V/A Listen to the Drum (Nu Gruv) cd 12.98
Live performances culled from memorable KZSU hip hop shows -- Fugees, Wu-Tang, Redman, Bustah Rhymes, OC, more...

V/A Little Movies Big Noises (Definitive Jux) 2dvd 16.98

V/A Live At Fuzz Club SF 1989 7" 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Itchin' for some totally trashy garage rawk? Look no further! A total labor of love, this compilation record has been in the works since it was recorded back in '89 at the Purple Onion here in SF. The man behind it is Tom Guido, whose entertaining typewritten story of the entire process fills practically every inch of the record's fold-out photocopied sleeve... old snapshots of the shows fill up the rest. Seven obscure live tracks from the infamous Mummies, Gaping Wounds (featuring He Who Cannot Be Named of the Dwarves), Wild Breed, Carnaby Street Lamp Post, Driving Wheels, Pussy Hounds and Vanilla Whores. Ultra raw and super lo-fi with plenty of shrieks and howls. Limited pressing of 777.

V/A Live at the Blue Room (Yanstar) cd 13.98
Compilation of live performances of touring bands at Chico's 'The Blue Room.' Includes such AQ faves as Stinking Lizaveta, Burning Airlines, Richard Buckner and Edith Frost.

V/A Live At The Complex II (Entartete Kunst) cd 7.98
The second in this series of unknown local electronica technicians dropping funky drum & bass breaks and abstract skitter with lots of socially minded word play.

V/A Live At The Smell (Peanut Baby) dvd 16.98
Cool showcase of awesome live action that has gone down at The Smell, the legendary all-ages venue in Los Angeles. Features the likes of No Age, High Places, Health, Abe Vigoda, Gowns, and more.

V/A Live From The Complex 3 (Entartete Kunst) cd 7.98

V/A Live From The Complex II (Entartete Kunst) cd 7.98

V/A Live From The Complex Vol. 1 (Entartete Kunst) cd 7.98

V/A Live Sets At Ego 1998-2000 (Ego Recordings) 2cd 19.98
Two disc set documenting live performances by Sutekh, Khan, Senking, Thomas Brinkmann, Kit Clayton, Monolake and Noto among many others.

V/A Living is Hard: West African Music in Britain, 1927 - 1929 (Honest Jons) cd 17.98
Living Is Hard. Indeed. Truer words were never spoken. The plight of Africans in Britain in the beginning of the twentieth century, was indeed one of hardship and strife, of persecution and destitution of unspeakable violence and unfettered racism. And the songs on Living Is Hard perfectly capture the spirit of the time. The anger and resentment, but also the hope and happiness, the frustration of constant harassment and the dreams of something better.
As the liner notes mention, these songs were a "disruptive late entry into the history of black music in Britain", a music that owes very little to any white listenership. A hybrid of African spirituals, blues and plantation songs, with hints of Carribean music, bits of highlife, mostly vocal, with minimal instrumentation, managing to be simultaneously complex and musically dense, but also simple and heartfelt.
A few tracks are immediately recognizable as a sort of highlife blues, simple acoustic guitar and seemingly celebratory vocals, but much of the music on Living Is Hard, is truly unique, unlike anything we've ever heard, even as fans of wondrous and mysterious world musics, there are strange acapella tracks, where the rhythms are created from grunts and mumbles, the main vocal line, strangled and guttural, peppered with occasional percussion, some tracks have a Western folk vibe, even hinting at some Morricone-ish twang, others sounds a bit like doo wop, rich harmonies and gorgeous hummed melodies, but most of the tracks here are just vocal and percussion, chanting, crooning, call and response, voices sometimes rough and raw, sometimes smooth and silky, the rhythms backing them up ranging from simple and spare to dense and tribal, so varied and moving and simply wonderful.
As with all Honest Jons releases, Living Is Hard is gorgeously packaged, with a thick book of liner notes, lots of photos, translations of the lyrics and more.
MPEG Stream: ISAAC JACKSON "Nitsi Koko"
MPEG Stream: BEN SIMMONS "Untitled"
MPEG Stream: HARRY E. QUASHIE "Anadwofa"
MPEG Stream: DOUGLAS PAPAFIO "Kuntum"

V/A Living is Hard: West African Music in Britain, 1927 - 1929 (Honest Jons) 2lp 22.00
Living Is Hard. Indeed. Truer words were never spoken. The plight of Africans in Britain in the beginning of the twentieth century, was indeed one of hardship and strife, of persecution and destitution of unspeakable violence and unfettered racism. And the songs on Living Is Hard perfectly capture the spirit of the time. The anger and resentment, but also the hope and happiness, the frustration of constant harassment and the dreams of something better.
As the liner notes mention, these songs were a "disruptive late entry into the history of black music in Britain", a music that owes very little to any white listenership. A hybrid of African spirituals, blues and plantation songs, with hints of Carribean music, bits of highlife, mostly vocal, with minimal instrumentation, managing to be simultaneously complex and musically dense, but also simple and heartfelt.
A few tracks are immediately recognizable as a sort of highlife blues, simple acoustic guitar and seemingly celebratory vocals, but much of the music on Living Is Hard, is truly unique, unlike anything we've ever heard, even as fans of wondrous and mysterious world musics, there are strange acapella tracks, where the rhythms are created from grunts and mumbles, the main vocal line, strangled and guttural, peppered with occasional percussion, some tracks have a Western folk vibe, even hinting at some Morricone-ish twang, others sounds a bit like doo wop, rich harmonies and gorgeous hummed melodies, but most of the tracks here are just vocal and percussion, chanting, crooning, call and response, voices sometimes rough and raw, sometimes smooth and silky, the rhythms backing them up ranging from simple and spare to dense and tribal, so varied and moving and simply wonderful.
As with all Honest Jons releases, Living Is Hard is gorgeously packaged, with a thick book of liner notes, lots of photos, translations of the lyrics and more.
MPEG Stream: ISAAC JACKSON "Nitsi Koko"
MPEG Stream: BEN SIMMONS "Untitled"
MPEG Stream: HARRY E. QUASHIE "Anadwofa"
MPEG Stream: DOUGLAS PAPAFIO "Kuntum"

V/A Lo Dubs Presents: Analog Clash (LoDubs / Anthem) 2cd 13.98
We've been DYING for this. In pretty much every review of a grime or dubstep record, we lament the lack of decent releases, at least in the US. But for the last couple years, Portland based dubstep label Lo Dubs, has been (not so) quietly releasing 12" after 12" of crushing, bass heavy, dancefloor destroying modern dubstep from a whole new crop of dubsteppers. We managed to get a handful of each of the 12"s, never really enough to review, but the wait was worth it, now ALL of those 12"s are compiled on this here double cd. One disc mixed, the other a collection of all the 12"s, both completely kick ass.
Very few of the names are recognizable, unless you're already a little dubstep obsessed, well, except Nadja, more on that in a second, but half the names here are becoming fast favorites, South3rn, Starkey, Pacheko, all have taken the dubstep template and cranked it up, added their own style. This isn't nearly as laid back as a lot of dubstep, this stuff is hard, the beats dense and heavy, the atmospheres ominous, lots of buzz and rumble, plenty of lo-fi grit, the vibe is almost more like old school raga jungle, but all wrapped around that unmistakable dubstep stutter.
And yeah Nadja / Aidan Baker completists, there is indeed a Nadja dubstep remix here, perpetrated by the legendary Vex'd, however, the original is barely recognizable, all the crush and buzz of the original is buried beneath Vex'd's brutal beat, sick synth swells, and all sorts of grinds and beeps, the end result is just as intense and brutal as a Nadja track, but rendered in electronics and beats. Awesome. But then, pretty much every track here is a killer, from dubbed out reggae, to robotic electro, to skeletal groove, super raw synthed out basslines wrapped around jagged dubbed out beats, alien effects, Jamaican style toasting, tons of buzz and weird skittery groove, anyone who has been digging dubstep at all NEEDS this. If you loved Milanese, Burial, Venetian Snares, the Box Of Dub comps, then this is for you...
MPEG Stream: STARKEY "Dementia"
MPEG Stream: SOUTH3RN "Fully Loaded"
MPEG Stream: NADJA "Alien In My Own SKin (Vex'd RMX)"

V/A Local Anesthetic (Smooch) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: FRANTIX "My Dad's A Fucking Alcoholic"
MPEG Stream: WHITE TRASH "Nazis In My Neighborhood"
MPEG Stream: YOUNG WEASELS "Twist & Burn"
MPEG Stream: BUM KON "Forced Away"
MPEG Stream: NAILS "Cops Are Punks"

V/A Local Customs: Burned At Boddie (Numero Group) cd 16.98
We knew we could count on Numero Group for an especially cool Record Store Day release. This year, it's another volume in Numero's Local Customs series. They delved into the vaults of Cleveland, Ohio pressing plant Boddie, a place where local acts took their tunes for private pressings from the late '60s through the mid '80s, and turned up some amazing gems indeed. And the even better news is, that while it's a limited release, we still have a few!
The rare tracks here, by such unknown artists as Jus' Us, Los Nombres, Slippery When Wet (not a Bon Jovi cover band!), Bill Spoon, The Defaulters, The Harmonics, The Donations, Love For Dollars And Cents, Hot Chocolate, The Basement, Wicked Lester (not, we're pretty sure, the KISS-related Wicked Lester), and more, tend mostly towards steamy soul, raw funk and smooth disco, yet there's lots of surprises. Wicked Lester's fuzzed out, uptempo garage grunt is one of those highlights for us, along with Russell Potter's solo steel string guitar stylings, in a Fahey/Takoma mode. The indie pop plod of Donald Eckert's druggily dismal "Play It Slow" would be another one. Oh, and the dour electronic new wave beats of Berlin West. But never fear, there's plenty of sunshiney soul to pep things up throughout. In fact, even a song called "Soul and Sunshine" by the wonderfully named Harvey & The Phenomenals.
Rather extravagantly, Numero released this on not only cd and lp, but also cassette tape! Each differently, and appropriately titled (Burned, Pressed, and Dubbed, respectively). You get 17 tracks on the cd and cassette, 18 on the double vinyl, which also comes with a 18"x24" poster. We have only a tiny handful of the cassettes left, and not really that many more of the other two formats, either...
"All formats have the same liner notes and discography (font sizes vary)." Those liner notes are quite interesting, all about Boddie though, not the artists. And the discography (everything Boddie ever pressed/burned/dubbed, pretty much) is very, very long.
MPEG Stream: LOS NOMBRES "Loving You"
MPEG Stream: WICKED LESTER "Woman You're Gonna Pay For This"
MPEG Stream: THE BASEMENT "Funky Music"
MPEG Stream: DONALD ECKERT "Play It Slow"

V/A Local Customs: Downriver Revival (Numero Group) 2lp+dvd 24.00
NOW ON VINYL (still with dvd)! This new Numero Group comp and we assume new series of comps, is like the inversion of the Eccentric Soul series in that instead of a small regional record label head honing in on a key stable of talent, this is about a custom studio that invited its local community to record their own songs and music. Felton Williams started his Double U Studio in Ecorse, Michigan, a small suburb downriver from Detroit in 1967 (it lasted until 1981). With a knack for home built electronics and instruments, his studio was open to anyone who wanted to cut a record, and with Motown changing the course of soul music just upriver, he had a lot of takers. But unlike other custom record presses, Williams would own the publishing rights and release the records on a series of labels, Revival, Compose, Cass and Solid Rock, acting as a kind of Alan Lomax figure in hopes of recording vital regional talent for cultural prosperity. Luckily, Williams had a nearby pool of talent in his local church and the bulk and the best parts of this comp focuses on the amazing gospel soul sounds that came out of this studio. Though there's also soul, funk, jazz and even some garage rock cuts too, it's the gospel cuts that are worth the price of admission and anyone who's been digging the Mississippi Record gospel comps, should look here too, because there are some monster jams from Shirley Ann Lee, Bobby Cook and The Explosions and the beautifully named Deliverance Echoes. Can I get an Amen!
MPEG Stream: SHIRLEY ANN LEE "Shirley Ann Lee"
MPEG Stream: GOSPEL SUPREMES "Gospel Supremes"
MPEG Stream: BOBBY COOK AND THE EXPLOSIONS "Bobby Cook And The Explosions"
MPEG Stream: THE ORGANICS "The Organics"
MPEG Stream: DELIVERANCE ECHOES "Deliverance Echoes"

V/A Local Customs: Downriver Revival (Numero Group) cd+dvd 21.00
This new Numero Group comp and we assume new series of comps, is like the inversion of the Eccentric Soul series in that instead of a small regional record label head honing in on a key stable of talent, this is about a custom studio that invited its local community to record their own songs and music. Felton Williams started his Double U Studio in Ecorse, Michigan, a small suburb downriver from Detroit in 1967 (it lasted until 1981). With a knack for home built electronics and instruments, his studio was open to anyone who wanted to cut a record, and with Motown changing the course of soul music just upriver, he had a lot of takers. But unlike other custom record presses, Williams would own the publishing rights and release the records on a series of labels, Revival, Compose, Cass and Solid Rock, acting as a kind of Alan Lomax figure in hopes of recording vital regional talent for cultural prosperity. Luckily, Williams had a nearby pool of talent in his local church and the bulk and the best parts of this comp focuses on the amazing gospel soul sounds that came out of this studio. Though there's also soul, funk, jazz and even some garage rock cuts too, it's the gospel cuts that are worth the price of admission and anyone who's been digging the Mississippi Record gospel comps, should look here too, because there are some monster jams from Shirley Ann Lee, Bobby Cook and The Explosions and the beautifully named Deliverance Echoes. Can I get an Amen!
MPEG Stream: SHIRLEY ANN LEE "There's A Light"
MPEG Stream: GOSPEL SUPREMES "Sinner Man"
MPEG Stream: BOBBY COOK AND THE EXPLOSIONS "Untitled"
MPEG Stream: THE ORGANICS "Footstumpin'"
MPEG Stream: DELIVERANCE ECHOES "Heaven"

V/A Local Customs: Dubbed At Boddie (Numero Group) cassette 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We knew we could count on Numero Group for an especially cool Record Store Day release. This year, it's another volume in Numero's Local Customs series. They delved into the vaults of Cleveland, Ohio pressing plant Boddie, a place where local acts took their tunes for private pressings from the late '60s through the mid '80s, and turned up some amazing gems indeed. And the even better news is, that while it's a limited release, we still have a few!
The rare tracks here, by such unknown artists as Jus' Us, Los Nombres, Slippery When Wet (not a Bon Jovi cover band!), Bill Spoon, The Defaulters, The Harmonics, The Donations, Love For Dollars And Cents, Hot Chocolate, The Basement, Wicked Lester (not, we're pretty sure, the KISS-related Wicked Lester), and more, tend mostly towards steamy soul, raw funk and smooth disco, yet there's lots of surprises. Wicked Lester's fuzzed out, uptempo garage grunt is one of those highlights for us, along with Russell Potter's solo steel string guitar stylings, in a Fahey/Takoma mode. The indie pop plod of Donald Eckert's druggily dismal "Play It Slow" would be another one. Oh, and the dour electronic new wave beats of Berlin West. But never fear, there's plenty of sunshiney soul to pep things up throughout. In fact, even a song called "Soul and Sunshine" by the wonderfully named Harvey & The Phenomenals.
Rather extravagantly, Numero released this on not only cd and lp, but also cassette tape! Each differently, and appropriately titled (Burned, Pressed, and Dubbed, respectively). You get 17 tracks on the cd and cassette, 18 on the double vinyl, which also comes with a 18"x24" poster. We have only a tiny handful of the cassettes left, and not really that many more of the other two formats, either...
"All formats have the same liner notes and discography (font sizes vary)." Those liner notes are quite interesting, all about Boddie though, not the artists. And the discography (everything Boddie ever pressed/burned/dubbed, pretty much) is very, very long.
MPEG Stream: LOS NOMBRES "Loving You"
MPEG Stream: WICKED LESTER "Woman You're Gonna Pay For This"
MPEG Stream: THE BASEMENT "Funky Music"
MPEG Stream: DONALD ECKERT "Play It Slow"

V/A Local Customs: Lone Star Lowlands (Numero Group) cd 17.98
For the second edition of their Local Customs series, The Numero Group dig deep into the heart of Beaumont, Texas and uncover a regional archive of dusty, sunscorched sounds from Lowland Studios. Operating from the late sixties to the early seventies and barely surviving even in the best of times, the studio recorded a wide range of local flavor from a tight knit scene of bands for small independent labels. The 22 tracks here fall into primarily three groups: Heavy southern-fried boogie rock, Crosby Stills and Nash-ish folk, and nascent Yacht Rock, even though we're sure no one here had a yacht to rock out on. While some tracks on here aren't necessarily our cup of tea, it's hard not to get caught up in the music when the Numero Group has done such an amazing job of documenting the history of this scene, with thorough liner notes, a family tree of players and bands and lots of cool photos. A really fancy package.
We like the boogie stuff best, especially the bands Boot Hill and D.O.A. (and they look awesome too!). But then there's the final song by Donald Thomas called "Black Night Is Calling Me Home" with its too-high-in-the-mix vocalised guitar riff, a real hoot! Some of us here gonna get this just for that. We're sure anyone into classic rock from 1970-77 featuring dudes with long hair and mustaches singing about their ladies (think Molly Hatchet, Little Feat, Audience, CSN, BTO, Ten Wheel Drive, etc.) will probably find lots to like here. Though all we could think about while listening to this is: MORE COWBELL!!!!!
MPEG Stream: LOWLANDS STUDIO BAND "Trash One"
MPEG Stream: D.O.A. "Lady Tell Me Why"
MPEG Stream: MOURNING SUN "Where's Love Gone Today"
MPEG Stream: BOOT HILL "No Control"
MPEG Stream: DONALD THOMAS "Black Night Is Calling Me Home"

V/A Local Customs: Lone Star Lowlands (Numero Group) 2lp 25.00
NOW ON VINYL!!!!!!!!!
For the second edition of their Local Customs series, The Numero Group dig deep into the heart of Beaumont, Texas and uncover a regional archive of dusty, sunscorched sounds from Lowland Studios. Operating from the late sixties to the early seventies and barely surviving even in the best of times, the studio recorded a wide range of local flavor from a tight knit scene of bands for small independent labels. The 22 tracks here fall into primarily three groups: Heavy southern-fried boogie rock, Crosby Stills and Nash-ish folk, and nascent Yacht Rock, even though we're sure no one here had a yacht to rock out on. While some tracks on here aren't necessarily our cup of tea, it's hard not to get caught up in the music when the Numero Group has done such an amazing job of documenting the history of this scene, with thorough liner notes, a family tree of players and bands and lots of cool photos. A really fancy package.
We like the boogie stuff best, especially the bands Boot Hill and D.O.A. (and they look awesome too!). But then there's the final song by Donald Thomas called "Black Night Is Calling Me Home" with its too-high-in-the-mix vocalised guitar riff, a real hoot! Some of us here gonna get this just for that. We're sure anyone into classic rock from 1970-77 featuring dudes with long hair and mustaches singing about their ladies (think Molly Hatchet, Little Feat, Audience, CSN, BTO, Ten Wheel Drive, etc.) will probably find lots to like here. Though all we could think about while listening to this is: MORE COWBELL!!!!!
MPEG Stream: LOWLANDS STUDIO BAND "Trash One"
MPEG Stream: D.O.A. "Lady Tell Me Why"
MPEG Stream: MOURNING SUN "Where's Love Gone Today"
MPEG Stream: BOOT HILL "No Control"
MPEG Stream: DONALD THOMAS "Black Night Is Calling Me Home"

V/A Local Customs: Pressed At Boddie (Numero Group) 2lp 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We knew we could count on Numero Group for an especially cool Record Store Day release. This year, it's another volume in Numero's Local Customs series. They delved into the vaults of Cleveland, Ohio pressing plant Boddie, a place where local acts took their tunes for private pressings from the late '60s through the mid '80s, and turned up some amazing gems indeed. And the even better news is, that while it's a limited release, we still have a few!
The rare tracks here, by such unknown artists as Jus' Us, Los Nombres, Slippery When Wet (not a Bon Jovi cover band!), Bill Spoon, The Defaulters, The Harmonics, The Donations, Love For Dollars And Cents, Hot Chocolate, The Basement, Wicked Lester (not, we're pretty sure, the KISS-related Wicked Lester), and more, tend mostly towards steamy soul, raw funk and smooth disco, yet there's lots of surprises. Wicked Lester's fuzzed out, uptempo garage grunt is one of those highlights for us, along with Russell Potter's solo steel string guitar stylings, in a Fahey/Takoma mode. The indie pop plod of Donald Eckert's druggily dismal "Play It Slow" would be another one. Oh, and the dour electronic new wave beats of Berlin West. But never fear, there's plenty of sunshiney soul to pep things up throughout. In fact, even a song called "Soul and Sunshine" by the wonderfully named Harvey & The Phenomenals.
Rather extravagantly, Numero released this on not only cd and lp, but also cassette tape! Each differently, and appropriately titled (Burned, Pressed, and Dubbed, respectively). You get 17 tracks on the cd and cassette, 18 on the double vinyl, which also comes with a 18"x24" poster. We have only a tiny handful of the cassettes left, and not really that many more of the other two formats, either...
"All formats have the same liner notes and discography (font sizes vary)." Those liner notes are quite interesting, all about Boddie though, not the artists. And the discography (everything Boddie ever pressed/burned/dubbed, pretty much) is very, very long.
MPEG Stream: LOS NOMBRES "Loving You"
MPEG Stream: WICKED LESTER "Woman You're Gonna Pay For This"
MPEG Stream: THE BASEMENT "Funky Music"
MPEG Stream: DONALD ECKERT "Play It Slow"

V/A Locations Volume One ((CT) Project) cd-r 11.98
"Locations Volume One" is the first in a series from the Chain Tape Collective, a global community of field recordings artists who actively explore the indigenous sounds around them and apply any number of compositional techniques to those field recordings. I've never heard of any of these artists before, except for San Francisco's Matt Davignon, who has been responsible for some interesting experimental music events throughout the Bay Area and had coordinated the release of this album. The end results are far from the purist field recordings of Chris Watson or Douglas Quin; rather, all of the artists revel in digital tricknology which punctuates the various recordings of water, rain, geese, crickets, etc. Thus, it's not uncommon to hear bursts of crowd noise, or obvious varispeed manipulation, or erratic, Mego-like digital mulching, or mechanical concrete loops. In the liner notes, each artist offers his thoughts and insights into the contexts of the recordings and all the gear that went into making the pieces.
MPEG Stream: PETR DOLAK "In The Shade of Jan Hus"

V/A Loch Ness Monster featuring Top Reggae Artists (Trojan) cd 14.98

V/A lockERS (ERS) lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

V/A Loco Gringos Have A Party: The South American Stoner Rock (Dias De Garage) cd 12.98
17 tracks from South American stoner rock bands, including Buffalo and Los Natas.

V/A Loft Party Sydney (Kinky Sweet) cd 17.98
Inspired by his plentiful good times spent down in Sydney, Australia, DJ Tom Thump has compiled a double cd mix of twenty two tracks. One disc is appropriately titled 'Get Up', and the other 'Get Down'. Included are tracks by Playgroup, Chicken Lips, Frankie Knuckles, Cordovan, Makossa & Megablast, Julius Papp & Charles Spencer, Hideo Kobayashi & Pheeko Dubfunk, Chuck Love, Loopwreckas, Salvo, Shrift, and many more. You don't need to travel abroad to put this mix to good use as your own late night soundtrack to some randy loose'n'lively action.
MPEG Stream: LOVE, CHUCK "Livin' At Night"
MPEG Stream: LOOPWRECKAS "What U Need"

V/A London Is The Place For Me 2 (Honest Jons / Astralwerks) cd 17.98

V/A Looking For A Thrill (Thrill Jockey) dvd 17.98
Ahh, Thrill Jockey. Bringing us well behaved musical goodies for over 13 years, Chicago's indie label celebrates their 100th release with this dvd. Conceptualized by label owner, Bettina Richards, Looking For A Thrill asks one question of 112 musicians. The question? What was your defining musical moment of inspiration? Recollections featured include those from Mike Watt, Thurston Moore, Hamid Drake, Bjork, Yo La Tengo, Tortoise, Trans Am, Jon Spencer, Vic Chestnutt, Fred Anderson, Giant Sand, as well as members of... oh just buy that damn thing and watch for yourself! It's a great collection. Great editing by Ian Williams (Battles / Don Caballero / Storm And Stress). Over five hours of mostly interesting rock reminiscence and recollection.

V/A Looking For Europe (Auerbach Tontrager) 4cd 29.00

MPEG Stream: SCOTT WALKER "The Angels Of Ashes"
MPEG Stream: STRAWBS "Hangman And The Papist"
MPEG Stream: BLOOD AXIS "The Ride"
MPEG Stream: DEATH IN JUNE "Runes And Men"

V/A Lords Of Chaos: The History Of Occult Music (Index Verlag) 2cd 19.98
Lords Of Chaos, the definitive book on the whole Norwegian black metal scene, heavily focused on all that church burning, band mate murdering drama, that made an otherwise grim and cult a household dinner party topic, even amongst folks usually averse to metal and murder and mayhem.
This two disc companion seems the be more thematically linked to the book, featuring tracks by many of the bands, while more interestingly tracing a history of occult music from the blues to seventies prog to industrial, eighties metal to underground subversive soundtracks to the current crop of corpse painted black metal warriors. It's an awesome introduction for the black metal newbie for sure, featuring tracks from Bathory, Mayhem, Darkthrone, Emperor, Ulver, Thorns, Abruptum and of course Venom, the godfathers of black metal. But it's way more than that. The first disc especially is jam packed with haunting, mysterious, metal and occult classics. Aleister Crowley, recorded on wax cylinder, invoking Satan, Robert Johnson (he did make a deal with the devil after all!), an awesome creepy classic prog jam from Coven, of course Black Sabbath's "Black Sabbath", more amazing flute flecked prog from Black Widow, whose demonic elements seem to be more thematic, but a killer jam nonetheless, some creepy cinematic ambience from Manson Family member Bobby Beausoleil (whose remarkable Lucifer Rising 4lp box we reviewed recently), maybe the biggest surprise, an 11 minute chunk of electronic looped weirdness from someone called Mick J (we'll go out on a limb and say it's actually Mick Jagger!), that we listen to over and over, Venom's classic "Black Metal" (of course!), then Mercyful Fate, Sodom, Hellhammer, finallty some industrial stuff, Monte Cazazza, Genesis P-Orridge and Psychic TV, as well as some goofy organ music from the high priest himself, Anton LaVey.
The second disc is where you'll find all the black metal, but also a rare track from Italian horror metallers Death SS, and some other random evil occult weirdness from White Stains, Electric Hellfire Club and Peter H. Gilmore, acting high priest of the Church Of Satan. Killer stuff, super varied, and easy to enjoy even if you haven't read Lords Of Chaos. Comes with a massive book, featuring a brief history of occult rock, a bit about all the artists and performers, plenty of pix, as well as an introduction by Michael Moynihan, author of Lords Of Chaos. Definitely essential, even for someone who is well familiar with most of these artists, plays like the coolest 'evil occult' mix tape any one could ever make you.
These have been tough to get, so if we run out, please be patient while we order more from overseas, best to grab one now while you can...
MPEG Stream: ALEISTER CROWLEY "The Pentagram"
MPEG Stream: COVEN "The Portrait"
MPEG Stream: BLACK WIDOW "Sacrifice"
MPEG Stream: BOBBY BEAUSOLEIL "In The Temple Of The Moon"
MPEG Stream: MICK J "Invocation Of My Demon Brother"

V/A Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar I: Big Noise From Waimea! (Sundazed) cd 15.98

V/A Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar II: Point Panic! (Sundazed) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

V/A Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar III: Cheater Stomp! (Sundazed) cd 15.98

V/A Loud :: Quiet (BOXmedia) 2cd 17.98
2nd edition of a comp originally released in 1999, featuring 15 international noise/experimental artists doing one "loud" track and one "quiet" track apiece. Contributors include Otomo Yoshihide, Voice Crack, Kapotte Muziek, MSBR, TV Pow, Stillupsteypa, Kazumoto Endo, Shifts, Taku Sugimoto and Tetuzi Akiyama, Pita, Lasse Marhaug, and others. Interesting stuff, but the oversized envelope the discs come packaged in isn't too exciting (sez packaging snob, Allan).

V/A Louisvillesonicimprint vol1 (Ghetto Defendant) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
I'm all for the concept of compilations when the purpose served is to expose unknown bands, or give folks a cheap way to check out lots of different bands, or to present a really cool concept, or to document something that hasn't already been documented to death. It seems more and more, compilations are a cheap way for a label to make money, and God knows, it's much easier to convince a 'famous' band to contribute one track as opposed to an album!
This compilation, is for the most part, made up of bands that are already famous, at least kind of, from a scene/town that is already 'legendary' and that has been fairly well documented. So why make a compilation of tracks most of the bands chose not to release? Who knows? While there are a few gems here (the At Right Angles track is a gorgeous Fahey-esque instrumental), the bulk of this comp is out-takes and alternate versions of previously released songs. Overall I still think it feels a lot like 'I better take advantage of the Louisville hype and time's running out!!'. If you already own the albums many of these songs appear on, don't bother buying this. But if you want an okay introduction to a few great Louisville bands like Crain, Papa M, Evergreen, Tara Jane O'Neil, and Bonnie Prince Billy, then by all means check this out.
RealAudio clip: AT RIGHT ANGLES "Kiss the Midwest For Me"

V/A Louisvillesonicimprint vol1 (Ghetto Defendant) lp 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
I'm all for the concept of compilations when the purpose served is to expose unknown bands, or give folks a cheap way to check out lots of different bands, or to present a really cool concept, or to document something that hasn't already been documented to death. It seems more and more, that compilations are a cheap way for a label to make money, and God knows, it's much easier to convince a 'famous' band to contribute one track as opposed to an album!
This compilation, is for the most part, made up of bands that are already famous, at least kind of, from a scene/town that is already 'legendary' and that has been fairly well documented. So why make a compilation of tracks most of the bands chose not to release? Who knows? While there are a few gems here (the At Right Angles track is a gorgeous Fahey-esque instrumental), the bulk of this comp is out-takes and alternate versions of previously released songs. Overall I still think it feels a lot like 'I better take advantage of the Louisville hype and time's running out!!'. If you already own the albums many of these songs appear on, don't bother buying this. But if you want an okay introduction to a few great Louisville bands like Crain, Papa M, Evergreen, Tara Jane O'Neil, and Bonnie Prince Billy, then by all means check this out.

V/A Love Comes Shining (Rune Grammofon) cd 16.98
Compilation from this always-excellent and invariably eclectic Norwegian label. Exclusive tracks by the previously-known and explictly AQ-approved Supersilent, Deathprod, Alog, Biosphere, Arne Nordheim, plus many others by a variety of (more) mysterious names. From electronic dronescapes to improv noisejazz...there's even experimental music by the guy from A-ha on here!

V/A Love Is Love (Mississippi) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
One of THREE new lps on Mississippi Records on this list. One brand new release, and two re-presses of records that slipped under the radar first time around. And we are giving mighty thanks to the folks at Mississippi for repressing those (this is one), because they are fantastic!! (Surprised? You shouldn't be, by our count Mississippi is batting 1000!!! not a stinker in the bunch so far).
Love Is Love in particular, we've been waiting and waiting for, a killer collection of African music, from Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Nairobi and Tanzania. Super varied, from Ethiopian groove to high life, to African blues, juju to pop, every track a total gem. Fans of the out of print Lipa Kodi comp also on Mississippi NEED this.
We were pretty much hooked from the very first track, a smoky sexy slab of groovy Ethiopiques from Alemayno Eshintay, but the rest of the tracks are just as fantastic, jubilant highlife grooves, every track, swinging, jazzy, funky. The B side is a bit more folky and bluesy, lots of acoustic guitars, sweetly sung vocals, much less groove and swing, definitely more African blues and folk, but still just as lovely and magical.
Another amazing collection, housed in gorgeous sleeves, an actual photographic print affixed to the cover, and like all things Mississippi, when we run out of these, be prepared for a bit of a wait as the label represses, considering they've got about 5 or 6 musical irons in the fire at any one time...

V/A Love Is The Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970 (Rhino) 4cd+book 73.00
It's just past the fortieth anniversary of the Summer of Love, and while we San Franciscans have never stopped being reminded of those legendary months of drug abuse, panhandling and squatting, perhaps the rest of the world needs a large dose of that dirty hippy love. And in what better form than this latest installment of the Nuggets box set series?
Unlike past volumes, what we have here is a 120 page book full of rare photos detailing the scene and 4 cds compiled under various themes: "Seismic Rumbles", "Suburbia", "Summer Of Love," and "The Man Can't Bust Our Music".
Beginning with Dino Valenti's original version of "Let's Get Together" and ending with the Youngblood's more famous version, this Nuggets edition includes many famous and familiar San Francisco bands including Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe & The Fish, The Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Count Five, Blue Cheer, The Great Society, The Charlatans, Sly and The Family Stone, Santana and Big Brother and The Holding Company. Some with more than one track. But the real price of admission is for the obscurities: The Syndicate of Sound, The Harbinger Complex, The Stained Glass, Fifty Foot Hose, Kak, Salvation, The Vejtables, The Wildflower, The Tikis, The Frantics, The Serpent Power, and Frumious Bandersnatch. There are only a few omissions, like Cold Blood, The Fire Escape, Tripsichord, and Parish Hall (though some would argue those aren't really omissions at all) that would make for a more well-rounded collection focusing more on the obscurities (the reason we like Nuggets in the first place) rather than the heavyweights who are quite well represented on plenty of other more mainstream compilations. But if anyone is looking for the definitive San Francisco music experience of the sixties, you probably won't find one more lovingly detailed than this. Trip on and Trip out!

V/A Love, Peace & Poetry: African Psychedelic Music (Shadoks Music ) cd 15.98
This latest installment in the on-going, ever-awesome Love, Peace & Poetry compilation series of rare psych rock music from around the world features tracks from African bands. While not as far-fetched as the Extreme Music From Africa comp we used to stock some time back, some might still be surprised by this. Of course, previous volumes in the LP&P series have conclusively demonstrated the all-pervading influence of the Western '60s rock revolution on the rest of the world, and we've stocked lots of cd reissues of LPs by acid-rockers from such 'exotic' locales as Turkey, Brazil, and the Phillipines. Not to mention all those Cambodian Rock collections! So of course there's gonna be African bands for Shadoks to compile. And in fact, we think they maybe included more South African (i.e. white) bands here than they really needed to -- not that the chosen tracks aren't worthy, just that they give the impression that Shadoks couldn't find enough stuff from the rest of the continent. Maybe their definition of "psychedelic music" is a little narrower than ours, but we'd have thought some Ethiopian groove stuff, or early Orchestra Baobab, would do nicely here. Too funky maybe? But already this collection boasts a wide range of styles from jazzy to spacey to folkish to heavy, hard rock. There's room here for both fuzz guitar fests (Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi Family's "Oh Ye Ye") and Beatles-esque balladry (Quentin E. Kolpjaeger's "Weatherman"). 17 tracks total, with several standouts including Nigeria's Blo (now that's some authentic African psych rock there) and South Africa's Freedoms Children (who managed to land three cuts on here) and the proto-metal of fellow countrymen Suck, among others. Perhaps not the strongest of the series (heck, that preceeding Mexican volume was a tough act to follow) but as always, well-stocked with gems -- stuff you're unlikely to hear elsewhere, either!
MPEG Stream: BLO "Time To Face The Sun"
MPEG Stream: RIKKI ILILONGA "Love Is The Only Way"
MPEG Stream: CHRISSY ZEBBY TEMBO & NGOZI FAMILY "Oh Ye Ye"

V/A Love, Peace & Poetry: African Psychedelic Music (Shadoks Music) lp 16.98
This latest installment in the on-going, ever-awesome Love, Peace & Poetry compilation series of rare psych rock music from around the world features tracks from African bands. While not as far-fetched as the Extreme Music From Africa comp we used to stock some time back, some might still be surprised by this. Of course, previous volumes in the LP&P series have conclusively demonstrated the all-pervading influence of the Western '60s rock revolution on the rest of the world, and we've stocked lots of cd reissues of LPs by acid-rockers from such 'exotic' locales as Turkey, Brazil, and the Phillipines. Not to mention all those Cambodian Rock collections! So of course there's gonna be African bands for Shadoks to compile. And in fact, we think they maybe included more South African (i.e. white) bands here than they really needed to -- not that the chosen tracks aren't worthy, just that they give the impression that Shadoks couldn't find enough stuff from the rest of the continent. Maybe their definition of "psychedelic music" is a little narrower than ours, but we'd have thought some Ethiopian groove stuff, or early Orchestra Baobab, would do nicely here. Too funky maybe? But already this collection boasts a wide range of styles from jazzy to spacey to folkish to heavy, hard rock. There's room here for both fuzz guitar fests (Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi Family's "Oh Ye Ye") and Beatles-esque balladry (Quentin E. Kolpjaeger's "Weatherman"). 17 tracks total, with several standouts including Nigeria's Blo (now that's some authentic African psych rock there) and South Africa's Freedoms Children (who managed to land three cuts on here) and the proto-metal of fellow countrymen Suck, among others. Perhaps not the strongest of the series (heck, that preceeding Mexican volume was a tough act to follow) but as always, well-stocked with gems -- stuff you're unlikely to hear elsewhere, either!
MPEG Stream: BLO "Time To Face The Sun"
MPEG Stream: RIKKI ILILONGA "Love Is The Only Way"
MPEG Stream: CHRISSY ZEBBY TEMBO & NGOZI FAMILY "Oh Ye Ye"

V/A Love, Peace & Poetry: American Psychedelic Music (Shadoks Music) cd 15.98
American version of the above. It's not nearly as immediately catchy as the Latin American comp, but nonetheless is a great way to sample the sounds of Damon, Darius, Hickory Wind, and the New Tweedy Bros.

V/A Love, Peace & Poetry: Asian Psychedelic Music (Shadoks Music) cd 15.98
The Love, Peace & Poetry series compiles the obscurest of the obscure lost psychedelic music of the sixties, records that collectors spend vast sums of money on. Following the American and Latin American volumes, this long-awaited third volume brings together gems from Japan, Korea, India, Cambodia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Turkey, spanning the years 1967 to 1977. Authoritative liner notes from OR Records' Stan Denski round out the package. Get this and soon you too will be a fan of such artists as The Mops, Erkin Koray, Jung Hyun & the Men, Mogollar, and the unknown Cambodian combo that provides this disc's very rockin' track five. Recommended!

V/A Love, Peace & Poetry: Asian Psychedelic Music (Shadoks Music) lp 19.98
The Love, Peace & Poetry series compiles the obscurest of the obscure lost psychedelic music of the sixties, records that collectors spend vast sums of money on. Following the American and Latin American volumes, this long-awaited third volume brings together gems from Japan, Korea, India, Cambodia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Turkey, spanning the years 1967 to 1977. Authoritative liner notes from OR Records' Stan Denski round out the package. Get this and soon you too will be a fan of such artists as The Mops, Erkin Koray, Jung Hyun & the Men, Mogollar, and the unknown Cambodian combo that provides this disc's very rockin' track five. Recommended!

V/A Love, Peace & Poetry: Brazilian Psychedelic Music (Shadoks Music) cd 15.98
Spanning 1969 to 1978, the newest volume of Love, Peace & Poetry brings to light totally rare gems from the Brazilian psychedelic rock movement. While we may all be relatively familiar with the giants of the Tropicalia scene -- Os Mutantes (Windy's favorite band ever), Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso, etc -- this comp features far more obscure groups whose albums are sought-after treasures in the underground psych LP collecting community (you know who you are!). But less obsessive folk now too have the opportunity to enjoy these obscurities! Springing from the creatively fertile ground of an at the time politically oppressive society, this is a fantastic collection of songs ranging from sunny Beatles-esque, Byrds-y jangle pop to other harder stuff more explicitly influenced by the Doors, Hendrix, and other fuzzed out acidheads. Highlights include the latter type of thing from Modulo 1000, a track from Brazilian psych crown jewel Lula Cortes e Ze Ramalho, the Zep-worthy hard rock groove (with a touch of proto-new wave in one guitar break) of Terco, and a track by Spectrum (whose utterly brilliant film soundtrack album "Geracao Bendita" album has been reissued in its entirety, due for review soon in an upcoming New Arrivals list, although you can come buy it now if you want!). Some tracks pay allegiance to Tropicalia, others are straight-up freak rock, and all are pretty cool.
As with all the Love, Peace and Poetry comps, this is highly recommended not only because it's good listening, but also because it's damn hard to find full lengths from most of these groups, not 'til someone reissues 'em! The liner notes are again by our pal Stan Denski, cover art is again a cheesecake blond go go girl courtesy famed photog Bunny Yeager.
RealAudio clip: MARCOS VALLE "Trilha Antiga"
RealAudio clip: OS LOBOS "Miragem"
RealAudio clip: SPECTRUM "Revolucao Organica"

V/A Love, Peace & Poetry: Brazilian Psychedelic Music (Shadoks Music ) lp 16.98
Now available on vinyl! Spanning 1969 to 1978, the newest volume of Love, Peace & Poetry brings to light totally rare gems from the Brazilian psychedelic rock movement. While we may all be relatively familiar with the giants of the Tropicalia scene -- Os Mutantes (Windy's favorite band ever), Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso, etc -- this comp features far more obscure groups whose albums are sought-after treasures in the underground psych LP collecting community (you know who you are!). But less obsessive folk now too have the opportunity to enjoy these obscurities! Springing from the creatively fertile ground of an at the time politically oppressive society, this is a fantastic collection of songs ranging from sunny Beatles-esque, Byrds-y jangle pop to other harder stuff more explicitly influenced by the Doors, Hendrix, and other fuzzed out acidheads. Highlights include the latter type of thing from Modulo 1000, a track from Brazilian psych crown jewel Lula Cortes e Ze Ramalho, the Zep-worthy hard rock groove (with a touch of proto-new wave in one guitar break) of Terco, and a track by Spectrum (whose utterly brilliant film soundtrack album "Geracao Bendita" album has been reissued in its entirety, due for review soon in an upcoming New Arrivals list, although you can come buy it now if you want!). Some tracks pay allegiance to Tropicalia, others are straight-up freak rock, and all are pretty cool.
As with all the Love, Peace and Poetry comps, this is highly recommended not only because it's good listening, but also because it's damn hard to find full lengths from most of these groups, not 'til someone reissues 'em! The liner notes are again by our pal Stan Denski, cover art is again a cheesecake blond go go girl courtesy famed photog Bunny Yeager.

V/A Love, Peace & Poetry: British Psychedelic Music (Shadoks Music) cd 15.98
Another new entry in Shadoks' Love, Peace & Poetry series devoted to giving a round-the-world tour of rare album tracks from the psychedelic era. Unlike some of the other volumes in the series (Latin American, Asian, the newly released Japanese volume, and the planned Brazilian and Canadian ones) British psych-rock has already been mined to death, so this disc's compilers really had to dig out the most obscure as opposed to the "best of" British psych (there's no Pink Floyd or Beatles on here, of course!). Still, it's pretty cool. There's a lot of Hobbit/fantasy rock, trippy and funny and light. One standout is Tony, Caro & John's "There Are No Greater Heroes" which sounds JUST LIKE Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel! Wow.
There's a few heavy, rockin' tracks here too, like the Blue Cheer-ish acid rock of The Dark, or Bodkin's Deep Purple-isms, but mostly it's folkier fare (Parameter, Mark Fry, Oliver), spacey, proggy stuff (Forever Amber, Lightyears Away), and some late '60s pop-psych too (Gary Walker & The Rain). Also: Pussy, Dogfeet, Motherlight, Candida Pax, Andwellas Dream, and Red Dirt. Most come armed with a lot of fuzz-distortion. Not our favorite of the LP&P series, but definitely worthwhile for fans of drugged-out hippie rock!
RealAudio clip: TONY, CARO & JOHN "There Are No Greater Heroes"
RealAudio clip: DARK "Maypole"
RealAudio clip: LIGHTYEARS AWAY "Yesterday"

V/A Love, Peace & Poetry: British Psychedelic Music (Shadoks Music) lp 16.98
Another new entry in Shadoks' Love, Peace & Poetry series devoted to giving a round-the-world tour of rare album tracks from the psychedelic era. Unlike some of the other volumes in the series (Latin American, Asian, the newly released Japanese volume, and the planned Brazilian and Canadian ones) British psych-rock has already been mined to death, so this disc's compilers really had to dig out the most obscure as opposed to the "best of" British psych (there's no Pink Floyd or Beatles on here, of course!). Still, it's pretty cool. There's a lot of Hobbit/fantasy rock, trippy and funny and light. One standout is Tony, Caro & John's "There Are No Greater Heroes" which sounds JUST LIKE Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel! Wow.
There's a few heavy, rockin' tracks here too, like the Blue Cheer-ish acid rock of The Dark, or Bodkin's Deep Purple-isms, but mostly it's folkier fare (Parameter, Mark Fry, Oliver), spacey, proggy stuff (Forever Amber, Lightyears Away), and some late '60s pop-psych too (Gary Walker & The Rain). Also: Pussy, Dogfeet, Motherlight, Candida Pax, Andwellas Dream, and Red Dirt. Most come armed with a lot of fuzz-distortion. Not our favorite of the LP&P series, but definitely worthwhile for fans of drugged-out hippie rock!

V/A Love, Peace & Poetry: Chilean Psychedelic Music (Normal) cd 16.98
For their tenth installment in the Love Peace and Poetry series, Shadoks once again takes us to South America. At first we must admit we were disappointed. This is the fourth volume in the series to cover Latin American psych and so many other regions in the world remain potentially untapped by this series (Italy, Poland, Scandinavia, Indonesia, North Africa, to name but a few). But then we thought better, because we've always known Chile to be an amazing source of some of the best South American psych and sure enough many of the bands on this compilation are amongst our very favorite: Embrujo, Congregacion, Blops, Los Macs, El Congresso, Kissing Spell. Yet there's others here just as good we'd never heard before. In fact this is one of the better volumes in the series, not just because the music is so good, but that much of it was made under hostile political conditions and barely managed to survive, as most records made after 1973 were often contraband, and many master tapes were subsequently destroyed. (Pinochet's CIA-installed military dictatorship ruled until 1990!) It's surprising that given the constantly changing political climate, that bands took so much risk with their music, and album art. Like Aguaturbia, a sort of Latin Brainticket featuring a female vocalist (a rarity on these comps), depicted the singer naked and crucified (a la Salvador Dali) on their second album cover, and even one of the two songs representing them is called "Erotica" feauturing some hot and heavy sounds. Other bands like Congregacion and Sacros take a more mystical and spiritual approach. Some bands are deeply inspired by Hendrix and Deep Purple (Tumulto and Escombros), and others more influenced by the jangle pop of the Byrds and Beatles (Los Macs, Los Beat 4 and Los Vidrios Quebrados). But for all the bands heavily influenced by American and British psych and R&B, it's nice to hear more Andean roots come in to play from bands like Los Jaivas, who mix electric and traditional folk instruments. Another score in this amazing series with hopes for farther flung outings in the future.
MPEG Stream: LOS JAIVAS "Foto De Primera Comunion"
MPEG Stream: LOS MACS "La Muerte De Mi Hermano"
MPEG Stream: AGUATURBIA "I Wonder Who"
MPEG Stream: EL CONGRESO "Asi Seras"

V/A Love, Peace & Poetry: Chilean Psychedelic Music (Normal) lp 17.98
For their tenth installment in the Love Peace and Poetry series, Shadoks once again takes us to South America. At first we must admit we were disappointed. This is the fourth volume in the series to cover Latin American psych and so many other regions in the world remain potentially untapped by this series (Italy, Poland, Scandinavia, Indonesia, North Africa, to name but a few). But then we thought better, because we've always known Chile to be an amazing source of some of the best South American psych and sure enough many of the bands on this compilation are amongst our very favorite: Embrujo, Congregacion, Blops, Los Macs, El Congresso, Kissing Spell. Yet there's others here just as good we'd never heard before. In fact this is one of the better volumes in the series, not just because the music is so good, but that much of it was made under hostile political conditions and barely managed to survive, as most records made after 1973 were often contraband, and many master tapes were subsequently destroyed. (Pinochet's CIA-installed military dictatorship ruled until 1990!) It's surprising that given the constantly changing political climate, that bands took so much risk with their music, and album art. Like Aguaturbia, a sort of Latin Brainticket featuring a female vocalist (a rarity on these comps), depicted the singer naked and crucified (a la Salvador Dali) on their second album cover, and even one of the two songs representing them is called "Erotica" feauturing some hot and heavy sounds. Other bands like Congregacion and Sacros take a more mystical and spiritual approach. Some bands are deeply inspired by Hendrix and Deep Purple (Tumulto and Escombros), and others more influenced by the jangle pop of the Byrds and Beatles (Los Macs, Los Beat 4 and Los Vidrios Quebrados). But for all the bands heavily influenced by American and British psych and R&B, it's nice to hear more Andean roots come in to play from bands like Los Jaivas, who mix electric and traditional folk instruments. Another score in this amazing series with hopes for farther flung outings in the future.
MPEG Stream: LOS JAIVAS "Foto De Primera Comunion"
MPEG Stream: LOS MACS "La Muerte De Mi Hermano"
MPEG Stream: AGUATURBIA "I Wonder Who"
MPEG Stream: EL CONGRESO "Asi Seras"