SIMMONS, SONNY Staying On The Watch (ESP / Get Back) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Finally another wave of ESP reissues and more completely essential and seminal sixties free jazz. This disc, recorded in 1966, Simmons' debut as a band leader, is an intense blast of aggresive melody with four extended tracks of raw and relentless skronk and skree with some inspired playing from Barbara Donald (trumpet), John Hicks (piano), Teddy Smith (bass), and Marvin Pattillo (drums). So nice.

SIMMONS, SONNY The Complete ESP-Disk Recordings (ESP-Disk) 2cd 24.00

SIMONE, NINA ...Sings Duke Ellington / ...At Carnegie Hall (Collectables) cd 14.98

SIMONE, NINA Anthology: The Colpix Years (Rhino) 2cd 29.00
Fine new double disc collection, 40 tracks worth, from "the high priestess of soul" - wonderful.

SIMONE, NINA At Newport (Doxy) lp+cd 26.00

SIMONE, NINA Baltimore (Columbia) cd 5.00
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**

SIMONE, NINA Black Gold (RCA) lp 12.98

SIMONE, NINA Black is the Colour of My True Love's Hair (Get Back) lp 23.00

SIMONE, NINA Emergency Ward! (Sony) lp 15.98
Nina Simone's vast and varied back catalog never ceases to thrill and amaze us. As we dig and dig into the deep vaults of her recorded material we keep running into records that demand full attention and grab us by our vitals and throw us right into the world she was inhabiting at that moment. This 1973 album, now reissued on vinyl, found Nina full of a crazy kind of energy, empowerment, rage, urgency and intensity. As the Vietnam War continued to linger, Emergency Ward! was Nina Simone's most pointed protest against the war, as well as one of her most fiery and commanding records, period. With arrangements by the great Weldon Irvine and a church junior choir from South Jamaica, New York backing her up, a strong foundation was laid for Nina to take those elements and bring them to life as only she could. Recorded live in a few different locations the record finds Simone at her most epic and emotionally charged. The first side is one long track that merges an adaptation of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" with "Today Is A Killer", a poem by David Nelson, that Nina Simone transforms into an unforgettable gospel burner! The second side starts off with an irresistible version of "Poppies" and then the grand finale is an eleven minute emotionally poignant take on another George Harrison song, "Isn't It A Pity", that rings with so much truth and timeliness all these years later. Nina Simone fans, you must have this! Totally engaging and essential!

SIMONE, NINA Fodder On My Wings (Sunnyside) cd 17.98
We've long been advocates of the importance and reward of spending time with Nina Simone's proper albums. We're really glad there have been so many reissues of her records from the '60s and '70s, but truth be told she was one of those rare incredible artists who stayed true to her vision and made powerful music in all five decades that she shared her magical voice and musical wisdom with the world.
Recorded in Paris in 1982, Fodder On My Wings was an album not many of us were familiar with so we were thrilled Sunnyside brought it to our attention, as it's one smoking and satisfying record, with Nina on piano, harpsichord shaker, and tambourine backed by an awesome band with instrumentation that included congas, woodblock, timpani, etc. Unlike many of her earlier albums, Nina wrote and composed all but one track on this record. Singing in both French and English, her songs range from bittersweet, to empowering, to effervescent. Filled with rich grooves, entrancing piano, and that unmistakably wise and magical voice. A must have for any Nina Simone fan!
MPEG Stream: "I Sing Just To Know That I'm Alive"
MPEG Stream: "Vous Etes Seuls, Mais Je Desire Etre Avec Vous"
MPEG Stream: "Heaven Belongs To You"
MPEG Stream: "Il Y A Un Baume A Gilhead"

SIMONE, NINA Folksy Nina / Nina With Strings (Collectables) cd 14.98

SIMONE, NINA Forbidden Fruit (Doxy) lp + 7" 29.00

SIMONE, NINA Forbidden Fruit / At Newport (Collectables) cd 14.98

SIMONE, NINA Here Comes The Sun (4 Men With Beards) lp 19.98

SIMONE, NINA High Priestess Of Soul (Verve) cd 12.98
It can sometimes be daunting with some legendary artists, especially with ones who have left us so much great music, to figure out where to start in terms of really exploring their music. Truth be told, any time or any way you get to hear a Nina Simone song it's pretty damn special. Whether it's on a mix someone made you, or one of the many best-of collections, or even any of the great live recordings. But lately we've really wanted to spend some quality time with her albums, as they were created so meticulously and flow so amazingly, with perfect emotional peaks and valleys that take you on a spiritual sonic journey from start to finish.
We easily could list a handful of essential albums from Nina Simone (we reviewed the great Silk & Soul a couple years back and it's become a staple of the AQ soundsytem), but this time around, we'll focus on one of her true masterpieces, High Priestess Of Soul, recorded in 1966. With lush and tasteful arrangements by Hal Mooney, this is a record that definitely demonstrates Simones's dynamic range and magical touch. From sad and sultry to empowered and resilient, her songs have this magical way of cutting right to the truth. From the rich gospel of "Take Me To The Water/I'm Going Back Home" to one of the most amazing and minimal deep groove songs of all time!!! "Come Ye" and the strong and proud anthem "Don't You Pay Them No Mind", High Priestess of Soul is filled with songs that that are like mirrors that reflect all that is true and real.
One of our all time favorite records, and an album that if you don't already own, we know you will want to start spending some serious time with, as it will become one of those special records you turn to when you need the real deal to hit your soul just right!
MPEG Stream: "Come Ye"
MPEG Stream: "I'm Gonna Leave You"
MPEG Stream: "Keeper Of The Flame"

SIMONE, NINA In Concert / I Put A Spell On You (Mercury) cd 12.98

SIMONE, NINA Is It Finished (RCA) lp 12.98

SIMONE, NINA Lamentations (Versatile) lp 12.98

SIMONE, NINA Pastel Blues (Verve) cd 12.98
This is not newly reissued, it's just an old fave that gets played like crazy in the store but has never gotten reviewed, until NOW!
It's still astonishing to listen to records Nina Simone made over forty years ago and hear the kind of experimentation in song structure and delivery she used while transforming songs into creatures that became totally her own, all the while infusing so much soul and emotion into each note.
Pastel Blues came out in 1965 and fits so nicely into that mid to late '60s era of Nina that we are so in love with. The same era that produced High Priestess Of Soul, Let It All Out, Silk & Soul and Wild In The Wind. Bookend with two of her greatest musical moments, the leadoff track "Be My Husband" which has become a staple cover of Antony & The Johnsons and the ten minute closer "Sinnerman" which finds her at her most fiery, frantic and riveting. In between are so many more beautiful and sad sounds filled with her soft piano and distinctive vocals, a sound rich with such universal feelings of loss and sadness, yet burning with life and hope and passion.
We've said it before but we will keep saying it, this is an artist that demands a serious and deep relationship by music lovers of all varieties, 'best of' recordings are great but Simone's albums, especially in this era are so strong and carefully constructed from start to finish that they reward so richly, repeat listens. Without Nina so many of our modern day AQ favorites like Antony, Cat Power, White Magic, Devendra Banhart, etc. wouldn't exist as we know and love them. Another essential Nina Simone album!
MPEG Stream: "Be My Husband"
MPEG Stream: "Sinnerman"
MPEG Stream: "Trouble In Mind"

SIMONE, NINA Silk & Soul (BMG) cd 12.98
It's been about three years now since Nina Simone passed away, we miss her madly but it's nice that reissues of her back catalog will keep her voice alive for years to come. This is one of her nicest soul centered albums with totally lush arrangements and of course her voice at it's most seductive and silky. While retrospectives and best of collections can be nice, when it comes to amazing artists like Nina Simone it's so important to get to hear how well crafted her albums were, how she was so conscious of the flow and the journey from start to finish. We think you'll be hard pressed to find a more perfect sounding Sunday morning album. This buried treasure from 1967 is sounding pretty perfect and timeless to our ears almost 40 years later.
MPEG Stream: "Go To Hell"
MPEG Stream: "Some Say"

SIMONE, NINA Sings The Blues (4 Men With Beards) lp 19.98

SIMONE, NINA The Amazing Nina Simone (4 Men With Beards) lp 16.98

SIMONE, NINA The Amazing... / ...At Town Hall (Collectables) cd 14.98

SIMONE, NINA The Legendary First Recording In New York City, 1957 (Doxy) lp+cd 26.00

SIMONE, NINA To Love Somebody (4 Men With Beards) lp 19.98

SIMONE, NINA Wild Is The Wind (Universal) lp 15.98

SIMONETTI / MORANTE / PIGNATELLI (GOBLIN) Tenebre OST (Dagored) lp 23.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SIMONETTI, ENRICO WITH GOBLIN Gamma OST (Cherry Red) cd 17.98
We've got to check out anything that has anything to do with the cult Italian soundtrack specialists Goblin. This reissue does -- it's the score to a 1975 television science fiction show, composed by Enrico Simonetti, father to Claudio Simonetti of Goblin, and features Goblin themselves participating as session musicians on these recordings. Simonetti the elder had been a successful bandleader and film composer for years, possibly the reason that his son's band got into the game. Interestingly, the Gamma theme song was apparently a number one hit single in Italy, ironically knocking a Goblin tune (Profundo Rosso!) out of that spot.
But the rare track that Goblin obsessives are really gonna want this for is "Drug's Theme", which sounds like classic example of that group's trademark sinister disco-prog groove. Enrico was definitely inspired by his son's band on that one. However, it IS the only track here that sounds much like Goblin, really. The rest of the album features more typical orchestrated soundtrack material, lush and moody and romantic, with some jazz and Latin flavoring. Doesn't seem too sci-fi, more like cheesy music for a prime-time soap opera. Maybe the best tracks outside of "Drug's Theme" are the couple cuts that feature sweetly melodic female vocals, those are pretty nice. Especially "Chi Mi Cherchera" which reminds us of, say, Francoise Hardy.
MPEG Stream: "Gamma"
MPEG Stream: "Drug's Theme"
MPEG Stream: "Chi Mi Cherchera"

SIMONETTI, MIKE Capricorn Rising (Italians Do It Better) cd 13.98
It's been a long and interesting road for Mike Simonetti since his days as a hardcore/punk fixture in the '80s and '90s New York scene. Booking shows at places like Mars and running one of the more diverse and cool labels to emerge out of the hardcore scene, Troubleman Unlimited. With that label he put out amazing records by everyone from Erase Errata to The Rye Coalition to Shotmaker to Wolf Eyes to Tussle. Then as he started to DJ and widen his appreciation of post-punk and dance music, he launched Italians Do It Better, the label that helped put the space disco revival on the map with folks like Glass Candy and The Chromatics.
There's no doubt Simonetti is an amazing taste maker with awesome and varied taste (he even orders lots of black metal from us!) but we weren't really sure what to expect from his new solo outing. With Capricorn Rising he's created a record that wonderfully splits its time between dance floor ecstasy and darker prog like meditations. Imagine M83, Junior Boys and Zombi all jamming together. Aside from Glass Candy and Chromatics, most of what Italians Do It Better has released tends to be more focused on singles and not so much a thought out album. We love how Simonetti has taken this opportunity to create an suite of songs that has a running theme and irresistible aura and makes for an engaging listen from start to finish.
MPEG Stream: "Capricorn Rising"
MPEG Stream: "The Third Of The Storms (Featuring Sam Sparro)"
MPEG Stream: "Dust Devil"

SIMONETTI, MIKE Capricorn Rising (Italians Do It Better) lp 13.98
It's been a long and interesting road for Mike Simonetti since his days as a hardcore/punk fixture in the '80s and '90s New York scene. Booking shows at places like Mars and running one of the more diverse and cool labels to emerge out of the hardcore scene, Troubleman Unlimited. With that label he put out amazing records by everyone from Erase Errata to The Rye Coalition to Shotmaker to Wolf Eyes to Tussle. Then as he started to DJ and widen his appreciation of post-punk and dance music, he launched Italians Do It Better, the label that helped put the space disco revival on the map with folks like Glass Candy and The Chromatics.
There's no doubt Simonetti is an amazing taste maker with awesome and varied taste (he even orders lots of black metal from us!) but we weren't really sure what to expect from his new solo outing. With Capricorn Rising he's created a record that wonderfully splits its time between dance floor ecstasy and darker prog like meditations. Imagine M83, Junior Boys and Zombi all jamming together. Aside from Glass Candy and Chromatics, most of what Italians Do It Better has released tends to be more focused on singles and not so much a thought out album. We love how Simonetti has taken this opportunity to create an suite of songs that has a running theme and irresistible aura and makes for an engaging listen from start to finish.
MPEG Stream: "Capricorn Rising"
MPEG Stream: "The Third Of The Storms (Featuring Sam Sparro)"
MPEG Stream: "Dust Devil"

SIMONETTI, MIKE & JOHNNY JEWEL Hollywood Seven (Perseo) 12" 10.98

SIMPLETON Coco Cola Bottle (Special Remix) 7" 2.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hip hop remix. Rhythm = "Superwoman" (Lil' Mo).

SIMPLY SAUCER Cyborgs Revisited (Sonic Union) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Thirty or so years after first blasting off, the band known as Simply Saucer soars into view once again. Truly a twisted gem of the '70s pre-punk art-rock underground, the *Canadian* '70s pre-punk art-rock underground no less, this Hamilton, Ontario band was freaking people out back in 1974 with the material you'll find on this spiffy new cd reissue. The lucky and enlightened among you might already have the long out of print early-'90s cd version of this album, or even the original LP posthumously released in 1989, but this new edition of their half-studio, half-live "Cyborgs Revisited" adds 8 bonus tracks, including lo-fi demos, additional live stuff, and both sides of the Saucer's lone 1978 single. With or without these bonus tracks, it's a great fuckin' record, boldly owing allegiance to (early) Pink Floyd and the Velvet Underground and The Stooges. They've also got much in common with the likes of the Pink Fairies, Faust, NYC no-wave a la Von Lmo, and the contemporaneous crazy Ohio underground scene of the '70s (Rocket From The Tombs, Electric Eels). Yep, all these inspirations are immediately evident, not too far into side one of "Cyborgs Revisited": witness the the lengthy amazing repetitive Floydian effects instrumental "Mole Machine" as it segues into the acoustic intro of "Bullet Proof Nothing", Simply Saucer's idea of a love song, with lyrics like "Treat me like dirt/drive me insane" delivered in a sloppy Lou Reed drawl.
S.S. (unfortunate initials, hopefully nothing to do with their song "Nazi Apocalypse"!) were formed in '72 by a bunch of Canuck weirdos, notable among them lead guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Edgar Breau, and Sun Ra/Eno inspired electronics dude John LaPlante, aka "Ping Romany" -- Ping being a good stage name for the guy playing the primitive oscillators, tone generators, and theremin! They fought the good fight for a few years, cranking out freakish, space-fx laden proto-punk rock n' roll with sci-fi titles like "Dance The Mutation", eventually dabbling in Toronto's nascent "new wave" scene.
It's certainly no surprise that the Saucer never "made it" -- though that '78 single seems like a stab at poppier (or at least goofier) sound -- and, with no successful commercial career in the offing, they eventually disbanded. Dunno if they could ever be cited as an influence by anyone 'cause they were so obscure, but hypothetically anyway S.S. could be the warped template for today's garage artisans -- Comets On Fire, especially -- totally punk *and* psych, with skronked out guitar, snotty vox, oscillating noise waves and tumbling drums. Glad to have this back in print, and it's certainly a timely reissue considering how well this fits in with some of today's art-punk retro-electro trends!
MPEG Stream: "Nazi Apocalypse"
MPEG Stream: "Illegal Bodies"

SIMPLY SAUCER Cyborgs Revisited (Get Back) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This gem is now available on vinyl (without the bonus tracks on the cd reissue we raved about recently, though)! Here's some of what we said: Thirty or so years after first blasting off, the band known as Simply Saucer soars into view once again. Truly a twisted gem of the '70s pre-punk art-rock underground, the *Canadian* '70s pre-punk art-rock underground no less, this Hamilton, Ontario band was freaking people out back in 1974 with the material you'll find on this spiffy new reissue. The original edition of their half-studio, half-live "Cyborgs Revisited" LP was posthumously released in 1989, and simply is a great fuckin' record, boldly owing allegiance to (early) Pink Floyd and the Velvet Underground and The Stooges. They've also got much in common with the likes of the Pink Fairies, Faust, NYC no-wave a la Von Lmo, and the contemporaneous crazy Ohio underground scene of the '70s (Rocket From The Tombs, Electric Eels). Yep, all these inspirations are immediately evident, not too far into side one of "Cyborgs Revisited": witness the the lengthy amazing repetitive Floydian effects instrumental "Mole Machine" as it segues into the acoustic intro of "Bullet Proof Nothing", Simply Saucer's idea of a love song, with lyrics like "Treat me like dirt/drive me insane" delivered in a sloppy Lou Reed drawl.
S.S. (unfortunate initials, hopefully nothing to do with their song "Nazi Apocalypse"!) were formed in '72 by a bunch of Canuck weirdos, notable among them lead guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Edgar Breau, and Sun Ra/Eno inspired electronics dude John LaPlante, aka "Ping Romany" -- Ping being a good stage name for the guy playing the primitive oscillators, tone generators, and theremin! They fought the good fight for a few years, cranking out freakish, space-fx laden proto-punk rock n' roll with sci-fi titles like "Dance The Mutation", eventually dabbling in Toronto's nascent "new wave" scene. But with no successful commercial career in the offing, they eventually disbanded. Dunno if they could ever be cited as an influence by anyone 'cause they were so obscure, but hypothetically anyway S.S. could be the warped template for today's garage artisans -- Comets On Fire, especially -- totally punk *and* psych, with skronked out guitar, snotty vox, oscillating noise waves and tumbling drums. Glad to have this back in print, and it's certainly a timely reissue considering how well this fits in with some of today's art-punk retro-electro trends!
MPEG Stream: "Nazi Apocalypse"
MPEG Stream: "Illegal Bodies"

SIMPLY SAUCER Cyborgs Revisited (Get Back / Sonic Unyon) lp 23.00
This all-time psychedelic art-punk aQ fave (a former Record Of The Week) back in print on vinyl, and available again!!! We love it when old faves like this get reissued, 'cause get a chance to add extra hyperbole our previous reviews, in this case realizing we need to say, in all-caps, MAN THIS IS A GREAT RECORD!! An essential, in our opinion.
Thirty or so years after first blasting off, the band known as Simply Saucer soars into view once again. Truly a twisted gem of the '70s pre-punk art-rock underground, the *Canadian* '70s pre-punk art-rock underground no less, this Hamilton, Ontario band was freaking people out back in 1974 with the material you'll find on this spiffy new reissue. The original edition of their half-studio, half-live "Cyborgs Revisited" lp was posthumously released in 1989, and is just a great fuckin' record, boldly owing allegiance to (early) Pink Floyd and the Velvet Underground and The Stooges. They've also got much in common with the likes of the Pink Fairies, Faust, NYC no-wave a la Von Lmo, and the contemporaneous crazy Ohio underground scene of the '70s (Rocket From The Tombs, Electric Eels). Yep, all these inspirations are immediately evident, not too far into side one of "Cyborgs Revisited": witness the the lengthy amazing repetitive Floydian effects instrumental "Mole Machine" as it segues into the acoustic intro of "Bullet Proof Nothing", Simply Saucer's idea of a love song, with lyrics like "Treat me like dirt/drive me insane" delivered in a sloppy Lou Reed drawl.
S.S. (unfortunate initials, hopefully nothing to do with their song "Nazi Apocalypse"!) were formed in '72 by a bunch of Canuck weirdos, notable among them lead guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Edgar Breau, and Sun Ra/Eno inspired electronics dude John LaPlante, aka "Ping Romany" - Ping being a good stage name for the guy playing the primitive oscillators, tone generators, and theremin! They fought the good fight for a few years, cranking out freakish, space-fx laden proto-punk rock n' roll with sci-fi titles like "Dance The Mutation", eventually dabbling in Toronto's nascent "new wave" scene. But with no successful commercial career in the offing, they eventually disbanded. Dunno if they could ever be cited as an influence by anyone 'cause they were so obscure, but hypothetically anyway S.S. could be the warped template for today's garage artisans - Comets On Fire, especially - totally punk *and* psych, with skronked out guitar, snotty vox, oscillating noise waves and tumbling drums. Glad to have this back in print, and it's certainly a timely reissue considering how well this fits in with some of today's art-punk retro-electro trends!
MPEG Stream: "Nazi Apocalypse"
MPEG Stream: "Electro Rock"
MPEG Stream: "Illegal Bodies"

SIMPSON, RED Roll, Truck, Roll (Sundazed) cd 12.98

SIMPSON, RED Truck Drivin' Fool (Sundazed) cd 12.98

SIMPSONS, THE Songs in the Key of Springfield (Rhino) cd 15.98
"Itchy and Scratchy", "Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart?", "See My Vest", "The Amendment Song", etc. Almost every song from the series excluding this season. Stars Tito Puente, Beverly D'Angelo, Jon Lovitz, Robert Goulet, Tony Bennett, more. Especially noteworthy is Rev. Lovejoy's choir singing "In-a-gadda-da-vida."

SIMULACRA Eidolon (Triple Bath) cd-r 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Ultra limited cd-r release from Belgian outfit Simulacra, the black ambient project of NOTHingness head honcho Miguel Boriau. NOTHingness is responsible for a handful of AQ faves, including the dark doomy ambience of Tenhornedbeast and the epic doom of the recently released Morkheim. Boriau's Simulacra project falls more in line sonically with the former, although it's less doomy and more glacial and lovely. Imagine a more blissed out Lustmord, or Coleclough and Chalk tackling some sci-fi dark ambience and you'll be getting warm. Two epic tracks, each clocking in at over 20 minutes, each a slow burning, outer space drift, deep resonant swells, sweeping majestic vistas of low end shimmer and fuzzy dreamy drift. Mesmerizing and meditative, but still pretty dark and ominous. It's hard not to picture the vastness of space, or barring that, some endless series of underground caverns, this is the sound of black holes drifting through a starry sky, of our bodies hurtling through space in slow motion, gorgeously bleak and barren, warm and immersive, a dreamily dense slab of sonic swoon, the perfect soundtrack for your own late night interplanetary drift.
LIMITED TO 96 COPIES! Each disc individually numbered, we got a handful and will probably be unable to get more.
MPEG Stream: "Wandering The Spirit World"
MPEG Stream: "Disintegrate Into Nothingness"

SIMULACRA Somewhere... Inside A Void (No Angels Prod.) 3"cd-r 14.98
We reviewed the debut cd-r from this Belgian deep drone one man band way back, but sold out in a blink as it was limited to 96 copies. Well, don't blink this time, as we just got a brand new 3" cd-r from Simulacra, the project of NOTHingness Records main man Miguel Boriau (who now runs Consouling Sounds, whose first few releases we'll list here next time), again WAY too limited, this time 100 copies, and we got about a quarter of those.
Gorgeously packaged in an oversized full color folder, adorned in blacks and rusty browns, with a photo print inside, each sleeve hand numbered, this latest disc from Simulacra, is a 22 minute expanse of hushed cavernous rumbles, and blurred melodic shimmer. Definitely dark and ominous and haunting and intense, but weirdly beautiful, and almost soft. It's like the sound of candlelight flickering in deep dark caves, the sound of sunlight struggling to filter through cracks and fissures to reach some subterranean underworld. The sounds are sprawling and drawn way out, it's drone music for sure, but arranged into soft swells and abstract melodies, cinematic and soundtracky, veering from intense low-end murk, to a sun dappled drift. It's like the soundtrack to a late afternoon stroll through the ruins of some ancient keep, as you wander along the walls, through the courtyard, into the depths below, sometime passing through shafts of sunlight, or stumbling into some cavern undisturbed for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. So evocative and dreamlike. As soothing and mesmerizing as it is eerie and grim.
LIMITED TO 100 COPIES, hand numbered, these are the only copies we'll be able to get...
MPEG Stream: "Somewhere... Inside A Void (excerpt)"

SIN FANG BOUS Clangour (Morr Music) cd 16.98
Sin Fang Bous is the solo project of Sindri Mar Sigfusson who's also in the Icelandic band Seabear. His album Clangour opens with a light summery boy pop tune that breezes along while seemingly incongruous Coleco game bleepity-bloop sounds play over top. Yes, a little odd, but it adds to the album's effervescence! He's layered up the vocals into an all-out sing along. One of his voices has a bit of a Devendra Banhart-ish warble, while another calls to mind Erlend Oye of Kings Of Convenience. Fans of that band as well as the rambunctious romp of bands such as Hidden Cameras and Wolf Parade will surely snuggle up to Sin Fang Bous! Nice!
MPEG Stream: "Advent In Yves Garden"
MPEG Stream: "The Jubilee Choruses"

SIN ORIGIN Night Aeternal (Antinomian) cd 11.98

SIN ROPAS Fire Prizes (Shrug) lp 24.00
Latest from Sin Ropas, a duo consisting of Tim Hurly of aQ faves Red Red Meat and Califone, and Danni Iosello, having called Germany home briefly, settled in North Carolia, where they holed up in a library to record Fire Prizes. Originally released on cd in Europe a few years back, now available as a super limited, deluxe and gorgeously designed lp.
Sonically, Sin Ropas sound like the logical progression from Hurley's other groups, which as far as we're concerned is a very good thing. Oh how we miss Red Red Meat, and how we still love Califone. So it should come as no surprise that we love Sin Ropas too. A dark dusky mournful twang, stretched out over an abstract rock and roll frame, recalling the above mentioned outfits, but also the folky slowcore of Rex, the intimate dark country of Sparklehorse and the indie twang of the Grifters. Everything is shaded and dusty, the guitars go from spidery and slippery, to distorted and downtuned, Hurley's voice a whiskey soaked rasp, backed up by Iosello's angelic vocals, slide guitars drift and shimmer, everything dramatic and minor key, haunting vocal harmonies, muted percussion and jagged riffs, the songs going from druggy sprawl to crunchy campfire stomp, but always wreathed in teary eyed melancholy and warm washed out dreaminess. Fans of any of the above mentioned bands should definitely check this out.
Like all the Shrug releases, vinyl only, and they spare no expense. And this one has to be the fanciest one yet. A full color picture disc, pressed on super thick vinyl, housed in a thick full color innersleeve, which in turn is housed in a gorgeous diecut jacket, rich textured paper, inked and letterpressed, with the silhouette of a leafless tree cut out, on the front and the back, so the inner sleeve is visible through the branches. SO NICE! And of course limited as all get out. ONLY 485 COPIES!! We have a handful...

SIN ROPAS Three Cherries (Perishable) cd 14.98
Guys from Red Red Meat, Califone, Loftus, and Brokeback!

SIN ROPAS Trickboxes On the Pony Line (Sad Robot) cd 13.98
Sin Ropas (aka Tim Hurley of Red Red Meat and Califone, Noel Kupersmith of Brokeback and Chicago Underground Duo, and Danni Iosello) keep things all loose and lanky not unlike old Lou Barlow or Beck. Listening to their new album, you might envision the band slumped and beleaguered in the recording studio - barely able to lift a drumstick or a guitar pick even! But they managed to do so and the results are quite a fine and enveloping listen. Sorta like finding yourself sinking in a strangely intoxicating vat of molasses. Uhh, not that I've ever encountered a vat of molasses, but this is how I'd imagine it'd be - slooowly lulling, slightly unsettling and full of bittersweet aches. Sinews of bluesy guitar notes are stretched and strung together loosely leaving plenty of space for the hoarse drowsy vocals and ramshackle percussion. Very earthy and lowkey. Perfect for a lazy spring evening.
MPEG Stream: "Hands Inside"
MPEG Stream: "Candy Cobra"

SINATRA, NANCY s/t (Sanctuary) cd 16.98
A prediction: we'll soon be reading an abundance of reviews of Nancy Sinatra's album referencing her '60s pop hit. Y'know, phrases like "forty years later her boots still keep walkin'". Oops, and now I'm guilty of it too!
Anyways, is this woman some sort of freak of nature or what?! Holy shit, she just popped back up over thirty years after her last release (1971's This Is Nancy Sinatra) and sounds *exactly* the same. Her voice is absolutely ageless, and she's made her music pretty timeless too. Joined by a diverse bunch of younger jaunty musical suitors such as Morrissey, Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, Jon Spencer, Thurston Moore, Stevie Van Zandt, U2, Pete Yorn and Calexico, she covers such a broad pop palette that she can't be pinned down. As a result this album may appeal to virtually all ages and all walks. The album begins in the best possible way with Sinatra singing the Joey Burns-penned tune "Burnin' Down The Spark" with Calexico as her backing band! It's a fantastic inspired match (oops, no pun intended). The second song "Ain't No Easy Way" recalls her wonderful old duets with Lee Hazlewood. Aah, her ladylike vocals contrasted with the kinda strange'n'creepy male ones (on this one, it's Spencer who assumes the Hazlewood role). Have to say though I'm not so sure about his exclamation of what sounds like "sock it to me!" halfway through. Yikes! Further on, Sinatra proves she's got the spookiness in her too on the eery fifth song "Momma's Boy" penned by Moore. Among the eleven songs there's also smoky ballads, perky energetic numbers and more with Sinatra and all the boys rising to the occasion. Go Nancy!!
MPEG Stream: "Burnin Down The Spark"
MPEG Stream: "Ain't No Easy Way"

SINATRA, NANCY You Go-Go Girl! (Varese Sarabande ) cd 14.98

SINCLAIR, JOHN Guitar Army: Rock & Revolution With MC5 And The White Panther Party (Process) book+cd 22.95
White Panther party chairman, former political prisoner (10 years in jail for two joints) and all 'round drugs, sex, and rock'n'roll guru John Sinclair wrote this book back in 1972, it's a classic of the era. Here's a new paperback edition, done by the fine folks at Process Books, and it comes with a bonus cd with tracks by the MC5 (Sinclair was their manager), Allen Ginsberg, Bobby Seale, and more including audio from meetings of the White Panther Party.

SINERGY Suicide By My Side (Nuclear Blast) cd 14.98
If you are a fan of widdly heavy metal guitar (aren't you? I am) then chances are you'll enjoy this, the third offering from Finland's Sinergy! Much of the widdly guitar comes courtesy Alexi 'Wildchild' Laiho, better known for his main band, the awesome Children of Bodom. But Sinergy totally indulges in eighties metal fantasies, even more than CoB. For one thing, instead of Alexi's black metallish vocal screams, Sinergy boasts full-on '80s style high pitched metal vox. High pitched in part 'cause the singer's a girl, Alexi's girlfriend Kimberly Goss (a transplanted American, who's spent time in various Scandinavian black metal outfits like Ancient and Dimmu Borgir). Actually, Sinergy is really Kimberly's band, where she gives full reign to her heavy but melodic metal side. Nothing groundbreaking here, but these guys and girl are obvious pros. Plus, Kimberly's diverse vocals are a bit different than the Euro-male 'power metal' norm. We wouldn't pick this as something for non-metal fans to check out, but if 'Yngwie' is not a bad word in your vocab (or 'Wildchild' for that matter!) then proceed, if curious.
RealAudio clip: "I Spit On Your Grave"
RealAudio clip: "Nowhere For No One"

SINGER Unhistories (Drag City) cd 14.98
If aQ was sitting somewhere in the midst of Ontario, or Nova Scotia, or British Columbia (and not smack dab in the middle of San Francisco), this would be a really easy review to write: Singer's Unhistories is a fractured, post-rock take on the blueprint laid down by The Rheostatics and Wooden Stars. However, given that most folks aren't walking around with Canadian passports (and we mean the gov't documentation, not the haircut...), that probably doesn't mean much to you. SO...
Picture a band trafficking in the best kind of snaking, Beefheartian, guitar skronk, add some seriously bad-ass drumming, then throw some four-part harmony into the mix and you're in the ball park. Unhistories is a cacophonous, ramshackle affair, with sounds and ideas crashing into each other, overlapping, crumbling apart and reconstructing themselves. The song structures are atypical; the guitar work is atonal; and the vocals manage to warble, flutter, and dip from falsetto to guttural growl and back again within the space of a few notes. That there's a lot going on in these songs would probably come as no surprise to anyone with even a superficial familiarity with Singer's pedigree: guitarist Todd Rittman and drummer Adam Vida did time in U.S. Maple, while bassist Robert Lowe (who also seems to be handling the majority of the vocal work) was a member of 90 Day Men and currently makes top notch drone-raga vocal/guitar improv as Lichens (look elsewhere on this list for a cool new art book + 3" cd collaboration from him).
Unhistories is definitely a not-for-everyone affair (but then again, what on this list is?), but for those with a penchant for this particular brand of art-damaged post-whatever rock this is top notch stuff.
MPEG Stream: "Oh Dusty"
MPEG Stream: "Please, Tell The Justices We're Fine"
MPEG Stream: "Mauvais Sang"