CROSBY, DAVID If I Could Only Remember My Name... (Atlantic) cd 12.98
When we highlighted those Graham Nash records a while back, some of us were hoping we would soon get other records from the Crosby, Stills Nash and Young camp, especially this one, David Crosby's only solo album of the period, If I Could Only Remember My Name. It took some cajoling to bring this record in as about half the store loves this record to death while the other half, er....well, let's just say they aren't quite as enthusiastic about it. But for those of us who love it, we are glad to finally share it. When you hear people talking about the "West Coast sound", we can't think of a more archetypical record than this. Mellow, shambolic, and laid back with that Laurel Canyon sun-tripped hippie vibe, this is the most sublime and transcendental recording to come out of the vast CSN&Y catalog, and that's including the member's mother bands, The Byrds, The Hollies and Buffalo Springfield. With loose song structures, soaring and often-wordless vocal harmonies, and Dead-ish guitar meanderings (a point of contention with the haters), this record's hippie earnestness may not be for everyone. But it stands as a musical pinnacle for the contemporary folk scene, freak or otherwise, and you can hear its influence clearly on bands like Skygreen Leopards, Bright Black Morning Light and Feathers. Hands down, it's the best wake-and-bake album ever!
MPEG Stream: "Music Is Love"
MPEG Stream: "Laughing"
MPEG Stream: "Song with No Words"

CROSSED OUT Discography (cd) 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
26+ tracks of hate-filled, bile-spewing, ultra-pissed grind. Sounds like old Napalm Death stumbling drunkenly (but at breakneck speed) down a muddy embankment, through an impenetrable swamp, hot on your trail and ready to kill you and gut you! Probably the only grindcore band that mattered (well, them and Drop Dead).

CROSSTOPS The Ego That Ate The World (Rock Star ) lp 14.98

CROW, ROB He Thinks He's People (Temporary Residence) cd 13.98
We love Rob Crow solo records. Of course we're huge fans of his main gig as one half of Pinback, and will always worship at the altar of late great pop combo Heavy Vegetable, but its on Crow's solo records that he's really able to indulge in the wide range of his idiosyncratic sonic nature. While you can for sure hear the core of what has made Pinback's sound so recognizable and popular, Crow also unleashes tracks here that definitely remind us of his numerous other projects like Heavy Vegetable, Thingy, Optiganally Yours, etc. We're always reminded that one of the things that makes Rob Crow's music so awesome and stand above so many other similar sounding indie artists, is that he has never lost his punk roots. Not that his music sounds "punk", but there is still something so economical and DIY about how his songs are crafted and the spirit they are delivered in. Whether he's making the perfect bummer pop hit, or throwing the record for a loop with a short blast of hardcore glory ("Build"), we're always 100 percent trusting of his vision and individuality.
We read reviews sometimes that compare him to Elliott Smith or other singer songwriters, but we really think he has carved out a world of his own. No matter what kind of record he makes, you can tell it's a Rob Crow record right away. Being able to create a signature sound in this day and age is so fucking rare. He Think's He's People is an awesome collection of new songs that we can't stop listening to, not many folks have the ability to create pop songs that get under our skin and burrow into our ears and STAY there, the way Crow does. One of these days someone needs to release a Rob Crow box set, as he really is responsible for hundreds of incredible songs!
MPEG Stream: "Sophistructure"
MPEG Stream: "I'd Like To Be There"
MPEG Stream: "Prepare To Be Mined"

CROW, ROB He Thinks He's People (Temporary Residence) lp 15.98
We love Rob Crow solo records. Of course we're huge fans of his main gig as one half of Pinback, and will always worship at the altar of late great pop combo Heavy Vegetable, but its on Crow's solo records that he's really able to indulge in the wide range of his idiosyncratic sonic nature. While you can for sure hear the core of what has made Pinback's sound so recognizable and popular, Crow also unleashes tracks here that definitely remind us of his numerous other projects like Heavy Vegetable, Thingy, Optiganally Yours, etc. We're always reminded that one of the things that makes Rob Crow's music so awesome and stand above so many other similar sounding indie artists, is that he has never lost his punk roots. Not that his music sounds "punk", but there is still something so economical and DIY about how his songs are crafted and the spirit they are delivered in. Whether he's making the perfect bummer pop hit, or throwing the record for a loop with a short blast of hardcore glory ("Build"), we're always 100 percent trusting of his vision and individuality.
We read reviews sometimes that compare him to Elliott Smith or other singer songwriters, but we really think he has carved out a world of his own. No matter what kind of record he makes, you can tell it's a Rob Crow record right away. Being able to create a signature sound in this day and age is so fucking rare. He Think's He's People is an awesome collection of new songs that we can't stop listening to, not many folks have the ability to create pop songs that get under our skin and burrow into our ears and STAY there, the way Crow does. One of these days someone needs to release a Rob Crow box set, as he really is responsible for hundreds of incredible songs!
MPEG Stream: "Sophistructure"
MPEG Stream: "I'd Like To Be There"
MPEG Stream: "Prepare To Be Mined"

CROW, ROB I Hate You, Rob Crow (Temporary Residence) cd ep 3.98
"I Hate You, Rob Crow" isn't just a song from his latest solo album, it's also a super goofy music video. You get both on this cdep plus a couple other songs too! They are the non-album tracks "Sea Sawn" and "Slick" (which is the highlight here, aside from the vid). Short and sweet as it is, this release accurately captures the many facets of Mr. Crow.
MPEG Stream: "Slick"

CROW, ROB Lactose Adept (Earth Music) cd 14.98
Released back in 1996, Lactose Adept was the first solo album from the beloved Rob Crow (not including a split release he did with Lesser the year before). It's a mixed bag of thirty (!) characteristically quirkulous, eclectic musical bits and pieces. Some are only a few seconds long, but they get the ideas across. He and Robert Pollard are running neck and neck in the briefest brevity / biggest quantity pop skills category!

CROW, ROB Living Well (Temporary Residence) cd 14.98
Mr. Rob Crow is one very swell, very talented, very varied and very prolific chap. His awesome projects past and present include Pinback, The Ladies, Heavy Vegetable, Thingy, Optiganally Yours, and oh yes, Goblin Cock too! All of them bear the unmistakable crafty clever catchy stamp of Mr. Crow. His latest solo outing is no exception. All the good stuff that we love about this songsmith is here in spades -- time signature twists, endearing dreamy boy vocals, noodle-oodly guitar lines, and the catchiest hooks. He keeps a lot of the tunes short and sweet, getting right to the heart of the matter and movin' on. Most of the fourteen songs stroll along at a drowsy pace. It's like taking a wonderfully leisurely stroll or bike ride in the warm afternoon sun. As prolific as he is, it could be easy to take Mr. Crow for granted but how could we when he's for sure one of the best songwriters around! Need we say more? Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Over Your Heart"
MPEG Stream: "No Sun"

CROW, ROB Living Well (Temporary Residence) lp 11.98
Now on vinyl!
Mr. Rob Crow is one very swell, very talented, very varied and very prolific chap. His awesome projects past and present include Pinback, The Ladies, Heavy Vegetable, Thingy, Optiganally Yours, and oh yes, Goblin Cock too! All of them bear the unmistakable crafty clever catchy stamp of Mr. Crow. His latest solo outing is no exception. All the good stuff that we love about this songsmith is here in spades -- time signature twists, endearing dreamy boy vocals, noodle-oodly guitar lines, and the catchiest hooks. He keeps a lot of the tunes short and sweet, getting right to the heart of the matter and movin' on. Most of the fourteen songs stroll along at a drowsy pace. It's like taking a wonderfully leisurely stroll or bike ride in the warm afternoon sun. As prolific as he is, it could be easy to take Mr. Crow for granted but how could we when he's for sure one of the best songwriters around! Need we say more? Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Over Your Heart"
MPEG Stream: "No Sun"

CROW, ROB My Room Is A Mess (Absolutely Kosher) cd 13.98
Hot on the heels of the new Pinback ep comes a full length solo album from the uber-prolific Rob Crow. As we've come to expect, nothing but the best here. This one, while much like the material he's been doing with his partner Zac in Pinback, has a little bit of everything that makes up the strange musical personality of Mr. Crow. It's such a complete jumble of styles, but even when it seems he's just messing around in his bedroom (which is actually how these records are recorded!) spouting off about Star Wars or other things relevant to Crow's universe, the outcome is leagues better than many of his contemporaries. Along with all the immaculately composed pop hook counterpoint we've grown to love, Rob hits us with an uppercut of left handed grind metal and some faux-Prince soul, with Rob overdubbing ridiculously amazing harmonizing with himself. But it's the pop composition wizardry that makes us envious until we just quiver at the knees and give in.
MPEG Stream: "Beyond Him"
MPEG Stream: "Jedi Outcast"

CROWLEY, ADRIAN when you are here you are family (Ba Da Bing!) cd 14.98
Depressed, sensitive Irish singer songwriter making records in the bedroom a la Smog (only not as dysfunctional), Songs:Ohia, Appendix Out, Halifax Pier, etc. Just prettily clanging guitar, mournful cello, and ominous drums (a nice touch). A warm blanket of an album, although it makes me wish that cellists in indie rock bands would try to do something more frickin' original than the same tired old minor key lushness that's become so predictable. Then again, what is a cellist in an indie rock band gonna do? Not groundbreaking but certainly a pleasant record.
RealAudio clip: "Girl From the Estuary"

CROWPATH Red On Chrome (Willowtip) cd 14.98

CRUACHAN FEATURING SHANE MACGOWAN Ride On (Hammerheart) cd ep 8.98

CRUSHED BUTLER Uncrushed (Radio Heartbeat) lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL, with a bonus track NOT on the cd version...
We heard a lot about this before we got it in which fired up our curiosity just a little bit. Like it says in the title, this obscure post-mod trio with the cool name has been trumpeted as the "first punks" to come outta Blighty, kicking out the jams with an antisocial sneer and snarl long before the Sex Pistols and the Damned and all the rest blew up in '77. And on the strength of the seven tracks here recorded circa 1969-1971, they were indeed pretty darn punk and ahead of their time (at least, in terms of bands who made it into the recording studio). Loud fast rules with these guys, most of the tracks being uptempo rockers, though the lumbering "Love Fighter" will be welcomed by all '70s proto-metal lovers, and supports the argument that these guys are just as much a proto-metal outfit as proto-punk, being something that fans of Buffalo, Toad, Budgie, Nazareth or Black Sabbath would enjoy. Indeed, some of the riffing on here might quite well remind you of Sabbath, and we weren't surprised to learn that they'd opened for the likes of UFO and Atomic Rooster. Metal? Punk? Same dif back then really. The distortion, fuzz, and 'raw power' attitude on display should qualify 'em as pioneers in either camp. Crushed Butler were heavier than the Pink Fairies, anyway, and that (awesome) band is already rightly heralded as punks before their time. So we'd say that the legend of Crushed Butler is hereby confirmed... alongside the Fairies and Third World War and a few others in England (and the Stooges in the States, of course, and some European freaks too) they trashed the happy hippy scene of the day for something uglier, grottier and more dangerous.
Anyone into metal/punk/hard rock history should find this quite a blast.
Before the cd edition came out, there was a 10" vinyl version of this, but that's long gone and this new 12" vinyl edition, as we said, includes bonus material not on the 10" OR the cd.
MPEG Stream: "It's My Life"
MPEG Stream: "Factory Grime"

CRUSHED BUTLER Uncrushed: First Punks From The British Underground 1969-1971 (RPM) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We heard a lot about this before we got it in which fired up our curiosity just a little bit. Like it says in the title, this obscure post-mod trio with the cool name has been trumpeted as the "first punks" to come outta Blighty, kicking out the jams with an antisocial sneer and snarl long before the Sex Pistols and the Damned and all the rest blew up in '77. And on the strength of the seven tracks here recorded circa 1969-1971, they were indeed pretty darn punk and ahead of their time (at least, in terms of bands who made it into the recording studio). Loud fast rules with these guys, most of the tracks being uptempo rockers, though the lumbering "Love Fighter" will be welcomed by all '70s proto-metal lovers, and supports the argument that these guys are just as much a proto-metal outfit as proto-punk, being something that fans of Buffalo, Toad, Budgie, Nazareth or Black Sabbath would enjoy. Indeed, some of the riffing on here might quite well remind you of Sabbath, and we weren't surprised to learn that they'd opened for the likes of UFO and Atomic Rooster. Metal? Punk? Same dif back then really. The distortion, fuzz, and 'raw power' attitude on display should qualify 'em as pioneers in either camp. Crushed Butler were heavier than the Pink Fairies, anyway, and that (awesome) band is already rightly heralded as punks before their time. So we'd say that the legend of Crushed Butler is hereby confirmed... alongside the Fairies and Third World War and a few others in England (and the Stooges in the States, of course, and some European freaks too) they trashed the happy hippy scene of the day for something uglier, grottier and more dangerous.
This digipack cd (a slightly expanded version of a 10" released a few years back) boasts in-depth liner notes and archival graphics. There's just two drawbacks: it's only 21 minutes long, and that's only because of the inclusion of an alternate version of what's probably our least favorite song as a bonus track. BUT it's 21 minutes that anyone into metal/punk/hard rock history should find quite a blast.
MPEG Stream: "It's My Life"
MPEG Stream: "Factory Grime"

CRYPTACIZE Dig That Treasure (Asthmatic Kitty) cd 14.98
A few years ago Chris Cohen parted ways with weirdo pop combo Deerhoof, but lucky for us he continued to pursue his own take on idiosyncratic pop with his band The Curtains and now he has a new project with Nedelle who he shares vocal duties with on Dig That Treasure. Cohen's charming songwriting skills are easily identifiable on these songs, though it's even more tender and sweet then any of his past outings, but still filled with enough left-of-center twists and turns to keep things unpredictable and engaging. While his former band is enjoying a large level of popularity in recent years we think Cohen's music deserves the same kind of attention from all ears interested in creative pop crafted with wonder and unique imagination.
MPEG Stream: "Heaven Is Human"
MPEG Stream: "Stop Watch"

CRYSTAL ANTLERS EP (Touch & Go) cd 8.98
Holy shit this is rocking us so hard! Imagine if someone snuck into Dead Meadow's practice space and stole all their weed and replaced it with amphetamines, the band that would emerge might end up sounding as awesome as Crystal Antlers. Before we heard them we were a bit scared off by the name thinking they might be another in a way too long line of wannabe new weird American folkies but luckily that is not the case at all! We were never able to get our hands on any of their limited cd-rs but now that we finally get to hear what they sound like we're so happy that, for a change, the hype was totally justified.
This reminds us a lot of the first time we heard Comets On Fire, yet somehow Crystal Antlers manage to breathe new life into psychedelically charged garage rock. We even hear hints of Drive Like Jehu with less math and more acid or like Hot Snakes or Mudhoney raging through covers of early Hawkwind. Every time we've played this in the store we always get lots of folks excitedly what we're listening to, and without fail someone working in the back of the store comes up front to find out what the heck they've been rocking out to. So great to have some new and truly rocking garage psych to please our ears and kick our asses!!
MPEG Stream: "Vexation"
MPEG Stream: "Until The Sun Dies (Part 2)"
MPEG Stream: "Arcturus"

CRYSTAL ANTLERS Tentacles (Touch and Go) cd 14.98
Their debut ep last year from the Crystal Antlers was such a strong burst of loud and scrappy psych rock fury, raw and overflowing with a refreshing energy and urgency that had been lacking in the sometimes stagnant modern psych rock world. It was one of those records we couldn't get enough of, blasting it in the store over and over.
So we were quite anxious to hear what the follow up full length would sound like. And weirdly it's a much different beast this time around. You can tell they spent a good long time locked up in the studio hashing this one out and that plays out in both good ways and bad. There is definitely a risk spending lots of time on a record. Often you lose touch with that stripped down and raw approach that made the songs and sound so special in the first place. This is still a rocking effort for sure, it's just that at times it feels as if they did just that, overthinking things that were meant to be more immediate and intense. On the last record, we heard a nice mixture of '90s San Diego bands like Drive Like Jehu mixed with the likes of Comets On Fire, this time there still is a '90s San Diego sound going on but more in the melodramatic vocal delivery and an abundance of organs, which reminds us of early Three Mile Pilot as well as bands like Zen Guerilla. The scope is much more epic and ambitious and you can never knock a band for going for the gusto but sometimes when you set your sights so wide and high you have to make sacrifices, and while the band has obviously made a cool record for some folks, we liked the less polished ep quite a bit better.
MPEG Stream: "Dust"
MPEG Stream: "Glacier"

CRYSTAL CASTLES Crystal Castles (Universal Motown) cd 13.98
One of the trends that we've noticed in the last several years with many of our favorite music makers is that it's seemingly become about releasing as MUCH as you can as OFTEN as you can. And while it's awesome to get so much new music from bands you like, there is still something to be said for really taking your time and crafting fully realized albums that may take a few years to wait for. At the rate that everyone is putting out releases, we almost just figured that Crystal Castles had somehow vanished or had broken up since we haven't heard a peep from them since their infectious debut from a couple years ago.
Luckily they are indeed back and sounding perhaps even more focused, frantic, infectious and engaging than on their debut. (Though would it have killed them to have spent just a few more minutes and come up with an album title? Having two self-titled discs is a bit confusing!) Equal parts '80s flashback, electro-pop with cold wave persuasions, primitive electronics, post-punk spazzy convulsions (the first track would have sounded right at home on one of our favorite spazzcore records by folks like The Locust, The VSS, or Clikatat Ikatowi), and catchy pop prowess. This is one of those records that really does appeal to so many different musical ears, and just about all of us at AQ can't stop listening to it. While it's not too unusual for Andee and Allan to come running up to the front of the store to see what's playing, this time it was Cup who had to make a beeline to the speakers to find out who it was covering Canadian glammy new wavers Platinum Blonde! And the fact that singer Alice Glass hadn't even been born yet when the original was released, just proves this duo has done their '80s pop hit homework and are now WAY ahead of the pack!
Like The Knife lending a helping hand to lead Adult. back to greatness, or Caribou, Hot Chip, Goldfrapp, Chromatics, M83 and The Junior Boys all somehow poisoned by a much darker goth-like magic potion. Even those of us who are usually a little shy when it comes to beat orientated music are totally digging this as there is something much more weird and nuanced happening than on lots of other electro-pop records that come our way. It's super fun but not dumb, varied but not erratic, gets out-there but not alienating, sexy but not a put on. Bottom line, it's a fucking awesome record!
MPEG Stream: "Celestica"
MPEG Stream: "Not In Love"
MPEG Stream: "Year Of Silence"
MPEG Stream: "I Am Made Of Chalk"

CRYSTAL CASTLES Crystal Castles (Fiction / Universal Motown) 2lp 19.98
Now on Vinyl!
One of the trends that we've noticed in the last several years with many of our favorite music makers is that it's seemingly become about releasing as MUCH as you can as OFTEN as you can. And while it's awesome to get so much new music from bands you like, there is still something to be said for really taking your time and crafting fully realized albums that may take a few years to wait for. At the rate that everyone is putting out releases, we almost just figured that Crystal Castles had somehow vanished or had broken up since we haven't heard a peep from them since their infectious debut from a couple years ago.
Luckily they are indeed back and sounding perhaps even more focused, frantic, infectious and engaging than on their debut. (Though would it have killed them to have spent just a few more minutes and come up with an album title? Having two self-titled discs is a bit confusing!) Equal parts '80s flashback, electro-pop with cold wave persuasions, primitive electronics, post-punk spazzy convulsions (the first track would have sounded right at home on one of our favorite spazzcore records by folks like The Locust, The VSS, or Clikatat Ikatowi), and catchy pop prowess. This is one of those records that really does appeal to so many different musical ears, and just about all of us at AQ can't stop listening to it. While it's not too unusual for Andee and Allan to come running up to the front of the store to see what's playing, this time it was Cup who had to make a beeline to the speakers to find out who it was covering Canadian glammy new wavers Platinum Blonde! And the fact that singer Alice Glass hadn't even been born yet when the original was released, just proves this duo has done their '80s pop hit homework and are now WAY ahead of the pack!
Like The Knife lending a helping hand to lead Adult. back to greatness, or Caribou, Hot Chip, Goldfrapp, Chromatics, M83 and The Junior Boys all somehow poisoned by a much darker goth-like magic potion. Even those of us who are usually a little shy when it comes to beat orientated music are totally digging this as there is something much more weird and nuanced happening than on lots of other electro-pop records that come our way. It's super fun but not dumb, varied but not erratic, gets out-there but not alienating, sexy but not a put on. Bottom line, it's a fucking awesome record!
MPEG Stream: "Celestica"
MPEG Stream: "Not In Love"
MPEG Stream: "Year Of Silence"
MPEG Stream: "I Am Made Of Chalk"

CRYSTAL CASTLES s/t (Last Gang Records) cd 14.98
Man, we really, really love old school video games around here. The Tron and Rastan games in the store, the Arcade Ambience field recording series, Power Pill Fist, etc. It has to be part of what lured us into the world of Toronto's Crystal Castles and their 8-bit electro mayhem. We're so glad this finally came out, because half of these tracks have been on the internet for about two years and a legitimate release was looking sort of unlikely. But here it is! We digress, on with the review.
Okay, so the duo has been lumped in -- maybe mistakenly -- with the Klaxons, Justice, Digitalism, and the like, but we hear darker, more interesting minor key melodies that occasionally hint at things like The Knife and Junior Boys. In reality, they're not divorced from any of those bands, but there's something about them that gets us. No, not just the aural video game quality, but the undeniable urge to somehow say they're just a bit more punk. Fun. Playful. In fact, there's a handful of tracks on the record that aren't even mixed. And when we saw them play here a year or so ago, their singer Alice was telling us about how she had been kicked out of the previous night's venue for underage drinking.
It doesn't hurt their art-punk street cred that they're best buds with LA's own Health, who they did a split 7" with a year or so ago. When listening to Crystal Castles, there's the feeling that this duo would be just as happy blasting their sounds through a shitty stereo system at their friend's house party, but lucky for us everyone else seems to be feeling it too -- and now they can invite us along to the party.
MPEG Stream: "Untrust Us"
MPEG Stream: "Xxzxcuzx Me"

CRYSTAL CASTLES / HEALTH split (Lovepump United) 7" 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
I don't know about you, but for the record nerds we know, every vacation is merely an excuse to check out record stores and discover weird bands and see cool shows. Sure we'll deny it, but we won't ever be allowed to forget the time Andee spent at least half of his first trip to Japan, dragging his fiancee Heather around to little hole in the wall record stores, or when Allan made record shopping a priority in Turkey...
Well, when Andee was in NYC recently, there was, surprisingly enough, a bit of record shopping, and there were two fantastic musical discoveries, the first, was a band called Holy Fuck, whose record we will get soon and feature on the list, the other, was a band called Health, whose full length we also have, but we figured this split 7" would be a good introduction.
Not exactly sure how to describe Health, they're sort of one of those awesome WTF noise rock combos, who weave wildly from sound to sound, while somehow retaining a distinct musical personality. Health, to us at least, sound like part hooky pop, new wave weirdness, Sonic Youth style indie rock soundscaping, and chaotic free noise. Not always in equal measures. The first track here is all chaotic tribal drumming and freaked out noise, angular guitars, and breathy SY style vocals, imagine some hybrid of Sonic Youth, 23 Skidoo and This Heat. Hypnotic and off kilter and so good. The other Health track is some weird eighties electro jam, with weird affected vocals, vintage synths, warm reverbed percussion and even handclaps. But somehow the two tracks sound perfect together...
The flipside is the awesomely named Crystal Castles, who are not only named after one of the coolest video games ever, they also sort of sound like a punk rock version of the Crystal Castles music. The core of their sound is full on 8 bit Nintendo core, all bleeps and bloops and buzzes, but over the top is sprawled some fierce Riot Grrl growl, plenty of distortion and crunch, with howled banshee female vocals, swathed in that weird Cher vocal effect. Weird. And then strangely, the other track removes everything BUT the video game jamz, leaving a tune that sounds like it could be music straight from some secret level in Mario Bros....
Nice thick sleeve, with creepy cover art, and pressed on super thick white vinyl.

CRYSTAL STILTS Alight of Night (Slumberland Records) cd 13.98
If our instore cd player had a counter we're pretty sure we would have maxed it out by now with endless repeated plays of the debut full length by Crystal Stilts. As much as their debut ep blew us away (check the review elsewhere on the site for much gushing), this record is taking our love for them to even greater heights, so much so that we're becoming pretty darn obsessed! And how could we not, an entire record filled with smokey and catchy dark pop gems. With crooning vocals and rich hooks imbedded into every song, they've managed to create a record that we're always in the mood to hear and don't think we'll ever get sick of. You can tell that these guys probably love '60s pop and girl groups as much as they do post-punk and psychedelic garage sounds, as the songs on Alight Of Night sound like Phil Spector laying his Wall of Sound on a band whose own sound falls somewhere between The Smiths and Joy Division, or if Spacemen 3 did a record full of Crystals covers. In fact this is reminding us a lot of the Jeremy Jay Airwalker ep that we fell in love with right around this time last year.
It's so cool to see AQ customers of all stripes getting swept up in the 'Stilts' sound, unable to resist as we're blasting it in the store, and it's inevitable that they eventually make their way to the 'now playing' holder to find out who is responsible for these sound getting under their skin in such pleasurable ways. Got a good feeling this will be on many of our year end favorite lists...so damn good!
MPEG Stream: "The Dazzled"
MPEG Stream: "Prismatic Room"
MPEG Stream: "Graveyard Orbit"

CRYSTAL STILTS Alight of Night (Slumberland Records) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If our instore cd player had a counter we're pretty sure we would have maxed it out by now with endless repeated plays of the debut full length by Crystal Stilts. As much as their debut ep blew us away (check the review elsewhere on the site for much gushing), this record is taking our love for them to even greater heights, so much so that we're becoming pretty darn obsessed! And how could we not, an entire record filled with smokey and catchy dark pop gems. With crooning vocals and rich hooks imbedded into every song, they've managed to create a record that we're always in the mood to hear and don't think we'll ever get sick of. You can tell that these guys probably love '60s pop and girl groups as much as they do post-punk and psychedelic garage sounds, as the songs on Alight Of Night sound like Phil Spector laying his Wall of Sound on a band whose own sound falls somewhere between The Smiths and Joy Division, or if Spacemen 3 did a record full of Crystals covers. In fact this is reminding us a lot of the Jeremy Jay Airwalker ep that we fell in love with right around this time last year.
It's so cool to see AQ customers of all stripes getting swept up in the 'Stilts' sound, unable to resist as we're blasting it in the store, and it's inevitable that they eventually make their way to the 'now playing' holder to find out who is responsible for these sound getting under their skin in such pleasurable ways. Got a good feeling this will be on many of our year end favorite lists...so damn good!
MPEG Stream: "The Dazzled"
MPEG Stream: "Prismatic Room"
MPEG Stream: "Graveyard Orbit"

CRYSTAL STILTS In Love With Oblivion (Slumberland) cd 10.98
Most folks around here have been pretty obsessed with Crystal Stilts, since their self titled 2008 debut on Woodsist. But there's definitely a been holdout or two among us. Who, while appreciating that Crystal Stilts were a decent band, didn't necessarily understand what the fuss was all about. That all changes with In Love With Oblivion, and those folks are definitely gonna have to reassess their opinion on those older records too, cuz EVERYone here has gone totally nuts for this new record. Including the previous nonbelievers. Not sure what exactly it is, their sound hasn't changed so dramatically, but there's just something about this record that's totally magical. Dark and brooding, low slung slithery gloom pop, that while lumped in with the current crop of Sacred Bones / Captured Tracks outfits, to these ears are way more beholden to Aussie groups like the Celibate Rifles, the Lime Spiders, the Scientists, the Saints, Radio Birdman, even the Hoodoo Gurus, maybe especially the Hoodoo Gurus. Which is weird, cuz these guys are from Brooklyn. But they have that twangy surf guitar, the Fuzztones style wheezing garage rock organ, everything hazy and reverby, and of course the vox, that's what really does it, deep and dramatic, commanding and intense but still melodic. Opener "Sycamore Tree" is a perfect example, a dead ringer for some lost Celibate Rifles jam, a minimal woozy groove, the percussion a propulsive shuffle, the guitars thick with twang and reverb, the bass dense and driving, and the vocals, the sort of singing that would go on to define noise rock outfits from down under like Lubricated Goat and Kingsnakeroost, eyes closed it feels like being in some dingy club in Australia in the early eighties, packed in like sardines, the sound deafening, the crowd rapt and sweaty, moving to the music, total zoner gloom pop post punk bliss.
Then there's the other side of the band, like on "Through The Floor" where they channel classic girl group sounds, but add their own twist, those deep crooned vox, the whirring organ, lots of sweet back up harmonies, and of course plenty of buzz and reverb. And so it goes, the band switching from shimmery sixties jangle, to dark brooding eighties post punk gloom pop, often melding the two. And while we love both sides of the band, it's the darker side that we find the most mesmerizing. Like on "Alien Rivers", a creepy crawl, all thick undulating organs, shuffling snares, spidery guitars, the vocals especially heavy with reverb and echo, the sound droned out and druggy, divinely hypnotic. And there's the woozy groovy stomp of "Prometheus At Large", classic rock and roll wrapped in murk and grit and grime, a sort of classic fifties style pop transformed into something much more sinister. Elsewhere there's plenty of jangle and shimmer, shuffle and buzz, "Flying Into The Sun" sounds like a lo-fi indie pop Interpol, "Precarious Stair" sounds like some fantastic union of Thee Oh Sees and the Vivian Girls, but with those crooned post punk vox, all the songs buzzy and hooky and heavy in their own way, slipping easily from indie pop to new wave to indie jangle but always infused with the Stilts' dark brood, and fuzzy wall of sound reverby shimmer, and all held together by some impossibly great and catchy songs, and of course those fantastic vocals.
Definite contender for record of the year, and a new unanimous aQ fave for sure!
MPEG Stream: "Sycamore Tree"
MPEG Stream: "Through The Floor"
MPEG Stream: "Silver Sun"

CRYSTAL STILTS In Love With Oblivion (Slumberland) lp 14.98
Most folks around here have been pretty obsessed with Crystal Stilts, since their self titled 2008 debut on Woodsist. But there's definitely a been holdout or two among us. Who, while appreciating that Crystal Stilts were a decent band, didn't necessarily understand what the fuss was all about. That all changes with In Love With Oblivion, and those folks are definitely gonna have to reassess their opinion on those older records too, cuz EVERYone here has gone totally nuts for this new record. Including the previous nonbelievers. Not sure what exactly it is, their sound hasn't changed so dramatically, but there's just something about this record that's totally magical. Dark and brooding, low slung slithery gloom pop, that while lumped in with the current crop of Sacred Bones / Captured Tracks outfits, to these ears are way more beholden to Aussie groups like the Celibate Rifles, the Lime Spiders, the Scientists, the Saints, Radio Birdman, even the Hoodoo Gurus, maybe especially the Hoodoo Gurus. Which is weird, cuz these guys are from Brooklyn. But they have that twangy surf guitar, the Fuzztones style wheezing garage rock organ, everything hazy and reverby, and of course the vox, that's what really does it, deep and dramatic, commanding and intense but still melodic. Opener "Sycamore Tree" is a perfect example, a dead ringer for some lost Celibate Rifles jam, a minimal woozy groove, the percussion a propulsive shuffle, the guitars thick with twang and reverb, the bass dense and driving, and the vocals, the sort of singing that would go on to define noise rock outfits from down under like Lubricated Goat and Kingsnakeroost, eyes closed it feels like being in some dingy club in Australia in the early eighties, packed in like sardines, the sound deafening, the crowd rapt and sweaty, moving to the music, total zoner gloom pop post punk bliss.
Then there's the other side of the band, like on "Through The Floor" where they channel classic girl group sounds, but add their own twist, those deep crooned vox, the whirring organ, lots of sweet back up harmonies, and of course plenty of buzz and reverb. And so it goes, the band switching from shimmery sixties jangle, to dark brooding eighties post punk gloom pop, often melding the two. And while we love both sides of the band, it's the darker side that we find the most mesmerizing. Like on "Alien Rivers", a creepy crawl, all thick undulating organs, shuffling snares, spidery guitars, the vocals especially heavy with reverb and echo, the sound droned out and druggy, divinely hypnotic. And there's the woozy groovy stomp of "Prometheus At Large", classic rock and roll wrapped in murk and grit and grime, a sort of classic fifties style pop transformed into something much more sinister. Elsewhere there's plenty of jangle and shimmer, shuffle and buzz, "Flying Into The Sun" sounds like a lo-fi indie pop Interpol, "Precarious Stair" sounds like some fantastic union of Thee Oh Sees and the Vivian Girls, but with those crooned post punk vox, all the songs buzzy and hooky and heavy in their own way, slipping easily from indie pop to new wave to indie jangle but always infused with the Stilts' dark brood, and fuzzy wall of sound reverby shimmer, and all held together by some impossibly great and catchy songs, and of course those fantastic vocals.
Definite contender for record of the year, and a new unanimous aQ fave for sure!
MPEG Stream: "Sycamore Tree"
MPEG Stream: "Through The Floor"
MPEG Stream: "Silver Sun"

CRYSTAL STILTS Love Is A Wave (Slumberland) 7" 5.98
So much changes in a year. Around this time last year we didn't even know who Crystal Stilts were and now they've become one of our favorite bands, whose ep and full length we've played over and over and have truly become all time AQ favorites. So of course we were thrilled to see Slumberland release this slab of wax with two brand new tracks to obsess over. These two songs find the band at their poppiest yet, truly embracing the '60s girl group sound and production that they seamlessly incorporate into their own sound as they've created this amazing universe that's sort of like Phil Spector's wall of sound invading Tony Wilson's Factory empire. Two more nuggets to tide us over until the next full length...

CRYSTAL STILTS Radiant Door (Sacred Bones) cd ep 13.98
Pretty much everyone at aQ LOVES Crystal Stilts, and their last full length In Love With Oblivion had to have been one of thee most played records in the shop, getting spun at least once a day, sometimes more, which definitely says a lot. So we were super psyched to discover there was a new ep out, and while we love this new one just as much, it somehow hasn't made us listen to the last one any less, now we just listen to both like crazy. And really what more can we say about these guys that we haven't already, their sound dark and garagey, fuzzy and jangly, organ driven and dreamily dour, we can't help mention all the Aussie bands we're so reminded of, Celibate Rifles, Scientists, Radio Birdman, Hoodoo Gurus, so much so that some of us were actually sorta surprised that these guys are from Brooklyn.
Very much like In Love With Oblivion's opener "Sycamore Tree", which has to be our jam of last year, Radiant Doors opens with another killer, "Dark Eyes", which immediately became a new fave, with its handclap rhythm, thick buzzing organ, reverbed vocals, the whole track hazy and softly psychedelic, weirdly noisy, but the noisiness more dreamy than anything, very droney and washed out and hypnotic, we literally listened to this track 10 times before we could bring ourselves to move on. And as always, we weren't disappointed, the title track is much more dreamy and jangly, more traditionally poppy, the vocals deep and dramatic, the melodies lilting, a pretty perfect pop song for sure, laced with cool little bits of sci-fi synth, but for the most part, stripped down and catchy as heck. The rest of the EP is more of the same, a heady mix of dreamy jangly pop and whirring organ driven droniness, finally finishing up with the droned out and dreamily druggy "Frost Inside the Asylums", that almost sounds like a lo-fi version of the Editors or something, the sort of dramatic gloom pop balladry that could catapult them into the 'big time'.
MPEG Stream: "Radiant Door"
MPEG Stream: "Frost Inside The Asylum"

CRYSTAL STILTS Radiant Door (Sacred Bones) 12" 14.98
Pretty much everyone at aQ LOVES Crystal Stilts, and their last full length In Love With Oblivion had to have been one of thee most played records in the shop, getting spun at least once a day, sometimes more, which definitely says a lot. So we were super psyched to discover there was a new ep out, and while we love this new one just as much, it somehow hasn't made us listen to the last one any less, now we just listen to both like crazy. And really what more can we say about these guys that we haven't already, their sound dark and garagey, fuzzy and jangly, organ driven and dreamily dour, we can't help mention all the Aussie bands we're so reminded of, Celibate Rifles, Scientists, Radio Birdman, Hoodoo Gurus, so much so that some of us were actually sorta surprised that these guys are from Brooklyn.
Very much like In Love With Oblivion's opener "Sycamore Tree", which has to be our jam of last year, Radiant Doors opens with another killer, "Dark Eyes", which immediately became a new fave, with its handclap rhythm, thick buzzing organ, reverbed vocals, the whole track hazy and softly psychedelic, weirdly noisy, but the noisiness more dreamy than anything, very droney and washed out and hypnotic, we literally listened to this track 10 times before we could bring ourselves to move on. And as always, we weren't disappointed, the title track is much more dreamy and jangly, more traditionally poppy, the vocals deep and dramatic, the melodies lilting, a pretty perfect pop song for sure, laced with cool little bits of sci-fi synth, but for the most part, stripped down and catchy as heck. The rest of the EP is more of the same, a heady mix of dreamy jangly pop and whirring organ driven droniness, finally finishing up with the droned out and dreamily druggy "Frost Inside the Asylums", that almost sounds like a lo-fi version of the Editors or something, the sort of dramatic gloom pop balladry that could catapult them into the 'big time'.
MPEG Stream: "Radiant Door"
MPEG Stream: "Frost Inside The Asylum"

CRYSTAL STILTS s/t (Woodsist) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is some great stripped down psychedelic garage post-punk, and we've been playing it over and over once in the shop once we finally checked it out. Turns out this was actually recorded a few years back but it fits so perfectly with some of the great releases of the last year, the way it channels the likes of Jesus & Mary Chain and Joy Division without sounding like a copycat at all. Filled with delicious reverb, smoky melodies and an overall aura of dark and cool that hits us so right. Like recent releases by Indian Jewelry, The Raveonettes, Jeremy Jay and Psychic Ills, this is a record that exudes such a seductive spell. Something so perfect about an ep from a band that is new to your ears, as all six of these songs are so great and never wear out their welcome. These New Yorkers are further proof that you can channel the ghosts of the past and still create something that sounds so present and alive. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Crippled Croon"
MPEG Stream: "The Sinking"
MPEG Stream: "Lights"

CRYSTAL STILTS s/t (Woodsist) lp 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 some great stripped down psychedelic garage post-punk, and we've been playing it over and over once in the shop once we finally checked it out. Turns out this was actually recorded a few years back but it fits so perfectly with some of the great releases of the last year, the way it channels the likes of Jesus & Mary Chain and Joy Division without sounding like a copycat at all. Filled with delicious reverb, smoky melodies and an overall aura of dark and cool that hits us so right. Like recent releases by Indian Jewelry, The Raveonettes, Jeremy Jay and Psychic Ills, this is a record that exudes such a seductive spell. Something so perfect about an ep from a band that is new to your ears, as all six of these songs are so great and never wear out their welcome. These New Yorkers are further proof that you can channel the ghosts of the past and still create something that sounds so present and alive. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Crippled Croon"
MPEG Stream: "The Sinking"
MPEG Stream: "Lights"

CRYSTAL STILTS Shake The Shackles (Slumberland) 7" 4.50
Unlike many of their lo-fi garage peers, Crystal Stilts are quite restrained when it comes to releasing records. They still have not released a full length since their amazing debut, Alight Of Night from way back in 2008, and we think it's wise they're taking this approach. The only thing we've heard from them since was the incredibly addictive single "Love Is A Wave" which they released as a 7" last year and now finally we get two more brand new songs to whet our hungry appetites for a new album by one of the bands we imagine will outlast so many in the crowded lo-fi crowd they share a scene with. The A side "Shake The Shackles" could be confused with one of our favorite Jeremy Jay songs as it finds the Stilts at their most melodic and inviting yet. The B side "Magnetic Moon" has that perfect dark pop gloom that they do better then almost anyone around. A no brainier for fans of the band, and if you're not a fan or missed the boat the first time around,we urge you to check out their records as they really are something special!

CRYSTALS, THE Da Doo Ron Ron: The Very Best Of The Crystals (Phil Spector Records / Legacy) cd 13.98
One of the flagship groups on the Philles Records label run by Phil Spector in the Sixties, The Crystals stand as one of the greatest girl groups of all time. When Spector and The Crystals joined forces, the results encompassed some of the strongest and most moving selections of Spector's production career. There is a reason so many, diverse bands have covered these songs, including Grizzly Bear and Hole. "He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)" stands as one of the most chilling pop songs of all time. Even the one of the most subversive of artistic minds, Kenneth Anger, knew the power of their pop prowess and included "He's A Rebel" on the soundtrack to his legendary short film Scorpio Rising.
It's been so awesome to get to highlight these reissued Phil Spector recordings (The Ronettes, etc.) over the last few lists, as this is hands down some of the best pop music ever made. And such perfect timing for this release as we hear The Crystals' influence on so many of today's 'it' bands like Hunx & His Punx and Dum Dum Girls. It's that rare kind of recording that both your mom, and the most experimental minded music loving obsessive will love so much, as there's no denying the greatness of The Crystals!
Features 18 remastered tracks, including one previously unreleased cut.
MPEG Stream: "He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)"
MPEG Stream: "Then He Kissed Me"
MPEG Stream: "He's A Rebel"

CSS Alala (Sub Pop) 7" 3.98
Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, CSS made party waves earlier this year with their debut album on Sub Pop which brought their upbeat party jams to a whole mess of fans in the states. Touring with the likes of Ladytron and ESG has helped them show off their sassy grooves. This new 7" features the irresistible album track "Alala" as well as a b-side number which isn't on the album and is a little more raw and rocking, bringing to mind early Le Tigre or Stereo Total, which of course sounds pretty kick ass blasting through our speakers. Could be the perfect holiday treat for that special sassy someone in your life.

CSS Alala (Sub Pop) 12" 5.98
Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, CSS made party waves earlier this year with their debut album on Sub Pop which brought their upbeat party jams to a whole mess of fans in the states. Touring with the likes of Ladytron and ESG has helped them show off their sassy grooves. This new 12" features the irresistible album track "Alala" as well as remixes by Bonde Do Role, Princess Superstar, and even an acapella version for the fun of it. Could be the perfect holiday treat for that special sassy someone in your life.

CSS Cansei De Ser Sexy (Sub Pop) cd 13.98
Gimme a C! Gimme an S! Gimme another S! What does that spell? FUN!!! The latest addition to the Sub Pop family comes from Sao Paulo, Brazil! Although the band photo looked like a teenage version of Katrina And The Waves, the only other thing in common with that band is perhaps their stratospheric energy level. CSS are totally gleeful, brightly hued and tingling with electricity. It's like they took all these incredibly familiar pop hooks from the last few decades and made all new songs around them. But here's the giant good thing about it -- they sounds completely earnest. There's not a smidge of hipster irony (well, maybe except for the songs like "Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above" and "Meeting Paris Hilton" which is one of the better tunes). Fans of The Go Team will surely take a shine to this group. Positively bustin' at the seams with enthusiasm, they maintain the energy level of a half dozen pep squads throughout the eleven tunes, bubbling over at a breezy tempo. An aside, we were particularly charmed by their pronunciation of "Owff tha hoook". Folks with delicate ears, please note that they do have a bit of a pottymouth... although from their lips it comes across as pretty innocuous. Three cheers for CSS! Psst, in case you were wonderin', the album's title translates from Portuguese to English as "Tired Of Being Sexy". Ooh, such a burden, innit?
MPEG Stream: "Meeting Paris Hilton"
MPEG Stream: "Music Is My Hot Hot Sex"

CSS Donkey (Sub Pop) cd 13.98
You won't be finding any pompoms or pep squad cheers on this the sophomore full length from CSS! They're walking a different walk this time out. Geez, it's almost like a total alter ego. While we were definitely expecting and received an album bursting with sweaty energy from this Brazilian group, we weren't quite anticipating that they'd return with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. Yeah, it sure ain't all smiles and giddiness this time. And admittedly we're a bit disappointed that they've chosen to take this detour into more common girl-fronted modern rock fare, especially after such an exuberant and distinct debut. That said, if you dug the debut album that we reviewed recently by The Ting Tings or the latest Sons & Daughters release, CSS are here to deliver some like-minded punchy, sassy synth-pop for you. Much like the former, this album really made us think of Tegan & Sara kickin' it at some sleek after hours joint like they're Elastica or somethin'. So yeah, much darker in mood and attitude (check out "How I Became Paranoid"), Donkey is as apropos for late night club escapades as Cansei De Ser Sexy was for hot afternoon outdoor frolics. Who knows where they'll go from here!
MPEG Stream: "Let's Reggae All Night"
MPEG Stream: "How I Became Paranoid"

CSS Donkey (Sub Pop) lp 13.98
You won't be finding any pompoms or pep squad cheers on this the sophomore full length from CSS! They're walking a different walk this time out. Geez, it's almost like a total alter ego. While we were definitely expecting and received an album bursting with sweaty energy from this Brazilian group, we weren't quite anticipating that they'd return with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. Yeah, it sure ain't all smiles and giddiness this time. And admittedly we're a bit disappointed that they've chosen to take this detour into more common girl-fronted modern rock fare, especially after such an exuberant and distinct debut. That said, if you dug the debut album that we reviewed recently by The Ting Tings or the latest Sons & Daughters release, CSS are here to deliver some like-minded punchy, sassy synth-pop for you. Much like the former, this album really made us think of Tegan & Sara kickin' it at some sleek after hours joint like they're Elastica or somethin'. So yeah, much darker in mood and attitude (check out "How I Became Paranoid"), Donkey is as apropos for late night club escapades as Cansei De Ser Sexy was for hot afternoon outdoor frolics. Who knows where they'll go from here!
MPEG Stream: "Let's Reggae All Night"
MPEG Stream: "How I Became Paranoid"

CSS Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above (Remixes) (Sub Pop) 12" 5.98
Three remixes of what just might be everyone's current fave tune from the band who just might be everyone's current fave band from Brazil! Who's doing the deed? Simian Mobile Disco, Calvin Harris, and Hot Chip! Yeah, loosen up, hot stuff! This saucy space robot funk electro disco punk is beckoning you back to the dancefloor.

CUB Betti-Cola (Mint) cd 14.98
Cuddle-core lives! Here's the freshly remastered reissue of Cub's 1992 debut album Betti-Cola which comes with four bonus tracks. First things first, yes, the remastering did make a difference. This cd does sound a whole lot better than the original!
For those unfamiliar... Once upon a time, three Canadian college friends with little or no previous band experience got together to have fun trying something new for themselves (yeah, you might think "big deal!", but back then things were different... the indie music scene was even more of a boys club for one thing!). Taking the spirit & ethics of DIY punk rock, but understanding the undeniable joy of '60s girl groups, Cub's basement rehearsal space was where the musical genre cuddlecore was born. Releasing a slew of 7" eps (the bulk of which comprise Betti-Cola) and touring extensively, the three gals were definitely kindred spirits with the scene happening just a few hours south at Olympia' WA's K Records (Beat Happening, Tiger Trap, Lois, etc). They even cover Beat Happening's "Cast A Shadow".
A decade and a half later, Betti-Cola's still burstin' with youthful exuberance and blithe spirit (and topping the college radio charts once again to boot!). The tunes are sweet, peppy, rough around the edges, and a bit unsteady at times just like, yes, a cub! On the surface it may seem a little silly or childlike, but looks can be deceiving. It takes guts to throw caution to the wind like they did. As a result, the trio inspired countless young girls and women to pick up guitars or drumsticks or... Heck, look no further than Ms Neko Case who drummed with the band for a spell!
With each album they grew in confidence, skill and composition (personally we favor their second and third albums Come Out Come Out and Box Of Hair), but this is where it all began. Their bright, playful pop is perfect matched with the cover art custom drawn for them by noneother than Dan DeCarlo of Archie Comics fame!
MPEG Stream: "Go Fish"
MPEG Stream: "My Chinchilla"
MPEG Stream: "Cast A Shadow"

CUB Box Of Hair (Mint) cd 14.98
BACK IN STOCK!!
Cub's reissued third and final album, Box of Hair, plays up the edgier and urgent side of their cuddle-core ethos. The distortion is upped, the song-writing more heartbroken, the lyrics more snarly in their delivery. Stiffer 'real world experience' influences are more pervasive here than on previous releases, and there's an overall feeling that the band is going for broke, and sensing an end coming, want to leave things with a bang. And that's definitely what Box of Hair is, a maturing sum up of priorities, showcasing their best song-writing and musical craft and taking it as far as it can go. One mesmerizing and charming highlight on the album, "Magic 8 Ball", captures all the Cub essentials - infectious pop hooks and clever, bittersweet lyrics. Box of Hair's not as carefree as their previous releases, but it's probably their most meaningful and resonant. Includes a bonus fan-pleasin' item -- a bright, embroidered patch of the band's sunshiney logo!
Note: If you can endure the seemingly endless chair creakiness at the album's end you'll be rewarded with a truly retarded punk rock finish.
MPEG Stream: "Freaky"
MPEG Stream: "Loaded"
MPEG Stream: "Main and Broadway"

CUB Come Out Come Out (Mint) cd 14.98
BACK IN STOCK!!
Come Out Come Out was Cub's masterpiece. Freshly remastered with bonus tracks (a couple of them hidden), it is the culmination of all the DIY spirit of their debut but also shows the band honing their skills as musicians and songwriters into a tight set of upbeat tunes with a joyful edge - although Cub was often skillfully bittersweet. Self-proclaimed cuddle-core trio from Vancouver, BC, Lisa, Lisa and Robynn veered away from the battle cries of their more raucous riot grrrl contemporaries preferring to wave the 'home-crafted' flag with a more confident (and varied) direction. Obviously, legions of fanatic cubsters (likely whipped into a frenzy during thir sugar-pop-overload live shows) got the message. On this their second full length, wonder along to "Everything's Geometry", "New York City" (later covered by They Might Be Giants), and covers of the Go-Gos' "Vacation" and Yoko Ono's "I'm Your Angel"!
Originally released as a triple 7" colored vinyl fiesta with some wonderfully twisted cover art by Canadian artist Fiona Smyth, the extra bonus tracks here include a live version of "Cast A Shadow" featuring some Italian dude who jumped on stage to play harmonica, and a sweet phoned-in version of "My Chinchilla" on Canadian Radio, that really captures the band's energetic live spirit. Another key groop in a line of influential DIY femme trios from The Shaggs, Kleenex, and The Raincoats, to The Marine Girls, Shonen Knife and Le Tigre, it's time once again for Cub!!
MPEG Stream: "Everything's Geometry"
MPEG Stream: "Life of Crime"
MPEG Stream: "New York City"

CUB Mauler (AuGoGo) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A posthumous Australian import collection of odds and ends from these Vancouver pop gals that quite succinctly documents their 5-year history in music, words, and photos. The ultra-lovely Ear of The Dragon compilation track "Secret Nothing" is worth the price of admission alone.

CUBBY CREATURES After The Deprogramming (Rodent) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's been quite a while since we last heard from those frisky Bay Area residents Cubby Creatures, but they've always had a knack for reappearing right when a bright, warming beam of slightly woozy pop is needed. On their new self-released album After The Deprogramming, they've kept to the basic sound of their handful of past releases -- blending together psych, folk, indie pop and assorted other quirky sweetness -- but seem to have shed their early lower-fi ramshackleness for good, in favor of more composed tunefulness. After The Deprogramming is certainly a much more focused and polished work. That said, there's still a bounce in their step, but the playfulness is now counterbalanced by an occasional dip into darker dramatic territory. Hurrah!
MPEG Stream: "There's Always Now"
MPEG Stream: "Maybe It'd Be Better"

CUBBY CREATURES Blessed Invention (Cubby) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Atonal pop mischief that sounds like it could have been on Ralph Records, and sounding at times a little like a dorkier Thinking Fellers Union Local 282. An eclectic jumble of effected vocals, violin, clarinet, and samples.

CUBBY CREATURES Three Sides Of Cubby (Rodent) 7" 2.98
Here in the Bay Area, those fine Cubby Creatures keep it all low-key, quietly working away on new songs and other crafty endeavors, but burst forth every so often with a rollicking live jamboree or two. This record is the follow-up to their well-received Who Remembers Kathy Barra? cdep which easily drew comparisons to '60s psych-pop like that of the Blues Magoos (but replace that decade's requisite farfisa organs with more timeless woodwinds) or perhaps more so The Millennium, and more recently Olivia Tremor Control (with glimpses of their more experimental leanings). This 3-song 7" features two of their own fab tunes and a splendid reworking of Nick Drake's "Fly" to boot. Bright, warm and a wee bit trippy, sorta like what you might hear if The Archies crossed paths with a mysterious roving band of minstrels. Go Cubbies!

CUBBY CREATURES Who Remembers Kathy Barra? (Cubby Control) 10" 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
At the end of this much-too-short EP from SF's clever, quirky popsters The Cubby Creatures, you can't help but wanna hit 'play' one more time. Five playful and pretty tunes that sound as if each of the six Cubby folk had a gleeful time performing them and want to draw you into the festivities too. Much more melodic and less ramshackle than their previous release "Blessed Invention". A tilt-a-whirl of clarinet and violin-flourished melodies tossing different styles and spoken word interludes (which stretch the actual track count on your cd player from five to ten in total) into the mix with a jubilant abandon. The rollicking second song "Knitting Bee" is truly a deadringer for an Olivia Tremor Control tune, and y'know the Cubby Creatures could snugly slip in to fill the space vacanted by the defunct OTC - although actually all of the OTC offshoot projects have been doing that quite well on their own.

CUBBY CREATURES Who Remembers Kathy Barra? (Cubby Control) cdep 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
At the end of this much-too-short EP from SF's clever, quirky popsters The Cubby Creatures, you can't help but wanna hit 'play' one more time. Five playful and pretty tunes that sound as if each of the six Cubby folk had a gleeful time performing them and want to draw you into the festivities too. Much more melodic and less ramshackle than their previous release "Blessed Invention". A tilt-a-whirl of clarinet and violin-flourished melodies tossing different styles and spoken word interludes (which stretch the actual track count on your cd player from five to ten in total) into the mix with a jubilant abandon. The rollicking second song "Knitting Bee" is truly a deadringer for an Olivia Tremor Control tune, and y'know the Cubby Creatures could snugly slip in to fill the space vacanted by the defunct OTC - although actually all of the OTC offshoot projects have been doing that quite well on their own.
RealAudio clip: "Knitting Bee"

CUL DE SAC China Gate (Thirsty Ear) cd 15.98
2nd studio album (after the out of print ECIM) from these far-out Bostonian instrumentalists. A nice one.

CUL DE SAC Crashes to Light, Minutes to its Fall (Thirsty Ear) cd 15.98
I'll be happy to chalk this one up to lack of sleep and too much coffee, but Cul De Sac is sounding an awful lot like a surf band these days (more like the Mermen than the Ventures) with a happy, stonier feel on Glenn Jones' lead guitar lines. There's still plenty of their patented post-Kraut grooves, analogue bubblings, and a dense layering of sound to their instrumentals.