New
Releases
Acorn
Tin Fist
PS, US After releasing 2008's critically acclaimed "Glory Hope
Mountain," the band returns with a 6 song EP, which runs the
stylistic gamut from brooding art-folk numbers to unabashedly joyous
rock freak outs.
PaperBag
CD5
$7.50
Ahmed, Ilyas
The Vertigo of Dawn
PS, US CD version of the limited edition LP. Packaged in a matching
fabric textured, golden hued, mini lp style gatefold cover with black
& blood red printing, plus insert & woven Japanese inner sleeve.
TimeLag
CD
$13.50
Amplifier Machine
Her Mouth Is An Outlaw
PS, US Amplifier Machine began in 2002 with James Dixon (Swordfish,
Supagroop, James Dixon) on guitar, Korg & piano, Seth Rees (The
Spheres, This Is Your Captain Speaking, I Want A Hovercraft, Seth
Rees) on drums, violin, samples, piano & guitar and Alex Jarvis
(Automatic, Black Cab, Registered Nurse, Alex Jarvis) on guitar &
drums, with the intention of combining their songwriting talents.
Something about getting three solo artists together, or maybe something
about what rehearsing for so long in a freezing Collingwood warehouse
does to the brain, caused the pop-bred members of Amplifier Machine
to spiral out into a peculiar music of inquisitive, atmospheric, half-improvised
mini-epics. Amplifier Machine is a self-described experiment inanemocratic
process and near-improvisation (anemocracy = rule by whim or the wind).
Through earnest discussion and endless unending jams, Amplifier Machine
came upon The Rule: that when the other two members have settled,
it's your turn to change. The Rule was found to be useful, not only
in musical terms, but also as a strategy in discussion, advocacy for
the devil, and reducto absurdums. Each members' musical approach is
informed by knowledge of various artistic processes, including: visual
art, drama, the written word, carpentry and car maintenance. Thus,
in music and in discussion, Amplifier Machine tends to start with
a thesis, then to spiral out into varying antitheses, to arrive at
some sort of synthesis. At least, that's the idea. Somewhat of a departure,
in terms of sound, for 12k, Her Mouth Is An Outlaw breezes darkly
languid chords over a post-rock-meets-experimental structure that
is decidedly lacking in micro-electronics. These echoes reach for
new 12k-heights while the spirit of ambience and space remain familiar.
12K-1049
CD
$12.25
Antony & The Johnsons
Another World
PS, US Antony and the Johnsons have emerged with a new album, The
Crying Light, which shall be released January 2009. "Another
World" is a five-song EP which shall precede said new album.
On "Another World", Antony lists the things he treasures
about the natural world, and then expresses how much he will miss
them. "Another World" is hypnotic and affecting, as well
as timely. The EP Another World also includes "Shake That Devil".
Part exorcism and part Shangri La, Antony calls out shape-shifting
perpetrators, and banishes them one by one. Two other songs, "Crackagen"
and "Sing For Me" are pastoral and surreal. Finally the
epic "Hope Mountain" closes the EP; an episodic narrative
set after a flood; people gather on a mountain to witness the emergence
of a holy girl.
SecretlyCanadian-193
CD5
$7.50
Antony & The Johnsons
Another World
PS, US VINYL VERSION.
SecretlyCanadian-193
12"
$10.50
Apollo Sunshine
Shall Noise Upon
PS, US A celebration of darkness & light, love & death, friends
& lovers. Featuring members of Drug Rug, Tulsa and Viva Viva.
PITCHFORK: "In the age of the mp3, you have to like a band that
respects your attention span and ability to sit through a 38-minute
album, giving you something that works as a whole beyond its considerable
highlights. Apollo Sunshine does that on their third LP, turning out
an eclectic and thoughtfully sequenced running order that runs the
gamut from pastoral folk to distorted-everything blues-punk to Latin-tinged
indie pop to orchestral interludes. It's indie rock that wants to
be and is a dozen things at once, and the band members have the songs
to make it work."
HeadlessHeroes
CD
$14.25
Asunder
Works will Come Undone
PS, US A monument of crushing & moving artistic funeral-death
doom. Massive, elegant, experimental, brimming with godsend epic heaviness,
& captured on pure analog via legendary producer Billy Anderson
(Neurosis, Melvins, Mr. Bungle, High On Fire)
Kreation
LP
$16.00
Avenaim, Robbie
Rythmic Movement Disorder
PS, AUSTRALIA Robbie Avenaim's RMD has been a long time in the making.
His debut solo release to surface in a career that stretches back
to the late 1980s, collects together the better part of a decade's
worth of experimentation with the possibilities of prepared percussion,
irregular rhythm, modulated pulse and low-tech electronics. Avenaim
is perhaps best known for his improvised collaborations alongside
the likes of Otomo Yoshihide, Oren Ambarchi (with whom he released
the transcendental 'Clockwork') and Keith Rowe. But his work explores
more than improvisation and the proof lies in this incredibly detailed
electro-acoustic outing. With its title referencing a particular syndrome
usually associated with the involuntarily movement of limbs, the pace
and form of Rhythmic Movement Disorder reflects this sense of frenetic
activity. As uncontrolled as the syndrome may be however, at no point
does Avenaim lose focus. Rather his effortless and articulate percussive
sensibilities flex to produce a dense and tirelessly refined compositional
approach that is brought to bare with stunningly rich and varied results.
PRESS: "Clockwork is magical improv." Tiny Mix Tapes (review
of Clockwork) "a piece of music that is circumscribed in scope
and sound palette, yet highly engaging throughout." Dusted (review
of Clockwork) "I did find myself increasingly captivated by its
tiny sonic dramas and the group's ability to make something out of
next to nothing." BBC (review of Thumb) "Its emphasis on
density rather than the in depth exploration of the most minute details
and yields truly engaging results on this disc." Foxy (review
of Sonic Systems Lab).
Room40-421
CD
$15.00
Bastien, Pierre
Visions of Doing
PS, US Well known for his orchestra of musically gifted robots. Driven
by electric motors, the machines deliver stuttering rhythmic loops.
These unsteady tempos constantly fluctuate, imbuing the songs w/an
emotional & honest quality not found in much of today's loop-based
music. The 9 tracks have been selected from his soundtracks to Karel
Doing's films.
WesternVinyl-053
CD
$11.50
Beatnik Filmstars
The Purple Fez 72 Club Social
PS, UK After years of lo-fi pop madness, Beatnik Filmstars move effortlessly
away from their past, and into a new mellower ' Americana ' direction.
The humor in the lyrics Beatniks fans have come to know and love,
is still there, although there is a, perhaps, darker overall feel.
Country tinged twangy guitars, Hammond Organs, Accordions and Harmonicas,
replace some of the more experimental noise pop of the past, and songs
such as 'Hospital Ward' and 'Sweet Bird Of Sorrow' you could easily
imagine someone such as Will Oldham covering. And the slow building-
burner 'Nurse My Head' has an almost Spiritualized feel. There are
still one or two rockier numbers, but even these have a warmer laid-back
vibe going on. And although it is a big step away from their lo-fi
poppier past, it still sounds like no one but themselves. This could
be your album of the year. Laid-back, blissed out and gorgeous.
InternationalLo-FiUnderground-001
CD
$13.50
Believer
October 2008
PS, US Interviews w/ Will Eno, Diane Williams, Bruce Jay Friedman
& Nico Muhly. Features on the moral high ground, real american
heroes, the history of translation & a lesson in outmoded medicine.
ZINE
$8.00
Birdsongs of Mesozoic
Dawn Of The Cycads
PS, US All of their Ace of Hearts material in newly remastered sound,
w/ 40 minutes of previously unreleased bonus material including live
recordings! Founded in 1980 by ROGER MILLER & MARTIN SWOPES of
MISSION OF BURMA, BOTM straddled the worlds of modern classical music
& rock. "More Importantly, this music quite often flat-out
rocks!" - All Music Guide
Cuneiform
CD
$19.25
Black Time
Double Negative
PS, US 3rd full-length album from London garage punk trio, BLACK TIME,
who have carved a hefty reputation for themselves over the past few
years through scattered tours across Europe & the US, numerous
LTD ED 7-inch records, 2 dense yet danceable long-player albums, &
a manifesto that, among other things, espouses "fuck & rage"
& the "heavy vampire sound." Calls to mind equal parts
Messthetics & 'Back From The Grave' compilations. This is the
absinthe you've been wanting to drink. "...makes labelmates Pussy
Galore & the Black Lips sound positively polished by comparison."-LA
WEEKLY
InTheRed
CD
$14.25
Boduf Songs
How Shadows Chase the Balance
PS, US This album is a further step away from the "folk"
label, which never seemed all that appropriate to Mathew's work in
any case. If you record solo w/ an acoustic guitar the description
is somewhat inevitable. But the results might more rightly be construed
as "acoustic death metal" considering the themes of death,
alienation, fear, hatred & isolation that are his forte, as well
as his affinity for gothic imagery.
Kranky
CD
$12.25
Boomtown Rats
On A Night Like This
PS, US Led by the inimitable Sir BOB GELDOF, the Boomtown Rats were
an important & notable band who were a real force in the chartsin
the mid-80's. 5 of the band's Top 40 singles, including 2 Number 1's,
are included in this rousing performance to a rammed crowd filmed
at The Dominion Theatre, London in 1985
CherryRed
DVD
$18.50
Boy 8 Bit
Suspense Is Killing Me
PS, US This is the label run by Mr. Popularity... DIPLO! 3 orig. trks,
by BOY 8 BIT & a remix by NYC producer/DJ star DROP THE LIME.
MadDecent
12
$7.50
Burkett, Joshua
Where's My Hat?
PS, US A lucky few got to hear this little gem as the tiny self released
cdr edition, but here's the real deal. An absolutely lovely album
and surely Joshua's finest dose yet. Oozing with a perfectly warm
lo-fi bedroom glow, and full of joshua's most direct & achingly
melancholy song forms. The kind of record you'll want to spin again
& again to soothe a busy mind. Packed in a mini lp style heavy
artpaper gatefold cover with full color art, Japanese woven inner
sleeve, etc. edition of 1000 copies.
TimeLag
CD
$12.25
California Oranges
Imperial Hearts
PS, US Our Sacramento, CA indie-pop all stars return with a gem of
a pop/rock album full of hooky choruses, call and response guitars
and a super tight power-pop rhythm section. A pow-pow-powerful good
good feeling! Just as you'd expect from this seasoned music family.
Bask in the summer sun with the fourth album from the golden state's
California Oranges and a healthy dose of the sunshine power pop they're
known for. Underlying the power is a healthy dose of pop: Delicately
concocted, contemplative songs exploring life's ups and downs. The
quintet has hit their stride on Imperial Hearts. The record features
the same line up as their 2005 release Souvenirs: John Conley (Holiday
Flyer), Verna Brock (Rocketship, Beanpole, Holiday Flyer, Sinking
Ships), Ross Levine (Sinking Ships), Katie Haley (Holiday Flyer, Sinking
Ships), and Matt Levine (Sinking Ships). The album was jointly produced
by the California Oranges and Dana Gumbiner (Night Night, Deathray).
Imperial Hearts was mixed by long time friend of the band, producer/engineer,
Eric Stenman (Saves the Day, The Comas, The Cab). The California Oranges
construct songs filled with, "soaring boy/girl harmonies, rapid-fire
licks of squeaky clean and buzz saw dirty guitar work, consistently
up-tempo beats, and melodies that would make tone deaf kitten haters
want to sing along" --Popmatters. "Power pop has rarely
sounded as sweet." --Treblezine. TRACK LIST: 1. Brand New Spine,
2. We've Got Time, 3. Travel Writer, 4. Anywhere USA, 5. I Still Hold
On, 6. Silver Shoes, 7. Feel Better, 8. Waiting Is Slow, 9. I Told
Grace, 10. Matter Of Consequence, 11. I Won't Let You Back In, 12.
When I Sleep.
Darla-193
CD
$12.25
Car Commercials
Eric's Diary
PS, US Car Commericals are generally uncomfortable; probably shifty-eyed
loners that barely leave the basement. Their brand of
strictly personal suburban ooze was borne deep within the recesses
of New Jersey, just east of I-95. More specifically, this music springs
from inside that unspeakable zone deep within the mind where feelings
get very messy. Eric's Diary is the second LP release from Car Commericals,
following the out-of-print Judy's Dust LP (Cenotaph) from early 2008.
Those confounded by Judy's Dust will be pleased to know that Eric's
Diary is where things get...weird. Breath deep,and prepare to scratch
yr head faster than you can say 'Home Blitz.' LP limited edition of
200 with full color paste-on sleeves.
SoftAbuse
LP
$13.50
Castanets
City of Refuge
PS, US VINYL VERSION.
AsthmaticKitty
LP
$11.50
Castanets
City of Refuge
PS, US An uneasy, asymmetric weave of sung songs, chants, electronic
noise solos & spaghetti-western guitar interludes. The album suggests
a film soundtrack, w/overture, mood-setting & plot-development
songs, intermission, character studies, & themes of resolution
& reconciliation. Guest appearances by JANA HUNTER, SUFJAN STEVENS,
Dawn Smithson (JESSAMINE, SUNN O))))), & SCOTT TUMA.
AsthmaticKitty
CD
$14.25
Catfish Haven
Devastator
PS, US SPIN MAGAZINE: "The group's blues-infused ballads &
boozy trots possess equal amounts of backwoods authenticity &
cosmopolitan flair. They may harvest most of their mojo from south
of the Mason-Dixon but they bleed metropolitan w/undeniable garage-grime
charm & power-pop arrangements reminiscent of the Strokes"
SecretlyCanadian
CD
$11.50
Catfish Haven
Devastator
PS, US VINYL VERSION.
SecretlyCanadian
LP
$11.50
Celestial
Crystal Heights
PS, SWEDEN "You never dream about tomorrows, you only you only
dream about yesterdays. There and back again, there and back again..."
This is the anticipated second album from Celestial, the work of Swede
Andreas Hagman. The album is filled with beautiful pieces of dreamy
pop, jangly guitars, ace melodies and vocals from heaven. We believe
this release will be loved by those who appreciate the essence of
Creation and Sarah Records, Swedish pop, The Field Mice, Ride, Trembling
Blue Stars, My Favorite, Language of Flowers and Camera Obscura. The
wonderful vocals on the recordings belong to Malin Dahlberg (Douglas
Heart, Laurel Music, We Are Soldiers We Have Guns) and Ulrika Nymark
(Northern Fields). While first album "Dream On" draw resemblance
to C86, JAMC or a sun kissed Ride the new album shows a band changing
towards a slightly cleaner sound-scape still cherishing their old
7" singles.
MusicIsMyGirlfriend-016
CD
$12.25
Chairlift
Does You Inspire You
PS, US That twee-sweet little electro-pop song in Apple's new iPod
commercials (for the Nano-Chromatic) is Chairlift's "Bruises".
Order up! While the trio frequently shares the live stage w/groups
like Yeasayer & MGMT, their sound is wholly unique to the scene,
but still kind comparisons to Sweden's The Knife abound. Fronted by
Caroline Polachek, whose soulful vocals bring to mind both Kate Bush
& Chan Marshall, the band artfully fuses whimsical electro-pop
w/folk & tasteful psychedelic imagery.
Kanine
CD
$11.00
Chunklet
#20
PS, US CHUNKLET is back in 2008! Issue 20 of the reviled yet loved
mag & this is easily the best to date. Feat. interviews w/ comedians
ZACH GALIFIANAKIS, PAUL F. TOMPKINS & JON GLASER. Also has extensive
articles on a Rock Journalist Application Form, Drug Use, Rockopoly
(Chunklet's answer to Monopoly), Whirlyball (with quotes and photos
of Death Cab for Cutie, Arcade Fire, The Shins, Mogwai, The Black
Lips and countless others), Subliminal Frequencies (a label with Sun
City Girls connections) and countless, countless other articles! All
original content. No reviews. No interviews w/ boring musicians.
ZINE
$10.00
Clash, The
Live at Shea Stadium
PS, US Recorded at New York's Shea Stadium in 1982, Live at Shea Stadium
captures the band at the peak of its powers and on devastating form.
Bristling with energy and attitude, Live at Shea Stadium is destined
to feature alongside James Brown at the Apollo, The Who at Leeds and
Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison as one of the greatest live recordings
of all time! The Clash, opening for The Who on their farewell tour
of the US, played two nights at the legendary Shea Stadium (October
12th and 13th of 1982). Despite being the support act, the New York
Post reported "there were as many Clash fans on those nights
as Who fans."
Epic
CD
$16.25
Cole, Lloyd & The Commotions
Live At The Marquee
PS, US One of the most successful "indie" acts in the UK
during the 80's, & oft-quoted as influences to many other subsequently
famous bands. Their knowingly pretentious lyrics & namedropping
in songs endeared them to a generation of students & for some
time had the band vying w/ The Smiths in terms of popularity. Recorded
in 1986 at The Marquee London, & interspersed w/ pastiche band
shots, this is an excellent live concert Doc.
CherryRed
DVD
$18.50
Coleman, George
Bongo Joe
PS. US George Coleman is a Drum beater, a man who uses the drum to
send important information over long distances. His drum is a 55 gallon
oil drum shaped w/ a hand ax in a curious series of dents, bulges,
cuts, & wrinkles. His music defies description; it is lyrical,
incisive, and highly satirical. We hear a philosophy of life &
an entertaining trip thru the mind of Bongo Joe.
MississippiRecords
LP
$13.50
Cooper
Lemon Pop
PS, SPAIN CD Single. Digipak. Tracklist: 01. El circulo polar, 02.
En el sofá, 03. Ruido, 04. Ola de calor, 05. Directo versiones
[18-01-08, Madrid].
Elefant-374
CD
$7.75
Co-Pilgrim
Pucker Up Buttercup
PS, AUSTRALIA Sparkling & beautiful down beat pop gem from British
troubadour Mike Gale. Co-Pilgrim was started in August of 2005 by
Mike Gale following the demise of his former band Black Nielson. 'Pucker
Up Buttercup was released on Low Transit Industries across Australia
in March of 2007. The album received glowing reviews and substantial
airplay. Gale had been toying with the idea of adding a female vocalist/guitarist
for a while so when he met Alysia Manceau at one of her former bands
shows in Melbourne he decided to ask if she'd be interested in joining
Co-Pilgrim. Alysia Manceau is a self taught musician who began playing
guitar at the age of five. After Studying film and television at RMIT
in Melbourne she realised that her true passion in life was music.
Writing and performing locally in Melbourne since 2000 as a solo artist,
Her formidable underground reputation as one of Melbournes most unique
singers and guitarists led to her becoming a founding member in Alternative
Country/Rock and Roll band Ned And The Meds. Luckily for Gale, Manceau
agreed to take up his offer of joining Co-Pilgrim formally and the
two have been working together since, indeed, such was the pairs belief
in their new found unison that Gale moved into Manceau's sharehouse
in order to live and breath together with the music they create, which
is a beautiful blend of folk and country, with emphasis on space and
harmonies. The newly strengthened Co-Pilgrim have been performing
frequently around Melbourne for the past six months as well as recording
a demo CD of future single and album material.
LowTransitIndustries-039
CD
$13.50
Cosi, Valerio
Heavy Electronic Pacific Rock
PS, US What stands out here is Cosi's ability to combine things that
don't seem to be logical companions. He dots spacious saxophone compositions
w/rivers of noise, & w/o any indication that it's coming, he will
turn things into a field of Eastern-tinged, meditative drones. But
it's all in a way that keeps it cohesive & hypnotic. LIMITED TO
500
Digitalis
CD
$10.00
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Cosmo's Factory [40th Anniversary Bonus Tracks]
PS, US Throughout 1969 and into 1970, CCR toured incessantly and recorded
nearly as much. Appropriately, Cosmo's Factory's first single was
the working band's anthem "Travelin' Band," a funny, piledriving
rocker with a blaring horn section -- the first indication their sonic
palette was broadening. Two more singles appeared prior to the album's
release, backed by John Fogerty originals that rivaled the A-side
or paled just slightly. When it came time to assemble a full album,
Fogerty had only one original left, the claustrophobic, paranoid rocker
"Ramble Tamble." Unlike some extended instrumentals, this
was dramatic and had a direction -- a distinction made clear by the
meandering jam that brings CCR's version of "I Heard It Through
the Grapevine" to 11 minutes. Even if it wanders, their take
on the Marvin Gaye classic isn't unpleasant, and their faithful, exuberant
takes on the Sun classics "Ooby Dooby" and "My Baby
Left Me" are joyous tributes. Still, the heart of the album lays
in those six fantastic songs released on singles. "Up Around
the Bend" is a searing rocker, one of their best, balanced by
the menacing murkiness of "Run Through the Jungle." "Who'll
Stop the Rain"'s poignant melody and melancholy undertow has
a counterpart in Fogerty's dope song, "Lookin' out My Back Door,"
a charming, bright shuffle, filled with dancing animals and domestic
bliss - he had never been as sweet and silly as he is here. On "Long
as I Can See the Light," the record's final song, he again finds
solace in home, anchored by a soulful, laid-back groove. It hits a
comforting, elegiac note, the perfect way to draw Cosmo's Factory
-- an album made during stress and chaos, filled with raging rockers,
covers, and intense jams -- to a close. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
All Music Guide
Fantasy
CD
$11.50
Crystal Antlers
EP
PS, US Touch & Go signed them and will re-release their astounding
debut EP. "Merging psych, garage, lo-fi, prog, and countless
other influences, the group easily maintains consistency despite a
complete inability to be pinned to any specific movement or trend"
- Pitchfork. "Unashamed, unafraid, gritty hot-mess melodies that
take cues from The Stooges, Joe Cocker, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and
Ozzy Osbourne" - LA Weekly. "Long Beach's Crystal Antlers
have mastered the art of thrash, that combustible build-up of noise
and melody that so many others have tried to harness, only to fail
in a miserable pool of fuzzy annoyance" - OC Weekly.
Touch&Go
CD5
$7.00
Crystal Antlers
EP
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Touch&Go
12
$8.75
Culteral Amnesia
Press My Hungry Button
PS, GERMANY "A selection of the best work of Cultural Amnesia
spanning 1980-1983. Includes remastered tracks from their three released
cassette albums and from compilations. Nearly half the tracks are
previously unreleased, including pieces from two unfinished late albums
that the band consider amongst their strongest songs."
VinylOnDemand-045
DLP
$32.50
Davis, Greg & Sebastien Roux
Merveilles
PS, GERMANY Greg Davis and Sébastien Roux are back with their
second collaborative album following the acclaimed release "Paquet
surprise". "Merveilles", translated from the French
word as wonderland, describes the album very fitting as the songs
have a very illustrative quality. Where the previous album relied
a bit more on sweet melodies and quick changes "Merveilles"
explores different sound worlds in depth and illuminates a terrain
of diverse emotional scenarios. Silent passages of field recordings
are combined with subtle harmonic layers, interrupted by sudden noise
eruptions and contrasted by folk like guitar melodies and very concrete
sounds, often leaving the listener wondering what the origin of this
tone might be. It is a pleasure to have a documentary of this interesting
collaboration in which both musicians are able to realize their grown
individual expertise. Sébastien Roux, working at the IRCAM
and well known for his success in continuing the French line of music
concrete in a new and contemporary way, clearly helps to establish
the abstract narrative form of this record with arrangements of cut
and edited pieces of concrete recordings. The influence of Greg Davis,
often described as the anchor figure in the forming of the laptop
folk scene, is clearly audible in melodic guitar lines and the construction
of dense harmonic drones. But the strength of this collaboration is
the fact that Greg Davis and Sébastien Roux combine their musical
ideas creating a very unique approach of their own. This record clearly
combines elements of serious and popular music in a highly thoughtful
and contemporary way, widening the edges of by now established stylistic
fields that Davis and Roux once helped to define. "Merveilles"
consists of edits of live recordings made during a tour through Europe
and the US in 2005 - it is the pleasant proof that electronic music
of such richness in detail can be played and composed live.
Ahornfelder-12
CD
$16.25
Deerhoof
Offend Maggie
PS, US New album.
KillRockStars
CD
$14.00
Deerhoof
Offend Maggie
PS, US VINYL VERSION.
KillRockStars
LP
$13.25
Deerhunter
Nothing Ever Happened
PS, US The first salvo in a barrage of Deerhunter related noise this
fall is this two song single that precedes the release of the Microcastle
full length. Side A is the unabashed rocker from the album, while
the flip side is the demo version of another album track. This is
a limited edition one-time pressing release..
Kranky
45
$5.50
Department Of Eagles
In Ear Park
PS, US and expansive album; an intimate collection of songs. Much
of the material Daniel brought to this record draws on memories of
his father who died in 2007, and to whom "In Ear Park" is
dedicated. Many of Fred's contributions relate to similar themes of
nostalgia and mortality, giving the album an elegiac feel at times.
"In Ear Park" is also full of joyous moments, lush production,
and concise songwriting. "Department Of Eagles make scratchy,
lo-fi Casio-pop with hooks as big as arena anthems" - New York
Magazine.
4AD
CD
$13.25
Deus Ex Machina
Imparis
PS, US A unique & unequaled blend of aggressive jazz/rock mixed
with complex rythms, touches of 1970s hard-rock guitar, & the
avant-garde all topped by incredible vocals, sung in Latin & Italian,
of ALBERTO PIRAS, one of the most amazing vocalists working in rock
today. Double set comprised of new studio album and professionally
filmed live DVD.
Cuneiform
CD
$19.25
Dungen
4 (ON SALE)
PS, US Extends the acclaimed Swedish outfit's sound past psychedelia
into something far more rare. Moving beyond mere stylistic concerns,
this finds Gustav Ejstes' focus on the extremes of their sound separating
into two entities. Blazing, raw guitar workouts have their own time
& place, but now, so do strirringly orchestrated, jazz-cooled
compositions w/cinematic undertones.
Kemado
CD
$12.25
Earthless
Live At Roadburn
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
TeePee
LP
$16.50
Earthless
Live At Roadburn
PS, US The heavy psychedelic trio Earthless was featured at the annual
Roadburn Festival in Holland - a celebration of tube-driven distortion,
crackling electric guitars, and the many fans who come to celebrate
the mighty riff. Earthless embodies the event's essence, and this
year, they wound up on the main stage in front of 2,000 fans, filling
the time slot of the headlining band with a 90 minute visual mind
and audio massacre. Told of the recordings, the band decided it was
the most honest document they could offer; caught in their natural
environment: the live show. The result is a double LP and CD masterpiece.
TeePee
CD
$13.25
El Guincho
Alegranza
PS, US El Guincho is Pablo Diaz-Reixa, born in Spain. This release
is a mix of afro-beat percussion, calypso harmonies, psych tropicalia,
world music samplers, doo wop, trance repetition, underwater pop,
steel drums, and island feeling plus club oriented song structures,
uptempo beats, and exotica production. "An exultant one-man carnival
of sound" - Uncut. "Music that makes you feel like you've
entered a higher state of consciousness" - Dazed & Confused.
XL
CD
$13.25
El Guincho
Alegranza
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
XL
LP
$17.50
Elephant Micah
Hindu Windmills
PS, US Digital version of the out of print LP. As far as we're concerned
Elephant Micah should have been a household name for years now. Stripped
of all superfluous sound, and presented with the sort of stark realness
that creates a deeply psychedelic mood without being in the least
bit overt. Recorded direct to hand held cassette recorder using only
acoustic guitar and vocals, with just sparse backing from a little
percussion, cello, electric piano and double-tracked vocals, the gauzy
overdubs of past releases have all but vanished here. At the same
time the lyrical depth & intimacy have easily doubled, creating
some of the most affecting country-tinged melancholy you will ever
lay ears on. Heavy mini-lp-style craft paper gatefold cover with elusive,
ghostly two color offset printing, plus a double sided fold out insert
& woven Japanese inner sleeves.
TimeLag
CD
$12.00
Emaciator
Coveting
PS, US Misery wears many masks, but Tulare, California fatalist Jon
Borges has etched his mark on most of them. For at least half a decade,
he's pursued increasingly suicidal tendencies under his Pedestrian
Deposit guise (which is currently on hiatus), splicing subdued loops
of morbid beauty against savage canyons of harsh noise histrionics.
Lately, though, he's been straying more and more from this aggressive
exercise in contrasts in favor of his Emaciator alias, which draws
from the same dark wellspring of bitter memories and bipolar rage
but, instead of unleashing it in grand frenzies, bottles everything
up inside until it seeps out of the pores. Early efforts/cassettes
retained a strain of buzzing nausea reminiscent of his PD days, but
the last 12 months have witnessed a complete abandonment of any ties
to the past. Times are still bleak, sure, but the grey prisms of brooding
ambience Borges now conjures and slowly collapses convey a depth of
mood and subtlety far surpassing simple signifiers like indifference,
resentment, or remorse. Coveting collects together five exquisite
Emaciator compositions (including two particularly riveting songs
that were debuted live at Echo Curio) for a harrowing 40 minutes of
troubled solace, crisscrossing suicide guitar lines, and entranced
self-reflection. Meditation is a myth; desire does not sleep. Black
vinyl LPs in shrinkwrapped jackets with photography and layout by
Borges. Mastered by Pete Swanson, edition of 430
NotNotFun
LP
$15.75
Ensemble Economique
At The Foot Of Nameless Roads
PS, US BRIAN PYLE's (STARVING WEIRDOS, RV PAINTINGS) debut foray into
the solo forest. A masterpiece of an album, filled to the brim w/
cacophonous melodies, meditative auditory chants, & hypnotic shambolic
rhythms. Music for the darkest nights, the pinkest mornings, &
everything in between. This is vivid music that leaves a trail of
gold in its wake. LIMITED TO 500
Digitalis
CD
$10.00
Fotheringay
Fotheringay 2
PS, UK This is what would have been -- and now IS -- the second release
for UK folk-rock legends Fotheringay, including all members Sandy
Denny, Pat Donaldson, Trevor Lucas, Gerry Conway, and Jerry Donahue.
These are the original recordings from 1970. Fotheringay remain one
of the great might-have-beens of British music. They lasted less than
a year, and released just one album, but their disappearance robbed
the early '70s scene of a group of musicians capable of taking folk-rock
to new heights of subtlety and musicianship. Now, the nine songs on
that debut album; assumed for almost four decades to be their sole
testament, are joined by the eleven that would have constituted a
follow-up. Sadly, they broke up during the recording sessions for
their second album. Incredibly, all the tapes survived in various
record company archives. Thirty-eight years later, the surviving members
of the group have mixed all the material to finally complete this
remarkable album. When originally released, the debut album went straight
into the Top Twenty in both Melody Maker and NME, and is now an acknowledged
classic recording of British folk-rock. It is very, very rare that
musicians get the chance to complete a project begun 38 years earlier.
The second Fotheringay album has been eagerly awaited by all fans
of Sandy Denny, British folk-rock, and by pretty much everyone in
general.
Fledg'ling
CD
$16.25
Fucked Up
The Chemistry Of Common Life
PS, US The second record from Toronto's hardcore wunderkinds is a
dense, orchestral effort containing an expansive epic about the mysteries
of birth, death, and the origins of life. Merging elements of hardcore
songwriting with up to 70 tracks of guitars, organs, winds, and vocals,
the songs are iconoclastic and startling, with Pink Eyes' growling
vocals front and center. Though Fucked Up remain punks at heart, if
quixotically diverse ones, they have created a great, weird, heavy
record that stubbornly sticks in your brain and your heart. HQ 180
vinyl in gatefold sleeve with MP3 coupon.
Matador
CD
$13.25
Fucked Up
Get Young
PS, US Kings of punk and hardcore Fucked Up return with a mammoth
12" single, second in a series of records based on the Chinese
Zodiac. Year of the Pig is an 18 minute 34 second long prog-punk masterpiece
featuring lush piano and organ arrangements by Max Danger (The Deadly
Snakes) and guest vocals by Toronto's Jennifer Castle. Year of the
Pig starts with gentle guitar and soothing organ before heading into
darker territory with gruff male vocals offset by Castle's angelic
singing and a meandering bass line. It's not until a full 7 and a
half minutes in that the track explodes into a keith moon-esque drum
workout, which is followed by a one note neu trick that builds up
to a thrash attack. It's 'The Wall' as written and recorded by Poison
Idea.
WYR
12
$8.00
Fucked Up
The Chemistry Of Common Life
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Matador
LP
$17.50
Grails
Doomsdayer's Holiday
PS, US Their darkest, heaviest record yet! Delivers on the promises
made by their previous albums, taking equal pride in smoky psychedelics
& mountain-ascending riffs. This finds their already-broad palette
continually expanding w/70s European film noir & cosmic free jazz
explorations to compliment the Middle Easters psychedelic folk-metal
the group is known for.
TemporaryResidence
CD
$11.50
Grails
Doomsdayer's Holiday
PS, US VINYL VERSION.
TemporaryResidence
DLP
$14.25
Gregory & the Hawk
Moenie & Kitchi
PS, US Project of Meredith Godreau, a native New Yorker w/a captivating
voice that hovers between windchimes & church bells, & an
undeniable gift for gently insistent melodies & earnest metaphor.
She has a gift for emotive acoustic pop that places her squarely w/in
the tradition upheld by artists like Susan Christie, Elliott Smith,
& Regina Spektor.
FatCat
CD
$11.50
Grouper & Inca Ore
Split
PS, SPAIN The sound Liz Harris projects on her records under the moniker
Grouper has been said to be deceptively simple, but truly emotional.
Layers of vocals processed again and again through loop delays and
chains of effects that create gorgeous whirlpools of chants, guitar
drones and tape noise, all full of something unique, pure and powerfully
beautiful. The kind of magic Harris manages to inject into her recordings
is something Eva Saelens knows about quite well, as Inca Ore she has
also sung and produced music with a touch of wilderness and witchery.
Liz and Eva compiled twenty minutes of unreleased material each on
both sides of a C40 recorded at home, a recording that Acuarela now
re-releases on CD with new cover art and remastered sound.
Acuarela-1086
CD
$13.50
Grow Up
The Best Thing / Without Wings
PS, UK The Boutique Label presents the first ever reissues by cult
Manchester band Grow Up, active between 1978 and 1981 and a core group
on the highly collectible Object Music label. Grow Up were formed
in late 1978 by John Bisset-Smith, youthful guitarist with Spherical
Objects and an early member of the Manchester Musicians' Collective.
Best described as an experimental pop quintet, Grow Up debuted with
the six song EP Stay Awake in April 1979, and followed this with debut
album The Best Thing in 1980. Early champion Paul Morley (NME) wrote:
'Grow Up's LP is not only extremely commercial; it's a record of mellow,
sublime magic that extends the terse sound of the EP to a brilliant,
luxurious level. Their sound is a sort of ingenious, sax-propelled
chamber pop, of the Ayers/XTC English eccentric line, but it also
holds the melancholy depth and sauce of Brechtian cabaret, the twists
of Beefheart, the ambiguous tension of Lou Reed... Grow Up has invented
a whole new delirious pop world. They fracture tradition, push out
and bend into spaces but keep it light, snappy and appealing. The
Best Thing is not only Object's greatest release, but a record that
is up there with the obvious Mancunian biggies.' After a second single
Joanne (pitched as a 'quality pop song'), the band recorded second
album Without Wings in 1981. However, after Object ceased operations
the group was obliged to release the album on their own label, and
as a result of poor distribution the set was barely heard. Digitally
remastered, the 42 track double CD set features Grow Up's entire recorded
output, as well as two previously unreleased demo tracks. The booklet
features archive images and a detailed band biography.
Boutique-6617
DCD
$18.50
Guthrie, Robin
3:19 Bande Originale Du Film
PS, US Limited edition of 3000 in digipak. 3:19 is the title of the
original soundtrack recording by Robin Guthrie for the acclaimed Spanish
film of the same name. This is the former Cocteau Twins Guitarist's
second soundtrack following Mysterious Skin and it features all the
trademark Guthrie, ethereal soundscape you'd expect. This time, however,
Robin has added piano, just a bit a strings and a few sound effects
that nicely communicate the film's mood.
Darla-213
CD
$13.00
Hauschka
Ferndorf
PS, US Dusseldorf-based pianist & composer Voker Bertelmann's
4th full-length. Where his previous album comprised primarily of solo
recordings of his "prepared" piano (w/a few electronic &
instrumental overdubs), this is a more expansive & fully-realized
effort. At once nostalgic, optimistic, & weighty, w/deft melody
sparkling among percussion & drive, this carries an evocative
richness & depth throughout its quick-paced, often light-hearted
compositions.
FatCat
CD
$11.50
Hayes, Gemma
Hollow Of Morning
PS, US Co-produced by long-time cohort & collaborator David Odlum,
who worked w/Gemma on her Mercury-nominated debut, "Night on
My Side," this is a ten-track filigree of melody & subtle
harmonic rhythms. It's a sparkling album awash w/melody & poignant
turns of phrase. An independent flare shot into the night sky that
is both searching & illuminating. Guests include KEVIN SHIELDS
(MBV) & PAUL NOONAN (BELL XI).
SecondMotion
CD
$14.50
Hecker, Tim/Aidan Baker
Fantasma Parastasi
PS, US Tim Hecker & Aidan Baker (NADJA), two of Canada's brightest
musicians in the world of abstract electronic music, collaborated
to create eight movements that feature various real-time recording
& mixing sessions with the more dissonant elements tempered by
an emphasis on ambience & even occasional melody.
Alien8
CD
$13.50
Her Space Holiday
XOXO, Panda & The New Kid Revival
PS, US Loose & carefree arrangements of guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin,
shakers, glockenspiel, & drums lay the foundation for vocal storytelling
sing-a-longs.
Mush
CD
$9.00
Isotope
Golden Section
PS, US After playing with the likes of Dusty Springfield, Mike Gibbs,
& Mike Westbrook, Brit guitarist GARY BOYLE formed Isotope in
1972 to explore the emerging worlds of jazz-rock. In 1974, bassist
& composer HUGH HOPPER of SOFT MACHINE joined the group for 2
years. Golden Section feat. unreleased recordings from 1974-75, with
flavors of contemporary, early 1970s jazz-rock w/ a distinctive British
sound & immediately recognizable fuzz-bass sound.
Cuneiform
CD
$14.25
Japanese Motors
S-T
PS, US Japanese Motors are the most exciting band to emerge from Orange
County since the heyday of Social Distortion and TSOL. They're known
around Southern California for the insane, all night blowouts they
put on as much as for the driving, raucous garage pop they set the
partying to. The music is as sun-baked and laid-back as their coastal
environs and rife with positive imagery.
Vice
CD
$12.00
Japanese Motors
S-T
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Vice
LP
$13.25
Jay Reatard
Matador Singles 08
PS, US For the six months leading up to this release, Matador has
put out a limited edition 7-inch by Memphis boy wonder Reatard. Each
generated more attention, but was released in a progressively more
limited run, starting with 3,500 copies for the first and ending with
400 copies for the sixth. This package collects all six (excluding
the Deerhunter track on #4), plus one extra song. Each tune is a perfect
snarling pop-punk gem. "In this short span of time, Reatard has
cranked out more memorable songs than some acts do in their whole
careers" - Pitchfork.
Matador
CD
$13.25
Jay Reatard
Matador Singles 08
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Matador
LP
$14.75
Jesus & Mary Chain, The
Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities
PS, US 4 x CD boxset, 80 tracks total, made of awesome.
Rhino
CD-BOX
$61.00
Kalinich, Stephen John
A World Of Peace Must Come
PS, US Long lost psych poetry album by legendary Beach Boys song-writer,
and co-produced by Brian Wilson at his home in 1969. Deluxe booklet
features liner notes by Beach Boys archivist Alan Boyd, unseen photos,
archival material, and full lyrics.
LightInTheAttic-039
CD
$14.75
Kid Acne
Romance Ain't Dead
PS, US Sheffield's one-man answer to the Beastie Boys. Feat. 11 tracks
of short, sharp shock to the ear drums that's filled w/ more bangers
than an over stocked sausage factory (oh boy!) and is one of the funniest
yet slickest albums you've heard all year.
Lex
CD
$13.75
King Tuff
Was Dead
PS, US King Tuff is the brainchild of Kyle Thomas (Witch, Feathers).
This is a most pleasing daydream of a record, one that straddles the
line between partying and napping. It's the sound of one man's honest
and unbridled supreme lifestyle concerning only TV, snacks, and personal
expression via lazy and fuzzy-feeling power-pop rock 'n' roll.
TeePee
LP
$14.00
Koster, Julian
The Singing Saw At Christmastime
PS, US Julian Koster (The Music Tapes, Neutral Milk Hotel) presents
a new holiday classic. Join The Singing Saw Orchestra as they unite
saws both young and old in an enchanting celebration of traditional
Christmas songs. 180 gram LP includes a coupon for an MP3 download
of the entire record.
Merge
CD
$13.25
Koster, Julian
The Singing Saw At Christmastime
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Merge
LP
$15.50
Lambchop
OH (ohio)
PS, US Change is a subtle thing in Lambchop's world; Kurt Wagner is
simply a great believer in the natural pace of life. Lambchop have
evolved, adapted, and tested themselves over their long career and
"OH (Ohio)" follows this pattern in typically oblique but
deeply satisfying ways.
Merge
CD
$14.00
Land Of Talk
Some Are Lakes
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
SaddleCreek
LP
$14.00
Land Of Talk
Some Are Lakes
PS, US This album encompasses a great deal with very little, an aesthetic
in stark contrast to orchestral pop and digi-tweaked indie chic. These
songs set a perfect bridge from the jangling dissonance and ferocious
doubled voicings of the band's debut, to the road-weathered clarity
and reflection singer/songwriter Elizabeth Powell has now begun to
own so fully.
SaddleCreek
CD
$12.50
La's, The
S-T [deluxe expanded re-issue]
PS, UK 2008 digitally remastered deluxe two CD edition of the Liverpool
band's first (and so far only) album. Alongside the original album
on Disc One, there are six previously unreleased session recordings,
including 'That'll be The Day', the Buddy Holly cover they recorded
for BBC2's The Late Show. Disc Two gathers together material that
tells the story of the lengthy and convoluted recording process that
preceded the release of the album as the band moved from one producer
to the next in search of an elusive sound that never quite materialised.
Most of the material on this disc has never been released before and
includes the Mike Hedges sessions, the only producer that they recorded
the whole album for. This is a definitive presentation of a classic
album and will be beautifully packaged in artwork redesigned by the
band's original artwork designer, Simon Ryan. 38 tracks.
Universal
DCD
$28.50
Leone, Dominique
S/T
PS, US This first pressing is limited to 500 copies with 200 on color
vinyl. Dominique Leone wears many hats, only a few faces and has a
hundred songs that you haven't heard. In fact, but for his best buddies
and the fine folks of Feedelity, very few people have heard more than
a peep from him. And yes, he's a him. If you read internet record
reviews, you may have seen his name around, though if you hate record
reviewers, please don't hold that against him. The truth is, he's
a songwriter, producer, singer, lover, fighterÖscratch that,
he's one of a growing number of college-educated musical auteurs with
more than a slight command of pop history and theory chops, and writing
songs for joyous, infatuated people. Perhaps some of them are a bit
over stimulated. Perhaps some of them just like good melodies and
strange chord progressions that still seem vaguely familiar. Dominique
is a "classically trained" musician from Texas who currently
operates out of San Francisco. He lists Brian Wilson, Claude Debussy,
Andy Partridge, Randy Newman, Glenn Gould, ABBA, Miles Davis, Olivier
Messiaen, and Magmaís Christian Vander as personal heroes.
He thinks Julie Mehretu is the bomb.
Important-219
DLP
$23.00
Les Tres Bien Ensemble
Rougeole
PS, SPAIN Many of us were left mesmerized by the precious melodies
and the elegant pop that "Doux-amer" had, LES TRÈS
BIEN ENSEMBLE's debut album from three years ago. After an intense
period and recent change in lineup with the incorporation of Charles
Gasqué, the second awaited album of the Catalonian band, "Rougeole",
has arrived. "The title, "Rougeole" ("measles"
in French) makes reference to something that only time can heal. Time
means life and death all at once, something out of human control that
inexplicably advances to a particular destiny. "Rougeole"
talks about the end of a vital stage, from disappointments to obsessions
and desires, from hope to desperation, from excitement to anguish,
reliance, nostalgia and indifference." There is no better way
to describe an album which finely depicts the most human and exciting
details to talk about the contradiction of existing, always with an
upbeat tone and vital hope, characteristics which describe each one
of the songs of "Rougeole". An album that Françoise
Hardy would adore and Jacques Brel would save a special place on his
CD rack for and Serge Gainsbourg would give to Jane Birkin, and THE
BYRDS would pack this album to help pass the time in the tour van.
The best part is that all of these influences, all classical, sober
and inspired, LES TRÈS BIEN ENSEMBLE formed their own plan,
within the same distance from the past as the present, but above all,
full of personality. There is a reason that time is the protagonist
of this fantastic second album, "Rougeole".
Elefant-1133
CD
$16.25
Magnetophone
Wires And Traps
PS, UK Magnetophone are Birmingham natives Matt Huish Saunders and
John Hanson. Friends since childhood; as boys they would often be
found under water, weighed down by bricks and playing Stylophones.
Displaying a gift for linguistic manipulation which has continued
to sustain their career, they named this ritual the "Alpha Beti
Bon-Tempi Underwater Electro-Hydro Sound-Fusion" About Wires
and Traps EP Magnetophone bring their unique vision of electronic
music to First Fold with this carefully structured EP, each track
features a different acoustic instrument as a musical base, created
as melancholic Steve Reich inspired arpeggios, the songs then build
up with ever changing vocal phases, swirling synthetic sounds and
expanding melodies, that culminate into the finely crafted electronica
we have come to expect from Magnetophone.
FirstFold-005
CD
$15.50
Margot & Nuclear So and So's
Not Animal
PS, US VINYL VERSION. 180 gram wax plus download card.
Epic
DLP
$21.00
Margot & Nuclear So and So's
Not Animal
PS, US New album.
Epic
CD
$13.00
Max, Agathe
The Silver String
PS, US The transformative debut from this French violinist. At times
her work approaches the supersonic escape velocity of Tony Conrad;
elsewhere, she introduces delicate repeating threads, then slowly
weaves them into a fabric of vast, billowing sound more reminiscent
of Steve Reich. A remarkably accessible collection of tracks, one
that bridges the gaps between minimalism, post-classicism, the avant
garde, krautock, & plain old-fashioned pop - there's even a nod
to the High Lonesome Raga as filtered through Henry Flynt.
TableOfTheElements/Xeric
CD
$13.00
Menace Ruine
The Die is Cast
PS, US Majestic songs based around the vocal style of lead singer
Genvieve & the anthemic medieval music that bares much more resemblence
to Neo-Folk than Black Metal. Somber tunes propelled by slow-paced
martial percussion, ambient electronics & droning feedback are
carried by an incredibly powerful vocal performance.
Alien8
CD
$13.50
Menche & Korkowski
Unleash
PS, US Daniel Menche has long been regarded as one of the heaviest
hitters in the North American noise movement. Zbigniew Karkowski is
an ex-member of The Hafler Trio and is also known as a student of
legendary composers Iannis Xenakis, Pierre Boulez & others. This
collaboration is a little more forgiving in the trauma department
than some, but it is absolutley teeth rattling at times.
Alien8
CD
$13.50
Mental Overdrive
You Are Being Manipulated
PS, US Norwegian producer/DJ/live act Per Martinsen is back in the
studio hot seat with a new album under his Mental Overdrive alias.
Already a long time part of the Norwegian dance sound his new opus
'You Are Being Manipulated' sees him develop even more with a melody
driven electro/acid/disco/house sound all of his own. Featuring his
anthemic cover version of Iron Maiden's 'Run to the Hills', the much
hyped art/ebay experiment of 'Elephantastic' which was originally
planned as a one bid buys the masters sale & recent singles 'The
Rage' & 'Spooks' Per Martinsen is back to show us how its done.
SmalltownSupersound
CD
$14.50
Mercury Rev
Snowflake Midnight (ON SALE)
PS, US Swirling atmospherics and mantra-like lyrics abound on Mercury
Rev's newest work Snowflake Midnight. Recorded almost exclusively
in the band's Catskills, N.Y. laboratory, Snowflake Midnight sees
MR continue experiments with laser harps, ad-hoc computer programs
and random note generators resulting in a record that moves with grace
between avant garde and traditional pop sensibilities. Standout tracks
"Butterfly's Wing" and "Senses on Fire" exhibit
the emphasis on letting the music define itself, as free as possible
from human interference. Zooming in at nearly any magnification, Snowflake
Midnight appears to be a resplendent fractal folding in upon itself,
into something continually new, unpredictable and spontaneous, and
yet so subtly self-aware, that it never fails to resemble itself as
a whole. FYI: The band will be gibving away a bonus instrumental album
entitled Strange Attractors on their website beginning 9/30. MOJO
MAGAZINE: "A snowflake; a raindrop; a butterfly's wing: such
are the micro-details via which Mercury Rev get macro here. If the
dizzying existential frisson of Holes from Deserter's Songs left you
wobbly, parts of Snowflake Midnight might have a similarly tectonic
effect on your psyche."
YepRoc
CD
$13.75
Mercury Rev
Snowflake Midnight/Strange Attractor
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!! The new album and the full-length instrumental
companion piece, 'Strange Attractors', pressed on 180 gram wax. PITCHFORK:
"They've pulled a Kid A by turning down Sean "Grasshopper"
Mackowiak's guitars, breaking down lyrics into mantric incantations,
pulling the drumsticks out of Jeff Mercel's hands, and immersing themselves
in electronic programming (spurred by experiments with an image/music
randomizer program) in an effort to make Mercury Rev, well, more mercurial...
More than anything, the clicked-and-cut beats and fidgety sound effects
are symbolic of the band's reignited sense of adventure and mischief."
YepRoc
DLP
$18.25
Mockingbird, Wish Me Luck
Days Come and Go
PS, US Debut album from the 8-piece pop orchestra from Angelholm,
Sweden, A collection of songs both beautiful & unforgettable -
lovely, gentle folk inspired indie pop that invokes the idea of Jens
Lekman fronting Belle & Sebastian.
BlowUp
CD
$14.50
Mojo
#180 (November 2008) [Magazine + CD]
PS, UK
ZINE
$10.50
Molina, Juana
Un Dia
PS, US The fifth release from Argentinean artist Molina is a brave
departure from her previous work. It's every bit as personal and intimate,
but pronounced with rhythms and with bold low end added to the mix.
A hypnotic record, restless, alive with melodies that surface imperceptibly
before burrowing into your brain. The tracks are informed by an ever-shifting
and polymorphous sense of groove. The rhythms flow over and inside
each other, played out on wood and cymbal and bombo leguero, and woven
from electronic glitches. David Byrne, NPR, and The NY Times are some
of her many supporters.
Domino
CD
$14.00
Monkey
Journey to the West
PS, US Blur mainman Damon Albarn with fellow Gorillaz brainstormer
Jamie Hewlett tackle a legendary Chinese legend and create a modern
"rock" opera. PITCHFORK: "After two top-selling albums
created under the guise of a cartoon band, artist and designer Jamie
Hewlett and Blur's Damon Albarn followed Gorillaz with, no shit, Monkey.
The simian in question is the lead character in Journey to the West,
one of China's oldest and most endearing stories, a tale originally
written in the late 16th century that's considered one of the country's
four great novels. Oh and, with the help of director Checn Shi-Zeng,
Albarn and Hewlett adapted it into a modern opera. On paper these
ideas-- audacious, uncommercial, completely uncool-- should bomb.
But Albarn has always had a conceptual bent to his projects, and after
successfully acting as a conduit between African and Western music,
heading a supergroup that actually worked, and the shock success of
Gorillaz, it might be time to stop underestimating him."
XL
CD
$13.25
Moore, Daniel Martin
Stray Age
PS, US The debut by Kentucky's Moore is a folk record, evoking certain
feelings, but there's a gentle approach to its sound and the way Daniel's
voice phrases his words. Joe Chiccarelli (The Shins, U2, The White
Stripes) took on co-production, recording, and mixing duties. "Stray
Age" is rich with understated complexities that take you to places
Nick Drake and Neil Halstead do.There's a soft swing in the vocals
reminiscent of Chet Baker. But what separates Moore from the pack
is he's looking forward; he wants to go places and we're finding him
right in that moment.
Subpop
CD
$12.50
Mount Eerie
Lost Wisdom
PS, US This finds Phil Elverum in a more collaborative mode than usual,
working with two legends of music & kindred spirits, JULIE DOIRON
& FRED SQUIRE. Elverum & Doiron share vocal duties, making
an album of dark pop duets. Quite beautiful.
PWElverum&SunLtd
CD
$12.25
Nashville Pussy
Live In Hollywood
PS, US This DVD feat. the band rifling through 19 blistering songs
at the Key Club in Hollywood. All your favorite tracks are here, plus
a bonus feature entitled "Pussy Home Movies".
MVDVisual
DVD
$18.50
New Radiant Storm Kings
Drinking In The Moonlight
PS, US Northampton, MA/New York city indie rockers New Radiant Storm
King deliver the tightest, hookiest and most diverse record in their
distinguished career. Recorded over six months in deep, rural Massachusetts,
Drinking in the Moonlight proves once again that guitarists/vocalists
Peyton Pinkerton and Matt Hunter along with bassist Caleb Wetmore
and drummer J.J. O'Connell write some of the most imaginative and
memorable American rock. Approaching their twentieth year as a band,
NRSK have gracefully matured as song smiths while retaining their
prowess at crafting unconventional yet infectious melodies. Drinking
in the Moonlight is a sonic mix of urban and rural, sporting distorted
yet wiry pop with a marked focus on narrative within their song writing
-- trademarks gratifying to longtime fans. Time spent in other bands
(Pinkerton in The Silver Jews and The Pernice Brothers; Hunter in
J. Mascis & The Fog and The Wharton Tiers Ensemble) has honed
the Pinkerton/Hunter attack musically and lyrically. Over the course
of thirteen songs, Drinking in the Moonlight addresses topics as varied
as random street violence, infidelity and subsequent pregnancy, exorbitant
winter heat bills and even an open condemnation of organized religion
(Thank God -Ed). Drinking in the Moonlight was recorded with longtime
NRSK engineer Mark Alan Miller (Cordelia's Dad, J. Mascis & The
Fog) at his Slaughterhouse Studios in Westhampton, MA. NRSK will tour
Fall 2008. TRACKS: 1) Soporific Slump - A few more pints and then
back to your place on 1st Avenue. 2) Undignified - Hopefully you can
convince everyone that you actually are being your natural self -
and have been lying up until just now. 3) Senseless - If a random
act of brutal violence changed your life for the better, how would
you explain it to anyone? To yourself, even? 4) Islander - She could
never handle the mainland for more than a few days at any given time.
5) Little Ice Age - Sometimes the idea of summer seems both impossible
and absurd. 6) Anything Can Happen - And usually does, if you're lucky
(or not). 7) New Paltz Waltz - Instrumental levity. 8) Eight Steps
Closer - Slouching towards Echo Park, with a cosmo in her hand. 9)
After the After Hours - Guns, drugs and hipsters - in way over their
heads. 10) Midnight Comes - Time horizons always seem to stretch into
forever on a first date. 11) Eraser - Lick your wounds and don't look
back for a second. 12) Clouds Cover Everything - Are you really sure
that your memories are totally your own? 13) Fall Prey - The world
is flat. The sun revolves around it. We've progressed on so many fronts
save one.
Darla-201
CD
$12.25
Noriko, Tujiko/Lawrence English/John Chantler
U
PS, AUSTRALIA Tujiko Noriko joins with collaborators Lawrence English
and John Chantler for 'U', a record of orbiting themes, esoteric lyrical
wordplays and warm analog infused song-forms. Following on from the
acclaimed 'Blurred In My Mirror (ROOM40), 'U' is an LP of phases and
exchanges between Paris and Brisbane over a three year period. Like
its recording process, it unfolds with a time-lapse exposure - capturing
moments of absolute loss and unrelenting ecstasy. It's a record of
extended technique and unconventional method (both in terms of song
writing cycles and production), but most of all U is a swelling passage
through the rare and eccentric reality Tujiko Noriko evokes with her
curiously distant songs. U, a title chosen for its 'shape'(reflecting
the collaborative nature of the record), is by far one of Noriko's
most affecting records. It's also one of her most eclectic, littered
with songs that are telling of the world in which Tujiko Noriko finds
herself. PRESS (on Blurred In My Mirror): "This is not an album
that you skip to a middle of a song, every second on the album is
embraced by the previous. As such, it's hard to imagine that there'll
be a better batch of glitchy electronic pop released this year."
Stylus Magazine "the album manages a measure of magic when it
rests right at the nexus point of song and sculpture, pop and experiment."
Pitchfork "one of the most intriguingly inviting voices on the
planet." XLR8R
Room40-435
CD
$15.00
Notwist
Boneless
PS, US Heightening the stunning experimental pop of The Notwist's
latest opus, "The Devil, You + Me", comes this 7-inch. Side
A includes the piano-driven pocket pop masterpiece, "Boneless"
in all its album version glory. Side B features a sunny, tropical
remix by Animal Collective's own Panda Bear. A vinyl exclusive, featuring
two of independent music's most progressive and respective artists.
Domino
45
$4.50
Oasis
Dig Out Your Soul
PS, US New album. ALL MUSIC GUIDE: "Colorful and dense where
Don't Believe the Truth was straightforward, Dig Out Your Soul finds
Oasis reconnecting to the churning psychedelic undercurrents in their
music, sounds that derive equally from mid-period Beatles and early
Verve. This is heavy, murky music, as dense, brutal, and loud as Oasis
has ever been, building upon the swagger of Don't Believe and containing
not a hint of the hazy drift of their late-'90s records: it's what
Be Here Now would have sounded like without the blizzard of cocaine
and electronica paranoia."
Reprise
CD
$15.00
Of Montreal
ID Engager (Mad Decent Remixes)
PS, US Officially commissioned "white label" remixes for
the dancey/poppy lead single w/ lots of subtle sex talk. Taken from
OF MONTREAL's 2008 fulllength, 'Skeleton Lamping.' Remixes here from
the MAD DECENT crew (most likely DIPLO & friends) & DJ SEGA.
One time LTD ED pressing. Don't sleep on this - won't last for long!
3 trks in all incl. the original trk (exclusive to this 12")
MadDecent
12
$6.75
Ovo
Croce Via
PS, US A darker slant than their previous full length, OvO's guitars
scrape & drums pound but the organic crunch & high fidelity
of this release will convince you that this is music taken further
& harder. An avant masterpiece, it takes cues from the tar covered
hordes wearing jean jackets & introduces a very natural middle
finger of wigginess. Stefania Pendretti's vocals soar for the sky
& rest like a golden piece of corn in the steaming morass of dunt.
Guitar undulates like a wriggling eel, with Bruno Dorella's drums
providing crunching headburn.
Load
CD
$12.50
Ovo
Croce Via
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Load
LP
$12.50
Papa November
Book One/Azmaveth
PS, UK About Papa November The name Papa November comes from a now
inactive short-wave radio numbers station that features the voice
of a girl repeating the words Papa November between blasts of discordant
noise, equally, blasts of short-wave noise, radio crackle and radio
drones permeate Papa November's music. Papa November, as a musical
project, was started by Stuart Tonge in 1997, who was inspired by
a desire to create his own language in sound. Stuart set to work,
enlisting the efforts of Katy Acquaye who wrote the lyrics, sang and
co-produced most Papa November releases between 2001 and 2006. Papa
November has released music on Static Caravan, Speedowax and Bearos
records. Papa November currently concerns itself with creating soundtracks
to imaginary dystopias. Papa November's album debut for First Fold
is inspired by the apocryphal Book of Azmaveth. The story is divided
into twelve parts over six chapters. In response Papa November created
twelve instrumental pieces to complement the structure of the book.
The music serves as a kind of dark soundtrack to the long forgotten
dystopian world that Azmaveth inhabits.
FirstFold-004
CD
$15.50
Peppermint Rainbow, The
Will You Be Staying After Sunday?
PS, UK Baltimore quintet The Peppermint Rainbow scored a US Top 10
hit in 1969 with the super-groovy Will You Be Staying After Sunday.
Produced by Green Tambourine hit maker Paul Leka, the album that followed
featured 10 more slices of juicy bubblegum pop including a second
Top 10 smash, Don t Wake Me Up In The Morning, Michael . The band
cut two further singles both added here but by late 69 it was all
over as the sound of love faded from the airwaves. ** First time on
CD in the UK for this bubblegum classic! ** Re-mastered by Norman
I ll ave you Butler Blake! ** Liner notes by pop-meister supreme Duglas
T Stewart! ** Lovely packaging by Pepperbox! ** Essential for all
fans of US bubblegum, harmony pop and just plain full-on grooviness!
Rev-ola-263
CD
$14.25
Pixies, The
Trompe le Monde [vinyl re-issue]
PS, US VINYL VERSION.
4AD
LP
$15.00
Polvo
Cor-Crane Secret
PS, US The first of many critically acclaimed albums from the Chapel
Hill guitar rock innovators who ruled the 90's with an iron, artfully
de-tuned fist. 1992's "Cor-Crane Secret" is an ambitious
debut, showcasing what would become a signature approach to rock music:
tweaked, sprawling in scope, and adorned by serpentine melodies straddling
the border where east meets west. A classic; long out of print on
vinyl.
Merge
LP
$12.00
Polysics
We Ate the Machine
PS, US Polysics return to the US following the success of their 2007
debut "Polysics or Die!!! Vista." Formed in 1998 and named
after the 'Polysix' model of a Korg synthesizer, Polysics is a frenetic,
high-energy new wave band born out of the awe-inspiring stimulation
of Tokyo, Japan. Over the course of nearly a decade, Polysics have
built an impressive discography. If you don't love fun, crazy Japanese
rock, you're a damn liar.
MySpace
CD
$14.25
Preston, Joe & Daniel Menche
Cerberic Doxology
PS, US Dualdisc. Anthem Records is pleased to present Cerberic Doxology,
a single piece statement from Joe Preston and Daniel Menche, and an
epic tome carved from some form of primordial stone. As an album containing
a regular CD audio side in addition to a DVD audio/video side, this
release breathes life musically and visually on three different planes
of existence. Firstly, as a 25 minute audio recording, which is born
of a vocal chant evocation from both Joe and Daniel, of which layers
expand, contract, and weave within each other in an otherworldly,
mysterious dronescape, in a way that feels like a moment of mystical/mythical
creation akin to Gyorgy Ligeti's introduction to the monolith in the
film 2001 (or Ash Williams' mispronunciation of the Necronomicon and
its results, if you prefer). Secondly (on side 2 of this CD/DVD dualdisc),
as DVD audio, specifically mastered for this intent, which enables
the absolute full range of the recordings high and lows to be acutely
present, and thus expanding an already head shrinking experience.
And thirdly, as the DVD audio with a full-length video, culled from
footage of the mysterious landscape of the Pacific Northwest, exhibiting
its terrain, volcanic activity and atmospheric disturbances, from
obscure locations throughout the region, in addition of footage of
Sam Hill's Stonehenge memorial located in southeastern Washington
State. Combined with the unusually forceful subtleties of the audio
makes this an experience to behold a multitude of occasions, with
different effect, depending on one's mind-frame. Cerberic Doxology
is presented as a CD/DVD Dualdisc, packaged within a standard CD jewel
case, with a large front sticker stating each artist's name and affiliation,
along with a clear descriptor of the format's regular CD as well as
DVD capabilities.
Anthem-0801
CD/DVD
$12.75
Pretty & Nice
Get Young
PS, US Ten tracks of sharp-toothed, heavily armed, brashly anthemic
pop songs without an aural snag to be found. "This Boston-via-Vermont
foursome infuses thrill-crazed power pop with the mad-noisy, chimp-like
energy of juvie-hardened teenage degenerates" - Boston Phoenix.
"Energetic guitar rock that sounds like Gang Of Four and early
Joe Jackson doing battle with a colossal Japanese robot. Insouciant,
fidgety, and with pop chops to burn, P&N seem destined to leave
a fresh welt on rock 'n' roll's well-scarred hide" - Seven Days.
HardlyArt
CD
$11.00
Real Tuesday Weld, The
The London Book of the Dead
PS, UK These were made for Cargo UK Collective stores only and are
limited to 500 copies. Already ripping it up with rave reviews and
radio on the other side of the Atlantic (New York Public Radio's JOHN
SCHAFFER's ALBUM OF THE YEAR), The Real Tuesday Weld's first conventional
album in the UK since their critical hit 'I Lucifer' (an Independent,
Times and Telegraph album of the week) is an extraordinary sonic collage
of electronic rhythms, spoken word, bluegrass, violins, woodwind,
and harmonized crooner vocals. A further flowering of the band's trademark
'Antique Beat' sound - the album's unique combination of old shellac
sounds vintage radio transmissions and glitchy electronics provide
a setting for lyrical concerns of life, love, dreams and death. Future
single "Last Words' is the signature song in the upcoming indie
classic: 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist' starring 'Juno's' Michael
Serra' and three of the videos made to accompany the album have already
been given special features on Youtube. The limited special edition
version of the album will contain a hardbound 40-page color book of
extraordinary commissioned collages by the artist Catherine Anyango.
Look out for reviews in, among others, Flux, Notion, Mojo, Word and
national press in Sept/Oct.
AntiqueBeat-665
CD
$21.00
Record Collector
#355 (November 2008)
PS, UK
ZINE
$10.50
Reed, Lou
Berlin OST
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Matador
DLP
$20.00
Reed, Lou
Berlin OST
PS, US
Matador
CD
$13.25
Rev, Martin
Les Nymphes
PS, US Instrumentalist in the legendary duo SUICIDE.
File13
CD
$13.50
Richter, Max
24 Postcards in Full Colour
US, PS VINYL VERSION. Limited to 500.
FatCatRecords-1307
DLP
$12.25
Rig 1
Above The Tree Line West Of The Periodic
PS, US Rig 1 explores the sounds that are noticeably absent from hip-hop,
sonic mud pots, guitars, Acieeed 303 late 80's gurgle, and layers
of sound that toss Spaceman 3, Mercury Rev, Too Short, and Timothy
Leary into one rolled up and lit up endeavor.
TeamLove
CD
$12.50
Rokes, The
Let's Live For Today: The Rokes In English 1966-68
PS, UK The Rokes were Brits who went to Italy in 1963 and became one
of the biggest bands in the land for the rest of the decade. They
chalked up numerous Italian language hits and recorded four albums
as well as becoming an enormous live draw and TV favorites. However,
scattered across those albums were a number of English language songs
that somehow came off sounding like a Euro-tinged blend of The Beatles,
Hollies, Kinks and Pretty Things. In 67, The Rokes released the first
English language version of Let s Live For Today, a song they d already
cut in Italian. It went on to become a huge US hit in the hands of
The Grass Roots and was covered by scores of bands. Rollicking beat
gems like No No No and Ride On slowly morphed into more sophisticated
fare such as the sitar-drenched Ripe Apples and the sinister psychedelic
rocker When The Wind Arises , both of which were released in the UK
in a belated attempt to break them here. Here, for the first time
on CD, are virtually all of The Rokes English language recordings
from 1966 to 1968. ** Re-mastered by Nick Robbins in the usual exemplary
style! ** In-depth liner notes by 60s beat fiend Stefan Granados and
features lots of rare photos and memorabilia! A must for all lovers
of 60s beat, pop and psych.
Rev-ola-262
CD
$14.25
Rosebuds, The
Life Like
PS, US The fourth full-length from this Raleigh, NC band is a return
to more organic territory, barely a year after releasing the synth-heavy
dance pop of 2007's "Night Of The Furies". Guest appearances
by Portastatic's Matthew McCaughan, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, and
Ashley Stove's Jim Brantley. 180 gram LP comes with free MP3 download
coupon.
Merge
CD
$14.00
Rosebuds, The
Life Like
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Merge
LP
$15.50
RSAG (Rarely Seen Above Ground)
Organic Sampler
PS, IRELAND RSAG aka Jeremy Hickey is a multi-instrumentalist who
records, performs and produces all his own material. The 'Organic
Sampler', which is musically many steps further and sideways, and
the genesis of the new visual experience - sound and vision hand in
hand - a multi-media rock and roll cornucopia; the future is here
- look and listen.
Psychonavigation-026
CD
$15.50
Rundgren, Todd
Arena
PS, US New album from genius dude.
HiFiRecordings
CD
$12.00
Skelton, Richard
Marking Time
PS, US A new beginning for Richard, which finds him at his most direct
and intimate, slowly turning on relatively bare textures of bowed
strings, piano & guitar. A meditation on loss & the passing
of time, its measure of transcendence accumulates in instrumental
passages that work like gestures drifting towards a sense of space
both rich & real. The Wire writes: Richard's music "inhabits
landscapes - both physical & emotional - etched with memory &
loss"
Preservation
CD
$15.50
Slaraffenland
Sunshine EP
PS, US
HomeTapes
CD5
$8.25
Specimens, The
Jazz Brutus
PS, Australia The most useful aspect of Terry Opie's Catholic Education
was the time his teacher brought a Black Sabbath record to class to
prove it wasn't satanic. Hmmm, he thought, I'm not so sure. He showed
it to three other specimens, who took it all in and eventually they
formed a mind-blowing band, specializing in nefariously loud sound.
Their debut was good, but it was with their second album (2004's The
Quick and The Deaf), that critics shat themselves. "Straining
amps to near combustion!" spat Kerrang. "Feels that it could
jump out of your speakers and whack you one!" shrieked Faster
Louder. Third album Jazz Brutus flexes even more sonic muscle. Saintly
pure punk, blazing riff rock with weird, ancient riffs exploding like
Blue Oyster Cult and a title track that is ferociously original psychedelia.
'I'm a Believer' sounds like Sebadoh after years performing at knifepoint,
emerging from some generic suburban outpost like a Phoenix. Some tips:
Do not listen to this album while operating heavy machinery. Do not
attempt to control a wrecking ball, do not get behind a speedboat
or handle electric kitchen utensils. 'Jazz Brutus' is what results
when a whole lot of speed and mayhem impact upon Melbourne like a
meteorite. "The Specimen's have written one of the more destructive
and unique garage records in the last five years, one that takes the
aggression of Detroit garage with the melody of Birdman.
LowTransitIndustries-050
CD
$13.50
Spinto Band
Moonwink
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
ParkTheVan
LP
$14.75
Spinto Band
Moonwink
PS, US The Spinto Band interlace rich, textured guitars, unconventional
orchestration, and multiple-part vocal harmonies into exciting new
avenues of indie pop. The music is at once outlandish, kinetic, and
luminous, while still restrained in a way that pays homage to the
classic pop song, bringing to mind a contemporary coagulum of The
Beatles, Berlin, and Bowie.
ParkTheVan
CD
$13.25
Stephens, Mr.
With Ms. Harmon's Kindergarten Class
PS, US Debut release for Parasol's new children's music label, Choo
Choo Train Records. We lead off with former Lonely Trailer frontman
Tim Stephens, who strums his acoustic guitar and leads Ms. Harmon's
kindergarten class (at Urbana's Thomas Paine Elementary School) through
a rollicking set of feelgood singalongs and goodnatured kid-centric
tomfoolery. Includes guest apperances by former Trailer mate Brian
Reedy on drums and vibraphone, along with Emily Reedy on accordian.
Local folks please note: We're happy to mail your order, but you can
also come by Parasol and pick up a copy and save shipping & handling
charges. We're at 303 West Griggs St, northwest of downtown Urbana.
Griggs meets Race St between The Courier and Silvercreek restaurants.
We're open 10-7 weekdays and 12-5 Saturday. Call 344-8609 for more
info.
ChooChooTrain-001
CD
$10.00
Stern, Marnie
This Is It And I Am It And You
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
KillRockStars
LP
$13.25
Stern, Marnie
This Is It And I Am It And You
PS, US Stern's second release is a pop record for an alternate dimension,
where hooks and choruses are sent careening through a cracked kaleidoscope.
It's also deeply personal compared to the conceptual leanings of her
previous work. One of Venus magazine's "Greatest Female Guitarists
Of All Time", Spring 2008 issue. Nominated for "Female Artist
Of The Year" in the 2008 Plug Music Awards.
KillRockStars
CD
$13.25
Stravinsky, Igor
Octet To Orpheus The Neo-Classical Stravinsky
PS, UK Of all the major composers of the 20th century, none was more
warmly embraced by the world of rock music than Stravinsky. Along
with Edgard Varese, he was the principal influence on the compositions
of Frank Zappa, while numerous avant-garde and progressive rock bands
- among them Yes, who would take the stage to the accompaniment of
The Firebird - proclaimed him their guiding light. The obvious reasons
for this are his pioneering use of powerful and unusual rhythms, his
music's lack of sentimentality, its waspish wit, its anti-authoritarianism
- not to mention the composer's love of good whisky - all found obvious
counterparts in the rock lifestyle, even if his meticulous approach
to discipline did not. If history makes Stravinsky sound like a daunting
and intimidating musical figure - a composer to be approached with
fear and reverence rather than any expectation of pleasure - then
the gorgeous music contained here will prove a more than useful corrective.
The centerpiece of the compilation is the premier recording of Stravinsky¹s
beautiful and enigmatic score for the ballet Orpheus. The set also
includes Stravinsky's remarkable forays into film, Ode, and jazz,
the Ebony Concerto, performed by the Woody Herman Orchestra. All the
recordings are conducted by Igor Stravinsky. TRACK