SHOGUN KUNITOKI Tasankokaiku (Fonal) cd 17.98
Wow!!! Most loyal AQ customers are pretty aware of our total love and adoration of almost all things Finnish, especially pretty much everything released on Finnish label Fonal. They just have not done us wrong yet. Islaja, Kemialliset Ystavat, Paavoharju, Es, the list goes on and on. And while for the most part their releases focus on the more murky free folk side of Finnish underground rock they have proven to be a label that isn't just about one 'sound' but instead are simply about beautiful music. Period. Whether it's random ethereal forest folk, dreamy drifty swooning ambience, or crunchy chaotic tribalistic clatter. Their latest release, from the Helsinki quartet Shogun Kunitoki, is further proof to that effect, and dare we say this might even be the greatest thing Fonal has released. Some of you may be shouting IMPOSSIBLE! And under different circumstances we'd be right there with you. But just listenening to Tasankokaiku has us thinking not only is it possible, it's damn near for certain. Color! So much vibrant color just bursting out of Shogun Kunitoki's instrumental onslaught. It starts out on fire and every song and sound just feeds the flame. It's almost as if Steve Reich and Terry Riley raised a child weaned on the BBC Radiophonic experiments, a young Rick Wakeman who grew up listening to the fuzzy guitarscapes of M83's Dead Cities, Red Seas... and the dreamy and propulsive instrumental jams of Stereolab, and thus cultivated a totally informed yet unique outlook and approach to music and music making. The sounds on Tasankokaiku are triumphant and assured, flickering then bursting, warm and so totally alive! Knowing how to perfectly use repetition to build momentum and then suddenly blast off to sparkling spaces that make you feel like you're being spirited away to a place that you've never been to but have always dreamed about. A sparkling glistening land of thick warm keyboards, hypnotic prog laced krautrockiness, Neu-infused soundscapes, basically a world populated by all the sounds that drive us wild. This is another one of those rare records that is an across the board unanimous AQ favorite. Everyone who works here loves it. We all hear different things too, besides the above mentioned bands, Andee hears bits of Goblin and Zombi and Heldon, Allan hears hints of Aavikko and Cluster and Circle, Irwin noticed a little Broadcast and even some Raymond Scott, but no matter what you hear, or what shades of sound reveal themsleves to you, the sum is SO much greater than its parts. A gloriously dense and warm world of fuzzy sound that we just can't stop listening to. No matter what music you've been obsessed with lately, this is one of those special records that somehow trumps whatever it is, straight to the top of your listening pile, elbowing it's way past all the other discs in your collection right into your cd player where it will effortlessly fend off any other records wanting to get in there. It's that good.
MPEG Stream: "Montezuma"
MPEG Stream: "Leivonen"
MPEG Stream: "Piste"

SHOGUN KUNITOKI Vinonaamakasio (Fonal) cd 17.98
It's been over three years since we made Shogun Kunitoki's debut our Record Of The Week, which was just about the same time we fell deeply in love with this Finnish group's unique approach to songcraft, most noticeably using analog electronics to create dizzying and melodic songs that ensorcell and enthrall as they burst with color and dynamic flair.
This follow up picks right up where that amazing debut left off. So full of urgency and melody. Taking cues from minimalists like Reich and Glass and infusing a catchy intensity, reminiscent of M83's Dead Cities Read Seas & Lost Ghosts. There is a bombastic overload that grabs a hold of your imagination and lets it run wild amidst its bold and immaculately crafted popscapes. Songs that demand, command and pleasure all of your sensations. Shogun Kunitoki are able to make organs, ring modulators, and oscillators sound both classic and futuristic. Imagine a huge church with a high ceiling and stained glass windows, jammed with massive and ornate organs, while members of Broadcast, Stereolab and Black Moth Super Rainbow rock out on a grandiose Rick Wakeman like setup blasting out sounds that bring joy and ecstasy to all in the congregation.
Shogun Kunitoki are one of those rare bands that you can really get anyone into. Prog freaks, electro heads, pop lovers, psych fanatics, 20th century composer aficionados, experimental music fans, there's something for just about everyone in the dense and dizzying sounds that they create. Simply stunning!
MPEG Stream: "Holvikirkko"
MPEG Stream: "Mulberg"
MPEG Stream: "Svileto"

SHOGUN KUNITOKI Vinonaamakasio (Fonal) picture disc lp 23.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now in stock on vinyl... and it's a beautiful picture disc to boot!
It's been over three years since we made Shogun Kunitoki's debut our Record Of The Week, which was just about the same time we fell deeply in love with this Finnish group's unique approach to songcraft, most noticeably using analog electronics to create dizzying and melodic songs that ensorcell and enthrall as they burst with color and dynamic flair.
This follow up picks right up where that amazing debut left off. So full of urgency and melody. Taking cues from minimalists like Reich and Glass and infusing a catchy intensity, reminiscent of M83's Dead Cities Read Seas & Lost Ghosts. There is a bombastic overload that grabs a hold of your imagination and lets it run wild amidst its bold and immaculately crafted popscapes. Songs that demand, command and pleasure all of your sensations. Shogun Kunitoki are able to make organs, ring modulators, and oscillators sound both classic and futuristic. Imagine a huge church with a high ceiling and stained glass windows, jammed with massive and ornate organs, while members of Broadcast, Stereolab and Black Moth Super Rainbow rock out on a grandiose Rick Wakeman like setup blasting out sounds that bring joy and ecstasy to all in the congregation.
Shogun Kunitoki are one of those rare bands that you can really get anyone into. Prog freaks, electro heads, pop lovers, psych fanatics, 20th century composer aficionados, experimental music fans, there's something for just about everyone in the dense and dizzying sounds that they create. Simply stunning!
MPEG Stream: "Holvikirkko"
MPEG Stream: "Mulberg"
MPEG Stream: "Svileto"

SHOLI Hejrat (Holocene) 7" 6.98
As featured on the cd that came with the latest music issue of The Believer, local SF group Sholi tackle a song by the seventies "Queen of Persian Pop", Googoosh, a beloved Iranian singer who brought much glamorous style and beauty to Middle Eastern pop music, before being forced underground by the Iranian revolution. According to Payram Bavafa, the bands singer/guitarist, "'Hejrat' is often regarded as one of Iran's most beautiful and romantic pop songs". Sholi extends the cover tributes to the B-side where they bravely take on Joanna Newsom's "The Sprout and The Bean" with surprisingly good results. Recorded by Greg Ashley it comes with a coupon to download mp3 versions of the two tracks. Nice!

SHOLI s/t (Quarterstick) cd 14.98
The first full length from this young SF band is given an admirable launch on the highly regarded Quarterstick label (home to Calexico, Mekons, Shipping News, Rachel's among many other wonderful music makers), and they've really taken flight! Though the band is certainly not new to us, their sound on this debut sure is. Caught us a bit by surprise, in fact! This is a far different from the by-the-books shufflin' slouchy indie rock Sholi of 2006. Indeed, the band has honed their chops and their songcraft quite a bit since their first (also self-titled) three song cd-r that they brought into our shop a mere three years ago almost to the day!
The 43-minute long album's eight songs feature lots of lush, expressive dynamics and post-rock complexities both in melody and rhythm. Solid from start to finish, but definitely check out the opening track "All The We Can See" and "Out Of Orbit". An impressive warm and beautiful 'official' debut!
MPEG Stream: "All That We Can See"
MPEG Stream: "Out Of Orbit"

SHOLI s/t ep (self-released) cd-r 3.98
Here's a short lil' three song introduction to this new Bay Area trio. This self-titled EP features gentle slouchy, slightly retro-pop sounding indie rock played out on the basics -- jangly electric guitar, solid bass and tumbling drums. Warm summery shades of Olympia, WA / K Records days past, old Sebadoh, or maybe imagine a lower-fi Sloan? Like what you hear? There'll be a full length comin' out soon, and rumor has it that it's gonna be produced by Mr. Greg 'Deerhoof' Saunier!
MPEG Stream: "Aimless"

SHOLI / DEAD SCIENCE split (KDVS Recordings) 7" 4.98

SHOOTING SPIRES s/t (Cardboard Records) cd 11.98
Shooting Spires is one fella, BJ Warshaw from the Brooklyn band Parts & Labor. His debut solo album raises a warmly familiar indie rock racket with its furious strumming, clatterous drumming, wheezing organ keyboards, and hazily bristled male vocals. Very much drawing from the tweaked, buzzy, raucous pop vein of Guided By Voices. Heck, we hope he never does, but if Robert Pollard ever does decide to close up his pop shop, it's comforting to know that he's already left such an indelible mark. And that there are young'uns who will fly his noise pop flag and do him proud.
MPEG Stream: "Right"
MPEG Stream: "At Last At Least"

SHOP ASSISTANTS s/t (4 Men With Beards) lp 19.98
NOW ON VINYL!!
Only a few of us had even heard of this Scottish '80s indie sensation when this amazing reissue first hit our shelves but as soon as we listened we all instantly became huge fans and couldn't believe how they had managed to slip under our radar.
Coming out of the same scene that spawned The Pastels, this is really the precursor to the amazing twee and indie rock that would so dominate the underground music scene in the decade to come. Kind of like an impossibly amazing mix of Heavenly, The Vaselines and the driving spirit of early R.E.M. The songs of the Shop Assistants practically sound like the blueprints for K records. We have to believe folks like Beat Happening and The Softies had copies of this record when the whole International Pop Underground movement started up. We hear so much of our favorite indie pop sounds in this record: Magnetic Fields, Yo La Tengo, Belle & Sebastian, Electrelane, Vivian Girls, The Aislers Set, we could go on and on. It also makes perfect sense that Stephen Street engineered the record as it also fits so nicely sonically next to the records he worked on with The Smiths. The Shop Assistants can sound so dreamy and also so peppy and rocking, fully charming and irresistible without every being cutsey. This is a must have for anyone with a love for any of the bands mentioned above, indie rock, twee, dream pop, etc. Totally endearing and so damn good! If we have anything to do with it, Shop Assistants will no longer be the best kept secret in indie pop history. This is amazing!
MPEG Stream: "I Don't Want To Be Friends With You"
MPEG Stream: "All That Ever Mattered"
MPEG Stream: "All Of The Time"

SHOP ASSISTANTS Will Anything Happen (Cherry Red) cd 17.98
Only a few of us had even heard of this Scottish '80s indie sensation when this amazing reissue first hit our shelves but as soon as we listened we all instantly became huge fans and couldn't believe how they had managed to slip so far under our radar.
Coming out of the same scene that spawned The Pastels, this is really the precursor to the amazing twee and indie rock that would so dominate the underground music scene in the decade to come. Kind of like an impossibly amazing mix of Heavenly, The Vaselines and the driving spirit of early R.E.M. The songs of the Shop Assistants practically sound like the blueprints for K records. We have to believe folks like Beat Happening and The Softies had copies of this record when the whole International Pop Underground movement started up. We hear so much of our favorite indie pop sounds in this record: Magnetic Fields, Yo La Tengo, Belle & Sebastian, Electrelane, Vivian Girls, The Aislers Set, we could go on and on. It also makes perfect sense that Stephen Street engineered the record as it also fits so nicely sonically next to the records he worked on with The Smiths. The Shop Assistants can sound so dreamy and also so peppy and rocking, fully charming and irresistible without every being cutsey. This is a must have for anyone with a love for any of the bands mentioned above, indie rock, twee, dream pop, etc. Totally endearing and so damn good! If we have anything to do with it, Shop Assistants will no longer be the best kept secret in indie pop history. This is amazing!
MPEG Stream: "I Don't Want To Be Friends With You"
MPEG Stream: "All That Ever Mattered"
MPEG Stream: "All Of The Time"

SHORA Malval (Conspiracy) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's been a struggle to figure out what to write about this record. It's a gorgeous moody slab of blissed out mathy post rock. We love that stuff. A lot. But it's really difficult to explain exactly why this record is somehow WAY more than just a post-rock record. It's maybe MORE, more moody, more mathy, more blissed out, but there's still some ineffable thing that turns Shora into a whole other proposition. Similar to the way that Fuehler and Turing Machine in the past took the sound of their post rock forefathers to whole new realms, Shora, breathe new life, breathe fire even, into what has become the sound du riguer of the indie underground. How exactly is a bit tougher to pin down. It's very repetitive, some riffs practically become loops, repeating over and over, inducing some serious mesmeric listening, each looped post-rock-scape is underpinned by dense but complex krautrocky rhythms, that occasionally explode into spikey tangles of free jazz mathrock octopoidal polyrhythms before settling back into dreamy head nodding grooves. The guitars are like chameleons, snakey smokey tendrils one second, huge jagged metallic shards the next, turning from bell like chimes into slinky slippery smears of sound all within a matter of seconds. Majestic, haunting, repetitive and completely fascinating. That's just the first three tracks too, 24 minutes of dense, layered, experimental instrumental rock music perfection. Then there's the very strange final track, which starts out as a soft focused dreamscape, all gauzy and shimmery, before out of the blue, down comees a blast of bizarre pounding Gary Glitter sounding glam rock stomp, right there in the middle of the song! The stomp quickly gives way to some organ drenched Goblin worship before slipping softly back into dark droney ambience. But that's not all, suddenly there are female vocals, and not wispy soft ones, no we're talking a throaty belt, more PJ Harvey than Grouper or Paavoharju, at first it's a little bit jarring, but after a few moments it makes perfect sense. But it only lasts a few moments. Which is maybe indicative of why this band is so great. Putting that much thought into a tiny part, and finding a vocalist, coming up with melodies, lyrics, all for the last minute or two of the last song on your record. Few bands would bother. Which is precisely the point wethinks. It's easy to tell that the same sort of meticulous preparation and deep thought went into every part of this record. But without sacrificing any of the passion or immediacy that makes music so vital. Which is a rare thing indeed.
MPEG Stream: "Parhelion"
MPEG Stream: "Arch & Hum"

SHORTEE The Dreamer (Bomb Hip Hop) cd 16.98
We haven't had a chance to review this yet but here is Bomb Hip Hop's opinion:
Don't sleep on this one. Shortee's debut solo release is the first ever female turntablist/DJ/producer full length album, making it a first of its kind! Prepare to be shocked, this girls got skills and she's not only hanging in there with the boys - she's kicking it with a fresh style like no other. Listen to this album and you're guaranteed to hear an assortment of funky beats with fat bass kicks, jazzy bass lines, pianos, trumpets, flutes, soulful scratches, tons of percussion and so much more... In addition to Shortee's DJ production skills, she has been a drummer/percussionist for 17 years.
Shortee takes her musicians experience and evenly balances it with her advanced DJ skills to create an extremely musical album with a variety of hooks, chorus, bridges and beats that are constantly changing up along with a creative story line, making you want to listen to it again and again. Each song symbolizes a dream and each dream is different - ranging in hip-hop, dub, drum 'n' bass, go-go and swing... Shortee has toured the world performing with her partner DJ Faust as part of the dynamic duo of Faust & Shortee along with other acts such as Prince Paul, Afrika Bambaataa, Shortkut, Babu and 1998 DMC Champion Craze."

SHORTER, ALAN Tes Esat (America) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
WOW. And do we mean WOW!! Fifteen classic free jazz records from the late sixties / early seventies, long out of print, finally getting the ULTRA deluxe reissue treatment. Incredibly limited, these will probably be out of print before you know it.
Comes in a gorgeous diecut fullcover three panel sleeve, with new artwork, as well as a huge booklet with the original album sleeve notes, new liner notes in french and english as well as a bunch of cool photos. So nice!

SHORTKUT (CUT CHEMIST VS. SHORTKUT) Live at the Future Primitive Soundsession cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Excellent! SO GOOD it's hard to believe this happened in one 70-minute live set. Cut Chemist's crowd-pleasing dancefloor-aware set is perfectly complemented by judicious scratching courtesy The Invisible Skratch Picklz' Short Kut. That's right, they got 5 turntables spinning at once and it WORKS. It takes them about 15 minutes to find their stride but then it's all uphill; the crowd loved it so much you can hear them too (the needles picked up the roar!) Currently the best record of this rapidly-expanding genre. Locally grown.

SHOTMAKER The Complete Discography 1993-1996 (Troubleman Unlimited) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SHOULD A Folding Sieve (Captured Tracks) cd 14.98
The first in a new series of archival shoegaze reissues from Captured Tracks comes from the late great and almost entirely unsung Texas shoegaze outfit Should, who were in fact called shiFt when these tracks were first recorded and released in 1995, the record was re-released a few years later with more tracks including some killer covers (18th Dye, Jean Paul Sartre Experience) and the cd version of this collection is essentially a new version of that record (the lp version includes the bonus tracks as downloads), and Should / shiFt offer up exactly what you would expect from a mid-nineties shoegaze combo, shimmering atmospheres, dreamy male/female vocals, hushed minimal drumming, and warm washed out woozily distorted electric guitars, the guitar sound of particular note, as the liner notes explains that Should mainman Marc Ostermeier not only didn't own a guitar, but also couldn't PLAY guitar, so created loops and samples from pre-recorded guitar parts, and also didn't own any distortion or effects pedals, so basically just misused and abused his mixer to achieve the desired effect, and the results are pretty fantastic. Indie rock jangle, a little twee, wreathed in thick swaths of warm whirling guitar buzz, minimal programmed beats, lazy vox, sun dappled and dreamy, warmly distorted, sometimes thick and lush, other times delicate and crystalline, but dreamy and divine throughout.
MPEG Stream: "Rolling"
MPEG Stream: "Breathe Salt"
MPEG Stream: "Feels Like Morning"
MPEG Stream: "Clean"

SHOULD A Folding Sieve (Captured Tracks) lp 16.98
The first in a new series of archival shoegaze reissues from Captured Tracks comes from the late great and almost entirely unsung Texas shoegaze outfit Should, who were in fact called shiFt when these tracks were first recorded and released in 1995, the record was re-released a few years later with more tracks including some killer covers (18th Dye, Jean Paul Sartre Experience) and the cd version of this collection is essentially a new version of that record (the lp version includes the bonus tracks as downloads), and Should / shiFt offer up exactly what you would expect from a mid-nineties shoegaze combo, shimmering atmospheres, dreamy male/female vocals, hushed minimal drumming, and warm washed out woozily distorted electric guitars, the guitar sound of particular note, as the liner notes explains that Should mainman Marc Ostermeier not only didn't own a guitar, but also couldn't PLAY guitar, so created loops and samples from pre-recorded guitar parts, and also didn't own any distortion or effects pedals, so basically just misused and abused his mixer to achieve the desired effect, and the results are pretty fantastic. Indie rock jangle, a little twee, wreathed in thick swaths of warm whirling guitar buzz, minimal programmed beats, lazy vox, sun dappled and dreamy, warmly distorted, sometimes thick and lush, other times delicate and crystalline, but dreamy and divine throughout.
MPEG Stream: "Rolling"
MPEG Stream: "Breathe Salt"
MPEG Stream: "Feels Like Morning"
MPEG Stream: "Clean"

SHOUT OUT LOUDS Work (Merge) cd 14.98
The third full length by this Stockholm based band is the first to reach our ears... thanks to those fine folks at Merge Records. Seriously, have they ever steered us wrong? We think not!
Although the black and white band photo on the front cover made us think this was an obscure '80s Talking Heads or Camper Van Beethoven record, Shout Out Louds are a perfect fit on the label who delivered Superchunk, Destroyer, Arcade Fire, The Clientele, She & Him, and Camera Obscura among many others. If you dig pretty chiming guitar lines and sweet boy vocals, don't miss this! The album starts out with a punch then gradually mellows out over the course of the next few songs. Along the way they incorporate elements of '70s soft rock, '80s art rock, '90s college rock. Yes, that's a lot of rock rock rock, but they do dish out the pop aplenty too! Definitely for fans of New Pornographers, Death Cab For Cutie, Peter, Bjorn And John, and The Pernice Brothers!
MPEG Stream: "Fall Hard"
MPEG Stream: "Throwing Stones"

SHOUT OUT LOUDS Work (Merge) lp 16.98
Also on vinyl... The third full length by this Stockholm based band is the first to reach our ears... thanks to those fine folks at Merge Records. Seriously, have they ever steered us wrong? We think not!
Although the black and white band photo on the front cover made us think tis was an obscure '80s Talking Heads or Camper Van Beethoven record, Shout Out Louds are a perfect fit on the label who delivered Superchunk, Destroyer, Arcade Fire, The Clientele, She & Him, and Camera Obscura among many others. If you dig pretty chiming guitar lines and sweet boy vocals, don't miss this! The album starts out with a punch then gradually mellows out over the course of the next few songs. Along the way they incorporate elements of '70s soft rock, '80s art rock, '90s college rock. Yes, that's a lot of rock rock rock, but they do dish out the pop a-plenty too! Definitely for fans of New Pornographers, Death Cab For Cutie, Peter, Bjorn And John, and The Pernice Brothers!
MPEG Stream: "Fall Hard"
MPEG Stream: "Throwing Stones"

SHOW ME STATE CCAC / Western Heirs (Hella Rad) 7" 3.98
You may recall an ultra-soothing self-released cd-r we carried here a while ago by a local atmospheric post-rock band named Carrier. Well, Jerry Jai from that very band has moved on to this like-minded new combo, and this 7" is your pleasant introduction to them. A short'n'sweet pair of glistening indie pop tunes. Nice!

SHRED, DJ TED Hip Hop Vs. It All! (Upper Playground) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
In the burgeoning new field (heh, not really) of hip-hop-destroys-rock-music mixes, as typified by DJs Z-Trip and Jester, local DJ Ted Shred breaks out with a totally weird and hilarious cd. He'll throw on P. Diddy next to Night Ranger, Biggie Smalls vs. Peter Gabriel, UTFO vs Paul Simon. Yes, this disc is as gimmicky as Jester and Z-Trip, but it is also kickass and ballsy. Ted Shred's own twist on the formula is that he is constantly shifting the speed of the records. Whether he's a really bad beatmatcher trying lamely to sync up his mixes, or if he's a brilliant prankster who loves changing speeds, melodies, and pitches to surreal effect, we're not sure (imagine something like DJ Z-Trip meets DJ Screw). But hey, his phone number is on the disc, so you can ask him yourself... or get him to spin at your next party. Love it!
Oh, and Allan wants you to know: the track "Van Halen vs. Van Halen" illustrates the obvious similarities between deft turntable scratching and fleet-fingered guitar wanking, as well as demonstrating the superiority of the latter. Volume two coming soon! Highly recommended!
RealAudio clip: "Funkdoobiest VS Kansas"
RealAudio clip: "P. Diddy VS Night Ranger"
RealAudio clip: "Queen. We Will Rock You VS"
RealAudio clip: "Billy Squire VS Sunshine Adams"

SHRED, DJ TED Mix Tape #2 (Upper Playground) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
In the burgeoning new field of hip-hop-destroys-rock-music mixes, as typified by DJs Z-Trip and Jester, local DJ Ted Shred breaks out with a second totally weird and hilarious cd. He'll throw on The Stanley Bros vs DJ Rectangle, Armenian music on top of Method Man, Q-Tip vs Blue Oyster Cult, Dr. Dre vs Bad Brains, Busta Rhymes vs Dio. Yes, it's as gimmicky as Jester and Z-Trip, but it is also kickass and ballsy. Ted Shred's own twist on the formula is that he is constantly shifting the speed of the records. Whether he's a really bad beatmatcher trying lamely to sync up his mixes, or if he's a brilliant prankster who loves changing speeds, melodies, and pitches to surreal effect, we're not sure -- and you'll certainly find yourself befuddled as well, but also looking forward to the next track! And, his phone number is on the disc, so you can ask him yourself... or get him to spin at your next party.
By the way we've got a few more copies of his debut cd too; this is the one that made into Art Forum and Tower Pulse magazine tops of the year 2001 lists!
RealAudio clip: "DJ Rectangle beats vs. The Stanley Brothers"
RealAudio clip: "Dr. Dre vs. Bad Brains"
RealAudio clip: "Aremnia vs. Bubba Sparx and Method Man"

SHRED, DJ TED Mix Tape Vol 3 (Sicmats) cd-r 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The notorious DJ Ted Shred is back. SF's own local master of messed-up mash-up returns with a third volume (a cd-r this time) of his mix tape madness. Ted, if you haven't heard him, is an anything-goes DJ who likes to play hip hop not just next to but right on top of some classic rock...kinda like some of the stuff DJ Z-Trip does. But Ted's even more reckless, less concerned with careful beat-matching than with fitting square pegs into round holes for laffs...and he's got NO concern for 'musical correctness'. So, I guess this is a novelty record, but so much fun. Some examples: CCR vs. Da Beat Minerz, Don Henley vs. Puff Daddy, Whitesnake (and Toto!) vs. Nas, Johnny Cash vs. Arrested Development, Cory Hart vs. Run-DMC, Scorpions vs. Missy Elliott... and on and on. He also has a big collection of old children's records that get much play. You'll also hear the Lord Of The Rings theme, the Oompa Loompas, Dave Chappelle, Conan The Barbarian, and Def Leppard... Ted gets props for doing this stuff with live skillz rather that on a computer, like most of the 'mash-ups' that are all the rage these days. And he puts some thought into the segues, like answering Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walking" (vs. Mos Def) with the Allman Brothers' "Rambling Man" (vs. Mix Master Mike). Good fun!
MPEG Stream: "Volume 10 vs. Peter Shilling (Major Tom)"
MPEG Stream: "Nancy Sinatra vs. Mos Def"

SHRIMP BOAT Something Grand (Aum Fidelity) 4cd 39.00
For many a year Chicago has churned out some of the most polished, impressive musical artists. Shrimp Boat's membership boasted many of them back when they were mere... uh, brine shrimp? Sam Prekop and Eric Claridge went on to form the Sea And Cake, while Brad Wood went on to produce Liz Phair's Exile In Guyville, as well as loads of Chicago bands. Shrimp Boat's sound is a childlike haphazard amalgam of folk, jazz and pop (among other things!). Percussion is tapped out in rustic, ramshackle fashion. Vocals are often hillbilly-ish yelps and yowls singing spur of the moment storytelling lyrics. Wheezing woozy saxophones stop in for neighborly visits. Really, this gets stranger and more dislocated, but also more cohesive, as it progresses. There are definitely hints of the smooth suave sound that would eventually become the Sea And Cake, and it seems like musically adventurous Sea And Cake fans will definitely want to check this out. For a limited time, this three cd set is actually a FOUR cd set with a whole extra disc of bonus unreleased rarities. Beautifully packaged with a huge book of liner notes and photos.
MPEG Stream: "Rocks Are Oil"
MPEG Stream: "Born In A Sour"
MPEG Stream: "Bumble Bees"

SHRIMP BOAT Speckly (Aum Fidelity) cd 14.98
If you're a Shrimpboat neophyte who found their recent Something Grand boxset (three cds packed with an immense amount of previously unreleased material) simply too massive and unwielding to digest or conversely if you're a fan who just yearns to revisit their more familiar old songs, this is the cd you want/need! It's the reissue of this highly influential Chicago band's debut album from back in 1989. Hurrah! Often seeming inspired by the quirksome likes of Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers (check out "Greenhouse") and clearly a precursor to the yelpy ramshackle pop sounds of bands such as Modest Mouse (check out "Seven Crows") as well as the breezy jazz-inflected postrock sounds of band member Sam Prekop's later endeavors (both solo and in Sea & Cake).
MPEG Stream: "Seven Crows"
MPEG Stream: "Greenhouse"

SHRINE Distorted Legends Pt. 1 (Drone) 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**
Another surprisingly noisy missive in the latest salve of 7"s from the always impressive Drone Records. This one comes from a one man outfit called Shrine, and as with all Drone discs is gorgeously packaged in a full color sleeve, pressed on thick black vinyl, with a printed cardstock insert printed with metallic ink, and as with the others, first edition, LIMITED TO 300 COPIES!!
The record begins all glimmering and glistening, a slowburn of keening feedback and grinding metallic shimmer, the sounds thick and corrosive an caustic, fuzzy, blurred and distorted, with what sounds like filed recordings underneath, dark and dense but still quite lovely. The flipside is the big surprise though, a creepy soundtracky drift, deep pulsing bass notes, and fuzzy Goblin like synths, all ominous and mysterious, plenty of whirring ambience beneath, but over the top those sweeping epic minor key melodies and those haunted house synth swells keep the mood foreboding and a little bit frightening. The track gets more and more intense and distorted as it goes, but never loses its grim chill.

SHRINE, THE Primitive Blast (Tee Pee) cd 14.98
The Shrine to what? The gods of high energy rock n' roll action, we assume. Such a shrine, we're imagining, would consist of one or more big ass amplifiers, probably draped with an Amerikkkan flag (upside down?), ringed with empty beer cans and broken bottles. Oh, and skateboards, a bunch of skateboards. Musically, that's what we're gettin' here, the three hairy dudes in heavy, punked out power trio The Shrine mainlining such influences as Black Flag, Black Sabbath, and the MC5. They don't hold back, with opener "Zipper Tripper" defining The Shrine's style of speedy SoCal "psychedelic violence" pretty plainly from the get-go. Furthermore, as the disc spins, The Shrine soon make it obvious that their particular primitive blast is in fact a damn catchy one, yeah! They rip it up with snakey riffs and plenty of 'tude on all nine tracks here, a little over a half hour of gnarly shake appeal for stoner punks & skate metallers; this is definitely for anybody who was into another, sorta similar Tee Pee band, Annihilation Time (R.I.P.), recipients of a T-shirt shout out from The Shrine on this album's back cover band pic. Another good comparison would be to the 2nd, more SST-ish album from J. Mascis doom project Witch.
For us, what really seals the deal is that track four happens to be a cranked-up cover of "Run The Night", originally by '70s heavy psych British biker band Wicked Lady, whose reissues we just highlighted. We were like, hmmm, this sounds familiar, then figured it out. And it fits right in with the vibe of the whole album. Killer!!!
MPEG Stream: "Whistlings Of Death"
MPEG Stream: "Run The Night"
MPEG Stream: "Primitive Blast"

SHRINE, THE Primitive Blast (Tee Pee) lp 15.98
The Shrine to what? The gods of high energy rock n' roll action, we assume. Such a shrine, we're imagining, would consist of one or more big ass amplifiers, probably draped with an Amerikkkan flag (upside down?), ringed with empty beer cans and broken bottles. Oh, and skateboards, a bunch of skateboards. Musically, that's what we're gettin' here, the three hairy dudes in heavy, punked out power trio The Shrine mainlining such influences as Black Flag, Black Sabbath, and the MC5. They don't hold back, with opener "Zipper Tripper" defining The Shrine's style of speedy SoCal "psychedelic violence" pretty plainly from the get-go. Furthermore, as the disc spins, The Shrine soon make it obvious that their particular primitive blast is in fact a damn catchy one, yeah! They rip it up with snakey riffs and plenty of 'tude on all nine tracks here, a little over a half hour of gnarly shake appeal for stoner punks & skate metallers; this is definitely for anybody who was into another, sorta similar Tee Pee band, Annihilation Time (R.I.P.), recipients of a T-shirt shout out from The Shrine on this album's back cover band pic. Another good comparison would be to the 2nd, more SST-ish album from J. Mascis doom project Witch.
For us, what really seals the deal is that track four happens to be a cranked-up cover of "Run The Night", originally by '70s heavy psych British biker band Wicked Lady, whose reissues we just highlighted. We were like, hmmm, this sounds familiar, then figured it out. And it fits right in with the vibe of the whole album. Killer!!!
MPEG Stream: "Whistlings Of Death"
MPEG Stream: "Run The Night"
MPEG Stream: "Primitive Blast"

SHRINEBUILDER s/t (Neurot) cd 14.98
Most people cringe upon hearing the word "supergroup," and not without good reason: most supergroups fucking suck. Shrinebuilder, however, is a rare beast, an exception to the general rule, and it almost seems offensive to call them a supergroup. BUT... that's sort of what they are. Consisting of Scott Kelly (Neurosis), Al Cisneros (Om, Sleep), Dale Crover (the Melvins), and Wino (you should know him by now, but let's mention The Obsessed, Spirit Caravan and Saint Vitus!!), Shrinebuilder raised some pretty high hopes, and it seemed impossible that these four living legends would let us down. Thankfully, they haven't. In fact, Shrinebuilder's debut has far exceeded any expectations we had for a project which was pretty much destined to kick our asses in all kinds of different directions. You can detect each musician's individual style, sure, but more than anything, Shrinebuilder seems to follow a decidedly old school approach to heaviness - think Sabbath, Buffalo, that kind of thing - delivering five lengthy songs of groove laden metal heavy on the riffs (no surprise there), doomy bass, awesome to the point drumming, and plenty of spacey FX. There are moments where you have to remind yourself that you aren't listening to Sleep, especially when Al lays on the wah wah pedal, and parts of this album fulfill the fantasies of those who sometimes wish Om had a guitar player. Scott Kelly and Wino are one hell of a guitar team, and there are some amazing moments of fuzzy, sustained harmonies and plenty of chugging overdriven riffage. Crover's drumming is particularly impressive here, not that anyone needs to remind you that the guy slays. His playing here is less busy than it tends to be with the Melvins, and his steady pound suits these songs perfectly. The unmistakable vocal stylings of Wino, Scott, and Al all show up, but one of the band's greatest strengths is the fact that this sounds like the work not of some half assed side project, but of an actual band. So yeah, don't let the whole "supergroup" tag throw you off, as this is a potent brew of fully realized HEAVIOSITY.
MPEG Stream: "Solar Benediction"
MPEG Stream: "Pyramid Of The Moon"

SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY Dark Meditations In Monastic Seclusion (Self Mutilation Services) cd 14.98

SHUAI Combat Noise (Crucial Blast) cd-r 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Our friend Adam who runs the super cool Crucial Blast label, has, for over 6 years now, been quietly (and not so quietly) putting out some of the coolest shit around. From crusty Finnish metal to droning electronica to sparse folk to brutal power electronics. This new series of cd-r's, limited to 100 copies and nicely packaged in oversized DVD cases will only be available via Aquarius records (unless you get them directly from Crucial Blast). So don't blow it...
One man band Shuai makes his noisy lo-fi electronica from a weird mix DHR style digital hardcore breakbeats, throbbing old school synths, blipping bleeping IDM, throbbing hardcore techno and some all out noise. Fans of DHR and meaner/harder IDM stuff should definitely check this out.
RealAudio clip: "Free Form Distortion"
RealAudio clip: "Surrender"
RealAudio clip: "Obey, Conform, And Consume"

SHUB NIGGURATH Les Morts Vont Vite (Gazul / Musea) cd 21.00
Here's something we haven't had in a while, so it seemed worth highlighting again now that we've tracked down some more copies. It's the 1986 debut album (plus 2 bonus tracks) from an amazing French prog band with a shuddersome name, and sound. It combines the classical grandeur of their obvious influence Magma with looser, more experimental sounds. Very dark, heavy and ominous; creepy like Universe Zero. Spooky soprano female vocals give way to noise guitar freakouts and rhythmic passages that bring to mind This Heat. It's kind of mind-blowing, actually in keeping with the concepts of cosmic horror evoked by their H.P. Lovecraft-inspired band name (and if evoking Shub Niggurath weren't enough, there's also a song here called Yog Sothoth). Really, if you want something that sounds like Magma venturing into the realms of sanity-blasting horror, this is it. The first, nearly 17 minute track should have you knocking on the door of the nearest asylum, begging to be let in. Such ominous art rock. Definitely one of our all time fave "Zeuhl" albums outside of the actual Magma masterpieces themselves, indescribably infused with epic Magmoid drama, and that band's signature throbbing bass heavy rhythms.
MPEG Stream: "Yog Sothoth"
MPEG Stream: "Incipit Tragaedia"
MPEG Stream: "La Ballade De Lenore"

SHUDDER TO THINK Curses Spells Voodoo Mooses (Sammich / Dischord) cd 12.98
This review comes courtesy of former Outpunk label head, current A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. label mastermind, gay gangsta and AQ pal Matt Wobensmith!
First time ever on CD, after being out of print for over a decade! Before "emo" was a noun, it was an adjective used to describe the sensitive, post-hardcore stylings of artistic DC punkers, who weren't afraid to cry in public and dedicate songs to trees. Some say Rites of Spring's 1986 self-titled debut album (Dischord Records) is the holy grail of emo. However, this album may well be that genre's defining document. The operatic wailings of Craig Wedren's falsetto -- not unlike Pere Ubu's David Thomas -- were a peculiar contrast to the band's more aggressive punk leanings. Says Craig of this era: "I joined a 'hardcore' group, we did not like each other's sound, they banged, I screeched ... [it] came out sounding, a little like, Ozzy?" From a time when "US hardcore" was mired in socio-political aggression and macho posturing, STT were perhaps a reaction -- ironically from within the ranks of DC bands that were so influential to that movement in the first place. This is a beautiful and enthralling album, impossibly melancholic, with perplexing lyrics from someone who's "heart is filled with 'All May Rise' and 'X Ray Eyes'". Lots of people know Shudder to Think's bizarre, dramatic alt-rock material from subsequent recordings for Dischord and later, Epic, from which most of their fan base is likely drawn. But this record -- while technically inferior and unpolished from a production standpoint -- is still many fans' favorite STT release. Reissue includes four bonus tracks from their first 7" and one unreleased cut as well.
MPEG Stream: "A Vampire's Proposal"
MPEG Stream: "Abysmal Yellow Popcorn Wall"

SHUKAR Bear Tamer's Music (Sub Rosa) cd 14.98

SHUSHA Shusha / This Is The Day (BGO) cd 9.98
If Googoosh and Shirley Collins were somehow melded together into one incredible singer, you would have Shusha. Shusha was a Persian singer from the early seventies most famous for her debut album, Persian Love Songs and Mystical Chants from 1971. But her love of music extended beyond her native Iran towards the British folk of Shirley Collins and Sandy Denny and the American protest music of Dylan and Joan Baez. That is what inspired her on these two 1974 recordings, Shusha and This Is The Day. Reissued together for a very affordable price, these two albums of chamber folk-rock divide time between English-sung originals, covers and reworkings of traditional British songs and poems. No native songs here, the only inkling that we're given that Shusha is not English born is her woozy phrasing on some of the American covers such as Dylan's "Knocking on Heaven's Door" and the Elvis Presley social ballad, "In The Ghetto". But her singing really becomes transcendent on the British traditional material, where her range is allowed to soar around the song structures rather than being confined by them. This is an incredible discovery of two rare recordings by this amazing singer. Fans of Bridget St. John, Vashti Bunyan, and Joan Baez take note!
MPEG Stream: "Ariel"
MPEG Stream: "Wind of Keltia"
MPEG Stream: "South of The Great Sea"
MPEG Stream: "Bye Bye Johnny"

SHUT-INS Sing Songs Of Pain And Joy (self-released) cd 14.98
You might find the title and cover art of this new Shut-Ins' album to be a bit deceiving... We sure did! They give nary a hint of the ol' style hoedown -- with a little luau ("Hawaiian Cowboy" and "Hapa Haole Hula Girl") and sock hop ("Just Because") thrown in for good measure -- contained within. Although the instrumentation (deep warm standup bass, frantic banjo pluckin', sparkling mandolin, slip-slidin' pedal steel) and overall tone is certainly traditional country, the Shut-Ins keep the barndoor wide open and inviting, ably hoppin' about from style to style as they so please, and they do so at such a fevered pace. They even cover Blondie's "Dreaming" in earnest twangin' fashion! Such fun! Just don't forget your gingham tablecloth, saddleshoes and grass skirt. Eighteen songs in all.
MPEG Stream: "Hapa Haole Hula Girl"
MPEG Stream: "Dreaming"

SHUTTLE 358 Frame (12K) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SHY CHILD Noise Won't Stop (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98

SI, CLARO Si, Claro Presents: A Series Of Serious Songs (The First In An Order Of Volumes.) (self-released) cd-r 5.98

SI, CLARO Static on the Station (Phonograph) 7" 4.98
Folks in SF probably remember Brian Girgus from stints behind the kit for AmRep noise rockers Lowercase and of course beloved SF popsters Track Star, but since then, Girgus has been doing something a little different. Well a LOT different than Lowercase, a little different from Trackstar.
The sound is still pop, but unlike Trackstar's jagged loud/soft noisepop, Si, Claro is more straight ahead, more simple and heartfelt. For a while now Girgus has been playing around town with nothing but an acoustic guitar, but for his first foray into a recording studio, he recruited a whole band, and even recorded one track in Sweden with Wyatt from Trackstar. The sound is quite reminiscent of nineties college rock, pure jangle indie rock. Though where Trackstar channeled Pavement, Girgus is less concerned with the noise and dynamics and snark of that side of indie rock, and instead focuses on simple solid songcraft. The two track are both straight ahead, verse chorus verse, acoustic they sounded a bit folky, but fleshed out with an actual band, they sound surprisingly lush, multiple guitars, strummed acoustic and sharper electric, some piano here and there, the drumming solid and swinging, and Girgus' vocals sweet and earnest, the lyrics are simple, sincere, the delivery plaintive, perfectly suited to the strum and jangle and shuffle that backs it up.
A sweetly solid chunk of modern indie jangle pop.

SIAMESE TEMPLE BALL Welcome to the Land of the Smile (self-released) cd 14.98
We recently received an lp simply called "Thai Record". Hmmm, very mysterious we thought, so we threw it on, and were instantly smitten. At the same time, it sounded sort of familiar... but how could that be, what were the odds that some random Thai recording would just so happen to be one we had heard or already owned. It finally clicked, this was no mysterious "Thai Record", this was an old AQ favorite, renamed and pressed on vinyl. Not to infer that it's not mysterious, it most certainly is, it just so happens to be a mystery we had faced before. The record, titled Siamese Temple Ball, was one we had reviewed years ago and was always a steady seller, and for good reason, it's an amazing album. The lp was gone as quick as it came, but it reminded us, that many of you probably missed out on the Siamese Temple Ball cd when we first listed it waaaaaay back, so now here's your chance. A brief discussion of this musical mystery from our original review:
Not much information comes with this disk at all, on the shrink wrap there's a faux pidgen English description claiming: "Flight comes to Thailand in the Year of the Rat. Siamese Temple Ball provide the lilting soundtrack for a chemical journey. Schoolgirls dance bashfully for the expectant throng. Life continues at a comparatively slow pace away from the rigours of fierce sun-light." Which is followed by the (label's) description: "In the tradition of Sun City Girls, Ya Ho Wha 13, The Spacious Mind, Taj Mahal Travellers, Mu, Word of Life, Group 1850, and Ghost, Siamese Temple Ball give maximum pleasure for thirsty brains." Quite a roster of comparisons, the most fitting of which is definitely the Sun City Girls. So while we assume that this record was recorded by a group of precocious, dilettante, ethnomusicologist hipsters, we like to suspend our disbelief and imagine this to be a genuine Folkways-style field recording, as the recording certainly has a genuine field recording presence - a single stereo microphone in a good location. The music itself is a catchy and mesmerizing steady pulse of various and sundry percussion instruments (metal, wood, skin), hollers, yelps, and rococo melodic lines spun out by tinny electric guitars, xylophones, flutes and Khan (mouth organ.) And yes, it's quite good.
MPEG Stream: "Track 1"
MPEG Stream: "Track 2"

SIAN ALICE GROUP 59.59 (The Social Registry) cd 14.98

SIBILANCE s/t cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Thanks to Brian Turner at the mighty WFMU for turning us onto this. Sibilance is a one man ambient-drone-prepared-guitar-musique-concrete project and involves an amazing array of instrumentation and techniques. The end result is a gorgeously hypnotic, ambient soundscape of whir and hum and rumble and clatter. So nice. Here's the list of instrumentation from the man himself:
"Prepared electric guitar (using electric toothbrushes), field recordings of metal objects being scraped alongside a building at night, field recording of a train, prepared electric guitar (capo at the 12th fret, strings being played behind capo), prepared electric guitar w/delay pedal (screwdriver wedged between strings, sound is screwdriver hitting guitar body), prepared electric guitar (screwdriver used as a slide), prepared acoustic steel string guitar (various objects wedged under strings, played like a hammer dulcimer), prepared electric guitar (sounds kind of train-like, screwdrivers wedged between strings), slowed down field recording of static on an AM radio, prepared piano (various objects strategically placed between certain strings), slowed down field recording of typing on a keyboard, slowed down prepared guitar (hammer dulcimer style), field recording of frogs at night and teenagers screaming from the back of a passing truck, standard acoustic steel string guitar, prepared electric guitar & cat (drumstick wedged under strings being snapped against guitar body, while bowing strings w/violin bow), slowed down recording of prepared acoustic guitar (played dulcimer style), normal speed recording of prepared acoustic guitar (dulcimer setup), even slower recordings of two prepared acoustic guitars (hammer dulcimer type setup on both), prepared electric guitar (played with violin bow and objects wedged under strings moved to change tension), prepared electric guitar & delay pedal (played using violin bow, sounds whale-like), prepared electric guitar (objects under strings moved to change tension while strumming), standard classical guitar & field recordings of birds, backwards odd improv with acoustic and classical guitars, field recording of very strong thunderstorm (complete with sirens), slowed down recording of prepared electric guitar (screwdriver wedged under strings, vibrating against guitar body), normal speed recording of prepared electric guitar (with screwdriver wedged under strings as before), standard electric guitar & backwards recording of prepared acoustic guitar (played with screwdriver serving as a kind of bow), prepared acoustic guitar (played hammer dulcimer style), prepared electric guitar (setup with a few screwdrivers wedged under alternating strings, vibrating all over the place), slowed down backwards recording of prepared electric guitar (using objects wedged under strings and played with violin bow)." Wow. But like we said, it's the music that counts, and the music is lovely and entrancing. Fans of the Dead C, Gate, Birchville Cat Motel and the like will dig this quite a bit.
MPEG Stream: "Sibilance"

SIC Thought Noises (Dark Entries) lp 15.98
Thought Noises spans the brief career of the Belgian post-punk outfit Sic, whose short run from 1979-1981 amassed three singles and some demos, which are all collected here, thanks to the wonderful archivist post-punk / minimal-wave label Dark Entries. Sic grounded their sound on an axis balanced between Micheline Dufert's vocals and the expressive bass of Francis Pourcel. Drums, synths, sax, and an occasional guitar would accompany Sic's sound, as additional members gravitating to the group to bolster the live sound. Dufert broadcasts an innate sneer through her scabrous vocals, which sharply and gutturally articulate the lyrics with plenty of venom. At times, she comes across like a disco-punk diva akin to Lesley Woods from Au Pairs or Eve Libertine from Crass; and at others, she looks to the Neue Deutsche Welle sound with its dark cabaret croon and caterwaul. Pourcel takes his cues on the bass from Peter Hook (Joy Division / New Order) and Jeremy Kerr (A Certain Ratio) with plenty of disco funk overtures. Sic weren't terribly compatible with their Belgian contemporaries, instead looking toward other parts of Europe for their mutant strain of strident, minimalist post-punk.
MPEG Stream: "Voltage Control"
MPEG Stream: "Between"
MPEG Stream: "Inner Time"

SIC ALPS A Long Way Around To A Shortcut (Animal Disguise) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We've long been extolling the kick ass retro distorto pop virtues of SF's own Sic Alps. A series of awesome lps, 7"s, cassettes, all way too limited and gone in a flash.
Well the dudes at Animal Disguise have got your back, compiling almost all of those out of print goodies, here's a list: the Description Of The Harbor 12", the Strawberry Guillotine 7", the Semi-Streets 7", the Teenage Alps cassette, the Soft Tour In Rough Form 12", a track from the Hip Hop Shop Sweepers comp and one unreleased song. Whew! That's 26 tracks, in less than an hour, a joyous chunk of noisy, distortion drenched noisepop, lilting, falsetto vocals, detuned guitars, plink plonk piano, everything soaked in reverb and delay, gloriously ramshackle and DIY.
The disc opens with a Strapping Fieldhands cover (definitely one of Sic Alps' sonic forefathers) that begins all pretty and minor key and evolves into a super abstract field of high end ambience, random percussive clatter and feedback. From that point on, the disc offers up short and sharp track after track, acoustic guitars, woodblocks, maracas, shakers, simple drums, more piano, sing songy Lou Reed-ish vocals, super tinny electric guitar, blown out distortion, awesome druggy fuzz, woozy grooves, buzzy distorted old school garage rock, acid fried psych pop, and lots and lots of NOISE. It's no coincidence that Sic Alps shared members with other noisepop locals like Iran and the Coachwhips. Fans of those bands will definitely dig this stuff too.
Messy, chaotic, wild and wooly, rocking and weird, stripped down and distorted, fuzzy and noisy, what more could you want?
MPEG Stream: "Description Of The Harbor (Strapping Field Hands)"
MPEG Stream: "Strawberry Guillotine"
MPEG Stream: "And What Came Next"
MPEG Stream: "Arthur Machen"

SIC ALPS A Long Way Around To A Shortcut (Drag City) lp 21.00
Now available on VINYL!!! Which is especially good, as the cd is out of print and no longer available, so grab one of these while you can...
All the better, since it's been out of print in the cd format for a while. Here's what we said about it when we did have the cd:
We've long been extolling the kick ass retro distorto pop virtues of SF's own Sic Alps. A series of awesome lps, 7"s, cassettes, all way too limited and gone in a flash.
Well, A Long Way Around To A Shortcut compiles almost all of those out of print goodies, here's a list: the Description Of The Harbor 12", the Strawberry Guillotine 7", the Semi-Streets 7", the Teenage Alps cassette, the Soft Tour In Rough Form 12", a track from the Hip Hop Shop Sweepers comp and one unreleased song. Whew! That's 26 tracks, in less than an hour, a joyous chunk of noisy, distortion drenched noisepop, lilting, falsetto vocals, detuned guitars, plink plonk piano, everything soaked in reverb and delay, gloriously ramshackle and DIY. And on vinyl now too no less!!
The disc opens with a Strapping Fieldhands cover (definitely one of Sic Alps' sonic forefathers) that begins all pretty and minor key and evolves into a super abstract field of high end ambience, random percussive clatter and feedback. From that point on, the disc offers up short and sharp track after track, acoustic guitars, woodblocks, maracas, shakers, simple drums, more piano, sing songy Lou Reed-ish vocals, super tinny electric guitar, blown out distortion, awesome druggy fuzz, woozy grooves, buzzy distorted old school garage rock, acid fried psych pop, and lots and lots of NOISE. It's no coincidence that Sic Alps shared members with other noisepop locals like Iran and the Coachwhips. Fans of those bands will definitely dig this stuff too.
Messy, chaotic, wild and wooly, rocking and weird, stripped down and distorted, fuzzy and noisy, what more could you want?
MPEG Stream: "Description Of The Harbor (Strapping Field Hands)"
MPEG Stream: "Strawberry Guillotine"
MPEG Stream: "And What Came Next"
MPEG Stream: "Arthur Machen"

SIC ALPS Battery Townsley (Drag City) 7" 6.50
Two new singles from SF's own Sic Alps, aka Mike Donovan and company, and both sound kind like they could have come from the same session, even the artwork makes them seem like two parts of some sort of maxi double single. Hard to imagine most folks not wanting both, as they're both pretty great.
"Battery Townsley" starts off with the A side title track all urgently strummed acoustic guitar, cardboard box percussion, and thick reverby vocals, a seriously hooky melody, the sort Sic Alps seem to have a lock on, which leads right into the oddly titled "Cambridge Vagina", a kick ass distorted blast of fuzz drenched psychedelic jangle, that should have fans of The Oh Sees who haven't already discovered the joys of Sic Alps making up for lost time.
The "Breadhead" single offers up the title track, which is another primo slab of fuzzy, jammy jangle, plenty distorted and reverby, with that subtly folky undercurrent that all the Sic Alps seem to have, like some lost Dylan track cranked and super charged, which gives way to two short blasts of experimental psych, one a big guitar-ed heavily panned acoustic groover with whispered vox the other a super lo-fi wild rhythmic practice space jam, before finishing off with "Can't You See", a Wailers cover, that sounds like some lost classic sixties psych pop a la The Who or the Kinks, which makes sense as it features Matthew Melton from the Bare Wires playing bass, as well as Dwyer from Thee Oh Sees playing guitar and Ty Segall playing drums, a veritable SF garage rock supergroup. Needless to say, you should probably just buy both...

SIC ALPS Breadhead (Drag City) 7" 6.50
Two new singles from SF's own Sic Alps, aka Mike Donovan and company, and both sound kind like they could have come from the same session, even the artwork makes them seem like two parts of some sort of maxi double single. Hard to imagine most folks not wanting both, as they're both pretty great.
"Battery Townsley" starts off with the A side title track all urgently strummed acoustic guitar, cardboard box percussion, and thick reverby vocals, a seriously hooky melody, the sort Sic Alps seem to have a lock on, which leads right into the oddly titled "Cambridge Vagina", a kick ass distorted blast of fuzz drenched psychedelic jangle, that should have fans of The Oh Sees who haven't already discovered the joys of Sic Alps making up for lost time.
The "Breadhead" single offers up the title track, which is another primo slab of fuzzy, jammy jangle, plenty distorted and reverby, with that subtly folky undercurrent that all the Sic Alps seem to have, like some lost Dylan track cranked and super charged, which gives way to two short blasts of experimental psych, one a big guitar-ed heavily panned acoustic groover with whispered vox the other a super lo-fi wild rhythmic practice space jam, before finishing off with "Can't You See", a Wailers cover, that sounds like some lost classic sixties psych pop a la The Who or the Kinks, which makes sense as it features Matthew Melton from the Bare Wires playing bass, as well as Dwyer from Thee Oh Sees playing guitar and Ty Segall playing drums, a veritable SF garage rock supergroup. Needless to say, you should probably just buy both...

SIC ALPS Fool's Mag (Folding) cassette 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Whoo! Hoo! We finally got another last little handful of these babies back in stock!
Another little chunk of fractured noise pop from local popkid Sic Alps aka Mike Donovan. This is not super new, but odds are most folks never got their hands on it, as the label (Donovan, actually) sort of stopped making them for a while. So after a bit of nudging and cajoling, Fool's Mag is finally available again... for the first time, sort of. An ep length collection of that fuzzy washed out pop we've grown to love, and that only Sic Alps seems to kick out. Folks who dig stuff like Iran and Oh Sees, who haven't heard Sic Alps should really give it a chance, as they traffic in the same sort of hook filled noise drenched poppiness.
Short and sharp, warm muted distorted guitars, simple Pavement-y drumming, whiney sad boy vox, that occasionally slip into a strained falsetto, awesome buzzy sort-of-leads, lush harmonies, all buried in hiss and murk, the sound WAY lo-fi, but somehow the pop still shines through, hooks galore, melodies that will stick in your head like crazy, some of the best Sic Alps songs so far.
Not sure how long we'll have these, we did get a bunch, but you never know...

SIC ALPS How Does Vedley Gather? (Drag City) 7" 6.50
Latest single from Mike Donovan, aka local avant psychedelic garage pop one man band Sic Alps, and it might just be the weirdest one yet. The A side is a pretty pop song pulled apart and deconstructed and wedded to all sorts of blown out beats and experimental 4-trackery, super percussive and abstract, almost funky at points, with acoustic guitar strum, and sweet falsetto croon peppered with bursts of distorto drumming, and some wild production, this twisted arrangement hiding what seems to be a sweet hooky jangle pop gem, but it's hard to tell at times, with the sound flitting from strummy and sweet, to bombastic and chaotic, to angular and abstract. It's a pretty potent combination though.
The flipside almost sounds like an alternate version of the A side, or maybe a 'dub', the same fuzzy dream pop, all urgent strum and sweet croon, this time pocked with clouds of radio interference and more of those big booming distorted drums, but it's still not enough chaos and skree to disguise the perfect pop and its center. Nice!