FRESH MAGGOTS s/t (Sunbeam Records) lp 27.00
Now, also, on vinyl. And not cheap. But hey, it's a cool record. Here's our review of the recent cd version, though we don't know if this numbered, limited to 1000 copies import vinyl edition has the bonus tracks or not:
For those of you into acid folk from the early 70's, we have another terrific find with FRESH MAGGOTS. This teenage British duo's only record, not surprisingly deemed a failure upon its release with such an unappealling name (though of course we think it's cool), came out in 1971. Which, as you may know, some here say could be one of the BEST years for this -or any- genre. Influenced by the likes of Deep Purple, Zeppelin, and Pentangle, Fresh Maggots really don't sound as rock as the above outfits (partly due to lacking drums) but bring more to mind Forest, Tractor, or Tyrannosaurus Rex. There's lots of acoustic guitar folkiness here blended with fuzzed out fits of electric guitar. And there's a little tin whistle playing and triangle chiming going on, too! Melodic, pastoral, hearty, and highly recommended. This reissue, which the Fresh Maggots themselves had a hand in, includes extensive liner notes, and two bonus tracks.
MPEG Stream: "Dole Song"
MPEG Stream: "Spring"

FRIAR TUCK And His Psychedelic Guitar (Fallout) cd 16.98
We call a lot of things "psychedelic" these days... Comets On Fire, Boris, Silvester Anfang, Circle, Joanna Newsom, Residual Echoes, Acid Mothers Temple, Raccoo-oo-oon, Grey Daturas, Dark Fog, Devy B... all sorts of stuff. Psych this, psychedelic that. Loose use of the term for sure, though it gets the idea across, y'all know what we mean (right?). But once in a while it's worth remembering that "psychedelia" originally, once had a more specific, commercial, sometimes exploitative meaning in the pop culture, in re: a certain time and place. You bet your sweet bippy, that back in 1967, "psychedelic" was something like this album (now reissued on cd): Friar Tuck & His Psychedelic Guitar, featuring a cover photo of a bearded guy in a brown robe, with a Beatles haircut under his hood, crouched on a chair in front of a "trippy" colorful abstract painting. A product of the sunny LA pop scene, Friar Tuck was a gimmicky project mixing sumptuous orchestration with stinging guitar blurt, the distortion on composer/producer (and noted LA session cat, also a member of the Ceyleib People) Mike Deasy's axe being the closest thing here to the state of "psych" as currently understood. (Others from the backup band were also known as Goldenrod, an instro-grunt combo responsible for one fairly ahead of its time "heavy" album.) '60s buffs should also note that this album's lovely vocal harmonies were all arranged by none other than Curt "Millenium" Boettcher.
Side one had covers, sorta novelty songs including a version of frat-rock classic "Louie Louie" (here, "Louis Louis"), and Tommy Roe's goofy "Sweet Pea", both with vocals delivered in a laidback drawl, which weirdly enough kinda reminds us of the Black Monk Time Monks... hey what's with the '60s and monks anyway? But then on side two, it's all Deasy originals, equally orchestrated but a lot trippier and spaced-out, a flowers-and-beads rave-up in a style long gone. The whole thing exudes vintage charm, right down to the deep thoughts of the beat poetry included in the liner notes. This cd reish also includes four bonus tracks from singles by another Deasy band in a similar style, The Flower Pot.
MPEG Stream: "Sweet Pea"
MPEG Stream: "All Monked Up"

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (OST) (Universal) cd 15.98
Hey all you Explosions In The Sky fans!! Listing this 'cause it's in danger of being overlooked... Here's an album worthy of being simply an EITS release, not just a soundtrack for a movie (the packaging of which fails to offer them obvious credit even though it's their work). Just know that this is a little more filmic than their regular releases, and appropriately so. Very lovely indeed!
MPEG Stream: "From West Texas"
MPEG Stream: "Your Hand In Mine (w/ Strings)"

FRIDGE Early Output 1996-1998 (Temporary Residence) cd 14.98
Fridge have been an all time aQ fave for more than a decade now, every record a joy to behold, their sound constantly evolving, but still so unique and all their own. But as much as we love pretty much everything we've heard, for some of us, the old stuff will always hold a special place in our hearts. The record Eph remains one of our favorites, an endlessly classic collection of post rocky electronica, but before Eph, the band released a clutch of killer singles and eps, which were even more raw and innovative and home brewed than Eph. This disc collects all those tracks, a glorious assemblage of infectious jams, of wild experiments, of dark brooding grooves, from fuzzy brooding wah wah flecked post rock jangle, to Funky Tortoise-y grooviness, from crunchy super distorted math rock rife with odd samples, to smoldering Stereolab-like modern krautrock, from abstract folky shimmer, to warbly lo-fi electro, from almost-jungle to blissed out late night smoke-y jazziness, it's all warm and smooth and raw and groovy and spacey and super catchy, and be sure to check your iTunes, the last handful of strange sonic fragments spell out the band name phonetically. Cool!
MPEG Stream: "EH4-800 Phase Shifter"
MPEG Stream: "Lojen"
MPEG Stream: "Zedex Ay Ti Wan"
MPEG Stream: "Astrozero"

FRIDGE Eph Reissue ( Temporary Residence Ltd.) 2cd 15.98
So beautiful!!! The London-based trio Fridge has finally wrested back the rights to their masterpiece Eph from the evil major label and have re-released it themselves in the UK, and for the first time in the US, on Temporary Residence. Windy's hands down #1 favorite album of 1999, Eph is a flawless effort from a band that had finally found their true and rightful sound (in my opinion their earlier releases were more exploratory and too influenced by other bands). I swear to god, on Eph, Fridge destroyed every other post rock band out there. A stunning combination of dark theatrical Morricone style melodies alongside electronic and organic instrumentation, Eph swells with emotion and tasteful skills, like other postrockers Tortoise, Village of Savoonga, and the sentimental side of the Aphex Twin. The music is instrumental, layered with guitars, backed by stunning drumming that leaves out a downbeat now and then to wonderful effect, and seriously melodic. Like Tortoise, the band is totally beloved by the electronica scene yet is resolutely rock in its instrumentation and live performances, with any electronics merely functioning as embellishments to the core sound. AQ-pal and fellow Eph fan Hrvatski said of the record "The timing is perfect for someone to concoct a millenium-lullaby out of old casio beats, organ drones, phased guitars, swell loopery, and random acoustic/electric machinery; these guys have done it. Positively, absolutely destined to be 'huge', if not I'm going into hiding, deep within the earth's crust until this whole thing blows over..." Definitely for fans of the abovementioned Tortoise, Village of Savoonga, and of course Four Tet, which is a solo project of Fridge member Kieran Hebden.
The reissue also contains a second bonus disc that brings back to life the out-of-print "Kinoshita Terasaka" single and the "Of" EP, plus two previously unreleased remixes by Matt Herbert (Dr Rockit) and Viennese electronicist Patrick Pulsinger.
You *must* hear this record. I don't usually use Andee's favorite final word in my reviews, but I have to here. ESSENTIAL.
RealAudio clip: "Ark"
RealAudio clip: "Transcience"
RealAudio clip: "Yttrium"

FRIDGE The Sun (Temporary Residence) cd 14.98
A lot can happen in 6 years. That's how long it's been since the trio of Kieren Hebden, Adem Ihan and Sam Jeffers last released a record together. Since then 2/3 of the band have gone on to great success with their individual projects, Hebden with Four Tet and Ihan with Adem. As the '90s were coming to a close Fridge emerged as one of the shining examples of a band who totally knew how to bring all sorts of elements from various exciting musical movements (electronica, post-rock, hip-hop, etc.) into a totally cohesive, engaging and epic package. Six years later and they return sounding like no time has passed at all. The Sun sounds like Fridge stepped right out of the time machine, so for those who were hoping to hear that classic Fridge sound once again you will be very happy! While some of us hoped that maybe there would be lots of new twists and turns, there is no denying that they do what they do so damn well. This is like post-rock 101, so get your notebooks and pens out cause school is in session.
MPEG Stream: "Clocks"
MPEG Stream: "Eyelids"

FRIDGE The Sun (Temporary Residence) lp 17.98
A lot can happen in 6 years. That's how long it's been since the trio of Kieren Hebden, Adem Ihan and Sam Jeffers last released a record together. Since then 2/3 of the band have gone on to great success with their individual projects, Hebden with Four Tet and Ihan with Adem. As the '90s were coming to a close Fridge emerged as one of the shining examples of a band who totally knew how to bring all sorts of elements from various exciting musical movements (electronica, post-rock, hip-hop, etc.) into a totally cohesive, engaging and epic package. Six years later and they return sounding like no time has passed at all. The Sun sounds like Fridge stepped right out of the time machine, so for those who were hoping to hear that classic Fridge sound once again you will be very happy! While some of us hoped that maybe there would be lots of new twists and turns, there is no denying that they do what they do so damn well. This is like post-rock 101, so get your notebooks and pens out cause school is in session.
MPEG Stream: "Clocks"
MPEG Stream: "Eyelids"

FRIEDBERGER, MATTHEW Winter Women / Holy Ghost Language School (859 Recordings) 2cd 21.00
Mr. Fiery Furnace goes it alone for this double (!) album. That's right, he's thrown his hat into the ring of prolificacy, joining the irrepressible songsmith likes of Robert Pollard, John Darnielle and Ryan Adams? The Winter Woman / Holy Ghost Language School combo is an undeniably immense and admirable undertaking, but apologies Brother Friedberger! On our first couple of listens to this album, we just couldn't help but feel like we were listening to a Fiery Furnaces album and hence we totally missed your sister's singing. That magical (and yes fiery) Friedberger spark initially seems somewhat muted (like it's running on half power... which it sort of is). That's a bit of a hurdle to overcome, but the elder Friedberger seems to have knowingly come prepared for it, bringing new elements into his palette of styles and sounds to distinguish his solo efforts from his band endeavors in more ways than just his sister's voice.
Through these two albums Friedberger reveals two distinct personas -- one as the yarn-spinning eccentric pop singer/songwriter (with whom we're already well acquainted by way of the 'Furnaces) and the other as a more adventurous less conventional artist. Winter Women showcases the former with some utterly addictive hook-laden treats (hmmm, imagine if Pavement's Slanted & Enchanted were born under a circus bigtop!), while Holy Ghost brings out Friedberger's inner curious carny juggler. He indulges his whim which beckons him through a wildly varied array of styles with brief stops in bluesy swamplands, murder mystery incidental music, antique puppet theater, incorporating a lot of Beatles-isms throughout. Indeed, the latter does serve as his musical catch-all, but with all of its winding tales and sonic twists'n'turns he doesn't let things get all willy-nilly. No, 'tho he tackles both the big and small, the elaborate and the simple, he maintains a consistent level of composition from start to finish.
Each album stands solidly on its own merits, and we wonder if the reason why he chose to release these two albums together was to ensure the audience's awareness of his multifacetedness. They leave no question, his uniquely tweaked songcraft talents are many.
MPEG Stream: "Up The River"
MPEG Stream: "Holy Ghost Language School"

FRIEND Inaccuracies & Omissions (Flying Nun) cd 16.98
Chris Knox has already conquered the pop world with his wonderful albums as a solo artist and with Tall Dwarfs. So where's his head nowadays? Deep inside his G4, apparently, and this from a man who I seem to remember once expressed luddite-like glee to me at his not having email yet. Gotta love 'im, sweet Mr Knox. Anyway, armed with ProTools, a grant and lots of time, Knox has made an experimental musique concrete album that's as enjoyable in its (relative to other highbrow concretists) lo-fi humbleness as it is interesting in its methods of construction. On one piece, for example, inspired by experimental pianist Conlon Nancarrow he arranged the 88 piano key notes into visual patterns pleasing to the eye, and only then listened to see if they sounded good. (They do.) Other tracks feature fellow sound artist John Hudak's recordings of insects sped up into whirring mechanisms, stadium field recordings mixed with plastic rakes into tinkling swirls, ancient unearthed '70s tape manipuations re-mucked about with, etc. A fine album, both sonically and in its unintimidating, "friend"-ly approachability. Read about its making yourself here; witty Chris Knox always says it best himself: http://flyingnun.co.nz/viewartist.cfm?artistID=473
MPEG Stream: "First Easy Piece"
MPEG Stream: "Insecticider"

FRIENDS FOREVER Killball (Load) cd 13.98
Some of you may have already experienced the live fury of Friends Forever without even realising it. Touring in their beat up old van, and with no actual shows booked, Friends Forever would pull up in front of venues, where other shows were happening, and perform IN THEIR VAN, with smoke and strobe lights and fireworks spillling out into the street, while the band members thrashed away inside, usually driving away as the cops pulled up to find out what the hell was going on. There was even a documentary made about them! So how does a band whose whole schtick is their unconventional live shows hold up on record? Not all that bad actually. Their sound definitely fits comfortably in with the current crop of retro, electro, new wavers, although their sound is way more lo-fi, and much more spazzy. Think a less manic Lightning Bolt, or Liquorball trying to sound electro. And while that is the core of their sound, Friends Forever veer all over the place, from retarded and noisy synth pop with painfully (and purposefully, I'm sure) inane lyrics, to pounding rumbling mid-tempo Lightning Bolt style spazz rock, to relentlessly propulsive fuzzed out jams, to weird almost-metal with xylophones, to Wolf Eyes-ish industrial freenoise freakouts to Tusk style marching band dirges, with warbly horns and stumbling militaristic rhythms. Freaked out and fucked up and almost as good as sitting on the curb outside a club and being barraged by smoke and lights and chaotic rock mayhem. Almost.
MPEG Stream: "Win"
MPEG Stream: "Linebacker Blitz"
MPEG Stream: "Charge!!!"

FRIENDS FOREVER Tidal Wave City ep (N.G.W.T.T.) cd 11.98
So you're standing outside a show, smoking a cigarette and waiting for the Boredoms or whoever to play. A white van drives up; the doors fling open and out comes an assault of pyrotechnics, flashing lights, and obliterating noise rock! Guys wrapped in lightbulbs pound on drums and guitars INSIDE the van. Then it's over, right before the cops show up, and you're wondering, "What the fuck was that?" That, kind readers, was Friends Forever. Whether in an anticipated or surprise encounter, outside a club or in a parking garage, they play from their own moblie venue, and totally DESTROY with their aggressive spectacle. There's even a documentary about them, apparently now playing on an independent film channel near you. Of course, the question with them and many other post-hardcore freak punk type bands who put on amazing live shows is "how exactly does that incredible energy and performative aspect translate to a record?" Well, the answer for this here Friends Forever record is, umm, pretty decently, though not superlatively. The record allows them to go beyond the high-speed angular pummelling that makes the live shows work. Although it does contain some of said pummelling rock, there are also slower tempos and mellower textures, including some soothing wave sounds a la Black Dice's "Beaches & Canyons," although "Tidal Wave City" never reaches the accomplished and sublime complexity of that record. Still, this is nice, and while Friends Forever truly cannot be appreciated in full without witnessing them live, this is an interesting insight into a different side of them. After all, there's no way they're gonna fit that piano in the van.
RealAudio clip: "The Great Humanizer"
RealAudio clip: "Lies & Propaganda"

FRIENDS OF DEAN MARTINEZ A Place In The Sun (Knitting Factory) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Very filmic instrumentals, most resembling a slowed down Pell Mell, or surf music on thorazine. Includes a lazy, lazy, oh-damn-it's-just-too-hot-out version of Gershwin's "Summertime" featuring almost out of place over-driven arena rock guitar.

FRIENDS OF DEAN MARTINEZ Live At Club 2 (Aero Recordings) cd 14.98
The folks at Aero Recordings have kindly reissued domestically this live disc which was originally released in Europe on Glitterhouse back in 2001. Three of these songs also appeared on the band's On The Shore doubledisc album in early 2003. In the live setting (or at least on this particular performance), Friends Of Dean Martinez are much more fiery and immediate than on their studio recordings (which are considerably more sprawling, drifting and contemplative). To be frank, there are occasions on Live At Club 2 where the trio simply rock! If you dig the dynamic twang of bands such as The Sadies or Calexico (Joey Burns and John Convertino were in an early incarnation of FODM and they wrote and co-wrote a few of the songs included here), do yourself a favor and check out Friends Of Dean Martinez (and vice versa for that matter). This is a great live document of a 2001 performance in Munich, Germany and features a terrific selection of songs that span the band's career up to that point.
MPEG Stream: "Cabeza De Mojado"
MPEG Stream: "Chunder"

FRIENDS OF DEAN MARTINEZ Lost Horizon (Aero Recordings) cd 15.98
Friends of Dean Martinez want you to just chill out... and gaze at this Lost Horizon. Instead of heading in the direction of a bar this eve, how about doin' a bit of lounging outside as the sun creeps down and as the band unwinds a steady strand of slow slinking bluesiness. FODM are well-skilled at creating sumptuous atmospheres, and this one's really gorgeous and mellow (with the exception of the seventh track "Hidden Out Of Sight" which is the album's most active and gritty). Some of it is very much along the lines of John Fahey's contemplative guitar abstractions on his Red Cross album, while other numbers bring to mind the glinting, droning warmth of Sweden's Bjorn Olsson. Actually this makes us feel like we're in a futuristic (like with Swedish neo-retro design) senior citizens' home. Not like in that it makes me feel old, just in that it makes me feel CHILL like in a "Visit Beautiful Florida" commercial for a Florida that is wayyyyy cooler than the real Florida is. We like it...though we like the live album a bit better....if we ever have an underwater or outerspace nightclub we're most definitely booking these guys.
MPEG Stream: "Landfall"
MPEG Stream: "All In The Golden Afternoon"

FRIENDS OF DEAN MARTINEZ On the Shore (Narnack) 2cd 22.00
Brooding, languid and very filmic. Like a meeting of Godspeed You Black Emperor, Ennio Morricone and Calexico at the end of a deserted dirt road somewhere in Arizona. Particularly, fans of the latter might also take a considerable shine to these Friends and it's no surprise 'cause John Convertino and Joey Burns were a part of an early incarnation of F.O.D.M. When they split to form their wonderful combo, remaining member Bill Elm continued on. The music on this double cd, the follow-up to their A Place In The Sun album from 2000, is much less lounge / surf inflected than previous recordings. Steel guitar slink over and through the shadowy rhythm section while mellotron and organ do their part to envelop the expansive proceedings. The first disc compiles songs from their albums Wichita Lineman and Live At Club 2 (a 2001 performance they did in Germany). Imagine a soundtrack to an old western directed by David Lynch... sound good? This is!
RealAudio clip: "Main Theme"
RealAudio clip: "Time's Not Your Friend"

FRIENDS OF DEAN MARTINEZ Random Harvest (Narnack) cd 15.98
Gorgeous! The follow-up to last year's On the Shore double cd, Random Harvest just may contain Bill Elm and co.'s most electrified work to date. Prominent electric guitars add much prickle and bristle to tracks such as "Ripcord" and "Dusk". Yet, the album is also graced by some of the band's most serenely beautiful moments transporting them even further from their former much more loungey surf sounds. Perhaps an oversimplified reference point for this album would be 'Calexico meets Godspeed You Black Emperor', but it truly fits and sets FODM is potent company. Haunting, atmospheric and beautiful. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Ripcord"
MPEG Stream: "Lost Horizon"

FRIGHTENED RABBIT Liver! Lung! Fr! (Fat Cat) cd ep 10.98

FRIJID PINK s/t (Akarma) cd 16.98
Dude! It's about time we had some Frijid Pink here at the store! Just do a keyword search on our website for "Frijid Pink" and you'll find a small handful of references we've make to this somewhat unsung late '60s Detroit R&B infused hard rock combo, in the context of talking about some other psychedelic, "proto-metal" and stoner rock discs, among them AQ faves Flower Travellin' Band ('cause both bands did covers of "House Of The Rising Sun" -- in Frijid Pink's case it was their biggest, and pretty much only, hit.)
At last a nice new reish has come along, of FP's self-titled 1970 debut, where you'll find "House Of The Rising Sun" along with a bunch of other great, boogying bluesy garage psych tunes, played by a band partial to the fuzz (as in pedals, not police!) and possessed of a lead singer with powerful rawk pipes, Kelly Green The "Sunshine Of Your Love" styled fuzz monster "Crying Shame" is one standout (heard also on the Cherrystones Rocks comp a while back). "Tell Me Why" is another extreme fuzz attack. Frijid Pink has a gentle side too, there's some (charmingly dated?) hippy mellowness on here for sure. And when they're heavy, be aware it's more of the '60s variety than the '70s (more Vanilla Fudge than Black Sabbath!) but the aforementioned fuzz levels are up there with Sir Lord Baltimore and we'd certainly say that Frijid Pink deserve to be mentioned alongside them and also likes of the James Gang, Cactus, Iron Butterfly, and other proto-proto-metal contenders! And for sure they shouldn't be forgotten when considering the legacy of '60s Michigan rockers like the SRC, Amboy Dukes, and the MC5.
This Akarma reissue comes in an extremely pink digipack, and includes two bonus tracks.
Frijid Pink, yeah!
MPEG Stream: "Crying Shame"
MPEG Stream: "End Of The Line"

FRILLICI, BRICE The Sun Comes In Circles (38th Parallel Productions) cd-r 9.98
Early last year Mr. Frillici dropped off a disc for us to check out. We asked him to bring in a batch. We haven't seen or heard from him since then... until now. Here is the result of what apparently has been six years spent crafting, fine-tuning and fleshing out each song. The first couple of songs twinkle and sway gently along the dreamy lines of Dean Wareham and his band Luna. It'd be darn dandy if the whole album simply continued along that path, but suddenly at the third song he shifts dramatically taking us into some Beck-ish horn-laden funkiness. Then we noticed that there are nineteen songs on this album (!), and we anticipated that Frillici might have much more in store for us... and we were right! He fit in some mellow downtempo shufflin', a rockin' guitar noodly rave up to boot, an interstellar Flaming Lips-esque jaunt, some very very Brian Wilson-y grand pop, and some quirky King Missile style storytelling about a fella who ate his own finger (and that's only at the halfway point). An impressive debut filled with a startling array of pop adventures.
MPEG Stream: "That Astronaut"
MPEG Stream: "Ray's World"

FRIPP & ENO (No Pussyfooting) (DGM) 2cd 16.98
What more could be said about these two Fripp & Eno records than we've already written in countless Expo '70, Growing and Aidan Baker reviews? That's because these records are pretty much ground zero for all of the dark dreamy drifty processed guitar / tape / synth drone that we can't ever seem to get enough of. Perhaps there are other earlier influential touchstones such as Tony Conrad and La Monte Young, perhaps Stockhausen and Terry Riley as well, but none seemed to have come so totally out of nowhere from two relatively mainstream players as these two records. Manuel Gottsching, Taj Mahal Travellers, and Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music all came a little later.
After every other Eno solo album and collaboration (from Cluster to David Byrne) has been reissued, we are lucky enough to finally see both of these classic releases newly 24-bit remastered by Fripp himself reissued on his DGM imprint. These have never sounded better! No Pussyfooting even contains an extra disc featuring both tracks in reverse and a 40 minute bonus track of "The Heavenly Music Corporation" recorded at half speed that we know all our customers into glacial doomy drone will want, nay, need to own! Even if you own this record already, you may just need to buy it again for the stellar extra material!
It's easy to take for granted nowadays the influence of Brian Eno as the "godfather of ambient music", but in 1973 before he had even released his first solo record, Here Come The Warm Jets, Robert Fripp and Brian Eno were mainly known for their previous roles in King Crimson and Roxy Music respectively. Then this mysterious record parenthetically titled (No Pussyfooting) appears with its cryptic cover, a sort of ultra-modernized take on a hermetic alchemical engraving depicting the two artists (Eno at his most androgynous) looking in opposite directions, sitting in a small mirrored room with no doors reading tarot cards on a mirrored table with what sort of looks like a line of coke (?), next to a mirrored guitar in a mirrored case in the corner, a translucent mannequin and an antique silver radiator behind them under glass shelves filled with old books. The back cover showing the same scene with both artists and tarot cards missing. With its two side-long awesomely titled tracks "The Heavenly Music Corporation" and "Swastika Girls", what kind of music would this be? Rock? Prog? Glam? No one probably would realize until they purchased it and brought it home, that it would be this organically cerebral deep listening experience of the highest order. It's kind of a downer that we have such easy access to information nowadays, because when this came out, it was a true mystery object, which added to its esoteric appeal. But it still is to an extent, as numerous listens over the years still never fail to captivate, or confound how exactly the sounds are being made. Apparently,utilizing a system later dubbed, Frippertronics, two reel to reel tape decks were used to allow audio elements to be added onto a continuing tape loop building up dense layers of sound that would slowly decay as it turned around the decks' playback head. On "The Heavenly Music Corporation" layers of deep synth drones are layered in phased washes with Fripp's unique bowed guitar sound ringing ascending solo lines on top that sometimes loop and sometimes don't. Eno wrings out what sounds like synth lines in counterpoint to Fripp's part in similar tones so that at times it gets harder to tell who is making what sound as the piece intensifies. "Swastika Girls" starts with high pitched cascades of processed piano like tones with scraping synth squelches looping in counterpoint, before low rising bass notes and Riley-ish piano repetitions appear. Then Fripp's searing guitar crash-lands into the mix almost disrupting the whole process, but somehow it all works. Much more distorted and dissonant than "The Heavenly Music Corporation", it doesn't take the process for granted that everything will sound harmonious but remains still somehow cohesive, though far from easy listening.
While the backward tracks are equally amazing, they highlight a different kind of listening experience altogether. The seams show a bit more, the entrance and exit of new sounds more abrupt, but still strangely alien. Their inclusion here came from out of the listening experience of their first (and probably only) complete UK radio broadcast in 1973 courtesy of the late John Peel. Because the tapes were stored "tail out" but played as though they were stored "front out", the broadcast played the music in reverse. When Eno called in to say the music was being played backwards, he was met with a "that's what they all say" response.
But the real bonus of this deluxe package is the 40 minute "half-speed version" of "The Heavenly Music Corporation". When there were 16 2/3 rpm options on early record players, a lot of young guitarists would use the speed to slow down 33 1/3 rpm records to learn and practice their favorite guitar lines. Here it makes the drones so deep and heavy, Fripp's guitar lines more crushing, the layers creep and slither sounding like it could be one of the weird drone cd-r's we sell tons of. If it was in a black sleeve with skulls on it, and was called Skulled Space Outrosphere or Radiant Black Blood, and sealed with wax or wrapped in twine, and was limited to 100 copies, we'd sell a million of em (well, okay... 100!!). Sooooooooooooo Recommended and Essential!
MPEG Stream: "The Heavenly Music Corporation"
MPEG Stream: "Swastika Girls (reversed)"
MPEG Stream: "The Heavenly Music Corporation (half-speed)"

FRIPP & ENO Evening Star (DGM) cd 15.98
What more could be said about these two Fripp & Eno records than we've already written in countless Expo '70, Growing and Aidan Baker reviews? That's because these records are pretty much ground zero for all of the dark dreamy drifty processed guitar / tape / synth drone that we can't ever seem to get enough of. Perhaps there are other earlier influential touchstones such as Tony Conrad, and La Monte Young, perhaps Stockhausen and Terry Riley as well, but none seemed to have come so totally out of nowhere from two relatively mainstream players as these two records. Manuel Gottsching, Taj Mahal Travellers, and Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music all came a little later.
After every other Eno solo album and collaboration (from Cluster to David Byrne) has been reissued, we are lucky enough to finally see both of these classic releases newly 24-bit remastered by Fripp himself and reissued on his DGM imprint. These have never sounded better! While this reissue doesn't feature any bonus material, we still think it's a must have for any fan of kosmiche experimental drone music. If you haven't owned this before, now is the time!!!!!
Judging from the cover and title of 1975's Evening Star, it would be easy to dismiss this as a generic new-age record by Shadowfax or Mark Isham. It does look a bit Windham Hill-ish. But while its more melodic and dreamy than No Pussyfooting, this is certainly not pure relaxation music. It's way more cerebral and at times quite unnerving. Teaming up with Fripp once again after releasing three brilliant solo pop albums (Here Come The Warm Jets, Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, and Another Green World), Eno started concentrating on his ambient period culminating later that same year in what would be his first solo ambient record Discreet Music. Using the same dual tape machine system as on No Pussyfooting, the tracks here feel more composed and purposeful. Starting with "Wind on Water", layered washes of phased high toned analog synths and flittering guitar drones pulse like a breathing entity before the Cluster-like piano figures of the stunning title track, "Evening Star" emerge augmented by a ringing guitar arpeggio and one of the most gorgeous Fripp solos ever put to tape. This track is like an early predecessor to Eno's soundtrack work for the NASA film Apollo, almost a decade later. So beautiful! The next couple of tracks delve further into gentler territory, with "Wind on Wind" being an excerpted version of a piece later included on Discreet Music. But the nearly thirty minute final piece, "An Index of Metals" returns us to the dark intense drone of No Pussyfooting. Sounding more metallic and cosmic than anything on that record, "An Index of Metals" with its deep resonant pulsations and expansively spatial guitar work at times sounds like the melting magma of a dying star, or Edward Artemiev's coldly terrifying soundtrack work for Andrei Tartovsky's Solaris. Awe-inspiring yet very chilling! So Essential!
MPEG Stream: "Evening Star"
MPEG Stream: "An Index of Metals"

FRIPP & ENO The Equatorial Stars (Opal) cd 15.98
Not bad... but, not that great either.

FRIPP, ROBERT Exposure (Discipline) 2cd 17.98
We knew that our friend Loren Chasse was/is a major Fripp-fanatic (total closet prog-rocker, that Loren) so we asked him if he wanted to do a review of this recently reissued R. Fripp solo classic, and he did (thanks Loren!), here 'tis:
As uptight as Robert Fripp may seem these past ten years (with his cleric's collar and extensive moralizing about business practices in the music industry) let's not forget his history of eccentric and befuddling endeavors outside of King Crimson. Begin with Fripp's New Wave pose on this album cover, sporting skinny tie and pinstriped shirt (even his hair stylist gets a credit in the liner notes)! Certainly, Fripp was dressed for the scene as he set out to make this record in the New York City of '78-'79. Exposure is perhaps the definitive record of everything Fripp is capable of, showcasing his talent at adapting his trademark guitar sound to diverse musical personalities. The most unexpected of these guest personalities on Exposure may be Daryl Hall, who takes the mic on the sumptuous and laid back "North Star" (with a lilt much like Discipline-era King Crimson's "Matte Kudasai"). Hall is actually the primary songwriting force on Exposure, even when he's not singing. Then another prog-rocker's wish is granted with Peter Hammill singing on "Disengage" and Fripp letting out a bit more bombast than he had as a guest with Van Der Graaf Generator. Who else? Well there's Peter Gabriel doing his saccharine hit "Here Comes the Flood" -- made so much more dark and beautiful than Gabriel's own album version by Fripp's contributions. Speaking of Hall and Gabriel, Exposure is the official third part of a trilogy (says Fripp) comprised of Hall's solo record Sacred Songs and Gabriel's second record (is it the one with the rain-streaked car window?). Then there's Brian Eno (surprise, surprise) and Phil Collins (not so bad as long as he's sticking to drums), Nancy Roche (of The Roches) howling like Diamanda Galas on "Exposure" and taking the record into its sweetest moments with "Mary". For fans of Red-era King Crimson, "Breathless" will be a pleaser with its unrelenting riffs and off-kilter Mahavishnu-style drumming (brought compliments of Narada Michael Walden). "NY3" and "Haaden Two" give the record some dark and surreal twists with more Crimsonish instrumental workouts mixed with a theater of strange voices (the former being a fight between mother/father and daughter in an NYC apartment). Fripp's spiritual mentor J.G. Bennet (student of Gurdjieff) inserts a ghostly presence over some of Fripp's most beautiful ambient sounds. The trademarked Frippertronics appear at their most quintessential on "Water Music I and II" -- perhaps the record's most abstract, beautiful and least dated sounding music. Oh yeah, dear old Edith Fripp (the mother) can be heard on this as well!
Also, FYI: this special double disc remastered edition of Exposure features a "Third Edition" of the album on the second cd, plus several bonus tracks. Wow, that's a lot... maybe they shoulda retitled this Overexposure?
MPEG Stream: "Breathless"
MPEG Stream: "North Star"

FRIPP, ROBERT Love Cannot Bear: Soundscapes - Live In The USA (Discipline Global Mobile) cd 15.98

FRIPP, ROBERT & THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN God Save The King (EG) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

FRISELL, BILL Blues Dream (Nonesuch) cd 16.98

FRISELL, BILL Ghost Town (Nonesuch) cd 16.98
A truly solo album from stellar guitarist Frisell (he plays electric & acoustic guitars as well as as banjo, loops and bass). The material here ranges from Frisell's own compositions to pieces by John McLaughlin, Hank Williams, and the Gershwins. Very pretty, liquid, and appropriately-lonely sounding stuff.

FRITH, FRED Accidental: Music For Dance Volume 3 (Fred / ReR) cd 15.98
Accidental was originally commissioned in 1995 by Paul Selwyn Norton for his dance piece "Rogue Tool" which premiered the following year in Tel Aviv, Israel. On 'Accidental' Frith, a multi-instrumentalist if there ever was one, plays all instruments: guitar, violin, organ, an odd assortment of percussion, tapes, radio and voice. The music on 'Accidental' tends towards the dark and severe, with squeals of guitar feedback layered over ominous drones, percussive elements assembled from cut up vocals (either Fred's or taken from radio), but this shouldn't imply that the music on this album is non-melodic. On the contrary, at the music is at times even hauntingly beautiful while parts of 'Accidental' are even reminiscent of Frith's 1988 'Technology of Tears'.
RealAudio clip: "Hit And Run"
RealAudio clip: "Accidental"

FRITH, FRED Gravity (Fred / ReR) cd 15.98
Thankfully reissued once more, unthankfully with horrible new artwork and irritating top obi. Originally released in 1980 on Ralph Records, Gravity is Fred Frith's masterpiece of progressive-rock-infused pop, and in Windy and Byram's opinion this should be a staple of everyone's record collection. Yep, it's that great. And no matter how 'avant' our description makes it sound, this is one of the most listenable, most accessible avant prog pop things I've ever heard.
Gravity is a celebration of dance and dance musics from around the world. The range of influence spans the gamut, but Eastern European and Middle Eastern music seems to pervade Frith's inspiration primarily. Backed on one half of the album by Sweden's uber-prog folk heroes Zamla (formarly Samla) Mammas Manna and the other by the American improv-jazz-rock band The Muffins. Though all of the compositions are Frith's, each half of the album wears the corresponding musicians' influence like a badge. The Samla's playful, quirky and category-defying progressive, folk-influenced pop stylings are perhaps a slightly better match on the whole than The Muffins skronk (which shows up mostly as the segue material between tracks on the second half of the album.) Backed by Lars Hollmer and crew, "Spring Any Day Now" sounds like the theme song to an early eighties sit-com a la 'Three's Company' gone awry. Much of the album is seamlessly bridged together with nary a second of break betwixt songs, which suits an album inspired by dance that serves to inspire one to dance just fine.
RealAudio clip: "Spring Any Day Now"
RealAudio clip: "Hands of the Juggler"

FRITH, FRED Speechless (East Side Digital) cd 15.98

FRITH, FRED Step Across the Border (Winter & Winter) dvd 27.00

FRODUS Conglomerate International (Tooth & Nail) 2lp 24.00

FROG EYES Ego Scriptor (Absolutely Kosher) cd 12.98
Back in stock -- but get 'em before they're gone (it's a one-time-pressing apparently)... Fans of Vancouver's great Frog Eyes take note of this limited edition, 25 minute *acoustic* release. Yup, Frog Eyes unplugged. Frontman Carey Mercer here declares "I am the writer!" and gives us his acoustic take on songs from Frog Eyes' previously released albums The Bloody Hand and The Golden River’ as well as songs from their forthcoming The Folded Palm. The versions Mercer plays here probably represent how these songs first burst from his imagination....they are crude and ecstatic, communicating the essence of Mercer's surrealism. Obviously, with Frog Eyes we are in the presence of a great song force that demands the ear surrender its old habits and start again, not without a few choice associations (like Bowie and Beefheart) to make the experience more comfortable. The arrangements on Ego Scriptor’ are no less ambitious and bombastic than their electric manifestations although we do miss the heavenly noise and atmospheres the full band so masterfully musters around Mercer's singing and guitar playing. A virtue of Mercer's music is that, much like the songs of Tomakawa Kazuki and Mikami Kan, we hear in them something larger than music, an action like spirit crashing through clouds to earth. [Another review from the pen of AQ-pal Loren Chasse, who loves Frog Eyes perhaps even more than Allan does, which is, a lot.]
MPEG Stream: "Masticated Outboard Motors"
MPEG Stream: "The Fox Speaks To His Wife..."

FROG EYES Tears Of The Valedictorian (Absolutely Kosher) cd 14.98
There are certain key words that persistently spring up whenever the Canadian indie band Frog Eyes is mentioned or heard -- distraught, angstful, melodramatic, cathartic, cryptic. With album number four Tears Of The Valedictorian from Casey Mercer and co., those words continue to fit like a glove.
To be frank, many folks around here have found Frog Eyes' music to be somewhat impenetrable and/or unapproachable, but there are also some others who'll encourage a second listen or more. Sure Mercer's vocal delivery can be an immediate turn-on or turn-off for most people, but once the initial shock settles down you just may discover Frog Eyes' other affecting facets softening the affected blow of the vocals. Over the course of his four albums, Mercer's compositions have grown increasingly lushly crafted and his incisive lyrics more poetic. Yet the Frog Eyes overall impression still effectively strike a nerve with its raw open-wound quality.
MPEG Stream: "Idle Songs"
MPEG Stream: "Reform The Countryside"

FROG EYES Tears Of The Valedictorian (Absolutely Kosher) lp 10.98
There are certain key words that persistently spring up whenever the Canadian indie band Frog Eyes is mentioned or heard -- distraught, angstful, melodramatic, cathartic, cryptic. With album number four Tears Of The Valedictorian from Casey Mercer and co., those words continue to fit like a glove.
To be frank, many folks around here have found Frog Eyes' music to be somewhat impenetrable and/or unapproachable, but there are also some others who'll encourage a second listen or more. Sure Mercer's vocal delivery can be an immediate turn-on or turn-off for most people, but once the initial shock settles down you just may discover Frog Eyes' other affecting facets softening the affected blow of the vocals. Over the course of his four albums, Mercer's compositions have grown increasingly lushly crafted and his incisive lyrics more poetic. Yet the Frog Eyes overall impression still effectively strike a nerve with its raw open-wound quality.
MPEG Stream: "Idle Songs"
MPEG Stream: "Reform The Countryside"

FROG EYES The Bloody Hand (Absolutely Kosher) cd 12.98
The Bloody Hand was the 2002 debut album from this amazing Canadian band, but having been released on a tiny Canadian indie label, it might've been missed by many of us south of the 49th parallel. Now we have no excuse because it's just been released domestically by our Bay Area pals Absolutely Kosher Records. Not only is it a bit cheaper than the import was, but it comes with SEVEN previously unreleased songs (psst, they're actually songs from Seagull Is On The Rise, the never-issued second album of Mercer and bandmate Michael Rak's former band The Blue Pine).
Much like the likeminded eccentric art rockers Xiu Xiu, this band from Victoria, BC does draw rather emphatic love and hate responses. For some the over the top melodramatic hystrionics of frontman Carey Mercer can be a bit wearing and off-putting, but for others it's just the cathartic ticket needed! Allan gives it the thumbs up, and says that 'specially if you liked any of their other albums, you need this.
MPEG Stream: " Sound Travels From The Snow To The Dark"
MPEG Stream: "Lost In A Godless Sea"

FROG EYES The Folded Palm (Absolutely Kosher) cd 12.98
For this Frog Eyes review please allow us to compare it to another Canadian's current release, Rufus Wainwright's Want Two. Both are certainly high on theatrics, however whereas the latter presents the artist as a refined, elegant prince-ly figure, from the first note The Folded Palm suggests Frog Eyes' lead vocalist Casey Mercer as more of a mad court jester. Untethered, twitchy and frantic, but melody and eloquence coexist with the madness. The seventh song "The Heart That Felt Its Light" actually made Cup imagine a cross between Interpol and U.S. Maple! All in all, it's more of the weird pop wonderousness from Carey and co. that we've grown to love, utilizing his unique vocal stylings to maximum effect. Like Captain Beefheart or Bjork, Carey's vocals are a love 'em or hate 'em proposition, and are a significant part of Frog Eyes appeal (or otherwise). We think he's brilliant, and recommend this and all other Frog Eyes albums to the adventurous indie-rock listener.
MPEG Stream: "The Fence Feels Its Post"
MPEG Stream: "The Heart That Felt Its Light"

FROG EYES The Golden River (Absolutely Kosher) cd 12.98
Now released domestically by our Bay Area pals Absolutely Kosher Records! And this version tacks on an astonishing twelve bonus tracks (only three of them previously appearing anywhere) consituting a whole 'nother, earlier Frog Eyes album entitled Emboldened Navigator and the Seagull Dots!! Frog Eyes fans, rejoice! Here's our original review of The Golden River:
Hailing from the same city that popped out Hot Hot Heat, Frog Eyes bring forth an altogether different sound from their Victoria, BC brethren. Imagine a baroque hybrid of the Brit-inflected melodrama of Interpol or Pulp and the more dissonant, hand-wringing instabilities of Xiu Xiu. Very high on moody affectation with the focus squarely on the vocals. In addition to the deeply emotional croon and warble of those mentioned above, singer Carey Mercer may also draw comparisons to Tom Waits' hoarsely heart-baring delivery or the slightly smoother sandpaper swoon of Psychedelic Furs' Richard Butler. Lyrics and song titles are somewhat cryptic, obtuse and strangely poetic. The backdrop: electric guitar string churns and howls, shimmery cymbal washes, all anchored by some velvety piano melodies. FYI: More evidence of the Vancouver/Victoria music scene being quite a mighty tight knit family? Neko Case's Corn Sister co-hort Carolyn Mark lent her lovely voice to three songs (check out the luminous fifth song "A Latex Ice Age"), and Ms Mark's bandmate Tolan McNeil engineered the proceedings. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "A Latex Ice Age"
MPEG Stream: "Time Destroys Its Plan At The Reactionary Table"

FROG EYES The Golden River (Happy Home) lp 13.98
Now on lp, white vinyl, hand silkscreened covers!
Hailing from the same city that popped out Hot Hot Heat, Frog Eyes bring forth an altogether different sound from their Victoria, BC brethren. Imagine a baroque hybrid of the Brit-inflected melodrama of Interpol or Pulp and the more dissonant, hand-wringing instabilities of Xiu Xiu. Very high on moody affectation with the focus squarely on the vocals. In addition to the deeply emotional croon and warble of those mentioned above, singer Carey Mercer may also draw comparisons to Tom Waits' hoarsely heart-baring delivery or the slightly smoother sandpaper swoon of Psychedelic Furs' Richard Butler. Lyrics and song titles are somewhat cryptic, obtuse and strangely poetic. The backdrop: electric guitar string churns and howls, shimmery cymbal washes, all anchored by some velvety piano melodies. FYI: More evidence of the Vancouver / Victoria music scene being quite a mighty tight knit family? Neko Case's Corn Sister co-hort Carolyn Mark lent her lovely voice to three songs (check out the luminous fifth song "A Latex Ice Age"), and Ms Mark's bandmate Tolan McNeil engineered the proceedings. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "A Latex Ice Age"
MPEG Stream: "Time Destroys Its Plan At The Reactionary Table"

FROGS It's Only Right And Natural (Homestead) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another much anticipated Homstead re-issue from 1989, this is one of Andee's favorite albums of all time (unfortunately, sez Allan). So un-PC it's unbelievable. Source of the 'that was a good drum break' sample from Beck's song. A band who's high profile stems from their high profile tours with the Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam, their bizarre antics (performing in blackface on Lollapalooza!) and their questionable politics (couched in supposed insanity/innocence) clouds the fact that they make some of the most wholly original and catchy, lush lo-fi pop. Ever. Almost entirely improvised in the studio, the Frogs create mini(mal) epics of love; locker room romance, auto accident lust, incest, pedophilia, man on man, woman on woman, man on 3 month old baby boy. Are the Frogs (two brothers, by the way) gay? Are they having sex with each other? Are they homophobic? Are they mentally ill? Are they pop music geniuses? Are they just annoying and dumb (a co-worker's assessment)? Does it really matter? Probably.

FROGS Racially Yours (4 Alarm Records) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is a tough one to describe. If you hate the Frogs already, stop right here, this record will not change your mind. In fact, it might even stoke the fires of your Frogs-hatred. But, musically, this is easily the best Frogs record. And I imagine some of you are scoffing, 'no mean feat, huh?' But their second, and best record, "It's Only Right and Natural", was a brilliant and catchy, completely improvised in the studio, folk pop masterpiece. Not only that, their queer obsessed, absurdist lyrics, had everyone asking, "Are they gay?" and/or, "Are they homophobic?", and especially, "Are they insane?" You either loved them and thought their peurile and juvenile humor was drop dead funny, or you hated them and were probably offended. Well.....
This is the legendary "Racially Yours" record, a record so steeped in controversy, that it is only now being released after 10 years. Although like past Frogs efforts, I'm not so sure the controversy is entirely justified. Musically, this record is amazingly lush and complex (for being recorded on a 4-track), bizarre arrangements, swirling organs, rollicking guitars, keening vocals and melodies that stick in your head like glue. But it's the lyrics...
This is the Frogs' labor of love, a record they worked on for years, a skewed but bizarrely passionate look at slavery and race relations in the United States. While "It's Only Right and Natural" their 'gay' record, was kind of silly and irreverent (which is what convinced people they were homophobes), "Racially Yours" is definitely an indictment of racism, with the Frogs frontman, singing from different perspectives: a slave, a slave trader, a paranoid racist, and so on. And the lyrics, paired with the amazing music, often results in some really intense moments. Now, I'm sure people will cry foul, since the Frogs' irreverence and lyrical absurdity are still present (and that is of course, unwelcome in any discussion of subjects this volatile). So if you like the Frogs, you will love this record, if you don't like the Frogs, and this all sounds like a recipe for pissing you off, you should definitely pass.
RealAudio clip: "Purification of The Race"
RealAudio clip: "Holidays 4 King"

FROGS, THE Bananimals (4 Alarm) cd 12.98

FROGS, THE Hopscotch Lollipop Sunday Surprise (Scratchie) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Uhh, meet the kinder, gentler Frogs. Someone must've washed their mouths out with industrial strength soap. I spent my first listen waiting for the pottymouth to start, but it never did (except for maybe a very brief moment or two, I mean, there's a great song called "Fuck Off"...). Perhaps the Frogs have devised this as a sneaky ploy to reel in unknowing listeners with their mellower T-Rex-esque sounds in preparation for their next release. On the one hand, a song called "Nipple Clamps", on the other, a Bob Dylan cover. And they even let us know that no rabbits were harmed in the of this record. Yep, it's the nice Frogs. That's what the title must mean.
RealAudio clip: "Fuck Off"

FROHMADER, PETER, & RICHARD PINHAS Fossil Culture (Cuneiform) cd 12.98
Classic Heldon guitar sound, rife with Frippisms, joined with Frohmader's heavy synthetic processing and electro rhythms. Almost like a drum n' bass "No Pussyfooting"?

FROM AUTUMN TO ASHES Abandon Your Friends (Vagrant) cd 12.98

FROM AUTUMN TO ASHES The Fiction We Live (Vagrant) cd 14.98
You would think a move to emo label Vagrant would temper the metal in FATA's metalcore, and it actually has, quite a bit. But fear not, the serpentine dual guitar harmonies, the downtuned half time chugging, the blazing double kick drums and the ultra-complex stop/start dynamics are still present and accounted for, but the production is WAY less metal, and the emo/clean singing parts are even MORE emo and happen WAY MORE often, which, if you know anything about the emo tolerance around here, is not necessarily a bad thing. And let's face it, FATA were pretty wussy/emo to begin with, which is part of the reson we dug them so much. The ultimate hybrid of brutal death metal and sweet whine-y boy pop. Well, they still embody that hybrid, but the scales are definitely leaning dramatically in the UNheavy direction. In fact this is less a metalcore record with melodic bits, and more an actual pop record but with metal bits. Like the Get Up Kids mixed with Coalesce or Sunny Day Real Estate with Slayer choruses. There's even one track that features drum machine, acoustic guitar and full on female vocals. Wow. But all that said, this is a pretty cool, pretty weird emo-pop record, where the 'loud' parts are actually full on METAL. And if you're anything like me that sounds pretty damn good.
MPEG Stream: "The After Dinner Payback"
MPEG Stream: "Milligram Smile"
MPEG Stream: "Autumn's Monologue"

FROM AUTUMN TO ASHES Too Bad You're Beautiful (Ferret Music) cd 13.98
There's been lots of talk about heartbreak around these parts, and the best break up records, and that sort of thing. Windy thinks the new Built To Spill record is the perfect breakup record, all bittersweet and caustic, but light and hopeful at the same time. That may be. But somehow, From Autumn to Ashes, which we first thought to be just a fucking great metalcore band, have come up with an equally effective breakup record, but from a different angle...the angle being that of a fifteen year old emokid/metalhead. And god damn if that isn't somehow just as appealing to a thirty one year old! These New York kids have chops. Like crazy. Bizarre stop/start rhythms and HUGE crushing riffs with intense grinding halftime breakdowns. All of this and totally melodic dual guitar leads too (a la Iron Maiden). And this crushing metallic attack is tempered by keening whiny boy vocals (think: Get Up Kids). Track two is straight up Iron Maiden, with an insanely catchy guitar hook, that breaks down into a brutal half time mosh, and then becomes a wailing emo loveletter, before it explodes again. But everything changes at track three. A mostly acoustic, 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' style eighties metal ballad, complete with hooks galore and a triumphant fist pumping final 30 seconds. But then a minute later, some of the sickest most furious metal comes spewing from the same fresh faced young punks that were trying to mend their broken hearts only minutes earlier. Track six starts with a sample of a girl talking about her heart being broken into a thousand pieces before the band rushes in, drowning out her cracking voice. And the final track finishes it off with a 10 minute epic, complete with furious metallic bursts of unbridled aggression butted up against gently strummed acoustic guitars, soaring strings, some weird almost Godspeed You Black Emperor parts and an instrumental breakdown with intensely delivered female vocals, all anguish and heartbreak (like a metal Rainer Maria) sounding a bit like Kate Bush or the girl from the Cranberries. The record winds down as she sings lines like 'The only reason you're here is to remind me of what I can't have' and 'Standing so close knowing that it kills me to breathe you in...' and 'It hurts so much, like choking down the embers of a great flame...choking....choking' and finishes with a 'Day In The Life' chord that trails off into nothing. Pretty intense and really original. Definitely for all the metalheads that read our list (especially the sensitive ones) and for those of you who love stuff like the Get Up Kids and Saves The Day and Reggie and The Full Effect and think you might be able to handle something a little harder. Completely Amazing.
RealAudio clip: "Mercury Rising"
RealAudio clip: "The Royal Crown vs Blue Duchess"
RealAudio clip: "Short Stories With Tragic Endings"

FROM BUBBLEGUM TO SKY Me And Amy And The Two French Boys (Eenie Meenie) cd 14.98
Sweet tooth alert! Here's the most recent album from the more than appropriately named From Bubblegum To Sky (aka Texan one man band Mario Hernandez formerly of Ciao Bella). Yes, bubblegum pop for everyone! Incredibly sunshiny, Saturday morning cartoon-y tunes with lots of du-wop-du-wops sung in high kiddie vocals a la Apples In Stereo. Okay, maybe this isn't for everyone but it sure is for fans of all things cute and perky.
RealAudio clip: "Major J"
RealAudio clip: "Hello Hello Hi"

FROM QUAGMIRE The Tropic of Barren (VHF) cd 13.98
From Quagmire performs their avant-folk improvisations with the same restraint and quietness as Tower Recordings, yet produce their recordings with a great deal more clarity. From Quagmire is a trio from Virginia, featuring members of the damaged rock ensemble Rake. Their songs are loosely based around the Jandekian plucks of a nylon-strung acoustic guitar and the hushed vocals of Dorothy Geller. They surround these broken Southern Gothic folksongs with unpredictable, yet quiet intrusions of gongs, drums, and violin (which sounds like it was strung with steel strings, giving the instrument a distinctly metallic resonance) moving from weeping Dirty Three territory into Tony Conrad-like squeals.
RealAudio clip: "Suite of Windmill and Sycamore"

FRONTIER Heater (Southern) cd 15.98
Dubby post-rock from Chicago, for folks who love the likes of Him and Tortoise. Packaged in a very lovely black red and silver swing-out cardboard wallet-type apparatus.