BURNING BRIDES Anhedonia (Cobraside) lp 24.00
4th album from these longtime, uh, 'neo-grunge' faves of ours. Though, we'll admit that this far along, we're wondering if it's diminishing returns time for the Burning Brides. Don't get us wrong, on the strength of Anhedonia, we still don't understand why this band isn't totally huge. Next to Dax Riggs (Acid Bath, Agents Of Oblivion, Deadboy and the Elephantmen), BB mainman, guitarist/vocalist Dimitri Coats is our favorite rockstar who isn't actually exactly a real, cover of the Rolling Stone rockstar... yet. In a perfect world, though, like maybe if he'd been born a few years earlier, and grown up in Seattle...
But, in actual reality, just how many albums are Coats & Co. gonna have to make before they get on the cover of Rolling Stone, y'know? They'd better pace themselves, and that's maybe what it sounds like they're doing here, putting out just another BB album. Which is pretty cool, mind you. Though they're more Foo Fightery these days, and less Bleach-era Nirvanalike.
The metallic leanings of their previous effort, Hang Love, have been dialed back a bit here, and likewise they're slick enough now we can't be calling this all that garagey. But BB are still kicking out the heavy hooky jams with soaring ready for radio melodies and fuzzy guitars, and it's the closest thing to good grunge you're gonna find this side of 1995. Fans should check it out, it's a dose of what you like. But, if you haven't heard BB before, we'd say start with Fall Of The Plastic Empire, their much rawer, more psychedelic debut.
MPEG Stream: "Lovesick"
MPEG Stream: "Summer Leaves"

BURNING BRIDES Fall Of The Plastic Empire (V2) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Can we interest you in a heavy, garagey pop rock record, with a dark side? Kinda like Nirvana circa "Bleach"? Hmm? Well, if you're an avid reader of our lists/website, you might recall that we already gave a pretty rave review to a cd by Philadelphia garage rock band the Burning Brides back on list #112. Well, this new V2 release is actually that same album, just repackaged (with new art) and reissued by their new (way bigger) label, V2. (Weirdly, no mention of its original release on File 13 is made in any of the press material we've seen, though they do get thanked in the cd liner notes.) Anyway, we're glad it's come out again, 'cause although we said it was great last time, we didn't quite realize just HOW great. It ended up making several of our year end top ten lists, and now we're really happy to have get to gush about it again, making it a "Record of the Week" this time around, no less! Hopefully ours won't be the only hype this band will generate -- obviously V2 is banking on that, 'cause with the big MTV-approved Hives/White Stripes/Strokes/Vines garage rock bust-out phenomenon of 2001-2002, they must be figuring that Burning Brides could get a slice of that pie. And, darn it, they deserve it! This record *kicks ass* all over the Hives and the Vines (and, we like those bands!), seriously. And it didn't need the $100,000 production job the Vines got, either. No, this is real garage rock, originally released on a true indie label, as we said. Our previous review of this called it "gritty and unkempt garage/sludge" and made a lot out of its sonic similarities to the Stooges. Drunken swagger and snotty attitude, all that good stuff. We did mention Nirvana, Sabbath, and the Beatles, but maybe overdid the Stooges angle. Now we'd say: if you like any of that new-school garage stuff, you've gotta check this out. It's noisy and raw and rockin', but also melodic and atmospheric. Catchy as hell, groovy yet pyschedelically droney, complete with handclaps, wah wah guitar solos, instrumental break downs, some metallic riffing, and, most importantly, a whole bunch of great stick-in-your-head choruses. There's not a weak song in the bunch -- they all rock. So if you missed out the first time, you've now been given another chance to get with the Burning Brides program! Such a good record. (And we only hope that for those of us who already got this last year, that the Brides might have a NEW new record in the pipeline too...)
RealAudio clip: "Plank Of Fire"
RealAudio clip: "If I'm A Man"
RealAudio clip: "Arctic Snow"
RealAudio clip: "Stabbed In The Back Of The Heart"

BURNING BRIDES Hang Love (ModArt) cd 14.98
Our favorite modern-day GRUNGE band returns! On big label V2 no more, however... are they still touring arenas? Apparently the Audioslave crowd didn't pick up on 'em like they should have. But we still really dig the Burning Brides, who remain, soundwise, tough and catchy, more metal than ever in parts this time 'round (we hear some Sabbath, no surprise, but also a hint of Slayer??). But basically, most simply put, this is grunge like you used to love it (and c'mon, you still do): flannel wearing, garagey, heavy, hooky, and of course dwelling on dark thoughts from drizzly days. They're not from Seattle though, these guys & gal are from Philly and now based in Los Angeles. And they seem more partial to black leather than flannel. But the sound is grunge for sure.
MPEG Stream: "Ring Around The Rosary"
MPEG Stream: "Your Nation Will Die"

BURNING BRIDES Leave No Ashes (V2) cd 14.98
The Burning Brides are back! Their last album was an Aquarius Record Of The Week, so we had high expectations for this one. And Leave No Ashes seemingly delivers, more of the same anyway (which, c'mon, is basically what we wanted). A little bigger, a little slicker -- they've been out touring arenas with Audioslave y'now -- but still the same heavy, poppy, psychedelic, underdog garage-mongers from Philly we love. But if they're on MTV now we're not surprised. Their sonic similarities to Nirvana -- grungy hooks and a Kurt-like vocal -- remain, but you'll certainly also hear some Monster Magnet, some blues, even some Alice Cooper. Big riffs, and sinister. As with their debut, metallisms shine through their pop, and that's when they're at their best in our estimation. Also, the more we listen, the more we like, and being a grower is a great asset for pop album. And please note: lead-off track and first single "Heart Full Of Black" is *not* the strongest cut on the album! Not that it's bad, it's just not our pick for a single... In competition with the likes of the Vines and the Strokes, we back the Brides!
MPEG Stream: "To Kill A Swan"
MPEG Stream: "King Of The Demimonde"

BURNING SAVIOURS Hundus (I Hate Records) cd 16.98
Enjoying this so much right now, it's hard to actually write about it, I just want to sit and listen... but here's what I've managed to come up with so far:
Oh yeah! We've been looking forward to this second album from Sweden's Burning Saviours for months, it was supposed to come out earlier this year but got delayed until now. Basically, we can make this simple if a) you've heard the first Burning Saviours and liked it and/or b) you're a fan of that -other- Swedish band that channels Pentagram, Black Sabbath and all that good obscure early '70s proto-metal heavy prog psych stuff, namely Witchcraft. If those conditions apply, then get Hundus, 'cause this new Burning Saviours disc is just as good as their amazing debut, sounding (due to shared influences, and perhaps something in the water over there in Sweden) EXACTLY like Witchcraft's equally fine retro-proto-metal. But again, we don't see them as being blatantly unoriginal vis-a-vis Witchcraft or anything, it's just that both bands are so good at capturing the authentic vibe of their heroes, making music well worthy of the upper echelon of Vertigo swirl label heavies.
Those not already tuned in and turned on to Witchcraft / Burning Saviours / the current retro-heavy-psych scene, well, you're gonna think this sounds like Black Sabbath. And maybe a bit Led Zep too, especially some of the vocal phrasing on the epic "Lilly Marion". And some of the riffing and soloing reminds us of very early Judas Priest, in their pre-leather, psychedelic Rocka Rolla phase. So, obviously, lots of appeal here to classic rock lovers! One thing that really makes Burning Saviours sound so great is the "openness" of their sound, spacious and clean, every part hitting our ears just right... the more quiet n' pretty moments making us think of -another- current band of retro-obsessed Swedes who are favorites 'round here, Elope. Even the heavier riffing is still sorta laid back, loping.
Witchcraft definitely already have a cult following (and are gonna be touring the States soon, hitting SF in October with Danava, yeah!), and these guys deserve the same... but their name just isn't as good as "Witchcraft" is it? Burning Saviours are named after a Pentagram song, but maybe we'd have chosen a different one... coulda been called, uh, The 20 Buck Spins? No, that's no good either. Well anyway, another essential hippy-doom album that really seems like it must have been recorded in 1971 and recently unearthed!
MPEG Stream: "Dark Lady"
MPEG Stream: "Ballad Of Time"

BURNING SAVIOURS Hundus (Svart Records) lp 14.98
Finally, finally, finally ON VINYL!
Here's what we excitedly said about the cd version back in 2006 when it originally came out...
Enjoying this so much right now, it's hard to actually write about it, I just want to sit and listen... but here's what I've managed to come up with so far:
Oh yeah! We've been looking forward to this second album from Sweden's Burning Saviours for months, it was supposed to come out earlier this year but got delayed until now. Basically, we can make this simple if a) you've heard the first Burning Saviours and liked it and/or b) you're a fan of that -other- Swedish band that channels Pentagram, Black Sabbath and all that good obscure early '70s proto-metal heavy prog psych stuff, namely Witchcraft. If those conditions apply, then get Hundus, 'cause this new Burning Saviours disc is just as good as their amazing debut, sounding (due to shared influences, and perhaps something in the water over there in Sweden) EXACTLY like Witchcraft's equally fine retro-proto-metal. But again, we don't see them as being blatantly unoriginal vis-a-vis Witchcraft or anything, it's just that both bands are so good at capturing the authentic vibe of their heroes, making music well worthy of the upper echelon of Vertigo swirl label heavies.
Those not already tuned in and turned on to Witchcraft / Burning Saviours / the current retro-heavy-psych scene, well, you're gonna think this sounds like Black Sabbath. And maybe a bit Led Zep too, especially some of the vocal phrasing on the epic "Lilly Marion". And some of the riffing and soloing reminds us of very early Judas Priest, in their pre-leather, psychedelic Rocka Rolla phase. So, obviously, lots of appeal here to classic rock lovers! One thing that really makes Burning Saviours sound so great is the "openness" of their sound, spacious and clean, every part hitting our ears just right... the more quiet n' pretty moments making us think of -another- current band of retro-obsessed Swedes who are favorites 'round here, Elope. Even the heavier riffing is still sorta laid back, loping.
Witchcraft definitely already have a cult following, and these guys deserve the same... but their name just isn't as good as "Witchcraft" is it? Burning Saviours are named after a Pentagram song, but maybe we'd have chosen a different one... coulda been called, uh, The 20 Buck Spins? No, that's no good either. Well anyway, another essential hippy-doom album that really seems like it must have been recorded in 1971 and recently unearthed!
MPEG Stream: "Dark Lady"
MPEG Stream: "Ballad Of Time"

BURNING STAR CORE Amelia (No-Fi) 10" 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

BURNING STAR CORE Challenger (Plastic Records) lp 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Last list's Record Of The Week, also available on vinyl!
The violin is probably the last instrument you think of when you think of underground cd-r noise drone music. Okay, maybe not the last, but it's pretty far down the list for sure. Yet Mr. C. Spencer Yeh has forged a career with his trusty violin, creating a sizable body of work, ranging from full on blown out noise assault, to breathless delicate beauty, to propulsive krautrock infused space rock, and various mixes of all three. We even Record Of The Week-ed his Operator Dead album a while back. But where that record was more of a group effort, this latest disc, Challenger, finds Yeh returning to his solo roots, getting a minimal amount of assistance on just a couple of tracks, but handling the bulk of the soundmaking himself. And while there is no list of instrumentation, we have to assume that violin is not the only instrument present. NOBODY is that good. But even so, Yeh is really really good, and with a violin and whatever else he has in his soundmaking arsenal, he has once again conceived something of great beauty and import, a collection of sounds, of SONGS, an album that is cohesive yet varied, personal and introspective, yet somehow epic and expansive. If anything, this new disc finds Yeh moving his BSC into the rarefied world of spaced out Krautrock. Neu!, Popol Vuh, Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel, A.R. & The Machines, Brian Eno. Much in the same way aQ faves Expo '70, channel seventies space kraut, so does Yeh, but where Expo '70 create thick heavy spaced out dronescapes, the sounds on Challenger are much more melodic, and drifty, dreamy and mesmerizing. There is plenty of noise to be found, but it's doled out sparingly, melodies are sometimes halo-ed in buzz, or delicate rhythms wreathed in feedback, but it's always muted and minimal, allowing the melody and arrangement to shine, and shine they do, each track, a gorgeously repetitive stretch of space-y abstract groove, looped, but slowly shifting and changing shape, propulsive but subtly so.
The opening two track salvo is some of the most blissfully beautiful soft noise we've heard. In fact, even calling it noise might be doing it a disservice. The opener is a slow burning slab of minimal murmur, laced with soft tinkling chimes, an abstract ghostly melody over a softly pulsing drone, eventually augmented by some shimmery hiss and random sampled ambience, but instead of distracting, these sonic events, cars driving past, wind, tape hiss, they only add texture to the glimmering drift beneath.
The second track begins with a riff (played on a violin?) that is quickly wrapped up in corrosive swaths of warbly effected buzz, the two elements twisting around one another, creating a strange churning soundscape of stretched out space rock riffage and crumbling distorted drone, that manages to be absolutely riveting.
The next few tracks offer up some more experimental fare, brief chunks of ambient weirdness, one of plastic cup percussion, heavily reverbed, in a wide open stretch of distant whir and tangled electronics, another a symphony of processed vocals, looped and chopped into a hiccupping stuttering soundscape, eventually joined by soft shimmery chords and warm chordal buzz, yet another a collection of crinkles and crackles, like someone stepping on bubble wrap, balling up wrapping paper and a campfire, all draped over the sounds of children laughing and playing.
All before returning to the blissed out dronedrift of the opening few tracks. Reverbed jaw harp floats in a field of static hum and twinkling fragmented melody, deep tones are woven into gentle lilting melodies, symphonic snippets are looped and assembled into a slow building drone, underpinned by fuzzy droney melodies, totally stirring and epic, haunting and mysterious, a bit of Jeck mixed in with BSC's usual glorious buzz, maybe one of the most moving (and possibly one of the best) tracks we've ever heard from Yeh and his 'Core. The final track is an Avarus like coda, sheets of hiss like rainfall (might very well be), bits of percussive chime and clank, plenty of hiss and whir, over the top, a shimmering high end electric melody, that drifts and stutters dreamily, like some alien lullaby.
Absolutely stunning. And thus, entirely and unequivocally recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Challenger"
MPEG Stream: "Beauty Hunter"
MPEG Stream: "Hopelessly Devoted"

BURNING STAR CORE Let's Play Wild Like (RRR) cd 11.98

BURNING STAR CORE Mes Soldats Stupides '96 - '04 (Cenotaph) 2cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Not sure what it is lately, but there seems to be a strange occurance of not-so-prolific bands releasing a bunch of records all at once. For BSC it's three releases in the last few months. Which is actually cool since they haven't really had all that many proper releases and have been recording since at least the mid-ninties. BSC is mostly the work of C. Spencer Yeh, and Mes Soldats Stupides '96 - '04, as the title implies, collects lots of random recordings from the last 8 years or so. Limited cd-r releases, cassettes, compilations, rehearsals and a few unreleased tracks. Disc one is really strange, sounding like it was mostly constructed using voices, distorted and affected, chopped up and reassembled, slowed down and sped up layered and multi tracked into random and abstract free-noise workouts, sometimes spastic and noisy, but more often sort of droney and hypnotic. Very organic and natural sounding but quite alien sounding in their new noise rock context. Disc two is a lot more free noise, abstract rock, with stumbling percussion, feeding back guitars, lots of tape hiss and amp buzz, more along the lines of the Dead C or Total. Buzzing droning chaotic free rock splatter that slips into smeary soundscapes as often as it explodes into freenoise fragments.
Double disc packaged in a spiffy double digipak with an extensive track listing / insert.
MPEG Stream: "I Wanna Make A Super-Sonic Woman Of You"
MPEG Stream: "The Act Of Sitting With One's Own Ass"
MPEG Stream: "Bronze Colleen Under The Kitchen Floor"

BURNING STAR CORE Operator Dead... Post Abandoned (No Quarter) cd 13.98
Normally the solo project of 'noise violinist' C. Spencer Yeh, on Operator Dead... Post Abandoned, Burning Star Core has been expanded to a four piece, with Yeh on violin, voice, electronics, junkbox and trumpet, Trevor Tremaine on drums, percussion and objects, AQ fave Mike Shiflet on computer, electronics and voice, and Robert Beatty on electronics, who is also credited with being "acoustic appraiser."
As much as we've dug past BSC records, this one is definitely shaping up to be our favorite. This Burning Star Core Quartet thing really suits them. The opening track alone, "When The Tripods Came" is a serious contender for best 'noise rock' track of the year. Maybe ever. Calling it noise rock is hardly fair though. It's a rambling sprawling slow moving driftscape of buzz and distortion. It's almost how you might imagine a modern, noisier Taj Mahal Travellers to sound. In fact the whole record sort of has that same sort of spiritual organic vibe. Taking bits and pieces from other purveyors of longform drone noise, Vibracathedral Orchestra, Total, Sunroof!, mixing in some ultra-free jazz, some raga like buzz, some old school improvised ambience, then running it all through a battery of modern effects and unleashing this thick viscous, incredibly heavy, yet impossibly beautiful (especially for a 'noise' record) sound.
A lot of it has to do with the drums, a relentless chaotic octopoidal rhythmic frenzy, skittering as often as pounding, giving the thick snarling ambience direction and propulsion. Turning a record of drifts and shimmers, into something aggressive, something fierce... but the drums are just the framework, supporting the massive sonic weight of the swirling, churning lush noisiness above, beneath and around them.
The first two tracks, nearly 40 minutes, are some of the finest drone-dirge-space-improv EVER. Some impossible dream jam, The Taj Mahal Travellers vs. Crystal Fist vs. Wolf Eyes, mix in some strange disembodied horns, some Tim Hecker like blurred melancholia, add copious amounts of extra buzz and distorted crumble, wrap everything in a bleary eyed crystalline shimmer, and let the whole thing just ooze out of the speakers.
The third and fourth tracks are much more brief and less dense, balancing the bristling buzz of the first two, in the third, a muted warble underpins shimmering high end harmonics, strange muted mechanical whirs and creaks underneath, as well as burbling underwater bass, random bits of percussion, metallic thrum and long streaks of feedback, eventually building into a sort of an abstract tribal space drift, like the members of No Neck and Sunburned Hand jettisoned from the airlock into deep space mid-jam. The fourth is a rhythmic free for all, the drums a constant splatter and shimmer, spreading out like percussive ripples, the cymbals sizzling out a thick layer of constant buzzing whir to compliment the groaning blown out shimmer and reverb drenched washes of sound, everything growing gradually more distorted until it reaches a fever pitch, a lumbering swirl of crumbling low end and pounding drum damage.
MPEG Stream: "When The Tripods Came"
MPEG Stream: "Operator Dead... Post Abandoned"

BURNING STAR CORE Papercuts Theater (No Quarter) cd 13.98
A new Burning Star Core record, but not exactly a NEW record, more like a NEW record made out of OLD records, as in 4 loooong tracks, assembled and edited from 66 live recordings from the years 1997-2008, a pretty cool idea for sure and it definitely suits BSC, their songs are long anyway, but here they're transformed into epic space drone collages, a plunderphonic chunk of psychedelia.
The first part is a dense chaotic sprawl of total space rock, the drums wild and blown out and frantic, all of the other instruments in a frenzy of swirling effects and in-the-red freakout, which gives way to some glistening upper register ur-drone, like Sunroof! or Pelt, or heck, even Burning Star Core. The second half of the first part is yet more abstract drift, dense layered sound, streaked and blurred and smeared into giant swells of fuzzed out rumbles, peppered with bits of percussion and electronic glitch, finally finishing up with some murky industrial thump.
Part two explodes with some super distorted psychrone freakout, the drums so in the red they distort and change shape, the violin and/or guitar grind and scrape and squeal and howl and shriek, the drums a chaotic cacophony, like a dozen free jazz bands battling it out in an empty swimming pool, before things get a bit more mellow, the band slipping into something a little more Dead C, a meandering dirgey noise rock stumble, that works its way through still more space rock, and several clouds of crunch and clatter and creak.
Part three begins with some garbled processed sort of beatbox vocals, which gradually get more and more effected before things get noisy again, bleats and skronks, quickly subsumed by a thick wall of crumbling buzz, a thick skull rattling thrum, that dissolves into still more abstract free noise damage and haunting ambient drift.
The final part opens up with some whirring drones beneath creaks and clatters, deep bass pulses, which slowly build into some sort-of-free-jazz, which in turn transforms into some blown out industrial rumble, only to finally finish up in a blurred buzzy tangle of spidery violins and groaning low end drones. Phew. Pretty intense stuff, and while you can't necessarily HEAR the 66 source tapes, these tracks do feel dense, as if you can FEEL the fact that 66 tracks were somehow cut up and crammed and layered into just 4.
Heavy, heady, trippy, noisy and psychedelic, a cool way to experience the last 11 years of Burning Star Core in just 66 minutes...
MPEG Stream: "Part I"
MPEG Stream: "Part II"

BURNING STAR CORE The Very Heart Of The World (Thin Wrist) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
For a band that's been around for a while now, Burning Star Core has kept a pretty low profile. Plenty of vinyl only and limited cd-r releases and loads of shows, but still they've remained pretty well under the radar. That all seems about to change with the release of three, count 'em, THREE new compact discs!! The first of those three to reach our ears, The Very Heart Of The World, was recorded between 2002 and 2004 and is everything we've come to expect from these guys (or this guy, as BSC is mostly the work of one C. Spencer Yeh), a gorgeously expansive soundfield of ruptured drones, skittering scraped violin and gurgling electronics, very gritty and crunchy, but still completely dreamy and soothing. Employing the unlikely instrumentation of violin, guitar, electronics, clarinet, organ, percussion, drums, trumpet, piano and voice, BSC conjure up a weird washed out cinematic soundscape, equal parts the Dead C, Wolf Eyes, and Birchville Cat Motel, where drone is obviously the order of the day, but with brief excursions into weird dada-ist voice experiments, blissed out post rock rhythms, skronky free space-jazz, soaring and epic spectacle and even a little full on noise. Haunting and harrowing, brooding and beautiful, this sounds like a seriously Dead C'd Godspeed You Black Emperor, but a GSYBBE with less Canada and more midwest, less Fellini and more Romero, less Constellation and more RRR. Awesome!
MPEG Stream: "Benjamin"
MPEG Stream: "Catapults"

BURNING STAR CORE The Very Heart Of The World (Thin Wrist) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
For a band that's been around for a while now, Burning Star Core has kept a pretty low profile. Plenty of vinyl only and limited cd-r releases and loads of shows, but still they've remained pretty well under the radar. That all seems about to change with the release of three, count 'em, THREE new compact discs!! The first of those three to reach our ears, The Very Heart Of The World, was recorded between 2002 and 2004 and is everything we've come to expect from these guys (or this guy, as BSC is mostly the work of one C. Spencer Yeh), a gorgeously expansive soundfield of ruptured drones, skittering scraped violin and gurgling electronics, very gritty and crunchy, but still completely dreamy and soothing. Employing the unlikely instrumentation of violin, guitar, electronics, clarinet, organ, percussion, drums, trumpet, piano and voice, BSC conjure up a weird washed out cinematic soundscape, equal parts the Dead C, Wolf Eyes, and Birchville Cat Motel, where drone is obviously the order of the day, but with brief excursions into weird dada-ist voice experiments, blissed out post rock rhythms, skronky free space-jazz, soaring and epic spectacle and even a little full on noise. Haunting and harrowing, brooding and beautiful, this sounds like a seriously Dead C'd Godspeed You Black Emperor, but a GSYBBE with less Canada and more midwest, less Fellini and more Romero, less Constellation and more RRR. Awesome!
MPEG Stream: "Benjamin"
MPEG Stream: "Catapults"

BURNS, STEVE Songs For Dustmites (Play It Again Sam) cd 15.98
Yes, it's the fellow from that Nickelodeon children's show Blue Clues, and yes, he is an admitted big fan of the Flaming Lips. So what does an admitted big FL fan and respectable songwriter who wants to shift career paths do? Answer: Hook up with his heroes (or a couple of his heroes namely the Lips' Steven Drozd and producer Dave Fridmann - if you were really cynical you might be saying "heh, bring in the ringers why doncha?" but I'm sure you're/we're not... really!), record his own debut album and capture the attention of the Play It Again Sam America record label to release it. Sometimes it's that... er... easy.
At any rate, this album suits us just fine, thank you very much. The first few songs lean very heavily on the Flaming Lips/Fridmann blow-out sonic grandeur. Big clouds of fluttering textures and snare drum shuffles linger just above Burns' boyish, sincere voice and the soothing melodies played out on piano, strummed acoustic guitar and thickly distorted electric guitar. However, further on into 'Dustmites you'll find tunes that seem much more personal to Burns both lyrically and stylistically. As the album progresses, things generally mellow out into gentle, down-to-earth, sweetly romantic singer/songwriter stuff, but Burns definitely has some twisted pop sensibilities of his own.
MPEG Stream: "Mighty Little Man"
MPEG Stream: "Stick Around"

BURNSIDE, R.L. A Bothered Mind (Fat Possum) cd 14.98

BURNSIDE, R.L. Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down (Epitaph) cd 16.98
It seems you can hear each and every one of R.L. Burnside's 73 years whenever he opens his mouth. It's clear he's had his share of hard times. It's in his amazing, raw, weathered voice and in his brooding words. He can sing the true old Mississippi blues like no one else. And that's definitely the best way to hear him - on his own, but on this album, he's chosen to blend his blues with seemingly unlikely more modern styles and artists. Beats, scratching, synths, sampling, and definite ProTools editing pepper these recordings creating a respectfully unobtrusive yet lively backdrop for R.L.'s vocals.

BURNT BY THE SUN / LUDDITE CLONE split (Ferret) cd 11.98
Man, there sure are more and more amazing grind bands these days. It's like all kids do these days is practice blast beats instead of doing their homework. But who's complaining? This is a split from two of grinds brightest pupils. Both are fast and furious, the production is top notch, and the songs from both bands are completely fucking brutal.

BURNT HILLS Herb Saint (Flipped Out) lp 23.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Latest blast of skull caving psychedelia from this constantly shifting collective, on this 2 track lp shifting from 5 members to 9, from two guitarists to FOUR guitarists and two drummers, not to mention a xylophonist!!! But none of that is as important as the monstrous sounds these guys and gals conjure up, and it is MONSTROUS.
The A side is a riffy sprawl of blown out bong smoke psych sludge crush, chaotic, relentless rehearsal space drumming, churning, chugging riffage, wild tangled chaotic leads, totally burnt out (of course) and endlessly hypnotic, definitely sounds like this was a 20 minute chunk extracted from an all day, all night drug fueled orgy of psychedelic excess, which of course means FUCK YEAH, and WE WANT MORE.
All you have to do is flip it over, and voila, more. WAY more. The flipside is slower and dirgier, almost doomy, a swirly mass of garbled psych-drone freakout, crashing speaker punishing drum damage, total free for all pound and skree, like the A side, epic and endless, and no doubt part of a massive whole that had Burnt Hills' entire neighborhood, stuffing cotton in their ears and pushing furniture against the doors and windows.
This is about as heavy and druggy and noisy as improv space rock gets these days, and we LOVE it.
LIMITED TO ONLY 99 COPIES! Each one hand numbered, in cool paste on sleeves, got very few of these, so be warned.

BURNT HILLS Live 06-11-07 (Holy Room) cd-r 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Found a small stash of these in the back room, long gone and long out of print, we have 6 or 7 up for grabs...
We've sung the praises of Burnt Hills before. Their epic basement jams are the stuff of legend, sprawling lysergic blowouts that shift from droney and krauty to full on Japanese style psych freakouts, multiple guitarists, sometimes as many as 4 or 5, even a xylophonist (although we have a hard time picking the xylo out of the din), the recordings all start out suddenly, and end the same way, as if someone reached over midjam to push record, and then the tape just runs out, and it's not til the next day, when some hungover dude shuffles down to the basement to collect the tape. Fucking awesome. And this live set from 2007 is no different, a nearly hour long jam, the drums all lo-fi and practice space, the air filled with wailing howling guitars, scrabbling leads, gnarled riffs, long buzzing feedback drenched drones, all stretched waaaaaay waaaaaay out, the band unfurling a glorious sprawl of lysergic, blown out, in-the-red drunk and druggy psychedelic space rock bliss. RAD!
This was LIMITED TO 99 COPIES when we first got it in, each one hand numbered. Again, this is WAY out of print, so these are most definitely the last copies we'll ever get!
MPEG Stream: "Live 06-11-07 (excerpt)"

BURNT HILLS Microburst (Flipped Out) lp 23.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

BURNT HILLS Rise Above (Flipped Out) 2lp 34.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Used to be that a single lp could contain the freaked out cloud of head tripping ear splitting sonic bliss unleashed by this sprawling basement psych rock collective, but it seems this time around, this latest batch of cosmic free rock drift, these new heart of the sun, lo-fi drug soaked jams, or more specifically, JAM singular, required more space, and thus spilled out onto 4 whole sides of vinyl. Which makes sense, this is the sort of stuff that benefits from time and space, especially SPACE, the band loose and ramshackle, obviously improvising, but equally obviously in tune with each other (each other being 9 members at this point we think, multiple guitarists, maybe multiple drummers, and a XYLOPHONIST last time we checked), and while maybe not as all out freaked out all the time as on past records, these guys have dialed into some serious spaced out krautrock heaviness/grooviness, sounding at some points like a noisier German Oak, or a way looser and wilder Amon Duul, the drums chaotic but propulsive, the guitars, ALL of them constantly unfurling thick peals and howls, spidery, chugging chords and warped harmonies, a massive psychedelic steel string, amp-melting tangle, all draped over a loose loping rhythmic framework. Long stretches of hypno rock dirge give way to loose free explorations of the outer reaches of psychedelia which in turn occasionally give way to dense gnarled bits of intense drum heavy psych, the guitars taking a backseat to some serious pound and crash, but it's not long before those guitars, ALL of them, swoop in and explode in another blast of blinding sonic effulgence. So good.
LIMITED TO JUST 99 COPIES, each one hand numbered, we have about TEN. Housed in beautiful silkscreened orange and green, eye popping ultra heavy gatefold sleeves, with paste on inner artwork!!

BURNT HILLS s/t (Live) (Holy Room) lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another massive sprawling live psychedelic experience from this space / psych / kraut rock collective, who get together with whoever may be in town ever week, and blow the roof off their humble Midwestern abode. And while the abode may be humble, the basement is most definitely not, as it seems to be where some of the sickest psyche rock is produced these days, most of it going unheard, some of it captured on tape, and released as crazy limited documents of these ecstatic sonic experiences.
This most recent release is scant on info, but by now, we know how it went down, multiple guitar players, sometimes as many as 5 or 6, multiple drummers, and a xylophone player, playing for what we imagine must be hours and hours, as there's no way to tell from the record, it fades right in mid song, fades out at the end of the side, and right back in again on the other side, and then fades out at the end. It certainly feels like this chunk was grabbed mid-jam, and these wild sounds continued on and on in both directions. And like their BH lps, this heavy, heady, tripped out, hypnotic stuff. The drums and bass hold everything together, and the guitars go wild, swooping and soaring, melodic one second, caustic and crunchy the next, fuzzed out riffage, the sound shifting from droned out and hypnotic to chaotic and free, the performance surprisingly dynamic in places, considering its extended improvised origin. One notable thing about this recording, is the xylophone, which on most of the recordings is totally inaudible, but here is finally way more present in the mix, which gives the sound a whole different vibe. Yet another fantastic slab of druggy, dreamy, krautrocky blissed out psychedelic space rock from these basement psychedelic warlords...
LIMITED TO 139 COPIES. Housed in a beautiful jacket!

BURNT HILLS Stoners Pot Palace (Flipped Out) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The return of Burnt Hills, a gloriously freaked out, damaged and deranged, psychedelic garage stomping space rock trailer park stage destroying, instrument thrashing drug drenched sonic dervish. We dug the last record tons, and if anything, this one is even better. One looooong hour long drugspacepsych jam that actually tends more towards the krautrock than the noiserock, with its motorik beats and looped sounding riffage, but fear not, it's still chaotic and noisy, the relentless groove filtered through some Dead C and Liquorball free noise filters. This time, there's lots of space, guitars are angular and detuned, in the backgrounds little squalls of distorted buzz drift in and out of range, vocals buried in the mix spouting some wild and wooly mumbo jumbo, getting all tangled up in the spidery guitar melodies and the shimmery sheets of feedback, while over the top, the drums stumble and sputter, a sort of freenoise freejazz mash up, with the various instruments clicking every once in a while into one of the aforementioned krautrock grooves, only to splinter into weird jagged pieces moments later. Burnt Hills are most definitely the Stoner's Pot Palace house band, and odds are they probably get paid in weed...
Packaged in handmade gatefold sleeves, with various artwork and photos affixed to the inside and outside, some hand drawn designs inside as well, LIMITED TO 99 COPIES, each disc hand numbered, the cd-r's cool faux vinyl discs complete with inner label.Ê
MPEG Stream: "Stoners Pot Palace (excerpt 1)"
MPEG Stream: "Stoners Pot Palace (excerpt 2)"

BURNT HILLS The Moon Of The Sky (Flipped Out) lp 23.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Latest batch of super heavy, blown out, in the red, psychedelic space rock from this ever shifting collective, recorded live, in the Burnt Hills / Flipped Out basement presumably, with FOUR guitar players, a bassist, a drummer, and someone playing XYLOPHONE (!), this is some serious freaked out heaviness, a constant barrage of tangled psychedelic riffage, wild swirling squalls of smoldering leads, the drumming dense and frenzied, the bass more a low end presence than an actual bass, adding to the thickness and the viscosity of the sound, a cacophonous sidelong basement jam, but played as if the house was a starship, and if these folks just rocked hard enough, the house might lift off and carry everyone in it into the heart of the sun, and play hard they do, constantly slipping from thick drumless guitar drones to full on flurries of free noise freakout, but always returning to the mesmerizing space rock groove that seems to run through the whole jam. Thick and explosive and freaked out, druggy and deliriously over the top, a sonic homage to Fushitsusha, White Heaven, Aural Fit, High Rise, Les Rallizes Denudes and all the gods of psychedelia. Fucking fierce!!
LIMITED TO JUST 99 COPIES, we have about TEN. Housed in beautiful green and silver, almost metallic looking, silkscreened sleeves, each one hand numbered.

BURNT HILLS To Your Head (Flipped Out) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is the sound of burnt hills, the smell of burnt hair, the black musical smoke from a burning methlab in an abandoned trailer park, a glorious blown out, burnt out, drug addled freak rock free for all. Imagine the Dead C if they had grown up in Modesto, skipping school and doing lots of speed in the 7-11 parking lot, or if they had spent their formative years in Texas in the early eighties smoking pot and huffing glue. Or imagine a Hawkwind practice space jam session moments after each band member received a partial frontal lobotomy. How about a playground fight between Liquorball and Faxed Head, the 'Ball armed with flaming wadded up balls of black aluminum foil and the 'Head flinging guitar picks dipped in lighter fluid and an rusty guitar strings. Weird and wonderfully fucked up. Fans of freaked out psychedelic punch ups, dizzying clattery outsider free rock and getting super high and diving head first into a huge pile of drums and guitars will feel right at home.
MPEG Stream: "Vibrated Into Being In The Shadow Of A Full Moon"

BURNT HILLS Tonite We Ride (Flipped Out) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Been a while since we've heard from Burnt Hills. Our fault entirely. They may have been absent on the list, but they have most definitely not stopped releasing records, or partaking in a weekly jam at the Burnt Hills HQ, which is where we assume this massive psych jam blow out was captured on tape.
For those new to Burnt Hills, the group seems to be an ever changing collective, sometimes a duo or trio, other times, like here, expanded to a seven piece, heck they even got someone on XYLOPHONE this time around. No that you'd really be able to tell. The sound of Burnt Hills is a sonic mushroom cloud of grinding psych guitar squall, practice space drums, throbbing earthquake bass, all woven into a sprawling space-psych-kraut jam that could have gone on forever. Heck it could have started weeks ago, as the track opens jarringly mid-jam, just explodes right into it, expanding into a hazy, woozy, effects drenched expanse of druggy psych bliss. Folks who eat up every last thing by Acid Mothers Temple, Heavy Winged, Titan, all that modern psych shit, have no excuse for not being crazy obsessed with these guys too. Equal parts all those bands as well as plenty of Hawkwind, Monster Magnet, German Oak, Boris, White Heaven, just imagine a dingy black lit basement, packed to the rafters with amps, and a bunch of folks hunched over their instruments, probably high as a kite, channeling some mysterious otherworld spirits through the speakers into physical sound, into THIS, whatever this is.
You can almost imagine the whole neighborhood gathered around this unassuming house in the suburbs, clad in slippers and robes, bleary eyed and a bit terrified, staring at BH HQ, a dilapidated little house that seems to be coming alive, the whole thing shaking on its foundations, emanating kaleidoscopic lights, emitting a deafening roar unlike anything these normal folks have ever heard. They call the authorities, the police, the F.B.I., but by the time they arrive, the house is dark, and quiet, and empty.
Absolute ear candy for psych-kraut maniacs into blown out heavy psychedelic space rock freakouts, which as far as we're concerned should really be just about everyone reading this.
MPEG Stream: "Tonite We Ride (excerpt)"

BURNVERSION One Lazy Revolution (Pop Secret) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

BURNVERSION s/t (Pawning) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

BUSH, KATE 50 Words For Snow (Anti) cd 16.98
At this point in her career, any new release by Kate Bush is an event. When the release in question is a record of the caliber of 50 Words For Snow, one can only marvel at the artistry and career of one of the world's greatest living pop artists. After all, she's never toured (aside from a short one in 1979 for The Kick Inside), and, Director's Cut notwithstanding, has only released 2 albums of new material in the last 18 years. In the '80s, Bush's penchant for making awesomely strange videos and MTV actually playing those videos helped sell records. Since the (televised) music video's demise, however, someone who does not play live has to rely on the strength of the LP itself. This is where Kate Bush has always shined, not only in the quality of the songs, but in the quality of the recordings themselves.
Like the B-side of Hounds of Love (also called The Ninth Wave), 50 Words For Snow is thematic and purposeful, a "concept" record if you will. Slow, sparse and deliberately paced, the seven songs carry the listener for over 65 minutes with strings, drifts of piano, and sparse, jazzy drums. Whereas The Ninth Wave, told the story of one person's journey through death into ghostly haunting and, finally, redemption and forgiveness, 50 Words For Snow is more a series of icy vignettes. They paint pictures of a woman first creating, then making love with a snowman, a wraith watching her dog watch her corpse, a hunt for a yeti. Although sometimes thematically humorous, it's tragic comedy that interests Bush: a kind of sad, beautiful quirkiness that is somehow universally human and uniquely Kate Bush.
From her work with Peter Gabriel in the '80s to Prince's guitar playing on The Red Shoes, collaborations have been an important part of Kate Bush's work. 50 Words finds her working with longtime compatriot Del Palmer as engineer and occasional bass player, Sir Elton John in the duet "Snowed In At Wheeler Street," and the British actor Stephen Fry.
When Director's Cut was released in early 2011, some noise was made over Kate's "huskier" voice, the slight change in its timbre. Really? There's not a moment on 50 Words that could have been done better, vocally. If Kate knows anything, she knows how to change, and how to create characters. If people expect artists with careers spanning 30+ years to remain static, well, that's why records are made, right? To capture a moment that can always be revisited. Very few artists have the longevity and integrity of Kate Bush, and that's something that should not go unrecognized or unappreciated.
The cd version comes in a hardback-book style package with the booklet glued to the inside cover. The gatefold double lp comes with a large, full-color lyric booklet and a cd version of the entire record.
MPEG Stream: "Snowflake"
MPEG Stream: "Misty"
RealAudio clip: "Among Angels"

BUSH, KATE 50 Words For Snow (Anti) 2lp 28.00
At this point in her career, any new release by Kate Bush is an event. When the release in question is a record of the caliber of 50 Words For Snow, one can only marvel at the artistry and career of one of the world's greatest living pop artists. After all, she's never toured (aside from a short one in 1979 for The Kick Inside), and, Director's Cut notwithstanding, has only released 2 albums of new material in the last 18 years. In the '80s, Bush's penchant for making awesomely strange videos and MTV actually playing those videos helped sell records. Since the (televised) music video's demise, however, someone who does not play live has to rely on the strength of the LP itself. This is where Kate Bush has always shined, not only in the quality of the songs, but in the quality of the recordings themselves.
Like the B-side of Hounds of Love (also called The Ninth Wave), 50 Words For Snow is thematic and purposeful, a "concept" record if you will. Slow, sparse and deliberately paced, the seven songs carry the listener for over 65 minutes with strings, drifts of piano, and sparse, jazzy drums. Whereas The Ninth Wave, told the story of one person's journey through death into ghostly haunting and, finally, redemption and forgiveness, 50 Words For Snow is more a series of icy vignettes. They paint pictures of a woman first creating, then making love with a snowman, a wraith watching her dog watch her corpse, a hunt for a yeti. Although sometimes thematically humorous, it's tragic comedy that interests Bush: a kind of sad, beautiful quirkiness that is somehow universally human and uniquely Kate Bush.
From her work with Peter Gabriel in the '80s to Prince's guitar playing on The Red Shoes, collaborations have been an important part of Kate Bush's work. 50 Words finds her working with longtime compatriot Del Palmer as engineer and occasional bass player, Sir Elton John in the duet "Snowed In At Wheeler Street," and the British actor Stephen Fry.
When Director's Cut was released in early 2011, some noise was made over Kate's "huskier" voice, the slight change in its timbre. Really? There's not a moment on 50 Words that could have been done better, vocally. If Kate knows anything, she knows how to change, and how to create characters. If people expect artists with careers spanning 30+ years to remain static, well, that's why records are made, right? To capture a moment that can always be revisited. Very few artists have the longevity and integrity of Kate Bush, and that's something that should not go unrecognized or unappreciated.
The cd version comes in a hardback-book style package with the booklet glued to the inside cover. The gatefold double lp comes with a large, full-color lyric booklet and a cd version of the entire record.
MPEG Stream: "Snowflake"
MPEG Stream: "Misty"
RealAudio clip: "Among Angels"

BUSH, KATE Aerial (Columbia) 2cd 21.00
We all know that Kate Bush's fans are some of the most devoted and patient ones around. We're sure all of you out there who count yourselves in those ranks have been tingling with anticipation for this, her first studio album in eons (her last one being 1993's The Red Shoes). It's a double album, even! And we're pleased to report that it doesn't disappoint the diehards nor the newcomers. Although the overall production has an adult contemporary sheen to it, she sounds positively refreshed and bursting with creative inspiration. While Aerial is certainly filled with her trademark unconventional elegance and enigmatic grace, our interest in this album was extra piqued when AQ pal Wobbly mentioned a few notable and peculiar elements that Bush has encorporated into a few of the numbers such as bird song and laughter (the album's title track and closer "Aerial"), her son's voice and a recital of Pi (on the second song)!
MPEG Stream: "Pi"
MPEG Stream: "Aerial"

BUSH, KATE Director's Cut (Fish People) cd 15.98
When we first heard the details behind Kate Bush's new record, Director's Cut, some of us (those not prone to be insanely excited about ANYTHING Kate Bush) asked, "Why a record of songs that have already been recorded? Why not something new?" The original impetus behind the idea for Director's Cut was that 20 years ago, Kate had asked the James Joyce estate for permission to use sections from the "Penelope" section of Ulysses for her song "The Sensual World", and was denied; this time around, they said "Mmmmmmmmm, yes" (Kate Bush fans will get that joke). So she retitled the song "The Flower of the Mountain" and re-recorded the vocals, then re-recorded the drums, then at some point decided that maybe some of her other songs from that time period needed another looking at. The fact is that Kate Bush is a perfectionist, a major reason why she has toured only once in her career, and she says she was never happy with the overtly digital sound of The Red Shoes. All of the songs on Director's Cut are taken from The Sensual World or The Red Shoes, the vocals and drums re-recorded, with most of the rest of the instrumentation left intact. The effect is a very warm record, one with a lot of space within the tracks that serves to bring the listener closer, especially in the iconic "This Woman's Work". "Deeper Understanding" is the only track where the original is immediately superior, the Director's Cut version pushing the Bulgarian choir to the background and adding an auto-tuned vocal track (done by Kate's son Bertie). The song's theme of digital alienation is still prescient and apt, however, to our ever more computer reliant society. Fans who have absorbed The Red Shoes and The Sensual World's songs into their psyches might have an immediate reaction against hearing songs they love messed with in any way, even by K8 herself. But, truly, seriously, sit with this record and listen to it twice though. Once you're not expecting the original versions, Director's Cut is an outstanding record by an incomparable artist.
MPEG Stream: "Flower Of The Mountain"
MPEG Stream: "Song Of Soloman"
MPEG Stream: "Lily"

BUSH, KATE Director's Cut (Fish People) 2lp 21.00
When we first heard the details behind Kate Bush's new record, Director's Cut, some of us (those not prone to be insanely excited about ANYTHING Kate Bush) asked, "Why a record of songs that have already been recorded? Why not something new?" The original impetus behind the idea for Director's Cut was that 20 years ago, Kate had asked the James Joyce estate for permission to use sections from the "Penelope" section of Ulysses for her song "The Sensual World", and was denied; this time around, they said "Mmmmmmmmm, yes" (Kate Bush fans will get that joke). So she retitled the song "The Flower of the Mountain" and re-recorded the vocals, then re-recorded the drums, then at some point decided that maybe some of her other songs from that time period needed another looking at. The fact is that Kate Bush is a perfectionist, a major reason why she has toured only once in her career, and she says she was never happy with the overtly digital sound of The Red Shoes. All of the songs on Director's Cut are taken from The Sensual World or The Red Shoes, the vocals and drums re-recorded, with most of the rest of the instrumentation left intact. The effect is a very warm record, one with a lot of space within the tracks that serves to bring the listener closer, especially in the iconic "This Woman's Work". "Deeper Understanding" is the only track where the original is immediately superior, the Director's Cut version pushing the Bulgarian choir to the background and adding an auto-tuned vocal track (done by Kate's son Bertie). The song's theme of digital alienation is still prescient and apt, however, to our ever more computer reliant society. Fans who have absorbed The Red Shoes and The Sensual World's songs into their psyches might have an immediate reaction against hearing songs they love messed with in any way, even by K8 herself. But, truly, seriously, sit with this record and listen to it twice though. Once you're not expecting the original versions, Director's Cut is an outstanding record by an incomparable artist.
MPEG Stream: "Flower Of The Mountain"
MPEG Stream: "Song Of Soloman"
MPEG Stream: "Lily"

BUSH, KATE Hounds Of Love (EMI) cd 14.98

BUSHMAN'S REVENGE Jitterbug (Rune Grammofon) cd 17.98
Hadn't heard this jitterbuggin' Norwegian bunch before, though they have a previous album on Rune Grammofon and one before that as well. Definitely gonna have to track down those too, 'cause this one is pretty great, if you're into avant rock/jazz instrumental rippage. At peak power, they're QUITE energetic and frenzied, but unfailingly musical too, and the disc has much in the way of moodier, mellower moments as well.
Bushman's Revenge are a trio of electric guitar, bass, and drums, with a cameo appearance on two tracks here by organist Stale Storlokken of Supersilent. The guitarist is also a member of the proggy and metallic "blackjazz" group Shining. Which maybe explains why this is often so much heavier and rockier than most quote unquote fusion, and also why they do a Motorhead cover ("Damage Case" from Overkill done as an instrumental, or what they call a "Happy Go Lucky Karaoke Version", which stomps along exuberantly with a full-on freakout in the mid-section). Elsewhere, they veer from tangled and distorted guitar onslaughts to stately melodic reveries... and even play some deviant blues ("While My Guitar Gently Breaks"). Bushman's Revenge are for fans of other Rune G "fusion" like Scorch Trio for sure, and also we'd recommend 'em folks partial to Nels Cline.
MPEG Stream: "Kill Your Jitterbug Darlings"
MPEG Stream: "Wind And Fire"
MPEG Stream: "Professor Chaos"

BUSHMAN'S REVENGE Jitterbug (Rune Grammofon) lp 24.00
Hadn't heard this jitterbuggin' Norwegian bunch before, though they have a previous album on Rune Grammofon and one before that as well. Definitely gonna have to track down those too, 'cause this one is pretty great, if you're into avant rock/jazz instrumental rippage. At peak power, they're QUITE energetic and frenzied, but unfailingly musical too, and the disc has much in the way of moodier, mellower moments as well.
Bushman's Revenge are a trio of electric guitar, bass, and drums, with a cameo appearance on two tracks here by organist Stale Storlokken of Supersilent. The guitarist is also a member of the proggy and metallic "blackjazz" group Shining. Which maybe explains why this is often so much heavier and rockier than most quote unquote fusion, and also why they do a Motorhead cover ("Damage Case" from Overkill done as an instrumental, or what they call a "Happy Go Lucky Karaoke Version", which stomps along exuberantly with a full-on freakout in the mid-section). Elsewhere, they veer from tangled and distorted guitar onslaughts to stately melodic reveries... and even play some deviant blues ("While My Guitar Gently Breaks"). Bushman's Revenge are for fans of other Rune G "fusion" like Scorch Trio for sure, and also we'd recommend 'em folks partial to Nels Cline.
MPEG Stream: "Kill Your Jitterbug Darlings"
MPEG Stream: "Wind And Fire"
MPEG Stream: "Professor Chaos"

BUTCHIES 3 (Mr. Lady) cd 12.98
The third full length by the Butchies (aka Melissa York and Kaia Wilson former drummer and guitarist of beloved queercore hotties Team Dresch, and bassist Alison Martlew). With each album, they've moved farther and farther from their feisty punk days. That's not to say they don't rock out every once in a awhile. No, it's just generally more tempered down, more composed. And this slower, more melodic approach compliments Kaia's pleadingly emotive vocals. Three women in full command, and telling it like it is. On Kaia's very own Mr. Lady record label.

BUTCHIES, THE Population 1975 (Mr. Lady) cd 10.98

BUTLER, CHRIS The Devil Glitch (Future Fossil) cd 11.98
Chris Butler, former member of The Waitresses (y'know, "Square Pegs", "I Know What Boys Like", "I Could Rule The World If I Could Only Get The Parts"), has written the world's longest pop song according to the Guinness Book Of World Records... well, it held this honor back in 1996 at least. Don't know if it's been beaten yet!

BUTTHOLE SURFERS Blind Eyes Sees All (MVD) dvd 19.98
Reissue of the 'Blind Eye Sees All' video featuring amazing vintage footage of the Buttholes at their stumbling, drunken, high on LSD, crowd baiting best, recorded live in 1985 in detroit.
Tons of AMAZING live footage, as well as some ridiculous interviews, pontificating by Gibby, nudity, tons of rare photos, a live bonus track, and BUTTHOLES KARAOKE!! This rules. Buy it.

BUTTHOLE SURFERS Brown Reason To Live (Alternative Tentacles) lp 9.98
The debut recording by these legendary Texan drug punks, finally available again on vinyl! Brown Reason To live was the Surfers' first record, a seven song ep, originally released in 1983, and reissued later bundled onto a cd with their live PCPP ep, but as good as that live stuff was/is, these tracks all on their own constitute one of THEE legendary punk rock records EVER. And we say punk rock knowing full well that the Buttholes' version of punk rock had almost nothing in common with what the rest of the world at the time considered punk.
These songs are damaged and disturbing, wild and chaotic, extended stumbling lysergic blowouts, as likely to erupt into a strange woozy sea shanty or a bit of twangy gallop as a blown out blast of pounding punk, moreso really. And while the sound here is not as overtly whatthefuck as the records that would come right after, it's weird enough that you could tell something freaky was going on, and you can hear the seeds that would blossom into that the Surfers eventually became. The Buttholes merged the punk sounds that surrounded them, with their own twisted take on DIY music making, not to mention lots and lots and lots and lots of drugs. All of these songs are timeless, total classics, but "The Shah Sleeps In Lee Harvey's Grave" is practically a punk rock anthem, or no less than the genre's swan song. Depending on how you look at it, maybe both. For the band anyway, the track was every bit a standard as "Free Bird" was for Skynyrd. Listening to this again now, it seems insane that a band like this - who at one time seemed destined to a life of cult obscurity - achieved such enormous mainstream success. It's all urine under the bridge now though, we try to ignore the last few releases and focus on the years when the Butthole Surfers were untouchable ('83-'88?), and this is where it all started, a ferocious fucked up chunk of drug addled genius called Brown Reason To Live.

BUTTHOLE SURFERS Electric Larryland (Capitol) cd 15.98

BUTTHOLE SURFERS Hairway To Steven (Latino Bugger Veil) cd 14.98

BUTTHOLE SURFERS Humpty Dumpty LSD (Latino Bugger Veil) cd 14.98
Let's get the negative stuff out of the way first. The Butthole Surfers went from being possibly one of our all time favorite bands, to embarrassing unoriginal MTV second stringers. Everything post 'Hairway To Steven' has been pretty lame. And those of you unfortunate enough to have heard the most recent record thus bore witness to the saddest beck-meets-eminem-meets-land-of-the-loops-meets-king-missile bid for MTV stardom. Which of course failed. And on top of that, they engaged in a scene alienating greed-not-common-sense based lawsuit against Touch and Go records, who were basically responsible for their popularity, but none of that really affects the music, these guys used to make, and while the above stuff has us a little hesitant to recommend buying anything on the Butthole's label Latino Bugger Veil, RECOMMEND WE MUST! 'Cause this collection of live tracks and outtakes is vintage Butthole Surfers, at their drug-addled, tribal-drumming, chaos-causing, club-crushing, strobe-lighted, naked-dancing, on-stage puking, audience-pulverising BEST! Lots of rare compilation tracks (from P.E.A.C.E., God's Favorite Dog, Cottage Cheese From The Lips Of Death, A Texas Trip, the Roky Erickson tribute), 4 track and 8 track home recordings, practice tapes, outtakes from the Rembrandt Pussyhorse sessions, alternate versions of album tracks, and more. Weird sickly sweet warbly ballads to full on tribal drug stomps, with war whoops and processed vocals careening all over the place. Supposedly culled from close to 300 tapes. Hope there's more on the way!
RealAudio clip: "One Hundred Million People Dead"
RealAudio clip: "I Love You Peggy"
RealAudio clip: "SpaceI"
RealAudio clip: "Perry Intro"

BUTTHOLE SURFERS Humpty Dumpty LSD (Latino Bugger Veil) 2lp 21.00
Recent Aquarius Record of the Week, now available in the lavish double LP vinyl format. Our 'controversial' write-up about the cd version:
Let's get the negative stuff out of the way first. The Butthole Surfers went from being possibly one of our all time favorite bands, to embarrassing unoriginal MTV second stringers. Everything post 'Hairway To Steven' has been pretty lame. And those of you unfortunate enough to have heard the most recent record thus bore witness to the saddest beck-meets-eminem-meets-land-of-the-loops-meets-king-missile bid for MTV stardom. Which of course failed. And on top of that, they engaged in a scene alienating greed-not-common-sense based lawsuit against Touch and Go records, who were basically responsible for their popularity, but none of that really affects the music, these guys used to make, and while the above stuff has us a little hesitant to recommend buying anything on the Butthole's label Latino Bugger Veil, RECOMMEND WE MUST! 'Cause this collection of live tracks and outtakes is vintage Butthole Surfers, at their drug-addled, tribal-drumming, chaos-causing, club-crushing, strobe-lighted, naked-dancing, on-stage puking, audience-pulverising BEST! Lots of rare compilation tracks (from P.E.A.C.E., God's Favorite Dog, Cottage Cheese From The Lips Of Death, A Texas Trip, the Roky Erickson tribute), 4 track and 8 track home recordings, practice tapes, outtakes from the Rembrandt Pussyhorse sessions, alternate versions of album tracks, and more. Weird sickly sweet warbly ballads to full on tribal drug stomps, with war whoops and processed vocals careening all over the place. Supposedly culled from close to 300 tapes. Hope there's more on the way!
RealAudio clip: "One Hundred Million People Dead"
RealAudio clip: "I Love You Peggy"
RealAudio clip: "SpaceI"
RealAudio clip: "Perry Intro"

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