EDASI Dances In The Cave (KV&GR/Recs) cd-r 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We were first introduced to the mysterious Estonian outfit Edasi by aQ pal, weirdo black metal / noisescaper Cloak Of Displacement. And he did not steer us wrong. Edasi's, goofily titled Freddy Krueger Death Chant was a pretty incredible collection of distorted ambient ritualism. The sort of stuff that appealed to metalheads as much as dronelords. This week we got two new releases from Edasi, both STUPIDLY limited. A cassette, of which we got EIGHT copies, reviewed elsewhere on this list, and this here cd-r, limited to just THIRTY copies, of which we got 20, and then that's it.
And we would recommend grabbing both of these, or at the very least this one, a gorgeous assemblage of super distorted blown out ambience, mournful melodies drifting beneath thick crumbling sheets of superdistorted crunch, it's noisemusic, but here it's surprisingly listenable, a melancholy lament wreathed in squelch and static, the opening track sounds almost like a lo-fi take on that sort of gauzy Hecker / Jeck washed out minimalism.
The sprawling second track is more percussive, and even more lo-fi, the tape hiss in some places as loud as the music itself. A swirling field of buzz and clatter of muted chordal pulses and decayed melodies, a strange bit of rhythmic blur, noisy and a bit blackened, it sounds at times like it might launch into some actual black metal, but instead, much of the noise abates, leaving a strange stumbly rhythm and layers of Eastern sitar like buzz, before collapsing into a final cloud of mysterious percussive detritus and warm whirling static.
The next track fuses a sort of primitive electronica to a woozy warbly bassline, and some spidery guitar melodies, which makes it sound almost like some twisted take on James Ferraro or Ariel Pink, a loping pop rock, wreathed in careening percussive effects, undulating sheets of pink noise, and all manner of crunch and buzz and hiss, but like the other tracks, it too seems to devolve as it goes, eventually the drums transformed into wildly sputtering machinebeats, wrestling with atonal synth buzz creating a dizzying synthscape gone haywire.
The record closes with a brief bit of distorted drone, a warm liquid low end drifting darkly though caustic clouds of staticky hiss and brittle buzz.
LIMITED TO 30 COPIES! Each one hand numbered. Once these are gone, they are gone for good...
MPEG Stream: "Solemn Ritual Dance"
MPEG Stream: "Earth, Wind And Fire Dance"

EDASI Freddy Krueger Death Chant (KV & GR) cd-r 6.98
We listed two other releases from this weirdo Estonian crew, and they sold out in a heartbeat, and lots of folks were left wanting. Thankfully, we discovered there were a few copies left of the first Edasi we ever listed, this one. So got a handful of these, and they're probably the last, so grab one quick before they're gone for good...
The man behind outsider black metal one man band Cloak Of Displacement managed to dig up this weird bit of looped, hypnotic psychedelic blackness, all the way from Estonia! Edasi weaves a high concept, 74 minute sprawl of haunting, noise drenched drift. The label describes it as sounding like a bar fight between Silvester Anfang and Havohej, and we have to say that's not really all that far off. In the beginning, it does sound like some ritualistic bit of forest folk ambience, distorted steel string buzz, muted electronics, simple percussion, processed demonic vox, it's tripped out and tweaked, the blackness more implied, the whole thing rife with a seriously ominous vibe, but musically, this could just as likely be some strange lo-fi free noise collective from Finland, or some bedroom doom folk one man band from the midwest.
It's a smoldering, creeping expanse of skittery ambience, of chiming melodies, streaks of feedback, the whole thing tethered to a strange propulsive glitch and crunch, managing to be weirdly tranced out and tranquil, yet, fucked up and seriously demented at the same time. Way too far removed from 'proper' black metal to appeal to the typical metalheads, but fans of Cloak Of Displacement, as well as the weirder fringes of black metal, a la Circle Of Ouroborus, Dead Reptile Shrine, Stalaggh, and the like, as well as anyone into warped outsider sounds, will definitely dig this a LOT.
LIMITED TO 50 COPIES, each one hand numbered, comes with a printed insert detailing the genesis of this particular chunk of sonic weirdness, as well as a miniature reproduction of the bizarre painting that spawned these sound.
MPEG Stream: "Freddy Krueger Death Chant"

EDASI Prehistoric Relaxation (KV&GR/Recs) cassette 4.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We first heard from Estonian ritualistic black metal soundscapers Edasi, from our pal, the weirdo behind black metal outfit Cloak Of Displacement. Edasi's Freddy Krueger Death Chant was a big hit around here, so we were psyched to get TWO new releases from this mysterious outfit: a cd-r, reviewed elsewhere on this week's list, and this, a super limited tape. And we mean crazy limited, as in TEN copies. Total. We got EIGHT of those, odds are these will be gone in a flash, so we won't get into too much detail. Needless to say, if you loved Freddy Krueger Death Chant, you're probably gonna dig this too. Another mysterious sonic ritual, that is less black metal and more abstract forest folk or Wolf Eyes like industrial ambience, a lo-fi sprawl of super distorted sound, streaks of feedback, echo drenched percussion, blurred vocals, all wreathed in murk and mire, swirling effects, thick slabs of buzzing rumbling low end, abstract rhythms, everything smeared into haunting dubbed out blackened ambience, that manages to be fierce and freaky, but also strangely blissed out and listenable. Like a pipe fight in a huge cistern recorded on a tape player with dying batteries, a sort of ephemeral industrial doom drift. Great stuff. And again...
LIMITED TO TEN COPIES. THAT'S IT!! Each one in a hand painted black stickered cassette case, sealed in a stickered plastic bag, the tapes themselves hand painted and hand numbered.

EDDIE DEF, DJ Wax People (Hip Hop Slam) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
From the label responsible for those Invisible Skratch Piklz Shiggar Fraggar show discs, comes this cd (no vinyl) by local SF turntablist DJ Eddie Def (of Space Travellers, El Stew, and Bullet Proof Scratch Hamsters). It's compiled from Eddie's Hemp Lords mix tape series, and features "an extremely hardcore mix of '90s turntablism acrobatics and '80s megamix styles."

EDDIE MARCON Shining On Graveposts (Preservation) cd 16.98
This AQ favorite from a few years back is FINALLY available again!!!
Ooooh. Some really nice, gentle Japanese acid-folk here, from this female duo, first heard (by us that is) on Alchemy's Night Gallery 2: 21st Century Psychedelic Underground compilation. If you like Nagisa Ni Te, or L's Holy Letters, or the ghostliest Ghost you'll certainly welcome the embrace of Eddie Marcon's dreamy, folky, psychedelic soundworld. As with Nagisa and L, you'll find here similarly drawn out and sparse compositions infused with strange and subtle atmospheres - mostly acoustic/electric guitars with some snare and piano (cymbal drones, scrapes, gasps - all acoustically hand-crafted). The record also has some haunting horn blasts and lots of rattling percussion, bells, etc., and the whole thing is sedated by ongoing mallet flourishes on drums and cymbals. Vocally, this could be Takako Minekawa or Tojiko Noriko stripped of the electronica element. There's all the seductive conventions of melancholy folk with just enough eccentricities to place this in a continuum of modern Japanese underground psychedelia, such as LSD-march (an early line-up of which apparently featured both Eddie Marcon's singer Eddie and guitarist Marcon - aha, now you see how Eddie Marcon came up with their name!) and the female bass-drums duo of Coa (singer Eddie's other band). Eddie Marcon is quite a bit more quiet and mellow than either of those outfits tend to be, though! And outside of the Japanese comparisons, we'd think anyone into anything in the psych-folk vein from Vashti Bunyan to Islaja might quite find this to their liking...
Australia's Preservation label has stylishly packaged this disc in/with an intriguing minimalist graphic design fold out poster. Totally recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Amime"
MPEG Stream: "Siro No Uta"

EDDIE THE RAT Food For the Moon Too Soon (Entartete Kunst) cd 9.98
Eddie The Rat is a 12 piece art-rock / choral ensemble from San Francisco, arriving at a sloppy psychedelic ceremonial music and with plenty of post-industrial / Burning Man / San Francisco 'Fringe' overtones and purposefully oblique verbal conundrums and anagrams. This album - recorded live at Artist's Television Access in 2001 - was one of the band's first incarnations. Eddie The Rat has a lot of good ideas that come out of the massive interaction, but occasionally come across as being too calculated in their 'weirdness' as if they want to get a redundant critical response such as, "Eddie The Rat is like Fellini on acid, or Hendrix on acid, or Zappa on acid." Given a little bit of guidance and a sympathetic producer, this band could turn into something as cool as those fucked-up psychedelic projects on ESP like Cro-Magnon or Godz, but they haven't quite gotten there yet.
RealAudio clip: "Waiting For (Ain't Never Gonna Get) Enlightenment..."

EDDY DETROIT Immortal Gods (Majora) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Cd reish of an early-'80s self released exotic-cult-folk-primitive-rock lp, from a guy who's been part of the Sun City Girls mythos since their days in Arizona...features James from Paris 1942, Charlie & Alan from the Sun City Girls, and Mary & Dan from Victory Acres.

EDEN EXPRESS Que Amour Que (Holy Mountain) cd 14.98
While just about everything Holy Mountain puts out is awesome they also tend to focus on the heavier side of the underground musical landscape. With this debut by Eden Express they're showing their softer side, while managing to keep the awesomeness on full throttle! There would be no other time for this record to get released then smack dab in the midst of summer as this is some sun-soaked-tripped-out-bake-at-the-beach-psych-pop that we can't get enough of. Featuring one member of Cloudland Canyon, this is a group who understand how to evoke colorful and vivid sensations. Mixing Eastern tinged psychedelia with delicious hints of washed out samba with such an effortless and breezy delivery. This is a timeless sounding record that could just as easily be some lost early '70s South American psychedelic gem (which the cover design suggests) as much as a much more drugged out Antena or Brightblack Morning Light jamming on the beach with some Finnish folks like Lau Nau and Islaja at their side. Such delicious delay and reverb, just the right touches of flute and otherworldliness, and it's about time psych gets out of the forest and onto the sand. A record made to soak in sun and melt with.
NB. includes a cover of "Loneliest Person" by The Pretty Things.
MPEG Stream: "Skin De Sol"
MPEG Stream: "Swelling Moon"
MPEG Stream: "On The Beach"

EDEN EXPRESS Que Amour Que (Holy Mountain) lp 14.98
Now Available On Vinyl!
While just about everything Holy Mountain puts out is awesome they also tend to focus on the heavier side of the underground musical landscape. With this debut by Eden Express they're showing their softer side, while managing to keep the awesomeness on full throttle! There would be no other time for this record to get released then smack dab in the midst of summer as this is some sun-soaked-tripped-out-bake-at-the-beach-psych-pop that we can't get enough of. Featuring one member of Cloudland Canyon, this is a group who understand how to evoke colorful and vivid sensations. Mixing Eastern tinged psychedelia with delicious hints of washed out samba with such an effortless and breezy delivery. This is a timeless sounding record that could just as easily be some lost early '70s South American psychedelic gem (which the cover design suggests) as much as a much more drugged out Antena or Brightblack Morning Light jamming on the beach with some Finnish folks like Lau Nau and Islaja at their side. Such delicious delay and reverb, just the right touches of flute and otherworldliness, and it's about time psych gets out of the forest and onto the sand. A record made to soak in sun and melt with.
NB. includes a cover of "Loneliest Person" by The Pretty Things.
MPEG Stream: "Skin De Sol"
MPEG Stream: "Swelling Moon"
MPEG Stream: "On The Beach"

EDEN MAINE To You The First Star (Under Groove) cd 17.98
The minute we first heard this band we knew we had to track this record down and review it. Unfortunately we also knew that we would probably never be able to do it justice with mere words. One of those bands you just NEED to hear. This now disbanded (only temporarily we hope) UK combo manage to combine the impossibly dense chaotic metallic fury of Converge with the expansive epic wonder of bands like Godspeed You Black Emperor and Explosions In The Sky. Doesn't necessarily seem like a good fit, but oh it couldn't sound more perfect. And Eden Maine do more than just ape their influences, they take those sounds and twist them into something at once familiar and recognizable but at the same time completely original and compellingly and brilliantly fucked up. Extended tracks dense with super complex parts, stop start weirdness, delicate melodies, wildly squiggly riffing, some of the most insane and brilliant drumming we've heard in forever, bizarre guitar interplay, lots of heavy parts strangely underpinned with haunting ambience, even occasional vocal harmonies, it's the sort of record that leaves you completely exhausted, the whole record rife with slow building post rock epics, that slowly twist and change into furious blasts of metallic vitriol, which sometimes build and build even further, pushing the limit of how heavy a band can get until they just implode, but just as often the songs drift into wide open stretches of glistening melodies and quietly propulsive post rock. Eden Maine definitely fit within the new breed of post rock metal bands (Conifer, Tides, Baroness, Isis, Indian, the Ocean, etc.) but EM somehow manage to make the heavier parts even heavier, the epic parts even more epic. It's a little ineffable, but there's something about this band and this record, that make the whole thing just so goddamn great.
MPEG Stream: "Hail Satan"
MPEG Stream: "I Am What You Are"
MPEG Stream: "Murder Was Her Name"

EDGE OF SANITY The Spectral Sorrows (Black Mark) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Best death metal album of all time? There sure are some runners up. Morbid Angel's Covenant? Deicide's Deicide? Carcass' Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious? They're all fucking brilliant, but let's not forget Edge of Sanity's phenomenal, ground breaking, and completely bizarre third album, Spectral Sorrows from 1993. Not only does it have some of the heaviest riffs of all time, not only does it feature signature production work from the band's legendary vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/mastermind Dan Swano (also of Pan.Thy.Monium, Bloodbath, and a million other projects), and not only does it stand up as one of the least dated death metal albums ever. It can also claim to have killer prog moments and a dark wave/goth track ("Sacrificed"). Oh, also a triumphant cover of Manowar's galloping "Blood of My Enemies."
This is Edge of Sanity before their famed single track 40+ minute long epic-journey opus Crimson (1996), and way before their rad Led Zeppelin-esque swan song Cryptic (which stands in opposition to the rest of their catalog as it does NOT feature Swano). If any of those points fail to sell you on this record, it's probably not for you. But if you're like us yet haven't heard it, then you're in for a treat. For fans of death metal, black metal, or any other conceivably heavy music, you absolutely need this. Best death metal record ever? Who can say. Definitely one of biggest-death-metal-head-at-AQ Cameron's favorites. Honestly, no possible combination of superlatives could express exactly how vital this is. Necessary. Essential. Brutal. Recommended. Do yourself a favor...
MPEG Stream: "Livin Hell"
MPEG Stream: "Waiting to Die"

EDGE OF SANITY The Spectral Sorrows (Black Mark) lp 27.00
NOW REISSUED ON VINYL!!!
Best death metal album of all time? There sure are some runners up. Morbid Angel's Covenant? Deicide's Deicide? Carcass' Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious? They're all fucking brilliant, but let's not forget Edge of Sanity's phenomenal, ground breaking, and completely bizarre third album, Spectral Sorrows from 1993. Not only does it have some of the heaviest riffs of all time, not only does it feature signature production work from the band's legendary vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/mastermind Dan Swano (also of Pan.Thy.Monium, Bloodbath, and a million other projects), and not only does it stand up as one of the least dated death metal albums ever. It can also claim to have killer prog moments and a dark wave/goth track ("Sacrificed"). Oh, also a triumphant cover of Manowar's galloping "Blood of My Enemies."
This is Edge of Sanity before their famed single track 40+ minute long epic-journey opus Crimson (1996), and way before their rad Led Zeppelin-esque swan song Cryptic (which stands in opposition to the rest of their catalog as it does NOT feature Swano). If any of those points fail to sell you on this record, it's probably not for you. But if you're like us yet haven't heard it, then you're in for a treat. For fans of death metal, black metal, or any other conceivably heavy music, you absolutely need this. Best death metal record ever? Who can say. Definitely one of formerly-biggest-death-metal-head-at-AQ Cameron's favorites. Honestly, no possible combination of superlatives could express exactly how vital this is. Necessary. Essential. Brutal. Recommended. Do yourself a favor...
MPEG Stream: "Livin Hell"
MPEG Stream: "Waiting to Die"

EDIBLES / DUCKDIVE split (Stunned) cassette 6.98

EDIBLES / DUCKDIVE split (Stunned) cassette 6.98

EDIP AKBAYRAM & DOSTLAR Nedir Ne Decildir? (World Psychedelia Ltd.) cd 17.98
Here's another one to add to the list of stellar '60s/'70s Turkish psych-rock reissues, along with Erkin Koray, 3 Hur-el, and Mogollar! From '75 or '76, Edip Akbayram & Dostlar are very '70s indeed...it's much more of a severe collision between the trad. folk tunes and the Western electric rock than some of those groups. The very first track might throw you for a loop, but past that sappy, poppy number with its soft-rock strings and horns and tinkling piano, this record suddenly gets a whole lot rockier, heavier, and funkier. Imagine an Anatolian Pop score for some groovy car-chase flick...the schlocky, sizzling vintage '70s synths enhance the kitsch value and sound good amidst the traditional ethnic instrumention (arranged by one of the Mogollar guys). Edip and Dostlar dish out the hard rock and funk with a groovy bottom end, psych guitar riffage, Edip's powerful vocals and wah-wah augmented Turkish saz. With proggy weirdness like flute attacks and studio tape speed manipulation, this is some bad-ass 'exotica' for sure. Anyone addicted to the Middle Eastern psych rock scene-sound from back in the hazy day like we are will find this a fine addition to their collection. Includes 4 bonus tracks quite like the album cuts. Real cool.
MPEG Stream: "Arabam Kaldi Yolda"
MPEG Stream: "Kolum Nerden Aldin Zinciri"

EDISON ELECTRIC BAND Bless You Dr. Woodward (Water) cd 15.98

EDISON WOODS Nest Of Machines (Habit Of Creation) cd 13.98
This week brought us a gathering of sumptuous dark pop albums from around the globe which all fit together incredibly well! Sure to keep you completely soothed and enchanted: this Edison Woods album, Come Up For Air by the Norwegian trio known as The White Birch and Leaving Songs the soon-to-be-released solo album by Tindersticks' Stuart Staples (we got an advance listenin' copy, but rest assured it's comin' out June 6th).
A hushed hurrah! The very welcome third Edison Woods full length has arrived hot off the presses and direct to us from the group in New York. We're pleased as punch to find that Ms Julia Frodahl and co. continue to craft immensely moving artful music, and this time they're joined by members of Antony & The Johnsons and Elysian Fields. The album is yet another treasure trove of ornate luminous beauties with each track glimmering out of the velvety darkness with a light all its own. Once again the ensemble's approach is very cinematic, but perhaps growing a bit more song-oriented than it was on past releases. Almost imperceptibly the pieces flow from barely-there utterly minimal passages to sweeping grand orchestrations. Additionally in comparison to their previous two fine albums (self-titled and Seven Principles Of Leave No Trace), Nest Of Machines' soaring highs and lulling lows seem even much more pronounced, but remain anchored to the heart by central force and lead vocalist Frodahl's silken voice and resonant piano accompaniment. So lush and haunting are the tones and hues that it's like being enveloped in a dream state wandering by candlelight inside a giant antique music box. Sure many artists' music gets likened to that of music boxes primarily for their delicate chime-iness, but few so fully embody the genuine wonder of those meticulously crafted, timeless inventions as Edison Woods does. Supremely beguiling. For fans of Rachel's and vice versa.
MPEG Stream: "Baby Doll"
MPEG Stream: "Nest Of Machines"

EDISON WOODS s/t (self-released) cd 12.98
So very very lovely! Brooklyn based septet Edison Woods weave shadowy gossamer ribbons of dream tunes. These are the warm blanketing lullaby sounds for starry winter evenings. Former San Franciscan Julia Frodahl's gentle whisper of a voice glides effortlessly over the lush cello, piano, effected guitar, and harmonium with barely-there percussion providing texture rather than rhythm to the mellow proceedings. Will undoubtedly draw comparisons to fellow lovely melancholics Low, Cowboy Junkies and Ida, but more than hold its own -- possessing its own hushed, dark beauty. Quite recommended.
RealAudio clip: "You Are Bright"
RealAudio clip: "Lullabies And Goodbyes"

EDISON WOODS Seven Principles Of Leave No Trace (Glitterhouse) cd 14.98
Hurrah! Edison Woods, the Brooklyn-based aural/visual art assembly led by Ms Julia Frodahl, have crafted and set to flight their second tapestry of song. And they've garnered the assistance of some musical luminaries to realize their vision, namely Alan Weatherhead (engineer, producer and/or mult-instrumentalist for such groups as Sparklehorse, Cracker, and Trailer Bride) and Mark Van Hoen (producer, engineer and/or multi-instrumentalist for the likes of Locust, Mojave 3, and Seefeel). As well, guitarist Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins) steps in to guest on the final song. Whereas their debut cast a soothing, ephemeral atmosphere resembling diaphamous veils and glistening silks, this time the fabric, no less gorgeous, may be seen as being more akin to deep, jewel-hued velvets and sumptuous brocades weighted by painstakingly embroidered personal details. Ever so gracefully composed and arranged, all elements are much more present than previously so, bringing a sense of immediacy to the proceedings. This is particularly palpable in Frodahl's vocal performance. Formerly singing in a whispery murmur, here she expresses a greater range of character and raw emotion - often approaching the deeply heartbaring lilt of Chan Marshall. Need proof? Simply give the seventh song "Fiction" a listen, as well as the album's lengthy centerpiece "Was He A Poet". Wow! Indeed, the warmth and allure of Seven Principles Of Leave No Trace brings to mind not that of a comforting blanket, but rather of glowing embers of a dying flame. A haunting, burnished beauty. Once again, very recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Was He A Poet"
MPEG Stream: "Fiction"

EDITORS In This Light And On This Evening (Fader Label) cd 13.98
The Editors' An End Has A Start album was probably my (Andee!) most listened to record when it came out, and hell, even still, a totally epic and bombastic brooding gloom pop record, every song spectacular, catchy, dark, haunting, rocking, it was the band's finest moment, a rare record that never wore out its welcome, but it was inevitable, that I would start itching for a new record, but who would have thought, on the heels of what some would consider a practically perfect record, the band would throw it all away and start from scratch, but that's exactly what they did. To be more precise, the band ditched the guitars, the bass (maybe even the drums? hard to tell if the beats are programmed or not) and chose to create their new record entirely on synthesizers. Just keyboards, synths, no stringed instruments at all. Bold move, some might even suggest unwise, we were definitely skeptical, but just check out the opening track, a dark blackened synth pop gem, droning, and hypnotic, the vocals murky and ominous, the synths muddy and blurred, the sound hypnotic, repetitive, minor key, mysterious, sad and depressive, but so great.
And then there's the single, "Papillon", whose core sound is so Depeche Mode it's almost criminal, but those vocals, the melody, unmistakably the Editors, darkly propulsive, new wave, totally mesmerizing. As is the whole record. It does take some getting used to, but if you dug the other Editors records, no reason you won't dig this one. Plus any record with a grinding muted bit of looped synth prog murk with the title "Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool" has to be good. It's a grower, but the more we listen, the harder it is to stop...
This is the US version and includes FIVE bonus tracks.
MPEG Stream: "In This Light And On This Evening"
MPEG Stream: "Bricks And Mortar"
MPEG Stream: "Papillon"
MPEG Stream: "Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool"

EDITORS The Back Room (Kitchenware / Fader) cd 10.98
Bundled up in their ash grey wool overcoats, The Editors enter the overcast world that's already inhabited by the dour hearts of Interpol and She Wants Revenge, and their British forefathers Joy Division and Echo & The Bunnymen. How you feel about the Editors depends on how you feel about another band that sounds -dangerously- like their peers. Eyes closed you'd be hard pressed to convince yourself that this wasn't Interpol. The songs aren't nearly as immediately catchy, but definitely cut from the same cloth. The EXACT same cloth. The Back Room is definitely executed with skill and aplomb but we'd almost always take originality and spirit and creativity over musicanship or chops. But how about if you just want more of something that sounds like something that sounds like something you like? Then this might very well hit the spot.
MPEG Stream: "Lights"
MPEG Stream: "Blood"

EDITORS, THE An End Has A Start (Epic) cd 14.98
We've mentioned this before, probably in a bunch of reviews, as much as we love us out black metal buzz, and strange animal sounds, deep dark drones and whatever other sonic weirdness that is tickling our ear drums, it's hard not to always come back to pop music. And certain records in particular. And there are all sorts of processes we go through to pick AQ highlights ands records of the week. But sometimes, you just have to go with the record you listened to the most. Even if it's not the weirdest, or the coolest (and it's usually not), and for me (Andee) that record is without a doubt, the new one from The Editors, a disc I found myself listening to 4 or 5 times a day (maybe much to the chagrin of coworkers) but screw it, An End Has A Start is pretty much perfect as far as I'm concerned, poppy, hooky, moody, rocking, catchy, dramatic, just so so good.
Though often accused of being an Interpol ripoff band (and sure their sounds, especially the vocals, are dangerously similar) the Editors always seemed to have some important things that Interpol didn't. And don't get us wrong, we love Interpol, even the new one, but the Editors, somehow always seem less concerned with the cool factor, the tight suits, and the sort of emotionless sheen, instead, they revel in their emotions, they may be as dapper on the surface as their Interpol brethren, but inside, their hearts are broken, they have butterflies in their stomachs, they're willing to open up and be vulnerable, to loosen up that tie and to crawl, to weep, to wail, and that's sort of the magic of these songs.
Their sound has gotten even more polished since the last record (positioning them closer to Coldplay probably than Interpol), but the songs have followed suit, getting even more razor sharp, the hooks impossible to resist, the melodies big and melancholy, the riffs kick ass, and the vocals, epic and throaty and super dramatic, emotional and sort of emo actually. None of that laid back cool that Interpol traffics in, this is heart on the sleeve stuff.
And it's not just the songs, the lyrics are amazing as well, clever and sharp, emotionally resonant, and it helps that they're delivered in that irresistible croon.
Shit, just listen to the opener, "Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors", easily the best song Interpol never wrote (or could write), simple and loping, with an amazing epic soaring bridge, and a chorus that manages to be super moving in its simplicity, the sort of progression, music and lyrics together, that totally gives you a lump in the throat, and then the super crazy hook of the second half of the chorus....
The the second song, the title track, might be even better, more new wave, with a propulsive groove and practically perfect lyrics, jangling guitars and throbbing bass, and a chorus that KILLS...
Every track on An End Has A Start is a gem, dark and brooding, buzzy and propulsive, catchy as all get out. "The Weight of The World" is another song Interpol should have written, but in the hands of the Editors it become a super soaring minor key lament, and then there's the "Escape The Nest" with one of the most bad ass guitar riffs ever, a weird processed angular grind surrounded on all sides by muted gloom, making it seem even more epic and intense.
After listening to this for the hundredth time or so, it became obvious that it would just get harder and harder to explain why it was so great. One of those records that just makes you want to review it with a single sentence: "Just buy it! It's amazing. Been listening to it nonstop. My record of the year without a doubt!!!" And while for a few people that might actually be enough, for the rest of you, read the above, listen to the sound samples, and decide for yourself, but yeah, pop record of the year without a doubt.
MPEG Stream: "Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors"
MPEG Stream: "An End Has A Start"
MPEG Stream: "Escape The Nest"

EDLER, HANS Elektron Kukeso (Boy Wonder) cd 23.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
ONCE AGAIN, REPRESSED AND BACK IN STOCK FOR THE LAST TIME! This is the final pressing, and the last time we will be able to get these, we got a bunch, and once these are gone this will be gone forever so don't miss out!
This is definitely a weird one. And a record that no self respecting lover of strange music should be without! As soon as we were told about this record (thanks, Brian at WFMU) we suspected that this was most likely going to have to be an AQ Record Of The Week. And once we finally heard it, we knew for sure (record of the week on list #190, 6/18/04)!
Originally released in 1971, in a ridiculously limited edition on his own label, Hans Edler's Elektron Kukeso sounds to us like a lost electronic music classic, although when it first came out, it was apparently a baffling disappointment to most, since at that point Edler was known to the masses as a former teen idol, having fronted the popular Swedish '60s rock bands The Ghost Riders and We 4. And even though Edler didn't even remember this record when he was first contacted recently about reissuing it, he claims that this was the first computer programmed lp in history. Not so sure about that (what about Morton Subotnick's Silver Apples Of The Moon or Bruce Haack's Electric Lucifer?), but it IS definitely unique and way ahead of its time. A simultaneously lo-fi and high tech concoction of simple electronic melodies, pecked out on primitive synthesizers, hissing, rumbling and fluctuating in timbre and volume, creating creepy alien outerspace lullabies. Each track is a warm and fuzzy, throbbing analog swirl, an antiquated pop song vaporized into abstract clouds of white noise and pink noise, under 3 and 4 note melodies, occasionally dark and dense, but more often completely simple childlike chromatic scales, up and down, up and down, very haunting and hypnotic. But then there are the vocals. Vocals that turn an experimental electronic novelty record into a bizarre outsider pop classic. In a chant-like monotone, very liturgical sounding, and with a very limited range, Edler croons mournful minor key laments, urgent and dramatic like Jandek or Scott Walker. In fact this record sounds a bit like Brian Wilson producing a Jandek record using only one battered old analog synthesizer. Or Scott Walker backed up by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Very dreamy and psychedelic. Creepy and cool. It also reminds us a bit of old '80s New Zealand / Expressway stuff like Wreck Small Speakers On Expensive Stereos, the Terminals and the like. And whether they know it or not, Suicide and the Silver Apples apparently weren't the first (or the most original) to tread down the path of electronic pop weirdness. We're also fairly certain that Brian Eno must have heard this album once upon a time, since there are definite melodic and sonic similarities betwixt Edler and Eno. And hell, if Thurston Moore knows about this record (he offers a few superlatives on the obi) then Eno, always the musical hipster, must have this in his collection somewhere as well!
Deluxe digipak includes 7 unreleased bonus tracks, a poster, and a massive booklet with extensive liner notes and loads of photos (plenty that show Edler as a kinda creepy looking long haired mod rock and roller, in tight trousers and flowery shirts, posing in front of a bank of computer synth equipment in his space age sonic laboratory!)
MPEG Stream: "Vi Hor Ett Skrik"
MPEG Stream: "Leka Med Ord"
MPEG Stream: "Romantiken"

EDMUND WELLES Agrippa's 3 Books (self-released) cd 14.98
Occult symbols on the cover of this black digipack... song titles like "Asmodeus: The Destroyer, King Of Demons"... covers of Black Sabbath's "Into The Void", Sepultura's "Roots Bloody Roots", and Spinal Tap's classic "Big Bottom" as bonus tracks... what is this, some sort of metal album? Well... no. It's not. And Edmund Welles isn't a person either (in this context), it's a band. A bass clarinet quartet to be exact. That's right. Four bass clarinets, that's it. So rather than metal, the weirdly dark and proggy and oddly groovy music on here ends up sounding more like some kind of '30s cabaret jazz meets 20th century classical chamber music, with some cartoon-soundtrack Carl Stalling stylings too... like if Raymond Scott was possessed by some Cthulhoid demon and outfitted his whole ensemble with bass clarinets, to pipe and hoot in worship of the Great Old Ones, both stutteringly and sinuously (and surreptitiously enough to still get nightclub gigs, swingin' it but still taking a toll on listeners' sanity). And as a nice touch, the very first track features an authentic helping of sampled, mixed-in "record crackle" to give this more of an antique, period feel.
Of course, with all the metal signifiers present -- especially those aforementioned records anyhow, and also 'cause their cellos are amplified and sometimes they even have a drummer. Bass clarinets are, indeed, bassy and droney -- but not as heavy as some amped up cellos sawing away.
So the Sabbath cover here is more like the Bad Plus's "Iron Man" than how it would sound if Apocalyptica did it.
Maybe it's just a cool gimmick, but we can't help but like it... and we can safely say this is the best bass clarinet quartet album we've ever heard!
MPEG Stream: "Cause & Effect"
MPEG Stream: "Into The Void"

EDMX R100 / Uday Rmx (Flogsta Danshall) 7" 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Skweee!

EDU K FEATURING MARINA Me Bota Pra Dancar (Man Recordings) 12" 12.98
We first were introduced to Edu K on the second installment of the party starting, raw booty shaking Rio Baile Funk collection. His two tracks on that comp really stood out and grabbed our attention and our bodies as we couldn't help but smile and shake it everytime they came on. So we've been wanting to hear more and we finally were able to get our hands on a new 12" from him. Teamed up with Marina of Bonde De Role fame they make a potent one-two punch of raw and sizzling fun. Edu K brings the sweaty ass shakin' bombastic bounce of Baile Funk better then almost anyone. With Marina on vocals it's kind of like if Peaches got hyphy or if Timberland hooked up with CSS. The Crookers edit on the 'b' side kills, making this a must have 12" for anyone who wants to sweat and shake it all summer long.

EDWARDS, NICK Plekzaktionz (Editions Mego) cd 16.98
Woah, kinda blown away by this, a super nice surprise since we didn't have any expectations... or ex-plekzationz! Had never heard of Bristol's Nick Edwards before, nor his cassette-prolific alter ego Ekoplekz, nor his Gutterbreakz blog for that matter either. We just knew this was a new album from some bespectacled fella on Editions Mego, who (as we could see from the photo on the inner gatefold sleeve) employs a tabletop tangle of effect boxes and other electronic devices to make his music. Like all eMego stuff, seemed worth checking out, and it sure was.
A quick and too easy description of this might be lo-fi analog electronic synth experimentation with a heavy dose of dub... or even "Merzbow doing dub", though it's not nearly as noisy as that might suggest. But it IS quite abstract and soundscapey. These are noises, not noise. And the dub here is that rare kind we've hardly ever encountered, that's dub but definitely NOT reggae. (In contrast to, say, that rad Seekersinternational record we listed last time, a great modern day dub album whose reggae roots are quite clear... or even aQ faves Peaking Lights). Edwards loves his King Tubby, for sure, and kosmiche krautrock and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and techno too... But we can't label his music as being like any of those things exactly, even though that's all in here. Nor is it the clinical, minimal-techno sort of dub (we also like), a la Pole or Vladislav Delay. This is even less reggae than that, and way more 'natural'. It's cosmic-y without being too referential to anything, very loose and flowing and free. The rhythms, which grow organically out of the interaction of effects, are varied and not 'grided' like so much other electronic music. Each and every moment fills our ears with the sort of echoing dubby soundz we love to hear, in constant flux. But, for something that's changing so much, it still has a 'groove' to it, if not necessarily always a 'beat'... in other words, it's strangely hypnotic, its odd percolations fitting into a larger wash of sound that seems to extend out to infinity, swirling and shwooshing and reverberating into new shapes and patterns.
The album is divided into four parts of roughly equally length, the whole thing about an hour-long trip. Although recorded at four separate sessions, these 'decompositions' and 'spontaneous combustions' are woven into one extended piece, calmly chugging and looping, softly exploding with distortion over and over and over...The final track might be our favorite, with its slowly creeping-up-on you vibe. All are great, though.
Look, we LOVE the echo echo echo of dub, and have admitted previously that several of us here wouldn't be into reggae at all if it weren't for the dub variety. So the idea of dub WITHOUT the reggae is interesting and appealing and that's what Mr. Nick Edwards has accomplished here, the echoing of the electronics on this album like a field recording of a mad scientist's laboratory, done dub style. This is maybe, maybe what Sun Araw would/could sound like if he'd ditched his trip to Jamaica for an extended stay in Mego's Austrian studios instead...
Yup, for something we had no prior expectations about, it didn't take long before we were hooked!
MPEG Stream: "Part 1: Chance Meets Causality Uptown"
MPEG Stream: "Part 3: Inside The Analog Continuum"
MPEG Stream: "Part 4: A Pedant's Progress"

EDWARDS, NICK Plekzaktionz (Editions Mego) 2lp 30.00
Woah, kinda blown away by this, a super nice surprise since we didn't have any expectations... or ex-plekzationz! Had never heard of Bristol's Nick Edwards before, nor his cassette-prolific alter ego Ekoplekz, nor his Gutterbreakz blog for that matter either. We just knew this was a new album from some bespectacled fella on Editions Mego, who (as we could see from the photo on the inner gatefold sleeve) employs a tabletop tangle of effect boxes and other electronic devices to make his music. Like all eMego stuff, seemed worth checking out, and it sure was.
A quick and too easy description of this might be lo-fi analog electronic synth experimentation with a heavy dose of dubÉ or even "Merzbow doing dub", though it's not nearly as noisy as that might suggest. But it IS quite abstract and soundscapey. These are noises, not noise. And the dub here is that rare kind we've hardly ever encountered, that's dub but definitely NOT reggae. (In contrast to, say, that rad Seekersinternational record we listed last time, a great modern day dub album whose reggae roots are quite clearÉ or even aQ faves Peaking Lights). Edwards loves his King Tubby, for sure, and kosmiche krautrock and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and techno tooÉ But we can't label his music as being like any of those things exactly, even though that's all in here. Nor is it the clinical, minimal-techno sort of dub (we also like), a la Pole or Vladislav Delay. This is even less reggae than that, and way more 'natural'. It's cosmic-y without being too referential to anything, very loose and flowing and free. The rhythms, which grow organically out of the interaction of effects, are varied and not 'grided' like so much other electronic music. Each and every moment fills our ears with the sort of echoing dubby soundz we love to hear, in constant flux. But, for something that's changing so much, it still has a 'groove' to it, if not necessarily always a 'beat'.É in other words, it's strangely hypnotic, its odd percolations fitting into a larger wash of sound that seems to extend out to infinity, swirling and shwooshing and reverberating into new shapes and patterns.
The album is divided into four parts of roughly equally length, the whole thing about an hour-long trip. Although recorded at four separate sessions, these 'decompositions' and 'spontaneous combustions' are woven into one extended piece, calmly chugging and looping, softly exploding with distortion over and over and overÉ The final track might be our favorite, with its slowly creeping-up-on you vibe. All are great, though.
Look, we LOVE the echo echo echo of dub, and have admitted previously that several of us here wouldn't be into reggae at all if it weren't for the dub variety. So the idea of dub WITHOUT the reggae is interesting and appealing and that's what Mr. Nick Edwards has accomplished here, the echoing of the electronics on this album like a field recording of a mad scientist's laboratory, done dub style. This is maybe, maybe what Sun Araw would/could sound like if he'd ditched his trip to Jamaica for an extended stay in Mego's Austrian studios insteadÉ
Yup, for something we had no prior expectations about, it didn't take long before we were hooked!
MPEG Stream: "Part 1: Chance Meets Causality Uptown"
MPEG Stream: "Part 3: Inside The Analog Continuum"
MPEG Stream: "Part 4: A Pedant's Progress"

EDZAYAWA Projection One (Soundway) cd 16.98
As promised last list, when we reviewed Rob's Make It Fast, Make It Slow, here's the other killer African '70s reissue that the folks at the Soundway label just blessed us with, the 1973 Projection One album from Ghana's Edzayawa band, their sole release. Once again, this proves that the international groove scene of yesteryear just won't quit. Deep digging labels like Soundway are getting nowhere near to the bottom of the barrel, if albums like this are any indication. Edzayawa is top flight stuff, funky and kinda freaky, with tight percussive grooves in complex patterns arranged into what amount to mostly-instrumental, dark & intense "Afro-prog" workouts. There's often someone jamming away on the organ, also outbursts of some slightly surfy guitar twang, occasional emphatic vocals (usually in an African dialect), and even an interlude or two of crazy whistling flute (?). But it's the staggering rhythms, ticking away steadily, speeding up, slowing down, sometimes with echoing, almost dubbed out production, that will keep you in thrall. Hot stuff. Finding just one awesome obscure album like this would be an accomplishment for most reissue labels, for Soundway it apparently ain't no thing.
MPEG Stream: "Darkness"
MPEG Stream: "Gondzin"
MPEG Stream: "Amanehun"

EDZAYAWA Projection One (Soundway) lp 16.98
And now on vinyl too!! As mentioned when we reviewed Rob's Make It Fast, Make It Slow, here's the other killer African '70s reissue that the folks at the Soundway label just blessed us with, the 1973 Projection One album from Ghana's Edzayawa band, their sole release. Once again, this proves that the international groove scene of yesteryear just won't quit. Deep digging labels like Soundway are getting nowhere near to the bottom of the barrel, if albums like this are any indication. Edzayawa is top flight stuff, funky and kinda freaky, with tight percussive grooves in complex patterns arranged into what amount to mostly-instrumental, dark & intense "Afro-prog" workouts. There's often someone jamming away on the organ, also outbursts of some slightly surfy guitar twang, occasional emphatic vocals (usually in an African dialect), and even an interlude or two of crazy whistling flute (?). But it's the staggering rhythms, ticking away steadily, speeding up, slowing down, sometimes with echoing, almost dubbed out production, that will keep you in thrall. Hot stuff. Finding just one awesome obscure album like this would be an accomplishment for most reissue labels, for Soundway it apparently ain't no thing.
MPEG Stream: "Darkness"
MPEG Stream: "Gondzin"
MPEG Stream: "Amanehun"

EE Capital Plans (Actually) cd 14.98
Indie pop and post-rock converge in the dreamiest fashion where the two E's meet. EE is the band led by Tobin Mori (formerly of Korea Girl) and also bears the unmistakable mark of Sooyoung Park (former mainman of Seam and Bitch Magnet). Capital Plans is primarily a guitar driven album, but with a few choice chamber pop elements prettying up the proceedings, a bit of edgier distortion making itself apparent later on, and a delicate electronic number bringing things soothingly to a close. There are definitely similarities in both the vocal delivery and the songwriting to bands such as Seam, Versus and more recently Whysall Lane. In fact, we'd almost swear that Mori was a long lost sibling of the Balayut brothers (Whysall Lane's Richard, +/-'s James, Versus' Ed). Yes, the resemblance is that striking. Very recommended for fans of the abovementioned bands as well as Sea And Cake and Portastatic too.
MPEG Stream: "Small Fry"
MPEG Stream: "Lost Angeles"

EE For 100 We Try Harder (Asian Man ) cd 12.98
This local pop quartet's line-up shines brightly with the presence of ex-Korea Girl member Tobin Mori, Sooyoung Park from Seam, and Pete Nguyen of Total Shutdown. This is the follow-up to their Tinyspot cdep that was the follow-up to their '99 debut Ramadan. A very mellow, dreamy pop affair with occasional gentle boy vocals, a low-key post-rock rhythm section, and some swelling quiet/loud moments in which you can hear why the recent addition of Mr. Park makes perfect sense. Actually many of the songs do bear a striking resemblance to mid-'90s Seam, much more so than on the Tinyspot ep (which marked his first recorded appearance in EE). His presence and influence are definitely much more noticeable this time around.
RealAudio clip: "Slow Motion Restart"
RealAudio clip: "Beijing"
RealAudio clip: "Thomas Sleeps Beneath An El Paso Tree"

EE Tinyspot (Asian Man) cd ep 6.98
As frustrating as it can be, if you're gonna invite the main man from an indie fave band into your fold, you're gonna be saddled with the new title of "[fill in prominent member's name] of [fill in indie fave band name]'s new project" - no matter now much you've done prior to this. Such is the case with the bay area group known as ee. The fellow in question? Sooyoung Park of '90s college radio darlings Seam. Having made the move from Chicago to San Francisco, the fine songsmith sought out a new group to play with, and bingo! He met up with this already-happening group, and joined in on guitar and keyboards. The particular sticky issue is that he doesn't even appear on this just-released EP, but whenever I hear mention of them it's prefaced by "Seam's Sooyoung..."! You get the picture. Taken on its own merits, this follow-up to their '99 debut is a very mellow, dreamy pop affair with gentle boy vocals, a low-key post-rock rhythm section, and some swelling quiet/loud moments in which you can hear why the recent addition of Mr. Park makes perfect sense. Includes two live tracks and an outtake. If you like what you hear, word has it there's more coming soon.
RealAudio clip: "Tinyspot"
RealAudio clip: "San Jose (Live)"

EELS Blinking Lights And Other Revelations (Vagrant) 2cd 15.98
These are sure some super pretty Blinking Lights... and there's so many of 'em they couldn't fit on one cd! This double disc album boasts a whopping 33 songs! There's such an outpouring of emotion it's easy to see why it couldn't be contained on one cd. While their previous full length 2002's Souljacker took their fans to a typically Eels-style perky quirky place, it seems spirits have dampened since then. Is playtime over for the Eels? The heart of this considerably more 'mature' album is woven from equal parts melancholia and romantic yearning -- very much in the vein of Sparklehorse. As well, in the midst of the first disc, it struck us just how much Eels mainman Everett's voice has developed a soft hoarseness very akin to that of Britt Daniel of Spoon. In fact, if folks who previously steered clear of Eels (due to the band's quirky nutty factor) give this album a chance, they might be pleasantly surprised. In a way, it's a sort of equivalent situation (maybe a bit less extreme) to when Beck released his deeply personal album Sea Change after the funky soul-drenched Midnite Vultures. Actually, there's a number of songs on Blinking Lights' second disc that parallel the heartfelt shuffly-footed prettiness to some of those on Sea Change. Soft, mellow and nice.
MPEG Stream: "Trouble With Dreams"
MPEG Stream: "Suicide Life"

EELS Souljacker (Dreamworks) cd 17.98
Rambunctious and often bombastic pop tunes with quirky lyrics about things like that "Fresh Feeling" and a "Friendly Ghost". Kinda sounds like the following fictitious encounter: one fine sunny day Beck is shufflin' down the street and bumps into Too Much Joy. They decide to go cruisin' across town to pick up They Might Be Giants and Weezer in their party bus. They even drive by the house of Barenaked Ladies, but no one's home. If this sounds like your kinda wingding, here you go! Oh, and to sweeten the deal it also includes a bonus EP.
RealAudio clip: "That's Not Really Funny"
RealAudio clip: "Rotten World Blues"

EESK Ghost Taxi (Nocturnal Love Feast Music) cd 11.98
What or who is Eesk? She was an integral part of SF's eccentric, eclectic, and highly entertaining Action Plus (note: her alias then was Ursula Blind). With Ghost Taxi, she continues in the A.P. tradition of the unrelenting style and mood melting pot. It's graced with multi-personality vocal acrobatics and definite overtones of international film music. She draws inspiration from wonderfully diverse sources to create an intelligent, finely composed and thoroughly engaging album. Very soundtrack-y! A little spine-tingling sinister at times, a bit strangely trippy at others, and ultra mellow loungey at still others. And although this is her solo album, she's by no means on her own. The album features a shining supporting cast too: skilled guitarist and producer Joe Gore (Action Plus, PJ Harvey, Tom Waits, Eels, Tracy Chapman, Oranj Symphonette), Tin Hat Trio's Rob Burger (on keyboards) and Carla Kihlstedt (on violin), Creeper Lagoon's David Kostiner (on drums), Oranj Symphonette's Pat Campbell (also on drums), cellist Matthew Brubeck (Oranj Symphonette, Jewel, Sheryl Crow), and Joey Waronker (Beck, Smokey & Miho, REM, Elliott Smith, Badly Drawn Boy, and the list goes on and on). Nice!
RealAudio clip: "Run"
RealAudio clip: "Seven Beauty International"

EFDEMIN s/t (Dial) cd 16.98

EFFI BRIEST Rhizomes (Sacred Bones) cd 14.98
A gang of totally talented women from Brooklyn making some intense and engaging off kilter psych post-punk that's been thrilling us big time via this new Sacred Bones release. We love how Effi Briest bring worlds of post-punk, krautrock, garage goth, and psychedelia into a propulsive whole that is so charged and hypnotizing. It's always a good sign when you can't immediately start rattling off other bands a record reminds you of, as there is something very honest and unique about the songs on Rhizomes. We do think of some of those awesome amalgamations that are fun to dream up. Like Erase Errata doing early Siouxsie & The Banshees covers, or White Magic shedding their folkish leanings and diving full throttle into psychedelic overload, Gang Gang Dance and Zola Jesus joining their mystical powers or Au Pairs and The Raincoats risen from the ashes but sounding a bit weirder and more rhythmic, or even a more intense version of those awesome Helium records that Ash Bowie from Polvo played on, or heck, maybe what early Wire might have sounded like with a young Patti Smith on vocals.
At a time when so many new records are so loyal to the one sound or style they are trying to capture it's so fucking cool to come across a band that is bringing together many great influences and undoubtedly have great taste (they are named after a great Fassbinder film after all) but for the most part are really bringing something fresh, immediate and unique to the table. One of those records that draws you into its world more and more with each listen. And we have to say we are totally and utterly hooked!
MPEG Stream: "Rhizomes"
MPEG Stream: "Cousins"
MPEG Stream: "Nights"

EFFI BRIEST Rhizomes (Sacred Bones) lp 17.98
A gang of totally talented women from Brooklyn making some intense and engaging off kilter psych post-punk that's been thrilling us big time via this new Sacred Bones release. We love how Effi Briest bring worlds of post-punk, krautrock, garage goth, and psychedelia into a propulsive whole that is so charged and hypnotizing. It's always a good sign when you can't immediately start rattling off other bands a record reminds you of, as there is something very honest and unique about the songs on Rhizomes. We do think of some of those awesome amalgamations that are fun to dream up. Like Erase Errata doing early Siouxsie & The Banshees covers, or White Magic shedding their folkish leanings and diving full throttle into psychedelic overload, Gang Gang Dance and Zola Jesus joining their mystical powers or Au Pairs and The Raincoats risen from the ashes but sounding a bit weirder and more rhythmic, or even a more intense version of those awesome Helium records that Ash Bowie from Polvo played on, or heck, maybe what early Wire might have sounded like with a young Patti Smith on vocals.
At a time when so many new records are so loyal to the one sound or style they are trying to capture it's so fucking cool to come across a band that is bringing together many great influences and undoubtedly have great taste (they are named after a great Fassbinder film after all) but for the most part are really bringing something fresh, immediate and unique to the table. One of those records that draws you into its world more and more with each listen. And we have to say we are totally and utterly hooked!
MPEG Stream: "Rhizomes"
MPEG Stream: "Cousins"
MPEG Stream: "Nights"

EFTERKLANG Parades (Leaf) cd 14.98
The opening track of Efterklang's latest album sounds like the loveliness of a choir and orchestra being carried to your ears on the wings of an autumn breeze. Light, airy, and shimmeringly blissful. It's the sound of a glorious dream that gradually builds and darkens to heart-swelling proportions. Although this Danish band has two dreamy main vocalists Linda Drejer Bonde and Thomas Sjoberg, it is the giant choruses where they shine brightest. The unpredictable proggy rhythmic interplay between the brass, strings and vocals is captivating, quite possibly drawing inspiration from the likes of Yes and King Crimson. Parades' sweepingly regal grandeur spurs cinematic imaginings of gowned maidens rushing down castle staircases and armored knights charging into battle. Really beautiful.
MPEG Stream: "Polygyne"
MPEG Stream: "Maison De Reflexion"

EFTERKLANG Tripper (Leaf) cd 14.98
Gentle electronica from Denmark. So nice!

EFZEG Grain (Durian) cd 14.98

EGGHATCHER (ROBERT HORTON) Drones, Jazz Drifts And Blues (Ruralfaune) cd-r 7.98
Another super limited cd-r gem that got prematurely marked out of print on out site. And while it may technically BE out of print from the label, we still have about 8 copies, so grab one before they're REALLY gone for good...
Egghatcher is the work of Bay Area free folk avant noisemaker Robert Horton, and features some of the most sublime drones we've heard created from some of the least likely sources. A helicopter flying overhead, crystal glasses, old 78's, all smeared and smoothed into soft slippery slivers of sound. So lovely. A few tracks are not as dronelike, one features vocals, chopped and reassembled into a skittery soundscapes, with occasional blasts of corrosive squeal, while another is constructed from and played on a homemade 4 string guitar constructed from wood found on the street. All quite gorgeous as we've come to expect from Horton.
Again, LIMITED TO 72 COPIES, comes packaged in a plastic sleeve with an insert, held together by a twig, and with a VERY strong smelling leaf inside, so each disc smells like flowers or potpourri!
MPEG Stream: "That Helicopter Day"
MPEG Stream: "Glass Quartet"

EGGS how do you like your lobster -- a collection of crustaceans and flotsam (TeenBeat) cd 13.98
Collection of all their singles and compilation/split 7" tracks.

EGGSTONE Ca Chauffe En Suede! Avec... (Tricatel) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

EGGSTONE Spanish Slalom (Siesta) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This Swedish trio own the studio where St. Etienne and the Cardigans record. Needless to say, fans of the aforementioned groups will love this too. Delicate, juicy sweet pop. Spanish import.

EGLIN, FABRICE & JEROME NOETINGER Psychotic Reactions & Lightnin' Rag (A Bruit Secret) cd 17.98
Don't be fooled by the title. That's these two French experimentalists' tongue-in-cheek joke about the roots of their highly abstract, tape-manipulated guitar music/noise. Being the first installment of the A Brut Secret label's new "Blue Series", this is an electro-acoustic improv take on the blues, umm supposedly. But we seriously doubt that Martin Scorcese would recognize the sporadic silence, distortion, drone, clicks, and mosquito buzz found here as "The Blues"! Sounds more like Kevin Drumm than Blind Willie Johnson, that's for sure. So if my name's not Martin Scorcese, will I like this? Maybe, if glitched-out drone (some of it gorgeous) and grating noise are your cup of moonshine, 'cause you've got to imbibe a lot of that to convince yerself that you're also hearing fragmented, buried 'wooden guitar' Delta blues licks. What exactly is going on here? Well the liner notes are in French. But we think the deal is that Fabrice Eglin (whom we last heard guesting on Kan Mikami's Bachi by the way) improvises on electric and acoustic guitars while partner Jermome Noetinger processes his playing via contact mics, a Walkman, and an old Revox tape machine. So the electronic effects here seem appropriately dusty and old-timey. But this should definitely get filed closer to avant-guitarists like Drumm, Tetuzi Akiyama, Keith Rowe and Annette Krebs in your cd collection, rather than with yr Yazoo comps!
MPEG Stream: "1"
MPEG Stream: "2"

EGOCENTRIC The Sky Within the Ground (Foundry) cd 5.98

EGOLESS Rainbow Dub (LoDubs) 12" 8.98

EGONOIR Der Pfad Zum Fluss (Amortout) cd 14.98
From the same label that brought us music from Bethlehem, Costes and the debut/swansong recording from SF's The Gault (featuring members of legendary SFBM outfit Weakling) and which just so happens to be run by the guys in Diamatregon (who have a record out on Andee's tUMULt label, and a new one on the way!) comes this bizarre black beauty, the debut full length from bizarre German black horde Egonoir.
The label mentions the usual blackbuzz culprits in their description of Egonoir: Burzum, Leviathan, Bethlehem, Strid, Manes, and while it does have much in common with those obvious influences, it is somehow so much more. Darker, moodier, more melancholy, prettier, and definitely weirder.
The root sound is a slow crawl, a barely midtempo buzzing Burzumic plod, with harsh vocals, and blown out guitars, but the whole thing is wreathed in a strange smoky production, making everything fuzzy and murky and muted and strangely lovely. The tracks often drift into swirling ambience, with the buzzing guitars transformed into amorphous clouds of foggy blurry guitar, a backdrop to the lilting melodies in the foreground.
Then there are the vocals, that range from harsh howls, demonic growls to haunting crooning, but the strangest thing, and what makes Egonoir sound so unique, is the bizarre humming/crooning that lurks beneath the more traditionally blackened vocals, almost like American Music Club or Crash Test Dummies or Leonard Cohen, drifting darkly and melodically beneath the buzzing crawl... at some points female vocals drift into the picture, and suddenly it's a black metal Mazzy Star, almost, it's these creepy beautiful vocals that make this sound like some ultra depressing black metal lounge band, performing at some blackened dive perched on the edge of the abyss, flames licking at the foundation, the facade illuminated by buzzing black neon signs, and packed with a motley crew of hellish beats and down on their luck, southward headed earthlings.
Lots of acoustic guitars (a couple tracks are mostly acoustic), muted wandering bass lines, gorgeously sorrowful melodies, those crooning humming vocals, loping seasick tempos, arpeggiated guitars, hushed monk-like chants, snippets of German wartime speeches, all wrapped in thick swaths of buzz and reverb, slowly drifting, like some buzzy black dream.
Fans of all things depressive and slow, blackened and Burzumic, fuzzy and washed out, will freak for this. If Make A Change... Kill Yourself, Burzum, Xasthur, Nortt, Inferi and the like are your late night downer black metal soundtrack, Egonoir might just be perfect for those bleak early morning hours after a long night of misery and hopelessness...
Or as the label so succinctly puts it: "Total psycho dark metal, noir, noir, noir."
MPEG Stream: "Der Pfad Zum Fluss"
MPEG Stream: "Ego Noir Teil7"