howdy all,
as promised last week, this week we’ve been flooded with new releases as well as tons of restocks. so, if that snow was keeping you from coming in today, perhaps this massive news letter will change your mind. i’ve been at this all day, and have piles of records to receive all around me, so i didn’t do much editing on this one, sorry.
…..pick of the week…..
*isengrind – the snowbringer cult – ba da bing – lp
*twinsistermoon – the snowbringer cult – ba da bing – lp
*natural snow buildings – the snowbringer cult – ba da bing – lp
– totally stoked that this set has finally been released on vinyl!!! “following up on 2012’s fearsome four-lp box set night coercion into the company of witches, ba da bing presents the second large-scale reissue of another obscurity from french duo natural snow buildings’s past. originally released on double-cd by the amazing students of decay in 2008, the snowbringer cult is a grandiose quadruple-album that combines mehdi ameziane’s and solange gularte’s solo projects, twinsistermoon and isengrind, on disc one and their collaboration as natural snow buildings on disc two. ba da bing is reissuing the original double-cd, along with vinyl versions for each of the three releases, all with interconnecting artwork. gularte’s isengrind centers on hypnotic soundscapes, floating woodwinds and chanted dirges. the airy sounds intermix and collide, sometimes building ominously, sometimes crashing together. it sounds gloriously like an imagined soundtrack to a banned ’70s italian horror film. ameziane’s twinsistermoon showcases the folk end of his sound. often graced with his soft counter tenor voice, the songs are like a sweet respite amidst the menace of minor keys. delicate acoustic guitar passages break for shifting drones before leading to ornate instrumentals. the natural snow buildings material on the second disc brings about an alternately luminous and perilous finish to the journey. here, the snowbringer cult reaches climactic points of intensity, following all the tension from disc one with grand payoffs. in all, this expansive work presents the most varied and nuanced sense of what fills the natural snow buildings cosmos.”
*invisible hands – s/t – abduction – cd
– *******as a special bonus, especially for those who want to wait for the vinyl version, this cd is specially priced and purchase will enter you in a draw for a very special handmade invisible hands pillow!******* he invisible hands is the english translation of the band’s original egyptian arabic name: el ayadi el khafeyya. taking almost two years to create amidst an unusual and challenging backdrop, this is the brand new project of alvarius b. (alan bishop of sun city girls). eleven highly-crafted new songs projected through his typically dark lens of songwriting and a band of brilliant musicians from cairo, the premier, self-titled cd version of this album is the english language vocals edition (see below) delivered in ab’s patented sinister style; drenched in lovely psychedelic folk arrangements and vocal choruses with a nod to what could have potentially been an album that surfaced decades ago but instead found its way into the future superimposed over historic and tumultuous times in the center of the arab world. the group was established during the summer of 2011 and the album was recorded in cairo in may of 2012. band members include cherif el masri and aya hemeda (both former members of popular egyptian group eskenderella) with drummer magued nagati. on a handful of songs, several other players from the cairo scene are featured including sam shalabi (shalabi effect/land of kush) on oud and mohamed medhat on violin and viola. all tracks written and sung by alvarius b. in english. note: this is the english language cd version of the album. an arabic language cd version will only be available to purchase in the middle east. both english and arabic language versions will be available for digital download and both versions together will be available as a limited edition 2lp in the very near future.
…..new arrivals…..
100 flowers – s/t – superior viaduct – lp
– 100 flowers (previously known as the urinals) were a power trio whose sole 1983 album is an enduring document of the southern california underground. based in crime-ridden ’80s los angeles against the backdrop of juvenile hardcore and vapid hard rock, 100 flowers crafted a sound that rests between the inspired bursts of the minutemen and the pastoral jangle of the dream syndicate with similarities to the equally oblique monitor and the gun club (who even included a urinals cover in their set). the trio wielded a gripping visual aesthetic and hyper-literate lyrical content that reflected their art-school backgrounds, while a ferocity and frustration borne out of their bleak urban environment permeates their songs.
ellen allien – lism – bpitch control – cd
– ellen allien’s new work lism is already being referred to as a milestone in the label’s history: rarely has an lp from the circle of bpc artists deviated so far from the club context as this one. the label boss has radically disposed of all established musical templates and created space for 45 minutes of sonic experiments that lie well beyond any functional paradigm — a highly emotional soundtrack for one’s “inner cinema,” but also a creative process with a considerable fun factor.
athanor – flashback – guerssen – lp
– chicago, early ’70s. greg herriges is obsessed with lennon, 12-string guitars, and far-out psychedelic sounds. rick vittenson is a beach boys-hollies-who fanatic who writes for crawdaddy! magazine. both had previously played in several garage college bands during the ’60s. combining their mutual love for ’60s music, athanor was born. with the help of top studio musicians, they recorded and self-released three 45s between 1973 and 1975 which are now highly sought-after by fans of obscure psychedelic pop. all of them are featured here in stellar sound taken from the master tapes along with previously-unreleased studio tracks and superb-sounding home demos (1973-1981), plus a new song recorded in 2006 in the same vein as their vintage recordings. athanor’s music features impressive songwriting and musicianship, a collision of beatlesque harmony vocals, rickenbacker and guild 12-string guitars, occasional fuzz-wah leads, fender rhodes, and studio effects. psychedelic proto power-pop highly recommended to anyone into lazy smoke, badfinger, only ones, emitt rhodes, rockin’ horse, or creme soda.
*batch – wait ’til tomorrow – anazitisi – lp
– “what a discovery and what an album! the minnesota music scene of the 60’s was an exciting and vibrant time. it was in this nurturing atmosphere that the beginnings of the batch were born. from the many songs recorded by the batch, we present now their more psychedelic efforts on this 11-track vinyl edition—all home recordings made on two-track tape-recorders between 1968 and early 1970; all carefully remastered from the original master-tapes. from the garage-pop ‘ha la la’ to the mind-blowing psychedelic ‘drifting’; from the acid underground sounds of ‘wait ’til tomorrow’ to the heavy ‘untangle your mind’; and from the guitar-pyrotechnics of ‘freedy coolchick’ to the grateful dead-esque ‘so sad,’ this batch album is a must for every psych-head, and will soon take its rightful place among lost us psychedelic jewels. raw and vital recordings of a band at the very moment of finding their freedom and independence. 500 copies.”
bizarros – complete collection 1976-80 – windian – lp
– unearthing their huge post-punk sound took a bit of time, attempting to bake original master tapes, developing original 30-plus year old film, and sifting through an akron ton of rare music, windian has put a large effort in bringing to the table a beyond quality double lp. these records span the short 5 years the band recorded music before calling it quits in 1980. from the singles released on the own band’s imprint clone records, to the scorching split ep with the tubber city rebels, the brutally amazing debut lp released on mercury records, live cuts, and even never before heard demos, this collection contains it all from a band cut short in their prime.
*nathan bowles – a bottle, a buckeye – soft abuse – lp
– hard to believe our planet had not yet been graced with nathan bowles solo recordings until now, but such is the case. after years of playing in celebrated ensembles, touring the world, and honing his skill on a host of instruments, bowles unveils his first solo effort: a bottle, a buckeye. the spacious, rollicking, meditative, and above all powerful record bridges the methods and constructs of his two most notable groups—the black twig pickers (old-time) and pelt (outer limits)—while inhabiting a space all its own..
*burmuda triangle – s/t – anazitisi – lp
– the first ever official vinyl reissue of this folk-psych gem from new york city, usa. originally released in 1977 by winter solstice, the group’s own label, this is a very rare album nowadays. it’s strange mixture of haunting melodic folk and dreamy psychedelia. both male and female vocals, by roger and wendy penney (who had also presented the extremely rare “roger & wendy” lp back in 1972), with autoharp, violin, percussion and sound effects (wah wah, fuzz, phaser, delay) offering a unique atmosphere. here’s how acid archives describes this fantastic album: truly bizarre folk-psych album that’s more enjoyable than a lot of “better” records. it feels like the songs are at a normal speed but the backing tracks are sped up. some of the melodies are pretty speedy too. spastic, cymbal-heavy drumming adds another layer of intrigue. this album is kind of a shock on first listen, because at least to these jaded ears it’s not often i discover something so original and bizarre.” this is truly a one of a kind album—you have to listen it to believe it!!!
*chelsea light moving – s/t – matador – lp/cd
– chelsea light moving is the new band from sonic youth’s thurston moore. featuring the backing talents of keith wood on guitar, samara lubelski on bass and john moloney on drums, the same band from thurston’s last solo album “demolished thoughts” — but this time it hits hard with rock n roll noise. the man himself describes the tracks as “chug & shred burners,” and they hit the usual mindblowing variety of rock-historical reference points and the primal clatter thurston’s pioneered for over two decades. the original chelsea light moving company actually moved people’s stuff, and was run by steve reich and philip glass.
*dead c vs rangda – split – ba da bing – lp
– two of the greatest bands of the present day, each composed of two guitarists and a drummer. every member’s name carries its own legendary status. richard bishop. ben chasny. chris corsano. michael morley. bruce russell. robbie yeats. fabricated empires have risen and been destroyed by the vast output of any one of these guys. finally, they come together on one release: a split lp between two supergroups. the dead c’s tracks are a gem of a find. the band uncovered recordings nestled in the back corner of their archives that they completely forgot existed. these tracks were under consideration for their seminal album eusa kills. the loose majesty found on that album comes to the fore here, with a group finding their wings right as they are set aflame. rangda recorded their two compositions at russian recording in bloomington, indiana. everything that brings these musicians together uncoils and commands. beats of silence underscore tangents that lead back to main themes and out again. it’s as though the years and years of playing under their collective belts has culminated in these glorious moments.
*dead moon – stranded in the mystery zone – mississippi – lp
– “maybe the hardest to find dead moon lp. all kinds of killer songs. another stone cold classic by the world’s greatest rock band. some call them the thinking man’s ac/dc and some call them the working man’s roky erickson but really there is nothing that compares to dead moon. they live in a world of their own — d.i.y on every imaginable level, brilliant song writing, perfect elemental stripped down playing, honest and intense vocals. it’s all here.”
*dead moon – strange prey tell – mississippi – lp
– “one of dead moon’s all time classics, filled with some of their catchiest and most rousing songs. rockers of the highest caliber such as ‘destination x,’ ‘fire in the western world,’ and ‘don’t look back’ as well as perfect ballads such as ‘you can’t do that’ and ‘out in the blues.’ an utter masterpiece of psychedelic rock straight from the heart.”
*nick drake – pink moon – universal – lp
– remastered from the original analogue master tapes by original sound engineer john wood at abbey road studios! pink moon, nick drake’s third and final album, was originally released on island records in 1972 and is the record that made him the cult figure he remains to this day. recorded in november of 1971, the beautifully spare 11-song set only features drake’s vocals, guitar, and piano. the music comes across as peaceful and unadulterated through its richly woven textures of tone and melody. although the story behind his music is undeniably tragic, what he left behind here is truly breathtaking. 180g vinyl in a gatefold jacket with printed inner sleeve.
*ensemble pearl – s/t – drag city – lp/cd
– cosmic heavy amplified rock drops and ripples, auras radiate and expand into cloudforms, through which lightning bolts. tides rise, the moons wax upon a place somewhere between link wray, hex-era earth and early tangerine dream. the echoes return, leaving a trail that blows and drifts, creating a separate piece. the metal of coils is the metal of the earth, the air… the meteoric and primal elements found in space. ensemble pearl reaches through the clouds and atmospheres and brings it all back down to the ground, to forge further creations for woman and man. this music production is inspired by rock from the classic era (’50s through ’70s) and acousmatic contemporary composition alike. ensemble pearl are atsuo, william herzog, michio kurihara and stephen o’malley.
*fortune teller – inner-city scream – anazitisi – lp
– “fuzzy underground album recorded back in 1978, and released as a private pressing of 500 copies. heavy at places, full of fuzz-guitar work with 60’s garage & british invasion influences and low-budget production (think of boa or shadrack chameleon albums) while a couple of songs have a wild and underground approach to rural rock. this album exists in a time warp. it’s from the midst of the first punk era, but sounds genuinely 60s garage the way no neo-garage band ever did. the fuzz guitars are ever-present, and the songs are pure garage pop and garage rock, rocking hard without ever sounding remotely “hard rock.” the sound is as cheap as can be, which only accentuates the coolness of the fuzz. despite some awkward singing, there are a lot of catchy melodies here, and i can imagine that baltimorians who discovered “nuggets” in the late 70s went nuts over this band. a few songs flirt with rural rock, but basically it’s teen-sounding angst, just as cool as their punk peers. [am] (taken from acid archives) 400 black vinyl edition.”
four tet – 0181 – text – lp
– previously-unreleased miscellaneous four tet recordings produced between 1997-2001.
jesse fuller – jazz, folk songs, spirituals & blues – doxy – lp
– recorded on in 1958 in los angeles, ca, jazz, folk songs, spirituals, & blues is a rare album by the one-man-band and well-known folk musician jesse fuller. although fuller always played music on the side, becoming a master of the 12-string guitar (between working for the railroads, lumber companies, or the circus), he did not make his first recording until 1955, when he was already 50 years old. frustrated by his inability to get a band together, fuller devised a way to play all the instruments himself, constructing a one-man band system that allowed him to sing and accompany himself on the twelve-string guitar, harmonica, kazoo, cymbals & a homemade instrument he called the ‘fotdella’ (played with the big toe of the right foot which hit pedals causing padded hammers to strike against the instrument’s six strings). this brilliant and unique album in the blues arena includes fuller’s rendition of traditional blues numbers like ‘take this hammer’ and ‘linin’ track’ as well as his own compositions like ‘fingerbuster’ and ’99 years’.
*justin greaves – devil’s business – death waltz – lp
– marking death waltz’s first foray into contemporary film music, the devil’s business was released to theaters and dvd in 2012, with a u.s. release happening late 2013. the film is a gritty low budget satanic gangster film that shares it’s dna with ben wheatley’s “kill list”. the score by justin greaves, the main protagonist of crippled black phoenix is a beautiful eerie listen, minimal yet epic and soaked in a smoky atmosphere that fits perfectly alongside the other releases in the death waltz canon.
habeas corpus – my roots… – anazitisi – lp
– “habeas corpus formed in athens, greece in 1977. originally a trio of guitar-bass-drums and occasionally, at some live gigs, a quartet with the addition of a keybordist/guitarist. at the end of 1981, all three members participated to the foundation of the more well-known band, syndromo and made an album for vertigo in 1982. habeas corpus’ music is instrumental and combines heavy progressive rock and jazz/fusion rock with classical and greek traditional tinges all around. this limited release, collects all their recorded material from 1980-82. strictly limited, to 150 hand-numbered copies, edition.”
*lee hazlewood – trouble is a lonesome town – light in the attic – lp/dlx lp/cd
– “light in the attic’s lee hazlewood archive series continues with an expanded reissue of lee hazlewood’s debut album. re-mastered from the original tapes, this is the first time trouble is a lonesome town has been available in its original mono mix since the 1960s. this is an essential purchase for hazlewood fans or anyone curious about the man before the mustache. originally released in 1963, trouble… finds the bohemian cowboy sketching out a vivid picture of a backwater place named trouble, where trouble with a small ‘t’ is never far away. ‘trouble is little and it’s lonesome,’ he says, on the title track, ‘you won’t find it on any map, but you can take three steps in any direction and you’re there.’ lee says plenty on the album. the first voice you hear is hazlewood’s spoken-word narration. it’s a format the singer-songwriter would revisit frequently, introducing his stirring songs with a touch fireside storytelling in the rich, texan drawl he’d tried hard to lose during years he was struggling to make it as an aspiring radio dj. each mini, pre-song poem seems to impart unexpected wisdom. indeed, if the record sounds remarkably wise and mature for a debut album, hazlewood was, of course, no spring chicken on making this debut. 34 years old at the time of the album’s release, he was already a seasoned producer, writer and publisher with dozens of hits under his belt and a few singles under his own name and more under the pseudonym ‘mark robinson’ — all of which are included here in this reissue.” also available as the super limited deluxe version which includes hazlewoods original screenplay!
sid hemphill – devil’s dream – mississippi – lp
– multi-instrumentalist, band-leader, and composer sid hemphill (1876-1961) was for decades the musical patriarch of the mississippi hill country. he and his band-comprised of alec “turpentine” askew, will head and lucius smith were fixtures at dances, picnics, and frolics throughout the right triangle formed by memphis, the delta, and the hill country. this lp features alan lomax’s first recording of blind sid in august 1942, near sledge, mississippi, where the hemphill band was appearing at a country picnic. by that date hundreds of commercial records had been made of the music of the delta, and the preponderance of those were of or relating to the blues form, with guitar or piano accompaniment. lomax’s recordings were the first made of the hill country’s local music, and contributed to a broader perspective of black vernacular instrumentation with their inclusion of the fiddle and banjo of the string band, the fife and drum ensemble, and the cane panpipes or “quills. This music is wild and loose and of a style seldom heard.
*homer – grown in usa – guerssen – lp
– with their roots traced in two legendary ’60s garage bands, the outcasts and the stoics, homer were without doubt one of the best psychedelic/hard-rock outfits from texas. grown in u.s.a. was their only album, released as a private pressing in 1970. rural psychedelic rock with early prog hints fuelled by stunning lead/dual guitar, melodic vocals and occasional mellotron. presented in a 2lp expanded edition including their early singles, which are prime examples of ’60s texan garage-psych, plus previously-unreleased studio demo tracks recorded at the same time as the album. newly remastered sound especially for this vinyl release, housed in a gatefold sleeve with detailed liner notes and rare pictures. 180 gram vinyl. “a texas private press classic that spans several early ’70s genres but still manages to sound like a coherent, personal work. a strongly played melodic rock trip somewhat like mother tuckers yellow duck.” –patrick lundborg, acid archives
*iasos – inter-dimensional music – wild sages – lp
– a remastered version of the 1975 classic made in 2010. inter-dimensional music is considered one of the first (and finest) records of the “new age” movement. iasos is heralded as a new age pioneer along with steven halpern. his music has been used by nasa and numerous laseriums around the world. fans include alan watts and r. buckminster fuller. we love iasos! iasos has performed music around the world and locally in northern california for decades. pressed on 180-gram colored vinyl. the first “new age” record, now remastered for 21st century vinyl.
guiseppi ielasi/kassel jaeger – parallel/grayscale – editions mego – lp
– parallel/grayscale is the first collaborative work between italian guitarist and composer giuseppe ielasi and french-swiss composer and electroacoustic musician kassel jaeger. it is comprised of two different improvisation sessions. the first one took place in paris, in october of 2011. the second happened in oreno, in june of 2012, after the first concert ielasi and jaeger performed together. the first session was a pure analog device improvisation, whereas the second one was more laptop-oriented. these two moments have been melted together, forming two different subtracts of the same material.
julie kent – character – leaf – lp
– opportunities for introspection have come few and far between for canadian-born, new york city-based cellist julia kent. recorded alone in her home studio, character develops the layering techniques kent brought to the fore on her previous solo material, the flow of intertwining cello motifs working as an external representation of competing internal meditations. in the past, the cellist adopted field recordings to accompany her playing; delay saw recordings taken from various airports as kent became fascinated by their ambience, while samples were taken from nature as she explored boundaries between electronic and organic sounds on green and grey. in character, their somewhat hidden nature is just as important, reflecting the need for introspection that drives the album. if her first two albums saw kent developing her individuality, character is perhaps the first time she’s had the courage to take what she’s learned and deliver an album of such depth and contemplative beauty.
jacob kirkegaard – conversion – touch – lp
– in collaboration with danish ensemble scenatet, kirkegaard’s two pieces “labyrinthitis” and “church” are here interpreted by classical instruments. the intention of this transformation into an instrumental score is to explore the musical dimension and potential of the sounds that were used in creating the original works. “church” originally consists of ambient recordings of an abandoned church inside the radioactive zone in chernobyl. “labyrinthitis” is a canon of oto-acoustic tones generated by the artist’s own ears. like most of kirkegaard’s sound works, both pieces are characterized by a strong focus on methodology, and by the artist’s wish to omit any deliberate emotional or “musical” intention.
krallice – years past – gilead – lp
– “krallice seem to be aiming for a greater level of obscurity in their work, from production to lyrics and song titles, which have not been published prior to the release of this vinyl edition. within the mix itself you can hear a stark difference from past albums, a move towards greater cohesiveness in their sound. this is particularly apparent in the vocals, which appear to be lower in the mix, helping to drive home the aforementioned hypnotic feel. and although nick mcmaster’s metal growls are still as prominent here as they were on diotima, the music itself has less of the up front ‘metal’ feel than it has in the past when nick’s vocals were present alongside mick barr’s signature screams.”
lady lamb & the beekeeper – ripely pine – ba da bing – lp
– more than anything, aly spaltro has 20,000 second-hand dvds to thank for her first album. despite being recorded at a proper studio in her recently adopted home of brooklyn, ripely pine showcases songs conceived during her tenure at bart’s & greg’s dvd explosion in brunswick, maine. spaltro worked the 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm shift. each night, after locking up, she’d walk past drama and horror, pull out her music gear from behind a wall of movies, and write and record songs until morning broke. she did this every day, drawing strength from the monotony of her routine and testing out multiple techniques, approaches and instrumentation. anger, confusion, love, happiness and sadness reigned, and the songs ran rampant, with little form or structure. isolated for those many hours, spaltro let melodies morph together, break apart and pair up.
*sven libaek – inner space – votary – lp
– sven libaek’s inner space is, simply put, one of the most legendary soundtrack recordings in the history of australian music. released in 1973, soundtracking a documentary series on underwater life by ron & valerie taylor, it now stands proud as a key album of ‘underwater music’, one of the most rightly and righteously revered fields within soundtrack and library music circles. endlessly inventive, gorgeously melodic, at times oceanic, at times amphibian, at other times in some mysterious pelagic zone, inner space sits proudly alongside such classic underwater osts and libraries as egisto macchi’s fauna marina, the sonoton underwater music series, the ittologia and biologia marina twin-set, and danielle patucchi’s men of the sea, alla scoperti del mare and uomini e squali. considered to be one of the unsung masters of australian film music, sven libaek composed for many australian films and tv series in 1960’s and 70’s. inner space is considered amongst his finest. featuring the best australian jazz musicians including don burrows, john sangster, george golla and errol buddle, they masterfully range from the incidental to the improvisational as they create a whirlpool of sublime aquatic jazz exotica. notably, in 2004 the soundtrack had a second lease on life when several tracks were used in the wes anderson film. ‘the life aquatic with steve zizzou’.
max load – s/t – bdr – lp
– max load was formed and began playing live shows around belleville in 1978. they soon were playing in st. louis as well, but they never would be treated as equals. they were often forced to play first, before much less competent bands, or dead last, when the st. louis crowd was anxious to get to the after-party. last often meant playing to an empty room, rather than being the coveted headlining spot. out shining most of the missouri bands around at the time, they released a scorching two song 45 (“x-rod” b/w “magazine sex”) in 1979 on their own label. it was mostly intended as a calling card to secure gigs, but some copies were sold locally and a few even distributed by bomp! records in ca. the band would go on to record studio demos in 1980 at the request of epic records and would commit countless songs to tape with their own 4-track recorder. they were also the only punk band in the area to pay attention to and be featured on the short-lived cable access tv show, street beat. although max load started out with a fairly traditional punk sound, by 1981 they started writing more post punk and art punk influenced material. this new direction can be heard on the included 4-track demos. like so many other bands, they never got that record deal or big break they were hoping for. by late 1982, most members had moved on to new projects and the band was gone by 1983. the max load release is comprised of all studio recordings from 1979-1983. the x-rod 45 is included, along with 22 never-before-released 8-track and 4-track demos. the package includes a 14-song lp, a 24-song cd and a dvd that features a 20-song live performance, recorded for cable access tv in 1981. the cd and dvd come with a title card in a protective sleeve that’s tucked inside the lp jacket, along with a double sided 11″x17″ insert featuring numerous photos, gig posters and extensive liner notes.
mind garage – a total electric happening – anazitisi – lp
– “mind garage, from west virginia, are well known for their two lps made for rca in 1969 and 1970. they began as a hard rock group in 1967, but soon had a unique rock and roll dream: this band, straight from the beer halls with their long hair, beards and wild clothing, was about to change rock and roll forever. they became the first rock band to bring their drums, amps, and guitars into church for a live rock and roll worship service. in 1968, with many such services under their belt, they were discovered in new york city’s greenwich village and dubbed “theo-rock” by the village voice. by 1969 they had signed with rca. after three years of persistent efforts, they had gone where no other bands had been before, taking “the raw sounds in rock music” and offered it to god in the form of an electric liturgy. playing in church after church, they cultivated an environment where rock could thrive, establishing in the process, christian rock, a completely new genre of music that has inspired untold millions worldwide. the lp which we now proudly present, contains the band’s very first single (privately released in 1968 on their own morning glory label), plus seven previously unreleased songs, which come from an acetate made for promo use that same year. in our opinion, these are their most psychedelic and eclectic efforts, from the very first days of the american psych scene. 400 copy vinyl edition.”
mogwai – les revenants ost – rock action – lp
– following on from the sold out limited edition 10″ ep released in january the les revenants soundtrack is the full release of 14 brand new recordings by mogwai taken from the critically acclaimed canal+ series. the album is released via our rock action records label.
motion sickness of time travel – perennials – boomkat – lp
– motion sickness of time travel makes fuzzy eyes for the dancefloor on her sublime debut for boomkat editions. the perennials is rachel evans’ eagerly-awaited follow-up to her eponymous lp for spectrum spools, channeling her celestial energies into concise and emotive ambient-pop arrangements on the cusp of progressive ’90s trance. taking in a handful of gorgeous songs ranging from pastoral instrumentals to strobing arpeggio surfers and sweeping mini bleep symphonies, she isolates a feeling or vibe hovering between the alien horizons of tangerine dream and laurie spiegel and the heart-aching cinematic yearn of angelo badalamenti and julee cruise at their best for david lynch. limited to 500 individually-numbered copies.
om – addis dubplate – drag city – 12″
– a special dub version of om’s “addis” from their advaitic songs album from the reigning king and queen of dub, alpha & omega. features the original version on the flip.
oneida – the human factor – limited appeal – 12″
– “another one to grab right now is oneida’s demented new 12″ live ep, which sports a single long track something like an ambulant n.y. no wave act playing the legendary stardust cowboy. catchy as ten bastards and compelling throughout, i certainly prefer oneida when they’re this sheerly cunted; heck, the brooding & obstinate tailout is like something of late queen elizabeth stuff. with only 480 copies out there-you should try and scoff one off the shelves pronto, tonto, or these suckers will quickly fade from sight.”-julian cope.
one st. stephen – s/t – anazitisi – lp
– “the first ever official reissue of this highly-rated and very rare us album. don l. patterson (aka one st. stephen) wrote the music and lyrics, was lead vocalist, played electric guitars, directed and produced the album ‘one st. stephen’ in march of 1975. the music was originally intended for a film don was developing with the working title ‘the devil’s reservation’. due to a famous jazz musician with the same name, don used the alias of one st. stephen. the music was recorded at the legendary owl studios (columbus, ohio), using the same 8-channel analog recording deck that was used to tape the audio at woodstock in 1969. because everyone who heard the lp wanted a copy, don pressed a very limited amount from queen city record company (cincinnati ohio). he also designed the album sleeve and label. the response by regional disc jockeys was phenomenal. the album got a lot of regional air play. a few months later, don was offered a recording contract from two major record companies in new york city. don was asked to tour. don was never interested in the world of rock and walked away from a music future. since then, the album has been sought by many record collectors around the world and bootlegged several times on cd and vinyl in europe. one of the finest examples of mid-70’s us psych-acid music. great vocals with some jim morrison “colour”, heavy and sometimes fuzzy acidelic guitar work and excellent musicianship overall. 400 vinyl edition.”
charlie parker – the immortal charlie parker – doxy – lp
– this collection of brilliant sides, all recorded in new york city for the savoy label from 1945-1948, represent the very apex of charlie parker’s career. several tracks feature bird’s all-star quintet, with a young miles davis (who was just 19 on ‘billie’s bounce’ and ‘thrivin’ on a riff’) on trumpet, max roach on drums and legendary bebop pianist buddy powell on piano. songs like ‘buzzy’ and ‘chasin’ the bird’ are also particularly significant because they represent some of the only existing recordings of powell and bird together.
purling hiss – water on mars – drag city – lp
– it takes balls to let purling hiss get in your face. their records are a half-corroded, screaming roar of high-end guitars crushed together, obliterating vocals and even drums with their singular assault. well, if you’ve got balls, get ready to swing ’em. with water on mars, purling hiss have broken out of the basement, run through the bedroom and are out in the streets, blasting one of the great guitar albums in the past couple minutes. it’s a tumble of hits and ragers, sewing together nine new purling hiss celebration laments out of their usual patches of distortion, singing melodies and unexpected production hoohah-but this time the unexpected part is how the guitars gleam so precisely as they pile upon each other, how they work alongside of the rhythm section rather than avalanching it. water on mars is purling hiss’s first recording outside the fuzzy confines of mike polizze’s inner rock utopia, where the first three albums and ep were constructed in solitude with a home-recording setup. now there is a center to the hiss maelstrom, with polizze’s guitars slugging, sizzling and spiraling their way around the rhythm throb. polizze lyricises like a poet of the disaffected, shifting from aggro to slack and back over the course of a song; the production highlights the schiz by buffing the raw power into a streamlined blast, hitting down hard and covering a lot of ground in just over a half hour.
the spits – i & ii – slovenly – cs
-slovenly unleashes a brand new issue of their total classic first and second albums on what is perhaps the ultimate format for this kinda trippy budget skate punk: the always cool and highly portable cassette tape! it’s true, dude. the first side contains their debut album featuring such legendary hits as “sk8,” “black kar,” and “remote kontrol,” while side two is their arguably radder second album with the all time anthems “spit me out,” “let us play your party,” rat face,” take back the alley,” and alla that shit. you can now rock the spits I & II in your ghetto blaster on the bus, much to your friendly drivers’ and mongoloid passengers’ chagrin, blast it at your fave ditch, or record something better over it and draw on the j-card.
steve adamyk band – third – dirtnap – lp
– canada’s veteran punks the steve adamyk are back at it again, unleashing their third album, aptly titled, third. the last two years have taken sab on tour in europe (twice), to sxsw (twice), awesome fest, sled island and beyond. the formula is the same as always; bringing a punk edge to classic power-pop, with help from a strong modern garage influence. you could call it aggressive pop-punk, keeping it tight and far from over-produced. the formula is simple – no one is trying to re-invent the wheel. with that said, they’re staying clear of cheese and cliches. third is the band’s most solidified recording to date.
*sun city girls – eye mohini: singles volume 3 – abduction – cd
– volume 3 in the series of sun city girls singles, compilations, and rare tracks, consists of material recorded between the mid-1980s and early 1990s. much of this collection reflects the arabic guitar instrumental and acoustic pseudo-asian vocal folk styles of the band from the period when they recorded relentlessly. the 14 cuts vary wildly in scope yet maintain a consistent listening experience throughout, bridging a wide gap between the band’s second full-length lp grotto of miracles (track 3 — “gum arabic” — being the only true outtake from that recording session) in 1986 and the 1993 launch of the group’s abduction label after the band relocated from phoenix to seattle. all four tracks from the eye mohini single as well as all six tracks from the borungku si derita double single are included here, the latter featuring a vicious rehearsal version of esoterica of abyssynia with a rare captured occurrence of both bishop brothers playing electric guitars. the remaining two tracks from three fake female orgasms double single not included on volume 2 of this series are present with the extremely rare studio version of “kickin’ the dragon” from a triple 7″ box set released by an obscure bay area label in 1994. the disc is rounded out by a 10-minute live track from the heinz afterworld lounge in oakland from 1992 where scg closed the show with a heavy and ecstatic version of “the flower” from their torch of the mystics lp. as in the previous two volumes of this series, this cd is sequenced to play as a full album and is an excellent entry point for the non-initiated into a band that produced as diverse and intimidating a back catalog as any other entity in modern music.
pete swanson – punk authority – software – 12″
– following the devastating one-two punch of man with potential and pro style for type records, pete swanson returns to his deformed warehouse techno sound with punk authority. after leaving cornerstone us noise duo yellow swans, swanson made it his mission to pull apart the techno genre by the seams. this four track stomper for software recording co. is by far his most damaged solo offering to date. with a sly nod to police academy, punk authority launches into a barrage of debauched, regressive noise punctuated by the kind of beats you’d more readily expect to find on an underground resistance 12″ (and that’s as effortlessly engaging as it sounds). using a deceptively simple synthesizer/tape setup, swanson siphons his club constructions through a hoarse mix of saturation and overdrive, resulting in something aggressive yet effortlessly foot pushing. punk authority might have the kind of surface grit you’d expect to come across on a hand-painted cassette tape, but at its heart is a vomited pulse half-heard through a stuttgart toilet stall. swanson has successfully re-tooled a genre to fit his needs, and this punk authority is his chance to really crack his bare knuckles.
*chrissy zebby tembo – my ancestors – qdk – cd
– this might be the final chapter of qdk media’s releases from zambia (unless they find an unknown album which is as good as this one). chrissy zebby tembo is the drummer of the ngozi family. this time, the album is under his name and paul ngozi is his guitarist. this album is so great, qdk left the best for the last zam-rock release. wild fuzz guitars all over, african beats and extra-cool vocals — completely stoned music. people say it is easily one of the best african psychedelic rock albums ever recorded — raw, rough, with a gaping charm and tons of front-and-center fuzz guitar over basic, ultra-catchy rock/pop tunes reminiscent in style to the velvet underground. the songs are sung in english. original albums on chris edition are rare as gold dust.
thought forms – ghost mountain – invada – lp
– the album veers between two opposites, from brisk, scuzzy american garage-rock influenced numbers to brutal, anguished noise constructions of ethereal doom, where it feels like they’re tapping into a similar dark psyche to groups like godspeed you! black emperor and circle. with a psych slant too informing tracks like ‘afon’ and ‘burn me clean’ – where vocals are almost as though a ritualistic call to on high – the scope of ghost mountain’s sonic terrain is vast, the result of a varied approach to song writing where wholes form out of group jams or from the chrysalis of an idea presented by just one of the trio. it’s a clear move away from their debut album, though retaining the group’s penchant for creating vast atmospheres.
various – 20 jahre komp kollection – kompakt – 2cd
– on march 1st, 1993, kompakt opened the blue doors on gladbacher straße 36 for the very first time and thus, a new record store was born. two moves, a name change, almost exactly 500 publications and a staggering 20 years later, kompakt is still here and stronger than ever. that’s why throughout 2013, kompakt will celebrate 20 years of kompakt in all shapes and colors, including this exciting jubilee 2cd release jam-packed with floor favorites, towering chart-toppers and secret weapons from the rich history of one of germany’s most-loved labels. carefully pulled from kompakt’s extensive archives, this first entry in the 20 jahre kompakt kollektion series is in no way meant to be a “best of”: that would indeed be a task larger than life. rather than just going through the motions and assembling sales numbers, kompakt took a different road, simply compiling their proudest moments instead, classic records that defined their sound today. the label considers each track in this selection an electronic masterpiece, regardless of whether it reached out for the floor like justus köhncke’s “after 909” or catered to the home-listening crowd like pluxus’ “transient.”
*various – the devil is busy in knoxville – mississippi – lp
– compilation of early gospel recordings spanning from 1927 – 1955. sanctified blues by the two gospel keys, mother mccollum, blind roosevelt graves, lottie bracey, sister o.m. terrell & rev. ib ware, beautiful slow country gospel by the anglin brothers & delmore brothers, intense vocal performances by the new gospel keys, elder richard briant & the silent grove baptist church congregation, and much more! all killer no filler compilation that rocks hard and gets deep and sad too. old school “tip on” cover. limited one time pressing.
*various – eccentric soul: dynamic label – lp/cd
– born out of the largesse created from rene & rene’s hot 100 tejano tornado “angelito,” dynamic records was but one of half a dozen labels run by san antonio music and real estate mogul abe epstein. his flagship group, the commands, took their afb circuit-honed chops up to the middle of the charts in 1966 with “no time for you,” paving the way for 20 other soulful singles over dynamic’s impressive two and a half year run. epstein’s open door policy led to a diverse cross section of the population converging inside his studio on general mcmullan drive, as whites, blacks, and latinos were swapped in and out of groups as needed. that melting pot mentality is well represented by the tonettes, little jr jesse & the teardrops, don & the doves, willie cooper & the webs, bobby blackmon & his soul express and doc & sal. compiled here are 21 (28 on the 2lp) of dynamic’s most intriguing sides, representing the first layer of a treasure trove of san antonio soul we’ll be unleashing over the coming year.
…..restocks…..
*1991 – high tech high life – boomkat editions – lp
*13th floor elevators – psychedelic sounds of – sundazed – lp
arcade fire – funeral – merge – lp
arcade fire – the suburbs – merge – lp
dan auerbach – keep it hid – nonesuch – lp
*franco battiato – foetus – vinyl magic – lp
beastie boys – check your head – capitol – lp
black keys – el camino – nonesuch – lp
*broadcast – berberian sound studio – warp – lp
nick cave – dig lazarus dig – anti – lp
civil wars – barton hollow – sensibility music – lp
john coltrane – blue train – blue note – lp
*betty davis – s/t – light in the attic – lp
miles davis – four & more – mofi – lp
miles davis – kind of blue – legacy – lp
miles davis – birth of cool – pan american – lp
dj shadow – endtroducing – mo wax – lp
*john fahey – transcendental waterfall – 4 men with beards – box
florence & the machine – ceremonials – universal – lp
flying lotus – until the quiet comes – warp – lp
fucked up – david comes to life – matador – lp
*lee gamble – diversions 94-96 – pan – lp
jacco gardner – cabinet of curiosities – trouble in mind – lp
marvin gaye – what’s going on – motown – lp
marvin gaye – let’s get it on – tamala – lp
*ghost – tune in, turn on… – drag city – lp
*tim hecker – dropped pianos – kranky – lp
*tim hecker – an imaginary country – kranky – lp
*tim hecker – ravedeath 1972 – kranky – lp
howling hex – best of the howling hex – drag city – lp
*syl johnson – is it because i’m black – numero – lp
lcd soundsystem – this is happening – dfa – lp
*ivo malec – triola – recollection grm – lp
dawn mccarthey & bonnie ‘prince’ billy – what the brothers sang – drag city – lp
*marshall mcluhan – the medium is the massage – five day weekend – lp
*medusa – first step beyond – numero – lp
modest mouse – we were dead before the ship sank – epic – lp
neutral milk hotel – in the aeroplane over the sea – merge – lp
nirvana – nevermind – geffen – lp
the oh sees – castlemania – in the red – lp
the oh sees – putrifiers ii – in the red – lp
pavement – wowee zowee – matador – lp
pavement – slanted & enchanted – matador – lp
radiohead – in rainbows – tbd – lp
*rodriguez – coming from reality – light in the attic – lp
sabbath assembly – restored to one – anja – lp
sabbath assembly – ajna – lp
*ty segall – twins – drag city – lp
*ty segall & mikal cronin – reverse shark attack – in the red – lp
sigur ros – med suo i eyrum vio spilum – xl – lp
sigur ros – valtari – xl – lp
the smiths – hatful of hollow – rhino – lp
*soft machine – s/t – sundazed – lp
*sonic youth – daydream nation – goofin – 4lp box
sonic youth – murray street – goofin – lp
*sonic youth – s/t – goofin – lp
*sonic youth – sonic nurse – goofin – lp
the sound – jeopardy – 1972 – lp
the sound – from the lions mouth – 1972 – lp
stereolab – dots & loops – 1972 – lp
t rex – the slider – fat possum – lp
tegan & sara – hearth throb – warner – lp
traditional fools – s/t – in the redd – lp
weakerthans – left and leaving – epitaph – lp
weakerthans – live at burton cummings theater – epitaph – lp
white stripes – white blood cells – thirdman – lp
white stripes – elephant – xl – lp
white stripes – under great white northern lights – thirdman – lp
wilco – summer teeth – nonesuch – lp
xx – coexist – young turks – lp
thom yorke – the eraser – xl – lp
neil young – harvest – reprise – lp
various – eccentric soul: deep city label – numero – lp
various – good god! a gospel funk hymnal – numero – lp
various – good god! born again funk – numero – lp
*various – kassidat – dust to digital – lp
thanks for listening….
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