STARVING WEIRDOS Spirit Activity (Root Strata) cassette 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Brand new release from Humboldt County's finest sons, the Starving Weirdos. And their very first tape release. LIMITED TO ONLY 100 COPIES, we got about 15, so we won't go into too much detail, as SW stuff generally flies out of here anyway, so odds are these will be gone in a flash.
As if to commemorate their first tape, the band offer up a whole new sound. Well not a -new- sound exactly, instead, they take the subtle free jazz filigree that infused many of their other releases and shove it kicking and screaming to center stage. On the opening track, the band unleash some seriously freaky out-jazz, as free and chaotic as it gets, wild squalls of horns, the drums in full on kit-down-the-stairs mode, a swirling whirling dervish of sound. Some seriously off kilter speaker shredding jazz fury for sure. But after that opening salvo, things settle down a bit and get back to a more recognizably ramshackle SW sound, long stretches of abstract percussion, disembodied fractured folk strum, high end shimmer, rumbling industrial drones, moaning minor key melodies, chaotic tangles of soaring strings, plenty of abstract ambience and druggy drone-y floorcore, but with echoes of that opening track surfacing here and there, bits of skronk, woozy horn harmonies, but all deftly woven into the constantly shifting and swirling back drop.
Beautifully packaged, pro pressed and printed red cassettes housed in super thick multi panel offset printed sleeves. And again, LIMITED TO ONLY 100 COPIES. We have 15 of those. You no doubt know what that means by now...
MPEG Stream: "Days Before Panic"
MPEG Stream: "Van Duzer"

STARVING WEIRDOS Sudden Fear (Cut Hands) dvd-r 14.98
Latest from AQ faves The Starving Weirdos, the first we've heard since the beginning of the year (which is practically unheard of in the current way too prolific cd-r scene), and it's not just a new batch of killer blissed out SW dronemusic, it's also a film the band "chopped and screwed" and presented at the third annual Experimental Film & Music Night in Humboldt, and this dvd contains the film and the music composed to accompany it.
The film itself is Sudden Fear, from 1952 starring Joan Crawford and Jack Palance, but the band re-edited it and re-arranged it, hard to say how much was changed, we haven't ever seen the actual film, but from this version it looks pretty freaked out and fucked up. Although it could be the Starving Weirdos' extra creepy score too, a cacophonous Hermann Nitsch like drone, thick and abrasive, but haunting and ominous. The film playing out, at different speeds, the screen split, images super imposed over one another, the music, appropriately dark and terrifying.
This is definitely the darkest and most menacing we've heard the Starving Weirdos, and it really suits them. Strings sing and squeal, feedback moans and groans, bits of percussion surface and are carried a way by thick swells of low end whir, it's like Bernard Hermann meets Nitsch covering Goblin. Scary as hell and so so good!
Packaged in a mini dvd style plastic case, with a black and white insert cover, and pasted on liner notes on the inside.
LIMITED TO 150 COPIES, each one hand numbered.

STARVING WEIRDOS Summon With Electronic Sorcery (Bottrop-Boy) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A brand new full length from Humboldt County's masters of dark droning cinematic ambience, and another gorgeous chunk of masterful dark mystery. In the beginning, their sound, while still quite beautiful, seemed much more haphazard, much more improvised, the vibe decidedly NNCK or SHOTM, a bit chaotic and druggy, the sound of guys just sort of jamming and seeing what happened. Obviously we dug that stuff, a LOT, but the band have continued to hone their craft, their music becoming much more assured, much more dense and varied, more expressive and emotional, and weirdly enough much darker and scarier.
Their last disc was a new score for their chopped up version of the classic film Sudden Fear, but Summon With Electronic Sorcery, sounds just like the title would lead you to believe, some ancient ritual performed in a cave below the Earth's surface, surrounded by demons and shadows dancing in the firelight, like it could be the soundtrack to some lost Argento film, a truly creepy and intense sonic sprawlÉ
Four long tracks, each one a self contained soundscape of billowing blackness, layers of muted buzz swirl and shift, various steel strings reverberate and shimmer, melodic fragments drift through the ether, doomful melodies chime and ring out and are then sucked under, strange creaks and moans are blurred into a constantly evolving backdrop. Eventually, the sounds coalesce into huge black sonic swells, an ultra slow motion ambient doom, lurching glacially through flurries of percussive clatter, like some huge demon rolling hollowed out skulls like dice. Later, we wander through some old boiler room in an abandoned building. The clank of old pipes, the hiss of escaping steam, all woven into a hissy whirring drone, underlaid with droning guitars and streaks of shimmering melody, barely discernible. Chant-like vocals drift up from the abyss, haunting loops overlap and blur into each other, a murk that seems to glow from within, building to an intense staring-into-the-sun buzz. Finally, a field of high end sound, thick streaks of feedback, simple clattery percussion, distorted melodies, moaning horns, all doused in reverb and allowed to drift and intermingle in gloriously washed out slow motion. Like watching a decaying filmstrip of and old noise rock band frame by frame, the sound flickering in the dim light, the heat of the bulb causing the film to bubble and melt.
So gorgeous. As always.
Packaged in a crazy, glue sealed multiple folded envelope style silk screened package. You have to unseal it, unfold it, and then the cd is revealed inside held in place by a diecut slot. And of course, it's super limited. A ONE TIME pressing of only 250 copies. We got 40, but judging from past SW releases these will go pretty quick.
MPEG Stream: "Summon"
MPEG Stream: "Orchestra At Twilight"

STARVING WEIRDOS WITH TOM CARTER & SHAWN DAVID MCMILLEN Live At The Accident! (Blackest Rainbow) lp 24.00
Latest missive from our favorite Humboldt County free rock / freak noise / avant whatever dream duo the Starving Weirdos, here teamed up with Tom Carter of Charalambides and Shawn David McMillen, for two sprawling sides of slow burning blissed out ur-drone space raga. Which sounds as good as you might imagine. Dark and dense, swirling and whirling and creeping ominously through billowing clouds of slow motion string buzz, fractured melodies splitting into prismatic shards, drifting dreamlike through a haze of outer space bong smoke building to a gloriously soft cacophony, streaks of feedback, and sheets of high end wrapped around a warm pulsing and churning sonic core, all before slipping into something much softer and folkier, a slow slithery expanse of soundscapery, that sounds like a super subdued Wolf Eyes. And that's just the A side.
The second half of Live At The Accident! starts off all abstract and contemplative, the drones pushed way off into the distance, while the foreground is peppered with random crunch and clatter, what sounds like field recordings, buzz and glitch and hiss, which slowly sinks into the blackened morass, locking into a sort of lugubrious post industrial drift, the whole of the side like some late night wander through a ruined factory town overtaken by the forest, a living thing wrapped around the husk of something long dead, mysterious and haunting and ominous, but also strangely lovely, weirdly delicate, slipping from noisy muted crunch, to hushed reverent whisper, eventually disappearing into a strangely looped field of crackle and hum. Nice!

STARVING WEIRDOS, THE B/P/M Series 1 (Blackest Rainbow) lp 21.00
Aracta's one and only avant-drone duo the Starving Weirdos are back with a brand new lp on UK's Blackest Rainbow. After delivering yet another impressively far-out full length on Bo' Weavil a few months back, the weirdos offer up some new ideas on B/P/M Series 1. Since both Brian Pyle and Merrick McKinlay have spent time recording the legendary Humbolt based pianist Darius Brottman, they've decided to take a break from their usual musical formula to use these recordings as source material for this new lp. Each side features a different reworking of Brottman's recordings, all arranged and cut up to reveal two distinctly unique sides of gorgeous piano bliss. Though both sides exhibit that distinct production style of all Weirdos recordings, they each uniquely reiterate the virtuosity of Brottman's playing. Side A opens with brief, straightforward piano before more layers of tones and clinks build into a signature Weirdos wall of sound type composition. Side B starts on the more psychedelic side of things, all at once erupting in a sea of reversed loops, chaotic, vigorous piano and reverberating tones. Really great stuff, both sides completely hypnotic and wonderful, like being caught in some orchestral dream world or being lost on acid in a giant piano shop. Beautifully housed in a pro-printed lp sleeve adorned with the psychedelic artwork of Mick Wiggins, this one is limited to 500 and will be gone in no time.

STARZ Attention Shoppers! (Ryko) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
How can you go wrong when the stickered quotes on the front of these reissues are from Poison's Ricki Rocket and Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx? Don't let that scare you off though, this is not some cheesy eighties hair metal band, although ALL of those bands owed a huge debt to Starz. When I (Andee) was growing up and first getting into hard rock, discovering Aerosmith, Kiss, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick and newer bands at the time who channelled that same sound, Hanoi Rocks, Smack, Kix etc... this would have been in the early eighties, folks kept telling me to check out some band from the seventies called Starz. And of course I totally recognized the ubiquitous Starz logo, an immediately recognizable hybrid of a neon diner sign, Big Star's logo and Van Halen's winged VH. A few of my hipper / older friends had the logo doodled here and there, some even had posters, but it took a few more years before I actually heard any of their music. And when I did it totally kicked my ass. Not metal, but definitely hard rock, big chunky riffs, wailing leads, pounding drumming, but the thing is, Starz were a pop band, more Cheap Trick and Kiss than anything overtly metal. Crazy catchy songs, arena rock ready for sure, but weird enough to be cool and just outside the mainstream, at least to those of us just discovering them in the eighties. The band toured with and hovered around the periphery of the seventies hard rock axis of Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult, Rush and Kiss and sounded like it. Some members of Starz even played on some of the Kiss solo albums. All four of these records are brilliant, although it's easy to hear the prevailing winds of change in their sound as the band grew and developed from record to record trying to keep up with modern music and the fickle tastes of the public and the charts.
Record number three, released in 1978, found Starz shedding almost every vestige of hard rock, moving in a pure power pop direction. Hard to say whether it was a band decision, a record company decision, or just some desire to storm the charts, hardly matters, as Attention Shoppers! is a massively appealing slab of big pumping power pop. A much more reverbed production, and a slicker and smoother sound definitely alienated the hard rock loyal, and unfortunately their pop shift did little to rocket them to the top of the charts and instead served to spread unrest within the group, that would eventually break up the band. But intraband politics aside, this is just a great big and bouncy, crunchy and catchy chunk of jangly riffing, hyper kinetic drumming, caffienated songwriting and hooks galore. Their are definitely a few ballady mis-steps, but there are also some stone cold pop gems, that would sound right at home on that recent Yellow Pills power pop compilation! Definitely for fans of Big Star, Cheap Trick, the Posies and power pop in general. Metal heads may find this a bit light, but close listening reveals plenty of crunchy riffs and metallic bombast tucked discreetly here and there. Features two bonus tracks and extensive liner notes!
MPEG Stream: "Hold On To The Night"
MPEG Stream: "She"

STARZ Coliseum Rock (Ryko) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
How can you go wrong when the stickered quotes on the front of these reissues are from Poison's Ricki Rocket and Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx? Don't let that scare you off though, this is not some cheesy eighties hair metal band, although ALL of those bands owed a huge debt to Starz. When I (Andee) was growing up and first getting into hard rock, discovering Aerosmith, Kiss, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick and newer bands at the time who channelled that same sound, Hanoi Rocks, Smack, Kix etc... this would have been in the early eighties, folks kept telling me to check out some band from the seventies called Starz. And of course I totally recognized the ubiquitous Starz logo, an immediately recognizable hybrid of a neon diner sign, Big Star's logo and Van Halen's winged VH. A few of my hipper / older friends had the logo doodled here and there, some even had posters, but it took a few more years before I actually heard any of their music. And when I did it totally kicked my ass. Not metal, but definitely hard rock, big chunky riffs, wailing leads, pounding drumming, but the thing is, Starz were a pop band, more Cheap Trick and Kiss than anything overtly metal. Crazy catchy songs, arena rock ready for sure, but weird enough to be cool and just outside the mainstream, at least to those of us just discovering them in the eighties. The band toured with and hovered around the periphery of the seventies hard rock axis of Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult, Rush and Kiss and sounded like it. Some members of Starz even played on some of the Kiss solo albums. All four of these records are brilliant, although it's easy to hear the prevailing winds of change in their sound as the band grew and developed from record to record trying to keep up with modern music and the fickle tastes of the public and the charts.
Also released in 1978, Coliseum Rock, Starz' final record, was the band's attempt to return to the more hard rock sound of their first two records. Band member were replaced, the producer was the guy who had worked with them when they were still a pre-Starz rock band called Fallen Angels, and they were off. Definitely harder rocking than record number three, it's not quite as raw and rocking as their debut, definitely loving up to the album title, the songs on Coliseum Rock were big hard rock barn burners, perfect to get back on track, tour the world sharing stadium stages alongside Kiss and Rush and whoever else. Sadly, none of that ever materialized and a year later the band broke up. But this final record is still a doozy, a definite hard rock classic, with a vibe and production style that would live on in almost every eighties hard rock / glam metal band to follow! Features two bonus tracks (from their 1990 reunion album) and extensive liner notes!
MPEG Stream: "So Young So Bad"
MPEG Stream: "Take Me"

STARZ s/t (Ryko) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
How can you go wrong when the stickered quotes on the front of these reissues are from Poison's Ricki Rocket and Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx? Don't let that scare you off though, this is not some cheesy eighties hair metal band, although ALL of those bands owed a huge debt to Starz. When I (Andee) was growing up and first getting into hard rock, discovering Aerosmith, Kiss, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick and newer bands at the time who channelled that same sound, Hanoi Rocks, Smack, Kix etc... this would have been in the early eighties, folks kept telling me to check out some band from the seventies called Starz. And of course I totally recognized the ubiquitous Starz logo, an immediately recognizable hybrid of a neon diner sign, Big Star's logo and Van Halen's winged VH. A few of my hipper / older friends had the logo doodled here and there, some even had posters, but it took a few more years before I actually heard any of their music. And when I did it totally kicked my ass. Not metal, but definitely hard rock, big chunky riffs, wailing leads, pounding drumming, but the thing is, Starz were a pop band, more Cheap Trick and Kiss than anything overtly metal. Crazy catchy songs, arena rock ready for sure, but weird enough to be cool and just outside the mainstream, at least to those of us just discovering them in the eighties. The band toured with and hovered around the periphery of the seventies hard rock axis of Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult, Rush and Kiss and sounded like it. Some members of Starz even played on some of the Kiss solo albums. All four of these records are brilliant, although it's easy to hear the prevailing winds of change in their sound as the band grew and developed from record to record trying to keep up with modern music and the fickle tastes of the public and the charts.
Their self titled debut released in 1976 is quite possibly their finest moment, definitely the heaviest, huge crunchy riffs, amazing vocals, top 40 worthy choruses, total fist pumping, denim and leather rock and roll. Listening to this record it's hard to imagine that they aren't spoken in the same breath as other seventies hard rock legends. Starz totally stands up to the first four Blue Oyster Cult records, the first couple Aerosmith records, the first few Cheap Trick records. A perfect fit, and it's totally obvious that your Poisons and Hanoi Rocks owe as much To Starz as they do Kiss or the New York Dolls or Aerosmith. Fans of seventies hard rock and proto-metal who don't already own this, NEED TO. Absolutely essential. And most definitely for fans of Kiss, Aerosmith, BOC, Cheap Trick, Aldo Nova, Thin Lizzy, Hanoi Rocks, Kix, as well as folks who dig power pop and even glam metal! SO FUCKING GREAT! Features five bonus tracks (demos) and extensive liner notes!
MPEG Stream: "Detroit Girls"
MPEG Stream: "Live Wire"
MPEG Stream: "Tear It Down"

STARZ Violation (Ryko) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
How can you go wrong when the stickered quotes on the front of these reissues are from Poison's Ricki Rocket and Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx? Don't let that scare you off though, this is not some cheesy eighties hair metal band, although ALL of those bands owed a huge debt to Starz. When I (Andee) was growing up and first getting into hard rock, discovering Aerosmith, Kiss, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick and newer bands at the time who channelled that same sound, Hanoi Rocks, Smack, Kix etc... this would have been in the early eighties, folks kept telling me to check out some band from the seventies called Starz. And of course I totally recognized the ubiquitous Starz logo, an immediately recognizable hybrid of a neon diner sign, Big Star's logo and Van Halen's winged VH. A few of my hipper / older friends had the logo doodled here and there, some even had posters, but it took a few more years before I actually heard any of their music. And when I did it totally kicked my ass. Not metal, but definitely hard rock, big chunky riffs, wailing leads, pounding drumming, but the thing is, Starz were a pop band, more Cheap Trick and Kiss than anything overtly metal. Crazy catchy songs, arena rock ready for sure, but weird enough to be cool and just outside the mainstream, at least to those of us just discovering them in the eighties. The band toured with and hovered around the periphery of the seventies hard rock axis of Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult, Rush and Kiss and sounded like it. Some members of Starz even played on some of the Kiss solo albums. All four of these records are brilliant, although it's easy to hear the prevailing winds of change in their sound as the band grew and developed from record to record trying to keep up with modern music and the fickle tastes of the public and the charts.
Originally released in 1977, record number two featured the track "Cherry Baby", Starz biggest hit, and it's obvious why, a much more melodic, pop sound, a strange but perfect mix Styx bombast and soaring vocals and Big Star classic pop, complete with Byrds-like guitar lines and hand claps! The record as a whole, is a little less dirty and grimy but no less rocking. Way heavier on the Kiss sing alongs, and that Styx vibe definitely pervades the whole record, especially in the vocals, soaring, high and clear, with lots of awesome harmonies. Features classic hard rock burners like the title track "Violation", which will have you head banging and air guitaring like mad, and the foot stomping metallic boogie of "S.T.E.A.D.Y.". Actually if it weren't for the practically unbeatable debut record, Violation would be THE ONE. As it is, it's nearly as essential! And again, fans of seventies hard rock and proto-metal who don't already own this, NEED TO. Absolutely essential. And most definitely for fans of Kiss, Aerosmith, BOC, Cheap Trick, Aldo Nova, Thin Lizzy, Hanoi Rocks, Kix, as well as folks who dig power pop and even glam metal! SO FUCKING GREAT! Features three bonus tracks (demos) and extensive liner notes!
MPEG Stream: "Cherry Baby"
MPEG Stream: "Rock Six Times"

STATE OF BENGAL Visual Audio (Six Degrees) cd 16.98
State Of Bengal is a new "Tabla n' Bass" project by Talvin Singh co-conspirator Sam Zaman -- he worked with T. Singh on the Anokha project. For fans of DJ Cheb i Sabbah -- who appears on the same label -- or, of course, Talvin Singh.

STATISTICS Leave Your Name (Jade Tree) cd 14.98

STATON, CANDI His Hands (Astralwerks) cd 16.98
A few years ago Honest Jon's/Capitol released a collection of Candi Staton's classic southern soul sounds from her prime, 1969-1973. It was a collection that for many of us was an introduction to a Candi Station we never knew. Best known later on as a disco diva, these songs were a totally different and much more rewarding affair then her glitzy disco years. Such rich and right on soul packed with emotion and flare. This, her brand new album is a nod back to that past. It's really nice to see how her influence has begun to finally fall on new ears. On their recent visit to San Francisco, The Gossip couldn't stop drooling over their love of Candi during their guest DJ set at KUSF. Lambchop's Mark Nevers was such a big fan that he found a way to become the producer of this new record, which also boasts lyrics from Will Oldham on the powerful title track which he wrote specifically for Candi. With Cat Power recently releasing her take on Southern soul, it's so nice to hear from one of the originators of that sound/style. His Hands is a collection of tales of love gone so wrong. If you've recently had your heart hurt bad, then listening to this, alongside Edith Frost's latest heartbroken outing, could just be the good cry you need. It's done the trick for some of us who's hearts have been broken around here lately. Staton's ability to carry so much pain and power in her voice is what always keeps you coming back for more.
MPEG Stream: "His Hands"
MPEG Stream: "In Name Only"

STATON, CANDI s/t (Honest Jons) cd 21.00

STATS Crowned (The Path Less Traveled) cd ep 5.98
Holy shit, does this RULE. This is the sort of stuff we LOVE, and miss, and wish more bands could still pull off. And these guys at least, most definitely can. Heavy, heady, intricate, proggy, instrumental old school style math rock, the bass thick and distorted and low slung and massive, the drums wild and pounding and octopoidal, the guitars crunchy and chuggy one second slithery and spidery the next, the songs constantly shifting gears, from gnarled and frenetic to spacious and epic, locking into super propulsive post rock churn, before slipping into weird tangles of melody and then back again. The band compare themselves to Keelhaul, Mahavishnu Orchestra and ALL, that last one seeming out of place until you actually hear these guys, they lace their chuggy churn and dense mathiness with super catchy little melodies that do in fact sound a little like ALL (or maybe the Descendents), although if we had to come up with some sonic references, it would probably look more like this: Don Caballero, June Of 44, Rodan, A Minor Forest, Bastro, Dazzling Killmen, Breadwinner, Crain, Rumah Sakit, yeah, you probably get an idea of what this stuff sounds like, but maybe just not how goddamn good it sounds, or how good these guys really are, check the sound samples, if it was 1995, these guys would be THEE band, catchy and heavy and hooky, with a massive Albini style production, it takes a lot to keep instrumental rock from being boring, but there's NOTHING boring about the 3 long songs on this disc, so tense and intense, intricate and complex, but not simply for complexity's sake, all the instruments busy as fuck, but not overplaying, instead, just a relentless and dizzying blast of hooky heaviness and majestic mathiness, another record we have been listening to nonstop since we got it in, and one we're probably gonna regret not making Record Of The Week... So totally great!
MPEG Stream: "Guthy Renker"
MPEG Stream: "From Before"

STATTON, ALISON & SPIKE Weekend in Wales (Vinyl Japan) cd 7.98
Alison Statton (the singer for the Young Marble Giants) and Spike had worked together in the early 80s project The Weekend. This 1995 production showcases an interest in Tropicalia and Brazillian jazz along with their breathy pop minimalism.

STATUESQUE Choir Above Fire Below (125) cd 11.98
Although their cd is on Bay Area label 125 Records, Statuesque hails from the distant land of London, England. Stephen Manning is the frontman and sharp songwriter behind this energetic UK pop band. Vigorously strummed jangle'n'crunch guitars propel his predominantly earnest and upbeat songs that get gradually darker and edgier as the album progresses. Overall it's very akin to those frisky Housemartins, but where the vocals are concerned, try imagining a cross between a positively perky Morrissey and Robert Schneider of Apples In Stereo. A baker's dozen fine pop confections.
MPEG Stream: "Boys Are Lazy, Girls Are Crazy"
MPEG Stream: "Winter Was My Teacher"

STAVIS, GEORGE Labyrinths (Arkama) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
You've met John Fahey, Robbie Basho and Sandy Bull, now say hello to George Stavis. Originally issued in 1969 on Vanguard Records, "Labyrinths" was one man's bold attempt to bring the banjo out of the hills and hollers and into the urbane settings of the avant-garde coffeehouse. Subtitled "Occult Improvisational Compositions for 5-String Banjo and 'Percussion'" (the percussion is a rather innocuous beating on what sounds like a small coffee can), Stavis' sounds more akin to Pete Seeger and his "Goofing Off Suite" than Bull or Fahey. And while his occult pretensions may seem a bit silly, his 'improvisational compositions' are quite nice. Even his rendition of Rodgers & Hammerstein's old chesnut "My Favorite Things" (a song I could preferably live without hearing ever again) is so bastardized -- Snuffy Jenkins duelling with John Coltrane -- as to be truly rendered once again listenable. The remaining four tracks on the album are all credited to Stavis and, like Seeger, are performed with a picking style totally unique to Stavis -- a combination of rolls and strumming which allows the skillful Stavis to eke out both lead and accompaniment. Cultures collide, and wildly, on this disc of hippy raga banjo jazz. No wonder we had old-time George Stavis fans calling us up all excited when they heard that his long lost album was being reissued on cd.
MPEG Stream: "Finland Station"

STAVOSTRAND, MIKAEL Illuminence (Firework Edition) cd 11.98
This Swedish fellow used to record for Cold Meat Industries as Inanna and Archon Satani, but with this release he has dropped the dark ambient occultism in favor of oblique noise modulations and noxious low end rattles closer to the Raster/Mego sound, which the Swedish National Council For Cultural Affairs has seen fit to subsidize. Nice cover by Lief Elggren, of Ghost Orchid (and much else) fame.

STAVOSTRAND, MIKAEL Lite (Mitek) cd 14.98
Mikael Stavostrand is a reformed industrialist (the musical sort, not the capitalist sort) who has abandoned the doom & gloom of his previous identity (the Cold Meat Industry staples Archon Satani and Innana) in favour of the contemporary electronic glitch sound. The emulation of his new peers is so striking that each track could be direct to digital copies. The first track being Oval, then Vladislav Delay, then Wolfgang Voigt, then Taylor Deupree, then Pole. Like all of those technically proficient guitarists who cop riffs from Hendrix, Deep Purple, or Zeppelin, it's a not a bad thing to practice mimicking your heroes, but is it neccessary to subject your audience to it?

STAX, MIKE, ANDY NEILL & JOHN BAKER Ugly Things Magazine Presents: Don't Bring Me Down... Under - The Pretty Things In New Zealand, 1965 (UT Publishing) book 18.95

STEAMBOAT SWITZERLAND AC/DB [Hayden] (Grob) cd 15.98
Dark, sometimes droning improv from this Swiss post-jazz trio (drums, electric bass, Hammond organ/electronics). Maybe not as crazed as their countrymen Alboth! or 16/17, but still full of appeal to folks with John Zorn records in their collections. On this disc, one of two simultaneously released new Grob-label cds by the band, they take two different compositions ("DB", written for them by British composer Sam Hayden, and "AC" by the Steamboat Switzerland guys themselves) and alternate segments throughout the disc, not that you'd necessarily notice...maybe the DB parts are more hyper and chaotic (and jazzy?) and the AC parts the dronier? They work well together at any rate, and it's a satisfying listen for those open to the avant-garde hardcore sound of Switzerland!
RealAudio clip: "DBIII"
RealAudio clip: "AC6"

STEAMBOAT SWITZERLAND Budapest (Grob) cd 15.98
One of a pair of new cds by this Swiss instrumental noise-jazz-rock trio with a sort of silly name, that have just been simultanously released on the Grob label (following up an obcure live disc from a few years back). The material on this cd was recorded live, in Budapest presumably, and is all improvised (except for the intro/outro, forged from their "grunge" encore by producer/mixer Stephan Wittwer). Mostly noisy, dark stuff not unlike the abstractions of likeminded Norwegian jazz terrorists Supersilent. Deliberate percussion, atmospheric electronics, and glitchy interludes. The encore is a delightful heavy, studio-manipulated prog bonus ("332T").
RealAudio clip: "Budapest E"
RealAudio clip: "332T"

STEAMHAMMER Speech (Akarma) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
BACK IN STOCK! At last repressed as part of Akarma's recent budget line, in a jewel case now instead of the previous mini-LP style sleeve. Here's what we said before about this AQ fave:
The '60s/'70s psych reissue label Akarma comes through once again with this gem! England's Steamhammer had a heavy name and lotsa chops, but never really made the big time. Their first three albums were British blues rock incarnate, real good at that but not our cup of tea really. THEN came "Speech", their swansong. Something happened (lots of drugs, maybe?) -- it was real different. This is an unusual album for sure. Probably not what Steamhammer fans at the time were expecting: Psychedelic doomy prog-tastic epic instrumental slaying, with fuzz fx, jazzy percussion, and emotive vox. It's not metal but it's got a lot of what we like about metal that's for sure, and kicks ass on most of what came out in '72. Fans of some of the real heavy underground bands from the era like the Groundhogs, Lucifer's Friend, Socrates Drank The Conium, even Il Balleto Di Bronzo ought to check this out for sure! Unfamiliar with those obscurites? Well just imagine Led Zep gone off the rails. Creative, deftly timed/structured songs full of psychedelic atmosphere. From quasi-religious 20th century avantgarde interludes to manic guitar rippage, from gorgeous vocal lamentations to jammy improv spaciness, this is AQ-approved prog weirdness for sure. The 22 minute "Penumbra" that opens the record erupts from a spooky three minute intro into sheer pulse-pounding rock trio shred, then dives into a bass-heavy dirge from which a vocal chorus emerges...and on they go. Everytime we play this for someone who we think *might* like it, boy, they *really* like it. This gets a big thumbs up from all the heavy/psych/prog heads here at AQ!!!
MPEG Stream: "Penumbra"
MPEG Stream: "Telegram"

STEAMHAMMER Speech (Repertoire) cd 23.00
Here's one of our favorite obscure heavy prog proto metal faves... It's a wee bit more expensive than the previous out of print version of this we used to have ages ago, but at least it's back in print and back in stock, now in a nice digipack from Germany's Repertoire reissue label. Here's what we said before about this before:
England's Steamhammer had a heavy name and lotsa chops, but never really made the big time. Their first three albums were British blues rock incarnate, real good at that but not our cup of tea really. THEN came "Speech", their swansong. Something happened (lots of drugs, maybe?) - it was real different. This is an unusual album for sure. Probably not what Steamhammer fans at the time were expecting: Psychedelic doomy prog-tastic epic instrumental slaying, with fuzz FX, jazzy percussion, and emotive vox. It's not metal but it's got a lot of what we like about metal that's for sure, and kicks ass on most of what came out in '72. Fans of some of the real heavy underground bands from the era like the Groundhogs, Lucifer's Friend, Socrates Drank The Conium, even Il Balleto Di Bronzo ought to check this out for sure! Unfamiliar with those obscurities? Well just imagine Led Zep gone off the rails. Creative, deftly timed/structured songs full of psychedelic atmosphere. From quasi-religious 20th century avantgarde interludes to manic guitar rippage, from gorgeous vocal lamentations to jammy improv spaciness, this is AQ-approved prog weirdness for sure. The 22 minute "Penumbra" that opens the record erupts from a spooky three minute intro into sheer pulse-pounding rock trio shred, then dives into a bass-heavy dirge from which a vocal chorus emerges...and on they go. Everytime we play this for someone who we think *might* like it, boy, they *really* like it. This gets a big thumbs up from all the heavy/psych/prog heads here at AQ!!!
MPEG Stream: "Penumbra"
MPEG Stream: "Telegram"

STEEL Audio-cynicism (Mille Plateaux) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
2nd album from this heavy noise techno joyride artist.

STEEL AN' SKIN Reggae Is Here Once Again (EM Records) cd+dvd 25.00
Oh boy, it's time for more steel pan (drum) music dug up by one of our our favorite reissue labels, Japan's eccentric EM Records. This is the third in their steel pan series (after the Modern Sound Quintet and the Rudy Smith Quartet). Those first two were in a jazz-funk vein, whereas Steel An' Skin is a reggae affair, as you might guess from this disc's title. Reggae and dub and "soca-disco". This hybrid Afro-Caribbean outfit, a merger of musicians specializing in Pan-African percussion as well as the rhythms of the West Indies, and featuring ex-members of the 20th Century Steel Band, was based out of London, England in the '70s. While we particularly liked the jazz-funk grooves of the Modern Sound Quintet, we're also taken by the delightful, sunny appeal of Steel An' Skin's upbeat vibes. While addressing some serious issues ("Fire In Soweto", "Acid Rain") this still has a primarily happy disposition, with soulful vocals and a relaxed atmosphere.
Of course, our favorite track here is "Afro Punk Reggae (Dub)" since indeed it's the dubbiest, and that's what we at AQ tend to go for in our reggae. Never heard steel drums echo-effected like that before! It would also be the track we'd play for peeps who love those "Disco Not Disco" comps.
With typical EM thoroughness, this reissue is about as good as a reissue can get, with a large text and photo filled insert, three bonus tracks circa '84, and also a whole extra dvd disc! That features a 34 minute documentary film from 1979, for which the majority of the music on the audio disc was originally recorded. Directed by Steve Shaw for the Arts Council of Great Britain, the film takes a look at Steel An' Skin's educational workshop activities (the band began as a way to teach African and Caribbean immigrant schoolchildren in London about their cultural heritage). Lots of musical performance and practice footage, dancing, happy kids... as well as scenes from some rather medieval looking, grim inner city slums. Interview segments with Steel An' Skin bandleader Peter Blackman, discuss the unique "black English" experience, and the excitement of bringing musicians and singers from Trinidad, Ghana, Nigeria, etc. together. You can see how the group was a positive force in their community.
MPEG Stream: "Reggae Is Here Once Again"
MPEG Stream: "Afro Punk Reggae (Dub)"
MPEG Stream: "Acid Rain"

STEEL AN' SKIN s/t (EM) lp 24.00
Now on vinyl!! This recording of steel pan (drum) music was reissued by one of our our favorite reissue labels, Japan's eccentric EM Records, as a cd+dvd back in 2008. Now it's on vinyl, minus the dvd portion obviously. And with a slightly different tracklist than the cd version. But what we said before still goes...
This is the third in EM's steel pan series (after the Modern Sound Quintet and the Rudy Smith Quartet). Those first two were in a jazz-funk vein, whereas Steel An' Skin is a reggae affair, as you might guess from this disc's title. Reggae and dub and "soca-disco". This hybrid Afro-Caribbean outfit, a merger of musicians specializing in Pan-African percussion as well as the rhythms of the West Indies, and featuring ex-members of the 20th Century Steel Band, was based out of London, England in the '70s. While we particularly liked the jazz-funk grooves of the Modern Sound Quintet, we're also taken by the delightful, sunny appeal of Steel An' Skin's upbeat vibes. While addressing some serious issues ("Fire In Soweto", "Acid Rain") this still has a primarily happy disposition, with soulful vocals and a relaxed atmosphere.
Of course, our favorite track here is "Afro Punk Reggae (Dub)" since indeed it's the dubbiest, and that's what we at AQ tend to go for in our reggae. Never heard steel drums echo-effected like that before! It would also be the track we'd play for peeps who love those "Disco Not Disco" comps.
MPEG Stream: "Reggae Is Here Once Again"
MPEG Stream: "Afro Punk Reggae (Dub)"
MPEG Stream: "Acid Rain"

STEEL MAMMOTH Atomic Mountain (Ektro) cd 14.98
You were warned. We reviewed this Circle side project's insane debut ep a couple weeks ago. Now, here's the full-length follow-up. The battletoads are back!
Not Sacred Steel, Steel Attack, Ritual Steel, or Steel Assassin. Not Wooly Mammoth. Or Mammatus. Or Mastodon. Or Pelican's "Pink Mammoth". Not Titan Steele, or Virgin Steele, or Steeler. It's STEEL MAMMOTH!! A metal band, presumably? Well, no, not quite. It IS another example of the many flirtations our favorite Finnish prog-psych band (Circle, including offshoots like Pharaoh Overlord and Krypt Axeripper) has always had with the elements of heavy metal (sonic, visual, lyrical). But the high-concept of "Circle does '80s metal" that you might expect from the band name and cover graphics and band pics with spikes and leather isn't quite what you actually get here, these guys being too clever and creative and crazy to do the obvious thing. Really, if you want to hear Circle-goes-metal, they come a lot closer on certain songs from Circle albums like Sunrise and Tulikora, and the recent, ever so slightly black metal bewitched Katapult. Not to mention, way back on their debut Meronia, with all its Helmet-style heaviness. And probably the most metal they've ever been is on Pharaoh Overlord #4.
So no, Steel Mammoth isn't a metal band, or even a joke metal band (though there's definitely some tongue in cheek joking going on). It's pure WTF? weirdness in the guise of a metal band. More catchy than crushing, it's a hitherto unheard hybrid of Circle's trademark hypnotic pulsations, a relaxed pop sensibility, tossed off hard rock riffing, moody tension, and sensitive vocals delivering ridiculous lyrics. Lyrics that are so ridiculous they're genius, lyrics that would make Monster Magnet or Manowar laugh and crumple up their notebook page if they'd written them. For instance, lines like: "barbarian lords/we ride alone/until we're just a pile of bones", or "lonely banzai rhino blackout leather/volcano hideout of the mountain owl/masterplan suicide war machine/lady death on the steering wheel", or "black diamond thunder dragon/beast of vampire torture/silver locusts on the desert sky/acid rain wasteland"! We also hear about a "multiheaded lion", "switchblade messiahs of hate", "midnight witches", a "metal infant", and the "powersweat of the demonwolf" to pick some other gems at random. Wow. Death and destruction and kicking ass seem to be the themes... yet there's some thought and depth to it all, extending to a self-constructed cosmology for these "nuclear barbarians" on their journey to the center of the "atomic mountain", that's depicted in a schematic in the cd booklet. We even detect a sincere sentimentality to some of this -- when album closer and title track "Atomic Mountain" finds the band sweetly crooning "Down, down, down I go" you FEEL it on some meaningful level, really.
As for the music, most of the songs share a skeletal Judas Priest vibe, stripped down and mellowed out and infused with effects. The opener, "Black Team", reminds us more of a handicapped Rolling Stones, fronted maybe by Danzig, but odder even than that would be. Several tracks later, "Nuclear Barbarians" is reprised from the ep, not really sure why they did that, though it is a cool song -- love how they pronounce nuclear, "nuck-leeyer". But it's followed by something completely different, the 11 and a half minute "Commando Leopard", an instrumental that starts off with primitive krauty rhythms before entering into a long beatless stretch of atmospheric, electronic spookiness. Like we said, WTF? Or should we say, NWOFWTF?
MPEG Stream: "Blackout Leather"
MPEG Stream: "Riders Of Death"
MPEG Stream: "Commando Leopard"

STEEL MAMMOTH Nuclear Barbarians (Ektro) cd 9.98
Ohh yeahhh. All the Krypt Axeripper fans here have been waiting for this. Circle fans too. Same thing, sorta. Krypt Axeripper, you know, that was the very entertaining, brilliantly stupid, supposed "heavy metal" side project of our Finnish friends Circle, enshrined on a four song ep earlier this year. After Krypt Axeripper could the NWOFHM get any more ridiculous?? You be the judge, they certainly tried: ta dah, STEEL MAMMOTH!! Seemingly a similar high concept (that being, Circle's metal obsession goes too far?) but actually more confusional than you'd think. Sure the cd booklet is filled with awesome D&Dish artwork and pisstake photos of the truly chuffed band members posing in full leather and studs regalia. But then, check out the music. As with Krypt Axeripper, there's a quota of crotch-rock riffs but it's also so oddly poppy, more like some sort of twisted rock n' roll alternative to the alternative than anything really made of molten metal. English-language lyrics (about Satan and radiation, "metal blade warriors" and "scorpion wizards", and suchlike metallic subjects, 'tis true) are weirdly crooned over shuffling beats and guitars that whilst fully fuzzed aren't exactly wielded by Hanneman/King. It's absurd, and absurdly catchy. When they sing something about how "battletoads explode in stereo" you'll be humming along (if not quite headbanging) and won't even bat an eye.
Looks like the Steel Mammoth trio of Garfield Steel, Rema 7000, and Juicyifer (hmm) and their pal Krypt (all pseudonyms for Circle folks) have invented a new cartoony subgenre all their own, jokingly initiated perhaps but inadvertently (?) awesome. Extra dimensional, post apocalyptic, astral travelling silliness that's part pop, part metal, and yes, part Circle ('specially on "Slow Death" with its unmistakable motorik drumming). This first attack from Steel Mammoth clocks in at 5 tracks, 18 minutes. But get this, future members of the Steel Mammoth Army: there's a Steel Mammoth full-length album in the works now, too! Look out, the battletoads have only begun to explode in stereo...
MPEG Stream: "Spirit Horse"
MPEG Stream: "Nuclear Barbarians"

STEEL MAMMOTH Nuclear Rebirth (Full Contact / Karkia Mistika) lp 22.00
Following close on the heels (hooves? no that's not right either, what do you call mammoth feets anyway?) of Steel Mammoth's Radiation Funeral lp from earlier this year, comes another vinyl-only slab of "New Wave Of Finnish Heavy Metal" madness from this Circle side project. On Nuclear Rebirth, as with their previous lp, Steel Mammoth are indeed a bona fide metal mutation, not merely a poppier Circle in old school leather 'n' spikes drag. "Punkmetal nightmare" is what they claim to conjure on this album, and they're quite accurate in that self-assessment! Nihilistic, nonsensical, noisy, "nuck-leeyr" thrashing and bashing is what you get here, along with more awesome comic bookish cover art featuring their horned and helmeted mascot, and the usual confusional album credits.
It's irradiated '80s speed trash-thrash action at its bizarre best, twelve trax with such OTT titles as "The Dark Behind The Dark", "Hate Medicine Lucifer", and "Undead Facts, Now". Wha? Well, one can debate if Steel Mammoth's non sequitur laden NWOFHM style is parody or not, but if you are banging your head (and we think you will be) then they've won the debate regardless.
However, we should point out that elsewhere on this very list, we've got the Alternative Tentacles reissue of Voivod's 1984 demo, and we respectfully submit that anyone buying Nuclear Rebirth should think about also purchasing To The Death 84 as well. We're pretty sure the Steel Mammoth guys would be super stoked to see both items in your cart...

STEEL MAMMOTH Nuclear Ritual (Musapojat) cd 14.98
This being Circle side-project Steel Mammoth's 4th disc, its mere existence pretty much answers the question about how serious they are, or not. Or maybe just creates new questions. If they're entirely tongue-in-cheek, then it's a really elaborate joke. If it's not a joke, then they're insane. Either way, we love Steel Mammoth! As always, they claim to be crusaders of the New Wave Of Finnish Heavy Metal, it says NWOFHM in big letters in the cd booklet. Where you'll also find some remarkable photos of the band cavorting around a campfire, or at least we think it's the band, though we're pretty sure that this makes 'em the first ever metal act to include a proudly pregnant lady in their ranks, decked out in what appears to be black leather heavy metal maternity wear! Meanwhile, one of the men is posing in a horned helm, massive and metal, apparently handcrafted, that looks very (ridiculously) medieval indeed.
So, Steel Mammoth are certainly bizarre. And silly, and Finnish, and, yeah, metal. Metal but not quite HEAVY metal. Steel Mammoth have a lighter touch for the most part. Sure, there's some distortion - but not always. The vocals are hardly ever, maybe never screamed, usually delivered in a weird rolling-r drawl, lazy and sinister. Heck half the time it sounds more like some kind of indie-rock pop, but all the awesome and not so subtle metal signifiers that infest the music and lyrics make it so much BETTER. But we probably don't need to tell you all this, if you're like us you have all their other discs already.
Nuclear Ritual, not to be confused with their debut ep Nuclear Barbarians, or for that matter their first album Atomic Mountain, is another killer set of tunes all right, catchy and confusional, from rousing opener "The Shakall" onwards. Some -titles- could be "ordinary" metal songs ("Sacred Death", "Cerebral Acid", "King Of The Damned", sure) but others would obviously be unacceptable to most metal bands ("Gargantuan Boom Boom" being the worse offender). And when one listens, none are ordinary. Some aren't even at all metal (the bulk of title track "Nuclear Ritual" is a meandering murky psych instrumental sorta in the mode of "Commando Leopard" from Atomic Mountain). Most of the tracks are kind of a hybrid of metal/not metal, like "Mammoth Sun Bacteria", which is sunny all right, in that it sounds like Iron Maiden gone bubblegum, bright and bouncy. Elsewhere, though, there is some convincingly authentic metal guitar soloing, and the distorted vocals on "Sacred Death" are almost scary. And that's the genius of Steel Mammoth, those vocals fit there just a perfectly as do the Doorsy Jim Morrison stylings that pop up on the track "Atomic Chainsaws".
Oh, and we've got to mention the last song, "Extinction", 8+ minutes long, boasting a lumbering stoner doom riff a la Witchcraft or Jex Thoth. The song eventually morphs into an extended lysergic jam worthy of Circle in its krautiness, with a bassline that Rick Rubin woulda loved on Bloodsugarsexmagic, that never seems like it will end and when it does you'll want to start it again... With results like this, Steel Mammoth are doing something right, even if they're playing metal "wrong". And anyway, when Japan's Metalucifer can make albums wherein every single song title includes the words "Heavy Metal", and still be taken (sort of) seriously, what is and what isn't a joke?
All in all, another highly entertaining, highly radioactive, album from the truly unique entity (well, along with all the other incestuous NWOFHM acts) that is Steel Mammoth!!
MPEG Stream: "Mammoth Sun Bacteria"
MPEG Stream: "Sacred Death"
MPEG Stream: "Atomic Chainsaws"

STEEL MAMMOTH Radiation Funeral (Full Contact / Svart) lp 22.00
While these guys started out as a Circle side project (and not such a serious one, at that, judging by their name), by now they've definitely become their own entity indeed, with their own following. Whether they're "serious" or not remains an open question, but with our Finnish friends, such things are almost impossible to determine anyway. They're all pretty crazy up there in Finland. What IS possible to determine is, that Steel Mammoth rules. This is their fourth full-length (vinyl-only this time, sorry cd folks) and it's another unique slab of Steel Mammoth's "New Wave Of Finnish Heavy Metal" stylings... which, of course, isn't always all that heavy metal, actually. Well, ok, it LOOKS metal, in the most awesomely cartoonish way possible. And metal is part of their sound, sure. But so is some sort of weird alt pop. Well you know that already 'cause if you're an AQ customer, you're probably already a Steel Mammoth fan.
However, this new album, Radiation Funeral, might just be Steel Mammoth's most metal attack yet. PUNKmetal at any rate. Two sides, nine songs, 1/2 hour, utter "nuck-leeyr" mayhem, a record filled with "unglued screaming, harrowing guitars, violent drumfire and apocalyptic bass pollution" as they say. And yeah, it IS pretty thrashy and trashy, Steel Mammoth finally letting their helmeted skullface mascot rage with the likes of Motorhead's Snaggletooth. The vocals are shouty, mean, gargled. The songs rumble with heavy riffing, the guitars dirty and distorted, drums bashing away with abandon. You could probably play this for your most 'truest' metal buds, the ones with band backpatches on their faded denim jackets, and convince 'em it's something dragged from the depths of the European underground circa '86, some sub-Sodom speed metal German budget band or something. Maybe. Anyway it's cool to hear Steel Mammoth (aka Circle, mostly) really, really indulge their most metallic urges here. It's a headbanger, all right. Fans of the likes of Speedwolf, and heck maybe even Kvelertak, should really dig this.
And we give 'em props for one of their best more metal-than-thou song titles yet, "Deck Of Wild Cards". Another good one is "Endless Wolf". We figure they get drunk and try to come up with ridiculous/awesome metal titles like those, then write the songs. Who knows? It works. Check out their disturbing/amusing video for the catchy/chaotic "Torture" here on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmhIa-AcFdo&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

STEEL MAMMOTH The Kingdom Of The Golden Hammer (SuperMetsa / Ektro) cd 14.98
The Steel Mammoth is back! Clanking across the frozen Finnish tundra, bellowing mightily... well no, not quite. This 'New Wave Of Finnish Heavy Metal' project from members of AQ faves Circle is not exactly what you might expect (unless you've heard them before). Despite the Satanic/Barbaric cover graphics, with cartoon death's heads grimacing in horned helmets in front of a glowing pentagram, and the various other oh-so-metal signifiers like the lyrics, song titles, stage names, etc., Steel Mammoth's unique brand of "metal" doesn't sound all that metal, though it sure is strange. These guys call it NWOFHM. In our review of their first full-length, we coined the term NWOFWTF? to describe 'em. Maybe it is a parody, but if so they take their joke pretty seriously (this is their 2nd full-length after all).
Ok, if you haven't heard 'em, but have heard Circle, imagine that band in leather and spikes (which they are known to wear anyway), having been exposed to strange drugs and radiation, as well as repeated spins of records by The Cult, Manilla Road, Voivod, uh, Dire Straits, the new Darkthrone, and Judas Priest's earliest, more psychedelic stuff (Rocka Rolla!). Then imagine something totally different as well. Right from the start they are deliberately NOT particularly heavy, playing boogie-metal riffs, yes, but in such a laid back, mellowed out fashion it's ridiculous, and ridiculously catchy. They do rock out a bit more on track two, "Black Gold Tyrant", picking up the pace further on the likes of "Steel Factor" and "Nuclear Gyration" (the latter really kicking up some heavily-effected dust), but those tracks are pretty poppy too.
Meanwhile, Steel Mammoth's "radiation rock" is adorned with drawled vocals, delivering amazing absurd lyrics that must be tongue in cheek - informing us that "flesh is weak, metal is forever" and singing lines like "crystal daybreak in the valley of blood/bone and steel crash forever non-stop/heads keep on rollin', battlecries die/corpses keep rottin', vultures take the sky". Yet even when you think the lyrics aren't serious, Steel Mammoth's music will take a turn into emotive, introspective moodiness that can't be funny, and you realize the singer is in fact crooning quite earnestly. Maybe. But there's definitely a method to their madness, one that involves a complex mythology of their own making, about atomic eggs and other cryptic mysteries. The moments of true beauty (like the lovely, sleepy "Waiting For The Goat") don't seem intentionally bathetic at all, even though grins and giggles are never far away. Let's face it, we're happily confused by Steel Mammoth, moreso even than by other NWOFHM efforts from Krypt Axeripper, Motorspandex, and related acts.
While we wish we could take it all completely seriously (or think that it was supposed to be taken completely seriously), knowing the Circle guys we also appreciate their strange humor... Heck it even says ON THE CD TRAY that this is their "disappointing second album". But we must disagree. No disappointment at all. We're lovin' it, from the moment we saw the cover art, through each of many, many spins.
MPEG Stream: "Black Gold Tyrant"
MPEG Stream: "Beyond Human Perception"
MPEG Stream: "Nuclear Gyration"

STEEL MILL Jewels Of The Forest (Rise Above Relics) cd 17.98
Attention fans of '70s heavy hippie rock!! Another primo proto-metal reissue from the fine folks at Rise Above Relics, who brought us the fantastic Bang boxset we listed not long ago. 'Tis a band/album well deserving of the deluxe treatment given here, especially welcome since only other Steel Mill reissue we've seen in the past was somewhat shoddy looking. THIS, though, is really nice, packaged with an elaborate illustrated 32 page booklet, in a slipcover adorned with new art (while the original, quite effective, surreal cover painting remains preserved within). They've renamed it too, the original lp from 1971 (there it is again, brothers and sisters, Nineteen Seventy Freaking One!!) was called Green Eyed God, this gets a new title of Jewels Of The Forest (Green Eyed God Plus) on account of all the bonus tracks included, and the remastering job, and other improvements.
So, with a name like Steel Mill, you'd expect this British band to be industrial-strength HEAVY, maybe even coming close to Black Sabbath territory. Well they do... and they don't... heavy, yeah, but opting for artier, more progressive atmospheres a lot of the time. Opener "Blood Runs Deep" is a good example, combining big, loping, rather urgent guitar riffage with passages of much mellower, jazz-inflected psychedelia via languid saxophone. Give that one a listen, and if you're like us, you'll know you want this right away. That "jazz" element, represented by what sometimes seems like pagan riot of horns, gives Steel Mill a vibe of mystic, exotic grooviness, putting 'em rite in there with underground tribes like Comus and Cromagnon. Some of these songs sound like rock rituals, like "Treadmill", with its fuzz and (literal) grunt.
Ultimately, they're an excellent, eccentric "heavy progressive" outfit, a la early King Crimson (you can be sure they loved "21st Century Schizoid Man"), Gnidrolog, Gravy Train, Tucky Buzzard, Wild Turkey, Sweet Slag, Steamhammer, East Of Eden, Murphy Blend, Amon Duul II, Culpeper's Orchard, Blackwater Park, Necromandus, etc.
Their acid rock guitar solos and lumbering riffs lean towards the Sabbath, but there's also gentle ballads ("Turn The Page Over") and fluttering flute (featured on the moody "Black Jewel Of The Forest", and elsewhere). Not that, as we've pointed out before, Sabbath themselves didn't indulge in some of their own flute flutter now and then! Steel Mill balance the light and heavy with aplomb, often in the same song. Darkly dreamlike and outre, yes, but also heavy enough for any proto-metal head. If someone were crazy enough to try and compile a collection of 1971's heaviest riffs, they'd definitely have to give Steel Mill some attention. (Er, although technically, some might quibble, as while this was recorded in '71 and the "Green Eyed God" released as a single then, the lp itself was apparently not released until 1972, and then just in Germany, with a UK release only appearing in '75.)
The original album is great all by itself, but we're also digging the bonus tracks. There's 9 of 'em, including songs from a 1972 single, as well as five unreleased studio demos of garagey popsike recorded in 1970. And, one last song - a new one, recorded by a reunited Steel Mill in 2010, "A Forgotten Future, A Future Past". And you know what, it's pretty good! Better than you might expect, actually, fitting in remarkably well. Nice how a lovingly done reissue like this can give an long lost band a new lease on life.
MPEG Stream: "Blood Runs Deep"
MPEG Stream: "Treadmill"
MPEG Stream: "Green Eyed God"
MPEG Stream: "Get On The Line (bonus track)"

STEEL POLE BATHTUB Tulip (Boner) cd 13.98

STEEL POLE BATHTUB Unlistenable (Zero To One) cd 13.98
It's a crying shame that these recordings were made in 1996 and never saw release until 2002, but what are you gonna do when you've signed to a major label, only to have the idiot higher ups pronounce your demos "unlistenable"? (Hence the name of this record, heh.) Then again, considering how fresh and good and utterly *now* this album sounds, it really shows how much ahead of their time SF's late great Steelpole Bathtub was. Hard to believe that it was made mostly in Mike Morasky's living room when you hear the thick gooey distorted guitar flangeing in and out, the effected, growling vocals, the squealing guitar solos, the trashcan percussion, the macabre surf-y tone alternating with Melvins-y sludge. There're even two ferocious Cars covers and one hidden track. If you have never heard Steelpole before, this is a great place to start -- in fact, bandmember Darren Mor-X claims these are Steelpole's best recordings. Also, if you've never heard Steelpole but are in love with their side project and major AQ-alltime fave Milk Cult, then get this record now! There's not the sampling and electronics found on the Milk Cult record, but the incredibly well done pacing and tone and weirdly accessible heaviness is all there. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Action Man Theme"
RealAudio clip: "What I Need"
RealAudio clip: "h2o2"

STEEL POLE BATHTUB Unlistenable (Permanent) lp 16.98
Awesome 2001 record (their last) from these SF noise rock legends, now reissued on vinyl for the first time, and holy shit does it sounds as good as ever.
It's a crying shame that these recordings were made in 1996 and never saw release until YEARS later, but what are you gonna do when you've signed to a major label, only to have the idiot higher ups pronounce your demos "unlistenable"? (Hence the name of this record, heh.) Then again, considering how fresh and good and utterly *now* this album sounds (even in 2010 btw!!!!), it really shows how much ahead of their time, and heck ANY time, SF's late great Steelpole Bathtub were and are. Hard to believe that it was made mostly in Mike Morasky's living room when you hear the thick gooey distorted guitar flanging in and out, the effected, growling vocals, the squealing guitar solos, the trashcan percussion, the macabre surf-y tone alternating with Melvins-y sludge. There're even two ferocious Cars covers!!! If you have never heard Steelpole before, where the heck have you been? But that's okay, this is a great place to start - in fact, bandmember Darren Mor-X claims these were Steelpole's best recordings. Also, if you've never heard Steelpole but remember their side project and major AQ-alltime fave Milk Cult, then definitely give this a try! There's not the sampling and electronics found on the Milk Cult record, but the incredibly well done pacing and tone and weirdly accessible heaviness is all there. Recommended.

STEEL PULSE True Democracy (Elektra / Rhino) cd 12.98
One of our favorite albums, and another one we realized to our dismay that we didn't have in the store or on the website, so we thought we'd share our love of this record with any of you who aren't already familiar with this classic.
At their prime, Steel Pulse were without a doubt the best reggae band to come out of the UK, with great songwriting skills, social consciousness and songs bursting with energy and packed with infectious hooks. They were such a huge influence on so many bands in the punk and new wave world, that they were often asked by bands like The Clash, The Police, The Stranglers and Generation X to go on tour with them. In fact, much of the Police's early sound is SO obviously influenced by the music of Steel Pulse. True Democracy is really one of those records that crosses genre lines, while very much a reggae record it's amazing how many people who thought they weren't into reggae at all, heard this record playing and couldn't resist getting caught tight in its irresistible grasp. It's a record that never loses its charm or its ability to sweep us of our feet as we always walk a little faster, feel a little more free, and move with more purpose whenever we have it blasting in our ears. Originally released in 1982 and it still sounds as fresh and vital as ever!
MPEG Stream: "Ravers"
MPEG Stream: "A Who Responsible?"
MPEG Stream: "Worth His Weight In Gold (Rally Round)"

STEEL PULSE True Democracy (Rhino / Elektra) lp 14.98
Now available on vinyl, again!
At their prime, Steel Pulse were without a doubt the best reggae band to come out of the UK, with great songwriting skills, social consciousness and songs bursting with energy and packed with infectious hooks. They were such a huge influence on so many bands in the punk and new wave world, that they were often asked by bands like The Clash, The Police, The Stranglers and Generation X to go on tour with them. In fact, much of the Police's early sound is SO obviously influenced by the music of Steel Pulse. True Democracy is really one of those records that crosses genre lines, while very much a reggae record it's amazing how many people who thought they weren't into reggae at all, heard this record playing and couldn't resist getting caught tight in its irresistible grasp. It's a record that never loses its charm or its ability to sweep us of our feet as we always walk a little faster, feel a little more free, and move with more purpose whenever we have it blasting in our ears. Originally released in 1982 and it still sounds as fresh and vital as ever!
MPEG Stream: "Ravers"
MPEG Stream: "A Who Responsible?"
MPEG Stream: "Worth His Weight In Gold (Rally Round)"

STEELPOLE BATHTUB Scars Falling Down (Genius) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Vinyl version of their major label debut

STEELY DAN Aja (Universal) cd 9.98

STEEN, JOS Electricity: Music For Tape & Turntable (Ultra Eczema) lp 38.00

STEFANI, GWEN Love.Angel.Music.Baby (Interscope) cd 15.98
Okay if you're a No Doubt fan (and we know there are a bunch of AQ friends out there who are... at least secretly so!), you've probably already nabbed Lady Stefani's solo debut. Heck, it's really not a whole lot different from recent recordings of No Doubt. And if you're not a ND fan, well, you still might wanna give Love Angel Music Baby a spin. For instance, if the shiny sleek dance pop of Kylie Minogue's Fever album had you in a giddy disco tizzy a couple of years ago, Ms Gwen is makin' it known that she's here to keep the funky fashionista party rollin'. L.A.M.B. is super punchy, pouty and fun without descending into complete vapidness. At times the gloss and glitter are in such abundance, she almost can't contain it nor herself, but that's what's so great about this gal. She's not afraid to go totally overboard. She dons seemingly clashing clothing patterns and musical styles with absolute fearless flair. Likewise, she proves herself to be a pretty smart cookie enlisting a different yet altogether appropriate producer for each song (Andre 3000, Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, and her bandmate Tony Kanal to name just a few) and bringing in her pal Eve for a number. That song is "Rich Girl" (with borrowed lyrics from the musical Fiddler On The Roof), and she picks right up where Madonna left off with "Material Girl" and "Dress You Up". C'mon, don't be a hater, wind up that rump and get it bumpin'!
MPEG Stream: "Rich Girl"
MPEG Stream: "Harajuku Girls"

STEFANI, GWEN The Sweet Escape (Interscope) cd 16.98
It's no secret that our pop sweet tooth has a serious soft spot for Gwen Stefani, in fact a few years ago we even made No Doubt's best-of collection our record of the week! We were pretty smitten by her solo debut and we've been anxious and curious to hear what this new batch of pop-hits might sound like. There are definitely a few killer tracks here, songs that whether you admit it or not will be stuck in your head and have yo shaking it just a little when no one is looking. But with the follow up to Love.Angel.Music.Baby she seems to have fallen a bit behind. In the short time she was away, other artists have been turning out some highly addictive pop that is way sweeter and way catchier than almost anything on The Sweet Escape. Parts of The Sweet Escape actually kind of sound like a watered down version of Beyonce's amazing new record or like a wannabe Fergie, join the small club of white girls going for L'Trimm gold. So yeah, a couple winners, but overall, we're a little disappointed.
MPEG Stream: "Wind It Up"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Get It Twisted"

STEINSKI What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective (Illegal Art) 2cd 17.98
It may be surprising that one of the godfathers of hip-hop and DJ culture was a former ad-man who in response to a Tommy Boy remix contest in 1983 delivered one of the best mastermixes of all time. "The Payoff Mix" (aka Lesson No. 1) along with Lesson No. 2 (James Brown Mix) and Lesson No. 3 (History of Hip-hop) are legendary examples of Steinski's (and sometimes partner Double Dee) fast and furious collage style of song snippets, movie dialogue and cartoon bits over an array of classic drum breaks. More amazing because they weren't products of turntablist wizardry but painstakingly put together using a box of records, tape machines and hours of studio editing. Taking cues from of all unlikely places, the novelty records of Dickie Goodman ("Flying Saucer", "Mr. Jaws"), whose interview style parodies using snippets of popular songs as humorous responses provided Steinski with readymade samples of sixties and seventies hits. Steinski would also follow the same path as Goodman in terms of legal troubles from record companies, giving early rise to the debate over sampling and issues of fair use. Which is apropos since this 2 disc reissue is being released on Girltalk's Illegal Art label. What Does It All Mean? collects those early singles along with later production work including darker collage forays into the assassination of JFK and 9/11, with the second disc containing the entire mix album "Nothing to Fear: A Rough Mix" which was made for the Coldcut-associated show Solid Steel on the BBC. That second disc alone will jump-start any party, which you will need after the first disc schools your ass on early hip-hop history!
MPEG Stream: "Lesson No. 2 (James Brown Mix)"
MPEG Stream: "I'm Wild About That Thing"
MPEG Stream: "Country Grammar (Hydro Mix)"
RealAudio clip: "Hit The Disco (Mc Enuff Mix)"

STELLAR OM SOURCE Trilogy Select (Olde English Spelling Bee) lp 17.98
Stellar Om Source is a one woman sci-fi space-synth, cosmic (or kosmische?) sonic starship piloted by Christelle Gualdi, a fusion of droned out minimal krautrock, raw private press na•ve electronic experimentation, Carpenter/Goblin influenced retro soundtrack synthscapes, and percolating analog atmospherics, all woven into lush landscapes of low-grade futuristic synthdrone kraut drift mystery.
Culled from three long out of print cd-r's: Ocean Woman, Alliance and Crusader, Trilogy Select gathers up a handpicked greatest hits, and assembles them into something resembling a proper album, a woozy, amorphous drift through dark starlit skies, through vast crumbling futuristic cities, evoking the landscapes of low budget late night science fiction B movies, blocky shapes and neon colors split into jagged sine waves and square waves, kinda like Tron meets Logan's Run scored by John Carpenter as performed by Oneohtrix Point Never (who collaborates on one of the tracks here!). Totally mesmerizing and spaced out, the tracks slip from hushed droney blur to cascades of Riley like repetition, soft cacophonies of layered synth swirl, to sun blasted upper register ur-drone bliss, hazy ethereal new age shimmer, to muted textural thrum, always infused with some sort of dark pathos, and dramatic tension, all very cinematic and atmospheric, hypnotic and totally mesmerizing.
Absolutely essential psychedelic space synth drone music for anyone into Oneohtrix Point Never, Emeralds, Dylan Ettinger, Caboladies, Pulse Emitter, Innercity and other like minded sonic cosmonauts...
Comes with a download coupon as well!
MPEG Stream: "Fantazia"
MPEG Stream: "Red Green Blue"
MPEG Stream: "Alpine Architecture"
MPEG Stream: "Zones Under Influence"

STELLASTARR Civilized (Bloated Wife) cd 14.98

STELLASTARR Harmonies For The Haunted (RCA) cd 13.98

STELZER, HOWARD Bond Inlets (Intransitive) cd 14.98
Tapes were always a fickle medium, with the mechanics of the tape liable to fail the more you played it. Similarly, dropouts were always a possibility if you mistakenly hit the record button when you meant to hit stop; and then there was the hiss which rounded off all of the higher frequencies and dulled rhythmic edges. Even if you got a professionally manufactured tape, the hiss was still there. Indeed, tape noise is a particular sound which has faded from the collective consciousness in almost all arenas, except maybe for right here at Aquarius. We've certainly championed more than a handful of brilliant tape-sourced albums, including the best being Reynols absurdistly self-evident Blank Tapes and the maudlin evocations of William Basinski's Disintegration Loops. We can also add to the list Howard Stelzer's brilliantly deadened compositions of densely compacted tape hiss found on Bond Inlets.
Two long tracks roughly equal to what would fit onto a 60 minute tape, Bond Inlets is grounded in a gray noise smearing over all of the low-end thud rumbles and distant field recordings where motion and energy is only the faintest shadow of its former self. Stelzer works in layering piles and piles of this source material and then rips these layers apart along slip-strike faults, leaving decaying echo and gravel throated drones in its wake. While definitely intense in its slow-burning compositional dynamics, it's hard to qualify Bond Inlets as a proper noise album, as this isn't the punishing electrocution of Merzbow, Masonna, or Prurient. Dare we call this a 'mature' noise album? Don't worry, your parents will still hate it.
MPEG Stream: "Untitled 1"
MPEG Stream: "Untitled 2"

STELZER, HOWARD & DAVID PAYNE Swelter (Cardinal) lp 21.00
Howard Stelzer is the man behind Intransitive Recordings, one of the finest experimental-noise-drone-fucked labels of the past decade or so. He's quite an exceptional mangler of sound in his own right, thanks to piles of barely working tape decks and thoroughly gunked up cassettes, promoting a distressed aesthetic of murky tape noise, garbling hiss, gray thrummings of compressed rumble, sea-sickened whirlings, and start-stop mechanics. Stelzer's collaborator here is David Payne, a Canadian noise-junk thrillseeker who might be known to some for his releases in / as Fossils. Admittedly, we're not all that familiar with Payne or Fossils, but Stelzer's broken collage approach is definitely present.
Small Cruel Party like textures amass out of the ever present fog of tape hiss, which Stelzer and Payne push to steam-vent intensity amidst churning, lumbering emanations that crawl out of calcified hums, decayed tones, and wind-sheer microphone obliteration. The tapes are not without their recognizable forms (although for the most part, these mud-crust recordings stay purposefully abstract), as twitterings of a bird and the rasp of car horns puncture the low-tech musique concrete approach from these gritty tape machinations. Grizzly crunches that sound like bones getting snapped in half, to which we have to hope is not the result of Stelzer and Payne setting contact mics on their fingers whilst shattering their own digits. Swelter finds itself somewhere between the first Dry Lungs international noise compilation, Merzbow's really early noise-junk offerings, and Maurizio Bianchi's Sacher-Pelz turntablist warbling. Limited to 200 copies and not long for this world!