New Releases
Army
Of Me
Citizen
PS, US Army Of Me was named one of the top unsigned bands in America
by Alternative Press, and the article started a barrage of major label
interest for the Washington, DC-based band. On the surface, their
music could fit snugly into the playlist of any mainstream radio station.
The epic guitars and soaring vocals are more reminiscent of early
Coldplay and U2 than of quirkily trendy indie pop. Below the surface,
however, Army Of Me carries the self-starter scars of one of the hardest
working bands in showbiz.
Doghouse
CD
$12.50
Basic
Splinters of the Cross
PS, US Features the long awaited single "Splinters of the Cross"
w/ vocals
by DAVID J (Bauhaus/Love & Rockets). Originally an iTunes exclusive
release, the EP also features a remix by The FRIENDS OF JESUS SOUNDSYSTEM
& a remix of "C404" by PLASTIC PERVERT. Formed in '99
& soon came to the attention of Bono & The Edge of U2, who
released the band's debut single on their label 'Kitchen Recordings'.
The dark & eclectic music video that accompanied became an MTV
& SKY TV chill out favorite.
ReverbRecords-015
CD
$8.50
Bears
Shortest Day Of The Year
PS, US Brand spankin new 7-song EP. Where the first album was sunny
and carefree, the Shortest Day Of The Year EP from Bears is obscured
by clouds. The pop band from Cleveland has recorded a 7 song EP using
slightly darker melodies and lyrics and, at times, minimal instrumentation.
Maybe it was the Ohio winter that put them in this mood, or maybe
it was the need to change something from the early songs, but the
Shortest Day Of The Year EP takes the trademark Bears sound and adds
something a little more personal, though not immediately identifiable.
Bears-002
CD5
$4.75
Blonde Redhead
23
PS, US As rich and densely layered as their last album, "Misery
Is A Butterfly", but the overall mood of wistfulness, melancholy,
and regret has been replaced by one of mystical wonder and renewed
energy. "It's art music and heart music, with equal appeal to
a Serge Gainsbourg fan as to a Sonic Youth fan, without ever sounding
like either act" - LA Times. "An otherworldly, richly cinematic
adventure" - Q Magazine.
4AD
CD
$13.25
Blonde Redhead
23
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
4AD
LP
$11.00
Bright Eyes
Cassadaga
PS, US A swirling, euphonious record, at times bursting w/ bombastic
confidence & country swagger & at others loose-limbed &
mesmeric. An album so full of soaring strings & female harmonies
that it feels almost buoyant in comparison to previous releases. Feat.
ANDY LEMASTER (NOW IT'S OVERHEAD), BEN KWELLER, JANET WEISS (EX-SLEATER-KINNEY),
JASON BOESEL (RILO KILEY), JOHN MCENTIRE (TORTOISE), M. WARD, MARIA
TAYLOR & many others!
SaddleCreek-103
CD
$11.50
Bright Eyes
Cassadaga
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
SaddleCreek-103
DLP
$16.50
Cap D
Return of the Renegade
PS, US As a Muslim hip-hop artist who truly lives & breathes the
culture, he's in the vein of other Chicago Muslim MCs such as Lupe
Fiasco & Rhymefest, who makes a cameo appearance here. Guest producers
include J.Rawls & Maker & other guest MCs incl. ANIs Iomos
Marad & OneBeLo, another fellow Muslim MC & veteran of the
underground hip-hop circuit
AllNatural-050
CD
$11.50
Cap D
Return of the Renegade
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
AllNatural-050
LP
$7.25
Cave, Nick & The Bad Seeds
Abattoir Blues Tour [2CD/2DVD]
PS, US 17 live tracks from 2003/2004 tours, spread over two CDs. Two
separate concerts on 2 DVDs plus bonus footage, short films, etc.
By all accounts: incredible.
Mute
DCD
$29.00
Chinese Stars
Listen To Your Left Brain
PS, US Having honed their chaotic four-on-the-floor post-punk dance
style into an unequivocal signature. Here, the Chinese Stars set in
motion a tsunami of new waves, crafting an atmosphere of propulsive
sonic escapism fueled by noodle-stringed guitar riffs, seat-of-your-pants
lyrics, and hallucinatory synths. This is a fast-forward audio movement,
taking music back to the base pleasures. Razor-sharp, aural pop art:
the overblown are busted.
SkinGraft-086
LP
$14.50
Christ On Parade
Sounds of Nature
PS, US Reissue of the legendary 80's Bay area hardcore band's classic
1985 debut lp, with bonus tracks & a previously unreleased Avenger's
cover.
Neurot-048
CD
$10.00
Clark, Gene
Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers [Bonus Tracks]
PS, US The first solo album by an ex-Byrd, Gene Clark doesn't fly
too far from the nest -- Byrds' Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke make
up the rhythm section, while the Gosdin Brothers chime in with sweet
harmony vocals. Add guitarists Glen Campbell, Jerry Cole and future
Byrd Clarence White, and some beautiful orchestration by Leon Russell
to Clark's melancholy melodies and the result is a forward-looking
country-rock primer that sounded like nothing else in '67 and continues
to astound and inspire today. With 3 bonus tracks and liner notes
courtesy Sid Griffin. Bonus Tracks: The French Girl, Only Colombe,
So You Say You Lost Your Baby (acoustic demo)
Sundazed
CD
$16.25
CocoRosie
Adventures of Ghosthorse & Stillborn
PS, US Here the girls continue to experiment w/ their disparate voices
& clashing personalities, juxtaposing devastating ballads w/ exhilarating
tracks. This is a departure from their earlier obscured blur of stained
glass rêve to what they describe as ""a more self-exploitive
memoir."" A lush, orchestral array of sounds & beauty
- A vaudevillian opera, if you will. W/ producer Valgeir Sigur?sson
(Bjorks main studio conspirator since Dancer in the Dark).
TouchandGo-306
CD
$12.50
CocoRosie
Adventures of Ghosthorse & Stillborn
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
TouchandGo-306
LP
$14.25
Dying Californian, The
Coarsegold
PS, US The sound of The Dying Californian is rooted in American tradition,
influenced by country and folk as much as rock. With floating melodies
and complex harmonies, it is difficult to place it into a genre. It
is as much at home in a drunken hootenanny as in a late and lonesome
night. It all just fits. The Dying Californian's third release on
Turn Records is titled Coarsegold. Three years in the making, the
album marks a jumping point in the bands signature style and sound,
refined and redefined. The story of the album starts 3 years ago when
Nathan Dalton, the primary songwriter for The Dying Californian found
himself with a new job that had him traveling throughout California,
staying in a variety of different places, often, for weeks as a time.
On one lengthy trip, Dalton found himself holed up in the small town
of Coarsegold, the geographic center of California. Neither northern
or southern, western or eastern, simply Coarsegold, California - a
town existing somewhere in between. It was here that Dalton found
a new center for his own writing, influenced by the stark contrasts
of California as well as the isolation and inspiration that only come
from being on the road. He began to pen a new record; handheld tape
recorders, lyrics on napkins, music on motel notepads, wherever he
could find to write it down, he would. Coarsegold, the geographic
center of California, the heart, also serves as the pinion for the
record.
Turn-021
CD
$9.75
El Perro Del Mar
S/T
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
TheControlGroup
LP
$14.00
Flying Luttenbachers
Destroy All Music
PS, US Fully re-mastered, extended edition of FL's landmark 1995 album.
This special edition, which features notorious drummer/multi-instrumentalist
Weasel Walter & renowned jazz saxophonist Ken Vandermark, captures
the band at the height of the internal struggles that would soon dissolve
the quintet line-up. This comprehensive edition includes seven never-before-heard
vintage recordings, all painstakingly re-mastered by bandleader Weasel
Walter.
SkinGraft-085
CD
$14.50
Folkswingers
Raga Rock
PS, UK This heady blend of instrumental pop covers, fuzzed-up guitars
& sitar is a kitsch blast from start to finish. Feat. the cream
of L.A.'s session players alongside sitar virtuoso Harihar Rao (Ravi
Shankar's senior disciple), it was originally released in 66 &
makes its long-overdue CD debut here, showing itself to be the first
& best "sitarsploitation" album ever recorded.
Fallout
CD
$16.25
Gelfand, Dmitry + Evalina Domnitch + Various Artists
Camera Lucida
PS, US 12k/LINE are very happy to announce their first DVD release
with groundbreaking visual artists Dmitry Gelfand + Evalina Domnitch.
Their visual work is enhanced by a roster of musicians we are very
proud to be working with including Alva Noto, Carter-Tutti (chris
& cosey) and Matmos. Camera Lucida is a highly introspective immersive
spatial art work creating a fleeting ephemeral materiality by intersecting
ultrasound with hyperlight... in essence the creation of a sonic aurora.
Domnitch and Gelfand's piece rejects any possibility to be fixed in
space and time, but rather offers up the very definition of an unstable
work of art, existing entirely for and within the perceptive realm
of the viewer. Stephen Kovats, Director of Transmediale 2008. LINE
is proud to announce the release of its first DVD, Camera Lucida.
The project by Russian/American installation and video artists, Evelina
Domnitch and Dmitry Gelfand and developed in collaboration with scientific
laboratories in Japan, Germany, Russia and Belgium, Camera Lucida
(chamber of light or lucidity) is a 3-dimensional sonic observatory
that directly transforms sound into light by employing a phenomenon
known as sonoluminescence: ultrasound, propagating within a liquid,
triggers the formation and implosion of micro-bubbles that reach temperatures
as high as are found on the Sun, and emit light in the shape of sound
waves. The authors of the installation, Evelina Domnitch and Dmitry
Gelfand, joined forces with multiple sound artists to create the sonochemical
compositions presented on this DVD. This DVD also contains a data
partition with uncompressed high resolution audio files of all the
works. Evelina Domnitch and Dmitry Gelfand create sensory immersion
environments that merge physics, chemistry and computer science with
uncanny philosophical practices. Having dismissed all forms of fixative
and recording media, Domnitch and Gelfand's installations exist as
ever-transforming phenomena offered for observation. Because these
rarely seen manifestations take place directly in front of the observer
without being distorted and flattened onto a screen, they often serve
to vastly extend the observer's sensory envelope. Their works have
been exhibited worldwide, including shows at V2 Institute for Unstable
Media (Rotterdam, Netherlands), Nijo Castle (Kyoto, Japan), Museum
of Dreams (St. Petersburg, Russia), I-20 Gallery (New York, USA),
Die Schachtel (Milan, Italy) and Tesla (Berlin, Germany). TRACKS/CHAPTERS:
TAYLOR DEUPREE + RICHARD CHARTIER specification.sixteen 8:54 ALVA
NOTO sonolumi (for camera lucida) 4:04 EVELINA DOMNITCH + DMITRY GELFAND
xenon wind 9:03 ALEXANDER KALINE analyzing turbulence 3:16 ASMUS TIETCHENS
camera lucida 4:08 *KENNETH KIRSCHNER august 18, 2006 3:10 MATMOS
photisms 6:48 COH not sweet without honey 3:04 CARTER TUTTI the noise
of chance 4:35. Due to the detailed and subtle visual nature of this
work and phenomenon the artists have chosen to use PAL over NTSC encoding
to maintain the maximum resolution possible for the movie and sound
files. This DVD is region free and can be played on any computer DVD
drive. No region switching is necessary For television screen viewing,
it can only playback on a PAL or multi-system DVD player. Playback
in a darkened space with monitor brightness turned up is encouraged.
Line-030
DVD
$20.25
Giant Robot
#47
PS, US Mountain Man (animal planet), Paradorn City (white line fever),
Back to the Future (TaroShoten talks), Invisible Waves (un-deconstructing
art) & tons more about Asian pop culture & beyond!
ZINE
$4.75
Goldrush
Heart Is The Only Place
PS, US Goldrush Heart is the Place Better Looking blr026cd 8 .1 9
CD STREET DATE 4/10. EXPORT ONLY!! For this new album, the band worked
with James Rutledge (aka DJ Pedro on Mush Records). Goldrush had previously
worked with the legendary David Fridmann, but Rutledge took a different
approach and encouraged the band to be more sonically adventurous.
BetterLooking-026
CD
$11.25
Grinderman
S-T
PS, US Nick Cave sporting a scary mustache, playing music that is
even leaner and meaner than his "usual" Bad Seeds stuff.
In fact fans of The Birthday Party will be in ecstacy. Pitchfork calls
it "An indulgent study in excess, sure, but the twist is that
at every turn Cave keeps the chaos carefully in check, emphasizing
messiness when need be but also showcasing the deceptively precise
playing of his band as well as his loose and at times gloriously silly
lyrics."
Anti-86861
CD
$14.00
Hentchmen
Form Follows Function
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
TimesBeach-015
LP
$11.75
Hunter, Jana
There's No Home
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!
Gnomonsong-006
LP
$14.25
Hunter, Jana
There's No Home
PS, US second full-length formal release from Jana Hunter. Recorded
over two consecutive weeks in Fall 2006 at a friend's home in Houston,
TX (known locally as "Feagan House"), the album features
Hunter writing, playing and producing throughout. As extroverted as
Hunter's previous release "Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom"
was introverted, "There's No Home" focuses on community
involvement. While Hunter plays most of the instruments herself, she's
aided and abetted here by her brother John (Inoculist, Dethro Skull),
John Adams (Fatal Flying Guilloteens) and Matt Brownlie (Bring Back
the Guns), among others. Released on Devendra B's Gnomonsong label.
Gnomonsong-006
CD
$13.25
Hynes, Nina
Staros
PS, US Dublin's Hynes sophomore album, released in 2002, was only
available in the US as an Import. It was received extremely well by
Irish an UK critics & audiences. The album was recorded in Studio
Black Box in France & Produced by Nina & ex-Frames member
David Odlum with many musicians including The Frames helping out.
The first single from the album, Mono Prix, was mixed by the legendary
Steve Osborne (Perfecto), whose recent work includes New Order, PJ
Harvey & tracks by Doves, U2 & Placebo, among others.
ReverbRecords
CD
$10.00
Hynes, Nina
Creation
PS, US Originally released in 1999, the Irish artist's debut album
got amazing reviews from all corners. Amazon.com voted it No. 44 in
their 'Top 100 Releases Of The Year'. HITS Magazine called it "The
last amazing find of the year." Ireland's HOT PRESS tipped her
as "One of the country's most exciting new artists." She
also ventured out on several U.S. tours in 2000/2001 w/ Nina's solo
electro-alternative sound capturing new admirers at every turn.
ReverbRecords-001
CD
$10.00
Junior Boys
Dead Horse
PS, US This EP gathers a dizzying array of talents from the world
of electronic music to bring a personal touch to the music of Junior
Boys: Carl Craig's contribution is a subtle and brooding epic, Hot
Chip's is a dreamy organic take, Tensnake shifts gears from minimalist
house to four-on-the-floor electric dreams, and Kode 9 offers a deep
space futurist dub, providing a ghostliness that's equal parts Eno
and Fennesz.
DominoRecordingCo.
CD5
$4.75
Karlzen, Mary
Wanderlust Diaries
PS, US Eclectic enough to cover both Tom Waits ("Heart of a Saturday
Night") and Paul Westerberg (the touching "Skyway"
has never sounded more lovely) without feeling forced, Mary Karlzen
keeps both feet firmly in the folk-rock Americana that has always
defined her work. Her girlish voice shifts between Juliana Hatfield,
Beth Orton and Jewel, finding the innocence and longing in personal
songs that are almost always sung in the first person. She's a singer/songwriter
in the tradition of John Hiatt and early Joni Mitchell, serious and
smart with an unerring eye for detail in her lyrics. Wanderlust Diaries
is bookended by stripped-down tunes where Karlzen is joined only by
John Deaderick's spartan piano. But the disc is dominated by strummy
band tracks played with finesse by, among others, E Street Band bassist
Garry Talent and ex-Wilco drummer Ken Coomer. Karlzen's acoustic guitar
focuses the sound, and producer/multi-instrumentalist Jansen Press
adds just enough instruments and frills to underscore the singer's
lyrics without ever overwhelming them. "Stupid or Something"
is a terrific example of a song that takes flight with a folk-rock
arrangement that leaps out of the speakers. Percussion and theatrical
strings are added for drama on "Sixteen," a story-song that
starts as a fond reminiscence of a summer but turns terribly dark
in its final verse. It's a textbook example of what Karlzen does best
as this album shifts from one highlight to the next on a journey through
a scrapbook life, some of which might be based on personal experience.
On her fourth release, all for different labels, Karlzen has delivered
a gem that, in a perfect world, would generate a major Americana buzz.
~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide
Dualtone
CD
$14.00
Kite Operations
Heart Attacks, Back to Back
PS, US A thrashing, beautiful destructive collection of love songs
from the end of the world. Singer JOSEPH KIM'S open-throated belting
is contrasted by co-frontman DAVID YANG'S hushed delivery. As guitarists,
they are both well versed in the vocabulary of noise, trading off
abrasive & delicate passaged w/ ease.
KOA-006
CD
$10.25
Larsen & Friends
Abeceda (CD/DVD)
PS, US This CD/DVD set captures an extremely special evening for Larsen,
one that places them in a perfect visual and musical perspective revealing
more an a little about this enigmatic quartet from Torino Italy. For
one night only Larsen assembled their closest musical friends to play
to a sold out crowd at the Teatro Colosseo in Torino Italy. The purpose
of the performance was to pay tribute to the work of Czech avant garde
designer, typographer, founder of Devestil and cultural radicalist
Karel Teige and his Abeceda - a 1926 collaboration with poet Vitoslav
Nezva which minimalised text down to its basic components establishing
a poetic dialogue between text and images. To Abeceda Larsen brings
their minimalist beauty and melody with this live performance incorporating
music, dance and projections. With Larsen are their close musical
friends David Tibet (Current 93), Baby Dee ( Current 93 member and
acclaimed solo performer), Johann Johannsson (Touch/4AD) The music
swells in gentle pulses of soflty stated melody. Emotion clings to
each note while glistening shimmers of electonics dance quietly in
the mix. The DVD reminds us of what a rich visual experience Abeceda
was and is. As The Wire so perfectly put it in a extensive write up
of the evening, David Tibet's performance "Provides a vital link
between the music and the visuals... At one point he connects beautifully
connects perfectly with the dancer, breathing deeply into the microphone
in time with her movements." Visual projections, created by Bellissimo,
portray a woman in a 20's style bathing suit, much like Teige's original
work, portraying letters of the alphabet which slowly become obscure
by Teige's brilliant typography. Thanks to Larsen's definitive discipline
and their kindred visual and musical collaborators. Abeceda is an
event of great subtlety and complexity. It is truly a gift that this
performance was so perfectly documented in both an audio and visual
format. Where the work of Karel Teige was a tremendous gift for the
eyes, Larsen & Friend's Abeceda is a gift for both the eyes and
the ears. Hats off to Bellissimo, the design team responsible for
Larsen's distinctive packaging, for putting the finishing touches
on a perfect evening and a perfect package. "My dear friends
Fabrizio and Larsen honoured me by asking me to interpret the alphabet
for their project ABECEDA in the light of Nezval's verses for Karel
Teige. Being neither an admirer of dada, surrealism or the avant-garde,
I escaped from them all by taking a train from the seaside town of
Hastings where I live, to London, after kissing my cats goodbye. I
looked at the blurs of sheep, tree, hedge, sea, pond passing me like
living clouds. I looked at each letter of the alphabet, and covered
Nezval's text with my hand. I ordered the letter to tell me what it
looked like. I disbelieved its answer. Letters always lie. So I peered
at the shape of the letter and wrote down my immediate responses.
Important-129
CD/DVD
$14.75
Lesbians On Ecstasy
We Know You Know
PS, US The much anticipated sophomore release delves deeper into some
of the cliches of iconic lesbian music. More melodic than the previous
release with hooks that might remind you of campfire sing alongs at
some mythical womyn's event in the 70's, with several tracks featuring
a chorus backing. A danceable album that is at moments uplifting and
at other moments very dark, but all with a sense of humor and fun
. Their sound bridges the gap between electro/techno with punk rock.
Alien8-069
CD
$11.75
Lesbians On Ecstasy
We Know You Know
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Alien8-069
LP
$11.75
Limbeck
S/T
PS, US Their third full-length is equal parts rock, Americana, pop,
and country. "Limbeck" proves that these four former punk
rockers from Orange County and Milwaukee have finally grown into their
cowboy boots and crafted a disc that everyone from The Bamboozle to
Bonnaroo can appreciate. "This California indie band works a
terrain similar to that of the Old 97's, who helped invent a more
upbeat, carefree alt-country" - Rolling Stone. For fans of The
Format, Wilco, The Replacements, The Beach Boys.
Doghouse
CD
$12.50
Loden
Valeen Hope
PS, US Debut full lenght of melodic electronica from up and coming
Dutch producer. Shoegaze-inspired electronic work with rays of early
90's pop melody and layers of deconstructed beats and oceans of ambient
synth noise.
Mush-251
CD
$10.00
Machine Go Boom
Music for Parents
PS, US A distorted pop invention that is a frighteningly good mix
of acoustic folk balladry, amphetamine-lit punk & synth fed new
wave. It has been generally agreed that the city of Cleveland deemed
it the most welcomed musical event. The 3 year wait for a new album
is definitely worth it!
CollectibleEscalators-013
CD
$11.00
Magnet
#75
PS, US
ZINE
$3.25
Manasyt
Filthdonor
PS, US Terminal Dusk Records is proud to present the sounds of Manasyt's
Detroit electro-industrial hybrid LP, Filthdonor. Extensive production,
attention to detail, and dark undertones define the other worldly
realm Manasyt creates. Witness the brilliance of Petar Tassev with
nine carefully chosen tracks of razor-sharp electro created from 2005
- 2006.
TerminalDusk-008
12
$9.50
Marcus, Joshua
Make/Believe
PS, US Featuring duet compositions for the banjo & upright bass,
these songs are both easy to listen to & hard to forget, as the
subtle melodies deliver potent lyrics in an inviting manner that inspires
the listener to sing along. Marcuss songwriting is powerful &
astonishingly honest, evoking beauty from lifes many juxtapositions.
He has been the subject of considerable praise & has been featured
on NPRs All Songs Considered.
Contraphonic-062
CD
$9.75
Merzbow
Merzbear
PS, US Author, activist, painter and sound artist Masami Akita had
been at the foreground of experimental music for over 25 years. Inspired
by psycedelic rock, free jazz, early electronic composition as well
the physical arts, especially Kurt Schwitters' Merzbau, Masami Akita
has created a musical language all his own. Merzbear is the sixth
Merzbow release in his utterly essential Merz series for Important
Records. Merzbear pulses and pounds with distorted droning heavy guitar
feedback, pulsing noise-blasts and swirling analog sounds of Akita's
distinct EMS Sythi. Like most of Merzbow's recordings, Merzbear is
a significant document of his ever evolving improvisational style.
Slowly, he's been moving away from his pure laptop era and reincorporating
elements of his pre-laptop analog days w/ his homemade junk guitar,
EMS Synthi & electronics. This hybrid sound brings the past into
the present and pounds with total junk-collage Dada urgency as only
Masami Akita can do it. Cover art by Jenny Akita.
Important-136
CD
$12.25
Mojo
#162 (May 2007) [MAGAZINE+CD]
PS, UK New issue of the planet's best music magazine features extensive
features on Arctic Monkeys, Clash legends Joe Strummer, Aerosmith's
Steven Tyler, the weird world of Tom Waits... The age of disco, in
the studio with Dr Dre, Ian Brown and Dungen.. New psych meltdown
with the Besnard Lakes' Bassekou Kouyaté, king of the n'goni
(it's like a cricket bat with four strings)... Bloc Party's Kele Okerere
on the record that changed his life... How to buy U2... The melancholy
tale of Dr Feelgood... David Lynch's favourite band, Au Revoir Simone!
Free CD features the best bands the UK has to offer: Field Music,
The View, 1990s, Noisettes, Maps, Bat For Lashes, The Aliens, and
more.
ZINE
$9.50
Moya, Raul
La Nueva Era Glacier
PS, SPAIN It is said that the Anglo-Saxons carry their memory in their
hearts. And it seems that Raül Moya (who plays with élena,
Miqui Puig, Sitcom, Romodance and Refree) has gone there to recover
the memories which bring his solo debut to life. That is because "La
Nueva Era Glaciar" sounds as if it had been made with his heart
and memories. It also sounds Anglo-Saxon due to the dragging-tempo
of his confessional folk-rock. However, the fact that the album is
written in Spanish (and really well) and that it gets a Latin-Mediterranean
touch by using accordions, toy percussions, and so on, moves him away
from the Anglo cliché. From that cliché and from any
other. This is a very personal album. The more you listen to it the
more you cannot avoid comparing him with the Andrés Calamaro
of "Honestidad Brutal": both albums share a lack of emotional
reserve and have fed themselves with legends, but without being trapped
inside caricature. Here you have more suspicions that Raül and
Andrés have lived parallel lives: Raül has spent lots
of hours looking at the sea, as near as possible to his so beloved
Buenos Aires, and when he looks deep inside of him he finds the same
as Andrés does, that is Bob Dylan. The album starts with an
harmonica. That is reminiscent of "Come Pick Me Up", from
the album "Heartbreaker" by Ryan Adams, which is another
confessional ode. And there are more connections with that record:
the guitar in "Rían Con Sentido" flickers just like
Ryan's in "My Winding Wheel". That is not a coincidence.
"Heartbreaker" and "Honestidad Brutal" are like
swells for Raül and lighthouses for the seafarer who goes deeper
into the album "La Nueva Era Glaciar". These are dangerous
comparisons, but we make them. That is because we are not before a
shy musician who looks at his feet, we are introducing you to someone
who knows how to defend some lyrics that echo words that burn on your
lips: "you", "forever", "life", "to
go back". Promotional reserve tempt us not to say that this debut
is a very especial album. But we say so. We know that writing something
like "of course they are not precisely the same" next to
the proper nouns and other albums that have been mentioned in this
text, would have been a kind of defensive detail. And voluntarily
we have not included any: with these songs we cannot be that fussy.
Rhonda/HoustonParty-11
CD
$14.75
Mystery Jets
Diamonds In The Dark
PS, US The beauty of it thus far: they've been born of paradoxical
simplistic complexities, glorious sing alongs rise out of intriguing
& technically mesmerizing verses. The epic synth-led solo on display
here comprises few notes yet still manages to sound like the whole
world is singing it. Enlisting the help of Brit-pop legend Stephen
Street this debut is fed through the pop-aliser & comes out the
other side polished, accessible & better.
DimMak-106
CD5
$6.25
Null, KK
Fertile
PS, US Composer, guitarist, singer, mastermind of seminal noise group
Zeni Geva & electronic wizard. In recent years he has concentrated
his efforts on his solo & collaborative recordings, exploring
the outer territories of electronica. His intense clashing waves of
noise, structured electro-acoustic ambience, broken down rhythmics,
scattered pitch sculptures & droning isolationist material could
be described "cosmic noise maximal/minimalism."
Touch-074
CD
$15.50
Panthers
The Trick
PS, US Panthers have returned from the sprawling highs of their 2004
LP "Things Are Strange" with a follow-up record so concisely
intense it demands attention from all areas; from jaded riff-rock
devotees to the most indifferent pop listener and everyone in between.
Recorded in 2006 by renowned producer and engineer Steve Revitte (Liars,
Beastie Boys, Black Dice), "The Trick" is the third full-length
offering from this Brooklyn-based quartet and their second on Vice.
Ten tracks of calculated abandon.
Vice
CD
$11.50
Peel, Julie / The Caulfield Sisters
Divine Candy
PS, US 7" Blue Vinyl Split featuring French indie-rocker JULIE
PEEL covering The Breeders "Divine Hammer", and Brooklyn's
favorite daughters THE CAULFIELD SISTERS covering The Jesus and Mary
Chain's "Some Candy Talking" live. Mastering by Sean Glonek
at SRG studios (Frank Black, Kristin Hersh, The Dresden Dolls, Matthew
Sweet), and renowned rock poster designer Lon Unitus (Liz Phair, The
Decemberists, The Shams, John Doe) created a custom sleeve just for
this release. It's a very limited pressing (only 500 hand-numbered
copies worldwide). For fans of The Breeders, The Amps, Juliana Hatfield,
Galaxie 500, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and The Pixies.
AmericanLaundromat-0006
45
$5.50
Poem Rocket
Invasion!
PS, US A sumptuous smorgasbord of acoustic and amplified sonic delights,
and their best album ever. An incredibly sophisticated, expansive,
and densely layered double album. "This week's most beautiful
pop record" - Melody Maker. "...a new type of organism...the
songwriting is just too inventive to bog down in matchmaking"
- Alternative Press.
Atavistic
CD
$17.50
Qua
Forgetabout
PS, US Thirteen tracks in a plethora of electronic sub-genres that
mingle elements of world music, folk, rock and more. Cool keys, warm
guitars & found sound recordings are heightend by pristine digital
editing & expert musicianship.
Mush-210
CD
$10.00
Qua
Painting Monsters On Clouds
PS, US An unrepentent, gorgeous & nostalgic mix of sunlit electronics
& guitars, buoyed by complex arrangements. Brings to mind the
playfulness of Mouse on Mars, the sophistication of Ennio Morricone
& the quirky pop of Architecture in Helsinki.
Mush-229
CD
$10.00
Rollins, Henry
Talk Is Cheap Vol. 4
PS, US This set documents his 2004 tour. This show happening at San
Jose State in N. California. Disc 2 being the show at the University
of California @ Bakersfield, Oct. 21, 2004.
2.13.61
DCD
$11.00
Rough Bunnies
Weisse Westen, Dreck Am Stecken
PS, US LIMITED TO 200. I once saw an interview with the members of
Nirvana talking about when they toured with Shonen Knife and would
cry every night while they watched their set out of sheer joy and
unrivaled beauty. I didn't think much about it or even try to understand
that feeling until my band played a festival in Sweden last year and
the Rough Bunnies played right before us. Hailing from Malmo, this
duo (with occasional guests) encapsulates a sense of innocence, joy,
confusion and real youth style feelings and communicates them in a
way so honestly it's hard to look away, whether or not you like the
music. All the elements of ameturish-yet-immediate songwriting and
musicianship that go into the songs of the Rough Bunnies could illicit
comparisons to bands that came before with a similar vibe; the Velvet
Underground, Beat Happening, the Vaselines, Moldy Peaches, Shonen
Knife, et al.. but paying attention and really getting to know the
group, you come to understand that they're not just another band that
SOUNDS like those lifechanging, unsung, widely overlooked and underrated
groups, nor are they trying to coyly mimic that feeling. The Rough
Bunnies are the next band on that page of history, a beautiful and
amazing, if dog-eared and tea stained page. This LP is their first,
following three extremely limited CDRs available
only in Sweden.
Yipsilanti-032
LP
$15.00
Shaky Hands
S/T
PS, US Debut full-length from Portland jangly-pop wunderkinds. Sliding
bouncy go-go beats under shambling guitars & reedy, swooning vocals,
SH make the kind of catchy, soulful indie rock tailormade for brokedown
car stereos & river-rat boomboxes. Sloppily romantic warmth thats
equal parts summer sunshine & candlelit mellow, pre-party buzz
& scruffy day-after fuzziness. The result is a fully formed and
confident debut; a big-hearted, starry-eyed bear hug of a record full
of youthful energy & tumbling vigor.
HoloceneMusic-005
CD
$15.25
Soft Machine
Third [Remastered/Bonus CD]
PS, US Soft Machine plunged deeper into jazz and contemporary electronic
music on this pivotal release, which incited The Village Voice to
call it a milestone achievement when it was released. The original
vinyl release was a double album of stunning music, with each side
devoted to one composition -- two by Mike Ratledge, and one each by
Hugh Hopper and Robert Wyatt, with substantial help from new bandmember
Elton Dean on saxophones and a number of backup musicians, including
Canterbury mainstay Jimmy Hastings. The Ratledge songs come closest
to jazz fusion, although this is fusion laced with tape loop effects
and hypnotic, repetitive keyboard patterns. Hugh Hopper's "Facelift"
recalls "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson, although
it's more complex, with several quite dissimilar sections. The pulsing
rhythms, chaotic horn and keyboard sounds, and dark drones on "Facelift"
predate some of what Hopper did as a solo artist later (this song
was actually culled from two live performances in 1970). On his capricious
composition "Moon in June," Robert Wyatt draws on musical
ideas from early 1967 demos done with producer Giorgio Gomelsky. Lyrically,
"Moon in June" is a satirical alternative to the pretension
displayed by a lot of rock writing of the era, and combined with the
Softs' exotic instrumentation, it makes for quite a listen. Not exactly
rock, Third nonetheless pushed the boundaries of rock into areas previously
unexplored, and it managed to do so without sounding self-indulgent.
A better introduction to the group's psychedelic pop side is Vols.
1 & 2, but once introduced, this is the place to go. [The 2007
remastered edition features the original two-disc vinyl set of Third
on one CD plus a bonus live disc of the Softs' "classic quartet"
-- Ratledge, Hopper, Dean, and Wyatt -- performing "Out-Bloody-Rageous,"
"Facelift," and "Esther's Nose Job" live at Royal
Albert Hall in 1970; this live material (also remastered) was previously
issued as the Live at the Proms 1970 CD.] ~ Peter Kurtz, All Music
Guide
Sony / BMG Import SNYB687293.2
DCD
$11.50
Sons
Viracochas
PS, US Former members of Boston shoegaze/drone outfit SUNTAN (Kimchee)
& 3 members of Chapel Hill by way of Arkansas spazz lunatics "A
Problem of Alarming Dimensions." Deftly combines Swervedriver
style shoegazing, Loop-esque drone, the haphazard psych of the 13th
Floor Elevators & 90's staples Seam & Built to Spill. Charged
guitars & rolling bass lines. Big rock fused w/elements of psych
pop & indie rock quirkiness. RECOMMENDED
FracturedDiscs-009
CD
$9.75
Spiritualaires
Singing Songs of Praise
PS, US The Spiritualaires of Hurtsboro, Alabama are 1 of the very
last still active gospel quartets w/origins in Gospel's Golden Age
of the '50s. Weaving together influences from the blues & country
& western, the Spiritualaires over the years have remained faithful
to their ever distinct yet traditional sound. Drawn from recent studio
recordings & live radio broadcasts, "Singing Songs of Praise"
reveal the Spiritualaires as both a super fine harmony quartet &
a unique blues guitar driven ensemble.
CaseQuarter-103
CD
$12.50
Sur La Mer
Prelude to the Sea
PS, US The brainchild of ATSU NAGAYAMA (Boredoms, Prescriptions),
who wrote & arranged all of the material for this debut EP. Nagayama
enlisted the help of friends Dino, Julie Liu (Rex, Tortoise), Jason
McDermott, Kim Ambriz (Rabbit Rabbit), and Fred Erskine (June of '44,
Hoover) when it came time to record. The results speak for themselves-provocative,
captivating & ambient instrumental bliss.
ThirtyGhosts-004
CD5
$7.75
Ten Speed Racer
Eskimo Beach Boy
PS, US Debut album released in 2000 to critical acclaim. US College
radio immediately took to it & amazing reviews began pouring in.
Comparisons were made to The Stooges, The Dandy Warhols & even
Spiritualized. At the heart of the band are 3 brothers; Dermot, Pat
& John Barrett, w/ 2 other close mates, Terry Cullen & Joe
Chester filling in the musical gaps. "A vivacious mix of sonically
charged guitars, ethereal melodies and intelligent vocals."-Virtually
Alternative
ReverbRecords-005
CD
$10.00
Torske, Bjorn
Kokt Kveite
PS, US Bjorn Torske delivers another killer 12". This one shows
us more of the soundworld that Torske is in these days. With references
to 23 Skidoo, This Heat, Residents, Idut Boy & Count Ossie and
his unique blend of quirky, avant-garde, dubbed out, psychedelic sounds
Torske creates a whole new genre; the free-disco. This 12" contains
3 tracks "Kokt Kveite" & "Soloppgang Over Yukigaya"
(written by Torske togehter with Cato canari and Ole Andre Farstad)
as well as the bonus "Yukigaya Bonus". 25 minutes of new
music!
SmalltownSupersound-12912
12
$9.25
Uncut
#120 (May 2007)
PS, UK
ZINE
$10.25
Under The Radar
#17
PS, US Feist cover plus Bands on their favorite films, ,Jarvis Cocker,
Gruff Rhys, Interpol, Charlotte Gainsburg, Bright Eyes, Klaxons, Yoko
Ono, Deerhunter and much more.
ZINE
$3.75
Veirs, Laura
Saltbreakers
PS, US Listening to Veirs is like looking up into the night sky and
suddenly witnessing a meteor shower: there's something startling and
magical, both intimate and awesome, about her songs. The nature-obsessed
images she conjures up and the mesmerizing sound she creates are as
indelible as the blaze of shooting stars. Her third Nonesuch release
is her most beautifully realized, band-oriented yet. Produced by Tucker
Martine (The Decemberists, Built To Spill), it is by turns haunting,
playful, tender, and fierce, embracing everything from machine-driven
beats to angelic gospel choirs to fuzzed-out guitars, and driving
alt-rock rhythms.
Nonesuch
CD
$14.00
Wreckless Eric
Big Smash [Deluxe Edition, Bonus Tracks]
PS, US One of the best songs ever, "Whole Wide World", plus
27 bonus tracks... ; )
Stiff
DCD
$12.50
XBXRX
Wars
PS, US Continuing to progress, they expand their musical horizons,
incorporating a wider palette of textures, rhythm & structure
as well as gaining a newfound clarity in the vocals. Never wishing
to repeat themselves, they've made a conscious effort to move beyond
the non-stop blastbeat/screaming assault of previous releases, while
retaining the vigorous exhilaration that people expect from them.
Polyvinyl-129
CD
$12.00
XBXRX
Wars
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Polyvinyl-129
LP
$12.00
Xiu Xiu
Remixed & Covered
PS, US The 1st disc, a batch of covers, is an exercise in sisterly
fan-domand inspired innovation. Feat. LARSON, OXBOW, MARISSA NADLER,
WHY?, DEVENDRA BANHART & others!!! The remix half feat. GOLD CHAINS,
SON, KID606, TO LIVE & SHAVE IN reach your arms into them &
get pulled into their reality for awhile.You might not come back the
same.
5RueChristine
DCD
$14.25
Forthcoming
Releases
A&E
Oi! (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US Artists formerly known as AE. Pleasant ballads drift into daringly
arranged pop songs. A meld of traditional Japanese singing, deft jazz
guitar , gameboy chirping, junkshop keyboards & punk drums. Four
of the tracks are electric interpretations of Japanese folk songs
from the late 19th & early 20th centuries.
Sonig-060
CD
$15.00
Aa
gAame (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US They've been honing their unique, intensely stylized brand
of DIY maximalism in the lofts, clubs & parking lots of NYC since
'02. Like an ADD-afflicted Boredoms or Aphex Twin re-imagined as a
high school marching band, their polyrythmic sound synthesized elements
of hardcore, ambient, pop, crunk, noise, dance, psych & dance
filtered through their distinct, largely self-taught aesthetic.
GiganticMusic-017
CD
$14.50
Acrnym
Flowers (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 29TH)
PS, CANADA Genre: Electronic/Breakcore. Discovered by Bong-Ra for
his Kriss record label, 20 year old Glasgow, Scotland artist Calum
Gunn makes music under the moniker Acrnym, his debut album "Flowers"
is 13 killer tracks tethering spastic rhythms and malfunctioning breaks
with spellbinding melodic instrumentation. "Flowers" shows
off some awesome technical exercises in speedy BPMs with a buzz-storm
of frenetic break episodes and blazing synth lines. Think Venetian
Snares meets Wisp i.e., Amazing breakcore with actual melodies.
Sublight-3401
CD
$12.25
Acute
Arms Around a Stranger (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 1ST)
PS, US LA indie boy trio who place an emphasis on quality songwriting
while playing both energetic hook-filled pop & reflective rock
that ranges from Pavementy though practiced indie rock to Neutral
Milk Hotel chewy goodness. Wonderful, subtle & surprising inflections
of southwestern appeal like pedal steel, horns & tremeloed guitar
sit next to dreamy cello, piano, occasional violin & even some
Andrew Bird-esque whistling. RIYL: Magnetic Fields, Shins, Sea &
Cake, Seam. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Help
CD
$11.00
Alchemist
Rapper's Best Friend (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Decon-048
DLP
$16.75
Alchemist
Rapper's Best Friend (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US One of the most celebrated producers in hip-hop today, he's
been making hot beats for nearly 15 yrs. This is an instrumental CD
comprising 14 finely chiselled jams, which feat. a combination of
previously unreleased beats & recent studio work that he did for
Mobb Deep, Jadakiss, Tony Yayo, Dilated Peoples & more!
Decon-048
CD
$15.75
Alex Delivery
Star Destroyer (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Jagjaguwar-099
LP
$9.50
Alex Delivery
Star Destroyer (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US ALEX DELIVERY have gleefully exposed their myriad gifts and
influences with their debut full-length "Star Destroyer,"
almost two years in the making. On it the New York-based quintet have
demonstrated their penchant for the electro-organic, seamlessly blending
the sharp and gentle, like a chain-gang draped in organza. You can
hear the chattering of insects resonating from the inside of a kettle
drum, and you can imagine this colossal robo-beast wobbling and waltzing
down an abandoned carnival boardwalk. Sylphs soar across strings,
occasionally descending to enjoy some wiggle-worthy poly-rhythms.
These and many more colorful characters have climbed aboard the "Star
Destroyer."
JagJagWar-099
CD
$11.00
Alsace Lorraine
Dark One (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 8TH) (ON SALE)
PS, US Alsace Lorraine is the delicately delicious and unique electronic/guitar
pop creation of seminary professor Paul Francke. We're pleased to
announce that our favorite singer on Earth, Argentinean Singer/Artist
Isol has joined Alsace Lorraine to sing on four of the album's 14
tracks too. Isol sings here in English for the first time! Isol left
her band Entre Rios (Elefant {Spain}/Darla {US}) when the group signed
with EMI Latin America because the deal demanded too much time away
from her profession as an Artist/Illustrator. Caitlin Brice sings
backing vocals on two tracks. Jane Francke (Paul's sister) sings one
track. The sophomore Alsace album Dark One, though not literally very
"Dark", was recorded and mixed by Paul at Paul's home studio
in Chicago. Isol's warm, exotic, sensual vocals were recorded in Isol's
bedroom studio in Buenos Aires. Paul's unique bedroom uber-pop soundtrack
provides the perfect music bed to Isol's vocal. The result is a unique
blend of Astrud Gilberto, Wolfgang Press, Eurythmics, Pale Saints,
St. Etienne, Magnetic Fields, Hope Sandoval, as well as The Wake,
Section 25 and other Factory-esque influences. Hopefully, Paul and
Isol will make more beautiful music together. Alsace Lorraine sounds
romantic; thoughtful, sensuous and smart. Comment from Paul Francke:
I began the album begun during college on the south side of Chicago
and completed it while working in Campbeltown, on the end of the Kintyre
Peninsula, the most remote part of mainland Britain. Between those
points I worked on the record in an Episcopalian seminary dormitory
in Alexandria, Virginia, while training to be a seminary professor.
It couldn't have been done without my brilliant, non-religious friends:
Isol sings four of the best songs on the album, but she also made
important suggestions for changes to the lyrics and music. We share
a lot of beliefs regarding art and beyond, and it has been fascinating
to work with her. Her friend Nico recorded her vocals in a studio
in Buenos Aires. Caitlin Brice, the lead singer from the previous
album, sings excellent backup on two songs here. Joe Moore plays guitar
on one song, and my younger sister Jane sings on one song as well.
Darla-178
CD
$12.25
Amandine
Solace in Sore Hands (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US The sophmore album from Malmo, Sweden is 11 tracks of plaintiv,
bittersweet songs that merge a newly extensive sonic palette w/ their
poignant lyrical content. Though still centered around an Americana/roots
axis, their songs have broadened in both scope & depth in addition
to easy references like Rex & Songs:Ohia/Jason Molina.
FatCat-050
CD
$13.25
Antiguo Automata Mexicano
Kraut Slut (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, MEXICO Angel Sánchez Borges, the man behind AAM (Antiguo
Automata Mexicano) takes techno to the next level with his second
album and first release with Static Discos. Previously AAM released
the infamous Microhate album on Germany's Background label. Inspired
by German kraut and space rock, minimal techno and screwed up digital
antics, AAM's Kraut Slut is the stuff of wicked dance dreams. Angel
Sánchez Borges also records as Seekers Who Are Lovers on the
Soundsister label. In a recent interview on URB Magazine, Borges says
his secret to the AAM sound is his love for "My Bloody Valentine,
a gentle way of dealing with strange layers of sounds. I want people
to dance to these noisy grooves". Pitchformedia recently described
his music in "the glitch/dub/minimal techno vein, with carefully
constructed rips and blips stretched across a wide, white sonic canvas".
StaticDiscos-019
CD
$12.25
Arcade Fire
Neon Bible (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 8TH)
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Merge-285
DLP
$17.50
Arcade Fire
Keep the Car Running (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 8TH)
PS, US Feat. single from Neon Bible. Youve probably heard the song
by now - but its a hook laden affair w/ a driving Joy Division bass
line & drum pattern held together by Win Butlers impassioned vocals!
"Broken Window" is another mini epic building on a minor
key acoustic gutar strum & insistent violin.
Merge-304
45
$5.00
Arctic Monkeys
Favourite Worst Nightmare (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US New full-length.
Domino
CD
$14.50
Arctic Monkeys
Brianstorm (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 17TH)
PS, US This pre-album single serves to prepare you for the coming
onslaught that is the rocking brilliance of their new release, "Favourite
Worst Nightmare". Like some cruel bait-and-switch, this record
opens with a lovely string quartet before a rude intrusion of frantic
drums and squealing guitars send them packing (apparently inspired
by The Jesus Lizard no less). The second track, "Brianstorm"
barrels out of the gate with an itchy energy. "Temptation Greets
You Like Your Naughty Friend" is a taut, suspenseful track featuring
a guest verse from Dizzee Rascal.
DominoRecordingCo.
CD5
$4.75
Asa Irons & Swaan Miller
S/T (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US This record is forever. After listending to it you'll realise
that it doesn't matter that Asa Irons plays in Witch with J Mascis
as well as the acclaimed folk outfit Feathers. This record needs no
associations and it's songs are so timeless that they feel as if they've
been passed around for generations and hardly need any recording medium
at all. This is the first release from Asa Irons and Swann Miller
but it sounds like they've lived within each others voices for a million
years. Asa's deep-breath-voice lays down a mossy hill for Swann's
beautiful voice to tread upon. His guitar work is simply intricate
and his fingerpicking perfectly suits the way their voices combine
to become one. This record always has been and always will be. This
record is forever. "After spending years in New Hampshire and
often Nova Scotia, I began writing songs about my Northeastern window
through which I view the world. Most of the pieces represent strong
fundamentals in my life such as living without comfort resources like
electricity and running water, the building trends of carpentry and
masonry with which I make my living, and the slow paced rural life
in which I grew up. The land of Northeastern North America is very
important to me and compelled me to describe it in the form of music.
Many people in my life were musicians - my father, cousins, friends
- so I had plenty of good examples to pull from and think about. My
style of song writing, I believe, comes from the influence of these
loved ones combined with certain deep-rooted melodies or images from
books that have stuck with me. (Such as sound tracks of old cinema
and authors like Tolstoy and Carolyn Chute.) My older sister's art
work has also had a tremendous effect on the way I see the world.
Many of her primary subjects revolve around various representations
of our own home place and the people who inhabited this and the other
woods houses in which we grew up. One of the people connected to me
through music and lifestyle is Swann Miller. She is the daughter of
a man who was a good friend of my father's. Through the '70's our
fathers built houses together around N.H. and also played a lot of
music. So, I have known Swann my whole life and perhaps it was inevitable
that we made music together. When I reached her house in the winter
of 2003, I had just had my notebook of songs stolen along with other
things. I decided to try to catalogue all I could remember by practicing
them. Swann practiced with me. On a whim, her boyfriend - who works
as a sound engineer - recorded the two of us singing in an abandoned
yellow women's bathroom in the basement of the building where they
lived. It all took about an hour and a half including set up of mics,
recording, and breaking down. I borrowed a twenty year old Guild guitar
from a friend of a friend which was very similar to my father's guitar
that I grew up with. I am so happy to have had the opportunity to
help capture Swann's beautiful voice and continue the music of our
families. The album is a quick glimpse of a world view from Southern
New Hampshire through the voices of two old friends whose fathers
were friends before them." Asa Irons
Important-143
CD
$12.25
Badgerlore
We Are All Hopeful Farmers, We Are All Scared Rabbits (PRE-ORDER:
SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US BADGERLORE is the great tribal council of the so-called "Freak
Folk" movement. The supergroup features Rob Fisk (DEERHOOF, 7-YEAR
RABBIT CYCLE) and Ben Chasny (SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE, COMETS ON
FIRE), with Tom Carter (CHARALAMBIDES), Pete Swanson (YELLOW SWANS),
Glen Donaldson (BLITHE SONS, JEWELED ANTLER) and Liz Harris (GROUPER).
Together they proceed with masterful nuance and inexorable tension;
"We Are All Hopeful Farmers, We Are All Scared Rabbits"
is the sound of effigy mounds slowly rousing from prehistoric slumber.
TableoftheElements-114
CD
$12.25
Basement
Illicit Hugs Playground (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 8TH)
PS, US Brit press darlings who live in the soup made from that late
60's wet spot left by Gram & the Flying Burritos, Dylan's albums
w/The Band & Van Morrison's best work. From jangly footstomping
romps to raucous twang & bittersweet laments. "Effortlessly
charming folk-tinged tales."-The Sun.
Zealous-704
CD
$13.75
Bergraven
Dödsvisioner (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 22ND)
PS, US Bergraven turns the traditional blast-and-flay aesthetic of
"frost bitten grimness" on its ear and comes at you with
sweeping riff dirges, winding cinematic passages, melodic guitar interludes,
tortured-yet-vaguely authoritarian and Germanic vocal overtones and
- get this - ambient pedal steel excursions. All of which is enough
to make your head spin, especially if you're down with weirdness.
"Dodsvisioner" is not your typical black metal experience,
and Bergraven is not your standard Swedish killing machine.
HydraHead
CD
$12.50
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (B.R.M.C.)
Baby 81 (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 1ST)
PS, US New album, heard it's awesome.
RedInt/RedInk
CD
$14.25
Black Tie Revue
Code Fun (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 17TH)
PS, US Their hooky keyboard driven power-pop has been drawing ravenous
fans everywhere they play. Often compared to power pop bands likeThe
Only Ones, The Wildhearts & The Records, the band is everything
great about being young, geeky & American: adictively hooky, powerful,
flagrantly irresponsible three-chord pop songs, loud guitars &
new-wave keyboards, & a whole lot of jumping around.
Gearhead-074
CD
$11.50
Bloarzeyd
Delirious Insane Ventilator of Bloarzeyd (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY
1ST)
PS, US An explosion of joyful, eardrum shattering, wildly fun music
by 2 guys from New England, Phil on bass & vocals and Mike on
drums. If you like Shellac, LIghtning Bolt, Dionagah or old Batman
reruns, you are sure to like these guys.
WoodedMan-008
CD
$8.50
Bloomfield, Mike
Junko Partner (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 17TH)
PS, US Undoubtedly one of the greatest musicians of his era. A maestro
of guitar, & an excellent composer & interpreter, he introduced
young & old alike to a world of pure & authentic blues. This
excellent album was released just after his death.
Akarma-376
CD
$15.75
Blow, The
Poor Aim: Love Songs (reissue) (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US "Poor Aim: Love Songs" is resilient electro-pop music
that can be lovingly devoured by people of all ages and coolness factors.
Already, the songs have fallen into a beloved repeat-play position
in many a heart (and cell phone, as ring tones!). In their experiment,
the two challenged each other with stringent requirements: JONA insisted
that the rhythms couldn't be redundant; KHAELA guaranteed that the
lyrics held sentences worth repeating. They succeeded. The songs are
catchy as hell, and rise to meet all of the duo's snobby music standards.
With sing-along-when-you-think-you're-alone types of refrains, it's
as if the oldies station on the car stereo is playing at the same
time as the urban party music station, with the occasional interfering
sonic sway of an eighties keyboard refrain. That mash of sounds would
come closest to describing "Poor Aim's" productional pitch,
the sound of feeling fun and desperate and bravely romantically unsuccessful
all at once; easy listening for difficult feelings.
KLP167
CD
$11.00
Boonaraaas!!!
5 Steps Ahead (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
SoundsOfSubterrania-083
LP
$16.50
Boonaraaas!!!
5 Steps Ahead (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US While most musical groups are taking two steps back, their
thrust is most definitely forward. They bash out their heart &
soulpoppin' sonic nuggets using vintage equipment but the noise they
make is very much NOW! A treat for the ears & the eyes, no matter
what your persuasion. Trich's sassy singing & bass attitude along
w/ Christina's command of the big beat provides a rockin' solid foundation.
Laura's Danelectro action blends w/ Tine's rhythm licks to create
a fuzz-infused wall of sound that is so direct that you'll wonder
what the heck just hit you.
SoundsOfSubterrania-083
CD
$17.00
Brown, Steven
Brown Plays Tenco + Live 1988 (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 29TH)
PS, UK Steven Brown is a core member of cult avant garde band Tuxedomoon.
As a solo artist he has recorded some ten solo albums, including Music
For Solo Piano (1983), Searching For Contact (1987), Half Out (1991),
Nine Rain (1996) and Decade (2003). Brown Plays Tenco was recorded
in Italy in 1987 and features Steven's own interpretations of five
songs written by cult artist Luigi Tenco. Born in Cassine in 1938,
Tenco scored many hits as a singer in Italy during the 1960s, but
shot himself through the head at the San Remo Festival in 1967 after
Ciao amore ciao (Hello, Love, Hello), failed to reach the final. The
suicide note explained that his suicide was a gesture of protest against
the jury's taste in music. Never available on CD before, Brown Plays
Tenco has now been digitally remastered with twelve bonus tracks recorded
live in Italy in 1988. These include in-concert renditions of songs
by Luigi Tenco as well as solo material by both Brown (Besides All
That, rwf) and Tuxedomoon (What Use?, Egypt , Lowlands Tone Poem).
Artist Resume: Steven Brown was born in Chicago in 1952, and currently
resides in Mexico City. Tuxedomoon formed in San Francisco in 1977
around the nucleus of Steven Brown, Blaine Reininger and Peter Principle.
Following a string of releases on the Residents' Ralph label, the
band relocated to Europe in 1981. Their dozen-odd group albums include
the classics Half Mute, Desire, Suite En Sous-Sol, Ghost Sonata and
Holy Wars. The latest TM album Bardo Hotel was released in 2006.
LTM-2428
CD
$16.25
Camera Obscura
Tears For Affairs (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 17TH)
PS, SPAIN "Tears for affairs" is the fourth song taken as
a single from the highly praised third album by CAMERA OBSCURA. Along
with the title track, the CD-single format includes one new, previously
unreleased track: "The last song", as well as a brand new
video of "Lloyd, I´m ready to be heartbroken", directed
by Victoria Bergsman (THE CONCRETES, TAKEN BY TREES) and filmed by
Blair Young, the man behind most of the band's videos; the clip features
artwork by François Marry, French designer and musician living
in England.
Elefant-253
45
$6.25
Camera Obscura
Tears For Affairs (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 17TH)
PS, SPAIN "Tears for affairs" is the fourth song taken as
a single from the highly praised third album by CAMERA OBSCURA. Along
with the title track, the CD-single format includes one new, previously
unreleased track: "The last song", as well as a brand new
video of "Lloyd, I´m ready to be heartbroken", directed
by Victoria Bergsman (THE CONCRETES, TAKEN BY TREES) and filmed by
Blair Young, the man behind most of the band's videos; the clip features
artwork by François Marry, French designer and musician living
in England.
Elefant-368
CD5
$6.75
Celestial
Dream On (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US You may have heard some of these songs on Music is My Girlfriend
or Lost Music eps - these are completely new recordings and sound
amazing. Andreas Hagman returned to his native Örebro, Sweden
in 2000, where he began recording dreamy pop, jangly guitar and vocals
that reflect a tender, soul-baring honesty.
"Precious
songs, in the Sarah Records vein, between a super romantic dreampop
and a dreamy and tender melodies jangle pop" - Mira El Péndulo
"stay
true to their roots and produce a completely wonderful indie, drenched
in effects... nostalgia knows no limits." - 4 Lighthouses
"wanders
from shoegaze via Field Mice to JAMC in five songs" - Groove
SkippingStones-009
CD
$9.50
Clientele
God Save The Clientele (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 8TH)
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Merge
LP
$15.50
Clientele
God Save The Clientele (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 8TH)
PS, US On their third full-length, The Clientele are setting free
their inner Monkees with a lovely blend of Big Star twisted powerpop,
Byrdsian country achin', and flashes of The Beatles at their most
joyful and upbeat. The ghosts, half-light, and uncertainties remain,
but included in this music is a newfound optimism. With the addition
of piano and violin, the band paints from a broader palette, adding
splashes of pedal steel and slide guitar to their already lush songs.
Their most accomplished and triumphant record. Recorded in Nashville
with Mark Nevers (Lambchop, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Calexico,
Silver Jews).
Merge
CD
$13.25
Clorox Girls
J'aime Les Filles (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 17TH)
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
BYO-113
LP
$13.75
Clorox Girls
J'aime Les Filles (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 17TH)
PS, US Third LP from Portland, OR popsters channels the 70's style
LA punk attitude of brevity, urgency & punchy pop hooks. Produced
by Pat Meares (EXPLODING HEARTS).
BYO-113
CD
$13.75
Cold Bleak Heat
Simitu (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US "Simitu" is the second album from COLD BLEAK HEAT,
the dream-team, east-coast avant jazz line-up of alto/tenor saxophonist
PAUL FLAHERTY (DREAM/AKTION UNIT), drummer CHRIS CORSANO (VAMPIRE
BELT, SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE), trumpeter GREG KELLEY (NMPERIGN,
HEATHEN SHAME), and acoustic bassist MATT HEYNER (NO NECK BLUES BAND,
TEST). While explosive as their 2005 debut, "Simitu" brings
a melancholic, even sensitive feel to these improvisations. Yet, no
need to worry about these four wipin' tears on their sleeves. CBH
wages between the melodic centers/ghostly solos of Flaherty/Kelley
and loose, downhill, free blow outs you'd expect, all while mainting
the grand swell of a hardcore jazz symphony. Even as complex and multi-paced
beats sink into bowed-drones and vocal hollers, focused lyricism remains
the returning leader. Features liner notes and drawings by Christina
Carter (CHARALAMBIDES).
FamilyVineyard-041
CD
$11.00
Comas, The
Spells (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 17TH)
PS, US
Vagrant
CD
$12.25
Creteens
4-Track Blues (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE TBA)
PS, US 4 song EP from some French kid(s?) making with the Memphis-sound
garage-punk racket. The title cut and "Contaminated" are
definitely 'Teenage Hate'-esque. B-Side has an Oblivians cover &
a slower-style Fatals-ish long-titled bloozer. Recording is pretty
rough. Scums stats: 600 copies on baby- blue swirled vinyl.
Contaminated-009
45
$6.00
Damiak
Micalavera (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 1ST)
PS, US Abe Dichi who's musical works are released via the Damaik alias
is what you would classify as a true cosmopolitan musical entity.
Spending most of his life moving between Mexico, Europe and the United
States somehow gives his debut album "Micalavera" for n5MD
an undercurrent of international, almost globalized, method. Add in
the mixing and mastering of Mio and Valgeir Sigurdsson (Bjork, Mum,
Bonnie "Prince" Billy) at Greehouse Studios in Iceland and
this compounds the borderless sense of musical place that Micalavera
embodies. The album title which roughly translates to "my skeleton"
utilizes guitars, melodium, harmodium, violin, piano, field recordings,
and live drums as well as electronic elements and edits that may recall
similar moments to Sigurdsson's copatriots Mum and Blindfold or even
to the more delicate moments of Dntel. Micalavera is an absorbing
mix of many musical styles interwoven into a bright, affectionate,
yet cohesive whole that features 12 vignettes of multicultural instrumentation,
technique, and raw wondrous emotion.
n5MD-147
CD
$12.00
Dead Meadow
Howls from the Hills (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 17TH)
PS, US Their new album of accomplished and mesmerizingly authentic
psychedelic rock.
Xemu
CD
$15.00
Deerhunter
Flourescent Grey EP (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 17TH)
PS, US Four new songs recorded while mixing Cryptograms. A snapshot
of what direction the band might explore next? Probably not. This
EP arrives on the heels of a well received sophomore LP, Cryptograms.
EP functions in many ways as an epilogue to both the LP and the accompanying
well-reported anxiety surrounding it's creation. The band now has
a clean slate to explore something entirely new in the future. Four
songs plus video for "Strange Lights". DOA: "The Flourescent
Grey EP basically picks up where the album left off, combining the
droning atmospherics of space-rockers like Loop and Spacemen 3 with
the kind of Martin Hannett style production and drumming of Unknown
Pleasures-era Joy Division."
Kranky
CD5
$7.00
Dinosaur Jr.
Beyond (Digipack Packaging) (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 1ST)
PS, US Reunion album by all original members (J, Lou, and Murph, and
all the accompanying disfunctional psychoses and neuroses) is one
of the finest "comebacks" in the history of "comebacks".
A triumphant return to form, highly recommended.
FatPossum
CD
$14.00
Drakes Hotel
Tell Me Everything (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 1ST)
PS, US The married duo of Amy Drake and Chris Y make up the core &
soul of Drakes Hotel. Having done away with live drummers altogether,
they have taken the complex beats from their recordings and reimagined
them for their live shows. Their use of countless older drum machines
is now an integral & legendary part of their live appearances.
They be will touring hard in 2007 to support their debut album &
will also head out w/ label mates The High Violets later in 2007.
ReverbRecords-021
CD
$10.00
Draper, Linda
Keepsake (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US Linda Draper's much anticipated fifth studio long player, "Keepsake"
brings you along for 10 beautifully crafted songs - it continues where
her last LP, 2005's "One Two Three Four" (produced by Kramer)
left off. The album marks her first self-produced effort, along with
co-producer Major Matt Mason (Adam Green, Kimya Dawson, Jeffrey Lewis
etc.) and was recorded at Olive Juice Music Studios in New York City.
The CD presents Linda in an intimate setting accompanied throughout
by stand-up bass, piano, violin, cello, slide guitar, touches of percussion
and xylophone - the focus always being the pure beauty of Draper's
vocal performance. "A shining light of excellence...a delightful
voice that immediately enchants." (Tasty, UK)
PlantingSeeds-048
CD
$12.25
Dungen
Tio Bitar (ON SALE / PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 15TH)
PS, US Vinyl version.
Kemado
LP
$12.00
Dungen
Tio Bitar (ON SALE / PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 15TH)
PS, US New album! Over the past two years, the profile of Swedish
psychedelic rockers Dungen has grown at an alarming rate, from a cult
studio project into a worldwide musical phenomenon. And on Tio Bitar,
we're hearing the end results of an outpouring of success and support
- one which has, for once, inspired the creative processes at hand
to make something wholly new and original, yet remaining within the
same sphere of emotions that fostered Dungen's three previous albums.
Gustav Ejstes, Dungen's founder and principal member, made Tio Bitar
(translated, "Ten Pieces") - a bracing display of psychedelic
rock, presented with a bright, avid confidence - largely by himself,
with the assistance of guitarist Reine Fiske. Gustav wrote the songs,
and played all of the instruments on his own, with Reine on many lead
guitar and bass parts; his style of play puts him well within the
top ranks of modern guitar heroes past and present.
Kemado
CD
$13.50
Eames Era
Heroes & Sheroes (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 17TH)
PS, US The bands sophomore record is so brazenly hooky, with songs
that are so totally fleshed out with memorable sing-a-longable instantly
familiar melodies, chugging guitars, ba-bas, harmonies & handclaps,
you could forgive it for what it lacks in innovation. In fact, Heroes
highlights are some of the best chick-pop, and wholeheartedly deserve
to sit amongst your Go-Gos greatest hits CD, Blondies Parallel Lines
& the last Mates of State record too. The first single, "When
You were a Millionaire", is currently featured as the theme song
on MTV's new show, "I'm from Rolling Stone". Also had a
song featured on Grey's Anatomy soundtrack.
MDF-429
CD
$10.00
Electrelane
No Shouts, No Calls (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 8TH)
PS, US Following "Rock It To The Moon" (2001), "Power
Out" (2004), and "Axes" (2005), there seems to be a
new kind of light shining on Electrelane that remains strong throughout
this record, but the willingness to push the envelope hasn't left
the band either. "No Shouts No Calls" is an album of enticingly
irregular brilliance. "Electrelane effortlessly assimilate a
wide cut of moods and influences - the off kilter harmony of the Velvet
Underground, the droning insistence of Krautrock heroes Can, the bratty
brashness of feminist popsters Le Tigre - into a heartfelt batch of
art-pop that never sounds snobby" -Blender.
TooPure
CD
$13.25
Electrelane
No Shouts, No Calls (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 8TH)
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
TooPure
DLP
$13.25
Elk City
New Believers (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 17TH)
PS, US New album from former Hidden Agenda artists, now on Friendly
Fire. For 'New Beleivers' the band would recall the soul of Dusty
Springfield, the power of Patti Smith, the big sound of Phil Spector
and the warped-pop sensibilities of The Breeders on an album that
brought vocalist Renée LoBue to the forefront. his new Elk
City calls upon a wide palette of influences: 1960's psychedelic bands
such as Love, the girl group sounds of classic Motown, 1970's proto-punk
heroes John Cale and Television, and 1980's alternative rock such
as The Smiths and The Pixies. Features guest appearances by Brother
JT and former members of Luna.
FriendlyFire
CD
$15.00
Elope
9 Distilled Dreams (ON SALE / PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL??? 2007)
PS, SWEDEN COMING SOON? Perhaps Elope's finest album to date...and
that's saying something consideing how brilliant 'The No Name Record'
and '3WD' are... It is also their very mellowest. '9 Distilled Dreams'
is the mainly acoustic companion piece to the rocking '3WD' released
earlier this year. Check out Jim's Pick page for a sound sample.
Gravitation-026
CD
$10.50
Fall of Troy
Manipulator (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 1ST)
PS, US Having built upon their reputation for lightning fast guitar
riffs, raw screams, catchy choruses & a volatile rhythm section,
this finds them combining metal w/ progressive, rock & blues,
& past w/ present to once again push themselves beyond.
EqualVision-1402
CD
$15.50
Familjen
Det Snurrar I Min Skalle (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 17TH)
PS, SWEDEN The music is joyus. Not to mention, deceptively simple.
Run a three-note arpeggio through a phaser and there's your refrain.
Naturally, there's a bit more to it than that, but the essence of
Familjen's pop/electronica sound is uncomplicated fun. Perhaps the
lyrics tell a completely different story, but hey - I don't speak
Swedish so I don't really care. Familjen makes warm electronica. Sounds
like the Hacienda in springtime, Mylo on downers, Rex the dogs soundsystem
and A guy called geralds dreams. It makes us all fuzzy and fightable
inside.
Hybris-047
CD
$13.50
Feist
Reminder (ON SALE / PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 1ST)
PS, US New album from Canadian electro-chantuese, the follow-up to
2005's 'Let It Die', which was very very popular. New album is s produced
by Feist, Gonzales and Renaud Letang. VANITY FAIR: "A one-in-a-million
voice that evokes both Astrud Gilberto's sexy cool and Billie Holiday's
languorous quaver."
Interscope
CD
$11.00
Filip
Crane-Grief (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 24TH)
PS, US Second full length from Sweden's eccentric pop poet. Simple
beautiful songs performed on guitar, piano, pump organ & auto
harp. For fans of Daniel Johnston, Will Oldham & Tom Waits.
Filipsongs-001
CD
$16.75
Fine Arts Showcase, The
Sings The Rough Bunnies (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 2007)
PS, SWEDEN Third album from Gustaf Kjellvander's Fine Arts Showcase,
and the follow-up to his 110% brilliant 'Radiola'. Oddly enough a
tribute record. TFAS covers 11 song by Swedish cult-twee-punk-lofi
duo The Rough Bunnies. Highly recommended.
Adrian
CD
$15.00
Flying Burrito Bros
Definitive Collection (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE APRIL 17TH)
PS, US Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman (BYRDS) & the FBBs made country
cool again when everybody else was into big rock sounds. They introduced
the fuzztoned pedal steel and psychedelic nudie suits to a culture
that was about as far from country cool as you could get. And God,
"Hot Burrito No. 1" is one of the best vocal takes ever
put to tape. 25 songs.
Hip-O
CD
$15.00
Francis, Sage
Human The Death Dance (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 8TH)
PS, US VINYL VERSION!!!
Epitaph
DLP
$15.50
Francis, Sage
Human The Death Dance (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE MAY 8TH)
PS, US Rapper, activist, and cultural provocateur Sage Francis offers
his most personal and fully realized work on his second Anti/Epitaph
release. With topics ranging from 9 to 5 cubicle madness to addiction
to sex and