TIMES NEW VIKING Dig Yourself (Siltbreeze) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We're obviously not graphic designers, or even all that computer savvy considering it took us a little too long to get the band name joke (hint: it's a font, sort of). Anyway, this newest release on the always impeccable Siltbreeze comes in the form of this here crusty noisy blast of aggro garage scuzz. Maybe the best part is how they got signed to Siltbreeze. A found cassingle, lodged in some sort of street shrine discovered according to the label "on a street corner during our annual litter crusade. Inside the cassette's handmade case was scrawled 'This am band. Good band!' Next to that was a crude drawing of what appeared to be three people playing instruments. It smelled musty and had a real creepy, cultish vibe to it."
I mean, c'mon, how could it not be great? And it sounds exactly how you think it would after that sort of story. Straight from the gutter, to a practice space, some fried mics and a blown out 4-track, and then slapped on a cd. Fuzzy superdistorted guitars, wheezing blasts of organ, splattery drumming, shouted male female vocals, all buried in tape his and amp buzz. Mostly noisy and ramshackle and stumbling through a minefield of Dead C outtakes and broken GBV cassettes, but once in a while, like on "Skull Versus Wizard", they'll whip out a veritable pop gem, a little slice of Pavement, beaten and bloodied and rolled in the mud, but still a sparkling pop gem under all that grit. Speaking of "Skull Versus Wizard", they have other killer song titles too: "Lions And Oil", "Fuck Books", "Fashion To Talk About The Moon", "We Got Rocket" and more. At times it almost sounds like a not-annoying Kim Gordon fronting Gate or the Dead C while they try to record popular indie rock favorites. Fans of the Bunnybrains, Icky Boyfriends, Liquorball and grimey gritty scummy noise pop rejoice! The lp is super limited and comes packaged in a nice hand screened sleeve.
MPEG Stream: "Lion & Oil"
MPEG Stream: "Skull Versus Wizard"
MPEG Stream: "Fuck Books"

TIMES NEW VIKING Move To California (Matador) 7" 5.50

TIMES NEW VIKING Over & Over (Siltbreeze) lp 13.98
Yet another blast of fuzzed out, hook heavy shitgaze from these long time aQ faves, who as hard as they may try, can't seem to keep their sound from getting more and more polished, same with their songwriting. Sure it's still pretty rough and tumble, loose and ramshackle, the drumming a little stumbly, the harmonies wavery and woozy, the synths, slipping from simple sing songy melodies, to wild squalls of detuned chaos, the sound still plenty lo-fi, but there's that saying about not being able to polish a turd, well, with these guys it's exactly the opposite. You just can't disguise their perfect pop, no matter how fractured or fucked up you make it, and their core, these jams are pure pop, and catchy as all get out. Reminding us as always of old Sebadoh, Guided By Voices, the early Days of Matador, and the poppier side of the late great Homestead Records. The sound this time is heavy on the boy/girl harmonies, the songs rife with spidery melodies, lots of fuzzy crunch and dreamy jangle, the opening one-two punch of "Sleep-In" and "Telephone Wires" is tough to beat. But then the group get all angular and dirgey on "Y2K2" and as if to prove our point, somehow transform a weird bass heavy tangle of murky churn into something crazy catchy, the female vox drifting over a strange keening snake charmer melody, all wrapped around driving tribal drums, and crunchy jagged guitars. And then it's right back to the crunchy garage pop on "Future With Girls", and then, for the remainder of this all too brief ep, the band toss of one classic lo-fi pop gem after another, culminating in "At The Bars" which might just be one of the catchiest TNV jams yet!
Includes a download code!!
MPEG Stream: "Sleep-In"
MPEG Stream: "Telephone Wires"
MPEG Stream: "Y2K2"

TIMES NEW VIKING Present The Paisley Reich (Siltbreeze) cd 13.98
There seems to be two sides to Siltbreeze. The arty noisy side, represented by bands like the Dead C and Harry Pussy, and the fractured pop side, with bands like Guided By Voices, Psychedelic Horseshit, the Strapping Fieldhands (be prepared FINALLY for a cd reissue of SFH's mindblowing classic Discus this year!) and of course, Times New Viking, who sonically have much in common with labelmates Psychedelic Horseshit, but where PH do a sort of post new wave jangle filtered through nineties noiserock, TNV are much more jagged and sing songy, a definite post punk pogo vibe. Less deconstructionist that their Horseshit pals, instead, they just write perfect indie rock jams, but when committed to tape, they somehow turn into something much more raw and intense. Howling teenage noisepop jams that stick in your head as they're destroying your eardrums. Dig past the distorted buzz and lo-fi crunch, and there's all sorts of crazy stuff going on in there, chunks of classic new wave, riot grrl howl, groovy sixties style jangle, furious garage rock stomp, but all wrapped up into something that really only sounds like Times New Viking. We LOVE it.
MPEG Stream: "Imagine Dead John Lennon"
MPEG Stream: "Devo & Wine"
MPEG Stream: "Little Amps"

TIMES NEW VIKING Present The Paisley Reich (Siltbreeze) lp 13.98
There seems to be two sides to Siltbreeze. The arty noisy side, represented by bands like the Dead C and Harry Pussy, and the fractured pop side, with bands like Guided By Voices, Psychedelic Horseshit, the Strapping Fieldhands (be prepared FINALLY for a cd reissue of SFH's mindblowing classic Discus this year!) and of course, Times New Viking, who sonically have much in common with labelmates Psychedelic Horseshit, but where PH do a sort of post new wave jangle filtered through nineties noiserock, TNV are much more jagged and sing songy, a definite post punk pogo vibe. Less deconstructionist that their Horseshit pals, instead, they just write perfect indie rock jams, but when committed to tape, they somehow turn into something much more raw and intense. Howling teenage noisepop jams that stick in your head as they're destroying your eardrums. Dig past the distorted buzz and lo-fi crunch, and there's all sorts of crazy stuff going on in there, chunks of classic new wave, riot grrl howl, groovy sixties style jangle, furious garage rock stomp, but all wrapped up into something that really only sounds like Times New Viking. We LOVE it.
MPEG Stream: "Imagine Dead John Lennon"
MPEG Stream: "Devo & Wine"
MPEG Stream: "Little Amps"

TIMES NEW VIKING Rip It Off (Matador) cd 12.98
We only just reviewed the -last- Times New Viking on the most recent list, even though it had been out for a while. And now here we are two weeks later, with a brand new TNV, and it's more of the glorious blown-out in-the-red chaotic ultra catchy pop same.
As it says on the back of the record "Times New Viking play pop songs with guitar keyboards drums." Which is definitely simplifying it a bit. Since they also incorporate a huge amount of NOISE, and feedback, and buzz, and tape hiss, and all manner of distorted blur and skree and howl. That said, this new one is even poppier and catchier than Present The Paisley Reich, and even more buried under thick slabs of crumbling sonic chaos.
But even with all the noise, at it's heart, TNV is definitely a pop band through and through, the dueling boy/girl vocals, the warbly keyboard, the bouncy indie guitar jangle, sometimes it sounds like Superchunk, but if they were on Siltbreeze and recorded all their songs on a microcassette recorder and mastered it with a tin can and twine. They also sound a bit like Mates Of State, but way less polished, way more punishing, thick bolts of high end and dense clouds of hiss bombarding the lilting sweet pop, the bouncy keyboards and crooning earnest vocals. Here and there, the noise drops off a bit, revealing the pure sweet sunshine underneath, but it's quickly swallowed up again, by another wash of speaker shredding buzz and soaring hyperdistorted melodies.
We just can't get enough of this stuff. Pop record of the year contender? Absolutely, and it's still January. If there was ever a band who deserved the sobriquet of 'noise pop' it's definitely Times New Viking. And it certainly doesn't get any noisier or poppier than this. Certainly not at the same time!
MPEG Stream: "Teen Drama"
MPEG Stream: "(My Head)"
MPEG Stream: "Rip Allegory"
MPEG Stream: "The Wait"

TIMES NEW VIKING Rip It Off (Matador) lp 14.98
We only just reviewed the -last- Times New Viking on the most recent list, even though it had been out for a while. And now here we are two weeks later, with a brand new TNV, and it's more of the glorious blown-out in-the-red chaotic ultra catchy pop same.
As it says on the back of the record "Times New Viking play pop songs with guitar keyboards drums." Which is definitely simplifying it a bit. Since they also incorporate a huge amount of NOISE, and feedback, and buzz, and tape hiss, and all manner of distorted blur and skree and howl. That said, this new one is even poppier and catchier than Present The Paisley Reich, and even more buried under thick slabs of crumbling sonic chaos.
But even with all the noise, at it's heart, TNV is definitely a pop band through and through, the dueling boy/girl vocals, the warbly keyboard, the bouncy indie guitar jangle, sometimes it sounds like Superchunk, but if they were on Siltbreeze and recorded all their songs on a microcassette recorder and mastered it with a tin can and twine. They also sound a bit like Mates Of State, but way less polished, way more punishing, thick bolts of high end and dense clouds of hiss bombarding the lilting sweet pop, the bouncy keyboards and crooning earnest vocals. Here and there, the noise drops off a bit, revealing the pure sweet sunshine underneath, but it's quickly swallowed up again, by another wash of speaker shredding buzz and soaring hyperdistorted melodies.
We just can't get enough of this stuff. Pop record of the year contender? Absolutely, and it's still January. If there was ever a band who deserved the sobriquet of 'noise pop' it's definitely Times New Viking. And it certainly doesn't get any noisier or poppier than this. Certainly not at the same time!
MPEG Stream: "Teen Drama"
MPEG Stream: "(My Head)"
MPEG Stream: "Rip Allegory"
MPEG Stream: "The Wait"

TIMES NEW VIKING Stay Awake EP (Matador) 7" 3.98

TIMES, THE E For Edward / Pure / Et Dieu Crea La Femme (Artpop!) 2cd 16.98
IN STOCK AGAIN!!
Ed Ball, the mastermind behind the headfuck shoegaze genius that is Teenage Filmstars, is not just a master of sonic manipulation and avant audio alchemy, no he's also a POP genius, which in some ways is precisely why Teenage Filmstars was so compelling, for every whatthefuck collage of bizarre sounds, or the dizzying spinout of backwards drums and warped reverse guitars, was some perfect melody, some kernel of absolute classic pop tunesmithery, even at its most obtuse and impenetrable, it was always weirdly poppy, or subtly melodic.
The long running classic British pop combo The Times is the groop in which Ball let his otherwise sublimated pop demons loose, gobbling up every trope of classic pop music from the sixties, seventies, and especially the eighties and the nineties, and spitting them back out as his own brand of primo pop, which sounds quite a bit like some ever shifting, and slightly tweaked fusion of Oasis, Ride, the Happy Mondays, the Style Council, Depeche Mode, Tears For Fears, Pop Will Eat Itself, and the like. But only slightly tweaked. Don't be expecting any freaked out sonic fuckery, or some fractured meta-pop, the Times were never meant to be experimental, they're more like a musical time capsule, for Ball and his cohorts to go skipping through the history of pop music. And to bring back bits and bobs that he then assembles into the Times museum of classic pop. And classic it is. From mod jangle, to new wave synthy groove, to big guitar power pop, to strummy slow jam, to string soaked balladry, to glimmering soft focus shoegaze, no quirky prog-pop, and pretty much every stop in between. And it's not just the sounds, it's the songs, lush and jangly and melodic, hooks galore, catchy as all get out, total retro pop bliss, every song a gem. Another glorious chapter in Ball's long and storied sonic history, or chapters, this double disc reissue consisting of 3 different The Times records, originally released in 1989 and 1990...
Like all Artpop! releases, comes with a huge, somewhat confusional booklet, packed with liner notes and pics, and also includes a bunch of killer bonus tracks!
MPEG Stream: "Manchester"
MPEG Stream: "Catherine Wheel"
MPEG Stream: "Acid Angel Of Ecstasy"
MPEG Stream: "Life"

TIMES, THE I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape (Artpop! / Cherry Red) cd 21.00

MPEG Stream: "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape"
MPEG Stream: "All Systems Are Go!"
MPEG Stream: "Big Painting"

TIMES, THE Pop Goes Art! (Cherry Red) lp 28.00

MPEG Stream: "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape"

TIMES, THE Pop Goes Art! (Cherry Red) lp 28.00

MPEG Stream: "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape"

TIMESBOLD Ill Seen Ill Sung (Zeal) cd 11.98
Hard to believe it's been nearly a decade since we first heard Timesbold, and come to think of it, it's been almost as long since we've heard any new recordings from these guys. We originally discovered them, when aQ fave Greg Weeks was performing in town, and the opening act was none other than Timesbold, whose sound was a dizzying hybrid of mournful dark country dirgery, lush experimental pop, and a certain classic country rock vibe. We compared them to Palace, Songs:Ohia, Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Neil Young and the Band. And somehow these guys did channel all of those, into something entirely their own.
This record is not new, it's from 2008, and we can't tell when it was recorded, could be even older, and heck, we're not even sure if these guys are still a band, but what we do know, is it's so good to hear them again, and these songs take up right where their self titled record on Blue Sanct left off.
Lush instrumentation, banjo, organs, big guitars, slippery slide, moaning cellos, crystalline harmonics, urgent steel string strum, the drums slipping from shuffle to pound and back again, the sound warm and lush, twangy and surprisingly rocking, a darkened country drift melded to an apocalyptic swamp folk, the vocals super distinctive, emotional and heartfelt, very reminiscent of Will Oldham and Jason Molina (of Songs:Ohia), fragile, often on the verge of cracking, yet still powerful, the songs smolder and brood, occasionally introspective and minimal, but also occasionally explosive and intense, the songs rife with subtle hooks, all the hallmarks of classic country folk, but wreathed in experimental tendencies, and a wide reaching sonic palette. It's a shame these guys aren't more well known, these songs, all of their records, this is most definitely the kind of thing that would inspire some serious obsessiveness in fans of Palace, Souled American, 16 Horsepower, Woven Hand, Kiss The Anus Of A Black Cat, Munly, the Decemberists, Low Anthem, Sparklehorse, Giant Sand and other purveyors of dark twang...
Really fantastic!
MPEG Stream: "Old Hannah"
MPEG Stream: "Any Lethal Storm"
MPEG Stream: "All Readymade"
MPEG Stream: "Takeaway"

TIMESBOLD s/t ( Blue Sanct) cd 14.98
Finally a full length from the amazing Timesbold! We first discovered them as the opening act for AQ fave Greg Weeks last year and loved the shit out of their debut ep. This full length fufills every promise their ep made and then some!! A dark and lonely trip down some very familiar paths, but the scenery is quite different and the company is much better. Taking the mournful, bleak country rock of Palace or Songs:Ohia, the lush melancholia of the Flaming Lips or Mercury Rev, and the classic songsmithery of Neil Young or the Band, Timesbold emerge with something at once totally timeless and classic, but also fresh and unique. Piano and acoustic guitars are the foundation for these expansive and gut wrenching tales of misery and hopelessness. Spare and sparse, evoking wastelands, both physical and spiritual, these tunes are so intense and brutally poignant, furtive peeks into the souls of men damned by love and loss. Breathtaking and intense, dark and dreary, but gorgeously recorded and produced. Thick throbbing low end, wisps of shimmery harmonium and that voice, a warbling, cracked cry to the heavens for forgiveness and salvation. So so good. This is probably the saddest, most beautiful, best sounding record we've heard in a really long time. Fans of Woven Hand, 16 Horsepower, Palace, Songs:Ohia, Souled American, etc...
MPEG Stream: "Giniwin"
MPEG Stream: "Sewn In Seems"

TIMESBOLD Woe Be Gone... (Tin Drum) cd ep 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We had never heard of these folks until AQ fave Greg Weeks came to town with his travelling musical revue (Timesbold in tow) and I have to say I was BLOWN AWAY by this band. How a band could be this good, sound this polished and self assured, share so many traits with more 'popular' and 'hip' indie bands, and still remain completely unknown is baffling to me. The closest reference points are probably Palace or Songs:Ohia, due in no small part to the gorgeous vocals: cracking and emotive, full and rich. Stunning. But unlike those bands' purposeful minimalism and spare instrumentation, Timesbold don't shy away from introducing pianos, synthesisers, strange production techniques and lush vocal harmonies, -and- they're not afraid to rock out, if the song calls for it. Also, unlike their indie/country/folkie peers, they seem more interested in production, crafting spacious and epic soundscapes, replete with soaring strings and creepy minor key washes. Think Jason Molina, Will Oldham or Neil Young singing for the Flaming Lips or Mercury Rev, but with a more isolated and bleak country vibe: crackling campfires, broken hearts, wintery chills, bitter loneliness. So fucking great. First time in a LONG time I've managed to just stumble on to a band this good. So recommended.
RealAudio clip: "I Hear You Hear"
RealAudio clip: "Gin I Win"

TIMMS, SALLY In The World Of Him (Touch & Go) cd 14.98
After a handful of primarily country-infused solo albums (and countless others with her ol' band the Mekons, not to mention many collaborative efforts), Sally Timms has assumed an altogether new sound and persona for her newest full length, In The World Of Him. And it seems fitting that this release should appear on the broader-scoped label Touch & Go rather that her usual rootsy homebase of Bloodshot Records. We caught a hint of the image transformation from the album's coverart, a photo of Timms (oddly and uncomfortably) scantily clad in clear platform heels and lingerie slip sitting on the edge of a rumpled bed of satin sheets. Whoa Miss Sally! What's going on? And the first song made us go "oh my!" once more. It's a startlingly moody breakbeat driven number with her singing in a very smoky cabaret style. Once we got over the initial disorientation though, we took a shine to this 'new' Sally. As the album's title eludes, all the songs were written by men -- Jon Langford, Kevin Coyne, Johnny Dowd, Mark Eitzel, and Ryan Adams. Fine singer/songwriters all of them, but one thing's for sure, she makes each song wholly her own. The key? Her voice is at its most expressive in years, at once embodying both a comforting warmth and a brittle throaty weariness. For those yearning for the Sally of old, fear not! She does drift back into a more familiar dusky twang further into the album, and sort of weaves back and forth between the two worlds. An impressive reinvention.
MPEG Stream: "Sentimental Marching Song"
MPEG Stream: "Fools We Are As Men"

TIMMY'S ORGANISM Raw Sewage Roq (In The Red) cd 13.98
Latest blast of garage punk filth from these Detroit weirdos, and at first blush, unlike the noise-rock-space-garage what-the-fuck chaos of their last record, Rise Of The Green Gorilla, this new one, album title Raw Sewage Roq notwithstanding, seems to be a bit more reeled in. It's classic Stooges-y swagger and fuzzed out garage blooze crunch, the opening one-two punch of "Cats On The Moon" and "Bouncing Boobies" sounding more like something you'd hear from some SF garage rock combo, a sound not that far removed from Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin and all the rest, but then once we get to "Monster Walk", things start to go wonderfully wrong, and slip back into something much more warped and tripped out, thick swaths of wah guitar, weird almost Beefheartian vox, not to mention strange bellowed background vox, but somehow, it still manages to be catchy as fuck. Which is pretty much TO's M.O., a wild swirling cacophonous mess, piled atop crazy catchy hooks and indie pop jangle, everything wreathed in super distorted lead guitar shred, and thick buzzing low end bass thrum, often driven by some weirdo vox, just check out the weird punk rock gang vox sing along of "Unhook My Leash", or the almost death metal growls of "Take The Castle", which by the way, might be one of our favorite jams here, a sort of epic near-metal dirge jam, all tribal drumming, and woozy wah wah guitars, the aforementioned vox, all murky and muddy and freaky and psychedelic. And thankfully, the record never lets up, slipping easily from dark almost ballady creeps, to churning garage punk snarl, and from classic fuzz drenched pop to the full bore noise rock garage pound of the title track that finishes things off. So good!
MPEG Stream: "Bouncing Boobies"
MPEG Stream: "Monster Walk"
MPEG Stream: "Take The Castle"
MPEG Stream: "Raw Sewage Roq"

TIMMY'S ORGANISM Raw Sewage Roq (In The Red) lp 14.98
Latest blast of garage punk filth from these Detroit weirdos, and at first blush, unlike the noise-rock-space-garage what-the-fuck chaos of their last record, Rise Of The Green Gorilla, this new one, album title Raw Sewage Roq notwithstanding, seems to be a bit more reeled in. It's classic Stooges-y swagger and fuzzed out garage blooze crunch, the opening one-two punch of "Cats On The Moon" and "Bouncing Boobies" sounding more like something you'd hear from some SF garage rock combo, a sound not that far removed from Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin and all the rest, but then once we get to "Monster Walk", things start to go wonderfully wrong, and slip back into something much more warped and tripped out, thick swaths of wah guitar, weird almost Beefheartian vox, not to mention strange bellowed background vox, but somehow, it still manages to be catchy as fuck. Which is pretty much TO's M.O., a wild swirling cacophonous mess, piled atop crazy catchy hooks and indie pop jangle, everything wreathed in super distorted lead guitar shred, and thick buzzing low end bass thrum, often driven by some weirdo vox, just check out the weird punk rock gang vox sing along of "Unhook My Leash", or the almost death metal growls of "Take The Castle", which by the way, might be one of our favorite jams here, a sort of epic near-metal dirge jam, all tribal drumming, and woozy wah wah guitars, the aforementioned vox, all murky and muddy and freaky and psychedelic. And thankfully, the record never lets up, slipping easily from dark almost ballady creeps, to churning garage punk snarl, and from classic fuzz drenched pop to the full bore noise rock garage pound of the title track that finishes things off. So good!
MPEG Stream: "Bouncing Boobies"
MPEG Stream: "Monster Walk"
MPEG Stream: "Take The Castle"
MPEG Stream: "Raw Sewage Roq"

TIMMY'S ORGANISM Rise Of The Green Gorilla (Sacred Bones) cd 13.98
A blurry blast of noise-rock-space-garage-what-the-fuck distorto rock from this Michigan weirdo, the opening track is an in-the-red chunk of amp melting blown out Stooges style riff rock swagger, the vocals in your face, snarling and mewling, while the drums pound, and the guitars swirl and smolder, run through an arsenal of pedals, flanger, phaser, wah wah and DISTORTION, captured on a busted 4 track, totally psychedelic and maniacal and awesome!
That's only one facet of Timmy's twisted sonic Organism, a schizophrenic sound that flits from off kilter garage rock groove to damaged glam trash blooz, to gorgeously tripped out lo-fi dream pop ambience, to crusty ramshackle fuzzed out indie rock, to full on abstract pop experimentation, the whole thing constantly on the verge of collapse, little bits of perfect melody emerging from fierce squalls of noise drenched heaviness, Joe Meek like production wrapped around full on noise psych brutality, Chrome-like sci-fi space rock gives way, to drawled Jandekian reverb bedroom folk, which transforms into some sort of synthwave weirdness, before finishing off with a gorgeous bit of lush epic and majestic indie pop mood music. Weird as fuck, and all over the map, but definitely total bliss for anyone with a sweet tooth for totally cracked pop and unhinged lo-fi noise rock weirdness.
MPEG Stream: "Ugly Dream"
MPEG Stream: "Pretty Stare"
MPEG Stream: "Oafeus Clods"

TIMMY'S ORGANISM Rise Of The Green Gorilla (Sacred Bones) lp 14.98
NOW ON VINYL!!
A blurry blast of noise-rock-space-garage-what-the-fuck distorto rock from this Michigan weirdo, the opening track is an in-the-red chunk of amp melting blown out Stooges style riff rock swagger, the vocals in your face, snarling and mewling, while the drums pound, and the guitars swirl and smolder, run through an arsenal of pedals, flanger, phaser, wah wah and DISTORTION, captured on a busted 4 track, totally psychedelic and maniacal and awesome!
That's only one facet of Timmy's twisted sonic Organism, a schizophrenic sound that flits from off kilter garage rock groove to damaged glam trash blooz, to gorgeously tripped out lo-fi dream pop ambience, to crusty ramshackle fuzzed out indie rock, to full on abstract pop experimentation, the whole thing constantly on the verge of collapse, little bits of perfect melody emerging from fierce squalls of noise drenched heaviness, Joe Meek like production wrapped around full on noise psych brutality, Chrome-like sci-fi space rock gives way, to drawled Jandekian reverb bedroom folk, which transforms into some sort of synthwave weirdness, before finishing off with a gorgeous bit of lush epic and majestic indie pop mood music. Weird as fuck, and all over the map, but definitely total bliss for anyone with a sweet tooth for totally cracked pop and unhinged lo-fi noise rock weirdness.
MPEG Stream: "Ugly Dream"
MPEG Stream: "Pretty Stare"
MPEG Stream: "Oafeus Clods"

TIMOFEEV, VIKTOR Give Health999 (Lo Bit Landscapes) lp 14.98
Got a handful of these back in stock, on the same label that released the recent Record Of The Week from Nihiti, and in fact, only just discovered that much of said record of the week, For Ostland, was co-written by this guy, which makes a whole lot of sense once you hear it...
Viktor Timofeev is probably better known as a visual artist, this NYC resident hails from Latvia, and has been making a name for himself in the art world, but he also counts himself a sometime member of electro synth-wave downer poppers Nihiti, and painted the very distinctive cover of the first Nihiti, his solo record is something totally removed from Nihiti, on his own, he instead traffics in expanses of layered drones, and looped riffage, of atmospheres and ambience, but active ambience, with sounds blurred and tangled, rhythmic without actual rhythms, the label drops names like Stars Of The Lid, SUNNO))) and Godspeed, and we do definitely hear elements of all of those, it's droney and dirgey and haunting and almost classical sounding in places, but the tracks are super varied, while retaining an oblique cohesiveness, the opener is all dirgey blackened atmospherics, reminding us a little of Blackwolfgoat, looped and layered riffage, lurching and stuttering but super hypnotic, ultra lo-fi, muddy and murky, but the sort of thing we would have been into seeing fill up both sides of the record. The second track is totally different, instead it's lush and shimmery, a dreamlike dronescape laced with streaks of feedback and a haunting distorted melody that runs throughout. The final track on the A side begins with field recordings, birds and running water, all beneath a series of warped and woozy tape experiments, lush chordal swells, repetitive and mantra-like, finally transforming into an almost orchestral looped industrial outro.
The flipside is separated into three tracks, but they seem to be woven into one sidelong epic, a cinematic symphonic landscape of drone and melody that almost sounds like a black metal Arvo Part, droney and dirgery and dramatic, sinister and ominous, the vibe menacing and super intense, the sort of track that broods malevolently, but is totally hypnotic and mesmerizing, the whole side is like a sonic black hole, the listener immersed in the dense deep blackness, until the last few minutes, where the track finishes off with a strange bloopy almost new wavey sounding outro.
Definitely recommended for fans of dark drones and droney darkness, and for sure has us wanting to hear more sounds, and see more art from Timofeev.
MPEG Stream: "December 22nd"
MPEG Stream: "WorldWideWaterWorld"
MPEG Stream: "Flying Zonogons"

TIMONY, M. BAND (MARY) The Shapes We Make (Kill Rock Stars) cd 14.98
Whoa, this first few songs on this new Mary Timony album sounds about as close to her old band Helium as it could possibly get. And in our opinion that is a mighty good thing because although we've appreciated her many solo flights of fancy into fantasylands filled with castles, wizards and unicorns, our hearts still pine for the good ol' college radio solid Helium. On The Shapes We Make, Timony slips easily into each of her different musical guises that she's assumed over the years. Medieval maiden, indie rock firecracker, piano parlor princess, woodland pixie, dissonant axe goddess... yes, she's been all of those and then some. This is one of her best, most well-rounded albums to date! Recommended for old fans and neophytes alike!
MPEG Stream: "Sharpshooter"
MPEG Stream: "Summer's Fawn"

TIMONY, MARY Ex Hex (Lookout) cd 13.98
For her third solo outing, Mary Timony appears to have slipped away from her previous two albums' land of fantasy themes into more earthbound personal subjects. Ex Hex is certainly much more immediate and direct. The change is a refreshing one and is in many ways a return to her 'old' self. Indeed, some of these songs come closer to capturing the spark of her old beloved band Helium than any of her recordings since that band's demise. We're particularly happy to hear the return of that great bending guitar tone which was such a perfect foil for her distinct winding vocal style. The album balances her majestic side (check out the beautiful "In The Grass") and her more edgy side ("Hard Times Are Hard!" -- yes, the title has an exclamation mark!), effectively drawing together key elements from throughout her career into this one place.
MPEG Stream: "In The Grass"
MPEG Stream: "Hard Times Are Hard!"

TIMONY, MARY Mountains (Matador) cd 14.98
What can you expect from Mary Timony's first solo album? Well, from an initial look over the song titles and lyrics... more mystical tales of another time and place. Painted horses, poison moons, and golden fruit. Musically, many a bent note, deep rough strings, and those oh-so familiar vocals that sweeps from low, almost spoken phrases to prickly falsetto. Not surprisingly, this does sound quite like a Helium album, but here all music is performed by Ms Timony and Christina Files with guests John McEntire and Ash Bowie. As you might expect, the three tracks that Mr. McEntire plays on (especially the instrumental "An-Deluzion") end up sounding a bit like Tortoise and a bit out of place.

TIMONY, MARY The Golden Dove (Matador) cd 14.98
Ever since The Magic City (Helium's final album back in 1997), Mary Timony's music has descended further and further into the lair of dragons and castles. Her solo full length Mountains in 2000 was nothing but boggling fantasy tales. Truly a puzzling shift in musical direction that left me scratching my head in perturbed disappointment (and I know I wasn't alone in that department). I mean, after Helium's excellent, twisted pop album The Dirt Of Luck as well as their Pirate Prude and Superball EPs, I was so eager to hear more in the same vein. But alas, it was simply not to be with either of the above-mentioned albums... pixies and unicorns? No, not my cup of tea. And from the looks of the Ms-Timony-as-damsel back cover photo on Golden Dove, I shuddered and almost gave this album an automatic pass. But hold your horses honey pie! It appears this fair maiden has wisely blinked her dewy lash back to her sassy Helium days. Surprise! She's achieved a sweeter balance between her two worlds of lilting indie rock and fantasy chamber pop, although as the album progresses it is drawn back towards the latter realm. Swirling and romantic with an occasional glimpse of her old feist.
RealAudio clip: "Look A Ghost In The Eye"
RealAudio clip: "Dr. Cat"

TIN FOIL STAR Mort Aux Vaches (Staalplaat) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
With a handful of Kranky-esque 7's and 10's, Tin Foil Star caught the ear of Staalplaat, who got them to appear on the VRPO radio series and consequently issued this limited edition CD. The first release on Staalplaat (normally known for its obtuse experimentalism) by somebody whose name has floated more within indie rock circles (albeit droning circles). Tin Foil Star here manifests a warm if lonely pop-electronica.

TIN FOIL STAR Too Late Then, Too Late Now (Noise Museum) cd 16.98
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Blankets of thick analog buzzes and hums weave around more delicate ambient tones, textures and vocals. With its repetitive keyboard melodies, at times this brought to mind a tiny, entranced, mad organist in a very large ancient cathedral. Very textural, melancholic and relaxing. A great follow-up to the Mort Aux Vaches cd on Staalplaat. For fans of Spacemen 3!

TIN HAT The Sad Machinery Of Spring (Ryko) cd 16.98
There's been changes galore in the world of Tin Hat. Most notably Rob Burger, one of the group's founding members has left the fold. They've wisely recruited the wonderfully talented multi-instrumentalist Ara Anderson (Iron And The Albatross, Boostamonte, Tom Waits) and acclaimed clarinet player Ben Goldberg, and dropped the "Trio" from their name. And they've released The Sad Machinery Of Spring, their fifth luminous album. Tin Hat are frequently categorized as a chamber music group but the music they make reaches out far beyond that genre's borders. They effortlessly and seamlessly incorporate elements of classical, jazz, and a broad spectrum of Americana and international sounds. Excellent.
MPEG Stream: "Blind Paper Dragon"
MPEG Stream: "The Land Of Perpetual Sleep"

TIN HAT TRIO Book Of Silk (Ropeadope) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Fantastic! Tin Hat Trio's fourth album Book Of Silk is composed of fifteen shadowy, haunting instrumentals. Filled with a good deal of intrigue and folly, this is darkly enchanting and deeply moving music seemingly from another time that slowly waltzes its way out of your dreams -- sort of like the sonic equivalent of a film by the Quay Brothers (if you don't know what we mean by this, please track down their films!). A creaking, creeping assemblage of accordion, horns and a multitude of stringed instruments (including harp played by guest Zeena Parkins) that take on a life of their own. Tin Hat Trio's own devoted fans already know the wonders of this group, but admirers of bands such as Dirty Three, Kronos Quartet or early Black Heart Procession will surely also want to take note of Book Of Silk. Oh yeah, and for those like us who have a penchant for whistling, check out the twelveth song! Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Elliott Carter Family"
MPEG Stream: "Pablo Looks Back"

TIN HAT TRIO Helium (Angel) cd 16.98

TIN HAT TRIO Memory Is An Elephant (Angel) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

TIN HAT TRIO The Rodeo Eroded (Ropeadope) cd 16.98
This cherished local group is comprised simply of languid violin, sprightly accordion and gentle guitar, but what a lovely deep full sound they make. Sometimes they're conjuring up macabre cartoon music, sometimes a dusty waltz, sometimes it's a Kronos Quartet-style light romp through several different moods 'n genres within single tracks. Willie Nelson even guests on one song! If Tom Waits opened a coffeehouse, Tin Hat Trio would be the house band.
RealAudio clip: "Bill"
RealAudio clip: "Joel"

TINARIWEN Aman Iman: Water Is Life (World Village) cd 21.00
Wow! The latest from this large ensemble from Mali once again demonstrate that they are one of the best bands anywhere on this planet. Their mix of electric guitars with more traditional acoustic percussion comes just flows so naturally with an effortless grace and style that just seeps into your soul. After their great debut from a few years back and a tour of the states (their show here in SF at the Great American Music Hall is still burned into the memories of those of us who were there that night!) there was of course the natural concern that like much great music from the other side of the globe that finally reaches these parts, that some glossy western producer would try to get their hands on Tinariwen and water them down for mass consumption. Tinariwen actually don't need any of that to reach a broad audience as their songs are so well crafted as they are, and so filled with warmth and emotion that they're pretty impossible not to love. Recorded in just two weeks, there is an urgency and undeniable spirit to these recordings, capturing their sound maybe better then any past recording of them has. Their music continues to exude the essence of the desert and what it means to be a nomadic people. The way they are able to find the perfect groove and lock into it is what sweeps us off our feet every time we listen to this. We would love to see them play shows with Brightblack Morning Light, as Tinariwen's warmth and deep grooves would be the perfect match for Brightblack's infectious take on nomad blissed out blues. This is quickly becoming one of our favorite records of the year, one of those discs that we can just say 'get it' with the utmost confidence. And it won't take you long to understand why!
MPEG Stream: "Cler Achel"
MPEG Stream: "Imidiwan Winakalin"
MPEG Stream: "Mano Dayak"

TINARIWEN Amassakoul (Harmonia Mundi) cd 21.00
About time we listed this, people have been raving about this North African band for a while, and this new domestic cd came out last fall...we've been selling 'em pretty steadily but our review slipped thru the cracks until now. So here's the lowdown if you haven't yet heard about these folks. The members of Tinariwen are Tuareg, nomadic people from the borderlands of Libya, Algeria and Tunesia. Formed in 1982, the group can probably boast the most interesting circumstances under which they met: in a rebel training camp of Colonel Ghadaffi's while fighting in an insurgency against the Malian government! So it may or may not seem odd that the most distinctive sound they share with another is the lilting electric guitar of Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure. After 22 years Tinariwen have fused shades of Taureg music with Bo Diddley like rhythms and traditional instruments with electric bass, guitar and drums. Andee thinks the rhythm they keep returning to throughout the album sounds a lot like 50 Cent's "In The Club"!
MPEG Stream: "Amassakoul 'N' Tenere"
MPEG Stream: "Aldhechen Manin"

TINARIWEN Imidiwan: Companions (Independiente) lp 22.00
Now available on vinyl!
While the origins and history of this Tuareg nomadic group are so interesting and epic, these days what truly stands out is the amazing records they make. Their last outing Aman Iman, was a bigtime AQ favorite and this follow up does not disappoint.
On each release, Tinariwen tend to ease into their sound with more flow and a tranquil intensity that's very hard to achieve, yet it comes to them so naturally. Their guitars, vocals, hand claps, and percussion all come together to create such a hypnotizing intensely moving musical experience. For sure following blueprints laid down by the late great Ali Farka Toure but truly finding their own voice and signature sound that rings with so much soul and such undeniable authenticity. Tinariwen are one of the few African bands who have managed to slightly cross over into a larger following without losing one ounce of their integrity or musical vision. They truly have crafted a sound that's instantaneously recognizable as their own and it's so awesome that we've begun to hear their influence on lots of American indie bands like Brightblack Morning Light, The Drift, OM, and Wooden Shjips. The album closes with "Desert Wind" which really captures the desolate feeling of sand blowing across the desert sky, a track that most drone acts would kill to call their own. Once again Tinariwen has made a record that we're sure will stand the test of time.
MPEG Stream: "Tahult In"
MPEG Stream: "Lulla"
MPEG Stream: "Kel Tamashek"

TINARIWEN Imidiwan: Companions (World Village / Harmonia Mundi) cd + dvd 21.00
While the origins and history of this Tuareg nomadic group are so interesting and epic, these days what truly stands out is the amazing records they make. Their last outing Aman Iman, was a bigtime AQ favorite and this follow up does not disappoint.
On each release, Tinariwen tend to ease into their sound with more flow and a tranquil intensity that's very hard to achieve, yet it comes to them so naturally. Their guitars, vocals, hand claps, and percussion all come together to create such a hypnotizing intensely moving musical experience. For sure following blueprints laid down by the late great Ali Farka Toure but truly finding their own voice and signature sound that rings with so much soul and such undeniable authenticity. Tinariwen are one of the few African bands who have managed to slightly cross over into a larger following without losing one ounce of their integrity or musical vision. They truly have crafted a sound that's instantaneously recognizable as their own and it's so awesome that we've begun to hear their influence on lots of American indie bands like Brightblack Morning Light, The Drift, OM, and Wooden Shjips. The album closes with "Desert Wind" which really captures the desolate feeling of sand blowing across the desert sky, a track that most drone acts would kill to call their own. Once again Tinariwen has made a record that we're sure will stand the test of time. Oh, and this also comes with a rad documentary film about the group on an all regions dvd.
MPEG Stream: "Tahult In"
MPEG Stream: "Lulla"
MPEG Stream: "Kel Tamashek"

TINARIWEN Tassili + 10:1 (Anti) cd 15.98
Tinariwen have proven to be one of the most dependable and consistently awesome bands on the planet. Each of their records are filled with such soulful desert blues. it was just a matter of time before their sounds began to reach a wider audience, without the group compromising one ounce of their musical integrity. On their debut outing for Anti, they continue to do what they do best. Meditative guitar playing, sweeping rhythms, hypnotic vocals, moments of chant and response, and an overall vibe that that keeps us under its spell from start to finish.
While this album marks the first time big name Western artists have joined them in collaboration, do not fear, if there wasn't a big sticker on the cover telling us this features members of TV On The Radio and The Dirty Brass Band, along with AQ fave guitarist Nels Cline (of Wilco), we really would have never known. That speaks so highly to the amount of respect Tinariwen has received from so many of today's musical finest, as these folks know and respect Tinariwen's sound and vision so much that they just add subtle touches that flow with their sound, instead of trying to inject their own ideas into the sound.
There is more of an acoustic , sparse and dusty feel to Tassili + 10:1 than their earlier records. Yet it keeps intact all the great elements that made us fall in love with them from the beginning. Another awesome outing from an incredible band!
MPEG Stream: "Imidiwan Ma Tennam"
MPEG Stream: "Tenidagh Hegh Djeredjere"
MPEG Stream: "Tenere Taqqim Tossam"
MPEG Stream: "Walla Illa"

TINCHY STRYDER Cloud 9 (Stryder) cd 14.98

TINDERSTICKS Bareback: Nine Films By Martin Wallace (Beggars Banquet) dvd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This dvd's title might be a bit misleading for those expecting actual 'films' per se with soundtrack music specifically composed by Tindersticks for the visuals. No, this is essentially a music video collection. Yes, of course videos can be thought of a short films, but.... Anyways, the nine videos on Bareback are sure to make any Tindersticks fan weak in the knees. All were created by someone near and dear to the band, filmmaker Mark Wallace. They're from as early as 1993 ("City Sickness" co-edited by Pulp's Jarvis Cocker) through to 2003 ("Sometimes It Hurts" and "The Art Of Lovemaking"). Most of them were filmed in London and Liverpool, but the one for "Can Our Love" was done in Prague. Not surprisingly, Wallace's visuals are as stunning, elegant and evocative as the band's music. A perfect fit!

TINDERSTICKS Can Our Love... (Beggars Banquet) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The Tindersticks never cease to amaze me. Their unique and heartwrenching sound evolves with each release. "Can Our Love..." is their 5th full length album and the most soulful record to date, taking inspiration from such artists as Curtis Mayfield, Bobby Womack, and Tim Hardin. Some of the brass and organ arrangements bring a new soul mood to this release, but with Stuart Staples' signature vocal style and the slow beautiful cello and guitar, this is still very much a Tindersticks record, and a brilliant one at that.
RealAudio clip: "Can Our Love..."
RealAudio clip: "Don't Ever Get Tired"

TINDERSTICKS Curtains (Polygram) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Beautiful, lush pop of the most grand & dramatic kind. Tindersticks' deep, slow ballads and velvety songs draw you in. Plus a guest vocal appearance by Ann Magnuson of Bongwater. 'Nuf said. Recommended!

TINDERSTICKS Donkeys 92-97 (Island) cd 25.00
A collection of rarities, singles (that SubPop single you never see anymore), and unreleased recordings... one of the tracks seems to be a Pavement cover. Lovely cover art is a riff on Duke Ellington's "Anatomy of a Murder" soundtrack.

TINDERSTICKS Falling Down A Mountain (4AD / Constellation) cd 17.98
Since the 2006 departure of one of the founding members, multi-instrumentalist Dickon Hinchliffe (along with longtime drummer and bassist Al Macauley and Mark Colwill), the Tindersticks' sound has shifted quite dramatically away from their trademark well-worn velvety orchestral grandeur. Some fans delighted in the new developments, while others were torn. On this album it appears they've gone the farthest afield, and we're not quite sure if the challenging shifts will send us packing. Even where you'd think there could be no chance of change there is some - that is, in the deeeep intonations of lead singer Stuart A. Staples! He's singing ascends into a slightly higher register which certainly makes for a more varied tone, but we feel it often undermines the overall impact. The songs come in a grabbag of styles - smoky jazz, a little flamenco, cowboy twang - and if that were the extent of the band's new directions, things would probably be less perturbing. But without Staples' baritone delivery it all seems to drift somewhat nebulously, lacking the potent nail-you-in-the-gut gravity of their earlier releases. Nevertheless, we simply can't turn our backs to this beloved band just yet. Might need to take this for a few more spins. It will be interesting to see if they continue along this new path on their next album, and venture beyond these seeming growing pains into altogether new terrain. So, all of you diehards, we know this review probably won't dissuade you, but we just wanted to issue a warning!
MPEG Stream: "Harmony Around The Table"
MPEG Stream: "Black Smoke"

TINDERSTICKS Falling Down A Mountain (Constellation) lp 25.00
Since the 2006 departure of one of the founding members, multi-instrumentalist Dickon Hinchliffe (along with longtime drummer and bassist Al Macauley and Mark Colwill), the Tindersticks' sound has shifted quite dramatically away from their trademark well-worn velvety orchestral grandeur. Some fans delighted in the new developments, while others were torn. On this album it appears they've gone the farthest afield, and we're not quite sure if the challenging shifts will send us packing. Even where you'd think there could be no chance of change there is some - that is, in the deeeep intonations of lead singer Stuart A. Staples! He's singing ascends into a slightly higher register which certainly makes for a more varied tone, but we feel it often undermines the overall impact. The songs come in a grabbag of styles - smoky jazz, a little flamenco, cowboy twang - and if that were the extent of the band's new directions, things would probably be less perturbing. But without Staples' baritone delivery it all seems to drift somewhat nebulously, lacking the potent nail-you-in-the-gut gravity of their earlier releases. Nevertheless, we simply can't turn our backs to this beloved band just yet. Might need to take this for a few more spins. It will be interesting to see if they continue along this new path on their next album, and venture beyond these seeming growing pains into altogether new terrain. So, all of you diehards, we know this review probably won't dissuade you, but we just wanted to issue a warning!
MPEG Stream: "Harmony Around The Table"
MPEG Stream: "Black Smoke"

TINDERSTICKS Hungry Saw (Constellation) cd 15.98
Tindersticks creep their way back into our hearts with their latest (and seventh) album - their first studio full length since 2003's Waiting For The Moon. As always, their music lures you into its clutches with its balance of soulful threadbare emotions, gently caressing instrumentations and slowly (downward) spiralling arrangements. No one captures the essence of devastatingly beautiful despair like Stuart Staples and co. However, there are a couple of unexpected numbers on Hungry Saw in which the band, dare we say, almost has a skip in their step - case in point, the title track! Nevertheless, this is classic Tindersticks, a fine bruise-red vintage to drown your sorrows in. Sure to not only please their legions of devoted fans, but also captivate many new ones!
MPEG Stream: "The Other Side Of The World"
MPEG Stream: "Hungry Saw"

TINDERSTICKS Hungry Saw (Constellation) lp 15.98
Tindersticks creep their way back into our hearts with their latest (and seventh) album - their first studio full length since 2003's Waiting For The Moon. As always, their music lures you into its clutches with its balance of soulful threadbare emotions, gently caressing instrumentations and slowly (downward) spiralling arrangements. No one captures the essence of devastatingly beautiful despair like Stuart Staples and co. However, there are a couple of unexpected numbers on Hungry Saw in which the band, dare we say, almost has a skip in their step - case in point, the title track! Nevertheless, this is classic Tindersticks, a fine bruise-red vintage to drown your sorrows in. Sure to not only please their legions of devoted fans, but also captivate many new ones!
MPEG Stream: "The Other Side Of The World"
MPEG Stream: "Hungry Saw"

TINDERSTICKS Nenette et Boni (Bar None) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Finally a domestic re-issue of this Tindersticks soundtrack to Claire Denis' French film about Nenette and Boni.

TINDERSTICKS s/t (aka The First Tindersticks Album) (Plain) lp 22.00
Hurrah, two early Tindersticks albums have recently been re-released on vinyl, and we heartily recommend them both!
This is the Nottingham, England band's self-titled debut album which was originally released in 1993, not to be confused with their second album from 1995 which was also self-titled. Although lead singer Stuart Staples and company have shifted into different stylistic choices in the past few years, back in the early days you could definitely count on the band for a consistency in sound, mood and aesthetic (and album titling too, apparently!) that was distinctly their own and which drew masses of diehard fans.
This one is where it all started, and where any potential fan should start. Staples' trademark deeeeep vocal delivery is on display amidst their somber, elegant, downright lush chamber pop compositions. Lyrically, Staples delves into some less than elegant areas, however (song titles include "Jism" and "Drunk Tank"), although like Arab Strab, Staples and company are masters at taking such salacious sentiments and transforming them into brooding loveliness.
Nice to have this on vinyl again, for maximum decadent atmosphere. 180 gram wax, gatefold sleeve.

TINDERSTICKS s/t (II) (Plain) lp 22.00
Hurrah, two early Tindersticks albums have recently been re-released on vinyl, and we heartily recommend them both! If you're only going to get two Tindersticks lps, these are they.
Of this band's first two triumphs, their second (and also self-titled) album, from 1995, is at least as good as the first, maybe even better and more sophisticated, but of course still similarly somber and elegant, with a lush sound that is definitely reminiscent of Scott Waker (1-4), plenty of vibes, delicate melodies, swirling strings and vocalist Stuart Staples deep haunting sung/spoken croon, that at times reminds us of a more torch songy Lambchop, and years later, we can't help but realize how much bands like the National and the Editors and the like owe to the mighty Tindersticks. Absolutely gorgeous stuff, another moody masterpiece.
180 gram vinyl. Not a gatefold though, unlike the other one.

TINDERSTICKS The Something Rain (Constellation) cd 15.98
While we found 2010's Falling Down A Mountain slightly underwhelming, we've quickly fallen under the spell of UK mope rockers Tindersticks' new one, the spoken word driven opening track "Chocolate" playing out like a much more lush (and less sexually deviant) take on Arab Strab, the music so lovely, shuffling drums, tinkling chimes, twang flecked softly psychedelic guitars, a little bit slowcore, a little big Godspeed slow build epic, a dark orchestral late night sprawl of horns and warm sonic swirls, lead vocalist Stuart Staples in story telling mode, it's actually quite compelling, and hauntingly lovely. The rest of the record returns to the Tindersticks sound of old, smoldering and sensual, the instrumentation spare, but the arrangements lush and almost symphonic in places, but nearly skeletal in others, Staples' distinctive croon sounding as good as ever, the music gorgeous and lush as always, but some of our complaints about the last record still ring true, the band trying out different sounds and vibes, none of which suit them as much as the dour dreary doomy pop miserablism that defined their early records, the horns too are a bit much in places too, as are the female background vocals, but folks who dug the last record will like this one too, and longtime fans will of course be pleased, but that first track is definitely a stunner, and might be worth the price of admission on its own...
MPEG Stream: "Chocolate"
MPEG Stream: "Show Me Everything"