ROEDELIUS Wasser Im Wind (Bureau B) cd 17.98

ROEDELIUS Wenn Der Sudwind Weht (Bureau B) cd 17.98
Now available on cd, after a recent vinyl reissue highlighted here too!
Roedelius's fourth solo record from 1981 has obvious connections to his first record, Durch Die Wuste as evidenced from the similar album covers involving feet and water. But while his first record was a head-first dive into exploring the palatable possibilities of mixing acoustic and electronic instruments, Wenn Der Sudwind Weht is all about the tranquil relaxed after-glow, drying off in the afternoon sun. Limiting the instruments to just organ, synthesizers and piano, Sudwind is surprisingly rich and layered and arguably the most stunning of his solo records, reminding us of the pastoralism of Popol Vuh and early Deuter, but never succumbing to new age music's typical lack of focus. In fact it's the most focused Roedelius record of the last couple that have been reissued. While the Cluster-Harmonia catalog with all its off-shoots and solo projects can be quite unwieldy especially in the middle of its currently aggressive reissue campaign, but this may be the most essential Roedelius reissue of the bunch. Highest recommendation!
MPEG Stream: "Wenn Der Sudwind Weht"
MPEG Stream: "Mein Freud Farouk"
MPEG Stream: "Auf Leisen Sohlen"

ROEDELIUS Wenn Der Sudwind Weht (Bureau B) lp 17.98
Roedelius's fourth solo record from 1981 has obvious connections to his first record, Durch Die Wuste as evidenced from the similar album covers involving feet and water. But while his first record was a head-first dive into exploring the palatable possibilities of mixing acoustic and electronic instruments, Wenn Der Sudwind Weht is all about the tranquil relaxed after-glow, drying off in the afternoon sun. Limiting the instruments to just organ, synthesizers and piano, Sudwind is surprisingly rich and layered and arguably the most stunning of his solo records, reminding us of the pastoralism of Popol Vuh and early Deuter, but never succumbing to new age music's typical lack of focus. In fact it's the most focused Roedelius record of the last couple that have been reissued. While the Cluster-Harmonia catalog with all its off-shoots and solo projects can be quite unwieldy especially in the middle of its currently aggressive reissue campaign, but this may be the most essential Roedelius reissue of the bunch. Highest recommendation!

ROEDELIUS & CHRISTOPHER CHAPLIN, HANS-JOACHIM King of Hearts (Sub Rosa) cd 16.98
Any fan of '70s krautrock / electronic legends Cluster - and Cluster's constituent humans Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius - know that both gents remain exceedingly prolific music-makers to this day. Try as we might, we don't always manage to review everything either of them release, though we don't doubt that it's always quite good stuff. This new disc on Sub Rosa did happen to just catch our ears, however, and we felt we should share. It finds Roedelius (sometimes considered to be the more melodic half of the Cluster duo) collaborating with an interesting fellow we haven't encountered before, Christopher Chaplin, who is (true fact) the youngest son of famous actor Charlie Chaplin. The two, Roedelius & Chaplin, first met at an Art Brut themed festival in Vienna in 2010; and when in 2011 the BBC invited Roedelius to record a live session with a musician of his choosing that'd he'd never previously worked with, he selected Chaplin. That recording (some portions of which are heard here) eventually lead to them working together the next year on this album project.
King Of Hearts is centered around the beautiful, romantic piano playing that Roedelius is known for, while Chaplin processes and remixes it, bringing in additional electronics and other unnerving elements. Mysterious hisses and drones and mad scientist laboratory sounds pervade otherwise blissful piano reveries. On one track, there's some heavily effected, indecipherable vocals in the mix, and on a few others, someone (presumably Chaplin) plays distorted electric guitar, raw and lo-fi. One piece is based on a song from the Brian Eno album Before And After Science, in which Roedelius & Moebius participated.
However, the overall mood of this album is lush and lovely, and full of interesting detail. It's perfect music for staring out the window at the landscape on a cold winter's afternoon, while staying warm inside.
MPEG Stream: "Comme Ca"
MPEG Stream: "Autrement"
MPEG Stream: "Bien Sur"

ROEDELIUS / SCHNITZLER Acon 2000/1 (Captain Trip) cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Krautrock electronics legends and former collaborators in seminal proto-ambient-industrial act Kluster, Conrad Schnitzler (prolific solo artist, initial member of Tangerine Dream) and Hans-Joachim Roedelius (Cluster, Harmonia, solo) get up to their old tricks for this hour-long set of experimental electronics recorded last year... Abstract, spacey stuff that could as easily be from the '70s as now. Japanese import, with cool looking, special op-art style cover.

ROEDELIUS, HANS-JOACHIM Durch Die Wuste (Bureau B) cd 17.98
Now also reissued on cd! Durch Die Wuste was the first solo outing by Hans-Joachim Roedelius of Cluster/Harmonia fame, and originally came out in 1978 on the always impeccable Sky label. Melding his tastes for classical composition, spaced out ambience, and electronic rock possibilities, this album found Roedelius simmering in warm rolling waves that just invite you to get lost and daydream in their subtly hypnotic pull. What's most amazing and compelling about this album is how organic it all sounds. Years before folks were really getting a grasp of how to intertwine traditional instrumentation with electronics, Roedelius was doing it masterfully. We're also so taken by the divine percussive quality that rises to the surfaces on lots of the album, especially the record's last two songs where Roedelius manages to play the drums himself and creates an amazing orbital groove that we could listen to forever. Durch Die Wuste manages to combine both his more dark and outsider tendencies with his ability to create the ultimate in shimmering cosmic bliss. We can't believe that some of us had never heard this record before, we are so beyond happy that it's been reissued as this stands up against any of Cluster's breathtaking moments. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Johanneslust"
MPEG Stream: "Mr. Livingstone"
MPEG Stream: "Regenmacher"

ROEDELIUS, HANS-JOACHIM Durch Die Wuste (Bureau B) lp 17.98
Durch Die Wuste was the first solo outing by Hans-Joachim Roedelius of Cluster/Harmonia fame, and originally came out in 1978 on the always impeccable Sky label. Melding his tastes for classical composition, spaced out ambience, and electronic rock possibilities, this album found Roedelius simmering in warm rolling waves that just invite you to get lost and daydream in their subtly hypnotic pull. What's most amazing and compelling about this album is how organic it all sounds. Years before folks were really getting a grasp of how to intertwine traditional instrumentation with electronics, Roedelius was doing it masterfully. We're also so taken by the divine percussive quality that rises to the surfaces on lots of the album, especially the record's last two songs where Roedelius manages to play the drums himself and creates an amazing orbital groove that we could listen to forever. Durch Die Wuste manages to combine both his more dark and outsider tendencies with his ability to create the ultimate in shimmering cosmic bliss. We can't believe that some of us had never heard this record before, we are so beyond happy that it's been reissued as this stands up against any of Cluster's breathtaking moments. Highly recommended! Oh and for those of you who need/prefer to have this on cd it will be reissued in that format in August!
MPEG Stream: "Johanneslust"
MPEG Stream: "Mr. Livingstone"
MPEG Stream: "Regenmacher"

ROEDELIUS, HANS-JOACHIM & TIM STORY Inlandish (Gronland) cd 14.98
Most 74 year olds aren't still making vital music, let alone going on tours with their kraut/kosmische pioneering outfits Cluster and Harmonia, but then again Hans-Joachim Roedelius really does seem like one of a kind. Hot on the heels of his stunning performances here in the Bay Area with Cluster (including a never to be forgotten AQ instore!) Roedelius has quietly released a new collaborative album with Tim Story. And while the pairing of Roedelius with a Windham Hill alumni may make some AQ faithful squirm, we have to say that while this does fall on the very soft and pretty side of things it still remains very tasteful, and shimmers with a subtle beauty and a hazy gaze. Like some of the more calming and subdued outings by folks we love like Harold Budd, Max Richter and Brian Eno, Roedelius proves that even when he's in a soothing kind of mood he's able to transcend the mediocre new-age/massage parlor sound of other artists of a similar ilk, who forego subtly and lay the schmaltz on thick. We've been giving Klimek and the Pop Ambient series a break from being our go-to-sleep nighttime listening, and in their place, Inlandish has been the perfect soundtrack to guide us to a blissful dreamstate.
MPEG Stream: "As It Were"
MPEG Stream: "Ripple And Fade"

ROGEFELDT, PUGH Ja, da a da! (Metronome / Warner Sweden ) cd 19.98
Here's something definitely for fans (like us) of Sweden's Dungen -- you know, the retro-pop-sike wunderkind whose Ta Det Lugnt cd has been flying out the door here of late. Well, we're pretty sure that seventies Swedish psych-folk singer/songwriter Pugh Rogefeldt was a big influence on Dungen's Gustav Ejstes. We just got in this brand new import reissue of Pugh's 1969 classic debut, and quite a bit of it sure sounds a lot like what Dungen does, although overall it's somewhat folkier and more eccentric. Like the Dungen album, this is total ear candy for anyone into somewhat rustic psychedelic sixties pop. And oh yeah, Janne Karlsson of Hansson and Karlsson fame plays drums! And we should note that along with folks who like Dungen, DJ Shadow fans will also find this of interest, 'cause you ought to recognize the very first sounds you hear on this album as the (uncredited) intro to "Mutual Slump" from DJ Shadow's Endtroducing. One of those "so that's where that comes from!" moments, and more evidence of Shadow's excellent taste...
MPEG Stream: "Love, Love, Love"
MPEG Stream: "Har Kommer Natten"

ROGEFELDT, PUGH Pughish (Metronome / Warner Sweden) cd 19.98
For everybody who freaked out about Pugh Rogefeldt's 1968 Ja, da a da! album, the cd reissue of which we recently reviewed, we've now got the reissue of the 2nd Pugh album, Pughish, originally released in 1970. Dunno if DJ Shadow has ever sampled anything from this, but it's almost as good as Pugh's first (from which Shadow lifted a neat phrase for Endtroducing). Anyway, if you liked that other Pugh and want more, this is recommended. Weird and whimsical psych/folk/rock/prog sung in Swedish, full of fun and surprises. Again, an LP we bet Dungen's Gustav Ejstes has in his collection!
MPEG Stream: "Stinsen I Bro"
MPEG Stream: "Aindto"

ROGERS SISTERS, THE Invisible Deck (Too Pure) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We heart The Rogers Sisters! Their new album kicks so much serious butt we can hardly take it! Each of the ten songs packs the combined wallop of a fierce glare, a cigarette burn and a doubleshot of bourbon. The gritty crunch and smeared lipstick snarl of their guitars... The snotty sneer of their throaty (sort of a cross between Kim Deal and Kate Pierson) vocals... The bratty yet solid stomp of the drums... Sooo rad! This is bad boy/bad girl music that makes you wanna get up to no good too. Don't get us wrong, The Rogers Sisters ain't no possessed wild men of rawk a la Screamin' Jay Hawkins or The Monks, but they do have their own brand of prickly bluesy garagey electricity. Can't wait to see this trio live! We'd say more, but we're too busy rocking out. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Why Won't You"
MPEG Stream: "Emotion Control"

ROGERS SISTERS, THE Invisible Deck (Too Pure) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We heart The Rogers Sisters! Their new album kicks so much serious butt we can hardly take it! Each of the ten songs packs the combined wallop of a fierce glare, a cigarette burn and a doubleshot of bourbon. The gritty crunch and smeared lipstick snarl of their guitars... The snotty sneer of their throaty (sort of a cross between Kim Deal and Kate Pierson) vocals... The bratty yet solid stomp of the drums... Sooo rad! This is bad boy/bad girl music that makes you wanna get up to no good too. Don't get us wrong, The Rogers Sisters ain't no possessed wild men of rawk a la Screamin' Jay Hawkins or The Monks, but they do have their own brand of prickly bluesy garagey electricity. Can't wait to see this trio live! We'd say more, but we're too busy rocking out. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Why Won't You"
MPEG Stream: "Emotion Control"

ROGERS SISTERS, THE Three Fingers (Troubleman Unlimited) cd 11.98
If you're into the New York post-nowavedarkwavelectroclashp/funk scene that's been going for the past few years, YOU'LL LOVE The Rogers Sisters. The sisters Rogers and Miyuki Furtado kraft spare angular fashionistal neu-glam rock on their debut, Three Fingers. Just over 20 minutes long, their album is all in your face for just about all of it. Dueling angular vocals fight through the continual driving beats grasping for your attention. All the while, you know they look good, each chunk of hair placed in perfect position. Hottt!
MPEG Stream: "Freight Elevator"
MPEG Stream: "45 Prayers"

ROGERS, WAYNE Blues-Ul Alb (Twisted Village) lp 14.98

ROGUE WAVE 10:1 (Sub Pop) cd ep 3.98
Here's a four-song appetizer to whet your Rogue Wave pop appetite (their new full length comes out in October)! This EP kicks things off with the forthcoming album's first single "10:1" which is followed by three previously unreleased songs exclusive to this disc -- "Interruptions", "Wait For It" and "Crush The Camera". Happy to hear that the band has picked up right from where they left off on their 2003 debut (Out Of The Shadows). That is, makin' sensitive smart-pop that doesn't skimp in the energy department. Can't wait for the full length Descended Like Vultures!
MPEG Stream: " 10:1"
MPEG Stream: "Wait For It"

ROGUE WAVE Asleep At Heaven's Gate (Brushfire Records) cd 14.98
Oops, I do believe you've caught us napping! Sorry folks, not sure why it took us so long to come up with words to describe this SF band's latest full length. Of course we love it! Rogue Wave has been a trusted spring of utterly disarming pop tunes since their debut, 2003's Out Of The Shadows. They polish each one until it sparkles. Each of the dozen tracks on Asleep At Heaven's Gate is exceptionally well crafted and smart, the instrumentation warm and lush. Really, it's not an overstatement to say that the album starts strong with "Harmonium" and ends even stronger with "Cheaper Than Therapy". Zach Rogue's honey drop vocals are at their most lilting and earnest. We think fans of the high lonesome melancholia of My Morning Jacket might also find themselves caught in the comforting aural embrace of Rogue Wave. Soooo good!
MPEG Stream: "Harmonium"
MPEG Stream: "Cheaper Than Therapy"

ROGUE WAVE Descended Like Vultures (Sub Pop) cd 13.98
Hooooray! Here's the second album from Bay Area pop dreamies Rogue Wave. No sophomore slumps here. No way! Hearing Descended Like Vultures in many ways reminds me of hearing Death Cab For Cutie's first album Something About Airplanes for the first time. Descended Like Vultures is soft, sweet and immediately endearing with its melted ice cream boyish vocals and lush pop arrangements. Mainman Zach Rogue is one dandy songwriter and composer with an overflowing treasure chest of irresistibly dreamy hooks and melodies. Very reminiscent of The Beatles, Raspberries, Bread and the abovementioned Ben Gibbard and co. You can bet yer boots that popcraft as splendid as this certainly comes highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Bird On A Wire"
MPEG Stream: "Publish My Love"
MPEG Stream: "Salesman At The Day Of The Parade"

ROGUE WAVE Descended Like Vultures (Sub Pop) lp 12.98
Hooooray! Here's the second album from Bay Area pop dreamies Rogue Wave. No sophomore slumps here. No way! Hearing Descended Like Vultures in many ways reminds me of hearing Death Cab For Cutie's first album Something About Airplanes for the first time. Descended Like Vultures is soft, sweet and immediately endearing with its melted ice cream boyish vocals and lush pop arrangements. Mainman Zach Rogue is one dandy songwriter and composer with an overflowing treasure chest of irresistibly dreamy hooks and melodies. Very reminiscent of The Beatles, Raspberries, Bread and the abovementioned Ben Gibbard and co. You can bet yer boots that popcraft as splendid as this certainly comes highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Bird On A Wire"
MPEG Stream: "Publish My Love"
MPEG Stream: "Salesman At The Day Of The Parade"

ROGUE WAVE Out Of The Shadows (Responsive) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
You might've caught sight of this new SF quartet opening for AQ faves Spoon at the Fillmore recently. One dozen delightful tunes that take turns lulling you sweetly and perking you back up again. A couple of songs particularly bring to mind the intelligent pop of bands like Thingy, American Analog Set, Death Cab For Cutie or Pinback. And well, if you have any inclination of how we feel about those bands, then you know this bodes very very well for our appreciation of these new popsters.
Fantastic lilting vocal harmonies, crafty hooks, and little embellishments like delicate chimes or birdy chirps to pretty things up even more. But heck, don't just take our word for it, see for yourself! Check out the album's third song, the gentle pop confection "Be Kind + Remind". Aaah, so lovely, and such a great debut!
MPEG Stream: "Be Kind + Remind"
MPEG Stream: "Nourishment Nation"

ROGUE WAVE Out Of The Shadows (Sub Pop) cd 13.98
Now on Sub Pop! You might've caught sight of this SF quartet opening for AQ faves Spoon at the Fillmore a whiles back, and they keep on winnin' fans over with each subsequent show. Word is definitely spreadin' about this fine pop combo, and deservingly so. That's probably one of the reasons why Sub Pop thought it'd be a good idea to re-issue their previously self-released debut album... remastered with some nice new cover art, in a digipack! (And on vinyl too, for the first time.) The only disappointment is that there aren't any bonus new tunes. Ah well.
Here's what we said about it last July:
One dozen delightful tunes that take turns lulling you sweetly and perking you back up again. A couple of songs particularly bring to mind the intelligent pop of bands like Thingy, American Analog Set, Death Cab For Cutie or Pinback. And well, if you have any inclination of how we feel about those bands, then you know this bodes very very well for our appreciation of these new popsters.
Fantastic lilting vocal harmonies, crafty hooks, and little embellishments like delicate chimes or birdy chirps to pretty things up even more. But heck, don't just take our word for it, see for yourself! Check out the album's third song, the gentle pop confection "Be Kind + Remind". Aaah, so lovely, and such a great debut!
MPEG Stream: "Be Kind + Remind"
MPEG Stream: "Nourishment Nation"

ROGUE WAVE Out Of The Shadows (Sub Pop) lp 13.98
Now on Sub Pop! You might've caught sight of this SF quartet opening for AQ faves Spoon at the Fillmore a whiles back, and they keep on winnin' fans over with each subsequent show. Word is definitely spreadin' about this fine pop combo, and deservingly so. That's probably one of the reasons why Sub Pop thought it'd be a good idea to re-issue their previously self-released debut album... remastered with some nice new cover art, in a digipack! (And on vinyl too, for the first time.) The only disappointment is that there aren't any bonus new tunes. Ah well.
Here's what we said about it last July:
One dozen delightful tunes that take turns lulling you sweetly and perking you back up again. A couple of songs particularly bring to mind the intelligent pop of bands like Thingy, American Analog Set, Death Cab For Cutie or Pinback. And well, if you have any inclination of how we feel about those bands, then you know this bodes very very well for our appreciation of these new popsters.
Fantastic lilting vocal harmonies, crafty hooks, and little embellishments like delicate chimes or birdy chirps to pretty things up even more. But heck, don't just take our word for it, see for yourself! Check out the album's third song, the gentle pop confection "Be Kind + Remind". Aaah, so lovely, and such a great debut!
MPEG Stream: "Be Kind + Remind"
MPEG Stream: "Nourishment Nation"

ROGUE WAVE Permalight (Brushfire) cd 15.98
Permalight is the fourth full length from this fine Bay Area band. Rogue Wave don't whip out an album a year, but take their time (usually about 2-3 years) crafting their absolutely wonderful heartfelt gems. Always well worth the wait! With each one the band maintains a remarkable consistency, and yet also continues to grow and evolve. This time we noticed a few more electronic elements blipping and bleeping dreamily around their buoyantly wistful pop/rock core of guitar, keyboards, bass and drums. Also, it could just be our ears, but lead singer Zach Rogue's vocal phrasing and intonation seem a bit different than we remember. We can't quite put our finger on just what it is yet (maybe a shortening of vowel enunciation?), but what we can say though is if you swoon over the lovely pop sensitivities of bands such as Death Cab For Cutie, Postal Service or Nada Surf, or perhaps reaching further back Simon And Garfunkel, you just gotta give Rogue Wave a spin. Really good!
MPEG Stream: "Good Morning"
MPEG Stream: "Right With You"

ROLL THE DICE MEETS POLE In Dubs (Leaf) 12" 13.98
What can we say that the title doesn't already tell you. Yes, this is Pole (aka Stefan Betke) remixing three tracks from Roll The Dice's last record, In Dust. Pushing the Swedish duo's carefully crafted kosmiche epics into ghost in the alien dub machine techtonics. From the darkly pretty and mysterious "Calling Dub Workers" to the heavy intense dub of "Echo Hands" and finally the Middle Eastern skittering excursion of "The Skull is Built Into The Version", this is a match made in heaven!

ROLLERBALL Long Walk for Ice Cream (Cochon Records) cd 14.98
Rollerball scares up all sorts of psychologically charged demons within their cabaret theatrics, not unlike the atmospheres that saturate the works of Barry Adamson and to a lesser extent Tom Waits and Nick Cave (due to the fact that Rollerball's vocal duets / croons are engaging, but not as engrossingly powerful as either Waits or Cave, but the accompaniments remain similar). The slow patter of brushed drums, a minor chord on a piano, and melody lines from clarinet, accordion, and trumpet fix a darkened mood upon their jazz-decay creakiness. Occasionally, Rollerball dissolves the structures into epic free-jazz spaciousness that recalls their Portland comrades Jackie-O Motherfucker. "Long Walk For Ice Cream" collects the "Sam Donaldson" 7" single and the "Zapatos" 10" previously released through Cochon as well as four new tracks.
RealAudio clip: "Theme From A Movie With Characters"
RealAudio clip: "Blu Lu"

ROLLING STONES, THE Exile on Main Street (Universal) cd 15.98

ROLLING STONES, THE Exile On Main Street (Universal) 2lp 35.00

ROLLO Pinhole (Inoxia) lp 21.00
As much as we'd prefer not to, we're sure some of you would appreciate if we started this review with one of those AQ alerts. Goes something like: BORIS ALERT!!!! BORIS ALERT!!!! NEW ON INOXIA!!!! BORIS RELATED NEW RELEASE!!!! Okay, so now all you Boris obsessive can skip right to the buy button and move on, you're probably gonna want this, cuz A. it's on Inoxia, and B. it's produced by Atsuo from Boris! Oh, and let's not forget C. IT'S LIMITED TO 500 COPIES!!!
For the rest of you, who need more than a loose Boris connection, this is in fact a pretty awesome slab of drifting droning acid psych. No huge pounding sludge, or blown out fuzz rock, most of the tracks on Pinhole meander aimlessly, wandering from fluttery folks, to ambient drift, and back again, with the occasional squall of distorted buzz.
The record opens with a thick wash of blurred guitar, dense and swirling, groaning waves of distortion flecked with streaks of feedback, while beneath lurks a playful little melody, gently swaying peacefully beneath the sonic turbulence. Then suddenly, the record shifts gears, and we're floating weightless through some sun dappled glade, lilting detuned guitars unfurl gentle melodies all wistful and abstract, WAY off in the background some tape hiss and crumbling distortion. It's very spare and lo-fi, wreathed in sparkling solar flares and soft focus reverb, sort of like a druggy mix of Jandek, Loren Connors and the Durutti Column. Elsewhere reverbed guitars sway suspended in clouds subtle delay, nursery rhyme melodies and hummed / mumbled vocals draped over a shimmery crystalline latticework of delicate drifts of sound, super simple and unobtrusive percussion as well as barely audible field recordings. Now and again, the band launches into some super aggressive strumming, kicking up dense clouds of high end skree and blown out free noise fuzz, but even at their noisiest, Rollo are never far away from settling back down into another long stretch of soft psychfolk shimmer. Good stuff for sure. Not necessarily sonically something Boris fans will automatically love, although some of this did remind us of Boris at their dreamiest and most abstract, but fans of Japanese stuff like L, Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Masaki Batoh, Eddie Marcon and the like will be in heaven.

ROLLO TREADWAY, THE s/t (Rollosound) cd 14.98
Pop music definitely seems more and more like a lost art every day. For every hundred bands that can whip up a chaotic noise rock racket, or every thousand bands who tune down and unfurl walls of crumbling low end sludge, there are maybe only one or two bands, who are creating true, timeless, amazing pop music. Rife with amazing production, incredible songwriting, lush harmonies, clever lyrics, mind blowing hooks, maybe even horns and strings, and out of those bands, maybe only a fraction are doing something truly original. Aping the Beach Boys or the Zombies or the Beatles can only take you so far. And to be totally honest, way too many bands claim the Beach Boys or the Zombies as an inspiration, most taking just the surface stuff, which was only part of the musical magic involved.
So thus we have the strangely named Rollo Treadway, from Brooklyn, although on first listen we would have sworn they were from sixties London, or perhaps sixties Los Angeles. This disc showed up out of the blue in the mail one day, and on first listen we were already proclaiming this pop record of the year. How could we not, this is everything we love. Retro pop so good, that if you didn't know better, you might assume this was the real thing. And heck, it IS the real thing, just 40 years later. The strangest thing about this band is the fact that the drummer is Blake Fleming, formerly of the Mars Volta, and before that, the godlike Laddio Bolocko! But don't be expecting any of that sort of stuff, this is pure pop. Lush, string laden, harmony drenched pop. Mellotrons, warm organs, jangly guitars, and some of the most gorgeous breathy vocals harmonies we've heard in ages. The other amazing thing about this disc, is that it's a concept record of sorts, the first song, "Kidnapped" is sung by the male half of a couple of siblings who have been kidnapped, it's strangely moving, and super creepy. Later in the record, a track begins with the sound of a typewriter, and the song reveals itself as a letter from the kidnapper to the kids' family. The high concept never derails the songs though, and the songs are damn near perfect.
The opener, is quite possible THE pop song of the year. Quite reminiscent of Belle And Sebastian's "Step Into My Office, Baby" from their Dear Catastrophe Waitress (a record even the B&S hating Andee LOVES), beginning with twangy Western guitar, some cool percussion, maracas, shakers, a woozy guitar melody, all beneath a super effected stuttering main riff, then a circusy bridge, with gorgeous falsetto vocals, soaring strings, even some horns, a very Zombies like string break, there's even a flute solo. It manages to be dreamy and ethereal, but also surprisingly rocking. We've probably listened to this song a hundred times since we first got this in. Thankfully, the rest of the record is just as gorgeous, borrowing heavily from the above mentioned influences, but wrapping those influences in their own distinct song writing, some incredible intricate guitars, super varied drumming and percussion, horns and strings everywhere, whirring organs, but the focal point is definitely the vocals, lush and whispery and soft, the harmonies rich and layered and seemingly effortless.
"Dear Mr. Doe" continues the kidnapping plotline, the typewriter leading into a jaunty organ riff, and a simple propulsive rhythm, wandering bassline, and the vocals, multi tracked, each one complimenting the other, vibes, more organs, a shimmery sixties groove, almost dreamlike, while the lyrics instruct the parents not to call the police and where to leave the money if they ever hope to see the kids alive again.
It's really hard to explain what exactly is so magical about this record, other than the sound is amazing, and the songs are fantastic. Just listen to the sound samples, if "Kidnapped" doesn't immediately send you into paroxysms of pop bliss, then you need to march right down to your local Pop Music headquarters and turn in your membership. Pop kids of any stripe will dig this like crazy. If you love the Zombies, Beach Boys, Badfinger, Beatles, Kinks, or more modern pop revivalists like Jellyfish, the Three O'Clock, the Wondermints, Silver Sun, Redd Kross, Belle And Sebastian you will definitely love getting lost in the Rollo Treadway's lush baroque pop wonderland.
MPEG Stream: "Kidnapped"
MPEG Stream: "Dear Mr. Doe"
MPEG Stream: "Rua Gararu 188"
MPEG Stream: "You Laugh, I Cry"

ROMAN SOLDIERS s/t (Captured Tracks) 7" 6.98
Can't imagine a team up that would have lo-fi underground noise poppers more in a tizzy than this, Roman Soldiers, which is actually Blank Dogs AND Gary War together for the first time, crafting some of the most warped and warbly and ultra tweaked new wave downer pop ever, even by both groups already warped and warbly standards.
This plays at 45, but fair warning, it sounded pretty rad at 33, even more miserable and murky, but that's the advanced version, only for those of you who think you can handle it.
Two tracks, both a sort of creepy sci-fi electro new wave top 40, a definite Butthole Surfers vibe, mostly due to the vocals, which are SUPER heavily effected, muddy and reverby, the guitars are jagged and angular and jangly, of course there's plenty of synths all over the place, rumbling and buzzing, the whole record gloriously washed out and woozy. The flipside is total Gary Numan worship, thick slithery synths, cool laid back distorted vocals, a killer main hook, just some practically perfect doomy gloomy electro pop, again infused with that alternate universe FM radio wooooze. Here's hoping these guys stick it out together long enough to whip up a full length!

ROMEO VOID Benefactor (Wounded Bird) cd 16.98
Here's a reissue of this Bay Area band's sophomore release from 1982. Romeo Void were perhaps most known for their underground hit "Never Say Never" (aka "I might like you better if we slept together" song). That propulsive number which was characterized by some jagged sax, some time signature twists and vocalist Debora Iyall's distinct edgy delivery is indeed on this album along with eight others, many of which bear a striking resemblance to that one song. Also included on this 2006 pressing are four bonus tracks (one of which is a 12" version of "Never Say Never"). Cool.
MPEG Stream: "Never Say Never (12" Version)"
MPEG Stream: "Shake The Hands Of Time"

RONDELLES Shined Nickels and Loose Change (K) cd 14.98
You just may have heard us raging about the punky pop magic that was The Rondelles last album entitled "The Fox". Really, it was one of Cup's top picks from 1999. Well, when the time came to press play on this their newest sock hop offering, we were positively giddy. Granted this is a bit of a mishmash collection containing six new songs, two K Records singles and a Teenbeat Records compilation track, but... is it just us or are the hooks not gliding as easily off lead singer Juliet's tongue nor are they embedding themselves in your brain as instantly and deeply? In fact, many songs seem to be unfinished. Still a fun time, but sadly nothing comes near the the absolutely uplifting lo-fi pop anthems found on "The Fox". Includes a handful of eyebrow-raising covers (Madonna's "Like a Prayer" The Shimmy Beckers' "Cafeteria Rock" and the seasonal "Angels We Have Heard On High"). Bummer.
RealAudio clip: "Like A Prayer"
RealAudio clip: "Safety In Numbers"

RONDELLES The Fox (TeenBeat) cd 13.98
Bubblegum rock'n'roll action from Albuquerque! Peppy, high-spirited tunes for your next rollerskate party. This cd has not left Cup's stereo since it came out. Yes, it's that good from start to finish. Snappy songs, super hooks. Confident vocals at once youthfully exuberant, world weary, and wise beyond their years. An ultra-great trio sure to glue a smile on your face. Hey, Donnas fans in need of a more pop fix...this is definitely for you!

RONDELLES TV Zombie (K) 7" 2.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
With this release, The Rondelles hold the honor of being number XCIX (#99) in the International Pop Underground Singles Series. Hooray! Quite simply, this Albuquerque band continues to kick some super power-punk-pop ass --- albeit here in only two very brief bursts. Just a little single to keep us happy 'til the follow-up to the fabulous "Fox" album appears. More Rondelles, please!

RONDELLUS Sabbatum (The Music Cartel / Bed The Bug) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Finally back in stock, now as a domestic release on stoner rock label TMC, licensed from Estonia's Bed The Bug Records: the amazing "Sabbatum".
OK, here's an Aquarius-approved 'high concept' album, all right: Estonian medieval music group Rondellus performing covers of Ozzy-era BLACK SABBATH songs translated into Latin!!! Now *this* sounds like a Black Mass! Backed by lute, harmonium, psaltery, frame drum, bagpipe, and sundry other early instruments, Rondellus' male and female vocalists sing Latin versions of "Verres militares" ("War Pigs"), "Funambulus domesticus" ("A National Acrobat"), "Symptoma mundi" ("Symptom of the Universe"), and nine others -- it's all amazingly beautiful, and soooooo appropriate for Sabbath. Some songs are immediately recognizable, others will probably sound familiar to dedicated Sabbath fans only. Partly that's because of the unique arrangements, and partly because the songs selected for "Sabbatum" thankfully avoid (except for "War Pigs") the over-obvious: there's no "Iron Man" or "Paranoid"; indeed, instead they even picked a few less well known songs like "Junior's Eyes" and "A Hard Road" from Ozzy's last album with the Sabs, 1978's "Never Say Die"! Cool! There's plenty of variation in the instrumentation and vocal arrangements throughout the disc, and it's obvious a lot of hard work and love of Sabbath went into it. Maybe you know (another AQ-fave disc) the Atrium Musicae de Madrid's reconstruction of what ancient Greek music might have sounded like? This is along the same lines, imagining what it would have been like if Iommi/Butler/Osbourne/Ward had made church music back in the 13th century!! Rondellus' languid, haunting renditions demonstrate how timeless Sabbath's music is.
One of the best, and most original, 'tribute' records ever. Now they should go on tour with Apocalyptica (the Finnish cello quartet that does Metallica covers)!
RealAudio clip: "Oculi filioli"
RealAudio clip: "Funambulus domesticus"
RealAudio clip: "Post Aeternitatem"

RONDO BROTHERS No Time Left On Earth (War Chant) cd 9.98

RONETTES, THE Be My Baby: The Very Best Of The Ronettes (Phil Spector Records / Legacy) cd 13.98
Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls, Best Coast, Girls At Dawn, and on and on. So many of our favorite lo-fi garage pop bands of the last few years share one common bond, a deep love and appreciation for Phil Spector's production and the girl groups that he helped bring to life. When it comes to his production and THAT sound he perfected, it just doesn't get more classic than with The Ronettes. The 'Wall of Sound', the drenched reverb, the hypnotic warmth, the catchy melodies, the heartache and yearning.
Makes it extra heartbreaking and bittersweet to revisit these songs knowing all we do now about the troubling relationship that Phil Spector and Ronnie Spector had and of course the ongoing black cloud that haunts Spector's life. But no one can ever take away the amazing and revolutionary sounds he helped create with The Ronettes. These recordings really did help shape the landscape of so much of the best pop music that would follow over the next quarter century. From The Beach Boys to The Ramones, all of the greats have been influenced by the sounds of The Ronettes.
MPEG Stream: "I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine"
MPEG Stream: "Be My Baby"
MPEG Stream: "Walking In The Rain"
MPEG Stream: "Here I Sit"

ROOFIES Blame It On The Roofies (Mangina) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

ROOMMATE Guilty Rainbow (Antephonic) lp 14.98

ROOMMATES Winnifred (Slumberland) 7" 4.98
Slumberland are killing it lately. Band after band, release after release, it's beginning to feel like they've got the market cornered on fuzzy garage rock and buzzy jangle pop. And this new single from roommates only drives it home. Roommates is in fact Ben Cook from Fucked Up, and his partner in the Fucked Up side project Marvelous Darlings, Mark Fosco, and the two have cooked up some gorgeously hooky fuzzed out garagey power pop that totally kills. Big distorted guitars, pounding reverbed drums, the sound hazy and dreamy and shoegazey, with washed out vox and big big hooks. The two tracks on the A side came out as a crazy limited tape back in the day, and apparently were never intended to be heard outside of a few friends. Lucky for us, cuz these are fast becoming new favorites around here. The B sides dials back some of the buzz and fuzz and channels some totally classic old school power pop, with fantastic vocals, harmonies and hooks galore. It's weird to think of this as a tossed off side project, cuz most bands would kill for these songs. Here's hoping there's more where these came from...

ROOTS OF MADNESS The Girl In The Chair (Destijl) lp 21.00

ROOTS OF ORCHIS Red House In Winter (Slowdance) cd 14.98
The Roots of Orchis are a five piece post-rock ensemble from San Diego who can't decide which is better, Physics or Tortoise. Hey! Pick Physics and stay away from the bad jazz-fusion basslines.

ROPE Fever (Family Vineyard) cd ep 9.98
Shards of sharp, echo-effected guitar build repetitively throughout the four songs found on "Fever", the darkly shimmering half-hour-long debut cd ep by an enigmatic Polish duo that call themselves Rope (and now live in Chicago, we believe). Przemyslaw Drazek's beautiful but unsettling skin-crawl guitar chime is underpinned by the pulsing bass guitar and deep, whispered vocals of Robert Iwanik. The 6 and 12 string guitarwork on here sometimes reaches shrill peaks of intensity that recall the violins in Bernard Hermann's "Psycho" score. You know, the shower scene. Stabbing, stabbing! Yet the duo's drumless soundscapes are also overall quiet and lovely. Recorded in Warsaw and previously released on cassette via a Polish label, "Fever" is creepy, almost gothic (in a Swans sense) post-rock from the former Eastern bloc. The only comparisons we can make are hopelessly obscure and probably misleading: say, imagine Ulan Bator or Larsen with a restrained Keiji Haino on guitar. Hmm? Mysterious & moody, at any rate.
RealAudio clip: "Damn High Mountain"
RealAudio clip: "Liquid Courage"

ROPE Heresy, And Then Nothing But Tears (Family Vineyard) cd 14.98
Second full-length album by this dark and difficult avant-rock band, originally from Poland though now based in Chicago. This album consists of quietly creepy, whispery post-rock, abstract jazz-flecked soundscapes riven by anguished, loud outbursts of emotive vocals and guitar skree. Imagine Smolken of Dead Raven Choir (another Polish expat) fronting Oxbow... Or a moodier, malevolent US Maple with Keiji Haino sitting in. And on four of the tracks here, this sounds even more akin to Oxbow, because Oxbow's vocalist Eugene Robinson takes a guest turn at the mic. Intense!
MPEG Stream: "Heresy"
MPEG Stream: "Our Beast"

ROPE Widow's First Dawn (Family Vineyard) cd 14.98
Expatriate Polish post-rock act Rope are all about generating an atmosphere, and it's a creepy one, though quite arty. We liked their debut ep Fever, and this full-length delivers more of the same, and more besides as they've added more instrumentation (drums, piano, saxophone) to the bass and guitar previously employed. Furthermore, as if to evoke the widow of the title, there's some wordless soprano female fake 20th-century classical vox to compliment the throat-constricted whispery vocals of bassist Robert Iwanik, who sounds not unlike a sinister version of US Maple's Al Johnson. We're also reminded of Alan Dubin's Khanate croakings, and another Polish expatriate act, Dead Raven Choir. Indeed, though far from black metal, this has some of that sort of vibe. It's spooky stuff, as if the music is lurking in the dark, bursting in brittle sheets to threaten the listener, even as the lulls soothe one into a trance. Washes of cymbals and jagged guitar offer no mercy, and even when the volume gets intense, the menace seems more mental than physical. Some may find this sort of thing, the female vocals in particular, too gothically-academically pretentious, but for others it will quite effectively set a mood and hold your musical interest as well. Spaciously recorded with a large, empty live reverby room sound by Steve Albini in Chicago, where Rope currently reside.
MPEG Stream: "Love Without The Illusion Of Permanence"
MPEG Stream: "Widow's First Dusk"

RORSCHACH Live In Italy 6/18/92 (Gern Blandsten) cd 11.98
Rorschach, for those of you that don't know, were THE hardcore band of the early nineties. Seminal, influential and completely amazing. Furious and pummelling, political and totally kick ass. The singer went on to start super hip, post hardcore indie label Gern Blandsten, while former members went on to form metalcore pioneers Deadguy, Kiss It Goodbye, Radio To Saturn and others. This is the first time on cd for this tape that has been circulating for years. In fact, 8 years ago, some kid traded Andee his copy for an A Minor Forest record and a ride across the country. Not a bad deal considering what a fantastic record this is. Recorded in Italy on their 1992 European tour and only ever available as a bootlegged tape. For the cd release, the tape has been remixed and remastered so it sounds great. Lots of amazing hardcore action, wacky stage banter and it even includes a wicked cover of Black Flag's 'My War'. It's great to have this as an official addition to Rorschach's all-too-small discography.

RORSCHACH Remain Sedate / Protestant (Gern Blandsten) cd 16.98

MPEG Stream: "Pavlov's Dogs"
MPEG Stream: "In The Year Of Our Lord"
MPEG Stream: "In Ruins"
MPEG Stream: "Drawn And Quartered"

RORY STORM AND THE INVADERS Lone Nines (Celebrate Psi Phenomenon) cd-r 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A new cd-r from yet another mysterious New Zealand noise drone outift, the only thing we know for sure is that one of the Invaders was also at one time one of the Double Leopards! And it sounds like it. Two twenty something minute tracks of murky lowend explorations, wide expanses of barely there thrum, distorted fuzz, simple random percussive clomps, amp buzz, random guitar twang and pluck, occasional mournful melodies, simple strumming, and lots of random sonic clutter, voices and footsteps, shuffling and flitting about. Sounds a bit like the Dead C setting up, or Birchville Cat Motel breaking down. Drifting and meandering, haunting and intimate, creepy and weirdly pretty.
SUPER LIMITED AS ALWAYS!! NOT SURE WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET MORE WHEN THESE ARE GONE!
MPEG Stream: "28.02.04 None Gallery"

ROSE, AJA & GABRIEL SALOMAN Lightning/Spider/Grey (Herjazz Noise Collective / Diadem Discos) cassette 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
As if we weren't totally blown away by their first release, Aja Rose and Gabriel Saloman (who is one half of the late Yellow Swans) have once again conjured up some of the most shimmery and gorgeous lo-fi ambience around. Two sides of live collaborations recorded last year in Portland, distant voices and guitar passages ring out, the faint sound of haunted bell towers ringing miles away, glowing horizons warm with evening's fading light. Really captivating stuff here, mysterious clanging and ominous reverbed hush, a band of ghost gypsies passing through the darkened woods. So good. Too bad it was LIMITED TO 50 COPIES. Of which we have about 8 left. Gorgeous handmade packaging you sort of have to see to believe. Each one hand numbered.
Apparently this will be reissued on vinyl later this year, we'll relist it then and give it a bit more love and more of an extensive description, for now, quickest on the draw gets the prize...

ROSE, AJA & GABRIEL SALOMAN s/t (self-released) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We ran out of these gorgeous handmade cd-r's pretty much immediately, but thankfully managed to get another batch in. Pretty sure these are all gone, so this might be the last copies ever...
If you're like us, then anything even tangentially related to psychedelia, shoegaze, or post-rock is worth investigating. Well, Ms. Rose and Mr. Saloman (1/2 of the Yellow Swans) recently came through our doors to drop off a small batch -- really small, at 5 copies -- of their self-titled and self-released collaboration. Of course, as soon as they left, we put it on and totally geeked-out and got them to come back and bring us more. Recorded straight to tape and mastered to warm, lo-fi analog perfection, the disc is a wonderful synergy of the two members talents -- drone, melody and improvisation. But be forewarned, this is not NEARLY as noisy as either's other work. It's almost odd how melodic it is, really. Those that have heard the last few Yellow Swans records might not be too shocked though, since there has been an increasing number of melodic parts and much more structured arrangements. Is this getting too convoluted? Need some more specific reference points for the cd at hand? Think of something like Cloaks meets Ash Ra Tempel, a free and freaky compositional structure that gels more as a whole rather than than any one segment. The way melodies overlap and intertwine, changing each other's time and swirling all about reminds us of some tripped-out shoegaze band trying to go psych-drone. Really, really beautiful and blissed-out, and definitely recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Anchor Owl"
MPEG Stream: "Anchor Key Blue Purple"

ROSE, BIFF s/t (The Omni Recording Corporation) cd 17.98
While some of us here really love early Biff Rose records, we realize he's a very acquired taste. His jokey piano-bar delivery, quirky early musical theater-style arrangements, and Kermit the Frog-like voice (he also kind of sounds like Wayne Coyne from Flaming Lips) usually don't warm up to most people's ears right away. He definitely comes out of the same school of pop eccentrics as Mose Allison, Loudon Wainwright III, Randy Newman, The Neon Philharmonic, and Van Dyke Parks. But the thing is, when you have him on shuffle on your iPod, he'll always be that burst of warm surprise that makes you scramble for your iPod to figure out what the heck is playing. The ever-reliable The Omni Recording Corporation label has reissued this 1970 eponymous release. Not psych-folk as the label implies (or as we tend to think of it it), but the mood is much darker and somber than on any of Rose's previous records. Full of lush Van Dyke Parks-style orchestral arrangements and songs about heartbreak (he recorded this during a messy divorce), it contains our most favorite Biff Rose song, "The Captain", a haunting ode to epic loss with swirling strings and far off sleigh bells. This could easily be a touchstone for Joanna Newsom's Ys, as the mood and arrangements are similar, evoking an antique and quaint musical soundworld to touch on larger human themes of sadness and self-renewal.
If you're curious about Biff Rose, or like any of the aforementioned people above, this or Children of Light are the best ones to start with. So bittersweet!
MPEG Stream: "The Captain"
MPEG Stream: "Never Mind"