STARK REALITY Now (Stones Throw / Now-Again) cd 16.98
Here's a weird one. Imagine a late-sixties jazz-funk combo playing fucked up versions of children's songs written in the 40s and 50s by Hoagy Carmichael. Actually, you don't have to imagine that, if you just listen to this disc. 'Cause that's what's happening here. The first eight tracks on this cd were orginally released in 1970 as "The Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop" LP. Dunno what kids thought of it, but the heads must have loved it, unless it tripped 'em out too much. The idea (hatched by Hoagy's son Bix, who worked at Boston's WGBH public TV station with musican Monty Stark, the leader of The Stark Reality) was to psychedelize ol' Hoagy's music for hippie youngsters. The result were these awkwardly funky, severely distorted (in every possible way), jazzed-out cuts, featuring Stark's crazily atonal fuzz-equipped vibes and bizarrely straight singing/rhyming. The music appeared in a WGBH kid's show, then was released on LP. That LP is apparently quite an expensive rarity these days, with those that have heard it either thinking it brilliant or insane or both. The LP track "Rocket Ship" was one of Windy's favorite cuts on Peanut Butter Wolf's recent "Jukebox 45" mix cd, and he has now reissued the whole album on his Stones Throw label, so we all can judge its merits, along with several non-Hoagy bonus cuts. The thorough liner notes do their best to explain the whole deal, and indicate that more than one lucky beat-diggin' hip hop DJ has made this their secret weapon.
It's utterly ridiculous yet oddly compelling. You'll either have to turn it off after two minutes or it'll become an all-time fave, that's the sort of record this is! Easily the most warped, heaviest jams ever on subjects like basic musical notation, remembering the number of days in each month, and recipes for cooking stew. I mean, some of this makes Sun Ra's wiggiest solos sound normal.
MPEG Stream: "Junkman's Song"
MPEG Stream: "All You Need To Make Music"

STARK REALITY Now (Stones Throw / Now-Again) 2lp 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Also, now available on vinyl! Reviewed last time here on cd, as follows: Here's a weird one. Imagine a late-sixties jazz-funk combo playing fucked up versions of children's songs written in the 40s and 50s by Hoagy Carmichael. Actually, you don't have to imagine that, if you just listen to this disc. 'Cause that's what's happening here. The first eight tracks on this cd were orginally released in 1970 as "The Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop" LP. Dunno what kids thought of it, but the heads must have loved it, unless it tripped 'em out too much. The idea (hatched by Hoagy's son Bix, who worked at Boston's WGBH public TV station with musican Monty Stark, the leader of The Stark Reality) was to psychedelize ol' Hoagy's music for hippie youngsters. The result were these awkwardly funky, severely distorted (in every possible way), jazzed-out cuts, featuring Stark's crazily atonal fuzz-equipped vibes and bizarrely straight singing/rhyming. The music appeared in a WGBH kid's show, then was released on LP. That LP is apparently quite an expensive rarity these days, with those that have heard it either thinking it brilliant or insane or both. The LP track "Rocket Ship" was one of Windy's favorite cuts on Peanut Butter Wolf's recent "Jukebox 45" mix cd, and he has now reissued the whole album on his Stones Throw label, so we all can judge its merits, along with several non-Hoagy bonus cuts. The thorough liner notes do their best to explain the whole deal, and indicate that more than one lucky beat-diggin' hip hop DJ has made this their secret weapon.
It's utterly ridiculous yet oddly compelling. You'll either have to turn it off after two minutes or it'll become an all-time fave, that's the sort of record this is! Easily the most warped, heaviest jams ever on subjects like basic musical notation, remembering the number of days in each month, and recipes for cooking stew. I mean, some of this makes Sun Ra's wiggiest solos sound normal.
MPEG Stream: "Junkman's Song"
MPEG Stream: "All You Need To Make Music"

STARKEY Dementia (LoDubs) 12" 8.98
A brand new label focusing on grime and dubstep, from the same folks who do Anthem Records, responsible for the recent Birchville Frog Prince 7" as well as the amazing Brainbombs Stinking Memory 7" (both now out of print so don't ask).
The first release on LoDubs is a one sided 12" from Starkey, who has been popping up on dubstep comps all over the place lately, and this one sided 12" single is a killer. Dense and dark, with ultra damaged bass lines, all sorts of strange synth melodies, stuttering almost jungly rhythms, all tangled up and convoluted, and funky as fuck. Maybe one of the best dubstep tracks we've heard. Totally reminds us of recent AQ record of the week Milanese, which is most definitely a good thing.
Packaged in recycled brown paper sleeves, hand stamped with the label logo.

STARKEY Ear Drums And Black Holes (Planet Mu) cd 14.98
As we've mentioned in some of our other dubstep reviews, dubstep as a genre has gone through a crazy amount of permutations, constantly shifting and twisting into new shapes and sounds, hell, even the folks we already dig will kick out a new record and they'll have gotten inspired and totally mixed it up. Which is what seems to have happened to Starkey, already a long time favorite, based on just a handful of 12"s and a couple DJ mixes. Not sure if his style did dramatically shift, or if it's just that since this is Starkey's first full length, it just so happens to be the record he always wanted to make. Whatever the reason, we're digging this big time. A weirdo hybrid of classic dubstep, glitchy 8-bit electronica, and that sort of Zomby style rave-step.
The first track sums up the Starkey sound pretty perfectly, some 8-bit bloops and beeps, some washed out eighties style synths, and then BANG, some thick fuzzed out bass warble, some glitchy warble lo-tech melody, and some woozy super dramatic, soundtracky melodies.
A bunch of the tracks have guest MC's and thus get all grimey, with stuttery beats, tangled fuzz bass, and mush mouthed flows, and yeah, more of that retro (borderline cheesy) synth, that when incorporated into the griminess sounds almost more ominous than cheesy. Some of the jams are super lo-fi, all glitchy and fuzzy, but eventually explode into something more block rocking and groovy.
The thing with this Starkey joint and lots of the newer dubstep records coming out, is that instead of stringing a bunch of beats together and calling it day, folks are concerning themselves more with actually writing songs, coming up with melodies, crafting actual music instead of just trying to get asses moving. But in the process, they're managing to do both.
Lots of Ear Drums And Black Holes veers way off the dubstep beaten path, getting all electro, dipping toes into electronic pop, fuzzy chill out techno, abstract jungle, with a little thread of dubstep running through them all, making this super varied record, impossibly cohesive. Anyone who's been digging Zomby, Ikonika, Rosko and any of the more melodic dubsteppers might just have found a new favorite...
MPEG Stream: "OK Luv"
MPEG Stream: "Murderous Words"
MPEG Stream: "11th Hour"
MPEG Stream: "Numb"

STARKEY Ear Drums And Black Holes (Planet Mu) lp 23.00
As we've mentioned in some of our other dubstep reviews, dubstep as a genre has gone through a crazy amount of permutations, constantly shifting and twisting into new shapes and sounds, hell, even the folks we already dig will kick out a new record and they'll have gotten inspired and totally mixed it up. Which is what seems to have happened to Starkey, already a long time favorite, based on just a handful of 12"s and a couple DJ mixes. Not sure if his style did dramatically shift, or if it's just that since this is Starkey's first full length, it just so happens to be the record he always wanted to make. Whatever the reason, we're digging this big time. A weirdo hybrid of classic dubstep, glitchy 8-bit electronica, and that sort of Zomby style rave-step.
The first track sums up the Starkey sound pretty perfectly, some 8-bit bloops and beeps, some washed out eighties style synths, and then BANG, some thick fuzzed out bass warble, some glitchy warble lo-tech melody, and some woozy super dramatic, soundtracky melodies.
A bunch of the tracks have guest MC's and thus get all grimey, with stuttery beats, tangled fuzz bass, and mush mouthed flows, and yeah, more of that retro (borderline cheesy) synth, that when incorporated into the griminess sounds almost more ominous than cheesy. Some of the jams are super lo-fi, all glitchy and fuzzy, but eventually explode into something more block rocking and groovy.
The thing with this Starkey joint and lots of the newer dubstep records coming out, is that instead of stringing a bunch of beats together and calling it day, folks are concerning themselves more with actually writing songs, coming up with melodies, crafting actual music instead of just trying to get asses moving. But in the process, they're managing to do both.
Lots of Ear Drums And Black Holes veers way off the dubstep beaten path, getting all electro, dipping toes into electronic pop, fuzzy chill out techno, abstract jungle, with a little thread of dubstep running through them all, making this super varied record, impossibly cohesive. Anyone who's been digging Zomby, Ikonika, Rosko and any of the more melodic dubsteppers might just have found a new favorite...
MPEG Stream: "OK Luv"
MPEG Stream: "Murderous Words"
MPEG Stream: "11th Hour"
MPEG Stream: "Numb"

STARKEY Live - Record Release Party - Saturday April 11 (LoDubs) 2 x cd-r 16.98
We only have a handful of these, live double cd-r's, recorded at the record release party for that Starkey mix we reviewed a few lists back. A mix which KILLED by the way. And Starkey's live set is equally ferocious, packed with tons of unreleased jams and dubplates, some of the best dubstep we've heard EVER, crushing buzzing bass, swirling synths, jagged stuttering beats, the first track alone, a Starkey jam if we're not mistaken, is worth the price of admission alone, super intense and cinematic, about as heavy as dubstep gets. The only bummer about this collection, is that it's a live disc, so some of the tracks are interrupted by shout outs, but that's a minor complaint with a mix this strong.
There's practically no information, no tracklisting, no artist names, just two printed discs in a clear jewel case. But that almost makes it better. One big ol' mysterious collection of low slung grooves and pounding rhythms, a few have vocals, one or two get all grime-y, but throughout, the sound is devastating, so much bass, plenty of rumbling buzzing low end, some wild synthy squiggles, chopped up loops, weird melodies and fractured samples, all woven into dense speaker shredding bass bin crushing jams, and the beats, holy shit, stuttering, shuffling, skittering, if we were more inclined to dancing, this would definitely have us destroying dancefloors like there was no tomorrow. As it is, even us wallflowers can dig Starkey's deep dark dubbed out din.
MPEG Stream: "Track 01, Disc 1"

STARKEY NC 17 EP (Dead Homies) 2x12" 15.98

STARKEY Orbits (Civil Music) cd 17.98
We've long been fans of dubstep DJ/producer Starkey, in part because even when dubstep was his bag, he was constantly pushing the boundaries of that sound, preferring terms like 'street bass' or 'bass music' to the flavor of the month 'dubstep', and introducing all sort of other flavors into his dubstep. Orbits finds Starkey delivering the latest installment in his 'street bass' series and easily the best, a forward thinking collection of modern electronica, still heavy on the dubstep, but all of those classic dubsteppisms are recontextualized here into a whole new sound. The opener "Renegade Starship" sounds like Starkey trying to mash up DJ Shadow and Daft Punk, which somehow sounds amazing, darkly dramatic, soaring sweeping synths, and stuttering beats, a woozy atmospheric first half, and tangled, beat heavy, second half, with a cool, haunting droned out synth denouement.
But "Command" is the single here, and it's obvious why, moody and atmospheric, with sped up and stuttered soul vox, all wound up into a killer alien hook, and when the drop comes, BAM, an avalanche of synth buzz, that gives way to some skeletal 808 skitter, then big block rocking beat, wound around some seriously slithery synth, this is the sort of shit that some pop star should be singing over on the radio, listening to this now, we're imagining it can't be long before some mainstream big names catch on and start hitting up Starkey to produce their tracks. Orbits plays like the perfect transition records, still fucked up and experimental, and underground, but so close to breakthrough mainstream pop hit material, which is what makes Orbits so good, best of both worlds. And yet for every booming bass hook heavy hit, there's a jam like "Magnet", all murky vocodered celestial electro ballad, creepy and dreamy and haunting, with a surprising final big beat climax, or "Distant Star", which starts out all kosmische and psychedelic, before exploding into full on Deadmau5 / Daft Punk territory. And in-between, more stone cold killers, like the weird stuttery synth crunch of "And Then God Built To Cosmos" or the super minimal old school squelch heavy "Lzr", or even the lush atmospheric synth swirl of "Crashing Sphere".
Easily our favorite Starkey record so far, and the more we listen it it, the more it seems inevitable that some big names will pop up with some crazy new jams with some twisted Starkey productions in the near future. Bieber? Beyonce? Britney? Ke$ha? Nicki Minaj? Taylor Swift? We can only hope...
MPEG Stream: "Renegade Starship"
MPEG Stream: "Command"
MPEG Stream: "...And Then God Built The Cosmos"
MPEG Stream: "Magnet"

STARKEY Orbits (Civil Music) 2lp 25.00
NOW ON VINYL!
We've long been fans of dubstep DJ/producer Starkey, in part because even when dubstep was his bag, he was constantly pushing the boundaries of that sound, preferring terms like 'street bass' or 'bass music' to the flavor of the month 'dubstep', and introducing all sort of other flavors into his dubstep. Orbits finds Starkey delivering the latest installment in his 'street bass' series and easily the best, a forward thinking collection of modern electronica, still heavy on the dubstep, but all of those classic dubsteppisms are recontextualized here into a whole new sound. The opener "Renegade Starship" sounds like Starkey trying to mash up DJ Shadow and Daft Punk, which somehow sounds amazing, darkly dramatic, soaring sweeping synths, and stuttering beats, a woozy atmospheric first half, and tangled, beat heavy, second half, with a cool, haunting droned out synth denouement.
But "Command" is the single here, and it's obvious why, moody and atmospheric, with sped up and stuttered soul vox, all wound up into a killer alien hook, and when the drop comes, BAM, an avalanche of synth buzz, that gives way to some skeletal 808 skitter, then big block rocking beat, wound around some seriously slithery synth, this is the sort of shit that some pop star should be singing over on the radio, listening to this now, we're imagining it can't be long before some mainstream big names catch on and start hitting up Starkey to produce their tracks. Orbits plays like the perfect transition records, still fucked up and experimental, and underground, but so close to breakthrough mainstream pop hit material, which is what makes Orbits so good, best of both worlds. And yet for every booming bass hook heavy hit, there's a jam like "Magnet", all murky vocodered celestial electro ballad, creepy and dreamy and haunting, with a surprising final big beat climax, or "Distant Star", which starts out all kosmische and psychedelic, before exploding into full on Deadmau5 / Daft Punk territory. And in-between, more stone cold killers, like the weird stuttery synth crunch of "And Then God Built To Cosmos" or the super minimal old school squelch heavy "Lzr", or even the lush atmospheric synth swirl of "Crashing Sphere".
Easily our favorite Starkey record so far, and the more we listen it it, the more it seems inevitable that some big names will pop up with some crazy new jams with some twisted Starkey productions in the near future. Bieber? Beyonce? Britney? Ke$ha? Nicki Minaj? Taylor Swift? We can only hope...
MPEG Stream: "Renegade Starship"
MPEG Stream: "Command"
MPEG Stream: "...And Then God Built The Cosmos"
MPEG Stream: "Magnet"

STARKEY Starkbass - A Continuous DJ Mix By Starkey (LoDubs) cd 14.98
It's always tough with DJ mixes, to figure out how much credit to give to the DJ, sure, we all have rad record collections, so why does this or that DJ get his mixtape pressed up and released as an actual cd and not us? Well, to be fair, some of those DJ's DO have way cooler record collections than any of us, and no matter how kick ass your mixtape skills are, there's something about actually having a job, that essentially IS making a mixtape every night for a living, that's gonna mean that person is probably gonna come up with some seriously kick ass mixes. That situation is made all the more reasonable when the DJ in question is also a music maker himself, which not only means he or she has a good ear for sounds and arrangements, but can link the mix with their own tracks, and assuming their tracks also kick ass, well then heck, we'll happily fork over our hard earned cash.
And such is the case with this mix from dubstepper Starkey, who offers up a pretty wild and schizophrenic mix, that does indeed touch on dubstep and grime, but spends most of its time careening wildly between techno and house and hip hop and Miami bass, all tangled up with bits of dubstep and techno, some jungle, and some stuff that doesn't at all fit in any one genre. That said, fans of all the dubstep mixes we've been digging over the last little while, Mary Anne Hobbs, Box Of Dub, Science Faction, will for sure want to check this out, and folks into techno and electronica, will probably find this an easy way to ease into those offshoots.
It's pretty solid all the way through, and from a mixing standpoint, the songs flow smoothy into each other, so much so that sometimes it's hard to tell when one stops and another starts, but there are some definite standouts, Drop The Lime's "Crazy Love" is an awesome chopped pop workout, very eighties, but all revved up and transformed into a lurching start stop stutter. DZ's "Oooh" is an awesomely heavy slab of woozy synth and dubstep skitter, fuzzy and new wavy, buzzy, almost like a grimier Justice, Zomby's "Aquafre5h" is a dizzying underwater bloopy groove, constructed almost entirely from eighties video game sounds, Pacheko offers seasickly ebb and flow of chopped synths and rumbling buzzing basslines, Food For Animals do their own 8-bit freakout, with skeletal drums over a constantly mutating wall of fractured electronics, and some weird murky rapping, and of course Starkey delivers 5 or 6 of his own tracks, ranging from dark harrowing dubbed out minimalism, to almost cheesy eighties disco, to pounding synth bangers, to a strange piano outro, all smoky and jazzy, laced with bits of intercepted radio transmissions and streaks of warm whirring hiss.
KILLER mix. And thus, needless to say, WAY recommended. Packaged in an eye popping bright orange jewel case. Total dancefloor destruction, easily one of the best mixes of the year. So far...
MPEG Stream: DZ "Oooh"
MPEG Stream: TOAST "Puppy Phat"
MPEG Stream: ZOMBY "Aquafre5h"
MPEG Stream: STARKEY "Swollen Glands"

STARKWEATHER Croatoan (Candlelight) cd 13.98

MPEG Stream: "Slither"
MPEG Stream: "Taming Leeches With Fire"

STARLIGHT MINTS Dream That Stuff Was Made Of (See Thru Broadcasting) cd 13.98
Dave Sardy of Barkmarket continues to surprise us with the remarkably lush pop that he's been putting out on his See Thru Broadcasting label. First he picked up AQ's beloved Radar Brothers, and now this. The most ultimately jangly bubble-gum, Brit-pop/Latin-psych, ornamented with violin, cello, trumpet and super-sweet vocal harmonies.

STARLIGHT MINTS Drowaton (Barsuk) cd 14.98
We had never cared much about the Starlight Mints in the past but after listening to Drowaton for about the MILLIONTH time, we are kicking ourselves big time. In fact we're not just kicking, we're hitting and punching and just generally beating the crap out of ourselves. How could we have missed a band this cool and this weird? Even Allan, who has VERY particular pop tastes, just came over to see what was playing.
As with all great pop records, it's sort of difficult to describe exactly what makes Drowaton so goddamned good. Sure it's catchy, but not obviously so, it takes a few listens before the hooks really catch, but when they do, you'll NEVER get 'em out. Almost every single person who works here hears something different: David Bowie, the Kinks, the Monkees, Bread, but it doesn't sound that retro at all, there are bits of Iron And Wine, Neutral Milk Hotel, New Pornographers, Arcade Fire, Nada Surf and stuff like that too.
Probably if we had to come up with a concise description, or find a genre that best describes Starlight Mints it would be something like psychedelic indie pop. Or dark poppy jangle psych. Something like that. Cuz it really is pretty darn psychedelic, lots of fuzzy synths, warped backwards electric guitar, strange falsetto trills, cool little sonic filigree, plenty of strange instrumentation, "tralalala" vocals, soaring strings, horns, heavily strummed acoustic guitars, some whistling, hand claps, all wrapped up into bursting-at-the-seams perfect pop songs. It's mostly the vocals that remind us of Bowie, a lazy sexy drawl that can swing smoothly into a wild croon before swinging right back again, but the heady psychpop stomp beneath already had us swooning. Hooky guitar crunch collides with effervescent keyboards, sixties pop shimmer gets all tangled up with indie downer bedroom folk, huge swaths of jubilant pop pomp hovers just above slithering swirls of moody piano and warm washes of synthesizer, pounding piano rides atop an unlikely horn section, simple shuffling drums pulse and pound underneath squalls of FX-drenched guitars and clouds of sweet vocal swoon. Wow. So so so good. All of you who dug the Nada Surf we made record of the week a while back will probably love this too. And anyone into ANY sort of killer off kilter pop should for sure give Drowaton a listen!
MPEG Stream: "Pumpkin"
MPEG Stream: "Torts"
MPEG Stream: "What's Inside Of Me?"

STARLITE DESPERATION Show You What A Baby Won't (Gold Standard Laboratories) cd 12.98
Recently made the move from San Francisco to Detroit... quite a fitting new homebase for this lanky trio who know the power of a well turned pout or cold stare. This is dark 'n' slinky "new rock". The Starlite Desperation also know how to manoeuver the rock'n'roll edges and curves to their advantage honing a sound that bands such as The Vue or The Go are also cruising towards. Please note: this is not their most recent release. No, that would be "Go Kill Mice" on Flapping Jet Records. This is however the cd version of their previously-only-on-vinyl LP which came out a couple years ago on the excellent G.S.L. label.

STARLITE DESPERATION, THE Violate A Sundae (Cold Sweat) cd ep 7.98
Welcome back Starlite Desperation! Having split back in 2001, they've risen again like a hot-wired phoenix with this fierce six song EP! It's a raunchy high octane rock'n'roll affair that gives ample nods to the Detroit rawk stomp of the Stooges and MC5. The gritty guitars buzz like a swarm of rabid bees while Dante Adrian sneers and howls his vocals which are more than a little reminiscent of The Cult's Ian Astbury. Very kickass!
MPEG Stream: "The Thing"

STARS Do You Trust Your Friends? (Arts & Crafts) cd 16.98
Here we have the latest, a remix record, from Stars. The band's statement in the liner notes to this aptly titled record asks: "Do You Trust Your Friends?/Would you let them redecorate your apartment?/Would you let them buy your clothes or groceries?/ And if you did, what would they change?/ If you made a pop record, and then gave it to them to make again, what would they do to it?" We suppose it depends who your friends are and where their skills lie. You might ask your interior designer friend to redecorate your apartment, and you might want your fashion forward friend to help you pick out an outfit for the big date, but you might not ask these same friends to remix your record - that's a whole 'nother deal! Luckily for Stars, their friends seem to include an all-star cast of music-minded folk, including: Junior Boys, The Stills, Montag, The Dears, and Apostle of Hustle.
DYTYF strays a bit from what we traditionally think of as a remix record. The friends you'd expect to do electro remixes did, but the rest are not electronic at all, instead, reimaginings of the original tracks. Hence the remix may be subtly felt (or possibly not at all) for those unfamiliar with Stars' music, which brings us to the supposed motivation of this record. If you were to ask someone to redecorate your apartment or provide wardrobe tips, it may be that you think they could do a better job than you could yourself...or, as is Stars motivation with this record, it may be exciting to see how things change. Stars are a great band who have put out several great pop records, and while their friends remixes are equally great, none are necessarily better than the originals (remix records rarely are). They do seem to stand apart from the original songs as simply great songs in their own right. Same pop song, different sensibilities. Thus, Stars conclude their declaration of motivations stating: "Friends are good for that. Inside of them is everything you would be if only you could be different."
MPEG Stream: "Sleep Tonight"
MPEG Stream: "What I'm Trying To Say Pt. 2"

STARS Do You Trust Your Friends? (Arts & Crafts) 2lp 21.00
Here we have the latest, a remix record, from Stars. The band's statement in the liner notes to this aptly titled record asks: "Do You Trust Your Friends?/Would you let them redecorate your apartment?/Would you let them buy your clothes or groceries?/ And if you did, what would they change?/ If you made a pop record, and then gave it to them to make again, what would they do to it?" We suppose it depends who your friends are and where their skills lie. You might ask your interior designer friend to redecorate your apartment, and you might want your fashion forward friend to help you pick out an outfit for the big date, but you might not ask these same friends to remix your record - that's a whole 'nother deal! Luckily for Stars, their friends seem to include an all-star cast of music-minded folk, including: Junior Boys, The Stills, Montag, The Dears, and Apostle of Hustle.
DYTYF strays a bit from what we traditionally think of as a remix record. The friends you'd expect to do electro remixes did, but the rest are not electronic at all, instead, reimaginings of the original tracks. Hence the remix may be subtly felt (or possibly not at all) for those unfamiliar with Stars' music, which brings us to the supposed motivation of this record. If you were to ask someone to redecorate your apartment or provide wardrobe tips, it may be that you think they could do a better job than you could yourself...or, as is Stars motivation with this record, it may be exciting to see how things change. Stars are a great band who have put out several great pop records, and while their friends remixes are equally great, none are necessarily better than the originals (remix records rarely are). They do seem to stand apart from the original songs as simply great songs in their own right. Same pop song, different sensibilities. Thus, Stars conclude their declaration of motivations stating: "Friends are good for that. Inside of them is everything you would be if only you could be different."
MPEG Stream: "Sleep Tonight"
MPEG Stream: "What I'm Trying To Say Pt. 2"

STARS Heart (Arts & Crafts) cd 15.98
Oh Canada! The land of such wonderful pop music! Toronto-based band Stars weave the dreamiest grand pop gems. Very much in the swirling orchestral electronic vein of Saint Etienne crossed with the sugar twee bliss of Belle & Sebastian with very sweetheart boy/girl vocals much like Postal Service (particularly on the title track). Amy Millan and Torquil Campbell sing atop a swelling sea of gorgeous strings, horns, woodwinds, keyboards and theremin. Fans of any/all of the above will surely welcome this into their... uh, heart. So lovely!
MPEG Stream: "Heart"
MPEG Stream: "Elevator Love Letter"

STARS In Our Bedroom After The War (Arts & Crafts) cd+dvd 14.98
Romance always seems to be in the air when this Canadian band is around! Though it can occasionally get a bit doe-eyed and squishy, the music of Stars is sweetheart pop that never loses its head. In Our Bedroom After The War is by far their most composed and lush album to date. Oftentimes, their more soft-jazz inflected pop is quite reminiscent of Sea And Cake or The Style Council (circa "My Ever Changing Moods"). Both breezy and brainy.
Note: We currently have the limited edition cd version which comes with a bonus dvd (featuring a 55 minute documentary with interviews and tour footage from their jaunts across Europe and North America in support of their last album Set Yourself On Fire).
MPEG Stream: "The Beginning After The End"
MPEG Stream: "My Favourite Book"

STARS Nightsongs (Le Grand Magistery) cd 14.98
Finding their home on the more than appropriate swanky pop label Le Grand Magistery (Momus, Kahimi Karie, etc) are this Montreal-based group who reveal a definite penchant for high drama. Light'n'fluffy but heavy in melancholia. They even deliver a cotton candy cover of The Smiths' "This Charming Man". Soft baby doll boy/girl vocals over sugar-frosted electronic beats and skitterishness. If you like Momus, St. Etienne and Magnetic Fields, and are looking for more clever, electronic chamber pop sweetness, look no further!
RealAudio clip: "This Charming Man"
RealAudio clip: "International Rock Star"

STARS Set Yourself On Fire (Arts & Crafts) cd 16.98
Aaah, first things first! Please note: DO NOT confuse this band with Andee's '70s pop-metal faves Starz (reissues to be reviewed on the next list). This is a situation where one letter can denote such a difference! I mean, heck, you only need to hear the first few strains of Set Yourself On Fire to realize this is a whole 'nother monster... a nice big fuzzy one carrying a giant bouquet of flowers rather than a spandex'n'denim-clad, axe-wieldin' one!
If you like your pop music to be on the lush and pretty side but with a little bit of an edge to it, this new Stars album might be your new favorite... really! More often than not on their third full length, this Canadian band have captured that perfect balance of the bittersweet heartache, the chamber pop elegance, the infectious hook and the energetic punch. Their swirling orchestral arrangements and dreamy soft sensitive boy/girl vocals are fully entwined with the crunchy electric guitars, woozy keyboards and solid rhythm section. Now we're not trying to just lump all the smartie-pop Canadians together, but Stars do seem like the gentler, prettier cousin of the more obtuse and swaggering Arcade Fire (Young & Sexy and Metric also come to mind as like-minded Canucks). One marked detour is the tenth song "He Lied About Death" which -- with its effected spoken-sung male vocals, stuttery beats, swells of distortion and piano key strikes -- is oddly reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails' '90s hit "Closer". Nonetheless (that song included), we can say Set Yourself On Fire is comprised of a baker's dozen pop treasures that'll surely sweep fans of the Delgados, more recent Belle & Sebastian, and maybe Postal Service too right off their feet. HOORAY FOR STARS!
MPEG Stream: "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"
MPEG Stream: "Calendar Girl"

STARS Set Yourself On Fire (Arts & Crafts / City Slang) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
NOW ON VINYL!
Aaah, first things first! Please note: DO NOT confuse this band with Andee's '70s pop-metal faves Starz. This is a situation where one letter can denote such a difference! I mean, heck, you only need to hear the first few strains of Set Yourself On Fire to realize this is a whole 'nother monster... a nice big fuzzy one carrying a giant bouquet of flowers rather than a spandex'n'denim-clad, axe-wieldin' one!
If you like your pop music to be on the lush and pretty side but with a little bit of an edge to it, this new Stars album might be your new favorite... really! More often than not on their third full length, this Canadian band have captured that perfect balance of the bittersweet heartache, the chamber pop elegance, the infectious hook and the energetic punch. Their swirling orchestral arrangements and dreamy soft sensitive boy/girl vocals are fully entwined with the crunchy electric guitars, woozy keyboards and solid rhythm section. Now we're not trying to just lump all the smartie-pop Canadians together, but Stars do seem like the gentler, prettier cousin of the more obtuse and swaggering Arcade Fire (Young & Sexy and Metric also come to mind as like-minded Canucks). One marked detour is the tenth song "He Lied About Death" which -- with its effected spoken-sung male vocals, stuttery beats, swells of distortion and piano key strikes -- is oddly reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails' '90s hit "Closer". Nonetheless (that song included), we can say Set Yourself On Fire is comprised of a baker's dozen pop treasures that'll surely sweep fans of the Delgados, more recent Belle & Sebastian, and maybe Postal Service too right off their feet. HOORAY FOR STARS!
MPEG Stream: "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"
MPEG Stream: "Calendar Girl"

STARS The Comeback (Le Grand Magistery) cd ep 11.98
Twinkling electronic pop (oops, no pun intended) from Montreal, PQ. Charming and romantic a la The Cardigans, Kahimi Karie or St. Etienne. Wispy vocals murmur these five lullaby-like songs with an air of fluffy innocence. A scattering of minimal piano, horns and guitar lines add a bit of warmth to the proceedings.

STARS AS EYES Enemy of Fun (Tigerbeat6) cd 13.98
Hailing from Providence, Rhode Island and signed to Kid 606's Tigerbeat 6, Stars As Eyes certainly don't sound like they belong to either camp, as the duo has nothing in common with the aggro-costume-rock of Lightning Bolt or Arab On Radar nor is there much in common with the ironic-electro shock schtick endorsed by The Kid. Rather, Stars As Eyes embraces the instrumentation of rock within a context of pure electronica, fusing chopped 'n' diced rock riffs (complete with moderately heavy guitars, drums, and occasional bullhorn vocals) within a quirky, slightly sad structure of electronica (i.e. Mum, Boards of Canada).
RealAudio clip: "If I Could I Would Be You"
RealAudio clip: "Important Youth Movement"

STARS AS EYES Freedom Rock (Tigerbeat6) cd 14.98
This newest act on Tigerbeat6 isn't quite what I expected from the supercool, yet quirky and generally fucked tastes of Kid 606 and friends. Add the fact that just about any band from Providence is most likely to be an art-damaged in your face blast of aural terrorism. So imagine my surprise when I slapped this puppy on: the duo of Stars as Eyes create thick, lush, beautiful landscapes recalling early Autechre (circa Amber), Kit Clayton, Polygon Window and the like. I imagine that in protest of the current trends set by their clicks and cuts contemporaries, the duo of Steve Ferrari and Craig Four strive for more layered, dense atmospherics while still retaining a discerning amount of a (dare I say it) glitch aesthetic (think Funkstorung). Warm washes of analogue waves and fluttering tones are arranged in a pop fashion (tracks average about four minutes in duration); highly rhythmic, although their beats don't overwhelm or dominate the beautiful melodies hidden beneath the blankets of sound. Absolutely gorgeous.
RealAudio clip: "Le Punisher"
RealAudio clip: "Freedom Rock"
RealAudio clip: "Figure It Out"
RealAudio clip: "Retarded Future"

STARS AS EYES Important Youth Movement / People Kill People (Tigerbeat6) 7" 4.98
A couple of very brief encounters with the electronic duo known as Stars As Eyes (aka Steve Ferrari and Craig Four). One is oh so dreamy and pretty, the other a little more dissonant and unsettling. If you liked their album Freedom Rock this certainly will not let you down. Very lush and atmospheric, it leaves you wishing it was a 12" instead of a 7".

STARS AS EYES Loud New Shit (Tigerbeat6) cd 10.98
Stars As Eyes traverse through such varied musical terrain on their new cd that it almost sounds like a compilation of a bunch of different bands. Well, it actually is! Perhaps they've been drawing inspiration from their vast array of Tigerbeat6 labelmates (psst, check out the label's recent bargain-priced compilation Open Up And Say...@<%_|^[!] for a thorough sampling of their roster)? Actually this is more of a remix collection than an album proper. Of the dozen tracks, one third are new, and over half are remixes... which probably factors in greatly to the diversity of the track selection. It all starts familiarly Stars As Eyes-y. That is, chiming, airy electronic dreaminess (track 1 "Some Life"), then things darken and churn somewhat into something akin to 'industrial-lite' (track 2 "Rotten"). But wait! Let's not get all gloomy! Party down with some disco punk a la The Rapture, Outhud (track 5 "Falling Picture - Shy Child Remix"), and lighten back up with more soothing melancholic-tronica (track 9 "Our Light - Casino Versus Japan Remix"), then brood, brood, brood into some very moody Brit rock-ish songs (track 10 and 11 "La Methode Francaise - Dwayne Sodahberk Remix" and "Resistance Days - Mum Nostalgia"). Delightfully eclectic or puzzlingly wishy-washy, you decide.
MPEG Stream: "Falling Picture - Shy Child Remix"
MPEG Stream: "La Methode Francaise - Dwayne Sodahberk Remix"

STARS LIKE FLEAS Sun Lights Down On The Fence (Praemedia) cd 11.98
One of the three new and not so new titles just in from the electronic music label Praemedia (Tim Perkis' Motive album and the Praeface compilation are the other two)! Stars Like Fleas bring many different influences and styles to their musical palette -- fusing together elements of jazz, experimental soundscapes, chamber music and earthy folk. Vocals are less about conveying recognizable words and lyrics, instead they're layer upon layer of hushed yet emotive, seemingly sub-conscious murmurings and incoherent yearnings. Sort of like what you'd imagine the shy brother of TV On The Radio (or as someone here suggested, Gastr Del Sol meets the Grateful Dead with Michael Stipe singing!). These vocals ebb and flow atop gentle rhythms and glistening electronic and acoustic instrumental embers. On other tracks, S.L.F. bring in NYC art-jazz style horns and cyclical note patterns which also bring to mind moments of Laurie Anderson (track 4 "On A Generous Day"). The perfect soundtrack to kicking back and watching the afternoon passage of "sun lights down on the fence".
MPEG Stream: "Isabel Of Lilac"
MPEG Stream: "On A Generous Day"

STARS OF THE LID And Their Refinement Of The Decline (Kranky) 2cd 16.98
We've been huge fans of the Stars Of The Lid ever since their first record, Music For Nitrous Oxide, way back in 1995. And their last record, Tired Sounds Of... is a beloved favorite and all time AQ best seller. It's been fascinating to observe their sonic development, from murky guitar based 4-track bedroom guitar drones, all foggy and fuggy and murky and dreamlike, to their current sound, a more modern, almost classical sound, of rich reverberant swells, and lots and lots of space.
The Stars' sound has obviously become much more clear and well defined, polished even, but everything we loved about Nitrous Oxide is still present, albeit in slightly altered form. The Stars' were always about swells, ebb and flow, melodies and compositions played out over expansive stretches of oceanic shimmer, and that at least hasn't changed on And Their Refinement Of The Decline. Notes aren't just played, they begin as tiny sparkles, little distant glimmers, and gradually grow into thick rich whirs, or massive rumbles, before just as quickly fading away again. Oceanic is definitely an apt descriptor, as the music here, as on the more recent records, does have that feel, like some epic dimly lit sonic sea swirling and churning, sometime tranquil and barely moving, other times heaving and tumultuous. It's the sound of a new dawn, an impending storm, or the birth of a galaxy, it's so completely epic while at the same time managing somehow to be pastoral and contemplative and breathtakingly beautiful.
In the early days it was just 2 guitars and a four track, and the sound reflected that, much more gritty and fuzzy, the mood a lot darker, evoking the desert, the starry sky, a druggy dreamy innerspace of muted minimal shimmer. As the band grew, and added instruments, more players, recorded in real studios, the sound changed dramatically, and suddenly, instead of some indie bedroom project, the Stars were crafting pieces that could stand alongside any modern classical piece, while remaining dreamy and drone-y enough to tickle the ears of indie dronesters worldwide. Which is probably the most fascinating part of the Stars' sound. They were making music equally as expansive and epic and gorgeous 10 years ago, but those sounds were limited by the technology, by the band's meager recording set up. And only now it seems that the band is able to fully realize the sound they have been hearing, and essentially creating, all along.
There are guitars here and there, it is after all still the root of their sound, but they seem to be overshadowed by the other instruments (although it is often difficult to pinpoint the instrument creating many of the sounds), heavy on the strings, three violincelles and a harp, as well as a surprising arsenal of horns, two trumpets, flugelhorn and clarinet, AND a children's choir!! But it's not just the players or the instruments, but how they interact and the music they create, and here the results are divine. Many of the tracks do sound like bits of modern classical stretched out into languorous stretches of muted drone and subtle shimmer, like watching the planets from outer space, observing the epic drifts of solar systems and an infinity of cosmic interactions, but others definitely reference more earthly sonic treasures, "Apreludes (In C Sharp Major)" has some serious Morricone going on, and "Don't Bother They're Here" references Scott Tuma's washed out guitar work in Souled American. But whatever subtle flavor is introduced into each track, the sound is definitely and distinctly Stars Of The Lid. Their shift to double disc releases also seems to suit them, allowing their slow burning soft swell compositions plenty of time to sprawl and spread and evolve into epic and soul stirring soundscapes. But even two discs is not nearly enough as far as we're concerned, so everyone buy this one, so next time, these guys can release a four disc set, or a ten disc set or a twenty disc set...
MPEG Stream: "Dungtitled (In A Minor)"
MPEG Stream: "Articulate Silences Part 1"
MPEG Stream: "Dopamine Clouds Over Craven Cottages"

STARS OF THE LID And Their Refinement Of The Decline (Kranky) 3lp 26.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Finally available on vinyl!
We've been huge fans of the Stars Of The Lid ever since their first record, Music For Nitrous Oxide, way back in 1995. And their last record, Tired Sounds Of... is a beloved favorite and all time AQ best seller. It's been fascinating to observe their sonic development, from murky guitar based 4-track bedroom guitar drones, all foggy and fuggy and murky and dreamlike, to their current sound, a more modern, almost classical sound, of rich reverberant swells, and lots and lots of space.
The Stars' sound has obviously become much more clear and well defined, polished even, but everything we loved about Nitrous Oxide is still present, albeit in slightly altered form. The Stars' were always about swells, ebb and flow, melodies and compositions played out over expansive stretches of oceanic shimmer, and that at least hasn't changed on And Their Refinement Of The Decline. Notes aren't just played, they begin as tiny sparkles, little distant glimmers, and gradually grow into thick rich whirs, or massive rumbles, before just as quickly fading away again. Oceanic is definitely an apt descriptor, as the music here, as on the more recent records, does have that feel, like some epic dimly lit sonic sea swirling and churning, sometime tranquil and barely moving, other times heaving and tumultuous. It's the sound of a new dawn, an impending storm, or the birth of a galaxy, it's so completely epic while at the same time managing somehow to be pastoral and contemplative and breathtakingly beautiful.
In the early days it was just 2 guitars and a four track, and the sound reflected that, much more gritty and fuzzy, the mood a lot darker, evoking the desert, the starry sky, a druggy dreamy innerspace of muted minimal shimmer. As the band grew, and added instruments, more players, recorded in real studios, the sound changed dramatically, and suddenly, instead of some indie bedroom project, the Stars were crafting pieces that could stand alongside any modern classical piece, while remaining dreamy and drone-y enough to tickle the ears of indie dronesters worldwide. Which is probably the most fascinating part of the Stars' sound. They were making music equally as expansive and epic and gorgeous 10 years ago, but those sounds were limited by the technology, by the band's meager recording set up. And only now it seems that the band is able to fully realize the sound they have been hearing, and essentially creating, all along.
There are guitars here and there, it is after all still the root of their sound, but they seem to be overshadowed by the other instruments (although it is often difficult to pinpoint the instrument creating many of the sounds), heavy on the strings, three violincelles and a harp, as well as a surprising arsenal of horns, two trumpets, flugelhorn and clarinet, AND a children's choir!! But it's not just the players or the instruments, but how they interact and the music they create, and here the results are divine. Many of the tracks do sound like bits of modern classical stretched out into languorous stretches of muted drone and subtle shimmer, like watching the planets from outer space, observing the epic drifts of solar systems and an infinity of cosmic interactions, but others definitely reference more earthly sonic treasures, "Apreludes (In C Sharp Major)" has some serious Morricone going on, and "Don't Bother They're Here" references Scott Tuma's washed out guitar work in Souled American. But whatever subtle flavor is introduced into each track, the sound is definitely and distinctly Stars Of The Lid. Their shift to double disc releases also seems to suit them, allowing their slow burning soft swell compositions plenty of time to sprawl and spread and evolve into epic and soul stirring soundscapes. But even three lps is not nearly enough as far as we're concerned, so everyone buy this one, so next time, these guys can release a four lp set, or a ten lp set or a twenty lp set...
MPEG Stream: "Dungtitled (In A Minor)"
MPEG Stream: "Articulate Silences Part 1"
MPEG Stream: "Dopamine Clouds Over Craven Cottages"

STARS OF THE LID Avec Laudenum (Sub Rosa) cd 14.98
Ssshhhh...you might miss this one, if you're not quiet. Formerly on the Kranky label, these Texan drone rockers manifest more of their trademarked shimmering ambience from guitars and four track experiments. Exactly the sort of music we wanna listen to at the end of a hectic day.

STARS OF THE LID Music For Nitrous Oxide (Sedimental) cd 14.98
Before there were a million 'drone' records, before every other person had their own cd-r drone music label, before anyone with a computer and a cd burner had their own 'drone project', and well before all it took was holding down a few keys on a keyboard or leaning a guitar against an amplifier to become an underground sensation, there was Stars Of The Lid. Armed with little more than a couple guitars, some effects and a four track, the duo of Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie were capable of crafting incredibly lush and expansive dronescapes unlike anything we'd ever heard. Quietly channeling the druggy drift of Spacemen 3, the blissful ambience of Brian Eno and the processed guitar based landscapes of post-Loop project Main, the duo conjured up long sprawling expanses of near static guitar drift, crumbling distortion and shimmering feedback sculpted into billowing stretches of soft swirling sound. Sites set high, even their early works aspired to the modern minimalism they would eventually master, but well before the group enlisted extra players and string sections and incorporated flutes and pianos and began crafting multi movement minimal epics, equal parts Arvo Part and Morton Feldman, the band's sound was much more raw and immediate, much more lo-fi, but somehow managing to sound lush at the same time, music so perfectly crafted it seemed to transcend its source. A gorgeous, living organic world of sound, evocative and cinematic, dark and brooding, soft and utterly beautiful.
Originally released way back in 1995, Music For Nitrous Oxide was the very first Stars Of The Lid release, and it's sound can be summed up by one of the song titles: "Tape Hiss Makes Me Happy". Apparently, so did strange samples, bizarre snippets of dialogue, and most importantly, thick smears of distorted guitar. Total bedroom ambient bliss, but light on the 'ambient', the music on Nitrous Oxide is anything but ambient, it moves and flows and buzzes and howls, the sound is not smooth, it's raw and rough, distorted and warped, the production low on fidelity, but heavy on hazy, gauzy, washed out shimmer. This is almost like the sound of old SUNNO))) records, with all the distortion removed. Slow motion riffage, unfurling lazily into thick tendrils of dark melody, textures and timbres stretched and smeared and smoothed and blurred, tape hiss everywhere, but instead of an impediment, the hiss is alive, swirling and undulating, another layer of warm whir, giving the sounds more texture and more grit. There is percussion, but it sounds like someone tapping on the body of the guitar, then slathering it in reverb and delay. The sounds of trains and cars driving by surface here and there, as do bursts of radio and short wave interference, but the core of all these pieces is delicately and perfectly arranged bits of guitar, whether they be looped streaks of whispery high end, or deep rumbling slabs of crumbling low end, the guitars are looped and repeated and all tangled up with other complimentary loops, allowed to spread out, to expand, to fill up the speakers and overflow, or to trickle out like a summer stream.
The sound shifts from hushed whisper to thick dense almost chaotic swirl, often in the same song. Deep bell like tones drift in wide open expanses of dreamily dramatic soft focus buzz, thick, super distorted guitar buzz is wound around a simple barely there drum beat, cymbals sizzle in a thick roiling black sea of disembodied and fragmented riffage, while elsewhere rubbery low end warbles beneath strange creaks and scrapes, swallowed whole by the occasional wash of blurred distorted buzz, and finally the sound of rainfall surrounds deep lush rumbling chords as they create an almost choral drone for perhaps one of the most moving pieces of drone music ever, certainly an impossibly perfect way to end the record.
Captivating, mesmerizing, one minute soft and shimmery, the next dense and heavy, but always perfect, always personal and intimate, always mysterious and utterly magical. The name Stars Of The Lid comes from the strange images you see when you close your eyes, electrical impulses, mysterious shapes and textures, and never has a name so perfectly reflected the sound of the band so named, and rarely, has band so perfectly represented something so ineffable in sound. Practically perfect. And absolutely essential.
MPEG Stream: "Adamord"
MPEG Stream: "Tape Hiss Makes Me Happy"
MPEG Stream: "Goodnight"

STARS OF THE LID The Ballasted Orchestra (Kranky) 2lp 19.98
Not really sure how we managed to not ever review this, the third record from dreamdrift duo Stars Of The Lid, especially considering they're a long time aQ fave, and rank up there for some of us as one of our favorite groups ever. But this gorgeous chunk of haunting spectral guitar drone ambience, originally released way back in 1997, has just been reissued on vinyl, which makes this the perfect time to right that wrong.
For those who are new to Stars Of The Lid, in the early days of the list, anything that was lush and brooding, ambient and beautifully atmospheric, Stars Of The Lid was the comparison we would most often make, the duo of Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie, channeled the spirit of Arvo Part and Henryk Gorecki through two guitars and a four-track, contemporaries of groups like Labradford and Jessamine, but way more minimal, the duo approached their songs like classical compositions, modern minimal epics, sweeping movements, in places lush and majestic, but in others, hushed and meditative. While the group would later go on to incorporate piano and strings, their early records were mostly created with treated guitars, deftly arranged and lushly layered, the Ballasted Orchestra being the perfect example. Longform compositions that unfurl like somnambulant ragas, starlit reveries, the sounds pulsing and drifting, subtle overtones ringing out like ripples in a pond, at times sounding like a super stripped down Spacemen 3, that sort of druggy pulsing buzz that defined that group's sound, but here slowed to a crawl, and spread way out.
A few of the tracks here gain some forward momentum, "Fucked Up (3:57 AM)" definitely has some dark twang and swoonsome drift, brooding and haunting, softly pulsing, a hypnotic slo-mo trance, all lush guitar thrum, and buried minor key melody, not to mention some heaving low end rumble off int he distance. And then there's the two part "Music For Twin Peaks Episode #30", which is indeed a hearfelt tribute to the show, and it's not hard to imagined these sprawling swirls of burnished chordal hum as the backdrop to that classic surreal program, and even on their own, free of any visuals, the sounds evoke all sorts of dark drama, especially part two, which adds some field recordings, and more haunting twang. The final track might be the loveliest of the bunch, a lush landscape of dark dreamy swells, of softly swirling swoonsome melodies, of smeared soft focus shimmers, all blurred into a hazy expanse of sweet sound, drifting off into the endless night.
Such a fantastic album, from an incredible group. Most definitely a precursor to bands like Barn Owl, newer Earth, Fear Falls Burning, FNS, RV Paintings, Slaves, and many of the current crop of dark sonic soundscapers, and yet as good as many of those groups are, few have come close to eclipsing Stars Of The Lid.
The reissue vinyl finds one of the tracks that was edited for the original cd release restored to its proper length, as well as the bonus track, "24 Inch Cymbal", from the original lp release!
MPEG Stream: "Central Texas"
MPEG Stream: "Sun Drugs"
MPEG Stream: "Taphead"
MPEG Stream: "Fucked Up (3:57 AM)"

STARS OF THE LID Tired Sounds Of Stars Of The Lid (Kranky) 2cd 16.98
Epic double cd masterpiece from Austin, Texas' kings of the lullaby drone. Stars of the Lid's sound, while similar to past efforts, has undergone some pretty dramatic changes. Their multi-layered 4-tracked guitars are still present in all their serene beauty and dark tranquility, but the sound is more lush and more detailed, with treated strings, organs, backwards tubular bells and field recordings adding even more depth to this already layered and impossible-to-grasp-in-one-listen recording. 'Tired Sounds...' is easily the Stars' most obviously melodic record, thanks in no small part to the addition of strings, horns and piano. Dreamy nocturnal slow motion drones are the glorious backdrop to the ebb and flow of dark sonic swells and soaring strings. While lots of 'drone' music sounds sinister and threatening, and often clinical and cold, the Stars manage to imbue their minimal soundscapes with warmth and humanity, and a sort of hope and joy. When the mood does change, it's more melancholic, lost, maybe lonely, never evil. Really human, organic emotions brilliantly conveyed through sound. So much avant / experimental music is technical and electronic, but the shimmering ambience of the guitars and the grit and grime of the recording, as well as the perfect arrangements make this music transcend its contemporaries, filling your ears with thick slow sound, until it slowly spreads through your whole body. Think Angus Maclise, Terry Riley, Brian Eno, Low, Alan Lamb's wire recordings, Pauline Oliveros' deep listening recordings, a more pastoral Skullflower, a more idyllic Total, John Cale, Godspeed You Black Emperor, the harmonium works of Hermann Nitsch, or Tony Conrad. But mix in those magic (non-academic) ingredients (rock background, songs, melodies) and you have probably one of the most beautiful recordings we have ever heard.
RealAudio clip: "Requiem For Dying Mothers part 1"
RealAudio clip: "Broken Harbors part 1"
RealAudio clip: "Austin Texas Mental Hospital part 1"

STARS OF THE LID Tired Sounds Of Stars Of The Lid (Kranky) 3lp 26.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Epic double cd masterpiece from Austin, Texas' kings of the lullaby drone, now on triple lp. Stars of the Lid's sound, while similar to past efforts, has undergone some pretty dramatic changes. Their multi-layered 4-tracked guitars are still present in all their serene beauty and dark tranquility, but the sound is more lush and more detailed, with treated strings, organs, backwards tubular bells and field recordings adding even more depth to this already layered and impossible-to-grasp-in-one-listen recording. 'Tired Sounds...' is easily the Stars' most obviously melodic record, thanks in no small part to the addition of strings, horns and piano. Dreamy nocturnal slow motion drones are the glorious backdrop to the ebb and flow of dark sonic swells and soaring strings. While lots of 'drone' music sounds sinister and threatening, and often clinical and cold, the Stars manage to imbue their minimal soundscapes with warmth and humanity, and a sort of hope and joy. When the mood does change, it's more melancholic, lost, maybe lonely, never evil. Really human, organic emotions brilliantly conveyed through sound. So much avant / experimental music is technical and electronic, but the shimmering ambience of the guitars and the grit and grime of the recording, as well as the perfect arrangements make this music transcend its contemporaries, filling your ears with thick slow sound, until it slowly spreads through your whole body. Think Angus Maclise, Terry Riley, Brian Eno, Low, Alan Lamb's wire recordings, Pauline Oliveros' deep listening recordings, a more pastoral Skullflower, a more idyllic Total, John Cale, Godspeed You Black Emperor, the harmonium works of Hermann Nitsch, or Tony Conrad. But mix in those magic (non-academic) ingredients (rock background, songs, melodies) and you have probably one of the most beautiful recordings we have ever heard.

STARS, THE Perfect Place To Hideaway (Pedal Records) cd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Perfect Place To Hideaway is the second full-length album from way-cool Japanese psych scene vets The Stars, a band featuring former members of Tokyo flashbackers White Heaven. Guitarist Michio Kurihara (also of Ghost) is perhaps the best known -- you may recall we recently reviewed his fine solo album Sunset Notes, another Pedal Records release. This ain't White Heaven mark II though, as their inspiration stems not so much anymore from west coast '60s psych like The Doors and Quicksilver Messenger Service but just as much from downtown NYC in the '70s -- Television, No Wave, and maybe even avant-disco dance music... But don't worry, The Stars first and foremost are a guitar band. And guitars can be dangerous things. Much of the time, The Stars are happy just demonstrating the truth of that statement. But there's shiny pop moments here that let singer You Ishihara act the crooning rock star, and some simple blissful ones too. These varied six tracks include the moody groove of the 11-minute "Subway (aka Night Walker)", the crashing, apocalyptic, distorto stomp of "Ice Blues" (THE track for those who want to hear Kurihara wail White Heaven style), the angular repetition of "Double Sider", the too-funky "Lemonade", the placid instrumental "Electron Spin Carnnival", and gentle coda "The World I Left Behind".
MPEG Stream: "Ice Blues"
MPEG Stream: "Double Sider"

STARS, THE Today (PSF) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This has got the great guitar sound/playing of ex-White Heaven, current Ghost acid rock six-stringer Michio Kurihara. Other folks from that semi-legendary '90s Tokyo psych flashback unit are present, including leader/singer You Ishihara. The Stars debut ep features three tracks, 25 minutes of garage-psych-pop, worth it for fans of Kurihara but probably not for the otherwise uninitiated.

STARS, THE Will (Pedal) cd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
1st full length from this Tokyo new wave psych act, featuring former members of White Heaven.

STARSAILOR Love Is Here (Capitol / Hollywood) cd 10.98
We've had a minor flurry of requests for this UK quartet, who follow very much in the path and style of Coldplay or a less experimental Radiohead, and enjoy just as much hype from the British media. "Best new band"? I'm not so sure of that. Clearly the fuss over Coldplay was well deserved as they rose to the challenge of escaping the "flavor of the month" tag - creating some beautiful, complex, resonant music (check out their shimmering song "Trouble" for instance), but I don't think Starsailor are quite there yet. Nevertheless if you're looking for a bit more along those lines - lushly lulling and melancholic - you just might wanna check them out too...
RealAudio clip: "Fever"
RealAudio clip: "Lullaby"

STARSHIP BEER Nut Music: As Free as the Squirrels (Atavistic / Unheard Music Series) cd 14.98
Reissue of this long out-of-print LP, originally released on Land Mammal in 1979. Formed in the early '70's in upstate New York, Starship Beer obviously share a love for Captain Beefheart and free jazz, the group is augmented by the talents of Pat O'Brian and Kevin Whitehead. Although the music itself presents a lot of enthusiasm and spirit, the results seem less successful than the future work of Thinking Fellers or Sun City Girls. Remastered from the original master tapes with several previously unreleased bonus cuts and detailed liner notes.

STARTER s/t (Dark Entries) lp 15.98
Starter were a Swiss synth-pop outfit, founded by the fashion designer Francis Foss with Jet Harbour and Grauzone's Claudine Chirac. They released one album back in 1981 of super minimal arrangements for synths, drum machine, and Foss' androgynous vocal stylings that would alternate between a rockabilly croon and a theatrically cabaret snarl. His voice is not all that dissimilar to Bettina Koster of Malaria with its Teutonic biting delivery; and musically, the band takes after Gary Numan, Kraftwerk, and the Neue Deutsche Welle sound in an electronic pastiche of poppy rock action, with a new wave twist of course. The album's opener "Lunapark" is a pretty simple rock-chord progression marched out on synths, video game sound effects, and Foss' amphetamine-laced pogo-pop vocals. "Is This Love" is a colder affair with sci-fi synth percolations. "Baby" is almost a Roy Orbison torchsong, with Foss crooning above the simple synth lullaby. This track has got to be a tongue-n-cheek parody in the style of Nina Hagen, given how overwrought Foss delivers the vocals and how toy-like and simple the synths are. This lp comes with an extra track "Victim" produced in 1985 when Starter reformed with just Foss and synth programmer Gary Grey, working in more of an Italo-Disco vein by way of Yello's "Bostich." As with all of the Dark Entries reissues, the production quality through the mastering and the artwork reproduction is top notch!

STARVING WEIRDOS Absolute Freedom (Abandon Ship) 7" 5.00
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**
**LAST COPIES**
Doing some Spring cleaning, and discovered a little stash of these, so figured we'd list them again, and what the heck, let's put em on sale too, last few copies, now at a WAY reduced price, and beyond that, a pretty bad ass 7"...
A brand new record from the Starving Weirdos, two old old tracks, resurrected and pressed onto what we're pretty sure is the SW's very first 7". The group's sound changes so much, that these two archival tracks, while entirely different from anything we've heard from them, still sound very much at home in their constantly shifting body of work. And unlike the more recent material, is much more lo-fi and looped, giving the sound a very rough, lo-fi, sort of Jeck / Tim Hecker vibe, which obviously we love!
The A side begins with a murky processed pulse, with propulsive krautrock drumming but before it gets more than 10 seconds in, there's a strange backwards swoop, and the track seems to skip back to the beginning, which takes up almost the whole side, a gorgeously fragmented tribal drone krauty loop, until right near the end, when the track shifts, the guitar builds to a chaotic squall, the drums blown out, the cymbals sizzling distortedly, a serious freaked out psych jam, with strange spoken word vocals, bits of feedback, and tons of distorted murk.
The flipside is also loop based (or sounds like it), a militaristic snare, rat-a-tat-tat's out an insistent beat, over which a cool shimmery loop, cycles over and over, while in the background deep rumbles pulse and swell, until the drums drop out and the track finishes off with some moody washed out Jeckian ambience.
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES! Pro printed black and white covers, with printed inserts.

STARVING WEIRDOS Blue Herons (Olde English Spelling Bee) lp 23.00
Brand new vinyl only full length from these Humbolt county noise makers, totally deluxe and ultra limited, the record comes in an elaborate hand silk screened jacket, hand numbered, LIMITED TO ONLY 470 COPIES, with a heavy cardstock sleeve affixed to the inside, and with a decidedly different sound.
In the past the Weirdos, once a duo, now a trio, had dabbled in all sorts of abstract soundscaping, usually ending up droning and shimmering and creating dark expanses of murk and murmur. The A side of Blue Herons finds the band kicking out a clattery noise jam, very industrial, with tons of clatter and creak, metal on metal, squeaking and groaning, as if they were performing inside some huge antiquated steam powered machine. The trio offer up stretches of grinding whir, streaks of feedback, bleating horns, lending a bit of a twisted free jazz feel to the proceedings, the whole thing unfurling like some nightmarish industrial-noir soundtrack.
The flipside is something else entirely, a soft cacophony of metallic clang and clatter, like the recording of a giant spindly robot, stumbling through a jungle made entirely of metal. There's the clinking of glass mixed in as well, and bits of woodwind, the robotic forest mashing gives way to something much more tranquil and dreamy, some Eastern ritual, lots of space, tones ringing out, melodic fragments drifting across wide open expanses, darkly delicate and subtly haunting.
As always, really nice sounds from the Starving Weirdos camp, and some kick ass packaging to match. And once again, LIMITED TO 470 COPIES!!!

STARVING WEIRDOS Eastern Light (Root Strata) 2cd-r 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
BACK IN STOCK!! LAST COPIES EVER!!!
Who would have though that a little cd-r from some unknown group called the Starving Weirdos would have caused such a ruckus? But stir up a ruckus it did! We have been selling that first disc like hotcakes, and why the heck not, a glorious noisy blast of free rock avant drone, No Neck by way of the Dead C by way of the Yellow Swans by way of Avarus by way of Sunroof! by way of Birchville Cat Motel. Or something like that. For more on how we discovered the Starving Weirdos, or more precisely how they discovered us, check out the review of their debut cd elsewhere on the site. So now we have this here brand new double cd-r and it's as good as if not better than the first (it features one track that was on the first record, but everything else is new and previously unreleased). The duo of Brian Pyle and Merrick McKinlay is truly adept at crafting ramshackle conglomerations of clattery percussion, weird warbling guitars, abstract ambient soundscapes, moaning horns, shuffling almost-rhythms, wide open expanses of random sounds, soothing and mesmerizing, a gloriously shimmery clatter and shuffle, rattle and wheeze. Five lengthy tracks spread out over two discs. Fans of ANY of the above mentioned bands will be in drone rock free folk bliss out heaven!
Released on the Root Strata label (run by Tarentel's Jef Cantu) each double disc is packaged in a hand painted gatefold cd sleeve, quite beautiful!
MPEG Stream: "Sea-Foam At Midnight"
MPEG Stream: "Quiet Shit"

STARVING WEIRDOS Father Guru (Azul Discografica) cd 12.98
Seems like only yesterday, that the Starving Weirdos were just that, a couple of weirdos from Humboldt who would send us huge boxes of cd-r's. all hand decorated, and home recorded. Record after record of amazing disembodied ambience and dreamy abstract noise.
Well, it seems the rest of the world is finally catching on, so these guys are no longer our little secret. But that's the way it's meant to work. This stuff is to amazing to only be heard by a handful of folks lucky enough to get their hands on some criminally limited cd-r.
So as far as we can tell, this is the Weirdos' first proper cd (non cd-r) release, and it's a doozy! Managing to capture everything we like so much about the band in the first place, while at the same time striking out in some decidedly new sonic directions. The opening track is the perfect example, all glistening high end, chimes, and tinkles, swirling ripples of upper register shimmer. Like wandering through some vast landscape made up entirely of old music boxes and strange pieces of metal hanging from the sky. Breezes nudge the various metals into each other, causing soft reverberant twinkles of sound to drift skyward. Melodies are spread out into long glistening strands, everything bathed in some sort of sun dappled reverb, thick delay, like waking up in some glorious meadow, trying to look around but your eyes are still bleary and filled with sleep. Dreamy! The second track is like a slowed down, downtuned, stretched out version of the first. Strings scrape and shimmer, warm melodies blurred into smears of melancholy sound, like listening to a string quartet through ears filled with funhouse mirrors, sounds overlap and become entangled, steel strings buzz, a simple melody surfaces, only to be swallowed whole by a slow moving swirl, the whole thing looped and extremely dreamlike and hypnotic. Think a more expansive and epic Basinski and you might be getting close.
The final track revisits the Weirdoes' earlier sound, a blissed out take on the Dead C's free noise rock, rendered much more abstract and lovely, but still ominous, creaking and clattering, billows of cymbal shimmer and percussive rumble form a thick bed over which all manner of plucked strings and disembodied melodies drift. Like sitting on the dock of a bay made up of black sound, filled with all manner of sound making buoys, that just float, and moan, and creak, their bells muted by thick fog, a subtle murky cacophony that becomes a gorgeous dronelike drift. Awesome! Quite possibly our favorite group in this new breed of quiet noisemakers. So recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Cypress Groves"
MPEG Stream: "Trancin'"

STARVING WEIRDOS Harry Smith (Root Strata) 12" 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Latest in the slow flow of dreamy sounds from this Humboldt County duo, who not counting their 20 or so unreleased full lengths, have gradually built up an amazing body of work, most unfortunately super limited, this new lp no exception.
Released on Tarentel's Root Strata label, Harry Smith is a single side long track, a slow burning cinematic wonder, a huge buzzing field of charged particles, run through old beat up guitars and a table full of FX pedals and broken toy instruments, alchemically changed from lead into a gold.
A sitar-like buzz, submerged in reverb and wrapped in dense overtones, spreads out like a melting glacier, constantly shifting and changing shape, above that drift huge washes of metallic shimmer, effulgent yet muted and murky, a subdued sonic glare, warm and wistful. These dreamlike expanses are punctuated by ghostlike pulses, bells or chimes smeared into indistinct tones, let loose and allowed to fade into the subtly churning sonic backdrop. Very dark and dramatic. And oh so lovely.
This is a one sided lp. The flip side has black and white artwork pasted right on the vinyl, housed in a clear plastic sleeve. And of course super limited...
ONLY 300 COPIES PRESSED!!!

STARVING WEIRDOS Into An Energy (Bo'Weavil) cd 17.98
The Weirdos are back with a brand new release, this time on London's Bo Weavil, and these Arcata mystics are hungrier then ever. Into An Energy is a slow brooding coastal spell of swirling, cascading drones laced with primal percussion and their signature junkyard ambiance. We heard the Weirdos came home from their European tour loaded with tons of ideas and were eager to lay it all down to tape. And we're very pleased they did, as Into An Energy is quite the psych noise masterpiece, even trekking into some unexpected dark industrial territory. One part ritual trance ceremony, one part noise rock opus, the album starts with a super grim, sinister glimpse into the hazy nightmares of a decrepit sea captain as he watches the bones of his crew be picked over by sea birds. Field recordings of waves layered under creepy whispering, wild flutes and metal clanging. Things start getting tribal with "Pagan Unity Ritual", plodding drum hits circle round and round as distant flutes and synths float into the sky. The album plays on with the faint sound of rising saxophone loops and far off chimes, all melting together into some dreamy bad trip bliss out. Every track is constantly changing, each sound shifting around and evolving into another, quiet drones lingering in the background, voices calling from beneath the ground, a truly intense experience impossible to soak up in just one listen. A perfect addition to the extensive Starving Weirdos discography and a must have for any fans of this free psych collective.
MPEG Stream: "Seeing Is Believing (You Decide)"
MPEG Stream: "Pagan Unity Ritual"
MPEG Stream: "Everything Glass"

STARVING WEIRDOS Land Lines (Amish) cd 14.98
The Starving Weirdos have long been a conundrum, but it's one that we love to entertain. Their unanswerable riddles are due to the scattered references that flow nearly unfiltered through an insatiable hunger for any and every cultural product churned out over the past century (and probably beyond). To engage in conversation with the Weirdos is to connect the dots between the six or seven strands of thought running through their psychically fused brains: How did the Dallas Mavericks do in the game last night? What did you think about that Serge Gainsbourg movie? Have you heard the new tape from Je Suis Le Petit Chevalier? She makes sick jams! Fuck! Check out that orange-crowned warbler that just flew out of the marsh! That shouldn't be here now. Global warming, man, it's gonna fuck us up... and the conversation circles back to Dirk Nowitzki. Yet, somehow it all makes sense as an organic recognition of the impact of cultural overload on individual consciousness. Just go with the flow, dude.
Musically, that's what you get with the Starving Weirdos. Their creativity is birthed in the hazed environs of Humboldt County through the psychedelic jam session; but they are not interested in repeating what their stoned, hippy brethren did 40 years ago. No, they hack into astral jazz, ambient smeared electronica, sixth-generation takes on PiL excursions of dub-punk, and a twinkling quest for their own path to transcendence - stoned, spiritual, or otherwise. Drum programming and synth emulators have crept to the forefront of the SW sound, with the trippy effects, swirling guitars, and opium-den vibes never far behind. It's certainly an unintended reference, but Land Lines harkens back to the ritual-ambient project O Yuki Conjugate from the mid-'90s. An obscure reference, yeah, but SW have stumbled through the droned-out excursions of Taj Mahal Travellers and an arboreal shimmer of Organum (via the satellite project RV Paintings), so to hear something else in the Weirdos is to be expected. This will certainly rank as one of our favorite SW records, for sure.
MPEG Stream: "In Our Way"
MPEG Stream: "Dreams, Endless"
MPEG Stream: "Land Lines"

STARVING WEIRDOS Land Lines (Amish) lp 21.00
The Starving Weirdos have long been a conundrum, but it's one that we love to entertain. Their unanswerable riddles are due to the scattered references that flow nearly unfiltered through an insatiable hunger for any and every cultural product churned out over the past century (and probably beyond). To engage in conversation with the Weirdos is to connect the dots between the six or seven strands of thought running through their psychically fused brains: How did the Dallas Mavericks do in the game last night? What did you think about that Serge Gainsbourg movie? Have you heard the new tape from Je Suis Le Petit Chevalier? She makes sick jams! Fuck! Check out that orange-crowned warbler that just flew out of the marsh! That shouldn't be here now. Global warming, man, it's gonna fuck us up... and the conversation circles back to Dirk Nowitzki. Yet, somehow it all makes sense as an organic recognition of the impact of cultural overload on individual consciousness. Just go with the flow, dude.
Musically, that's what you get with the Starving Weirdos. Their creativity is birthed in the hazed environs of Humboldt County through the psychedelic jam session; but they are not interested in repeating what their stoned, hippy brethren did 40 years ago. No, they hack into astral jazz, ambient smeared electronica, sixth-generation takes on PiL excursions of dub-punk, and a twinkling quest for their own path to transcendence - stoned, spiritual, or otherwise. Drum programming and synth emulators have crept to the forefront of the SW sound, with the trippy effects, swirling guitars, and opium-den vibes never far behind. It's certainly an unintended reference, but Land Lines harkens back to the ritual-ambient project O Yuki Conjugate from the mid-'90s. An obscure reference, yeah, but SW have stumbled through the droned-out excursions of Taj Mahal Travellers and an arboreal shimmer of Organum (via the satellite project RV Paintings), so to hear something else in the Weirdos is to be expected. This will certainly rank as one of our favorite SW records, for sure.
MPEG Stream: "In Our Way"
MPEG Stream: "Dreams, Endless"
MPEG Stream: "Land Lines"

STARVING WEIRDOS Live @ Valentines (Portland) (self-released) 3"cd-r 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We only got 10 of these, direct from the band on their return from Europe. Pretty sure we got the last copies of a way too limited batch, but we figured at least a few Starving Weirdos fanatics should be able to get their grubby mitts on these. Cuz as much as we hate to say it when we have so few, this is pretty dang fantastic.
A 20 minute live set captured live in Portland Oregon, as a part of something called Challenge Night, organized by Pete Swanson from the Yellow Swans, and it seems the Weirdos were up to the challenge, offering up a strange drifty sort of skeletal doom. With detuned acoustic guitars, mantra like vocals, simple percussion, all set within a shimmering field of distorted squiggles and air raid siren like wails, eventually joined by some seriously tribal drumming, a la NoNeck or Sunburned Hand, the track transformed into a distortion drenched drum circle / free psych freakout. The guitars coalesce into post rocky almost metal riffage, the vocals slathered in distortion and spouting invective WAY down in the mix, the drums unleashing a woozy groove, and the guitars, the heaviest we've heard from these guys, tons of reverb and delay, like old school goth guitar style, but somehow rendered more jagged and metallic, not to say this is necessarily heavy, although it kind of is.
But by the halfway mark, the drums have dropped out, the guitar have shed their metal coats, and everything is muted and blurred and smeared into an oozing organic soundscape of what sounds like moaning horns and shimmering strings, thick swells that ebb and flow, finally grinding to a halt in a whirling cloud of soft feedback and washed out drones. Really nice. Too bad we only have a handful.
Cool packaging too, mini 3" jewel cases, with gold metallic ink on black covers, each one hand drawn and every one different. LIMITED TO 58 COPIES!!
MPEG Stream: "Challenge Night"