BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Beware (Drag City) lp 15.98
Seems like everywhere you look these days you're bombarded with praise and press for Will Oldham. From The New York Times to Wire Magazine it's been hard to escape images of ol' Bonnie Prince Billy, but truth be told, he is one fine songwriter who deserves much of the praise and accolades coming his way. While not all of his recent outings have totally blown us away, we're very much digging the rich and sometimes dark country sounds on Beware. The instrumentation is a bit more nuanced and compelling than on his previous effort Lie Down In The Light. It kind of made perfect sense that a customer who was in the store the first time we played this asked what Lee Hazlewood record this was, and were surprised and happy to find out that it was actually Will Oldham. With appearances on the big screen, a recent artist in residency in the Marin Headlands over the Golden Gate Bridge from here, and this new set of songs, Oldham has been one busy bee and we think well worthy of all that adoration and praise.
MPEG Stream: "You Can't Hurt Me Now"
MPEG Stream: "I Don't Belong To Anyone"
MPEG Stream: "Beware Your Only Friend"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Beware /Chijimi (Drag City) 10" 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
When the last proper Bonnie Prince Billy album, Beware, came out, Drag City released a very limited 10" version that contained a set of bonus songs not on the album. That 10" also came with a download of the whole Beware album and featured the exact same cover artwork as the album itself only in 10" form. And Drag City for some weird reason pretended that there was no vinyl in the sleeve, which made no sense. Confusing, kind of. But gone in a flash they were. Recently, though, one of our distributors discovered a very small stash of these, so Bonnie Prince Billy fans you have one final chance to snag these four songs that will not be released on cd or in digital format, and are not available anywhere but here. As prolific as Mr. Oldham is, he still has yet to put out a bad record and these four songs are really as strong as anything that was on Beware. So like we said it's probably a very small window, but if you missed it the first time around you can try to snag one now! And if you need to be reminded of what we had to say about Beware when we reviewed the record proper:
Seems like everywhere you look these days you're bombarded with praise and press for Will Oldham. From The New York Times to Wire Magazine it's been hard to escape images of ol' Bonnie Prince Billy, but truth be told, he is one fine songwriter who deserves much of the praise and accolades coming his way. While not all of his recent outings have totally blown us away, we're very much digging the rich and sometimes dark country sounds on Beware. The instrumentation is a bit more nuanced and compelling than on his previous effort Lie Down In The Light. It kind of made perfect sense that a customer who was in the store the first time we played this asked what Lee Hazlewood record this was, and were surprised and happy to find out that it was actually Will Oldham. With appearances on the big screen, a recent artist in residency in the Marin Headlands over the Golden Gate Bridge from here, and this new set of songs, Oldham has been one busy bee and we think well worthy of all that adoration and praise.
MPEG Stream: "You Can't Hurt Me Now"
MPEG Stream: "I Don't Belong To Anyone"
MPEG Stream: "Beware Your Only Friend"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Cold & Wet (Drag City) cd ep 5.98
Bonnie Prince Billy (aka Will Oldham) keeps his music comin' in snack-size packets. He sure seems to love the ep format, and that's surely fine with his fans. Keep that flow good and steady, keep 'em all good and happy. The title track is taken from his most recent full length The Letting Go, and it's accompanied by "The Way" and "Buried Treasure". In a mere three songs, he effectively encapsulates his full Bonnie Prince Billy spectrum of muted country rock and creeping mournful balladry. Cold & Wet? Not at all, more like warm, dry and comfortingly familiar. So, if you or someone you know has yet to experience Mr. Oldham's burnished folk rock finery this little one is a really good place to start.
Bonus: The cd includes a video for the title track.
MPEG Stream: "The Way"
MPEG Stream: "Buried Treasure"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Cold & Wet (Drag City) 12" 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Bonnie Prince Billy (aka Will Oldham) keeps his music comin' in snack-size packets. He sure seems to love the ep format, and that's surely fine with his fans. Keep that flow good and steady, keep 'em all good and happy. The title track is taken from his most recent full length The Letting Go, and it's accompanied by "The Way" and "Buried Treasure". In a mere three songs, he effectively encapsulates his full Bonnie Prince Billy spectrum of muted country rock and creeping mournful balladry. Cold & Wet? Not at all, more like warm, dry and comfortingly familiar. So, if you or someone you know has yet to experience Mr. Oldham's burnished folk rock finery this little one is a really good place to start.
MPEG Stream: "The Way"
MPEG Stream: "Buried Treasure"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Cursed Sleep (Drag City) 12" 7.98
Following his friendly get-together with the Tortoise gents, Mr. Will Oldham gathers 'round his musical pals Faun Fables' Dawn McCarthy, brother Paul Oldham, Emmett Kelly, Jim White and Valgeir Sigurdsson for a trio of songs. One is an earthen duet, one a swampy hoedown and -- in our opinion perhaps the best of the bunch -- the last is Oldham's solitary voice resting gently atop a haunting drifty drone bed. Nice.
MPEG Stream: "Cursed Sleep"
MPEG Stream: "God's Small Song"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Cursed Sleep (Drag City) cdep 5.98
Following his friendly get-together with the Tortoise gents, Mr. Will Oldham gathers 'round his musical pals Faun Fables' Dawn McCarthy, brother Paul Oldham, Emmett Kelly, Jim White and Valgeir Sigurdsson for a trio of songs. One is an earthen duet, one a swampy hoedown and -- in our opinion perhaps the best of the bunch -- the last is Oldham's solitary voice resting gently atop a haunting drifty drone bed. Nice.

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Ease Down The Road (Palace) cd 13.98
A couple years back Will Oldham adopted the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy moniker and released what stood as the crowning achievement of his career, the brilliant I See a Darkness. Now he returns to form with an album that is quite possibly even more heartbreaking, yet strangely more upbeat and optimistic. Instead of grim songs about death, we get lonely songs of love filled with spirit and hope and even a little joy. The instrumentation is much more eclectic, and the compositions range from dark a capella to backwoods country swing. With guest spots from Freakwater and Dave Pajo (and Harmony Korine?!?), Oldham has created an album that has raised the bar yet again. It's funny how the guy manages to renew your interest even after you swore you were tired of him (as I do often).
RealAudio clip: "The Lion Lair"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY I See A Darkness (Palace) cd 14.98
Will Oldham has adopted a new alter ego. No longer Palace, not even just Will Oldham, he's the artist currently known as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. While the past few Palace/Oldham records weren't anything really to write home about, almost all of the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy singles and this album have been exceptional. Idiosyncratic vocals that don't warble all that much and the working class approach to acoustic based rock are what you expect from him, but you'd never guess he'd get so scary.

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY I See A Darkness (Palace) lp 13.98
Will Oldham has adopted a new alter ego. No longer Palace, not even just Will Oldham, he's the artist currently known as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. While the past few Palace/Oldham records weren't anything really to write home about, almost all of the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy singles and this album have been exceptional. Idiosyncratic vocals that don't warble all that much and the working class approach to acoustic based rock are what you expect from him, but you'd never guess he'd get so scary.

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Lay & Love (Drag City) cd ep 5.98
Another 'enhanced single' to add to your ever-mushrooming Bonnie Prince Billy library! Who came up with that term anyways?! Enhanced!? Its dictionary definition is "to increase or improve in value, quality, desirability, or attractiveness". Sounds appealing, if somewhat subjective, doesn't it? Here it simply means "includes a video".
Anyways, the title track "Lay & Love" comes from BPB's most recent full length The Letting Go. It features lovely guest vocals by Faun Fables' Dawn McCarthy. That tune is accompanied by two non-album tracks "Senor" and "Going To Acapulco". No big bells and whistles nor surprises, just ol' reliable Oldham goodness that needs no 'enhancing'.
MPEG Stream: "Senor"
MPEG Stream: "Going To Acapulco"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Lay & Love (Drag City) 12" 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another little single to add to your ever-mushrooming Bonnie Prince Billy library! Includes the title track "Lay & Love" which comes from BPB's most recent full length The Letting Go and features lovely guest vocals by Faun Fables' Dawn McCarthy. That tune is accompanied by two non-album tracks "Senor" and "Going To Acapulco". No big bells and whistles nor surprises, just ol' reliable Oldham goodness.
MPEG Stream: "Senor"
MPEG Stream: "Going To Acapulco"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Lie Down In The Light (Drag City) cd 14.98
If you have any more room in your heart for Bonnie "Prince" Billy, the space will not be wasted on Lie Down In The Light, an entirely sturdy, mature, and compelling piece of work. If you've already got a few inches worth of Mr. Oldham's wax on your record rack, you may not need to make the journey. You know which camp you fall into. Unlike the new Spiritualized record, however, we wouldn't implore a virgin to Will's tawdry folk songs to dig deeper in the catalogue. Lie Down In The Light is a fine place to start, rife with the heartbreaking melodies and cunning witticisms that have formed the backbone of his catalog. Furthermore, there are some subtle variations on his tried and true techniques, including much more falsetto, some boss hand-drumming, duets with Ashley Webber, and a lyrical emphasis on issues like mortality, family, and transcendence, delivered with much more urgency. The record also shares a unique kinship with Baby Dee's Safe Inside The Day, the result of Will having learned a thing or two producing the diverse instrumentation used in those sessions. As usual, solid and meaningful fare from one of America's great living songwriters.
MPEG Stream: "So Everyone"
MPEG Stream: "Missing One"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Lie Down In The Light (Drag City) lp 15.98
If you have any more room in your heart for Bonnie "Prince" Billy, the space will not be wasted on Lie Down In The Light, an entirely sturdy, mature, and compelling piece of work. If you've already got a few inches worth of Mr. Oldham's wax on your record rack, you may not need to make the journey. You know which camp you fall into. Unlike the new Spiritualized record, however, we wouldn't implore a virgin to Will's tawdry folk songs to dig deeper in the catalogue. Lie Down In The Light is a fine place to start, rife with the heartbreaking melodies and cunning witticisms that have formed the backbone of his catalog. Furthermore, there are some subtle variations on his tried and true techniques, including much more falsetto, some boss hand-drumming, duets with Ashley Webber, and a lyrical emphasis on issues like mortality, family, and transcendence, delivered with much more urgency. The record also shares a unique kinship with Baby Dee's Safe Inside The Day, the result of Will having learned a thing or two producing the diverse instrumentation used in those sessions. As usual, solid and meaningful fare from one of America's great living songwriters.
MPEG Stream: "So Everyone"
MPEG Stream: "Missing One"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Master And Everyone (Drag City) cd 14.98
The new album from Will Oldham & friends is simply wonderful. And we know we rave about Oldham a lot, from his work with Palace Bros to the solo material, but really we mean it -- this is one of his best records. In fact, we think that without the charming but sometimes syrupy twang prevalent on his earlier efforts, Master and Everyone has finally launched Oldham into the same lofty, hallowed territory as other iconoclastic folk practitioners such as Townes Van Zandt. Yeah, this is that good.
The new record has the same kind of low-key charm as his last offering, Ease On Down the Road, although while that record had a sunny back-porch vibe and moments of sly, naughty humor, the laconic, mellow sound of Master And Everyone is tinged with melancholy - as is much of Oldham's recorded output - but doesn't try to reach into the inky realms of cathartic intensity found on I See A Darkness (which is one of the best records he's made). Instead, the feeling is familiar and comforting, as Oldham wraps a honeyed falsetto or low, secretive whisper around distant stories of love and lonelines, filtered through the phrasing of early god-fearing folk balladeers. Female harmonies add to the sweetness. Gone is Oldham's faux Appalachian hillbilly guise, and the tenuous, always-cracking vocal warble, and the sometimes pointlessly peurile lyrics, and in its place is a warm, muted, dark folk record. Very reminiscent of seventies British folk, especially Nick Drake, with gorgeous female vocals perfectly complementing Oldham's warm languorous voice. A perfect drifiting off record.
Probably the best testimonial to the goodness of this record is not the fact that the aQ staffers who're already Bonnie Billy fans like it, but the fact that Andee, aka staunch Oldham naysayer (who liked almost nothing after the Palace Bros debut), LOVES this record too. And that's saying somethin'!
MPEG Stream: "Hard Life"
MPEG Stream: "Maundering"
MPEG Stream: "Even If Love"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Master And Everyone (Drag City) lp 15.98
The new album from Will Oldham & friends is simply wonderful. And we know we rave about Oldham a lot, from his work with Palace Bros to the solo material, but really we mean it -- this is one of his best records. In fact, I think that without the charming but sometimes syrupy twang prevalent on his earlier efforts, Master and Everyone has finally launched Oldham into the same lofty, hallowed territory as other iconoclastic folk practitioners such as Townes Van Zandt. Yeah, this is that good.
The new record has the same kind of low-key charm as his last offering, Ease On Down the Road, although while that record had a sunny back-porch vibe and moments of sly, naughty humor, the laconic, mellow sound of Master And Everyone is tinged with melancholy -- as is much of Oldham's recorded output -- but doesn't try to reach into the inky realms of cathartic intensity found on I See A Darkness (which is one of the best records he's made). Instead, the feeling is familiar and comforting, as Oldham wraps a honeyed falsetto or low, secretive whisper around distant stories of love and lonelines, filtered through the phrasing of early god-fearing folk balladeers. Female harmonies add to the sweetness. Gone is Oldham's faux Appalachian hillbilly guise, and the tenuous, always-cracking vocal warble, and the sometimes pointlessly peurile lyrics, and in its place is a warm, muted, dark folk record. Very reminiscent of seventies British folk, especially Nick Drake, with gorgeous female vocals perfectly complementing Oldham's warm languorous voice. A perfect drifiting off record.
Probably the best testimonial to the goodness of this record is not the fact that the AQ staffers who're already Bonnie Billy fans like it, but the fact that Andee, a.k.a. staunch Oldham naysayer (likes nothing after the Palace Bros debut), LOVES this record too. And that's saying somethin'!

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY No More Workhorse Blues (Drag City) cd ep 5.98
Proving himself once again to be a card-carrying member of the When-Do-They-Ever-Sleep? Club, the very prolific (and perhaps more importantly, very consistent) Will Oldham offers up yet another cd ep. Fans will surely revel in the first and third songs which are steeped in Oldham's trademark hushed melancholic ache. However, the second, "Ruby", is a bit of a surprise. It's a fiery number that threatens to invade Nick Cave's furious domain. Quite startling, indeed. Oh, and this one comes with the added treat of visuals courtesy of filmmaker Harmony Korine. The combination is quite fitting given the volatility of the second song and the barebones mournfulness of the other two and overall, makes for a great a/v treat.
MPEG Stream: "No More Workhorse Blues"
MPEG Stream: "Ruby"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY One With The Birds (Palace) 7" 3.99
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A quietly-released single that is only being offered direct to stores (bypassing distros) at this time, this is the second Bonnie Princ Billy single from Will Oldham and company. Like the one before it (which we still have a few copies of), this is Oldham in a less abject, less stark phase, very pleasant to the ears. Buy now or cry later!

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Sings Agnes, Queen Of Sorrow (Drag City) cd ep 5.98
Upon reading the title of this new EP, we discover that ol' Mr. Oldham has once again deemed it necessary to alert us to the fact that he will be singing his songs. Thank you sir! Anyhoo, the title track, a sweet duet with Ms Marty Slayton, might already be familiar to BPB fans as it comes straight outta the centerpoint of BPB's most recent album Sings Greatest Palace Music. If you're not already acquainted with the tune, you should know it's a particularly lovely highlight of the album. The gracefully lilting second song "Pussyfooting" is characterized by some softly sputtering programmed beats, chamber-y strings and a rather abrupt fade-out finish. The third number, the oddly spelled "Blokbuster", is the most typical BPB tune of the three. Dour and downtrodden in the best possible way. Note: The cd's audio running time is just over twelve minutes, but you also get some bonus video treats too which may account for the discrepancy in the displayed running times on our computer versus our cd player.
MPEG Stream: "Pussyfooting"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Sings Greatest Palace Music (Palace Records / Drag City) cd 14.98
Who can figure out Will Oldham? Certainly not us. What a bizarre career arc. Actor. Musician. Artist. Musician again. Recluse. Rock and roller. And everything in between. He seems like a really strange guy. With really strange ideas. But almost everything he attempts he pulls off, in a BIG way. And this latest endeavor is no different. Oldham, in his Bonnie Prince Billy persona, hires a crack pick-up band of professional Nashville session cats, and re-records classic Palace Brothers material, and turns his classic ramshackle, soul searching, Appalachian miserablism into slick, and surprisingly upbeat Sunset Boulevard, Byrds/Parsons style country rock! The playing is impeccable, obviously, with piano, pedal steel, mandolin, shuffling drums, mournful fiddles and some seriously sweet and twangy female backup vocals. Definitely a serious Byrds vibe. Some of the tracks retain their original darkness, and those are the ones that tend to sound the most like classic Palace, but most get a rollicking upbeat facelift. And as if to make up for it, Oldham's vocals are as wavery and on-the-verge-of-cracking as ever, like an old bluesman on his deathbed, barely able to whisper/croak out his last words. But it's just so awesome to hear these songs we've listened to hundreds of times over the last few years completely reinvented and reinvigorated. Speaking of reinvented and reinvigorated, check out the seriously sickly photo of Mr. Oldham on the back of the disc. Byram thinks they used the Photoshop 'sphere' filter to sort of make the bottom half of his face bubble out like he has a tumor or something. Weird. But what do you expect from such a weird guy!
MPEG Stream: "Ohio River Boat Song"
MPEG Stream: "Horses"
MPEG Stream: "I Am A Cinematographer"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Sings Greatest Palace Music (Palace Records / Drag City) 2lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Who can figure out Will Oldham? Certainly not us. What a bizarre career arc. Actor. Musician. Artist. Musician again. Recluse. Rock and roller. And everything in between. He seems like a really strange guy. With really strange ideas. But almost everything he attempts he pulls off, in a BIG way. And this latest endeavor is no different. Oldham, in his Bonnie Prince Billy persona, hires a crack pick-up band of professional Nashville session cats, and re-records classic Palace Brothers material, and turns his classic ramshackle, soul searching, Appalachian miserablism into slick, and surprisingly upbeat Sunset Boulevard, Byrds/Parsons style country rock! The playing is impeccable, obviously, with piano, pedal steel, mandolin, shuffling drums, mournful fiddles and some seriously sweet and twangy female backup vocals. Definitely a serious Byrds vibe. Some of the tracks retain their original darkness, and those are the ones that tend to sound the most like classic Palace, but most get a rollicking upbeat facelift. And as if to make up for it, Oldham's vocals are as wavery and on-the-verge-of-cracking as ever, like an old bluesman on his deathbed, barely able to whisper/croak out his last words. But it's just so awesome to hear these songs we've listened to hundreds of times over the last few years completely reinvented and reinvigorated. Speaking of reinvented and reinvigorated, check out the seriously sickly photo of Mr. Oldham on the back of the disc. Byram thinks they used the Photoshop 'sphere' filter to sort of make the bottom half of his face bubble out like he has a tumor or something. Weird. But what do you expect from such a weird guy!
MPEG Stream: "Ohio River Boat Song"
MPEG Stream: "Horses"
MPEG Stream: "I Am A Cinematographer"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Stay (Drag City) 7" 6.50
It's pretty cool how the roles are reversed on this latest BPB single. Susanna K. Wallumrod aka Susanna & The Magical Orchestra has become well known for her breathtaking covers of everyone from Tom Petty, Roy Harper, Joy Division, Thin Lizzy, Prince, etc. She has also covered Will Oldham aka Bonnie Prince Billy, so it's awesome to see him return the favor covering two of HER songs on this brand new 7". Both tracks give BPB the opportunity to return to a much more stark and stripped down aesthetic, eschewing the more lush and fleshed out sound of his more recent recordings. We kind of love when he strips away lots of those layers, as it's the haunting quality of his playing and vocals and delivery that really made so many of us fall in love with his music in the first place. If you like your Will Oldham stark and rustic then this 7" has your name all over it!

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Strange Form Of Life (Drag City) cd ep 12.98
Will Oldham fans have no shortage of offerings from their favorite prince as of late. This marks the third single released from his last full length The Letting Go. It includes one of the best songs from the album, "Strange Form Of Life", an early version of "The Seedling" as well as stripped down solo renditions of two of his older gems. The cd also includes a great video of "Strange Form Of Life" directed by Jennifer Parsons.
MPEG Stream: "Strange Form Of Life"
MPEG Stream: "The Sun Highlights The Lack In Each"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Summer In The Southeast (Sea Note) cd 14.98
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy / Palace / Palace Brothers / Palace Music / Will Oldham fans... Here's a live one for ya! Summer In The Southeast features a heap of Bonnie 'Prince' Billy live recordings ranging from his downright bar room butt-kickers to his spartan hushed numbers. The eleventh and twelveth tracks give you a one-two punch of the two extremes. If you're at all acquainted with his music, you'll probably have heard many of these songs before. If you've no idea who the heck Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Palace, Palace Brothers, Palace Music and/or Will Oldham is, but are curious... well, this probably wouldn't be the best place to start (psst, check out Master & Everyone or Ease Down The Road or his collaboration with Matt Sweeney titled Superwolf!).
MPEG Stream: "Beast For Thee"
MPEG Stream: "Death To Everyone"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Summer In The Southeast (Sea Note) 2lp 15.98
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy / Palace / Palace Brothers / Palace Music / Will Oldham fans... Here's a live one for ya! Summer In The Southeast features a heap of Bonnie 'Prince' Billy live recordings ranging from his downright bar room butt-kickers to his spartan hushed numbers. The eleventh and twelveth tracks give you a one-two punch of the two extremes. If you're at all acquainted with his music, you'll probably have heard many of these songs before. If you've no idea who the heck Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Palace, Palace Brothers, Palace Music and/or Will Oldham is, but are curious... well, this probably wouldn't be the best place to start (psst, check out Master & Everyone or Ease Down The Road or his collaboration with Matt Sweeney titled Superwolf!).
MPEG Stream: "Beast For Thee"
MPEG Stream: "Death To Everyone"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY The B-Sides For Time To Be Clear (Drag City) 7" 6.50

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY The Letting Go (Drag City) cd 14.98
Will Oldham may have raised an eyebrow or two around here with his recent exploits musically cavorting... ahem, collaborating with the Tortoise gang (on The Brave And The Bold album), but with his new full length The Letting Go he's definitely back in his BPB saddle and riding his trademark lonesome trail in fine fashion. Withery heartfelt folk pop as only Lord William can do!
MPEG Stream: "Love Comes To Me"
MPEG Stream: "Lay And Love"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY There Is No God / God Is Love (Drag City) 10" 13.98

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Wilding In The West (P-Vine) cd 25.00
Wilding In The West, the follow up to his first live record, Summer In The South East, finds Prince Billy with full band at his side as they play lots of material from recent albums The Letting Go and Master And Everyone, recorded at shows throughout California during their 2007 tour. We love when the band gets down and dirty turning the usually quiet and folksy Bonnie Prince Billy into a rugged force to be reckoned with (check out the raw and rocking version of "Master And Everyone"!). A true troubadour and songsmith, Oldham demonstrates once again that his songs can take many different forms and can be interpreted many different ways. Along with some super charged versions of classic BPB songs there's also a really comfortable down home feeling to many of the tracks, letting the band show off their tight chops but play it laid back enough to allow the songs to travel well off the path when needed. This one's a Japanese import (hence the price tag) but luckily there is some cool packaging and photos that along with the great live performance will make bigtime Will Oldham fans want to add this to their collection for sure!
MPEG Stream: "Master & Everyone"
MPEG Stream: "O Let It Be"
MPEG Stream: "Three Questions"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Wolfroy Goes to Town (Drag City ) cd 14.98
Not sure what it is exactly, but some of us just sort of gave up on Will Oldham a while back, Oldham in his Bonnie Prince Billy guise just didn't seem to do it for us anymore, sure we dug those first few BPB records, but our hearts always belonged to the pre-BPB Oldham project, the late great Palace Brothers and post Palace Brothers, it was just never the same. But this new one from Oldham has us wondering if we haven't been missing out, cuz this collection of songs is some of the prettiest, most heartfelt music we've heard from him in ages. And his singing sounds better than ever, having ditched that warbly creaking about to crack croon, for something more polished, still rough and ragged and a little raspy, but much more controlled, and less seemingly purposefully fragile. And the songs on this new record too, simple and spare, but also lush and lovely, sounding more like classic country/folk covers than originals, which is a testament to their power. The band too, understated, but powerful, with the female background vocals perfectly balancing Oldham's voice, and making these songs sound almost like spirituals, not to mention the warm whirr of the pump organ, and some deftly placed distorted guitars.
Listening to this, we can't help but think of Neil Young, or Townes Van Zandt, or any number of classic singer/songwriters, the same sort of hushed energy, the songs timeless, the performances effortless, but so imbued with true passion, darkly dolorous, haunting and utterly honest and heartfelt, and so good, it has us doubters headed back into Oldham's catalog to see if there's more stuff like this we may have been missing. SO recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Time To Be Clear"
MPEG Stream: "No Match"
MPEG Stream: "We Are Unhappy"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY Wolfroy Goes to Town (Drag City ) lp 17.98
Not sure what it is exactly, but some of us just sort of gave up on Will Oldham a while back, Oldham in his Bonnie Prince Billy guise just didn't seem to do it for us anymore, sure we dug those first few BPB records, but our hearts always belonged to the pre-BPB Oldham project, the late great Palace Brothers and post Palace Brothers, it was just never the same. But this new one from Oldham has us wondering if we haven't been missing out, cuz this collection of songs is some of the prettiest, most heartfelt music we've heard from him in ages. And his singing sounds better than ever, having ditched that warbly creaking about to crack croon, for something more polished, still rough and ragged and a little raspy, but much more controlled, and less seemingly purposefully fragile. And the songs on this new record too, simple and spare, but also lush and lovely, sounding more like classic country/folk covers than originals, which is a testament to their power. The band too, understated, but powerful, with the female background vocals perfectly balancing Oldham's voice, and making these songs sound almost like spirituals, not to mention the warm whirr of the pump organ, and some deftly placed distorted guitars.
Listening to this, we can't help but think of Neil Young, or Townes Van Zandt, or any number of classic singer/songwriters, the same sort of hushed energy, the songs timeless, the performances effortless, but so imbued with true passion, darkly dolorous, haunting and utterly honest and heartfelt, and so good, it has us doubters headed back into Oldham's catalog to see if there's more stuff like this we may have been missing. SO recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Time To Be Clear"
MPEG Stream: "No Match"
MPEG Stream: "We Are Unhappy"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY & MARIEE SIOUX Bonnie & Mariee (Spiritual Pajamas) 2x7" 13.98

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY & THE CAIRO GANG Island Brothers (Drag City) 10" 13.98
Two stunning new songs from Bonnie Prince Billy and The Cairo Gang. "New Wonder" is a solemn and mournful tear jerker that ranks to the top of any of Will Oldham's most affecting tracks of all time and that's saying a lot! "Island Brothers" will be familiar sounding to anyone who has seen the band in the last year or so as it's become a staple of their live sets. With the profits of this record going to help in the efforts to get clean filtered water into Haiti, still struggling in the aftermath of the recent disaster, it's just further proof that Oldham is not just a class act, but still one of the best songwriters of his generation.
A must have for Oldham fans!

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY & THE CAIRO GANG The Wonder Show Of The World (Palace / Drag City) cd 14.98
It's easy to take Will Oldham for granted at this point as he has become as prolific as he is talented, but when you can continually write and create such warm and wise music , well, then we're fine with the abundance of recent releases.
The Wonder Show Of The World might just be the most free flowing and affecting BPB album in a while. We're not exactly sure who/what the Cairo Gang is, but we're definitely enjoying their contribution. And we do know that long time contributor/collaborator and super talented guitarist Emmet Kelly (The Cairo Gang?) takes on a much bigger role than he has in the past. It's a way more subtle, subdued and minimal approach to production and song structure and we have to say we kind of love it this way. Sometimes the over-the-top instrumentation and full on country jams that have made up some of his recent releases takes away from the core of what makes Oldham's songwriting so intimate and special.
The Wonder Show Of The World finds Oldham getting back to that more sacred and refined sound. It's not about riffing on a certain genre (country, gospel, etc.) instead it's just about creating moving, emotional and haunting songs. At this point it's really not too far fetched to think of Oldham as possibly the closest thing to this generations Dylan, a storyteller who has found music as the best medium to share his gift of language and evoking emotion. Oldham fans are sure to love this and even those of us who had taken a little break from him are finding that this record is reeling us back into his world.
MPEG Stream: "Troublesome Houses"
MPEG Stream: "Kids"
MPEG Stream: "Go Folks, Go"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY & THE CAIRO GANG The Wonder Show Of The World (Palace / Drag City) lp 17.98
It's easy to take Will Oldham for granted at this point as he has become as prolific as he is talented, but when you can continually write and create such warm and wise music , well, then we're fine with the abundance of recent releases.
The Wonder Show Of The World might just be the most free flowing and affecting BPB album in a while. We're not exactly sure who/what the Cairo Gang is, but we're definitely enjoying their contribution. And we do know that long time contributor/collaborator and super talented guitarist Emmet Kelly (The Cairo Gang?) takes on a much bigger role than he has in the past. It's a way more subtle, subdued and minimal approach to production and song structure and we have to say we kind of love it this way. Sometimes the over-the-top instrumentation and full on country jams that have made up some of his recent releases takes away from the core of what makes Oldham's songwriting so intimate and special.
The Wonder Show Of The World finds Oldham getting back to that more sacred and refined sound. It's not about riffing on a certain genre (country, gospel, etc.) instead it's just about creating moving, emotional and haunting songs. At this point it's really not too far fetched to think of Oldham as possibly the closest thing to this generations Dylan, a storyteller who has found music as the best medium to share his gift of language and evoking emotion. Oldham fans are sure to love this and even those of us who had taken a little break from him are finding that this record is reeling us back into his world.
MPEG Stream: "Troublesome Houses"
MPEG Stream: "Kids"
MPEG Stream: "Go Folks, Go"

BONNIE PRINCE BILLY & THE PHANTOM FAMILY HALO The Mindeater (Knitting Factory Records) cd ep 8.98

BONNY BILLY More Revery ( Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd ep 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now, given that I'm admittedly a little tired of Will Oldham, this new mini-album of his came as a delightful surprise. Oldham's rickety backporch warblings are wonderful, sure, but somehow, 2 or 3 albums worth of it is enough for me, and he's got 4 or 5 times that much output. But, if you're feeling similarly, please don't ignore this one. More Revery is a collection of *covers*, and we all know how well Will does covers. He's fucking really good at it. Just listen to his cover of Irish group Silly Wizard's "Riverboat Song" (or whatever it's called) from Palace's first 7" (that John Darnielle turned me on to oh so long ago). It's amazing; it's still my favorite track ever from him. On this record Oldham covers the beloved New Zealand group the Renderers, PJ Harvey, John Holt, Bill Withers, Tim McGraw, and John Phillips. Almost every track is a winner, filled out with piano, vibes, even some heavenly psychedelic guitar. And the tone is more upbeat and structured (as opposed to meandering) than any of his previous output. A strong release.
RealAudio clip: "Someone's Sleeping"
RealAudio clip: "A Dream of the Sea"

BOOK OF LISTS, THE s/t (Scratch Recordings) cd 14.98
This new Vancouver foursome's self-titled debut is deeply inspired by the old and the new(er), equal parts '90s shoegazer and retro '60s style pop. Imagining Pulp hanging out with Swervedriver and The Jam will give you some idea of where they're comin' from. A minor distraction though that we could do without were the seemingly random vocal outbursts that pepper the second song. Yeah, it's probably supposed to be emotive, but instead it made us imagine that a sick cat had crept into the recording studio and mewed its dyspepsia into one of the microphones. Don't mean to sound harsh, but we had to press 'skip'. Apart from that one bump in the road though, there's much to dig here. The band has captured a cool balance of brood and bounce, jagged and jangle. While The Book Of Lists' debut album definitely leans heavily on the Brit rock side of things, they do inject a little unexpected New York glammy rock swagger on the album's fifth song "Moon Balloon" to good effect. Part of Vancouver's close-knit hip indie scene, The Book Of Lists' lineup features members of Radio Berlin and Destroyer, plus guests Joshua Wells and Josh Stevenson whose own resumes list participation in varied projects such as Pink Mountaintops, Jackie-O Motherfucker, and Black Mountain.
MPEG Stream: "Lost Weekend"
MPEG Stream: "Stranger"

BOOKS, THE The Lemon Of Pink (Tomlab) cd 15.98
The follow-up to The Books' 2002 debut Thought For Food provides another dose of eclectic, playful, folky sound collages. Each track of the baker's dozen offered up on The Lemon Of Pink is a delightfully rumpled, snipped and reassembled sonic patchwork quilt of acoustic guitar, violin, banjo and lovingly embroidered samples. This time there's a distinct Asian feel to many of the tracks -- Japanese dialogue, koto-esque string plucks -- as well as more of a hushed spoken-sung vocal presence throughout than on their previous album (often very akin to Devendra Banhart). A highly enjoyable, loping, off-kilter journey.
MPEG Stream: "Tokyo"
MPEG Stream: "There Is No There"

BOOKS, THE The Lemon Of Pink (Tomlab) lp 14.98
NOW ON VINYL. The follow-up to The Books' 2002 debut Thought For Food provides another dose of ecclectic, playful, folky sound collages. Each track of the baker's dozen offered up on The Lemon Of Pink is a delightfully rumpled, snipped and reassembled sonic patchwork quilt of acoustic guitar, violin, banjo and lovingly embroidered samples. This time there's a distinct Asian feel to many of the tracks -- Japanese dialogue, koto-esque string plucks -- as well as more of a hushed spoken-sung vocal presence throughout than on their previous album (often very akin to Devendra Banhart). A highly enjoyable, loping, off-kilter journey.
MPEG Stream: "Tokyo"
MPEG Stream: "There Is No There"

BOOKS, THE The Way Out (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 14.98
After a half decade, The Books deliver their fourth full length and follow-up to Lost And Safe! Anticipation and expectations were high, and we wish we could report that our socks were knocked off, but we'll have to settle for our socks to be warmly comfy. The Way Out is definitely way more vibrant and lively than its comparatively moody predecessor, Lost And Safe. The lead-off track relies heavily on the quirkiness of vintage self-help hypnosis tape voiceovers to engage the listener, but remove those samples and you're left with a simply pleasant clitter-clatter toybox pop-tronic instrumental which would be very at home on the German Morr Music label alongside the likes of Lalipuna and Styrofoam. Moving onwards, in keeping with their unpredictable multi-genre gadabout nature, The Books then inject a welcome bit of funky juiciness and more random novelty into the proceedings, but it too seems to rely a lot on modern sound manipulation software to tweak the listeners' ears. Earlier in the decade, there weren't a whole lot of artists making this kind of music, and thus the group's patchworked quirkiness was somewhat distinct and engaging, but these days everyone and their dog has or at least knows about those programs and is making similarly spirited recordings. Simply, the mystique has faded a little, and it takes a bit more these days for folks to truly get beyond the "whoa, listen to these crazy, loopy, chopped up and processed sounds!" We don't mean to be too hard on The Books specifically, it's just an inescapable fact of modern music making. That said, if you dig that sound, and want more, this will most likely still hit the spot.
MPEG Stream: "Group Autogenics I"
MPEG Stream: "I Didn't Know That"
MPEG Stream: "A Cold Freezin' Night"

BOOKS, THE The Way Out (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 14.98
After a half decade, The Books deliver their fourth full length and follow-up to Lost And Safe! Anticipation and expectations were high, and we wish we could report that our socks were knocked off, but we'll have to settle for our socks to be warmly comfy. The Way Out is definitely way more vibrant and lively than its comparatively moody predecessor, Lost And Safe. The lead-off track relies heavily on the quirkiness of vintage self-help hypnosis tape voiceovers to engage the listener, but remove those samples and you're left with a simply pleasant clitter-clatter toybox pop-tronic instrumental which would be very at home on the German Morr Music label alongside the likes of Lalipuna and Styrofoam. Moving onwards, in keeping with their unpredictable multi-genre gadabout nature, The Books then inject a welcome bit of funky juiciness and more random novelty into the proceedings, but it too seems to rely a lot on modern sound manipulation software to tweak the listeners' ears. Earlier in the decade, there weren't a whole lot of artists making this kind of music, and thus the group's patchworked quirkiness was somewhat distinct and engaging, but these days everyone and their dog has or at least knows about those programs and is making similarly spirited recordings. Simply, the mystique has faded a little, and it takes a bit more these days for folks to truly get beyond the "whoa, listen to these crazy, loopy, chopped up and processed sounds!" We don't mean to be too hard on The Books specifically, it's just an inescapable fact of modern music making. That said, if you dig that sound, and want more, this will most likely still hit the spot.
MPEG Stream: "Group Autogenics I"
MPEG Stream: "I Didn't Know That"
MPEG Stream: "A Cold Freezin' Night"

BOOKS, THE The Way Out (Temporary Residence Ltd.) 2lp 29.00
After a half decade, The Books deliver their fourth full length and follow-up to Lost And Safe! Anticipation and expectations were high, and we wish we could report that our socks were knocked off, but we'll have to settle for our socks to be warmly comfy. The Way Out is definitely way more vibrant and lively than its comparatively moody predecessor, Lost And Safe. The lead-off track relies heavily on the quirkiness of vintage self-help hypnosis tape voiceovers to engage the listener, but remove those samples and you're left with a simply pleasant clitter-clatter toybox pop-tronic instrumental which would be very at home on the German Morr Music label alongside the likes of Lalipuna and Styrofoam. Moving onwards, in keeping with their unpredictable multi-genre gadabout nature, The Books then inject a welcome bit of funky juiciness and more random novelty into the proceedings, but it too seems to rely a lot on modern sound manipulation software to tweak the listeners' ears. Earlier in the decade, there weren't a whole lot of artists making this kind of music, and thus the group's patchworked quirkiness was somewhat distinct and engaging, but these days everyone and their dog has or at least knows about those programs and is making similarly spirited recordings. Simply, the mystique has faded a little, and it takes a bit more these days for folks to truly get beyond the "whoa, listen to these crazy, loopy, chopped up and processed sounds!" We don't mean to be too hard on The Books specifically, it's just an inescapable fact of modern music making. That said, if you dig that sound, and want more, this will most likely still hit the spot.
MPEG Stream: "Group Autogenics I"
MPEG Stream: "I Didn't Know That"
MPEG Stream: "A Cold Freezin' Night"

BOOKS, THE The Way Out (Temporary Residence Ltd.) 2lp 29.00
After a half decade, The Books deliver their fourth full length and follow-up to Lost And Safe! Anticipation and expectations were high, and we wish we could report that our socks were knocked off, but we'll have to settle for our socks to be warmly comfy. The Way Out is definitely way more vibrant and lively than its comparatively moody predecessor, Lost And Safe. The lead-off track relies heavily on the quirkiness of vintage self-help hypnosis tape voiceovers to engage the listener, but remove those samples and you're left with a simply pleasant clitter-clatter toybox pop-tronic instrumental which would be very at home on the German Morr Music label alongside the likes of Lalipuna and Styrofoam. Moving onwards, in keeping with their unpredictable multi-genre gadabout nature, The Books then inject a welcome bit of funky juiciness and more random novelty into the proceedings, but it too seems to rely a lot on modern sound manipulation software to tweak the listeners' ears. Earlier in the decade, there weren't a whole lot of artists making this kind of music, and thus the group's patchworked quirkiness was somewhat distinct and engaging, but these days everyone and their dog has or at least knows about those programs and is making similarly spirited recordings. Simply, the mystique has faded a little, and it takes a bit more these days for folks to truly get beyond the "whoa, listen to these crazy, loopy, chopped up and processed sounds!" We don't mean to be too hard on The Books specifically, it's just an inescapable fact of modern music making. That said, if you dig that sound, and want more, this will most likely still hit the spot.
MPEG Stream: "Group Autogenics I"
MPEG Stream: "I Didn't Know That"
MPEG Stream: "A Cold Freezin' Night"

BOOKS, THE The Way Out (Temporary Residence Ltd.) 2lp 29.00
After a half decade, The Books deliver their fourth full length and follow-up to Lost And Safe! Anticipation and expectations were high, and we wish we could report that our socks were knocked off, but we'll have to settle for our socks to be warmly comfy. The Way Out is definitely way more vibrant and lively than its comparatively moody predecessor. The lead-off track relies heavily on the quirkiness of vintage self-help hypnosis tape voiceovers to engage the listener, but remove those samples and you're left with a simply pleasant clitter-clatter toybox pop-tronic instrumental which would be very at home on the German Morr Music label alongside the likes of Lalipuna and Styrofoam. Moving onwards, in keeping with their unpredictable multi-genre gadabout nature, The Books then inject a welcome bit of funky juiciness and more random novelty into the proceedings, but it too seems to rely a lot on modern sound manipulation software to tweak the listeners' ears. Earlier in the decade, there weren't a whole lot of artists making this kind of music, and thus the group's patchworked quirkiness was somewhat distinct and engaging, but these days everyone and their dog has or at least knows about those programs and is making similarly spirited recordings. Simply, the mystique has faded a little, and it takes a bit more these days for folks to truly get beyond the "whoa, listen to these crazy, loopy, chopped up and processed sounds!" We don't mean to be too hard on The Books specifically, it's just an inescapable fact of modern music making. That said, if you dig that sound, and want more, this will most likely still hit the spot.
MPEG Stream: "Group Autogenics I"
MPEG Stream: "I Didn't Know That"
MPEG Stream: "A Cold Freezin' Night"

BOOKS, THE The Way Out (Temporary Residence Ltd.) 2lp 29.00
After a half decade, The Books deliver their fourth full length and follow-up to Lost And Safe! Anticipation and expectations were high, and we wish we could report that our socks were knocked off, but we'll have to settle for our socks to be warmly comfy. The Way Out is definitely way more vibrant and lively than its comparatively moody predecessor. The lead-off track relies heavily on the quirkiness of vintage self-help hypnosis tape voiceovers to engage the listener, but remove those samples and you're left with a simply pleasant clitter-clatter toybox pop-tronic instrumental which would be very at home on the German Morr Music label alongside the likes of Lalipuna and Styrofoam. Moving onwards, in keeping with their unpredictable multi-genre gadabout nature, The Books then inject a welcome bit of funky juiciness and more random novelty into the proceedings, but it too seems to rely a lot on modern sound manipulation software to tweak the listeners' ears. Earlier in the decade, there weren't a whole lot of artists making this kind of music, and thus the group's patchworked quirkiness was somewhat distinct and engaging, but these days everyone and their dog has or at least knows about those programs and is making similarly spirited recordings. Simply, the mystique has faded a little, and it takes a bit more these days for folks to truly get beyond the "whoa, listen to these crazy, loopy, chopped up and processed sounds!" We don't mean to be too hard on The Books specifically, it's just an inescapable fact of modern music making. That said, if you dig that sound, and want more, this will most likely still hit the spot.
MPEG Stream: "Group Autogenics I"
MPEG Stream: "I Didn't Know That"
MPEG Stream: "A Cold Freezin' Night"

BOOKS, THE Thought For Food (Tomlab) cd 15.98
From the very first few notes of Thoughts For Food, you get an inkling that The Books aren't going to take you on a straight ahead, sensible musical journey, and your inkling would be right! The Books may slightly puzzle with their stylistical and structural meanderings. Layering in dialogue samples and field recordings amid this laidback fray adds to the raw, roaming feel of this album. Much like their absurd titles (of the album itself as well as the songs), the music - a contorted, eccentric, folky blend based around acoustic guitars, fiddle, bass and some fragments of beats - twists, flips and folds back onto itself. Engagingly unpredictable, you never know what mood The Books will be in - solemn, frisky, or ??? Choosing excerpts for you to give you more of an idea of this release was difficult, so from the twelve songs you get a snippet from the first song (which is also the title track) and one from the tenth. If they pique your interest, well then you'll simply have to check out the complete cd to find out where they rambled to and fro in between those points.
RealAudio clip: "Enjoy your worries, you may never have them again"
RealAudio clip: "Getting the done job"

BOOTBLACKS s/t (Eve of the Last Migration) lp 12.98
Bootblacks are a relatively new NYC outfit mining classic 1980's post-punk and no wave, creating dramatic songs that, in their best moments, evoke Depeche Mode as much as The Birthday Party. This self-titled lp captures the group early on in their career, on the cusp of a transformation into a really great live band, one we here on the Left Coast have only managed to see twice. Strange pyramids, ever-present smoke and psychedelic lights frame really loud songs that wear their influences like a runway model wears the latest designer frock: with pride and style. Bootblacks have found moderate success in Europe, through touring there multiple times, and on the East Coast where they play constantly.
On the record itself, Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds are ever-present, especially on "Save Me Maria" which sounds, in the best possible way, like a B-side off Tender Prey. Jim Sclavunos (of the Bad Seeds / Grinderman) produced a few tracks, including one of the record's best, "The Flood". A tom-heavy beat stomps around a big fuzzy bassline and a clean vocal line. Layers of guitar lines slip in and out, building tension, until the chorus erupts with some weird backwards sounding laser-gun effects. The guitar playing throughout the entire record is excellent, full of skill and heart and hooks. Alli Pheteplace, musically the record's shining star, fluidly conjures the spirit of Rowland S. Howard and makes it her own. Melodies seem to fly effortlessly from her reverb-laden instrument. Her backing vocals on songs like "The Things We Did" and "The Flood" provide an almost sensual contrast to vocalist Ryan MacDonald's in-your-face sexual overtones. Pheteplace and MacDonald are both formerly of San Francisco's The Holy Kiss, another group that worshipped at the altar of The Birthday Party, albeit the swampier-blusier side of the band. The best track off the second half of the record is "Machina", a cacophonous rolling ride of a song. A repeating trumpet line and lyrics you can't quite understand play call and response until the chorus busts through with a perfectly complimentary marching snare beat. There's just enough noise to make the song sound fucked-up and interesting without distracting from its bass-and-drums guts.
The record is housed in a nice silver and black jacket, with some kind of sliver sticker on the back. An obi proclaims the glories of Bootblacks and provides the only information available on the outside of the sleeve. Limited to 350 copies, each one hand numbered. Also includes an mp3 download card, as well as a silk-screened patch for all you punks out there.
MPEG Stream: "The Flood"
MPEG Stream: "The Things We Did"
MPEG Stream: "Machina"

BOREDOMS Super AE (Birdman) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The domestic version of this kick ass Boredoms album finally sees the light of day! Far less manic than their previous spazzcore albums you loved in the past, the Boredoms' new focus on studio manipulations is intense and artistically successful. Layers of bombastic guitar noises swell and give way to insane bursts of tape manipulation along with the wax and wane of desperate screams and urgent percussion. Super AE is a rancid psychedelic experience that could be a chance meeting on the dissecting table between Amon Duul and Nurse With Wound.
If you've seen the Boredoms live and don't think you could sit through a disc of it, know that this album builds on the studio experiments of their recent SuperRoots series; it's not Yamantaka Eye jumping around anymore -- he's sitting in the cockpit, entering your earholes with intents to purple-shag-carpet-bomb your sense of reality. Mad Jack became mad scientist.
Although Japanese import version came packaged in an elaborate day-glo oversized plastic box, don't worry: the artwork on this domestic cd is pretty damn cool complete with nifty Eye Yamantaka magic marker art!
MPEG Stream: "Super Are You"
MPEG Stream: "Super Good"

BOREDOMS Super Go!!!!!-Shine In*Shine On (WEA) dvd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
20 minutes on two tracks from the Boredoms. Neither of these tracks appear anywhere on the latest album (Super Are). Surprisingly beautiful psych-rock grooves that continue on their noisy Amon Duul kick.

BOREDOMS Super Roots 7 (WEA Japan) cd 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This seventh installment in their series of between-album-projects is a kind of obtuse and convoluted (like a Boredoms record could be anything but) tribute to the Mekons. Ostensibly a 33 minute Mekons cover, but I'll be a monkeys uncle if a chunk of this here cd doesn't sound a whole lot like Stereolab circa Dots and Loops!