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
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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.

CUL DE SAC Death of the Sun (Strange Attractors Audio House) cd 13.98
Despite the Emperor t-shirt Cul de Sac's Robin Amos wears so proudly on the inside cover of this new album, the Boston band has not gone black metal (although it's apparently much of what they listen to in the tour vehicle!) Still, this long awaited -- three years in the making -- record from one of our favorite groups is a stylistic breakthru for them, and a very successful one at that. Amos and new member Jake Trussell (electronics/turntables) first created a sonic foundation: samples contributed by each bandmember (everything from a gurgling Missouri River to Peruvian rainforest ambiance, a scratchy Cajun 78rpm record, and a 1933 German a cappella 5-part harmony group) were looped, treated and otherwise manipulated into electronic roadmaps over which the band then played acoustic bowed bass, warm gentle guitars, muted tickings, violin, sinister twanging sitar, haunting horns, melodica, and more. The electronically manipulated elements were meant to stand equally alongside the organic acoustic sounds -- something Amos points out is attempted often by other musicians but rarely happens successfully. It's really no surprise that if any band could do this well, it would be the always-amazing Cul de Sac.
This record is the hands-down best lull-you-to-sleep record of the year so far -- reminiscent of lots of AQ faves (Phillip Jeck, No Neck Blues Band, Bohren & Der Club Of Gore, Jackie O Motherfucker, Birchville Cat Motel, Third Ear Band) but totally amazing and original as always!
RealAudio clip: "Dust of Butterflies"
RealAudio clip: "I Remember Nothing More"

CUL DE SAC Ecim (Strange Attractors Audio House) cd 14.98
Damn, it's hard to believe this album is fourteen years old! Back in print after many years, Cul De Sac's ambitious debut sounds fresher than ever. One of the first bands to directly reference the rhythmic propulsions of Can, while at the same time expanding their musical arsenal to include surf music, psychedelic post-rock, Mediterranean trance music and folk, Cul De Sac have been faves here forever. Ecim reads like a drug-induced travelogue through non-linear time with each song setting up a unique feel distinct from each other yet oddly connected. Covers of Tim Buckley's "Song of the Siren" and "The Portland Cement Factory, at Monolith, California" by John Fahey (with whom they would subsequently collaborate) provide some familiar ground while at the same time offering something completely unexpected. Recommended! And oh yeah, this remastered reissue's got three previously unreleased bonus tracks from 1991, and brand new liner notes!
MPEG Stream: "Death Kit Train"
MPEG Stream: "Stranger At Coney Island"
MPEG Stream: "Nico's Dream"

CUL DE SAC I don't want to go to bed. (Nuf Sed) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Eagerly-awaited domestic version of the Flying Nun import.

CUL DE SAC Immortality Lessons (Strange Attractors Audio House) cd 13.98
Quite possibly as subdued and meandering as Cul de Sac can get! Their fifth album (actually recorded live for Brandeis University's WBRS radio in 1999) brings an even greater sense of space to their distinct blend of psych, folk, surf, and krautrock. We seem to recall them as being considerably more composed and dynamic, but "Immortality Lessons" just left me wondering "is this blissfully meditative or just plain boring?" Depends on your mood, of course... but even if we opt to consider it blissful, it's certainly not our all-time favorite Cul de Sac release. Try "I Don't Want To Go To Bed" (also live, but considerably more varied, being cobbled together from rehearsal tapes) or "China Gate" or their collaboration with John Fahey, "The Epiphany of Glenn Jones" if you haven't heard 'em before. However, fans may well want this, especially since in spite of being a live album, most of the songs on here have never before appeared on any other Cul de Sac album, including one written for but cut from that Fahey collab. So, worth it if you're 1) really into 'em and/or 2) in a mellow mood. I guess 'cause it's been years since their last album (1999's "Crashes To Light, Minutes To Its Fall"), maybe our expectations had built up too much -- but they do have two other new discs soon to be released (a brand new studio disc entitled "Death of the Sun" as well as the soundtrack to a film called "The Strangler's Wife") so perhaps they'll knock us out again with one of 'em. Also, look out for them on tour (where? we don't know, maybe it's an East Coast thing), apparently with guest vocalist Damo Suzuki of Can along for the ride!
RealAudio clip: "Immortality Lessons"
RealAudio clip: "Frozen In Fury On The Roof Of The World"

CUL DE SAC The Strangler's Wife (Original Soundtrack Music) (Strange Attractors Audio House) cd 13.98
It's been a great year for fans of Cul de Sac, the experimental/instrumental rock outfit from Boston who wowed us after a more-or-less three year absence with the brilliant Death Of The Sun back in the winter and who now give us a soundtrack album recording in the midst of the Death Of The Sun sessions. We don't know anything about the film for which this music was made, but if it's half as good as this soundtrack, it'd be worth a viewing, or two.
The music here was all composed and edited for specific scenes, or improvised in the studio as the film was being screened by the band. They got pretty creative in constructing this soundtrack, dabbling in diverse styles as befit the action in the film, from motorik krautrock-y jams to Faheyesque acoustic guitar to abstract drone-scapes to divebombing digital hardcore noise assaults! It's a myriad of moods, all expertly rendered, and despite the eclecticism it hangs together really well. It's obviously not at all a casually-tossed off endeavor -- the project was taken quite seriously by Glenn Jones, Robin Amos & co. and contains some of their finest work. Quite possibly, this will be one of those soundtracks that ends up being more significant and memorable than the film itself, though we won't know 'til we see the thing, which as we said we certainly will want to do based on the strength of its sonic component already. At turns, a haunting, propulsive, and suspenseful blend of folk, electronics, and scenic psychedelic rock.
MPEG Stream: "Tailing The Strangler"
MPEG Stream: "Mirror II (Mae and Elena)"
MPEG Stream: "Fifth Victim (Aerobics)"

CUL DE SAC & DAMO SUZUKI Abhayamudra (Strange Attractors Audio House) 2cd 16.98
Whoa! It's nearly a Can reunion. Well not really. But it's as close to sounding live-Can-like as a group could possibly get. Ex-Can lead-singer, Damo Suzuki paired up with Boston's instrumental Cul De Sac for a European and US tour performing cataclysmic improvisations throughout. A two cd collection of over two hours of select tracks from the tour are available here on Abhayamudra. Some of the best of these are from Beograd and Berlin sets. Can may never get back together, but here's the closest an undying fan can get to new material.
MPEG Stream: "Beograd 1"
MPEG Stream: "Berlin 4"

CUL DE SAC & JOHN FAHEY paradise out here (Thirsty Ear) cd 15.98
Boston psych/folk/space rockers Cul de Sac covered a Fahey tune on their first album, Ecim, and here they finally get to collaborate with their hero, an ordeal (so say the liner notes) but with quite excellent results as expected.

CULPEPER'S ORCHARD s/t (Progressive Line) cd 23.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A few things to note about this album:
1) Good lord, the cover! Have you ever seen a psychedelic cartoon vision of a magic garden inhabited by a freaky gnome like that before?
2) If you ask Mikael Akerfeldt of Swedish death metal / progressive rock geniuses Opeth about what his all-time favorite rare prog rock records are, along with First Utterance by Comus he'll name this one, the 1971 debut from Denmark's Culpeper's Orchard. And, now having heard it thanks to Mikael's endorsement, Allan would too!
3) You'll probably dig this if you like the idea of blending rustic country-folk, twee hippy psych pop, and some heavy hard rock guitar riffery into one unique acid-prog experience that comes across like a mixture of Jethro Tull, Kaleidoscope UK, Yes, the Incredible String Band, and Zeppelin or Sabbath. A great freeking record.
4) Of course we only have a few (10?) copies in stock at the moment, but hopefully will be able to get more when/if we run out...though it was real hard to track this cd reish down in the first place...
MPEG Stream: "Teaparty For An Orchard"
MPEG Stream: "Your Song & Mine"

CULPEPER'S ORCHARD s/t +3 (Karma Music) cd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hey, here's a new and improved version of an obscure AQ '70s psych-prog favorite...
A few things to note about this album:
1) Good lord, the cover! Have you ever seen a psychedelic cartoon vision of a magic garden inhabited by a freaky gnome like that before?
2) If you ask Mikael Akerfeldt of Swedish death metal / progressive rock geniuses Opeth about what his all-time favorite rare prog rock records are, along with First Utterance by Comus he'll name this one, the 1971 debut from Denmark's Culpeper's Orchard. And, now having heard it thanks to Mikael's endorsement, Allan would too!
3) You'll probably dig this if you like the idea of blending rustic country-folk, twee hippy psych pop, and some heavy hard rock guitar riffery into one unique acid-prog experience that comes across like a mixture of Jethro Tull, Kaleidoscope UK, Yes, the Incredible String Band, and Zeppelin or Sabbath. A great freeking record.
4) Now it's got three bonus tracks, including a pretty killer 9+ minute live performance of a non-album song called "Classified Ads".
MPEG Stream: "Teaparty For An Orchard"
MPEG Stream: "Your Song & Mine"

CULPEPER'S ORCHARD Second Sight +6 (Karma Music) cd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The more countryish, second album from this early '70s Danish prog-psych outfit. Definitely without any of the Zeppish proto-metal moments of the first album, but nice and pastoral. Includes six bonus tracks.

CULT OF LUNA Salvation (Earache) cd 15.98
The third album from this Swedish outfit, and as always they're recommended to all fans of Isis and Neurosis... Katatonia too... and now they nod towards the likes of Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Sigur Ros. This is arty, dirgey, post-rock metalcore. They can be brutally heavy, yet tender and lovely with loooong build-ups of yearning, melodic blissfulness and that can't help but be full of tension at the same time due to our expectation of the eventual crushing kick-in, when the band drops the hammer and unleashes its sheer pummelling might.
MPEG Stream: "Vague Illusions"
MPEG Stream: "Crossing Over"

CULT OF YOUTH Devil's Coals (Blind Prophet Records) 7" 9.98
Brand new single from this East coast, neo-folk post industrial outfit, whose first record, released on Sacred Bones earlier this year, was a big hit around here, channeling the spirit of industrial legends Death In June through the more modern vibe of their SB labelmates. And the A side here doesn't change up the formula all that much, urgently strummed guitars, deep dramatic crooned vocals, minimal martial percussion, reminding us as much of New Model Army actually as Death In June, mournful horns drifting over a surprisingly wistful melancholic folk, with that minimal percussion building over the course of the song, surrounded by swirls of tinkling melody, finally exploding into some seriously epic industrial folk majesty.
The B side is the big surprise here, a sound well removed from the strum and croon of the flipside, which made more sense once we discovered it was a cover of another aQ fave, Martial Canterel, that band's synthy cold wave reimagined sans synth, the resulting sound a strummy eighties style jangle pop / new wave hybrid, it translates surprisingly well, and it's easy to imagine CoY playing that sort of stuff all the time, but CoY's dour industrialisms definitely seep into the sound, which leads to the kick ass final stretch, a seriously heavy epic coda.
Comes with a download coupon as well.

CULT OF YOUTH Love Will Prevail (Sacred Bones) cd 15.98
Full length number two from these East Coast neo-folkies and like the previous record, it displays a sound that we don't immediately associate with Sacred Bones. Urgently strummed guitars, tribal drumming, horns, bellowed dramatic male vox, angelic female vocals, the vibe pagan and witchy, in our review of the other CoY we mention Comus, the Wicker Man soundtrack, and especially Death In June, this time around we might also add Circulus, and maybe even New Model Army, whose influence we hear throughout Love Will Prevail. The sound here is much more upbeat, the arrangements strident and almost rocking at times, definitely more melodic, the new wave element too is a bit more pronounced, but for every track like the opener "Man And Man's Ruin", which is downright poppy and displays shades of Kiss The Anus Of A Black Cat, there's a track like "Garden Of Delights", that's much more brooding and downcast, in fact "Garden Of Delights" might be THEE jam here, the vox particularly vitriolic, the strummed guitar, pounding drums and bleating horns wreathed in a cloud of swirling psychedelic noise, it's pretty intense, and definitely super weird, almost has us wishing the whole record was like this, like some sort of acid folk power electronics. Then there's the final track which is SUPER poppy, trade in the super intense acoustic guitar strumming for some crunchy distortion and you'd have a sweet slab of noise pop, but instead, the horns swoop in, the vocals get all processed and twisted up, and suddenly that poppiness gets warped into something much darker and way more mysterious. Definitely an acquired taste, but one that we seem to have acquired a while ago. And we're guessing some of you may have too.
MPEG Stream: "Man & Man's Ruin"
MPEG Stream: "Golden Age"
MPEG Stream: "Garden Of Delights"
MPEG Stream: "It Took A Lifetime"

CULT OF YOUTH Love Will Prevail (Sacred Bones) lp 19.98
Now here on vinyl! Full length number two from these East Coast neo-folkies and like the previous record, it displays a sound that we don't immediately associate with Sacred Bones. Urgently strummed guitars, tribal drumming, horns, bellowed dramatic male vox, angelic female vocals, the vibe pagan and witchy, in our review of the other CoY we mention Comus, the Wicker Man soundtrack, and especially Death In June, this time around we might also add Circulus, and maybe even New Model Army, whose influence we hear throughout Love Will Prevail. The sound here is much more upbeat, the arrangements strident and almost rocking at times, definitely more melodic, the new wave element too is a bit more pronounced, but for every track like the opener "Man And Man's Ruin", which is downright poppy and displays shades of Kiss The Anus Of A Black Cat, there's a track like "Garden Of Delights", that's much more brooding and downcast, in fact "Garden Of Delights" might be THEE jam here, the vox particularly vitriolic, the strummed guitar, pounding drums and bleating horns wreathed in a cloud of swirling psychedelic noise, it's pretty intense, and definitely super weird, almost has us wishing the whole record was like this, like some sort of acid folk power electronics. Then there's the final track which is SUPER poppy, trade in the super intense acoustic guitar strumming for some crunchy distortion and you'd have a sweet slab of noise pop, but instead, the horns swoop in, the vocals get all processed and twisted up, and suddenly that poppiness gets warped into something much darker and way more mysterious. Definitely an acquired taste, but one that we seem to have acquired a while ago. And we're guessing some of you may have too.
MPEG Stream: "Man & Man's Ruin"
MPEG Stream: "Golden Age"
MPEG Stream: "Garden Of Delights"
MPEG Stream: "It Took A Lifetime"

CULT OF YOUTH s/t (Sacred Bones) cd 14.98
Normally when we're reviewing a band on Sacred Bones, we find ourselves referencing cold wave or new wave, eighties goth combos or whatever, but Cult Of Youth requires a whole new set of parameters and comparisons. Think post industrial neo-folk, think Pagan sonic rituals, think the Wicker Man soundtrack, think Comus, think Death In June, especially that last one, cuz if we had to pick someone to compare CoY (originally a home brewed one man band, now a band proper) to, it would most definitely be Death In June, the same sort of charged mix of Teutonic bombast, martial percussion, acid folk strum, and booming chantlike vox. Dark and powerful and mysterious, and in its own way a pretty perfect fit for Sacred Bones.
The new multimember incarnation of Cult Of Youth, features mainman/mastermind Sean Ragon, joined by a performance artist/director/painter/occult scholar, a machinist drummer, and a violinist, who most recently arranged strings for the newest Zola Jesus single. Sounds like an eclectic assemblage of talents, but then Cult Of Youth is a pretty eclectic proposition.
The first song sets the scene for the whole record, dense tribal drumming, cyclical and hypnotic, thick distorted bass thrum, urgently strummed acoustic guitar, pounding drums, surrounded by swirling ambience, and moody, mournful minor key violin melodies, and over the top strident prosletyzing vocals, booming and emotional. There's also flute, that flutters dreamily throughout. And while this is essentially neo-folk, there is still a dark sort of cold wavey vibe happening for sure. It's not difficult to imagine these songs recast in a different light, replace the acoustic guitars with synths, program the drums, keep the vocals, we'd be talking some awesome chilly bit of brooding dramatic goth wave, so in one way you can almost imagine this as a folky acoustic take on cold wave, similarly dark and moody, gloomy and gothy and dramatic. There's also a bit of a swampy bluesy vibe, making us think of Birthday Party, Sixteen Horsepower, Woven Hand, especially on the more upbeat numbers, the sound transformed into a rollicking bit of shuffle and strum and howl, still peppered with strange bits of industrial crunch, but sweaty and heaving and overflowing with sonic vitriol.
The slower moments might be the most powerful, like on "Casting Thorns", one of the moments where the group is most obviously channeling seventies British outfits like Comus, Pentangle, Incredible String Band and the like, swoonsome steel string strum, muted low slung bass, the violin, soaring and lyrical, the link to the rest of the record being the vocals, which are even more dramatic and emotional, cracking and wailing, totally intense and over the top, but those folkier moments are fleeting, with the sound most often slipping back into something more propulsive and bombastic, epic and majestic and yeah, Teutonic.
Fans of any of the above mentioned bands should really check out Cult Of Youth, but especially folks into industrial / neo-folk outfits, especially Death In June, but also Current 93, Der Blutharsch, Sol Invictus, Blood Axis, Von Thronstahl, Toroidh and the like. Might also hit the spot for folks who dig seventies British folk and swampy slithery apocalyptic blues, and hell, Captured Tracks obsessives too, might just find a new sound they didn't realize was right up their alley.
MPEG Stream: "New West"
MPEG Stream: "Casting Thorns"
MPEG Stream: "The Pole-Star"
MPEG Stream: "The Lamb"

CULT OF YOUTH s/t (Sacred Bones) lp 14.98
Normally when we're reviewing a band on Sacred Bones, we find ourselves referencing cold wave or new wave, eighties goth combos or whatever, but Cult Of Youth requires a whole new set of parameters and comparisons. Think post industrial neo-folk, think Pagan sonic rituals, think the Wicker Man soundtrack, think Comus, think Death In June, especially that last one, cuz if we had to pick someone to compare CoY (originally a home brewed one man band, now a band proper) to, it would most definitely be Death In June, the same sort of charged mix of Teutonic bombast, martial percussion, acid folk strum, and booming chantlike vox. Dark and powerful and mysterious, and in its own way a pretty perfect fit for Sacred Bones.
The new multimember incarnation of Cult Of Youth, features mainman/mastermind Sean Ragon, joined by a performance artist/director/painter/occult scholar, a machinist drummer, and a violinist, who most recently arranged strings for the newest Zola Jesus single. Sounds like an eclectic assemblage of talents, but then Cult Of Youth is a pretty eclectic proposition.
The first song sets the scene for the whole record, dense tribal drumming, cyclical and hypnotic, thick distorted bass thrum, urgently strummed acoustic guitar, pounding drums, surrounded by swirling ambience, and moody, mournful minor key violin melodies, and over the top strident prosletyzing vocals, booming and emotional. There's also flute, that flutters dreamily throughout. And while this is essentially neo-folk, there is still a dark sort of cold wavey vibe happening for sure. It's not difficult to imagine these songs recast in a different light, replace the acoustic guitars with synths, program the drums, keep the vocals, we'd be talking some awesome chilly bit of brooding dramatic goth wave, so in one way you can almost imagine this as a folky acoustic take on cold wave, similarly dark and moody, gloomy and gothy and dramatic. There's also a bit of a swampy bluesy vibe, making us think of Birthday Party, Sixteen Horsepower, Woven Hand, especially on the more upbeat numbers, the sound transformed into a rollicking bit of shuffle and strum and howl, still peppered with strange bits of industrial crunch, but sweaty and heaving and overflowing with sonic vitriol.
The slower moments might be the most powerful, like on "Casting Thorns", one of the moments where the group is most obviously channeling seventies British outfits like Comus, Pentangle, Incredible String Band and the like, swoonsome steel string strum, muted low slung bass, the violin, soaring and lyrical, the link to the rest of the record being the vocals, which are even more dramatic and emotional, cracking and wailing, totally intense and over the top, but those folkier moments are fleeting, with the sound most often slipping back into something more propulsive and bombastic, epic and majestic and yeah, Teutonic.
Fans of any of the above mentioned bands should really check out Cult Of Youth, but especially folks into industrial / neo-folk outfits, especially Death In June, but also Current 93, Der Blutharsch, Sol Invictus, Blood Axis, Von Thronstahl, Toroidh and the like. Might also hit the spot for folks who dig seventies British folk and swampy slithery apocalyptic blues, and hell, Captured Tracks obsessives too, might just find a new sound they didn't realize was right up their alley.
MPEG Stream: "New West"
MPEG Stream: "Casting Thorns"
MPEG Stream: "The Pole-Star"
MPEG Stream: "The Lamb"

CULTS s/t (Columbia / Itno) cd 12.98
It's easy to see why this boy/girl duo Cults have been getting so much hype, they traffic in the same sort of jangly retro girl pop as all the current 'girls' bands (Dum Dum, Vivian, At Dawn, etc), their contribution to / variation of THAT sound is adding some electronics, bigger beats and a WAY bigger production, which actually works, the sound is pretty dang irresistible, imagine the Dum Dum Girls mixed with Sleigh Bells, but with more of a droney, druggy, softly psychedelic vibe, not to mention some sweet catchy songs. "Abducted" the first single splits the verses between the boy and girl, but the chorus is all her, chiming melodies, handclap percussion, fuzzy bass buzz, plenty of reverb, soaring vocals and a divine hook, a cool swirly psychedelic breakdown rife with plenty of garage rock guitar twang, not to mention a seriously striking and way creepy video. The second track is a good one too, "Go Outside", which sounds a bit like Best Coast but with programmed beats, and a more modern sheen, and again, a killer catchy chorus.
The sound of Cults is just really great, equal parts modern and retro, snaps and claps and reverby girl group vox, mixed with programmed beats, and swirling synths, some tracks all torch songy and ballady, others more propulsive and electronics, hard to imagine that fans of the above mentioned bands, as well as maybe the Raveonettes, not flipping for these two, we sure did.
MPEG Stream: "Abducted"
MPEG Stream: "Go Outside"

CULTS s/t (Columbia / Itno) lp 21.00
It's easy to see why this boy/girl duo Cults have been getting so much hype, they traffic in the same sort of jangly retro girl pop as all the current 'girls' bands (Dum Dum, Vivian, At Dawn, etc), their contribution to / variation of THAT sound is adding some electronics, bigger beats and a WAY bigger production, which actually works, the sound is pretty dang irresistible, imagine the Dum Dum Girls mixed with Sleigh Bells, but with more of a droney, druggy, softly psychedelic vibe, not to mention some sweet catchy songs. "Abducted" the first single splits the verses between the boy and girl, but the chorus is all her, chiming melodies, handclap percussion, fuzzy bass buzz, plenty of reverb, soaring vocals and a divine hook, a cool swirly psychedelic breakdown rife with plenty of garage rock guitar twang, not to mention a seriously striking and way creepy video. The second track is a good one too, "Go Outside", which sounds a bit like Best Coast but with programmed beats, and a more modern sheen, and again, a killer catchy chorus.
The sound of Cults is just really great, equal parts modern and retro, snaps and claps and reverby girl group vox, mixed with programmed beats, and swirling synths, some tracks all torch songy and ballady, others more propulsive and electronics, hard to imagine that fans of the above mentioned bands, as well as maybe the Raveonettes, not flipping for these two, we sure did.
MPEG Stream: "Abducted"
MPEG Stream: "Go Outside"

CULTURAL AMNESIA Enormous Savages Enlarged (Klanggalerie) cd 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Cultural Amnesia would have certainly disappeared entirely, but one of the band's earliest supporters was an 18 year old kid named Geoff Rushton, who later changed his name to John Balance when he formed Coil in 1983 (the same year that Cultural Amnesia ceased activities). Cultural Amnesia managed three cassettes, some compilation tracks, and a half-finished album during that time period, with one of those cassettes being released through Rushton's Hearsay And Heresy label. In all likelihood, Coil completists had come across these cassettes and brought them to light over two decades later. Vinyl On Demand was responsible for one of the anthologies of Cultural Amnesia material, but the better collection was Enormous Savages first released on vinyl by Anna Logue in 2006. This cd version through Klanggalerie flushes out the comp with five tracks recorded in recent years, now that they've gotten back together.
Had it not been for their early demise, this was a band that could have followed in the footsteps of Throbbing Gristle, Clock DVA, Dome, and Cabaret Voltaire circa 1981, as a blank austerity followed through the eccentric darkness grafted onto post-punk songs bristling with inventive if cheap electronics. Choppy sparkplug guitars influenced by Keith Levene's work on PiL's Metal Box punctuate the synthetic melodies, drum machinations, and motorik electronics. Lyrically, these are abject tales of blood, scars, alienation, and British misery, with some of the lyrics penned by Rushton himself. Those painfully eloquent songs are prescient of what Rushton was to bring to Coil's early work on Scatology, but they serve Cultural Amnesia very well on their own. The band had reformed in 2000, and offered 5 new tracks, which actually seem to pick up right where they left off, moving more towards the Pop Group's muscular grooves and fidgety funk, with the same Spartan tape recording which dominated their early work. A very welcome document from Britain's cassette culture.
MPEG Stream: "Repetition For This World"
MPEG Stream: "Blind Rag"
MPEG Stream: "Fetish For Today"

CULTURAL DECAY, THE Eight Ways To Start A Day (Singles & Demos) (Sacred Bones Records) cd 14.98
We could probably be forgiven for missing out on The Cultural Decay from a couple years back. After all, there are eighty-gazillion lost and recently rediscovered post-punk, minimal-wave, and art-rock obscurities from all around the world getting reissued all the time; but this short-lived Belgian post-punk group from the early 80s is something special and fortunately, Sacred Bones did take notice and should be commended for finally making this available.
From 1980 to 1982, The Cultural Decay only played a handful of gigs, all in Belgium; and they released two singles, one of which was produced by the Revolting Cocks founder Luc Van Acker. From the onset, it's pretty clear that Joy Division was the favorite band of The Cultural Decay, as the guitar and bass interplay of jagged rhythmic guitar chops coupled with loping low-end bass melodies mirrors that of Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook. To be fair, this Belgian band did not have Ian Curtis as a front-man; and they relied more on a snarled monotone delivery similar to those found in the Buzzcocks and Crisis. For those who know fellow Belgian post-punkers Siglo XX, the sound of The Cultural Decay will be very familiar and arguably better! The songs are all darkly tinged post-punk tunes clouded by a dour atmosphere that the band urgently pushes against. Given that this collection features the two studio produced singles and a bunch of 4-track demos, the production quality is a bit uneven; but hey, that's DIY for you! It certainly doesn't detract from the songs themselves, which just get a little rough around the edges.
FYI, The Cultural Decay ran a small label themselves, and were the the original home of that incredible AA single that we reviewed not that long ago. Recommended, for sure!
PS: The cd features FIVE extra tracks not on the lp!
MPEG Stream: "Brave New World"
MPEG Stream: "Business Business"
MPEG Stream: "Thin Rope"

CULTURAL DECAY, THE Eight Ways To Start A Day (Singles & Demos) (Sacred Bones) lp 17.98
We could probably be forgiven for missing out on The Cultural Decay from a couple years back. After all, there are eighty-gazillion lost and recently rediscovered post-punk, minimal-wave, and art-rock obscurities from all around the world getting reissued all the time; but this short-lived Belgian post-punk group from the early 80s is something special and fortunately, Sacred Bones did take notice and should be commended for finally making this available.
From 1980 to 1982, The Cultural Decay only played a handful of gigs, all in Belgium; and they released two singles, one of which was produced by the Revolting Cocks founder Luc Van Acker. From the onset, it's pretty clear that Joy Division was the favorite band of The Cultural Decay, as the guitar and bass interplay of jagged rhythmic guitar chops coupled with loping low-end bass melodies mirrors that of Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook. To be fair, this Belgian band did not have Ian Curtis as a front-man; and they relied more on a snarled monotone delivery similar to those found in the Buzzcocks and Crisis. For those who know fellow Belgian post-punkers Siglo XX, the sound of The Cultural Decay will be very familiar and arguably better! The songs are all darkly tinged post-punk tunes clouded by a dour atmosphere that the band urgently pushes against. Given that this collection features the two studio produced singles and a bunch of 4-track demos, the production quality is a bit uneven; but hey, that's DIY for you! It certainly doesn't detract from the songs themselves, which just get a little rough around the edges.
FYI, The Cultural Decay ran a small label themselves, and were the the original home of that incredible AA single that we reviewed not that long ago. Recommended, for sure!
PS: The cd features FIVE extra tracks not on the lp!
MPEG Stream: "Brave New World"
MPEG Stream: "Business Business"
MPEG Stream: "Thin Rope"

CULVER-COURTIS Culver-Courtis (Riot Season) lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Super limited lp from Anla Courtis, of AQ faves Reynols, teamed up here with UK noisemaker Culver, for a disc of surprisingly serene shimmer, all rumblig shifting sonic swells and gently dulcet drones, drifitng and hazy and gorgeously indistinct. Four tracks, almost an hour of sweet sweet bliss out. This is a reissue of a very limited and long out of print self-released cassette!
MPEG Stream: "Aurraei Ravena Part One"

CUOMO, RIVERS Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo (Geffen) cd 15.98
Oh how we once were so smitten with Rivers Cuomo. There is no denying the pop brilliance of the first two Weezer records and even the first several tracks on their comeback (Green) album from several years back, but since then it's sadly been pretty downhill for the Weezer boys who have sort of sunk into 'modern rock' mediocrity. But we have to admit that recently we revisited some of the not so hot more recent Weezer records to find there are still a couple great tracks to be found amidst all that drivel. This is a collection of Rivers Cuomo's home recordings spanning from the early '90s to the present day. It's helped us remember why we fell so hard for Rivers in the first place. Earnest, humble and endearing pop songwriting captured in its most pure and simple state. We love the liner notes for each song with short little stories as Cuomo tells us how the song came to be. There are for sure a few misses (the Ice Cube cover is a serious offender!) and it's easy to imagine that folks who never dug Weezer might not like this, but if you ever had any sort of soft spot for Weezer you will find a few more treasures from the Rivers Cuomo vault to help you hold on to that faith for a little longer.
MPEG Stream: "Lemonade"
MPEG Stream: "Blast Off!"

CURE Bloodflowers (Fiction/Elektra) cd 16.98
This is what is supposed to be the last part in a trilogy linking the epic gloom of The Cure's "Pornography" and "Disintegration". The resident long time Cure fans find this a bit disappointing, while the Cure 'dabblers' think this is pretty darn good.

CURE, THE Greatest Hits (Elektra) 2cd 19.98
Yeah, so what. Another Cure greatest hits record. Most everybody who cares either has all of their albums or has the -last- greatest hits album. But we were particularly interested in the bonus disc of greatest hits performed acoustically. High hopes were dashed a bit though, as the songs weren't -exactly- acoustic, rather full band, with acoustic guitars instead of electric. There are definitely moments and some interesting bits here and there, but what we were really hoping for were some really dark, turned down, sinister campfire versions of all those great songs. Too bad.
RealAudio clip: "A Forest (acoustic)"

CURE, THE Disintegration (Deluxe Edition) (Rhino / Fiction) 3cd 36.00
Disintegration is one of those albums, that pretty much all of us can distinctly remember when it first entered our lives and how much it impacted us then. Some of us were in college, some in high school, some in junior high, and it was one of those records that became such an integral part of our existence. It was yearning, and heartbreak, and sadness, and the most romantic kind of doom and gloom. It still stands as one of our favorite Cure albums, so we were super excited for it to get a deluxe expanded reissue, complete with two extra discs of music.
We probably don't need to talk much about the proper album itself as it's a classic, but the bonus stuff totally makes this worth buying again! The second disc is a collection of instrumental demos and rehearsal takes and the third disc is the 1989 live record Entreat Plus. But it's that second disc that really does it for us, the raw demos are just so damn good and beyond relevant to the current avalanche of lo-fi '80s-obsessed warped music makers. You could just imagine folks like John Maus, Blank Dogs, Gary War, etc. drooling with envy at the sound of those way stripped down untouched bedroom demos. And ultimately that's what they are, many of them recordings of just Robert Smith alone in his bedroom putting to tape the earliest incarnations of these classic songs.
Feels so nice to get to have a new moment with Disintegration, as it will always be one of those records that takes each of us to a special moment in our lives, when it was our soundtrack, one of many records that would play a huge part in determining out musical tastes, even to this day, and the demos are just further proof of what a lasting legacy and impact The Cure at their prime has had on us and so much of the music we love.
MPEG Stream: "Pictures Of You"
MPEG Stream: "Fascination Street - RS Home Instrumental Demo"
MPEG Stream: "Pirate Ships - [Robert Smith Solo] - Rough Mix"
MPEG Stream: "Lovesong - Entreat Plus - Live 1989"

CURE, THE Faith (Fiction / Rhino) 2cd 25.00
Seventeen Seconds from 1980. Faith from 1981. Pornography from 1982. These three Cure albums marked a steady descent from jet-black detachment into one of the most violently claustrophobic visions of all pop music. It was a trilogy of records that The Cure have always hoped to reproduce, and with the exception of their masterful Disintegration, this was a goal never attained. You may recall that several months back, Rhino Records reissued the first Cure album, Three Imaginary Boys, with plenty of demo material and live tracks from the same period to the acclaim of Cure fans around the world. Well, Rhino have done it again in reissuing this trilogy of goth-pop landmarks, again with bonus material of live cuts, studio outtakes, alternate versions, and rare cuts.
If for whatever reason you are waffling about which one of these reissues to get (which you shouldn't be!), the one to get is Faith. This is not because Faith is the best of the three records (that's too close to call), but because of Robert Smith wisely included the soundtrack to "Carnage Visors" as one of the rare tracks on this double CD set. "Carnage Visors" was an animated film produced by Ric Gallup as the opening act for the Faith tour back in 1981. 27 minutes long and entirely instrumental, it's a lugubious piece grounded by an elliptical, moody kaleidoscope of Simon Gallup's basslines, accentuated by a simple drum machine and chiming guitars from Robert Smith. If Rothko had extended their swansong "Roads Become Rivers" into a half an hour composition, it would be pretty close to the majesty of "Carnage Visors", which had first appeared as the b-side to the cassette version of Faith back in the '80s, and hasn't seen the light of day appart from unauthorized bootlegs. Lest you think that this is the only reason to get the double disc set, the original set of tracks of Faith is an exceptional manifestation of manic depression with the undeniably bubbly pop jangle of "Primary" set against the appropriately titled "The Drowning Man" and the equally somber "All Cats Are Grey."
MPEG Stream: "Primary"
MPEG Stream: "The Funeral Party"
MPEG Stream: "Carnage Visors"

CURE, THE Join The Dots: B-Sides And Rarities 1978>2001 The Fiction Years (Fiction / Elektra / Rhino) 4cd 82.00

CURE, THE Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me (Fiction / Rhino) 2cd 25.00
Isn't it always about a girl? Unless boys are your thing, and then the rhetorical question would be 'isn't it always about a boy?' Well, for me (Jim) it was girls; and Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me was the soundtrack to many a teenage romance. In hindsight, these relationships were all doomed from the start; but at the time, youthful idealism and the magnetic bond between two social outcasts was more than enough reason to think that any of these love affairs would last forever. Of course, the original cassette of Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me that was played over and over and over again in balmy nights during Tennessee summers is long gone, replaced by an equally well worn piece of vinyl. While the claustrophobic oppression of Pornography and the wintery sparseness of Faith marked The Cure's prior dourness, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me was their breakout album as a kaleidoscope of emotional instability, just the perfect recipe for a couple of arty misfit teenagers. There are schmaltzy love ballads. There are tempestuous firestorms of churning guitar psychedelia. There are mope rock epics. And there are two bona fide Top 10 hits on the album.
Listening to the album now as I'm well into my 30s, I find myself occasionally embarrassed... not entirely because of what Robert Smith is crooning about, but because of the memories that the album conjures up from the past. I'll spare you the details of my teenage relationships (for both of our sakes), but as for remastered and repackaged reissue of Kiss Me, it holds up pretty well. To be completely honest, I probably don't need to hear "Why Can't I Be You?" and "Just Like Heaven" again; but The Cure has crafted plenty of mood-altering gems on this album darkly lysergic tracks such as "The Kiss" and "The Snakepit" interpersed with more goth-pop delirium as on "Hot Hot Hot" or "Catch." As on the previous Cure reissues, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me comes with a CD of bonus material. Unfortunately, there aren't too many great tracks to behold from the live material and demo versions... Really what the hell happened to all of the b-sides to the singles? That quibble aside, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me is now available again; and it's probably one of those albums that you already know whether you need it (again) or not.
MPEG Stream: "Shiver and Shake"
MPEG Stream: "The Kiss (RS Home Demo)"
MPEG Stream: "A Thousand Hours (Studio Alt Mix)"

CURE, THE Pornography (Fiction / Rhino) 2cd 25.00
Seventeen Seconds from 1980. Faith from 1981. Pornography from 1982. These three Cure albums marked a steady descent from jet-black detachment into one of the most violently claustrophobic visions of all pop music. It was a trilogy of records that The Cure have always hoped to reproduce, and with the exception of their masterful Disintegration, this was a goal never attained. You may recall that several months back, Rhino Records reissued the first Cure album, Three Imaginary Boys, with plenty of demo material and live tracks from the same period to the acclaim of Cure fans around the world. Well, Rhino have done it again in reissuing this trilogy of goth-pop landmarks, again with bonus material of live cuts, studio outtakes, alternate versions, and rare cuts.
Where Seventeen Seconds and Faith are clearly born of the same sensibility with grey, rainy production spaciously drizzled throughout archetypal mope rock tracks, Pornography is a considerably different beast. Smoldering with intensity and claustrophobic to a fault, Pornography is easily the darkest album that The Cure has ever produced. From the doomy opener "One Hundred Years" to the title track with cascading drum machine marches and relentless blasts of guitar noise, Robert Smith unleashes an anger in his self-loathing that doesn't manifest itself anywhere else in his signature gloomy romanticism.
MPEG Stream: "One Hundred Years"
MPEG Stream: "The Figurehead"

CURE, THE s/t (Geffen) cd 14.98
If it weren't for the unmistakable voice of Robert Smith singing, you'd never guess this was The Cure. These songs don't even sound like they came from Smith's songwriting pen. Not at all! They're completely devoid of The Cure's trademark achingly bittersweet sentiments, wonderfully quirky details, and infectious melodies. We probably should have known things were more than a little awry from the first couple of songs. Really, have you ever heard The Cure *this* angry? This is Robert Smith at his most bilious. He's almost yelling his lyrics. Perhaps it's the influence of Ross Robinson (nu-metal rock producer of Korn, Soulfly and Slipknot)? Heck, what else could it be? Perhaps we're just imagining things, but don't song titles such as "(I Don't Know What's Going) On" and "Lost" seem to suggest something very wrong? Odd too is the fact that this incredibly uncharacteristic album should happen to be self-titled. Sad and painful.
MPEG Stream: "Lost"
MPEG Stream: "(I Don't Know What's Going) On"

CURE, THE Seventeen Seconds (Fiction / Rhino) 2cd 25.00
Seventeen Seconds from 1980. Faith from 1981. Pornography from 1982. These three Cure albums marked a steady descent from jet-black detachment into one of the most violently claustrophobic visions of all pop music. It was a trilogy of records that The Cure have always hoped to reproduce, and with the exception of their masterful Disintegration, this was a goal never attained. You may recall that several months back, Rhino Records reissued the first Cure album, Three Imaginary Boys, with plenty of demo material and live tracks from the same period to the acclaim of Cure fans around the world. Well, Rhino have done it again in reissuing this trilogy of goth-pop landmarks, again with bonus material of live cuts, studio outtakes, alternate versions, and rare cuts.
Seventeen Seconds began the creative partnership between Robert Smith and bassist Simon Gallup which is essentially the foundation for all of the great work from The Cure. Where the previous bassist Michael Dempsey gave The Cure a spry, punchy sound that fit more in line with contemporaries like The Jam, Gallup's lumbering basslines presented themselves as a counterpoint to Smith's manic-depressive jangle. While much needs to be said for Smith's unmistakable whining voice, hurricane-shock hair, and smeared eyeliner in defining Goth rock, there is a clear reason why The Cure has been the salvation to millions of dour kids everywhere: Smith and Gallup came up with some damn great songs. "A Forest" has long been a favorite for anyone who at one time or another sported a little black lipstick, and one cannot overlook the minimalist pop bleakness of tracks like "Play For Today," "Three," and the title track. Of the rarities on Seventeen Seconds, the most intriguing tracks come from the side project Cult Hero, which produced more punky-pop tracks similar to those heard on Three Imaginary Boys. Along with this, you'll find plenty of live tracks and a couple of studio demo tracks.
MPEG Stream: "Play For Today"
MPEG Stream: "Three"
MPEG Stream: "I'm A Cult Hero "

CURE, THE Seventeen Seconds (Vinyl Lovers) 2lp 45.00
Seventeen Seconds began the creative partnership between Robert Smith and bassist Simon Gallup which is essentially the foundation for all of the great work from The Cure. Where the previous bassist Michael Dempsey gave The Cure a spry, punchy sound that fit more in line with contemporaries like The Jam, Gallup's lumbering basslines presented themselves as a counterpoint to Smith's manic-depressive jangle. While much needs to be said for Smith's unmistakable whining voice, hurricane-shock hair, and smeared eyeliner in defining Goth rock, there is a clear reason why The Cure has been the salvation to millions of dour kids everywhere: Smith and Gallup came up with some damn great songs. "A Forest" has long been a favorite for anyone who at one time or another sported a little black lipstick, and one cannot overlook the minimalist pop bleakness of tracks like "Play For Today", "Three", and the title track. Of the rarities on Seventeen Seconds, the most intriguing tracks come from the side project Cult Hero, which produced more punky-pop tracks similar to those heard on Three Imaginary Boys. Along with a remastered Seventeen Seconds, this 'Russian' double LP set contains the bonus material that Rhino had included on their 2cd set a couple years back. That bonus material includes the Cult Hero side project off-kilter punk-pop stuff as well as plenty of live tracks and a couple of studio demo tracks.
MPEG Stream: "Play For Today"
MPEG Stream: "Three"
MPEG Stream: "I'm A Cult Hero "

CURE, THE The Head On The Door (Fiction / Rhino) 2cd 25.00
I'm not going to lie to you. The Head On The Door was never my (Jim's) favorite Cure record. I'm sure it is for somebody; and that's not to say that The Head On The Door is a bad record. It's just that The Cure's legendary gloom, mope, and dourness was always far more appealing than the jiggly goth-pop of albums such as The Head On The Door and The Top. In looking at the band's history, The Head On The Door is the ultimate transitional record, following what could only be seen as a disaster dressed up as bubblegum pop (i.e. The Top). During the mid '80s, The Cure distanced themselves from the self-destructive behavior which spawned 1982's Pornography and drove Robert Smith to temporarily shelve the band while playing guitar in Siouxsie & The Banshees. Smith et al, decided to re-invent The Cure without the drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol. The Head On The Door succeeds where The Top stumbled, but was pretty much just working up to the brilliantly skewered pop and bloodshot kaleidoscope of Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, and eventually providing the foundation for the band to sell millions of records. Hence The Head On The Door adopted a slightly darkened, pogo-pop catchiness as heard on "In Between Days" and "A Night Like This" with hints of a former gloominess hidden well behind the amazingly silly tunes of "Close To Me" and "Six Different Ways."
As on all of these remastered reissues, Robert Smith has filled an extra disc with demos and live material; and what's nice about this disc is the selection of legitimately rare songs including the demos for a couple of b-sides and possibly four unreleased tracks.
MPEG Stream: "Sinking"
MPEG Stream: "A Night Like This (Demo)"
MPEG Stream: "Stop Dead (Demo)"

CURE, THE Three Imaginary Boys (Remastered) (Rhino / Atlantic) 2cd 25.00
Well, it's about fuckin' time (psst, you know it's a special occasion if it makes us swear)! The Cure's Three Imaginary Boys debut album has finally been reissued, just in time to cleanse our ears of the disappointment of their latest album. In comparison to their recent studio-concocted big 'raw' sound, T.I.B. needed no high-tech bells and whistles to effectively convey its gritty immediacy. Yes, it's occasionally clunky and often imperfect, but it's a great snapshot of the band back in its 1979 unpolished adolescence with their bare bones electric guitar, bass, drums and vocals (pre-synthesizer) set-up. In contrast to their playing chops, their songwriting chops were already pretty darn solid. Actually this is the very first time the album has been released in the U.S., and thus begins Rhino Records' resurrection of The Cure's long-yearned-for catalog of seminal albums. Hurrah! If this remastered and expanded edition is any indication, we're in for some pretty great rarities-type surprises. It comes with a big ol' booklet and a 'bonus' disc filled with twenty surprisingly punky demos, outtakes, live tracks and such from back in their formative years -- including a demo version of what is undisputably one of their best pop songs "Boys Don't Cry". Many of the recordings are really really lo-fi and murky, but Robert Smith and Co.'s magic shines through. Cure fans rejoice!
MPEG Stream: "Boys Don't Cry (studio demo)"
MPEG Stream: "10:15 Saturday Night (studio demo)"