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Earth Dissolution
III (PRE-ORDER: SALEABLE FEBRUARY 8TH) CD
$12.25 
Listen to: Dissolution
III • Living
In The Gleam Of An Unsheated Sword
Earth formed over ten years ago and was infamous for their intensely loud volume
and extreme heavy drone sounds. This is their first record of new material in
years and they share in the new scene of drone bands with the likes of Sunn and
Growing. "Dissolution III" is a two-song drone masterpiece in the making.
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Skygreen
Leopards Life and Love in Sparrow's Meadow
CD $13.00 • LP
$11.25
Listen to: A
Child Adrift • Belle
of the Woodsman's Autumn Ball
With Life & Love in Sparrow's Meadow, The Skygreen Leopards expand on their
strange pastoral folk-pop and enter center stage as one of the most unique voices
in the new folk movement. The Skygreen Leopards are Donovan Quinn (Verdure) and
Glenn Donaldson (Thuja, Blithe Sons, Franciscan Hobbies, Birdtree, Ivytree, etc.).
Formed in 2001, Quinn and Donaldson met while responding to a cryptic ad in the
paper looking for Lumberjack players (little wooden dancing men you play on a
board for percussion and visual interest). After being bested by an Appalachian
man, Donovan and Glenn began studying the stars together where Glenn, while tracing
his finger along Orion, said, "Donovan, we are the Skygreen Leopards",
and so they were. The Skygreen Leopards originate from the Bay Area-based Jewelled
Antler forest of bands. Donaldson co-founded the Jewelled Antler label in 1999,
which has since released over 25 CD-R's ranging from straight field recordings & outdoor
improv-folk to noise & fractured pop music. The Skygreen Leopards are without
a doubt the most structured and accessible of these projects. Much of the Jewelled
Antler music is recorded live outdoors on mini-discs & boomboxes while the
Skygreen Leopards primarily focus on a surreal form of multi-layered folk-pop
recorded on an old reel-to-reel housed in a moldy trailer on the back of a horse
ranch. 12-string guitars, banjos, dulcimers, Jew's harps, organs, maracas, mandolins,
harmonicas, ocarinas & reed flutes harmonize with the field-recorded songs
of birds, barnyard animals & insects. This hedge of sounds is the backdrop
for Quinn & Donaldson's mythological rants & hazy melodies. |
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Bonnie "Prince" Billy & Matt
Sweeney Superwolf
CD $13.75 • LP
$13.75
Listen to: Goat
And Ram • Beast
For Thee
Matt and Bonnie folking around. Bonnie "Prince" Billy (Palace,
Palace Brothers, Palace Music, Will Oldham) challenged Matt Sweeney (Chavez)
to write some music for a set of lyrics he's written. They put the two pieces
together and the glorious results have been dubbed "Superwolf." You
will love it. |
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Jesu S/T CD
$13.00
Listen to: Tired
Of Me • Friends
Are Evil • We
All Faulter
Someone who’s wielded an influence on the estimable likes of Neurosis
and Ministry and even Pelican, living legend Justin Broadrick (Godflesh,
Final, Techno Animal, et. al.) brings us his most intensely personal offering
to date in Jesu. Combing a wounding groove with a soul-wounded clean-tenor,
Broadrick’s latest muse burrows deep into the corpus and then starkly
paints with repose and resignation. Enigmas never rest, and neither does
Jesu. R.I.Y.L. Codeine, Pelican, Low, Mogwai and Centaur. |
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Sunn
O))) Grimmrobe Demos CD
$13.00
Listen to: Black
Wedding • Defeating;
Earths' Gravity • Dylan
Carlson
This is NOT the new album from sunn, rather the return to the eve of destructive
birth. In 1999 a subsonic concept and "stoned band idea" came
to life. Stephen O' Malley, and Greg Anderson holed up in a cave in HELL-A
with stacks of sunn amplifiers and unleashed riff after blasphemous riff.
Along with the assistance of Bootsy Kronos on bass, the cacophony that
was evoked became the infamous Grimm Robe demos. A couple years later this
album was released on CD in a limited edition of 700 copies. It quickly
sold out and went into infamy/obscurity. Please dry your eyes, THE GRIMM
ROBES LIVE! |
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Matt
Pond PA Winter Songs CD
$7.50
Listen to: Fall
Two • Snow
Day • Winterlong
In the heat of the summer of 2004, Matt Pond PA sat down and recorded some
songs that reminded them of winter, hence the EP Winter Songs. Apart from
the two short, pastoral instrumentals "Winter One" and "Fall
Two" and the lovely soft-focus ballad "Snow Day," the songs
are covers. Neil Young's "Winterlong" and Richard & Linda
Thompson's "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" are two
familiar songs given reverential treatment, sounding nice but not too interesting.
Better is the cover of Lindsey Buckingham's "Holiday Road" (from
National Lampoon's Vacation), a sort of lost classic of a pop song that
they rescue with a buoyant and sweet version. Not so great is the cover
of Neutral Milk Hotel's "In an Aeroplane Over the Sea" which
is marred by weak guitar effects and a tame arrangement as well as rather
slight and uninteresting source material. Slight is the one word that might
describe the whole EP, unless you are the type of Matt Pond PA fan who
must have every note they commit to plastic; you could probably skip this
record and save up for their next full-length. AMG- |
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Bettie
Serveert Attagirl CD
$13.75
Listen to: Dreamaniacs • Don't
Touch That Dial! • Attagirl
After two albums for Hidden Agenda Bettie Serveert has signed on with the
esteemed Minty Fresh label. We wish them all the best! On "Attagirl" the
band takes their music a step further, experimenting more with samples,
beats & keyboards then ever before. On Attagirl, the band's new freshness
really finds its groove, and the songs are compact and exciting. Dreamaniacs,
the opening title track and first single, starts with a smooth, catchy
sample, giving a good kick-off for the rest of the album. Combining dance & rock
(‘Versace’), jazz & Captain Beefheart guitarlicks ( ‘Greyhound
Song’), or just one simple acoustic guitar & vocal ('You've Changed'),they
continue to amaze both the listener as them selves. Bettie serveert has
never before taken such a huge step foreword. |
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Barlow,
Lou EMOH CD
$13.75 Listen to: Home • Caterpillar
Girl • Holding
Back the Year
Fans of Barlow's work with Sebadoh and the Folk Implosion and his previous
solo recordings as Sentridoh are in for a real treat. Emoh is a lush, well
recorded gem featuring some of Barlow's strongest songwriting in years. |
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And
You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead Worlds
Apart (FULL ALBUM)
CD $13.00
Listen to: Worlds
Apart • Ode
To Isis • Will
You Smile Again
Allow me to be frank: this is the best album Trail of Dead has ever made.
For that matter, it is one of the best melodic hardcore albums ever made.
It is very nearly a perfect album. It will kick your ass, and then it will
make you cry. It will make you pull over while driving to listen to it
more closely. It will make you tell your girlfriend to be quiet so you
can pay attention to that one part. She will yell at you, then she will
hear that one part, and then she will pay attention. And then you both
will be left dazed and dumbfounded and wondering why you never realized
that this was one of the best bands out there. Worlds Apart will silence
all the naysayers who complain that Trail is often too hard or too screamy
or too whatever. The melody and songwriting are both here, all wrapped
up in a tight ball of carnage and fury. It's more immediate than 2002's
Source Tags & Codes, and every bit as epic and grand. It's fucking
awesome, and if you don't know, shut up and listen to that one part. Then
you'll know. (Pat McGuire- Filter Magazine) |
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Six
Organs of Admittance School of the Flower
CD $13.75 • LP
$13.75
Listen to: Saint
Cloud • Eighth
Cognition - All You've Left • Words
for Two
Six Organs of Admittance is Ben Chasny (Comets on Fire, Badgerlore, Plauge
Lounge, Booze.) School of the Flower is Six Organ's first proper studio
album. It's brimming with Ben's near-patented loner psych/drone musings
that is sure to please old fans and definitely gain him quite a few new
ones. Joining Ben on drums is free-jazz superstar Chris Corsano! |
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Low The
Great Destroyer
CD $14.50 • LP
$11.75
Listen to: California • Everybody's
Song • Monkey
Formed in 1993, Low is a trio from Duluth, Minnesota comprised of guitarist/vocalist
Alan Sparhawk, percussionist/vocalist Mimi Parker and bassist Zak Sally.
Throughout Low’s history, the band has accumulated acclaim from critics
("Low build big magic from so little" - Rolling Stone) and musicians
(Radiohead hand-picked Low to open a string of dates in 2003). Initially
garnering attention as leaders of the ‘90s slowcore movement, Low
went on to develop a sonic repertoire that incorporated pop, R&B and
dissonant rock n’ roll. With this kind of storied history, most people
thought they had Low pegged. But then they turned in their Sub Pop debut,
The Great Destroyer. The band's seventh full-length album, The Great Destroyer
is fascinating in that it blends the band’s austere melodies (“On
the Edge Of,” “Silver Rider”) with an aggressive guitar
onslaught (“Monkey,” “Everybody’s Song”)
and even melds Low’s varied styles together into a single song (“When
I Go Deaf”). Co-produced by Low and David Fridmann (Flaming Lips,
Mercury Rev), The Great Destroyer is a welcome surprise and, in the end,
a rock n’ roll revelation. |
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Jennifer
Gentle Valende
CD $14.50 • LP
$11.75
Listen to: I
Do Dream You • Universal
Daughter
Hailing from Padova, Italy, Jennifer Gentle is not a girl. Jennifer Gentle
is, in fact, a band made up of singer/guitarist Marco Fasolo and drummer
Alessio Gastaldello (joined by various accomplices when they play live).
Valende is their third full-length, and first for Sub Pop (their first
two albums, I Am You Are and Funny Creatures Lane were released individually
on Italy's Sillyboy Entertainment, and together as a double CD under the
name Ectoplasmic Garden Party by Australia's Lexicon Devil label). The
record was, like its predecessors, home-recorded by Marco and Alessio and
it's a psych pop charmer, drawing on the band's own brand of musical dementia:
an almost impossible-to-describe melting pot of whacked experimentation,
deep fried eccentricity and acoustic beauty, drawing judiciously on the
band's long-term fascination with Syd Barrett, 13th Floor Elevators, and
Joe Meek production techniques. Jennifer Gentle is also the first Italian
band Sub Pop has ever signed (such is our deep affection for the band).
But, again, Jennifer gentle is not a girl. |
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Stamey,
Chris Question of Temperature
CD $14.75
Listen to: Politician • Shapes
Of Things • Venus
Chris Stamey is a political man. So it’s a given that this year’s
political Sturm and Drang has left him all hot and bothered. Fortunately
for him, some of his old neighbors came together to help him whip that
feverish inspiration into music. And fortunately for us, those old neighbors
just happened to be ubiquitous rockers Yo La Tengo. “A Question of
Temperature”, the resulting pop squall, is no ordinary ruck of rock.
As the founder of kudzu-pop originals the dBs and producer of influential
bands like Whiskeytown and Le Tigre, Stamey has always had cred to spare.
And Yo La Tengo’s no slouch either. The YLT trio of Georgia Hubley,
Ira Kaplan, and James McNew have played with everybody cool who’s
still alive and have been called “one of rock’s last true visionary
bands” (USA Today). With another rock veteran, Let’s Active’s
Mitch Easter, at the mixing board, Stamey and company traded licks on a
variety of originals and choice covers like The Yardbirds “Shapes
of Things” and the Eddie Harris/Les McCann Vietnam War-era recording, “(Let’s
Make It Real) Compared to What.” And if you’re still not sold
on “A Question of Temperature”, we’ll even throw in honey-throated
songbird Caitlin Cary, wunderkind keyboardist Tyson Rogers, award-winning
bluegrass quartet Chatham County Line, and a pro-voting PSA for the price
of admission. |
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M83 Before
the Dawn Heals Us
CD $14.75
Moon
Child • Don't
Save Us From The Flames • In
The Cold I'm Standing
Before the Dawn Heals Us is M83's powerful follow up to their recent album
Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts, which has received cult-like status
in North America. Recorded and produced in the French countryside during
June of 2004 by M83, consisting of one Anthony Gonzalez, Before the Dawn
Heals Us contains more vocals and live instrumentation than previous releases. |
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Coyote S/T
CD $8.00
Listen to: Half
the Time
COYOTE formed when members of the HOLY FALLOUT, EXCELSIOR and THE RABBLE
ROUSERS convened in a West Philadelphia basement. Meaning: the heart of
the Philadelphia music scene thrown into one supergroup is releasing their
debut, and you are there. The driving pianos, screaming vocals, and fuzzed-out
champion guitar leads produce a unique sound that is ready to be unleashed.
They have been compared to The Black Heart Procession, The Doors and The
VSS/Slaves. |
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Repp,
Corrina It's Only The Future
CD $13.75
Listen to: Finally
Her songwriting is empowered, reflective, meditative & appealing. In
the past, she’s been compared to Cat Power & Gillian Welch; understandable
because of the way all 3 infuse their songwriting w/ strength, complexity & a
rare beauty capable of sending shivers up your spine. W/ this record, Repp’s
warm, spacious, minimal guitar & smoky voice dovetail w/ electronic
beats & programming. (provided by collaborator Keith Schreinerof Dahlia) |
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Zirafa Turnstyles
CD $7.75
Turnstyles projects an "in limbo" state; the suspension one feels
when leaving home and learning to acclimate to new surroundings. Zirafa
approaches the new and the old with an entire scope of musical expression,
seamlessly combining elements of jazz, sampling, electronica, rock, and
clip-hop. RIYL: Cornelius. Closer Musik, Dntel, and Notwist. |
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Iron
And Wine Passing
Afternoon
CD $4.50
"Passing Afternoon" from Our Endless Numbered Days. "Communion
Cups and Someone's Coat" is a new one and was recorded in August of 2004.
This track should keep you satisfied until the new Iron and Wine EP Woman King
comes out February 22, 2005. "Dearest Forsaken" previously available
only on the Iron and Wine Sub Pop Singles Club 7 inch; here recorded live at
KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic in Los Angeles. |
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Peter
Bjorn And John Falling Out
CD $13.50
New album from Swedish trio. Glorious, inventive, extrasensory guitar pop.
Falling Out combindes energy, melody, melancholy, pure joy, silence and
violence as well as masterful arrangements stretching from the simple to
the orchestral. Peter Bjorn and John formed in Stockholm in the late summer
of 1999, centered around the songs of Peter Morén and Bjorn Yttling,
which have been writing together since their teens. The trio was completed
by drummer and comedian John Eriksson. After a couple of home-made vinyl-singles,
their debut-cd was released in november 2002. Called simply "Peter
Bjorn And John", the album, with the dirty, inventive lo-fi-production
of Bjorn's, was very well received in the the swedish and norwegian press.
The guys were compared with such classics as early Costello, Beatles, Buzzcocks,
Soft Boys, Eggstone & Paul Simon, to mention a few. The singles as
well as the videos have rotated on tv and radio. In the live situation
they have kept on improving and now are an exciting experience, slightly
punkier than on record, with John's marvelous dynamic drumming as well
as Peters fretwork coming alive as well as their unique stage presence
and audience communication. The band has also been busy in the studio,
releasing singles with a generous amount of extra tracks, just as good
as the album cuts. Highly recommended! |
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Various French
Sounds
CD $15.25
Featuring previously unpublished tracks by: Bosco, highly acclaimed 'Satellite'
(featuring on Tombraider OST) taken from the album Action), Télépopmusik,
emblematic leader of the new French Touch with their 120 000 albums sold
worlwide Genetic world? Avril, which offers us a remix of his single 'The
Date' by Chloé, the French She-DJ-producer in vogue. The compilation
French Sounds reviews with exultation the panorama of a French electronica
scene constantly renewed." Other artists include: Vitalic, Dat Politics,
D.I.P., Electronicat, Williams Traffic, Readymade feat. Juice Aleem, Doctor
L., Sporto Kantes, M83, Domotic, Avia. |
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Various Putting
the Morr Back in Morrissey
CD $14.75
Compilations of electronic music don't get any more enjoyable and essential
than Putting the Morr Back in Morrissey, a sampler of techno soundsmiths
on Thomas Morr's superb German record label. Getting past the Smiths pun
in the title, one encounters more than two hours of bubbly, warm sounds
from some of the most promising knob twiddlers in the business. Though
there are a number of musical styles compiled, from contemplative post-rock
hybrids to IDM to electro, the artists all share a knack for crafting sweet
organic songs. Genre-besting moments peak out of every nook and cranny.
The Notwist, Herrmann & Kleine, Lali Puna, B. Fleischmann, ISAN, and
Tied & Tickled Trio are all captured at the top of their games. The
first disc of the two-disc set consists of 14 original compositions; disc
two presents 14 remixes where artists pair up and remix each other's songs,
whether the songs derive from disc one or anywhere else in the label's
discography. The most remarkable thing about the compilation is that it's
such a cohesive listen from start to finish. Morr Music is establishing
itself as one of the most forwarding-thinking, smart collectives of musicians
on the planet. Putting the Morr Back in Morrissey is engrossing proof.
AMG |
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Red
Eyed Legends Mutual Insignificance
CD $8.25
Following up their debut EP "The High I Feel When I'm Low" on
GSL earlier this year, Chicago's RED EYED LEGENDS return with the Mutual
Insignificance EP. Now with Kiki Yablon [ex THE DISHES] on guitar,
keyboards and vocals, REL's sound has changed, and for the better if you
can imagine that. Singer/guitarist Chris Thomson's classic vocals recognized
from his previous bands CIRCUS LUPUS, MONORCHID, AND SKULL KONTROL [Thomson
also played bass in the legendary Dischord band IGNITION] are thankfully
and blaringly apparent. The rhythm section still gives Bonham and Jones
a run for their money, and now Yablon's intertwined organ and backup vocals
create a more melodic backdrop for the heavy riffs and lyrical sneers.
The one sentence description of "waved-out punk meets art damage in
the parking lot of a heavy metal show with the treble cranked¦" suits
RED EYED LEGENDS well, but still can't do them justice. |
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Fembots Small
Town Murder Scene
CD $13.00
Combining retro-sounding, analog instruments and film noir atmospherics
with traditional, roots-based song structures, Toronto's Fembots make alt-country
that's infused with an eerie, video-8 graininess. Beginning in a haze of
percussion and looped, blood-curdling squeals, the duo's second full-length
Small Town Murder Scene strikes a disquieting, panicky tone right from
the start. The effect is such that when the clamor gives way to a quiet
chord progression, as it does with the skeletal guitar strum of "Broken
and Blue," you know that something ominous is probably lurking just
around the corner. That's not to say there aren't some pretty pop moments
on Small Town Murder Scene — with its glistening bell tones and swirling
organs, "Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist" sounds like Mark Linkous
on a good day — but as a rule, it's a swampy, disembodied record
that privileges discord and ragged disorder. As a result, otherwise traditional
stomps such as "Tombstone Blues" and the piano-led title track
end up taking on slightly sinister qualities, like back porch music performed
at night with the candles extinguished. AMG- |
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Kites/Prurient Load
Split Series #4
CD $10.50
a bonus collaboration track between KITES and PRURIENT. Another jammed-elevator
mismatch between two of Providence, RI's hottest pedal jackers and circuit
board melters. KITES has a record on LOAD already and his side of the split
evokes a crunchy square toned melodic flair with organic almost organ-fueled
Disneyland melodies. These are the rockers. PRURIENT is another Providence-based
sound artist doing low toned rumble jammed up against cassette culture
screech. Live shows are a blur of power and volume. PRURIENT has releases
on Ground Fault recordings and is one of the artists on the RRR RECORDS
Boxset New England. Yes the cream of the noise crop. This record is a bit
more subdued in all out attack and more drenched in total murk-o-phonic
atmosphere. Percussive chug and downer vibes! |
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Acid
Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO Minstrel
In the Galaxy
CD $20.00
Minstrel In The Galaxy is the first Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting
Paraiso UFO studio recording since the departure of vocalist/synth goddess
Cotton Casino earlier this year. To replace Cotton's space whispers, AMT
have recruited Japanese duo Afrirampo (who recently toured Europe with
Sonic Youth) to contribute vocals to this album and they fill the void
with ease. Musically you can forget the mind-melting guitar psychouts of
previous AMT albums, this is the sound of a much darker AMT in comedown
mode. Drones, acoustic guitars, misplaced voices and a beautiful 41 minute
centre-piece title track all combine to make this their finest experimental
studio work since the acclaimed Absolutely Freak Out (Zap Your Mind!) double
album. There's still enough of the original AMT sound going on here to
keep the hardcore fans happy but also enough twists to bring in a whole
new audience too. |
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Mnemonists Gyromancy
CD $15.00
The Mnemonists were a legendary group of composers and artists from Fort
Collins, Colorado, who went on to call themselves Biota, and released a
series of five CD's on ReR (Tumble, Bellowing Room/Tinct, Almost Never,
Object Holder, and Invisible Map). They created drifting hypnotic sound
collages out of pre-industrial loops, processed ambient sound, rock 'n'
roll guitar, and fragments of half forgotten memory. Their work was highly
visual, and always accompanied by beautiful line drawings and painted art
works; the total meaning is forged from the combination of sonic and visual
information. Gyromancy stands as a classic early noise album, somewhere
between the work of AMM, Faust and Brian Eno. What makes it stand out is
the subtlety of the work: The process begins with the recording of played
acoustic and electric instruments that are later re-processed and electrically
altered, leading to a spiraling of replaying, re-composition and re-structuring.
This aural world is as vast as space, and seemingly as limitless; The Mnemonists
were the one group most apt to embrace the latest technology, and to put
it to good use to create 'anti-music'. But the outcome is so beautifully
flowing and amazingly profound that their radical methods create positive
change in a sonically transparent way, rather than to bludgeon the listener
into submission by means of shock tactics. The result then, is elucidating
and exciting. This disk is presented in a visually stunning manner as well,
including gorgeous reproductions of the group's paintings, bringing the
Mnemonist's penchant for 'artisanship-as-a-whole' full circle. |
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Styrofoam Nothing's
Lost CD $12.54
This release features (It's not a joke): Markus Acher (Notwist/Lali Puna),
Alias (Anticon), Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie/Postal Service), Valerie
Trebeljahr (Lali Puna), Bent Van Looy (Das Pop), Andrew Kenny (American
Analog Set) and Miki (Pitchtuner). |
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Saint
Etienne Travel Edition
CD $13.00
In the late '90s and into 2000, Sub Pop Records conducted a brief, torrid
affair with Saint Etienne. They parted amicably, each going their separate
ways, never really able to forget (nor wanting to) the time they spent
together, the memories they shared, the records they released. With this
18-song compilation, they're able, albeit briefly, to once again bask in
the glow of their cosmopolitan friends in Saint Etienne. And, in addition
to two previously unreleased tracks (the early instrumental "Primrose
Hill" and the new song "Fascination"), this career-spanning
collection includes stand-out tracks from all of their full-length releases,
as well as singles "He's on the Phone" and "Burnt Out Car." Saint
Etienne (along with Swedish phenoms, The Concretes) will be playing a New
Year's Eve show in London, and there have been hints at a new album in
2005. Track Listing: 1. Primrose Hill(Prev. unreleased) 2. Only Love Can
Break Your Heart 3. Nothing Can Stop Us 4. Avenue 5. Mario's Cafe 6. Hobart
Paving 7. Hug My Soul 8. Like a Motorway 9. He's on the Phone 10. Burnt
Out Car 11. Sylvie 12. Lose That Girl 13. Good Night Jack 14. How We Used
To Live 15. Heart Failed(In the Back of a taxi) 16. Action 17. Fascination
(Prev. Unreleased) 18. Finisterre |
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Innocence
Mission, The Now The Day Is Over
CD $13.25
Jazz-tinged and dreamy, this new offering from The Innocence Mission collects
standards and traditional songs that singer Karen Peris has sung to her
children as lullabies since they were born. "After hearing Bono speak," says
Peris, "about orphaned children in South Africa, our plans to make
another benefit record were strengthened and propelled and we worked more
quickly and spontaneously than usual." A portion of the proceeds will
be donated to organizations working to aid impoverished children throughout
Africa. Most of the songs on Now The Day Is Over were recorded late at
night over a three-week period. A lot of the singing was done live to Don
Peris's guitar playing. Spacious arrangements allowed for piano and pump
organ and Mike Bitt's upright bass. The Innocence Mission began as four
friends who met during a Catholic high school production of Godspell. Since
their fortuitous parochial meeting, they have released five major label
albums and the critically acclaimed Befriended on Badman in 2003. The one
consistent element in all incarnations of The Innocence Mission is the
musical and literal marriage of guitarist Don Peris and vocalist/pianist
Karen Peris. Los Angeles Tines: "For anyone in need of respite from
Madonna's Catholic guilt, The Innocence Mission offers the rarer, intriguing
tonic of Catholic joy." Joni Mitchell: "Of all the new singer-songwriters,
Karen Peris is the most interesting to me." |
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Call
And Response My Favorite Song Writers
CD $10.00
A step back in time...to when Call and Response were in between the California
twee pop sound of their debut and the matured radiance of their recent
full length, "Winds Take No Shape". "Tiger Teeth" was
recorded over a period of 6 months in 2002. This is a perfect blend of
the first Call and Response record and the second, really. The EP is filled
with strong catchy, groovy, California pop tunes such as "Nervous
Wreck " and " Tiger Teeth." The songs "Connection" and "Messages" features
keyboardist Simone Rubi on lead vocals, which is reminiscent of their debut
album. |
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Various My
Favorite Song Writers
CD $14.50
This release celebrates the 10th Release Anniversary of Five One, Inc.
This is a very special compilation album by Five One, Inc's favorite song
writers. All songs are exclusively written and performed by the artists
for this project. Featuring solo recordings by Tim Kasher (Cursive/The
Good Life), Jim Ward (Sparta), Stephen Brodsky (Cave In), Ryan Ferguson
(No Knife), Derek Fudesco (Pretty Girls Make Graves), Yoshino Hisashi (Eastern
Youth), Robert Nanna (Hey Mercedes /Braid), Masafumi Isobe (Husking Bee),
Pedro Carmona and Lars Heintz (Sister Sonny), Dan Hargest (Pollen), Arabella
Harrison (The And Ors). These artists were gracious enough to spend a little
time away from their groups and write songs that showcase their individual
talents. Many are first time solo artists and offer the listener a passenger
seat view at their very first solo efforts. Track List: 01. On Elvira Street
by Ryan Ferguson 02. These Years by Jim Ward 03. Nekkikyu by Masafumi Isobe/Corner
04. Couple Next Door by Lars Heintz 05. Stranger Than Strangers by Tim
Kasher 06. Last Chance by Arabella Harrison 07. Water Me by Dan Hargest/Sextet
08. AM Jam by Derek Fudesco 09. Beautiful Break-up by Stephen Brodsky 10.
Furimukuna by Hisashi Yoshino & M.A.G.O. 11. Birthday #2 by Pedro Carmona/Moonpedro
and the New Farm Street Orchestra 12. I’d Rather Be Wine Drunk by
Robert Nanna /The City on Film |
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Lenz,
Frank Slaughter Conquest
CD $10.75
Fucking brilliant! Frank Lenz has played in and produced records for Lassie
Foundation, Richard Swift, Pedro the Lion, Ester Drang, Duraluxe, Fold
Zandura, SF 59, Pony Express, Map, Calico Sunset, Kat Jones, (the list
could go on forever), it's no wonder his own solo record is the almost
the sound of heaven. From the heart breaking piano ballads to all out stoner-wanking
guitar solos Frank Lenz has created a 41-minute masterpiece. |
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Carter,
Christina Living Contact
CD $13.75
The material is made up solely of CHRISTINA CARTER (CHARALAMBIDES) on acoustic
guitar & vocals. It was recorded on a boombox & 4 track tape from
1994-98. It reminds us how pivotal CHARALAMBIDES have been as a band & as
individuals over the last decade, & proves that the most basic musical
tools can still rivet the attention of a listener when they are used by
an astute & daring musician. Performed by 1 woman in a room by herself,
this music sounds both as old as the hills & utterly contemporary. |
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Dolour New
Old Friends
CD $13.00
Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Shane Tutmarc (Dolour) delivers
his unique brand of charming yet sophisticated indie pop through Dolour's
latest release New Old Friends on Made in Mexico Records. John Richards,
Program Director for KEXP says, "Shane Tutmarc is one of the best
songwriters in Seattle, let alone the rest of the music world." From
elegant orchestral flourishes to catchy guitar hooks and sing-along choruses,
Dolour's music draws comparisons to both pop icons and contemporaries alike,
including the Flaming Lips, the Beach Boys, Weezer, Wilco, Squeeze, the
Beatles, Elvis Costello, Elliott Smith, Randy Newman, and even Queen. |
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L Holy
Letters
CD $13.25
This release features (It's not a joke): Markus Acher (Notwist/Lali Recorded
in 1989 and 1990, Hiroyuki Usui's barely circulated masterpiece of deeply
felt self-expression beautifully captures the spirit and substance of a
half-dozen key sub-underground pillars of sound. Working with guitar, vocals,
vibes, harmonium, bass, drums, cello, field recordings, digeridoo, and
more, Usui blends delicate folk, psychedelia, and experimental sounds into
a mostly subdued but undeniably glowing suite. The layered but careful
instrumentation on the epic title track and "Troll" backs the
alternately plain-spoken and crooning vocals perfectly. Odd touches like
snatches of throat singing and bowed vibraphone leap out of the mix at
just the right time. There are overt references to the blues (the first
track is an oblique cover of "Cold Was The Ground") -- but other
than the occasional slide guitar touch, the connection is overwhelmingly
in the timeless feeling and atmosphere. For anyone who's into Richard Youngs,
Popol Vuh, Six Organs of Admittance, Tim Buckley, acid-folk, or Japanese
underground, this is an essential purchase. Holy Letters was self-released
by Usui in the early '90s and primarily given away to friends, while a
handful made it into shops in Tokyo and the U.S. before it disappeared
completely. VHF's reissue includes the entire CD and seven-inch from the
original package, plus a tenminute bonus track from the original sessions.
The gatefold folio with 20-page booklet includes previously unpublished
photos and new liner notes by Usui and Ben Chasny (in both Japanese and
English). |
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Boris Amplifier
Worship
CD $14.50
With their second full-length album, Boris takes their sludgy, Melvins-influenced
doom rock style and gives it a heavy psychedelic slant. The album is divided
into five tracks, but like their other albums, Absolutego and Flood, it
plays out like one extended piece and is meant to be listened to straight
through in one sitting. It starts out with a slow, ugly doom riff that
repeats for several minutes before heading into a stretched-out, psychedelic
jam section on the lengthy second track, "Ganbou-Ki." After another
succession of heavy riffing, psych-rock jamming, and a little bit of up-tempo
punk action (the first part of "Kuruimizu," which still retains
a Melvins-like feel), they move into several minutes of spacey, surprisingly
pretty guitar/bass picking, similar to much of what's on Flood. Finally,
they settle into a dense guitar/bass feedback drone à la Earth for
the lengthy final track, "Vomitself." The album as a whole feels
like a sort of journey in terms of how it opens in one vein, moves through
various other sections, and then closes in yet another style, but it also
maintains a consistent mood (and they don't use the word "doom" to
refer to this type of music for nothing). In any case, Amplifier Worship
proves Boris to be on the more innovative (not to mention heavy) end of
the sludgedoom metal spectrum and is recommended to open-eared fans of
the style; casual listeners, on the other hand, will probably have trouble
getting into the album, since it does require some patience. AMG |
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Aloha Here
Comes Everyone
CD $11.00 • LP
$9.75
Listen to: Summer
Away • You've
Escaped
Here Comes Everyone launches the retooled Aloha machine with a fury of
stick-to-the-ribcage blasts and shimmering ballads. Aloha adds the orchestral
pop of the late '60s and the post-prog rock of the '80s to its big-thinking,
rhythmn-rich repetoire. Engaging yet contemplative, Aloha crosses the experimental/populist
divide. Long-time fans and will find a dreamy, layered soundscape to get
lost in. Casual passers-by will find hooks to keep them standing by the
speaker. Here Comes Everyone brings the listener on a fevered tour of post-modernity,
from the edge cities to the urban enclaves, from buried history to the
impending future. What can't be painted with words is told by yearning
mellotrons, spikey guitars, and graceful chord changes. With the help of
Don Zientara and Chad Clark at Inner Ear/Silver Sonya (where new Aloha
member T.J. Lipple works as an engineer), the band sounds warmer than ever,
with all the spirit of a basement-show sensation and the gloss and confidence
of an arena rocker. |
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Sigur
Ros Von Brigoi (AKA Recycle Bin) [Icelandic
Edition]
CD $14.50
The Icelandic version of the "Von" remix album, entitled "Von
Brigoi" AKA "Recycle Bin", which is also being released
here in the States later this month. Includes remixes of "Von" tracks
by Mum, Gus Gus, Sigur Ros themselves, and more! Same tracks as the US
version, slightly better price. Tracklist: 1. Syndir Guðs [Recycled
by Biogen] 2. Syndir Guðs [Recycled by Múm] 3. Leit Af Lífi
[Recycled by Plastmic] 4. Myrkur [Recycled Ila] 5. Myrkur [Recycled Dirty-bix]
6. 180 Sekúndur Fyrir Sólarupprás (Recycled by Curver)
7. Hún Jörð [Recycled by Hassbræður] 8. Leit
Af Lífi [Recycled by Thor] 9. Von [Recycled by Gus Gus] 10. Leit
Af Lífi [Recycled by Sigur Rós] |
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Black
Mayonnaise Ttssattsr
CD $13.25
Black Mayonnaise is the one-man bedroom doom project of Akron, Ohio's Mike
Duncan. This extremely disturbing music features dying Elephant Man gurgles
as vocals mixed with detuned sludge metal guitar and an overall cough syrup
spacerock feel. Small-minded folk might call it "depressing," but
for slow-mo headbangers and psych freaks alike, it serves as a blessing
of beautiful bleakness. The relentless lo-fi drum machine has a profound
effect on the overall desolate feel of the album -- the nine-minute "Spherics," for
example, begins with a grueling six-minute intro of space gurgles and a
S-L-O-W Melvins-like kick/snare pattern, but the payoff is immense: a rush
of Sabbath-on-16 guitar flood that runs like a river of mayonnaise. Good
things come for those who wait. Full of heavy spaced out drum tracks, low
distorted sludge bass and pitchshifted vocals. The mood is deep and very,
very dark: the waltz of the sewer rats safely tucked beneath the city streets.
--The Kettle Black |
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Autolux Future
Perfect
CD $12.25
Los Angeles trio comprised of former members of Failure/Replicants/Lusk,
Maids of Gravity, and Ednaswap. "When the Coen brothers started the
DMZ music label with bluesman T-Bone Burnett in 2002, cynics expected them
to release a series of precious O Brother, Where Art Thou?-style compilations.
But the movie mavens took a different route, signing Autolux, an L.A. rock
trio that dispenses with Sunset Strip debauchery in favor of a fusion of
percolating pop and My Bloody Valentine grandeur. Though it might appear
like they were out of their element, the Coens' chose the right band. Autolux
soars on this excellent debut, with cascading, fuzzy feedback and joyful,
saccharine singing, especially on the psych-pop track Sugarless. But the
group isn't merely interested in precocious pop, interspersing muscular
tracks within the album that are anchored by Carla Azar's solid drumming.
Throughout the course of the record, songs will trail off into a swirling,
psychedelic collage, only to be followed by a jolt as the next track accelerates
like a nitro-fueled sports car. And, the band can pull off moody rock without
becoming the sulking, suit-wearing boys of Interpol, copping an attitude
but always returning to kick out the jams. The Dude would definitely approve." -
Playboy ================= from URB: "Autolux: Three The Hard Way They’ve
survived everything from also-ran bands to a shattered elbow to become
the most important band in Los Angeles. Next stop: the world. Los Angeles’ intimate
Silverlake Lounge is bursting at the seams. There are hip kids of countless
persuasions jockeying for position around the tiny makeshift stage at the
end of the bar, upon which actor Giovanni Ribisi (hanging with fellow thespian
Tim Roth) was just busted for perching in hopes of a better view in the
cramped room. On the stage, clumps of red Christmas lights hang precariously
from the rafters while behind the drum set glows an oversized three-dimensional
star. When the house lights dim and three slight figures take the stage,
the boisterous crowd grows quiet in anticipation. A warped guitar wash
is looped into a hypnotic blur which eventually explodes in a rush of sound
somewhere between mid-period Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless
and 3 a.m. on the best college radio station ever. The Christmas lights
twinkle in time with the music as the trio — bassist/voice Eugene
Goresther, guitarist Greg Edwards and drummer Carla Azar — set about
proving exactly why they’re the band most likely to cause a genuine
sensation when finally set loose on an unsuspecting music world. A few
weeks later, I meet up with Autolux in Goreshter’s nearby loft apartment,
where I find them at the tail end of a day spent entertaining similarly
smitten journalists. They exude a collective cool most likely gleaned from
each member having been on the verge of breakout status with different
bands (Edwards in Failure, Goreshter in Maids of Gravity and Azar in Ednaswap,
best know as the band that wrote “Torn,” (in)famously covered
into a worldwide hit by Natalie Imbruglia). The trio’s debut album,
Future Perfect (DMZ/Sony), has already garnered all nature of praise, and
one listen bears out the accolades. An androgynous swirl of guitars and
Azur’s massive drum style, it’s a sound that’s completely
unique, yet comfortably familiar. The legendary T-Bone Burnett, who co-owns
the DMZ label with renowned filmmakers the Coen Brothers, produced the
album. “T-Bone just created a relaxed environment so we could make
the album we wanted,” remembers Goreshter. “He didn’t
mess with the songs at all. The best way I can sum up the experience is
to talk about the buzz.” The three exchange knowing glances. “When
we first got to the studio, there was this awful buzz that just wouldn’t
go away, no matter what the engineers did. When T-Bone walked in, the buzzing
just stopped, and it never came back.” It’s obvious that Autolux
is appreciative of their position, all the more due to a freak accident
that could’ve cost Azur her ability to drum. After opening for Elvis
Costello at LA’s Kodak Theater, she was talking to a friend at the
edge of the stage when the worst happened. “The stage lights went
down for Elvis to start his show, and I didn’t realize my feet were
tangled in cables. I stood up and fell from the stage onto the concrete
floor ten feet below and landed on my elbow.” The elbow shattered,
requiring nine metal pins and lengthy physical rehab to repair. She produces
a wince-inducing x-ray. According to her bandmates, she is playing better
than ever. “She’s got something to prove,” chuckles Edwards. “I
was afraid she’d never be able to play again.” Azur looks peeved. “You
never told me that,” she retorts. “Way to be supportive.” Goreshter
jumps in and reestablishes the peace, steering the conversation to their
summer tour of the UK and plans to hit America in the fall. “We’re
just really excited,” he says finally. “This is something we
all really believe in.” |
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Butler,
Brandon Killer On the Road
CD $11.50 • LP
$8.25
New album from Boy's Life, Farewell Bend, Canyon founder, a collection
of world-weary songs likened to Neil Young, Steve Earle, etc. Produced
by Brendan Canty (Fugazi, Ted Leo). |
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Pavement Crooked
Rain, Crooked Rain: L.A.'s Desert Origins
CD $15.00
Pavement's 2nd and best-selling album, reissued as a super-deluxe double-CD
with 40-page, perfect-bound booklet and embossed die-cut slipcase. The
original 12 tracks that comprised the original album PLUS 39 BONUS TRACKS!
11 B-sides, 8 songs recorded with original drummer Gary Young, 15 never-before-heard
album outtakes including 11 UNRELEASED SONGS, as well as 4 songs from a
Peel Session. One of SPIN's "Greatest Albums of the 90s" and
ROLLING STONE'S "Greatest Albums of All Time." Features the songs
Cut Your Hair and Gold Soundz and helped define the slasker sensibility
melding mighty blunted 1970s riff with catchy choruses and lyricism spanning
California, careerism, and the traumas of war. I believe there was also
some type of gorilla suit. Yes, I'm sure of it. = = = = = = = = = "Given
the mean age of Pitchfork staffers, this list should be absolutely dripping
with My First Indie Album teary-eyed recollections. Crooked Rain, Crooked
Rain is the one album guaranteed to start me a-blubberin', as I remember
how discovering "Cut Your Hair" through (no shit) The Countdown
to The Headbangers' Ball was my gentle push down the greasy slope of elitism.
Which is why I'll forever treasure it as the essential Pavement album.
What's remarkable about the album is not its shoestring budget technique,
but how friggin' epic the material sounds despite (or possibly because
of) being crammed into such humble surroundings. From the Skynyrd-coda
of "Stop Breathing" to the California Adventure of "Unfair" to
the Quadrophenia mods vs. rockers battle of "Fillmore Jive",
Crooked Rain is an album recorded in basement Cinemascope. The twangy monolith
at the center, though, is "Range Life", paradoxically featuring
some of Stephen Malkmus' most evocative imagery alongside some of his most
petty, albeit hilarious and OTM, whining. It's the score to the inevitable
slow-motion retrospectives of Pavement's career, and the most moving song
of their tenure-- even if you can't really bang your head to it." -
Pitchfork Media |
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Cat
Power Speaking for Trees: A Film by Mark Borthwick
CD $21.50
DVD and CD! The long awaited new album from one of the most powerful voices
and minds of her generation or any other, 'You Are Free' marks Chan Marshall's
first album of original material in nearly four years. Achingly beautiful
and carefully crafted, 'You Are Free' is most assuredly not easy listening.
Great albums rarely are. Experimental filmmaker, photographer and visual
artist Mark Borthwick has completed an elaborate package including a nearly
2-hour-long film of Cat Power playing solo outdoors in the countryside.
Shot from a great distance in gloriously grainy color, and recorded with
all the ambient sounds of nature, this film in the tradition of Warhol
and Wiseman is a fascinating document. The DVD also includes 3 nature films
set to music from 'You Are Free', and a CD including a single 18-minute
long unreleased song saga entitled "Willie Deadwilder," an outtake
from the 'You Are Free' recording sessions. In a slipcase with foldout
digipak and 64-page perfect-bound book created and illustrated by Mark
Borthwick. |
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Sigur
Ros Von [Icelandic Edition]
CD $14.50
Sigur Ros' debut album, "Von", originally issued in 1997, and
never before released outside Iceland. The predecessor to their masterpiece, "Agaetis
Byrjun", this is the Icelandic pressing housed in a lovely *purple
jewelcase*. Same tracks as the US version coming out later this month,
slightly better price! |
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Elliott
Smith From a Basement on the Hill
CD $15.72 • LP
$15.25
Listen to: Twilight
Elliott Smith has been a patron saint of the indie scene since his days
helming Portland heroes Heatmiser. As a solo artist, his fondness for Beatlesque
melody led to some of the most beautifully orchestrated pop of the last
decade. This is his final recording, which found him returning to an edgier,
guitar-driven sound, alongside his trademark heart-rending balladry. |
 |
American
Music Club Love Songs for Patriots
CD $12.75
Listen to: Another
Morning • Ladies
And Gentlemen
AMC are back after a ten year hiatus, with the original members. "Love
Songs" blends the band's unique mix of rock, folk, country, and jazz
with Mark Eitzel's ever-present acerbic, brutally honest lyrics. = = =
= = = = = = = = = After a 10-year hiatus, American Music Club is back together!!
The band tracked the new songs in San Francisco at Closer Recording Studios
and mixed the record at The Echo Lab in Denton, TX with Matt Pence (Centro-matic,
South San Gabriel) Mark Eitzel (vocals and guitar) reports that things
turned out “much better than I could have ever expected.” “It’s
very inspiring to be working with these great musicians once again,” Eitzel
recently told RollingStone.com. “We’re pretty different now.
I think we’ve changed a lot. You’d have to in ten years, right?” Forming
in San Francisco back in 1983, Mark Eitzel, Vudi and Dan Pearson began
by synthesizing their love for rock, country, blues, folk, pop and punk,
into an incredibly unique and engaging musical melting pot, featuring Eitzel’s
enigmatic presence, heartfelt vocals and brilliant songwriting. |
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Pinback Summer
In Abaddon
CD $12.75 • LP
$12.75
Listen to: Fortress
Although it may seem like gentle pop music at first, the brilliance of "Summer
In Abaddon" is slowly revealed over repeated listenings. The songs
are buoyant and lively at times, melancholy and dark at others, and always
resonate with an underlying intensity. Pinback lays out beautiful melodies
that are deceptively complex, layering sounds and instruments upon one
another and trading contrasting vocal parts with ease. |
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Bloodthirsty
Lovers Delicate Seam
CD $13.00
Listen to: Listen to: A
Postcard From The Sea • Now
You Know • The
Mods Go Mad
Great
sophomore release from the Bloodthirsty Lovers, the band
led by Dave Shouse of The Grifters and Those Bastard Souls.
A longtime fan of both of Dave's previous groups, I was mildly
underwhelmed by the first Bloodthirsty Lovers album, but
this new record is really tremendous and remniscent of the
gorgeous epics on the Those Bastard Souls CD. This is one
of those records that I got early from a friend of the band
and each time I've played it in the office my co-workers
say, "Wow, who is this?" Recommended!
|
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Ulrich
Schnauss A Strangely Isolated Place
CD $13.00
Listen to: On
My Own• A
Letter From Home
For fans of M83, Slowdive, U2's "The
Unforgettable Fire", Cocteau
Twin's star-shimmer, Lanterna's delayed
haze, and Orbital's "brown
album." RECOMMENDED! Electronic music has rarely found itself
a popular home. Switch on your TV set or go to the cinema, however, and
you'll discover a world of vast and endless possibilities brought to life
with instrumental textures designed to arouse an emotional response. Add
some guitars, unforgettable tunes and even a sliver of voice here and there,
and you have yourself a soundtrack with instant mass appeal and an emotional
vocabulary that is enriched with every single listen. Ulrich's debut album
followed these principles perfectly, and this, his long-awaited follow-up
A Strangely Isolated Place extends and expands on a formula which is uniquely
and unforgettably his own. This is a record with an unashamed love of many
forms of popular music, as well as a technologically inspired method of
delivery, ...Isolated Place starts off with timeless melodies and embroiders
itself with indie stylings, some vocals and a euphoric, larger than life
sound that betrays the loneliness of its highly evocative title. Moving
away from the widespread fascination with all things 'micro', the scope
here is big, although every fragment of sound from the opening melancholy
bliss of 'gone forever' to the dusty detuned breakbeat of 'a letter from
home' has been carefully wrapped and labelled 'fragile'. For this is music
that has been assembled piece by piece, every fragment carefully chosen
and given a sense of belonging, a home. Ulrich Schnauss has brought to
life a place that you may have never visited, but it's a place that you
have always known. |
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The
Beauty Shop Crisis Helpline
CD $19.75
Listen to: Monster • Paper
Hearts For Josie • Babyshaker
Sophomore album from Champaign-Urbana based band led by singer/guitarist
John Hoeffleur with bassist Ariane Peralta. Steve Lamos (The Geese/DMS/American
Football/National Skyline/The One-Up Downstairs) plays drums and Rachael
Dietkus (Very
Secretary) adds violins. |
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The
Delgados Universal Audio
CD $14.50 • LP
$15.50
Listen to: Girls
Of Valour • The
City Consumes Us • I
Fought The Angels
"ONE OF THE GREATEST BANDS IN THE WORLD" - John Peel "I AGREE.
100%" - Bill Parasol • Four
albums into their critically acclaimed careers and The Delgados have decided
to throw everyone something of a curve ball. Dispensing with the lush orchestrations
of their previous two releases, The Delgados withdrew to their Chem19 studio
in Hamilton (just outside Glasgow, Scotland) to record with the help of their
long-time collaborator Tony Doogan (Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai, Super
Furry Animals). When they finally emerged from 4 months of recording, Universal
Audio had a sunning melodic sensibility and was a stunning achievement.
Smothered in guitars; drenched in hooks; loaded with melodies and overflowing
with harmonies, Universal Audio is a pop triumph: articulate, eclectic,
overwhelmingly immediate and thoroughly captivating. It represents the same level
of seismic leap taken by the band on their third, Mercury nominated album The
Great Eastern, and a brave departure from the dark, symphonic follow
up of 2002's Hate. Universal
Audio sounds more effervescent than its bombastic predecessors - a different
feel for a very different record. The Delgados stand out as uniquely gifted songwriters
and with Universal Audio -- they have produced a torch song for the
great albums of the past and a timeless addition to their increasingly spectacular
body of work. The
Delgados transcended their early days palling around with Bis beginning with
their album Peloton and
truly upped the ante with the release of The Great Eastern and Hate, Universal
Audio continues in this fine tradition, the delivery may be less claustrophobic
("claustrophobic" being a good element on the past two outings), but
ideas still abound. Among many highlights is is the terrific Novak-meets-Brian
Wilson (or is it The
Melody Unit-meets-XTC?) "Girls Of Valour." I was braced to have
one of my favorite bands buckle after their past success. This album is a little
different without producer Dave Fridmann (Flaming
Lips, Mercury
Rev, Mogwai,
etc) lending a hand, but it's still great!! |
 |
Client City
CD $14.75
Listen to: Down
To The Underground • Overdrive • In
It For The Money
Duo formed by Sarah Blackwood (Client B) from Dubstar and Kate Holmes (Client
A) from Technique/Frazier Chorus (and wife to Creation/Poptones Records
kingpin Alan McGee... right?). Features guest vocal appearances from The
Libertines' Pete Doherty and Carl Barat and Depeche
Mode's Martin Gore. City was co-produced by Joe Wilson (Sneaker
Pimps) and proves to be a bit darker than the material on the duo's debut.
According to Client, "The first album was about pills, sex, and prostitution.
The new album will be darker, bleaker and more lush." To my ears the
album is propelled by a dark, synth groove recalling favorite bands from
my formative years - Soft Cell, Heaven 17, Nitzer Ebb, Front 242, Pet Shop
Boys - and a healthy dose of my beloved Dubstar. Poppy without being sanitized.
A stark, sexy brand of electronica grounded in classic songwriting fashion
that combines pulsing, machine funk w/classic song writing. “Dance
grooves with a provocative edge” - The Guardian • “Client
have taken the punky electro sound on to a new level… better than
a nicotine rush from a cheeky fag out the widow” - Mixmag • “Enigmatic
electro pop” - Uncut • Client are a female
electro duo producing stark and compulsive electro pop anthems that combine
the incisive and acerbic lyrical wit of The Smiths and the ‘Northern
song writer tradition’ with a pulsing, immediate electronic sound
reminiscent of Kraftwerk and Joy Division. ‘In It For The Money’ written
by Client and co-produced by Client and Joe Wilson (Sneaker Pimps) is a
wry riposte to the cynicism of pop culture and is one of many highlights
on the eagerly anticipated new album. Karl Bartos of Kraftwerk, who is
a major fan of Client’s work and who recruited them as a support
act on three of his UK dates last year, had this to say about Client: “Client
is witty electro pop coming from a creative mind. And they’re doing
it in style. So, if you’re into real people with an attitude you
should listen to this!” |
 |
Daydream
Nation Bella Vendetta
CD $12.00
Listen to: A
New Dawn • Neon
After releasing an amazing self-titled debut that drew praise from major
publications such as The Big Takeover, Skyscraper, Exclaim!,
and Creem, Daydream Nation are back with a vengeance on their
brand new effort Bella Vendetta. The duo consisting of Pat Vaz
on guitar and vocals and Hunter Crowley (formerly of Brian Jonestown Massacre
and The Warlocks) on drums were joined on this album by the likes of Brent
Rademaker (Frausdots, Beachwood Sparks, The Tyde), Dave Koenig (Brian Jonestown
Massacre), and Rob Campanella (Quarter After, Brian Jonestown Massacre)
and the results are spectacular. Think prime time Oasis and Soundtrack
of Our Lives meets Ride and Swervedriver at their most epic. File under "Arena
Shoegaze."
“
Rough-hewn dream pop, reminiscent of Ride, The Jesus and Mary Chain
and (especially) Swervedriver that is hard to resist. Their guitars
are relentless, thick and pedaled into frenzy.” - Skyscraper
“
Dirty shoegaze mood drifting through muddy ecstatic guitar fuzz. Heavy
mellow, and thick. Elements of Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine,
and that Jesus and Mary Chain noise break through the guitars and bass,
while the vocals drift over it all” - The Big Takeover |
 |
Singapore
Sling Life Is Killing My Rock 'N' Roll CD
$13.00
Listen to: Life
Is Killing My Rock 'n' Roll • Guiding
Light
Fantastic stuff wholly indebted to The Jesus And Mary Chain's "Psychocandy" -
so much so that these sound like they could be outtakes to that seminal
record. Very good stuff. Iceland’s dark masters of avant-garage Singapore
Sling return to center stage with “Life Is Killing My Rock ‘N’ Roll”,
the blistering follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut album, 2003’s “The
Curse of Singapore Sling”. “Life Is Killing My Rock ‘N’ Roll” brims
with hook-laden, psychedelic-cum-garage pop gems, married with the brute,
raw power the band introduced on their debut album. “Life Is Killing
My Rock ‘N’ Roll” depicts a nihilistic, renegade world
of joyrides, zombies, casual mayhem and devil-may-care self-destruction.
Cuts like the title track burst with snarling vocals, primal drum beats,
hypnotically wailing keyboards and Singapore Sling’s signature feedback-besotted
wall-of-guitars. “Curse Curse Curse” is an unabashed, rump-shaking,
manic pop thrill, marked by a penetrating lead guitar hook and propulsive
percussion. Intricate keyboards provide additional texture – and,
in some instances, menace – throughout the album, most notably on “Guiding
Light”. |
 |
Various I
Am A Cold Rock, I Am Dull Grass: A Tribute To The Music
Of Will Oldham CD $13.75
Listen to: Iron & Wine
covers "We All, Us Three, Will Ride" • Calexico
covers "I Send My Love To You"
Double-CD (2xCD set is limited to the first 500 copies) tribute
to Will Oldham (aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Palace, Palace Brothers,
Palace Music, etc.) featuring Iron And Wine, Calexico, Pinetop Seven, Sodastream,
Pale Horse And Rider, The Impossible Shapes, Rivulets, Sorry About Dresden,
Scout Niblett, Moyra McBride and Maxon Blewitt, The Strugglers, Boy Omega,
Celestine, etc. |
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Crippled
Pilgrims Down Here: Collected Recordings (1983-1985)
CD $12.50
Listen to: Black
and White • Down
Here • Undone
A compilation of recordings (and the digital debut) from one of my most
listened to artists of the past 20 years - the criminally unknown (not
for long) Crippled Pilgrims of Washington DC! A stunning blend of
Dumptruck, Television, Meat Puppets, Wire, The Beatles, Ramones, Grateful
Dead, The Rain Parade, Green On Red, and The Dream Syndicate with great
vocals by Jay Moglia and guitar by Scott Wingo. "...Last year's 6-song
mini-album, Head Down-Hand Out, got the kind of critical raves
that are generally reserved for veterans of the music biz, and the new
release is certain to follow in it's predecessor's footsteps. Imagine some
sort of psychedelic garage combo playing jazz on the side for extra bucks;
picture a surreal blending of Televison, Grateful Dead, space cowboy Byrds
and Meat Puppets. C.P. are from D.C. and are led by singer/songwriter/cover
artist Jay Moglia; Mitch Parker plays bass, Dan Joseph contributes drums
and some great piano playing as well, and Scott Wingo handles lead guitar.
Of the latter I cannot begin to curb my praise, for the astonishing clarity
with which Wingo unleashes his notes is chilling at times, so fluid and
on-the-mark are his offerings. While Moglia’s vocals are never 'pretty'
or even completely in tune, they seem perfectly suited for his hazy, ambiguous
lyrics, recalling at times Lou Reed or perhaps a younger Robyn Hitchcock... I
think some will call this album a 'sleeper' - and you WILL be hooked. A
fine brilliant album." - Fred Mills circa 1985 (more
info/sound samples) |
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The
Green Pajamas Ten White Stones
CD $12.00
Listen to: The
Cruel Night • Gazelle • Lost
Girls Song
With numerous albums released over the years and a strong and dedicated
fanbase worldwide, Seattle psychedelic pop outfit The
Green Pajamas, led by main songwriter and singer Jeff
Kelly (The
Goblin Market) with Joe Ross (Capping Day), Eric
Lichter, Laura Weller (The
Goblin Market/Capping Day), and Scott Vanderpool, enjoys critical
recognition from all corners of music journalism, from Entertainment
Weekly to Ptolemaic Terrascope. To celebrate The Green Pajamas’ 20th
Anniversary, Hidden
Agenda will release two CDs of new material. Kicking off is Ten
White Stones, recorded live-in-the-studio over two nights at Studio
V in Seattle during April of 2004. Ten White Stones offers much
more than merely live renditions of Green PJ's classics. Outside of three
tracks, "The Cruel Night" and "Lost Girls Song" (both
from Northern
Gothic), and “(She’s
Still) Bewitching Me” (showcased as a steamy lament in this
setting), the remaining seven songs are all previously unreleased, including
the closer, a slow-burn version of the Hank Williams classic "I
Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)". Jeff Kelly comments, “We
were invited by a friend who had been wanting to record us for a while
and we decided it could be a fun experiment. It's raw and fairly spontaneous
like our live shows.” Looking forward into the new year The Green
Pajamas will release a new album on Hidden Agenda tentatively titled The
Night Races Into Anna, which Kelly says “will have a great
variety of music and production style, which I picture more along the
lines of Strung Behind the Sun then say Northern
Gothic and some of our more thematic albums." (more
info/sound samples)
|
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The
Arcade Fire Funeral
CD $12.75
Listen to: Rebellion
(Lies) • Neighborhood
#2 (Laika) • Wake
Up
Montreal's Arcade Fire brings a theatricality, an intensity, an insanity,
and a penchant for amazing hooks to their debut full-length. You've never
heard such energy, beauty, and emotion from such a young band. Fans of
Neutral Milk Hotel, Broken Social Scene, The Decemberists, and Roxy Music's
first two albums will have a new favorite band. |
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Memphis I
Dreamed We Fell Apart
CD $13.00
Listen to: Love
Comes Quickly • Nada • The
Second Summer
New album by Torquil Campbell from Stars,
James Shaw from Metric and
Chris Dumont. Great shadowy pop for fans of the Stars, Looper's
detached yet heartfelt nature, The
Clientele's glorious grey skies, and Trembling
Blue Stars' sensitivity bubbling under with a New Wave revisionism
as if Vitesse were
deciphering and updating Talk
Talk and The
Blue Nile rather than New Order. As is true of Stars, I'm also very
fond of Memphis. |
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Matthew
Sweet Living Things
CD $14.50
Listen to: | | |
