BISHOP, SIR RICHARD Polytheistic Fragments (Drag City) cd 14.98
Sir Richard Bishop has been on a roll of late, making killer alchemical guitar compositions on a variety of labels such as Locust and Southern's Latitude series. Now perched for awhile on Drag City, Bishop has anointed us with probably his best and most diverse work yet. Featuring 11 concise compositions, Bishop's frame of reference varies wildly from flamenco to the early jazz stylings of Django Reinhardt. Most of the tracks have a much lighter tone compared to his last release "While My Guitar Violently Bleeds". But most notably on Polytheistic Fragments is the inclusion of a couple of amazingly beautiful piano compositions, such as the 8 minute centerpiece "Saraswati" that features languid piano cycles accompanied by droning tamboura that in a perfect world would be the only music we would ever need.
MPEG Stream: "Elysium Number Five"
MPEG Stream: "Cemetary Games"
MPEG Stream: "Saraswati"

BISHOP, SIR RICHARD Polytheistic Fragments (Drag City) lp 14.98
Sir Richard Bishop has been on a roll of late, making killer alchemical guitar compositions on a variety of labels such as Locust and Southern's Latitude series. Now perched for awhile on Drag City, Bishop has anointed us with probably his best and most diverse work yet. Featuring 11 concise compositions, Bishop's frame of reference varies wildly from flamenco to the early jazz stylings of Django Reinhardt. Most of the tracks have a much lighter tone compared to his last release "While My Guitar Violently Bleeds". But most notably on Polytheistic Fragments is the inclusion of a couple of amazingly beautiful piano compositions, such as the 8 minute centerpiece "Saraswati" that features languid piano cycles accompanied by droning tamboura that in a perfect world would be the only music we would ever need.
MPEG Stream: "Elysium Number Five"
MPEG Stream: "Cemetary Games"
MPEG Stream: "Saraswati"

BISHOP, SIR RICHARD The Freak Of Araby (Drag City) cd 14.98
First off, nice pun Sir Richard, nice pun! With a title like The Freak Of Araby, do we really even need to review this? Well, probably not for SRB's legion of fans, who will already have an idea of what to expect here from this master of exotic, intricate guitar playing. For them, the prospect of a new solo album by SRB is automatically a pleasant one, and purchase should occur as automatically as one picks up the new releases on ethnic field recordings label Sublime Frequencies, run by Bishop's brother and fellow former Sun City Girl, Alan. Plus we've heard it, and recommended it too!
Inspired by the music of late Egyptian guitarist Omar Khorshid among others, here SRB presents ten tracks of instrumental improvisations (?) in a Middle Eastern mood. Delicate and detailed, sultry and sandy. Opener "Taqasim For Omar" is quite traditional-sounding, but elsewhere Bishop's electric guitar takes on almost a surfy twang, and thoughts of dusty Spaghetti Western soundtracks might enter ones mind whilst enjoying this record. Most of the tracks feature percussion and other supporting instrumentation, but the focus is certainly on Bishop's adept and evocative six string manipulation. By Sun City Girls standards, this is easy listening, and certainly lovely, reminiscent of some of the SCGs' most accessible stuff. However, echoey FX get laid on thick during track nine, "Sidi Mansour", in case you forgot the "Freak" part of this album's title, while the tenth and final number "Blood-Stained Sands" really shakes things up by abandoning guitar in favor much multilayered buzzing saz (we think it is), for a seven and a half minutes of dervishly whirling, droning delirium that ends the album leaving no doubt about SRB being The Freak Of Araby indeed.
MPEG Stream: "Barbary"
MPEG Stream: "The Pillars Of Baalbek"

BISHOP, SIR RICHARD The Freak Of Araby (Drag City) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
First off, nice pun Sir Richard, nice pun! With a title like The Freak Of Araby, do we really even need to review this? Well, probably not for SRB's legion of fans, who will already have an idea of what to expect here from this master of exotic, intricate guitar playing. For them, the prospect of a new solo album by SRB is automatically a pleasant one, and purchase should occur as automatically as one picks up the new releases on ethnic field recordings label Sublime Frequencies, run by Bishop's brother and fellow former Sun City Girl, Alan. Plus we've heard it, and recommended it too!
Inspired by the music of late Egyptian guitarist Omar Khorshid among others, here SRB presents ten tracks of instrumental improvisations (?) in a Middle Eastern mood. Delicate and detailed, sultry and sandy. Opener "Taqasim For Omar" is quite traditional-sounding, but elsewhere Bishop's electric guitar takes on almost a surfy twang, and thoughts of dusty Spaghetti Western soundtracks might enter ones mind whilst enjoying this record. Most of the tracks feature percussion and other supporting instrumentation, but the focus is certainly on Bishop's adept and evocative six string manipulation. By Sun City Girls standards, this is easy listening, and certainly lovely, reminiscent of some of the SCGs' most accessible stuff. However, echoey FX get laid on thick during track nine, "Sidi Mansour", in case you forgot the "Freak" part of this album's title, while the tenth and final number "Blood-Stained Sands" really shakes things up by abandoning guitar in favor much multilayered buzzing saz (we think it is), for a seven and a half minutes of dervishly whirling, droning delirium that ends the album leaving no doubt about SRB being The Freak Of Araby indeed.
MPEG Stream: "Barbary"
MPEG Stream: "The Pillars Of Baalbek"

BISHOP, SIR RICHARD The Unrock Tapes (Unrock) lp 30.00
Not too long ago, Ideologic Organ pressed up one of Sir Richard Bishop's tour only cd-rs onto vinyl; and now we have an entirely different set of recordings also culled from a tour only cd-r, this time released by the German record shop Unrock, which hosted the former Sun City Girl during one of his many forays across Europe. Replete with acoustic and semi-acoustic instrumentals, The Unrock Tapes follows much of Bishop's solo career in swatting away stylistic distinctions between the sacred and the profane. Tracks like "Matadora" and "Almeria" leap around the sound of flamenco with a wild-eyed, yet cocksure aplomb through the rasping strum and manic fingerpicking. Bishop employs the same showmanship on the Americana numbers like "Boxcar Serenade", a Faheyesque ditty and "William Goat's Gruff" which gives a jitterbug backbone to his Delta blues reprisal. And of course, Bishop delves into the Omar Korshid fakebook on "Empty Quarter", as a dynamic, Arabic dervish blistering with frenzied solos, countered by the highly opiated raga of "Navaratri," pocked with acoustic scrabblings and blurred melodies. Of course, it's brilliant... it's Sir Richard Bishop! Limited to 500 copies though, we must warn.

BISHOP, SIR RICHARD While My Guitar Violently Bleeds (Locust Music) cd 14.98
Sir Richard Bishop's latest offering of altruistic guitar ragas is thankfully not limited this time around and is mesmerizingly pastoral despite the violence eluded to in the pun-y title. Three long tracks begin with flamenco-tinged Neo-Appalachia before turning down darker, drony and dirgy paths and finally emerging into the third and longest track that combines Indian mysticism with old-world European romantic beauty. What else do we need to say? this is simply outstanding!
MPEG Stream: "Smashana"
MPEG Stream: "Mahavidya"

BISHOP, SIR RICHARD While My Guitar Violently Bleeds (Locust Music) lp 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now repressed, and once again available on vinyl! We never were able to get enough to list originally, so we're especially glad it's back. Here's what we said about the cd version:
Sir Richard Bishop's latest offering of altruistic guitar ragas is mesmerizingly pastoral despite the violence eluded to in the pun-y title. Three long tracks begin with flamenco-tinged Neo-Appalachia before turning down darker, drony and dirgy paths and finally emerging into the third and longest track that combines Indian mysticism with old-world European romantic beauty. What else do we need to say? This is simply outstanding!
MPEG Stream: "Smashana"
MPEG Stream: "Mahavidya"

BISON Earth Bound (Forest) cd 14.98

BITCH MAGNET s/t (Temporary Residence Ltd.) 3cd 14.98
We've been waiting for this one for ages. And thus, are having a lot of trouble figuring out what exactly to write about it. We've literally been obsessed with this band and these records for more than two decades, and one aQ-er in particular was even in a band who was heavily influenced by the late great Bitch Magnet. In the realms of late eighties / early nineties postrock / postpunk / mathrock, there's a very elite pantheon, made up of names you no doubt recognize or at least should: Slint, of course, Rodan, Codeine, Bastro and of course Bitch Magnet, who amongst those band might be the least well known, and perhaps the most unfairly under appreciated. The various members of BM would go on to other bands we love, bass player and vocalist Soo Young Park would form Seam, guitarist (and aQ pal) Jon Fine would go on to form Coptic Light and Vineland (and play briefly in Don Caballero), and drummer Orestes Morfin would end up playing in Walt Mink. But it's Bitch Magnet that was the perfect combination of the three, creating a sonic template for much to come, and creating one of the most incredible bodies of work in underground rock. An impossible hybrid of progged out mathiness, moody introspective indie rock, brooding slowcore, and an almost metallic heft, woven into actual songs that would and will stick in your head forever. They wrote the sort of parts that were effortlessly catchy, some crazy weird time signatured progmath breakdown could be as hooky in their hands as a jangly bit of melody or a soaring majestic chorus, and it's precisely that magic ingredient that makes this stuff sound as good now as it did 20 years ago.
This new collection features tons of bonus tracks, but really, those are mostly of interest to folks who already love Bitch Magnet, and everyone who already does is definitely gonna want this, for those tracks sure, but also just for a new remastered fancy versions of the records you already treasure, cuz Bitch Magnet were one of those rare bands that engendered crazy obsession and slavish worship from their fans, who were eager to offer up both. For the rest of the folks out there, who somehow missed out on BM the first time around, or were perhaps too young at the time, the records proper are more than enough.
The Star Booty ep, originally released in 1988, finds the band at their most indie rock, they're still heavy, and a bit mathy, but way more indie rock / post punk than anything, in fact much of this record is downright poppy, maybe more along the lines of other contemporaries like Superchunk and Squirrelbait, jangly and crunchy and hooky as hell, for many of us, this was our first exposure to Bitch Magnet, and it didn't take us long to realize we had a new favorite band. But it was really the following year's full length Umber that sealed the deal, and like Slint, must have launched a million copycats, cuz holy shit, Umber is a monster, the band way more mathy and heavy, opener "Motor" starting things off with a wild squall of chaotic drumming and dive bombing guitars before launching into a song that sounds like a more aggressive version of something off Star Booty, but then there's "Navajo Ace" which to this day remains one o our favorite songs from that era, with its crazy opening the weird times bass drum groove, the off time guitar chug, the swirling high end guitar crunch, and then when it launches into the meat of the song, blasting and pounding and furious, only to suddenly switch times again, only to switch it up again and lurch right back into it, the vocals sung/spoken, very Slint-y for sure, we won't postulate which came first, doesn't even matter, similar styles, two dramatically different results, and from there on out Umber doesn't let up for a second, the band trying their hand at all sorts of sonic variations, the Codeine-esque slowcore of "Clay", the almost Spacemen 3 sounding hypnorock of "Joan Of Arc", albeit a bit supercharged, the woozy bass driven dirge of "Douglas Leader", the almost "Just Got Paid" Southern sounding riffage on "Goat Legged Country God", the crazy catchy indie rock of "Big Pining", the almost Lemonheads sounding indie jangle of "Joyless Street", the metallic mathy bombast of "Punch & Judy", the very brooding Slintiness of "Americruiser" (is that where Urge Overkill got the name for their 1990 album of the same name? Hmm).
At the time, we were fairly sure nothing could beat Umber, it was practically perfect, a brilliant balance of catchiness and heaviness and mathiness, we continued to think that at least for another year, when Bitch Magnet released their final album Ben Hur, and all it took was one listen to the nine and a half minute opener "Dragoon" to convince us once again, that NOW nothing could get better than this, which was sadly proved true when the band called it quits. But what a way to go. "Dragoon" has such an epic opening, all big ringing chords, and spaced out pounding drums, it's the sort of stretched out tension that could go on forever, but when the song proper kicks in, it's easy to forget all about that, some killer angular riffing, insanely powerful drumming, crazy catchy melodies, and this time a HUGE production to match, everything sounding massive and heavy and appropriately epic. It took ages before we could stop listening to "Dragoon" and make it to the rest of the record, but once we did, like Umber before it, it pretty much killed from front to back, the band again, much more varied than folks probably give them credit for, mixing a dark brooding slowcore, with their particular brand of post punk mathiness, and hooks galore, definitely hints of what was to come in Seam in some of the melodies and vocal parts, but here, they are woven perfectly into Fine's dense guitars and Morfin's impossible drum damage. We could go through Ben Hur also, song by song, but trust us, once you're a song in, you won't want to stop until it's over, and then odds are you'll just want to start again.
It should be noted that Bitch Magnet are one of Andee's favorite bands OF ALL TIME, and the other folks of similar age around aQ hold similarly strong sentiments about these records, and the fact that listening to them now, we can still hear the influences these guys are having on new bands twenty years later speaks volumes.
Absolutely essential and utterly and wholeheartedly recommended.
Super fancy packaging too, the 3cd version comes in a 6 panel digipak style sleeve, with the album covers reproduced on the jackets, with an attached booklet featuring tons of live photos and flyers. The 3lp version come in massive triple gatefold jacket, with the inside 3 panels covered in rare photos and flyers, while the actual lp sleeves feature reproductions of the original album covers and the track listings. The lp version also includes a download coupon as well. And for the eagle eyed out there, look for the tUMULt logo on both, while this is not an actual tUMULt release really, it is at least in spirit!
MPEG Stream: "Dragoon"
MPEG Stream: "Valmead"
MPEG Stream: "Navajo Ace"
MPEG Stream: "Motor"
MPEG Stream: "Carnation"
MPEG Stream: "C Word"

BITCH MAGNET s/t (Temporary Residence Ltd.) 3lp 32.00
We've been waiting for this one for ages. And thus, are having a lot of trouble figuring out what exactly to write about it. We've literally been obsessed with this band and these records for more than two decades, and one aQ-er in particular was even in a band who was heavily influenced by the late great Bitch Magnet. In the realms of late eighties / early nineties postrock / postpunk / mathrock, there's a very elite pantheon, made up of names you no doubt recognize or at least should: Slint, of course, Rodan, Codeine, Bastro and of course Bitch Magnet, who amongst those band might be the least well known, and perhaps the most unfairly under appreciated. The various members of BM would go on to other bands we love, bass player and vocalist Soo Young Park would form Seam, guitarist (and aQ pal) Jon Fine would go on to form Coptic Light and Vineland (and play briefly in Don Caballero), and drummer Orestes Morfin would end up playing in Walt Mink. But it's Bitch Magnet that was the perfect combination of the three, creating a sonic template for much to come, and creating one of the most incredible bodies of work in underground rock. An impossible hybrid of progged out mathiness, moody introspective indie rock, brooding slowcore, and an almost metallic heft, woven into actual songs that would and will stick in your head forever. They wrote the sort of parts that were effortlessly catchy, some crazy weird time signatured progmath breakdown could be as hooky in their hands as a jangly bit of melody or a soaring majestic chorus, and it's precisely that magic ingredient that makes this stuff sound as good now as it did 20 years ago.
This new collection features tons of bonus tracks, but really, those are mostly of interest to folks who already love Bitch Magnet, and everyone who already does is definitely gonna want this, for those tracks sure, but also just for a new remastered fancy versions of the records you already treasure, cuz Bitch Magnet were one of those rare bands that engendered crazy obsession and slavish worship from their fans, who were eager to offer up both. For the rest of the folks out there, who somehow missed out on BM the first time around, or were perhaps too young at the time, the records proper are more than enough.
The Star Booty ep, originally released in 1988, finds the band at their most indie rock, they're still heavy, and a bit mathy, but way more indie rock / post punk than anything, in fact much of this record is downright poppy, maybe more along the lines of other contemporaries like Superchunk and Squirrelbait, jangly and crunchy and hooky as hell, for many of us, this was our first exposure to Bitch Magnet, and it didn't take us long to realize we had a new favorite band. But it was really the following year's full length Umber that sealed the deal, and like Slint, must have launched a million copycats, cuz holy shit, Umber is a monster, the band way more mathy and heavy, opener "Motor" starting things off with a wild squall of chaotic drumming and dive bombing guitars before launching into a song that sounds like a more aggressive version of something off Star Booty, but then there's "Navajo Ace" which to this day remains one o our favorite songs from that era, with its crazy opening the weird times bass drum groove, the off time guitar chug, the swirling high end guitar crunch, and then when it launches into the meat of the song, blasting and pounding and furious, only to suddenly switch times again, only to switch it up again and lurch right back into it, the vocals sung/spoken, very Slint-y for sure, we won't postulate which came first, doesn't even matter, similar styles, two dramatically different results, and from there on out Umber doesn't let up for a second, the band trying their hand at all sorts of sonic variations, the Codeine-esque slowcore of "Clay", the almost Spacemen 3 sounding hypnorock of "Joan Of Arc", albeit a bit supercharged, the woozy bass driven dirge of "Douglas Leader", the almost "Just Got Paid" Southern sounding riffage on "Goat Legged Country God", the crazy catchy indie rock of "Big Pining", the almost Lemonheads sounding indie jangle of "Joyless Street", the metallic mathy bombast of "Punch & Judy", the very brooding Slintiness of "Americruiser" (is that where Urge Overkill got the name for their 1990 album of the same name? Hmm).
At the time, we were fairly sure nothing could beat Umber, it was practically perfect, a brilliant balance of catchiness and heaviness and mathiness, we continued to think that at least for another year, when Bitch Magnet released their final album Ben Hur, and all it took was one listen to the nine and a half minute opener "Dragoon" to convince us once again, that NOW nothing could get better than this, which was sadly proved true when the band called it quits. But what a way to go. "Dragoon" has such an epic opening, all big ringing chords, and spaced out pounding drums, it's the sort of stretched out tension that could go on forever, but when the song proper kicks in, it's easy to forget all about that, some killer angular riffing, insanely powerful drumming, crazy catchy melodies, and this time a HUGE production to match, everything sounding massive and heavy and appropriately epic. It took ages before we could stop listening to "Dragoon" and make it to the rest of the record, but once we did, like Umber before it, it pretty much killed from front to back, the band again, much more varied than folks probably give them credit for, mixing a dark brooding slowcore, with their particular brand of post punk mathiness, and hooks galore, definitely hints of what was to come in Seam in some of the melodies and vocal parts, but here, they are woven perfectly into Fine's dense guitars and Morfin's impossible drum damage. We could go through Ben Hur also, song by song, but trust us, once you're a song in, you won't want to stop until it's over, and then odds are you'll just want to start again.
It should be noted that Bitch Magnet are one of Andee's favorite bands OF ALL TIME, and the other folks of similar age around aQ hold similarly strong sentiments about these records, and the fact that listening to them now, we can still hear the influences these guys are having on new bands twenty years later speaks volumes.
Absolutely essential and utterly and wholeheartedly recommended.
Super fancy packaging too, the 3cd version comes in a 6 panel digipak style sleeve, with the album covers reproduced on the jackets, with an attached booklet featuring tons of live photos and flyers. The 3lp version come in massive triple gatefold jacket, with the inside 3 panels covered in rare photos and flyers, while the actual lp sleeves feature reproductions of the original album covers and the track listings. The lp version also includes a download coupon as well. And for the eagle eyed out there, look for the tUMULt logo on both, while this is not an actual tUMULt release really, it is at least in spirit!
MPEG Stream: "Dragoon"
MPEG Stream: "Valmead"
MPEG Stream: "Navajo Ace"
MPEG Stream: "Motor"
MPEG Stream: "Carnation"
MPEG Stream: "C Word"

BITCHIN' BAJAS Krausened EP (Permanent) lp 16.98
Just got this in TODAY, list day, so we really didn't have a chance to write up our own review yet but wanted to list it anyway 'cuz we figure folks will want it asap. And we did give it a spin, it's awesome. For those who want a little more info, we'll quote the blurb from the record label: "Fans of Terry Riley, Kraftwerk, Conrad Schntizler, and Kosmische Musik in general take note! Bitchin Bajas has returned to Permanent Records (following their split single with Moon Duo) with a brand new record of side-long transcendental synth workouts. This is Bitchin Bajas most accessible and autobahn ready delivery to date! Bitchin Bajas began as a side project, but Cooper Crain of Cave and Dan Quinlivan formerly of Mahjongg have been spending as much time, if not more, with Bitchin Bajas as they have with the aforementioned groups and they've been progressing very quickly. In just two or so years, Bitchin Bajas have released three critically acclaimed LPs (one on Important Records and two on Kallestei Editions), two incredible splits (one with Moon Duo and the other with the Peaking Lights-related Faceplant), and one very limited edition cassette tape. The two side-long pieces on this nearly 40 minute EP were written on their 2012 European tour and recorded and mixed over three days by Bitchin Bajas at Minbal Studio in Chicago, Illinois. Edition of 500 copies.

BITCHIN' BAJAS Tones / Zones (Important) lp 19.98
With a name like Bitchin Bajas you would expect some bratty lo-fi garage pop or ironic washed out rock, but sometimes the name and the sound can exist in two entirely different worlds, and with Bitchin Bajas that's probably for the best. The solo project of Cooper Crane from Cave, we first got a glimpse of Bitchin Bajas on their split 7" with Moon Duo, but it's on this full length that he really pushes his sound to such spaced out cosmic outer limits. While Cave have become masterful at their ability to create rhythmic and propulsive kraut like jams, with Bitchin Bajas, Cooper is taking his aim at the more spaced out side of kosmische bliss. Evoking the kraut-drone / kraut-age of Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Deutsche Wertarbeit, Cluster as well as Terry Riley's A Rainbow In Curved Air, this is such a perfect early morning sunrise salute of a record. Tones / Zones also reaches the level to which modern day cosmic travelers like Arp, White Rainbow, Emeralds and Oneohtrix Point Never have ascended. The sounds here get locked in the most celestial grooves and you find yourself floating into the sky losing any sense of gravity or the mundane reality of everyday life. This is perfect music for dreaming, drifting and softly coming down. Majestic and so satisfying.

BITCHIN' BAJAS Vibraquatic (Kalliztei) lp+dvd 17.98
A special Record Store day release from the oddly named Bitchin Bajas, a side project of aQ fave psychkraut hypnorock combo Cave, and another one of those records that people seemed to be particularly keen to get their hands on, so we did our best to get a bunch extra for mailorder folks who couldn't be at aQ on RSD. Only three songs, but clocking in at a whopping 38 minutes, and another gorgeous chunk of tripped out psychedelic kosmische synthscapery, the first track, all 17+ minutes of it, finds the BB duo unfurling a dizzying tripped out soundscape of pulsing pulsating synth blurts that careen from speaker to speaker, hypnotic and almost maddening, but before it gets to be too much, the sound shifts gears, and blossoms into a gorgeous bit of Carpenter/Goblin like cinematic synthscaping, cascading melodies, all draped over a deep low end pulse, ominous, but at the same time prismatic and energetic, before once again switching back to a more swirling spaced out bit of heavily panned sonic mesmer, which is soon joined by some abstract percussion, the sound expanding in slow motion, like some sort of time lapse footage of a supernova, before returning to that soundtracky synthscape, and before finally splintering into something much more abstract, the whole second half of the track a sort of spaced out softly psychedelic
landscape of looped repetitive Reich/Riley like pulsations, that ebb and flow, fade out to a hushed whisper, then expand to a corrosive crunch, and back again, so heady and hypnotic. The comparatively shorter "Bajas Ragas" weds Muslimgauze like rhythms to a buzzing synth drone, before adding a groovy low slung bassline, woozy and warm, a mesmerizing bit of murky minimalism, before the synths come in, and unfurl snakecharmer like melodies over the top, the sound growing gradually more propulsive, the synths getting more distorted, the rhythms more driving, the bass buzzier, before one by one the various elements begin to fade out, leaving just a hazy stretch of synth buzz and chordal shimmer. The final track, "Jelly", is the most somber of the bunch, beginning as a warm, hushed drone, which is soon joined by more drones, more layers, what sounds like a horn of some kind, the vibe subtly jazzy, and darkly cosmic, soon the low end rises up from below and adds some bass heavy heft to the the proceedings, eventually, the horns grow wilder and wilder, culminating in a dark droned out psychedelic jazz raga that ends way too soon.
Included with the lp is a dvd featuring films that accompany all three songs, by none other than Olivia Wyatt, who was responsible for that awesome Staring Into The Sun release on Sublime Frequencies. Here, Wyatt matches BB's psychedelic sounds with her own quite psychedelic visuals, bursts of sun dappled prismatic glimmers, sparkling water born shimmer, strange abstract shapes and slow morphing colors, and finally some super grainy black and white footage of night time rituals and mysterious dances, perfectly capturing the spirit and the energy of the sounds they accompany.
The record comes housed in a super glossy, brightly colored, slightly oversized jacket, and includes a small printed insert. And again, this was a Record Store Day release, so supplies are limited, and we may not be able to restock once these sell out.
MPEG Stream: "Prismatic Reflections"
MPEG Stream: "Bajas Ragas"

BITCHIN' BAJAS Water Wrackets (Kalliztei) lp 14.98
On the last list we reviewed a split record featuring Bitchin Bajas, aka Cooper Crain from hypno rockers Cave, and Faceplant, aka Aaron Coynes from Peaking Lights. Only after did we realize there there was a whole Bitchin Bajas full length that somehow just slipped right by us. So here it is, Water Wrackets, what is essentially full length number two from Crain's kosmische synth side project, this one a soundtrack apparently, to a modern remake of a 1975 film by Peter Greenaway.
Crain's soundtrack is divine, some super minimal krautdrone kosmische synthscapery of the highest order, from the opening track, "Water 1", all long layered tones, rich with shifting tonal colors and overtones, channeling the spirit of Riley and Reich perhaps, to the more distinctly krautrocky "Water 2", with a simple super minimal stripped down rhythm, beneath deep low end pulses and some shimmery sunshiney melodies. "Water 4" is hazy and lush, sun dappled and new agey, the sound warped and warbly as if it was transferred from some old filmstrip, while "Water 3" is the krautrockiest of the bunch, a darkly driving bit of rhythmic minimalism, the drums looped and locked to a slithery synth bassline, pulsing and pulsating, while all around notes and chords drift and shimmer, a hazy dreamlike swirl all anchored by that motorik rhythm. After a brief bit of synth swirl, the record finishes off with "Water 1 (Reprise)" which in fact does just that, unfurling another stretch of minimal layered drones, lush and warm, allowing the interaction between the tones to provide the motion, creating a dreamy otherworldly sonic swirl. So nice.
Packaged in super heavy tip-on style sleeves, along with a bonus dvd and a poster.
MPEG Stream: "Water 1"
MPEG Stream: "Water 2"

BITCHIN' BAJAS / FACEPLANT split (Bathetic) lp 15.98
Latest from the oddly monikered Bitchin Bajas, the solo synth project of Cooper Crain from psychedelic hypnorockers and big time aQ faves Cave, who when not contributing to Cave's rhythmic bombast, spends his time crafting drifting synth/organ soundscapes a la Tangerine Dream, Harmonia, etc., and his two tracks here, a single epic split into two movements, finds Crain doing just that, long lush tones, pulsing and percolating, drifty and near static at first, but soon the sounds begin to blossom, melodies spinning into the ether, intertwining, some serious cosmic bliss out for sure. The second movement ditches the dreamy drift for something more rhythmic and propulsive, crafting synths into a glimmery, glistening pulsing futuristic sci-fi soundscape, all frantic melodies, over lush layers, very soundtracky and cinematic.
Bitchin Bajas are teamed up with another oddly named outfit, Faceplant, which is in fact Aaron Coynes, the man behind Rahdunes, and aQ faves Peaking Lights, but Faceplant has little in common with either of those groups, instead Coynes crafts pulsing soundtracky synthscapes, bloopy groovy synthy psychedelia, that like the BB stuff, definitely sounds very soundtracky, sorta dubby, with driving beats suspended amides the pulsating synths. Coynes describes the sound as "solo modular hessian noise trance", but to us it sounds more like a mutant strain of that whole John Carpenter / Goblin worship thing, although one of the tracks almost sounds more like some alien futuristic lounge music, all spacey FX, groovy minimal rhythms, and playful melodies. Either way, we're digging it a lot.
Housed in a weird multi colored sort-of-pickle jacket, with a photocopied poster/insert. LIMITED TO 600 COPIES!
MPEG Stream: BITCHIN BAJAS "Consciousness 1"
MPEG Stream: FACEPLANT "Dickie Domecon"

BITTER BITTER WEEKS Peace Is Burning (High Two) cd 16.98
It's weird. We can describe some stuff like nobody's business, dark drones and buzzing black metal, freaky folks and found sounds, harsh noise and weirdo electronic music, but for some reason, pop music seems the hardest to review. Which might be what makes the best pop music so timeless. It's some ineffable something that in some ways is actually impossible to describe, the music contains some mysterious magic, it's what makes songs stick in your head. And your heart. Some impossible chemistry, there's a moment when the drums and the guitars, the bass and the vocals, the voice and the melody, just click, and suddenly, what is just a regular old rock band, and just a plain old song, is transformed into a piece of music, that stirs your soul and that can stick with you forever, whatever is going on in your life, right at that moment, is somehow fused to the music that accompanies it. That record you loved when you broke up with the love of your life, 10 years later it still makes you weep, that first song on the mixtape given to you by someone special, still gives you a little thrill, the first music that made you want to start your own band, the songs that got you through the tough timesÉ there's a reason people NEED music.
And the more music you listen to, the more you realize that the best pop music is the simplest. No amount of overdubs, or crazy psychedelia, or far out production or instrumental prowess can disguise a mediocre record. Granted that stuff can definitely be mixed in such a way, that a record can be total ear candy, but without the songs and the hooks, candy is all it is, sweet and fizzy and then it's gone.
We first discovered Bitter Bitter Weeks a few years ago, aka Brian McTear, an engineer and producer from Philadelphia, and we're sort of kicking ourselves for only getting BBW on the list now, not sure what exactly kept us from reviewing any of those records, especially considering that the first two discs were on constant rotation. Still are actually. That's the problem with so many records to review and only so many hours in the day. But we're finally trying to make it right. The first two BBW records were mostly acoustic affairs, just McTear and an acoustic guitar, it was all about the songs and the voice, the vocals so emotive and intense, warm and familiar, a high, almost falsetto (slipping into a full on falsetto here and there), but rich and rough, and the songsÉ so so gorgeous, perfect indie pop, hell perfect pop period, just so goddamned good, that we were convinced that McTear HAD to be a guy from some other band that we knew, but nope, he was an engineer, and BBW was his first real project. This latest record finds McTear expanding his previously solo outing to a full band and as hard as it is to believe, considering how much we loved those stripped down discs, it sounds even better.
The songs are still simple and spare, but manage to be lush and layered, clouds of jangle guitar, wrapped around McTear's gorgeous voice, the melodies lilting and perfect, subtle harmonies everywhere. The first song alone is worth the price of admission. A killer main riff, that manages to be heavy and crunchy, but without losing any of its jangle, a cool dark smoky twang in the guitar, intricate but understated drumming, the whole song propulsive and intense, the vocals soaring and lovely, the main hook absolutely unforgettable. This is where writing about music all falls apart, where words begin to fail to describe something that is essentially magical, not sure what else to say. Catchy, lovely, a bit rocking, emotive, lilting, jangly, by now you probably know if this is your cup of tea or not. Listen to the first sound sample, if you're not sold after that, then you have a black black heart devoid of pop and we pity you! The closest comparison we can come up with is maybe My Dad Is Dead, that same sort of dour beauty, minor key melancholia, a definite nineties indie rock / college rock jangle vibe, but at its core, just timeless and practically perfect pop.
MPEG Stream: "Once And For All"
MPEG Stream: "Writing Letters"
MPEG Stream: "Danger In The Halls"

BITTERS, THE East General (Mexican Summer) 12" 17.98
Another new release from Mexican Summer, this one from The Bitters, which just so happens to feature one of the dudes from post hardcore punk rockers Fucked Up, but don't be expecting Fucked Up style pummel here, although it is a lot noisier and more rocking than lots of Mexican Summer stuff, but more on that in a second.
First thing eagle eyed aQ customers might notice is the cover art, the same cover as the debut full length from Norwegian black metal horde Orcustus, that strange medical drawing of a woman's pelvis, legs and torso removed, and gestating baby inside, with the front of the pelvis removed so the baby as well as all the various muscles and organs are visible. Seemed a little more suited for a grim black metal group, which is probably why the garish cover is now hidden by a giant sticker featuring what we can only assume are the two band members looking shocked and horrified by what lies underneath. But enough about the cover, the music is not nearly so intense or gory or shocking, the template is definitely similar to what is essentially THE NOW SOUND, fuzzy, garage rock, with female vocals, lots of reverb, a sort of Phil Spector via In The Red, definitely a sound we dig, but it's kinda crazy how many bands are doing it now. But give the Bitters some credit, that may be the root of their sound, but they infuse their jangly reverby garage pop with a Way more jagged ramshackle post punk vibe, evoking the aesthetic of groups like the Swell Maps, and the vocals are super distinctive, a yowlly yelpy new wave caterwaul, that perfectly suits the bands surprisingly heavy sound (heavy at least for this kind of thing). If we had to pick a 'hit', it would most likely be "Travelin' Girl", super frenetic and propulsive, with a killer hook, some dueling boy/girl vocals, crunchy and fuzzy, with some twisty dizzying p[arts slipped in between the more poppy moments, and then there's the sort of psychedelic middle portion, not to mention the heavy shoegazey blow out at the end.
But the rest of the record is no slouch either, from dirgey in-the-red garage jangle, sounding like a slowed down, female fronted Oh Sees, too fuzzy and wild seat-of-the-pants angular post punk, to fuzzy sunshiney Best Coast-y garage jangle. And all these elements are made all the more interesting because of the production, super hot and live and distorted, so everything sounds really loud and crunchy and fuzzy, and gives even the lightest moments some serious oomph.
Needless to say, by now you know if this sort of thing is your bag, maybe you have enough, maybe you can never get enough, but The Bitters definitely have their own thing going, so even if you think you've heard all of THE NOW SOUND you'll ever need to, these two might just change your mind.
LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES, each one hand numbered, comes with a download card as well.

BITTERS, THE Have A Nap Hotel (Sacred Bones) 12" 14.98
Maybe best know as a side project of post hardcore punks Fucked Up, the Bitters are a totally different proposition. Like their last record, their 12" on Mexican Summer, this record too is a primo slice of jagged ramshackle post punk, but this one's even MORE ramshackle than the last, which is in no way a bad thing.
The Bitters specialize in a sort of angular reverby crunchy jangle pop, that owes way more to early eighties groups like Swell Maps, guitars are sharp and jagged and distorted, the drums loud and in-the-red, but for all its clang and crunch, the sound is still lush and warm, dense with texture and melody, some twisted tangled riffage, all that wrapped around echoey vocals, strident and almost yelped, the resulting sound retro, but still vibrant and original, the jams rife with sonic references, the coolest being the ones that fall somewhere between Polvo and Blonde Redhead!
Sassy and sharp, punky and poppy, perfectly balancing between the new school of off kilter garage pop, and that classic C86 punk pop sound, the vocals are especially distinctive, the perfect match for the music, driving, propulsive, frenetic and hooky as hell. The two songs on the B-side get a bit moodier and tripped out, the songs extended and sprawling, one an almost ballad, the other just a perfectly noisy dirgey chunk of killer, classic retro post punk buzz and crunch.

BITTERS, THE Wooden Glove (Captured Tracks) lp 14.98

BIXBY, DAVE Ode To Quetzalcoatl (Guerssen) cd 17.98
What a long strange trip it was for Dave Bixby, from a young man playing covers in a folk pop band in the sixties, to spending a year high on LSD, to discovering God, to then becoming disillusioned with God, to contemplating suicide, to finally speaking to God (or having God speak to him) and thus recording both Ode To Quetzalcoatl and most of its follow up, Second Coming, eventually released under the name Harbinger, both records chronicling Bixby's life and struggles with spirituality and drugs.
Ode To Quetzalcoatl, originally a super rare private press release, that regularly fetched thousands of dollars, was and maybe still is one of the most legendary/infamous downer/loner folk records ever, the recording sparse and mournful, mostly just acoustic guitar, reverb laden vocals, occasional harmonica or flute, but mostly just guitar and vocals, but it was enough, so haunting and heartwrenching, the lyrics twisted and depressive, so miserable and dark and anguished, the reverb only adding to the otherwordliness, the guitar lazy and languorous, the melodies minor key and melancholy, a little like Jandek if he could actually sing and play guitar. And was a recovered drug addict, born again Christian.
A simply gorgeous slab of super personal doomfolk from before there even was doomfolk, for fans of Nick Drake, Bill Fay, Roy Harper, Charles Manson and all dark mysterious folkmusic...
MPEG Stream: "Drug Song"
MPEG Stream: "Free Indeed"
MPEG Stream: "I Have Seen Him"
MPEG Stream: "666"

BIXBY, DAVE Ode To Quetzalcoatl (Guerssen) lp 26.00
What a long strange trip it was for Dave Bixby, from a young man playing covers in a folk pop band in the sixties, to spending a year high on LSD, to discovering God, to then becoming disillusioned with God, to contemplating suicide, to finally speaking to God (or having God speak to him) and thus recording both Ode To Quetzalcoatl and most of its follow up, Second Coming, eventually released under the name Harbinger, both records chronicling Bixby's life and struggles with spirituality and drugs.
Ode To Quetzalcoatl, originally a super rare private press release, that regularly fetched thousands of dollars, was and maybe still is one of the most legendary/infamous downer/loner folk records ever, the recording sparse and mournful, mostly just acoustic guitar, reverb laden vocals, occasional harmonica or flute, but mostly just guitar and vocals, but it was enough, so haunting and heartwrenching, the lyrics twisted and depressive, so miserable and dark and anguished, the reverb only adding to the otherwordliness, the guitar lazy and languorous, the melodies minor key and melancholy, a little like Jandek if he could actually sing and play guitar. And was a recovered drug addict, born again Christian.
A simply gorgeous slab of super personal doomfolk from before there even was doomfolk, for fans of Nick Drake, Bill Fay, Roy Harper, Charles Manson and all dark mysterious folkmusic...
MPEG Stream: "Drug Song"
MPEG Stream: "Free Indeed"
MPEG Stream: "I Have Seen Him"
MPEG Stream: "666"

BJORK Alarm Call (Polygram UK) video 41.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
9 versions of "Alarm Call", including ones by "Bjeck" (Beck), Matmos, Andy Bradfield and Mark Bell. Plus a video directed by Alexander McQueen, bad boy clothing designer.

BJORK Alarm Call (Polygram UK) 3cdsingle box 32.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
9 versions of "Alarm Call", including ones by "Bjeck" (Beck), Matmos, Andy Bradfield and Mark Bell. Plus a video directed by Alexander McQueen, bad boy clothing designer.

BJORK Alarm Call (Matmos Mixes) (Polygram UK) 12" 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
While there are 4 remix singles of Bjork's "Alarm Call," the only one of any merit is from Matmos who deconstructs her vocals into snippets of vocoded utterances and breathy slurs. The heady downtempo electro breaks and squiggly sampling weirdness that one expects from the San Francisco duo dominate their two remixes. Beck (here cutely identified as "Bjeck") adds an exceptionally good carnivalesque mix on flipside.
The other 3 mixes which we do have in stock feature DJ Krust with his two brittle drum & bass reworkings on one of the singles, a dreadful single of handbag house courtesy of Alan Braxe and Ben Diamond, and the last single from LFO member Mark Bell, who coincidentally co-wrote the original song with Bjork.

BJORK Bastards (One Little Indian) cd 15.98
Bjork is one of those rare artists that has somehow managed to juggle underground /independent credibility, with mainstream success. Obviously she's one of the most popular performers in the world, and you'll hear her music in movies and commercials, on the radio and at Starbucks, she performs at huge events and is constantly on the red carpet. Yet somehow she remains surprisingly subversive, her music quite strange, especially by popular music standards, she's got a brilliantly twisted aesthetic, and she loves collaborating, and doesn't hesitate to hook up with the most unlikely of musical bedfellows. Let's not forget that our pals in Matmos, as well as Jay Lesser, have been long time collaborators, and historically, her remixes have been AMAZING, and her choice or remixers impeccable, in fact we still remember discovering the Alec Empire remix of "Yoga", which at the time was one of the coolest things we've heard.
Since those days, Bjork's popularity has hardly waned, but neither has her experimental streak, which brings us to this new remix record, and for aQ folks, a quick look at the list of remixer shouldbe all it takes considering there are two mixes by Omar Souleyman and two by Death Grips!! Holy crap, and all four are as good as you'd hope. The rest of the remixers include Hudson Mohawke, Matthew Herbert, Current Value, The Slips, These New Puritans and more.
The two Souleyman tracks are about as close as we're gonna get to an Omar / Bjork dream duet, and really, it sounds like they just took Bjork's vocals and wove them into a Souleyman jam, but it works, a crazy dabke blowout, with Bjork's dreamy vox drifting amidst all of Souleyman's whoops and passionate crooning, and those pulsing exotic rhythms. The two Death Grips mixes are dark and sinister, beat heavy, a little hip hoppy, but also sorta glitched out, these sound much more like DG worked their sound into the originals, but again, it's a great match, and darkens Bjork's sound considerably. The second mix is a dense collaged plunderphonic freakout, that churns and roils, stutters and skitters around the swoonsome main melody, and Bjork's soaring vox. There's also some serious ribcage rattling dubstep style bass wabble, that swoops in, super dramatically.
The rest of the tracks vary from shimmery prismatic electro-pop (Hudson Mohawke), to seeping almost orchestral dreamdrone shimmer (Matthew Herbert), there's some slo-mo dubstep creep, that explodes into a blurred barrage of big beat pummel (Current Value), and some super abstract skeletal stutter-step electro (16 Bit) and so much more.
It's all pretty great, but SO worth it just for the Souleyman and Death Grips tracks, and both bands tackle Bjork's "Thunderbolt", and it's super cool to hear what each band brings to the same song!
MPEG Stream: "Crystalline (Omar Souleyman Remix)"
MPEG Stream: "Sacrifice (Death Grips Remix)"
MPEG Stream: "Thunderbolt (Death Grips Remix)"
MPEG Stream: "Thunderbolt (Omar Souleyman Remix)"

BJORK Biophilia (One Little Indian) 2lp 32.00

BJORK Biophilia (Deluxe Edition) (Nonesuch) cd 17.98
Forget about the multimedia / iPad formats of this new album via which Bjork originally released Biophilia, all that app stuff just gets in the way, and clouds the fact that this is one of the most emotionally intense, dark, and rewarding albums Bjork has crafted yet. Biophilia continues display what a rare vision Bjork has, making her undisputedly one of the most imaginative and original musicians of our time. Filled with haunting organs, primitive electronics, majestic harps, delicate bells, and of course one of the most commanding and mystifying voices we've heard. It's a record that shares the intimacy of Vespertine, the dark intensity of Medulla, and the focus and power of Homogenic.
Much of Biophilia is filled with slower, brooding sounds. But the moments of ecstatic release that come on tracks like "Crystaline", "Mutual Core", and "Natura" are so perfectly paced, making us freak out and lose ourselves in the sound before returning to the heavy emotional essence of the rest of the record. When Bjork sings lines like 'craving miracles', you are reminded that she is one of the view artists who has the ability to truly create magic and miracles with her music. She continues to be steadfast in her vision and uncompromising approach to making music. These songs slowly crawl beneath your skin, recalling the best moments of records by Brigitte Fontaine and Robert Wyatt, yet so utterly modern, futuristic and timeless all at once. Brilliant!
MPEG Stream: "Crystalline"
MPEG Stream: "Mutual Core"
MPEG Stream: "Thunderbolt"
MPEG Stream: "Nattura"

BJORK Debut (Elektra) cd 16.98

BJORK Debut - Surrounded (DualDisc) (Rhino) dualdisc 17.98
Ooops, meant to list this last time with Homogenic and Post...
Hey, have you heard of this newfangled technology? It's called a dualdisc. A CD on one side, a DVD on the other! Pretty good idea except you should be forewarned that these discs do not play on every cd player nor every dvd player. For one thing they are thicker than 'normal' cds and dvds. Yeah, we know these things aren't all that new, but we felt the need to elaborate a bit 'cause they do seem to cause some confusion and disgruntlement.
Anyhoo, Bjork fans probably already own these just-released reissues of her early albums, right? And everyone else is to some degree or other probably pretty darn familiar with them too just by their omnipresence, eh? Sooo are introductions to these albums all that necessary?
We will say that Bjork really got her post-Sugarcubes solo ball rolling on this one back in 1993, didn't she? Who'da thunk that over the years she'd roll it into such a Katamari Damacy-like colossal mammoth of a body of work (and if you don't know what that means, well then, you don't know FUN! Google it!). At times and often all at once, she's wickedly mischievous, sugary sweet, coyly sexy, quirkily charming, and elegantly sophisticated. Pushes all the right buttons! Continues to delight old fans and new listeners (if there are any left!) alike.
What we will bring to your attention today though is that these dualdisc Bjork reissues are all subtitled 'Surrounded'. Why? Because a major feature on the dvd side of each one is a Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound version of the album. So why listen to this album 'just' in stereo, when you can have some "Big Time Sensuality" pulsating though your whole living room!? Of course, if you do want the stereo option, the cd side has that for ya too in a freshly remastered state. To sweeten the deal even further, there's also five of her deliriously delicious videos -- "Human Behaviour", "Venus As A Boy", "Play Dead", "Big Time Sensuality" and "Violently Happy" -- which are also in Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound. Swoon.
Psst, we should add that for all of you SERIOUS Bjork fans there's also a deluxe seven dualdisc Surrounded boxset which includes her six studio albums plus the Drawing Restraint 9 soundtrack!

BJORK Family Tree (Elektra) 6cd 60.00
Bountiful new, rare and previously unreleased Bjork! Six cds totalling 35 tracks in all - five mini 3" cds and one full size - stunningly packaged in a cool pink tupperware-ish box with an embossed white slipcover. The first two discs are named "Roots". They exemplify how she drew from the Icelandic cultural and natural environment. Containing five tracks each including "Cover Me" and "Joga (Strings and Vocals)". The third "Beats" features four cuts of her experiments with electronic rhythms. The fourth and fifth are grouped together as "Strings" and contain nine tracks including alternate versions of "Cover Me", "Hunter" and "Bachelorette". The sixth is her "Greatest Hits" as selected by Ms Gudmundsdottir herself - not to be confused with the concurrently released single cd "Greatest Hits" which was compiled by fan vote on Bjork.com. In the process of assembling this extensive retrospective package, Bjork spent six months revisiting works from her past. The results are remarkable, revealing her awesome artistic evolution and leaving the listener eager to discover her next pursuits.

BJORK Gling-Glo (Takk!) cd 25.00
A hard-to-find import from Bjork who performs vocal jazz numbers entirely in Icelandic.

BJORK Greatest Hits (Elektra) cd 17.98
A guy came into the store the other day, pointed at this cd and said "How's this Bjork cd?" Uhhhh. What more can be said other than that it's her greatest hits - well, at least fifteen of 'em as chosen by her adoring masses (via a vote on her website)! Dedicated fans must already own all of the albums from which these songs originated, but in case you need the highlights all neatly gathered on one disc, this is for you. Needless to say, this is a truly luminous and fanciful array.
A super bonus treat is the final, previously unreleased track "It's In Our Hands"! Prior to its appearance on this cd, the song was only exposed to the world at her live performances.
Special note: a very different greatest hits collection is included in her 6cd boxset that was released simultaneously. How is it different? Well, the selection was chosen by Bjork herself.

BJORK Homogenic (Elektra) cd 16.98
Even weirder than her last record, with orchestrated stuff and more jazz/lounge crooning. Cover is a Photoshop masterpiece art-directed by Alexander McQueen that must be seen to be believed.

BJORK Homogenic - Surrounded (DualDisc) (Rhino) dualdisc 17.98
Hey, have you heard of this newfangled technology? It's called a dualdisc. A CD on one side, a DVD on the other! Pretty good idea except you should be forewarned that these discs do not play on every cd player nor every dvd player. For one thing they are thicker than 'normal' cds and dvds. Yeah, we know these things aren't all that new, but we felt the need to elaborate a bit 'cause they do seem to cause some confusion and disgruntlement.
Anyhoo, Bjork fans probably already own these just-released reissues of her early albums, right? And everyone else is to some degree or other probably pretty darn familiar with them too just by their omnipresence, eh? Sooo are introductions to these albums all that necessary?
Back in '97 we had this to say: Even weirder than her last record (Post), with orchestrated stuff and more jazz/lounge crooning. The cover image is a Photoshop masterpiece art-directed by fashion designer Alexander McQueen that must be seen to be believed. Pretty much the same can be said for the otherworldly music in all of its elaborate intricacies.
What we will bring to your attention today though is that these dualdisc Bjork reissues are all subtitled 'Surrounded'. Why? Because a major feature on the dvd side of each one is a Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound version of the album. So why listen to Bjork's third full length Homogenic 'just' in stereo, when you can have her "Alarm Call" resonating though your whole living room!? Of course, if you do want the stereo option, the cd side has that for ya too in a freshly remastered state. To sweeten the deal even further, there's also five of her deliriously delicious videos -- "Joga", "Bachelorette", "Hunter", "Alarm Call" and "All Is Full Of Love" -- which are also in Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound. Swoon.
Psst, we should add that for all of you SERIOUS Bjork fans there's also a deluxe seven dualdisc Surrounded boxset which includes her six studio albums plus the Drawing Restraint 9 soundtrack!

BJORK Hunter (Polygram UK) video 41.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
6 versions of Hunter spread over three cd singles, some featuring remixes by U-ziq and State of Bengal. Plus the absolutely great Funkstorung remix of "All if Full of Love", and the DJ Krust remix of "So Broken". We don't expect to be able to stock these again, and supplies are very limited.

BJORK Hunter (Polygram UK) 3cdsingle box 32.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
6 versions of Hunter spread over three cd singles, some featuring remixes by U-ziq and State of Bengal. Plus the absolutely great Funkstorung remix of "All if Full of Love", and the DJ Krust remix of "So Broken". We don't expect to be able to stock these again, and supplies are very limited.

BJORK Inside Bjork (One Little Indian) dvd 16.98

BJORK Live At Cambridge (Elektra) dvd 24.00
Live DVD from Bjork's 1998 tour supporting "Homogenic" with the musical accompaniment of the Icelandic Octet and Mark Bell.

BJORK Live At Shepherds Bush Empire (Elektra) dvd 24.00
Live DVD from the 1997 tour in support of "Post". Previously available in VHS format.

BJORK Livebox (One Little Indian) 4cd + dvd 56.00
We've had a couple of these in stock for a little while, hidden away on a shelf behind our front counter where nobody ever seems to see 'em (along with such other items as the giant Yahowah 13 disc box set, several of Cup's delightful Sog Mongeys, a 2cd reissue of Japan's Tin Drum, both Nuggets box sets, a weird video tape-in-a-bag-of-ephemera from the Japanese Augen label, and of course we can't neglect to mention the ZZ Top box set that looks like a Texas barbeque shack and comes with little cardboard standup ZZ Top figures, which Allan's gonna buy if nobody else does). So we thought at least a few of y'all would want to know about this Bjork box. Basically, it's one disc of songs from Bjork's Debut album performed live, one of songs from Post live, one from Homogenic live, one from Vespertine live, and a fifth bonus DVD disc of video footage. Plus a 36 page booklet all in a handsome lil' box with art and text in that cool Bjork font. Whoo-hoo! And if you want the ZZ Top box too, maybe we can work a deal...just kidding, Allan doesn't want anyone to buy it, so he can have it...

BJORK Medula Videos (Elektra) dvd 15.98

BJORK Medulla (Elektra) cd 17.98
The conscious decision to use only the human voice in musical compositions is nothing new -- the unadulterated vocals of a cappella soul groups and barber shop quartets immediately spring to mind -- however, few mainstream artists have brought this approach to today's popular music (okay, we remember Bobby McFerrin). The choice to use only one 'instrument' initially seems to be potentially limiting, but of course Bjork's not limited at all. Her voice on its own has an arguably unsurpassed power and expressiveness. Now, add to that a number of other artists of her meticulous choosing (Mike Patton, Robert Wyatt...), and she can't be stopped. Granted Bjork also has the luxury of state of the art recording technology at her beck and call to mutate and accommodate any sound (directly from a human source or otherwise) into something altogether unrecognizably different (and decidedly non-human sounding) for her sonic pallette. Indeed, many of Medulla's tracks are stunning examples of a near-magical fusion of human vocal ability, composition and studio wizardry. You won't encounter much in the way of her deliriously wonderful pop songs here (not unexpectedly, this is something that seems to have already put off a few Bjork fan AQ customers upon their initial listens, but we'd recommend giving the album a little more time, and you might discover it sinking its non-pop hooks into you), instead you'll find what is perhaps her most challenging, otherworldly, abstract work to date. There's two versions of this available, digipack vs. regular jewel case. The high price digipak version differs from the normal jewel case version ONLY in that it is a digipak (duh) but also contains a small poster. Worth two extra bucks? You decide. Also realise that if you're the poster hanging type, all of the liner notes in this version are on the back of the poster, so you'll have to get a real good look at 'em before this goes up in your locker! So basically, we'd recommend opting for the regular jewel case edition...
MPEG Stream: "Where Is The Line"
MPEG Stream: "Submarine"

BJORK Medulla (Ltd. Edition) (Elektra) cd + poster 19.98
The conscious decision to use only the human voice in musical compositions is nothing new -- the unadulterated vocals of a cappella soul groups and barber shop quartets immediately spring to mind -- however, few mainstream artists have brought this approach to today's popular music (okay, we remember Bobby McFerrin). The choice to use only one 'instrument' initially seems to be potentially limiting, but of course Bjork's not limited at all. Her voice on its own has an arguably unsurpassed power and expressiveness. Now, add to that a number of other artists of her meticulous choosing (Mike Patton, Robert Wyatt...), and she can't be stopped. Granted Bjork also has the luxury of state of the art recording technology at her beck and call to mutate and accommodate any sound (directly from a human source or otherwise) into something altogether unrecognizably different (and decidedly non-human sounding) for her sonic pallette. Indeed, many of Medulla's tracks are stunning examples of a near-magical fusion of human vocal ability, composition and studio wizardry. You won't encounter much in the way of her deliriously wonderful pop songs here (not unexpectedly, this is something that seems to have already put off a few Bjork fan AQ customers upon their initial listens, but we'd recommend giving the album a little more time, and you might discover it sinking its non-pop hooks into you), instead you'll find what is perhaps her most challenging, otherworldly, abstract work to date. There's two versions of this available, digipack vs. regular jewel case. The high price digipak version differs from the normal jewel case version ONLY in that it is a digipak (duh) but also contains a small poster. Worth two extra bucks? You decide. Also realise that if you're the poster hanging type, all of the liner notes in this version are on the back of the poster, so you'll have to get a real good look at 'em before this goes up in your locker! So basically, we'd recommend opting for the regular jewel case edition...
MPEG Stream: "Where Is The Line"
MPEG Stream: "Submarine"

BJORK Post (Elektra) cd 16.98

BJORK Post - Surrounded (DualDisc) (Rhino) dualdisc 17.98
Hey, have you heard of this newfangled technology? It's called a dualdisc. A CD on one side, a DVD on the other! Pretty good idea except you should be forewarned that these discs do not play on every cd player nor every dvd player. For one thing they are thicker than 'normal' cds and dvds. Yeah, we know these things aren't all that new, but we felt the need to elaborate a bit 'cause they do seem to cause some confusion and disgruntlement.
Anyhoo, Bjork fans probably already own these just-released reissues of her early albums, right? And everyone else is to some degree or other probably pretty darn familiar with them too just by their omnipresence, eh? Sooo are introductions to these albums all that necessary?
What we will bring to your attention today though is that these dualdisc Bjork reissues are all subtitled 'Surrounded'. Why? Because a major feature on the dvd side of each one is a Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound version of the album. So why listen to Post (originally released in 1995) 'just' in stereo, when you can have Bjork's "Army Of Me" completely engulf you in the privacy of your own home!? Of course, if you do want the stereo option, the cd side has that for ya too in a freshly remastered state. To sweeten the deal even further, there's also a half dozen of her deliriously delicious videos -- "Army Of Me", "Isobel", "It's Oh So Quiet", "Hyper-ballad", "Possibly Maybe" and "I Miss You" -- which are also in Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound. Swoon.
Psst, we should add that for all of you SERIOUS Bjork fans there's also a deluxe seven dualdisc Surrounded boxset which includes her six studio albums plus the Drawing Restraint 9 soundtrack!

BJORK Selmasongs: Music From The Motion Picture 'Dancer In The Dark' (Elektra) cd 16.98
Can Bjork do no wrong? Well, her record label certainly can, by making $19 the suggested list price for this new 35 minute long (mini) album! Fortunately we're able to offer it for a little less, although our suppliers will probably jack up the price once our initial supply runs out... However, Bjork (and past Bjork collaborator, producer Mark Bell) have come up with a nice little disc here, the soundtrack (or at least, songs from soundtrack) to the eagerly awaited 'round these parts, Cannes film festival award-winning, Bjork-starring film by Lars Von Trier. It's certainly very "soundtracky" at first listen, super orchestral and all, but there's some very interesting technoish weirdness to be found here too. It seems that Bjork and co. have been listening to the the Raster school of clicks and cuts electronica (along with the Art of Noise and, Jim thinks, Gilbert & Sullivan). "Surface noise" crackle (a la Pole and, well, Portishead) and crinkly rhythm programming mixes nicely with That Voice on the track "Scatterheart".
Yes, That Voice. When it comes down to it, even $19 wouldn't be too much to pay to hear this brilliant woman sing. We're hopeless Bjork fans, I guess, but "Selmasongs" is, as we expected, a joy, even if it isn't another "Homogenic". Can't wait for a real full-length Bjork album tho, one where she's free from the distractions of acting in a movie and constrained by cinematic convention / directorial needs. ...Oh, and we should mention that she duets with a few folks on this disc, among them Catherine Deneuve and Radiohead's Thom Yorke.

BJORK Telegram (Elektra) cd 12.98
This is REALLY good. Rerecorded reinterpretations of songs from Bjork's Homogenic album, plus one brand new song. The people involved include Mark Bell (of LFO), The Brodsky Quartet, Tricky, deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie, Howie B., Dillinjah, and Talvin Singh. Ranges from dancefloor-ready techno to weird neoclassical sparseness to jungle. Wow!

BJORK Vespertine (Elektra) cd 12.98
More of the same from Mistress Bjork (thus, no disappointment). Making appearances are Herbert (Dr Rockit), Console, harpist Zeena Parkins and our pals from Matmos. One track has an Oval sample and Bjork sings some e.e. cummings lyrics. And one song is written by Harmony Korine.
RealAudio clip: "Pagan Poetry"

BJORK Vespertine (cd+dvd) (Rhino) dualdisc 17.98

BJORK Vespertine: Live At Royal Albert Hall 2001 (One Little Indian) dvd 21.00