STEWART, MARK Kiss the Future (Soul Jazz) 2lp 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
First things first, The Pop Group was a fucking incredible band. In their brief existance from 1979 to 1981, The Pop Group represented one of the most successful and most radical reinventions of punk through dub tricknology. After they dissolved, the politically acerbic sloganeer for the band, Mark Stewart, attempted to capture the immediacy, fury, and energy of his band through a number of collaborations... all of which were far more impressive in theory than in practice. With the rhythm section of the Sugarhill Gang, the resident On U Sound producer Adrian Sherwood and more recent production assistance from The Bug, surely anything, anyone would do with those folks would turn out great, right? Not exactly. Mark Stewart's solo tracks and cuts with The Maffia always exhibit a bit too much flash and not enough good songwriting and rhythms to warrant all of the cool production tricks and big names thrown into the mix. So, Kiss The Future -- a compilation spanning Mark Stewart's entire career -- features some absolutely kick-ass tracks (e.g. the three songs from The Pop Group) amidst a bunch of decent-to-pretty-good, electro-funk-dub tracks that try too hard (everything else). Obviously, Soul Jazz is trying to continue to cash in on the whole post-punk revival thing spawned by The Rapture, LCD Soundsystem, !!!, etc. Where Soul Jazz hit the mark on the A Certain Ratio reissues and the In The Beginning There Was Rhythm compilation, Kiss The Future falls just a bit short. This can mostly be recommended to those who were completely enthralled by The Pop Group's Y album and need to hear what else Mark Stewart has done. Everybody else should just jump straight to that aforementioned Pop Group album and revel in one thoroughly impressive piece of work.
MPEG Stream: THE POP GROUP "We Are Time"
MPEG Stream: MARK STEWART & THE MAFFIA "Hypnotised"
MPEG Stream: MARK STEWART "The Puppet Master"

STICKMEN WITH RAYGUNS Some People Deserve To Suffer (Emperor Jones) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Killer reissue of the collected recordings of the -OTHER- legendary-drug-addled-shirtless-drunk-stumbling-rocking-LOUD-punk-as-fuck-Texas-combo (other than the Buttholes that is). And while the Stickmen have a lot in common with the Butthole Surfers (see above) their sound tends towards the noisy rocky end of the spectrum, rather than the tripped out space jam the Surfers were so fond of.
And you may recognise the name as the Stickmen were one of the standout bands on the recently reissued Texas punk comp. Cottage Cheese From The Lips Of Death. Been listening to this like crazy. So great! Fans of the Butthole Surfers, Scratch Acid, punk rock and early Homestead records, should really check this out.
RealAudio clip: "Christian Rat Attack"
RealAudio clip: "Gave City"
RealAudio clip: "What Am I?"

STILL Remains (Public Guilt) cd 14.98

STILL CORNERS Creatures Of An Hour (Sub Pop) cd 14.98
When we first heard London retro murk poppers Still Corners, it was on a split single with another retro pop combo called The New Lines, and we were so smitten by The New Lines song, that it even had us wondering why it was Still Corners who got signed to Sub Pop and not The New Lines. Well, if there was any doubt about whether Still Corners should be on Sub Pop, it was wiped away within seconds of putting on their debut full length. Like Portishead crossed with Ennio Morricone crossed with Stereolab crossed with The Caretaker, the sound is so washed out and careworn, organs warble and wheeze, the drums minimal and skeletal, the guitars chiming and jangly, the production muted and muddy, all supporting the breathy angelic vocals of singer Tessa Murray, whose childlike croon is ethereal and spectral, the result is some sort of out-of-time faded memory dream pop. Opener "Cuckoo" is a perfect example, about as dreamy and divine as pop music gets. Fans of the various Girls bands (Dum Dum, Vivian, etc.), who want something dreamier and darker and more late night sounding, this might be the ticket. "Circulars" definitely displays the bands Stereolab side, propulsive and a little bit krautrocky sounding, but as if broadcast from underwater, or through an old radio hooked up to the sixties. The distinctive organ sound and the washed out production is what really defines Still Corners' sound, there aren't even any proper vocals on "Circulars", instead just some buried oooh's and aaah's, woven into the softly undulating fabric of the song's gauzy shimmer. Elsewhere the band look to Mazzy Star for sure, even the Cocteau Twins, but their sound is firmly rooted in sixties girl group pop, but not in the way the current crop of garage rockers channel that sound, no Still Corners have made that sound their own, it's not just echo and reverb, the sound is thick, and organic, the vocals dreamlike and crystalline, the songs subtly hooky, as much about the sound as the song, and vice versa.
Our favorite track would have to be "I Wrote In Blood", which almost sounds like a female Chris Isaak, channeled through some sort of Southern gothic PJ Harvey, the guitars fuzzy and distorted, but still minimal and spare, chiming melodies draped over the chugging swampy blues that seams to be blurred and smeared into a sort of ethereal slither, and when the drums do finally kick in, it's immediately all soundtracky, haunting and mysterious and so darkly evocative. And just as we pick that as our favorite, another one begins vying for the honor, until we finally give in and proclaim the whole record as our favorite. Easily one of the prettiest, darkest, most mysteriously lovely retro pop, dream psych records we've heard in ages, and absolutely destined to top our year end list. At least until that New Lines full length comes out...
MPEG Stream: "Cuckoo"
MPEG Stream: "Circulars"
MPEG Stream: "I Wrote In Blood"

STILL CORNERS Creatures Of An Hour (Sub Pop) lp 16.98
When we first heard London retro murk poppers Still Corners, it was on a split single with another retro pop combo called The New Lines, and we were so smitten by The New Lines song, that it even had us wondering why it was Still Corners who got signed to Sub Pop and not The New Lines. Well, if there was any doubt about whether Still Corners should be on Sub Pop, it was wiped away within seconds of putting on their debut full length. Like Portishead crossed with Ennio Morricone crossed with Stereolab crossed with The Caretaker, the sound is so washed out and careworn, organs warble and wheeze, the drums minimal and skeletal, the guitars chiming and jangly, the production muted and muddy, all supporting the breathy angelic vocals of singer Tessa Murray, whose childlike croon is ethereal and spectral, the result is some sort of out-of-time faded memory dream pop. Opener "Cuckoo" is a perfect example, about as dreamy and divine as pop music gets. Fans of the various Girls bands (Dum Dum, Vivian, etc.), who want something dreamier and darker and more late night sounding, this might be the ticket. "Circulars" definitely displays the bands Stereolab side, propulsive and a little bit krautrocky sounding, but as if broadcast from underwater, or through an old radio hooked up to the sixties. The distinctive organ sound and the washed out production is what really defines Still Corners' sound, there aren't even any proper vocals on "Circulars", instead just some buried oooh's and aaah's, woven into the softly undulating fabric of the song's gauzy shimmer. Elsewhere the band look to Mazzy Star for sure, even the Cocteau Twins, but their sound is firmly rooted in sixties girl group pop, but not in the way the current crop of garage rockers channel that sound, no Still Corners have made that sound their own, it's not just echo and reverb, the sound is thick, and organic, the vocals dreamlike and crystalline, the songs subtly hooky, as much about the sound as the song, and vice versa.
Our favorite track would have to be "I Wrote In Blood", which almost sounds like a female Chris Isaak, channeled through some sort of Southern gothic PJ Harvey, the guitars fuzzy and distorted, but still minimal and spare, chiming melodies draped over the chugging swampy blues that seams to be blurred and smeared into a sort of ethereal slither, and when the drums do finally kick in, it's immediately all soundtracky, haunting and mysterious and so darkly evocative. And just as we pick that as our favorite, another one begins vying for the honor, until we finally give in and proclaim the whole record as our favorite. Easily one of the prettiest, darkest, most mysteriously lovely retro pop, dream psych records we've heard in ages, and absolutely destined to top our year end list. At least until that New Lines full length comes out...
MPEG Stream: "Cuckoo"
MPEG Stream: "Circulars"
MPEG Stream: "I Wrote In Blood"

STILL CORNERS Strange Pleasures (Sub Pop) cd 14.98
Record number two from these dreamy UK psych pop drifters, who we discovered via a split single with aQ retro pop faves The New Lines, and like on their debut Creatures Of An Hour, Still Corners continue to weave a lush folky dreaminess. But unlike that debut, which seemed to channel Stereolab and Broadcast as well as the various Girls (Dum Dum, Vivian, etc), Strange Pleasures slows things down considerably, positioning itself less as a sort of retro kitschy kraut-psych, and more like some hazy, softly psychedelic slowcore, reminding us mostly of a space age Mazzy Star, if that was even a thing, but judging from Strange Pleasures it most definitely is, and a good thing at that. The gorgeous combination of lush futuristic ambience and warm swirling synths, with acoustic steel string strum, reverb drenched slideguitar, and of course those gorgeous vocals, is pretty tough to resist.
And when things do get weird and electronic, like on the second track "Beginning To Blue", it somehow manages to sound perfectly organic, and meshes perfectly with the rest of the record's gauzy folkiness, the weird stuttery start of "Beginning To Blue" flowing seamlessly into what sounds like a more ethereal, modernized Kate Bush, which is also most definitely a good thing. And that Kate Bush vibe surfaces throughout, in different measures. Strange Pleasures as much about songs this time around as sound, the songs darkly haunting, and beautifully brooding, but the sound too, soaring strings, lush textures, there's definitely some new wave and kosmische elements too, much of the record could pass for some lost 4AD rarity, so essentially, imagine some strange hybrid of Mazzy Star and Kate Bush, melded to woozy space age psychedelia and synth soaked dream pop, and it suddenly doesn't seem like such a -strange- pleasure after all...
MPEG Stream: "The Trip"
MPEG Stream: "Beginning To Blue"
MPEG Stream: "I Can't Sleep"
MPEG Stream: "Strange Pleasures"

STILL CORNERS Strange Pleasures (Sub Pop) lp 15.98
Record number two from these dreamy UK psych pop drifters, who we discovered via a split single with aQ retro pop faves The New Lines, and like on their debut Creatures Of An Hour, Still Corners continue to weave a lush folky dreaminess. But unlike that debut, which seemed to channel Stereolab and Broadcast as well as the various Girls (Dum Dum, Vivian, etc), Strange Pleasures slows things down considerably, positioning itself less as a sort of retro kitschy kraut-psych, and more like some hazy, softly psychedelic slowcore, reminding us mostly of a space age Mazzy Star, if that was even a thing, but judging from Strange Pleasures it most definitely is, and a good thing at that. The gorgeous combination of lush futuristic ambience and warm swirling synths, with acoustic steel string strum, reverb drenched slideguitar, and of course those gorgeous vocals, is pretty tough to resist.
And when things do get weird and electronic, like on the second track "Beginning To Blue", it somehow manages to sound perfectly organic, and meshes perfectly with the rest of the record's gauzy folkiness, the weird stuttery start of "Beginning To Blue" flowing seamlessly into what sounds like a more ethereal, modernized Kate Bush, which is also most definitely a good thing. And that Kate Bush vibe surfaces throughout, in different measures. Strange Pleasures as much about songs this time around as sound, the songs darkly haunting, and beautifully brooding, but the sound too, soaring strings, lush textures, there's definitely some new wave and kosmische elements too, much of the record could pass for some lost 4AD rarity, so essentially, imagine some strange hybrid of Mazzy Star and Kate Bush, melded to woozy space age psychedelia and synth soaked dream pop, and it suddenly doesn't seem like such a -strange- pleasure after all...
MPEG Stream: "The Trip"
MPEG Stream: "Beginning To Blue"
MPEG Stream: "I Can't Sleep"
MPEG Stream: "Strange Pleasures"

STILLROVEN, THE Too Many Spaces (Sundazed) cd 13.98

STILLS, THE Without Feathers (Vice) cd 12.98
While The Stills' debut album Logic Will Break Your Heart fell in mighty chummy with the Echo & The Joy Division post-punk-loving likes of Interpol, The Rapture and Yeah Yeah Yeahs back in 2003, we all know that times and bands change swiftly these days. The band's new full length sounds much more like The Strokes but maybe more charming and... well, Canadian. Which you know we definitely dig! Brighter, poppier and far less brooding.
BONUS: With purchase of this cd you'll also receive a limited edition screenprinted poster!
MPEG Stream: "In The Beginning"
MPEG Stream: "She's Walking Out"

STINKING LIZAVETA ...Hopelessness And Shame (Compulsiv) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Their first album, f'n amazing drums/standup 'lectric bass/geetar instrumental action. Post rock, metal, jazz, hardcore -- these terms don't matter, it's Stinking Lizaveta from Philadelphia and they rule. One of the best live bands I've ever seen (sez Allan). They've done two AQ instores, two of the best. If you like Gone, King Crim, AC/DC, Mahavishnu, The Champs, Don Cab, etc. get with the program and get anything and everything by Stinking Liz.

STINKING LIZAVETA ...Hopelessness And Shame (w/ bonus tracks) (self-released (previously Compulsiv)) cd 10.98
High-adrenaline, deliriously complex, hard-hittingly heavy multidimensional power trio music that's part metal, part jazz, part punk, part prog. Gorgeous stuff played with supreme power and passion. Telepathic precision, improv awareness, and hella guitar heroics. They've been around forever and just get better and better. But they started off pretty good in the first place, as you'll hear here!!
That's right, one of our favorite bands, the ever-touring, ever-incredible Stinking Lizaveta (name taken from Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov), have themselves reissued their first album of f'n amazing drums/standup electric bass/electric guitar instrumental action. Post rock, metal, jazz, hardcore -- these terms don't matter, it's Stinking Lizaveta from Philadelphia and they rule. One of the best live bands we've EVER seen. They've done two AQ instore performances in the past, two of the best. And when they played in SF and Oakland last year, they destroyed. Don't fail to see them if you get the chance. If you like Gone, King Crimson, AC/DC, Mahavishnu, The Fucking Champs, Don Cab, Melvins, Gore, Breadwinner, Ruins, etc. get with the program and get anything and everything you can find by Stinking Liz. Especially including this, the new reish of their debut disc. It looks pretty much the same as the original release on Compulsiv, but it's got an unlisted, hidden bunch of previously unreleased tracks tacked on!! Five songs from the same Steve Albini overseen sessions as the album proper. They got left off the album's original release back in '96, but now the band can't figure out why (and we can't either, they're prime Stinking Liz awesomeness), so they've been added on for your extra listenin' pleasure.
MPEG Stream: "Wheaton"
MPEG Stream: "Schuylkill"
MPEG Stream: "LBJ"

STINKING LIZAVETA Caught Between Worlds (At A Loss) cd 13.98
Is there any other band that's SO GOOD live that I (Allan) would actually plan a trip somewhere thousands of miles away almost entirely on the basis of getting to see 'em play? 'Cause that's what I'm doing for Halloween -- flying to New Orleans, which would be fun anyways but is gonna be extra-awesome 'cause this Philly-based, all-instrumental power trio will be tearing down the house at Checkpoint Charlie's on the edge of the French Quarter, as they apparently do every Halloween. And as if to pile on the excitement, what shows up at Aquarius this week but a brand new Stinking Lizaveta opus? Yay! Their fourth album finds 'em doing what they do best, adhering to their math rock + jazz + exotic flourishes + sheer rock and roll exuberance formula, with perhaps a little bit more stoner rock added to the equation this time around. Imagine an instrumental Spirit Caravan melded with The Fucking Champs and Gone...something like that. Heavy, sinuous, emotive, grandiose, intimate, anguished, epic, melodic, HEAVY. It's not a perfect album, though -- the drum sound could be better (or at least the drums could be not so loud) sez Andee, and it suffers as all Stinking Lizaveta records do in comparison to their spectacular live performances. Basically, they are SUCH a good live band that it's just hard for them to ever make an album that's nearly as good as they are in person. I love their records, but they really don't compare to the band on stage. Their intense playing, telepathic interplay, and sheer energy are all there...but not as much as you get live. That they're such a formidable proposition live works against their recordings in another way: they probably just assume that if they just go in the studio and kick ass like they do on stage, they'll make the best album ever. Of course, it's not quite that easy. Still, Caught Between Worlds is worlds above almost everything else in the post/math/instro/stoner rock realm... Recommended -- get this and also don't miss 'em if you get the chance, they're on tour right now!
MPEG Stream: "I Denounce The Government"
MPEG Stream: "Beyond The Shadows"
MPEG Stream: "Last Wish"

STINKING LIZAVETA III (Tolotta) cd 13.98
We've been waiting for this for a loooong time, the new, third (duh) album from one of our favorite bands, the amazing Philadelphian power trio Stinking Lizaveta. The first thing to say is that we like how the front cover shows band members seated in their barren inner-city Philly back yard, while the back cover has a slight variation on the same shot with each band member's pet dog perched on their respective laps...the dogs are indentified by name (Davis, Kira, and Shu Shu), and tracks 7-9 on the cd are named after the dogs! Very nice. They love their dogs.
For those who need to know more, let's give you the basics: This is ROCK. Goddamn. An instrumental trio of godly Les Paul guitar, hard-hitting mathrock drums, and virtuoso upright electric bass. It's not exactly metal, it's not jazz, but it's heavy and tight and blows away most other rock outfits on the planet, live especially. And "III", with somewhat fuller production than past efforts, reminds us that Stinking Liz kick ass in the studio too. Imagine Black Flag/Gone mixed with King Crimson, or AC/DC playing Mahavishnu instrumentals, or The Champs falling in love with each other, moving to the country, and practicing yoga. Those are woefully inadequate comparisons, of course, but that's cause this band is its own incredible thing. With "III", they've added some synth and violin to the mix -- and even some half-buried vocals on the very first song -- but primarily what you're going to hear is the basic guitar/bass/drums trio, simply cookin'. With gas. Fuckin' huge propane tanks of it, exploding left and right. Whoops, but then let's not forget the moments of delicate, Eastern-tinged post-rock bliss to be found here as well. Lizaveta's multi-genre rock synthesis results in a unique and varied album, from the tension-buildup of a slowburning track like "Tenuous" to the Frippian ambience of "Diana" to the psychedelic soulshiver of "Naked And Alone" with its doomy Black Sabbath bassline and Yanni's lengthy Fushitsusha style blues-psych guitar blowout. The brothers Papadopoulos (Yanni, guitar and Alexi, bass) and drummer Cheshire Agusta do all this and more, with sincerity, passion and might.
Joe Lally (Fugazi) released this on his label Tolotta, best known as the home of stoner rock heroes Spirit Caravan. I'd really like to see both SC and SL go on tour together, that would be something...
RealAudio clip: "The Sentence"
RealAudio clip: "Revelationary"
RealAudio clip: "The Hanged Man"
RealAudio clip: "Naked and Alone"

STINKING LIZAVETA Sacrifice And Bliss (At A Loss) cd 14.98
For a band that's proudly "always on tour" (and have been for the better part of the past 15 years!), the band of Philadelphians known as Stinking Lizaveta don't make it out here to San Francisco nearly often enough, in our opinion! (And when they do, we always request they play an instore here at AQ, just so we get to see 'em twice.) So, not having had the pleasure of attending a Stinking Liz show for far too long, getting in this brand new album is, well, the next best thing. It also might be the best Stinking Liz recording yet. Steve Albini (no slouch) was behind the board for the first five of their albums, but this time 'round they've switched things up production-wise and recorded with heaviness guru du jour Sanford Parker (Pelican, Indian, Buried At Sea, Samothrace, Minsk, Bible Of The Devil, etc.). With more overdubs and a thicker sound, or something, this just immediately impressed sonically. While it's by now commonplace to remark that any studio album from this all-instrumental, more and more metallic "doom-jazz" trio can't quite capture the sweaty, gleeful intensity and exuberance of their live performances (how could they?), this one still certainly excels as an at-home, loud listening experience, revealing subtle nuance of light and shade while also pulverizing massively when they tilt towards the heavier side of that so-called doom-jazz thing. (Really, what are they? They've been rightly welcomed into the metal realm, specifically the stoner/doom scene, but the upright electric bass points to jazz, and they display signifiers of mathrock, postrock, prog, fusion, and crustyhippiepunk as well... let's just say Stinking Lizaveta ROCK and be done with it.)
And even though it's their sixth album, they have no problems conjuring the usual Stinking Liz magic in the songwriting dep't. The feel and finesse of SL's style of tightly wound jams is in full effect, these ten tracks packed with all the power and prettiness we expect: Menacing, calm-before-the-storm moodiness. Surging grooves. Eruptions of exotic, trebly guitar god soloing. Ripping riffage. Dynamic stops and starts. Sheer beauty and sudden complexities.... You get plenty of what we might (confusingly?) term 'Earthless-condensed-and-gone-classical' geetar wailin', wired through the choppy chunky chuggery of song structures that sound like Confessor on SST.
Fans of the band will be seriously chuffed, and if you haven't heard 'em before this would be a fine introduction as any (short of seeing 'em live of course - but heck WE got into them in the first place from hearing their debut cd, not at a show). Sacrifice And Bliss currently stands as the authoritative album from this band about whom we've waxed rhapsodic so much before, that all we can say is if you haven't gotten into 'em yet, please do so now. Of course, we don't expect EVERYONE to like 'em, though we do feel sorry for you if you don't...
MPEG Stream: "Autochthony! Autochthony!"
MPEG Stream: "A Day Without A Murder"

STINKING LIZAVETA Scream Of The Iron Iconoclast (At A Loss) cd 13.98
Oh, Stinking Lizaveta, why do we love you so? We'd count the reasons but it's tough to write about a band that's like, one of the best bands EVER, we'd have to say, particularly if you ask Allan. We'll wax poetic about 'em, for sure, but it's gonna just sound like fanboy hyperbole. And having said that, can you expect an unbiased review here? Hell no, we're proudly biased regarding this virtuoso instrumental three-piece (rock god guitar, Energizer drums, upright electric bass) from Philadelphia. What we'd really like to do is just humbly suggest that you GO SEE THEM PLAY whenever you get the chance, which is more likely than you might think, since they're indefatigably touring pretty much all the time. If only like five percent of the people reading this right now are moved to sometime go see Stinking Lizaveta for the first time on our recommendation, we can feel like we've done y'all a service, since we're super duper sure that anyone who does will be amazed and become big fans too. Who can resist the exuberant, enthralling instrumental prowess displayed by this telepathic trio playing their unique blend of mathy metal, post rock, and heavier-than-thou hippiepunk jazz?? (They call their music "doom-jazz" by the way.)
This new album, their fifth (as always, engineered by Steve Albini) is an excellent demonstration/distillation of everything that's great about Stinking Liz (though we'll offer our usual caveat that they're EVEN BETTER live, you just can't entirely bottle/record that magic). These 16 new songs are some of their best yet, full of the ponderously head-nodding riffage, gorgeous arcs of lead guitar, and explosive rhythmic excitement we expect from 'em. There's moody tension throughout, with clusters of dense note-spirals building to ultimate release. Slow-burners like "Willie Nelson (Tired Of The War)" coexist with the sheer metallic chug of "Indomitable Will" and the darkly psychedelic storminess of "Cyclops", to offer a few examples, these elements prevalent all across this disc, no tracks lacking. And despite being an all-instrumental band (but for Yanni howling into his guitar pickups upon occasion, as on "Soul Retrieval") this isn't just a techy display of chops, it's passionate creativity drenched with sweat and emotion. Another all-instro trio y'know we love is The Fucking Champs, but Stinking Lizeveta are waaaay more soulful. They come a lot closer to the aesthetic of Earthless (another of this list's highlights), but instead of untethered interstellar exploration they compress and complexify that jamminess into tightly-wound compositions. Stirring stuff. And soooooo recommended.
MPEG Stream: "To The Sun"
MPEG Stream: "Indomitable Will"
MPEG Stream: "Soul Retrieval"

STINKING LIZAVETA Slaughterhouse (self-released) cd 10.98
Supremely awesome instrumental rock trio of guitar/drums/upright electric bass from Philadelphia. Last weekend they played a beautiful and energetic show to a lucky crowd at the TipTop bar a couple of blocks from here. And last year they did a great Aquarius instore performance. This is their brand new disc. If you like old Gone, or Fripp, or previous AQ-list Record of the Week honorees The Champs, you must bow down to Stinking Lizaveta. Meditative virtuoso impassioned metal/jazz explosive bliss!

STINKING LIZAVETA The Seventh Direction (Translation Loss) cd 14.98
Aquarius-beloved, all-instrumental metal/jazz/punk/prog power trio Stinking Lizaveta just won't quit. Thank God. Year in and year out, they make genius records, tour tirelessly (playing to perhaps not excessively large but always extremely enthusiastic audiences - naturally, since they're one of thee BEST live bands you're ever gonna see!), and just keep getting better and better. They have a well-deserved cult following (folks you know who you are, of course you don't need to read this review, just know there's a new SL album and come get it!!) that should be getting bigger with every record and tour. This album, their lucky seventh, is especially representative of the band's dedication and will. 'Cause earlier this year, Stinking Lizaveta's badass drummer Cheshire Augusta was struck by a hit and run driver while riding her bicycle in the band's hometown of Philadelphia. Fortunately, she survived the accident but had to endure surgery and painful therapy. But did that stop her from completing this album, and going out on tour a few months later? No sir!
If you're not yet familiar with the magic of Stinking Lizaveta, what this telepathic trio can do with abundant energy, incredible chops, and endless creativity, well please pick this up and listen (also, go see 'em perform if you get the chance 'cuz as all who've seen 'em will acknowledge, no matter how good they are on album, live is even better). Along with drummer Cheshire, the brothers Yanni and Alexi Papadopoulos (on guitar and upright electric bass, respectively) bow to no one in terms of majestic math-metal musicianship, crafting tracks that somehow meld together classic rock bombast, atmospheric post rock vibes, and jazzier, noirish moodiness. Plenty of heaviness, but also so much feeling and emotion and lighter moments of great beauty. And of course, no singing, none needed! While every member of this tight unit are virtuoso players, special mention must be made of Yanni's sheer sinuous psychedelic guitar heroics and his ripping riffs galore. He's a master, of "we're not worthy" caliber. There's something downright spiritual about his tremulous, ecstatic playing - and the music of Stinking Liz in general.
Ok, that's (almost) enough superlatives. Let's just say that Stinking Lizaveta's eighteen years and counting career of kicking ass in their utterly unique fashion are fully embodied here. Heck this has a bunch of our favorite Stinking Liz jams on it yet. As always, we know their fans will want this, but we really want to induct more new folks into the Stinking Liz fanbase. So let's say, did you dig the latest Six Organs Of Admittance? Well try this out too, it takes certain instrumental elements of that to whole 'nother level. Or, how 'bout a cross between Golden Void and The Fucking Champs? Sound good? Here it is, but better! Then mix in both Black Sabbath and Dave Brubeck (RIP). Yup, if you can imagine, it's in here.
And once again, this boasts a powerful production job from Sanford Parker (the switch they made on their previous opus Sacrifice And Bliss, from longtime engineer Steve Albini to Sanford P was, as it turned out, a pretty good one). Though we said the live SL experience can't be really captured in a recording, this comes damn close, especially if you play it LOUD! Includes 2 cd-only bonus tracks.
MPEG Stream: "Z"
MPEG Stream: "Ten Thousand Hours"
MPEG Stream: "The Seventh Direction"

STINKING LIZAVETA / REGULATOR WATTS (French Lick) split 7" 3.99
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Stinking Lizaveta's side is a muscular, jazzy instrumental in their sinewy prog style, but pretty at the same time. And Regulator Watts are good too.

STIRLING SAYS Balboa (20 Sided) cd 8.98
The boys in Stirling Says have really beefed up their sound and cranked the amps and feedback since we last heard from them on their split 7" with Katie The Pest. And we think this added punch serves them so well! Balboa has such an awesomely raw and free wheeling guitar driven sound, reminding us of that awesome intersection of the late '80s SST scene (Dinosaur Jr, Leaving Trains, Screaming Trees, Das Damen) and the early beginnings of the Sub Pop roster (Eric's Trip, Seaweed, Sebadoh) and that sound is so totally refreshing right now! So much of the recent output of guitar driven rock seems to be so centered on its lo-fi/outsider aesthetic, we've been missing what it feels like to just have a great short two minute song hit you in the gut with a wall of guitars and soaring vocals. This is the kind of record perfect for roadtrips as the songs on Balboa really do flow with a never-ending summer charm.
MPEG Stream: "Punk Rock Isn't A Song It's A Way Of Life (And It's A Song)"
MPEG Stream: "Eoganan"
MPEG Stream: "Tatiana"

STIRLING SAYS Balboa (20 Sided) lp 10.98
Now available on vinyl.
The boys in Stirling Says have really beefed up their sound and cranked the amps and feedback since we last heard from them on their split 7" with Katie The Pest. And we think this added punch serves them so well! Balboa has such an awesomely raw and free wheeling guitar driven sound, reminding us of that awesome intersection of the late '80s SST scene (Dinosaur Jr, Leaving Trains, Screaming Trees, Das Damen) and the early beginnings of the Sub Pop roster (Eric's Trip, Seaweed, Sebadoh) and that sound is so totally refreshing right now! So much of the recent output of guitar driven rock seems to be so centered on its lo-fi/outsider aesthetic, we've been missing what it feels like to just have a great short two minute song hit you in the gut with a wall of guitars and soaring vocals. This is the kind of record perfect for roadtrips as the songs on Balboa really do flow with a never-ending summer charm.
MPEG Stream: "Punk Rock Isn't A Song It's A Way Of Life (And It's A Song)"
MPEG Stream: "Eoganan"
MPEG Stream: "Tatiana"

STIVELY, RYAN AND HIS POISON BAND s/t (self-released) cd-r 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This homespun offering from SF singer/songwriter Ryan Stively has varied levels of lo-fi recording quality (the first track is much quieter than the second), but the quality of his songwriting shines through. Each song is mainly centered around voice and acoustic guitar which he embellished with an occasional higher backing vocals, violin, and percussion. For the most part, these nine songs linger in the hushed intimate folk realm. The one exception is the eighth song (which we've dubbed "It Takes A Worried Man To Sing A Worried Song" because no song titles are provided) dissolves into unexpected almost Ween-ish fucked-up and distorted mischief. Nonetheless, if you dug the recent Iron & The Albatross album, you might wanna check this out too!
MPEG Stream: "track 4"
MPEG Stream: "track 8"

STOLTZ, KELLEY Antique Glow (Jackpine Social Club) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Why Kelley Stoltz isn't world famous yet is a total mystery, as this guy is clearly one of SF's most talented, creative musicians -- and here on his second solo effort he really shines. It's kind of amazing what home recordings can sound like in the hands of great musicmakers, but instead of the stark loneliness you might expect (a la Iron & Wine, maybe), this recording is full of layers and layers of grit and melody and mood and attitude. There's the pop vivacity of Ted Leo, the eccentricity of Syd Barrett, the offbeat blues-based weirdness of Beefheart, the rough 'n earnest buzz of Neutral Milk Hotel, the occasional '60s garage psyche vibe, barely-there electronic squiggles (not at all overpowering the overall organic rock feel), and the propulsive chugging guitar of the Velvets... Believe me, this is just great, a remarkably mature and well executed effort. The instrumentals and weirder bits are paced well between the proper songs, making the album a good listen straight thru. Bravo, Kelley.
MPEG Stream: "Perpetual Night"
MPEG Stream: "Fake Day"
MPEG Stream: "Tubes in the Moonlight"

STOLTZ, KELLEY Antique Glow (self-released) lp 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Why Kelley Stoltz isn't world famous yet is a total mystery, as this guy is clearly one of SF's most talented, creative musicians -- and here on his second solo effort he really shines. It's kind of amazing what home recordings can sound like in the hands of great musicmakers, but instead of the stark loneliness you might expect (a la Iron & Wine, maybe), this recording is full of layers and layers of grit and melody and mood and attitude. There's the pop vivacity of Ted Leo, the eccentricity of Syd Barrett, the offbeat blues-based weirdness of Beefheart, the rough 'n earnest buzz of Neutral Milk Hotel, the occasional '60s garage psyche vibe, barely-there electronic squiggles (not at all overpowering the overall organic rock feel), and the propulsive chugging guitar of the Velvets... Believe me, this is just great, a remarkably mature and well executed effort. The instrumentals and weirder bits are paced well between the proper songs, making the album a good listen straight thru. Bravo, Kelley.

STOLTZ, KELLEY Below The Branches (Sub Pop) cd 13.98
Hey Kelley, you've got your Beatles in my Beach Boys in his Bowie! On his first full length on Sub Pop (his last album was the excellent self-released Antique Glow), Stoltz gleefully mixes and matches the unmistakable compositional styles and sounds of the abovementioned, and in lesser hands this would prolly be a bit stickily problematic. However, Stoltz is such a fine songwriter and performer in his own right that, rather than groaning at an unabashed mining of the classics, you just might find yourself getting swept up in the delight of these refreshing pop gems. His vocals jump from high emotive Bowie-ness to slightly gruff Ringo-esque speak-sing to Brian Wilson-y croon. Entirely exuberant and engaging. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Wave Goodbye"
MPEG Stream: "Ever Thought Of Coming Back"

STOLTZ, KELLEY Below The Branches (Sub Pop) lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hey Kelley, you've got your Beatles in my Beach Boys in his Bowie! On his first full length on Sub Pop (his last album was the excellent self-released Antique Glow), Stoltz gleefully mixes and matches the unmistakable compositional styles and sounds of the abovementioned, and in lesser hands this would prolly be a bit stickily problematic. However, Stoltz is such a fine songwriter and performer in his own right that, rather than groaning at an unabashed mining of the classics, you just might find yourself getting swept up in the delight of these refreshing pop gems. His vocals jump from high emotive Bowie-ness to slightly gruff Ringo-esque speak-sing to Brian Wilson-y croon. Entirely exuberant and engaging. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Wave Goodbye"
MPEG Stream: "Ever Thought Of Coming Back"

STOLTZ, KELLEY Circular Sounds (Sub Pop) cd 13.98
Hurrah, Kelley's back! Granted we might sound like a broken record comparing his music once again to the three mighty B's -- The Beatles, Bowie and The Beach Boys -- but the influences continue to ring loud and clear. However, Mr. Stoltz is such a terrific singer/songwriter that his songs somehow always sounds fresh, and he sounds as fresh as ever on his latest full length Circular Sounds! This time though his vocal delivery also recalls the older, knowing tones of Ray Davies and Robyn Hitchcock. You'll wanna go round and round with these fourteen songs filled with wistful musings on age-old sentiments about talking to girls, losing one's mind, etc. Sweet!
MPEG Stream: "Everything Begins"
MPEG Stream: "To Speak To The Girl"

STOLTZ, KELLEY Circular Sounds (Cass) lp 13.98
Hurrah, Kelley's back! Granted we might sound like a broken record comparing his music once again to the three mighty B's -- The Beatles, Bowie and The Beach Boys -- but the influences continue to ring loud and clear. However, Mr. Stoltz is such a terrific singer/songwriter that his songs somehow always sounds fresh, and he sounds as fresh as ever on his latest full length Circular Sounds! This time though his vocal delivery also recalls the older, knowing tones of Ray Davies and Robyn Hitchcock. You'll wanna go round and round with these fourteen songs filled with wistful musings on age-old sentiments about talking to girls, losing one's mind, etc. Sweet!
MPEG Stream: "Everything Begins"
MPEG Stream: "To Speak To The Girl"

STOLTZ, KELLEY Crockodials (Beautiful Happiness) cd 14.98
Perhaps taking a cue from SF's Doug Hilsinger & Caroleen Beatty who lovingly crafted a complete reinterpretation of their favorite Brian Eno album Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), fellow Bay Area artist Kelley Stoltz has tackled Echo & The Bunnymen's Crocodiles album in its entirety. Stoltz did all the performin' and recordin' on his faithful ol' 8-track with impressive, full fledged results. Surprisingly gritty and raucous! So, while we eagerly await his new album out soon on Sub Pop, we can delight in his right-on rendition of one of Echo & The Bunnymen's bestest albums!
MPEG Stream: "Do It Clean"
MPEG Stream: "Read It In Books"

STOLTZ, KELLEY Discount City / '84 Tigers (Cass) 7" 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
What's this? A little bit more from Kelley Stoltz! Wow, we've barely been able to catch our breath after he double-whammy'd us with Below The Branches and Crockodials (aka his terrific new full length and his complete recreation of Echo & The Bunnymen's album Crocodiles respectively). In case you're still craving more from Mr. Stoltz, the kind gent himself has just brought in some copies of his latest 7" vinyl offering for your hungry lil' ears. Instead of the Beach Boys-Bowie-Beatles-y pop sounds of his album or the '80s somber angst of the cover album, he's opted for a more swaggering, grungey Motor City-ness. "Discount City" and its baseball-themed flip side "'84 Tigers" are edgy, trippy blues rock numbers, very well suited for release on this Detroit, MI indie label. Cool!
Limited to 500.

STOLTZ, KELLEY The Sun Comes Through (Sub Pop) cd ep 5.98
Always nice to see the sun come through, and it's nice to hear Kelley Stoltz's shining tunes too! This is terrific! Mr. Stoltz is certainly one of San Francisco's cherished musical treasures, and Sub Pop's kindly taken it upon themselves to help spread the word beyond the California border. This is a 5-song ep in preparation for his third full length (his first on the Seattle label). Such a skillful songcraftsman, he encorporates the very strong influences of the Beatles (check out "You're Out Of This World") and David Bowie ("Away With The Swans and "Let's Go Out Tonight") into his music without making them distractions. This ep already makes for an excellent follow-up to his fine Antique Glow album, can't wait for the full length!!
MPEG Stream: "You're Out Of This World"
MPEG Stream: "Let's Go Out Tonight"

STOLTZ, KELLEY To Dreamers (Sub Pop) cd 14.98
The music of Kelley Stoltz has always given hearty nods to The Beatles, and on his latest album their influence is still felt in spades. Unlike many other artists who are content to copycat their heroes though, Stoltz consistently crafts fresh songs that are respectfully infused with the spirited energy of his forefathers. Don't miss the lilting sweetheart "Pinecone" or the comparatively feisty "Little Girl". Terrific! You can also hear a bit of The Cars, The Kinks, Nick Lowe, XTC and Electric Light Orchestra who themselves were hugely inspired by the Fab Four. Perhaps slightly a bit more angular this time, To Dreamers is nevertheless a warm, inviting pop album that would make a great spin alongside your Spoon or New Pornographers albums!
MPEG Stream: "Pinecone"
MPEG Stream: "Little Girl"
MPEG Stream: "Love Let Me In Again"

STOLTZ, KELLEY To Dreamers (Sub Pop) lp 14.98
The music of Kelley Stoltz has always given hearty nods to The Beatles, and on his latest album their influence is still felt in spades. Unlike many other artists who are content to copycat their heroes though, Stoltz consistently crafts fresh songs that are respectfully infused with the spirited energy of his forefathers. Don't miss the lilting sweetheart "Pinecone" or the comparatively feisty "Little Girl". Terrific! You can also hear a bit of The Cars, The Kinks, Nick Lowe, XTC and Electric Light Orchestra who themselves were hugely inspired by the Fab Four. Perhaps slightly a bit more angular this time, To Dreamers is nevertheless a warm, inviting pop album that would make a great spin alongside your Spoon or New Pornographers albums!
MPEG Stream: "Pinecone"
MPEG Stream: "Little Girl"
MPEG Stream: "Love Let Me In Again"

STOLTZ, KELLEY With My Face On The Floor (Artschool Dropout) 7" 7.98
Sweet (and Super Limited!!) four song 7" from local popstar Kelley Stoltz on Artschool Dropout who have also brought us The Josephine Foster and Michael Yonkers 7"s (reviewed elsewhere on this list). Covering Emitt Rhode's classic "With My Face On The Floor", plus three originals. Stoltz brings a vintage pop quality to these songs, which if we didn't know any better, could easily be mistaken for long lost Kinks tracks from the Something Else sessions. Includes artwork by Simon Evans.

STOLTZ, KELLEY Your R everie (Sub Pop) 7" 3.98
A brand new 7" single from beloved Bay Area chap Kelley Stoltz (yeah, we know he's originally from Michigan, but he's been here so long that we're claimin' him as our own!)! Side One is from his forthcoming full length which is scheduled for a February 2008 release. "Owl Service" on Side Two is exclusive to this record! Sounds like he's picking right up from where he left off on the retro pop/rock steeped Below The Branches (2005). Always a pleasure!

STOMACHMOUTHS, THE Born Losers (Kooks / Subliminal Sounds) cd 17.98
Besides having one of the best band names ever (inspired by A Confederacy Of Dunces, strangely enough), back in the '80s Sweden's Stomachmouths were their nation's undisputed masters of snotty sixties-style surf-psych garage, leading a revival that would last for most of that decade and predated the current Swedish garage mania (Hives et. al.) by almost twenty years! This compilation encompasses the Stomachmouths' short sharp burst of creative, manic rock and roll that lasted a brief three and a half years. Raw and noisy, catchy and rocking, the Stomachmouths sound like the perfect mix of twangy, reverby Dick Dale riffs, the fuzzy and crunchy garage-y buzz of the Sonics, and the cranky, spazzy brattiness of the Electric Eeels or the Styrenes. Sounds like a pretty amazing collection and it is! This has been playing in the store non-stop since we got it in last week. Awesome, super detailed liner notes too!
MPEG Stream: "Don't Put Me Down"
MPEG Stream: "Dr. Syn"
MPEG Stream: "Eegah!"

STONE COAL WHITE s/t (Cali-Tex) cd 14.98
Some years ago, we were all freaking out about a compilation called Chains And Black Exhaust, a killer mix consisting of obscure, '70s heavy funk music, all from ultra hard to find singles and such, none of which was even identified, though curious folks have since figured out the tracklist... One of those mystery tracks, "You Know", turns out to have been by this outfit, Ohio's Stone Coal White. It's from one of their two rare 45's, circa 1972, and a's and b's of which are compiled together on this archival release, along with "four previously unissued tracks, found in the basement of a now-condemned motorcycle gang hideout in Dayton, Ohio." Which is a good story we'll happily choose to believe! It sure SOUNDS like music from a black motorcycle gang's basement, super raw stoned blaxploitation grooves full of wah wah chicka chicka guitar, with almost dubby sounding lo-fi production, lots of distortion and psychedelic echoey effects. They do a couple badass covers, both Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" and Curtis Mayfield's "Hell Below" (with their singer doing a spot-on Curtis impersonation on that one!), and their own jams have some of the early drugged-out Funkadelic feel. Yeah, good stuff! Fans of another C&BE alumnus, Black Merda, ought to love Stone Coal White. You can thank uber-digger Josh "DJ Shadow" Davis for doing the archeology on this one, and releasing it via his Cali-Tex imprint.
Oh, and we can't resist mentioning something we noticed, if you look up Stone Coal White on YouTube, this is the top rated comment under one of the tracks that's been posted: "I've just made love to my wife with this playing. What a great artifact of black rock."
MPEG Stream: "You Know"
MPEG Stream: "Stone Coal White"
MPEG Stream: "Move Your Hand"

STONE COAL WHITE s/t (Cali-Tex) lp 17.98
Some years ago, we were all freaking out about a compilation called Chains And Black Exhaust, a killer mix consisting of obscure, '70s heavy funk music, all from ultra hard to find singles and such, none of which was even identified, though curious folks have since figured out the tracklist... One of those mystery tracks, "You Know", turns out to have been by this outfit, Ohio's Stone Coal White. It's from one of their two rare 45's, circa 1972, and a's and b's of which are compiled together on this archival release, along with "four previously unissued tracks, found in the basement of a now-condemned motorcycle gang hideout in Dayton, Ohio." Which is a good story we'll happily choose to believe! It sure SOUNDS like music from a black motorcycle gang's basement, super raw stoned blaxploitation grooves full of wah wah chicka chicka guitar, with almost dubby sounding lo-fi production, lots of distortion and psychedelic echoey effects. They do a couple badass covers, both Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" and Curtis Mayfield's "Hell Below" (with their singer doing a spot-on Curtis impersonation on that one!), and their own jams have some of the early drugged-out Funkadelic feel. Yeah, good stuff! Fans of another C&BE alumnus, Black Merda, ought to love Stone Coal White. You can thank uber-digger Josh "DJ Shadow" Davis for doing the archeology on this one, and releasing it via his Cali-Tex imprint.
Oh, and we can't resist mentioning something we noticed, if you look up Stone Coal White on YouTube, this is the top rated comment under one of the tracks that's been posted: "I've just made love to my wife with this playing. What a great artifact of black rock."
MPEG Stream: "You Know"
MPEG Stream: "Stone Coal White"
MPEG Stream: "Move Your Hand"

STONE GARDEN s/t (Shadow Kingdom) cd 14.98
Not '80s metal, not '70s metal, this is '60s metal. Or at least, heavy hippie psychedelic garage rock to be more precise. The Shadow Kingdom label, who seem to go for cult current metal bands and even more obscure reissues, reached pretty far back for this one, all the way back to the late sixties (the recordings collected here date from between '65-'70 as far as we can tell). Stone Garden were from the Pacific Northwest, predating the Seattle grunge scene by a couple decades... But if they'd been born later, we could almost imagine 'em on Sub Pop, playing shows with Mudhoney and, uh, Soundgarden, yeah.
Pounding drums and bass, wild jamming organ, and plenty of throbbing distorted guitar, that's what you get from Stone Garden. No, it's not Black Sabbath (it never is) but this ought to appeal to heavy psych, proto-metal heads into Blue Cheer, Bubble Puppy, Sir Lord Baltimore, Iron Butterfly, Fraction, Negative Space and the like. For the era, and considering their age (in the pictures here, Stone Garden are really young looking, though shaggy-haired, teenage kids still in high school), this was on the HEAVY side of the blues rock spectrum most definitely. Not all of it, but enough of it. "Assembly Line", ferinstance, is an appropriately grim lament, laced with acid guitar soloing. They were into Cream and Hendrix, you can tell.
Throughout these 15 tracks, production quality varies, some material was recorded in a real studio, others in a basement home studio, still others in a living room, or live on stage. So this collection has got a patchwork production vibe for sure, but that doesn't stop Stone Garden from rockin'. And when they did make it into a studio, they took advantage of it, you gotta love the freaky tape speed manipulation studio shenanigans that make "Grayworld Forest" an even weirder place to wander than the title suggests.
Stone Garden's music has been reissued before, originally on a limited edition (long out of print) vinyl by Rockadelic in the '90s, and also on compact disc by Gear Fab, but this Shadow Kingdom cd edition is the best, with a bunch of previously unreleased bonus tracks and a nice booklet full of liner notes, vintage photos and, on the back, what we're guessing was the b&w flower power sleeve of their sole 7" release, circa 1969, with the boys looking really REALLY young on it. Which means you can flip the booklet around and have it as a the cd cover instead of the crappier looking "Stonehenge" cover inherited from the Rockadelic lp version, if you like.
MPEG Stream: "Oceans Inside Me (Ripcord Version)"
MPEG Stream: "Assembly Line"

STONE HARBOUR Emerges (Lion Productions ) cd 16.98
Though it may not always seem like it, these are blessed times in which to live. That is, in regard to the cd reissue of various record collector "holy grails". Sooner or later, it seems like every highly coveted, whispered-about psych/folk/prog masterpiece gets a reissue - recently, for instance, records by Joakim Skogberg, Bobb Trimble, Moolah, and Cold Sun. Of course, these reissues often as not go right back out of print all too soon, but that's the way of the world. The point is, at least we get a chance at 'em. We mention this on the occasion of this cd reissue of the privately-pressed Stone Harbour LP from 1974, not to imply that it's of uniformly mindblowing, out of this world quality, no not quite, but still it's pretty good. And when it's bad, it's maybe even better, 'cause this basement hippie multi-instrumental duo from Youngstown, Ohio had the shambolic, stoned DIY thing down, this album achieving a primitive, fucked up brilliance despite (or because of) the hissy lo-fi homebrewed production and the musicians' lack of technical chops. Imagine Bobb Trimble jamming with George Brigman, perhaps after listening to records by Syd Barrett and Uriah Heep, and getting super wasted and emotional, that's what a bunch of this sorta sounds like... well we mention Uriah Heep 'cause they do, this album's typewritten thanks list specifically highlighting Heep's keyboardist Ken Hensley, definitely an inspiration for all the ornate spacey synth sounds zapping in and out of the songs here.
We'll admit, though while the holy grail hype is mostly right, Emerges IS a bit hit or miss. Not every Stone Harbour song is a brilliant gem. But when they hit, they hit! You could happily buy this for the haunting likes of "Grains Of Sand" and "Summer Magic Is Gone", alone. But there's plenty more besides. With lots of lovely lalalas, acoustic strum, and lysergic electronic effects, this is a weird, magical mix of melancholic murk (drifting soundscapes like "Thanitos") and more grunged-out, garagey rock n' rolling (on the likes of "Rock & Roll Puzzle"). Heck, they fully boogie it up on "Still Like That Rock & Roll" (one of the aforementioned misses, but not without its charms).
As usual, Lion provides a jam-packed cd booklet, with lyrics and pics and as much background info as they could dig up (Stone Harbour's Rick Ballas blessed this reissue, but declined to be interviewed for the liner notes). This disc also includes four additional bonus tracks, recorded in 1975, that fit in quite nicely with the album tracks, the highlight among 'em being "Witch To You", a song that sounds sooo much like a lo-fi, real-deal version of the doom-prog vibe AQ faves Witchcraft are conjuring today. Most likely, it's 'cause on that track, Stone Harbour were heavily influenced by both Black Sabbath and Roky Erickson, much like Witchcraft are too, albeit from the further remove of a couple extra decades.
What more to say? Psych fans, we've done our duty, please check out the long lost Stone Harbour and be amazed.
MPEG Stream: "Rock & Roll Puzzle"
MPEG Stream: "Summer Magic Is Gone"
MPEG Stream: "Witch To You"

STONE, JADE & LUV Mosaics (Subliminal Sounds) lp 36.00

STONEWALL s/t (Kismet) cd 17.98
All right, time to get yr underground proto-metal kicks! Remember the new album from San Francisco longhairs Dzjenghis Khan we highlighted last list?? Well THIS is exactly the sort of thing those retro-stoners were going for. Step up for an authentic '70s hard psych experience. Stonewall's rare, awesomely fuzz riffed record was recorded in '69, but not actually released until 1974, and even then without the band's knowledge, due to exploito-label shennanigans. Read the liner notes for more about that. (Actually, other sources claim this was recorded circa '71-'72, and then released in '76, we don't know what to believe, but either set of dates sounds plausible.)
Stonewall pump out stompin', rockin' boogie, durn heavy for '69 (or '71), fronted by an expressively raspy vocalist, gripped by the spirit of rock n' roll at its countercultural best. He also busts out the occasional harmonica wail. But it's generally guitars to the fore, and fuzzed-out. There's some Hendrix and Cream influences of course, maybe Led Zep too depending on when this really was recorded, and we're treated to some total organ jammin' blues rockin' on "Try & See It Through", while "Atlantis" hints at the slightly proggier riffage of Captain Beyond's debut....
Definitely for fans of Sir Lord Baltimore, Dust, Bang, Jerusalem, etc. Also if you remember a much more recent (but very retro) band from the '90s called The Want, who did a disc for Southern Lord, this sounds pretty much just like them. Which is cool 'cause we really digged The Want. Maybe they really digged Stonewall?
Oh, and yes, this IS the same Stonewall album that was previously reissued on cd some years back by the Italian label Akarma, with a different cover and title (Akarma called it Stoner, and the cover had a wall of Marshalls, with blood seeping from several of 'em.) Presumably this is the how the original lp really looked.
MPEG Stream: "Right On"
MPEG Stream: "Solitude"
MPEG Stream: "Outer Spaced"

STONEWALL s/t (Kismet) lp 24.00
Now reissued on vinyl, too!
All right, time to get yr underground proto-metal kicks! Perhaps you're familiar with San Francisco longhairs Dzjenghis Khan, whose live cassette Prehistoric Rock we listed recently? Well THIS is exactly the sort of thing those retro-stoners were going for. Step up for an authentic '70s hard psych experience. Stonewall's rare, awesomely fuzz riffed record was recorded in '69, but not actually released until 1974, and even then without the band's knowledge, due to exploito-label shenanigans. Read the liner notes for more about that. (Actually, other sources claim this was recorded circa '71-'72, and then released in '76, we don't know what to believe, but either set of dates sounds plausible.)
Stonewall pump out stompin', rockin' boogie, durn heavy for '69 (or '71), fronted by an expressively raspy vocalist, gripped by the spirit of rock n' roll at its countercultural best. He also busts out the occasional harmonica wail. But it's generally guitars to the fore, and fuzzed-out. There's some Hendrix and Cream influences of course, maybe Led Zep too depending on when this really was recorded, and we're treated to some total organ jammin' blues rockin' on "Try & See It Through", while "Atlantis" hints at the slightly proggier riffage of Captain Beyond's debut....
Definitely for fans of Sir Lord Baltimore, Dust, Bang, Jerusalem, etc. Also if you remember a much more recent (but very retro) band from the '90s called The Want, who did a disc for Southern Lord, this sounds pretty much just like them. Which is cool 'cause we really digged The Want. Maybe they really digged Stonewall?
Oh, and yes, this IS the same Stonewall album that was previously reissued on cd some years back by the Italian label Akarma, with a different cover and title (Akarma called it Stoner, and the cover had a wall of Marshalls, with blood seeping from several of 'em.) Presumably this is the how the original lp really looked.
MPEG Stream: "Right On"
MPEG Stream: "Solitude"
MPEG Stream: "Outer Spaced"

STOOGES Funhouse (Elektra) cd 12.98

STOOGES s/t (Elektra) cd 12.98

STOOGES, IGGY & THE Double Danger (Bomp!) 2cd 16.98
Two discs of "Raw Power"-era live Stooges, for everybody who can't get enough of "Metallic K.O."'s live chaos. Over a hundred minutes of what had to be 1973's punkest rock shows. Not a boot, this is part of the official Iguana Chronicles series on Bomp! Sound quality is about what you'd expect, but at least Iggy's between-song foul-mouthed banter comes through pretty clearly (as does the piano, which I've always guessed was the latter-day Stooges attempt at adding a Jerry Lee Lewis "Great Balls Of Fire" type of edge to their already dangerous sound). And Iggy's wit and wisdom combined with a noisy, fucked atmosphere is really what you're after, isn't it?

STOOGES, IGGY AND THE Raw Power (Columbia) cd 12.98
The classic record remixed 25 years later by Iggy Pop! Much heavier and cleaner than the original, notoriously not-quite-right David Bowie mix. Hear it again for the first time. Liner notes include a longish interview with Iggy about the remix project. Also many sexy, sexy photos of Iggy and crew.

STOOGES, IGGY AND THE Raw Power (Sundazed) lp 21.00

STOOGES, THE Fun House Deluxe (Elektra / Rhino) 2cd 18.98
Hmm. We really should have gotten these listed a few months ago when they first came out, but we were debating with ourselves about whether we really needed to write a review that explained how awesome the Stooges are or not. I mean, we figure most AQ customers are hip to these punk rock pioneers, right? So basically, our recommendation boils down to this: if you don't have these albums, BUY THEM NOW. If you don't like 'em, we can't help you. But we think you'll like 'em. Some of the most primal yet avant-garde heavy garagey punk metallic rock n' roll ever made. Of the two albums, debate can rage as to which is most essential. We don't need to answer that question here. Get 'em both. "I Wanna Be Your Dog" is on the debut, whereas you get all the crazy saxophone freakouts on Funhouse.
Now what about if you do have these albums? Should you buy 'em again 'cause they're now "deluxe"? Well, yeah. They've got an extra disc apiece of alternate takes and unreleased material. Damn!! For instance, the full version of "Ann" on the second disc of the s/t package is awesomely super sleazy -- we love it. And don't you wish you could buy a "new" Stooges album every week? Take this historic opportunity! With one caveat: if you happen to be a lucky owner of the Rhino Handmade Funhouse Sessions box set, you might not need the deluxe version of that album, as we're pretty sure (though we didn't do any exhaustive research) that all the extra material on the second disc also must have appeared somewhere on the many discs of that amazing (and long out of print) box set.

STOOGES, THE Gimme Some Skin (Get Back) cd 17.98

STOOGES, THE Gimme Some Skin (Get Back) lp 16.98