I know I said this week would be more plentiful, but… I guess some freight is still moving a little slow, so it’s not AS big a list this week as I expected, but there are a few real killer slabs this week.
For the time being we’re staying the course being closed up. Things are working well right now, we are thinking lots about how reopening looks, but being a small operation, that also looks tricky. So, we’ll keep doing this for a bit longer.
As always, big thanks to everyone who’s been hitting up our webstore and placing orders! If you haven’t hit up the WEBSTORE, MAYBE YOU SHOULD! If you can’t figure out the site, or don’t like to use computers, you can always call the store and we can do an order over the phone. I’ll be at the shop 11-4 week days. Stay safe!
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…..pick of the week…..
Elevator: Darkness – Light
(Blue Fog) LP
For the first time on vinyl, we finally bring you Elevator’s 2002 “Darkness-Light” album. With freshly remastered audio and lots of newly scanned original artwork on the colourful inner and outer sleeves. Comes on coloured vinyl with a digital download code that includes a bonus track. Limited one time pressing.
File Under: Lo-fi, Indie Rock
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…..new arrivals…..
Ariel Pink: House Arrest
(Mexican Summer) LP
Ariel Archives is a comprehensive series of reissues and retrospective collections concentrating on the treasure trove of material recorded and released by Ariel Pink as Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. After beginning the series with Underground, Odditties Sodomies Vol. 2 and Loverboy, the archival journey continues with Worn Copy, The Doldrums and House Arrest representing Ariel’s most classic recordings as Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, the name used for his one-man recording venture between 1999-2004. Each new edition has been restored from the original cassette masters, which have been retransferred and remastered from single-track sources. Originally self-released in 2002, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti’s House Arrest is riddled with an anti, self-reflexive energy. The album’s opener, “Hardcore Pops Are Fun,” makes it clear: House Arrest is exuberant, supercharged – an upshift from the melancholia saturating its predecessor The Doldrums. But House Arrest is not just a change of tone from alienation to joyfulness; the album shuffles through countless modes and styles, from conventional pop arrangements to wild, experiments. Perhaps the signature Haunted Graffiti album, House Arrest is a self-portrait of Ariel Pnk’s mad descent into the creative abyss, a manifesto for musical outcasts with headphones on. Oddly, albums such as The Doldrums, Worn Copy and House Arrest were not widely embraced initially, though their inventiveness and strange beauty was usually recognized by reviewers, if not begrudgingly. Critical opinion was divided: Ariel Pink was either a self-indulgent “weirdo” or a pop music genius. Responding to the original press-release for Worn Copy, reviewers echoed its bafflement: Did he really make those drum sounds with his mouth? There was also a sense that Ariel Pink’s new cult-ish fan base would elevate him to the status of a rock star. Critics didn’t seem to like it. Ariel Archives makes an effort to reckon with the remarkable volume of outstanding music Ariel Pink made during this time. Rapidly evolving from crude proto-punk experiments to an adventurous home-recording aesthetic that explored a wide continuum of pop music, Ariel Pink developed a sound and image that would prove highly inventive and hugely influential. Early recordings by Ariel Pink mined his musical obsessions. Underground, for example, fused basic elements from krautrock, post-punk, and Industrial/goth music. But soon these expressions of homage and youthful imitation lead Ariel Pink into a deep creative rabbit hole that became the genesis of the Haunted Graffiti catalogue of music. In total Ariel Archives will include six definitive reissues of key Haunted Graffiti albums: Underground, The Doldrums, Loverboy, House Arrest, Scared Famous and Worn Copy. Two new volumes of Odditties Sodomies will appear along with a new edition of Vol. 1, previously out-of-print. Ariel Pink and Matt Fishbeck’s co-written album as Holy Shit, the laid back and tuneful Stranded at Two Harbors, will be released for the first time on vinyl. There will also be a new standalone collection drawn from Ariel Pink’s non-album singles and CD-Rs. Twenty years on, Ariel’s music still stupefies. The quantity of ideas and moods expressed through a modest recording enterprise seems supernatural, not human. Indeed, Hedi El Kohlti, in his superb new liner notes for Underground, compares Ariel’s explosive creative period between 1998 and 2004 to a character in Phillip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly who has all of 20th century modern art beamed into his brain at flash cut speed. Did Ariel Pink, at the age of 20, receive a similar instantaneous “download” of all of the secrets of pop music?
File Under: Indie Rock, Lofi
Buy Here
Ariel Pink: The Doldrums (Mexican Summer) LP
Ariel Archives is a comprehensive series of reissues and retrospective collections concentrating on the treasure trove of material recorded and released by Ariel Pink as Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. After beginning the series with Underground, Odditties Sodomies Vol. 2 and Loverboy, the archival journey continues with Worn Copy, The Doldrums and House Arrest representing Ariel’s most classic recordings as Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, the name used for his one-man recording venture between 1999-2004. Each new edition has been restored from the original cassette masters, which have been retransferred and remastered from single-track sources. Strange fires glow across The Doldrums, Ariel Pink’s youthful masterpiece of primal, home-recorded pop music. Before its first wide release in 2004, Ariel Pink had submitted the album as his undergraduate thesis at art school. The brand-new sound looked back to a bygone era of melancholic songs loaded with melody and songcraft, delivering a template for what became the unprecedented sounds of Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. Oddly, albums such as The Doldrums, Worn Copy and House Arrest were not widely embraced initially, though their inventiveness and strange beauty was usually recognized by reviewers, if not begrudgingly. Critical opinion was divided: Ariel Pink was either a self-indulgent “weirdo” or a pop music genius. Responding to the original press-release for Worn Copy, reviewers echoed its bafflement: Did he really make those drum sounds with his mouth? There was also a sense that Ariel Pink’s new cult-ish fan base would elevate him to the status of a rock star. Critics didn’t seem to like it. Ariel Archives makes an effort to reckon with the remarkable volume of outstanding music Ariel Pink made during this time. Rapidly evolving from crude proto-punk experiments to an adventurous home-recording aesthetic that explored a wide continuum of pop music, Ariel Pink developed a sound and image that would prove highly inventive and hugely influential. Early recordings by Ariel Pink mined his musical obsessions. Underground, for example, fused basic elements from krautrock, post-punk, and Industrial/goth music. But soon these expressions of homage and youthful imitation lead Ariel Pink into a deep creative rabbit hole that became the genesis of the Haunted Graffiti catalogue of music. In total Ariel Archives will include six definitive reissues of key Haunted Graffiti albums: Underground, The Doldrums, Loverboy, House Arrest, Scared Famous and Worn Copy. Two new volumes of Odditties Sodomies will appear along with a new edition of Vol. 1, previously out-of-print. Ariel Pink and Matt Fishbeck’s co-written album as Holy Shit, the laid back and tuneful Stranded at Two Harbors, will be released for the first time on vinyl. There will also be a new standalone collection drawn from Ariel Pink’s non-album singles and CD-Rs. Twenty years on, Ariel’s music still stupefies. The quantity of ideas and moods expressed through a modest recording enterprise seems supernatural, not human. Indeed, Hedi El Kohlti, in his superb new liner notes for Underground, compares Ariel’s explosive creative period between 1998 and 2004 to a character in Phillip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly who has all of 20th century modern art beamed into his brain at flash cut speed. Did Ariel Pink, at the age of 20, receive a similar instantaneous “download” of all of the secrets of pop music?
File Under: Indie Rock, Lofi
Buy Here
Ariel Pink: Worn Copy (Mexican Sumer) LP
Ariel Archives is a comprehensive series of reissues and retrospective collections concentrating on the treasure trove of material recorded and released by Ariel Pink as Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. After beginning the series with Underground, Odditties Sodomies Vol. 2 and Loverboy, the archival journey continues with Worn Copy, The Doldrums and House Arrest representing Ariel’s most classic recordings as Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, the name used for his one-man recording venture between 1999-2004. Each new edition has been restored from the original cassette masters, which have been retransferred and remastered from single-track sources. Strange fires glow across The Doldrums, Ariel Pink’s youthful masterpiece of primal, home-recorded pop music. Before its first wide release in 2004, Ariel Pink had submitted the album as his undergraduate thesis at art school. The brand-new sound looked back to a bygone era of melancholic songs loaded with melody and songcraft, delivering a template for what became the unprecedented sounds of Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. Oddly, albums such as The Doldrums, Worn Copy and House Arrest were not widely embraced initially, though their inventiveness and strange beauty was usually recognized by reviewers, if not begrudgingly. Critical opinion was divided: Ariel Pink was either a self-indulgent “weirdo” or a pop music genius. Responding to the original press-release for Worn Copy, reviewers echoed its bafflement: Did he really make those drum sounds with his mouth? There was also a sense that Ariel Pink’s new cult-ish fan base would elevate him to the status of a rock star. Critics didn’t seem to like it. Ariel Archives makes an effort to reckon with the remarkable volume of outstanding music Ariel Pink made during this time. Rapidly evolving from crude proto-punk experiments to an adventurous home-recording aesthetic that explored a wide continuum of pop music, Ariel Pink developed a sound and image that would prove highly inventive and hugely influential. Early recordings by Ariel Pink mined his musical obsessions. Underground, for example, fused basic elements from krautrock, post-punk, and Industrial/goth music. But soon these expressions of homage and youthful imitation lead Ariel Pink into a deep creative rabbit hole that became the genesis of the Haunted Graffiti catalogue of music. In total Ariel Archives will include six definitive reissues of key Haunted Graffiti albums: Underground, The Doldrums, Loverboy, House Arrest, Scared Famous and Worn Copy. Two new volumes of Odditties Sodomies will appear along with a new edition of Vol. 1, previously out-of-print. Ariel Pink and Matt Fishbeck’s co-written album as Holy Shit, the laid back and tuneful Stranded at Two Harbors, will be released for the first time on vinyl. There will also be a new standalone collection drawn from Ariel Pink’s non-album singles and CD-Rs. Twenty years on, Ariel’s music still stupefies. The quantity of ideas and moods expressed through a modest recording enterprise seems supernatural, not human. Indeed, Hedi El Kohlti, in his superb new liner notes for Underground, compares Ariel’s explosive creative period between 1998 and 2004 to a character in Phillip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly who has all of 20th century modern art beamed into his brain at flash cut speed. Did Ariel Pink, at the age of 20, receive a similar instantaneous “download” of all of the secrets of pop music?
File Under: Indie Rock, Lofi
Buy Here
Kelley Finnigan: I Called You Back Baby (Colemine) 7″
On the heels of a successful European tour and new album from his band Monophonics, Kelly Finnigan is happy to present to you this two-sided banger sure to satisfy the funk and soul needs of every DJ. The A-side, “I Called You Back Baby”, an answer song to the deep Gloria Barnes soul cut is THE uptempo number from Kelly’s album The Tales People Tell. Super funky drums from Monophonics’ Austin Bohlman and percussion from Jungle Fire’s Steve Haney make the breakbeat on this tune super tough. And after you’re done sweating, you’re gonna need time to cool off with the one you love. So flip the record over to burn one down with “Impressions Of You”, a cut that’s already been embraced by the lowrider sweet soul scene. This is a double-barreled sure shot!
File Under: Soul
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Four Tet: Sixteen Oceans (Text) LP
British electronic musician Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet returns in 2020 with his brand new set Sixteen Oceans. Following up 2017’s New Energy, Sixteen Oceans once again showcases the producer at the top of his game – dropping sublime melodies one minute and rough rollers the next. Take the previously released “Baby,” featuring Ellie Goulding, “Teenage Birdsong” and “4T Recordings,” and add thirteen more stunners and you have one of the finest albums of 2020 thus far! “Weird going on about this right now with crazy times in the world,” Hebden said. “But when things are intense I always turn to music. So hopefully the release is a helpful thing for some people. I’ve done everything I can to limit the amount of people who have heard the album before release. No review copies sent out etc. I wanted everyone to get it at the same time.”
File Under: Electronic
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Gogo Penguin: s/t (Blue Note) LP
When a musical ensemble chooses to self-title an album mid-career, it usually signifies their conviction that they’ve struck upon the motherlode, hit the jackpot, stepped up and generally arrived at a point they’ve always striven for but never quite attained before. Coming from GoGo Penguin at this stage in the game, it’s quite a bold statement: the Manchester, England trio have fielded rave reviews for inspiration and originality at every turn since 2013, when they settled on their dream line-up of Chris Illingworth (piano), Rob Turner (drums) and Nick Blacka (bass). Fusing jazz, classical and electronic influences (amongst others) with a thirst for innovation, they won the Mercury Prize for album of the year in 2014 and have enjoyed a success matched by precious few vocal-free groups post-millennium. GoGo Penguin’s music has always defied categorization. In their sound, there have been detectable traces of latter day developments in jazz, such as Sweden’s free-thinking Esbjörn Svensson Trio (aka E.S.T.), or minimalist classical composers like Steve Reich, John Adams, even Erik Satie. Yet, all in their mid-30’s, you can hear that they have grown up in the golden age of electronica, with echoes ranging from rarefied techno (think Aphex Twin; Carl Craig’s Innerzone Orchestra), and the emotive melodies and crescendos of European house, through to Roni Size’s jazz-infused drum ‘n’ bass. “Because I play the double bass, I think I always wanted to have jazz in our music,” Blacka says. “But as we’ve moved through the albums, it’s been a very gradual thing for me where I’ve now finally come to accept that we really just aren’t a jazz band. This new album is the one where I thought, ‘fuck it, there’s no point even worrying anymore!’ That has been really liberating and freeing for all of us.” A big part of GoGo Penguin’s impact derives from the way they employ computer technology to compose with, then find ways to record (and perform) the results on acoustic instruments, with help from a surprisingly limited arsenal of effects pedals and delays. Rob confesses, “I spend way more time on my laptop than I do on my drums.”
File Under: Jazz
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Jamie XX: Idontknow (Young Turks) 12″
Following 2015’s In Colour and global touring with The xx, Idontknow is Jamie xx’s return to the club. It lived through late 2019 – everywhere from Jamie’s own low-key parties In London and LA to OIL Club in Shenzhen, Caribou’s BBC Essential Mix to Ben UFO on The Lot. Now in uncertain times, it remains a release of energy – to move to, let loose to and to look forward to parties again. 12″ vinyl polybag, frosted.
File Under: Electronic, Pop
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King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: Chunky Shrapnel (ATO) LP
Chunky Shrapnel features live performances hand-picked from the band’s 2019 European tour and includes a musical score written by Stu Mackenzie that adds a ‘magical touch of alien melancholy’ throughout. It’s an adrenaline fueled psychedelic trip that captures the energy of a live concert while also creating something tailored and unique to King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. The band also announced a feature-length motion picture by the same name that follows King Gizzard’s explosive performances from the perspective of the band. “John Stewart followed us around for a few weeks through Europe,” says Mackenzie. “It was fun and funny and wild and weird. Sometimes an inconspicuous fly on the wall, sometimes an intrusive camera man one inch from my face. Always exciting though. Chunky Shrapnel was made for the cinema but as both concerts and films are currently outlawed, it feels poetic to release a concert-film digitally right now.” A musical road movie dipped in turpentine, once a song begins you’re stuck in the roller coaster ride quicksand that there is no escape from just like the band. The film’s contention is clear from the outset, it’s going to be a “journey” not a “lecture,” an incurved experience rather than a linear one. The band, nor the film-makers, were interested in making a self congratulatory “behind the scenes expose” film. It was a direct decision to keep the inner workings of the band’s personality at arms length, it is the music they were interested in exploring. The approach was taken that the film’s protagonist should be the “on stage” performances, that was the focus. With this, they abandoned multiple cameras and cross cutting during performances, turning the camera into a vehicle for the audience to experience the show through, rather than placing them in a crowd or side of stage. At 96 minutes, Chunky Shrapnel more than earns its length. At times gently holding your hand and at other times smashing a bottle over your head and dumping your body in a heaving crowd. There is an inevitability to the film, a driving, ever accelerating spiral that climaxes in a 15 minute medley that spans four countries.
File Under: Psych
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Jon McKiel: Bobby Joe Hope (You’ve Changed) LP
How do you speak through a stranger? Contain multitudes. And begin to find new kinds of design in accident. True story. In September 2015 Jon Mckiel bought an old Teac A-2340, a reel-to-reel tape recorder, tapes included. He exchanged a few emails with the online seller while negotiating a deal, but they never met. The first time Jon tested out the machine at home it disclosed a beautiful dream. A single tape of astounding samples from an unknown source. He nicknamed it the Royal Sampler. They began to jam together. Bobby Joe Hope was recorded during the summer of 2019 at Jay Crocker’s home studio in Crousetown. Jay and Jon transferred all the material they could excavate from the Royal Sampler along with the dialogic samples Jon had been making since that fateful September introduction. They combined these two samples with the following design principle: even in the songs organized around a Jon sample, the stranger would be woven in. A shared sonic architecture. The rest belongs a mystery.
File Under: Indie Rock
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Old Man Gloom: Light of Meaning (Profound Lore) LP
The new Old Man Gloom album Light Of Meaning (aka Seminar VIII) sees the notorious experimental super-group forge on with their legacy after a slight suspension in uncertainty following the passing of bassist / vocalist Caleb Scofield. It was decided that the remaining members Aaron Turner (Sumac / Isis), Nate Newton (Converge), and drummer Santos Montano would continue and would bring in Scofield’s former Cave In bandmate, Stephen Brodsky, to take his place amongst the pulse. Light Of Meaning continues the band’s shenanigans following their Ape Of God albums—the albums where the band trolled everyone by releasing two different albums with the same title, causing bewilderment, amusement, and outrage from people on the internet. Through monolithic sonic tapestries sewn throughout, this release blossoms as a moving tribute to Scofield, with the band even incorporating material that Scofield had laid down previously for new OMG music. Recorded and mixed by three acclaimed heavy music producers, namely Matt Bayles, Kurt Ballou, and Randall Dunn, this is another towering Old Man Gloom masterwork with earth-crumbling riffs, post-hardcore brutality, sprawling noise transmissions, experimental ambient sonic subdivisions and epic, impenetrable melancholy.
File Under: Metal
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Old Man Gloom: Darkness of Meaning
(Profound Lore) LP
The new Old Man Gloom album Darkness Of Meaning (aka Seminar IX) sees the notorious experimental super-group forge on with their legacy after a slight suspension in uncertainty following the passing of bassist / vocalist Caleb Scofield. It was decided that the remaining members Aaron Turner (Sumac / Isis), Nate Newton (Converge), and drummer Santos Montano would continue and would bring in Scofield’s former Cave In bandmate, Stephen Brodsky, to take his place amongst the pulse. Darkness Of Meaning continues the band’s shenanigans following their Ape Of God albums—the albums where the band trolled everyone by releasing two different albums with the same title, causing bewilderment, amusement, and outrage from people on the internet. Through monolithic sonic tapestries sewn throughout, this release blossoms as a moving tribute to Scofield, with the band even incorporating material that Scofield had laid down previously for new OMG music. Recorded and mixed by three acclaimed heavy music producers, namely Matt Bayles, Kurt Ballou, and Randall Dunn, this is another towering Old Man Gloom masterwork with earth-crumbling riffs, post-hardcore brutality, sprawling noise transmissions, experimental ambient sonic subdivisions and epic, impenetrable melancholy.
File Under: Metal
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Spectres: Nostalgia (Arttofact) LP
Formed in Vancouver by vocalist and founder Brian Gustavson, SPECTRES is a DIY death-rock outfit that mixes post-punk, the ethic of anarcho-punk, and an incredible knack for writing catchy songs. The band released three independent albums (all reissued by Artoffact Records in 2019) and are ready to stun audiences with their 2020 release Nostalgia. Emerging from the DIY Punk underground, SPECTRES wanted to blend the grassroots and independent ethic of anarcho-punk with the anomie and cold, modulated sounds of 1980’s post-punk and death-rock genres. Though the band’s output has matured with time to embrace a wider range of new-wave and shoegaze influences, their ethos remains rooted in DIY punk. The blending of these influences allows for the curious juxtaposition of 80’s influenced pop sensibilities with lyrics that explore the alienation and cynicism of modern life. On the new album, Nostalgia, these influences are carried even further to create a wonderfully crafted suite of songs that evoke the primal sounds of Beastmilk with the melody of New Order. Nostalgia was produced by ACTORS’ Jason Corbett at Jacknife Sound and will be released on Toronto-based Artoffact Records.
File Under: Post Punk
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Wares: Survival (Mint) LP
Few albums combine raw vulnerability with shredding solos as seamlessly as Wares’ Survival. On her first release for Mint Records, Edmonton’s Cassia Hardy blazes through riff-wielding indie-rock symphonies for anyone striving to stay alive and create a brighter future. By sharing her own journey towards hope, she hopes to light a path for anyone lost in the dark. As Hardy explains in its liner notes, “this record is dedicated to decolonial activists, anti-fascist agitators, prairie queers fighting for community and a better life.” Since Wares’ origin as a solo project, Hardy’s guitar skills have taken center stage. Learning how to play thrash-metal solos provided her with the instrumental ability to create emotionally riveting songs, rising to meet the intensely personal lyrics about her life experiences. While the Flying V hasn’t left her hands since the days of playing riffs by Megadeth and Metallica, she learned to meld these six-string pyrotechnics with loud-quiet-loud dynamics into a sound that feels vibrantly original. Previous Wares releases have flickered with a slow burn, yet Survival lights the fuse from ominous to explosive in its first sixty seconds. This change in mood can be credited to the past year of touring across Canada with the stalwart live band of keyboardist Jamie Mclean, bassist Matthew Gooding, and drummer Holly Greaves, who also perform throughout the album. Their arrangements are meticulous, while Hardy’s production alongside engineers Mason Pixel and Jesse Gander (Japandroids, White Lung) refine these songs into crystalline clarity. Hardy’s dramatically enunciated vocal delivery has earned comparisons to Destroyer’s Dan Bejar, but she draws more inspiration from Arthur Russell and cult Albertan queer-punk group Fist City. Her sonic imagination travels far beyond overdriven shredding, from the swooning acoustic guitars of “Jenny Says” to the Hold Steady-style organ-rock of “Surface World.” The result is 2020’s answer to Against Me!’s Transgender Dysphoria Blues or G.L.O.S.S.’s Trans Day Of Revenge with a far wider musical range.
File Under: Indie Rock, Local
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…..Restocks….
Beach House: Depression Cherry (Sub Pop) LP
Beach House: Teen Dream (Sub Pop) LP
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Abattoir Blues (Mute) LP
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Nocturnama (Mute) LP
Don Cherry: Brown Rice (A&M) LP
Dinosaur Jr: Dinosaur (Jagjaguwar) LP
Dinosaur Jr: You’re Living All Over Me (Jagjaguwar) LP
Goat: Commune (Sub Pop) LP
Kraftwerk: Autobahn (EMI) LP
Kraftwerk: Trans Europe Express (EMI) LP
Lightning Bolt: Sonic Citadel (Thrill Jockey) LP
Madlib & Freddie Gibbs: Pinata (MMS) LP
Charlie Megira: Tomorrow’s Gone (Numero) LP
New Order: Low-Life (Rhino) LP
New Order: Power, Corruption & Lies (Rhino) LP
New Order: Technique (Rhino) LP
Nine Inch Nails: Downward Spiral (Nothing) LP
OST: Blade Runner (Eastwest) LP
Throbbing Gristle: A Souvenir of Camber Sands (Mute) LP
Trees Speak: Ohms (Soul Jazz) LP
Chad Van Gaalen: Infiniheart (Flemish Eye) LP
White Stripes: De Stijl (Third Man) LP
White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights (Third Man) LP
White Stripes: White Blood Cells (Third Man) LP
Wooden Shjips: Back to Land (Thrill Jockey) LP