FIFTY FOOT HOSE Red The Sign Post (Get Hip) 7" 5.50
Single featuring 2 classic tracks from this cult San Francisco '60s experimental psych rock outfit.

FIG. 4 (Recordhead/Luna) cd 15.98
Fig. 4 is a longrunning trio starring Tobin Sprout of Guided By Voices,who plays guitar and handles the vocals. Bob Pollard of GBV contributes occasional background vox. This release compiles all the tracks from their selftitled LP which was limited to 300 copies, and adds one previously unreleased live studio piece.

FIGHTER D This Is About You (Heartcore) cd 7.98
If Simple Machines were still around, Fighter D would be there.

FIGURINE, JAMES Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake (Plug Research) cd 14.98
While many techno-pop / electro-clash folks have recently shed many of the trappings of that deliriously champagne-bubbly dancefloor sound in favor of other directions (more rock in the case of Fischerspooner for instance), not so with James Figurine. Yes, he's of the band Figurine and yes, he's also known as Jimmy Tamborello of DNTEL and one half of Postal Service. Why mess with what he does best in all of his projects? He soldiers on with his new album titled Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake. Funny thing tho' is that we can't hear any. So maybe the title was intended as a conjuring away of such maladies? Dunno, but what ya get is ten sparkling sweet electronic pop confections that fall dead center between Postal Service and Fischerspooner (think: more heft than PS and more twee than FS). Guest stars include Jenny Lewis and Kings Of Convenience's Erlend Oye.
MPEG Stream: "555666888333"
MPEG Stream: "You Again"

FIGURINES Skeleton (The Control Group) cd 14.98
Not to be confused with the electronic pop band known as Figurine (singular). Figurines make punchy pop that's sort of like a cross between The Arcade Fire, The Pixies and Violent Femmes... or alternately as someone here described, "Daniel Johnston singing with Pavement". The first three songs' get the ball rolling at quite a feverish pace. After that, things ease up a little into more of a gentle lope which we think is kinda disappointing after that juiced-up introduction. It just made us keep hoping they'd get a second wind. That's not to say the slower numbers are at all inferior, it just takes a little time to adjust to this very different tempo. So maybe you could break your Figurines' Skeleton listening session in two, depending on your personal preference, mood and energy level?
MPEG Stream: "The Wonder"
MPEG Stream: "Silver Ponds"

FILM SCHOOL Harmed (Full Frame) 7" 3.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Film School's latest offering comes in the form of a 2-song 7" record. The A-side "Harmed" is a sneak preview of their forthcoming full length, and the B-side "The Longest Way" is exclusive to this release. They're a pair of very somber indie rock songs with male vocals that sound as if they're being sung by the sullen little brother of Pinback's Rob Crow... which suits us just fine!

FILM SCHOOL Hideout (Beggars Banquet) cd 10.98
Film School will probably never win any awards for originality, but if you're looking for this very specific sound of Brit rock, this Bay Area band delivers it in spades. Exceptionally so! For almost a decade now, they've honed their authentic blended rendition of Echo & The Bunnymen, The Cure and Slowdive from right here in the Bay Area. Their latest album Hideout keeps that sound alive while also recalling the early '90s American guitar wash kings Swervedriver. Buzzy blankets of effected electric guitars warm and tingle, while Krayg Burton's vocals waver in the zone between sleepy and druggy. Strangely comforting. Film School's line-up has always been somewhat nebulous and ever-changing, at times including members of Pavement, Fuck and Elephone. So it's not surprising that with the exception of Burton and keyboardist Jason Ruck, there's a whole new band for this album. Bassist Lorelei Plotczyk, drummer James Smith and guitarist Dave Dupuis step into the roles vacated by bassist Justin Labo, drummer Donny Newenhouse and guitarist Nyles Lannon (be sure to check out his terrific current solo album!).
MPEG Stream: "Dear Me"
MPEG Stream: "Sick Hipster Nursed By Suicide Girl"

FILM SCHOOL Hideout (Beggars Banquet) lp 13.98
Film School will probably never win any awards for originality, but if you're looking for this very specific sound of Brit rock, this Bay Area band delivers it in spades. Exceptionally so! For almost a decade now, they've honed their authentic blended rendition of Echo & The Bunnymen, The Cure and Slowdive from right here in the Bay Area. Their latest album Hideout keeps that sound alive while also recalling the early '90s American guitar wash kings Swervedriver. Buzzy blankets of effected electric guitars warm and tingle, while Krayg Burton's vocals waver in the zone between sleepy and druggy. Strangely comforting. Film School's line-up has always been somewhat nebulous and ever-changing, at times including members of Pavement, Fuck and Elephone. So it's not surprising that with the exception of Burton and keyboardist Jason Ruck, there's a whole new band for this album. Bassist Lorelei Plotczyk, drummer James Smith and guitarist Dave Dupuis step into the roles vacated by bassist Justin Labo, drummer Donny Newenhouse and guitarist Nyles Lannon (be sure to check out his terrific current solo album!).
MPEG Stream: "Dear Me"
MPEG Stream: "Sick Hipster Nursed By Suicide Girl"

FILM SCHOOL On & On (Beggars Banquet) cd ep 4.98
Here's a hint of what's to come in Film School land! These New Yorkers found a new label home at Beggars Banquet and have a new full length slated for January of next year. From the very '80s British influenced sounds of these new songs, it's gonna be a perfect fit. We've gotta say that it's probably unlikely that Robert Smith is gonna be retiring as lead vocalist of The Cure any time soon, but if he did (or even if he called in sick or wanted to play hooky one day), Film School's lead singer Krayg Burton could step right in at the wink of an eye. Oddly enough the last time we heard from these guys was their Harmed 7" earlier this year, and back then his vocals were more along the lines of Pinback's Rob Crow. Anyhoo, On & On blends a romantic vocal angst (a la mid-period Cure) with fuzzy, swirling shoegazer guitars like those of Slowdive, Ride or The Church. Note: the cd version features one additional tune "February".
MPEG Stream: "On & On"
MPEG Stream: "Plus One"

FILM SCHOOL On & On (Beggars Banquet) 7" 4.98
Here's a hint of what's to come in Film School land! These New Yorkers found a new label home at Beggars Banquet and have a new full length slated for January of next year. From the very '80s British influenced sounds of these new songs, it's gonna be a perfect fit. We've gotta say that it's probably unlikely that Robert Smith is gonna be retiring as lead vocalist of The Cure any time soon, but if he did (or even if he called in sick or wanted to play hooky one day), Film School's lead singer Krayg Burton could step right in at the wink of an eye. Oddly enough the last time we heard from these guys was their Harmed 7" earlier this year, and back then his vocals were more along the lines of Pinback's Rob Crow. Anyhoo, On & On blends a romantic vocal angst (a la mid-period Cure) with fuzzy, swirling shoegazer guitars like those of Slowdive, Ride or The Church. Note: the cd version features one additional tune "February".
MPEG Stream: "On & On"
MPEG Stream: "Plus One"

FILM SCHOOL s/t (Beggars Banquet) cd 13.98
For Film School's full length debut on Beggars Banquet, they've skillfully pieced together the well-worn pages of your beloved '80s British alternative rock scrapbook. We definitely hear echoes of The Cure, The Church and yes, Echo And The Bunnymen from lead singer Krayg Burton's unmistakable Robert Smithian, on-the-verge emotiveness to the distinct effected guitar sound.
Lushly swirling shoegazer dreaminess that occasionally lingers on an unexpectedly atmospheric passage. What Film School lack in originality they more than make up in execution on this self-titled album. They could almost revive the dour yet romantic boy rock style all by their lonesome... well, with the assistance of one of the most appropriate labels around. Includes "On & On", one of the band's best songs to date, and the title track of the teaser ep that came out late last year.
MPEG Stream: "Harmed"
MPEG Stream: "Like You Know"

FILM SCHOOL s/t (Beggars Banquet) lp 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Also on vinyl, back in stock...
For Film School's full length debut on Beggars Banquet, they've skillfully pieced together the well-worn pages of your beloved '80s British alternative rock scrapbook. We definitely hear echoes of The Cure, The Church and yes, Echo And The Bunnymen from lead singer Krayg Burton's unmistakable Robert Smithian, on-the-verge emotiveness to the distinct effected guitar sound.
Lushly swirling shoegazer dreaminess that occasionally lingers on an unexpectedly atmospheric passage. What Film School lack in originality they more than make up in execution on this self-titled album. They could almost revive the dour yet romantic boy rock style all by their lonesome... well, with the assistance of one of the most appropriate labels around. Includes "On & On", one of the band's best songs to date, and the title track of the teaser ep that came out late last year.
MPEG Stream: "Harmed"
MPEG Stream: "Like You Know"

FINAL 3 (Neurot) 2cd 16.98
BACK IN STOCK!
As much as we always loved Godflesh and Techno Animal and most everything else Justin Broadrick was involved in, by the end there, a few years back, a lot of that stuff began to sound just a little bit tired and dated and sometimes even just plain not good. But now! Holy shit! Not sure what it was, but -something- happened during those few years in between. First there was Jesu, a total revelation, everything we loved about Godflesh, but swathed in thick swirls of My Bloody Valentine guitars and warm fuzzy M83-isms. A gloriously blissed out, but still impossibly heavy, sunkissed drone drenched chunk of dreamlike heaviness. And now we have the long overdue resurrection of Broadrick's ambient project Final. And something strange has happened to the music of Final as well. What was once bleak, dark, barren and clinical isolationism, has grown into something warm and alive, a series of blurry and buzzy and blissy miniature soundscapes. Warm and warped and warbly, very much like the sonic worlds created by Tim Hecker. Final now explore a musical world gauzy and sepia toned, dreamlike melodies obfuscated by warm rich layers of crackle and hum, chimes ring out, drifting delicately on a sea of sonic swirl, bits of glitch and grit surface occasionally, as does the occasional almost-rhythms, the whole record like a dusty old scrapbook of small faded snaphots capturing some lost time or some forgotten place. An abstruse drone music, viewed through a window dense with rain coursing down it's surface, giving everything a soft focus, a warped otherworldliness. The mood can occasionally still be ominous and creepy, even sort of menacing at times, but even then, it's diffused, washed out and grey, or blown out and dappled with winter sunlight, or smeared into an indistinct blur of pale moonlight, dreamy and droney and so beautiful.
MPEG Stream: "The Light Orchestra"
MPEG Stream: "Seasick"
MPEG Stream: "Negative Youth"

FINAL Afar (Avalanche) picture disc lp 16.00
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**
Brand new [in 2009] full length album from Justin Broadrick's (Jesu, Godflesh, etc.) Final project, which in the past was a sort of solo guitar thing, or so we thought. On Afar, the eight numbered tracks are arrangements of processed loops, with nary a guitar in site. Which becomes harder to believe the further we get into the record.
The sound here is dark and mesmerizing, each track a slow cycling soundscape, rife with shifting textures and pulsing almost-rhythms, the sounds super varied, but all woven together into one cohesive songsuite. Fans of Tim Hecker and Philip Jeck will dig bigtime, as well as guitar drone aficionados into stuff like Fear Falls Burning.
Layers of crunch and buzz are locked into swelling, swaying hypnotic rhythms, the textures and timbre shifting gradually, the looped aspect not always immediately noticeable. Deep rumbles beneath softly processed whirs are woven into stretches of haunting cinematic shimmer, fading into swooping backwards melodies peppered with bits of glitch and crackle. Elsewhere slow burning 'guitar' sounds buzz explosively into epic and majestic sheets of buzzing woozy blur, before being scattered by dense tangles of reverberating metallic hum and rumbling low end way off in the distance. A few tracks definitely dip into Jeck territory with stuttery looped vocals and clipped samples and muted skitter, before finishing off with a hushed bit of whispery murmur.
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES. We get these direct from Broadrick's Avalanche label in the UK, so when we run out it might take a couple weeks to get more, assuming there are still some left. Nice thick picture disc in a thick PVC plastic sleeve.
MPEG Stream: "Heart Ache"
MPEG Stream: "Ruined"

FINAL Reading All The Right Signals Wrong (No Quarter) cd 14.98
Finally on cd, the most recent Final, with 4 extra tracks, each a reworking of one of the proper album tracks, some of them definitely different enough to make it well worth while...
A brand new record from Mr. Justin Broadrick, formerly of Godflesh, presently of Jesu, as well the sole member of this, his long running project Final. Originally an experimental solo guitar project, and actually maybe STILL an experimental solo guitar project, Final has definitely changed over the years, lately sharing more in common with Jesu than anything, the same sort of blissy drift, washed out drone drenched shimmer, but in Final, those elements are blurred into something more ambient and less propulsive, more soundscape-y and less post metal.
Four long tracks (not counting the four remixes on the cd), each slow building and slow burning, the first all soft ethereal melodies over a grinding crunching minimal drone, those two elements all tangled up, with the melodies eventually blossoming into epic atonal harmonies, sheets of sound like a symphony of car horns, smoothed into something much more listenable but no less clamorous and chaotic, definitely reminds us of Sunroof! near the end.
The second track starts out all SUNN-y, a crumbling distorted downtuned dirge, although within that dirge lurks some surprising melody, and this track too builds to a blissed out high end shimmer, overlapping tones, washes of synthy warmth, bits of buzz and glitch, lovely, but still softly abrasive.
The flipside begins with some sort of abstract doom, thick, jagged chords, ringing out, and allowed to nearly fade out completely, before the next one comes crashing down, lots and lots of space, in the background a strangely active swirl of skree, streaks of feedback, shards of feedback, sine waves and upper register whir, roiling and churning beneath the lumbering riffage.
And finally, the record finishes off with something altogether different. Something pretty and strummy and yes, shoegaze-y, but weirdly looped and hypnotic sounding, as if they took a chunk from a Jesu track, a pretty undistorted bit, then doused it in effects and set it on repeat, allowing it to slowly shift, but to lock into a mantra like loop, so gorgeous, could have used a whole 'nother side of this stuff for sure.
MPEG Stream: "Right Signal"
MPEG Stream: "Wrong Signal"
MPEG Stream: "Right Signal (Alt. Mix/Edit)"

FINAL FANTASY He Poos Clouds (Tomlab) cd 15.98
First of all -- remember what we hope your mom told you about judging a book by its cover or a record by its title. No doubt about it, this boasts a pretty terrible title... so much so that we were tempted to not even order any. But, ok we got that out of the way now, so on to the music...which is not terrible at all... in fact it's amazingly super good! We've been hearing bits and pieces from this young Canadian, Owen Pallett over the last couple years. His violin work with The Arcade Fire, touring duty with The Hidden Cameras, interesting live covers of Joanna Newsom songs, articles praising him in the NY Times. His debut album was pretty hard to come by so it's been this, his sophomore release that will be most people's introduction to his complex and grandiose approach to pop song writing. Like a more angsty Sufjan Stevens he arranges smart pop songs with multi-instruments and lots of peaks and valleys. Final Fantasy displays a bare emotional honesty that recalls Xiu Xiu and label mates Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, a dramatic flare that rivals Rufus Wainwright, a melancholy side similar to Stephin Merrit and a complex approach to song structure that would make Van Dyke Parks proud. If any of those aforementioned names get your attention then for sure this is a new kid on that smart emotional epic pop rock block that you're gonna want to get to know. Just stand back in case he does indeed poo clouds...
MPEG Stream: "Song Song Song"
MPEG Stream: "The Arctic Circle"
MPEG Stream: "Many Lives -> 49mp"

FINAL FANTASY (OWEN PALLETT) Heartland (Domino) cd 14.98
Owen Pallett (aka Final Fantasy) has a musical resume that's pretty mind-blowing. Besides several of his own albums he's also provided strings and arrangements for an incredible and varied list of bands including: Beirut, The Hidden Cameras, The Pet Shop Boys, Arctic Monkeys, Immaculate Machine, Grizzly Bear, Fucked Up, Holy Fuck, Stars, The Mountain Goats and Mika. Among others! It's no wonder everyone wants Pallett to play on their records as he's really one of the most sophisticated arrangers and string players of the modern pop world. Someone who is able to bring such rich depth and warmth to the songs he works on.
So busy collaborating and guesting on other people's records its been almost four years since he's released a full length of his own, and while he has offered up a few ep's since then, the release of Heartland really marks a defining moment in his own musical output. By far his most assured, ambitious and cohesive album yet. Heartland is fully realized nuanced orchestral pop. You can hear the influence of 20th century composers, film scores, Arthur Russell, and even David Sylvian. This is what a darker and more brooding Hidden Cameras would sound like, or Sufjan Stevens arranged by Nico Muhly. With the success and acclaim that Grizzly Bear received last year for their great album Veckatimest we hope and think that Pallett has created an album worthy of those same accolades. Wonderful!
MPEG Stream: "Midnight Directives"
MPEG Stream: "Lewis Takes Action"
MPEG Stream: "What Do You Think Will Happen Now?"

FINAL FANTASY (OWEN PALLETT) Heartland (Domino) 2lp 21.00
Also in stock on vinyl!
Owen Pallett (aka Final Fantasy) has a musical resume that's pretty mind-blowing. Besides several of his own albums he's also provided strings and arrangements for an incredible and varied list of bands including: Beirut, The Hidden Cameras, The Pet Shop Boys, Arctic Monkeys, Immaculate Machine, Grizzly Bear, Fucked Up, Holy Fuck, Stars, The Mountain Goats and Mika. Among others! It's no wonder everyone wants Pallett to play on their records as he's really one of the most sophisticated arrangers and string players of the modern pop world. Someone who is able to bring such rich depth and warmth to the songs he works on.
So busy collaborating and guesting on other people's records its been almost four years since he's released a full length of his own, and while he has offered up a few ep's since then, the release of Heartland really marks a defining moment in his own musical output. By far his most assured, ambitious and cohesive album yet. Heartland is fully realized nuanced orchestral pop. You can hear the influence of 20th century composers, film scores, Arthur Russell, and even David Sylvian. This is what a darker and more brooding Hidden Cameras would sound like, or Sufjan Stevens arranged by Nico Muhly. With the success and acclaim that Grizzly Bear received last year for their great album Veckatimest we hope and think that Pallett has created an album worthy of those same accolades. Wonderful!
MPEG Stream: "Midnight Directives"
MPEG Stream: "Lewis Takes Action"
MPEG Stream: "What Do You Think Will Happen Now?"

FINAL WARNING s/t (Southern Lord) cd 12.98

MPEG Stream: "Out Of Sight Out Of Mind"
MPEG Stream: "Rain Of Death"

FINCHES On Golden Hill (Ulrike) cd 10.98

FINCHES Six Songs (+1) (Dulc-I-Tone) lp 14.98
Now on vinyl! Here's what we said about the cd version back in 2005: A no-frills and super down to earth debut. As the title states this is a half dozen tunes (plus one extra titled "Come Sit Beside Me" on the LP!) from Bay Area folksy folks The Finches. The duo of Ms Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs and Aaron Morgan share the singin' and guitar playin' duties, and Morgan also handles the bass playin' too. Each of their songs is thoughtful, well-crafted and slightly rough around the edges much like Carolyn's lovely lino-cut cover art. Achingly intimate and pretty, and quite along the lines of folk-pop songstresses such as Cat Power or Julie Doiron. Nice!

FINCHES, THE Human Like A House (Dulc-I-Tone) cd 14.98
The Finches' Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs and Aaron Morgan follow us their self released debut 6-song ep with this full length. Human Like A House is comprised of some of the gentlest folk pop imaginable. It's a bit more polished and fleshed out with the addition of cello, pedal steel and percussion joining their Spartan vocals, guitar and bass. As charming as their previous release, the dozen tunes are dewy skinned and doe eyed, sort of like the aural equivalent of a Margaret Keane painting.
MPEG Stream: "Human Like A House"
MPEG Stream: "Two Ghosts"

FINCHES, THE Six Songs (self-released) cd 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A no-frills and super down to earth debut. As the title states this is a half dozen tunes from Bay Area folksy folks The Finches. The duo of Ms Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs and Aaron Morgan share the singin' and guitar playin' duties, and Morgan also handles the bass playin' too. Each of their songs is thoughtful, well-crafted and slightly rough around the edges much like Carolyn's lovely lino-cut cover art. Achingly intimate and pretty, and quite along the lines of folk-pop songstresses such as Cat Power or Julie Doiron. Nic

MPEG Stream: "The Road"
MPEG Stream: "The Horse With Two Front Doors"

FINCHLEY BOYS, THE Everlasting Tributes (Relics) cd 17.98
Originally, posthumously released in 1972, this album collects late '60s recordings by these long haired Illinois boys, apparently a band renowned for their live show. We were initially interested in this reissue from a proto-metal perspective, as the reason we'd ever heard of The Finchley Boys in the first place is 'cause of a pretty killer, almost MC5-ish, track by them included on the heavy psych comp Up All Night some time ago. That song, the hard rockin' anthem "Outcast", is the lead off track here, and it's only flaw is that it fades out too soon. But as much as we like that one, it's another track, their cover of The Kinks' "I'm Not Like Everybody Else", that's our pick for the true classic here, a hard-hitting, garage psych workout with enough melancholic grandeur that it maybe coulda/shoulda been included on that Forge Your Own Chains comp that came out a while back. In their hands, it sure sounds like a track Roky Erickson/13th Floor Elevators fans oughtta dig. There's plenty more fuzzed out hard psych and rebellious acid rock on offer here besides, such as "Restrictions" and "Hooked", but what we discovered delving into this disc is that The Finchley Boys were a versatile (and talented) bunch. Among the 16 tracks total here, there's also some folkier acoustic hippie rambles, though they never go full-on country like you might have expected from a band with a name like theirs. Really, they're all over the hard/soft spectrum, doin' some wild RnB ravers and harmonica-laden blues rock (our fave is the way tripped out, almost underwatery-sounding "Finchley Boy Blues", plus they get points for the title "Deep Throat Blues" too), along with lovely dark psych ballads like "It All Ends". And there's even one seemingly out of place Motown style soul-funk number ("Bad When The Teardrop Falls") complete with horn section. Huh, wow. Pretty good though!
Definitely a very enjoyable reish for anyone into '60s acid blues action, who don't have to have it heavy ALL the time.
MPEG Stream: "Outcast"
MPEG Stream: "I'm Not Like Everybody Else"
MPEG Stream: "Finchley Boy Blues"

FINEST DEAREST Off Sides (self-released) 7" 5.98
Following up their debut cdep, last year's Pacemaker EP, these sprightly SF popsters continue to keep things short'n'sweet on their second release. This 7" features two snappy pop numbers with buzzing guitars, crisp drumming and emotive female vocals from Ms Carly Schneider. When they slow things down a bit on the b-side "March Into The Flames" they bring to mind a more brooding Sleater-Kinney. More please!
Limited pressing of 300 on ultra pale green clear vinyl.

FINEST DEAREST Pacemaker EP (self-released) cd 4.98
These new SF band proudly let it be known that they in fact are spring chickens (their bio says that they "were born in the '80s, raised by the '90s"), and their youth definitely shows in Pacemaker's punchy energy level and wide-eyed vocal sweetness, but the band also shows some pop smarts beyond their years. Influences that they cite include Pavement, Sonic Youth, Blonde Redhead and Cursive, and the impact of those bands is clearly evident. However, they fortunately haven't fallen into the easy trap of simply mocking their idols. They're not just a soundalike. Theirs is solid guitar driven indie pop defined by some interesting postrock-ish twists and graced by the swoonsome female vocals of Ms Carly Schneider (whose soft voice you might've also heard on the equally well-received debut release from another Bay Area band Empty Rooms). This EP fits well alongside fellow Bay Area smart pop upstarts Tartufi, and also recalls acclaimed 90's indie bands such as PEE and Velocity Girl. A very promising debut!
MPEG Stream: "Sleep Until The Weekend"
MPEG Stream: "Slow Going"

FINEST DEAREST s/t (DIY Or Die) cd 9.98
Onwards and upwards, Bay Area pop darlings Finest Dearest have returned with their second cd release, and it's filled with some terrific driving tunes! Indeed, since 2005's Pacemaker cdep and even last year's Off Sides 7", it sounds like they've gotten a whole lot darker and edgier, and the shadowier tones are evident right way with the cd packaging's deep hues and stylin' fontography. it's a definite marked contrast with the delicate homespun art of their previous releases, and yes, the music contained within follows suit. Led by Carly Schneider's sweetly biting vocals, the band definitely still recalls the early '90s indie pop dreams of Velocity Girl and Tsunami, but with more of the modern day sheen and wise-beyond-their years complexity of groups such as Tegan & Sara or Rilo Kiley.
MPEG Stream: "Naming Ceremony"
MPEG Stream: "Making A Sound 1"
MPEG Stream: "March Into Flames"

FINJARN & JENSEN s/t (Shadoks Music) cd 17.98
Last list we had the heavy, heavy Moses from Denmark, this list again another great Shadoks reissue of a Scandinavian psychprogpop album from the early '70s, the Norwegian duo Finjarn & Jensen's eponymous elpee from 1970. A one-off classic in the annals of Norwegian rock, it brought together a few key members of a late '60s supergroup called Jumbo. Svein Finjarn (guitars and vocals) and Leif Jensen (drums, plus additional guitars and vocals), with some help from, among others, Norwegian guitar hero Freddy Lindquist (also ex-Jumbo) and British producer John Mills, carefully crafted an exciting, entertaining, anything-goes slice of hard rock / pop that encompassed Beatlesy balladry and rockin' proto-metal umph, quite a bit like the UK's Blossom Toes, we'd say.
Sung entirely in English, it's indeed got an Anglophilic angle to it, being described by the label as "a real British psychedelic flower power album made in Norway". Irreverently so, though, as they're surely taking the piss with the silly-Brits, upper-class-twits skit in the middle of the track "Lady Windsor" (not that's not something Blossom Toes wouldn't have done too).
Lead off track "One More Day" has moments that remind us of Led Zeppelin (and also the White Stripes!). It features rollicking blues rock licks, a catchy vocal chorus (rising into an outrageous falsetto), and an overdose of burbling sci-fi spaceship noises. Brilliant! The remaining six songs on the record often include such elements as well, along with other proggy surprises. Some cuts are rather more gentle and melodic, others get heavier with the wah wah guitars. Oh, and drum solos! Jensen shows off a bit during the percussion-heavy "What Else Can We Do?" and "Grey Skies", especially. Plus, there's what's got to be the perfect title for a nearly 8 minute long acid blues jam, "Sorry Girl, But Now I Know Things Will Be Much Better Now You've Gone".
Quite delightful. And as usual, it's a nice Shadoks reissue job, the booklet containing vintage color photos, lyrics, and the original liner notes translated into English.
MPEG Stream: "One More Day"
MPEG Stream: "Lady Windsor"
MPEG Stream: "Sorry Girl, But Now I Know Things Will Be Much Better Now You've Gone"

FINN'S MOTEL Escape Velocity (Scat) cd 13.98

MPEG Stream: "Dramamine For Engine 3"
MPEG Stream: "Recent Linear Landscapes"
MPEG Stream: "Alright Tonight"

FINN, SIMON Magic Moments (Durtro Jnana) cd 14.98
Very few things have changed for Simon Finn's mythological folk music in the twenty-five years between his nearly forgotten debut Pass The Distance (1970) and his second album Magic Moments (2005). If anything, the current infatuation with the acid folk meanderings of Six Organs of Admittance, Devendra Banhart, the Skygreen Leopards, and Fursaxa has opened the way for obscure folk artists from the '70s such as Simon Finn. Without David Michael of Current 93 stumbling across one of few original copies of Pass The Distance, Finn would have continued to toil as farmer in Canada; but fortunately, David (don't call him Tibet anymore!) Michael reissued the album with much acclaim and provided Finn with the impetus to record many of the songs that he has been quietly composing during his 25 year hiatus.
Like Pass The Distance, Magic Moments still speaks of a Gnostic mythology, in which knowledge, revelation, and secrets creep throughout his tales of death, sex, gods, devils, and his relationship with those archetypes. It's the darker side of psychedelia, hallucinations, and liminal thought that Finn explores; but the music itself remains a simple vehicle for Finn's expressionism, as his arrangements are little more than voice and acoustic guitar. This bare aesthetic is the major difference from his Pass The Distance album, which enjoyed a complex production with wild stereo pans and eccentric instrumentation from collaborator David Toop. Also missing is the epileptic rage which punctuated several of the tracks from Pass The Distance, but Finn is considerably older allowing his lyrical content to speak through his Syd Barrett meets Cat Stevens voice rather than through phlegm and spit. All things considered, Magic Moments is certainly recommended listening for acid folk fans.
MPEG Stream: "Walkie Talkie"
MPEG Stream: "Eros"

FINN, SIMON Pass The Distance (Durtro) cd 14.98
Back in 2003 when Current 93 played in San Francisco, David Tibet came into Aquarius, having previously arranged to use Andee's practice space in preparation for C93's gigs. Inevitably, I (Jim) got to talking with Tibet about music and so forth. In the course of our conversation, Tibet happenend to mention that if I liked the demented folk wanderings of Comus, then I should attempt to track down a copy of Simon Finn's Pass The Distance. Almost all of C93's references to the esoterica of folk music have been right-on (e.g. Shirley Collins, Incredible String Band, Comus, etc.), so when Tibet utters praise for something, it's worth listening in. The quest to find this record did not look good, considering that there were legal problems surrounding this record back in 1970 that resulted in very poor distribution of the original vinyl. Even if I did manage to come across it, would I really want to cough up a couple hundred bucks for something I've never heard?
Fortunately, Tibet solved that problem for me by re-issuing this exceptional piece of oblique folk through his Durtro imprint. Anyone who has been enamored of the current string of avant-folk wanderings of Devendra Banhart, Jewelled Antler, Jandek, and Fursaxa would be advised not to miss this record. Yeah, it's as good as Tibet made it out to be. It appears that Finn was an individual who was probably swept up in the Jesus Movement of the late '60s which took an antinomian, free-spirited approach to Christian scripture. The lyrics to Pass The Distance, Finn's first and only record, are splattered with loosely Christian imagery and apocalyptic doomspeak, which are the obvious appeals for Tibet and his polyglot of Christian gnosticism. His songwriting is a primitive concoction of psychedelic free strum and Wicker Man-ish pagan folk; but the delivery is Finn's strength. On certain songs, Finn wanders through his lyrics with a bizarre lack of melody as if he's enjoying a handful of mushrooms at the time; yet at others, he bares his teeth with an incendiary emotional ferocity which uncannily resembles Devendra Banhart's possessed yelps on his first album. Altogether, Pass The Distance emerges as a true gem and easily ranks as one of the best reissues of 2004.
MPEG Stream: "Very Close Friend"
MPEG Stream: "Jerusalem"
MPEG Stream: "Big White Car"

FINN, SIMON Pass The Distance (Mayfair Music) lp 32.00
NOW ON VINYL!!!
Back in 2003 when Current 93 played in San Francisco, David Tibet came into Aquarius, having previously arranged to use Andee's practice space in preparation for C93's gigs. Inevitably, I (Jim) got to talking with Tibet about music and so forth. In the course of our conversation, Tibet happened to mention that if I liked the demented folk wanderings of Comus, then I should attempt to track down a copy of Simon Finn's Pass The Distance. Almost all of C93's references to the esoterica of folk music have been right-on (e.g. Shirley Collins, Incredible String Band, Comus, etc.), so when Tibet utters praise for something, it's worth listening in. The quest to find this record did not look good, considering that there were legal problems surrounding this record back in 1970 that resulted in very poor distribution of the original vinyl. Even if I did manage to come across it, would I really want to cough up a couple hundred bucks for something I've never heard?
Fortunately, Tibet solved that problem for me by re-issuing this exceptional piece of oblique folk through his Durtro imprint. Anyone who has been enamored of the current string of avant-folk wanderings of Devendra Banhart, Jewelled Antler, Jandek, and Fursaxa would be advised not to miss this record. Yeah, it's as good as Tibet made it out to be. It appears that Finn was an individual who was probably swept up in the Jesus Movement of the late '60s which took an antinomian, free-spirited approach to Christian scripture. The lyrics to Pass The Distance, Finn's first and only record, are splattered with loosely Christian imagery and apocalyptic doomspeak, which are the obvious appeals for Tibet and his polyglot of Christian gnosticism. His songwriting is a primitive concoction of psychedelic free strum and Wicker Man-ish pagan folk; but the delivery is Finn's strength. On certain songs, Finn wanders through his lyrics with a bizarre lack of melody as if he's enjoying a handful of mushrooms at the time; yet at others, he bares his teeth with an incendiary emotional ferocity which uncannily resembles Devendra Banhart's possessed yelps on his first album. Altogether, Pass The Distance emerges as a true gem and easily ranks as one of the best reissues of 2004, the year we first heard it, but still sounds just as good, 4 years later.
MPEG Stream: "Very Close Friend"
MPEG Stream: "Jerusalem"
MPEG Stream: "Big White Car"

FINN, SIMON Silent City Creep (Durtro / Jnana) cd ep 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Silent City Creep is a very limited, five track EP from Simon Finn, whose recently reissued Pass The Distance holds an eerie similarity to contemporary acid folk troubadours like Devendra Banhart, Six Organs of Admittance, and the Skygreen Leopards. Not surprisingly, Mr. Finn had been a long time favorite of Current 93's David Tibet who was responsible for reissuing Pass The Distance as well as Silent City Creep. Originally intended as something that would only be sold at a Current 93 / Simon Finn show earlier this year in Canada, a few copies have surfaced for general consumption. But we must stress that there's only a few, and we will not be able to get anymore than what we currently stock. All of these tracks were recorded back in 1975 and appear to feature Finn all by his lonesome. Any number of these tracks could have easily fit onto Pass The Distance, even if they didn't feature accompaniment from David Toop and Paul Burwell; thus this makes a great additional for all of you who had fallen in love with Pass The Distance.
MPEG Stream: "Walkie Talkie"
MPEG Stream: "Silent City"

FIRE Could You Understand Me (Skyf Zol) cd 17.98
Good grief! FUZZ. Don't you love it? These guys do. Or, should we say did, since this was recorded back in 1973. Fire were a power trio from Yugoslavia, relocated for the purposes of playing and recording to Holland. Could You Understand Me is the only album they made -- though they cranked enuff fuzz guitar on this sufficent for ten albums! Aside from one run of the mill bar band blues cut (track three), this disc BURNS (as per their name) with heavy duty psych guitar mayhem. The last and gnarliest track here is even called "Flames". It's an instrumental, nearly nine minutes of extremely distorted, repetitive, pedals mashed, goin' for broke brainmelt. Dunno how they recorded it, musta done something wrong, but it's brilliant. They can also pen a decent tune, with the title track fer instance having a nice melodic element amidst the fuzz riffage.
Their influences were most likely Hendrix and Cream and possibly Blue Cheer. But when Fire really get burnin', we think this sounds more like current psych-mongers The Heads from the UK, or Japan's motorpsycho outfits High Rise and Mainliner.
MPEG Stream: "Could You Understand Me"
MPEG Stream: "Flames"

FIRE Could You Understand Me (Killroy) lp 25.00
Now reissued on vinyl!
Good grief! FUZZ. Don't you love it? These guys do. Or, should we say did, since this was recorded back in 1973. Fire were a power trio from Yugoslavia, relocated for the purposes of playing and recording to Holland. Could You Understand Me is the only album they made - though they cranked enuff fuzz guitar on this sufficient for ten albums! Aside from one run of the mill bar band blues cut (track three), this disc BURNS (as per their name) with heavy duty psych guitar mayhem. The last and gnarliest track here is even called "Flames". It's an instrumental, nearly nine minutes of extremely distorted, repetitive, pedals mashed, goin' for broke brainmelt. Dunno how they recorded it, musta done something wrong, but it's brilliant. They can also pen a decent tune, with the title track fer instance having a nice melodic element amidst the fuzz riffage.
Their influences were most likely Hendrix and Cream and possibly Blue Cheer. But when Fire really get burnin', we think this sounds more like current psych-mongers The Heads from the UK, or Japan's motorpsycho outfits High Rise and Mainliner.
MPEG Stream: "Could You Understand Me"
MPEG Stream: "Flames"

FIRE ENGINES Codex Teenage Premonition (Domino) cd 14.98
The Scottish quartet Fire Engines only released one album back in 1981 along with a couple of singles. In the British Isles, the band developed a considerable following amongst the Brit-Pop nobility of Alan McGee (the one-time king of the Creation empire), The Jesus & Mary Chain, and more recently Franz Ferdinand. For better of for worse, Codex Teenage Premontion is not a compendium of that one album (entitled Lubricate Your Living Room) and those singles; for that, you need the Fond anthology released by Rev-Ola / Creation. Rather, this is a collection of super-raw live recordings and home-recorded demos. The Fire Engines' sound is driven by a punk jangle, reflecting the ramshackle energy of The Fall and even Captain Beefheart (e.g. Shiny Beast); but there's a maniacal repetitiveness to their incessantly shrill chords that can be downright toxic. There's numerous variations of their track "Discord" showing how fucked-up they could get during their live sets, and a Peel Session track of "Candyskin" which was their most well known single at the time. Curiously enough, they decided to round out the record with a 2004 recording of Franz Ferdinand's "Jacqueline."
MPEG Stream: "Discord (Peel Session)"
MPEG Stream: "Candyskin (Peel Session)"

FIRE ROOM Broken Music (Atavistic) cd 14.98

FIRE THEFT, THE s/t (Ryko) cd 16.98
Imagine this... Perry Farrell becomes the vocalist for Radiohead who've decided to take an excursion into some very Yes territory. Such was the vision which swirled into view as the first song of The Fire Theft's self-titled debut played. Odd! Who is this mysterious new band? Why, it's noneother than 3/4 of Sunny Day Real Estate (Jeremy Enigk, Nate mendel and William Goldsmith) who decided to regroup and embark on some new musical adventures. The rest of the album doesn't quite stir such unexpected images as the opening song, but instead settles into a more familiar yet still refreshing sound. Shades of their emo past float to the surface every so often, but as a whole the album evokes a more complex and dramatic path. Devout SDRE and Enigk fans have been asking about this for months, well kiddies, here it is!
MPEG Stream: "Uncle Mountain"
MPEG Stream: "Houses"

FIRE WITCH Critter / Kritta (We Empty Rooms) 3" 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.
Another killer heavy rock outfit from down under. Grey Daturas, Whitehorse, Agents Of Abhorrence, Striborg... In fact it was AQ faves Whitehorse who had been telling us about these guys for a while now, but it wasn't until quite recently that we finally managed to get in touch with them and get our hands on some of their music. And boy are we glad we did. Their label is called We Clear Rooms, which besides being a killer name, gives you a hint as to what you're in for. We were expecting some Whitehorse styled sludge and pummel, and while Fire Witch do indeed bring the noise with plenty of heaviness, they are a bit more moody and melodically subtle. Drums pound, guitars growl and roar, but there are long stretches of moody meandering, dreamy drift, in between the bouts of furious psychedelic freakouts. Two tracks, two versions of the same song. The first is an instrumental epic, a cross between Pelican and Khanate, just the right balance of head caving sludge and minor key post rock, slow building, lots of dynamics, expansive and grand, a massive grooving post sludge psychrock blow out. The second, lengthier track sonically resembles the first, but immediately strikes out on its own, WAY free-er tangent. the drums are way more spread out, the rhythms are much more abstract, the feel is much more plodding and glacial, guitars don't riff so much as they slither and scrape and squeak, a creepy soundscape of strange guitar sounds and a massive layer of low end rumble, letting the drums sit right up front where they belong, alternating between slow motion crush and complex tribalism, the drums offer up a densely woven world of pound and pummel, a tangled web of strangely shifting rhythms, over a blown out psychedelic swirl. Killer!
And the packaging, HOLY SHIT! Super deluxe origami style silkscreened fold-out sleeve wrapped in a vellum slip case. The disc is printed and sits inside beneath a clear plastic insert, beneath yet another printed insert and with a miniature reproduction of an old show flyer where they played with the Grey Daturas. Cool. The packaging says this was limited to "around 100 copies" but according to the band, these are the last 30, that they had been saving specifically for us!
MPEG Stream: "Critter"
MPEG Stream: "Kritta"

FIRE WITCH Japan (Wantage USA) 10" 8.00
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**
The return of these Aussie low end heavies. Two basses, drums, NO guitar, recorded on the tail end of their recent Japanese tour, more of what we love from these guys, mathy, doomy low end heaviness.
The A side is all one track, and it's a beaut. The basses loooow slung, thick and syrupy, streaks of feedback everywhere, the drums scattered, the whole thing gorgeously abstract, the bass lines sound woozy and warped, it almost sounds like one of the basses is being played with a slide, part way through it erupts into a full on free for all, drums going nuts, basses buzzing and roaring, the band managed to sound super tight, but also loose and improvised, slipping from droney to super complex to mathy to space-y to sparse and plodding to freaked out and frenzied.
The flipside begins heavy and downtuned and mathy, sounding like a more metal ruins, super tight, locked into impossible grooves, before slipping into another stretch of drifting abstract free jam, before finishing off with a super rocking jam that is total early nineties Homestead worship. Awesome!
Beautifully hand screened covers, black and metallic silver on white (peep the inside of the cover, they're all printed on recycled Oxes / Arab On Radar sleeves, haha), each one hand numbered and signed, LIMITED TO 355 COPIES! Includes a photocopied insert too.

FIRE WITCH LIARS! (We Empty Rooms / Bro Fidelity) cd 13.98
Finally available again, now on a proper cd, the first two long out of print cd-rs, I Spit Lies and Critter / Kirtta, from Aussie heavies Fire Witch, a bad ass guitarless, two bass and drums killing machine from down under, who weave delicate soundscapes of low end drift and simple pounding rhythms, peppered with blasts of skull crushing heaviness, free noise splatter, and gorgeous shimmering ambience. They're sort of aligned with bands like Whitehorse and the Grey Daturas, but somehow, what these guys do is way different.
I Spit Lies is two looooong tracks, "I Spit" and "Lies". The former is a slow burning gradual build, with bass feedback draped over a throbbing low end pulse and a simple shuffling rhythm, with occasional lapses into sludgy doom, before resuming the lugubrious groove. Right in the middle there's an extended stretch of delicate drifting low end swirl, that eventually gives way to some seriously hooky propulsive post rock crunch.
The latter is equally mathy, almost groovy, another simple rhythm underpinning soaring bass melodies all held together by the pulsing bass #2. Eventually, things gradually break apart, into epic expanses of space, with just the occasional chord or drum hit. It's doomy, but more in the way Low or other slowcore bands are doomy. A gorgeously abstract ultra minimal deconstructed slow motion math rock, that by the end of the song has turned into a grinding heavy, almost metal groove. Fucking awesome!
Critter / Kritta is two tracks, two versions of the same song. The first is an instrumental epic, a cross between Pelican and Khanate, just the right balance of head caving sludge and minor key post rock, slow building, lots of dynamics, expansive and grand, a massive grooving post sludge psychrock blow out. The second, lengthier track sonically resembles the first, but immediately strikes out on its own, WAY free-er tangent. The drums are way more spread out, the rhythms are much more abstract, the feel is much more plodding and glacial, guitars don't riff so much as they slither and scrape and squeak, a creepy soundscape of strange guitar sounds and a massive layer of low end rumble, letting the drums sit right up front where they belong, alternating between slow motion crush and complex tribalism, the drums offer up a densely woven world of pound and pummel, a tangled web of strangely shifting rhythms, over a blown out psychedelic swirl. Killer!
Usually we lament the fact that bands choose to jettison the guitar, there are so many bass and drums duos out there, many of which would sound so much better with a guitarist, but one of the bassists in Fire Witch swings his bass like an axe and it makes all the difference in the world!
Housed in a super swank, hand screened origami style cardstock sleeve, with a printed insert, LIMITED to 500 COPIES, each one hand numbered of course...
MPEG Stream: "I spit"
MPEG Stream: "Critter"
MPEG Stream: "Kritta"

FIREBALL Blessed Be (High Roller Society Records) 12" 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
BACK IN STOCK -- second pressing! Here's what we said about the first pressing:
Vinyl-only (limited to 500 copies) debut release from an all-girl garage-fuzz five-piece band that takes their record collector obsession with mystical '70s heavy psych stoner rock to an insanely distorted, primal extreme -- these four songs rumble along like an unholy hybrid of Comets On Fire, Angelblood, Hawkwind, Harry Pussy and Amon Duul II. And we sure are sure about the latter 'cause they cover the slayin' "Archangels Thunderbird" from ADII's Yeti album on the b-side of this, and do it so well (the vocals are perfect!), it's worth buying just for that alone, though the other three tracks are great too. They also give thanks to the Edgar Broughton Band, the James Gang, UFO (really early UFO weed, I mean, we'd guess), and you can hear that strain of heavy, hippy, boogie/space rock here, but updated into the grungy lo-fi avant-punk now (either that or cast back into the prehistoric past!). Did we mention the utter utter distortion in which this whole record is bathed? 'Cause they're women, somebody has said that they sound like "hot tar being poured onto the Go-Gos." But not in a torturous way at all, we should hasten to add. It's love, this sound. One song here it titled "Witchy Ways" and yes, these young ladies from Brooklyn are a new wave coven conjuring noisy psych rock grunt.
On 180 gram vinyl, packaged in a hand-screened cover with insert. Get one while you can... and then, like us, wait expectantly for a full-length.

FIREBIRDS, THE Light My Fire (Radioactive) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here's a reissue of some kind of 1969 psychsploitation artifact...if you're into heavy FUZZ a la Blue Cheer you ought to perk up yr ears at this. There's not much information given (something all too many cd reissues needlessly suffer from) and in fact the track listing is not even accurate: the album starts off rather than ends with their instrumental cover version of The Doors' "Light My Fire", and while you do get the song "Free Bass" (yes, a lengthy bass solo) it seems that "Free Drum" and "Free Fuzz" are missing in action. This may be the fault of the original LP sleeve, though again the reissuers could have made things a bit clearer. Anyway, what we do know is that The Firebirds were a British band who played heavy psychedelic blues rock influenced by the likes of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream and Blue Cheer, and while this ain't quite Vincebus Eruptum it does come close at times. One critic has called this album "soulless campy noise" and you know what? someone probably said the same thing about Blue Cheer too. Not recommended for everyone, but some of you out there, who are ready to really delve into the lower depths of heavy '60s psych LP reissue-dom, will dig this for sure...
MPEG Stream: "Reflections"
MPEG Stream: "No Tomorrows"

FIRELILLY s/t (Red Planet) cd 9.98
The debut album from this new Bay Area electronic pop band is brimming with confidence and solid songwriting. It starts out all sweet, chiming and heartfelt treading in the territory of bands such as Postal Service and Magnetic Fields with a little bit of Guided By Voices' Robert Pollard-ness too. There's definitely echoes of '80s Brit synth pop thoughout. That said, as the album progresses, things gradually shifts into and between a darker, more atmospheric, almost gothy feel a la Tindersticks and a heavier, more guitar driven sound. Nice.
MPEG Stream: "Pixie"
MPEG Stream: "Tomorrow"

FISCHERSPOONER Odyssey (Capitol) cd 13.98
Odyssey... the new eau de parfum... er, eau d'album from the fashion house of Fischerspooner. They've revamped their formula since their audacious debut -- holding onto those tried and true arpeggiated basslines and rocking things up with electric guitar, live drumming and... flute! They've apparently even given the diva singer the boot, drawing the spotlight more to Casey Spooner's vocals which come across as much more sing-song-y and sensitive guy (think: a more 'pumped' Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys), but please excuse us for being more than a little wary of their sincerity and substance when the group's career thus far has been unabashedly fabricated from truckloads of gloss, glitter and gall. This time when soliciting contributions the unapologetically shrewd and calculating duo shunned the fading electro-clash fashionistas and approached the likes of Susan Sontag, Linda Perry and David Byrne for assistance. Plus here's a head-scratcher for ya: they close the album with a cover of a Boredoms song -- a strange, truncated but oddly effective synthesized transformation of "Circle" from Vision Creation Newsun! There's two bonus tracks: one is a remix of "Just Let Go" and the second is an incongruous swirly pop song sung by Lizzy Yoder. Hmm, dare we guess that they're testing that genre's waters for a potential next new direction? Something to consider 'cuz it just might be the best song on the album. Sure had us scratching our heads a second time, goin' wtf!? though.
MPEG Stream: "Get Confused"
MPEG Stream: "Down Up"

FISCHERSPOONER (V/A) The Other Side New York (Time Out) dualdisc 17.98
Here's a novel concept... Why not let Fischerspooner be your tourguide to gettin' around New York City? Those obsessive who-what-where-when mavens at Time Out (makers of those hip city guides that are usually found in magazine and book form) thought it a dandy idea, and have issued a series of three travel guide dualdisc (cd one side, dvd on the other) sets compiled by select taste-makin' startlets from London (Damian Lazarus), Paris (Black Strobe) and New York (Fischerspooner).
The eclectic musical selections are a funfilled romp although they're oddly not limited to New York based artists -- Bloc Party, Fiery Furnaces, Au Pairs, Princess Superstar, Broadcast, David Carretta, Plastique De Reve, Big Boys, Lassigue Bendthaus, Electronicat, Thomas Schumacher, Model 500, Richard Bartz, Martin Rev, Pixeltan and Laurie Anderson. Of course, shrewd businessmen that they are, they also include one of their own in the mix -- a remix of "Emerge".
The dvd side of The Other Side is hosted by Casey Spooner and offers a glimpse of his choice picks around the Big Apple.
MPEG Stream: LASSIGUE BENDTHAUS "Jealous Guy"
MPEG Stream: PLASTIQUE DE REVE "Rodeo Mechanique"

FISCHOFF, DAVE The Crawl (Secretly Canadian) cd 14.98
Wonderful! Hop aboard Dave Fischoff's dreamy twilight pop ship and float up up up amid the shimmering stars. His soft, sensitive vocals melt into the lush, sweeping orchestral pop of The Crawl. A Chicago Public Library librarian by day, Fischoff namechecks Beach Boys, Burt Bacharach and Boards Of Canada as influences for this his third full length, and they definitely do make themselves apparent. That said, the results are a dreamy sweet confection which nuzzles in comfortably next to the likes of mellow pop-tronicans Canada's Caribou and pretty much everyone on Germany's Morr Music label. Absolutely sigh inducing!
MPEG Stream: "The World Gets Smaller When You Dream"
MPEG Stream: "Last Room"

FISHER, MORGAN Hybrid Kids 1+2 (Cherry Red) 2cd 21.00

FITZ-GERALD, G.F. Mouseproof (Sunbeam) cd 16.98
Reissue of strangely eclectic and genre-hopping British psych-folk record from 1970, combining country-rock, seventies harmonies, political satire, jazz and early electronic instrumental excursions. This is a mellow hodge-podge of aural recipes akin to the one off releases by United States of America and White Noise. While not every song hits, the album closer, "Opal Pyramid Drifting Over Time", an eight minute instrumental with washes of wah guitar, piano repetitions, jazzy drumming and chanting harmonies is definitely worth the price of admission.
MPEG Stream: "May Four"
MPEG Stream: "Opal Pyramid Drifting Over Time"

FIVE OR SIX Acting On Impulse (Cherry Red) cd 17.98
Five Or Six were a shortlived UK post-punk band from the early '80s with a revolving door of members, the most well known of which included Ashley Wells who later went to form Spring Hill Jack and David Knight who continues to work with Karl Blake in Shockheaded Peters. While Five Or Six never got into the avant-jazz electronica of Spring Hill Jack or the monstrous art-pop of Shockheaded Peters, the band was intent on pushing beyond the three chord punk attack. Given a dour demeanor and a penchant for moody atmospherics, their small catalogue of albums and singles rightly earned favorable comparisons to Joy Division and 154-era Wire. Tracks such as "Another Reason" and "The Trial" are grounded upon low-slung basslines grooved against percussive dirges, bleak electronic drones, and spindly guitar leads. This compilation is certainly the best place to start with the Five Or Six catalogue, as their albums could be hit and miss. David Knight admitted that the group somewhat cancelled out many of the strengths of the many members, leaving only a handful of great tracks. Fortunately, all of that great material is found here. So if the early 4AD / Factory Records post-punk dirge is your thing, this will certainly float your boat.
MPEG Stream: "Another Reason"
MPEG Stream: "Lost Cause"
MPEG Stream: "Sleepwalk"