STEVENS, SUFJAN Greetings From Michigan, The Great Lakes State) (Sounds Familyre) cd 14.98
We sold a bunch of these in the store before anyone really knew what it was, mostly to folks who were from Michigan, as it's an entire suite of songs about Michigan. Thanks to our pal Barbara Duffield who turned us on to this (she's from Michigan too!). But trust us, there's plenty to love here, even if you're not from Michigan (although if you are, stop reading here and just buy it. It's great. There's even a map inside so you can follow along and know which song goes with which place). Sufjan Stevens is a new discovery for us, and maybe for you too, but judging from how great this record is, he probably won't stay unknown for long. Dark and dreamy, sad and lonely, drifting and soulful, shimmery and sun dappled, gently strummed acoustic guitars, dark muted horns and lots of banjo, along with Stevens' delicate crackle of a voice, sounding not unlike a more depressed Archer Prewitt, with occasional female background vocals on a handful of the tracks making for wonderful harmonies! This record is chock full of warm and warbly, melancholic melodies, pastoral folk-pop soundscapes, and some of the best songwriting we've heard in a while. Fans of Palace, Songs:Ohia, Arab Strap, Sixteen Horsepower, Woven Hand, the Decemberists and that sort of mopey melancholia will love this! This just might be the best twangy indie-folk-pop record since Iron And Wine!
MPEG Stream: "For The Widows In Paradise, For the Fatherless In Ypsilanti"
MPEG Stream: "The Upper Peninsula"
MPEG Stream: "Flint (For The Unemployed And The Underpaid)"

STEVENS, SUFJAN Invites You To: Come on Feel the Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty) cd 14.98
Firstly, we should let you know that despite the peculiar album title's take on the Slade song there's absolutely nothing that we'd call 'noise' in any of these twenty-two songs (!), Illinoise or otherwise. This is Sufjan Stevens' second full length welcoming ode to a Midwestern state. Heck why not? His Greetings from Michigan album went over like gangbusters, and we've got a feeling this one will too. His folk-pop numbers of which this album is primarily comprised (fyi: he also crafts more abstract quirky electronic work) are so wistful and dreamy whether he's singing alone or has a sweet chorus joining in for a few bars. Actually when it's time for the group-sing, it's sorta like a more low-key Polyphonic Spree. Totally feel-good! Stevens' lilting compositions are highlighted by frolicking horns and swirling strings. This album balances his upbeat songs which can be downright jubilant with his more melancholic ones that might make you a bit misty-eyed... and that's even before you notice the songs' lyrical storylines and historical references about all thing Illinois. In fact, Illinoise will surely also appeal to fans of the lush pop sounds of more recent Belle & Sebastian or Kings Of Convenience. A super delight! Recommended.
Note: the likeness of a certain caped celebrity appears on the cover to this, and it turns out he (or his corporate sponsors) don't want him to be there, so this is going to be redone with new cover art sometime soon. Thus we're gonna run out of these pretty darn quick, and it may be out of stock for a wee while before they get repressed -- sorry!
MPEG Stream: "Prairie Fire That Wanders About"
MPEG Stream: "The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!"

STEVENS, SUFJAN Invites You To: Come On Feel The Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty) 2lp 16.98
Now on double gatefold vinyl with extra treats!
Here's what we said about the cd...
Firstly, we should let you know that despite the peculiar album title's take on the Slade song there's absolutely nothing that we'd call 'noise' in any of these twenty-two songs (!), Illinoise or otherwise. This is Sufjan Stevens' second full length welcoming ode to a Midwestern state. Heck why not? His Greetings from Michigan album went over like gangbusters, and we've got a feeling this one will too. His folk-pop numbers of which this album is primarily comprised (fyi: he also crafts more abstract quirky electronic work) are so wistful and dreamy whether he's singing alone or has a sweet chorus joining in for a few bars. Actually when it's time for the group-sing, it's sorta like a more low-key Polyphonic Spree. Totally feel-good! Stevens' lilting compositions are highlighted by frolicking horns and swirling strings. This album balances his upbeat songs which can be downright jubilant with his more melancholic ones that might make you a bit misty-eyed... and that's even before you notice the songs' lyrical storylines and historical references about all thing Illinois. In fact, Illinoise will surely also appeal to fans of the lush pop sounds of more recent Belle & Sebastian or Kings Of Convenience. A super delight! Recommended.
Now what about the bonus stuff that we were referring to earlier? Well, please read on... You may or may not have heard that the likeness of a certain caped celebrity originally appeared on the cover to this release, and it turns out he (or his corporate sponsors) didn't want him to be there, so the 'problem' was removed from the subsequent cd pressings. Apparently the LP sleeves got printed up too with the offending figure, so on the first 5000 LP copies he has been concealed with a (cheekily removeable) sticker of some cheerful balloons. Oh yeah, and there's a tune "The Avalanche" which does not appear on the cd version!
MPEG Stream: "Prairie Fire That Wanders About"
MPEG Stream: "The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!"

STEVENS, SUFJAN Seven Swans (Sounds Familyre) cd 14.98
Another gorgeously melancholy song cycle from our new favortie mopey-pop troubadour Sufjan Stevens. Like its predecessor, Greetings From Michigan, it's chock full of gently strummed acoustic guitars, lots of banjo, sweetly sorrowful melodies, Stevens' breathy earnest voice (sometimes accompanied by angelic female background vocals) and some truly beautiful songwriting. Dreamy and sweet, meandering and melodic. Not a concept record as far as we can tell (unlike the previous Michigan album, and his earlier signs of the Chinese zodiac album) but cohesive nonetheless. Epic but simple pastoral popscapes and whispery minor key laments. So wonderful. Fans of melancholy pop and dour indie jangle (Palace, Arab Strap, Songs:Ohia, Iron And Wine, Archer Prewitt) should already have Sufjan Stevens all over their mixtapes and in their iPods, but if for some strange reason they don't, now is the time, and this is the record.
MPEG Stream: "All The Trees Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands"
MPEG Stream: "The Dress Looks Nice On You"
MPEG Stream: "In The Devil's Territory"

STEVENS, SUFJAN Seven Swans (Sounds Familyre) lp+7" 17.98
Available on vinyl!! And it includes a bonus 7" with exclusive unreleased music! Here's what we had to say about the record when we first reviewed the cd back in 2004:
Another gorgeously melancholy song cycle from our new favortie mopey-pop troubadour Sufjan Stevens. Like its predecessor, Greetings From Michigan, it's chock full of gently strummed acoustic guitars, lots of banjo, sweetly sorrowful melodies, Stevens' breathy earnest voice (sometimes accompanied by angelic female background vocals) and some truly beautiful songwriting. Dreamy and sweet, meandering and melodic. Not a concept record as far as we can tell (unlike the previous Michigan album, and his earlier signs of the Chinese zodiac album) but cohesive nonetheless. Epic but simple pastoral popscapes and whispery minor key laments. So wonderful. Fans of melancholy pop and dour indie jangle (Palace, Arab Strap, Songs:Ohia, Iron And Wine, Archer Prewitt) should already have Sufjan Stevens all over their mixtapes and in their iPods, but if for some strange reason they don't, now is the time, and this is the record.
MPEG Stream: "All The Trees Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands"
MPEG Stream: "The Dress Looks Nice On You"
MPEG Stream: "In The Devil's Territory"

STEVENS, SUFJAN Songs For Christmas: Volumes I-IV - Singalong In Stereo Hi-Fi (Asthmatic Kitty) 5cd box 22.00
The prince of theme albums delivers the goods in time for the holidays. Mr. Stevens follows up his Illinois and Michigan albums with this jaw-dropping five cd set of Christmas tunes. Clearly he not only knows his State facts, but also his Christmas tidings too. The five discs are titled Noel (2001), Hark! (2002), Ding! Dong! (2003), Joy (2005), and Peace (2006), and they add up to a bountiful mix of forty two traditional songs and Sufjan originals.
But he didn't stop at music! Along with the cds in this boxset, you get a heap of Sufjan penned stories and liner notes, lyric sheets, score charts, a music video and comic strip by Tom Eaton, an essay written by Rick Moody, a family portrait, and stickers too.
Even total Scrooges may find the spirit of this one difficult to resist!
MPEG Stream: "Get Behind Me, Santa!"
MPEG Stream: "Let's Boogey To The Elf Dance!"
MPEG Stream: "Silent Night"

STEWARD I Was The Only Boy On The Netball Team (Blackbean & Placenta) cd 11.98

STEWART, MARK Kiss the Future (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
First things first, The Pop Group was a fucking incredible band. In their brief existance from 1979 to 1981, The Pop Group represented one of the most successful and most radical reinventions of punk through dub tricknology. After they dissolved, the politically acerbic sloganeer for the band, Mark Stewart, attempted to capture the immediacy, fury, and energy of his band through a number of collaborations... all of which were far more impressive in theory than in practice. With the rhythm section of the Sugarhill Gang, the resident On U Sound producer Adrian Sherwood and more recent production assistance from The Bug, surely anything, anyone would do with those folks would turn out great, right? Not exactly. Mark Stewart's solo tracks and cuts with The Maffia always exhibit a bit too much flash and not enough good songwriting and rhythms to warrant all of the cool production tricks and big names thrown into the mix. So, Kiss The Future -- a compilation spanning Mark Stewart's entire career -- features some absolutely kick-ass tracks (e.g. the three songs from The Pop Group) amidst a bunch of decent-to-pretty-good, electro-funk-dub tracks that try too hard (everything else). Obviously, Soul Jazz is trying to continue to cash in on the whole post-punk revival thing spawned by The Rapture, LCD Soundsystem, !!!, etc. Where Soul Jazz hit the mark on the A Certain Ratio reissues and the In The Beginning There Was Rhythm compilation, Kiss The Future falls just a bit short. This can mostly be recommended to those who were completely enthralled by The Pop Group's Y album and need to hear what else Mark Stewart has done. Everybody else should just jump straight to that aforementioned Pop Group album and revel in one thoroughly impressive piece of work.
MPEG Stream: THE POP GROUP "We Are Time"
MPEG Stream: MARK STEWART & THE MAFFIA "Hypnotised"
MPEG Stream: MARK STEWART "The Puppet Master"

STEWART, MARK Kiss the Future (Soul Jazz) 2lp 24.00
First things first, The Pop Group was a fucking incredible band. In their brief existance from 1979 to 1981, The Pop Group represented one of the most successful and most radical reinventions of punk through dub tricknology. After they dissolved, the politically acerbic sloganeer for the band, Mark Stewart, attempted to capture the immediacy, fury, and energy of his band through a number of collaborations... all of which were far more impressive in theory than in practice. With the rhythm section of the Sugarhill Gang, the resident On U Sound producer Adrian Sherwood and more recent production assistance from The Bug, surely anything, anyone would do with those folks would turn out great, right? Not exactly. Mark Stewart's solo tracks and cuts with The Maffia always exhibit a bit too much flash and not enough good songwriting and rhythms to warrant all of the cool production tricks and big names thrown into the mix. So, Kiss The Future -- a compilation spanning Mark Stewart's entire career -- features some absolutely kick-ass tracks (e.g. the three songs from The Pop Group) amidst a bunch of decent-to-pretty-good, electro-funk-dub tracks that try too hard (everything else). Obviously, Soul Jazz is trying to continue to cash in on the whole post-punk revival thing spawned by The Rapture, LCD Soundsystem, !!!, etc. Where Soul Jazz hit the mark on the A Certain Ratio reissues and the In The Beginning There Was Rhythm compilation, Kiss The Future falls just a bit short. This can mostly be recommended to those who were completely enthralled by The Pop Group's Y album and need to hear what else Mark Stewart has done. Everybody else should just jump straight to that aforementioned Pop Group album and revel in one thoroughly impressive piece of work.
MPEG Stream: THE POP GROUP "We Are Time"
MPEG Stream: MARK STEWART & THE MAFFIA "Hypnotised"
MPEG Stream: MARK STEWART "The Puppet Master"

STICKMEN WITH RAYGUNS Some People Deserve To Suffer (Emperor Jones) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Killer reissue of the collected recordings of the -OTHER- legendary-drug-addled-shirtless-drunk-stumbling-rocking-LOUD-punk-as-fuck-Texas-combo (other than the Buttholes that is). And while the Stickmen have a lot in common with the Butthole Surfers (see above) their sound tends towards the noisy rocky end of the spectrum, rather than the tripped out space jam the Surfers were so fond of.
And you may recognise the name as the Stickmen were one of the standout bands on the recently reissued Texas punk comp. Cottage Cheese From The Lips Of Death. Been listening to this like crazy. So great! Fans of the Butthole Surfers, Scratch Acid, punk rock and early Homestead records, should really check this out.
RealAudio clip: "Christian Rat Attack"
RealAudio clip: "Gave City"
RealAudio clip: "What Am I?"

STICKY FOSTER / NEIL CAMPBELL s/t (alt.vinyl) 8" square lathe cut 26.00
Holy shit! Record collector nerds and weird music obsessives might as well prepare to give up their first born or take out another mortgage on the ol' homestead, cuz this series of ultra limited 8" SQUARE lathe cuts is gonna break the bank, but it's so so so worth it. This is the first in a series that looks like it will include a who's who of noise rock / free rock / avant noise / free folk luminaries, including SO many all time AQ faves it makes our heads spin. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The first batch of these babies just showed up, three titles, each a custom hand cut, Peter King lathe cut, 8", and SQUARE!!! Packaged in gorgeous square and triangular die cut sleeves, super fancy textured paper, with a paste on front cover and a printed insert, each insert hand numbered, each release limited to 150 copies. Phew.
For those new to the lathe cut, it's a hand cut record, on polycarbonate not vinyl, they are more fragile than normal vinyl, and after repeated plays the sound quality can degrade a bit, but in our experience, in most cases it just makes them sound cooler. Peter King is THE MAN when it comes to super limited small run lathe cut releases, and pretty much every cool band you can think of has gone to him for some super rare or limited release or another.
So anyway, these are clear, they are 8"s across, shaped like a square and are insanely limited, and thus, pretty dang expensive! This is the third in the series and features Neil Campbell of AQ faves Vibracathedral Orchestra, along with his sonic partner in crime, the curiously monickered Sticky Foster, and the din these two stir up is not all that far removed from the VCO mothership. Side A is a glitchy soundscape, with garbled vocals, weird percussion, processed voices, thick whorls of murk and fuzz and hiss, bits of steel string buzz all above a dense tangle of chimes and tinkling percussion. The B side is a huge shimmering ur-drone, a fluttering wall of keening reeds and soaring feedback, all smeared into one glorious sky-reaching tumult, very reminiscent of VCO or Sunroof! So nice.

STIELAS STORHETT Vandrer... (Northern Silence) cd 14.98
Instead of leaving it for the end of the review like we usually do, we'll come right out and say it right at the beginning.
BLACK METAL RECORD OF THE YEAR.
Without a doubt, the debut release from Russian one man band Stielas Storhett, has stormed past all the other black hordes, and secured the number one spot on our best metal records of the year list. Even though technically it came out last year, we only just discovered it a few weeks ago, so as far as we're concerned this is IT. List rules be damned! And it seems very unlikely that any record will be able to top it.
What is it exactly, that makes Vandrer... so amazing then? At first, we thought it was one of those BM records AQ seems to love so much, you know, the sort of damaged and demented, stumbling and fucked up, weirdo outsider black metal. But the more we listened, the less 'weird' it sounded, and the more it seemed to transcend the usual descriptors. In many ways it is fucked up and demented, but instead of being blatantly weird or experimental, the weirdness was part and parcel of a super personal, carefully crafted sound. A blown out wintry buzz, furious and fuzzy, relentless and over the top, but infused with mournful melodies and strange sonic layers. Lots of killer guitar harmonies, but buried in seas of sizzling cymbals, in the red drums, and some of the most gloriously distorted guitars EVER.
The opener is a majestic epic, as sorrowful and melancholy as it is frosty and grim, with sweeping guitar melodies, and a loping, sort of stumbling rhythm, complete with long stretches of gorgeously bleak clean guitars over simple shuffling drumming. The second track counters with some of the most intense and furiously fuzzed out blackness ever set to tape. A killer riff that is immediately swallowed up by a swirling cloud of black buzz and chaotic drum damage. But even within this dense squall of mayhemic fury, lurk all sorts of haunting melodies and unlikely sounds, an army of ghostly shapes and sonic spectres, the musical version of wandering through bleak landscapes and fog enshrouded graveyards...
The rest of the record veers between those two sonic sides, the blown out buzz, and the lilting depressive moodiness, from the weird depressive Katatonia like dirge of the instrumental "Nymane" (instrumental that is, except for some strange buried-in-the-mix, moaning and heavy breathing) that reminds us of a super tense emotional scene from some Dario Argento film, to the closing number "Dieses Eis Wird Niemals Schmelzen", which begins like some SUNNO))) style downtuned guitar buzzscape, before the drums kick in and the guitar splinters into strange syncopated chugging, while over the top drifts a gorgeous creepy guitar melody, eventually coalescing into a midtempo Burzumic trawl through some miserable sonic world of lost souls and damned spirits, to the epic seasick lurch of "Stille Weisse Wildnis", with its swords being unsheathed sound (a la Satyricon), its strange Fripp-like guitar interlude, and its stumbling stop start arrangement, and all blackened points in between.
There are even a couple of covers, Darkthrone's "Unholy Black Metal", which is pretty true to the original but supercharged and doused with even more grim buzz than the original, and Burzum's "Erblicket Die Tochter Des Firmaments" which is an all time classic, but given Stielas Storhett's sonic makeover, insanely distorted and heavily affected vocals, and a million more layers of buzz, and a production that noises it up so much that minus the drums, it could be some killer Merzbow black metal track.
MPEG Stream: "Der Letzte November"
MPEG Stream: "Vandrer..."
MPEG Stream: "Grafin Dammerlicht"
MPEG Stream: "Schmerzerfullter Zorn"

STILL Remains (Public Guilt) cd 14.98

STILL FLYIN' Time Wrinkle (Antenna Farm) 12" 10.98
NOW ON VINYL!
Who'd expect a big bunch of pasty Bay Area indie rockers to form a reggae group? You'd probably be a bit suspicious of their intent, wouldn't ya? But Still Flyin' are without an ounce of irony. There's simply no room for it when there's such a truckload of genuine enthusiasm for the music. Yes, it's quite a surprising turn of events, innit? They frolic on the bright sunny side of reggae with lots of buoyant melodies and exuberant vocals. This is fun, feel-good music with not a cloud in the sky. Their good time van seats over a dozen including frontman Sean Rawls, Brian Girgus (Trackstar, Lowercase), Yoshi Nakamoto (Aisler's Set) and it used to include Wyatt Cusick (Trackstar, Aisler's Set) too before he moved to the distant shores of Scandinavia.
MPEG Stream: "Rope Burn"
MPEG Stream: " Coupla Smokes"

STILL FLYIN' Time Wrinkles On (Antenna Farm) cd 8.98
Who'd expect a big bunch of pasty Bay Area indie rockers to form a reggae group? You'd probably be a bit suspicious of their intent, wouldn't ya? But Still Flyin' are without an ounce of irony. There's simply no room for it when there's such a truckload of genuine enthusiasm for the music. Yes, it's quite a surprising turn of events, innit? They frolic on the bright sunny side of reggae with lots of buoyant melodies and exuberant vocals. This is fun, feel-good music with not a cloud in the sky. Their good time van seats over a dozen including frontman Sean Rawls, Brian Girgus (Trackstar, Lowercase), Yoshi Nakamoto (Aisler's Set) and it used to include Wyatt Cusick (Trackstar, Aisler's Set) too before he moved to the distant shores of Scandinavia.
MPEG Stream: "Rope Burn"
MPEG Stream: " Coupla Smokes"

STILL FLYIN' Za Cloud (Antenna Farm) cd ep 8.98
Still Flyin' are a bunch of cool kids from the Bay Area's indie rock'n'pop community and beyond (the ever changing and expanding line-up has included members of Track Star, Lowercase, Aislers Set, and Ladybug Transistor). Yup, they're a supergroup of sorts with a twist, they take a break from their respective general rocking and rolling, in favor of a whole different style of music -- some of the most feel-good reggae infused pop around. The outcome is absolutely unironic, positively jubilant and very well done. If you missed their debut album Time Wrinkles On last year, you've been missing out on the good times. This ep keeps the Still Flyin' party in full flight. Sure to buoy up your spirits and brighten up your day.
MPEG Stream: "The Bird Is Aware"
MPEG Stream: "Earthquake Body"

STILLER, BEN The Ben Stiller Show (Warner Bros.) 2dvd 27.00
Who else here owns a crappy fuzzed out fourth generation video dub of every episode of The Ben Stiller Show? I know I'm not the only one. It's almost like watching a watercolor rendition of a comedy series. But now you can own the whole thing (a mere ten years after its demise) legit, with crisp image, on this two DVD set. With a cast of uber-comedians: Ben Stiller, Janeane Garafolo, Andy Dick and the other half of Mr. Show, a.k.a Bob Odenkirk, it's hard to believe that the Ben Stiller Show has remained unavailable all these years. Possibly its cult status was guaranteed by the cast's truly fucked up and obscure choice of parodies like the Lassie recreation which supplants the lovable dog with a haggard, non-sequitur spewing Charles Manson (played to the hilt by Odenkirk). Or Stiller's own reccurring celebrity roast skit in which he impersonates Robert Evans and tortures the likes of Casey Kasem, Herve Villechaize and others. Those already intimately familiar with the show will be glad to hear that, along with all the original episodes, there's a plethora of bonus material including: unaired sketches, an alternate version of the pilot episode, two early parodies from MTV's version of the show, a behind the scenes special and, of course, commentary (including a hidden "easter egg" of Bob and Ben doing commentary for Melrose Heights). This two disc set is region 1, NTSC.

STILLROVEN, THE Too Many Spaces (Sundazed) cd 13.98

STILLS, THE Without Feathers (Vice) cd 12.98
While The Stills' debut album Logic Will Break Your Heart fell in mighty chummy with the Echo & The Joy Division post-punk-loving likes of Interpol, The Rapture and Yeah Yeah Yeahs back in 2003, we all know that times and bands change swiftly these days. The band's new full length sounds much more like The Strokes but maybe more charming and... well, Canadian. Which you know we definitely dig! Brighter, poppier and far less brooding.
BONUS: With purchase of this cd you'll also receive a limited edition screenprinted poster!
MPEG Stream: "In The Beginning"
MPEG Stream: "She's Walking Out"

STILLUPPSTEYPA Has (Or Has Not) Happened (Meme) cd 17.98
Ultra minimal 55 minute live performance by this ever-weirder Icelandic band. From scraping metal to sub wind frequency tones, to clipped click/pop sounds, into slow sweeping drones. Jim approved.

STILLUPPSTEYPA Interferences Are Often Requested : Reverse Tendency As Parts Nearly Become Nothing (Ritornell) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Stilluppsteypa's powerbooking has found a new home on Ritornell, the experimental sub-label of Mille Plateaux. This Icelandic trio (now living in The Netherlands) shows that the digital glitch market is not cornered, nor mastered by, Oval, as multiple layers of clinical drones slash across terse rhythmic clicks and pops. While Oval's collages of skipping cds occasionally fuse into beautiful, "warm" sounding melodic structures, Stilluppsteypa has always maintained a precision in the structure and sound of their digital detritus that is always bleak and barren, always cool and controlled.

STILLUPPSTEYPA Mort Aux Vaches (Staalplaat) cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another crucial recording in the "Mort Aux Vaches" series of commisions for VPRO Dutch radio. Hyper minimal, austere and quite beautiful. Soothing and hypnotic currents of rumbling bass and prickly micro drones fight not to be heard just as you are straining to hear, when crackles of residual conversations and concrete sounds emerge as dub-like ghosts disembodied above the Icelanders' dronology.

STILLUPPSTEYPA Not A Laughing Matter But A Matter Of Laughs E.P. (FIRE, Inc.) cdep 11.98
Four-song ep from these Icelandic electronic experimentalists. Somehow this reminds me of the sounds one might imagine encountering in the ducts and pipes of a massive office building, vibrating with the sounds of computers and A/C...and then everyone's gone home, and it's very very quiet. With some trumpet playing by Andy Diagram of the Spaceheads (for a moment, it sounds like a Mille Plateaux Spaceheads remix), and barely-there vocals by Japanese chanteuse Hanayo (who last collaborated with Panacea). Very cool see-thru blue edged cd.

STILLUPPSTEYPA s/t (Atak) cd 16.98
FINALLY BACK IN PRINT!!!
While certainly not by design, the Icelandic duo of Sigtryggur Berg Sigmarsson and Helgi Thorsson have kept a relatively low profile as Stilluppsteypa during the past couple of years. Sigmarsson kept himself busy with his own solo projects of likeminded isolationist spectroscopy and grandiose electronic absurdities, but Stilluppsteypa have only managed two albums since 2002 including The Immediate Past Is Of No Interest To Us and this eponymous album from 2004 on the obscure Japanese label Atak. The simple fact that Thorsson has been living in Amsterdam and Sigmarsson has been continuing his studies in Hannover helps explain the slow working process of the two these days. Nevertheless, when they do manage to get together to fire off another raygun blast of high-voltage rhythms crossed with clinical dronescaping, it's always amazing.
On this album, Stilluppsteypa pick up where they left off with The Immediate Past and their 2001 masterpiece Stories Part Five. Mechanical whirlings and abrasively tense drones steadily build into giddy episodes for electo-bossanova beats and carnivalesque melodies. Where most of Stilluppsteypa's contemporaries would treat such source materials with fart jokes and a puerile disregard for quality, Stilluppsteypa take a considerable amount of pride in scripting inventive electronica juxtapositions with remarkable technique and theatrical panache. In many ways, Sigmarsson and Thorsson are emerging as the equals of B.C. Gilbert and Graham Lewis in all of their extracurricular activities outside of Wire. Great stuff.
MPEG Stream: "Track 5"
MPEG Stream: "Track 12"
MPEG Stream: "Track 16"

STILLUPPSTEYPA Stories Part Five (Ritornell) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Who would have ever guessed that the first photo cover on the clinically sterile Ritornell label would have been this? A slickly produced cover photo of Stilluppsteypa donning faux-regal sparkling capes with huge stiff collars and one of the members (Sigtryggur?) in a fabulous/ridiculous pair of gilded boxing trunks with, of course, the ruby-red lightning bolt down the sides. In thinking of Ritornell's fascination with the glitch as both sound and methodology, this photograph is a perfect articulation of the glitch in the form of a visual mistake. This photograph shouldn't have ever been allowed to grace a Ritornell cover, but it has. And I'm very glad for it, but with the reservation that this should never become a regular occurance of the glitch community as this form of ironic self-description is almost always handled badly. Stilluppsteypa are certainly the exception to the rule.
I would hazard a guess that the visual sensibility of Stilluppsteypa has been informed by the odd conceptual agendas of Leif Elggren who is responsible in part for the Kingdoms of Elgaland / Vargaland (amongst a number of other oddball projects). Both Elggren and Stilluppsteypa play with the notions of royalty, as an residual political emblem of inflated egotism as well as of self-deprecating absurdity.
With that entire diatribe on how good the cover is, it needs to be stated that artwork completely betrays the integrity of the music within. Stilluppsteypa has developed into one of the most adventurous staples of the electronica glitch community. "Stories Part Five" deviates slightly from what is expected from Stilluppsteypa with their multipled layers of electro-acoustic minutae exploding into clinical technotic escapades, rippling with deep unwavering basstones. Stilluppsteypa's forays into techno minimalism are not the smooth tendencies of microhouse, instead preferring to enhance the skeletal grooves with a psycho-acoustic tension.
RealAudio clip: "Nice Things To File Away FOREVER!"
RealAudio clip: "When I Was Eight Years Old"
RealAudio clip: "All Drummers Shiver"

STILLUPPSTEYPA The Immediate Past Is Of No Interest To Us - 10 Years Of Continuous Pointless Activities (Bottrop-Boy) cd 15.98
Stilluppsteypa has reduced their ranks down to the duo of Siggtrygur Berg Sigmarsson and Helgi Thorsson as Heimir Bjorgulfsson has left to pursue his career as an electo-glitch superslueth in the Vacuum Boys. Yet the mission of these Icelandic transplants remains as convoluted as ever. Even the nature of this record is a bit of a puzzle; "The Immediate Past" may be a Stilluppsteypa retrospective drawing from their 10 years of recording, but also could be contemporary reworkings of older archival materials, or just their 10th year anniversary present to themselves. The only thing that can be said with any certainty is that the tracks on this album haven't appeared (in these forms) on any of the earlier Stilluppsteypa recordings. Upon asking Siggtrygur about the album, the response was a vague declaration of everything being "pretty new stuff" followed by an inexplicable AAAARRRRRHGGGG, YEAH! HA! and something about robots. If you allow yourself to be seduced by Stilluppstyepa, you'll see the logic there. It's something I really can't explain, but it's beautiful.
Regardless, "The Immediate Past Is Of No Interest To Us" is another brilliant Stilluppsteypa album of damaged electronics framed by semiotic slippages. Where the drone and the glitch had been previous focal points for the Icelanders, Stilluppsteypa centers upon the rhythm. With breakbeats constantly atomized into their granular parts, bounced backwards and forewards, and filtered through densely packed filters, this isn't music to dance to; but like fellow obtuse pop technicians Matmos, Stilluppsteypa isn't exactly music to think about. Stilluppstepa operate in a funhouse where they happily pull the trapdoor levers to let everybody (including themselves) tumble down to the nether regions below. Really fantastic!
RealAudio clip: "This Stuff Makes Me HOT!"
RealAudio clip: "It's Not Pointless!"
RealAudio clip: "We Crawled Out Of The MostlyWood Works"
RealAudio clip: "We Sure Could Do With Some Extra Help"

STILLUPPSTEYPA & TV POW We Are Everyone In The Room (Erstwhile Records) cd 15.98
Six laptops, three Icelanders, and three Chicagoans embarked on a collaborative tour in October 2000 throughout the US (but alas, not making their way to San Francisco). While certainly familiar with each other's work, they hadn't any previously working experience together, making their collaborative performances a trial by fire. "We Are Everyone In The Room" is a collection of recordings from that tour, and surprisingly doesn't sound like six guys on computers dorking around. Like Stilluppsteypa's studio records (especially "Has (Or Has Not) Happened" on Meme), this album holds a broad spectrum of manipulated glitches (from glacially distant drones to surface noise-like static to eerie digitally microscopic shimmers to terse morse-code arppegiations), but is focused within an intelligent, restrained blueprint of studied tonal fluctuations and spartan post-techno rhythms. Cold and beautiful.
RealAudio clip: "Intenational Starving Artists"
RealAudio clip: "This Place Looks Like Flint"

STIMULUS Untitled Landscapes One (ICR) cd-r 17.98
A small pressing of some 100 copies on Colin Potter's ICR label from this little known project Stimulus. Supposedly, this ensemble began life in a more abstract electronica vein; but here they've managed an excellent recapitulation of the classic Organum sound, with open-ended acoustic drones crafted out of growling textures and distended bellows massing into a dense, static cloud of acoustic energy. Further on, Stimulus blurs guitars and vibraphone into more of a distort-o-shoegazer drone much more in line with Fennesz or Machinefabriek, then shift to a heavy subharmonic bass drone coupled with elongated church organ tonalities. Well worth investigating!
MPEG Stream: "Untitled 1"
MPEG Stream: "Untitled 3"
MPEG Stream: "Untitled 4"

STINKING LIZAVETA ...Hopelessness And Shame (Compulsiv) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Their first album, f'n amazing drums/standup 'lectric bass/geetar instrumental action. Post rock, metal, jazz, hardcore -- these terms don't matter, it's Stinking Lizaveta from Philadelphia and they rule. One of the best live bands I've ever seen (sez Allan). They've done two AQ instores, two of the best. If you like Gone, King Crim, AC/DC, Mahavishnu, The Champs, Don Cab, etc. get with the program and get anything and everything by Stinking Liz.

STINKING LIZAVETA ...Hopelessness And Shame (w/ bonus tracks) (self-released (previously Compulsiv)) cd 10.98
High-adrenaline, deliriously complex, hard-hittingly heavy multidimensional power trio music that's part metal, part jazz, part punk, part prog. Gorgeous stuff played with supreme power and passion. Telepathic precision, improv awareness, and hella guitar heroics. They've been around forever and just get better and better. But they started off pretty good in the first place, as you'll hear here!!
That's right, one of our favorite bands, the ever-touring, ever-incredible Stinking Lizaveta (name taken from Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov), have themselves reissued their first album of f'n amazing drums/standup electric bass/electric guitar instrumental action. Post rock, metal, jazz, hardcore -- these terms don't matter, it's Stinking Lizaveta from Philadelphia and they rule. One of the best live bands we've EVER seen. They've done two AQ instore performances in the past, two of the best. And when they played in SF and Oakland last year, they destroyed. Don't fail to see them if you get the chance. If you like Gone, King Crimson, AC/DC, Mahavishnu, The Fucking Champs, Don Cab, Melvins, Gore, Breadwinner, Ruins, etc. get with the program and get anything and everything you can find by Stinking Liz. Especially including this, the new reish of their debut disc. It looks pretty much the same as the original release on Compulsiv, but it's got an unlisted, hidden bunch of previously unreleased tracks tacked on!! Five songs from the same Steve Albini overseen sessions as the album proper. They got left off the album's original release back in '96, but now the band can't figure out why (and we can't either, they're prime Stinking Liz awesomeness), so they've been added on for your extra listenin' pleasure.
MPEG Stream: "Wheaton"
MPEG Stream: "Schuylkill"
MPEG Stream: "LBJ"

STINKING LIZAVETA Caught Between Worlds (At A Loss) cd 13.98
Is there any other band that's SO GOOD live that I (Allan) would actually plan a trip somewhere thousands of miles away almost entirely on the basis of getting to see 'em play? 'Cause that's what I'm doing for Halloween -- flying to New Orleans, which would be fun anyways but is gonna be extra-awesome 'cause this Philly-based, all-instrumental power trio will be tearing down the house at Checkpoint Charlie's on the edge of the French Quarter, as they apparently do every Halloween. And as if to pile on the excitement, what shows up at Aquarius this week but a brand new Stinking Lizaveta opus? Yay! Their fourth album finds 'em doing what they do best, adhering to their math rock + jazz + exotic flourishes + sheer rock and roll exuberance formula, with perhaps a little bit more stoner rock added to the equation this time around. Imagine an instrumental Spirit Caravan melded with The Fucking Champs and Gone...something like that. Heavy, sinuous, emotive, grandiose, intimate, anguished, epic, melodic, HEAVY. It's not a perfect album, though -- the drum sound could be better (or at least the drums could be not so loud) sez Andee, and it suffers as all Stinking Lizaveta records do in comparison to their spectacular live performances. Basically, they are SUCH a good live band that it's just hard for them to ever make an album that's nearly as good as they are in person. I love their records, but they really don't compare to the band on stage. Their intense playing, telepathic interplay, and sheer energy are all there...but not as much as you get live. That they're such a formidable proposition live works against their recordings in another way: they probably just assume that if they just go in the studio and kick ass like they do on stage, they'll make the best album ever. Of course, it's not quite that easy. Still, Caught Between Worlds is worlds above almost everything else in the post/math/instro/stoner rock realm... Recommended -- get this and also don't miss 'em if you get the chance, they're on tour right now!
MPEG Stream: "I Denounce The Government"
MPEG Stream: "Beyond The Shadows"
MPEG Stream: "Last Wish"

STINKING LIZAVETA III (Tolotta) cd 13.98
We've been waiting for this for a loooong time, the new, third (duh) album from one of our favorite bands, the amazing Philadelphian power trio Stinking Lizaveta. The first thing to say is that we like how the front cover shows band members seated in their barren inner-city Philly back yard, while the back cover has a slight variation on the same shot with each band member's pet dog perched on their respective laps...the dogs are indentified by name (Davis, Kira, and Shu Shu), and tracks 7-9 on the cd are named after the dogs! Very nice. They love their dogs.
For those who need to know more, let's give you the basics: This is ROCK. Goddamn. An instrumental trio of godly Les Paul guitar, hard-hitting mathrock drums, and virtuoso upright electric bass. It's not exactly metal, it's not jazz, but it's heavy and tight and blows away most other rock outfits on the planet, live especially. And "III", with somewhat fuller production than past efforts, reminds us that Stinking Liz kick ass in the studio too. Imagine Black Flag/Gone mixed with King Crimson, or AC/DC playing Mahavishnu instrumentals, or The Champs falling in love with each other, moving to the country, and practicing yoga. Those are woefully inadequate comparisons, of course, but that's cause this band is its own incredible thing. With "III", they've added some synth and violin to the mix -- and even some half-buried vocals on the very first song -- but primarily what you're going to hear is the basic guitar/bass/drums trio, simply cookin'. With gas. Fuckin' huge propane tanks of it, exploding left and right. Whoops, but then let's not forget the moments of delicate, Eastern-tinged post-rock bliss to be found here as well. Lizaveta's multi-genre rock synthesis results in a unique and varied album, from the tension-buildup of a slowburning track like "Tenuous" to the Frippian ambience of "Diana" to the psychedelic soulshiver of "Naked And Alone" with its doomy Black Sabbath bassline and Yanni's lengthy Fushitsusha style blues-psych guitar blowout. The brothers Papadopoulos (Yanni, guitar and Alexi, bass) and drummer Cheshire Agusta do all this and more, with sincerity, passion and might.
Joe Lally (Fugazi) released this on his label Tolotta, best known as the home of stoner rock heroes Spirit Caravan. I'd really like to see both SC and SL go on tour together, that would be something...
RealAudio clip: "The Sentence"
RealAudio clip: "Revelationary"
RealAudio clip: "The Hanged Man"
RealAudio clip: "Naked and Alone"

STINKING LIZAVETA Scream Of The Iron Iconoclast (At A Loss Recordings) cd 13.98
Oh, Stinking Lizaveta, why do we love you so? We'd count the reasons but it's tough to write about a band that's like, one of the best bands EVER, we'd have to say, particularly if you ask Allan. We'll wax poetic about 'em, for sure, but it's gonna just sound like fanboy hyperbole. And having said that, can you expect an unbiased review here? Hell no, we're proudly biased regarding this virtuoso instrumental three-piece (rock god guitar, Energizer drums, upright electric bass) from Philadelphia. What we'd really like to do is just humbly suggest that you GO SEE THEM PLAY whenever you get the chance, which is more likely than you might think, since they're indefatigably touring pretty much all the time. If only like five percent of the people reading this right now are moved to sometime go see Stinking Lizaveta for the first time on our recommendation, we can feel like we've done y'all a service, since we're super duper sure that anyone who does will be amazed and become big fans too. Who can resist the exuberant, enthralling instrumental prowess displayed by this telepathic trio playing their unique blend of mathy metal, post rock, and heavier-than-thou hippiepunk jazz?? (They call their music "doom-jazz" by the way.)
This new album, their fifth (as always, engineered by Steve Albini) is an excellent demonstration/distillation of everything that's great about Stinking Liz (though we'll offer our usual caveat that they're EVEN BETTER live, you just can't entirely bottle/record that magic). These 16 new songs are some of their best yet, full of the ponderously head-nodding riffage, gorgeous arcs of lead guitar, and explosive rhythmic excitement we expect from 'em. There's moody tension throughout, with clusters of dense note-spirals building to ultimate release. Slow-burners like "Willie Nelson (Tired Of The War)" coexist with the sheer metallic chug of "Indomitable Will" and the darkly psychedelic storminess of "Cyclops", to offer a few examples, these elements prevalent all across this disc, no tracks lacking. And despite being an all-instrumental band (but for Yanni howling into his guitar pickups upon occasion, as on "Soul Retrieval") this isn't just a techy display of chops, it's passionate creativity drenched with sweat and emotion. Another all-instro trio y'know we love is The Fucking Champs, but Stinking Lizeveta are waaaay more soulful. They come a lot closer to the aesthetic of Earthless (another of this list's highlights), but instead of untethered interstellar exploration they compress and complexify that jamminess into tightly-wound compositions. Stirring stuff. And soooooo recommended.
MPEG Stream: "To The Sun"
MPEG Stream: "Indomitable Will"
MPEG Stream: "Soul Retrieval"

STINKING LIZAVETA Slaughterhouse (self-released) cd 10.98
Supremely awesome instrumental rock trio of guitar/drums/upright electric bass from Philadelphia. Last weekend they played a beautiful and energetic show to a lucky crowd at the TipTop bar a couple of blocks from here. And last year they did a great Aquarius instore performance. This is their brand new disc. If you like old Gone, or Fripp, or previous AQ-list Record of the Week honorees The Champs, you must bow down to Stinking Lizaveta. Meditative virtuoso impassioned metal/jazz explosive bliss!

STINKING LIZAVETA / REGULATOR WATTS (French Lick) split 7" 3.99
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Stinking Lizaveta's side is a muscular, jazzy instrumental in their sinewy prog style, but pretty at the same time. And Regulator Watts are good too.

STINSON, G.E. Vapor (Ecstatic Peace/Smells Like) cd 14.98
Guitarist Stinson and improvising pals (including object of much AQ-admiration Nels Cline, Stuart Liebig and Gregg Bendian) create a bunch of fine jazzrock skree. Nels Clines' liner notes, written in the the form of "the top ten things you should know about G.E. Stinson", includes the useful fact that he's NOT and never has been that guy from the Saturday Night Live Band.

STINY PLAMENU Rany Cernym Kovem (Barbarian Wrath) cd 14.98

STIVELY, RYAN AND HIS POISON BAND s/t (self-released) cd-r 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This homespun offering from SF singer/songwriter Ryan Stively has varied levels of lo-fi recording quality (the first track is much quieter than the second), but the quality of his songwriting shines through. Each song is mainly centered around voice and acoustic guitar which he embellished with an occasional higher backing vocals, violin, and percussion. For the most part, these nine songs linger in the hushed intimate folk realm. The one exception is the eighth song (which we've dubbed "It Takes A Worried Man To Sing A Worried Song" because no song titles are provided) dissolves into unexpected almost Ween-ish fucked-up and distorted mischief. Nonetheless, if you dug the recent Iron & The Albatross album, you might wanna check this out too!
MPEG Stream: "track 4"
MPEG Stream: "track 8"

STIVELY, RYAN AND HIS POISON BAND Sugar Thunder (self-released) cd-r 9.98
Another rootsy lo-fi cd-r from the SF folk whippersnapper Ryan Stively. This one's a bit more even-keeled than his self-titled debut cdr which took a few wigged-out distorted detours. From Sugar Thunder's packaging to the dozen loosely woven acoustic tunes to Stively's slightly frayed around the edges vocals, this release is entirely shaded in muted earth tones. Note: As we mentioned, these recordings are quite low in the fidelity department with volume levels that jump about haphazardly. So, keep in mind that you might need to govern the volume knob a bit.
MPEG Stream: "Sugar Thunder"
MPEG Stream: "Sutro Tower"

STOCK, HAUSEN & WALKMAN Hang-ups (Hot Air) 7" 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another super-limited 45 by playful, clever sample-a-thon electro-Brits on their own label. Side one is for the "gents" with song titles "sphincter" and "fistycuffs" while side two is for the ladies, "ici big jim" and "sore throat". Buy now or cry later.

STOCK, HAUSEN & WALKMAN My Bag! (Hot Air) cd 21.00
At last, we've got the new album from these witty British sampling artists. Possibly their best yet, truly the finest in dadaist electronica! Less overt spot-the-sample action than before. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for fans of electronica as well as spacerock.

STOCK, HAUSEN & WALKMAN My Bag! (Hot Air) lp 17.98
At last, we've got the new album from these witty British sampling artists. Possibly their best yet, truly the finest in dadaist electronica! Less overt spot-the-sample action than before. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for fans of electronica as well as spacerock.

STOCK, HAUSEN & WALKMAN Organ Transplants 2 (Hot Air) cd 15.98
Stock, Hausen & Walkman's second volume of organ transplants is filled with lots and lots of organs. And we don't mean that in an eviscerated Hermann Nitsch kind of way... well sort of. The Manchester outfit has liberally spiked their lysergic electronica grooves with any form of organ deemed ripe for appropriation. Church pipe organs, Farfisas, hand-crank organs, Hammond organs, and tons more! Like records by fellow plunderphonists People Like Us, "Organ Transplants 2" is full of seemingly obvious musical quotations, tweaked just beyond the point of recognition. Beyond the brain-teasing / tongue-twisting frustration in trying to pinpoint the references (we're damn sure Aavikko pops up at the end of the record), this is wonderful collection of cool weirdness.

STOCK, HAUSEN & WALKMAN Organ Transplants Vol. 1 (Hot Air) cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

STOCK, HAUSEN & WALKMAN Stop! (Hot Air) cd 18.98

STOCK, HAUSEN & WALKMAN Stripper/Broccoli (Eerie Materials) 7" 3.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Really nice downtempo sample-heavy trickery that grooves along, subtly minding its own business (read: doesn't hit you over the head), much like the recent Tipsy and Sukia records. And with a name like Stock, Hausen, and Walkman, you know they're on the right track. Highly recommended.

STOCK, HAUSEN & WALKMAN Ventilating Deer (Hot Air) cd 18.98

STOCKHAUSEN, KARLHEINZ Aus Den Sieben Tagen (Harmonia Mundi) cd 9.98

STOCKHAUSEN, KARLHEINZ Elektroniszchen Musick Mit Tonszenen Vom Freitag Aus Licht (Stockhausen Verlag) 2cd 61.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

STOCKHAUSEN, KARLHEINZ Helicopter String Quartet (Stockhausen Verlag) 2cd 75.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
To reiterate - "And then I had a dream: I heard and saw the four string players in four helicopters flying in the air and playing. At the same time I saw people on the ground seated in an audio-visual hall, others were standing outdoors on a large public plaza. In front of them, four towers of television screens and loudspeakers had been set up: at the left, half-left, half-right, right. At each of the four positions one of the four string players could be heard and seen in close-up. Most of the time, the string players played tremoli which blended so well with the timbres and the rhythms of the rotor blades that the helicopters sounded like musical instruments. When I woke up, I strongly felt that something had been communicated to me which I never would have thought of on my own. I did not tell anyone anything about it. Since I did not, after the dream, have any time to compose, I wrote and drew several sketches and -- from the super formula -- developed the Helicopter String Quartet as the third scene of Wednesday from Light, the cycle of music dramas which I have been composing since 1977. Only in 1992/93 did I find the peace to compose the Helicopter String Quartet, and especially to made the fair copy of the colored score." -Karlheinz Stockhausen.
At the beginning of 2000, we got in the Arditti String Quartet version of this score, which featured the ensemble in a studio overdubbing their performance with canned helicopters. If you're gonna have a great conceptual idea, do it right. Stockhausen knew that and released the world premier performance of the piece with his studio mix-down of the previously mentioned Arditti String Quartet recording.