So this is officially the third installment in the I Love Techno series we've reviewed, and in the first two, we had to qualify that we didn't actually love techno, but for some reason these comps pushed all our buttons and maybe we did in fact love techno. But this latest installment is so fucked up and fuzzy, tripped out and psychedelic and rife with big bass and blown out synth and even some punk and metal, not to mention weirdo video game sounds, all we can think is either we DO really LOVE techno, and this is more of the same, or this record is really fucking tripped out and damaged and genius and typical technerds will be way bummed out on this, while the rest of us just discovered the raddest electronic comp of the year.
We're leaning toward the latter, or at least some combination of the two. Needless to say, this is not at all what we imagine most people think of when they think 'techno'. The first track alone, "Paradise Poltergeist" by some guy called Tai and techno legend Steve Aoki, is all over the place, twisted and totally geniusly whatthefuck, beginning with some dizzying 8 bit melodies, muted drums, and buzzy looped vocals, which give way to what sounds like time stretched Tuvan throat singing, modulated into a weird croaking frog melody, over a pulsing 4 on the floor beat, and some strange metallic crunches, not to mention some punky vox, some big banging drums, some ravey flourishes, fat buzzy synths, the song so hypnotic and psychedelic, we were sort of expecting the rest of the record to pale, but if anything, it just gets better and better.
Twisted looped horns get wound into crackly fields of thick synth buzz, and machine gun squelches, sounds change speed and pitch, every track sounding like it's being broadcast through a funhouse mirror, the beats stuttery and skittery, lots of woozy squiggly melodies, weird voices, pitched way down or sped up like crazy, wild ragga toasting over more woozy lo-fi grinding synth buzz, we were constantly waiting for it to let up, or for some bum track to surface, but it never does, relentless and continually getting buzzier and weirder, the sounds unexpected and twisted and super surprising, culminating in the sped up Refused sampling "New Noise", which takes that new punk anthem and adds thick swaths of synth, bigger beats, but essentially leaves the original song intact, it's easy to imagine how bad ass that sounds in the midst of a techno set.
Totally ruling, and yeah, based on this comp, not sure there's anything we actually like more than techno.
This one shouldn't need much of a review at all. A killer 'local' band comp, featuring a bunch of our fave West Coast groups from San Francisco, Oakland, LA, and Portland: Warm Soda, Sonny & The Sunsets, Burnt Ones, Chris Cohen, the Sandwitches, Magic Trick, Little Wings, Cool Ghouls, Jessica Pratt and more. Warm Soda kick things off with a groovy blast of retro garage pop, all Yellow Pills style fuzzy, jangly power pop, that once again reminds us what a total genius Matthew Melton (Warm Soda, Snake Flower 2, Bare Wires). But there's plenty more good stuff here. Burnt Ones offer up their own retro blast, theirs significantly more murky and woozy and washed out. Ex- Deerhoofer Chris Cohen delivers an achingly lovely ballad, all distant shimmer, acoustic guitar shimmer, and glimmering harmonics, and those grogeous vox. The Sandwitches' track is all echo drenched lo-fi jangle, while Sonny & The Sunsets (whose Sonny curated this whole comp) give us some sun dappled, strum and jangle fuzz pop dreaminess, while locals Cool Ghouls get all sixties girl group, with reverby female vox, shimmery guitar strum and a hazy psychedelic production.
The best part about comps, for us at least, is as much about new discoveries as old faves, and Pure Bliss are the big discovery this time around, all shimmery jangle, deep dramatic vocals, classic old school dream pop that had us hankering for LOTS more. Speaking of which, there's lots more here too, tracks by the Memories, Fronds, Sunfoot, Wet Illustrated and Earth Girl Helen Brown!
Pressed on heavy, marbled slime green vinyl, that matches the zombie afro vampire cover art, includes an insert/comic, as well as a download code!
That it's the first double disc in the Sublime Frequencies series says something about I Remember Syria. Recorded by Mark Gergis (Monopause / Neung Phak, Porest) in 1998 and 2000, I Remember Syria is an impressive collection of sounds, interviews and music from a country that's essentially unknown to the western world. Vilified by Bush, Rumsfeld et al. There's really no access to the wonderful culture of Syria. Gergis successfully attempts to alleviate that with the two plus hours presented here. Recorded using a stereo mic. and minidisc recorder, and subsidized with excerpts from television and radio. Disc one focuses on the city of Damascus, while disc two features recordings from throughout Syria. Along with recordings of street musicians, wedding processions, prayers, mosque interiors and open air markets are brief interviews with Syrian citizens reflecting on the US Govt. and the west in general. I Remember Syria is an impressive and unique audio documentary of a country that deserves more positive exposure.
MISSISSIPPI Alert! MISSISSIPPI Alert! MISSISSIPPI Alert!
Thankfully there is someone putting out these killer comps of little heard blues and gospel on vinyl, the way they were made to be heard. Such loving attention paid to selection, flow and packaging, so thoughtfully put together. Songs so lost, coated in light crackle that only adds to their warm, melancholic and far-off mystery. We can't get enough of these records, and this one is no exception! Another amazing compilation of rare, obscure southern blues dealing with sex, death and loss. Featuring Cryin Sam Collins, Henry Spaulding, Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe McCoy, Buster Johnson, Little Hat Jones, Robert Wilkins, Willie Baker, Blind Blake, Louie Lasky, Charlie McCoy, and Joe Callicott. Our favorite cuts are by the female singers including the incomparable Memphis Minnie, two tracks by Lottie Kimbrough (The Kansas City Butterball), and a sad lament by Elvie Thomas. Plenty of tracks brim with sexy suggestiveness and fast living, such as "Can't I Do It For You?" " How You Want Your Rolling Done?", "Wayward Girl Blues" and "Keep It Clean", while others deal with loneliness and dying: "Lonesome Road", "Undertaker Blues", "Motherless Child Blues" "Rope Stretchin' Blues" and "Fare Thee Well Blues". Only in the blues do living and dying interweave with such incredibly sublime intensity! Go Mississippi!
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
Okay Mississippi Records obsessives, get ready to blow your tops. Besides the amazing Been Here All My Days comp reviewed on the last list (grab one if you haven't yet, it's fantastic!), there are five, count 'em FIVE other new Mississippi titles this time around: I'll Meet You On That Other Shore, I'm Gonna Live Anyhow Until I Die, I'll Be So Glad When The Sun Goes Down, Worried Now, Won't Be Worried Long and Wave The Ocean, Wave The Sea, all culled from a legendary set of Alan Lomax field recordings, collected during his "Southern Journey, a trip he took through the American South, between the years 1959 and 1960, accompanied by British folk singer Shirley Collins, during which he made the first ever stereo recordings of American Traditional music in the field, capturing in stereo for the first time, music from Southern prison farms, the traditional gospel choral folksong of the Sacred Harp, the Southern Fife And Drum Corps, the debut recordings of blues legend Fred McDowell, not to mention an incredibly varied selection of musics from blues to bluegrass to country to gospel, captured on porches, at dairy farms, in churches, at picnics, state fairs, in prisons, in living rooms and in bars, many of the musicians, many of the folks Lomax had recorded before, and was visiting again, years later, while many were new discoveries.
According to the extensive liner notes, Lomax upon returning to the US, after a decade long recording trip in Europe and the UK, was hailed as a hero, responsible for the revival of interest in American folk music, but was quite disappointed by all the young people playing the folk music and traditional American music he helped discover, record and expose to this new audience, an audience that seemed to believe not only were they preserving the music, but also in some strange way "improving" on the originals, which horrified Lomax and spurred him to make the trip that would be later known as his "Southern Journey", not only to capture stereo recordings of all this amazing, still thriving American music, but to also prove those young folks wrong.
The results speak for themselves, 5 lps of gorgeous, unique, heartfelt American music, instrumental and vocal, celebratory and sorrowful, ballads and bluegrass hoedowns, gospel spirituals and military marches, call and response prison songs and back porch blues, and so much more. This is classic, timeless music, sounds imbued with the sweat and blood, the lives and deaths, the loves and losses of the American people, past and present, moving and emotional, and totally fantastic...
As for which one of the five to buy, it's a tough call, they're all fantastic, and the music is varied on each, they're not divided by theme or style, instead, it's more like a sprawling 5 part compilation, each as good as the next, so yeah, obviously if you can, you should buy all 5, but if that's too much, heck, just pick one, maybe with a title that appeals to you, and dig in. Odds are you'll be back for more.
Packed in super heavy jackets, with printed liner notes on the back, each volume containing a big booklet, with photos and more notes on each of the different tracks and all of the various performers.
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
Okay Mississippi Records obsessives, get ready to blow your tops. Besides the amazing Been Here All My Days comp reviewed on the last list (grab one if you haven't yet, it's fantastic!), there are five, count 'em FIVE other new Mississippi titles this time around: I'll Meet You On That Other Shore, I'm Gonna Live Anyhow Until I Die, I'll Be So Glad When The Sun Goes Down, Worried Now, Won't Be Worried Long and Wave The Ocean, Wave The Sea, all culled from a legendary set of Alan Lomax field recordings, collected during his "Southern Journey, a trip he took through the American South, between the years 1959 and 1960, accompanied by British folk singer Shirley Collins, during which he made the first ever stereo recordings of American Traditional music in the field, capturing in stereo for the first time, music from Southern prison farms, the traditional gospel choral folksong of the Sacred Harp, the Southern Fife And Drum Corps, the debut recordings of blues legend Fred McDowell, not to mention an incredibly varied selection of musics from blues to bluegrass to country to gospel, captured on porches, at dairy farms, in churches, at picnics, state fairs, in prisons, in living rooms and in bars, many of the musicians, many of the folks Lomax had recorded before, and was visiting again, years later, while many were new discoveries.
According to the extensive liner notes, Lomax upon returning to the US, after a decade long recording trip in Europe and the UK, was hailed as a hero, responsible for the revival of interest in American folk music, but was quite disappointed by all the young people playing the folk music and traditional American music he helped discover, record and expose to this new audience, an audience that seemed to believe not only were they preserving the music, but also in some strange way "improving" on the originals, which horrified Lomax and spurred him to make the trip that would be later known as his "Southern Journey", not only to capture stereo recordings of all this amazing, still thriving American music, but to also prove those young folks wrong.
The results speak for themselves, 5 lps of gorgeous, unique, heartfelt American music, instrumental and vocal, celebratory and sorrowful, ballads and bluegrass hoedowns, gospel spirituals and military marches, call and response prison songs and back porch blues, and so much more. This is classic, timeless music, sounds imbued with the sweat and blood, the lives and deaths, the loves and losses of the American people, past and present, moving and emotional, and totally fantastic...
As for which one of the five to buy, it's a tough call, they're all fantastic, and the music is varied on each, they're not divided by theme or style, instead, it's more like a sprawling 5 part compilation, each as good as the next, so yeah, obviously if you can, you should buy all 5, but if that's too much, heck, just pick one, maybe with a title that appeals to you, and dig in. Odds are you'll be back for more.
Packed in super heavy jackets, with printed liner notes on the back, each volume containing a big booklet, with photos and more notes on each of the different tracks and all of the various performers.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Newest offering from Germany's Trikont label. Yet another genre spanning collection of music, this time devoted to Hank Williams. Featuring covers by such disparate artists as The Residents, Hasil Adkins, Killdozer, Isaac Hayes, Link Wray, Freddy Fender, Mekons, Al Green, Buckwheat Zydeco, Jad Fair, Charlie Feathers and much more!
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
As of late anyone with even a passing interest in the blues has had plenty of reasons to rejoice. Almost every list we are blessed with something vinyl on Monk or Mississippi, but even with the wealth of material available, there are still plenty of lesser known artists who will go unheard, due to their obscurity, lack of recordings, or inability to fit comfortably within the predominantly white myths that have, for better and/or worse, shaped the history of blues music and its legacy. That's why it's so great having this awesome new comp focusing on some of the less influential but still powerful bluesmen. With a whopping 24 tracks, this collection spans from 1923 (with, reportedly, the first recorded use of a guitar slide, or more appropriately, knife, as wielded by Sylvester Weaver) to 1929, one of the most noteworthy of years for recorded blues music. Some of these musicians you may recognize, like Ishman Bracey (whose Suitcase Full Of Blues we reviewed not too long back), but many of them are just names we've read about, and others still are completely new to us. No matter, it's all prime stuff carefully selected to help show us what we have been missing. Carrying on in the tradition of legendary labels like Yazoo and Arhoolie, Sub Rosa has done us a great favor with this one, and we're hoping even more labels will take a cue and excavate essential recordings from the past. Highly recommended.
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
Okay Mississippi Records obsessives, get ready to blow your tops. Besides the amazing Been Here All My Days comp reviewed on the last list (grab one if you haven't yet, it's fantastic!), there are five, count 'em FIVE other new Mississippi titles this time around: I'll Meet You On That Other Shore, I'm Gonna Live Anyhow Until I Die, I'll Be So Glad When The Sun Goes Down, Worried Now, Won't Be Worried Long and Wave The Ocean, Wave The Sea, all culled from a legendary set of Alan Lomax field recordings, collected during his "Southern Journey, a trip he took through the American South, between the years 1959 and 1960, accompanied by British folk singer Shirley Collins, during which he made the first ever stereo recordings of American Traditional music in the field, capturing in stereo for the first time, music from Southern prison farms, the traditional gospel choral folksong of the Sacred Harp, the Southern Fife And Drum Corps, the debut recordings of blues legend Fred McDowell, not to mention an incredibly varied selection of musics from blues to bluegrass to country to gospel, captured on porches, at dairy farms, in churches, at picnics, state fairs, in prisons, in living rooms and in bars, many of the musicians, many of the folks Lomax had recorded before, and was visiting again, years later, while many were new discoveries.
According to the extensive liner notes, Lomax upon returning to the US, after a decade long recording trip in Europe and the UK, was hailed as a hero, responsible for the revival of interest in American folk music, but was quite disappointed by all the young people playing the folk music and traditional American music he helped discover, record and expose to this new audience, an audience that seemed to believe not only were they preserving the music, but also in some strange way "improving" on the originals, which horrified Lomax and spurred him to make the trip that would be later known as his "Southern Journey", not only to capture stereo recordings of all this amazing, still thriving American music, but to also prove those young folks wrong.
The results speak for themselves, 5 lps of gorgeous, unique, heartfelt American music, instrumental and vocal, celebratory and sorrowful, ballads and bluegrass hoedowns, gospel spirituals and military marches, call and response prison songs and back porch blues, and so much more. This is classic, timeless music, sounds imbued with the sweat and blood, the lives and deaths, the loves and losses of the American people, past and present, moving and emotional, and totally fantastic...
As for which one of the five to buy, it's a tough call, they're all fantastic, and the music is varied on each, they're not divided by theme or style, instead, it's more like a sprawling 5 part compilation, each as good as the next, so yeah, obviously if you can, you should buy all 5, but if that's too much, heck, just pick one, maybe with a title that appeals to you, and dig in. Odds are you'll be back for more.
Packed in super heavy jackets, with printed liner notes on the back, each volume containing a big booklet, with photos and more notes on each of the different tracks and all of the various performers.
Electronic soul music pretty much begins with Sly Stone. In a year-long period of introspective but intensely prolific productivity that would ultimately transform his main band, The Family Stone, from upbeat soul poppers to deep socially-conscious funk groovers, Stone took a break from his main squeeze and had his hands in many pockets. Holed up in the studio with a a newly required Maestro Rhythm King drum machine and his trademarked wah'wah'd electronic organ in low key tempos, Stone not only recorded solo demos for what would become the most influential Family Stone record, There's A Riot Going On, but he also started a label, Stone Flower as well as a production team and released 4 singles. Two of them from Little Sister, which was a vocal group led by Stone's little sister Vaetta Stewart, one from soul singer Joe Hicks, and one from a funk group called 6IX, all of which featured Stone' organ and drum machine combo as well as production.
On the surface, 4 singles doesn't sound like very much for a label, but their sound transformed soul and funk music into something more deeper and minimal, influencing not only more well known performers such as Timmy Thomas and Shuggie Otis, all the way up to Prince, but also lots of private press artists as well, who did not have the resources to hire full bands and recording studios to create their music. One of our very favorite compilations from the past few years, Personal Space, documents this trend in private press electronic soul from the seventies, and fans of that comp will find tons to love here.
There have been previous comps of the Stone Flower output, but Light In The Attic dug a lot deeper (as they always do!) and included not only some of Sly Stone's demos, but plenty of unreleased material and alternative versions of the singles as well. The low key gospel spook of Little Sister's "Somebody's Watching You" has been a favorite song of ours for a long time, but it's also cool to hear the full band version where we can decipher the lyrics a lot more clearly: "Shady as a lady with a mustache", or "The nicer the nice/ the higher the price". I'm Just Like You is a fantastic intermediary look into the world of Sly Stone during a transformative period which also includes lots of photos and liner notes as well as a recent interview with the reclusive genius himself. Highly recommended!
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
The series that started with the classic "Beat of the Traps" lp continues, with dozens more examples of "amateur lyrics ground through the song poem mill". Rodd Keith fans will weep with joy.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
You know how everyone thinks they can be a DJ now, right? Maybe one of the unlooked-for benefits of this trend is that there are that many more people sifting through dusty ole record bins in dusty ole record stores worldwide, searching for the good breaks to sample and scratch. And perhaps that explains the sudden number of recent, very tasteful, well-done compilations that have graced the shelves here at Aquarius, comps filled with original source material utilized during or created for the breakbeat era's heyday (mid to late '70s). And hey, now that these amazing tracks are collected in one place on cd or vinyl, we can listen to them in the safety of our own living rooms -- instead of having to brave yuppies and cigarette smoke and $6 drinks to hear perfectly good tunes mangled by DJs of mediocre skills.
Raw funk compilation with all the tracks done by women, including Betty Davis (Miles' wife), James Brown protege Lyn Collins, Gladys Knight, Cold Blood (the Pointer Sisters were the backup singers in this band!), etc. Extensive liner notes put each song into context and provide gossipy mini-biographies of each artist. Example: the initials in Vera Hamilton's "But I Ain't No More (G.S.T.S.K.D.T.S.)" refer to the lyric "I used to be a Genuine, Stomped on, Twenty Karat, Sure 'nough, Knocked down, Dragged out, Turned down, Strung out Fool for you... but I ain't no more!" Cool! On UK label Harmless.
We were first struck by the title. I, Mute Hummings. Very mysterious and provocative. Dark and abstract. But what really sealed the deal was the subtitle: "A Collection Of Drone Music And Dulcet Atmospheres" and the lineup: Keith Berry, Fear Falls Burning, Dronaement, Troum, Paul Bradley, Richard Lainhart and more. You had us at 'collection of drone music'...
So with that sort of high caliber collection of dronelords, we hardly need to tell you what a gorgeously dark, ominously rumbling, dreamily whirring selection of tracks this is, but what the heck, we will anyway.
Keith Berry starts things off with a warm, black tinted shimmer, densely layered, but seemingly weightless, a dark subterranean drift, laced with barely there, almost recognizable field recordings buried way down in the mix. Next up is maybe the greatest Fear Falls Burning track ever. Weird spacious affected guitars, not heavy or distorted, but instead glistening and prismatic, caught in a dreamy delay drenched loop, floating like some disembodied fragment of a long lost Morricone spaghetti western soundtrack, and nestled amidst long golden tendrils of lazy late afternoon fuzz.
Dronaement offer up a lengthy soundscape of simulated field recordings, record crackle and murky glimmer underpinned by a distant rhythmic whir and wrapped in a gauzy dreamlike atmosphere. Then AQ faves Troum take over with one of their most ominous pieces yet, a gurgling bass heavy cavernous trawl through some dark hellish underworld, still shimmery and soft focus, but with an ominous undercurrent and some super distorted, deconstructed riffing roiling amidst thick swells of foghorn low end, and all manner of abstract black ambience.
And the rest of the record is just as beautiful, continuing on in a similar darkdronedoom fashion, even the folks we didn't recognize (Jeffrey Roden, Steve Jolliffe, Column One) offer up some gorgeous slabs of bleak black drone dreaminess, so much so that it had us immediately seeking out more material by all of them...
It's hard to believe that Important Records have been around for ten years. Even harder to believe that in those ten years, they've released THREE HUNDRED records, thirty a year. No wonder we can barely keep up with them. But it's sure fun to try. This super limited lp celebrates this big anniversary with exclusive live tracks from a handful of Important bands, a list that reads like an aQ dream team: Mugstar offer up some seriously fuzzy psychedelic stomp, a Stooges / Hawkwind hybrid equal parts heavy and spacey, Cave are at their most krautrocky here, blissed out and rhythmic, the sound thick layered and epic, Grails get almost funky, doing their best impression of classic Can, thick basslines, groovy rhythms and a sound that's super distorted and blown out, Bardo Pond deliver their usual blast of swirling druggy psych, all warbly vox and swirling chaotic psychguitar bliss, Master Musicians Of Bukkake get all ritualistic, with gamelan like percussion, bleating horns and demonic gurgling vox, Chord get seriously mellow, unfurling a hazy bit of dreamy drift, hushed and surprisingly ambient, aQ fave Bass Communion teams up with someone called Pig for a thick dense sprawl of blackened guitar buzz and swirling atmospheres, a slow burning track that gradually gets noisier and noisier, and then finally, someone called NHK yx finishes things off with a super minimal chunk of lo-fi skittery insectoid buzz and squelch electronica.
All killer stuff, vinyl only, and most likely limited...
Another amazing document in the Sun City Girls' Sublime Frequencies int'l field recordings series of cds and DVDs. This is the third DVD in the series, this time focusing on Northeast Thailand, known to the Thai as Isan. Beautifully filmed and dizzingly colorful, we are first treated to a festival celebrating the birth of civilization in Isan, featuring lots of pomp and even a little magic, including an intense segment where live rabbits and chickens are hurled into the air and then caught and chased once again. Also there is an amazing segment that looks like it takes place in a school gym, featuring colorful traditional dancers backed up by guitar and xylophone, and later a very sultry performance in a gentleman's club (sonically quite remiscent of the Cambodian Rocks Southeast Asian take on Western pop music). Probably the most amazing segments are the solo performances on the Khaen, which is a set of pipes, two rows set together, with the performer covering and uncovering sound holes and producing some of the most amazing sounds you'll ever hear.
A friend of ours is a Canadian MC who often introduces himself with the line, "I'm quite popular in France... a country renown for its terrible taste in music." With that in mind, it's unsurprising that the treasures found on this latest compilation of French minimal/cold/new-wave and post-punk from the fine folks at Born Bad Records in gay Pareee never found much favor in their homeland the first time around, as a country immersed in accordions and Edith Piaf may not have known what to do with Warm Joe's synth-bleep-infused, art-damaged, poppity punk skronk ferinstance.
If you've been following the slow but steady trickle of French reissue compilations that we've been fawning over for the past year here at aQ HQ like So Young But So Cold, BIPPP, and Les Jeunes Gens Moderne (that one coming soon on an expanded double cd by the way!), you'll be pretty familiar with the basic formula for many of the tracks: primitive beat box drums pushed to their limits + fuzzed out guitar + synths that provide everything from squidgy bass to massively hooky lead lines to disco lasers to de rigeur blips, bloops and bleeps + vocals that manage to sing, scream, coo, croon and yowl all at once = insanely melodic, freaked out french synth-punk that hybridizes everything good about early electro, new wave, disco, punk, pop and even chansons francais. So yeah, if you liked any or all of those other comps then save yourself the trouble of reading any further and just buy this already. It rules.
Not convinced? Ok, fair enough. What if we told you that IVG not only digs as deep as if not deeper than the other comps (honestly, when a track you've never heard by Ruth is the most familiar thing on the tracklist, then you know that you're in for some serious obscurities...), but it also pushes the weirdo factor up exponentially? For starters, Dead Heat have a baby laying down vocals on their contribution, "Damnee Petite Sophie" and every single part of Crise de Nerf's over-caffeinated fuzz freak out, "Rock A La Tele," honestly sounds like it's about to explode spectacularly. Toss in some alternate reality soundtrack work by Stabat stable, not one BUT TWO soundscape-y tone poems by Theatre Commercial, and a song by Ruth that sounds frighteningly like Dr. Know from Bad Brains jamming with Sonic Youth and you know you are headed somewhere fantastic. Seriously, mes amis: up the volume, up the speed, up the fuzz, up the fucked up French punks. ALLONS Y!
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Maybe only John Zorn's Tzadik label devotes as many releases as the Japanese (Kansai region) Alchemy label does to stuff to do specifically with the activity of the label-boss! It seems like almost every recent Alchemy disc has been a Jojo Hiroshige project of some sort, whether it be a solo DVD or a best-of or the current series of reissues of his seminal noise band Hijokaidan. Of course, we're all for it, we love his stuff, diverse as it is, from full-on noise assault to spacey drone to folky melodiousness...
So, perhaps no surprise that this latest Alchemy release is a various artists TRIBUTE compilation to the "King Of Noise", the very same Jojo Hiroshige. And no surprise (or maybe a little bit of one) that it's so very diverse too! These ten cover tracks by ten different artists range from shambolic pop to frenzied punk to blissed out psych to harsh industrial mayhem. Several familiar faces from the Alchemy roster show up -- "Love Love Love" as performed by female psychsters Doodles is particularly lovely, while Solmania's contribution of psychedelic guitar drone is uncharacteristically calm and beautiful. And as an appropriate finale, Masonna chimes in with some full-on noise as is his trademark, the first new recording from the hopping one in a long, long time. A lot of the contributors seem to be making a definite Kansai / Kraut konnection here in paying tribute to the admittedly Krautrock influenced oeuvre of Alchemy bossman Jojo. Recommended to all fans of out-there Japanese psych, rock, and noise action.
'60s garage rock from Sacramento label Ikon.
Dang, we've got a good one here for followers of the whole "Wooden Guitar" crowd -- Wooden Guitar being the name of another compilation on another label, devoted to guitarists doing acoustic solos in the tradition of John Fahey and the other folky folks on his classic Takoma label roster. That's more or less the idea here too, except that in addition to contemporary flame-keepers of the form like Pelt's Jack Rose and Cul de Sac's Glenn Jones, this comp features quite a few veteran string pickers who were part of the '60s scene -- some of 'em just recently been coaxed out of retirement. There's a few archival cuts dating from decades back, but a lot of this is newly recorded, and much of it is as yet otherwise unreleased, live and studio tracks both. Not all the names are familiar but when you hear 'em you'll want to hear more. The line-up includes the aforementioned Rose and Jones, along with Sandy Bull, John Fahey, Harry Taussig, Harris Newman, Brad Barr, Bern Nix, Steve Mann, Janet Smith, Terry Riley and his son Gyan, Suni McGrath, Bob Hadley, Kaki King, and Max Ochs (whose Fahey-dedicated track "Inspirational Anthem" gives this collection its title, and appears here twice, once in a version recorded in '69 and another from just last year). Moods and techniques vary, from the more old timey to the Eastern-tinged to the jazz-flecked. But it's all totally entrancing, hypnotic, transportational music. Several generations of adventurous American acoustic guitarists are represented here and it's nice to know that this musical movement looks to be going on strong into the future. A fine comp indeed!
We just reviewed volume 5 of this ongoing series which surveys the vibrant traditional past and bright experimental future of guitar soli. Hot on the heels of that fifth and final volume comes this elaborate box set of the entire series, plus an unreleased live bonus album by Lambchop guitarist William Tyler called Elvis Was a Capricorn. While we were remiss in reviewing vol 4, it's easy to tell by our other reviews of just how good this is. Here is what we said about past volumes:
ONE:
Dang, we've got a good one here for followers of the whole "Wooden Guitar" crowd -- Wooden Guitar being the name of another compilation on another label, devoted to guitarists doing acoustic solos in the tradition of John Fahey and the other folky folks on his classic Takoma label roster. That's more or less the idea here too, except that in addition to contemporary flame-keepers of the form like Pelt's Jack Rose and Cul de Sac's Glenn Jones, this comp features quite a few veteran string pickers who were part of the '60s scene -- some of 'em just recently been coaxed out of retirement. There's a few archival cuts dating from decades back, but a lot of this is newly recorded, and much of it is as yet otherwise unreleased, live and studio tracks both. Not all the names are familiar but when you hear 'em you'll want to hear more. The line-up includes the aforementioned Rose and Jones, along with Sandy Bull, John Fahey, Harry Taussig, Harris Newman, Brad Barr, Bern Nix, Steve Mann, Janet Smith, Terry Riley and his son Gyan, Suni McGrath, Bob Hadley, Kaki King, and Max Ochs (whose Fahey-dedicated track "Inspirational Anthem" gives this collection its title, and appears here twice, once in a version recorded in '69 and another from just last year). Moods and techniques vary, from the more old timey to the Eastern-tinged to the jazz-flecked. But it's all totally entrancing, hypnotic, transportational music. Several generations of adventurous American acoustic guitarists are represented here and it's nice to know that this musical movement looks to be going on strong into the future.
TWO:
Second Volume of American Primitive guitar explorations from both the old and new schools, showcasing the diverse styles of its strongest players. While the patron saint of this movement is still John Fahey, the resonant strains between generations exemplify how far the movement has grown while allowing each artist to retain their own voice. Representing the old school this time around are Billy Faier, Michael Chapman, Peter Lang (re-doing a piece from the early '70s), Fred Gerlach and a rare live recording of Robbie Basho from the Venus in Capricorn era. The New school is represented by James Blackshaw, Jose Gonzalez. local Berkeley musician Sean Smith, Christina Carter from Charalambides, Jack Rose (also featured on Vol. 1), Jesse Spearhawk, and British Banjo player Sharron Kraus. From traditional Americana, to eastern inflected ragas, shimmering 12 string washes to minimalist banjo odes, this is a fine set of excursionary guitar.
THREE:
Looking at the line-up of Tompkins Square's new Imaginational Anthem volume three, you would think they were focusing on the more experimental side of the solo guitar genre. Featuring R. Keenan Lawler, Shawn David McMillen, banjo mystic George Stavos, electronic musician Greg Davis, Ben Reynolds, Steffen Basho-Junghans, Berkeley guitarist Matt Baldwin, and Richard Crandell amongst others, we were half-expecting (hoping for?) a more way out approach towards the instrument. But alas that's not the case and that isn't really a bad thing either. While the sounds are more in line with the previous volumes, and other compilations of solo guitar work, this compilation stands up amongst the best of the genre with some fine finger-picking by some unexpected sources. Though props go to Lawler, McMillen, and Stavos for pushing the envelope the most.
FOUR:
Volume Four, subtitled New Possibilities, contains tracks by mostly newbies to us, except for Chris Forsyth, William Tyler and Aaron Shepherd. Rounded out by tracks from Sam Moss, Nick Jonah Davis, Pat O'Connell, Tyler Ramsey, Michah Blue Smaidone, Mike Fekete, and C. Joynes.
FIVE:
The latest round-up of modern guitar soli practitioners is as beautiful as ever, this time focussing on the newest breed of the craft. Familiar and unfamiliar names abound, but we're sure folks will get as excited as we were at the inclusion of two longtime San Francisco acolytes, Danny Paul Grody formerly of Tarentel, who brings a lush and lovely kosmiche vibe to "Lookout Point", and Bill Orcutt, delivering a healthy dose of dissonance and experimentation with his track "John Fahey Commemorative Beer Can", a title the great master would surely love. The overall feel of this set seems to oscillate nicely between the two poles of the traditional and experimental with tracks also by Steve Gunn, Jordan Fuller, Nick Shallice, Will Stratton, Daniel Bachman, Eric Carbonara, Tom Lecky, Alexander Turnquist, Cam Deas, and Yair Yona. Gorgeous!
The latest installment in Tompkins Square's round-up of modern guitar soli practitioners is as beautiful as ever, this time focussing on the newest breed of the craft. Familiar and unfamiliar names abound, but we're sure folks will get as excited as we were at the inclusion of two longtime San Francisco acolytes, Danny Paul Grody formerly of Tarentel, who brings a lush and lovely kosmiche vibe to "Lookout Point", and Bill Orcutt, delivering a healthy dose of dissonance and experimentation with his track "John Fahey Commemorative Beer Can", a title the great master would surely love. The overall feel of this set seems to oscillate nicely between the two poles of the traditional and experimental with tracks also by Steve Gunn, Jordan Fuller, Nick Shallice, Will Stratton, Daniel Bachman, Eric Carbonara, Tom Lecky, Alexander Turnquist, Cam Deas, and Yair Yona. Gorgeous!
FYI, the whole five volume Imaginational Anthem series is also now available in as six cd box set, the sixth disc being a bonus live recording by William Tyler called Elvis Was A Capricorn. Price, $37.
This past Record Store Day, the sixth volume in Tompkins Square's series of dreamy solo acoustic guitar compilations got its first vinyl release, and now post-Record Store Day, it's available on cd! And instead of contemporary players, or their Takoma-scene 60's and 70's forebears, they go even further back to the roots of what is often called American Primitive guitar, showcasing seven little known masters of the genre sourced from original 78 rpm recordings made between the 1920's and 1930's.
You might not recognize the names of Sylvester Weaver, Sam McGee, Riley Puckett, Davy Miller, Lemuel Turner, Frank Hutchison or Bayless Rose, but that shouldn't stop you from procuring some fine old rags and waltzes, parlor guitar meditations, slide guitar ruminations and dark blues folk, that inspired folks like John Fahey and Leo Kottke, and then Jack Rose and James Blackshaw and others of their ilk. Housed in a gatefold sleeve with extensive liner notes of the player's histories as well as tragedies. This is beautiful stuff!
Looking at the line-up of Tompkins Square's new Imaginational Anthem volume, you would think they were focusing on the more experimental side of the solo guitar genre. Featuring R. Keenan Lawler, Shawn David McMillen, banjo mystic George Stavos, electronic musician Greg Davis, Ben Reynolds, Steffen Basho-Junghans, Berkeley guitarist Matt Baldwin, and Richard Crandell amongst others, we were half-expecting (hoping for?) a more way out approach towards the instrument. But alas that's not the case and that isn't really a bad thing either. While the sounds are more in line with the previous volumes, and other compilations of solo guitar work, this compilation stands up amongst the best of the genre with some fine finger-picking by some unexpected sources. Though props go to Lawler, McMillen, and Stavos for pushing the envelope the most. LIMITED ADDED BONUS! The first ten purchasers get a free bonus 7" of two songs by Max Ochs from 1969, featuring the tracks "Imaginational Anthem" and "Oncones".
Second Volume of American Primitive guitar explorations from both the old and new schools, showcasing the diverse styles of its strongest players. While the patron saint of this movement is still John Fahey, the resonant strains between generations exemplify how far the movement has grown while allowing each artist to retain their own voice. Representing the old school this time around are Billy Faier, Michael Chapman, Peter Lang (re-doing a piece from the early '70s), Fred Gerlach and a rare live recording of Robbie Basho from the Venus in Capricorn era. The New school is represented by James Blackshaw, Jose Gonzalez. local Berkeley muscian Sean Smith, Christina Carter from Charalambides, Jack Rose (also featured on Vol. 1), Jesse Spearhawk, and British Banjo player Sharron Kraus. From traditional Americana, to eastern inflected ragas, shimmering 12 string washes to minimalist banjo odes, this is a fine set of excursionary guitar.
Universal/Soul Jazz release of recordings from the influential second string father/son production team of Vincent and Clive Chin. Vincent was responsible for starting the labels Randy's and Impact in the late sixties and, with his son, subsequently started their own recording studio -- Randy's Recording Studio 17 -- which was so successful that other producers on the island often used it as well. This compilation gathers together 15 of the best reggae soul and funk tracks the pair produced between 1969 and 1975. Allan particularly likes the Skin Flesh And Bones' instrumental version of the BT Express's funk classic "Do It Til You're Satisfied". Booklet includes a several page interview with Clive Chin conducted in 2002 and several archival photos.
Oh boy, this is nice. A roughly 6"x6"x2" wooden box, housing a thick booklet and five beautiful colored cardboard double cd sleeves, containing ten cds amongst them. On the cds (and described in print in the booklet): work by 34 Japan-based improvising
These folks do everything from improvising on tradtional instruments (Michihiro Sato's shamisen, Michiyo Yagi's koto) to full on electronic noise (Incapacitants) to avant-pop (Hoahio) to jazz to minimalist experimentation (Yoshimitsu Ichiraku's "Cymbal Orchestra"). Some tracks are long enough to be full releases in and of themselves.
We could provide further description, but figure that either those names mean something to you or they don't, and if they don't, you probably aren't curious enough to blow $160 for a crash course in the world of underground Japanese jazz/electronic improv music (or are you?). And if you have this box in your future, you probably know it already. We'll just say, it really is pretty nice package, worth the investment of time and money if you already have and enjoy more than a few discs by any of the artists documented. Three of us here at AQ bought copies!
But, be warned, we only have TWO of these...no wait, ack, damn, someone just bought one. We now have ONE copy! And we won't be getting any more (it's limited to 500, and these are are last we were able to get). So, the customer who stops by or gets their order in first will be in luck.
Before you go get goin' too excited about this new issue of IMFJ, we gotta tell you a couple things. First the good news, yes this does come with not one but two full cds crammed with cutting edge music for you to check out. Lots of cool avant-garde experimentation. But, none of it's by Japanese artists. This is the "Special Issue: Berlin" and so it focusses on that European scene, including folks like Axel Dorner, Christof Kurzmann, Annette Krebs, Phillip Sollmann, F.S. Blumm, Tony Buck, Jason Forrest, Joe Williamson, Andrea Neumann, and many others (Germans, Italians, Americans, etc... just no Japanese!). Japanophiles thereby be warned. People who like minimal electronics and out-there improvised music in general though should still be quite interested! But (another but), also a bit frustrated, unless fluent in Japanese. Because unlike previous issues of IMFJ, this one has no English text -- the interviews, articles and reviews are all in Japanese. Kind of a bummer for us, eh? But, you still get the two discs of music, and some pictures and stuff to look at, so it might still be worth it if you're interested in hearing what these cats are up to in Berlin.
The second volume in local label Secret Seven's SF underground rock primer lp series, and like the first, it's jam packed with tons of aQ faves, including the Ty Segall Band (whose recent Slaughterhouse album we made our Record Of the Week), Tim Cohen of the Fresh & Only's and Magic Trick, Wymond Miles also from the Fresh & Only's, Paula Frazier of the late great Tarnation, Sonny & The Sunsets, Hannah from Grass Widow, Kelly Stoltz, the Papercuts, Vetiver, as well as a few new to us names including Bad Backs and Lucky Eyes. And while there are no huge sonic surprises here, that's not what this series is all about, it's either an introduction to a thriving scene for the uninitiated, or a killer mixtape of exclusive tracks from a who's who of SF indie rock combos.
And again, like the first volume, plenty of gems to be found, Vetiver's "Any And All" might be one of our favorites from them yet, sounding like some lost Kinks B side, all lilting jangle and twang pop chorus, Ty Segall offers up a bruising guitar heavy chunk of garage pop crunch. Papercuts deliver some hazy washed out slowcore blissiness, Hannah from Grass Widow offers up one of the best tracks here, a heady, home brewed bit of reverby slo-mo dream pop balladry, all multi-tracked vocals, and lush layered lo-fi loveliness. Bad Backs combine organ drive garage rock fuzz pop with classic power pop songsmithery that definitely has us wanting to hear more (which is not surprising once we'd discovered BB features Andrew from SF pop punk heroes Ovens!), and Lucky Eyes too are a nice surprise, their track a strange harmony vocal-ed dirge pop creep.
And there's more more more more, and like all good comps, will have you scrambling to pick up anything and everything you don't have already by all of these artists! Packaged in a swank full color sleeve with a printed insert.
Killer new collection jam packed with aQ faves, a vinyl only primer on the San Francisco underground. Most folks won't need to know much more than this:
EXCLUSIVE TRACKS FROM THEE OH SEES, TY SEGALL, THE FRESH & ONLYS, SONNY 7 THE SUNSETS, KELLY STOLTZ, TIM COHEN, THE SANDWITCHES...
But there's way more, there's also Hannah And Raven of Grass Widow, the Trainwreck Riders, the Exray's, Paula Frazier (of Tarnation), Dylan Shearer, Jacques Butters, and Donovan Quinn + The 13th Month (he of the Skygreen Leopards), a pretty stellar collection, and it sounds as good as you might imagine. Sonny & The Sunsets' offer up some warm summery jangle, the Fresh & Only's get all new wave with a song that sounds at first like Devo's version of "Working In A Coalmine", before getting all twangy and reverby, Thee Oh Sees track is a twisted garbled-vocal sixties shuffle, a twisted murky Monster Mash groove, Tim Cohen offers up a bit of classic Beatles-esque pop, haunting and stripped down, the Ty Segall track is a snotty noisy garage rock dirge that RULES, and we could go on.
Needless to say, fans of any or all of the above outfits are gonna want this, and it just might introduce you to some other local combos that could very well become new favorites...
Norse black metal pioneers Bathory are honored by some of Nordic black metal's finest bands, including Marduk (2 songs), Emperor, Ophthalamia, Gehennah, Dark Funeral (2 songs), Satyricon, and many more.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Features the Melvins, Noisegate, The Spacewurm, Lesser, Concentrick, MSBR, Radiosonde, Non, Lockweld, 5/5/2000, Zipper Spy, Abdomen, Erik Core, Wizards Of War, Psywarfare, 3 Bloody Monkeys, and Deerhoof.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Jazz legend Dave Brubeck gets the tribute treatment courtesy of John Zorn's Avant label, who have gathered together a bunch of the usual suspects to cover Brubeck's compositions. For me, the highlight is the Ruins' version of "Blue Rondo A La Turk", a piece tailor-made for their hyper, heavy, and humorous delivery, but we also hear from the likes of Bill Frisell, Uri Caine, Dave Douglas, Joey Baron, Eyvind Kang, Erik Friedlander, Anthony Coleman, and Medeski, Martin, & Wood among others. Quite enjoyable.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
With Alec Empire, Oval, Jim O'Rourke, Scanner, DJ Spooky, Trans Am, Atom Heart, etc. German import in a nice matte slipcase.
Coil as a musical entity had such a profound affect on modern music, and on the majority of bands and artists we love and listen to every day. So when Jhonn Balance of Coil died after an accidental fall, underground musicians worldwide were stunned and heartbroken. And what better way to channel rage, and disappointment and sadness than through music. So thus we have In Memoriam, a sonic tribute and memorial to the memory and the musical legacy of Jhonn Balance.
The lineup is chock full of unknowns, but sonically most of them are definitely channeling the sprit of Coil and are pretty fantastic. Enough that it had a few of us wanting more from some of the groups. Some of the names are recognizable, and a few are definite AQ faves: Coh, Alec Empire, Alva Noto, Scanner, KK Null, Thighpaulsandra, Chris Connelly and Pomassl. But the rest, wow! Usually a comp with mostly unknowns bodes poorly for the quality of the collection, but somehow, most of these groups end up being really cool, and perfect in their own way, demonstrating their love and affection for Balance and Coil in their quite varied musical homages. And they hail from ALL over. Pretty amazing actually. The list had us pretty excited before we even got the discs in: The Threshold Houseboy's Choir (Thailand), Theodor Bastard (Russia), Kotra (Ukraine), Spies Boys (Russia), 2/5 BZ (Turkey), Biblioteka Prospero (Ukraine), Phillip Klingler (USA), EU (Russia), Darling Kandie (USA), Alexei Borisov (Russia), Schlammpeitziger (Germany), Goodiny & PCP (Russia), Brompton's Cocktail (Russia), Mystified (Sweden), hhtp (Belarus), Noises Of Russia & Olga Komok / Nikolay Rubanov (Russia), Kryptogen Rundfunk (Russia), A. Vorodeyev (Ukraine), Serge Tereshkine (Russia), Volga (Russia), I.L.I. (Russia) and M.R.F. / Elena Voynarovskaya (Ukraine)! Wow, heavy on the Eastern Europe for sure, which might have to do with the fact that this was released on a Russian label.
Regardless, eyes closed, this almost plays like an actual Coil album. Heavy on the electronics, lots of processed rhythms, strange voices, creepy soundscapes. Some are sort-of-covers, others are loose interpretations, while still others are original pieces of music, more in the spirit of Coil than emulating the actual sound. But for such a massive comp, the sound is surprisingly cohesive and flows wonderfully. Some of our favorite tracks: Alec Empire's stripped down fuzzed out beatscape. The dreamy otherworldly abstract folk of 2/5 BZ. The faux gamelan of Thailand's Threshold Houseboy's Choir. The murky new wave industrial of Biblioteka Prospero. The dreamy minimal glitchscape of EU. We could go on and on. Needless to say, it's all pretty dang great. Even the folks who don't actually dig Coil all that much have been liking a whole lot of this comp and playing it all the time!
Quite possibly essential listening for Coil freaks, but definitely a kick ass experimental electronic compilation worth checking out for folks into that sort of stuff!!
Featuring solo turns by members of Buffalo Tom, Helium, Karate, The Secret Stars, plus the Richard Davies band, Ida, and more.
There is such a rich history of prison music in this country, with the roots of blues easily traced to the incarceration and slavery of African American, and with so much hurt, pain and suffering comes some of the most gripping, raw, and honest music ever made. This compilation collects all sorts of sounds created behind bars from old blues, R+B, soul and modern sounding hip-hop. From the direct and hard hitting blues of Fred McDowell to the righteous empowerment of Nina Simone, the thoughtful anger of 2 Pac to a surprisingly political and subversive soul number from The Temptations. Brand Nubian, James Russell, Dead Prez, Curtis Mayfield and The Last Poets are just a few others featured on this amazing compilation. As is the case with all Trikont releases there is an extensive and informative booklet with great essays including one on how the U.S. continues to be a prison state to this day. We can imagine this being in heavy rotation on the stereos of Spike Lee, Angela Davis and Noam Chomsky, and we can't stop listening to this ourselves. So smart, relevant and powerful!
A while back, we went a little crazy for a series of three limited edition (and now long out of print) 7"s, a series of Hawkwind tributes, by some of our favorite modern psych rock heavies, tracks from Kinski, Bardo Pond, Acid Mothers Temple, White Hills, Mudhoney and Mugstar, all of them amazing. So now finally, those 7"s have been compiled onto a cd, including not only all of those original tracks, but also some bonus tracks to boot, more Hawkwind covers by Moon Duo, Magoo and *another* cover by aQ faves Mugstar. More on those in a moment, first, let's talk about those original singles, and of course the mighty HAWKWIND!
Where to even start... HAWKWIND. The mighty lords of drugged out space rock, without whom, most of the bands we love might not even exist. These four Hawkwind records: Doremi Fasol Latido, Hall Of The Mountain Grill, In Search Of Space, and Space Ritual, are pretty much all anyone needs to know about space rock. Or whatever it is that Hawkwind do, long sprawling jams, extended psychedelic workouts, heavy and trippy, totally drugged out and divine, while at the same time, surprisingly catchy. But yeah, aQ folks probably already know how much we love Hawkwind.
So if we were to pick bands to cover classic Hawkwind tunes, we might not have picked exactly these, but then again, we very well might have: Mudhoney, Mugstar, Acid Mothers Tempo And The Cosmic Inferno, White Hills, Kinski, Bardo Pond. Holy hell! If this were simply a comp with those bands, we'd be all over it, but the fact that they're covering Hawkwind seems like it was made just for the aQ faithful, and who knows, maybe it was.
So how does each band fare? Pretty marvelously in fact, let's run through the track shall we?
Kinski are up first, and they definitely get their Hawkwind on, covering "Master Of The Universe", not so much making it their own, as transforming themselves into a vessel through which the spirit of Hawkwind can flow, and flow it does. That main riff is such a killer, all the band have to do is ride it out, adding plenty of freaked out effects and psychedelic leads, the vocals buried in the mix, not getting in the way of the endless spacepsych jamming.
Bardo Pond add female vocals to their take on "Lord Of Light", the vocals drifting ethereally, over a roiling black cloud of FX drenched guitars and some seriously pounding drums, even a bit of flute (we think), and maybe more than any of the others managing to meld the sound of the original with their own, plenty of wah wah guitar, loads of effects, most of the track spent drifting through space, cloaked in blown out super distorted psych guitar and shimmering outer space ambience. Surprisingly heavy and totally blissed out.
Acid Mothers Temple are an obvious choice to pay homage to a band who was doing the AMT thing 30 years ago, and in true AMT fashion, Kawabata and company go for it, covering "Brainstorm" although it's difficult to tell, as it's buried under sheets of wild freaked out psych guitar and blown out space rock effects EVERYWHERE. It really doesn't sound all that different from any number of other AMT jams, but that's basically because every AMT jam is a tribute to Hawkwind, isn't it?
NYC's White Hills ditch much of their usual spaceiness for something a bit harder, tackling "Be Yourself" with crunchy chugging guitars, pounding drums, wild tangles of distortion drenched leads over the top, the band not so much covering the original, as transforming it into an endless psychedelic hard rock loop, the band churning and grinding out a steady stream of psychedelia over that endless main riff, before drifting off into a cloud of glittering soft psych shimmer.
Mudhoney tackle "Urban Guerilla" and totally make it their own, so much so, that minus a little chunk of extended droney space rocking in the middle, those not well versed in Hawkwind would certainly be forgiven for thinking it was a Mudhoney original.
And finally Mugstar throw their space rock hat into the ring, and are a DEAD ringer for Hawkwind, their sound murky and muddy, squalls of psych guitar, clouds of swirling spaced out FX, droned out jams, all tangled up and slowly unwinding into a long sprawling space rock jamscape. Hawkwind would be proud.
Phew, even without bonus tracks, this would be a serious killer, but for the cd reissue there are three! The one most folks seem to be super excited about is the Moon Duo jam. Moon Duo, for those not in the know, is the two piece drum machine driven space kraut offshoot of SF psychedelic rockers Wooden Shjips, and they take Hawkwind's "Hurry On Sundown" and stretch it way out, skeletal drum machine, woozy organ drones, reverbed Suicide like vox, dark and hypnotic and spacey, only to erupt about halfway through into something way more rocking, grinding distorted tendrils of psychguitar smolder wrapped all around that unrelenting motorik groove.
Magoo, who we don't know too much about, tackle "Space Is Deep", and stay pretty true to the HW formula, thick fuzzy bass, fiery effects drenched guitars, stripped down and minimal, the vocals sounding very Geddy Lee, eventually the track builds to a seriously spaced out fuzzguitar stomp, unleashing that wild chaotic heart of the sun Hawkwind style extended outro that pretty much WAS the hallmark of every incredible HW space jam, and they nail it.
Finally, Mugstar gets another go, and they take on "Paradox" and like their version of "Born To Go", they might as well just fess up to being the reincarnated spirit of Hawkwind, cuz holy shit, for all thebands who ape that Hawkwind sound, few capture the mood and spirit and vibe and SOUND as well as these guys, crunchy fuzzy guitars, super melodic basslines, vocals buried in the mix, everything wrapped in swirling streaks of whooshing sci-fi effects, slipping easily from blissed out almost krautrock style groove, to fierce almost metalic crunch, culminating in, yes, another gloriously blown out, extended hypnotic space rock freak out finish.
It may be a comp, and it may be all covers, but this is still most definitely a contender for freaked out, psychedelic space rock record of the year!!
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
One of two new fantastic compilations released on Portland's seemingly infallible Mississippi records, one is a collection of pre-war country blues and gospel called The Rain Don't Fall On Me, reviewed elsewhere on this week's list, and there's this one, In The Storm So Long, a selection of raw gospel music from Georgia in the sixties and the seventies, all originally released on Savannah Georgia's Pitch / Gusman label, which began life as a record store, before expanding into a recording studio and a full fledged label, documenting the various gospel quartets and singers in the area.
The sound and songs are incredible, rough and raw, soulful and passionate, alternately rocking and reverby, joyous and exultant, the guitars fuzzy, the pianos pounding, but it's gospel after all so it's the vocals that steal the show, heartfelt and emotional, from solo crooning to full congregation sing alongs, fervent testifyin' to sweet sweet serenades. So good.
Includes lengthy liner notes, discussing the life of Jones and the history of the label and the store, here presented as a faux issue of the Gospel Observer, a free bi-monthly newsletter Jones self published in the seventies. Housed in a heavy old style tip-on jacket.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Wow. The London based Soul Jazz label does it again. They've already documented the global history of funk and soul in several astonishingly well-executed collections including the universally loved "100-500% Dynamite" series of Jamaican soul, rocksteady, and reggae; the Philadelphia Roots collection; the Nu Yorica albums; that ESG reissue, and even an Art Ensemble of Chicago album. Yet none of these albums has been as highly anticipated or so spot-on timely as this new one from Soul Jazz, "In The Beginning There Was Rhythm."
This compilation succeeds in encapsulating that heady time between the years 1978 and 1982, when the "second wave" of British punk bands found inspiration in both the musical and political power of reggae. As the situationist propaganda of Malcolm McLaren and the Sex Pistols spawned a global theater of anarchist shock tactics, even such right-wing idiots as the skinhead, white power, and neo-Nazi parties dared to embrace punk's celebration of chaos. Thus, those (mostly white) musicians within the punk movement who were *opposed* to such unsavory politics stood in solidarity both politically and aesthetically with their black brothers in Jamaica. Incited by the offbeat attack of The Clash and the huge dub bass production from Public Image Limited, the late '70s punk movement began a vast exploration into possibilities of bridging dance music with the revolutionary anthems of punk.
While neither The Clash nor PIL are included in this compilation, "In The Beginning There Was Rhythm" does collect some of the best tracks from the huge vaults of post-punk, many of which might have gone forgotten had it not been for this album! Even 20 years after their initial releases, the bands here -- including Gang of Four, Cabaret Voltaire, 23 Skidoo, The Pop Group, A Certain Ratio, The Slits, This Heat, Human League and Throbbing Gristle -- still sound fresh, often melding choppy rhythms with angular slash-and-burn guitar, spit out vocals, rubbery bass, and nascent forms of electronica.
We'll say it again -- the music here is simply perfect -- the punk holds back dance music's tendency to get too mechanical 'n boring, while the dance elements impart melody and groove to the punk. Highlighting the compilation are A Certain Ratio's urgent amphetamine funk on "Shack Up" and "Knife Slits Water", melding the unlikely combination of Joy Division's grim urgency with a George Clinton funk arrrangement. Gang Of Four's "To Hell With Poverty" marks their transition from the agitated punk grooves found on their classic (but impossible to find) debut "Entertainment" into a smooth dancefloor-friendly attack punctuated by Marxist rhetoric. The Human League -- who are unfortunately best known for their chart topping new wave singles -- had incredibly adventurous beginnings on the often forgotten punk label Fast (also early home for The Mekons and Gang of Four). Their early offering "Being Boiled" is a primitive piece of spartan electronics loaded with theatrical tension and dark arpeggiations more expected from people like Coil and Throbbing Gristle (who contribute their perverse fascination with ABBA in the subversive aesthetics of "20 Jazz Funk Greats").
But, why is this compilation so short? Judging from how few people today remember or even have heard Section 25, Tunnelvision, DAF, or Fad Gadget, there's plenty more work for Soul Jazz to do in compiling more compilations of this sort! Not just recommended, this is *required* listening. Strongly recommended to any and all!
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
We thought these were gone forever, but we somehow managed to track down another batch of these psych rock beauties, but who knows if we'll get that lucky again, so don't blow it again...
HOLEEEEEE SHIT! You better tie down your speakers, strap on a helmet, put on some safety goggles and stand WAY back before you drop the needle on this. Three bands, doing super blown out fuzzed out needle in the red psychedelic space rock interpretations of, well, some psychedelic space rock.
The Heads take up a whole side with their rendition of Hawkwind's "Born To Go", and if you need anything more than the words "The Heads play Hawkwind" then there is something seriously wrong with you. It's almost exponential, like instead of Hawkwind filtered through the Heads, it becomes Hawkwind TIMES the Heads TIMES lots of drugs and TIMES about a million amplifiers. Super blown out acid fired drug drenched space rock nirvana!!!
And if you survive side one, side two will certainly do you in, Plastic Crimewave Sound starts it up with a smoking version of the Edgar Broughton Band's "Why Can't Somebody Love Me?" which is damn near as fierce as the Heads' track, needle pegged to the red, guitars set to stun, controls set for the heart of the sun, a furiously face-melting blast of outer space rock and roll. Finally, Lillydamwhite, who we had never heard before, cover the Pink Fairies' "Uncle Harry's Last Freakout" and while not as fierce as either of the two other tracks, is still pretty rocking with a super propulsive groove and killer riffs wrapped in spacey FX.
Total space rock overload and WE LOVE IT!!!
Comes in a cool Crimewave designed sleeve (designed to look like an old psychedelic flyer) with a bunch of printed inserts.
SUPER LIMITED. we only got a handful and we may not be able to get more...
Achtung! Last chance to get with the In-Kraut, if you haven't already! This excellent series' third (and, sadly, final) volume offers up another twenty tracks of rare, super groovy dancefloor filling fodder from West Germany, circa 1967 to 1974, all of it pretty amazing and also amusing, in that it's generally waaay over the top and ultra-kitschy. In fact some of these tracks are so ridiculous, sooo deliberately go-go ga-ga "psychedelic" and "hip" and "groovy" that it's almost like they're parodies of these sort of swingin' sixties sounds, a la Austin Powers - who if he were German, would be getting down to exactly these sorts of swinging tunes.
If you're already an In-Kraut initiate you know what to expect: a mix of instrumentals and vocal numbers (speaking of vocal numbers, "Butterflies Never Cry" by Georgees is INSANE, utterly out of hand) done by big band-ish combos looking to wow the hipster denizens of Deutschland's discotheques back in the day. Which means this stuff is delightfully dated and far out at once, with fuzzy acid rock guitars slipped in alongside the funky beats, jazzy, zazzy horns, and lush orchestral maneuvers.
Other than the Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra (whose "World Is Gone" is almost as disturbing as it is gleefully goofy and groovy) we don't really recognize too many of the artists here, except a few who also appeared on previous In-Kraut installments, most are totally unknown to us, yet awesome, which is a reason to buy a compilation like this. Some names: Daisy Clan, The Rainbow Orchestra, Inga, Ambros Seelos, Rolf Kuhn, Certain Lions & Tigers, Adam & Eve, Acid, Heinz Kiessling, The German Top Five, Memphis Black, Karl Schiller... and a bunch more. Just a few of the highlights include the Beatles composition "A Hard Day's Night" as performed by Katja Ebstein (which could have been a standout on that recent Easy Beatles collection), and a quite, uh, horny rendition of Led Zep's "Whole Lotta Love" done by Dieter Zimmermann (and band), in the tradition of the Deep Purple cover that appeared on vol. 2.
From pop-rock covers to original soundtrack themes, there's plenty of shuffling grooves and slinky instrumentals (Acid's "Hipguard" would thrill Christine 23 Onna) to make this the perfect lava-lamp / mirror-ball crossover collection. Ja, vol. 3 is as strong the first two, highly recommended. You can't listen to this and NOT be having fun!
And as usual with these In-Kraut comps, the cd booklet is packed with graphics and text pertaining to each track. It's quite clear that the compilers know their stuff!
Sub Dub, DJ Spooky, Byzar, and We all plumbing the depths of the NYC "illbient" sound. We are happy to report the instore performance featured DJ Singe, otherwise known as Beth, spinning the most soul-satisfying jungle we've heard in a long time.
