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 51 through 79 of 79.
MSBRSpace Lab Green(Celebrate Psi Phenomena)cd-r$ 10.98
Courtesy of Mr Campbell Kneale and his impressive Celebrate Psi Phenomena label comes the latest snarling beast of a record from Japan's MSBR. One thirty minute track of NOISENOISENOISE. Harsh electronic wall of sound. Sharp and severe, thick and impenetrable. MSBR fans and Merbowmaniacs might want to check this out. Gorgeously packaged as are all of CPP's limited cd-rs.
NATASGodlike(Number 6)cd$ 17.98
I love discovering stuff, be it bands or movies or whatever, by mistake. Especially when it's a really stupid mistake. For example, once when I was travelling in Europe, we read about a music festival, me and a friend of mine desperately wanted to go to this festival to see a band we both loved (Enslaved, if you must know) so somehow we convinced our travelling companions to drive overnight through 2 countries to make it to this festival. So of course we get there, and the band comes on stage and they don't look at all how they looked in pictures. And they didn't really sound like we remembered them sounding. Well, we eventually figured out it was another band with the same name! We never told the friends we were travelling with, but we -were- punished by not being able to find the house we were staying at and forced to sleep in the freezing van with no blankets or anything. Actually, I guess we didn't really discover anything, did we. Maybe how much the other Enslaved sucked. Okay so that wasn't a perfect example. Where was I going with this? Oh yeah, a while back I was at another record store and I saw a record by Natas, and assuming it was a new record by AQ faves Natas, an awesome Argentinian stoner metal band, I snapped it up. Got home to discover that -this- Natas, was actually a super damaged, lo-fi, insanely produced, demented hip hop group. This is their newest record and it is fucking amazing. Super fucked production, extreme stereo panning, overblown hyper distorted casio beats, wailing electric guitar licks, demented sounding minor key pianos and 3 of the coolest, weirdest rappers ever. Definitely for fans of Fever, Sensational, Wordsound and all that sort of out there hip hop! And if you come in the store and can't find it, make sure to look in the metal section too, 'cause people seem to want to put this evil looking cd, complete with satanic (pitchforks crossed) logo, in there next to Nagelfar and Necro Schizma, which actually makes some weird sort of sense.
NEBULADos EPs(Meteor City)cd$ 13.98
This collects the two eps (duh, dos eps) from the preeminent fuzzed out stoner rock combo, Nebula. This includes their Meteor City ep and their split with Lowrider as well as 3 brand spanking new tracks. Overblown, super fuzz guitar, drawling lazy stonerboy vocals and big b i g B I G drums. Sounds as good as ever. Cruisng through the desert with the top down kind of lazy hazy summertime RAWK.
O.G. RON C.Southern's Finest Chopped & Skrewed(GVM)cd$ 16.98
AQ was (and still is) totally obsessed with DJ Screw the Southern Fried DJ that slowed all your favorite hits down to a crawl, making MTV hits into murky musical nightmares. When Screw passed away a few years back, there was a line around the block of DJ's willing to 'screw' tracks for a buck. And of course with that came some variations on the Screw formula. So here's a record of Southern underground hip hop skrewed ('k' instead of a 'c' just so we're not confused) and chopped, which from listening to this disc, we take to mean, the dj stops, scratches, and rewinds the -whole- record. The record which has already been slowed down (skrewed). None of this scratching over the top as embellishment, this is stopping the whole record...shka....shka...shka.....and then it starts up again. Pretty cool. Not as fun as hearing the big hits chopped and screwed but pretty damn cool nonetheless.
ORQUESTA DEL DESIERTOs/t(Meteor City)cd$ 13.98
Just by listing the members of this 'super group', I know some of you are gonna buy this before we even get to the part about how crappy this record is. Oops. I think I just blew it. Anyway. In case you're just scanning these long ass reviews let's try to get you to stop here a second: KYUSS QUEENS OF THE STONEAGE GOATSNAKE FATSO JETSON.....okay. Gotcha. Orchesta Del Desierto is made up of Alfredo Hernandez from Kyuss and QOTSA, Pete Stahl from Goatsnake and the Earthlings?, Mario Lalli from Fatso Jetson and the Desert Sessions, and Steve Brown from Hermano. So what does it sound like you ask? Well, it's sort of like stoner desert rock, but imagine if someone took away all of their effects pedals (especially the distortion pedals), took away their Marshall stacks and replaced them with Fender twins, and laced their pot with horse tranquilizers. So yeah, mellow and sleepy and uninspired. And add in Mr Pete 'My vocals can ruin any band' Stahl and you've got yourself a big ol' PASS ON THIS ONE. And for those of you who think I'm full of shit, here's the quote from the obi: "Soulful, spacious and mellow, but no less powerful than the heaviest riff-rock records Meteor City has released. Discard all your expectations of desert music and you'll be ready to take this journey."
OXESOxxxes(Monitor)cd$ 14.98
Got your calculators? Oxes sure do. Comin' at ya wielding their battalion of Texas Instruments. Simply put, this is indie metal / mathrock = trying to be tight and fiery, but somewhat lacking the chops to execute it as skillfully as required. So instead it sounds like east coast metalcore's sloppy younger brother. 4 + 3 = 7/4. Time signatures for the sake of time signatures. They're probably pretty rad live though.
PHEROMONEDisparlure(Corpus Hermeticum)cd$ 16.98
This is the first release from the French Trio Pheromone, released on Bruce Russell's Corpus Hermeticum label. This trio makes spare and expansive soundscapes using guitar, hurdy gurdy, electronics, contact mics and various electro-acoustic devices. This single piece (tracked as 2 tracks) was recorded live and mixed by Eric La Casa and Pierre-Henri Thiebaut at home. The band sets up in the corners of the room and surrounds the audience, while enveloping them in an abstract cloud of stuttering samples, rhythmic pulses, clicks and scrapes, hums and whirs, buzz and skree, strum and clatter that all seemingly follow some mysterious and non linear-narrative. Gorgeously difficult.
PUFFY AMI YUMIAn Illustrated History(Bar/None)cd$ 15.98
They sure do make some of the oddest, fluffiest confectionary treats in Japan, and PuffyAmiYumi is no exception. Although Allan has shown an immense aversion to these J-pop gals, we've got their "Illustrated History" album just released domestically on Hoboken's Bar/None Records (originally on Epic Japan). Sounding not unlike a Hello Kitty pinball and pachinko game arcade at the height of sugar-rush hour with super-slick, huge production that puts Britney, Christina and company (not to mention their record exec. handlers) to shame. As flawless, sweet and crisp as a strawberry Pocky stick. This is not deep. This is not complex. This is not difficult. What it is though is unfathomably cute, sparkling, exuberant fun. And unlike their American pop star counterparts, Puffy jumbles together their sackful of music styles with complete reckless abandon. From song to song, they hop about delving into the vaults of 60s girl groups, surf rock, ABBA ("True Asia"), samba ("Sigh Of Love"), The Who circa-Tommy ("Jet Police"), rumba, Beach Boys summer pop, disco ("Electric Beach Fever"), straight up rock'n'roll... you name it! With bountiful horns, hand claps, tambourine, and a troop of backing singers to boot. Love 'em? Hate 'em? Place your votes! Also includes a bonus video of "Boogie Woogie No. 5" that eerily resembles a Gap khakis ad with its crowd of dancing boys on a stark white backdrop.
RED HARVESTSick Transit Gloria Mundi(Relapse)cd$ 14.98
Relapse is really playing up the cyber-industrial-whatever aspect of Red Harvest but it's their least 'industrial' record so far. But, industrial it still is, with machine like beats occasionally overtaking their pounding, flesh and bones drummer, and ultra crisp and precise riffs, processed into expansive sheets of distorted roooaaaaaar. Somewhere between Neurosis, AQ faves Alchemist, Emperor and Machine Head. Not a bad combination at all. Furious death metal gives way to epic and funereal post apocalyptic dirges. Shrieking black metal is chopped and diced into industrial chugs and droning metalscapes. Melodies are stretched and distorted, electronic rhythms are assembled in a desolate wasteland of malfunctioning electronics, instrument buzz and distorted hiss until flesh ripping guitars come raining down like fiery hail from angry gods. One of the coolest metal records of the year so far.
SNOWYLilywhite(PVC Lotus)cd$ 10.98
If you enjoyed the recent Mirah album Advisory Committee, you might wanna give this new SF artist a listen too. Snowy is primarily the work of Ms Bonni Evensen, although she's got some glowingly good company in tow, namely Tim Mooney (ex-American Music Club), Steve Roback (ex-Rain Parade) and Leigh Gregory (of Mellow Drunk). Her songs struck me as sort of a cross between Mirah and Aimee Mann. That means well-crafted and lush, intelligent and intimate. Not to mention the fact that her voice is quite often a deadringer for the latter. Darkly lilting and so enchanting. Each time I listen to this, another shadowy, lulling track jumps out and captures my heart. Very very nice!
SUPERJOINT RITUALUse Once And Destroy(Sanctuary)cd$ 17.98
Latest in the seemingly endless list of Phil Anselmo projects: Pantera, Down, Viking Crown, Necrophagia, Southern Isolation, Eibon, Christ Inverter, and now Superjoint Ritual. For SR, Anselmo has enlisted the help of Eyehategod/Crowbar guitarist Jimmy Bower, Hank Williams III's drummer Joe Fazzio, and a bass player who is known simply as III, supposedly for contractual reasons similar to those that kept Anselmo a secret member of Necrophagia for so long. And the record has all those familiar Anselmo sights and sounds, fuzzy downtuned Southern groovemetal guitars, Anselmo's melodic screech, lurching, hypnotic tempos, and fierce pounding sludge metal rhythm section. But the sound here is much more raw and immediate, speedy and punky and noisy all over the place, but as with all Phil's bands it all gets reeled back in just right and becomes a sludgy groove before running wild again. Reminds me more of Pantera than Down, just so you know. Good stuff.
TEEN CTHULHUWhen Flesh Becomes Scabbard(Thin The Herd)7"$ 3.98
Completely crushing and gorgeously heavy slab of thick and sludgy metal. Think a little black metal, a little metalcore, a little Neurosis, a little Cradle Of Filth, a little spazzy screamo, and heaps of Black Sabbath, with lots of ambient interludes, tolling bells, creepy samples, howled and shrieked vocals, pounding drums, complex and dynamic arrangements and RIFFS RIFFS RIFFS! Full length coming soon on UK's Rage Of Achilles label.
THE WIRE#220 June 2002()magazine$ 7.50
On the cover: DJ Shadow, plus Super_Collider (Cristian Vogel) on the Invisible Jukebox, Frederic Rzewski, Bernhard Gunter, Susie Ibarra, The People Band, Murcof, Taj Mahal Travellers, Otomo Yoshihide, Sonic Youth, Vincent Gallo, Coil.
THUJAThuja Museum #1(Jewelled Antler)3" cd-r$ 12.98
In an interview for The Wire not long ago, Thuja's Loren Chasse joked that he wanted the upcoming Thuja album to just be a log with some lichen on it. Well... Chasse's wish almost comes true with this, the first volume of what they call "Thuja Museum", as the band has enclosed a small lichen encrusted stick in the cardboard box with each of these incredibly limited 3" CD-Rs. While all of the rest of the Jewelled Antler catalogue is available as made-to-order CD-Rs, "Thuja Museum #1" is strictly limited to 50 numbered copies. In addition to the disc and the twig, each tiny "Thuja Museum #1" box also includes a woodcut print by Thuja's Steven R. Smith, a leaf rubbing by Chasse, and a small square of wood. Thus, each of these boxes is a unique item of artwork. As for the actual music found on the 20 minute long, green spraypainted cd-r, it's a sprawling piece of psychedelic drone improvisation, their least structured recording to date. The quartet of Chasse, Glenn Donaldson, Stephen R. Smith, and Rob Reger playfully meanders through scraped violin passages, melancholic organ drones, mandolin pluckery, sustained oud bowing, and non-specific textural clatter that could just be a pile of metal and branches dragged across the floor. Hazy and beautiful, this is a very nice mini-album both in its wonderful packaging and in its sound.
THUNDERINASIn Blower(Zhark )cd$ 11.98
Rachael Kozak (aka Hecate) presents her own version of the Digital Hardcore girl-groups, in particular the super stupid Cobra Killer project from Gina of EC8OR and Annika from Shizuo. For the Thunderinas, Kozak assumes the sexually explicit, grease covered pseudonym Bloody Knuckles alongside her equally antagonist partners Carolina Fastburner and Audrey Anaconda for a sloppy album of hot-rod samples, groovy DHR breaks, and bombastic jump-up, scream 'n' shout, punk-as-fuck vocals, though this is not nearly as noisy as their DHR sisters.
TIMONY, MARYThe Golden Dove(Matador)cd$ 14.98
Ever since The Magic City (Helium's final album back in 1997), Mary Timony's music has descended further and further into the lair of dragons and castles. Her solo full length Mountains in 2000 was nothing but boggling fantasy tales. Truly a puzzling shift in musical direction that left me scratching my head in perturbed disappointment (and I know I wasn't alone in that department). I mean, after Helium's excellent, twisted pop album The Dirt Of Luck as well as their Pirate Prude and Superball EPs, I was so eager to hear more in the same vein. But alas, it was simply not to be with either of the above-mentioned albums... pixies and unicorns? No, not my cup of tea. And from the looks of the Ms-Timony-as-damsel back cover photo on Golden Dove, I shuddered and almost gave this album an automatic pass. But hold your horses honey pie! It appears this fair maiden has wisely blinked her dewy lash back to her sassy Helium days. Surprise! She's achieved a sweeter balance between her two worlds of lilting indie rock and fantasy chamber pop, although as the album progresses it is drawn back towards the latter realm. Swirling and romantic with an occasional glimpse of her old feist.
UGLY CASANOVASharpen Your Teeth(Sub Pop )cd$ 15.98
Heads up for another indie rock super group! The impressive personnel? Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, Black Heart Procession's Pall Jenkins, John Orth of Holopaw, and Califone / Red Red Meat fellows Brian Deck and Tim Rutili. Together, they are Ugly Casanova. Not sure how their collaborative process went (I've heard grumblings about some mysterious, elusive figure for whom this project is named), but this mostly sounds like Modest Mouse songs as sung by Isaac with the somewhat darker, eccentric influence of Black Heart Procession along for the ride. Moody, ramshackle and weaving with clunky, clatterous found object-esque percussion. Andee said the track called "Ice On the Sheets" reminded him of Red Hot Chili Peppers, but maybe you should be the judge of that one. Fans of their respective groups will surely not be disappointed by this configuration. Produced by Isaac and Brian.
UPHILL BATTLEs/t(Relapse)cd$ 14.98
Relapse's latest grindcore wunderkinds, California's Uphill Battle manage to hold their own along side of Relapse heavyweights Origin, Burnt By The Sun, Human Remains, Nasum, et al. Chugging, grinding fury, with tense and ridiculously complex song structures, blurry blast beats, blazing downtuned riffs, crushing drums and weird melodic harmonies, while a demented madman howls above the whole thing! Listen to the sound clips, you know if you need this. God knows I do.
V/AClassic Bluegrass(Smithsonian Folkways)cd$ 12.98
Smithsonian Folkways gets their chance to put a final word on the post-O Brother bluegrass sampler mania that has been in effect for over a year now and you might recall the sour review we gave to Rounder's entry into this arena a few lists ago. But S.F., unlike Rounder, has not only put together a collection of classics, but has priced their disc quite a bit more competitively. Then again, if any label was going to put together a collection of classic bluegrass, S.F. would be it. Having released the first full length LP of bluegrass music way back in 1956, Folkways has a mighty powerful back catalog of both well known and obscure bluegrass tracks. 'Classic Bluegrass' not only contains some of the more well known artists within the genre, including founder Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, Doc Watson, Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard, but also many important lesser known (outside of bluegrass circles) artists like The Johnson Mountain Boys, Red Allen, Snuffy Jenkins, The Country Gentlemen and a lot more. More significantly, S.F. has steered away from making this a collection of the most popular bluegrass tunes ever recorded, so you needn't worry about having yet another version of "Man of Constant Sorrow" in your juke box. Like all S.F. reissues, this collection is done right in the documentation department as well with 31 pages of notes on the individual tracks, a history of Folkways records, and suggested further reading / listening. The only thing I could find wrong with this collection was a typo concerning Bill Monroe's passing, which is incorrectly listed as 1993 instead of 1996.
V/AFlag Flown High(Digital B)cd$ 14.98
Not to be confused with the RZA's recent nom de guerre, Bobby 'Digital' Dixon is one of Jamaica's hot producers in the modern dancehall era, having cut his teeth as one of King Jammy's top engineers during the eighties. While this album's release is highly anticipated -- there being many rare cuts here -- the pall that hangs over this collection resides in the second half of dear Bobby's moniker: "digital". The press for the album seems to put it immediately on the defensive, with doubts expressed as to whether the cold and sterile world of the digital studio-- synth bass lines, drum machines and sequencers -- can express the humanity necessary for roots music. Proponents of the genre's developments can point out to nostalgic naysayers that Jamaica's music has always been in flux and that innovations in technology have gone side by side with those of rhythm and melody. Besides, given the economic restraints coupled with the fierce competitive nature of the island, it was only a matter of time before undemanding rack mountable gear began replacing session musicians. As fasr as being an appropriate spokesperson for this new recording M.O. in Jamaica Bobby Digital is certainly placed in a direct lineage from the days of old: having succeeded King Jammy who had, years before, brought reggae into the digital age after having worked for King Tubby. In his time Bobby Digital has worked with Jamaica's top vocalists, many of them highlighted here: Sizzla, Capleton, Shabba Ranks, Cocoa Tea, Yami Bolo and more. His innovative style is highlighted by his recycling of classic rhythms such as Bob Marley's 'Natural Mystic' and bringing them into the modern age. The failures that beset this collection lie not so much in the limitations of digital production, but in singers who sound like they're just going through the motions with cheesy modern soul style vocalisings. So where a rhythm of Bobby Digital's used by Morgan Heritage produces an almost unlistenable "Protect Us Jah", in the capable hands of Shabba Ranks' booming voice it's something grand. A majority of the cuts on this disc seem to suffer from this malady, alas. I'd almost be willing to write this whole collection off if it were not for the very first track by Garnett Silk, "Mystic Chant" (which uses the above mentioned Marley derived rhythm) which keeps nagging me to play this disc over and over. Over a stripped down and unchanging rhythm -- no bridges, no chorus -- Garnett Silk chants out scriptures from the bible. The tension of this track just builds and builds. It's friggin' heavy. Having gone through the album several times now, some other tracks begin to stand out as well so if the sample of "Mystic Chant" strikes your fancy you might consider droppping the dime for this one. Don't bother trying to track down a 12" of this one either, as it (and many others collected here) is an exclusive sound system cut that has only existed as a rare dub plate.
V/AWindswept Trees And Houses(Jewelled Antler)cd-r$ 9.98
Essentially, "Windswept Trees And Houses" is a Jewelled Antler Collective primer. The Jewelled Antler Collective (Loren Chasse, Glenn Donaldson, Jason Honea, Steven R. Smith and Rob Reger) rotate through a number of wholly unique manifestations of psychedelic improv in Thuja, Blithe Sons, Child Readers, Knit Separates, and The Skygreen Leopards. With all of those outfits present, this album encapsulates the Jewelled Antler ethos in parallel with a handful of like minded artists who share their host's metaphysical glee and earnest investigations into the mysterious. Amongst the guests on "Windswept Trees And Houses" include the amazing film / installation collaboration Silt who has recently been awarded with a showcase at the 2002 Whitney Biennial, offering a very nice piece of ephemeral vocal incantations swathed in Zoviet France delay tricks. There's also New Zealand's Entlang (featuring members of Dress and Garbage From The Flowers) presenting a disjointed track of avant-hillbilly strum. But the highlight of the compilation is The Billy Crosby's whose stunning cover of Current 93's "The Signs Of Emptiness" sublimely matches a warbling Appalachian finger picking with a rough-hewn male / female vocal duet. While most compilations suffer from poor throw-away tracks, "Windswept Trees And Houses" is a great listen throughout, and certainly gets a strong recommendation as with the rest of the Jewelled Antler releases.
WAITS, TOMAlice(Anti)cd$ 15.98
Approaching 30 years of making music, Tom Waits presents two wonderful albums at once, Blood Money and Alice. This collection, actually recorded many years ago but only now seeing its proper release, richly evokes particular moods and sounds of a world long gone, yet also captures a pure timeless beauty just like that of the Lewis Carroll tale. After all these years, it's truly a pleasure to see that he's still quite the wise, eccentric and immensely romantic fellow. There's such a consistency to all that he does, and that is made no clearer than when you stack these two albums up against one other. Alice is a mournful, weathered variety of songs one might just as fittingly hear coming out of a shady speakeasy or from a roaming band of minstrels. Twisting strings, subdued horns and piano, plodding rhythms and his unmistakably sandpaper-raw, billy goat's gruff voice. Smoky, sinister jazz and blues numbers entwine with looming, somber waltzes and darkly creeping, gutwrenching ballads. Although the music is definitely much more fleshed out than his great works like the Spare Change or Swordfishtrombones, this album offers many moments reminiscent of those releases. So enveloping and theatrical, if anyone's music can transport you spiralling down rabbit holes or indeed through the looking glass, his most definitely can. Recommended.
WAITS, TOMBlood Money(Anti)lp$ 11.98
Now also on very reasonably priced vinyl! Here's what we said about the cd: Of Tom Waits' two freshly released albums, I think the needle of my recommendation meter is leaning towards Alice rather than Blood Money, but that's mainly because his slow, dream / nightmare ballads (which I personally prefer) outnumber his more cacaphonous numbers full of craggy howls and shouts. More weary sighs than strange, wizened grunts and mutterings. However, that's not to understate the strength and beauty of this release. In fact, I'm sure neither of these albums is gonna disappoint. He so very seldom does. Once again, he co-wrote and produced all the songs with his wife and long-time collaborator Kathleen Brennan. So wonderfully carnivalesque. We catch glimpses into the shadowy, tattered tents of circus freak shows. Often unsettling and sinister, Blood Money scrapes and scratches at the dusk's scarred underbelly with its tumbling piano and marimba, squelching harmonica, madman beat poet bongos, and sweet melancholic clarinet. Recommended.
WEEZERMaladroit(Geffen)cd$ 16.98
I have to be honest, I sort of outgrew Weezer (or maybe they outgrew me) after their second record, Pinkerton, which while not a bad record at all, in fact a fantastic record, definitely showed signs of, how can I say this, a sort of laziness, a "the sound is there but where are the songs?" sort of thing. I think one of the problems is that they set the bar so high with the first record, where EVERY song was, or could have been a huge hit. Pinkerton was about half and half, and after that they seemd to just be going through the motions. That said, there -were- some kick ass tunes on the 'green' record, and there are some awesome tracks on this here record too. Check out the sound clip for 'Keep Fishin', kind of Cheap Trick and the Sweet with a sort of MTV pop punk vibe. Fans already obviously have this, but newcomers to the land of Weezer would be better served picking up the first two Weezer records before venturing into records three and four.
WIESE, JOHNLive At Mon Ton Son: August 28, 2000 Sapporo Japan TT 17:19(Helicopter)3"cd-r$ 4.98
Live recording of the man who is one half of Bastard Noise. Seventeen minutes of downpitched low frequency rumblings akin to CCCC or mid-period Solmania. Less dynamic and abusive as most of his output, here he searches for more droning, meditative spaces amidst the cacophony.
WORLD STANDARDJump For Joy(Daisyworld)cd$ 32.00
World Standard is a long running "ambient acoustic" project dedicated to the "American primitive spirit" produced by YMO founder Haruomi Hosono and run by Soichiro Suzuki. Windy didn't like this one as much as the last one, which was more sort of dreamy electronica. Volume three utilises guitar, piano, organ, glockenspiel, pedal steel, fiddle, banjo, euphonium, trumpet, saw, ukelele and more. They cover Albert Ayler's 'Ghosts' as well as a handful of 'traditionals'. Not sure how the last 'electronica' record necessarily paid tribute to the primitive American spirit, but this one sure does. The tunes are languid and dreamy, instruments sound warm and gauzy, with summery, back porch melodies and warm swells. Tentatively plucked guitar and loping horns, funereal but sort of hopeful at the same time. World Standard have definitely captured that 'old timey' sound. Think Souled American, Scott Tuma, Calexico, Orso, but with a brass band, some chirping birds, a few electronic tweaks here and there, a flat top barge floating lazily downstream, all day to leisurely strum and pluck and bow, not a cloud in the sky and not a care in the world.
YO LA TENGOThe Sounds Of Science(Egon)cd$ 14.98
Although this gal (Cup) is a huge admirer of the dreamy works of both Yo La Tengo and surrealist filmmaker Jean Painleve, she was absolutely crestfallen when she missed out on this very special evening at the fabulous Castro Theater last year. Yup, couldn't get a ticket to witness Ira, Georgia and James perform the soundtrack to Painleve's hypnotic sealife imagery on the big Castro screen. Sadly of course the visuals don't come along with the sounds on this cd, so you kinda miss the event's magical chemistry between picture and live sound. However, what you do get is an absolutely mesmerizing instrumental album. Please note: this is a fuller studio version of their performance. They've successfully captured the otherworldly wonder of Painleve's filmworks while still maintaining their distinct warm, enveloping Yo La Tengo sound. The first track titled "Sea Urchins" features sweeping feathery guitar and chiming tones that float along languidly to a steady bass and drum rhythm. If you removed the sealife cinematic context, it'd be just as suited for a sleek cocktail lounge, although I'd like to make note of the one odd thing about this particular track - the whirring sound that sort of made me think "is someone vacuuming next door?" Anyways, "Shrimp Stories" is a much more frantic, driving and almost funky segment. Sure caught me in their groove. Gradually it all descends into a more abstract tenuous viscose roar for "Liquid Crystals" and "The Sea Horse" resurfaces into a shimmery organ pulse. Breathtaking. F.Y.I. This disc is also available at a lower price directly from the band at www.yolatengo.com and from a couple of other stores. But that's it! So don't delay.
ZIEGENBOK KOPFThe Architecture Of Dark Dance(Toyo)tp$ 4.98
Our in store entertainment wunderkind John Dwyer is apparently unstoppable in his never ending series of releases and this new, ultra-low fi, hiss ridden cassette may be his best yet. 'The Architecture Of Dark Dance' comes after many weeks of research by Dwyer into the fecund techno scene from the city of Unterschleissheim in the state of Bavaria, Germany. Though it took John only a few weeks to saturate hundreds of hours of Unterschleissheimian techno before generating his own, albeit American version of the genre, it sure seemed like months here at Aquarius. We're pretty used to Dwyer coming in on a daily basis to entertain / harrass us, but the period during which he was working on this cassette was an unending daily test of endurance for us at times. At first it was humorous: John walked in one morning about a minute after we'd opened up the store and insisted that we play this twelve inch he'd picked up at the Community Thrift Store down the street. After being informed that the needle on our turntable was busted, John slapped the record on the counter and ran out of the store. It was then with surprise that we watched John return three hours later pulling a Forsell "Air Reference Turntable" on a stainless steel cart and heave the immense beast onto the counter (don't even ask where the hell he 'found' the thing.) After much jimmy-ing with our system, John got the twelve inch playing over our stereo. By the time first distorted snare hit sounded over our speakers Dwyer's eyes were as big as pluots. "FUCK YEAH!!!! THIS IS THE SHIT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU GUYS ABOUT!!!!" Turns out that a local German D.J. that had been living in the city had had to give up his entire collection of dance twelve inches when he was deported for an expired visa as a result of strict immigration rules in our post 9/11 environment. The always pennywise and poundthrift John Dwyer seized his opportunity and ended up buying the entire lot from the store for a mere $20 (instead of the $30 they were asking) after three intense hours of haggling with the clerk. After a period of absorption Dwyer began testing out his own covers, reworkings and even original compositions on us here at Aquarius. Most of these tracks hadn't yet had the vocals laid down, so Dwyer would simply sing them impromptu for us and whoever happened to be shopping in the store at the time. The final result is a lot like a more fucked up version of the Jones Machine's "I'm The Disco Dancing" combined with the manic punk energy of the best DHR releases out there. Songs like "Dance You Idiot" capture the immediacy of dance music as well as its subtle political underpinnings and "I'm At The Club" recreates the common folly of answering one's cellular phone on the dance floor. The 11 songs on this cassette are both boorishly satyrical and strangely addictive. It's the type of joke you know you shouldn't be laughing to but there's no use in resisting. Dwyer says it's not a joke, and ha says it's not him. He has nothing to do with the mysterious Ziegenbok Kopf. Who ya gonna believe?!?!
ZORN, JOHNIAO: Music In Sacred Light(Tzadik)cd$ 16.98
In dedication to avant filmmaker Kenneth Anger (Lucifer Rising, Scorpio Rising, Invocation Of My Demon Brother, Fireworks, etc.), Zorn has composed "IAO", an epic seven-part suite inspired by the cult auteur's work as well as the Thelemic theology of Aleister Crowley. Through the seven segments, Zorn's latest masterpiece reflects upon the many facets of Alchemy, Metaphysics, Mysticism and Magick, dramatically shifting through newer, unexplored musical dimensions. With assistance from the talented crew of Jamie Saft, Mike Patton, Cyro Baptisa, Bill Laswell, Greg Cohen, Jennifer Charles, Rebecca Moore, Beth Hatton and Jim Pugliese, Zorn furthers his personal exploration of tenebrous sound. From minimalist generative electronic dronings to faux exotic percussive mantras, ritualistic pagan choral seances to full on death metal blowout, "IAO" is possibly Zorn's most ambitious work to date. And he succeeds in crafting a wicked mÈlange of alchemic erraticism, mystical beauty and diabolic witchery. Not since "Grand Guignol", maybe "Weird Little Boy", has Zorn spawned a torturous and stark behemoth of such exquisite magnitude. And I never thought I'd see a Tzadik record with a huge pentagram on the back! Fuck yeah!