[ aquarius records — Rock Pop ]

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NUIT NOIREFantomatic Plentitude(Armageddon)cd$ 9.98

The return of our favorite faerical blasting punk rockers, France's new wave black crust dynamic duo Nuit Noire. We went nuts for this band the first time we heard them, expecting some sort of grim black buzz, seeing as they were signed to a black metal label, were distributed by black metal distros, etc., but instead we had our blocks knocked totally off, by their furious short sharp bursts of super tweaked angular riffing, flurries of chaotic drumming, and some of the most tweaked damaged whiny yelpingly brilliant vocals ever! All tangled up into a confusional blackened aggro metallic pop, part punk rock, part grim buzz, part no wave, part new wave. In the past we described Nuit Noire as sounding like a black metal Rudimentary Peni, but we're also hearing plenty of Christian Death, Joy Division, Crass and weirdly enough, on this new one more than ever, the Toy Dolls, mostly due to vocalist Tenebras' voice which is a dead ringer for the Toy Dolls' Olga. This new disc is half new tracks, half older classics recorded live. All of em fantastic of course. The new tracks are even shorter and poppier and more fucked up than before. Take the second track "I Am A Fairy", a crusty gloomy jam, with a killer main riff, streaks of high end new wave squiggle, and the vocals, just repeating the title over and over and over, super fast, then drawn out and crooned, while the music beneath shifts from hooky and poppy to blasting and buzzing. Or how about "I Love You", another furious eighties crust punk jam, but with some black buzz spread over the top, and a totally strange, but incredibly catchy vocal line, sung sort of like "I love yooooooooooooo, I love yooooooooooooou". The rest of the tracks range from loping eighties grooves to washed out dreamy murk to chaotic old school punk rock to full on lo-fi grim black metal, usually all in the same song. It's really hard to describe the sound, we're pretty surprised this stuff appeals to black metallers at all, there is some buzz and some serious riffing, but it's way more punk, and way more new wave, and the vocals are so strange and high and hysterical and freaked out and over the top, they sort of define Nuit Noire's sound, and are definitely the element that will make it or break it for you. The live tracks are awesome. And if we didn't know it would have been hard pressed to even realize they were live. Almost the exact sound quality (maybe they're just live in the studio, but then why re-record old songs?) heavy and buzzy and furious and catchy as fuck. Even a wicked version of their "Faeries Of Paper" a song we proclaimed to be one of "the best songs EVER" with one of the greatest catchiest weirdest riffs we've ever heard. A few of the other live tracks we hadn't heard before and are just as good, if not even better than the songs we already loved. Need more reasons to love these guys? Howabout the cool pencil drawings of the band members, one depicted as a huge monster-armed drumming demon, head cloaked in shadow, the other a faerie, in tunic and cape, big eyes and pointed ears, mic cable wrapped around a broadsword stuck in the ground. Or howabout the photo on the back of the cd, a very skinny, nearly naked band member, clad in a loin cloth and a cape, holding a guitar aloft in one hand, a sword in the other, cape spread out like the wings of a bat. C'mon!!! How much more perfect can a band be? So goddamn recommended.

NUIT NOIREInfantile Espieglery(Todestrieb)cd$ 12.98

We love this band so much. We were never able to get enough of their last record to list, but now that the new one is here, it's time to finally share our crazy love of this band with the loyal AQ faithful. Ostensibly a black metal band, but sonically anything but. Imagine a super lo-fi, sort of new wave, gothy crusty punk rock band but with buzzing insectoid riffing and occasional furious blast beats. Sort of like a black metal Rudimentary Peni, with a vocalist who sounds a bit like a cross between Roz Williams of Christian Death and Mark E. Smith from the Fall. Whiney and snotty, super dramatic and over the top, even at their most buzzing and black, the vocals kick in and the band is transformed back into some crusty black new wave weirdness. And the guitar parts are super weird, strange harmonies, a little new wave, but a little NO wave as well. But the band themselves don't consider their music to be black metal anyway. A quick look at their website reveals the fact that they consider themselves "faerical blasting punk!" Just check out the note from the band on their website: "Nuit Noire is the only faerical blasting punk band in the world. The music comes directly from the depths of the night, where the fairies stay hidden from the humans. We love them and they love us." Woah. Just one more reason to love these guys. Weird angular guitars, fucked up arrangements, damaged new wave riffing, some black blasts, a demonic shriek here and there, all that and faeries too!!

NUIT NOIRE / HIS ELECTRO BLUE VOICEsplit(Avant!)7"$ 7.98

The return of our favorite masters of faerical blasting punk! Who else could it be but Nuit Noire? We just raved about their most recent disc, the brilliantly titled Fantomatic Plentitude, and were already hankering for more when what should show up, but MORE! This split 7" matches up Nuit Noire with Italian noisy new wavers His Electro Blue Voice, who end up being a perfect match for the Nuit Noire. What can we say about Nuit Noire that we haven't said before. A blackened buzz wrapped around spiky crusty new wave-d punk rock. A blackened Rudimentary Peni. The guitars kinetic and buzzy, the drums rapid fire and frenetic, the vocals a wild caterwaul. These two new tracks are awesome. Crusty and catchy, lo-fi and super rocking. The opener is mostly instrumental, an epic extended intro, leading up to what could very well be the NN theme song: "Faerie Punk", ultra catchy and with some of the best lyrics EVER: Stardust all around the drums Stardust all around the guitar Stardust blown away from the high speakers Stardust everywhere on stage Faerie punk in the moonlight Faerie punk in the starlight Faerie punk far in the night Faerie punk on stage tonight Hell yeah! The lyrics just reaffirm what the music is already saying. Wild forest faerie freaked out black new wave crusty punk pop madness. So who could possible share a split with these guys? His Electro Blue Voice are up to the challenge, and are a pretty good match, their moody bass heavy new wave post punk, perfectly balancing NN's high end howl. Their sound is very 45 Grave, like some band you might have seen play the Scream in LA in 1985. Murky Joy Division riffing, wrapped around lugubrious Cure rhythms, the vocals a throaty gothy croon, the first track playing out lie a more metal Smiths, the second, some sort of dark doleful surf rock, with a Dick Dale riff stretched across and expanse of moody melancholia.

NULL AND VOIDPossibilities(Bunkerpop)lp$ 16.98

Usually when the description of a band is too good to be true, it actually is. We can't even count the times we've gotten descriptions of bands to check out that read like "Nirvana, with John Bonham behind the kit, playing ELP style prog epics, but in the style of Sabbath, all remixed by the Caretaker", okay, that actually does sound amazing, but our point exactly, that's not even remotely possible, and if it is, we promise to listen to nothing else forever! But in most cases, that hyperbolic and entirely inaccurate description ends up being essentially worthless, as not a single part of the description, applies to any element of the music. So when this long lost slab of classic California post punk was described to us as Chrome's Half Machine Lip Moves meets Brian Eno's Here Come The Warm Jets, we were most definitely suspicious, and skeptical. And when we threw it on, we were even more confused, the record opening with a track called "Bach Variations", which is in fact Bach, but played in the midst of a wild thunderstorm, pelted with crashes of thunder, wreathed in the sound of rainfall, lots of tape hiss and sonic detritus, it's weird and not a little bit Caretaker-y, and then "Japanese Forest" comes in, and while we're no less confused, we're into this big time. No surprise that this had been making the blog rounds for ages. Apparently this was Null & Void's third record, and was rejected at the time for being too weird, which is tragic, cuz it's so good, but they were right, it IS weird, seriously warped and gloriously fucked up. "Japanese Forest", adds a distinctly Asian melody, to moaning slo-mo synth throbs, and a laconic laid back vocal, the result is haunting and beautiful and darkly poppy. But then as soon as "When I Fell Down" started up, that whole Chrome/Eno thing didn't seem so far fetched, we'd maybe throw in some Bowie as well. Glammy and swaggery, fractured and lo-fi, total warts and all recording, streaks of feedback, sudden stop/starts, all adding a distinctive whatthefuck factor to the proceedings. "Einstein's Theory Of Relativity, No. 2" is another creepy industrial sci-fi glam ballad, that has a total Eno / Chrome / Bowie vibe, and is laced with awesomely weird bursts of white noise static, disrupting an otherwise sweet slab of garage glam swagger, which then slows down into a woozy washed out psychedelic echo drenched dirge, before big booming drums start things up again. Check out "Our New Life", which might be the 'hit' here, way better produced, and with a killer pounding new wave / punk rock vibe, with swirling synths and fuzzed out bass, the song splintering into a weird sing-songy sort-of-chorus part way through, the buzzing synths mirroring the vox, before the whole thing explodes into a serious chunk of blown out Warm Jets style blissout, before a final bit of drum driven glam rock croon. So twisted, and so fucking great! And it never lets up, the rest of the record flitting from classic glammy weirdo pop, to groovy, almost funky grooviness, to almost Suicide like drone-pop, to free form synth freakouts, to violin flecked classic rock super jams, rife with progged out organs, tangled psych guitars, and shredding leads, before finishing off with the three part songsuite "A Dream Wah!", which begins as a piano ballad, before splintering into some sort of avant glam-psych breakdown, before shifting into a garage rock shuffle, all soft focus jam band groove, which quickly devolves into a dark sprawl of ominous crooning, only to blossom into one more glamrock stomp, before fading into a weird collaged outro, sort of bookending the rainstorm outro, all tape hiss, and found sounds, murky melodies, and mysterious voices, disappearing into the background of hiss and hum. Reissue of the year hands down!!! Absolutely essential and totally recommended!!!

NUMAN, GARYLiving Ornaments '79(Beggars Banquet)2cd$ 10.98

How do you like this amazing bargain? Two jam-packed discs of Gary Numan live recordings for only $10.98, and it's by no means at the expense of quality! All three volumes of his Living Ornaments trilogy are fantastic live documents not only of Numan in his prime as a fine composer and dynamic showman, but also of analog synthesizers being performed in the rock arena. They (and the bandmembers playing them) were seriously put through a workout during these concerts. Keep in mind that analog synth sounds aren't preset, and those instruments also had a habit of drifting out of tune. So that means if the synth player required a different sound he would need to specifically dial it in each time (adjusting all the necessary parameters... often quite a complex process). Certainly makes these performances all the more awesome and a blast to hear a quarter of a decade later! Not to mention Numan's unmistakable, expressive vocals and masterly compositions. This is the real deal! It's definitely none of that lame preset arpeggiated excuse for synth music that's been plaguing our ears of late. It's unfortunate that Numan gets lumped in with the vacuous '80s new wavers 'cause music has so much more depth, both compositionally and emotionally. Seriously, if "Cars" hadn't been such a big hit (and thus thereafter unfairly condemning Numan to 'one-hit-wonder' status), his body of work would be viewed in a much different light (probably more critically lauded, and albeit probably much less widely popularized). An added bonus are all of the live photos of the spectacular stage and lighting set-up. He truly reciprocated all the love his fans bestowed upon him. Stunning! Completists will probably want all three volumes (there's some repeating of songs throughout), but if you think you only want one then this is the one to get!

NUMAN, GARYLiving Ornaments '80(Beggars Banquet)2cd$ 10.98

How do you like this amazing bargain? Two jam-packed discs of Gary Numan live recordings for only $10.98, and it's by no means at the expense of quality! All three volumes of his Living Ornaments trilogy are fantastic documents not only of Numan in his prime as a fine composer and dynamic showman, but also of analog synthesizers being performed in the rock arena. They (and the bandmembers playing them) were seriously put through a workout during these concerts. Keep in mind that analog synth sounds aren't preset, and those instruments also had a habit of drifting out of tune. So that means if the synth player required a different sound he would need to specifically dial it in each time (adjusting all the necessary parameters... often quite a complex process). Certainly makes these performances all the more awesome and a blast to hear a quarter of a decade later! Not to mention Numan's unmistakable, expressive vocals and masterly compositions. This is the real deal! It's definitely none of that lame preset arpeggiated excuse for synth music that's been plaguing our ears of late. It's unfortunate that Numan gets lumped in with the vacuous '80s new wavers 'cause music has so much more depth, both compositionally and emotionally. Seriously, if "Cars" hadn't been such a big hit (and thus thereafter unfairly condemning Numan to 'one-hit-wonder' status), his body of work would be viewed in a much different light (probably more critically lauded, and albeit probably much less widely popularized). An added bonus are all of the live photos of the spectacular stage and lighting set-up. He truly reciprocated all the love his fans bestowed upon him. Stunning! Completists will probably want all three volumes (there's some repeating of songs throughout), but if you wanna start with one then Living Ornaments '79 is the one to get first.

NUMAN, GARYLiving Ornaments '81(Beggars Banquet)2cd$ 10.98

How do you like this amazing bargain? Two jam-packed discs of Gary Numan live recordings for only $10.98, and it's by no means at the expense of quality! All three volumes of his Living Ornaments trilogy are fantastic documents not only of Numan in his prime as a fine composer and dynamic showman, but also of analog synthesizers being performed in the rock arena. They (and the bandmembers playing them) were seriously put through a workout during these concerts. Keep in mind that analog synth sounds aren't preset, and those instruments also had a habit of drifting out of tune. So that means if the synth player required a different sound he would need to specifically dial it in each time (adjusting all the necessary parameters... often quite a complex process). Certainly makes these performances all the more awesome and a blast to hear a quarter of a decade later! Not to mention Numan's unmistakable, expressive vocals and masterly compositions. This is the real deal! It's definitely none of that lame preset arpeggiated excuse for synth music that's been plaguing our ears of late. It's unfortunate that Numan gets lumped in with the vacuous '80s new wavers 'cause music has so much more depth, both compositionally and emotionally. Seriously, if "Cars" hadn't been such a big hit (and thus thereafter unfairly condemning Numan to 'one-hit-wonder' status), his body of work would be viewed in a much different light (probably more critically lauded, and albeit probably much less widely popularized). An added bonus are all of the live photos of the spectacular stage and lighting set-up. He truly reciprocated all the love his fans bestowed upon him. Stunning! Completists will probably want all three volumes (there's some repeating of songs throughout), but if you wanna start with one then Living Ornaments '79 is the one to get first.

NUMAN, GARYPure(Eagle)cd$ 15.98

Sigh. Here it is, the new full length from Gary Numan. Despite his recent escapades with the likes of Fear Factory (who covered his hit single "Cars") and because of his more recent involvement with Stephin Merritt's Sixths project, I had such high hopes for this record, but those hopes were quickly dashed. From the bad demo-like package design (ugly font, ugly photos) to the disappointing music. It seems this album should have been released back in the mid-80s. In fact, track 7 is a deadringer for Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence". There are brief moments when the Numan of old shines through, but those moments are so few and far between. Sadly most of the time, the vocals are overly effected and affected. The music, paint by numbers neo-industrial (think "Antichrist Superstar" Marilyn Manson). By the time I got to the second to last song my heart had sunk so low, but it was about to sink even lower 'cause that song "Little In Vitro" sounds so creepily like that overplayed Chris Isaak "I Don't Want to Fall in Love" song... no no no. Too much to bear.

NUMAN, GARYTelekon(Beggars Banquet)cd$ 14.98

NUMAN, GARYThe Pleasure Principle(Beggars Banquet)cd$ 14.98

NUMAN, GARY + TUBEWAY ARMYReplicas Redux(Beggar's Banquet)2cd$ 15.98

It's always a joy to rediscover an album from your youth that's stood the test of time, offering not only a comfy nostalgic feel but also remaining wonderfully listenable decades later. This one's a keeper (particularly if you ask Cup!), and we don't even really need the bonus disc of b-sides and other extras included in this expanded 2008 tour edition. The alternate renditions of "Down In The Park" and "Are 'Friends' Electric?"will surely geek the super duper fans though! On a passing glance at the synthesized surface of Gary Numan's music it'd be easy to dismissed it along with the hordes of '80s new wave fluff and cheese. Heck, he was the king of British new wave back then! However if you move past your feelings good or bad for his ultra hit single "Cars", you'll be rewarded with near classical compositional elegance, heartbreakingly beautiful melodic interludes, not to mention Numan's remarkably emotive voice expressing his dystopic Philip K. Dick, W.S. Burroughs and J.G. Ballard inspired lyrics. All these things stand in stark contrast to the emotionless android chill commonly associated with the genre, and ultimately that's the point that's made crystal clear when hearing Replicas nearly three decades after its original release. While it certainly appeals to the new waver in all of us, it delivers so much more!

NUMAN, GARY / TUBEWAY ARMYPremier Hits(Beggar's Banquet)cd$ 14.98

There are those of us who cannot imagine our lives without the alienated plaints of Gary Numan. Here, finally, are his hits. 18 tracks. Two versions of "Cars". "Stormtrooper in Drag"! All digitally remastered. Life is now, at last, worth living.

NUMBER TWELVE LOOKS JUST LIKE YOU, THEPut On Your Rosy Red Glasses(Piermont)cd$ 7.98

When we made the newest record by An Albatross record of the week a while back, we were pretty sure there could be no band faster and more convoluted and more prog and more fucked up, but I think maybe we were wrong. The curiously named The Number Twelve Looks Like You, take the furious grind prog of An Albatross, ditch the keyboards, and focus on being faster and more complicated and more totally baffling. And succeed, BIG TIME. Every track here is a mind blowing tangle of complex convoluted leads, super mathy, ultra complicated arrangements, some of the most impossibly dexterous drumming EVER, as well as a cacophony of shrieking vocals, downtuned chugs, blown out crumbling production, and strange almost mosh like breakdowns. Huge blasts of hypergrind are butted right up against almost catchy melodic riffing, before the two somehow collide and join forces and become some ultra impossible melodic hypergrind. Or something. We're tempted to declare this the grind record of the year, but most grindheads would be baffled. Same with metalheads, there's so much space, and weird pop, and so many what-the-fuck moments, that it's impossible to call this a metal record either. But we can safely say it's one seriously fucked up, weird and wonderful, heavy and confusional, convoluted metallic psych prog freaked out grind. Seriously heavy weird shit that just might be your favorite record of the year, if you're into seriously heavy weird shit that is. And as if to prove our point, and maybe draw attention to their numerical monicker, the last 4 tracks are some sort of baffling Number Twelve suite. Track nine is called "Die" and is 12 seconds of silence. Track ten is also called "Die" and is also 12 seconds of silence. Track eleven, also called "Die", all silence. Track TWELVE is 12 minutes and 12 seconds long, all silence, EXCEPT for the last 12 seconds, which consist of a 12 second long drum and kazoo jam. Fuck. Yeah.

NUMBERSDeath(Tigerbeat 6)cd$ 13.98

Numbers, all by themselves, have a firm handle on taking the tools of punk rock and using them as instruments of total dancefloor destruction, making them prime candidates for re-interprations of their songs that highlight, rather than obliterate, their inherent status as dance tunes. Some of the tracks on this new remix album do just that, some don't, and as is to be expected from a remix album I guess, some of these tracks work a whole lot better than others, although overall, "Death" is really pretty solid. Most of the mixes here are in the hands of the good-humored glitchmeisters of the Tigerbeat 6 roster, many of whose aims seem to be more idiosyncratic than the simple forging of club-friendly tunage from the Numbers raw material. The best tracks, like Dymaxion's mix of "What Is The Product?" and Caro's take on "Intercom," fracture and extrapolate cold neo-disco from the already thumpin' Numbers beat. Gold Chains inserts himself, friendly and joshing like, into the musical dialogue on his take on "Prison Life" through the additional vocals; the party jams are duly delivered by Kid 606; controversial faux-teutonic trio Zeigenbock Kopf turn "I Like Having These Things" into, uh, a Zeigenbock Kopf song. It's a tribute to all the mixers that it's not immediately noticable that a couple songs are tackled more than once (or twice). Other remixers include Electronicat, Stars As Eyes, Dwayne Sodhaberk, Original Hamster, Kit Clayton, GD Luxxe, Dat Politics and Uprock. MPEG Download: KID 606 "We Like Having These Things (Williamsburg Rmx)" [/audio/numberskid606rmx.mp3] MPEG Stream: KID 606 "We Like Having These Things (Williamsburg Rmx)" [/audio/numberskid606rmx.m3u]

NUMBERSEe-Uh!(Troubleman Unlimited)cd$ 11.98

Here's a half-live, half studio half dozen from Numbers. The lo-fi live three were recorded in Oakland at a big ol' warehouse 'demolition' party. A messy, raucous EP that's sure to please fans, we'd imagine.

NUMBERSIn My Mind All The Time(Tigerbeat6)cd$ 13.98

Here's the new one from the Numbers, those neo-New Wavers who are a popular part of the much-hyped San Francisco scene. Robotic dancefloor punk from ex-members of Xerobot, all quirky and jerky, yelpy and bloopy. If you're already into 'em this won't disappoint I'm sure. However, I have to say that a few nights back I happened into a bar where a Judas Priest tribute band was playing. I think they were named Sad Wings of Destiny, from up north someplace, though they looked liked they'd just stumbled drunk out of a Castro bar. And even though they weren't getting every song 100 percent right, they totally rocked. It was very punk and fucked up, spirited and fun and very very campy. The Numbers of course are going for a quite different sort of '70s / '80s retro vibe. But the point is Sad Wings of Destiny (or was it Screaming For Vengeance?) would have blown them off the stage. I'm not sure where I'm going with this, except to say that while the Numbers record is not necessarily bad, I liked a messed-up Priest tribute band better way better. They had the songs, they had the attitude, and never mind what's trendy. PRIEST!!

NUMBERSLife(Tigerbeat6)cd$ 12.98

Remember that band Xerobot that were around during the Midwest No Wave craze of the mid nineties? Numbers is ex-members of Xerobot, and everybody is gaga for No Wave in SF right now. Catchy punk rawk, chaotic choppy guitar, screamy/shouty boy/girl vox though distorted makeshift microphones -- it's all good, but the amateurish homemade synth bleeps and token Moog distract from the totally fierce guitarwork. Influences definitely include Gang of Four and Wire. Ten songs, nineteen and a half minutes. Tigerbeat6. Down with the scene.

NUMBERSNow You Are This(Kill Rock Stars)cd$ 14.98

Long gone are the days of the bratty and sassy Numbers, when the band first hit the scene a few years back. These days Numbers have refined their love of electronic tinged rock, taking cues from sonic pioneers like '70s Brian Eno and early Gary Numan as well as some hints of Krautrock. As always they have their Moogs and other rad instruments on full throttle (check out their awesome Octave Cat and the always handy shruti box, both of which help create lots of the drones that run through many of the songs on Now You Are This). With vocalist Indra singing lead on a majority of the tracks and irresistible momentum of that most of these songs, we could definitely see Numbers teaming up with kindred spirits Electrelane sometime in the future for a meeting of the musical minds that would make a lot of sense, and most likely sound fantastic.

NUMBERSW(Tomlab)7"$ 6.98

NUMBERSWe're Animals(Kill Rock Stars)cd$ 14.98

Wow...This is their best yet! Their first for Kill Rock Stars (after three releases on Tigerbeat 6) and the shift in labels also marks a major shift in sound for this SF trio. While Numbers became known for their diy approach to electro-pop, "we're animals" finds them ready to move on and into different directions. The sound is much fuller and you get the feeling that lots of thought was put into making a full album as opposed to just throwing together a bunch of songs. In lots of ways this is sort of like their Milk Man (the Deerhoof album, that is). Guitars and keyboards which take their cue from early Eno rock albums with moments of washed out sounds that shimmer and sizzle. No more traces of gimmickry. What hasn't changed for Numbers is that their presence and energy is still undeniable. So nice to see when a band has the courage to make a change that might alienate their past fan base but in the process come out on the other end with a record so much better then if they had just continued to go through the expected motions.

NUMBERS + ADULT.Numbers + Adult. = This Seven Inch(Kill Rock Stars)7"$ 3.98

If this split 7" had come out a few years ago, it would've probably seemed like a bit of an odd pairing, but these days SF's (formerly much more no-wave influenced) Numbers and Detroit's (formerly very singularly electro-botic) Adult. are soundin' pretty chummy. Where they've found their common ground is in the raw, retro punky pit. Both songs in this split 7" equation feature snarky female vocals and underlying herky-jerk rhythms. Adult. percolates a dark, itchy "Monologue" and Numbers proclaim at a slower tempo "Me Me" punctuated by choppy guitars. Sure to please fans of both bands.

NUMBERS / EMERGENCYsplit(Archigramophone)12"$ 6.98

Four songs by SF faves Numbers are paired with five songs from sadly defunct Portlanders Emergency, including a cover by late 70's NYC post-punk group Come On. Numbers approach everyday technology (photography, TV,) from a distance to produce angular pop that has the power to drive people to dance themselves into sweaty heaps. Two of these songs also appear on their debut full length cd "Numbers Life" on Tigerbeat 6. The Emergency side features bratty/erudite vocals (courtesy Ethan Swan-Scahill, who runs Archigramophone along with drummer Paul Dickow), high pitched guitar anti-melody lines and some damaged punk disco beats. Obnoxious and good, though not as excellent as their lp "The Less I Know" (also on Archigramaphone).

NUMINOUS EYEClockwork Moon(Nod And Smile)lp$ 11.98

Latest lp from local shoegazing psych duo of guitarist/vocalist Mason Jones (ex-Subarachnoid Space) and drummer Mike Shoun (Thee Oh Sees), both of whom augment Numinous Eye's sound with copious synths and effects. Amped up and/or blissed out, it's hypnotic stuff, some songs riding waves of distorted guitar and roiling drums, others more laid back and mellow, with gentle singing, these more song-y songs still featuring echoing, extended spacey guitar passages over steady, tasteful drum beats (Shoun in Caesura '90s era mode, his old post-rock band), with Mason's gentle, sensitive vocals drifting over top, hinting at Galaxie 500 - though some comparisons soundwise could also be made to the psychedelic stylings of fellow San Franciscans Wooden Shijps, as well as to some of Mason's pals in the Tokyo psych scene (previous Numinous Eye releases have featured contributions from members of Acid Mothers Temple and Up-Tight among others). Recommended - as is this list's other ex-Subarachnoid Space related release, by Eight Bells! Vinyl-only, comes with digital download code though. And boy is it a thick slab of 180-gram vinyl.

NUMINOUS EYELive/Studio(Little Mafia)12"$ 9.98

NUMINOUS EYEThe Farthest Thing(Charnel Music)cd-r$ 9.98

NURSE WITH WOUNDParanoia In Hi-Fi(United Dirter)cd$ 4.98

Here's a special sampler disc that was intended to sell for only 99 pence in the UK; but even with the horrible exchange rate and shipping costs, Paranoia In Hi-Fi is still a reasonable $4.98 on this side of the pond. BUT! There's a catch. You have to walk in the door of Aquarius and buy this disc in person! The idea that Nurse With Wound, Dirter Promotions, and Cargo Distribution collectively had, was to encourage the multitudes of Nurse With Wound fans and newcomers to get out into the independent shops and maybe purchase something else alongside this nicely priced cd... so no mailorder for this. Steven Stapleton of Nurse With Wound has engineered this anthology as a teasing sampler into the wild and weird world of NWW, by collaging the tracks into a seamless mix and then splicing that collage into 79 separate tracks, making it downright foolish to rip this thing into mp3s. Yup, this is a mega-mix meant to be listened to from beginning to end. True to NWW form, it's a rollercoaster of dada cut-ups, splattered noise, horrifying ambience, post-krautrock jams, and psychedelically inclined musique concrete. We do hear bits from The Sylvie & Babs Hi-Fi Companion, Homotopy To Marie, the Stereolab collaboration, Alice The Goon, the hilarious NWW mash-up with James Chance, and the Inflatable Sideshow alter ego which appropriates Black Sabbath of all things. To all of these things, we here at Aquarius once again say "Thank you, Mr. Stapleton!"

NUZZLEJunk Of Myth '92-'95(Zum / Sound On Sound)cd$ 8.98

Not a new release, but newly discovered, let's call it a warehouse find, dug up a little stash of this record, a killer cd collection of all the out of print vinyl releases from these Santa Cruz backpack emo / screamo noise rock, post punks. You can tell from that many-genre'd attempt at categorization, that these guys definitely defy description a bit, but if you like your punk rock, noisy, and catchy, rife with angular guitars, wild chaotic drumming, sinewy baselines, yelped vox, brooding post rockisms, and hooks galore, these guys will do it for you big time. Not ever hugely popular, and infamous for erratic band behavior, these guys were one of the great unsung bands of the nineties, their live shows were intense, sweaty and energetic, the band letting loose as much as the crowd, the music the perfect soundtrack for that sort of wild, unabashed, heart on sleeve musical energy, but unlike many of the more screamo bands of the time, these guys were a lot more nuanced, letting some tracks stretch way out, experimenting with tone and texture, tension and release, their sound sometimes slipping into Fugazi territory, and at other times falling more in line with the Gravity Records Bands of the time, and at others sounding like some lost midwest emo band, that somehow wandered to the west coast. Even now, this stuff oozes emotion, and for folks who grew up in the nineties, or at least spent their formative musical years during that decade, every track here is pitch perfect, easy to imagine rocking out to any of these songs in a sweaty crowd in some living room or basement, or blasting these jams on your Walkman, or including them on a mixtape for that boy/girl you've been crushing out on. It's a kind of music they really don't make anymore, and by extension, it's a mood/energy/vibe, that music doesn't seem to have anymore either. Nuzzles don't at all sound dated, as much as they sound of their time. And for younger folks who may have missed out on all this stuff, this is the sort of band, and sort of record, that just might open up a whole new (old) world of music, and listening to this stuff again now, we sort of forgot how goddamn great these guys are. In the age of band reunions, we'd kind of kill for one more chance to see these guys. Until then, this will likely be back in heavy rotation. Again.

NVH / BEN CHASNY....Plays The Book Of Revelations(Yik Yak)lp$ 21.00

We're not sure who NVH are, but what have they done with Ben Chasney?! A while back we had a super limited cassette release from Six Organs Of Admittance's Ben Chasny and the mysterious NVH, with the same title oddly enough. Needless to say, we sold out of those tapes and left loads of people wanting, and while this lp only release has the same title, it is NOT the same music. One song from the tape is duplicated here, but other than that this is all new music. So what's this whole Chasny / NVH thing about anyway, well, you won't find any dreamy folky prettiness here. This lp is all about the noise. The noise a guitar and god knows what else can conjure up. This is some serious noiserock. Heck, there's no rock to speak of, this is just good ol' noise. But not really -just- noise, there's a whole lot going on. It's just all wrapped in some of the most corrosive seriously damaged skree we've heard in ages. Guitars careen everywhere, huge walls of crumbling distortion tumble onto blown out riffs, FX drenched squiggles are everywhere, angular melodies are twisted and tangled into psychedelic squalls, riffs are pulled apart into squealing keening roaring parts and hurled separately into the mix bouncing wildly off each other. Here and there the blown out rumbles coalesce into thick buzzing drones, and pretty melodies drift in and out, but are quickly overpowered. Imagine locking Keiji Haino and Kawabata Makoto in a a tiny room, armed with nothing but guitars, distortion pedals and a wall of amps each, dueling to the death, the results recorded and played back through a bank of busted effects. Wild and weird. And pretty fucking awesome. But definitely another one for the iron eared... Packaged in a super elaborate fold out sleeve, all black, with black printing, black inner sleeve, and the outer jacket unfolds into a massive (upside down?) crucifix!! Super limited too, so don't snooze on this one....

NVH / BEN CHASNY...Plays The Book Of Revelations(Folding)cassette$ 4.98

Super limited cassette tape of Six Organs Of Admittance's Ben Chasny and NVH! Please note: tht's N V H not N M H (i.e, Neutral Milk Hotel) as some customers have mistakenly thought! Released by AQ pal Mike Donovan (Sic Alps, Big Techno Werewolves, Nam, Sounds Of The Barbary Coast, The Ropers, Dial Records) as part of his ongoing cassette tape series. Only about 200 of these are being made, so needless to say, don't snoooooze! Pssst... we also have a small number of some other Folding cassette releases, all with hand made covers -- a couple of short ones from Death Sentence: Panda and Donovan's own current band Sic Alps, plus one by Dark Yellow Swans (aka Yellow Swans) and a compilation he compiled with artist Chris Johanson called SSSSSOSS2. Dust off yer cassette deck!

NYMPHs/t(Social Registry)cd$ 14.98

Holy shit! Yes we know that's a pretty over the top and perhaps cliche way to start off a review but there is really no other way to jump into talking about how rad this record is without screaming those words loud and proud. We first heard about Nymph from our pal Tomo (Tussle, Coconut) and he's not one to say something is awesome when it isn't, so we knew we had to check them out. And luckily Social Registry has stepped up to help get the sound of Nymph into more and more ears, as only a few of us actually got to hear the cd-r they released themselves. With this proper release finally available, we hope and think lots of folks will be getting way into Nymph, and their awesomely psychedelic witched out sounds overflow with sparkles of golden dust and magical dissidence. Imagine a much more stoned OOIOO dipping their toes into some free jazz creek while filtering it through their own unique take on no wave, but twisting it all up into something much more expansive. Like Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band interpreted by Gang Gang Dance and Death: Sentence Panda, or a pack of stoners breaking into Deerhoof's practice space and blasting out long jams that you can't help but play as loud as possible. For sure one of the coolest new bands we've heard in a long while!

O LEVELPseudo Punk(Munster)lp$ 24.00

Along with the Teenage Filmstars lp reissue found elsewhere on this list, O Level was another band of weirdo retro pop genius Ed Ball, and like the early Teenage Filmstars records, O Level specialized in fuzzy, sixties style new wave jangle pop, which found Ball teaming up with some of his pals from the Television Personalities, but unlike the polished jangle pop of Teenage Filmstars, O Level was much more raw and urgent, the track "East Sheen" which starts things off is a perfect chunk of fuzzy, garage pop crunch, the guitars super distorted, the vocals raspy, the hooks crazy catchy, the sound lo-fi, but still plenty crunchy and fuzzy, which pretty much describes O Level's sound in general. "Pseudo Punk" has a weirdly Young Ones vibe, if that makes any sense, as it so captures the spirit and sound of the era, it's hard to imagine it's not a perfectly executed pisstake, a parody that transcends parody and becomes even better than the original, cuz goddamn it's so good, as is everything here, a collection of the group's first two eps, as well as three tracks never available on vinyl before. Originally released for Record Store Day, these luckily became available again, but who knows for how long...

O LEVEL (INC. TEENAGE FILMSTARS)A Day In The Life of Gilbert and George: 1977-1980(Artpop!)cd$ 17.98

We made the recent reissue of Teenage Filmstars' Star a Record of the Week, and plan on doing the same for the other TF records as soon as they're reissued. Furthermore, one person who works here even proclaimed TF better than My Bloody Valentine, and sticks by that inflammatory claim! But much like MBV, TF weren't always masters of tripped out backwards space psych, in fact long before TF became a swirling spaced out bliss rocking psychedelic juggernaut, they were a kick ass, old school jangly UK punk rock band. Teenage Filmstars mainman Ed Ball, and his partners Daniel Treacy and Joseph Foster also did time in the Television Personalities, and would later go on to start the Rev-ola, Artpop! and Creation labels. That's some serious pop star power for sure. But back then, things were much simpler, especially the sound, many of these tracks are indeed credited to Teenage Filmstars instead of O Level, but TF were a whole different beast, channeling the sound of the Kinks, the Who, the Jam, the Undertones, the Rezillos (who even get name checked on one song), all angular post punk and groovy garage-y stomp, catchy and hooky and simple and rollicking and more pop than punk, whereas the O Level tracks seem a bit more abstract, a bit more out there, than the TF tracks, which are more catchy and energetic, but to be fair, if the tracks were uncredited to one band or the other it might be difficult to tell them apart. They are basically the same band after all. There are some amazing tracks here, the all time classic "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape", the melancholy summery strum of "I Love To Clean My Polaris Missile", the Beatlesesque "Everybody's On Revolver Tonight", some tracks even a have a bit of ska guitar here and there, lots of bloopy dubby bass, the guitars are angular and jangly, the vocals are all over, a Cockney growl one minute, a sweet croon the next, and the songs are fun, catchy, noisy, poppy, the lyrics are super clever and snarky too, sometimes sharp and funny, other times subtly dark, all in all a killer comp of seminal UK punk / pop and a brilliant glimpse at the roots of a sound and scene that would eventually blossom into a serious obsession! Amazing packaging, all the original tracks, tons of bonus tracks, lots of photos, super entertaining and confusional liner notes, almost as fun to read as the record is to listen to.

O TERCOs/t(Discos Mariposa)cd$ 17.98

The latest from the increasingly awesome Discos Mariposa label, who have been providing release after satisfying release of Brazilian post-tropicalia rarities, is the 1972 second album from psych-progressives, O Terco. Featuring Luiz Simas from Modulo 1000 on mini-Moog, Terco starts off pretty heavy in a King Crimson fashion gradually settling into the dreamy pastoral psych that were used to from this label. Culminating in the 19 minute collage suite "Amanhecer Total" ("Complete Dawn"), where female vocals, acoustic guitar and percussion meld into heavier passages of electric guitar, and aggressive singing, then shift towards lo-fi keyboards, soft piano and a mantra-inflected finale. Two bonus tracks from an earlier EP round the disc out nicely.

O'BRIEN, JOHNReal Life(self-released)cd$ 11.98

From the get-go, John O'Brien's debut album Real Life sounds very much in the same sun-kissed, country-tinged vein as fellow Sfers Fojimoto. So it's not surprising that they've found each other - this album was recorded, mixed and co-produced by Marwan Kanafani of Fojimoto. Mr. O'Brien's boyish vocals also brought to mind those of Evan Dando of the Lemonheads. These are mostly warm and infectious pop songs with plenty of gentle strummy guitars, but there's also "Bottle On The Table" a rootsy raise-a-pint rollicker embellished with a little harmonica for good measure and the more solemn piano number "September 13" which also appeared on the "The Canvas Remembers September 11" compilation.

O'CONNOR, JENNIFEROver The Mountain, Across The Valley And Back To The Stars(Matador)cd$ 13.98

On the back of the advance copy of this Jennifer O'Connor cd we received from Matador Records, the label conveyed the press quote from Time Out NY "another Liz Phair or Elliott Smith waiting to happen". While we definitely concur with the former on songs like "Turn It Down" (at least in regards to Phair's Exile In Guyville album NOT her more recent daliances), we disagree wholeheartedly with the latter. Casual, no frills, girl next door-ish. She's very much in tune with other female singer / songwriters along the lines of Shawn Colvin and Indigo Girls. In fact, if there was still a Lilith Fair, she'd fit the bill just right.

O'CONNOR, SINEADTheology(Koch)cd$ 16.98

O'HAGAN, SEAN & JEAN PIERRE MULLERThe Musical Paintings Volume 1(Drag City)book+cd$ 17.98

High Llamas fans, you probably don't want to miss this! Indeed, you're probably already well aware that band leader Sean O'Hagan composes plenty of lovely music outside of his main band, right? But you probably weren't able to attend the various aural art installations he and Belgian pop-artist Jean Pierre Muller have collaborated on for the past half decade, were you? This new book+cd set, though nowhere near the actual experience of being in those environments, will have to do! The 5.5"x6" 96-page hardcover book is filled with full color photo documentation of the first two installations' preparation, Muller's touch-sensitive art pieces as well as the attendees interacting with them. The cd features O'Hagan's unmistakable soft-focus space age cocktail hour soundtracks which formed the interactive sonic loops in the installation. Their burbling dreaminess make for quite a languid contrast to the immediacy of the eye-poppingly vibrant paint and collage visuals!

O'NEIL, TARA JANEA Ways Away(K)cd$ 14.98

You can sense it right away when you're hearing an artist truly find their voice, and in doing so, managing to create something magical that outshines everything else they've done before. A Ways Away is by far Tara Jane O'Neil's most realized outing to date. While she has a healthy back catalog of woozy and pretty solo outings plus some fine recordings with her old bands, Rodan and Sonora Pine, up until this point she's always been an artist we liked a lot but would never say we love. That has changed - we declare our full on love and devotion to Tara Jane with this totally gorgeous album. She has found a way to inject so much more mood and atmosphere into her songs, drifting and dreamy, rustic and lingering. Like she's tapped into the magic of those Georgia Hubley soothing and sad moments on Yo La Tengo records or when Mimi Parker takes to the mic for slowcore beauty with Low. Nothing sounds forced or out of place, the songs are given the room to breathe and circulate and Tara's vocals are as pretty and understated as ever. The instrumentation is as potent as the vocal delivery, making us think of what it might sound like if Mirah and Steven R. Smith joined forces or if Grouper got more rustic and even more song orientated but still left trails of such dreamy and hazy delight. Simply beautiful!

O'NEIL, TARA JANEBones(Preservation)cd$ 16.98

A brand new, limited edition collection of stark and compelling personal folk ambience from AQ fave Tara Jane O'Neil who has completely shed her post rock / post punk past (having played bass in the legendary Rodan, and more recently in Sonora Pine and Retsin) and become a dark and moody folk chanteuse of sorts. Spinnng ultra personal tales of love and sorrow over lilting folk and moody ambient soundscapes, O'Neil creates a sepia toned sonic world of gauzy, afternoon sunlit langour and late summer idyll. Recorded over the last few years all over the country and in all sorts of locations (apartments, ballrooms, etc) Bones also finds O'Neil experimenting with found sounds and electronic beats, adding more color to her usual greys and browns. Desolate and beautiful, Bones is maybe her best record yet!

O'NEIL, TARA JANEIn Circles(Quarterstick)cd$ 14.98

Tara Jane O'Neil's latest solo outing doesn't stray far from the delicate structures of her previous efforts and that's a good thing. Unlike the latest recordings of her contemporaries, Neko Case, Beth Orton, and Chan Marshall, O'Neil, former member of Rodan and Retsin, eschews the full band songwriter mode and instead recorded these lilting and ethereal songs in various empty wooden houses around Portland, Or. The subtle sonic whirl and droning effects that begin most of the songs puts O'Neil closer to the Six Organs camp as the songs become folk-ish paeans to the mystical nature of the Pacific Northwest. Lovely!

O'NEIL, TARA JANEIn the Sun Lines(Quarterstick)cd$ 14.98

Newest offering from O'Neil formerly of the mighty Rodan, although her post Rodan work bears little or no resemblance. Dark and twangy melancholia, rough around the edges, but rough the way your favorite warm coat is rough: frayed and tattered but still the

O'NEIL, TARA JANEPeregrine(Quarterstick)cd$ 14.98

Founding member of Sonora Pine, Retsin and Rodan is out with a new solo album replete with quiet vocals and layers of warm guitar, piano, banjo, etc.

O'NEIL, TARA JANETJO TKO(Mr. Lady)cd$ 13.98

I (Sadie) love Tara Jane O'Neil. She has been in tons of amazing bands: Rodan, Retsin and the Sonora Pine to name a few. And as a solo artist she is just so lovely. This record is totally beautiful, dreamy and sad with slow and sort-of-driving electronica beats beneath layers of gorgeous guitars and her breathtaking voice. It's the perfect music to lay in your front yard to, or listen to when falling asleep. It's calming and trancy and totally hypnotic. In a weird way, it reminds me of early Bjork, but I don't want to cheapen it by comparing it to other stuff, 'cause it's so unique and perfect. It accomplishes that difficult mixture of cold electronica and digital sounds with beautiful heart wrenching human sincerity. This is her first record on Mr. Lady, and I'm glad. They seem like a good match, such a cool label, and a phenomenal artist.

O'NEIL, TARA JANEWhere Shine New Lights(Kranky)cd$ 14.98

A stunning sun-dappled daydream of a record from Tara Jane O'Neil, whose last album, A Ways Away made us finally fall completely head over heels in love with her hushed and hauntingly lovely sound... Continuing on that upward trajectory, Where Shine New Lights fits right at home on the Kranky label. The production even more hazy and somnolently gorgeous, a reverent stillness gently unfolding as morning breaks, with a subdued kaleidoscopic reach into a foresty brightness of sound. The opener after the intro. "Wordless In Woods" pivots on a fender Rhodes groove reminiscent of Brightblack Morning Light, leading into the next track, "This Morning Glory", a lilting paean to awakening that is so lush and pretty, an angelic lullaby floating under a morning mist. Elsewhere, resonant meditations of sound unfurl through slow ritual percussion and brooding grounding tones that anchor O'Neil's gossamer vocal treatment. On some level this is the more subdued introspective counterpoint to the soulful vibrancy of Laura Mvula's Sing To The Moon, both sharing a dreamy Arcadian vibe with a natural sun-soaked reverie. Our favorite Tara Jane O'Neil record. So beautiful!

O'NEIL, TARA JANEWho Takes A Feather(Map)book + 3" cd$ 20.00

We only have two of these in stock and we got them directly from Ms O'Neil. We're not sure if we'll be able to get more, so act fast. And if you're not one of the first two lucky customers, be prepared to wait a while (if we can indeed get more). This is a gorgeous collection of Tara Jane O'Neil's drawings, paintings and prose all beautifully printed and published in a really nice oversized soft cover book, imported from Japan. Psst, there's also a lil' 3" cd tucked away in the back cover too, with three brand new exclusive tunes!!

O'NEIL, TARA JANEWings, Strings, Meridians(Square Root Books / Yeti)book+cd$ 14.98

Wings, Strings, Meridians is the latest release of audio and visual art by aQ fave Tara Jane O'Neil. The book is filled with her paintings, photographs and drawings. In the back of the compact 6" square softcover is a cd -- her tenth solo album! Open your (or someone dear's) eyes and ears to the wonders of TJO. The pages are filled with loose tangles of thin, rough black lines shaded in earthy hues blurred in spots as if by rain or tears. Sometimes stark, sometimes busy, the images are populated by furry and feathered critters, human figures and abstract forms. Likewise, her music is an impromptu comforter woven from thread bare dusky melodies. Pretty great!