SPELLS The Age of Backwards (K) cd ep 7.98
Check this out! Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney and Mary Timony of Helium put their clever heads together to whirl up their collaborative effort known as Spells. Sounds just as you'd expect, Carrie's smart pop prettiness and Mary's much more wizardly fantasy pop leanings. Includes a Who cover.

SPENCE, ALEXANDER "SKIP" Oar (Sundazed) cd 16.98

SPENCE, JOSEPH Happy All the Time (Water) cd 14.98
2nd time reissued on CD, this was the amazing Bahamian guitarist Joseph Spence's second album. Originally recorded in 1964, where this album excels over the first (recorded for Smithsonian Folkways in 1958) is that the producers had the prescience to load up with some great field recording gear. Important given that the dynamic range that Mr. Spence can coax out of his guitar is astounding. Though his repertoire consists almost entirely of traditional hymns and folk tunes that most all of us are familiar with, his renditions are hardly recognizable. Spence has a maniacally insane picking / plucking / slapping guitar style that would make Jaco Pastorius and Pete Seeger bow their heads in awe. To boot, Spence's singing, err... mumbling style is too lovable to resist. It's almost like hearing Captain Beefheart with his mouth wired shut. A cult classic!
RealAudio clip: "Bimini Gal"
RealAudio clip: "How I Love Jesus"

SPERM Shh! (Destijl) lp 17.98
As if we needed any more proof that Finland is and was a weird and wonderful place, producing some of the most far out sounds we've ever heard. It's no secret we have a thing for Finnish music, but c'mon, every record we hear, like this one for example, a reissue of one recorded in 1970(!!!) just proves over and over that Finland were always way ahead of the underground rock curve. Or behind it. Either way, the Finns have been blowing minds for 40 years now. (Remember that Psychedelic Phinland comp? There was a Sperm track on that...)
Sperm was the project of a fella named Pekka Airakinsen, and consisted of him creating gorgeously abstract and haunting dronescapes and twentieth century style classical sprawls, constructed from looped guitars, feedback, primitive samples, and various found sounds and invented techniques, the results are fantastic. Dark shimmering fields of suspended tones, of tripped out psychedelic delay, of deep undulating low tones, thick, buzzing rumbles, jazzy horns, chaotic squalls of skronk and skree, No Neck style rhythmic workouts, tons of space, very dark and moody and mysterious. Minus the first half of side two, which features lots of horns and fractured jazz-isms (titled coincidentally "Jazz Jazz"), the rest of the record plays out like something that could have come out on a cd-r this year, seriously genius free noise abstract dronescaping that pretty much puts the current crop of noisemakers to SHAME.
An exact reproduction of the original, with thick paste on, silkscreened sleeves, LIMITED TO 500 COPIES!!! Unfortunately already out of print. We only have 5 or 6, most likely the last copies we'll see.

SPIDER The Way To Bitter Lake (Spidersongs) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
After listening to this disc, all we can say is Marissa Nadler and Joanna Newsom better watch their backs. If there is any justice in the world, the throngs of bearded and bead encrusted modern free folk freaks and forest maidens that make up the new weird underground will bow down before Jane Herships, the woman who is Spider. A softly strummed dreamy acoustic world of drifting shimmering loveliness. If Devendra Banhart is homecoming king at this year's forestfolk ball, well then Spider would absolutely have to be everyone's choice for queen. The Way To Bitter Lake is a blissful blend of Iron & Wine, Vashti Bunyan, Will Oldham, Cat Power, Edith Frost. Hushed vocals over lilting old timey folk, gorgeous and timeless melodies, spare arrangements, but so deftly arranged as to be more powerful than almost any of her contemporaries. There is definitely a serious Iron & Wine vibe going on, Herships sounds like Sam Beam's long lost twin sister. Even her turns of phrase and choice of melodies. The mind boggles at the possibility of those two making a record together. If either of them are reading this, for god's sake let's make it happen!!
Regardless, this is an absolute gem. Pastoral, and haunting, soft and shimmery, suffused with warm summer sunlight, a rambling record if there ever was one. Cool afternoon, bare feet, tall grass, clouds drifting lazily by, soft breezes, the smell of earth and leaves, wandering through a fuzzy folk dream. Absolutely gorgeous.
MPEG Stream: "The Clearing"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Be Afraid, I've Just Come To Say Goodbye, "The Ballad Of Clementine Jones""
MPEG Stream: "I Don't Know If She Had Any Teeth Because She Never Smiled"

SPIDER The Way To Bitter Lake (Storyboard) cd 14.98
This long time AQ favorite, formerly a cd-r, now finally available as a proper cd, with new improved artwork, but the same gorgeous gossamer beauty inside:
After listening to this disc, all we can say is Marissa Nadler and Joanna Newsom better watch their backs. If there is any justice in the world, the throngs of bearded and bead encrusted modern free folk freaks and forest maidens that make up the new weird underground will bow down before Jane Herships, the woman who is Spider. A softly strummed dreamy acoustic world of drifting shimmering loveliness. If Devendra Banhart is homecoming king at this year's forestfolk ball, well then Spider would absolutely have to be everyone's choice for queen. The Way To Bitter Lake is a blissful blend of Iron & Wine, Vashti Bunyan, Will Oldham, Cat Power, Edith Frost. Hushed vocals over lilting old timey folk, gorgeous and timeless melodies, spare arrangements, but so deftly arranged as to be more powerful than almost any of her contemporaries. There is definitely a serious Iron & Wine vibe going on, Herships sounds like Sam Beam's long lost twin sister. Even her turns of phrase and choice of melodies. The mind boggles at the possibility of those two making a record together. If either of them are reading this, for god's sake let's make it happen!!
Regardless, this is an absolute gem. Pastoral, and haunting, soft and shimmery, suffused with warm summer sunlight, a rambling record if there ever was one. Cool afternoon, bare feet, tall grass, clouds drifting lazily by, soft breezes, the smell of earth and leaves, wandering through a fuzzy folk dream. Absolutely gorgeous.
MPEG Stream: "The Clearing"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Be Afraid, I've Just Come To Say Goodbye, "The Ballad Of Clementine Jones""
MPEG Stream: "I Don't Know If She Had Any Teeth Because She Never Smiled"

SPIDER TRIO Live @ Rendezvous / Jewelbox Theatre (self-released) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We've only got a couple of these; so we won't take too long in expounding upon the virtues of the Seattle heavy free-jazz ensemble The Spider Trio. Two of the members of the trio (Jeffrey Taylor and Dave Abramson) are current members of the ever entertaining / ever perplexing / ever compelling Climax Goldwn Twins, with the final member being saxophonist / painter Wally Shoup. Taylor quips that he may be the sole practitioner of a thing called "avant-garde free hillbilly guitar playing;" and yeah, his pseudo-Appalachian boogie deftly counterpoints Shoup's bleat and skronk while Abramson propels the ensemble with oblique fills and angular explosions of dynamic rhythm. Limited to 50 copies, each graced with a hand painted water color by Mr. Shoup.
MPEG Stream: "Track 2"
MPEG Stream: "Track 4"

SPIDER WEBS Away Away (Jyrk) cd-r 5.98
The Yellow Swans return from tour, which means a massive coming home party in the form of a new release orgy from their Jyrk label. Five new releases, definitely making up for lost time. Spider Webs is the duo of Tom Carter (from Charalambides and Sandy Ewen (from Weird Weeds), both on guitar, annd both coaxing an impossible array of sounds from their axes. Partial melodies dissolve into feedback, sheets of twisted guitar squeal, morph into delicate sonic filligree, all manner of croaks and shimmer and shrieks and groans, twist and turn, drift and reverberate. Very psychedelic, very abstract, and suprisingly abrasive and even heavy at points. Imagine the Japanese psychrock of Haino / Fushitsuhsa / White Heaven / etc. but with the bones pulled out leaving just a twitching psychedelic free for all. And although there are brief blinding bursts of psychedelic freakout, the majority of Away Away is more a wandering wondering dual guitar exploration of inner and outer space.
Hand screened cardboard sleeve, photcopied insert. Limited to 200 copies!
MPEG Stream: "1"
MPEG Stream: "2"

SPIDERWEBS Away Away (Jyrk) cd-r 5.98
Spiderwebs is Tom Carter (of Charalambides) and Sandy Ewen (of Weird Weeds) both on guitar, and kicking up a druggy psychedelic skree, maybe the heaviest freakout on either of these guitar slingers' resumes up to this point. Huge staticky squalls of grumbly guitar, wrapped in gauzy sheets of feedback. Like someone grated up a huge chunk of vintage Hawkwind and a weighty slab of classic Sunroof! and then sprinkled it liberally all over New Weird America. Equal parts noisy and lovely. A blissed out blown out psych guitar drone duel to the death.
LIMITED TO 200 COPIES AND ALREADY OUT OF PRINT, SO THESE ARE THE LAST 15 OR SO COPIES EVER!!!
MPEG Stream: "Away Away One"
MPEG Stream: "Away Away Two"

SPIDERWEBS / MIKE TAMBOURO AND MATTHEW MCDOWELL / KEENAN LAWLER Strands Formerly Braided (Music Fellowship) cd 14.98
A gorgeous slab of blissfolk improv from these free folk underground dreamweavers. Three separate tracks from 3 likeminded ensembles. First up, Spiderwebs (Tom Carter (of Charalambides) and Sandy Ewen (of Weird Weeds)), offer up a glistening ambience, spacious and hushed with chiming harmonics and slowly unfurling melodies, soft and shimmery, spaced out slow drifting soundscapes of keening guitar swells and crystalline abstraction, haunting drones floating and fluttering, melodies whirling like tiny dustdevils, so lovely. Next up is Mike Tambouro And Matthew McDowell who spin a dense web of strange electronic sound and warm whirring guitar, swells and swirls of moaning bells soft slow drones, a deep pool of sonic shimmer beneath lonely back porch strum and twang. A drone drenched, mysterious Appalachia. Finally, Keenan Lawler lets lengthy buzzing guitar lines sprawl loosely across super spare soundfield, each note, each chord, sliding and bombinating, raga like buzz and loping abstract country twang, loose and skeletal, haunting and otherworldly. Another amazing installment in the Music Fellowship's Triptych series!
MPEG Stream: "One"
MPEG Stream: "Two"

SPIEGEL, LAURIE Harmonices Mundi (Table Of The Elements) 12" 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Perhaps the most historically relevant in the series, Laurie Speigel's piece for the Lanthanides 12" series was commissioned in 1975 by Carl Sagan to be included on the golden disc included on the Voyager II spacecraft (which is now beyond the orbit of Pluto moving into deeper space). Harmonices Mundi is Spiegel's relalization of the "harmony of the spheres", a celestial harmony of the planets' relationships envisioned by the ancient Greeks, and updated in 1619 by Johannes Kepler after discovering the true paths of the planets around the sun were in fact elliptical. The technology to convert these relationships into sound, however, would not exist until the computer bcame a viable instrument for making sound and music. Spiegel's instrumental interpretation is grand and sweeping. A repetitive and hypnotic cycle of siren like tones, sweeping majestically across a static sonic palette, overlapping and moving outward, seemingly to the ends of the universe, like ripples in a galaxy-wide pond. Fans of modern high end drone/skree (Sunroof!, Birchville Cat Motel, etc.) will glimpse will recognise this as a definite sonic precursor. On clear gold vinyl (like that legendary golden disc), with Voyager II's galaxial trajectory and Spiegel's Harmonices Mundi score silkscreened in black ink.

SPIEGEL, LAURIE Obsolete Systems (Electronic Music Foundation) cd 14.98
A wonderful collection of works composed between 1970 and 1983 from this obscure, criminally overlooked American composer and electronic music pioneer. Instrumentation involves analog electronics (both manual and computer-controlled), electronic tape, Echoplex, early realtime digital synthesis and Bell Labs' GROOVE Hybrid system (a very early digital-analog hybrid synthesizer). A system designer and software developer responsible for many interactive music applications (most notably Music Mouse for Macintosh), Spiegel's technical background doesn't overshadow her compositional abilities, nor does it reduce her work to simply "technical". Beautiful, textural sonicscapes comparable to Schnitzler or Ligeti.
RealAudio clip: "Drums"
RealAudio clip: "Improvisation On A "Concerto Generator""

SPIERS, BEN AND BILL WOOD Dark Field (Celebrate Psi Phenomenon) cd-r 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another batch of super limited and beautifully packaged cd-r's from Campbell Kneale's (Birchville Cat Motel) Celebrate Psi Phenomenon label. The finest in underground free noise / drone, culled mostly from New Zealand but all around the world as well. For those of you new to the CpsiP label, imagine classic Siltbreeze (Dead C, etc.) mixed with Jewelled Antler (Thuja, Blithe Sons etc.), dark and deep listening that sometimes verges on all out noise, but more often than not remains subtle experiments in avant drone and abstract sound. And when we say limited we mean LIMITED. Thes babies come in pressings of 30-80, out of which we get a whopping 10 copies!!
Bill Wood of the godlike 1/3 Octave Band teams up with his pal Ben Spiers for five massive tracks of floating free-form drone. Rumbling murmurs, fuzzy expanses of pink noise, delicate melodies stretched a mile wide, single notes dropped into the tranquil whir like tossing pebbles into a pond, creaking neo-classical minimalism, dabbed with reverb heavy skronks, like Albert Ayler playing at the bottom of a well filled with Sunroof! records. So good. For fans of Sunroof!, Basinski, Coleclough and the like.
MPEG Stream: "Hold Together"

SPIERS, CRESTON (HARVEY MILK) Yesterday's Parade / The Time Has Come (Southern Shelter) 7" 8.98
Shame on anyone who somehow managed to miss the acoustic Harvey Milk instore, with HM frontman Creston Spiers tackling stripped down Milk tracks, Leonard Cohen covers, heck, he even covered "Three Is A Magic Number" from Schoolhouse Rock. Well this one is for those of you who blew it, or for those of you who didn't but still need more.
A super limited yellow vinyl 7", the second and supposedly last pressing, 300 copies, already sold out, we have about 30, of Creston Spiers from Harvey Milk performing acoustic, two originals, both awesome. And both sounding like could-have-been Harvey Milk tracks, or obscure Leonard Cohen covers, anyone at the instore knows exactly what we mean, his voice and way with melody is so distinctive, and owes quite a bit to Mr. Cohen. On these two tracks, Spiers' vocals are rough and ragged but still melodic, accompanied by stripped down steel string guitar, spare and melancholy, with slightly off kilter arrangements, the tone mournful and melancholy. Barring a recording of "Three Is A Magic Number" you couldn't hope for more.
Pressed on thick clear yellow vinyl, housed in a clear plastic PVC sleeve, limited to 300 copies, out of print, this is most likely your last chance...

SPINAL TAP s/t (Polydor) cd 16.98
Spinal Tap's infamous "Smell The Glove" album now reissued and remastered, with 2 versions of "Christmas With The Devil" added as bonus tracks! An all-time classic, we don't have to tell you that. "Tonight I'm Going To Rock You Tonight", "Big Bottom", "Sex Farm" and all the rest never sounded better!

SPINANES Arches and Aisles (Sub Pop) cd 14.98
Now that Scott has left, Rebecca seeks out assistance from others including John McEntire of Tortoise. So it's not the stripped down sound that won her kudos with Manos here, but her grasp of incorporating a wider range of instruments that makes this album more musically successful than Strand.

SPINANES Strand (Sub Pop) cd 14.98

SPINANES Strand (Sub Pop) lp 10.98

SPINNA, DJ All Mixed Up : Collection Part 1 (Urban Theory) 2cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A tolerably well mixed 74 minutes of hip hop, soul, electronica, etc from the likes of Nightmares on Wax, Tek9, Terranova, Les Nubians, Runaways UK, 4Hero, etc. As with most of Spinna's releases, there's a second disc of the unmixed original tracks by themselves. This idea is cool when the originals are quite different from how they eventually sound when incorporated into a mix (as in the case of his old soul/r'n'b release Strange Games), and makes the DJ look good, too, but in the case of this title, the originals aren't that different from how they sound within his set. Still, an enjoyable comp.

SPINNA, DJ Strange Games and Things (Barely Breaking Even) 3cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A three cd collection of classic old soul, disco and r'n'b gems. The first disc is a continuous mix by DJ Spinna, whose skills aren't all there but somehow his clunkiness adds a charm to the whole thing. The two remaining discs are the originals of each of the records he used in his set, and this is such a treasure trove of good music, 27 tracks in all, well worth the price. With Minnie Riperton, Bohannon, Marvin Gaye, Donald Byrd, Sugarhill Gang, Foxy, Johnny Bristol, Roy Ayers, and many more.
RealAudio clip: MINNIE RIPERTON "Reasons"
RealAudio clip: LEMURIA "Hunk of Heaven"

SPINY ANTEATERS Current (Kranky) cd 13.98

SPIRACLE Iris (Clouds Of Static) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Spiracle's 20 minute composition Iris was actually released well over a year ago, but Clouds Of Static has been dormant ever since Mnortham abdicated his position as the artistic director for the label. It's a real shame, as there were some real gems which might have come out on the label, with recordings by Murmer and John Duncan and talks of reissuing the brilliant first cd-r from Of (aka Loren Chasse). Yet, none of that will probably come to pass; and it was quite possible that the remaining stock of what was released through Clouds Of Static may have languished in some Swiss castle (quite literally) for years. Fortunately, we were able to uncover a few copies of Iris by Spiracle (aka Hitoshi Kojo, whose collaboration with Maurizio Bianchi is reviewed elsewhere on this list). Taking cues from David Jackman's arsenal of growling harmonics from bowed metals, Ellen Fullman's long-stringed instruments, and Akio Suzuki's impeccable ear for tactile events, Hitoshi offers a dynamic drone composition of compacted layers of acoustic sound with slowly scraped strings amassing into a sustained drone made porous by tumbling fistfuls of sand poured out upon the floor and a weirdly compelling flanging bellow. We only got a dozen or so of these in; and we don't plan on storming any Swiss castle anytime soon, so these few copies are probably all that we'll be able to get!
MPEG Stream: "Iris"

SPIRAL JOY BAND Little Sparrow (VHF) cd 13.98
Very few bands benefit from a list of their instrumentation, but a group like the Spiral Joy Band, that list has much to say about the sounds to be found within: fiddles, gongs, bowls, harmonium, srutis, spiral cymbal, crash cymbal, crank whistle, flute, bells, banjosticks. Even more telling are these words from the liner notes: "no overdubs, no amplification, no effect".
Spiral Joy Band are drone explorers, purists who spend their time rubbing and bowing and striking various objects to conjure up elements they can weave into their hauntingly mysterious organic drone music. While we're typically partial to the low end of the sonic spectrum, upper register tones have a magic all their own, and create an entirely different world of sound.
Henry Flynt is definitely a good reference point for the Spiral Joy Band, notice that fiddles (plural!) were the first instrument listed, and the root of these sounds is definitely slow bowed fiddles, the sound is keening and moaning. and when all the fiddles get going together, it's like an acoustic version of Sunroof!, total glorious high end ur-drone nirvana. There's an element of twang to the sound, the sawed strings, it's unavoidable, the cymbals add another layer of shimmer, at it's most transcendent, it's like staring at the sun, glimmering, glistening, sparkling effulgence, the various overtones taking on a life of their own, at its most subtle, it's like some late afternoon country hoedown, but all slowed down, and all high end. So nice. This one is definitely not for drone dabblers, this one is for the true drone elite, looking to escape the sonic confines of this terrestrial world, to find musical salvation in the astral plane.
MPEG Stream: "Flowers In The Dooryard"
MPEG Stream: "Little Sparrow"

SPIRAL JOY BAND Lullabies For Jeff Dean (VHF) cd 13.98
By now, avid AQ list readers should know just how much we love the drone, and how much we love dark swirling stretched out ambient music. And just how much of our favorite drone music comes from the always impeccable VHF record label: Sunroof!, Total, Skullflower, Vibracathedral Orchestra, Flying Saucer Attack, Pelt and many more. And now you can add Spiral Joy Band to the list. A long running Pelt offshoot, this is the first official release from the SJB after having formed almost 5 years ago. The Spiral Joy Band focuses on just one element of Pelt's sound, bowed and struck metal, and makes that their sonic focal point, stretching the sound of reverberating metal into massive trance like drones. Singing bowls, gonga, sruti box, bells, flute, esraj, tanpuram, shenai, tongue drum, dumbek, shakers and electronics all contribute to the drone, or add subtle melodies and simple rhythms, each subtle layer and woven into a slow burning, dreamily hypnotic thrum. The final track adds some unlikely piano, that gives it a very laid back seventies hippy space psych prog vibe, with tinkling chimes, huge washes of gong and strange atonal melodies, all hovering above a distant rumbling Tony Conrad-like drone. Nice.
MPEG Stream: "Lullaby 1"
MPEG Stream: "Lullaby 2"

SPIRAL JOY BAND WITH JOHN W. FAIL Pores In The Porch And Puddles Beneath (Soopa) cd-r 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

MPEG Stream: "Elegy For Wooden Ladders"
MPEG Stream: "Down From The Skies"

SPIRES OF OXFORD cd 13.98
Beautiful, trancey, solo guitar improvisation from the Azusa Plane guy.

SPIRES THAT IN THE SUNSET RISE s/t (Graveface) cd 9.98
Finally available on cd! The debut recording from this Chicago trio of damaged hippie primitivists who unleash a miasmic flow of creepy, primal free-folk ragas woven from guitars, cellos, autoharp, melodica, harmonium, spike fiddle(!), mbira, piano, violin, voice and percussion. Childlike and playful, innocent and haunting, disturbing and dreamy, eliciting acid fried flashbacks to such pagan classics as Comus, Current 93, the Wicker Man and of course NNCK and the Sunburned Hand!
MPEG Stream: "I Am Sewn"
MPEG Stream: "Birds Of Paradise"

SPIRES THAT IN THE SUNSET RISE s/t (Galactic Zoo / Eclipse) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is the debut recording from this Chicago trio of damaged hippie primitivists who unleash a miasmic flow of creepy, primal free-folk ragas woven from guitars, cellos, autoharp, melodica, harmonium, spike fiddle(!), mbira, piano, violin, voice and percussion. Childlike and playful, innocent and haunting, disturbing and dreamy, eliciting acid fried flashbacks to such pagan classics as Comus, Current 93, the Wicker Man and of course NNCK and the Sunburned Hand!

SPIRIT CARAVAN Dreamwheel (Meteor City) cdep 11.98
Not long after their excellent debut album Jug Fulla Sun, ex-Saint Vitus/The Obsessed frontman Wino and his new band (a.k.a. Shine) of stoner rock doomsters return with this equally smokin' 5-song ep. Great stuff. However, could the cover art be any worse?

SPIRIT CARAVAN Elusive Truth (Tolotta) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here's the eagerly-awaited second full-length slab of doom-groove from legendary guitarist and vocalist Wino (aka Scott Weinrich) and his band of stoner rock saviors/survivors Spirit Caravan. Like their 1999 debut "Jug Fulla Sun", this builds on the sound of Wino's previous downer-metal outfit The Obsessed (and his experience singing for psychedelic-punk doom-lords Saint Vitus back in the day) for some decidedly heavy ROCK action by veterans who really know what they're doing.
RealAudio clip: "Black Flower"
RealAudio clip: "Elusive Truth"

SPIRIT CARAVAN Elusive Truth (Tolotta) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here's the eagerly-awaited second full-length slab of doom-groove from legendary guitarist and vocalist Wino (aka Scott Weinrich) and his band of stoner rock saviors/survivors Spirit Caravan. Like their 1999 debut "Jug Fulla Sun", this builds on the sound of Wino's previous downer-metal outfit The Obsessed (and his experience singing for psychedelic-punk doom-lords Saint Vitus back in the day) for some decidedly heavy ROCK action by veterans who really know what they're doing.

SPIRIT CARAVAN Jug Fulla Sun (Tolotta) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Scott "Wino" Weinrich (ex-Saint Vitus, The Obsessed) returns with his new stoner rock power trio (until recently, known as Shine). This, their debut full-length, was made possible by Joe "Wino's biggest fan" Lally of Fugazi's new label Tolotta. Doom, groove, riffs, Wino's trademark Ozzy-tinged vox: this is the real deal. On Allan's top ten for the year so far.

SPIRIT CARAVAN So Mortal Be (Tolotta) 7" 3.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Two new tracks from these stoner metal heroes. The A-side's "So Mortal Be" is typical rockin' Spirit Caravan fare, while on B-side "Undone Mind" bassist Dave Sherman takes over on vocals from Wino, his rougher, more wretched pipes fitting well with the song's doomier vibe. White vinyl by the way.

SPIRIT CARAVAN The Last Embrace (Meteor City) 2cd 21.00
Joe Lally's Tolatta label sadly seems to have shuffled off this mortal coil (that's why we can't get those first two Dead Meadow albums anymore, too bad for new fans who came to that band via their debut on Matador this year) and Tolotta's flagship stoner rock outfit Spirit Caravan did the same, as well, with leader Scott "Wino" Weinrich moving on to new projects The Hidden Hand and Place Of Skulls, notching more bands on a resume that also includes The Obsessed and Saint Vitus. But demand remains for Spirit Caravan's two Tolotta albums so Meteor City has stepped in with this double cd that combines 'em into one neat package -- plus bonus material that makes this essential for completists even if they've already got the original albums. Perhaps Meteor City will arrange to do the same with the Dead Meadow discs? Hint hint. Anyway, if you're a Wino/Spirit Caravan fan who missed either Jug Fulla Sun or Elusive Truth, now you've got another chance. And in case you're unfamilar with Wino & co., but stoner-curious, here's a quote from our review of Jug Fulla Sun, which was definitely one of the top stoner rock releases of the past ten years: "Doom, groove, riffs, Wino's trademark Ozzy-tinged vox: this is the real deal." In addition to the two whole Tolotta albums, these cds include three totally unreleased songs, plus five 7" and comp tracks, and three demo tracks recorded by the band back when they were known as Shine.
MPEG Stream: "The Last Embrace"
MPEG Stream: "Powertime"

SPIRITU / VILLAGE OF DEAD ROADS split (Meteor City) cd 14.98

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS Ad Astra (Music For Nations) cd 16.98
The latest groove rock offering from ex-Carcass guitarist Michael Amott. No Carcass-y grind here, just swampy, grindy, bluesy stoner rock. But still heavy as fuck, with heaping helpings of Hammond organ ladled all over it.

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS Demons (Inside Out) cd 19.98

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS On Fire (Music For Nations) cd 16.98
'70s lovin', long-haired n' heavy (musically speaking, that is -- they look kinda skinny, actually) Swedes the Spiritual Beggars, whom you know as the "stoner rock" band of ex-Carcass, current Arch Enemy six-string wizard Mike Amott, introduce a new singer (the guy from Grand Magus, another one of what must be millions of Swedish stoner rock bands) with "On Fire". It's going to take a few more listens than we've had the chance to experience to determine if this new album is any kind of step up for a band we already like quite a bit, or just more of the same -- but so far, anyway, it seems pretty cool! The Hammond organ still throbs mightily, as they run through rockin' riff-fests and mellow, spacey psychedelic excursions. And the new guy's vocals are just fine, if a little cliched (their old singer Spice wasn't Spiritual Beggar's drawing card anyway). In the mood for a loud n' proud, modern-day take on Deep Purple and the like? This ought to fit the bill.
RealAudio clip: "Street Fighting Saviours"

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS s/t (Regain) cd 14.98
The rare first album by Swedish stoner rockers Spiritual Beggars finally reissued on cd with four bonus tracks! Not to be confused with fellow stoner rockers Spirit Caravan, Spiritual Beggars is the band in which ex-Carcass, current Arch Enemy six stringer Michael Amott gets his heavy '70s groove on. Fans of their other albums (like the mighty "Mantra III" and "Ad Astra") will want this of course, but those other albums are recommended for starters 'cause we really dig the Hammond organ action that's not yet a part of the Beggars' sound on this one, recorded as a pure power trio. But then again, that leaves more room for Mike's guitar. Swirling psychedelic stomp for fans of Kyuss, Monster Magnet, late-period Trouble, and the like. Also note the "Foxy Lady" cop on opener "Yearly Dying", and "Purple Haze" is clearly part of their vocabulary too.
RealAudio clip: "If This Is All"

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS / GRAND MAGUS Split (Southern Lord) 7" 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Two excellent stoner rock groups go head to head on this split single: Mike Amott's much-loved Spiritual Beggars and newcomers Grand Magus.

SPIRITUAL SINGERS Ntsamina (Mississippi) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
MISSISSIPPI Alert! MISSISSIPPI Alert! MISSISSIPPI Alert!
Wow! This is unlike any gospel or African music we've heard. The Spiritual Singers were (are?) an evangelical pop group hailing from Brazzaville, that fused Afropop, R&B, garage rock, high off-kilter vocals and epic harmonies into a strange amalgam of groovy far-flung devotionals. Fronted by Berthe Loudi, whose amazing vocal quality borders on the endearingly outsiderish: raw, passionate and high keening at times, almost out of tune but in a way that goes perfectly with the music, tempered by the lovingly angelic quality of the back-up harmonies. The combo features two guitars, bass, organ and some really amazing drumming that kicks up the grooves on the faster numbers and highlights the epic devotional quality on the slower ones. Released in 1980, this is another highly worthwhile entry in the Mississippi catalog. Remember, these are limited!

SPIRITUALAIRES, THE OF HURTSBORO, ALABAMA Singing Songs Of Praise (CaseQuarter) cd 14.98

SPIRITUALIZED Amazing Grace (BMG) cd 17.98
Jason Pierce is back, taking the gospelized space-pop of his band Spiritualized into the most rawked-out Stooges territory he's traipsed since his days in the legendary Spacemen 3. Seriously, even the vocals on here sound a bit (too much?) like Iggy! It's Brit pop gone bad -- Windy quipped that this sounds like an Unhappy Mondays. So, if you're looking for the blissful sounds found on Spiritualized's classic Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space you'll have to look harder. But if you can dig some punky, psychedelic rock bombast then you'll dig this, and you'll also find some nicely slow, sparse, sad songs on here too. Indeed, while your first impression is gonna be Raw Power, the distorted guitars give way to the kind of raw (heavenly) power you can only evoke with the help of choirs and horns and stuff. Pretty nice overall.
[Btw, Windy has a question: has Pierce ever spoken publicly about his Christian beliefs? There's a lot of flirting w/it on this album (name of band, duh... title, duh) -- but one wonders how much of it is admiration for gospel style vs genuine devoutness. Just wondering.]
MPEG Stream: "This Little Life Of Mine"
MPEG Stream: "The Ballad Of Richie Lee"

SPIRITUALIZED Come Together (Dedicated/Arista) cdsingle 4.98
2 versions each of two songs ("Come Together" and "Broken Heart") -- the Two Lone Swordsmen remix of "Come Together" is SO GOOD that it alone is worth the price of this disc.

SPIRITUALIZED Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space (Dedicated/Arista) cd 12.98
No, we do not have the specially-packaged version of this cd, those went in one day. Nevertheless, this is a finely crafted, swirling space-pop album. If you can fight off those visions of floating VW bugs in your head, you'll be rewarded with an effervescent listening experience.

SPIRITUALIZED Let It Come Down (Special Edition) (Arista) cd 17.98
A lot has transpired since the superb "Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space" album from 1997. Members Sean Cook, Damon Reece and Mike Mooney were given the boot, but swiftly moved on to form the very similar sounding Lupine Howl (which we included in the last AQ List). The lone remaining member Jason Pierce forged ahead recruiting a whole new band. The result? More hugely epic Brit space-rock overflowing with bombast and melodrama... but perhaps too much? On my first few listens, this seemed to fall short of the polished mark of the previous album, with the textures and intricacies replaced by sheer volume and rock power. Spiritualized are reknowned for their jaw-dropping packaging and this one's no exception (a plastic case with a girl's bas-relief face, jello mold style), although once again... yep, it just can't surpass that of its predecessor (the blister pack of individual single track cd "pills"). Cool though.

SPIRITUALIZED Let It Come Down (Special Edition) (Arista) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A lot has transpired since the superb "Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space" album from 1997. Members Sean Cook, Damon Reece and Mike Mooney were given the boot, but swiftly moved on to form the very similar sounding Lupine Howl (which we included in the last AQ List). The lone remaining member Jason Pierce forged ahead recruiting a whole new band. The result? More hugely epic Brit space-rock overflowing with bombast and melodrama, but perhaps too much? On my first few listens, this seemed to fall short of the polished mark of the previous album, with the textures and intricacies replaced by sheer volume and rock power.

SPIRITUALIZED Royal Albert Hall, October 10, 1997: Live (Arista) 2cd 17.98

SPIRITUALIZED Songs In A & E (Sanctuary) cd 13.98
If you love Jason Pierce and Spiritualized you'll find plenty to entertain yourself within these Songs In A & E, though the record fails to capture the intensity and otherworldliness of such masterworks as Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space, nor the sonorous integrity of Lazer Guided Melodies. This being Mr. Spaceman's first full length outing since his battle with pneumonia in '05, there is a distinctly weary tone to his voice, as well as notably morbid fixation in the lyrics. The last song ends with him chanting the words "funeral home," repeatedly. And with that said, ironically, one gets the sense that we haven't gotten our last great Spiritualized record, though this isn't it. Rather it seems Pierce is transitioning from a less spaced-out and youthful visionary into a more reflexive and bluesy troubadour. The vocals are far less effected on this record than in previous outings, and the acoustic guitar is allowed more attention in the face of the usual choirs, and luscious orchestration. Perhaps on the heels of his spare contributions to the Mister Lonely soundtrack, this is less significant, but in comparison to the broader patterns in his career, it is. Interestingly, the most richly orchestrated songs on the record are partitioned separately as instrumentals carrying the titles, H1-H5. Still here, naturally, are the shockingly, and sometimes even humorously frank references to heavy drug use, but it's perhaps in that honesty that we need Pierce. He seems to be fighting his way slowly into a new paradigm, the peak of which, we hope, will be something to behold.
MPEG Stream: "Soul On Fire"
MPEG Stream: "Borrowed Your Gun"

SPITE EXTREME WING Magnificat (Beyond...Prod.) cd 12.98