BLACK ELK MEDICINE BAND Santa Ana / As The Sun Rose On December 29, 1890 (Valley King) 7" 9.98
The latest from local label Valley King, is the first release from Black Elk Medicine Band, the solo project of Isaiah Mitchell of recent aQ Record Of The Weekers Golden Void, as well as psych rock shredders Earthless, and in BEMB, at least on this single, Mitchell is joined by Phil Manley (Trans Am, Life Coach, The Fucking Champs, etc.) and John McBain of the mighty Monster Magnet (and Carlton Melton!). You'd never know it on the B side, which just happens to be the one we listened to first - a dark, brooding, seventies sounding psychedelic drift, swirling soft tangles of slow burn guitar shred smolder, draped over a thick, ominous sprawl of sinister synth buzz, sounding like Mitchell's homage to Funkadelic's "Maggot Brain", the same sort of dark psych brood, tense and emotional and moody.
But flip the record over, and Mitchell and crew let loose with a heady barrage of spaced out psych that wouldn't sound out of place on a Golden Void or Earthless record. A simple skeletal programed rhythm pulses away beneath clouds of heavily flanged riffage, and yep, some seriously soaring heart of the sun shredding, sounding almost like a snippet of a much longer jam, fading in, the action already underway, the band locked into some seriously tripped out psychedelic mesmer, Mitchell laying down another blast of tangled super emotive guitar god leads, over a tranced out motorik background, eventually fading out, as if the actual jam, the one we just got a single side glimpse of, continued well on into the forever.
LIMITED TO 500 NUMBERED COPIES!! In a swank sleeve featuring all new artwork from artist Alan Forbes, each one signed!
MPEG Stream: "As The Sun Rose On December 29, 1890"
MPEG Stream: "Santa Ana"

BLACK FICTION Ghost Ride (Howell's Transmitter) cd 11.98
Joining our beloved Mission District neighbors Ray's Vast Basement and The Modular Set on SF label (and arts collective!) Howell's Transmitter are two fine new groups, Black Fiction and Michael Zapruder's Rain Of Frogs.
Ghost Ride is Black Fiction's second full length (their self-titled debut came out last year). These curious popsters do their fair share of exploring and incorporating bits and bites of countless musical styles. When the dust settles and all the pieces settle, the outcome follows a similar patchwork-y path as Beck, Animal Collective and/or Elephant Six Collective (Olivia Tremor Control, Apples In Stereo, et al). Indeed, they might insert a tabla rhythm and a slice of soul here or a shufflin' hip hop beat there, but their sweet melodies and twee boy vocals reveal an indie pop core. Overall the album takes a laidback loping pace, however while that may be the case most of the time, occasionally it's as if a bright sunbeam comes along and stirs them into a minor frenzy of frolicking. Check out the ninth tune "Something Else" for an example of such an outburst. A delight.
MPEG Stream: "Something Else"
MPEG Stream: "You Must Not Bury Someone"

BLACK FLAG Damaged (SST) cd 0.00

BLACK FLAG Everything Went Black (SST) cd 16.98

BLACK FLAG Live (Visionary) dvd 23.00
DVD version of "the only available" Black Flag video, captured live in 1984 on their UK tour, in Bradford, England. It's well shot (w/ multiple cameras), with much of the attention, unsurprisingly, on frontman Henry Rollins. The sound is ok, but the vocals are much louder than the band and it certainly doesn't capture what they must actually have sounded like that night. So -- sonically tame, visually rad. And the music (Can't Decide, Slip It In, My War, Rat's Eyes, etc.) is great of course. Along with the 55 minute show, the DVD includes some extra features, none worth writing home about, like a Black Flag discography and a complete list of all Cherry Red cds available. Wow, what a perk. Still, something for fans to add to their collections.

BLACK FLAG Live '84 (SST) cd 15.98
Finally on cd after years in cassette-only purgatory, a totally rad Flag show from Frisco's The Stone back in the day. Loads of great Greg Ginn guitar strangulation and earnest hollerin' by Henry.

BLACK FLAG My War (SST) cd 14.98

BLACK FOREST / BLACK SEA Forcefields and Constellations (Bluesanct) cd 14.98
From the dark of the forest and the depths of the sea -- or more accurately from Rhode Island, although a lot of this was recorded on tour all across the US, live at various radio stations and other venues -- comes more minor-key melodies and drifting drones from this fine folk-psych outfit. Following up their sought-after (now out of print!) debut, Black Forest/Black Sea's second album sees them tinkering (but not much) with the same successful formula as their first. There's more tracks, and maybe more abstraction, but it's just as nice. Black Forest/Black Sea are nominally a duo but you'll hear from more than just two musicians here...proving themselves part of an underground free-folk family that stretches from SF to Philly to Finland, this disc features guests from Thuja and Charalambides, as well as samples taken from records by Fursaxa and Kemialliset Ystavat. Quite nice -- though we'd like to tell Bluesanct that next time they really should spring for more than a single thin square of paper for a cd insert, at least give us a four-page fold-over if not a full booklet...
MPEG Stream: "Nylon2"
MPEG Stream: "These Things"

BLACK FOREST / BLACK SEA Radiant Symmetry (Last Visible Dog) cd 9.98
Black Forest / Black Sea are one of those folky, psychedelic, improvisational bands who are probably *always* playing, in their home, with their friends, always just making music. If you looked in right now, you'd probably find their cello sawing away, with their guitar singing an improvised lullaby in a foreign tongue, omnichord and electronic junk sometimes flickering on in the background, as the band (there's two of 'em, plus likeminded souls drawn into their orbit) whiles away a summer night on the front porch or in the basement. Somesuch scenario seems likely anyway. And once in a while, recordings of bits and pieces of their musical life wind up on cd. Radiant Symmetry is their third, documenting some improv sessions and shows that have happened with the BF/BS duo not at home but on tour, traipsing the globe from the British Isles to Spain to Finland. Thereby insuring that friends like Daniel Padden and Alex Neilson and Markus Maki and Jan Anderzen, among others, make an appearance on this disc.
MPEG Stream: "track 2"
MPEG Stream: "track 5"

BLACK FOREST / BLACK SEA s/t (Last Visible Dog) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It seems the Last Visible Dog label can do no wrong of late, now bringing us this wonderful album of mellow, melancholy music full of folkish, creaky ambience from Black Forest/Black Sea. It's tailor-made for the Terrastock Nation, if you know what we mean. If you read Broken Face 'zine, or scarf up Jewelled Antler cdrs, or dig what the Wire calls "The New Weird America", or liked their track on the "Invisible Pyramid" compilation, well then this disc of psych-folk action ought to suit you like that shaggy beard suits Kawabata Makoto.
Black Forest/Black Sea are the Providence, RI duo of Jeffery Alexander and Miriam Goldberg (is one the forest and one the sea? dunno). Jeffery plays guitar and Miriam plays cello, primarily, but there's more than just guitar and cello in the mix. We know a couple of their friends help out at times with some shortwave, sax, and general knob-twiddling. But these songs mostly start with melodic guitar picking, oftimes unaccompanied, that may then be joined by doleful cello drone, wavering electronic organ, or perhaps some slow, steady percussion rhythm -- even, on one track, primitive electronic beats from a Casio or something -- always stirring echoes of old world folk and underground '70s kraut jamming. Much of this is instrumental, with what vocals there are -- it must be Miriam singing -- being quite haunting, sometimes simply lurking in the background, wordlessly, melding with the glitchy reel-to-reel tape noises and other non-instrumental, extra-musical textural effects this band employs that add depth and mystery to their simple but effective songs. From spacious droning, possibly improvised passages to downright tuneful 'folky' hooks, this works and works well. We can't see how any of AQ's psych/folk fan customers would want to pass this up. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Blackbird On Gray Sky"
MPEG Stream: "Banjo Song"

BLACK FOREST / BLACK SEA s/t (Music Fellowship) cd 15.98
Moody n' beautiful fourth album of improv-folk-drone from this Providence duo (plus some friendly guests, as usual, including Italy's Stefano Pilia). The two long tracks here incorporate mellow, meandering folkish melody and haunting old-tymey female vocal holler amid gentle psychedelic guitar drift and sometimes-harsher electronic feedback textures. If there's a leafy glade in a mystical, musical forest where you can find the Jewelled Antler posse jamming, and another clearing occupied by a picnicking Kemialliset Ystavat, then for sure a winding path through that same forest will eventually lead you to the campsite wherein Black Forest/Black Sea are so calmly, lovingly, free-form-freaking out. Quite nice! By the way, BF/BS's first album, released in 2003 on the Last Visible Dog label and now out of print, was *also* self-titled -- this one's all new.
MPEG Stream: "track 1"
MPEG Stream: "track 2"

BLACK FRANCIS Blue Finger (Cooking Vinyl) cd 16.98
Oh, that unmistakable voice and guitar sound! They haven't truly been heard since the early days of the Pixies, have they? Yessiree folks. the more mild tempered Frank Black has stepped aside for the time being.
Perhaps more than a little bit amped and rejuvenated with the return of his mighty band, Black Francis is back. Conjuring the fiery spirit of The Pixies' heyday, Blue Finger's opening track "Captain Pasty" clears the cobwebs from all eardrums within throwing distance. He's even enlisted a female vocalist to accompany him, Ms Violet Clark. She's sure no Kim Deal, but Clark holds her own next to the formidable gent. From there he runs the gamut of his distinctly vigorous twang tinged rock goodness. It all sounds like someone or something has sparked a fire in his music makin' bones. Even when he slows things down on number such as "Discotheque 36", it's a bit less on the mark and a bit long-winded, but still a stimulating listen. The next tune, his cover of Herman Brood's "You Can't Break A Heart And Have It" kicks it all back into gear. Definitely an album highlight!
A side note: an odd moment comes at the album's halfway point. Towards the end of "Angels Come To Comfort You" a sound materializes that we originally thought was a truck backing up, but then it became apparent that it was supposed to be an ambulance siren. Weird.
MPEG Stream: "Captain Pasty"
MPEG Stream: "You Can't Break A Heart And Have It"

BLACK FRANCIS Sv N F Ng Rs (Cooking Vinyl USA) cd 10.98
We won't lie, the last several years have been pretty trying when keeping up with Frank Black's (aka Black Francis) releases. There have been some serious stinkers for sure, and some that were so middle of the road that it was hard to believe they came from the same man who led one of the quirkiest and most innovative and influential bands of the last twenty years. But we do have to give the man credit, you can tell in his post-Pixies life he's just been doing and recording exactly what he wanted. While the results have sometimes been less then riveting, his integrity has remained intact. And we knew in our Pixies loving hearts that it was just a matter of time before he would drop a record, probably without much publicity or fanfare, that would actually be really damn good -- and here it is!
Maybe it's because it was recorded and mixed in just seven days, but there is an urgency and excitement to this record that we haven't heard from Mr. Francis in such a long time. The songs are short, stripped down and filled with that eccentric and quirky quality that had been missing from his more recent work. The record's opener, "The Seus", has a Pere Ubu like disposition and from there the record has no dull or throwaway moments at all. Seven songs that clock in at about 20 minutes and while it might be his shortest release in a while it's also his best in years!
MPEG Stream: "The Seus"
MPEG Stream: "Seven Fingers"
MPEG Stream: "Garbage Heap"

BLACK FURIES Meanwhile Back In The States (Take Root) cd 7.98
Meanwhile, Back In The States... is the second release from The Black Furies, and it reveals a bit of a shift in direction. Tighter and punchier, their new sound borders on the cock rock party action of The Hives, The Hellacopters or even Turbonegro. Gooood times! So, the news that the band has recently signed to Gearhead Records makes total sense... much more so than if we'd heard the news following their last cd which was more of a straight forward punk rawk rally. They've sharpened their pop hooks, Turtle-waxed their guitars to a super gleam, and put a bit more imagination into their packaging to boot.
MPEG Stream: "Blacklist"
MPEG Stream: "No Money Down"

BLACK FURIES s/t (Take Root) cd 11.98
The Black Furies are a total no-frills band churning out straight-up beefy punk rawk. On this their debut album they come tearing outta the gates, seemingly ready to steamroll anyone and anything in their path. Their songs bring to mind the reckless energy of oldschoolers like the Stooges, D.O.A. and Black Flag or more recent brethren The Hellacopters and Turbonegro. Definitely the product of calloused fingers, bloodied knuckles and blistered vocal cords. Rad!
MPEG Stream: "Offer Resistance"
MPEG Stream: "Let It Rock"

BLACK HEART PROCESSION 2 (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
The somber musical beauty created by Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel (of Three Mile Pilot) Mario Rubalcaba, (of Thingy and Clikitat Ikatowi), and Jason Crane (trumpeteer for Back Off Cupid, Gogogo Airheart) is quite something to behold. Each song of their shadowy first album (yes, it was titled "1") slowly unfolded and enveloped the listener. And this their second album, is just as enchanting - if not more so. Steeped in deep melancholia, feel you heart grow heavy to mood-altering songs such as "Blue Tears" and "My Heart Might Stop". Simply gorgeous. Very recommended.

BLACK HEART PROCESSION 3 (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
Sure, Black Heart Procession's three albums have all sounded more or less the same, but like bands such as Dirty Three, Pole, and Low, Black Heart do one thing but they do it IMPECCABLY. As the title suggests, this is the third album from this "moody" rock band, with former members of Three Mile Pilot as well as folks from Rocket From The Crypt and Blonde Redhead. Doleful piano sits next to mournful male vocals and dark strummed guitar. Fans of Red House Painters, Palace, and Radar Brothers will LOVE this record, don't delay!
RealAudio clip: "Guess I'll Forget You"

BLACK HEART PROCESSION 3 (Touch & Go) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Sure, Black Heart Procession's three albums have all sounded more or less the same, but like bands such as Dirty Three, Pole, and Low, Black Heart do one thing but they do it IMPECCABLY. As the title suggests, this is the third album from this "moody" rock band, with former members of Three Mile Pilot as well as folks from Rocket From The Crypt and Blonde Redhead. Doleful piano sits next to mournful male vocals and dark strummed guitar. Fans of Red House Painters, Palace, and Radar Brothers will LOVE this record, don't delay!

BLACK HEART PROCESSION A Three Song Recording (Up) cd ep 4.50

BLACK HEART PROCESSION Amor Del Tropico (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
Following three remarkably similar albums (note: this is by no means a complaint 'cause each was a gorgeous richly hued work unto itself), Black Heart Procession have made a few shifts in direction and sound, and widened their scope considerably - the the first sign is the title (as opposed to its predecessors simply titled 1, 2 and 3). This album starts off with a slightly cocktail-hourish number that's anchored by a bossanova rhythm. Later songs encorporate old r&b / soul female backing vocal stylings ("A Cry For Love") as well as layered lead vocals with Pall singing in both his familiar mournful cry and a considerably deeper mannish tone a la Michael Gira or Mark Lanegan (at least I think that's Pall, I couldn't find mention of any other vocalists). Check out the somber, gorgeous final track "The One Who Has Disappeared". Much more diverse than past efforts, but still retaining their trademark languorous pace and mellifluous instrumentation.
RealAudio clip: "Tropics Of Love"
RealAudio clip: "A Cry For Love"
RealAudio clip: "The One Who Has Disappeared"

BLACK HEART PROCESSION Amor Del Tropico (Touch & Go) 2lp 17.98
Following three remarkably similar albums (note: this is by no means a complaint 'cause each was a gorgeous richly hued work unto itself), Black Heart Procession have made a few shifts in direction and sound, and widened their scope considerably - the the first sign is the title (as opposed to its predecessors simply titled 1, 2 and 3). This album starts off with a slightly cocktail-hourish number that's anchored by a bossanova rhythm. Later songs encorporate old r&b / soul female backing vocal stylings ("A Cry For Love") as well as layered lead vocals with Pall singing in both his familiar mournful cry and a considerably deeper mannish tone a la Michael Gira or Mark Lanegan (at least I think that's Pall, I couldn't find mention of any other vocalists). Check out the somber, gorgeous final track "The One Who Has Disappeared". Much more diverse than past efforts, but still retaining their trademark languorous pace and mellifluous instrumentation.
RealAudio clip: "Tropics Of Love"
RealAudio clip: "A Cry For Love"
RealAudio clip: "The One Who Has Disappeared"

BLACK HEART PROCESSION Between the Machines / After the Ladder (Suicide Squeeze) 7" 4.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

BLACK HEART PROCESSION Fish The Holes On Frozen Lakes (Galaxia) cd 5.98
Another short ep from the Black Heart Procession, who could easily be the ill-spirited doppleganger of the Elephant 6 troupe. With former members of Three Mile Pilot, this is almost like the Birthday Party covering Neutral Milk Hotel songs. Nice.

BLACK HEART PROCESSION Hearts And Tanks (Shinglestreet) cdep 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Moving onward from their livelier (relatively speaking), bossanova infused last album Amor Del Tropico, AQ fave gloomies Black Heart Procession glide gracefully into even more expansive, haunting and cinematic territory. As serene, lush and gorgeous as ever, its only flaw might be its rather steep import price tag for a four-song ep. Nonetheless, Hearts And Tanks will undoubtably cause much fan swooning. What more can be said? BHP craft some of the finest somber splendor around.
MPEG Stream: "Weakness"

BLACK HEART PROCESSION Love Sings A Sunrise / The Hideaway (Rocket Racer) 7" pic disc 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Those are the two songs on this new 7" from San Diego's low-key kings of melancholy. It's a picture disc, and we'll probably run out of 'em before you even get this list. Sorry.

BLACK HEART PROCESSION Six (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 15.98
Remember when the Black Heart Procession used to be good? Well, it's not hard because that time is NOW! After the universally acknowledged disappointment that was The Spell, TBHP has returned to form beautifully with Six. There's lots of piano and strings and organs and maracas and moodiness and drama and WAY less guitar.
After the slow opening number "When You Finish Me", comprised mainly of the abovementioned piano and strings, there's "Wasteland", a catchy bass-and-vocals driven dirge. And although in their live shows it's obvious frontman Pall Jenkins' voice has not held up as well as one might have hoped, on record it still sounds great, especially in the slower, more spoken / less sung pieces. When the third song, "Witching Stone", opens with a catchy guitar riff and you think to yourself, "Oh no, not more guitar!" fear not, noble listeners, for once the guitar has served its purpose, it soon fades in the mix and is replaced by organs and extra percussion.
On the whole, the tone of the record seems somewhere between Three and Amore del Tropico. Six is occasionally moody and sparse like Three, but usually full and flushed out like Amore. Flashes of Latin rhythms pop up like skeletons of old friends. Also, bass guitar is an essential element to almost every song, whereas TBHP used to rely more on the low end of the piano.
Further on in the record we find "Suicide", probably the noisiest and most varied track on the record, one that definitely should be listened to on headphones. Building up in layers, a maraca here, an organ there, after a minute and a half, it explodes into a (gasp!) booty-shaking chorus filled with screaming synths and guitars that abruptly cuts off, only to be built back up again. Excellent.
Where TBHP really shine, though, is in their slow songs; they master a certain space that few bands can even enter. One of the best songs on the record, "Drugs", is also the shortest: a concise yet mind-expanding piano-and-strings ballad about, you guessed it, drugs.
The album comes on three formats, each slightly different from the others. The double lp comes on three-sided vinyl (the fourth side is etched artwork) and features different (and better) cover art than the cd. For you collectors, there is also a limited edition heart-shaped flash drive necklace that comes in a heart-shaped etched metal box. It contains the full album, a digital copy of the booklet & artwork and also a music video for the song "Witching Stone".
MPEG Stream: "Drugs"
MPEG Stream: "When You Finish Me"
MPEG Stream: "Rats"

BLACK HEART PROCESSION Six (Temporary Residence Ltd.) 2lp 16.98
Remember when the Black Heart Procession used to be good? Well, it's not hard because that time is NOW! After the universally acknowledged disappointment that was The Spell, TBHP has returned to form beautifully with Six. There's lots of piano and strings and organs and maracas and moodiness and drama and WAY less guitar.
After the slow opening number "When You Finish Me", comprised mainly of the abovementioned piano and strings, there's "Wasteland", a catchy bass-and-vocals driven dirge. And although in their live shows it's obvious frontman Pall Jenkins' voice has not held up as well as one might have hoped, on record it still sounds great, especially in the slower, more spoken / less sung pieces. When the third song, "Witching Stone", opens with a catchy guitar riff and you think to yourself, "Oh no, not more guitar!" fear not, noble listeners, for once the guitar has served its purpose, it soon fades in the mix and is replaced by organs and extra percussion.
On the whole, the tone of the record seems somewhere between Three and Amore del Tropico. Six is occasionally moody and sparse like Three, but usually full and flushed out like Amore. Flashes of Latin rhythms pop up like skeletons of old friends. Also, bass guitar is an essential element to almost every song, whereas TBHP used to rely more on the low end of the piano.
Further on in the record we find "Suicide", probably the noisiest and most varied track on the record, one that definitely should be listened to on headphones. Building up in layers, a maraca here, an organ there, after a minute and a half, it explodes into a (gasp!) booty-shaking chorus filled with screaming synths and guitars that abruptly cuts off, only to be built back up again. Excellent.
Where TBHP really shine, though, is in their slow songs; they master a certain space that few bands can even enter. One of the best songs on the record, "Drugs", is also the shortest: a concise yet mind-expanding piano-and-strings ballad about, you guessed it, drugs.
The album comes on three formats, each slightly different from the others. The double lp comes on three-sided vinyl (the fourth side is etched artwork) and features different (and better) cover art than the cd. For you collectors, there is also a limited edition heart-shaped flash drive necklace that comes in a heart-shaped etched metal box. It contains the full album, a digital copy of the booklet & artwork and also a music video for the song "Witching Stone".
MPEG Stream: "Drugs"
MPEG Stream: "When You Finish Me"
MPEG Stream: "Rats"

BLACK HEART PROCESSION Six (Temporary Residence Ltd.) usb stick 16.98
Found a couple of these cool little gizmos stashed behind the counter, they would've made perfect stocking stuffers had we found them sooner, but they'd still make a nice little gift for somebody (even yourself!). This is a limited edition heart-shaped flash drive necklace that comes in a heart-shaped etched metal box. It contains the full album, a digital copy of the booklet & artwork and also a music video for the song "Witching Stone"...
What we had to say about the album when it came out in 2009: The Black Heart Procession has returned with a beautiful new record in the form of Six. There's lots of piano and strings and organs and maracas and moodiness and drama and WAY less guitar.
After the slow opening number "When You Finish Me", comprised mainly of the abovementioned piano and strings, there's "Wasteland", a catchy bass-and-vocals driven dirge. And although in their live shows it's obvious frontman Pall Jenkins' voice has not held up as well as one might have hoped, on record it still sounds great, especially in the slower, more spoken / less sung pieces. When the third song, "Witching Stone", opens with a catchy guitar riff and you think to yourself, "Oh no, not more guitar!" fear not, noble listeners, for once the guitar has served its purpose, it soon fades in the mix and is replaced by organs and extra percussion.
On the whole, the tone of the record seems somewhere between Three and Amore del Tropico. Six is occasionally moody and sparse like Three, but usually full and flushed out like Amore. Flashes of Latin rhythms pop up like skeletons of old friends. Also, bass guitar is an essential element to almost every song, whereas TBHP used to rely more on the low end of the piano.
Further on in the record we find "Suicide", probably the noisiest and most varied track on the record, one that definitely should be listened to on headphones. Building up in layers, a maraca here, an organ there, after a minute and a half, it explodes into a (gasp!) booty-shaking chorus filled with screaming synths and guitars that abruptly cuts off, only to be built back up again. Excellent.
Where TBHP really shine, though, is in their slow songs; they master a certain space that few bands can even enter. One of the best songs on the record, "Drugs", is also the shortest: a concise yet mind-expanding piano-and-strings ballad about, you guessed it, drugs.
MPEG Stream: "Drugs"
MPEG Stream: "When You Finish Me"
MPEG Stream: "Rats"

BLACK HEART PROCESSION The Spell (Touch And Go) cd 14.98
Oddly enough, we were just musing aloud about the whereabouts of these ol' AQ faves, and -Poof!- like magic, The Spell appeared before us.
The last album by this San Diego band saw them taking a few detours from their trademark velvet-tapestried funereal march. The aptly titled Amor Del Tropico toyed with cocktail 'n' bossanova themes to good effect, but on The Spell they've found their way back into the shadowy folds. And we welcome them back with open arms 'cause while we certainly enjoyed Amor, it's been far too long without a full dose of the somber beauty that Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel do best. Once you've been bitten by that intoxicating old BHP (if you haven't already!) you'll know what we mean. Their bleakly despairing yet utterly beautiful second album, released in 1999 and simply titled 2, still succeeds in captivating virtually everyone within earshot. From the opening track "The Spell" offers a more straightforward rock feel with more prominent muscular electric guitars and hence a bit more momentum, but still maintains their trademark sense of utter desolation. Thumbs up on this downer!
MPEG Stream: "Tangled"
MPEG Stream: "The Letter"

BLACK HEART PROCESSION The Spell (Touch and Go) lp 16.98
Oddly enough, we were just musing aloud about the whereabouts of these ol' AQ faves, and -Poof!- like magic, The Spell appeared before us.
The last album by this San Diego band saw them taking a few detours from their trademark velvet-tapestried funereal march. The aptly titled Amor Del Tropico toyed with cocktail 'n' bossanova themes to good effect, but on The Spell they've found their way back into the shadowy folds. And we welcome them back with open arms 'cause while we certainly enjoyed Amor, it's been far too long without a full dose of the somber beauty that Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel do best. Once you've been bitten by that intoxicating old BHP (if you haven't already!) you'll know what we mean. Their bleakly despairing yet utterly beautiful second album, released in 1999 and simply titled 2, still succeeds in captivating virtually everyone within earshot. From the opening track "The Spell" offers a more straightforward rock feel with more prominent muscular electric guitars and hence a bit more momentum, but still maintains their trademark sense of utter desolation. Thumbs up on this downer!
MPEG Stream: "Tangled"
MPEG Stream: "The Letter"

BLACK HEART PROCESSION Tropics Of Love (Touch & Go) dvd 16.98
The visual accompaniment to Black Heart Procession's wonderful Amor Del Tropico album is actually a murder mystery movie cowritten and directed by Pall Jenkins! Laced with elements of film noir, wit and the band's distinct somber eccentricities, Tropics of Love features no spoken dialogue, instead the story is told through the album's 15 songs which define the fifteen chapters. At times, very David Lynchesque! The dvd also includes trailers, deleted scenes, outtakes, and a handful of previously unreleased instrumentals.

BLACK HEART PROCESSION + SOLBAKKEN In The Fishtank 11 (Konkurrent ) cd 11.98
This new installment in the Dutch label Konkurrent's collaboratory series features more gorgeous somberness from the wonderful Black Heart Procession. In fact, if the title didn't betray the presence of the lesser known Solbakken, you'd probably never guess that this wasn't solely a BHP release. The lead-off track is a beauty graced with irresistable breathy French female vocal, and the remaining five are top-notch too. Each is heavily laden with BHP's characteristic cascading piano drops and velvety strings. An excellent follow-up to BHP's glorious Amor Del Tropico album.
MPEG Stream: "Voiture En Rouge"

BLACK HEART PROCESSION, THE Blood Bunny / Black Rabbit (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 12.98

BLACK HEART PROCESSION, THE Blood Bunny / Black Rabbit (Temporary Residence Ltd.) cd 12.98

BLACK HEART PROCESSION, THE Blood Bunny / Black Rabbit (Temporary Residence Ltd.) lp 14.98

BLACK HEART PROCESSION, THE Blood Bunny / Black Rabbit (Temporary Residence Ltd.) lp 14.98

BLACK HOLE Land Of Mystery (Andromeda Relix) cd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We finally got a tiny handful of these back in, actually a new 2010 digipak repressing of this reissue, with for some reason just 2 bonus tracks instead of the 4 found on the 2006 edition we originally had. Still, if you like weird, psychedelic doom, and you missed it before, here you go, it's like the devil worshipping Italian version of Dwarr...
This Italian band's sole album from 1985 is a tough one to figure out. An oddity all right. They're definitely a metal band at heart - the fast-paced, pre-album demo track "Midnight Madman" included as a bonus cut on the original reissue (but not here) is proof of that - but on their album itself, they somehow created a much more unexpectedly PSYCHEDELIC and spacey, synthy sound. Totally dark and gothic in a metal way, yeah, but lost in space at the back of a black hole (of course), a slowed-down, doomed-out, dosed-with-cough-syrup vibe, splicing bits of Voivod with the likes of Jacula... in fact, the lurching music on this crackly disc (mastered directly from a none-too-pristine vinyl copy, the original reels having been lost to time, and sounding to us all the better for it!) could be AQ-faves Jacula given an '80s metal makeover... the church organ strains that open "Demoniac City" surely set that tone. Meanwhile, the title track cops a riff from Sabbath's "Electric Funeral", as if to give the nod to their biggest influence we're pretty sure. But the doomy compositions of vocalist/bassist/organist Robert Measles (great name!!) also derive from phantasms far beyond our plane, we're pretty sure of that as well.
Those in the know about Italian '80s metal acts like Death SS, Paul Chain, Bulldozer and Dark Quarterer are aware that a bizarre, poverty-stricken sort of prog weirdness often infects the proceedings, and Black Hole are no exception. In their case, on this album, it makes for something really strange and special, creating a cultish legacy that led to this cd reissue. We're glad to get to hear it! Now it's time to burn the black candles and visit Black Hole's "Spectral World" ruled by "Blind Men And Occult Forces"...
MPEG Stream: "Land Of Mystery"
MPEG Stream: "Blind Men And Occult Forces"

BLACK HOLE Land Of Mystery (Shadow Kingdom) cd 14.98
This is the THIRD time we've had a reissue of this album to list, and so if you missed it before, pay attention, 'cause there's good reason it keeps getting reissued (& slightly differently each time, too). Black Hole is highly recommended to anyone into weird, psychedelic doom, especially of the '80s cult variety - it's like the devil worshipping Italian horror version of Dwarr...
This Italian band's sole album from 1985 is a tough one to figure out. An oddity all right. They're definitely a metal band at heart - the fast-paced, pre-album demo track "Midnight Madman" included as a bonus cut on the original reissue (but not here) is proof of that - but on their album itself, they somehow created a much more unexpectedly PSYCHEDELIC and spacey, synthy sound. Totally dark and gothic in a metal way, yeah, but lost in space at the back of a black hole (of course), a slowed-down, doomed-out, dosed-with-cough-syrup vibe, splicing bits of Voivod with the likes of Jacula... in fact, the lurching music on this crackly disc (mastered directly from a none-too-pristine vinyl copy, the original reels having been lost to time, and sounding to us all the better for it!) could be AQ-faves Jacula given an '80s metal makeover... the church organ strains that open "Demoniac City" surely set that tone. Meanwhile, the title track cops a riff from Sabbath's "Electric Funeral", as if to give the nod to their biggest influence we're pretty sure. But the doomy compositions of vocalist/bassist/organist Robert Measles (great name!!) also derive from phantasms far beyond our plane, we're pretty sure of that as well.
Those in the know about Italian '80s metal acts like Death SS, Paul Chain, Bulldozer and Dark Quarterer are aware that a bizarre, poverty-stricken sort of prog weirdness often infects the proceedings, and Black Hole are no exception. In their case, on this album, it makes for something really strange and special, creating a cultish legacy that led to this cd reissue (and to the previous reissues of this as well).
This latest reissue, courtesy of cult metal specialists Shadow Kingdom, comes in a jewel case, and boasts 4 bonus tracks (all demos circa '86: "Overture", "Angels Of Lucifer", "Crying Puppets", and "End Of All Times"). It also boasts a nice domestic price unlike the previous reissues we've had.
Now it's time to burn the black candles and visit Black Hole's "Spectral World" ruled by "Blind Men And Occult Forces"...
MPEG Stream: "Land Of Mystery"
MPEG Stream: "Blind Men And Occult Forces"

BLACK HUMOR Love God - Love One Another (Superior Viaduct) lp 14.98
We had never heard of this eighties art punk / weirdo industrial SF outfit, but HOLY SHIT, this is some seriously fucked up psychedelic noise drenched punk weirdness/radness. Initially released in a run of 1000 lps, each one hand painted with thick gobs of paint and whatever the band members could find around the house (feathers, dirt, trash, flyers, etc.), it's now been reissued by a new local label Superior Viaduct, and what a record to announce your arrival, a creeping, dirgey, occasionally drum machine driven collection of noisy chaotic stumbling ferocity, with loping low slung basslines, jagged, crumbling guitars, a vocalist whose caterwaul is a dead ringer for Kurt Kobain at his most ravaged, his feral yowl tortured and anguished, everything tangled up into a head spinning barrage of post punk stomps, gloomy industrial lumbers, moody murky creeps, dizzying spoken word freakouts and tripped out collaged whatthefuck weirdness.
Just check out the opener, "Undancing In The Dirt", a lumbering creep, gloomy and harrowing, the guitars in a constant state of chaos, the drum machine and woozy bass locked tight beneath a death march pound, not to mention the weird break in the middle with the sound of tolling bells and what sounds like some sort of machinery, the rest of the record careens wildly between similarly woozy outsider industrial creeps and more frenetic artpunk mouth breathing thudrock, most definitely beholden to other local groups of the time like Flipper and Factrix, but also displaying hints of what was going on in Cleveland at the time (Electric Eels, the Pagans, etc.). And on top of that, peppered throughout are some seriously unhinged experiments, weird tape manipulation, free noise fuckery, chaotic clatter and dark droned out minimalism, culminating in "KILL THEM!!!" an almost Negativland worthy mash up of spoken word sloganeering, a serious message presented as some conservative / poseur button pushing, super intense and bizarre, funny and fucked up.
Love God - Love One Another is a seriously twisted slab of SF punk rock history, and easily one of our favorite reissues in recent memory!
Packaged with the original unused cover art, a super striking image of Ronald Reagan holding a cross in front of an American flag with swastikas where the stars normally are, the inside also adorned with a swastika made out of crutches. Comes with two inserts, including new liner notes, the original lp liner notes (explaining the charge imagery and the inspiration for each song), and the Maximum Rock N Roll review that first got them noticed, as well as offending some of the more sensitive punks, one of which has their angry letter reprinted here, along with the response from the original reviewer, in defense of said review.
MPEG Stream: "Undancing In The Dirt"
MPEG Stream: "I Should've Let Him DIE!!!"
MPEG Stream: "KILL THEM!!!"

BLACK KALI MA You Ride the Pony (I'll Be the Bunny) (Alternative Tentacles) cd 11.98
Gary Floyd (Sister Double Happiness, The Dicks) revisits punk rock roots with this ragin' disc. Lynn Perko (Sister Double Happiness) guests on vocals.

BLACK KEYS El Camino (Nonesuch) lp + cd 30.00
Now on lp!!! With a cd version included!
Doesn't feel like we need to say too much about this one as everyone's been freaking out about this record, and it seems to be the album that is going to push The Black Keys to the next level of fame (they are on the cover of Rolling Stone this month). We're totally down with bands who get famous and actually get to make a good living on making music, and the Black Keys are cool, and have worked their asses off, but at this point we can think of so many other bands that deserve this sort of success just as much. We actually dug their last outing quite a bit, but this new one seems to be pushing them in a new direction, one that seems potentially less exciting for long time fans, and more geared for new fans, festivals, and big stadiums...
MPEG Stream: "Lonely Boy"
MPEG Stream: "Money Maker"

BLACK KEYS, THE Attack & Release (Nonesuch) cd 14.98

BLACK KEYS, THE Brothers (Nonesuch) cd 15.98
Black Keys are back with another rompin' output of heavy hitting soul fueled rocking jammers. Catchy, fuzzy and soulful, a formula the duo has been perfecting over their short but high-profile career. As much as we were scared of what this less damaged, more refined sound might be, we were happy to find that these songs are super infectious and truly well-written. In fact this album really feels so much more unified and spot-on then some of their past outings. Some of us who had never really been the biggest of fans are finding ourselves listening to this over and over. They've tapped into this really cool spirited sound that makes us think of what it might sound like if the White Stripes and Devendra Banhart joined forces, as there is a super cool T. Rex vibe going on throughout Brothers. We could see so many folks digging this, from fans of garage rock, pop and psych to '60s/'70s fanatics. We usually shy away from new stuff that incorporates a blues-like aesthetic in its rock n' roll but The Black Keys have really mastered it, and begun to execute and understand that understatement can ring really loud. This is a killer rock n' roll album!
MPEG Stream: "Everlasting Light"
MPEG Stream: "Next Girl"

BLACK KEYS, THE Chulahoma (Fat Possum) cd ep 10.98
On Chulahoma, Black Keys play six songs by the late blues great Junior Kimbrough. It's not the first time they've covered his music. You might recall their right-on version of "Do The Rump" that was featured on their debut album back in 2002. Here they riff on both the garagey grit of their last album Rubber Factory as well as Kimbrough's traditional raw blues sound. An understated but kick ass tribute to an unsung blues giant!
MPEG Stream: "Have Mercy On Me"
MPEG Stream: "Work Me"

BLACK KEYS, THE El Camino (Nonesuch) cd 17.98
Doesn't feel like we need to say too much about this one as everyone's been freaking out about this record, and it seems to be the album that is going to push The Black Keys to the next level of fame (they are on the cover of Rolling Stone this month). We're totally down with bands who get famous and actually get to make a good living on making music, and the Black Keys are cool, and have worked their asses off, but at this point we can think of so many other bands that deserve this sort of success just as much. We actually dug their last outing quite a bit, but this new one seems to be pushing them in a new direction, one that seems potentially less exciting for long time fans, and more geared for new fans, festivals, and big stadiums...
MPEG Stream: "Lonely Boy"
MPEG Stream: "Money Maker"

BLACK KEYS, THE Magic Potion (Nonesuch) cd 16.98
We play this game around AQ called "Why? Do you like it?" It's designed to not let us be prejudiced by preconceived notions when listening to music. Once in a while when we're playing a record and a co-worker asks what we're listing to, rather than just telling them, we'll respond instead with "Why? Do you like it?" Thus the person has to decide if they should be honest, risking embarrassment, 'cause if they say they hate it, it might be something they own and supposedly love, and if they say they love it, it could be that record they claim to hate. It actually works out pretty well. We've all had to fess up to liking stuff we supposedly hated. And we've discovered that records we thought we loved (or at least owned) that we didn't really care for all that much.
It's kind of hard to be unaffected by all the things -other- than the music. Stuff you read, how popular a band is, other folks who like the band. It all colors your opinions whether you want it to or not. So, we always just sort of figured we would hate the Black Keys. I'm not sure we ever even heard them, they just sort of seemed like a band we would hate. Then we went to Arthurfest in L.A. last year, and happened upon a stage where some bad ass blown out psychedelic blues rock band was completely destroying. A two piece, just guitar and drums, and they were loud and heavy, soulful and freaked out. Well, it ends up it was the Black Keys and we were forced, happily we might add, to change our tune. And while once in a while, the Black Keys will dip into bad blues or boring jam rock, for the most part, we have to admit, we really dig these guys! After that fateful show, we went back and checked out their records and that just cemented it. These guys kick ass.
So here we have the latest, not sure if this is the 4th or 5th, but it's another blast of blown out proto-metal psychedelic blues. We're usually opposed to bands who choose to ditch an instrument. No bass player, just drums and bass, whatever. It usually sounds like something is missing. Not so here. These guys sound a little stripped down sure, but it suits them. Gives the guitar room to slither all over the place. A warm wild buzz, over a relentlessly groovy drummer, who pounds and shuffles, and hangs all over every riff, like he's adding his own imaginary bass lines. And the vocals are killer, lazy and sun baked, perfectly complimenting the fuzzy psychrock guitar jams. We hear a lot of Groundhogs, some Zeppelin, which is awesome! A few folks here, thought they heard some Fabulous Thunderbirds. Which is maybe not so. It all sort of depends on what sort of musical background you're bringing to the table. Either way, it's hard to resist this Magic Potion, a gloriously fuzzy, laid back, groove laden, buzzy blues rawk and roll concoction.
MPEG Stream: "Just Got To Be"
MPEG Stream: "Your Touch"
MPEG Stream: "You're The One"

BLACK KIDS Partie Traumatic (Columbia) cd 13.98

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY Sonic Brew (Spitfire ) cd 15.98
Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde (he of the trademark pick squeals) rocks with a brand of hard, dirgy rock. Southern-tinged (a la CoC) stoner metal? 'Cause it's Zakk the stoner metal contigent might not pick up on this, but it actually blows away most other efforts in the genre: it's super heavy, full of (of course) great guitar playing and some excellent songwriting. Zakk handles the vocals too, with a voice again reminescent of CoC's Pepper Keenan. For fans of Acid Bath, Alice in Chains, Down, etc.

BLACK LIPS Good Bad Not Evil (Vice) lp 15.98
Now available on vinyl!!!
More swaggering trash rock from these rowdy Georgian peaches. Good Bad Not Evil is a heckuva wild party spewing sinewy electric guitars and sneering gang vocals. Bet they worship at their homemade altar to garage rawk gods The Sonics, The Gruesomes and The Monks each and every night. Super fun, especially after a few stiff shots.
MPEG Stream: "I Saw A Ghost (Lean)"
MPEG Stream: "It Feels Alright"

BLACK LIPS Los Valientes Del Mundo Nuevo (Vice) cd 13.98
The Black Lips kick ass live... and occasionally they do so in Spanish... at least on this cd which captured the band live in Tijuana... with gallons of tequila, beer and a mariachi band in tow among other things and beings. A wild, fist-pumpin', eyes comin' unfocused, clothing comin' undone, trashy garage rawk train wreck drenched with sweat and the above mentioned intoxicants. We suspect that countless brain cells were obliterated this eve.
MPEG Stream: "Sea Of Blasphemy"
MPEG Stream: "Dirty Hands"