SPRING HEEL JACK Songs & Themes (Thirsty Ear) cd 16.98

MPEG Stream: "With Out Words"
MPEG Stream: "1,000 Yards"

SPRING HEEL JACK The Blue Series Continuum: Masses (Thirsty Ear) cd 16.98
UK electronica artists Spring Heel Jack go up against the avant-jazz artists of Thirsty Ear's Matthew Shipp-curated "Blue Series". The players here include Shipp, Evan Parker, Tim Berne, Mat Maneri, William Parker, Daniel Carter, Roy Campbell, and several other international jazz talents. We're not really sure how this collaboration actually worked, but it seems that individual improvisations recorded by the above jazz musicians were collaged and manipulated by the SHJ duo. What you get is a blend of jazz and electronics, with lots of drama and surprises, quiet tension and energy-filled blowouts. Don't worry, it's not your typical "remix" thing, SHJ didn't just add lame beats to the mix -- it's not like that at all. Rather, it's like they took the opportunity to select the best parts of the raw improv material they started with, and via editing and collaging have shaped new compostions (and virtual collaborations of players) that are all quite interesting and effective. Now, sometimes nothing beats witnessing live real-time improv stuff, but also sometimes it doesn't work, and even when it does, the recorded version isn't always as compelling. That's why this is so cool, being a blend of carefully selected, electronically enhanced improv and structured in-the-computer compostion, a worthy synthesis. And hopefully the SHJ name will draw some folks in to eventually investigate some of the excellent current avant-jazz stuff that the Blue Series documents.
RealAudio clip: "Chiaroscuro"
RealAudio clip: "Salt"
RealAudio clip: "Red Worm"

SPRING HEEL JACK The Sweetness Of The Water (Thirsty Ear) cd 16.98
John Coxon and Ashley Wales (aka Spring Heel Jack) have really got a good thing going with the several electronics-abetted jazz experiments they've been brewing up for the Thirsty Ear label's Blue Series: Masses, Amassed, Live, and now this one, The Sweetness Of The Water. Their usual procedure is to get a bunch of A-list avant improvisers together in various combinations, record, and then create via their deft editing and processing something more constructed and composed, using the computer to do so without obscuring the original spark and feel of the live improviations. In fact it's quite unclear at what point in the recording/mixing process the entirely respectful, subtle electronic elements have been introduced. On this album we hear the talents of trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, sax man Evan Parker, drummer Mark Sanders, and bassist John Edwards, alongside the contributions of the Spring Heel Jack duo. There's some scritchy sonic scribbling, and spacious note-lush drone, and lyrical melodicism (often accompanied by that lovely electronic crackle of which we here at AQ just can't get enough) and all kinds of gorgeous playing to be found here, on what's definitely a 21st century jazz album, in a vein sorta similiar to Supersilent or Trapist. As with the others from Spring Heel Jack and their heavy jazz friends so far, recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Track Four"
MPEG Stream: "Lata"

SPRINGFIELD, DUSTY Anthology (Mercury) 3cd 48.00
Deluxe 77-track career retrospective.

SPRINGFIELD, DUSTY Complete A And B Sides 1963-1970 (Eclipse) 2cd 31.00

SPRINGFIELD, DUSTY Love Songs (Rhino) cd 11.98

SPRINGSTEEN, BRUCE Devils & Dust (Columbia) dual cd/dvd 17.98

SPRINGSTEEN, BRUCE Nebraska (Columbia) cd 13.98

SPRINGSTEEN, BRUCE We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (Columbia) dualdisc 21.00

SPRINGSTEEN, BRUCE Working On A Dream (Columbia) cd 16.98
With Boss mania in full swing once again and a rare appearance on AQ's list a few weeks ago with his split 10" with Suicide, we thought why not offer up a few words on his latest album, Working On A Dream? Truth be told Springsteen has made some really fine music in the last several years. His 2005 album Dust & Devils was his most bleak and dark affair since Nebraska, and his Seeger Sessions, We Shall Overcome which came out a year later displayed Bruce at his stripped down best. This record finds the boss being his biggest, most arena ready and triumphant self. It almost sounds like the 2nd disc of a greatest hits collection, which is to say it's so familiarly Springsteen for better and for worse. Lots of midtempo songs ready for high rotation on commercial radio and then there are some full on fist in the air anthems as well. Big time Springsteen fans will find lots to like on here but for sure it's not his greatest or most adventurous outing.
MPEG Stream: "Outlaw Pete"
MPEG Stream: "Tomorrow Never Knows"
MPEG Stream: "The Wrestler"

SPRINGSTEEN, BRUCE Wrecking Ball (Columbia) cd 14.98

SPRINGSTEEN, BRUCE Wrecking Ball (Columbia) 2lp+cd 25.00

SPRINGSTEEN, BRUCE / SUICIDE / BEAT THE DEVIL Dream Baby Dream (Blast First Petite) 10" 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We seem to be in the midst of another round of Springsteen mania, with The Boss recently wowing the crowd at the Super Bowl, coming out with a brand new record and once again flexing his muscle as one of rock n roll's strongest shepherds. While we all have our own favorite Springsteen document (Nebraska, Greetings From Asbury Park, etc.) we have to say we were pretty thrown off in a pleasant way a few years back when we caught a YouTube clip of The Boss doing an incredible live rendition of the Suicide classic "Dream Baby Dream." Made us have way more respect for the Boss and also made us realize that no matter how much of an underground sensation those first two Suicide albums were, underneath it all were totally brilliant and long lasting pop songs.
So with The Boss in the spotlight once again we thought we'd get around to listing this 10" that's part of Blast First Petite's series of Suicide splits with the other bands all doing their own versions of Suicide classics. We listed the Lydia Lunch/Suicide split a little while ago. We're not sure if it was the unexpected delight of when we first saw the clip of Springsteen playing "Dream Baby Dream" that made it seem so incredible but it's not quite as mind blowing here. Still pretty cool to hear him doing it. The flipside finds Suicide performing their track back in 1979 for an NBC late night show and then another Suicide cover by a contemporary group called Beat The Devil with their take of "Mr Ray." We just found out that all these Suicide splits have been released in honor of Alan Vega's 70th birthday, how cool!

SPROUT, TOBIN Demos & Outtakes (Wigwam) cd 15.98
During his time with Ohio's Guided By Voices, Tobin Sprout wielded his pop songwriting pen and four-track studio with sweet skill, but unfortunately all too often he was overshadowed by mainman Robert Pollard. Since his departure from GBV in '97, Mr. Sprout has been quietly continuing his lo-fi popcraftsmanship on his own in Michigan. As the title states this cd compiles some of his demos and outtakes - twenty in all. Any GBV / Tobin Sprout fan will surely find this release wonderfully warm and familiar, and it just might win him some new supporters too. Fans of the combined forces of Sprout and Pollard might want to also check out their recent incarnation as Airport Five their first collaboration in five years.
RealAudio clip: "Water On The Boaters Back"

SPROUT, TOBIN Fortunes: Songs From The Movie (Pravda) cd 14.98

SPROUT, TOBIN Let's Welcome the Circus People (Recordhead) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Second solo turn from guitarist for Guided By Voices.

SPROUT, TOBIN Live At The Horseshoe Tavern April 19, 2004 (Wigwam) 2cd 17.98
Well, if you've been in mourning about the demise of beloved band Guided By Voices (who played their final show this past New Year's Eve), you can take some solace in the fact that its individual former members haven't stopped making music... nor playing it live! This is a double cd of a complete Tobin Sprout performance in Toronto last year. From the very first unmistakable guitar strum, it's a definite fan pleaser filled with lots of old Sprout/GBV favorites and plenty of crowd hoots and hollerin'. Added bonus: demo versions of even more old faves "And I Wonder", "Inside Your Serious", "Over Then, and Back Again".
MPEG Stream: "Get Out Of My Throat"
MPEG Stream: "Inside Your Serious"

SPROUT, TOBIN Moonflower Plastic (Matador) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Second full-length from Guided By Voices guitarist.

SPROUT, TOBIN Moonflower Plastic (Matador) lp 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Second full-length from Guided By Voices guitarist.

SPROUT, TOBIN Sentimental Stations (Recordhead) cd 12.98
Pretty-pop from the non-Bob Pollard mainstay of Guided by Voices. A seven song teaser for his upacoming full length. Dreamy and lush and kind of eighties sounding but really good. Fans of GBV obviously need this!
RealAudio clip: "Secret Service"
RealAudio clip: "Branding Dennis"

SPRUNG AUS DEN WOLKEN Dub & Die (Klanggalerie) cd 21.00
No, it's not an album of dubs that Sprung Aus Den Wolken wrangled out of their Cassettencombinat studio; but these stripped down recordings represented the first officially released work from the seminal art-punk / industrial outfit, originally released back in 1981 on ZickZack as an eponymous album. That said, these were not the first recordings for Sprung Aus Den Wolken, as their Cassettencombinat studio / tape imprint had been recording a prodigious amount of material which actually warranted a 3lp boxset for Vinyl-On-Demand, much of it through the Sprung Aus Den Wolken moniker. Alexander Hacke and Kiddy Citny were the principal agents of Cassettencombinat in the day, and here on Dub & Die, Hacke was still in the band at the time, having not fully committed to the Einsturzende Neubauten cause. He proves once again to be an excellent foil to Kiddy Citny's punk poetics.
Compared to the sparkplug frenzy of the Faux Pas collection, Dub & Die is downright minimalist with lots of room spacing strangulated guitar and the loping basslines amidst the primitive electronics with Citny rambling as loose as ever but with considerable restraint. None of this is a bad thing, especially when the title track comes across like a German version of Young Marble Giants. There are other tracks tracks whose jittery funk mutations allude to a junkyard mish-mash of Gang Of Four and A Certain Ratio, and a few which do hold worthy comparisons to the early Neubauten spring-loaded Industrial numbers. Klanggalerie once again has unearthed a great record, which is limited in this cd reissue to 500 copies.
MPEG Stream: "Dub & Die"
MPEG Stream: "Leidenschaftlich"
MPEG Stream: "Jeder Tag"

SPRUNG AUS DEN WOLKEN Faux Pas (Klanggalerie) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Sprung Aus Den Wolken came out of the Berlin underground in the early '80s, right alongside Einsturzernde Neubauten and Malaria, producing their own claustrophobic rhythm and noise out of junked electronics and instruments. Just as Neubauten built their own studio to serve their metal bashing purposes, Sprung Aus Den Wolken had their studio in which to tinker around with mutant grooves, sparkplug guitar scratchiness, and yelping vocals. Given the lo-fi material produced through Cassettencombinat, the studio was probably little more than a tangle of 1/4" cables, a 4-track, and whatever gear the various participants could cobble together. Yet out of these constraints, Sprung Aus Den Wolken had managed some truly inspired post-punk tunes, which sort of come across as a weird hybrid of Neubauten, The Ex, and Gang of Four. The Neubauten connection may be obvious as a very young kid named Alexander Hacke had found his way into the Sprung Aus Den Wolken camp at about the same time he began scraping infernal noises alongside Blixa Bargeld and crew. Where Neubauten was all about a bleak destruction of sound with darkly serious connotations, Sprung Aus Den Wolken were considerably more playful in their slop and sonic debris, often working in catchy grooves, basslines, and guitar bursts that tease with the notion of a pop hook into their danse macabre. Faux Pas was their first LP, recorded back in 1982, with some of this material appearing on the Vinyl On Demand boxset of Cassettencombinat material. But none of this has been on cd, until now. Klanggalerie has also included a couple of tracks from a few years later when Sprung Aus Den Wolken actually went into a proper studio (or maybe Cassettencombinat got a really fancy upgrade) for the "Pas Attendre," which earned the band a wider audience through its inclusion on the Wings Of Desire soundtrack.
MPEG Stream: "Akcam La"
MPEG Stream: "Noch Lange Nicht"
MPEG Stream: "Warte"
MPEG Stream: "Pas Attendre"

SPUNK Det Eneste Jeg Vet Er At Det Ikke Er En Stovsuger (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
A very impressive debut from the strangely wonderful Norwegian quartet known as Spunk. Unearthly rock and jazz structures and improvisations, simultaneously dark and childlike. Also check out the follow-up release 'Filtered Through Friends' which features remixes by Kim Hiorthoy, Phonophani, Martin Horntveth, Upper Rooms, Svalastog, (X, Y, Z), Andreas Meland, Jorgen Traeen, Sun Demon, Risto Holopainen, Lasse Marhaug, Andreas Mjos and Spunk's own Kristin Andersen.
RealAudio clip: "Fjernfjernkontrollkontroll (Phonophani Remix)"
RealAudio clip: "Feil (Svalastog Remix)"

SPUNK En Aldeles Forferdelig Sykdom (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
The four ladies of the Norwegian group Spunk know about the possibilities of playful improvisation done right. Since their formation in 1999 they have been experimenting with the combination of the instruments they are well trained on like cello, trumpet, french horn ands mixing those with toys, electronics, percussion and the distinct voice as instrument that Maje Ratke provides. This album finds them in top form. Going from manic outbursts to dreamlike elegance at the drop of a hat. While so much of what bills itself as "free jazz" is actually so far away from actually being free or original, Spunk tap into the right kind of improvisational spirit. You could imagine playing this after early Matmos, Don Cherry's "Mu" and then Bjork's most experimental instrumentation. For seekers of adventurous spirit, once again Spunk have got your fix.
MPEG Stream: ""
MPEG Stream: ""

SPUNK Filtered Through Friends (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
Remixes of the strangely wonderful Norwegian quartet, whose impressive debut "Det Eneste Jeg Vet Er At Det Ikke Er En Stovsuger" fused modern classical composition (member Maja Ratkje is a renowned young composer in her native Norway) with their unearthly rock and jazz structures and improvisations, simultaneously dark and childlike. "Filtered Through Friends" travels even further out, showcasing some amazing experimental electronic work from the Norwegian underground with remixes by Kristin Andersen (of Spunk), Kim Hiorthoy (responsible for the lovely design work on Rune Grammofon releases), Phonophani, Martin Horntveth, Upper Rooms, Svalastog, (X, Y, Z), Andreas Meland, Jorgen Traeen, Sun Demon, Risto Holopainen, Lasse Marhaug and Andreas Mjos.
RealAudio clip: "Fjernfjernkontrollkontroll (Phonophani Remix)"
RealAudio clip: "Feil (Svalastog Remix)"

SPYBEY/THERAULT cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Ambient experimentation by two Canadians: a fella from Zoviet France/Dead Voices on Air, and a guy from Voivod! Comes sewn in a fabric pouch.

SPYRALS, THE Clouds (Inside The Moon) cassette 6.98
A brand new batch of tracks the latest addition to the SF psychedelic space rock pantheon, with just a single 7" under their belts, and now this 5 song cassette, these guys are definitely poised to be another next big thing. After all, folks are so gaga for Wooden Shjips, Moon Duo, Sleepy Sun, Carlton Melton, the Lumerians, hell, we can't imagine those same folks wouldn't flip for these guys too.
They definitely have a similar sound, Velvets, Spacemen 3, etc., although here, they open up with a way more straight ahead chunk of sixties style psychedelic pop jangle, stripped down, a little fuzzy, but not buzzy or droney or druggy so much as just hooky and jangly, it's not until the second track that they kick on the pedals, opening with a blast of crumbling distortion, only to fade away leaving just some strummed acoustic guitar, and then bam, the song kicks in, fuzzed out guitars, ear whirring organ, washed out reverbed vocals, motorik drumming, totally blissed out druggy droney psychedelic garage rock.
But then they switch right back, and offer up another slab of classic sixties style psych pop jangle, before launching into a track that manages to mix both, that sort of Doorsy / Velvetsy style druggies, wrapped around some swaggery pysch pop shuffle, there's even some harmonica, that manages to make it all sound that much droopier and druggier.
Finally the band wrap it up with a short sharp blast of fuzzy drone rock bliss, all hazy and hypnotic, the Spacemen 3 vibe looming large, drawled vox, crunchy guitars, looped and hypnotic and mesmerizing, with some serious hooks hidden throughout, the sort of song that definitely deserves a multi minute psychedelic freakout tacked on the end, but instead winds down after just three minutes.
Killer stuff, another ep length tease, but just enough to tide us over until these guys finally get together a proper full length.
Like the 7", these babies are pretty limited, so grab one quick before they're gone...
MPEG Stream: "Black Clouds"
MPEG Stream: "Calling Out Your Name"

SPYRALS, THE Love Me Too / Reflection (self-released) 7" 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Okay, all you Wooden Shjips / Moon Duo obsessives. There's some new kids in town, vying for your psychedelic space rock dronekraut affections, and they're called The Spyrals, and they traffic in the same sort of droned out post Velvets, post Spacemen motorik fuzz drenched psychedelic garage kraut mesmer. Which means, pretty much anyone who digs WS or the slightly less rocking Moon Duo, are probably gonna go nuts for these guys too.
With songs that sound like they should go on forever, and lord knows we certainly wouldn't complain if they did, the Spyrals manage to pack plenty of blissed out hypnotic drug rock droniness into a matter of minutes, so much so that you'll likely find yourself flipping this single over and over and over and over again. The organs are thick and fuzzy, the guitars chime and churn and jangle and ring out, the drums simple and solid, the melodies are mesmerizing, a little bit of twang here and there, it's pretty much everything you could hope for from this sort of thing, cyclical, repetitive, motorik, propulsive, druggy, dreamy, fuzzy, buzzy, psychedelic and still most definitely catchy.
We'd be awfully surprised if these guys didn't blow up big time soon. Which means, you better act fast, these 7"s are CRAZY limited, as in only 30 copies, each one hand numbered, and hand screened. And most likely gone before you know it.

SPYRALS, THE s/t (Mock Records) lp 11.98
Finally available on vinyl! After a tape and a couple 7"s, comes the much anticipated debut full length from this new crew of SF psych rockers, who by now should be quite familiar to fans of other Bay Area psychedelic space rock and garage rock, cuz if you dig Wooden Shjips, Moon Duo, Sleepy Sun, Carlton Melton and all the rest, as well as Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin, Thee Oh Sees and the like these guys should be right there in your space/psych pantheon. And while the spacier of those other bands tend toward the more droned out and krautrocky, these guys are much more classically rocking, melding a love of Spacemen 3 and other dronier drug rock with the classics, the Velvets, the Doors, even the Stooges, their songs simple and trancelike, plenty of jangle and simpler stripped down drum stomp, the vocals wreathed in reverb, and nestled in the mix, the guitars alternately chugging and crunchy, chiming and melodic, transforming simple pop songs into something more mesmerizingly hypnotic. Even album opener, Lonely Eye on the surface is simple and spare, but over the course of its nearly 5 minutes, it gets to the point where it could go on forever, and we'd sit there glassy eyed and blissed out.
Some of the other tracks are more garagey, like "Disguise", which should totally have Oh Sees fans flipping their lids, although the sound here hews much closer to old garage classics like the Fuzztones or the Lyres, which is most definitely not a bad thing. In fact if anything, much of this new record definitely leans toward that more stripped down garage rock sound, with fuzzy guitar, wandering basslines and fuzzy organs, but here and there, like on "Calling Out Your Name" the band unleash a riff that KILLS, in the case of "COYN", it's a dead ringer for the Stooges, one that the band could have ridden hard, but instead of getting all swaggery, the band sort of blisses out, applying multiple layers of guitars and upping the psych quotient considerably, not to mention some cool rhythmic weirdness, which lurks throughout the record, and reveals itself on repeated and closer listens.
And so it goes, the whole record, a killer collection of super hooky, spaced out psychedelic garage pop gems, the sort of sound we can't get enough of, and the sort of sound that should definitely position these guys alongside other garage/space/psych rock luminaries, and again if you dig Crystal Stilts, Thee Oh Sees, Wooden Shjips, or any of the other above mentioned bands, and have not checked these guys out, do yourself a favor...
MPEG Stream: "Lonely Eyes"
MPEG Stream: "Long Road Out"
MPEG Stream: "Radiator"
MPEG Stream: "Evil Kind"

SPYRALS, THE s/t (Mock Records) cd-r 11.98
Finally! After a tape and a couple 7"s, comes the much anticipated debut full length from this new crew of SF psych rockers, who by now should be quite familiar to fans of other Bay Area psychedelic space rock and garage rock, cuz if you dig Wooden Shjips, Moon Duo, Sleepy Sun, Carlton Melton and all the rest, as well as Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin, Thee Oh Sees and the like these guys should be right there in your space/psych pantheon. And while the spacier of those other bands tend toward the more droned out and krautrocky, these guys are much more classically rocking, melding a love of Spacemen 3 and other dronier drug rock with the classics, the Velvets, the Doors, even the Stooges, their songs simple and trancelike, plenty of jangle and simpler stripped down drum stomp, the vocals wreathed in reverb, and nestled in the mix, the guitars alternately chugging and crunchy, chiming and melodic, transforming simple pop songs into something more mesmerizingly hypnotic. Even album opener, Lonely Eye on the surface is simple and spare, but over the course of its nearly 5 minutes, it gets to the point where it could go on forever, and we'd sit there glassy eyed and blissed out.
Some of the other tracks are more garagey, like "Disguise", which should totally have Oh Sees fans flipping their lids, although the sound here hews much closer to old garage classics like the Fuzztones or the Lyres, which is most definitely not a bad thing. In fact if anything, much of this new record definitely leans toward that more stripped down garage rock sound, with fuzzy guitar, wandering basslines and fuzzy organs, but here and there, like on "Calling Out Your Name" the band unleash a riff that KILLS, in the case of "COYN", it's a dead ringer for the Stooges, one that the band could have ridden hard, but instead of getting all swaggery, the band sort of blisses out, applying multiple layers of guitars and upping the psych quotient considerably, not to mention some cool rhythmic weirdness, which lurks throughout the record, and reveals itself on repeated and closer listens.
And so it goes, the whole record, a killer collection of super hooky, spaced out psychedelic garage pop gems, the sort of sound we can't get enough of, and the sort of sound that should definitely position these guys alongside other garage/space/psych rock luminaries, and again if you dig Crystal Stilts, Thee Oh Sees, Wooden Shjips, or any of the other above mentioned bands, and have not checked these guys out, do yourself a favor...
For now, only on cd-r, but with possible vinyl version to come.
MPEG Stream: "Lonely Eyes"
MPEG Stream: "Long Road Out"
MPEG Stream: "Radiator"
MPEG Stream: "Evil Kind"

SPYRALS, THE Sunflower Microphone (self-released) 7" 5.98
Second 7" from these Bay area psychedelic space rockers, featuring a redone version of one of the tracks from their Clouds cassette and a brand new B side, and both kill. As we mentioned in our review of the first 7"s, fans of Wooden Shjips / Moon Duo should be al over these guys, as they traffic in a similarly minimal spaced out hypnorock, borrowing liberally from Spacemen 3, the Velvets, not to mention various kraut and space rock forebears, but they definitely have their own sound, both sides of which are represented here.
The A side title track is fuzzy and heavy and distorted, the drums are driving and propulsive, the vibe is swaggery and almost Stooges-y, the guitars wild and psychedelic, the main riff a monster, plenty of reverb and echo, it's the kind of jam that should have other local space/psych rockers shaking in their boots.
The flipside, "Long Road Out" is way more retro, the drums stripped down and low slung, the main riff all surfy and reverby, the vocals a laid back drawl, the melodies all buzzy and a little sitar-y, there's even some harmonica, all very fuzzy and dreamily druggy and not a little bit hippie. Great stuff, another couple songs to tide us over until these guys finally release a full length.
LIMITED TO 100 COPIES. Pressed on clear yellow vinyl.
MPEG Stream: "Sunflower Microphone"
MPEG Stream: "Long Road Out"

SQUAREPUSHER Big Loada (Nothing/Warp) cd 15.98
The Squarepusher collection features all of the tracks from the "Big Loada" ep, the "Port Rhombus" ep, half of the "Vic Acid" ep (not the tracks also on "Hard Normal Daddy"), and a kick ass video as a cd-rom bonus. To repeat: KICK ASS VIDEO -- a minature movie in fact -- fully worth the price of the disc itself, although if you don't have "Port Rhombus" etc. this entire package is pretty essential anyway.

SQUAREPUSHER Big Loada (Warp) 12" 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SQUAREPUSHER Burningn'n tree (Warp) cd 19.98
Yet another example of why Tom Jenkinson is one of the most creative musicians in drum & bass. This album compiles all the old Spymania (Jenkinson's label) 12" singles and compilation tracks, plus 3 unreleased tracks. More jazzy than the newer stuff, but still peppered with the most illogical and manic beats around.

SQUAREPUSHER Burningn'n tree (Warp) lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Yet another example of why Tom Jenkinson is one of the most creative musicians in drum & bass. This album compiles all the old Spymania (Jenkinson's label) 12" singles and compilation tracks, plus 3 unreleased tracks. More jazzy than the newer stuff, but still peppered with the most illogical and manic beats around.

SQUAREPUSHER Feed Me Weird Things (Rephlex) cd 16.98

SQUAREPUSHER Go Plastic (Warp) cd 15.98
Following on the heels of his "My Red Hot Car" single, Tom Jenkinson has blessed us with an additional 9 tracks of Squarepusher salvation. Though the single is by far the best track on the album, you can be rest assured that fretless bass licks, Miles Davis references and (smooth) jazz in general play no role in this album (thank fucking god!). Jenkinson has returned to what he does best: making some very fucked up drum 'n' bass. Some of it is reminiscent of the work that he was doing way back at the time of "Feed Me Weird Things" or "Hard Normal Daddy", very stripped down melodically and full of bursts of electronic noise that will make your ears bleed.
RealAudio clip: "My Red Hot Car"
RealAudio clip: "Boneville Occident"

SQUAREPUSHER Hard Normal Daddy (Warp) lp 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SQUAREPUSHER Hello Everything (Warp) cd 21.00

MPEG Stream: "Hello Meow"
MPEG Stream: "Bubble Life"
MPEG Stream: "Planetarium"

SQUAREPUSHER Just A Souvenir (Warp) cd 14.98

SQUAREPUSHER Music Is Rotted One Note (Nothing / Warp) cd 15.98
It states quite clearly on the sticker Nothing applied to the outside of this record, that this is Jazz. Mr. Jenkinson has reinvented his approach to music, having more in common with Miles Davis' "Dark Magus" or even "On the Corner" than with the drill & bass excesses of his previous outings. No drum programming... instead, complex ever shifting live percussion with hammond organ and fretless bass. Either you'll love it or hate it--some here feel that this is possibly Squarepusher's best release yet.

SQUAREPUSHER My Red Hot Car (Warp) cd ep 5.98
This ep is a comeback of sorts for our Tom Jenkinson, after a few weak (to our ears) records of breakbeats set to smooth jazz. "My Red Hot Car" is arguably Squarepusher's best dancefloor thumper since Big Loada's "Come On My Selector". Topped off with a catchy vocal line throughout, it's the perfect soundtrack to cruising with the windows down on a warm summer evening. Let's just hope this doesn't pop up in VW's next ad campaign. To complement the title track, there are two nice tracks of dark brooding drone work. Really nice.

SQUAREPUSHER Port Rhombus (Warp) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Jazzy jungle with really freaky rhythms programmed by Tom Jenkinson a.k.a. Squarepusher, current darling of the idm-list (idm, you know -- what they insist on calling INTELLIGENT DANCE MUSIC). Smooth yet wacked. Challenging not boring. If you like Wagonchrist/Plug/Luke Vibert then this will meet your high standards. Also usually available: the full length, Feed Me Weird Things. Both English imports.

SQUAREPUSHER Port Rhombus (Warp) 12"ep 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Jazzy jungle with really freaky rhythms programmed by Tom Jenkinson a.k.a. Squarepusher, current darling of the idm-list (idm, you know -- what they insist on calling INTELLIGENT DANCE MUSIC). Smooth yet wacked. Challenging not boring. If you like Wagonchrist/Plug/Luke Vibert then this will meet your high standards. Also usually available: the full length, "Feed Me Weird Things." Both English imports.

SQUAREPUSHER Presents Maximum Priest E.P. (Nothing) cdep 9.98
Four new songs and three remixes from our favorite drill and bass turned jazz funk artist...yep, this is still '70s Miles Davis-inspired jazz as per his great Music Is Rotted One Note album, but there are reminders of the crazy noise beats of old Squarepusher too--especially in the remixes, by Autechre, Matt Yee-King (of the Trash collective), and Wagonchrist. Great stuff. Mr. Jenkinson (with some help from his friends) still impresses.

SQUAREPUSHER Ultravisitor (Warp) cd 15.98
Hot on the heel of the coolest/funniest rumour we've heard in a long time, that Squarepusher aka Tom Jenkinson is in fact actually Richard D. James perpetrating a mighty hoax, comes the latest, and greatest in quite a while, full length Squarepusher album. Track one brought us all the way back to Feed Me Weird Things, his debut that blew us all away at the time. An opening salvo full of hyper spastic skitter, funky burbling basslines, minor key soundscapes, relentless and insane, with a recurring melody that -almost- sounds like the theme from Beverly Hills Cop! But that track is a bit misleading as the next track finds us back in more recent 'jazz' Squarepusher territory, all spaced out and noodly, dark electronic fusion and shuffling late night acid jazz. Cool, but doesn't quite have the same impact. But hold tight, after a few tracks of some serious wankery, the bass noodling gets more and more manic, more and more distorted before things fracture and splinter and become very heavy and very noisy and very very fucked. Hyper complex rhythms careen wildly between bursts of static and pink fuzz, oddly placed rapping is chopped and deconstructed, heavy metal guitars are sped up and smeared into fuzzy melodies, blasting beats blur into buzzing Merzbow style white noise, and the whole thing takes on the sound of some long lost abstract DHR recording. Some of you may want to skip past the lighter portions, but give it a chance, taken as a whole, Ultravisitor is a really disorienting, perplexing, challenging but ultimately super ass kicking ride!
MPEG Stream: "Ultravisitor"
MPEG Stream: "Menelec"
MPEG Stream: "C-Town Smash / Steinbolt"

SQUAREPUSHER Ultravisitor (Warp) 2lp 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hot on the heel of the coolest/funniest rumour we've heard in a long time, that Squarepusher aka Tom Jenkinson is in fact actually Richard D. James perpetrating a mighty hoax, comes the latest, and greatest in quite a while, full length Squarepusher album. Track one brought us all the way back to Feed Me Weird Things, his debut that blew us all away at the time. An opening salvo full of hyper spastic skitter, funky burbling basslines, minor key soundscapes, relentless and insane, with a recurring melody that -almost- sounds like the theme from Beverly Hills Cop! But that track is a bit misleading as the next track finds us back in more recent 'jazz' Squarepusher territory, all spaced out and noodly, dark electronic fusion and shuffling late night acid jazz. Cool, but doesn't quite have the same impact. But hold tight, after a few tracks of some serious wankery, the bass noodling gets more and more manic, more and more distorted before things fracture and splinter and become very heavy and very noisy and very very fucked. Hyoer complex rhythms careen wildly between bursts of static and pink fuzz, oddly placed rapping is chopped and deconstructed, heavy metal guitars are sped up and smeared into fuzzy melodies, blasting beats blur into buzzing Merzbow style white noise, and the whole thing takes on the sound of some long lost abstract DHR recording. Some of you may want to skip past the lighter portions, but give it a chance, taken as a whole, Ultravisitor is a really disorienting, perplexing, challenging but ultimately super ass kicking ride!
MPEG Stream: "Ultravisitor"
MPEG Stream: "Menelec"
MPEG Stream: "C-Town Smash / Steinbolt"

SQUAREPUSHER Untitled (Warp) 12" 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
One sided - one track stunner from Sir Jenkinson, fresh off the tail feathers of "Go Plastic". Like his previous pop hit "My Red Hot Car", this is sooo good, it doesn't even have a name - and it's the only track on here! Vocoded raps and fucked up catchy rhythms in the bent Squarepusher fashion.

SQUAREPUSHER Venus No. 17 (Warp) 12" 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Latest blast of jungly goodness from Squarepusher and boy is it old school. You'd almost never guess this was Squarepusher. The beats aren't insanely spastic and there is nary a funk bass to be found. Side one is a classic blast of drum n' bass, very early nineties but if you're like us, you can never get enough of that stuff. Side two is a little bit more mellow, a couple blissed out dreamy ambient tracks with occasional bleeping outerspace sound effects stuttering blithely through the tranquility messing up everything quite nicely and eventually turning the ambience into a stuttering jungle workout. Good stuff.

SQUAREPUSHER Vic Acid (Warp) 12 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.