such as "Blitzkrieg Bop", "Judy Is A Punk", "I Don't Care" and "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"!

RAMONES Weird Tales Of The Ramones (Warner Bros. / Rhino) book+dvd+cd 73.00

RANALDO, LEE Amarillo Ramp (Starlight Furniture Co.) cd 12.98
Sonic Youth guitarist's solo tribute to earthworks artist Robert Smithson. Here's what El Bobo at Revolver Distro has to say about it: "Sonic Youth's left-minded, and soft-spoken lead guitarist continues to wield a big stick with a new solo outing of the highest sonic magnitude. First off is the title track, a 34-minute live recording from 1994 with after-the-fact wave-shaping and spectral improvement by Rafael Toral, followed by an instrumental 'Anagrama' type frolic with bandmates Steve Shelley and Thurston Moore. Also included are a couple of soundtrack excerpts, one from Notebook, and the other from one of Leah Singer's mind-smudging flicks (originally on '91's Guitarrorists comp.), and a John Lennon cover featuring the late Epic Soundtracks. As always it's a brilliant ride."

RANALDO, LEE Between The Times & The Tides (Matador) cd 14.98

RANALDO, LEE Between The Times & The Tides (Matador) lp 15.98

RANALDO, LEE Countless Centuries Fled Into The Distance... (Table Of The Elements) 12" 17.98
Another in Table Of The Elements' new series of one sided etched 12"s. A series focusing on the electric guitar. Last time we had Oren Ambarchi, this time we have Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, who starts out his 12" sounding quite a bit like Sonic Youth in fact. Noisy crashing chords, chaotic and off kilter, over a super high pitched sonar like beep, weirdly hypnotic until it explodes into a full on psychedelic skreekout.
The second track begins with an amazing tripped out, warbly warped guitar groove, which gives way to a weird high end drone doused in fucked up effects, so woozy it almost makes you dizzy just listening, and reminds us a bit of a fucked up set of bagpipes.
The final track begins with an echo-y almost-industrial space-y surfy riff, that shifts suddenly in pitch, creating mysterious melodies, super haunting and hypnotic, but this track too soon gives way to a massive amp blowing, speaker melting chunk of freaked out Japanese style noise-psych. Whew.
Pressed on opaque swirled turquoise vinyl. One sided, the other side with a super bad ass etching by Savage Pencil, housed in a thick vinyl sleeve, and of course, as always LIMITED!

RANALDO, LEE Windows (Barooni) cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hypnogogic and stratospheric guitar noise/drones from Sonic Youth's guitarist who generates some pretty outstanding sounds similar to the ending tracks on "Daydream Nation" and recites his dystopic pseudo-Beat poetry over top. Lee employs such luminaries as Thurston Moore, Michael Morley (Dead C, Gate), and Epic Soundtracks.

RANDALL OF NAZARETH s/t (Drag City) cd 14.98
Acoustic folky stuff from one of the dudes from Pearls And Brass.

RANDALL OF NAZARETH s/t (Drag City) lp 15.98
Acoustic folky stuff from one of the dudes from Pearls And Brass.

RANGDA False Flag (Drag City) cd 14.98
Some "supergroups" ARE indeed super... some not so. (Zwan? The Firm?) But lately there's been some good ones. (Twilight, Shrinebuilder!) Here's another, Rangda, named after a Balinese child-eating deity... and with these guys, we weren't too worried about 'em not living up to expectations. Probably just telling you who they are will be enough for a lot of you to wanna pick this up (and we say, do it!): "Sir" Richard Bishop of the Sun City Girls, Ben Chasny of Six Organs Of Admittance, and Chris Corsano of heck lots of things. Geez, we'd probably be interested even if this turned out to be a recording of the three of them having conversation over lunch, or playing Rock Band together, or something equally ridiculous. But, even better, this instrumental guitar/guitar/drums trio does pretty much exactly what we'd want 'em to do on this recording, mixing far out free improv with gorgeous psychedelic daydream meanderings, making for a satisfying variety of moods (melodic, mayhemic, mesmerizing) across this disc's six tracks...
It opens with "Waldorf Hysteria", an all guns blazing, room-clearing furore, but that's just a 2 minute warm-up, and not what you get for the whole disc, never fear (though some would be happy with that, and they do return to these levels of "Hysteria" at times later on the album, though there's no more bad puns attached). Track two, "Bull Lore" shows some more restraint, it's a noirish, jazzish, ominously cinematic rumble, with martial drumming underpinning the unleashing of an electric guitar solo that's equal parts beauty and terror, worth the price of admission alone if you're into this sort of outward bound six-string wrangling (which you should be, if you're interested in this group at all, this definitely for fans of the likes of Sonny Sharrock and Nels Cline). Not quite sure if that's Bishop or Chasny or a tag-team approach, both men are quite capable of sublime soling, and reality-ripping distorted skree as well, we know. And, when the two of 'em want to amp it up and bash it out, drummer Corsano is right there with them. The sheer monomaniacal intensity of the very next noisy track, "First Family", attests to this. It sounds like Yoshi Wada sitting in on one of Masayuki Takayanagi's Mass Projections! But then that's followed by the wistful loveliness of "Sarcophagi", which itself is quite different from what comes next, the aptly titled "Serrated Edges", gettin' stop-start hectic and tangled like something Mick Barr might dig his talons into. And then, False Flag's finale "Plain Of Jars" brings things down again, for a 15 minute, slow-building epic of gentleness, with Bishop trinkling into the track some delicious piano plinkings... Leaving us wanting more, we hope Rangda is one of those supergroups that's a real group, and keeps on goin'. The way these three seemingly embrace spirituality and chaos together, sound-wise, seems like it must be a good thing for them as well as us. Definitely, their debut gets our recommendation, combining as it does so potently the SCGs' unfettered exoticism and the most Freely Agitated krauty bliss ever conjured by Six Organs, not to mention summoning storms as strong as any previously navigated by Corsano's drumkit.
MPEG Stream: "Bull Lore"
MPEG Stream: "First Family"
MPEG Stream: "Plain Of Jars"

RANGDA False Flag (Drag City) lp 15.98
Some "supergroups" ARE indeed super... some not so. (Zwan? The Firm?) But lately there's been some good ones. (Twilight, Shrinebuilder!) Here's another, Rangda, named after a Balinese child-eating deity... and with these guys, we weren't too worried about 'em not living up to expectations. Probably just telling you who they are will be enough for a lot of you to wanna pick this up (and we say, do it!): "Sir" Richard Bishop of the Sun City Girls, Ben Chasny of Six Organs Of Admittance, and Chris Corsano of heck lots of things. Geez, we'd probably be interested even if this turned out to be a recording of the three of them having conversation over lunch, or playing Rock Band together, or something equally ridiculous. But, even better, this instrumental guitar/guitar/drums trio does pretty much exactly what we'd want 'em to do on this recording, mixing far out free improv with gorgeous psychedelic daydream meanderings, making for a satisfying variety of moods (melodic, mayhemic, mesmerizing) across this disc's six tracks...
It opens with "Waldorf Hysteria", an all guns blazing, room-clearing furore, but that's just a 2 minute warm-up, and not what you get for the whole disc, never fear (though some would be happy with that, and they do return to these levels of "Hysteria" at times later on the album, though there's no more bad puns attached). Track two, "Bull Lore" shows some more restraint, it's a noirish, jazzish, ominously cinematic rumble, with martial drumming underpinning the unleashing of an electric guitar solo that's equal parts beauty and terror, worth the price of admission alone if you're into this sort of outward bound six-string wrangling (which you should be, if you're interested in this group at all, this definitely for fans of the likes of Sonny Sharrock and Nels Cline). Not quite sure if that's Bishop or Chasny or a tag-team approach, both men are quite capable of sublime soling, and reality-ripping distorted skree as well, we know. And, when the two of 'em want to amp it up and bash it out, drummer Corsano is right there with them. The sheer monomaniacal intensity of the very next noisy track, "First Family", attests to this. It sounds like Yoshi Wada sitting in on one of Masayuki Takayanagi's Mass Projections! But then that's followed by the wistful loveliness of "Sarcophagi", which itself is quite different from what comes next, the aptly titled "Serrated Edges", gettin' stop-start hectic and tangled like something Mick Barr might dig his talons into. And then, False Flag's finale "Plain Of Jars" brings things down again, for a 15 minute, slow-building epic of gentleness, with Bishop trinkling into the track some delicious piano plinkings... Leaving us wanting more, we hope Rangda is one of those supergroups that's a real group, and keeps on goin'. The way these three seemingly embrace spirituality and chaos together, sound-wise, seems like it must be a good thing for them as well as us. Definitely, their debut gets our recommendation, combining as it does so potently the SCGs' unfettered exoticism and the most Freely Agitated krauty bliss ever conjured by Six Organs, not to mention summoning storms as strong as any previously navigated by Corsano's drumkit.
MPEG Stream: "Bull Lore"
MPEG Stream: "First Family"
MPEG Stream: "Plain Of Jars"

RANGDA Formerly Extinct (Drag City) cd 14.98
Record number two from this psychedelic super group, and like we mentioned in our review of their debut, just knowing the players will get most people to flip out and buy it, sounds unheard. Those players being Sir Richard Bishop of the late great Sun City Girls, Ben Chasny of Six Organs Of Admittance and drummer extraordinaire Chris Corsano. And like that first one, this is another fantastic batch of instrumental improv psychedelia. The opening track has a main guitar part that immediately pushed all our Sun City Girls buttons, a little bit Eastern, a little exotic, the dueling guitars (no bass) unfurling intricate tangled melodies, while Corsano plays the most straight forwardly 'rock' on anything we've heard yet, but it sounds perfect, the song erupting into a wild squall of psychedelic freakout before slipping right back into it. Odds are most folks will only need to hear a minute or two of that first track and will be sold. But if for some crazy reason, that's not the case, there's seven more reasons to grab this. "The Vault" lets Corsano slip back into wild free jazz splatter, which Chansy and Bishop mirror perfectly with sweet melodic billows of soaring textural buzz, which only makes it that much more powerful, when the band slip into a softly psychedelic deserty lope, sounding like Earth or Barn Owl if they ROCKED.
"Silver Nile" is the centerpiece here, at nearly 12 minutes, which spends its first few minutes drifting through an abstract field of spare notes and subtle percussion, the sounds droned out and almost raga like, the players gradually coalescing into another twang flecked meander, with an almost Morricone vibe, and they make it to almost nine minutes without deviating from their dark dolorous sonic brood, only finish off with a strangely Middle Eastern sounding coda, still droney and a little bit raga-y but much more jaunty and upbeat.
From there on out, it's looped and loping minimal hypnorock (sounding a bit like Circle) laced with some seriously shredding wah guitar freakouts, on more Middle Eastern style Sun City Girls sounding jams, peppered with blasts of droned out psychedelic free jazz freakouts, one bluesy hoedown, one killer stretch of math rock mesmer, and finally, a blast of churning, chugging, mathy, spaced out psychrock radness that ends WAY too soon after only three minutes. Whatever you think of these guys on their own, together, that have a seriously special chemistry, and while the label jokingly boasts that will be 'the instrumental album of the year', we'd have to say, they're probably not that far off!
MPEG Stream: "Idol's Eye"
MPEG Stream: "The Vault"
MPEG Stream: "Silver Nile"

RANGDA Formerly Extinct (Drag City) lp 15.98
Record number two from this psychedelic super group, and like we mentioned in our review of their debut, just knowing the players will get most people to flip out and buy it, sounds unheard. Those players being Sir Richard Bishop of the late great Sun City Girls, Ben Chasny of Six Organs Of Admittance and drummer extraordinaire Chris Corsano. And like that first one, this is another fantastic batch of instrumental improv psychedelia. The opening track has a main guitar part that immediately pushed all our Sun City Girls buttons, a little bit Eastern, a little exotic, the dueling guitars (no bass) unfurling intricate tangled melodies, while Corsano plays the most straight forwardly 'rock' on anything we've heard yet, but it sounds perfect, the song erupting into a wild squall of psychedelic freakout before slipping right back into it. Odds are most folks will only need to hear a minute or two of that first track and will be sold. But if for some crazy reason, that's not the case, there's seven more reasons to grab this. "The Vault" lets Corsano slip back into wild free jazz splatter, which Chansy and Bishop mirror perfectly with sweet melodic billows of soaring textural buzz, which only makes it that much more powerful, when the band slip into a softly psychedelic deserty lope, sounding like Earth or Barn Owl if they ROCKED.
"Silver Nile" is the centerpiece here, at nearly 12 minutes, which spends its first few minutes drifting through an abstract field of spare notes and subtle percussion, the sounds droned out and almost raga like, the players gradually coalescing into another twang flecked meander, with an almost Morricone vibe, and they make it to almost nine minutes without deviating from their dark dolorous sonic brood, only finish off with a strangely Middle Eastern sounding coda, still droney and a little bit raga-y but much more jaunty and upbeat.
From there on out, it's looped and loping minimal hypnorock (sounding a bit like Circle) laced with some seriously shredding wah guitar freakouts, on more Middle Eastern style Sun City Girls sounding jams, peppered with blasts of droned out psychedelic free jazz freakouts, one bluesy hoedown, one killer stretch of math rock mesmer, and finally, a blast of churning, chugging, mathy, spaced out psychrock radness that ends WAY too soon after only three minutes. Whatever you think of these guys on their own, together, that have a seriously special chemistry, and while the label jokingly boasts that will be 'the instrumental album of the year', we'd have to say, they're probably not that far off!
MPEG Stream: "Idol's Eye"
MPEG Stream: "The Vault"
MPEG Stream: "Silver Nile"

RANGE RATS s/t (Mississippi) lp 14.98
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
Yet another pre-Dead Moon band featuring Fred and Toody Cole, thanks to the kind folks at Mississippi. While the Range Rats shares some of its name with another Fred and Toody combo, The Rats, the sound is WAY different. Recorded in 1985, The Range Rats is the Cole's country band, or more accurately cowpunk. Very reminiscent of eighties LA groups like X or Tex And The Horseheads, The Range Rats had that punky twang, dueling boy girl vocals, galloping rhythms, rambunctious and punk rock, but plenty country and catchy.
Some tracks get all reverby and ballad-y like some lost sixties girl group, others are full on punk bluegrass raveups, and still others get all slithery and bluesy, but throughout it all, the twang is ever present, and the vocal interplay and harmonies are awesome, with some cool crunchy distorted guitars thrown into the mix, as well as some surprisingly sensitive, almost power pop sounding classic popsmithery. Never before released at all until now, and Mississippi did it up right, nice thick vinyl, super heavy deluxe jackets, the front adorned with all sorts of dimestore Western novels. Cool!

RANGERS Pan Am Stories (Not Not Fun) cd 13.98
As many of the various lysergic pop weirdos and lo-fi audio alchemists move toward poppier and less fucked up sonic climes, it's nice to know we can count on Rangers, aka Joe Knight, to keep the warped alternate dimension FM radio druggy eighties retro pop whathefuck fire burning bright, this latest record another collection of glammy lo-fi pop that in some other world would/could/should have been all over classic rock radio in the future. The opener, in different hands, could very well have been a dreamy bit of blissy pop, if say Big Troubles in their current incarnation had a god, we can picture it all shimmery and crystalline, but here, it's raw, and fuzzy, murky and lo-fi, the sounds careening from speaker to speaker, the effects in-the-red, the sound crumbling and distorted, swaths of swirly synth drifting alongside the buried reverby croon, but all the noise and damaged 4-track malfunctioning can't disguises that Knight definitely knows his way around a pop song. But just so you don't get too comfortable, he follows it up with the 13 minute long ADD short attention span "Zeke's Dream", which does start out all James Ferraro style drug pop weirdness, but then it keeps getting weirder, swirling distorted vocals, the guitars getting crunchier, and then it's almost like someone switched the channel on the radio, the song transforming into more of a slow jam, this one peppered with strange sci-fi streaks, and blown out echoey vox, and then it happens again, and becomes a gloomy dirgey ballad, that sounds like it's melting inside the speakers, or Knight has 6 different people gradually detuning each string on his guitar, and then it happens again, the song becomes a John Carpenter synthscape, that morphs into a bit of krautrock style kosmische musik, but there are voices and electronic squiggles everywhere, but it's not over yet, some police sirens signal the shift to the final movement (?), a warped lounge-y bit of fuzzy groove, that ends in a gorgeous bit of psychedelic tangle. And we're only two songs into the record. But that gives you an idea of what's to come, more twisted druggy pop, more warped home brewed psychedelia, and whatever it is that is born of merging the two.
Most definitely recommended for fans of James Ferraro, Ariel Pink, John Maus, and all the other similarly warped lysergic pop alchemists out there...
MPEG Stream: "Zombies (Day)"
MPEG Stream: "Zeke's Dream"
MPEG Stream: "Sacred Cows"
MPEG Stream: "John Is The Last Of A Dying Breed"

RANGERS Pan Am Stories (Not Not Fun) 2lp 29.00
As many of the various lysergic pop weirdos and lo-fi audio alchemists move toward poppier and less fucked up sonic climes, it's nice to know we can count on Rangers, aka Joe Knight, to keep the warped alternate dimension FM radio druggy eighties retro pop whathefuck fire burning bright, this latest record another collection of glammy lo-fi pop that in some other world would/could/should have been all over classic rock radio in the future. The opener, in different hands, could very well have been a dreamy bit of blissy pop, if say Big Troubles in their current incarnation had a god, we can picture it all shimmery and crystalline, but here, it's raw, and fuzzy, murky and lo-fi, the sounds careening from speaker to speaker, the effects in-the-red, the sound crumbling and distorted, swaths of swirly synth drifting alongside the buried reverby croon, but all the noise and damaged 4-track malfunctioning can't disguises that Knight definitely knows his way around a pop song. But just so you don't get too comfortable, he follows it up with the 13 minute long ADD short attention span "Zeke's Dream", which does start out all James Ferraro style drug pop weirdness, but then it keeps getting weirder, swirling distorted vocals, the guitars getting crunchier, and then it's almost like someone switched the channel on the radio, the song transforming into more of a slow jam, this one peppered with strange sci-fi streaks, and blown out echoey vox, and then it happens again, and becomes a gloomy dirgey ballad, that sounds like it's melting inside the speakers, or Knight has 6 different people gradually detuning each string on his guitar, and then it happens again, the song becomes a John Carpenter synthscape, that morphs into a bit of krautrock style kosmische musik, but there are voices and electronic squiggles everywhere, but it's not over yet, some police sirens signal the shift to the final movement (?), a warped lounge-y bit of fuzzy groove, that ends in a gorgeous bit of psychedelic tangle. And we're only two songs into the record. But that gives you an idea of what's to come, more twisted druggy pop, more warped home brewed psychedelia, and whatever it is that is born of merging the two.
Most definitely recommended for fans of James Ferraro, Ariel Pink, John Maus, and all the other similarly warped lysergic pop alchemists out there...
MPEG Stream: "Zombies (Day)"
MPEG Stream: "Zeke's Dream"
MPEG Stream: "Sacred Cows"
MPEG Stream: "John Is The Last Of A Dying Breed"

RANGERS Suburban Tours (Olde English Spelling Bee) lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another chunk of weirdo lo-fi retro pop whatthefuck from the always amazing Olde English Spelling Bee label, this one from one man band Rangers, aka Joe Knight, whose sound takes the poppiest moments of James Ferraro, that sort of late night eighties cheesy soundtrack sound, and runs it through some Ariel Pink alien FM radio, mixes in a little Roxy Music, a little PiL, and what comes out sounds like some alternate universe, slightly off center angular, barely funky, retro MTV pop, all swirling synths, groovy rhythms, crooned vocals, melancholy melodies, all wrapped in old VHS tape haze, a blurred wayback machine, turning cable access shimmer, mirror balls and sports coats over T-shirts and overproduced videos into sound, a sound that falls squarely in the current hypnogogic camp, but lists WAY toward the avant yacht rock side of the sonic spectrum. Definitely twisted, a bit psychedelic, woozy and warped and warbly, while subtly subverting the sounds of our childhoods into a dreampop that manages to be weirdly transcendent, totally retro, and enthusiastically cheesy. Ariel Pink and John Maus fans will go nuts for this, as well as anyone who wishes they never threw away that box of videos in the garage, that had every single video from '82-'87, recorded off Night Flight, every morning after the parents went to bed.

RANKO, SLAVA Arctic Hysteria (Adolescent) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"I do not want to play music which sounds as if it comes from familiar instruments, music which is based on chord patterns, or music which fits nicely within any particular stereotyped tradition... What I want is the terrifying, the menacing, the cruel, the chaotic, the darkly exciting, the ecstatic, the irrational -- music that resounds between the cells and in the intergalactic voids..." --Slava Ranko

RAPEMAN Two Nuns And A Pack Mule (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
Steve Albini, post-Big Black. A classic.

RAPTURE, THE Echoes (DFA / Mercury) cd 11.98
You probably don't need us telling you about The Rapture. But if you've been in hiding for the past few months, The Rapture's "Echoes" has been one of the most widely anticipated albums of the season. There has been an inordinant amount of hype surrounding this band and the DFA production team; and often that type of silliness doesn't really play that well here at Aquarius. So for us, the anticipation was out of a simple question which many other people have been asking as well: Is anything else on Echoes as good as that "House of Jealous Lovers" track? Honestly, no; but The Rapture trying to out-groove "House of Jealous Lovers" is like My Bloody Valentine trying to out-shoegaze "Soon." It's just not going to happen. And if that question is what you needed answered, we're happy to oblige.
However if you look beyond that obvious question, and beyond the ridiculous hype of 'New York's best new band' and actually listen to the record, you might be surprised at how good it is. That said, The Rapture will never escape its influences, in particular Entertainment by Gang of Four, Metal Box by Public Image Limited, early A Certain Ratio, and The Cure. Why anybody would want to ape Robert Smith's nasal whine is beyond me, but The Rapture's singer Luke Jenner has done just that. There's even a direct citation of The Cure's "One Hundred Years" found on The Rapture's "Olio," where Jenner yelps the phrase "Over and over and over again," just as Smith does. It's a little painful, but the DFA production of this remade Rapture track which appeared on their Gravity debut many moons back is a powderkeg post-punk groove laced with plenty of uptempo rhythms. It's certainly strong enough to transcend the vocals and comes close to the cocaine frenzy of "House of Jealous Lovers." As a whole Echoes succeeds through its dynamics, at times suffocating the band's sound in the pressure cooker of jagged guitar scratches, Jenner's voice, and heart-racing rhythms (i.e. "Killing"), at others releasing Jenner's voice as a ghastly diva amidst tubular bells and beatific Chicago house grooves (i.e. "I Need Your Love"), and at others donning the vastly different art rock poses of The Birthday Party and Radiohead (i.e. "Heaven" and "Open Up Your Heart" respectively).
The Rapture is a true amalgam of all things cool at the moment, and the cynic in me wants to call this bullshit for that exact reason; but it's just too good to receive that damnation from me!
MPEG Stream: "Olio"
MPEG Stream: "Killing"
MPEG Stream: "I Need Your Love"

RAPTURE, THE Echoes (DFA) lp 14.98
You probably don't need us telling you about The Rapture. But if you've been in hiding for the past few months, The Rapture's "Echoes" has been one of the most widely anticipated albums of the season. There has been an inordinant amount of hype surrounding this band and the DFA production team; and often that type of silliness doesn't really play that well here at Aquarius. So for us, the anticipation was out of a simple question which many other people have been asking as well: Is anything else on Echoes as good as that "House of Jealous Lovers" track? Honestly, no; but The Rapture trying to out-groove "House of Jealous Lovers" is like My Bloody Valentine trying to out-shoegaze "Soon." It's just not going to happen. And if that question is what you needed answered, we're happy to oblige.
However if you look beyond that obvious question, and beyond the ridiculous hype of 'New York's best new band' and actually listen to the record, you might be surprised at how good it is. That said, The Rapture will never escape its influences, in particular Entertainment by Gang of Four, Metal Box by Public Image Limited, early A Certain Ratio, and The Cure. Why anybody would want to ape Robert Smith's nasal whine is beyond me, but The Rapture's singer Luke Jenner has done just that. There's even a direct citation of The Cure's "One Hundred Years" found on The Rapture's "Olio," where Jenner yelps the phrase "Over and over and over again," just as Smith does. It's a little painful, but the DFA production of this remade Rapture track which appeared on their Gravity debut many moons back is a powderkeg post-punk groove laced with plenty of uptempo rhythms. It's certainly strong enough to transcend the vocals and comes close to the cocaine frenzy of "House of Jealous Lovers." As a whole Echoes succeeds through its dynamics, at times suffocating the band's sound in the pressure cooker of jagged guitar scratches, Jenner's voice, and heart-racing rhythms (i.e. "Killing"), at others releasing Jenner's voice as a ghastly diva amidst tubular bells and beatific Chicago house grooves (i.e. "I Need Your Love"), and at others donning the vastly different art rock poses of The Birthday Party and Radiohead (i.e. "Heaven" and "Open Up Your Heart" respectively).
The Rapture is a true amalgam of all things cool at the moment, and the cynic in me wants to call this bullshit for that exact reason; but it's just too good to receive that damnation from me!

RAPTURE, THE House of Jealous Lovers (DFA) 12" 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This single has been making DJs of all stripes cream their pants since it was released earlier this year. "House of Jealous Lovers" (as well as its Morgan Geist remix version, also on this DFA 12") has been showing up at house nights, electro clubs, and post-punk DJ sets by hipster British video artists. It's the kind of song that is equally irrisitable to art punkers, San Francisco disco divas, discriminating indie kids and Brooklyn fashion victims. No, that's absolutely not a criticism-- it's an illustration of how, like their best funk-punk predecessors, the Rapture bridge the gap between rock and dance music undergrounds. Basically, this single kicks all kinds of asses all over the dance floor, whether it be located in a sweaty club or in your bedroom.

RAPTURE, THE Out Of The Races And Onto The Tracks (Sub Pop) cd ep 9.98
Six song ep from these NYC scene up-n-comers. Disco punk!

RAPTURE, THE Pieces Of The People We Love (Universal Motown) cd 11.98
It's okay to booty shake again, indie rockers -- The Rapture have jumped back onto the dance floor. And it's about time -- their spectacular Echoes came out a full three years ago when trucker hats were still cool. The Rapture took their time with Pieces of the People We Love for good reason -- it's a suprisingly well-thought out sound shift.
It's still very them -- that is to say, '80s -- but much less Gang of Four (which is sooo 2003) and much more Hacienda. The whole album brings to mind sweaty dancing in a tropical climate, asses bumping each other in tight white pants, heavy rouge and panama hats -- all kept in check with some post-punk guitar assaults.
The Rapture have a unique talent for making our least favorite instruments sound good -- on their past albums, it was the infamous cowbell and on this one, it's the saxophone, which infuses the single "Get Myself Into It" with the kind of groove that inspires group handclaps and choreographed ensemble dance steps. Songs like "The Devil," showcase Luke Jenner's sexy falsetto, which takes some new chances with Brian Ferry trills, "Hungry Like the Wolf" pants and Haircut 100 "ai yi yi"s.
Unlike some of their NY contemporaries, the Rapture have always seemed like they're just having fun. Their live shows are infectious -- sincere and enthusiastic -- and that definitely comes across on this album. Very recommended for your next dance party.
MPEG Stream: "Get Myself Into It"
MPEG Stream: "The Devil"

RAPTURE, THE / THE JUAN MACLEAN Killing / Give Me Every Little Thing (DFA) 12" 6.98
The Rapture has been one of the most hyped bands to emerge in the past couple of years, embodying everything that Vice magazine wants in a band: cocaine, disco grooves, more cocaine, punk snarl, and a little more cocaine for good measure. Yet with all of this hype, there's only been the "House Of Jealous Lovers" single (admittedly a triumphant blast of A Certain Ratio post-punk fused with the distilled perfection of 20 years of disco) and this split with the Juan Maclean. The Rapture's "Killing" is nowhere nearly as epic as "House Of Jealous Lovers," but is a nervously ethereal punked-out groove driven by a pretty catchy one-note bass line and the Luke Jenner's claustrophobic whine which uncannily mimics Robert Smith of The Cure.
As is the case for "Killing," The Juan Maclean's track benefits greatly from the production skills of The DFA in crafting an angular funk track that updates the Liquid Liquid / ESG model of stripped down grooves with a much punchier sound.

RASHOMON The Ruined Map (Film Music Volume 1) (Mirrors) cd 14.98
Another disc we've been meaning to list for ages. The first release from Rashomon, the new project of Matt Thompson, former and founding member of UK prog combo Guapo. Rashomon incorporates much of what drove the music of Guapo, avant prog, psychedelic rock, soundtrack music, even metal into their sound.
But Thompson is approaching this new music from more of a filmic angle, the sounds much more cinematic, which should have been obvious from the name of the project, the record's title, and even the songs, each bearing the name of a classic film. Might be a bit pretentious in other hands, but this is the guy who founded Guapo, his prog cred is solid as a rock, as is his instrumental prowess, and it's obvious listening to these songs.
How the music here relates to the various films, is a bit tough for us to comment on since, we're embarrassed to say, we've seen only 2 of the 8 films referenced, but we're certainly excited to check the rest of them out now.
The opening track is a dark brooding convoluted space prog workout, channeling Goblin, as well as John Carpenter, into an intense creepscape, all minor key and darkly ominous, with long stretches of haunted house synth and wheezing harmoniums, the drums complex, skittering amidst a winding droneprog jam, heavy on the low-end and the tension building shimmer.
The second track is all smokey and jazzy, a minimal shuffle beneath some atonal scrabbly Derek Bailey like guitars, the track soon morphing into creepy sepia tone music box melodies.
Over the course of the rest of the record, as the tracks slip from film to film director to director, Bresson to Suzuki, Starewicz to Shindo, Branded To Kill, Lancelot Du Lac, Onibaba, The Mascot, the songs follow suit, shifting from mood to mood, sound to sound, soaring strings, ballroom jazz, bursts of acid fried synth blow outs, tribal almost African sounding drumming, gypsy folk violins, super intense spastic freaked out avant metal damage, deep shimmering drones, long stretches of creaking industrial ambience, haunting bagpipe like melodies, moody abstract drifts, gently strummed guitars clouds of cymbal shimmer, a constantly shifting world of sound, deep and layered, expansive and indeed, so cinematic.
Fans of Guapo will want this for sure, but anyone into far out soundtracks, experimental soundscapes or avant prog should definitely check this out as well.
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES!!
MPEG Stream: "Onibaba"
MPEG Stream: "Blast Of Silence"
MPEG Stream: "A Quiet Week In The House"

RASPBERRIES Greatest (Capitol) cd 17.98
Ooooh, in a perfect world if you were to look in the dictionary for "70s classic pop", you'd find a big photo of this band alongside their fellow '70s AM radio masters Bread and Electric Light Orchestra. Their heart-string pulling treasures such as "Go All The Way" and "Let's Pretend" recall the blissful pop orchestrations of the Beatles, Beach Boys and the Zombies. Actually we noted that Eric Carmen's voice sorta resembles two Pauls' (very McCartney and less so Stanley), and come to think of it, their respective bands' personalities (i.e, Wings and Kiss) are definitely reflected in Raspberries music -- the glorious power pop sweetness and the ballsy power rock crunch. Raspberries' bright, often bubblegum-y hooks, swirling string arrangements and earnest multi-part vocal harmonies will totally appeal to your sappy soft side, leaving you weeping in a sunbeam. The liner notes include song-by-song commentary by the band members.
MPEG Stream: "Go All The Way"
MPEG Stream: "Let's Pretend"

RAT AT RAT R Ameri$ide (Ektro) cd 14.98
The Ektro label does it again. Another rad reissue, this the debut album from legendary eighties NYC noise rockers Rat At Rat R, originally released in 1985 and pretty much impossible to find since. It somehow sounds right at home on Ektro, and even TWENTY SEVEN YEARS later, this stuff sounds so bad ass. Think Cop Shoot Cop, Circle X, Swans, Pussy Galore, Live Skull, Sonic Youth, these guys were born of that same scene, but their sound is definitely all their own. Gloomy and gothic, noisy and chaotic, the drumming INSANE, wild and splattery and relentless, the guitars angular and jagged, the bass thick and buzzy, the vocals a snarly dramatic croon, the band capable of switching from wild tribal noisy freakouts, to churning mathy noise rock crush, to an almost gloom pop, to seriously heavy almost metallic bombast, lots of the songs reminding us at times of the Wipers, or Comsat Angels, or other purveyors of gloomy rock, and of course all the other bands of the time these guys shared stages with (and probably drugs, or at least rehearsal spaces).
The gloomy gothy vibe definitely has a sort of death rock thing going on, reminding us also of the stuff that was going on around the same time on the other coast, the Scream club, Abecedarians, Kommunity FK, but a way heavier noiser version of that, lurching, lumbering, grinding heaviness, tribal drumming, clouds of feedback, strange percussion, tangled melodies, and actual songs, these were not just blasts of noisiness, Rat At Rat R definitely had a knack for dark brooding songcraft, the fact that they chose to render the resulting songs in wild squalls of noise rock pummel and swirly psychedelic gloomines, only made it that much cooler. Reissue contender of the year for SURE.
MPEG Stream: "Plague"
MPEG Stream: "No Ears"
MPEG Stream: "Bloodshot"
MPEG Stream: "Wild P.S."

RAT COLUMNS Sceptre Hole (SmartGuy) lp 11.98
Sceptre Hole was our first exposure to the the awesomely named Rat Columns, aka David West, who has quite the Aussie garage rock resume, which includes stints as a touring guitarist for Total Control, he played in the late great unsung post punk weirdos Rank/Xerox, and has played with the guys from Taco Leg, among a whole bunch of others. So we were of course expecting Rat Columns to sound a little like that, sort of Total Control style garage punk, maybe with a hint of new waviness, but instead, the sound is much closer to a warped sort of lo-fi indie rock jangle/power pop, which on Sceptre Hole is made even cooler/better by the addition of Matt Bleyle, of aQ faves Violent Change and Sopors. And anyone whose been digging either of those outfits' recent records (or heck even SF pop geniuses the Ovens) will find a LOT to dig here.
After an awesomely misleading opener, a creepy druggy dirge, all syrupy guitar buzz, slow drum plod and hushed haunted vocals, the record explodes into some serious kick ass poppiness, bashed drums, big jangle, lots of fuzz and buzz, hooks like crazy, the vocals a wispy croon, crunchy indie/power pop that's tough to beat. And again, we were sort of expecting the rest of the record to play out similarly, but there's lots of different sounds happening here. "Flowers" is more dour, a little bit Joy Division-y, with some weird arrangements, and cool gloomy chord progressions, "Nearsighted" too is a gorgeous slab of eighties beholden new wave pop, while "Dying Day" is super distorted shoegaze bliss out, all blurred buzz and buried vocals. There are plenty of experimental fragments, droney and darkly psychedelic, plenty of acoustic guitars too, all integrated seamlessly into a procession of CRAZY catchy power pop jams, and practically perfect blasts of fuzzy indie pop jangle. It definitely sounds like a record from the past, like this could maybe be some obscure reissue, but it's got a modern feel as well, and the music touches on so many of our favorite sounds, it's pretty tough to resist. But then why would you even try? A new favorite for sure. And absolutely recommended for fans of warped weirdo pop, and classic jangle and fuzz.
Includes a download code too!!
MPEG Stream: "Eastern Vibrations"
MPEG Stream: "Death Is Leaving Me"
MPEG Stream: "Flowers"
MPEG Stream: "Nearsighted"
MPEG Stream: "Dying Day"
MPEG Stream: "Wilted"

RATAS DEL VATICANO Mocosos Pateticos (Siltbreeze) lp 14.98

RATATAT Classics (XL Recordings) cd 14.98
Album number two from this New York duo picks up right where their refreshing debut left off. Bringing all sorts of seemingly unrelated sounds and ideas perfectly together. The danceability of electronica, the organic emotion of guitars and the limitless possibilities of what can happen when you re-imagine different ways to create melody. With Classics they continue to create a world that makes you feel like you are some powerful character in a video game that you just want to play forever. There is something so endearing and instantly likable about this group. The way they make fun sounding music without being cheesy or gimmicky. The way they force you to use your imagination, it's almost impossible to hear these songs and not create elaborate shapes, colors and stories in your mind. Classics is the kind of record that can break through to even the most jaded hipster as well as hitting the spot for those who are always ready to have a good time. So fresh and fun!
MPEG Stream: "Wildcat"
MPEG Stream: "Montanita"

RATATAT Classics (XL Recordings) lp 13.98
Album number two from this New York duo picks up right where their refreshing debut left off. Bringing all sorts of seemingly unrelated sounds and ideas perfectly together. The danceability of electronica, the organic emotion of guitars and the limitless possibilities of what can happen when you re-imagine different ways to create melody. With Classics they continue to create a world that makes you feel like you are some powerful character in a video game that you just want to play forever. There is something so endearing and instantly likable about this group. The way they make fun sounding music without being cheesy or gimmicky. The way they force you to use your imagination, it's almost impossible to hear these songs and not create elaborate shapes, colors and stories in your mind. Classics is the kind of record that can break through to even the most jaded hipster as well as hitting the spot for those who are always ready to have a good time. So fresh and fun!
MPEG Stream: "Wildcat"
MPEG Stream: "Montanita"

RATATAT Lex / Truman (Matador) 12" 3.98

RATATAT LP3 (XL) cd 13.98
New York's guitar/synth duo Ratatat hits us hard with another hefty dose of instrumental electronica, the follow up to 2006's summer jam Classics. Very similar to that album indeed. Not veering far from their usual sound, catchy synth and guitar melodies woven within a bright world of danceable sounds and beats, LP3 is a sure pleaser for any fans of radiant electronica. As familiar as LP3 sounds, there are glimpes of a more refined Ratatat here. Accoustic, steel-stringed intruments and eastern rythyms bring some spice to the album. Charming and vivid, you can't help but wonder if this is the music an arcade would make if it came to life after closing. These guys really conjure a nice balance between pop sensibility and musicianship. In a genre so heavily reliant on machines and buttons, they create a sound so organic and sincere.
MPEG Stream: "Mirando"
MPEG Stream: "Imperials"
MPEG Stream: "Mumtaz Khan"

RATATAT LP3 (XL) lp 14.98
New York's guitar/synth duo Ratatat hits us hard with another hefty dose of instrumental electronica, the follow up to 2006's summer jam Classics. Very similar to that album indeed. Not veering far from their usual sound, catchy synth and guitar melodies woven within a bright world of danceable sounds and beats, LP3 is a sure pleaser for any fans of radiant electronica. As familiar as LP3 sounds, there are glimpes of a more refined Ratatat here. Accoustic, steel-stringed intruments and eastern rythyms bring some spice to the album. Charming and vivid, you can't help but wonder if this is the music an arcade would make if it came to life after closing. These guys really conjure a nice balance between pop sensibility and musicianship. In a genre so heavily reliant on machines and buttons, they create a sound so organic and sincere.

RATATAT LP4 (XL) cd 13.98
Ever since they first hit the scene almost six years ago, Ratatat have consistently brought such a fun and refreshing sound to the table. Using guitars and electronics to make crunchy and catchy instrumental jams with nods to their love of hip-hop production and electronic dance music, yet all delivered in a very stripped down DIY fashion. Their forth album finds these Brooklyn boys sounding as great as ever, which makes sense, as much of this material was culled from the same sessions that produced their last record. It's cool how these guys have somehow created such a unique and instantly recognizable sound, as the moment you hear one of these songs you know without a doubt that it's Ratatat. The way they bring a left-of-center vibe to totally catchy almost top 40/hip-hop sounding beats, transforming them into the perfect jams to just blast crazy loud in the summertime. LP4 again shows off Ratatat's special ability to conjure totally catchy beats and melodies that flow with so much color and warmth. We love it.
MPEG Stream: "Bilar"
MPEG Stream: "Drugs"
MPEG Stream: "Grape Juice City"

RATATAT LP4 (XL) lp 14.98
Ever since they first hit the scene almost six years ago, Ratatat have consistently brought such a fun and refreshing sound to the table. Using guitars and electronics to make crunchy and catchy instrumental jams with nods to their love of hip-hop production and electronic dance music, yet all delivered in a very stripped down DIY fashion. Their forth album finds these Brooklyn boys sounding as great as ever, which makes sense, as much of this material was culled from the same sessions that produced their last record. It's cool how these guys have somehow created such a unique and instantly recognizable sound, as the moment you hear one of these songs you know without a doubt that it's Ratatat. The way they bring a left-of-center vibe to totally catchy almost top 40/hip-hop sounding beats, transforming them into the perfect jams to just blast crazy loud in the summertime. LP4 again shows off Ratatat's special ability to conjure totally catchy beats and melodies that flow with so much color and warmth. We love it.
MPEG Stream: "Bilar"
MPEG Stream: "Drugs"
MPEG Stream: "Grape Juice City"

RATATAT s/t (Matador) cd 13.98
The cover makes this look like it's gonna be some kinda indie-boys making rawk, sorta Strokes-y or maybe Champsy or something like that. But actually it's fairly mellow electronic music. Yawn.

RATS, THE Intermittent Signals (Mississippi) lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
That's right, it's that time again, another killer blast from the past courtesy of everybody's new favorite all vinyl reissue label, Mississippi! This time it's record number two from Portland's new wave garage punk trio the Rats, maybe better known as the band of Fred and Toody Cole who would of course go on to form the much loved Dead Moon.
Intermittent Signals offers up more of the same synth laced punk rock garage rock stomp found on their s/t debut, maybe a wee bit tighter and more polished, but still heavy and snotty and snarly and swaggery, a definite old AC/DC vibe happening too, killer riffing, tons of hooks, wild drumming, Fred's drawled punk rock vox, Toody's more frenetic yelp, all crammed into short sharp blasts of hooky catchy punk rock power pop genius.
Original drummer Rod Rat guests on a couple tracks, he ended up committing suicide not long afterwards, drummer Sam Henry would go on to drum for the Wipers as well as Napalm Beach. Another essential slice of PDX punk rock history.
And as with all Mississippi releases, lovingly packaged, super thick jackets, nice heavy vinyl, and this one even includes a flyer advertising a pretty kick ass show, the Rats and The Fastbacks! Admission price: only TWO BUCKS!!!

RATS, THE s/t (Mississippi) lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
Just wanted to get the attention of the growing legion of Mississippi Records obsessives, as this week we have not one, not two, but THREE new releases from this PDX based all vinyl, mostly reissue label.
All three of the new Mississippi releases are of a more punk rock, post punk bent, abandoning temporarily the blues, gospel, and African reissues that defined the label in the early days. With every release, they get harder and harder to pigeonhole, which is always the mark of a great label.
The Rats might not be an immediately recognizable name to most folks, but what about Rats frontman Fred Cole? Ring any bells? Well, in case you hadn't figured it out already, Cole would later go on to front the legendary Dead Moon, and more recently, the Pierced Arrows, alongside his wife Toody, credited in the Rats as T.Rat. A serious slice of Portland punk rock history for sure.
The Rats existed for only a few years in the early eighties and spit out some awesome organ drenched punky garage rock stomp, liberally laced with some new wave and power pop. The vocals high and wavery, Cole sharing vocal duties with his female bandmate, the choruses shouted singalongs, the drums a simple pound, the guitars swinging from almost twang to indie jangle to punk rock crunch, the songs wreathed in Fuzztone style organs, the vibe wild and wooly, not hard to imagine these guys RULING every sweaty basement and dive club in Portland.
Thick black and white sleeve, with just the most minimal liner notes...

RATTO JA LEHTISALO Ed Benttonin Briljantti Stabilismi (Ektro) cd 14.98
Total '80s gloss thing going on (Andee thought it sounded like The Fixx!) here from these two members of Circle, sorta Talking Heads / Sparks / Oingo Bongo -ish... maybe even Barnes and Barnes? As as Christine put it: "fucked up aerobics music" with "Finnish goth" vocals! Or imagine Circle in tuxes and feathers, with Mika Ratto singing in a Popeye voice. Weird!
MPEG Stream: "Isannan Romanttinen Illallinen Olympiakullan Kainalossa"
MPEG Stream: "Kuningatar Tornittaa Kuninkaan Ratsun Vaimoa"

RATTO JA LEHTISALO Kopernikus Hortoilee Nakinkengassa (Ektro) cd 14.98
As you might have guessed from the review of Ektroverde's "Ukkossalama" above/elsewhere, and will shortly learn from this review, we have to say: the two new Ektro label releases aren't -exactly- our absolute favorites from our fine Finnish friend Jussi and his accomplices. Then again, that didn't stop Andee and Allan from buying copies! But Circle fans should know what they're getting into here: with the Ratto Ja Lehtisalo album it's a stab at vocal and instrumental synth pop (with lyrics like "heyheyshalalalalala") that features lots of Circle-lite spacerock synth-work. Cheesy '80s synths that is. Maybe they can't find cooler ones at the Finnish flea markets? Or maybe this is some sort of obscure and/or drunken joke. Not that it's *bad* or anything, we just don't understand, and would like it better if it wasn't so...smooth. It's very poppy and mild, with gentle psychedelic guitar leads spun out by Aki Peltonen (otherwise, as you might guess from the name, this is the duo of Circle bassist Jussi Lehtisalo and Circle keyboardist/vocalist Mika Ratto, here also playing drums). But fans of Circle's Neu!-inspired rhythms looking for a pleasant, sunshiney listen may well enjoy. It's nothing if not nice. So, check out the sound samples, see what you think...
MPEG Stream: "Valonnopeus"
MPEG Stream: "Avaruusshampanja"

RATTO JA LEHTISALO Pari Lepakkoa Transylvaniassa (Ektro) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Remember Kopernikus Hortoilee Nakinkengassa? (Ahhh, like it was only yesterday...) The first Ratto Ja Lehtisalo cd? Well here's Ratto Ja Lethisalo cd numba two, Pari Lepakkoa Transylvaniassa! The duo of Mika Ratto and Jussi Lehtisalo, both integral members of AQ faves Circle, along with guitarist Aki Peltonen, return with another rather pretty pop album that's also rather weird -- of course, what else would you expect from these Finnish freaks? Like its predecessor, this one is kinda light-n-mild, and mysteriously goofy. It reminds us a bit of some modern Czech folk stuff, actually, a la Vladimir Vaclavek (as if that's any help to you!). Guitars and harmonica and drums and whistling and whispering and even a typewriter are worked into these songs' arrangements, and there's at least one track that's got that trademark Circle sorta groove, with Neu!-ish rhythms and krautrocky synth. But it's "the lighter side of" Circle for sure. And the vocals are a major thing here. There's lots of voice-as-instrument playfulness, with lyrics, sometimes in English, often along the lines of "dum de dum" or even "c'mon bay-bee", the repetition of such phrases calling their actual meaning (or meaninglessness) into question.
Is it a nonsense album? Actually we suspect that there's may be a story being told, as certain musical themes seem to carry through the whole disc, giving it the sense of a song-cycle. Or perhaps it's the album's foresty fairytale cartoon artwork that's making us imagine that Uncle Jussi and Uncle Mika are telling us some children's fable. It's a little corny, definitely cute or even cutesy (as per that artwork), and again we're left wondering just what it's all about... Yeah, it's weird, almost in a "why are they doing this?" sorta way, but a lot of it is also quite beautiful.
MPEG Stream: "Kaappikellon Kummitus"
MPEG Stream: "Peltojen Poikki Paakaupunkiin"
MPEG Stream: "Huuliharppukarakka"

RAUHAN ORKESTERI / LAUHKEAT LAMPAAT Sylissain Oot (Ache) cd 14.98
Underground Finnish freak jazz craziness.

RAUMSCHMIERE, T. Radio Blackout (Novamute) cd 16.98
After the subtle excursion into heroin house on his "Anti" album for Hefty, T. Raumschmiere returns to his bread and butter with "Radio Blackout" an album of shuffletime techno. Alongside Electronicat and the "Schaffelfieber" compilations on Kompakt, Raumschmiere encapsulates the single minded stupidity of testosterone with a comical b-movie approach to techno that revists the flamboyance of Gary Glitter, The Sweet, and T. Rex. Throughout "Radio Blackout," there are a handful of megawatt stompers that crank out the corroded synth lines emulating fist-pumpin' anthemic guitar licks and shuffling post-glam-rock rhythms. As triumphant and huge as the cuts 'The Game Is Not Over' (which features Miss Kitten barking out the vocals to the 200 mile per hour rhythms) and 'Monstertruckdriver' are, it's easy to overlook how good the rest of the album is. Not content to issue a collection of singles or single worthy material, T. Raumschmiere really did attempt to locate his crunching numbers against low-slung grooves and crackled breakbeats to craft an album. These slower numbers don't appear as the ambient filler, but as the necessary breathing room required before rocketing through more of those tremendous carcrash rhythms. A great album!
MPEG Stream: "Monstertruckdriver"
MPEG Stream: "The Game Is Not Over"

RAVEONETTES, THE Chain Gang Of Love (Columbia) cd 12.98
I totally loved the first Raveonettes record. An ep of slightly sinister garage rock bittersweetness, buried under a thick blanket of Jesus And Mary Chain grit and fuzz and swathed in heaps of Galaxie 500 reverby shimmer. But part of what I liked was that it was creepy and mean and pretty surprising for a major label/MTV record to evoke such a misanthropic vibe. On first listen, Chain Gang Of Love, the Raveonettes first full length, sounded downright cheerful. Gone is the gloom and doom of their debut. To the point where I decided right then and there that I didn't like it. But on repeated listens, it really started to grow on me, as long as I approached it as a completely different beast. Once I could get over the lack of ominous minor key creepiness, it revealed itself as just a really great pop record. Like a weird mix of fifties rock and roll, Beach Boys surf rock, and lo fi grungy garage, but with stretched out Velvets song structures and that fuzzy haze that infuses everything with a grainy, washed out glow. Not sure I like it as much as the ep, but I sure have been listening to it a lot lately, which I suppose says it all.