THERMALS Fuckin A (Sub Pop) cd 13.98
We raved up and down about the Thermals last year with the release of their ass kicking, Strokes squashing jangle punk classic More Parts Per Million, a sweaty, sloppy, lo-fi kick in the nuts, equal parts Stooges, Strokes, Ramones, Guided By Voices and loads of snotty swagger. Now, they're back! With a supposedly cleaner production, which worried us a bit, but on first listen, it became clear that better production just meant differently shitty and sloppy. Which is a relief, 'cause the Thermals' brand of simple, catchy, snotty punk-pop sounds so much better all sweaty and covered in lint and crumbs and broken glass and whatever else was all over their practice space floor. And while the sound is still appropriately raw and in your face, some things -have- changed. There is definitely more of a pop to punk ratio this time around, with the band expanding beyond their 4 chord, 2 part song limit. Although for every lilting melody and sugary sweet hook, the Thermals stomp it to bits within minutes. Lots of folks here think that this is what the Mountain Goats would sound like all drugged up and punk rock supercharged, with the vocalist's nerdy whine, sung/spoken delivery and oblique wordy lyrics. Imagine the simple jangle pop of the Strokes, the skewed take on classic Beatlesque songwriting of Guided By Voices, the three chord stomp of the Ramones and add lots of packed basement, broken down van, DIY, punk rock snarl and you've got Fuckin A.
MPEG Stream: "Our Trip"
MPEG Stream: "Every Stitch"

THERMALS More Parts Per Million (Sub Pop) cd 14.98
Everybody who's been worshiping at the altar of the Strokes for the last year will be facing some serious theological choices with this, the debut from the Pacific Northwest's Thermals. A buzzing blast of white knuckle pop in punk rock's clothing. The Thermals sound like the Strokes cranked on crystal meth and recorded on a boom box in a sweaty smelly basement. The lazy jaded stoned jangle of the current crop of New York hipsters is rolled in dirt and piss and whiskey and handed a beat up old guitar. Thirteen songs, most barely reaching the two minute mark, of blasting fuzz and ramshackle rooooaaaaarrr with a whiny, snotty vocalist climbing all over your table and spilling drinks in your lap. Or think Guided By Voices if their drug of choice was speed instead of Pabst Blue Ribbon and their influences were the Stooges and the Feederz instead of the Beatles and 80's/90's college rock. So great!
RealAudio clip: "No Culture Icons"
RealAudio clip: "Goddamn The Light"
RealAudio clip: "It's Trivia"

THERMALS No Culture Icons (Sub Pop) cd ep 3.98
Four-song ep previous to their "More Parts Per Million" full-length that Andee loves so much.

THERMALS, THE Now We Can See (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98

THERMALS, THE Now We Can See (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98

THERMALS, THE The Body, The Blood, The Machine (Sub Pop) cd 13.98

MPEG Stream: "Here's Your Future"
MPEG Stream: "I Might Need You To Kill"
MPEG Stream: "An Ear For Baby"

THERMALS, THE / THAO When I Died / With The Get Down Stay Down (Record Store Day) (Kill Rock Stars) 7" 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

THERMO Touring Inferno! (Inoxia) cd 13.98
We're excited to finally be able to get hold of this second release by this Tokyo drums and electronics duo! Former Melt-Banana drummer Toshiaki Sudoh and Gaji guitarist Yui Kimijima, together known as Thermo, have been fixtures on Tokyo's avant improvisational underground for quite some time now. Having both been featured in separate improvisational settings on the excellent document "The Improvisation Meeting At Bar Aoyama", as well as numerous performances within their native country, these guys have been unstoppable. In Thermo, Kimijima sets aside his guitar in favor of an assortment of electronic devices and effects, through which he filters the unrelenting fiery force of Sudoh's unstoppable percussive attack. The result isn't as repetitive as one would think -- certainly most appealing to drummers and those into breakbeat culture and instrumental rhythmic jams, the duo's mechanical distorto beats, crunching funktronix and ballistic breakbeats also cough up rhythms and sonics reminiscent of ESG and This Heat. Very cool -- although, be warned, the casual listener (like your housemates, say) may be driven insane by this.
RealAudio clip: "Hi.China"

THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES Easter (Jade Tree) cd 14.98
These Arms Are Snakes surprise us by going in a new, increasingly metallic direction. It spurred us to muse, "what happens when the guys leave their Mastodon and Big Black records out in the sun next to each other?" Not a bad thing, just quite different from what this post hardcore band used to sound like... at least to our memory. There's fewer convulsive fits and starts, and a steadier stream of aggressive rock intensity. Standouts are the ninth and tenth tracks, the winding "Lady North" (think Pleasure Forever colliding with Jesus Lizard!) and the Pink Floyd leaning "Perpetual Bris". Cool!
MPEG Stream: "Lady North"
MPEG Stream: "Perpetual Bris"

THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES Oxeneers or The Lion Sleeps When Its Antelope Go Home (Jade Tree) cd 14.98
Did someone say post-hardcore? Bringing it back from the near-dead, Seattle's These Arms Are Snakes are just born and ready to unleash their slightly arty raucousness on you. On their debut album, Oxeneers or..., TAAS offer that signature balance of dissonance and melody with much brooding fans of other post-hardcore bands will recognize (though in a vein that's more Rodan than Shellac). You'll enjoy some arty post-hardcore similarities to Drive Like Jehu / Hot Snakes, even the slightest seasoning of melodic guitar angularities as heard in Brooklyn's Les Savy Fav. Really good stuff.
MPEG Stream: "The Shit Sisters"
MPEG Stream: "Angela's Secret"

THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES Tail Swallower And Dove (Suicide Squeez) cd 14.98

THESE NEW PURITANS Beat Pyramid (Domino) cd 14.98
After some truly spectacular British only singles, These New Puritans landed their debut album on Domino. In the process of recording Beat Pyramid (including some rehashing of those earlier singles), the art-punk quartet polished up their sound with the production chops of Gareth Jones, who had worked with Wire, Nick Cave and Einsturzende Neubauten back in the day and more recently with the Liars. These New Puritans have adopted the classic post-punk sound with jittery sparkplug guitar riffs and nervously taut rhythms, which could come from the best works from Gang Of Four, the Fall, or Joy Division. Unlike many of their contemporaries which also wear those same influences on their sleeve (i.e. Interpol, Bloc Party, The Editors, etc.), These New Puritans keep it dark without ever getting maudlin. Vocalist Jack Barnett has a dispassionate delivery more in keeping with Mark E. Smith's slurred bark. If only his subject matter were a bit more caustic like Smith's, though. Much of what Barnett has to say is rather quotidian verses about numerology or paranoiac surveillance or whatnot. Fortunately, the band is good enough to overcome his shortcomings at this stage in the game as a lyricist. Altogether, Beat Pyramid makes for a pretty damn good record.
MPEG Stream: "Elvis"
MPEG Stream: "En Papier"
MPEG Stream: "Navigate - Colours"

THESE TRAILS (Sinergia) cd 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Outstanding psychedelic folk rarity with delicate female vocals, from Hawaiian trio circa 1973. There's just enough tabla, slide guitar, and arp synthesizer to give it an 'edge.' One of Windy's new favorite records.

THESE TRAILS (Sinergia) lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Outstanding psychedelic folk rarity with delicate female vocals, from Hawaiian trio circa 1973. There's just enough tabla, slide guitar, and arp synthesizer to give it an 'edge.' One of Windy's new favorite records.

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS ... In Holidayland (Restless) cd 9.98
If there's one thing you can count on around any special season, it's They Might Be Giants leading the festivities parade. Hoisting their eggnogs, ringing the bells and handing out plenty of pop goodies from their big sack with plenty of mirth and glee. Well, this winter is no exception. They've gathered together a handful of appropriately themed numbers for this special 5-song EP. To start things off, their rollicking funked-up version of garage greats The Sonics' "Santa Claus" features John Flansburgh (the larger, more boisterous John) affecting a strange, strained, uncharacteristically raunchy vocal delivery perhaps trying to emulate, but not anywhere close to that of Gerry Rosalie. While on "Feast of Lights", John Linnell (the smaller, more soft-spoken John) gives us one of their charming, old-style quirky tunes for Hanukah. And "Careless Santa" you might recall from Flansburgh's side project MonoPuff. Something of a TMBG historic holiday overview.
RealAudio clip: "Santa Claus"

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS A User's Guide To They Might Be Giants (Elektra/Rhino) cd 12.98
What's your favorite TMBG song? "Ana Ng", "Birdhouse In Your Soul", "Don't Let's Start", "Particle Man", "Spider", "I Palindrome I", "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"? Well, you've got another prime opportunity to figure it out! Yup, here's yet another They Might Be Giants compilation, but it's a much more concise one. Whereas its double disc predecessors "Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants" and "Then: The Earlier Years" were a bit pricey and overwhelming, this new collection has somehow whittled their highlights down to one single ultra concentrated cd serving of TMBG bliss. It's still a whopping 29 songs long though! They could've easily called it "The Best Of..." or "Greatest Hits", but dubbing it a "User's Guide" works just fine. It's sorta one step away from those "...For Dummies" or "Idiot's Guide To..." how-to series -- perfect for that rare guy or gal who has yet to experience the assorted pop mastery of the 'Two Johns'. The liner notes even includes an assortment of both relevant and seemingly irrelevant trivia facts and figures. One thing tho', you'll need a magnifying glass to read them. The print is teeny tiny!
MPEG Stream: "She's An Angel"
MPEG Stream: "Ana Ng"

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of... (Rhino) 2cd 30.00
Despite the title, this is NOT a complete compilation of the two Johns' Dial-A-Song answering machine genius. Bummer! I mean, sure, they let us know in the liner notes that almost each of the songs here originated as a dial-a-song, but that's just not the same. Hold your horses though 'cause what this two cd set is is a gigantic, stellar collection of They Might Be Giants' best to commemorate their 20th year together! Bonanza! They kick it all off with a triple whammy of "Birdhouse In Your Soul," "Ana Ng," and "Don't Let's Stop", but the running order of the songs from there on is somewhat puzzling. Seems to be just a big jumble. Definitely not chronological nor alphabetical, but it does come with a hefty booklet filled with photos, discography, lyrics, and band-written essays - all laid out phonebook style. There's 52 songs in all including a handful of live versions as well as their contributions to the television and movie world (for Austin Powers and Malcolm In The Middle respectively). A genuine TMBG fan undoubtably already owns a copy (or two) of each of the albums from which 95% of these songs come, but then again, a genuine TMBG fan is also undoubtably a completist so.... TMBG fan or not, if you like finely crafted eclectic, eccentric pop, this is splendid!
RealAudio clip: "Birdhouse In Your Soul"
RealAudio clip: "Minimum Wage"
RealAudio clip: "New York City"
RealAudio clip: "Dr. Evil"

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS Flood (Elektra) cd 17.98
Features the wonderful "Birdhouse in Your Soul", "Istanbul", "Particle Man", "Whistling in The Dark"... I could go on and on. 19 songs in all. Quirky, brainy nerd pop at it's best.

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS Here Come The 123s (Disney Sound) cd+dvd 17.98
Yes, another children's music album from They Might be Giants. Who better to stimulate the minds of youngsters around the globe than these fellows? They've made it their life's work creating remarkably varied, irresistibly catchy and irrepressibly smarty pants pop songs since the 1982. Heck, most of their songs old and new are already totally child-friendly. However just like old Saturday morning cartoons, there's often a subtext that engages the grown-ups too. That said, this their thirteenth album is indeed just for the kids! It's the numerical follow-up to 2006's Here Come The ABCs. Unlike that release whose cd and dvd were sold separately, the cd and dvd for Here Come The 123s come packaged together. What a whale of a delightful, entertaining deal for thrifty parents! Count along with the two Johns -- monkeys, pirates, miles, monster eyes, soup, and pennies too!
MPEG Stream: "Triops Has Three Eyes"
MPEG Stream: "The Secret Life Of Six"

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS Here Come The ABCs With TMBG (Disneysound) dvd 14.98
More kids stuff from They Might Be Giants! Here's the dvd version of their latest children's cd that we reviewed a couple of AQ Lists back. The Johns enlisted the assistance and talents of various friends to bring the songs to life via super cute and fun computer animation and puppetry -- the endearing puppet stars are from Robin Goldwasser's Deeply Felt Puppet Theater. True TMBG fans will recognize the names of the folks who produced this dvd 'cuz they were responsible for the excellent documentary film about the band, Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns. Running time: 45 minutes.

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS Here Come The ABCs! (Disneysound) cd 13.98
For all of you out there who been askin' for children's music, well, They Might Be Giants have once again heeded your call! You might remember their last kids' release, the 2002 album simply titled 'No!' As this title tells, these are alphabet songs... but they're so much more than the traditional "Now I know my abc's, next time won't you sing with me?" song. They start things off by using the alphabet to run through the names of countries, then jump right into letter-related songs about such subjects as animals, music instruments, and food. That's right after years of schoolin' the masses on the wide wide world of pop, the Johns are gettin' even more educational. And they've refined they're quirky songcraft to a textbook-like science -- pun intended, hahaha! Lots of funky beats, bubbly cheezy melodies, and vocoder singing. Of course as with all of their kids music they drop references in here and there that'll probably go right over the heads of the tots and into the ears of their parents (such as Linnell's mention of 'flying v' guitars). This cd includes bonus tracks and cd-rom fun stuff too.
MPEG Stream: "Alphabet Of Nations"
MPEG Stream: "The Vowel Family"

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS Here Comes Science (Idlewild / Disney) cd+dvd 17.98
Would've loved to have had Mr. Linnell and Mr. Flansburgh for elementary music teachers, wouldn't you? The learning process would've been so much fun. So much better than Barney and so much cooler than Sharon, Lois and Bram. Over the years, they've proven that they're just as skilled at schooling kids of all ages on other subjects too - the alphabet (2005's Here Comes The ABCs), arithmetic (2008's Here Come The 123s), history (well, sort of on 1990's "James K. Polk"), geography (well, sort of on 2005's Venue Songs) and now science! Here they succinctly and catchily cover topics such as speed and velocity, the color spectrum, the planets, the elements, the environment, photosynthesis, evolution, thought processes, biology and more. 19 smart, engaging pop tunes that bounce along at a sprightly pace, planting little seeds of learning. For the most part this stands up to repeat listens without completely driving the grown-ups nuts... unless you happen to have an aversion to TMBG's trademark nasality which we understand some folks do. That said, we should note that there are a few more singing voices than usual including that of Mrs. Flansburgh. Heck, though this is definitely for youngsters, older listeners might learn something too! Sounds like the Johns have recycled a few melodic lines from their old songs which might make this ring warmly familiar to those parents who cherish their early TMBG albums. They've even reprised "Why Does The Sun Shine?" from 1994. Plus you also get a terrific dvd that's filled with playful candy colored animated video clips for each song which can be viewed individually in alphabetical order, or altogether as a program hosted by the Johns. With this delightful set, we'd say they're really giving Sesame Street a run for their money!
MPEG Stream: "Meet The Elements"
MPEG Stream: "Roy G. Biv"
MPEG Stream: "Why Does The Sun Shine?"

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS Indestructible Object (Barsuk) cd ep 7.98
Easing themselves into the Barsuk camp with this lil' five song EP, those two Johns (Flansburgh and Linnell) from Brooklyn have kept their almost maddeningly infectious, quirky hooks as sharp as ever. In recent years, they've focused more on writing music for tv shows and movies. One of their TV theme songs is included here -- "Am I Awake?" for the series Resident Life. With its burbly percolating electronic beats and Flansburgh's sleepy vocals, it actually made me think of a hyperactive Notwist on a super sugar rush. Their lyrics are still mighty clever and witty, however the overall tone of the proceedings is much less playful and kooky than even the most recent TMBG offerings. It's no less glorious in the pop department, although each song seems ever so slightly unfinished or truncated. Very odd. They close the EP with their fine version of the Beach Boys' "Caroline, No". Probably not essential, though, unless you're a TMBG completist.
MPEG Stream: "Am I Awake?"
MPEG Stream: "Au Contraire"

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS Mink Car (Restless) cd 17.98
The endearingly nasal voices of the two Johns are back. Not as immediately infectious as previous records, "Mink Car" might take a while to grow on you. Ever the quirky, fearless genre-jumpers TMBG deliver their trademark, crafty hooks in a number of different guises - careening from bombastic rock ("Cyclops Rock") into a disco-y, New Order turn ("Man, It's So Loud In Here") then into shufflin' indie strummery ("Another First Kiss") then into more familiar TMBG silliness ("Hovering Sombrero" and "Older" - actually we suspect some of these songs may have been kicking around for some time... we know for sure that the latter has existed since at least '96). Sometimes they're truly brilliant, sharp-as-a-tack tunesmiths, and sometimes you're just left scratchin' your head. Wondering "Was that a good idea? What were they thinking?!" Slick pop eccentricities that only made me yearn for their wonderful early lo-fi days.
RealAudio clip: "Man, Is It Loud In Here"
RealAudio clip: "My Man"
RealAudio clip: "Older"

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS No! (Idlewild/Rounder) cd 16.98
In celebration of their 20th anniversary of Giantness, the two Johns decided to release an album "for the entire family", but we ask "which They Might Be Giants album isn't exactly that?!" More accurately this is a record FOR CHILDREN. Their skills of conveying twisted tales and toothsome sentiments in a multitude of styles with a sharp, strange wit cross over smoothly into the kids section. Quirky lyrics sung by quirky voices abound. "Here on Fibber Island we hide mittens in our hair. You might need to stare to see the mittens in our hair." Absurd! There's songs about grocery bags, a Supertaster (!), violins, and the Edison Museum. Some are straight-up singalongs, while others are more like their more "grown-up" rollicking tunes (the Supertaster song for instance). Oddly, the march-along track called "Bed Bed Bed" has a very Residents feel to it. Did I mention that John Linnell has a perfect storytelling voice (he's probably had some practice since he's the father of a toddler). Anyways, the big bonus of this release is that it is an interactive disc which if inserted into a computer will offer up a delightful selection of playtime videos.


RealAudio clip: "Fibber Island"
RealAudio clip: "John Lee Supertaster"
RealAudio clip: "Bed Bed Bed"

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS Severe Tire Damage (Zoe) cd 16.98
Severe Tire Damage is surely no stranger to diehard TMBG fans. This live album was originally released on Restless Records back in 1998, and has been reissued by the kind folks at Zoe Records. So if you somehow missed it the first time 'round or have worn out your first copy, here it is again! Yes, a bunch of the two Johns' classics are here: "Birdhouse In Your Soul", Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", "Spider", "Meet James Ensor", "Why Does The Sun Shine?", "Particle Man", "Ana Ng"... oh, you know'em and love'em all, doncha? Plus demonstrating what quick-wits these gents are, there's a bunch of highly entertaining impromptu stuff at the end.
MPEG Stream: "Ana Ng (live)"
MPEG Stream: "Doctor Worm (live)"

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS The Else (Idlewild) cd 16.98
After numerous extracurricular activities, reissues and special projects, They Might Be Giants return with their first studio album in three years. Not counting 2005's children's record Here Come The ABCs, their last full band album was The Spine which was released in 2004.
So this many moons later, what do the two Johns sound like? Themselves! Well, sort of... the first song sounds strangely like Fat Boy Slim's "Praise You". Lots of rock/pop variety and lots of weird voices, but their trademark dual nasality reigns geeky supreme. The strangest notable thing about The Else is how much everything gleams with a glossy sheen which may be attributed to the production by The Dust Brothers. Nevertheless another TMBG fan pleaser!
PLUS: If you hop to it quickly enough, you'll get the limited first edition which includes a bonus full length cd filled with even more They Might Be Giants new tunes!!!
MPEG Stream: "I'm Impressed"
MPEG Stream: "Careful What You Pack"

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS The Spine (Zoe) cd 16.98
Of course, They Might Be Giants fans (some of the most rabid around) are gonna buy this album regardless of what the reviews say, but nevertheless here's what our resident TMBG supporter had to say: Damn! The Spine starts off soooooo strong with one of TMBG's catchiest pop tunes in ages ("Experimental Film"). That one song got our expectations soaring, but sadly from there things go terribly awry... repeatedly. Their quirky creative decisions (such as wacky-weirdo vocals) frequently cross the line into too-smartie-pants or just plain bummer territory. Really, whenever John Flansburgh affects that Prince-y soul falsetto, all we can do is go "Ewww!" Makes you feel dirty... in a bad way. We'd actually recommended that you enjoy the abovementioned amazing song with its equally amazing video at the HomeStarRunner website, www.homestarrunner.com. And might as well look around while you're there. Odds are you'll end up still sitting in front of your computer hours later, dazed from so much good stuff! Make sure and peep the Strongbad emails!
MPEG Stream: "Experimental Film"
MPEG Stream: "Thunderbird"

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS Then: The Earlier Years (Restless) 2cd 28.00
Here's an old favorite title we thought we'd highlight 'cause we've never listed it before and just got it back in stock! Over the years the two Johns (Flansburgh and Linnell) from Brooklyn, NY have cranked out an impressive amount of musical fun and friviolity. From the early spartan sounds of twisted tuba and accordion nuttiness accompanying their highly humourous yarns (remember 'Dial-A-Song'?) to their more recent much more rock'n'roll adventures with full band line-ups (complete with horn sections), they've never lost their ability to compose the cleverest and catchiest of tunes. Ah, "Ana Ng" anyone? Unfortunately all too often the popsters who've chosen the more quirky path get dismissed simply as novelty. And if you're one of the TMBG naysayers, I gotta tell you bub, you've been missing out. These guys are the princes of pop craftsmanship. This two cd set is a shining example not to mention a barrel of fun unto itself: the first two albums ('s/t' from 1986 and the super-excellent 'Lincoln' from 1988), plus a heap of b-sides and bonus tracks.

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS They Got Lost (Zoe) cd 19.98
Love 'em or hate 'em, ain't nobody gonna put a stopper in the musical geyser of those two Johns from Brooklyn. They've put out so much music over the years that it's hard to imagine that they could possibly have anything left in their vaults to unveil, but they apparently do! They are 'lost' no longer! And all of you They Might Be Giants fans / completists can find 'em right here -- all 21 of 'em including odes to NPR's This American Life program and the fabulous McSweeney's Quarterly Concern literary journals. There are a bunch of super treats here that are just as good if not better than many of the duo's album tracks, and of course there are a couple cringe-inducing numbers that we sorta wish had remained in storage, but granted they also serve to flesh out the already very fleshed out TMBG history. A wonderfully varied and still cohesive collection!
MPEG Stream: "I Am A Human Head"
MPEG Stream: "Theme To McSweeney's"

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS Venue Songs (Idlewild) dvd+cd 16.98
Oh the two Johns never seem to run out of wacky ideas, do they?! And their track record is freakishly good. With the skillz of old tyme ad jingle writers they churn out a steady flow of musical nuggets of every shape and color. Even when the concept seems flimsy, the resulting songcraft is so addictively exuberant and just plain well done that any furrowed brows of criticism evaporate into thin air.
For their 2004 tour, they got it in their brains to record a tune for each and every venue they played. Ok, why not? They can pen a jingle about pretty much anything! Venue Songs offers up the aural and visual fruits of those labors. Mind you, many of them don't really seem to be 'about' the actual venue. The insertion of the respective venue's name in the lyrics seems like an afterthought or a convenient rhyme. Ah well, it's still pretty entertaining!
The cd compiles the resulting songs -- some live and some studio recorded -- plus five additional studio tracks. The dvd presents videos of eleven of those venues, and four more visual treats including a work they did with aQ fave web-based dynamo Homestar Runner titled Experimental Film. The dvd is narrated by a character known as the Deranged Millionaire (aka John Hodgman of The Daily Show, McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, and This American Life among other pursuits).
Their diehard fans will surely gobble this up in one bite and need another copy post haste. On the other hand, non-devotees may find this maddeningly dorky. As novel, nutty and 'revenge of the nerds' as ever.

THIEVERY CORPORATION Mirror Conspiracy (ESL) cd 16.98
The Thievery Corporation tries to make silky music. But the silk that their sound emulates is the cheaply made synthetic stuff that is woven into the erotic apparel sold by Adam and Eve. Clad on unsexy white people who saturate themselves in Drakkar Noir, these cheap silken garments (bright pink for the ladies, purple paisleys for the gents) have the intrinsic defect of chemically adhering to the skin as soon as it is permeated with sweat. Despite the best efforts of clumsy grinding, the romantically inclinded duo has the unfortunate task of attempting to peel this molecularly fused cloth from their skin before moving onto more unmentionable things. Cotton is king.

THIEVERY CORPORATION Shadow Of Ourselves (4AD) cdep 10.98
Four song ep from this popular electronica act, one track taken from their "Mirror Conspiracy" album.

THIEVERY CORPORATION The Cosmic Game (ESL Music) cd 16.98
Right from the get-go of their latest full length, Thievery Corporation are keeping their audience on their well-heeled toes (and maybe knockin' a few of them back on their heels a bit). The reason? Well, for one thing the first track "Marching The Hate Machines (Into The Sun)" features the Flaming Lips! Seemingly odd bedfellows, doncha think? Their participation on this album will surely open them up to a whole new audience. 'Lips presence aside, fear not dear TC fans, all of the duo's suave smooooth grooooovin' is intact, but they've encorporated a multi-culti vibe into each track. Their ultra mellow downtempo core, which already had a lot of jazz and dub in it, has now been even more deeply infused with the sounds of India, Brazil and Jamaica. Special guests include Sista Pat, Perry Farrell, Loulou, Gunjan, David Byrne, Sleepy Wonder, Gigi Rezende, Patrick de Santos and the aforementioned 'Lips.
MPEG Stream: "Marching The Hate Machines (Into The Sun)"
MPEG Stream: "The Supreme Illusion"

THIEVERY CORPORATION The Outernational Sound (Eighteenth Street Lounge Music) cd 14.98
Found myself getting rather sleepy while listenin' to this new Thievery Corporation DJ set album. It seemed like Outernational Sound was going to be another trademark T.C. moody, lush downtempo affair, but no! That was only until the eleventh track (of nineteen tracks total) when things kick in something mighty! Getting all funky and hip-hoppy... and we've got Breakestra, Antonio Carlos Jocafi and Major Force to thank for that. They're the ones responsible for the eleventh, twelveth and thirteenth tracks respectively. From there, the T.C. gents continue to do as they please, 'spinning' a totally mixed bag of musical selections. Thus, this is more of a keep-you-on-yer-toes mix rather than a flowing, sink-in-and-get-groovy one. Three things we're not so sure of about this release though: 1.) whether or not we need yet another version of George Harrison's "Within You Without You" - sitar-fest or otherwise, 2.) whether or not we need a song based around that lame, cheesy 'oriental' melody -- y'know the one that begins that 80s tune "Turning Japanese", the one that get's played when Long Duk Dong appeared in Sixteen Candles, 3.) whether or not we need an artist named Crazy Penis. Ewww!
MPEG Stream: BREAKESTRA "Cramp Your Style"
MPEG Stream: ANTONIO CARLOS JOCAFI "Simbarere"

THIGHPAULSANDRA I, Thighpaulsandra (Chalice / World Serpant) 2cd 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Thighpaulsandra has recorded with Coil, Julian Cope, and Spiritualized. At times all of those bands have done some pretty amazing things... this album, on the other hand, will hopefully be forgotten as a bad mistake. Highlights include a song called "Home Butt Club" and some destined-for-the-bargain-bin photoshop work as cover art. Don't bother.

THIGHPAULSANDRA Some Head (Eskaton / World Serpant) cd 14.98
Thighpaulsandra has made his career out of being weird and making noodly electronic music. After working with Julian Cope (perhaps his only collaboration that really made sense) and Spirtitualized, he's joined Coil fulltime. And considering Coil's new direction; all lunar drones and breathy occultist polemics, this isn't a bad match. Working with Coil's John Balance and Hans Jurgen Rausch on this short EP, Thighpaulsandra merges alot of hallucinatory electronics into a seemless collage dominated by the synth knob twiddle found on the recent Coil release "Queens of the Circulating Library." Interspersed between the analogue synthesisis some early 80s 'Some Bizarre' arppegiated industrial and some space-age bachelor pad jazziness (like Dick Hyman without the great name).

THIN LIZZY Black Rose (Mercury) cd 17.98

THIN LIZZY Black Rose (Vertigo) lp 21.00

THIN LIZZY Johnny The Fox (Mercury) cd 16.98

THIN LIZZY Live And Dangerous (Mercury) cd 16.98

THING WITH KEN VANDERMARK Immediate Sound (Smalltown Superjazz) cd 16.98

THING, THE Action Jazz (Smalltown Superjazz) cd 16.98
The Swedish jazz trio (Mats Gustafsson on sax, Paal Nilssen-Love on drums and Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass) that -loves- their indie/garage/hipster rock has returned with another energetic and enjoyable disc. Remember they did those cool improv jazz "covers" of songs by The White Stripes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on their debut disc Garage? Well this time out they've set their sights on Lightning Bolt! "Ride The Sky" baby!
By the way, we're not being facetious in the least, we do dig The Thing and the things they do. Including their moody, intense original improvs/compositions as well, not just the stuff that's bound to get 'em a mention in Pitchfork. FYI Besides Lightning Bolt, such indie noise rock faves as Ornette Coleman and Yosuke Yamashita get the cover treatment here as well.
MPEG Stream: "Better Living..."
MPEG Stream: "Ride The Sky"

THING, THE Garage (Smalltown Superjazzz) cd 16.98
A trio of Swedish free jazzers (among them saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, sometime Sonic Youth sideman) playing loosely-interpreted covers of "garage rock" tunes, by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the White Stripes and (proving they realize garage rock wasn't invented in 2003) the Sonics from the '60s. Hence the title, Garage. Doesn't necessarily sound like the best idea, does it? Well it could have been a terrible, cash-in on the what the kids are digging these days concept... But actually it's pretty cool when you listen to it!!! Super powerful and aggressive but definitely remaining more jazz than rock, though doubtless they'd blow a lot of garage rock bands off the stage with their energy. The seven tracks here also include two originals by The Thing (heavy duty rampant improvs both) and versions of tracks by jazz vets Norman Howard and Peter Brotzmann (he's been in a garage, doubtless). So this turns out to be more than just a gimmick. Garage ranges from R&B infused rave ups to seriously dirgey dissonance, making for a record *this* jazz/garage/freakout fan enjoyed. Crossover potential between folks only into one of the above? Dunno. I actually hadn't heard the Yeah Yeah Yeahs song before, but I know I like The Thing's version...
MPEG Stream: "Art Star"
MPEG Stream: "Hey Flask"

THING, THE Live at Bla (Smalltown Superjazzz) cd 16.98
Two lists back (#216) we reviewed The Thing's album Garage. The upshot being, this Swedish jazz combo was pretty dang good both despite *and* because of their gimmick: covering (loosely and creatively) garage rock hits by such bands as The White Stripes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs! Now here's another blast of high-energy improv action from the trio of Mats Gustafsson (sax), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums) and Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (bass), recorded live in Olso Norway, at a club called Bla. Nothing blah about their performance though (sorry!). They rumble and scream and blurt and groove, with plenty of passion and chops, and lots of room too for lovely moodiness. Here you'll find live versions of a couple of tracks from their Garage album (Noah Howard's "Haunted" and the White Stripes's "Aluminum") along with other compositions / improvisations not otherwise recorded by The Thing. We figure if you've got discs by such reedsmen as Peter Brotzmann and Ken Vandermark in your (jazz) collection, you need some Gustafsson too, and The Thing is just the thing to check out, both Garage and this Live at Bla disc.
MPEG Stream: "Old Eyes"

THINGY Songs About Angels, Evil, And Running Around On Fire (Headhunter) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Rob Crow's post-Heavy Vegetable band will not disappoint fans of Hev Veg's quirky, complex popcore. Another release given the Andee stamp of approval.

THINGY Staring Contest (Headhunter) cd ep 5.98

THINGY To The Innocent (Absolutely Kosher) cd 14.98
The long-awaited and actually finished for quite a while Thingy album finds the equally long-awaited post-Heavy Vegetable band compressing the Built To Spill indie-rock-epic into one-and-a-half minute pop songs with lots of jangly guitars, off kilter time signatures, girl/boy vocal harmonies, and a songwriting ability that can only be qualified as splendidly nifty. Thumbs up!

THINKING FELLERS UNION LOCAL 282 Bob Dinners and Larry Noodles present Tubby Turdner's Celebrity Avalanche (Communion) cd 13.98
Well, with a title like that, you know the Fellers have arrived -- albeit after a much too lengthy absence -- with all their quirks intact. Oddly enough Jeff thought this was Guided By Voices when it was first played in the store. And indeed there has been a noticeable shift in their songwriting style on this their eighth full-length, but keep listening and you know it's TFUL282. There's just certain vocal hoots and hollers not to mention twitchy guitar sounds that can only be from the hand of the Fellers. A bit less cacaphonous these days, and with a pretty lil' ditty or two thrown in there. Newcomers to the Fellers should definitely start with their earlier, better work, especially the flawless Lovelyville (on Matador), but old school TFUL fans may need this. Highly enjoyable.
RealAudio clip: "91 Dodge Van"
RealAudio clip: "Sno Cone"

THINKING FELLERS UNION LOCAL 282 Bob Dinners and Larry Noodles present Tubby Turdner's Celebrity Avalanche (Communion) lp 9.98
Well, with a title like that, you know the Fellers have arrived -- albeit after a much too lengthy absence -- with all their quirks intact. Oddly enough Jeff thought this was Guided By Voices when it was first played in the store. And indeed there has been a noticeable shift in their songwriting style on this their eighth full-length, but keep listening and you know it's TFUL282. There's just certain vocal hoots and hollers not to mention twitchy guitar sounds that can only be from the hand of the Fellers. A bit less cacaphonous these days, and with a pretty lil' ditty or two thrown in there. Newcomers to the Fellers should definitely start with their earlier, better work, especially the flawless Lovelyville (on Matador), but old school TFUL fans may need this. Highly enjoyable.
RealAudio clip: "91 Dodge Van"
RealAudio clip: "Sno Cone"