LES RALLIZES DENUDES Blind Baby Has It's Mothers Eyes (Phoenix) cd 17.98
All right, time to crank the stereo! There's no way to listen to these, but loud. Two rather crucial entries in the distorto-delic discography of seminal '70s Japanese underground rock band Les Rallizes Denudes are now reissued, on proper compact disc for what we think is the very first time, these having being previously only "available", if you can call it that, as cd-rs. Blind Baby Has It's Mothers Eyes, and Heavier Than A Death In The Family, woah, you know with titles like that they've gotta be good. And before you go running to your Japrocksamplers to look 'em up, we'll save you the trouble: Julian Cope rated these two albums at #11 and #3, respectively, on his top 50 of Japanese psych artifacts. Deservedly so.
Heavily mythologized and mysterious, this lo-fi, in-the-red, sunglasses-wearing, Motown-loving, airplane-hijacking (??!), studio-recording-avoiding, raw outsider rock and roll unit provided the inspiration for every latter day underground Japanese psych band who have ever slipped on shades, cranked up their amps, and had a Tokyo Flashback. (Like Fushitsusha!) And these two discs, both equally recommended, are essential documents as to how and why.
Heavier Than A Death In The Family features six songs, all but one of 'em in the double digits, with some great titles, no less than three of 'em referencing the night in some form or other: "Strung Out Deeper Than The Night", "The Night Collectors", "Night Of The Assassins", "Enter The Mirror", "People Can Choose", and "Ice Fire". All were apparently recorded live in '77 (except one from '73). Blistering is the word. Super echoey, reverbed out, almost like Ariel Pink producing Wooden Shjips or Comets On Fire gone dub... Sounds also like some Siltbreeze shitgazers, or current psychsters like Heavy Winged, plodding and throbbing. And "Ice Fire" is 16 minutes of proto-Merzbow meets Hawkwind howl. Wow.
Frayed and fried, ULTRA fuzzed and feedback-y, of course, and yet for a Rallizes release, the sound isn't all that "bad", compared to some of their stuff we've heard wherein the tape hiss competes with the guitar for domination. Not that that's a bad thing, either, but this will take less getting used to.
Meanwhile, Blind Baby Has It's [sic] Mothers [sic] Eyes consists of three tracks, but clocks in at 54 minutes total: the title track, "An Awful Eternity" (aka "An Aweful Eternitie"), and "The Last One". Presumably also recorded live, we don't know when, sometime in the '70s, the sound here is similar sickness. More of their charismatically clangorous chaos, getting quite hypnotically repetitious across the lengths of these three wandering, wah-wah wailing epics. We'd recommend this as a good gift for your friend who likes the Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray", Circle, and primitive black metal such as Striborg... if they haven't heard Les Rallizes yet they'll be thanking you!
Although due to the confusing nature of the Rallizes catalog, we imagine that some of these tracks might appear on other Rallizes discs that you may or may not have, but in any case these two albums are essentials in their entirety. Get 'em while they last.
Typical Phoenix no-frills cardboard "wallet" packaging, each cd numbered and limited to 1000 copies.
MPEG Stream: "Blind Baby Has It's Mothers Eyes"
MPEG Stream: "An Awful Eternity"

LES RALLIZES DENUDES Blind Baby Has It's Mothers Eyes (Phoenix) lp 24.00
Now available on vinyl! Les Rallizes Denudes on wax, how cool is that!
All right, time to crank the stereo! There's no way to listen to these, but loud. Two rather crucial entries in the distorto-delic discography of seminal '70s Japanese underground rock band Les Rallizes Denudes are now reissued, on proper compact disc for what we think is the very first time, these having being previously only "available", if you can call it that, as cd-rs. Blind Baby Has It's Mothers Eyes, and Heavier Than A Death In The Family, woah, you know with titles like that they've gotta be good. And before you go running to your Japrocksamplers to look 'em up, we'll save you the trouble: Julian Cope rated these two albums at #11 and #3, respectively, on his top 50 of Japanese psych artifacts. Deservedly so.
Heavily mythologized and mysterious, this lo-fi, in-the-red, sunglasses-wearing, Motown-loving, airplane-hijacking (??!), studio-recording-avoiding, raw outsider rock and roll unit provided the inspiration for every latter day underground Japanese psych band who have ever slipped on shades, cranked up their amps, and had a Tokyo Flashback. (Like Fushitsusha!) And these two discs, both equally recommended, are essential documents as to how and why.
Heavier Than A Death In The Family features six songs, all but one of 'em in the double digits, with some great titles, no less than three of 'em referencing the night in some form or other: "Strung Out Deeper Than The Night", "The Night Collectors", "Night Of The Assassins", "Enter The Mirror", "People Can Choose", and "Ice Fire". All were apparently recorded live in '77 (except one from '73). Blistering is the word. Super echoey, reverbed out, almost like Ariel Pink producing Wooden Shjips or Comets On Fire gone dub... Sounds also like some Siltbreeze shitgazers, or current psychsters like Heavy Winged, plodding and throbbing. And "Ice Fire" is 16 minutes of proto-Merzbow meets Hawkwind howl. Wow.
Frayed and fried, ULTRA fuzzed and feedback-y, of course, and yet for a Rallizes release, the sound isn't all that "bad", compared to some of their stuff we've heard wherein the tape hiss competes with the guitar for domination. Not that that's a bad thing, either, but this will take less getting used to.
Meanwhile, Blind Baby Has It's [sic] Mothers [sic] Eyes consists of three tracks, but clocks in at 54 minutes total: the title track, "An Awful Eternity" (aka "An Aweful Eternitie"), and "The Last One". Presumably also recorded live, we don't know when, sometime in the '70s, the sound here is similar sickness. More of their charismatically clangorous chaos, getting quite hypnotically repetitious across the lengths of these three wandering, wah-wah wailing epics. We'd recommend this as a good gift for your friend who likes the Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray", Circle, and primitive black metal such as Striborg... if they haven't heard Les Rallizes yet they'll be thanking you!
Although due to the confusing nature of the Rallizes catalog, we imagine that some of these tracks might appear on other Rallizes discs that you may or may not have, but in any case these two albums are essentials in their entirety. Get 'em while they last.
MPEG Stream: "Blind Baby Has It's Mothers Eyes"
MPEG Stream: "An Awful Eternity"

LES RALLIZES DENUDES Heavier Than A Death In The Family (Phoenix) cd 17.98
All right, time to crank the stereo! There's no way to listen to these, but loud. Two rather crucial entries in the distorto-delic discography of seminal '70s Japanese underground rock band Les Rallizes Denudes are now reissued, on proper compact disc for what we think is the very first time, these having being previously only "available", if you can call it that, as cd-rs. Blind Baby Has It's Mothers Eyes, and Heavier Than A Death In The Family, woah, you know with titles like that they've gotta be good. And before you go running to your Japrocksamplers to look 'em up, we'll save you the trouble: Julian Cope rated these two albums at #11 and #3, respectively, on his top 50 of Japanese psych artifacts. Deservedly so.
Heavily mythologized and mysterious, this lo-fi, in-the-red, sunglasses-wearing, Motown-loving, airplane-hijacking (??!), studio-recording-avoiding, raw outsider rock and roll unit provided the inspiration for every latter day underground Japanese psych band who have ever slipped on shades, cranked up their amps, and had a Tokyo Flashback. (Like Fushitsusha!) And these two discs, both equally recommended, are essential documents as to how and why.
Heavier Than A Death In The Family features six songs, all but one of 'em in the double digits, with some great titles, no less than three of 'em referencing the night in some form or other: "Strung Out Deeper Than The Night", "The Night Collectors", "Night Of The Assassins", "Enter The Mirror", "People Can Choose", and "Ice Fire". All were apparently recorded live in '77 (except one from '73). Blistering is the word. Super echoey, reverbed out, almost like Ariel Pink producing Wooden Shjips or Comets On Fire gone dub... Sounds also like some Siltbreeze shitgazers, or current psychsters like Heavy Winged, plodding and throbbing. And "Ice Fire" is 16 minutes of proto-Merzbow meets Hawkwind howl. Wow.
Frayed and fried, ULTRA fuzzed and feedback-y, of course, and yet for a Rallizes release, the sound isn't all that "bad", compared to some of their stuff we've heard wherein the tape hiss competes with the guitar for domination. Not that that's a bad thing, either, but this will take less getting used to.
Meanwhile, Blind Baby Has It's [sic] Mothers [sic] Eyes consists of three tracks, but clocks in at 54 minutes total: the title track, "An Awful Eternity" (aka "An Aweful Eternitie"), and "The Last One". Presumably also recorded live, we don't know when, sometime in the '70s, the sound here is similar sickness. More of their charismatically clangorous chaos, getting quite hypnotically repetitious across the lengths of these three wandering, wah-wah wailing epics. We'd recommend this as a good gift for your friend who likes the Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray", Circle, and primitive black metal such as Striborg... if they haven't heard Les Rallizes yet they'll be thanking you!
Although due to the confusing nature of the Rallizes catalog, we imagine that some of these tracks might appear on other Rallizes discs that you may or may not have, but in any case these two albums are essentials in their entirety. Get 'em while they last.
Typical Phoenix no-frills cardboard "wallet" packaging, each cd numbered and limited to 1000 copies.
MPEG Stream: "Strung Out Deeper Than The Night"
MPEG Stream: "The Night Collectors"

LES RALLIZES DENUDES Heavier Than A Death In The Family (Phoenix) 2lp 34.00
Now available on vinyl! Les Rallizes Denudes on wax, how cool is that!
All right, time to crank the stereo! There's no way to listen to these, but loud. Two rather crucial entries in the distorto-delic discography of seminal '70s Japanese underground rock band Les Rallizes Denudes are now reissued, on proper compact disc for what we think is the very first time, these having being previously only "available", if you can call it that, as cd-rs. Blind Baby Has It's Mothers Eyes, and Heavier Than A Death In The Family, woah, you know with titles like that they've gotta be good. And before you go running to your Japrocksamplers to look 'em up, we'll save you the trouble: Julian Cope rated these two albums at #11 and #3, respectively, on his top 50 of Japanese psych artifacts. Deservedly so.
Heavily mythologized and mysterious, this lo-fi, in-the-red, sunglasses-wearing, Motown-loving, airplane-hijacking (??!), studio-recording-avoiding, raw outsider rock and roll unit provided the inspiration for every latter day underground Japanese psych band who have ever slipped on shades, cranked up their amps, and had a Tokyo Flashback. (Like Fushitsusha!) And these two discs, both equally recommended, are essential documents as to how and why.
Heavier Than A Death In The Family features six songs, all but one of 'em in the double digits, with some great titles, no less than three of 'em referencing the night in some form or other: "Strung Out Deeper Than The Night", "The Night Collectors", "Night Of The Assassins", "Enter The Mirror", "People Can Choose", and "Ice Fire". All were apparently recorded live in '77 (except one from '73). Blistering is the word. Super echoey, reverbed out, almost like Ariel Pink producing Wooden Shjips or Comets On Fire gone dub... Sounds also like some Siltbreeze shitgazers, or current psychsters like Heavy Winged, plodding and throbbing. And "Ice Fire" is 16 minutes of proto-Merzbow meets Hawkwind howl. Wow.
Frayed and fried, ULTRA fuzzed and feedback-y, of course, and yet for a Rallizes release, the sound isn't all that "bad", compared to some of their stuff we've heard wherein the tape hiss competes with the guitar for domination. Not that that's a bad thing, either, but this will take less getting used to.
Meanwhile, Blind Baby Has It's [sic] Mothers [sic] Eyes consists of three tracks, but clocks in at 54 minutes total: the title track, "An Awful Eternity" (aka "An Aweful Eternitie"), and "The Last One". Presumably also recorded live, we don't know when, sometime in the '70s, the sound here is similar sickness. More of their charismatically clangorous chaos, getting quite hypnotically repetitious across the lengths of these three wandering, wah-wah wailing epics. We'd recommend this as a good gift for your friend who likes the Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray", Circle, and primitive black metal such as Striborg... if they haven't heard Les Rallizes yet they'll be thanking you!
Although due to the confusing nature of the Rallizes catalog, we imagine that some of these tracks might appear on other Rallizes discs that you may or may not have, but in any case these two albums are essentials in their entirety. Get 'em while they last.
MPEG Stream: "Strung Out Deeper Than The Night"
MPEG Stream: "The Night Collectors"

LES RALLIZES DENUDES (AKA HADAKA NO RALLIZES) Yodo-Go-A-Go-Go (aka Flightless Bird Needs Water Wings) (10th Avenue Freeze Out) cd 17.98
With the publication of Julian Cope's long awaited Japrocksampler tome, interest in Japan's underground psychedelic rock scene in the '70s has gotta be running at an all time high. A big portion of Cope's book dealt with the legendary Les Rallizes Denudes aka Hadaka No Rallizes, a long running (since the late sixties, still "active" today) and influential act led by guitarist Takashi Mizutani. Without Les Rallizes, more modern day bands like Up-Tight and LSD-march wouldn't exist. Rallizes were also a big inspiration for Keiji Haino's equally significant Fushitsusha group. Their style (musical and sartorial), their distortion, their sunglasses... blown-out minimalist rock throb, carving delicate and/or devastating beauty out of guitar feedback and reverby pop simplicity. Unfortunately for readers of Cope's book, pretty much the entire catalog of Rallizes LPs, cd, cd-rs, cassettes etc. falls into the category of near-myth, hard to find at the very least. It used to be, you could go into a record shop in Japan and spend hundreds of dollars for a handful of live Rallizes cd-rs. We've stocked what we could, but Rallizes cds are few and far between.
In other words, good timing that this disc just materialized (and maybe no coincidence that it was written up as a Record Of The Month on Cope's Head Heritage website a few months back). Titled either Yodo-Go-A-Go-Go or Flightless Bird Needs Water Wings, this cd offers up eight tracks of prime Rallizes, a "best of" of sorts drawn from rare recorded relics circa the early/mid '70s, though it goes back to '67 for track one. The disc opens with that garagey raver, "Otherwise My Conviction", then ventures into a gentler but no less distorted drone pop territory with "Valle d l'eau". The mood stays mellow until Mizutani busts out his searing Neil Young eat your heart out style guitar scorch for the end of the 13 minute third track, "Enter The Mirror". Has Wooden Shjips heard this? We're pretty sure they have. "Smokin' Cigarette Blues" is next, supremely lo-fi (with this band, that's a virtue), about as murky a 19 minutes of "blues" as you'll ever hear...it's all ambient low rumble and clatter, so abstract it's hard to tell if there's a band involved or not... this could be the Dead C for goshsakes! Wow. Following that, the fiery "Flames Of Ice" is propulsively distinct in comparison, and these 17 minutes should weigh heavily as a reason to pick this up. Then they plow into "Field Of Artificial Flowers", another heavy one, something like Link Wray's "Rumble" ultra-distorted into white hot sizzle and stretched out for ten minutes. What can they do to follow that? Being Les Rallizes Denudes, they go "Deeper Than Night" of course, which perfectly condenses everything that's wonderful about Les Rallizes into a mere two minutes and 24 seconds -- the mantric plod, the screeching sheets of sound wrenched from still bleeding guitars and amps. And then we're back to "Otherwise My Conviction", another version ending this disc much like it began. Whew. While any Rallizes cd is almost by definition essential, this really covers all the bases. Definitely one to get -- and it's also one of the only ones you CAN get.
MPEG Stream: "Enter The Mirror"
MPEG Stream: "Field Of Artificial Flowers"

LES SAVY FAV 3/5 (Frenchkiss) cd 13.98
Reissue of one of our favorite indie rock records ever. Les Savy Fav don't really get their due, but back in the day, these guys were just about the most freaked out, chaotic noise-pop proposition going. An insane vocalist who spent as much time in the crowd, or dragging his mic into the parking lot as he did on stage. And a hyper kinetic band of dissonant, angular axemen and a seriously spastic drummer backing him up. This disc, their debut from 1999, finally gets the remastering/repackaging/reissuing it so deserves. A gloriously energetic blend of the Pixies and the Archers Of Loaf, but with loads of extra snotty swagger, plenty of metallic crunch, and a fistful of hooks most pop band's would kill for. And some of the best indie rock vocals ever, sometimes getting locked into long stretches of looped yelps, or wildman stream of consciousness ranting, all delivered in a distorted scrachy garage rock howl.
Worth it alone for the third track, a wholesale rip off of Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy", that instantly recognizable melody, but all twisted up into a chugging, propulsive chaotic slab of fuzzy pounding perfect pop throb. An all time mix tape staple for sure. But the rest of the record kicks just as much ass. Like the record the Pixies would have made if they were twenty something art school nerds from Rhode Island dosed on Red Bull and Robitussen. Fuck yeah!
Pssst: new record coming in 2007!
MPEG Stream: "Cut It Out"
MPEG Stream: "New Teen Anthem"

LES SAVY FAV Accidental Deaths (Rococo / Popfrenzy) 7" 5.98
Hey Les Savy Fav fans, if you missed the band's Accidental Deaths release the first time around when it was released as a limited edition, tour only cd in Australia on Pop Frenzy Records a few years back, today's your lucky day 'cause it's been reissued! Mind you it's another limited edition! The two songs "Hit By Car" and "Hit By Train" have been pressed onto a 7" vinyl record. This time it is by the Rococo label. Limited pressing of 1000.

LES SAVY FAV Go Forth (French Kiss) cd 14.98
These east coast art-rocking boys are back with their third release. Word has it that this band is pretty right-on live. This record is totally dancy and catchy, and much more emo and peppy than previous releases. Their post-punk guitar assault swings from propulsive new wave into hectic, raw Birthday Party-like radness, and on into something akin to Fugazi. Although this may seem somewhat scattered - each song does stand out from the next - the record does flow quite well.
RealAudio clip: "track 1"
RealAudio clip: "track 5"
RealAudio clip: "track 7"

LES SAVY FAV Go Forth (French Kiss) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
These east coast art-rocking boys are back with their third release. Word has it that this band is pretty right-on live. This record is totally dancy and catchy, and much more emo and peppy than previous releases. Their post-punk guitar assault swings from propulsive new wave into hectic, raw Birthday Party-like radness, and on into something akin to Fugazi. Although this may seem somewhat scattered - each song does stand out from the next - the record does flow quite well.

LES SAVY FAV Inches (Frenchkiss) cd + dvd 16.98
Attention Les Savy Fav fans, here's a compilation of sixty-three inches of your favorite band... or if you prefer, nine LSF singles... or if you prefer, eighteen LSF songs which charts the band's notable progress in reverse chronological order (i.e, it begins with the most recently released and steps back in time with each subsequent song on the cd). An unusual choice for sure, but then again LSF are well known for not always sticking with the norm. Whichever way you choose to measure it, you gotta credit those LSF folks with creating some damn cool angular postpunk. At each stage of their career thus far, from the early more raw recordings to the recent more 'polished' stuff, they've maintained a consistency of dynamics and craftiness. Oh and hop to it 'cause the first pressing of the cd includes a bonus dvd!
MPEG Stream: "Knowing How The World Works"
MPEG Stream: "Our Coastal Hymn"

LES SAVY FAV Let's Stay Friends (French Kiss) cd 13.98
Hard to believe, but it has been close to six years since Les Savy Fav's last studio album! For this grand occasion, they've pulled out the big guns in the guest department... Fiery Furnaces' Eleanor Friedberger, Metric's Emily Haines, Islands' Nicholas Thorburn, Modest Mouse's Joe Plummer, Fred Armisen, and the whole of Enon! Have to say, it starts out a little peculiarly jumping from Modest Mouse-y indie rock ("Pots & Pans") to Turbonegro or Hot Snakes-y fire power ("The Equestrian"). Actually it isn't until the fourth song that they make us feel we're truly back in the Les Savy Fav zone. It's the alien indie funk post punkiness of "Patty Lee" that does it. So it idiosyncratically goes, Let's Stay Together is a total mixed bag, but a super hyper fun one! Sounds like at the heart of it all their aim is to rock you, and they succeed!
MPEG Stream: "The Equestrian"
MPEG Stream: "Patty Lee"

LES SAVY FAV Let's Stay Friends (Chunklet) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hard to believe, but it has been close to six years since Les Savy Fav's last studio album! For this grand occasion, they've pulled out the big guns in the guest department... Fiery Furnaces' Eleanor Friedberger, Metric's Emily Haines, Islands' Nicholas Thorburn, Modest Mouse's Joe Plummer, Fred Armisen, and the whole of Enon! Have to say, it starts out a little peculiarly jumping from Modest Mouse-y indie rock ("Pots & Pans") to Turbonegro or Hot Snakes-y fire power ("The Equestrian"). Actually it isn't until the fourth song that they make us feel we're truly back in the Les Savy Fav zone. It's the alien indie funk post punkiness of "Patty Lee" that does it. So it idiosyncratically goes, Let's Stay Together is a total mixed bag, but a super hyper fun one! Sounds like at the heart of it all their aim is to rock you, and they succeed!
MPEG Stream: "The Equestrian"
MPEG Stream: "Patty Lee"

LES SAVY FAV / DAVID CROSS Obsessed With The Excess (Chunklet) 7" 4.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Not so much a split or even a collaboration really, this is basically two tracks from spastic indie noise-rockers Les Savy Fav with a David Cross intro / outro on each track. The LSF songs are great, falling somewhere between Deerhoof, Grandaddy and Interpol, equal parts moody throbbing hypno rock, and skronky indie splatter. And the Cross stuff is pretty funny, mildly un-PC as you'd probably expect, but unfortunately quite brief.

LES SOEURS ROGERS [THE ROGERS SISTERS] Les Fantasies Sont Bien (Troubleman Unlimited) cd single 4.98
It's still very early in their career, but those hectic Rogers Sisters, real-life sisters Jennifer and Laura along with their honorary bro' Miyuki Furtado, have already demonstrated a penchant for brevity in each of their releases. Why belabor the subject? Why waste time? Just get in, have yer fun and get out! The Brooklyn-based trio's latest is no exception coming in the form of a bilingual 2-song cd single. The title song is sung in Japanese by Jennifer while the other "45 Prayers" is sung in French by Miyuki. Note: If you've already got their album Three Fingers, you might not really need this unless you're a total completist 'cuz you've already got these songs, albeit in slightly different versions. If you don't have Three Fingers and/or have never heard them yet, this makes for a nice little sneak peek. Very much following in the footsteps of the 70s/80s female post-punk, no wave, and stripped-down funk bands such as Slits, Liliput and ESG with jutting guitars, skronky sax and whooped vocals. Pretty rad!
MPEG Stream: "45 Prayers"

LESBIAN Power Hor (Holy Mountain) cd 13.98
Black Metal. No, wait. Sludge-doom. Wait, no, it's post-rock. Huh? Seattle's Lesbian (who do themselves no favors with their dumb name, although they used to be called Lesbian Witch, not sure if that's better or worse) are, to us, pleasingly confusional and compelling when given a listen, their extended, epic songs -- 4 tracks in 1 hour here, folks -- veering from sheer metallic violence to moody melody to shoegazing stoner space-outs... it's like Wolves In The Throne Room one moment, Pelican or Isis the next. And it's great. Definitely another "heavy" winner from the eccentric Holy Mountain label, fresh from their successes with the likes of Om and Mammatus, two other question-mark-metal bands with heady, hypnotic abilities.
Their throat-torn vocals and the weighty riffage argue for Lesbian's status as metallers, while the many passages of quiet blissfulness reveal a surprisingly sensitive side, just as emotionally effective, each opposed aspect of their music enhancing the power and beauty of the other via Lesbian's devastating dynamics and psychedelic synergy. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Black Forest Hamm"
MPEG Stream: "Powerwhorses"

LESBIAN Stratospheria Cubensis (Important) cd 14.98
Er, we've never been sure that Lesbian was such a good name for this all-dude band from up north Seattle way. Unfortunately not an easily Googleable choice either, if you're just trying to find the band. But in its seeming inappropriateness, it does at least represent the "not quite what you expected" nature of their sound. And we HAVE always liked 'em; their debut for Holy Mountain, Power Hor, was a bit of a heavy fave here when it came out in 2007, we compared it to both Pelican and Wolves In The Throne Room! Now moved over to the Important imprint (they have good taste in labels, and vice versa), Lesbian present a solid follow-up in the form of Stratospheria Cubensis. Giving off a serious, melancholic vibe, this new opus, resplendent in Seldon Hunt artwork, should meet all your epic prog-doom-stoner-psych-metal needs quite handily.
The disc starts off with a great song, with a great title: "Poisonous Witchball", full of proggy angular riffs, and very metal ones too. It's the shortest song on the album, but still manages to fit in a great number of shifts and surprises, foreshadowing what's in store on the rest of the disc, which consists of looooong songs, five of 'em, that shortest one a relatively brief 8'28", the others in the double digits, up to 22'31", which gives them plenty of space to stretch out and psychedelicize... rather than go track by track, let's just say you get a smorgasbord of avant-metal mayhem and majesty, with repetitive sludge-bludgeon, speedy attacks, postrock soft-loud dynamics, sharp shredding guitar shards of quirky math metal, mammoth doom riffage, shoegazing melodic pretty parts, and more. It flows, though, how it flows. From ripping it up like Darkthrone one minute to crushing like Conifer or Samothrace another, there's no false steps, and no boring (but many beautiful) moments. We note that the "Lesbros" thanks list does not omit drugs, and likewise *your* thanks list should not omit Lesbian!
MPEG Stream: "Poisonous Witchball"
MPEG Stream: "Poverty And War Forever"
MPEG Stream: "Raging Arcania"

LESBIAN / OCEAN split (Roadburn / Senor Hernandez) 10" 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We've mentioned it before, but it definitely bears repeating. It's always good to print the speed a record is meant to be played at. If your band is slow and sludgey, droney and dirgey, then odds are it will sound good at both 45 -and- 33, and if you're like us, you'll probably think it sounds better slower, dirgier, heavier, so we're gonna review this split at 33, cuz it sounded better that way. If it was meant to be played at 45, well, everything we're about to say, only slightly higher pitched and a bit faster.
Lesbian are from Seattle and feature a bunch of dudes who have done time in other heavy bands, most notably Asva. They released an awesome album on Holy Mountain a year or two ago. And here, they offer up one track of classic sounding doom, at least at first, soaring minor key guitars, wrapped around crushing drums, harsh demonic vox, strangely haunting and pretty, but as the song develops it gets weirder and weirder, introducing some blasting double kick, some old school eighties style chug complete with guitar harmonies, and some streaks of blurred almost-black metal. Like Khanate meets Iron Maiden, but weirder, and even cooler than that already sounds.
The flipside is a new track from Ocean, from Maine, not to be confused with THE Ocean from Germany, the sound here is brooding post rocky metal, a simple strum, all murky and Godspeedy, slow building, before exploding into a churning low slung sludge, that at 33 is thick and viscous, but maybe slightly less so at 45. Heavy and murky and pummeling, before giving way to a pretty droned out abstract outro.
Packaged in sturdy full color sleeves, pressed on thick opaque yellow vinyl, and most likely limited.

LESS Cover, Protective, Individual (Firecode Core) cd 14.98
This is strange indeed. The last Less record (reviewed 2+ years ago) was a blast of MTV ready prog-gloom post-metal, equal parts Tool, Rage Against The Machine and Nine Inch Nails with strange and wonderful math rock filligree a la Don Caballero. We predicted that in a couple years we'd probably be seeing them all over MTV if there was any justice in this world. So you can imagine how surprised we were when we first threw this, the new Less record, on. A completely different beast altogether. Well, not completely. First off, there's not a distorted guitar to be found. Anywhere. And all traces of pounding percussion have been replaced by skittery brushwork and delicate whispery shuffles. The riffs remain, still sort of doomy and heavy, but slowed down, played on a steel string guitar, giving them a sort of backwoods mystery and acoustic urgency. This may be stripped down and acoustic, but it's definitely not wimpy. This is dark and heavy and groovy, grim and sinister, creepy and crawly. Slightly distorted/reverbed vocals wail minor key laments over dirgy minor key doomscapes, vocals slithering between the riffs, tense and intense. Lots of ambient murk, backwoods twang, and sinister groove. Think Sixteen Horsepower crossed with Deadboy And the Elephantmen, or Woven Hand mixed with Agents Of Oblivion, or an even darker, creepier version of Alice In Chains' acoustic record Sap. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Starvation"
MPEG Stream: "Our Sin"

LESS Piano Wire Smile cd 10.98
Local metallic gloom rockers Less (not to be confused with Lesser) spit out a caustic blend of Tool and Don Caballero and Rage Against The Machine. I can't really figure out what this guy is doing releasing his own cds, when he should be on MTV and touring with Tool or Nine Inch Nails or something. Super well recorded, heavy and catchy with great vocals way up in the mix. Weird chugging riffs, relentless rhythms, bizarre squiggly leads, convoluted song structures. Lots of sinister ambience and dark fury. Stretched out melancholy instrumental passages explode into jagged shards of acidic guitar and stuttering syncopated fills. I wouldn't be surprised if in a couple years we saw this guy all over the place, MTV, Spin, whatever. If this were a magazine I might say 'next big thing'. But it's not, so I won't. Not for those of you underground rock snobs, but for those of you who dig Tool, A Pefect Circle, Rage, NIN, that sort of thing, should definitely check this out. Pretty great.
RealAudio clip: "It's Over"
RealAudio clip: "Garrotte"
RealAudio clip: "Mortar"

LESSER / ROB CROW split (Vinyl Communications) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

LET GO s/t (The Militia Group) cd 14.98
We've made no bones about out love of the POP. We love the fuzzed out black metal too, and the sludge-y dirge sure, and of course the beautiful blissed out drones, but sometimes nothing does it for us like pop. Pop. POP! Be it delicate lo-fi 4-track bedroom pop, jangly indie pop, or big guitar hook drenched POWER pop. Sometime you just need to fill your head with hooks, bounce around, air guitar, sing along, you know. And no recent band did it for us quite as much as The Stereo, who wrote unbelievably catchy songs, wrapped in HUGE chugging guitars, amazing drumming and gorgeous harmony vocals. The Stereo broke up last year which really bummed us out (The Stereo being one of the few bands EVER than Andee has ever written a fan letter to!) but we soon discovered 2/3 of The Stereo had regrouped as Let Go. In fact when Andee and Allan went to CMJ, one of the only shows they really wanted to see was Let Go at CBGB's (which they didn't, goldarnit, since the show was WAY sold out) but upon their return to SF, the Let Go record was out and as if it were even possible, it might be even better than the Stereo. It basically sounds like the next Stereo record would have, bigger hooks, catchier songs, even more clever arrangements, more elaborate harmonies, and like the last Stereo record, it's definitely a grower, as all great records are. On first listen, we were mildly disappointed, but now we can't stop listening to it over and over again. Even has a sticker on the front of the cd featuring testemonials from other current pop bands (including Fallout Boy) going on and on about how good the Let Go are and how their bands wouldn't even exist if it weren't for Let Go and the Stereo and maybe the most accurate: "Let Go is your new favorite band." Indeed.
MPEG Stream: "Spotlights"
MPEG Stream: "Paper-Cuts"
MPEG Stream: "Illuminati"

LET THE NIGHT ROAR s/t (MeteorCity) cd 11.98
Another heavy one from this great label.

LETTER E, THE (Tiger Style) cdep 9.98
More postrock instrumental pleasantness that doesn't amaze so much as it comforts, if that's your thing. Collaboration between Curtis Harvey (Rex), Josh Matthews, Sean Meadows (June of 44, Sonora Pine), and Enis Seersah. Rumored to be recording an album for insound.com's label.

LETTER WHY, THE s/t (self-released) cd 14.98

LEUKERS, ANTONIA Hasenlove (Dekorder) picture disc 17.98

LEVEK Look On The Bright Side (Father / Daughter Records) 7" 8.98

LEVEN SIGNS Hemp Is Here (Digitalis) lp 22.00
A blast out of London cassette culture circa 1985, Leven Signs was the duo of Maggi Turner on vocals and Peter Karkut on synths, tape and drum machines in a brilliant hodgepodge of avant-pop experimentalism. Atypical of the cold minimal synth wave sounds we've been hearing lately from the period, Leven Signs had a more exotic attitude, blending ethereal vocals with ambient ethnic flourishes, medieval rhythms and a flair for making synth sounds that emulate acoustic instruments like organs, percussion and flutes sounding like a remarkable hybrid of Young Marble Giants and Gang Gang Dance. Definitely one of those rare "incredulous" records where we ask ourselves, why haven't we heard of this before? Remastered for its very first vinyl issue, this was originally put out on Robert Cox's Unlikely label and then reissued on Cordelia the same year with a different track order and with some new tracks and some omitted tracks that were on the first version. This Digitalis vinyl release follows the Cordelia version, for anyone keeping track. Amazing!

LEVY, ALISON FAITH My World View (Magnetic) cd 12.98
Strong material from this local lady with the powerhouse voice. Singer, songwriter and pianist Alison Faith Levy is assisted by several members of the late great Camper Van Beethoven, and the album is produced by Chris Xefos (King Missile). A straightforward voice-driven album, it reminds us of Carole King and Aimee Mann. Sure, it sounds pretty mainstream, but that's definitely not a bad thing when it's done by someone of Levy's talent and integrity. Why she isn't absolutely huge on the radio is a mystery to us.
RealAudio clip: "My World View"

LEVY, MIKE Fireflies (Parasol) cd 14.98
Singer songwriter fare from local talent, who used to be in the Sneetches. Piano and voice-driven material that reminds us of Alex Chilton, with guests Alison Faith Levy and Jonathan Segel of Camper van Beethoven who contributes lush violin.

LEWIS, JEFFREY 12 Crass Songs (Rough Trade) cd 14.98
We were never really all that into Crass. And we have no idea who the heck Jeffrey Lewis is, but shit, this record has totally kicked our asses. Okay, ass kicking might be a little off, considering what a playful, fun, and goofy record this is. And not goofy in a bad way, just goofy in that way that old pop record are, those super naive early K records singles, old They Might Be Giants. You know, clever and cheeky, almost like children's music. In fact this record might be just the thing to get your toddler started early in their nascent desires for anarchy and their just waiting to blossom urge to smash the state. And it won't hurt teaching them some profanities either, maybe baby's first words will be "Fuck off!"
The arrangements are sing songy, strings, piano, simple acoustic guitar, the sing songy aspect is probably due to having to cram so many words in such little spaces. Minus the lyrics, this might be some gorgeous twee bliss pop disc, bits of folk, tinkling piano, moaning strings, stretches of drone, some subtle twang, all woven into a lilting playful pop. The darker songs almost sound like Magnetic Fields, all brooding melancholy misery and muted pop jangle. But it's the lyrics hat make the record, that turn these playful pop songs into off kilter punk rock, indie folk, protest songs. Lewis has a super laid back sung/spoken delivery, that suits the songs and lyrics perfectly. He's also joined by some awesome female vocalists, who sing a handful of the songs, but mostly join in for the choruses, like on "I Ain't Thick, It's Just A Trick", the hook delivered in a strange boy/girl harmony that sticks in your head like crazy.
Some of the tracks sound a bit beatnicky, with bongos, and tongue twisting political manifestos, lots of this sounds like it could be some weird NYC band from back in the nineties with a record or two on Shimmy Disc, a sort of off kilter, fractured anti-folk, some are extra goofy, a couple are intense and dark. But light or dark, goofy or earnest, the lyrics transform each song into something almost sinister, something subtly powerful, the lyrics having to carry much of the anger and bitterness, since in Crass, the music was as vitriolic as the words, and here for the most part, the music is anything but. The result, while still patently poppy and folky, is much more thought provoking and subtly challenging than most pop music.
Huge Crass fans might be distraught at these reinterpretations, but Anarcho dabblers might just dig, and folks into weird pop, and weird folk, who like their tunes with a little weight-of-the-world behind them, should definitely give this a try.
Awesome packaging, a colorful coloring book sleeve, with two die cuts, revealing an inner sleeve decorated with various images which show through the die cuts depending on which way the sleeve is oriented. Also includes a massive comic book rendering of how this record came to be on one side, while on the other, a comic revealing just what those images showing through the cover mean.
MPEG Stream: "End Result"
MPEG Stream: "I Ain't Thick"
MPEG Stream: "Systematic Death"

LEWIS, JENNY Acid Tongue (Warner Bros) cd 14.98
Acid tongue?! Well, from the sounds of her latest album it's not residing in Ms Rilo Kiley's mouth. Her voice is as sweet and smooth as ever, however, the album itself is certainly asking for one thorough tongue lashing. On it, she's taken a flying leap into the syrupy slick pool of adult contemporary. Aaaaiiiieee! And the guest appearances of Chris Robinson, M. Ward, Zooey Deschanel and Elvis Costello (heck, these days he's the king of the genre!), don't help one bit. Someone in Hollywood must've thought this was a good idea. A shudder inducing shame.
MPEG Stream: "Black Sand"
MPEG Stream: "Pretty Bird"

LEWIS, JENNY WITH THE WATSON TWINS Rabbit Fur Coat (Team Love) cd 13.98
The lovely voice that defines the sound of L.A.'s Rilo Kiley goes solo on (in?) this Rabbit Fur Coat. Well, sort of... she's got a pair o' angelic voiced twins in tow, and the results are a remarkably lady-like affair. Jenny Lewis unveils a much broader range of both style and expressiveness -- generously planting a number of bare-branched country and gospel inflected saplings here and there amid her more familiar sounding lush pop blossoms. Initially upon hearing the poignant, soulful opening track, we mused that fans of Neko Case might also take a shine to the equally red-tressed Lewis. Mind you though, Lewis and her music do come across as being considerably more milquetoast (meaning, you probably won't be finding The Grand Ol' Opry taking issue with her the way they did with the fiery Ms Case!). At any rate, it's clear that in both fashion and song, she's just as comfortable in womanly Lawrence Welk Show gown as she is in a winsome floral country frock or barefoot in a sassy pop gal mini-dress. To boot, she's stacked the indie luminary decks in her favor -- her pals Conor Oberst, Ben Gibbard (whom she sings with in Postal Service), and Matt Ward to name a few -- and the star-studded cast is put to good use on the very faithful rendition of the Travelling Wilburys' tune "Handle With Care". Quite a beauty that's just might not only appeal to her younger Rilo Kiley fans, but also their parents!
Psst, coincidentally Lewis' R.K. bandmate Blake Sennett's side project The Elected also just released a dandy album!
MPEG Stream: "Run Devil Run"
MPEG Stream: "Handle With Care"

LEWIS, JENNY WITH THE WATSON TWINS Rabbit Fur Coat (Team Love) lp 13.98
Now on LP!
The lovely voice that defines the sound of L.A.'s Rilo Kiley goes solo on (in?) this Rabbit Fur Coat. Well, sort of... she's got a pair o' angelic voiced twins in tow, and the results are a remarkably lady-like affair. Jenny Lewis unveils a much broader range of both style and expressiveness -- generously planting a number of bare-branched country and gospel inflected saplings here and there amid her more familiar sounding lush pop blossoms. Initially upon hearing the poignant, soulful opening track, we mused that fans of Neko Case might also take a shine to the equally red-tressed Lewis. Mind you though, Lewis and her music do come across as being considerably more milquetoast (meaning, you probably won't be finding The Grand Ol' Opry taking issue with her the way they did with the fiery Ms Case!). At any rate, it's clear that in both fashion and song, she's just as comfortable in womanly Lawrence Welk Show gown as she is in a winsome floral country frock or barefoot in a sassy pop gal mini-dress. To boot, she's stacked the indie luminary decks in her favor -- her pals Conor Oberst, Ben Gibbard (whom she sings with in Postal Service), and Matt Ward to name a few -- and the star-studded cast is put to good use on the very faithful rendition of the Travelling Wilburys' tune "Handle With Care". Quite a beauty that's just might not only appeal to her younger Rilo Kiley fans, but also their parents!
Psst, coincidentally Lewis' R.K. bandmate Blake Sennett's side project The Elected also just released a dandy album!
MPEG Stream: "Run Devil Run"
MPEG Stream: "Handle With Care"

LEWIS, JERRY LEE s/t (Rumble Records) lp 24.00

LEXICON It's The L!! (Spy Tech) cd 15.98
This record sat on the shelves for a few weeks, unreviewed cos the cover art was confusing. I mean, the record has got a hysterical white woman on the cover -- you wouldn't think it was hip hop. Turns out it *is* hip hop, and it's pretty decent hip hop at that, despite it being from Glendale, California, which pretty much guarantees these guys are whiteboys. Anyway, the hip hop here is accessible and fun and catchy. At times it's dark (listen to "Intro") and messed up in a good way, but mostly it's the two Black brothers (no, their name is Black, they're not Black!) forefronting the tastefully sampled and assembled beats. Their rhymes are carefully enunciated, respectful to rap's history, and thoughtful. I like it.
RealAudio clip: "Intro"
RealAudio clip: "It's the L"

LEXIE MOUNTAIN / LICHENS split (Hoss) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

LHASA La Llorona (Atlantic) cd 16.98
Here is Ms Lhasa De Sela's debut album from 1997 which we alluded to in a recent AQ List. Yes, this is the one that came before her current sumptious full length The Living Road. If you love one you'll surely love the other. Simply stated, it's an earthy yet electrically charged beauty! Effortlessly elegant, Lhasa's sultry vocals (sung in Spanish) entwine with the snaking acoustic guitars and accordion. A seamless blend of dangerously seductive torch balladry and an enchanting carnival-after-dark atmosphere. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "De Cara A La Pared"
MPEG Stream: "Por Eso Me Quedo"

LHASA s/t (Nettwerk) cd 16.98
We were very excited to see the arrival of a new full length from this Montreal based songstress! This is album number 3 for Ms Lhasa De Sela, and all of the adjectives we've showered upon her previous two albums do still apply here (2004's The Living Road and 1997's La Llorona were both highly recommended, beautiful, sultry wonders, please see our reviews for the detailed descriptions!). However, some might find this one to be perhaps a bit more (or too) 'Lilith Fair' and AOR-ish at times. 'Twas a bit disappointing in that regard. Although her voice is as amazing as ever, these recordings didn't floor us immediately like the previous ones did. The overall tone weighs heavier on melancholia and less on darkly whimsical enchantment. Actually, it draws easy comparisons to Norah Jones' last album Not Too Late, and conjured imaginings of Chan Marshall as a smoky lounge singer too. So, while we still wholeheartedly embrace her first two albums to one and all, this one might be destined for a different audience.
MPEG Stream: "Rising"
MPEG Stream: "The Lonely Spider"

LHASA The Living Road (Nettwerk) cd 16.98
Stunning! Heck, when we heard murmurs that Joey Burns from Calexico might soon be playing live with Lhasa we figured that was a pretty darn good indication that we were in for something really great with this new album... and The Living Road does not disappoint. Each song on Lhasa De Sela's second album lures you deeper and deeper into the shadows, and you'd be wise to follow. What you'll encounter is a slowly unfolding, deeply intoxicating drama of mariachi horns, desert twang guitars, somber piano, ghostly theremin and pedal steel and oh yes, her voice which is a force unto itself -- dusky, slinking, and smouldering winding its way around her English, Spanish and French lyrics. The music has a rich mysterious cabaret and carnivalesque flair and it's not surprising 'cause in between albums she spent her time in a small travelling circus with her sisters in France! If you'd like some current points of reference, think Calexico fronted by a much older Mirah or a much younger Omara Portuondo (Buena Vista Social Club). If you like this don't miss her first album La Llorona that came out back in 1997. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Con Toda Palabra"
MPEG Stream: "Anywhere On This Road"

LHASA CEMENT PLANT I Am Providence (Flydaddy) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
One track, nearly forty minutes, titled "The Eric Zann Memorial Barbeque", live at Terrastock '97...no doubt Lovecraft's Eric Zann would approve of the cosmic noise conjured here. I'm told that this performance was one of the surprise highlights of the Providence Terrastock, and fans of improvised spacerock can now experience it on their home stereos. Lhasa Cement Plant contains present and former members of noise legends Borbetomagus (the guitarist and ex-electronics guy, to be precise), but do more of a rock thing...

LI JIANHONG San Sheng Shi (aRCHIVE) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
51 minutes, 1 track. 1 guitar, 1 guy: Li Jianhong. No, we didn't think we'd ever heard of him, either. But this is an aRCHIVE release, super limited and super swank, which means that we HAD to order a bunch in. We trust those guys, aRCHIVE. And we're glad we did, this is great! That is, if you're into distortion and feedback and heavy drone guitar like we are. This is extremely droney, very vast and very physical, sheets of glorious amped up fuzz. What's not to like? It moves forward with energy, building, swelling, keening, billowing. Rising and falling, at about 30 minutes in, subsiding from a dense, intense drone-tone into a mellower respite, before Li Jianhong leans on his amps/pedals/volume knob/etc. and dials up the distortion yet again.
He's the Chinese Keiji Haino perhaps, but without any of the shrieking vocals. Yep, this is some nice, thick, bleak psychedelia (it says so on the sleeve, "bleak" and "psychedelia" being some of the only text not in Chinese, and it's true).
Turns out Li's a member of PSF label noise band D!O!D!O!D!, reviewed here a while back, and has some other solo works out on his own label... we'll definitely look out for more from him in future... While D!O!O!O!D! was one for improv skree-lovin' noiseniks only, we wouldn't hesitate to recommend THIS to fans of, say, Boris's Feedbacker. And the likes of Suishou No Fune and LSD-march. Also Nadja, Fear Falls Burning, Birchville Cat Motel...
LIMITED TO ONLY 500 copies. Packaged in a tri-fold sleeve featuring live photos of an impassioned performance by Li, inside a tri-fold vellum wrapper bearing a image of a craggy mountain peak.
MPEG Stream: "San Sheng Shi (excerpt 1)"
MPEG Stream: "San Sheng Shi (excerpt 2)"

LI XI Macro Garden (20 Sided) 7" 4.50
This is the first we've heard from this local synth pop combo, who manage to mix the lilting indie jangle of that Slumberland Records sound with old school classic eighties new wave into a sweet electro pop confection. Programmed drums, buzzing crackling synths, ethereal female vocals, occasional boy/girl harmonies, all sort of hazy and softly psychedelic. The sound is alternately crunchy and fuzzy and surprisingly aggressive, and wistful and dreamily shimmery. The A side title track is the A side for a reason, hooky as hell, and the sort of song former aQ staffer Irwin would claim would be just the thing to get your body moving. While the B side takes the same elements and crafts something a bit broodier, and almost ballad, that creeps and drifts darkly, but is peppered with bursts of wild squelching synths, and is laced with chiming melodies, reminding us a bit of Stereolab, and like minded retro-poppers. The included download adds another track, which fuses some seriously gristly rhythms, to acoustic guitars, and some wild, noisy synth splatter, but weaves it all into a driving electro-synth jam that's got some heft to it, while still managing to be dreamy and divinely poppy!
MPEG Stream: "Macro Garden"
MPEG Stream: "Red Spells"

LI, LYKKE Wounded Rhymes (Atlantic) cd 13.98

LIAM THE YOUNGER After The Graveyard (Underwater Peoples / A Learning Computer) lp 17.98

LIARS Drum's Not Dead (Mute) cd+dvd 17.98
Seems to be a lot of Liars haters out there. But hasn't the Right Wing taught us anything about hate? That when something is hated so much, it attracts people to see for themselves, and in opposition, not only like it, but defend it! Maybe in some kind of paranoid Machiavellian plot, the haters are actually on the Liars payroll, because we couldn't help but like Drum's Not Dead. Sure the flimsy "concept" about the creative process between two opposing figures, Drum and Mt. Heart Attack, falls a little flat. And they only have two ideas here (mathy percussive heavy clattery shriek and murky drony ambient murmuring), obvously inspired by sipping from the Black Dice / Animal Collective teapot. But at the end of the day it comes down to this, Drum's Not Dead is just a way more enjoyable listen than the latest outings from Black Dice (Broken Ear Record) or Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice (Gypsy Freedom) or a handful of other avant rockers. What can you do? They make the rain feel good. Check it out.
MPEG Stream: "Let's Not Wrestle Mt. Heart Attack"
MPEG Stream: "Drum and the Uncomfortable Can"
MPEG Stream: "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack"

LIARS Drum's Not Dead (Mute) lp+dvd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Seems to be a lot of Liars haters out there. But hasn't the Right Wing taught us anything about hate? That when something is hated so much, it attracts people to see for themselves, and in opposition, not only like it, but defend it! Maybe in some kind of paranoid Machiavellian plot, the haters are actually on the Liars payroll, because we couldn't help but like Drum's Not Dead. Sure the flimsy "concept" about the creative process between two opposing figures, Drum and Mt. Heart Attack, falls a little flat. And they only have two ideas here (mathy percussive heavy clattery shreik and murky drony ambient murmuring), obvously inspired by sipping from the Black Dice / Animal Collective teapot. But at the end of the day it comes down to this, Drum's Not Dead is just a way more enjoyable listen than the latest outings from Black Dice (Broken Ear Record) or Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice (Gypsy Freedom) or a handful of other avant rockers. What can you do? They make the rain feel good. Check it out.
MPEG Stream: "Let's Not Wrestle Mt. Heart Attack"
MPEG Stream: "Drum and the Uncomfortable Can"
MPEG Stream: "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack"

LIARS Leopard On My Right (HeartBreakBeat) 7" + dvd 16.98

LIARS s/t (Mute) cd 14.98
Every new Liars album brings with it some fretful hesitation as to what direction they'll venture into next. Not afraid of alienating their fan base in favor of exploring some obsessive but ultimately impenetrable concept, Liars have a love 'em or hate 'em relationship with most folks. After the atmospheric and rhythm-heavy Drums Not Dead, Liars bring the guitar riff back into full focus, and deliver for the first time in a while a relatively straight ahead rock record, but not in a way they've done before. There's no underlying concept to negotiate and the song structures are concise and compact. Yet they're still pushing these self-imposed limitations into kaleidoscopic realms that are sort of dubby, proggy, damaged and yet melodic. Lurching from furious and dissonant assaults into charged and sublime pop hooks. It's quite possibly their best record yet.
MPEG Stream: "Plaster Casts of Everything"
MPEG Stream: "Sailing To Byzantium"

LIARS s/t (Mute) lp 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now on vinyl!
Every new Liars album brings with it some fretful hesitation as to what direction they'll venture into next. Not afraid of alienating their fan base in favor of exploring some obsessive but ultimately impenetrable concept, Liars have a love 'em or hate 'em relationship with most folks. After the atmospheric and rhythm-heavy Drums Not Dead, Liars bring the guitar riff back into full focus, and deliver for the first time in a while a relatively straight ahead rock record, but not in a way they've done before. There's no underlying concept to negotiate and the song structures are concise and compact. Yet they're still pushing these self-imposed limitations into kaleidoscopic realms that are sort of dubby, proggy, damaged and yet melodic. Lurching from furious and dissonant assaults into charged and sublime pop hooks. It's quite possibly their best record yet.
MPEG Stream: "Plaster Casts of Everything"
MPEG Stream: "Sailing To Byzantium"

LIARS Sisterworld (Mute) 2cd 21.00
Liars are such a strange band, we've mentioned it before, but it definitely bears repeating, it seems like they get some sort of sick satisfaction out of gleefully subverting all expectations, some sort of thrill from annoying their loyal fanbase. Every record could go in any of a million directions, some far less appealing than others, and often, it's those less appealing directions that the band find most alluring. So it's usually best to approach a new Liars record prepared to be, at the very least disappointed, quite possibly pissed off.
Sisterworld however was immediately appealing, yeah, sure, a bit weird, but it's the Liars, this time they unfurl a sort of slow burning mystery of a record, super dramatic, with some gorgeous guitar playing and rough, whiskey soaked vocals, moaning cellos, sweet vocal harmonies, a twisted dark pop, with bursts of angular noise rock. Album opener "Scissor" might be one of the best songs they've written, with brooding, moody verses, a soaring bridge with lush harmony vocals, and a crashing synth driven breakdown blow out.
The rest of the record is sort of a schizophrenic mess, but in a good way, the band dipping their toes into woozy gloom pop, twisted cabaret, dreamy swirly string laden swoon, weird angular synth punk, hushed crystalline balladry, skeletal new wave, atonal noise flecked indie rock, furious buzzing dirge rock, but all the various shades and permutations held together, by that Liars vibe that's hard to quantify, but for being as scattershot as Sisterworld seems, it's also a weirdly cohesive set of songs, twisted for sure, but well crafted, and oddly and subtly catchy to boot.
While they last, we have the super deluxe, double disc, which comes in an incredible accordion foldout mini hard cover die cut book packaging, and a whole disc of remixes, from folks like Atlas Sound, Tunde Adebimpe from TV On The Radio, the Melvins (!), Devendra Banhart, Thom Yorke, Boyd Rice and more! Most of the remixes are super radical, the songs all twisted up and reimagined, without losing the essence of the originals, a few add electronics, a couple get all chopped and screwed and looped, one or two are heavied up, and one even gets some female rapper action, pretty wacked, but what would you expect from a remix of a record that's already pretty weird to begin with? The more we listen to the remix disc, we almost might like it more than the record proper....
MPEG Stream: "Scissor"
MPEG Stream: "No Barrier Fun"
MPEG Stream: "Here Comes All The People"
MPEG Stream: "Drip"