Sound On Sound Records
106 E North Loop Blvd
Austin, TX 78751

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NEW ARRIVALS IN STOCK (Past Weeks Below)

July 27, 2009

ANIMALS & MEN
Self Titled 12"

"The first new recordings by legendary UK DIY band ANIMALS & MEN in nearly 30 years. Features four brand new songs and two new recordings of old favorites 'It's Hip' and 'Dreaming Of Babylon.' " [Convulsive Records]


AXEMEN
Scary! Part III 2xLP

"The second entry in Siltbreeze's Axemen reissue series, Scary! Part III originally saw light as a cassette-only release in 1989. Unlike the hyper-punk-charged pastiche of Big Cheap Motel, Scary! operates from a gestalt concept and sensibility. While on the surface the contents might sound fragmented, ruminative, or obfuscatory, dig deeper (or listen better) and you'll see (and hear) the mystifying ooze lactating out of the four sides of Scary! not as individual, insurmountable constructs of bizarreness, but as a coherent pattern of brilliant phenomena that is-- in a word-- scary! Novice ears that have made it though this Bunyanesque giant find themselves making comparisons to a mixture of S.Y.P.H., Royal Trux, and Ptose. All one can say, really, to such hodgepodge is "congratulations." After 20 years and counting, this release refuses to be aptly pigeonholed..." [Siltbreeze Records]


BAD THOUGHTS
Oh Jena 7"

"The sharpest knife in the drawer and the biggest jug of yerba mate they could find. Deeply summer and dedicated to the plaza in Barcelona that's dedicated to May '68. A-side is a serious protest rhythm record, B-side is their favorite secret Mark Perry song, played by the group themselves! BAD THOUGHTS third and best single." [M'Lady Records]


BUTTHOLE SURFERS
Live Pcppep LP

"Finally back in print! The Live PCPPEP is their second release; it came out in 1984. recorded live in a bar in their hometown of San Antonio and released as a follow-up to their Brown Reason to Live 12". These acid-casualty reality trippers paid tribute to and killed American hardcore once and for all while single-handedly ushering in a new Post-Everything era..." [Alternative Tentacles Records]


CHIMIKS
Self Titled LP

"Ex-Fatals!!! Like the Fatals on an 8-ball of trucker crank sprinkled with hand grenades, The Chimiks blast forth with so much Stooges meets Oblivians / Necessary Evils / Reatards / Teengenerate power and speed it had to be pressed on a 45rpm 12-inch vinyl--the world's loudest format." [Slovenly Records]


CROM
Cocaine Wars 1974-1989 LP

"REISSUED ON VINYL!!! The legendary debut album from Los Angeles powerhouse CROM. Crom takes the rawness of Crossed Out and mixes it with the thrash guitar of heavyweights like Uncle Slam and Abraxis to pay tribute to the God of Conan. Less "lo-fi" than their earlier shit, but just as cruel. Cover art has major crossover potential; it is sure to seduce fans of airbrush van art, Canadian '80s metalheads, and comic book store-owners." [Forest Moon Special Products]


EARTHMEN AND STRANGERS
Self Titled LP

"RYAN ROUSSEAU saw that TOKYO ELECTRON was about to become a much less active band and started a new project. He recorded a handful of demo tracks and started to put together a new band. Here is the result. Ten tracks featuring his new band recorded and mixed at Cardiac Studio." [FDH Records]


GARY WAR
Horribles Parade LP

"This is the second album and the follow-up to last year’s New Raytheonport LP on Shdwply Records. Gary War's thick, synth-heavy psychedelia occupies a space between spacey bedroom experimentalists like R. Stevie Moore or the more contemporary Kurt Vile and the abrasive proto-punk of Chrome and Debris. The album expands on the more stripped down sound of his Sacred Bones "Zontag" single, plying layers of warm fuzz and feedback on top of psychedelic pop song structures." [Sacred Bones Records]


JANDEK
Six And Six LP

FIRST TIME OFFICIALLY RE-ISSUED "Originally released in 1981, following a three year gap between the release of debut LP Ready For The House, JANDEK’s second album Six And Six stands as an incredible document of the formative stages of his cracked genius. Following the astonishingly bleak tone of the first LP, the musical elements are almost catatonic. Nine songs drift by as a series of slight variations on several desolate, untuned acoustic guitar phrases. The meditative, steady music forms a dark backdrop for some of Jandek’s more vivid and poetic lyrical thoughts. Universal doom, loner dirges and sea-themed ruminations are all present. This is far and away the core of what was to come, in it’s most succinct and coincidentally most haunted form." [Corwood Industries]


KURT VILE
Hunchback 12"

BACK IN STOCK! HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION! "Here’s the timeless record for 2009. Electric studio (mostly) recordings from Philadelphia’s Constant Hitmaker. New fans of his last CD will cry into their pillows and accuse him of selling out the bedroom rock scene. The initiated few will know he’s been doing it for years plugging in with a full on rock band called the VIOLATORS and gigging in all corners of Philly. With baritone guitar/bassist ADAM GRANDUCIEL, rodeo slide & fuzz guitar from JESSE TURBO, and perfect percussion from MIKE ZENG, the Violators are Kurt’s Crazy Horse, slugging it out with him when he feels like playing with a full band. Oddly pleasant singing, in-the-red fingerpicking, twisting swells of feedback, totally POUNDING drums, and Krautlike-zen fill both sides of this record. Loud and proud, The Hunchback EP looks right filed next to your Neil, Faust, and Spacemen 3 records." [Richie Records]


MAC BLACKOUT
Western Blue LP

"MAC BLACKOUT is a busy guy. In down time with his band the DAILY VOID he has somehow found time to record a shitload of killer songs on his own. Last year his debut solo release came out on Deadbeat records on vinyl followed very quickly with a follow up CD of more material. Western Blue features fourteen tracks of weirdness that has a sound that cant be mistaken for anyone but Mac. Limited to 500 copies." [FDH Records]


MAXIMUMROCK’N’ROLL MAGAZINE
Issue # 315 - August 2009

It’s a punk rock summer slam with features on ZERO BOYS, SKIN LIKE IRON, PUNCH, THE BLACK AND WHITES, INSOMNIO, RESIST, BLANK DOGS, ETACARINAE and COME ON, along with the usual blast of columns, new items, scene reports and reviews.


DAN MELCHIOR
Dim Are The Lights 7"

"Two more great ones from one of the best and most prolific songwriters around. A-side is a great dark stomper and B-side is a cover of John Cooper Clarke's classic that keeps up DAN MELCHIOR’s streak of quality and quantity." [Convulsive Records]


NO COMPLY
It's Getting Hot 7"

"A ferocious debut based in brutal ’80s / ’90s hardcore like Copout and Born Against. These recordings feature Angry Bob, ex-Deathreat, on bass, a spot currently occupied by Joe T, ex-Rat Traps. Drummer Tony was in Left For Dead and Blank Is Born." [Goner Records]


NO NO NO HOPES
Debut 7"

Local garage stomp for wasted primates. OOga Booga. [Twistworthy Records]


CHARLEY PATTON
Jesus Is A Dying-bed LP

"Twelve more tunes from CHARLEY PATTON’s 1929 recording sessions. Here the acknowledged "King of the Delta Blues" performs some of his finest spiritual blues, like the title track, and "You're Gonna Need Somebody When You Die." One the most seminal blues artists of all time..." [Monk Records]


POPPETS
Mini Lp LP

"Co-released with P.Trash records. POPPETS have made quite a name for themselves with a handful of singles over the past year or so. Now they are back with their first 12-inch. An eight-song just shy of 14 minutes, blast of lo-fi garage pop greatness. Limited to 1,000 copies." [FDH Records]


RELIGIOUS TO DAMN
Falls Down Again 7"

"A double A-side EP of supreme winter anthems and a stunning debut from ZOHRA ATASH and her band of gypsies. Soon to be on everyone's mind, truly: THIS IS THE NEW NORTHERN SOUL. Brand new and already setting the joint on fire!" [M'Lady's Records]


TY SEGALL
Lemons LP

"Burying '60s sing-alongs and dance crazes beneath waves of reverb and giddy thud, Ty Segall has carved out his own shelf in the SF neopsych garage alongside SF compatriots and collaborators Sic Alps and Thee Oh Sees. After shattering the Bay Area underground as a frantic one-man-band that was devoured by the local press, Segall has now given up the solo act for a three piece that destroys sonic and melodic boundaries with manic glee. The new live setup is a better reflection of his studio work-- which generally starts with his one-man-band setup and builds from there... As an exploration of the space between Cro-Magnon fuzz and atmospheric acoustic psych, Lemons is the natural next step after his celebrated self-titled 2008 debut on Castle Face." [Goner Records]


TELEVISION PERSONALITIES
And Don’T The Kids Just Love It LP
Mummy Your Not Watching Me LP


Re-issued! Their first two albums, both originally released in 1981. Eccentric post-punk and pop from one the UK’s most original bands. [Fire Records]


VARIOUS ARTISTS
Ghana Soundz 2: Afro-Beat, Funk And Fusion In ‘70s Ghana 2xLP

RE-PRESSED ON VINYL! "The second installment in this collection of rare Afrobeat, Afro-funk and Afro-fusion, most of which was unreleased outside of Africa if released at all. The series forms a unique window on a scene previously unknown outside of Ghana. Pounding rhythms, blaring horns and pumping vocals--the music is a document of a time forgotten when flares and Cuban heels strutted the streets and nightspots of Accra, the sizzling hot and humid capital of Ghana. Influenced as much by traditional rhythms and local highlife as by the music of Fela Kuti, James Brown and Santana." [Soundway Records]


WINDY & CARL
Instrumentals For The Broken Hearted LP

"TOUR LP!!! As sold on the recent tour and limited to 500 copies on clear green vinyl with all hand-painted, hand-numbered covers, this record features five instrumental mixes of songs from the latest Kranky album (Songs For The Broken Hearted). These mixes are completely different and in some cases hardly sound like the Kranky version. There is also a sixth song which is unreleased. The covers were made using recycled LP jackets, all white washed and then painted on. Some have concrete designs and some are very free form. Photocopied tour poster with extra info included in each copy." [Blue Flea Records]


ZOLA JESUS
Spoils LP

"Hailing from the unsuspecting locale of Madison, Wisconsin, Zola Jesus--the alter ego of NIKA ROZA DANILOVA--occupies a sphere of sparse industrial rhythms, no-fi drones, and ethereal femme vocals. Those who have seen her handful of live shows, heard her WFMU set, or caught any of the acclaimed, sought after, and now mostly out of print releases on Die Stasi or Troubleman Unlimited already know. For those uninitiated, The Spoils may be the most fully realized representation of her sound." [Sacred Bones Records]



July 16, 2009

ANALS
Total Anal LP

"Metz, France seems to be teeming with great bands these days. Cheveu, Feeling of Love, Normals, and A.H. Kraken are just the tip of this incredibly huge Metz iceberg. Many of these bands share members, but they all have their very own sound. The Anals sound is similar to the aforementioned bands in their abrasive, weird punk base, but this duo is more obliviously influenced by the German industrial, electropunk group D.A.F. (via the Brainbombs) than any of their peers. Their single on Sweet Rot sold out almost immediately and the demand prompted a repress. Now here’s your chance to hear this unique duo’s entire recorded output. This anthology LP includes both songs from the single, plus ten previously unreleased tracks." [Permanent Records]


CECIL BARFIELD
South Georgia Blues LP

"Recorded by GEORGE MITCHELL in 1978, this LP was originally released by the Southland label under the name "WILLIAM ROBERTSON,” Due to CECIL BARFIELD’s superstitions and legitimate fears of the taxman, he insisted that it come out under a false name. Cecil was an unusual blues musician, giving each song it's own feel and rhythm. Another underrated American original. This is a co-release with Big Legal Mess Records." [Mississippi Records]


BILLY BAO
May 08 LP

"The Nigerian monstrosity that is BILLY BAO returns in agony. Bleeding. Pointing a colossal black finger at global capitalism, regular music, non-music and anti-music, at the food crisis of 2008, the moribund spirit of 1968, and especially at you, the record buyer, who maybe ‘really dug’ his first LP, Dialectics of Shit, and will come back for more, or perhaps ‘heard a lot about him’ and his bandmate MATTIN in the ‘blogosphere’ or even in print media (ooh!) (whatever that is), and are ‘curious to finally hear his music’ because you find the stories ‘interesting’ and this is even heavier and more f'ed up than The Brainbombs at their heaviest, right? This LP is so angry the songs don't even have titles. Some of 'em are really long, some are really short, but they're all pretty goddamn infuriating, as they oughta be." [Parts Unknown Records]


BLACK TIME / TY SEGALL
Split LP

Seven new tracks from man-on-the-move TY SEGALL, including a Dwarves cover! Longtime favorites BLACK TIME check in with six songs of their own. [Telephone Explosion Records]


BLUES CONTROL
Local Flavor LP

"...While past releases have been beauteous extrapolations into the miasmic core of psychedelia and billowing fog of ambient space, Local Flavor is the one where all the chickens have come home to roost. The opening track "Good Morning" is practically a sideways step into boogie rock (horn accompaniment provided by none other than Jesse Trbovich and Kurt Vile); with the proper seismic shift, it could almost be heard as an alternate reality take on "Re-make/Re-model." It's easily the band's longest stomp in the forest of rock since their debut cassette, and, man, them boots leave a bruise! The remaining three tracks morph and ebb harmoniously--in true Blues Control fashion-- the timbre occasionally elegiac, yet more often riffing on a plane that has yet to be transcribed. Local Flavor is 801 plus an extra one (8101, if you will), providing an unimaginable future that will take your breath away. So make sure you've paid your oxygen bill, because there are no free rides in the 82nd Century." [Siltbreeze Records]


CIRCUIT DES YEUX
Fruition 7"

"HALEY FOHR follows up her cult LP on De Stijl and appearances on the Die Stasi curated XXperiments compilation (as both CDY and as one half of CRO MAGNON) with the haunting Fruition 7-inch. This EP finds her exploring more accessible song territory than previous outings while still retaining that late night, under the bridge Jandek loner vibe that made her previous work so striking. The A-side finds right alongside contemporaries like Zola Jesus or US Girls, while the flip find hers doing a torchy folk number that showcases her voice in a way that no previous work has. Hand-numbered edition of just 300." [Dull Knife Records]


COMETBUS Magazine
Issue # 52 - The Spirit Of St. Louis

“The long-running zine takes an exceptionally nostalgic turn, when AARON applies his storytelling skills to the city of St. Louis, and their punk scene. But it's a tale so familiar, it could be any tiny scene anywhere. Maybe even the town you yourself grew up in. The ragtag group of characters that Aaron introduces us to are busy repeating the mistakes of those before them, and making new mistakes for the younger punks to follow. It's a particularly bitter story this time around, but also a reminder to support your community--not just in word, but also in deed.” 65 pages.


DAVILA 666
Primero Muerta 7"

"As Puerto Rico's premiere breakout rock'n'roll band, Davila 666 are gaining notoriety fast after their debut LP on In The Red last year, and this Summer's highly anticipated US tour should cement their sound in all the heads across the land before they even land at O'Hare Airport for their tour kickoff show. Already known as a band with an abundance of great material still unleashed on the general public, we serve up two more chest-pounding Davila 666 tracks that jangle and flutter with the innocent beauty of a Springtime love affair, wrapped in a morbid undertone that seduces before it devours its prey. Impeccably clean production with such lavish songwriting from south-of-the-border party animals like these would normally be a polarizing combination of attributes, but rest assured, Davila 666 is on the fast track to modern pop notoriety, as this single will soon attest." [Hozac Records]


DEAD CLODETTES
Self Titled 7"

"THE DEAD CLODETTES are a French all girl band playing Kleenex style punk. Four primitive tough punk anthems to beat your deadbeat boyfriend over the head with." [Florida's Dying Records]


DESKONOCIDOS
Desaparecer 7"

Debut, local, classic Spanish-styled kinda fast/melodic punk. Good good [540 Records]


FLIGHT
Flowers 7"

"This is the debut single from FLIGHT, who hail from Mississippi. "Flowers" is an incredibly infectious, well crafted, off-beat pop song that sounds just about perfect heading into these summer months. The flip "Johnny's Mixed Up" is equally fist pumping and will please fans of the Live Fast Die style of overblown guitar work. Expect more great things soon from Flight with a 7-inch upcoming on the Hozac Hookup Klub and a 10-inch on Kill Shaman. Black vinyl." [Sweet Rot Records]


GALAXIE 500
On Fire LP
This Is Our Music LP
Today LP


Long overdue vinyl re-issues!!! [20/20/20 Records]


HEX DISPENSERS
Winchester Mystery House LP / CD

"Austin's HEX DISPENSERS are back with their sophomore album, and it pretty much picks up exactly where the previous LP left off... masters in the art of spewing forth short bursts of haunted fury." [Douchemaster Records]


KING TUFF
Was Dead LP

BACK IN STOCK!! "KING TUFF is the brainchild of KYLE THOMAS (WITCH, FEATHERS) . This is a most pleasing daydream of a record, one that straddles the line between partying and napping. It's the sound of one man's honest and unbridled supreme lifestyle concerning only TV, snacks, and personal expression via lazy and fuzzy-feeling power-pop rock 'n' roll." [Colonel Records]


OH SEES
Suck Blood LP

"REISSUED!!! JOHN DWYER and his OHSEES (aka OCS) reissue the Suck Blood album on his own Castle Face imprint. Produced by KELLEY STOLTZ using all green energy (no joke), the album serves as a half-way point between the band’s Cool Death of the Island Raiders album and their most recent material." [Castle Face Records]


PERSONAL & THE PIZZAS
Brass Knuckles 7"

“Brass Knuckles” is the follow up to P&P’s first single on G.O.O.G Entertainment. Includes the cut "Brass Knuckles," backed with "Nobody Makes My Girl Cry But Me," which was originally written by First Base. A co-release between Bubbledumb and Search + Destroy (which is PERSONAL’s own label). Edition of 600 copies.


PINK REASON / ELECTRIC BUNNIES
Split 7"

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Slapdash summertime scuzz pop (?). Serious interstate cross pollination here - PR gets some sand in his shoes, The bunnies envision a tundra trip. Innerestin' stuff, dang good .. [Die Stasi Records]


ROCK N ROLL ADVENTURE KIDS
Hillbilly Psychosis PIC LP

Bay Area trash dealers THE ROCK N ROLL ADVENTURE KIDS return with a new album of scuzzed-out, garbage rock mayhem. Eleven shit-fire tracks pressed on picture disc vinyl and packaged in a full-color sleeve. “Rock N Roll Adventure Kids is like Hasil Adkins eating a cocaine hotdog.”--Amoeba [Total Trash Records]


SMITH WESTERNS
Self Titled LP

"At long last, the debut full-length from Chicago's SMITH WESTERNS has landed and it's going to make this Summer the best ever, for real. Straddling the fine line between the misty-eyed feyness of Brett Smiley and Milk'n'Cookies, with the slithering macho grunt of Marc Bolan's silk pajamas tied around Alvin Stardust's throat, it's nothing short of a modern Summer classic power pop album. 800 copies pressed on black vinyl." [Hozac Records]


The SPITS
Fourth Self-Titled Album LP

"The long awaited return of professional weirdos, The SPITS. Fresh from the studio with their fourth self-titled LP on Thriftstore Records, The Spits show no sign of slowing down with their latest effort, mixing equal parts Devo and Misfits into an aurally addictive, synth-inflected stew." [Thrift Store Records]


STRANGE ATTRACTORS
Sleep And You Will See LP

"In the tied-off-and-throbbing tradition of Spacemen 3, The Strange Attractors mine the hazy gloaming between life and death with their pulsating psych-rock. "--The Onion [Past/Futures Records]


TEEPEE
Heal 7"

One-man drone punk mantras from Eric Lopez of the ELECTRIC BUNNIES and MELTED SUNGLASSES. [Florida's Dying Records]


VARIOUS ARTISTS
World Is Shaking - Cubanismo From The Congo 1954-55 2xLP

"This is the fifth release in Honest Jon's series of albums exploring vintage recordings held in the EMI Hayes Archive. This album uncovers the dizzy beginnings of the golden age of African music zinging with the social and political ferment of the independence movement and anti-colonialism, after the Second World War and the daredevil origins of Congolese rumba--the entire continent's most popular music in the '60s and '70s. Includes rare photographs and notes by GARY STEWART, author of Rumba On The River. Sound restoration done at Abbey Road." [Honest Jon's Records]


WOVEN BONES
Your Sorcery 7"

Recommended! [Sweet Rot Records]


YOUNG GOVERNOR
Hidden Love LP

"From the Great White North and the twisted mind of a one time child actor (Ben Cook of FUCKED UP / BITTERS) comes Hidden Love, the first 12-inch EP from YOUNG GOVERNOR. While no doubt people will jump to comparisons of Jay Retard, Home Blitz, and Kurt Vile, that is doing Young Governor a grave disservice. The perfect summer record just in time for summer, Hidden Love is the perfect blend of pop, singer songwriter, lo-fi, even folk." [Parts Unknown Records]



June 29, 2009

ACEPHALIX
Self Titled 7"

"A brutal combination of low-end metallic distortion, pummeling riffs and gnarled vocals, San Francisco's ACEPHALIX's debut four-song 7-inch takes influence from all over the map of extreme music. Featuring current and former members of THE RIFFS, DEPRESSOR, POISON IDEA, DEFIANCE, DEATHCHARGE." [Prank Records]


BASEBALL FURIES
Throw Them To The Lions LP

"Buffalo's sons and now Chicago's own BASEBALL FURIES have finally finished their fourth and last record. Ten tracks of pure Furies nihilism." [Big Neck Records]


BESTIAL HOLOCAUST
Temple Of Damnation LP

The second full-length album from the Maniacs of Bestial Holocaust. Include eight new tracks, along with a bonus cut.


BILLY BAO
Sacrilege CD

"Sacrilege is a collection of 2007 vinyl releases from bleak noise combo BILLY BAO. Includes the tracks from the Accumulation 7-inch, the Fuck Separation 10-inch and the Dialectics of Shit LP. Packaged in sandpaper and duct tape, just 'cuz. Imported from Australia." [Afterburn Records]


BLANK DOGS
Under And Under 2xLP / CD

VINYL NOW AVAILABLE!"For the past several years, a slew of 12-inches, 7-inches, and cassettes have been released by the mysterious Brooklyn artist known as Blank Dogs. Blank Dogs is actually singular-- it's the insanely prolific one-man band of Mr. Blank Dog. The sound is Joy Division vocal lines with The Cure's synth and guitar melodies filtered through ancient, submerged keyboards and eroded recording equipment. And that voice? All the feedback in the world can't hide his knack for melody... Under and Under is his latest and most massive release to date -- a double-album housing 20 brand new songs (15 on the CD) that show off his pop chops to a greater extent than any of his previous releases." [In The Red Records]


CIRCUIT DES YEUX
Sirenum LP

"From a small town in the middle of the land of milk and honey, where the air is filled with the blossoming of the fruit trees for a big part of the year, come perfect little lilies of bands that make perfect little records that reflective of the fertile and flowery region. It's a timeless land, and making records there is possible during this surely short period of history when the youth of the era feel as if they've solved the mystery of life and love and it's really loving that is the answer to everything. All of which has nothing to do with Circuit des Yeux and Sirenum, which was made in Indiana, and there aren't exactly pipers at the gates of Lafayette. It's the sound of "issues," the sound of "troubles." You don't get but one phone call and honey, the girl's voice makes this message a bit rubbly anyway. Take the manic snorts of Captain Liberty, dissonant as chalk and the next moment as melodic as sharp yet slick, metal teeth. Take the mermaid, 1988, turn the tides, gently, gently away. Selected breath / silences / selected feedback. Take an argument you have here with an empty street while the memory of high traffic is leaking back. Sirenum has a real "spiritual food" vibe and it's fucking pain and pleasure relief in this real met en zonder sort of way." [Destijl Records]


CLOCKCLEANER
Skinheaded Lady 7"

AVAILABLE AGAIN! "It's suitable that a band that seemed to draw so heavily from Australian music should play some of their last ever shows in the cities that X, Lubricated Goat and The Scienists crawled out of. For their final tour, CLOCKCLEANER recorded a sleazy love tune to bald headed women in "Skinheaded Lady," and paid tribute to the greatest Australian punk band ever, X, with a raw cover of "Hate City" to boot. Australian import." [Stained Circle Records]


CROW
Flock Of Beast 7"

"Tokyo Legends CROW return with two new blasting tracks of doomy metallic punk mayhem --"Flock of Beast" and "Flock of Beast 2." Thundering deeper into epic, mid tempo metallic territory on the A-side with Crow's trademark gravel-drawn vocals over searing riffs, this EP echoes their recent "The Beating Wings of Destruction 12-inch by exploding on the B-side into ferocious, fast paced hardcore." [Prank Records]


CULTURAL DECAY
Eight Ways To Start A Day (Singles & Demos) LP

"CULTURAL DECAY existed from 1980-1982. During their brief life span the band released less than 20 minutes of recorded music. Pressed in editions of 1,000 each on their own Sexy Robot Records, the band's collective discography is comprised of a highly sought after 7-inch single and two-song 12-inch EP. The latter was produced and features additional accompaniment by future REVOLTING COCKS co-founder LUC VAN ACKER. The band played a total of 15 gigs in local clubs--with like minded Belgian acts such as Struggler, De Brassers, and Siglo XX--before disbanding. Sacred Bones Records presents Eight Ways To Start a Day, the first official release in close to three decades from this fabled Belgian coldwave band. Their sound, a collision of ethereal one-note synth lines and dark post-punk aggression, recalls the controlled ferocity of Crisis and The Southern Deathcult at their best. In addition to the previously released songs, the LP includes three unreleased demos, "Eight Ways to Start a Day," "Thin Rope" and "Exit Calls."" [Sacred Bones Records]


DC SNIPERS
Self Titled LP

"The long over-due follow-up to the DC SNIPERS’' 2006 Missile Sunset LP, this eponymous second album kills with KBD sleazed out punk action. 400 pressed on 180-gram black vinyl. Hand screened jacket with lyric insert. Eleven songs." [Daggerman Records]


DEERHUNTER
Rainwater Cassette Exchange 12"

"Certainly not a group to rest on their laurels (especially difficult when they have new songs burning a hole in their collective back pockets), DEERHUNTER delivers five new tracks on this extended play. This is not some stop-gap release between albums, or mere leftovers from their most recent Microcastle album, but an all new session..." [Kranky Records]


DIGITAL LEATHER
Power Surge 7"

"Two songs from DIGITAL LEATHER. "Power Surge" is a brand new unreleased track. The B-side is an older tune called "Shattered Reflections," which has never had a proper DL release--there was a cover version of this track released on the Terror Visions full length. Limited edition of 500 copies." [FDH Records]


DINOSAUR JR.
Farm - Deluxe Version 2xCD

"If Beyond was DINOSAUR JR.'s return to form, Farm is proof that this band continues to deliver that which makes rock worth cranking to 11. At times wholly '70s guitar-epic, at times perfect for sitting by a babbling brook with Joni and Neil, Farm encompasses Dinosaur Jr.'s signature palette--soaring and distorted guitar, unshakable hooks, honey-rich melodies--songs that get into your head and, bouncing around happily, stay there. Limited deluxe version includes a bonus disc with four extra songs." [Jagjaguwar Records]


FACE PLANT
Self Titled LP

"On this solo project--a textural wash of psychedelic flat-lining--AARON COYES (RAHDUNES, PEAKING LIGHTS, UNBORN UNICORN) utilizes a homemade modular synth, homemade three-head delay, hand-cut records, store-bought cymbals and additional guest oscillations by RATS WITH WINGS." [Heard Worse Records]


GANGLIANS
Monster Head Room CD / LP+7"

NOW AVAILABLE ON CD AND VINYL! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! "This is a record for summertime if ever there was one. It’s pop music in the best sense of the word ... paramount and perennial." [Weird Forest / Woodsist Records]


FITZ GORE & THE TALISMEN
Self Titled LP

"Jazzaggression and Plastic Strip Press are proud to present the rare recordings of Jamaican born saxophone player FITZ GORE and his group THE TALISMEN recorded in Europe between the years 1975-1979. The selection is carefully picked by Gore's wife GISELA together with JOHAN FREDRIK LAVIK, and LARS MOERCH FINBORUD and the material is sourced from three extremely rare private pressed LP's Soundmagnificat (1975), Soundnitia (1975), Soundmusication (1976), and the EP Soundnova (1979), all originally released by Gisela's and Fitz's private label Gorbra Records, based in Bonn, Germany. With one foot in the modal jazz tradition and the other one deep in Jamaican and Ethiopian music, Gore and his Talismen created some amazing spiritual afro-jazz which reminds of Mulatu Astatke, Dr. Lloyd Miller and Pharoah Sanders or to put it in Gores own category, Lion Rock." [Plastic Strip Records]


JEFFREY NOVAK
One Of A Kind 7"

"After turning quite a few heads with his self-released debut LP and Shattered Records 7-inch, JEFFREY NOVAK (CHEAP TIME) is back with another two song single of quirky pop bliss. Both songs are so good, Sweet Rot had to flip a coin to pick the A-side. Novak's second LP Baron in the Trees will be coming out next year on In the Red Records. This is a one time only pressing on black vinyl." [Sweet Rot Records]


OH SEES / TY SEGALL
Split 7"

"A new single split between two of San Francisco’s hottest acts. THEE OHSEES deliver a cover of TY SEGALL’s “The Drag,” followed by Segall who offers his take on Thee Ohsees’ “Maria Stacks.” Limited edition of 1,000 copies." [Castle Face Records]


ONNA
Self Titled CD

"Underground cartoonist Keizo Miyanishi left behind one of the greatest documents from the 1980s. Self-released on his own Cupid & Psyche label, the single contains two songs, "Cortigiana dal velo" and "Mune o tutunde," which pair guitars and bass over some of the most tripped-out drum programming of all time. This psychedelic masterpiece ranks alongside the first White Stains 7-inch as one of the all-time greatest from the era. There is an outtake from these sessions, "Haha nareba koso," which is just as amazing, and the three songs would fit in a Terminal Boredom discussion about acid punk classics from Crawling Chaos to Chrome. In 2007, Onna reappeared and released a double-CDR with his partner, dancer Barae. A track appeared on PSF's Tokyo Flashback 6, and the label also released an album titled Katawa in 2008. In addition to the studio material from the 7-inch, this CD includes two outtakes from Katawa, a solo piece from an obscure cassette release, and four live tracks from 1983 featuring a young Michio Kurihara (White Heaven, Ghost, Boris) on second guitar. These are the first Kurihara recordings and come from a long-deleted double live Onna CD released in the early 1990s." [Holt MountainRecords]


PELICAN
Ephemeral LP

"The latest from Chicago heavy rock instrumental icons PELICAN. Ephemeral was recorded at Red Room Studios in Seatlle by CHRIS COMMON of THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES. The new material is heavier, darker and very riff-oriented. Joining the band on the EARTH cover "The Geometry of Murder" is none other than the song's author DYLAN CARLSON." [Southern Lord Records]


RED HOUSE PAINTERS
Songs For A Blue Guitar 2xLP

FIRST TIME ON VINYL EVER! "Though listed as the RED HOUSE PAINTERS this is, for all intents and purposes, the debut solo record from MARK KOZELEK. After a four record run for 4AD, this album was originally released on the Island subsidiary Supreme. Recorded with a new backing band this is the first Red House Painters record on which Kozelek really lets his rock chops loose, a forerunner to his more recent, critically acclaimed, work with SUN KIL MOON. Alongside brilliant originals are three covers, highlighting Kozelek's interpretive skills, of Yes ("Long Distance Runaround"), the Cars ("All Mixed Up"), and Wings ("Silly Love Songs"). " [Plain Recordings]


SECRET ABUSE
Immeasurable Gift LP

"The Immeasurable Gift is a testament to cathartic possibilities and the role of creation/release as a means of understanding. Recorded throughout the past three years in a variety of locations and personal moments; encapsulated by a common, unrelenting concern. Beautifully delicate, elegiac melodies concealed within curtains of dense electronic ambiance reveal themselves like the light at the end of the tunnel; a signifier of the temporary vessel form. Balancing recklessness with care and coming to terms with the inevitable; encountering the man on the shoulder, reminding us that we are all just weary travelers. In an edition of 425 records in full color pro-printed cardboard jackets with printed labels and an insert." [Arbor Records]


TY SEGALL
Cents 7"

'Cents' is a teaser single for TY SEGALL’s upcoming Goner Records full-length, Lemons. The three-track 7-inch features exclusive versions not available elsewhere. “Ty Segall is a phenomenon in a bite-size package. He plays guitar and drums, and howls like a wolf in awe of the moon. His boyish good looks, sky-blue eyes, and fever shakes may make you swoon, but it’s his lustrous croons and garage rock songs awash in boisterous distorted noise that will make you take notice.” — review by SF Chronicle [Goner Records]


SHACKLES
Broken Arm 7"

"THE SHACKLES are CARLOS, CATHY, JIM and RUBEN (COCONUT COOLOUTS). They are from Seattle and this is their debut 7-inch. Like the Jeffrey Novak 7-inch this is an unabashed, pure pop, two song single that should please fans of Box Elders, Nodzzz, Brilliant Colors, etc." [Sweet Rot Records]


SIX FINGER SATELLITE
Half Control LP

"Archival 2001 recordings from Providence's finest square peg. Half Control veers sharply away from the krautrock stylings of 1998's Law Of Ruins with a lineup that is hotwired. The band is now a bastardly other brother, including LANDED's most regular rhythm section grafted onto SFS's singer JAY RYAN and drummer RICK PELLETIER." [Load Records]


SLEEPY SUN
Embrace LP

"Recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, in January 2008, the album embodies the quintessential sound of West Coast psychedelia updated for the late noughties. Drawing musical inspiration from Black Sabbath, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Can and Creation Records, Sleepy Sun forged their sound in intense jam sessions, as heavy and as beautiful as redwoods meeting the ocean." [ATP Records]


SNEAKY PINKS
Self Titled 7"

"The single that brought cretin punk to new lows and birthed the atrocity known as NOBUNNY! Four songs of intensely infectious lo-fi punk. Simultaneously frightened and thrilled Rev. Norb and countless others. Constantly out of print... finally back in print!" [1234 Go Records]


SOMETHING FIERCE
There Are No Answers LP

"Catchy, poppy punk that's not really pop-punk, and rocks a little too hard to fit in with the power-pop crowd. For fans of Marked Men / Buzzcocks / The Briefs Clorox Girls / Pointed Sticks..." [Dirtnap Records]


ST 37 / VOCOKESH
Split LP

Released in 1996! "RICHARD FRENECKI's epic trio VOCOKESH is heavily acid-drenched, guitar-driven space rock with nods to Ash Ra Tempel, Bevis Frond and Hawkwind. The long-lived Texas group ST 37's crafted weirdness is full of blazing guitars and odd percussive sounds." [RRRecords]


SUN ARAW
Heavy Deeds LP

"SUN ARAW (aka CAMERON STALLONES of MAGIC LANTERN) delivers a new album to coincide with an extensive European tour with Pocahaunted. Limited to 600 copies on vinyl." [Not Not Fun Records]


VARIOUS ARTISTS
Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair -
Norwegian Folk Jazz 1971-1977 LP


"A collection of the early folk jazz scene in Norway between the years 1971-1977, when the Norwegian folk song heritage was interpreted in different progressive ways by some of Norway's top musicians. This compilation contains music from the different folk jazz LP releases by Anne Karin Tonset & Harald Gundhus A de va du, a de va je; Various artists Osterdalsmusikk; Egil 'Bop' Johansen Samse tak!I; Roy Hellvin Roy Hellvin; Arne Domnerus Sekstett Ja, vi aelskar; Soyr Soyr; Christian Eggen Ufuge as well as unreleased recordings by Egil Kapstad and Helge Hurum & Birgitte Grimstad taken from the NRK Radio Archives." [Plastic Strip Records]


VARIOUS ARTISTS
Open Strings 4xLP

"This is the fourth release in Honest Jon's series of albums exploring the earliest 78s held in the EMI Hayes Archive. Open Strings is a dazzling selection of virtuoso string-playing from Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Turkey, all recorded in the 1920s, and pretty much unheard ever since. In addition, Open Strings includes a disc of newly-commissioned responses to the themes in this music by underground luminaries committed to the drone including SIR RICHARD BISHOP (SUN CITY GIRLS), BEN CHASNY (SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE), RICK TIMLINSON (aka VOICE OF THE SEVEN WOODS), MV & EE, STEFFEN BASHO-JUNGHANS, MICHAEL FLOWER, CHARLIE PARR, BRUCE LICHER, and others. Deluxe 4xLP version in cardboard slip case with individual sleeves for each LP. Unbelievable packaging!" [Honest Jon's Records]


LARRY JON WILSON
Self Titled LP

"In from the cold is LARRY JON WILSON, with his first album since 1980, an intense masterpiece of his casual performing style. Once upon a time in the 1970s, Larry Jon Wilson released four acclaimed albums and garnered a reputation as one of the best new "outlaw country" songwriters around alongside such hallowed names as Mickey Newbury, Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. Starting his career late (learning guitar in 1970, at the age of 30) and leaving it early (ten years later), he walked away from the business, not the music. Signed to Monument Records by Fred Foster on the strength of a letter and a demo cassette, his legacy has been the four albums of deep country soul released between 1975 and 1979, but none of them came as close to the bone as this new, appropriately self-titled album. Larry Jon Wilson has been quietly playing shows on and off in the southern states over the last two decades--but it wasn't until some new friends twisted his arm with recording gear in tow on the 15th floor of a Perdido Key condominium that a new album became a reality. This album stands apart from his '70s recordings. On Larry Jon Wilson, he stands mostly alone, occasionally accompanied by a single fiddle." [Drag City Records]


YAHOWAH 13
Magnificence In The Memory LP

"Skimmed from the riches in SOURCE FAMILY member Isis AQUARIAN's vaults (by DAVE NUSS of NNCK fame), the nine tracks on Magnificence in the Memory run the gamut of YAHOWAH 13's rainbow of styles, from the whispered funk of "Camp of the Gypsies" to the screaming and stomping of, well, "Camp of the Gypsies." Storming through moments with abandon, Father and his Sons never repeated themselves, committing everything they did to tape in a single take. The capacity of their riffs and grooves to sound like German prog bands of the same era, psychedelic rock bands of several years previous or the as-yet-uncreated avant sounds from the indie rock movement a decade away is testament to their ability to tap the source of human inspiration." [Drag City Records]



June 12, 2009

13TH CHIME
Singles - 1981-1983 LP

"Sacred Bones Records is proud to announce the release of the 13TH CHIME singles collection. Long sought after by collectors, the UK band only released a scant three singles in their time together before dissolving into obscurity. Their sound--a merging of deathrock’s dark driving aggression and post-punk’s sparse arrangements--reflected the realities of life in a small market town in the desolate political landscape of early ‘80s Britain." [Sacred Bones Records]


BEETS
Spit On The Face Of The People LP

"Queens via-Uruguay lo-fi pop Ramones meets Vaselines meets Daniel Johnston. BEETS are local Brooklyn faves among the Crystal Stilts/Cause Co-Motion/Vivian Girls crowd." [Captured Tracks Records]


SIR RICHARD BISHOP
The Freak Of Araby LP

"The Freak of Araby is the debut of SIR RICHARD BISHOP (SUN CITY GIRLS) and his FREAK OF ARABY ENSEMBLE, a talented quartet of players getting deep into the Middle Eastern mystic with hand drums, percussion, bass, drums, electric guitars and a heavy dose of Moroccan chanters, all of it captured with depth, detail and sympathy for the eternal enigma by engineer SCOT COLBRUN." [Drag City Records]


BOBBY UBANGI
Inside The Mind Of... LP

The first solo album from BOBBY UBANGI (THE LIDS, GAYE BLADES), Atlanta's best craftsman of the three-chord garage sing-a-longs. Features guest appearances from OLD KING COLE YOUNGER (BLACK LIPS) and JARED SWILLEY (Black Lips), KING KHAN, GENTLEMAN JESSE and many others. [Rob's House Records]


BURIAL HEX / ZOLA JESUS
Split LP

Limited to 500 copies on heavyweight vinyl. 3 tracks, 40 minutes. A split lp featuring two of Wisconsin's finest exports. Burial Hex's 'horror electronics' meet Zola Jesus' dark and menacing electronica. [Aurora Borealis Records, UK]


CANADIAN RIFLE
Visibility Zero LP

"The long anticipated first full-length by one of Chicago’s best DIY punk bands... a passionate mixture of brash vocals (reminiscent of Leatherface or early Jawbreaker) interlaced perfectly with bleak melodies and urgent drums." [Residue Records]


CAVE
Psychic Psummer LP

"Welcome to the season of the Psychic Psummer. Important Records' dream come true--a full length studio album from Chicago's CAVE. Major momentum expertly crafted and embracing maximum minimalism, repetion, Can cloud-bounce & full on heavy chant. Like driving a train full speed off a cliff only to discover that the train can fly and you'll live forever if you stay inside." [Important records]


CHEAP TIME
Woodland Drive/Penny And Jenny 7"

"Two brand new studio tracks from Nashville, TN's favorite pop-punk-glam-bubblegum band. Snotty, catchy ditties informed by Sparks, The Quick, Milk 'n' Cookies, and early Kinks that'll tide you over until this band unleashes their next full-length. The single comes in a handsome, Fontana-esque picture sleeve." [In The Red Records]


COLISEUM
True Quiet 7"

[Deathwish Records]


CONTAMINATORS
Self Titled LP

"The first full length from Bakersfield's CONTAMINATORS’, Often compared to first wave punk. Think Australia, New York, LA. Think Radio Birdman, Johnny Thunders, Dangerhouse records. Raw, ugly and punk as fuck. This is music from nowhere." [Going Underground Records]


LULA CORTES
Rosa De Sangue LP

"Deluxe first ever reissue of this Brazilian private press monster rarity. Originally custom pressed in 1980, Rosa De Sangue is the closing chapter of the amazing recife psychedelic movement that flourished and centered around the work of LULA CORTES, beginning in 1973 with the release of Satwa, and the creation of ‘Abracadabra’, Lula’s loose art/music/design collective. By the close of the ‘70s the heavily utilized Rozemblit recording studio / pressing plant had been destroyed by repeated floods, Abracadabra had run its course, and along with Lula’s marriage, the solar label was no more. Rosa De Sangue was conceived as a bookend and tribute to this closing era. Entering a small local studio with a head full of songs and his freshly road tested MOUNTAINS BAND, Lula created an album simply overflowing with ideas. along with his power trio backing, he was further assisted by many old friends dropping in. With hints of the past era and of things to come, it is a truly wild audio experience, covering many styles & moods. from crazed ethno folkrock, to magical, gentle, jungle folk psych zones, to hard hitting, coke dusted fuzz rock, to insane mutant disco dance floor groove, to tweaked Americana, to acid vocal raga trance, and way beyond." [Time Lag Records]


CPC GANGBANGS
Kill Yourself For Rock N Roll 7"

"CPC GANGBANGS rise from ashes of garage punk architects LES SEXAREENOS, DAYLIGHT LOVERS and SPACESHITS and create a new drug, punk, weirdo, hate trip that spews from the Franco-Anglo Petri dish of Montreal. Although their sound is celebratory and consuming it is often evil as well and full of the promise of self-destruction boosted by copious amounts of cocaine, LSD and Canadian Maple Whiskey. This sound is part Warsaw, part 13th Floor Elevators, part Flamin’ Groovies, part Turkish psychedelic rock and all while their feet are deeply rooted in the unrestrained attack of primal punk deconstruction." [Dusty Medical Records]


CUSTOMERS
Howling At The Moon 7"

Former members of the CARBONAS, BEAT BEAT BEAT and THE HEART ATTACKS, so you know what to expect here. Great Atlanta garage punk, of course! [Rob's House Records]


KAREN DALTON
It’s So Hard To Tell Who’s Going To Love You The Best LP

"After re-releasing vaunted folk-singer KAREN DALTON’s sophomore LP In My Own Time in 2006, Light In The Attic Records are proud to announce a much needed official vinyl reissue of her 1969 Capitol debut. It’s So Hard To Tell Who’s Going To Love You The Best is a heart wrenching and bluesy introduction to the intoxicating world of Dalton and her deep well of musical secrets. Take a load off and pull up a chair. It’s So Hard To Tell... spans generations of classic American songwriting (Leadbelly, Jelly Roll Morton, and Tim Hardin) and with Dalton’s unsurpassed interpretive depth and emotional range, it’s no surprise that artists from Fred Neil to Nick Cave have sung Dalton’s praises over the years. World weary and filled with the blues, Dalton’s tragic life story was a rocky road. While no longer with us in the physical, her growing musical presence is stronger than ever and worthy of re-examination by the converted and uninitiated alike." [Light In The Attic Records]


DAVILA 666
Pingorocha Y La Diva Rockera 7"

Insanely hook-laden Puerto Rican garage punk/pop. Brilliant shit. They'll be touring through town in August - don't miss 'em! [Douchemaster Records]


DE CYLINDERS
I Wanna Get Married 7"

"DE CYLINDERS, a six piece power pop band from the Netherlands, had a solid reputation as a live band in the Netherlands and Belgium playing along side bands such as the Pretenders and Ultravox. They recorded this 45, their first of three for the CNR label, in 1979 at Soundpush studios, Blaricum with DENNIS KLOETH acting as producer. The playing on the 45's is tight, the production is spot-on and the songs are extremely well crafted. The anthemic “I Wanna Get Married” did not permeate deeply into the personal life of the band members; as of today not more than two Cylinders are wearing a wedding ring. The back side, “Looking For Work” was more prophetic: all six Cylinders are nowadays firmly employed, though five of them no longer in the music business." [Sing Sing Records]


DESTINO FINAL
Atrapados LP

Ex-INVASION... "Atrapados is a 9 track album of feedback and reverb drenched punk. It takes small slices of classic 80's European hardcore, English Anarcho punk and DISCHARGE and makes something that is dense, desperate and twisted." [La Vida Es Un Mus Records]


DOG FACED HERMANS
Hum Of Life LP

"Here it is, the follow up to Mental Blocks. Recorded in '93, DFH lays down 11 tracks of thumping drums, pulsating bass lines, most unusual guitar squacks and Marion Coutts belting out enchanting melodies with voice and her trusty trumpet. 8 Eyed Spy and Ornette Coleman covers (it's legit, I swear) complete this perfect album of political art-punk at its best.” [Mississippi Records]


EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING
Demon's Demands 7"
"Totally hypnotic, engaging, garage(ish) rave-ups that transcend convention and genre expectation. One of the most exciting and honest bands to come around in a long time." [Iron Lung Records]


EMERALDS
Allegory Of Allergies 2xLP

“Those approaching this work for the first time will have much around which to warp/wrap their heads. EMERALDS are possessed of a slow-burning, Cluster-like sense of patience, an accompanying willingness to assume the appearance of burbling sideways in low gear while stealthily turning the universe on its edge, a rare mastery of perspective and scale, and an ability to make audible the slipperiness of the slope between harmony and timbre. Just as crucially, they manage to be ambitious and sprawling without compromising their aura of raw immediacy and handmadeness. It is precisely this sort of fried grace that secures Emeralds’ place in the history of vernacular experimental music and situates Allegory of Allergies squarely in its hallowed canon of epic double LPs.”--Chris Madak [Weird Forest Records]


FNU RONNIES
Self Titled (One-Sided) 12"

"FNU Ronnies are a weird almost indescribable mix of fucked up hardcore propulsion, industrial heaviness, electronics thrashing, and punked out cyborg nihilism. Aesthetic themes elude to psychedelic nightmares, Middle Earth monsters, and generally dark times." [Night People Records]


GRASS WIDOW
Self titled LP

"GRASS WIDOW’s debut LP is Make A Mess Records' fourth release. This all-girl San Francisco trio borrows some of the aesthetic and sound from early art-punk bands like the Raincoats and blends it with their own unique style. Each song is vocally driven with intricate harmonies over strong melodies. For fans of Nodzzz, Brilliant Colors, Mika Miko, etc." [Make A Mess Records]


HUMAN MESS
Follow You Home LP

A ripper! Definetly a must for fans of early Poison Idea, Discharge and maybe even Angry Samoans. [No Way Records]


INTELLIGENCE
Fake Surfers LP / CD

"Fake Surfers, the fourth album by Seattle's prolific and sacred Intelligence, is destined to change your whole outlook on "pop" music. As with 2007's Deuteronomy, The Intelligence has employed In The Red house producer Mike McHugh at the Distillery to hone their edge to its sharpest yet. The possibility of an industrial/pop music crossover seems as unlikely as a black metal/country conglomeration, but on this new album, The Intelligence introduces a whole new spectrum of sonic awareness cleverly buried under little piles of dirt, with glimmering specks of brilliance poking through." [In The Red Records]


JETZ
Catch Me 7"

"A rock band from Cheshunt, in Hertfordshire, active from 1974 as RED WHYMAN with a lineup comprising ALEX KINDER), TRACY GRAHAM), TONY SKEGGS, DENNIS PUGSLEY, and PAUL TITCHMARSH. Having signed a deal with Rebel Records (a subsidiary of EMI), late in 1976 the combo recorded three tracks at London's Majestic Studios. Early in 1977 Red Whyman changed moniker to JETZ, recruited new drummer STEVE BYE and changed their set in a New Wave direction. Two further songs were taped, again at Majestic Studios, with DAVE “HOWIE” HOWMAN producing. One of them, “If That’s What You Really Want,” would remain unreleased, but the other, an enjoyable Powerpopper with Punk overtones entitled “Catch Me,” would surface on the A-side of a single only issued in Holland, Belgium, Germany and Scandinavia between the end of 1977 and the beginning of 1978." [Sing Sing Records]


KID ROMANCE
Fuck Punx 7"

One of a slew of new releases on this new Brooklyn label launched by Mr. Blank Dog [Captured Tracks Records]


MAMMOTH GRINDER
No Results 7"

Austin brutality [Inkblot Records]


MANIKIN
Stop The Sirens LP

Brand new full-length! Limited to 300! [Super Secret Records]


MARGINAL MAN
Identity LP

Re-mastered 1983 DC classic - back in print on vinyl for the first time in years! [Dischord Records]


MAXIMUMROCK’N’ROLL MAGAZINE
July 2009 - Issue # 314




MARISSA NADLER
Ballads Of Living And Dying LP

"AVAILABLE AGAIN!!! Hailed as a smoky chanteuse both sultry and captivating, MARISSA NADLER's songs are mostly mournful dirges and melancholic ballads. Delving into influences of old-timey Americana folk, Portuguese fado, psychedelia, and country, the songwriting is gripping and unique, as Nadler pursues the persona poem, with most of the songs being stories of tragic deaths, forbidden fates, jilted love affairs, and stormy suicides. Marissa's intricate fingerstyle guitar comes through on six string, twelve string, banjo, ukulele, and autoharp. Her voice is velvety and resonant and soaring with ethereal reverberations." [Mexican Summer Records]


THEE OH SEES
Zork’s Tape Bruise LP+CD

"The LP contains home recordings, demos and crazy noise sounds. This is unlike any other OH SEES you've ever heard. It's biting, noisy and badass. Songs are catchy and dragged through a pile of distortion, tape manipulation and random instrument collisions. The CD piece contains everything they ever released on vinyl only (Intellignce split, Peanut Butter Over, etc.). They come together in one weird package that doesn't make sense. Initial pressing of 500 copies." [Kill Shaman Records]


ORCHESTRE POLY-RHYTHMO DE COTONOU
Vol. 1 - The Vodoun Effect 2xLP

NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL! "Sounds From Benin & Togo '70s. Repressed and available again! ne of the greatest bands of their era, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou, who are featured on this compilation, took the Afro sound to another level by showing their musical versatility in many forms. Although they were consciously copying Western artists, they would always inject a dose of psychedelic Afro grooves that would make their music unmistakably Beninese. Their biggest song, "Gbeti Madjro" is believed to have revolutionized the music industry in Benin in the '70s when the country went through a period of political turmoil. The song is full of raw breaks and hypnotic rhythms, as well as screams à la James Brown. After this song, many bands in Benin started screaming on their recordings, hence the title of this compilation. Latin-influenced sounds are present on this compilation, too." [Analog Africa Records]


RAZORCAKE MAGAZINE
June/July 2009 - Issue # 50

Razorcake celebrates its 50th issue with in depth features on TILTWHEEL, SHELLSHAG, and BANNER PILOT, along with staff member columns, comics, and tons of reviews.


REAL ESTATE
Fake Blues 7"

"Having grown up playing shows with friends from Vivian Girls and Titus Andronicus, the members of Real Estate have played together in a variety of incarnations since their middle school years in Ridgewood, NJ. Real Estate's songs reflect influences from Paul Mccartney and the Grateful Dead to the Clean and New Jersey's own Yo La Tengo and The Feelies, all the while crafting unique pop songs about what they know: growing up in suburbs and hanging at the shore." [Woodsist Records]


The REVELATORS
Let A Poor Boy Ride LP

Long-lost incredible scuzzy garage album recorded in '98 and never released until now! [Crypt Records]


RIECHMANN
Wunderbar LP

"Reissues WOLFGANG RIECHMANN’s, originally released in 1978 by Sky Records and an absolute gem of German electronic music. Distant echoes of the so-called Berlin School (Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, and the like) can be detected on Wunderbar, as well as the clear influence of the so-called Düsseldorf School (Neu!, Kraftwerk, La Düsseldorf)--not that Riechmann was attempting to copy their styles in any way..." [Bureau B Records]


RODRIGUEZ
Coming From Reality LP+7"

"Back in 1971, Coming From Reality was RODRIGUEZ’s last gasp, the final album he was allowed to record for the Sussex label. Unearthed, once again by Light In The Attic Records, it’s another treat for fans new and old, designed as Rodriguez’s vision of a perfect pop album. Coming From Reality found Rodriguez decamping from Detroit to London’s Lansdowne Studios, where the album was recorded with some of the UK’s top talent including CHRIS SPEDDING (Harry Nilsson, Sex Pistols, Dusty Springfield) and producer STEVE ROWLAND (The Pretty Things, PJ Proby and the man who discovered The Cure), who recalls Coming From Reality as his all time favorite recording project. The reissue also includes three previously unreleased bonus tracks recorded in Detroit in 1972 with Cold Fact collaborators MIKE THEODORE and DENNIS COFFEY, representing the last thing the trio ever did together." [Light In The Attic Records]


RUSTED SHUT
Dead LP

"Houston's Rusted Shut has been at it in one form or another since 1986 at least. Despite this long haul, they really have only two full lengths and an EP to their credit. To right this horrible wrong DEAD was forced to exist. This record is the work of a band determined to work out some difficult times, so bear witness. DEAD is not for the faint of heart or those with weak kidneys." [Load Records]


SABBAT
Karisma LP

The 1999 album finally released on very nice gatefold LP with gold print! Black vinyl version!


SACRED SHOCK
You're Not With Us LP

Total Austin Rager! [Residue Records]


STOLEN HEARTS
Heart Collector 7"

"In keeping with tradition of D~M~R releases, the backbone here is simplicity. The ballad-esque intro to “Heart Collector” makes me think that they would have preferred to sound like a Spector-style girl group, but the lack of Phil and his song writing talents allows them come off as a very competent Teen Line style band. ASHLEY’s lead vocals may be the star of the show. They sound experienced and even sultry at times while retaining the innocent charm that allows a band with this sort of pop sensibility work....even if she is singing about lighting dudes on fire. Super cool Sponsors cover on the flip side. Edition of 1000.” [Douchemaster Records]


TYVEK
Self Titled LP / CD

"Combining an uncanny channeling of The Urinals and early Mekons, Tyvek drops jaws to floors with solid acorns of repetitive punk/pop numbers that became oaks almost instantaneously. The inclusion of Damon (a.k.a. Teets of Puffy Areolas) brings in another sonic dimension and suddenly the band's set veers into a Velvet Underground-by-way-of-The Feelies stratosphere. Here yuo'll find a mixture of both, the blend of two perfect worlds." [Siltbreeze Records]


VARIOUS ARTISTS
Take Me To The Water - Immersion Baptism In Vintage Music CD+BOOK

"A stunning 96-page hardcover book of historic baptism photographs, taken between 1890 and 1950 and compiled from the collection of noted folk art collector JIM LINDERMAN, is accompanied by a CD of rare gospel and folk recordings from original 78 RPM records (1924-1940), featuring artists Washington Phillips, Carter Family, Tennessee Mountaineers, and more." [Dust To Digital Records]


VARIOUS ARTISTS
BIPPP LP

"AVAILABLE AGAIN!!! A collection of French synth wave 1979-1985. Increasingly detached from the original punk formula, the modern and arty youth of the early eighties set itself to jettison a MOVEMENT that had lost much of the nihilistic and exhilarating energy of its halcyon days, stuck, as it was, in an endless and noisy regression. No Future was the motto of an artform without a cause that no longer echoed with the mindset of the time. Disheartened but eager to experiment and create, a new wave of French musician followed the beacon of Jacno's seminal 79 hit "Rectangle". THE visionary, digital coup de grâce CAME courtesy of a former punk AND dealt the Rickenbacker and Fender era a fatal blow. The cold and robot-like bips of analogic keyboards took over. Casio, Korg MS 10, Arp Omni were the new paraphernalia of the növö generation. The ideal conveyers of its retro-futurist elegance and self-professed cold arrogance. They were pinnacles and symbols which turned as potent a fetiche as the electric guitar in the fifties or the laptop in the nineties. BIPPP recalls the glory of a selected few. The cream of the crop of the shooting stars and cult band WHICH followed the footsteps of Kas Product, Mathematiques Modernes or Charles de Goal." [Born Bad Records, France]


VIVIAN GIRLS
Wild Eyes 7"

RE-PRESSED! The “Wild Eyes” / “My Baby Wants Me Dead” 7-inch from THE VIVIAN GIRLS released on their own Wild World imprint. [Wild World Records]


WATERY LOVE
Debut 45 7"

"In the never interesting saga to determine Punk's best primitive hooligans, MEN will blog & sputter endlessly about Drunks W/Guns or Brainbombs as martyrs of the cause. And who amongst us would deny either their berth on the altar? As an agnostic, I cannot count the stations of said cross, but I do respect it nonetheless. So it's refreshing to see a band wander into this Garage of Gethsemane & fire up their own corroded engine, pistons wheezing, oil belching, you know how it goes; many are crucified, but few resurrected. Where WATERY LOVE fit into this scenario remains to be determined, but when it comes to archaic beats, they're already dragging their knuckles over sainted simpletons such as Butter Utter, Deutscher Abschaum & Just Urbain. 45 rpm's haven't sounded this hairy in many moons & as debut's go, they don't come more scabrous. Get one now before they learn to talk."--Roland Woodbe, Siltblog [Richie Records]


WHINES
Insane Ok 7"

"Mind-numbing VU-inspired twang and throb that just can't be denied... a shambolic three-piece with Messthetically-pleasing loose ends sticking out from all sides" -- reviewed by Victim Of Time [Just For The Hell Of It Records]


YELLOW TEARS
Don't Cry 12"

"The audio collage equivalent of a child's worst day at a carnival as an actionist nightmare of disturbing imagery and sounds. Don't Cry shows these young masters at work carving out sculptures of depravity using god knows what for source sounds. The listener is introduced to a mostly quiet, subtle psychology of fear, childhood trauma and locked cellars." [Hospital Productions]


YETI Magazine + CD
Issue # 7

"Yeti returns with a 200-page perfect-bound book featuring interviews with artist Jim Woodring, author Lynne Tillman, SF-based band the Nodzzz, author and screenwriter Rudy Wurlitzer, also SF-based band the Wooden Shjips, and fiction by Mimi Lipson. Plus a look at Joe Brainard's remarkable cover illustration and design, a rare manuscript by Abner Jay detailing his time at the antebellum-fetishizing Stepehen Foster Center in Florida, Grouper talking to Ilyas Ahmed, an account of the life and work of poet and educator Nancy Dupree, comics drawn by clients at Portland's Full Life center for developmentally disabled adults, drawings by J. Bradley Earl of Woods/ Woodsist/ Fuck It Tapes, and a look at the collaborative music of Black Twig Pickers and Jack Rose. Jesse Studenberg, and Michael Neault. On the 80-minute CD, there is rare and previously unreleased music from: Grouper, Abner Jay, Dum Dum Girls, Wooden Shjips, Dutchess and the Duke, Jacuzzi Boys, Great Unwashed, Nodzzz, Zola Jesus, Crystal Stilts, Finally Punk, 39 Clocks, the Bible Aires Spiritual Singers, Fresh + Onlys, Moon Duo (an awesome W. Shjips "offshoot" band), Explode Into Colors, Limes, Eternal Tapestry, Woods, Christmas Island, some Jamaican gospel, and more."



May 14, 2009

39 CLOCKS
Zoned CD

"The first public appearance pairing Christian Henjes and Juergen Gleue (inspired by and with names derived from LSD-25, they would become CH-39 and JG-39) was in 1976, at the Dada Nova (a space occupied by Otto Mühl's AAO commune) in midtown Hannover, Germany. Dada Nova would be a space of enduring clash. From the subtlety of a shat-upon organ to the ejection from communal meetings by bodily force, the AAO displayed that the presence of the 39 CLOCKS was one of their constant grief. Known for pranksterism and the destruction of the clubs in which they performed, friction in every form continually followed the band. In 1979 they were thrown out of a show in Kassel at Dokumenta (their sounds had disturbed Joseph Beuys). They created an outrage (see the tune "Art Minus Idiots") at the Filmtage Hannover with their avant-garde Super 8 movies made under the disguise of director Zachius Lipschitz. At a Hannover show at the Cafe Glocksee, they are rumored to have played the vacuum cleaner and a circular saw instead of guitars, and there was even a knife throwing incident in Bremen. Inspired, then, clearly, by protest in the broadest and most romantic sense (see the tune "Radical Student Mob In Satin Boots"), their sound was attuned to classic American punk and Nuggets, although this is not Bomp rock; the thrust of 39 Clocks purposed deconstruction and reassembly in the most modern sense. This collection was put together with the non-completeist in mind (originals of some of these records are as rare as Italian underwear), intending to display the general 39 Clocks vibe, but also some of their more curious wrinkles. And as the Clocks were always interested in where they were going and not where they'd been, the chronology here is strictly reversed." [Destijl Records]


ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE
Glorify Astrological Martyrdom LP

"Professionally recorded mega riffage for a super defined clean sound. KAWABATA and company deliver this focused rock explosion full of hyper repetitive heavy hooks and freaked out pitched up vocals. Cover art by SELDON HUNT. Limited edition of 1000 copies." [Important Records]


CHARLES ALBRIGHT
I’m On Drugs 7"

"Charles Albright has been a fixture in Sacramento's underground punk scene for over a decade. Chances are the only band of Charles' that you've heard is THE PIZZAS, but he has been in a ton of them. This here is the first solo record he's ever done and it is a killer. No bullshit psych punk that still lurks in the garage and has great over-blown guitar that sounds like young Charles has soaked up plenty Leigh Stephens and Greg Ginn, which he has. Three songs long, one sided." [S-S Records]


BARRERACUDAS
New York Honeys 7"

"These dudes have been kicking around Atlanta for years under different titles, and they've finally found a home at the bottom. It's got a generous dose of ‘70s bar rock vibe but with quicker tempos and moderately blown out vocals. It's easy to utilize influences from 1970 to '75 and come off like clowns wearing ass hats, but the The Barreracudas did a great job of avoiding the pretense of the era and getting it right on the money." [Douchemaster Records]


BITTERS
Wooden Glove LP

"A 12-inch EP (BEN from FUCKED UP’s new band). Female vocal fronted cave punk, kinda like a dark X." [Captured Tracks Records]


BLANK DOGS
Seconds 12"

"Four new tracks self-released on a 12-inch by BLANK DOGS’ own Captured Tracks label. Limited edition silkscreened sleeves, not to be reissued." [Captured Tracks Records]


BLESSURE GRAVE
Learn To Love The Rope LP

"Ex-NIGHT WOUNDS members getting busy with some Death In June/Christian Death-styled death rock." [Captured Tracks records]


BOBBY UBANGI
Another Girl Like You 7"

"BOBBY UBANGI is the epitome of fundamental rock’n'roll. Active ingredients on this one include: house, four-track, instruments that touring bands accidentally left at previously mentioned house, and friends with rudimentary playing skills that like to hang out at previously mentioned house. Short and simple has been Bobby's style for years, and he's sticking to his guns." [Douchemaster Records]


BRICOLAGE
Self Titled LP

Debut full-length for this Glasgow band... "This is easily the fizziest C86-edged pop to bubble by for a while, with spiky Vic Godardesque tunes and vocal harmonies." -- reviewed by Spacelab.tv [Slumberland Records]


BRILLIANT COLORS
Highly Evolved 7"

"Second single from this all-girl three-piece plays lo-fi indie pop in the vein of early Flying Nun bands like The Clean or The Chills, with a bit of late-'70s/early-'80s art-punk à la the Raincoats, Kleenex, or Liliput." [Captured Tracks Records]


CAUSE CO-MOTION!
Because Because Because 12"

"Hot on the heels of their critically-lauded singles compilation, It's Time!, Cause Co-Motion! have hit the studio to bring you their latest installment of earnest DIY pop, this time in the form of this fab 12" EP entitled "Because Because Because." Over the last three years Cause Co-Motion! have made quite a name for themselves as purveyors of crash-pop of the finest quality, blending 60s garage-pop impulses with Messthetic-inflected post-punk and the scrappy end of the 80s indie scene, as exemplified by groups like Television Personalities, Beat Happening and The Pastels." [Slumberland Records]


CHARLIE & THE MOONHEARTS / TEEN ANGER
Split LP

"Six songs by the MOONHEARTS recorded by TY SEGALLl. A bunch of the songs were on the Thunderbeast tape. There's a killer version of "Tequila" on this sucker. Five songs by TEEN ANGER from the Banned from the Beaver tape. Both tapes have been sold out for a awhile." [Telephone Explosion Records]


SCOTT CONN
Dirt Road To Psychedelia - Austin, Texas During The 1960s DVD

“JANIS JOPLIN the folk singer? (SCOTT) CONN gives you photos and vocals to prove it as he traces the musical arc of the 1960s in Austin, Texas. Forget the oft-repeated Armadillo World Headquarters legend; this is what came before. The decade begins with the country/folk movement and builds to the psychedelic sounds of the 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS, CONQUEROO, and SHIVA’S HEADBAND. The drug-infused scene's new headquarters was the Vulcan Gas Company, a freak fest just blocks from the Capitol on Congress, where old-school blues musicians like Muddy Waters mixed with a younger generation in full revolt. The film takes an interesting twist by including interviews with an Austin policeman from the era bent on eradicating drugs from the scene. Conn's film is a love letter to a time period that seems quaint and innocent in retrospect. Longtime Austinites and curious newcomers alike will find this story, with its wonderfully grainy Super-8 footage, a righteous treat.”-- reviewed by Joe O'Connell [SRC Productions]


DEATH
For The Whole World To See LP / CD

FINALLY AVAILABLE AGAIN ON VINYL!! “Classic proto-punk from 1970s Detroit. Raw with little polish, the record showcases the organic power relationships within the trio of brothers. The HACKNEY’s were first influenced by soul and funk music but it all changed when they saw Iggy and the Stooges. Inspired by The Who, Alice Cooper & Led Zeppelin; the brothers finally see their first full length release, remastered and ready for the world to hear.” [Drag City Records]


DOLPHINS INTO THE FUTURE
On Sea-Faring Isolation LP

"The vinyl debut by this stunning Belgian new age trance wizard. DOLPHINS INTO THE FUTURE has released tons of tapes on his own Bread & Animals imprint, as well as releases on Pacific City (Skaters' label) and many others. Beautiful and endless." [Not Not Fun Records]


DUCKTAILS
Self Titled LP

"MATT MONDANILE’s self-titled debut full-length has been hotly anticipated in the wake of his killer cassettes and single 7-inch appearance. Here he finally has the room to spread his imaginary surf-psych-pop across a full two sides of wax, and the wait was worth it. Mastered by GRAHAM LAMBKIN (of THE SHADOW RING), with cover art by JAN ANDERZEN (of Finnish folk-psych visionaries KEMIALLISET YSTAVAT)." [Not Not Fun Records]


DUM DUM GIRLS
Yours Alone 12"

"Four tracks from this upstart lone-gun lofi pop female. Her darkly sweet fuzzed-out melodies have been compared to Shop Assistants, Black Tambourine and early Primitives. Limited press, all silk-screened sleeves." [Captured Tracks Records]


EAT SKULL
Wild And Inside LP / CD (VINYL NOW AVAILABLE!)

"Eat Skull's Sick to Death received worldwide accolades for its frantic pacing, unimpeachable lyric quality, and nugget after nugget of pop hooks buried under a gob of lo-fi muzz. On this follow-up, fans and critics will find a cleaner, more inimitable Eat Skull at work. Frontman Rob Enbom has outdone himself with both lyrics and structure on Wild and Inside, and the band as a whole rises to the challenge of nixing the lo-fi tag for a sound that's less... antecedent. Gone is the wall of crud that prevents discerning listeners from identifying the instrumental play-by-play; in its stead, a set of crafted songs recall the paisley punk of The Last and the rural-delica of Great Plains, as well as nodding to the sanguine pop of early Flying Nun bands such as The Double Happys. Wild and Inside is a grower for the ages. It breathes deep and exhales perfectly." [Siltbreeze Records]


GANGLIANS
Self Titled LP

"Sacramento's GANGLIANS want an island somewhere where they can soak in the sun and prowl the canopy by night. It's not often that they do get out, but they can get down for that. Recording sometimes as one, sometimes as four it's a real game to figure out where the entity comes from and where it's going. First and foremost it's about uncertain pleasures. It's a bit like choose your own adventure. There's "codeine balladry;" a slightly upsetting tempo that is quickly flushed into an aural high, the next moment you're in the toy strewn abyss of the bedroom and then out to the tribal caves of the natives. The planets align and the sun beats down, palms tingling, and you are on the island they've built, the scenery constantly shifting for a better view, of you. Eight tracks in 24 minutes." [Woodsist Records]


HEAVY WINGED & INCA ORE
Ring Mining LP

Collaborative recordings meld crushing heaviness and ethereal vocals. Delicious. [Not Not Fun Records]


MALKUTH
Sefirah Gevurah LP

"Sefirah Gevurah is the highly anticipated second LP by New York black metal trio MALKUTH. Far from pandering to false antics, Malkuth's album stands aside Hospital contemporaries such as Ash Pool and Bone Awl and offers their own vision of death." [Hospital Productions]


HISHAM MAYET
Palace Of The Winds DVD

"Shot over the course of two years (2006-2008), Palace of the Winds is an intimate and dreamlike journey exploring the music of Saharawi culture from Guelmim in Southern Morocco to the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott. With spectacular images from inhospitable landscapes, chimerical phenomena that transpire by the sheer remoteness of the land, and haunting indigenous music from a people that have long been shrouded in mystery, this is a genre-defying film of profound beauty. Explore the intoxicating tapestry of sight and sound that this obscure region has to offer through its most awe-inspiring musicians. Featuring live performances by Group Doueh, Group Marwani, Sadoum Oueld Aida and Group Bab Sahara." [Sublime Frequencies]


NITAD
Ibland Kan Man Inte Hindra LP

"Where as their earlier records were more straight forward fast hardcore, this time around, NITAD have taken a slowed things down slightly to a mid tempo speed and sound like a less layered / more raw Fucked UP (Hidden World period)." [Deranged Records]


PSYCHEDELIC HORSESHIT
Shitgaze Anthems 12"

"After about a 2 year absence, Psychedelic Horseshit is back with an EP of alleged B-sides from an upcoming full length..." [Woodsist Records]


SILLA ELECTRICA
Hundir 7"

"SILLA ELECTRICA's second EP offers four tracks of hardcore punk rock delivered with immediacy and an undercurrent of ear-catching melody. Highlights include the great male/female vocal trade-offs and the beautiful cover artwork printed on textured card-stock. Pressed in an edition of 500 copies." [Blind Owl Records]


SNEAKERS
Children Into People 7"

"The fifth jam in the Permanent Records label discography is also their first 7-inch, THE SNEAKERS’ Children Into People EP. Sneakers consists of REXS (CAVE’s drummer) and ZACH (former Cave bassist) and Children Into People is their debut vinyl release. The grooves within contain some of the catchiest weird punk jams you’ll ever lay ears on." [Permanent Records]


TEETH MOUNTAIN
Live On LP

"The follow-up to last year's well-received full-length of collaged live performances released on Shdwply. This is another half hour-plus of the Baltimore drum/drone collective at their most zoned and loose-limbed." [Not Not Fun Records]


VARIOUS ARTISTS
Rocky Mountain Low - The Colorado Musical Underground Of The Late 1970s 2xLP+DVD

“Rocky Mountain Low is an insanely great insider's view of the Colorado underground scene of the late '70s. We'd never even heard of half the bands here, but Joseph Pope was an active participant, and along with Dalton Rasmussen he pulled together a great set of unreleased nuggets from demos, rehearsal tapes & whatnot. Like lotsa scenes in their early days, the sounds here are heterogenous -- '60s style Pop, hard Garage, weird experimentalism and Brit-damaged lunge are all part of the mix, just as they were in the day. The book included is a great blend of history, attitude, crappy-looking fliers and the best picture of Jello Biafra you will ever see in this lifetime. Every town deserves this kind of deep investigation. Superb shit.” - reviewed by BYRON COLEY & THURSTON MOORE/BULL TONGUE [Hypercynical Productions]


WEEN
Chocolate & Cheese 2xLP

Re-issue! "WEEN’s fourth album, originally released in 1994, is perhaps their finest moment, a brilliant mix of twisted humor and pure pop genius. Ween draw influence from smooth ‘70s soul, psych, soft rock, spaghetti westerns, country, funk, indie-rock and more to the point where each song is a spot-on take on a different genre with their silliness being the uniting element. An outsider-pop classic." [Plain Records]


PETER WRIGHT
Terrifying Realisation We Might Be Wrong 7"

"This three-song EP is an organic wash of gorgeous drones made from a contact microphone, Bulbul Tarang, 12-string, found noise/field sounds and laptop effects. The pieces run the gamut from abrasive machine noise grind to blissed-out ambient hush and back, maintaining a strong sense of craft and human warmth. 500 pressed." [Dirty Knobby Records]



April 29, 2009

ASSEMBLE HEAD IN SUNBURST SOUND
When Sweet Sleep Returned LP

"San Franciscoös ASSEMBLE HEAD IN SUNBURST SOUND is a soundtrack for strange days and futures bright and bleak. But there is also a crooked thread that runs backward through every Assemble Head record--the celestial trajectories of The Notorious Byrd Brothers and circa ‘70 Floyd; the dusty canyon stomps of Crazy Horse, slashing action pop of the savage young Who, Italian bastardizations of Lalo Schifrin cop movie scores, and the scuzz-bomb shrapnel of latter-day garage mongers like Mudhoney and Monoshock." [Tee Pee Records]


BLANK DOGS
Diana (The Herald) LP

BACK IN PRINT!!! “For the quickly ascending ‘career’ of the BLANK DOGS, this 12-inch marks another ringer, and already their fourth release of 2007, clearly showing an impeccable work ethic with no signs of stopping. Each record sounding more unique and far out than the last, this brand new 12-inch EP on Sacred Bones shows the Blank Dogs evolving into a full-on goth-gone wrong killing machine, yet they don't need to get nasty." -- reviewed by Victim Of Time [Sacred Bones Records]


FEMS
Go To A Party 7"

"Drag City resurrects the fantastic sound of THE FEMS. To do so, they had to travel back to the year 1982, when this single was pressed in some insignificant amount by the band and spread around the country, one copy at a time. The Fems represented early American hardcore punk at a time when speed wasn’t necessary in order to punk out and the intersection of angst and humor was a common crossroads for aspirant songwriters... The Fems were a legend in their hometown of Buffalo, presiding over energy-charged crowds with loads of sarcastic banter and making themselves a party favorite in the wide-open early ‘80s. Their 7-inch EP Go To A Party was recorded with the vocals, drums and bass closest to the mic and the guitar somewhere in the next room--but the low, rumbling sound that resulted is a unique vision from early punk days." [Drag City Records]


FRESH & ONLYS
I’ll Tell You Everything 7"

"Two new tacks from this blowing-up San Francisco combo. THE FRESH & ONLYS began in the Spring of 2008 as a recording collaboration between TIM COHEN and SHAYDE SARTIN. After a month of marathon recording sessions on various broken tape machines the two enlisted WYMOND MILES, HEIDI ALEXANDER and GRACE COOPER to help complete the sound.Previous releases on Kelley Stoltz’s Chuffed and John Dwyer’s Castle Face labels." [Dirty Knobby Records]


GOWN
Old Line LP

"ANDREW MACGREGOR may be most known for his otherworldly guitar collaboration with THURSTON MOORE in BARK HAZE, but his solo work as GOWN is equally cosmic. The Old Line is avant-garde guitar music for deep listening and coming undone. A weird meditation. Sprawling webs of guitar ambience and outsider mantras capture an ethereal solitude--the sparse Nova Scotian landscapes that Gown now calls home reflected in the texture of his music. This is noise that sounds like a sky of birds settling into the trees for a night away from the wind. Limited to 500 copies." [Divorce Records]


HOSPITALS
Hairdryer Peace LP

BACK IN PRINT!!! This was one of my top five favorite records of 2008. GET IT, ASSHOLE! [Hospitals Records]


MAGIK MARKERS
Balf Quarry LP

"Balf Quarry is the an all-new album-length piece of the puzzle from MAGIK MARKERS. Long known for their shattering live appearances, Magik Markers put together really hot albums too --like Balf Quarry. Working with engineer SCOTT COLBURN (Sun City Girls, Animal Collective, Sir Richard Bishop), Magik Markers have captured a lot of different moods and twitches on Balf Quarry. Tremoring mid-rhythms form the body, with a couple showers of hardcore, high flying free-duo style and several clinking music boxes of woe as well. On slower tunes, the mass of brooding guitar tone generated is ELISA’s signature, a carving all of her own. Fills, licks and other touches move the songs a broken arm's length away from a fundament of chaos and horror." [Drag City Records]


NAKED ON THE VAGUE
Chitty Chat 7"

"Australia's NAKED ON THE VAGUE return for another two-sider of serious harsh downer vibes. Drum, synth, bass and vocal ferocity from this male/female duo that comes out sounding like a surprisingly more danceable version of Whitehouse. Fans of last year's Skulltones 7" and Siltbreeze full-length won't be disappointed." [Sacred Bones Records]


NERVE CITY
I Fucked Death 10"

"NERVE CITY’s first large-format vinyl release brings us six brilliant tracks on a 45 RPM 10-inch EP. JASON BOYER’s home recording project mixes low-fi garage, classic doo-wop, noise and reverb to produce a perfect blend of fuzzed out, toe-tapping, garage pop. Boyer's home-recording techniques lend themselves to Nerve City's sound, driving the truly dark and minimal tracks to develop into reverb-laden, distortion buried pop gems." [Kill Shaman Records]


NICE FACE
Mnemonic Device 7"

"The third single from NICE FACE follows on the heels of the recent HoZac 7-inch and an appearance on the Wild About Jenkem compilation alongside like-minded fellow travelers Wizzard Sleeve and Livefastdie. "Mnemonic Device" is a slower plodding mid-tempo song driven by a hypnotic repeating keyboard line and fuzzed out vocals. "Situation Is Facing Utter Annihilation" on the flip is the punkest Nice Face track to date bridging the gulf between disjointed no-fi punk rock and sinister synth and drum machine derangement." [Sacred Bones Records]


PINK MOUNTAIN
Self Titled 2xLP+CD

"Five musicians from separate planets lock themselves in a studio for a few days and let her rip. Various post-avant spectrums toyed with but tossed out the window for rock. The verite m.o. of the first album is forgotten--this thing expands freely in four dimensions, becomes massive. There is no hope for this music--its impossible. That's why it was created. Beauty is its own reward, and ugly beauty is the most beautiful beauty. The members of PINK MOUNTAIN are Kyle Bruckman, Sam Coomes, Gino Robair, Scott Rosenberg (aka Scott Pinkmountain), John Shiruba. They are or have been in bands including Blues Goblins, Daniel Popsicle, Eskimo, EKG, Eyes, Golden Bolts of Tone, Heatmiser, Lozenge, The Molecules, My Name is Rar-Rar, Quasi, Spezza Rotto, Splatter Trio, Thinking Fellers UL282." [Sick Room Records]


POCAHAUNTED
Passage LP

BACK IN PRINT! REPRESSED!!! “Following on from last year's Chains, POCAHAUNTED strip away some of the more firmly structural elements of that record, melting away the tightened up dub rhythm section into something that's more in keeping with their abstract early form. Te whole album is bathed in a rich, ambiguous echo from which BETHANY and AMANDA’s peyote trip vocal entanglements ebb and flow. In keeping with the African/Native American/other influences that tend to permeate their work, you'll hear plenty of ceremonial-type percussive elements along with strange, droning guitar harmonies that bring to mind Indian ragas and the more out-there work of the Velvet Underground in equal measure. This is no gnarled old hippy outing though, and amongst all those dusky, Autumnal shades of reverb you'll hear splashes of bright neon psychedelia, with archly delivered, Popol Vuh (they're so hot right now) aping, new age pastiche characterising much of this four-part fact-finding expedition into the very heartland of 'vibe'. Tremendous.”--reviewed by Boomkat [Troubleman Unlimited Records]


RADIO CITY
Class Of ‘77 LP

"Recorded in NY between 1977 and 1980 these 'lost' Radio City recordings have been carried along until now merely in the rumor of power pop enthusiast and collector. The wait is over as, fortunately, there remains a LPs worth of songs such as Don't Mistake Love and Little Runaway that should move even the most jaded of hearts with their blend of pop melancholy lyric and Rickenbacker jangle." [Radio Heartbeat Records]


ALASDAIR ROBERTS
Spoils LP

Returned from his voyages of discovery around the globe, ALASDAIR ROBERTS has brought a sac of assorted goods for you merchants, eight epic new songs. As the years pass, Alasdair just keeps getting older. Not the way you and I do; more like accelerated growth, centuries passing. When the lad starts scoring his tunes for archaic instruments such as psaltery, viol and 19th century guitar, it’s serving notice that he’s going way back. In a sense, this makes Spoils his earliest album. Possessed of a spartan grace, Spoils is deceptive like that. On board are Alasdair’s old hands from Appendix Out (Tom Crossley and Gareth Eggie) as well as free percussionist extraordinaire Alex Nielson, noted baroque guitarist Gordon Ferries, Emily MacLaren, Niko-Matti Ahti (of Finnish free-pop duo Kiila), and David McGuinness and Alison McGillivray (both of Scotland’s Concerto Caledonia), bringing a loose and lively mixture of drums, bass, piano, flute, glockenspiel, harpsichord, harmonium, viol, synthesizer, dulcimer, psaltery, hurdy gurdy, fiddle, and of course guitars and voices." [Drag City Records]


SCREAMING FEMALES
Power Move LP

"SCREAMING FEMALES bring the sweaty intensity of basement punk to a new level with their third and most scorching full-length, Power Move. Their urgent vocals, gritty guitar solos, and iron-strong rhythms have garnered the attention of Spin Magazine, Maximumrock’n’roll, and everyone in-between." [Don Giovanni Records]


SON CUBANO NYC
Cuban Roots New York Spices 1972-82 2xLP

BACK IN PRINT! "Gorgeous, organic Cuban dance music--rootsy and big-city at the same time--from the neglected period in the ‘70s, when small independent New York labels like SAR and Mericana were emerging from the domination of Fania. In premature reviews, Q Magazine awarded SON CUBANO its coveted 'Q recommends' accolade; DJ reckoned it 'a must'; and Music Week celebrated 'some of the most vibrant music on the planet'. Elaborate gatefold jacket." [Honest Jon's Records]


BISHOP PERRY TILLIS
In Times Like This LP

"PERRY TILLIS was born July 29, 1919, in Elba, Alabama, and began playing his brand of rambling blues at a very early age. He continued playing the blues and singing gospel, despite going blind, up until his death on November 3, 2004. In the '40s Tillis played the Chicago blues circuit. However, when a revelation convinced him it was the devil's music, he moved back home and began preaching the gospel. This LP is culled from 72 hours of cassette tapes recorded during the last 10 years of Tillis' life. Extremely lo-fi gospel with Tillis playing guitar and singing into a boombox. Not for the faint of heart. This is a first time release of this material. Liner notes included with archival photos." [Mississippi Records]


TIMMY’S ORGANISM
Squeeze The Giant 2x7"

"Sacred Bones is proud to present this five-song EP spread across two 7-inches from TIMMY’S ORGANISM, the solo alter-ego of HUMAN EYE frontman and CLONE DEFECTS mastermind TIMMY VULGAR along with members of TERRIBLE TWOS. Traversing the gap between the disjointed Helios Creed-inspired work of Human Eye's skronky punk and more spacey out there explorations Timmy's Organism is the next logical step in a family of Michigan noise that includes the now defunct Pirhanas as well as Tentacle Lizardo, The Frustrations, Reptile forcefield and even Tyvek. More stripped down and raw than anything Human Eye has done to date but no less intense! Don't miss out on this one!" [Sacred Bones Records]



April 23, 2009

BUFMS (BUTTECOUNTY FREE MUSIC SOCIETY)
Induced Musical Spasticity 4xLP+CD Box Set

BACK IN STOCK!! "Induced Musical Spasticity commemorates the nascent pollination--in the musty shadows of the real ersatz Sherwood Forest, a couple hundred miles north of San Francisco--of the BUTTECOUNTY FREE MUSIC SOCIETY, an apocryphal institution that encouraged anything and nothing, in musical and amusical contexts, sometimes intentionally, sometimes because no one knew any better or cared. Includes highbrow concept tracks by The Marques (brothers Cole and Steve Marquis), Unlikely Modernists, Ambivalent Dosage, Dilwhip, Hypnagogic Jerk, Hallucinatory Companion (aka Barbara Manning and Cole Marquis). Ripe dementia by Lawrence Crane & John Young, Tops Inc., Rory Lyons, Ziplok, Sidney Afrika, The Conduits, Lucian Tielens, and Richard Streeter. And then you've got primitard rock dunt by The Flamboyant Offals, Walking Jock, Dead Boy 3, and shockingly raw 28th Day material that predates most anyone's idea of the original lineup of that influential band. The Bren't Lewiis Ensemble pollutes the lion's share of real estate with a side-long tape cut-up a la Faust Tapes called "Goat Embryo (Covered With Glue)," and their entire Industrial Barbecue set. Two-thirds of the material here was previously released (translation: a few dozen cassettes were dubbed one at time and passed through the hands of people in the same rural Northern California area code 25 years ago). All the relics in this boxset are likely unheard by anyone not specifically mentioned above." [BUFMS]


COBRA NOIR / HOLY MOUNTAIN
Split 7"

"This is it folks, the final chapter in the split-record journey for THE HOLY MOUNTAIN. Two blistering crisps of hardcore swagger, fizzing guitar leads, and embalmed vocals. Add to that a furious wall of riffs from Canada and you have... the most brutal slab of split brutality since, well, since the recent Black Tusk split. Various colored vinyl. Nice artwork." [No Idea Records]


CROCODILES
Summer Of Hate LP

"San Diego's CROCODILES deliver their debut album. The band draws comparisons to Jesus and Mary Chain, Velvet Underground, Spacemen 3 and contemporaries like Dum Dum Girls, Crystal Stilts and Wavves." [Fat Possum Records]


EXPO 70 / I AM SEAMONSTER
Split 7"

"EXPO 70 offers up an amazing piece of guitar drone while IAS's fuzzed-out drone has an odd sort of pop sensibility bubbling underneath the distortion. Edition of 285 copies on black vinyl packaged in a two-color, silk screened cover." [Small Doses Records]


FLIPPER
Generic Flipper LP
Gone Fishin’ LP


REISSUED ON VINYL!!! The first and second studio albums for the original lineup of SF's FLIPPER were first released in 1982 and 1984, respectively. Post-hardcore? Post-punk? Art-rock? Despite being a part of SF's punk scene Flipper were really only punk in spirit, eschewing conventions and making no concessions. They took the "punk" tag to extremes, as no other band in the world was playing punk this slow, sludgy, dark and disturbed. [4 Men With Beards Records]


STEVE GUNN / SHAWN MCMILLON
End Of The City (Split) LP

"This record showcases two very talented musicians in their prime. STEVE GUNN’s side clearly displays his guitar wizardry, while remaining honest and heartfelt. After several years with GHQ, Steve has sharpened his skills and it really shows. SHAWN McMILLON’s recent collaborations with WARMER MILKS seep through on his side of the album. Bleaker and darker than Steve's side, Shawn tells his tale through guitar, piano, synth and tape manipulation.Edition of 500 on black vinyl in a pro-printed jacket with full color artwork by MARY KIDD. Co-released with Abandon Ship & Abaddon." [DNT Records]


HEARTLESS BASTARDS
Mountain LP

Now available on vinyl [Fat Possum Records]


MAHIKARI
Self Titled LP

Makoto Kawabata (Acid Mothers Temple) and Seiichi Yamamoto (Boredoms) cut mind-churning psychedelic meltdowns with ex-Thin White Rope bassist Stoo Odom, following the path paved by their respective bands as well as Fushitsusha, Solmania, CCCC, KK Null, and Highrise. The first Mahikari record is a blistering colossal attack of legendary proportions, available on super-limited-edition vinyl." [Birdman Records]


NECRONOMICON
Tips Zum Selbtsmord + 4 Bonus Tracks CD

Mastertape reissue of mega-rare 1972 private press plus four unreleased tracks. "An obscure, yet legendary heavy and psychedelic underground band, whose only LP was released privately, instantly becoming obscure and collectable, not least because of its title, meaning ‘Tips For Committing Suicide.’ Also, aptly the music was dark, outer-edge bleak rock, with acid guitars and distinctly psychedelic wailing angst ridden German vocals. A kind of dark sinister Frumpy turned garage band, even stranger than the occasionally comparable Ainigma." - reviewed by The Crack In The Cosmic Egg [Garden Of Delights Records]


THEE OH SEES
Help LP / CD

"Thee Oh Sees started as an extension of John Dwyer's (Pink & Brown, Coachwhips, Hospitals) softer side. Their early recordings were somber and beautiful. Last year, Thee Oh Sees made an unexpected turn, delivering their wildest, weirdest, hardest-rocking record yet with The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending A Night In. Now Thee Oh Sees have followed it with an even wilder, more hard-rocking record, Help. Recorded by Chris Woodhouse (the A-Frames, Mayyors), Help draws straight, dark lines to both the British psychedelic rock of bands like The Creation and the caveman thud of The Troggs while a Cramps-like appreciation for rockabilly lies not far below. The album weaves Dwyer's signature AM radio howl with the catchiest of driving tunes, Brigid Dawson's gorgeous harmonies, heightened fidelity, thick spring-reverbed bombast, mighty drums, and an undeniable pull. The result is a sound somewhere beyond nostalgia, beyond the garage, beyond the fireside song and supposed goo-rock. Modern rock 'n' roll records don't come much better than this and Thee Oh Sees are one of the best bands going." [In The Red Records]


LEE ROCKEY
Lee Rockey Music LP

"This hard-swinging jazzbo mastered the modern style by 1946, and became known as one of the Vancouver whiz kids. He went to the city in 1953, jammed with Neil Hefti, and appeared on the first few Herbie Mann records. Upon his left coast return, he began developing his own sound and style, intending to transcend traditional musical forms and expectations. Ju Suk Reet Meate of Smegma caught one of his performances in early 1976, and eventually invited him to play on some early Smegma records. Aside from a few record booth lathes cut in the ‘40s and ‘50s, this is his first solo release, which on first spin, Toshi Ichiyanagi comes to mind briefly, but these sounds inhabit a self-contained universe. Recorded between 1959 and '73, they own a keen third-eye prescience that portends the likes of C Spencer Yeh and Axolotl." [Destijl Records]


SNAKE PIT
2008 (BOOK)

See what your old pal Ben was up to in the last year! [Microcosm Publishing]


SO COW
Self Titled LP

Fifteen choice numbers from TUAM’s beloved songsmith and overall pop genius BRIAN KELLY. This LP includes selected tracks from his self-released CDs, the two singles, plus a dash of new material. All tracks were remastered from the original recordings by BOB WESTON and CARL SAFF. [Tic Tac Totally Records]


VARIOUS ARTISTS
Eccentric Soul 11 - Smart’s Palace CD

"Smart’s Palace was anything but royal. Beyond the bloodlines of the SMART BROTHERS and their jester brother LEROY, the only kings and queens to be discovered there were JB and Aretha playing on the Wurlitzer. However, between 1963-1975 the club held court for the entire Wichita, Kansas soul scene. At its heart was DICK SMART, bassist, club owner, DJ, record store owner, promoter, and sole proprietor of the Solo label. Collected here for the first time is the story and songs that came out of this thriving, if not totally unknown scene. Housed in Numero’s signature slipcase, the nineteen-track disc features Theron & Darrell, Baby Neal, Chocolate Snow, L.T. & the Soulful Dynamics, Fred Williams & the Jewels Band, and The Hard Road, on labels like Solo, Kanwic, Vantage, and Lee-Mac, all fully annotated with a ransom of pictures, posters, and ephemera fit for a king." [Numero Group]


VARIOUS ARTISTS
Local Customs - Downriver Revival LP+DVD / CD+DVD

NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL AND CD! "Between 1967 and 1981 Detroit’s downriver neighbor Ecorse, Michigan had its very own Moe Asch. Set up in a basement on 18th Avenue, FELTON WILLIAMS chronicled the musical lives of Ecorse’s citizens and issued them on the Solid Rock, Compose, and Revival labels. Compiled here are twenty-four of Williams’ most fascinating recordings, covering gospel, group soul, garage-punk, northern, jazz, and funk. Also included is a DVD of the over 200 sound recordings pulled from his archives and a 30-minute featurette on the making of Downriver Revival." [Numero Group]


WOODEN SHJIPS
Dos LP / CD

NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL AND CD! "Here we have a Wooden Shjips record the world saw coming-- not titled II, Sophomore, or Second, but Dos. The group maintains its strident pace like a silverfish rave in perfectly folded bedsheets, with more bounce per ounce as life goes jogging with bopping heads and digging heels. Five numbers whose style might fit as cozily at La Cave in 1968 as at Ibiza in 1988. Natural loops with just enough vocals take you where the khakis and the cut-offs play together. Dos sounds off as the inauguration speech of a group accepting the minimalist psych bop crown that once adorned the likes of Neu and Loop. If possible, their brand of whipping fuzz hooks have gotten groovier." [Holy Mountain Records]


XHOL
Hau-Ruk + 1 Bonus Track CD

Licensed reissue of their 1970 Ohr LP plus a 22-minute unreleased track recorded at Dieter Dierk's studio. "Two long live improvisations, recorded in July 1970, were released as Hau-Ruk (1971). The album showcased a couple of changes: Hansi Fischer had quit for Embryo, and their name had been shortened into XHOL. Musically it was arguably a ‘progressive’ development on Electrip, offering even more time for instrumental work, particularly the wah-wah manipulated sax and organ of Belbe and Breuern respectively. "Breit" was a lazy fusion piece, which gradually built in intensity. Actually this wasn't too far removed from the live tracks on Soft Machine's third album. By contrast, ‘Schaukel’ turned into an obscene rocking monster." - reviewed by Cosmic Dreams At Play [Garden Of Delights Records]


XHOL CARAVAN
Electrip + 2 Bonus Tracks CD

Reissue of this 1969 German psychedelic classic (and NWW listmaker), plus two bonus tracks from their non-LP 7-inch. "This important group began life as a soul-rock combo named SOUL CARAVAN in the mid sixties. They managed to get an album of such music out [Get In High (1967)] and then in a mysterious way became XHOL CARAVAN. Under this name they recorded Electrip in 1969, it was one of the first German progressive albums. The album started with a toilet flush, which gave way to three Zappa-esque fusion instrumentals. Side two opened with the long "Raise Up High," an energetic mayhem of aggressive playing (a kind of jazz-soul blues-psychedelia) with wild and gutsy vocals. This was the album that sort of kicked the unique German jazz-rock fusion into life." - reviewed by Cosmic Dreams At Play [Garden Of Delights Records]


RICHARD YOUNGS
High Sun Energy 7"

Hand-numbered edition of 300 copies, packaged in very nice silkscreened chipboard arigato packs with personal photos from the artist. [Dull Knife Records]



April 17, 2009

BLACK TUSK / HOLY MOUNTAIN
Split 7"

"The final songs recorded by the mighty HOLY MOUNTAIN before the members scattered in the transatlantic winds. The cadence from the first song is enough to sink a battleship, guitar leads blaze relentless, social commentary growling, beats flying. BLACK TUSK lay waste, swamp metal style. Savannamals rejoice!" [No Idea Records]


BUTTHOLE SURFERS
Brown Reason To Live LP

"Finally back in print! This is where it all began for these acid casualty reality trippers. Brown Reason To Live is their very first release; it came out in 1983. Here it is on vintage thick wax. 12" vinyl, 7-song EP-- their first classic slab, and still as crazed and lysergic as ever!" [Alternative Tentacles Records]


CIRCUS DEVILS
Gringo LP

"The Circus Devils prove that accessibility and experimentation can go hand in hand on Gringo, an acoustic song cycle with a 1970s Morricone-esque Southwestern flavor. You can almost smell the sage brush and gasoline on every track. Robert Pollard and the Tobias brothers tell the story of the Gringo with moods ranging from jubilant to melancholy to mean, all wrapped in the trademark Circus Devils palette of exotic sounds." [Happy Jack Rock Records]


CRUDE
Attitude LP

"Crude's been around since 1995 and have come to define the hakodate sound; melodic and layered Japanese hardcore played with heart and drive. This is their most recent LP, originally released in 2000, sold out soon thereafter, and now available again. Touring the US this summer." [Feral Ward Records]


CRYSTAL ANTLERS
Tentacles CD

"Tentacles finds the CRYSTAL ANTLERS exploding through the unclaimed space between ‘60s garage toughs like the Music Machine and the Misunderstood, red-eyed noiseniks like Guru Guru and Les Rallizes Denudes (whose ever-present turbine whine serves as the sound of the Crystal Antlers’ circulatory system) and the mechanized motor-soul of Osmium-era Parliament... It’s an album that functions as an organism--it breathes, it sleeps, it wakes up hungry and ready to chase something down." [Touch and Go Records]


DEATHCAGE
Chaos Night Rider 7"

"A follow up EP from Aussie ‘Japacore bastards’ DEATHCAGE. Chaos Night Rider features five songs of classic Japanese hardcore, shredding solos and throat splitting vocals. Think Deathside kangaroos in the blazing Aussie outback." [Schizophrenic Records]


F
Mess You Up/You Are An EP LP

"F was the focal point of the hardcore scene stemming out of South Florida, adored and hated by punks across the US because of their pro-Ronald Reagan stance, as tongue-in-cheek as it may have been. F was one of those bands where if you werent smart enough to "get it," you wanted to kick their ass. But F was too busy kicking ours, with great releases such as "You Are An EP", Florida's first 12" punk vinyl release, "Mess You Up", F's debut on the notorious Mystic Records label, and the single "Attack" which appeared on Flipside's Vinyl Fanzine #1 Compilation alongside such greats as The Dickies, TSOL, Scream, and GBH. This 25th Anniversary re-release includes all of those recordings in their entirety, plus a few bonus tracks thrown in." [Puke N Vomit Records]


HJERTESTOP
Vi Ses I Helvede LP

"Danish punks Hjertestop have finally cranked out their first 12" record of high-energy, melodic hardcore punk influenced by early-'80s American bands like Zero Boys as well as more recent Europeans like Young Wasteners, Henry Fiat's Open Sore and The Regulations." [No Way Records]


HOLE CLASS
Hole Class LP

"Mostly recorded on a farm in Ohio in 2006 by BETH MURPHY (TIMES NEW VIKING) and ROB ENBOM (EAT SKULL). Great pop songs from this duo with a "gothic country" vibe that vaguely calls to mind an interpretation of Nancy & Lee by Neil & Jennifer. There is a stripped down feel and intimacy to everything here. From roadtrip singalongs to true heartbreakers, a perfect album." [Meds Records]


INSECT WARFARE
Self Titled LP (one sided)

"Final one sided LP from Insect Warfare. Blistering, primal noise/grind done by the now defunct Gulf-Coast grind-unit. Raw and punishing, how grindcore is supposed to be. Glossy metal magazines will be confused, posers decimated, and the last-will and testament of this band will live on in infamy. Limited to 1100 copies." [625 Productions]


INVASION
La Caza LP
Self Titled LP


BOTH LPs BACK IN STOCK! Claustrophobic, intense, noisy and chaotic hardcore punk from Barcelona, Spain. Influenced equally by DISCHARGE and old Italian and Japanese bands their debut LP is a mix of pure anguish and anger. Their sound is dirty and direct and the vocal delivery is extremely crazy, using delay and echo effects that together with a primal recording and production create an atmosphere of pure desperation. [La Vida Es Un Mus Records]


KURT VILE
Constant Hitmaker LP

NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! “KURT VILE is the nom de plume of Philadelphian KURT VILE (!) whose shimmering home recordings reflect the artists admiration of everything from delta blues to the minimalist agro of Suicide, the downer psyche of 39 Clocks as well as the skiffle hum of Strapping Fieldhands. In other words, a real globe trotter. Kurt has shared bills--as well as wiped the floor--with the likes of Blues Control, Pink Reason, Clock Cleaner, Times New Viking, Magik Markers, to name a few. This is his debut release. Lend him your ears.”--Tom Lax [Woodsist Records]


THOMAS MAPFUMO & THE ACID BAND
Hokoyo! CD

"Zimbabwean legend THOMAS MAPFUMO’s first full length album Hokoyo! was released at the height of the Rhodesian War in 1976. Hokoyo! is his only LP to feature THE ACID BAND and is the first full length release of the Mapfumo coined musical genre, Chimurenga, a Shona word meaning "struggle." Chimurenga is exemplified by lyrics of struggle and revolution and a guitar style based on transcribing the sounds of the traditional Shona instrument, the mbira, to the electric guitar. Crucial and historical and revolutionary, and you can dance to it. Available on CD in the US for the first time ever." [Water records]


THOMAS MAPFUMO & THE BLACKS UNLIMITED
Gwindingwi Rine Shumba CD

"Recorded in the late ‘70s, Gwindingwi Rine Shumba is Zimbabwean artist THOMAS MAPFUMO's second full length album. Featuring Mapfumo's incendiary guitar playing and lyrics of struggle, sung in his native Shona language, this is political dance music that rivals the work of another African legend, Nigerian Fela Kuti. Available on CD in the US for the first time ever." [Water Records]


MASSHYSTERI
Var Del Av Stan LP

VINYL VERSION NOW AVAILABLE!!! "First full-length from these swedish usual suspects. Somber, happy, desparate and composed punk-lite that's fresh amidst today's currents. Given this, Gorilla Angreb isn't an unwarranted marker even if Masshysteri has a sound and approach of its own." [Feral Ward Records]


PAUL METZGER
Anamnestic Tincture LP

"Anamnestic Tincture is a live album by virtuosic musical carpenter Paul Metzger, culled from many hours of concert recordings. Side one comprises Metzger's public debut on his modified banjo, recorded in 2002 at a former church-turned-underground art space in Minneapolis. One of his most memorable compositions, "After Milo" later turned up as an untitled improvisation on his CD for the Chairkickers label. Jumping ahead six years (and several more banjo alterations later) to side two, the glittering "Orans" gets a workout at a memorial show for the artist Matt Zaun. As an acknowledgment of the occasion, Metzger also gave a one-time-only performance -- "Dark Green Water" -- on another of his mutant instruments: an acoustic guitar with the body drilled out to accommodate a cymbal set into its face, and ten assorted strings of varying lengths laid over the top, giving it a particularly metallic and dissonant sound." Limited edition of 425. [Roaratorio Records]


PSYCHEDELIC HORSESHIT
Golden Oldies LP

Their first recordings, taken from singles and whatnot. 20 tracks from 2005-2006.


SANCTUM
On The Horizon LP

"War fucking crust influenced by Bolt Thrower, Hellbastard, Amebix, Onslaught, Sacrilege. First released as a tour-only edition limited to 381 copies with hand screened covers , here it comes again with improved artwork, gatefold cover + insert. A modern classic!" [Agipunk Records]


STORMCROW / LAUDANUM
Sacred Death LP

"Stormcrow and Laudanum, two bands from Oakland, California (the same city that birthed Neurosis and was home to Dystopia, Brainoil, and Asunder), approach heavy music from different angles with equally devastating results. Stormcrow has been fairly prolific over the last few years, releasing split records with Mass Grave, Skaven, and Sanctum. During this time the band has built a reputation as the heaviest and most epic metallic crust band since the mighty Bolt Thrower. Here, they deliver two more masterpieces of skullcrushing power, adding elements of doom and Swedish death metal into their sound-- easily their best songs yet. Laudanum released their largely overlooked debut, The Apotheker, back in 2004 and a 7-inch in 2007. They come from a much more doomed spectrum, as though The Melvins and Swans had been left to rot in some dank Oakland industrial zone. Indeed, Laudanum's sound is outright industrial-influenced noise interspersed with their gristled doom riffage." [20 Buck Spin Records]


TRANZMITORS
Busy Singles LP

"New album compiling all tracks from their 4 singles, which are almost all pretty much sold out and out of press and one really excellent bonus track. For those who haven’t heard, Vancouver’s TRANZMITORS play UK influenced powerpop in the vain of the BOYS, the BUZZCOCKS and the EXPLODING HEARTS." [Deranged Records ]


TOWNES VAN ZANDT
Live At The Old Quarter 2xLP

RE-ISSUED ON VINYL!! "Barely five years into his recording career in 1973, TOWNES VAN ZANDT classics like "Pancho and Lefty," "Rex's Blues" and "Lungs" helped carve out the man's folk hero status among luminaries like Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Steve Earle. Live at the Old Quarter, a set recorded in 1973 and first released in 1977, helped seal his critical reputation--while perhaps simultaneously driving yet another nail into the coffin of Van Zandt's cult status." [Fat Possum Records]


WET HAIR
Dream LP

"When Iowa City freak-out free-rockers RACCOO-OO-OON called it quits last year it left a bummer scar in the Midwest underground scene. But time is a great healer, and so are new bands. So out of the ashes of the RAC pack comes WET HAIR, a synth-punk-trance duo composed of keyboardist/vocalizer SHAWN REED and keyboardist/drummer RYAN GARBES, and Dream is the band’s debut vinyl full-length after a series of increasingly shredding limited-edition cassettes on their own Night People label. Piling together an unlikely trash heap of Suicide-style drum machine beat-bops, zone-droned krautrock keys, and fucked up outsider crooning, the LP’s four tracks careen across a spectrum of moods and mangled melodies. Wet Hair’s cult electric annihilation has never gleamed with such razor-edged weirdness; this is their dream made real." [Not Not Fun Records]


WOODS
Songs Of Shame LP

"The fourth full-length by Woods, Songs of Shame, veers away from the lo-fi guerillas-in-the-mist sound of their previous Shrimper long-player, At Rear House, and presents both 90-second and ten-minute forays into skeletal psychedelia. The idiosyncratic songwriting style and vocalizing of Jeremy Earl is still present in spades on the album." [Woodsist Records]


YOUNG OFFENDERS/GIANT HAYSTACKS
Split LP

"The much anticipated split between two of the Bay Area's best punk bands of recent years. Catchy yet pissed, melodic yet driven, both bands compliment each other's hook-laden anger. THE YOUNG OFFENDERS following up multiple EPs and split from the past few years with their best songs yet, while GIANT HAYSTACKS contribute their last and best studio recording. An instant classic - get it while you can." [625 Productions]



April 6, 2009

BILL CALLAHAN
Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle LP

Brand new ex-Smog. [Drag City Records]


CRYSTAL STILTS
Love Is A Wave 7"

New single. "Love Is A Wave" is a firm favorite of the band's live show, a perfect two-minute pop nugget in the best punk rock tradition... B-side "Sugarbaby" is no slouch either, sounding for all the world like The Clean if they had been produced by Lee Hazlewood back in Arizona in the late 50s." [Slumberland Records]


DOCTOR SCIENTIST / OCTAGON CONTROL
Split 7"

[FDH Records]


EMTIDI
Saat CD

"Recording in a good studio in 1972 with an accomplished engineer/musician such as DIETER DIERKS (Ash Ra Tempel, Cosmic Jokers, Tangerine Dream, and yes, the Scorpions), certainly enabled EMTIDI to expand their musical style on Saat. The end result was a shimmering, lush cosmic folk trip, with multi-tracked and treated acoustic guitars plus electric piano, fragile angelic femme vocals, vibes, and mellotron, (punctuated by the occasional acid guitar solo). Saat is an elevated cosmic folk brew of a refined and most magical kind--a richly textured sound thick with treated guitars, phased keyboards and trippy electronics, rendering a cosmic atmosphere similar to vintage Klaus Schulze or Ash Ra Tempel." [Lion Productions]


FRESH & ONLYS
Debut LP

"“The group's self-titled debut full-length album strikes a balance between the psych-fried blur of the California sun and an amp-crackling, four-chorded garage basher.”--Chris Sabbath-SF Chronicle. Released on JOHN DWYER’s (OHSEES) Castle Face label." [Castle Face]


SERGIUS GOLOWIN
Lord Krishna Von Goloka CD

"In 1973, ROLF ULRICH KAISER’s visionary powers acted as a catalyst for an authentic combination of acid, music and sprituality: the mystical LSD-fueled musical project Lord Krishna von Goloka. For this adventure into Indian and Oriental mythologies and legends, Kaiser asked esoteric Swiss artist (he was a friend of Giger’s), poet, specialist on Alpine folklore, and friend of Timothy Leary, SERGIUS GOLOWIN, to join a group of musicians including KLAUS SCHULZE and members of WALLENSTEIN and WITTHUSER + WESTRUPP. It was perhaps mere coincidence that Golowin's classic treatise on witches, herbs, and magic mushrooms was published that same year (Magie der verbotenen Märchen); the book was fast becoming a cult item--it was secretly Xeroxed in what was then-Communist East Germany, and later distributed in the hippie-underground there. Sergius Golowin’s intellectual and spiritual world of occultism, popular legends, and shamanism were the foundation for the project. He was responsible for the lyrics, which consisted of incantatory recitations in German over the multi-textural compositions." [Lion Productions]


OUTLAW ORDER
Legalize Crime 7"

"Boasting four out of five members of EYEHATEGOD, these Louisiana metalheads punch out four songs plus a bonus live track of Sabbath-influenced dirty hardcore-punk, not straying far from the path laid down by Eyehategod." [Deep Six Records]


OVO
Croce Via LP

"A darker slant than their previous full length, OvO's guitars scrape & drums pound but the organic crunch & high fidelity of this release will convince you that this is music taken further & harder. An avant masterpiece, it takes cues from the tar covered hordes wearing jean jackets & introduces a very natural middle finger of wigginess. Stefania Pendretti's vocals soar for the sky & rest like a golden piece of corn in the steaming morass of dunt. Guitar undulates like a wriggling eel, with Bruno Dorella's drums providing crunching headburn." [Load Records]


RAZORCAKE Magazine
Issue # 49

Razorcake returns with features on HOLLY GOLIGHTLY, SHARK PANTS, VITAMIN X, LOUIS JACINTO, IN DEFENCE


SKULL DEFEKTS
Temple 2xLP

"Brand new full length from renowned Swedish noise rock outfit the SKULL DEFEKTS. Their intense, monotonous, rhythmic and sexual out rock has since their start in early 2005 been spreading energies of various kinds to welcoming audiences and listeners. The DFX is also exploring worlds of noise, the drone and psychedelic electronics on waves. The Temple is the follow up to last year’s Blood Spirits & Drums Are Singing, but it's deeper, harder, more sex, more occult." Limited to 500.


SKYSCRAPER Magazine
Issue # 30

Skyscraper’s spring issue warms the hearts with features on BONNIE PRINCE BILLY, THERMALS, WAVVES, BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW, COMET GAIN, MI AMI, OCEAN, THE RESIDENTS, TITUS ANDRONICUS, CAUSE CO-MOTION, and a ton of others.


TAPE OP Magazine
Issue # 70 - March / April 2009

Your guide to creative music recording returns with features on SUFJAN STEVENS, TJ DOHERTY, OH YEAH, JJ BLINK & PHIL PASKE plus an article on carpal tunnel and the usual gear and cd reviews.


USAISAMONSTER
Space Programs LP

"Buttery synth & elaborate vocal harmonies combine to levitate hairpieces at least a little bit. This is the perfect synthesis of their pastoral wanderings circe their second record & the punk spunk of the first & third full lengths. The band is still a NY two piece tribe of Native American obsessed truth salesmen. Their take on rock embraces proggy synth tones, elaborate harmonies & jaw dropping drum & guitar that is no accident, and can be seen in ragged glory when they come to your local rock hole this fall." [Load Records]


VARIOUS ARTISTS
Train To Nowhere - Garage Acetates Vol. 3 LP
I’ve Had Enough - Garage Acetates Vol. 4 LP


Now available! Norton's third and fourth volumes of unissued USA sixties garage band mayhem! The ultimate shock and delight to all garage fans! All selections were recorded 1964-68 but none were released at the time. [Norton Records]


VEE DEE
Public Mental Health System 2xLP+CD

"Heavy times call for a heavy soundtrack, and that’s what Chicago’s VEE DEE has accomplished with their new double album Public Mental Health System. This record blurs the lines between garage, punk and psychedelia; it is the sound of desperate, no-compromise rock ’n’ roll of the past being absorbed and then re-interpreted for NOW. Short fast dark garage punk segues into heavy riffing and guitar freak-outs. Moody folk chords bang up against frantic fuzz turnarounds. Over it all, lyrics of abstract yet direct poetry are hollered and crooned, aided by well-placed backing vocals." [Criminal IQ Records]


WIPERS
Over The Edge LP

Re-issued on vinyl! "The bleak, hard-driven third LP by THE WIPERS (originally released in 1983) offers GREG SAGE at his most chased and breathless, lashing out with sharp staccato notes as if melody were his only defense. While their debut LP provided the blueprint for grunge, and their second album recast the band as one of America’s premier postpunk bands, it’s Over The Edge that best exemplifies the Wipers’ sound. The jagged, effortless guitar lines, the paranoid lyrics and raw-throated vocals and the taut, unified rhythms that define their sound bleed together most clearly on this LP, and it stands as both the best entry point for new fans and the most prevalent favorite of diehards." [Jackpot records]


ZOLA JESUS
Tsar Bomba LP

“On Tsar Bomba, the bleak pop sensibility stays afloat on a lake polluted with white noise, dirty industrial rhythms, and hissing synthesizers. The spooky vibrato of Madison vocalist NIKA DANILOVA effectively throws the dreamy hooks of Ronnie Spector down an empty well. In live sets, DEAD LUKE’s sonically haunting synthesizers crawl over the minimalist rhythm section of bassist LINDSAY MIKKOLA and tom-tom player MAX ELLIOT to provide an adequate backdrop for Danilova’s heaving vibrato and sinister shrieking.”--reviewed by Madison Decider. Edition of 500 copies. [Troubleman Unlimited]



March 18, 2009

ALL NIGHT DRUG PROWLING WOLVES
Self Titled LP

"Atlanta's best kept secret is on the loose with their self-titled debut. Singer TOM CHESIRE belts out dangerously catchy songs with all the charm and menace of a great con man, while the band shift through power pop, punk, and reggae. Lean and mean rock that fears no hangover." [Colonel Records]


BRAINBOMBS
Fucking Mess LP

BACK IN PRINT!!! THE BRAINBOMBS return with seven new songs recorded Summer 2008. Pressed on black vinyl with new covers printed on non-flimsy stock. Swedish import. [Lystring Records]


BRIMSTONE HOWL
Mammon 7"

"Mammon, the single's massive A-side, is a beautiful, multifaceted, and most notably, mature track from one of the best non-shit-fi pigfuck garage bands around. Neil Diamond's “Solitary Man” backs this single, though its nothing like the original, as Nick Cave-like vocals and dark closet production keep frontman JOHN ZIEGLER firmly in check. 500 pressed." [Rob's House Records]


DEMON’S CLAWS
Weird Ways 7"

"DEMON’S CLAWS claws are one of the most dynamic combos to take the filthy route directly to your brain, and each live performance solidifies their earnest ambition to stomp their furious rock'n’roll death trip into submission. Their stumbling, rambling ways have lead folks down the darker side of Americana-tinged blues-punk on more than one occasion. These two tracks come from the same recording session as the previous Rob's House single." [Rob's House Records]


MAX ELLIOTT
Nature O’ Nature 7"

"Sparsely arranged folk from ABSINTHE MINDS member MAX ELLIOTT. The central Wisconsin singer/songwriter’s dark acid folk hovers close around the lone guitar/vocal arrangements with subtle percussive accompaniment at points. This is not the folk of Jewel or Devendra Banhardt, think along the lines of Beard of Stars-era T-Rex or Simon Finn’s Pass The Distance. Raspy voiced tales of death, woe, and redemption." [Sacred Bones Records]


GARY WAR
Zontag 7"

"GARY WAR’s keyboard and tape manipulations exist in the loner sphere somewhere between the Legendary Pink Dots’ keyboard driven take on UK psychedelia and current fellow travelers like the Pink Noise. Like the LPD or Ariel Pink (to whom he’s garnered comparisons since the debut LP release) the odd experimental arrangements and off-kilter instrumentation never stray very far from melancholy pop song structures rooted around a catchy hook and melody." [Sacred Bones Records]


GG KING
Adult Rock 7"

Debut single by this CARNBONAS offshoot. [Douchemaster Records]


GODDAMN RATTLESNAKE
Be Mine 7"

"The Be Mine EP from Brooklyn’s country rockin’/Americana swinging J. RATTLESNAKE and band. For fans of Doc Watson, The Rolling Stones, Palace Brothers, Townes Van Zandt, The Band, The Dead, whiskey, etc." [Colonel Records]


HAPPY BURGER
Pizza All Around 7"

"In spite of living in the heart of the culinary universe, our French friends known as HAPPY BURGER have found none other than pizza and burgers as their songwriting muses. The argument is as fundamental as chicken vs. the egg, but in the eyes and mouths of these Frenchies, the cheeseburger loses a nail biter to the pizza. Four songs. Simple and short with mandatory French garage production. Jonathan Richman would be proud. Jacques Pepin would be horribly disappointed." [Douchemaster Records]


ABNER JAY
True Story Of Abner Jay LP

"Compilation culled from ABNER JAY’s' self released LPs and 7-inches featuring hits such as "I'm So Depressed," "Cocaine," "Vietnam," and "The Reason Young People Do Drugs." Abner Jay was a one-man band singer/songwriter deserving of a wider listening audience than he received in his day. This is the first vinyl release of his material since the 1970's. Great soulful folk and R&B music. LP includes a press photo of Abner, transcriptions of his spoken word pieces, a reproduction of an informative pamphlet about Abner, and a press statement penned by Abner himself." [Mississippi Records]


LOTUS PLAZA
Floodlight Collective LP

"LOCKETT PUNDT’s (DEERHUNTER) first full-length is an expansive meditation on the modern history of the pop song with an obvious appreciation for the atmospheric vocal harmonies of the ‘50s, the Brill Building writers of the ‘60s, and the sounds of the early ‘80s postpunk UK scene." [Kranky Records]


DAN MELCHIOR UND DAS MENACE
Thank You Very Much 2xLP

"For his debut full-length on S-S, DAN MELCHIOR recorded forty songs and narrowed them down to sixteen for the release, making a rich double LP worth of material that rivals last year’s fantastic Christmas For Crows. For those not in the know, Dan has collaborated with Billy Childish and Holly Golightly, released records on In The Red, Smart Guy, Hangman and Daggerman (to name a few), and comes from a lineage of British underground songwriters which starts back with Syd Barrett and Vivian Stanshall, continues through Mark E. Smith and Dan Treacy, and has been taken up by Ben Wallers (Country Teasers) and Melchior." [S-S Records]


NO NECK BLUES BAND
Clomeim 2xLP / CD

NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL AND CD! "Clomeim is an evolution, a vital document of Change in The No-Neck Blues Band's 15+ years of para-musical activity. This pivotal recording is a creative distillation of the collective at a new and startling saturation point. For three rainy days in March 2007, the seven-headed hydra that is NNCK holed up in Black Dirt Studios, their newly outfitted recording studio in the foothills of upstate New York. With a discipline & a clarity of vision they've rarely displayed before,the collective channeled all of their energies into hours of recording live, real-time improvisation. After months spent sculpting and recasting the raw material, Clomeim emerged--a distinct whole, recalling in its parts the communal howl of Algarnas Tradgard, the dead spirit channeling of Geino Yamashiro Gumi, the glacial shadowplay of 'Heresie' era Univers Zero, and Krautrock zenith Faust at their finest hour. Clomeim is that rare hybrid - a rock exterior with a cryptic, experimental core; a dense groover and a burning, exploratory psychedelic grimoire for the new dark ages." [Locust Records]


NOTHING PEOPLE
Late Night LP

"From the sci-fi, psych, proto punk bombast of their debut LP, the Nothing People shift gears into a moodier, darker, and creepier existence. Here you get the influence of Dream Syndicate’s Karl Precoda and the later fucked up work of Scott Walker. The record does sound like a late night, on a deserted highway, maybe somewhere around the farm town of Orland, CA, where these three--nope four (they added a former MONOSHOCK keyboardist!)--are from." [S-S Records]


PINK NOISE
Gold Light 7"

"Electronic and organic drumming with keys with staccato punk guitar blasts--think the Residents played through a Big Muff. A double-sider of deranged bedroom punk that shames the dozens of one-man-bands hunched over a Tascam trying to make a cheap knockoff of the original." [Sacred Bones Records]


UGLY THINGS MAGAZINE
(NEW ISSUE!) Issue # 28

"Issue # 28 comes in strong with an exclusive interview with TREVOR BURTON of THE MOVE, a feature on ROKY ERICKSON’s pre-psychedelic adventures in Austin with THE SPADES, along with a big feature review on the upcoming 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS 10-CD box set. Plus the great but terminally neglected DAVE CLARK FIVE Dave Clark Five, including interviews with Dave Clark and LENNY DAVIDSON. More good times come via features on THE GOOD FEELIN’S, THE DAUGHTERS OF EVE, BOY BLUES, LIVING CHILDREN, ANGEL FACE, NEW DAWN, and of course, THE PRETTY THINGS."


VARIOUS ARTISTS
School Me Vol. 1 - 1968-1975 LP

"School Me!--the first release on the newly formed Stage Band Research label--compiles the best funk, jazz, pyschedelia (and a healthy combination of the three!) that America’s high school stage band and university lab bands and jazz ensembles have to offer. This is not an easy task --for every one hundred stage or lab band records you find (when you’re lucky to find them, as they were micro-pressed and never properly distributed outside of the region where the school in question sat), perhaps you’ll find five interesting ones. Out of every hundred interesting tracks you hear, maybe five will contain a little magic. Out of every hundred magical tracks, maybe twenty deserve reissue. The diggers at SBRL focused on the era between 1968 and 1975 for this compilation." [Stage Band Research Records]


TOWNES VAN ZANDT
Flying Shoes LP
Our Mother The Mountain LP


Now re-issued on vinyl!! [Fat Possum Records]


WAVVES
Wavvves LP / CD

NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL AND CD. lo-fi beach punk anthems by San Diego's Nathan Williams. [Fat Possum Records]


WEIGHT
Are Men LP

"Grab a bowl. Place a few New Yorkers in the bowl. Give one of them an almost Dwight Yoakam-like vocal. Mix in a little jingle, a dash of jangle. Throw in a few nods to the glory of 70’s Southern-Rock while folding in some serious Country sensibility that retains a sense of humor and you just might cook up something similar to Brooklyn’s The Weight." - twangville.com [Colonel Records]



March 12, 2009

A STORM OF LIGHT / NADJA
Primitive North 2xLP+CD

"A Storm of Light enters uncharted territories; fusing delicate melodies with oppressive dirge metal and dense atmospherics. The prolific Nadja, a true behemoth of stark, glacial-paced sludge, delivers another massive epic of blissful genius." [Robotic Empire Records]


BEASTS OF BOURBON
Little Animals LP

"A record that moves among swamp blues, Aussie ‘70s hard rock, Crazy Horse psychedelia and the unique Beasts Of Bourbon sound. Songs of hatred and anxiety which speak about subjects such as sadomasochism, overdoses, death, betrayal and thug behavior. Limited vinyl edition of 1,000 numbered copies in deluxe gatefold and 180-gram vinyl. Australian import." [Bang! Records]


The BLACK
Little Hits 7"

[Moon Records]


BLACK PANDA
Shake Me 7"

[Super Secret Records]


BLACK RANDY & THE METROSQUAD
Pass The Dust, I Think I’M Bowie 2xLP

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! "A reissue of the legendary Pass The Dust, I Think I’m Bowie album from Los Angeles punk pioneers BLACK RANDY & THE METROSQUAD. Includes all thirteen tracks from the album, along with all four songs from the Idi Amin 7-inch, and the three cuts from the Troubles At The Cup 7-inch. Packaged in gatefold sleeves with extensive liner notes by PAT “RAND” GARRETT." [Vinyl Countdown Records]


BONNIE PRINCE BILLY
Beware LP / CD

"Breaking through the dirt and shooting upward into our atmosphere is a new variety of exotic BONNIE PRINCE BILLY plant. Stronger. Stinkier. It blooms in low light and cold but thrives in the sun as well, showing enticing spots and eating small creatures as they wander into its jaws. Though Beware shares spit with its immediate predecessor, Lie Down in the Light, its reach is longer, its arches more grandiose. Where fiddle and steel contribute their rustic timbre alongside guitars and voices, a thickening thud of low tone rolls beneath, giving the record a bottom that’s fun to watch bounce in new clothes. This intensifies the air and heralds Beware as Bonnie most ambidextrous record to date--even more so than The Letting Go." [Drag City Records]


CALEXICO
Spoke LP

Now available on vinyl! "The beautiful desert song roaming of GIANT SAND’s JOEY BURNS and JOHN COVERNTINO, and TASHA BUNDY. Originally released on Germany’s Hausmusik label under the name Spoke. A strong and welcome blending of country and folkisms, post-rock somethings and gypsy flavored splendor." [Quarterstick Records]


GOLDEN TRIANGLE
Self Titled LP

"Featuring ex-Memphians NICK DIABLO (Viva L'American Death Ray Music) and ALIX BROWN (Lids, Angry Angles). A blast of blurry basement psychy experimental-ish rock. Limited edition six-ong EP, packaged with silk-screened original RAUL DE NIEVES print covers. Hand-numbered edition of 500 copies." [Golden Triangle Records]


GUN CLUB
Ahmed’s Wild Dream 2xLP

"For the very first time, THE GUN CLUB's Ahmed's Wild Dream is released on vinyl in a deluxe edition. Presented on double LP and gatefold cover with exclusive pictures and text from band members, it features recordings done in Europe in ‘92 with line up including Jeffrey Lee Pierce and Kid Congo Powers (The Cramps, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Knoxville Girls etc), this album compiles the best selection of tracks from all The Gun Club«s albums, plus some awesome covers and demos. Australian import." [Bang! Records]


HARLEM
Free Drugs LP / CD

Back In Stock


The HIGHER STATE
Darker By The Day LP

"The long-awaited, second full-length album by the UK's The Higher State has finally arrived! A dozen new tracks spanning the group's wide spectrum of sound, from jangly folk punk to fuzzed out, revved up, garage psychedelia. Thoroughly dosed throughout with their infectious vocal harmonies and incisive, reflective lyrics." [13 O'clock Records]


INSAYNGEL
Self Titled LP

"CALDER and CAITLIN (VIZUSA, EXCEPTOR)), and RICHARD and JOHN (the brutal rhythm unit of SIGHTINGS) bring a 30th Century sound to the history of New York City with locked, wrecked rhythms, desperate, gorgeous wails, and shredded, anxious guitars are symphonic, undulating, impossible. Limited edition, 500 copies." [Heavy Tapes Records]


KID CONGO & THE PINK MONKEY BIRDS
Dracula Boots LP

"The legendary Kid Congo Powers returns to the psychedelic jungle with a stripped-down, no-frills set of volcanic songs. The premier voodoo guitarist for seminal sexy, swampy bands like Gun Club, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and The Cramps, Powers is a restless aesthete whose earlier solo efforts explored and mixed genres. With Dracula Boots, he comes back to his roots as a crackerjack guitarist playing the primitive music that inspired him-- the raw sounds of garage and early Chicano rock." [In The Red Records]


KOOL KEITH
Tashan Dorrsett 2xLP

"KOOL KEITH (ULTRAMAGNETIC MCs, DR. OCTAGON, DR. DOOOM, BLACK ELVIS, etc.) returns with his latest alter ego. TASHAN DORRSETT is his newest (and freshest) alias in a long list of pseudonyms. The album is a departure from his more science fiction/fantasy-oriented characters, he instead offers up a gritty Bronx reality show, starring Tashan as the antihero. The album is entirely produced by DJ JUNKAZ LOU, who has worked closely with Keith in the past." [Junkadelic Music]


KYLESA
Static Tensions LP

Brand new fourth full-length [20 Buck Spin Records]


MORGION
Among Majestic Ruin LP

"To those who don't know, MORGION play strongly death metal-influenced doom. Guttural vocals and up-tempo sections occasionally come into play during the epic compositions, but for the most part, this is a fine doom metal offering, combining extremely heavy riffing at times with slow, majestic, keyboard-laden atmospheric flourishes. Hauntingly beautiful while still being massively heavy." [Kreation Records]


MUSLIMS
Self Titled LP

"REISSUED WITH EXTRA TRACKS!!! San Diego’s MUSLIMS The Muslims play no-frills, straight-shooting rock and roll... " [1928 Records]


NEW DAWN
There’s A New Dawn CD

"THE NEW DAWN’s There’s A New Dawn has been hailed as one of the rarest and best psych albums to come out of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Fuzz guitar, minor-chord organ dirges, tender vocals and monumental bass are the calling cards of this private press gem. Maybe it’s all the rain, but like their Northwest counterparts, the New Tweedy Brothers and the Sonics, The New Dawn helped to establish a regional musical perspective that is hauntingly addictive. Initially released in July of 1970, five hundred copies were pressed, but it’s estimated that only around 200 may still exist. Subsequently, auctions on Ebay for an original vinyl LP go for $ 2,000. After being highly sought after by collectors, Jackpot is proud to release this definitive CD reissue was produced in close collaboration with DAN BAZZY, singer, songwriter, and founder of The New Dawn. Also included are three previously unreleased 1971 demos and a live track from a 2008 band reunion." [Jackpot Records]


O VOIDS
Self Titled LP

“O Voids is probably the 1st band outta Montreal I've heard this year. Their approach & sound seems pulled right outta 82-83 American post punk, not all that dissimilar to Mission Of Burma. I've no doubt there are certain masonic like devotees who believe that NO ONE could EVER deliver like MOB & that a mere comparison to Boston's most hallowed band of all time are the words of a heretic. Guilty as charged, bub. What can I say? O Voids remind me of Mission Of Burma & sometimes that's a good thing. Even on here.”--Siltblog. Edition of 500 copies. [Troubleman Unlimited]


ROSES ARE RED
Can’t Understand 7"

"A five-piece punk band formed in the first half of 1978, ROSES ARE RED suffered a series of personnel changes before a March 1979 lineup featuring CHRIS THOMPSON and NICKY HALLAM with VIBRATORS members GREG VAN COOK, IAN “KNOX” CARNOCHAN and JOHN “EDDIE” EDWARDS recorded this self-produced single at Elephant Studios, London, and privately issued it in June, receiving positive responses. The stand out track is ‘Your Love Is Like A Ballistic Missile,’ and infectious punk song built around a catchy chorus: a DIY punk gem which has developed a steady reputation among collectors...."--45 Revolutions. The debut release on this new label founded by the good folks at Rob’s House. [Sing Sing Records]


RUDI
Big Time 7"

"A single, cheaply recorded at Templepatrick Studios on February 1978, emerged in the last week of April '78, housed in a fold-open cover with artwork inspired by the 1932 movie The Mummy (with Boris Karloff) on the front. A punk/powerpop song of superior musical level, Big Time was the perfect introduction to Rudi: crisp, tight, energetic and contagiously melodic. The flip was a good '77 three chord garage-punker, which confirmed the band's talent."-- review by 45 Revolutions [Sing Sing Records]


COLLIE RYAN
Hour Is Now LP

BACK IN STOCK "COLLIE RYAN privately pressed three albums in the early ‘70s--Taking Your Turn Round The Corner of Day, Indian Harvest, and The Giving Tree. The records were funded in part by Collie’s friends at the New Age Farms carrot and fresh juice company in Lompoc, California and her mesmerizing music remained largely a secret until “Cricket,” one of the tracks from Indian Harvest surfaced on the Numero Group’s stellar compilation Ladies From the Canyon in 2006. Collie’s music is almost solely based around her cosmic and birdlike voice and nylon guitar picking, and her lyrics reflect her lifelong study of theosophy and naturalist living. The Hour Is Now collects tracks from her first three LPs and is packaged with Collie’s own artwork. For fans of Buffy Sainte-Marie, Joni Mitchell, Sibelle Baier and Ruthann Friedman." [Sebastian Speaks Records]


SILK FLOWERS
Flash Of Light 7"

"Combining the dark-day electronic pop of early Depeche Mode with the cemetery-obsessed intensity of Samhain, these three songs ring and band and brood. Citing 1970 horror movie soundtracks, Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd and Cluster as influences, the band continues to explore the vigorous hypnotic elements of the members’ previous groups--SOILED MATTRESS & THE SPRINGS and CAR CLUTCH." [Silk Flowers Records]


SKULLFLOWER
Pure Imperial Reform CD

Recorded 2006 live on an Antwerpen radio station comes this new guitar wall "composition" from MATTHEW BOWER and LEE STOKOE. This is a real CD limited to 1,000 copies with artwork designed by MB himself. A good harsh racket. UK import. [Turgid Animal Records]


SKY JUICE
Above The Law LP

"Above the Law is a 1988 action film directed by Andrew Zachariah Davis, probably best-known for being the film debut of Steven Seagal. This tribute album features the full SKY JUICE rock band lineup and was recorded between 2004 and 2008 in various Ohio/Michigan/Massachusetts basements. Except for "Electric Engram" which is excerpted from an infamous/aborted live radio broadcast on Chicago's legendary dance station WGCI. Limited pressing of 375 copies, spray-mounted covers, Xeroxed collage insert." [Olde English Spelling Bee Records]


STRANGE ATTRACTORS / KOREANS
Split 7"

[Rare Dust Records]


STRANGE BOYS
And Girls Club LP / CD

VINYL AND CD NOW IN STOCK "Austin, TX's The Strange Boys evoke a wild-eyed, porcelain-skinned innocence that is capable of summoning the wayward spirit of Brian Jones. The mystery of the South couples with the mastery of rhythm to create a sound completely timeless and familiar, yet absolutely raw and avant-garde. Greg Enlow's syncopated, organ-driven grooves hark back to The Seeds pushing too hard while guitarist Ryan Sambol's voice wavers beyond comparison. Older brother Philip Sambol keeps the pulse with the aptly named Matt Hammer, who unmercifully pounds an old Ludwig set." [In The red Records]


VARIOUS ARTISTS
Iberico Jazz LP

"A killer collection of jazzy grooves from Spain -- all work recorded at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, as part of the legendary run of producer Antoliano Toldos! The tracks here are all pulled from Toldos' short-lived Calandria label -- clearly a hotbed of inventive recording, one that represents the same shift from 60s soul jazz to 70s funk that was going on at US labels like Verve and CTI!" [Vampisoul Records]


VARIOUS ARTISTS
Shiftless Decay - New Sounds Of Detroit LP

"A collection of scathing tracks from the current Detroit underground. You get unreleased tracks from TERRIBLE TWOS, LITTLE CLAW, FRUSTRATIONS, TENTACLE LIZARDO, HEROES & VILLAINS, JOHNNY III BAND, MAHONIES, FONTANTA, THTX (MATT SMITH OF OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY/VOLEBEATS), ODD CLOUDS, along with a pre-released track from HUMAN EYE and a TYVEK song that only appeared on the super-limited Flowers tour CDR." [X! Records]


WAU Y LOS ARRRGHS
Viven LP

"You know what the Phantom Surfers, Mummies and The Makers all have in common? None of them could ever touch the raw fury that is WAU Y LOS ARRRGHS! Slovenly Recordings is proud to present WAU's sopho-moronic long player, busting at the seams with Back From The Grave worthy garage punk monsters, and they're all lead by a vocalist that out-psychos the vocalist from Los Saicos!" [Slovenly Records]


WEAVE!
Self Titled LP

"Bizarre and blistering Afro-Pop crossbred with precise and chilly new wave. WEAVE!’s debut breathes new life into the sound of groups like ESG, The Slits, Mo-Dettes, Kleenex, The Raincoats and Delta 5." [Pacific Reasons Records]


ZIPS
Self Titled 7"

"In 1978 JOHN McNEIL (vocals/guitar) and BRIAN JACKSON (guitar) recruited JOE JACONELLI (drums) and PHIL MULLEN (bass), and launched THE ZIPS onto the New Wave. They released their debut single, The Zips EP, in April 1979, a favorite of Radio Clyde, and the late-John Peel on Radio One." [Sing Sing Records]



February 25, 2009

DEAD MACHINES
Plays Invasion Of The Body Snatchers LP

"Michigan heavy domestic-electronic couple DEAD MACHINES always create records that confuse and intrigue. They are the forefathers of broken gear / appliance / wind instrument basement jamming and have their niche dug deep. Invasion exists on the borders of existence- room ambiance is present, but the sounds are totally alien. Twisting mixer feedback and found sound source into a twisted collage of life outside the "Pod": harsh and awakening, but at times giving way to the trance of the machine lull. Don't fall asleep. In an edition of 450 LPs with full-color pro-printed cardboard sleeves with art by JOHN OLSON." [Arbor Records]


FRESH & ONLYS
Imaginary Friends 7"

"With their hallucinogenic brand of garage rock and eerie backing female vocals, THE FRESH & ONLYS are reminiscent of San Francisco's earlier Haight & Ashbury ancestors. Their music takes it easy and lets the rock-out take a backdrop to their swooning, heavy-set garage rock vocals, simple but strong chord progressions, all coated in droplets of keyboards and undemanding drums..." Caroline Partamian (Noisepop) [Chuffed Records]


SERGE GAINSBOURG
Aux Armes Et Caetera LP [4 Men With Beards Records]
Histoire De Melody Nelson LP [Light In The Attic Records]
L’Homme A Tete Du Chou LP [4 Men With Beards Records]




KK RAMPAGE / METALUX
Split LP

"METALUX continues their refinement of creepily serene noise arrangements and free-floating modern psychedelia. Voices are treated as another instrument in an amorphous wash of sound among atmospheric keys and harsh electronics. KK RAMPAGE--Chicago's confrontational, rabble-rousing, NO(w) wave misfits--replace their piercingly, de-tuned Arab-on-Rabar-esque guitars and "pop" beats with sinister, mechanical chaos and throbbing spastic drumming. A truly fascinating album that improves with repeated listening. Limited to 400 copies." [Rampage Recordings]


ROBEDOOR
Rancor Keeper LP

"Rancor Keeper is a maelstrom of deep, dark noise constructions, spewing forth torrents of contorted instrumentation (believe it or not there's cello, guitar, percussion and keyboards buried in here) and harrowed, wailing voices... While pieces like ‘Penitent Runes’ and ‘Abyss Whisperer’ certainly sound hellish, there's always some sort of harmonic cogency lurking in the details, but by the time we reach fifteen-minute closer ‘Wendigo Psychosis’ the pair really plummet into the furthermost reaches of noise, initially falling through a gentle five-minute drone passage, before ultimately combusting into a feathery, distorted mass.”--Boomkat [SEACAVESEACAVE RECORDS]


CANDI STATON
Who’s Hurting Now? LP

"Candi Staton returns to a great secular soul sound for Who's Hurting Now -- her second album of new material for the Honest Jons label in the late 00s... Candi's voice has a rawness to it and a grit that's paired masterfully with kind of loose, country soul tinged arrangements -- timeless sounds that are relevant to Candi's earlier triumphs for Fame Records without attempting to replicate them, and very much of the here and now." -- review by Dusty Groove [Honest Jon's Records]


SUN OF THE SEVENTH SISTER
Farben Raum CD

"SUN OF THE SEVENTH SISTER’s debut CD--a woolly mammoth of mushroom-fueled free-psych--following a 2007 New Zealand tour triple-lathe-LP and a septuple-cassette boxset on Breakdance The Dawn. The floating lineup ranges from ten to twenty-five players (with members of xNoBBQx, UNAUSTRALIANS, ARSE LUNCH, COCK UP SHITTING WHORE, RATS WITH WINGS, STASIS DUO, and others): multiple drummers, multiple electrified chordophones, horns, vocals, oscillators, etc. Imagine half a dozen freak-folk ensembles congealing into a psychedelic din of Borbetomagan proportions. The CD consists of three immense tracks, taken from a three-hour session..." [Heard Worse Records]


SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN
A Grand Tour Of Tunisia 2XLP

"During a late 2007 trip to the United Kingdom the Sunburned lineup of Paul Labrecque, John Moloney, Sarah O'Shea, Robert Thomas and Ron Schneiderman trekked into the studio along with John "Herb Diamante" Godbert and Michael Flower. "A Grand Tour of Tunisia" is a massive double LP providing a glimpse into those sessions. "Tunisia" touches on all of the best facets of the Sunburned oeuvre - dope rhythmic workouts, freeform bombast and experimental exorcisms with a taste of character-driven roleplay thrown in for good measure. Yeah - this record is *that* serious and one of the most significant entries in the band's entire discography." [Three Lobed Records]


VARIOUS ARTISTS
Get Off My Back - Garage Acetates Vol. 1 LP
She Was So Bad - Garage Acetates Vol. 2 LP


"The first two of four volumes of unissued USA sixties garage band mayhem! The ultimate shock and delight to all garage fans! From the brilliant folk rock of Creation's Disciple to the pummeling fuzz assault of the Night Crawlers to the inept lo-fi crud of the Khuns, these originally unreleased recordings present a treasure trove of garage killers! All selections were recorded 1964-68 but none were released at the time." [Norton Records]


VARIOUS ARTISTS
Tarantismo Summit Vol. 1 LP

"Featuring SMEGMA, KK RAMPAGE, GHOST MOTH and INSECT JOY. Rooted derogatively in the spirit of Nonesuch Records' pioneering steps into the foray of primitive avant garde in the early 1960s, Tarantismo Summit ushers in a new age of reclamation of the broken and damaged arts, coercing the music enthusiasts of the present day to expand their horizons and explore new territories, still unfamiliar, yet unwavering..." Limited to 400 copies. [Rampage Recordings]



February 19, 2009

A F C G T
Self Titled LP

AFCGT = 3 parts A-Frames + 2 parts Climax Golden Twins. This is a vinyl release of their self release CDr that was limited to about 75 copies. Not quite as robotic and structured as the A-Frames, not quite as loose nor remotely as mellow as the Twins ever are. This is a not perfect marriage between two great Seattle bands, this is a raw, noisy, dirty, steamy affair. Limited to 550 copies on 180-gram vinyl. [Uzu Audio]


KODAMA
Turning Leaf Migrations LP

"Kodama is the ongoing recording project of two well-known visual and sound artists - Hitoshi Kojo and Michael Northam - and this is their first widely available release as a duo. Recorded in various improbable locations whenever they crossed paths over the course of several years and then finally edited and assembled in a cluttered garage in the west side of Indianapolis. There is a decidedly more improvisational feel and crisp psychedelic aura to these recordings when compared to their other work and one can hear the influence of Ghedalia Tazartes in how the various recordings were stitched together. Limited pressing of 500 copies." [Olde English Spelling Bee Records]


MAGNETICRING
Self Titled LP

Magneticring is the solo project of Josh Stevenson, member of Staked Plain (est. 1993), Von Bingen, B.C.V.C.O. and formerly Jackie-O Motherfucker. Not to mention contributions to a Kemialliset Ystävät recording, touring as a member of Samara Lubelski’s live band, Pink Mountaintops, numerous mastering credits, and is currently working on recordings with Montreal’s Sam Shalabi’s ‘Land of Kush Orchestra’ and Steven Wray Lobdell (Faust, Davis Redford Trio) After a couple of cassette releases, we are pleased to present his first long playing LP. Three tracks of hazy vintage synth pieces. [Uzu Audio]


DAN MELCHIOR UND DAS MENACE
Mr. Oblivian 7"

"During the tough period of deliberation regarding which two of the four fantastic songs submitted for Melchior's CDRSCY1! single to release, we fired back at the man a proposition to release them all as two seperate singles! Another classic single to add to that towering stack of genius that is the Melchior section of your record collection. Edition of 600 in full-color picture sleeves." [Columbus Discount Records]


TELEVISION
Adventure LP

"BACK IN PRINT!!! A reissue of the second album from one of the greatest guitar bands of all time. Highlighting the fire and water string interplay of TOM VERLAINE and RICHARD LLOYD, Adventure portrays the dreamier side of this groundbreaking 1970s band." [4 Men With Beards Records]


WARPIG
Self Titled LP

"Kreation Records in association with Relapse Records proudly unearths another buried-treasure of pure ‘70s hard rock in Canada's WARPIG. This is an early masterwork of psychedelic proto-metal. A high quality, remastered piece of vinyl that combines sounds from the era of rock that is timeless and just so good. Elements of Black Sabbath (of course), Flower Travelin' Band, Uriah Heep and even Grand Funk Railroad..." [Kreation Records]


Z GUN Magazine
Issue No. 3 (Spring 2009)

"Another 56 page whopper with stuff on the great Aussie band feedtime, as well as Mattin (of Billy Bao and other monstrocities), Dan Melchior, Die Stasi Records, and Home Blitz, as well as an excellent runthrough of the music of the Riot Grrl movement and a primer on great international records. Plus tons of reviews. More art by ZG2 cover artist Mike Russo, as well as a great cover illustration by Donnie Jupiter of the Twinkeyz!"