BATTLES Gloss Drop (Warp) 2lp 27.00
Battles are back with another spright, tight outburst of their (rather unique) rhythmically percolating math-pop post-rock. This time focussing on a kind of 8-bit steel drum tropical blow-out with less of the pitch-shifted vocals that figured greatly on Mirrors. Tyondai Braxton quit the band after that last album, but you wouldn't notice, and they make sure to make up for his absence with an impressive array of guests in any case, including Kompakt's Matias Aguayo, Eye from the Boredoms, and freakin' GARY NUMAN!
Gloss Drop sure is relentless and jaunty and technical and all, but we have to admit, maybe their schtick is starting to wear thin with us. We can't help but think of the Munchkins' Lollipop Guild song from the Wizard Of Oz every time we listen to Battles... Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, is it, though?
So if you're still digging on your old Battles records, you'll probably be into Gloss Drop too. Some previous Battles have won us over, for sure, and this one is doing so too, but we kinda wonder if they'll really win the war in the end...
MPEG Stream: "Ice Cream"
MPEG Stream: "Wall Street"
MPEG Stream: "Sundome"

BATTLES Mirrored (Warp) cd 15.98
With only a couple ep's under their belts, Battles have been taking their sweet time creating their first proper full length and wow, has all that time and patience paid off! Mirrored is one of those records that grabs you right off the bat and sucks you in, intense and immediate, but with a staying power that has had us listening to this record over and over, finding new things to love about it each and every time. Math rock may be an equation that's been solved and worked out to a point of no return, but Battles have taken the polyrhythms and driving elements from their individual math rock roots (Don Cabellero, Helmet, Lynx) and added so many exciting ingredients to the mix. Fantastical prog like arrangements, spacey excursions, dance floor flirtations, a dose of oddly alien vocals, and a mesmerizing infusion of elements from 20th century composition, all whipped up together to make a record that sends you soaring into another galaxy with a fury and energy that can't be denied. In lesser hands all these elements could sound clumsy or forced, but Battles have found a way to make it all sound so seamless and fun! Like Goblin hijacking a Steve Reich composition, and dumping bags of glitter and the spiciest spices all over the place, creating the most beautiful and supercharged kind of mess. Some of our favorite artists, many who are maybe too prolific for their own good, could learn a thing or two from these guys. Sometimes truly honing your craft and perfecting that vision is worth it when the results are this glorious!
MPEG Stream: "Race: In"
MPEG Stream: "Ddiamondd"
MPEG Stream: "Tij"

BATTLES Mirrored (Warp) lp 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now on vinyl!!!
With only a couple ep's under their belts, Battles have been taking their sweet time creating their first proper full length and wow, has all that time and patience paid off! Mirrored is one of those records that grabs you right off the bat and sucks you in, intense and immediate, but with a staying power that has had us listening to this record over and over, finding new things to love about it each and every time. Math rock may be an equation that's been solved and worked out to a point of no return, but Battles have taken the polyrhythms and driving elements from their individual math rock roots (Don Cabellero, Helmet, Lynx) and added so many exciting ingredients to the mix. Fantastical prog like arrangements, spacey excursions, dance floor flirtations, a dose of oddly alien vocals, and a mesmerizing infusion of some elements from 20th century composition, all whipped up together to make a record that sends you soaring into another galaxy with a fury and energy that can't be denied. In lesser hands all these elements could sound clumsy or forced, but Battles have found a way to make it all sound so seamless and fun! Like Goblin hijacking a Steve Reich composition, and dumping bags of glitter and the spiciest spices all over the place, creating the most beautiful and supercharged kind of mess. Some of our favorite artists, many who are maybe too prolific for their own good, could learn a thing or two from these guys. Sometimes truly honing your craft and perfecting that vision is worth it when the results are this glorious!
MPEG Stream: "Race: In"
MPEG Stream: "Ddiamondd"
MPEG Stream: "Tij"

BATTLES Tras (Coldsweat) cd ep 9.98
This is one pedigreed post-rock combo here! Battles consists of Ian Williams (Don Caballero, Storm And Stress), Tyondai Braxton (son of jazz genius Anthony and solo artist in his own right), John Stanier (Helmet, Tomahawk) and Dave Konopka (Lynx). These gents have joined forces to tangle their guitar strings, various drum implements, and electronic gadgetry into a big knot that might seem loose but is probably really tight if you were to try and unravel it. And while their compositions might be 'difficult', listening to this is not. Battles sounds like a post rock band (a la Don Cab or Lynx) playing the music of Conlon Nancarrow on Raymond Scott's Manhattan Research equipment. Or Gershon Kingsley making math rock. Weird, complex, delightful. And rather than debut with a full length, they've released two new eps in various formats. There are the five tracks of EP C cd ep, and the two-song limited Tras 12" vinyl and cd ep (the latter of which also includes a video clip).
MPEG Stream: "Tras"

BATTLES Tras (Coldsweat) 12" 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This is one pedigreed post-rock combo here! Battles consists of Ian Williams (Don Caballero, Storm And Stress), Tyondai Braxton (son of jazz genius Anthony and solo artist in his own right), John Stanier (Helmet, Tomahawk) and Dave Konopka (Lynx). These gents have joined forces to tangle their guitar strings, various drum implements, and electronic gadgetry into a big knot that might seem loose but is probably really tight if you were to try and unravel it. And while their compositions might be 'difficult', listening to this is not. Battles sounds like a post rock band (a la Don Cab or Lynx) playing the music of Conlon Nancarrow on Raymond Scott's Manhattan Research equipment. Or Gershon Kingsley making math rock. Weird, complex, delightful. And rather than debut with a full length, they've released two new eps in various formats. There are the five tracks of EP C cd ep, and the two-song limited Tras 12" vinyl and cd ep (the latter of which also includes a video clip).
MPEG Stream: "Tras"

BATTLES, THE Tomorrow's Eager Hands (Soft Abuse) cd 14.98
Please note this is Vancouver band THE Battles, not to be confused with the post-rock Battles (no 'the')!
This is The Battles' follow-up to their 2001 debut Lycanthropy. While their record label has stickered this cd's shrinkwrap with mentions of "stylistic nods to Todd Rundgren, Mayo Thompson and Robyn Hitchcock", we hear The Battles' veering more towards Split Enz / Crowded House territory. That's a-ok with us, 'cause those Finn brothers are a couple of mighty fine songwriters with expressive voices and on the first few songs of Tomorrow's Eager Hands, The Battles' mainman Steve Wood sounds like he could be their younger brother. Later in the album, the abovementioned nods become more apparent as they draw in closer to the sound of their Vancouver brethren Destroyer (a few of whose members also appear here as well as a few from New Pornographers and Loscil). As well, they take a brief spacey soundscape detour which is much more in line with their five-years-ago selves, but seems somewhat incongruous here. Overall though there's plenty of retro pop smarts and poetic penmanship to sink your ears into... good stuff!
MPEG Stream: "Omega Man"
MPEG Stream: "Northern Man"

BATTLETORN Evil Chains (Mega Blade) cd 13.98

BAUER, KARL AND ELISA AMBROG (AXOLOTL & MAGIK MARKERS) Psychic Hygiene (Spirit Of Orr) 7" 5.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**
Found a little stash of these. Already out of print so these are the last copies...
Another strange (but then again, maybe not so strange) collaboration. Karl from Axolotl and Elisa from Magic Markers get together to make some beautiful and slightly noisy music together.
Elisa's guitar seems to be taking center stage on the A side, scrabbly and angular, chaotic and scarping and grinding, dense tangles of high end squiggle and scrape laid over a distant hum of tape hiss and other abstract ambience.
The flipside is more bluesy, kind of. A sort of ghostlike disembodied folk, a bit of twang, lots of clunk and clatter, stumbly and spacious, the notes and melodies gnarled and twisted into strange atonal shapes, deep rumbling swells here and there, clouds of high end shimmer, soft washed out buzz, a dreamy creaky blissed out noiseflecked abstract guitarscape. Haunting and strangely pretty.

BAUER, MATT The Island Moved In The Storm (La Societe Expeditionnaire) cd 13.98
As the temperature and leaves gradually fall into autumn, a fittingly dusky and haunting album from former Bay Area now New York based folk troubadour Mr. Matt Bauer has arrived! It's a devastating song cycle inspired by the story about the mysterious death of a girl (posthumously known as Tent Girl) which took place back in 1968 in Bauer's old stomping grounds in Kentucky. Absolutely heart-rending and beautifully realized, The Island Moved In The Storm is a wonderful progression from his 2006 Wasps And White Roses cdep. Unquestionably his best work to date! The artfully Spartan arrangements allow much room for his achingly withered voice and deeply affecting words to sink in. He was ably assisted by many musical luminaries: Elizabeth Dotson-Westphalen of St. Vincent, Alela Diane, and Dirty Projectors' Angel Deradoorian to name a few. Fans of M. Ward, Jolie Holland, Sean Hayes and maybe even Calexico too, please take note immediately! This just may be your new favorite album and artist! Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Sheltering Dark"
MPEG Stream: "Florida Rain"

BAUER, MATT The Jessamine County Book Of The Living (Crossbill Records) cd 9.98
Wow, do not miss The Jessamine County Book Of The Living. Matt Bauer's third full length is another deeply moving intimate work. Once again, he's gathered many of his musical friends around him for this lush bluegrass-y embrace. His nimble banjo picking and fine piano playing are now accompanied by strings, woodwinds, brass and more. Wonderful. The string quartet was recorded here in SF, the vocals of Garrett Pierce in Davis, and the rest of the production took place in Brooklyn and Lexington. And by "the rest", in part we mean some gorgeous female vocals from the likes of Jolie Holland and Mariee Sioux. Bauer's hushed voice is mournful yet comforting, and is perfectly complemented by the ladies' luminous delivery. Perhaps the album's crowning jewel is the fourth track "Blacklight Horses", a solemnly lovely Bauer and Holland duet. Just might move you to tears... actually many of Bauer's songs have that effect. Needless to say, this album is heartily recommended. Definitely for fans of Ms Holland, M. Ward and Iron & Wine.
MPEG Stream: "Useless Is Your Armor"
MPEG Stream: "Blacklight Horses"

BAUER, MATT The Jessamine County Book Of The Living (Crossbill Records) lp 14.98
Wow, do not miss The Jessamine County Book Of The Living. Matt Bauer's third full length is another deeply moving intimate work. Once again, he's gathered many of his musical friends around him for this lush bluegrass-y embrace. His nimble banjo picking and fine piano playing are now accompanied by strings, woodwinds, brass and more. Wonderful. The string quartet was recorded here in SF, the vocals of Garrett Pierce in Davis, and the rest of the production took place in Brooklyn and Lexington. And by "the rest", in part we mean some gorgeous female vocals from the likes of Jolie Holland and Mariee Sioux. Bauer's hushed voice is mournful yet comforting, and is perfectly complemented by the ladies' luminous delivery. Perhaps the album's crowning jewel is the fourth track "Blacklight Horses", a solemnly lovely Bauer and Holland duet. Just might move you to tears... actually many of Bauer's songs have that effect. Needless to say, this album is heartily recommended. Definitely for fans of Ms Holland, M. Ward and Iron & Wine.
MPEG Stream: "Useless Is Your Armor"
MPEG Stream: "Blacklight Horses"

BAUHAUS Burning from the Inside (Beggars Banquet) cd 12.98

BAUHAUS Crackle (Beggars Banquet) 2lp 16.98

BAUHAUS Crackle (Beggars Banquet) 2lp 16.98

BAUHAUS Go Away White (BMI) cd 14.98

BAUHAUS Gotham (Metropolis) 2cd 21.00
Documenting these Goth superstars' recent live reunion tour, two discs worth. At first listen, one thing we can say is that this is surprisingly damn HEAVY. Yes, this includes "Bela Lugosi's Dead" amongst other black eyeliner hits. And, this has a new studio track too, their first in like 15 years, a cover of Dead Can Dance's "Severance".

BAUHAUS In The Flat Field (4AD) 2cd 21.00

BAUHAUS Mask (Beggar's Banquet) 2cd 26.00

BAUHAUS Shadow of Light / Archive (Beggars Banquet) dvd 15.98
Both Shadows of Light and Archive had been made available in the '80s as collections of Bauhaus' videos and live recordings; and now they've been compiled onto a single DVD for your viewing pleasure. Shadows of Light originally featured all of the videos Bauhaus made, including the particularly grotesque chiaroscuro of "Mask" as well as four live tunes recored in stark black & white at the Old Vic in London. Archive fills in the remainder of the live material shot at that Old Vic show, albeit framed by a curious vignette of a Victorian gentleman being pursued by a couple of no-good thugs. Nonetheless, Peter Murphy stands out as a vampish hybrid of David Bowie and Iggy Pop during these outstanding live versions of "The Passion Of Lovers," "Dark Entries," and "Stigmata Martyr." Essential for anybody bit by the '80s revival bug.

BAUHAUS The Sky Gone Out (4 Men With Beards) lp 16.98

BAUHAUS The Sky's Gone Out (Beggars Banquet) cd 12.98

BAXENDALE You Will Have Your Revenge (Le Grand Magistery) cd 15.98
A total meltdown between Stephin Merritt's Future Bible Heroes and Momus' melodramatic baroque-pop. Heavy duty dance beats with pouty Brit boy and candy-coated girl vocals. For fans of Pulp too.

BE GOOD TANYAS Hello Love (Nettwerk) cd 15.98
Oh how we adore those Be Good Tanyas! Their first two albums Chinatown and Blue Horse hold solid places in our hearts. Both albums came out ages ago, leaving us craving more for years! Primarily known stateside for far too long as Jolie Holland's former band, with the aptly titled Hello Love the Canadian country folk trio gracefully glide out of Holland's shadow and into their own rustic autumnal spotlight. That said, Holland does make a brief vocal appearance on the eighth track, their cover of Mississippi John Hurt's "Nobody Cares For Me". They also do wonderful versions of "A Thousand Tiny Pieces", a song by SF's dear Sean Hayes and "For The Turnstiles" by Neil Young. They're definite album highlights. Not so sure about their cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry" tho' which you'll find hidden at the end of the album. Oops, sorry to blow the surprise, but maybe they should've kept it hidden?!
An aside: Kinda burns our biscuits that an artist signed to Nettwerk Records (i.e, an international and pretty much 'major' label who could buy them the moon tenfold) is getting Canadian government funding grants while unsigned, empty pocketed independent candidates go empty handed. Geez, that just doesn't sit right.
But regardless, a super pretty twangy delight.
MPEG Stream: "Human Thing"
MPEG Stream: "For The Turnstiles"
MPEG Stream: "A Thousand Tiny Pieces"

BE YOUR OWN PET s/t (Ecstatic Peace / Universal) cd 11.98
Are you sad that the Yeah Yeah Yeah's seem to have gone all '80s pop? Still looking for that blistering loud, fast and fun rock sound with some strong commanding female vocals at its helm? Then Be Your Own Pet have got your fix for sure. Creating quite a buzz in the last couple years with their full throttle rock sound planted firmly in punk rock as well as in the garage. This definitely had us thinking a bit of the glory of The Gits, a young PJ Harvey doing Stooges covers, and yeah, the urgency of the YYY's on their first ep and full length. They've won the heart of Thurston Moore whose Ecstatic Peace has been putting out their records and this is one of those rare instances where the hype seems to make sense as this is some great rockin' fun.
MPEG Stream: "Bunk Trunk Skunk"
MPEG Stream: "Fill My Pill"

BEACH BOYS Friends / 20/20 (Capitol) cd 14.98
We've been enjoying quite a nice run of summer fever here in SF. Lots of outdoor adventures, picnics in the park, trips to the beach, fresh fruit to eat, naps with the windows open. So we thought while we've been indulging in all of summer's glory we would take the time to actually list one of our all time favorite Beach Boys records, even though its not a new reissue or anything. In fact it's two albums on one cd. While of course Pet Sounds always gets lauded as the Beach Boys' masterpiece, we think that Friends might be a contender for one of their greatest records as well. Every single track on Friends is pure pop perfection! You can hear the next several decades of smart pop music foreshadowed in the songs on Friends. "Busy Doin' Nothin" is like the sweet and quirky song Beck is still trying to make, "Little Bird" sounds like one of Yo La Tengo's most bittersweet numbers and the amazing instrumental "Diamond Head" with its reverb and ocean wave sounds provides the sonic blueprint for one of our favorite records of the last year, Panda Bear's Person Pitch. Not one clunker in the batch, Friends is truly one of the greatest pop records of all time!
While it would be worth it just for Friends, this two-for-one cd also contains 20/20, the Beach Boys' last album of the '60s. It's got a couple misses but wow are there some amazing musical moments to be found. You can definitely hear some bits and pieces that would end up as part of the soon-to-come masterpiece Smile, as well as some of the best songs Dennis Wilson wrote and sang for the band. It's also the album that features an uncredited (for obvious reasons) contribution from Charles Manson. He and Dennis Wilson had become friends before the Tate / LaBianca killings and as a gift he gave Dennis a song "Never Learn Not To Love" which was simply credited to Dennis after the Mason murders went down. The collection also includes 5 bonus tracks and really nice track by track commentaries in the liner notes.
The perfect music to make this an endless summer (as is, umm, well, probably the BB's Endless Summer too). If you don't have these Beach Boys albums we can't recommend these enough. Pop perfection!
MPEG Stream: "Friends"
MPEG Stream: "Diamond Head"
MPEG Stream: "I Went To Sleep"
MPEG Stream: "Never Learn Not To Love"

BEACH BOYS Smiley Smile / Wild Honey (Capitol) cd 14.98
Yes, the elusive (but not as elusive as Smile, the legendary unreleased/unfinished Brian Wilson masterpiece that this was released in the stead of) Smiley Smile album most notably contains the summertime anthem "Good Vibrations", but it's actually the second song entitled "Vegetables" that's worth the price of admission alone. An absurd ode to their absolute veggie love featuring some sonic embellishment - read: chewing - from none other than Paul McCartney. Add "She's Goin' Bald" to the equation and is there any question what mad pop scientists the Beach Boys were? We've never understood the fuss over Smile, what they actually released here was GREAT. Now, throw in another whole album, namely Wild Honey, plus six bonus tracks and woo-hooo... you need this!

BEACH BOYS, THE Pet Sounds (Capitol) cd 14.98

BEACH BOYS, THE Pet Sounds (Capitol) lp 22.00
While the recently resurrected Beach Boys masterpiece, Smile!, was conceived by Brian Wilson as "a Teenage Symphony to God", we always thought that description better described Wilson's first major master stroke, Pet Sounds, an incomparable combination of heartfelt bittersweet emotion and complex pop orchestration. Classic songs like "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)", "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" and of course, "God Only Knows" were the first real deliveries of promise set up by game-changer early hits like "In My Room", and "Warmth of The Sun" that showed the band could forge deeper into complicated emotional territory than its goodtimes-beach-fun persona would suggest. Even the two instrumentals, "Let's Go Away for Awhile" and the title track are some of the best rainy day soundtrack material imaginable. An absolutely perfect record, nice to have it back in stock on vinyl!

BEACH BOYS, THE Smile Sessions (Capitol) 2cd 37.00
The newly released, highly anticipated Smile Sessions are finally here and it's been an occasion for all sorts of debate and nerd-ery among us. First off, some of us have been obsessed with the record for years, having acquired various bootlegs, the recent Brian Wilson re-do, as well as tracing the seeds of the Smile sessions throughout the trajectory of the later Beach Boys records (which are some of our favorites). While our bootleg versions always had the main song cycle separated from the various shorter interludes and segues that connected them, the Brian Wilson re-do saw the potential of what could have been, yet it still felt like a cover version of what was supposed to be the real thing.
Now what the Smile Sessions tries to do, and for the most part succeeds in doing, is taking the blueprint Wilson made with the re-do and marrying the songs and interludes into a solid dazzling whole. The flow of what is understood as the proper album has never sounded better with the rich harmonic vocals, symphonic arrangements and beautifully antiquarian lyricism provided by Van Dyke Parks combined in elaborately layered arrays of epiphanal pop orchestration. It also adds a disc and a half of bonus material, session segments, and stereo mixes of various tracks and interludes left off the main album, which is where the debate among us begins. Scott appreciates the bonus material but really wishes (and this goes for most reissues with bonus material) that they isolated the whole of the album to one disc, so that you really get a sense of the proper album's completion. Starting multiple alternate versions of "Heroes and Villains" (whose lyrical motif is repeated in various forms throughout the record) shortly after "Good Vibrations" ends, mimics the sensation we imagine Brian Wilson probably felt in realizing he couldn't finish the project because it kept endlessly replaying in his head. Andee thinks that the bonus material is the real gold here and just wants to get the elaborate 5 cd/2lp/2x7" version just to geek out on endless takes of "Good Vibrations" and all the rehearsals and studio chatter (and he also thinks that Scott should just learn how to use the stop button on his cd player.). Allan doesn't understand the "lost record" appeal of it all. "What was wrong with Smiley Smile?" Oh, Allan.
We're sure plenty of folks will be having their own geeky debates. For instance, why isn't "Cool, Cool Water" included in the main song cycle like it was in the bootlegs, and in Brian Wilson's version (renamed and rewritten as "Blue Hawaii")? Instead it's relegated to the bonus material. But really that's all music geek piffle to be argued and discussed in some other forum. For the most part, the main album is put together quite faithfully to Wilson's vision and it sounds amazing!. We're used to the sometimes slightly abrupt transitions that have long become a part of the record's charm and the result is still quite incredible and kaleidoscopic. No matter our particular desires of how we would try to put this together, it's still quite a remarkable feat. We still wonder if Wilson finished and released this as it was meant to be in 1967, would we still care so much about it? That's for another debate. Still for those obsessed as we are or even for the newly curious this comes Highly Recommended!!!!!
The two cd version comes housed in a box with a 36 page booklet, liner notes by Brian Wilson, a 15" x 20" poster and a button!
While the 5cd+2lp+2x7" box comes housed in a 3D version of Frank Holmes illustrated storefront cover. 4 and a half discs of bonus material including a disc each of the "Heroes and Villains" and "Good Vibrations sessions alone. The 2lps have the album proper as well as a side of extra bonus material and two 7"s with the 2 parts of "Heroes and Villains" on one and "Vege-Tables" / "Surf's Up" on the other. Plus a 60 page case bound book, liner notes by Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston and a 24" x 36" poster. Wow!!!
MPEG Stream: "Cabin Essence"
MPEG Stream: "Surf's Up"
MPEG Stream: "Child Is The Father of The Man"
MPEG Stream: "The Elements: Fire (Mrs O'Leary's Cow)"
MPEG Stream: "Look (Song For Children)"
MPEG Stream: "Smile Backing Vocals Montage"
MPEG Stream: "Cool Cool Water (Version 2)"

BEACH BOYS, THE Smile Sessions (Capitol) 5cd+2lp+2x7" 169.00
The newly released, highly anticipated Smile Sessions are finally here and it's been an occasion for all sorts of debate and nerd-ery among us. First off, some of us have been obsessed with the record for years, having acquired various bootlegs, the recent Brian Wilson re-do, as well as tracing the seeds of the Smile sessions throughout the trajectory of the later Beach Boys records (which are some of our favorites). While our bootleg versions always had the main song cycle separated from the various shorter interludes and segues that connected them, the Brian Wilson re-do saw the potential of what could have been, yet it still felt like a cover version of what was supposed to be the real thing.
Now what the Smile Sessions tries to do, and for the most part succeeds in doing, is taking the blueprint Wilson made with the re-do and marrying the songs and interludes into a solid dazzling whole. The flow of what is understood as the proper album has never sounded better with the rich harmonic vocals, symphonic arrangements and beautifully antiquarian lyricism provided by Van Dyke Parks combined in elaborately layered arrays of epiphanal pop orchestration. It also adds a disc and a half of bonus material, session segments, and stereo mixes of various tracks and interludes left off the main album, which is where the debate among us begins. Scott appreciates the bonus material but really wishes (and this goes for most reissues with bonus material) that they isolated the whole of the album to one disc, so that you really get a sense of the proper album's completion. Starting multiple alternate versions of "Heroes and Villains" (whose lyrical motif is repeated in various forms throughout the record) shortly after "Good Vibrations" ends, mimics the sensation we imagine Brian Wilson probably felt in realizing he couldn't finish the project because it kept endlessly replaying in his head. Andee thinks that the bonus material is the real gold here and just wants to get the elaborate 5 cd/2lp/2x7" version just to geek out on endless takes of "Good Vibrations" and all the rehearsals and studio chatter (and he also thinks that Scott should just learn how to use the stop button on his cd player.). Allan doesn't understand the "lost record" appeal of it all. "What was wrong with Smiley Smile?" Oh, Allan.
We're sure plenty of folks will be having their own geeky debates. For instance, why isn't "Cool, Cool Water" included in the main song cycle like it was in the bootlegs, and in Brian Wilson's version (renamed and rewritten as "Blue Hawaii")? Instead it's relegated to the bonus material. But really that's all music geek piffle to be argued and discussed in some other forum. For the most part, the main album is put together quite faithfully to Wilson's vision and it sounds amazing!. We're used to the sometimes slightly abrupt transitions that have long become a part of the record's charm and the result is still quite incredible and kaleidoscopic. No matter our particular desires of how we would try to put this together, it's still quite a remarkable feat. We still wonder if Wilson finished and released this as it was meant to be in 1967, would we still care so much about it? That's for another debate. Still for those obsessed as we are or even for the newly curious this comes Highly Recommended!!!!!
The two cd version comes housed in a box with a 36 page booklet, liner notes by Brian Wilson, a 15" x 20" poster and a button!
While the 5cd+2lp+2x7" box comes housed in a 3D version of Frank Holmes illustrated storefront cover. 4 and a half discs of bonus material including a disc each of the "Heroes and Villains" and "Good Vibrations sessions alone. The 2lps have the album proper as well as a side of extra bonus material and two 7"s with the 2 parts of "Heroes and Villains" on one and "Vege-Tables" / "Surf's Up" on the other. Plus a 60 page case bound book, liner notes by Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston and a 24" x 36" poster. Wow!!!
MPEG Stream: "Cabin Essence"
MPEG Stream: "Surf's Up"
MPEG Stream: "Child Is The Father of The Man"
MPEG Stream: "The Elements: Fire (Mrs O'Leary's Cow)"
MPEG Stream: "Look (Song For Children)"
MPEG Stream: "Smile Backing Vocals Montage"
MPEG Stream: "Cool Cool Water (Version 2)"

BEACH BOYS, THE Smile Sessions (2lp Version) (Capitol) 2lp 29.00
Finally, In Stock On Double Vinyl!
The newly released, highly anticipated Smile Sessions are finally here and it's been an occasion for all sorts of debate and nerd-ery among us. First off, some of us have been obsessed with the record for years, having acquired various bootlegs, the recent Brian Wilson re-do, as well as tracing the seeds of the Smile sessions throughout the trajectory of the later Beach Boys records (which are some of our favorites). While our bootleg versions always had the main song cycle separated from the various shorter interludes and segues that connected them, the Brian Wilson re-do saw the potential of what could have been, yet it still felt like a cover version of what was supposed to be the real thing.
Now what the Smile Sessions tries to do, and for the most part succeeds in doing, is taking the blueprint Wilson made with the re-do and marrying the songs and interludes into a solid dazzling whole. On the vinyl version, the flow of what is understood as the proper album has never sounded better with the rich harmonic vocals, symphonic arrangements and beautifully antiquarian lyricism provided by Van Dyke Parks combined in elaborately layered arrays of epiphanal pop orchestration over the first three sides. The last side is a handful of selected stereo mixes and session excerpts, a really small taste of bonus material compared to the whole extra cd of the 2cd version and the 4 extra cds of the deluxe box set.
For the most part, the main album is put together quite faithfully to Wilson's vision and it sounds amazing!. We're used to the sometimes slightly abrupt transitions that have long become a part of the record's charm and the result is still quite incredible and kaleidoscopic. No matter our particular desires of how we would try to put this together (For instance, why isn't "Cool, Cool Water" included in the main song cycle like it was in the bootlegs, and in Brian Wilson's version, there renamed and rewritten as "Blue Hawaii"? Instead it's relegated to the bonus material on the cd versions!) , it's still quite a remarkable feat. We still wonder if Wilson finished and released this as it was meant to be in 1967, would we still care so much about it? Allan doesn't understand the "lost record" appeal of it all. "What was wrong with Smiley Smile?" Oh, Allan.
We're sure plenty of folks will be having their own geeky debates. Still for those obsessed as we are or even for the newly curious, this comes Highly Recommended!!!!!
MPEG Stream: "Cabin Essence"
MPEG Stream: "Surf's Up"
MPEG Stream: "Child Is The Father of The Man"
MPEG Stream: "The Elements: Fire (Mrs O'Leary's Cow)"
MPEG Stream: "Look (Song For Children)"

BEACH BOYS, THE The Pet Sounds Sessions (Capitol) 4cd box 57.00
The best record ever? The Beach Boys' best record? Can't stand "The Sloop John B."? This is the way to make up your mind. Any more versions of "Pet Sounds" and you'd die.

BEACH BOYS, THE The Pet Sounds Sessions (Capitol) 4cd box 57.00
The best record ever? The Beach Boys' best record? Can't stand "The Sloop John B."? This is the way to make up your mind. Any more versions of "Pet Sounds" and you'd die.

BEACH FOSSILS Clash The Truth (Captured Tracks) cd 14.98
If the true measure of a record, is the impression/perception of the 'first listen', this new record from jangle poppers Beach Fossils might be the most popular record in the store right now. Cuz every time we play it in the store, and we do mean EVERY time, someone buys a copy. Whether they knew the band or not! BF's infectious hook heavy wistful jangle is in full effect on Clash The Truth, but unlike past records, the sound here is definitely a bit darker, which most certainly suits them. Quickly scanning back over our reviews of past BF records, it's all "breezy", "sunny", "lazy, dazed & glazed", and all of those definitely still apply, but one comparison seems even more apt, which is where we compare their sound to Pavement covering The Smiths. Here, the songs are wistful and melancholy, all cloudy skied and fading afternoon light, when the songs rock, they almost sound new wavey, or even post rocky, like the soaring majesty of "Carless", keening soaring swirls of melody and frenetic drumming, all driven by Joy Division like basslines, and when they don't rock, they're wistful gems like "Sleep Apnea", all shuffling drums, chiming acoustic guitars, little flurries of effects heavy melody, and reverbed sad boy vox.
Some songs unfurl dreamily, in the shadow of mournful strings, others are propulsive and a little bit garage-y, and others are straight up retro pop jangle, and still others are crunchy and fuzzy and almost shoegazey, a few even have a distinctly Interpol vibe (check out "Caustic Cross"), and a bunch definitely remind us of Unrest and that old Teenbeat sound, which is most definitely a very good thing. But without fail, all of the tracks here are lush and lovely, lilting and hook heavy, catchy and dreamy, and again pretty goddamn irresistible.
MPEG Stream: "Clash The Truth"
MPEG Stream: "Generational Synthetic"
MPEG Stream: "Sleep Apnea"
MPEG Stream: "Careless"
MPEG Stream: "Caustic Cross"

BEACH FOSSILS Clash The Truth (Captured Tracks) lp 17.98
If the true measure of a record, is the impression/perception of the 'first listen', this new record from jangle poppers Beach Fossils might be the most popular record in the store right now. Cuz every time we play it in the store, and we do mean EVERY time, someone buys a copy. Whether they knew the band or not! BF's infectious hooky heavy wistful jangle is in full effect on Clash The Truth, but unlike past records, the sound here is definitely a bit darker, which most certainly suits them. Quickly scanning back over our reviews of past BF records, it's all "breezy", "sunny", "lazy, dazed & glazed", and all of those definitely still apply, but one comparison seems even more apt, which is where we compare their sound to Pavement covering The Smiths. Here, the songs are wistful and melancholy, all cloudy skied and fading afternoon light, when the songs rock, they almost sound new wavey, or even post rocky, like the soaring majesty of "Carless", keening soaring swirls of melody and frenetic drumming, all driven by Joy Division like basslines, and when they don't rock, they're wistful gems like "Sleep Apnea", all shuffling drums, chiming acoustic guitars, little flurries of effects heavy melody, and reverbed sad boy vox.
Some songs unfurl dreamily, in the shadow of mournful strings, others are propulsive and a little bit garage-y, and others are straight up retro pop jangle, and still others are crunchy and fuzzy and almost shoegazey, a few even have a distinctly Interpol vibe (check out "Caustic Cross"), and a bunch definitely remind us of Unrest and that old Teenbeat sound, which is most definitely a very good thing. But without fail, all of the tracks here are lush and lovely, lilting and hook heavy, catchy and dreamy, and again pretty goddamn irresistible.
MPEG Stream: "Clash The Truth"
MPEG Stream: "Generational Synthetic"
MPEG Stream: "Sleep Apnea"
MPEG Stream: "Careless"
MPEG Stream: "Caustic Cross"

BEACH FOSSILS Face It / Distance (Captured Tracks) 7" 6.98
A new short and sweet batch of dreamy breezy jangle pop from Beach Fossils, and like their self-titled debut, the sound here is warm and lush, sweet and swirly, laid back and jangly, the guitars liquid and prismatic, the vocals lazy and drawled, all wrapped around propulsive super melodic basslines and simple skeletal drum machines, and while the sound is somewhat familiar, seeing as Beach Fossils are swimming in a pretty crowded sonic pool these days, Beach Fossils manage to easily transcend, their sound somehow special and truly unique, the songs so catchy, so ethereal and magically melodic, boy / girl vocal harmonies drifting over softly surfy Beach Boys reverby guitars and tangled tendrils of melody, the production impossibly lush, the A side so perfectly poppy, but then the B side swooping in to maybe be our favorite of the two. So good, fans of all things reverby and jangly, blissy and poppy, will dig big time.
MPEG Stream: "Face It"

BEACH FOSSILS s/t (Captured Tracks) cd 13.98
Sometimes the stars just align so perfectly. The first time we got to hear Beach Fossils it was a breezy and sunny afternoon. The front door was wide open, the wind gently blowing through the trees outside, and the songs we were hearing couldn't have provided a more perfect soundtrack. Beach Fossils is a one man band, and there definitely seem to be legions of those these days. But damn, if folks can keep creating songs as good as these alone in their bedrooms, then we say who needs a full band! Beach Fossils stands out from so much of the recent lo-fi indie garage pop, being not so much about feedback and distortion and low fidelity. Instead, it's the amazing songs on the record that grab your attention. Lazy day, dazed & glazed pop gems that remind us of a wonderful sound situated perfectly betwixt Kurt Vile and Pavement.
There is something so authentic and fresh sounding in Beach Fossils' music. It compels us to let go and immediately give in to the soft breezes that seem to accompany the soaring washed out melodies on display here. Major contender for pop record of the year perhaps, and without a doubt another PERFECT summer album!
MPEG Stream: "Sometimes"
MPEG Stream: "Youth"
MPEG Stream: "Lazy Day"

BEACH FOSSILS s/t (Captured Tracks) lp 16.98
Sometimes the stars just align so perfectly. The first time we got to hear Beach Fossils it was a breezy and sunny afternoon. The front door was wide open, the wind gently blowing through the trees outside, and the songs we were hearing couldn't have provided a more perfect soundtrack. Beach Fossils is a one man band, and there definitely seem to be legions of those these days. But damn, if folks can keep creating songs as good as these alone in their bedrooms, then we say who needs a full band! Beach Fossils stands out from so much of the recent lo-fi indie garage pop, being not so much about feedback and distortion and low fidelity. Instead, it's the amazing songs on the record that grab your attention. Lazy day, dazed & glazed pop gems that remind us of a wonderful sound situated perfectly betwixt Kurt Vile and Pavement.
There is something so authentic and fresh sounding in Beach Fossils' music. It compels us to let go and immediately give in to the soft breezes that seem to accompany the soaring washed out melodies on display here. Major contender for pop record of the year perhaps, and without a doubt another PERFECT summer album!
MPEG Stream: "Sometimes"
MPEG Stream: "Youth"
MPEG Stream: "Lazy Day"

BEACH FOSSILS What A Pleasure (Captured Tracks) cd 10.98
Beach Fossils are proving their great debut was no fluke. This eight song follow up actually ups the ante on their songwriting and introduces a more breezy, warm and '80s influenced sound. With spring officially here (even though it doesn't feel like it), we know that summer is just around the corner and we can't think of a record we're going to be more excited to be blasting all season long. These are the kind of songs for those drives to the beach with the windows down and the breeze and the sunshine. Reminding us a bit of some of our favorite mid '80s underground pop bands like Eleven Pond, and For Against with hints of the more languid moments of '90s indie rock, tapping into the same sort of sonic energy as the Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. We even start imagining Pavement doing covers of The Smiths. What A Pleasure is indeed such a pleasure to listen to, in the way that it's so instantly familiar sounding yet with a freshness and depth that make it so new and exciting, demonstrating once again that they really are one of the best pop bands around right now.
MPEG Stream: "What A Pleasure"
MPEG Stream: "Adversity"
MPEG Stream: "Distance"

BEACH FOSSILS What A Pleasure (Captured Tracks) lp 13.98
Beach Fossils are proving their great debut was no fluke. This eight song follow up actually ups the ante on their songwriting and introduces a more breezy, warm and '80s influenced sound. With spring officially here (even though it doesn't feel like it), we know that summer is just around the corner and we can't think of a record we're going to be more excited to be blasting all season long. These are the kind of songs for those drives to the beach with the windows down and the breeze and the sunshine. Reminding us a bit of some of our favorite mid '80s underground pop bands like Eleven Pond, and For Against with hints of the more languid moments of '90s indie rock, tapping into the same sort of sonic energy as the Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. We even start imagining Pavement doing covers of The Smiths. What A Pleasure is indeed such a pleasure to listen to, in the way that it's so instantly familiar sounding yet with a freshness and depth that make it so new and exciting, demonstrating once again that they really are one of the best pop bands around right now.
MPEG Stream: "What A Pleasure"
MPEG Stream: "Adversity"
MPEG Stream: "Distance"

BEACH HOUSE Bloom (Sub Pop) cd 14.98
What more can we say at this point about these Baltimore blisspoppers that we haven't already? We've barely been able to keep this in stock since we first got it in, another gorgeous slab of hazy, shoegazey, washed out slowcore dream pop loveliness. Bittersweet melodies, lush layered textures, simple programmed beats, lots of buzz and drone and shimmer, all somehow woven into heady, softly psychedelic epics that smolder and drift dreamily, taking the same sort of retro dreaminess of M83, but casting it as something a bit more melancholy and downcast, the perfect soundtrack for rainy days, broken hearts, late night wanders through empty streets, missing you mix tapes, vocals drenched in echo and drifting astride soaring shimmering melodies, all underpinned by warm sonic swells, and everything wrapped up in lush swatch prismatic jangle and slow build sonic mesmer. In some ways, Beach House are like the overcast, cloudy and grey version of Best Coast's sunshiney pop bliss, some of the same sonic elements but again, in Beach House's world the light is more than balanced by the shadow, and for every moment of hopeful major key shimmer, there's a long stretch of wistful sonic heartbreak right around the corner.
And stick around for the hidden track tucked away at the end of the record, a dreamily dour reverb drenched downer pop gem laced with some gorgeous slippery slide guitars.
And peep the super swank cover art, a field of raised Braille-like GLOW IN THE DARK dots!
MPEG Stream: "Myth"
MPEG Stream: "Wild"
MPEG Stream: "Wishes"

BEACH HOUSE Bloom (Sub Pop) 2lp 21.00
What more can we say at this point about these Baltimore blisspoppers that we haven't already? We've barely been able to keep this in stock since we first got it in, another gorgeous slab of hazy, shoegazey, washed out slowcore dream pop loveliness. Bittersweet melodies, lush layered textures, simple programmed beats, lots of buzz and drone and shimmer, all somehow woven into heady, softly psychedelic epics that smolder and drift dreamily, taking the same sort of retro dreaminess of M83, but casting it as something a bit more melancholy and downcast, the perfect soundtrack for rainy days, broken hearts, late night wanders through empty streets, missing you mix tapes, vocals drenched in echo and drifting astride soaring shimmering melodies, all underpinned by warm sonic swells, and everything wrapped up in lush swatch prismatic jangle and slow build sonic mesmer. In some ways, Beach House are like the overcast, cloudy and grey version of Best Coast's sunshiney pop bliss, some of the same sonic elements but again, in Beach House's world the light is more than balanced by the shadow, and for every moment of hopeful major key shimmer, there's a long stretch of wistful sonic heartbreak right around the corner.
And stick around for the hidden track tucked away at the end of the record, a dreamily dour reverb drenched downer pop gem laced with some gorgeous slippery slide guitars.
And peep the super swank cover art, a field of raised Braille-like GLOW IN THE DARK dots!
MPEG Stream: "Myth"
MPEG Stream: "Wild"
MPEG Stream: "Wishes"

BEACH HOUSE Devotion (Carpark) cd 14.98
Beach House's debut from a couple years ago won a special place in our hearts, so ever since we've been very anxious for this follow-up. We can't think of anyone these days who is doing warm and fuzzy melancholic pop better than Beach House.
Devotion flows perfectly from start to finish. It's the kind of record you want to play on repeat all day as you lay in bed with the one you love or lament the one you lost. These songs capture that gray soft line between longing and remembrance with a somber elegance that recalls Francoise Hardy's La Question and taps into the more subdued moments of Quixotic and White Magic. While many folks have taken a stab at Daniel Johnston songs in recent years, Beach House's version of "Some Things Last (A Long Time)" captures its devastating yet bittersweet heart. With hints of reverb, intoxicating vocal melodies and astute subtlety, Beach House has made an album that wraps you in a warm soft glow, as you bask in a golden breeze, totally hitting the spot and making every day feels like Sunday. So nice!
MPEG Stream: "Turtle Island"
MPEG Stream: "Home Again"

BEACH HOUSE Devotion (Carpark) lp 16.98
Finally! This sonic beauty is available on vinyl!
Beach House's debut from a couple years ago won a special place in our hearts, so ever since we've been very anxious for this follow-up. We can't think of anyone these days who is doing warm and fuzzy melancholic pop better than Beach House.
Devotion flows perfectly from start to finish. It's the kind of record you want to play on repeat all day as you lay in bed with the one you love or lament the one you lost. These songs capture that gray soft line between longing and remembrance with a somber elegance that recalls Francoise Hardy's La Question and taps into the more subdued moments of Quixotic and White Magic. While many folks have taken a stab at Daniel Johnston songs in recent years, Beach House's version of "Some Things Last (A Long Time)" captures its devastating yet bittersweet heart. With hints of reverb, intoxicating vocal melodies and astute subtlety, Beach House has made an album that wraps you in a warm soft glow, as you bask in a golden breeze, totally hitting the spot and making every day feels like Sunday. So nice!
MPEG Stream: "Turtle Island"
MPEG Stream: "Home Again"

BEACH HOUSE s/t (Carpark) cd 14.98
Wow! We haven't been this smitten with a debut release in quite a while. Didn't know much about this Baltimore duo but we do know, the second this record we laid ears on this the first time, we were immediately seduced by the glorious sounds within. Hazy, daydreaming pop with equal parts magic, mystery and dreamy darkness, all drenched in beautiful melodies and sincere sensuality. Kind of made us think of Broadcast taking a warm bubble bath with Coco Rosie. Lights out, candles burning, bubbles floating, reverb dripping. There is a timelessness in these songs that is so evocative, Warhol's factory, a summer twilight in Southern California in the '70s, an abandoned art studio in the UK. You can never quite put your finger on exactly where these songs are drawn from but in the end it's music truly unique and wonderful. A mysterious voice, a haunting presence and songs carry you off, eyes closed, to somewhere much more enchanting then wherever you really are. So nice!
MPEG Stream: "Tokyo Witch"
MPEG Stream: "Childhood"

BEACH HOUSE s/t (HeartBreakBeat) lp 21.00
ONCE MORE, NOW BACK IN PRINT ON VINYL! This fab debut from the now hugely popular Beach House has gone out of print on vinyl a couple times since it first came out a few years back. Now, at last, they've done a third (?) pressing. Here's what we said before:
Now available on vinyl for a limited time!
Wow! We haven't been this smitten with a debut release in quite a while. Didn't know much about this Baltimore duo but we do know, the second this record we laid ears on this the first time, we were immediately seduced by the glorious sounds within. Hazy, daydreaming pop with equal parts magic, mystery and dreamy darkness, all drenched in beautiful melodies and sincere sensuality. Kind of made us think of Broadcast taking a warm bubble bath with Coco Rosie. Lights out, candles burning, bubbles floating, reverb dripping. There is a timelessness in these songs that is so evocative, Warhol's factory, a summer twilight in Southern California in the '70s, an abandoned art studio in the UK. You can never quite put your finger on exactly where these songs are drawn from but in the end it's music truly unique and wonderful. A mysterious voice, a haunting presence and songs carry you off, eyes closed, to somewhere much more enchanting then wherever you really are. So nice!
MPEG Stream: "Tokyo Witch"
MPEG Stream: "Childhood"

BEACH HOUSE Teen Dream (Sub Pop) 2lp+dvd 19.98
Swoon....sigh....melt! That's all we want to do when we listen to the newest album by this Baltimore duo who we've been in love with since their debut ep from way back when. The follow up to their great full length Devotion, this is a record we and so many others have been highly anticipating and it's so nice to start the new year with an album that is already ruling our stereos and will no doubt end up on many of our year end favorite lists.
Teen Dream is quite simply, exquisite and elegant. The golden warmth and soft waves of comfort and longing BH are able to express through their songs makes them truly one of the most special bands around. There is a timelessness and sense of authenticity that rings so true within their songs. This is the music you put on when you've had your heart broken or you just discovered new love or when you are laying in bed with that special someone and its time to just bliss out, lost in a daze without saying a word. Teen Dream is the soundtrack for thinking of a close friend who is in a far away place, it's a sonic refuge, when you need somewhere safe to drift and daydream all of your troubles away.
We have a feeling that this record is about to get an avalanche of press and attention but it couldn't be more deserved. This is hands down one of the most majestic and moving records to come out in a very long time. Nothing feels forced, no songs are throwaways, start to finish Teen Dream sounds practically perfect, a classic that will no dubt remain a classic regardless of shifting sounds and tastes.
As an added bonus Teen Dream also comes with a dvd, containing a video for every single song on the album created by different directors. We haven't even gotten around to watching it yet cuz for now all we want to do is listen to the album over and over again, letting ourselves get lost in the glistening images it evokes in our own subconscious. Breathtaking!
MPEG Stream: "Norway"
MPEG Stream: "Used to Be"
MPEG Stream: "Better Times"

BEACH HOUSE Teen Dream (Sub Pop) cd+dvd 16.98
Swoon....sigh....melt! That's all we want to do when we listen to the newest album by this Baltimore duo who we've been in love with since their debut ep from way back when. The follow up to their great full length Devotion, this is a record we and so many others have been highly anticipating and it's so nice to start the new year with an album that is already ruling our stereos and will no doubt end up on many of our year end favorite lists.
Teen Dream is quite simply, exquisite and elegant. The golden warmth and soft waves of comfort and longing BH are able to express through their songs makes them truly one of the most special bands around. There is a timelessness and sense of authenticity that rings so true within their songs. This is the music you put on when you've had your heart broken or you just discovered new love or when you are laying in bed with that special someone and its time to just bliss out, lost in a daze without saying a word. Teen Dream is the soundtrack for thinking of a close friend who is in a far away place, it's a sonic refuge, when you need somewhere safe to drift and daydream all of your troubles away.
We have a feeling that this record is about to get an avalanche of press and attention but it couldn't be more deserved. This is hands down one of the most majestic and moving records to come out in a very long time. Nothing feels forced, no songs are throwaways, start to finish Teen Dream sounds practically perfect, a classic that will no doubt remain a classic regardless of shifting sounds and tastes.
As an added bonus Teen Dream also comes with a dvd, containing a video for every single song on the album created by different directors. We haven't even gotten around to watching it yet cuz for now all we want to do is listen to the album over and over again, letting ourselves get lost in the glistening images it evokes in our own subconscious. Breathtaking!
MPEG Stream: "Norway"
MPEG Stream: "Used to Be"
MPEG Stream: "Better Times"

BEACH HOUSE Zebra (Sub Pop) 12" 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

BEACH, MICHAEL A Horse 7" 5.98
A while back we reviewed a super limited tape from this local axeman, who at the time had a backup band made up of members of local psych rock heavies Comets On Fire, and whose sound, on that tape at least, fell somewhere between the brooding post punk of the Wipers, and the rough, ragged twang flecked crunch of early Uncle Tupelo, most definitely a sweet combo. We've been sitting on a couple copies of this 7" for ages now, and only just recently got enough to list, and like the tape before it, these two tracks offer up more of Beach's distinctive twang flecked songsmithery. The A side is a stripped down bit of folky psychedelia, dark and moody and countrified, again reminding us of Uncle Tupelo, not hard to imagine the song blossoming into some sort of guitar heavy crunch, but instead, it's a gorgeously cyclical and dreamily mesmerizing.
The flipside is a bit more droned out, with a softly churning electric guitar, backed up by minimal skeletal drumming, a series of slow brooding swells, Beach's vocals a bit more rough and ragged, the song mostly two parts, slipping back and forth, giving the track a definite hypnotic vibe, during the second half of the song the tempo gets cranked, the sound growing more and more frantic, ratcheting up the tension, with no release, a slow build all the way to the end. Cool!