[ aquarius records catalogue

V/ARevenge of the B-Boy Episode 2(Bomb Hip-Hop)cd$ 12.98

I'm sure you remember how we raved (no pun intended) like crazy about the Soundmurderer record a few lists ago, a wicked collection of the finest old school jungle. Well, here we go again. This time, Soundmurderer (aka Todd Osborn) is joined by SK-1, who may be more familiar to some of you as Dabrye, on this collection of 12"s released by Michigans premiere Jungle label, Rewind Record. Huge bombastic, old school ruffneck ragga, with spastic beats, rumbling basslines, crushing synths and wicked toasting. Folks who miss the old days of jungle will be floored, and all you folks who have been getting into dancehall (and have been digging stuff like the Bug) should check this out.

MPEG stream: Dreader Than Dread
MPEG stream: Bad Sound

Another week, another forward thinking electronic music off shoot, another new genre. It's sort of always been like that. Acid house begets jungle begets drum and bass, begets drill and bass, begets UK garage or dark step or about a million other variations, which beget dubstep and grime, which then leads to this stuff, dubbed UK Funky, which was supposedly born out of the aggression and intensity inherent in grime and dubstep, moving back toward house music, a little lighter, with that 4 on the floor beat, and still lots and lots and lots of BASS. As always, Soul Jazz leaps right in to document this new scene and do a bang up job. Right off the bat, you'll notice a handful of familiar names, Kode9, Roska, Shystie, Grievous Angel, that's cuz Funky is not that far removed from dubstep, it's almost the same sound pallet, just with that dubstep lurch and swing replaced by a more steady driving beat, but around that beat, synths still bloop and bleep and bloop and buzz, the bass rumbles and warbles, and like jungle, Funky has a bit of a ragga vibe, so there's a definite dancehall feel, with some killer toasting on some tracks. This comp is pretty solid all the way through, and ANYone who's been digging the various Soul Jazz dubstep comps, will definitely dig this too. MJ Cole's "Volcano Riddim" takes super dramatic soundtrack strings and wraps them around a killer main groove and a very dubsteppy beat, Altered Natives' "Rass Out" is a cool murky muted minimal shuffle with live drums, moody minor key melodies, and some swooping swirling synths. Warrior Queen contributes to Sunship's "Almighty Father" creating a super funky grimy dubfunk workout, Zumen's "Rolexx" features some incredible tongue twisting flow from the awesomely named Leafnuts, Lil Silva lays down a skittery beat underneath bleating synths and woozy funk bass, super stripped down, but seriously bad ass, DVA gets super bassy and buzzy with his "Natty" that sounds like a skipping jungle record slowed down and swathed in synths. We could go on, but why bother, this stuff all rules, and for dubstep obsessive and grime freaks, this is just another collection of bass heavy dancefloor destroyers that should get your toes tapping and rib cage rattling. Like all Soul Jazz comps, includes a big booklet with lots of liner notes, info about UK Funky, the history of UK dancemusic and more. The cd comes housed in a cool extra wide half sized dvd style case, the lp split over two pricey but super swank double lps...

MPEG stream: Rolexx
MPEG stream: Volcano Riddim
MPEG stream: Predator Mode (Roska Remix)
MPEG stream: Pulse Vs. Flex
MPEG stream: Pull It (Ill Blu Remix Instrumental)

Another week, another forward thinking electronic music off shoot, another new genre. It's sort of always been like that. Acid house begets jungle begets drum and bass, begets drill and bass, begets UK garage or dark step or about a million other variations, which beget dubstep and grime, which then leads to this stuff, dubbed UK Funky, which was supposedly born out of the aggression and intensity inherent in grime and dubstep, moving back toward house music, a little lighter, with that 4 on the floor beat, and still lots and lots and lots of BASS. As always, Soul Jazz leaps right in to document this new scene and do a bang up job. Right off the bat, you'll notice a handful of familiar names, Kode9, Roska, Shystie, Grievous Angel, that's cuz Funky is not that far removed from dubstep, it's almost the same sound pallet, just with that dubstep lurch and swing replaced by a more steady driving beat, but around that beat, synths still bloop and bleep and bloop and buzz, the bass rumbles and warbles, and like jungle, Funky has a bit of a ragga vibe, so there's a definite dancehall feel, with some killer toasting on some tracks. This comp is pretty solid all the way through, and ANYone who's been digging the various Soul Jazz dubstep comps, will definitely dig this too. MJ Cole's "Volcano Riddim" takes super dramatic soundtrack strings and wraps them around a killer main groove and a very dubsteppy beat, Altered Natives' "Rass Out" is a cool murky muted minimal shuffle with live drums, moody minor key melodies, and some swooping swirling synths. Warrior Queen contributes to Sunship's "Almighty Father" creating a super funky grimy dubfunk workout, Zumen's "Rolexx" features some incredible tongue twisting flow from the awesomely named Leafnuts, Lil Silva lays down a skittery beat underneath bleating synths and woozy funk bass, super stripped down, but seriously bad ass, DVA gets super bassy and buzzy with his "Natty" that sounds like a skipping jungle record slowed down and swathed in synths. We could go on, but why bother, this stuff all rules, and for dubstep obsessive and grime freaks, this is just another collection of bass heavy dancefloor destroyers that should get your toes tapping and rib cage rattling. Like all Soul Jazz comps, includes a big booklet with lots of liner notes, info about UK Funky, the history of UK dancemusic and more. The cd comes housed in a cool extra wide half sized dvd style case, the lp split over two pricey but super swank double lps...

MPEG stream: Rolexx
MPEG stream: Volcano Riddim
MPEG stream: Predator Mode (Roska Remix)

Another week, another forward thinking electronic music off shoot, another new genre. It's sort of always been like that. Acid house begets jungle begets drum and bass, begets drill and bass, begets UK garage or dark step or about a million other variations, which beget dubstep and grime, which then leads to this stuff, dubbed UK Funky, which was supposedly born out of the aggression and intensity inherent in grime and dubstep, moving back toward house music, a little lighter, with that 4 on the floor beat, and still lots and lots and lots of BASS. As always, Soul Jazz leaps right in to document this new scene and do a bang up job. Right off the bat, you'll notice a handful of familiar names, Kode9, Roska, Shystie, Grievous Angel, that's cuz Funky is not that far removed from dubstep, it's almost the same sound pallet, just with that dubstep lurch and swing replaced by a more steady driving beat, but around that beat, synths still bloop and bleep and bloop and buzz, the bass rumbles and warbles, and like jungle, Funky has a bit of a ragga vibe, so there's a definite dancehall feel, with some killer toasting on some tracks. This comp is pretty solid all the way through, and ANYone who's been digging the various Soul Jazz dubstep comps, will definitely dig this too. MJ Cole's "Volcano Riddim" takes super dramatic soundtrack strings and wraps them around a killer main groove and a very dubsteppy beat, Altered Natives' "Rass Out" is a cool murky muted minimal shuffle with live drums, moody minor key melodies, and some swooping swirling synths. Warrior Queen contributes to Sunship's "Almighty Father" creating a super funky grimy dubfunk workout, Zumen's "Rolexx" features some incredible tongue twisting flow from the awesomely named Leafnuts, Lil Silva lays down a skittery beat underneath bleating synths and woozy funk bass, super stripped down, but seriously bad ass, DVA gets super bassy and buzzy with his "Natty" that sounds like a skipping jungle record slowed down and swathed in synths. We could go on, but why bother, this stuff all rules, and for dubstep obsessive and grime freaks, this is just another collection of bass heavy dancefloor destroyers that should get your toes tapping and rib cage rattling. Like all Soul Jazz comps, includes a big booklet with lots of liner notes, info about UK Funky, the history of UK dancemusic and more. The cd comes housed in a cool extra wide half sized dvd style case, the lp split over two pricey but super swank double lps...

MPEG stream: Pulse Vs. Flex
MPEG stream: Pull It (Ill Blu Remix Instrumental)

Double cd covers comp in tribute to Andee's favorite rock band of all time, the mighty Aerosmith! The participating bands mostly hail from the realm of "stoner rock", such as Natas, Alabama Thunderpussy (who do a great "Sweet Emotion"), Atomic Bitchwax, Fireball Ministry, Drunk Horse, The Want, Core, Raging Slab, Altamont, and 18 more! As these tribute things go, a pretty good one. Furthermore, Andee sez: If this sounds even remotely appealing, you oughta order the Aerosmith cd "Draw The Line" too, which we also carry. It's probably one of the best 'rock' records ever. Aerosmith may suck now, but their first 5 records were '70s hard rock at its best; heavy and groovy and amazingly catchy. Their "Greatest Hits" were not their greatest hits. Trust me.

RealAudio clip: Movin Out

Well, it's an intriguing gimmick that piqued our interest when we first heard about it -- 99 ringtones for cel phones, contributed by a panoply of musicians and sound artists (many of whom AQ holds near and dear), compiled by the virtually always trustworthy The list of participants is certainly exciting -- everyone from naturalist soundcollectors Douglas Quin, S.E.T.I., and Chris Watson; to glitchsters Fennesz, Mika Vainio, and Pita; to soundwave conjurers Ryoji Ikeda, Carl Michael von Hausswolff; to pranksters People Like Us, Gilbert and George; to radio transmissions, a Conet Project snippet, New Order, Wire's Bruce Gilbert, and ever so much more. But honestly, even though all of the above have made full length records we've enjoyed, listening to more or less 10-second snippets from these artists' signature sounds is frustrating, you keep wanting to hear more from a particular contributor, to figure out where in the lineup you are, having to constantly check the cd player to see which track you're on, then ruin your eyes referring to the *tiny tiny* track listing on the cd digipak. It's a headscratching, sort of frustrating exercise. As one big listen straight thru (or even on shuffle) without caring who is doing which track, the experience is schizo but not unpleasant. But collage without any sort of sonic theme besides "short" and "wouldn't it be funny if this was a cel phone ringtone" falls squarely, for me, into the cool-concept-but-bad-listening-experience category.

RealAudio clip: Polar / Tele / Whale / Sounder
RealAudio clip: Arrowfrog / Baboon / Emperor Penguins / Hippopotamus / Hyrax / Oropendola
RealAudio clip: (excerpt)
RealAudio clip: Naked
RealAudio clip: Help! / MansLaughter
RealAudio clip: Video 5-8-6

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY.

If you love your booty shakin then you probably got the first installment of this totally endearing and bumpin' collection of Baile Funk deep from the heart of Rio. That held us over for a bit but our booty's were in need of a recharge and we got it thanks to this 2nd volume in this collection. A raw, mutant mixture of booty bass, hip-hop, carnival, and mash-up culture at its most contagious. What makes this collection so infectious is that you can't help but hear how these songs were made free of irony, and giving us a little peak into what a colorful and risquÅ kind of party scene is happening in Rio. Throw this on in between some M.I.A and Lady Sovereign and you're sure to get everyone around you shaking their booty like it's meant to be shook. 100 percent F-U-N!

MPEG stream: Sex-O-Matic
MPEG stream: Japonesa
MPEG stream: Montagem Jiu Jitsu

Dirty, DIRTY! sex rhyme booty beat music from Brazil. Sounds interesting, mmmmno? I think it might be called a couple of other names, but this comp's titled Rio Baile Funk: Favela Booty Beats. The sound is a rudimentary hodgepodge of beats/breaks/melodies appropriated from all sortsa other music: Os Mutantes, Def Leppard's "High and Dry", an assortment of late 80s/early 90s Hip Hop, and 90s New Wave/Top 40 all mixed into an incessant percussion, over which a (for the most part) singular (and sometimes a child's) voice yells totally explicit sex rhymes! Now, I don't know Portugese, but it doesn't take rocket science to imagine what they're yellin about here. First of all, what comes to mind with the term dirty sex ryhmes? Hmm, ok. If you haven't gotten the hint yet, imagine where it comes from: the ghettos of Rio and its millions of homeless children ruling the sprawling city with violence day and night. In a place like this, nothing but this type of music would be appropriate. Regardless, the beats are amazing, the lyricism (well, yelling) is hilarious but fierce, and the overall sound is fresh, inspiring and ridiculously fun. Crazy recommended!

MPEG stream: Muhler Coca Cola
MPEG stream: O Baile Todo

From Atari Teenage Riot's furious electro-punk to Christoph de Babalon's glacial darkness, "Riot Zone" is features Digital Hardcore's "greatest hits" so far. Along with the aforementioned acts, you get Shizuo, Hanin Elias, Alec Empire, Ec8or, Bomb20, and Patric Catani. DHR-heads will have some of this already, but unless you've got all the 12" vinyl this is still essential. And of course it features a manic neo-situationist manifesto from Mr. Empire.

Hopefully all of you are now familiar, probably thanks to the HBO's Paradise Lost documentaries, with the unjust plight of the West Memphis Three: Arkansas teenagers Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelly and Jason Baldwin, convicted of murders they in all likelihood are innocent of, more on account of their supposed goth/alternative "weirdness" than any real evidence. If not, go please rent the first Paradise Lost film, it'll shake you up...or look for a new book about the case called Devil's Knot. Anyway, more publicity (and money for lawyers) for the WM3 can only be a good thing, and ol' Hank Rollins (whatever you think about his post-Black Flag music, spoken word and film career, he's a well-intentioned individual) had just the idea: another benefit album (there's already been one), but one with a "must-have" concept: a whole bunch of well-known singers doing their favorite Black Flag songs. With his current Rollins Band line-up on bass, guitar and drums, Rollins invited everyone from fellow former Black Flag singer Chuck Dukowski to Iggy Pop to Chuck D into the studio to take on 24 Black Flag classics. It's celebrity Black Flag karaoke, basically. Henry himself shows up on six songs, such was his enthusiasm... So, if you're at all curious to hear Ice-T sing "Police Story", or Exene Cervenka dueting with Rollins on "Wasted", or Dean Ween's version of "Gimme Gimme Gimme", or just want to support a good cause, here you go. And boy, does Lemmy's "Thirsty & Miserable" sound like a Motorhead original! Some other participants: Mike Patton, Keith Morris, Ryan Adams (performing solo, making "Nervous Breakdown" sound like a PJ Harvey song), Tom Araya of Slayer, and members of Rancid, Queens of the Stone Age, Poison The Well, The Mars Volta, and Slipknot. (Look online at www.wm3.org for more info about the three, or if you want to send $$$ to 'em directly rather than buying this cd!)

RealAudio clip: Thirsty & Miserable
RealAudio clip: Nervous Breakdown

Field recordings by ethnomusicologist Deben Bhattacharya, freshly recorded in February 2001. Traditional Bangladeshi music can be divided into two forms, the more traditional Indian-influenced Raga-Tala system, and the more simple form known as Deshi ('of the

RealAudio clip: Dhalla Nodi

Road To Nowhere? No way, this road leads to stoner rock heaven. Hot shit badasses Fu Manchu, Nick Oliveri, Brant Bjork, Burning Brides, and The Dwarves share the joint (heh heh, pun intended!) with lesser known indie upstarts Big Truck, Winnebago Deal, Truck Fighters, Dig, The Sammies, In The Detail, Baby Woodrose, Leech, and locals Turn Me On Dead Man (unfortunately misspelled as "Dean Man" on the packaging -- guess spelling took a back seat to rawkin'). Oh yeah, and there's also a lil' band here called The Freeks whose lineup includes members of Kyuss, Monster Magnet, Nebula, Skin Yard and Earthless!

MPEG stream: Lie Detector
MPEG stream: The Go Go Get

Here's an interesting collection. Put together by Robert Crumb, at the behest of his wife Aline, from his personal collection of 78's. The collection moves across the globe by continent, starting in Louisiana, USA moving south through Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America; then touching down in Europe (Spain, Sicily, Greece and Turkey), moving south through Africa, on to India and South East Asia (Burma & Vietnam), and finally resting in the South Pacific. Most of the recordings come from the 30's (with a few from as early as 1927 and as recent as 1950) and are quite likely to be tracks you've never heard before in your life. Some artists, like Greek singer Rita Abadzi, first lady of Cajun Cleoma Falcon and Norteno musician Lidya Mendoza are well known, and have plenty of recordings assuring their place in history. But of much of the others on this disc, very little is known. In a typically erudite, but self deprecating and witty form that is unique to himself, Robert Crumb leads us through his recordings armed with what little knowledge he's been able to glean about each performer (mostly from the internet and, Crumb insists, with the help of others who understand such modern technology).

MPEG stream: El Tambor De La Alegria
MPEG stream: Chant d'Invitation A La Dance
MPEG stream: Hat Du

Fuzz and groove from the Andes, mostly circa 1969-1974, uh huh! If there's anything we've learned from all the cool comps and reissues that have come out over the years, is that almost ANYPLACE on Earth you can think of, no matter how out of the way, chances are they had their own happenin' psychedelic garage rock band scene back in the day, chock full of cool bands that we'd never have ever heard of but for the diligent efforts of collectors and compilers. Certainly we already know this to be the case in '60s/'70s Peru, as we're already in love with such great bands from that land as Traffic Sound, We All Together, and Tarkus. Now from the same Lima-based label, Repsychled, that just so happens to be responsible for reissues of albums by all of those, we get this killer compilation devoted to bands from Peru's second largest city, Arequipa, located in the south of the country, high up in the Andes. None of these groups recorded full albums, but they did release rare singles and make live 'party' cassettes and left behind enough cool music that this disc is packed, 21 tracks from five bands: Los Texao, Free Love System, Los Incognitos, Madera Fresca, and Opus. Los Texao, named after the type of flower associated with Arequipa, have the lion's share of the tracks, ten of 'em, including some covers (Cream, The Guess Who, Steppenwolf). They are also responsible for several of the best originals on here, especially their druggy groovy freakout "Stone", which by itself may justify the purchase of this disc, and exemplifies their own musical style called niebla (= fog in English), we're told "because of the effect produced by the band's rotor amps and reverb and echo effects". But Free Love System don't let us, or Arequipa, down either (with a name like that, you gotta be good!) and their four cuts are also pretty cool and, uh, foggy, including one with driving fuzz guitars and a kind of "You Really Got Me" riff, entitled "Correteando Anoranzas". They (as well as Los Texao and the others) also do some dreamy pop stuff, with melancholic psych guitar solos, so it's not all heavy and rockin', but mellow and moody too. Meanwhile Los Incognitos have more of a twang, sounding a bit like something out of a Spaghetti Western on their four cuts. And then there's a couple by Madera Fresca. In particular, their track "Anytime" is pretty crazed, though also extremely lo-fi (fortunately it's the exception in that regard amongst the tracks here), and heck even if it wasn't, that'd be ok with us, we'd happily crank a whole album of this sort of distorted worbbly-warbly instrumental jamming. And then Opus, a band formed by Free Love System's former guitarist in '76, wraps up the disc with track #21, the only one on the disc that's not actually from the '69-'74 time frame, though it sounds it, despite being recorded as late as 1982. Whoo! Along with our recent initiation into the wonderfulness of the "chicha" sound (which combined Andean folk traditions with psych/beat influences), this comp certainly adds to our infatuation with Peruvian music of the psychedelic era. If you dig stuff like the Love, Peace & Poetry: Latin America comp you'll want to hear this. The cd booklet is illustrated with vintage photos and press clippings, and includes informative liner notes in Spanish and (somewhat abridged) English.

MPEG stream: Stone
MPEG stream: Correteando Anoranzas
MPEG stream: Ya Sera Tarde
MPEG stream: Pobre Gato

Does there need to be a tribute to Weezer? Maybe, although need is a strong word. Could there be? Sure. Should there be? Probably not, especially when the bands and their versions deviate very little from the original. Pretty pointless. Features Weezer

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. Local favorites Fuck, Grady Sisters, Snowmen, Baby Carrot, Ponyride, etc.

Oneof three new Mississippi titles this week is an infectious ten inch charting what they call "The Global Rise of Rocking Music" over two decades , eight songs and seven countries. Largely, this is swinging big band music with touches of boogie, jive, early rock and roll and hot jazz from corners both far and near, each with its own unique cultural trademarks. A Thai take on an American song called "Rocking in Baghdad", a classic from Zimbabwe that has been described by the Everly Brothers as the first rock n roll record they ever heard, a female Japanese jazz singer who was once a geisha, jump blues from Egypt, Columbian cumbia, Chicagoan polka, hillbilly boogie from Ohio, and an Indian film theme that would have fit right in on one of the Great Googly Moo compilations. Red Hot!

Every city in every state, every country, has its own little musical scene, one that has grown and changed over the years, bands playing gigs, recording records, breaking up, moving on to other gigs, finally getting real jobs and settling down and having families, those records and gigs and bands forgotten. But think about all the places, all the cities, all the years and decades, and how many bands and records that we've never heard or heard of must be lurking out there. Records that were given to friends, consigned at the local store, or just stashed in the garage or basement. Rare record reissues are nothing new, and there's enough that they can't all possibly be good. In fact it's gotten to the point where if a record is old, and nobody heard it, it suddenly becomes a rarity worth unearthing. Which is not always the case. But with all those records out there, all those forgotten bands, some with only a song or two legacy, it's worth digging though all the rest, on the off chance of stumbling on to something amazing. And scenes have always fed off themselves, often where there was one good band, there was two, and where there was two, there was a whole bunch. Which brings us to Rocky Mountain Low. A killer collection of seventies rock and punk rock and power pop from Colorado, which is a place we're pretty familiar with, at least from the eighties onward, but we didn't know a single band here, and some of these groups are amazing. AND, for such a sprawling varied collection, there's very little chaff. In fact, this could very well have been a Numero Group reissue, super well researched, incredible song selection, a totally unknown lost scene, a bunch of amazing bands, and tons of killer tracks, maybe a bit more punk rock and lo-fi, but then, that's fine with us. The Ravers are crunchy and jangly and sound like they're from Minneapolis, Radio Pete might be our favorite, effortlessly creating some gloriously rough edged reverb drenched garage pop, the sort of thing all those new groups are desperately emulating, sounds like Ariel Pink or the Oh Sees or Ty Segall if they were from the early seventies, the Front are snarly almost metallic sounding punk rock, Defex kick out the muddy murky bass heavy jams, all squiggly angular leads, wild drumming and killer pop hooks, the Cells are total Romantics style new wave power pop, the Profalactics are all yelpy Riot Grrl sounding lo-fi punk rock three chord lo-fi crunch, the Instant are woozy low fidelity punk pop psych, a lot of this reminds us of Guided By Voices too, that sort of British sound filtered through a US punk rock aesthetic, and it goes on and on. So many kick ass bands, so many amazing tracks, a double lp AND a cd, with a massive full color magazine sized booklet, jam packed with extensive liner notes on EVERY band here, cool stuff for sure, and an awesome glimpse of yet another lost and forgotten scene...

Who doesn't love pirates? Y'know the eye-patched, peg-legged, sword-totin' ones in storybooks and movies? Mind you of course, out on the real high seas they're a whole 'nother subject, but within the relatively safe confines of a leatherbound hardcover or a multi-screen cineplex... well, shucks! Anyway, this double cd set is most definitely pirate-themed, and while it's not technically a soundtrack album for Pirates Of The Caribbean 2, Rogue's Gallery was produced by that film's leading man Johnny Depp, director Gore Verbinski and Hal Willner (the man also behind the recent Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man soundtrack). Think of it more as a companion work, and a big one at that. This compilation is a whopping 43 songs in total -- all of them olden day seafaring songs as interpreted by modern day artists. Many of them are performed in unexpectedly strange and entertaining fashion, such as the opening track by Baby Gramps who sounds like a drunken Tuvan throat singer! The list of participants is quite astounding, it includes Van Dyke Parks, Nick Cave, Richard Thompson, Lucinda Williams, David Thomas, Lou Reed (very staid), Stan Ridgway, Jarvis Cocker (an awesome number that builds to a frenzied stormy climax!), Bill Frisell, Loudon Wainwright III, Rufus Wainwright, Kate McGarrigle, Gavin Friday, Bryan Ferry with Antony (injecting the comp with a little melodramatic flair), Mary Margaret O'Hara (a surprise appearance by this mysterious, captivating Canadian artist and sister of actress Catherine O'Hara!), Jolie Holland, Akron/Family, White Magic, John C. Reilly (!), a couple of guys named Sting and Bono too, and more! We won't make you walk the plank for this one, but we will politely attest to the fact that this is indeed for the most part a jolly good listen!

MPEG stream: Lowlands Away
MPEG stream: A Drop Of Nelson's Blood
MPEG stream: Lowland Low

The subtitle says: "rare tracks from the best Italian '70s crime movie soundtracks". A *great* collection of music from these flicks, with lots of previously unreleased or unreleased on cd stuff by soundtrack composers Cipriani, Vasile, Bixio, and of

RealAudio clip: La Via Della Droga
RealAudio clip: Mark Il Poliziotto
RealAudio clip: Il Giorno Del Cobra

While this was playing in the store -- not knowing what it was -- some of us thought, "Geez, this sounds like these bands really like The Smiths!" Well, y'know what? It is an indie pop tribute compilation to The Smiths. Haha! Anyways, The Lucksmiths, The Pines, Pale Sunday, Pipas, Simpatico, The Liberty Ship, The Snowdrops, Slipslide, Would-Be-Goods, The Young Tradition, Lovejoy, and The Guild League pay their respects by doing their pretty jangle best to replicate rather than reinterpret Morrissey and co's tunes. Super mellow and sweet.

MPEG stream: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
MPEG stream: Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

We know we aren't the only ones crazy for the sounds of Chicha, at least judging by the number of copies we sold of the first Roots Of volume, not to mention the amazing collection of songs by Juaneco Y Su Combo. It's pretty much impossible to be into a wide range of music and not be floored by the rad sounds of Chicha. Fuzzy and psychedelic, washed out and surfy, all wrapped in the sounds of cumbia, carimbo and Peruvian traditional music. Barbes is doing such a great job with this series helping expose the truly amazing music coming from this scene in Peru from 1968-1981. It not only has such a cool sound that tons of bands today wish they could recreate, but the songs also have such a sense of soul that makes this one of those records that gets everyone in the store shaking gently back and forth and tapping their toes and we have lost count with how many times we get asked what is playing when this is on as its a record that appeals to such a wide range of tastes. It shows how rich this scene was that Juaneco Y Su Columbo aren't even on this volume, yet all the other bands included we would kill to hear more from. We know if this was on Sublime Frequencies we would sell even more of these, so c'mon if you love amazing sounds from different parts of the globe you've got to get on the Chicha train!

MPEG stream: Constelacion
MPEG stream: Paga la Cuenta Sinverguenza
MPEG stream: Siboney

MPEG stream: Pathwayz
MPEG stream: The Judgement
MPEG stream: 551 Blues
MPEG stream: Gorgon Sound

Despite the crappy looking cover, a pretty cool "race music" collection full of classic blues and gospel that set the scene for today's hip hop and rap.

As implied by the title, this collection is an exploration into the humble origins of what is now a household name around the world. Originally existing only for local consumption in Jamaica's back streets at a time when all the rest of the world new about the island was Bob Marley, the current crop of dancehall stars -- Sean Paul, Elephant man, et al. -- are either cameoing on major US hip hop albums or being signed to major labels here. It just took 20 something odd years. The tracks here are all come from the work of Linval Thompson, Junjo Lawes and the Roots Radics band at their Channel One studio in Jamaica. Thompson and Lawes are largely credited with being the founding fathers of dancehall in Jamaica and these tracks, most recorded in the late seventies, are some of rarities and reworkings of classic tunes. Included here are Horace Andy, Barry Brown, Linval Thompson, Earl 16, Freddy McKay, Don Carlos and more. Comes with a nice color booklet with liner notes by David Katz (author of the Lee Perry biography People Funny Boy) and archival photos.

MPEG stream: Jah Provides
MPEG stream: Peace & Love

Possibly a bit of a misnomer in the title, as the "roots" of gamelan predate any recording equipment by nearly a thousand years. 1928 however, when these earliest recordings of Balinese gamelan were recorded, could well be considered the roots of Balinese gamelan as it exists today, as the now ubiquitous Gong Kebyar of Bali was born, by most accounts, a mere fourteen years prior to these recordings (see "Music of the Gamelan Gong Kebyar Volume 1" from list 128.) In a sense, these seminal recordings exist thanks to all the wrong reasons. Apparently two record labels, Odeon and Beka, had the idea that they could record and market Balinese music to Bali on records. They put together 98 sides on 78 rpm discs, but the Balinese were completely uninterested in shelling out the dough for those recordings for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which was that by the time the recordings hit the shelves they were pretty much old news. The discs sold in small amounts on the international market, but for the most part the concept was a flop. Today, however, we are left with a wonderful time capsule of Balinese gamelan as it stood at the beginning of the century. Along with the early kebyar examples here, there are also several tracks of gamelan pelegongan, gender wayang (the quartet that accompanies puppet theater in Bali), jangger (a comical form featuring a chorus of young boys and girls, with the boys singing in a vocal style which we today are more familiar with as kecak) and anklung. Due to the limitations the 78 rpm disc and its 3 minute capacity, much of the works contained here are broken up semi-artificially into movements. Also included at the end of this disc are six tracks of gamelan transcriptions performed by Canadian composer and Balinese music scholar Colin McPhee (of whom the records which make up this collection belonged) and Benjamin Britten on piano and Georges Barrere on flute. These performances are quite interesting in and of themselves, especially for anyone who's familiar with McPhee's later classical compositions (or even fans of Lou Harrison) which were based entirely around Balinese music. Includes a healthy 27 pages of well scribed liner notes on the recordings and Balinese music in general.

RealAudio clip: Kebyar Ding III: Oncang-Oncangan
RealAudio clip: Putih Putih Saput Anduk
RealAudio clip: Gambangan

Producers DJ Scud, I-Sound, and Errorsmith present this 4-track mini-comp. There's one track each by Scud, I-Sound, Disco Consultant (I-Sound & Errorsmith), and Thunder And Lightning (DJ Scud & I-Sound) of fucked-up glitch-dub beat/bass mayhem. It's not as heavy and damaging as some of their other stuff, but it's in the ballpark. On the new sister label of noise/reggae imprint

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

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It seems there's a "Rough Guide" for practically every kind of music from every inch of the world. Sort of like those "Idiot's Guide To..." or "... For Dummies" books which I have to admit are pretty darn helpful and informative, if somewhat insultingly titled. Luckily this compilation series isn't as unfortunately named, but is however less in depth and fulfilling. Certainly it's doesn't proclaim to be more than just an introductory tutorial, but although key figures are included like Asha Bhosle, Udit Narayan and Mohammed Rafi, it really barely skims the surface of this amazing genre. So if you're just looking for a basic sampler history lesson in Indian film music, this might do ya fine, but for those looking to delve a little deeper, don't wait another moment to check out the following titles: Doob Doob O'Rama Volumes 1 and 2, Vijaya Anand's Dance Raja Dance, Bollywood Funk, and The Best Of Asha Bhosle. Although these titles focus a lot more on the "golden age" of Bollywood than the more recent decades, they're much more thorough collections.

RealAudio clip: Chura Liya Hai Tum Ne
RealAudio clip: Jaadu Teri Koi
RealAudio clip: Kehna Hi Kya

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Balkan Gypsies refer to themselves as "Rom", derived from an Indian Word meaning "a man of low caste who gains his livelihood by singing and dancing." The artists on this album hail from Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Albania, and Greece and have drawn influence, according to the the booklet accompanying the cd, from sources as varied as "Spanish Flamenco to Django Reinhardt's French Gypsy swing to Turkish bellydance clubs." As such, there's a lot of variety throughout the album, reflecting the diversity within Rom culture. Very intriguing collection!

MPEG stream: Mahalgeasca
MPEG stream: Cintec De Dragoste Si Joc

The Rough Guide's primer here on the music of Indonesia should not be mistaken as a definitive sampler of the music from this archipelago -- even Philip Yampolsky's thorough 20 disc "Music Of Indonesia" series on Smithsonian Folkways could hardly claim that distinction -- but focuses more on those genres arising out of Indonesia's urban centers, music that has a distinct western influence. Which isn't to say that the music is limited to a western bias when it comes to the elements which inform it. There's CBMW, from Western Java which blends together local degung style gamelan with a bamboo idiom from Jakarta along with Balinese elements and even Brazilian samba rhythms. The example presented here is, while bordering on the NPR-segue-music side of things, is unlike anything else you're likely to hear. There's the wacky, Indian film music influenced Dangdut with its genre bending, frenetic energy. Then there's the beautiful kacapi and suling (plucked zither and bamboo flute) duets in which the zither accompanies while the flute, in place of singing, plays improvised melodies. Can't leave out the mudic of Ibu Maimunah Mochtar & Group which combines Malay, Portuguese and Middle Eastern musical elements on accordian, frame drum and vocals. 15 tracks, representing as many styles are included here, though a few out and out pop tracks made the cut as well and I can't say they were crucial additions. 12 pages of liner notes on the artists, source listings for the tracks and a brief introduction to the islands round out the package.

RealAudio clip: Sambasunda
RealAudio clip: Jeruk Manis
RealAudio clip: Boleh Bersuka Ria

The term "counter-culture" seems to be Rough Trade's catch-all tag for this extremely eclectic compilation. This two disc set features a total of 41 tracks from around the world - many familiar artists (Bright Eyes, the Breeders, ESG, Bis, Johnny Dowd, Melt Banana, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cabaret Voltaire, Mountain Goats, Tom Waits, Prefuse 73, Tracy And The Plastics, Glass Candy And The Shattered Theatre, James Yorkston, Dempsey, The Bug Vs The Rootsman, Joy Zipper, Langley Schools Music Project) as well as many you may not yet be familiar with (Rubicks, The Be Good Tanyas, Trash Money, Akufen, Baxter Dury, The Bug Vs The Rootsman, My Robot Friend, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Crossover, The Books and Pink Grease). A genuine musical cornucopia!

RealAudio clip: Midas
RealAudio clip: You Lied Satan
RealAudio clip: Broken Telephone

Second compilation release from the influential and highly regarded Rough Trade shops in the UK. This collection focuses on the stores' favorite electronic artists (or in some cases influential to the genre) and songs throughout the years. Though all tracks are available elsewhere, these two discs cover the many aspects of the genre and its fringes: from the early experimentations of Joe Meek to the ephemeral Powerbook abstractions of Fennesz, the pivotal dancefloor innovation of Kraftwerk to the prodigous inventiveness of Aphex Twin. Forty-one tracks total with: Brian Eno, Rod Freeman & The Blue Men (Joe Meek), Oval, Barbara Morgenstern remixed by Robert Lippok, Throbbing Gristle, Christian Zanesi, BBC Radiophonic Workshop (Doctor Who!), i-F, Raymond Scott, Schneider TM vs. Kpt. Michi. Gan, Thomas Leer & Robert Rental, Autechre, New Order, Matmos, Uusitalo, Pierre Henry, Aphex Twin, Terre Thaemlitz, Kraftwerk, John Cage, NON, Faust, To Rococo Rot, Can, Stereolab, Pan Sonic, Arovane, Lb, D, The Human League, Aux 88, Bruce Haack, Kevin Blechdom, Fischerspooner, Thomas Brinkmann, The Normal, Depeche Mode, Dexter, Fennesz, Farben and Elph vs Coil. Surprisingly, Kid 606 does not make an appearance here.

This compilation has one of the bestest, most irresistible garage pop songs ever!!! So sayeth Cup. It's one of her all time faves, and it's been pretty much impossible to find for years . The song? "I Could Be In Heaven" by The Flatmates. Yaaaay! No, on its own it's not necessarily worth the full price of this double cd, but it is a pretty good start (well, it's not really a 'start' per se 'cause it's #18 on the second disc)! This compilation is bursting with such awesome indie pop delights it can brighten the darkest days! Other than the Flatmates you'll be treated to a whopping 46 songs by the old familiar faves like The Pastels, Marine Girls, Lush, Magnetic Fields (one of the best from their early days "100,000 Fireflies"), Beat Happening (their classic "Indian Summer"), Modesty Blaise, the Vaselines ("Molly's Lips"), Mary Lou Lord ("Jingle Jangle Morning"), Bis, My Bloody Valentine, the Pooh Sticks, Jesus & Mary Chain, Talulah Gosh (their theme song!), the Velvet Crush, Television Personalities, A.R. Kane, Eggs, the Darling Buds, Primal Scream, the Field Mice, Camera Obscura, Felt, the Monochrome Set and many many more. Sooooooooooooo good!

MPEG stream: I Could Be In Heaven
MPEG stream: Talulah Gosh

Over the past couple of months, Rough Trade -- the stores being the only remainder of the once mighty Rough Trade label empire during the '80s -- has been issuing a series of compilations that celebrate their legacy to the world of music. While the previous compilations had all been pleasant enough, the "Post Punk Vol 1" compilation a nearly perfect collection of great tracks that encapsulates the aftermath of punk. In light of the fashionableness of current bands who have adopted post-punk aesthetics, postures, and agendas like Interpol, The Rapture, and Erase Errata, "Post Punk Vol 1" is required listening for those interested in the current flourishing of the post-punk ethos, but with little knowlegde of where it came from. But at the same time, this isn't just some banal K-Tel rehash of the obvious cuts from 1978-1983; rather, this compilation picks and chooses its course through less trodden pathes, but none the less reflect the post-punk zeitgeist. In the liner notes, neither Colin Newman of Wire or Sean of Rough Trade bother to define what 'post-punk' means other than the stuff which happened after the Sex Pistols. It's a term as meaningless as 'post modern;' but this compilation arrives at something of a workable definition through analogy and example. More often than not, 'post punk' has come to mean rough hewn disco percussion, insistent and at times dubby basslines, jagged guitars, and a dominant vocal personality. The big names of post-punk are all here with Gang Of Four, The Fall, Wire, and Public Image Limited, but many of the lesser known groups in particular Au Pairs, 23 Skidoo, and World Domination Enterprises steal the show with the best tracks on this double cd compilation. Furthering the definition beyond a mere history lesson, the curators have tossed in tracks from current bands such as Erase Errata, The Rapture, Les Georges Leningrad, and Life Without Buildings. With a few sore thumb exceptions, this compilation is a great listen; and its seamlessness is a testament to the quality curation done by Rough Trade.

MPEG stream: You
MPEG stream: Sex Machine
MPEG stream: Asbestos Lead Asbestos

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