SKYSCRAPER MAGAZINE Issue #21 magazine 4.99
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Latest installment of this badass music magazine. Over the course of a few years, Skyscraper has gone from a scrappy little zine into a serious chunk of music journalism, leaning toward the indie side of the spectrum but never shying away from ANY music as long as it's cool and weird and good. This time around articles on and interviews with Mogwai, Destroyer, Jon Langford, Dungen, Some Girls, Tristeza, Parts & Labor, Test Icicles, Rah Brahs, Witch, Aids Wolf, I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, John Wilkes Booze, Pearls And Brass and loads more. And of course tons and tons of reviews!

SKYSCRAPER MAGAZINE Issue #23 magazine 4.99
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's weird that this is Skyscraper issue #23, and we've only ever listed two other issues of this kick ass music magazine. Well, we'll try to fix that right up, beginning with the latest and largest issue of Skyscraper, a magazine that began its life covering mostly indie rock, but is now as omnivorous as we are. This time around: The Rapture, The Blood Brothers, Ratatat, Chin Up Chin Up, Erase Errata, Daniel Johnston, The Howling Hex, NoMeansNo, Red Sparowes, Six Organs Of Admittance, Fucked Up, Wires On Fire, Jihad Jerry & The Evildoers, To Live And Shave In L.A., The Lovely Feathers, Captain Ahab, Raccoo-Oo-Oon, Endpoint as well as articles on DIY performance spaces, Lost records, and tons more. Plus all the usual music magazine stuff including LOTS AND LOTS of reviews!!

SKYSCRAPER MAGAZINE Issue #24 magazine 4.99
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another jam packed issue of this amazing music magazine, that somehow manages to slip through the cracks when in fact it's as good or better than any of its modern music contemporaries (The Wire, Terrorizer, Magnet, Sound Projector). With a distinctly indie rock bent, Skyscraper manage to still touch on all sorts of amazing music, reading like maybe the most AQ magazine of them all. This month: Neurosis, Jesu, Baroness, Panda Bear, Black Lips, Explosions In The Sky, Converge, An Albatross, Hot Cross, John Wiese, Die! Die! Die!, Demonstrations, Athletic Automaton, Foreign Islands, the Willowz, Graham Coxon, Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, VietNam, Unsane, a focus on Now Wave Chicago and of course tons and tons of reviews!!

SKYSCRAPER MAGAZINE Issue #7 magazine+cd 4.95
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
At almost 200 pages, Skyscraper will keep you occupied for a long long time. And it's worth it. Lengthy interviews with Flaming Lips, They Might be Giants, June of 44, US Maple, the Locust, Slaves, I Am Spoonbender, Songs:Ohia, the Melvins, Mr Bungle, Macha, Rachels, and about 8,000 reviews of albums, singles, and printed matter. Sooo worth the five bucks, PLUS you get a cd of previously unreleased remixes including tracks by: Tristeza, Lowercase, Cars Get Crushed, Make-Up, Les Savy Fav, Atombombpocketknife, etc, with full color artwork just ready to be slipped into a jewel case.

SKYSCRAPER MAGAZINE Issue No. 25 magazine 4.99
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The Bottomley brothers (Andrew and Peter) along with graphic designer Justin Wright (aka Expo 70!) have been publishing this fine music magazine for almost a decade now. Consistently well written, insightful, creative, and chockful of interviews, reviews and articles on all the artists we love, a new Skyscraper is always a welcome sight. Issue No. 25 is no exception. It features the likes of Grails, The Locust, Psychic TV, Throbbing Gristle, Wooden Wand, Art Brut, Low, Shellac, Burning Star Core, Tim Green, Dinosaur Jr, Dungen and many more. 112 pages.

SLADE Get Yer Boots On: The Best Of Slade (Shout Factory) cd 14.98

SLADE VS THE MONKEYS: A COLLECTION OF ROCK CARICATURES (Goner Records) magazine 5.98
For lack of a better word, we shall call this a rock comic book... then again, it could be coloring book too. Who's got the pencil crayons? In case the title didn't tip you off, Slade Vs The Monkeys is a totally retarded, utterly stupid and really hilarious batch of drawings depicting goofy pairings of music personalities and random, uhh, stuff. A sampling: Tony Iommi vs. Q*Bert (the video game character, not the turntablist... 'tho that would be pretty funny too), Glenn Danzig on a riding lawnmower, The Bay City Rollers vs. Yanni, Sparks advertising dog food, Klaus Nomi working at Long John Silver's... catch our drift? They look like the kind of doodles that stoners scrawled in Bic pen blue ink on their binders while zoning out during geography class.
If you dig this, inquire about Cup's Illustrated Kill 'Em All!

SLAG BOOM VAN LOON So Soon (Planet-Mu) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Slag Boom Van Loon is of course the collaboration between electronica maven Mike Paradinas and Dutch DJ Speedy J. And they have a lot of friends, enough to fill a full length cd with remixes: Boards of Canada, Four Tet, Pole, Matmos, Coil, Leafcutter John, mu-Ziq (wait, that IS Mike Paradinas), and others.
The 12" version comes with fewer tracks, but if you fancy yourself the DJ, then this is for you.

SLAG BOOM VAN LOON So Soon (Planet-Mu) 12" 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Slag Boom Van Loon is of course the collaboration between electronica maven Mike Paradinas and Dutch DJ Speedy J. And they have a lot of friends, enough to fill a full length cd with remixes: Boards of Canada, Four Tet, Pole, Matmos, Coil, Leafcutter John, mu-Ziq (wait, that IS Mike Paradinas), and others.
The 12" version comes with fewer tracks, but if you fancy yourself the DJ, then this is for you.

SLANT 6 Soda Pop Rip Off (Dischord) cd 11.98
An old favorite! The DC all-girl rock trio's first and best of their two albums.

SLAP HAPPY HUMPHREY (Public Bath) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The domestic issue of previously Japanese-import-only album. Jojo Hiroshige of Hijokaidan, the girl singer from Angel In Heavy Syrup, and one other guy (from Subvert Blaze). La la la...Quiet...Pretty...CRASH!...SCREEEECH...La la la...Mellow mellow...

SLAPP HAPPY Acnalbasac Noom (ReR) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Man oh man this is one of my favorite albums of all time! Acnalbasac Noom. Produced by powerhouse krautrock / Faust producer Uwe Nettelbeck in 1973, this is actually a rerecorded version of an earlier Slapp Happy album Casablanca Moon. And it's better. Dagmar Krause's singular birdlike voice (which you will either love or hate) cavorts above the clang-a-clang metallic strum of Peter Blegvad's guitar. Give it a listen, their style is completely unique.
RealAudio clip: "Casablanca Moon"
RealAudio clip: "Michelangelo"
RealAudio clip: "The Drum"
RealAudio clip: "Charlie 'n Charlie"

SLAPP HAPPY Ca Va (V2) cd 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
First album in decades from this English trio, featuring all three original members -- Peter Blegvad, Dagmar Krause, and Anthony Moore.

SLAPP HAPPY Casablanca Moon / Desperate Straights (Virgin) cd 17.98

SLAPP HAPPY Sort Of (Blueprint) cd 17.98
First time on cd for this Slapp Happy album, recorded in 1972 by Uwe Nettelbeck (Faust producer), and featuring the talents of Peter Blegvad and Anthony Moore on jangly, chiming artrock guitar, and Dagmar Krause's warbly birdlike vocals. What a voice. While "Sort Of" is not as consistent as their "Acnalbasac Noom" album (which is where you should start first if you've never heard Slapp Happy), it's got some certifiably perfect gems, including the original and far superior version of "Blue Flower," which Mazzy Star later rudely covered without giving credit, worth the price of the disc alone.

SLAUGHTER Fuck of Death (Hells Headbangers) cd 13.98
Not the MTV hair band Slaughter!!! These guys were from Canada and were actually a METAL band. Demos and stuff here, stay away poseur!!!

SLAUGHTER RULE, THE (ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK) (Bloodshot) cd 14.98
This very well done soundtrack to the indie film The Slaughter Rule features the veritable cream of the alt.country crop, almost all AQ favorites. Jay Farrar of the late great Uncle Tupelo / Son Volt is the glue here, contributing eleven glowingly pretty dusty instrumentals taken straight from his original score. This stuff is so much better than his recent solo work and would be worth the price of the disc alone, not to mention all the other bands on this. Go Jay!
Contributing NEW songs are Freakwater, Vic Chesnutt (a great scratchy version of "Rank Stranger"), Blood Oranges, and Pernice Brothers. Also included are the previously released songs by Neko Case ("Porchlight" from her Furnace Room Lullaby album) and Ryan Adams ("To Be Young" from his Heartbreaker album), Jimmie Dale Gilmore, etc.
Works well as a continuous listen -- definitely worth your time and money.
RealAudio clip: JAY FARRAR "Gather"
RealAudio clip: SPEEDY WEST AND JIMMY BRYANT "West of Samoa"

SLAUTER XSTROYES Free the Beast (Monster) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
More from this cult Illinois '80s metal combo. We reviewed their actual album reissue of 1985's "Winter Kill" nearby. This disc collects the previously unreleased tracks from the sessions for their aborted second album, 1987's "Free The Beast", along with some early demo material circa 1981-84. Get "Winter Kill" first, and if you want more of this band's very '80s over-the-top metal onslaught, then pick this up.
RealAudio clip: "Free The Beast"

SLAUTER XSTROYES Winter Kill (Monster) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Yeah, yeah, another obscure '80s cult metal band reissued. I'd heard about this group and how amazing they were supposed to be for a long time, but when I first got the cd reissue of their only album, 1985's "Winter Kill", it sounded just like I expected: high pitched vox, widdly guitar solos, Maiden-esque songwriting... cool, yeah, but nothing special. BUT, then I listened to it again. Something about this, some X-factor, makes it VERY special (or maybe it's just me). Rather than sounding like they're derivative of Maiden, Priest, and a host of mid-'80s Metal Blade bands, Slauter Xstroyes somehow do what they do so perfectly that THEY sound like the Platonic ideal of '80s true heavy metal, the template for every other band, the originators rather than imitators. Of course this isn't actually the case, yet a few listens into it, "Winter Kill" was having that effect: while it's on your stereo, it's the ultimate in metal. I bow down. Fans of the likes of Omen, Cirith Ungol, Warlord, Manilla Road, Attacker, and Brocas Helm should add this to their collections for sure. Classy, slightly eccentric, skilled, and -- the kicker -- full of actual emotion. Absurd as it sounds -- and the vocalist's squeals do sometimes sound absurd -- this metal is for real and meaningful. From the heavy droney keyboard intro, through the album's intervening moments of galloping attack, doomy riffing, and acoustic bliss, to the closing anthem "Mother, Mother Fucker" these guys rule. If you can listen to Spinal Tap for more than comedic value, as I can, you'll agree.
RealAudio clip: "Winter Kill"
RealAudio clip: "The Stage"
RealAudio clip: "Black Rose And Thorns"

SLAVES The Devil's Pleasures (Troubleman Unlimited) cd 10.98
From the ashes of the VSS, come the Slaves. As expected, good, dark, new-wave-y, Birthday Party-ish stuff embellished with quite impressive keyboard flourishes. Some of this was previously released as a 12" on Loveletter Recordings. (note: as of early 2001, known as Pleasure Forever)

SLAVIN, RAN Insomniac City (Mille Plateaux) cd+dvd 23.00

SLAXXMAAL Reality Check: Ansiktet Ditt Er En Personlig Fornaermelse (Fyllingsdalen Grammofonplateselskap) 7" 5.98
We don't list a whole lot of PUNK rock, and it's not cuz we don't love punk rock, everyone at aQ has iPods full of Crass, Flipper, Die Kreuzen, Misfits, Didjits, Amebix, Channel 3, Spazz, Sore Throat, Naked Raygun, Rudimentary Peni, Man Is The Bastard, Black Flag, well, you get the idea, but modern day punk just doesn't often do it for us. Every once in a while something kicks our ass and usually it comes out of nowhere. Such is the case with Norwegian aggro grind punks Slaxxmaal, this being their first ever vinyl release and it's a doozy. 7"s, 19 songs, many clocking in at 15, 10, even 2 seconds. Furious thrashing grinding chaos, vocals that shriek hysterically one second bellow monstrously the next, guitars more angular and obtuse than most punk rock riffing, and drums like an avalanche of percussion, all wound up TIGHT, into short sharp bursts of blinding deafening fury. Some tracks slow things down, like the opener, with it's almost sludgey groove, Greg Ginn-ish guitar freakouts and howled demonlike vocals, but the band typically explode back into super aggressive blasts of grindpunk destruction. Awesome.
Comes with a printed lyric sheet, all in Norwegian, tons of photos and a bad ass skull cover.

SLAYER Christ Illusion (American) cd 16.98

SLAYER God Hates Us All (American) cd 17.98
God hates us all, and has decided to punish us with probably the worst Slayer record ever.

SLAYER Reign in Blood (American) cd 14.98
Reign in Blood is one of the defining moments in metal. Specifically, pissed off technical thrash. Before Slayer, no one else was faster, more brutal, or controversial. Yet at the same time they managed to somehow translate their music into something commercially successful, which is as confusing as it is impressive. This, their seminal third album, produced by Rick Rubin in 1986, is what we think of when we think of Slayer. "Angel of Death," "Altar of Sacrifice," "Jesus Saves." If you're a metalhead - to any degree - you own this, or you need this. In fact, we're not going to go on too much about it because this shit makes its own case. For greater detail, you can always pick up a copy of the book about Reign in Blood from the 33 1/3 series. Slayer fucking rule, and this is one of their best records. Get on it!
MPEG Stream: "Angel of Death "
MPEG Stream: "Altar of Sacrifice"

SLAZENGER, JAKE das ist ein groovybeat, ja (Warp) 2lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Mike Paradinas a.k.a. u-Ziq a.k.a. Kid Spatula with his second Slazenger album, as we've said before, this is some of the most accessible experimental techno around. For more info, read The Wire's 1996 article about him, Luke Vibert (Plug), Witchman, and Squarepusher. English import.

SLAZENGER, JAKE MakesARacket (Clear) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Known by a variety of monikers such as u-Ziq, Jake Slazenger, and Kid Spatula, Mike Paradinas records the most accessible (in other words, don't be scared by the following word) techno music I have had the pleasure to recently hear. I've been informed that Paradinas falls into the sub-subgenre of techno called 'clown hop.' I can't remain seated while listening! One track on In Pine Effect samples Kristin Hersh even. Highly recommended.

SLAZENGER, JAKE MakesARacket (Clear) 2lp 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Known by a variety of monikers such as u-Ziq, Jake Slazenger, and Kid Spatula, Mike Paradinas records the most accessible (in other words, don't be scared by the following word) techno music I have had the pleasure to recently hear. I've been informed that Paradinas falls into the sub-subgenre of techno called 'clown hop.' I can't remain seated while listening! One track on In Pine Effect samples Kristin Hersh even. Highly recommended.

SLEATER KINNEY One Beat (Kill Rock Stars) cd 15.98
Yup, Corin Tucker's voice is still kicking up the wee hairs in my ears in a manner which I've never found particularly pleasurable. Others may feel quite the opposite. For sure, it's an unmistakable, much-imitated, love-it-or-hate-it kind of voice. Really, it's the one thing that's kept me from totally digging their records. I mean, the music rocks! And that said, One Beat is pretty darn stellar. There's definitely been a lot of artistic growth and maturing since All Hands On The Bad One. Although there's plenty that's pleasingly familiar - Janet Weiss' drumming's as solid as ever, Tucker and Carrie Brownstein have honed their guitar craft into something so dynamic and complex, likewise, the vocal interplay between the three women is fab - there's also lots of stretching out, trying new things, drawing from a wider range of influences and inspirations. One Beat has some hot numbers on it, "Combat Rock" and "02" to name just two. The only song that sticks out in a less than good way is the final one. "Sympathy" is a slide guitar number with Tucker affecting an excessive country blues warble. Almost sounds as if they were sippin' from the same bottle of Mississippi moonshine that seemed to have felled Mr. Calvin Johnson on his most recent album. Au secours! Regardless, this album gets the thumbs up, baby!
RealAudio clip: "One Beat"
RealAudio clip: "Combat Rock"
RealAudio clip: "O2"
RealAudio clip: "Sympathy"

SLEATER KINNEY One Beat (Kill Rock Stars) lp 13.98
Also on vinyl!!! Yup, Corin Tucker's voice is still kicking up the wee hairs in my ears in a manner which I've never found particularly pleasurable. Others may feel quite the opposite. For sure, it's an unmistakable, much-imitated, love-it-or-hate-it kind of voice. Really, it's the one thing that's kept me from totally digging their records. I mean, the music rocks! And that said, One Beat is pretty darn stellar. There's definitely been a lot of artistic growth and maturing since All Hands On The Bad One. Although there's plenty that's pleasingly familiar - Janet Weiss' drumming's as solid as ever, Tucker and Carrie Brownstein have honed their guitar craft into something completely dynamic and complex, likewise, the vocal interplay between the three women is fab - there's also lots of stretching out, trying new things, drawing from a wider range of influences and inspirations. One Beat has some hot numbers on it, "Combat Rock" and "02" to name just two. The only song that sticks out in a less than good way is the final one. "Sympathy" is a slide guitar number with Tucker affecting an excessive country blues warble. Almost sounds as if they were sippin' from the same bottle of Mississippi moonshine that seemed to have felled Mr. Calvin Johnson on his most recent album. Au secours! Regardless, this album gets the thumbs up, baby!

SLEATER-KINNEY All Hands On The Bad One (Kill Rock Stars) cd 11.98
If you love Sleater-Kinney and think they can do no wrong, well, hurry on down and fight with the millions of like-minded souls who'll also be desperate to purchase a copy of this. If you're not already convinced, or are over them already, or always found their vocals grating, or for whatever reason aren't a fan...this won't change things I don't think.

SLEATER-KINNEY Call the Doctor (Chainsaw) cd 12.98

SLEATER-KINNEY Call the Doctor (Chainsaw) lp 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SLEATER-KINNEY Dig Me Out (Kill Rock Stars) cd 11.98

SLEATER-KINNEY Dig Me Out (Kill Rock Stars) lp 7.98

SLEATER-KINNEY Entertain (Sub Pop) 7" 4.98
Released just a skip ahead of the album from which it sprang (but appearing concurrently on this week's AQList!), this is the first single from Sleater-Kinney's latest hottie, The Woods. The vinyl version delivers two songs "Entertain" b/w "Everything" (which was recorded during The Woods sessions but was not included on the full length). The cd version includes the 'b-side' as well as a live recording of the album's lead-off track "The Fox". Ummm, we feel we should forewarn you though that the latter song features the Corin Tucker vocal performance that completely freaked all of us out when we first played The Woods. Seriously some of us were terrified (please see the album review if you don't believe us).
MPEG Stream: "Everything"

SLEATER-KINNEY Entertain (Sub Pop) cd single 3.98
Released just a skip ahead of the album from which it sprang (but appearing concurrently on this week's AQList!), this is the first single from Sleater-Kinney's latest hottie, The Woods. The vinyl version delivers two songs "Entertain" b/w "Everything" (which was recorded during The Woods sessions but was not included on the full length). The cd version includes the 'b-side' as well as a live recording of the album's lead-off track "The Fox". Ummm, we feel we should forewarn you though that the latter song features the Corin Tucker vocal performance that completely freaked all of us out when we first played The Woods. Seriously some of us were terrified (please see the album review if you don't believe us).
MPEG Stream: "Everything"
MPEG Stream: "The Fox"

SLEATER-KINNEY The Hot Rock (Kill Rock Stars) cd 10.98
If you really liked Dig Me Out but thought to yourself 'could Corin Tucker's voice get any more annoying?' Well then here comes The Hot Rock to answer with a resounding YES! The music is excellent, really driving and intense, if you can withstand her piercing banshee wail.
But if you are anything like our co-worker Marc, then it's ALL about the amazing 'voice' (and certainly not about the truly LAME album cover. That we can both agree on). Tucker's voice is not only a wholly original sound, she is developing it into a finely tuned instrument. SK is truly one of the best straight-out rock 'n' roll bands today.

SLEATER-KINNEY The Hot Rock (Kill Rock Stars) lp 8.98
If you really liked Dig Me Out but thought to yourself 'could Corin Tucker's voice get any more annoying?' Well then here comes The Hot Rock to answer with a resounding YES! The music is excellent, really driving and intense, if you can withstand her piercing banshee wail.
But if you are anything like our co-worker Marc, then it's ALL about the amazing 'voice' (and certainly not about the truly LAME album cover. That we can both agree on). Tucker's voice is not only a wholly original sound, she is developing it into a finely tuned instrument. SK is truly one of the best straight-out rock 'n' roll bands today.

SLEATER-KINNEY The Woods (Sub Pop) cd 14.98
First things first, this new Sleater-Kinney IS a good one...but the following review tends to dwell heavily on our various, mostly negative, reactions to the vocals. But we know that if you're already in the S-K fanclub, you'll probably have no problems with 'em, the taste has long since been acquired. So, that said:
Omigod, OMIGOD! You should've seen Andee's face the first time we played this new Sleater-Kinney album. He came tearing out of the back office hollering "Holy crap! What is this?!" Lemme tell you, he wasn't smiling, and neither are any of the rest of us, well, maybe Allan is. Okay as we've mentioned repeatedly in the past, Corin Tucker's vocals are a total love/hate kinda thing -- they really illicit strong reactions from all who hear it -- but her singing on this album takes it to a whole 'nother place, and we've gotta say it's not such a good one. It's waaay over the top blood-curdling emoting that rivals Kirstin Hersh's recent vocal perfomance in her rock band 50 Foot Wave. When does an empassioned delivery cross the line into downright caterwauling? Yikes. Allan called it "lemon-squeezing", as in Robert Plant / Led Zep (and actually, he seems to like the singing). Andee and Cup both say "????" That said, as usual when Carrie Brownstein sings along, things are far more palatable, but no less potent. On (in?) The Woods, Tucker, Brownstein and Janet Weiss continue to grow and explore new paths. For one thing, they've turned up the blues, making their already churning powerhouse rock songs stomp rather than punch. Just as he did on the latest Low album, producer David Fridmann does a fine job of capturing the band's raw energy while adding his own distinct touches. The guitars are absolutely thunderous yet still defined, and the overall picture is plenty loose, heavy and full of grit. Fortunately unlike their recent press photos in which they appear strangely stiff and uncomfortable, when the three are making music it's clear that they're totally at ease with themselves and each other. With confidence to spare, they're three very distinct musicians who fit together form a wholly united force -- pursuing their muse, challenging themselves as well as their fans. That said, we still think Brownstein and Weiss should've stepped in when Tucker was tracking her vocals and said, "Whoa Nellie!" Nonetheless pretty darn kickass!
MPEG Stream: "Jumpers"
MPEG Stream: "Steep Air"

SLEATER-KINNEY The Woods (Sub Pop) lp 15.98
First things first, this new Sleater-Kinney IS a good one...but the following review tends to dwell heavily on our various, mostly negative, reactions to the vocals. But we know that if you're already in the S-K fanclub, you'll probably have no problems with 'em, the taste has long since been acquired. So, that said:
Omigod, OMIGOD! You should've seen Andee's face the first time we played this new Sleater-Kinney album. He came tearing out of the back office hollering "Holy crap! What is this?!" Lemme tell you, he wasn't smiling, and neither are any of the rest of us, well, maybe Allan is. Okay as we've mentioned repeatedly in the past, Corin Tucker's vocals are a total love/hate kinda thing -- they really illicit strong reactions from all who hear it -- but her singing on this album takes it to a whole 'nother place, and we've gotta say it's not such a good one. It's waaay over the top blood-curdling emoting that rivals Kirstin Hersh's recent vocal perfomance in her rock band 50 Foot Wave. When does an empassioned delivery cross the line into downright caterwauling? Yikes. Allan called it "lemon-squeezing", as in Robert Plant / Led Zep (and actually, he seems to like the singing). Andee and Cup both say "????" That said, as usual when Carrie Brownstein sings along, things are far more palatable, but no less potent. On (in?) The Woods, Tucker, Brownstein and Janet Weiss continue to grow and explore new paths. For one thing, they've turned up the blues, making their already churning powerhouse rock songs stomp rather than punch. Just as he did on the latest Low album, producer David Fridmann does a fine job of capturing the band's raw energy while adding his own distinct touches. The guitars are absolutely thunderous yet still defined, and the overall picture is plenty loose, heavy and full of grit. Fortunately unlike their recent press photos in which they appear strangely stiff and uncomfortable, when the three are making music it's clear that they're totally at ease with themselves and each other. With confidence to spare, they're three very distinct musicians who fit together form a wholly united force -- pursuing their muse, challenging themselves as well as their fans. That said, we still think Brownstein and Weiss should've stepped in when Tucker was tracking her vocals and said, "Whoa Nellie!" Nonetheless pretty darn kickass!
MPEG Stream: "Jumpers"
MPEG Stream: "Steep Air"

SLEATER-KINNEY You're No Rock n' Roll Fun (Kill Rock Stars) 7" 3.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
One song from Sleater K's new album, plus one track -collectors alert- not on the album ("Maracas").

SLEEP Dopesmoker (Tee Pee) cd 16.98
The now-defunct San Francisco stoner/doom band Sleep has sure gotten a lot of mileage out of this record! Dopesmoker is the original Billy Anderson-recorded (and latterly, re-mastered) demo version of their final statement, the infamous one-song-long Jerusalem. Originally slated for release by major label London, they were dropped and the album was shelved, released only as a promo with no art. Then it got bootlegged (by the band themselves?), before at last seeing a legit release via The Music Cartel. The boot and the TMC versions had different artwork, naturally, so some Sleep aficionados had to have both... Now Tee Pee brings us the same record again, under its originally intended title, Dopesmoker. And it's a different, demo recording, with rougher, more Melvinsy vocals, the whole thing sounding actually dronier and dirtier and dirgier than the Jerusalem you're already used to -- and longer too! 64 minutes vs. just 52. The twelve extra minutes aren't due to additional "parts" though, as near as we can tell, it's just 'cause the everything's played slightly slower and/or more relentlessly repeated. Not sure why they cut it down for Jerusalem -- you'd think if you're gonna do a one-song, super long album of maximum riff-repetition you might as well make it as long as possible. Did London insist that they prune it down for radio play? Ha. Anyway, Sleep fans who find High On Fire just a little too fast for them may want to indulge in the tarpit Sabbath-sludge of Dopesmoker/Jerusalem once again with this release. For further fan-temptation we should note that there's actually another (bonus) track on the cd, a live recording the singer identfies as "Sonic Titan", nine more minutes of what sounds like Dopesmoker part 2. Comes in a digipack (or gatefold LP sleeve for the vinyl) with art by Arik Moonhawk Roper.
MPEG Stream: "Dopesmoker (excerpt)"

SLEEP Dopesmoker (Tee Pee) 2lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The now-defunct San Francisco stoner/doom band Sleep has sure gotten a lot of mileage out of this record! Dopesmoker is the original Billy Anderson-recorded (and latterly, re-mastered) demo version of their final statement, the infamous one-song-long Jerusalem. Originally slated for release by major label London, they were dropped and the album was shelved, released only as a promo with no art. Then it got bootlegged (by the band themselves?), before at last seeing a legit release via The Music Cartel. The boot and the TMC versions had different artwork, naturally, so some Sleep aficionados had to have both... Now Tee Pee brings us the same record again, under its originally intended title, Dopesmoker. And it's a different, demo recording, with rougher, more Melvinsy vocals, the whole thing sounding actually dronier and dirtier and dirgier than the Jerusalem you're already used to -- and longer too! 64 minutes vs. just 52. The twelve extra minutes aren't due to additional "parts" though, as near as we can tell, it's just 'cause the everything's played slightly slower and/or more relentlessly repeated. Not sure why they cut it down for Jerusalem -- you'd think if you're gonna do a one-song, super long album of maximum riff-repetition you might as well make it as long as possible. Did London insist that they prune it down for radio play? Ha. Anyway, Sleep fans who find High On Fire just a little too fast for them may want to indulge in the tarpit Sabbath-sludge of Dopesmoker/Jerusalem once again with this release. For further fan-temptation we should note that there's actually another (bonus) track on the cd, a live recording the singer identfies as "Sonic Titan", nine more minutes of what sounds like Dopesmoker part 2. Comes in a digipack (or gatefold LP sleeve for the vinyl) with art by Arik Moonhawk Roper.

SLEEP Ghostwriting (Metonymic) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
New Zealand's Sleep is very very different from the Sabbath worshippin' stoner-doom band of the same name. This Sleep is a quartet of New Zealand free noise musicians, including stalwarts Kim Pieters and Peter Stapleton, as well as Nathan Thompson and Susan Ballard. As with other collaborations between Pieters and Stapleton (such as Rain, Flies Inside The Sun), Sleep's work is based on loose improvisations that circle through tentative rhythmic patterns (mostly with spartan basslines and skittering percussion) along with Keith Rowe-like growling guitar noise and other gritty textural elements. AMM are an obvious influence on Sleep's more droning and decidedly restrained moments.

SLEEP Jerusalem (The Music Cartel) cd 15.98
By now you may be familiar with the saga of this record, which consists soley of one infamous 52-minute long Sabbathy stoner-doom SONG to end all such songs (originally titled "Dopesmoker"). The original label, London Records, dropped the band (which then broke up--I hear some of the guys are possibly now born-again Christians) and this release was shelved. Now, over a year later, it finally gets legit release (there'd been a semi-official bootleg in the meantime--this has different artwork). Suffice to say, that if you're at all interested in the possiblities of mind expansion through maximum riff-bludgeonment over time, and haven't scored this yet, do so!

SLEEP Sleep's Holy Mountain (Earache) cd 15.98
A classic from the Bay Area's own sludge / doomer / stoner kings, S L E E P! This shit is HEAVY! Dirge-y, cannabis fueled excursions into the dark realm, Sabbathy riffs, pounding devil drum percussion, and a wailing howl over it all. If you don't already have this, what the hell is wrong with you?! Fans of Corrupted, Boris, stoner rock, sludge, doom, and all that sort of stuff, catch the hell up!! "Sleep's Holy Mountain" was this so-Sabbathy bands MOST Sabbath-like release, almost too close for comfort -- we're not convinced that Tony and Geezer didn't actually write this stuff!! Wow.

SLEEP Sleep's Holy Mountain (Kreation Records / Earache) lp 17.98
Another vinyl reissue of this classic from the Bay Area's own sludge/doomer/stoner kings, S L E E P! No longer will you have to pay $100 for this puppy on EBAY (even for the last reissue). This version has been remastered for vinyl by Mell Dettmer (partner of Randall Dunn (producer and live engineer for Earth, Sunn, ASVA), who apparently engineered, produced or mastered (we're not sure which or if it's all three) discs by both SUNNO))) and Earth, it's on nice thick old school black vinyl, packaged in a full color gatefold sleeve, with lyrics and everything.
And as if you didn't know already, this shit is HEAVY! Dirge-y, cannabis fueled excursions into the dark realm, Sabbathy riffs, pounding devil drum percussion, and a wailing howl over it all. If you don't already have this, what the hell is wrong with you?! Fans of Corrupted, Boris, stoner rock, sludge, doom, and all that sort of stuff, catch the hell up!! "Sleep's Holy Mountain" was this so-Sabbathy bands MOST Sabbath-like release, almost too close for comfort -- we're not convinced that Tony and Geezer didn't actually write this stuff!! Wow.

SLEEP OF OLDOMINION Christopher (Up Above) cd 15.98

SLEEP ROBOT Panicgrass and Feverfew (Dynamophone) 3" cd-r box 8.98
One of our fave new Bay Area indie labels Dynamophone close out 2007 with a fresh batch of aural treats. They are four installments in their limited edition 3" cd-r ep Parcel series by the likes of Sleep Robot, Science Teacher, Lullaby League and Curium. Chances are if you've been paying attention to our recent aQ lists you're probably already as enchanted with this label's richly atmospheric hazily dreamy roster as we are, and will welcome these four into your music collection. This one features three new delicate drone tracks by Sleep Robot (aka Henry Clarke).
Don't delay though! Each release comes in a diminutive square cardboard box festooned with a full color cover art sticker, and is limited to 100 each. We only have a couple handfuls. Once they're gone, they're gone!
MPEG Stream: "Prayer Wheel"