We've long been a song-poem boosters around these parts. How could we not be? So innocent and inspired and brilliant. From John Trubee's legendary "Blind Man's Penis" single to those I'm Just The Other Women collections from way back and the more recent The American Song-Poem Anthology: Do You Know the Difference Between Big Wood And Brush compilation on Bar/None. For those of you who are new to song-poems, there was (and still is to a lesser extent) a whole industry of musicians (and shysters of course) that would set your poem to music for a couple hundred bucks. Probably the most well known was Rodd Keith, who has had several compilations released over the years. But the song-poem industry was definitely a subject ripe for a documentary. So finally someone went and did it. And it just so happens that it was AQ pal Jaimie Metzger! We're happy to report that the film is really really good, and so goddamn funny. And of course a little sad. Some of the highlights: Interview with Caglar Juan Singletary, a cute nerdy bespectacled young man who writes about ladies, religion, science fiction and martial arts, and is responsible for the absolutely brilliant "Non Violent Taekwando Troopers". The whole segment on Gary Forney and his son Josh and their Iowa Mountain Tour, where they play their classics "Chicken Insurrection", "Three Eyed Boy" and more, for a perplexed crowd at an RV park. This part was so brutal I literally had to walk out of the room! The interview with the man who sang and performed "Blind Man's Penis", a cute old country veteran talking about how embarassed he was, and how that song was maybe his most embarassing moment. A totally intense segment with Gene Merlino (responsible for the brilliant "Jimmy Carter Says Yes!") pulling a major power trip with his band. A serious argument ensues. So rough. Anyone who has ever played in a band will shudder with recognition. Then there's an amazing segment showing the whole process from the poem's arrival through the finished song/product. It only takes about one hour actually! All the segments with Tom Ardolino of NRBQ, the original champion of song poems, who is so damn cute and genuine and plays us all his favorite song poems. And a really poignant bit with Rodd Keith's son. An amazingly made, brilliantly researched, hilarious, sad, and totally fascinating documantary. Kudos to Jamie. And obviously all the writers and musicians. Lots of DVD bonus footage, deleted scenes, studio sessions, the Iowa Mountain Tour Live (oh man....) much of it filmed by AQ pal/regular Cayce Lindner!
Thee Hounds of Foggy Notion may be a live cd / dvd set of this venerable SF outfit, but it also serves as a "best of" of sorts as well. Pulled mostly from the last four records, the point the band changed their name from OCS to its many incarnations of "Ohsees", "The Oh sees", or "Thee Ohsees", and the record titles went from numbers to quasi-absurdist phrases. Those who may shy away from live albums over fidelity issues should not fret here, as Dwyer and his cohorts are seasoned and energetic live players and hi-fidelity has never been a major concern on their studio records anyway; so there's really not a discernible distinction between live and studio sound quality. In fact, this may be just as good as a starting point into the band as any one of their studio records, which just keep getting better and better. Got to love a band that can move so effortlessly from southern garage to one of the best Shirley Collins interpretations ("Highland Wife's Lament") we've heard in awhile. Plus the dvd showcases the band's wild and wooly performances.
Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never and one half of Infinity Window) has produced this bizarro DVD of visual esoterica culled from YouTube videos of '80s computer animation and straight-to-video clips with ghastly amounts of digital effects. Much of the imagery is familiar to anyone who grew up watching MTV and Night Flight in the early-to-mid '80s, although Lopatin's sources occasionally sport Cyrillic texts flashing across the screen, which may point to even more obtuse references from Russian television. Nonetheless, his aesthetic choices gravitate to those cathode ray / neon glows which seemed to grace the cover of every issue of Omni magazine and were also endemic to every single computer animation project freshly broadcast from the cable access station circa 1985. He takes snippets from these videos and loops them into mantras of a woman affectionately displaying the new fangled piece of technology known as as compact disc, an overlapping series of neon hexagons floating freely on blackened backdrop, spiral stairstepping patterns of glowing squares descending to oblivion, and an ultra-cheesy rainbow bridge wavering towards an gleaming city in the distance. There's one snippet which seems to be culled from a Hipgnosis video, although it's one we're not familiar with; but it's got many of the signatures of Hipgnosis -- a psychosexual reconfiguration of the human body (here a woman's hands seductively caress each other while water pours from above almost as if coming from the palms of her hands) and barren Dali-esque landscapes cobbled into modern architecture.
Like his Betrayed In The Octagon LP for No Fun, Lopatin constructs a soundtrack that is equal parts John Carpenter soundtrack, Richard Pinhas arppegiation, and Klaus Schulze cosmic tapestry. His glissandos of analogue synth bubble and glide with a cybernetic optimism that the world is going to be a much better place through the pursuit of technology. Lopatin does include two numbers based on samples from an '80s pop tune, sounding much like an Ariel Pink song both in its no-fi production and unsettled sentimentality.
A weird and wonderful collection! And yes, it's limited to something like 100 copies!!
Another in the Jyrk series of ultra limited 3" dvd-r's, this one from Eric Ostrowski, who is probably best known as half of the Portland violin / guitar duo Noggin, but who also works some eye popping magic with film, hand painting the individual frames of the film, with bright colors, striking patterns, dense textures, all morphing and changing shape and color in the blink of an eye, as the film runs at normal speed, and the painted frames, blur into kaleidoscopic swirls, almost like someone combined a microscope and a kaleidoscope, and filmed the tiniest inner workings of everyday objects. Three distinct movements, the first, a continuously morphing series of colors and patterns, almost like video feedback but organic, like the different inks were sentient and interacting with each other, the second is much more geometric and plays like a Mondrian come to life, the third, more blurred colors and shifting textures.
All to the sound of Ostrowski's abstract compositions, from whirling fields of pink noise, delicate squalls of hiss and static rife with buried melodies, sort of like a soft focus Merzbow, to strange tangled string sections, looped into hypnotic intertwined patterns, to the ominous atonal thrum and cacophony of what sounds like an orchestra tuning up.
Packaged in a mini 3" plastic DVD case, with full color artwork.
LIMITED TO 90 COPIES!!!! Already out of print, these are the last copies ever...
Oval's 94Diskont still ranks as one of the most gorgeous, emotional and lush and lovely electronic music records we've ever heard. Oval mainman Markus Popp arranging a symphony of glitches and skipping digital sound into something impossibly organic and beautiful. For whatever reason, around the turn of the century, Popp seemingly hung it up, only to return almost a decade later with a new record, and a new sound. With this first new release, an ep called Oh, Popp offered up something that sounded like a proper rock band, gone was the pure glitch and experimental electronic collage, and in its place was something that sounded more like some strange post rock / free jazz hybrid, which weirdly enough sounded more like something that should be on Thrill Jockey. Still rife with glitch and jagged edits, but definitely a strange new direction. Next came O, which positioned itself as the perfect meeting point of this new band-like Oval, and the Oval of old, and we have to say we dug it quite a bit. And now it seems like Popp must be re-energized cuz here we are not more than a year later, with a whole new full length, and yet again, the sound has shifted, in one respect, more toward the warm liquid soundscaping of those early records, but with hint of nineties IDM in the mix, the result is a record that shifts from swirling contemplative glitched out drift, to stuttery, propulsive groove, albeit those grooves assembled from the same strange elements, resulting in a bastardized electronica, that even in that more 'groovy' state, could be no one but Oval. Popp's new sound palette continues to amaze as well, a veritable symphony of clicks and chitters, of creaks and bleeps, strange synth sounds, and what sounds like heavily processed, but proper recorded drums, warm chordal whirs, haunting melodies, lush textures, the sound brittle and crunchy one second, hushed and lush the next, with an attention to detail that's staggering, yet even as meticulously crafter and deftly assembled, the music sounds alive, and emotional, and the more we listen to it, on headphones especially, the more we're sucked in, and utterly transported.
Accompanying the cd is a second disc, a DVD, but not to be played in a DVD player, instead, loaded with extras, including videos, a ton of bonus tracks, a TV special, extensive liner notes (which are also in the booklet) from David Toop, Atsushi Sasaki, Minoru Hatanaka as well as Popp himself, not to mention a whole library of Oval sounds, which one can use to make your own OvalMusic, and there's a link in the packaging to the Shitkatapult site, where you can download OvalDNA software as well!
Rock and roll as a raw nerve art form, that's the intense Oxbow aethetic... a band that dares you to listen, much less attend one of their shows. Avant garde yet drawn to swampy roots, Oxbow's approach is both intellectual and primal at the same time, these men channeling psychic and physical distress into their music, so much tension and release it's disturbing to behold... This brilliant and unique Bay Area outfit has been going strong against all odds for almost two decades now (!) and with each passing year seem to gain a wider audience, despite never ever being a part of any scene or trend. Not one that would help them, anyway. Except maybe now, that they've seemingly been accepted into the Neurosis/Isis axis of arty post-metal noisecore, releasing their last full-length An Evil Heat 4 or 5 years ago on the Neurot label and now (finally!) reappearing on Hydra Head with this cd+dvd package. Love That's Last isn't exactly the new Oxbow opus we've being waiting for, since it's not an all-new album but rather a collection, complete with commentary and lyrics in the booklet, of unreleased live cuts, improv tracks, compilation rarities, and a few "greatest hits" from their hard to find early albums. You'll certainly get a representative serving of their cathartic ugly/pretty rock action here, with all of Oxbow's characteristic Bonham beats, slide guitar skronk, droning ambience, and of course the distinctive mewling/screaming baby monster vocalizations of scary front man/fighting man Eugene Robinson. Highlights (and that's what all this is, really) range from their infamous "Insylum" duet with Marianne Faithful from 1996's Serenade In Red to the 1998 live recording "Glimmer Bird" to the prototypical expression of Oxbow anguish that is "Yoke" from their 1989 Fuckfest debut. Ten tracks in all... you too might be crying like a baby when it's over. Oxbow would be happy about that.
The DVD portion includes 5.1 mixes of a handful of Oxbow classics, plus filmmaker Christian Anthony's Oxbow documentary Music For Adults (previously available here at AQ when it was a dvd-r release) with outtakes too, AND a bunch of additional live footage of the band in Belgium and San Francisco. Here's what we said about Music For Adults before: "Now you can vicariously join Oxbow for their summer 2002 European tour. Even better than actually being there, you can enjoy their shows and tour hijinx without running any risk of Oxbow singer Eugene getting you in a headlock (and pulling down your pants, as happens to at least one unhappy Scotsman in this film). The live footage captures the Oxbow rock machine in all their twisted, bawling glory, while the 'behind-the-scenes' stuff will show you that they're actually all really nice guys!"
So, Oxbow fans NEED this. And it's obviously the first thing the prospective Oxbow fan needs to pick up as well. Hopefully that's just what's gonna happen. Recommended as always with all Oxbow product!
You know Oxbow, our favorite cult, avant-garde, psycho-sexual hard rock outfit from right here in San Francisco? Well now thanks to filmmaker Christian Anthony, now you can vicariously join Oxbow for their summer 2002 European tour. Even better than actually being there, you can enjoy their shows and tour hijinx without running any risk of Oxbow singer Eugene getting you in a headlock (and pulling down your pants, as happens to at least one unhappy Scotsman in this film). The live footage captures the Oxbow rock machine in all their twisted, bawling glory, while the 'behind-the-scenes' stuff will show you that they're actually all really nice guys! The sound is fine for the performances, but sometimes you'll have to turn up your tv to make out the interview portions due to unavoidable background noise. It's a DVD-R, homemade production but totally pro in filmic execution. Definitely one for Oxbow fans, to tide you over until they play your town again (unlikely unless you live in SF or in Europe) and 'til their next album comes out (rumored to be a Hydrahead release in 2005). Folks unacquainted with Oxbow might be mystified, but if you've got the right stuff you might just become a fan too. Check it out...
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Warning: NOT FOR EPILEPTICS!!! What's probably the best-yet dvd release from the Load label brings together a bunch of animations from the Paper Rad comics/video/art collective, whose hyper-kinetic, colorful aesthetic relies heavily upon what must be a mega-collection of childhood pop-culture memorabilia, y'know, stickers and stuffed animals and those plastic trolls with the dayglo hair and Muppet Babies and so forth. Animated with intense strobe-effects and eyeball-searing hues, in constantly-moving symmetrical patterns reminiscent of Eastern mandalas, these graphics are some seriously psychedelic shit. LSD for your DVD player. So awesome, yet a bit overwhelming after a while, which is why it's nice that part way along the the viewer is offered a bit of a breather in the form of a very deadpan, nonsensical narrative, wherein things slow down to examine the lives of three very odd flatmates, living in what may or may not be the middle of nuclear Armageddon. In the context of the rest of this disc, this segment almost seems "normal." Stepping up the pace again, other highlights include music vids for The Usaisamonster and Lightning Bolt side project Wizardzz, both bands whose spazzed music fits perfectly with this stuff. Highly recommended for those who'd like to try a potent dose of ocular insanity, but again, bewarned, potentially seizure-inducing!
Tear the roof off the mother...
For an instrumental metallic post rock combo, made up of pretty ordinary looking dudes, Pelican seem, at least compared to their peers, to spend a lot of time being filmed for dvds. Okay that may be a bit of an exaggeration, this is probably dvd number three, but three feels like a lot. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but visually, 4 dudes in jeans is not necessarily fodder for riveting visuals. With Pelican, and most bands, it has much to do with the energy of being there, the sweat and the blood, the physicality of the sound, the deafening volume. Seeing it on the screen isn't always the same. That said, we find ourselves digging Pelican live on dvd. A lot. Much of it has to do with the music, and Pelican just keep getting better, more expansive, more epic, and way less metal. Which in this case is a very good thing. Their vibe continues to draw heavily from nineties mathrock, the soaring melodies, the churning riffage, the complex arrangements, they're like Godspeed, if they released records on Touch And Go. And while their sound references much of what came before, it helps them standout from the way too crowded field of Neur-Isis clones.
So what you have here is a live set from London in 2005, as well as various performances from various locations over the last 3 or 4 years as well as various interview segments and a 'music video'. The London show looks and sounds the best, obviously it was meant to be recorded, and it's a scorcher, the sound thick and heavy, the band rocking out wildly, limbs flailing, head banging, the crowd bouncing and weaving, The songs sound as good as ever. And again, they sound less like a band that spends its time playing metal fests, and more like a band you'd see in some packed sweaty little rock club, who already sound like they should be playing somewhere bigger. They do plenty of favorites, but it's good to see them played live, given new life, and it's interesting to see the songs actually played. A whole different vibe than on headphones.
The other live stuff is good, but the sound varies wildly, as does the lighting, but it's all pretty cool. And the interview footage will convince you of what we already know from numerous Pelican visits to aQ, that besides being a pretty bad ass band, they're some of the nicest guys ever.
Also included is the video for "Autumn Into Summer", the song itself, dreamy and mathy and post rocky, only really getting slightly metal near the middle with some soaring guitar harmonies and double kick, but the video is awesome, animated, and haunting, intercut with home movies, and strange super 8 footage. In addition to that stuff, there's also a photo gallery with tons of photos from various shows and tours.
But even if you're not one for dvds, there's still a reason to pick this up. Included with the dvd is a 3" cd that contains both tracks from the recent super limited Pink Mammoth 10". The first is the title track, epic and majestic and major key, the guitars thick, a throaty roar, the drums simple and massive, heavy but pretty, a definite Jesu vibe for sure, the track occasionally blissing out into stretches of mathy nineties style indie rock, albeit way heavier and way radder. At moments things also veer into Fucking Champs territory, but for the most part we hear some gloriously bastardized and metallized version of Polvo or Pitchblende. The track ends with a super shimmery outro/coda, all swoopy and soft focus, super spare drumming, spacy FX and weird far away production... yet another argument for these guys being one of the finest purveyors of metallic post rock going. The second is a reworked and remixed blend of another couple old Pelican songs, courtesy of Mr. Prefuse 73. A fuzzy expanse of glitchy acoustic guitars, sounding like Oval mixing some super minimal folky prog track, a laid back dreamy electronic folk, that eventually builds until an almost funky rhythm kicks in, simple handclaps laid over glistening harmonics and lilting minor key guitars, more and more fuzzed out as it progresses, a blown out sheen not unlike everything was dipped in a pixelated Fennesz style gritty guitar wash.
The third track though is brand new, or at least previously unreleased as far as we know. It's another version of "Pink Mammoth", but this time Pelican is joined by the band These Arms Are Snakes, and while this version is quite similar to the original, it's much heavier, double drums, double everything, but also more blissy and washed out, with soaring vocals buried way down in the mix, the rhythm more loping, the sound way more blown out and in the red, but just as epic and dreamlike, if not more so.
As with all Hydra Head stuff, the packaging is amazing. Full color sleeve in a dvd case, thick matte paper full color oversized booklet, double disc holders, 3"cd mounted on top of the dvd, the whole thing housed in a matte slipcover, adorned with super complex blue on black amoeboid designs. Nice! ----* ----* In Stock, Not Yet Reviewed : ----* If you want to order one of these, just search for the item, then click on the buy button and it will be added to your cart! 3/3 "s/t" (P-Vine) 2cd 42.00 ACID MOTHER'S TEMPLE "Festival Vol. 5" (Acid Mother's Temple) dvd 21.00 AHMED, MAHMOUD "Ere Mele Mele" (L'arome Productions) lp 16.98 AHMED, MAHMOUD & EITHER / ORCHESTRA "Tsedenia Gebre-Marqos" (Buda Musique) dvd 14.98 AHOUSEN "s/t" (PSF) cd 22.00 AKIYAMA, TETUZI & JOZEF VAN WISSEM "Hymn For A Fallen Angel" (Incuna Bulum) cd 17.98 ALTER EGO "Why Not?!" (Klang Elektronik) cd 16.98 ANAAL NATHRAKH "Hell Is Empty, And All The Devils Are Here" (Feto) cd 14.98 ARCADE AMBIANCE "'83" (GDG) cd-r 12.98 ARCADE AMBIANCE "'86" (GDG) cd-r 12.98 ASTATKE, MULATU "Ethio Jazz" (L'arome Productions) lp 16.98 AXA HOUR OF DARA BLEU "Clones Of Eros" (Fire Museum) cd 13.98 AXELROD, DAVID "Live: Royal Festival Hall" (Mochilla Films) dvd 28.00 BACH, SEBASTIAN "Angel Down" (Get Off My Bach) cd 13.98 BACHDENKEL "Lemmings" (Ork) cd 17.98 BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS "Skullgrid" (Metal Blade) cd 12.98 BETTER BEATLES, THE "Mercy Beat" (Hook or Crook) cd 11.98 BIRCHVILLE CAT MOTEL "Seventh Ruined Hex" (Important) cd 14.98 BLACK COBRA "Feather And Stone" (At A Loss) cd 13.98 BOSMANN, KARL "Eskalation" (You Don't Have To Call It Music) lp 38.00 BOX "Studio 1" (Rune Grammofon) cd 17.98 BOXCUTTER "Glyphic" (Planet Mu) cd 14.98 BOY DIRT CAR "Spoken Answer To A Silent Question" (Aftermusic) cd 14.98 BRIDGEWATER, DEE DEE "Red Earth: A Malian Journey" (DDB Records) cd 16.98 BROTZMANN, PETER / PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE / MATS GUSTAFSSON "The Fat Is Gone" (Smalltown Superjazz) cd 16.98 BRYARS, GAVIN "The Marvellous Aphorisms Of Gavin Bryars: The Early Years" (Mode) cd 16.98 CHERRY, DON "Tibet" (Piccadilly) lp 12.98 COPE, JULIAN "You Gotta Problem" (Head Heritage) 2cd 27.00 DAS EFX "The Very Best Of (Greatest Hits)" (elektra) cd 12.98 DOWN "III: Over The Under" (Down Records) cd 17.98 ESHETE, ALEMAYEHU "Ethiopian Urban Modern Music Vol. 2" (L'arome Productions) lp 16.98 ESKIBOY "The Best Of Tunnel Vision" (Baked Goods) 2cd 22.00 FAUST "Od Serca Do Duszy" (Lumberton Trading Company) cd 24.00 FENNESZ "Transition" (Touch) 7" 8.98 FERN KNIGHT "Music For Witches And Alchemists" (Eclipse) lp 21.00 FOLK SPECTRE, THE "The Blackest Medicine" (Wodsist) lp 14.98 FOOD "Molecular Gastronomy" (Rune Grammofon) cd 17.98 GAZHEART (RITA ACKERMAN / DAVE NUSS) "s/t" (Locust) lp 23.00 GENDAI SOKKYO "s/t" (PSF) cd 22.00 GHOST "Overture; Live In Nippon Yusen Soko 2006" (Drag City) cd + dvd 17.98 GRUDZIEN, PETER "The Unicorn" (Subliminal Sounds) 2lp 39.00 GRUPO AMIGOS "Paloma Mensajera" (Guerssen) cd 22.00 GRUPPO D'IMPROVVISAZIONE "Nuova Consonanza" (Cherry Red) cd 17.98 GUSTAFSSON, MATS / PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE "Splatter" (Smalltown Superjazz) cd 14.98 HABIBIYYA, THE "If Man But Knew" (Sunbeam) 2lp 34.00 HALF MAKESHIFT "Final" (Small Doses) cd-r 7.98 HAVOHEJ "Dethrone the Son of God" (Hells Headbangers) cd 13.98 HEXLOVE "Knew Abloom (Life's Hood)" (Holy Mountain) cd 13.98 HEY WILLPOWER "P.D.A." (Tomlab) cd 15.98 HIGUCHI, HISATO "Butterfly Horse Street" (Family Vineyard) cd 14.98 HUMAN BEAST "Volume One" (Sunbeam) lp 24.00 HUMAN INSTINCT "Stoned Guitar" (Rockadrome) cd 14.98 IDA "Lovers Prayers" (Polyvinyl) cd/2lp 14.98/16.98 INCAPACITANTS "Burning Orange" (Pica Disk) cd 14.98 IRISH COFFEE "s/t" (Set) cd 25.00 ISUNGSET, TERJE "Iceman Is" (All Ice) cd JACKIE-O MOTHERFUCKER "Valley Of Fire" (Textile) cd 15.98 KLIMEK "Dedications" (Anticipata) cd 15.98 LANG, K.D. "Watershed" (Nonesuch) cd 16.98 LOIUS XIV "Slick Dogs And Ponies" (Pineapple / Atlantic) cd 13.98 MACHINEFABRIEK "Bijeen" (Kning Disk) cd 14.98 MASHAYEKHI, ALIREZA & ATA EBTEKAR (SOTE) "Persian Electronic Music: Yesterday And Today (1966-2006)" (Sub Rosa) cd 16.98 METABOLISMUS "Snowy Meadows / Somnia" (The Social Registry) 7" 6.98 MONO "The Sky Remains The Same As Ever" (Temporary Residence Ltd.) dvd 17.98 MONSTER MAGNET "4-Way Diablo" (SPV) cd 16.98 MOULD, BOB "District Line" (Anti) cd 16.98 MURPHY BLEND "First Loss" (Kuckuck) cd 15.98 NEMETH "Film" (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98 NERVE NET NOISE "Dark Garden" (Intransitive) cd 14.98 OCEAN, THE "Precambrian" (Metal Blade) cd 14.98 ONNA "Katawa" (PSF) cd 22.00 OPETH "The Roundhouse Tapes" (Peaceville) 2cd 16.98 OSCILLATION, THE "Out Of Phase" (DC Recordings) cd 25.00 PARTON, DOLLY "Mission Chapel Memories: 1971-1975" (Raven) cd 22.00 PATTIE BLINGH & THE AKEBULAN FIVE (AKA GEORGIA ANNE MULDROW) "Sagala" (Ramp) cd 14.98 PINCH "Underwater Dancehall" (Tectonic) 2cd 22.00 PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS "We Ride To Fight" (No Idea) cd 13.98 POLLARD, ROBERT "Superman was a Rocker" (Needmore Songs) cd 10.98 PROTEST THE HERO "Fortress" (Vagrant) cd 14.98 RADAR BROTHERS "Auditorium" (Merge) cd 14.98 RANDALL OF NAZARETH "s/t" (Drag City) cd/lp 14.98/15.98 REED, LOU / ZEITKRATZER "Metal Machine Music" (Asphodel) cd+dvd 17.98 REID, STEVE ENSEMBLE "Daxaar" (Domino) cd 15.98 REITZEL, BRIAN "30 Days Of Night OST" (Ipecac) cd 16.98 RELIGIOUS KNIVES "It's After Dark" (Troubleman) cd 13.98 RIGGS, DAX "We Sing Of Only Blood Or Love" (Fat Possum) cd 14.98 RIMPOCHE, BOKAR "Sacred Chants & Tibetan Rituals From The Monestary Of Mirik" (Sub Rosa) cd 15.98 ROBEDOOR "Rancor Keeper" (Release the Bats) cd 15.98 ROBIN WILLIAMS ON FIRE "Jungle Gym Of Crucifixes" (Deathbomb Arc) 7" 5.98 ROCHE, JEAN C. "Rossignols: A Nocturne of Nightingales" (Fremeaux & Associes) cd 15.98 ROOT "Daemon Viam Invenient" (Shindy) cd 15.98 ROSETTA "Cleansing Undertones Of Wake/Lift" (Translation Loss) cd 9.98 ROSETTA "Wake / Lift" (Translation Loss) cd 13.98 SIMONETTI, ENRICO & GOBLIN "Gamma" (Cherry Red) cd 17.98 SINCLAIR, JOHN "Guitar Army: Rock & Revolution With MC5 And The White Panther Party" (Process) book+cd 22.95 SKEPTA "Greatest Hits" (Boy Better Know) cd 21.00 SKULL DEFEKTS, THE "Open The Gates Of Mimer" (AA / Nosordo) cd 14.98 SKULL DEFEKTS, THE "The Sound Of Defekt Skulls" (Utech) cd 14.98 SORE THROAT "Death To Capitalist Halmshaw" (Area Death Productions) cd 14.98 SOUTH SATURN DELTA "Experience The Concreteness" (Cold Spring) cd 15.98 STRIBORG "Trepidation" (Displeased) cd 14.98 SUN RA "Disco 3000" (Artyard) 2cd 33.00 SUN RA "Some Blues... But Not That Kind Of Blues" (Atavistic) cd 15.98 SUPER FURRY ANIMALS "Hey Venus!" (Rough Trade) cd 13.98 SWIRNOFF, PRESTON "Maariv" (Last Visible Dog) cd 11.98 SZCZEPANIK, NICHOLAS "Astilbe Rubra" (Small Doses) cd-r 7.98 TAKAYANAGI, MASAYUKI "Dislocation" (Jinya) cd 17.98 TAKAYANAGI, MASAYUKI "Inanimate" (Jinya) cd 17.98 TAKAYANAGI, MASAYUKI "Mass Hysterism" (Jinya) cd 17.98 TAKAYANAGI, MASAYUKI "Shibito" (Jinya) cd 17.98 TAKAYANAGI, MASAYUKI NEW DIRECTION UNIT "April Is The Cruellest Month" (Jinya) cd 24.00 TAU EMERALD "Travellers Two" (Important Records) cd 14.98 TEMPLE OF BON MATIN "Flower Footed Ghost" (Ruby Red Editora) cd 16.98 TENNISCOATS "Tan-Tan Therapy" (Hapna) cd 16.98 THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS "Here Come the 123s" (Disney Sound) cd 17.98 TURBONEGRO "Retox" (Cooking Vinyl) cd 14.98 V/A "10 Tons Heavy" (Planet Mu) 2cd 13.98 V/A "Asian Flashback: Underground Music From Asia" (PSF) cd 22.00 V/A "Dr. Boogie Presents: Rarities From The Bob Hite Vaults" (Sub Rosa) cd 15.98 V/A "Garden Of Forking Paths" (Important Records) cd 14.98 V/A "Golden State Funk" (BGP Records) cd 19.98 V/A "Greasy Truckers Party" (EMI) 3cd 38.00 V/A "Melodii Tuvi: Throat Songs And Folk Tunes From Tuva" (Dust To Digital) cd 15.98 V/A "Messthetics #104: D.I.Y. '77-81 South Wales" (Hyped To Death) cd 14.98 V/A "Messthetics #105: D.I.Y. 77-81 Scotland I" (Hyped To Death) cd 13.98 V/A "Pillows & Prayers" (Cherry Red) 3cd+dvd 42.00 V/A "Realistic Patterns" (Psychic Circle) cd 17.98 V/A "Runeology 3" (Rune Grammofon) cd 9.98 V/A "Smashits" (Shitkatapult) cd 16.98 V/A "Welsh Rare Beat 2" (Finders Keepers) cd/lp 23.00/30.00 V/A "You Got Yours!: East Bay Garage 1965-1967" (Big Beat Records) cd 19.98 VEEDEE "Glimpses Of Another World" (Criminal IQ) 7" 5.98 VERDUNKELN "Einblick In Den Qualenfall" (Van) cd 13.98 VETIVER "You May Be Blue" (Gong) 12" 8.98 VILE CHERUBS "The Man Who Has No Eats Has No Sweats" (Afterburn) cd 13.98 WANDERING MIDGET, THE "I Am The Gate" (Eyes Like Snow) cd 15.98 WEISMAN, KURT "Spiritual Sci-Fi" (Important Records) cd 14.98 WHITE MICE "Excreamantraintraveinanus" (Blossoming Noise) cd 14.98 WILLITS, CHRISTOPHER + RYUICHI SAKAMOTO "Ocean Fire" (12K) cd 14.98 WOELV "Tout Seul Dans La Foret En Plein Jour, Avez-Vous Peur?" (K Records) cd 14.98 WYATT, ROBERT "Comicopera" (Domino) cd 15.98 YEASAYER "All Hour Cymbals" (Are We Free) cd 14.98 YEH, C. SPENCER "Violin, Objects" (Tone Filth) lp 17.98 YOSHIMIO "Yunnan Colorfree" (Shock City) cd+dvd 50.00 YOUNG, NEIL "Chrome Dreams II" (Reprise) cd 17.98 _______________________________________________________________________ ABOUT MAILORDER
In the overcrowded world of metallic post rock, or post metal, or whatever the heck you want to call it, there seem to be two forces constantly battling it out, Pelican and Isis. But it's hardly a battle, as both bands are friends, share a label, and share a sound too. And the interesting thing is they both seem to be developing in a similar fashion. Each band, in their own way, and at their own pace, seems to be phasing metal out of their sound. Not completely. But where Isis once sounded a LOT like Neurosis, they now sound much more like a post rock band with metal bits here and there. Expansive and epic and only heavy to balance their ultra melodic side. And while Pelican seemed to be on a serious metal bender there for a while, this new record, while indeed rife with metallic moments, finds them at their post rockiest, and we have to say it suits them.
From the opening track, with its loping minor key math rock intro, to it's downtuned metal chug middle, to a killer harmony guitar / double kick bridge, the band never go all out metal, even if it might sound like it on the surface. Sure, we're loving the occasional flurry of maniacal kick drum, and the occasional Fucking Champs like Carcass riffery, but it never completely transforms the sound into pure metal. Metal plated maybe, but regardless, it sounds amazing!
Pelican nowadays sound like the very heaviest band you loved in the nineties, come back to life, supercharged and metallized. We hear lots of Slint, Bastro, Polvo, Shellac, Don Caballero, June Of 44 and bands like that, in the riffs, the arrangements, the melodies, which is fine with us. In fact, a lot of City Of Echoes sounds like a heavier Explosions In The Sky, who obviously owe a great debt to the loud-quiet-loud math rockers of days gone by. Sure it's metal enough to hit the spot for that sensitive metalhead in need of a melodic instru-metal fix, and yeah it may be heavy, and it may be metallic, but c'mon, this is indie rock, a kick ass, heavy as fuck indie rock maybe, but still...
While they last, we have the limited Japanese import Daymare double disc version of City Of Echoes, much like the fancy version of Jesu's Conqueror we carry instead of the domestic Hydra Head version. Ultra deluxe packaging, gorgeous design, thick 6 panel digipak, spot varnish gloss on matte finish, Japanese obi, Japanese liner notes, but most importantly, a bonus dvd of the band performing live at the Knitting Factory in L.A., playing mostly new songs but a few Pelican classics like "March To The Sea". The dvd looks great, sounds great, and unlike some past performances we've seen, the band are on fire -- they've always sounded great, but they didn't always move that much, but here the band are super active on stage, jumping around, swaying, head banging, which makes it way more intense and fun to watch. And it's cool to see the new songs played live too...
While we're eagerly looking forward to the upcoming documentary movie, Last Days Here, about the last ditch whowouldathunkit rebound of doom legend, Bobby Liebling's drug-damaged life and career, there's also now this new live dvd of footage from his band Pentagram's recent tour to demonstrate that, yes indeed, the seemingly ancient frontman Bobby L and the 'Ram gang are BACK, miraculously in fine form, a bug-eyed Bobby strutting like the glammed-up, gramped-out Ozzy/Iggy hybid he (somewhat grotesquely, but amazingly) is. Featuring classic Pentagram trax like "Day Of Reckoning", "20 Buck Spin", "Sign Of The Wolf", "Relentless", "Forever My Queen", and the title track, amongst others. This was shot at the 2010 Maryland Deathfest, and crucially, features the return of guitarist Victor Griffin, the riffmaster on Pentagram's first 3 official albums, from which these songs are drawn. Also, on bass, Greg Turley (Place Of Skulls) and on drums, Gary Isom (Spirit Caravan). Nothing here by the way from the subsequently recorded Last Rites album that Metal Blade released in 2011, an excellent effort also featuring Griffin.
If the name Pernice Brothers brings a tear of joy to your eye, we're telling you everything's gonna be alright... once you get your hands on Nobody's Watching Nobody's Listening, that is! For those of you who've yet to bask in the glow of Joe Pernice and Co.'s fabulous pop glory in the live setting, we s'pose this might be the next best thing. Not only do you get a live album packed with twelve of their finest songs, but you also get a dvd featuring a tour diary and two of their music videos complete with storyboards. The live album begins all rambunctious with lots of speedy, loud, rockin' guitars and gets progressively more somber. Our only complaint would be that the vocals are a bit low in the mix. Who doesn't want to hear more of Pernice's sweet, engagingly heartsick singing? Having just read his fictional ode to The Smiths' Meat Is Murder album in the 33 1/3 book series, we were particularly aware of his appreciation for (obsession with?) that band and their lead singer, and it does make itself apparent on occasion here. Shades of Morrissey's melodramatic mope surface in Pernice's lyrics and in his vocal delivery. Not a bad thing by any means. Everybody watch! Everybody listen!
We might be a little biased, seeing as several aQ-ers (including the one writing this review) are from San Diego, and the fact pretty much all of us LOVE rock docs, but even if you're not from San Diego, this long in the works documentary captures an exciting time, in a city that was long believed to be the 'next Seattle'. And while that may have never come to pass, you no doubt are familiar with plenty of San Diego groups from that era: Drive Like Jehu, Rocket From The Crypt, The Locust, Heavy Vegetable, Three Mile Pilot, Clickatat Ikatowi and loads more. If that list has you freaking out a bit, this movie will blow your mind. Lots of incredible interviews with and/or performances by all those folks, as well as Truman's Water, Crash Worship, Physics, Antioch Arrow, No Knife, Heroin, Boilermaker, Unbroken, Fishwife, Tanner, the Rapture, Pitchfork, Creedle, Swing Kids, Sub Society, Neighborhood Watch, Funeral March, Inch, Amenity, and the list goes on. Oh and don't forget Blink-182, maybe the most popular band to come out of San Diego since Iron Butterfly (we had actually forgotten they were from SD!).
There film covers the early hardcore scene in SD, which even having grown up there, we sort of missed out on, but definitely helps lay the groundwork for the sort of post punk that would follow. While much of the movie is super positive, folks remembering and reminiscing about the good old days, some of it's pretty heartbreaking too, 'cause like in any scene, there were folks who died way too young: R.I.P. Denver Lucas (Powerdresser), R.I.P. Terrin Durfey (Boilermaker), R.I.P. Stimy (Sub Society, Inch).
Some of our favorite bits: the interviews with Ryan Foxe, the lead singer of Fishwife, who is basically like a real life Pee Wee Herman, but like a scarier, even more manic version; or the laid back interviews with the guys from Truman's Water, sitting in their kitchen with their dogs; the live stuff is nuts, and there are clips of pretty much all the great SD bands, including some seriously rare footage. And again, while being from San Diego, or at least growing up listening to this stuff, makes this movie totally essential, even if you're just into music documentaries, this is a super well made movie, about a special scene, and a special time, and the very special people who made some of the coolest, weirdest, most creative music ever.
The DVD includes a TON of extras, over 4 hours worth, including interview outtakes and live footage, much of which features bands who didn't make it into the final cut, as well as a flyer gallery and an audio commentary track, with lots of the above mentioned rockers.
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A documentary of the rise of the "Chicago Scene" featuring Steve Albini, The Jesus Lizard, Eleventh Dream Day, Red Red Meat, Die Warzau and lots more. Contains live footage.
It starts with an old man firing a rusty old shotgun into the sky, and from that point on, it's a dizzying three days of festivities, music, dancing, and lots and lots of drinking. Oh and quite a few giant phalluses. A local medium deems what day to begin, and on that day the three day festival of Phi Ta Khon commences, a tribute to ghosts and demons, which occurs at the beginning of the rainy season, and is meant to ensure healthy and bountiful crops. Like all the Sublime Frequencies DVD's it's a fascinating and overwhelming experience. A new world, a completely wild and wonderful celebration, a community banded together, dancing and singing and drinking toward a common goal. And it definitely feels like you are right there. Houses and people, animals, foliage, musicians, parades and processions. And rice wine. A whole section is dedicated to Isan's liquor of choice, and the Phi Ta Khon festival does indeed involve much drinking. Pretty much every stage of the festival is marked by ritualistic imbibing of spirits. Which might go to explaining why it's such a crazy three days.
Another important part of the festival is the creation of incredibly elaborate masks, so intricate and amazing, beautiful and creepy. A dizzying array, from long fanged demons, to mysterious winged bird creatures, to super colorful, kabuki style headdresses. Part of the festival used to involve tossing the masks into the river at the end of the festival, but folk art collectors would fish the mask out of the river to sell them, so now they are saved to be used again, or the mask makers sell the masks themselves.
And the phalluses. Everywhere. Puppets, masks, staffs, all in the shape of giant vividly painted members. It is supposedly good luck to touch the wooden members. They provide comic relief and encourage licentious behavior.
It's totally mind blowing to experience another culture's customs so immersively. For many of us who might never get a chance to visit Thailand, these dvd's are amazing tools, helping us to learn about, understand and enjoy the art and music and culture and magic of other peoples. It's also amazing to note how little violence and aggression there is even with three days of nonstop drinking. Hard to imagine something like that ever happening here without at least one fight or someone getting shot.
The dvd comes with a bonus short film, Spirit House, a video tour of various Spirit Houses filmed over repeated visits to Thailand. Spirit Houses are a bit like our graveyards but so much more colorful and intricate. Supposedly these houses are home to departed loved ones and guardian spirits and are decorated as such, bright colors, multiple levels, lots of windows and doors, small statues, shapes and images, a gorgeous brief glimpse into the spirit world. With haunting musical accompaniment by the Climax Golden Twins.
Finally, the accompanying music is fantastic, it's Molam, which was featured in a previous installment of the Sublime Frequencies cd series, a glorious lively festive music, characterized by lilting almost yodelled male / female vocals, mouth organ, performing traditional Thai songs, often arranged for modern instruments, but still closely connected to the past (Butthole Surfers lifted a Molam classic for their song "Kuntz" on Locust Abortion Technician).
Absolutely amazing. And of course very recommended. As is the Molam: Thai Country Groove From Isan cd which we also stock! ----* ----* Long out of print Steven R. Smith cds back in stock : ----*
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Ohmigod. What the fark?! This is probably the first time ever a director's cut takes the original edit of a film and vomits it down a toilet. Ugh. I couldn't have more bad things to say about it... from completely corrupting the opening sequence by adding all kinds of irrelevant stock footage, to even re-doing the titles -- making it a all big pile of poo. HOWEVER!!!, the original concert film is on the dvd with slightly improved audio and picture quality and absolutely worth owning (especially if you have access to a projector). The original Live At Pompeii features one of the most amazing, totally captivating opening sequences in a rock movie ever. The director's idea for the film, shot in 1972, was to fly a young Pink Floyd to Pompeii, set up and play in a ruined amphitheater, then combine this with beautiful tracking shots of their recording session at Abbey Road for what would become Dark Side Of The Moon. The film's landscape-style photography works well with Floyd's live performance of songs from Meddle and other earlier albums, particularly ambient Echoes (for the film, broken into two parts). Why aren't more music video/movies like this? Hillariously Spinal Tap-like interview responses and some endearingly cheesy montages reminscent of the era punctuate the film's mostly atmospheric treatment. Two elements of the director's cut could have been useful to the original in some way: 1. some incredibly gorgeous black and white footage of Floyd recording vocals and responding to an interviewer, and 2. a very spare selection of its newer footage of Pompeiian landscapes if treated a little to mesh in with the original scenes. Wish they were included properly. Synopsis: DO NOT WATCH THE BULLSHIT DIRECTORS CUT. But definitely get your hands on this dvd for the original concert film. It will establish or re-establish you as a Floyd fan, maybe even turn you into a devotee.
Dunno. You either have them all already, or you don't, is probably the first response to seeing a Pixies "Best Of". However, kudos to 4AD for not trying to screw with everyone by lumping a live cd with a best of like Elektra/4AD did with their "Death To The Pixies" two cd collection. What first time Pixies buyer would be tempted to shell out $23 for a best of collection? Better still, for this much cheaper price of $13.98, Pixies initiates get six more tracks (for a hefty total of 23 great Pixies tunes) than the former anthology. Along with classics "Bone Machine", "Caribou", "Gigantic", "Monkey Gone To Heaven", "Wave of Mutilation", "Broken Face", "Vamo", "Where is My Mind?", "Tame" (and much more) this collection includes the excellent cover the Pixies did of Neil Young's "Winterlong" for the Bridge School tribute album years ago.
What we had hoped to be a collection of previously unknown, unheard, and unreleased songs from the Pixies is not that at all. Essentially, this album features the remnant tracks from the demo tape (aka "The Purple Tape") that the Pixies sent to 4AD, who in turn picked 8 of the 17 demo tracks for the Pixies' debut "Come On Pilgrim." All of the songs (with the possible exception of "Rock A My Soul") have made their way onto later recordings, albeit with much better production. So there are the demo versions of "Broken Face," "Break My Body," "I'm Amazed" (all appearing on "Surfer Rosa"), "Here Comes Your Man" (making its way onto "Doolittle"), "Down To The Well" (landing on "Bossanova"), and "Subbacultcha" (later on "Trompe Le Monde") with "Build High" being a B-side track and the raucously howled version of "In Heaven" from David Lynch's "Eraserhead" which had been a BBC session and a live standard. It's a little disheartening to know that there's nothing new on this album, but would probably make die-hard fans happy. If you're new to the Pixies get "Surfer Rosa" or "Doolittle" instead, as those albums, filled with whores, mutilation, and obsessively catchy indie-rock cacophony, still rank as some of the best records ever.
In the past couple months, we've gotten a pair of dvds documenting two venerable bands' recent resurrections: 'Mission Of Burma: Not A Photograph' and this one 'Loud Quiet Loud: A Film About The Pixies'. Filmmakers Steven Cantor and Matthew Galkin followed the four original members Frank Black (ahem, Black Francis), Kim Deal, Joey Santiago and David Lovering on their sold-out 2004 reunion trek across North America and Europe eleven years after their split. Lots of live and backstage footage reveal that despite their audiences' rabid adoration, the band members aren't exactly having a bonding experience. At times the atmosphere of interpersonal tension and alienation could be cut with a knife. Bringing the viewer into this air of uneasy distance is the fact that oddly enough it's not the band's music that furnishes the documentary's incidental soundtrack but that of Daniel Lanois! Loud Quiet Loud features some fan-thrilling live footage, but it's not a good time ride by any means.
Initially sold exclusively on the recent European Barn Owl tour, now finally available at aQ, here's Revisitor, a dvd-r of super 8 films and original music from one half of Barn Owl, former aQ-er Jon Porras, released on his own Dolores Press imprint. It's a hazy washed out collection of haunting grainy black and white images set to a score that is quite different than what we're used to hearing from Porras, in Barn Owl or solo, especially considering that there are no guitars here, all electronics and electronic sourced sounds. Long stretches of hazy grey ambience, of industrial whir and hushed minimal thrum, tons of space surrounding abstract swirls of whipping-wind shimmer and deep sonorous echo drenched pulses, blurred metallic layers slowly unfurling in clouds of soft focus effects, a series of minimal soundscapes that slip easily from rich and lustrous and lovely, to haunting and ominous, one second a gauzy softly psychedelic smear of dreamlike chords, the next, a rumbling sinister sprawl of low end blur peppered with strange percussion and some downright doomy sonic swells. The visuals are equally stunning, strange hooded figures performing strange rituals, rolling hills and the silhouette of trees against a slate sky, a stormy coastline, the crashing surf, the lens dappled with rain drops, the sunlight glistening on water, birds flitting through thick clouds, and plenty of more abstract images as well, strange lights, plenty of shadows, textures and mysterious moving abstract shapes, random reflections, impressionistic images of candles, and instruments, hands and hidden faces, all lost in deep fields of rich black.
Originally limited to just 30 copies, now available in a slightly less limited run, housed in a printed origami style sleeve, each disc hand stamped.
This is a no frills dvd with a simple offering. P.E. LIVE. In LONDON. 1987. Their first European tour! Extras are very spare here, mostly just an available voice over by Dr. Dre. This definitely makes a case for Flavor Flav. Without him, there's no way they would have had the mass appeal they enjoyed. Regardless, it's an awesome document of P.E.'s raw energy at this time, just about to release their classic, It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back.
50 minute video starring former Skratch Piklz Qbert, D-Styles, DJ Flare, and Yogafrog. All animated! We haven't seen it yet, but hear that the story involves personifications of the four arts of hip hop (MCing, B-boying, Graffiti, and DJing) who are being oppressed by an evil lord. For those of you who don't want to buy this video, we are renting it (local customers only).
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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"In Turntable TV 5.0, take a journey to the north with Yoga Frog and Q-Bert to the cold lands of Canada. Take a sneak peek at a behind-the-scenes look at the pre-DMC practice sessions with the Turnstyles crew and other Canadian DJs. Plus hear some cool interviews with all the DMC contestants as well. Watch ultra rare scratch sessions with Mix Master Mike, Q-Bert, Shortkut, and D-Styles. To top it off experience the deadly kung fu lessons by no other than the infamous toadman, with fight scenes of DJ Fat Blubber Belly."
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The Bay Area's own DJ Qbert, one of the most famous turntablists in the world, proves himself a pretty great teacher and comedian in this how-to-scratch DIY dvd. Whether you're a turntablist or not, this is *delightful* to watch. He demonstrates over 25 different scratches, beginning by talking about each scratch's history -- who invented 'em and when -- then breaks the move down into its parts. The demos loop so you can just leave 'em playing until you've mastered the crab, the lazer, the phaser, the swipe, etc., not to mention you can view the scratch demos from four different angles! Qbert looks at the camera a lot so you feel like he's talking right atcha, plus he's totally sweet 'n nice, not a trace of attitude, no talking down to the viewer at all. There's a whole section of tips and tricks where he demonstrates how to set up your turntable and customize it to your own liking, how to make your own slipmats, how to fix a record that's wobbly cos its center hole is too big, explains why fingertip moistener is better than lickin' yer fingers, even how to count bars. There is a volume issue with the dvd, though, it keeps fluctuating, but it's not terribly annoying and it never drops out completely. (And I suspect that it's my computer, not the dvd, at fault.)
There's even a battles section with several djs for you to trade scratches with. OK, this is how brilliant Qbert and his cohorts are: instead of taking the easy way out by just filming himself scratching, with pauses for you to scratch back, each of the battles (which are arranged in order of difficulty) have visual themes, like level 1's Dek Demon who is wearing a black cape, way oversized devil mask, and is surrounded by flames. Really. Another cute one features Spiderman scratching on a bus while another masked man is stitting next to him steering the bus. Pretty funny shit, you could just set it up at a party and let it run. Makes learning fun!
As if all that wasn't enough, there's some plum extras, like a mock "other videos in this series" section where Q demonstrates how to do plumbing repair with the help of a sock puppet, the trailer for his animated film Wave Twisters, even a hidden surprise.
The tone of the whole thing is casual and precise, he's constantly making jokes, and his love for the craft is clear. Get this dvd! You never know when you're gonna wanna learn how to scratch, plus, this glimpse into the mind, craft, and funny bone of Qbert is just about the nicest, friendliest, most hilarious thing I've seen in a long time. Highly recommended.
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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The first volume of DJ Qbert's Complete Do-It Yourself scratching DVD was a huge hit 'round these parts due to its irresistable combination of both useful how-to-scratch DJ tips and humor. Even if you yourself wouldn't want to scratch a record with a ten foot pole, as long as you have an interest as a listener in hip hop and turntablist music, it was a pretty fascinating introduction to the basics of scratch DJing (or 'skratch' as they spell it). And Qbert is just such a charming guy. Volume one seems to be out of print at the moment (hopefully just between pressings or something) but here's volume two! Subtitled "Skratch Sessions" this takes up where volume one left off, providing budding scratch djs with TONS of stuff that'll help improve your skills (or just entertain). Over 20 top DJs appear in various band or battle situations where you can "jam" along with them at home. Multiple video angles and audio tracks make this one extremely interactive DVD. And the DIY lessons don't stop with just DJing, you get Qbert & co.'s home improvement tips as well. Super great.
Ok turtablist fans, you all know that DJ Q-Bert is the bomb. Seeing him master his custom-made QFO (a battery-powered turntable with built-in mixer) is totally amazing. It would be great if a dvd about him actually showed his skratch-wizzardry predominately throughout. However, Live: Australia-Asia shows a little too much of all the most boring parts of being on tour: the airports, the non-partying hotel rooms, sitting in cabs, etc. Q-bert seems to be having good time though, what with the crowds, the ladies, the female DJ he crushes out on... Die-hard fans of Q-bert will want to see this regardless of the poor editing, just simply to see footage of him skratching up a storm and to get a feel for the man behind the QFO. We just wish there was more skratching footage throughout this region-free dvd.
Tommy, Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee, and Marky. They lived to see themselves reach iconic status. Yet, through intense inter-personal strife impacted by the eclipsing success of the musical acts that followed in their footsteps, these guys seem to have barely enjoyed anything at all. This incredibly well-made rockumentary tells the story of four kids from Forest Hills, Queens who bonded over a mutual admiration of The Stooges and found a way out of their shitty home and school-life by playing music together. It follows their early career in the 70's as The Ramones, playing gnarly Bowery-bum ridden CBGB's alongside other new acts like Television, Talking Heads and Blondie to touring through Europe and Latin America with huge sold-out gigs. Success seemed to shine on them overseas solely, while in small shitty clubs across the US, they were boo'd, jeered, laughed at or the subject of thrown bottles and cans. Simultaneously, their record sales refused to escalate as they had hoped.
The Ramones were a musical force, however. Their songs were brutal, consice and earnest. Their sound was fast, fierce and fucking impenetrable - in the vein of garagey Americana pop punk. But God dammit, you already knew that! Well, you've probably forgotten how fucking GOOD they were. You'll see some pretty amazing live footage inside this over-two-hour film. Early live shows and incredibly endearing interviews with bandmembers (save Johnny) will regenerate anyone's adoration for these boys. Their story also emphasizes the emotions involved in being a Ramone. This is a tragic but important part of who they were. For instance, of the band's original personnel, Tommy (the only one to quit pretty early on), is the only one still alive.
Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy created an inspirational legacy and this documentation does its absolute best to communicate to us their lives' work. It will award you with an awesome fight on stage, a re-telling of their experience with producer Phil Spector, priceless moments of Dee Dee's "other musical exploration", and... aw, c'mon, did you really think I'd tell you any more? I will tell you this and none more: extra features include bonus interview footage and among other things, the Marky Ramone Drum Technique! All you drummers out there will appreciate that little nugget.
By far, End Of The Century, The Story of The Ramones is not only an important addition to any rock collection, it's absolutely informative and inspirational to any musician and/or music-lover. But hey ho this baby's Region 1. ----* ----* In Stock, Not Yet Reviewed : ----* If you want to order one of these, just cut and paste the info into the comments area on the order form, or just email mailorder@aquariusrecords.org. AKIYAMA, MITCHELL "Small Explosions That Are Yours To Keep" (Sub Rosa) cd 14.98 AKIYAMA, TETUZI "Route 13 To the Gates of Hell" (DAT-3 / Fader) cd 19.98 AKIYAMA, TETUZI / TOSHIMARU NAKAMURA / OTOMO YOSHIHIDE / TAKU UNAMI "Compositions for Guitar Vol. 2" (A Bruit Secret) cd 17.98 AKRON / FAMILY "s/t" (Young God) cd 13.98 ALIAS "All Things Fixable" (Goodwithmoney) cd 14.98 ANDEREGG, BRENDON "Falling Air" (Psych-O-Path) cd 13.98 APOTHECARY HYMNS "Trowel and Era" (Locust) cd 14.98 ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI "In Case We Die" (Bar/None) cd 15.98 ATTACK, THE "The Complete Recordings From 1967-68" (Acme Gramophone) cd 15.98 AUBE "Chain[Re]Action" (Blossoming Noise) cd 14.98 AXOLOTL "Oranur" (Jyrk Collective) cd-r 5.98 AYLER, ALBERT "Live On The Riviera" (ESP-Disk) cd 14.98 BEANIE SIGEL "The B. Coming" (Roc-A-Fella) cd 14.98 BENT WIND "Sussex" (World Psychedelia) cd 17.98 BIZZY B "Science EP Volumes III + IV" (Planet Mu) cd 16.98 BLACK BONED ANGEL "Eternal Love" (Celebrate Psi Phenomenon) cd-r 14.98 BOOKS, THE "Lost And Safe" (Tomlab) cd 15.98 BRASIL AND THE GALLOWBROTHERS BAND "The Band Plays On, The Dunes Move On (Caught Me With My Eyes Closed)" (Last Visible Dog) cd 11.98 BRIGITTE & THE HANSEN EXPERIENCE "Frau Hansen Am Bass" (Psychedelic Pig) cd 15.98 BROTHERS OF THE OCCULT SISTERHOOD "Run From Your Honey Mind" (Celebrate Psi Phenomenon) cd-r 14.98 BUDD, HAROLD "Avalon Sutra" (Samadhisound) cd 17.98 CEPHALIC CARNAGE "Anomalies" (Relapse) cd 14.98 CHEVRON "Everything's Exactly The Same" (Planet Mu) cd 16.98 CLARINET THING "Agony Pipes And Misery Sticks" (C + P BC Records) cd 12.98 COH "0397post-pop" (Mego) 2cd 24.00 COLD BLEAK HEAT "It's Magnificent, But It Isn't War" (Family Vineyard) cd 14.98 COMBAT WOUNDED VETERAN "This Is Not An Erect, All-Red Neon Body" (No Idea) cd 13.98 COMETS ON FIRE / BURNING STAR CORE (Yik Yak) lp 14.98 CONCRETE RUBBER BAND "Risen Savior" (Radioactive) cd 17.98 CORROSION OF CONFORMITY "In The Arms Of God" (Sanctuary) cd 16.98 CRAIN "Speed" (Temporary Residence) cd/cd 14.98/14.98 DAEDELUS "Exquisite Corpse" (Mush) cd 14.98 DALE, JON "Son d'Or" (Rhizome) cd-r 7.98 DAREDIABLO "Twenty Paces" (Southern) cd 14.98 DEB PLAYERS "Umoja - Love and Unity" (Badda) cd 22.00 DEBRIS INC. "s/t" (Candlelight) cd 15.98 DIG! "A Film By Ondi Timoner" (Palm) dvd 27.00 DIZZEE RASCAL "Off 2 Work (#1)" (XL) cd single/12" 4.98/4.98 DIZZEE RASCAL "Off 2 Work (#2)" (XL) cd single 4.98 DUNGEN "s/t" (Subliminal Sounds) cd 16.98 EDAN "Beauty And The Beat" (Lewis Recordings) cd/lp 16.98/16.98 ERICKSON, ROKY "I Have Always Been Here Before" (Shout! Factory) 2cd 31.00 ET SANS "Par Noussss Touss Les Trous De Vos Cranes!" (Constellation) cd 14.98 EVOL "Magia Potagia" (Mego) cd 16.98 FANTOMAS "Suspended Animation" (Ipecac) cd 17.98 FIELD MICE, THE "For Keeps" (LTM) cd 17.98 FIELD MICE, THE "Skywriting" (LTM) 2cd 17.98 FIELD MICE, THE "Snowball" (LTM) cd 17.98 FOG "10th Avenue Freakout" (Lex) cd 15.98 FOSTER, JOSEPHINE "Hazel Eyes, I Will Lead You" (Locust) cd 14.98 FRANCISCO "Cosmic Beam Experience" (Radioactive) cd 17.98 GANG GANG DANCE "God's Money" (Social Registry) cd 14.98 GHOST "Metamorphosis" (Drag City) cd + dvd 17.98 GIRTH "Living In Truth" (Hector Stentor) cd 9.98 GRUBBS, DAVID & NIKOS VELIOTIS "The Harmless Dust" (Headz / Fader) cd 19.98 HALF-HANDED CLOUD "Thy Is A Word + Feet Need Lamps" (Asthmatic Kitty) cd 14.98 HALL, ARCH JR. "Wild Guitar!" (Norton Records) cd 14.98 HARMONIC 33 "Music For Film, Television & Radio Volume One" (Warp) cd 16.98 HAWK AND A HACKSAW, A "Darkness At Noon" (Leaf) cd 14.98 HYUN, SHIN JUNG & THE MEN "s/t" (World Psychedelia) cd 17.98 ISLAJA "Palaa Aurinkoon" (Fonal) cd 16.98 JACKIE-O MOTHERFUCKER / MY CAT IS AN ALIEN "split" (Very Friendly) cd 14.98 JAGA JAZZIST "What We Must / Spyderberg Sessions" (NinjaTune) 2cd 16.98 JANDEK "When I Took That Train" (Corwood) cd 8.98 KAMMERFLIMMER KOLLEKTIEF "Absencen" (Staubgold) cd/lp 15.98/14.98 KASABIAN "s/t" (RCA) cd 12.98 KILL THE VULTURES "s/t" (JIB) cd 14.98 KIRKEGAARD, JACOB "Eldfjall" (Touch) cd 15.98 KUTI, FELA "The Best Of Fela Kuti: Music Is The Weapon" (Wrasse) 2cd + dvd 33.00 KYLESA "To Walk A Middle Course" (Prosthetic) cd 11.98 L PIERRE "Touchpool" (Melodic) cd 14.98 LAST OF THE JUANITAS "In The Dirt" (Wantage) cd 13.98 LAVAGNINO, ANGELO "Gamma 1 Quadrilogy" (Dagored) cd 16.98 LOUIS XIV "The Best Little Secrets Are Kept" (Pineapple / Atlantic) cd ?14.98 MAGNOLIA THUNDERPUSSY "Starin' Down The Sun" (Mar Vista) cd 14.98 MARZURAAN "Solid State" (Traqueto) cd 14.98 MATHIEU, STEPHAN "The Sad Mac" (Headz / Fader) cd 19.98 MENCHE, DANIEL "Sirocco" (Important) cd 14.98 MERZBOW "Bariken" (Blossoming Noise) cd 14.98 MF DOOM "Live From Planet X" (Nature Sounds) cd 12.98 MIASMA & THE CAROUSEL OF HEADLESS HORSES "Perils" (Web of Mimicry) cd 14.98 MIKAMI, KAN "Bachi" (Abruit Secret) cd 17.98 MILTON, ANTONY "'Sirens' & 'And Where The Coloured Planes Are Rafts" (Last Visible Dog) cd 11.98 MOBY "Hotel" (V2) 2cd 16.98 MONTAG "Alone, Not Alone" (Gooom / Carpark) cd 14.98 MOUNTAINS "s/t" (Staartje) cd 14.98 MOUTHUS "s/t" (Psych-O-Path) cd 13.98 MR. DORGON "God Is Greatest" (Tzadik) cd 16.98 MU "Out Of Breach (Manchester's Revenge)" (Output) cd 16.98 OCS "3 & 4" (Narnack) 2cd 14.98 OKKERVIL RIVER "Black Sheep Boy" (Jagjaguar) cd 14.98 OS MUTANTES "Everything Is Possible!: The Best Of Os Mutantes" (Luaka Bop) cd 12.98 OSBOURNE, OZZY "Prince Of Darkness" (Epic) 4cd boxset 42.00 PARLOUR "Hives Fives" (Temporary Residence) cd ep 9.98 PLAIN RIDE "On The Flow" (Ektro) cd 14.98 PREFUSE 73 "Surrounded By Silence" (Warp) cd 15.98 PRINCE PO & RAEKWON "Bump Bump" (Lex) 12" 5.98 RITUAL STEEL "Blitz Invasion" (The Miskatonic Foundation) cd 14.98 RODEN, STEVE "Ear(th)" (Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery) cd 13.98 ROVA :: ORCHESTROVA "Electric Ascension" (Atavistic) cd 15.98 RUNEMAGICK "Envenom" (Aftermath) cd 14.98 SAN UL LIM "s/t" (World Psychedelia) cd 17.98 SECTION 25 "So Far" (LTM) dvd 32.00 SEHT "The Voice Of The Taniwha" (Last Visible Dog) cd 11.98 SHIFLET, MIKE "The City Is All In Your Head" (Celebrate Psi Phenomenon) cd-r 14.98 SMEGMA "Rumblings" (Hanson) cd 14.98 SNOW PATROL "The Trip" (Fiction) 2cd 28.00 STARZ "Attention Shoppers!" (Ryko) cd 12.98 STARZ "Coliseum Rock" (Ryko) cd 12.98 STARZ "s/t" (Ryko) cd 12.98 STARZ "Violation" (Ryko) cd 12.98 TAAKE "Doedskvad" (Karisma) cd 14.98 TAR BABIES "Face the Music / Respect Your Nightmares" (Lexicon Devil) cd 14.98 TARWATER "The Needle Was Travelling" (Morr Music) cd 16.98 TEMPLE OF BON MATIN "Infidel" (Spirit Of Orr) cd 14.98 TERRESTRIAL TONES "Blasted" (Psych-o-path) cd 13.98 THUNDERBIRDS ARE NOW! "Justamustache" (Frenchkiss) cd 14.98 TINDERSTICKS "Bareback: Nine Films By Martin Wallace" (Beggars Banquet) dvd 14.98 TOMOKAWA, KAZUKI "Itsuka, Toky Mite Ita" (PSF) cd 21.00 TOMOKAWA, KAZUKI "Pistol - Shibuya Apia Live" (PSF) dvd 26.00 TWEET "It's Me Again" (Goldmind) cd 16.98 V/A "Cold Heat: Heavy Funk Rarities 1968-1974 Vol. 1" (Now Again) cd/lp 14.98/16.98 WORKS, THE "s/t" (Subliminal Sounds) cd 16.98 ZORN, JOHN "Rituals" (Tzadik) cd 15.98 _______________________________________________________________________ ABOUT MAILORDER
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Probably the second most talked about Residents album, and some would argue their last great effort, is the brilliant Commercial Album. The concept was to craft 40 pop gems (in true Residents fashion) each spanning exactly 60 seconds (to match the time of the average television commercial in 1980). With the help of some of their friends: Chris Cutler, Fred Frith, Andy Partridge and of course Nessie Lessons and Snakefinger, the Residents crafted some truly beautiful, surreal and poignant tunes; each one completely trimmed of any excess fat. A classic Residents album wouldn't be complete without a jab at the Beatles, included here as the "Simple Song". Other songs take on psycho-sexual topics, dream-like narratives twisted love songs and down right non sequiturs. Four of these nuggets were made into one minute videos (always on the bleeding edge, the Residents predated the video craze) which equal the music in their visual surreality. The Residents had intended to make videos for the entire album, but the project was never completed... Until now. With the help of an international roster of video artists the new Commercial DVD comes packed with 56 one minute movies, 10 new Residents videos, lots of easter eggs, and a 5.1 surround sound remix of the original album.
If there's one Residents record that is the one Residents record that people who aren't necessarily Residents fans own it is Eskimo (their sixth release, from 1979). There's good reason for this album being in so many libraries, if for no other reason than that it's one hell of a concept album. And if there's one thing the Residents do well it's concept albums. For Eskimo the Residents partially impersonate a Folkways ethnomusicological document from the 60's and a Firesign Theater record. The album is presented as a recreation of "not only the Eskimo ceremonial music, but also a living context for its existence". And so included is a booklet of stories illustrating the daily life and ceremonies of the Eskimo with which you can read and follow along with the music. The music is a combination of likely, but miscellaneous percussion instruments (Chris Cutler of Pere Ubu, Art Bears, Henry Cow fame is credited for his "precision drumming" here), analog synths, and chanted vocals. It's all about as convincing as genuine Eskimo music as you can imagine coming from the eyeballed wonders, and that's definitely part of its charm. The vocals themselves you can take as non-sensical made up words, or listen closely and you might be able to hear some familiar phrases here and there: "Coca Cola adds life" and "we want Coke, oh yeah!" are definitely in here. How much other subliminal marketing the Residents slipped in here is up for debate. Some people hear more than others. This handsome digipack edition comes with the original cover art; a classic image of the Residents on wearing tuxes, tails and eyeballs on a deco stage setup out of the 40's.
Now you can see San Francisco's favorite New England ex-patriate Jonathan Richman perform live in your very own home! Recorded at The Great American Music Hall in 2002 "Take Me To The Plaza" features 17 tracks from the former Bostonian including such favorites as "I Was Dancing In the Lesbian Bar" and the oft covered standard "Pablo Picasso". For those who've never seen the man perform, Mr. Richman's performances are just as popular for their music as the off kilter humour that he delivers during his concerts. Also included are two interviews with Jonathan, a complete interactive bio (okay, maybe it's not interactive, but in the spirit of things it sounds nicer) and two bonus tracks: "You Can't Talk To The Dude" and "Nineteen In Naples". Total running time is approximately 94 minutes. This DVD is NTSC region 1.
We first discovered amazing German duo Rockford Kabine via their debut full length, Italian Music: 31 Invalid Movie Themes, which on the surface played like a series of micro snippets of actual Italian soundtrack music, interspersed with snippets of dialogue, brief excerpts from what we can only assume are in fact real films, the music the perfect compliment, wah wah guitars, Morricone-ish twang, smoky synths, spooky rhythmic dronescapes. It was an incredible collection of music that very well could have been soundtrack music, but was in fact an original creation, imagined music for imaginary Italian films. And we were blown away. Not soon after, the band contacted us to let us know that they were already working on a follow up, this one an ACTUAL soundtrack, to some sort of arty XXX adult film, yep, a porno, which in some weird way made sense, what with RK's ability to conjure up super sultry and sexy sounds, that draw from all sorts of different sources, their music already cinematic on its own, seemingly perfect to be wedded to visuals, and heck, when the visuals turn out to consist of sexy women, some wielding daggers, wearing World War 2 style gasmasks and leather bodysuits and well, it's tough to argue with that.
But since the soundtrack was to be available ONLY as a bonus disc with the movie itself, it required some wrangling, and contacting an actual adult film distributor down in SoCal to get our hands on copies. But we're so glad we did. Even removed from the visuals, like all great soundtrack music, Rockford Kabine's score for XERO is incredible, haunting, mysterious, groovy, funky, abstract, cinematic for sure, but also lush and experimental and moody and mysterious. The strange thing too is that the film seems quite European, almost like some Inglorious Basterds style Tarantino war pic (or maybe that's just the aforementioned gas mask get up getting to us), but the music is very Eastern, in fact all the titles seem to be in Japanese, which only adds to the mystique of Rockford Kabine's fantastic soundworld.
So we'll discuss the film in a bit, but as aQ is a record store, and this is in fact our Record Of The Week, it's probably best to discuss the soundtrack/score all on its own first. Like Italian Music before it, XERO is a series of shortish tracks, between 1 and 2 minutes, each super distinctive, with the duo conjuring up incredible mysterious moods in a manner of seconds, leaving the listener in most cases wanting more more more. And like their Italian Music, this does play out like some sort of DJ Shadow style sonic collage, still drawing from Morricone, and the Italian giallo tradition, but also from classic '70s porno music, with some funk and groove, but instead of the oft ridiculed wah wah guitar style porn kitsch, this is much more evocative, and dark, guitars are slithery, basslines low slung, undulating, bells chimes, notes drift through fields of reverb, riffs chug and churn only to dissipate in a field of chimes, spaced out drones collide with almost Tangerine Dream like synths, flutes flit and flutter, the rhythms are minimal and motorik, some tracks playing out like some krautrock groove (reminding us that Can made softcore soundtracks too, way back when), others like some lost cosmic disco. It's actually quite hard to describe XERO, there are so many different sounds and styles, and it's hard to imagine them working as a soundtrack, especially to an super stylized XXX art film, but removed from the film, the music, as varied and constantly shifting as it is, somehow plays out cohesively, like an album proper, guitar twang is laced over a minimal footstep like rhythm, organs wheeze, everything sounds softly woozy and lysergic, exotic percussion collides with gamelan like melodies, minimal hip hop beats are wrapped around stuttering loops, occasionally coalescing into some seriously fuzzy hairy funk, other times drifting into Goblin style almost new wave sounding synthscapes, acoustic guitars unfurl some Western strum, but woven in are some haunting synth melodies, even some mysterious voices, soaring strings and sorrowful piano, tense droned out ambience, skittery almost Portishead style downtempo beats, bells and chimes, all sorts of strange production, the sound sometimes crystal clear and lush and lovely, other times hazy and druggy and gorgeously washed out, a kaleidoscopic sonic journey through some imaginary world of naked women, gasmasks and daggers, weird Asian masks, furry shag rugs, a world that would have stayed imaginary had these sounds not been used to edit the film of the same name.
The film is indeed pornographic, and XXX. It's all female-on-female, there's very little actual hardcore sex though. And while it IS a porno, with no plot to speak of, it's almost more like it's about the music. Indeed, the movie was edited to the music, much like Sergio Leone used to blast Morricone's scores on the set and have the actors move to the music, so the film here is a series of impressionistic tableaus, the colors acid drenched and super saturated, long slow stripteases, even the actual sex is strangely arty and not traditionally sexy, but the strange constantly shifting images, the cool, always changing music, work together, creating something much more than a porno, in fact, the film seemed more like something the band would project behind them when they performed live, strange masks, the aforementioned rubberclad gasmasked mystery woman, another woman who looks a bit like a sexier female version of Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name, long duster, big hat, face obscured by hair, and as the back cover proclaims, "See the shocking ending the censors didn't want you to witness", and we can definitely attest to the fact that the ending is really weird, depressing and violent, and not at all sexy, but in some way, that makes this whole project more interesting, and bizarre, and pretty much perfect for Rockford Kabine's incredible soundtrack. Though of course you don't HAVE to watch it, the prudish can enjoy the soundtrack fully without reference to the visuals.
Needless to say, this is TOTALLY RECOMMENDED, but, since the soundtrack cd does in fact come with an XXX rated adult dvd, thus is required some unaccustomed legalese on our part, as follows... This is only to be purchased by adults, and by purchasing this, and/or adding it to your online shopping cart, you are hereby agreeing to these stipulations: that you are an in fact an adult, being of legal age, 18 or 21, in your legal jurisdiction to view adult oriented material that may be sexual or graphical in nature. (Local laws vary throughout the United States, so if you are not 100 percent sure of the laws applicable to you, you are advised to check before purchasing.) Further, you agree that you will not redistribute this material to anyone for which it is illegal for them to view or possess such material, nor will you permit any minor, or any person who would find this personally offensive, to view this material, and finally that you will hold harmless aQuarius recOrds, its officers, ISP, and employees, from and against any claims, liability, losses, costs, damages, or expenses (including attorney's fees) arising from you use of the images contained on the dvd. Furthermore, you will defend aQuarius recOrds against all claims of impropriety regarding your purchase of this item. Phew. We'd have put all that in small print if we could.
Ew! Look out, it's a ROTTING CORPSE!!! Well, when these guys named their band Rotting Corpse, a name like that still had some shock value. Heck, it was like 1985, and they were the first and only thrash metal band in their part of Texas (Dallas Fort Worth). Their brand of punk inflected, speedy, shreddy, Slayerized thrash was pretty darn deathly for the era. Metal maniacs of a brutal bent into old school style morbidity ought to check them out, maybe you've heard 'em already on that terrific Texas Metal Archives Vol.1 compilation we highlighted here just a few weeks ago, which included Rotting Corpse's namesake tune "Rotting Corpse". Among the bands on that '80s comp, ol' Rotting Corpse were one of sickest, along with Death Tripper and Necrovore, sounding pretty gnarly next to a lot of the other acts, many of whom stylistically were in more of a traditional, epic, speed metal vein (also cool of course).
Now, as if someone knew we were primed to hear MORE Rotting Corpse, this showed up, a two disc cd -and- dvd set, the cd compiling all of the band's surviving demo tape tracks circa 1986-1990, recorded by various lineups, Rotting Corpse membership early on featuring future Solitude Aeturnus guitarist and Brainticket label boss John Perez, and always including founding member and former Pantera roadie Walter Trachsler (great surname for a thrash metaller, eh?) on guitars and sometimes vocals.
It's killer stuff if you like your thrash raw and underground, with the buzzsaws, we mean guitars, all about chop-chop-chop riffage and chaotic soloing. The vokills are guttural, throat-retched and/or punkish, expressing Reagan/Bush era hardcore 'tude. And all the while, the frantic drum battery and loose-strung bass threatens to shake your boombox to bits (a boombox, Walkman, or car stereo being the preferred playback equipment for the original demo cassettes we're sure). It's hard not to mosh, listening to this.
The cd booklet includes several pages of detailed band history (from which we learn that after they played a show with Nuclear Assault, Dan Lilker was heard to say that Rotting Corpse were "America's noisiest band", high praise from the likes of him, indeed), pictures, fliers, and lyrics. Oh, and the dvd disc, meanwhile, contains live concert footage of Rotting Corpse in action, a bunch of it filmed at reunion gigs in 2005 and 2006 (revealing that at least one guy in the band still has really long hair... and also likes to wear what appears to be a camouflage patterned kilt, for some reason). Better yet, it also includes some much more entertaining vintage video from a show back in '89.
Another one for the Ruins fans out there. Along with the amazing Koenji Hyakkei DVD that Magaibutsu also just put out, here's another live DVD, this time featuring Ruins themselves along with three other combos from the underground Tokyo prog rock scene. This certainly lives up to the "Let's Dance With Irregular Rhythms" title! All these bands were recorded one night last July at a club called FAB, shot with relatively static but pro camerawork and fine sound.
Ruins do nine songs, some old, some new, in their inimitable frenzied, just-bass-and-drums way. They're kind of an anomaly here, in a way, 'cause their brand of prog is so uniquely stripped-down and heavy. Nothing else on here quite approaches their mania, but prog-fiends will still want to check out the others. There's the exotic-sounding Pochakaite Malko, a quartet featuring electric violin, bass, drums and keys. Quite melodic and flashy. Rather more fierce is the hard-hitting, spazzed out Aburadako. Their singer's got a slicked-back Mike Patton hairstyle and a deadpan delivery, standing motionless in front of his mic with a thousand-yard stare when not singing. Weird, and probably our favorite here next to Ruins. The fourth band on here is a large ensemble called Cicala-Mvta, that's a bit more of a circusy-sounding chamber rock thing, not unlike gypsy wedding music actually, with strings and horns as well as the usual rock instrumentation. Tatsuya Yoshida of Ruins sits in as a second drummer!
