SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE Pretending Eternal (Hooker Vision) cassette 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another out of left-field gem from Hooker Vision, who've really tapped into the deep underbelly of what The Wire had pegged as "New Weird America." Frank Baugh (aka Sparking Wide Pressure) carries on the tradition of outsider / asynchronous artists warping blues, rock, and folk sensibilities within his own drug-addled visions of narcoleptic collages and murkily psychedelic droning. Bauer hails from the satellite city of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where he's crafted a number of DIY psyche-drone explorations that seem to have a psychic connection with those similar hallucinatory vibes from the Starving Weirdos or the self-subverting detours of Tarentel's latter day incarnations. Sensible basslines, humble electronic structures, and Byrds-like acoustic jangle form Baugh's foundations which blossom through dizzying, lo-fi layers of heavy, washed-out distortion, fucked-up megaphone vocals, and some unhinged knuckle dragging on the guitar that might warrant a Richard Youngs / Bill Orcutt comparison. What residues of Americana that reside in Baugh's work has been forgotten, then found, then lost again, only to be crumpled up in a pair of jeans and left to soak in the chemical properties from some pot shake tossed nearby. As with all the Hooker Vision tapes, this one is limited to 100 copies.
MPEG Stream: "Learning A Name"

SPARKS A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing (Wounded Bird) cd 14.98
Hot on the heels of Sparks latest effort, the wonderful Hello Young Lovers (reviewed two lists ago), we get these reissues of the first two Sparks albums, 1971's self-titled debut and A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing from 1972. It's amazing to see the bookends of an topsy-turvy 35-year career and how full circle the sound has become. These records sound as unique as they must have 35 years ago, because of course they are new to us, having never heard any recording before 1973's proto-glam masterpiece Kimono My House. It's funny how after hearing these two records back-to-back, we've been hearing the Mael brothers sound in everything from the new Fiery Furnaces to Jennifer Gentle. Please don't make us decide which one is better because they are both so good!
The second album from Sparks is just as delightfully non-conventional and non-commercial as its predecessor. This time, Thaddeus James Lowe handles the production and there is an even more emphasized glam feel in the rhythm section. The theatrics are also more amped up, most noticeably in their bizarre cover of "Do Re Mi" from the Sound of Music and the Sea-Chanty rock of "Beaver O'Lundy". "Whippings and Apologies" closes the album with an anthem on the par of Bowie's "Queen Bitch" and Queen's "Seven Seas of Rhye". Awesome!
MPEG Stream: "Girl From Germany"
MPEG Stream: "Underground"
MPEG Stream: "Whippings and Apologies"

SPARKS Dick Around (In The Red) cd ep 10.98
We were quite smitten with Sparks' latest album Hello Young Lovers which came out earlier this year. Their over-the-top grand weirdo-orchestral-pop is just so hard to resist. While many of us were hoping we would get to see them live, they haven't really toured the states in a while. But this ep will tide us over for a little while, with 3 live tracks from a rare concert in LA recorded around the time they appeared on the TV show The Gilmore Girls along with Sonic Youth. This ep also includes two non-live tracks: a different version of "(Baby Baby) Can I Invade Your Country, and the album version of "Dick Around" - a glossy suitably bizarre oompa loompa operatic extravaganza. The cd ends with a radio interview hosted by Steve Jones of Sex Pistols fame. Also included are two videos, one for "Dick Around", the other for "Perfume"!!!
MPEG Stream: "(Baby Baby) Can I Invade Your Country (alt lyrics)"
MPEG Stream: "In The Future (live)"

SPARKS Dick Around (In The Red) 7" 4.50
We were quite smitten with Spark's latest album Hello Young Lovers which came out earlier this year. Their over-the-top grand weirdo-orchestral-pop is just so hard to resist. While many of us were hoping we would get to see them live, they haven't really toured the states in a while. This 7" has the great album track "Dick Around" - a glossy suitably bizarre oompa loompa operatic extravaganza - as well as a live track recorded in LA around the time they made a special appearance on the TV show The Gilmore Girls alongside Sonic Youth.

SPARKS Exotic Creatures Of The Deep (Lil Beethoven) cd 14.98
Wow! The Mael brothers have done it again. Who else, thirty-seven years into their career and 20+ records later, are making some of the most charged and vital music of their life? Pretty much no one except Sparks! Exotic Creatures comes hot on the heels of their summer residency in London where they spent the better part of a month playing EACH ONE of their records night after night in chronological order. The last night of those performances they unveiled this brand new record to the world and man how much we wish we could have been there. As Exotic Creatures Of The Deep deserves such a grand and staged presentation. But it's doing magical wonders through our speakers and headphones too.
Very much in line with their last two great records, Hello Young Lovers and Lil' Beethoven, this album feels like it's part of a truly remarkable trilogy of bombastic, orchestral, grandiose pop done so right.
If it's possible, this record seems even more flamboyant and fiery than past outings but in only the most glorious ways. It's also filled with some of the most beautiful pop melodies you will hear this year, songs with more twists and turns and surprises then most prog bands could dream of and an understanding of what crafting an album that works from start to finish is all about.
What makes Sparks so special is that beyond the tongue in cheek word play, clever titles, and wry sense of humor, is something always so honest, intense and individual in their music and vision. Songs with the ability to be both so self-deprecating yet totally triumphant. We urge you to spend lots of time with this record on your headphones or blasting it alone in your house, as it's when you really spend deep quality one-on-one time with this record that it really takes a hold of your senses and enters your life in such a striking way. Even though the album begins with the angelic singing of the words "I don't care if you love me, just as long as you like me" we can't help but still be so in LOVE with Sparks!
MPEG Stream: "I Cant Believe You Would Fall For All The Crap In This Song"
MPEG Stream: "(She Got Me) Pregnant"
MPEG Stream: "Lighten Up, Morrissey"

SPARKS Hello Young Lovers (In The Red) cd 13.98
Wow! 30+ years after their beginnings Sparks have made one of the best records of their career! Brothers Ron & Russell Mael are sometimes known best for their totally amazing moustaches and their Queen-like approach to symphonic pop with totally quirky leanings. Truth be told they formed a year before Queen in 1970 and actually had Queen as openers for many shows in their early years. In their 36 year existence they've been all over the map, being under appreciated and ahead of their time with their ubber smart art-pop, then going for disco gold with Giorgio Moroder in the late 70's, hitting the charts with The Go-Go's Jane Wiedlin in the early 80's and then...well then it seems like the world stopped noticing them. But they never really stopped and thats part of the beauty of Sparks. It's undeniable that what they do is so a part of them and all their quirky eccentristies might make some annoyed but they're so smart and too cool to even care. Their last release Lil' Beethoven was arguably one of their strongest in a decade but with Hello Young Lovers they've totally reignited their flame of totally infectious (we're talking infectious, like it will be in your head when you go to sleep when you wake up when you are on the bus when you are at work -- and this is something to worry about), totally ridiculous, totally over the top brilliant dorky super smart pop from men who remind us that men are still boys when all is said and done. From Devo to Nomeansno to current spazzy punkers you can feel the influence of Sparks in both sound and sentiment. Like a possesed house band in Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory making their own brilliantly crazed multiple Bohemian Rhapsodys over and over and over for eternity. Underneath all the flamboyance and fireworks though you always get the sense that Sparks mean every single breath of it and that's what makes them so totally special. YEAH!
NB. we have to say also, if you're a fan of Steven Schultz and his many projects, you will DEFINITELY love this...
MPEG Stream: "Dick Around"
MPEG Stream: "Perfume"
MPEG Stream: "Metaphor"

SPARKS Hello Young Lovers (In The Red) lp 10.98
Now available on vinyl!!
Wow! 30+ years after their beginnings Sparks have made one of the best records of their career! Brothers Ron & Russell Mael are sometimes known best for their totally amazing moustaches and their Queen-like approach to symphonic pop with totally quirky leanings. Truth be told they formed a year before Queen in 1970 and actually had Queen as openers for many shows in their early years. In their 36 year existence they've been all over the map, being under appreciated and ahead of their time with their ubber smart art-pop, then going for disco gold with Giorgio Moroder in the late 70's, hitting the charts with The Go-Go's Jane Wiedlin in the early 80's and then...well then it seems like the world stopped noticing them. But they never really stopped and thats part of the beauty of Sparks. It's undeniable that what they do is so a part of them and all their quirky eccentristies might make some annoyed but they're so smart and too cool to even care. Their last release Lil' Beethoven was arguably one of their strongest in a decade but with Hello Young Lovers they've totally reignited their flame of totally infectious (we're talking infectious, like it will be in your head when you go to sleep when you wake up when you are on the bus when you are at work -- and this is something to worry about), totally ridiculous, totally over the top brilliant dorky super smart pop from men who remind us that men are still boys when all is said and done. From Devo to Nomeansno to current spazzy punkers you can feel the influence of Sparks in both sound and sentiment. Like a possesed house band in Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory making their own brilliantly crazed multiple Bohemian Rhapsodys over and over and over for eternity. Underneath all the flamboyance and fireworks though you always get the sense that Sparks mean every single breath of it and that's what makes them so totally special. YEAH!
NB. we have to say also, if you're a fan of Steven Schultz and his many projects, you will DEFINITELY love this...
MPEG Stream: "Dick Around"
MPEG Stream: "Perfume"
MPEG Stream: "Metaphor"

SPARKS Indiscreet (Universal / Island) cd 16.98

SPARKS Introducing Sparks (Lil Beethoven) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Over The Summer"
MPEG Stream: "Forever Young"

SPARKS Kimono My House (Universal / Island) cd 16.98

SPARKS Kimono My House (Island) lp 21.00

SPARKS No. 1 In Heaven (Oasis / Repertoire) cd 14.98
No.1 In Heaven was a match made in pop genius heaven! The matching of the super smart snappy pop chops of Sparks with the golden electronic touch of Giorgio Moroder at the prime of his magical production prowess, FANTASTICO!!! The year was 1979 and disco was at its zenith and lots of very non-disco folks were jumping on the bandwagon with pretty bland and lame results. But the collaboration of Moroder's spaced out and fantastical production with Sparks sharp wit and knack for ultracatchy melodies was such a perfect match! With Sparks still punching out fast paced pop and Moroder adding an element of electronic spacey wonder to the mix, this is simply one of the best records in the extensive Sparks catalog. 25 years after its release and folks like Hot Chip and Of Montreal are getting the kids all worked up with their brand of super fun and smart dancey pop that can find it's roots right here on No.1 In Heaven. While this is not a new reissue we never realized it had been issued on cd so we had to jump at the chance of sharing this long time favorite with as many new ears as possible!
MPEG Stream: "La Dolce Vita"
MPEG Stream: "Tryouts For The Human Race"
MPEG Stream: "Beat The Clock"

SPARKS Propaganda (Universal / Island) cd 16.98

SPARKS s/t (Wounded Bird) cd 14.98
Hot on the heels of Sparks latest effort, the wonderful Hello Young Lovers (reviewed two lists ago), we get these reissues of the first two Sparks albums, 1971's self-titled debut and A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing from 1972. It's amazing to see the bookends of an topsy-turvy 35-year career and how full circle the sound has become. These records sound as unique as they must have 35 years ago, because of course they are new to us, having never heard any recording before 1973's proto-glam masterpiece Kimono My House. It's funny how after hearing these two records back-to-back, we've been hearing the Mael brothers sound in everything from the new Fiery Furnaces to Jennifer Gentle. Please don't make us decide which one is better because they are both so good!
Produced by Todd Rundgren (MeatLoaf, Badfinger and New York Dolls) for his Bearsville Record label imprint, this must be one of the strangest debut records of 1971. Apart from early Alice Cooper, we can't quite think of a record or band so out of left-field as this (check out Ron Mael on the cover looking like early Prince with a Hitler 'stache!). While the dominant sound coming out of LA at the time was either mellow singer-songwriters or country inflected roots rock, Sparks arrived on the scene with art-y bombast, campy falsetto vocals, and strange time changes straight out of musical theatre. Never quite fitting in the confines of glam, classic rock, or power pop, Sparks infectious blend of smart, satirical song-writing and vocal theatrics would take awhile to connect with mainstream audiences. However they definitely set the stage for the likes of Queen as well as, of course, almost all of New Wave!
MPEG Stream: "Wonder Girl"
MPEG Stream: "Biology 2"
MPEG Stream: "(No More) Mr. Nice Guys"

SPARKS Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman (Lil' Beethoven) cd 14.98

SPARKS Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman (Lil' Beethoven) 2lp 34.00

SPARKS Whomp That Sucker (Oasis) cd 22.00
Sparks are experiencing a much deserved surge in respect and attention lately after thirty seven years of crafting some of the most innovative, arousing and irreverent pop music ever. Much of their back catalog is being reissued so expect to see lots of their titles reviewed here in the months to come. We've already expressed our profound love for their first couple outings and their amazing Giorgio Moroder produced No.1 In Heaven remains an all time AQ favorite, and their last few outings have thrilled us with their over the top indulgence and pure pop genius.
Whomp That Sucker has always been one of their overlooked albums, their first record after parting ways with Giorgio Moroder, who gave the band a more dance/disco vibe on the two records that came before this one. This record found Sparks in full on new-wave overdrive reflecting the year it was recorded, 1981, yet like so much of their back catalog it really stands the test of time. Five different kinds of keyboards and synthesizers were used in making this record and the songs are filled with crazy catchy hooks and some of their most amusing lyrics with songs that sound like Devo channeling The Knack and 10cc.
With the recent flood of newer bands looking to the '80s for inspiration in their hip shaking sassy pop (Hot Chip, Of Montreal, Cut Copy, Tough Alliance, etc.) it's pretty awesome to go back to 1981 and hear how it's really done. So fun and additive!
MPEG Stream: "Tips For Teens"
MPEG Stream: "Upstairs"
MPEG Stream: "Wacky Women"

SPARKS, TIM At The Rebbe's Table (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Inoffensive classical guitar jazz in John Zorn's new series of background music for upscale dinner parties, in which the horrors of globalization are discussed without being aware of the irony that all of the guests are sporting clothes from The Gap.
RealAudio clip: "Returning From The River"
RealAudio clip: "At The Rebbe's Table"
RealAudio clip: "Beautiful City"

SPARO, FRANKIE Arena Hostile (Constellation) cd 7.98
Second release from this mysterious Canadian solo artist who goes by the pseudonym Frankie Sparo. A couple of years ago he made the move east from Victoria, BC to Montreal, PQ and into the welcoming arms of the Constellation label. Now don't swiftly lump him in with the rest of that label's stable of artists, he definitely stands apart, with the primary focus being on his hoarsely emotive voice. These are four raw, intimate whiskey-soaked songs of poetic broodings from one intensely lonely, world-weary and embittered gent. With A Silver Mt. Zion / GYBEmperor members providing the swells, hiss and crackle that intensify the mood, this performance was recorded on 2-track At KPRO radio in Amsterdam. Fans of Black Heart Procession and perhaps Vic Chesnutt, take note.
RealAudio clip: "The Night We Stayed In"

SPARO, FRANKIE My Red Scare (Constellation) cd 14.98
God Damn Their Various Side Projects!!! A new one by a Mr Frankie Sparo of Godspeed You Black Emperor. Mopey, slow over-saturated tunes. Sort of like Souled American, but without the elements that make Souled American charming.

SPARO, FRANKIE Welcome Crummy Mystics (Constellation) cd 14.98
The third release from Canadian singer/songwriter Frankie Sparo presents another collection of his weight-of-the-world-on-his-shoulders songs. Always seeming slightly unhinged and on the verge of emotional collapse, he sings each song as if clawing for his last shred of hope. His is a deeply anguished delivery - often to the point of crackly hoarse shouting or the most brittle whisper - which bear more than a passing resemblance to early Vic Chesnutt. On the songs featuring very spartan piano or guitar accompaniment, all is laid open with each word hanging in the air. However, this album marks some new developments in the realm of Mr. Sparo. One is the addition of an official second band member, N. Moss brings backing vocals and keyboards into the fold. Another is the full band (which surely includes a few GYBE friends) presence on a few songs contributing to a more expansive and dramatic, but no less intimate sound. Once again, recorded by Godspeed's Efrim.
RealAudio clip: "City As It Might Have Been"
RealAudio clip: "Hospitalville"

SPARROW s/t (Overcoat) cd 14.98
For months and months we kept on hearing rumblings about a new Zumpano album being "in the works" and "almost done", but what with Carl Newman so deeply ensconced in New Pornographer land... alas, it seems it just never got finished. Not ones to sit on their hands, the rest of AQ's favorite Z-band picked up and pursued other various projects. The band's namesake and drummer Jason Zumpano sat right down and penned a slew of his own songs - some solely piano compositions, some full band grand pop numbers. This is his album of the latter, and not unsurprisingly, what a delight it is! He more than ably handles all songwriting, vocal and keyboard duties, and is joined by his former Zumpano colleague Mike Ledwidge - on guitar as well as Scott Morgan (Loscil) on drums. Just as the case was with Mr. Newman and the NPs, expectations were high. It's pretty impossible not to draw comparisons to their former band. Fortunately so far it's all been in the most positive light, and Sparrow is no exception. Many songs here shine with the same stellar pop sensibilities as well as some other stylish details - standing solidly on their own merits. Take the second song "One Eye Closed" for instance, a spritely, dandy example driven just as much by a catchy chorus as by a piano line very reminiscent of ABBA's "Waterloo" of all things! Other songs draw nods to XTC and Squeeze too. Those are some big classic pop footsteps to follow, and yes, Jason Zumpano and co. more than hold their own, thank you!
MPEG Stream: "One Eye Closed"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Stand On Me"

SPARROW The Early Years (Absolutely Kosher) cd 12.98
Jason Zumpano (of the great but sadly defunct Canadian band... Zumpano) offers up his second Sparrow full length. Sure folks can't help but draw comparisons to his old bandmates' current mighty pop bands (New Pornographers and A.C. Newman), and yeah, there's the tell-tale Vancouver pianos, strings, horns and bright vocal harmonies, but Sparrow has a retro pop charm all its own. Sleepy-eyed, boyish and sweet.
MPEG Stream: "The Early Years"
MPEG Stream: "Late Last Night"

SPARROWS SWARM AND SING O'Shenandoah, Mighty Death Will Find Me (Magic Bullet) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

MPEG Stream: "Across Canyons / Canons"
MPEG Stream: "Father Death / Mother Nature"

SPARTA Porcelain (Geffen) cd 16.98
Sparta (aka the non-'fro ex-members of At The Drive In) offer up their second full length. Whereas their former bandmates Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodrigues have taken their band The Mars Volta into more prog/art rock territory, Sparta have chosen to stay in emo mode, tempering the ATDI punk angst and aggression into a more radio/MTV-friendly, near-anthemic sound. We noted though that oddly enough the lead vocals are often very similar to ex-ATDI singer Bixler as well as Fugazi's Ian MacKaye. Catchy, intelligent and creative, Porcelain is a solid follow-up to the equally well-received Wiretap Scars.
MPEG Stream: "Hiss The Villain"
MPEG Stream: "Travel By Bloodline"

SPARTAN LOVER, THE Eye Drop / Silk Smooth Skin (Losonofono) 7" 5.98
Here we go, another seven inches of skweee from Lo Dubs subsidiary Losonofono, a label devoted to that very special Scandinavian electro subgenre we love so much. Previously they hit us with the "apocalyptic skweee" soundz of Sweden's Daniel Savio, now it's The Spartan Lover's turn to pump some squelching, sizzling skweee our way. Like Savio, this Finnish artist, his name a tribute of course to electro/hiphop legend The Egyptian Lover, is a key skweee producer, you've already heard him on the Museum Of Future Sound Vol.2, Skweee Tooth, and The Internalization Of Massy compilations amongst other appearances.
Two trax here, both great, with lotsa fat funky low-end.

SPARXXX, BUBBA The Charm (Virgin) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Heat It Up"
MPEG Stream: "Ms. New Booty"

SPAZZ Sweatin' 3: Skatin' Satan & Katon (Slap A Ha m) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Collection number three of oldies but goodies from the bay area's own lovable masters of goofball powerviolence/fastcore. Funny and fast and heavy and ridiculous. And they're beginning to rival Tupac for number of posthumous releases. Which in this case is not a bad thing.

SPAZZ Sweatin' II: Deported Live Dwarf (Six Two Five Thrashcore) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Second, posthumous collection of stuff by the Bay Area's fastcore/powerviolence goofball legends.

SPAZZTIC BLURR s/t (Earache) cd 10.98
"Way beyond speed!! / Spazztic Blurr!!!! / There is no cure!! / For The Spazztic Blurr!! ... Let There Be Spazztic! -- Let there Be Blurr!"
Holy hell. We never thought that Earache would reissue this out of print record on cd! This 1988 LP of absurdist metal has been long sought after by Allan, 'cause he just loves the Spazztic Blurr song found on that classic Earache label "Grind Crusher" compilation. That song ("He-Nota-Home-Me-Marco") is found here along with 13 other examples of their brilliantly (?) mindless, stream of consciousness, dadaistic thrash songwriting. Ok, normally Allan doesn't approve of overtly silly joke bands. But these guys totally take their jokes into a shaggy dog realm of utter nonsequiturship. Lyrics about Burger King, boardgames, the Flintstones, the alphabet, hardcore punks and rappers...yes it's childish. But it's also 1988. And then there's the way they include descriptions of what's going on musically at each point in a song on the lyric sheet (some examples: "Distorted Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Distorted Guitar, Acoustic Guitar...", "Total Speed Metal Ending", "Weird Effect", "Surf Part", "Isn't It Neat How This Songs Jumps Right In?"). They were probably a huge influence on John Zorn! Kinda like Dead Milkmen meets the Suicidal Tendencies, for fans of Ludichrist, Lawnmower Deth, S.O.D., 7000 Dying Rats, that sort of thing.
RealAudio clip: "He-Nota-Home"
RealAudio clip: "Def Metal"
RealAudio clip: "Mexicalli"

SPEAKERS, THE En El Maravilloso Mundo De Ingeson cd 16.98
We've had this cult Latin American psych reissue on and off (mostly off) for a few years now, and so since we just managed to score a dozen copies the other day we figured we'd relist it, for those of you who might not have gotten a chance to hear it (or hear about it) yet. Not sure when/if we'll be able to get more, so the usual 'act fast' warning applies!
Here's what we said about this before: Whoa, this is a strange disc, a reissue of some primo Columbian psych acid-rock pop weirdness circa 1968. Totally trippy and weird, starting with the wonderfully freaky cover drawing of the band, with the music being even freakier. Probably inspired by Sgt. Pepper's and buttloads of drugs. The Speakers (also known as Kris Kringle on an LP reissue of this, for some reason) play nice Spanish-language pop/beat music that's been totally messed with, coming closer to Nurse With Wound than the Mutantes (although if you can imagine all the ridiculous moments of studio-fuckery on the Mutantes cds crammed into one disc, this would be it). Completely odd and delightful! And who can forget that track sung in the bizarre squeaky baby voice...
Some additional interest might be stirred regarding this due to the fact that the band was recently profiled in issue 22 of Ugly Things magazine issue! We learned a few interesting things from that article, among them that The Speakers, at the time, were apparently quite popular in their home country. Who would have thunk? And, "En El Maravilloso Mundo De Ingeson" is explained -- Ingeson was the name of the studio where they were able to record for free at night, in return for putting Ingeson's name in the album title (The Speakers In The Marvelous World Of Ingeson)!
MPEG Stream: "Oda A La Gente Mediocre"
MPEG Stream: "Historia De Un Loto Que Florecio En Otono"

SPEAKERS, THE En El Maravilloso Mundo De Ingeson (SalgaelSol) cd+book 48.00
We've had this cult Latin American psych reissue on and off (mostly off) for a few years now, and so since we just managed to get this super deluxe oversized book edition, we figured we'd relist it, for those of you who might not have gotten a chance to hear it (or hear about it) yet. It's pricey, but the packaging is pretty over the top. And of course it's an amazing album.
The cd comes housed in a 7" sized sleeve, full color and on thick card stock. Inside is affixed a 20 page full color booklet, filled with photos and drawings, and tons and tons of liner notes (all in Spanish unfortunately), and affixed to the inside front cover is a little crunched up chicklet, a replica of the supposed LSD bubble gum that was included in the original album!! Awesome.
Here's what we said about this before:
Whoa, this is a strange disc, a reissue of some primo Columbian psych acid-rock pop weirdness circa 1968. Totally trippy and weird, starting with the wonderfully freaky cover drawing of the band, with the music being even freakier. Probably inspired by Sgt. Pepper's and buttloads of drugs. The Speakers (also known as Kris Kringle on an LP reissue of this, for some reason) play nice Spanish-language pop/beat music that's been totally messed with, coming closer to Nurse With Wound than the Mutantes (although if you can imagine all the ridiculous moments of studio-fuckery on the Mutantes cds crammed into one disc, this would be it). Completely odd and delightful! And who can forget that track sung in the bizarre squeaky baby voice...
Some additional interest might be stirred regarding this due to the fact that the band was recently profiled in issue 22 of Ugly Things magazine issue! We learned a few interesting things from that article, among them that The Speakers, at the time, were apparently quite popular in their home country. Who would have thunk? And, "En El Maravilloso Mundo De Ingeson" is explained -- Ingeson was the name of the studio where they were able to record for free at night, in return for putting Ingeson's name in the album title (The Speakers In The Marvelous World Of Ingeson)!
MPEG Stream: "Oda A La Gente Mediocre"
MPEG Stream: "Historia De Un Loto Que Florecio En Otono"

SPEAKERS, THE (SF) Yeats Is Greats: The Speakers Sing The Poems of W.B. Yeats (and more) (self-released) cd-r 12.98
Not to be confused with the ultra-trippy late-60's Latin American psychedelic rock group of the same name! These San Franciscans are a completely different band, but that's not to say you might not like these folks too. Those who've delighted in anything and everything graced with the wonderful presence of Ms Jolie Holland, and/or The Iron & The Albatross' Ara Anderson will surely wanna sit up and take note of this new cd. All of you more literary types too might wish to close your books for a spell and lend an ear to Yeats Is Great. In addition to those two Bay Area folksy luminaries, this is quite an impressive assembly of like-minded earthy artists joining together to sing, speak, strum, and otherswise celebrate the writings of Yeats.
MPEG Stream: "He Wishes His Beloved Were Dead"
MPEG Stream: "To A Man Young And Old"

SPEAKING CANARIES, THEE Get Out Alive: The Last Type Story (Scat) cd 13.98
Remember that special summer themed in-between list we sent out at the beginning of June? We ordered in copies of this album just to be on it (in lieu of a Van Halen record, since we'd never reviewed VH) and we even mentioned it in the list intro, but then somehow left it off the actual list, whoops!! But since we have it, and it's now officially summer, we figured we'd relist it on this list, definitely a recommended ol' fave from a band that may have flown under a lot of folks' radar. Here's what we wrote about this when we first listed it back in 2003...
Wow, we were surprised and pleased to see the release of a new The(e) Speaking Canaries album! It's been quite a while since 1995's Songs For The Terrestrially Challenged, but they've still got it, in fact, this may be even better than we remembered 'em being. The Speaking Canaries, for those for whom 1995 is a blur, are a band from Pittsburgh featuring the talents of Don Caballero drummer Damon Che. Che plays drums on half the album, but the whole disc showcases his just-as-impressive ability with the electric guitar. His nimble, Eddie Van Halen styled guitar licks are distorted, yet cleanly chiming n' gorgeous. Yep, we said Eddie Van Halen. If you've never heard The Speaking Canaries before you're in for a surprise - Van Halen is an obvious, huge influence. And Damon even lets off some some jubilant David Lee Roth yelps. But, don't get the wrong idea, this is a melodic indie-pop record, not any sort of retro '80s hair metal throwback. The songs are somewhat complex and mathy (as you'd expect from a Don Cabber) but have pop hooks a la Foo Fighters. And these days, after after Trans Am and The Fucking Champs and so forth, the idea of heavy metal guitar heroes in an indie-rock context isn't so novel. It's just good music. Damon and company kick ass on this record, from the three-minute track one (with the excellent title "I Wear Glasses in the Most Brutal Sport Ever Invented") to the disc's hidden bonus track finale. Very recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Coffin Jitters"
MPEG Stream: "Song On A Record You Can't Get"

SPEAKING CANARIES, THEE Get Out Alive: The Last Type Story (Scat) lp 10.98
Remember that special summer themed in-between list we sent out at the beginning of June? We ordered in copies of this album just to be on it (in lieu of a Van Halen record, since we'd never reviewed VH) and we even mentioned it in the list intro, but then somehow left it off the actual list, whoops!! But since we have it, and it's now officially summer, we figured we'd relist it on this list, definitely a recommended ol' fave from a band that may have flown under a lot of folks' radar. Here's what we wrote about this when we first listed it back in 2003...
Wow, we were surprised and pleased to see the release of a new The(e) Speaking Canaries album! It's been quite a while since 1995's Songs For The Terrestrially Challenged, but they've still got it, in fact, this may be even better than we remembered 'em being. The Speaking Canaries, for those for whom 1995 is a blur, are a band from Pittsburgh featuring the talents of Don Caballero drummer Damon Che. Che plays drums on half the album, but the whole disc showcases his just-as-impressive ability with the electric guitar. His nimble, Eddie Van Halen styled guitar licks are distorted, yet cleanly chiming n' gorgeous. Yep, we said Eddie Van Halen. If you've never heard The Speaking Canaries before you're in for a surprise - Van Halen is an obvious, huge influence. And Damon even lets off some some jubilant David Lee Roth yelps. But, don't get the wrong idea, this is a melodic indie-pop record, not any sort of retro '80s hair metal throwback. The songs are somewhat complex and mathy (as you'd expect from a Don Cabber) but have pop hooks a la Foo Fighters. And these days, after after Trans Am and The Fucking Champs and so forth, the idea of heavy metal guitar heroes in an indie-rock context isn't so novel. It's just good music. Damon and company kick ass on this record, from the three-minute track one (with the excellent title "I Wear Glasses in the Most Brutal Sport Ever Invented") to the disc's hidden bonus track finale. Very recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Coffin Jitters"
MPEG Stream: "Song On A Record You Can't Get"

SPEAR Sapphire Flower (IGNIS projekt) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Spear is a Polish post-industrial / dark ambient ensemble who appears to have picked up where the nearly forgotten Cranioclast left off with their cryptographic adventures for linguistic puzzles and deep dronescapes. Amidst glowing ripples of prepared contrabass, tape reversed bells, time-stretched ambience, and fluidly sustaining reverberations, Sapphire Flower maps out a metaphoric narrative that delves into the weighty topic of the twilight between life and death, through the sporadic intervention of computer manipulated voices. The pace of the album is suitably slow and funereal, but never gets too heavy-handed or ghastly partly due to Spear's dedicated emphasis upon the construction of crystalline electro-acoustic droneworks. Thus, the music tells the majority of Sapphire Flower's story rather than the text itself.
Certainly fans of Biosphere and the more subtle atmospheric work of Current 93 / Nurse With Wound would do well to check this out.
RealAudio clip: "No Difference"
RealAudio clip: "N:O:T:H:I:N:K"
RealAudio clip: "Away"

SPECIAL INTERESTS Volume 2 magazine 3.98

SPECIAL PILLOW Inside The Special Pillow (Zofko) cd 8.98
Oooh, inside this Special Pillow you'll find vocals and violins melting sweetly like paisley ice cream cones. Delightful! For close to a decade, Special Pillow have woven their swooning retro psych pop (and yet this is only their second album!). Let it be known however, they're by no means unwilling to amp it up, adding (just a little) garage crunch to their guitars and (just a little) snarl to their singing, and they'll do so at the drop of a hat. Such is the case with the third and fourth songs ("You Can Do It" and "Nothing Important"). If you dig the pretty, wide-eyed and mildly trippy side of '60s style pop psychedelia, cozy up to Special Pillow.
MPEG Stream: "You Can Do It (Just Don't Do It Wrong)"
MPEG Stream: "Nothing Important"

SPECK MOUNTAIN Summer Above (Burnt Brown Sounds) cd 12.98
This is the fine debut album from this Chicago based trio. Some may find the slightly druggy drone'n'twang of Summer Above reminiscent of the velvety languidness of Mazzy Star or Cat Power, but with the distinction that lead singer Marie-Claire Balabanian's drowsily emotive voice flits and floats in a higher register than Hope Sandoval or Chan Marshall. Makes it less of a downer, and more of a sweet, 'drift off on a lazy day' kind of listen.
MPEG Stream: "Summer Above"
MPEG Stream: "Chlorine Fields"

SPECTOR, PHIL Wall Of Sound: The Very Best Of Phil Spector (Phil Spector Records / Legacy) cd 13.98
It goes without saying that Phil Spector really stands (or stood) at the pinnacle of pop music and what it means to be a producer. His 'wall of sound' has influenced generations of amazing bands from the Beach Boys to Jesus & Mary Chain to Spiritualized to the Vivian Girls and beyond. It was actually hard to get so many of his great recordings on cd, unless you snagged the box set that came out years ago, so we're so psyched for this new release of some of his most memorable moments. Working with groups like The Crystals, The Ronettes, Darlene Love, Ike & Tina, and more, this collection shows off Spector's uncanny ability to create pop nuggets that have proven to be timeless and so endlessly addictive. While many of us who like to hang out in the fringes and more obscure realms of the music world, Phil Spector is a reminder of how amazing more mainstream pop music can be when in the hands of a musical genius.
While much of his personal life is depressing and distressing, he seems to be a part of a long tradition of deeply troubled music producers who were able to use music to channel the beauty inside of them that they had such a hard time doing in all other aspects of their life. With so many bands of the moment like Dum Dum Girls, The Raveonettes, Shannon & The Clams, and The Sandwitches taking so much from Spector's sound, it's perfect timing for these songs to be made available again.
MPEG Stream: THE CRYSTALS "Then He Kissed Me"
MPEG Stream: IKE & TINA TURNER "River Deep, Mountain High"
MPEG Stream: THE RONETTES "Walkiing In The Rain"
MPEG Stream: DARLENE LOVE "A Fine, Fine Boy"

SPECTRAL INCURSION Anthology (Stormspell) 2cd 13.98
Talk about simultaneously awesome and obscure. Delving deep into '80s metal buried treasure, Stormspell's Days Of Yore division has come up with this double cd, rollercoaster ride of a reissue, that anyone into technical thrashing prog metal ought to utterly enjoy. It's from a Massachusetts band, Spectral Incursion, who never even released an album, just a bunch of demos and one ep. Way underground, mathy metallic music-making mania on display here, jawdropping and headbanging.
Unrestrained, raw and ripping stuff from young guys more concerned with coming up with cool new parts for their twisting, turning songs than in being popular. We're lovin' it. The jagged, splintered riffs and tricky time signatures multiply throughout these heavy, hectic compositions, with leads spiraling up alongside vocals that scream, soar, and roar. Each over the top track seems designed by/for the ADD afflicted, shooting off in a new direction every few seconds, yet not neglecting melody and a rock n' roll vibe. Intricate, eccentric, exhilarating - and we really like how the DIY-ness of this mitigates against any potential pretentiousness a la big time prog metal like Dream Theater. This really is some kids tossing their faves like Rush, Priest, Sabbath, Maiden, Slayer, and Fates Warning into a sharp-bladed blender on high. If you're a fan of such bands as Confessor, Atheist, Watchtower, Coroner, or Hellwitch, you should definitely check this out!
Disc one consists of demo tapes from 1988 and 1991, their four song ep from '88, and four tracks recorded in 2010 by the reunited band, doing old songs by pre-Spectral Incursion incarnation Graven Image, whose demos circa 1986-'87 occupy disc two, which also contains some video clips for your computer.
Super cool, constantly surprising, what this lacks in production polish they make up for in precision - and sheer insanity. As always, great to see a forgotten band this good (and gonzo) get their due. Complete with thick, slick cd booklet full of liner notes, lyrics, etc.
MPEG Stream: "The Other Side"
MPEG Stream: "Constant Velocity"
MPEG Stream: "Surgery"

SPECTRAL LORE I (Temple Of Torturous) cd 10.98

SPECTRAL LORE II (Temple Of Torturous) cd 12.98
The first we heard from Greek one man ambient black metal horde was on a split with Swedish psychedelic black metallers Underjordiska, then offering a washed out black ambient counterpoint to Underjordiska's furious spaced out black buzz, so when we finally got this cd in, a digital reissue of a long out of print cassette, we were expecting another disc of washed out ambient blackness, and while there is a bit of that present, Spectral Lore knocked our blocks off with this collection of totally intense, outsider avant black metal buzz.
After a two minute intro of delicate acoustic guitar, SL explode into a 24 minute epic, all stumbling crunch and grind in the beginning, before slipping seamlessly into soaring majestic epic buzzing black metal. The drums and vocals mostly buried beneath the frenzied riffage, weirdly minor key, haunting and space-y but thrashing and black and grim, until the sound shifts, getting muddy and murky, a loping midtempo pound that quickly shifts again, and stretches out into some woozy psychedelic folkiness, all warm buzzing guitars and crystalline melody, soaring strings, totally tranquil and dreamlike, before exploding in another frenzy of tangled and gnarled blackness, and so it goes, slipping back and forth, until finally the guitars coalesce into some classic metal sounding melody, then a weirdly Viking sounding blow out, before fading out completely, leaving a long stretch of hushed gauzey ambience. Heck that track alone would be worth $13, there's more packed into that 24 minutes than most bands manage in records twice that long, but there's so much more.
The rest of the record is a balance between woozy melodic drift, and warped black heaviness, often the line between the two heavily blurred. Black buzz grows more and more indistinct until it sounds more like Nadja, a sort of shoegazey black drift, guitars unfurl, chords unfolding slowly one at a time, moody synthesizer strings drift over hushed minimal swirls of soft focus sound, guitars rumble and bombinate, building to soaring lysergic ur-drones, long stretches of muddy murk give way to crystalline sonic whispers, black metal roils and churns and explodes in streaks of near white noise, the sound and production constantly shifting, blistering and in-the-red one second, mumbled and washed out the next, the sound as much a part of the music as the music itself.
Far out and epic, psychedelic and spaced out, ambient and black, and so goddamn good...
MPEG Stream: "The Thorns That Guide My Warpath"
MPEG Stream: "Towards The Great Crossroad"
MPEG Stream: "Recoiling Beneath The Waves"

SPECTRAL LORE II (Temple Of Torturous) cassette 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SPECTRALS Bad Penny (Slumberland) cd 12.98
Slumberland looks to the UK once again to snag another awesome indie pop peddler. Spectrals excel in laid back, lazy day bittersweet pop. With a dazed and washed out guitar sound, and Louis Jones' swaying melodic vocals that sound so at ease while but also so assured. That voice is in an awesome place somewhere between Jens Leckman and Julian Casablanca, and the woozy instrumentation underneath serves as the perfect breezy driving force that propels the songs along at such a perfect pace. It makes sense that Spectrals were taken on the road by Girls, as this is pop that's as smart as it is passionate.
MPEG Stream: "Get A Grip"
MPEG Stream: "Luck Is There To Be Pushed"
MPEG Stream: "Many Happy Returns"

SPECTRALS Bad Penny (Slumberland) lp 14.98
Slumberland looks to the UK once again to snag another awesome indie pop peddler. Spectrals excel in laid back, lazy day bittersweet pop. With a dazed and washed out guitar sound, and Louis Jones' swaying melodic vocals that sound so at ease while but also so assured. That voice is in an awesome place somewhere between Jens Leckman and Julian Casablanca, and the woozy instrumentation underneath serves as the perfect breezy driving force that propels the songs along at such a perfect pace. It makes sense that Spectrals were taken on the road by Girls, as this is pop that's as smart as it is passionate.
MPEG Stream: "Get A Grip"
MPEG Stream: "Luck Is There To Be Pushed"
MPEG Stream: "Many Happy Returns"

SPECTRE Psychic Wars (WordSound) cd 13.98
Dark, grim, dubbed out Spectre is letting some light into his music. Dominated by murky loops and funky samples, Psychic Wars is not nearly as extreme nor darkly monolithic (and thus possibly less impressive) as previous efforts. The samples are culled from French cinema, noir clips, Japanese film, indian female vocalists, and are altogether more varied and interesting than Spectre has ever allowed himself before, reminding me of Funki Porcini or other Ninjatune artists, right on down to the generic girl diva vocals -- why do so many artists feel the need to use this element, much less use women whose voices always sound the same, like Sinead O'Connor. Sigh. Your mileage may vary. Guests include Honeychild, Sensational, Black Chameleon, Space Poet.
MPEG Stream: "Love"
MPEG Stream: "Secrets (featuring Honeychild)"

SPECTRE Retrospectre (Q'mass) cd 14.98
We Aquarians have long been into Spectre, the undisputed master of, grim, dark, dubbed out instrumental hip hop. And we can never seem to get enough. So here's a comp that serves two purposes, a primer for those of you who are new to the sounds of Spectre, and a compilation of some of the best and loads of the rarest stuff for those of us who just need more. Including a handful of previously unreleased tracks. All remastered and even more BASS HEAVY than ever. Lots of murky loops, slowed down vocals, throbbing basslines, bizarre film music samples slowed down and twisted up, big phat beats, all cobbled together like some mad scientist, into some of the most potent druggy, late night hip hop EVER. Guests on the comp include Sensational, whose lazy, stoned flow perfectly suits Spectre's sound, Torture, M. Sayyid, Guess, Mr. Dead and of course God Albino from the Hawd Gankstuh Rappuhs MC's Wid Ghatz!
MPEG Stream: "Pillars Of Smoke"
MPEG Stream: "Backstab"

SPECTRE Second Coming (WordSound) cd 15.98
2nd album (duh) of dark dub hiphop, an AQ-fave. Mostly "instrumental", though one highlight is the guest spot by rapper God Albino. Pretty much everytime we play this in the store, someone buys a copy--it's that good.

SPECTRE The End (WordSound) cd 14.98
The Ill Saint's third album is easily his best, as the subterranean production on the first two albums has been fleshed out a bit in this hip hop elegy for demented thoughts and sounds. Spectre's carnivalesque horror hip-hop tracks (that on "Ne Cede Malis" sounds like the Mickey Mouse theme song played in a minor key) are loaded with brash noir strings, dubby passages of schizophonic reverb, and slow motion beats. Damaged lyrical content provided by Sensational, Mr. Dead, and the white-boy-on-crack rants of God Albino. This is underground hip-hop at its best.