CONGO NORVELL Abnormals Anonymous (Jetset) cd 12.98
New, noirish disc with guest vocalist Mark Eitzel!

CONGREGACION Viene (Revista) cd 16.98
A record we've listened to on so many roadtrips through windy terrain, sun soaked mountains, and pastoral horizons. The sole lp by this Chilean group, but what an absolute magical album they created. Much like his Tropicalia counterparts in Brazil like Caetano Veloso, and Gilberto Gil, the music and lyrics of Antonio Smith, the mastermind of Congregacion, made him a big enemy of the military dictatorship of his country. Ultimately he was forced to flee from Chile. Much like Veloso and Gil, he never let that oppressive regime take away his vision of beauty.
This record is swathed in the natural sounds of birds and wind, with dreamy acoustic textures, flutes, guitars, strings and such gorgeous romantic harmonies. The sounds on Viene ease out with such a soft glow. We can just imagine the band levitating on mountaintops as they commune with the universe. It's a record we're sure many modern day dreamy music makers like Devendra Banhart, Beach House, Samara Lubelski, and Jose Gonzalez either already cite as a major influence or should listen to asap. Simply stunning!
MPEG Stream: "Sintesis De La Exitancia"
MPEG Stream: "Cuantos Que No Tienen Y Merecen"

CONGREGACION Viene... (Disco Es Cultura) lp 22.00
This all time aQ South American psych folk fave, available again, now on vinyl!!
A record we've listened to on so many roadtrips through windy terrain, sun soaked mountains, and pastoral horizons. The sole lp by this Chilean group, but what an absolute magical album they created. Much like his Tropicalia counterparts in Brazil like Caetano Veloso, and Gilberto Gil, the music and lyrics of Antonio Smith, the mastermind of Congregacion, made him a big enemy of the military dictatorship of his country. Ultimately he was forced to flee from Chile. Much like Veloso and Gil, he never let that oppressive regime take away his vision of beauty.
This record is swathed in the natural sounds of birds and wind, with dreamy acoustic textures, flutes, guitars, strings and such gorgeous romantic harmonies. The sounds on Viene ease out with such a soft glow. We can just imagine the band levitating on mountaintops as they commune with the universe. It's a record we're sure many modern day dreamy music makers like Devendra Banhart, Beach House, Samara Lubelski, and Jose Gonzalez either already cite as a major influence or should listen to asap. Simply stunning!
MPEG Stream: "Arrebol"
MPEG Stream: "Sintesis De La Exitancia"
MPEG Stream: "Cuantos Que No Tienen Y Merecen"

CONIFER Crown Fire (Important) cd 14.98
If we had to pick a favorite, out of all the post rock / math rock / post metal hordes, a sound we do admittedly dig a whole lot, and one we can't seem to get enough of, Maine's mighty Conifer would be right there at the top. Which is saying something, as up until this brand new full length, we'd only heard from them twice, their debut, and a split with Ocean. As compared to some of the other bands who have released 2, 3, 4 maybe more records in the same amount of time. The first Conifer disc was fresh when it came out, taking classic math rock and beefing it up with huge swells of Neurosis crush, but the thing with Conifer is that they never completely buried that post rock vibe, even at their most metallic, when they were slipping into full on doom territory, they hung on to those loping rhythms, those fractured melodies, and figured out a way to infuse those elements into the roiling heaviness. On the debut we were hearing Slint and Bastro and Seam as much and as often as Isis or Neurosis, probably even more so.
In that way, the sound of Conifer hasn't changed all that much, their sound is still rooted heavily in mathrock, the metal elements more adorning the postrock instead of the other way around. In fact more than ever, they sound like a nineties mathrock band supercharged and transported to the oughts. Even at their heaviest, they don't get HEAVY, as in metal heavy, they get louder, and more dynamic, more intense, the sound gets fuller and more expansive. And this time around the band we can't help but hear all over this record is Polvo. The guitar parts are all woozy and warbly and angular and sort of seasick, the opening track is the perfect example, it almost sounds like some metal band covering the opening track from Polvo's Cor Crane Secret, with its multiple parts, its liquid arrangements, the clean guitars, layered and indeed woozy, the drum part and the arrangements, loping and mathy and not a little bit groovy. We hate to go on and on about mathrock and Polvo, cuz it could all be a big ol' coincidence, but we doubt it. Every song on Crown Fire is mathy and melodic, sometimes locking into repeating figures for just a tad longer than would be comfortable for most bands, opening up and drifting through wide open spaces, all glimmering harmonics and shuffling rhythms, backwards guitars floating in a sea of muted soft drones, tripped out almost Pink Floyd action here and there, complete with space-y synths and fluttery flutes. "Into The Gauntlet" almost sounds like a heavier Codeine, a bit doomy, with a strange lurching arrangement beneath glistening sparkling chimes, and flurries of shuffling snare drum and floor tom. Hard to say what it is exactly,
as it should be with music, but regardless, this is definitely a new high for a genre that becomes more and more overpopulated every day. Whenever we find ourselves listening to one of these new post rock / metal hybrids, as much as we love metal, and we do, we find ourselves longing way more for the intricacies and arrangements and dynamics of the post rock side of the equation, it's too easy to just turn it up and let downtuned guitars chug, and Conifer prove that you can make a super heavy, super catchy, epic record, without even bothering with faux metal chug, which is something else for sure.
If that weren't enough, the record closes with the 13 minute title track, featuring Eugene from Oxbow on guest vocals (normally Conifer are instrumental). The result is pretty excellent, and finds the band, doing their best Oxbow, a sort of abstract bluesy groove, that over the course of the song gets a little bit mathier and more complex, while Eugene sing-talks, howls, mewls, wails, growls, shrieks, moans, The track is super spare until about halfway through where it dials up the metal, offering up being churning chords and pounding drummage to support Eugene's increasingly unhinged and manic vocals, the song building to a furious climax, before drifting out in a haze of whispered mutterings and fractured electronics. It's a pretty awesome track for sure, but for us, it somehow works better when taken almost as a separate record. The first 6 tracks are so perfect together, a brilliant 38 minute post-math-metallic-rock suite, which just so happens to come with an equally brilliant bonus single song, 13 minute ep, featuring Conifer backing up Oxbow's Eugene Robinson.
However you slice it, WAY recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Surface Fire"
MPEG Stream: "Cruciform Empennage"
MPEG Stream: "Crown Fire"

CONIFER s/t (Not Common / Lax Wax) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Bands have been naming themselves after all manner of objects and creatures since the beginning of rock and roll. Heavy bands tending toward the mighty, the fierce or at least the very large. All manner of monsters and demons, various tigers and lions and even some sea creatures have been represented. But the largest, most imposing objects in nature have been sadly neglected as a source for inspiration and band-naming. TREES. So we have Conifer to right that wrong. And in doing so, judging from this ferocious slab of indie rock / metal sludge hypno-pummel, you'd certainly be forgiven for thinking this particular tree could take on any of the rock demons and metallic beasties that came before.
Conifer sleepily trawl through the dark recesses of post rock, taking the languorous slow burning churn of bands like Slint or Seam Or Bastro, all dark and brooding, simple and insistent, and stretching the riffs and melodies into expansive stretches of moody melancholy, swathed in Pink Floydian swoosh and whirl, before dropping the bomb. Massive downtuned guitars explode, splitting post rock atoms into clumps of corrosive riffage, peppered with raspy howls and screeching banshee melodies, sometimes gaining momentum and becoming unstoppable exercises in epic doomy drone-metal ala Neurosis or Isis, sometimes becoming glacial explorations into slow motion doom a la Khanate, and other times employing distorted ghostly computer vocals and buzzing psychedelia into Butthole Surfers-like sonic freakouts. A lot of this does definitely sound like Isis, Neurosis, Pelican or Buried At Sea, which is obviously a good thing, but more often it sounds like a doom-sludge A Minor Forest or a post rock Boris or a very metal Slint. Which is an even better thing!
MPEG Stream: "Turning Sand Into Glass"
MPEG Stream: "Albuquerque Reprise"

CONIFER / OCEAN split (Important) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's pretty hard to go wrong with two heavy hitters like Conifer and Ocean, and predictably, this split lp is about as right as it gets. It's been ages since we heard from Conifer, one of our favorites of the new breed of post rock / metal hybrids, due in no small part to the fact that they tend toward the mathy / post rock side of that sound. And if anything, on this latest track (yep, one sidelong epic) they seem to have jettisoned any sort of metal completely. Not to say it's not heavy, it most certainly is, it's just not really sludgy, or that metallic, and it suits them. Right out of the gate, they lock into a super intense, relentless propulsive krautrock groove, hypnotic, mathy, complex, unfurling a super mesmerizing jam. But things shift dramatically when the vocals kick in, the band lurch into serious Harvey Milk territory, which is a very good thing, a strange crooned vocal line over a strange convoluted rhythm. Catchy, melodic, and weirdly poppy.
But the last 10 minutes or so totally seal the deal (if it wasn't already), a super stripped down Southern style (?) kraut jam, looped riff, simple propulsive drumming, and some killer guitar harmonies that go from epic and soaring to weird and warbly, and it's all we can do to not use one of our three wishes to get that last part to go on until the end of time...
The flipside features Maine's Ocean, not to be confused with THE Ocean, these guys aren't so much a part of that post rock metal thing as they are glacial doom merchants, and here they offer up a sidelong slab of multiple o'd dooooom. Things start out as a super pretty slowcore crawl, before a black hole wall of guitars drop and it's still a slowcore crawl, just a massive crushing funeral dirge of a slowcore crawl! Plodding and epic, but still haunting and weirdly lovely, sounding a lot like a metallized Bohren & Der Club Of Gore, depressive and mournful, mysterious and haunting... The vocals are a hellish howl, the guitars grinding and buzzing, a lot of this actually sounds like some unearthed slab of nineties funeral doom, albeit with that Bohren-y prettiness mixed in.
Packaged in super swank Important Records style, this time a black and white printed sleeve inside a grey and orange silk screened vinyl outer jacket, giving it a cool sort of 3-D affect. And as you might have assumed, SUPER LIMITED, only 1000 copies...

CONN, BOBBY Homeland (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98
How does Bobby Conn make his retro glam rock stylings so damn perky? On Homeland, he's joined by The Glass Gypsies (who're actually his usual cohorts Monika BouBou, John McEntire as well as Nick Macri, Sledd Colby Starck and the wonderfully named Pearly Sweets), and they more than keep pace with Conn's often erratic effervescent musical adventures. Still swaggerin' in the spirit of T-Rex or Sweet, and the funk 'n' soul of Ohio Players or Kool & The Gang, but with the inclusion of song lyrics in the liner notes this time around Conn's socio-political side is brought more into view. Perhaps his past writings were just as much so, but buried under the swirling glitz of typical Conn productions who could tell?! Ample doses of falsetto, fountains of electric violins (oh so E.L.O.!), Hammond and farfisa organs. Groovy!
MPEG Stream: "We Come In Peace"
MPEG Stream: "We're Taking Over The World"

CONN, BOBBY King For A Day (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98
Mr. Bobby Conn straps his glam pants on for another tripped-outta-yer-mind rock'n'roll extravaganza! King For A Day starts out on a rather somber samba-tinged tone, but it doesn't take long for Conn and co. to rev their engines and launch his rock opera into full gear. We personally prefer the songs that shoot rockets of glitter and flaming guitar noodles to the ones on which Conn slows things down to love-you-down ballad croonery (kinda reminds us somewhat unpleasantly of Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet). Highlights include the adventure rock of "Sinking Ship" and the bright and buoyant Monkee-ish pop moment "Love Let Me Down". Woo hoo!
MPEG Stream: "When The Money's Gone"
MPEG Stream: "Love Let Me Down"

CONN, BOBBY On The Farm (Bec-Rec) 7" 5.98

CONN, BOBBY The Golden Age (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98
Bobby Conn took a year and a half to complete this third record and highly anticipated follow-up to 1998's amazing "Rise Up!". Unfortunately, Conn has decided to drop the apocalyptic / satanic glam rock persona which made his first two records so exciting and decided to continue on in the easy listening direction found on his "Llovessonngs" ep. Assisted by the wonderfully talented Monica BouBou on violin, keys and occasional vocals, Conn reinvents '70s cheese rock, disco funk and soul joined by two handfuls of Chicago's finest musicians, including Fred Lonberg-Holm, Jeb Bishop, Colby Stark, Glenn Kotche, Josh Abrams, Thymme Jones and Michael Zerang. Recorded (mostly) by Jim O'Rourke, whose "Eureka" lp is very similar, stylistically. A really nice record overall, especially in the horn and string arrangements, but falls a little short in the "Holy Shit, This Rocks!" department...
RealAudio clip: "Angels"
RealAudio clip: "Whores"

CONN, BOBBY The Golden Age (Thrill Jockey) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Bobby Conn took a year and a half to complete this third record and highly anticipated follow-up to 1998's amazing "Rise Up!". Unfortunately, Conn has decided to drop the apocalyptic / satanic glam rock persona which made his first two records so exciting and decided to continue on in the easy listening direction found on his "Llovessonngs" ep. Assisted by the wonderfully talented Monica BouBou on violin, keys and occasional vocals, Conn reinvents '70s cheese rock, disco funk and soul joined by two handfuls of Chicago's finest musicians, including Fred Lonberg-Holm, Jeb Bishop, Colby Stark, Glenn Kotche, Josh Abrams, Thymme Jones and Michael Zerang. Recorded (mostly) by Jim O'Rourke, whose "Eureka" lp is very similar, stylistically. A really nice record overall, especially in the horn and string arrangements, but falls a little short in the "Holy Shit, This Rocks!" department...

CONN, BOBBY Winners (Thrill Jockey) cd ep 8.98
Four remixes and the original version from Mr. Conn's "The Golden Age". Detroit electro sensations Adult., Magas (that's Marlon Magas -- ex Couch / Lake Of Dracula, current booty bass electro technician and co-owner of Chicago's Weekend Records and Soap), Mr. Pot Bear (who dat?) and Tortoise's John McEntire rework the FM rocker into a dancefloor stomper.

CONN, BOBBY & THE GLASS GYPSIES Live Classics Vol. 1 (Thrill Jockey) cd 15.98
We can almost hear Bobby Conn shoutin' "Come on down!!!!" Much like the Price Is Right, Conn and his backing band The Glass Gypsies were recorded in front of a live studio audience for this release... and it certainly is lively! A glammy, glittery, groovy good time, but we wouldn't expect anything less from The Conn now, would we? Actually the over-lit photos on the cover could easily be mistaken for stills from the 1980 musical movie The Apple, and the music bears more than a striking resemblance too. An abundance of noodly guitar solos, falsetto, backing singers and it looks like there were costume changes too. Think a low budget, neighbourhood version of Queen, Electric Light Orchestra, P-Funk and the talent show scene in The Beaver Trilogy (the one with Crispin Glover, not Sean Penn). Super silly fun!
Note: this cd is enhanced with two trippy video clips of the show, but we have to lament, "why wasn't this a dvd!?!"
MPEG Stream: "Winners"
MPEG Stream: "Cashing Objections"

CONNELLY, CHRIS Lost Episodes (PlusTapes) cassette 5.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We pretty much have a standing order for anything that PlusTapes releases. Much like Mississippi, PlusTapes has become the sort of label folks collect, which as we've mentioned before is pretty remarkable for a label so young. But so far, almost every release we've gotten from PlusTapes has flown out of here. And like Mississippi, they've also decided to dabble in more contemporary sounds, along with their ambitious reissue campaigns. Supporting their local scene, while paying homage to the past. Such is the case with these two latest releases, both limited to 100 copies, and we got less than 20 of each.
We immediately recognized the name Chris Connelly, and you probably should too - Revolting Cocks, Ministry, remember? But we figured it couldn't be the same Chris Connelly, it just didn't make any sense, but the more we thought about it, PlusTapes is in Chicago, Chicago is where Connelly lives, well it did sort of make sense which is good cuz it is in fact the very same Chris Connelly, but this is a whole different sound altogether.
Connelly recently released a full length album called The Episodes, that was a mysterious and haunting solo effort, owing much to folks like Leonard Cohen and Scott Walker, and other dark bards, very intimate and personal and dramatic, a few of the tracks were even recorded live in a Wisconsin forest. So this tape acts as sort of an addendum to that release, but even if like us you were unfamiliar with The Episodes, this is till a pretty intense and satisfying listen. Three unreleased versions, also recorded in the woods, aggressively strummed acoustic guitars, Connelly's plaintive croon, in the background you can hear birds chirping, other folks talking, very evocative, the lyrics personal and abstract, the voice weary and weathered, sometimes almost cracking, not at all what we expected from Connelly, but then all we had to go on was his industrial past.
Also included are two live tracks, with more lush instrumentation, even vibes, and the result is even more Scott Walker-y with a hint of Morrissey, the songs definitely sound more fleshed out, but beyond the songs themselves the various players get sort of trance-y and the songs get a bit abstract, droney, hypnotic, with the players sort of going off. Features some younger Chicago indie folks as back up, and the result is something that's not hard to picture on Thrill Jockey.
We weren't sure what to expect, but ended up digging this a lot, and will now probably have to track down a copy of The Episodes too.
LIMITED TOO 100 COPIES. We have less than 20, packaged with a black and white fold out cover, each one hand stamped and hand numbered.

CONNELLY, CHRIS The Collapse of Ether (The Tapeworm) cassette 8.98
Another new tape from UK tape label The Tapeworm, this one the latest from Chris Connelly, who most folks likely remember as a member of Ministry, Revolting Cocks and others, but whose post industrial trajectory as found him recast as more of a brooding singer songwriter and sonic experimentalist. Our first glimpse of Connelly's more songsmitherly alter ego came in the form of a tape on the PlusTapes label back in 2009, a gorgeous songsuite of skeletal song sketches, recorded in the woods, just guitar and vocals, over a bed of insects and abstract ambient night sounds, his voice a warm, weary and weathered croon.
This latest effort finds Connelly in experimental mode, finally releasing a piece he's been working on for 22 years (!!). Just piano and vocals, but don't be expecting some maudlin man-at-a-piano action, no this is something altogether more warped and wonderful. The piano parts were recorded with the tapes running super fast, and then flipped backwards. Connelly, then sang over the backwards piano, at which point the tapes were slowed back down, resulting in a dark and demonic, woozy and warped landscape of churning murky chordal thrum, and vocals that are low and bellowed, and seriously creepy. The music is lush and layered and dense and dark, sans the vocals, it would be a gorgeous bit of churning ambience, but the vocals transform it into something more ritualistic and malevolent.
On the flipside, it's the same music played backwards, so the piano sounds 'correct', albeit still slowed down, but this time the vocals are backwards, and somehow, it sounds ever MORE insane, the piano a pounding ominous landscape of oozing blackened chords, the vocals a chorus of gurgling monstrous speaking in tongues.
Fucking amazing!!

CONNORS, LOREN As Roses Bow: Collected Airs 1992 - 2002 (Family Vineyard) 2cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Loren Connors has always had a special way with a guitar. An impossibly intimate rapport, the result of which is gorgeously dreamy and unlike almost any guitar music we've ever heard. Dark clouds of chordal shimmer, simple spidery melodies, experimental for sure, but not at the cost of intimacy or emotion. Connors explores some dark inner world of sadness and sorrow, melancholy and regret, his guitar practically singing, but not howling or wailing, instead crooning in slow low tones, his music like a collection of lost spirituals, unearthed, dusted off, and unfurled, allowed to hover and drift like motes of dust in the late afternoon sun. Wrapped in the soft whirring lo-fi production, and the moonlit murk of whatever space the sounds are being captured in.
This collection gathers up most of Connors' modern airs, shortform pieces inspired by classic Irish airs of the past (Irish traditionals like "Danny Boy" for instance), culled from 10 albums (8 of which are out or print).
But don't be expecting any sort of classic sounding Irish music, or recognizable traditionals, it's the spirit of the air that is more on display here, each track a gorgeous miniature. Epic, yet somehow broken down to its very melodic essence. A few tracks feature vocals, courtesy of longtime Connors collaborator Suzanne Langille, her voice deep and throaty, the perfect match for Connors' languorous melodies, but most of these tracks are instrumental, the guitar woven into spare, evocative soundscapes, where the space is just as important as the notes, the melodies drawn way out into glistening spiderwebs of sound, soft and shimmery and somnambulant, the sound of moonlight shadows, and warm breezes at dusk, the soft lapping of water on the shore of a fog shrouded lake, the whispered rustle of autumn leaves, each note a warm glowing orb, twinkling in a fuzzy expanse of muted ambience and breathless anticipation. So so so lovely.
MPEG Stream: "An Air"
MPEG Stream: "Sorrow In The House"
MPEG Stream: "Moonyean No. 7"
MPEG Stream: "Onora's Kid"

CONNORS, LOREN Night Through: Singles and Collected Works 1976-2004 (Family Vineyard) 3cd 26.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
There are musicians who are incredibly technical and ultra proficient on their chosen instrument. Then there are others who don't have that kind of technical talent but who more than make up for it with a never ending reserve of raw emotion and deep personal expression. But rare is the performer who has both. Loren (sometimes Mazzacane) Connors is one of that rare breed. This 3-disc collection gathering bits and pieces from almost 30 years of recordings is an amazing testament to the ghostly, captivating sounds Connors has conjured up with his guitar. Unlike most guitar players Connors knows how to coax an impossibly wide range of sounds from an instrument that is usually approached from a much more singular point of view. Whether it's lurking feedback, washing in and out of his smoke filled strumming, or his more direct stripped down and totally pretty pick and strum, Connors is always challenging himself, never resting or relying on one specific sound or style. If somehow Connors is missing from your cd/record collection, and if you found yourself entranced by Earth's last outing Hex..., and perhaps you love the sounds of Tom Carter, the instrumental outings of Tom Verlaine, then for sure NEED to get some Loren Connors running through your veins and filling up your ears. Because of his prolific nature (Wow, has he ever released a ton of records and collaborated with a who's-who of underground luminaries!) this is one of those instance where a retrospective makes a lot of sense and is perfect for those of you who never knew exactly which records to start with. Now you have your answer. This one. One moment sounding like crazy psychedelic Japanese guitar jams, the next creating goose bumps with his chilling and subtle delivery, the next creating a creepy web of sound with distant off key vocals that rival Jandek in their mysterious and riveting nature, and the next laying down the ghostly sounds for a soundtrack to a film we wish would exist. Such a great journey, wandering through this moonlit collection of songs.
MPEG Stream: "Many Miles More"
MPEG Stream: "Haunted House"
MPEG Stream: "Night Through"

CONNORS, LOREN Sails (Table Of The Elements) 2cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

CONNORS, LOREN The Departing Of A Dream (Family Vineyard) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Loren (Mazzacane) Connors' newest album is solo guitar work again from this virtuosic player. The entire record is super slow and dreamlike, and the *gorgeous* guitar tone is eerily reminding me of the first track on Miles Davis' seventies jazz-fusion classic 'Get Up With It'. I think Reggie Lucas was playing the guitar with Miles, but anyway... here Loren Connors captures and distills that same guitar sound -- a slightly scratchy, very warm exploratory tone that goes wah wah wah as it trembles and whispers. Very very lovely, one of his best solo recordings that I've ever heard.
RealAudio clip: "The Departing of a Dream, part 1"

CONNORS, LOREN The Departing Of A Dream Vol. III: Juliet (Family Vineyard) cd 14.98

CONNORS, LOREN The Murder Of Joan Of Arc (Table Of The Elements) 12" 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Second in the Table Of The Elements' label series of limited, one sided clear vinyl 12"s, this time from ultra prolific guitarist Loren (formerly Mazzacane) Connors. Sublime and mesmerising, Connors' guitar is a dark cloud of distant chiming chords, shimmering reverb, and warm rich sonic swirl. Minimal but somehow completely epic, a dark cinematic dream/drone-scape. So good. Striking woodcut image silkscreened in silver ink on the clear vinyl in a clear sleeve. VERY LIMITED. So don't dawdle.

CONNORS, LOREN & DAVID GRUBBS Arborvitae (Hapna) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Two of the most prolific, creative guitar players around, who've both built followings in the realm of the indie/avantgarde, team up at last. Such a collaboration certainly makes sense, and the results are quite what you'd expect: a real pretty, kinda melancholic, all-instrumental minimalist duet, sleepy and meandering. Loren "formery Mazzacane" Connors has a very personal style of haunting electric guitar that he of course explores here, while David Grubbs (of Gastr del Sol and much else besides) contributes his talents on both guitar and piano. Any individual, isolated moment on this disc might seem just a little too sparse and simple, but as it unfolds it rewards the listener's patience. By the time the disc has run its 34 minute course, and you can perceive the whole of Arborvitae in your mind's ear, you'll be nicely blissed out and appreciative of the aesthetic that Grubbs and Connors share here.
MPEG Stream: "Hemlock Path"

CONNORS, LOREN MAZZACANE The Little Match Girl (Road Cone) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We're happy to be graced with another lovely Loren Mazzacane Connors release. His trademark style of "Venusian blues" guitar is in fine form here, with the haunting, lonely, late-night beauty of his playing really delving into the darkness over this 37 minute disc. You can hear echoes of sometime Connors-collaborator Keiji Haino's more gentle playing, and we could also liken this to the mood evoked by AQ-faves Bohren & Der Club of Gore. Guitarist Andrew Burnes and Persian daf player Neel Murgai join in on a couple live tracks.
RealAudio clip: "The Art of the Blues pt. 2"

CONRAD, TONY WITH FAUST Outside The Dream Syndicate - 30th Anniversary Special Edition (Table Of The Elements) 2cd 28.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Excellent reissue! Out of print since its release in 1972 when it went almost completely unnoticed, this album is finally available in special 30th anniversary boxed double disc format! A shorter version of it was available briefly in 1993 but this features a whole other disc of extra material.
It wasn't until after playing and performing for over ten years that the now-legendary experimental violinist Tony Conrad finally put his music down on wax. This was after his tenure as an integral member of the Theater of Eternal Music's Dream Syndicate with Lamonte Young, Marian Zazeela, John Cale, and Angus MacLise (NB: the latter two being founding members of the Velvet Underground, which got its band name from a paperback Conrad found lying in the street.) The Dream Syndicate's raison d'etre was exploring the sonic depth, meaning and sound of the almighty DRONE. A chance meeting with producer Uwe Nettelbeck resulted in an intense three-day recording session at Faust's secluded farm slash studio and it was here that Conrad finally got to breathe life into his own take on the drone. The Faust fellows supply a warm, insistent drum beat and a just as unstoppable bass throb. Both the bass *and the drum* are 'tuned' to specific notes over which Conrad lays his droning violin. And that's it. For half an hour. So great! Not boring at all -- your ears quickly become attuned to the waverings, harmonies, and other minute changes amongst the three elements. Fans of Neu, Can, Kraftwerk, and of course Faust NEED this. As does anyone into hypnotic droning rock ala AQ faves Circle, Highly recommended, definitely seminal album by one of the pioneers of drone.
RealAudio clip: "excerpt 1"
RealAudio clip: "excerpt 2"

CONRAD, TONY WITH FAUST Outside The Dream Syndicate Alive (Table Of The Elements) cd 16.98
Recorded live at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London in '95 this was the reunion of one of minimalist's great torch holders Tony Conrad along with one of experimental rocks greatest bands Faust. When they originally teamed up at a German filmmakers request, they made Outside The Dream Syndicate over three days together in 1971. A landmark record that took Conrad's affinity for building drones mixed with a rhythm section that added intense pulsations and textures to the sounds. While apparently Faust didn't really remember the recording sessions (what were they on?) they met up only two more times since the original recording to perform the piece live. This show was the third and last time they performed together and at this show they were also joined by the helping hands of Jim O'Rourke (is there a band he hasn't played with?). And wow! What an amazing show to have been at. With his La Monte Young cap on tightly, Conrad masterfully created a piece that no matter when it was produced evokes such a strong physical reaction. This is raw, building, blistering, pounding, droning brilliance! The way momentum keeps building works its way into your body and about half way into the piece you can't stop from getting completely wrapped up in it. The droning violin, the dirty percussion, the gut wrenching passion underneath and above it all! It's amazing how in these sounds you can hear so much of a handful of contemporary AQ favorites: Godspeed You Black Emperor's explosive drama, The Dirty Three at their most wild and rocking, Swans/Angels Of Light's blistering poignancy, but it all ends up seeming sorta like little league in comparison to the blood and guts that oozes out of this performance. As always Table Of The Elements appropriately package the cd with the care it deserves including some nice short conversations with Conrad and two great stickers of Conrad's face. Absolutely recommended!
MPEG Stream: "From The Side Of Man & Womankind"

CONRAD, TONY, C. SPENCER YEH, & MICHAEL F. DUCH Musculus Trapezius (Pica Disk) cd 16.98

CONSPIRACY OF BEARDS s/t (Out Of Round) cd ep 9.98
What's more powerful than a Leonard Cohen song? How about if it was sung by a 30 member acapella male choir? This awesomely-named group, Conspiracy of Beards, have been performing around the Bay Area for the last five years, wowing audiences with their exclusive repertoire of Leonard Cohen songs. The reverent intensity and tender drama that fills much of Cohen's songwriting is strangely fitting for choral interpretation. This is their debut release, an ep of five classic songs that nearly carries the same punch as their live shows. Though it's really hard to beat the experience of seeing this group live, where the feelings of spiritual uplift and vague impending doom are oddly tied together.
MPEG Stream: "Lady Midnight"
MPEG Stream: "Famous Blue Raincoat"

CONSTANTINES Kensington Heights (Arts & Crafts) cd 14.98
Oh Canada! On their latest full-length (their first since leaving Sub Pop for Arts & Crafts), Toronto's Constantines present a further refinement to the sound they've been developing over the past four records. Kensington Heights manages to balance a brooding sort of intensity with an unwavering sense of optimism and translate the two into a solid, anthemic record filled with songs of rebellion, growing older, disappointment, and hope.
While the tempos might be slowed a bit from their previous outings, there's no shortage of growl - right out of the gate, the first two tracks ("Hard Feelings" and "Million Star Hotel") are thoroughly sweat-drenched, and mid-tracklist pick-me-up, "Brother Run Them Down" shows that the band is still more than capable of writing a solid scorcher.
That said, there are a number of slow burners on the album ("Time Can Be Overcome" is a standout) that reveal a Constantines who are weary but not jaded. Where the album strikes some of its highest notes, however, are those moments in songs like "Trans Canada" and "I Will Not Sing A Hateful Song," where the band displays a particularly deft ability to be at once both delicate and pummeling.
What the Constantines provide, moreso than anything else, is a reminder that bands *can* be successful, current and relevant without a swarm of blog-fueled hype, or a post-modern mashed-up genre descriptor attached to them. This is an irony-free rock band making an irony-free rock album that manages to connect itself to a firmly entrenched tradition of earnest, blue collar arena-ready anthems (think Springsteen, Thin Lizzy, and Tom Petty, with touches of Fugazi, Wilco and Archers of Loaf). This is by no means a perfect record, but it's one that feels raw and real in its mix of bravado and yearning. Highly recommended for all of you who wear your bruised hearts on the sleeves of your tattered jean jackets.
MPEG Stream: "Brother Run Them Down"
MPEG Stream: "I Will Not Sing A Hateful Song"
MPEG Stream: "Trans Canada"

CONSTANTINES s/t (Sub Pop) cd 13.98
Canada's young answer to Fugazi (with some Girls Against Boys and Paul Westerberg thrown in for good measure), The Constantines have been raising a racket up north for over five years already, but this their 1999 self-titled debut has only been available in Canada. Despite the limited access to their releases, the band has amassed quite a loyal following on both sides of the border, becoming total college radio darlings. Now SubPop have kindly stepped in to fuel their engines, reissuing this introductory full length, and its an impressive one, solid from start to finish. Particular high points are the fiery fourth song "Young Offenders" with its smattering of Rod Stewart's lyrics "young hearts be free tonite" (believe me, it's better than that sounds!), the unexpected slow 'n' sensitive number "Saint You", and the following tense, brooding instrumental "The McKnight Life". These three stand out 'cause not only are they great songs, but they're also a welcome divergence from the rest of the album's almost unwavering hardcore fury.
MPEG Stream: "Young Offenders"
MPEG Stream: "Saint You"

CONSTANTINES Tournament Of Hearts (Sub Pop) cd 13.98
Despite the recent flurry of bright sunny pop that's come a-flowing down from up north, punk rock's not dead in Canada. No way, the old stomping grounds of hardcore legends such as D.O.A., Dayglo Abortions and SNFU still spews forth a few fist raisers. While the latest Constantines album is not nearly as fully raging as their debut was, nor can we call it anywhere near as politically charged as their hardcore grandfathers', the band still infuses an ample amount of grit and furious energy into their tunes. Their gravelly, hoarse-piped vocals once again recall in turn those of The Clash, Fugazi, Paul Westerberg and Rancid... and actually also brings to mind fellow Canadian, veteran rocker Tom Cochrane, but musically they've at once tightened things up, flexed some muscle and stretched out their range, injecting some unexpected dimensions into Tournaments Of Hearts -- such as a few slower, more sensitive guy tempos, a bit of country twang and a little emo folksy boyishness.
MPEG Stream: "Draw Us Lines"
MPEG Stream: "Thieves"

CONSTANTINES Tournament Of Hearts (Sub Pop) lp 11.98
Despite the recent flurry of bright sunny pop that's come a-flowing down from up north, punk rock's not dead in Canada. No way, the old stomping grounds of hardcore legends such as D.O.A., Dayglo Abortions and SNFU still spews forth a few fist raisers. While the latest Constantines album is not nearly as fully raging as their debut was, nor can we call it anywhere near as politically charged as their hardcore grandfathers', the band still infuses an ample amount of grit and furious energy into their tunes. Their gravelly, hoarse-piped vocals once again recall in turn those of The Clash, Fugazi, Paul Westerberg and Rancid... and actually also brings to mind fellow Canadian, veteran rocker Tom Cochrane, but musically they've at once tightened things up, flexed some muscle and stretched out their range, injecting some unexpected dimensions into Tournaments Of Hearts -- such as a few slower, more sensitive guy tempos, a bit of country twang and a little emo folksy boyishness.
MPEG Stream: "Draw Us Lines"
MPEG Stream: "Thieves"

CONSUMERS All My Friends Are Dead (In The Red) cd 13.98
Formed in early 1977, The Consumers were Phoenix Arizona's answer to the Germs. Punk fucking rock. After recording their debut album (20 minutes of adrenaline fueled, hateful, spazzy and totally catchy punk) shortly after their inception, the Consumers relocated to L.A. where they continued to terrorize, destroy and get banned from playing almost anywhere! This is the first time this stuff has been available on cd and it's about time. Furious and angry and kick ass and better than almost any punk rock since ('cept maybe the Electric Eels, who they definitely have a thing or two in common with, sonically and otherwise). Two of the Consumers went on to play in 45 Grave, Human Hands and Dream Syndicate, while the other two Consumers went on to...die! Only two Consumers are still alive!! Fucking punk.
MPEG Stream: "Teen Love Song"
MPEG Stream: "Ballad To The Son Of Sam"
MPEG Stream: "Punk Church"

CONSUMERS, THE All My Friends Are Dead (In The Red) lp 15.98
This legendary / infamous slab of punk rock, finally reissued on vinyl!!
Formed in early 1977, The Consumers were Phoenix Arizona's answer to the Germs. Punk fucking rock. After recording their debut album (20 minutes of adrenaline fueled, hateful, spazzy and totally catchy punk) shortly after their inception, the Consumers relocated to LA where they continued to terrorize, destroy and get banned from playing almost anywhere! Furious and angry and kick ass and better than almost any punk rock since ('cept maybe the Electric Eels, who they definitely have a thing or two in common with, sonically and otherwise). Two of the Consumers went on to play in 45 Grave, Human Hands and Dream Syndicate, while the other two Consumers went on to...die! Only two Consumers are still alive!! Punk as fuck.
MPEG Stream: "Teen Love Song"
MPEG Stream: "Ballad To The Son Of Sam"
MPEG Stream: "Punk Church"

CONTINENTAL Four-Letter Words (U Dot Records) cd 10.98
Continental's music evokes precisely that state right between sleeping and waking. As gentle as can be, this is the SF quartet's follow-up to their well-received 2001 self-titled cd. In that time they seem to have shed some of their more post-rock and jazz leanings in favorite of straightforward blissfulness. Nine songs that slowly drift and envelope like an early morning mist. For fans of the ultra soothing Landing and Windy & Carl.
MPEG Stream: "Larkspur"
MPEG Stream: "The Empty Palace"

CONTINENTAL What Was Gained From What Was Lost (U-Dot) cd 10.98
Continental are keepin' the post-rock alive with their new 7-song cd. A few customers even asked if this was an old Tortoise release, and it's easy to draw that comparison to Chicago's granddaddies of the genre. A solid follow-up to 2003's Four-Letter Words.
MPEG Stream: "August Ends"
MPEG Stream: "Pillow Talk"

CONTINUOUS PEASANT Exile in Babyville (Good Forks) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The sound of whistling winds greet us as Continuous Peasant's debut cd gets rolling. You can almost envision this SF sextet strolling into a ghost town, mainman Chris Stroffolino sitting himself down at the piano of an ol' dusty tavern, downin' an ample shot of bourbon or two and bashin' out a tune. From there the sound melts into more emotive, country-tinged college rock territory (think: a cross between Pavement and the Lemonheads). In turns rousing, wry and melancholic, Continuous Peasant shine brightest when the keyboards are pushed to centerstage. Note: the track listing shows eleven songs -- and we hate to blow the surprise -- but you really should know to keep that cd player going 'cause there's a hidden twelveth song that's one of the album's highlights. But y'know, don't just take our word on this album's goodness, AQ customer Steve Carll took quite a shine to it also and had this to say:
First off, I love this band's name, evoking both the "continuous present" narrative strategy and the "still fuckin' peasants" line from John Lennon's "Working Class Hero". Appropriate enough, as singer/keyboardist/songwriter Chris Stroffolino's perhaps better known in indie poetry circles (several books published, etc) than he is in indie rock circles (played keyboards for the Silver Jews).
The band's sound? How's this grab you -- Richard Hell singing Leonard Cohen/Beck collaborations with Nick Cave on piano? OK, it's not exactly like that, but it'll do as a provisional mental picture. As the album opens, the guitar and piano jam with the rain; then the piano takes over with a rhythm that takes some time to lock into your mind, but once it does, you realize it was there all along. There's some pleasant lopey, mopey country rock (the record's named after a Stones album from '72, after all) with occasional harmonies by guest Vanessa Beggs to sweeten Stroffolino's often acidic lyrics. There's also some faster stuff where the guitar is more prominent, whipping old-school New York punk rock songs into a froth.
A band with a poet singing lead is in danger of sinking under the weight of the lyrics, but Continuous Peasant manages to hold its own. The arrangements are simple, but with lots of nice subtle touches. The lyrics employ a lot of repetition, the melodies are barely perceptible, and there's hardly a chorus to be found. Somehow, everything hangs together remarkably well. The rawness of the recording generally gives it a directness that's engaging, marred by an occasional rushed vocal.
Thematically the album refers back not only to Exile on Main Street, but also, in its frequent allusions to sexual politics, to Liz Phair's 1993 release Exile in Guyville. Where Phair laments a culture of male insensitivity that wants to fuck and run, Stroffolino looks around ten years later and sees a culture where it seems as if that cycle has encompassed everyone, discouraging us all from opening up and showing vulnerability: "Always the same if you're not really naked" is the new lament.
There's more to say about the lyrics, which grow on you after a few listens through the album, but I may already have said too much for some: this is music as much as it is poetry. The big question, then, could be: will the next album from Continuous Peasant be its Whip-Smart, or its Goat's Head Soup? It seems reasonable to look for a different return altogether from this year's Exile.
MPEG Stream: "How Do You Know It's Raining?"
MPEG Stream: "It's Not A Matter Just Of Me"

CONTINUOUS PEASANT Intentional Grounding (Good Forks) 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 Mr. Chris Stroffolino and co.'s follow-up to their warmly received debut album Exile In Babyville from a couple of years ago. Once again Stroffolino's expressive saloon-style piano playing is a key ingredient to C.P.'s potency. It shines forth from the backdrop which is solid rootsy rock with some Pavement-y indie boy slouchiness. Comparisons to Silver Jews (with whom Stroffolino has played keyboards) are still very apropos. That said, Ms Mia Lipman's backing vocals certainly offer a nice contrast to his world weary 'n' whisky'd delivery. Prior to entering the musical realm, Stroffolino put his thoughts to paper rather than music, writing numerous books of poetry and prose. His literary past definitely surfaces in his evocative lyrics which take primarily an intimate, observational, first person perspective. They're granted ample space to unwind and sink in, given the songs' mostly slow to mid tempos. That said, occasionally the band kicks up a cloud of dirt for more rollicking numbers such as "You Don't Believe In Nuthin'".
MPEG Stream: "All I'm Saying"
MPEG Stream: "You Don't Believe In Nuthin'"

CONTRABAND COUNTRYBAND I'm Dressed Like A Bullfighter On The Inside (Halfassed Records) cd 9.98

CONTROLLERS, THE s/t (Dionysus) cd 12.98
A collection of straight-up punk rock culled from recordings spanning fifteen years ('77-92). Most are by The Controllers who were in existence from '77 to '79 (and reunited briefly in '96), a couple are by Skull Control ('92). Yes, these are the sounds of the early days of punk. Brought to you by garage and punk rock historians Bacchus Archives of Dionysus Records.

CONVERGE All We Love We Leave Behind (Epitaph) cd 15.98
They may have set the bar impossibly high with 2001's Jane Doe, one of the most perfect punk metal / metallic punk rock records EVER, but it's really time to stop holding that against them, cuz even stacked up to Jane Doe, the records that followed (You Fail Me, No Heroes, Axe To Fall, and now this one) are impossibly dense, insanely heavy, progged out, super dynamic, mathy, tech metal hardcore genius, the sort of sound that most bands spend their whole lives aspiring too without ever coming close.
The sound here is really not that far removed from the last few full lengths, but as they say, why fix what ain't broke? That's not to say this is Axe To Fall part two, the band always seem deadset on pushing themselves and their sounds further and further, and every record, it seems that their sound couldn't get any more heavy and chaotic and furious and intricate, and yet it does. EVERY time. The band occasionally slip into something approaching more traditional punk rock bash and crash, but the majority of their time is spent maneuvering through maze like arrangements, stop-on-a-dime breakdowns, dizzying almost psychedelic blasts of facemelting heaviness, and even when they do get all punk rock, it's weirdly lush and layered and rife with texture and melody, and still about as mean and metallic as punk rock gets. And when they do slow it down, unfurling some doomy churn or some post rocky tangle, it's impossible not to imagine a room full of sweaty punks losing their shit. Hell, even listening to this on headphones, it's kinda hard not to just go apeshit. And with all this furious mathed out punk and chugging metallic crush, not to mention some rad classic metal guitar harmonies (check out "Sadness Comes Home"), it still manages to somehow be catchy as fuck. Music this crazed and chaotic should not be so goddamn catchy, but it is Converge after all, and once again, they've created a modern metal punk masterpiece, that a whole 'nother generation can analyze and pick apart, desperately trying to discover what warped musical DNA can produce sounds like these. As for us, we don't really care where it comes from. As long as it keeps coming. We'd definitely expect this to end up on lots of folks year end lists. It's definitely gonna make ours...
MPEG Stream: "Aimless Arrow"
MPEG Stream: "Tresspasses"
MPEG Stream: "Tender Abuse"
MPEG Stream: "Sadness Comes Home"

CONVERGE Axe To Fall (Epitaph) cd 15.98
Some bands mellow with age. That's just the way it is... sometimes. Converge is definitely NOT one of those bands, and almost two decades into their career, they're still just as furious as ever and showing no signs of age (though they were only teenagers when they started, it's not like they're a bunch of old dudes). It's almost unbelievable to think how a band like this could maintain such an insane amount of energy, but we're happy to report that things don't appear to be slowing down by any measure. There's tons of crazy guitar leads, super aggressive bass playing that holds things down like an anchor, tight as fuck drumming, and of course, frontman Jacob Bannon's throat-ripping banshee screams.
Axe To Fall, like the other post-Jane Doe Converge records, retains the unfathomable brutality of that definitive record and adds an approach that, as weird as it may sound, seems to exude a heavy rock n' roll influence. There's really no other way to put it: this shit rocks hard. Perhaps the best thing about Converge is, even in the moments of sheer metallic evil (which is most of them), they are still highly musical and catchy, and the band's incredible musicianship allows them to take things where few other hardcore groups are capable of going. Yep, nothing quite hits the spot like Converge. Featuring contributions from an assortment of noteworthy heavies, including dudes from Cave In, Entombed/Disfear (the awesomely monickered Ufe Cederlund), Himsa, Neurosis, Genghis Tron, and probably some others. Awesome stuff.
MPEG Stream: "Dark Horse"
MPEG Stream: "Reap What You Sow"
MPEG Stream: "Axe To Fall"

CONVERGE No Heroes (Epitath) cd 13.98
Metalcore is sort of a dirty word these days it seems; conjuring up images of Warped Tours and Hot Topic's. All the short haired emo guys are now playing brutal-tech-death metal while the dirty long haired metalhead guys are slowing it down, making all kinds of epic post rock and convoluted math rock. What gives? Converge continue to blaze their own path and break down the boundaries between hardcore and metal, while incorporating bits of noise and other weird sounds, the REAL crossover.
Converge were sort of always the hardcore black sheep, too noisy, too metal, not punk enough. Going on 15 years now, Converge have been the kings of the underground, subtly or not so subtly influencing all the metalcore outfits that have gone on to be HUGE. It's time for the world to recognize that Converge have been making some of the most progressive, and beautifully fucked up metallic punk rock music of the last two decades.
No Heroes falls sonically somewhere between the all time metalcore milestone Jane Doe and their more recent, but equally as punishing and original You Fail me. The pace is furious, hovering around warp speed most of the time, but these guys are masters, and amidst the cacophonous, chaotic din lurk all sorts of sonic surprises, tone of space and atmosphere, discordant, jagged, chunky, choppy riffs, incredibly complex rhythms, as well as hooks galore, all masterfully whipped into a glorious metalcore frenzy.
Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Heartache"
MPEG Stream: "Hellbound"
MPEG Stream: "Grim Heart / Black Rose"
MPEG Stream: "Trophy Scars"

CONVERGE No Heroes (Epitaph) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Also on lp... Metalcore is sort of a dirty word these days it seems; conjuring up images of Warped Tours and Hot Topic's. All the short haired emo guys are now playing brutal-tech-death metal while the dirty long haired metalhead guys are slowing it down, making all kinds of epic post rock and convoluted math rock. What gives? Converge continue to blaze their own path and break down the boundaries between hardcore and metal, while incorporating bits of noise and other weird sounds, the REAL crossover.
Converge were sort of always the hardcore black sheep, too noisy, too metal, not punk enough. Going on 15 years now, Converge have been the kings of the underground, subtly or not so subtly influencing all the metalcore outfits that have gone on to be HUGE. It's time for the world to recognize that Converge have been making some of the most progressive, and beautifully fucked up metallic punk rock music of the last two decades.
No Heroes falls sonically somewhere between the all time metalcore milestone Jane Doe and their more recent, but equally as punishing and original You Fail me. The pace is furious, hovering around warp speed most of the time, but these guys are masters, and amidst the cacophonous, chaotic din lurk all sorts of sonic surprises, tone of space and atmosphere, discordant, jagged, chunky, choppy riffs, incredibly complex rhythms, as well as hooks galore, all masterfully whipped into a glorious metalcore frenzy.
Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Heartache"
MPEG Stream: "Hellbound"
MPEG Stream: "Grim Heart / Black Rose"
MPEG Stream: "Trophy Scars"

CONVERGE You Fail Me (Epitaph) cd 14.98
Converge have always been one of the best metalcore bands around. But with the release of Jane Doe a few years back they quickly moved right to the head of the line, having crafted what is most definitely the most amazing, heaviest, most complex, catchiest and most chaotic metalcore record ever. EVER. So once again we're faced with what would almost have to be a massive disappointment after the total Godhead that was Jane Doe. But we should know better than to doubt Converge. While this record may not be quite as good as Jane Doe, it almost doesn't matter. In fact it's a whole different kind of record. Not nearly as dense and chaotic as Jane Doe, You Fail Me is strangely melodic and dare we say almost new wave at times. Now don't get all scared off. You Fail Me is still heavier and more brutal than almost any record you'll hear this year, but there's a lot more weirdness going on. A lot more space, and more experimentation. Not so much being 'experimental' per se, but more dabbling in some distinctly un-Converge like sounds, pop melodies, acoustic guitars, clean singing, angular new wave-ish guitar, bouncy almost emo-ish rhythms, folky ambience, but all safely ensconced in a jagged, prickly nest of swirling metallic guitars, chugging downtuned riffs, ridiculous drumming and throbbing punch-in-the-gut bass. Definitely weirder, but quite possibly just as good as Jane Doe. Just in a wonderfully different way.
MPEG Stream: "Last Light"
MPEG Stream: "Black Cloud"
MPEG Stream: "Drop Out"

CONVERGE You Fail Me (Epitaph) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now on LP!!
Converge have always been one of the best metalcore bands around. But with the release of Jane Doe a few years back they quickly moved right to the head of the line, having crafted what is most definitely the most amazing, heaviest, most complex, catchiest and most chaotic metalcore record ever. EVER. So once again we're faced with what would almost have to be a massive disappointment after the total Godhead that was Jane Doe. But we should know better than to doubt Converge. While this record may not be quite as good as Jane Doe, it almost doesn't matter. In fact it's a whole different kind of record. Not nearly as dense and chaotic as Jane Doe, You Fail Me is strangely melodic and dare we say almost new wave at times. Now don't get all scared off. You Fail Me is still heavier and more brutal than almost any record you'll hear this year, but there's a lot more weirdness going on. A lot more space, and more experimentation. Not so much being 'experimental' per se, but more dabbling in some distinctly un-Converge like sounds, pop melodies, acoustic guitars, clean singing, angular new wave-ish guitar, bouncy almost emo-ish rhythms, folky ambience, but all safely ensconced in a jagged, prickly nest of swirling metallic guitars, chugging downtuned riffs, ridiculous drumming and throbbing punch-in-the-gut bass. Definitely weirder, but quite possibly just as good as Jane Doe. Just in a wonderfully different way.
MPEG Stream: "Last Light"
MPEG Stream: "Black Cloud"
MPEG Stream: "Drop Out"

CONVERGE / DROPDEAD split (Armageddon) 7" 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If you're anything like us, you saw the names of these two bands and immediately added this to your cart. Cuz really, what more do you need to know about either of these bands that you don't already? Anyone into heavy music, who isn't obsessed with either or both of these groups is missing out big time. Both now celebrating their 20 year anniversaries, and commemorating that fact with this split 7", featuring one track from each band, recorded last year. The Converge track is a killer (of course), pairing grinding blasting furious verses with an impossibly melodic / catchy refrain, that's downright poppy. DropDead counter with what they do best, a blasting, thrashing, pounding slab of political hardcore, no frills, howled vox over grinding riffage and pounding drums, furious and frenzied and somehow catchy like crazy. We imagine fans of both or either will absolutely need this, and this also works as a pretty sweet introduction to two of the most important punk rock / hardcore bands of the last two decades! Pressed on blue vinyl, includes a download coupon as well, and guessing it's also probably pretty limited.
MPEG Stream: CONVERGE "Runaway"
MPEG Stream: DROPDEAD "Paths Of Glory"

CONVERSE, CONNIE How Sad, How Lovely (Lauderette) cd 14.98
Wow! What is it about the sudden appearance of a cache of lost amateur folk recordings that just makes us stop everything we're doing and pay attention? Well, in the case of Connie Converse who made these recordings between 1954 and 1961, her sadly beautiful songcraft coupled with her mysterious (and most likely, tragic) disappearance in the early seventies, paints a tinge of regret and missed opportunities on the proceedings that make her gentle and deeply personal songs resonate more poignantly. A bookish gal from New Hampshire with academic leanings and no strong musical background, she took to writing poems and songs after leaving college in New York a year before she was to graduate. Her songs attracted the interest of animator and amateur recordist Gene Deitch who taped over 40 songs of hers, before she moved to Michigan to live with her brother and set her mind to other pursuits. In the years since, she still played music for friends and family, but her hopes that her recordings would lead to successful opportunities did not pan out and she became more despondent. Taking a leave of absence from her job, she wrote several farewell letters to family and friends, packed up her Volkswagon and disappeared, her whereabouts still unknown...
Similar in tone to Vashti Bunyan and Sibylle Baier, Converse came from a generation earlier. Her songs have a folk-country revivalist vibe popular during the time but her songs don't seemed to be influenced directly by the folk revival movement. Instead it seems she was orbiting in her own parallel universe, like a folksinger version of Emily Dickinson, focussing on the subtle details of daily life and the lovely and lonely qualities that intertwine throughout. Those qualities are heightened by the raw and intimate feel of the recording with its natural imperfections, and side dialogue left thankfully intact.
Fans of Bunyan and Baier, Barbara Dane, Ruth Friedman, Karen Dalton and Niela Miller will find lots to love here. How Sad, How Lovely, Indeed!
MPEG Stream: "Talkin' Like You (Two Tall Mountains)"
MPEG Stream: "Roving Woman"
MPEG Stream: "One By One"

CONVERTINO, JOHN Ragland (Somerweg) cd 15.98
When we saw the new solo album come in from Calexico's co-captain John Convertino, we were hopin' that it would either showcase his awesome drumming and/or some of his evocative minimal piano compositions such as "The Book And The Canal" that surfaced briefly on his band's last album Feast Of Wire. Well, guess what? This album is filled with the latter. Convertino performed and recorded the twelve somber and contemplative instrumentals at his home in Tucson, AZ. On Ragland, he's stepped out from behind his drumkit and made himself right at home at the piano (and occasionally on the vibes and back on the drums too) crafting numbers that are at times delicate and at others insistent. Nonetheless, this is far from spotlight grabbing. While in Calexico the focus is usually drawn to the band's other co-captain lead singer and guitarist Joey Burns, Convertino is too often considered simply 'the drummer', but that's a terrible understatement. Convertino is both a multi-faceted artist and a master of restraint. If this cd is any indication we can expect that he's got a few more surprises up his sleeve.
MPEG Stream: "Curb"
MPEG Stream: "Rain Makes Frames"

CONVOCATION OF... s/t (Gold Standard Laboratories) cd 12.98
While this full-length doesn't venture into any new territory for this angstful, dissonant rock trio from Baltimore, it will surely be a welcome addition to the record collections of the Gold Standard Laboratories label fanatics (a legion that is growing at an accelerated rate). A dark tension binds and builds in each of these eight songs. If you like The VSS, Treepeople, or perhaps The Fall, this just might be for you.
RealAudio clip: "Moments Escape"

CONVOCATION OF... s/t (Gold Standard Laboratories) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
While this full-length doesn't venture into any new territory for this dissonant rock trio from Baltimore, it will surely be a welcome addition to the record collections of the Gold Standard Laboratories label fanatics (a legion that is growing at an alarming rate). A dark tension binds each of these eight songs. If you like The VSS, Treepeople, or perhaps The Fall, this just might be for you.