[ aquarius records — Rock Pop ]

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

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Having domestically released Camera Obscura's doe-eyed and dreamy sophomore full length Underachievers Try Harder earlier this year, Merge Records further encourage the Scottish popsters' heart-melting campaign to continue by kindly reissuing Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi. It's their delicious debut from 2001 which was produced with kid gloves by Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch. Sure to share fans with fellow cuddly, clever Scots such as Belle & Sebastian and Delgados.

MPEG stream: Happy New Year
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Goodness! Between this new Camera Obscura album and the latest ones by Essex Green and Mojave 3, we're floating up up 'n' away to the dreamy pop heavens. These days these Scots seem to have more of a skip in their step. They're sounding sorta like a frisky kid sister of Broadcast! If we take their album title literally we're going to do so on a magic carpet ride through swirling clouds of warm vintage keyboards and organs graced with the sweetest vanilla custard female vocals. Yum!!!

MPEG stream: Tears For Affairs
MPEG stream: The False Contender

We've always adored Camera Obscura's swirlingly lush, angora-soft, unmistakably Scottish dream pop, and we certainly are quite fond of their latest full length. However, is it possible to have too much of a good thing? At times we sorta found it to be a little heavy-handed with the sumptuous Bacharach/Welk-style string arrangements. Now, obviously we at aQ are all for grandiose orchestral excess (a la E.L.O. and Flaming Lips) and a bit of musical melodrama, but here it doesn't quite always work. For instance on the opening track "French Navy" the string section seems to be sitting at a distance from the rest of the band/song, occasionally overwhelming the delicate vocals and other instrumentation. 'Tis somewhat surprising because Camera Obscura are usually masters of tastefully mannered pop restraint, but maybe this time they went "Fuck it! Let's cut loose!" and that just happens to have been where their bustin' loose manifested. Don't wanna make a mountain out of a molehill though 'cause My Maudlin Career is really a lovely, achingly bittersweet album. Sure to please their fans, and lure over some converts from the camps of Belle & Sebastian, The Delgados, and Peter, Bjorn & John. The hushed slow number "James" is a definite standout as is the '60s girl group sway of the album's title track! Scrumptiously sweet!

MPEG stream: French Navy
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If you should happen to find yourself one lazy-daisy spring day paddling your rowboat across the glistening ripples of a hideaway lake, be sure to have this album close at hand. Gentler than gentle, misty eyed pop with crisp wood block percussion, sunny horns, shimmery strings and chimes, hushed guitars and the centerpiece of each song... those oh so angelic female (and occasional male) vocals much like Marine Girls, Adventures In Stereo (very 60's Brill Building girl group!) or fellow Scots Belle & Sebastian (actually Stuart Murdoch has lent Camera Obscura a helping hand in the production and photography departments). Positively dreamy and -- gasp! dare we say? -- right up there on par with Belle & Sebastian! Achingly earnest and sweet. Check it out!

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While they last, which won't be long, we have a few of the special limited-to-200-copies-only GOLD VINYL edition of this, the latest glorious solo outing from the sound-sculpting Mr. Caminiti, whom you probably know as being one half of the aQ fave duo Barn Owl, who on their last album V, had really begun to morph from making dusty guitar-based doom drone und twang into something whose shimmering psychedelic sonics were ever more reliant on synthesizers, electronics, machines... Further electronic exploration continues on Meridian, wherein Caminiti conjures a mysterious, mostly electronic soundscape, having set his guitar aside to deftly orchestrate droning synths and processed field recordings in a densely detailed, actively ambient, Tangerine-Dream-y production. Cinematic and somber, and still very organic-sounding despite its electronic origins, Meridian is a gorgeous all-instrumental set of one-word-titled tracks ("Signal", "Arc", "Mercury", etc.), somehow both intimate and spacious, that should still very much appeal to Barn Owl fans despite the lack of ye olde guitar. Caminiti's somnolent, sometimes sinister synth drones tend to be all frayed and glitchy around the edges, the listener slowly swimming/sinking through static buzzings. echoing tones and submerged hum. At times, suggestions of percussive beat-skitter comes to the surface, driving these darkling mood pieces forward into more rhythmic territory, drifting and pulsing and crackling with latent energies. Deep and lovely this is. Truly, we can understand being jaded about the glut of droney electronic music these days, but trust us, as you should expect from either of the Barn Owl boys, this is really good and worthy! As mentioned, Thrill Jockey were nice enough to provide us with copies of the limited gold-colored vinyl version, meant for their mailorder, when they're gone we'll get the regular black vinyl. Includes digital download. Note: this is also available as a cd release, we'll have some next time...

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Latest solo record from Barn Owl and Higuma member Evan Caminiti, and one of the first releases on Handmade Birds, a new label launched by R. Loren of Pyramids, White Moth and Sailors With Wax Wings. When California Falls Into The Sea finds Caminiti ditching the billowing brooding drones of recent Barn Owl records, and the humid dronedrift twang of past solo efforts, and instead, stripping his sound way down, crafting something much more intimate and contemplative, abstract and atmospheric, as rife with space and drift as notes and chords, the tone is still dark, and the sound lush, and there is a bit of abstract twang, bit these tracks are more like smoldering folk flecked ragas, smoldering swells of crumbling melody, spare serene stretches of hushed shimmer, hazy sprawls of hushed melancholia, spidery guitars underpinned by distant swells, streaks of fragmented melody, all wreathed in delicate echo, swaddled in spacey reverb, the sound soft, and soft focus, crystalline and fragile, but infused with a dark energy, a subtle power, that transforms muted minimal thrum into a sort of blackened blues. The various sounds shot through with serpentine tendrils, the chords drifting apart, into blurred and smeared expanses of dark moonlit sound. A fantastic collection of introspective electric guitar meditations, each a hushed and haunting, otherworldly and tranquil, meditative and mesmerizing blackened spectral emanation. And every one spectacularly lovely.

Wah? We STILL have copies of this limited edition 2014 Record Store Day release lying around?? You mean we didn't sell out of this $15 reissue of this Dusseldorf new wave noise band's rare 1983 7" single yet? Well that's messed up, 'cause actually, import RSD price aside, it's pretty killer. Two tracks of beat-heavy art punk madness with aggro screaming echoing vox. Shocking. Actually we only have 2 copies left, so if you're looking for one, better grab it quick.

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It's tempting with this new Glen Campbell record to assume it must have been produced by Rick Rubin, since at first glance, it does seem like Campbell is pulling a Johnny Cash, revitalizing his career by taking on some unlikely covers (Travis, Velvet Underground, etc.). But just like in the case of Cash, who while very likely got some new fans out of the deal, hardly needed a reinvention, as he was about as bad ass as they come. Well damn it if the same isn't true of Campbell. C'mon. "Wichita Lineman", Rhinestone Cowboy", "Galveston", he's been recording nonstop since the early sixties, and while he wasn't quite as much of a bad ass as the man in black, you just can't fuck with Campbell. And this new disc just drives that point home. Some strange song choices, but some incredible arrangements, some amazing playing, and Campbell's voice sounds amazing nearly 50 years on. The opener, a cover of "Sing" by the band Travis, who we had never really paid too much attention to, is just gorgeous, exultant, soaring and triumphant. So much so that it almost has us reconsidering our inadvertent Travis boycott. The other stone cold classic is Campbell's reinterpretation of The Velvet Underground's "Jesus", with its simple acoustic guitar, soaring strings, and sweet angelic female background vocals. His cover of Jackson Browne's "These Days" is also gorgeous, heartfelt and bittersweet. Paul Westerburg's "Sadly Beautiful" is so good, so pretty, and weirdly timeless. The whole production is very sixties / seventies soft pop, all warm and fuzzy and dreamy, string wrapped around subtle orchestrations, stripped down when it suits the song, lush and over the top when it doesn't, perhaps due in no small part to the fact that Campbell's band features Robin Zander of Cheap Trick as well as 2/3 of Jellyfish! The two Tom Petty covers are obscure enough to sound like they could be Campbell originals. There's a U2 cover which is pretty nice too. The weirdest covers are probably "Times Like These" by the Foo Fighters, which to be fair gets a pretty appropriately Campbell-y makeover, and Green Day's "Good Riddance", which while it does sound pretty good sung by Campbell, it's probably too familiar to remind you of anything but the original. But small complaints really. A gorgeous disc of classic soaring lush countrified orchestral pop from one of the best performers of the last 5 decades.

MPEG stream: Sing
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A new solo album from this Belle And Sebastian sweetie pie. What to expect? Well, for the most part it's her breathy soft vocals drifting over candy-coated Burt Bacharach-esque orchestrations - ever so swirling, grand and lovely - but every so often she dips her toe into another limpid blue pool. Such is the case with one of the highlights of the album, the super fun ragtime flapper tune "Cat's Pyjamas". Amorino is sure to please B&S's most sweet-toothed fans as well as anyone seeking pure orchestral pop prettiness. Very very nice!

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Since her departure from Belle & Sebastian, Isobel Campbell has been busy busy busy. Whether making country tinged records with Mark Lanegan, or doing Billie Holiday covers with Bill Wells it seems that she's been searching for her voice for a while now, which in no way has kept her from producing some super pleasant music. But the release of Milk White Sheets finds Campbell feeling more at home than ever. Dreamy, breezy and basking in pastoral beauty. Offering up her own versions of a handful of traditional songs, including an absolutely stunning cover of "Willow's Song" from the original Wicker Man soundtrack, this is the Isobel Campbell we can never get enough of. You can practically feel the dew on the green grass, the air blowing through the open window, eyes gazing out into the distance. Along with her flawless voice the rich arrangements and instrumentation are really what make it one of her best outings yet. Recalls the elegance of Vashti Bunyan and Bridget St. John as well as the glazed daydreaminess of Mazzy Star and Neil Halstead. Milk White Sheets evokes such pastoral beauty, yet does it with such ease, bathing your ears in the soft breeze. Absolutely charming!

MPEG stream: Willow's Song
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Very few voices are as sweet and sultry as the one Isobel Campbell possesses. She can use it to create the breeziest pop gems or as of late for much more dazed and glazed sweetness. Her last solo outing Milkwhite Sheets was a total stunner filled with an expansive beauty that contains some of her best recorded moments. Sadly it came out on V2 just as the label was about to fold so it never got the attention and praise it so rightfully deserved. This ep is actually a 2004 recording that for some reason was never released. It features a beautiful duet with Vaselines / Eugenius mastermind Eugene Kelly, an Ennio Morricone cover and a totally smoking version of the Sonny Bono penned and Nancy Sinatra sung classic "Bang Bang."

MPEG stream: This Is Just The Same
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After the little teaser ep came out a few months back with these two AQ fave's we were very anxious to get the full meal..and we're happy to report that the full serving is just as tasty and satisfying as we had hoped. Isobel Campbell, formely of Belle & Sebastian and Gentle Waves fame uses her oh so pretty voice next to Lanegan's (Screaming Trees) tough guy with a heart of gold stylings. While the ep felt like a very Lee & Nancy sort of affair, that sentiment is still felt on the full length but with more of their own unique stylings coming through. And while the ep also kind of felt like Isobel was playing the back up lady part, the full length feels like much more of her vision, as she produced it, wrote all but one of the songs and besides her trademark vocals she also plays everyting from cello, harp, piano, harpsichord, glokenspiel and tubular bells on the album. The artwork inside features a slew of interior photos inside a could be anywhere motel room on a lazy sunny day-after. And that's just the kind of record Campbell & Lanegan have made together.

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Not exactly Lee & Nancy but the aim seems somewhat near that legendary combination. Mark Lanegan (ex-Screaming Trees) and Isobel Campbell (ex-Belle & Sebastian) both have put out very nice solo records in the last few years. We dig 'em as well as their former bands. Ramblin' Man teams up the two for four nice, sweet & tender tracks. Alas, no word yet of a full length outing, but we're hoping this cdep is just a teaser (rather than a one-off), because the handful of songs are over before you're even able to get in the swing of it. More please!

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MPEG stream: Do You Wanna Come Walk With Me?

Isobel and Mark are together again for another smokey affair, conjuring up songs that play like a country tinged film noir soundtrack. Evoking stark and rich emotion, their voices almost like devil (Lanegan) and angel (Campbell). As always when these two get together they create songs that feel very pensive and solitary. Much of this record seems less forced and more natural than some of the moments on their previous outings, where it seemed like they were trying a bit too hard to be a modern day Lee Hazlewood & Nancy Sinatra. While we still can't help but love these two more on their own (Campbell in Belle And Sebastian and solo, Lanegan solo and in the Gutter Twins and of course Screaming Trees!), we can't deny they are capable of making some magical music together.

MPEG stream: The Raven
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Flutes. For Andee that seems to be all that really matters for a record to be incredible. But for the rest of us who need a little more than flutes to convince of a piece of music's merits, we're quite pleased that Neil Campbell and Richard Youngs seemed to

RealAudio clip: Holly Bush Lane
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All the old favorites have been receiving their welcome, much-deserved reissues in the few years. Hurrah for Blue Oyster Cult, Venom, Fleetwood Mac, and Heldon among many others! And what d'ya know, Camper Van Beethoven are the next up to bat. Marking the 20th anniversary of Camper Van Beethoven's formation, the folks at SpinArt Records have kindly re-released (with bountiful bonus tracks) this, their collection of rarities and oddities called Camper Vantiquities as well as their debut Telephone Free Landslide Victory, II & III, and their self-titled third album. Wow! These albums are true '80s college radio indie rock classics -- easygoing, familiar and slightly dishevelled. This band had a particular knack for writing infectious, endearingly off-kilter songs that fused tweaked bits'n'pieces from a grab bag of musical styles and whose lyrics were often stories based on seemingly random subject matter revolving around halfbaked musings. The long out of print B-Sides and rarities collection finally sees the light of day. Lots of weird, cool stuff, some so good you wonder why they were relegated to b-side status, others you won't wonder about at all. Bonus tracks include a bunch of dramatically different demo versions destined to be future CVB classics.

MPEG stream: Seven Languages
MPEG stream: I'm Not Like Everybody Else

All the old favorites have been receiving their welcome, much-deserved reissues in the few years. Hurrah for Blue Oyster Cult, Venom, Fleetwood Mac, and Heldon among many others! And what d'ya know, Camper Van Beethoven are the next up to bat. Marking the 20th anniversary of Camper Van Beethoven's formation, the folks at SpinArt Records have kindly re-released (with bountiful bonus tracks and tons of liner notes) this, their debut Telephone Free Landslide Victory, as well as their collection of rarities and oddities called Camper Vantiquities, II & III, and their self-titled third album. Wow! These albums are true '80s college radio indie rock classics -- easygoing, familiar and slightly dishevelled. This band had a particular knack for writing infectious, endearingly off-kilter songs that fused tweaked bits'n'pieces from a grab bag of musical styles and whose lyrics were often stories based on seemingly random subject matter revolving around halfbaked musings. Album number two (mysteriously titled II & III) finds CVB crafting more of their unique folk punk, wildy goofy and weirdly catchy, with some of our favorite Camper moments, "ZZ Top Goes To Egypt", "Cowboys From Hollywood", "No Krugerrands For David", "(Don't You Go To) Goleta" and the original vinyl version of "(We're A) Bad Trip".

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Hey Camper Van Beethoven fans! We know you were all geeked when the band got back together a couple of years ago for a big ol' tour, and we know you were equally giddy when their catalog got reissued on cd earlier this year. Well, let's hear a big hoot and holler from y'all 'cause they've returned with their first studio album since 1989's Key Lime Pie (not counting their 1987 rendition of Fleetwood Mac's Tusk which came out in 2002), and their most politically focused work to date. Throughout New Roman Times' twenty songs, CVB continue to dodge musical formulas and genre boundaries -- roaming the musical landscape as they please. Along the way, they toss in sombre seafaring violins, psychedelic noodlings, rootsy folk guitars, and as Andee aptly tagged it, a funky breakdown on the second to last song. Indeed after all these years although some of their quirkiness has certainly been reined in and the chosen subject matter is sobering, but at the heart CVB's beloved eccentricities remain intact.

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All the old favorites have been receiving their welcome, much-deserved reissues in the few years. Hurrah for Blue Oyster Cult, Venom, Fleetwood Mac, and Heldon among many others! And what d'ya know, Camper Van Beethoven are the next up to bat. Marking the 20th anniversary of Camper Van Beethoven's formation, the folks at SpinArt Records have kindly re-released (with bountiful bonus tracks) this, their debut Telephone Free Landslide Victory, as well as their collection of rarities and oddities called Camper Vantiquities, II & III, and their self-titled third album. Wow! These albums are true '80s college radio indie rock classics -- easygoing, familiar and slightly dishevelled. This band had a particular knack for writing infectious, endearingly off-kilter songs that fused tweaked bits'n'pieces from a grab bag of musical styles and whose lyrics were often stories based on seemingly random subject matter revolving around halfbaked musings. The record that started it all. This sure does bring us back. 1985. We were in high school, maybe you were in college, or even junior high, but this record was IT. Everyone loved this record, and rightfully so, silly and sloppy, rocking and totally original. Features loads of songs you'll probably remember the second you hear them. "Take The Skinheads Bowling", "The Day That Lassie Went To The Moon", "Where The Hell Is Bill?", "Vladivostock" and loads more. Also includes songs from the long out of print "Take The Skinheads Bowling" EP!

MPEG stream: Take The Skinheads Bowling
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Yes, this is exactly what you think it is. That is, if you're thinking this is Camper Van Beethoven's complete song for song remake of Fleetwood Mac's classic album Tusk. And not surprisingly, it's already received extreme positive and negative response when played in the store, and some of the frowns did come from CVB fans. Sounded like some fond memories were sullied by this release. Doesn't it seem like a strange thing to do? But the outcome is actually pretty unremarkable... rather docile and ho-hum at times ("Save Me A Place"), and at others, it seems to be stuck in the trying-real-hard-to-be-different'n'weird trap (for example:"Sara", "Brown Eyes" and the title track). The initial recordings took place back in '87, but additional work was done in 2001 to bring it to its present state. After thirteen years, whose idea was it to dust off those old tapes anyways? Their versions of "That's Enough For Me" and "Think About Me" made me think about what it'd be like if Wilco took a turn at it instead. Now, that's a pretty neat thought! Perhaps highlighting their own influence on later bands, their take on "That's All For Everyone" would not be at all out of place on the recent Ugly Casanova record with its ramshackle percussion and hollered Isaac Brock-y vocals. After listening to it, all I'm left with is the thought that... gee, this must've been really fun to record. While it could be something truly inspired, it just sounds like a late '80s / early '90s college radio band doin' something wacky, and doesn't really do the original justice. Me, I found it to be somewhat annoying. Of course, you might feel altogether differently about this subject, so give 'er a listen.

RealAudio clip: Think About Me
RealAudio clip: Sara
RealAudio clip: That's All For Everyone
RealAudio clip: I Know I'm Not Wrong
RealAudio clip: Tusk

All the old favorites have been receiving their welcome, much-deserved reissues in the few years. Hurrah for Blue Oyster Cult, Venom, Fleetwood Mac, and Heldon among many others! And what d'ya know, Camper Van Beethoven are the next up to bat. Marking the 20th anniversary of Camper Van Beethoven's formation, the folks at SpinArt Records have kindly re-released (with bountiful bonus tracks and tons of liner notes) this, their self-titled third album as well as their debut Telephone Free Landslide Victory, II & III, and their collection of rarities and oddities calledCamper Vantiquities. Wow! These albums are true '80s college radio indie rock classics -- easygoing, familiar and slightly dishevelled. This band had a particular knack for writing infectious, endearingly off-kilter songs that fused tweaked bits'n'pieces from a grab bag of musical styles and whose lyrics were often stories based on seemingly random subject matter revolving around halfbaked musings. Album number three and still ramshackle and lo-fi, infectiously cheeky and really fucking fun! Loads of bonus tracks including a demo version of their future 'hit' "Pictures of Matchstick Men."

MPEG stream: The History Of Utah
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A really nice surprise from the mysteriously monickered Campfire Songs. Featuring members of Avey Tare And Panda Bear (reviewed a few lists back) and the Animal Collective to which they apparently belong. Unlike the fractured electronic glitchery and damaged pop of Avey Tare and the costume rock buffoonery of many of their contemporaries, Campfire Songs is more akin to the murky Fahey-on-qualudes of World (Of Dreams) reviewed way back on list 81, or the dreamy, strummy ambient blur of Scott Tuma, but with a way more washed out, late night free-folk feel. Which makes sense since this was recorded late at night, live to three minidiscs, on a screened in porch in rural Maryland. Very repetitive and hypnotic, with lots of Sunroof!-ish shimmer and plaintive vocals, rhythmic strumming, and field recordings of the surrounding forest. Equal parts sixties hippy folk, nineties ambient free noise and deconstructed indie rock twang. Good stuff. MPEG Download: "Doggy" [/audio/campfiresongsdoggy.mp3]

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You think folks would get tired of all the lo-fi trippy home-brewed psychedelic pop that seems to show no sign of letting up, but with bands like Campfires creating 7"s like this, can't see that happening anytime soon. This one man band from Chicago, takes the fuzzy Beach Boys psych bliss of the Elephant Six label and crams it through the cracked aesthetic of the current crop of lysergic pop deconstructionists, resulting in three short sharp jams that manage to be lush and ebullient, but also fuzzy and filthy and raw, rich with hooks and killer riffs, a sound warm and blown out, "She Was Down" could be the lo-fi pop jam of the year, with its ultra distorted drums, buried lilting vocals, crunchy main riff, and a hook that will stay lodged in your head for ages. "Stormy Late Fall" sounds like Big Star and Redd Kross recorded onto a Dictaphone, woozy, warped, and so catchy, with some seriously unforgettable melodies, and some bad ass guitar wrangling. The closer is a little more stripped down, brittle and crunchy, but continues on in the same vein, with sweetly melancholic melodies wrapped around shambling drums and warbly guitar jangle. Barely more than 5 minutes, but in this case it's definitely quality over quantity, can't wait for the 'full length', even if it ends up being less than 20 minutes long... LIMITED TO 500 COPIES, every one hand numbered, includes a code so you can download the mp3 versions for your iPod...

Fans of Krautrock listen up! The Can DVD is upon us. Now, if you already have the Can Box released a few years back, with the Can Video, you've got a portion of what's on here, but of course in a less high-tech, analog format. The Can DVD is actually two dvds, between them featuring the amazing 51 minute Can-Free-Concert film (circa Ege Bamyasi, 1972) and the 86 minute Can Documentary that were found on the Can Video. But it's also got a short Can tribute film (1 minute) by Brian Eno, biographies of Can members, a discography, and a brand new 81-minute Can documentary entitled Can Notes. There's also some stuff you can do with your PC which we haven't checked out, and MORE. A lot of it seems to focus on what the Can guys are up to these days, which is interesting but when you view the discography you'll be reminded that all their best albums were prior to 1974, so... Plus, there's a third disc, a cd, compiling audio from Can solo projects: Michael Karoli & Sofortontakt!, Irmin Schmidt & Kumo, Jaki Liebezeit with Drums Off Chaos and Burnt Friedman, and Holger Czukay & U-She -- much of it live from a 1999 tour, with a few tracks taken from previously released albums. And there's more new music on dvd number 1, which includes five 5.1 surround sound remixes of old Can songs. You even get documentary footage about "The Making Of The 5.1 Remixes"! So, they certainly did stuff a lot into this package. Dedicated Can fans will eat it all up, casual Can fans might not care -- but either way, if you haven't seen the Can-Free-Concert, it's worth it for that alone! And not 'cause there's a juggler, but because of the freakin' music. Wow.

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

SORRY. The Can box set actually managed to come out on its intended release date! 2 cds of live & unreleased performances from 1972 - 1977 (culled and remastered from audience tapes with recordings of "Dizzy Dizzy", "Vernal Equinox", "Yoo Doo Right", "Spoon", and "Cascade Waltz" as well as spontaneous improvisations given the titles "Jynx", "Fizz", "Colchester Finale", and "Kata Kong"), an opulent 500 page book of interviews, reviews, histories, and photos (with full text in English, German, and French!), and a two-hour video (including a rather artful documentary compiled by Rudi Dolezal & Hannes Rossacher and the concert footage of the Can-Free-Concert from 1972). Nits can be picked, but all in all this box is completely essential to any true Can fan(atic).

By this point a history lesson on Can is probably not needed as their importance to the last 25 years of underground and not so underground music and their incredible musical legacy has been quite well documented. And we're pretty excited about the recent renewed interest in Can resulting in the remastering and re-releasing of much of their back catalog. The aptly titled Delay was recorded in the late '60s with Malcom Mooney on vocals. This is a way more stripped down, raw, proto-punk Can then maybe most folks are used to. Recorded around the same time as White Light/White Heat this shares the same blistering spirit that The Velvet Underground were exploring across the sea. We've no doubt mentioned Can as a huge influence on so many AQ favorites: Circle, No Neck Blues Band, Nurse With Wound, Throbbing Gristle, Radiohead, Tortoise, on and on and on.... but listening to Delay you begin to think that Can may just out-rock them all. A year or so before The Stooges would hit the scene, Can were already displaying such raw emotion and all out rock exuberance, that the world couldn't help but be awed (if they'd heard it). Delay once again demonstrates that no matter what kind of sounds Can were working with they always managed to find the emotional core, and let it seep into every bit of music they made.

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A perfect krautrock album. Can's second with Japan-born singer Damo Suzuki. Brilliant!

Next up in the latest series of remastered vinyl reissues of the greatest works (we haven't yet gotten to the slighty-less-great ones) of seminal krautrockers Can, is this, the sublime Future Days. We're told these reissues (Monster Movie, Soundtracks, Tago Mago, and now Future Days) boast better sound than some previous versions, but please note the sound samples we're providing come from another source (and, in general, you can't expect to judge sound quality from an mp3 on our website, of course, anyway). So, on to our write up from the last time we celebrated a reissue of Future Days: This is Krautrock at its absolute dreamiest. Next to Ege Bamyasi, this is one of our most favorite Can albums. A regulation-size track, "Moonshake" is surrounded by three long ones to create a lush, lifting journey. Suzuki's vocals just merely whisper in and out of the scene as the percussion and organ work itself into a transfixed polyrhythmic atmosphere and becomes balanced again through use of some constant and pulsating bass. "Moonshake" is a Can-brand pop track, barely truly "pop-ish" but as much in that vein as they ever reached. Then the album ends in pure elegance and glory. Very, very recommended if you don't have it in your collection already (and maybe even if you do, and want the new vinyl pressing - after all, these Can records are the sort worth buying more than once, right?).

MPEG stream: Future Days
MPEG stream: Moonshake

This is Krautrock at its absolute dreamiest. Next to Ege Bamyasi, this is one of our most favorite Can albums. A regulation-size track, "Moonshake" is surrounded by three long ones to create a lush, lifting journey. Suzuki's vocals just merely whisper in and out of the scene as the percussion and organ work itself into a transfixed polyrhythmic atmosphere and becomes balanced again through use of some contant and pulsating bass. "Moonshake" is a Can-brand pop track, barely truly "pop-ish" but as much in that vein as they ever reached. Then the album ends in pure elegance and glory. We're still hard pressed to see a huge difference in these remasterings vs. their cd predecessors, but happy they're here and sooooo available, the classic Krautrock albums that they are.

MPEG stream: Future Days
MPEG stream: Moonshake

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

SORRY. 2 cds of live & unreleased performances from 1972 - 1977 (culled and remastered from audience tapes with recordings of "Dizzy Dizzy", "Vernal Equinox", "Yoo Doo Right", "Spoon", and "Cascade Waltz" as well as spontaneous improvisations given the titles "Jynx", "Fizz", "Colchester Finale", and "Kata Kong"). This double cd was the musical chapter of the Can Box (which also featured a video and book, currently out of print).

Oooh. Nice new vinyl reissues of several classic Can albums have just been released. "Monster Movie" was the 1969 debut LP from The Can, that band of kraut-rockin', Stockhausen-studyin', JB's-lovin, beat-poetry-recitin' hippy freaks. This album features the

Monster Movie! Can's first album and the first in a series of re-mastered re-issues features their original vocalist, Malcolm Mooney. Let us just say that if you don't own this already, here's a good chance to buy, not only this reissue, but a whole bunch of the best early Can on cd. The reissues contain extra liner notes and candid photos. But unless you're totally obsessed with the band and are certain of your ability to appreciate the remastering note-for-note, there's not too much else about these that's too terribly special. If you've happy with your older copies, you'd probably do well to just keep them and sleep soundly at night knowing that by not buying these reissues, you're not missing too much. If however, you'd like to spread some holiday cheer, here's what we said about this when the vinyl was reissued some time ago: Monster Movie was the 1969 debut LP from The Can, that band of kraut-rockin', Stockhausen-studyin', JB's-lovin, beat-poetry-recitin' hippy freaks. This album features the unique vocals of black American singer Malcolm Mooney, and establishes Can's signature style of relentless rhythmic psychedelia with songs such as the 20-minute"Yoo Doo Right". Along with the Velvets and the Stooges, Can were one of the most 'advanced' groups of the era, and certainly one of the best Krautrock bands. If you've yet to explore the world of Can, you could do a lot worse than starting here.

MPEG stream: Mary, Mary So Contrary
MPEG stream: Outside My Door

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

SORRY. Vinyl-only reissue of the "Prehistoric Future" cassette, documenting krautrock legends Can in their early days, June 1968 to be precise. Live ("spontaneously composed") stuff from their laboratory at Schloss Norvenich, taped edited and mastered by Holger Czukay. Mono. Sounds like a practice jam to us, very loose and stoned. But of course it's wonderful stuff for Can fans! It says something on the cover about it being "the very first session" but we don't know what that really means...

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

SORRY. Not-to-be-missed rarities from these krautrock masters, beginning with 1972's 35-minute live jam "Up The Bakerloo" (Damo on vocals)--we once had a Can BBC Sessions cd that featured this (under the fuller title "Up The Bakerloo Line With Anne") but the rest of the disc consisted of later (circa '74) BBC recordings of lesser interest. Not so w/ this disc, which follows "Bakerloo" with a great version of "Paperhouse" from the 1971 German Beat Club TV broadcast, another live track from 1970, and an alternate version of "Little Star of Bethlehem" from the Delay 1968 album--PLUS the non-album B-sides of Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi-era singles ("Turtles Have Short Legs" and "Shikaku Maru Ten", both of course great).

Why mess with a good thing? Seminal krautrockers Can are downright inspiring, apparently, and short of adding four-on-floor-beats to make an insta-dance track, you be hardpressed to ruin a Can song. 15 classic tracks are remixed by the likes of Brian Eno, Sonic Youth, The Orb, A Guy Called Gerald, Pete Shelley, U.N.K.L.E., Bruce Gilbert and others. Some drum'n'bass, some weirdo techno noodling, and more than a few quite interesting interpretations. Double cd for the price of one.

The um, most crucial canon of Can, by which we mean the krautrockers' first four albums, Monster Movie, Soundtracks, Ege Bamyasi and Tago Mago, have once again been reissued in beautifully remastered vinyl. How do they sound? Well, we've just had a customer who is a sound engineer trade in all his previous reissues of these lps which currently fetch high prices on the interwebs, saying, "You just can't beat the new technology", so there you go! Though keep in mind the sound samples are from the older reviews. Soundtracks! These are tracks from various indie films scored by the group in 1970. Features the 14 minute, psych guitar-heavy "Mother Sky" and the beautiful Malcolm Mooney-sung jazz-lounge piece "She Brings The Rain", both all-time favorites of most Can fans. Let us just say that if you don't own this already, here's a good chance to buy, not only this reissue, but a whole bunch of the best early Can on lp.

MPEG stream: Don't Turn The Light On, Leave Me Alone
MPEG stream: Soul Desert

Soundtracks! Can's first album to feature Damo Suzuki on vocals. These are tracks from various indie films scored by them in 1970. Features the 14 minute, psych guitar-heavy "Mother Sky" and the beautiful Malcolm Mooney-sung jazz-lounge piece "She Brings The Rain", both all-time favorites of most Can fans. Let us just say that if you don't own this already, here's a good chance to buy, not only this reissue, but a whole bunch of the best early Can on cd. The reissues contain extra liner notes and candid photos. But unless you're totally obsessed with the band and are certain of your ability to appreciate the remastering note-for-note, there's not too much else about these that's too terribly special. If you've happy with your older copies, you'd probably do well to just keep them and sleep soundly at night knowing that by not buying these reissues, you're not missing too much. If however, you'd like to spread some holiday cheer, here's your chance to sprinkle the Can collection amongst those you love.

MPEG stream: Don't Turn The Light On, Leave Me Alone
MPEG stream: Soul Desert

Oooh. Nice new vinyl reissues of several classic Can albums have just been released. 1971's "Tago Mago" double album was their third full-length release, and their first with expatriate Japanese singer Damo Suzuki (who they discovered busking on the street PS If you like Circle and you don't have this record, get it!!

Nice!! One of our favorite Can, nay krautrock, nay any-kind-of albums ever (that is if you don't ask Andee, who for some insane reason doesn't like Can at all), given a fancy 40th Anniversary reissue! What's so fancy about it you ask? Well, first the packaging, it's in a nice gatefold miniature lp style sleeve, with the original art of the German lp edition that came out back in 1971 (yay, 1971!). That's nestled inside a cardboard wallet-like folder which bears the cover from Tago Mago's UK release in 1972, a movie still of singer Damo and drummer Jaki on stage, in action, dramatically lit. For some reason they made big deal about this alternate cover being used on this reissue, it's cool to have it but we're happy the original art is also present and accounted for on that gatefold sleeve. Also inside the folder, a thick booklet with vintage photos and plenty o' detailed liner notes, including some by the guy from Primal Scream. More importantly though, what makes this so special is that it includes a whole extra disc, a previously unreleased, 48 minute live performance from 1972! They do "Mushroom" and "Halleluwah" from Tago Mago, as well as "Spoon" from that year's equally amazing Ege Bamyasi, that song here stretched out to almost a half hour in length! Any true Can fan will want this just for the live disc, even though you probably already have one or more remastered versions of Tago Mago proper. But yeah, with the live set and the nice packaging, this is definitely worth getting, it's an upgrade all right. For those of you who aren't big Can fans already, this would be a fine place to begin your love affair with this amazing band (c'mon, Andee!). Here's what we wrote about Tago Mago when it was last reissued: 1971's Tago Mago double album was Can's third full-length release, and their first with expatriate Japanese singer Damo Suzuki (whom they discovered busking on the street outside a club). It's truly a sprawling masterpiece of krautrock. Witness the weird noise/drone stuff on the 17 minute "Aumgn", or the totally hypnotic rhythmic psych groove of the equally side-long "Halleluwah". Again, we probably don't have to say much more, you already have this, right? But if Can's new to you, we'd recommend this (as well as Monster Movie and Ege Bamyasi and Soundtracks) as among their best efforts. PS: If you like Circle and you don't have this record, get it!!

MPEG stream: Mushroom
MPEG stream: Oh Yeah
MPEG stream: Spoon (Live 1972)

Limited Edition (so-called 'cause originally they only made 15,000 of the LPs when it first came out in 1974) was an album of unreleased bits from Can's recording sessions up to just before Soon Over Babaluma. And now, these "sound polaroids" are remastered and rereleased for us to enjoy once again, in the expanded form of Unlimited Edition! Yay! While other, maybe not-so-legit, Can out-take albums that have been released have sometimes bordered on the unlistenable in terms of recording/production quality, UE maintains the pristinely clear sound of their most notable releases like Ege Bamyasi and Future Days. We still don't know HOW engineers Holger Czukay (also Can's bassist) and Rene Tinner got their sound to be this good in the Can studio, but man, it is eternally impressive. If you follow them as a band, UE seems much different than other albums. It does not lack direction in any way, though the songs seem to be an assemblage of either exercises in different styles of music making (i.e "Ethnic Forgery Series No. 36" -- a loose New Orleans-style jazz number, or "Cutaway" -- a tape-spliced collage piece) or intuitively crafted with more cerebral/artful emphasis in rhythm, synth layers, improv and space. There's much more of a stoney experimental intensity in many of these tracks, leaving those on our other favorite Can albums to sound like crazy catchy funk jams in comparison. The tracks compiled here are from '68 to '75. We have to admit, that this album possibly above all others demonstrates their intuition and entropic ingenuity balanced by both an incredible sense of form in sound and impressive self-engineering. Even Andee, who doesn't (gasp!) normally like Can, actually likes this one. But regardless, this is highly highly recommended.

MPEG stream: Doko E
MPEG stream: Mother Upduff

As always, these Ultra Eczema lps are amazingly packaged, in gorgeously designed sleeves, pressed on nice thick vinyl, and limited to 400 copies, most of which are sold before we even realize they're out. So we only got a tiny handful of these (5-10 copies) so don't get your hopes up. Soundartist / performer / designer Jessica Rylan gives us a super intimate disc of her peculiar brand of balladry. From vocal / piano duets, with extremely strained vocals and soft, lilting piano, to super abstract, ultradistorted solo vocal explorations, with her voice buried in muffled muted murk and stuttering squeaking electronics, with random bits of drum kit tossed in, to what sounds like some dark fuzzed out electronic dronegrind, a pulsing thick electronic industrial soundscape, to solo vocals, unadorned, swathed in natural reverb. Pretty weird, and alternatingly harsh and lovely. Liner notes by Thurston Moore.

Didn't care too much for CC's first record. A little too much jazzy-instrumental-Tortoisey-post-rock-wankery. But this new record is something else entirely. Well, not entirely. There are still elements of jazz and post rock, and it -is- instrumental, but it gets way more metal and prog and space-y and experimental. And the songwriting is so much more focused. Intense and emotional. Even the playing seems better. Cancer Conspiracy fall somewhere between Don Caballero, recent Cave In and maybe Pink Floyd, but with moments of blissed out space rock, crushing metal, noodly meandering post rock, gorgeous piano driven melodies, and some complex Voi Vod-ish parts. Really intense and really great. It's always exciting when a band takes a lifeless genre and completely turns it inside out and makes it their own. Fans of AQ fave Feuhler, Don Cab, Cave In may have found themselves a new favorite band!

RealAudio clip: ...To Sleep
RealAudio clip: Broken Heartbeats Gathered And Rebroadcast