SILIAN RAIL And I You, To Pieces (Thread) cd 12.98
It's rare that you hear music that is cinematic and mathy at the same time, but local duo Silian Rail manage to create and fill space simultaneously. Often recording songs specifically for film, Silian Rail avoid the usual post-rock quiet-loud-quiet dynamics and instead focus on pools of tight-knit melodic intensity and unsettled serpentine intricacy.
Of course, the influence of Tortoise and Slint can definitely be heard, but Silian Rail doesn't solely rely on these influences and manages to create a softly tumultous epic all their own.
And as an added note, we also just found out Silian Rail is also the name of the font used by Patrick Bateman on his business card in "American Psycho."!!!
MPEG Stream: "Awake"
MPEG Stream: "Quaking Grass"
MPEG Stream: "Venice"

SILK FLOWERS As Above So Below (Captured Tracks) lp 13.98
The label describes Silk Flowers' music as eerie and experimental pop, which while a bit reductive, is somewhat accurate. Simple electronic rhythms drift through fields of reverb, alongside warm whirring synths, while over the top, deep baritone vocals dramatically croon, very new wave and gothic, it's weird how all of these 'cold wave' sort of bands are just coming out of the woodwork, although we're not complaining, we dig this woozy washed out dour depressive synth driven gloom rock. And Silk Flowers are definitely among the gloomiest, slipping from goth pop, to creepy warbly crawl, to swirling psychedelic cold wave, all the sounds warm and wreathed in delay and echo, the melodies minor key and melancholy, the guitars atonal and fragmented, the perfect foil for the thick washes of synth buzz, the bass unfurling a slow motion Crispy Ambulance / Joy Division sort of lugubrious throb, a gorgeously hazy gothic synth pop, that dabbles into heavier spacey synth psych, as well as muted almost cabaret sounding goth pop, the vocals sometimes dangerously close to over-the-top, but even then they sound pretty perfect with the rest of the music.
Fans of all the gothy, gloomy, synthy goodness that we've been digging so much lately around here, should consider this heartily recommended.

SILK FLOWERS Days Of Arrest (Captured Tracks) lp 13.98
Brand new ep of gloomy cold wave weirdo electro pop from this NYC trio, and we thought their sound was weird and warped before, they just keep getting weirder and weirder, the music sounding just slightly off, giving it a sort of John Maus / Ariel Pink / James Ferraro vibe, everything woozy and off kilter, and actually, the music sounds a bit like it was played on an old Optigan, if the Optigan came with a 'gloom pop' disc. Warbly and dizzying, almost like the sounds are melting, slowing down and speeding up, as if the whole thing was slightly un-calibrated, or better yet, like the calibration is constantly shifting. The vocals too keep up with the weirdness, a deep Ian Curtis like croon, but very dramatic and over the top, a sort of twisted off key cabaret vibe, at first it's all very disconcerting, but it begins to grow on you, and you find yourself humming along with these tracks stuck in your head like crazy. "Brush Fires" is this year's cold wave gloom pop anti-hit for sure. But the rest of the songs here are just as good/weird, adding some squiggly video game like electronics, some swirling synths, some soaring dramatic faux strings, some bloopy sci-fi melodies, all held together by those crazy vox.
The download includes an extra track, an Arp remix of "Brush Fires" which strips away the vocals, adds some piano, dials back the warped-ness, and turns it into a weirdly propulsive bit of epic pretty krautsynth bliss.
MPEG Stream: "Brush Flares"
MPEG Stream: "Columns"

SILKK THE SHOCKER Charge It 2 Da Game (No Limit) cd 15.98
Another rapper from the No Limit/Master P stable, a newer release than the above. His best, one of our favorite No Limit releases!!

SILKK THE SHOCKER My World My Way (No Limit / Priority) cd 17.98
No Limit, uh huh, No Limit. Master P protege Silkk The Shocker (who is neither silky nor shocking, really) unleashes his latest, 23 tracks (including the obligatory skits) of sure-to-be-big-selling ghetto hiphop, with guests Snoop Dogg, C-Murder, Mystikal, Master P and others from that crew... Not as great as his Charge It 2 Da Game from a few years back, but still fulla thumpin beats for your trunk or whatever. "Seems Like A Thug" should be the hit for its faux-Destiny's Child singing and Timbaland knockoff beats. Lovely how that's followed by "Them Boyz" with Mystikal's frothing maddog rappin'. A guilty pleasure I guess, and certainly low attention span stuff (except for the skits) as there's always a new beat or guest rapper around the corner.

SILKWORM Blueblood (Touch & Go) cd 13.98
New label for angsty Northwesterners sans Joel R. Phelps (who, if we are lucky, will be playing instore here next month).

SILKWORM Blueblood (Touch & Go) lp 11.98
New label for angsty Northwesterners sans Joel R. Phelps (who, if we are lucky, will be playing instore here next month).

SILKWORM Developer (Matador) cd 13.98

SILKWORM Even A Blind Chicken Finds A Kernel Of Corn Now And Then (Matador) 2cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Amazing compilation of way out of print Silkworm vinyl 1990-94, including their first album L'Ajre, the His Absence Is A Blessing 12", their kickass cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain", their blissfully minimal cover of Tom Petty's "Insider", some four-track demos, and tons more!! And then Joel Phelps left the band and now they kinda suck, but this proves that at one point Silkworm ruled!

SILKWORM Firewater (Matador) cd 14.98

SILKWORM Firewater (Matador) lp 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SILKWORM It'll Be Cool (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
Those slouchy Seattle indie rock veterans (originally hailing from Missoula, MT) keep on keeping on and on and on. Now in their 17th year, this is their ninth album. By now the tale's been beaten into the ground that the long ago departure of main songwriter Joel R.L. Phelps from the fold really did knock the quality stuffing out of this band, but they soldiered on. Unfortunately they've never quite been able to match the high songwriting standards nor the engaging noise-pop sound captained by Phelps. The Silkworm sound was gone, and really, it seems a bandname change should've been in order. Now they've taken another unexpected stylistic turn with jazz fusion-y, noodly keyboard and guitar solos popping up unexpectedly. That's fine if you dig such solos (some folks around here do and some do not), but there's some lyrical clunkiness to contend with too. There's even a song based around the metaphor of spending your life in a penalty box. Ouch. You've been forewarned.
MPEG Stream: "Don't Look Back"
MPEG Stream: "Insomnia"

SILKWORM Italian Platinum (Touch & Go) cd 14.98

SILKWORM Lifestyle (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
Ever since Joel Phelps left, taking with him THAT voice, and some of the most distinctive songwriting in indie rock, Silkworm has been treading water, with uncatchy songs, inane lyrics, and two singers that can't really sing... but really cool artwork!

SILKWORM Marco Collins Sessions (Matador) cdep 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here are 4 Silkworm songs performed live & acoustic on the radio and it is simply gorgeous, for fans of American Music Club's Mark Eitzel especially, reminds me of Everclear. The recording is crisp and light, which balances sad lyrics perfectly. Would that I had seen Silkworm when Joel Phelps was still playing with them. Here's what Mark Van De Walle (Artforum, May 1996) has to say about him:
"Back in the days when everyone believed Bruce Lee was the baddest guy walking the planet, they used to tell this story about how he could reach right into your chest and take your heart out so fast he could show it to you, still beating, before you died. Probably Bruce never did that, but Joel R. Phelps sure does: one minute you're pushing the buttons on your stereo, everything more or less fine, depending. Then Warm Springs Night starts up, and midway through you're staring at your heart, pumping away in time, going beat, beat beat...."

SILL, JUDEE Dreams Come True (Water) 2cd 23.00
Here's a slightly daunting but very worthwhile 2-disc set of pure wonderment featuring the singer-songwriting work of California native Judee Sill. These tracks spoon-out heaping vocal harmonies within crystalline piano-driven singer-songwriter folk ballads a la a fiery Carole King or Joan Baez. Her cult following is deserved, this is really nice stuff!
Disc one features eleven tracks, the first eight from her previously unreleased third album superbly remastered from the original tapes by the ubiquitous Jim O'Rourke and the last three being studio demos. Disc two features nine lost tracks (more demos) and a brief excerpt from a 1973 live performance. A healthy 72-page (!) booklet renders for us Judee's life -- growing up damaged in a destructive family environment and getting into drug-taking and song-writing, an incessant ingestion of classical music, folk ballads, gospel music, Christian mysticism and thee general 60's zeitgeist.
As a self-taught musician, Judee produced some powerfully earnest and haunting songs during the short span of her creative life. Her songs lived within the realm of classical clarity with a folk/gospel heart and a spiritual, personal penetration that could be hard to beat by other singer-songwriters of her time.
Though I could say this would certainly be great for fans of everyone from Joanna Newsom to Tori Amos to Carole King to Karen Carpenter and the like, it may appeal to anyone for a plethora of reasons!
MPEG Stream: "I'm Over"
MPEG Stream: "Living End (demo version)"

SILL, JUDEE Heart Food (Water) cd 16.98
Second album of loping pan-Christian mystic country femme-folk from Judee Sill who short-lived and troubled career produced two absolutely amazing and essential records for David Geffen's fledgling Asylum Records. Like Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell rolled into one. Honestly Heartbreaking.

SILL, JUDEE Introducing (Water) cd 14.98

SILL, JUDEE s/t (Water) cd 16.98
First album of loping pan-Christian mystic country femme-folk from Judee Sill who short-lived and troubled career produced two absolutely amazing and essential records for David Geffen's fledgling Asylum Records. Like Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell rolled into one. Heartbreakingly honest.

SILMARIL The Voyage Of Icarus (Locust) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Poustinia"
MPEG Stream: "Not Enough"
MPEG Stream: "Windbridge"
MPEG Stream: "Vespers"

SILO Alloy (Swim) cd 17.98
Silo are a Danish trio who boastfully proclaim their allegiance to Metallica, yet sound nothing at all like metal. Instead, the group takes a post-rock approach, with metronomically tight, cyclical rhythmic patterns of guitar, bass, drums, and electronics, not dissimilar to the AQ-endorsed sounds of Fridge, Village Of Savoonga, and Circle. While the sounds on "Alloy" certainly pleasant enough, we'd like to hear Silo someday incorporate more of punch (metallic or otherwise) into their almost ambient rock hypnosis.

SILOAH s/t (Garden Of Delights) cd 21.00
Are you ready to don beads and burlap and grow out your hair and fly with the "Acid Eagle" on the "Aluminum Wind"?? If so, Siloah would love for you to join their musical quest for "Krishna's Golden Dope Shop" (yes, these phrases in quotes are all song titles from this record -- and let's not forget "Yellow Puppets Hanging In The Sky") which you can certainly do in your imagination at least by spinning this cd reissue of their self-titled LP from 1970. It's not a recent release but we were just able to get more and wanted to finally list it because it's just such a wonderful record of primitive, psychedelic Krautrock like we like it. Anyone who dug the Kalacakra album (also reissued on Garden Of Delights) or Paternoster ought to make Siloah's acquaintance! These German hippies' druggy jamming makes the original Amon Duul sound like American Idol contestants. Well, not really. But this is really wasted, lovely, LSD-damaged, communal soundmaking we can't imagine anyone could do better, ever, if at all. The Siloah vibe is eternal and unique. Mellow, mantric songs featuring hand percussion, guitar, flute, and electric bass, and high, muppety vocals singing tripped-out lyrics (as the awesome song titles already mentioned might indicate). This one's a fave of several AQ staffers, and we happen to know that it's also highly regarded by our friends in the Jewelled Antler collective who only wish they could get as high as these folks!!
MPEG Stream: "Aluminum Wind"
MPEG Stream: "Krishna's Golden Dope Shop"

SILOAH s/t (Amber Soundroom) lp 25.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now available (not for long) as a vinyl reissue! The cd version is also still in stock, here's some of what we said about that: Are you ready to don beads and burlap and grow out your hair and fly with the "Acid Eagle" on the "Aluminum Wind"?? If so, Siloah would love for you to join their musical quest for "Krishna's Golden Dope Shop" (yes, these phrases in quotes are all song titles from this record -- and let's not forget "Yellow Puppets Hanging In The Sky") which you can certainly do in your imagination at least by spinning this reissue of their self-titled LP from 1970... just such a wonderful record of primitive, psychedelic Krautrock like we like it. Anyone who dug the Kalacakra album or Paternoster ought to make Siloah's acquaintance! These German hippies' druggy jamming makes the original Amon Duul sound like American Idol contestants. Well, not really. But this is really wasted, lovely, LSD-damaged, communal soundmaking we can't imagine anyone could do better, ever, if at all. The Siloah vibe is eternal and unique. Mellow, mantric songs featuring hand percussion, guitar, flute, and electric bass, and high, muppety vocals singing tripped-out lyrics (as the awesome song titles already mentioned might indicate). This one's a fave of several AQ staffers, and we happen to know that it's also highly regarded by our friends in the Jewelled Antler collective who only wish they could get as high as these folks!!
MPEG Stream: "Aluminum Wind"
MPEG Stream: "Krishna's Golden Dope Shop"

SILVA & THE CELESTRIAL COMMUNICATION ORCHESTRA, ALAN Seasons (Actuel / Sunspots) 2cd 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
First time available on cd ever!
Fucking incredible document of early seventies free jazz recorded live in Paris, in December 1970. We shouldn't have to do anything but tell you who plays on this to convince you that this is utterly essential. Fans of Sun Ra, Art Ensemble of Chicago (most of whom, play on this) and all things ESP, MUST own this. Seriously beautiful and epic outer-jazz-space exploration.
And here's the freakin' lineup:
Alan Silva - leader, bass, electric-violin, electric-sarangi, bow and spring (two French electroacoustic instruments) / Bernard Vitet - trumpet, french horn / Lester Bowie (AEC) - trumpet, flugelhorn / Alan Shorter - trumpet / Joseph Jarman (AEC) - saxes, flute, bassoon / Steve Lacy - soprano saxophone / Ronnie Beer - tenor and soprano saxophone, flute / Roscoe Mitchell (AEC)- saxes, flute, oboe / Robin Kenyatta - alto sax, flute / Michel Portal - alto sax, clarinet / Dieter Gewissler - electric violin / Jouk Minor - electric viola / Kent Carter - cello / Irene Aebi - cello, celeste / Dave Burrell - piano / Beb Guerin - bass / Don Moye (AEC) - drums, percussion / Jerome Cooper - drums, percussion, bronte / Oliver Johnson - tympani, percussion. Compact disc release limited to 1500 copies, so don't hold out on this one!

SILVA AND THE CELESTRIAL COMMUNICATION ORCHESTRA, ALAN Seasons (BYG / Actuel / Get Back) 3lp 32.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Fucking incredible document of early seventies free jazz recorded live in Paris, in December 1970. We shouldn't have to do anything but tell you who plays on this to convince you that this is utterly essential. Fans of Sun Ra, Art Ensemble of Chicago (most of whom, play on this) and all things ESP, MUST own this. Seriously beautiful and epic (3 lps!) outer-jazz-space exploration.
And here's the freakin' lineup:
Alan Silva - leader, bass, electric-violin, electric-sarangi, bow and spring (two French electroacoustic instruments) / Bernard Vitet - trumpet, french horn / Lester Bowie (AEC) - trumpet, flugelhorn / Alan Shorter - trumpet / Joseph Jarman (AEC) - saxes, flute, bassoon / Steve Lacy - soprano saxophone / Ronnie Beer - tenor and soprano saxophone, flute / Roscoe Mitchell (AEC)- saxes, flute, oboe / Robin Kenyatta - alto sax, flute / Michel Portal - alto sax, clarinet / Dieter Gewissler - electric violin / Jouk Minor - electric viola / Kent Carter - cello / Irene Aebi - cello, celeste / Dave Burrell - piano / Beb Guerin - bass / Don Moye (AEC) - drums, percussion / Jerome Cooper - drums, percussion, bronte / Oliver Johnson - tympani, percussion

SILVA, ALAN Skillfullness (Get Back / ESP) lp 14.98
Another Silva reissue from his ESP days, this one recorded in 1970 with Dave Burrell, Becky Friend, Karl Berger, Mike Ephron, Lawrence Cook and Barry Altschul.

SILVA, ALAN Skillfulness (Abraxas / ESP - Disk ) cd 15.98
Another contender for Andee's flute hall of fame. More spaced out celestrial divinity from the master himself, Alan Silva. Two lengthy tracks of abstract fluttering flutes, free jazz clatter, and spaced out otherworldly wildness. Violin, cello, piano, organ, vibraphone, rattles, cymbals, percussion and FLUTE, all woven together into a gorgeously thick miasma of drone-y, scrape-y, difficult beauty.
MPEG Stream: "Skillfullness"
MPEG Stream: "Solestrial"

SILVA, ALAN AND HIS CELESTRIAL COMMUNICATION ORCHESTRA Luna Surface (Actuel) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SILVANIA Delay Tambor (Stereophonic Elefant Dance) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Polyrhythmic pop-electronica from this Spanish duo who got a stellar line-up of remixes from Locust, Scorn, Autechre, Seefeel and Scanner.

SILVER APPLES (Whirlybird) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A self-released cd reissue of the first, self-titled Silver Apples lp, from 1968. It's a brilliant, landmark recording of swirling, pulsating early psych/synth "rock", and comes highly, highly recommended by all here at AQ. Previously, both this and the 2nd Silver Apples record had been only available together on an European bootleg cd - and interestingly, Simeon had some good things to say about that, citing the popularily of the Euro boot as being the reason that he and his new Silver Apples are out touring sucessfully right now! But of course, now he'd like to sell his music himself and get his due, monetarily. (One further note: this disc also secretly includes the tracks from the Silver Apples' 1996 7" release...)

SILVER APPLES Beacon (Whirlybird) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A new Silver Apples? Yessir, and produced by Steve Albini no less. Simeon and his new band, which we already know are great live, take to the studio for a new opus (with some re-recorded classics included).

SILVER APPLES Contact (Whirlybird) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Seminal electronics-and-drums duo self-issue their second, impossible to find album. Essential. [As if that isn't enough good news, Andee asks that we mention we're selling his original *vinyl* copy of Silver Apples' selftitled album, a steal at $75. Not sealed (cover is near-mint and has a little promo hole), vinyl is in mint condition, with original full-color poster.]

SILVER APPLES Decatur (Whirlybird) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"Decatur is a voyage of pure exploration beyond the broad established horizons of electronic music. It is an adventure into the perceptions of an unparallel universe all its own." That's what it says on the back, and who are we to argue with Simeon? 42 minutes, one song. Recorded and produced by Tom Smith.

SILVER APPLES Remixes (Stone) cd 17.98

SILVER APPLES s/t / Contact (MCA) cd 16.98
The first, self-titled Silver Apples lp, from 1968 is a brilliant, landmark recording of swirling, pulsating early psych/synth "rock", from the duo of Simeon (playing a self-built synth called "The Simeon") and Danny Taylor (drums), and comes highly, highly recommended by all here at AQ. The follow-up, Contact, from 1969, is also awesome. The major label that owns these records finally woke up and here is the result: both Silver Apples albums on one disc, complete with new liner notes by Simeon himself and diagrams of their instrumentation etc. An all time AQ favorite!
MPEG Stream: "Oscillations"
MPEG Stream: "Seagreen Serenades"

SILVER APPLES The Garden (Whirlybird) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Original Silver Apples drummer Danny Taylor, one half of that famed duo, has been found!
On March 17th of 1998, Danny heard himself on the radio and called the dj. The dj emailed Simeon. Simeon immediately drove 300 miles to see Danny. They reminisced in Danny's attic over old Silver Apples paraphernalia. They discovered some lost tapes. Seven complete songs from 1969 and a tape of Danny playing percussion instrumentals in 1968. So this year, Simeon added tracks over top of those to finish the tracks and a new album of fourteen tracks is now available. The Aquarius kids are divided on whether we like it. I would say that though it's a little awkward sounding (not as polished as the first two), it's a great document of an exciting time for music. And it's much better than Decatur. If you consider yourself a fan, you'll be thankful to have one.
The only question is--if this all happened in March, why wasn't Danny at Terrastock?

SILVER BULLET Bring Down The Walls No Limit Squad Returns (Original Dope) cd 16.98
Not long ago, we hope you recall, we highlighted a pretty rad release on the Rephlex label, a double disc compiling the entire recorded output of early '90s "Britcore" rappers The Criminal Minds. They had been billed as being something akin to a "UK Public Enemy", and we agreed! In our review we made mention of some of TCM's contemporaries, that we were now also quite curious to hear: Hijack, Silver Bullet, the Demon Boyz...
Well, we just discovered that emcee Silver Bullet's debut full-length from 1991, Bring Down The Walls The No Limit Squad Returns, was recently reissued by a new label called Original Dope, an imprint of Cherry Red that's focused on UK hiphop. Cool beans! 'Cause on eBay, original copies of this Silver Bullet cd were going for like 40 bucks - plus this is remastered, with worthy bonus tracks and brand new liner notes.
And hearing it, it's for sure something that anybody who liked TCM will dig. Fast, funky, and frantic, with a definite dark vibe. SB's rough, raw, rapidfire flow is well matched by the uptempo beats of his DJ Mo, the disc is energetic and intense from start to finish, and dense with sampling. Like TCM, this has got that PE/Bomb Squad feel as well, but especially apocalyptic and adrenalized. In fact, Silver Bullet was hand picked by PE to open a European tour of theirs, and one of the 4 bonus tracks tacked onto this reissue is a Bomb Squad remix of SB's "20 Minutes To Comply" (a track built around a sample of ED-209's "dialogue" from the movie RoboCop, by the way).
Movie soundtracks, particularly horror movies, were a big part of the Silver Bullet sound... you'll hear John Carpenter stuff, the Twilight Zone theme, etc.; in some sense Silver Bullet could also be said to have pioneered the "horrorcore" subgenre of rap (a la Gravediggaz), lyrically too. Just check out signature cut "Bring Forth The Guillotine"! Which, of course, is also political, as are tracks like "Undercover Anarchist", which also probably attracted PE's attention.
This reish is nicely done, with detailed Silver Bullet bio provided in the cd booklet, wherein we learn that his career derailed after this album due to run-ins with the law (as he admits now, he was young and dumb, and is lucky that in living out his gangsta rap fantasies, playing around with guns and stuff, things didn't turn out worse for him than they did). He should have paid attention to his own tune, "Guns Of Mind Alone"...
MPEG Stream: "20 Seconds To Comply"
MPEG Stream: "Rough Carnage"
MPEG Stream: "Bring Forth The Guillotine"

SILVER DAGGERS New High & Order (Load) cd 14.98
A customer came in the other day and was looking for something new that was "spazzy and punky and weird" while we thought it might be easy to rattle off a bunch of suggestions to them we realized that we have been lacking any really good punk spirited albums as of late. This debut by the L.A. group Silver Daggers fills that void perfectly! Combining the eccentric nature of the early SST roster (Saccharine Trust, The Minutemen) the fierce intensity of Euro art-punk like Dog Faced Hermans and The Ex as well as the all out spazz attack of the 90's San Diego post punk scene (Swing Kids, Antioch Arrow, Clikitat Ikatowi) Silver Daggers incorporate distorted sax blasted throughout their short and sweaty anthems that hit a no-wave sweet spot of strange & spastic energy channeled in all the right ways. Finally some new punk sounds we can totally get behind!
MPEG Stream: "Displacement"
MPEG Stream: "Enter The King"

SILVER DARLING Your Ghost Fits My Skin (Crossbill) cd 11.98
The debut album from this Sacramento trio bursts forth with an untethered emotive outpouring set in a dusky deep South rural setting. Your Ghost Fits My Skin features a nice balance of boot stomp and murder balladry. Check out the mid-album one-two punch "Death: Has No Victory" and "Death: You Have To Believe"! The raw soulful vocal performances contrast well with the lush instrumentation (some trombone here, some musical saw there, some timpani here, various organs throughout). The overall vibe is remarkably akin to the Americana song stylings of Jason Molina and Will Oldham. Yes, they're two very prolific songmakers whose recordings can fill a library on their own, but surely you can find a little corner in your musical heart to tuck these fellows into as well! We think you'll be you did!
MPEG Stream: "Death: Has No Victory"
MPEG Stream: "Death: You Have To Believe"

SILVER JEWS American Water (Drag City) cd 14.98

SILVER JEWS Bright Flight (Drag City) cd 14.98
Mr. David Berman has always sounded the horn of lethargic singers everywhere. This record is no exception: Mr. Silver Jew really sounds as if he'd rather be picking the lint balls off his sweater than sing his songs. And if he doesn't give a shit, why should we? I mean, it wouldn't really be that bad if the songs weren't unremarkable too, but they're simply staid ol' indie rock circa 1992. This record has been receiving favorable reviews, but I just don't get it -- he's doing the exact same thing, the same thing that lost any relevance years ago. Wake up, Dave!
RealAudio clip: "I Remember Me"
RealAudio clip: "Tennessee"

SILVER JEWS Bright Flight (Drag City) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Mr. David Berman has always sounded the horn of lethargic singers everywhere. This record is no exception: Mr. Silver Jew really sounds as if he'd rather be picking the lint balls off his sweater than singing his songs. And if he doesn't give a shit, why should we? I mean, it wouldn't really be that bad if the songs weren't unremarkable too, but they're simply staid ol' indie rock circa 1992. This record has been receiving favorable reviews, but I just don't get it -- he's doing the exact same thing, the same thing that lost any relevance years ago. Wake up, Dave!

SILVER JEWS Lookout Mountain! Lookout Sea! (Drag City) cd 14.98
David Berman's Silver Jews have hit the half dozen mark with their album Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea. As you might recall, album #5 (Tanglewood Numbers) left us cold. It seems we must've missed being warmed by the malt beverages that the band sounded like they'd been enjoying in abundance. This full length pretty much picks up where they last left off, but now with Berman's wife Cassie on bass and vocals. Still unapologetically ramshackle and unravelling. So why do we keep anticipating goodness from this band? Why do we keep wanting to like them? Sure the roster over the years has been an indie rock kid's wet dream (including HRH Malkmus, Nastanovich, Denison and Oldham), but there is more to it than that, right? On each Silver Jews album there are always bright flashes of dark awesomeness from Berman's songwriting pen. They're just very fleeting and you have to wade through an often frustrating logjam of murk and shambles to spot them. Where are they on Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea? We caught glimpses in the trippier moments of songs such as "Candy Jail" and "My Pillow Is A Threshold" as well as on the surprising cover of Maher Shalal Hash Baz's "Open Field".
MPEG Stream: "Candy Jail"
MPEG Stream: "My Pillow Is A Threshold"

SILVER JEWS Lookout Mountain, Lokout Sea (Drag City) lp 15.98
NOW ON VINYL!
David Berman's Silver Jews have hit the half dozen mark with their album Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea. As you might recall, album #5 (Tanglewood Numbers) left us cold. It seems we must've missed being warmed by the malt beverages that the band sounded like they'd been enjoying in abundance. This full length pretty much picks up where they last left off, but now with Berman's wife Cassie on bass and vocals. Still unapologetically ramshackle and unravelling. So why do we keep anticipating goodness from this band? Why do we keep wanting to like them? Sure the roster over the years has been an indie rock kid's wet dream (including HRH Malkmus, Nastanovich, Denison and Oldham), but there is more to it than that, right? On each Silver Jews album there are always bright flashes of dark awesomeness from Berman's songwriting pen. They're just very fleeting and you have to wade through an often frustrating logjam of murk and shambles to spot them. Where are they on Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea? We caught glimpses in the trippier moments of songs such as "Candy Jail" and "My Pillow Is A Threshold" as well as on the surprising cover of Maher Shalal Hash Baz's "Open Field".
MPEG Stream: "Candy Jail"
MPEG Stream: "My Pillow Is A Threshold"

SILVER JEWS Natural Bridge, the (Drag City) cd 14.98

SILVER JEWS Silver Jew (Drag City) dvd 15.98
Faithful indie rockers knew that prior to 2006 there wasn't a hope in hell that they'd be seeing one of their favorite bands live in concert. Silver Jews' team captain David Berman chose to keep it that way, much to his fans despair. So, why the change of heart after fifteen long years? We've no idea, and we choose not to pry, but the band hit the road, and how! They toured right across the country and around the globe. This dvd doesn't document the entire trip, but heck, we've all seen tons of footage of bands on the road, right? The grueling, the touching, the hilarious, the ho hum, etc., etc. Instead filmmaker Michael Tully chose to focus on one particular stop in the band's travels, the distant land of Tel Aviv, Israel. The film does include a few clips of the band performing live, but more so, it resonates with the profound intimate impact the visit had on Berman. A must-see for any Silver Jews fan!

SILVER JEWS Starlite Walker (Drag City) cd 14.98

SILVER JEWS Tanglewood Numbers (Drag City) cd 14.98
The first thing that caught our eye when we saw the cover photo on this new Silver Jews album was the big ol' Canadian Club whiskey plaque on the barroom wall. And whad'ya know the first words we hear comin' out of singer David Berman's mouth in the lead-off song "Punks In The Beerlight" are, "Where's the paper bag that holds the liquor? Just in case I feel the need to puke." As Mischa aptly commented, "I think they have been drinking!" Ah, Tanglewood Numbers is filled with the stench of cigarette butts soakin' in ten day old beer. Miserable tales of hard livin' performed by a cast of indie rock superstars including Steve Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich, Bobby Bare Jr., Duane Denison, and Will Oldham.
MPEG Stream: "Punks In The Beerlight"
MPEG Stream: "K-Hole"

SILVER JEWS Tanglewood Numbers (Drag City) lp 14.98
Now on vinyl.
The first thing that caught our eye when we saw the cover photo on this new Silver Jews album was the big ol' Canadian Club whiskey plaque on the barroom wall. And whad'ya know the first words we hear comin' out of singer David Berman's mouth in the lead-off song "Punks In The Beerlight" are, "Where's the paper bag that holds the liquor? Just in case I feel the need to puke." As Mischa aptly commented, "I think they have been drinking!" Ah, Tanglewood Numbers is filled with the stench of cigarette butts soakin' in ten day old beer. Miserable tales of hard livin' performed by a cast of indie rock superstars including Steve Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich, Bobby Bare Jr., Duane Denison, and Will Oldham.
MPEG Stream: "Punks In The Beerlight"
MPEG Stream: "K-Hole"

SILVER JEWS Tennessee (Drag City) cd 10.98
David Berman's Silver Jews here releases a new 4-song EP (the title track will appear on upcoming full length Bright Flight, the other 3 won't). I've loved his previous releases, a combination of indie rock, a slight twang, downer songwriting, and a loping, gravelly voice pleasantly residing somewhere between King Kong's Ethan Buckler and Pavement's Stephen Malkmus.
So why is this new EP so bad? Well, with completely out of tune male and female voices crooning dumb lyrics like "Punk rock died when the first kid said / 'Punk's not dead! Punk's not dead!'" and "We're off to the land of hot middle aged women / Off to the land whose blood runneth orange," there's your first clue. The music is also embarassingly dated, which is even sadder in today's overglutted climate when indie rock needs to be a *lot* better than mediocre rehashing of a tired formula from 1992 in order to warrant your attention. Sigh. Another one bites the dust.
RealAudio clip: "Tennessee"