STEREOLAB Peng (Too Pure) lp 14.98
Classic Sterolab debut album finally available on vinyl again!

STEREOLAB Peng! (Too Pure) cd 13.98

STEREOLAB Peng! (Too Pure) lp 14.98

STEREOLAB Plastic Mile / I Was A Sunny Rainphase (Too Pure / Duophonic) 7" 3.99
Hurrah, some new Stereolab songs! The band sure seem to have turned over a new leaf where their limited edition collectibles are concerned -- re-endearing themselves with their legions of fans. Perhaps it's been spurred in part by the new partnership between the band's own label Duophonic and Too Pure? Dunno, but after years of frustratingly small run, insanely pricey special releases, they recently offered up the cool Oscillons From The Anti-Sun 3cd/1dvd box set, and have now released these three nicely priced, no frills 7" singles with two songs a piece. Each is a limited pressing of 1000.
This one features a pair of dreamy pop songs on which Laetitia Sadier's lovely vocals are as captivating as ever. "Plastic Mile" swings along gracefully while "I Was A Sunny Rainphase" peps things up a bit, and its pulsing groove proves that they haven't lost their love for krautrock (specifically the sounds of Neu!) just yet.

STEREOLAB Refried Ectoplasm (Switched On Vol. 2) (Drag City) cd 14.98
13 songs, all out of print now and hard to find in the first place (the Sub Pop single, that tour-only single I've never even seen, the Duophonic 7"s, etc etc), plus, the wonderfully noisy Clawfist 10" reworking of a Nurse With Wound piece. The vinyl is clear and if you care about this sort of thing, the vinyl sleeves are going to be different when it gets reprinted.

STEREOLAB Refried Ectoplasm (Switched On Vol. 2) (Drag City) 2lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
13 songs, all out of print now and hard to find in the first place (the Sub Pop single, that tour-only single I've never even seen, the Duophonic 7"s, etc etc), plus, the wonderfully noisy Clawfist 10" reworking of a Nurse With Wound piece. The vinyl is clear and if you care about this sort of thing, the vinyl sleeves are going to be different when it gets reprinted.

STEREOLAB Serene Velocity: A Stereolab Anthology (Rhino) cd 16.98
If by some freakish chance, you or someone you know has never heard the music of Stereolab, this is *the* cd to get him/her/yourself. Really, Serene Velocity could easily be titled The Best Of Stereolab collection. Sure there'd be lots of disputing the song selection -- we've all got our personal favorites of course! -- but each time we've played this in the store someone (customers and staff alike) inevitably bursts out an "oooh, I love this song!" for almost every song! The sweet sixteen songs are "Crest", "French Disko", "Ping Pong", "Cybele's Reverie", "Metronomic Underground", "Percolator", "Brakhage", "Miss Modular", "Infinity Girl", "Come And Play In The Milky Way", "Space Moth", "Double Rocker", "Vonal Declosion", and "...Sudden Stars" as well as rare 7" versions of "Jenny Ondioline (Part 1)" and "Wow And Flutter". Sure, devoted fans probably already have multiple copies of each of these tunes, but heck! Even they might find it to be like the yummiest Stereolab mixtape around!
MPEG Stream: "French Disko"
MPEG Stream: "Ping Pong"

STEREOLAB Sound-Dust (Elektra) cd 16.98
Some of us around here whose tolerance for musical sweetness I can only admire and envy, thinks this new Stereolab album displays a lot more thought and effort, and is more intriguingly organic than their recent slick muzak leanings. And certainly the tracks featuring Jim O'Rourke at the controls are very nice. Diplomatic, eh? However, in my opinion, this new album sees Stereolab retreating even further into the wallpaper that they already have become, each new release more predictable and less interesting. Wallpaper. but don't listen to me, listen to the soundclips and decide for yourself.
RealAudio clip: "Captain Easychord"
RealAudio clip: "Double Rocker"

STEREOLAB Sound-Dust (Elektra) 2lp 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Double vinyl edition now in, quantities are limited. Here's what we had to say in AQL#120: Some of us around here whose tolerance for musical sweetness I can only admire and envy, thinks this new Stereolab album displays a lot more thought and effort, and is more intriguingly organic than their recent slick muzak leanings. And certainly the tracks featuring Jim O'Rourke at the controls are very nice. Diplomatic, eh? However, in my opinion, this new album sees Stereolab retreating even further into the wallpaper that they already have become, each new release more predictable and less interesting. Wallpaper. But don't listen to me, listen to the soundclips and decide for yourself.
RealAudio clip: "Captain Easychord"
RealAudio clip: "Double Rocker"

STEREOLAB Space Age Bachelor Pad Music (The Groop Played) (Too Pure) cd 12.98

STEREOLAB Switched On (Too Pure) cd 13.98
Helloooo Stereolab fans near and far! It might be time for you to retire your well-worn copy of Switched On 'cause it's been reissued! Arguably one of Stereolab's best and most beloved collections, this selection of songs (a compilation of early singles originally released back in 1992) captures the band's sound while it was still in its formative stages (but their Neu! adolation was already in full bloom as were lead singer Laetitia Sadier's glorious vocals), and thus still had some youthful spunk and spirit in it. These songs are some of their most energetic, poppy and outgoing Moog and farfisa filled delights. The contrast between these buzzing, tinglingly alive songs and the band's last few ultra smooth'n'polished albums is really remarkable. The songs on Switched On still sound fresh and great today (which happens to be a suitably bright, sunny March morning)!
That said, if you wanna hear some even fresher (i.e, new) Sadier-sung tunes, check out her other band Monade's current album, A Few Steps More.
MPEG Stream: "Brittle"
MPEG Stream: "Au Grand Jour"

STEREOLAB The Groop Play Space Age Bachelor Pad Music (Too Pure) lp 14.98
Classic Stereolab album finally available on vinyl again!

STEREOLAB Transient Random-noise Bursts with Announcements (Elektra) cd 10.98

STEREOLAB Whisper Pitch / Widow Weirdo (Too Pure) 7" 3.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Lovers of both Stereolab and vinyl records, your fave band has offered up another trio of fine 7" singles! Two new tunes a piece, each is limited to 4000!
In many ways singles are the perfect way to experience just how good Stereolab still are. It's so easy to take this group for granted and yes they do have a sound that for the most part they stick to but when you get to hang out with just a couple songs at a time, you really get to appreciate the intricacy and continual level of excellence of their music.
"Whisper Pitch" is one of the best kinds of Stereolab songs, with a slight somber undertone and a hook that gets so under skin in such nice ways.The 'b' side has one of those great song changes half way through that is so Stereolab and Stereolab alone.
Note: Multi-format fans (and Stereolab completists) please be aware that all of the songs on these three records also appear on Stereolab's current singles compilation cd, Fab Four Suture, along with those that were on the previous three 7"s.
MPEG Stream: "Whisper Pitch"
MPEG Stream: "Widow Weirdo"

STEREOLAB (UILAB) Fires (Bingo/Duophonic) cdep 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
6 tracks chronicling a year-long collaboration between Ui and Stereolab, featuring 4 (yes four) version of Brian Eno's "St. Elmo's Fire" and one track ("Impulse Rah!") whose writing credit goes to the 2 bands plus Sun Ra. This is very pleasant record -- the music is closer to Ui's sound, yet the presence of Stereolab seems to have been a good anchor for the group, and Laetitia and Mary's vocals mix wonderfully with Sasha Frere-Jones' voice. The 10" vinyl for this is on its way, should appear next week, and is extremely limited (you know Duophonic) so please reserve your copy. The cds should be around for a while.

STEREOLAB / BRIGITTE FONTAINE 7" 4.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This single is limited and we don't expect to have it in stock for very long. Long admirers of Fontaine's art-folk career, Stereolab has finally collaborated with her.

STEREOLAB / BRIGITTE FONTAINE cdsingle 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This single is limited and we don't expect to have it in stock for very long. Long admirers of Fontaine's art-folk career, Stereolab has finally collaborated with her.

STEREOLAB / SOI DISANT (Luke Warm) 7" 5.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We've got a few copies left of this limited single featuring Stereolab on one side (new song) and Soi Disant (dunno) on the other. Buy now or cry later.

STEREONERDS, THE HD Endless (Rather Interesting) cd 15.98
Released on Uwe "Atom Heart" Schmidt's Rather Interesting label, The Stereonerds are an Australian duo -- one guy programs, one guys sings -- making good ol' electro rather straightforwardly (vocoder, rubbery beats), which is interesting given that Rather Interesting releases are usually genre-fucking entities (Atom + Tea Time, Senor Coconut, Roger Tubesound, etc). It's jittery yet smooth.
Two of the tracks contain samples from Atom's Harddisk Rock 12". Also contains a cover of Joe Meek's "I Hear a New World" that gets them points for having great taste but then, oops, well, we're gonna have to wipe those points on account of the cold Teutonic pokerfaced vocals and a total erasing of the original melody. Still, a good listen, dare you to stay in your seat...
MPEG Stream: "F.U.N.K. (Is What You Don't Play)"

STERN / GUERRA Outdoor Bowers (PseudoArcana) cd-r 12.98
Dug up a little handful of these too, a long out of print collaboration between field recordist and noisemaker Joel Stern and avant guitarist Anthony Guerra, whose collabs are always fantastic, epic expanses of mysterious soundscapery, the field recordings a perfect backdrop for the duo's sonic explorations, the chitter and glitch of electronics, twisted bits of warped FX, draped over the proceedings like a gauzy malfunctioning electronic blanket, while the strings buzz and keen, unfurling streaks of feedback, as well as lush swells, warm chordal whirs, and layered stretches of high end harmony, much of the electronic interference sounds almost like some abstract percussion, the sound often spare and ethereal, but slipping easily into an almost pop ambient sounding soft focus drift, albeit still wreathed in bits of squelch and crackle and hiss.
Released on Antony Milton's Pseudo Arcana label and LONG out of print, these are the last copies EVER...
MPEG Stream: "Outdoor Bowers"

STERN, JOEL Objects Masks Props (Nature Strip) cd 14.98
This is bizarre in every sense of the word. Naturestrip is a label that has dedicated itself to propagating all sorts of composition through field recording, with sound artists like Tarab and Loren Chasse crafting impeccable scores directly from the earth, and rural psychedelic practitioners like Leighton Craig and Eugene Carchesio crafting skeletal songs against an environmental backdrop. Australian filmmaker and sound artist Joel Stern has taken his field recording tactics into an unusual place of thickly collaged signifiers with hints of song, rummagings for texture, and straight recordings from out in the field. It sort of comes across as a ramshackle radio play, as if some genius lunatic outfit like the Starving Weirdos were given permission to fuck around in the INA-GRM studios. Stern offers up some improv clamor in the woods with sticks, twigs, and bird chorus playing equal part in the noise with squeaking horns, concertina strum and squabbling noises. He's also found scraping upon styrofoam, and steel springs for an unnerving background of skincrawling textures that counterpoint tension-loaded pops of long wire manipulation and the occasional heavenly ring of chimed bells. Feral dogs bark and howl in the rain while Stern overlays a simple melody line from a thumb piano coaxed into harmony with a distant chanting of unknown origin. He's at his best when an unsettled musicality seeps through the field recordings; and perhaps he saves his best for last, with the plaintive strum across the guitar and harmonica set against a distant wailing of children, becoming a tragic end to this Fellini-esque album. Remarkable to say the least.
MPEG Stream: "Dead Lakes"
MPEG Stream: "Fortitudes End"
MPEG Stream: "Panda Box"

STERN, JOEL & MNORTHAM Wormwood (Ground Fault) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
On the day that Joel Stern and Michael Northam recorded all of the material for Wormwood, Northam had just arrived in London weary from his ongoing globetrotting travels; and Stern was preparing to head back to his native Australia after living in London for three years. Anxiety and fatigue play themselves out with these reconstituted improvistions, or what Northam likes to call an 'intuitive assemblage.' Northam retains his masterful sensibility for dronescapes that move between complex harmonics and psychoacoustic atonalities coaxed from a variety of discarded objects; on the other hand, Stern presents himself as an upstart student of Keith Rowe, channelling a multitude of clicks, scrapes, crunches, and clatters from his tool box full of discarded objects. On Wormwood, glassine drones, infernal whistlings, and distant machinations crafted perhaps from close-looped feedback systems settle in the background while a variety of textural scrabblings and electrically charged particles struggle to rupture the pristine minimalism of the Stern / Northam dronings. A very nice piece of improvised electro-acoustics.
MPEG Stream: "Untitled 1"
MPEG Stream: "Untitled 4"

STERN, MARNIE In Advance Of The Broken Arm (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
Wow! This is probably the best thing we've heard on Kill Rock Stars in AGES. With totally spazzed out guitar playing and impassioned vocals, Marnie Stern has grabbed us by the throats and refuses to let us go. It makes perfect sense that Zach Hill drums on this record as Stern's herky jerky rhythms and relentless spirit share a similar aesthetic and approach to Hill's band Hella and folks like Lightning Bolt and Orthrelm. In fact Marnie Stern has hit the scene almost like a female counterpart to Mick Barr, with the same kind of manic and infectious guitar playing delivered with her unique vision and fist in the air vocals. Kind of like if Erase Errata or the latest Paradise Island e.p. we loved so much were even louder, faster and way more chaotic, or if Mary Timony were kidnapped by Load records. This album does what all the great Kill Rock Stars records of the past did so well, it makes you feel so alive and so young in spirit as your get to watch and hear someone so passionately realize their vision. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Grapefruit"
MPEG Stream: "Put All Your Eggs In One Basket..."
MPEG Stream: "Vibrational Match"

STERN, MARNIE In Advance Of The Broken Arm (Rampage) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now available on vinyl!
Wow! This is probably the best thing we've heard on Kill Rock Stars in AGES. With totally spazzed out guitar playing and impassioned vocals, Marnie Stern has grabbed us by the throats and refuses to let us go. It makes perfect sense that Zach Hill drums on this record as Stern's herky jerky rhythms and relentless spirit share a similar aesthetic and approach to Hill's band Hella and folks like Lightning Bolt and Orthrelm. In fact Marnie Stern has hit the scene almost like a female counterpart to Mick Barr, with the same kind of manic and infectious guitar playing delivered with her unique vision and fist in the air vocals. Kind of like if Erase Errata or the latest Paradise Island e.p. we loved so much were even louder, faster and way more chaotic, or if Mary Timony were kidnapped by Load records. This album does what all the great Kill Rock Stars records of the past did so well, it makes you feel so alive and so young in spirit as your get to watch and hear someone so passionately realize their vision. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Grapefruit"
MPEG Stream: "Put All Your Eggs In One Basket..."
MPEG Stream: "Vibrational Match"

STERN, MARNIE s/t (Kill Rock Stars) cd 15.98
As hard as we tried, there is just no way to talk about Marnie Stern's music without using various forms of the word SHREDDING multiple times. Her guitar playing just rips and SHREDS so powerfully, and while this might have the most melodic moments of any of her records yet, it's still totally full throttle, fast and loud, tempo changing proggy punk radness. Like some awesome combination of the impassioned anthems of Erase Errata and the mathy wizardry of Hella and Don Caballero. And like the latter, Stern shows an awesome sense of humor and playfulness in her song titles, including "Female Guitar Players Are The New Black" and "Transparency Is The New Mystery." Once again Zach Hill of Hella fame is behind the drums and what an explosive combination that is. What we always love about Marnie Stern's records is that how once they begin you are just immediately tossed into this charged velocity of sound that really never lets up until the album ends and then you can finally exhale and take a few breaths before you want to go on the ride all over again. This SHREDS!
MPEG Stream: "For Ash"
MPEG Stream: "Female Guitar Players Are the New Black"
MPEG Stream: "Risky Biz"

STERN, MARNIE s/t (Kill Rock Stars) lp 16.98
Now available on vinyl.
As hard as we tried, there is just no way to talk about Marnie Stern's music without using various forms of the word SHREDDING multiple times. Her guitar playing just rips and SHREDS so powerfully, and while this might have the most melodic moments of any of her records yet, it's still totally full throttle, fast and loud, tempo changing proggy punk radness. Like some awesome combination of the impassioned anthems of Erase Errata and the mathy wizardry of Hella and Don Caballero. And like the latter, Stern shows an awesome sense of humor and playfulness in her song titles, including "Female Guitar Players Are The New Black" and "Transparency Is The New Mystery." Once again Zach Hill of Hella fame is behind the drums and what an explosive combination that is. What we always love about Marnie Stern's records is that how once they begin you are just immediately tossed into this charged velocity of sound that really never lets up until the album ends and then you can finally exhale and take a few breaths before you want to go on the ride all over again. This SHREDS!
MPEG Stream: "For Ash"
MPEG Stream: "Female Guitar Players Are the New Black"
MPEG Stream: "Risky Biz"

STERN, MARNIE This Is It And I Am It And You Are It And So Is That And He Is It And She Is It And It Is It And That Is That (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
We were immediate fans of Marnie Stern's debut from last year so we were excited to finally get our hands on her follow up which kicks ass just as much as her great debut. Let's get this out of the way, someone at one of those powerhouse video game companies needs to get Marnie Stern on Guitar Hero immediately! We can't think of many axemasters who shred so hard and with as much wild exuberance and technical proficiency as she does. Such a rad spazzed out sound she has carved out for herself. Kind of like if Eddie Van Halen in his prime was moonlighting with no wavers and noisemakers and Chrissie Hynde was on the mic after loading up on helium and amphetamines. Somehow Marnie Stern has all that crazy and manic talent in her hands, fingers and lungs! With Hella's Zach Hill once again pounding the skins and twisting the knobs, they've managed to crank out another high fueled adrenaline pumping blast of songs that sometimes sound like nursery rhymes interpreted by some dream collaboration of Erase Errata and Lightning Bolt. Did we mention how much this shreds?!!!
MPEG Stream: "Transformer"
MPEG Stream: "Steely"
MPEG Stream: "Clone Cycle"

STERNKLANG I (New World of Sound) 12" 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Members of Monoshock, plus Cul De Sac's original drummer Chris Guttmacher and Douglas Pearson (who, by the way, released that fine Hawkwind tribute double album). The first song takes up all of side 1 and is titled "Krautsploitation!" Soundwise, very messy recording; musicwise, exciting recording.

STEVE AND ROB Pacific Ocean (Gooom) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

STEVENS, MEIC Outlander (Water) cd 15.98
Arguably the definitive recording by the man who has been called the Welsh Dylan, Meic Stevens' 1970 debut Outlander has been finally reissued in an affordable format (after getting the deluxe but super expensive Rhino Handmade treatment a couple years back). Panned upon its release as a Dylan / Syd Barrett / Donovan derivative, it has since gained an earnest following among purveyors of obscure acid folk and psych-folk releases (as well as fans of retro-Welsh grooves like Super Furry Animals) for its inventive use of sitars, tablas, and flutes. Full of idyllic and romantic allusions to fogotten lands of yore, Stevens puts a more raga spin on his arrangements than Dylan ever would have, which definitely sets this apart from mere style-copping. Another essential necessity for any psych-folk collector!! So good.
MPEG Stream: "Rowena"
MPEG Stream: "Yorrick"
MPEG Stream: "Ghost Town"

STEVENS, MEIC Rain In The Leaves: The EPS, Volume 1 (Sunbeam Records) cd 16.98

STEVENS, MEIC Sackcloth and Ashes: The EPs Vol. 2 (Sunbeam) cd 16.98

STEVENS, SUFJAN Avalanche: Outtakes And Extras (Asthmatic Kitty) cd 14.98
While the world is definitely poised for a Sufjan backlash (what with all the effusive praise and overexposure), truth be told he is one damn fine songwriter and not many people would be able to have a record of leftovers as satisfying as their record proper. This is in fact leftovers and outtakes from the recording of his last album, Illinois. And well, if you liked what you heard there, here's even more pop goodness, a super satisfying second serving. More lush arrangements, catchy melodies, and smart delivery. But we don't really need to say too much to help sell Sufjan these days, the music speaks for itself. When we first got this in and put it on we sold three of them in about a minute. With nearly 80 minutes worth of outtakes this had the potential to be ALL filler and not enough killer but it turns out that even his cast offs are chock full of pop perfection. We wish everyone's left overs tasted this good!
MPEG Stream: "The Avalanche"
MPEG Stream: "Chicago (acoustic version)"
MPEG Stream: "No Man's Land"

STEVENS, SUFJAN A Sun Came! (Asthmatic Kitty) cd 14.98
We've barely been able to... ahem... digest Sufjan Stevens' recently reissued Enjoy Your Rabbit Chinese zodiac themed electronic album, and poof! Another one of his early creations resurfaces, revealing yet another facet of Stevens' impressive scope. From album to album he's continued to follow his creative muse 'round the bends (well, maybe they've been more like hairpin curves!). This man sure keeps ya guessing. This is the album that started the ball rolling, and quite a fine debut it is! Prolific from the get-go, Stevens packed his first album with nineteen songs (plus this reissue includes two bonus songs!). Originally released back in 1999, A Sun Came! has received in-store comments likening it to a woodland gathering of assorted Elephant 6 folksy popsters with Simon & Garfunkel and Ween invited over too. Light, whimsical and folksy with whispery vocals atop sitar, oboe, toy flutes, guitars and assorted other noisemakers. Actually it seems like the Ween-ish side of things takes over for a couple of songs about two thirds of the way through the album. The tellltale signs? Quirky, helium-huffed high vocals. But if that's not your cup of tea, fear not, 'cause it's promptly whisked away back into prettier, soft acoustic psych-tinged numbers. Hurrah for Sufjan!
MPEG Stream: "Rake"
MPEG Stream: "Demetrius"

STEVENS, SUFJAN All Delighted People EP (Asthmatic Kitty) cd ep 13.98

STEVENS, SUFJAN All Delighted People EP (Asthmatic Kitty) cd ep 13.98

STEVENS, SUFJAN Enjoy Your Rabbit (Asthmatic Kitty) cd 14.98
Amid the flurry of enthusiastic cheers for his two releases Greetings From Michigan and Seven Swans, we've now got multi-instrumentalist (and Danielson Famile tour member) Sufjan Stevens' second album Enjoy Your Rabbit from 2001. It stands altogether distinct from that which came before and after. Twelve of the tracks are inspired by the animals of the Chinese Zodiac (monkey, rat, ox, boar, tiger, snake sheep, rooster, dragon, rabbit, dog and horse). They're bookended by two other tracks "Year Of The Asthmatic Cat" and "Year Of Our Lord". Although it sounds nothing like his dreamy acoustic folk pop -- its instrumentation is crafted from an array of delicate electronic sounds -- Enjoy Your Rabbit possesses a grand earthy magic all its own. A wonderfully perplexing and sparkling album. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Year Of The Monkey"
MPEG Stream: "Year Of The Tiger"

STEVENS, SUFJAN Greetings From Michigan (Asthmatic Kitty / Sounds Familyre) 2lp 15.98
This AQ fave now on vinyl! And the fourth side features five bonus outtakes not on the original cd version! What we said about the cd version: We sold a bunch of these in the store before anyone really knew what it was, mostly to folks who were from Michigan, as it's an entire suite of songs about Michigan. Thanks to our pal Barbara Duffield who turned us on to this (she's from Michigan too!). But trust us, there's plenty to love here, even if you're not from Michigan (although if you are, stop reading here and just buy it. It's great. There's even a map inside so you can follow along and know which song goes with which place). Sufjan Stevens is a new discovery for us, and maybe for you too, but judging from how great this record is, he probably won't stay unknown for long. Dark and dreamy, sad and lonely, drifting and soulful, shimmery and sun dappled, gently strummed acoustic guitars, dark muted horns and lots of banjo, along with Stevens' delicate crackle of a voice, sounding not unlike a more depressed Archer Prewitt, with occasional female background vocals on a handful of the tracks making for wonderful harmonies! This record is chock full of warm and warbly, melancholic melodies, pastoral folk-pop soundscapes, and some of the best songwriting we've heard in a while. Fans of Palace, Songs:Ohia, Arab Strap, Sixteen Horsepower, Woven Hand, the Decemberists and that sort of mopey melancholia will love this! This just might be the best twangy indie-folk-pop record since Iron And Wine!
MPEG Stream: "For The Widows In Paradise, For the Fatherless In Ypsilanti"
MPEG Stream: "The Upper Peninsula"
MPEG Stream: "Flint (For The Unemployed And The Underpaid)"

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

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

STEVENS, SUFJAN Invites You To: Come On Feel The Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty) 2lp 21.00
Now on double gatefold vinyl with extra treats!
Here's what we said about the cd...
Firstly, we should let you know that despite the peculiar album title's take on the Slade song there's absolutely nothing that we'd call 'noise' in any of these twenty-two songs (!), Illinoise or otherwise. This is Sufjan Stevens' second full length welcoming ode to a Midwestern state. Heck why not? His Greetings from Michigan album went over like gangbusters, and we've got a feeling this one will too. His folk-pop numbers of which this album is primarily comprised (fyi: he also crafts more abstract quirky electronic work) are so wistful and dreamy whether he's singing alone or has a sweet chorus joining in for a few bars. Actually when it's time for the group-sing, it's sorta like a more low-key Polyphonic Spree. Totally feel-good! Stevens' lilting compositions are highlighted by frolicking horns and swirling strings. This album balances his upbeat songs which can be downright jubilant with his more melancholic ones that might make you a bit misty-eyed... and that's even before you notice the songs' lyrical storylines and historical references about all thing Illinois. In fact, Illinoise will surely also appeal to fans of the lush pop sounds of more recent Belle & Sebastian or Kings Of Convenience. A super delight! Recommended.
Now what about the bonus stuff that we were referring to earlier? Well, please read on... You may or may not have heard that the likeness of a certain caped celebrity originally appeared on the cover to this release, and it turns out he (or his corporate sponsors) didn't want him to be there, so the 'problem' was removed from the subsequent cd pressings. Apparently the LP sleeves got printed up too with the offending figure, so on the first 5000 LP copies he has been concealed with a (cheekily removeable) sticker of some cheerful balloons. Oh yeah, and there's a tune "The Avalanche" which does not appear on the cd version!
MPEG Stream: "Prairie Fire That Wanders About"
MPEG Stream: "The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!"

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

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

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

STEVENS, SUFJAN The Age of Adz (Asthmatic Kitty) cd 14.98
After five long years, Sufjan Stevens returns with The Age Of Adz, an album packed with gloriously fuzzy, buzzy orchestrated pop originals. Swirling, sweeping, candy-colored instrumentations grounded by Stevens' sensitive dulcet vocals, the overall sound leaning a bit more towards his trippier, electrified side (often likened to Flaming Lips) than his folksy acoustic side (often akin to Iron & Wine). According to Asthmatic Kitty, the title is a reference to "the Apocalyptic art of Royal Robertson (1930 Ð1997), a black Louisiana-based sign-maker (and self-proclaimed prophet) who suffered from schizophrenia."
The record finds Sufjan at his most varied and ambitious. Mixing elements of electronica (there's even vocoder on a few tracks!) with the orchestral and tender pop that he has always had a way with. Seems like Sufjan's been listening to lots of Flaming Lips and maybe Black Moth Super Rainbow lately as this is much more epic and electronic in scope then any of his previous records, oh and he's not singing about a particular state anymore.
MPEG Stream: "Futile Devices"
MPEG Stream: "Age Of Adz"

STEVENS, SUFJAN The Age of Adz (Asthmatic Kitty) 2lp 29.00
After five long years, Sufjan Stevens returns with The Age Of Adz, an album packed with gloriously fuzzy, buzzy orchestrated pop originals. Swirling, sweeping, candy-colored instrumentations grounded by Stevens' sensitive dulcet vocals, the overall sound leaning a bit more towards his trippier, electrified side (often likened to Flaming Lips) than his folksy acoustic side (often akin to Iron & Wine). According to Asthmatic Kitty, the title is a reference to "the Apocalyptic art of Royal Robertson (1930 Ð1997), a black Louisiana-based sign-maker (and self-proclaimed prophet) who suffered from schizophrenia."
The record finds Sufjan at his most varied and ambitious. Mixing elements of electronica (there's even vocoder on a few tracks!) with the orchestral and tender pop that he has always had a way with. Seems like Sufjan's been listening to lots of Flaming Lips and maybe Black Moth Super Rainbow lately as this is much more epic and electronic in scope then any of his previous records, oh and he's not singing about a particular state anymore.
MPEG Stream: "Futile Devices"
MPEG Stream: "Age Of Adz"

STEVENS, SUFJAN The BQE (Asthmatic Kitty) cd 16.98
Sufjan Stevens fans, last we heard from the gent was his Songs For Christmas back in 2006, but he hasn't been sitting idly by. We've just received a double whammy of proof! Yup, you've got two reasons to rejoice... well, maybe three even if you're counting actual discs of aural and visual enjoyment. There's his collaboration with the Osso String Quartet titled Run Rabbit Run, as well as this mind-boggling dvd/cd set in homage and examination of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway! Huh? What's that?!? Yeah, you heard us correctly. All signs point to Mr. Stevens throwing us another curve ball, and indeed he has. Mind you, there was some prompting from The Brooklyn Academy of Music who commissioned him to create a film and music stage production about the BQE. Although the film does address some weighty sociopolitical implications (think: a sort of mini lo-fi Koyaanisqatsi), somewhere along the way the project itself mushroomed to incorporate hula-hoops, comic books and extraterrestrial superheroes. The dvd features the original film from (not of) the performance, and the cd features the impressive orchestral soundtrack. Plus, there's a hefty eye-popping 40-page insert booklet and a charming stereoscopic image reel too (y'all are gonna need to dust off your old Viewmasters for that one!). Expansive and ambitious, it's really quite overwhelming actually!
MPEG Stream: "Prelude On The Esplanade"
MPEG Stream: "Movement I: In The Countenance Of Kings"

STEVENS, SUFJAN & OSSO Run Rabbit Run (Asthmatic Kitty) cd 14.98
Sufjan Stevens fans, last we heard from the gent was his Songs For Christmas back in 2006, but he hasn't been sitting idly by. We've just received a double whammy of proof! Yup, you've got two reasons to rejoice... well, maybe three even if you're counting actual discs of aural and visual enjoyment. There's his mind-boggling film and music dvd/cd set in homage of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, as well as this his latest cd Run Rabbit Run! You might recall his second album, 2001's Chinese Zodiac themed Enjoy Your Rabbit which stood in stark head-scratching contrast to his other musical output up to that point. It was filled with shimmery electronic instrumentals as opposed to mellow folksy acoustic balladeering. Well, he's taken the 'Rabbit into new territory again, transforming it into chamber compositions for New York string quartet Osso. They bear little resemblance to the originals, but they are all plucky stringed and gorgeous in their own way. We took a particular liking to "Year Of The Monkey" and "Year Of The Horse". How 'bout you? What's your sign, baby? Haha, wonder if we'll be hearing a dub or metal version in a few years!
MPEG Stream: "Year Of The Monkey"
MPEG Stream: "Year Of The Horse"

STEWARD I Was The Only Boy On The Netball Team (Blackbean & Placenta) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

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