LULLABYE ARKESTRA Ampgrave (Constellation) cd 16.98
Seems there's been another spate of outcroppings from the Godspeed You Black Emperor musical empire recently -- notably the Fly Pan Am offshoot Feu Therese and this duo of drummer Justin Small (also of Do Make Say Think) and bass player Katia Taylor. Hmmm, we suspect that this Lullabye Arkestra will fail oh so miserably at the task of sleep inducing, but it will succeed formidably at kicking the thermometer up a degree or ten. Their aggressive sound is markedly different from the rest of the GYBE clan. It might be the most trashy, garage rawky, angstful, swampy blues boy'n'grrrl punk edged thing we've ever heard from the Constellation Records label (home to Godspeed, Fly Pan Am, Silver Mt. Zion, et al). The fury churned up by the two core members is further fueled by horns, Hammond organ and violin contributed by their skilled musical brethren including other members of DMST. A fevered good time!
MPEG Stream: "Hold On"
MPEG Stream: "Nation Of Two"

LUME LUME s/t (Staubgold) cd 17.98
Absolutely beautiful and highly unlikely collaboration between Alexander Balanescu, Isabella Bordoni, Rupert Huber, Sergio Ganhor and to rococo rot.

LUMEN The Man Felt An Iron Hand Grasp Him By The Hair, At The Nape, Not One Hand, A Hundred Hands Seized Him, Each By The Hair, And Tore Him Head To Foot, The Way You Tear Up A Sheet Of Paper, Into Hundreds Of Little Pieces. (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
So beautiful! Finally available, the debut album by local quartet Lumen, which features our esteemed co-worker (and ex-A Minor Forest drummer) Andee Connors, and Jeff Rosenberg, formerly of Tarentel. This instrumental album is forefronted equally by guitar and drums... but not just any guitar and drums. The guitar (in this age of louder-is-better Mogwai-wannabes) is defiantly ACOUSTIC and takes advantage of all the warm, woody, crisply resonant qualities inherent in that unusual choice. The drums are played by Andee, so you can rest assured that they are tight, complex, sonically engaging, undeniable yet not spotlight-hogging, and completely satisfying. The interplay between these two cleverly-wielded elements is augmented with stand up bass (bowed much of the time, yum), melodica, and accordion. The songs are extended but they never seem to meander -- the bittersweet guitar chords are fingerpicked to arpeggiated prettiness (to the point where they sound like classical chamber guitar) -- and the songs require several minutes to resolve themselves, making the resulting tension & release quite lovely to behold. The album's tone is mellow but never lethargic, quiet but propulsive, emotional but not sappy at all. It's just really damn good. Released on the consistently excellent Temporary Residence label.
P.S. The title of the album is from a story by Italo Calvino.
RealAudio clip: "V (excerpt 1)"
RealAudio clip: "V (excerpt 2)"
RealAudio clip: "IV"
RealAudio clip: "I"

LUMENS s/t (Holodeck) cassette 7.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We're pleased to present three inaugural cassette releases from psych/noise label Holodeck, championing the exploding underground electronic experimental scene in Austin, Texas, with beautifully packaged and designed cassettes. have a look elsewhere on this list for other releases by Smokey Emery and Thousand Foot Whale Claw.
Lumens is a mysterious collaborative effort featuring members of Smokey Emery, Silent Land Time Machine and Troller, and is very much what you might expect when you put those three bands together. Murky cavernous industrial drones slowly bloom into all kinds of decaying ambiance, piano tones, viola and looping vocal whispers. Looming and dark clusters of layered organic sounds and field recordings, scraping rhythms and buried melodies, carefully arranged to hypnotically listenable effect. Over 4 long tracks, the compositions build from abstracted soundscapes to krautrock tinged build-ups, the final track merging into No Pussyfooting territory with layered repeating tape loops that float up towards the stars away from the murk they originally came from. Mesmerizing! Limited to 100!
MPEG Stream: "Sweet Voice"
MPEG Stream: "When I Knew You"

LUMERIANS Burning Mirrors (Rococo Records) 7" 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another badass slab of psychedelic hypno dirge space rock courtesy of local boys The Lumerians, who definitely have the druggy drone-y dirge dirgey thing down pat. If you dig the Wooden Shjips, Sleepy Sun, Cave, Moon Duo, and other practitioners of blown out drug rock mesmer, well then you're gonna love the Lumerians. Channeling Spacemen 3, mixing in some serious krautrock, adding heaping doses of spaced out FX, these guys lock into a groove and then ride it out, totally hypnotic, cyclical, trancelike. Reverb soaked guitars, murky distorted vox, washed out, looped bass, buried melodies, all blurred and smeared into lysergic drone rock that is totally captivating. Be sure to stick around for the B-side, a barely recognizable cover of the Osmonds' infamous killer jam "Crazy Horses", given a total hazy space drone dreamdrug makeover. So awesome.
Now we have just one question, WHERE'S THE FULL LENGTH?!?

LUMERIANS Horizon Structures (Knitting Factory Records) 12" 15.98
Latest vinyl-only release from these SF psychedelic space rockers, whose sound has gradually grown funkier with each record, culminating in the recent Transmissions From Telos Vol. IV tape, which found the band aligning itself with Bitches Brew era Miles and Sextant era Hancock, not bad company at all for sure. And while that release, a tour only tape oddity that found the band experimenting in the studio, was twisted fun for sure, this new Horizon Structures 12" finds the band getting back down to business, this time the business of crafting four futuristic jams, equal part seventies jazz funk, eighties new wave, and some mutant strain of kosmische synth exploration. The sounds here definitely hew closely to the cover art, a 3-D rendering of some psychedelic tripped out spacescape, with the opening track a pulsing sprawl of buzzing synths, and laser beam bloops, spaced out and cinematic, and seriously poppy, maybe the poppiest thing we've heard from these guys, percolating swirling melodies, FX drenched vocals, a sort of space-y future pop, that culminates in a percussion heavy, wah guitar dowsed final freakout groove! The second track on the A side is a minimal new wave dirge, laced with all manner of percussion, and like the rest of the tracks here, with a sort of retro futuristic sheen.
The first track on the B side is the killer here, a groovy blast of sci-fi space funk, peppered with electric piano blurts, woozy basslines, wheezing keyboards, swirling synths, dense driving percussion, which then seems to get reworked on the second track, the same groove, but this time even groovier and funkier, wild freaked out drumming, chaotic synths, tripped out FX, all leading up to a dreamy kosmische synth finish. Cool.
Packaged with, according to the sticker on the front, "4D glasses for access to transdimensional viewing portal", which to these eyes seem more just like 3D glasses, but the cover looks AMAZING viewed through those specs, and if you DO wear them outside (with Lumerians blasting in your headphones, we'd imagine) they do seem to make things glimmer and sparkle, a secret glimpse of what lies beneath/beyond?

LUMERIANS s/t (Subterranean Elephants Recording Company) 12" 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Well, it looks like the Wooden Shjips don't have the market cornered on sixties inspired drone drenched psychedelic drug rock after all. The Lumerians offer up their own take on modern psych with their debut ep, 5 songs, all of them looooong and gorgeously tripped out. Where as the Shjips seem to be channeling the Doors, the Lumerians take ? And The Mysterians, mix in some Fuzztones, and filter it through the sound of Spacemen 3 and Loop resulting in a mesmerizing, repetitive organ infused doped up hypnorock.
The second the opening track kicked in we were SOLD. Fuzzy blown organ, pounding simple drum beat, super sixties vibe, buzzy and trippy and druggy and totally divine. The vocals drawling over that relentless beat and that warm thick organ. Wooden Shjips fans will freak, and just might have found a new favorite local band.
The second track is just as cool, but way different, super minimal, almost jazzy, with muted percussion, subtle bass grooves, soft shimmery synths, very spacious (and space-y) and laid back, like a druggier more psychedelic Necks.
The B side is all slow lugubrious organ drenched crawl, shuffling drums, a wall of washed out buzz, with one track introducing some ethereal, blissed out female vocals, drifting weightless above the fuzzy groove, giving that track a serious shoegaze vibe.
Killer stuff. Super limited. Only 500 copies, each pressed on nice thick clear vinyl, housed in a plastic PVC jacket with a thick color cardstock insert, and comes with a code, so you can download MP3's for your iPod as well.

LUMERIANS The Weaning And The Dreaming (Sanity Muffin) cassette 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We got a very small handful of this, a super new, ultra limited, tour only tape from local psychedelic space prog aQ faves Lumerians, who for this single half hour track, recorded a handful of the instruments, then flipped the tape, playing back those instruments in reverse, and tracking the rest of the band to the backward sounds. And if that weren't cool enough (we're a sucker for backwards sounds), the B side is the A side in reverse, which makes the original tracks play properly, while the proper tracks/instruments from the A side are now reversed. Trippy! And seriously psychedelic.
Both sides a dizzying sprawl of minimal drone-psych drift, swooping backwards rhythms, soft synth swells, twisted swirling melodies, lush builds to gorgeous expanses of dense sonic swirl, noisy and abstract, droney and hypnotic, a bit industrial in places, streaks of black ambience drifting through field of electronic shimmer, grinding electronics wrapped around whirling FX squiggles, both sides, obviously quite similar, warped mirror images of each other, a two sided palindromic psychedelic freakout, both halves heady, and dizzyingly divine, total mind melting headphone bliss.
VERY VERY LIMITED. Most of these the band sold on tour, it's LIMITED TO 200 COPIES, each one hand numbered, we got a bunch, but unclear how many more we'll be able to get once these run out. If any!!
MPEG Stream: "The Weaning And The Dreaming (Side One Excerpt)"
MPEG Stream: "The Weaning And The Dreaming (Side Two Excerpt)"

LUMERIANS Transmalinnia (Knitting Factory) cd 13.98
LAST LIST'S RECORD OF THE WEEK, BACK IN STOCK - we blew out of these FAST, over the first weekend after the list, so if you missed it then, we wanted to let you know they're here again...
It's been a long time coming. After the tease of a 7" and a 12" ep, both tantalizingly KILLER, and a ton of incredible live shows, including a show stealing performance at the aQuarius records 40th anniversary party, comes this, the full length debut from SF psychedelic hypno drone psychedelic space rockers Lumerians, and it's just as good as we'd hoped and imagined. For those who've yet to hear these guys, have a look at this list of bands: Wooden Shjips, Hawkwind, Circle, Spacemen 3, Loop, Cave, Cloudland Canyon, The Heads, White Hills, Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound, 3 Leafs, Mugstar. Does that look anything like your record collection? Then odds are you've just found your new favorite band. And if there's any justice in the world, these guys will get the same sort of hype and adoration that Wooden Shjips do. Not necessarily because they sound the same, they definitely don't, but they both DO explore similar territory, spaced out buzzy, fuzzy droney psychedelic rock, but where the Shjips are minimal, Lumerians are maximal, with multiple keyboards, even a percussionist, their sound more lush and layered, similarly propulsive and driving, but maybe with more of a nod to Spacemen 3 and Hawkwind, creating super mesmerizing cyclical hypnorock epics. And these tracks are indeed epic, slow building, smoldering, hypnotic, totally trancelike but still super heavy and rocking.
Opener "Burning Mirrors" pretty much sums it up, loopy low slung bass, simple motorik drumming, crunchy super distorted fuzz guitars, and thick swaths of spacey keyboards, not to mention drawled laid back vox, all appropriately reverby and echoey, these guys traffic in the sort of sound, where every song, whether 5 minutes or nearly 10, sound like live, they could go on for 20, 30, even 40 minutes, druggy, lysergic, tripped out and psychedelic, head nodding, body moving drone rock bliss.
"Black Tusk" gets all sixties, the drums shuffly and busy, the keyboards crunchy and fuzzy, lots of percussion, the bass driving everything, swirly and psychedelic and minus the killer production, and the super distorted stuttery organ buzz could be some lost psych jam from back in the day. "XuluX" is another sprawling droned out jam, that gets seriously groovy, with all sorts of heavily effected guitars, and more crunchy organs, before blissing out into some seriously swoonsome keyboard driven psychedelic drift.
And so it goes, "Atlanta Brook" definitely conjures up the spirit of Spacemen 3, the vocals a dead ringer, the hazy warped buzz the perfect prescription, but Lumerians add their own twist, infusing it with some strange rhythmic bridges, and buzzing sitar melodies, before slipping back into a washed out almost Beatles-esque outro.
"Calalini Rises" might be the heaviest track, murky and muddy, the drums locked tight, tribal and propulsive, all the other instruments loose and chaotic, a constant sonic swirl, totally spaced out and abstract, definitely a song that could have stretched out for another couple hours. But one of our favorite jams might just have to be "Longwave" which sounds like Lumerians at the wrong speed (which we presume it must be), Neu! style, the band unfurl a droney dirgey spacerock jam, slowed to a crawl, the guitars even thicker and grungier than usual, the drums lumbering, but then the vocals come in, and they're perfectly melodic and dreamy, and drift over the undulating psychedelic murk below, culminating in a gorgeously tripped out second half, with lots of rumble and whir and buzz and drone and swirl and shimmer (but be warned vinyl folks, in order to fit the whole album on a single lp, they had to speed this song back up, shortening it quite a bit, everything is essentially the same, just the murky background music is a little less murky). So good.
Seriously. If any of the above bands are your cup of tea, try spiking that tea with some Lumerians, you won't be sorry. Easily, THEE space drone psychedelic hypno rock record of the year. Drop out, and dig in!
MPEG Stream: "Burning Mirrors"
MPEG Stream: "Black Tusk"
MPEG Stream: "XuluX"
MPEG Stream: "Longwave"

LUMERIANS Transmalinnia (Knitting Factory) lp 16.98
It's been a long time coming. After the tease of a 7" and a 12" ep, both tantalizingly KILLER, and a ton of incredible live shows, including a show stealing performance at the aQuarius records 40th anniversary party, comes this, the full length debut from SF psychedelic hypno drone psychedelic space rockers Lumerians, and it's just as good as we'd hoped and imagined. For those who've yet to hear these guys, have a look at this list of bands: Wooden Shjips, Hawkwind, Circle, Spacemen 3, Loop, Cave, Cloudland Canyon, The Heads, White Hills, Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound, 3 Leafs, Mugstar. Does that look anything like your record collection? Then odds are you've just found your new favorite band. And if there's any justice in the world, these guys will get the same sort of hype and adoration that Wooden Shjips do. Not necessarily because they sound the same, they definitely don't, but they both DO explore similar territory, spaced out buzzy, fuzzy droney psychedelic rock, but where the Shjips are minimal, Lumerians are maximal, with multiple keyboards, even a percussionist, their sound more lush and layered, similarly propulsive and driving, but maybe with more of a nod to Spacemen 3 and Hawkwind, creating super mesmerizing cyclical hypnorock epics. And these tracks are indeed epic, slow building, smoldering, hypnotic, totally trancelike but still super heavy and rocking.
Opener "Burning Mirrors" pretty much sums it up, loopy low slung bass, simple motorik drumming, crunchy super distorted fuzz guitars, and thick swaths of spacey keyboards, not to mention drawled laid back vox, all appropriately reverby and echoey, these guys traffic in the sort of sound, where every song, whether 5 minutes or nearly 10, sound like live, they could go on for 20, 30, even 40 minutes, druggy, lysergic, tripped out and psychedelic, head nodding, body moving drone rock bliss.
"Black Tusk" gets all sixties, the drums shuffly and busy, the keyboards crunchy and fuzzy, lots of percussion, the bass driving everything, swirly and psychedelic and minus the killer production, and the super distorted stuttery organ buzz could be some lost psych jam from back in the day. "XuluX" is another sprawling droned out jam, that gets seriously groovy, with all sorts of heavily effected guitars, and more crunchy organs, before blissing out into some seriously swoonsome keyboard driven psychedelic drift.
And so it goes, "Atlanta Brook" definitely conjures up the spirit of Spacemen 3, the vocals a dead ringer, the hazy warped buzz the perfect prescription, but Lumerians add their own twist, infusing it with some strange rhythmic bridges, and buzzing sitar melodies, before slipping back into a washed out almost Beatles-esque outro.
"Calalini Rises" might be the heaviest track, murky and muddy, the drums locked tight, tribal and propulsive, all the other instruments loose and chaotic, a constant sonic swirl, totally spaced out and abstract, definitely a song that could have stretched out for another couple hours. But one of our favorite jams might just have to be "Longwave" which sounds like Lumerians at the wrong speed (which we presume it must be), Neu! style, the band unfurl a droney dirgey spacerock jam, slowed to a crawl, the guitars even thicker and grungier than usual, the drums lumbering, but then the vocals come in, and they're perfectly melodic and dreamy, and drift over the undulating psychedelic murk below, culminating in a gorgeously tripped out second half, with lots of rumble and whir and buzz and drone and swirl and shimmer (but be warned vinyl folks, in order to fit the whole album on a single lp, they had to speed this song back up, shortening it quite a bit, everything is essentially the same, just the murky background music is a little less murky). So good.
Seriously. If any of the above bands are your cup of tea, try spiking that tea with some Lumerians, you won't be sorry. Easily, THEE space drone psychedelic hypno rock record of the year. Drop out, and dig in!
MPEG Stream: "Burning Mirrors"
MPEG Stream: "Black Tusk"
MPEG Stream: "XuluX"
MPEG Stream: "Longwave"

LUMERIANS Transmissions From Telos: Vol.IV (Permanent) lp 17.98
It's been ages since we've heard from these local psychedelic space rockers, but it seems like a storm of new Lumerians activity is brewing, records, shows, touring, all starting with this, a brand new 12" which displays a side of the band that always seemed to be lurking just below the surface, but is now revealed for all the world to see. The A side of this 12" finds the band exploring a funkier sound, sounding at times like Bitches Brew era Miles Davis, or Sextant era Herbie Hancock, dense percussion, swirls of wah wah guitar, whirring organs, a little bit spacey, and a little dubby, but loose and free and indeed funky, the second track introduces more buzz, and adds some psychedelic freakout to the mix, getting downright proggy before finishing off the side with something much more drone out and soundtracky, swaddled in woozy fuzzy synths.
The flipside is a whole 'nother kind of beast, a dense buzzy churn, layered and thickly psychedelic, it's on the verge of collapsing into full on noise, but the band deftly corral the sounds into a blackened swirling dervish, that manages to sound like a proggier spacier SUNNO))) before blossoming into a tripped out krautfunk blowout, which in turn transforms into a long outro of creepy synths and scattered percussion, a spaced out cinematic sprawl that is at once haunting and harrowing, melodic and lovely. Great stuff as usual, can't wait for more, and to hear this stuff live!
Packaged in a super striking, heavy stock jacket, and pressed on milky, yellowish/off white vinyl. And yeah, totally LIMITED!

LUMSK Asmund Fraegdegjevar (Candlelight / Tabu) cd 17.98
We had been eyeing this record for a while. They are called Lumsk after all. And their logo is the letters in Lumsk rendered as gnarled trees and roots, and the cover features a sketchy drawing of a long haired nordic warrior, hair blowing in the wind. The name of the album and the song titles are all in Norwegian too which is never a bad thing. At best it would be some amazingly weird black metal record, at worst some beer hoisting Viking sing along metal, either way, we'd probably be pretty into it. Well, when we finally cracked one open, it was neither of those things, and so much better than we could have hoped for. The simplest way to describe Lumsk is some strange mix of Hammers Of Misfortune, Enslaved, Scandinavian folk, and the Fucking Champs. Sounds weird. Sounds impossible actually, but that's definitely what it sounds like. Lots of complex instrumental riffing, lots of loping seasick Viking rhythms, along with simple drumming and loads of organs and keyboards, occasional violin and even a choir, but then there's the vocals, male and female, both proud and majestic, soaring and weaving, definitely reminiscent of Hammers Of Misfortune. My thumbnail review was originally "a more epic, Viking metal Hammers Of Misfortune", but on further listens there's just so much dense Carcass-y instrumental stuff going on under the surface, that it makes the soaring (almost renn-faire sounding at times) vocals sound almost alien in that context. It's a little bit power metal, a little bit folk metal, a little bit doom, a little bit prog, and yeah, a little medieval / rennaisance, but put it all together and not only does it not make sense, but it makes so little sense that it makes absolutely perfect sense. To us at least. Definitely NOT death metal or black metal, way more melodic than heavy, and downright pretty at times, but still plenty heavy enough to please all the discerning metalheads around here.
MPEG Stream: "Det Var Irlands Kongi Bold"
MPEG Stream: "Ormin Lange"
MPEG Stream: "Skip Under Lide"

LUMSK Det Vilde Kor (Tabu) cd 16.98

MPEG Stream: "Diset Kvaeld"
MPEG Stream: "Svend Herlufsens Ord III - Jeg Har Det"

LUMSK Troll (Tabu) cd 16.98
When we first heard Lumsk a few years back, it totally blew us away. Some really odd combination of Hammers Of Misfortune, Enslaved, Scandinavian folk and The Fucking Champs. Yep, you read that right.
And that is what it actually sounded like, lots of Viking riffery, some epic vocalizing, but also some serious metallic shredding, boy / girl harmonies, folky interludes, some medieval / renaissance faire filigree, some fuzzy synths, pretty weird, but pretty dang cool too.
So here's the follow up, and if anything, it's more of the same. But with a couple changes, much of the shredding is gone, and the folk element is more pronounced, but other than that, it's still some confusional combination of chugging riffage, fluttery female almost-operatic vocals, super dramatic male vocals, soaring strings, folky fiddle and a mess of over the top Viking metal chug.
A handful of the tracks are almost straight Scandinavian folk, the vocals lilting and delicate, the arrangements swooning and melancholy, and then just when you're all ensorcelled and entranced, the band will kick in with some over the top, downtuned chugging stein-hoisting metallic drinking song or some epic metal hoedown.
Definitely an acquired taste, but we can tell you that at least two people at aQ dig this band a LOT (bet you can't guess which ones).
MPEG Stream: "Dunker"
MPEG Stream: "Asgardsreia"
MPEG Stream: "Trolltind"

LUNA Close Cover Before Striking (Jetset) cd 12.98
Luna's new seven song collection contains a few odd moments. I along with a couple of customers were sort of startled to hear the first few strains of the Stones' "Waiting On A Friend" with Dean Wareham doin' the ooooh-ooohs. It was a bit... strange. Their version of "Neon Lights" begins with a plink-plonk sound that really made it seems like it was going to be a cover of Abba's "Honey Honey" rather than a Kraftwerk song. The song "Teenage Lightning" however is NOT a cover of Coil's splendid track from Love's Secret Domain nor a Glen Campbell tune, as far as we can tell it's a Wareham original. The rest of the songs are pure Luna bliss, and should please all of their faithful followers. Oh and also included on this cd is a video for "Lovedust"! One gripe though, what's with the half-assed matchbook style packaging? So poorly executed, it's shameful! Not only has that design been done so many times before, but it's been done quite close to perfection by bands like Fuck and Tsunami to name just two. Harumph!
RealAudio clip: "Teenage Lightning"
RealAudio clip: "Neon Lights"
RealAudio clip: "Waiting On A Friend"

LUNA Live (Arena Rock ) cd 16.98
What can we say about Luna "Live"? Dean Wareham has honed and polished every last inch of this band to a positively glowing sheen thus making this a very well-recorded, well-performed live album that in a sense is a 'best of' also. You almost can't tell that these are live - non-studio - performances except for the applause that ends each song. Many of the lovely Luna faves are here. "Tiger Lily", "Bonnie and Clyde", "Anesthesia" to name a few. From 1999/2000 performances in Washington, DC's 9:30 Club and NYC's Knitting Factory.

LUNA Rendezvous (Jetset) cd 15.98
To be completely honest, we didn't have such high hopes for this new Luna album -- their last couple of albums were just too easy-listenin' smoooth for our liking -- but boy, were we in for a pleasant surprise. What's most striking about their new full length is that it has some of the punchiest Luna tunes in ages. For years and years Dean Wareham and Co. have consistently stuck to their same albeit achingly pretty formula, almost as though they were resting on their laurels to the point of becoming a diluted version of themselves. Happily this Rendezvous reveals a freshly rejuvenated band. Even the slower dreamy numbers have a spark to them that's been sorely missed. Occasionally they bear a striking resemblance to recent recordings by Yo La Tengo particularly when Ira sings. In case you're unfamiliar with YLT, rest assured that this is a good thing!
MPEG Stream: "Malibu Love Nest"
MPEG Stream: "Motel Bambi"

LUNA Romantica (Jetset) cd 16.98
The sixth album from Luna certainly sounds all warm and welcoming. And of course it's well-performed and well-recorded like any other Luna release - perhaps partly due this time to the presence of producer extraordinaire David Fridmann (Sparklehorse, Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev) - if somewhat slick and a bit overwhelming at times. But I have to say, something is just not right here. Maybe it's the uncharacteristic rocked-up number "1995"? No, it's more than that. It's just... blah. One thing's for sure, I know I can't find one song on this Romantica album that can hold a candle to any of Dean Wareham's early genuinely romantic gems like "Anesthesia", "Slash Your Tires" or "California" (and let's not even mention those of his former band). Now, those were some true pop beauties full of reverbed guitar dreaminess and lyrical twists. This is so sadly disappointing. By the way, what's up with the cover art featuring a palm trees'n'sunset disposable lighter? Whose idea was that??? Sorta reminded me of Mr. Bungle's California album (the cover, not the music).
RealAudio clip: "Romantica"
RealAudio clip: "1995"

LUNA The Days Of Our Nights (Jericho) cd 16.98
Finally released domestically, the long-awaited new Luna (long-awaited that is by those who haven't already bought the import that's been out for a year already!) includes a somewhat-questionable (but nice) cover of "Sweet Child O'Mine". Dean Wareham and co. don't break any new ground on this album, but instead continue to maintain their consistent wistful, melancholic songwriting style and lush melodic proficiency found on such past beauties as "Lunapark", "Bewitched", and "Penthouse".

LUNAR MIASMA Observing The Universe (Moon Glyph) cassette 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Observing The Universe is the latest komsiche transmission from Greek synth wrangler and ambient alchemist Panos Alexiadis, aka Lunar Miasma, and is another gorgeous collection of spaced out synth drones and slow burn prismatic drift, operating in the same realm as folks like Expo 70, Oneohtrix Point Never, Emeralds and the like.
The intro track here is the real gem, a dark, brooding, thrum, rife with crackle and buried melodies, a slightly sinister soundtrack to some old light show that for some reason plays endlessly in some abandoned planetarium, the music of constantly shooting stars, every sonic streak here another contrail glowing against the inky blackness of spaces, simple Eno like melodies drifting outwards like ripples in some epic celestial pond. This woozy sprawl parked by what sounds like fragmented transmissions from the ether, the whole thing underpinned by deep rumbles, and thick swirls of blurred low end shimmer. We almost wish the whole tape was filled with an extended version of this track. But while the rest of the record is not nearly as dark, there's much to dig, the two part "Expanded Dimension" is all futuristic synth swirl, and prismatic cascades of analog melody, all hazy and dreamlike, and darkly cinematic, a blissed out sprawl of glistening crystalline sonic glimmer, culminating in the title track closer, which seems to merge the dark ominous thrum of the opener, with the glistening shimmer of the other tracks into the sort of dark, retro synth ambience, that will definitely appeal to fans of Carpenter, Zombi, Umberto, Majeure and the like, but unlike the driving pulsating krautiness and pulsing Euro-disco of those groups, LM's strain hovers much closer to a dreamlike cosmic new age.
MPEG Stream: "Infinite"
MPEG Stream: "Expanded Dimension"

LUNATIC GODS Mythus (Epideme Records) cd 14.98

LUNCH, LYDIA / SUICIDE Frankie Teardrop (Blastfirst Petite) 10" 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is one of two new entries in the ongoing series of Suicide related 10" singles, celebrating Alan Vega's 70th birthday (despite the fact that he was born in 1948, a mere 60 years ago). Both sides feature versions of the horrific electro-thud masterpiece "Frankie Teardrop" from the classic eponymous record released back in 1977. The A-side is a new cover from like-minded misanthrope Lydia Lunch, screeching out the vocals on top of a monophunk electronic arpeggiation. It's certainly the best we've heard from Lydia Lunch in many, many, many years. The B-side is a demo version of "Frankie Teardrop," which finds Martin Rev's musical accompaniment for ominous, analog synths pretty much worked out, even in demo form, but Alan Vega's story about Frankie Teardrop himself hadn't quite evolved into a tragedy about an everyman whose life just sucks. Instead, Frankie is cast as a Vietnam vet / detective given a particularly unfortunate assignment. It's not as clinically articulated as on the proper album, but has more of a Philip K. Dick vibe going on. Limited to 1500 copies.

LUNDBORG, PATRICK The Acid Archives (Lysergia) book 29.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Two fine record reference works on the list this week, there's the Encyclopedia of Swedish Progressive Music (reviewed below), and this one, a tome devoted American private press musical weirdness from the psychedelic era; its subtitle is "Guide To Underground Sounds 1965-1982". And yes, it's an A-to-Z of bands, each release getting an opinionated write-up, sometimes from more than one reviewer, who don't always agree! Not just psych bands, but also folk-rock, hard rock, "incredibly strange music", sunshine pop, all sorts of stuff. As long as it's rare and obscure and has collectors salivating...
Here's a few of the bands included: Anonymous, BF Trike, Cromagnon, David Allen Coe, Euphoria, Francisco, Josephus, New Hobbits, Charles Mason, Peace Pipe, Ya Ho Wha 13... that's a very small fraction (hey I bet Fraction is in here... let's see, yep) of what you'll find. There's literally hundreds and of entries. Hours of browsing to be had.
In addition to this "Acid Archive" of reviews, which include discographical info on both the original releases -and- (where applicable) reissues, there's some other special features to this volume. You'll find top tens and "fave raves" from the book's various contributors, also a buying guide for collectors on a budget, and a forward by Mike Stax of Ugly Things magazine -- and if you're a dedicated Ugly Things reader, you definitely want this book!!
15 years in the making, this is as authoritative and indispensable as it gets, when it comes to weird music from way back. It's not quite as deluxe as that Swedish Encyclopedia (and not as expensive, either), but still really nicely put together. Paperback, 11 3/4" x 8 1/4", 298 pages, three columns per page of text, lots of cool b&w graphics (album covers, record labels, promo photos). Trippy!!

LUNDBORG, PATRICK The Acid Archives: The Second Edition (Lysergia) book 46.00
Now available in a second edition, the out of print first one from a few years back fetching big money on eBay, but this one has tacked on 100 EXTRA PAGES of material!!! And the record cover pics inside are in color this time! Get one for your reference shelf, before they're gone....
Check this out, a tome devoted entirely to American private press musical weirdness from the psychedelic era; its subtitle is "Guide To Underground Sounds 1965-1982". And yes, it's an A-to-Z of bands, each release getting an opinionated write-up, sometimes from more than one reviewer, who don't always agree! Not just psych bands, but also folk-rock, hard rock, "incredibly strange music", sunshine pop, all sorts of stuff. As long as it's rare and obscure and has collectors salivating...
Here's a few of the bands included: Anonymous, BF Trike, Cromagnon, David Allen Coe, Euphoria, Francisco, Josephus, New Hobbits, Charles Mason, Peace Pipe, Ya Ho Wha 13... that's a very small fraction (hey I bet Fraction is in here... let's see, yep) of what you'll find. There's literally hundreds and of entries. Hours of browsing to be had.
In addition to this "Acid Archive" of reviews, which include discographical info on both the original releases -and- (where applicable) reissues, there's some other special features to this volume. You'll find top tens and "fave raves" from the book's various contributors, also a buying guide for collectors on a budget, and a forward by Mike Stax of Ugly Things magazine - and if you're a dedicated Ugly Things reader, you definitely want this book!!
15 years in the making, this is as authoritative and indispensable as it gets, when it comes to weird music from way back. The second edition is full color, with 400 pages packed with album covers, record labels, promo photos and more! Trippy!!

LUNDING, RASMUS B & PHILIP SAMARTZIS Fluorescent (Dr. Jim's Records) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If it weren't for the lack of smug attitude and thankfully missing Chicks on Speed artwork, "Flourescent" could easily be mistaken for anything on Mego. This collaboration between Danish composer Rasmus Lunding and the increasingly active Australian sound artist Philip Samartzis is a fanciful, dynamic abstraction of digitized fragments culled from field recordings and purely digital granular synthesis. The two artists have built reputations on nearly opposing ends of the electro-acoustic spectrum, with Samartzis operating as an austere musique-concrete composer steeped in a post-Industrial tradition. On the other hand, Lunding has tinked with programmable Lego constructions in some of his compositions, lending to far more childlike readings than Samartzis' work. "Flourescent" - their first collaboration - brings Samartzis' technical prowess to those playful spaces which Lunding inhabits. Many of the sounds have the expressivity of the electronic improv that has been running amok in the European art / jazz circuits; however, Lunding and Samartzis tighten their grip on those electronic 'solos' by crafting the digital errata into terse melodic passages and occasionally structured patterns. The two composers top it all off with digitally treated interjections of indeterminant conversations, the screams of children at play, and Vietnamese temple songs.
RealAudio clip: "Figen-Mund"
RealAudio clip: "Lyd af Hudens Fugtighed"

LUNDSTEN, RALPH Elektronisk Musik (Andromeda) cd 38.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Swedish composer's collection of 60s and 70s electronic music recorded in his home studio, that is, in his "Castle Frankenburg." Apparently better known for 70s synthesizer records about elves, this 4cd set contains beautiful, skittery soundscapes, fancy clickery and warbly madness. Recommended.

LUNGFISH A.C.R. 1999 (Dischord) cd 12.98
By now it should be no big surprise that we here at aQ are HUGE fans of Lungfish and its offshoots. In the last few years we've seen an array of solo releases from singer Dan Higgs, and to a lesser degree from guitarist Asa Osborne who records as Zomes. And though we love all that stuff, Lungfish is one of those bands, like say, Fugazi, where the diehard fans just can't comfortably accept the "extended hiatus" thing. And yeah, as indicated by the "1999" in the title, this is in fact an archival release of songs the band recorded prior to their Necrophones album, where six of these songs showed up in re-recorded form. But why would we complain about that? While Lungfish have only ever sounded like themselves, the turn of the century found their approach becoming increasingly psychedelic and more "out of time" sounding, and these recordings, rougher fidelity-wise than their proper albums but still clear and upfront, are essential listening for anyone who considers themselves a fan. The feel here is more like a live recording and it really reinforces what an awesome band Lungfish was/is. Higgs is in fine form as always with his mindblowing lyrics and singular vocal delivery while Osborne's trademark cyclical riffing carries these songs forward into new realms. The always killer rhythm section (longtime drummer Mitchell Feldstein and, on these recordings, bassist Nathan Bell) does what only Lungfish could do, with the bass sounding particularly huge here. And goddamn does this stuff rock. But not, ya know, like Kiss or Led Zep... just in that strange Lungfish way. Whatever the future holds (we're still keeping our fingers crossed), this disc surely hits the spot and comes with an unsurprising but wholehearted recommendation.
MPEG Stream: "Symbiosis"
MPEG Stream: "Sex War"
MPEG Stream: "Shapes In Space"

LUNGFISH A.C.R. 1999 (Dischord) lp 14.98
By now it should be no big surprise that we here at aQ are HUGE fans of Lungfish and its offshoots. In the last few years we've seen an array of solo releases from singer Dan Higgs, and to a lesser degree from guitarist Asa Osborne who records as Zomes. And though we love all that stuff, Lungfish is one of those bands, like say, Fugazi, where the diehard fans just can't comfortably accept the "extended hiatus" thing. And yeah, as indicated by the "1999" in the title, this is in fact an archival release of songs the band recorded prior to their Necrophones album, where six of these songs showed up in re-recorded form. But why would we complain about that? While Lungfish have only ever sounded like themselves, the turn of the century found their approach becoming increasingly psychedelic and more "out of time" sounding, and these recordings, rougher fidelity-wise than their proper albums but still clear and upfront, are essential listening for anyone who considers themselves a fan. The feel here is more like a live recording and it really reinforces what an awesome band Lungfish was/is. Higgs is in fine form as always with his mindblowing lyrics and singular vocal delivery while Osborne's trademark cyclical riffing carries these songs forward into new realms. The always killer rhythm section (longtime drummer Mitchell Feldstein and, on these recordings, bassist Nathan Bell) does what only Lungfish could do, with the bass sounding particularly huge here. And goddamn does this stuff rock. But not, ya know, like Kiss or Led Zep... just in that strange Lungfish way. Whatever the future holds (we're still keeping our fingers crossed), this disc surely hits the spot and comes with an unsurprising but wholehearted recommendation.
MPEG Stream: "Symbiosis"
MPEG Stream: "Sex War"
MPEG Stream: "Shapes In Space"

LUNGFISH Feral Hymns (Dischord) cd 11.98
If you're already a fan of Lungfish, you're familiar with their style of song-craft: each track is sort of like one super heavy, distorted riff that's explored and repeated through propulsive, psychedelic rhythms. This formula is still in practice on Feral Hymns, their 11th (!) album, though they've reached a definite "moment"... Dare I gush, but to listen to this album is to be FULLY immersed in the depths of Lungfish.
This is their first album (since their very first) to be recorded outside of the Discord-related studio, Inner Ear. And we definitely think it was a good move!! Not only does it sound great for being engineered by Tim Green at his San Francisco-based Louder Studio, but the temporary homelessness of the band during this process gave their collective creative mind the ability to breathe, to see their songs from inside and out and to fully sculpt the album as a whole and turn it into a very tangible, albeit visceral, expression.
The Balitmore foursome completely deconstruct each song/"riff" down to its essential elements. Following this, they gracefully rebuild, creating impressively engaging, hypnotic tracks that share an incredibly powerful depth. Dan Higgs' rich, throaty vocals proudly wade through these tracks with a force we all know and love but that force is especially intense, often riled up into an enigmatic, abstracted fury.
Although we thought Love Is Love was their heaviest album at its release, Feral Hymns weighs in far heavier, not really in the quantity of its sound but quality of it. This is an album that is so pared down to its most essential and amazing elements that repeated listenings keep rewarding in different ways every time.
Now, Andee really loves their record Necrophones, and Love Is Love (their last) had some definite great moments, including the addictive opening title track, but on Feral Hymns, the thorough exploration into the 'guts' of each song and the album overall, and the slow and meticulously elegant sonic sculpting of the band as a whole, works so so well it totally blows us away. Amazing!!
MPEG Stream: "All Creation Bows"
MPEG Stream: "Picture Music"
MPEG Stream: "Invert The State"

LUNGFISH Feral Hymns (Dischord) lp 11.98
If you're already a fan of Lungfish, you're familiar with their style of song-craft: each track is sort of like one super heavy, distorted riff that's explored and repeated through propulsive, psychedelic rhythms. This formula is still in practice on Feral Hymns, their 11th (!) album, though they've reached a definite "moment"... Dare I gush, but to listen to this album is to be FULLY immersed in the depths of Lungfish.
This is their first album (since their very first) to be recorded outside of the Discord-related studio, Inner Ear. And we definitely think it was a good move!! Not only does it sound great for being engineered by Tim Green at his San Francisco-based Louder Studio, but the temporary homelessness of the band during this process gave their collective creative mind the ability to breathe, to see their songs from inside and out and to fully sculpt the album as a whole and turn it into a very tangible, albeit visceral, expression.
The Balitmore foursome completely deconstruct each song/"riff" down to its essential elements. Following this, they gracefully rebuild, creating impressively engaging, hypnotic tracks that share an incredibly powerful depth. Dan Higgs' rich, throaty vocals proudly wade through these tracks with a force we all know and love but that force is especially intense, often riled up into an enigmatic, abstracted fury.
Although we thought Love Is Love was their heaviest album at its release, Feral Hymns weighs in far heavier, not really in the quantity of its sound but quality of it. This is an album that is so pared down to its most essential and amazing elements that repeated listenings keep rewarding in different ways every time.
Now, Andee really loves their record Necrophones, and Love Is Love (their last) had some definite great moments, including the addictive opening title track, but on Feral Hymns, the thorough exploration into the 'guts' of each song and the album overall, and the slow and meticulously elegant sonic sculpting of the band as a whole, works so so well it totally blows us away. Amazing!!
MPEG Stream: "All Creation Bows"
MPEG Stream: "Picture Music"
MPEG Stream: "Invert The State"

LUNGFISH Love Is Love (Dischord) cd 11.98
Not sure what it is about this Lungfish record in particular, but whatever it is, it got Allan to come up to see what we were listening to. He thought it was some sixties/seventies psychedelic rock band! While there are definitely elements of that, heavy distorted riffs, propulsive rhythms, and Dan Higgs gorgeously rich and throaty vocals, unlike that stuff, Lungfish take those riffs and repeat them endlessly, no verse chorus verse crap, just one riff stretched into a droning hypnotic riffscape for Higgs to proseletyze over. Melodic and hypnotic and so fierce. In fact this might just be the 'heaviest' Lungfish record yet. Actually you should probably just own EVERY Lungfish record. But this is a pretty great one to start with!
MPEG Stream: "Love Is Love"
MPEG Stream: "This World"

LUNGFISH Necrophones (Dischord) cd 11.98

LUNGFISH Pass And Stow (Dischord) cd 12.98
Everyone should know by now that we're HUGE fans of the legendary Baltimore group Lungfish, not to mention their side projects - Zomes, Pupils, and of course all the solo releases from the band's one of a kind singer Daniel Higgs. Even though they're not technically broken up and hold the title of being the longest running Dischord band ever, we haven't heard so much as a note since 2005's Feral Hymns. And no, this isn't a new Lungfish album, but since Dischord has been going through their catalog and remastering their albums to meet today's standards, we figured "why not?" If there's anything the ol' aQ website could use, it's more Lungfish. It's interesting charting this band's career, as they've always channelled a cyclical sound that hasn't really changed too much except that its become more psychedelic and... shamanistic?... over the years. The one constant is that Lungfish have sounded only like Lungfish. Pass And Stow dates back from 1994, at a point where their punk roots were more prominent and they were definitely flirting with a sound that owed a debt to other great Dischord bands like Rites Of Spring, Ignition, Soul Side, and so on. Still, Lungfish stood out. Higgs could never be mistaken for anyone else and Osborne has got to be one of the most underrated guitar players ever. Serving as the perfect anchor are drummer Mitchell Feldstein and, on this release, bassist Jon Chriest. The no-nonsense Lungfish rhythm section may in fact be the band's secret weapon, because their restraint and super solid ability to push things forward are what make this band so uniquely HEAVY. Like, monolithically heavy, in a way other bands simply couldn't understand. Listening to this band now makes it even clearer how unique they were (and are), especially considering other sounds coming out in 1994. Damn we love this band.
MPEG Stream: "Clearer Than Your Surroundings"
MPEG Stream: "Computer"
MPEG Stream: "Astronaut's Prayer"

LUNGFISH Pass And Stow (Dischord) lp 14.98
Everyone should know by now that we're HUGE fans of the legendary Baltimore group Lungfish, not to mention their side projects - Zomes, Pupils, and of course all the solo releases from the band's one of a kind singer Daniel Higgs. Even though they're not technically broken up and hold the title of being the longest running Dischord band ever, we haven't heard so much as a note since 2005's Feral Hymns. And no, this isn't a new Lungfish album, but since Dischord has been going through their catalog and remastering their albums to meet today's standards, we figured "why not?" If there's anything the ol' aQ website could use, it's more Lungfish. It's interesting charting this band's career, as they've always channelled a cyclical sound that hasn't really changed too much except that its become more psychedelic and... shamanistic?... over the years. The one constant is that Lungfish have sounded only like Lungfish. Pass And Stow dates back from 1994, at a point where their punk roots were more prominent and they were definitely flirting with a sound that owed a debt to other great Dischord bands like Rites Of Spring, Ignition, Soul Side, and so on. Still, Lungfish stood out. Higgs could never be mistaken for anyone else and Osborne has got to be one of the most underrated guitar players ever. Serving as the perfect anchor are drummer Mitchell Feldstein and, on this release, bassist Jon Chriest. The no-nonsense Lungfish rhythm section may in fact be the band's secret weapon, because their restraint and super solid ability to push things forward are what make this band so uniquely HEAVY. Like, monolithically heavy, in a way other bands simply couldn't understand. Listening to this band now makes it even clearer how unique they were (and are), especially considering other sounds coming out in 1994. Damn we love this band.
MPEG Stream: "Clearer Than Your Surroundings"
MPEG Stream: "Computer"
MPEG Stream: "Astronaut's Prayer"

LUNGFISH Rainbows from Atoms (Dischord) cd 11.98

LUNGFISH Sound In Time (Dischord) cd 11.98

LUPINE HOWL The Carnivorous Lunar Activities of... (Beggars Banquet) cd 14.98
Three former members of Spiritualized - Sean Cook, Mike Mooney and Damon Reece - regroup to form Lupine Howl. Brit rock imbued with a very similar swirling, space-y, psych sound, heavy soul influence and bombastic grandeur to that of their previous band, but also quite a bit more synthetic and texturally sprawling. Actually Sean Cook's emotive vocals delivery often brings to mind those of Spiritualized's Jason Pierce.
RealAudio clip: "125"
RealAudio clip: "Planet X"

LURIE, JOHN Fishing with John (Strange and Beautiful) cd 15.98
Original music from the cable TV series of fishing shows. Excellent, minimalist stuff from the leader and saxophonist of the Lounge Lizards. Bonus: 2 "field recordings" of Tom Waits.

LURK s/t (Total Rust) cd 12.98
This is the debut release from these Finnish heavies, and is a crushing slab of gloriously abject doomsludge infused with plenty of old school slo-mo death metal crush, the label mentions bands like Coffins, Autopsy, Winter and Celtic Frost, and we're definitely feeling all of those, but we're also hearing plenty of Melvins (especially in the vocals) even some diSEMBOWELMENT, not to mention all those other modern death metal outfits like Disma, Vasaeleth, Vastum, Encoffination and the like. Lurk mix long stretches of droned out ambience, layered guitar buzz and effects drenched thrum, with bursts of churning chugging heaviness, pounding doomic sludge, the drums massive and pummeling, the vocals slipping from a growling guttural howl to a surprisingly melodic bellow (hence the Melvins comparison), there are some surprising melodies too, even some hooks, but they're less noticeable once they've been stretched way out and slowed way down. The songs often fracture into lurching lumbering stop/start workouts, or disappear in squalls of white noise, slipping into near-grooves, before splintering into something much more abstract and dirgey. The closer is the fastest of the bunch, but even then it's still basically a crawl, but when the drums and the riffs fall just right, and the band lock into a serious chunk of blackened chugging sludge, these guys become fucking monstrous, and that sort of sonic power and black hole metallic fury, should have all those other modern death metal outfits looking over their shoulders, and running for their lives.
MPEG Stream: "Soar"
MPEG Stream: "Unfinished"
MPEG Stream: "Deliverance"

LURKER OF CHALICE s/t (Southern Lord) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Although we listed the Lurker Of Chalice cd only three lists ago, since then the old version has sold out and it's been scooped up and reissued by Southern Lord. Same music, slightly different artwork.
For those of you who just skim the list or only read the first few sentences of reviews, let us get your attention real quick. Lurker Of Chalice, in case you didn't realize, is the work of one WREST, aka SF black metal overlord LEVIATHAN. Paying attention now? Good. let's proceed. Lurker Of Chalice has existed in one form or another for several years now, but outside a cassette or two this is the only recorded evidence and man will it blow your mind. Originally conceived as a less black metal, more experimental musical outlet (and possibly inspired by Leviathan / AQ faves Benighted Leams) Lurker Of Chalice is constructed from lots of black metal parts as might be expected, but lot of very un-black metal bits as well: arpeggiated post rock guitars, martial percussion, simple propulsive krautrock rhythms, swirling droning ambience, strange haunting vocals, obscure found sounds and samples, doomy slow motion dirges, reverb drenched, almost sun dappled melodies over creepy warbly soundscapes, warm thick keyboards, heavily strummed steel string guitars, rich throaty crooning, super overblown distorted guitars, all smeared into a warm fuzzed out, dreamy and melancholy, mostly midtempo blackened doomscape. Occasionally, Lurker blasts into full on black metal, like on the second track "Piercing Where They Might", but even in a BM context, things are beautifully way off kilter, rumbling bizarrely affected vocals, dizzying riffs that swirl and slither and make it impossible to focus, huge jangly guitars over miltaristic snare drums and warbly Michael Gira like vocals. So weird. But so perfect. Imagine Leviathan and Benighted Leams and the Swans and Ved Buens Ende, all somehow mixed into some darkly evolving, gothic tinged expanse of moody metallic melancholia. This is maybe the best sounding record Wrest has made which is saying a lot. And it's definitely the weirdest, and most certainly the saddest. The whole record is dripping with intense emotion, minor key and slowly stretching toward some bleak future of broken promise and crushed spirit. From slowly evolving, almost cinematic instrumentals to massive and majestic dirges to woozy effect drenched post rockisms to ultra bleak ballads to damaged black metal crush, Lurker Of Chalice evokes total and utter misery, a musical invocation to the lost and alone, wandering in search of hope, under the suffocating black cloak of night, crushed beneath a starless sky and adrift in a soulless universe, exposing every raw nerve and dark corner of Wrest's twisted musical soul. So fucking good!
MPEG Stream: "Piercing Where They Might"
MPEG Stream: "Spectre As Valkerie Is"
MPEG Stream: "Paramnesia"

LURKER OF CHALICE s/t (Southern Lord) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Lurker Of Chalice, the slightly more twisted alter ego of Leviathan mainman Wrest. This, his one and only album, released in two different cd editions, both out of print for ages, and a 2lp edition, also out of print, has finally been reissued. Now in a deluxe digipak, and much to the chagrin of the folks who bought the cd the first time around, this new cd version includes the previously vinyl only bonus track! So it's time to either finally hear what you've been missing, or suck it up and buy it all over again for that extra track, it's worth it...
Here's our review of the Lurker record when we first listed it in 2005:
For those of you who just skim the list or only read the first few sentences of reviews, let us get your attention real quick. Lurker Of Chalice, in case you didn't realize, is the work of one WREST, aka SF black metal overlord LEVIATHAN. Paying attention now? Good. let's proceed. Lurker Of Chalice has existed in one form or another for several years now, but outside a cassette or two this is the only recorded evidence and man will it blow your mind. Originally conceived as a less black metal, more experimental musical outlet (and possibly inspired by Leviathan / AQ faves Benighted Leams) Lurker Of Chalice is constructed from lots of black metal parts as might be expected, but lot of very un-black metal bits as well: arpeggiated post rock guitars, martial percussion, simple propulsive krautrock rhythms, swirling droning ambience, strange haunting vocals, obscure found sounds and samples, doomy slow motion dirges, reverb drenched, almost sun dappled melodies over creepy warbly soundscapes, warm thick keyboards, heavily strummed steel string guitars, rich throaty crooning, super overblown distorted guitars, all smeared into a warm fuzzed out, dreamy and melancholy, mostly midtempo blackened doomscape. Occasionally, Lurker blasts into full on black metal, like on the second track "Piercing Where They Might", but even in a BM context, things are beautifully way off kilter, rumbling bizarrely affected vocals, dizzying riffs that swirl and slither and make it impossible to focus, huge jangly guitars over militaristic snare drums and warbly Michael Gira like vocals. So weird. But so perfect. Imagine Leviathan and Benighted Leams and the Swans and Ved Buens Ende, all somehow mixed into some darkly evolving, gothic tinged expanse of moody metallic melancholia. This is maybe the best sounding record Wrest has made which is saying a lot. And it's definitely the weirdest, and most certainly the saddest. The whole record is dripping with intense emotion, minor key and slowly stretching toward some bleak future of broken promise and crushed spirit. From slowly evolving, almost cinematic instrumentals to massive and majestic dirges to woozy effect drenched post rockisms to ultra bleak ballads to damaged black metal crush, Lurker Of Chalice evokes total and utter misery, a musical invocation to the lost and alone, wandering in search of hope, under the suffocating black cloak of night, crushed beneath a starless sky and adrift in a soulless universe, exposing every raw nerve and dark corner of Wrest's twisted musical soul. So fucking good!
MPEG Stream: "Piercing Where They Might"
MPEG Stream: "Spectre As Valkerie Is"
MPEG Stream: "Paramnesia"

LURKER OF CHALICE s/t (Southern Lord) 2lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Finally re-pressed, and available again for a limited time, some on black and green swirled vinyl, some on black and blue swirled vinyl (no picking or choosing, it's random). Includes an exclusive track not on the cd. And as it is, the cd versions were limited editions and are now utterly out of print.
For those of you who just skim the list or only read the first few sentences of reviews, let us get your attention real quick. Lurker Of Chalice, in case you didn't realize, is the work of one WREST, aka SF black metal overlord LEVIATHAN. Paying attention now? Good. let's proceed. Lurker Of Chalice has existed in one form or another for several years now, but outside a cassette or two this is the only recorded evidence and man will it blow your mind. Originally conceived as a less black metal, more experimental musical outlet (and possibly inspired by Leviathan / AQ faves Benighted Leams) Lurker Of Chalice is constructed from lots of black metal parts as might be expected, but lot of very un-black metal bits as well: arpeggiated post rock guitars, martial percussion, simple propulsive krautrock rhythms, swirling droning ambience, strange haunting vocals, obscure found sounds and samples, doomy slow motion dirges, reverb drenched, almost sun dappled melodies over creepy warbly soundscapes, warm thick keyboards, heavily strummed steel string guitars, rich throaty crooning, super overblown distorted guitars, all smeared into a warm fuzzed out, dreamy and melancholy, mostly midtempo blackened doomscape. Occasionally, Lurker blasts into full on black metal, like on the second track "Piercing Where They Might", but even in a BM context, things are beautifully way off kilter, rumbling bizarrely affected vocals, dizzying riffs that swirl and slither and make it impossible to focus, huge jangly guitars over miltaristic snare drums and warbly Michael Gira like vocals. So weird. But so perfect. Imagine Leviathan and Benighted Leams and the Swans and Ved Buens Ende, all somehow mixed into some darkly evolving, gothic tinged expanse of moody metallic melancholia. This is maybe the best sounding record Wrest has made which is saying a lot. And it's definitely the weirdest, and most certainly the saddest. The whole record is dripping with intense emotion, minor key and slowly stretching toward some bleak future of broken promise and crushed spirit. From slowly evolving, almost cinematic instrumentals to massive and majestic dirges to woozy effect drenched post rockisms to ultra bleak ballads to damaged black metal crush, Lurker Of Chalice evokes total and utter misery, a musical invocation to the lost and alone, wandering in search of hope, under the suffocating black cloak of night, crushed beneath a starless sky and adrift in a soulless universe, exposing every raw nerve and dark corner of Wrest's twisted musical soul. So fucking good!
MPEG Stream: "Piercing Where They Might"
MPEG Stream: "Spectre As Valkerie Is"
MPEG Stream: "Paramnesia"

LUSCIOUS JACKSON Electric Honey (Capitol/Grand Royal) cd 15.98
Does anybody really care?

LUSCIOUS JACKSON Fever In Fever Out (Grand Royal) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Produced by Daniel Lanois.

LUSIFERIININ ARMOSTA Nuolee (Ektro) cd 14.98
This new release on Ektro, the debut from Lusiferiini Armosta (which means just what exactly??? we forgot to ask, though it sounds like something to do with Lucifer, doesn't it?) is yet another remarkable side project of the already quite prolific Finnish band Circle, featuring featuring Circle leader/bassist Jussi Lehtisalo (here playing guitar and singing) along with a rhythm section comprised of Circle's sound engineer Tuomas Laurila on drums, and Eetu Henttonen on bass. Well as you know we're really into Circle and all the various Circle related bands as well, so the more the merrier we say. And, unlike many recent Circle side projects, such as the Steel Mammoth highlighted last list, this ISN'T another entry in their own burgeoning "NWOFHM" movement (though you might guess otherwise from the t-shirts the trio are wearing in the cd booklet photos: Anvil, Motorhead, and Pharaoh Overlord). Nope, though it's plenty heavy and rockin', this isn't any sort of metal, instead Lusiferiini Armosta are a band inspired by '80s and '90s noise rock and punk, with influences ranging from Flipper to Scratch Acid to Drunks With Guns to the Strangulated Beatoffs to obscure Finnish bands we've never heard of before. They also cite both Pissed Jeans and Polvo, and we can hear those, as well.
The band describe themselves as having "one foot on the throbbing jugular of distorted Finnish rock, the other in the tumble dryer of the noise scene of 1980's New York", that works too. The vocals are all in Finnish (with lyrics printed in the cd booklet we can only puzzle over) and sometimes soar in that monkish chant way that Circle like to do, especially in their earlier days. The first track here, for instance, reminds us of older Circle (circa Meronia) mixed with the more angular attack of something like Lubricated Goat, perhaps. The nine cuts here are all pretty darn catchy, Jussi's singing deep and melodic (when not harsh and guttural), alongside chiming and choppy guitar riffs, poppy but powerful, the whole record heavily infused with feedback whine and chaotic psychedelic guitar soloing, the songs often building into noisy, shoegazing blowouts. We could draw comparisons to both Japan's White Heaven and New York's Television.
Imagine if Circle had somehow moved to NYC, in the '80s, jamming with Sonic Youth, hanging with Unsane, maybe eventually putting out records on AmRep or SST. That's Lusiferiini Armosta. Pretty f'n cool! Jussi & Co. never cease to amaze...
MPEG Stream: "Silmat Meikatut"
MPEG Stream: "Kolme Matalaa"
MPEG Stream: "Kultainen Keinutuoli"

LUSINE Slipthrough (Hymen) 12" 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

LUSSURIA Ghost Entanglement (Hospital) lp 23.00
Debut lp of hauntological drift and cinematic electronic ambience from this mysterious outfit. A single epic exploration, split up over two sides, the sonic equivalent of exploring some strange old house blindfolded, according the the label, but to us it sound more like some sort of subterranean cavern, a seriously abject slice of Cold Meat ambient creep, a hazy hushed drift, lots of low end thrum and whirring shimmer, everything muted and washed out, strange reverbed drips, buried barely audible looped melodies, distant squalls of feedback, the occasional heavily effected pulse, buried rhythms, soft focus melodic swells, what sounds like a passing train off in the distance, this is definite headphone listening. Murky, sinister, blurry, muddy, haunting and disorienting. At one point a childlike music box melody drifts to the surface, but is quickly swallowed up by the final movement, a fantastic sprawl of gorgeous blurred Caretaker-esque crumble. So divinely creepy and harrowingly cinematic.
LIMITED TO 200 COPIES, with paste on covers and a nice printed insert on heavy cardstock.

LUST FOR YOUTH Chasing The Light (Sacred Bones) 12" 12.98
Latest from this Euro synthwave/gloom pop combo, a three song 12", the new track "Chasing The Light", contains everything we loved about the last LFY full length, a buzzy, murky artpunk new wave creep, all pulsing synths and crooned, almost yowled vox, robotic beats fashioned into some sort of Eurodisco glooom/goth synth pop, swirling and psychedelic, a darkly droning electro-pop dirge. That track gets a reworking on the A side, which transforms the song into something a bit more murky and Skinny Puppy sounding, loads of echo and delay, the whole song seemingly being transmitted though a pillow, the beat more industrial, tranced out, droney and super hypnotic.
The flipside is a sidelong sprawl of gloomy, gothy electro, clubbed up just a bit, a more house-y beat driving the proceedings, but the whole thing still muddy and washed out, the various sounds buried beneath all manned of deathrock sonic grime, a gristle soaked electronic doomscape, that definitely reminds us of some of Dominick Fernow's projects, like Christian Cosmos or Vatican Shadow, which is most definitely NOT a bad thing!

LUST FOR YOUTH Growing Seeds (Sacred Bones) cd 14.98
We first heard Euro synthwave combo Lust For Youth on a witch house mixtape of all places, which sort of makes sense, as the sound of most modern minimal wave synth groups is really not that far removed from some witch house. What we heard was buzzy and murky and washed out and yeah, kind of witchy, but it definitely gave us a taste for these guys (now apparently just one guy), and this new full length definitely hits the spot, fusing classic synth driven eighties pop, modern retro minimal synth music, experimental noise, kosmische synthscapery, and pounding EDM beats into something we find ourselves listening to constantly, and something that every time it gets played in the store, someone comes up to see what's playing.
The bulk of the record is made up of buzzy, dark wave synth pop gems, the synths gloriously distorted, wrapped around lilting melodies, and driving rhythms, the vocals drenched in echo and draped over the top. Just check out "Behind Curtains" which adds some post punk swagger to the otherwise moody swirly synth poppiness. "It's You" sounds like deconstructed Depeche Mode, another sprawl of pulsating distorted synths, woozy warble melodies drifting in the background, a definite kraut-wave vibe, motorik and hypnotic, again those vocals, weary and heavily reverbed, soporific incantations over shadowy synth pop.
Then there are tracks like "We Planted A Seed", which mix in some crumbling distorted noise, and unfurl very retro-futuristic sounding Carpenter style eighties chase scene synthscapery, all tense and dark, and slightly sinister. But then right on the heels of a track like that, a track like "Champagne" swoops in, all old school electro pop, but still, just buzzy and dark enough to retain some sonic malevolence. Imagine Breakfast Club recast as some sort of seventies horror art flick, this stuff could definitely be the soundtrack (there's a bit of Goblin going on too needless to say).
But sonically this is most definitely dark synthwave, slipping into something a bit poppier on some tracks, but then something much darker on others, ultimately culminating in the shadowy kraut-wave groove of "We Got Lost" which even manages to channel a little Suicide into the equation, not to mention some eerie sampled screams of terror, before finishing off with the almost M83 sounding "Neon Lights Appear", those wasted vox, the only thing keeping the track from slipping into full blown synth-gaze territory.
MPEG Stream: "Behind Curtains"
MPEG Stream: "We Planted A Seed"
MPEG Stream: "Champagne"
MPEG Stream: "We Got Lost"
MPEG Stream: "Neon Lights Appear"

LUSTER Besides And Other Rarities (self-released) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Luster is a straight-forward indie rock trio from right here in the Bay Area. Their second album Besides And Other Rarities is high spirited and empassioned in a similar vein to early Sleater-Kinney. Check 'em out.