Category Archives: Used

…..news letter #677 – empyrean…..

Well, a relatively light week for shipments this week. That storm in the US hasn’t helped any. But we should have piles of new stuff next week. In the meantime I’ll be putting out another stack of jazz LPs tonight! Come get your dig on!

…..pick of the week…..

6ooa

Six Organs of Admittance: Hexadic (Drag City) LP/CD
“THE SYSTEM builds all of the tonal fields, chord changes, scales, and lyrics on this record, creating the framework for the songs with which the musicians engage. Yet THE SYSTEM is open; within the framework, Chasny’s own personal aesthetics — such as the production mode of loud guitars, the order of songs, the editing of length — were all conscious decisions made to communicate the pieces. The exact same combinatorial patterns used on this record can create infinite results, depending on the choices of the individual. Ben’s years of study have produced an operational agent that has not only built all the songs on Hexadic but is also a system anyone can use to restructure their ways of habit. The first thing one notices when listening to Hexadic is how unhinged it all sounds. The album brews and boils with an ominously dark tone in a desolate space, somehow dense with energy, guitar overdriven past the point of sanity, slamming drum accents, vocals cutting through in what seems to be comprised of another, as yet unheard, language. Yet, inside the apparent wild abandon and destruction is a strict internal logic of construction that unveils itself upon listening. This is the majestic dialectic of Hexadic.”

File Under: Rock, Psych, Comets on Fire
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…..new arrivals…..

father john

Father John Misty: I Love You, Honeybear (Sub Pop) LP
“I Love You, Honeybear was recorded intermittently from 2013 to 2014 in Echo Park, Los Angeles and produced with Jonathan Wilson, whom I also recorded and produced 2012’s Fairly Fun with. There’s a case to be made that it sounds and acts a bit like solo-era John Lennon, Scott Walker, Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson, and Dory Previn, while taking more than a few cues from Woody Allen, Kurt Vonnegut, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Muhammad Ali. “It has a decidedly more soulful presence than Fear Fun, due in no small part to the fact that I am truly singing my ass off all over this motherfucker. The album is really characterized by the scope and ambition of the arrangements. Nearly every tune is augmented by something special, be it orchestral strings, a mariachi band, questionable electronic drum solos, ragtime jazz combos, soul singers, or what have you. I’m pretty sure there’s a sitar in there somewhere. “My ambition, aside from making an indulgent, soulful, and epic sound worthy of the subject matter, was to address the sensuality of fear, the terrifying force of love, the unutterable pleasures of true intimacy, and the destruction of emotional and intellectual prisons in my own voice. This material demanded a new way of being made, and it took a lot of time before the process revealed itself. “The massive, deranged shmaltz I heard in my head, and knew had to be the sound of this record, originated a few years ago while Emma and I were hallucinating in Joshua Tree; the same week I wrote the title track. I chased that sound for the entire year and half we were recording. The means by which it was achieved bore a striking resemblance to the travails, abandon and transformation of loving someone. There: I said it.” – Josh Tillman aka Father John Misty I Love You, Honeybear was produced by Josh Tillman and Jonathan Wilson, mixed by Phil Ek, and mastered by Greg Calbi. This standard black vinyl edition comes housed in gatefold jacket and includes a fold out poster, listening instructions and an accompanying MP3 download coupon.

File Under: Folk, Indie, Fleet Foxes
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half jap

Half Japanese: Volume 2 1987-1989 (Fire) LP
Formed in 1975, this US group has undergone numerous personnel changes since its inception. Despite an erratic history, the unit remains an important outlet for the considerable but anachronistic talents of Jad Fair, who has also pursued a musically indistinguishable solo career. Half Japanese performances were events in the truest sense, often featuring two sets of drums, brass bands, magicians and up to four guitars. Half Japanese’s body of work taken as a whole represents an almost inconceivable playground of diversity and experimentation. However, it should not be a roll-call of distinguished colleagues that provides Jad Fair and Half Japanesewith their notoriety, but the stature of their music and lyrics, which have played a large part in shaping the development of the American underground rock scene (influencing artists such as Beck, Sebadoh and Nirvana.) The Fire Records Half Japanese reissue series continues with the second volume – covering the three releases of Music to Strip By, Charmed Life and The Band That Would Be King – issued one a year from 1987 to 1989. Following the 2014 release of Volume 1: 1981-1985, the next three Half Japanese records come in their original release form, with the additional tracks that were later added to the CD releases over the years available via download code. The LPs are wrapped together in a heavy wide spine outer sleeve with a specially designed paper cut image by Jad Fair, who also provides more illustrations throughout the booklet, with words by David Fair. “Half Japanese assumed it was the greatest Rock and Roll band on the planet. It was often right.” – SPIN

File Under: Punk, Rock, LoFi
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para one

Para One: Girlhood (Because) LP+CD
French producer Jean-Baptiste de Laubier aka Para One (TTC) has loyally composed all of the original soundtracks for French screenwriter and director Céline Sciamma’s films. Para One now presents his soundtrack to Sciamma’s acclaimed 2014 film Bande de filles (Girlhood), featuring an appearance by Frida Sundemo. Presented on LP with CD included.

File Under: OST, Electronic
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sigur ros

Sigur Ros: Agaetis Byrjun (XL) LP
A lot of people have one album that changes their lives, something that in some way alters everything after the first moment the hear it. 1999’s Agaetis Byrjun is that album for a lot of people. Agaetis Byrjun (a good beginning), is actually Sigur Ros’ second beginning. Three years previously they released their debut album, Von. After that the trio became a quartet and they evolved into something astounding. As suggested by a lyric from Agaetis Byrjun’s title track, Sigur Ros had bigger ambitions after releasing Von. Agaetis Byrjun gradually grew into a huge commercial success in Iceland, remaining in the top of the charts for over 2 years. Dave and Alex from Fat Cat Records had had their eye on Sigur Ros since 1998 and quickly signed the band to their label following Agaetis Byrjun’s release. The first indication of the critical acclaim the album would receive abroad came with the release of the Svefn-g-englar EP in September 1999. Ecstatic reviews began emerging and gushes like “the last great band of the twentieth century” and “like god weeping tears of gold in heaven” were not uncommon. Agaetis Byrjun became available to the rest of the world in 2000 when Fat Cat released the album in the UK, and in 2001 when PIAS Recordings released the album in North America. Agaetis Byrjun was an album that came literally out of nowhere and seemed to tug at the heartstrings of those who least expected it. No one thought an album by an unknown band of four shy Icelandic men in their early-20s, singing in Icelandic, would become the worldwide music phenomenon it became. The record label projected the album to sell 1500 copies – it has to date sold several million copies.

File Under: Ambient, Pop, Iceland
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Modern-Surf-ClassicsSwami John Reis & The Blind Shake: Modern Surf Classics (Swami) LP
Death by kowabunga bunga! Swami John Reis and The Blind Shake pay tribute to the classic surf and rock ’n’ roll instrumentals of the 1960s and update the genre for today’s more extreme, modern surfer. Thirteen original modern surf compositions create this tidal wave of booming tom toms, skronking saxophones and a chaotic surge of guitars. Let this south swell topple you, and may you be pinned in its undertow of reverb. Swami John Reis uses a similar aggro guitar approach to his playing in Hot Snakes and Night Marchers but allows the influences of Omar Khorshid, The Ventures, Link Wray, Randy Holden’s Fender IV and forgotten instro combos rise to the surface for air. Joining Swami is Minneapolis’s The Blind Shake (Goner Records, Castle Face), a bombastic power trio consisting of guitar, baritone guitar and drums whose sound has been described as “muscular psych punk.” This collaboration generates a symphonic wall of twang, amplifying the cinematic sense of drama and tension with the addition of saxophone, doumbek, piano, riq, vibraphone and piano. To capture the essence of this vibe, some of the initial tracking was recorded under Crystal Pier (San Diego) by Ben Moore utilizing a mobile recording VW van. Because of the intense rhythmic velocity achieved on many of these tracks, Modern Surf Classics can also be recommended to those interested in BMX, roller skateboarding, snowboarding / toboggan, fighting, yoga, car racing, military and most other water activities (with the exception of SUP).

File Under: Surf, Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu, RFTC
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switches

Switches: I Just Wanna (Switches) LP/CD/CS
Better late than never, these Edmo garage punk’s full length album is finally available! “If you’re going to cover an artist’s career-defining hit, you might want to take a few lessons from Edmonton’s Switches. Their version of Tracy Chapman’s wistful acoustic ditty, Fast Car, is one of the best covers of ANY song EVER — because the Edmonton garage-punks render it almost unrecognizable.  “I had a feeling I could be someone,” Tara McMahon snarls triumphantly as a gritty guitar and an NHL-style organ tussle in the back seat.  Even better, their rendition doesn’t stick out like a Mustang in a fleet of jalopies on the foursome’s new album, I Just Wanna. Their Fast Car sounds like just another one of the gang — you might need a few spins before you even realize it’s a cover — fitting in with tunes about beers, babes and bad-assery. “I just wanna shake it up / My way,” McMahon warns on the title track, a fast ’n’ ferocious number. “I just want her now,” she howls on Ma Cherie, a ’50s-style ballad punctuated with disheveled back-up vocals.  “I don’t need you by my side / But I still want you by my side,” she weighs her options on Stole All My Stuff. There’s no doubt about it: McMahon and her pals — Marlaena Moore, Tamar Dinner and Stefan Opryshko — will steal your heart.” – Edmonton Journal

File Under: Garage, Punk, Local
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two gallants

Two Gallants: We Are Undone (ATO) LP
San Francisco based guitar-drum duo Two Gallants return with their fifth studio album, We Are Undone, on ATO Records. While singer and guitarist Adam Stephens and drummer Tyson Vogel have stayed true to the two-person format since their acclaimed 2004 debut, The Throes, their sound has evolved considerably over the intervening years. Following 2012’s The Bloom and the Blight, We Are Undone is the band’s second release on ATO. Thematically, the album ranges from songs that attempt to make sense of the dramatically shifting social landscape of their home town, to the illusion of authenticity, impending environmental collapse, and romantic estrangement. Sonically, the thrash blues of songs such as “We Are Undone” and “Some Trouble” is balanced by the austerity of ballads such as “My Man Go” and “There Is So Much I Don’t Know.” Vogel notes, “I think that with this album, in reference to the albums previous, I think it steps in line with this other sort of expansion of both our personal lives, and our relationships personally. We’re both growing together and in different ways, and learning how to find that balance.”

File Under: Indie Rock
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…..restocks…..

Death From Above: You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine (Last Gang) LP
Earth: Primative & Deadly (Southern Lord) LP
El Michel’s Affair: Kiddy Ditty (Truth & Soul) 10″
Madvillain: Madvillainy (Stones Throw) LP
MF Doom: Mm… Food (Rhyme Sayers) LP
Obliterations: Poison Everything (Southern Lord) LP
Arthur Russell: Love is Overtaking Me (Audika) LP
Slint: Spiderland (Touch & Go) LP
Total Control: Henge Beats (Iron Lung) LP
White Noise: An Electric Storm (Island) LP

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…..news letter #676 – invisible roots…..

I’m glad to see winter is back with a vengeance. I really wanted to be able to get out on my skis more than twice this year. Not that I will, but I certainly would like at least the option. Anywho… loads of stuff this week, if not new there’s a whack of used stuff hitting the bins as usual, oh, and that jazz stuff is starting to hit the shelves, see below….

…..pick of the week…..

data planDada Plan: A Dada Plan is Free (Kingfisher Bluez) LP
“Dada Plan emerge from the picturesque Great Bear Rainforest in Vancouver with their blend of trip hop, orchestral noise polluted, synth storm rock.”—Creem Magazine. “A Dada Plan Is Free sounds like ’80s outsider pop, with retro drum-machine programming and synth sounds from [Matt] Krysko’s Roland Juno-60, but it’s no pale homage. There is a deeper meaning at work here, a haunting, dystopian tinge to its chill metropolitan grooves inspired by Brian Eno and Robert Wyatt.”—The Georgia Straight. Recorded to tape by Josh Wells (Black Mountain, Lightning Dust). Limited to 250 copies on black vinyl.

File Under: Rock, Psych, CanCon
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…..new arrivals…..

amt

Acid Mothers Temple: Have You Seen The Other Side… (Nod & Smile) LP

“First time on vinyl for this Acid Mothers classic from 2006! Featuring the core group along with reed player Ono Ryoko and vocalist Nao, this one mixes psychedelic overload freakout with pastoral acoustic drone glossed with a jazz/jam sensibility. Double LP on red vinyl in a hand numbered edition of 500.”

File Under: Psych, Japanese Psych
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decemberists

Decemberists: What A Terrible World… (Capitol) LP
Produced by the band and long-time collaborator Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, Neko Case), it is The Decemberists’ first full-length studio album since 2011’s The King Is Dead, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and contained the Grammy-nominated single “Down By The Water.” While officially on hiatus for the past few years, The Decemberists – comprising Colin Meloy, Chris Funk, Jenny Conlee, Nate Query and John Moen – nonetheless remained visible. The band released a live album, We All Raise Our Voices to the Air, contributed a song to The Hunger Games soundtrack, appeared in animated form on The Simpsons and performed on the season six finale of Parks and Recreation. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World is The Decemberists’ most varied and dynamic work, both musically and emotionally. With their two most recent albums, The Hazards of Love and The King is Dead, the songs flowed out of an overall theme. Entering the studio in May 2013, The Decemberists reversed that approach. “Typically we book four or five weeks in the studio and bang out the whole record,” explains Meloy. “This time, we started by just booking three days, and didn’t know what we would record. There was no direction or focus; we wanted to just see what would come out. We recorded ‘Lake Song’ on the first day, live, and then two more songs in those three days. And the spirit of that session informed everything that came after.” The first songs were highly personal, a change from the strong narrative thrust that has characterized much of The Decemberists’ work. “Having a family, having kids, having this career, getting older – all of these things have made me look more inward,” says Meloy. These reflections come to the foreground in “12/17/12,” a song he wrote after watching President Obama address the nation following the Newtown school shootings. “I was hit by a sense of helplessness, but also the message of ‘Hold your family close,'” recalls Meloy. This bewildering, conflicted feeling came out in a phrase near the end of the song – “what a terrible world, what a beautiful world” – that gave the album its title. The sound of the album is also fuller and richer, inspired in part by Leonard Cohen’s 1977 collaboration with Phil Spector, Death of a Ladies’ Man. As The Decemberists remained committed to “letting the songs become themselves,” What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World found its final form, a distillation of the best things about this remarkable band.

File Under: Pop, Folk, Indie
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dylan

Bob Dylan: Shadows in the Night (Columbia) LP
Columbia Records has announced a February 2015 release for Bob Dylan’s newest studio endeavor, Shadows In The Night. Featuring ten covers of songs and standards once sung by Frank Sinatra, the Jack Frost-produced album is the 36th studio set from Dylan and marks the first new music from the acclaimed artist since 2012’s worldwide hit Tempest. The legendary singer/songwriter’s take on Ol’ Blue Eyes’ 1945 hit, “Full Moon and Empty Arms” was premiered on his website in May 2014. Dylan commented, “It was a real privilege to make this album. I’ve wanted to do something like this for a long time but was never brave enough to approach 30-piece complicated arrangements and refine them down for a 5-piece band. That’s the key to all these performances. We knew these songs extremely well. It was all done live. Maybe one or two takes. No overdubbing. No vocal booths. No headphones. No separate tracking, and, for the most part, mixed as it was recorded. I don’t see myself as covering these songs in any way. They’ve been covered enough. Buried, as a matter a fact. What me and my band are basically doing is uncovering them. Lifting them out of the grave and bringing them into the light of day.” Columbia Records Chairman Rob Stringer adds, “There are no strings, obvious horns, background vocals or other such devices often found on albums that feature standard ballads. Instead, Bob has managed to find a way to infuse these songs with new life and contemporary relevance. It is a brilliant record and we are extremely excited to be presenting it to the world very soon.” Bob Dylan’s five previous studio albums have been universally hailed as among the best of his storied career, achieving new levels of commercial success and critical acclaim for the artist. The platinum-selling Time Out Of Mind from 1997 earned multiple Grammy Awards, including Album Of The Year, while Love and Theft continued Dylan’s platinum streak and earned several Grammy nominations and a statue for Best Contemporary Folk album.

File Under: Dylan, Sinatra, Folk
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blaze

 Blaze Foley: Sittin’ By The Road (Elite) LP
On January 16, 2015 eliterecords will release Sittin’ By The Road, the first ever vinyl-edition of the earliest recordings by the exceptional Texan Folk artist Blaze Foley. Recorded on reel-to-reel in the late 70s by the artist himself, the songs show the raw talent of his straight and genuine songwriting. Born in Arkansas, Foley was shot to death way before his time, under circumstances still to be fully clarified. As a homeless, he traveled the streets of the Texan cities to share his music with people in nightclubs and bars. The companion and close friend of Townes Van Zandt always stood up for the weak, which eventually cost his life. “He’s only gone crazy once. Decided to stay. […] I am proud to call Blaze my friend.” – Townes Van Zandt “The song I wish I’d written: ‘Clay Pigeons’ by Blaze Foley. It paints a picture search did listen to it when you finish, you hope that’s you he’s singing about. “- Caleb Followill, Kings Of Leon “Blaze Foley was a genius and a beautiful loose.” – Lucinda Williams

File Under: Folk
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resa

Ennio Morricone: La Resa Dei Conti (Contempo) 2LP
Ennino Morricone delivered more of the same dramatic conflict on his score for the 1968 Western ‘La Resa Dei Conti’, this time mixing in a bit of atmospheric formlessness among his more romantic and orchestral sounds. There’s some vampiric-sounding organs as well as one of those ascending, judgement day tunes that’s expected of a Western: the strings come into play and the choir gets heavy with the tension.

File Under: OST, Maestro, Westerns
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morrcone

Ennio Morricone: L’Istruttoria E’Chiusa Dimentichi (Contempo) LP
Ennio Morricone’s atmospheric and avant garde soundtrack to 1971 Italian crime drama L’Istruttoria E’ Chiusa: Dimentichi. Morricone’s prolific output has included the soundtracks to The Thing, Once Upon a Time in America, The Untouchables and Mission to Mars and, more recently, Tarantino blockbusters Kill Bill, Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained. Gatefold sleeve featuring the original movie poster.

File Under: OST, Maestro
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cat in the brain

OST: A Cat in the Brain (Mondo) LP
For those who don’t know, A Cat in the Brain (Un Gatto Nel Cervello) is horror master Lucio Fulci’s take on the Director in turmoil sub-genre made popular by Frederico Fellini’s 8 1/2. Composed by frequent collaborator Fabio Frizzi (The Beyond), the soundtrack is everything you want out of an Italian horror score: bizarre, haunting and fun. Fabio Frizzi’s work is a huge part of the reason we got into the soundtrack business in the first place. MONDO is proud to release this soundtrack for the first time ever on vinyl.

File Under: OST, Frizzi, Horror, Mondo
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ironOST: The Iron Giant (Mondo) LP
MONDO is pleased to present Michael Kamen’s Original Score for the animated cult classic THE IRON GIANT for the first time on Vinyl.

File Under: OST, Mondo, Animation
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pet

OST: Pet Sematary (Mondo) LP
Mondo is pleased to present Elliot Goldenthal’s original soundtrack to Pet Sematary. Featuring over a dozen cues never before released on vinyl, as well as two tracks by The Ramones (Pet Sematary & Sheena Is A Punk Rocker) and featuring original artwork by Mike Saputo.

File Under: OST, Horror, Mondo, Ramones
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sleater box

Sleater-Kinney: Start Together (Sub Pop) 7LP Box
BACK IN STOCK! The wildly acclaimed and influential band Sleater-Kinney – formed in Olympia, Washington in 1994 – consisted of a core line-up of Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals) and Janet Weiss (drums). Over the course of a breakneck seven albums in ten years, Sleater-Kinney took rock music in a new direction combining raw punk energy and an unabashedly political stance. Time magazine’s Greil Marcus called Sleater-Kinney “America’s best rock band” while Rob Sheffield went a step further hailing them as “America’s best punk band ever” in Rolling Stone. Start Together is a deluxe box set compiling all seven of Sleater-Kinney’s critically-acclaimed albums spanning 1995 to 2005, plus a 44-page hardcover book.  Each album has been freshly remastered from the original analog tapes by Greg Calbi (Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon, Talking Heads) at Sterling Sound. Greg Calbi: “For such ferocious music, it was actually a very delicate process. I found, in dealing with one of the earlier albums, that my signal path and compression, including my Burl B2 convertor, gave me a more resonant, deeper sound on the guitars than the originals. Because the band rarely, if ever, used bass, I felt that this added to the aggressiveness and power of the band overall. I believe this treatment added a subtle, yet important, dimension to the band, and I explored each of the other albums with the same intention. Above all, their music, from inception, stands the test of time for the cleverness and emotional impact they brought to their genre.” This box set coincides with Sub Pop’s October 2014 release of remastered versions of Sleater-Kinney’s seven individual albums: Sleater-Kinney (1995), Call the Doctor (1996), Dig Me Out (1997), The Hot Rock (1999), All Hands On the Bad One (2000), One Beat (2002) and The Woods (2005).

File Under: Indie, Punk, Boxsets
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sparks

Sparks: Kimono My House (Universal) LP
Remastered for its 40th Anniversary and packaged in a thick spined outer sleeve with original inner bag plus notes from Russell Mael and a new essay, this new 2LP version of Sparks’ 1974 commercial breakthrough Kimono My House really is the definite version of a true landmark. Not only is the original album – containing the all-time classic singles “This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us” and “Amateur Hour” – sounding better than ever, its second disc is truly special, containing the first release anywhere for seven demo recordings Sparks made in 1973 prior to signing with Island Records. Although a handful of the tracks were later re-recorded by the band, all seven have never seen the light of day…until now.

File Under: Pop, Rock, Reissues
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supreme

Supreme Jubilees: It’ll All Be Over (Light in the Attic) LP
If God had a disco, the DJ would be playing California gospel-soul group The Supreme Jubilees. “We won’t have to cry no more,” the tuxedo-clad group would sing, in high, angelic vocals over smooth grooves. “It’ll all be over.” Prepare to dance and contemplate death all at the same time. A band of brothers and cousins, the group was founded from two families: brothers Joe and Dave Kingsby plus Dave’s son David Kingsby Jr., and keyboardist Leonard Sanders plus his brothers Phillips (drummer), Tim (bassist), and Melvin (tenor). The Sanders clan grew up singing together in the Witness of Jesus Christ church in Fresno CA, where dad Marion was pastor. Guitarist Larry Price–who belonged to neither family–completed the line-up that recorded the group’s first–and, prophetically, only–album, It’ll All Be Over. Released in 1980 on the group’s own S&K (Sanders & Kingsby) label, It’ll All Be Over pinpoints a fatalistic mood exemplified by the title. Its lyrics drawn from the Old Testament, its sound from the church by way of the disco, and it’s a feel captured by the album cover–a low, orange sun setting over the Pacific ocean. It is, as Jessica Hundley observes in the brand new liner notes, “both apocalyptic and seductive.” Making the album was not easy. Sessions began in Trac Record Co, a country and western studio in Fresno, CA, where the engineer was so put out by the group’s requests for heavier bass in the mix, he stopped the session and kicked them out. They left with four songs–one side of the album–and the record was completed at Sierra Recording Studio in Visalia, CA. Leonard Sanders reported having a spiritual encounter in his sleep while in Visalia; the next day he recorded his part of the album’s title track in a single take. After the LP was pressed, the group took their music on tour, first in California, where they played with acts including the Gospel Keynotes, The Jackson Southernaires, and the Mighty Clouds of Joy, and then on an ill-fated trip to Texas. A follow-up album was planned for 1981, but it never materialized; having slept sometimes a dozen to a room in Texas, the men in the band were reluctant to leave jobs, wives, and kids for the hardship of the road. The group simply fizzled out, even if the friendships never did. A copy of the album sold to a fan on that Texan tour made its way to a San Antonio record store, where it was discovered nearly three decades later by collector David Haffner (Friends of Sound). He managed to track down the Kingsby-Sanders clan at a Fourth Of July barbecue in Fresno in 2004. And he eventually introduced the group to Light In The Attic Records, which now presents the album, restored, remastered, and available to the public for the first time.

File Under: Funk, Soul, Disco, Gospel
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thin blue

Thin Lizzy: Shades of a Blue Orphanage (Future Days) LP
Thin Lizzy’s second album is a nod to the past: Shades Of A Blue Orphanage were former outfits of two of the band’s members, their names combined to create an oddly evocative image–especially when combined with a sepia-tinted image cover of three small, shoeless children intended to represent vocalist Phil Lynott, guitarist Eric Bell, and drummer Brian Downey. Looking back is a common theme of the LP. The soft, sensitive “Sarah” was written for Phil Lynott’s grandmother who raised him in lieu of his absent mother. It’s an album that challenges your perceptions about a group you think you have nailed down through future singles “Jailbreak,” “The Boys Are Back In Town,” and “Whisky In The Jar.” Here, “I Don’t Want To Forget How To Jive” sees the band try their hand at rockabilly, and “Chatting Today” evokes the emotive performances of Richie Havens. As a whole, Shades Of A Blue Orphanage presents a version of the band that places its foundations beyond the hard rock for which the group are famous. The preposterously titled “The Rise And Dear Demise Of The Funky Nomadic Tribes,” which opens the LP, epitomizes this, including tribal beats, funky guitars, and Lynott singing in full soul-power mode. It’s begging to be sampled, like the group’s contemporary–but incognito–work as Funky Junction, under which name they released Funky Junction Play A Tribute To Deep Purple the same year. Those who prefer Thin Lizzy in more recognizable form will find things to love, too: “Buffalo Gal” is as restrained as a song with an insistent, descending riff could ever be, and “Call The Police” is a bluesy swagger that shows off Lynott’s talent for describing life on the gritty streets of the Republic Of Ireland’s much-romanticized capital city. The record culminates in the world-weary title track with a chorus that cuts straight to the bone: “It’s true blue, Irish blue.” Released in 1972, just three years after the band formed in Dublin, it’s fair to say that Shades Of A Blue Orphanage represents a group on the move, still finding their feet, and possibly bending to the will of a record label who didn’t quite know what to do with a multiracial, multi-faith rock band from a sectarian country. Sales of the their debut album, Thin Lizzy, had been poor, and Shades Of A Blue Orphanage wasn’t the one to turn their fortunes around. Still, it’s fascinating listening for even those with a passing interest in their history.

File Under: Rock, Classic Rock
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thin vaga

Thin Lizzy: Vagabonds of the Western World (Future Days) LP
Seismic shifts happened between the previous year’s Shades Of A Blue Orphanage and 1973’s Vagabonds Of The Western World. Frontman Phil Lynott was still documenting working class life in the group’s native Dublin, and the band still featured guitarist Eric Bell and drummer Brian Downey, even if Bell was soon to leave; the shift was in the feel of the album. Between Jim Fitzpatrick’s lurid album cover which depicted the band in space, the new, hot-rod-like Thin Lizzy logo, and Lynott’s newly throaty howl, it’s possibly the first Thin Lizzy album on which they truly could be described as a hard rock band. Vagabonds presented a swaggering confidence, a band buoyed by the success of semi-accidental smash hit “Whisky In The Jar,” and carved out a moody, dark sound by borrowing bits from the blues, folk, psych, and Celtic music. Check out “Slow Blues” for proof, and decide whether Lynott or the guitars win the wail-off that begins the track. “Whisky In The Jar” had been a bone of contention for the band who felt it didn’t represent them. Pushed out due to their presence on package tours with rockers Slade and Suzi Quatro, it seemed to seal their fate, and their Vagabonds single, “The Rocker,” set out their stall for good. The weirdness and idiosyncracies of Phil Lynott’s early songwriting hadn’t been ironed out completely: “The Hero And The Madman” saw them try their hand at acid-fried cowboy rock–if such a thing ever existed. After the album, and after Bell’s departure due to ill health and disillusionment with the music industry, Thin Lizzy were reinvented once again. Lynott recruited two guitarists and the band left Decca to record Nightlife for Phonogram. Their big hits and glory years–beginning with 1976’s Jailbreak–were still ahead of them, but, with Vagabonds as a centerpiece, Thin Lizzy’s early years left behind a cabinet of curiosities.

File Under: Rock, Classic Rock
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west

Willie West: Lost Soul (Timmon) LP
Open your mind and be propelled to the deep outer rims of your soul with this new album by the New Orleans legend Willie West. The man might be best known for his work with Allen Toussaint and The Meters in the 60’s and 70’s, but more recently his underground hit “The Devil Gives Me Everything” has became popular among lowrider soulies and younger generation beatheads. On the “Lost Soul” album Willie is backed by the same gut wrenching always in the back pocket rhythms of The High Society Brothers Band, the same soul investigating force, that supplied the beat for the successful Nicole Willis and Myron & E albums.

File Under: Soul
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BFTG-vol-9-CD

Various: Back from the Grave 9 (Crypt) LP
18 years after Grave 8, and at last it is here! Monstrous, gatefold, thick color inner jacket – all crammed with liner notes, band photos, label scans. The ulimate in 60s punk insanity!!!! Balls-out, cruder-than-hell, RARER than hens teeth rawness – 7 of which are the ONLY copy in existence, 3 of which there are only 2 copies in existence! 15 cuts from: Warlocks, Raevins, Emeralds, Why-Nots, Turncoats, Shakles, Knoll Allen & The Noble Savages, etc!

File Under: Punk, Garage, Comps

…..used jazz…..

PLEASE READ THIS…. Alright folks! The moment we’ve been teasing you with, well sort of. The first batch of our massive jazz collection is hitting the shelves today at 6 pm! Now, this is only a tiny portion of the collection, less than 10% of it! We intend to trickle this stuff out over the next 6 months or so, maybe 50-100 records per week. Not only is there spacial issues, but just the amount of time it takes to clean and price this much stuff. Now in the sake of fairness, we will NOT be taking special requests for records that may be in the collection. We also will not be doing holds on these records. If you want it come and get it. This is likely the only list of stuff we will post to our news letter/site for the time being. If you want to see what’s hitting the shelves, you’ve gotta come down and see it for yourself. Keep in mind, this is top notch stuff. Largely original pressings. Most often mono. Lots of stuff that hasn’t been reissued for decades, if ever. And with that said, here’s a list of about HALF of what is going out today…

Art Ensemble of Chicago: People In Sorrow (Nessa N-3) LP
Albert Ayler: Bells (ESP-Disk 1010) LP
Chet Baker: Peace (Enja 4016) LP
Gary Bartz: Another Earth (Milestone MSP 9018) LP
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers: s/t (Impulse A-7) LP
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers: Kyoto (Riverside RS3303) LP
Anthony Braxton: New York, Fall 1974 (Arista AL-4032) LP
Marion Brown: Geechee Recollections (Impulse AS-9252) LP
Kenny Burrell: Asphalt Canyon Suite (Verve V6-8773) LP
Centipede: Septober Energy (Neon NE.9) LP
Paul Chambers/John Coltrane: High Step (Blue Note BN-LP451-H2) LP
Don Cherry/Gato Barbieri: Togetherness (Durium ms A 77127) LP
Alice Coltrane: Universal Consciousness (Impulse AS-9210) LP
Johnny Coles Quartet: New Morning (Criss Cross Jazz 1005) LP
John Coltrane: African Brass Sessions Vol. 2 (Impulse AS-9273) LP
John Coltrane Featuring Pharoah Sanders: Live in Seatle (Impulse AS-9202-2) LP
John Coltrane: Giant Steps (Atlantic 1311) LP
Miles Davis: At Plugged Nickel, Chicago (CBS 25AP 1) LP
Miles Davis Quintet: Relaxin’ (Prestige 7129) LP
Eric Dolphy: Iron Man (Columbia KZ 30873) LP
Eric Dolphy: Far Cry with Booker Little (New Jazz NJ 8270) LP
Ella Fitzgerald/Joe Pass: Take Love Easy (Pablo 2310 702) LP
Dizzy Gillespie: The New Continent (Limelight LM 82022) LP
Dexter Gordon: Go (Blue Note BST84112) LP
Joe Harriott: Indo-Jazz Fusions (Atlantic SD1482) LP
Roy Haynes Quartet: Out of the Afternoon (Impulse A-23) LP
Andrew Hill: Smoke Stack (Blue Note BLP4160) LP
Freddie Hubbard: Sing Me A Song of Songmy (Atlantic SD1576) LP
Bobby Hutcherson: Components (Blue Note BLP4213) LP
Elvin Jones: And Then Again (Atlantic 1443) LP
Rolank Kirk: I Talk With The Spirits (Limelight LM82008) LP
Steve Lacy/Don Cherry: Evidence (New Jazz NJ8271) LP
Art Lande/Jan Garbarek: Red Lanta (ECM 1038 ST) LP
Charles Lloyd: Forest Flower (Atlantic 1473) LP
London Experimental Jazz Quartet: Invisible Roots (Scratch SR-10) LP
Jackie McLean: It’s Time! (Blue Note BLP4179) LP
Charles Mingus: Jazz Portraits (United Artists UAL4078) LP
Billy Mitchell Quintet: A Little Juicy (Smash MGS 27042) LP
Lee Morgan: The Cooker (Blue Note BLP1578) LP
The Music Improvisation Company: s/t (ECM 1005ST) LP
Teruo Nakamura: Unicorn (Three Blind Mice TBM-18) LP
Al Neil: Boot & Fog (Music Gallery Editions MGE 33) LP
Charlie Parker: The Essential Charlie Parker (Verve V-8409) LP
Sam Rivers: Fushscia Swing Song (Blue Note BST84184) LP
Max Roach/Clifford Brown: Daahound (Mainstream MRL386) LP
Sonny Rollins: Tenor Titan (Verve VSPS-32) LP
George Russell: The Esoteric Circle (Flying Dutchman FD-10125) LP
Pharoah Sanders: Tauhid (Impulse A-9138) LP
Archie Shepp Quartet: Live in Tokyo (Denon YX-7538) LP
Wayne Shorter: Night Dreamer (Blue Note BLP4173) LP
Sun Ra and the Arkestra: Sound of Joy (Delmark DS-414) LP
Cecil Taylor Unit: Akisakila – In Japan (Trio PA-3004~5) LP
Leon Thomas: Spirits Known And Unknown (Polydor 2424 003) LP
Mtume Umoja Ensemble: Alkebu-Lan Land of the Blacks (Strata-East SES-19724) LP
Sarah Vaughan: Sweet, Sultry & Swinging (Spin-o-rama M-73) LP
Harold Vick: Don’t Look Back (Strata-East SES-7431) LP
Kenny Wheeler: Around 6 (ECM 1156) LP
Joe Williams w/ Thad Jones & Mel Lewis: s/t (Solid State SS18008) LP

…..restocks…..

Alt-J: This Is All Yours (Atlantic) LP
Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (Apollo) LP
Arcade Fire: Funeral (Merge) LP
Arcade Fire: Neon Bible (Merge) LP
Arcade Fire: Suburbs (Merge) LP
Black Angels: Passover (Light in the Attic) LP
Black Angels: Directions to See A Ghost (Light in the Attic) LP
Black Keys: El Camino (Nonesuch) LP
Boris w/ Merzbow: Sun Baked Snow Cave (Hydrahead) LP
Buzzcocks: Singles Going Steady (Music on Vinyl) LP
Alice Coltrane: Journey in Satchidananda (Impulse) LP
Karen Dalton: 1966 (Delmore) LP
Doors: s/t (Elektra) LP
Electric Wizard: Dopethrone (Rise Above) LP
Flipper: Generic Flipper (4 Men With Beards) LP
Goblin: Susperia (AMS) LP
Goblin: Tenebre (AMS) LP
Goblin: Profondo Rosso (AMS) LP
Grouper: Ruins (Kranky) LP
Lee Hazlewood: LHI Years (Light in the Attic) LP
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland (Reprise) LP
Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures (Rhino) LP
Kyuss: Blues For The Red Sun (Elektra) LP
Kyuss: Welcome to Sky Valley (Elektra) LP
Kyuss: And the Circus Leaves Town (Elektra) LP
LCD Soundsystem: s/t (DFA) LP
Led Zeppelin: Houses of the Holy (Warner) LP
Led Zeppelin: I (Warner) DLX LP
Neutral Milk Hotel: In An Aeroplane Over The Sea (Merge) LP
Neutral Milk Hotel: On Avery Island (Merge) LP
Parquet Courts: Light Up Gold (What’s Your Rupture) LP
Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon (EMI) LP
Django Reinhardt: Anthology (Not Now) LP
Django Reinhardt: Djangology (Cleopatra) LP
Ty Segall: Manipulator (Drag City) LP
Sensational Saints: You Won’t Believe (Numero) LP
Sex Pistols: Never Mind The Bullocks (Warner) LP
Shooting Guns: Brotherhood of the Ram (Easy Rider) LP
Sleater-Kinney: No Cities To Love (Sub Pop) LP
Slow Season: Mountains (Easy Rider) LP
Dusty Springfield: Dusty in Memphis (4 Men With Beards) LP
The Stooges: Fun House (Rhino) LP
The Stooges: s/t (Rhino) LP
Tom Waits: Small Change (Rhino) LP
Woo: Into the Heart of Love (Emotional Rescue) LP
Neil Young: Harvest (Reprise) LP
Various: Country Funk II (Light in the Attic) LP
Various: Eccentric Soul: Capsoul Label (Numero) LP
Various: Eccentric Soul: Big Mack Label (Numero) LP
Various: Eccentric Soul: Deep City Label (Numero) LP
Various: Eccentric Soul: Prix Label (Numero) LP
Various: Eccentric Soul: Dynamic Label (Numero) LP
Various: Eccentric Soul: Forte Label (Numero) LP
Various: Sly Stone’s Flower (Light in the Attic) LP
Various: WTNG 89.9 FM Solid Bronze (Numero) LP

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