V/A Smalltown Supersampler (Smalltown Supersound) cd 13.98
Smalltown Supersound is a Norwegian label that defines itself by the artists on the label and not through a unifying aesthetic; yet, they've decided to release a sampler of all of their artists, from the minimalistic and pulsing sounds of Elektro Nova/Electro Nova, to the melancholic beauty of Continental Fruit, to the abstract electronics of Lasse Marhaug, to Jazzkammer's glitch electronica, to Kim Hiorthoy's wonderful and warm mixture of the organic and the electronic, and to the slow, beautiful and hypnotic sound of Monopot.

V/A Smashed 40: Slummer Jams (Folktale) 2 x cassette 16.98
This long in the works comp features a bunch of underground outfits, some aQ faves, but way more unknown to us weirdos, all tackling their favorite top 40 jams, and we're not talking contemporary, we're talking top 40 as far back as anyone cared to go. Some of the names we know: Alvarius B, Amps For Christ, Carla Bozulich, Dennis Callaci from Refrigerator, R. Stevie Moore, Simon Joyner, Wckr Spgt, but there's THIRTY THREE MORE! Including: Marmits, Treasure Mammal, Key Losers, Captain Ahab, Nicole Kidman (not THAT one), Pregnant, The Receptionists, Knight Rider (not that one, at least we don't think so), Clark 8, Gulliver, Thundersnail and obviously loads more.
But the song choice is pretty crazy too, Bananarama's "Cruel Summer", Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er Boi", John Lennon's "Woman", the Beach Boys' "Kokomo", Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want To Have Fun", Yes' "Owner Of A Lonely Heart", Blondie's "Heart Of Glass", Dolly Parton's "9 To 5", Talking Heads' "Burning Down The House", R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts", Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up", Foo Fighter's "Everlong", and tons more, lots of songs we recognize but don't know who did them originally, and then plenty that we MIGHT have known, but here are so warped it's pretty much impossible to tell.
Some of our favorites? Amps For Christ covering John Lennon, which other than the warbly background buzz, is actually a pretty straight cover, Alvarius B does a seriously intense version of a song called "Prisoner", no idea whose song it is, but it sounds like it could be an Alvarius original! Someone called Whitman transforms the Foo Fighters' anthemic "Everlong", into a creepy, minor key lo-fi ballad, rife with moaning strings and warbly vocals, giving the song a whole different vibe. Simon Joyner does a darkly delicate version of Dream Academy's "Life In A Northern Time", which again, sounds like it could be his own song, creepy and dreamy. Pregnant Rick rolls us in the best possible way, with a super murky elecro-flecked slo-mo creep reimaging of "Never Gonna Give You Up". The best tracks here are the ones that DO sound like originals. Or sound JUST different enough from the original to make them new and exciting. There are plenty of goofball moments too, Wckr Spgt doing Yes, singing in falsettos is definitely one, and lots of damaged outsider freakiness, but for every WTF moment, there's a carefully crafted reinterpretation, and in many cases, hearing songs you may have grown to hate, recast as bizarre homebrewed sonic concoctions is all it takes to get you to fall in love with the song all over again (at least this new version). Cool, warped, fun and fucked up stuff.
Comes packaged in a super spiffy oversized plastic clamshell case, with full color artwork, and a download code!
MPEG Stream: AMPS FOR CHRIST "Woman"
MPEG Stream: PREGNANT "Never Wanna Give You Up"
MPEG Stream: ALVARIUS B "Prisoner"
MPEG Stream: SIMON JOYNER "Life In A Northern Town"

V/A Smashits (Shitkatapult) cd 16.98

V/A Smooth Sounds - Various Artists Play The Future Hits Of Wckr Spgt (Shrimper) 2cd 9.98
What better way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of your record label? Well if you you're Shrimper, home to the Mountain Goats, Sentridoh, Amps For Christ, Dump, Herman Dune, Refrigerator, Woods and loads more, you get some of those bands, and about 35 more, and you have them all cover songs by arguably your least popular artist, WCKR SPGT! Make sense? Of course it doesn't, but that's not the point. The real point is that WCKR SPGT were, and are awesome, and have been Shrimper mainstays since day one, so they wrote 36 brand new songs, sent them to all their friends, and had said friends record them however they wanted, and this is the result, a gloriously sprawling tribute to the last 20 years of low fidelity sound making, late night tape dubbing, and the power of DIY.
Some of the names here will definitely be familiar, Sentridoh, The Mountain Goats, Refrigerator, Breathlizor, Primordial Undermind, The Ah Club, Amps For Christ, Simon Joyner, Jad Fair, Soul-Junk, and those songs are indeed awesome, but so are any and all of the other 27 jams. But yeah, the Sentridoh track, nicely titled "Smooth Sounds For Your Fucking Face", sounds like it could have been pulled off a cassette from the nineties, lyrics and all, Soul-Junk's WCKR SPGT is all chaotic noise rock, laced with clouds of electronic noise and crumbling distortion, super lo-fi (of course), completely ramshackle, and wicked catchy, the Mountain Goats track is all acoustic guitar and vocals (again of course), but here augmented by cool tremolo guitar, some lush harmonies, not at all the lo-fi boombox howling of old, Refrigerator sounds like Refrigerator, those sad man vocals over trash can drums, detuned guitars, all wrapped in a cloud of tape hiss, with what almost sounds like cello (!), Jad Fair offers some rambling wisdom, over chicken scratch guitars, and a thumping looped rhythm, Amps for Christ transforms WCKR SPGT into twisted and warped electro-Jesus-folk, Breathilizor are as dumb and genius as always, spewing ridiculous lyrics over classic metal riffage, and on and on and on and on...
Some of our new favorites are Peephole Circus, sound like an extra lo-fi take on nineties math/noise rock, their WCKR track crazy catchy, Alan Smithee's woozy jangly drone pop, which is slowly overtaken by strange pulsing electronics, and faux strings, a seriously twisted hybrid that sounds awesome, Golden Boots whose track sounds like it could be the intro music to Mystery Science Theater 3000, with it's strange processed vox, and sing songy melody, Kukunuku's warbly creepy garbled mumbledrone dreaminess, sounding a bit like Ween, the Uncalled For with their fuzzy garage rock stomp...
This all just reminds us that Shrimper, and all the bands that sail with her, still rule, as much as when we were ordering $2 tapes through the mail in the early nineties. The cd features funny liner notes from Shrimper rockstar Franklin Bruno, and a super swank textured paper insert, the tape offers an appropriately more lo-fi and liner noteless version, and if the above raving didn't already spell it out for you, SUPER RECOMMENDED.
MPEG Stream: SENTRIDOH "Smooth Sounds For Your Fucking Face"
MPEG Stream: SOUL-JUNK "A Better Line"
MPEG Stream: THE MOUNTAIN GOATS "Predator Eyes"
MPEG Stream: ALAN SMITHEE "Kurt Cobain Will Have His Revenge On The City Of Los Angeles"
MPEG Stream: GOLDEN BOOTS "She Is Electric"

V/A Smooth Sounds - Various Artists Play The Future Hits Of Wckr Spgt (Shrimper) cassette 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
What better way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of your record label? Well if you you're Shrimper, home to the Mountain Goats, Sentridoh, Amps For Christ, Dump, Herman Dune, Refrigerator, Woods and loads more, you get some of those bands, and about 35 more, and you have them all cover songs by arguably your least popular artist, WCKR SPGT! Make sense? Of course it doesn't, but that's not the point. The real point is that WCKR SPGT were, and are awesome, and have been Shrimper mainstays since day one, so they wrote 36 brand new songs, sent them to all their friends, and had said friends record them however they wanted, and this is the result, a gloriously sprawling tribute to the last 20 years of low fidelity sound making, late night tape dubbing, and the power of DIY.
Some of the names here will definitely be familiar, Sentridoh, The Mountain Goats, Refrigerator, Breathlizor, Primordial Undermind, The Ah Club, Amps For Christ, Simon Joyner, Jad Fair, Soul-Junk, and those songs are indeed awesome, but so are any and all of the other 27 jams. But yeah, the Sentridoh track, nicely titled "Smooth Sounds For Your Fucking Face", sounds like it could have been pulled off a cassette from the nineties, lyrics and all, Soul-Junk's WCKR SPGT is all chaotic noise rock, laced with clouds of electronic noise and crumbling distortion, super lo-fi (of course), completely ramshackle, and wicked catchy, the Mountain Goats track is all acoustic guitar and vocals (again of course), but here augmented by cool tremolo guitar, some lush harmonies, not at all the lo-fi boombox howling of old, Refrigerator sounds like Refrigerator, those sad man vocals over trash can drums, detuned guitars, all wrapped in a cloud of tape hiss, with what almost sounds like cello (!), Jad Fair offers some rambling wisdom, over chicken scratch guitars, and a thumping looped rhythm, Amps for Christ transforms WCKR SPGT into twisted and warped electro-Jesus-folk, Breathilizor are as dumb and genius as always, spewing ridiculous lyrics over classic metal riffage, and on and on and on and on...
Some of our new favorites are Peephole Circus, sound like an extra lo-fi take on nineties math/noise rock, their WCKR track crazy catchy, Alan Smithee's woozy jangly drone pop, which is slowly overtaken by strange pulsing electronics, and faux strings, a seriously twisted hybrid that sounds awesome, Golden Boots whose track sounds like it could be the intro music to Mystery Science Theater 3000, with it's strange processed vox, and sing songy melody, Kukunuku's warbly creepy garbled mumbledrone dreaminess, sounding a bit like Ween, the Uncalled For with their fuzzy garage rock stomp...
This all just reminds us that Shrimper, and all the bands that sail with her, still rule, as much as when we were ordering $2 tapes through the mail in the early nineties. The cd features funny liner notes from Shrimper rockstar Franklin Bruno, and a super swank textured paper insert, the tape offers an appropriately more lo-fi and liner noteless version, and if the above raving didn't already spell it out for you, SUPER RECOMMENDED.
MPEG Stream: SENTRIDOH "Smooth Sounds For Your Fucking Face"
MPEG Stream: SOUL-JUNK "A Better Line"
MPEG Stream: THE MOUNTAIN GOATS "Predator Eyes"
MPEG Stream: ALAN SMITHEE "Kurt Cobain Will Have His Revenge On The City Of Los Angeles"
MPEG Stream: GOLDEN BOOTS "She Is Electric"

V/A Snatch Paste: An Assortment of Snatch Tapes (Vinyl On Demand) lp 27.00
An amazing and elaborately packaged vinyl compilation of tracks originally released on the infamous Snatch Tape Compilations, volumes one through three, which were first released way back in the late seventies / early eighties. Some familiar names: David Jackman of Organum, Storm Bugs, Philip Sanderson (who also put together this comp) as well as some names we've never heard or seen before: Alien Brains, The N4's, Orior and more. The interesting thing, is sonically, almost all of these tracks could be some strange cd-r micro release from two weeks ago. It's hard to believe these tracks are from more than 25 years ago. Not sure whether it speaks to the prescience of these artists, or the mighty debt today's crop of noisemakers owe to those that came before. Probably a little of both.
Needless to say, this will appeal to fans of the modern field of limited cd-r label free noise ambient sound makers, Celebrate Psi Phenomenon, PseudoArcana, Digitalis, if you've been loving all that stuff, this will absolutely hit the spot.
Jackman offers up "Blues", which is indeed some sort of blues, but dense with buzzing steel strings and distant clatter, The Storm Bugs unfurl huge slabs of cavernous rumble and whir, a little Dead C, a little Organum, some wailing crooned vocals drift in and out, everything doused in reverb, Sanderson unleashes some strange alien new wave, muted drum machine rhythms, bloopy synths buried under fog horn bass rumble, primitive FX swirl and swoop, everything wrapped in a crumbling lo-fi ambience. Other tracks explore damaged synths, garbled vocals, primitive Plunderphonic soundscapes, malfunctioning electronics, and all manner of abstract lo-fi buzz.
Pressed on outrageously thick vinyl, and packaged in a gorgeous sleeve, matte finished with subtle embossing. So nice. LIMITED TO 500 COPIES, each sleeve hand numbered.

V/A Snow Robots 1 (Suction) cd 14.98
An international electronic compilation from Canadian label Suction that features "Robot Music" by Lali Puna, Lowfish, Solvent, David Kristian, and Pest(e).

V/A Snow Robots 2 (Suction) cd 14.98
Volume Two of an international electronic compilation series from Canadian label Suction. This one features more "Robot Music" by isan, Pluxus, Lowfish, Solvent, G.D.Luxxe, D'Carangelo, Tinfoil Teakettle, Brioche Kretzaal, Pest(e), Perspects, and Skanfrom.

V/A So Much Fire To Roast Human Flesh (Bastet) cd 14.98
The latest compilation from Arthur Magazine's Bastet imprint wears that magazines politics on its sleeve on this collection of obvious and not so obvious protest songs. A lot of familiar names on this one -- Devendra Banhart, Feathers, Diane Cluck, Pajo, Josephine Foster and Matt Valentine. While the less obvious protest songs including Meg Baird's sublime "Western Red Lily" will probably resonate longer over time, there is something extremely exhilarating about the urgency of songs such as Charlie Nothing's "Fuck You and Your Stupid Wars", and Andrew Bar's "Don't Trust That Man". Play this often and loud!
MPEG Stream: FEATHERS "Dust"
MPEG Stream: MEG BAIRD "Western Red Lily"
MPEG Stream: DEVENDRA BANHART "I Know Some Souls (Demo)"

V/A So Young But So Cold: Underground French Music 1977-1983 (Tigersushi) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
After being AWOL for a year or so, this longtime fave is now back in stock, and the timing is perfect since we've been raving about a bunch of similar comps of cool vintage French new wave/punk/electro stuff recently like Bippp and IVG and Des Jeunes Gens Modernes. If you liked those, you gotta check this out, 'especially if you're into the proggier side of things.
This one was kind of a sleeper hit when we first listed it. I mean, we knew it was a cool record, but boy did people like it. We sold a ton and then the label ran out. At last it's been repressed, so here it is again. Definitely recommended!
France. Synths. 1977-83. Intrigued? You should be. This comp, compiled by a couple of today's top trainspotting electronica mavens, highlights what are indeed some obscure, awesome French entries into the field of proto-techno. Richard Pinhas of Heldon we've talked about recently, also Metal Boys, and you might remember Ruth from a reissue a while back, but there's plenty of names here we're getting acquainted with for the first time: Nini Raviolette, Mathematiques Modernes, Kas Product, The (Hypothetical) Prophets, Moderne, The Droids... Sixteen tracks in all of sinister prog/pop electronics, droning ambience, Magmoid robotics, futurepunk, and sci-fi dance darkness. So young, so cold - so stylish.
MPEG Stream: NINI RAVIOLETTE "Suis-Je Normale"
MPEG Stream: BERNARD SZAJNER "Welcome (To Deathrow)"

V/A So-on Meikyu: Alchemy Mysterious Sound Collection (Alchemy) cd 21.00
And when Alchemy says it's a mysterious sound collection, it IS a mysterious sound collection! The ever-excellent Japanese noise/psych label has assembled a very interesting four-way split release here. Probably if we could read Japanese it would all be a little clearer, but from the Siamese twin motif of this cd's graphics, and the info on the artists featured, we'll conclude that this experimental, abstract sound compilation intentionally features only duos -- perhaps being duos formed soley for this comp (perhaps not...we don't know). We've never heard of any of these acts, though we have heard of several of the individuals participating in each duo.
The disc starts off simply and beautifully with Mr. So-&-So's "Unknown", which features the two electric guitars of Seiichi Yamamoto (Boredoms, Omoide Hatoba) and Masahiko Ohno (Solmania) -- so when some more extreme sounds begin to filter in it's no surprise. Next up is A X A, the duo of Aya Ohnishi and Akifumi Nakajima (Aube). With kazoo, drums, voice, field recordings and synths they make a fascinating soundscape which we won't really try to describe since, well, it is mysterious. As are the other two contributions to this disc, from Swastika (between them, members of CCCC, Incapacitants, Tangerine Dream Syndicate, etc.) and kishidashin (dunno who these two are). All are well worth investigating, if you're into the more controlled and crafted side of "Japanese noise". Maybe that's not the term to use at all, one could just as easily call this psychedelic industrial improv or somesuch. In any event, another worthwhile Alchemy release.
MPEG Stream: A X A "Lift Lock"
MPEG Stream: KISHIDASHIN "Fushicho"

V/A Sock It To 'Em J.B. (Body & Soul) cd 15.98

V/A Soft Sounds For Gentle People (Pet Records) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

V/A Soft Sounds For Gentle People 2 (Pet Records) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

V/A Soft Sounds For Gentle People 4 (Pet Records) cd 14.98

V/A SoleSides Greatest Bumps (Quannum) 2cd 18.98
Long out of print singles and other rarities from the now-famous Solesides crew, as Jeff Chang will tell you in the liner notes, started off spinning and mixing records in the unused other studio at UC Davis college radio station while Chang DJ'd legit in the other room. The boys (Lyrics Born, DJ Shadow, Lateef, etc) went on to form Latyrx, Blackalicious, and other outfits, are famous all over the world now, and as soon as it started to get less than fun, they dissolved the label (which now lives on as Quannum so it's all good). Contains some downright gems, including the totally out of print Shadow track from the DJ SHADOW/CHIEF XCEL Mo'Wax 12". See audioclip.
RealAudio clip: "Hardcore [Instrumental] Hip-Hop"

V/A Solid Gold (Italians Do It Better) cd 13.98
No doubt we've loved so much of what Italians Do It Better has released recently, in so many ways they really helped reignite the love of dance music in indie culture. With different shades of smoky, slow burning spaced out disco, techno and house music, their roster really reads like an exciting list of some of our favorite synth heavy late night dance floor favorites. Solid Gold is a collection of tracks from 12" singles IDIB have released over the last few years by folks like Invisible Conga People, T&K, Bottin, Twisted Wires, and even Beyonce's sister Solange. We dig this collection so much because as much as we like so much of the Johnny Jewel fueled sounds that have come from the Italians Do It Better camp (Glass Candy, Chromatics, Desire), it's nice to hear a set of songs that have a bit of a different angle and perspective to dance music, than just one group/guy's vision. From total spaced out ravers to cold and thrilling chillers we've been listening to this loud and nonstop ever since it came in to the shop. We even noticed that folks who are usually a bit dance music shy are getting way into this as there are so many awesome prog and psyched out synth moments on this record.
Much like their last compilation After Dark, Italians Do It Better have once again provided us with a seamless compilation that flows so perfectly from start to finish and is making us move in the most sensual and satisfying ways. So smoking!
MPEG Stream: RUBIES FEAT. FEIST "I Feel Electric (Tiedye Remix)"
MPEG Stream: BOTTIN "No Static (Club Version)"
MPEG Stream: TWISTED WIRES "One Night At The Raw Deal (Guitar & Vocal)"
MPEG Stream: SOLANGE "Robots Are Dub American"

V/A Some Songs Stuck In My Mind (Crazy Apple Boutique) cd 21.00
We always like to have a good '60s/'70s psych-pop compilation to recommend, when we can. Happily enough, this list we do, it's Some Songs Stuck In My Mind, an international comp of utterly killer tracks from rare 45s by 18 different, totally obscure artists that we'll go ahead and list here for the hell of it, so you can feel all collector-music-nerd-snobby if you've heard of any of 'em before: Springwell, Manolo Y Ramon, Don Curtis, The Comforts, Michael, T.M.L., Eduardo Araujo, Bluebeard, Antonio Carlos & Jocafi, Serge Et Christine, La Metamorphosi, Adriano Celentano, Puzzle, Little Sammy Gaha, Francois De Louville, Les Playboys, Vincent, and Injun Joe. All of it wonderfully groovy, fuzzy, catchy and funkily far out. If this were a DJ set spun in a bar 'round here, there would be a either a stompin' dancefloor and/or a bunch of bearded guys bugging the DJ about what they were playing as each track came on.
The cd booklet's got liner notes talking 'bout each track, and lil' full-color pics of the cover art from the original singles. Recommended, in the tradition of Neurotic Reactions (from the same label), Andergraun Vibrations, Cherrystones Hidden Charms, Who Will Buy These Wonderful Evils, Nightmares At Toby's Shop, all those cool Psychic Circle comps, etc.
MPEG Stream: BLUEBEARD "Sly Willy"
MPEG Stream: PUZZLE "Hey Medusa"
MPEG Stream: LES PLAYBOYS "I'm The Looser"

V/A Some Songs Stuck In My Mind (Crazy Apple Boutique) lp 27.00
Now On Vinyl!!
We always like to have a good '60s/'70s psych-pop compilation to recommend, when we can. Happily enough, this list we do, it's Some Songs Stuck In My Mind, an international comp of utterly killer tracks from rare 45s by 18 different, totally obscure artists that we'll go ahead and list here for the hell of it, so you can feel all collector-music-nerd-snobby if you've heard of any of 'em before: Springwell, Manolo Y Ramon, Don Curtis, The Comforts, Michael, T.M.L., Eduardo Araujo, Bluebeard, Antonio Carlos & Jocafi, Serge Et Christine, La Metamorphosi, Adriano Celentano, Puzzle, Little Sammy Gaha, Francois De Louville, Les Playboys, Vincent, and Injun Joe. All of it wonderfully groovy, fuzzy, catchy and funkily far out. If this were a DJ set spun in a bar 'round here, there would be a either a stompin' dancefloor and/or a bunch of bearded guys bugging the DJ about what they were playing as each track came on.
The cd booklet's got liner notes talking 'bout each track, and lil' full-color pics of the cover art from the original singles. Recommended, in the tradition of Neurotic Reactions (from the same label), Andergraun Vibrations, Cherrystones Hidden Charms, Who Will Buy These Wonderful Evils, Nightmares At Toby's Shop, all those cool Psychic Circle comps, etc.

V/A Something Is Wrong (Honest Jon's) 2cd 26.00
Another fantastically curated collection of magical and mysterious and mostly unheard songs from Honest Jon's, these vintage recordings from East Africa, recorded between the years 1938 and 1957, and categorized as 'native records', in that this was music that was intended for sale to native Africans, not the white colonialists or various traders or laborers, and these recordings helped capture and preserve popular music, the various styles popular before the influence of imported sounds from abroad and various immigrants. These sounds were specific to various villages and represented many different languages and styles. The other cool thing about these performances, is that they were specifically by non professionals, since earning a living making music was nearly impossible, instead these were regular folks, who were often called upon to entertain, at weddings or parties, at markets or for various rituals. The liner notes, like all Honest Jon's liner notes, go into incredible detail, about the various styles of music, the difficulties in translating the languages, the musicians, the performances, the recording processes, it reads like a primer on East African music, and like it should be part of a college course, in fact, we often think smart schools would be snapping these guys up to teach courses in world music, but beyond the background, it's the sounds that count, and the sounds here are incredible, so strange and lovely and mysterious and at once warm and intimate and emotional and totally alien and fantastical.
The first track is the perfect example, a super hypnotic stretch of relentless vocalizing over a barely audible string melody, the sound distorted, the vocals more like testifying, it's not until the very end of the track where the vocals drop out that you can hear how strangely frantic the string playing really is. And from there on out, there's never a moment that's less that totally wonderfully lovely, whether the sound is super melodic and folky, or minimal and rhythmic, buzzy and droney, moody and emotional, we lack the vocabulary to truly describe these sounds, other to say that they move us, and that they're so absolutely beautiful, sometimes haunting and mournful, other times effusive and celebratory, always breathtaking.
The cd comes in a beautiful hardcover style book, with a massive booklet inside, filled with extensive liner notes and vintage photos. The vinyl version is spread out over two double lps, the first with the same title as the double cd contains all the music from the first disc, while the second, containing the music from the second disc, is titled Bellyachers, Listen!
MPEG Stream: SSEKINOMU "Wireless"
MPEG Stream: ALI AND PARTY "Enyi Wa Hiari"
MPEG Stream: J.P. NYANGIRA "Hongo Owiti"
MPEG Stream: WERE OMITO "Aoko"
MPEG Stream: WASONGA MUGA "Robert Opio"
MPEG Stream: SIMON OGAYA "Joseph Wamidha"

V/A Something Is Wrong (Honest Jon's) 2lp 22.00
Another fantastically curated collection of magical and mysterious and mostly unheard songs from Honest Jon's, these vintage recordings from East Africa, recorded between the years 1938 and 1957, and categorized as 'native records', in that this was music that was intended for sale to native Africans, not the white colonialists or various traders or laborers, and these recordings helped capture and preserve popular music, the various styles popular before the influence of imported sounds from abroad and various immigrants. These sounds were specific to various villages and represented many different languages and styles. The other cool thing about these performances, is that they were specifically by non professionals, since earning a living making music was nearly impossible, instead these were regular folks, who were often called upon to entertain, at weddings or parties, at markets or for various rituals. The liner notes, like all Honest Jon's liner notes, go into incredible detail, about the various styles of music, the difficulties in translating the languages, the musicians, the performances, the recording processes, it reads like a primer on East African music, and like it should be part of a college course, in fact, we often think smart schools would be snapping these guys up to teach courses in world music, but beyond the background, it's the sounds that count, and the sounds here are incredible, so strange and lovely and mysterious and at once warm and intimate and emotional and totally alien and fantastical.
The first track is the perfect example, a super hypnotic stretch of relentless vocalizing over a barely audible string melody, the sound distorted, the vocals more like testifying, it's not until the very end of the track where the vocals drop out that you can hear how strangely frantic the string playing really is. And from there on out, there's never a moment that's less that totally wonderfully lovely, whether the sound is super melodic and folky, or minimal and rhythmic, buzzy and droney, moody and emotional, we lack the vocabulary to truly describe these sounds, other to say that they move us, and that they're so absolutely beautiful, sometimes haunting and mournful, other times effusive and celebratory, always breathtaking.
The cd comes in a beautiful hardcover style book, with a massive booklet inside, filled with extensive liner notes and vintage photos. The vinyl version is spread out over two double lps, the first with the same title as the double cd contains all the music from the first disc, while the second, containing the music from the second disc, is titled Bellyachers, Listen!
MPEG Stream: SSEKINOMU "Wireless"
MPEG Stream: ALI AND PARTY "Enyi Wa Hiari"
MPEG Stream: J.P. NYANGIRA "Hongo Owiti"

V/A Somethings #1 (Last Visible Dog) cd 11.98

V/A Son Of The Transcendental Maggot (Tsuguri Records) 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.
Got a few copies of this cd-r compilation via our pals the Oakland band Pigs, who have a track on it taken from their album Illuminati House Party, that we know a lot of you liked. Other acts also on here, and equally AQ-approved: US Christmas, Shit And Shine, Sons Of Tonatiuh, and a bunch more (13 in all) that are all pretty great. Although it's a diverse selection of bands, somehow the tracks that appear on this comp all go pretty well together. There's a tilt towards mathiness and heaviness, and also to weirdness and psychedelia, all good things as far as we're concerned. Lots of it is instrumental, as well.
We won't bother to describe the entire disc track-by-track (especially since it's cheap enough, just buy it!!) but will mention a few things that stood out... Shane Perlowin from prog-punk outfit Ahleuchatistas starts things off with a lovely bit of solo guitar action, vaguely exotic-sounding, something that Six Organs fans should enjoy, though the hypnotically jittery track by Ahleuchatistas proper that pops up later on the disc is more in line with the technically complex, frantic rockin' we've heard from 'em before on their Cuneiform albums. Meanwhile, Russian (???) band The Grand Astoria do a pretty rad space-rockin' cover of a song by Ash Ra Tempel. And then there's the oddly monickered yellowthief (a grindy duo consisting of drummer "yellowsun" and guitarist "yellowmoon") who contribute six tracks, all but one of 'em short sharp shocks of mathy spazz (and some moody melody) barely longer than 30 seconds apiece, with gibberish song titles. Ruins and Hella fans ought to dig, and we'll definitely be on the lookout for more from yellowthief in future.
Oh, and Pigs, if you haven't heard 'em yet, do their song "Lurch" which is exemplary of their Sabbathy, Melvinsy sound. The heaviest stuff here is probably by Sons Of Tonatiuh, though, who get two feedback-laden tracks to kick out the ugly doom jams, Eyehategod style. Shit And Shine don't wimp out, either, wrapping the disc up with a crushingly distorted atmospheric soundscape of sorts. And the other bands we haven't yet mentioned (The Wayward, The Asound, Akris, Enoch, Yuugen Syndrome) are all worthy too.
Certainly a cool comp that turned us on to some neat stuff we hadn't heard before, from denizens of a particular (and somewhat peculiar) underground scene that we hadn't quite conceptualized previously, though now it makes sense that these bands would all belong together on this comp - to the extent that you could almost listen to this and pretend it was ALL by the same, really amazing band! Comes with a sticker, too, by the way.
MPEG Stream: AHLEUCHATISTAS "Do What?"
MPEG Stream: YELLOWTHIEF "gbling gzilboggles"
MPEG Stream: AKRIS "Kentucky Russian"

V/A Sonar (Advanced) 4cd 29.00
Oh my god, are you ready for this? Mouse on Mars, Porter Ricks, Coldcut, Sloan, Noto, Neotropic, Pan Sonic, Farmer's Manual, Surgeon, Jimi Tenor, DJ Vadim...54 tracks total. From the annual electronic music festival in Spain.

V/A Sonar 2000 (Sonido Denso) 4cd 27.00
Low price 4 disk set commemorating the seventh annual "Barcelona International Festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia Arts" that just happened this last June. We were pretty excited when we saw this, hoping we'd get to finally hear the much touted embarrassing Funkstorung "shout out" track, but alas this is not the live concert album we'd dreamed about along with sugar plums. Nope. Instead it's a compilation of all previously released tracks from a wide variety of artists in field of... ahem... "Advanced Music". Such notables as Pan American, Carl Cox, Rich Hawtin, Christian Vogel, Dr. Rockit, Kit Clayton, Autechre, Panacea, Mira Calix, Hecker, Francisco Lopez, Otomo Yoshihide w/ Sachiko m, Add n to (x), Merzbow and much more. But for anyone just dipping into the area of "IDM" and electronic music in general, this is a darn cheap and fairly rounded introduction.

V/A Song Of The Silent Land (Constellation) cd 13.98
When you think of the Constellation record label, the first thing that springs to mind is probably Godspeed! You Black Emperor, and the second thing that pops up is probably some other Godspeed! You Black Emperor related or likeminded majestic, soundscape-y project, and the third... well, you get the picture. This new compilation from the Montreal label does much to break that GYBE-centric identity. It's a remarkably diverse selection of rare and unreleased material from their complete roster of remarkably diverse of artists -- Fly Pan Am, Polmo Polpo, Do Make Say Think, Sackville, Exhaust, Hangedup, 1 Speed Bike, Silver Mt. Zion, Black Ox Orkestar, Re:, Frankie Sparo, Sofa, Elizabeth Anka Vajagic and yes, Godspeed! You Black Emperor. That said if you are a GYBE devotee, you'll find much to pleasingly challenge your eardrums. I kept checking to see what was playing when we had this on in the store, especially when one particularily heavy, noisy track came on...lots of surprises in other words!
MPEG Stream: VAJAGIC, ELIZABETH ANKA "The Sky Lay Still"
MPEG Stream: BLACK OX ORKESTAR "Toyte Goyes In Shineln"

V/A Songs About Stewart (Stew Man Chu) cd 12.98
Remember that scene-stealing, nunchaku-wielding lunatic in the movie Ghost World? What a fuckin' awesome character! Well, he left such an impression/scar on some folks that there's now a compilation of songs about him. Very slacker irony and hesher silliness packed. Kinda like the soundtrack to the Canadian indie film FUBAR with its indie rockers donning the hair metal / bad rock schtick, but quite not as hot shit... actually some of this is pretty goofy in a bad way and some is just plain gawdawful. If I were Stewart, I'd wanna serve these folks up a platter of greasy headbutts. Approach with caution or don't approach it at all, except Rob Crow completists, you'll have to buy this. Also features Black Heart Procession (in a very uncharacteristic turn), Furious Four, Chris Prescott, Danger Zone, Mike Lenart, and Gar Wood.
MPEG Stream: ROB CROW "Stew's Hungry For Love"
MPEG Stream: BLACK HEART PROCESSION "Beer Bash At Stew's"

V/A Songs For Nao (Chapter Music) cd 17.98
This children's album is completely by bands from Japan, but was oddly released by an Australian label (apparently someone at the label lived in Japan). On the surface a lot of Japanese pop music can be heard as being appropriate for kids, but often if you listen a little closer, you'll find a darker more mature core. Not the case here. Well, at least as far as we can tell (not being fluent in Japanese) this seems like it'd be great for kids. Might even get them singing in Japanese! Not only are there playtime-ready springy-sproingy lollipop delights as well as drowsier numbers perfect for gettin' ready for naptime, but they also don't completely coddle the child, including a couple of heavier, more rocking tunes. The first song is by a band who take their name from a Shaggs song, yup, My Pal Foot Foot! And it sounds as if they got one of those gals to come play wobbly trumpet on this tune. Actually the trumpet seems to be the continuous element on this comp. It pops up frequently. Another observation, Elliott noticed that the tenth song ("Temperature Of Windowsill" by Nikaidoh Kazumi) has a section that closely resembles The Proclaimers' "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)". Hmm, that didn't make us too happy, but the final song "Telen Pa Wu" by Tenniscoats had us all giggling with glee. Give the audio sample a listen and see for yourself!
MPEG Stream: MY PAL FOOT FOOT "Here Is Very"
MPEG Stream: TENNISCOATS "Telen Pa Wu"

V/A Songs For The Jewish-American Jet Set (Idelsohn Society) cd+book 14.98
The latest release from the Idelsohn Society For Musical Preservation, an organization whose goal it is to preserve Jewish culture, musical and otherwise, comes in the form of this deluxe cd/book compilation that focuses on the Tivka label, according to the Idelsohn Society, "The greatest Independent Jewish record label of the 20th century", and who are we to argue?
The book goes into great detail about the history of the label, one that is surprisingly rife with drama and mystery, which makes a great read, but it's definitely too involved to get into here, but in a nutshell, the label was started in the '40s, and was a seriously DIY operation, one that included label owner Allen B. Jacobs stamping every single copy of every release by hand, spliced the master tapes himself using a rusty pair of scissors, an approached album cover design in a similar manner, cutting and pasting by hand in his basement. And in keeping with that entrepreneurial spirit, Jacobs set out to release the most accessible music possible, records and groups, no matter how disparate, that most appealed to the constantly shifting tastes of post World War II Jewish-American listeners, and since that audience was so varied, the releases on Tivka, while distinctly Jewish could be ANYTHING, children's music, opera, garage rock klezmer, wedding songs, Israeli folk tunes or even Yiddish language lessons. So with so many releases, in so many styles, and of varying quality, it seems it would take some digging to discover the gems, but gems there were, plenty of them, with 20 of the best gathered up here. A bevy of names, most unknown to us, but the music, so fantastic and varied, some tracks dark and dramatic, others playful and silly, still others haunting and mysterious, some of our favorites, the fuzzed out Yiddish garage rock of The Sabras, the gorgeous cantorial crooning of Jo Amar, that sounds surprisingly Bollywood-like, the kick ass Klezmer of Sam Musiker, the psychedelic dueling flute and doumbek groove of Sara Aviani And Her Yemenite Trio (which as the liner notes point out, is the sort of break, DJs would flip for), the surprisingly orchestral and almost operatic cantorial bombast of Moishe Oysher, and it goes on and on. Even if you don't fancy yourself a fan of Jewish music, this is a fantastic and fascinating listen (and might just turn you into one!), and like all great comps, it's had us trying to track down more by a bunch of the artists represented.
Fantastically packaged, in an oversized hardcover book style cover, with a smaller soft cover booklet inside, featuring extensive liner notes, on the label, as well as on each artist and their track(s), with tons of amazing photos as well!
MPEG Stream: LEO FULD "Mazzel"
MPEG Stream: SABRA "Ho Yaldonet"
MPEG Stream: JO AMAR "Ani Ladodi"
MPEG Stream: SAM MUSIKER "Shers"
MPEG Stream: THE YEMENITE TRIO "Kaduri On The Haliel"

V/A Songs in the Key of Z (Which Records) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It could be the product of a genetic disaster, alien abduction, drug excess, the lack of proper medication, or nothing easily quantifiable. Regardless of the cause, outsider art is dominated by a artistic compulsion / obsession so strong as to defy any lack of training or ability or good sense. Irwin Chusid's compilation "Songs In The Key Of Z" is a absurdist journey into the obtuse songwriting from The Shaggs, Daniel Johnston, Wesley Willis, Joe Meek (whose legendary tone-deafness couldn't be more self-evident as on the demo to "Telstar"), Captain Beefheart, Shooby Taylor, The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, Tiny Tim, Luie Luie, Congress-Woman Malinda Jackson, the ever lovable Jandek, and many more. We're working on getting the book itself too.

V/A Songs In The Key Of Z Volume 2 (Gammon) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Heads up! Irwin Chusid has unleashed another collection of what is sooo aptly described on the traycard as "ear-tingling outrephonics". Vibrant, electrifying, and yes often bizarre feats of sonic tunesmanship are contained within each of these seventeen tracks. If you've read the book and/or heard the first volume you probably have some idea of what to expect with this second compilation, but what's impossible to anticipate is the diversity of this unheard, absolutely earnest and untethered music. An acquired taste? Yes... many actually, but very rewardingly so. Andee took a particular liking to Bingo Gazingo & My Robot Friend's "You're Out Of The Computer", while all of our ears were left a-tingling by the sounds of Shooby Taylor and The Space Lady. Who else will you hear? Thoth, Congress-Woman Malinda Jackson Parker, Dick Kent, B.J. Snowden, Luie Luie, and many more. Please consider yourself forewarned: some may make you giggle, some may make you uncomfortable, some may make you cringe. Others may be uplifting, inspiring or disturbing. Some may as Alvin Dahn's song simply states "drive [you] mad". While it can certainly be said that Volume One was a hard act to follow, Chusid has unearthed and assembled an exceptional selection of perhaps even more obscure oddities.
RealAudio clip: BINGO GAZINGO & MY ROBOT FRIEND "You're Out Of The Computer"
RealAudio clip: THE SPACE LADY "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night"

V/A Songs In The Key Of Z: Volume 1 & 2 (Cherry Red) 2cd 16.98
Back in print, both volumes of classic outsider music weirdness as compiled by WFMU's Irwin Chusid, now together in one package as a double cd!
It could be the product of a genetic disaster, alien abduction, drug excess, the lack of proper medication, or nothing easily quantifiable. Regardless of the cause, outsider art is dominated by a artistic compulsion / obsession so strong as to defy any lack of training or ability or good sense. Irwin Chusid's compilation Songs In The Key Of Z (Vol. 1) is a absurdist journey into the obtuse songwriting from The Shaggs, Daniel Johnston, Wesley Willis, Joe Meek (whose legendary tone-deafness couldn't be more self-evident as on the demo to "Telstar"), Captain Beefheart, Shooby Taylor, The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, Tiny Tim, Luie Luie, Congress-Woman Malinda Jackson, the ever lovable Jandek, and many more. Funny how so many of those names seem so well-known now!
Digging further into the vaults of what he aptly describes as "ear-tingling outrephonics", Chusid also managed a second volume in the Key Of Z. Vibrant, electrifying, and yes often bizarre feats of sonic tunesmanship are contained within each of Volume 2's seventeen tracks. You probably have some idea of what to expect with this second compilation, but what's impossible to anticipate is the diversity of this unheard, absolutely earnest and untethered music. An acquired taste? Yes... many actually, but very rewardingly so. Andee took a particular liking to Bingo Gazingo & My Robot Friend's "You're Out Of The Computer", while all of our ears were left a-tingling by the sounds of Shooby Taylor and The Space Lady. Who else will you hear? Former SF local Thoth, Congress-Woman Malinda Jackson Parker, Dick Kent, B.J. Snowden, Luie Luie, and many more. Please consider yourself forewarned: some may make you giggle, some may make you uncomfortable, some may make you cringe. Others may be uplifting, inspiring or disturbing. Some may as Alvin Dahn's song simply states "drive [you] mad". While it can certainly be said that Volume One was a hard act to follow, Chusid unearthed and assembled an exceptional selection of perhaps even more obscure oddities on Volume Two, and they're both quite recommended, together on this handy reissue.
MPEG Stream: WESELY WILLIS "Rock'n'Roll McDonalds"
MPEG Stream: JOE MEEK "Telstar (Rough Demo)"
MPEG Stream: CONGRESS-WOMAN MALINDA JACKSON "Cousin Mosquito #1"
MPEG Stream: BINGO GAZINGO & MY ROBOT FRIEND "You're Out Of The Computer"

V/A Songs Of Faith And Inspiration (Sound Stories) cd 14.98

V/A Sonig Comp. (Sonig / Thrill Jockey) cd 13.98
Nine exclusive tracks licensed by Thrill Jockey from Mouse on Mars' Sonig label -- with f.x. randomiz, Microstoria, Vert, Wang Inc., Lithops, etc. Nice, layered, melodic electronica. Mellow and lulling. Recommended!
RealAudio clip: F.X. RANDOMIZ "metix v.1.0b7"

V/A Sonig Irregular Cd Vol. 1 (Sonig) cd 14.98
Irregular? Indeed! This compilation jumps around in total hyperactive fashion. It's made up of the fifteen tracks from three of the previously released, limited edition Sonig Irregular Series 12"s: Schlammpeitziger (the first four tracks), Jason Forrest (the second five) and Wevie De Crepon (the final six). It'll have you bouncin' off the walls in no time. AQ regulars might already be familiar with the first two fellows German gent Schlammpeitziger for his kooky, heavily squidge-laden Augenwischwaldmoppgefloete cd and Jason Forrest for his spasmodic glitchy jumble o' fun under his own name as well as the moniker Donna Summer. If you dig the sounds of People Like Us or Wobbly, you should definitely check out this trio of artists and vice versa. Oh yeah, and adding further to the irregular nature of this release, when we scanned the cover art into our computer, the image came out black instead of the bright kelly green that it actually is (at least to our eyes!).
MPEG Stream: SCHLAMMPEITZIGER / WEVIE STONDER "A Buddha Made Of Mud"
MPEG Stream: FORREST, JASON "Gonna Take You To Hell"

V/A Sons Of Winded Armies: An Expel Records Compilation (Expel) cd 11.98
Here's a fine way to get acquainted with SF label Expel Records who put out the lovely Brookhaven album. If you've had a chance to hear and enjoy that record or if you're a fan of such mellow groups like The Album Leaf, Tristeza or Languis, you're certain to enjoy this compilation featuring a couple nice tracks from Brookhaven as well as Telefecteau, Roche, Clay Payton, Ecru, and Hinokuma. They all fall somewhere on a spectrum of minimal electronics blended with more traditional indie-type elements (guitars, live drums). Funky sampled beats and cold, beautiful synth washes, little lo-fi keyboard bedroom recordings-like and more polished productions all find their way into this collection, hopefully signalling more full lengths on the way from Expel artists. Quite nice!
RealAudio clip: TELEFECTEAU "Lift Receiver"
RealAudio clip: CLAY PAYTON "Casiotone"

V/A Sons Of Winded Armies: An Expel Records Compilation (Expel) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here's a fine way to get acquainted with SF label Expel Records who put out the lovely Brookhaven album. If you've had a chance to hear and enjoy that record or if you're a fan of such mellow groups like The Album Leaf, Tristeza or Languis, you're certain to enjoy this compilation featuring a couple nice tracks from Brookhaven as well as Telefecteau, Roche, Clay Payton, Ecru, and Hinokuma. They all fall somewhere on a spectrum of minimal electronics blended with more traditional indie-type elements (guitars, live drums). Funky sampled beats and cold, beautiful synth washes, little lo-fi keyboard bedroom recordings-like and more polished productions all find their way into this collection, hopefully signalling more full lengths on the way from Expel artists. Quite nice!

V/A Soul Gospel (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuul... umm... gospel? Yes it is, Amen!! Praise Soul Jazz for bringing us one quality compilation after another! Amen!! Actually, this one could be called a masterpiece. Each song has a solid and glowing fullness to it that's certainly not matched on any other comp we've heard. I'm going on a bit of a tangent here, but I once watched a show hosted by David Attenborough called "The Biological History of Music". As you can imagine, Attenborough drowned himself in different situations, mostly in Nature and knee deep in swamp poo. His goal was to study things like bird calls, whale songs, etc. juxtaposed with the most lude clips of Jimi Hendrix performing live on stage I'd ever seen. Attenborough's theories throughout this special pronounced that music seemed biologically created for three different purposes: 1) mating; 2) protecting/gaining territory; and 3) spirituality. Of course, the whale songs were not be analysed for their spirituality (unfortunately), but several spirituals and gospel songs were used as demonstration. Really, this Soul Gospel compilation would have been THE proof for Attenborough's third biological purpose for music! The songs are each a powerful combination of the Spritual and Secular, proclaiming a belief in something "other", or rather, simply well seated in a sense of "otherness". One of the more moving tracks is one by Odetta. Her "Pastures of Plenty" is deep and haunting. Definitely my favorite. For followers of Soul Jazz releases, this comp is a must have. For lovers of Soul and Gospel, your desire for this is obvious. For anyone who's seen that show of which I speak above, you gotta take a gander at this and you'll see what I mean!
MPEG Stream: VOICES OF EAST HARLEM "New York Lightning"
MPEG Stream: SWEET INSPIRATIONS "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday"
MPEG Stream: ODETTA "Pastures Of Plenty"

V/A Soul Gospel (Soul Jazz) lp 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuul... umm... gospel? Yes it is, Amen!! Praise Soul Jazz for bringing us one quality compilation after another! Amen!! Actually, this one could be called a masterpiece. Each song has a solid and glowing fullness to it that's certainly not matched on any other comp we've heard. I'm going on a bit of a tangent here, but I once watched a show hosted by David Attenborough called "The Biological History of Music". As you can imagine, Attenborough drowned himself in different situations, mostly in Nature and knee deep in swamp poo. His goal was to study things like bird calls, whale songs, etc. juxtaposed with the most lude clips of Jimi Hendrix performing live on stage I'd ever seen. Attenborough's theories throughout this special pronounced that music seemed biologically created for three different purposes: 1) mating; 2) protecting/gaining territory; and 3) spirituality. Of course, the whale songs were not be analysed for their spirituality (unfortunately), but several spirituals and gospel songs were used as demonstration. Really, this Soul Gospel compilation would have been THE proof for Attenborough's third biological purpose for music! The songs are each a powerful combination of the Spritual and Secular, proclaiming a belief in something "other", or rather, simply well seated in a sense of "otherness". One of the more moving tracks is one by Odetta. Her "Pastures of Plenty" is deep and haunting. Definitely my favorite. For followers of Soul Jazz releases, this comp is a must have. For lovers of Soul and Gospel, your desire for this is obvious. For anyone who's seen that show of which I speak above, you gotta take a gander at this and you'll see what I mean!
MPEG Stream: VOICES OF EAST HARLEM "New York Lightning"
MPEG Stream: SWEET INSPIRATIONS "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday"
MPEG Stream: ODETTA "Pastures Of Plenty"

V/A Soul Gospel 2 (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
So we don't usually do much mixing of music and praising the lord around here... unless it's the dark lord that is... but when Soul Jazz hits us with the follow up to their amazing Soul Gospel compilation we can't help but get on our Sunday best and raise our arms in complete surrender to these totally irresistible sounds. Spanning the late 60's to the end of the 70's these 20 songs go beyond beyond simple soulful songs in the gospel tradition. When Louise McCord tells you "you better get a move on" you've pretty much got to. When the Marion Gaines Singers tell you to "Do Your Thing" you dang well better. When Marion Williams belts out tales of "Bad News, Bad Times", you can't help but feel her pain. Songs that soar so high, with vocal delivery that's just so right on. As always immaculate packaging, liner notes, and photos make this a total must-have. Are you a Believer? We think that maybe after these 20 songs you'll be a convert like us. Amen!
MPEG Stream: MARTHA BASS "Since I've Been Born Again "
MPEG Stream: MARION GAINES SINGERS "Do Your Thing"
MPEG Stream: MEDITATION SINGERS "Let Them Talk"

V/A Soul Gospel 2 (Soul Jazz) 2lp 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
So we don't usually do much mixing of music and praising the lord around here... unless it's the dark lord that is... but when Soul Jazz hits us with the follow up to their amazing Soul Gospel compilation we can't help but get on our Sunday best and raise our arms in complete surrender to these totally irresistible sounds. Spanning the late 60's to the end of the 70's these 20 songs go beyond beyond simple soulful songs in the gospel tradition. When Louise McCord tells you "you better get a move on" you've pretty much got to. When the Marion Gaines Singers tell you to "Do Your Thing" you dang well better. When Marion Williams belts out tales of "Bad News, Bad Times", you can't help but feel her pain. Songs that soar so high, with vocal delivery that's just so right on. As always immaculate packaging, liner notes, and photos make this a total must-have. Are you a Believer? We think that maybe after these 20 songs you'll be a convert like us. Amen!
MPEG Stream: MARTHA BASS "Since I've Been Born Again "
MPEG Stream: MARION GAINES SINGERS "Do Your Thing"
MPEG Stream: MEDITATION SINGERS "Let Them Talk"

V/A Soul Jazz Singles 2006-2007 (Soul Jazz) 3cd 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Everyone's got to know by now what a stupendously awesome label Soul Jazz is. Forever mining the vaults for lost gems and unearthing compilation after compilation of rare dub, esoteric post-punk, free jazz, regional soul, dancehall and dubstep, always accompanied by meticulous liner notes, well researched and full of incredible facts and amazing anecdotes. For those of you who can barely keep up with their Herculean output of compilations, you probably overlooked the steady stream of limited edition singles as well, tons of obscure Dancehall, Ragga, Dubstep, Micro-house, Post-Punk, German Rock, Baile Funk Italo-Discoand Electro all released in the past couple of years.
Well don't fret, because the definitive compiler's label has compiled all of their singles onto a 2cd set with a bonus mix cd. Funky and diverse, leaping from one genre to the next yet keeping a solid flow. Featuring Subway, ESG, Kit Clayton, Capracara, Kode 9, Digital Mystikz, Ladybug, Skream, Tetine, DJ Rupture and so much more!
WAY RECOMMENDED!!!
MPEG Stream: DIGITAL MYSTIKZ "Misty Winter"
MPEG Stream: SUBWAY "Satellites"
MPEG Stream: SOUL 223 "Q"
MPEG Stream: REKID "Retroactive"
MPEG Stream: TETINE "Slum Dunk"

V/A Soul Jazz Singles 2008-2009 (Soul Jazz) 3cd 25.00

V/A Soul Messages From Dimona (Numero Group) cd 17.98
Bet you don't have any Black Hebrew soul in your record collection. We sure didn't! But leave it to the folks at the Numero Group to extract this amazing document of the diaspora of black folks from Chicago and Detroit who converted to Judaism and made the pilgrimage to Israel, and more precisely to a city located just west of the Dead Sea called Dimona. When in Israel it was the music and spiritual soul that many of these people brought with them from Chicago and Detroit that would become the soundtracks to their new lives. Musically this is very much in line with the best of spiritual soul and gospel of that era (early '70s) and you can hear the influence of many of their Chicago brethren (Pieces of Peace, The Dells, Earth Wind & Fire). But of course what makes this so cool is the totally unique context that these songs came out of. On a few tracks they even sing some lines in Hebrew and the amazing pictures and in depth liner notes of this very obscure movement and moment in time makes not only for a great record but an even more amazing historical document.
MPEG Stream: TONISTICS "Holding On"
MPEG Stream: SOUL MESSENGERS "Our Lord And Savior"
MPEG Stream: SONS OF THE KINGDOM "Modernazation"

V/A Soul Messages From Dimona (Numero Group) 2lp 18.98
Now available on vinyl!!
Bet you don't have any Black Hebrew soul in your record collection. We sure didn't! But leave it to the folks at the Numero Group to extract this amazing document of the diaspora of black folks from Chicago and Detroit who converted to Judaism and made the pilgrimage to Israel, and more precisely to a city located just west of the Dead Sea called Dimona. When in Israel it was the music and spiritual soul that many of these people brought with them from Chicago and Detroit that would become the soundtracks to their new lives. Musically this is very much in line with the best of spiritual soul and gospel of that era (early '70s) and you can hear the influence of many of their Chicago brethren (Pieces of Peace, The Dells, Earth Wind & Fire). But of course what makes this so cool is the totally unique context that these songs came out of. On a few tracks they even sing some lines in Hebrew and the amazing pictures and in depth liner notes of this very obscure movement and moment in time makes not only for a great record but an even more amazing historical document.
MPEG Stream: TONISTICS "Holding On"
MPEG Stream: SOUL MESSENGERS "Our Lord And Savior"
MPEG Stream: SONS OF THE KINGDOM "Modernazation"

V/A Soul of Angola: Anthologie de la Musique Angolaise 1965/1975 (Lusafrica) 2cd 38.00
Here's a double cd compilation of Angolan shantytown pop from 1965-1975, with a similar lineup of artists as the "Angola '60s" and "Angola '70s" comps we've already been carrying: Artur Nunes, Os Kiezos, Urbano de Castro, Oscar Neves, Jovens do Prendo, Os Bongos, and many many more. Some tracks are sunny and energetic, some sad, slow and languid. Electric guitars, and rhythms from the Congo, Brazil and the Carribean all combined with native Angolan music. This is stuff from a creatively fertile, politically explosive era of Angolan history, when it was a Portugese colony on the verge of independence. Delightful music, but bittersweet, as the liner notes point out that several of the artists on here didn't survive the violence in their country in the late '70s.
RealAudio clip: AVOZINHO "Mama Divua Diame"
RealAudio clip: ARTUR NUNES "Dito Ze"

V/A Soul Power: Funky Kingston 2 (Trojan) cd 14.98

V/A Soul Sisters: The Sights And Sounds Of The African-American Underground (Black Beauty) cd 14.98
FYI: if you *don't* like naked ladies, you'll want to avoid perusal of this disc's booklet, which mostly consists of vintage full-color cheesecake shots of a bevy of well-endowed "soul sisters". But don't let that put you off... just forget for one second that this cd is billed as a collection of '70s African-American porno flick soundtracks. For one thing, it sure doesn't sound like the typical "boogie nights" retro-porn soundtrack. No cheesy throbbing synths or disco beats. No orgiastic moans even! Instead, what you get here is avant-groove jazz funk of an almost experimental, freeform nature. The vibe can be lively but not "sleazy"... bad-ass though. Very funky and full of nasty geetar and jamming Hammond organ.
To tell the truth, there's so very little documentation presented here that we can't say we're 100 percent convinced that this is what it says it is, instead of something perhaps made by some clever musicans today (like, maybe...Mushroom?) creating replica vintage avant-funk soundtrack for imaginary x-rated flicks... But supposedly these tapes were recently found in a studio in Oakland, where the recordings we're told took place circa 1972-75, and the musicans that get credited here were, it seems, operating under pseudonyms (for obvious reasons perhaps). The films are alluded to only in the track titles, but who knows if those cited are real (anyone seen "Chocolate Cherry"?). There's no dialogue or sound effects or anything, since this is the original, raw soundtrack music only, what later was to be utilized perhaps in edited form in the finished film. Puzzling. But no matter, this stuff IS great!
There's the aforementioned avant-funk that surely fits into the '70s blaxploitation aesthetic, but this funk is full of sizzling feedbacking guitar that is hard to square with scenes of, um, lovemaking. But actually a lot of this is in more of an introspective mood that the wah-funk stereotype. More laidback that about getting laid. A long portion of track five ("Music From 'Copper Cuties'") consists of variations on a pensively repeating, gentle piano figure, generating a mood far from you might expect to be "exposed" to in an ostensibly X-rated flick. And only the last track "Jam Back At The House" has vocals, they go with that cut's smokey groove but do serve to break the almost mysterious feel set by the preceeding tracks a little. Overall, this is way more amazing than we ever thought it would be. What we though might be kitschy and/or kookily amusing turned out to be downright fresh and intriguing.
Miles Davis had a track on his album Get Up With It entitled "Rated X" -- maybe he'd been checking out the cinema and was inspired by one of the films that used music like this? Definitely this comes close to what we'd imagine would be how that "big freak" would have scored a porno soundtrack!!
So, this is one for fans of those Deep Note porno soundtrack comps and maybe moreso for folks who simply dig weird and wonderful jazz/funk obscurities, which would seem to be a lot of people who hear it (and then buy it) when we've been playing it in the store!
MPEG Stream: "Some Jive Ass Wasting My Time"
MPEG Stream: "Music From 'Copper Cuties'"

V/A Sound of Cologne, Vol. 1 (Sound of Cologne) 2cd 16.98
A diverse collection of hard techno & angular electronica from Cologne, Germany... featuring Mouse on Mars, Schlammpeitziger, F.X. Ramdomiz, Club Off Chaos, Dr. Walker, and many more.

V/A Sound Of Nature, The Nature Of Sound, The (Kaon) cd 16.98
"The Sound Of Nature, The Nature Of Sound" is an excellent compilation put together by the Kaon label, which has actively been promoting the artform of the manipulated field recording. Francisco Lopez - perhaps one of the more well known composers of manipulated field recordings - offers one of his incredibly quiet pieces, so quiet in fact that we'll take Frans de Waard's recollection that there is a distant bass rumble somewhere on the track. Giancarlo Toniutti presents an eerie recording of the wind scraping against a small set of bells, or some toy piano parts. Easily one of Toniutti's finest moments! It appears that Jeph Jerman's offering isn't one of his explorations of rock scraping, instead he offers a field recording of water rushing in and out of a resonant cistern. Seth Nihil and Toy Bizarre have produced the only collaboration for the compilation, with a delicate manipulation of dropped pebbles into fluctuating drones. Eric La Casa allows much more of the computer and the digital sound processing techniques to speak through his downpitched recordings of rain and metallic pipe fighting, while Mnortham turns similar material into what we like to hear in Francisco Lopez' audible pieces with steady crescendos of grey sound slabs. Kiyoshi Mizutani offers a very straight recording of a waterfall overlaid with a squeaky door (I was hoping they were ducks, oh well.).
RealAudio clip: "track 2"
RealAudio clip: "track 6"