V/A SSSSSOSS2 (Folding) cassette 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Cool local cassette compilation compiled by Mike Donovan (Sic Alps, Big Techno Werewolves, Nam, Sounds Of The Barbary Coast, The Ropers, Dial Records) and artist Chris Johanson. Features tracks by Coachwhips, Big Techno Werewolves, No Doctors, Condor, California Lightening, Enablers, Ponies, Tits and a bunch more! As with most releases by these two fellows, there is only going to be a very small homespun run of these made, so needless to say, don't snoooooze! Pssst... we also have a very small number of some other Folding cassette releases, all with hand made covers -- a couple of short ones from Death Sentence: Panda and Donovan's own band Sic Alps plus ones by Dark Yellow Swans (aka Yellow Swans) and NVH with Six Organs Of Admittance's Ben Chasny. Dust off yer cassette deck!

V/A SSSSSOSS3 (Folding) cassette 4.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Volume 3 of the Folding Cassettes compilation series featuring tons of badass weirdo rock outfits, lots we already love, and a few we've never heard before... Sic Alps, Metallic Falcons, Fuckwolf, Octis, Numbers, Car Clutch, Si-Cops, Andrew Duke, Patrick Michael Mullins, Arsenio, Gass & The Bleed Sea, Tre Ferocious, Mammals, Bananas, and Magic Bag.
Cover art by Jo Jackson and Chris Johanson!!

V/A Static Disaster: The U.K. In The Red Records Sampler (In The Red) cd 9.98
Since 1991 In The Red Records has taken it upon themselves to kindly provide the world with the best "low-brow rock'n'roll" (their words) in all their sweaty, dirty, malodorous raunch-glory (our words), and we love 'em for it! This is a perfect trash rock compilation for those who aren't afraid to mess their 'do, break a fingernail, raise a stink or spill a drink... er, as long as it's someone else's! Check out their roster of rad rabblerousers: Andre Williams, Reigning Sound, Lost Sounds, Clone Defects, Dolt, Cheater Slicks, Blacktop, Speedball Baby, Country Teasers, Dan Melchior's Broke Revue, Knoxville Girls, The Dirtbombs, The Ponys, The Deadly Snakes, The Piranhas, The Horrors, The Intelligence, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The Screws, The Lamps, The Hospitals, The Mystery Girls, The Hunches, The Necessary Evils, The Bassholes, The FUSE! and Japan's King Brothers (who rule!). If you find yourself shoutin' "Fuck yeah!!!", well then, what the hell are you waitin' for?!
MPEG Stream: THE DIRTBOMBS "I Can't Stop Thinking About It"
MPEG Stream: KING BROTHERS "Lulu"

V/A Stay Tuned For The Holidays (Crank!) cd 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Curiously tiltled collection of awesome emo from the Crank record label. Anyone who dug the old Rainer Maria records or the Get Up Kids will dig this collection. Minus a couple of weak whiney moments this is a fucking great collection. With: Vitreous Humor, Sunday's Best, Mineral, the Regrets, Boy's Life, Christie Front Drive, The Gloria Record, Far Apart (a band we hadn't heard of but probably the best cut on the record) and a bunch more.

V/A Steam Kodok (Grey Past Records) cd 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now available on CD and expanded with 9 more tracks than the vinyl! Subtitled "26 A-Go-Go Ultrarities From the 60's Singapore and South-East Asia Underground", this comp seriously smokes in a psychedelic pop haze. Covering standards like "Buttons and Bows", but mostly playing by-the-numbers originals, bands like October Cherries, Rosnah and the Siglap Five, Ronnie Ong, and Naomi & the Boys (playing a great Peter Thomas number) played a mixture of surf, soul, r&b, and plain ole psych pop. A couple of the groups here even went to #1 in their home countries. Fuzz guitar! The tracks featuring girl singers sound just like the Ultra Chicks French girl group comps, thus testifying to the universal appeal the rock music of the day held for young people the world over. File with your Cambodian Rocks and Turkish Delights cds...
MPEG Stream: SWALLOWS, THE "Bunga Berachin"
MPEG Stream: NAOMI & THE BOYS "Bad Loser"
MPEG Stream: J. ISMAIL & "D" IRAMA "Lupakan Aku"

V/A Steam Kodok (Grey Past) lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Subtitled "17 A-Go-Go Ultrarities From the 60's Singapore and South-East Asia Underground", this comp fairly smokes in a psychedelic pop haze. Covering standards like "Buttons and Bows", but mostly playing by-the-numbers originals, bands like October Cherries, Rosnah and the Siglap Five, Ronnie Ong, and Naomi & the Boys (playing a great Peter Thomas number) played a mixture of surf, soul, r&b, and plain ole psych pop. A couple of the groups here even went to #1 in their home countries. Fuzz guitar! The tracks featuring girl singers sound just like the Ultra Chicks French girl group comps, thus testifying to the universal appeal the rock music of the day held for young people the world over.
On transparent blue vinyl. Dutch import.

V/A Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before... (Rough Trade) cd 10.98
To commemorate twenty five years of existence, Rough Trade have released an action-packed compilation of sixteen 'old school' R.T. artists' songs performed by 'new school' R.T. artists. So, who is partaking in the festivities? Noneother than Belle & Sebastian, Alasdair Roberts, Elizabeth Fraser (well, they're not such new schoolers!), Oneida, The Detroit Cobras, The Fiery Furnaces, Delays, Royal City, Adam Green, The Tyde, Mystic Chords Of Memory, The Veils, Eastern Lane, The Hidden Cameras, Jeffrey Lewis, and British Sea Power. And who is being covered? Lots of old faves... a couple by Young Marble Giants, The Clean, a couple by Galaxie 500, The Feelies, Aztec Camera, a couple by The Strokes (oops, *they're* not such old schoolers, are they?!), Ivor Cutler, Mazzy Star, James Blood Ulmer, Television Personalities, Scritti Politti, Robert Wyatt, and The Fall.
MPEG Stream: BELLE & SEBASTIAN "Final Day"
MPEG Stream: ELIZABETH FRASER "At Last I Am Free"

V/A Storm In the Garage (Akarma) 3cd box 47.00

V/A Strangely Strange (Island) 3cd 40.00
Like the Vertigo box, but for Island Records.

V/A Strings and Stings (FBWL-TOW) cd 15.98
Guitar tribute record featuring performances by Noel Akchote, James Plotkin, Loren Mazzacane Connors, Thurston Moore, Imagho, justin Broaderick and other avant/underground guitar heroes.

V/A Stroke: Songs For Chris Knox (Merge) cd 17.98
Last Summer, legendary New Zealand rocker Chris Knox, of the mighty Tall Dwarfs, suffered a life altering stroke, rendering him bed ridden, mostly unable to speak, and facing a long slow recovery. Stroke is a benefit record to help pay for Knox's recovery, and is a celebration of his life and music, featuring tons of rock luminaries, paying tribute, in the form of covers of songs from throughout Knox's long career. And judging from the folks participating, it's easy to see weren't the only ones who loved Knox and his music.
The most hyped track here is not surprisingly, the first actual new recording from Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum, since, well, since the last NMH record, and it's of course awesome. That voice, the stridently strummed acoustic guitar, and the fact that it's one of Knox's best tracks, "Sign On The Dotted Line", so perfect. And for those new to Knox, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a Mangum original, clever lyrics, unforgettable melody, so good. Worth the price of admission alone for NMH superfans, as is the chance to help out someone who's given us so much amazing music. But it's not just Mangum, there's Bill Callahan of Smog, AC Newman from New Pornographers, Lambchop, The Verlaines, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, The Mountain Goats, Alec Bathgate (the OTHER Tall Dwarf), Hamish Kilgour, Pumice, Shayne Carter, Skygreen Leopards, Stephin Merritt, Portastatic, David Kilgour, The Chills, Jay Reatard (RIP) and more!
And it's a testament to the songs of Chris Knox, that all of these versions sound incredible. Whether it's Callahan's darkly moody twang flecked slow burn take on "Lapse", or AC Newman's woozy sunshiney version of the perfect pop gem "Dunno Much About Life But I Know How To Breathe", or Oldham's gorgeous super stripped down, voice about to crack creep of "My Only Friend", or Lambchop's lush old timey lilting "What Goes Up", or Jay Reatard's reverbed, hand clapped "Pull Down The Shades", or Stephin Merritt's super tripped out glitchy, noisy, psychedelic "Beauty", or the dreamy washed out West Coast psych folk take on the Tall Dwarf's "Burning Blue"... We could go on and on, but by now you should have more than enough reasons to pick this up, helping out Knox, snagging a killer collection of amazing songs, by some of your favorite musicians (not to mention all the bands we've never heard of, all of whom impress). Plus hopefully, in addition to supporting Knox in his recovery, folks who have yet to discover the music of Chris Knox and the Tall Dwarfs, will now wonder how they lived without, and can rush out and buy everything they can get their hands on. Cool diecut yellow and black slipcover-ed sleeve too!
MPEG Stream: JEFF MANGUM "Sign The Dotted Line"
MPEG Stream: BILL CALLAHAN "Lapse"
MPEG Stream: YO LA TENGO "Coloured"
MPEG Stream: AC NEWMAN "Dunno Much About Life But I Know How To Breathe"
MPEG Stream: THE MOUNTAIN GOATS "Brave"

V/A Structure of Scientific Misconceptions, The / The System of Scientific Misconstructions (Toyo) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Volumes four and five of Toyo's Science Series of split singles, scientifically restructured for confusion and discomfort. Artists featured this time around (unintentionally?) reside in the regions of San Francisco, CA and Olympia, WA. Erase Errata kick off the disc with a structure handicapped chainsaw attack, followed by their show stopper "Marathon" (non-album version, mind you). The Need smash your teeth in with two fistfuls of crushing metal (including a cover of Judas Priest's "The Green Manalishi"). MeMe America (featuring Wynne of Tracy and the Plastics) offer a portion their unseen magnum opus "Part 2: Baby". San Francisco's Deerhoof grace this disc with their final recordings made over two years ago with Rob and Kelly still in the lineup. Possibly their finest songs ever laid down to tape - four brilliant, fractured pop songs that demand repeat listens. Blectum From Blechdom cough up two tracks of hyperelectro and a live rendition of the hilarious "Jump Jo Bones". The disc is rounded out by the pretty pop dreaminess of The KG (Tae of Kicking Giant with some dudes in the Microphones). All tracks exclusive, save for one Erase Errata track, available only on their self titled 7". Nice!
RealAudio clip: ERASE ERRATA "Marathon"
RealAudio clip: NEED "The Green Manalishi"
RealAudio clip: BLECTUM FROM BLECHDOM "Jump Jo Bones"

V/A Stubbs The Zombie: The Soundtrack (Shout! Factory) cd 17.98
As is stated on the back of this cd, this compilation features "original works and modern treatments of legendary recordings performed by today's top artists" for the video game Stubbs The Zombie.
Totally retro, totally future, totally now! Not that this collection isn't chockful of pop goodies, but noticeably absent are a few formerly omnipresent, like-minded compilation stalwarts Man Or Astro-man?, Apples In Stereo or They Might Be Giants. Participants include The Flaming Lips, The Raveonettes, The Walkmen, Ben Kweller, Cake, Phantom Planet, and Death Cab For Cutie. In the zombie spirit of bringing something back to life, these artists attempt to breathe new life into these vintage (albeit far from lifeless) songs. Some stick pretty close to the originals, while others venture out into their own (outer)space. The former is exemplified by Ben Gibbard and Co.'s cover of "Earth Angel". Anticipated to be one of the highlights, it's definitely pleasant, but surprisingly by-the-books. Ah well, if you're seeking the latter, you'll definitely find it on many of the others. Really, by the time we reached Rogue Wave's dreamy cover of Buddy Holly's "Everyday" we noted that the songs were more juicily infused with the artists' own personal touches. Highly entertaining!
MPEG Stream: DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE "Earth Angel"
MPEG Stream: ROGUE WAVE "Everyday"
MPEG Stream: ORANGER "Mr. Sandman"

V/A Succour (Flydaddy) 2cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The "Ptolemaic Terrascope" finds itself in financial straits and luckily has many admirers and friends. The upshot: this stellar compilation of (virtually all) previously unreleased tracks from a galaxy of your and our favorite musicians, including Flying Saucer Attack, Cul De Sac, Magic Hour, the Olivia Tremor Control, the Marilyn Decade, Charalambides, Ghost, Green Pajamas, the Bevis Frond, Bardo Pond, Strapping Fieldhands and the list goes on and on and on. Highly recommended.

V/A Sucking the 70's (Small Stone) 2cd 18.98
35 current stoner rock bands, doing covers of cheesy 70's classic rock songs. 156+ minutes. The bands range from well known to not known at all. Highlights include: Raging Slab "We're An American Band", Los Natas "Brainstorm", Alabama Thunderpussy "Hymn 43", Fireball Ministry "Doctor Doctor", Spirit Caravan "Wicked World", Gideon Smith & The Dixie Damned "The Pusher" etc.
RealAudio clip: RAGING SLAB "We're An American Band"
RealAudio clip: LOS NATAS "Brainstorm"

V/A Super-8 Presents New Wave Explosion (Super-8 Underground) cd 6.98
A new collection of high spirited not necessarily new wave youths

V/A Sur La Mer Samp-Le-Mer (5 Rue Christine) cd 10.98
The 5 Rue Christine label (aka 5RC) from Olympia, WA presents a sampler of their roster. Many of 'em AQ faves! All of 'em musical beings of the eccentric, peculiar, and mildly cracked kind (we presume some faux and some genuine). Expect much staggering, drizzle, mumbling, percussive clatter, broken time signatures, occasional outbursts of angst and distress, and some downright delicate prettiness. The who's who: The Robot Ate Me, Xiu Xiu, Slim Moon And What Army, No-Neck Blues Band, Amps For Christ, Deerhoof (two songs from them!), Hella, The Planet The, Mae Shi, The Advantage, Need New Body, Wooden Wand And The Vanishing Voice, The Punks, Metalux, Excepter, and Barr! Seventeen tracks total, ten of them previously unreleased. Coool!
MPEG Stream: NO-NECK BLUES BAND "Nothing For Money"
MPEG Stream: DEERHOOF "Chi-Tan First Guitar"

V/A Surrounded By Sun (Fonal) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
From far north in Finland, the Fonal label, home to Es, Kiila, and a bunch of other fine bands, has just released a compilation focusing not only on their countryfolk but also likeminded artists from around the world. Psychedelic, experimental, indie, folkish music contributed by Greg Weeks, P.G. Six, Kemialliset Ystavat, Kiila, Tinsel, Fursaxa, Ville Leinonen, Scorces, Kuusumun Profeetta (Moon Fog Prophet), Floating Flower, Ring, Janne Laurila, Pekko Kappi, Alien Heart, and Sleeping Bags. Some names we know (several AQ-faves among them!) and some we don't, mostly obscure (to us) Finnish folks. All are exclusive to this comp, except for the Floating Flower track, which is a remix of an older song of theirs.
Floating Flower is an Acid Mothers Temple side project, featuring Kawabata Makoto on acoustic guitar, Yuki on vocals and violin, and Kaneko Tetsuya on tabla and electric guitar. A very lovely six minute track indeed. The P.G. Six track is another of his fragile, folk/psych compositions featuring just his voice, acoustic guitar, and piano. Greg Weeks, Janne Laurila, Ring, Ville Leinonen, and, well, quite a few of the artists on here take a much similar approach: sparse, homerecorded songs that are both quiet and melancholy (of course, some are better singers than others...). Fursaxa (who just played here in San Francisco with fellow psychedelic Philadelphians Bardo Pond) combines droning organ and sustained, sad female vocals. Scorces (members of Charalambides and Ash Castles On The Ghost Coast) does something similar, using bells instead of drones to back their extended, wordless vocal duet. Kinda creepy. The disc concludes with Kemialliset Ystavat's beautiful hippy-chant-folk-jam "Milla", which could have been an International Harvester outtake. This comp is very Ptolemaic Terrascope, to say the least! We like.
RealAudio clip: FLOATING FLOWER "Desert (remix version)"
RealAudio clip: GREG WEEKS "Howling For Blood"
RealAudio clip: PEKKO KAPPI "Aksyn Tyton Tanssi"
RealAudio clip: VILLE LEINONEN "Unisuudelma"
RealAudio clip: KEMIALLISET YSTAVAT "Milla"

V/A Survive And Advance Vol. 1 (Merge) cd 7.98
A new sampler of some of the shining sounds coming from the land of Merge Records these days. Fourteen songs: four of them either already available or soon to be, and ten of them previously unreleased (four of them live). However, the biggest highlight of this compilation is the unveiling of the newest addition to the Merge family... Destroyer! Yay! Yay! Up until now, Daniel Bejar's wonderful music hasn't been as easily accessible as it should. For those of you already familiar with his uniquely beautiful songwriting (in both Destroyer and the New Pornographers) and for those of you completely new to Mr. Bejar, this is cause for celebration. He's in prime company too. There's many an AQ fave on this label: Spoon, Radar Bros, Spaceheads, and the Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt (this time in his Gothic Archies guise). And they're all here along with Lambchop, Imperial Teen, Portastatic, Annie Hayden, Ladybug Transistor, Ashley Stove, East River Pipe, David Kilgour, and Crooked Fingers. All this good stuff and it won't hurt your wallet too much either.
RealAudio clip: DESTROYER "Chosen Few "
RealAudio clip: GOTHIC ARCHIES "Smile: No One Cares How You Feel"
RealAudio clip: RADAR BROS "Silver Shoes"

V/A Survive And Advance Vol. 3 (Merge) cd 6.98
Another super-priced Merge Records sampler jam-packed with fourteen songs by all of your fave Merge artists. Take a gander at this list of delights who grace this third volume of Survive And Advance: The Clientele, Lambchop, Portastatic, Buzzcocks, East River Pipe, Spoon, The Rosebuds, The Karl Hendricks Trio, and Matt Elliott. Oh my! The aforementioned nine have all contributed previously unreleased songs, while the remaining bunch are soon to be released (Ladybug Transistor, Matt Suggs), a live radio recording (Crooked Fingers), or sadly out of print (M.Ward). Only one doesn't fall under any of these departments, that is the album track from The Essex Green, but we'll excuse them 'cause this is such a dandy compilation regardless. Yay!
MPEG Stream: LAMBCHOP "Heavy Metal Trouble Girl"
MPEG Stream: ROSEBUDS "I'd Feel Better"

V/A Swami Sound System Volume 1 (Swami) cd 5.98
Rock n' roll! Hot Snakes dude John Reis (also of Rocket From The Crypt n' Drive Like Jehu n' Back Off Cupids) runs the Swami label, and with this budget label sampler he's asking you all to tighten your turbans and rock out with him and some of his favorite bands: Beehive And The Barracudas, The Husbands, Hot Snakes, Loincloth, Rocket From The Crypt, The White Apes, Testors, Dan Sartain, The Sultans, Sonny Vincent, and Mannequin Piss. One track from each, all unreleased 'til now. The highlight for us of course would have to be "Orphan Boy", the cut from from our own Sadie's happenin' sixties influenced garage rock combo The Husbands (debut album out soon on Swami)! Meanwhile, Hot Snakes are awesome as always, Dan Sartain is catchy and quirky, and we were really excited to hear the insane instrumental math-metal of Loincloth, the new band formed by ex-members of Breadwinner and Confessor!! (Which also goes to show that there's more to Swami than garage and punk, though there's plenty o' that here too.)
Plus, some historical value is added by the Testors, a '77 NYC punk band getting a Swami reissue -- there's also a new track here from their singer that's maybe better than his band's old stuff. And Mannequin Piss have not just a great band name but kick a lot of ass too, ending this comp with some Black Flag styled combustion.
MPEG Stream: THE HUSBANDS "Orphan Boy"
MPEG Stream: LOINCLOTH "Noise International"
MPEG Stream: MANNEQUIN PISS "Mechanic's Joy Ride"

V/A Swami Sound System Volume 1 (Swami) lp 9.98
Rock n' roll! Hot Snakes dude John Reis (also of Rocket From The Crypt n' Drive Like Jehu n' Back Off Cupids) runs the Swami label, and with this budget label sampler he's asking you all to tighten your turbans and rock out with him and some of his favorite bands: Beehive And The Barracudas, The Husbands, Hot Snakes, Loincloth, Rocket From The Crypt, The White Apes, Testors, Dan Sartain, The Sultans, Sonny Vincent, and Mannequin Piss. One track from each, all unreleased 'til now. The highlight for us of course would have to be "Orphan Boy", the cut from from our own Sadie's happenin' sixties influenced garage rock combo The Husbands (debut album out soon on Swami)! Meanwhile, Hot Snakes are awesome as always, Dan Sartain is catchy and quirky, and we were really excited to hear the insane instrumental math-metal of Loincloth, the new band formed by ex-members of Breadwinner and Confessor!! (Which also goes to show that there's more to Swami than garage and punk, though there's plenty o' that here too.)
Plus, some historical value is added by the Testors, a '77 NYC punk band getting a Swami reissue -- there's also a new track here from their singer that's maybe better than his band's old stuff. And Mannequin Piss have not just a great band name but kick a lot of ass too, ending this comp with some Black Flag styled combustion.

V/A Sweet Sweet Casio (Blackbean & Placenta) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Much as we cringe at the ridiculous plethora of divisive genre tags flying about these days, we have to say that many many songs on this compilation define the "indie-tronica" label. Twee kiddie Casio lo-lo-fi pop. As difficult as it is to imagine, this is sweeter than anything from the candy-coated Kindercore family. Of the 24 artists on this cd, some familiar you might recognize: Six Cents And Natalie, the Zambonies, Nixon, and Orange Cake Mix.
RealAudio clip: MANDORRIS "Portamento"
RealAudio clip: SIX CENTS AND NATALIE "Devil In Your Heart"
RealAudio clip: SPOC "Beach Park Holiday"

V/A Swinging Mademoiselle (Sasha Monett Records) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Are you a fan of those great "Ultrachicks" compilations of female French '60s pop? Do you feel like your turntable has been missing out on the fun? Well, here's a vinyl-only comp of similar cute Francophone chanteuses (Stella, Cleo, Charlotte Leslie, Berthe, Delphine, Liliane, and many others mainly with one nme only) circa 1965-1968...

V/A Swinging Mademoiselle Vol. 2 (Sasha Monett) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is the second in the vinyl only series of 60s French girl groups. This the perfect vinyl companion the sporadically in-print "Ultra Chicks" CDs.

V/A Sympathetic Sounds Of Detroit (Sympathy for the Record Industry ) cd 11.98
With the recent success of the White Stripes (whose excellent second album 'De Stijl' was released by the Sympathy label), SFTRI bossman Long Gone John and Mr. 'Stripe himself Jack White seized the prime opportunity to shine the spotlight on some other Detroit rock talents in the form of this compilation. Not unexpectedly many of these bands following very very closely in the footsteps of the Stooges and the MC5. Blues rock drenched in whiskey and sweat. All tracks were recorded to 8-track reel-to-reel in the same location. All tracks were recorded, produced, and mixed by none other than, you guessed it, Jack White.

V/A T5 (Time-Lag Records) 5 x 7" 35.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
RIGHT UP FRONT, THIS IS VERY LIMITED, WE ONLY HAVE 4 COPIES, AND WE PROBABLY CAN'T GET ANY MORE, SO DON'T DAWDLE.
Gorgeous five 7" box set to commemorate the 5th Terrastock festival. Designed and released by our pal Nemo who runs Time Lag records (who recently released the Charalambides double lp and those amazing Entoptic lp compilations) and records as Drona Parva. The box and the seven inch sleeves are made of really nice thick paper and are hand assembled and letterpressed. One seven inch each by THE IDITAROD, STONE BREATH, CHARALMBIDES, BARDO POND, and SONIC YOUTH (doing two Aerosmith covers?). Really cool.

V/A Take Me Home: A Tribute to John Denver (Badman) cd 14.98
Heartwarmingly well done compilation of John Denver songs. Consistently low-key and slow, the comp features lesser known Denver songs, and that's a very good thing, as a cover of "Rocky Mountain High" would've been too jarringly recognizable in this context. In other words, it works stunningly as a compilation of slowcore material, whether or not you're a John Denver fan. Highlights include tracks from Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy), Low, Sunshine Club, Tarnation with Joe Gore, Granfaloon Bus, Rachel Haden of That Dog, the Innocence Mission, etc. And the Red House Painters' instrumental offering "Fly Away" is just breathtaking, full of soaring My Bloody Valentine-style guitars. This comp is so good that every time we play it in store, we sell a copy.

V/A Take The Bird From The Birdman (Birdman) cd 6.98
Our fine feathered friend Dave Katznelson's Birdman label shows how they bring the rock with this budget sampler highlighting the best (and the rest) of their eclectic roster, which ranges from old timey blues to experimental noise. You've got the garage rock ass kickery of the Modey Lemon, the lewd electro-fuckery of PFFR, and the indie-synth-pop of The Cuts, plus the likes of the Twilight Singers, Paula Frazer, The Warlocks, Greg Ashley, Apes, Tom Recchion, and more. (All previously or soon to be released tracks of course, since it's a sampler.) Totally diverse and always more about what yanks Dave's crank than what's commercially viable. And that's a good thing. Take the Bird from the Birdman and check this out, for sure you're gonna find some stuff you like!
MPEG Stream: MODEY LEMON "Crows"
MPEG Stream: PFFR "Total Dicks"

V/A Take The Brain Train to the Third Eye: Bud Mathis' Sunset Strip 1963 - 1967 (Dionysus) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Take the Brain Train to the Third Eye. Oh...oh my... God...it's all so trippy. This compilation revolves around Bud Mathis, an ex prize fighter turned manager / songwriter / man about town / guy on the Sunset strip in the '60s. All of these songs are rare and/or previously unreleased songs that Mathis had a hand in during his career. Mathis's 'work' ranged from rock and roll to grungy garage to stripped down R+B, producing/recording Brain Train, Joint Effort, Wolfgang, The Fairviews, and more. Even his teenage son, Mike does a song, 'My Old Lady', which just happens to be the best song on the whole record. So rad! Just listen to the sound sample!! Authentic, unaltered recordings of rockin' garage. If you love '60s psych/rock and roll, check this out.
RealAudio clip: MIKE MATHIS "My Old Lady"
RealAudio clip: THE JOINT EFFORT "The Children"

V/A Tales from the Australian Underground - Singles 1976-1989 (Festival Mushroom) 2cd 23.00

V/A Tally Ho! Flying Nun's Greatest Hits (Flying Nun) 2cd 14.98
This new compilation from legendary New Zealand label Flying Nun, their first proper greatest hits collection, has been getting played like crazy in the store, and it makes sense, just check out the line up, a dizzying collection of some of the greatest jangle pop and noise rock and everything in between that New Zealand has had to offer over the last THIRTY years: tracks from The Clean, The Verlaines, The Chills, The Bats, Straightjacket Fits, Chris Knox, The Dead C, The Gordons, Bailter Space, The Pin Group, Tall Dwarfs, Snapper, the 3Ds, and so many more. From the early days of the label, to now, the label having recently been re-activated/re-invigorated. Nothing here is super rare, no lost B sides or unreleased gems, so folks well versed in NZ rock, with a record collection to prove it, might not have a need for this, UNLESS you were after pretty much the ultimate kick ass NZ underground rock Flying Nun mixtape, cuz then outside of compiling your own, you'd be hard pressed to do better than this. And for folks who might have missed out on Flying Nun the first time around, this collection is overflowing with new discoveries, and so many potential new favorite bands. All sides of the label is represented, most notably, that distinctive jangle pop side, which went on ti influence pretty much every indie rock outfit since. Whether it's The Clean's impossibly catchy keyboard driven lo-fi classic "Tally Ho!" (from which this comp takes its name), or the dreamy jangle of the Chills' "Heavenly Pop Hit", which couldn't have been more appropriately titled. There's the jangly bass driven sweet harmonied girl pop of Look Blue Go Purple, that sounds like it could easily be a new retro pop 7" on Slumberland, the dreamy strum and jangle of the Bats, the quirkly lo-fi home brewed weirdo pop of The Tall Dwarfs, and then there's "Outer Space" by the 3D's which sounds like the best song the Pixies never recorded, but then there's the other side of the label, the darker, heavier more experimental side, represented here by the Dead C (of course) with a sub 2 minute blast of murky, tape manipulated, noise drenched weirdness, and the Gordons, with their dirgey, almost doomy swagger, and seriously fierce guitar crunch, Bailter Space, arguable one of the loudest bands ever, their track here dreamy and darkly shoegazey, there's the scuzzy garage rock blues of Solid Gold Hell, the Joy Division-y new wave of The Pin Group, and let's not forget about Snapper, who are like some weird sci-fi space rock, garage pop hybrid, with hooks galore, and that's totally just a taste. Like all the best comps, Tally Ho! is perfect as it is, a killer mixtape, but also, a launching of point for avid listeners to track down records by all these bands and become as obsessed now with this stuff as some of us have been for years!
MPEG Stream: THE CLEAN "Tally Ho!"
MPEG Stream: THE VERLAINES "Death And The Maiden"
MPEG Stream: ABLE TASMANS "Fault In The Frog"
MPEG Stream: THE PIN GROUP "Ambivalence"
MPEG Stream: THE GORDONS "Machine Song"
MPEG Stream: SNAPPER "Buddy"

V/A Tape Op (Tape Op) 2cd 14.98
Compilation of artists who've been featured in the pages of Tape Op magazine over the years and celebrating their various unique recording environments. Includes tracks (many exclusive to this comp) by: Elliott Smith, East River Pipe, Sue Garner & Rick Brown, Man or Astro-man?, Apples in Stereo, MK Ultra and more.

V/A Tard and Further'd (Siltbreeze) cd 13.98
Selected out-of-print and otherwise really hard-to-find tracks from the Siltbreeze 7" catalog as far back as 1989. Dead C, Alastair Galbraith, Terminals, Guided By Voices, Sebadoh, Halo of Flies, etc.

V/A Team Mint Volume 2! (Mint) cd 4.98
The New Pornographers, Duotang, Neko Case, I Am Spoonbender, Nardwuar The Human Serviette (and his combos Thee Goblins, Thee Skablins and of course, The Evaporators)... sound like an unusual gathering? Hmmm, not really. Y'see, they're all on Vancouver's Mint Records, and a sampling of their songs have been collected together - along with those of sweet-twang Tennessee Twin, hootenanny honey Carolyn Mark, The Corn Sisters (Carolyn and Neko), garage-fun The Smugglers, surfy instrumentalists Huevos Rancheros and punky pop upstarts New Town Animals and Operation Makeout - to commemorate the tenth anniversary of their Canadian homebase. This second volume of Team Mint highlights the good times from last five years (the first volume featured stuff from the first five). Note: all tracks previously released. An easy - and ultra-easy on the wallet - way to find out what the fuss is all about!
RealAudio clip: THEE SKABLINS "Two-By-Four-And-A-Half"
RealAudio clip: TENNESSEE TWIN "These Thoughts Are Occupied"
RealAudio clip: I AM SPOONBENDER "Replaced By Toys"
RealAudio clip: OPERATION MAKEOUT "You And Me Geometry"

V/A Team Yamaha (Muysic For Peoples) cd ep 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Aavikko and friends get together to pay tribute to their favorite instrument: the Yamaha PSS Home Organ! Five European bands are featured here: from Germany, Frederik Schikowski (PSS-680) and Jeans Team (PSS-560); from Finland, Aavikko (PSS-680); from Iceland, Apparat Organ Quartet (PSS-390, PSS-480 & PC-100!); and from Sweden, Pluxus (PS-300). The tracks on Team Yamaha demonstrate that having the newest, most expensive keyboard is not as important as having the talent to play it. Cheap, versitile and easy to use, the Yamaha PSS series of portable synths can be found the world over in almost every genre of music that comes in contact with electricity. The gamut here runs from the twisted video game theme music sounds of Aavikko's "My Yamaha" to the sentimental dance tune "Polynesia" by Apparat Organ Quartet. Pluxus is perhaps the most "produced" sounding of the septet with the glitch pop number "Slow Rock", while the uber primitive award is a two way split between Frederik Schikowski's "Kreissegmente", which sounds as though it was recorded using only his PSS-680, and fellow Germans Jeans Team, with their baroque 8-bit reggae number "Spagaluzzi" which features a coda referencing Ravel's Bolero. In closing we should add that we have literally a handful of these on CD and 7" and once these are gone, they're gone for good. So get them while they're hot.
MPEG Stream: FREDERIK SCHIKOWSKI "Kreissegmente"
MPEG Stream: APPARAT ORGAN QUARTET "Polynesia"

V/A Team Yamaha (Muysic For Peoples) 7" 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Aavikko and friends get together to pay tribute to their favorite instrument: the Yamaha PSS Home Organ! Five European bands are featured here: from Germany, Frederik Schikowski (PSS-680) and Jeans Team (PSS-560); from Finland, Aavikko (PSS-680); from Iceland, Apparat Organ Quartet (PSS-390, PSS-480 & PC-100!); and from Sweden, Pluxus (PS-300). The tracks on Team Yamaha demonstrate that having the newest, most expensive keyboard is not as important as having the talent to play it. Cheap, versitile and easy to use, the Yamaha PSS series of portable synths can be found the world over in almost every genre of music that comes in contact with electricity. The gamut here runs from the twisted video game theme music sounds of Aavikko's "My Yamaha" to the sentimental dance tune "Polynesia" by Apparat Organ Quartet. Pluxus is perhaps the most "produced" sounding of the septet with the glitch pop number "Slow Rock", while the uber primitive award is a two way split between Frederik Schikowski's "Kreissegmente", which sounds as though it was recorded using only his PSS-680, and fellow Germans Jeans Team, with their baroque 8-bit reggae number "Spagaluzzi" which features a coda referencing Ravel's Bolero. In closing we should add that we have literally a handful of these on CD and 7" and once these are gone, they're gone for good. So get them while they're hot.
MPEG Stream: FREDERIK SCHIKOWSKI "Kreissegmente"
MPEG Stream: APPARAT ORGAN QUARTET "Polynesia"

V/A Teenage - The Creation Of Youth 1911-1946 (Trikont) cd 24.00

V/A Teenbeat 2001 (TeenBeat) cd 5.98
Budget priced sampler with tracks by the usual gang of Teenbeat allstars: The Rondelles, hollAnd, Flin Flon, Aden, Mark Robinson, Phil Krauth and the like!

V/A Tell Tale Signs of Earworm (Earworm) 2cd 15.98
This 2 cd set documents a bunch of out of print singles and tracks that never made it onto singles for Earworm and includes a demo track by Jon & Dave (pre-Flying Saucer Attack rural psychedelia from Dave Pearce, the Neu! grooves of Avocar, Orange Alabaster Mushroom's garage variant of the Elephant 6 bunch, and tons of other cool things.

V/A Tell-All Records - Vol.1 (Tell-All ) cd 4.98
The new Bay Area label Tell-All Records have hit the ground running with a bunch of new releases from a bunch of new artists. Nicely varied but mostly keeping within the gentle, hazy realm -- evoking pastoral scenes or drifting about in outerspace or an abandoned old concert hall with a forgotten cobwebbed piano -- the label strikes a balance between ambient soundscapes and song-based music. This label sampler compilation, their first official release, clearly shows, it all fits together wonderfully. Twelve songs by Liam Singer (who is one of the young gents running the label), Peter Surla, 28 Degrees Taurus, St. Rosa, One Umbrella, Dave Zohrob, Kallikak Family, Keith Negley, and Carrier (whose dreamy Home Movies cd-r we carried a couple of years ago) for under five bucks!
Other releases from this label include a solo full length from Singer, Kallikak Family's May 23rd 2007 album and One Umbrella's 8-song cd Solve.
MPEG Stream: 28 DEGREES TAURUS "Red Skies"
MPEG Stream: CARRIER "New Year's"

V/A Ten Years of Noise Pop 1993-2002 (Amazing Grease Records) 2cd 17.98
This year's fest marks a decade of Noise Pop! And if the rumblings suggesting that this might've been the final one are true, this double cd succinctly encapsulates the music and spirit of Noise Pop. Featuring pop notables Spoon, Flaming Lips, Preston School Of Industry, Superchunk, and Guided By Voices, as well as NP stalwarts the Fastbacks (whose NP2002 performance was their final show ever!), Death Cab For Cutie, Beulah, Track Star and Oranger, not to mention the fresh faces of Mates Of States, Dealership, The Pattern, The Stratford 4, Call And Response, I Am Spoonbender and The Court & Spark, and Andee's old band P.E.E. 43 tracks in all! Please note some have been previously released, however an ample number are previously unreleased studio and live recordings.

V/A Terrastock Six (Secret Eye) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The Secret Eye Label who hosted the latest Terrastock music festival in Providence RI this past April have put together this compilation of 11 exclusive tracks from some of the festivals highlighted acts such as Bardo Pond, Kinski, and the Magic Carpathians including many Secret Eye bands (surprise, surprise). While this compilation showcases some of the best acts of the neo-psych scene, from the overdriven space rock of Paik and Major Stars, and the abstracted shambolic noise of Avarus and The Spacious Mind, to the far flung folk of P.G Six and Fursaxa, it fails to completely convey the musical and generational diversity that is part of the festival's huge appeal. Revival acts such as Bridget St. John and Pearls before Swine are not included, while the psych-pop of Green Pajamas, the punk noise of Lightning Bolt and the acoustic traditions of Jack Rose, Glenn Jones, and Marissa Nadler are unrepresented. But that might be a lot to ask for from a single disc. So it's best not to look at this compilation as a cohesive festival document, but rather as a good solid dose of spacey psych majesty. Limited to 500 copies.
MPEG Stream: FURSAXA "Water Moon"
MPEG Stream: THE SPACIOUS MIND "Learning City People to Walk In the Woods Quietly"
MPEG Stream: KINSKI "Festival Short Circuit"

V/A Teutonik Disaster Zwei (Vol.2) (Gomma) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Volume Two of this "German New Wave, Punk & Funk 1977-82" (according to the comp's subtitle - although you might wanna add electro and no-wave to that description too) is in every way just as much of an entertaining gem as the first. Thick, arpeggiations bound and bend as though they're being played on rubber keyboards. Odd, pinched vocals bark out spoken/sung lyrics in German and English. Saxophones jump in to join the synthesizers in their squelch-fest. Regimented programmed rhythms keep everyone in line. Some songs are definitely more... um, cheezy than others - both in composition and instrumentation, but that only adds to the lively diverse party scene. A super fun sonic document!
MPEG Stream: "Part Of You"
MPEG Stream: "Frauenkorper"

V/A Thai Beat A Go Go Volume 3 (Subliminal Sounds) lp 28.00
Now on vinyl!! Here's some of what we said when we reviewed the compact disc version, though as before the programming of the cd and vinyl versions differ somewhat, but even if the track list isn't quite the same (the cd had 5 more songs), the general thrust of the following review still stands:
It's beginning to appear as though Subliminal Sounds' well of amazing undiscovered Thai Beat music might be bottomless! We were a bit surprised when they managed to pull off a second excellent collection of Thai bubblegum psych tunes from yesteryear, but now a *third*?? "Is it just as good", you ask? Well, heck yeah, it is! It doesn't seem as though they culled the best for the first, or even the second, collection. This third volume may in fact be the best - though it's hard to choose. This one has about the same ratio of purely weird and inimitably Thai "pop" to off-kilter covers of your favorites from the golden era of rock, but add into that mix a great deal of seventies funk & disco and even some Santana-esque rock, all with a Thai twist and lots of fun. In addition to all the cool music on this collection is album's cover, which looks as though it were taken from a '70s Thai B-grade horror film. A "scary" looking dude in blue slacks, red sweater, and dracula fangs is lightly held back (or is he dancing with?) two sexy Thai girls wearing matching green skirts and white knee high boots. WOW! is our reaction to that, and the whole disc as well!

V/A Thai Beat A Go-Go Volume 1 (Subliminal Sounds) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
From the label that brought us Dungen, Parson Sound and Abner Jay comes a crazy collection of Thai Go-Go. We're still reeling from the double whammy of the two volume Cambodian Rocks releases and the excellent Cambodian Cassette Archives and now this. Though to be fair to the latter, this release might not necessarily cater to all the same fans. The music here is more likely to appeal to fans of obscure 60's pop and garage than say, fans of off kilter pop influenced Thai music. In fact, much of what's on this disc would be difficult to place within any particular country, let alone region of the world through listening alone. Apparently the musicians here were first and foremost concerned with reproducing an accurate replica (there are many overt copies included here) of popular American music of the day. This was, after all, during the Vietnam war and plenty of American servicemen were stationed in Thailand and American music was being broadcast far and wide for their benefit. That said, there are still plenty of great rocking vocal and instrumental tracks here and a few nutty renditions of classics. Of note is The Son Of P.M.'s version of the "James Bond Theme", which gets a little spicing up with Thai drums and The Cat's "Meow" or Louise Kennedy's "Poo Yai Lee", either of which would have been an excellent addition to the Ultra Chicks compilations. There's also a version of Hank Williams' "Kaw Liga" with augmented Native American drumming and a super upbeat bridge, and Johnny Guitar's "Klongyao", probably the best representation of Thai-Western pop hybrid on the collection. Definitely stick this one out to the end when you pick it up though, as it seems heavily weighted with the best tracks in the second half.
MPEG Stream: THE VIKING BAND "Phom Rak Khoon Tching Tching"
MPEG Stream: JOHNNY'S GUITAR "Klongyao"
MPEG Stream: PAIBOON "Yom Pha Barn Norn Pahwaa"

V/A Thai Beat A Go-Go Volume 2 (Subliminal Sounds) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hot on the heels of the first volume, Subliminal Sounds has released this second collection of Thai garage beat pop go-go madness. And we have to say it's better than the first. Much better (and cheaper too). Like the first volume the tracks here are all distinct replicas of popular music from the Occident of the late sixties. Some notable covers include the King's "All Shook Up", Serge Gainsbourg's "Je T'aime Moi Non Plus" and The Beatles' "Lady Madonna". What makes this collection stand out for us though is both the inclusion of a wider range of severely demented production aesthetics and a great deal more songs that, vocally, sound more Thai. The album starts off with a bang to Viparat Piengsuwan's "YoK YoK" with chipper explosive vocals that could only come from Thailand. So cute it'll make you barf. Not skipping a beat we're led into Surapon's "Ding Dong", which sounds like a seriously fucked up deconstruction of the "Surfing Bird". A little later Waipot Petsuwan's "Mia Chaa" throws a monkey wrench into our expectations with a dreamy ellyptical vocal line -- that sounds reminiscent of Mo Lam -- over an otherwise standard garage beat tune, instantly transforming it into a classic. Then, of course, there's some demented production like excessive reverb in the oddest places and a strange Thai version of the Chipmonks that'll have you spitting your lunch out your nose. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: VIPARAT PIENGSUWAN "Yok Yok (Jump)"
MPEG Stream: WAIPOT PETSUWAN "Mia Chaa (My Darling)"
MPEG Stream: SURAPON ALIAS THE FOX "Nang Maew Pee (The Ghost of Catwoman)"

V/A Thai Beat A Go-Go Volume 2 (Subliminal Sounds) lp 28.00
This is a bit confusing, like the lp version of volume 1, this lp has the same title as the cd version yet has a decidedly different tracklisting. Needless to say, if you've dug these comps, and wished for a vinyl version, this is definitely worth picking up, and if you're a vinyl fanatic, and have never checked out any of the Thai Beat A Go-Go series, boy are you in for a treat.
Hot on the heels of the first volume, Subliminal Sounds has released this second collection of Thai garage beat pop go-go madness. And we have to say it might be even better than the first. Like the first volume the tracks here are all distinct replicas of popular music from the Occident of the late sixties, including lots of covers (like The Beatles' "Lady Madonna"). But what makes this collection stand out for us is both the inclusion of a wider range of severely demented production aesthetics and a great deal more songs that, vocally, sound more Thai. The album starts off with a bang courtesy of Viparat Piengsuwan's "YoK YoK" with chipper explosive vocals that could only come from Thailand. So cute it'll make you barf. We're soon led into Surapon's "Ding Dong", which sounds like a seriously fucked up deconstruction of the "Surfing Bird". All the tracks are fantastic and freaked out.
The songs sure, but of course, there's the demented production too, like excessive reverb in the oddest places and a strange Thai version of the Chipmunks vocals that'll have you spitting your milk out your nose. Highly recommended!

V/A Thai Beat A Go-Go Volume 3 (Subliminal Sounds) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's beginning to appear as though Subliminal Sounds' well of amazing undiscovered Thai Beat music might be bottomless! We were a bit surprised when they managed to pull off a second excellent collection of Thai bubblegum psych tunes from yesteryear, but now a *third*?? "Is it just as good", you ask? Well, heck yeah, it is! It doesn't seem as though they culled the best for the first, or even the second, collection. This third volume may in fact be the best -- though it's hard to choose. This one has about the same ratio of purely weird and inimitably Thai "pop" to off-kilter covers of your favorites from the golden era of rock (including "Hang On Sloopy" and another Elvis number "Heartbreak Hotel"), but add into that mix a great deal of seventies funk & disco and even some Santana-esque rock, all with a Thai twist and lots of fun. But the real gems on this collection are two tracks -- "Thai Boxing" and "Siamese Boxing" -- by Jiraphand Ong-Ard which nearly bookend the anthology and completely fill their own void of strange rock. Both tracks pay homage to Muay Thai boxing and raam muay -- the traditional music that accompanies boxing events. The music of raam muay features a Thai reed instrument that sounds like a kazoo run through a Marshall amp. Both the tracks use this music as an odd bridge mixed in to them -- almost arbitrarily -- in such a way that they sound bi-polar. In addition to all the cool music on this collection is album's cover, which looks as though it were taken from a 70's Thai B-grade horror film. A "scary" looking dude in blue slacks, red sweater, and dracula fangs is lightly held back (or is he dancing with?) two sexy Thai girls wearing matching green skirts and white knee high boots. WOW! is our reaction to that, and the whole disc as well!
MPEG Stream: JIRAPHAND ONG-ARD "Thai Boxing"
MPEG Stream: SUPAPHORN "Lua Chan See"
MPEG Stream: FLASH "Where Is the Love?"

V/A Thai Pop Spectacular 1960s-1980s (Sublime Frequencies) cd 16.98
Another killer installment in the Sublime Frequencies series of wondrous and fantastical musics from around the world, and although we've probably proclaimed this about past volumes, this just may be the best one yet. The hardest thing about enjoying strange musics from other lands, though, is realizing that the music only seems strange to us. And with that realization comes a responsibility, c'mon, the pop music popular in the US must seem just as strange to folks in other countries, Avril Lavigne, Britney, every singer from American Idol, or how about Weird Al? So you sort of have to take into account that knowing the language, and growing up listening to the various popular musics of a region, would probably help to contextualize the strange hybridized pop music that we love to listen to and that is such a cornerstone of this series. Imagine how different it would be listening to a band like Circle if you understood Finnish. Might not seem so crazy. But that's part of the joy, it does sound crazy, and wild and weird, and wonderful, and there's certainly nothing wrong with being fascinated by seeming strangeness of the music, or enjoying the lyrics as just another instrument since we don't speak the language, and digging the seemingly bizarre juxtapositions, as long as we respect the heritage and the makers of this music that gives us such pleasure. And we do.
And holy crap does this latest installment give us all kinds of pleasure. It -is- wild, an awesomely confusional mix of Molam, Bollywood, Ethiopian groove, funk, soul, American pop and surf rock, all tangled up into amazing shapes, and peppered with killer hooks, amazing vocalists, bizarre production techniques, but most of all amazing amazing songs. The sort of songs that get stuck in your head and you find yourself humming to yourself, wondering if it was something you heard on the radio or something that was playing in some store you were just in, then realizing it was actually some seventies Thai pop song!
We knew this collection was going to be amazing before we even got to the music. Past installments in this series focusing on Thai music were already among our favorites, the photos are awesome, and check out some of these song titles: "There Are Many Handsome Men Out There", "You Should Die By Bullets", "Drinking Whiskey Until I'm Blurred", "Look Whose Underwear Is Showing", "Monthly Wife", "Uncle Dee Is A Drunk"...
And the music is just as fun and funky, crazy and catchy. A killer collection of Thai disco classics, music from Thai films, a bunch of stone cold pop gems, some unknown, some by Thai superstars, and a totally tweaked version of "The Night Chicago Died".
Some of our favorites are "Dance Of The Ngeo" by Johnny Guitar, a bad ass surf guitar jam, that begins with some strange trash can percussion, that surfaces again and again throughout, as well as some awesome fuzz organ, all making it sound like the coolest weirdest track Joe Meek never recorded, "You Should Die By Bullets" by Chailai Chaiyata & Sawanee Patana, a super funky slab of tripped out Bollywood style disco, with some truly damaged alien synths, and some amazing vocals, "We Both Think We're The Best" by Sangthong Seesai, a seasick, slithery groove, all blown out percussion, fuzzy organ, really grimey and groovy and sultry sounding, "Long Time No See" by Generation, a badass Barney Miller wah guitar groove, strutting and sexy, with a super strange totally blown out cymbal that gives the track a really strange shimmer, "Wise Old Man" by Gawao Siangthong, a funky horn flecked funk workout, that almost sounds like the Thai version of an Ethiopian Grooves track, there's even a weird breakdown in the middle of the song, where the two vocalists joke and banter, before launching right back into the song, "Title Theme from Live From The Rocket Festival" by Chalermpon Malakum, a space age seventies sitcom soundtrack groove, with weird warbly synths, funky horns, and a killer psychedelic guitar solo, and maybe our favorite (although it's practically impossible to choose), "Papaya Salad Merchant, by Onuma Singsiri, a slow burning shuffle, moody and brooding, with super sultry vocals, a wicked Morricone-ish Spaghetti Western twang guitar, some subtle waka waka rhythms, and a main melody to die for.
It's hard to describe any of these tracks without the word 'groove', as the above would seem to demonstrate, and that's because almost all of these tracks are indeed groovy, full of funky horns, wah wah guitars, bouncy bass lines, wild percussion, wicked drumming, and an incredible array of vocals and vocalists... but even the tracks that aren't inherently groovy, still seem to groove somehow... and even though we picked our favorites above, the more we listen, the more -every- song here is becoming one of our favorites... so so great!
Unlike a lot of other titles in this series where the sources were dubbed tapes or unlabeled recordings or radio broadcasts, each track here is credited to the performer (and hopefully, we assume, the performers will see some of the profits this time around?), each with it's original Thai title and translated English title, as well as what album the song is taken from, and there are liner notes from Sublime Frequencies head honcho (and Sun City Girl) Alan Bishop and frequent SF contributor Mark Gergis.
MPEG Stream: BUPPAH SAICHOL "Roob Lor Thom Pai"
MPEG Stream: ONUMA SINGSIRI "Mae Kha Som Tum"
MPEG Stream: JOHNNY GUITAR "Fawn Ngeo"
MPEG Stream: CHALAI CHAIYATA & SAWANEE PATANA "Kwuan Tai Duew Luk Puen"