STRIP MALL SEIZURES No English (True Panther Sounds) lp 10.98
Oakland's own Strip Mall Seizures spew forth a thrashing, pounding, and super noisy record on excellent San Francisco imprint, True Panther Sounds. No English is a cacophonous, damaged and ultimately danceable record for the people that like their keyboards turned WAY UP! Hella good.

STRIPMALL ARCHITECTURE We Are Not Cool / Dusk Drinks (Tricycle Records) 7" 5.00

STROKES, THE Angles (RCA) cd 14.98
Feels like the boys are going through the motions big time on this one.....

STROKES, THE Angles (RCA) cd 14.98
Feels like the boys are going through the motions big time on this one.....

STROKES, THE First Impressions Of Earth (RCA / BMG) cd 21.00
Much like you, we're never really concerned with what's being hyped or billed "the next big thing" or ridiculous things like the "savior of rock n roll" but we also don't write something off just because it's been churned through the hype machine...in the end if the music is good that's all that matters. The Strokes are a good rock band...nothing less nothing more. AQ'rs have often been pretty split on the band and it's easy to see why people can get upset and frustrated when a band gets so much attention and press when others often more unique and interesting do not. While the last two records pretty much stuck to a similar sound and strategy this one does find them branching out... a bit. The opening moments of the record immediately bring to mind a Ric Ocasek/Cars sensation, "Ask Me Anything" even shows them getting a little imaginative in the studio, but ultimately The Strokes are good at being a fun listen. Their lyrics will never be confused for being profound and their songs never mistaken for wholly original, but when it comes to making catchy rock songs that get stuck in your head they do the trick very well.
MPEG Stream: "You Only Live Once"
MPEG Stream: "Ask Me Anything"

STROKES, THE Hard to Explain (Rough Trade) cd ep 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Still can't figure out what all the fuss and hype is about. If you haven't heard, The Strokes are the new big thing out of New York City (um, I guess this is how the hype machine operates, whoops). Famed UK label Rough Trade managed to get this on the charts in England, selling a gazillion copies of their single. The full-length comes out domestically in September, but here's a taster. Now, like we said, we're not sure what the big deal is with The Strokes. No, they aren't bad, but neither are they the second coming of the Velvet Underground or whatever. Really, this sounds a lot like a cross between southern reverb rockers the Rock*a*Teens and Billy Idol! And that's actually kinda cool... but we'll reserve judgement until we hear the full album.

STROKES, THE Is This It (RCA) cd 16.98
First came the drooling adulatory reviews from music writers, then the inevitable backlash from the few freethinking music critics who were all "what's the big deal?" I'm not quite sure where we are right now in the chronology of The Strokes hype timeline. But who cares -- we all just wanna know what it sounds like, right?
The Strokes play decent, even pretty likable, indie-sounding rock with scratchy-radio-style vocals put thru a distortion pedal (a la Jon Spencer), jangly guitar similar to old REM or the Soft Boys, and a general tone that ranges from the bouncy desperation of "Lust for Life"-era Iggy Pop and the Pixies, to the perfectly-crafted pop of, say, Spoon or the Pastels. Rock critics with something to prove are falling all over themselves claiming that the Strokes sound like the Velvet Underground, but for me that only comes thru in the drummer's defiantly simple rhythms and the singer's nasal delivery, which would be commendably like Lou Reed's except for this annoying end-of-lyric breath-y thing he does far too often, like Christina Aguilera (speaking of which! see Aguilera Strokes remix here: http://www.morewebspace.fsnet.co.uk/remix.mp3, [thanks, Mark]).
So, the AQ verdict on the Strokes is *eh*, it's pretty okay, a lot of folks will find it pleasantly accessible and fun. Hey, we'd still recommend the last Spoon record over the Strokes, but you could do a lot worse. Note: we are currently stocking the import version of this album, thinking that for a couple bucks more than the domestic price you might prefer having the original cover and the song "NYC Cops" which was removed from the US version.
RealAudio clip: "Is This It"
RealAudio clip: "Last Nite"

STROKES, THE Is This It (Rough Trade) lp 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Import vinyl version of this current big thing. Complete with original butt cover and "New York City Cops". Here's our review of the cd version:
First came the drooling adulatory reviews from music writers, then the inevitable backlash from the few freethinking music critics who were all "what's the big deal?" I'm not quite sure where we are right now in the chronology of The Strokes hype timeline. But who cares -- we all just wanna know what it sounds like, right?
The Strokes play decent, even pretty likable, indie-sounding rock with scratchy-radio-style vocals put thru a distortion pedal (a la Jon Spencer), jangly guitar similar to old REM or the Soft Boys, and a general tone that ranges from the bouncy desperation of "Lust for Life"-era Iggy Pop and the Pixies, to the perfectly-crafted pop of, say, Spoon or the Pastels. Rock critics with something to prove are falling all over themselves claiming that the Strokes sound like the Velvet Underground, but for me that only comes thru in the drummer's defiantly simple rhythms and the singer's nasal delivery, which would be commendably like Lou Reed's except for this annoying end-of-lyric breath-y thing he does far too often, like Christina Aguilera (speaking of which! see Aguilera Strokes remix here: http://www.morewebspace.fsnet.co.uk/remix.mp3, [thanks, Mark]).
So, the AQ verdict on the Strokes is *eh*, it's pretty okay, a lot of folks will find it pleasantly accessible and fun. Hey, we'd still recommend the last Spoon record over the Strokes, but you could do a lot worse.

STROKES, THE Last Nite (Rough Trade) cd ep 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
How do you spell 'lame'? I'll tell ya... This is The Strokes third outrageously priced cd single, yep, that's right just one song - the current HOT single which actually is a pretty catchy romp, but unfortunately has already been sooo overplayed everywhere that owning a cd single of it makes no sense at all -- even with the one lonely (lackluster) bonus track! Y'know, if it were a $3.00 7" single, it'd be a different story, but $11.98!? Yeesh! (But, if you have the import version of the full-length, this is how to get the track they replaced "New York City Cops" with on the domestic, although for this price you might as well just look for a used copy of the domestic album instead.)

STROKES, THE Room On Fire (RCA) cd 15.98
The Strokes, love 'em or hate 'em, that seems to be the choice. They've created some divisions here at Aquarius, that's for sure. The Strokes likers here will tell you that hey, Room On Fire is a lot like The Strokes mega debut album Is This It, that is, great. Or at least, a decent pop rock record with a totally acceptable retro flair and some killer singles. But others here disagree, so we'll let them have their say:
If you're seeking a challenging listen, you won't be finding it in the new Strokes album... but then again, who really thought they would anyways?! Fans are gonna scoop this up regardless of what is said about it, but whether or not the music on this album will win them many new fans is open to question. Very basic chord progressions are played out in very simple strumming patterns by the two guitarists while Julian Casablanca sings along in his shrug'n'slouch of a voice. The first single "12:51" feature an example of the most inane singing style... the I-am-going-to-sing-exactly-the-same-melody-as-the-guitar-and-keyboards-over-and-over-and-over kind. They've proven themselves to be a band who often sound bored, but aren't necessarily boring, however Room On Fire still comes off seeming uninspired and lackluster.
MPEG Stream: "Reptilia"
MPEG Stream: "12:15"

STROLLERS, THE Waiting Is (Underground Masters) cd 21.00
More lost '70s psychedelic pop... from Malaysia!! 1973's Waiting Is album by The Strollers is a blend of uptempo R&B inflected groovers and also melancholic, mellow pop-psych. "You're Gonna Make It" sounds like Blood Sweat & Tears, with a honkin' horn section... "Bus Ride" is more of an heavy organ jam... "Children" is one of the haunted ballads... "Do What You Gotta Do" is a smoking prog-funk breakdown... yep all sorts of sounds of the era are ably essayed here, though The Strollers amble in maybe a few years behind the times as you might expect from folks so far from the Western entertainment complex, so this is more '69 than '73 sounding, whatever that means to you. It's sung in English, and more commercial sounding than freaky, really. But certainly if you liked fellow Malaysian psych-popsters Truck's recent reissue you might want to check this out too.
MPEG Stream: "Bus Ride"
MPEG Stream: "Children"

STROSZEK Life Failures Made Music (God Is Myth) cd 10.98
Latest disc from these Italian gloom rockers, the long running solo project of Claudio from aQ black metal faves Frostmoon Eclipse, but unlike the black buzz of FME, Stroszek traffic in something more dramatic and epic, subtle and subdued, with a sound hewing closer to Katatonia, or late period My Dying Bride, big riffs, huge moody melodies, lush arrangements, hushed almost whispered vox.
Slow and brooding, the songs are gradual smoldering builds, often exploding into a churning crunchy chorus, only to slip right back into some dour bass driven doom pop.
Life Failures Made Music is actually a lot heavier in parts than past Stroszek releases, making the Katatonia comparison even more apt, if you can imagine the same sort of bombast, but stripped of its dramatic vocals, which makes these songs sound so much more intimate and personal, still well produced, and lush, but the strange barely there vocals make it seem somehow less commercial, less accessible. And the songs themselves are darkly gorgeous, repetitive and cyclical, with super catchy melodies, and some really nice guitar playing, and super solid drumming. Definitely not cult or grim or even all that heavy, but it certainly hits the spot if you're looking for something moody and morose and a bit metal.
MPEG Stream: "The Unlucky One"
MPEG Stream: "Gone By The Fall"
MPEG Stream: "Undead Hotel"

STRUMMER, JOE & THE MESCALEROS Streetcore (Hellcat / Epitaph) cd 16.98

STUDIO West Coast (Information) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Imagine if you could erase time and create a special Hacienda party on the beach that New Order invited Robert Smith and Lindstrom to jam with them in an all night session under the stars as the waves crash on the beach under the glow of the starlit sky. Then you might get an idea of what this album by Swedish duo Studio is all about. Studio create a totally refreshing version of early '80s greatness that sets its focus on capturing a warm rolling sensation akin to ending up at the beach after a night of dancing and some of those ecstatic drugs still in your system. The record is bookmarked by two long cosmic instrumentals filled with shimmering synths that sneak in some kraut and subtle afro-beat influences with total perfection. The songs with vocals really do sound like The Cure and New Order joining forces as they catch an endless groove under a spinning disco ball. While there is some similarities to what folks in the DFA camp have been doing there is a much more smooth and golden sensation to Studio's sound. West Coast also reminds us a lot of Sorcerer's White Magic album, one of our favorite electronic records of last year. Both demonstrate the perfect way of extracting the warmth from synthesized sounds to bring the dance party back to the waves and water. A record that grows deeper in our veins each time we listen, we have become hooked! Not sure why it took us so long to list this but better late than never...
MPEG Stream: "Out There"
MPEG Stream: "Self Service"
MPEG Stream: "Life's A Beach!"

STUDIO Yearbook 2 (Information) cd 17.98

STUMPS, THE The Black Wood (Last Visible Dog) cd 9.98
In a dream, you've gotten yourself lost in an endless cavern... you've been curiously wandering in the darkness, down down into the earth, for a long long time. When you stop to rest, you realize that the silence that had surrounded you is different now. You think you can hear music... drifting from someplace deeper in the darkness. Drifting, droning, dark, dark, dark... that's this music, the reverberant, cavernous, quiet sounds of The Stumps. Sleepy and creepy at the same time. You move closer, and The Stumps get louder. Troglodytic thud and rumble begins to build. That's the beauty of this album, these tracks are part whale call mystery, part trashy crashy garage rock clangor. Ambient eeriness flows into plodding free rock chaos, with heavy distortion blanketing all. The twelve and a half minute untitled track number 5 (none have titles, as far as we can tell) is all about that drone-drift, whilst track 7, for instance, rouses itself to a spaced-out, slow-motion spasm of psychedelic guitar grind-gunk and percussive splatter-clatter.
The Stumps trio of drummer James Kirk (Sandoz Lab Technicians, Gate, With Throats As Fine As Needles), bassist Stephen Clover (Seht), and guitarist Antony Milton (Mrtyu, AM, Nether Dawn, etc.) is a New Zealand underground supergroup, by the way. No wonder they're so easily so shambolic, somnolent, and sinister sounding... Outside of their own cd-r littered island realm, we couldn't compare this to much else besides, maybe, Fushitsusha.
Welcome to the cavern, welcome to the dream.
MPEG Stream: "track 3"
MPEG Stream: "track 5"
MPEG Stream: "track 7"

STYRENES, THE All the Wrong People Are Dying (Overground) cd 15.98
Sounding not unlike a sinister drunken parade of circus freaks, these songs churn and chug along like a horsedrawn carriage with a broken wheel smeared with greasepaint and bourbon. Pianos have the wits bashed out of 'em, cellos are sawed to bits, guitars jut and twist. On a few songs, they're joined by clarinet, violin, tapes, bass and alto sax. All the while lead singer Mike Hudson delivers his raw, tormented tales (the lyrics/stories are included in the cd's booklet). This cd is actually from 1998 and compiles an assortment of Styrenes recordings from 1982 through to 1993 - their album A Monster And The Devil as well as a handful of compilation and singles. Full of dark madness, this music spirals downward with ample spit, slur and strangeness.
RealAudio clip: "Memory Of You"
RealAudio clip: "True Confessions"

STYROFOAM I'm What's There To Show That Something's Missing (Morr Music) cd 15.98
We just got the new Isan / Styrofoam split album and Styrofoam's newest full length in stock which reminded us of one that slipped by us last year (although we did get the "A Heart Without A Mind" EP which was drawn from this album). I'm What's There To Show That Something's Missing is the third full length from Styrofoam (aka Arne Van Petegem). If you're not already familiar with his daydreamy music, imagine a more wispy washy Notwist, or a drowsy Postal Service. Layers of soft male vocals, delicate electronic mists, unobtrusive organ drones and gently applied acoustic guitar... get the picture?
MPEG Stream: "A Heart Without A Mind"
MPEG Stream: "You Pretend You Own This Place"

STYROFOAM Nothing's Lost (Morr Music) cd 15.98
Benjamin Gibbard fans have been tingling with anticipation for this cd for some time now and it's not even his own release! Well folks, the wait is over! We totally knew that a bunch of this Styrofoam cd were gonna fly out the door immediately simply due to the presence of Gibbard as well as some other current notable indie electronic pop darlings, but in case you're curious what the fuss is all about... here's the skinny: Consider this to be a Cinderella transformation of sorts. It's quite startling how much the spark and charm of Nothing's Lost can be so directly and audibly attributed to the talents of all the cool cats that Styrofoam (aka Arne Van Petegem) got to play on it. It's even more irksome that this release is going to be misleadingly filed under the Styrofoam name. A just-above-average electronic popster, Van Petegem gets totally gussied up by the help of many AQ faves -- the aforementioned Postal Service/Death Cab For Cutie's Gibbard, The Notwist's Markus Acher, Alias, LaliPuna's Valerie Trebeljahr, and American Analog Set's Andrew Kenny. The few tracks that are solely Styrofoam's domain are pleasant enough, but stand in stark (i.e, pale) contrast to the others. Now that's saying something right there... in almost every review I've read of Styrofoam's past releases, the word "pleasant" pops up with alarming frequency, and that's the downfall of most of his music, it never veers from the safety zone. Sorta the aural equivalent of some pretty pastel floral wallpaper. Alright, granted our expectations were somewhat raised, but overall this also pales in comparison to each of the individual artists' own work (almost seeming like their unfinished demos or cast-offs)... did they really have to put Gibbard's vocals through the Cher-style auto-tune processor?! The oddest, most jarring inclusion is the rapping by Notwist buddy Alias on the first track "Misguided". It's an eyebrow raiser, for sure. Really, the most credit that can be given to Van Petegem is for his savvy in assembling such an of-the-moment cast. We don't want to be totally down on this release, but feel the results are less (rather than more) than the sum of its parts. That said, those of you who can't stand to wait any longer for the next Postal Service, Death Cab, Lali Puna release might find just enough here to tide you over!
MPEG Stream: "Misguided "
MPEG Stream: "Couches In Alleys"

STYX The Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings (Hip-O Records) 2cd 24.00
Don't laugh. I didn't think I (Allan) liked Styx, either. But these four early Styx albums, now reissued as one handy double-cd, are actually pretty cool... I'm not saying they're not at all cheesy (they are) but at least these records predate the era of mega-AOR-stardom after Tommy Shaw joined the band -- this was long before "Come Sail Away". This is Styx as America's answer to British prog-rockers like Yes. There's definitely a lot of Yes-isms here, but also Styx, chamelon-like, take on aspects of all sorts of other rockers of the era too, bringing in Southern/boogie rock like Foghat, classical prog like ELP, and grandiose proto-metal like Uriah Heep. Put most basically, this early Styx was basically a blend of the James Gang and Yes, if you can imagine that! Their four albums recorded for the Wooden Nickel label (1972's Styx, 1973's Styx II, 1973's The Serpent Is Rising, and 1974's Man Of Miracles) were indeed proto-Pomp Rock, but heavy on the rock. So if you're into '70s hard rock, you should investigate, despite the Styx stigma. Of the 35 tracks here, you're gonna find some faves. Yeah, you'll find their first hit "Lady" here, and a rock version of Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" but also some kick ass, almost metal tunes like "Witch Wolf", "Southern Woman" and the bombastic "Young Man". Plus some decent prog epics (mostly from the pen of Dennis DeYoung) and even random weirdness like their frenetic cover of the Knickerbockers' 1966 garage rock nugget "Lies" and even an experimental musique concrete piece ("Street Collage") found on their first album. Packaged with detailed liner notes and original album cover art in the 16-page cd booklet, this double cd set could make a nice, if for most of us, unusual purchase... it did for me.
And in case you're a diehard Styx fan reading this, firstly we apologize for implying that there's anything wrong with liking Styx in the first place, and secondly FYI there's a bonus track on here, "Unfinished Song", the b-side to "Young Man".
MPEG Stream: "Witch Wolf"
MPEG Stream: "Young Man"

SUARASAMA Fajar Di Atas Awan (Drag City) cd 14.98
Wow!!! A few years ago, we were totally blown away by a compilation put out by Smithsonian Folkways called Indonesian Guitars, which among many amazing tracks happened to feature a song called "Fajar Di Atas Awan" by Irwansyah Harahap. It was of that disc's highlights, with haunting female and male vocal harmonies, lilting acoustic guitar, sruti box drones and cymbals. What we didn't know was that Harahap and singer Rithaony Hutajulu, both ethnomusicology professors at the University of North Sumatra, were the main composers and singers for a larger group of musicians and performers called Suarasama, and that song was the title track of THIS incredibly beautiful, blissful record by Suarasama, a 1997 live recording, now released for the first time in the U.S. by the fine folks at Drag City. We are so stoked, what a wonderful surprise this is.
Formed in 1995, Suarasama's musical influences are widely diverse, creating contemporary music based on vartious aesthetic and conceptual aspects of Middle Eastern, Indian, Sufi Pakistani, Eastern European, Southeast Asian as well as North Sumatra Batak and Malay traditional music. But the results are very far from academic. Instead the music is infused with a hermetic introspective devotional quality that seduces the listener with its soft trance-like rhythms and haunting vocal mantras. Persian and Indian percussion of tablas and defs meld with deft finger-picked guitar and gambus improvisations and dueling vocal harmonies that propel circularly forward in hypnotically beautiful interweavings. Meditative and organic, full of levitation-inducing majesty. For any devotee of raga folk, Masaki Batoh, Six Organs, Daniel Higgs, L, Robbie Basho, Sandy Bull, Congregacion, The Habibiyya, Malachi, Pandit Pran Nath, The Trees Community, or Bruce Palmer, this is absolutely essential!!
MPEG Stream: "Fajar Di Atas Awan"
MPEG Stream: "Sang Hyang Guru"
MPEG Stream: "Lebah"
MPEG Stream: "Habibullah"

SUARASAMA Fajar Di Atas Awan (Drag City) 2lp 21.00
Wow!!! A few years ago, we were totally blown away by a compilation put out by Smithsonian Folkways called Indonesian Guitars, which among many amazing tracks happened to feature a song called "Fajar Di Atas Awan" by Irwansyah Harahap. It was of that disc's highlights, with haunting female and male vocal harmonies, lilting acoustic guitar, sruti box drones and cymbals. What we didn't know was that Harahap and singer Rithaony Hutajulu, both ethnomusicology professors at the University of North Sumatra, were the main composers and singers for a larger group of musicians and performers called Suarasama, and that song was the title track of THIS incredibly beautiful, blissful record by Suarasama, a 1997 live recording, now released for the first time in the U.S. by the fine folks at Drag City. We are so stoked, what a wonderful surprise this is.
Formed in 1995, Suarasama's musical influences are widely diverse, creating contemporary music based on vartious aesthetic and conceptual aspects of Middle Eastern, Indian, Sufi Pakistani, Eastern European, Southeast Asian as well as North Sumatra Batak and Malay traditional music. But the results are very far from academic. Instead the music is infused with a hermetic introspective devotional quality that seduces the listener with its soft trance-like rhythms and haunting vocal mantras. Persian and Indian percussion of tablas and defs meld with deft finger-picked guitar and gambus improvisations and dueling vocal harmonies that propel circularly forward in hypnotically beautiful interweavings. Meditative and organic, full of levitation-inducing majesty. For any devotee of raga folk, Masaki Batoh, Six Organs, Daniel Higgs, L, Robbie Basho, Sandy Bull, Congregacion, The Habibiyya, Malachi, Pandit Pran Nath, The Trees Community, or Bruce Palmer, this is absolutely essential!!
MPEG Stream: "Fajar Di Atas Awan"
MPEG Stream: "Sang Hyang Guru"
MPEG Stream: "Lebah"
MPEG Stream: "Habibullah"

SUB DEBS She's So Control (K) cd 13.98
For those of you who have been craving the sound of the K Records of old, this is definitely for you. Rough around the edges, feisty pop a la Crabs, Bratmobile, etc. Fun like pop rocks and sweet tarts.

SUBARACHNOID SPACE Almost Invisible (Release) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Two new discs from Mason Jones' psychedelic spacerock band. One's cheaper, but the other has a nicer cover.

SUBARACHNOID SPACE Also Rising (Strange Attractors Audio House) cd 14.98

SUBARACHNOID SPACE Eight Bells (Crucial Blast) cd 13.98
Back in the old days, when space rock heavies SubArachnoid Space called SF home, we sort of took them for granted, they played all the time, and opened for pretty much every cool band that came to town, so without trying, it was easy to end up seeing them play every week or two. But then two things happened. They moved away, so suddenly they weren't ever playing around town, and second, and maybe more importantly, they started to get heavier, and more fucked up, and way more metal, which made us want to see them so we could check out the new, more heavy SubSpace.
But we've been keeping tabs on them through recordings, 2005's The Red Veil was the last one we reviewed, and even back then, we were already talking about them appealing to fans of Kinski and Yeti and Tarantula Hawk, and if anything in the 3 years since, they've gotten way spacier and way heavier, and this is the proof, Eight Bells, released on weirdo heavy label Crucial Blast, and it's a pretty good fit, 5 songs, the shortest a little over 5 minutes, the longest well over 13, every one a tripped out Hawkwinded blow out, effects drenched and psychedelic, propulsive and super rocking, epic and intense, the guitars thick and distorted, the arrangements pretty complex and intricate for space rock, none of that jam at the same tempo for 10 minutes (not that there's anything wrong with that) but it definitely keeps things interesting, and in fact, if we had to classify the new SubSpace, we'd probably call it metallic space prog, which is obviously a good thing.
"Hunter Seeker" starts off all eighties Big Country style, with a cool effected stuttery guitar part, before the rest of the band launches into a woozy doomy dirge, and over the course of the next 12 minutes, flits from spaced out dreamy ambience, to chugging almost metal, to soaring Godspeed like drama, to full on noise rock. The last three tracks find the band slipping from droney drift to dense psychedelic blowout to pounding space/math rock and back again, culminating in the super frenzied explosive last couple minutes that has us imagining how good this stuff must sound live these days.
Produced by Stephen Ray Lobdell (Faust, Davis Redford Triad), who's now a SubArachoid member weirdly enough! And it boasts cool Stephen Kasner cover art...
MPEG Stream: "Lilith"
MPEG Stream: "Hunter Seeker"

SUBARACHNOID SPACE Eight Bells (Strange Attractors) lp 22.00
Now available on vinyl!
Back in the old days, when space rock heavies SubArachnoid Space called SF home, we sort of took them for granted, they played all the time, and opened for pretty much every cool band that came to town, so without trying, it was easy to end up seeing them play every week or two. But then two things happened. They moved away, so suddenly they weren't ever playing around town, and second, and maybe more importantly, they started to get heavier, and more fucked up, and way more metal, which made us want to see them so we could check out the new, more heavy SubSpace.
But we've been keeping tabs on them through recordings, 2005's The Red Veil was the last one we reviewed, and even back then, we were already talking about them appealing to fans of Kinski and Yeti and Tarantula Hawk, and if anything in the 3 years since, they've gotten way spacier and way heavier, and this is the proof, Eight Bells, released on weirdo heavy label Crucial Blast, and it's a pretty good fit, 5 songs, the shortest a little over 5 minutes, the longest well over 13, every one a tripped out Hawkwinded blow out, effects drenched and psychedelic, propulsive and super rocking, epic and intense, the guitars thick and distorted, the arrangements pretty complex and intricate for space rock, none of that jam at the same tempo for 10 minutes (not that there's anything wrong with that) but it definitely keeps things interesting, and in fact, if we had to classify the new SubSpace, we'd probably call it metallic space prog, which is obviously a good thing.
"Hunter Seeker" starts off all eighties Big Country style, with a cool effected stuttery guitar part, before the rest of the band launches into a woozy doomy dirge, and over the course of the next 12 minutes, flits from spaced out dreamy ambience, to chugging almost metal, to soaring Godspeed like drama, to full on noise rock. The last three tracks find the band slipping from droney drift to dense psychedelic blowout to pounding space/math rock and back again, culminating in the super frenzied explosive last couple minutes that has us imagining how good this stuff must sound live these days.
Produced by Stephen Ray Lobdell (Faust, Davis Redford Triad), who's now a SubArachoid member weirdly enough! And it boasts cool Stephen Kasner cover art...
MPEG Stream: "Lilith"
MPEG Stream: "Hunter Seeker"

SUBARACHNOID SPACE Endless Revolution (Release) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SUBARACHNOID SPACE Ether Or (The Unit Circle) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SUBARACHNOID SPACE New and Exact Map (September Gurls Records) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Local guitar experimentalist and noted Japanophile Mason Jones takes another voyage with his space-rock crew Subarachnoid Space into the dark waters of some rather lovely, guitar/synth/percussion opium ecstasies. Eventually they get stoned enough to start on a reggae-meets-Hawkwind jam ("Fruity Drinks With Little Umbrellas"). Are you stoned enough to follow?

SUBARACHNOID SPACE New and Exact Map (September Gurls) lp 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now available on vinyl, and in a beautiful sleeve.
Local guitar experimentalist and noted Japanophile Mason Jones takes another voyage with his space-rock crew Subarachnoid Space into the dark waters of some rather lovely, guitar/synth/percussion opium ecstasies. Eventually they get stoned enough to start on a reggae-meets-Hawkwind jam ("Fruity Drinks With Little Umbrellas"). Are you stoned enough to follow?

SUBARACHNOID SPACE The Red Veil (Strange Attractors Audio House) cd 13.98
Six new tracks from these local San Francisco space-rock heavies, a band who have gradually become more aggro and metal than they used to be (hence perhaps the surprisingly gothy graphics and cover painting of this album), making more an more of a connection with the likes of Tarantula Hawk and Yeti. But fans of Kinski will be into this too. Their brand of instrumental, jammy, oft-noisy prog/psych/post -rock (the three Ps!) is just getting better and better. Recorded live with minimal overdubs, just two guitars, bass, "pulse generator" and drums working out the instrumental space-rock angst.
MPEG Stream: "Honorable Mention"
MPEG Stream: "The Red Veil"

SUBARACHNOID SPACE These Things Take Time (Release) cd 12.98
Another new one from effects-laden guitarist Mason Jones and his prolific SF-based space rock combo. Lots of deep, trancey grooves to sink into, with '70s haze galore. At turns murky and then shimmering, slowly oozing and then propulsive.

SUBARACHNOID SPACE & WALKING TIMEBOMBS Sleeping Sickness (E + J Recordings) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SUBMARINE RACES s/t (In The Red) cd 13.98
This Chicago threesome (led by Ian Adams formerly of The Ponys) are doin' their darndest to bring back the delightful, syrupy, squishy sounds of '80s twee popsters who did their best to bring back the delightful, syrupy, squishy sounds of '60s sugar pop. Lots of super jangly guitars, cute organ bits and bashful boy vocals. Psst, there's a cover of Neil Diamond's terrific pop tune "The Boat That I Row" near the end of the cd that's well worth stickin' around for. Ahoy there, perky goodness that's maybe more suited for pajama parties than submarine races! Smooch!
MPEG Stream: "Get Yourself Together"
MPEG Stream: "The Boat That I Row"

SUBMERGED Oxygenate (Bad Vugum) cd 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SUBMERGED Sheddings (Bad Vugum) cd 6.98
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Submerged is a loud sludge / stoner rock band from Finland sorta like Eyehategod / Cavity with a treblier Sub Pop feel to it. Pretty cool stuff on the terminally fucked Bad Vugum label.

SUBMISSIONS s/t (Kill Shaman) cd-r 9.98
Submissions was first described to us as "Bobb Bruno's Godflesh project", which while now having heard it is maybe not entirely accurate it was definitely enough to get us to order a bunch. And the truth of what it sounds like is in fact even better. For those who don't know, Bobb Bruno is probably best known at this point for playing guitar in fuzzy retro pop superstars Best Coast, but he was also responsible for the ultra heavy Goliath Bird Eater, and also played in nineties indie rock outfit Polar Goldie Cats, and we recently listed his first solo record Mellowdramas. Submissions is in fact a duo, Bruno, and his partner in industrial heaviness Paul Kneejie (The Pope, Bipolar Bear), and the two do conjure up some serious sonic Godflesh, with primitive programmed rhythms, churning murky riffage, and weird processed vox that sound more Buttholes Surfers processed garble than Godflesh bellow, which is most definitely not a bad thing. Besides the nineties industrial vibe, the songs also have a sort of gloomy goth feel to them too, like if you swapped in real drums and deep crooned vox, you'd have some sort of old school deathrock, but as it is, Godflesh, or Pitchshifter, are probably the closest comparisons. But unlike the relentless pound of the 'Flesh, Submissions do let the guitars fade out sometimes, leaving long stretches of droning guitars, they also add all sorts of strange electronics, and the slower tracks get downright atmospheric, thick swirls of low end rumble and moaning monk-like vox drifting above blurred dirges and robotic plods, with some of the more propulsive jams sounding downright gothrock. Closer "A Face" might be our favorite, a super atmospheric dirge, about as balladic as this stuff can get, the guitars dialed way back, the drums skeletal, all rumbling and droning and spaced out, no vocals this time, instead a strange sample drifting above the murky machinelike minimalism, doomy and bleakly atmospheric, reminiscent of nineties noise rock too, it's a lumbering, utterly mesmerizing doomic dirge that manages to be the most ominously heavy jam on the record.
LIMITED TO 100 COPIES!!
MPEG Stream: "Edit"
MPEG Stream: "Caught"

SUBPOENA THE PAST Conjure Itch (Gold Standard Laboratories) lp 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Fronted by Sonny Kay (Gold Standard Laboratories Records headpin and formerly of the VSS and Angel Hair), Subpoena The Past conjure the ghosts of Joy Division and early Killing Joke. This release turns away from the more dark-industrial leanings of their 'This Year's Eclipse' cd from '98 (when they were a duo), and into more art-punk territory. Jagged guitar lines and live drums take the place of samples and programmed beats. Side A is comprised of four tightly wound, brooding songs. A beautiful etching entitled 'The Amnesiac'(no music) graces side B. Sadly this release marks the swan song for this short-lived trio as Sonny is focussing much of his energy and attention on his rapidly growing uber-cool GSL label.

SUBTLE Earthsick (Dose) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Flying Horse Plans"
MPEG Stream: "Eneby Kurs"

SUBTLE Wishingbone (Lex) 2cd 11.98

MPEG Stream: "Swanmeat"
MPEG Stream: "Farewell Ride"

SUBTONIX s/t (No Love) 7" 2.99
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Channeling the ghost of James Chance and the Contortions are the Subtonix from SF. Sax squeals amid a herky jerky mayhem of guitar, bass, drums and keyboards. Ah yes, the art-punk-no-wave spirit is alive and flourishing in these five women.

SUBTONIX Tarantism (Troublman) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
An album that arrived too late. Sadly the Subtonix are no more. Recently disbanded, they were a wild skronky art punk combo of four women. All raven-haired and smudged black eyeliner, they channelled the ghosts of James Chance & The Contortions (although they also made me think of We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It). The inclusion of sax in their instrumentation set them apart from the rest of the bay area punk scene. Raw punk/new wave sounds with old synths, saxophone, primitive drumming and slightly sneering swooping vocals. Known for their stage costumery (bloody nurses and dishevelled prom queens immediately comes to mind) they were high on punk rock haphazard dramatics. This album is short and sweet at just under a half hour, and it follows two even briefer releases a self-titled 7" and a split single with Glass Candy & The Shattered Theater.
Note: Sax player Jessie Trashed also sang and played bass for The Vanishing, and is now a solo chanteuse residing in Berlin.
RealAudio clip: "Ashtray Girl"
RealAudio clip: "In Theatres"

SUBTONIX Tarantism (Troublman) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
An album that arrived too late. Sadly the Subtonix are no more. Recently disbanded, they were a wild skronky art punk combo of four women. All raven-haired and smudged black eyeliner, they channelled the ghosts of James Chance & The Contortions. The inclusion of sax in their instrumentation set them apart from the rest of the bay area punk scene. Raw punk/new wave sounds with old synths, saxophone, and primitive drumming. Known for their stage costumery (bloody nurses and dishevelled prom queens immediately comes to mind) they were high on punk rock haphazard dramatics. This album is short and sweet at just under a half hour, and it follows two even briefer releases a self-titled 7" and a split single with Glass Candy & The Shattered Theater. So get it all while you can! The vinyl pressing is limited to 1000.
Note: Sax player Jessie Trashed also sang and played bass for The Vanishing (whose 10" we've also list here), and is now a solo chanteuse residing in Berlin.
RealAudio clip: "Ashtray Girl"
RealAudio clip: "In Theatres"

SUBTONIX / GLASS CANDY AND THE SHATTERED THEATER Into The Fire / Crystal Migraine (Troubleman Unlimited) 7" 3.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here is the split release from the dark, sexy Portland, OR group Glass Candy and the now dead, but equally sexy SF band Subtonix (R.I.P.). Art-punk-no-wave for the gothy 70's punk resurgence fans. In the vein of X-Ray Spex, Suicide, James Chance and the Contortions, etc.

SUBWAY II (Soul Jazz) cd 17.98
Have to say, we haven't always been too keen on some of the contemporary acts on the Soul Jazz label. What with all the amazing reissues and vintage compilations, the newer bands often pale in comparison. But on the last couple of Soul Jazz singles comps, the tracks by British duo Subway have always caught our attention. And now we have this full length (their first for the Soul Jazz label) and it has barely left our cd player (or turntable, for some of us)! The opener "Persuasion" is a stunner, marrying cosmic Baleria with Seefeel like dub house. Krautrock influences are on full display from Kraftwerk to Cluster (obvious with a track called "Harmonia"), but with a warm edge that feels authentic rather than a pastiche of styles. And it's not all just geared for the dancefloor, with thoughtful meditative soundscapes and propulsive Moroder-esque themes offering the perfect cooling off music for hot summer nights! Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Persuasion"
MPEG Stream: "Harmonia"
MPEG Stream: "Xam"

SUBWAY II (Soul Jazz) 2lp 27.00
Have to say, we haven't always been too keen on some of the contemporary acts on the Soul Jazz label. What with all the amazing reissues and vintage compilations, the newer bands often pale in comparison. But on the last couple of Soul Jazz singles comps, the tracks by British duo Subway have always caught our attention. And now we have this full length (their first for the Soul Jazz label) and it has barely left our cd player (or turntable, for some of us)! The opener "Persuasion" is a stunner, marrying cosmic Baleria with Seefeel like dub house. Krautrock influences are on full display from Kraftwerk to Cluster (obvious with a track called "Harmonia"), but with a warm edge that feels authentic rather than a pastiche of styles. And it's not all just geared for the dancefloor, with thoughtful meditative soundscapes and propulsive Moroder-esque themes offering the perfect cooling off music for hot summer nights! Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Persuasion"
MPEG Stream: "Harmonia"
MPEG Stream: "Xam"

SUBWAY s/t (Guerssen Records) cd 21.00
This rare acid folk record from 1972 is not as Ren Faire as the cover would imply. Although subtle comparisons can be made to the Incredible String Band and Trees, Subway were neither staunch traditionalists or back-to-the-woods fairie folksters. Made up of American guitarist and singer-songwriter Irv Mowrey and British violinist Malcolm Watson, the duo met up in England, decided to go to Paris to try to make it, ended up playing in subway stations (hence the name) and wound up cutting a record on the French imprint of Epic Records. Of course, the record didn't fare very well and Epic ended up destroying the surplus, assuring them cult and holy-grail collectible status ever since. Mowrey's songwriting is first rate adding a nice American touch to their urban folk sound. There is also a really nice modal instrumental piece that takes this far past your average twee acid folk. Nice!
MPEG Stream: "Song For Sinking Shelters"
MPEG Stream: "Enturbulation-Free Form"

SUCK Time To Suck (Shadoks Music) cd 17.98
The main problem with unearthed supposed 'proto-metal' rarities or 'holy grail' psychedelic artifacts, is that after hearing for years and years how amazing and heavy and fuzzed out they are, often when we finally get to hear them, they so often sound a lot more like ordinary bar rock, or blues rock, the hype far exceeding the sound.
No such problem with South African heavies Suck. This, their only record has been circulating for years as a bootleg, and the first time we saw it, we knew it had to be good. The cover was a cool black and white photo of a little long haired hippy kid sitting in the grass next to a kick drum, the band was called Suck (rumored to have almost been called FUCK), and the record was called Time To Suck, they covered Sabbath and King Crimson and Deep Purple, they're from South Africa and the record originally came out in 1970. It HAD to be good. But we were cautious, we had most definitely been burned before, but thankfully there was no need for caution cuz holy shit is this stuff amazing. Hard and heavy, super rocking, wildly psychedelic, the fact that if you weren't familiar with the covers here you'd be hard pressed to pick out the one original says a lot about these guys.
Apparently Suck were infamous in South Africa for raucous, sometimes violent, always chaotic live shows, they were only a band for 8 months, and in that time only ever recorded ONE original track, and released one proper album, Time To Suck.
Two Grand Funk Railroad tunes, "Aimless Lady" and "Sin's A Good Man's Brother", King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man", "Season Of The Witch" by Donovan, Free's "I'll Be Creeping", Deep Purple's "Into The Fire", "Elegy" by Colosseum and finally Black Sabbath's "War Pigs". That's a serious selection of songs. Then there's the one original, "The Whip", a killer chunk of Zeppeliny slither and Sabbathy crunch, some wildly proggy arrangements, frenzied guitar leads, incredible drumming, and lead vocalist Andrew Ionnides' Robert Plant like wail. A churning heavy metallic rock jam that sounds right at home amongst all those better known tunes.
Their version of "21st Century Schizoid Man" is fierce and super distorted and as heavy if not more so than the original. "Season Of The Witch" burns slowly, peppered with cool fluttering flutes and all sorts of subtle guitar filigree, and of course "War Pigs", that takes balls to tackle that one, especially in 1970, but these guys definitely make it their own, staying pretty true to the original, minus an even more blown out intro, and the addition of some weird percussive string plucks or maybe bongos, way up in the mix, but makes it even more dizzyingly psychedelic, and if anything, their version as a whole is just a bit more chaotic and off kilter, an definitely faster, more like the German TV version of the Sabs you can find on YouTube.
Needless to say, this is an essential proto-metal document, one that is actually pretty metal, fuzzed out, super heavy, intensely rocking, psychedelic and druggy, plenty proggy, and well, the song selection can't be beat!
MPEG Stream: "Aimless Lady"
MPEG Stream: "21st Century Schizoid Man"
MPEG Stream: "The Whip"

SUCKLE Against Nurture (Chemikal Underground) cd 21.00
Frances McKee from The Vaselines now fronts Glasgow band Suckle. Very pretty folk-rock. Described as being like "the McGarrigle Sisters jamming with the Velvet Underground." Dunno about THAT, but this is really nice. Lush and soft vocal harmonies with graceful strings and flute. Sounding quite like a sister album to 'The Great Eastern', the lovely recent release by labelmates the Delgados!