WOODEN WAND Harem Of The Sundrum & The Witness Figg (Time-Lag) lp+7" 28.00
NOW ON VINYL! With bonus 7"
What we said about the cd version on Soft Abuse (also still in stock btw):
The onslaught of Wooden Wand (And The Vanishing Hand) releases continues with this solo release from the group's ringleader Wooden Wand Jehovah. Generally more conventional sounding than the full band's recently reissued Xiao album, Harem Of The Sundrum & The Witness Figg does gets a bit more trippy as it progresses. He sings these nine hushed rustic folk songs in a gentle gruff voice. If you've dug the recently reissued Gary Higgins Red Hash cd, you might wanna check out Wooden Wand 'cause we played them back to back and we found that they segued beautifully. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Perch Modifier"
MPEG Stream: "(Ask A) Sufist Chef "

WOODEN WAND James & The Quiet (Ecstatic Peace) cd 11.98
It seems James Toth is distancing himself more and more from his free-dirge forest folk group, the Vanishing Voice and settling deeper into full-blown singer-songwriter mode. Channeling Dylan even further than last years Second Attention, he enlists the help of Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo (who also produces) and Steve Shelley to round out the mostly acoustic band along with his wife, Jessica Toth who provides vocal accompaniment. Less compelling than Second Attention, the spare arrangements only serve to emphasize Toth's affected vocal style which mimics later Dylan but also comes dangerously close to Phil Ochs' more cringe-worthy folk-isms with pseudo-visionary lyrics that miss more than they hit. With such high profile talent present, we wish it was much better showcased. Alas.
MPEG Stream: "The Pushers"
MPEG Stream: "Wired To The Sky"

WOODEN WAND & THE SKY HIGH BAND Second Attention (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
James Toth (aka Wooden Wand) goes into full Dylan mode on this, their one millionth release (or thereabouts, but really, who can keep track?). Switching backing bands from the Vanishing Voice to The Sky High Band, Toth loses the foresty clatter and freeform ramshackle for a more structured song-based folk album and the results are surprisingly refreshing. Sounding like New Morning or Blood On the Tracks era Bob Dylan right down to nasally vocals and harmonica flourishes on a few numbers, the songs on Second Attention are well written and the best crafted songs we have heard from this camp in a long time.
MPEG Stream: "Crucifixion Pt. II"
MPEG Stream: "Mother Midnight"

WOODEN WAND & THE SKY HIGH BAND Second Attention (Kill Rock Stars) lp 13.98
James Toth (aka Wooden Wand) goes into full Dylan mode on this, their one millionth release (or thereabouts, but really, who can keep track?). Switching backing bands from the Vanishing Voice to The Sky High Band, Toth loses the foresty clatter and freeform ramshackle for a more structured song-based folk album and the results are surprisingly refreshing. Sounding like New Morning or Blood On the Tracks era Bob Dylan right down to nasally vocals and harmonica flourishes on a few numbers, the songs on Second Attention are well written and the best crafted songs we have heard from this camp in a long time.
MPEG Stream: "Crucifixion Pt. II"
MPEG Stream: "Mother Midnight"

WOODEN WAND & THE VANISHING VOICE Buck Dharma (5RC) cd 14.98
Okay, so did we warn you a couple of lists ago or what about an imminent abundance of Wooden Wand releases?! It's already become pretty much impossible to fully digest one of their cds or lps before another one sprouts up, but don't get all stressed out trying to keep pace. That's not the way this music should be experienced. We recommend that you kick back, drift off, and take your own sweet time enjoying each serving of their delirious, obtuse folk stylings... heck, there'll be plenty more waiting for you when you're done. With the WW releases we've heard thus far, we've noticed a stylistic pattern -- their more traditionally shaped solitary folk songs contrasted with their hazy, meadering ensemble journeys. Buck Dharma falls in with the latter. It evokes a similar air of mysticism and mystery as Rever by AQ fave Larsen. They too seems deeply inspired by Michael Gira and Swans -- the female vocals in particular recall those of Jarboe -- but have chosen a more laidback meandering approach to their music. Along with the vocals, this WW release is distinguished by some Hendrix-y electric guitar noodling, gently clattering and rattling percussion. Of all the WW releases we've carried to date, it's definitely received the warmest response from the broadest spectrum of folks. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Hideous Whiskers & His Woman"
MPEG Stream: "Owl Fowl"

WOODEN WAND & THE VANISHING VOICE Buck Dharma (Time Lag) 2lp 35.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now available as a fancy, exquisitely packaged double lp. Just what we've come to expect from the folks at Time Lag. Pressed on nice thick vinyl, with new artwork, all housed in a spiffy gatefold sleeve. And of course super limited. Here's what we had to say about the cd:
Okay, so did we warn you a couple of lists ago or what about an imminent abundance of Wooden Wand releases?! It's already become pretty much impossible to fully digest one of their cds or lps before another one sprouts up, but don't get all stressed out trying to keep pace. That's not the way this music should be experienced. We recommend that you kick back, drift off, and take your own sweet time enjoying each serving of their delirious, obtuse folk stylings... heck, there'll be plenty more waiting for you when you're done. With the WW releases we've heard thus far, we've noticed a stylistic pattern -- their more traditionally shaped solitary folk songs contrasted with their hazy, meadering ensemble journeys. Buck Dharma falls in with the latter. It evokes a similar air of mysticism and mystery as Rever by AQ fave Larsen. They too seems deeply inspired by Michael Gira and Swans -- the female vocals in particular recall those of Jarboe -- but have chosen a more laidback meandering approach to their music. Along with the vocals, this WW release is distinguished by some Hendrix-y electric guitar noodling, gently clattering and rattling percussion. Of all the WW releases we've carried to date, it's definitely received the warmest response from the broadest spectrum of folks. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Hideous Whiskers & His Woman"
MPEG Stream: "Owl Fowl"

WOODEN WAND & THE VANISHING VOICE Gipsy Freedom (5RC) cd 14.98
Don't know about you, but when we hear saxophone from a band that is not usually associated with jazz, we cringe a little. We know there are plenty of excellent uses of saxophone on non-jazz related records (Van Der Graaf Generator, Gong, and Terry Riley come immediately to mind), but when the first song on a CD begins with lone saxophone, We just don't expect good things. So what to say about this new WW&VV recording, the latest in a flurry of releases, (their second on 5RC), that keep getting weirder and weirder? Don't rely too hard on first impressions. Especially when the saxophonist is Daniel Carter, outstanding free jazz alumnus and member of the Other Dimensions in Music collective. This is not to say Gypsy Freedom is a jazz record, but rather WW&VV this time around weave some Sun Ra-style free jazz dynamics into its already expansive and wandering palate of clattering rhythms, sad mountain ballads, witchy tribal dirges, and twee space folk psych jams, mixing both instrumental psych excursions with more structured vocal based songs. There's definitely an interesting dark forest vibe here, not so much of the communal drum circle variety but more akin to the feeling of watching The Wicker Man on Special K. But like most WW&VV releases, their experimentation can get so random that they sometimes misfire. Yet, this is only a minor complaint for a band that makes challenging and creative music that is of nature and against nature at the same time. CD includes a DVD of "Don't Love the Liar", the closest WW&VV get to a rock number.
MPEG Stream: "Didn't it Rain"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Love the Liar"

WOODEN WAND & THE VANISHING VOICE Gipsy Freedom (5RC) 2lp 14.98
Now available on vinyl!
Don't know about you, when I hear saxophone from a band that is not usually associated with jazz, I cringe a little. I know there aren't plenty of excellent uses of saxophone on non-jazz related records (Van Der Graaf Generator, Gong, and Terry Riley come immediately to mind), but when the first song on a CD begins with lone saxophone, I just don't expect good things. So what to say about this new WW&VV recording, the latest in a flurry of releases, (their second on 5RC), that keep getting weirder and weirder? Don't rely too hard on first impressions. Especially when the saxophonist is Daniel Carter, outstanding free jazz alumnus and member of the Other Dimensions in Music collective. This is not to say Gypsy Freedom is a jazz record, but rather WW&VV this time around weave some Sun Ra-style free jazz dynamics into its already expansive and wandering palate of clattering rhythms, sad mountain ballads, witchy tribal dirges, and twee space folk psych jams, mixing both instrumental psych excursions with more structured vocal based songs. There's definitely an interesting dark forest vibe here, not so much of communal drum circle variety but more akin to the feeling of watching The Wicker Man on Special K. But like most WW&VV releases, their experimentation can get so random that they sometimes misfire. Yet, this is only a minor complaint for a band that makes challenging and creative music that is of nature and against nature all at the same time.
MPEG Stream: "Didn't it Rain"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Love the Liar"

WOODEN WAND AND THE VANISHING VOICE From The Road Vol. 1 Born Free (self-released) cd-r 10.98
First in the series of live documents from a 2005 tour, made shortly after recording Gypsy Freedom. This one titled, "Born Free" is 40 minutes of psychedelic musings and mystic ramblings creating a mildly whirling cacophony of half-uttered voices, bells and shambling rhythms. Sustaining this feel without too much shift in dynamics, this set is more ghostly than freaky, but still a good introduction to their unique sound and how it is manifested in a live setting.
MPEG Stream: "Born Free I"
MPEG Stream: "Born Free II"

WOODEN WAND AND THE VANISHING VOICE Harem Of The Sundrum & The Witness Figg (Soft Abuse) cd 14.98
The onslaught of Wooden Wand (And The Vanishing Hand) releases continues with this solo release from the group's ringleader Wooden Wand Jehovah. Generally more conventional sounding than the full band's recently reissued Xiao album, Harem Of The Sundrum & The Witness Figg does gets a bit more trippy as it progresses. He sings these nine hushed rustic folk songs in a gentle gruff voice. If you've dug the recently reissued Gary Higgins Red Hash cd, you might wanna check out Wooden Wand 'cause we played them back to back and we found that they segued beautifully. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Perch Modifier"
MPEG Stream: "(Ask A) Sufist Chef "

WOODEN WAND AND THE VANISHING VOICE L'un Marquer Contre La Moissonneuse (3-Lobed) cd 14.98

WOODEN WAND AND THE VANISHING VOICE Moon Void Of Course dvd-r 14.98
It seems like not a week goes by without a new Wooden Wand release making its unorthodox folk presence felt. Up until now it's all been of the audio variety, but this week we've got something you can listen to AND watch! Moon Void Of Course is a self-released LIMITED TO 100 dvd-r packed with tons of WWATVV goodies and extras. The focal point of the release is a bunch of on the road live footage from their summer tour of 2005, but there's also a couple of music videos and footage from a particularly unconventional show they did at an orphanage earlier that year. To boot, along with the dvd-r you get a soundtrack cd-r and a lil' tour diary/insert booklet.
We repeat: This is SUPER LIMITED! You choose to snooze, you choose to lose.

WOODEN WAND AND THE VANISHING VOICE Sunset Sleeves ( Weird Forest) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
... And another Wooden Wand release materializes here at AQ. To be completely frank, we've dug each one so far! So how does Sunset Sleeves measure up? Quite wonderfully, thank you very much. Imagine faint, drifting psych-folk abstractions performed by a band of drowsy gypsies. Nice! 'Nuf said!

WOODEN WAND AND THE VANISHING VOICE The Flood (Troubleman Unlimited) cd 11.98
My oh my, after a couple of weeks without the arrival of a new Wooden Wand release, did we think we were gonna get a break from the seemingly endless stream of WW releases (not that we'd want one, mind you!)? Nosireebob! We knew better than that! Here's their latest album, and it's perhaps their most unstructured and meandering to date. Quite druggily hypnotic and randomly pieced together.
A side note: Uhh, we're pretty sure it isn't as it sounds, but we'd like to point out that the seventh song contains some splats and splurts that resemble, errr, musical flatulence. Ahh, was there a fartiste in the house?
MPEG Stream: "Dogpaddlin' Home In Line With My Lord"
MPEG Stream: "Satyn Sai Sweetback Plays Oxblood Boots"

WOODEN WAND AND THE VANISHING VOICE Xiao (Troubleman Unlimited) cd 13.98
Previously only available as a limited vinyl pressing of 300 from De Stijl Records, now reissued on CD by those kind folks at Troubleman Unlimited.
If we were gonna be lazy-asses and just toss off some current reference points, we might say that Wooden Wand album sounds a lot like what you might imagine the avant-folk bastard offspring of Devendra Banhart and Jandek would conjure up, but with absentminded spoken-sung male vocals and somber, resonant female vocals that occasionally draw comparisons to Jarboe (particularly on the song "Caribou Christ In The Great Void"). However, there's so much more to be said about the splendidly off-center sounds of Wooden Wand And The Vanishing Voice. Fans of Vibracathedral Orchestra, No Neck Blues Band, not to mention the assorted twigs and branches of both Animal Collective and Jewelled Antler Collective should definitely check this out (if they haven't already!). Smatterings of flute toots, stringy plink plunks, rattlings, rustlings and other random sounds rummaged from various knic-knacs, shrubbery, loosely strung strings and earthen wares. Apparently there's many many more Wooden Wand releases on the horizon. So if you dig this, you've got plenty more to look forward to! Liner notes by some dude called Thurston Moore.
MPEG Stream: "Caribou Christ In The Great Void"
MPEG Stream: "Lions In Love"

WOODEN WAND AND THE VANISHING VOICE Xiao (Troubleman Unlimited) lp 11.98
Previously only available as a limited vinyl pressing of 300 from De Stijl Records, now reissued on both CD and LP by those kind folks at Troubleman Unlimited.
If we were gonna be lazy-asses and just toss off some current reference points, we might say that Wooden Wand album sounds a lot like what you might imagine the avant-folk bastard offspring of Devendra Banhart and Jandek would conjure up, but with absentminded spoken-sung male vocals and somber, resonant female vocals that occasionally draw comparisons to Jarboe (particularly on the song "Caribou Christ In The Great Void"). However, there's so much more to be said about the splendidly off-center sounds of Wooden Wand And The Vanishing Voice. Fans of Vibracathedral Orchestra, No Neck Blues Band, not to mention the assorted twigs and branches of both Animal Collective and Jewelled Antler Collective should definitely check this out (if they haven't already!). Smatterings of flute toots, stringy plink plunks, rattlings, rustlings and other random sounds rummaged from various knic-knacs, shrubbery, loosely strung strings and earthen wares. Apparently there's many many more Wooden Wand releases on the horizon. So if you dig this, you've got plenty more to look forward to! Liner notes by some dude called Thurston Moore.
MPEG Stream: "Caribou Christ In The Great Void"
MPEG Stream: "Lions In Love"

WOODS At Echo Lake (Woodsist) cd 13.98
Ah, Woods. It seems like maybe some of us here haven't given these guys as much attention as they deserve. Of course, some of that has to do with the difficulty in getting very many of their singles, and maybe we were just blasted with so many releases on the Woodsist label (which, you guessed it, Woods own and operate) that we overlooked them... not too sure, maybe we're just quibbling. But we will quibble no more, because At Echo Lake has our undivided attention.
This album exhibits an effortless but impeccable attention to songcraft, and even though it clocks in at under 30 minutes, its all encompassing greatness causes you to lose track of time and space, just like a good album should. While Woodsist has earned a reputation for blown out garage pop, Woods themselves are more on the folk side of the spectrum. Words like "lo-fi" will undoubtedly be thrown around, and not without good reason. This IS lo-fi, but instead of hiding behind tape hiss and distortion, the songs make perfect use of the recording quality for an album that is lush, dreamy, and above all, BEAUTIFUL. Singer Jeremy Earl's falsetto croon has earned many comparisons to Neil Young, but we're still trying to figure out who else he reminds us of. Some sort of Jad Fair/Elliott Smith hybrid on helium? Chris Gunst from Beachwood Sparks? Eh, why bother, because we imagine before long it will be Earl other people are being compared to when everyone is ripping his band off. This stuff is just so great that we can't imagine Woods NOT ascending to the next level in the indie world.
Lightly psychedelic opener "Blood Dries Darker" gives off a hazed summery feeling, its warm acoustic (we think) bass recalling the sounds of groups like Dead Milkmen or even Violent Femmes, but also sounding very appropriate for 2010. "Suffering Season" finds Earl and Woods' other half Jarvis Taveniere sounding a bit more like a ramshackle Beachwood Sparks with a ridiculously catchy chorus asking "Who knows what tomorrow might bring?"
The instrumentation on this one should appeal to anyone who dug other recent aQ favorites the Smith Westerns, as both bands seem to inhabit a world where the whole lo-fi thing is not just an excuse for not going to a real studio. Many numbers, like "Time Fading Lines" aren't necessarily "sad", but definitely a bit melancholy. A lot of these songs give off a sense of longing, not in a super defined way or anything... ultimately, though, the vibe here is pretty triumphant, some real feel good kind of stuff. Woods also know how to shake things up a bit, like on the instrumental "From The Horn", hands down the most rocking song here. Skittery guitars and some more aggressive than usual drumming have the band letting loose, and the addition of the cool backwards tape sounds actually reminded us a bit of Faust, as strange as that may sound.
Woods have created their own magical world, perfectly captured in Earl's awesome artwork, which adorns all Woodsist releases but not surprisingly make most sense on his own record sleeves. It's strange, but also very intriguing, a perfect visual accompaniment. The best thing about Woods is how they manage to be mysterious but inclusive, making tunes that will surely please all types of music lovers. It's always great when an album unexpectedly knocks you on your ass. At Echo Lake is one of those albums.
MPEG Stream: "Blood Dries Darker"
MPEG Stream: "Pick Up"
MPEG Stream: "Suffering Season"
MPEG Stream: "Time Fading Lines"

WOODS At Echo Lake (Woodsist) lp 14.98
Ah, Woods. It seems like maybe some of us here haven't given these guys as much attention as they deserve. Of course, some of that has to do with the difficulty in getting very many of their singles, and maybe we were just blasted with so many releases on the Woodsist label (which, you guessed it, Woods own and operate) that we overlooked them... not too sure, maybe we're just quibbling. But we will quibble no more, because At Echo Lake has our undivided attention.
This album exhibits an effortless but impeccable attention to songcraft, and even though it clocks in at under 30 minutes, its all encompassing greatness causes you to lose track of time and space, just like a good album should. While Woodsist has earned a reputation for blown out garage pop, Woods themselves are more on the folk side of the spectrum. Words like "lo-fi" will undoubtedly be thrown around, and not without good reason. This IS lo-fi, but instead of hiding behind tape hiss and distortion, the songs make perfect use of the recording quality for an album that is lush, dreamy, and above all, BEAUTIFUL. Singer Jeremy Earl's falsetto croon has earned many comparisons to Neil Young, but we're still trying to figure out who else he reminds us of. Some sort of Jad Fair/Elliott Smith hybrid on helium? Chris Gunst from Beachwood Sparks? Eh, why bother, because we imagine before long it will be Earl other people are being compared to when everyone is ripping his band off. This stuff is just so great that we can't imagine Woods NOT ascending to the next level in the indie world.
Lightly psychedelic opener "Blood Dries Darker" gives off a hazed summery feeling, its warm acoustic (we think) bass recalling the sounds of groups like Dead Milkmen or even Violent Femmes, but also sounding very appropriate for 2010. "Suffering Season" finds Earl and Woods' other half Jarvis Taveniere sounding a bit more like a ramshackle Beachwood Sparks with a ridiculously catchy chorus asking "Who knows what tomorrow might bring?"
The instrumentation on this one should appeal to anyone who dug other recent aQ favorites the Smith Westerns, as both bands seem to inhabit a world where the whole lo-fi thing is not just an excuse for not going to a real studio. Many numbers, like "Time Fading Lines" aren't necessarily "sad", but definitely a bit melancholy. A lot of these songs give off a sense of longing, not in a super defined way or anything... ultimately, though, the vibe here is pretty triumphant, some real feel good kind of stuff. Woods also know how to shake things up a bit, like on the instrumental "From The Horn", hands down the most rocking song here. Skittery guitars and some more aggressive than usual drumming have the band letting loose, and the addition of the cool backwards tape sounds actually reminded us a bit of Faust, as strange as that may sound.
Woods have created their own magical world, perfectly captured in Earl's awesome artwork, which adorns all Woodsist releases but not surprisingly make most sense on his own record sleeves. It's strange, but also very intriguing, a perfect visual accompaniment. The best thing about Woods is how they manage to be mysterious but inclusive, making tunes that will surely please all types of music lovers. It's always great when an album unexpectedly knocks you on your ass. At Echo Lake is one of those albums.
MPEG Stream: "Blood Dries Darker"
MPEG Stream: "Pick Up"
MPEG Stream: "Suffering Season"
MPEG Stream: "Time Fading Lines"

WOODS I Was Gone 7" 6.50
More dreamy psychedelic loner-stoner folk from Woods. This time, looped and effected vocals, swirling atmospherics, super tripped out ambience, that gives way to an almost Cure-sounding bit of gloom pop jangle, before slipping right back into more of that lugubrious lysergic drift. The song gradually builds back up to that propulsive new wave jangly gloom, wrapped in a glimmering web of super effected, and dizzyingly tangled muted guitar melodies.
The flipside is more of the same, woozy and gloomy, soaring layered ethereal vocals, falsetto, queasy slightly off harmonies over shimmery minor key melodies, plenty of jangle, a bit like a slightly more twisted Beach Boys, via Animal Collective, via an old shack in the Woods. The second track on the B side is even more abstract and ethereal, a spooky bit of spectral drift, that manages to be haunting and lovely, while seemingly constantly on the verge of falling apart. Awesome.

WOODS Songs Of Shame (Shrimper) cd 13.98
Now on cd, via Shrimper!! The lp was on Woodsist, here's what we said about it already:
Just in case you haven't quite got your fix for lackadaisical, lo-fi pop, here's a folky dose of strummy daydreaming from East Coasters Woods. Songs of Shame, their fourth full-length, basks in the same sunny day euphoria that radiates from other Woods records, complete with falsetto vocals, clumsy percussion and reverb on -everything-. Dense layers of woozy vocals and weird Casio sounds busy the songs as small details and hidden instruments reveal themselves in a sea of psychedelic clatter. Super warped and drugged out, Songs of Shame sulks in pools of hazy acoustic guitars, ultra catchy 'ooohs and aahs', and soaringly damaged fuzzzzzzz guitar, all loosely compiled into some analog relic found on the shore of Coney Island in the blaring summer heat.
MPEG Stream: "To Clean"
MPEG Stream: "The Hold"
MPEG Stream: "Echo Lake"

WOODS Songs Of Shame (Woodsist) lp 14.98
Just in case you haven't quite got your fix for lackadaisical, lo-fi pop, here's a folky dose of strummy daydreaming from East Coasters Woods. Songs of Shame, their fourth full-length, basks in the same sunny day euphoria that radiates from other Woods records, complete with falsetto vocals, clumsy percussion and reverb on -everything-. Dense layers of woozy vocals and weird Casio sounds busy the songs as small details and hidden instruments reveal themselves in a sea of psychedelic clatter. Super warped and drugged out, Songs of Shame sulks in pools of hazy acoustic guitars, ultra catchy 'ooohs and aahs', and soaringly damaged fuzzzzzzz guitar, all loosely compiled into some analog relic found on the shore of Coney Island in the blaring summer heat. Housed in a sharp lookin sleeve with a grainy mountainous landscape on the front and what looks like a drawing by a kindergardener on acid on the back, very nice and very typical of the Woodsist fellows. Not sure how limited this puppy is, but take our advice and don't miss out.

WOODS Sun And Shade (Woodsist) cd 13.98
Latest from this sunshiney soft psych folk duo (now a trio, if you count new member Jewelled Antler-er Glenn Donaldson), and it's another gem, a collection of warm, jangly, strummy folk flecked indie pop sweetness, lo-fi, but somehow still lush and lovely, reminding us alternately of classic Elephant 6 bands, the Kinks, even Can or Neu! in places, specifically on "Out Of The Eye", which finds the band getting totally kosmische krautrock, locking into a darkly dreamy motorik groove, the rhythm softly propulsive, while all around strange garbled vocals and wah guitars drift and swirl, and on "Sol Y Sombra", which takes that same krautrock vibe, and stretches it way out, into something way more washed out and abstract, a little new agey, sounding not unlike The Alps actually, acoustic guitars, muted hand drums, whirling atmospheres, and softly chiming melodies, not to mention some distant spidery guitar leads, and a warm woozy, low slung bassline, dreamily hypnotic and captivating.
But of course those moments are peppered throughout a record that is significantly more poppy, and folky, rife with about-to-break falsetto vox, simple strummed guitars, mysterious Pet Sounds style percussion, hazy shimmery guitar jangle, sweetly subtle hooks, lilting summery, shuffling reverby garage pop, even some almost tropical sounding psychedelia, all wound into practically perfect little folk pop gems, that definitely find the band reaching new heights of popsmithery, and making this maybe the best Woods record yet.
MPEG Stream: "Pushing Onlys"
MPEG Stream: "Any Other Day"
MPEG Stream: "Be All Be Easy"
MPEG Stream: "Out Of The Eye"

WOODS Sun And Shade (Woodsist) lp 14.98
Latest from this sunshiney soft psych folk duo (now a trio, if you count new member Jewelled Antler-er Glenn Donaldson), and it's another gem, a collection of warm, jangly, strummy folk flecked indie pop sweetness, lo-fi, but somehow still lush and lovely, reminding us alternately of classic Elephant 6 bands, the Kinks, even Can or Neu! in places, specifically on "Out Of The Eye", which finds the band getting totally kosmische krautrock, locking into a darkly dreamy motorik groove, the rhythm softly propulsive, while all around strange garbled vocals and wah guitars drift and swirl, and on "Sol Y Sombra", which takes that same krautrock vibe, and stretches it way out, into something way more washed out and abstract, a little new agey, sounding not unlike The Alps actually, acoustic guitars, muted hand drums, whirling atmospheres, and softly chiming melodies, not to mention some distant spidery guitar leads, and a warm woozy, low slung bassline, dreamily hypnotic and captivating.
But of course those moments are peppered throughout a record that is significantly more poppy, and folky, rife with about-to-break falsetto vox, simple strummed guitars, mysterious Pet Sounds style percussion, hazy shimmery guitar jangle, sweetly subtle hooks, lilting summery, shuffling reverby garage pop, even some almost tropical sounding psychedelia, all wound into practically perfect little folk pop gems, that definitely find the band reaching new heights of popsmithery, and making this maybe the best Woods record yet.
MPEG Stream: "Pushing Onlys"
MPEG Stream: "Any Other Day"
MPEG Stream: "Be All Be Easy"
MPEG Stream: "Out Of The Eye"

WOODS Sun And Shade (Woodsist) cassette 10.98
Latest from this sunshiney soft psych folk duo (now a trio, if you count new member Jewelled Antler-er Glenn Donaldson), and it's another gem, a collection of warm, jangly, strummy folk flecked indie pop sweetness, lo-fi, but somehow still lush and lovely, reminding us alternately of classic Elephant 6 bands, the Kinks, even Can or Neu! in places, specifically on "Out Of The Eye", which finds the band getting totally kosmische krautrock, locking into a darkly dreamy motorik groove, the rhythm softly propulsive, while all around strange garbled vocals and wah guitars drift and swirl, and on "Sol Y Sombra", which takes that same krautrock vibe, and stretches it way out, into something way more washed out and abstract, a little new agey, sounding not unlike The Alps actually, acoustic guitars, muted hand drums, whirling atmospheres, and softly chiming melodies, not to mention some distant spidery guitar leads, and a warm woozy, low slung bassline, dreamily hypnotic and captivating.
But of course those moments are peppered throughout a record that is significantly more poppy, and folky, rife with about-to-break falsetto vox, simple strummed guitars, mysterious Pet Sounds style percussion, hazy shimmery guitar jangle, sweetly subtle hooks, lilting summery, shuffling reverby garage pop, even some almost tropical sounding psychedelia, all wound into practically perfect little folk pop gems, that definitely find the band reaching new heights of popsmithery, and making this maybe the best Woods record yet.
MPEG Stream: "Pushing Onlys"
MPEG Stream: "Any Other Day"
MPEG Stream: "Be All Be Easy"
MPEG Stream: "Out Of The Eye"

WOODS Sunlit / The Dark (Captured Tracks) 7" 6.98
We know this came out a while back, not sure why we haven't gotten around to reviewing it till now, but rest assured it is killer! Another sun soaked, acid bathed dose of strummy pop from East Coasters Woods. This 7" hits hard with two driving tracks of their usual lo-fi clanking around, up-beat catchy lyrics, vocals sung in the usual high pitched, seven-year-old-trying-to-imitate-Neil-Young kind of voice, driving rhythm guitar plods on and on like the Stooges gone punk, soaring fuzz leads driving each song into rock and roll oblivion, all wrapped up in a neat little package just waiting to be thrown on your turntable before the last days of summer slip away. We know there's a lot of folks rolling with the whole old-as-new aesthetic, and we have to say Woods really stands out as being one of the most charming of these new lo-fi garage groups. That said, this 7" is a must have and should not be missed!! Recommended!

WOODS To Clean / Rain On (live on WVKR) (Half Machine Records) 7" 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Brand new two tracker from these dreamy forest folkers, their brand of folk indie fuzz pop a sound we just seem to love more and more everyday, harmony vocals, clean guitar jangle, simple garage rock drumming, so sunshiney and sixties sounding, music for laying in green grass under blue skies, the wind in the trees, all wrapped in soft reverb and dreamy delay.
The live track on the flipside though is the real stunner, super stripped down, total back porch, later afternoon strum and croon, also hazy and reverbed, but with some of the dreamiest falsetto vocals we've heard in ages, with a killer hook, and spidery tendrils of woozy guitar melody. Haunting and super pretty, super minimal and skeletal but still mysteriously lush.
Housed in an instantly recognizable Woods sleeve, an old time life picture of trees and forests, all creased up, with the band name scrawled in white out in the corner.
Probably crazy limited too...

WOODS / AMPS FOR CHRIST split (Shrimper) cd 13.98
Maybe not a match made in heaven, but definitely a match made in some twisted sonic otherverse where we want to spend the rest of forever, this brand new split finds East Coast psych folk combo Woods teaming up with ex- Man Is The Bastard weirdo psych noise SoCal shaman Henry Barnes aka Amps For Christ for a record of heady psychedelic drift and cosmic lo-fi sonic experimentation, that sounds just about as good as we figured it would. The track listing is a little bit confusing. Opener "Sleep" while credited to Woods, definitely sounds like a collaboration, the music itself is lilting sun dappled folk, all chiming and sweetly melodic, but underneath, a crazy distorted droned out guitar like buzz undulates and pulses, adding a strange sort of raga like vibe, and for folks new to Amps For Christ, definitely sounds like one of Barnes' gorgeous and gorgeously ramshackle homemade noise generators, which often look like some old kitchen cabinet you might find by the side of the road, all warped plywood, and strange nails, often screwdrivers and wild tangles of wires, and more often than not, everything decorated with strange drawings of winged guitars and bits of twisted bible verse. However, once we get to a track we know is a collaboration, we realize maybe that first track was just Woods paying homage to the twisted genius of AfC, "From Oatmeal To Buttermilk" a wild glitched out buzzing droney electronic raga, that squelches and chitters, a field of hazy electronic interference over mysterious electronic bagpipe like melodies. Soon after, we return to the tranquil dream folk of Woods, who seem to have infused all their songs with some mysterious psychedelic buzz, buried way down in the mix, a raga-like buzz underpinning the folky flutter, the campfire twang, and the abstract Appalachia, all before we get to the final three song suite, which finds Barnes and his Amps For Christ unfurling some surprisingly dreamy folk of his own (if the track listing is to be believed), acoustic guitars, simple hand drums, shakers and percussion, distant buzz and warm atmospheric shimmer, falsetto vox, and while we were expecting some crazy electronic freakout from the oddly named final jam, the nearly ten minute "Roto Koto In C Major", instead we're treated to a darkly hypnotic, brooding expanse of bas driven psychedelia, laced with bits of twang, flurries of acoustic guitar, more percussion, all very spare and spaced out, hauntingly mesmerizing, and dreamily trippy and druggy and woozily soft focus.
Fans of both bands will definitely dig, and this may just be the most easy to digest Amps For Christ record yet, certainly the perfect place to start for the uninitiated, and we can hope the perfect gateway record to all the weird electronic darkness that lurks beyond.
MPEG Stream: AMPS FOR CHRIST "When"
MPEG Stream: AMPS FOR CHRIST "Roto Koto In C Major"
MPEG Stream: WOODS "Sleep"
MPEG Stream: WOODS "Wind Was The Wine"

WOODS / AMPS FOR CHRIST Split (Shrimper) lp 14.98
Maybe not a match made in heaven, but definitely a match made in some twisted sonic otherverse where we want to spend the rest of forever, this brand new split finds East Coast psych folk combo Woods teaming up with ex- Man Is The Bastard weirdo psych noise SoCal shaman Henry Barnes aka Amps For Christ for a record of heady psychedelic drift and cosmic lo-fi sonic experimentation, that sounds just about as good as we figured it would. The track listing is a little bit confusing. Opener "Sleep" while credited to Woods, definitely sounds like a collaboration, the music itself is lilting sun dappled folk, all chiming and sweetly melodic, but underneath, a crazy distorted droned out guitar like buzz undulates and pulses, adding a strange sort of raga like vibe, and for folks new to Amps For Christ, definitely sounds like one of Barnes' gorgeous and gorgeously ramshackle homemade noise generators, which often look like some old kitchen cabinet you might find by the side of the road, all warped plywood, and strange nails, often screwdrivers and wild tangles of wires, and more often than not, everything decorated with strange drawings of winged guitars and bits of twisted bible verse. However, once we get to a track we know is a collaboration, we realize maybe that first track was just Woods paying homage to the twisted genius of AfC, "From Oatmeal To Buttermilk" a wild glitched out buzzing droney electronic raga, that squelches and chitters, a field of hazy electronic interference over mysterious electronic bagpipe like melodies. Soon after, we return to the tranquil dream folk of Woods, who seem to have infused all their songs with some mysterious psychedelic buzz, buried way down in the mix, a raga-like buzz underpinning the folky flutter, the campfire twang, and the abstract Appalachia, all before we get to the final three song suite, which finds Barnes and his Amps For Christ unfurling some surprisingly dreamy folk of his own (if the track listing is to be believed), acoustic guitars, simple hand drums, shakers and percussion, distant buzz and warm atmospheric shimmer, falsetto vox, and while we were expecting some crazy electronic freakout from the oddly named final jam, the nearly ten minute "Roto Koto In C Major", instead we're treated to a darkly hypnotic, brooding expanse of bas driven psychedelia, laced with bits of twang, flurries of acoustic guitar, more percussion, all very spare and spaced out, hauntingly mesmerizing, and dreamily trippy and druggy and woozily soft focus.
Fans of both bands will definitely dig, and this may just be the most easy to digest Amps For Christ record yet, certainly the perfect place to start for the uninitiated, and we can hope the perfect gateway record to all the weird electronic darkness that lurks beyond.
MPEG Stream: AMPS FOR CHRIST "When"
MPEG Stream: AMPS FOR CHRIST "Roto Koto In C Major"
MPEG Stream: WOODS "Sleep"
MPEG Stream: WOODS "Wind Was The Wine"

WOODS FAMILY CREEPS s/t (Time Lag) cd 14.98
It's not often that we so highly recommend an album based on the strength of one song and one song alone, so believe us when we say that even if the remainder of the eponymous debut of Woods Family Creeps was nothing more than field recordings of mice pooping, the two minutes and 19 seconds of pop genius that are "Twisted Tongue" would still make the record a must-have. Thankfully, the rodent-pooping is kept to a bare minimum and the rest of the album is also pretty damn great!
Woods Family Creeps (formally a duo called Woods, now a trio), hail from Brooklyn and their first record under the new moniker displays the kind of charming, good-natured self-indulgence that makes us wax nostalgic about the glory days of tape-hiss drenched lo-fi pop of which we at aQ are all huge fans. You'll pick up on moments of earnest Seba/Sentri/doh songsmithery, deadpan Halo Benders/Beat Happening drawl, classic K Records twee, and even the chimpy charms of Trollin Withdrawl. Despite the occasional forays into white-dudes-with-sitar-envy territory (which seems to be the proverbial onion on the belt of the kids these days and so can probably be forgiven), the overall feel is one of pastoral noodling and lazy campfire sing-a-longs. That said, the loosey-goosey feel that the band cultivates allows them to stretch out into some surprising directions (check out the Italo-soundtrack rock of instrumental closer, "The Creeps"!), but that said we're still thankful that the their 'experimental' side is tempered by the inclusion of solid pop songs with hooks aplenty.
Woods Family Creeps, the record, comes courtesy of of Time Lag Records' "Red" imprint and was initially issued as an ultra-limited LP that sold out in about 10 seconds flat. The cd is limited to 1000 copies packaged in a gorgeous, full-color mini-gatefold sleeve. Don't sleep on this one, as it's sure to go fast!
MPEG Stream: "Twisted Tongue"
MPEG Stream: "The Creeps"
MPEG Stream: "Spike"

WOODSMAN Collages (Mexican Summer) lp 21.00
We have to admit, we were initially intrigued by Woodsman because the label compared them to Andee's old band A Minor Forest, and while Woodsman do have a bit of a post/math rock thing going on, they still he much closer to the rest of the Mexican Summer stable, woozy, washed out, psychedelic, tripped out pop. That said, Woodsman do add some muscle to that sound, with seriously beefy guitars and some hard hitting drumming, but those elements are wrapped up in thick hazy swaths of reverb drenched shimmer, of warped wheezing synths, processed vox, if anything, the sound is more Animal Collective, or Gang Gang Dance, the guitars chime and ring out, almost like they were plucked from a Big Country jam, the drums are tribal and looped sounding at times, the band definitely have a propulsive, almost groovy thing going on, when they slowdown, it's all murky whirring slowcore, like a more druggy, abstract Tortoise (who the band also get compared to), especially on the nearly 20 minute closing track, a sprawling rhythmscape, skittery drums, chorus drenched guitars, loping bass, all wrapped in a soft focus swirl of muted FX and woozy melodies, building to a bit of a frenzied freakout, before slipping right back into slow spiraling stretch of lilting chiming blissed out drift.
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES, each one hand numbered, comes with a download card as well...

WOODSMAN Mystery Tape (Lefse) lp 13.98
Record number two from these modern post rockers, whose first lp on Mexican Summer was a big hit around here, and whose sound continues to explore similar sonic territory, meandery and melodic, spidery guitars, intricate interwoven melodies, subtly complex rhythms, washed out ethereal vox, reverbed and drifty and abstract, the sound is jazzy and spacey, a bit new agey here and there, very krautrock, all deftly woven into a sort of post Tortoise post rock drift.
Occasionally squalls of distorted guitar erupt, and the songs are laced with subtle sonic intricacies, swooping backwards rhythms, electronic bits, programmed beats, swirly effects, even some samples here and there, but the core of Woodsman's sound melodic and rhythmic, the players unfurling totally hypnotic jams, lushly textured, and yet still strangely catchy. The A-side closer is some totally blissed out krautdrone space rock, sounding almost like a mellower Circle, or pre-psych-blow-out White Hills, subtly druggy and trippy, but totally mesmerizing and hypnotic. And as if to drive that point home, turn the record over and dive into the sidelong "Smells Like Purple", way more loose and jammy, epic and sprawling, a total space trip head nod blow out, the drums motorik, the guitars distorted but still melodic, the whole track growing gradually spacier and spacier, until the song reaches an almost stasis, only to build it right back up again, the drums getting more and more busy and propulsive, the guitars more dense and layered, the sound shoegazey and dreamlike and totally psychedelic.

WOOL s/t (Delay 68) cd 15.98
This latest reissue from the B-Music collective (Andy Votel, Cherrystones etc.) comes from blue-eyed funk-rock outfit Wool. Fronted by Ed Wool and his sister Claudia, Wool's sole 1969 album produced by Margo Guryan (who had just released her own folk-funk record on Bell) is full of the stuff beatheads crave: awesome drum breaks and groovy interludes, which is basically what we have come to expect from this label. Comprised mostly of covers including songs by The Troggs, Neil Diamond, and Big Brother and The Holding Company, Wool reminds us of other 60's female fronted rock acts such as Genya Ravin and Ten Wheel Drive, Cold Blood and Coven. But while those acts often had a couple of good songs and a lot of filler, the songs on Wool are consistently good throughout this record (well, they are mostly covers) culminating in the 10 minute James Brown-inspired "Funky Walk".
MPEG Stream: "Love, Love, Love, Love, Love"
MPEG Stream: "Funky Walk"

WORK/DEATH Teenage Heavy Metal Revisionism (I Just Live Here) cassette 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
There's some sort of competition going on in the cassette tape underground. There's nothing new about elaborate packaging, the weirder and wilder and more extravagant the better, but things are getting, well... dangerous.
Recently we reviewed a tape by UK doomlords Moss, each one packaged in a huge metal sculpture, most adorned with nails and chains and gears and all manner of sharp metal bits (don't ask, those are LONG GONE). Somehow though, the packaging fit the music perfectly.
Now we have the latest from the strangely monickered Work/Death, the brilliantly titled Teenage Heavy Metal Revisionism, and the packaging, well, it manages to outdo the Moss in one important way, it's MUCH SHARPER. We mean it, the first time we picked one of these up, we sort of started and dropped it, unprepared were we for the strange sensation of nails on the soft skin of our hands. It's a regular old tape, in a plain old tape case, but each side has a little mini-bed of nails, really sharp nails, tied up tight with twine. Very imposing and threatening looking. And again, somehow, the sharp and twine-y outer shell suits the music within.
A dark, rumbling, scraping and creaking cavernous journey through some post industrial low end wasteland. Sort of ambient, but also brutal, and aggressive, harsh and harrowing. Metallic percussion peppers a snarling swirling black soundscape, streaked with shards of feedback and crumbling black melodies. Thick blown out fuzz churns and roils, as if Wolf Eyes and Black Boned Angel were boiled down and placed in a huge black iron pot to simmer. Or like some sort of caveman Einsturzende... a million black suns slowly dying and spreading out, coating everything in thick, viscous blackness...
LIMITED TO 100 COPIES!! We got about 15, and be warned, it's VERY SHARP, so if you do damage to yourself, we are not responsible, and if you order this with other stuff, it will have to be properly padded and secured to keep it from damaging any of the other items in your order, and in some cases that might bump up you shipping a tiny bit, but it's so worth it!

WORKS, THE s/t (Subliminal Sounds) cd 16.98
All right! More seemingly time-lost but actually quite contemporary psych-rock from the musical wizards that populate Sweden, a mystical land seemingly teeming with talented retro-rockers such as Elope and Dungen. Not only are The Works on the same label as (the now exceedingly and deservedly popular) Dungen, but members of Dungen and The Works have played in each other's bands, one of the Works playing live on tour with Dungen, while Dungen folks guest on this debut cd from The Works. But they don't sound exactly alike, of course -- this is less rustic, less folky than Dungen, more proggy, more bombastic. And The Works sing in English. But there ARE flutes. Along with spacey, symphonic washes of keyboards, organ, and Mellotron. Of course Mellotron. These guys are called The Works after all, and they're not gonna leave out anything that'll give 'em that authentic '60s/'70s psych-prog vibe! They certainly share some influences with Dungen but have other obvious ones of their own as well... listening to this, we mentally checked off the following as probable influences and/or possible comparisons: Pink Floyd, Sgt. Pepper's, Yes, Pugh Rogefeldt, The Who, Olivia Tremor Control, and Radiohead circa OK Computer. The latter especially really seems to surface as the album progresses, actually. We won't say this destroyed us quite like Dungen did, but for a modern day, backwards-glancing psych-prog-pop piece it's quite nice indeed!
MPEG Stream: "I Saw The Ocean"
MPEG Stream: "Slow As She Goes"

WORKSHOP Yog Sothoth (Sonig) cd 14.98

WORKSHOP Es Liebt Dich Und Korperlichkeit Ein Ausgerflippter (Blue Chopsticks) cd 14.98
"Krautfolk" is what Workshop's music has been called. You're intrigued, aren't ya? Me too. While I haven't heard Workshop's supposed four other albums, this one piqued my attention immediately. It's simply the combination of elements that keeps this album fresh. First there's the German vocals -- so light and cheerful, a delight after getting so tired of the Teutonic ice diva vocals one often hears -- and then there's rapidly strummed guitar coupled with whimsical piano, which is nice but really fresh when playing against the vocals, and *then* you hear sitar and a general acid folk vibe permeating the entire album, which lends yet another whole level to the sounds your brain is processing. Add to that the most exquisite chord changes (especially in the first song "Fur wen?"), some synth / electronics action, a shambolic tone that reminds me of Os Mutantes, and you have a non-formulaic, surprise good listen. Recommended (even if there are a few duds in the middle of the record, and the cover art is yucky).
In Europe this record was released on Mouse on Mars' label Sonig, and here it sees light via David Grubbs' Blue Chopsticks imprint. Yay.
RealAudio clip: "Fur wen?"
RealAudio clip: "Scheusalstage"
RealAudio clip: "Erfullung"

WORLD (OF DREAMS) Who Is Yahdoosh? (Dark Beloved Cloud/Nu Gruv Alliance) cd 14.98
The digital re-issue of the 1996 super-limited vinyl edition along with new material and bonus tracks. For the most part, murky drones give way to Fahey-esque country picking - fans of Jim O'Rourke or Souled American take note.

WORLD INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY East Coast Super Sound (Gern Blandsten) cd 10.98

WORLD OF OZ, THE s/t (Repertoire) cd 24.00

MPEG Stream: "The Muffin Man"
MPEG Stream: "The Hum-Gum Tree"
MPEG Stream: "We've All Seen The Queen"

WORLD WITHOUT END (Dark Beloved Cloud) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The sound: very pleasing drone, like if Skullflower was a pop band, yes it's that good. The facts: World Without End is William Berger of the late great Uncle Wiggly, and this is a solo album cut on that famous South Island lathe machine in New Zealand. We're one of only 2 stores in the the USA that were approached to carry, and we do so proudly. Printed on clear vinyl in a very limited edition of 70 (seventy!) copies.

WORM OUROBOROS Come the Thaw (Profound Lore) cd 13.98
Come the Thaw is the brand new 2nd album from San Francisco's female fronted gothic downer doom trio Worm Ouroboros, which now features Aesop Dekker (Agalloch, Ludicra, Hickey) on drums, as well as bassist/guitarist/cover artist Lorraine Rath (The Gault, Amber Asylum) and guitarist/vocalist Jessica Way (World Eater). We really liked WO's self-titled 2010 debut, also on cult metal label Profound Lore, and are finding that this new one is just as dreamy and depressive, pretty and portentous as before, another slow-moving slab of their "4AD doom" stylings, with ethereal female vocals once again gently hovering over sparse, serene, sorta post-rock soundscapes. The metal factor is actually LESS evident than on their debut; while a few parts do get momentarily heavy with the guitars, it's mostly rather restrained in that regard, or at least seems to be, Worm Ouroboros channelling the likes of Dead Can Dance even more than before. Which is, really, quite nice. And somber, and hushed, and blissful...
MPEG Stream: "Ruined Ground"
MPEG Stream: "Further Out"
MPEG Stream: "When We Are Gold"

WORM OUROBOROS s/t (Profound Lore) cd 13.98
On Profound Lore, which has developed quite the reputation as an interesting metal label across several genres ('tis always worth listening to what they deem worthy of release, we'd say) comes the debut from Worm Ouroboros, a Bay Area based trio that notably includes singer/bassist Lorraine Rath formerly of blackened gothic doomsters The Gault (also ex-Amber Asylum). The trio is completed by guitarist/vocalist Jessica Way and drummer Justin Green, who both play in a crusty death-doom metal act called World Eater.
Although Worm Ouroboros has its doomy aspects, it's pretty far from crusty, or even often metal, really! The music on this disc is really mostly quite gentle, with hushed lovely vocals and somnolent instrumental atmospheres. It's all vaguely medieval (in a folky, not metal way) and meditative, dark and dreamy, though these songs do have post-rock style loud-soft dynamics, allowing for some heavy distorted doom riffage to kick in occasionally, and always majestically. Much of the time, though, Worm Ouroboros is all about the interweaving of delicate drifting guitar, clean female vocals (the two ladies in the band sometimes sing harmonies), poetic lyrics, and restrained drumming.
When we first put this on, it started off in that near ambient ethereal mode, and we were thinking, hmm, hope this doesn't turn out to be boring, or too "Lilith Fair", but pretty soon we were thoroughly entranced, it's total ear candy that compels repeat spins. It flows beautifully, whether mellow or more "metal", and even when the waters are churned by heavier guitar/drums passages the mood still remains calm, soothing somehow. Never headbanging, maybe head-cradling though, face in hands, weeping, perhaps from sadness, perhaps from joy...
Slow and sinuous, this sometimes reminds us of forgotten Finnish art-metal act Decoryah from the '90s (which is strange, since they were so unique we're rarely reminded of 'em, in fact, haven't even thought of them for ages, heck now we're gonna go put a Decoryah cd on!). To mention some perhaps better known bands that this also evokes, in ways, at times: Katatonia, Isis, Amber Asylum, Sigur Ros, Hammers Of Misfortune, and of course The Gault... So, can we call it gothic downer doom rock folk prog? Yes indeed. There's even a bit of flute (helping to make the heaviness of the epic 11 minute "Riverbed" be even more progged out), and magically tinkling glockenspiel! Most definitely, another unusual winner (as far as we're concerned) from Profound Lore.
MPEG Stream: "A Birth A Death"
MPEG Stream: "Goldeneye"
MPEG Stream: "Riverbed"

WORMDOOM Last Days Boogie (Twisted Village) cd 14.98
Here's something we've been meaning to list for a long time... since, oh, about 1995! 'Cause while we've reviewed a LOT of things on our site, somehow we haven't reviewed everything. So more than once in a while, we like to write up an old fave that we haven't actually ever listed before - often something that kinda predated our doing of "the List". Like this, which came out in '95. Turns out the distributor we got it from originally still had some copies in stock, and we figured that lots of you might not have come across this before. Plus, c'mon, how could we pass up finally having a band called WORMDOOM in our catalog?
However, it's not the usual doom metal fare like you might be expecting. Instead Wormdoom are, uh, fake Christian '70s heavy psych! Well, fake's not quite the right word (though these guys and gal probably aren't actually all that Christian). But they're not really trying to fool anyone about actually being from the '70s, either, we mean. That's just their inspiration, the Wormdoom concept, totally going for an apocalyptic Jesus freak "holy fuzz" vibe. The artwork is right on, the cover reminding us of some private press krautrock rarities (not necessarily Christian but apocalyptic anyway, like Necronomicon and Gravestone's Doomsday). Not only does it have the look, they've got the sound down too, as well they should since Wormdoom was comprised of folks with great record collections, members of a bunch of other great, totally freaky bands that were all part of the the whole genius drugged out Twisted Village scene of the early '90s. On guitars, Wayne Rogers and Kate Biggar from Crystallized Movements, Magic Hour, Vermonster, B.O.R.B. aka Bongloads Of Righteous Boo! On bass, Tom Leonard of Luxurious Bags (and also Vermonster, B.O.R.B.). On drums, Joe Malinowski (Vermonster). And of course, Wayne, Kate & Tom are all currently still slinging axes and kicking out the jams in Major Stars.
So, no surprise Wormdoom are willing and able to deal out the full on distortodelic acid guitar splurt like it was gifted to them from on high! Their garagey protometalgrindboogie is actually waaaay more extreme than anything really from the '70s, nothing back then sounded quite this crazed (did it?). With trashcan drumming, tons o' distortion n' noise, and glossolalia-like vocal babble on a couple tracks ("The Gift Of The Tongues" parts 1 and 2, natch - everythin' else is all instrumental), they woulda however fit in sonically pretty darn well on one of them classic PSF Tokyo Flashback comps, were they Japanese. Heck, some of this would fit in on a Butthole Surfers album. Of all the Twisted Village bands, Wormdoom is by far the heaviest.
And, underneath it all, they manage some damn catchy hooks, the wham-bam 2:21 title track ferinstance definitely boogie-ing its way into your brain until the Rapture, at least. They also sprawl out with some extended jams too, as you might expect from this bunch, proving that you don't need drugs, just Jesus to get you high. We'll put "Jesus" in quotes, though.
This, by the way, was Wormdoom's only album, besides this they managed a live 7" and a comp track and that's about it, which is as it should be, since if they really WERE an early '70s Jesus rock band, they wouldn't have left behind much more than that for collectors to discover years later, would they? Praise the Lord, they let it all hang out here.
15 years after this came out (and, like, 40 years after it -looks- like it came out), it still seems like we're approaching the Last Days don't it? So, if you missed this before, repent ye sinners, Wormdoom saves! Amen.
MPEG Stream: "Last Days Boogie"
MPEG Stream: "Blessed Assurance"

WORMROT Abuse (Earache) 2cd 14.98
We don't see a whole lot of music from Singapore come through here, the most recent was the dark psychedelic folk of the Observatory, and then all the way on the other end of the spectrum are these guys, Wormrot, also from Singapore, but whose sound is a furious blasting downtuned metallic grindcore that SLAYS. Think Insect Warfare, Nasum, that sort of hyperspeed fury. Released last year, on a tiny indie label in Singapore, it didn't take long before heavy music freaks caught on, many declaring Wormrot's Abuse THEE grind record of last year. Which caught the ear of one of the original grind labels Earache, who swooped in and reissued Abuse with a whole bonus disc of demos (34 tracks!).
So here it is, and holy shit does this smoke. We try really hard to convert people to the way of the grind. No reason folks who love black metal and death metal and all sorts of heaviness shouldn't also be into grind, it's fast and furious and technical and super intense, brutal as fuck, more political, more sonically raw, and feral, we've raved about Discordance Axis, Brutal Truth, AKBK, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Gridlink, Nasum, Pig Destroyer, Unholy Grave and loads more, and Wormrot fit pretty perfectly amidst such esteemed grind royalty. Their sound fast and frantic, the drums insanely intense and technical, the guitars gnarled and frantic, the dueling vox, guttural grunt and inhuman shriek, wrapped around frenetic super convoluted complex blasts of metallic fury, that blaze at lightning speed one second, churn and chug the next, flipping from tempo to tempo, lots of super dynamic start stops, killer riffs, little chunks of classic metal laced into insectoid buzzing and blasting pummel, 23 songs in less than 22 minutes, but about a million parts and a billion riffs, putting most bands 10 minute epics to shame in less than a minute. And if that wasn't bad ass enough, these guys even do a Yeah Yeah Yeah's cover, and DESTROY IT. Easily one of our favorite grind records of the last few years, and we urge anyone who has been grindshy, to check this shit out, hard to imagine you won't be converted.
And while they last, the cd version (not the lp, sorry) of Abuse includes a second disc, Extra Abuse, 34 demo tracks, alternate versions of some of the songs proper, but a mess of otherwise unreleased stuff too.
MPEG Stream: "Lost Swines"
MPEG Stream: "Exterminate"
MPEG Stream: "Born Stupid"
MPEG Stream: "Dis-Appointing"
MPEG Stream: "Indonesia"
MPEG Stream: "Rich (Yeah Yeah Yeah's Cover)"

WORMROT Dirge (Earache) cd 15.98
Record number two from these Singaporean grinders, and it's just as fierce and furious as their first. In fact, in some ways it might be even MORE so. Twenty five songs crammed into eighteen minutes, most of the songs between 30 and 45 seconds (a couple 5 seconds or less!), which is plenty of time for these guys to blast out some tangled super frenzied riffing, and some INSANE lightning fast drumming, the vocals a maniacal shriek, and unlike lots of grind, much of the riffing here sounds VERY metal, not so much punk, but actual metal riffery, just sped WAY up, these micro metal epics that SLAY. No wacky covers like the on their first record where they did a Yeah Yeah Yeahs tune, instead, just a relentless blast of grinding metallic fury, with many of the tracks slowing down for some serious chuggery, before exploding in another head shearing blast of blurred brutality. AND unlike a lot of grind, these songs are surprisingly catchy, with some seriously killer riffs, which makes this way more listenable than lots of similar stuff, but somehow, no less heavy and brutal and badass.
MPEG Stream: "No One Gives A Shit"
MPEG Stream: "Compulsive Disposition"
MPEG Stream: "All Go No Emo"
MPEG Stream: "Public Display Of Infection"
MPEG Stream: "Overpowered Violence"

WORMS Pelican Songs (tUMULt) cd 11.98
We realize that lots of folks might have only recently discovered aQuarius, and may have missed out on lots of past favorites we consider essential listening. Many of those same people may not realize that our very own Andee runs the tUMULt label, on which some of our all time favorite records have been released. Since the world has finally caught on, caught up and plain old caught a serious case of Finnish fever (Circle, Avarus, Anaksimandros, Islaja, Kemiallisett Ystevat, etc.) we figured it was high time to re-list this slab of beautiful brutality, from mighty and mysterious outfit, Worms:
Will Finland never cease to surprise us? How can one tiny country continue to produce so much progressive, transgressive, creative and fucking perfect experimental rock? Circle, Keuhkot, Avarus, Anaksimandros, Mieskuoro Huutajaat, Pharoah Overlord, Ektroverde, Skepticism, Kemialliset Ystavat, and now Worms!
The Worms may be new to us (and actually to most people in Finland, surprisingly) but they have been a fixture of the Finnish underground for over a decade. And even after a decade, their entire recorded output consisted of three 7" singles and a few compilation tracks. So Andee's tUMULt label managed to track down the band, and discovered that they actually recorded a full length a few years back, but the label that was supposed to release it dropped the ball.
So here it is finally and man is it something. Five tracks of beautiful brutality. A dark and wintry, more motorik My Bloody Valentine, mixed with a little Circle and a little Filth-era Swans. Or some Frankensteinian dirge rock band, equal parts Godflesh, My Bloody Valentine, the Shadow Ring, and the Swans.
The disc starts off with a massive 30 minute medley, a droning hypnotic dirge, like Terry Riley composing for Godflesh or the Melvins and not a little reminiscent of Dutch riff gods Gore. Endless and hypnotic, crushing and brutal. The next three tracks display Worms more melodic side, letting a little pop shine through, with lilting vocals and darkly melancholic melodies and frontman Veli Pesonen's deep Michael Gira like drawl intoning simple mantra-like lyrics, over jangly strummed riffs, more melodic maybe, but still drone-y and hypnotic and dreamy. Think late era Swans, or maybe the Terminals, or the Clean, that sort of dreary, jangly New Zealand rock. The twenty minute 'Border' closes proceedings with a glorious din of shimmering but harrowing guitars, buried melodies and relentlessly propulsive rhythms. This was a long time coming, but once you hear it you'll agree it was well worth the wait. Definitely for fans of all the above mentioned bands as well as connoisseurs of drone/dirge/doom. Crushingly beautiful. And of course essential.
MPEG Stream: "Medley"
MPEG Stream: "Border"
MPEG Stream: "Early In The Evening"

WORMWOOD Requiescat (Arm / Legion) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Pounding, ugly, crusty doomcore from this Seattle metal band, mastered by Steve Austin of Today Is The Day (not that it matters terribly much who masters something, but Mr. Austin's name will give you an idea where these folks are coming from). Other hints: Eyehategod with keyboards? A black metal Neurosis? A nastier, less spaced-out Tarantula Hawk? Tribal drumming, blissful piano interludes, lotsa feedback, scary vocals...
RealAudio clip: "track 3"

WORSHIP Silence Is The Golden Mountain EP (self-released) cd-r 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Worship (not to be confused with the infamous doom outfit) are a new mysterious group who've just released their debut cd-r. Definitely for fans of Wooden Wand And The Vanishing Voice and the Jewelled Antler folks. At times, their shape-shifting, ultra minimal swamp twang is so barely there, it's phantom-like. You feel a presence, more than hear one. Note: this first pressing is limited to 100 hand numbered cd-rs.
MPEG Stream: "The Resurrection"
MPEG Stream: "Rainbowchaser"

WORSHIP OF SILENCE, THE In The Early Hours (self-released) cd 9.98
Debut full length from these East Bay doomlords, who once featured our very own Andee behind the kit! It's three tracks 43 minutes, of slow building, brooding, emotional, classic epic doom, the emotion mostly due to the vocals, way up in the mix, a cool sort of John Garcia (Kyuss) / Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) hybrid, moaning and mewling during the slow post rocky parts and howling and wailing during the churning chug of the more doomy parts.
Surprisingly catchy and hooky, Worship Of Silence minus the vocals might slip into something more sludgey and ultra dooooooom, but the vocals transform this into something much more accessible, this sounds like a slight, but it's totally not, it really wouldn't be that weird to hear this stuff on some super progressive alternative / metal radio station. It's the Soundgarden vibe, it's hard to avoid, but fuck it, why bother, we all love Soundgarden, so imagine Cornell and company trading in their Zep worshipping grunge, for sprawling epic downtuned doomscapes, with cool swirling riffage, wild tribal drumming, long expanses of shimmery drift, a definite prog element too, as during lots of the slow brooding tribal parts, the band definitely dip into Tool territory, which makes for an awesomely hooky, catchy, but still crushing and epic post-doom. And it's not just the vocals, the riffs and the arrangements are awesome, well crafted, channeling the sound of old school classic doom, but twisting it into something much more modern and polished, eminently headbangable, but definitely a little progged out and catchy as fuck. We're definitely digging this big time.
MPEG Stream: "(It's Not Better Than The) Drugs"
MPEG Stream: "The Palest Parts Of You"

WORTHINGTON He Was Not A Micromanager (Special Music) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
So somber and emotive, Worthington craft slow country-tinged songs for you to unwind to. Imagine 10,000 Maniacs fronted by a male singer and joined by Guided By Voices later in the album, and you might have an inkling of Worthington's warm, moody sound. He Was Not A Micromanager is an impressive sophomore release, definitely infused with a well-worn ease and confidence. Beautifully packaged in an intricately folded screenprinted cardboard sleeve (which sadly didn't scan very well so our website pic won't do it justice).
MPEG Stream: "Smaller Monsters"
MPEG Stream: "In Pink And Blue Lobby Schemes For Now"