ELECTRIC EELS Eyeball of Hell (Scat) 2lp 19.98
The Electric Eels were the undisputed bad boy kings of Ohio punk spitting out snarled three minute blasts of noisy, clumsy, snotty seventies punk rock sounding like a retarded Black Flag, which is a *good* thing. Super distorted and super whiny, these Cleveland fuck-ups made fellow Ohioans Pere Ubu and the Dead Boys look and sound like choir boys. Magnets for trouble, the Eels attracted cops and fist fights and rowdy crowds like shit attracts flies, resulting in inter-band squabbles, drunken half sets, and mucho club destruction. The thing was, even though these guys could barely play, they wrote amazingly catchy songs and what they lacked in skill they made up for with attitude. Songs like 'You're Full Of Shit', 'Black Leather Rock', and 'Spinach Blasters' are relentless, hook filled pop gems, dipped in shit and sprinkled with garbage, that still somehow came out smelling like roses. Bizarrely, our resident noise/art/splatter/punk/noise afficianado (JEFF), who loves all things annoying and 'difficult' (i.e. the current crop of 'art-punks' like Black Dice, Arab On Radar, etc...) *doesn't* like the Eels. We've been bickering with him for a week, "How can you like Arab On Radar, and not LOVE the Electric Eels?!" He still hasn't come up with a good answer. The Electric Eels are what all punk rock should sound like -- catchy, heavy, loud, funny and most importantly not pretentious. Completely essential PUNK ROCK.
So, now that we've established that you should probably buy this, which format to get? Well, the LP has six tracks different from or missing from the cd, and also sports extra liner notes and a different cover. At first we weren't sure how essential this was since there was another Eels collection released not too long ago, but eleven of the tracks on the cd are previously unreleased, and there are a few more unreleased/alternate versions on the double LP!

ELECTRIC EELS Their Organic Majesty's Request (Overground) cd 15.98

ELECTRIC GHOSTS (DANIEL JOHNSTON AND JACK MEDICINE) s/t (Important) cd 14.98
Why doncha sing along with us to the following (as sung to the tune of Doobie Brothers' "Jesus Is Just Alright")?
Daniel is everywhere this year!
Daniel is everywhere, uh huh!
Daniel is everywhere, oh yeah!
Daniel is everywherrrrrrrrrrrrrre!
Now, don't you run away hollerin' "WTF!" if you haven't a clue what we're talking about. You should know that there's not only a big ol' documentary film on the man, but also a big ol' exhibit of his art that's making its way around the U.S and Europe. To boot, there is new music! Whoo hoo! The Electric Ghosts are indeed Daniel Johnston and his buddy (and bandmate in Hyperjinx Tricycle) Jack Medicine. This is a remarkably polished and produced album (and not just by Johnston standards and expectations). It actually sounds like a long-lost Young Fresh Fellows record. Nonetheless, listen a little closer and those Daniel-isms peek through. Y'know, his unmistakable combo of bare-hearted love-sick sentiments and untethered dream/nightmare storytellin'. So good! As has become the custom over the years, you just wanna hug each and every tune including their cover of Bowie's "Scary Monsters"! Produced by Kramer (of Bongwater and Shimmy Disc fame).
MPEG Stream: "Sweetheart (Frito Lay)"
MPEG Stream: "Pain In My Heart"

ELECTRIC PRESIDENT s/t (Morr) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We are living in a post-Postal Service world. In the last several years we've been flooded with groups turning down their guitars and turning up their electronics, syrupy melodies, sensitive sentiments and catchy choruses. Unfortunately very few of these groups reach the bar set by the folks they are looking up to like the aftermentioned Postal Service, The Notwist and many of their Morr label-mates or on the non-electronic side of things, Pinback and Death Cab For Cutie. Unfortunately Electric President don't bring a whole lot new to the table and while they would sound fine in the background of a new episode of The O.C. we can't say this is going to win any awards for originality or songwriting talent. It's not bad it's just sorta pleasant. Definitely for those who like their electronic pop to be ultra feather-soft, pretty and with male vocals that bring to mind Stuart Little or the little frog Robin on Sesame Street... which come to think of it probably includes quite a few folks.
MPEG Stream: "Good Morning Hypocryte"
MPEG Stream: "Insomnia"

ELECTRIC PRUNES Release Of An Oath (Collector's Choice) cd 13.98
It's funny that this record came out under the Electric Prunes moniker as the '60s psych band best known for their great hit "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night" aren't really anywhere to be found on this record. Instead this is the brainchild and work of legendary arranger & producer David Axelrod -- much like their better known Mass In F Minor, this being its Judiac follow-up. Clocking in at around 25 minutes, and utilizing some of the best Los Angeles players of the late '60s Release Of An Oath is a brilliant concoction of rich grooves, prog moments, acid rock and classical tropes. It's no surprise that to this day Axelrod's work is sampled left and right because his sense of melody and his kick ass breaks are so damn perfect!
MPEG Stream: "Kol Nidre"
MPEG Stream: "General Confessional"

ELECTRIC PRUNES, THE Stockholm 67 (Birdman) cd 13.98
Our pal Dave put this KILLER record out and we think he describes it the best:
"In the winter of 1967, a psychedelic-garage-punk band from Woodland Hills, California, arrived in Europe for what would be their first and last tour of the continent. On the strength of their hit single 'I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night,' the band was welcomed with open arms by European rock fans as well as British rock royalty -- they smoked out with Hendrix, partied with Brian Jones and Keith Moon, and hung out in the studio with the Beatles -- but were also subjected to harassment and ridicule over the fact that their homeland was at war in Vietnam. Yep, good times, good times... Twenty days and six countries later it was all over. Luckily, on the last stop of the tour someone pushed the record button and this artifact is the result.
"Stockholm '67 finds the Electric Prunes at the height of the powers. Some ninnies have griped that the 'Prunes were nothing more than a psychedelic one-hit wonder, and a studio project at best. This performance burns the criticism to the ground. Over-amplified and fuzzed to the max, the Prunes here are explosive, noisy and wild. This recording proves that the Electric Prunes deserve to be ranked alongside the very best bands of their era."
RealAudio clip: "You never had it better"
RealAudio clip: "I had too much to dream (last night)"

ELECTRIC TURN TO ME Clouds Move So Fast (No Quarter) cd ep 7.98
Following up their self-titled debut ep from last year, Electric Turn To Me deliver not a full length, but a second ep. Rising up from the ashes of AQ faves Laddio Bolocko, ETTM is the new band led by LB's Blake Fleming (drums) and Marcus Degrazia (organs, keyboards, saxophone, flute). Their mysterious German vocalist known only as Silke once again lends her tormented dramatic vocal stylings to each of the five red wine drenched songs. Last time around her singing received a rather icy AQ reception -- it does seem to be an acquired taste -- but on these newer songs she's honed her handwringing theatrics somewhat so that her vocals rather than being a distraction are more integrated in the band's scalding darkwave-postpunk sound. Both she and fourth member James Wilk provide the snaking guitars that flesh out the proceedings. Clouds Move So Fast is an unsettling, propulsive meeting at the fork in the road where the paths lead off to sinister carnival and intoxicating cabaret.
MPEG Stream: "Wrestle With Me Angel"

ELECTRIC TURN TO ME s/t (No Quarter) cd ep 7.98
Folks expecting Laddio Bolocko Mach 2 may find themselves quite confused (and disappointed) by this new group headed up by ex-Laddio guys Blake and Marcus. Things start off with what sounds like a high-speed dub version of a vintage Laddio riff, proggy and motorik. With swirling warbly organs, tight controlled rhythms and a definite electro/new wave vibe. But then there's the vocals, and the vocals (as often is the case) is what will make or break this band for you. German chanteuse Silke (who also plays guitar) adds a really strange vibe to the proceedings. The obvious comparison is Siouxsie Sioux, but her delivery is much more overwrought and cabaret. Almost campy. Definitely unique and interesting, but for me it sort of takes away from the music, which is too bad since Laddio Bolocko were responsible for some of the greatest post rock/post punk EVER.
MPEG Stream: "First Crimes"
MPEG Stream: "Watch Out For The Witch"

ELECTRO GROUP A New Pacifica (Omnibus) cd 12.98
It should be stated that Sacramento's Electro Group has nothing in common with electro the genre - so look elsewhere for Miami jeep bass-bin rattlin' beats. Instead, this Electro Group hails from Sacramento and picks up where such contemporary US noise-pop / shoegazing bands as The Lilys and The Aisler's Set left off with their lovable reclamation of the early '90s Creation sound. While each track off of "A New Pacifica" -- their debut album -- is drenched in a thick early My Bloody Valentine distortion, it is primarily the rolling basslines which provide nearly all of the melodies for the Electro Group, thus keeping them sounding much heavier than your average shoegazing trio. Released on the Omnibus label, who was repsonsible for that fantastic Mates of State album, and, like that record, this isn't something you should pass up.
RealAudio clip: "Biped"
RealAudio clip: "La Ballena"

ELECTRO GROUP A New Pacifica (Omnibus) lp 9.98
It should be stated that Sacramento's Electro Group has nothing in common with electro the genre - so look elsewhere for Miami jeep bass-bin rattlin' beats. Instead, this Electro Group hails from Sacramento and picks up where such contemporary US noise-pop / shoegazing bands as The Lilys and The Aisler's Set left off with their lovable reclamation of the early '90s Creation sound. While each track off of "A New Pacifica" -- their debut album -- is drenched in a thick early My Bloody Valentine distortion, it is primarily the rolling basslines which provide nearly all of the melodies for the Electro Group, thus keeping them sounding much heavier than your average shoegazing trio. Released on the Omnibus label, who was repsonsible for that fantastic Mates of State album, and like that record this isn't something you should pass up.

ELECTROLETTES Octane Lies (Kill Rock Stars) 7" 3.99
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Local musician Sharon Cheslow (also of Red Eye). Electrolettes is her guitar/tapes/drums project: infectiously charming punk meets beatbox goodness.

ELECTROLETTES Plug Me In (Decomposition) tp 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Cassette from the talented Sharon Cheslow. The Electrolettes are a duo on guitar, drums and tape loops. Angular, fiery shards of tumbling guitar and impassioned voice together with a compelling sense of melody make up the Electrolettes' energizing sound. Soon to have a single out on Kill Rock Stars, but you can hear them first.

ELECTRONICAT Chez Toi (Disko B) cd 16.98
More bubblegum electrofuzz poptronics from France's Electronicat, aka Fred Bigot (pronounced bee-joe we imagine), following up last year's Voodoo Man quite nicely. This new one's got all the shufflin' techno beats and glammy garagey guitar hooks you'd expect from this feller, and doesn't stint on his trademark fuzz at all. There's some female guest vocals (and rapping), plus plenty of synth squiggle and skinny tie new wavey catchiness. Go go Bigot!
MPEG Stream: "Chez Toi"
MPEG Stream: "Nu Day"

ELECTRONICAT Voodoo Man (Hausmusik / Indigo) cd 15.98
Bo Diddley goes Electro? Uh-huh, some of this sounds a bit like that. Yes, France's Electronicat (aka Fred Bigot) is back with another neigh-irresistable album of glammed-up, poppy, punky, distortion n' groove engorged electronica. If you liked Electronicat's previous disc 21st Century Toy you'll like this. His clash of electric guitar fuzz and "shuffletime" techno beat-throb works its usual magic here, this album perhaps getting even more into, um, a Powerbook psychobilly thang. Lead off track/single "Dans Les Bois" sets the tone with Bigot's voodoo man lyrics (in English, with a French accent) about being "lost in the jungle". Oui, there's something kinda campy about it all, but we can't help but like it nonetheless. And that thumpin' fuzz is so satisfying. Includes a big ol' lyric sheet with cryptic personal notes on each track's genesis as well.
MPEG Stream: "Dans Les Bois"
MPEG Stream: "Non"

ELEGI Sistereis (Miasmah) cd 17.98
Hard for us to describe, but easy for us to enjoy... Elegi's Sistereis is an extremely moody, haunting soundscape, dismal and a-frighted, constructed around sparse, sad piano musings set amidst eerie ambient hiss and hum. What sound like close-mic'd "field recordings" of random background creakings, crackle and clatter, which are perhaps the nervous rustlings of the pianist himself, are layered with melancholic drones. Meanwhile, the aforementioned piano carries on, so slowly, and so lovely. The whole effect is like listening in to the near-silent, wordless "internal monologue" of the piano player, suffering quietly some mental/emotional distress. This Norwegian project reminds us in a way of the British band Reigns, in that you get a sense of hearing an audio document of events that are otherwise hidden from view, and perhaps should remain hidden. Elegi also brings to mind the similar "acoustic doom" sounds on the Type label, like Svarte Greiner and Xela, of which of course we're fans. This is actually released on the Svarte Greiner guy's own label, Miasmah.
The cd booklet is mysteriously evocative, with grey-toned Victorian photo collages depicting something of a dreary nautical theme, and text telling of a burial at sea... which all begins to make sense when you lean that the man behind Elegi, Tommy Jansen, supposedly has as a hobby (vocation?) diving down to explore wrecked ships in the watery depths! Depths which he evokes effectively on this disc...
MPEG Stream: "Despotiets Vesen"
MPEG Stream: "Time Lapse"
MPEG Stream: "Fyrtarnet part 3"

ELEGY Radio Broadcasts (Chairkickers) cd 14.98
Elegy was a one off project comprised of Alan Sparhawk of Low, Jessica Bailiff, Brian John Mitchell, Mark gartman, Jesse Beacom, Ryley Fogg, and Michael Anderson who had all come together for a 25 hour continuous drone composition that was a tribute of a mutual friend who had been murdered. Given that this performance occured in late September 2001, the proximity to 9/11 only heightened the sense of mourning and loss already loaded into the performance. "Radio Broadcasts" however does not feature any of that 25 hour piece, rather this is a condensation of that music recorded for a local radio station in Duluth, Minnesota. Unfortunately quick at 28 minutes, this indie-rock chamber ensemble for electric and acoustic guitars, cello, electronics, percussion, keyboards, hurdy gurdy, and dulcimer unfurls a gorgeous piece of eternal music on par with the organic dronescaping of Stars Of The Lid. A touchingly beautiful tribute.
MPEG Stream: "Track 1"
MPEG Stream: "Track 2"

ELEPHANT KNEES s/t (Non-Prophet) 12" 9.98

ELEPHONE Bunny Ears EP (Three Ring Records) 7" + cd-r 4.98
Elephone follow up their Shivering cdep with... bunny ears? Wha'?! Not sure if the cover art's intended for Easter time or maybe the band's been hangin' out with Hefner. Hey, that's a pretty good song title, innit? Anyways, these SF fellas have generously offered up a limited edition combo set of 7" record and cd-r (both with the same music). Sort of a return to their earlier more punchy and poppy selves, but also a bit more edgy and angular than their more dramatic, moody recent offerings. Includes a cover of U2's "Seconds". Limited to 200.
MPEG Stream: "Hemlock 3"
MPEG Stream: "Seconds"

ELEPHONE Far Distant Parade (Brown Owl Bakery) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

ELEPHONE The Camera Behind The Camera Behind The Camera (Three Ring) cd 12.98
The Camera Behind The Camera Behind The Camera is by far this SF band's most composed and focussed release to date. Tight and punchy (with the exception of the eighth song "Hollyhock" whose first half is slow and pretty and the vocal'n'guitar album closer "Something About Fire"), Elephone have smoothed out the rough edges in the vocals, tightened up the rhythm section and applied more attention to detail on each song's arrangement. The dynamics in the big sinewy guitars, synths and solid drumming are more pronounced and effective. The album as a whole is propelled by a brooding verve. On a bunch of these songs with their solid thumpin' beat, Elephone will have the indie rock kids making their way to the dancefloor in no time! Fits really well alongside the recent self-titled debut from their local pals (and frequent show bill sharers) Madelia.
Psst, the official release date is July 11, but we've got some now!
MPEG Stream: "Let Go Of My Arm"
MPEG Stream: "Hollyhock"

ELEPHONE The Shivering (DIYORELSE) cd ep 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here's the new 5-song ep from local combo Elephone which treads a different, more expansive path than their last self-released ep 2003's Still Life with Vodka and its full length predecessor A Far Distant Parade (both now sadly out of print). The first two songs are very dramatic and surprisingly early/mid-Radiohead-eque, but on the third the band shifts into quite a different space... and for fans of the Elephone of old, it's a welcome one! The song "Style Style" is definitely more pop-oriented and more like their past efforts, but much more composed and crisply executed. High on energy and emotion. With cool artwork featuring a gasmasked frog and a goggled bird.
MPEG Stream: "Moving Beds"
MPEG Stream: "Style Style"

ELEVEN SHADOWS Sangsara (Adastra) cd 13.98
"If Brian Eno produced beautiful Italian arias in a Tibetan monastery". That's how the band's website describes AQ customer Ken Lee's Eleven Shadows and it's not that far off the mark. Haunting, creepy, sort-of-gothic epics with soaring strings, ominous atmospheres and operatic female vocals. Very cinematic and etherial with lots of traditional Tibetan instruments. Reminiscent of Dead Can Dance, Kate Bush, Enigma and the like. Nice.
RealAudio clip: "Amitabha"

ELEVENTH DREAM DAY Stalled Parade (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98
The ninth record from this all-star ensemble (weird to think that EDD is going on 17 years now, but the band members side projects are so much more high profile: Freakwater, Tortoise, Brokeback, and Tara Key's band), 'Stalled Parade', is more of their dreamy, droney, funky, twangy, hypnotic rock. Nice.

ELEVENTH DREAM DAY Zeroes And Ones (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98
It never fails to amaze just how incredibly strong Chicago, Illinois' musical roots are, and that they feed a sturdy community trunk from which have flourished countless awesome branches that themselves have become deeply interwoven. This band is a perfect example. Metaphors aside, throughout the '80s and '90s, Eleventh Dream Day was a consistently amazing outfit, and this new album proves that they still are. A little history lesson for ya... commencing in 1983 their original lineup included Janet Beveridge Bean (also of Freakwater), Doug McCombs (also of Tortoise, Brokeback, The For Carnation and Pullman). Baird Figi and Rick Rizzo. Over the years, a fella named John McEntire (also of Tortoise, duh!) stepped in from time to time to help produce and play stuff. Their current roster is graced by the talented former Coctail multi-instrumentalist Mark Greenberg. The sound of these pop rockers has always been comfortably nestled right in with the likes of fellow college pop veterans the Go-Betweens and Throwing Muses. They've surely shared a lot of fans. And with this, their return after six years of silence, they've picked right up where they left off. Perhaps with even more vigor and urgency than before. Catchy, smart, solid and executed with ease. Welcome back old friends!
Note: not to be mistaken with the album Ones and Zeroes by Canadian youngsters Immaculate Machine. Hmmm, does everyone have binary code on the brain?
MPEG Stream: "Dissolution"
MPEG Stream: "For Martha"

ELF POWER A Dream in Sound (Arena Rock/Elephant Six) cd 13.98
The newest release from probably the least well known of the Elephant 6 bands (Elephant 6, for the uninitiated, is a loose collective of experimental 60s-ish psychedelic bands including Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, Apples in Stereo and more). Not as intense and soul baring as NMH, and not as 'out there' as OTC, Elf Power play a raggedy catchy amalgam of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Kinks all filtered through that lo-fi/4 track/ homespun Elephant 6 aesthetic.

ELF POWER Back To The Web (RykoDisc) cd 15.98
On Back To The Web, Elf Power's frontman Andrew Rieger's voice struck us as really familiar, and then we realized that it reminded us of Al "Year Of The Cat" Stewart. Is that a good or bad thing in your books? For us, we don't have a problem sayin' it's not bad at all. The album's pretty darn good from beginning to end, but stand-out songs are "The Spider And The Fly" and "Peel Back The Moon, Beware!" Both are entrancingly psychedelic and a bit folky at times, but also check out "All The World Is Waiting" which combines late night slinky electric guitar with the more characteristically Elf Power plucky folk guitar. It's a very groovy, very glammy tune. The album as a whole is infused with a '70s rock vibe, especially the final third which definitely reveals the potent influence of bands from that decade such as T-Rex and Led Zeppelin. While we do on occasion yearn for the toothsome dreamy psych pop of the Elf Power days gone by, we do quite dig the new direction the band's been taking on their last couple albums.
MPEG Stream: "The Spider And The Fly"
MPEG Stream: "All The World Is Waiting"

ELF POWER Creatures (Spin Art) cd 15.98
Elf Power have quietly dwelled under the shadow of Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, and Apples In Stereo of the Elephant 6 collective, consistently releasing some fantastic, if quirky indie jangle with lots of thoughtfully constructed lo-fi fuzz (a la Sparklehorse, Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips) running through lots of references to the Beatles and the Kinks. "Creatures" is the least adventurous and most accessible album for this Athens, Georgia outfit, pushing closer towards the bubblegum pop of the Apples and further away from their earlier Neutral Milk-ish ramshackle pop as on "Dream In Sound" and "Winter Is Coming."
RealAudio clip: "Let The Serpent Sleep"
RealAudio clip: "Everlasting Scream"
RealAudio clip: "The Haze"

ELF POWER In A Cave (Rykodisc) cd 16.98
It's hard to believe that this is the 9th album from Elf Power. Seems like just yesterday that this Athens, GA band were the new kids on the Elephant Six block. They really haven't released a dud either over the years and like lots of bands who remain consistent over a long period of time it becomes easy to take what they do for granted. In A Cave might be their most fresh and immediate record since their 2000 album, Winter Is Coming, which has definitely become an all-time AQ favorite.
They've really excelled and created their own unique take on psych-pop that's so well constructed and pleasing on the ears. Swirling melodies, experiments with tape and subtle electronics all used to great success, and above all such great songwriting that continues to set Elf Power above the pack, far beyond the rest of those outfits desperate to tap into that paisley psychedelic pop sound but lacking the great songs and killer hooks. Like early R.E.M. paying homage to The Kinks and The Zombies, In A Cave is proving to be one of the better pop records of the year.
MPEG Stream: "Owl Cut (White Flowers In The Sky)"
MPEG Stream: "Spiral Stairs"
MPEG Stream: "Heads Of Dust, Hearts Of Lust"

ELF POWER Nothing's Going To Happen (Orange Twin) cd 14.98
An all covers collection by these Georgia-based Elephant 6'ers released on Jeff Mangum's label. 16 songs in all (six of which were previously released on their tour only limited edition "Come On" ep) including Tall Dwarfs' "Nothings Going to Happen", Billy Childish's "You Make Me Die", Bad Brains' "Pay To Cum", The Misfits' "Hybrid Moments" (with altered lyrics), Sonic Youth, Jesus & Mary Chain, Frogs, Buzzcocks, etc. The broad choice of covers all done in Elf Power's indierock style actually serves to highlight the excellent *songwriting* evident in each track, and this is a very pleasant listen. Earnest, fun, crowd-pleasing tributes to their favorite bands or neutered, lackluster indie pop versions? We're on the fence. We enjoyed this a lot, but does that mean it's great? Hmm. You decide.
RealAudio clip: "You Make Me Die"
RealAudio clip: "Pay To Cum"
RealAudio clip: "Hybrid Moments "

ELF POWER Vainly Clutching At Phantom Limbs (Arena Rock) cd 14.98
"Vainly Clutching At Phantom Limbs" is a reissue of a super limited edition lp, with the "Winterhawk" ep tacked on for good measure. When this was recorded in 1994, Elf Power's sound had not yet developed into the tropes of Elephant 6 avant-psych-pop, instead they dabbled in gritty lo-fi straight-forwardness of the kind that made all of those early Sebadoh / Sentridoh singles sound so brilliant in their crappiness. That said, the best track on this album is a cover of "Drug Store" by, yes, the Dwarves!

ELF POWER Walking With The Beggar Boys (Orange Twin) cd 14.98
Many of the Elephant 6 crafty retro pop experimental collective members have been resurfacing as of late. Not only have AQ faves the Olivia Tremor Control's albums been reissued, but many of the bands in the E6's second tier are stepping forward with new albums too! As soon as you press 'play' on Walking With The Beggar Boys, Elf Power are bursting from your speakers with their particular tasty blend of jubilant retro folk pop. Much less psychedelic than previous releases, instead it's very "Up With People" and filled with lyrics of wide-eyed innocence like "God is cool". It's not all sunshine and daffodils though, there are somber moments on this album. They just take a little time to materialize (how 'bout the sixth song "The Cracks"?). As per most E6 projects, this album features members (and ex-members) of other E6 bands, namely Laura Carter of Neutral Milk Hotel and Eric Harris of OTC. An additional highlight is the unmistakable voice of Vic Chesnutt! Yup, he sings on the title track.
MPEG Stream: "Never Believe"
MPEG Stream: "The Cracks"

ELF POWER When the Red King Comes (Arena Rock/Elephant 6) cd 13.98
Second album from the Athens-based pop group that was the last minute surprise act at Terrastock West.

ELF POWER Winter Is Coming (Sugar Free) cd 14.98
With every Elf Power release the band grows in leaps and bounds, gleefully becoming more psychedelic and less sweetly pop. This is a good thing! Developing their own, original spin on the tried and true Elephant 6 sound (the underground pop collective typified by Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, and Apples in Stereo) has resulted in "Winter is Coming", which is filled with delightfully ambitious psychedelic rock with a few nods here and there to their toothy pop roots. Very well executed and stunningly melodic. Highly recommended!
RealAudio clip: "Embrace the Crimson Tide"
RealAudio clip: "Green Sea Days"

ELLIOTT, MATT The Mess We Made (Merge) cd 14.98
As Third Eye Foundation, Matt Elliott was one of the pillars of the Bristol post-rock sound, producing a volatile concoction of drum and bass breaks suffocating under the weight of space-rock dissonance and apocalyptic references. It's been reported that Elliott was disbanding Third Eye Foundation and stepping away from music for good. Thankfully, those reports have turned out to be false and he's begun what we can only hope will be a long and fruitful 'solo' career. On "The Mess We Made," Elliott turns the corner on the rhythmic aspect of his work, instead building outward from melancholic piano melodies that fall between drunken-sailor waltzes, the paranoiac isolationism of David Shire's soundtrack to "The Conversation," and the more deconstructed renderings of Radiohead's "Kid A" or "Amnesiac." Using these morosely fragile melodies as the foundation for his music, Elliott saturates his music with theatrical orchestrations of french horns, accordions, lilting Spanish guitar lines, and windswept ambience. He furthers the creepy melodrama on "The Mess We Made" with an unusual production technique that warbles some of the sounds into an antiquated vibrato as if transmitted through a haunted Victrola from the 1930s. The title track to the album stands out with a two minute interlude of drum & bass, as Elliott tosses in a caustic Amen workout into the baroque cobwebs that dominate the remainder of this album. A very welcome return for Mr. Elliott!
MPEG Stream: "The Mess We Made"
MPEG Stream: "The Sinking Ship Song"

ELLIS, ROB Music For The Home (Leaf) cd 16.98
Rob Ellis spends a lot of time as PJ Harvey's full time producer and drummer. He's talented. But this solo album is another thing entirely. Not rock at all, it's pseudo-20th century new music for the synthesizer-inclined. So I listened to this at home like the title says, and have to say rather than being good home listening, it'd be better titled Music for Walking Around Staring at Bare Trees in the Winter. Stark synthesized piano/harpsichord, tinkling electronic chimes, typewriters, and programmed percussion all add up to a dreary minor key case of seasonal affective disorder suffered by Claude Debussy.
RealAudio clip: "Parade in Your Palm"

ELOPE 3WD (Gravitation) cd 14.98
YES! Sweden's Elope are back. One of our favorite discoveries of 2004, their No Name Album was Beatlesly (or Wingsy), Neil Youngish, sorta stonery, and maybe a little Stonesy, authentically retro '70s classic rock sounding, utterly entrancing, mostly mellow pure POP genius! So we're excited to hear their new one, 3WD (three wheel drive?? somebody clue us in... maybe now we understand why their first album was more or less untitled). And additionally excited to learn that this is only the first of two new Elope albums due out this year, this one supposedly being the more rockin' one, with another cd coming this fall entitled 9 Distilled Dreams that will focus on mellower, slower, quieter material.
So how's 3WD? Well we couldn't be happier. It is on the uptempo side -- they even break out a boogie now and then -- but still has the wonderfully laidback vibe we loved about their debut. And their abilities in the pop songsmithery department haven't diminished at all. Elope's honeyed vocals and harmonies help give a gentle glow to the hard-rocking energy on display. Reference points, '60s/'70s retro and otherwise ('cause they sound modern too): The Pretty Things, Pink Floyd, Redd Kross (but not soo nyahh nyahh nyahh), and maybe even a little bit Elliott Smith if he had been more rockinger... And definitely if you like Dungen (especially the poppier side to their psych-pop equation) you should definitely be aware of their talented countrymen Elope.
Totally recommended, and now we're impatiently awaiting the next one!!
MPEG Stream: "Dragonstone"
MPEG Stream: "Friend Of Mine"

ELOPE 9 Distilled Dreams (Gravitation) cd 14.98
At last!! AQ faves Elope from Sweden, the world's mellowest and most melodic "stoner rock" band, are back with their third album of timelost psych rock beauty, 9 Distilled Dreams. It's the relaxed companion to last year's more rockin' 3WD, bringing to the fore the dreamiest side of the Elope equation.
First off, gotta mention that we're super flattered that the band was so appreciative of our reviews of their previous two albums that they wanted to thank us by putting a dedication "to Aquarius Records San Francisco" on this new album. Awww. We blush. Of course, that puts some pressure on us to come up with a worthy review of this their excellent third effort. We might have been able just to say something along the lines of: NEW ALBUM FROM ELOPE! IT'S AWESOME! GET IT! But though that's all very true, we feel we ought to rise to the occasion with something more in depth and, if possible, poetic.
Ok... like the snow-dusted winter trees in front of bright blue sky depicted in the photo on the slipcase of this cd, 9 Distilled Dreams is a thing of sunblessed natural beauty. Ambling, amiable, a bit sad, sweet... tugging at the heart with yearning vocals and irresistible pop songcraft. Yep, this long haired trio -- Sebastian Aronsson, Tomas Eriksson, and Anders Person -- have done it again, just even slower and softer this time. A couple of the songs ("Elope & Fuge") make judicious use of keyboards for gentle prog caresses. Other tracks, like "Not Even Close (Closer)", work their magic with just voice and acoustic guitar.
There's the usual '60s/'70s references we could make -- Beatlesy McCartneyesqe Neil Youngish Allman Brothersy bits in here and there. But for some more up-to-date citations, we're feeling the Cyann and Ben style layered three-note melodies. And are reminded of those Supergrass ballads... with that satisfying really good pop resolve. And in a weird way, with their harmonies and all, we're put in mind of old faves the Scud Mountain Boys, without the country slant. Also, need we say, if you're one of Dungen's many fans and haven't yet heard their fellow countrymen Elope, this would be a good place to start.
But hopefully, if you're a regular AQ customer, we've already turned you on to Elope and you like 'em as much as we do. If that's the case, then we probably can just say NEW ALBUM FROM ELOPE, etc.! Delicate, moody, gorgeous, and rather more like their debut The No Name Record than its intentionally uptempo-all-the-time predecessor. Happily recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Black Eyed Citizen"
MPEG Stream: "No Don't"
MPEG Stream: "The Core "

ELOPE The No Name Record (Parasol / Gravitation) cd 14.98
Here's an album from last year that we LOVED, and it turns out we're not the only ones who thought it was pretty special, 'cause our friends at Parasol decided to license it for release in the US. So now it'll be easier to keep in stock, and it's a buck cheaper than the previous import version was! So if you missed it before, here it is again...
And note that Elope hail from the same part of the world as the much hyped (and deservedly so) Dungen, and play music that similarily has got a decidedly retro bent. So if you've been impressed with Dungen, you might find Elope to be an equally wonderful addition to your cd collection. And maybe we should also mention another lauded band of Scandinavian '70s worshippers, heavy rockers Witchcraft...what is it with these Swedes and their mastery of the way-back machine??
Anyway, here's our Elope review again, from AQ list #190:
We get A LOT of records coming through here, as you might imagine, many of them great -- but very few that I (Allan) have listened to as many times upon acquisition as this one. I just can't stop spinning it. It's one of those special cases, the new purchase that actually achieves "heavy rotation" in my home. The Elope trio hail from Sweden and are on the same label, Gravitation, that's been bringing us those lovely Bjorn Olsson albums. They're a current, contemporary band but you'd be forgiven for thinking otherwise 'cause this record sure sounds like it was recorded no later than 1973, if it was yesterday. They've captured a long-ago, classic rock, heavily Beatles-influenced vibe, and written songs with pop brilliance to match. They're retro but not self-consciously, calculatedly so. I mean, the album cover suggests indie rock along the lines of Death Cab For Cutie or Modest Mouse or something like that, way more than it does what the band actually sounds like. Which is the Beatles, Neil Young (they cover his "Bad Fog Of Loneliness"), a little country-Stones, a little Pink Floyd, maybe the Pretty Things circa their Parachute LP, and some Wings (or more Beatles). More obscurely, I'd say a lot of this has the same magical effect on me as do the albums by early '70s Peruvian Paul McCartney worshippers We All Together. (Some of you might be familiar with those guys, we used to stock the reissues of their two albums when we could get 'em). Relaxed, super melodic, stick in your head songwriting. Another kinda obscure comparison would be to the quieter, acoustic side of heavy British '70s rockers Budgie (!) who also were devoted Paul McCartney fans I'm sure. And, additionally, this has a restrained-but-effective hard/psych rock side to it that also could relate to the riffing of Budgie (a lot of critics apparently say Cream, but I don't hear that as much). Like the guy from Budgie doing their more sensitive songs, the intimate, gentle vocals here have an air of wistful melancholy I always find hard to resist. Pretty, exquisitely crafted songs that are so very seventies but also evoke the current folky indie-pop of, say, Belle & Sebastian. I wasn't entirely surprised to find out that Elope apparently includes some member(s) of stoner rock band Lowrider. Indeed, Elope had a release (a split with a band called Backbiter) on the defunct Man's Ruin label some time ago, and have been called "possibly the mellowest stoner rock band ever", although they certainly are capable of rocking out, as on the track "Pride Approaching". They do it rarely but they do it well. But unlike a lot of 'stoner rock' bands, whatever inclinations they have towards psychedelic guitar jamming are balanced by the melodic/structural needs of the song at hand. So good. I know I'll keep spinning this for some time to come. Quite possibly top ten 2004 material as far as I'm concerned!
MPEG Stream: "Anyone"
MPEG Stream: "Oh Patchouli"

ELPH.ZWOLF (AKA COIL) 20' to 2000 : December (Raster-Noton) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
With the datapanic in year zero amounting to next to nothing (just a lot of government money spent), the countdown series by Raster / Noton to the year 2000 may seem a little anticlimatic... especially since the last disc arrived in the middle of January 2000. Fortunately, the musical content of the finale completes the brilliant and nearly perfect series on a rather bleak note. Coil's contribution to the countdown series is recorded under their Elph moniker, whose 1994 release "Worship The Glitch" was the metaphoric precursor to this series as well as such digital fuckery by Oval, Pan Sonic, Ryoji Ikeda, etc... Coil's menace, which was oddly lacking on the "Musick To Listen To In The Dark", returns as creepy lunar drones shift into an oppressive digital dirge and followed by a recombination of contemporary digital skitter with 1960's concrete / academic bleeping.

ELTRO Information Changer (Absolutely Kosher) cd 12.98

ELTRO Past And Present Futurists (Absolutely Kosher) cd 12.98
On Eltro's third album Past And Present Futurists, it's nice to find that their sound is still very very sweet and soothing, but they seem to have ventured out into slightly darker, more trippy and expansive territory. This is definitely no less pretty, but much more active than the comparatively even keeled gentle drone'n'pulse dream pop of their previous record Velodrome. During a spin here at AQ, a customer likened them to a more languid and lil' bit druggy Stereolab. This was particularly in reference to the album's fourth song "On One". While we can certainly hear what he meant and if comparisons are to be drawn, then this album as a whole seems to be much closer to the undulating grooviness of Laika and the quirky pop beats of Solex or Cibo Matto. Laidback female vocals, trumpet blasts, funky melodies, percolating rhythms, smooth'n'steady basslines? It's all here, presented in fine, smoky latenight fashion.
A side note in the "maybe I'm crazy but was that...?" department: one thing that caught our ear in the third song "Fram" was a recurring melody that bore a striking resemblance to the Charlie's Angels theme. Odd!
MPEG Stream: "On One"
MPEG Stream: "Fram"

ELTRO Velodrome (Absolutely Kosher) cd 12.98
Absolutely Kosher traffics mostly in pop prettiness, and has discovered it in its many different shades and styles. A few examples? Well, the angular off kilter pop of PEE (r.i.p.), the complex loveliness of Optiganally Yours, the brooding melancholy of Telegraph Melts and more recently The Places and Jim Yoshi Pile-Up. Eltro is no exception. A glimmering, gliding earful. Actually the cover photos of a bicycle race track seem odd to me in relation to what I hear in the music. This seems much more an aquatic affair. A hypnotically lovely dreamboat album with sleepy girl/boy vocals, washes of milky way drones and gentle pulsing beats underlying the proceedings.

ELUVIUM An Accidental Memory In The Case Of Death (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Last year's Temporary Residence debut from Eluvium aka Matthew Cooper, entitled Lambent Material, was an excellent ambient drone-drift record. For this follow-up, he's pared back his instrumental palette to *only* piano. An Accidental Memory In The Case Of Death is just Matthew sitting at his baby grand, letting his fingers play on the ivories, mellow and melodic. It's very relaxing and pretty, a bit Windham Hill-ish we have to admit, but nothing if not nice, quite nice!
MPEG Stream: "Genius And The Thieves"
MPEG Stream: "The Well-Meaning Professor"

ELUVIUM Copia (Temporary Residence) cd 14.98
Although it really really sounds like one, the new Eluvium album is not a film soundtrack. Copia breathes deeply with instrumental cinematic expanses. Much like what Rachel's and their label base Quarterstick did for chamber music back in the mid-'90s, Eluvium (aka Matthew Cooper) and his label home Temporary Residence are doing for ambient, new age and classical compositions, exposing it to a new audience, today's indie scene (even more so since he's hitting the road with Explosions In The Sky). Undeniably influenced deeply by genre patriarchs the sublime and venerable Phillip Glass and Brian Eno, Cooper's middle name just might be 'austerity'... well, with the exception of the muted cannon blasts in the final track. That said, we couldn't help but notice that the ninth track "Reciting The Airships" sounds more than a little like the intro to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing"! Nonetheless oh so very somber and beautiful.
MPEG Stream: "Reciting The Airships"
MPEG Stream: "Repose In Blue"

ELUVIUM Lambent Material (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Lambent...ambient and gentle like a lamb? Actually the word means luminous, which is appropriate as well, for music this light and pretty, casting a soft glow. Wispy, but not wimpy. Eluvium is the work of Portland Oregon's Matthew Cooper, a post-rock bliss-out artist if there ever was one. His music, constructed of layers of guitar, piano melodies, and some distant voices perhaps, swells and falls, wrapping the listener in pale, gauzy colors and textures. On the fourth and longest (15 min.) piece, "Zerthis Was a Shivering Human Image" Eluvium gets nicely fuzzed, warm and deep and droning -- not so light but still pretty. Whoosh. There's five lovely tracks here total, all of which should appeal to fans of Stars Of The Lid, Brian Eno, Landing, Labradford, Sonna, P. Jeck, etc. We like.
MPEG Stream: "Under The Water It Glowed"
MPEG Stream: "Zerthis Was A Shivering Human Image"

ELUVIUM Talk Amongst The Trees (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 14.98
Ambient music can really suck. Yeah sure, -all- music can really suck, but ambient music has a not so stellar history. The likelihood of music being actively touted as 'ambient' actually being closer to 'new age' is greater than we'd like to believe. We here at AQ have been a bit spoiled, since our idea of ambient music includes most things drone, and lord knows there is no shortage of amazing drone music. So when a specifically 'ambient' record comes our way (especially one that vehemently defends itself against the perceived stigma of being labeled ambient) we are pretty skeptical. No need with Eluvium, who over the course of several albums have demonstrated (like a select few before them) time and time again that ambient music need not be wimpy or boring, and in fact can be dark and deep and emotionally charged. The music of Eluvium on Talk Amongst The Trees has as much in common with Philip Jeck or William Basinski as it does Brian Eno or Tangerine Dream. Maybe more so. Slow, fuzzy melodies, constructed from processed guitars and pianos and voices, are stretched into blurry soundscapes, lazily looped into slowly shifting snapshots of long forgotten pasts, brief glimpses of barely there memories, stories told in smears of tonal color, emotions expressed in rumbles and reverberations. Eluvium manage to create a strangely luminous center to each song, a pulsing heart, whose glow suffuses the thick sonic sprawl around it, making the hazy and murky depths of each song breathe with hope and glow with a subtle warmth. So nice. A perfect late night drifting off record. Fans of Stars Of The Lid, Jeck, Basinski, Labradford, Eno, and other ambient luminaries should now add Eluvium to that list. If you haven't already.
MPEG Stream: "New Animals From The Air"
MPEG Stream: "Show Us Our Homes"

ELUVIUM When I Live By The Garden And The Sea (Temporary Residence) cd ep 10.98
Here's a new four-song ep from Eluvium aka solo instrumental soundscapist Matthew Cooper. When I Live By The Garden And The Sea is a slow-building stormfront of hazy distortion washes, gradually materializing contemplative note sequences and an occasional dialogue sample. This cd might be only four tracks long but they're quite lengthy -- plenty long enough for you to stretch out and sink into.
MPEG Stream: "I Will Not Forget That I Have Forgotten"

ELUVIUM / JESU split (Temporary Residence) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
More limited vinyl madness, this time in the form of the hotly anticipated vinyl only split between Justin Broadrick's Jesu, and US ambient drifter Eluvium. So the skinny is this, a split release between Temporary Residence Limited and Hydra Head, the copies we got are the TRL version. The TRL version is already out of print, but the folks at TRL let us have a big bunch (only about 50) and even cooler, a handful of them are the mailorder only colored vinyl version. So first 30 or so folks will get colored vinyl, the rest will get black, and please don't ask for colored vinyl, and don't order unless you'll be happy with black, it's first come, first served...
Three new songs from Jesu, and as if we didn't already see Broadrick and Co. heading in this direction, they've almost entirely jettisoned the heaviness, in favor of a blissy new wave-t drift. Really! No massive sludge, no blissed out crunch, in fact, most of this sounds like Jesu doing the soundtrack to a John Hughes movie, all drift and croon and no crunch and pummel, but it's really nice, and pretty, and still suitably Jesu-like. Imagine Simple Minds or the Cure but raised on Slowdive and Chapterhouse and Swervedriver and My Bloody Valentine, doing the theme song for Sixteen Candles 2007 (which if our calculations are correct would be more like Thirty Nine Candles). The first song would be a massive hit, sort of melancholy and romantic, dark and dreamy, but still sort of catchy and hopeful, like sunbeams barely making it through grey storm clouds. The final track sounds like it could be from that last scene in Sixteen Candles 2007, the one where the boy and the girl finally make it to the dance after all of the crazy mishaps and misunderstandings and are finally sharing that slow dance... lugubrious and fuzzy, and soft focus and so great actually. It's weird, and a bit unexpected, but as much as we love the glacial crush of past Jesu discs, this new-wave-y drift really suits them..
The flip side features a side long three part epic from Eluvium, aka Matthew Cooper, whose usual stately dreamlike ambience, is here rendered even fuzzier and blurrier. The first part could be some long lost Tim Hecker or Basinski jam, all dense washes of keyboards and crumbling shimmer. The second and third parts feature Coopers doleful minor key piano, more recognizable than on the opener, but still takes those notes and smears them into glacial stretches of glistening murmur. The perfect sonic match up for Jesu's new, less heavy, more drift-y sound.

EMBARRASSMENT Blister Pop (My Pal God) cd 12.98
Rough, raw and shambolic pop from midwest art rock / garage popsters the Embarassment. This is the perfect companion to the almost-comprehensive 'Heyday' compilation released a few years back. Live tracks and demos of some of their best (and for some reason unreleased / unrecorded) stuff.

EMBARRASSMENT Heyday 1979-83 (BarNone) 2cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
There's 42 songs here, which we think is their entire recorded output, but one of you embo experts should come in and set us straight.