There are some bigtime Stereolab fans in the aQ crew, so needless to say many of us were way bummed when we heard the band had announced they were taking an indefinite hiatus. Especially since their last album, Chemical Chords, was one of the most infectious and satisfying of their wonderful career. Well, luckily, before going on this hiatus (we're hoping it's really just a brief hiatus), they realized that there was too much great material recorded at the time of Chemical Chords, to not let some of those songs have their moment in the sun. Not Music, though, stands on its own as a totally swirling, seducing and engaging proper album from one of the most unique pop groops of the last quarter century.
Much like Chemical Chords, the record really starts to sink in after a few listens and then every song becomes a stand out single to our ears, and once again we find ourselves totally overtaken and completely smitten with a new set of Stereolab songs. The two remixes included are total stunners too, courtesy of Atlas Sound, and Emperor Machine. Don't stay away too long Stereolab, the world of music is a much brighter, smarter and more exciting place with you around!
After years of ridiculously pricey, absurdly limited edition releases, Stereolab have finally taken kindly to their devoted fans with this 3cd/1dvd boxset. Perhaps they've taken a cue from the series of nicely priced and jampacked 3cd boxsets from Trojan Records? We'd venture to guess that's the case 'cause there's a few other similarities too. Besides being packaged in the same kind of box, much like those reggae compilations, Stereolab's is sadly lacking in the liner note department. Oh well, what can you do? 'Cept delight in immersing yourself in these 35 delicious Stereolab songs (28 of 'em were previously unavailable domestically, most were originally released in the UK on various formats by the band's label Duophonic UHF Disks). Since the recordings span 1993 through 2001, the compilation serves as a pretty great overview of their career. Now, factor in the dvd with its eight videos and three UK television appearances, and you should be more than well-versed in the magic of Stereolab!
Note: The group did keep one element of collectibility in this release. The first pressing includes a limited edition sticker set (eight glossy full color stickers featuring their various EP artwork). So if you're a completist, you know what to do! And if you're new to Stereolab, this will definitely turn you into a fan!
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Classic Sterolab debut album finally available on vinyl again!
Hurrah, some new Stereolab songs! The band sure seem to have turned over a new leaf where their limited edition collectibles are concerned -- re-endearing themselves with their legions of fans. Perhaps it's been spurred in part by the new partnership between the band's own label Duophonic and Too Pure? Dunno, but after years of frustratingly small run, insanely pricey special releases, they recently offered up the cool Oscillons From The Anti-Sun 3cd/1dvd box set, and have now released these three nicely priced, no frills 7" singles with two songs a piece. Each is a limited pressing of 1000.
This one features a pair of dreamy pop songs on which Laetitia Sadier's lovely vocals are as captivating as ever. "Plastic Mile" swings along gracefully while "I Was A Sunny Rainphase" peps things up a bit, and its pulsing groove proves that they haven't lost their love for krautrock (specifically the sounds of Neu!) just yet.
13 songs, all out of print now and hard to find in the first place (the Sub Pop single, that tour-only single I've never even seen, the Duophonic 7"s, etc etc), plus, the wonderfully noisy Clawfist 10" reworking of a Nurse With Wound piece. The vinyl is clear and if you care about this sort of thing, the vinyl sleeves are going to be different when it gets reprinted.
If by some freakish chance, you or someone you know has never heard the music of Stereolab, this is *the* cd to get him/her/yourself. Really, Serene Velocity could easily be titled The Best Of Stereolab collection. Sure there'd be lots of disputing the song selection -- we've all got our personal favorites of course! -- but each time we've played this in the store someone (customers and staff alike) inevitably bursts out an "oooh, I love this song!" for almost every song! The sweet sixteen songs are "Crest", "French Disko", "Ping Pong", "Cybele's Reverie", "Metronomic Underground", "Percolator", "Brakhage", "Miss Modular", "Infinity Girl", "Come And Play In The Milky Way", "Space Moth", "Double Rocker", "Vonal Declosion", and "...Sudden Stars" as well as rare 7" versions of "Jenny Ondioline (Part 1)" and "Wow And Flutter". Sure, devoted fans probably already have multiple copies of each of these tunes, but heck! Even they might find it to be like the yummiest Stereolab mixtape around!
My coworker Cup, whose tolerance for musical sweetness I can only admire and envy, thinks this new Stereolab album displays a lot more thought and effort, and is more intriguingly organic than their recent slick muzak leanings. And certainly the tracks featuring Jim O'Rourke at the controls are very nice. However, in my opinion (and I'm not Cup), this new album sees Stereolab
Helloooo Stereolab fans near and far! It might be time for you to retire your well-worn copy of Switched On 'cause it's been reissued! Arguably one of Stereolab's best and most beloved collections, this selection of songs (a compilation of early singles originally released back in 1992) captures the band's sound while it was still in its formative stages (but their Neu! adolation was already in full bloom as were lead singer Laetitia Sadier's glorious vocals), and thus still had some youthful spunk and spirit in it. These songs are some of their most energetic, poppy and outgoing Moog and farfisa filled delights. The contrast between these buzzing, tinglingly alive songs and the band's last few ultra smooth'n'polished albums is really remarkable. The songs on Switched On still sound fresh and great today (which happens to be a suitably bright, sunny March morning)!
That said, if you wanna hear some even fresher (i.e, new) Sadier-sung tunes, check out her other band Monade's current album, A Few Steps More.
Classic Stereolab album finally available on vinyl again!
Lovers of both Stereolab and vinyl records, your fave band has offered up another trio of fine 7" singles! Two new tunes a piece, each is limited to 4000!
In many ways singles are the perfect way to experience just how good Stereolab still are. It's so easy to take this group for granted and yes they do have a sound that for the most part they stick to but when you get to hang out with just a couple songs at a time, you really get to appreciate the intricacy and continual level of excellence of their music.
"Whisper Pitch" is one of the best kinds of Stereolab songs, with a slight somber undertone and a hook that gets so under skin in such nice ways.The 'b' side has one of those great song changes half way through that is so Stereolab and Stereolab alone.
Note: Multi-format fans (and Stereolab completists) please be aware that all of the songs on these three records also appear on Stereolab's current singles compilation cd, Fab Four Suture, along with those that were on the previous three 7"s.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
6 tracks chronicling a year-long collaboration between Ui and Stereolab, featuring 4 (yes four) version of Brian Eno's "St. Elmo's Fire" and one track ("Impulse Rah!") whose writing credit goes to the 2 bands plus Sun Ra. This is very pleasant record -- the music is closer to Ui's sound, yet the presence of Stereolab seems to have been a good anchor for the group, and Laetitia and Mary's vocals mix wonderfully with Sasha Frere-Jones' voice. The 10" vinyl for this is on its way, should appear next week, and is extremely limited (you know Duophonic) so please reserve your copy. The cds should be around for a while.
Wow! This is probably the best thing we've heard on Kill Rock Stars in AGES. With totally spazzed out guitar playing and impassioned vocals, Marnie Stern has grabbed us by the throats and refuses to let us go. It makes perfect sense that Zach Hill drums on this record as Stern's herky jerky rhythms and relentless spirit share a similar aesthetic and approach to Hill's band Hella and folks like Lightning Bolt and Orthrelm. In fact Marnie Stern has hit the scene almost like a female counterpart to Mick Barr, with the same kind of manic and infectious guitar playing delivered with her unique vision and fist in the air vocals. Kind of like if Erase Errata or the latest Paradise Island e.p. we loved so much were even louder, faster and way more chaotic, or if Mary Timony were kidnapped by Load records. This album does what all the great Kill Rock Stars records of the past did so well, it makes you feel so alive and so young in spirit as your get to watch and hear someone so passionately realize their vision. Highly recommended!
We were immediate fans of Marnie Stern's debut from last year so we were excited to finally get our hands on her follow up which kicks ass just as much as her great debut. Let's get this out of the way, someone at one of those powerhouse video game companies needs to get Marnie Stern on Guitar Hero immediately! We can't think of many axemasters who shred so hard and with as much wild exuberance and technical proficiency as she does. Such a rad spazzed out sound she has carved out for herself. Kind of like if Eddie Van Halen in his prime was moonlighting with no wavers and noisemakers and Chrissie Hynde was on the mic after loading up on helium and amphetamines. Somehow Marnie Stern has all that crazy and manic talent in her hands, fingers and lungs! With Hella's Zach Hill once again pounding the skins and twisting the knobs, they've managed to crank out another high fueled adrenaline pumping blast of songs that sometimes sound like nursery rhymes interpreted by some dream collaboration of Erase Errata and Lightning Bolt. Did we mention how much this shreds?!!!
Now available on vinyl!
Wow! This is probably the best thing we've heard on Kill Rock Stars in AGES. With totally spazzed out guitar playing and impassioned vocals, Marnie Stern has grabbed us by the throats and refuses to let us go. It makes perfect sense that Zach Hill drums on this record as Stern's herky jerky rhythms and relentless spirit share a similar aesthetic and approach to Hill's band Hella and folks like Lightning Bolt and Orthrelm. In fact Marnie Stern has hit the scene almost like a female counterpart to Mick Barr, with the same kind of manic and infectious guitar playing delivered with her unique vision and fist in the air vocals. Kind of like if Erase Errata or the latest Paradise Island e.p. we loved so much were even louder, faster and way more chaotic, or if Mary Timony were kidnapped by Load records. This album does what all the great Kill Rock Stars records of the past did so well, it makes you feel so alive and so young in spirit as your get to watch and hear someone so passionately realize their vision. Highly recommended!
Arguably the definitive recording by the man who has been called the Welsh Dylan, Meic Stevens' 1970 debut Outlander has been finally reissued in an affordable format (after getting the deluxe but super expensive Rhino Handmade treatment a couple years back). Panned upon its release as a Dylan / Syd Barrett / Donovan derivative, it has since gained an earnest following among purveyors of obscure acid folk and psych-folk releases (as well as fans of retro-Welsh grooves like Super Furry Animals) for its inventive use of sitars, tablas, and flutes. Full of idyllic and romantic allusions to fogotten lands of yore, Stevens puts a more raga spin on his arrangements than Dylan ever would have, which definitely sets this apart from mere style-copping. Another essential necessity for any psych-folk collector!! So good.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
We've barely been able to... ahem... digest Sufjan Stevens' recently reissued Enjoy Your Rabbit Chinese zodiac themed electronic album, and poof! Another one of his early creations resurfaces, revealing yet another facet of Stevens' impressive scope. From album to album he's continued to follow his creative muse 'round the bends (well, maybe they've been more like hairpin curves!). This man sure keeps ya guessing. This is the album that started the ball rolling, and quite a fine debut it is! Prolific from the get-go, Stevens packed his first album with nineteen songs (plus this reissue includes two bonus songs!). Originally released back in 1999, A Sun Came! has received in-store comments likening it to a woodland gathering of assorted Elephant 6 folksy popsters with Simon & Garfunkel and Ween invited over too. Light, whimsical and folksy with whispery vocals atop sitar, oboe, toy flutes, guitars and assorted other noisemakers. Actually it seems like the Ween-ish side of things takes over for a couple of songs about two thirds of the way through the album. The tellltale signs? Quirky, helium-huffed high vocals. But if that's not your cup of tea, fear not, 'cause it's promptly whisked away back into prettier, soft acoustic psych-tinged numbers. Hurrah for Sufjan!
While the world is definitely poised for a Sufjan backlash (what with all the effusive praise and overexposure), truth be told he is one damn fine songwriter and not many people would be able to have a record of leftovers as satisfying as their record proper. This is in fact leftovers and outtakes from the recording of his last album, Illinois. And well, if you liked what you heard there, here's even more pop goodness, a super satisfying second serving. More lush arrangements, catchy melodies, and smart delivery. But we don't really need to say too much to help sell Sufjan these days, the music speaks for itself. When we first got this in and put it on we sold three of them in about a minute. With nearly 80 minutes worth of outtakes this had the potential to be ALL filler and not enough killer but it turns out that even his cast offs are chock full of pop perfection. We wish everyone's left overs tasted this good!
We had sort of given up on Sufjan Stevens. Longtime readers of the aQ list will remember us gushing over the first two 'state' records (Greetings From Michigan and Come On Feel The Illinoise) in the proposed 50 record series (we're still waiting), and we dug plenty of his subsequent efforts, but for whatever reason, we just stopped paying attention, and didn't bother reviewing the last few. But with this latest, we're thinking we might have to revisit all the ones we missed, cuz Carrie & Lowell is breathtaking. Hushed and intimate, mostly vocals and nylon stringed guitar, the songs simple and heartfelt, an obvious rumination on love and loss, life and death, at first blush, it's hard not to hear Elliott Smith or Iron & Wine, the heartbreaking melancholy of the former, and the whispery loveliness of the latter. Stevens' voice is gorgeous as well, a delicate croon, that slips easily into aching falsettos, the lyrics poignant, and the songs rife with subtle but impossible memorable hooks, everything wreathed in a soft focus patina of reverb, hazy and faded, wistful and dreamlike. Not sure what else to say, other than this might be the prettiest record you will hear all year.
Amid the flurry of enthusiastic cheers for his two releases Greetings From Michigan and Seven Swans, we've now got multi-instrumentalist (and Danielson Famile tour member) Sufjan Stevens' second album Enjoy Your Rabbit from 2001. It stands altogether distinct from that which came before and after. Twelve of the tracks are inspired by the animals of the Chinese Zodiac (monkey, rat, ox, boar, tiger, snake sheep, rooster, dragon, rabbit, dog and horse). They're bookended by two other tracks "Year Of The Asthmatic Cat" and "Year Of Our Lord". Although it sounds nothing like his dreamy acoustic folk pop -- its instrumentation is crafted from an array of delicate electronic sounds -- Enjoy Your Rabbit possesses a grand earthy magic all its own. A wonderfully perplexing and sparkling album. Recommended.
This AQ fave now on vinyl! And the fourth side features five bonus outtakes not on the original cd version! What we said about the cd version: We sold a bunch of these in the store before anyone really knew what it was, mostly to folks who were from Michigan, as it's an entire suite of songs about Michigan. Thanks to our pal Barbara Duffield who turned us on to this (she's from Michigan too!). But trust us, there's plenty to love here, even if you're not from Michigan (although if you are, stop reading here and just buy it. It's great. There's even a map inside so you can follow along and know which song goes with which place). Sufjan Stevens is a new discovery for us, and maybe for you too, but judging from how great this record is, he probably won't stay unknown for long. Dark and dreamy, sad and lonely, drifting and soulful, shimmery and sun dappled, gently strummed acoustic guitars, dark muted horns and lots of banjo, along with Stevens' delicate crackle of a voice, sounding not unlike a more depressed Archer Prewitt, with occasional female background vocals on a handful of the tracks making for wonderful harmonies! This record is chock full of warm and warbly, melancholic melodies, pastoral folk-pop soundscapes, and some of the best songwriting we've heard in a while. Fans of Palace, Songs:Ohia, Arab Strap, Sixteen Horsepower, Woven Hand, the Decemberists and that sort of mopey melancholia will love this! This just might be the best twangy indie-folk-pop record since Iron And Wine!
We sold a bunch of these in the store before anyone really knew what it was, mostly to folks who were from Michigan, as it's an entire suite of songs about Michigan. Thanks to our pal Barbara Duffield who turned us on to this (she's from Michigan too!). But trust us, there's plenty to love here, even if you're not from Michigan (although if you are, stop reading here and just buy it. It's great. There's even a map inside so you can follow along and know which song goes with which place). Sufjan Stevens is a new discovery for us, and maybe for you too, but judging from how great this record is, he probably won't stay unknown for long. Dark and dreamy, sad and lonely, drifting and soulful, shimmery and sun dappled, gently strummed acoustic guitars, dark muted horns and lots of banjo, along with Stevens' delicate crackle of a voice, sounding not unlike a more depressed Archer Prewitt, with occasional female background vocals on a handful of the tracks making for wonderful harmonies! This record is chock full of warm and warbly, melancholic melodies, pastoral folk-pop soundscapes, and some of the best songwriting we've heard in a while. Fans of Palace, Songs:Ohia, Arab Strap, Sixteen Horsepower, Woven Hand, the Decemberists and that sort of mopey melancholia will love this! This just might be the best twangy indie-folk-pop record since Iron And Wine!
Now on double gatefold vinyl with extra treats!
Here's what we said about the cd...
Firstly, we should let you know that despite the peculiar album title's take on the Slade song there's absolutely nothing that we'd call 'noise' in any of these twenty-two songs (!), Illinoise or otherwise. This is Sufjan Stevens' second full length welcoming ode to a Midwestern state. Heck why not? His Greetings from Michigan album went over like gangbusters, and we've got a feeling this one will too. His folk-pop numbers of which this album is primarily comprised (fyi: he also crafts more abstract quirky electronic work) are so wistful and dreamy whether he's singing alone or has a sweet chorus joining in for a few bars. Actually when it's time for the group-sing, it's sorta like a more low-key Polyphonic Spree. Totally feel-good! Stevens' lilting compositions are highlighted by frolicking horns and swirling strings. This album balances his upbeat songs which can be downright jubilant with his more melancholic ones that might make you a bit misty-eyed... and that's even before you notice the songs' lyrical storylines and historical references about all thing Illinois. In fact, Illinoise will surely also appeal to fans of the lush pop sounds of more recent Belle & Sebastian or Kings Of Convenience. A super delight! Recommended.
Now what about the bonus stuff that we were referring to earlier? Well, please read on... You may or may not have heard that the likeness of a certain caped celebrity originally appeared on the cover to this release, and it turns out he (or his corporate sponsors) didn't want him to be there, so the 'problem' was removed from the subsequent cd pressings. Apparently the LP sleeves got printed up too with the offending figure, so on the first 5000 LP copies he has been concealed with a (cheekily removeable) sticker of some cheerful balloons. Oh yeah, and there's a tune "The Avalanche" which does not appear on the cd version!
Firstly, we should let you know that despite the peculiar album title's take on the Slade song there's absolutely nothing that we'd call 'noise' in any of these twenty-two songs (!), Illinoise or otherwise. This is Sufjan Stevens' second full length welcoming ode to a Midwestern state. Heck why not? His Greetings from Michigan album went over like gangbusters, and we've got a feeling this one will too. His folk-pop numbers of which this album is primarily comprised (fyi: he also crafts more abstract quirky electronic work) are so wistful and dreamy whether he's singing alone or has a sweet chorus joining in for a few bars. Actually when it's time for the group-sing, it's sorta like a more low-key Polyphonic Spree. Totally feel-good! Stevens' lilting compositions are highlighted by frolicking horns and swirling strings. This album balances his upbeat songs which can be downright jubilant with his more melancholic ones that might make you a bit misty-eyed... and that's even before you notice the songs' lyrical storylines and historical references about all thing Illinois. In fact, Illinoise will surely also appeal to fans of the lush pop sounds of more recent Belle & Sebastian or Kings Of Convenience. A super delight! Recommended.
Note: the likeness of a certain caped celebrity appears on the cover to this, and it turns out he (or his corporate sponsors) don't want him to be there, so this is going to be redone with new cover art sometime soon. Thus we're gonna run out of these pretty darn quick, and it may be out of stock for a wee while before they get repressed -- sorry!
Another gorgeously melancholy song cycle from our new favortie mopey-pop troubadour Sufjan Stevens. Like its predecessor, Greetings From Michigan, it's chock full of gently strummed acoustic guitars, lots of banjo, sweetly sorrowful melodies, Stevens' breathy earnest voice (sometimes accompanied by angelic female background vocals) and some truly beautiful songwriting. Dreamy and sweet, meandering and melodic. Not a concept record as far as we can tell (unlike the previous Michigan album, and his earlier signs of the Chinese zodiac album) but cohesive nonetheless. Epic but simple pastoral popscapes and whispery minor key laments. So wonderful. Fans of melancholy pop and dour indie jangle (Palace, Arab Strap, Songs:Ohia, Iron And Wine, Archer Prewitt) should already have Sufjan Stevens all over their mixtapes and in their iPods, but if for some strange reason they don't, now is the time, and this is the record.
The prince of theme albums delivers the goods in time for the holidays. Mr. Stevens follows up his Illinois and Michigan albums with this jaw-dropping five cd set of Christmas tunes. Clearly he not only knows his State facts, but also his Christmas tidings too. The five discs are titled Noel (2001), Hark! (2002), Ding! Dong! (2003), Joy (2005), and Peace (2006), and they add up to a bountiful mix of forty two traditional songs and Sufjan originals.
But he didn't stop at music! Along with the cds in this boxset, you get a heap of Sufjan penned stories and liner notes, lyric sheets, score charts, a music video and comic strip by Tom Eaton, an essay written by Rick Moody, a family portrait, and stickers too.
Even total Scrooges may find the spirit of this one difficult to resist!
After five long years, Sufjan Stevens returns with The Age Of Adz, an album packed with gloriously fuzzy, buzzy orchestrated pop originals. Swirling, sweeping, candy-colored instrumentations grounded by Stevens' sensitive dulcet vocals, the overall sound leaning a bit more towards his trippier, electrified side (often likened to Flaming Lips) than his folksy acoustic side (often akin to Iron & Wine). According to Asthmatic Kitty, the title is a reference to "the Apocalyptic art of Royal Robertson (1930 �1997), a black Louisiana-based sign-maker (and self-proclaimed prophet) who suffered from schizophrenia."
The record finds Sufjan at his most varied and ambitious. Mixing elements of electronica (there's even vocoder on a few tracks!) with the orchestral and tender pop that he has always had a way with. Seems like Sufjan's been listening to lots of Flaming Lips and maybe Black Moth Super Rainbow lately as this is much more epic and electronic in scope then any of his previous records, oh and he's not singing about a particular state anymore.
Sufjan Stevens fans, last we heard from the gent was his Songs For Christmas back in 2006, but he hasn't been sitting idly by. We've just received a double whammy of proof! Yup, you've got two reasons to rejoice... well, maybe three even if you're counting actual discs of aural and visual enjoyment. There's his collaboration with the Osso String Quartet titled Run Rabbit Run, as well as this mind-boggling dvd/cd set in homage and examination of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway! Huh? What's that?!? Yeah, you heard us correctly. All signs point to Mr. Stevens throwing us another curve ball, and indeed he has. Mind you, there was some prompting from The Brooklyn Academy of Music who commissioned him to create a film and music stage production about the BQE. Although the film does address some weighty sociopolitical implications (think: a sort of mini lo-fi Koyaanisqatsi), somewhere along the way the project itself mushroomed to incorporate hula-hoops, comic books and extraterrestrial superheroes. The dvd features the original film from (not of) the performance, and the cd features the impressive orchestral soundtrack. Plus, there's a hefty eye-popping 40-page insert booklet and a charming stereoscopic image reel too (y'all are gonna need to dust off your old Viewmasters for that one!). Expansive and ambitious, it's really quite overwhelming actually!
Sufjan Stevens fans, last we heard from the gent was his Songs For Christmas back in 2006, but he hasn't been sitting idly by. We've just received a double whammy of proof! Yup, you've got two reasons to rejoice... well, maybe three even if you're counting actual discs of aural and visual enjoyment. There's his mind-boggling film and music dvd/cd set in homage of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, as well as this his latest cd Run Rabbit Run! You might recall his second album, 2001's Chinese Zodiac themed Enjoy Your Rabbit which stood in stark head-scratching contrast to his other musical output up to that point. It was filled with shimmery electronic instrumentals as opposed to mellow folksy acoustic balladeering. Well, he's taken the 'Rabbit into new territory again, transforming it into chamber compositions for New York string quartet Osso. They bear little resemblance to the originals, but they are all plucky stringed and gorgeous in their own way. We took a particular liking to "Year Of The Monkey" and "Year Of The Horse". How 'bout you? What's your sign, baby? Haha, wonder if we'll be hearing a dub or metal version in a few years!
Killer collection of Aussie jangle pop in the tradition of Flying Nun, from this new (to us at least) outfit, who totally sound like a band out of time, in fact, you'd definitely be forgiven for thinking this was some actual obscure NZ nugget from back in the day. All dreamily lo-fi, minimal and skeletal, softly psychedelic, noisy in places and with moments of layered lushness and lots of sweet vocal harmonies, not to mention some subtly hook heavy songs that will get lodged in your head like crazy. The sound here is the rare beast that's obviously home brewed, all intimate and bedroom, but with obvious aspirations of something much more epic and polished, and it's that weird mix, that transforms what in other less skilled hands might just be generic indie pop into something super special, each track a glistening gem, eighties post punk crunch softened into something fuzzier and more melodic, and definitely a new pop fave. There's a full length out there too, also well worth tracking down.
LIMITED TO 300 COPIES. Each one hand numbered.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
First things first, The Pop Group was a fucking incredible band. In their brief existance from 1979 to 1981, The Pop Group represented one of the most successful and most radical reinventions of punk through dub tricknology. After they dissolved, the politically acerbic sloganeer for the band, Mark Stewart, attempted to capture the immediacy, fury, and energy of his band through a number of collaborations... all of which were far more impressive in theory than in practice. With the rhythm section of the Sugarhill Gang, the resident On U Sound producer Adrian Sherwood and more recent production assistance from The Bug, surely anything, anyone would do with those folks would turn out great, right? Not exactly. Mark Stewart's solo tracks and cuts with The Maffia always exhibit a bit too much flash and not enough good songwriting and rhythms to warrant all of the cool production tricks and big names thrown into the mix. So, Kiss The Future -- a compilation spanning Mark Stewart's entire career -- features some absolutely kick-ass tracks (e.g. the three songs from The Pop Group) amidst a bunch of decent-to-pretty-good, electro-funk-dub tracks that try too hard (everything else). Obviously, Soul Jazz is trying to continue to cash in on the whole post-punk revival thing spawned by The Rapture, LCD Soundsystem, !!!, etc. Where Soul Jazz hit the mark on the A Certain Ratio reissues and the In The Beginning There Was Rhythm compilation, Kiss The Future falls just a bit short. This can mostly be recommended to those who were completely enthralled by The Pop Group's Y album and need to hear what else Mark Stewart has done. Everybody else should just jump straight to that aforementioned Pop Group album and revel in one thoroughly impressive piece of work.
Eighties Texas psychedelic noise punks Stick Men With Ray Guns never released a proper record, but here is a vinyl collection of their most crucial recordings - tracks that popped up on comps throughout the years and some live tracks too, that document the antagonistic, violent, transgressive and all too brief history of these far out freaks. Cut from the same cloth as the Butthole Surfers, Scratch Acid, Rusted Shut, Flipper and other Neanderthal noiseniks, the sound is mostly plodding and dirgey, driven by thick, sludgy throbbing bass and caveman drum pound, but laced with weird, almost metal guitar shred and driven by the weirdo vox of frontman Bobby Soxx, whose snotty snarl sounds like proto Alice Donut, and is constantly exploding into high pitched witchy shrieks. Some of the tracks get into total rockabilly territory (and weirdly, those are the ones that sound most like the Butthole Surfers), while the live tracks somehow sound even more caustic and damaged, like sludgy punk mixed with Throbbing Gristle industrial noise. Recommended vinyl documentation of the OTHER-legendary-drug-addled-shirtless-drunk-stumbling-rocking-LOUD-punk-as-fuck-Texas-combo (other than the Buttholes that is).
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Killer reissue of the collected recordings of the -OTHER- legendary-drug-addled-shirtless-drunk-stumbling-rocking-LOUD-punk-as-fuck-Texas-combo (other than the Buttholes that is). And while the Stickmen have a lot in common with the Butthole Surfers (see above) their sound tends towards the noisy rocky end of the spectrum, rather than the tripped out space jam the Surfers were so fond of.
And you may recognise the name as the Stickmen were one of the standout bands on the recently reissued Texas punk comp. Cottage Cheese From The Lips Of Death. Been listening to this like crazy. So great! Fans of the Butthole Surfers, Scratch Acid, punk rock and early Homestead records, should really check this out.
Hobart, the capital of Tasmania. This picturesque hamlet is situated on the south end of that remote island, but there's not really a whole lot going on in town. Well, probably not much until recently - we are extremely curious about the Museum of Old and New Art that opened there up not too long ago, a real head-scratcher with its radically adventurous programming (seriously, lo-fi black metal weirdo Striborg is scheduled to perform there sometime this year, under the shadows of works by such figures as Chris Olffi, Anselm Keifer, and plenty of decay-oriented Australian artists... and yes, The Stickmen played the 'Dark Mofo' festival at MONA in 2013). So, the creative kids from Hobart back in the '80s and '90s were much more likely to flee to the much larger metropolises of Melbourne or Sydney over in mainland Australia. The Stickmen were the rare band from Hobart who persevered in their hometown long enough to develop into an amazing antipodean amalgam of Flying Nun / Xpressway NZ fuzz-pop, post-Birthday Party scum rock, and dour American math-rock, but probably not that many people ever heard about them. In fact, WE had never heard of them, until this album showed up in the shop; and yeah, they are pretty goddamn great.
Their eponymous debut album originally came out in 1998 as a mutant, garage punk blast of sharp guitar riffs, driving rhythms, cheap-ass transistor radio vocals, and weird sounds transmitted from a turntablist who spun drones and noises on his decks. The photo on the inner-sleeve is worth a thousand words with the microphone taped to a broom (complete with bristles) and suspended from the ceiling via a thick piece of rope for the guitarist to sing into (or not), while one of the band members fiddles with a mess of pedals and reaches up to backspin a record. The sound broadcast from such a Rube Goldberg contraption is brilliantly intense, somewhere between the Swell Maps avant-punk melodies, The Oh Sees' jubilant mania, and the scientific aggression of Pitchblende. Tracks (like the emphatic "No!" or the belligerent "Wired Wrong") accelerate from a Tracy Pew swagger up to wah-wah freakout guitar explosions that wouldn't be out of place in a Comets On Fire jam, albeit much more punk and violent. It was around this time in The Stickmen's career that they played at the Risdon Medium Security Prison; and you gotta wonder if the energy these guys could muster should have started a riot... if it didn't happen, why the fuck not? A great, great find! We're all totally stoked on this!!
Fancy tip-on sleeve with super high gloss printing in a pretty limited edition. Download code? You bet!
When we first heard London retro murk poppers Still Corners, it was on a split single with another retro pop combo called The New Lines, and we were so smitten by The New Lines song, that it even had us wondering why it was Still Corners who got signed to Sub Pop and not The New Lines. Well, if there was any doubt about whether Still Corners should be on Sub Pop, it was wiped away within seconds of putting on their debut full length. Like Portishead crossed with Ennio Morricone crossed with Stereolab crossed with The Caretaker, the sound is so washed out and careworn, organs warble and wheeze, the drums minimal and skeletal, the guitars chiming and jangly, the production muted and muddy, all supporting the breathy angelic vocals of singer Tessa Murray, whose childlike croon is ethereal and spectral, the result is some sort of out-of-time faded memory dream pop. Opener "Cuckoo" is a perfect example, about as dreamy and divine as pop music gets. Fans of the various Girls bands (Dum Dum, Vivian, etc.), who want something dreamier and darker and more late night sounding, this might be the ticket. "Circulars" definitely displays the bands Stereolab side, propulsive and a little bit krautrocky sounding, but as if broadcast from underwater, or through an old radio hooked up to the sixties. The distinctive organ sound and the washed out production is what really defines Still Corners' sound, there aren't even any proper vocals on "Circulars", instead just some buried oooh's and aaah's, woven into the softly undulating fabric of the song's gauzy shimmer. Elsewhere the band look to Mazzy Star for sure, even the Cocteau Twins, but their sound is firmly rooted in sixties girl group pop, but not in the way the current crop of garage rockers channel that sound, no Still Corners have made that sound their own, it's not just echo and reverb, the sound is thick, and organic, the vocals dreamlike and crystalline, the songs subtly hooky, as much about the sound as the song, and vice versa.
Our favorite track would have to be "I Wrote In Blood", which almost sounds like a female Chris Isaak, channeled through some sort of Southern gothic PJ Harvey, the guitars fuzzy and distorted, but still minimal and spare, chiming melodies draped over the chugging swampy blues that seams to be blurred and smeared into a sort of ethereal slither, and when the drums do finally kick in, it's immediately all soundtracky, haunting and mysterious and so darkly evocative. And just as we pick that as our favorite, another one begins vying for the honor, until we finally give in and proclaim the whole record as our favorite. Easily one of the prettiest, darkest, most mysteriously lovely retro pop, dream psych records we've heard in ages, and absolutely destined to top our year end list. At least until that New Lines full length comes out...
Record number two from these dreamy UK psych pop drifters, who we discovered via a split single with aQ retro pop faves The New Lines, and like on their debut Creatures Of An Hour, Still Corners continue to weave a lush folky dreaminess. But unlike that debut, which seemed to channel Stereolab and Broadcast as well as the various Girls (Dum Dum, Vivian, etc), Strange Pleasures slows things down considerably, positioning itself less as a sort of retro kitschy kraut-psych, and more like some hazy, softly psychedelic slowcore, reminding us mostly of a space age Mazzy Star, if that was even a thing, but judging from Strange Pleasures it most definitely is, and a good thing at that. The gorgeous combination of lush futuristic ambience and warm swirling synths, with acoustic steel string strum, reverb drenched slideguitar, and of course those gorgeous vocals, is pretty tough to resist.
And when things do get weird and electronic, like on the second track "Beginning To Blue", it somehow manages to sound perfectly organic, and meshes perfectly with the rest of the record's gauzy folkiness, the weird stuttery start of "Beginning To Blue" flowing seamlessly into what sounds like a more ethereal, modernized Kate Bush, which is also most definitely a good thing. And that Kate Bush vibe surfaces throughout, in different measures. Strange Pleasures as much about songs this time around as sound, the songs darkly haunting, and beautifully brooding, but the sound too, soaring strings, lush textures, there's definitely some new wave and kosmische elements too, much of the record could pass for some lost 4AD rarity, so essentially, imagine some strange hybrid of Mazzy Star and Kate Bush, melded to woozy space age psychedelia and synth soaked dream pop, and it suddenly doesn't seem like such a -strange- pleasure after all...
While The Stills' debut album Logic Will Break Your Heart fell in mighty chummy with the Echo & The Joy Division post-punk-loving likes of Interpol, The Rapture and Yeah Yeah Yeahs back in 2003, we all know that times and bands change swiftly these days. The band's new full length sounds much more like The Strokes but maybe more charming and... well, Canadian. Which you know we definitely dig! Brighter, poppier and far less brooding.
BONUS: With purchase of this cd you'll also receive a limited edition screenprinted poster!
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Their first album, f'n amazing drums/standup 'lectric bass/geetar instrumental action. Post rock, metal, jazz, hardcore -- these terms don't matter, it's Stinking Lizaveta from Philadelphia and they rule. One of the best live bands I've ever seen (sez Allan). They've done two AQ instores, two of the best. If you like Gone, King Crim, AC/DC, Mahavishnu, The Champs, Don Cab, etc. get with the program and get anything and everything by Stinking Liz.
High-adrenaline, deliriously complex, hard-hittingly heavy multidimensional power trio music that's part metal, part jazz, part punk, part prog. Gorgeous stuff played with supreme power and passion. Telepathic precision, improv awareness, and hella guitar heroics. They've been around forever and just get better and better. But they started off pretty good in the first place, as you'll hear here!!
That's right, one of our favorite bands, the ever-touring, ever-incredible Stinking Lizaveta (name taken from Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov), have themselves reissued their first album of f'n amazing drums/standup electric bass/electric guitar instrumental action. Post rock, metal, jazz, hardcore -- these terms don't matter, it's Stinking Lizaveta from Philadelphia and they rule. One of the best live bands we've EVER seen. They've done two AQ instore performances in the past, two of the best. And when they played in SF and Oakland last year, they destroyed. Don't fail to see them if you get the chance. If you like Gone, King Crimson, AC/DC, Mahavishnu, The Fucking Champs, Don Cab, Melvins, Gore, Breadwinner, Ruins, etc. get with the program and get anything and everything you can find by Stinking Liz. Especially including this, the new reish of their debut disc. It looks pretty much the same as the original release on Compulsiv, but it's got an unlisted, hidden bunch of previously unreleased tracks tacked on!! Five songs from the same Steve Albini overseen sessions as the album proper. They got left off the album's original release back in '96, but now the band can't figure out why (and we can't either, they're prime Stinking Liz awesomeness), so they've been added on for your extra listenin' pleasure.
