RADIAN Juxtaposition (Thrill Jockey) lp 13.98
Y'know how in subatomic reality, seemingly solid objects aren't solid at all, but filled with empty space interspersed with electrons and protons and such? Radian's music is kind of like that, atomized, spacious, abuzz with crackling energy. We loved the last Radian album, Rec.Extern, and are mighty pleased with this new one, another dose of glitch-happy instrumental post-rock from the Vienna-based trio of Martin Brandlmayr (drums, vibraphone, electronics, computer), Stefan Nemeth (synthesizers, guitar, computer) and John Norman (bass). Yeah that's two computers, and no they're not checking their email, they're integrating their live playing with computer processing and programming droning, rhythmic soundscapes of urgent beats and simmering atmospheres... Imagine the likes of Circle, Salvatore, This Heat, and Village Of Savoonga...all sucked into a computer (kinda like Tron) to do virtual battle... There's a jazz/improv element as well, but rather than rock/jazz fusion this is more like fission, breaking down elements of both musics, and releasing volts of energy in the process. Exciting, beautiful, creative, futuristic.
MPEG Stream: "Shift"
MPEG Stream: "Rapid Eye Movement"

RADIAN Rec.Extern (Thrill Jockey) cd 15.98
Buzz whir click crackle throb. Skittery drums, lovely drone. It's Glitch, but it's Rock. Post rock, anyway. It's the new disc from Radian, the computer-aided instrumental post rock trio from Vienna. Radian have previously released two cds -- a full-length and an ep -- on the Mego and/or Rhiz labels over the past few years. Now they show up with a new full-length on Chicago label Thrill Jockey, enlisting Tortoise's John McEntire on recording/mixing duties. Drummer Martin Brandlmayr lays down the fractured beats, bassist John Norman fills out the pulse, and synthesizer coloration is provided by Stefan Nemeth. And together they use computers to process their real-time playing. Hard disc edits, electronic effects, layered textures, done with a great sense of timing and placement. At times "Rec.Extern" is propulsive and rhythm-driven like a sci-fi This Heat or sliced-up Circle, at others it's atmospheric, the background radiation of a haunted laboratory, with the sounds of burbling beakers and hissing Bunsen burners quietly rising and fading. Sudden silences, sudden sounds. We like it when today's electronic artistes step out from behind their laptops to play real instruments, and Radian falls in line with the likes of Markus Schmickler's Pluramon project and Dean Roberts' "Plays The Grand Cinema" disc on Ritornell as electro-acoustic computers-meet-rock successes. We're also put in mind of the abstract sounds n' silences of Supersilent or Starfuckers (the latter who can be much more 'out' and abrasive than Radian), and recent Dead C. We certainly liked Radian's other releases, but "Rec.Extern" seems to be even better, there's just more to it. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Jet"
RealAudio clip: "Bioadapter"
RealAudio clip: "Etage 3 / Flur"
RealAudio clip: "Ulan"

RADIAN Rec.Extern (Thrill Jockey) lp 11.98
Buzz whir click crackle throb. Skittery drums, lovely drone. It's Glitch, but it's Rock. Post rock, anyway. It's the new disc from Radian, the computer-aided instrumental post rock trio from Vienna. Radian have previously released two cds -- a full-length and an ep -- on the Mego and/or Rhiz labels over the past few years. Now they show up with a new full-length on Chicago label Thrill Jockey, enlisting Tortoise's John McEntire on recording/mixing duties. Drummer Martin Brandlmayr lays down the fractured beats, bassist John Norman fills out the pulse, and synthesizer coloration is provided by Stefan Nemeth. And together they use computers to process their real-time playing. Hard disc edits, electronic effects, layered textures, done with a great sense of timing and placement. At times "Rec.Extern" is propulsive and rhythm-driven like a sci-fi This Heat or sliced-up Circle, at others it's atmospheric, the background radiation of a haunted laboratory, with the sounds of burbling beakers and hissing Bunsen burners quietly rising and fading. Sudden silences, sudden sounds. We like it when today's electronic artistes step out from behind their laptops to play real instruments, and Radian falls in line with the likes of Markus Schmickler's Pluramon project and Dean Roberts' "Plays The Grand Cinema" disc on Ritornell as electro-acoustic computers-meet-rock successes. We're also put in mind of the abstract sounds n' silences of Supersilent or Starfuckers (the latter who can be much more 'out' and abrasive than Radian), and recent Dead C. We certainly liked Radian's other releases, but "Rec.Extern" seems to be even better, there's just more to it. Recommended.

RADIAN TG11 (Mego) cd 16.98

RADIATION 4 Wonderland (Century Media) cd 15.98
This band is in sort of a tough postion. But they brought it on themselves. As with lots of genre-hopping bands, Radiation 4 hop nimbly and deftly between two specific genres, but it just so happens that the two genres in this case, are like cats and dogs. Radiation is heavy. And I mean HEAVY. Able to spew grim shrieking black metal, and pummelling chaotic metalcore like it was second nature. And it is second nature actually, because they also indulge their Faith No More / Mr. Bungle / Mushroomhead, goofy, crooning, proggy nu-metal side quite a bit. Now we all loved Faith No More back in the day, but that goofy over-eclecticism tends to grate a bit. That said, Radiation 4, do both amazingly well, and those facets fit better than you might think. And it helps that this record is so goddamn heavy at points. But it you're unable to handle any Slipknot or Bungle chocolate in your black metal / metalcore peanut butter, you better pass. Otherwise, give it a chance -- Andee ended up loving it.
MPEG Stream: "Silence Fiction"
MPEG Stream: "Tick. Tock. Tick."

RADIGUE, ELIANE Geelriandre - Arthesis (Fringes) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Off the top of my head, I can think of the Monks, Glenn Branca, and Eliane Radigue as some of the musicians who've admitted that their unwitting discovering of feedback profoundly altered their ways of thinking about music. Similar to Eddie Shaw's epiphany about feedback in his biography about the Monks, Radigue's revelation about feedback might warrant religious proportions, given that her meditative compositions led her to become a disciple of Buddhism. It was in the mid-60s, when Radigue was a protege of musique concrete legend Pierre Henry, that Radigue first stumbled across electronic feedback in the studios of INA-GRM. Unfortunately, Henry (with his unwavering insistance on the Modernist superiority of musique concrete) did not share Radigue's enthusiasm and Radigue parted ways to build her own studio that centered around the technologies of the Moog and the Arp synthesizers.
Composed in 1972 and 1973 respectively (though these recordings were made several years later), "Geelriandre" and "Arthesis" represent some of the earliest work of Radigue's maturation as a minimalist. While neither of these pieces appear to use feedback, Radigue's subtle shifting drones within these pieces mirrors the fluttering complexity that a feedback loop (when carefully controlled) can achieve. "Geerlriandre" for prepared piano and Arp synthesizer ripples with a melancholia through a beautiful chorus of tightly oscillating electric drones occasionally punctuated by the sustained yet muffled resonance of the piano. "Arthesis," using the Moog, is a more ominous affair, whirling back and forth between low end frequencies amidst a glacial progression of bleak ambience.
This album isn't only good for historical documentation, but also is an exceptional precursor to the dronological pursuits of current artists like Jonathan Coleclough, Thomas Koner, and Andrew Chalk. Highly recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Geelriandre"
RealAudio clip: "Arthesis"

RADIGUE, ELIANE Kyema, Intermediate States (Edition XI) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

RADIGUE, ELIANE Mila's Journey Inspired By A Dream (Lovely Music) cd 15.98
Accompanying a sustained minimalist drone from an Arp, Eliane Radigue incorporated segments of the Tibetan singing from Lama Kunga Rinpoche and English vocals from Robert Ashley. This is one of her many pieces in the large scale cycle of works based on the life of Tibetan master, Milarepa.

RADIO 4 Electrify (Astralwerks) cd 10.98
New York's Radio 4 receive a heap of remixification on Electrify - transforming the funky, already danceable tunes of this clean cut, mod-ish post-punk band into gothy industrial-dance stomps and more straightforward techno rave-ups. Just like the Astralwerks remix album of The Faint's songs drew much puzzlement from these parts, so does this. Granted the remixers here seem much more aware and respectful of band and their original songs... heck, there's even a remix by The Faint! Includes five versions of "Dance To The Underground" (by The Faint, Playgroup, and hotshit producers DFA), one for "Start A Fire" by Justin Robertson, one for "Struggle" by Adrian Sherwood and Mark Stewart, as well as a video for "D.T.T.U." Although the DFA mix in particular sure is a tasty snakecharmer, as a whole, can't say this is essential. We'd definitely recommend checking out Radio 4's Gotham album first, if you haven't already. Now *that's* plenty exuberant and danceworthy!
MPEG Stream: "Dance To The Underground (The DFA Version)"
MPEG Stream: "Struggle (Adrian Sherwood/Mark Stewart Mutant Disco Vocal Mix)"

RADIO 4 Enemies Like This (Astralwerks) cd 14.98
On Enemies Like This, the Radio 4 boys continue their remarkable hybrid reincarnation of The Clash and Gang Of Four for the hip NYC party set. After the somewhat disappointing last album Stealing Of A Nation back in 2004, they get a little closer to the punchy sound of their 2002 DFA produced album Gotham -- that was a match made in dance-punk heaven. This album was appropriately and deftly produced by Jagz Kooner (who's that?! the producer for sleek dance-rockers Kasabian and Primal Scream), the guitars are full and sinewy, the vocals are sneeringly present with lots of hooky lines, the drums smart like the snap of a tight elastic waistband and the bass maintains a deep dub-inflected grooviness. No, not original, but very catchy and well done.
MPEG Stream: "Too Much To Ask For"
MPEG Stream: "Grass Is Greener"

RADIO 4 Gotham (Gern Blandsten) cd 13.98
If you're expecting the total retro pop catchiness of Radio 4's debut album "The New Song And Dance", you might be a bit disappointed with "Gotham" (as we initially were). That's not to say this is a disappointing album. It's just that after the first song "Our Town" (a great driving pop number that I keep hitting 'repeat' after), things are a bit ... different. In fact, this almost sounds like a completely different band save for the recognizable Joe Jackson/Elvis Costello-ish vocals. It's as if the Radio 4 fellows have been deeply immersed in their Clash albums. Moving more in the direction of such current groups as Outhud or !!! with their funky grooviness. They've expanded their sound and incorporated electronics into the mix to complement their dub-influenced bass lines and jagged guitars. May take a few listens for it to get its less obvious hooks into you. And may trigger you to dance rather than sing along.
RealAudio clip: "Our Town"
RealAudio clip: "Calling All Enthusiasts"
RealAudio clip: "Certain Tragedy"

RADIO 4 Gotham (Gern Blandsten) lp 8.98
If you're expecting the total retro pop catchiness of Radio 4's debut album "The New Song And Dance", you might be a bit disappointed with "Gotham" (as we initially were). That's not to say this is a disappointing album. It's just that after the first song "Our Town" (a great driving pop number that I keep hitting 'repeat' after), things are a bit ... different. In fact, this almost sounds like a completely different band save for the recognizable Joe Jackson/Elvis Costello-ish vocals. It's as if the Radio 4 fellows have been deeply immersed in their Clash albums. Moving more in the direction of such current groups as Outhud or !!! with their funky grooviness. They've expanded their sound and incorporated electronics into the mix to complement their dub-influenced bass lines and jagged guitars. May take a few listens for it to get its less obvious hooks into you. And may trigger you to dance rather than sing along.
RealAudio clip: "Our Town"
RealAudio clip: "Calling All Enthusiasts"
RealAudio clip: "Certain Tragedy"

RADIO 4 Stealing Of A Nation (Astralwerks / City Slang) 2cd 17.98
Pssst, we've discovered the recipe for the new Radio 4 album, and we'll share it with you: Combine 2 cups of The Rapture with 2.5 cups of The Faint. Mix well. Allow to rise for approximately 15 minutes. Add a generous dollop of Oasis, and a smidge of INXS. Aaah, all kidding aside, it does seem to be the pattern for Radio 4 that on each album they end up sounding very much like one of their musical forefathers/heroes (in the past it's been The Clash, Gang Of Four and early Elvis Costello). Heck, their band name is taken from a Public Image Limited song title! Granted they've done this very well, kicking out some really addictive punchy tunes. Their last full length Gotham and its predecessor The New Song And Dance (both on the Gern Blansten label) were filled with sharp songwriting and non-stop good times. Needless to say we were looking forward to this new offering. So, it's somewhat disconcerting that this Brooklyn band now sounds like an edgeless, house-y rehash of a more recent dance punk rehash (i.e, their contemporaries the aforementioned Faint and Rapture). What happened?! Well, for one thing there's the noticeable absence of the hot-shit DFA production crew which could account for some of the changes. All in all, it's alright if you don't listen too hard and just get swept up in the slick dance beat and groovy bassline. The album's thumpin' lead-off track "Party Crashers" has undoubtedly already infested hipster dancefloors across the nation (actually the bonus disc includes a bunch of remixes of this song as well as "Absolute Affirmation", some videos and a making-of-the-album documentary film in QuickTime format). However on closer scrutiny, Stealing Of A Nation sticks to the shallow end and doesn't really inspire repeat listens which is disappointing considering the efforts they seem to have taken to give this album some depth and political gravity. We'd definitely recommend (re)visiting the DFA produced Gotham instead.
MPEG Stream: "Party Crashers"
MPEG Stream: "State Of Alert"

RADIO 4 The New Song And Dance (Gern Blandsten) cd 10.98
It would be sooo easy to simply say "for fans of Elvis Costello...", but let's say more than that. Well done power pop with a lil' bit of emo thrown in the mix. Yes, lots of Costello-esque melodies and vocal inflections as well as some songs that sound like the perkier poppier moments of Joe Jackson. Seriously, when this release was played in the store, a customer even mistook it for some old lost Costello tapes. Really. Good though.

RADIO BERLIN Sibling (Love & Romance) cd 14.98
Hailing from Vancouver, BC, are these synth-pop youngsters. An almost eery rendering of the late '80s synth-wave sound (when these boys were mere tots). Think "Hanging Garden"-period Cure or Echo and the Bunnymen around the time of "The Cutter". Dark, mournful and moody.

RADIO BERLIN The Selection Drone (Your Best `Guess) cd 13.98
Radio Berlin's new full length is a much tighter and more propulsive effort than their promising debut album "Sibling", but still retains the swirling, sirening synth and guitar sounds and lamenting, angstful vocals popularized in the early '80s by British bands like The Cure, Siouxsie & the Banshees or Echo And The Bunnymen. These Vancouver lads execute this style well with a youthful verve. So, now that they've polished up their performance, if they could shift their focus to bringing something new of themselves to this picture, things might get considerably more interesting, but in the meantime, if your itchin' for the O.G., you just might want to head for The Cure's "Pornography".
RealAudio clip: "Selection Drone"

RADIO BIRDMAN The Essential (1974-1978) (Sub Pop) cd 15.98
Thank you, Sub Pop! It's about time these classic Radio Birdman tracks got a decent Stateside reissue -- this their first in over 20 years! One can always quibble with "best ofs" but this really IS pretty much the essentials: at 22 tracks, 70 minutes, it's also pretty much all they could fit on the disc! (Although I still think their version of "TV Eye" could have been squeezed on here, oh well). So what's this we're talking about here brother? Hi-octane Motor City madness from Down Under! Yes, Radio Birdman were the mid-'70s Australian re-incarnation of the MC5 and The Stooges, lead by Detroit-transplant Deniz Tek (guitarist, songwriter, and later a fighter pilot and doctor!), and damn were they good. Being half a world away and several years removed from Detroit ground zero, Birdman's homage to their proto-punk Grande Ballroom heroes was no rip-off, their surf-guitar licks being but one point of departure (one song's even an ode to the tv show Hawaii 5-0). Other influences range from the Stones to the Velvets to Alice Cooper. Legends in Australia, they're more like an obscure rock footnote over here, but once you're into 'em, you'll be really into 'em! This reissue takes tracks from their sparse discography (almost everything from the Radios Appear LP and quite a lot of the Living Eyes LP, plus nearly all the tracks from the Burn My Eye ep and the More Fun live ep) and packages 'em up with lots of photos/fliers and enthused and detailed liner notes from David Fricke (did you know that Aussie grunge-teens Silverchair did a cover of "New Race" with Tek on guitar?!). Previously available only to those who bothered to track down the hard-to-get imports, now all the excitement, darkness, and rock action of Radio Birdman is easily available to all. Avail yourself!
RealAudio clip: "Alone In The Endzone"
RealAudio clip: "I-94"
RealAudio clip: "Murder City Nights"

RADIO BIRDMAN Zeno Beach (Yep Roc) cd 15.98
Comeback reunion album from this seminal '70s Australian punk outfit. Not bad, definitely better than The Weirdness!

RADIO, AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE comic 4.50
Jessica Abel, whom you may know from her comic Artbabe, here does an entire comic devoted to a behind the scenes look at the lauded public radio show "This American Life". Insightful. Actually works well as a how-to guide for structuring radio shows, i.e. what makes a good interview, how to edit, how to get yerself onto public radio, etc.

RADIO/GUITAR Thrum (Table Of The Elements) 12" 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Yet another installment of Table Of The Elements massive Lanthinides anniversary series of single sided silkscreened 12"s, this time, from the duo of Barbara Ess and Peggy Awesh, known collectively as Radio / Guitar. I remember hearing a record of theirs a while back, but I certainly don't remember it being as good as this! The first half is a dreamy and otherworldly murkscape of muted guitar, simply strummed with a creepy out of tune Jandek-ian warble, buried beneath a swirling fog of radio static, modulated shortwave, an all manner of transmitter interference, fuzz, hiss and beeps. Occasionally the whole thing locks into an absolutely mesmerising Philip Jeck style loop, all fuzzy and grey. The second half begins as a much noisier affair: radio broadcast snippets and a thick wash of grainy sonic detritus, throbbing and reverberating, while barely-there melodies swell underneath desperately trying to break the surface. This chaos solidifies into a rhythmic pulse, droning and beating, but eventually settling into a rough repeating loop of scratchy radiofuzz, stuttering glitches and melancholy melodies materialising from the ether. Swirling white cloud like formations silkscreened on clear vinyl. Nice!

RADIOHEAD Amnesiac (Capitol) cd 16.98
The highly anticipated companion album to "Kid A", "Amnesiac" should not disappoint those who picked up last year's release. Many are sure to write this one off as "more of the same" and to be sure, the production quality, as well as the electronica laden songs put this record neatly in the same ballpark as "Kid A." A common misconception about this record, at least around here, was that this record would be the album with all the "hits" that were "left off" of the previous release. Whether that was wishful thinking on the part of those who felt let down by "Kid A" or not, we're not sure. But you definitely won't find anything resembling a "Creep", "High & Dry" or "Fake Plastic Trees" on this record: nothing here is very radio friendly. And having said that, why is it that we still can't resist playing it over and over? Allan, in all seriousness, had even suggested limiting its play in store (at least while he's working) so that he doesn't become sick of it and no longer wants to hear it at home. While "Kid A" found Radiohead handling the studio-as-instrument process with occasional clumsiness, the group is far more comfortable with their self-assigned role as sonic innovators on "Amnesiac." The ability to balance all the really cool tricknological effects from the studio process and the immediate aural drama of a pop song is much harder than it might seem. My Bloody Valentine's follow-up to the groundbreaking album "Loveless" is now a decade overdue, and Tortoise's once promising amalgamation of indie-rock, dub, and jazz now stumbles aimlessly in Chick Corea territory.
On "Amnesiac" as on "Kid A," Radiohead finds inspiration in electronica, especially the hard-disk crunch of Lesser or Kid 606, and the slippages of melody and rhythm that occur in minimalist techno where there is no bridge, chorus, verse structure, only modulations and transformations of a sequence of leitmotifs. When applying electronica to their pop sensibility, Radiohead do not lace a pre-existing pop song with a slinky house groove; rather they write a pop song as if it were electronica. Thom Yorke's vocals meander through each of the tracks as if some piece of granular synthesis found on Chain Reaction. Which isn't to say that Radiohead are simply jumping on the electronica bandwagon. With "Amnesiac" Radiohead use the studio and its limitless resources to do much more; like emulating an early jazz vocalist like Billy Holiday in "You And Whose Army?", or including a seemingly incongruous New Orleans-esque drunken horn section at the end of the album for "Life In Glass Houses." As always, totally breathtaking.
RealAudio clip: "Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box"
RealAudio clip: "You And Whose Army?"
RealAudio clip: "Knives Out"

RADIOHEAD Amnesiac (Capitol) 2x10" 29.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The highly anticipated companion album to "Kid A", "Amnesiac" should not disappoint those who picked up last year's release. Many are sure to write this one off as "more of the same" and to be sure, the production quality, as well as the electronica laden songs put this record neatly in the same ballpark as "Kid A." A common misconception about this record, at least around here, was that this record would be the album with all the "hits" that were "left off" of the previous release. Whether that was wishful thinking on the part of those who felt let down by "Kid A" or not, we're not sure. But you definitely won't find anything resembling a "Creep", "High & Dry" or "Fake Plastic Trees" on this record: nothing here is very radio friendly. And having said that, why is it that we still can't resist playing it over and over? Allan, in all seriousness, had even suggested limiting its play in store (at least while he's working) so that he doesn't become sick of it and no longer wants to hear it at home. While "Kid A" found Radiohead handling the studio-as-instrument process with occasional clumsiness, the group is far more comfortable with their self-assigned role as sonic innovators on "Amnesiac." The ability to balance all the really cool tricknological effects from the studio process and the immediate aural drama of a pop song is much harder than it might seem. My Bloody Valentine's follow-up to the groundbreaking album "Loveless" is now a decade overdue, and Tortoise's once promising amalgamation of indie-rock, dub, and jazz now stumbles aimlessly in Chick Corea territory.
On "Amnesiac" as on "Kid A," Radiohead finds inspiration in electronica, especially the hard-disk crunch of Lesser or Kid 606, and the slippages of melody and rhythm that occur in minimalist techno where there is no bridge, chorus, verse structure, only modulations and transformations of a sequence of leitmotifs. When applying electronica to their pop sensibility, Radiohead do not lace a pre-existing pop song with a slinky house groove; rather they write a pop song as if it were electronica. Thom Yorke's vocals meander through each of the tracks as if some piece of granular synthesis found on Chain Reaction. Which isn't to say that Radiohead are simply jumping on the electronica bandwagon. With "Amnesiac" Radiohead use the studio and its limitless resources to do much more; like emulating an early jazz vocalist like Billy Holiday in "You And Whose Army?", or including a seemingly incongruous New Orleans-esque drunken horn section at the end of the album for "Life In Glass Houses." As always, totally breathtaking.

RADIOHEAD Bends, The (Capitol) cd 16.98

RADIOHEAD Com Lag: 2plus2isfive (Capitol) cd 17.98
We are often jealous of how much cool stuff there is in Japan, they even got a Radiohead record a few years ago that wasn't available here in the states...until now. Com Lag is a collection of b-sides, remixes (by Christian Vogel and Four Tet!) and live tracks recorded around the time of Hail To The Thief. While we all wait with giddy anticipation for the next Radiohead album (hurry up guys it's been 4 years!!!) this has been giving us a nice Radiohead fix. It's easy to forget that when it comes right down to it, these guys are just a totally great band who also just so happen to be quite popular and famous. A must have for all Radiohead fans!
MPEG Stream: "Skttrbrain (Four Tet Remix)"
MPEG Stream: "I Am A Wicked Child"

RADIOHEAD Hail To the Thief (Capitol) cd 17.98
What needs to be said about the new Radiohead? One of the few bands that manages to captivate the avant garde as well as having massive pop/MTV appeal. Most of you already want this anyway. Or already have it. And you should. Because it's great.
Seems like now that Radiohead have gone through all the different 'rock' stages, typical angst filled rock band, experimental critical darlings, electronic/rock avantgarde hybrid whatever, they're now ready to settle down and make music simply because they love making music. And write songs. Songs that can be played by a rock band and that don't need a million dollars and a bank of computers to sound the way they're supposed to. Allan thinks it sounds like a mix of the "new" electric Radiohead and the old rock Radiohead which pretty much sums it up. I think it's pretty much unanimous around here. A great new record from one of our favorite bands, with enough experimental bits to keep it interesting, but enough good songwriting to even lure back some of you folks who jumped ship in search of less challenging fare after The Bends.
Now for Byram's two cents on a related subject:
You know by the time this record came out I'd pretty much gotten sick of it by listening to the supposed "rough mixes" that had been floating around the web these past several months. And while I was thoroughly familiar with the album by its official release date, sucker that I am, I picked it up anyway and will continue to listen to it at home. It's a testament to the fact that it's not filesharing that's destroying the music industry (remember home taping?) but shitty record labels putting out crappy new albums (Madonna, Creed et al) and expecting us all to pay top dollar to boot. And if file sharing is indeed hampering sales, then once you factor in that loss, then I bet you Hail To The Thief's total for its first week would have most certainly topped Metallica's phenomenal totals.
MPEG Stream: "2 + 2 = 5"
MPEG Stream: "We Suck Young Blood"
MPEG Stream: "A Punch-Up At A Wedding"

RADIOHEAD Hail To the Thief (Special Edition) (Capitol) cd 19.98
Special wallet/poster version. Dunno if it's really any better than the jewel case one, but it says "Special Edition" right on it, and it's VERY LIMITED. In fact, we might not have any by Saturday night! (So if you order this one and they're gone, we'll just send you the regular unless you specify not to.)
What needs to be said about the new Radiohead? One of the few bands that manages to captivate the avant garde as well as having massive pop/MTV appeal. Most of you already want this anyway. Or already have it. And you should. Because it's great.
Seems like now that Radiohead have gone through all the different 'rock' stages, typical angst filled rock band, experimental critical darlings, electronic/rock avantgarde hybrid whatever, they're now ready to settle down and make music simply because they love making music. And write songs. Songs that can be played by a rock band and that don't need a million dollars and a bank of computers to sound the way they're supposed to. Allan thinks it sounds like a mix of the "new" electric Radiohead and the old rock Radiohead which pretty much sums it up. I think it's pretty much unanimous around here. A great new record from one of our favorite bands, with enough experimental bits to keep it interesting, but enough good songwriting to even lure back some of you folks who jumped ship in search of less challenging fare after The Bends.
Now for Byram's two cents on a related subject:
You know by the time this record came out I'd pretty much gotten sick of it by listening to the supposed "rough mixes" that had been floating around the web these past several months. And while I was thoroughly familiar with the album by its official release date, sucker that I am, I picked it up anyway and will continue to listen to it at home. It's a testament to the fact that it's not filesharing that's destroying the music industry (remember home taping?) but shitty record labels putting out crappy new albums (Madonna, Creed et al) and expecting us all to pay top dollar to boot. And if file sharing is indeed hampering sales, then once you factor in that loss, then I bet you Hail To The Thief's total for its first week would have most certainly topped Metallica's phenomenal totals.
MPEG Stream: "2 + 2 = 5"
MPEG Stream: "We Suck Young Blood"
MPEG Stream: "A Punch-Up At A Wedding"

RADIOHEAD I Might Be Wrong (EMI) cd 14.98
First ever live record from Radiohead, and for a person who typically hates live records, I ended up liking this quite a bit. Radiohead tend to mix it up live quite a bit, re-arranging songs, playing them all slow and stretched out, rocking out a bit more, unfortunately, there's not too much of that on this disc. A lot of the songs -do- rock harder, but I think that's just a function of Radiohead's live energy more than some preconceived plan. Of course, the main attraction here is the previously unreleased track 'True Love Waits', which is pretty good, but I imagine Radiohead fans won't want to be caught without this anyway.
RealAudio clip: "The National Anthem"
RealAudio clip: "True Love Waits"

RADIOHEAD In Rainbows (TBD) cd 14.98
Never before has a record been so completely overshadowed by it's delivery method. Unless you've been living under a rock for the last year, you no doubt have read or heard about Radiohead, offering their album for download, at any price the customer deemed appropriate, whether it be $20 or nothing at all. Needless to say, this sort of thing can't really be pulled off unless you're one of the biggest bands in the world, but since Radiohead ARE, it seemed to be an unmitigated success. They haven't revealed how many copies they sold, or what the average price paid was, but it's probably safe to assume, they made out okay.
And then there are the Radiohead fans who don't like downloads, and who want every bit of music that they can get, and thus shelled out $80 for the deluxe double lp, double cd set, with a whole extra cd of outtakes and unreleased tracks (at least one aQ-er did! As did lots of aQ customers). We personally thought, for a band like that, it almost would have been cooler to NOT release an MP3 version, have it ONLY available in stores. After all, without indie stores they wouldn't have been where they are today. People are so worried about record sales, imagine if a handful of bands skipped the online release entirely, and you HAD to buy it in an actual store. Sure, we're sort of biased, but hell, we love records and cds and tapes, and even if we didn't have a store, we'd feel exactly the same way.
Well, look at that, we were just talking about how everything BUT the music on the new Radiohead has been discussed to death, and we go and spend the first half of our review doing the very same thing...
Anyway, now available on cd, and as a regular lp, Radiohead's latest, in case you haven't heard it in one way or another, is actually really quite good. Not immediately experimental, and a bit more rocking, with lots of fan favorites that have been in the works for years, the sound reminds us a lot of Hail To The Thief, but with definite nods to Kid A and Kid B (Amnesiac), it's hard to imagine these guys making a BAD record. They have such a distinct sound, and such a way with sonics, and melody, whether rocking furiously, or drifting dreamily. And In Rainbows covers pretty much all the bases, the opener, "15 Step", begins with an Autchre-ish electronic skitter, but then in comes Thom Yorke's falsetto croon, and soon the band is shuffling through swirling guitar melodies and children's voices, strange FX and dubbed out drums. "Bodysnatchers" is a serious rocker, and is one of the oldest songs here (we think), with a killer crunchy riff, distorted bass, a very motorik Neu!-like rhythm, and big chiming U2 like guitars. "Nude" is a hushed whispery ballad, but just weird enough to stay interesting, a haunting high end drift, with a super gorgeous vocal line. The rest of the record seems to slip back and forth, from rock to ballad, from swoonsome epic crashing bombast, to hushed intimate whisper. Finishing off with the amazing "Videotape", a slow soft piano dirge, with another delicate and haunting vocal melody, but underpinned with some weird muted electronic drum loop, the whole thing so hypnotic and repetitive and dreamlike.
But who the heck needs to review a Radiohead record anyway? Especially this one. If you didn't download it, you're probably already gonna buy the cd or lp. And in fact, we bet half the people who downloaded it are also gonna buy the physical version. Radiohead are one of the few bands with such a crazy universal appeal, regular folks dig 'em, indie rockers of course, lots of metalheads do too, and loads of 'experimental' and 'avant' music lovers like them as well. Which makes sense, cuz, hell, they're a great band, they write great songs, they're not afraid to experiment and take regular songs and twist them all up, and this is just another great Radiohead record.
Comes in cool 'green' packaging, designed so you can take the various parts and stickers and stick them in a RECYCLED jewel case and voila!
MPEG Stream: "15 Steps"
MPEG Stream: "Bodysnatchers"

RADIOHEAD In Rainbows (TBD) lp 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Never before has a record been so completely overshadowed by it's delivery method. Unless you've been living under a rock for the last year, you no doubt have read or heard about Radiohead, offering their album for download, at any price the customer deemed appropriate, whether it be $20 or nothing at all. Needless to say, this sort of thing can't really be pulled off unless you're one of the biggest bands in the world, but since Radiohead ARE, it seemed to be an unmitigated success. They haven't revealed how many copies they sold, or what the average price paid was, but it's probably safe to assume, they made out okay.
And then there are the Radiohead fans who don't like downloads, and who want every bit of music that they can get, and thus shelled out $80 for the deluxe double lp, double cd set, with a whole extra cd of outtakes and unreleased tracks (at least one aQ-er did! As did lots of aQ customers). We personally thought, for a band like that, it almost would have been cooler to NOT release an MP3 version, have it ONLY available in stores. After all, without indie stores they wouldn't have been where they are today. People are so worried about record sales, imagine if a handful of bands skipped the online release entirely, and you HAD to buy it in an actual store. Sure, we're sort of biased, but hell, we love records and cds and tapes, and even if we didn't have a store, we'd feel exactly the same way.
Well, look at that, we were just talking about how everything BUT the music on the new Radiohead has been discussed to death, and we go and spend the first half of our review doing the very same thing...
Anyway, now available on cd, and as a regular lp, Radiohead's latest, in case you haven't heard it in one way or another, is actually really quite good. Not immediately experimental, and a bit more rocking, with lots of fan favorites that have been in the works for years, the sound reminds us a lot of Hail To The Thief, but with definite nods to Kid A and Kid B (Amnesiac), it's hard to imagine these guys making a BAD record. They have such a distinct sound, and such a way with sonics, and melody, whether rocking furiously, or drifting dreamily. And In Rainbows covers pretty much all the bases, the opener, "15 Step", begins with an Autchre-ish electronic skitter, but then in comes Thom Yorke's falsetto croon, and soon the band is shuffling through swirling guitar melodies and children's voices, strange FX and dubbed out drums. "Bodysnatchers" is a serious rocker, and is one of the oldest songs here (we think), with a killer crunchy riff, distorted bass, a very motorik Neu!-like rhythm, and big chiming U2 like guitars. "Nude" is a hushed whispery ballad, but just weird enough to stay interesting, a haunting high end drift, with a super gorgeous vocal line. The rest of the record seems to slip back and forth, from rock to ballad, from swoonsome epic crashing bombast, to hushed intimate whisper. Finishing off with the amazing "Videotape", a slow soft piano dirge, with another delicate and haunting vocal melody, but underpinned with some weird muted electronic drum loop, the whole thing so hypnotic and repetitive and dreamlike.
But who the heck needs to review a Radiohead record anyway? Especially this one. If you didn't download it, you're probably already gonna buy the cd or lp. And in fact, we bet half the people who downloaded it are also gonna buy the physical version. Radiohead are one of the few bands with such a crazy universal appeal, regular folks dig 'em, indie rockers of course, lots of metalheads do too, and loads of 'experimental' and 'avant' music lovers like them as well. Which makes sense, cuz, hell, they're a great band, they write great songs, they're not afraid to experiment and take regular songs and twist them all up, and this is just another great Radiohead record.
Comes in cool 'green' packaging, designed so you can take the various parts and stickers and stick them in a RECYCLED jewel case and voila!
MPEG Stream: "15 Steps"
MPEG Stream: "Bodysnatchers"

RADIOHEAD Itch (EMI) cd 22.00
Collection of rarites and live stuff. Contains "Stop Whispering" (U.S. version), "Thinking About You", "Faithless, The Wonder Boy", "Banana Co.", "Killer Cars" (Live), "Vegetable" (Live), "You" (Live), and "Creep" (acoustic).

RADIOHEAD Kid A (Capitol) cd 16.98
Radiohead is a band whose mythology has gotten much bigger than they are. The pop giants have steered their fate from being one hit wonders to being the elegant masters of balancing full albums with excess and economy. Like all great artists, Radiohead understands that a key tenet of the artistic process is the necessity of risk-taking. And "Kid A" is an album full of risks. It is also the album that has the unfortunate burden of needing to follow up "OK Computer" -- one of the few records on which a band has managed to perfectly realize all of their intended musical ideas.
The success and failure of the risk taking on "Kid A" is measured by the lack of Radiohead's big melodic hooks which have been replaced by rolling electronica laced grooves, Rhodes organ drone chords, and a generally gorgeous production. Radiohead has wanted to create an album full of exquisite details that are supposed to draw the listener into the record to discover all of the tiny sonic jewels that are so effectively hidden throughout. But without the pop hook, Radiohead hasn't anything else in their repetoire to seduce the listener into the rich production. As a result, the band has made a nice record... one that may inevitably grow on you, but one that is far from genius. With that said, we have to commend Radiohead for their experimental spirit.

RADIOHEAD Kid A (Capitol) cd 16.98
This is it, the limited edition packaging of "Kid A". Radiohead is a band whose mythology has gotten much bigger than they are. The pop giants have steered their fate from being one hit wonders to being the elegant masters of balancing full albums with excess and economy. Like all great artists, Radiohead understands that a key tenet of the artistic process is the necessity of risk-taking. And "Kid A" is an album full of risks. It is also the album that has the unfortunate burden of needing to follow up "OK Computer" -- one of the few records on which a band has managed to perfectly realize all of their intended musical ideas.
The success and failure of the risk taking on "Kid A" is measured by the lack of Radiohead's big melodic hooks which have been replaced by rolling electronica laced grooves, Rhodes organ drone chords, and a generally gorgeous production. Radiohead has wanted to create an album full of exquisite details that are supposed to draw the listener into the record to discover all of the tiny sonic jewels that are so effectively hidden throughout. But without the pop hook, Radiohead hasn't anything else in their repetoire to seduce the listener into the rich production. As a result, the band has made a nice record... one that may inevitably grow on you, but one that is far from genius. With that said, we have to commend Radiohead for their experimental spirit.

RADIOHEAD Kid A (book version) (Capitol / EMI) cd 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Limited edition version of Kid A. Comes packaged in a booklet by Stanley and Tchock.

RADIOHEAD Kid A - Limited Edition (book) (Capitol) cd 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is it, the limited edition packaging of "Kid A". Radiohead is a band whose mythology has gotten much bigger than they are. The pop giants have steered their fate from being one hit wonders to being the elegant masters of balancing full albums with excess and economy. Like all great artists, Radiohead understands that a key tenet of the artistic process is the necessity of risk-taking. And "Kid A" is an album full of risks. It is also the album that has the unfortunate burden of needing to follow up "OK Computer" -- one of the few records on which a band has managed to perfectly realize all of their intended musical ideas.
The success and failure of the risk taking on "Kid A" is measured by the lack of Radiohead's big melodic hooks which have been replaced by rolling electronica laced grooves, Rhodes organ drone chords, and a generally gorgeous production. Radiohead has wanted to create an album full of exquisite details that are supposed to draw the listener into the record to discover all of the tiny sonic jewels that are so effectively hidden throughout. But without the pop hook, Radiohead hasn't anything else in their repetoire to seduce the listener into the rich production. As a result, the band has made a nice record... one that may inevitably grow on you, but one that is far from genius. With that said, we have to commend Radiohead for their experimental spirit.

RADIOHEAD Knives Out (part 1) (EMI) cd ep 11.98

RADIOHEAD OK Computer (Capitol) cd 14.98
Wow! Do NOT (as I did for years) write off this English band as bad alterna-rockers. This is a KILLER album, conceptual in scope, consistent in quality and yet each song has an element that sets it apart from the others. Like JEFF BUCKLEY FRONTING QUEEN (all you who lament not hearing another of Jeff's albums, try this one) with elements of Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, and U2, we kid you not. Highly highly recommended.

RADIOMOBEL Tramsebox (Transubstans Records) cd 14.98
In addition to the various Silence label restocks we've listed in the past month or so (Algarnas Tradgard, International Harvester, Harvester, and Trad Gras Och Stenar) we've got another, first-time reissue of "Scandinavian krautrock" for y'all. Radiomobel ("radio furniture") were an enthusiastic, if amateur, band of teenagers coming along a few years after the aforementioned acts, circa 1975, operating in a similar psych-prog space... Basement-recorded with minimal equipment (much of it home-built), the languorous songs found on Radiomobel's rare (100 copies pressed) private-label debut LP feature lots of rhythmic chug, meandering acid rock guitar leads, and chant-like vocals. Tramsebox is often gentle, but also capable of bearing down and getting heavy, always with a similar stoned vibe to the Trad Gras Och Stenar stuff... of course, this is something for those who already have explored all those great bands mentioned above and want more of that sound, just like these guys did (or should we say, still do, as it seems they were more-or-less active thru 'til the '90s and maybe even today!).
MPEG Stream: "Vl Hater Stenar"
MPEG Stream: "Three Miles"

RADIOPUHELIMET Hiljaista (Bad Vugum) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
After five albums on Scandivanian majors (hey, Refused have found their way on the Swedish majors), Radiopuhelimet return to their original label - Bad Vuguum - for their latest album, that maintains their well established razor sharp double guitar fire and imaginative rhythmic attacks. See Rapeman or Jesus Lizard for more sane stateside comparisons.

RADIOSONDE Meter Sickness (Ground Fault) cd 7.98
An action packed album on which Esplendor Geometrico-styled chunky rhythms crash against antique samples of ragtime piano and organ drone. Sorta like a more 'industrial' version of digital pranksters V/VM.

RADIOSONDE Somnambul (7hz) cd 7.98
White hot drones of amplified electric motors and distortion feedback build, shift and scrape. Not unlike the work of experimentalist John Duncan.

RADIUS Please Hold On (self-released) cd-r 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Radius is the new collaboration between Mr. Mark Edwards and Mr. Jeff Ray (also of SF band Zmrzlina and one of the main organizers of the Mission Creek Music Festival). This cd-r features nine pretty acoustic folk songs laced with some very subtle electronics. Quite akin to N. Lannon... actually we put this on right after playing Lannon's Chemical Friends album and they fit together almost seamlessly. Very nice!
MPEG Stream: "Apartment"
MPEG Stream: "Early Morning"

RAEKWON The Lex Diamond Story (Universal) cd 15.98

RAG I RYGGEN s/t (Transubstans) cd 17.98
A heavy, hard rocking Dungen? From actually back in the day? That's kind of what this newly reissued (first time on cd) Swedish hard rock rarity sounds like. Recorded in 1975 by a teenage band with big league chops, equipment, and ambition, the sole album from Rag I Ryggen (Strength And Courage, in English) is what collectors/dealers like to term a "fuzz monster". And it is full of that fuzz we love. The Rag I Ryggen boys were basically trying to be Sweden's answer to Deep Purple and Uriah Heep. And while they've got all the guitar heroics, heavy riffs, and Hammond organ action required, they're a heck of a lot more Swedish sounding, in part 'cause they sing in Swedish (and sometimes English too, on such tracks as "Queen Of Darkness") and also because they bring in a lot of folkiness on tracks like "Jan Banan" that remind us of bands like Kebnekajse. It's very rockin' mix of melody, folkiness, Moog-ed symphonic prog bombast and '70s heaviness. What's not to like? And this reish comes with three live bonus tracks, detailed liner notes, etc. Nice.
MPEG Stream: "Det Kan Val Inte Varta Farligt"
MPEG Stream: "Sanningsserum"

RAGAB, SALAH & THE CAIRO JAZZ BAND Presents Egyptian Jazz (Art Yard) lp 25.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now available on vinyl!
Wow! What an artifact. Here's some Egyptian jazz from the late '60s-early '70s courtesy of of the man who founded the first jazz big band in Egypt and later accompanied Sun Ra on tour in Egypt, Greece, France and Spain. We're pretty sure you must be damn curious by now, so we should tell you that beyond those enticing facts this is some seriously fine jazz played by a band made up of some of the best musicians in Egypt during that era. Five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones, piano, bass, drums and percussion all coming together to form a super rich and tasty sound. Incorporating Middle Eastern melodies and mystique into its sound, this is the kind of jazz that's pretty impossible not to fall for. Like the best instrumental Ethiopiques tracks, Sun Ra's big-band era and Randy Weston's multicultural approach to hard bop. Incredibly pleasing!
MPEG Stream: "Dawn"
MPEG Stream: "Oriental Mood"

RAGAB, SALAH AND THE CAIRO JAZZ BAND ...Present Egyptian Jazz (Art Yard) cd 23.00
REPRESSED, BACK IN STOCK!
Wow! What an artifact. Here's some Egyptian jazz from the late '60s-early '70s courtesy of of the man who founded the first jazz big band in Egypt and later accompanied Sun Ra on tour in Egypt, Greece, France and Spain. We're pretty sure you must be damn curious by now, so we should tell you that beyond those enticing facts this is some seriously fine jazz played by a band made up of some of the best musicians in Egypt during that era. Five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones, piano, bass, drums and percussion all coming together to form a super rich and tasty sound. Incorporating Middle Eastern melodies and mystique into its sound, this is the kind of jazz that's pretty impossible not to fall for. Like the best instrumental Ethiopiques tracks, Sun Ra's big-band era and Randy Weston's multicultural approach to hard bop. Incredibly pleasing!
MPEG Stream: "Dawn"
MPEG Stream: "Oriental Mood"

RAGGA TWINS Ragga Twins Step Up (Soul Jazz) 2cd 25.00
We first heard UK duo The Ragga Twins on the amazing Rumble In The Jungle compilation which we made our Record Of The Week back in early 2007. One of the first bands, in the early '90s, to combine the grooves and the toasting of reggae and dancehall with hip hop breakbeats, and essentially creating jungle, which as any avid reader of the aQ list knows, we absolutely LOVE. 
The Ragga Twins began life right in the midst of the blossoming rave scene which makes it a bit surprising that folks got so it. But get into it they did. Along with a handful of other underground groups, the Ragga Twins helped launch a British music movement that continues to this day, as Jungle would spawn drum and bass, which would mutate into garage, techstep, 2step, and eventually grime and dubstep. Even at its very genesis, this stuff was practically perfect, funky, and loose, groovy and aggressive, totally irresistible, big beats, loping hip hop rhythms, sped up breakbeats, the music skeletal, simple loops, all about the vocals, a rapid fire dancehall toasting, delivered in a raw bark, while the beat pounded away beneath. Some of the tracks definitely display some of the surrounding rave culture, fuzzy synths, sweeping strings, bits of techno, but for the most part, this stuff is fierce and funky dancehall jungle, the sort of stuff that The Bug is giving a modern spin. 
Take "Ragga Trip" with its seventies cop show groove, and squelchy synths, the toasting is incredible, rough and raw, and impossibly catchy. Or "Illegal Gunshot", with it's playful marimba melody, and skittery beat. And again, incredible vocals. Then "Spliffhead", with a reggae croon that ends up making it sound almost like Bad Brains at their most reggae. "Rudeboy" wraps techno synths and wailing sirens around a rolling breakbeat, the toasting and crooned vocals, and reggae guitar reeling it back in and keeping it from getting too ravey, while "Juggling" totally evokes eighties hip hop (especially Black Sheep) but it could just be THAT breakbeat. The second disc features older tracks, including a couple from the pre-Ragga Twins Deman Rockers, the older tracks are a bit ravier, or a bit more reggae sounding, but even then, the tracks are still pretty kick ass. 
Definitely essential listening for folks into jungle and drum and bass, who loved that Rumble In The Jungle comp, and who dig all that Bug stuff, this is where it all started!
Like all Soul Jazz stuff, gorgeous packaging, tons of vintage photos and of course extensive liner notes.
MPEG Stream: "Ragga Trip"
MPEG Stream: "Illegal Gunshot"
MPEG Stream: "Rudeboy"

RAGGA TWINS Ragga Twins Step Up Vol 1 (Soul Jazz) 2lp 27.00
We first heard UK duo The Ragga Twins on the amazing Rumble In The Jungle compilation which we made our Record Of The Week back in early 2007. One of the first bands, in the early '90s, to combine the grooves and the toasting of reggae and dancehall with hip hop breakbeats, and essentially creating jungle, which as any avid reader of the aQ list knows, we absolutely LOVE. 
The Ragga Twins began life right in the midst of the blossoming rave scene which makes it a bit surprising that folks got so it. But get into it they did. Along with a handful of other underground groups, the Ragga Twins helped launch a British music movement that continues to this day, as Jungle would spawn drum and bass, which would mutate into garage, techstep, 2step, and eventually grime and dubstep. Even at its very genesis, this stuff was practically perfect, funky, and loose, groovy and aggressive, totally irresistible, big beats, loping hip hop rhythms, sped up breakbeats, the music skeletal, simple loops, all about the vocals, a rapid fire dancehall toasting, delivered in a raw bark, while the beat pounded away beneath. Some of the tracks definitely display some of the surrounding rave culture, fuzzy synths, sweeping strings, bits of techno, but for the most part, this stuff is fierce and funky dancehall jungle, the sort of stuff that The Bug is giving a modern spin. 
Take "Ragga Trip" with its seventies cop show groove, and squelchy synths, the toasting is incredible, rough and raw, and impossibly catchy. Or "Illegal Gunshot", with it's playful marimba melody, and skittery beat. And again, incredible vocals. Then "Spliffhead", with a reggae croon that ends up making it sound almost like Bad Brains at their most reggae. "Rudeboy" wraps techno synths and wailing sirens around a rolling breakbeat, the toasting and crooned vocals, and reggae guitar reeling it back in and keeping it from getting too ravey, while "Juggling" totally evokes eighties hip hop (especially Black Sheep) but it could just be THAT breakbeat. The second disc features older tracks, including a couple from the pre-Ragga Twins Deman Rockers, the older tracks are a bit ravier, or a bit more reggae sounding, but even then, the tracks are still pretty kick ass. 
Definitely essential listening for folks into jungle and drum and bass, who loved that Rumble In The Jungle comp, and who dig all that Bug stuff, this is where it all started!
Like all Soul Jazz stuff, gorgeous packaging, tons of vintage photos and of course extensive liner notes.
MPEG Stream: "Ragga Trip"
MPEG Stream: "Illegal Gunshot"
MPEG Stream: "Rudeboy"

RAGGA TWINS Ragga Twins Step Up Vol 2 (Soul Jazz) 2lp 27.00
We first heard UK duo The Ragga Twins on the amazing Rumble In The Jungle compilation which we made our Record Of The Week back in early 2007. One of the first bands, in the early '90s, to combine the grooves and the toasting of reggae and dancehall with hip hop breakbeats, and essentially creating jungle, which as any avid reader of the aQ list knows, we absolutely LOVE. 
The Ragga Twins began life right in the midst of the blossoming rave scene which makes it a bit surprising that folks got so it. But get into it they did. Along with a handful of other underground groups, the Ragga Twins helped launch a British music movement that continues to this day, as Jungle would spawn drum and bass, which would mutate into garage, techstep, 2step, and eventually grime and dubstep. Even at its very genesis, this stuff was practically perfect, funky, and loose, groovy and aggressive, totally irresistible, big beats, loping hip hop rhythms, sped up breakbeats, the music skeletal, simple loops, all about the vocals, a rapid fire dancehall toasting, delivered in a raw bark, while the beat pounded away beneath. Some of the tracks definitely display some of the surrounding rave culture, fuzzy synths, sweeping strings, bits of techno, but for the most part, this stuff is fierce and funky dancehall jungle, the sort of stuff that The Bug is giving a modern spin. 
Take "Ragga Trip" with its seventies cop show groove, and squelchy synths, the toasting is incredible, rough and raw, and impossibly catchy. Or "Illegal Gunshot", with it's playful marimba melody, and skittery beat. And again, incredible vocals. Then "Spliffhead", with a reggae croon that ends up making it sound almost like Bad Brains at their most reggae. "Rudeboy" wraps techno synths and wailing sirens around a rolling breakbeat, the toasting and crooned vocals, and reggae guitar reeling it back in and keeping it from getting too ravey, while "Juggling" totally evokes eighties hip hop (especially Black Sheep) but it could just be THAT breakbeat. The second disc features older tracks, including a couple from the pre-Ragga Twins Deman Rockers, the older tracks are a bit ravier, or a bit more reggae sounding, but even then, the tracks are still pretty kick ass. 
Definitely essential listening for folks into jungle and drum and bass, who loved that Rumble In The Jungle comp, and who dig all that Bug stuff, this is where it all started!
Like all Soul Jazz stuff, gorgeous packaging, tons of vintage photos and of course extensive liner notes.
MPEG Stream: "Ragga Trip"
MPEG Stream: "Illegal Gunshot"
MPEG Stream: "Rudeboy"

RAGING SLAB s/t (Spitfire) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's about fucking time! This is one of the best and most overlooked hard rock/metal records of the past 15 years, a big fave of Andee and Allan here at AQ. Its obscurity might have something do with the fact that that they were, as frontman Greg Strzempka posits in the liner notes, always in the wrong place at the wrong time, as was demonstrated by his "starting a BOOGIE band in NYC in 1984." Now, if this record had come out a year or two ago, when the stoner rock boom was taking off, people would be losing their shit. But back in 1989 things were different. Sure, a few videos made it onto MTV, but none of their later records lived up to the promise of this one, their self-titled third album and major label debut. The cover pictures the band looking more rodeo than rock, posing leaning up against a semi, in cowboy hats, cowboy boots and tasseled leather chaps -- an image that leads to them often being described as Metallica meets Lynyrd Skynyrd. Which, while not exactly accurate, does give you a rough idea of what they're going for. This record has it all. It's a jump on the bed, air guitar, monster rock album! Heavy groove rock riffs, Strzempka's raggedy drawl and insane lyrics, kick ass drumming, and maybe their most unique and valuable asset, the bottleneck slide of guitarist Elyse Steinman.
But the bottom line is always the songs. And Raging Slab, at least on this record, has SONGS coming out their ass. Unforgettable hooks and sing-along choruses. So catchy and fun (and funny) without being stupidly ironic. Bizarre lyrics that are sung so forcefully and with such emotion that you find yourself singing along full force: "GET OFF MY JOLLIES!!!!" or "I can bust a gut on Heebie Jeebies and holy rollers poppin wheelies", or "Just try and shave my wooly bully, I'll use the fur as fuel for folly." In fact all the lyrics are almost nonsensical but oddly satisfying and completely compelling (especially when you're in full on air-guitar, or 'air lead vocalist' mode). This should have been the "Nevermind" of groovy boogie stoner hard rock, but the money and success and fame somehow didn't happen. But now with this reissue, folks have another chance to catch on to this slab of truly unique, Southern-fried metal-rock nirvana.
RealAudio clip: "Don't Dog Me"
RealAudio clip: "Get Off My Jollies"

RAGING SPEEDHORN How The Great Have Fallen (SPV) cd 15.98