DESTROYER Thief (Catsup Plate) cd 14.98
Lead by one very talented Daniel Bejar - a fellow whose voice and songwriting draw shades and moods reminiscent of those of Robyn Hitchcock, Harry Nilsson, and Cat Stevens but ends up sounding like a more twee Modest Mouse (his voice is occasionally a dead ringer for Isaac Modest Mouse's indie warble)- Destroyer is a veritable Vancouver indie rock supergroup. Starring such notables as Jason Zumpano (yes, drummer and namesake of the wonderful Sub Pop pop group Zumpano here handling piano and keyboard duties) and John Collins (bassist/producer who has donned the colours of garage pop vets The Smugglers, The Evaporators, not to mention the noise pop crowd known as Superconductor). On 'Thief', Destroyer exhibits similar pop polish and flourish as that of Zumpano. At times rollicking, at times sensitive, pretty and low key. A great summer album.

DESTROYER This Night (Merge) cd 14.98
At long last Destroyer (aka Dan Bejar and co.) receives some well-deserved widespread distribution, thanks to the wonderful Merge Records. The previous three albums (Thief, City Of Daughters and Streethawk) were released on small indies, and as a result probably haven't reached as many hungry ears as they deserve. For those unfamiliar, apart from his fine solo efforts Mr. Bejar was also a significant songwriting force along with Carl Newman for the New Pornographers' Mass Romantic album, lending his distinct, slightly more eccentric lyrical twists to their pop magic. But shortly thereafter, he took to the road, travelling from Vancouver to Montreal, Spain, New York, and who knows where else. Somewhere in there he found time to write and record these fifteen songs. A modern day roaming minstrel? He's joined on this album by Fisher Rose (former NP drummer), Chris Frey and Nicolas Bragg. This Night is full of his oft-obtuse, yet deeply poetic writings, and is perhaps his most fleshed out, lush and consistent album to date. Swimming against the current flood of singer/songwriter folk-inflected melancholia, Bejar's songs do more than tug at the heartstrings or play with the emotions. This is not the music of a quick fix although his sweet jangly pop hooks do surface every so often ("Here Comes The Night"). Almost seeming from a different time, the first three songs alone will sweep you up into his world - keeping you on your toes with tempo shifts and his particular vocal inflections - and draw you back again with each listen. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "This Night"
RealAudio clip: "Here Comes The Night"
RealAudio clip: "Trembling Peacock"
RealAudio clip: "Goddess Of Drought"

DESTROYER This Night (Merge) lp 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Yes, now on vinyl! At long last Destroyer (aka Dan Bejar and co.) receives some well-deserved widespread distribution, thanks to the wonderful Merge Records. The previous three albums (Thief, City Of Daughters and Streethawk) were released on small indies, and as a result probably haven't reached as many hungry ears as they deserve. For those unfamiliar, apart from his fine solo efforts Mr. Bejar was also a significant songwriting force along with Carl Newman for the New Pornographers' Mass Romantic album, lending his distinct, slightly more eccentric lyrical twists to their pop magic. But shortly thereafter, he took to the road, travelling from Vancouver to Montreal, Spain, New York, and who knows where else. Somewhere in there he found time to write and record these fifteen songs. A modern day roaming minstrel? He's joined on this album by Fisher Rose (former NP drummer), Chris Frey and Nicolas Bragg. This Night is full of his oft-obtuse, yet deeply poetic writings, and is perhaps his most fleshed out, lush and consistent album to date. Swimming against the current flood of singer/songwriter folk-inflected melancholia, Bejar's songs do more than tug at the heartstrings or play with the emotions. This is not the music of a quick fix although his sweet jangly pop hooks do surface every so often ("Here Comes The Night"). Almost seeming from a different time, the first three songs alone will sweep you up into his world - keeping you on your toes with tempo shifts and his particular vocal inflections - and draw you back again with each listen. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "This Night"
RealAudio clip: "Here Comes The Night"
RealAudio clip: "Trembling Peacock"
RealAudio clip: "Goddess Of Drought"

DESTROYER Trouble In Dreams (Merge) cd 14.98
Chock up another dandy from Destroyer! Love, travel and other projects (New Pornographers, Swan Lake, Hello Blue Roses among others) sure haven't kept Daniel Bejar from his main musical outlet. Unlike many other multi-taskin' music folks these days, with Bejar nothing gets the short end of the stick. You can always count on consistently high caliber pop songcraft, artful arrangements, wryly witty and obtuse lyrics, and that voice -- equal parts Donovan, Marc Bolan, and Cat Stevens. Ultra liltingly sensitive and so darn Canadian-earnest! And it's all stamped with the indelible, unmistakable mark of the Bejar... Free spirited and fantastic!
MPEG Stream: "Foam Hands"
MPEG Stream: "Leopard Of Honor"

DESTROYER Trouble In Dreams (Merge) lp 21.00
Chock up another dandy from Destroyer! Love, travel and other projects (New Pornographers, Swan Lake, Hello Blue Roses among others) sure haven't kept Daniel Bejar from his main musical outlet. Unlike many other multi-taskin' music folks these days, with Bejar nothing gets the short end of the stick. You can always count on consistently high caliber pop songcraft, artful arrangements, wryly witty and obtuse lyrics, and that voice -- equal parts Donovan, Marc Bolan, and Cat Stevens. Ultra liltingly sensitive and so darn Canadian-earnest! And it's all stamped with the indelible, unmistakable mark of the Bejar... Free spirited and fantastic!
MPEG Stream: "Foam Hands"
MPEG Stream: "Leopard Of Honor"

DESTROYER Your Blues (Merge) cd 14.98
Always keeping his audience on their toes and following his own eccentric whim, Canadian musical vagabond Dan Bejar (also an erstwhile member of the New Pornographers) shook things up a bit and took a slightly different path for this, his fifth Destroyer album. He, along with (fellow New Pornographer) John Collins and Collins' JC/DC Studio partner Dave Carswell, brought his trusty acoustic guitar and percussion to the recording sessions, but also chose to delve into the land of MIDI programming! We heard rumors a month or so ago about this being an album of radical changes for Bejar, however the actual results aren't all that drastic nor alienating nor all that MIDI apparent. In fact, they're pretty darn consistently top-notch Bejar albeit much more grand and lush in orchestration a la Van Dyke Parks or Bacharach. Give a listen to one of the album's highlights, the lovely "New Ways Of Living". Aaaah, definitely right up there with his last few albums! More gorgeously heartfelt, melancholy epic pop, with Bejar's unmistakable keening sad boy voice that always gets us!
MPEG Stream: "New Ways Of Living"
MPEG Stream: "What Road"

DESTROYER AND FROG EYES Notorious Lightning and Other Works (Merge) cd ep 10.98
Geez Mr. Bejar, the paint is barely dry on your last album Your Blues and you're already revisiting and reworking some of those songs! Unlike other artists whose intentions (and their record label's) might be more suspect (i.e, marketing ploys, etc), Bejar's artistic sincerity is untarnished. You do believe that this ep's existence is not due to an unhappiness / dissatisfaction with his previous renderings. No, not at all. Instead, perhaps inspired by the volatile artistry of his recent tourmates (and AQ faves) Frog Eyes, Bejar has approached these songs with a slightly more unhinged vision. Whereas Your Blues was thoroughly composed and grand, this is much more stripped down and guitar-driven. The contrast is immediately noticeable from just one look at the two releases' cover art - the subject matter is the same, but the brush and pen strokes are drastically different, one is calmly shaded while the other is almost violently slashed out. What these six songs really unveil though is the fresh, potent chemistry that flows between Bejar and the Frog Eyes crew who perform with him on this release. Sparks fly with a tingly energy! Check out one of the cd's highlights, the title track "Notorious Lightning" on which F.E. mainman Carey Mercer joins Bejar at the mic. Pretty darn great! Should cause much cross-pollination between the two bands' fanclub memberships.
MPEG Stream: "Notorious Lightning"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Become The Thing You Hate"

DESTROYER AND FROG EYES Notorious Lightning and Other Works (Merge) 12" 10.98
Now on vinyl!
Geez Mr. Bejar, the paint is barely dry on your last album Your Blues and you're already revisiting and reworking some of those songs! Unlike other artists whose intentions (and their record label's) might be more suspect (i.e, marketing ploys, etc), Bejar's artistic sincerity is untarnished. You do believe that this ep's existence is not due to an unhappiness / dissatisfaction with his previous renderings. No, not at all. Instead, perhaps inspired by the volatile artistry of his recent tourmates (and AQ faves) Frog Eyes, Bejar has approached these songs with a slightly more unhinged vision. Whereas Your Blues was thoroughly composed and grand, this is much more stripped down and guitar-driven. The contrast is immediately noticeable from just one look at the two releases' cover art - the subject matter is the same, but the brush and pen strokes are drastically different, one is calmly shaded while the other is almost violently slashed out. What these six songs really unveil though is the fresh, potent chemistry that flows between Bejar and the Frog Eyes crew who perform with him on this release. Sparks fly with a tingly energy! Check out one of the cd's highlights, the title track "Notorious Lightning" on which F.E. mainman Carey Mercer joins Bejar at the mic. Pretty darn great! Should cause much cross-pollination between the two bands' fanclub memberships.
MPEG Stream: "Notorious Lightning"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Become The Thing You Hate"

DESTRUCTO SWARMBOTS The Mountain EP (Public Guilt) cd ep 7.98
What kind of sounds would you expect from a band called Destructo Swarmbots? Don't bother guessing because you'd probably be way off. No squealing, grinding metallic mayhem here, instead this mysterious duo offer up three extended tracks of warm and creepy, fuzzy rumbling drone. As if you were sneaking through a mazelike series of tunnels, only to discover a whole legion of Destructo Swarmbots, secretly toiling away in an underground cavern, assembling some mysterious organic machine, and the huge space reverberates with the ominous humming and whirring of the 'bots incessant laboring. Definitely for the drone minded among you. Cool 3" cd packaged in a normal sized jewel case.
MPEG Stream: "36 Beautiful Songs"

DESVEAUX, ANGELA Wandering Eyes (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98
Ahh, the eyes they may be wandering, but Canadian country/folk songstress Angela Desveaux knows where she's goin' with her impressive debut on Thrill Jockey. Indeed, her first full length is a remarkably accomplished, golden affair with quite a luminous array of guests, mostly pals from a little Montreal music scene you just might be familiar with (former Arcade Fire drummer Howard Bilerman, Hanged Up's Genevieve Heistek, Harris Newman, Wooden Stars' Mike Feuerstack, and Mike Moya of Molasses, Set Fire To Flames, Hrsta et al). She alternately brings to mind the sweet youthful earnestness of current girlish singers such as Jenny Lewis or Laura Veirs and the aching world weariness and womanly wisdom of Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch (in press photos she actually looks like she could be Welch's long lost younger sister), leaning more heavily in the range of the latter two. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Heartbeat"
MPEG Stream: "Good Intentions"

DETROIT COBRAS Baby. (Bloodshot) cd 14.98
While we're sure the Detroit Cobras remain as volatile and fiery as ever in the live setting, but for their newest album Baby, it sounds like they've toned down the flammables just a bit. At a few points in the very first song, it wouldn't seem at all unlikely for the band to segue right into "Dancing In The Streets" (the original Martha & The Vandellas version, not the Bowie/Jagger one, mind you!), we bet they'd do a pretty rad rendition (that is, if they haven't already, which wouldn't be at all surprising since covers make up the bulk of their repertoire). Perhaps, this might disappoint a few of their old fans who are more accustomed and addicted to the sweat'n'whisky soaked retro blues rawk recklessness, but it just might win them a bunch more on their surprising new label home, the Americana haven Bloodshot Records. When taken in the context of their new usually alt-country-centric label digs, the guitars take on more of a desert twang, the bass a more gunslinger stance, and the drums a galloping pace. But of course it's Rachel Nagy's soulful vocals that define the Cobras' ultra rad sound, and as always her performance keeps you riveted right up front and center. Psst, this is an 'enhanced cd' which means it includes a video for their tune "Cha Cha Twist"!
MPEG Stream: "Slipping Around"
MPEG Stream: "The Real Thing"

DETROIT COBRAS Life, Love And Leaving (Sympathy For The Record Industry) cd 13.98
This is the second full length from this band, not new really but worth bringing to your attention. They really do live in Detroit, they don't tour much, but when they do they put on a kick ass show, see them if you get a chance. As I (Sadie) wrote in my review of Mink Rat or Rabbit, they formed back in 1994, and two albums, 3 singles, and several personnel changes later, they are still kickin' serious garage ass!!! Sure, they -are- a cover band: they cover mostly old Stax / Motown songs, but the ones they pick, and and the fire and fury and sexiness and funkiness that they add is what makes them so special. Lead singer Rachel has the deepest sexiest voice ever. EVER! Fans of old soul and garage, especially the Nuggets and Pebbles comps definitely need to check these cats out!!
RealAudio clip: "Hey Sailor"
RealAudio clip: "Find Me A Home"
RealAudio clip: "Cry On"

DETROIT COBRAS Mink Rat or Rabbit (Sympathy For The Record Industry) cd 13.98
This is yet another cd that is not new but is -so- important to our Sadie that we are listing it now. "Mink Rat or Rabbit" was the first release by this lovely Detroit quintet, a band I just can't shut up about. I've convinced, like, seven of my friends to buy this and when I play it in the store someone always wants to buy it. The Detroit Cobras formed back in 1994, and two albums, 3 singles, and several personnel changes later, they are still kickin'. Yes, they are a cover band. They cover mostly old Stax / Motown songs. But the ones they pick, and how they do it, is what makes them so special. They add just the right amount of snarl and toughness. Lead singer Rachel has the deepest sexiest soul voice ever. God you have to hear it. I would do anything to have a voice like hers. They also do obscure covers of more current stuff, like Greg Oblivian's "Bad Man" (track 5), in which they changed the lyrics from self deprecating to mean and dissing: "I'm a bad girl but I'm too good for you". Anyone who likes old soul and garage has to hear this band. I know they are all covers but some of the covers are *better* than the originals and that is saying a lot when you know the covers are of artists such as Otis Redding, Ike Turner, Irma Thomas and Ronnie Mack! For fans of the tougher songs on the Nuggets and Pebbles compilations for sure.
RealAudio clip: "Putty (In Your Hands)"
RealAudio clip: "Bad Girl"
RealAudio clip: "Slummer (The Slum)"

DETROIT COBRAS Tied & True (Bloodshot) cd 14.98
We weren't expecting a new album yet from the mighty Detroit Cobras, but they went and surprised us with the super satisfying Tied & True. On this their fourth full length they continue on with the more 'reigned in' but no less potent approach heard on their last album Baby -- exuding barrels of '60s girl group charm and sass coverin' old Stax and Motown gems in their own tight yet loose rock'n'roll fashion. All the raw grit, the sultry soul and the lusty blues you've come to love and count on from this band is here in spades. This time around Rachel Nagy's always awesome, lusty voice frequently reminded us of a young Chrissie Hynde. Go figure! Great stuff!
MPEG Stream: "As Long As I Have You"
MPEG Stream: "Puppet On A String"

DETROIT COBRAS Tied & True (Bloodshot) lp 14.98
NOW ON VINYL!!!!!
We weren't expecting a new album yet from the mighty Detroit Cobras, but they went and surprised us with the super satisfying Tied & True. On this their fourth full length they continue on with the more 'reigned in' but no less potent approach heard on their last album Baby -- exuding barrels of '60s girl group charm and sass coverin' old Stax and Motown gems in their own tight yet loose rock'n'roll fashion. All the raw grit, the sultry soul and the lusty blues you've come to love and count on from this band is here in spades. This time around Rachel Nagy's always awesome, lusty voice frequently reminded us of a young Chrissie Hynde. Go figure! Great stuff!

DEUTER D (Kuckuck) cd 15.98
We finally got a hold of this reissue of electronic home-recording Krautrocker Deuter's first album. Subsequent releases devolved into New Age lameness, but this one, from 1971, is quite brilliant, a hallucinatory affair of studio experiments, tape effects, and guitar explorations. For fans of Sand, early Kraftwerk, or most of the Kranky contingent.

DEUTER Nada Himalaya (New Earth) cd 16.98
This was given to me as a gift, from a friend who shares the same love of the deep dark ominous drone as we do, and before he let me unwrap it, he had all of these provisos: ignore the horrible cover, promise to listen to it before you pass judgment, ignore the fact that it's on New Earth records and that it says "Music For Meditation" on the cover, ignore the rainbow logo and the cheesy landscape, ignore the blurbs on the back cover, basically, try to ignore everything BUT the music. I did, and I'm so glad I did. So now we must do the same for you, faithful AQ customer. Listen to the sound samples, close your eyes and let these gorgeous mystical drones carry you off.
Some of you may know of Deuter before he went all 'new age' -- he was responsible for D, an awesome early '70s Krautrock document of studio experimentation, tape effects, and guitar explorations. While this is a completely different beast, and may have been intended for a whole different audience, it's actually quite stunning. This definitely holds up to any of our favorite dronelords, Chalk, Coleclough, Mirror, in fact this is another one of those releases that if it were some super limited homemade cd-r imported from Finland packaged with twigs and some wire, people would be freaking out BIG TIME! So let's just pretend that this IS some weird obscure drone cd-r, that way we can skip all the bullshit and totally dig in to this divine droney drift.
Made completely from the sounds of Tibetan bells, bowls and chimes, these two tracks (skip the third track, a two minute recording of a burbling stream) are lengthy gorgeous meditational drifts, a deep sea of overlapping tones, shimmering resonance, slowly drifting ovetones, beating gently against each other, creating a dense swirl of microscopic colors and warm subtle shadings. Nearly fifty minutes of divine drone, simultaneously dark and ominous, bright and dreamy, close listening reveals layer after layer of hidden almost-melodies, super subtle mysterious sonic events, a divine dreamworld of deep drifting ambience. So totally and utterly amazing. Pretty awesome that one of our favorite new drone records is not a cd-r from Finland, but a cd from a German ex-hippie new age guru living in New Mexico. Fuck yeah!
MPEG Stream: "Nada Himalaya 1"
MPEG Stream: "Nada Himalaya 2"

DEVENDRA BANHART White Reggae Troll (XL) 12" 6.98
Special one sided, vinyl-only single featuring the 10 minute long "White Reggae Troll". This half-reggae / half punk disco jam, often performed live as an encore, shows Banhart stretching the freak-folk genre down a few different rollicking avenues. We believe this is a one time only pressing, so once they're gone we're not sure we can get them in again! Plus it's called WHITE REGGAE TROLL!!!

DEVIANTS Ptooff! (Get Back) lp 9.98
Italian vinyl-only reissue of Mick Farren's 1968 pre-Pink Fairies psych-proto-punk band's best-loved album.

DEVIANTS, THE Ptoof! / Disposable (Mason Records) cd 21.00

DEVIL DOLL Dies Irae (Hurdy Gurdy) cd 17.98
Another disc of horrifying progressive creepiness from Italian underground masters of the bizarre and the frightening, Devil Doll. Never was a band more suited to scoring horror films (since Goblin), but Devil Doll don't, they just weave epic and haunting filmless scores, leaving it to your imagination to come up with the ghastly images that must surely accompany music this horrific. Dark and meandering, strings and organs, and this time around a female opera singer accompanies Mr. Doctor's inhuman falsetto howl/growl. This is so good. Imagine a weirder, and occasionally more metal Goblin, with a vocalist who is Diamanda Galas, Dani Filth and Sainko Namtchylak all wrapped up in one hunchbacked pointy-eared hobgoblin. So good.
RealAudio clip: "One"
RealAudio clip: "Two"
RealAudio clip: "Three"

DEVIL DOLL Eliogabalus (Hurdy Gurdy) cd 17.98
Still even more haunting and lush frightscapes from this Italian troupe of musical miscreants. Orchestral and progressive and heavy and occasionally carnivalesque. Super distorted creep-out piano abruptly shifts to a melancholy soundscape underpinning mad Mr. Doctor's maniacal whispers as duelling distorted cellos and halloween violins explode into a haunted carnival complete with shuffling snares, burping tubas and violent squalls spinning from side to side courtesy of some extreme stereo panning. Imagine Godspeed You Black Emperor if they were raised on King Crimson and ELP, were forced to watch Fulci and Argento movies non stop, while listening to Wagner and Eighties Metal, huffing ether and drinking absinthe. Then add the most insane frontman ever, incorporating the best (or worst) parts of Marilyn Manson, Serge Gainsbourg, Rob Halford, the Gyuto monks, Dani Filth (Cradle of Filth), Geddy Lee, Klaus Nomi and Diamanda Galas. Ridiculous, amazing, and so completely recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Mr. Doctor"

DEVIL DOLL Sacrilege Of Fatal Arms (Hurdy Gurdy) cd 17.98
Another Devil Doll record that we finally managed to get our hands on. This is apparently a fan club only re-release and the sleeve warns that "this music can alter your mental health". It sure is strange enough that it might make you wonder what the hell you're listening to. An orchestra tunes up, some polite applause and then a Sousa-style march that is interrupted by what sounds like an Italian politician whipping an angry mob into a frenzy. Then it gets serious. Strings and organ accompany sinister chants in a liturgy of the damned that turns into a Goblin-esque prog workout. It's a crime that some horror film director didn't grab these guys cause they make some of the most tense, evocative faux soundtrack music we've heard (although this is supposedly an actual soundtrack). About 6 minutes into it, the Devil Doll we all know and love starts to materialise, with the unmistakable strains of Mr. Doctor's hissed/whispered/growled vocals taking over and leading the listener through a surreal maze of terror and insanity. Fans of Goblin will love this. One eighty minute track.
RealAudio clip: "The Sacrilege of Fatal Arms"

DEVIL DOLL Sacrilegium (Hurdy Gurdy) cd 17.98
More Devil Doll insanity. It seems unfair to always compare Devil Doll to Goblin, but it's sort of unavoidable as they both traffic in the same creepy proggy nightmarescapes and they are both so good. To be fair though, Devil Doll have more room to play since they aren't composing for actual films, which ends up making them a lot stranger. 'Sacrilegium' begins with a bang, soaring organs and seventies prog slowly overtaken by a demonic choir chanting some sacred rites. Then, Mr. Doctor, the high priest of Devil Doll, begins his serpentine recitation, of mysteries and tales of horror with his warbling raspy falsetto. Truly haunting and fucking far out. Again it's the vocals that keep this band so cult, but if you ask me, it's exactly what makes this band so amazing.

DEVIL DUB s/t (Black Hole) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Bay area "dub" band (which may actually be called Ben Wa, it's hard to tell) that features the likes of Buckethead, DJ Disk, Brain, and M.I.R.V.

DEVILLOCK These Graves (Tone Filth) lp 15.98
We've been trying to track down some Devillock for ages, and while we've yet managed to get any cds, we have finally gotten a batch of this super limited lp. The solo ambient drone project of Tone Filth label head honcho Justin Chris Meyers (who also performs as Panther Skull), Devillock is a lot more dreamy and blissful than the name might lead you to believe.
Deep, dark distant sonic clouds rolling in at a snail's pace, tones are stretched out into long sinewy smears, bits of glitch and electronic skitter, bob along like detritus floating in some black stream. Everything enveloped in warm billowy buzz, eventually all tangled up with stuttering streaks of upper register skree, while in the background, the constant ebb and flow of cavernous churning industrial rumbles.
The flip side is similar, but if anything, even more abstract and minimal, sounding almost like a black ambient Niblock, all looooooooong tones, subtly shifting overtones, some super creepy slowed down monkey like growls and guttural vocalizations, and little chunks of gritty electronic static and muted buzzing interference. Haunting and serene, yet subtly fierce and intense.
Packaged in super subtle, hand painted chipboard sleeves, every one different, the front adorned with a super abstract bit of Pollock-y paint, LIMITED TO 333 COPIES, each copy hand numbered.

DEVO Duty Now For The Future / New Traditionalists (Virgin) cd 15.98

DEVO Live (Rhino) dvd 15.98
Whoo-hoo. Live Devo. Wait...live in 1996? Can these aged spuds still whip it like they used to back in the '70s and '80s? Well you gotta get this dvd to find out, though we can tell you we didn't not enjoy screening it, all the songs here are classics after all ("Girl U Want", "Mongoloid", "Uncontrollable Urge", "Jocko Homo" and a bunch more). Though it was a bit strange seeing 'em doing their thing in the daytime (in bright California sunshine even!) at an outdoor festival in front of a huge crowd. Most other Devo documents we've seen are more, shall we say, mediated by the band's unique, fucked aesthetic. Here they have less control over the presentation. Which reminds us, this dvd has the multiple camera angles feature. Also supposedly there's a band interview on here, but we couldn't locate it in the menu.

DEVO Live 1980 (Target Video) dualdisc cd / DVD 14.98
Spuds rejoice: it's live Devo, 1980! One of the best bands ever at the height of their powers, playing their "hit" songs to a stand-offish audience at the Phoenix Theatre in Petaluma, California. However, spuds also bewarned: with an insanely abrasive edit of scrappy video footage, it's hard to watch this baby all the way through in one sitting -- even for us die-hard fans! Despite this, and the fact that you can tell the band takes awhile to warm up on stage, when they do, holy spudboy, watch them go! A high note is their cover of "[I Can't Get No] Satisfaction". This particular performance reaffirms that it may possibly be the most amazing cover of all time. Also great performances of "Pink Pussycat", "Girl U Want" and "Freedom of Choice"... Instrument note-worthy are Bob Mothersbaugh's cloud-shaped guitar and Gerald Casale's custom bass.
This is in the dualdisc format, meaning you get the video on the dvd side of the disc, as well as an audio-only version on the cd flipside. And, as a bonus, there's footage of Dove, The Band of Love (Devo's easy listening alter-ego that a lot of Devo fans didn't seem to "get", somehow) performing three songs live, also from 1980!

DEVO Oh No It's Devo / Freedom Of Choice (Virgin) cd 15.98

DEVO Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology (Rhino) 2cd 29.00
Impressive and all-encompassing anthology of Devo (only the best band of the late 20th century!!) spanning their inception in Akron, Ohio in the mid '70s all the way through "Smoothnoodlemaps" and then some (sigh... yeah, I know, they probably could have stopped after "Oh No! It's Devo"). All in all this is a nice set though, and includes plenty of "unreleased" tracks and rare songs recorded for soundtracks throughout the years (including a song that Mark Mothersbaugh recorded for the game Interstate '82). Comes with a 50 page color booklet with a history of Devo and lots of wonderful pictures. Cool 3-D cover effect as well.

DEVO The Complete Truth About De-Evolution (Rhino Home Video) dvd 15.98
We've reviewed a bunch of fine DVD releases over these last few lists, but out of 'em all, my pick for the raddest has gotta be this Devo DVD. Of course, they're probably in my (Allan's) top five bands of all time list, so I'm somewhat biased already.
Lots of Devo fans may have seen much of this already on video tape or even laserdisc (there's several clips included here of the Devo boys explaining the virtues of the futuristic laserdisc format) but now you can see that stuff again, and more besides, on this DVD. You get the original Kent State post-graduate student film In The Beginning Was The End: The Truth About De-Evolution, that started it all and introduced the world to such characters as Booji Boy and General Boy and some mighty odd and awesome pop tuneage. Then there's pretty much all of Devo's pioneering, wigged-out music videos, from Come Back Jonee and Satisfaction through Whip It and Girl U Want to Through Being Cool, Love Without Anger, and Peek-A-Boo. And more. All amazing, fairly low-budget (rubber masks galore), and completely cracked. A couple of the songs from the tail end of their recording career aren't so hot but that's a small fraction of the mostly-genius-stuff on here. Then there's the special features, which include an historic b&w video clip from the first ever Devo gig (1972!), a bonus video (Bruce Connor's Mongoloid), an interview with Devo video collaborator/instigator Chuck Statler, still photo galleries of Devo memorabilia that are so extensive you have to watch 'em in slow motion, and -- perhaps best of all -- a bonus audio commentary track for the majority of the disc done by chief Devo spuds Gerald V. Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh! That alone makes this pretty much essential to all true Devo fans, even if you already have the original stuff on video cassette. Hours of de-evolved fascination and fun await, an incredible dose of Devo philosophy, history, music and visuals.

DEVOTCHKA A Mad & Faithful Telling (Anti) cd 16.98
Colorado quartet Devotchka do a lively jig down the path between the tweaked baroque pop of The Arcade Fire and the nouveau Balkan gypsy stylings of Beirut and Gogol Bordello. A Mad & Faithful Telling is a beauty capturing the band at its best, brisky tempo'd and impassioned with very Adrian Belew-esque swooping vocals and sweeping horns and strings following suit. This is music that'll leave your ears fevered and your cheeks flushed!
MPEG Stream: "Along The Way"
MPEG Stream: "Transliterator"

DFI s/t (Honey Bear) cd 13.98
What a very strange strange sonic stew DFI have made! This self-titled album on Lance J Church' s label offers up stretches of hardcore and metal heaviness (lots of guitar riffage a la Fucking Champs), cyclical post-rock patterns and some prog-ish moments too. Tempos and styles change at the whims of this one man band, as does the sound quality -- a bit murky at times -- which may be attributed more to the fact that these fifteen songs were recorded at six different locations. Punkish shred-metal silliness that totally keeps the listener on his/her toes to the very last track -- a cover of Norwegian black metal act Ulver's "Wolf And Passion"! The track before that: a drum-machine & guitar version of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight Of The Bumblebee"! Bonus points, also, for the cool Devo "New Traditionalists" inspired artwork on the inside of the cd insert.
RealAudio clip: "Casting The Genetic Vote"
RealAudio clip: "Wolf And Passion"

DIAMOND NIGHTS Once We Were Diamonds (Kemado) cd ep 5.98
Hmm. What hath The Darkness wrought? Bands that think it's ok to bust out the falsetto -- bands like Diamond Nights. To be fair, these guys are not nearly as over the top as The Darkness (whom we love by the way). And their singer's use of the higher pitch isn't any more pronounced than that of a bunch of current emo scene bands either. But, like the Darkness, the Diamond Nights guys seem to wear their retro influences proudly on their sleeves. And with a name like that, you might wonder how serious they are. Well we don't know, but we do like these five songs. You might too if you like good ol' classic rock. Track one, "Destination Diamonds", comes off like The Fucking Champs (or to be more accurate, Thin Lizzy) fronted by the guy from The Darkness. The subsequent tracks are less metal, more keyboardy and '80s new wavey really, reminding us of The Cars, Billy Idol and even Power Station! 18 minutes and 26 seconds of good times here, people.
MPEG Stream: "Destination Diamonds"
MPEG Stream: "That Girl's Attractive"

DIAMOND NIGHTS Popsicle (Kemado) cd 13.98
Damn, this has been in stock for a little while now -- some months now, in fact! -- but for some reason we didn't get around to checking it out 'til just the other day (even though we liked this band's previous ep, Once We Were Diamonds, reviewed here last year). Like we've said before, it's hard to keep up with everything... But better late than never. Everything that was cool about that ep is even cooler here on the full-length, which actually includes the two best songs from the ep, would-be/should-be hits "That Girl's Attractive" and "Destination Diamonds". If the latter track were the only thing you ever heard by Diamond Nghts you'd think they were fully trying to emulate both The Fucking Champs (and/or Thin Lizzy) and The Darkness. But DN have more tricks up their sleeves than just that -- the rest of Popsicle isn't all (ironic?) metal like that... though the adrenalized "It's A Shokka" definitely demonstrates a maybe tongue-in-cheek Judas Priest influence, and also sounds a heckuva lot like Queen's "Stone Cold Crazy". But other tracks here show that besides the Thin Lizzy and Queen albums that these guys undoubtedly love (there's no denying it), they have other influences too that aren't classic rock/metal. On tracks like "Drip Drip" (not the Comus song!) they've got a dancey '80s new wavey thing (hmm, also like Queen got into) going on. And at other moments the hooks and the vocals remind us of the White Stripes, and the chops underlying the pop make us think of 31 Knots... So while Diamond Nights can't lay claim to being the most original band ever, they're definitely talented and have managed to meld their collective influences together in some unexpected ways. Basically, this is everything that we wished the second, disappointing Darkness album would have been.
MPEG Stream: "Drip Drip"
MPEG Stream: "It's A Shokka"

DIAMOND, NEIL 12 Songs (Sony) cd 17.98
Neil Diamond at AQ??!! What is the world coming to? But before you start nodding your head and thinking the end has come, guess what? This is actually a really good record unlike anything else he's done in forever (Diamond fans just back off! No need to send us hate mail, we love Neil Diamond as much as you do, but you gotta admit it's been years since he did anything worthwhile). Thanks to the vision of Rick Rubin the world actually gets to hear Neil Diamond stripped down and raw for the first time. No multitrack schmaltzy vocal overdubs, no glossy production. Instead Rubin has actually stripped away all the bloat and corniness and gotten to the core of Neil Diamond, a performer you maybe never knew existed. At times it's almost like you're listening to Neil Diamond's take of a Giant Sand record! With a super solid cast of musicians playing on the record including the distinct organ sounds of Billy Preston, 12 Songs is not only by far the best thing Neil Diamond has maybe ever done, it's also a testament to the vision of Rick Rubin. Who else can say they've made great records with Johnny Cash, Run-DMC, Slayer and now Neil Diamond??
MPEG Stream: ""
MPEG Stream: ""

DIANE, ALELA The Pirate's Gospel (Holocene) cd 14.98
If you adore the sounds of Be Good Tanyas and Jolie Holland, this gal is sweetly calling your name. You might already be familiar with Ms Alela Diane's captivating, earthy presence via her performances with pal Joanna Newsom.


MPEG Stream: "My Tired Feet"
MPEG Stream: "Foreign Tongue"

DIANOGAH Battle Champions (Southern) cd 13.98
Chicago's Dianogah return with their second full length (their first for Southern) of warm post-rock melodies and sporadic polyrhythms. A little more structurally complex than their previous endeavors and much more melodic (read: Not as painfully boring as their last record). The recording -- a Steve Albini original -- is absolutely amazing. Overall this is by far Dianogah's best record yet. Falls right between the first Tortoise album and Don Caballero's "What Burns Never Returns."

DIANOGAH Battle Champions (Southern) lp 10.98
Chicago's Dianogah return with their second full length (their first for Southern) of warm post-rock melodies and sporadic polyrhythms. A little more structurally complex than their previous endeavors and much more melodic (read: Not as painfully boring as their last record). The recording - a Steve Albini original - is absolutely amazing. Overall this is by far Dianogah's best record yet. Falls right between the first Tortoise album and Don Caballero's "What Burns Never Returns."

DIANOGAH Millions Of Brazilians (Southern) cd 14.98
Although they often fall into step with their mellow instrumental post-rock contemporaries such as San Diego's Tristeza, Dianogah seem restless sticking to that gentle pace as they shuffle their deck of time signatures and tempos. Solid, dynamic drumming provides the anchor for the alternately wistful and driving bass guitar lines. They're certainly not breaking any new ground on "Millions...." which happens to be their third album, but if you're a fan of this sound you'll surely appreciate their adept execution on tracks such as "Flat Panda" and the closing "The Sky Came Down To The Rooftop". And it did garner a great deal of in-store customer interest the times it's been played thus far. Also features guest appearances by John Upchurch (formerly of the wonderful Chicago group The Coctails) on bass clarinet and Rachel Grimes of Rachel's on organ and piano.
RealAudio clip: "Flat Panda"
RealAudio clip: "The Sky Came Down To The Rooftops"

DIAS DE BLUES s/t (Akarma) cd 13.98
The psych/prog reissues label Akarma from Italy has begun a campaign of mid price repressings, with stuff they had previously put out in their usual mini gatefold LP sleeve style packaging now being issued in jewel cases with the price knocked down a few bucks (a good thing, considering that the falling US dollar is making so many imports much more pricey). So we'll be getting a few old faves back in... Here's one for the old school stoner rockers among you: Dias de Blues. Heavy psychedelic blues rock from Uruguay circa 1972, kind of a slightly more wasted Latin American take on something along the lines of Cream. This album ventures from uptempo fuzz rockers to wailing blues harp jams to backwards-effected dirges, all with killer guitar leads and Spanish vocals. Cool. And there's a severed head being brandished by an equally disembodied arm on the cover!
MPEG Stream: "No Podran Conmigo"
MPEG Stream: "Toda Tu Vida"

DICKIES, THE The Dawn Of The Dickies (Captain Oi) cd 15.98

DICKINSON, JAMES LUTHER Dixie Fried (Sepia Tone) cd 13.98
James Luther Dickinson (yes, the same Jim Dickinson who produced Big Star -- that's where I recognized his name from) has enjoyed a long and fruitful career as a highly-respected Memphis session player with everyone from Bob Dylan to Dr. John, Little Richard, the Stones (he played piano on "Wild Horses"), Aretha Franklin, Sam & Dave, Taj Mahal, Brook Benton, and the list goes on and on, more recently including Mudhoney and Jon Spencer(!). The liner notes for this reissue go into great detail about his career; so I'll just say that this, his debut 1972 solo album, is a majorly sought-after collectors item (on vinyl that is), and is now finally available on disc from the fine archivists at Sepia Tone. The sound is a mix of swamp boogie a la Dr John, Jagger's swagger, and the twang rock of Gram Parsons on his upbeat numbers. This is a really good, tight, and fun unearthed find. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Casey Jones"
RealAudio clip: "Louise"

DIDDLEY, BO Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger (Geffen) cd 10.98
Almost 50 years after its release and still as raw, pleasing, and perfect sounding as ever. In lots of ways it seems as though Bo Diddley never really got his due. Besides being an electric guitar pioneer and rock n' roll forefather, Diddley knew something about soul, bare-bone execution, and smiling-with-purpose delivery that made his best records able to stand the test of time. You can't listen to Bo Diddley is a Gunslinger without your foot constantly bouncing up and down. You can't listen to his rendition of "Sixteen Tons" without your eyebrows raising in pleasant curiosity. You can't listen to him do the crawdaddy without wanting to join right along. Bo Diddley knew about that totally pure and raw space where you can feel music hit you in the greatest and most physical way. One of those timeless records that belongs in any music lovers collection. Whether your stereo is usually filled with the sounds of Japanese noise or no wave intensity or singer songwriter statements; this is a record that you can turn to and get refreshed by all the time. Diddley is an amazing example of someone who had the gift of making music that could ooze into our bodies and under our skin and next thing you know your whole body is moving your face is grinning and it feels so damn good. Thank you Mr. Diddley!
MPEG Stream: "Gun Slinger"
MPEG Stream: "Doing The Crawdaddy"

DIE HAUT AND NICK CAVE Burnin' the Ice (Hit Thing) cd 15.98
I (Andee) don't know too much about the super complex and convoluted history of eighties post punk / industrial / whatever music (Einsterzende Neubauten, Die Haut, Birthday Party, Lydia Lunch, etc.) but I do know how totally blown away I was the first time I heard this record (that was just about 2 weeks ago). Hey, sorry! In the early eighties I was busy beginning my rapid descent into metalheaddom! Anyway, this is Die Haut's 1983 debut full length, only now finally getting the deluxe reissue treatment 20 years later, and man has it withstood the test of time remarkably well. Perhaps most well known for Nick Cave's guest vocals (although guest vocalists on other Die Haut albums have included Kim Gordon, Lydia Lunch, Deborah Harry, Blixa Bargeld and loads more), Burnin' The Ice is a chaotic, jagged slab of swampy propulsive gloom rock. Acidic dual guitar melodies slither and intertwine over pounding heavily reverbed drums and throbbing distorted bass. Cave's wailing testifying is the perfect match for Die Haut's intensely bleak sludgescapes.
A dark and desolate mix of punk, surf, sludge and gloom. Think Joy Division, the Bad Seeds, Gun Club, Birthday Party and the like. Actually, a much more apt, but way more obscure comparison would be the late great Lubricated Goat (one of Allan and Andee's favorite bands). Not just because they are Australians like Mr. Cave, but because they too trafficked in the sludgy, driving darkness that Die Haut got so right on Burnin' The Ice. In fact now that I've finally heard this record, I'm a little suspicious that Lubricated Goat owe more than a passing nod to the band that was doin' the Lubricated Goat thing at least 4 years before they were. Burnin' The Ice is a relentless musical death march, blighted and austere, grim and funereal, and so so good.
MPEG Stream: "Stow-A-Way"
MPEG Stream: "Truck Love"

DIE HAUT AND NICK CAVE Burnin' the Ice (Hit Thing) lp + dvd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
I (Andee) don't know too much about the super complex and convoluted history of eighties post punk / industrial / whatever music (Einsterzende Neubauten, Die Haut, Birthday Party, Lydia Lunch, etc.) but I do know how totally blown away I was the first time I heard this record (that was just about 2 weeks ago). Hey, sorry! In the early eighties I was busy beginning my rapid descent into metalheaddom! Anyway, this is Die Haut's 1983 debut full length, only now finally getting the deluxe reissue treatment 20 years later, and man has it withstood the test of time remarkably well. Perhaps most well known for Nick Cave's guest vocals (although guest vocalists on other Die Haut albums have included Kim Gordon, Lydia Lunch, Deborah Harry, Blixa Bargeld and loads more), Burnin' The Ice is a chaotic, jagged slab of swampy propulsive gloom rock. Acidic dual guitar melodies slither and intertwine over pounding heavily reverbed drums and throbbing distorted bass. Cave's wailing testifying is the perfect match for Die Haut's intensely bleak sludgescapes.
A dark and desolate mix of punk, surf, sludge and gloom. Think Joy Division, the Bad Seeds, Gun Club, Birthday Party and the like. Actually, a much more apt, but way more obscure comparison would be the late great Lubricated Goat (one of Allan and Andee's favorite bands). Not just because they are Australians like Mr. Cave, but because they too trafficked in the sludgy, driving darkness that Die Haut got so right on Burnin' The Ice. In fact now that I've finally heard this record, I'm a little suspicious that Lubricated Goat owe more than a passing nod to the band that was doin' the Lubricated Goat thing at least 4 years before they were. Burnin' The Ice is a relentless musical death march, blighted and austere, grim and funereal, and so so good. Includes a bonus DVD of a live show recorded in 1982!
MPEG Stream: "Stow-A-Way"
MPEG Stream: "Truck Love"

DIE MONITR BATSS / MATMOS Di/vorce Series #2 (Ache) 7" 5.98
For the second installment of Ache Records' Di/vorce split 7" series, they've corralled AQ pals Matmos and the haphazard Die Monitr Batss from the Pacific Northwest. For their part of the bargain, Die Monitr Batss offer up some skronky, lo-fi, no-wave aspirations. Meanwhile on the flipside, Matmos tackle Gladys Knight & The Pips' "On And On" although it's pretty darn difficult to recognize it once it's been put through the duo's surgical choppity chop treatment. Indeed, their contribution is an assemblage of deep, gravelly fragments of funk. Limited pressing of 1000.

DIE TRIP COMPUTER DIE We Are Your Friends (Alcohol) cd 17.98
What makes me think Bobby Conn is behind this? Especially on the rollicking second song "America's Burning". A generous scattering of strange, effected movie dialogue samples, blankets of seething drones (check out the sixth track "Bad Weather Circuits" for an affecting, textured soundscape), quirky, noisy melodies, and the very Conn/William Shatner/Harvey Sid Fisher-esque vocal stylings make this quite a freakishly entertaining ride. A ride that comes to a bit of a wistful close with the sampled strains of the Carpenters' "Calling Occupants Of Inter Planetary Craft". Of course, Bobby Conn actually has nothing to do with this, it's a UK group with folks from the legendary Homosexuals.

DIE YELLOW SWANS / JOHN WIESE split (Jyrk) 7" 2.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A couple of these singles came our way when Yellow Swans blew through town a while back. John Wiese is from Bastard Noise and Sissy Spacek; (Die/ Das/ Dance/ D.) Yellow Swans are from Portland and they use a table full of outdated electronics to make blisteringly distorted yet dancable noise punk, or sometimes simply blistering noise, depending on their mood. This record definitely falls into the latter category! Loud and crunchy.