BLITHE SONS Dirt and Clouds (Jewelled Antler) 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.
Loren Chasse, proud owner of a brand new cd-burner, began the Jewelled Antler label as an outlet to release small cd-r pressings of a variety of warbled psychedelic projects that have spun-off from his bands Thuja and Knit Separates. The Blithe Sons is the first such release, featuring Chasse and Glenn Donaldson (from Mirza as well as Thuja / Knit Separates). Despite hailing from San Francisco, Chasse and Donaldson have tapped into a vein of melancholic UK psychedelia which runs from the Wicker Man soundtrack through to the early instrumentals of Eyeless In Gaza and the pensive sounds of Richard Youngs. While Donaldson's expressive guitar lines are central to the Blithe Sons arrangements, the album's uniqueness is found in the production work which often positions the quiet instrumentation in the pronounced foreground making the songs so intimate, as to seem played right inside your ears... or brings in some quite textural noises (very common to Chasse's solo sound investigations and manipulated field recordings) as a 'duet' with the melodic lines of the guitar. Very nice work! Based on this, the next Blithe Sons release deserves be a "real" cd release on a proper label (although the musical quality, beautiful packaging and reasonable price of this release shows that cd-r labels are sometimes quite worthwhile).
RealAudio clip: "Calamus Parade"
RealAudio clip: "Crescent-Shaped Sails"

BLITHE SONS Green Mansions (Jewelled Antler) 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.
Blithe Sons are the duo of Loren Chasse and Glenn Donaldson, who last graced us with the lovely We Walk The Young Earth disc on Family Vineyard back in March. You know Loren and Glenn from Thuja and Franciscan Hobbies and much else as well. Now they're back with another Blithe Sons installment on their own Jewelled Antler cd-r label. And not only is it a great record in its own right, it's also a sort of present to us here at Aquarius, Loren and Glenn's way of celebrating Andee and Allan taking over the biz, as it's only gonna be sold here and we're burning the discs ourselves and reaping the profits -- it's sort of an AQ benefit disc, really. Thanks guys!!
As they tell it, the story of Green Mansions is thus: somehow (via a secret garden? a rabbit hole? a mystical waredrobe?) Loren and Glenn found themselves alone at an empty English manor house. Going out on the grounds of the estate, they set up various stringed instruments in the fields, strewing them with grains so as to attract woodland creatures to venture forth in the dusk to "play" the instruments. A nice story...and sure, yeah, Green Mansions does sound a bit like that! Magical, natural. Glenn's delicate, wispy vocals and the general folk-psych atmosphere remind us of Richard Youngs, and even Jandek a bit (in a good way). Warm warbly tape hiss, acoustic guitar, bell-like synth, harmonium, and field recordings amongst other sound sources are blended into beds of shimmering drones that make us imagine the pastel sounds of a child's mobile slowly twirling in the "heavens". Really really nice in other words, and we're not just saying that since it's "our" release. Seriously recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Patio Of The Cypresses"
MPEG Stream: "Place Of The Past"

BLITHE SONS Waves of Grass (Jewelled Antler) 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.
Recorded this past spring in the open air of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Waves of Grass is the second release from The Blithe Sons, an offshoot of the improv-drone ensemble Thuja, featuring Loren Chasse and Glenn Donaldson. Like miniatures of the legendary idiosyncratic performances of the Taj Mahal Travellers some three decades ago when they played their amplified sitars and cellos to the Japanese countryside, this work finds Chasse and Donaldson performing their semi-improvised songs for harmonium drones and gently sad guitar strum for a (perhaps) indifferent audience of grass, insects, and birds in the Park. These extended droning passages occasionally arppegiate into simple melodies and are often interjected by the cackle of a crow or the buzz of a marauding fly. Altogether, The Blithe Sons have again produced a very interesting sonic amalgamation.
RealAudio clip: "Sun & Rock / The Constant Leaf"
RealAudio clip: "Direction"

BLITHE SONS, THE The Great Orthochromatic Wheel (Family Vineyard) lp 14.98
Lo, the Great Orthochromatic Wheel (?) dost turn! And with it, comes a happenstance that shall bring happiness to Jewelled Antler fanciers the world over: yes, a new album from the very special Blithe Sons duo, our friends Loren Chasse (Of, Ov, Thuja, Child Readers, etc. etc. ETC.) and Glenn Donaldson (Skygreen Leopards, Thuja, The Ivytree, Jex Thoth, etc., etc., ETC.). They'd been on a bit of an unofficial hiatus for far too long, taking a little 'time out' as it were, and we were both surprised and pleased to hear tell of not only this album's impending release but also to attend the 'reunion' show they did a couple months back, opening for Van Der Graaf's Peter Hammill at The Great American Music Hall here in SF. At that show they previewed some of what you'll hear here, and it's the usual Blithe Sons naturalistic improv-folk magick conjured from stones and branches well as actual instruments like acoustic guitar, harmonium and recorder. Field recordings suggest the hum of twilight grasses, a pleasant place to find Glenn's gentle Richard Youngish vocals whispering elegiacally o'er the drones and chimes of the Blithe Sons' abstract, organic, mutedly melodic soundworld.
And, they've woven some cover material into their own compositions/improvisations here, doing Jewelled Antlerized interpretations of ye olde progge songs by, we believe Genesis, and perhaps others... prog fans, listen close. Makes sense they'd play with P. Hammill!
There's no cd version of this LP, but it does come with a coupon to allow you to download mp3s of these tracks to your computer.

BLITHE SONS, THE We Walk The Young Earth (Family Vineyard) cd 14.98
These days, any band that uses improvisation with heavy doses of loose, opiated psychedelia, lazy comparisons will inevitably be drawn to the No Neck Blues Band. It has to be said that The Blithe Sons, who have warranted a number of such comparisons, sound ABSOLUTELY NOTHING like the No Neck Blues Band. And actually they are much better off because of it... The Blithe Sons, of course, are the Jewelled Antler Collective's most active members Loren Chasse (Thuja, Child Readers, Id Battery, Coelacanth, etc.) and Glenn Donaldson (Thuja, Skygreen Leopards, Bird / Ivy / Olivetree, etc.), having literally embraced their philosophy that "making music should be a picnic." Thus, they've taken to hiking all across coastal California, recording their pastoral avant-folk songs and empathic minimalist actions in direct communion with the landscape around them. The two sites which are particular to the Sons' third album "We Walk The Young Earth" were a wooden bridge in San Gregorio and the concrete bunkers scattered throughout the Marin Headlands. The latter were sites that have played a large role in many of the textural amplifications that Chasse produced in Id Battery; however, Chasse doesn't return the Blithe Sons to the smoldering abrasions of Id Battery. Rather, "We Walked The Young Earth" turns their minimalist hymns and melancholic drones toward a space that is even quieter, more introspective than anything yet produced by the Jewelled Antler collective, as if they've become hypnotized by their own reverberating drones in the confines of the bunker. It's true that in these spaces, Chasse and Donaldson spend a considerable amount of time listening to the environment around them, and shaping sounds that are sympathetic to those spaces. That's something with which the No Neck Blues Band has never really ever succeeded, instead opting for more of a druggy improv stumble. A sleepy album for sure, "We Walk The Young Earth" is another gorgeous album from these perennial AQ staff favorites.
MPEG Stream: "The Book Of Names"
MPEG Stream: "Green Patterns"
MPEG Stream: "All Children's Faces Looking Upwards"

BLITZEN TRAPPER War Is Placebo / Booksmart Baby (Record Store Day) (Sub Pop) 7" 5.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

BLOC PARTY A Weekend In The City (Vice) cd 15.98
Yep, this one is sure to have the Vice Magazine scene frothing at the mouth! And in this case, it's not just for love of irony, shock and grossout. This is a mighty fine album! Hopefully the anti-Vice crowd won't be dissuaded from checking it out... Anyhoo, much like a number of their hyped-to-the-moon hipster dance rock contemporaries of a couple years ago, Bloc Party have wisely shifted their focus and expanded their sound since their hot shit Silent Alarm debut. The band has risen to the challenge of shedding the decidedly one-dimensional '80s fueled dance punk trappings, but unlike many of those same contemporaries, they haven't desperately transformed themselves into something alienatingly unrecognizable. Although we did pause for a moment of uncertainty during the first song to make sure that this was indeed Bloc Party, as the album progresses the familiar voice of Kele Okereke rings through. On A Weekend In The City Bloc Party are definitely not in it for the vacuous, line cutting party time. Although the infectious, driving insistence of tracks such as "Hunting For Witches" and "Uniform" definitely getcha up and bring to mind The Faint and Pulp respectively, the shadowy, heady swoon of songs like "The Prayer" aligns them more with TV On The Radio. Darker, moodier, heavier, sturdier and above all else more deeply personal, Bloc Party are aiming for so much more than a one night stand, and they succeed enormously. Pretty great!
MPEG Stream: "Hunting For Witches"
MPEG Stream: "On"

BLOC PARTY Intimacy (Atlantic) cd 14.98

BLOC PARTY s/t (Dim Mak) cd ep 11.98

MPEG Stream: "Banquet"
MPEG Stream: "Staying Fat"

BLOC PARTY Silent Alarm (Vice / Dim Mak) cd 12.98
There's a bizillion bands right now (and surely many more to come) that sound *exactly* like this (Maximo Park, Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand and Futureheads to name a few of the ones some of us here prefer). Y'know, young bands whose members grew up hearing their older brothers' and sisters' records by The Fall, XTC, The Clash, Gang of Four and Duran Duran. Yelped, emotive vocals strained through their Danish accents atop an electric guitar blend of furious strumming and effected chime-y picked notes, a punchy drum beat and a seeming after-thought addition of a synth line to give it that very 'now' 80s sound. No deep listening allowed, just fun fun fun! So the task at hand is to sift through the cookie cutter redundancy to find the really stand-out stuff (or you might say, the packaging style you prefer -- sharkskin suit? well-worn denim?). Even so, each band's album only seems good for at least one or two totally awesome solid pop songs with the rest of it serving as filler comprised of inferior versions of the same idea. Such just might be the case with Bloc Party's debut full length -- although no single song has jumped out and made us exclaim, "Hot damn!!!" like Maximo Park's "Apply Some Pressure" did. That said, this record could just be a slow grower, as the more it gets played, the more we're digging it. Which is a good thing too, since you might as well get used to this Silent Alarm 'cause much like other 'buzz bands' whether you like it or not you're not going to be able to escape hearing more than your share of this band in the next few months. But strangely, no matter how much we're digging this record, it still just makes us want to pull out Pulp's Different Class album and blast it at full volume! Funny that.
MPEG Stream: "Like Eating Glass"
MPEG Stream: "Positive Tension"

BLOC PARTY Silent Alarm Remixed (Vice) 2cd 15.98
We might as well stop denying it, we love this stuff. Maximo Park, Interpol, Kaiser Chiefs. How can you not. Modern twisted takes on stone cold classics, Gang Of Four, XTC, the Clash. Sure it's not entirely original, but so what, it sounds fan-fucking-tastic. And Bloc Party fits right in there, reanimating their own favorite postpunk corpses and getting them (and us) dancing like crazy.
So a popular band, a popular record, you know what that means. The dreaded REMIX RECORD. Once in a while however, whether it's the choice of bands, the song selection, pure luck, a remix record totally and completely blows away the original record. This is most definitely one of those cases. You know, when you hear a band cover another bands song, like say a metal band covering a Cure song, and you think "Why aren't there bands that just sound like that, a metal Cure? How cool would that be?" Or "Why aren't all that band's songs this good?" Substitute any band or any song, you know what we're talking about. A totally boring band can shine like a diamond when it's taking on a killer tune. Sometimes it reflects poorly on the band, demonstrating how weak their songs actually are when held up to some 'real' songwriting. But in the case of a remix record that eclipses the original, more often, it's a case of the remix record being so much weirder and varied and all over the map, while still retaining that connective thread that is the sound of the original record. Such is the case with Silent Alarm Remixed. A couple of these tracks showed up as bonus tracks on the import version, and were SO good that it got many folks we know to shell out the extra $$ for the 2 or 3 extra tracks (and who are now kicking themselves since those tracks are included here) but here, surrounded by a whole records worth of interpretations, makes us wish that this was Bloc Party's record proper. M83 offer up a buzzy, dense wall of fuzz, with layered vocals, thick synthesizers and just a HUGE sound. Four Tet's track is a smeary, shimmery, drone-y, dreamy, cloudy drone, that eventually kicks into a more jangly reverb drenched blur. Mogwai turn Bloc Party into moody post rock, their track a churning, slow building, pulsing epic. And the rest of the record follows suit, stretching Silent Alarm into strange new shapes: Ladytron turn their track into blissy electronic pop like Postal Service or Styrofoam, Whitey give their song some strummy post pock bounce, Blackbox give their version a bit of eighties new wave sheen with some aggro, angular post punk swagger, the Engineers' turn their Bloc Party into a super murky sexy dirge. Woah. Now, if someone had given us this Bloc Party record, we would have been completely blown away thinking this was the sound of one band, but maybe that's just too much to hope for. So what? Well, we like the remix record more than the record being remixed? Makes perfect sense to us. And for those of you who found Silent Alarm to be just a tiny bit too boring and predictable, this might just do the trick.
MPEG Stream: "The Pioneers (M83 Remix)"
MPEG Stream: "Plans (Mogwai Remix)"

BLOC PARTY Tulips (Dim Mak) cd single 5.98
Here's a new super-shortie CD from Bloc Party. It includes three renditions of their song "Tulips" -- the original version, a 'club version' remixed by Minotaur Shock and a video version. Gotta say I don't think I'd want to be at the club that plays the club version... it's a little too mopey melancholic... or maybe I just wasn't playing it loud enough and Lord knows our store stereo system doesn't pump out the boomin' bass of a nightclub, so who knows?! 'Though it could also be that the song sounds like Morrissey style lyricism over sped-up computer-krafted Brit pop. Hmmm, definitely more of an end-of-the-night wind-down song, and much less of the lively party atmosphere than we've come to expect from the Bloc kids. A new supposedly kick ass full length drops in a week or two!
MPEG Stream: "Tulips (Club Version)"

BLONDE REDHEAD 23 (4AD) cd 13.98
While we were listening to this new Blonde Redhead we found ourselves musing about how they'd probably do a really great theme song for a James Bond or David Fincher movie. Dark, brooding and mysterious with a seriously palpable tension, 23 finds the band cementing its place at the meeting point between Sonic Youth and Radiohead. With a production that sounds much more sleek in a modern rock sort of way, there is no denying that despite the new gloss and freshly polished suit of sonic armor there still lies utterly great songs at the core of Blonde Redhead's sound. There are some moments where the band explores some totally new directions, like on the track "Silently" which sounds a lot like Abba covering the Four Seasons' "Too Good To Be True"... which is of course a very good thing! But overall, all the ingredients that made Blonde Redhead such a great band are still present. The swirling melodies, the sensuality, the lush arrangements. So while we still kind of wish Guy Piccoto (Fugazi) had worked his production magic on 23, we still can't help but be in head over heels in love with the sweepingly epic music of this amazing trio.
Comes with a ltd. edition 7" while supplies last!
MPEG Stream: "Silently"
MPEG Stream: "SW"
MPEG Stream: "23"

BLONDE REDHEAD 23 (4AD) lp 10.98
While we were listening to this new Blonde Redhead we found ourselves musing about how they'd probably do a really great theme song for a James Bond or David Fincher movie. Dark, brooding and mysterious with a seriously palpable tension, 23 finds the band cementing its place at the meeting point between Sonic Youth and Radiohead. With a production that sounds much more sleek in a modern rock sort of way, there is no denying that despite the new gloss and freshly polished suit of sonic armor there still lies utterly great songs at the core of Blonde Redhead's sound. There are some moments where the band explores some totally new directions, like on the track "Silently" which sounds a lot like Abba covering the Four Seasons' "Too Good To Be True"... which is of course a very good thing! But overall, all the ingredients that made Blonde Redhead such a great band are still present. The swirling melodies, the sensuality, the lush arrangements. So while we still kind of wish Guy Piccoto (Fugazi) had worked his production magic on 23, we still can't help but be in head over heels in love with the sweepingly epic music of this amazing trio.
Comes with a ltd. edition 7" while supplies last!
MPEG Stream: "Silently"
MPEG Stream: "SW"
MPEG Stream: "23"

BLONDE REDHEAD Fake Can Be Just As Good (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
Fake Can Be Just As Good is Blonde Redhead's third album. Despite the title, oddly enough this is the band's most genuine sounding release to date. They've scaled down from a quartet to a trio, and also almost symbollically this release marks their jump from Steve Shelley's record label Smells Like over to Touch & Go. They're definitely coming into their own. That said, their former Sonic Youth-y New York art school-ish pretensions still leak through here and there, but they're backed up by some solid, lean compositions sculpted with effective tension, mood and texture.
MPEG Stream: "Kazuality"
MPEG Stream: "Oh James"

BLONDE REDHEAD Fake Can Be Just As Good (Touch & Go) lp 9.98
Fake Can Be Just As Good is Blonde Redhead's third album. Despite the title, oddly enough this is the band's most genuine sounding release to date. They've scaled down from a quartet to a trio, and also almost symbollically this release marks their jump from Steve Shelley's record label Smells Like over to Touch & Go. They're definitely coming into their own. That said, their former Sonic Youth-y New York art school-ish pretensions still leak through here and there, but they're backed up by some solid, lean compositions sculpted with effective tension, mood and texture.
MPEG Stream: "Kazuality"
MPEG Stream: "Oh James"

BLONDE REDHEAD In an Expression of the Inexpressible (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
The Japanese/Italian trio's last album Fake Can Be Just As Good should have been the album Sonic Youth made right after Daydream Nation. Fortunately, their latest album proves that they are no longer a Sonic Youth rip-off band. And for that matter, what they've grown into is quite something to behold. On In An Expression Of The Inexpressible, the band's fourth full length, lead female vocalist Kazu Makino has honed her pipes into a distinctly expressive wonder... taming its former shrillness into something very childlike and otherworldly. Noisy melodies of angular guitars, modest keyboards, and a tight rhythm section come across as desperate yet beautiful epics. Very highly recommended.
RealAudio clip: ""

BLONDE REDHEAD In an Expression of the Inexpressible (Touch & Go) lp 9.98
The Japanese/Italian trio's last album Fake Can Be Just As Good should have been the album Sonic Youth made right after Daydream Nation. Fortunately, their latest album proves that they are no longer a Sonic Youth rip-off band. And for that matter, what they've grown into is quite something to behold. On In An Expression Of The Inexpressible, the band's fourth full length, lead female vocalist Kazu Makino has honed her pipes into a distinctly expressive wonder... taming its former shrillness into something very childlike and otherworldly. Noisy melodies of angular guitars, modest keyboards, and a tight rhythm section come across as desperate yet beautiful epics. Very highly recommended.

BLONDE REDHEAD La Mia Vita Violenta (Smells Like Records) CD 13.98
Here's Blonde Redhead's second full length. Their Sonic Youth worship still lingers in these ten songs, but they're showing some signs of developing a sound of their own -- encorporating mathy elements and crisper dynamics, rather than relying on feedback squalls to get their message across. They take more advantage of the contrasts between loud and quiet, abrasive and soft, acoustic and electric.
MPEG Stream: "Harmony"
MPEG Stream: "10 Feet High"

BLONDE REDHEAD Melodie Citronique (Touch & Go) cdep 8.98
Blonde Redhead follows their strangely catchy "Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons" album with an EP that features non-English language versions of two of the tracks from that album. As Kazu's vocals lack decipherability anyway, the translations of these songs into Italian or French seem quite arbitrary. Regardless of language, "In Particular" and "Hated Because Of Great Qualities" are two of the better tracks reflecting Blonde Redhead's new, non-Sonic Youthist sound. Blonde Redhead fills out the EP with a dubbed-out Serge Gainsbourg cover and a Third Eye Foundation remix of "Four Damaged Lemons."

BLONDE REDHEAD Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
As of their last record, In An Expression Of The Inexpressible, Blonde Redhead had finally begun to shed the Sonic Youth-isms that plagued them over the course of their early recordings. Comparisons to the Cardigans or even Radiohead might not be far from the mark in terms of a bittersweet songwriting replacing their previous purposefully avant angularity. This is an album full of sad piano driven ballads, midtempo disco grooves (played on a drum kit, mind you), and Kazu Makino's voice which has matured beyond the high pitched bark to achieve actual vocal melodies. Blonde Redhead doesn't really appear comfortable with their new sound, as if they're wearing some fancy French suit when they clearly prefer a pair of grimy jeans. Is that the point?

BLONDE REDHEAD Misery Is A Butterfly (4AD) cd 14.98
Is misery really a butterfly? That's quite the non-consensus take on the usual butterfly metaphor. This record is good enough, though, that it could convince you. And butterflies bring up the subject of metamorphosis, which you could say Blonde Redhead has gone through. In the past, this band was often compared to (or vice versa): Sonic Youth, Polvo, Deerhoof. Guitar dissonance with distinctive vocals. This one is a bit different, following on from their last album Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons, the one where they veered away from their Sonic Youthisms of yore and embraced a poppier, less angular demeanor. With Misery Is A Butterfly, their Lemons remain Damaged, Certainly. I guess it wasn't just a phase. Blonde Redhead are still making "desperate yet beautiful epics" as we once said of their In an Expression of the Inexpressible album, but gone are the "angular guitars" and "noisy melodies" that were once their trademark. This time, what's new? In a nutshell, it's Blonde Redhead with STRINGS. All lush and orchestrated. It's as if Eleanor Rigby joined the band. (Actually they got help from violinist Eyvind Kang among others.) The resultant album has got an Italian soundtrack sort of feel to it. Also a bit of a Stereolab feel. Very 'of another time'. Melancholic, dreamy. It's a progression from their earlier works, maybe even a perfection in a way. The signature sound that remains are the vocals of Kazu: high, breathy, accented (Japanese but it could just as easily be French), sometimes dueting with her male counterpart Amedo, who also sings high, but with a voice less pure, a bit like the Flaming Lips guy. He sings a few songs all on his own but our ears prefer Kazu. With her at the mic, Blonde Redhead are sooo nice. We know this is gonna be a popular album, and it should be!
MPEG Stream: "Elephant Woman"
MPEG Stream: "Doll Is Mine"

BLONDE REDHEAD Misery Is A Butterfly (4AD) lp 10.98
Is misery really a butterfly? That's quite the non-consensus take on the usual butterfly metaphor. This record is good enough, though, that it could convince you. And butterflies bring up the subject of metamorphosis, which you could say Blonde Redhead has gone through. In the past, this band was often compared to (or vice versa): Sonic Youth, Polvo, Deerhoof. Guitar dissonance with distinctive vocals. This one is a bit different, following on from their last album Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons, the one where they veered away from their Sonic Youthisms of yore and embraced a poppier, less angular demeanor. With Misery Is A Butterfly, their Lemons remain Damaged, Certainly. I guess it wasn't just a phase. Blonde Redhead are still making "desperate yet beautiful epics" as we once said of their In an Expression of the Inexpressible album, but gone are the "angular guitars" and "noisy melodies" that were once their trademark. This time, what's new? In a nutshell, it's Blonde Redhead with STRINGS. All lush and orchestrated. It's as if Eleanor Rigby joined the band. (Actually they got help from violinist Eyvind Kang among others.) The resultant album has got an Italian soundtrack sort of feel to it. Also a bit of a Stereolab feel. Very 'of another time'. Melancholic, dreamy. It's a progression from their earlier works, maybe even a perfection in a way. The signature sound that remains are the vocals of Kazu: high, breathy, accented (Japanese but it could just as easily be French), sometimes dueting with her male counterpart Amedo, who also sings high, but with a voice less pure, a bit like the Flaming Lips guy. He sings a few songs all on his own but our ears prefer Kazu. With her at the mic, Blonde Redhead are sooo nice. We know this is gonna be a popular album, and it should be!
MPEG Stream: "Elephant Woman"
MPEG Stream: "Doll Is Mine"

BLONDE REDHEAD s/t (Smells Like Records) CD 13.98
This was Blonde Redhead's debut album, produced by Steve Shelley and released on his label Smells Like Records. Back then (1995) the band were a foursome whose Noisy guitar feedback-laden sound was quite reminiscent of Mr. Shelley's band, y'know Sonic Youth... no, really the resemblance was downright unbelievable! Mid-90s Blonde Redhead was so very different from the band that we now know and love (and that they first showed signs of evolving into by their third album, Fake Can Be Just As Good).

BLOOD & TIME At The Foot Of The Garden (Neurot) cd 14.98
Slo-mo country-folkish atmospherics from members of Neurosis (Scott Kelly and Noah Landis, plus two non-Neurosis dudes). Gloomy and low key, with Scott's Lou Reedish vocals dragging raw over the proceedings. Neurosis fans into Scott's previous solo outing Spirit Bound Flesh or the similar solo works of Steve Von Till ought to dig this disc of desolate 'rock' music. Non-Neurosis fans too! Gruff yet weepy.
MPEG Stream: "Deep Inside Of You"
MPEG Stream: "Remember Me"

BLOOD AND TIME Untitled (Latitudes 0:12) (Latitudes / Southern) cd 13.98
Yet another in Southern's Latitudes series, there are two this week in fact, one from Guapo satellite Miasma & The Carousel Of Headless Horses, and this one, the latest from Blood & Time, aka Scott Kelly from the mighty Neurosis.
But don't be expecting any sort of metallic bombast, or grinding riffage, pounding percussion, nope, Blood & Time is a much darker, quieter proposition, moody and melancholy, mysterious and ultra personal.
Centered around Kelly's whispered baritone, a rumbling Michael Gira-like croon, which hovers above reverbed piano, simple acoustic guitars, drifting electronics, a spare, sparse, haunting soundworld. Fans of stuff like Swans, Angels Of Light, Sixteen Horsepower, Woven Hand, and other doom laden apocalyptic folk with be mesmerized by Blood & Time's grim countrified doom. The guitars unfurl like black clouds, the melodies like thorny brambles, in the background, the rich warm whir of an organ, and over the top, dripping like black tar, Kelly's woeful tales of sadness and loss, death and misery. It's hard not to think of Woven Hand, this stuff is so sonically similar, dark and apocalyptic, dramatic and menacing. Kelly's voice also reminds us a bit of Mark Lanegan, which is not a bad thing at all.
We loved the last Blood & Time, but this ep is even better, his voice sounds amazing, the songs sound better than ever, the production is lush and expansive, and the fleshed out lineup (featuring other folks from Neurosis) has made a world of difference.
Comes packaged in a super intricate hand screened die cut fold over sleeve with a full color insert. Each copy is hand stamped and numbered. Limited to 1000 copies worldwide, 500 of which made it to the United States, we got about 20 copiesŠ
MPEG Stream: "Silver Ocean Storm"
MPEG Stream: "From Sky To Sky"

BLOOD BOX The Iron Dream (Eibon) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Blood Box is a project of Michael Hensley whose work in the terrorist ambient ensemble Yen Pox we have praised before. On his own, Hensley strikes a more menacing pose; where Yen Pox conjures a narcotic numbness laced with the imagery of fear, death, and horror, Blood Box places you directly in the midst of a tragic aural nightmare. Snarling beasts and whispering demons haunt the nether regions of bleak reverberating dronescapes, giving way to majestic swells of minor key orchestral fragments. Later on, claustrobophia from The Iron Dream's sonic catacombs open into expansive forests, ominously crackling and creaking in the wind. At the same time, subtle musical gestures punctuate the wash and din, offering a hint of optimism to this otherwise oppressive album. On the Iron Dream, Hensley brings together the shadowy ambience found on Burzum's Filosofem, the soul-crushing depression of Anenzephalia, the darkly shimmered elegance of Maeror Tri, and subterranean terror of Lustmord. Morose, creepy, and gorgeously frightening.
MPEG Stream: "Fall In"
MPEG Stream: "Far Side Of The Sun"

BLOOD BROTHERS Burn Piano Island Burn (Artist Direct) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now on cd! The Blood Brothers are from Seattle and play a sort of hardcore/avant garde punk. This is their major label debut. This is some crazy, rad, chaotic stuff. Their live shows are said to change one's life. Judging by this release, they are another example of a band signing to a major label yet retaining their dignity, style and control. I (Sadie) totally love this band, they know the history of punk and proudly deconstruct and destroy what's been done over and over. So good.
MPEG Stream: "Burn"
MPEG Stream: "Fucking"

BLOOD BROTHERS Burn, Piano Island, Burn (Second Nature) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The Blood Brothers are from Seattle and play a sort of hardcore/avant garde punk. This is the vinyl version of their major label debut, which comes out on March 18th. This is some crazy, rad, chaotic stuff. Their live shows are said to change ones life. Judging by this release, they are another example of a band signing to a major label yet retaining their dignity, style and control. I (Sadie) totally love this band, they know the history of punk and proudly deconstruct and destroy whats been done over and over. So good.

BLOOD BROTHERS Crime (V2) cd 11.98
In totally oversimplified terms, Blood Brothers' latest album, Crime, sounds like Les Savy Fav had a baby with Mars Volta and swaddled the vocals in flanger and compression. The entire album is a sonic assault in similar tone to LSF's debut album 3/5, and it doesn't let up in a Volta kind of way, almost perpetually all-out riffage. The wailing vocals are also similar to Cedric's (singer from Mars Volta) but more acappella. Overall, it's an overwhelmingly visceral wall of sound, the recording of which seems inspired by an Albini-esque everything up as far as it can go approach. There's a lack of dynamicism here within songs and from song to song, but if you love the sound of incessantly hitting that visceral wall, this will totally be your jam.
MPEG Stream: "Feed Me To The Forest"
MPEG Stream: "Trash Flavored Trash"

BLOOD BROTHERS Love Rhymes With Hideous Car Wreck (V2) cd ep 6.98
More splattery screamo action from the Blood Brothers! This new 7-song EP spews forth a bunch of rare and previously unreleased stuff by these five Seattlites including two alternate versions, a remix of a Gang Of Four's "Anthrax", a live recording plus a video for "Hideous Car Wreck".
MPEG Stream: "Crimes (Alternate Version)"
MPEG Stream: "Anthrax (Blood Brothers Remix Of Gang Of Four)"

BLOOD BROTHERS March On Electric Children (Three One G) cd 14.98
New abrasive sounds from the predominantly abrasive San Diego label run by The Locust's Justin Pearson. Severe punk-thrash ranting and clawing. Their music is a highly volatile substance that spits out caustic, barbed tentacles aimed at your vital organs. Time signatures abruptly change at their whim, vocal cords are strained and shredded with reckless abandon. Fans of The Locust will most definitely not be disappointed.
RealAudio clip: "March On Electric Children"
RealAudio clip: "Kiss Of The Octopus"

BLOOD BROTHERS Young Machetes (V2) cd 14.98
There was a time when the kind of youthful angsty fury of bands like the Blood Brothers and The Locust wouldn't have been touched with a ten foot pole by major labels. My how times change. Seems the virulent noise those kids make is pretty darn marketable these days. Think a band of razor-wielding temper tantrums. Amid the squelchy scratch-yer-eyes-out vocalizations lurk little operatics a la Mars Volta's Cedric Bixler. Well, with the exception of the seventh track "Spit Shine Your Black Clouds" which falls more in line with the danceable post-punk groove of The Rapture...er, Gang Of Four. For fans of At The Drive-In, The Locust, The Mars Volta, and Nation Of Ulysses.
MPEG Stream: "Vital Beach"
MPEG Stream: "Spit Shine Your Black Clouds"

BLOOD BROTHERS Young Machetes (Second Nature) 2lp 21.00
There was a time when the kind of youthful angsty fury of bands like the Blood Brothers and The Locust wouldn't have been touched with a ten foot pole by major labels. My how times change. Seems the virulent noise those kids make is pretty darn marketable these days. Think a band of razor-wielding temper tantrums. Amid the squelchy scratch-yer-eyes-out vocalizations lurk little operatics a la Mars Volta's Cedric Bixler. Well, with the exception of the seventh track "Spit Shine Your Black Clouds" which falls more in line with the danceable post-punk groove of The Rapture...er, Gang Of Four. For fans of At The Drive-In, The Locust, The Mars Volta, and Nation Of Ulysses.
MPEG Stream: "Vital Beach"
MPEG Stream: "Spit Shine Your Black Clouds"

BLOOD CEREMONY s/t (Rise Above / Candlelight) cd 13.98
Been looking forward to this one! The debut album from this seemingly time-lost Toronto band, the latest in the current spate of retro-proto-doom-metal bubbling up from the underground. All the heavy '70s Sabbath/Pentagram riffs -and- occult vibe of a band like Witchcraft, with soaring female vox and a thick coating of vintage Hammond organ, spooky and bombastic. It's an equation along the lines of Atomic Rooster + Jacula + Jex Thoth, maybe. Yeah, we're down with this. And that's just after hearing the first song. Then track two kicks in with some proggy flute! With LOTS more flute to follow on the rest of this album. So now they've added some Jethro Tull to the mix... Black Widow, Uriah Heep, Rainbow, and a mess of other more obscure '70s acts could also be cited as references too, along with the much more recent likes of the aforementioned Witchcraft and Jex Thoth.
Now, if you hate Jex Thoth's singing, you might have a similarly tough time with Blood Ceremony, but we found that the lady here isn't quite as polarizing a proposition. And it's her dramatic vocals that gives Blood Ceremony their special sound, along with her flute playing. She's also the organist. But let's not forget the guitars... it's tough not to grow your hair long and sprout bellbottoms when exposed to these lumbering, loping riffs, all of 'em seemingly from the school of Sleep's Sabbathier-than-thou classic "Dragonaut"! Or imagine Electric Wizard given a medieval, madrigal makeover.
And the lyrics... "I see witches in the sky, flying toward the quaalude eye"?? Ok. These guys and gal are definitely "smoking black drugs from Satan's bong" (I think that's what they said). Speaking of witchcraft, the dark arts of pagan ritual are of course Blood Ceremony's main subject matter, on tracks like "Into The Coven". The grooviest black mass we've attended in a long time, right here. After spinning this for a while, if you find toads hopping about near your stereo, we wouldn't be surprised...
MPEG Stream: "Master Of Confusion"
MPEG Stream: "I'm Coming With You"

BLOOD CEREMONY s/t (Rise Above) lp 24.00
Now in stock on vinyl! We highlighted the cd the other day, saying the following:
Been looking forward to this one! The debut album from this seemingly time-lost Toronto band, the latest in the current spate of retro-proto-doom-metal bubbling up from the underground. All the heavy '70s Sabbath/Pentagram riffs -and- occult vibe of a band like Witchcraft, with soaring female vox and a thick coating of vintage Hammond organ, spooky and bombastic. It's an equation along the lines of Atomic Rooster + Jacula + Jex Thoth, maybe. Yeah, we're down with this. And that's just after hearing the first song. Then track two kicks in with some proggy flute! With LOTS more flute to follow on the rest of this album. So now they've added some Jethro Tull to the mix... Black Widow, Uriah Heep, Rainbow, and a mess of other more obscure '70s acts could also be cited as references too, along with the much more recent likes of the aforementioned Witchcraft and Jex Thoth.
Now, if you hate Jex Thoth's singing, you might have a similarly tough time with Blood Ceremony, but we found that the lady here isn't quite as polarizing a proposition. And it's her dramatic vocals that gives Blood Ceremony their special sound, along with her flute playing. She's also the organist. But let's not forget the guitars... it's tough not to grow your hair long and sprout bellbottoms when exposed to these lumbering, loping riffs, all of 'em seemingly from the school of Sleep's Sabbathier-than-thou classic "Dragonaut"! Or imagine Electric Wizard given a medieval, madrigal makeover.
And the lyrics... "I see witches in the sky, flying toward the quaalude eye"?? Ok. These guys and gal are definitely "smoking black drugs from Satan's bong" (I think that's what they said). Speaking of witchcraft, the dark arts of pagan ritual are of course Blood Ceremony's main subject matter, on tracks like "Into The Coven". The grooviest black mass we've attended in a while, right here. After spinning this for a while, if you find toads hopping about near your stereo, we wouldn't be surprised...
MPEG Stream: "Master Of Confusion"
MPEG Stream: "I'm Coming With You"

BLOOD ISLAND RIDERS s/t (Invada) cd 14.98
Some stoner doom rockin' from the usually reliable Invada label (run by one of the guys from Portishead, oddly enough). But sadly, this one brings Invada's batting average down, not living up to the likes of The Heads, Atavist, Brain Donor, etc.
Mainly, 'cause oooh crickey the vocals are rough. Lines like "It's time for you to taste my wrath...oh yeah!" look better on paper than they sound coming from the totally "chainwallet" style singer. Plus some stilted singsongy almost rappy rhymes, no thanks. This would be way better if dude didn't sing. Hope he's also the guitar player or something, otherwise there's no excuse. Sorry.
MPEG Stream: "I Am The King"
MPEG Stream: "For The Sake Of Clarity"

BLOOD ON THE WALL Liferz (The Social Registry) cd 14.98
On their latest album Liferz, Blood On The Wall keep playin' it primal, loose and low slung... y'know, bluesy New York gutter rawk. If you've dug the lanky sounds of Royal Trux and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, you might wanna dig into the raunch of Blood On The Wall.
MPEG Stream: "Hibernation"
MPEG Stream: "The Ditch"

BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS Child Is The Father To The Man (Columbia/Legacy) cd 11.98
First, classic album from the famous late '60s jazz/R&B/rock group. Now digitally remastered, with three bonus tracks and new liner notes. Totally fucked up proggy pop. Extended jams, crazy leads, stretched out languid blues. Hard to believe this stuff was top 40. If you loved that first Chicago record (and judging from how many we've sold, you do) then this will hit the spot.

BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS s/t (Columbia/Legacy) cd 11.98
Second, also classic album from the famous late '60s jazz/R&B/rock group. Includes hits "You've Made Me So Very Happy" and "Spinning Wheel", plus their cover/jam on Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" and interpretations of themes by Erik Satie! Now digitally remastered, with two live bonus tracks and new liner notes.

BLOODHAG Hell Bent For Letters (Alternative Tentacles) cd 12.98
It takes a LOT for a joke band to impress us. First, the joke has to be really funny. Second, the music STILL has to rule. Or at least be good enough to make the joke worthwhile. Nothing worse than a joke band that relies totally on their gimmick.
No need to worry about the mighty Bloodhag, the very heavy masters of all things Edu-Core. For those new to the 'Hag, imagine four nerds, white collared shirts (tucked in of course), totally obsessed with science fiction, so much so that each song is the name of an author, and of course the lyrics discuss the authors and their finest works, live the band hurls sci-fi paperbacks into the audience, and they even did an entire tour playing only in libraries!! It stops being a joke when it's this well researched and executed. Check out the cover too, a headless demon, laying atop a pile of books, the band dead with an 'overdue' notice stuck to one of their corpses, a warrior librarian, wielding a sword, clutching the demon's head, wearing sexy librarian glasses and of course with her library ID still around her neck. Awesome. Plus it's called Hell Bent For Letters! Fuck yeah! Check the Cavalar review elsewhere on the list for a rant on punny band names.
What do they sound like? Sort of like a thrash metal Karp, sludgy guitars, galloping drums, shouted vocals, sometimes thrashy and noisy, sometimes gloriously epic, sometimes sort of grunt and death metally. But pay close attention, you might learn something. The tracks this time around (and Andee's take on the books by the authors referenced):
"Gene Wolfe" (you must read his Book Of The New Sun series, so massive and dense and epic. One of the weirdest worlds ever written)
"Robert Silverberg" (just read Book Of Skulls on the recommendation of AQ pal Barbara D., disturbingly racist and misogynistic and homophobic (like many books written in the seventies) but if you can get past that, it's really intense and fucked up and so strangely mysterious. Being made into a movie which seems like a bad move)
"Douglas Adams" (recently re-read the Hitchhikers Guide 'trilogy' and it's still pretty darn funny. The movie was pretty good too)
"Orson Scott Card" (the Enders series is the series that made me love science fiction, just don't read any of the introductions or you'll realize what a Mormon kook he is and it might ruin it for you)
"Greg Bear" (The Forge Of God and Anvil Of Stars: one of the best sci-fi one-two punches ever. So epic and amazing!)
Okay, we could go on and on, the rest of the tracks / authors: "James Blish", "Anne M. Caffrey", "Iain M. banks", "Edgar Allen Poe", "Philip Jose Farmer", "Michael Swanwick", "Frederik Pohl", "Thomas M. Disch", "Franz Kafka", "Madeline L'Engle" and "Jack Womack".
If you like metal, you'll like Bloodhag. If you like science fiction, you -might- like Bloodhag. But if you love metal AND love science fiction, then pick up this slab of crushing edu-core, you just might learn something!
MPEG Stream: "Gene Wolfe"
MPEG Stream: "Robert Silverberg"
MPEG Stream: "Orson Scott Card"
MPEG Stream: "Greg Bear"

BLOODHORSE s/t (Translation Loss) cd ep 12.98
Pretty darn heavy, pretty darn rockin'. And despite what we heard and had hoped about '70s metal influences (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, mebee even Bloodrock?) this Boston band sounds very much like something of this day and age, though with lots of stoned nodding towards said '70s past. That is, they fit right in with the likes of High On Fire, The Sword and Early Man. A pummelling power trio who play doomy yet rollicking rock with plenty of twists and turns.
Notable notes: Not an instrumental band but could be mistaken for one a lot of the time, jamming away without much thought to lettin' the singer sing (he's busy playing his guitar). Some bright n' happy (yet still heavy) moments. Rhythmically tight, dynamic songwriting that certainly gives the drummer some -- indeed, after a hard rockin' first couple minutes, the track "The Goat" is mostly a very atmospheric *drum solo* setting you up for the reintroduction of the woah-yeah main riff.
This debut "EP" is 6 songs, 36 minutes -- and we'd guess that many of those into heaviness who hear this, are gonna want to hear more.
MPEG Stream: "Son Of Man"
MPEG Stream: "Sparks"

BLOODY HEADS Picking Up Your Pieces (self-released) cd 9.98
The opening song of this SF band's first cd finds them crunching out a rough'n'tumble garage pop with lots of snare drum that sounds a lot like Violent Femmes... but if Gordon Gano were replaced by more of a boyish crooner. The next track "Pipe Down!" does just that (bring things down a bit, that is!) as does the third song. These lower-key tunes which make up the better part of the album (and which gives you opportunity to catch hold of the lyrics), call to mind quirky storytellers such as Jonathan Richman, Microphones' Phil Elverum or Morrissey even. A promising indie pop debut!
MPEG Stream: "Lighter Than A Bullet"
MPEG Stream: "Picking Up Your Pieces"

BLOOM, KATH Finally (Chapter Music) cd 17.98
Cult folk singer Kath Bloom's delicate voice and her fragile, often heartbroken lovesongs are, simply, just so sweet and so affecting. At age 50, Kath has perhaps built up a cult following, but is far from a household name. She's recorded sporadically since the early '80s, first in collaboration with avant-guitarist Loren Mazzacane Connors and subsequently solo. Motherhood took precedence over her musical career, though... She's best known really for her contribution to the soundtrack to the 1995 Richard Linklater film Before Sunrise ("Come Here", included on this disc). A while back, we used to sell a lot of copies of a cd-r bearing that title we got directly from Ms. Bloom herself. Maybe we can still get 'em, we'd have to check with her, but better yet anyway we now have this actual cd (fittingly named Finally), an Australian import compilation of some of her nicest stuff from the early '90s 'til now! Yay!
It contains 14 beautiful songs, spanning the years 1993-2005, and also includes detailed liner notes telling Bloom's story, plus an strongly worded appreciation written by one of her biggest fans, filmmaker Caveh Zahedi.
Former AQ-owner Windy was (and still is, we're sure) also a HUGE fan of Kath Bloom (which is why we had those cd-rs). Even she, though, suggested that taking a listen to the soundclips before you buy might be a good idea, as Bloom can indeed be an acquired taste. She sounds a bit like Judee Sill, maybe, more wavery and trembly though, definitely singing from the heart, accompanied by her own gentle guitar playing, harmonica, recorder, and sometimes further instrumentation played by various friends.
MPEG Stream: "Come Here"
MPEG Stream: "Can't Rise To Your Feet"

BLOPS, LOS s/t (Shadoks / Normal) 3cd box 52.00
You'd think that there weren't any lost psychedelic treasures left to unearth. Especially considering the amount of garbage that gets released, being touted as some amazing find, some legendary lost gem. The fact that a record was released in some super limited pressing, or went out of print soon after it was released, or was maybe never released, is not enough to make it 'legendary' or 'essential' or even 'worth reissuing at all'! In fact often that speaks to the fact that no one gave a shit in the first place, and there's no reason for anyone to care now, except for the public's seemingly insatiable appetite for lost psychedelic treasures. As we quickly learned with the Radioactive reissues, there is no shortage of lame folk / sorta-psychedelia that can be repackaged and pushed on unsuspecting folks just looking to get their sixties/seventies psych rock fix. The folks at Shadoks seem to be a bit more discerning, and while we don't necessarily love everything they put out, they tend to hit way more than they miss.
But to be honest we were a little bit skeptical of a triple cd boxed set of some psychedelic band we had never heard of, but c'mon, all the signs pointed to yes -- they're from Chile, three records from 1970, 1971, and 1973, and most important of all, FLUTE!!! So we gave it a shot, and guess what, it's awesome. Each disc is a little different, but all three are super cool. Lilting psychedelic folk, dreamy and pastoral, fluttering flutes, over sweetly minor key acoustic guitar, simple hand drums, moody crooning vocals, simple shuffling rhythms, warm fuzzy organs, all with just the slightest psychedelic tinge. Fans of Embrujo, also from Chile, and recently raved about on the AQ list, will for sure want to pick this up too.
The second disc has all the same sonic elements but adds a bit of mariachi flair, and is a bit more electric than the mostly acoustic first album. There is more varied instrumentation and the sounds is a bit more poppy as well, with some definite Beatles-y moments here and there and occasional frenzied bursts of psychedelic freakout guitar. Record number three is the most psychedelic of the three and is definitely a bit more prog, lengthier tracks, more parts per song, groovy jazzy jams, wild super rocking complex drumming as well as some brief drum solos, probably the best (and wildest) flute playing of the three discs. More fuzzed out organ, lots more electric guitar, sounding a bit like Santana at times, but always infused with dreamy psychedelic folkiness. So cool.
Interesting aside: both the first and second records were originally released on a label affiliated with the Communist youth, and the original tapes were destroyed by the military! Radical.
Three jewel cased packaged in a gorgeous oversized box. Includes two tracks that weren't even on the recent, now out of print, vinyl reissues. LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES!!!
MPEG Stream: "Barroquita"
MPEG Stream: "La Muerte Del Rey"
MPEG Stream: "Que Lindas Son Las Mananas"
MPEG Stream: "Pintando Azul El Mar"
MPEG Stream: "Allegro Ma Non Troppo"
MPEG Stream: "Locomotora"

BLOSSOM TOES If Only For A Moment (Polydor Japan) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A while back we reviewed the reissue of this British band's wonderfully twee and surreal first album, "We Are Ever So Clean", from the paisley days of 1967. But on this, that album's 1969 follow-up, they left the Sgt. Pepperisms behind for an even freakier, and heavier, direction. It's kinda like how The Pretty Things went from "S.F. Sorrow" to "Parachute", but weirder. The Mothers Of Invention might have been an influence, certainly the lead-off track "Peace Loving Man" is crazy enough. Heavy too, with gruff vocals and loud guitar riffs. Yep, compared to the ornate, orchestrated psych-pop of "We Are Ever So Clean" this whole album is waaaay more (acid) Rock, but still full of melodic hooks and 60s zaniness. Pretty cool. Unfortunately this was to be their last album, but their guitarist did go on to join Family (we mention for those into the rock family tree thing). He also appeared on Magma's Kohntarkosz as well, of all things.
MPEG Stream: "Peace Loving Man"

BLOSSOM TOES If Only For A Moment (Sunbeam) cd 16.98
Nearby you'll find our review of the brand new reissue of this British band's wonderfully twee and surreal first album, We Are Ever So Clean, from the paisley daze of 1967. But on this, that album's 1969 follow-up, they left the Sgt. Pepperisms behind for an even freakier, and occasionally heavier, direction. It's kinda like how The Pretty Things went from S.F. Sorrow to Parachute, but weirder. The Mothers Of Invention might have been an influence, certainly the lead-off track "Peace Loving Man" is crazy enough. Heavy too, with gruff vocals and loud guitar riffs. Yep, compared to the ornate, orchestrated psych-pop of We Are Ever So Clean this whole album is waaaay more (acid) Rock, but still full of melodic hooks and '60s zaniness. Delicate vocals are deployed alongside bombastic, bluesy guitars. Pretty cool. Unfortunately this was to be their last album, but their guitarist did go on to join Family (we mention for those into the rock family tree thing). He also appeared on Magma's Kohntarkosz as well, of all things, though certainly this last Blossom Toes record points in a prog direction.
As with Sunbeam's reissue of We Are Ever..., this too comes complete with a info/graphics packed cd booklet, and also with a bounty of bonus tracks, seven of 'em, including several non-album singles sides and demos. The 45 A-side "Postcard" is a neat one, whimsical psych-pop in the vein of their debut, with lyrics that could have been, and maybe were, taken from an actual vacation postcard, a charming conceit for a song.
MPEG Stream: "Peace Loving Man"
MPEG Stream: "Kiss Of Confusion"
MPEG Stream: "Postcard"

BLOSSOM TOES We Are Ever So Clean (Polydor Japan) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
London, 1967: ground zero for the explosion of fab British pop psych rock bands, including many known today only to collectors -- among them, this bunch of mop tops, Blossom Toes. Here's a Japanese cd reissue of the first of their two albums. Their brand of psychedelic pop music was ornate, orchestrated, lush, and very British -- they songs called "Mrs. Murphy's Budgerigar" and "I'll Be Late For Tea" -- think Beatles, Zombies, Kinks, very early Bowie, with dashes of surreal Pythonesque zaniness ("The Remarkable Saga Of The Frozen Dog", "The Intrepid Balloonist's Handbook, Volume One", etc.). Indeed, they even played Captain Beefheart covers live! Produced by Swinging Sixties London scenester Giorgio Gomelski (their manager, who also managed the Yardbirds among other claims to fame). Note: "Packaged with the original artwork and lyrics (as opposed to the ugly-ass Heritage Entertainment version previously available)" sez Revolver. Guitarist Brian Godding went on to play in Magma, on their Kohntarkosz album, fyi!
RealAudio clip: "Look At Me I'm You"
RealAudio clip: "I'll Be Late For Tea"
RealAudio clip: "The Remarkable Saga Of The Frozen Dog"
RealAudio clip: "Love Is"
RealAudio clip: "What's It For"

BLOSSOM TOES We Are Ever So Clean (Sunbeam) cd 16.98
London, 1967: ground zero for the explosion of fab British pop psych rock bands, including many known today only to collectors -- among them, this bunch of mop tops, Blossom Toes. Now here's brand new, deluxe cd reissues of their two albums. As displayed on this, their debut, Blossom Toes' brand of psychedelic pop music was ornate, orchestrated, lush, and very British -- they songs called "Mrs. Murphy's Budgerigar" and "I'll Be Late For Tea" -- think Beatles, Zombies, Kinks, Kaleidoscope, very early Bowie, with dashes of surreal Pythonesque zaniness ("The Remarkable Saga Of The Frozen Dog", "The Intrepid Balloonist's Handbook, Volume One", etc.). Indeed, they even played Captain Beefheart covers live! Produced by Swinging Sixties London scenester Giorgio Gomelski (their manager, who also managed the Yardbirds among other claims to fame). And weirdly enough, guitarist Brian Godding went on to play in Magma, on their Kohntarkosz album, fyi!
This new reish adds ten bonus tracks, and features extensive liner notes. It was prepared with the full blessing and cooperation of the original band members (a 2007 interview with whom makes up the bulk of the thick cd booklet, along with tons of color repros of 7" sleeves, poster graphics, and vintage b&w photos of the band). Amongst the bonus tracks, you'll find LP outtakes, instrumental versions, live cuts, demos, and a brief but amusing radio interview with guitarist Jim Cregan wherein the very proper host asks him about his "freaky" music.
MPEG Stream: "Look At Me I'm You"
MPEG Stream: "I'll Be Late For Tea"
MPEG Stream: "The Remarkable Saga Of The Frozen Dog"

BLOW, THE Paper Television (K) cd 14.98
The Blow have primarily been the work of visual and performance artist Khaela Maricich, who has released a handful of heartfelt and slightly sassy minimal pop records with electronic undertones. A couple years ago she teamed up with Jona Bechtolt, a multi talented musician who does a wildly creative electronic project called Yacht and has been a member of Devenda Banhart's touring Hairy Fairy Band. Bechtolt has helped make Maricich's sound a more full and overtly catchy. Where past records were more about subtlety and whispered seduction, this record is all about making hips swing and heads bob. Taking their cue from folks like Tracy & The Plastics and Solex, The Blow make smart pop music that's not afraid to be f-u-n. Fans of Le Tigre, The Postal Service and Stereo Total should definitely tune in to the sound of Paper Television.
MPEG Stream: "Bonjour Jeune Fille"
MPEG Stream: "The Big U"