FREDRIK Na Na Ni (The Kora Records) cd 12.98
Been meaning to stock and review the delightful debut album from this Swedish duo (who've recently expanded to a sextet) for quite some time! We've been snugly enveloped in its whimsical beauty ever since it was recommended to us by a kind aQ mailorder customer a number of months ago. Finally it's here! Fredrik is indeed the name of one of these fellows. You'll hear his lulling voice, guitar, piano and horns. Lindefelt is the other, and he entwines a glistening array of strings and shuffling, twinkling electronics. There are also some uncredited angelic female backing vocals that are the absolute whipped cream and cherry topping on this glorious musical confection. Together, they've made one of Cup's favorite albums of 2009... yeah, even though it was released in late 2008! Hey, you discover things when you discover them, right? From note one, you'll be swept off your feet! Filled with an air of wide-eyed innocence, hazy atmospheres, and daydreamy reflective moods, it's the perfect album for taking your little row boat out on the sun dappled lake for the day, setting it adrift, and leaving the oars at rest. A balance of songs and scapes, each track is its own mesmerizing folk-tinged journey. The title of the seventh number "Angora Sleepwalking" really captures the essence of this album. You may find Na Na Ni to be in some ways akin to the dream pop of Kings Of Convenience or The Notwist, but a bit more electronic than the former and somewhat more airy and pastoral than the latter. Or perhaps they're the long lost music box and wind-up toy festooned brethren of the Elephant Six collective, but with a bit more European flair and a bit less psychedelics? To boot, folks who dig Arcade Fire's lush emotiveness or Weakerthans' earnest sensitivities may also find Fredrik's vocals particularly appealing. That said, hopefully those references don't lead you astray because they definitely weave their own beautifully crafted enchanted magic... and it all sounds mighty good to us. Oh yes, very recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Alina's Place"
MPEG Stream: "Ninkon Loops"
MPEG Stream: "11 Years"

FREDRIK Na Na Ni (The Kora Records) lp 16.98
Been meaning to stock and review the delightful debut album from this Swedish duo (who've recently expanded to a sextet) for quite some time! We've been snugly enveloped in its whimsical beauty ever since it was recommended to us by a kind aQ mailorder customer a number of months ago. Finally it's here! Fredrik is indeed the name of one of these fellows. You'll hear his lulling voice, guitar, piano and horns. Lindefelt is the other, and he entwines a glistening array of strings and shuffling, twinkling electronics. There are also some uncredited angelic female backing vocals that are the absolute whipped cream and cherry topping on this glorious musical confection. Together, they've made one of Cup's favorite albums of 2009... yeah, even though it was released in late 2008! Hey, you discover things when you discover them, right? From note one, you'll be swept off your feet! Filled with an air of wide-eyed innocence, hazy atmospheres, and daydreamy reflective moods, it's the perfect album for taking your little row boat out on the sun dappled lake for the day, setting it adrift, and leaving the oars at rest. A balance of songs and scapes, each track is its own mesmerizing folk-tinged journey. The title of the seventh number "Angora Sleepwalking" really captures the essence of this album. You may find Na Na Ni to be in some ways akin to the dream pop of Kings Of Convenience or The Notwist, but a bit more electronic than the former and somewhat more airy and pastoral than the latter. Or perhaps they're the long lost music box and wind-up toy festooned brethren of the Elephant Six collective, but with a bit more European flair and a bit less psychedelics? To boot, folks who dig Arcade Fire's lush emotiveness or Weakerthans' earnest sensitivities may also find Fredrik's vocals particularly appealing. That said, hopefully those references don't lead you astray because they definitely weave their own beautifully crafted enchanted magic... and it all sounds mighty good to us. Oh yes, very recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Alina's Place"
MPEG Stream: "Ninkon Loops"
MPEG Stream: "11 Years"

FREDRIK Origami (The Kora Records) 7" 7.98
Ahhh, Fredrik is helping us start our new year [2011] in the most lovely fashion with this new 3-song 7". Gauzily atmospheric, softly groovy, subtly folksy, hushed elegance. The central pair Fredrik Hultin and O. Lindefelt are now joined by vocalist / instrumentalist Anna Moberg, and the new sounds they are conjuring together are a glistening joy to hear, a glorious progression from the duo's already sparkling previous recordings - Na Na Ni and Trilogi. If you have a penchant for lush and dreamy sounds you can snuggle into and drift off to, you definitely must make a bee line for any and all music created by this Swedish trio! Limited vinyl pressing, the first installment in a new 7" series from seven year old indie label The Kora Records.

FREDRIK Trilogi (The Kora Records) cd 14.98
Alrighty all you good people who swooned to this Swedish duo's debut (released in late 2008) which we just recently reviewed, let's keep the love flowin', shall we? Yes, we shall because we've got more of Fredrik's glorious sounds in stock now. We are getting ourselves all properly caught up with this, their sophomore full length... and such a fine album it is!
With their softly shadowed faery folk choral passages, gentle clattering percussion and sighing brass, Fredrik's intricately patchworked and multi-layered songs conjure visions of moonlit meadows and enchanted forests. We imagine them to be sort of the aural counterpart to the mesmerizing and darkly fanciful animated filmworks of the Brothers Quay. When they bring in more electronic instrumentation as on the song "Ava" they draw closer in line to the heartfelt dream pop of Postal Service or The Notwist. And on particular standout numbers such as "Milo", Fredrik Hultin's hushed dewy-eyed vocals are quite reminiscent of Kings Of Convenience's Erlend Oye and Notwist's Markus Acher. You know, that charming murmur that sounds like it has a sweetheart secret to tell only you! But that said, the overall lasting impression of Trilogi is far more otherworldly. Glistening, lovely and artfully crafted... yes, we recommend it! (By the way, we should forewarn you that the songs that make up this album were originally released on three very very limited edition cdeps titled Holm, Ava and Ner - hence the title - but they were gone in a wink of an eye. So chances are you missed them like we did, but happily you can get them compiled on one disc now!)
MPEG Stream: "Milo"
MPEG Stream: "Ava"

FREDRIK Trilogi (The Kora Records) 2lp 31.00
Now, at last, here on vinyl!!
Alrighty all you good people who swooned to this Swedish duo's debut (released in late 2008) which we just recently reviewed, let's keep the love flowin', shall we? Yes, we shall because we've got more of Fredrik's glorious sounds in stock now. We are getting ourselves all properly caught up with this, their sophomore full length... and such a fine album it is!
With their softly shadowed faery folk choral passages, gentle clattering percussion and sighing brass, Fredrik's intricately patchworked and multi-layered songs conjure visions of moonlit meadows and enchanted forests. We imagine them to be sort of the aural counterpart to the mesmerizing and darkly fanciful animated filmworks of the Brothers Quay. When they bring in more electronic instrumentation as on the song "Ava" they draw closer in line to the heartfelt dream pop of Postal Service or The Notwist. And on particular standout numbers such as "Milo", Fredrik Hultin's hushed dewy-eyed vocals are quite reminiscent of Kings Of Convenience's Erlend Oye and Notwist's Markus Acher. You know, that charming murmur that sounds like it has a sweetheart secret to tell only you! But that said, the overall lasting impression of Trilogi is far more otherworldly. Glistening, lovely and artfully crafted... yes, we recommend it! (By the way, we should forewarn you that the songs that make up this album were originally released on three very very limited edition cdeps titled Holm, Ava and Ner - hence the title - but they were gone in a wink of an eye. So chances are you missed them like we did, but happily you can get them compiled on one disc now!)
MPEG Stream: "Milo"
MPEG Stream: "Ava"

FREE BLOOD The Singles (Rong / DFA) cd 14.98

FREE DESIGN Kites Are Fun (Varese Sarabande) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The best of Free Design. Four fancy-free voices from the '70s singing life-affirming songs about kites and bubbles and love. Beautiful harmonies with lush orchestrations, produced by Enoch Light. Like The Carpenters on ecstasy, or a less cynical Stereolab unplugged. You always knew who is the biggest influence on Stereolab's music (Neu!) but now you know who most affected their vocals, cos most of this sounds EXACTLY like Mary and Laetitia harmonizing.

FREE DESIGN Kites Are Fun (Light In The Attic) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

MPEG Stream: "You Could Be Born Again"
MPEG Stream: "A Leaf Has Veins"

FREE DESIGN Raindrops (Siesta) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another collection of saccharine sweet songs from '67 to '73. For these songs, add a little more Ray Conniff Singers to the description above. Mostly covers here--"California Dreamin'", "If I Were a Carpenter", "59th Street (Feelin' Groovy)", and even, yes, "Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street?"

FREE DESIGN Raindrops (Siesta) 2x10" 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another collection of saccharine sweet songs from '67 to '73. For these songs, add a little more Ray Conniff Singers to the description above. Mostly covers here--"California Dreamin'", "If I Were a Carpenter", "59th Street (Feelin' Groovy)", and even, yes, "Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street?"
The vinyl is a double 10"--one in sky blue, the other in seafoam green and they look like they could have fallen out of a gumball machine.

FREE DESIGN Stars / Time / Bubbles / Love (Light In The Attic) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hurrah for reissues! Especially ones like this, the long out of print fourth album from The Free Design! And it's arrived in such a timely fashion, what with the recent spurt of soft'n'easy pop groups (Fancey, Young & Sexy, Call And Response, and of course The Polyphonic Spree!). You could say they're here to show the young pups how it was done "back in the day" which in this case was 1970. With their elaborate assembly of bright horns, spritely woodwinds, cascading strings, and multi-tiered cake-sweet chorus vocals, The Free Design made music that was so deliriously upbeat and gloriously produced (by Enoch Light, no less!), 'twas almost obscene! Sonically they were very much in the same vein as The Carpenters, but a whole lot sweeter, cuter and much more optimistic.
A word of warning: Please proceed with caution when dabbling with The Free Design 'cause although this may be used as a substitute for the sun on a cloudy day, it might induce a super sugar shock too.
Includes two bonus tracks: the previously unreleased "To A Black Boy" and the single version of "Butterflies Are Free".
MPEG Stream: "Bubbles"
MPEG Stream: "Stay Off Your Frown"

FREE DESIGN You Could Be Born Again (Light In The Attic) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hurrah for reissues! Especially ones like this, the long out of print second album from The Free Design! It's filled with both feel-good originals and glowing covers ("Eleanor Rigby", California Dreamin'" and "Happy Together"), and it's arrived in such a timely fashion, what with the recent spurt of soft'n'easy pop groups (Fancey, Young & Sexy, Call And Response, and of course The Polyphonic Spree!). You could say these reissues are here to show the young pups how it was done "back in the day" which in this case was 1968. With their elaborate assembly of bright horns, spritely woodwinds, cascading strings, and multi-tiered cake-sweet chorus vocals, The Free Design made music that was so deliriously upbeat and gloriously produced (by Enoch Light, no less!), 'twas almost obscene! Sonically they were very much in the same vein as The Carpenters, but a whole lot sweeter, cuter and much more optimistic.
A word of warning: Please proceed with caution when dabbling with The Free Design 'cause although their music may be used as a substitute for the sun on a cloudy day, it might induce a super sugar shock too.
Includes two bonus tracks (oddly both seasonal songs): "Close Your Mouth (It's Christmas)" and "Christmas Is The Day".
MPEG Stream: "You Could Be Born Again"
MPEG Stream: "A Leaf Has Veins"

FREE KITTEN Free Kitten's Punks Suing Punks EP (Kill Rock Stars) 7" 3.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, Yoshimi of Boredoms, Julie Cafritz of Pussy Galore.

FREE KITTEN Inherit (Ecstatic Peace) cd 12.98
It's been over a decade since Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth), Yoshimi (Boredoms) and Julie Cafritz (Pussy Galore) joined forces for a Free Kitten album. They've finally gotten together again and made maybe the best Free Kitten record yet! While they still display their scrappy and punky/bratty side on a couple tracks, the majority of Inherit finds them way more focused, smokey and rocking then we ever remember. Sharing much more in common with the sound of Sonic Youth then past Free Kitten outings, this is a must have for folks who have been digging the recent output by SY (some of us here are big fans of Rather Ripped, Murray Street, etc!) and Kim's contributions to those records. There is such a natural and free flowing feel to Inherit, with Kim rocking out all warm and smoky. The lead off track "Erected Girl" makes for such a perfect companion to the equally simple yet entrancing opener on the latest Breeders album. With new records lately by The Breeders, Mudhoney, Spiritualized and now Free Kitten it's feeling a lot like the '90s around here but we aren't complaining one bit!
MPEG Stream: "Erected Girl"
MPEG Stream: "Sway"

FREE POP ELECTRONIC CONCEPT, THE A New Exciting Experience (Vampisoul) cd 23.00
We bet Japan's Christine 23 Onna digs this album! Only in the '60s... a far out, indulgent artifact of the era, an album of instrumental oh-so-psychedelic groovers with titles like "Chewing Gum Delirium" and "Cosmos Rhythms", full of wild organ jamming, funky chicken scratch guitar, and a whole lotta primitive analog synth bubbling burbling bleeping, culminating in the 14:52 tour de force of "F.P.E.T. No.1". It's a lot like the music from one of those cool "Instro-hipsters" comps, overrun with an absurd excess of electronic experimentation, that approach Hawkwindy levels of whooshing and swooshing, swirling FX. Originally released in 1969, it was a one-off project, "a new exciting experience" as it says on the cover, that today while not so new is still quite an experience.
Imagine freaked out electronics amidst go-go dancing grooves that would have both Pierre Henry and Austin Powers saying yeah baby! Or if Comets On Fire were a funky '60s soul group... which is what the core of this band is, Portuguese brothers Jess and James, who were joined by a free jazz drummer from NYC, a Latin percussionist, and most crucially a Moog madman from Belgium, the fellow responsible for all the crazy "free pop" electronics, one Arsene Souffriau. Yes, if you like Christine 23 Onna, Staff Carpenborg, or Les Maledictus Sound, check this out!
MPEG Stream: "Chewing Gum Delirium"
MPEG Stream: "Planetary Gospel"
MPEG Stream: "F.P.E.T. No.1"

FREEDOM HAWK s/t (MeteorCity) cd 12.98
We have to admit, when we first got this in, there were some Freedom Rock jokes, "Is that Freedom Hawk? Well, TURN IT UP", but that lasted precisely until we threw it on the stereo, at which point "Is that Freedom Hawk? Well, TURN IT UP" stopped being a joke and became a COMMAND, something we found ourselves thinking if not saying every time someone put it on in the store. Easily the heaviest, hookiest, grooviest slab of stoner rock / hard rock / classic metal we've heard all year. Huge sun baked riffs, throbbing fuzz bass, crashing drums, and howled Ozzy like vox, and most importantly some seriously catchy songs. Think a killer mix of vintage Kyuss, early Queens Of The Stone Age and classic Ozzy. It's stoner rock for sure, it is after all on the stoner rock centric Meteor City label, but it's so METAL, and so so poppy and catchy, and yeah heavy, totally rocking, very likely to induce headbanging, or at the very least air guitaring. One or two folks here thought maybe it was too derivative, and hell these guys do plunder and purloin, but they were quickly won over by the sound, the songs, and how these guys OWN their influences. Even the folks less inclined toward this sort of stuff, we've caught throwing this on when they though no one was listening.
At first we thought this was just a fun record, a sort of guilty pleasure even, but fuck it, this RULES, a killer hard rock / stoner metal record, well crafted, the playing bad ass, the sound warm and crunchy, the songs so catchy, guaranteed to stick in your head like crazy. We could go on and on, and usually do, but the true test is really how much we end up listening to something, and how often it gets played in the store, and if that's really the case, well, then this might just end up being one of THEE records of 2009 (in fact it even made it onto one aQuarian's top 10!!)...
MPEG Stream: "On The Other Side"
MPEG Stream: "Universal"
MPEG Stream: "My Road"

FREEDOM HAWK Sunlight (Magic Lady) cd 13.98
Freedom Hawk's most recent full length was a surprise hit around here, a surprise to everyone BUT Andee, who was lobbying all along for it to be Record Of The Week. But plenty of folks still got the message loud and clear, and we sold a ton, which really should come as no surprise considering how heavy and groovy and hooky and stonery and kick ass that record was. Here's how we described it for anyone who missed it:
"Huge sun baked riffs, throbbing fuzz bass, crashing drums, and howled Ozzy like vox, and most importantly some seriously catchy songs. Think a killer mix of vintage Kyuss, early Queens Of The Stone Age and classic Ozzy."
Sound good huh? That's cuz it is. And this one is just as good, if anything, the Ozzy vocals are even MORE Ozzy, in fact, reviews online described this record as the "record Ozzy SHOULD have made", which is sort of true. It's Sabbathy, melodic and heavy, definitely catchy, and those vocals, wailing and classic. It's really hard to know what else to say about these guys, we're all raved out after reviewing the self-titled full length, but needless to say, if you dug that one, you probably want this one too, and if you somehow didn't catch on until now, grab this, dig it, like crazy, and then get the other one too.
It's pretty much irresistible, massive riffing, wailing vox, killer harmonies, wild drumming, insanely catchy songs, cool fucked up arrangements, hooks all over the place, GUITAR SOLOS! Not to mention one song that's a surprisingly spaced out experimental almost dub reggae sounding slow burn space groove, like their very own "Planet Caravan" or something. And be sure to stick around for the hidden extra track (or not), a fucked up and way drugged out, very goofy 'funk'(?) jam...
These guys are definitely one of our favorite new discoveries, and both Freedom Hawk records have been on non stop heavy rotation for the last few months, and that shows no sign of letting up anytime soon...
MPEG Stream: "Executioner"
MPEG Stream: "Land Of The Lost"
MPEG Stream: "Sunlight"

FREEDOM'S CHILDREN Astra ( Fresh Music) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Heavy psychedelic vibes from these '70s South African proggers, getting all, um, astral and spacey and downright spooky at times on this, their second album dating from 1971 (or maybe 1970?). A lost classic, this is, if you're a fan of Pink Floyd and/or cosmic Krautrock stuff of similar vintage. It's super trippy, with echoey vox singing weird conceptual lyrix over majestic acid rock meets church organ jams.
This was reissued on cd before, in '97, but what we've got here is a 2005 reish that adds a bunch of bonus tracks, yay. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "The Homecoming"

FREEDOM'S CHILDREN Astra (Shadoks Music) cd 17.98
We've had different editions of this before, here's the latest, now reissued via Shadoks. Glad to have it back in our vintage psych section, where it has lots of friends.
Astra exhibits heavy psychedelic vibes from these '70s South African proggers, getting all, um, astral and spacey and downright spooky at times on this, their second album dating from 1971 (or maybe 1970?). A lost classic, this is, if you're a fan of Pink Floyd and/or cosmic Krautrock stuff of similar vintage. It's super trippy, with echoey vox singing weird conceptual lyrix over majestic acid rock meets church organ jams.
Shadoks has also just reissued FC's other two albums, Galactic Vibes (reviewed this list) and their debut Battle Hymn Of The Broken-Hearted Horde.
MPEG Stream: "The Homecoming"
MPEG Stream: "Tribal Fence"

FREEDOM'S CHILDREN Battle Hymn Of The Broken-Hearted Horde (Shadoks Music) cd 17.98
Here's this South African psych band's 1968 concept album debut, also reissued. Great title, eh? Compared to the Floydian space rock and Zeppish hard rock of their other, later two albums Astra and Galactic Vibes, this one is more '60s beat, definitely post-Peppers psych pop sounding, sometimes folky and balladic, at others more bombastically progged, with groovy organ and some fuzz guitar. It's also laced with random weirdness like sound FX, a vintage Pepsi radio advert, and spoken word intros to each track delivered in a sort of South African/Scottish brogue. Pretty neat.
MPEG Stream: "Kafkaesque"
MPEG Stream: "Miss Wendy's Dancing Eyes Have Died"

FREEDOM'S CHILDREN Box Set (Shadoks Music) 3cd 60.00
All three albums from this South African '60s psych rock band in one handy box set. See elsehwere on our site for reviews of the individual records.

FREEDOM'S CHILDREN Galactic Vibes (Shadoks Music) cd 17.98
Newly reissued, here's a superb slice of acid rock psych from South Africa, circa 1971. Shadoks have also reissued one from Freedom's Children we already loved, Astra (also on this list), and another one yet to be reviewed here, their debut Battle Hymn Of The Broken-Hearted Horde.
This was their third album, following Astra which had made them the #1 pop band in South Africa. Hmm, things were different back when! But if you were a hippy hearing this then, Galactic Vibes was definitely everything its title promised. Lots of spaced out guitars echoing over polyrhythmic percussion, certainly a multi-layered cosmic experience, peaking perhaps with a 16 minute extended live version of "The Homecoming" from the Astra album, complete with an epic drum solo. Elsewhere, there's the freaky blips and bloops of an experimental "electronic concerto", lovely Middle Eastern inflected, orchestrated balladry, moody pop bombast, and, maybe best of all, fuzzed out heavy stoner riffery!! Opener "Sea Horse" is one of album's bad ass proto-metal moments, in a Frijid Pink style, and on "That Did It" they rock out again, much like Led Zeppelin or Leaf Hound. Other parts of this album make 'em seem closer to a homegrown South African Pink Floyd. All in all, pretty damn cool for those of you for whom a druggy album title like Galactic Vibes has already piqued some interest.
No bonus tracks, but this does feature lengthy liner notes in tiny, tiny type, full of info.
MPEG Stream: "Sea Horse"
MPEG Stream: "1999"

FRESH & ONLYS Long Slow Dance (Mexican Summer) cd 10.98
This latest from these prolific San Francisco indie popsters is perhaps a bit less garagey and fuzzy than some of their past works. Long Slow Dance is an apt title, for Tim, Shayde, Kyle and Wymond's brand of dreamy indie jangle here, soaring from softly crooned heartache to powerful euphoria. In fact, "Euphoria" is the name of one of the songs.
It's a record full of folky lushness that reminds us a bit of Fleet Foxes for sure. So fans of both bands ought to dig this. Each song is strummed and sung to moody, catchy pop perfection, destined to get stuck on 'repeat' if you give it a chance.
Another stellar outing from the F&O boys!
MPEG Stream: "Yes Or No"
MPEG Stream: "Presence Of Mind"
MPEG Stream: "Fire Alarm"

FRESH & ONLYS Long Slow Dance (Mexican Summer) lp 17.98
This latest from these prolific San Francisco indie popsters is perhaps a bit less garagey and fuzzy than some of their past works. Long Slow Dance is an apt title, for Tim, Shayde, Kyle and Wymond's brand of dreamy indie jangle here, soaring from softly crooned heartache to powerful euphoria. In fact, "Euphoria" is the name of one of the songs.
It's a record full of folky lushness that reminds us a bit of Fleet Foxes for sure. So fans of both bands ought to dig this. Each song is strummed and sung to moody, catchy pop perfection, destined to get stuck on 'repeat' if you give it a chance.
Another stellar outing from the F&O boys!
MPEG Stream: "Yes Or No"
MPEG Stream: "Presence Of Mind"
MPEG Stream: "Fire Alarm"

FRESH & ONLYS, THE Debut CD (Castle Face) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
There is something so self assured about the Fresh & Onlys sound, that really makes them seem like wise old sages in a garage rock scene full of impressionable younguns and wannabe hipsters. Luckily these guys aren't burnt out folks at all, as the sounds they crank out are pretty damn fresh sounding, with enough muscle to hammer those pop chops home, with confidence and enough melody to keep things so entertaining and super rocking. While there are some similarities to label mates Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees, there is also an almost old school punk aesthetic a la Mission Of Burma at play in these songs as well as psychedelic undertones that help make the Fresh & Onlys the perfect soundtrack for a nice and drunk and slightly stoned sunny afternoon barbecue.
With a lineup that includes members of Skygreen Leopards, Black Fiction, and 3 Leafs you can hear the excitement in these short blasts of songs, as they are so much different in sound and scope than what most of these folks usually crank out.
MPEG Stream: "Feelings In My Heart"
MPEG Stream: "Imaginary Friends"
MPEG Stream: "Shattered Moon"

FRESH & ONLYS, THE Debut LP (Castle Face) lp 11.98
We FINALLY got enough lps of this pop jam to list the vinyl:
There is something so self assured about the Fresh & Onlys sound, that really makes them seem like wise old sages in a garage rock scene full of impressionable younguns and wannabe hipsters. Luckily these guys aren't burnt out folks at all, as the sounds they crank out are pretty damn fresh sounding, with enough muscle to hammer those pop chops home, with confidence and enough melody to keep things so entertaining and super rocking. While there are some similarities to label mates Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees, there is also an almost old school punk aesthetic a la Mission Of Burma at play in these songs as well as psychedelic undertones that help make the Fresh & Onlys the perfect soundtrack for a nice and drunk and slightly stoned sunny afternoon barbecue.
With a lineup that includes members of Skygreen Leopards, Black Fiction, and 3 Leafs you can hear the excitement in these short blasts of songs as they are so much different in sound and scope then what most of these folks usually crank out.
MPEG Stream: "Feelings In My Heart"
MPEG Stream: "Imaginary Friends"
MPEG Stream: "Shattered Moon"

FRESH & ONLYS, THE Grey-Eyed Girls (Woodsist) cd 13.98
By the time we had finally heard the Fresh & Onlys, there was already some sort of mania for them going on, that we found ourselves in the midst of, all their records were sold out, we couldn't get more, out of print 7"s were popping up on eBay, the sort of thing that we might expect to happen with super popular ultra hip bands, but this local band who only had a couple 7"s?? We were skeptical, until we heard 'em, then it all made sense. These guys rule. And rock. They have sort of fallen in with the new breed of noise pop lo-fi tweakers, but the Fresh & Onlys are way more about classic pop songs, their sound channeling vintage sixties pop, the early eighties LA sound, classic power pop, garage rock. The production is most definitely not lo-fi, the guitars are thick and loud and ring out, the bass throbs, the drums are simple and understated, the vocals are down in the mix, but not buried, there are plenty of harmonies, falsettos, cool little spidery guitar leads, the overall sound is just a tiny bit fuzzed out. We never noticed it before, but the band that we're most reminded of is the Leaving Trains, easily one of our favorite bands ever, criminally under appreciated for sure (Kill Tunes and Fuck are two all time stone cold classics). Tim Cohen's vocals are a dead ringer for the Leaving Trains' Falling James, and the sound too has that sort of punk rock morphed into fuzz pop sound. They also share lots of sonic elements with local pals Thee Oh Sees, that sort of washed out wall of sound classic Spector sound, plenty of fuzzy organs, strummed steel string guitars, reverby girl group back up vox, as well as some seriously garage guitar crunch all over the place. We dig BIGTIME!
MPEG Stream: "Black Coffin"
MPEG Stream: "Grey-Eyed Girl"
MPEG Stream: "No Second Guessing"
MPEG Stream: "What's His Shadow Still Doing Here?"

FRESH & ONLYS, THE Grey-Eyed Girls (Woodsist) lp 14.98
By the time we had finally heard the Fresh & Onlys, there was already some sort of mania for them going on, that we found ourselves in the midst of, all their records were sold out, we couldn't get more, out of print 7"s were popping up on eBay, the sort of thing that we might expect to happen with super popular ultra hip bands, but this local band who only had a couple 7"s?? We were skeptical, until we heard 'em, then it all made sense. These guys rule. And rock. They have sort of fallen in with the new breed of noise pop lo-fi tweakers, but the Fresh & Onlys are way more about classic pop songs, their sound channeling vintage sixties pop, the early eighties LA sound, classic power pop, garage rock. The production is most definitely not lo-fi, the guitars are thick and loud and ring out, the bass throbs, the drums are simple and understated, the vocals are down in the mix, but not buried, there are plenty of harmonies, falsettos, cool little spidery guitar leads, the overall sound is just a tiny bit fuzzed out. We never noticed it before, but the band that we're most reminded of is the Leaving Trains, easily one of our favorite bands ever, criminally under appreciated for sure (Kill Tunes and Fuck are two all time stone cold classics). Tim Cohen's vocals are a dead ringer for the Leaving Trains' Falling James, and the sound too has that sort of punk rock morphed into fuzz pop sound. They also share lots of sonic elements with local pals Thee Oh Sees, that sort of washed out wall of sound classic Spector sound, plenty of fuzzy organs, strummed steel string guitars, reverby girl group back up vox, as well as some seriously garage guitar crunch all over the place. We dig BIGTIME!
MPEG Stream: "Black Coffin"
MPEG Stream: "Grey-Eyed Girl"
MPEG Stream: "No Second Guessing"
MPEG Stream: "What's His Shadow Still Doing Here?"

FRESH & ONLYS, THE I'll Tell You Everything & I Saw You Seeing Me (Dirty Knobby) 7" 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's easy to forget that The Fresh & Only's are a new band as the songs they've been cranking out have the self-assuredness of a band who's been around for decades. Two new cuts of their garage pop sprinkled with enough punk spirit and weirdo undertones to make their songs always piques our interest. We hear a really cool Joe Meek influence in the sound of "I Saw You Seeing Me" proving that just because these folks are zoning in on some pure garage pop delight they haven't forgotten how to infuse nice touches of their wide range of musical influences into the mix. Can't seem to keep Fresh & Only's vinyl in stock too long, they're already flying out the door, so better grab one of these while you can.

FRESH & ONLYS, THE Impending Doom (Agitated) 7" 9.98
What more can we say about these SF garage poppers that we haven't already? This here's another double shot of pretty much perfect pop music, less and less garage rock sounding with every release, conjuring up that perfect mix of a little bit 'now', fuzzy, reverby, crunchy, and a little bit 'then', lush harmonies, timeless hooks, wall of sound production, female back up vox... not to mention plenty of jangle and strum, ooohs and aaahs, and songs that stick in your head like crazy.
The A-side is all propulsive drumming, fuzzy organs, chiming guitars, some low slung Joy Divisiony basslines, and an almost new wave croon, dreamy falsetto back up vox, and of course everything wreathed in echo and soft focus effects, transforming classic sounding jangle pop into something slightly more swirly and psychedelic. The B-side is much more swaggery and groovy and surfy, with one of those riffs you know you've heard somewhere before, total old school classic Beatles-esque pop, weary heartfelt vocals, some tinkling xylophone style melodies, and the back up vox steal the show, wrapping the track in an irresistible almost ethereal sounding sixties girl group haze. So good. Any other band this prolific, close to 10 releases in less than 2 years, might be hitting some sort of saturation point, but with these guys, we still can't ever seem to get enough.

FRESH & ONLYS, THE Laughter is Contagious (Trouble in Mind) 7" 7.98
Another blast of fuzzed out garage pop from these SF noise poppers, this one short and sweet, two super hooky catchy jams, the first all old school garage rock (via the new breed of retro new wave pop garage weirdos), throbbing bass, tons of Farfisa organs way up in the mix, heavily reverbed vocals, a catchy chorus (and a pretty catchy verse as well), and a super twisted laughing vocal part.
The flipside is an Oh Sees style rocker, heavy on the fifties fuzz and the falsetto back up vox, all wound around a frantic beat, but with some cool unexpected angular atonal melodies. Probably pretty dang limited so don't dawdle, no idea how long these will last, which makes sense, a 7" is pretty much the perfect way to experience a band like the F&O's, little frenetic bursts of rocking pop perfection.
Comes with a download card too, so you can cram these jams onto your computer.

FRESH & ONLYS, THE Play August In My Mind (Captured Tracks) lp 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Lately it seems that between Captured Tracks and Sacred Bones, there's some sort of label competition to see who can release the most stuff. It's definitely a close race, with both constantly churning out record after record, the weird thing is, it's pretty much all great. This latest one from SF's own Fresh & Onlys though, just might be the best yet. It's definitely the best F&O record so far, the songs, the vibe, the sound, the production. Everything that was hinted at on past records seems fully realized here. It's short, a 6 song 12" at 45 rpm, but it's plenty.
As always, the songs are ace, catchy and hooky, the guitars jangle and crunch, the vocals wrapped in reverb, the drumming propulsive, the bass fuzzy, but it's a lot darker and more minor key that past F&O records, it's also the lushest and loudest recording, which all contribute to making this the perfect F&O to end up on Captured Tracks.
While still jangly and poppy, it's also a little gloomy, a lot new wave, with buzzy Joy Divison bass, squalls of wild psychedelic guitar, plenty of ooooh's and aaaah's, tribal drumming, angular riffing, a perfect mix of sixties jangle, and cold/new wave gloom. The production is lush, but also weird, and tripped out, ethereal and gauzy, and this time around the sound reminds us not just of other likeminded contemporaries, but also of darker groups, like the Wipers, Abecedarians, Kommunity FK, that sort of thing, albeit filtered through the F&O's perfect pop jangle. It's heady and hypnotic, kick ass and catchy, but also haunting and moody and a bit murky. That and the fact that these might be the best songs Tim Cohen and company have written so far, make this a definite contender for year end best ofs, even though it's only April. WAY recommended.

FRESH & ONLYS, THE Play It Strange (In The Red) cd 13.98
Yet another fantastic new record from these SF garage poppers, they really crank em out, but hell, every record is jammed with fuzzy jangly crazy catchy perfect pop, so we're sure as heck not complaining. Especially with the band's recent trajectory, their sound getting darker and more melancholy, without losing any of its inherent fuzziness or hookiness. Like on their last record, Play August In My Mind, Play It Strange continues to nudge their core sound, a sort of classic sixties tinged garage/powerpop, all ooooh's and aaaah's and simple rhythms and lush organs and sweet harmonies and big guitars, into territories much more murky and not so nearly sunshiney, adding lots of melancholy minor key mystery, plenty of twang, brooding moodiness, reminding us of classic gloom rockers like the Wipers and Kommunity FK, but also of groups like the Leaving Trains or the Hoodoo Gurus, the result a fantastically moody dark retro jangle garage pop shot through with bits of more classic pop sounds, a la the Zombies, but on first listen this totally sounds like it could have come from LA circa 1985, like these guys could have been playing the Scream club with Tex & The Horseheads, Jesus And Mary Chain and the Abecedarians, plenty of post punk jangle mixed in with that sixties shimmer, the vocals deeper and more dramatic this time around, some of the songs sounding like old school sixties pop ballads, while others still brim with plenty of hazy reverb, crunchy guitar, woozy organ, tribal drumming and big hooks.
MPEG Stream: "Summer Of Love"
MPEG Stream: "Waterfall"
MPEG Stream: "Be My Hooker"
MPEG Stream: "Plague Of Frogs"

FRESH & ONLYS, THE Play It Strange (In The Red) lp 13.98
Yet another fantastic new record from these SF garage poppers, they really crank em out, but hell, every record is jammed with fuzzy jangly crazy catchy perfect pop, so we're sure as heck not complaining. Especially with the band's recent trajectory, their sound getting darker and more melancholy, without losing any of its inherent fuzziness or hookiness. Like on their last record, Play August In My Mind, Play It Strange continues to nudge their core sound, a sort of classic sixties tinged garage/powerpop, all ooooh's and aaaah's and simple rhythms and lush organs and sweet harmonies and big guitars, into territories much more murky and not so nearly sunshiney, adding lots of melancholy minor key mystery, plenty of twang, brooding moodiness, reminding us of classic gloom rockers like the Wipers and Kommunity FK, but also of groups like the Leaving Trains or the Hoodoo Gurus, the result a fantastically moody dark retro jangle garage pop shot through with bits of more classic pop sounds, a la the Zombies, but on first listen this totally sounds like it could have come from LA circa 1985, like these guys could have been playing the Scream club with Tex & The Horseheads, Jesus And Mary Chain and the Abecedarians, plenty of post punk jangle mixed in with that sixties shimmer, the vocals deeper and more dramatic this time around, some of the songs sounding like old school sixties pop ballads, while others still brim with plenty of hazy reverb, crunchy guitar, woozy organ, tribal drumming and big hooks.
MPEG Stream: "Summer Of Love"
MPEG Stream: "Waterfall"
MPEG Stream: "Be My Hooker"
MPEG Stream: "Plague Of Frogs"

FRESH & ONLYS, THE s/t (Chuffed) 7" 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Lately some of our favorite San Francisco musical minds have also added record label mogul to their resumes. John Dwyer launched Castle Face records to start putting out Oh Sees records and of course he released that Ty Segall full length which we are so in love with. Also newly a record label head is Kelley Stoltz (responsible for recording the latest Oh Sees album, as well as crafting some of the finest pop songs your ears are likely to hear). Chuffed is the name of his new label and The Fresh & Onlys kick things off with a debut 7" that's sure to please garage rock fans and lo-fi pop enthusiasts. Many folks might have seen the band play live without even knowing it, as they were picked to be the backing band for the legendary performance in town recently by Rodriguez in support of the reissue of his amazing album Cold Fact. Loyal AQ list readers will also be familiar with Tim from the other bands he also plays in: 3 Leafs, Black Fiction and others. Makes perfect sense that they are about to tour with Thee Oh Sees and that their full length will be on Dwyer's label, as these four songs are chock full of fuzzy hooky and raw garage pop spirit.

FRESH & ONLYS, THE Second One To Know (Woodsist) 7" 6.98
What more do you need to know? A new Fresh & Onlys 7", which means two more slabs of perfect pop. Not as fucked up and lo-fi as most of their contemporaries, the Fresh & Onlys traffic more in a total classic pop, Beach Boys, Kinks, Raspberries, Shoes, Cheap Trick, Beatles, sure it's rough around the edges, there are some woozy effects, the sound is wee bit lo-fi, but you'd be hard pressed to find any underground combos making pop as pure and catchy as these guys.
The title track is a soaring chunk or nearly perfect power pop, with a chorus to die for, amazing harmonies, and a lush yet lo-fi sound. The flipside is a little bit more shuffly, with acoustic guitars, skittery percussion, a much less obvious hook, but one that definitely sounds like something sixties and British. Awesome. Another band who seem to be bringing back the heyday of the 7", not merely a dumping ground for leftovers, but instead a showcase for a band's best and most immediately appealing songs...

FRESH & ONLYS, THE Secret Walls EP (Sacred Bones) cd ep 13.98
Yet another new record from SF's own Fresh & Onlys, and another fantastic batch of moody, melancholy jangle pop, and while it's hard to know what else to say about these guys, what with them seeming to release a new record practically every month, the minute we get an earful of the latest record, all we wanna do is forget all that and get lost in the new set of songs, mainman Tim Cohen's reservoir of classic pop songs still seemingly bottomless. And with every record, we find ourselves proclaiming some song their best yet, or a new favorite, and hare to say it but we're about to do it again. The title track here is practically perfect, Cohen's deep reverby croon, laid atop a low slung post punk bassline, wrapped in chiming guitars, the production lush and polished, but still quirky, with huge swaths of sound dropping out to let a little guitar lick float all on its own, before the band launch right back in, bit and bombastic. Catchy and hook, broody and darkly dreamy.
The rest of the ep is just as good, the songs ranging from twangy organ driving strum (sounding a bit like Calexico actually), to hazy, melodic sixties dream pop shuffle, and from moody lilting garage-y jangle pop, to moody, murky, dark doleful dirge, the last song "Poison WIne" definitely one of our new F&O favorites, bombastic, lush and buzzy, the refrain a haunting descending minor key melody, the bass thick and fuzzy, the guitars crunchy, the vox weary and washed out, one of their darkest yet, and yeah, we know, but still, maybe one of their best. As always, recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Secret Walls"
MPEG Stream: "Keep Telling Everybody Lies"

FRESH & ONLYS, THE Secret Walls EP (Sacred Bones) 12" 14.98
Yet another new record from SF's own Fresh & Onlys, and another fantastic batch of moody, melancholy jangle pop, and while it's hard to know what else to say about these guys, what with them seeming to release a new record practically every month, the minute we get an earful of the latest record, all we wanna do is forget all that and get lost in the new set of songs, mainman Tim Cohen's reservoir of classic pop songs still seemingly bottomless. And with every record, we find ourselves proclaiming some song their best yet, or a new favorite, and hare to say it but we're about to do it again. The title track here is practically perfect, Cohen's deep reverby croon, laid atop a low slung post punk bassline, wrapped in chiming guitars, the production lush and polished, but still quirky, with huge swaths of sound dropping out to let a little guitar lick float all on its own, before the band launch right back in, bit and bombastic. Catchy and hook, broody and darkly dreamy.
The rest of the ep is just as good, the songs ranging from twangy organ driving strum (sounding a bit like Calexico actually), to hazy, melodic sixties dream pop shuffle, and from moody lilting garage-y jangle pop, to moody, murky, dark doleful dirge, the last song "Poison WIne" definitely one of our new F&O favorites, bombastic, lush and buzzy, the refrain a haunting descending minor key melody, the bass thick and fuzzy, the guitars crunchy, the vox weary and washed out, one of their darkest yet, and yeah, we know, but still, maybe one of their best. As always, recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Secret Walls"
MPEG Stream: "Keep Telling Everybody Lies"

FRESH & ONLYS, THE Yes Or No (Mexican Summer) 7" 5.98
What else can we say about these local garage pop masters that we haven't already? Every record just gets better and better, and with a release rate that's starting to get Guided By Voices prolific, the quality of songs has not suffered one bit. And not only do the songs sound great, but the records do too, this one recorded in a proper studio and produced by Phil Manley of Trans Am.
The new sound suits the new songs too, hardly garage pop anymore really, just classic kick ass popsmithery, super hooky, the vocals way up front in the mix, all the instruments lush and layered, a classic power pop made modern, with gorgeous vocals from Tarnation's Paula Frazer. Somehow leaves us still wanting more more more!!

FRESH & ONLYS, THE / DAN MELCHIOR split (Volar) 7" 5.98
BACK IN PRINT!!!
Most folks will probably be grabbing this for the F+O's tracks, but we're pretty blown away by Dan Melchior, and his awesomely super distorted garage pop, like Elvis Costello, all jammed up and slathered in crumbling hiss and grit, the vocals delivered in a thick English accent, the drums blown out, effcts all over the place, everything buried beneath a patina of blurred buzz, but the songs themselves, total classic power pop, Costello, Nick Lowe, that sort of thing, opener "Daylight Robbery" is a definite contender for pop jam of the year, with a main hook / melody that will stick with you like crazy. And yeah, we know he's been making record for years, but somehow this is one of the first times we've heard him. We're definitely gonna do some digging into Melchior's back catalog. You probabaly will too after hearing this...
The Fresh & Onlys hold their own just fine thank you, with frantically strummed acoustic guitars, skiffly drums, reverbed vox, and two of their best songs yet, both channeling a sound similar to Melchior's, but with a bit more of an American nineties indie rock vibe, lo-fi, but weirdly lush, killer choruses, the sound warm and washed out, some cool sixties girl group back up vocals, the second track definitely getting all Spector-ish and reminding us quite a bit of Thee Oh Sees. Good stuff. And probably limited too...

FRESH MAGGOTS Hatched (Sunbeam) cd 16.98
We listed a different reissue of this great rare acid-folk album about a year ago... well guess what, now it's been retitled "Hatched" and reissued -again-, this time with seven bonus tracks instead of just two. And it looks better too. The bonus tracks include two non-album cuts from the band's lone single (which were on the previous edition) and five more live tracks from a newly-unearthed 1971 radio session! So, if you already have this on cd you can determine if you need this new version or not, but if you don't already have it, this is the one to get, obviously! Here's what we had to say about it before:
For those of you into acid folk from the early '70, we have another terrific find with FRESH MAGGOTS. This teenage British duo's only record, not surprisingly deemed a failure upon its release with such an unappealling name (though of course we think it's cool), came out in 1971. Which, as you may know, some here say could be one of the BEST years for this -or any- genre. Influenced by the likes of Deep Purple, Zeppelin, and Pentangle, Fresh Maggots really don't sound as rock as the above outfits (partly due to lacking drums) but bring more to mind Forest, Tractor, or Tyrannosaurus Rex. There's lots of acoustic guitar folkiness here blended with fuzzed out fits of electric guitar. And there's a little tin whistle playing and triangle chiming going on, too! Melodic, pastoral, hearty, and highly recommended. This reissue, which the Fresh Maggots themselves had a hand in, includes extensive liner notes, and two [no, make that seven, now!] bonus tracks.
MPEG Stream: "Dole Song"
MPEG Stream: "Spring"

FRESH MAGGOTS Hatched (Sunbeam) 2lp 34.00
Now on vinyl! This great rare early '70s acid-folk album, originally self-titled, was retitled "Hatched" for its bonus-track-augmented reissue on cd not long ago, and now it's on 180-gram, gatefold virgin vinyl too, with the same seven bonus tracks included. Those bonus tracks include two non-album cuts from the band's lone single (which were on the previous edition) and five more live tracks from a newly-unearthed 1971 radio session!
This teenage British duo's only record, not surprisingly deemed a failure upon its release with such an unappealing name (though of course we think it's cool), came out in 1971. Which, as you may know, some here say could be one of the BEST years for this -or any- genre. Influenced by the likes of Deep Purple, Zeppelin, and Pentangle, Fresh Maggots really don't sound as rock as the above outfits (partly due to lacking drums) but bring more to mind Forest, Tractor, or Tyrannosaurus Rex. There's lots of acoustic guitar folkiness here blended with fuzzed out fits of electric guitar. And there's a little tin whistle playing and triangle chiming going on, too! Melodic, pastoral, hearty, and highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Dole Song"
MPEG Stream: "Spring"

FRESH MAGGOTS s/t (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.
For those of you into acid folk from the early 70's, we have another terrific find with FRESH MAGGOTS. This teenage British duo's only record, not surprisingly deemed a failure upon its release with such an unappealling name (though of course we think it's cool), came out in 1971. Which, as you may know, some here say could be one of the BEST years for this -or any- genre. Influenced by the likes of Deep Purple, Zeppelin, and Pentangle, Fresh Maggots really don't sound as rock as the above outfits (partly due to lacking drums) but bring more to mind Forest, Tractor, or Tyrannosaurus Rex. There's lots of acoustic guitar folkiness here blended with fuzzed out fits of electric guitar. And there's a little tin whistle playing and triangle chiming going on, too! Melodic, pastoral, hearty, and highly recommended. This reissue, which the Fresh Maggots themselves had a hand in, includes extensive liner notes, and two bonus tracks.
MPEG Stream: "Dole Song"
MPEG Stream: "Spring"

FRESH MAGGOTS s/t (Sunbeam Records) lp 27.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now, also, on vinyl. And not cheap. But hey, it's a cool record. Here's our review of the recent cd version, though we don't know if this numbered, limited to 1000 copies import vinyl edition has the bonus tracks or not:
For those of you into acid folk from the early 70's, we have another terrific find with FRESH MAGGOTS. This teenage British duo's only record, not surprisingly deemed a failure upon its release with such an unappealling name (though of course we think it's cool), came out in 1971. Which, as you may know, some here say could be one of the BEST years for this -or any- genre. Influenced by the likes of Deep Purple, Zeppelin, and Pentangle, Fresh Maggots really don't sound as rock as the above outfits (partly due to lacking drums) but bring more to mind Forest, Tractor, or Tyrannosaurus Rex. There's lots of acoustic guitar folkiness here blended with fuzzed out fits of electric guitar. And there's a little tin whistle playing and triangle chiming going on, too! Melodic, pastoral, hearty, and highly recommended. This reissue, which the Fresh Maggots themselves had a hand in, includes extensive liner notes, and two bonus tracks.
MPEG Stream: "Dole Song"
MPEG Stream: "Spring"

FRIAR TUCK And His Psychedelic Guitar (Fallout) cd 16.98
We call a lot of things "psychedelic" these days... Comets On Fire, Boris, Silvester Anfang, Circle, Joanna Newsom, Residual Echoes, Acid Mothers Temple, Raccoo-oo-oon, Grey Daturas, Dark Fog, Devy B... all sorts of stuff. Psych this, psychedelic that. Loose use of the term for sure, though it gets the idea across, y'all know what we mean (right?). But once in a while it's worth remembering that "psychedelia" originally, once had a more specific, commercial, sometimes exploitative meaning in the pop culture, in re: a certain time and place. You bet your sweet bippy, that back in 1967, "psychedelic" was something like this album (now reissued on cd): Friar Tuck & His Psychedelic Guitar, featuring a cover photo of a bearded guy in a brown robe, with a Beatles haircut under his hood, crouched on a chair in front of a "trippy" colorful abstract painting. A product of the sunny LA pop scene, Friar Tuck was a gimmicky project mixing sumptuous orchestration with stinging guitar blurt, the distortion on composer/producer (and noted LA session cat, also a member of the Ceyleib People) Mike Deasy's axe being the closest thing here to the state of "psych" as currently understood. (Others from the backup band were also known as Goldenrod, an instro-grunt combo responsible for one fairly ahead of its time "heavy" album.) '60s buffs should also note that this album's lovely vocal harmonies were all arranged by none other than Curt "Millenium" Boettcher.
Side one had covers, sorta novelty songs including a version of frat-rock classic "Louie Louie" (here, "Louis Louis"), and Tommy Roe's goofy "Sweet Pea", both with vocals delivered in a laidback drawl, which weirdly enough kinda reminds us of the Black Monk Time Monks... hey what's with the '60s and monks anyway? But then on side two, it's all Deasy originals, equally orchestrated but a lot trippier and spaced-out, a flowers-and-beads rave-up in a style long gone. The whole thing exudes vintage charm, right down to the deep thoughts of the beat poetry included in the liner notes. This cd reish also includes four bonus tracks from singles by another Deasy band in a similar style, The Flower Pot.
MPEG Stream: "Sweet Pea"
MPEG Stream: "All Monked Up"

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (OST) (Universal) cd 15.98
Hey all you Explosions In The Sky fans!! Listing this 'cause it's in danger of being overlooked... Here's an album worthy of being simply an EITS release, not just a soundtrack for a movie (the packaging of which fails to offer them obvious credit even though it's their work). Just know that this is a little more filmic than their regular releases, and appropriately so. Very lovely indeed!
MPEG Stream: "From West Texas"
MPEG Stream: "Your Hand In Mine (w/ Strings)"

FRIDAY, GAVIN & DAVE BALL / THOMAS BRINKMANN / ALAN VEGA Ghostrider / Diamonds, Furcoats, Champagne / Puss On Tha Time Warp (Blast First Petite) 10" 15.98
The continued series of Suicide related 10"s from Blast First Petite offers three tracks here with Gavin Friday & Dave Ball, Thomas Brinkmann, and Alan Vega himself. The A-side is a thorough '80s throwback with former Virgin Prune frontman Gavin Friday paired with Soft Cell technician Dave Ball covering the classic Suicide tune "Ghostrider". A deft and faithful interpretation found here. Brinkmann's cover / remix of Suicide's "Diamonds, Furcoats, Champagne" had originally appeared on a 12" from 2006, engineered out of a one-note bassline topping a mid-tempo techno groove and sparkling washes of synths scattered from above. The arrangements share the Suicide spirit of cocaine-driven glitz set against an undercurrent of teeth-clinching paranoia, all of which are driven home with Vega's vocals. The Alan Vega track was also previously released from his 1999 album entitled 2007.

FRIDGE Early Output 1996-1998 (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 14.98
Fridge have been an all time aQ fave for more than a decade now, every record a joy to behold, their sound constantly evolving, but still so unique and all their own. But as much as we love pretty much everything we've heard, for some of us, the old stuff will always hold a special place in our hearts. The record Eph remains one of our favorites, an endlessly classic collection of post rocky electronica, but before Eph, the band released a clutch of killer singles and eps, which were even more raw and innovative and home brewed than Eph. This disc collects all those tracks, a glorious assemblage of infectious jams, of wild experiments, of dark brooding grooves, from fuzzy brooding wah wah flecked post rock jangle, to Funky Tortoise-y grooviness, from crunchy super distorted math rock rife with odd samples, to smoldering Stereolab-like modern krautrock, from abstract folky shimmer, to warbly lo-fi electro, from almost-jungle to blissed out late night smoke-y jazziness, it's all warm and smooth and raw and groovy and spacey and super catchy, and be sure to check your iTunes, the last handful of strange sonic fragments spell out the band name phonetically. Cool!
MPEG Stream: "EH4-800 Phase Shifter"
MPEG Stream: "Lojen"
MPEG Stream: "Zedex Ay Ti Wan"
MPEG Stream: "Astrozero"

FRIDGE Eph Reissue ( Temporary Residence Ltd.) 2cd 15.98
So beautiful!!! The London-based trio Fridge has finally wrested back the rights to their masterpiece Eph from the evil major label and have re-released it themselves in the UK, and for the first time in the US, on Temporary Residence. Windy's hands down #1 favorite album of 1999, Eph is a flawless effort from a band that had finally found their true and rightful sound (in my opinion their earlier releases were more exploratory and too influenced by other bands). I swear to god, on Eph, Fridge destroyed every other post rock band out there. A stunning combination of dark theatrical Morricone style melodies alongside electronic and organic instrumentation, Eph swells with emotion and tasteful skills, like other postrockers Tortoise, Village of Savoonga, and the sentimental side of the Aphex Twin. The music is instrumental, layered with guitars, backed by stunning drumming that leaves out a downbeat now and then to wonderful effect, and seriously melodic. Like Tortoise, the band is totally beloved by the electronica scene yet is resolutely rock in its instrumentation and live performances, with any electronics merely functioning as embellishments to the core sound. AQ-pal and fellow Eph fan Hrvatski said of the record "The timing is perfect for someone to concoct a millenium-lullaby out of old casio beats, organ drones, phased guitars, swell loopery, and random acoustic/electric machinery; these guys have done it. Positively, absolutely destined to be 'huge', if not I'm going into hiding, deep within the earth's crust until this whole thing blows over..." Definitely for fans of the abovementioned Tortoise, Village of Savoonga, and of course Four Tet, which is a solo project of Fridge member Kieran Hebden.
The reissue also contains a second bonus disc that brings back to life the out-of-print "Kinoshita Terasaka" single and the "Of" EP, plus two previously unreleased remixes by Matt Herbert (Dr Rockit) and Viennese electronicist Patrick Pulsinger.
You *must* hear this record. I don't usually use Andee's favorite final word in my reviews, but I have to here. ESSENTIAL.
RealAudio clip: "Ark"
RealAudio clip: "Transcience"
RealAudio clip: "Yttrium"

FRIDGE The Sun (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 14.98
A lot can happen in 6 years. That's how long it's been since the trio of Kieren Hebden, Adem Ihan and Sam Jeffers last released a record together. Since then 2/3 of the band have gone on to great success with their individual projects, Hebden with Four Tet and Ihan with Adem. As the '90s were coming to a close Fridge emerged as one of the shining examples of a band who totally knew how to bring all sorts of elements from various exciting musical movements (electronica, post-rock, hip-hop, etc.) into a totally cohesive, engaging and epic package. Six years later and they return sounding like no time has passed at all. The Sun sounds like Fridge stepped right out of the time machine, so for those who were hoping to hear that classic Fridge sound once again you will be very happy! While some of us hoped that maybe there would be lots of new twists and turns, there is no denying that they do what they do so damn well. This is like post-rock 101, so get your notebooks and pens out cause school is in session.
MPEG Stream: "Clocks"
MPEG Stream: "Eyelids"