Aquarius Records closed in 2016. This site is an archive — a place to rediscover their extraordinary music recommendations. Nothing here is for sale.
Showing results 101 through 116 of 116.
V/VMHelp Aphex Twin.../2.0 Because You Don't Give A Fuck(V/Vm Test Records)3"cd$ 14.98
V/VM -- a label, a band, a concept, and perhaps most importantly a mistake -- has now stooped to taking potshots at The Aphex Twin, who has been very quiet for the past three years, releasing just the "Windowlicker" ep in 1999. While the silence of Aphex
VANDERSLICE, JOHNTime Travel Is Lonely(Barsuk)cd$ 13.98
The nicest of nice fellows John Vanderslice (formerly of MK Ultra) is back with the follow-up to his debut "Mass Suicide Occult Figurines" continuing his exploration of the indie rock/pop realm. Once again giving a hearty tip of the hat to his faves Neutral Milk Hotel, but also revealing shades of Eno's "Here Come The Warm Jets" period. A bit more melancholic this time around. Lonely
VIVIAN SISTERSs/t(Avant)cd$ 19.98
Hailing from the Downtown scene in NYC, the Vivian Sisters is the latest project for drummer Laura Cromwell (Dim Sum Clip Job, God Is My Co-Pilot, Laito Lychee(?)). Imagine the demented childlike weirdness of Alva and the Shaggs under the adult supervision of Captain Beefheart. Zeena Parkins guests on three tracks. The Vivian Sisters pay tribute to another group of NY siblings in their
VON HAUSSWOLFF, CARL MICHAELStrom(Raster-Noton)cd$ 15.98
The connection between the Swedish conceptual artist Carl Michael von Hausswolff (former member of The Hafler Trio and current co-monarch of The Kingdom of Elgaland / Vargaland) and the Raster-Noton label began in 1997, when von Hausswolff collaborated with Raster-Noton's Carsten Nicolai (aka Noto) and Frank Bretschneider (aka Komet). At that time, all of these artists shared a common Aside from that previous collaboration, it's still a little hard to believe that Von Hausswolff would produce a record for Raster-Noton. Not surprisingly, "Strom" has very little in common with the Raster sound. Instead, he is continuing his documentation of electronic seances which he first began researching while in The Hafler Trio and more recently presented on his "Operation of Spirit Communication" record. Implementing telephone bugging / wire tapping microphones, Von Hausswolff captured these anomalies when recording the pure drones of electrical circuits and datafrequency hardlines. The point of such recordings was to uncover the sonic neologisms found by EVP researchers Raymond Cass and Friedrich Jurgenson. While "Strom" does not specifically feature any ghostly EVP languages, these thick low-frequency tones are striated with distant rhythmic statics, fluctuating glitches, and aerated electrical-field washes. This is easily Jim's favorite record from Raster-Noton!
VOTE ROBOTIn Meorm NA(Scratch)cd$ 14.98
From the same brain that created the fragile, pretty electronic sounds of French Paddleboat comes this decidedly more glitchy and at times more cacaphonous effort. Scott August is the young gent from Kelowna, BC who began making music while still in his teens. Holed up in his bedroom like a sonic mad scientist. On the usually much more dissonant and obtuse music label Scratch Records.
WAILERS, THECatch A Fire(Tuff Gong / Island)2cd$ 27.00
Remastered version of Bob Marley & The Wailers major label debut. This, deluxe, version not only contains the remastered album that put Bob Marley on the map internationally, but also contains a second disc of the original Jamaican version of the album -- previously unreleased outside of Jamaica -- which not only contains different versions of the songs on Catch A Fire, but is
WAINWRIGHT, RUFUSPoses(Dreamworks)cd$ 17.98
The sad voiced, troubled troubadour of the moment is... well... probably Radiohead's Thom Yorke. If Jeff Buckley were still alive he'd be releasing his fourth album around now and *he* would be the man. But I know that AQ customers are musically large-hearted There's dobro, mandolin, ethereal girl backup singers, french horn, soaring violin, cello, piano, Wurlitzer and Hammond organs and much more. The music plays off his voice so beautifully and he's got lyric talents too -- spitting out lines like "whiffs of freon", and "three cubic feet of blood and bone and meat" and "all the pearls of china fade astride a volta". All songs written by Rufus, except for one which was written by his dad, the legendary Loudon Wainwright III. Yes, he comes from an exceptionally musical family -- in addition to dad, his aunt and mom, otherwise known as Kate and Anna McGarrigle, are musical legends in their own right who were last seen enhancing Nick Cave's most recent record. Come to think of it, fans of Nick Cave might actually like this record too. Check it out for sure. Contender for record of the year.
WAY OF THE DRAGONOST(Tam)lp$ 12.98
Another vinyl reissue of a fantastic Bruce Lee movie, quite similar to the soundtrack for 'Fist of Fury'. Starts off with a moody epic, all swelling strings ala Morricone, but this time, the song is peppered with Bruce Lee's grunts and squeaks and howls. Pretty weird. And then the rest of the soundtrack is just entire scenes from the movie, dialogue, fights and everything. Totally
WEBB BROTHERSMaroon(Atlantic)cd$ 12.98
Ah, nepotism. And oh, to be the son or daughter of famous parents, guaranteeing you at least a shot, a movie, a record deal, whatever. So it's always nice when the offspring don't drop the ball and embarass themsleves and their folks. Such is the case
WENDY & BONNIEGenesis(Sundazed)cd$ 15.98
Really mellow soft-pop from 1969, the sole album by teenage San Francisco sisters Wendy and Bonnie Flower (ages 17 and 13 respectively, at the time this album was cut). Very pretty and summery, but NOT super happy, it's got a melancholy sadness (and sweetness) to it, evoking late afternoon, end of summer feelings. Maybe they're a bit like a more folky, psychedelic 5th
WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND, THEPart One(Sundazed)cd$ 12.98
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band is one of those groups whose status in the collectorskum underground means that I once spent $75 on one of their LPs. Ouch. Thankfully most of their recorded output has finally been put out on cd by the excellent The voluminous liner notes (different in each of the three discs) are super interesting. I had no idea that what looks like the main guy in the band (he's in the middle in all the pictures) was this eccentric trust fund millionaire who kind of took over the band by buying them a big ole psychedelic light show system (their live shows were famous for this) and who was so annoying and odd that the other guys in the band tried to not let him do anything else on stage but play tambourine. The other band members, interviewed in the notes, say they hated him and feel like they would've been a better more popular band without him etc. Sour grapes! But perhaps that's what made the band so amazing, the push and pull of varying aesthetics resulting in a beautiful music.
WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND, THEVol. 2(Sundazed)cd$ 12.98
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band is one of those groups whose status in the collectorskum underground means that I once spent $75 on one of their LPs. Ouch. Thankfully most of their recorded output has finally been put out on cd by the excellent The voluminous liner notes (different in each of the three discs) are super interesting. I had no idea that what looks like the main guy in the band (he's in the middle in all the pictures) was this eccentric trust fund millionaire who kind of took over the band by buying them a big ole psychedelic light show system (their live shows were famous for this) and who was so annoying and odd that the other guys in the band tried to not let him do anything else on stage but play tambourine. The other band members, interviewed in the notes, say they hated him and feel like they would've been a better more popular band without him etc. Sour grapes! But perhaps that's what made the band so amazing, the push and pull of varying aesthetics resulting in a beautiful music.
WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND, THEVol. 3 : A Child's Guide to Good and Evil(Sundazed)cd$ 12.98
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band is one of those groups whose status in the collectorskum underground means that I once spent $75 on one of their LPs. Ouch. Thankfully most of their recorded output has finally been put out on cd by the excellent The voluminous liner notes (different in each of the three discs) are super interesting. I had no idea that what looks like the main guy in the band (he's in the middle in all the pictures) was this eccentric trust fund millionaire who kind of took over the band by buying them a big ole psychedelic light show system (their live shows were famous for this) and who was so annoying and odd that the other guys in the band tried to not let him do anything else on stage but play tambourine. The other band members, interviewed in the notes, say they hated him and feel like they would've been a better more popular band without him etc. Sour grapes! But perhaps that's what made the band so amazing, the push and pull of varying aesthetics resulting in a beautiful music.
WILLIAMS, LUCINDAEssence(Lost Highway)cd$ 17.98
Lucinda's (Grammy-winning) seasoned songwriting skills are still intact, and her strong-woman-still-gets-wistful-sometimes stance is endearing. Yet on this new album her country road-weary voice is inexplicably smoothed out, all the attractive grittiness removed, along with the urgency and energy usually found in her songs. Nice... but if you're new to her, try an older album first.
XTCHomegrown(TVT)cd$ 16.98
Fascinating glimpse into the creative process of Andy Partridge, for over 22 years now leader of the seminal UK pop group XTC. This album is composed of demos of the previous two XTC albums, Apple Venus vol. 1 & 2 (Wasp Star). (Plus XTC's contribution to the Hello Record Club series curated by They Might Be Giants.) While XTC's insanely perfect pop creations are in a class of their
Ø + NOTOWohltemperiert(Raster-Noton)cd$ 15.98
While "Mikro Makro" gives the false impression that Mika Vainio (aka Ø and half of Pan Sonic) and Carsten Nicolai (Noto) actually collaborated together for that album, "Wohltemperiert" is technically the first documented collaboration between these two While both artists have made previous works that openly explored the clean schematics of archetectural forms within a crystalline techno, they have mostly done away with the archetypes of purist techno on "Wohltemperiert." It's quite possible that Nicolai has subjugated himself underneath Vainio's recent predilections for much more private procedures of coaxing little accidents out of mis-configured analogue equipment and ill-grounded cables. Much like the preceding Vainio albums "Onko" and "Kajo," "Wohltemperiert" ripples with buzzing electrical drones, twin-tone melodic vibrations, the occasional glisten of a technotic pulse, and vast extended crackles, resulting in an album that is surprisingly dark for these two. Take away much of the death / abject imagry from the industrial masterpieces by MB or SPK, and you come close to the wintery bleak atmospheres found here. "Wohltemperiert" is a welcome diversion from the Raster-Noton sound, which has been running the risk of self-parody and self-reflexivity as of recent.