Friends, i hope you all have a wonderful sunny day out there. We have to stay inside to assmable all those new releases we got ... the new SPORT bon voyage LP arrived and also the SPORT colors LP repress. Do you self a favour and pick on up.
The THOU DLP should be here later March together w/ the CHILDREN OF GOD 10“ and two new WHITE HORSE LPS are at the pressing plant. The FAILURES LP and the COUNCIL OF RATS LP are also going to the plant. Busy times ... also a new BATON ROUGE LP later this spring and a SED NON SATIATA / CARRION SPRING LP and the RITUAL MESS LP and the SVFFER LP ... J
Also tons of new great stuff dropped at the store like teh ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE soundtrack, the SUNN o)) / ULVER split LP, DAMAGED BUGLP, new stuff from VOLAR, BON FRANK reissues and PETER WALKER re issues, the long awaited GLENN BRANCA DLP, AMAROK / HELL split LP (and other pesanta restock), a new COZY 7“ and so much more
Stay brutal
Robert & Klose & Norman
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7“
BASTARD NOISE - Uncertainty Principle 7" (small dises - YASUTOSHI YOSHIDA of GOVERNMENT ALPHA joins the brotherhood of the skull flag on Side A for a creeping, crawling track where dark ambient swells underpin ERIC WOOD’s trademark vocals and noise loops. Side B has the harsher track, with HIROSHI HASEGAWA of ASTRO tearing through synth lines with blasts of noise while leaving room for Wood’s growled and screamed vocals. Olive green vinyl, printed vellum envelopes with an insert.) 8.00
COZY - Kiss Me Dummy 7" (secret - Following their 2012 debut on HoZac, Minnesota’s powerpop/glam punks return with a new ripper on Secret Mission. “Bonkers and the boys have done it again. Cozy returns to the top of the charts and the denim dreams of fans worldwide with a brand new single. “Kiss Me Dummy” is a song like you have never heard before. It’s a slice of the everyday teeny-life: “First one leads to another and that leads to many more, gonna kiss you all night long but there’s even more in store!” On the flip, Cozy show their playful side with the teeny-bopper anthem “Show And Tell.” One listen to this tasty treat and you will be showing Cozy your undying love.” Features members of BOY’S CLUB and RETAINERS.) 6.50
DIE SCHACHT - Halber Selbstbetrug 7" (siltbreeze - This contemporary Berlin outfit’s musikalische klänge is so perfectly informed by the bare-knuckled scrappers of the Neue Deutsche Welle fringe that one might half-expect to find a matrix for Pure Freude, Rondo or Moderne Musik Tontrager scratched into the runoff. But, no, it’s here, it’s now, and it’s the first German release ever on Siltbreeze. If the frenzied staccato of S.Y.P.H., Das Name or Mittagspause is what helps goose the lederhosen up the legs, then Die Schacht’s gurgling oink is the perfect lube to slap them around the hips. Pressed in an edition of 300 copies.) 8.00
FINE STEPS - All Day Long 7" (volar - Three tracks from Bay Area-by-way-of-Sacramento’s FINE STEPS, the recording project of former MAYYORS drummer JULIAN LORDS, following the Boys Co. LP. Rounded out live by GANGLIAN KYLE HOOVER and MATT ROBERTS of MANTLES.) 6.50
GÄY - Blue Blue Heart 7" (zoo - Zoo Music is pleased to release the debut 7-inch from Danish band Gäy. In their own words: “We are a band from Grenaa, not Copenhagen—a lot of people get that wrong. The horrible sadness of the town inspired a lot of songs, along with its beautiful woods and beach. ‘Blue Blue Heart’ was just a love song to my girlfriend written and recorded very fast, with not to much hope for it to ever reach anyone.” “To be honest, I don’t remember what I was listening to at the moment I recorded the songs. Bee Gees or something, I guess. Probably a lot of other things, too—Leonard Cohen, Jonathan Richmann, Walker Brothers…” ) 6.50
HAND OF DUST - Without Grace Or Glory 7" (blind prhet - Absolute perfection from Denmark. Poetic lyrics and a haunting sense of urgency. A fine companion for the end of winter. Members of SEXDROME and TORCHLIGHT. Strict edition of 300. Hand stamped labels and lyric sheet.) 7.00
HYSTERICS - can't i live? 7" (m lady - HYSTERICS have been turning the North American hardcore scene upside down for the past two years, with people offering outrageous sums for their demo tape, and the group blasting through multiple pressings of their debut 7" EP. This is their much-anticipated follow up, 11 solid minutes of righteous and focused devastation. The A sidealone will peel your wig back, from the opening scree of "Outside In," charging out of the gate as if hardcorehad never happened before, to the anthemic "Leave Me Alone," all the way to "Psychic Drain," 48 seconds of blinding thrash. Unlike so many modern groups, none of the fury of Hysterics is compromised by sludgyproduction or half-hearted songwriting. These are six new classics for the radical punk canon, offered up byfour radical young women from Washington state.) 6.00
INSULTS - Population Zero / Zombie Lover 7" (last laugh - Few bands have been named more fittingly than THE INSULTS. All of their songs (and this 7" is the tip of the ol' iceberg, pal) are an affront to "good" taste, "good" manners, "good" musicianship...in other words, the perfect band for you and me. A long-time collector-fave finally reissued in it's proper form here, this two-songer from the prides of Watsonville, CA still sounds as wonderfully ignorant today as it did in 1979 and makes an excellent introduction to the world of RICHARD SIKK and his cohorts. "Population Zero" is a plea to eliminate the entire human race, a prayer we're much closer to answering in 2014. "Zombie Lover" is....well, just what you think it is. Special guest appearance by CHER. Buy or cry.) 7.00
LAKE MARY / PADANG FOOD TIGERS - split 7" (scissor - It seems a logical step to follow up Scissor Tail Editions 2012 reissue of Bruce Langhorne's score to The Hired Hand with these two beautifully constructed pieces of music from artists residing on separate sides of the planet. PADANG FOOD TIGERS and CHAZ PRYMEK (aka LAKE MARY) both employ similar instrumentations to that of The Hired Hand soundtrack. Banjo's play the lead role for Padang Food Tigers and Lake Mary as well in building imaginary desolate landscapes. Guitar and piano float in and out. These could easily be heard as companion pieces "Crabbing King Sappling" builds heavy cinematic tension while "White River" acts as a blissful release. Both artists are apt creators of space and masters of turning your repetitive thoughts into wandering nomads. We're happy to be involved with these guy's who have truly created a sound all their own.) 8.00
LENZ - Frozen Touch / Airplane Firetruck 7" (volar - Fronted by ANDY HUMAN, formerly of CUTS and the TIME FLYS, who released a s/t solo tape on Burger Records last year, and after the band’s releases on Tic Tac Totally and 1-2-3-4 Go!, the self-proclaimed “ice-pop” band deliver their first two tracks properly recorded in a studio. Also featuring RAY SERAPHIN of NOBUNNY and IMPEDIMENTS.) 6.50
STEVE ADAMYK BAND - high above 7" (la ti - Power pop/punk pop from Ottawa. Two LPs on Dirtnap.) 6.00
TEENAGE BURRITOS - Danya / Kamikaze 7" (volar - The debut vinyl release of this four-piece featuring members of CHRISTMAS ISLAND and PLATEAUS, following a cassette last summer on Burger and leading up to an LP co-released this fall by Burger/Volar Records. “Kamikaze” features backing vocals and synth by ANDREAS of HOLOGRAMS.) 6.50
WILD ONES - Day Drunk 7" ( la toi da - Debut single from this “Girls In The Garage” inspired foursome from Santa Cruz.) 6.00
10“
EL JR. MAHDY - Rai Dubs 10" (boomnation - This is a collaborative release featuring EL MAHDY JR., GULLS, XJ and ALTER ECHO. Beginning with a shared love of old school Algerian Raï music and audio deconstruction, we sampled several Raï classics from cassettes and youtube rips, resulting in 3 tunes and a dub. Heavy weight system pressure, poly-riddim and crunchy arid melodics dubbed up inna Boomarm style! Released in a limited run of 300 10-inch EPs in hand stamped and printed sleeves.) 13.00
LP
ASMUS TIETCHENS - Nachtstücke LP (buerau b - Nachtstücke owed its publication to former Tangerine Dream member Peter Baumann, who was asked by the French label Barclay/EGG to produce three albums focusing specifically on German electronic music. He was working with Hans-Joachim Roedelius at the time, who had been given a few Tietchens tracks on cassette. When Baumann heard Roedelius play them in the studio during a break in proceedings, they sparked his interest and he met up with Tietchens some time later; they agreed that he would go over the material again and edit or abridge it in places. A release date was penciled in for the latter part of 1978. The commissioning label, however, doubting the commercial potential of the project (Tietchens: "How right they would turn out to be"), postponed the release and had to be reminded of contractual commitments on more than one occasion. When the Nachtstücke LP finally appeared, almost two years later, it bore the unauthorized subheading "Expressions et Perspectives Sonores Intemporelles," and featured a completely different cover. Originally, the album was to depict a leathery embryo with a laser beam shooting through its eye (Tietchens: "I liked the idea of starting with something so gruesome"), but now three blurred figures danced on the sleeve: "I was pretty disgusted when I opened the package containing my copies," Tietchens reports, taking the re-release as his cue to create completely new artwork. Nachtstückehas surprisingly little in common with the pseudo-pop of the ensuing Sky Phase, but shines a light further ahead to the gloomy, spectral aspects of Tietchens' later works. Created between 1975 and 1978, the Nachtstücke pieces reveal a deliberate approach, avoiding dissonance and discord wherever possible. Still, the release saw the album "fall right out of time" as Tietchens frankly admits: "Gentle rhythm and harmonic beatitude did not suit the concert of advanced pop music as it was then being played." Nevertheless, the Nachtstücke tracks remain important to the artist, as they document his early encounters with the Moog Sonic Six and Minimoog. With this in mind, the material is presented here in its original, unadulterated form. Pressed on 180 gram vinyl.) 21.00
"A" TRIO - Live In Nickelsdorf LP (roartario - The heavily textural, frequently perplexing, sometimes unsettling music of MAZEN KERBAJ (trumpet), SHARIF SEHNAOUI acoustic guitar), and RAED YASSIN (doublebass) bears little relation to its cousins from similar outer realms of extended technique. Live In Nickeldorf is the sound of a collective ur-mind that favors the long gesture over pointillistic strokes. Using no electronics or overdubs whatsoever, the Beirut-based trio’s capacity for generating aural illusions is astounding; one would be hard-pressed to identify their sources as three acoustic instruments. Includes download coupon. Edition of 350.) 18.00
ARGENTINUM ASTRUM - Malleus Maleficarum LP (forcefield - "This band has created what I think is one of the best records of 2013 (due to delays finally seeing a 2014 release). Not many bands can bridge the gap between doom & black metal like ARGENTINUM ASTRUM. Over the course of three songs, this band proves that when you dig deep for good bands, they are there in the underground conjuring up classic albums! We are streaming the first track off Malleus Maleficarum and it sounds like nothing else on the record because this is where they will hit you over the head with caustic brand of doom! Do me a favor—after you hear Argentinum Astrum tell your friends because this band should be heard by everyone!"—Cvlt Nation. Edition of 500 copies mastered at 45rpm.) 14.00
BOB FRANK - Bob Frank LP (light in the attic - Originally released in 1972 on Vanguard Records, BOB FRANK’s self titled debut album took elements of Dylan, Johnny Cash, and Ian Tyson and filtered it through a pot-smoked haze infused with Frank’s long-time friend, Memphis guru JIM DICKINSON. Dickinson and Frank shared a mutual admiration that ran so deep that on Dickinson’s own 1972 debut album Dixie Fried (released on Atlantic Records) he recorded one of Bob’s songs, ‘Wild Bill Jones.’ Despite the Dickinson/Memphis connection, Bob Frank’s only LP for Vanguard has remained a forgotten, hard to find vinyl relic. Until now. Carefully re-mastered from the original tapes, historical maverick (and noted expert on the Memphis scene) ALEC PALAO recently interviewed Frank in detail and assembled a lengthy essay for the CD and LP liner notes that detail Frank’s personal and musical journey. As Dickinson once deadpanned, “Bob went to Vietnam and Nashville. I don’t know which was worse.” It was also an itinerant period, when Frank spent many a stoned evening staggering alone through the mid-south urban gothic landscape of church steps and sleaze bars, with his guitar glued to his arm, if not an actual extension of it. Songs would emerge from dreams or drunken visions. But this was not artless acid folk, but a series of picaresque, well-sketched vignettes delivered in a clearly-enunciated vernacular, and all very much in Frank’s own style. On these 1972 recordings, session men CHARLIE MCCOY and ERIC WEISSBERG (both known for their work with Bob Dylan via Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks, respectively) came along for the ride.) 21.00
CORRECTIONS HOUSE - Last City Zero LP (war crime - NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! CORRECTIONS HOUSE is the MIKE IX WILLIAMS (EYEHATEGOD), SCOTT KELLY (NEUROSIS), BRUCE LAMONT (YAKUZA), SANFORD PARKER (MINSK), and their minister of propaganda, SEWARD FAIRBURY. A mysterious cooperative of lost souls, forged unwittingly by the impetuous forces of nature and altered states of consciousness, Corrections House is without control of their destiny. Debut album Last City Zero conjures an impossible-to-pinpoint kaleidoscopic synthesis of mechanical decomposition, atmospheric abnormalities, and poetic putrefaction. Embracing the unkind, the diseased, the forgotten, the morose, the group’s lush anti-soundscrapes and shadowy verses—at once beautifully hideous, graceful and terrifying—are a direct manifestation of societal ruin and psychological decay. The transformation of time and space; death begetting life and veils being torn; an imposing dissonance too penetrating to dismiss—Corrections House systematically creates and destroys through audio disease and transcendent musical deconstruction. All things in all ways. There is nothing else. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged in gatefold jackets.) 23.00
CURRENT 93 - i am the last of all the field that fell 2xLP (cargo - I Am the Last of All the Field That Fell: A Channel is the hallucinatory new album from PickNickMagick Skipsters Current 93. Clocking in at 68 minutes in length, the disc is packaged in a full-color digipack designed by David Tibet with a 24-page booklet containing all lyrics, credits and photographs of the band. Channelling C93 for this River are: Jack Barnett (These New Puritans), James Blackshaw, Ossian Brown (Cyclobe), Nick Cave, Antony Hegarty, Reinier van Houdt, Norbert Kox, Andrew Liles, Tony (TS) McPhee (The Groundhogs), Jon Seagroatt (Comus), Carl Stokes (The Groundhogs), David Tibet, Bobbie Watson (Comus) and John Zorn.) 23.00
DAMAGED BUG - Hubba Bubba LP (castle face - Recorded at home in the fall of 2013 with a variety of synthesizers, drum machines and assorted handmade electronics, Damaged Bug is Oh Sees mastermind John Dwyer’s latest bit of cracked pop alchemy. The project is the cure to the ailment of too much guitar for too long. Fizzing and sputtering like a glowing, temperamental cockpit control panel, Dwyer bunkered deep in a blinking laboratory, penning songs about the long arc of our travels across space and time. Propulsive beats and synthetic veneers coat laser-guided melodies reflecting off shiny metal surfaces while instrumental interludes pop in and out like breaks in the asteroid belt. A far-out side of our main man—nocturnal, hard-wired, and chrome-plated. Hubba Bubba features original artwork by Deirdre White.) 16.00
DAVID ACKLES – same LP (1972 - David Ackles’s eponymous 1968 debut is a rich emotional experience rife with poignant balladry and evocative lyricism. The era’s market was unprepared for such a singular songwriter, but the cult of Ackles is a potent force and this reissue obliges its demands. Elton John, Bernie Taupin and Elvis Costello are Ackles acolytes—the latter even championed him as “perhaps the greatest unheralded songwriter of the late ’60s.” As a staff songwriter for Elektra and avid composer for theatre and film, Ackles developed a maverick style. Indeed, David Ackles materialized when Elektra couldn’t imagine a singer more suitable for the material than its composer. David Ackles boasts wonderfully restrained arrangements that only enhance its power. The widely covered opening track “The Road to Cairo” features Ackles at the pinnacle of his emotive ability. With marvelous dramatic grace, he evokes the weary traveler’s wisdom and turmoil as it devolves to a devastating breaking point. It’s a gut-wrenching moment, though one quickly tempered by the melancholy “When Love Is Gone” and beatific “What a Happy Day.” Perhaps akin to Randy Newman, Scott Walker or the darkest Van Dyke Parks (at least for their inimitability), Ackles’s debut sounds peerless today. As critic and archivist Richie Unterberger writes in the liner notes, “About 45 years later, the record is more durable than many a high-charting singer-songwriter statement of the time, precisely for the idiosyncratic qualities that kept it shrouded in obscurity at the time of its release.”) 18.00
DAVID FIRST - Electronic Works 1976-1977 LP (dais - Received a 7.0 rating from Ptichfork. When people associate composer DAVID FIRST with his musical resume, most go straight to his late ‘70s avant punk ensemble, THE NOTEKILLERS and their influential 1980 single “The Zipper.” After his time in the basements of Philadelphia, he moved to New York City in the early ‘80s to continue his compositional education when joining Cecil Taylor‘s ensemble and taking root in the downtown NYC avant garde scene. It was there that First honed his craft for classical composition and ambient drone which still continues to present day. Though this narrative made sense, there was a piece missing in the puzzle of First’s musical background. In 1976, he enrolled in Princeton’s music program to study composition in the department lead by electronic composer Milton Babbitt. During his time at Princeton, he stumbled across the lonely outpost of the famed Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center which housed one of the very first Buchla 100 series systems acquired by Vladimir Ussachevsky & Otto Luening. Unfortunately, due to the introduction of digital technology within the music world, this system was left to languish in the back rooms unattended and nearly forgotten. First took this opportunity to experiment and compose using the Buchla 100 synthesizer, at first experimenting with electronic synthesis but later adding in his signature guitar stylings to make these composition unique to the academic output typical of university music. Thankfully, these compositions were recorded by First at Princeton on various reel to reel tapes and stored away for over 35 years. It wasn’t until the summer of 2012, when David First and Ryan (of Dais Records) decided to revisit and transfer these reels to compile an album presented here as a selection of genuine, uninhibited exploration into modular electronic synthesis. Limited to an edition of 500 copies with liner notes by David First.) 20.00
DUDE YORK - Dehumanize LP (help yourself - DUDE YORK is a contemporary music performance group currently located in Seatle, Washington with origins in a house in Walla Walla that was robbed six times in nine months. It consists of pop enthusiasts named PETER, CLAIRE and ANDREW. They make pop music at maximum volume, indebted less to the garage rock phenomenon exploding on the West Coast (think Mikal Cronin) than to Jonathan Richman, Swedish pop and the ideal of contemporary timeline-lessness.) 18.00
GLENN BRANCA - Lesson No. 1 DLP (superior viaduct - After cutting his teeth in the late ’70s no wave scene with bands Theoretical Girls and The Static, Glenn Branca made his first solo statement, Lesson No. 1, in 1980. The inaugural release on legendary post-punk / dance label 99 Records, Lesson No. 1 unveiled Branca’s visionary guitar concepts with two monstrous, side-long compositions that helped forge NYC’s downtown art-punk sound and acted as a massive influence on countless young groups, including Sonic Youth and Swans. The title track is easily Branca’s most accessible moment; its driving beat and interlocking patterns resemble German pioneers Neu! playing Phillip Glass. Never before (or since) has minimalism sounded so euphoric. “Dissonance” is the A-side’s polar opposite. Dark, skittish and unhinged, Branca leads his band (guitar, keyboard, bass, drums and sledgehammer) through block after block of industrial terror, leaving listeners drained in the process. Soon after the release of Lesson No. 1, Branca began to work on ambitious, long-form symphonies. “Bad Smells,” included here as a single-sided bonus 12-inch, was commissioned in 1982 as a dance piece for choreographer Twyla Tharp and originally released on a split LP with John Giorno. Featuring Sonic Youth guitarists Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore, “Bad Smells” is a thrilling multi-section guitar assault that foretells much of Branca, Ranaldo and Moore’s work for the next decade.) 20.00
GLOW GOD - House Of Distractions LP (play pinpall - Beaming out of Oklahoma City, GLOW GOD is here and hopefully the world is ready. After a slew of demo tapes, House Of Distractions marks the debut official release from these sludged out grunge-worshipping freaks. The record is a journey starting hard and fast then venturing down paths of heavy rock jams. Prepare yourself – you might break a sweat.) 16.00
GUY CLARK - Old No. 1 LP (4 men with beard - GUY CLARK’s debut from 1975 is one of the all time classic country singer-songwriter records. By the time of its release the Texas native had been shopping his tunes in Nashville for a few years and the songs from Old No. 1 were already well aged and often covered. Regardless, though Clark considers himself more a songwriter than a recording artist, nobody holds a candle to these performances. From the rollicking Texas swing of opener "Rita Ballou" to the finger picked heartbreak of closer "Let Him Roll" there is not a stinker to be found. Features help from EMMYLOU HARRIS, RODNEY CROWELL and a young STEVE EARLE.) 21.00
HELL / AMAROK - split LP (pesanta urfolk - Following Pesanta Urfolk’s highly acclaimed vinyl release of HELL's trilogy, the label returns with a split LP uniting those doom/drone giants with one of the subgenre's best-kept secrets, AMAROK. On their half, Hell deliver three songs—"Deonte," "Oblitus," and "Dolore"—that carry all the trudging, suffocatingly crushing hallmarks of the band's work to date, offering no respite nor escape for the entranced listener. But on half, Amarok delivers a vast, side-long epic of slow-moving sorrow, dense yet spacious, forlorn yet finding release at the end of a noose. Rarely have two bands been pitted together yet complement each other so well: two paths to The End.) 25.00
HUERCO S. - Colonial Patterns DLP (software - BRIAN LEEDS produces electronic music under the name HUERCO S. His debut album for Software is titled Colonial Patterns. On Colonial Patterns, Leeds treats his Kansas City region as a universe worthy of its own electronic music. To that end, Leeds deconstructs Midwestern techno and house tropes. The pieces are corrugated, rough, and decompositional. Working cheaply, Leeds conscientiously uses low-end software, synths and cassettes so as to subvert the gloss of so much urban dance music, giving tracks an impressionistic, emotive feel. The result is uniquely Midwestern: there is an expansiveness to each piece that suits the open space and the storied past of its inhabitants. Colonial Patterns shares Jon Hassell's hybridized experiments in percussive ambience, as well as William Basinski's strobing melancholia. When tracks subtly veer into house/techno territories, they mirror the no frills dance mechanics of Midwest figureheads Ron Hardy, Omar S and Theo Parrish. Most exemplary of this sonic architecture is opener "Struck With Deer Lungs" and closer "Angel (Phase)." Both layer subtle rhythmic pulses with broader strokes of deep sustain, creating a pair of intro/outro signals that shape the album's whole sequence and function as main supports to the album's busier core. Bass heavy, Detroit techno leaning "'linzhiid" and "Quiviria" deliver foreboding standouts with snappy economy.) 28.00
LACE CURTAIN - the 3rd ep LP (meican summer - LACE CURTAIN is MIKEY YOUNG and DAVID WEST from TOTAL CONTROL, RAT COLUMNS, RAN/XEROX, EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING et al., exploring an electronic world of pleasure, frustration and sadness. Bedroom dancers, synthetic singers, basement kicks in a romantic void. Influenced by the Germans, the Italians, pale British button pushers, glamorous alien pop futurists, Mid-Western sweat, NYC disco dreamers, undercover kings and queens escaping a dull grey world with rhythm and noise, sound and vision. The 3rd EP by Lace Curtain ushers in sounds both new and old to the Lace Curtain listener. A feeling of detached romanticism and dystopian fantasy hangs heavily over this recording, which was delivered to tape and hard drive in San Francisco, Melbourne and Rye, alone and together) 15.00
LORELLE MEETS THE OBSOLETE - Chambers LP (capatcha - Announcing LORELLE MEETS THE OBSOLETE’s new album Chambers: some serious psyched-haze, shuffle and boogie by the dynamic duo from Ensenada, Mexico. The album is called Chambers because, while they recorded it, they felt like they were in various enclosed places far from home and everything else. “Most of the songs came out of jams, while the tunes on the first two albums were structured either by LORENA or me,” explains The Obsolete, aka ALBERTO GONZALEZ. “It’s really a straightforward record. To me it doesn’t sound as hazy as the first two and, as it’s the first time we worked with someone else behind the board, it’s COOPER CRAIN’s interpretation of Lorelle Meets the Obsolete. Then SONIC BOOM cranked the volume up!” He’s right. The result is a surprising direct record which, despite locking into a pulsating krautrock groove on “Whats Holding You?” or getting lost in a fog of white noise on “Music for Dozens,” always retains a very human heart and soul. There is diversity too—from the slide guitar and driving bass on the out of control rave up that is “Sealed Scene” to the narco-blues of “Dead Leaves” and the folky, melanocholy “Greiving.” This is the band’s third long-player following up 2013’s critically acclaimed LP Corruptible Faces and 2011’s debut On Welfare) 18.00
MACABRE - Dahmer DLP (hells headbangers - In a catalog rich with such classics as Gloom, Murder Metal, and especially Sinister Slaughter, it was Dahmer where MACABRE truly transcended their genre and especially their patented, highly individual sound. Released as the new millennium kicked off, Dahmer saw Macabre tackle their most ambitious project yet: an entire album lyrically/conceptually devoted to one of the world's most notorious serial killers, Jeffrey Dahmer. Although Macabre had long been obsessed with serial killers and put their twisted tales into diabolic death metal form, Dahmer chronologically charted its namesake's life, death, and of corpse, his many deathly deeds between then. But it was not simply the lyricism that impressed—rather, the music across Dahmer absolutely amazed and bloodily bewildered. At 26 tracks, each one catchier and more crazed than the last, Dahmer displayed Macabre as masters of a manic maelstrom that combine death metalled assault 'n' battery with a freewheeling, nursery-rhymed insanity that's chilling and FUN in equal measures. Colored vinyl in gatefold jackets.) 23.00
MATT CHRISTENSEN - Coma Gears LP (bathetic - MATT CHRISTENSEN has made a very strong name for himself over the years, recording music under his own name as well as in the group ZELIENOPLE. Zelienople has grabbed the attention of many over the years with their blend of art pop and shoegazing textures, managing to create a sound that is entirely their own. Christensen continues the legacy of sound artistry he’s helped perfect in Zelienople with his second LP, Coma Gears. Riding similar currents as his other projects, Coma Gears touches upon very personal topics, washing over the listener with an honest sound that could only be created by this man. Zelienople has always created haunting, sincere music; and you can truly sense the importance of Christensen‘s influence as he masters this passionate project of his own. Coma Gears is a gripping album, that will hold you firmly in place the entire listen. It’s not as delicate as one might expect, with such heavy atmosphere and bold dynamics. Coma Gears serves as the follow up to the 2011 solo debut, A Cradle In The Bowery. While his first effort focused on the new role of father for Christensen, Coma Gears is based on family conflicts, the ending of childhood, inherited mental illness, drug abuse, and death. Specifically, the near death of Christensen‘s mother in 2012, a theme that runs through the entire record. Coma Gears was performed and recorded by Christensen at his Chicago home in 2013) 16.00
MERKSTAVE - same LP (pesante urlfolk - Cosmic funerary drone. Recorded, mastered and produced completely inanalog. Single pocket black vinyl edition with art by BENJAMIN A. VIERLING.)) 21.00
MONUMENTS COLLAPSE / BREAG NAOFA - split LP (halo of flies - An all-American line up for this Split LP: Monuments Collapse are from San Francisco, Break Naofa from Seattle, and both provide epic slabs of doomed crust. The split is the shoegazeing bastard offspring of Neurosis and Fall Of Efrafa, with the influential cousin Converge adding a slight discordancy of the tunes. MC supply the heavier side with meaty, chugging riffs flowing beneath the beautifully eerie guitar tone and back of the hall vovals. Break Noafa have a more relaxed/laid back sound (expect for the last 80 seconds of their 2nd track "VIII" when it gets all chuggy). Both BN tracks are sprawling journeys that moroph from post-hardcore into dream-state crust and back again. Glorious) 11.00
DIE NERVEN - fun LP (this charming - "Three guys from Southern Germany do 80's No-Age Punk with a big noise/industrial-Touch. It's not such a big surprise, that Tom Hazelmyer handpicked them as the first german language band on his cult Label AmpRep for an exclusive 7". The band's second Album goes a step further than "Fluidum" - more delay, a greater nihilistic outbreak - between teenage angst and coming' of age. If you dig Mission Of Burma, Bauhaus, Swans, Abwärts or Warzaw you'll make this one your next fave!" Limited Red/Black splatter vinyl.) 13.00
NEW BUMS - Voices In A Rented Room LP (drag city - Picking their direction and floating along on a pair of acoustics, New Bums are the sound of old drunk America, dancing out of the shadows, coming forth again to stand in the light, in the hopes of repopulating those sad old single-occupancy hotels before they're all torn down. New Bums is the grudging match-up of Donovan Quinn and Ben Chasny. They didn't like each other at 1st, but now make sweet and sour music together over the light of the magical Sterno (if there's anything left in the can, that is!).) 18.00
THE NUNS - s/t LP (Originally released by Posh Boy and BOMP! in 1980 The Nuns debut LP is one of the classic pieces of San Francisco punk rock history. Formed in 1976 and fronted by the late, great Jennifer Miro on vocals and keyboards, and featuring songwriting contributions from alt-country legend Alejandro Escovedo (brother to Pete and Coke, and uncle to Sheila E.) - who left before the recording of the album - The Nuns bridges the gap between punk rock, new wave and goth rock.) 17.00
THE NUNS - rumania LP (After several years of inactivity, California punk-wave group Nuns reunited in 1986 for this, their second LP. Rumania focused on Jennifer Miro’s synth-goth tendencies and, though it fell quickly into obscurity at the time, the years have been kind to it and it’s now regarded as a minor classic of 80s dark wave. Released on the soon-to-be-bankrupt PVC label, original copies now fetch a hefty sum online. Thankfully, the kind souls at Radiation have rescued this LP for the next generation, reissuing it on vinyl for the first time ever.) 17.00
OMID WALIZADEH - Modern Persian Speech Sounds LP (Modern Persian Speech Sounds is the newest instrumental album composed by OMID WALIZADEH. Known for the now classic Beneath the Surface compilation, Omid has been a star in the constellation of experimental and underground hip hop artists from Los Angeles, producing music for the likes of Freestyle Fellowship, Bus Driver, Scarub (Living Legends), Buck 65, and 2mex. This record marks a novel frontier, featuring 13 instrumental songs that blend beats, synths, field recordings, and impossible-to-find samples from pre-revolutionary Iranian records and tapes. “His first album in six years, Modern Persian Speech Sounds might be the most complete amalgamation of Walizadeh’s cultural heritage… it blends his experimental roots with exotic sounds exclusive to him...”—LA Weekly) 17.00
PETER WALKER - Second Poem To Karmela Or Gypsies Are Important LP (light in the attic - Originally released in 1968 on Vanguard Records, PETER WALKER’s album Second Poem To Karmela Or Gypsies Are Important was a ground breaking blend of folk, raga, psychedelia, Eastern and Modal sounds that has remained unsung for decades. While his debut album for Vanguard, Rainy Day Raga, has been reissued several times on LP and CD, this album (his sophomore effort), remains an obscure and hard to find vinyl relic. Until now. Carefully remastered from the original tapes, guitar scholar GLENN JONES recently interviewed Peter Walker for hours and has written a book-deep essay for the CD and LP liner notes that detail Walker’s association with an incredible cross-section of 1960s counter-culture icons including LSD guru Timothy Leary (Walker personally provided ‘the soundtrack’ to many a trip), he studied raga music with Ali Akbar Khan, and like his close friend Sandy Bull, Walker worked on a fusion of Western and Eastern sounds. JIM PEPPER plays flute on Second Poem (he also recorded with The Fugs and Don Cherry), other accompaniment to Walker’s guitar, Sarod and Sitar playing includes violin, organ, tablas, and tamboura. This is true “acid folk” as interesting, progressive, and memorable as fellow 1960s world travelers Robbie Basho, Davy Graham, and the Incredible String Band.) 21.00
POW! - Hi-tech Boom LP (castle face - Deep in the graveyard of San Francisco, a young hand with black and cracked nails is pushing up through a broken pile of e-slag. Bitter teeth tear through server cables and motherboards, desperate to be free from the ever-deepening sludge of tech waste… the iPhone is the new styrofoam cup. Stepping over them—eyes glazed, feet dragging, blank face aglow in the eerie luminescence of smart phones—is the inspiration for these songs. San Francisco has long attracted newcomers… but now the city faces the most dangerous, the most egregious and blandest of them all—people with lots of money. In the vacuum that is now expanding, there is a ragged, determined sound vibrating out of the dirty underground. This is POW! Deep ’80s synth bass percolates under the circuit-swamp-fried-egg guitar. The drums, a teenage tiger’s heartbeat, underpin vocals delivered like a deadpan face-slap from a kid half your age. The recording is simple and dense, and it has a natural Doppler effect on headphones. It’s perfectly poppy and rough at the same time, and it has a message, so dig in, ear-wise. Heed the warning bells echoing down the streets of San Francisco clogged with the cholesterol of normals. Next they could be knocking at your door…) 16.00
RAINBOWS ARE FREE - Waves Ahead Of The Ocean LP (guest room - Waves Ahead of the Ocean is the follow up to RAINBOWS ARE FREE’s 2010 breakout album, Believers In Medicine. Their sophomore release heralds a unique interpretation of a bygone era of classic heaviness, setting them apart from contemporaries with whom they have shared the stage (Saint Vitus, High on Fire, The Sword, Pallbearer, Kylesa, Dead Meadow). WAOTO conjures up dark occult imagery and apocalyptic soundscapes that create an ominous portend of doom for all who listen. The band, fronted by the soaring and snarling nigh 7 foot cyclone of weirdness that is BRANDON KISTLER, continues to shock and amaze often jaded indie club audiences. This is achieved in no small part due to the guitar prowess of RICHIE TARVER joined by LUCAS WATSON on rhythm guitar, and the thunderous low end of bassist CHAD HOUGUE and drummer BOBBY ONSPAUGH. Rainbows Are Free continue to bring their brand of psychedelic proto-metal out of the southern central U.S. and into the beyond as they gear up to support the release of Waves Ahead of the Ocean.) 18.00
ROBANERA - meco discordia LP (shove - Second release for this italian sludgers, with members of Giuda and Barbarians. For fans of Grime, Eyehategod, Buzzoven and other cult sludge bands.
Fans won’t be disappointed.) 11.00
ROBIN ALLENDER - foxes in the foyer LP (sicissors - You become immediately enamored with guitarist ROBIN ALEXANDER’s (GRAVENHURST, FELIX, DM STITH, YANN TIERSEN BAND) sincere approach to composition. I personally love when an artist doesn't shy away from just simply writing a beautiful song with no pretentious tricks for validation. Unhurried interlocking patterns comprise these instrumental guitar pieces featuring acoustic and electric guitar, sparse rhythmic accompaniment, banjo, piano. Tracks like 'M. Laurelle' are trance inducing with a beautiful hypnotic-circling guitar line that brings to mind artists like Ali Farka Toure or Jozef Van Wissem. That being said it would be doing a disservice to classify Robin's approach to mood. Foxes in the Foyer seems to be a record about place, and brings to mind the openness of the english landscape where Robin hails. Ambient brilliance drifts in on 'Esplanade' while pedal steel guitar accompanies the albums beautiful closer "An Uneven Lie." Robin proves to be a unique craftsman and no surprise that he is the right hand man to many notable songwriters.) 18.00
ROLADEX - Anthems For The Micro-age LP (medical – Medical Records presents it’s second contemporary artist release with ROLADEX. Imagine Kraftwerk playing Steven Merritt songs. Roladex was formed in Texas by TYLER JACOBSEN and ELYSSA DIANNE. Producer/Member, Tyler Jacobsen holds an MFA in Electronic Art and this becomes apparent as they find lyrical and musical inspiration through the films of David Cronenberg and John Carpenter, the works of authors such as J.G Ballard as well as video artists such as Vito Acconci and Nam June Paik. Using an arsenal of analog instruments, Roladex nostalgically borrows ideas from music of the past to carefully craft a unique brand of futuristic-mechanized pop, with an emphasis on songwriting and layered production. Weaving sparse, sequenced arpeggios into fuzzy bass and bubbly melodies to create a bed of sound where they layout a somehow bright melancholia. Part minimal synth-wave, part dream pop, Roladex fits nicely with other non-traditional pop acts such as Ariel Pink as well as Synth contemporaries like Police Des Moeurs and Black Marble. With previous singles on Night-People Records, AMDISCs, and Beko, Medical is proud to present their debut LP. At times their music cold and moody, at others it is bright and dimly warm. Themes such as nuclear war, cosmology, false memories and technology as the “opiate of the masses” become apparent as the listener plays through the LP. The opening track “Anthem For The Micro-Age” sets the tone with dreamy atmospheric synth textures and interwoven male and female vocals. “Love Surgery” is chock full of pop hooks and synth leads interspersed with angular guitar accents. “Empty Streets” has an almost minimal John Bender bedroom aesthetic. The Last track, “Nuke Em' Out” is an apocalyptic disco track for the end of the world, and the electro-mechanical new wave Cathode Rays (for the the group produced a video) is one of the catches tunes on the record. Fans of early Wire (esp 154), Drinking Electricity, Fad Gadget and even noisy 90s shoegaze are sure to enjoy. Presented on high-quality 180gram heavyweight electric blue transparent vinyl and features a bonus LP insert with lyrics. All tracks and versions recorded exclusively for this Medical release. Mastered by MARTIN BOWES at the Cage, UK. Limited Edition.) 19.00
SANGRE DE MUERDAGO - Deixame Morrer No Bosque DLP (pesanta - This stunning release contains within the sites and sounds of the galician countryside. This co-release between Pesanta Urfolk and Heathen Harvest features a different master than the digital and CD edition. 200 gm vinyl with printed innersleeves. The jacket features a unique printing method that makes the color nearly impossible to place.) 25.00
SELDA - Vurulduk Ey Halkim Unutma Bizi LP (pharaway - There were female Turkish folk singers before SELDA, but none whose hot-blooded voice carried such righteously angry words & none who also accompanied themselves on guitar. She began her career singing at her brothers' Beethoven nightclub in Ankara while she went to school for physics during the day. Her first album had help from the cream of the crazy Istanbul pop scene, and cuts from the same sessions were also released on this second one. While the direction is folky overall, there's fuzz, zooming synthesizers, and heavy flute to be found. When Selda performed the title track in 1977 in a coastal town not far from Istanbul, her protest lyrics, though taken from an old poem, got her heckled by audience members who screamed that she should go back to Moscow! Find out why this brawny mama couldn't be stopped by a military government that put her on trial 9 times, and could call herself the bitter voice of the Turkish people. Remastered sound, insert / booklet with liner note) 26.00
SELDA - Selda (1979) LP (pharaway –Imagine if Julia Child had marched against Vietnam, stood on the steps of the Pentagon & placed a flower in a gun barrel. SELDA’s later records have that same cross of easygoing motherly warmth & righteous anger. This 1979 album (technically her fourth, although 6 of these songs were also released on her third), was recorded when Turkey was at its most politically polarized. Selda was sentenced to a total of over 500 years in prison right about the time it came out. A pile of acoustic guitars & bag˘lamas all going off at once under a blanket of reverb, with lyrics about blood, wood, mountains, families, and desperate troubles, so it's a thick squirt for a folk album. Selda's voice can either be sultry or really surge with emotion, and when she does belt one, it's oddly high & completely unique. Her reward was the love of Turkey's people, but also nine trials and three prison terms from the right wing military government of the 1980s. Remastered sound, insert / booklet with liner notes.) 26.00
SOFT RIOT - Fiction Prediction LP (volar - SOFT RIOT is JACK DUCKWORTH, a former Vancouverite now living in London who traces his musical beginnings to the vibrant underground art-punk/hardcore scene emergent across the Canadian and American west coasts in the mid-90s. Duckworth was among the fixtures in that community’s northern outpost before helping to consolidate the early outpourings of a larger pre-“synth/new-wave” revival with his band RADIO BERLIN, alongside others like Black Mountain, Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes, etc, though his output has shifted at least a few degrees from that older sound. His move to London is at the heart of his ongoing personal maintenance; the new atmosphere and cultural dynamic giving fuel to Soft Riot, previously just a concept. Fiction Prediction collects Duckworth’s latest material, recorded after the songs that populated his previous album/EP, No Longer Stranger (originally released on Panospria, the EP was expanded and released as an LP by Volar Records). A heavy dose of throbbing arpeggiated synths coupled with Duckworth’s ongoing romp through the annals of sci-fi film history keeps the album well grounded, minimal synths describing the parameters of his psychedelic soundscapes.) 16.00
SPITS - Kill The Kool DLP (in the red - The space-age mutant punk rockers known as The Spits have been at it for more than a decade now and are showing no signs of slowing down. Their demented, out-of-control stage act (which often includes blood and fire) has inspired many a mosh pit and near-riot. The band’s five albums (all self-titled) and countless singles are brief blasts of hyperactive aggression with a weirdo, mongoloid electro twist that makes them completely unique. Imagine if some of the creatures from film Mars Attacks got a hold of the first Ramones album, Black Flag’s Damaged, skateboards and some musical instruments and decided to start a band, and one would begin to get an idea of where The Spits are coming from. The Spits and In The Red are happy to announce the proper release of Kill the Kool. Previously pressed in an edition of 500 and sold on tour only, this collection has been re-mastered, expanded to a double LP (which spins at 45 RPM) with extra material, and housed in a beautiful gatefold sleeve featuring artwork by comic book artist Keenan Keller. The 22 tracks are pulled from singles sides, outtakes and demos, yet Kill the Kool plays like one of the most cohesive Spits releases rather than an odds ’n’ sods patchwork.) 20.00
SUNN o)) / ULVER - Terrestrials LP (southern lord - Following their 200th gig, playing before 2000 people at the Oya festival, Sunn O))) teamed up with Norwegian legends Ulver at their Oslo Studio, Crystal Canyon. They recorded three "live in improvisation" pieces, starting that evening and ending at dawn, as Northern sunlight seeped in through the windows.) 16.00
SUPERCHUNK - Indoor Living LP (merge - REISSUED!!! With a lot of SUPERCHUNK products, it’s easy to think there’s a simple message because the music is so direct. But on Indoor Living, typically unfussy guitar hooks and shout-sung tag lines that beg for an audience to croon along are just the overarching structure of a record that moons over details: “Marquee” drapes a lazy sonic arm over the seat, pulling you in for a story about egos twisting apart. “Martinis on the Roof ” puts a slightly manic, rueful smile on the loss of a friend, a search for that emotion that lurks in a mix of anger and nostalgia. Indoor Living is about domestication: The taming and training of human beings to inhabit each others’ lives, during which a certain amount of blood is spilled. But anyone can write a break-up record, anyone can color in a broken heart all black. It takes a more sophisticated eye to find the light and perfect moments that happen even when we wish they didn’t, and Indoor Living is a scrapbook of those moments. A request for mercy comes across like an in-joke in “Watery Hands.” “European Medicine” is a lively travelog that’s by turns amusingly fatalistic and achingly needy. Even “The Popular Music,” the record’s angriest slice of heartache, has a protagonist that can’t quite pull off a fully punk rock tantrum.) 18.00
TACOCAT - nvm LP (hardly art - NVM, the sophomore release (debut for Hardly Art) from Seattle, WA's Tacocat. NVM, pronounced "Nevermind" (get it?!), feature songs about frustration, alienation, psychedelic quincea?eras, and anthems ("Crimson Wave" and "Pocket Full of Primrose") for mother natures monthly gift...all set to boppy-poppy sunny and sugary bouts of bouncy rock. These guys are the musical version of a Trapper Keeper filled with old issues of Riot Grrrl fanzines and Cheap Trick cds. Recorded in the year 2013 by Conrad Uno at EGG in Seattle, WA. Ka-booom!) 16.00
THELONIOUS MONK - monk LP (dxy - Artwork by ANDY WARHOL 1954 It's truly astonishing how much Thelonious Monk can do with so little. Working with an all-star ensemble including Sonny Rollins and Art Blakey, Monk will settle into a small section of the melody laid out in the opening of the song, playing endlessly with rhythmic variations and possibilities for dissonance. These explorations never become self-indulgent, but rather create new spaces within the songs that his band can explore. The album begins with We See, using the unusual rhythms that are Monk's trademark. High notes played by the horn section serve as punctuation on the song's main melodic theme. Monk plays a relaxed solo, and Frank Foster continues the laid back tone. Ray Copeland changes the dynamic with spiraling flurries of notes. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, the second track, is the album's best. Monk plays a sweetly mournful intro, and the horn section plays in beautiful unison in support. Monk follows with a more wistful solo. The mood of the song is tightly controlled, and its spell is maintained throughout the entire track. The quintet kicks up the energy next with Locomotive. The tension in the song builds until about the :50 mark, with the horns moving steadily up in the mix. Copeland has a wonderful solo, interacting excitedly with Blakey on drums. Foster also has a superb solo, which in this excellent remaster sounds like he's playing in a far off place all by himself. Next up is Hackensack, the name of the city where producer Rudy Van Gelder's studio was during the recording of the album. It has the most dynamic intro of any song on the album, and features another great solo by Foster that sounds like it being played from the back of the room. Think Of One (Take 2), the sixth track, and the better of the two versions of this song included on the album, sounds the most like a live recording of any track. Julius Watkins on the French horn has a gorgeous solo, matching wonderfully the muted tone of the Sonny Rollins solo which precedes it. On the album Monk plays with 2 different quintets, and brings the same level of quality from each. The musicians are encouraged to explore different aspects of the given melodies and rhythms, or to radically change the dynamic of a song. The rest of the band always follows suite with the new direction, and Van Gelder's excellent production captures every exhilarating moment. Liner notes by Ethan Krow) 17.00
THUG ENTRANCER - Death After Life DLP (software - Death After Life, THUG ENTRANCER’s debut for Software Recording Co. is a deliberately realized collection of dance experimentation and hybridized electronic music with narrow stylistic precedents. It’s also a gripping, somber tide formed from the gravitational pull of an artist’s amble through unknown turfs. RYAN MCRYHEW’s footing as a creative lynchpin in the Denver DIY electronic music scene shuffled to the other world and beat of the South side of Chicago in 2011. McRyhew's new home allowed him secluded time and space to create in-depth and unconditional music as Thug Entrancer. The move also provided McRyhew direct access to Chicago's dance music history and the groundbreaking works being crafted in bedrooms and blasted on speakers throughout his neighborhood. A summation of varied approaches to electronic music, Thug Entrancer’s multiverse is not dissimilar to other Software artists (Slava and Huerco S., for example.) 24.00
TRIN TRAN - Far Reaches LP (castle face - Trin Tran: The one-man band without a plan, hurtling through the songiverse without a map or compass. For years now, Trin Tran has been creeping out from deep space (America’s Midwest) and bouncing songs off satellites. These transmissions are a testament to his lovely weirdness. This new EP is an injection of strange-pop—less garage than his recent full-length on Ty Segall’s imprint God? Records and more the bastard child of Duran Duran and Bruce Haack. Riskier vocal delivery, heavier synths. Stronger, swifter, silver-er. Mute Records would have licked their glossy lips over this meal in the early ’80s.) 16.00
TROPICAL POPSICLE - Dawn Of Delight LP (volar - The much buzzed-about psych-goth San Diego quartet’s debut LP following two 7”s on Volar Records. “Dawn of Delight is a brilliant debut album packed with songs that seamlessly mix dark-wave synth with jangly classic California pop-rock--utterly enjoyable and totally addictive.”) 16.00
V/A - Bush Taxi Mali LP (sublime - Bush Taxi Mali is an aural tour through the heart of Mali. These field recordings were made by TUCKER MARTINE in 1998 while traveling throughout the West African country. This blend of bluesy Ngoni's, clamoring street sounds, the stunning voice of Jalimusa Amanita Diabate (of the famous Diabate family), passing radios, Fulani flutes, runaway sound systems and chants from the Dogon country creates a unique portrait of Mali's rich musical heritage. Eventually Martine found himself in the backseat of a beat up Peugeot on the highway to the Jeli village of Kela, where the songs and traditions of the Mande people have been scrupulously preserved. Many of the musical performances heard on this disc were made during that visit. Bush Taxi Mali is a strikingly original tapestry of the ancient traditions of Mali in the modern era.) 22.00
V/A - ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE soundtrack DLP (atp -The soundtrack – predominantly by Jozef Van Wissem and SQÜRL, also features Zola Jesus, Yasmin Hamdan and Madeline Follin. Winner of the 2013 Cannes Soundtrack award!) 24.00
V/A - Rajasthan Street Music DLP (sublime frequencies - "Swathed in hundreds of miles of snaking hinterland, the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan is a giant canvas for the imagination of the wanderers it gives home to. Through the stark reaches of the vast Thar Desert, Rajasthan shares borders as well as bloodlines with the Pakistani provinces of Sindh and Punjab to the west and the Indian state of Gujarat to the south. The state's rough history and harsh environment is heavily reflected in the Rajasthani people and Marwari tribal culture; centuries of continuous invasions, epic battles, brutal slaughterings and various rulings by Scythians, Mauryans, Satraps, Gurjars, Mughals, Rajputs and the British have left their traces in local folklore in the shape of storytelling, songs and plays. In Rajasthan's modern-day avatar, daily life is controlled by power failures, lasting droughts, dried-out or diverted rivers and an ever-advancing desertification. These hardships of the past and present have equipped the Rajasthani people with their notoriously resilient and proud character and are clearly voiced in the music of the region. This compilation has been recorded in various cities, villages and remote regions of Rajasthan as part of a two-month road trip seeking found folklore, of which one month was spent in the holy town of Pushkar, where we experienced different aspects of Rajasthani cultural and Hindu religious life. Flexible improvisation, good chance and often pure luck allowed these recordings to happen when musicians of different ages and castes crossed our path along the way. This collection does not focus on the contextual technicalities of musical lineage, castes or styles, and is neither an exhaustive folkloric research project nor an ethnomusicology study; rather, it presents the musical landscape of contemporary Rajasthan on the street level as it was found in 2007-2008, a cross-section of aural environment outside of the academic approach to Rajasthani music that many Western and Indian scholars have already covered in intricate detail. The most important criteria for recording these musicians in their homes (or on the streets) was the personal beauty of raw power in their music."—Seb Bassleer; Limited edition 2xLP in a full-color heavy gatefold jacket with images of the musicians and detailed liner-notes by compiler and producer Seb Bassleer.) 30.00
BOOKS
THE JESUS LIZARD BOOK (Legendary indie rockers the JESUS LIZARD present an idiosyncratic, impassioned document of their rock & roll conquests. Book is a coffee table affair of exclusive photography, art, and other imagery with written pieces by all four members of the band. Included are many Polaroids by bassist DAVID WM, SIMS, a delicious recipe by DAVID YOW, a concise list of every show the Jesus Lizard played, and writings by two producers who recorded the band (STEVE ALBINI and ANDY GILL). There is biographical material of each member that covers childhood to the demise of the group. Other contributors include, MIKE WATT, ALEXANDER HACKE, STEVE GULLICK, REBECCA GATES, JEFF LANE, SASHA-FRERE JONES, KRK, BERNIE BAHRMASEL and many more. 176 page hardcover book.) 30.00
MAXIMUM ROCK N ROLL #370 MARCH 2014 MAG (MRR #370 is the ever-popular year end, top-ten issue in which contributors all list their top-ten favorite records of the previous year. It also features interviews with Nervosas, Komplikations and Mallwalkers, a feature on the New Orleans punk documentary, plus all the usual reviews and columns.) 4.00
In the mail
SOA demo 7“ (late march)
EAGULLS new LP
Offenders - We Must Rebel DLP
Blast - Expression Of Power 3x LP
And tons more