SANKT OTTEN Wir koennen Ja Freunde Bleiben (Hidden Shoal) cd-r 11.98
Before we get into the story behind this disc, let us just start by saying, that not only is this one of our new favorite records, a gorgeous slithery, smokey cross between Bohren And Der Club Of Gore and Portishead, but that it took a whole lot of work to get it into the store and available for sale...
So this has actually happened to us a few times, which either speaks to our naivete, or as we prefer to think a dogged belief in the record album as object, to be held, listened to and loved, and an inability to understand any thoughts to the contrary. Australia's Hidden Shoal Records got in touch with us and was hoping we would check out some of their bands, we did, and got all excited about carrying them at AQ. Until, after we emailed and tried to order some, we were regretfully informed that Hidden Shoal was in fact a digital only label, no lps, no cds, no cassettes, just MP3's. Too bad we thought, as far as we were concerned, though of course we know there are those perfectly happy to download some MP3's. But over the course of many months, and lots of emails back and forth, the label admitted to being interested in actually pressing up cds. We of course encouraged them, because we wanted all our customers to be able to buy and hear this music, but also, because, there's something about the object, the cd or the lp or the 7", the liner notes, looking through the booklet while listening to the music, the feel, even the smell. And sure, it IS all about the music, but that other stuff is part of it too, no matter how much iTunes wants us to think otherwise. Obviously most of you don't need to be told that, otherwise you'd probably not be reading this.
Well, the upshot is, two of our favorite recordings on Hidden Shoal are now finally available on cd, well, cd-r actually. But they are professionally pressed, with full color artwork, printed artwork on the disc, and heck, we'll take cd-r's over MP3s any day. And lots of you seem to prefer cd-r's anyway...
This disc is the latest from German combo Sankt Otten, often considered to be the Portishead of Germany, and sonically, that's not all that far off the mark. Although when we first heard it, we heard a lot of Bohren as well, late period Talk Talk, and maybe a little Tricky and Massive Attack. It all adds up exactly how you might imagine. Slow burning instrumentals, humid and sultry, Morricone-ish guitars drifting in a sea of rumble and shimmer, the bass a slithery serpent of sound, smooth and sexy sometimes, distorted and fuzz drenched at others.
But as with music like this, it's all about two things, the drums, and the atmosphere. And the drums here are perfect. And heck, so is the ambience. The rhythms almost always begin a jazzy skitter, the cymbals sizzling, the snare brushed, occasionally lurching into a more propulsive funk flecked rhythm. A dark lugubrious pulse, dangerous and dimly lit. The drums demarcate a darkened path through back alleys and smoky clubs, everything cloaked in a thick, ominous ambience. Dense sonic swells wrapped around sparse arrangements and moody minor key melodies. More of a jazz vibe than any of the above mentioned bands... but the jazziness oozes into all sorts of gorgeous variations, with the various chunks of dreamy doomy shuffle separated by stretches of Circle like hypnorock or looped Necks style static jazz, or the haunting Sigur Ros like vocals on "Fallen Und Fangen (Johannes Der Laeufer)" draped over soaring super dramatic strings, or even the album closer, "Maerchenwald", which almost sounds like it could be on Kompakt, a grey hued shoegazey drift, with sweeping synths rainy day piano, and a strange techno pulse buried in the mix. Some tracks sound so much like Portishead, they could be lost B-sides or instrumental outtakes, but Sankt Otten manage to imbue even those tracks too with their own stamp, be it an unlikely melody, some Western twang, some strange distorted bass line, spidery atonal synth or an unexpected abstract breakdown. Or as is the case on "Zum Schweigen Verdammt" its flurries of cinematic strings, and super distorted percussive crashes.
It's all just so intensely moody and melancholy, jazzy and dramatic, and so so gorgeous.
MPEG Stream: "Fremdenzimmer"
MPEG Stream: "Happiness (Woanders Als Hier)"
MPEG Stream: "Zum Schweigen Verdammt"
MPEG Stream: "Hoehenrausch"

SANSO-XTRO Fountain Fountain Joyous Mountain (Digitalis) cd 15.98
She's been on the scene for a few years now, but this is the first we've heard of the intimate and fragile dreamlike sounds of Sanso-Xtro, aka Australian multi-intrumentalist Melissa Agagte, who uses analog synths and electronics to create a fantasy soundtrack for a wander through a mystical forest, a sound that makes us think of folks like Islaja and Paavarhaju, or what it might sound like if Natural Snow Buildings teamed up with Colleen. It's never too precious for its own good, and in fact there's a mesmerizing haunting quality to this album that wraps you in its arms from start to finish. Like a warped music box floating on an empty lake, this is intimate and engaging music at its best!
MPEG Stream: "Fountain Fountain"
MPEG Stream: "The Origin Of Birds"
MPEG Stream: "Wood Owl Wings A Rush Rush"

SANSO-XTRO Fountain Fountain Joyous Mountain (Digitalis) lp 19.98
She's been on the scene for a few years now, but this is the first we've heard of the intimate and fragile dreamlike sounds of Sanso-Xtro, aka Australian multi-intrumentalist Melissa Agagte, who uses analog synths and electronics to create a fantasy soundtrack for a wander through a mystical forest, a sound that makes us think of folks like Islaja and Paavarhaju, or what it might sound like if Natural Snow Buildings teamed up with Colleen. It's never too precious for its own good, and in fact there's a mesmerizing haunting quality to this album that wraps you in its arms from start to finish. Like a warped music box floating on an empty lake, this is intimate and engaging music at its best!
MPEG Stream: "Fountain Fountain"
MPEG Stream: "The Origin Of Birds"
MPEG Stream: "Wood Owl Wings A Rush Rush"

SANTA MARIA s/t (Slottet) cd 15.98
Just what we've been hankering for, some perfectly breezy and colorful pop done just right. And lucky for us Santa Maria has got a perfect batch of the good stuff for us to enjoy. Leave it to the Swedes to make some of the most infectious and smart pop we've heard in ages. Best known as the guitarist in The Concretes, Maria Eriksson, aka Santa Maria steps into the spotlight with fantastic results. Joined throughout the record by some of Sweden's best and brightest, including members of Sagor & Swing, Tape, and Laakso, this is the kind of pop music we never ever ever get tired of. Equal parts peppy and bittersweet. Proving once again that pop doesn't have to be dumb or simple to be catchy and infectious. While her former Concretes bandmate, vocalist Victoria Bergsman stole the show with her contributions to the latest Peter Bjorn & John album, we're pretty sure that Maria Eriksson deserves the ears of all those who appreciate smart pop as well. With a sound similar to the great Concretes debut, Peter Bjorn & John, Camera Obscura, and The Aislers Set, this is one of the best pop records we've heard so far this year!
MPEG Stream: "Dogs"
MPEG Stream: "Face Blank"
MPEG Stream: "Icestorm"

SANTOGOLD Creator / L.E.S. Artistes (Downtown) 12" 10.98
Wow, "Creator" is quickly becoming our favorite single of the year. Santogold has been getting lots of attention and winning high profile fans like Bjork, Spank Rock and Lily Allen. "Creator" for sure makes us think of her friend M.I.A. in both the vocal delivery and the splatter-of-color production by Switch (who worked on most of M.I.A.'s latest). The 'b' side finds Santogold in more of a new wave territory sounding kind of like Karen O singing lead on the first Cars album. While both the aQ faithful as well as her famous fans wait for her debut full length, we'll be laying the needle on "Creator" again and again and again.

SANTOS, RUSTY The Heavens (UUAR) cd 13.98
A close associate of Animal Collective and very well submerged in the New York new-avant art/music scene stratus, Rusty Santos envelopes us with minimal electronic singer-songwriter type lovelies on The Heavens, his third release. With considerable amounts of recorded-in-the-practice-space-room-sound here, Santos' musical creations are artful soundscapes that often give way to some lyrical urgency and are hard to pinpoint where it's all coming from per se. But somewhere in a big bowl of sound steeped with Syd Barrett, Brian Eno, Neil Young, Violent Femmes and OMD, we loudly slurp up The Heavens. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "This Direction"
MPEG Stream: "Alms"

SAPAT Mortise And Tenon (Siltbreeze) cd 13.98

MPEG Stream: "Maat Fount"
MPEG Stream: "Dark Silver"

SAPPINGTON s/t ep (self-released) cd 5.98
Four quietly dreamy numbers from this young San Francisco trio. Two voices slowly weave their way around the often-subdued guitar, sampled dialogue and twinkling space sounds. For fans of For Stars or Tarentel.

SARAH'S CHARITY Code Of Red Twin (Arbor) cd-r 6.00
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**
We always assumed that Denmark's Sarah's Charity must include Matthew Bower of Skullflower, or Marcia Bassett of Hototogisu, or at least someone from Heavy Winged or Double Leopards or one of those sorts of bands. They have the same sort of slow burning heaviness going on, the washed out walls of psychedelic swirl, grinding guitars, keening streaks of high end. Another one of 'those sounds' we can't ever seem to get enough of.
Ends up SC are indeed from Denmark, and do not count any American or British noise rock ringers among their members, which is just as well, as these guys can totally hold their own, and then some, whipping up a seriously dense and deliriously blown out soundscape of buzz and blur and shimmer and rrrroooaaaaar. The other cd-r we had from SC was equally guitar heavy, but here, the sound seems significantly murkier and more muted, softer even (softer being relative of course), giving it a more dreamy drone-y sound which is no bad thing at all. But fear not, this is still fierce and prickly and caustic and HEAVY, just sort of pretty too.
We only have a handful of these, it was LIMITED TO 150 COPIES (each with a hand numbered insert), and they've been waiting for a while to get reviewed and listed, so pretty sure these are long gone and out of print at the source, but while they last, we got em here...
MPEG Stream: "One"
MPEG Stream: "Two"

SARGE The Glass Intact (Mud/Parasol) cd 12.98
Great hook-filled indie rock, tight and charming, with female harmonies... If you think indie rock is at a standstill, try this. For fans of Tiger Trap and Team Dresch.

SARGE The Glass Intact (Mud/Parasol) lp 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Great hook-filled indie rock, tight and charming, with female harmonies... If you think indie rock is at a standstill, try this. For fans of Tiger Trap and Team Dresch.

SARUMATAKEUITSUKO s/t (Alchemy) cd 21.00
Night Gallery 3 compilation alumni Sarumatakeuitsuko (whose name might translate into something in English like "Monkey Crotch Mushroom Mituko"?? no that can't be right... we hope not!) bring us their debut full-length for Osaka's Alchemy label. They were also just on Alchemy's recently reviewed Tribute To Jojo Hiroshige, and both comp appearances whetted our appetite for this cd.
An all-female psych rock trio (vocals & guitar/guitar/bass... no drums!), Sarumatakeuitsuko's album is often a haunting and beautiful thing, initally making quite effective use of eerie, lovely vocals and occasional stabs of guitar, eventually exploring chanting, fuzzed-out repetition, using slashing guitar chords percussively in lieu of drums. But it's not all downer drone-psych minimalism, as with track three "An An" the disc suddenly veers into sunny indie-pop jangle a la Maher Shalal Hash Baz or Nagisa Ni Te. Eventually things cloud over yet again, getting again all drifting and dreamy, especially on the disc's final 13 minute cut "Akai Butter", wherein emotive vocals and notes plucked out on one guitar are suspended over what builds into a droning bed of distortion...wandering, narcotic. Very nice indeed. Certainly something fans of Nagisa Ni Te, Angel 'In Heavy Syrup, Doodles, Eddie Marcon, etc. should hear!
MPEG Stream: "Solo"
MPEG Stream: "Meniere Girl"

SATAN'S RATS What A Bunch Of Rodents (Overground) cd 15.98
Wow! Classic UK punk from 1977, and how! Satan's Rats came out of Evesham, Worcester, and among their claims to fame -- playing some of the earliest punk festivals -- they opened for the Sex Pistols and were so well received the audience demanded and encore (no small feat for a band playing for finnicky young punks waiting to see the genre's defining act.) This anthology, compiled by founding member / guitarist Steve Eagles includes everything the band ever recorded: six songs off their three singles and 14 demo tracks recorded between 1977 and 1979. The final four demo tracks are true gems, primitively recorded in a basement studio which had decayed so far by the time they were preserved in the digital realm they were riddled with drop outs. Damn, if there's nothing greater than those anomalies of analog recording indelibly archived in the digital world! I don't know why, but I always love hearing that. As far as the music of the Rats goes, it's just plain good old fashioned punk rock n' roll. Both the music and vocals sound a bit like Generation X, but maybe with the stick pulled out of Billy Idols ass a bit, or maybe a little like The Buzzcocks but pitched an octave or so down. On the six demos (never before released?) the band was working on in 1979 before vocalist Paul Rencher split the group (Steve Eagles went on to form The Photos aftwerwards) you can hear the Rats working towards extended rock jams -- like Ulster rockers Stiff Little Fingers -- with guitarist Eagles spreading his wings (pun maybe intended) and showing his guitar prowess. Includes repros of the original 7" sleeves, publicity photos of the group and a brief bio of all the important moments of the group's career penned by Eagles. Oh, and they do an irreverent cover of "Lady Is A Tramp"! What more can we say? Highly fucking recommended and shit!
MPEG Stream: "In My Love For You"
MPEG Stream: "Year of the Rats"
MPEG Stream: "Buzz Boys"

SATOH, MASAHIKO & SOUNDBREAKERS Amalgamation (Phoenix) cd 17.98

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (BEE GEES) OST (Warner) cd 21.00
Oooooh, yes! Remastered and reissued on cd!
Blinded by the pearly white teeth, blown away by the skin-tight polyester disco boogie... that's what many of us were after seeing Saturday Night Fever way back in 1977. Seems like a whole 'nother lifetime. These days John Travolta's moving in a different kind of polyester crowd, and the seventies fashions we thought were gone for good have more than made a comeback. Oh, the more things change....
Such is also the case with the central musical force on this soundtrack. When you think of the Bee Gees, isn't this what springs to mind? Such a different musical beast from the band who just a few years earlier made the immensely Beatles influence drenched albums 1st, Idea and Horizontal (fyi: all three were recently reissued as deluxe 2cd editions, one of which was our Record Of The Week back in January!). Overflowing with delectable falsetto harmonies as only the Brothers Gibb could dish out, we love this album! Yes, there are ample top 40 moments and many dripping with cheese ("A Fifth Of Beethoven" anyone?), but don't be mistaken! This isn't just a "so bad it's good" trip. Nostalgia, yes. Irony, no.
And lest we forget film score dynamo David Shire's presence. His disco-fication of the classical composition "Night On Bald Mountain" (retitled "Night On Disco Mountain") is mighty wonder unto itself! Yeah, you know how to do it!
MPEG Stream: SHIRE, DAVID "Night On Disco Mountain"
MPEG Stream: BEE GEES "Night Fever"

SATURDAY PEOPLE s/t (Slumberland) cd 10.98
Featuring members of Velocity Girl, The Ropers, Tree Fort Angst and The Castaway Stones. For fans of said groups as well as Biff Bang Pow, Orange Juice, The Grass Roots and The Weather Prophets. Soft, straightforward pop with a blend of '60s soft-rock and '80s folk-pop influences. So very much at home on the sweetie-pop label Slumberland, who time and time again have proven their impeccable taste by releasing such great bands as The Aislers Set.
RealAudio clip: "Find out "
RealAudio clip: "Working for the Weekend"

SATURDAY PEOPLE s/t (Slumberland) lp 9.98
Featuring members of Velocity Girl, The Ropers, Tree Fort Angst and The Castaway Stones. For fans of said groups as well as Biff Bang Pow, Orange Juice, The Grass Roots and The Weather Prophets. Soft, straightforward pop with a blend of '60s soft-rock and '80s folk-pop influences. So very much at home on the sweetie-pop label Slumberland, who time and time again have proven their impeccable taste by releasing such great bands as The Aislers Set.
RealAudio clip: "Find out "
RealAudio clip: "Working for the Weekend"

SATWA s/t (Time-Lag) cd 13.98
Probably the best description of the music on this first-time-reissued Brazilian '70s acoustic acid-folk rarity comes in the form of a picture, that's right there on the sleeve -- a drawing on the back cover depicting two naked hippies sitting crosslegged with guitar and sitar. And, they have wings. Winged hippies. One's set of wings is butterfly-like, while the other is sorta batwinged, demonic. And both make sense, as the music is light and pretty enough for the butterfly one but also serious and sad enough for a guy cursed with batwings to play. On this, their eponymous and only album (a private press LP originally released in 1973), the Satwa duo unfurl delicate psychedelic rainforest folk ragas, super pretty, mellow and meandering maaaaaan. These tracks are largely instrumental, but there's are occassionally some wispy vocals wandering high (indeed) over the sparkling string play. And a lil' fuzz guitar makes the mix too. Utterly beautiful stuff. It's kind of a South American, decades-past version of Jewelled Antler faves Ivytree or Skygreen Leopards... If we didn't know any better, we'd suspect Glenn Donaldson had a hand in it. But Glenn's too young, doesn't speak Portuguese, and also doesn't have wings.
This cd version comes in a mini-LP style sleeve... lovingly packaged, lovely music.
MPEG Stream: "Can I Be Satwa"
MPEG Stream: "Apacidonata"

SAUL, DANNY Balance ep (self-released) cd-r 8.98
We've just received two terrific self-released cd-rs by this solo artist from across the pond -- History+3 and this one! First impressions of Danny Saul's music stir a traditional folk singer/songwriter stance, but delving deeper you become aware that there's more layers to his songs. Each one moves through subtle mood shifts and occasionally some startling dissonance. Alternately intimate and expansive, he captures a nice counterbalance between bristling electric guitars and slow smooth minimal piano strokes. Definitely check out the title track and the final one "Tracks". Great stuff! Fans of Badly Drawn Boy and Arab Strap, don't miss!
MPEG Stream: "Balance"
MPEG Stream: "Tracks"

SAUL, DANNY History + 3 (self-released) cd-r 8.98
We've just received two terrific self-released cd-rs by this solo artist from across the pond -- Balance and this one which includes a fine cover of Jandek's "I'm Ready"! First impressions of Danny Saul's music stir a traditional folk singer/songwriter stance, but delving deeper you become aware that there's more layers to his songs. Each one moves through subtle mood shifts and occasionally some startling dissonance. Alternately intimate and expansive, he captures a nice counterbalance between tremolo'd electric guitars and warm picked acoustic guitars. Great stuff! Fans of Badly Drawn Boy and Arab Strap, don't miss!
MPEG Stream: "History"
MPEG Stream: "I'm Ready"

SAVAGE DAMAGE DIGEST Issue 2, January 2012 magazine + button 5.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Whoo-hoo! SDD #2!! Well, in "zine time" getting 2 issues done in as many years isn't that bad. At least, at last, it's here: the 2nd issue of Savage Damage Digest, a 'zine that with but one issue became one of our faves in the realm of enthusiastic dead-tree rock n' roll writin'. As good as the first issue was, this one's maybe even better, it's got great stuff about a wide variety of long-lost legends... '60s UK popsyke geniuses July, '60 NZ garage gods Chants R&B, '70s pub rockers Ducks Deluxe, and more... The cover story, especially interesting for those of us located in the Bay Area, is about '70s San Francisco proto-punks La Rue. No, never heard 'em, but boy do we want to now.
What we love about SDD is that it's the sort of thing that really puts the FAN in fanzine. We mean, they even devote two pages to some non-musical fandom - about the special San Francisco ice cream sandwich known as an It's It! And, most amazingly, there's pages and pages about guitarist Ross The Boss and his various bands over the years: The Dictators, Shakin' Street, Manitoba's Wild Kingdom, and... Manowar!! The Manowar stuff, especially, makes this issue required reading. We just tend to think that a lot of "typical" SDD readers and AQ customers might not already be Manowar fans, but this is the sort of thing that just might covert 'em (you?).
And, this issue comes with a free button, bearing the Vertigo records label swirl design! With accompanying label appreciation essay for anyone not already aware of just how cool UK '70s prog imprint Vertigo was.
Hopefully it won't be another 2 years before issue 3 of Savage Damage Digest comes out, though we won't be holding our breath. But we will be looking forward to it. And, let's say, the highest form of praise we can give a 'zine like SDD is that it makes us want to get to work on our own 'zines, like some of us used to do back in the day.

SAVAGE REPUBLIC 1938 (Neurot) cd 14.98
The Savage Republic song "Birds of Pork" has been the preamble to each and every Neurosis show for many, many years now; so if anybody should be subsidizing a Savage Republic reunion recording, it should definitely be Neurot Recordings! And yes, the influence that Savage Republic had on Neurosis can still be heard in these recordings, as the heavy tribal percussion is still the underbelly to these expansive post-punk crescendos. The current incarnation of Savage Republic revolves around Thom Fuhrmann, Ethan Port, and Greg Grunke (all of whom were members back in the day) alongside Val Haller (who had played with Fuhrmann in the grossly underappreciated Autumn Fair in the late '80s) and Alan Waddington. 1938 is pretty true to the sounds that Savage Republic had produced on Ceremonial or Customs, with that tribal percussion grounding slashes of drone guitar which slide into post-Morricone / proto-Godspeed crescendos for guitar and violin. Vocals have always been the problematic area for Savage Republic; and fortunately, they keep this album almost entirely instrumental.
MPEG Stream: "Marshal Tito"
MPEG Stream: "Monsoon"

SAVAGE REPUBLIC Box Set (Mobilization) 4cd 54.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The beautifully packaged boxset of all of the recent Savage Republic reissues ("Tragic Figures," "Ceremonial," "Jamahiriya," and "Customs") has of course been designed by former-Savage Republic member Bruce Licher and his reknowned Independent Project Press and is a bargain if you plan on buying all four.

SAVAGE REPUBLIC Ceremonial + Trudge (Mobilization) cd 14.98
Upon the release of the "Ceremonial" album and the "Trudge" ep in the mid-'80s, Savage Republic underwent a number of personnel changes which altered the group's sound from the primitive, percussion heavy art-punk found on "Tragic Figures" toward a far more expansive sound that has often been cited by Godspeed You Black Emperor! as one of their influences. Drawing heavily upon Turkish and Greek musical traditions, Savage Republic played quickening, repeated rock grooves that begin stoically out of quiet spaces and accelerated with soaring guitar solos into climatic crescendos. While descriptively this may sound much like the aforementioned GSYBE!, Savage Republic's production techniques were much rougher, at times sounding like early Joy Division. Similarly, Savage Republic's conceptual agenda always lacked the socially conscious overtones of that of GSYBE! Instead, Savage Republic triumphantly claimed something of a nomadic, masculine space reflected in the best of Burning Man culture. And fortunately, with the recordings found on this disc Savage Republic mostly did away with the vocals that somewhat hampered the success of their previous "Tragic Figures" LP.
Again, beautifully packaged by Bruce Licher and Independent Project Press.
RealAudio clip: "Trek"
RealAudio clip: "Andelusia"

SAVAGE REPUBLIC Customs (Mobilization) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"Customs" was the final studio album from Savage Republic, recorded under considerable duress in Greece during an ill-fated 1988 tour in which all of their gear was confiscated by Greek customs! Thus, "Customs" was recorded entirely on borrowed equipment. The resulting album is not dissimilar to the usual Savage Republic sound of expansive songs that build up through the increasingly aggressive riffs of "monotone" guitars, but has been augmented with a handful of traditional Greek instruments such as hand drums and bouzouki. And, as a potentially useful piece of trivia, you might want to know that this album features Savage Republic's "Birds of Pork," which for years has been the preamble played before each and every Neurosis live show!
RealAudio clip: "Birds of Pork"

SAVAGE REPUBLIC Jamahiriya Democratique (Mobilization) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Since Savage Republic dissolved in the late '80s, most of its members went onto other projects, with Bruce Licher and Robert Loveless forming Scenic, Ethan Port working with Scot Jenerik in F-Space, and Thom Furhmann founding the amazing but shortlived Autumn Fair (a re-issue of which is due soon). "Jamahiriya Democratique" is Savage Republic's fourth album, exhibiting many of the traits that would later be so pronounced in these various post-breakup projects (especially Scenic). There is much less emphasis upon Savage Republic's trademarked junk-yard / punk-as-fuck percussion, but they continue in their post-punk translations of Greek / Arabic motifs, with more of a production polish (which runs close to the dreamy sound of Bill Laswell's neo-prog professionalism). Vocals, absent on "Ceremonial", make a few returns, but aren't terribly annoying and are also off-set by a couple of instrumental versions (i.e. "Viva La Rock 'n' Roll" which may be Savage Republic's best song, does much better as an instrumental track). Certainly, those of you who love Scenic's big sky expansiveness and Godspeed You Black Emperor!-esque guitar crescendos should check out the "Jamahiriya Democratique."
RealAudio clip: "So it Is Written"
RealAudio clip: "Tabula Rasa"
RealAudio clip: "Viva La Rock 'n' Roll (Instrumental)"

SAVAGE REPUBLIC Recordings From Live Performance, 1981-1983 (Independent Project Records) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Right on the heels of a reunion tour (reunited after 13 years), Savage Republic offers us this collection of live recordings, dating back to their first live performance as Africa Corps in May, 1981. The legends that surround the band all state that they were much better live than they were in the studio; for on stage, a punk energy came to the forefront in the massive bass ploddings, slashing guitars, and junk-yard percussion. This collection, while clearly lacking in fidelity, proves the point that Savage Republic was certainly a kick-ass live band. Most of the material present also appeared on their debut "Tragic Figures" album, with a couple of previously unreleased / undocumented tracks. As I've never thought that Savage Republic's lyrics and vocals were particularly strong, they are fortunately few and far between in these live performances. The majority of the words are spoken as between song banter highlighted by the announcement that "Every band's gotta have a surf song!" Their's being the incendiary instrumental "Ivory Coast."
RealAudio clip: "The Ivory Coast"

SAVAGE REPUBLIC Siam (Independent Project Music) cd ep 12.98

SAVAGE REPUBLIC Tragic Figures (Mobilization) cd 14.98
Savage Republic was one of Los Angeles' leading art-punk bands, fusing gritty post-Joy Division basslines, slashing guitars with occasional Arabic cadences, and a massive clatter of dense percussion at times worthy of comparisons to Test Dept. or Einsturzende Neubauten. Yet, Savage Republic always maintained a much closer relationship to the simple structuralism of punk, layering all of their percussive energy into complex articulations of a simple 4/4 beat. Originally called Africa Corps, Savage Republic recorded their 1982 debut "Tragic Figures" while its members were attending art school at UCLA. The resulting album is a vibrant cross section of LA's punk scene from the early '80s, slipping between dark, yet subtle Factory-ish songs to aggressive percussion assaults worthy of a Mad Max soundtrack (before Tina Turner, of course). While at their best, Savage Republic were a force to be reckoned with, these reissues force us to recall that vocals were never their strong point, wavering from a Steve Albini -like nasal delivery to a Lee Ving-ish throaty scream.
The band's Bruce Licher has since gone on to form the acclaimed Independent Projects Press, developing a unique, celebrated style of beautifully letterpressed packaging, of course utilized for these new Savage Republic reissues on Scot Jenerik's Mobilization label. This disc features all of the tracks from previous CD editions, including the proper recordings from "Tragic Figures," the "Film Noir" 7" and a couple of alternate versions.
RealAudio clip: "When All Else Fails"
RealAudio clip: "Ivory Coast"
RealAudio clip: "Film Noir"

SAVES THE DAY Stay What You Are (Vagrant Records) cd 14.98
Anthemic indie-rock on the Get-Up Kids label. LA sing-along-songsters rock in the dynamic power-chord tradition of Get Up Kids, the Anniversary and The Stereo. Since when did punk rock get so bubblegum? (Not to mention a suspiciously glossy website where they brag about working with a producer who has worked with Beck.) However, this is a fine kickass pop record. Check out the song clip -- the hook is addictive.
RealAudio clip: "Jukebox Breakdown"

SAWAKO Bitter Sweet (12K) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Originally from Tokyo and now living in the states, Sawako has a really nice and subtle touch in creating delicate sounds that drone, crackle and flow in such a beautiful way. Delicate but never too precious this is a record sure to catch the ears of fans of the Fennesz/Sakamato collaborations, Christopher Willits and the final track (the only one with vocals) reminded us a lot of the early sound of Mum that we've been missing.
MPEG Stream: "Utouto"
MPEG Stream: "Wind Shower Particle"

SAWYER, PHIL Childhood's End (Guerssen Records) cd 21.00
No, this is not some outsider electronic record based on Arthur C. Clarke's dark tale of alien invasion (although that would be rad, wouldn't it?). No, this is actually an extremely rare psych-folk record from Down Under originally released in 1971. How rare? Well, a recent eBay seller was asking $700 dollars for this. Whoa! A bit country-tinged with some really great songwriting, this remind us of a more electric Gordon Lightfoot (whom we love!). We believe this is Phil Sawyer's only release, and even this album is not very well known outside high-caliber record collector circles, which is a shame because it's really good. Looking for some psych-dappled singer-songwriter fare in the vein of Graham Nash, Gary Higgins or the abovementioned Mr. Lightfoot? Look no further. Awesome!
MPEG Stream: "Nightbirds"
MPEG Stream: "Stranger in The Street"

SAY BOK GWAI s/t (Monkey King Records) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SCALE THE SUMMIT The Collective (Prosthetic) cd 14.98
We loved the last Scale The Summit record, a soaring shredding, super epic, majestically scenic chunk of instrumental metal, jubilant, sweeping, kinda prog, but totally mesmerizing in its scale and cinematic vibe. Like we mentioned in the review of that record, it was almost like a metal soundtrack to one of those nature films, the sweeping shots of the coastline from a helicopter, or maybe the music playing while the credits roll, and the main characters drive off into the distance, the shot growing wider and wider, until the car becomes barely a speck on a fantastically panoramic vista. As we also mentioned, the only downside, and it's a downside that didn't really seem like a downside at all to us, is something that probably dogs lots of epic instrumental prog metal bands, the fact that no matter how rocking, or how shredding or how epic things get, it's hard not to think of Joe Satriani's Surfing With The Alien. Lots of folks out there probably don't even remember that record, but when that record came out we LOVED it. Now it's considered supremely cheesy, but at the time it was totally epic shredding genius.
Which we suppose makes Scale The Summit the modern Surfing With The Alien, which is fine with us. And this record is more of the same. Maybe even better than the last one. It's heavy, the riffs are awesome, the arrangements are intricate and complex, the vibe is totally epic, like a shreddy prog metal Godspeed, but the band slip deftly from that sort of slow build chug, to super intricate stop/start progged out workouts, and then right back into something emotional and cinematic and sweeping. There's some fretless bass, and some woozy almost jazzy bits that definitely drift awfully close to cheese, but those parts are few and far between, and in the context of the whole, they offer a brief respite from much of the rest of the record's Champs meets Satriani progshred crunch.
Check out the sound samples, it'll probably take you all of 30 seconds to figure out if this is your cup of tea, but trust us, if you find that it is you might find it hard not to blast this in your convertible as you speed down the highway along the coast, driving off into the sunset...
MPEG Stream: "Colossal"
MPEG Stream: "Whales"
MPEG Stream: "Emersion"

SCAM Issue #9 Fall 2012 (Damaged!) magazine 3.00
This is the most recent issue of this NYC zine, the first one we've carried, but it's a great one to start with. This issue is entirely about the making of the very first proper Black Flag full length album, 1981's Damaged. And while it may be in zine form, all photocopied, hand written, cut and pasted old school style, the writing is fantastic, super smart, and the research extensive, with interviews with all the key players, there's even footnotes, that are expanded upon in the back. It's as much about the band and the record, as the scene at the time, and the political and social climate that contributed to the energy and anger of that record, that band, and that scene - including a lot about chief of the LAPD at the time Daryl Gates, the Rodney King riots, and the polcie versus punks mentality that was prevalent at the time. In many ways the mag reads like an excerpt from a bigger, more comprehensive book, and yeah, we know there's been much written about Black Flag and this era, but Scam mainman Erick Lyle does a fantastic job of condensing it all down to a very readable, 50 or so pages. Lots of photos and flyers, as well as a cool introduction by Lyle about why this record means so much to him. All in all an awesome read, and definitely has us wanting to check out the other eight issues we missed...

SCANTILY CLAD 2 (self-released) cd-r 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The second cosmic synth-drone-rock missive from Scantily Clad, a duo of instrumental improvisers split between Northern and Southern California. We loved their first cd-r, an amalgam of lo-fi synth styles from soft lullabies to abrasive noise that showed a lot of promise. Well, that promise is made good on their follow-up, a richer, more focused, and self-assured outing than before. The sonic intensity is beefed up, the songs more composed, the instrumentation more varied, the dreaminess heightened ( especially on tracks like Vanilla, Baby"), and the nosier parts (like what sounds like chipmunks speaking in tongues on "Deep Witch") are even weirder. But it all fits together very well as a fully-realized piece of heavy instrumental spaciness. Even the packaging is cooler, with their clipart collages of mandalas and symbolic animals housed in a sturdy transparent plastic case. Fans of groups like Emeralds and Carlton Melton will find lots to dig here!
MPEG Stream: "Plain Galaxies"
MPEG Stream: "Vanilla, Baby"
MPEG Stream: "Mud Dreams"

SCANTILY CLAD 3 (self-released) cd-r 9.98
The bedroom synth-rockers of Scantily Clad return with their third home-brewed communique. And as always, they deliver the lo-fi/sci-fi goods with tracks that teeter from distorted cosmic rock instrumentals to moody cinematic soundscapes.
They often pack a lot of ideas into short songs that only add to their listenability. White Noise and other fucked-up and broken electronic textures are painted on over prettily composed pieces that add a noirish sublime element to the proceedings, like lullabies for powered-down robots before they retire to obsolescence. Packaged in a homemade gatefold digipack with their usual xerox copy art inserts.
Limited to 99 copies, these most likely won't last for long. Their other two releases went out of print in a flash, so don't wait too long!
MPEG Stream: "Imaginary Wisdom Teeth"
MPEG Stream: "Fuzzy Stomach Again"
MPEG Stream: "Cromagnon Tape Forage"

SCANTILY CLAD 4 (self-released) cd-r 7.98
Album number 4 from these home recorded synth rock improvisers, each one has been a beautifully hand assembled package rife with bizarre xerox collages that riff on retro-futurist themes, as does the music though in a more roundabout way. This is modular synth music that doesn't winkingly nod to the vast past of synth heavy music, but takes a more DIY off the cuff attitude towards shaping its sounds and song. Though we can hear strains of groups like Chrome, Add N To X and Stereolab, Scantily Clad don't seem to try and emulate either of those bands instead focusing on a hodgepodge of moods and tropes: Noisy interludes, distorted shoegaze psych, vibrant pop, kosmiche bliss, and avant experimentation. All with strange titles like "Vacant Stare World Exciter" and "Exotic Fabrics And Materials". This is library music for the new modern age!
MPEG Stream: "Hey Swisher"
MPEG Stream: "Black Leather Utility Belt"
MPEG Stream: "Paso Nineteen Eighty-Eight"
MPEG Stream: "Somehow Please Miss Me"

SCANTILY CLAD s/t (self-released) cd-r 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Scantily Clad is the curious moniker of this duo of bedroom space-rock improvisors from Paso Robles, CA. Creating cosmic percolating synthscapes that venture from electronica lullabies ("Bedroom Giggles") to Yellow Swans-ish drone abrasion ("Stoned, Street Goblins") to epic post-rock swells ("Promegranate") and tribal abstractions ("Bone-Colored Moon"). Bathed in a lo-fi glowing fuzz, the warm sound of the vintage analog synths immerse us in its dreamy drifting wake, a sound we can live in forever in its multiple mutating forms. Though short, the six tracks over 25 minutes definitely leave us wanting more and we hope to see what this group does next. Packaged in handmade bronze or silver sleeves with black and white photocopied artwork. Not sure how limited these are, but with all things homemade and self-released, don't wait too long!
MPEG Stream: "Prickly Glow"
MPEG Stream: "Promegranate"
MPEG Stream: "Bone-Colored Moon"

SCARLETT JOHANSSON Anywhere I Lay My Head (Atco / Rhino / Periwinkle) cd 17.98
We can't think of any album in recent history that was more set up to fail than this one.
A "love her or hate her" actress with dubious musical abilities performing mostly Tom Waits covers (with the exception of one original, "Song for Jo"). Even in the highly capable hands of David Sitek from TV On The Radio manning the production (and providing a healthy dose of indie cred), they must have realized this was a high risk venture. Which means we think most people will never bother to give this a listen, which is too bad, because if you didn't know it was Scarlett Johansson and you didn't know these were Tom Waits covers, it's actually a pretty good ethereal pop album. One could easily mistake this for a record by Beach House or even Mazzy Star. There's been much worse music put out by actresses than this (ahem, She and Him), that got away with so much less scrutiny. Perhaps this is the problem, it's setup to be a vanity project when it really isn't (Johansson's vocals are just as much of an instrument in Sitek's production as the swirling music boxes and atmospheres), leaving the actress to bear much of the blame for its failure. Perhaps if it was released under a band name that just happened to have Johansson on vocals or whatever, under any other circumstances this would be a hit. Oddly, David Bowie makes a guest appearance.
MPEG Stream: "Town With No Cheer"
MPEG Stream: "Song For Jo"
MPEG Stream: "Green Grass"

SCARLETT JOHANSSON Anywhere I Lay My Head (Warner) lp 23.00
NOW ON VINYL!!!!!!!!!!
We can't think of any album in recent history that was more set up to fail than this one.
A "love her or hate her" actress with dubious musical abilities performing mostly Tom Waits covers (with the exception of one original, "Song for Jo"). Even in the highly capable hands of David Sitek from TV On The Radio manning the production (and providing a healthy dose of indie cred), they must have realized this was a high risk venture. Which means we think most people will never bother to give this a listen, which is too bad, because if you didn't know it was Scarlett Johansson and you didn't know these were Tom Waits covers, it's actually a pretty good ethereal pop album. One could easily mistake this for a record by Beach House or even Mazzy Star. There's been much worse music put out by actresses than this (ahem, She and Him), that got away with so much less scrutiny. Perhaps this is the problem, it's setup to be a vanity project when it really isn't (Johansson's vocals are just as much of an instrument in Sitek's production as the swirling music boxes and atmospheres), leaving the actress to bear much of the blame for its failure. Perhaps if it was released under a band name that just happened to have Johansson on vocals or whatever, under any other circumstances this would be a hit. Oddly, David Bowie makes a guest appearance.
MPEG Stream: "Town With No Cheer"
MPEG Stream: "Song For Jo"
MPEG Stream: "Green Grass"

SCARNELLA s/t (Smells Like Records) cd 12.98
Working apart from the Geraldine Fibbers, Carla Bozulich and AQ-favourite guitarist Nels Cline team up as Scarnella. Slow building intense walls of droning guitar strum not unlike late period Swans and lilting ballads that wouldn't be out of place in a German cabaret.

SCARY MANSION Every Joke Is Half The Truth (Zum) cd 9.98

SCATTER Surprisin Sing, Stupendous Love (Cenotaph Audio) cd 14.98
This very interestingly, artfully packaged disc is stickered with the information that the debut from Scatter includes a member of Scottish NYC-wavers Franz Ferdinand. And while at least of few of us here at Aquarius really like Franz Ferdinand, that fact is much less relevant to the sound of Scatter than that the nine member Scatter also includes percussionist Alexander Neilson in their ranks, who we only recently were introduced to via Neilson's excellent collaborative cd with AQ fave Richard Youngs, Ourselves. And Scatter indeed proves to be in line with the experimentation of Youngs and others in the UK free-folk underground. On Surprisin Sing, Stupendous Love, you'll find Scatter appropriately enough scattering their music with elements drawn from such diverse traditions as folk music and free jazz. There's some sweet female vocals, softly melodic *and* plenty of abstract, jazz oriented group blowing. Both Appalachia and Sun Ra are referenced. Less dense than delicate, but definitely lively and lovely. We think this is on roughly the same wavelength as the likes of A Silver Mount Zion, Vibracathedral Orchestra, and Black Forest / Black Sea, though sounding mostly unlike any of those.
MPEG Stream: "Nationa Magic"
MPEG Stream: "Alternations Of Pasture And Urban Conurban"

SCATTERED ORDER Prat Culture Plus (Klanggalerie) cd 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We can't really think of anything from Australia that sounds like the post-punk / art-rock collective Scattered Order. Maybe bits of the Swell Maps or the very first SPK recordings, but Scattered Order were way weirder. The band formed in 1979 around a couple of blokes from Sydney bored with the prospects of pub rock riffs, taking any number of signal altering gizmos and throwing them into a jagged post-punk context. The band purposefully deconstructed what they came up with into a myriad of dubbed-out rhythms, hazy melodies struggling through the trebly din, angular stabs from guitars, junked metal, and electronics, and a go-fuck-yourself sense of humor.
Prat Culture was the first album from Scattered Order, having been self-released through their own M Squared imprint back in 1981. This was a record that teetered on the edge between control and chaos, with a jagged minimalist fug-rock, with spluttering table saw noises coalescing around jackbooted rhythms that looked forward to what Swans were doing just a year later on their eponymous debut. "Swiss Like Knives And Forks" was something of a 'hit' for Scattered Order, as it was much more a legitimate song with a driving rhythm section, a swaggering Buzzcocks-inspired guitar riff, and appropriately barked vocals. This was actually the track that made us jump at the chance to get a whole Scattered Order album, with a version of this song being included on the Can't Stop It 2 compilation of Aussie post-punk from a few years back. As thoroughly awesome as this one song is, it does stand out against the more amorphous excursions into monochrome riffs, druggist rhythms, atonal drones, and indifferent attitudes. "Slot Car Synth" recreates the accelerating roar from drag-racing through cheap machines and hammered rhythms, "Koo Koo Kamus" is an anti-groove dub track whose chicken scratch guitar rhythms are on par with the oddball post-punk expressionism of Sprung Aus Den Wolken, and other tracks have the feel of This Heat trying to work out how to play Mars songs.
This cd version of Prat Culture features all of the tracks from the "Screaming Tree" 7" - an equally impressive and equally obtuse recording, alongside a couple of live tracks that actually serve to complement the studio recordings without sounding tacked on at all.
A weird and wonderful find!
MPEG Stream: "Swiss Like Knives And Forks"
MPEG Stream: "Koo Koo Kamus"
MPEG Stream: "Boys In Coal Trucks"
MPEG Stream: "World's Longest Intro (2JJ Mix)"

SCATTERED PAGES Lazy Are The Skeletons (Three Ring Records) cd 14.98
... but lazy are not the Scattered Pages! The new full length from these three troubadours from Houston, TX comes swiftly on the heels of their fine cdep This Is Where The Story Ends, and even in that short time the band has evolved and fleshed out their sound tenfold. Their not so secret weapon is the combined songwriting force of Kurt Coburn and Brandon Hancock, both have proven themselves to be quite the richly imaginative storytelling lyricists and crafty songsmiths. Many of the songs here reminded us quite a bit of The Hidden Cameras or Belle And Sebastian, but more rootsy folk inclined. An engaging listen.
MPEG Stream: "Alice To Wonderland"
MPEG Stream: "I Was Never Someone In Love"

SCENE CREAMERS Suck On That Emotion (Drag City) cd 14.98
Yet another incarnation of the Ian Svenonius / Michelle Mae thing (Wierd War, The Make Up!), and perhaps our favorite to date, that's for sure -- though that's not necessarily saying too much 'cause there's really no big Make Up fans at AQ. However, Ian & company have progressed from sounding like a watered down version of a James Brown backup band or a bad Prince cover band to this actually kinda fun fucked up fuzzed out '70s funk/trippy/soul thing. It sounds like it would indeed be exciting to see them perform live -- we figure they'd be fun, dancey and crazy in a good way. Actually Allan can confirm this, he happened to see 'em play (rather by accident, he was there to see another band) not long ago and though he's never been a Make Up fan, he had to admit that the Scene Creamers put on a good show -- Mr. Svenonius is a geniune showman indeed and you can't argue with some good ol' fashioned rock n' soul entertainment with a sense of humor. Does that come through on record? Well, while some of this reminded us of what we didn't like about the Make Up -- the line between funny & kitsch and pretentious & dumb being crossed in the wrong direction too often -- all in all we're into it. It's true that all the posturing and styling and preaching that Ian and Michelle do can cause people who don't immediately dig that sort of thing to hate them before they've heard 'em, but really their whole propaganda thing about how "making sexy music and dressing well will uplift the oppressed proletariat" can be fucking hilarious. So give 'em a chance, we did and ended up thinking this was surprisingly rad.
RealAudio clip: "Better All The Time"
RealAudio clip: "Session Man"

SCENIC Spheres (Foundry Recordings) cd ep 12.98
These Death Valley instrumentalists haven't put out a record in four years, so here at last is...a three-song ep. One track is exclusive to this, the others are alternate versions of songs from that as-yet-unreleased new album. Scenic sounds like their name -- they're aiming to bowl you over with epic, stretched out instrumentals. Gorgeous and labor-intensive Independent Projects "discfolio" packaging, letterpressed, of course.

SCENIC The Acid Gospel Experience (Hidden Agenda) cd 12.98
Assuaging any fears I may have had that this was about Scenic doing some kind of new diva house or something, "The Acid Gospel Experience" consists of languorous, lovely instrumental space rock washes to lull you to sleep. Nestled in new-age haven Sedona, Arizona amidst energy vortexes, galleries full of bad Georgia O'Keefe knock-offs, and very picturesque big red rocks, former Savage Republic guitarist Bruce Licher expresses his appreciation for the harsh beauty of the desert landscape through the kind of slow, gently droning psych rock more conducive to weed than acid, methinks. Very pretty.
RealAudio clip: "The Acid Gospel"
RealAudio clip: "Skylight"

SCENIC / LANTERNA Live Recordings (Parasol / IPR) cd 12.98
Lanterna and Scenic would make for an excellent live billing, as both ensembles accent their guitar driven narratives with details of the open road from their respective homes (Lanterna from the Midwest, and Scenic from the Southwest); hence, this 4 song ep of live recordings from the two bands works quite well together. Although both bands preceded Godspeed You Black Emperor and Tarentel by several years, they've managed to carve a similar niche as their younger contemporaries with expansive soundtrack-ish instrumentals with majestic crescendos and introspective atmospheres. This split EP has also been beautifully packaged within a letterpress 'discofolio' by Scenic's Bruce Licher through his beloved Independent Project Press.
RealAudio clip: LANTERNA "End Of The Tunnel"
RealAudio clip: SCENIC "Angelica"