BRAST BURN Debon (Phoenix) cd 17.98
Just as we expected, and certainly hoped, the fact that the Phoenix label reissued the freaky '70s Japanese psych artifact by Karuna Khyal (their album Alomoni 1985, highlighted here a few lists ago) meant that Brast Burn and their lone album Debon from 1975 was sure to follow. And now here it its, another rare record originally released on the extremely underground Voice label, the work of a mysterious avant-psych entity that may or may not have shared more of less the same membership as Karuna Khyal. Very similar to that band's record, this one also consists of two sprawling side-long tracks, that seem designed to demonstrate that Japanese hippies can could play primal "krautrock" too. Both tracks situate fairly mellow grooves amidst droning, heavily effected weirdness, with vocal chanting, ceremonial hand percussion, acid rock guitar spew, raw flute soloing, tape manipulated field recordings, rumbling drums, buzzing electronics, Twilight Zone melodies, and other good stuff making significant appearances in the freeform stew... it's very "Eastern", quite insane, and totally enjoyable.
If you liked the Karuna Khyal, you'll like this too. Also any fan of Acid Mothers Temple, Ghost, or other modern day Japanese psych would be remiss not check this out, we'd be surprised if it wasn't to be found in Kawabata Makoto and Masaki Batoh's record collections. Furthermore, without even checking, we're pretty sure this is the sort of thing that must be on the famous Nurse With Wound "list"... ok, we looked, it's there! Of course. And speaking of lists, it's #26 on Julian Cope's Japrocksampler Top 50, by the way (the Karuna Khyal was #19).
In the usual "wallet" style Phoenix cd packaging, limited to 1000 numbered copies.
MPEG Stream: "Debon 1"
MPEG Stream: "Debon 2"

BRATMOBILE Girls Get Busy (Lookout!) cd 14.98
The first thing I noticed about this new Bratmobile album was the addition of keyboards to this punky trio's tried and true guitar, bass and drums lineup. This effectively changes their stripped down, riot grrrl sound quite a bit... for the better or for the worse? I've yet to decide. It sorta makes it all seem a bit more '60s garage girl band. But what I used to find so novel about them was their bare bones approach, which seems to have been lost here. It sounds like they are growing up before my very ears. About time! Even Allison's voice doesn't sound quite as shrill and annoying as it has in the past. Though she isn't doing anything new, she does sound a bit more composed, but unfortunately often that ends up translating as monotone and a little bit bored sounding. Good but not a particularly energized follow-up to 2000's "Ladies, Women and Girls", their feisty return to the punk rock scene.
RealAudio clip: "Shut Your Face"
RealAudio clip: "What's Wrong With You"
RealAudio clip: "Idiot Lover"

BRATMOBILE Ladies, Women and Girls (Lookout!) cd 14.98
Head's up! The riot grrrrrrandmas are back! More spunky punky female-empowering punk rock.

BRAVE IRENE s/t (Slumberland) cd 10.98
There's a whole new generation of indie rockers who missed out on a crucial era in indie rock history in the early nineties, K Records, the International Pop Underground, etc., and thus probably don't remember Tiger Trap, a short lived group that released a single record and a handful of singles before calling it quits after about a year. But TT had a lasting impact, and found a cult following, and made TT frontwoman Rose Melberg a bit of an indie rock icon. Along with Black Tambourine (whose complete discography was recently reissued and is reviewed elsewhere on the aQ site), Beat Happening, Heavenly, Tsunami, Mecca Normal and others, Tiger Trap were a group who represented the DIY indie rock spirit and helped empower women to start bands and labels. Melberg would go on to play in Go Sailor and the Softies, and has returned once again in Brave Irene, whose sound is not that far removed from her other bands, which is just fine with us, stripped down, soft focus jangly indie pop, Melberg's voice is in fine form, lots of dreamy harmonies, warm whirring organs, fuzzy guitars, propulsive rhythms, eight songs in 17 minutes, brief bursts of perfect pop, dreamy and hypnotic, a sound of which we never tire.
Absolutely for fans of any of the above mentioned bands, and the current crop of girl pop: Grass Widow, Dum Dum Girls, White Fence, Vivian Girls, Splinters, Girls At Dawn, Veronica Falls, Yellow Fever...
MPEG Stream: "No Fun"
MPEG Stream: "River To Sea"
MPEG Stream: "Tangled Line"

BRAVE IRENE s/t (Slumberland) lp 10.98
There's a whole new generation of indie rockers who missed out on a crucial era in indie rock history in the early nineties, K Records, the International Pop Underground, etc., and thus probably don't remember Tiger Trap, a short lived group that released a single record and a handful of singles before calling it quits after about a year. But TT had a lasting impact, and found a cult following, and made TT frontwoman Rose Melberg a bit of an indie rock icon. Along with Black Tambourine (whose complete discography was recently reissued and is reviewed elsewhere on the aQ site), Beat Happening, Heavenly, Tsunami, Mecca Normal and others, Tiger Trap were a group who represented the DIY indie rock spirit and helped empower women to start bands and labels. Melberg would go on to play in Go Sailor and the Softies, and has returned once again in Brave Irene, whose sound is not that far removed from her other bands, which is just fine with us, stripped down, soft focus jangly indie pop, Melberg's voice is in fine form, lots of dreamy harmonies, warm whirring organs, fuzzy guitars, propulsive rhythms, eight songs in 17 minutes, brief bursts of perfect pop, dreamy and hypnotic, a sound of which we never tire.
Absolutely for fans of any of the above mentioned bands, and the current crop of girl pop: Grass Widow, Dum Dum Girls, White Fence, Vivian Girls, Splinters, Girls At Dawn, Veronica Falls, Yellow Fever...
MPEG Stream: "No Fun"
MPEG Stream: "River To Sea"
MPEG Stream: "Tangled Line"

BRAZZAVILLE Welcome To... (Web Of Mimicry) cd 14.98

BREAST FED YAK Get Your Greasy Head Off The Sham (Birdman) cd 13.98
Hard to figure this one out. Ok, let's start with the line-up: Paul Lemos and Joe Papa of Controlled Bleeding infamy, plus the maniac drum stylings of Tatsuya Yoshida from the Ruins (!) on half the tracks!! Actually, Yoshida's presence here isn't *that* surprising, as he's an '80s guy no doubt into Industrial Culture scene at the time, and has guested on another recent Controlled Bleeding album. Plus the music on here in in keeping with the sillier, improv messing-around side of Yoshida's output. Lemos, Papa, and Yoshida are backed by a large band of horn players and others -- everything from clarinets to contact mics. Trombone, sax, trumpet, harmonica, violin, sitar, lots of absurd vocals, etc. All that gets thrown into the mix, mostly with a falling-down-the-stairs kind of sound. Babbling squawking chaos skronk jazz rock is what's going on here, yet while on the noisy side this is still kinda song-oriented. There's even recognizable if malformed covers of tunes by The Doors and Bo Diddley! All this is Residents or Sun City Girls-ish weirdness for weirdness' sake, no doubt. Probably *not* essential for Ruins and/or Controlled Bleeding fans, but some of you will like it. Watch out for the photo of Joe Papa as "Birdman Baby" inside the cd booklet, it's at least as disturbing as the music...
RealAudio clip: "Infant Mode"
RealAudio clip: "That Joey Rejection"

BREATHER RESIST Charmer (Jade Tree) cd 14.98

BREEDERS Mountain Battles (4AD) cd 13.98
It's hard to believe it's been six years since Title TK, the Deal sisters last "comeback" effort that polarized longtime fans into either defenders or dissenters. The unpolished production and sometimes awkwardly strung out delivery of that record left many people cold at the time. Yet as time moved on, more and more folks have warmed up to its rough sheen (or at least they are now admitting it!). There's always an air of dubious speculation and scrutiny around a Breeders release that you don't find with, say a new Black Francis album. Perhaps it's due to their scant discography (only 4 records in 18 years, 5 if you include the one-off Breeders-in-drag side project, The Amps), rotating line-ups, problematic drug habits, or the hopeful but unlikely chance that they'll outshine their 13-year-old breakout hit, "Cannonball". (They don't btw, but really they've long moved on, can't we?)
So here we are with a brand new Breeders album, the best work they've done in ages, but one with scars still on full display. Using the same line-up as Title TK, the arrangements are still raw but with a richer envelope of production around the edges (especially with the vocals) that harkens back to their classic sound. There are plenty of driving rock numbers, "Overglazed, "Bang On" ,"Walk It Off", tempered with softer, majestic tracks, such as "Night of Joy", and "We're Gonna Rise". At the same time, they attempt to break new ground with various song forms, not all of which are equally successful. The Eastern trance atmosphere of "Istanbul" is stunning, but the Kelly-sung Spanish ballad, "Regalam Esta Noche" delves a bit too far into Linda Ronstadt territory for us. Overall, it's a great record but one with flaws. The first half of the record is nearly perfect, but stumbles through the second half where the flow is weakened by too many meandering changes from slow numbers to faster ones. The biggest weakness being the last song, which also happens to be the title track, trailing off into a long whimper without a definable ending, when they had much stronger songs to end with. But it's really not that the songs themselves are bad, they aren't. It's just that the order of the songs adversely reveal their faults instead of highlighting their strengths. We recommend listening to this on shuffle for best overall effect. Still, a new Breeders record is always welcome, and we'll listen to it to death because they'll always have those songs that make us achingly happy, even if we can't help picking them apart. Because when it comes down to it, we'd rather listen to the worst Breeders record than the best Black Francis record any day (although his new record might have us rethinking that)!
MPEG Stream: "Bang On"
MPEG Stream: "Night Of Joy"
MPEG Stream: "Walk It Off"

BREEDERS Mountain Battles (4AD) lp 14.98
It's hard to believe it's been six years since Title TK, the Deal sisters last "comeback" effort that polarized longtime fans into either defenders or dissenters. The unpolished production and sometimes awkwardly strung out delivery of that record left many people cold at the time. Yet as time moved on, more and more folks have warmed up to its rough sheen (or at least they are now admitting it!). There's always an air of dubious speculation and scrutiny around a Breeders release that you don't find with, say a new Black Francis album. Perhaps it's due to their scant discography (only 4 records in 18 years, 5 if you include the one-off Breeders-in-drag side project, The Amps), rotating line-ups, problematic drug habits, or the hopeful but unlikely chance that they'll outshine their 13-year-old breakout hit, "Cannonball". (They don't btw, but really they've long moved on, can't we?)
So here we are with a brand new Breeders album, the best work they've done in ages, but one with scars still on full display. Using the same line-up as Title TK, the arrangements are still raw but with a richer envelope of production around the edges (especially with the vocals) that harkens back to their classic sound. There are plenty of driving rock numbers, "Overglazed, "Bang On" ,"Walk It Off", tempered with softer, majestic tracks, such as "Night of Joy", and "We're Gonna Rise". At the same time, they attempt to break new ground with various song forms, not all of which are equally successful. The Eastern trance atmosphere of "Istanbul" is stunning, but the Kelly-sung Spanish ballad, "Regalam Esta Noche" delves a bit too far into Linda Ronstadt territory for us. Overall, it's a great record but one with flaws. The first half of the record is nearly perfect, but stumbles through the second half where the flow is weakened by too many meandering changes from slow numbers to faster ones. The biggest weakness being the last song, which also happens to be the title track, trailing off into a long whimper without a definable ending, when they had much stronger songs to end with. But it's really not that the songs themselves are bad, they aren't. It's just that the order of the songs adversely reveal their faults instead of highlighting their strengths. We recommend listening to this on shuffle for best overall effect. Still, a new Breeders record is always welcome, and we'll listen to it to death because they'll always have those songs that make us achingly happy, even if we can't help picking them apart. Because when it comes down to it, we'd rather listen to the worst Breeders record than the best Black Francis record any day (although his new record might have us rethinking that)!
MPEG Stream: "Bang On"
MPEG Stream: "Night Of Joy"
MPEG Stream: "Walk It Off"

BREEDERS Title TK (4AD) cd 17.98
Here it is... the return of Kim Deal and sister Kelley after such a long silence, and they're joined by a whole new gang of fellows for this Breeders incarnation. It's not a bad record (think how easily it could've been!) but it's not very exciting either. Sounds like they're taking things at their own pace and not trying too hard, despite knowing that both fan and critic expectations are probably pretty high after all this time. The songs are stark and nicely stripped down, almost like demos (me, I tend to like demos better than finished stuff in general anyway, see PJ Harvey's 4-track material). Their former trademark bright, jangling hooks and harmonies are scarce. Instead, the songs are darker, and steeped with a somber, melancholic edge. Ms Deal's deliciously precise way of singing is intact, tho' she sounds slightly bummed out and fed up, but still driven to make music. There's nothing here as good as "Cannonball". Byram equated it to a musical yawn. Windy gives them a little credit for not making anyone remix them. Yet. Knock wood.
RealAudio clip: "Off You"
RealAudio clip: "Put On A Side"

BREEDERS, THE Last Splash (Plain) lp 17.98
The first two and best Breeder's records finally get their well-deserved vinyl reissue treatment!!
A portentous title if there ever was one, 1993's Last Splash was the bands biggest release, but one that crippled their lasting impact. With Kim Deal in full control and the Pixies broken up, she was able to broker this blockbuster release on the strength of a few singles, especially the mega-crossover hit, "Cannonball". That song played everywhere!!! Its hooky riff was even used as a sample in another worldwide smash hit, "Firestarter" by The Prodigy, securing Deal plenty of royalties. With Deal's twin sister, Kelly replacing Tanya Donnelly, the band gained creative intensity with stronger songwriting. But they also gained some heavy baggage, as their sudden superstar status took the band down some dark roads in order to deal with the relentless pressures of fame and touring. It took nearly ten years for the band to release their next record, but they were forever changed. One of the best alternative rock records of the nineties, at least time has been kind to Last Splash, still holding up after all these years. But not without leaving a near-fatal mark that the band is just now finally recovering from.

BREEDERS, THE Pod (Plain) lp 17.98
The first two and best Breeder's records finally get their well-deserved vinyl reissue treatment!
Pod was first released in 1990 as a side-project for Kim Deal of the Pixies and Tanya Donnelly from Throwing Muses to finally express some of the creative freedom they were lacking in their main bands. Joined by Josephine Wiggs of Perfect Disaster and produced by Steve Albini, The Breeders turned out an album with far more potential and fun than either of the two records the Pixies (Bossanova) and the Muses (Hunkpapa) put out at the time. Though the line-up was short-lived (Donnelly left shortly after to form her own band, Belly), Pod has become over the years a widely beloved record with more creative urgency and risk-taking than its more commercially successful follow-up. It pretty much jump-started what music would become in the nineties and still hasn't lost any of its timeless power. So awesome!

BRETHEREN OF THE FREE SPIRIT The Wolf Also Shall Dwell With The Lamb (Important) lp 27.00
Now available on vinyl!!!
The hermetic concern with dualities, whether they be natural and spiritual, mysteries veiled and revealed, fertility and drought, or as the the title of this disc alludes to the religiously symbolic wolf and lamb, greatly inform this collaboration between avant-lutist Jozef Van Wissem and twelve-string wunderkind James Blackshaw. Named after a 13th century cult of Northern European heretics, this is the second installment for the duo, who give us four more pieces to mirror the four from the first installment. Where on their debut disc we felt the sonic fullness of Blackshaw's cascading twelve string repetitions and on one track Van Wissem's progressive use of distorted electronics, on this new album, the sound is more ascetically restrained, favoring Van Wissem's use of reconfigured medieval and classical renaissance compositions into spiraling but lyrically melodic motifs in which Blackshaw adds interlocking labyrinthian figures in DADEAD tuning. This is sacred music for mad monks!
MPEG Stream: "The Wolf Also Shall Dwell with The Lamb"
MPEG Stream: "Into The Dust of The Earth"

BRETHREN OF THE FREE SPIRIT All Things Are From Him, Through Him And In Him (Audiomer) cd 14.98
Brethren indeed. This is the work of two consummate stringed instrument manipulators working in the improvised avant-folk idiom... Brother #1, from England, AQ fave James Blackshaw (who just blew us away with an amazing solo instore performance two weeks ago!), a dexterous master of the 12 string guitar. Brother #2, from Belgium, Renaissance lute player Jozef Van Wissem (who was also recently scheduled for an AQ instore alongside his pal Tetuzi Akiyama but unfortunately had to cancel due to a bad cold or flu). Van Wissem has received acclaim from us and others for his solo recordings incorporating electronics and field recordings alongside his innovations on classical lute improvisation.
Together, it's a perfect pairing, Blackshaw and Van Wissem conjuring a delicately dense intertwining of forward-flowing fingerpicked minimalist melodies... stately spiritual praises that are all instrumental but for a brief Current 93ish spoken coda to track one, "...The Lifting Of The Veil". And track three, "How The Unencumbered Soul Advises That One Not Refuse The Calls Of A Good Spirit", is more of an electrically-charged, expansive soundscape of moody string-strike. Electronics, "tennis edits" (??) and the "feline vocals" of one Bun Bun are also woven into the mix with Blackshaw's 12 string and Van Wissem's baroque lute.
To sum up: alchemical loveliness, utterly mesmeric! Really our only complaint about this is also a compliment: at just under a half hour total (28:39), we wish it were longer! The trance-like reveries this induces are too soon interrupted unless we set our cd player on repeat... (not an option with the super-limited vinyl version of this of course.) That's right, the lp version is LIMITED TO 330 COPIES. Whereas the cd is limited to a mere 1000. And we only have a few of the vinyl...
MPEG Stream: "...The Lifting Of The Veil"
MPEG Stream: "All Things Are From Him, Through Him And In Him"

BRETHREN OF THE FREE SPIRIT All Things Are From Him, Through Him And In Him (Audiomer) lp 30.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Brethren indeed. This is the work of two consummate stringed instrument manipulators working in the improvised avant-folk idiom... Brother #1, from England, AQ fave James Blackshaw (who just blew us away with an amazing solo instore performance two weeks ago!), a dexterous master of the 12 string guitar. Brother #2, from Belgium, Renaissance lute player Jozef Van Wissem (who was also recently scheduled for an AQ instore alongside his pal Tetuzi Akiyama but unfortunately had to cancel due to a bad cold or flu). Van Wissem has received acclaim from us and others for his solo recordings incorporating electronics and field recordings alongside his innovations on classical lute improvisation.
Together, it's a perfect pairing, Blackshaw and Van Wissem conjuring a delicately dense intertwining of forward-flowing fingerpicked minimalist melodies... stately spiritual praises that are all instrumental but for a brief Current 93ish spoken coda to track one, "...The Lifting Of The Veil". And track three, "How The Unencumbered Soul Advises That One Not Refuse The Calls Of A Good Spirit", is more of an electrically-charged, expansive soundscape of moody string-strike. Electronics, "tennis edits" (??) and the "feline vocals" of one Bun Bun are also woven into the mix with Blackshaw's 12 string and Van Wissem's baroque lute.
To sum up: alchemical loveliness, utterly mesmeric! Really our only complaint about this is also a compliment: at just under a half hour total (28:39), we wish it were longer! The trance-like reveries this induces are too soon interrupted unless we set our cd player on repeat... (not an option with the super-limited vinyl version of this of course.) That's right, the lp version is LIMITED TO 330 COPIES. Whereas the cd is limited to a mere 1000. And we only have a few of the vinyl...
MPEG Stream: "...The Lifting Of The Veil"
MPEG Stream: "All Things Are From Him, Through Him And In Him"

BRETHREN OF THE FREE SPIRIT The Wolf Also Shall Dwell With The Lamb (Important Records) cd 14.98
The hermetic concern with dualities, whether they be natural and spiritual, mysteries veiled and revealed, fertility and drought, or as the the title of this disc alludes to the religiously symbolic wolf and lamb, greatly inform this collaboration between avant-lutist Jozef Van Wissem and twelve-string wunderkind James Blackshaw. Named after a 13th century cult of Northern European heretics, this is the second installment for the duo, who give us four more pieces to mirror the four from the first installment. Where on their debut disc we felt the sonic fullness of Blackshaw's cascading twelve string repetitions and on one track Van Wissem's progressive use of distorted electronics, on this new album, the sound is more ascetically restrained, favoring Van Wissem's use of reconfigured medieval and classical renaissance compositions into spiraling but lyrically melodic motifs in which Blackshaw adds interlocking labyrinthian figures in DADEAD tuning. This is sacred music for mad monks!
MPEG Stream: "The Wolf Also Shall Dwell with The Lamb"
MPEG Stream: "Into The Dust of The Earth"

BRIAN AND CHRIS 3 (Dielectric) cd 12.98
Isn't it nice when friends become friends with other friends? We sorta get that feeling from this release, as local boys Brian Fraser and Chris Palmatier were AQ faves upon the release of their second album Vectors and now this new disc sees them joining the illustrious ranks of the Dielectric Recordings Empire run by *our* friends Drew and Stephanie... Better yet, B and C don't disappoint with 3, it's a fine disc of light and airy (Airy?) indie rock infused electronica (or electronica infused indie rock?), very creative and summery and mellow and pretty, with room for laptops and guitars and panpipes and random voice recordings and much studio-as-instrument-goings-on. We sell a lot of the likes of the Postal Service and The Books and Boards Of Canada and there's no reason this shouldn't go in the shopping basket with the rest of 'em. Nice.
MPEG Stream: "Action Packed Vacation"
MPEG Stream: "Hey Rube"

BRIAN AND CHRIS Vectors (Megalon) cd 13.98
If Jim O'Rourke wasn't so afflicted with attention deficit disorder, if Boards of Canada weren't so s-l-o-w in making new records, if the Champs weren't on tour all the time -- maybe they all coulda gotten together and made a record as pretty as this one. Brian and Chris are a coolly eclectic local duo whose record is so fresh, gentle, accomplished and unhurried that it's taken us by surprise. When an album is this eclectic we are usually a little suspicious -- but Brian & Chris' "Vectors" album totally works. Bravo.
Starting with a shuffling bass groove layered over with atmospherics full of texture and grit, the record would at first seem to be yet more popular electronics in the vein of Mouse on Mars or Boards of Canada. But before you know it the electronics have been replaced by echoing acoustic blues guitar that's foregrounded right in your eardrum, while tinny jungle beats cavort way in the background, used more as texture than as booty movers. It's a nice combination you'd like to hear longer, but before long chiming, fingerpicked guitars accompany a lilting, ethereal female voice, soon to be followed by angular shards of art-post-rock very similar to Gastr del Sol (in a good way, not pretentious at all). And as if that weren't fun enough, by the end of the album the perfectly seamless segueways between the genre-bending tracks have placed you squarely in the middle of a Champs-style rock guitar workout. Wow. Highly recommended!
RealAudio clip: "Jakarta International Airport"
RealAudio clip: "Pristina"
RealAudio clip: "Katzenjammer"

BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE Bravery Repetition and Noise (Committee to Keep Music Evil) cd 14.98
The follow-up to last year's 6-song EP "Zero: Songs From The Album 'Bravery, Repetition And Noise'" (which it should be noted actually only contained 3 of the songs from this full length) and 1998's album-proper '"Strung Out In Heaven" finds Brian Jonestown Massacre moving even further from their earlier, considerably more volatile, Stones-esque presence as well as their later rootsy blues phase. Now in their eleventh year, they've still got their trippy, psyched out edge, but without a hint of the raucous irreverence of their past. BJM mainman Anton Newcombe has incorporated all of their past stylistic turns with a somewhat more early '80s Brit sound; I might even venture to say that the fourth and fifth tracks sound a bit Cure-ish. The final track is a great, expansive special mix of the track "If I Love You" -- mellow, moving and verging on pretty.
RealAudio clip: "Open Heart Surgery"
RealAudio clip: "If I Love You"

BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE Spacegirl And Other Favorites (Committee To Keep Music Evil / Bomp!) cd 14.98
This is the cd reissue of a very hard to find collection of early recordings of this infamous SF band. It was originally released as a limited-to-500 vinyl pressing back in 1993, then on cd in '96. So, who's behind this album's re-surfacing? Why it's none other than the Committee To Keep Music Evil label run by Brian Jonestown Massacre's kingpin Mr. Anton Newcombe. Over the years, BJM have gone through many different incarnations both member-wise (seriously, they defined the phrase "revolving door of musicians") and sound-wise (frequently making complete stylistic 180's from dreamy Brit showgazerness to druggy trippiness to volatile blues rawk), but they've always kept a hand on the psychedelic knob. This is BJM in their softer, hazy, droning rock mode a bit more folky too. Sort of like the Stone Roses tripping out with Guided By Voices. We've had a few customers positively swoon when this has been played in the store. C'mon don't ya wanna space out with Spacegirl too. And hey, BJM sweeten the deal even more with a half dozen bonus songs!
MPEG Stream: "That Girl Suicide"
MPEG Stream: "Spacegirl"

BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE Spacegirl And Other favorites (Candy Floss) lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE Tepid Peppermint Wonderland: A Retrospective (Tee Pee) 2cd 16.98
Since 1991, BJM has offered the public a rock soap opera of sorts. Sideburns, Drugs & Rock 'n Roll, yeah. Providing songs to do drugs to for over a decade now, BJM's label has brought forth a heavy 2 disc retrospective obviously to coincide with the Sundance-acclaimed documentary by Ondi Timoner, "Dig!" Could only a clueless megalomaniac warrant such shameless media attention? You decide. Regardless, Tepid Peppermint Wonderland bequeaths 44 tracks of steady, mid-tempo Notorious Byrd Brothers-meets-Ride/Stone Roses glassy-eyed sonic numbness, including some previously unreleased studio and live songs.
MPEG Stream: "All Around You (Intro)"
MPEG Stream: "Who?"

BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE Zero (Evil/Bomp) cd 16.98

BRICK LAYER CAKE Whatchamacallit (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Man, it's been a while since we heard the name Brick Layer Cake. Ten, twelve years maybe? Brick Layer Cake is Todd Trainer, drummer for Shellac, and while he is definitely partially responsible for the huge racket that Shellac kicks up, BLC is a much more personal, stripped down, languorous affair. Not to say it's not intense and heavy (in a way). Cause it is. It's just darker, and more claustrophobic, with downtuned dirge-guitars, urgently whispered vocals, and tarpit tempos. The label described it as Nick Drake singing Black Sabbath, but ONLY THE GOOD PARTS. Hmmm. Well, we can see where someone who wasn't entirely familiar with Black Sabbath or Nick Drake might draw such a comparison: the riffs are slow and plodding and minor key, there's a definite 'Children Of The Grave' vibe, the vocals are hushed and whispered, urgent and plaintive. But realistically, it's more of just a really cool, really dark, sort-of-slow-core, dirgey almost-metal, kind of post-rock, shimmering, brooding rock record. Really nice.
RealAudio clip: "Stars"
RealAudio clip: "Whats Her Face"

BRICOLAGE s/t (Slumberland) cd 10.98

BRICOLAGE s/t (Slumberland) lp 12.98

BRIDE OF NO NO B.O.N.N. Apetit! (Atavistic) cd 15.98
More No-Wave spasticity and vocal caterwauling from former Scissor Girl A.Z. and her compadres.

BRIDEZ Evilroad (self-released) cd-r 9.98
Sometimes you just gotta get down and dirty, sleazy and rocking, and we have to say it's been hard to find bands doing that sort of thing right these days. So thank the stars for Bridez, a San Francisco band who make sounds made reckless nights on the dancefloor, beer soaked chaos, reminding us that rock n roll is supposed to be trashy and wild and impassioned!
There is definitely a '90s vibe happening on Evilroad that reminds us of all those great records by bands like L7, Babes In Toyland, 7 Year Bitch, Hole, Mudhoney, The Gits, Royal Trux, etc. that we've recently been revisiting, reveling in how damn good they still are. For their debut full length Bridez teamed up with Greg Ashley of Gris Gris fame producing and he definitely brings his keen sense of melody and atmosphere to the Bridez' high energy infectious rock assault. While we're sure lead singer Liza Thorn is sick of the Courtney Love comparisons, there is no denying that her voice and energy conjures images of the Courtney we used to go crazy for circa Pretty On The Inside and Live Through This. But while she commands plenty of attention the rest of the band have some serious chops as well and a truly relentless spirit which helps make Bridez a full on band to take notice of.
While much of their reputation surrounds their reckless and chaotic live shows, it's awesome to hear that behind all the commotion and mayhem, this band has some seriously great songs running through their veins. So fucking good!
MPEG Stream: "Evil Road"
MPEG Stream: "Rolling Stoned"
MPEG Stream: "California"

BRIDEZ Rolling Stoned b/w Heart (World Famous In SF) 7" 5.98
Bridez front woman, and the cover star of this here 7" single, is none other then Liza Thorn, who was responsible for unleashing a thrilling and damaging whirlwind of fierce energy here in the Bay Area with her previous band So So Many White White Tigers. While Bridez is a much more song based endeavor, there is still that reckless energy and dirty quality to their songs that makes this such a fun, fiery and righteously sleazy debut. We hear healthy doses of Pussy Galore, early Hole and the early recordings of The Runaways. Bringing a much needed element of danger and drunken passion to fucked up rock n' roll. So good!

BRIGADE Last Laugh (Shadoks Music) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The many unknown (to us, that is, for the most part) '60s psych rock reissues from labels like Akarma, Gear Fab, Sundazed, and Shadoks tend to be hit or miss affairs, with some truly being unearthed gems (Dreamies, Arzachel, Mad River) but quite a few being duds. Unfortunately, Brigade doesn't qualify as a gem, though it's not entirely the latter either. Garage psych pop (with lotsa pretty pre-prog keyboards) from Portland, Oregon that's nice and inoffensive and has a certain appeal to connoisseurs of the era no doubt, but lacks the x-factor (pop genius, heaviness, weirdness?) that would pique our interest. (More fuzz, please!) Recommended for collectors only. Probably the coolest thing about this band is that they won a KLSN Radio Portland Teen Fair Battle Of The Bands in 1968 and got a 1954 custom purple Cadillac hearse as the prize!
Thankfully the current batch of Shadoks reissues includes a much better West Coast rock entry (SoCal's Peacepipe, reviewed elsewhere) and a bonafide gem (British folkies Tony, Caro & John, also reviewed elsewhere), so they're still batting over .500.
RealAudio clip: "Self-Made God"

BRIGHT Albatross Guest House (Ba Da Bing!/Darla) cd 12.98

BRIGHT Bells Break Their Towers (Strange Attractors Audio House) cd 15.98

MPEG Stream: "Manifest Harmony"
MPEG Stream: "Flood"

BRIGHT Full Negative (or) Breaks (Ba Da Bing!) cd 13.98
Not sure why I always thought this band was English. Maybe the name? Maybe the labels that have released their records? Maybe the music? It must just be me. On second thought actually, it could be the music. This American duo weave lush, blissed out, dreamy, droned out, hypnotic sort-of-post-rock. Lots of reverbed guitars, repetitive riffs that stretch out forever, skittery understated percussion, backwards looped guitars, vocals buried in the mix, hints of hooks here and there. Druggy psychedelic guitarscapes that remind me of My Bloody Valentine, Spacemen 3, and Swervedriver. Especially Swervedriver. Good stuff.
RealAudio clip: "Heart Of The Park"
RealAudio clip: "Yeah! Holy Stones"

BRIGHT s/t (Ba Da Bing!) cd 12.98
AQ-friend B. Goldberg's handy description: "Krautrocky pop with psych overtones... Delay on guitar and vocals... Improvised songs with lots of overdubs..."

BRIGHT EYES Cassadaga (Saddle Creek) cd 14.98
Conor Oberst sure keeps his legions and legions of adoring Bright Eyes fans happy... that is, contentedly weepy'n'wallowin' in a steady stream of his unmistakable melancholia. He follows up his two 2005 Bright Eyes albums and a sprawling 2006 rarities collection with something considerably more concise and accessible. Oberst opens Cassadaga with a swirling collage of orchestral strains which borrow a thing (or two or three) from The Beatles' "Revolution 9". Singing in an unexpectedly restrained, low register, Oberst's voice is almost unrecognizable. So much more muted and soft than usual, he could almost be mistaken for Dean Wareham. From there he sweeps into more familiarly Bright Eyes-ian folk pop territory with rollicking fiddle and his voice receding back to the withered weepy range you know and love. With this his sixth album, Oberst fully sheds his well worn indie folk cover boy beginnings as he assumes a more broadly appealing veteran Americana singer/songwriter stature. He does so with absolute ease and composure, and some very welcome support from M. Ward and Gillian Welch. Solidly onwards and upwards!
MPEG Stream: "Clairaudients (Kill Or Be Killed)"
MPEG Stream: "If The Brakeman Turns My Way"

BRIGHT EYES Cassadaga (Saddle Creek) 2lp 17.98
Conor Oberst sure keeps his legions and legions of adoring Bright Eyes fans happy... that is, contentedly weepy'n'wallowin' in a steady stream of his unmistakable melancholia. He follows up his two 2005 Bright Eyes albums and a sprawling 2006 rarities collection with something considerably more concise and accessible. Oberst opens Cassadaga with a swirling collage of orchestral strains which borrow a thing (or two or three) from The Beatles' "Revolution 9". Singing in an unexpectedly restrained, low register, Oberst's voice is almost unrecognizable. So much more muted and soft than usual, he could almost be mistaken for Dean Wareham. From there he sweeps into more familiarly Bright Eyes-ian folk pop territory with rollicking fiddle and his voice receding back to the withered weepy range you know and love. With this his sixth album, Oberst fully sheds his well worn indie folk cover boy beginnings as he assumes a more broadly appealing veteran Americana singer/songwriter stature. He does so with absolute ease and composure, and some very welcome support from M. Ward and Gillian Welch. Solidly onwards and upwards!
MPEG Stream: "Clairaudients (Kill Or Be Killed)"
MPEG Stream: "If The Brakeman Turns My Way"

BRIGHT EYES Christmas (Saddle Creek) cd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

BRIGHT EYES Digital Ash In A Digital Urn (Saddle Creek) cd 13.98
Aw heck, these two new Bright Eyes albums probably need no introduction... folks have been askin' for them for weeks! However, in case you've been snoozing, there are TWO new Bright Eyes full lengths. And for those of you raising your eyebrows wondering how each stands up, let's just say right up front that there's nary a bit of filler nor padding in sight. Mr. Conor Oberst has become one darn prolific and consistent music man. With two such solid offerings, let's watch the legions of B.E. fans grow and grow and grow!
As the title suggests, this Bright Eyes album encorporates instrumentation of the digital kind into his usually earthy acoustic folk pop assembly. And although the programmed drums can be a bit intrusive and jarring at times, they're tempered by the inclusion of a string quartet, as well as some harp and flute. Actually many of these songs sound more like they've been plucked from a recent Flaming Lips album than one you'd expect from Bright Eyes. Much like on his other current album I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, Conor Oberst's performance comes across as much more aggressive and empassioned than on past recordings... particularly on one of the album's highlights, the seventh song "I Believe In Symmetry". Guests include Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Jimmy Tamborello (Postal Service, Dntel), and Clark Baechle (The Faint).
MPEG Stream: "Gold Mine Gutted"
MPEG Stream: "I Believe In Symmetry"

BRIGHT EYES Digital Ash In A Digital Urn (Saddle Creek) lp 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Aw heck, these two new Bright Eyes albums probably need no introduction... folks have been askin' for them for weeks! However, in case you've been snoozing, there are TWO new Bright Eyes full lengths. And for those of you raising your eyebrows wondering how each stands up, let's just say right up front that there's nary a bit of filler nor padding in sight. Mr. Conor Oberst has become one darn prolific and consistent music man. With two such solid offerings, let's watch the legions of B.E. fans grow and grow and grow!
As the title suggests, this Bright Eyes album encorporates instrumentation of the digital kind into his usually earthy acoustic folk pop assembly. And although the programmed drums can be a bit intrusive and jarring at times, they're tempered by the inclusion of a string quartet, as well as some harp and flute. Actually many of these songs sound more like they've been plucked from a recent Flaming Lips album than one you'd expect from Bright Eyes. Much like on his other current album I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, Conor Oberst's performance comes across as much more aggressive and empassioned than on past recordings... particularly on one of the album's highlights, the seventh song "I Believe In Symmetry". Guests include Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Jimmy Tamborello (Postal Service, Dntel), and Clark Baechle (The Faint).
MPEG Stream: "Gold Mine Gutted"
MPEG Stream: "I Believe In Symmetry"

BRIGHT EYES Fevers and Mirrors (Saddle Creek) cd 14.98
Fevers and Mirrors begins with a lone guitar and the spoken words of a child, rather reminiscent of 'Dear God' by XTC, but don't let that first taste send you down the wrong path. Certainly this is music of disappointment and dismay, but far from the melodramatic. Mournful, searching melodies fleshed out with the sounds of accordion, piano, mellotron, pedal steel, vibraphone, and the fragile, hoarse voice of Conor Oberst, who sings as if there were a gun held up to his head. This is perfect for slumping on a bar stool when life's dealt you a bad hand... that is, until track 3 when you decide to launch your pint straight at the wall or someone's head. Quite possibly Bright Eyes best work to date complete with beautiful mirror cover art. "Like a dream they came to cure the fever of my brain, and sooth my burning throat." A lovely downer of an album. For fans of the more stripped down side of Built to Spill.

BRIGHT EYES Four Winds (Saddle Creek) 12" 12.98
With this generous six-song ep, Conor Oberst dangles a little samplin' of what's to come on his next Bright Eyes album! The title track will reappear on the full length due out in April (with guest stars Gillian Welch and M. Ward among others), but the other five songs are dandy exclusive 'B-sides'! Not ones to scrimp on their label's crown jewel, Saddle Creek has pressed these records on primo 180 gram vinyl!

BRIGHT EYES I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (Saddle Creek) cd 12.98
Aw heck, these two new Bright Eyes albums probably need no introduction... folks have been askin' for them for weeks! However, in case you were snoozing, there are TWO new Bright Eyes full lengths. And for those of you raising your eyebrows wondering how each stands up, let's just say right up front that there's nary a bit of filler nor padding in sight. Mr. Conor Oberst has become one darn prolific and consistent music man. With two such solid offerings, watch the legions of B.E. fans grow and grow and grow.
The way this album starts -- with Oberst tellin' a story -- you'd almost think you were listening to an old King Missile album (not a bad thing, by the way!), his hesitant storytelling here resembles that of John S. Hall quite a bit.
Anyways, aside from that minor musing, the first thing we noticed when we gave this album a spin was just how robust and feisty Oberst's voice sounds. It's so much more so than we've come to expect, but never fear, his trademark brittle warble (that you may or may not know and love) is very much still present. Plus, he's got quite an assembly of skilled musicians backing him up. Together they weave super lush and often rollicking rootsy folk arrangements that somehow don't overshadow or crowd his voice. A surprising guest appearance on this album is that of Emmylou Harris (other guests include The Faint's Clark Baechle and My Morning Jacket's Jim James). She sings on three songs (with varying degrees of prominence) and we only wish she were on more! Her presence as well as Oberst's own growing performance composure and songwriting refinement push this album beyond the mopey indie borderlines that have bound Bright Eyes' past releases. In closing, we'd venture to say that this is the stronger of the two new albums. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Train Under Water"
MPEG Stream: "Land Locked Blues"

BRIGHT EYES I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (Saddle Creek) lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Aw heck, these two new Bright Eyes albums probably need no introduction... folks have been askin' for them for weeks! However, in case you were snoozing, there are TWO new Bright Eyes full lengths. And for those of you raising your eyebrows wondering how each stands up, let's just say right up front that there's nary a bit of filler nor padding in sight. Mr. Conor Oberst has become one darn prolific and consistent music man. With two such solid offerings, watch the legions of B.E. fans grow and grow and grow.
The way this album starts -- with Oberst tellin' a story -- you'd almost think you were listening to an old King Missile album (not a bad thing, by the way!), his hesitant storytelling here resembles that of John S. Hall quite a bit.
Anyways, aside from that minor musing, the first thing we noticed when we gave this album a spin was just how robust and feisty Oberst's voice sounds. It's so much more so than we've come to expect, but never fear, his trademark brittle warble (that you may or may not know and love) is very much still present. Plus, he's got quite an assembly of skilled musicians backing him up. Together they weave super lush and often rollicking rootsy folk arrangements that somehow don't overshadow or crowd his voice. A surprising guest appearance on this album is that of Emmylou Harris (other guests include The Faint's Clark Baechle and My Morning Jacket's Jim James). She sings on three songs (with varying degrees of prominence) and we only wish she were on more! Her presence as well as Oberst's own growing performance composure and songwriting refinement push this album beyond the mopey indie borderlines that have bound Bright Eyes' past releases. In closing, we'd venture to say that this is the stronger of the two new albums. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Train Under Water"
MPEG Stream: "Land Locked Blues"

BRIGHT EYES Lifted Or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground (Saddle Creek) cd 15.98
If you're partial to music that stirs from beyond the point of one's deepest melancholia - clawing at the walls in despair, drowning in a sea of tear-soaked handkerchiefs, clinging to the last sliver of hope... get the picture? - Nebraska's Bright Eyes may be for you. Primarily the work of Mr. Conor Oberst, B.E. already has an ever-growing flock of admirers for his previous two full lengths on which his frail warble of a voice threatened to collapse under the weight of his words. Much more fleshed out than on past recordings, B.E.'s lush musical backdrop on many songs seems to bolster Oberst (check out "False Advertising" or the absolutely beautiful "Nothing Gets Crossed Out" with its the sweet female vocal backups - heartbreaking!), and it's this support that seems to propel him forth as he weaves his earnest, raw, folky tales. It also serves to make the impact that much greater when the grand strings and horns are stripped away for the more minimal, acoustic moments ("Don't Know When But A Day Is Gonna Come"), not to mention how it expands the music's overall appeal. Tormented and introspective, the emotions flow from him in torrents almost beyond his control. Similar to, but still much more bare bones than the Microphones and less lyrically surreal than Neutral Milk Hotel, it also brings to mind Tom Waits or the Pogues in the carnivalesque or minstrel tones. I'd have to say my favorite songs here are the aforementioned "Nothing Gets...." and "From A Balance Beam". They're perhaps the most fully realized of the bunch, the latter was also the first song on the cdep that preceded the album. There's a hefty list of participants on this album filling out B.E.'s choirs, horn and string sections, and drum corps including folks from The Faint. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Nothing Gets Crossed Out"
RealAudio clip: "False Advertising"
RealAudio clip: "From A Balance Beam"
RealAudio clip: "Don't Know When But A Day Is Gonna Come"

BRIGHT EYES Lua (Saddle Creek) cd ep 4.98
Are you prepared for the imminent Conor Oberst onslaught? Huh, what are we talkin' about? Y'mean you didn't know that there's two full Bright Eyes albums comin' out in a couple of months? Well, to get your feet wet, here's two new eps that serve as sort of a sneak peek at each new full length. This one is "Lua" and the respective upcoming B.E. album that it's from is the characteristically brittle emo-folk I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. To sweeten the deal further, there's three non-album songs that'll surely draw a few more tears from your melacholic warbly pop-lovin' eyes.
MPEG Stream: "Lua"
MPEG Stream: "True Blue"

BRIGHT EYES Motion Sickness (Blood of the Young) 7" 3.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Two more sadsack songs from Omaha, Nebraska's Conor Oberst and co. Songwriting of the bleak and despairing kind. On a swirly storm cloud of grey vinyl.

BRIGHT EYES Motion Sickness: Live Recordings (Team Love) cd 14.98
Yes, half of this album's title is accurate. This is Conor Oberst and company in concert. They sound great. Although these tracks were recorded during the 2005 I'm Wide Awake It's Morning tour in front of massive hordes of rabid B.E. fans, the crowd noise is surprisingly unobtrusive. Fifteen tracks including a couple covers of Feist and Elliott Smith songs ("Mushaboom" and "The Biggest Lie" respectively)! Rest assured, you won't be experiencing an ounce of nausea or dizziness... unless you're just not a Bright Eyes fan!
MPEG Stream: "We Are Nowhere And It's Now"
MPEG Stream: "The Biggest Lie"

BRIGHT EYES Noise Floor: Rarities 1998 - 2005 (Saddle Creek) cd 13.98
You get a little bit of everything on this new Bright Eyes rarities collection -- singles, b-sides, unreleased stuff, a Spoon cover ("Spent On Rainy Days")-- but you especially get Conor Oberst's trademark most heartfelt of heartfelt indie boy poetics sung in those endearingly wimpery, near breathless vocals. Seriously folks, we've said it before but we'll say it again, he sounds like he's either being dangled by a thread over a cliff or he's got someone with a gun to his head or he got caught in a chilly downpour without an umbrella. Definitely an acquired taste! The second song "I Will Be Grateful For This Day" brings blasts of thick distortion that interrupt the delicate electronics laced indie folk pop melody. Other tunes are more straightforward folk singer/songwriter numbers, of which he become increasingly adept at writing. Total heart string tuggin', pit of your stomach sentiments. So Bright Eyes fans, consider this a little something to tide you over 'til Oberst hits the studio for his next album!
MPEG Stream: "I Will Be Grateful For This Day"
MPEG Stream: "Amy In The White Coat"
MPEG Stream: "Spent On Rainy Days"

BRIGHT EYES Noise Floor: Rarities 1998-2005 (Saddle Creek) 2lp 17.98
And yes Bright Eyes fans, we do have this release on double LP too! This vinyl version includes five bonus tracks not on the CD!
Here's what we said about the CD version... You get a little bit of everything on this new Bright Eyes rarities collection -- singles, b-sides, unreleased stuff, a Spoon cover ("Spent On Rainy Days")-- but you especially get Conor Oberst's trademark most heartfelt of heartfelt indie boy poetics sung in those endearingly wimpery, near breathless vocals. Seriously folks, we've said it before but we'll say it again, he sounds like he's either being dangled by a thread over a cliff or he's got someone with a gun to his head or he got caught in a chilly downpour without an umbrella. Definitely an acquired taste! The second song "I Will Be Grateful For This Day" brings blasts of thick distortion that interrupt the delicate electronics laced indie folk pop melody. Other tunes are more straightforward folk singer/songwriter numbers, of which he become increasingly adept at writing. Total heart string tuggin', pit of your stomach sentiments. So Bright Eyes fans, consider this a little something to tide you over 'til Oberst hits the studio for his next album!
MPEG Stream: "I Will Be Grateful For This Day"
MPEG Stream: "Amy In The White Coat"
MPEG Stream: "Spent On Rainy Days"