DO MAKE SAY THINK & Yet & Yet (Constellation) lp 14.98
Less spaced out and expansive than their previous efforts, "& Yet & Yet" marks the third album from this Canadian post-rock, instrumental ensemble. Not a huge detour but certainly moving away from their usual much more drone-laden sound, they've composed a collection of gently flowing meditative tracks punctuated by shimmery cymbals, warm tones from analog synths and horns, and swells of feedback guitar washes. A soothing, unobtrusive work. Fans of the soft atmospherics of bands like Tristeza will surely welcome this into their mellow zone.
RealAudio clip: "Classic Noodlanding"

DO MAKE SAY THINK Besides (Resonant) 12" 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
With a record on Constellation not too long ago, Do Make Say Think collect this 4 song ep from over 20 hours of recorded material for a widely varied piece of vinyl that ranges from the quiet twang found on Jim O'Rourke's "Bad Timing" to kaleidoscopic space-rock drones ala Sonic Boom to the building hypnosis-rock of Mogwai meets Circle. Pretty good despite the incongruities.

DO MAKE SAY THINK Goodbye Enemy Airship the Landlord is Dead (Constellation) cd 14.98
Second album from these Canadian post-rockers, very pretty and epic. Possibly mesmerizing, possibly boring, depending on your mood. Worth checking out if you like stuff like Scenic or labelmates Fly Pan Am or Godspeed You Black Emperor.

DO MAKE SAY THINK Goodbye Enemy Airship the Landlord is Dead (Constellation) lp 13.98
Second album from these Canadian post-rockers, very pretty and epic. Possibly mesmerizing, possibly boring, depending on your mood. Worth checking out if you like stuff like Scenic or labelmates Fly Pan Am or Godspeed You Black Emperor.

DO MAKE SAY THINK s/t (Constellation) cd 13.98
The first album from Do Make Say Think showcases their hypnotic rhythm section which alternates from jazzy grooves to intricate pop structures. On top of this solid base, swells of guitar noise and organ drones explode and dissolve much like a cross between Bardo Pond and a weirder version of Spiritualized. On the same label that brought you the fantastic Godspeed You Black Emperor (!!) and also from Canada.

DO MAKE SAY THINK Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn (Constellation) cd 14.98
Fourth album of epic instrumental post-rock from one of Canada's best. Droning, lush, rhythmic, dynamic. If you're gonna try just one other Constellation label band besides the mighty Godspeed You Black Emperor!, maybe it should be Do Make Say Think. And this would be just the album of theirs to check out. As it starts, you might think it's gonna be all cinematic and kinda jazzy but then they display some heavy fuzz-ed out muscle that ought to appeal to fans of Kinski for sure. Nice n' moody.
MPEG Stream: "track 1"
MPEG Stream: "track 7"

DO MAKE SAY THINK Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn (Constellation) 2lp 17.98
Fourth album of epic instrumental post-rock from one of Canada's best. Droning, lush, rhythmic, dynamic. If you're gonna try just one other Constellation label band besides the mighty Godspeed You Black Emperor!, maybe it should be Do Make Say Think. And this would be just the album of theirs to check out. As it starts, you might think it's gonna be all cinematic and kinda jazzy but then they display some heavy fuzz-ed out muscle that ought to appeal to fans of Kinski for sure. Nice n' moody.

DO MAKE SAY THINK You, You're A History In Rust (Constellation) cd 14.98
Over the years Toronto's Do Make Say Think have become one of the few ensembles able to step out of the shadow of their connection to Godspeed You Black Emperor and make a strong name for themselves in the world of intricate and dynamic instrumental post-rock. Their last few records have shown the band refining their sound, becoming a bit more pop orientated yet not losing their ability to create goosebump inducing moments in their songs. Their latest doesn't veer much from their fine formula, but folks might be surprised to find vocals on a few tracks and we have to say those songs would have been just fine without them. But for the most part all the elements that have made Do Make Say Think one of our favorites from the Constellation family are all still here and shining bright.
MPEG Stream: "The Universe"
MPEG Stream: "Herstory Of Glory"

DO MAKE SAY THINK You, You're A History In Rust (Constellation) lp 17.98
Over the years Toronto's Do Make Say Think have become one of the few ensembles able to step out of the shadow of their connection to Godspeed You Black Emperor and make a strong name for themselves in the world of intricate and dynamic instrumental post-rock. Their last few records have shown the band refining their sound, becoming a bit more pop orientated yet not losing their ability to create goosebump inducing moments in their songs. Their latest doesn't veer much from their fine formula, but folks might be surprised to find vocals on a few tracks and we have to say those songs would have been just fine without them. But for the most part all the elements that have made Do Make Say Think one of our favorites from the Constellation family are all still here and shining bright.
MPEG Stream: "The Universe"
MPEG Stream: "Herstory Of Glory"

DOCDAIL Stone Me / Sad Harold (Magic) cd ep 9.98
French heavy psychedelic acid rock proto-metal. Yes we said French. Last year, via the interweb, we got clued in to the existence of some way rare and obscure late '60s / early '70s heaviness from the land of baguettes and berets. Rotomagus, Les Variations, Chico Magnetic Band, Quo Vadis, Zoo... Francais Metal de Proto!! We'd had no idea. So we're happy now we've tracked down a few import cds bearing proof of this hitherto unknown phenomenon. This one's by a band from Paris called Docdail. Housed in a cardboard sleeve, this cd features just four tracks -- the A and B sides of Docdail's first two singles, from 1969 and 1970, which might be their entire recorded output as far as we know. In fact we don't know much about these guys at all -- except that at they wrote at least one song, found here, that is mindblowingly heavy for 1969!!!
This disc starts off with "Sad Harold", an electric blues number that while decent enough probably won't get anybody too excited. It definitely betrays nothing of the utterly ahead-of-its-time onslaught of psychedelic instro-sludge found on the flip, track two here, "Aere Perennius". A way HEAVY acid jam, man. Doubtless this one was influenced by Jimi Hendrix, but to us sounds more like freakin' Steel Pole Bathtub! If we were told this was a band from the early '90s on AmRep, we'd have believed it, except maybe during a breakdown halfway through when some vocals come in, briefly shouting in Latin and French. Simply astonishing, and worth the price of this disc to those of you obsessed, like us, with the early daze of the heavy. Following that, third up on the disc, is the not-quite-as-heavy "Stone Me", a song as groovy and stonery as you'd hope from the title. Reminds us maybe of Steppenwolf. The B-side to that wraps things up, a much mellower track called "Why Do You Cry" that is slow, sad and sweet, which Docdail manages quite nicely. Leaving us puzzled though... it would seem that Docdail didn't really "get it" (or their management/audiences didn't), 'cause otherwise why the heck wouldn't they have taken the incredible, extreme sound of "Aere Perennius" and run with it?? Maybe they scared themselves, who knows!
MPEG Stream: "Aere Perennius"

DOCTOR MIX AND THE REMIX Wall Of Noise (Acute) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Can you improve on The Stooges' "No Fun"? No, but the combination of a really weird French guy, a primitive drum machine and incredibly distorted electric guitar is a good try! Eric Debris, leader of the seminal French synth-punk act Metal Urbain (and, subsequently, Metal Boys) also had a recording project in the late '70s/early '80s under the Doctor Mix And The Remix moniker. It was his solo project for (the most part) doing stripped-down, fucked-up cover versions of classics like "No Fun" and the Troggs' "I Can't Control Myself". The first Doctor Mix singles featured "versions" on the flip (included here) that are even more messed up. Those are all here along with the entire 1979 Wall Of Noise album, wherein songs by Bowie, The Seeds, the Velvet Underground (an amazing take on "Sister Ray"), Roxy Music and others are all operated on by Doctor Mix, who gives the original artists reason to sue for malpractice! A further Doctor Mix ep is included as well, with a few originals and, among other things, the perenial cover tune "Hey Joe". With Debris singing in Anglais with a snotty French accent, it's all kinda goofy but full of Gallic-punk charm. And if you didn't already check 'em out, we still have Acute's recent reissues of the Metal Urbain and Metal Boys albums in stock, both come highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "No Fun (single version)"
MPEG Stream: "Six Dreams"

DODOS, THE Beware Of The Maniacs (self-released) lp 13.98
Now On Vinyl!
Meric Long, the man behind The Dodos, was calling his band The Dodo Bird for a spell, which just so happened to be the title of his debut cd-r release which we carried earlier this year (which was billed as a Meric Long album). Now they go by the abbreviated The Dodos. Confused? Well, all you need to remember is that Meric Long along with percussionist Logan Kroeber are The Dodos. Their engaging music makes keeping them in mind and heart as easy as pie!
As far as we can tell unlike their namesake they are neither feathered and flightless nor extinct. In fact, from the sounds of this, their first full length cd, these Dodos are flourishing, blossoming, ready to take flight. With his contemplative lyrics, terrific songwriting and rich arrangements of vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, percussion and... trombone(!), Long more than makes good on the impressive promise he showed on his debut. Throughout the proceedings he exudes a warm charm and confidence and an occasional willingness to gently nudge the boundaries of the acoustic folk singer/songwriter terrain. Jeff Mangum and John Darnielle, set a place at the table for The Dodos!
MPEG Stream: "Beards"
MPEG Stream: "The Ball"

DODOS, THE Visiter (French Kiss) cd 13.98
It's really exciting to be digging a band just as they are hitting their special 'moment in time.' Such is the case with San Francisco's The Dodos. We've been championing the work of Meric Long for the last couple years with his self-released records, released under his given name, also as The Dodo Birds and finally as The Dodos. With Visiter, The Dodos are no longer our little secret, as the rest of the world has finally taken notice of Meric and Logan Kroeber and their fantastic debut for French Kiss. We love when every once in a while a band who truly deserves the hype and press, actually gets it. From the opening seconds of this record you can hear and feel that this is a record that they poured all of themselves into. Their is an immediacy and urgency in Visiter that draws you right in and makes you want to listen again and again.
The instrumentation is so well thought out and the recording keeps things punchy and tight but never too glossy or slick. We hear the influence of recent Animal Collective, the rich back catalog of the Elephant Six collective, Polvo, the more rocking elements of Vetiver and we also are reminded a lot of a way underrated band from Boston from the late '90s / early '00s called The Wicked Farleys (yes bad name but they were so rad!)
What really sets The Dodos apart from the indie rock herd is what a great vocalist Meric Long is, he has a truly beautiful voice that he isn't afraid to actually USE, but is also never too precious with, even occasionally letting out some exhilarating screams as well. And while other bands who have a great vocalist usually lack, and tend to bore with their instrumentation, The Dodos truly have the entire package. Musically they are so charged and varied, creating sounds that get you to stand tall at attention as they make your heart beat a bit faster and give you goosebumps. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Red And Purple"
MPEG Stream: "Paint The Rust"
MPEG Stream: "The Season"

DODOS, THE (DODO BIRD) Beware Of The Maniacs (self-released) cd 12.98
Meric Long, the man behind Dodo Bird, is now calling his band Dodo Bird, which just so happened to be the title of his debut cd-r release which we carried earlier this year (which was billed as a Meric Long album). Confused? Just get this, that Meric Long along with percussionist Logan Kroeber are now Dodo Bird, but as far as we can tell unlike their namesake they are neither feathered and flightless nor extinct. In fact, from the sounds of this, their first full length cd, this Dodo Bird is flourishing, blossoming, ready to take flight. With his contemplative lyrics, terrific songwriting and rich arrangements of vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, percussion and... trombone(!), Long more than makes good on the impressive promise he showed on his debut. Throughout the proceedings he exudes a warm charm and confidence and an occasional willingness to gently nudge the boundaries of the acoustic folk singer/songwriter terrain. Jeff Mangum and John Darnielle, set a place at the table for Dodo Bird!
MPEG Stream: "Beards"
MPEG Stream: "The Ball"

DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH? You Have No Idea what your Getting Yourself Into (Virgin) cd 13.98
Oh how we wanted to hate this band. The hype. The blogs. The cheeky name. The fact that they were signed to a huge record deal based on two MySpace tracks. We're sure there are more reasons, but for now that's plenty. The glut of total dancey electronic bullshit, overhyped blog-house, it's killing us. Not to sound like old men, but remember when bands played instruments and wrote songs, and spend months, maybe years working on albums, recorded in studios? Yeah, we don't either actually.
But fuck it, we wanted to hate it, but it would be foolish not to just accept the fact that this record rules. We can't stop listening to it. The opener is a dancefloor destroying banger. Huge fuzzy synths, lots of squelch and grind and buzz, tearing a page straight out of Justice's playbook and scribbling all over it with dayglo crayons. But that's the only track on the record that sounds like that. The rest of the disc is all over the map, angular dancepunk, total cotton candy synth pop, and in fact, most of the disc is much more song-y, verses choruses, crunchy guitars pounding drums, wild howled vocals, and HOOKS everywhere. But fear not synthies, there is still plenty of electronic weirdness and synth overload, but that stuff is deftly woven into actual songs.
The second track is a killer as well, super grindy guitars, funky propulsive drumming, howled vocals, super proggy arrangements, swirling synths, dense and heavy, but still funky and groovy. The next track veers back a bit toward the vibe of the opener, but this time it's all vocodered Kraftwerk worship, peppered with sweeping synth buzz and funky cowbell, and a pretty irresistible hook.
Our favorite right now (although it changes every time we listen to it) is probably "Dawn Of The Dead", a total eighties pop jam. Sounding like it came straight out of a John Hughes movie, soaring and bubblegummy, big guitars lush harmonies, it dangerously close to being cheesy, but it's so fucking awesome.
Later there are some surfy carnival organ jams, more eighties technopop, some unabashed total Daft Punk worship, some angular jangle guitar artpunk, flecked with skittery drum machines, and a massive hook filled chorus, the record is almost so scattered that it threatens to be a total mess, but somehow, the songs all sort of fit together, forming some dizzying sugar rush of technicolor techno flecked pop punk synth fuzz bliss.
We're gonna go blog about it. Right now (ummm, not really, just kidding, we SWEAR...). Though I guess this comes close.
MPEG Stream: "Battle Royale"
MPEG Stream: "With A Heavy Heart (I Regret To Inform You)"
MPEG Stream: "Dawn Of The Dead"

DOIRON, JULIE And The Wooden Stars (Jagjaguwar) cd 14.98
Two releases by the wonderful Julie Doiron just received their well-deserved reissue! And here's one of them. You may recall that she was once in the heavily Sonic Youth influenced Eric's Trip, but after they split she directed her songwriting pen to much more barebones, quiet and deeply personal music. On this album however she returns to more upbeat tempo collaborating with fellow Canadian indie quartet The Wooden Stars. These songs are considerably more full and fleshed out than those she performs all by her lonesome. The Wooden Stars provide the warm blend of guitars, piano, bass, horns, Rhodes, samples and some vocals, while Doiron plays guitar and sings. Combined they make a lovely mellow din with shades of folk and jazz. On some, she sings with a gusto that's very uncharacteristic of her but no less effective. And yet, throughout these eleven songs there's a lingering sense of sadness that's everpresent in Doiron's music.
RealAudio clip: "Seven"
RealAudio clip: "Au Contraire"

DOIRON, JULIE Broken Girl (Jagjaguwar) cd 14.98
When this album was first released back in '96, the limited pressing of 1000 copies was gone almost immediately. It's been highly sought ever since - so beloved is Julie Doiron in Canadian indie circles (and admiration for her on this side of the border continues to grow). This was her debut as a solo artist following the demise of her band Eric's Trip under the name Broken Girl, and it articulates softly all the yearning and emotional upheaval of separation. Regardless of moniker, she skillfully wove some of the most hushed, fragile, deeply moving music around, and she did so with little more than her lilting voice and acoustic guitar. Recorded and mixed in '94 by her fellow Eric's Tripper Rick White. As an added bonus this re-issue includes the songs from her first two 7"s which swells the song count to a bountiful nineteen. So achingly down to earth pretty. For fans of Rose Melberg or Barbara Manning.
MPEG Stream: "Dance Music"
MPEG Stream: "Five"

DOIRON, JULIE Desormais (Jagjaguwar) cd 13.98
Since her departure from the fuzzy, feedback-laden world of Eric's Trip many moons ago, Julie Doiron has quietly and steadily amassed a lovely, intimate and sizeable body of work under her own name as well as under the moniker Broken Girl - garnering her much glowing praise from critics and fans alike. For those unfamiliar, her music is so subtle and low-key, it's almost hesitant in its fragile delivery. Fans of the gentle, pretty melancholia of bands like Ida, Cat Power or Low, if you've yet to do so, take note of Ms Doiron! "Desormais" is her new collection of ten disarmingly spartan, bittersweet numbers (nine sung in French, one in English). Very nice!
RealAudio clip: "La Jeune Amoreuse"
RealAudio clip: "Don't Ask"

DOIRON, JULIE Goodnight Nobody (Jagjaguwar) cd 14.98
The ever-consistent Ms Doiron continues to comfort the indie world with her distinct fragile folk pop. Long ago she used to record under the moniker Broken Girl, however of all her releases thus far, this one seems best suited to that name. Comprised of one dozen hushed, sparsely instrumented (primarily guitar, and some keyboards and banjo), whispery sung songs, Goodnight Nobody might be her loneliest, most weary, downer album to date.
MPEG Stream: "Snow Falls In November"
MPEG Stream: "Dance All Night"

DOIRON, JULIE Heart and Crime (Jagjaguwar) cd 13.98
Much like that of Chan Marshall (Cat Power) or Karla Schickele (of Ida), Ms Doiron's lilting, low voice has the ability to either gently lull you to sleep or bring you to tears depending on your state of mind. There's a palpable heavy-heartedness tugging softly at your sleeve. Very wintery and wistful. No frills or excess at all, just simply her voice and some minimal guitar and piano accompaniment. A wonderful way to fully enjoy her talents. "Heart And Crime" follows close on the heels of her lovely french album which we review in the last AQ List.
RealAudio clip: "All Their Broken Hearts"
RealAudio clip: "Oh These Walls"

DOIRON, JULIE I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day (Jagjaguwar) cd 14.98
With all the hype and hoopla folks like Cat Power, Neko Case and Kimya Dawson have received in the last few years (deserved of course!) it's such a crime that Julie Doiron hasn't enjoyed the same sort of attention and acclaim, since as far as we're concerned, she's just as talented, if not more so. We've pretty much loved her since her early days playing bass and singing for '90s Sub Pop stalwarts Eric's Trip and her recent solo outings have had some of her most emotionally impacting songs to date. It was her voice and presence that really helped make the latest Mount Eerie record Lost Wisdom such a favorite around here. I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day picks up where her great previous album Woke Myself Up left off. Still drenched in heartbreak and filled with such honest yearning yet enough rad rocking moments to keep things interesting. For those that are kind of sad that Chan Marshall has headed towards smoother horizons, Doiron just may be the perfect person to fill that void. Smokey, beautiful vocals that can be as charming as they can be devastating. One of those records made for mix tape inspiration, and the perfect companion for anyone who knows the lasting ache of love. And we love how the record ends with "Glad To Be Alive", a strong and moving missive about being thankful for what we do have as much as we mourn and miss what we have lost. Truly a great record from one of the most underrated ladies making amazing music out there today!
MPEG Stream: "Spill Yer Lungs"
MPEG Stream: "Consolation Prize"
MPEG Stream: "Glad To Be Alive"

DOIRON, JULIE Will You Still Love Me? (Jagjaguwar) cd ep 8.98
Two releases by the wonderful Julie Doiron receive their well-deserved reissue! And here's one of them. This was her second solo effort under her own name (she also recorded under the name Broken Girl). Soooo hushed and drowsy. This ep could easily be subtitled something like 'Five Lullabies'. She sings with such an expressive, emotive lilt. It's all sweet, gentle wistfulness over a sparse backdrop comprised of guitar, vibraphone, bass, piano and even a little Wurlitzer! Her words are never less than truly earnest and from the heart. An immediate example is the title of this cdep, sure it's a much used title, but with her it seems nothing but appropriate and sincere. Music from Ms Doiron is always a lovely downer treat.
RealAudio clip: "He Will Forget"

DOIRON, JULIE Woke Myself Up (Jagjaguwar) cd 14.98
We've always been fans of Julie Doiron and her wonderfully sweet voice. From all the way back to the '90s when she was in Sub Pop lo-fi pop combo Eric's Trip, to her many solo outings. However, none of her solo records captured her essence, they were good but not great. But with Woke Myself Up, it sounds like she finally got it right! Oh so right! The sound is so immediate, so bare and achingly intimate. So much presence. With honest heartfelt lyrics and a vocal delivery that recall some of our favorites, Edith Frost and Cat Power. Much like Frost's last outing, It's A Game, this is born of heart break and heart ache. The instrumentation is the perfect combination of sparse and chilling, allowing Doiron's voice to get right to the core of it all. So totally beautiful!
MPEG Stream: "Me And My Friend"
MPEG Stream: "You Look So Alive"

DOIRON, JULIE / OKKERVIL RIVER s/t (Acuarela) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is a split release between two Jagjaguwar Records artists that features all new songs, however it was released by the Spanish label Acuarela Records. Canadian indie fave Julie Doiron offers up some incredibly intimate home recordings that alone are worth the price of admission. She gently strums her acoustic guitar and sings/murmurs five delicate, heartbaring songs. Doiron's companion on this cd is the Austin, TX based band Okkervil River with four songs of their own. Their vocals are of the plaintive, untethered kind that brings to mind Jeff Mangum or John Darnielle. They're backed by some fine rootsy banjo, violin, and guitar. Nice!
MPEG Stream: JULIE DOIRON "The Sweetest Eyes (When You Laugh)"
MPEG Stream: OKKERVIL RIVER "He Passes Number Thirty-Three"

DOKTOR KETTU Black Zenith ( Super Metsa) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Super Metsa is the new cd-r label run by our Finnish friend Jussi Lehtisalo (Circle, Pharoah Overlord, Ektro label, etc.) and one of his pals. For their first batch of releases, they've hit us with three titles by the previously-unknown-to-us band Doktor Kettu, each cd-r in a limited edition of 100. Purposefully mysterious, we can't tell you anything about who's in Doktor Kettu, but we did find out that Kettu is Finnish for 'fox'.
Running about an hour and featuring two or three tracks apiece, all three are pretty great for those into this sort of thing. What sort of thing is that? Well, Jussi describes Doktor Kettu as being an "apocalyptic drone-free-psychedelic-low-fi-massacre..... three guitars, bass and drums" and they do indeed make some very *murky* (not just the production, as much as the music itelf) instrumental improv space rock with a high drone-quotient. Imagine a cross between Circle and Thuja, perhaps, if that could possibly mean anything to you. Doktor Kettu (with two MORE Super Metsa releases in the pipeline) may become Finland's answer to the USA's Sunburned Hand Of The Man, if Avarus doesn't object.

Two tracks on this, the second Doktor Kettu cd-r. English titles. The 17 minute "Moonwork" sounds like Father Moo in a pipefight, and that's just the drumming. The 39 minute "Battle Of Clouds" *does* sound like a battle of clouds, with some heavy artillery up there in the heavens. Dunno what more to say -- these are hard to review. The music is softly throbbing, repetition fx in gear. So is my brain. Throbbing. I need to sit down to keep listening. Yeah. Turn it up. Thanks.
MPEG Stream: "Moonwork"

DOKTOR KETTU Gobmi Kalasnikov (Haamumaa) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another foray into the drugged-out, lo-fi spacerock improv murk that is the Doktor Kettu experience. This mysterious Finnish ensemble (which may or may not include members of Circle) offer up their sixth full-length, limited-edition cd-r document, this one released by the Finnish label Haamumaa. Their previous discs are now all out of print and surely this one is destined to follow that same path into the mists of obscurity, and it's fairly misty music to begin with. Imagine Hawkwind or Acid Mothers Temple locked in a cave with broken instruments, some of their limbs bound behind their backs, given super-slow-motion-inducing drugs and commanded to make music -- but quietly and not quite. That's the three tracks (12, 20 and 19 minutes) that you get here. Rumbling droning free-form psych, the night cries and murmers of some large, scary-looking but perhaps friendly beast... Safe to say that if you are the proud owner of all five of the good Doktor's previous, now out-of-print Super Metsa cd-rs, you need this too -- or if you missed those but are falling for the freaky allure of the Finnish forest-folk scene and want to explore its darker depths, then you'll want this too!
MPEG Stream: "Odin Bunker"

DOKTOR KETTU High Revolution (Super Metsa) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
For those who've only just surfaced from the daze imposed upon them by the sonics of Doktor Kettu's previous three cd-rs, well the Doktor is back and your therapy can continue! For those new to Doktor Kettu, be aware that the Doktor's drug of choice involves hazy electric guitars and stumbling drums improvising organically, like some Fushit-Thuja hybrid, to make a punny and obscure reference. From Finland, the mysterious Doktor is a group that may or may not include members of AQ-faves Circle. What we do know is that so far DK discs have been the sole output of the Super Metsa cd-r label, partly run by Circle's Jussi Lehtisalo. All five cd-rs so far seem like installments from some massive on-going jam still happening right now in a dingy Finnish basement, or perhaps outdoors under the ever-dark winter sky. Their music is the murky drone of armored seagulls, flying over electric waves of distortion and hiss.
High Revolution features three long tracks, all in the lo-fi, low-key freakout mode we've come to expect. Lonely caverns are slowly filled with an unknown gas. Distant apes play with sticks and then pass out. Jurassic cries emerge from deep beneath rocks and stones. Moss talks to moss. In similar fashion, I Really Like Diamonds consists of but one track ("Severed Minds") stretching out for 43 minutes -- and don't ask why a one-track album has a different title than the track itself. Like a lot of things to do with this band, we have the feeling that it's a Finnish drug thing you wouldn't understand. Each disc limited to 100 copies, fyi.
MPEG Stream: "Perception and Instruments"

DOKTOR KETTU I Really Like Diamonds (Super Metsa) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
For those who've only just surfaced from the daze imposed upon them by the sonics of Doktor Kettu's previous three cd-rs, well the Doktor is back and your therapy can continue! For those new to Doktor Kettu, be aware that the Doktor's drug of choice involves hazy electric guitars and stumbling drums improvising organically, like some Fushit-Thuja hybrid, to make a punny and obscure reference. From Finland, the mysterious Doktor is a group that may or may not include members of AQ-faves Circle. What we do know is that so far DK discs have been the sole output of the Super Metsa cd-r label, partly run by Circle's Jussi Lehtisalo. All five cd-rs so far seem like installments from some massive on-going jam still happening right now in a dingy Finnish basement, or perhaps outdoors under the ever-dark winter sky. Their music is the murky drone of armored seagulls, flying over electric waves of distortion and hiss.
High Revolution features three long tracks, all in the lo-fi, low-key freakout mode we've come to expect. Lonely caverns are slowly filled with an unknown gas. Distant apes play with sticks and then pass out. Jurassic cries emerge from deep beneath rocks and stones. Moss talks to moss. In similar fashion, I Really Like Diamonds consists of but one track ("Severed Minds") stretching out for 43 minutes -- and don't ask why a one-track album has a different title than the track itself. Like a lot of things to do with this band, we have the feeling that it's a Finnish drug thing you wouldn't understand. Each disc limited to 100 copies, fyi.
MPEG Stream: "Severed Minds"

DOKTOR KETTU Kriegsphilosophie ( Super Metsa) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Super Metsa is the new cd-r label run by our Finnish friend Jussi Lehtisalo (Circle, Pharoah Overlord, Ektro label, etc.) and one of his pals. For their first batch of releases, they've hit us with three titles by the previously-unknown-to-us band Doktor Kettu, each cd-r in a limited edition of 100. Purposefully mysterious, we can't tell you anything about who's in Doktor Kettu, but we did find out that Kettu is Finnish for 'fox'.
Running about an hour and featuring two or three tracks apiece, all three are pretty great for those into this sort of thing. What sort of thing is that? Well, Jussi describes Doktor Kettu as being an "apocalyptic drone-free-psychedelic-low-fi-massacre..... three guitars, bass and drums" and they do indeed make some very *murky* (not just the production, as much as the music itelf) instrumental improv space rock with a high drone-quotient. Imagine a cross between Circle and Thuja, perhaps, if that could possibly mean anything to you. Doktor Kettu (with two MORE Super Metsa releases in the pipeline) may become Finland's answer to the USA's Sunburned Hand Of The Man, if Avarus doesn't object.

Super Metsa Doktor Kettu number three has got German titles, and three tracks. Imagine if you had neighbors who lived below you in a WWII bunker and all they did all day was listen to certain Fushitsusha albums, this is what you might hear through the floor. Muted a la some Zoviet France stuff. A hazy wash of sound. Nice.
MPEG Stream: "Kopf Im Schnee"

DOKTOR KETTU Soft Delirium (Super-Metsa / Ektro) cd 14.98
BACK IN STOCK!!
Many of you will recall that a few years back, we had the pleasure of reviewing six (6) different limited edition cd-r releases by this murky and mysterious improvised instrumental free rock ensemble from Finland, which features members (we eventually determined for sure) of mega AQ faves Circle! In those reviews, which taxed our powers of description, we said things like:
"A Finnish drug thing you wouldn't understand."
"Lo-fi, low-key freakout."
"Imagine a cross between Circle and Thuja."
"Imagine Hawkwind or Acid Mothers Temple locked in a cave with broken instruments."
"Installments from some massive on-going jam still happening right now... outdoors under the ever-dark winter sky."
"Slow, meandering, very stoned ambient psych jamming to the max."
"Imagine if you had neighbors who lived below you in a WWII bunker and all they did all day was listen to certain Fushitsusha albums, this is what you might hear through the floor."
Now, all six of those cd-r's have been out of print for some time now. But Doktor Kettu's spacey jamming is indeed on-going, and now they're back with a brand new disc, Soft Delirium, and ALL our lines quoted above could easily apply, again. This time it's a real cd, not a cd-r, from Super-Metsa, a division of our friend Jussi's Ektro label that brings us so much stuff by his band Circle and other strange treats. In the typical Doktor Kettu tradition, there's but three long tracks on this disc, each of them an extended, wandering journey through darkness and light. The twelve minute, 44 second "Wulff" which opens the disc, billows forth, amplifier hum and droning chords riding abstract waves of percussive tinkerings to eventually unleash some seriously dense, distorted muzz. Someone's having a Tokyo Flashback, even though these guys are from Finland! Track two, "Triggeri" (9:56) is a bit gentler. Rather pretty, reminding us a bit of Circle's exquisite Miljard. Quiet music you'll want to play loud. And then the disc's third and final track "Kosmonaut", provides even more brooding ambience, exhibiting the ominous, twilight moodiness of another AQ fave, Bohren & Der Club Of Gore. It's over seventeen minutes long, but for us that's barely long enough. These pale rumblings, with surges of percussive texture and slow, slow hints of melody, could flow on endlessly and we'd be forever entranced...
MPEG Stream: "Wulff"
MPEG Stream: "Kosmonaut"

DOKTOR KETTU Yksi Miekka Yksi Kirves ( Super Metsa) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Super Metsa is the new cd-r label run by our Finnish friend Jussi Lehtisalo (Circle, Pharoah Overlord, Ektro label, etc.) and one of his pals. For their first batch of releases, they've hit us with three titles by the previously-unknown-to-us band Doktor Kettu, each cd-r in a limited edition of 100. Purposefully mysterious, we can't tell you anything about who's in Doktor Kettu, but we did find out that Kettu is Finnish for 'fox'.
Running about an hour and featuring two or three tracks apiece, all three are pretty great for those into this sort of thing. What sort of thing is that? Well, Jussi describes Doktor Kettu as being an "apocalyptic drone-free-psychedelic-low-fi-massacre..... three guitars, bass and drums" and they do indeed make some very *murky* (not just the production, as much as the music itelf) instrumental improv space rock with a high drone-quotient. Imagine a cross between Circle and Thuja, perhaps, if that could possibly mean anything to you. Doktor Kettu (with two MORE Super Metsa releases in the pipeline) may become Finland's answer to the USA's Sunburned Hand Of The Man, if Avarus doesn't object.

All the titles are in Finnish for this debut. Despite the sword and axe and skull graphics, this isn't metal (it's metsa?). There's three tracks on this one, recorded on two different dates, live we'd assume. Slow, meandering, very stoned ambient psych jamming to the max. Pretty, gauzy clanking. It's got the damaged feel of some of Reynols' rock outings, but is even less straight-forward. Very little pounding, more round-about tinkering. Some energetic frenzy takes over during the last track, but it's a submerged frenzy, the whole track sounding lost in a steam tunnel somewheres.
MPEG Stream: "Satumaisen Kaunis Iltapaiva"

DOLDRUMS Acupuncture (Kranky) cd 13.98

DOLDRUMS Desk Trickery (Kranky) cd 13.98
A bit more varied than previous albums, this disc sees Doldrums taking their usual krautrock-inspired drone and adding more vocals than before, while making overt moves into indie-rock, free noise and avant jazz...

DOLDRUMS Feng Shui (VHF) cd 12.98
With prior releases on both the vhf and Kranky labels, this band certainly has some credentials in the indie/spacerock scene, able to drone with the best of them and also maintain interest with krautrock-derived rhythmic elements. That said, the gorgeous Feng Shui focuses primarily on the blissful, ambient side of the band (i.e. less rock more space). Very nice.

DOLEFUL LIONS, THE Song Cyclops Volume Two (Parasol) cd 14.98
Jonathan and Robert Scott aka The Doleful Lions only really sound doleful on a couple of songs here. For the better part of Song Cyclops Volume Two they unfurl warm breezy pop that's inflected with numerous incongruous stylistic elements -- very much in the Elephant Six Collective's tradition of crafting mid-fi tripped-out musical mosaics. Amid the generous serving of twenty two songs are five well-selected covers originally done by The Descendents, The Beach Boys, The Misfits, Close Lobsters and The Crystals. With their melted boyish vocals, shyly picked and strummed guitars, gentle bursts on hissy distortion and smattering of synths, the Brothers Scott might be likened to a bastard child of the Beach Boys and T-Rex. The eleventh song "Chinese Rockets", one of their originals, is a perfect example of this. Songs such as the seventeenth "Chrome Submarine" are sweetly woozy. Fans of Ariel Pink might find themselves equally tickled pink by these lads.
MPEG Stream: "Chinese Rockets"
MPEG Stream: "Chrome Submarine"

DOLLY ROCKER Hello, Dolly Rocker! cd 12.98
Fans of the recent Low / Dirty Three In the Fishtank collaborations should clamber and swoon to this new SF outfit. Sparse drumming and strumming, and lulling bass and strings share the space with the quietly emotive female vocals. Mellow and melancholic.

DON CABALLERO 2 (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
These instrumental math rockers best album. Wait we said American Don was. Well this is too.

DON CABALLERO American Don (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
The fourth and finest album yet from popular math-rock mainstay Don Caballero. Certainly the instrumental trio have perfected the complicated urgency they're renowned for -- time-signature-defying drumming and bright shards of crackling guitar. And at this point, Don Cab are genuinely making music like no other, having progressed leaps and bounds on every album with no sign of slowing down. On "American Don", they strip all traces of their early metal riffage, instead building and deconstructing layers of beautiful chiming guitars backed with a sturdy rhythm section, sounding almost cleanly electronic at times. Softening the anger, brightening the guitar picking until its sunny bleats make us think even the jaded Don Cabs are smiling behind the complexity. Quite possibly the heaviest record ever made without distortion and definitely their most forward-thinking album to date, which means they will likely lose some fans but also gain some more.

RealAudio clip: "Fire Back About Your New Baby's Sex"
RealAudio clip: "Ones All Over the Place"

DON CABALLERO American Don (Touch & Go) 2lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The fourth and finest album yet from popular math-rock mainstay Don Caballero. Certainly the instrumental trio have perfected the complicated urgency they're renowned for -- time-signature-defying drumming and bright shards of crackling guitar. And at this point, Don Cab are genuinely making music like no other, having progressed leaps and bounds on every album with no sign of slowing down. On "American Don", they strip all traces of their early metal riffage, instead building and deconstructing layers of beautiful chiming guitars backed with a sturdy rhythm section, sounding almost cleanly electronic at times. Softening the anger, brightening the guitar picking until its sunny bleats make us think even the jaded Don Cabs are smiling behind the complexity. Quite possibly the heaviest record ever made without distortion and definitely their most forward-thinking album to date, which means they will likely lose some fans but also gain some more.

DON CABALLERO Punkgasm (Relapse) cd 14.98
You know these guys. A seminal outfit of the post rock ilk, one without whom... well let's just say there's a good reason they'll be namechecked in every Battles or Hella review we're or anyone else who knows what's what is gonna write. Pittsburgh's finest, the SCTV lovin' Don Cab, led by drummer extraordinaire Damon Che, are back with yet another lineup, and their second Relapse release (7th album overall if you count the singles comp). While the "metal" leanings of their 2006 Relapse debut World Class Listening Problem have been scaled back a bunch here, it's still another dazzling display of their trademark instrumental mathrock chops. Except, this time, it's not all instrumental! There's vocals on some (about a third) of these 14 tracks, and they're surprisingly melodious. (Maybe not so surprising if you've ever heard Che's other band, Thee Speaking Canaries, in which he sings and plays guitar.)
But don't worry, aside from the sometime singing, everything else is 100 percent Don Cab: Wise ass song title non sequiturs. Stop on a dime changes. Complex song structures. Unusual time signatures. Loud-soft dynamics. Proggy perplexity. And quite a lot of pretty parts too! Several tracks are much more harmonious than hectic, soundscapes with airy grooves and lulling, lovely vocals. But an album called Punkgasm can't be a total blissout, it's usually a bit busier. On most tracks, the guitars - sometimes bright and chiming, at other times heavy and distorted - mesh with precision into the spinning gears of Che's constantly percolating, plentiful percussion. Imagine a King Crimson "Projekt" gone indie rock, but better.
MPEG Stream: "Loudest Shop Vac In The World"
MPEG Stream: "Celestial Dusty Groove"
MPEG Stream: "Lord Krepelka"

DON CABALLERO Punkgasm (Relapse) lp 24.00
NOW ALSO ON VINYL!
You know these guys. A seminal outfit of the post rock ilk, one without whom... well let's just say there's a good reason they'll be namechecked in every Battles or Hella review we're or anyone else who knows what's what is gonna write. Pittsburgh's finest, the SCTV lovin' Don Cab, led by drummer extraordinaire Damon Che, are back with yet another lineup, and their second Relapse release (7th album overall if you count the singles comp). While the "metal" leanings of their 2006 Relapse debut World Class Listening Problem have been scaled back a bunch here, it's still another dazzling display of their trademark instrumental mathrock chops. Except, this time, it's not all instrumental! There's vocals on some (about a third) of these 14 tracks, and they're surprisingly melodious. (Maybe not so surprising if you've ever heard Che's other band, Thee Speaking Canaries, in which he sings and plays guitar.)
But don't worry, aside from the sometime singing, everything else is 100 percent Don Cab: Wise ass song title non sequiturs. Stop on a dime changes. Complex song structures. Unusual time signatures. Loud-soft dynamics. Proggy perplexity. And quite a lot of pretty parts too! Several tracks are much more harmonious than hectic, soundscapes with airy grooves and lulling, lovely vocals. But an album called Punkgasm can't be a total blissout, it's usually a bit busier. On most tracks, the guitars - sometimes bright and chiming, at other times heavy and distorted - mesh with precision into the spinning gears of Che's constantly percolating, plentiful percussion. Imagine a King Crimson "Projekt" gone indie rock, but better.
MPEG Stream: "Loudest Shop Vac In The World"
MPEG Stream: "Celestial Dusty Groove"
MPEG Stream: "Lord Krepelka"

DON CABALLERO Singles Breaking Up Volume 1 (Touch & Go) cd 14.98

DON CABALLERO What Burns Never Returns (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
(The epitome of) instrumental math-rock, complex and playful. Their long-awaited third album.

DON CABALLERO What Burns Never Returns (Touch & Go) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
(The epitome of) instrumental math-rock, complex and playful. Their long-awaited third album.

DON CABALLERO World Class Listening Problem (Relapse) cd 14.98
If you're a fan of virtuoso instrumental math-rock madness, look no further... there are two new releases on Relapse for you to nerd, we mean rock, out to! One is the long awaited fifth album from scene grandaddies Don Caballero (without whom...) and the other is from the more whippershapperish Dysrhythmia.
We're totally enjoying the new Don Cab, 'though the world has caught up with 'em -- wise ass instrumental math-rock is all the rage (these guys should get royalty checks from Hella, Chevreuil, Orthrelm, Behold The Arctopus, et al), and so this new album, their first in six years, can't have the same impact as their records did back in the mid-'90s. But lone remaining original member drummer Damon Che still has crazy chops and his all-new lineup does the Don Cab brand name justice, getting a bit more metal in the process perhaps ('cause they're on metal label Relapse now?).
And then for those whose heads want even more scrambling, Dysrhythmia's new one is also recommended. Their complex compositions are played energetically and octopoidally, and are maybe a bit more metallic than the Don Cab, though they do dabble in proggy, atmospheric passages here and there. Indeed, while both World Class Listening Problem and Barriers and Passages have plenty of the technical herky-jerk, they are also strangely relaxing. Not just the relaxation of sheer exhaustion when it's all over -- both records give the listener some welcome chances to chill while they're still playing as well.
MPEG Stream: "Mmmmm Acting, I Love Me Some Good Acting"
MPEG Stream: "And And And, He Lowered The Twin Down"

DON CABALLERO World Class Listening Problem (Relapse) lp 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If you're a fan of virtuoso instrumental math-rock madness, look no further... there are two new releases on Relapse for you to nerd, we mean rock, out to! One is the long awaited fifth album from scene grandaddies Don Caballero (without whom...) and the other is from the more whippershapperish Dysrhythmia.
We're totally enjoying the new Don Cab, 'though the world has caught up with 'em -- wise ass instrumental math-rock is all the rage (these guys should get royalty checks from Hella, Chevreuil, Orthrelm, Behold The Arctopus, et al), and so this new album, their first in six years, can't have the same impact as their records did back in the mid-'90s. But lone remaining original member drummer Damon Che still has crazy chops and his all-new lineup does the Don Cab brand name justice, getting a bit more metal in the process perhaps ('cause they're on metal label Relapse now?).
And then for those whose heads want even more scrambling, Dysrhythmia's new one is also recommended. Their complex compositions are played energetically and octopoidally, and are maybe a bit more metallic than the Don Cab, though they do dabble in proggy, atmospheric passages here and there. Indeed, while both World Class Listening Problem and Barriers and Passages have plenty of the technical herky-jerk, they are also strangely relaxing. Not just the relaxation of sheer exhaustion when it's all over -- both records give the listener some welcome chances to chill while they're still playing as well.
MPEG Stream: "Mmmmm Acting, I Love Me Some Good Acting"
MPEG Stream: "And And And, He Lowered The Twin Down"

DON'T NEED YOU: THE HERSTORY OF RIOT GRRRL (Urban Cowgirl Productions) dvd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Obviously girls have been kicking butt for years in the indie rock arena, but back in the '90s the riot grrrl movement was a mighty feminist and activist force all its own. This dvd documents the true origins of Grrrl Power -- a wealth of empowerment, community and inspiration for gals around the globe. That said, keep in mind that it only really covers the American side of the movement. Notably absent are accounts about the overseas grrrl action from the likes of bands such as Huggy Bear. Nonetheless, very informative with tons of interviews, clips from zines, show flyers, photos, plus rare live footage of Bikini Kill and Bratmobile!

DONNAS American Teenage Rock 'N' Roll Machine (Lookout!) cd 12.98
Donnas C., F., A., and R. are here to rock for you, the title really says it all. South Bay girls, all still in their teens, with major attitude.

DONNAS Turn 21 (Lookout) cd 14.98
We are all graciously awaiting the release of "The Donnas Hit Menopause" when the age of the band will finally reach the current average age of their male fans. More kick ass, power pop/punk ala The Runaways/Ramones/Redd Kross etc...

DONNAS, THE Bitchin' (Purple Feather) cd 13.98
Yeah, the novelty factor with this band wore off long ago, hence they wisely ditched their Donna aliases, but the good times keep on rollin'! While their major label stint on Atlantic might've alienated a few of their devotees with its abundant mainstream slickness, The Donnas just might win 'em all back with the shiny-assed Bitchin'. These gals have proven that they're no slouches in the rock anthem riff department, and they definitely show their stuff here. The only place where they're still a bit lacking is in their tendency to always sing-right-along-with-the-riff. Nevertheless a super fun album that comes pretty close to the breathless exuberance of their early Lookout! albums.
MPEG Stream: "Don't Wait Up For Me"
MPEG Stream: "Love You Till It Hurts"