WABI SABI (A-Musik) cd 16.98
German producer Markus Schmickler -- who was responsible for that great Tortoise-beating Pluramon record on Mille Plateaux a little while ago, the one with the cameo from Can's Jaki Liebezeit -- turns his talents to full-on abstract drone electronica with Wabi Sabi. Forced Exposure's Jimmy Johnson calls it "...a staggering sounding, beautifully packaged and simply significant contemporary electronic album..."

WACHSMANN, PHILIPP & LYTTON, PAUL Some Other Season (ECM) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
When you first heard Godspeed You Black Emperor, did you think it was a new ECM release before that guy started grumbling about the apocalypse?
Two staples of European free music. Wachsmann on violin and viola, Lytton plays percussion, both use live electronics. These improvisations are calm, methodic and sometimes melodic, usually taking the minimal less-is-more approach over high kinetics.

WACO BROTHERS Electric Waco Chair (Bloodshot) cd 14.98
Accurately described as "Cash meets Clash", Chicago's Waco Brothers bestow their fifth release on the world. A twangin' country party of a band featuring Mekons leader Jon Langford along with members of Pine Valley Cosmonauts, KMFDM and Jesus Jones(!), Waco Brothers actually sound a lot like a more focused Mekons -- which is a very good thing, especially if, like me, you think the Mekons started to suck right after their amazing early albums "Honky Tonkin'" and "Rock 'n Roll". Lots of sublime pedal steel and mandolin augment the bright electric guitars. Full of whiskey-soaked energy!
RealAudio clip: "It's Not Enough"

WACO BROTHERS Freedom And Weep (Bloodshot) cd 14.98
Although this band is made up of Jon Langford, Steve Goulding, Alan Doughty, Deano, Tracey Dear, and Marc Durnate... aka members of Mekons, Pine Valley Cosmonauts, Graham Parker & The Rumour, Jesus Jones, Dollar Store, Wreck and KMFDM (!), more that a few folks around here have commented about just how much this actually sounds like ol' AQ faves Uncle Tupelo. It really does!! The contrasting male lead vocals even resemble those of U.T.'s Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar. Midway through the proceedings though they veer towards Social Distortion goes honky tonk (about which we're not quite sure how feel). Either way, we're sure some stiff shots of whisky, a string of broken hearts and many pairs of well-worn cowboy boots were involved.
MPEG Stream: "Nothing At All"
MPEG Stream: "Join The Club"

WADA, YOSHI Lament For The Rise And Fall Of Elephantine Crocodile (EM Records) cd 21.00
EM Records of Japan is a label from which we *always* are eager to hear more, specializing as they do in the most odd, obscure, awesome reissues EVER. Without them, we wouldn't have such a great selection of musical saw cds here at Aquarius. Or '70s New Age weirdness. Or psychedelic surf music soundtracks. Or (most recently) steel drum jazz funk!
While the steel drum jazz funk might have appealed mostly to the more eccentric crate digging DJ types, we know that THIS release is gonna really take off here. That's 'cause it's all about the DRONE. And y'all love drone we know.
Yoshi Wada is a Japanese artist who relocated to New York City in the late '60s and (just like another Japanese expatriate, Yoko Ono) got heavily involved with the conceptual art movement known as Fluxus. Doing sculpture, performance, and sound installations, he rubbed elbows with the likes of minimalist maverick LaMonte Young, studying with both him and Indian vocal guru Pandit Pran Nath. That's very evident on this album, the intriguingly titled Lament For The Rise And Fall Of The Elephantine Crocodile, which was originally released on vinyl in 1982 by the avant garde label India Navigation (responsible for important Dreyblatt and Niblock documents as well). Wada only made two records, of which this one is considered his most significant, not to mention rarest.
There's two long tracks here (over a half-hour each). Both are utter drooooooooooone nirvana. Track one, "Singing" (31:06), is ALL voice, Wada giving long guttural throat-bleatings (waaaaah waaaaaah ooooooooo....) that he builds into a gorgeous, rising and falling soundscape of overtones and drones. He recorded it in an empty swimming pool for extra bass and natural echoing effect... the results are serene yet joyous, somehow liturgical, suggestive of blissful monkish raptures. Wada certainly got into it, actually spending the night before this recording *sleeping* alone in the pool, and (he says) almost experiencing auditory hallucinations due to the resonant acoustics of the space.
The second track, side two of the original LP, is a continuation of the first with even MORE drone. Entitled "Bagpipe" (33:17), it adds to Wada's vocal intonations the sound of experimental homebuilt reed instruments of Wada's own devising, "adapted bagpipes with sympathy" made of plumbing tubes, powered by an air compressor. Improvising with voice and "bagpipe", this piece is much louder, denser, and grindingly trance-like than the far more delicate first track. The two instruments he used are pictured on this cd's back cover. One is called The Elephantine Crocodile, and another The Alligator. Both are Partch-like sound-making sculptural objects in their own right. They're carefully tuned to take advantage of higher octave harmonics and microtonal partials and other things that we'd need more study of music theory to understand exactly, but obviously with which Wada is fully conversant. What we do know for sure is that with his voice and unusual instruments he's conjured a deeply psychedelic and meditative dronescape that we're darn glad EM (in conjunction with another cool Japanese label, Omega Point) have seen fit to unearth and reissue!!
If you like drones, this not only a worthy historical document, but also would be a fantastic listen even if it had just been recorded yesterday. In fact, it compares interestingly to another drone release reviewed this list, Schmickler and Chisholm's Amazing Daze. But Wada achieved these drones without the aid of electronics or computers. About the only complaint we could make about it is the rather abrupt ending! We realize that it can't go on forever (as much as we'd like it to) but its sudden cessation (instead of a gradual fade out) can harsh one's mellow... though if you're like us you'll listen to this going to sleep at night and won't ever make it conscious to the end anyway.
This has been digitally remastered from the original tapes, with the two pieces restored to their original intended lengths (they'd been edited down to fit on the LP release). And as usual, it gets a fabulous EM packaging job, complete with vintage b&w photos and extensive 1982 and 2007 liner notes in both English and Japanese, written by Wada himself. This one is definitely up there in the pantheon of EM essentials, and that's saying a lot.
MPEG Stream: "Singing"
MPEG Stream: "Bagpipe"

WADA, YOSHI The Appointed Cloud (EM Records) cd 21.00
In reality, this was recorded live at the Great Hall of New York Hall of Science in New York, November 8th 1987. But listening to it, you could easily imagine it being part of some mysterious & portentous religious ritual, enacted high on the slopes of some vast Himalayan mountain by horn-blowing, drum-beating Tibetan monks... these monks perhaps being part of an aktion under the direction of dramatic drone artist Hermann Nitsch. Seriously. Well it's not Nitsch, it's Yoshi Wada, and there were no monks involved, but we're sure it was an impressive performance to witness in its own right. Certainly to hear, which thanks to EM Records, we all now can.
This is the sequel to EM's previous reissue, some months ago, of Yoshi Wada's first album, Lament For The Rise And Fall Of Elephantine Crocodile. While that 1982 LP may have more rare record collector cachet, and be more historically significant chronologically speaking, we have to say that this one is at least as amazing. As we explained in our review of Lament, Wada is a Japanese visual artist and sound sculptor who relocated to New York in the '60s, where he aligned himself with the Fluxus conceptual art movement and definitely got deep into dronology. (He now lives in San Francisco, and for more information on his career, check out the June '08 issue of The Wire, #292, which features an interview with Wada conducted by AQ's own Jim Haynes.)
The Appointed Cloud, a composition/sound installation "designed specifically for the acoustics of the cobalt blue cathedral of the Great Hall", utilized a massive Wada-designed soundmaking assemblage controlled by a computer interface, this unusual "pipe organ" constructed from compressed-air powered pipes, a suspended 20 foot long sheet of metal, and a steam pipe gong. In addition, Wada and the other musicians involved play timpani, tam tam, sirens, and a trio of keening bagpipes. All this in the majestic, modernistic stained-glass setting of the Great Hall.
As alluded to above, this is somewhat suggestive of Buddhist ritual, and reminds us of Nitsch's large-scale symphonics as well. Rather than give a minute by minute play by play of this piece's hour-long duration, we'd encourage you to experience it for yourself. Experience the thundering drum vibrations, the percussive rattle, the quiet gentle tones and hushed rustle that erupt into dense bagpiping drone squeals and resonating rumble... it's grand and gorgeous.
Physically this cd reish is up to EM's usual high standards, packaged in a gatefold sleeve with color photos, a reduced reproduction of the piece's graphic score, liner notes by Wada as well as the original program notes, in both English and Japanese. Soundwise, it's also up there with that first Wada disc among our favorite stuff that EM has yet released -- in other words, highly recommended!! Even moreso for those especially dronologically and/or 20th century classically inclined.
MPEG Stream: "excerpt 1"
MPEG Stream: "excerpt 2"

WAGON CHRIST Musipal (Ninja Tune) cd 14.98
Luke Vibert, who also records under his own name and as Plug, here delivers another album of bouncy and fresh electronica. This is happy go lucky dance music whose dark edges bubble forth only occasionally (a bass heavy jungle break here and there). Lots of vocal snippets and fun samples -- jazz vibes, gunshots, handclaps -- add to the playful atmosphere. You could watch the Powerpuff Girls with this as the soundtrack. There's nothing here to show that Vibert's style is evolving, though, he's just showing off his expertise at a genre he's mastered.
RealAudio clip: "The Premise"
RealAudio clip: "Natural Suction"

WAGON CHRIST Musipal (Ninja Tune) 2lp 16.98
Luke Vibert, who also records under his own name and as Plug, here delivers another album of bouncy and fresh electronica. This is happy go lucky dance music whose dark edges bubble forth only occasionally (a bass heavy jungle break here and there). Lots of vocal snippets and fun samples -- jazz vibes, gunshots, handclaps -- add to the playful atmosphere. You could watch the Powerpuff Girls with this as the soundtrack. There's nothing here to show that Vibert's style is evolving, though, he's just showing off his expertise at a genre he's mastered.

WAGON CHRIST Sorry I Make You Lush (Ninjatune) cd 14.98

WAGON CHRIST Tally Ho (Astralwerks) cd 15.98
Before Plug, Luke Vibert recorded some wacky off-kilter trip hop under the guise Wagon Christ... If anyone is curious what 'clown hop' is as Aquarius' (via Sean Cooper's) taxonomic definition of this specific sub-genre of electronica (see also u-Ziq and Dr. Rockit), Wagon Christ's records are exemplary of the definition. Tally Ho, his latest release, shows a clear influence from the awesome Amon Tobin. And yeah, the vinyl is import only... sorry.

WAGON CHRIST Tally Ho (Astralwerks) 2lp 29.00
Before Plug, Luke Vibert recorded some wacky off-kilter trip hop under the guise Wagon Christ... If anyone is curious what 'clown hop' is as Aquarius' (via Sean Cooper's) taxonomic definition of this specific sub-genre of electronica (see also u-Ziq and Dr. Rockit), Wagon Christ's records are exemplary of the definition. Tally Ho, his latest release, shows a clear influence from the awesome Amon Tobin. And yeah, the vinyl is import only... sorry.

WAGONER, PORTER The Rubber Room: The Haunting Poetic Songs of Porter Wagoner 1966-1977 (The Omni Recording Corporation) cd 21.00
Well Dang! Why it seems we're in the midst of a full-on Porter Wagoner revival. Not only has the man just released one of the best country albums of the year (Wagonmaster, which we reviewed last list), but at the ripe old age of 80, just played to a sell-out audience at Madison Square Garden opening for The White Stripes. While for a time, he seemed to epitomize everything that was old-fashioned about Nashville, from his vintage glittering suits to his often overtly pained and sentimental delivery on many a song about love and The Lord. No truer did that image seem to be when Dolly Parton, who first debuted on Wagoner's TV show before becoming his most popular singing and song-writing partner for nearly ten years, decided to part ways for a solo career in the mid-seventies. Surely a low point in his career, but the man never went away, quietly releasing records and remaining an ambassadorial presence on the Grand Ole Opry circuit ever since.
Yet, it also looks like all that flash and kitsch so present in Wagoner's performances and recordings have inspired a hip cult following through the years after all. But not because of his more popular hits. We mentioned in the Wagonmaster review about an early seventies song that was a bit of a novelty hit, called "The Rubber Room", a dark, wrenching, reverb-soaked ode to mental illness. Well, most of his records from the mid-sixties onward had a track or two that delved similarly into the darkest of themes: revenge, murder, murder-suicide, insanity, prison, parental abuse, neglect, drinking, punishment, and redemption. The album covers similarly shared his fondness for theatricality, sometimes dressing up as a hobo, wino, prisoner, or shown walking in on his unfaithful wife. These songs weren't always his biggest hits but they had the highest Nashville production values with strings, choirs and dramatic special effects, and put together they create a bizarrely surreal patchwork of the Southern Gothic. So what better way to celebrate Porter Wagoner's big career revival with this mighty anthology put out by the awesome folks at Omni (who also brought us the Bruce Haack Electric Lucifer reissue we made record of the week, a couple lists back). Instead of focusing on charted singles and successes, this anthology compiles together 29 left-field tracks recorded between 1966 and 1977 (with the exception of only one charted single, "The Carroll County Accident") that cover all the dark themes mentioned above, many in poetical song-story form and loosely sequenced in themes.
So let's give a brief summary here of the main themes, after "The Rubber Room", there are some country-crossover songs, reminiscent in style to Lee Hazlewood and Jimmy Webb, that deal with the savage life of Native Americans outlaws ("George Leroy Chickashea", "Indian Creek"). Then, there are the achingly lonely tear-in-your-beer songs ("Lonely Comin' Down", "Lonelyville"), which then segue into the cheating songs, ("My Many Hurried Southern Trips", "Woman Hungry") then the wife-killing and wife/other man-killing songs ("First Mrs. Jones", "The Cold Hard Facts of Life" "Julie"). After that there are some tear-in-your-BOTTLE songs ("Wino", "Bottom of The Bottle") then the hobo songs ("Life Rides The Train", "My Last Two Tens"), then a prison song sung from the point of view of the prisoner's only son ("Let Me In"). Then the devastating Dolly Parton duet, "The Party" about a couple's children who die tragically while the parents were out partying. And finally a couple of songs about prayer and redemption ("Little Boy's Prayer" and "Moments of Meditation") just to give a slight semblence of hope to things. Phew! and there's so much more!
Surely not the happiest of records, but one that will still undoubtedly put a smile on your face. It's definitely one of the most well curated, intriguing and exciting country collections to be put to disc from a man who is finally getting his due. Absolutely Essential!!!!!!!!!!!
Please note: The first pressing is currently out of print. We've got a bunch of these, but it may take a while to get the next batch, so please be patient if and when we run out.
MPEG Stream: "Rubber Room"
MPEG Stream: "Cassie"
MPEG Stream: "First Mrs. Jones"
MPEG Stream: "The Party"

WAGONER, PORTER Wagonmaster (Anti) cd 16.98
For his eightieth birthday and fifty-fifth year as one of Nashville's most striking country music ambassadors, Porter Wagoner delivers an amazingly solid new recording that shows him still at the top of his game. Simply and starkly produced by the legendary Marty Stuart, there are no hipster cameos or attempts to contemporaneously connect to a modern sound or scene, just lots of pedal steel and an aged baritone tinged with loss and redemption. Most people who aren't avid country music fans, probably know Porter Wagoner for two things: he made Dolly Parton famous (though, he did try to hold her career back), and "The Rubber Room", one of the eerily strangest but coolest country songs ever recorded. That song was on a classic album from 1972 called What Ain't To Be, Just Might Happen and it's full of low-life characters losing their grips on reality, and recorded with lots of tape echo and other studio effects amongst the standard twang which really made it stand apart. On Wagonmaster, Wagoner revisits those themes on "Committed To Parkview", a song written for him by Johnny Cash but was never recorded until now. For those who like a little Nick Cave in their country music but have exhausted the Johnny Cash catalog, you should take a listen here to a country master who can delve fearlessly into the dark side while wearing the most sparkling of Nashville finery.
MPEG Stream: "Committed To Parkview"
MPEG Stream: "Agony Of Waiting"
MPEG Stream: "Hot Wired"

WAIFFLE And The Blood Will Come Down Like A Curtain (Magic Bullet) cd 5.98
This started out sounding like any post rock record, good enough, but just not all that remarkable. Until a few minutes in, when the whole thing explodes into a crushing frenzy of howled vocals, rumbling low end, and very un-post rock metal! Then for the rest of the record it's a battle to the death between metal bombast and subtle textures, between thundererous pummel and delicate, complex rhythms. Fucking great.

WAILERS, THE Catch A Fire (Tuff Gong / Island) 2cd 27.00
Remastered version of Bob Marley & The Wailers major label debut. This, deluxe, version not only contains the remastered album that put Bob Marley on the map internationally, but also contains a second disc of the original Jamaican version of the album -- previously unreleased outside of Jamaica -- which not only contains different versions of the songs on Catch A Fire, but is sequenced differently and includes extra tracks that never made it to the European release. Comes handsomely packaged in a fold out case in a slip cover that features the original (Jamaican) artwork. This edition also includes extensive annotation on all the tracks, photos and an essay

WAINWRIGHT, MARTHA s/t (Zoe) cd 14.98
Hello Martha! Here's another member of the Canadian musical family Wainwright (her brother Rufus and their folks Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle). However, she's sure not riding on anyone's coattails, she's garnered quite a bit of attention for herself. Did ya hear/see her on tour recently opening for Stephen Malkmus? There's plenty of fine traits running in this family, she definitely shares a flair for the dramatic with her brother and a grounded earthiness with her mother. That said, her voice fits somewhere between Tegan & Sara, Joni Mitchell and Mazzy Star. While we're not so sure about her song "Bloody Motherfucking Asshole", we're sure about the fantastic duet with her brother "The Maker". Splendid!
MPEG Stream: "The Maker"
MPEG Stream: "Factory"

WAINWRIGHT, RUFUS All I Want (Geffen) dvd 25.00
Wow! This is one heckuva fan pleasin' dvd. It really is packed oh so generously with all you really do want! Over three hours worth of Rufus! Where do we start? Well, there's a frank and intimate documentary about Wainwright's life story thus far, there's a baker's dozen wonderful live performances, four music videos, some Wainwrights' home video footage, a bunch of interviews with Rufus, his family (sister Martha and mom Kate McGarrigle) as well as with a number of his celebrity fans such as Elton John and Sting. And the cherry on top? A spiffy new song titled "The Maker Makes". Whew! Need we say more?

WAINWRIGHT, RUFUS Poses (Dreamworks) cd 13.98
The sad voiced, troubled troubadour of the moment is... well... probably Radiohead's Thom Yorke. If Jeff Buckley were still alive he'd be releasing his fourth album around now and *he* would be the man. But I know that AQ customers are musically large-hearted folk, and there's got to be room in your universe for someone else too, perhaps someone who does it as well as Radiohead -- well then, Rufus Wainwright. Sure Radiohead is great, but sometimes I get a little tired of our Thom's slightly clinical depression. Wainwright, on the other hand, knows exactly how to balance out his bone-tired world-weary voice (which is sort of similar to Yorke's; in fact the whole time I have been playing this Wainwright cd, Allan thought it was Radiohead) -- he balances it out with the most lush, graceful, interesting musical accompaniment. Thus the grave seriousness of his voice is countered with music that is so pretty it acts as a positive weight. A lot of it is similar to Radiohead (minus the overriding moroseness), with all of the epic drama but none of the hype, and thus much more intimacy. At times the album also reminds me of '70s-pop-era Brian Eno (think Taking Tiger Mountain) and there's a hint of paino bar / cabaret in his tone. but mostly it's an intimate record free from the relentless bombastic experimentation that Radiohead has set themselves to.
There's dobro, mandolin, ethereal girl backup singers, french horn, soaring violin, cello, piano, Wurlitzer and Hammond organs and much more. The music plays off his voice so beautifully and he's got lyric talents too -- spitting out lines like "whiffs of freon", and "three cubic feet of blood and bone and meat" and "all the pearls of china fade astride a volta".
All songs written by Rufus, except for one which was written by his dad, the legendary Loudon Wainwright III. Yes, he comes from an exceptionally musical family -- in addition to dad, his aunt and mom, otherwise known as Kate and Anna McGarrigle, are musical legends in their own right who were last seen enhancing Nick Cave's most recent record. Come to think of it, fans of Nick Cave might actually like this record too. Check it out for sure. Contender for record of the year.
RealAudio clip: "Greek Song"
RealAudio clip: "One Man Guy"
RealAudio clip: "California"
RealAudio clip: "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk"

WAINWRIGHT, RUFUS Release The Stars (Geffen) cd 15.98
Here we have another beautiful record from Mr. Rufus Wainwright. The album's opening track asks "Do I Disappoint You?" The answer in regards to his latest effort is (not surprisingly) absolutely not. Release The Stars might be Wainwright's most personal and frank work to date, and in that spirit, let us be frank with you, we're not sure Rufus Wainwright's music could disappoint. Ever. He may be the only artist who could write an entire song dedicated to Tulsa, OK including the line "you taste of potato chips in the morning" and later cram the words "antique shop that I want to go back to and visit when it's open" into a chunk of music far too short for that much verbiage, AND get away with it, because well, his voice melts your heart and delights your soul no matter how silly the lyrics may be. Fortunately, silly moments are few and far between and obvious pop hits are replaced here by his richest orchestral arrangements to date, lush and layered over gorgeous piano. His signature velvet croon comes through as rich and expressive as ever as he navigates through themes like stardom, love, and leaving and sometimes the intersection of all three. In "Leaving For Paris No.2" he describes these crossroads with unapologetic frankness stating: "I'm leaving for Paris/No I don't think that I'll see you/I pray you won't follow like so many who have known me/And when I get there, I will lose the ring you gave me/take care of yourself/goodbye." It's been a joy watching Wainwright boldly catapult his unique baroque pop into the spotlight. He's taken full advantage of this new found attention, by collaborating with a slew of interesting guests including Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant (who is also the album's executive producer) and AQ fave Sharon Jones. This one's not to be missed!
MPEG Stream: "Do I Disappoint You"
MPEG Stream: "Between My Legs"

WAINWRIGHT, RUFUS s/t (Dreamworks) cd 12.98
Loudon Wainwright's son writes achingly pretty, heartfelt songs strikingly similar to the late Jeff Buckley, himself the son of a lauded folk icon. Rufus' voice, in particular, is incredible. Singing and playing his piano with a totally passionate almost old time cabaret flair. Produced by Van Dyke Parks.

WAINWRIGHT, RUFUS Want One (Dreamworks) cd 17.98
On its own, Rufus Wainwright's voice can take you away better than any ol' Calgon bath salts. Positively swoon-inducing, he's fully capable of performing gloriously stirring renditions of just about anything... a grocery list, the alphabet, 99 Bottles of Beer? Okay, we're exaggerating, but there's no question that Wainwright is more than just a very pretty voice. Fortunately for the music lovin' world he's using it for 'good'... which is, finely crafting sophisticated chamber pop songs a-plenty that are unmistakably his own. On Want One, the assemblage of instruments surrounding him is lusher than ever, but it doesn't crowd him. His oft-flamboyant cabaret piano stylings rub velvety shoulders with the sweeping orchestrations -- certainly not shying away from grand theatrical flair. Sure to please his legions of adoring fans and make him a fair number of new ones too.
MPEG Stream: "Go Or Go Ahead"
MPEG Stream: "Harvester Of Hearts "

WAINWRIGHT, RUFUS Want Two (Dreamworks) cd + dvd 21.00
Sir Rufus has always had a refined flair for the dramatic, and for the most part his music thus far has been draped with velvety elegance and cabaret candlelight. His has been the music that could appeal to both your young NY hipster cousin and your grandmother alike. However, on Want Two he dares to stick his neck out a bit farther, delving into more adventurous and flamboyant territory, squarely addressing his status as a gay icon, and thus challenging himself and his audience. Whereas it predecessor Want One was a lush chamber pop album that featured Wainwright in full gallant knight regalia on the cover art, Want Two is perhaps his most un-pop and most empassioned album of his career. The photo this time shows him dressed as a distraught maiden figure. At times his highly stylized ballads and operettas reach grandiose heights filled with over-the-top spiralling orchestral runs and soaring backing vocals, only to immediately follow them with achingly direct moments stripped bare of any excessive accoutrements with just his unmistakable voice and a strummed guitar or cascading piano. An absolutely sumptuous, gorgeous work. Plus, there's an added attraction, and quite a fabulous bonus it is! A dvd of a stunning Rufus Wainwright performance at the Fillmore here in San Francisco.
MPEG Stream: "The Art Teacher"
MPEG Stream: "Gay Messiah"

WAITS, TOM Alice (Anti) cd 14.98
Approaching 30 years of making music, Tom Waits presents two wonderful albums at once, Blood Money and Alice. This collection, actually recorded many years ago but only now seeing its proper release, richly evokes particular moods and sounds of a world long gone, yet also captures a pure timeless beauty just like that of the Lewis Carroll tale. After all these years, it's truly a pleasure to see that he's still quite the wise, eccentric and immensely romantic fellow. There's such a consistency to all that he does, and that is made no clearer than when you stack these two albums up against one other. Alice is a mournful, weathered variety of songs one might just as fittingly hear coming out of a shady speakeasy or from a roaming band of minstrels. Twisting strings, subdued horns and piano, plodding rhythms and his unmistakably sandpaper-raw, billy goat's gruff voice. Smoky, sinister jazz and blues numbers entwine with looming, somber waltzes and darkly creeping, gutwrenching ballads. Although the music is definitely much more fleshed out than his great works like the Spare Change or Swordfishtrombones, this album offers many moments reminiscent of those releases. So enveloping and theatrical, if anyone's music can transport you spiralling down rabbit holes or indeed through the looking glass, his most definitely can. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Everything You Can Think"
RealAudio clip: "Kommienezuspadt"
RealAudio clip: "Barcarolle"
RealAudio clip: "Table Top Joe"

WAITS, TOM Alice (Anti) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now also on very reasonably priced vinyl!
Here's what we said about the cd: Approaching 30 years of making music, Tom Waits presents two wonderful albums at once, Blood Money and Alice. This collection, actually recorded many years ago but only now seeing its proper release, richly evokes particular moods and sounds of a world long gone, yet also captures a pure timeless beauty just like that of the Lewis Carroll tale. After all these years, it's truly a pleasure to see that he's still quite the wise, eccentric and immensely romantic fellow. There's such a consistency to all that he does, and that is made no clearer than when you stack these two albums up against one other. Alice is a mournful, weathered variety of songs one might just as fittingly hear coming out of a shady speakeasy or from a roaming band of minstrels. Twisting strings, subdued horns and piano, plodding rhythms and his unmistakably sandpaper-raw, billy goat's gruff voice. Smoky, sinister jazz and blues numbers entwine with looming, somber waltzes and darkly creeping, gutwrenching ballads. Although the music is definitely much more fleshed out than his great works like the Spare Change or Swordfishtrombones, this album offers many moments reminiscent of those releases. So enveloping and theatrical, if anyone's music can transport you spiralling down rabbit holes or indeed through the looking glass, his most definitely can. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Everything You Can Think"
RealAudio clip: "Kommienezuspadt"
RealAudio clip: "Barcarolle"
RealAudio clip: "Table Top Joe"

WAITS, TOM Beautiful Maladies (Island) cd 15.98
A compilation of Tom's favorite songs ("Hang On St. Christopher," "Downtown Train," "Temptation," etc...) while signed to Island, handpicked by the artist himself... [Plea: If you have a video copy of the Tom Waits episode of Fishing With John, please get in touch!]

WAITS, TOM Black Rider (Island) cd 15.98

WAITS, TOM Blood Money (Anti) cd 14.98
Of Tom Waits' two freshly released albums, I think the needle of my recommendation meter is leaning towards Alice rather than Blood Money, but that's mainly because his slow, dream / nightmare ballads (which I personally prefer) outnumber his more cacaphonous numbers full of craggy howls and shouts. More weary sighs than strange, wizened grunts and mutterings. However, that's not to understate the strength and beauty of this release. In fact, I'm sure neither of these albums is gonna disappoint. He so very seldom does. Once again, he co-wrote and produced all the songs with his wife and long-time collaborator Kathleen Brennan. So wonderfully carnivalesque. We catch glimpses into the shadowy, tattered tents of circus freak shows. Often unsettling and sinister, Blood Money scrapes and scratches at the dusk's scarred underbelly with its tumbling piano and marimba, squelching harmonica, madman beat poet bongos, and sweet melancholic clarinet. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Misery Is The River Of The World"
RealAudio clip: "God's Away On Business"
RealAudio clip: "Lullaby"

WAITS, TOM Blood Money (Anti) lp 11.98
Now also on very reasonably priced vinyl! Here's what we said about the cd:
Of Tom Waits' two freshly released albums, I think the needle of my recommendation meter is leaning towards Alice rather than Blood Money, but that's mainly because his slow, dream / nightmare ballads (which I personally prefer) outnumber his more cacaphonous numbers full of craggy howls and shouts. More weary sighs than strange, wizened grunts and mutterings. However, that's not to understate the strength and beauty of this release. In fact, I'm sure neither of these albums is gonna disappoint. He so very seldom does. Once again, he co-wrote and produced all the songs with his wife and long-time collaborator Kathleen Brennan. So wonderfully carnivalesque. We catch glimpses into the shadowy, tattered tents of circus freak shows. Often unsettling and sinister, Blood Money scrapes and scratches at the dusk's scarred underbelly with its tumbling piano and marimba, squelching harmonica, madman beat poet bongos, and sweet melancholic clarinet. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "Misery Is The River Of The World"
RealAudio clip: "God's Away On Business"
RealAudio clip: "Lullaby"

WAITS, TOM Frank's Wild Years (Island) cd 11.98

WAITS, TOM Mule Variations (Epitaph) cd 14.98
That Mr. Waits released this on an indie label is not the only cool thing about his long-awaited new album...in fact, it may not even be cool at all because there's already been some problems regarding both price and availability...still, it was a decent idea I suppose. Anyway, Tom Waits fans must have this. Double vinyl also semi-available.

WAITS, TOM Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards - Deluxe Edition (Anti) 3cd 44.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Wow, what a superb treat for fans of Tom Waits! Orphans is a fantastic three cd set that's sort of akin to those fine Merle Haggard (Cheatin', Drinkin', Hurtin', Prison) and Johnny Cash (God, Love, Murder) cd series that came out a few years ago. But unlike those which were released separately, these similarly themed cds make their entrance together in one beauty of a hardcover book-style package. If we're talkin' numbers, get this: along with the gorgeous 94-page tome, there are 56 tracks (30 of them previously unreleased!), and they capture Waits in all of his battered and bruised, weathered and well-worn gritty glory. A veritable treasure trove! Hmmm, it's getting to be official gift-giving time o' year, isn't it? Hint hint. Recommended.

WAITS, TOM Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards - Regular Edition (Anti) 3cd 38.00
Unfortunately the limited edition deluxe book version of this Tom Waits collection has gone the way of the dodo bird, but here is the 'regular' and still very nice digipak edition! This is what we said about the first edition last list.
Wow, what a superb treat for fans of Tom Waits! Orphans is a fantastic three cd set that's sort of akin to those fine Merle Haggard (Cheatin', Drinkin', Hurtin', Prison) and Johnny Cash (God, Love, Murder) cd series that came out a few years ago. But unlike those which were released separately, these similarly themed cds make their entrance together in one beauty of a package. If we're talkin' numbers, get this: there are 56 tracks (30 of them previously unreleased!), and they capture Waits in all of his battered and bruised, weathered and well-worn gritty glory. Our current fave is the down and out, drown yer sorrows in whisky and tears Bawlers disc. Orphans is a veritable treasure trove of Waits' spoken word and song! Hmmm, it's getting to be official gift-giving time o' year, isn't it? Hint hint. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Fish In The Jailhouse"
MPEG Stream: "Little Drop Of Poison"
MPEG Stream: "Spidey's Wild Ride"

WAITS, TOM Real Gone (Anti) cd 15.98
If the flurry of Waits lovin' customers clambering at our door on this album's release date is any indication, Real Gone needs no introduction nor fanfare. All that we'll say then is that Mr. Waits has drawn back his threadbare theater curtain on fourteen new songs about the strange, seedy underbelly to which only he has access. As always, the dream / nightmare atmospheres that Waits' music conjure are slightly unhinged and carnivalesque with his pace slipping effortlessly from a snappy clip to the downright funereal. Some songs are stark and jagged like the scratchy poke of a boney finger. Some shuffle about like a drunken scarecrow, while others brittly waver like a seasick musicbox. The range of his voice once again assumes the form of a battered, creaky rasp, a gruff incoherent mutter, and a weary bluesy croon. Unmistakable and unforgettable.
MPEG Stream: "Hoist"
MPEG Stream: "Shake"

WAITS, TOM Swordfishtrombones (Island) cd 11.98

WAITS, TOM The Heart Of Saturday Night (Elektra) cd 12.98

WAITS, TOM Used Songs (Rhino) cd 16.98
A sort of greatest hits collection from one of the greatest songwriters of our time. Being a huge fan as I am, I'm inclined to blow off the greatest hits and tell you to just buy all the albums since, Waits, up until 'The Black Rider' had almost never written a bad song. But for the uninitiated, this is a great place to start. Spanning the years 1973-1980 when he recorded for the Asylum label, 'Used Songs' has some of the best songs Waits has ever recorded. His drunken gypsy/troubador/loner/outcast persona is in full effect, with his whiskey-and-cigarettes rasp still showing a slight hint of melody (before he gave it up completely in favor of the bellowing tuneless rasp that accompanies his later more percussive albums). 'Blue Valentines', 'Tom Traubert's Blues' and 'Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapoilis' are gentle ballads, but Tom Waits style, total heartbreakers, spilling out tales of lost love and the dirty city. 'Whistlin' Past The Graveyard' is a drunken gallop through a wasteland of the past with lots of could-have-beens and wish-I-hads. Also includes the pop gem 'Ol '55' which the Eagles later covered, as well as his sad/funny duet with Bette Middler 'I Never Talk To Strangers.' You can't really go wrong with the early Waits records where all this material is culled from, so if you are a Waits virgin, start here, but if you've dabbled before, c'mon, dive in and pick up 'Swordfishtrombones' and 'Rain Dogs'. You won't be sorry.

WAITS. TOM Rain Dogs (Island) cd 11.98

WAKE, THE Harmony (LTM / Factory) cd 17.98
While Joy Division and New Order had certainly been the bread and butter for Factory Records, a number of bands who recorded for the label applied alternative signatures to the classic Factory template of post-punk gloom. The Wake -- a Scottish group who gained a broader audience in the post-C-86 sounds of Sarah Records -- produced one of the forgotten gems for Factory in their first record "Harmony." On this album, The Wake intertwines brightly colored, Byrds-inspired guitar jangle from frontman Caesar and bouncy Peter Hookish basslines from Bobby Gillespie (who later went onto join the Jesus & Mary Chain and front Primal Scream). Much of the early '80s post-punk suffered from insufferably stiff percussion; but not so for The Wake, whose Steven Allen is remarkably spry and painterly in his application of metronomic beats - that alternately recalled the monochromatic funk of A Certain Ratio and the jazzed flutter of Durutti Column.
When originally released in 1982, "Harmony" was a brief 7 songs; but has been flushed out on CD with some exceptional complementary tracks from a their first two singles on their own label Scan 45 ("On Our Honeymoon" and "Something Outside") plus 3 tracks from their BBC Peel Sessions.
All in all, a great find!
RealAudio clip: "Favour"
RealAudio clip: "An Immaculate Conception"
RealAudio clip: "Testament"
RealAudio clip: "Patrol"

WAKEFIELD Which Side Are You On? (Jive) cd 13.98
This is the record Weezer should have made. In fact this is the record Weezer should have made instead of every record after the blue album (okay, Pinkerton was pretty good). Which Side Are You On? is criminally Weezer like, which seems less criminal when you think about how un-Weezer like the last Weezer record was. This is massive hook filled pop, HUGE guitars, quiggly synth melodies, a dangerously Rivers Cuomo like voice. But so what? Weezer stopped giving us the sort of pop we wanted, nay NEEEDED, long ago, so what's a pop kid to do? From the first few seconds of the first track, you'll know you're in good hands. Hook after hook after hook, huge catchy choruses, killer riffs. This is power pop nirvana for sure! Track three also features a really funny out of nowhere hip hop breakdown, you heard us hip hop, that materializes out of some sugary sweet chorus, and just as quickly slips back in to the same chorus. Weird. It'll have you shaking your head and thinking, "Did I really just hear that?" Makes us think these guys are pretty funny as well as being killer pop songsmiths. As long as you can forgive the bad photo under the tray, white pants all around, hair gel, bare feet. Ugh. The cover art is amazing though, a full color robot surrounded by barely visible robots and samurais printed in back gloss on a matte black background!
MPEG Stream: "Without You (Which Side Are You On?)"
MPEG Stream: "Take Off"
MPEG Stream: "C'mon Baby"

WAKEFORD, TONY, & STEVEN STAPLETON Revenge of the Selfish Shellfish (United Daries) cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We certainly missed the boat on this one... But it's never too late to pick up a great record! Steve Stapleton (aka Nurse With Wound) continues his mad scientist ethos while taking over Tony Wakeford's penchant for Nietzchean death folk (as can be seen in his outfit Sol Invictus) for a somber album of washed out acoustic guitars and devilish drones. Exceptional!

WAKHEVITCH, IGOR Donc... (Fractal) 6cd 80.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This limited-to-500 copies only 6cd retrospective box set of the 1970's 'electronic' albums by obscure French composer Igor Wakhevitch is loaded with tense awe-inspiring surrealism constructed from neo-chamber music, spatial electronics, massive plodding percussion, and odd ethnic influences. The earliest albums in the box feature contributions from French psych band Triangle, making for an incredible combination of eerie modern classical composition (with choirs, etc.) with krautrockish rhythms and fuzzed guitar. While he was an early associate of Soft Machine and Terry Riley, Wakhevitch's work is far more malevolent than either, taking on qualities that have more in common with the Swans. It should not be a surprise that Michael Gira has recently claimed Wakhevitch as one of his favourite musicians. Very highly recommended -- everyone who works here bought a copy!!!

WALDAMSEL / FOREST BLACKBIRD s/t (Natural Sound / Wergo) cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Most of you who are gonna want this already know you need this before I even describe it. All of you who bought the Conet Project, Sounds Of North American Frogs, recordings of ghosts, telephone wires, caves, burning fires, seals, whales, penguins, cracking knuckles....well here's one you can add to that collection. Field recordings of the Forest Blackbird, supposedly the most gifted songbird measured by our standards of melody, harmony and rhythm. And this recording is in fact quite beautiful, and not just because of the Blackbirds' song, but all the other surrounding sounds as well: the roaring of the sea, Tawny owls, a Robin, a Reed Bunting, a Grasshopper Warbler, rustling of leaves, a Willow Warbler, barking dogs, a Cuckoo, a Wren, a Raven, the engines of Diesel ships at sea, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Blue Tit, a Wood Pigeon and morning breezes. Really quite nice.
RealAudio clip: "One"
RealAudio clip: "Four"
RealAudio clip: "Five"

WALDRON, M.S., STEVEN STAPLETON, SIGTRYGGUR BERG SIGMARSSON, JIM HAYNES, & R.K. FAULHABER The Sleeping Moustache (The Helen Scarsdale Agency) cd 15.98
You know it's gotta be an amazing record when we start a review by stating "we don't know where to begin with this record" and then we blather on and on for another 500 words pretty much demonstrating that while we may not where to begin, we certainly have a lot to say. And that totally applies to The Sleeping Moustache, the latest release from the enigmatic Helen Scarsdale Agency. The most well known of these five audio contortionists is Steven Stapleton who is the brains behind Nurse With Wound, who convolutedly reconstitute Surrealism, avant-garde aesthetics, and krautrock expressivity, resulting in some of the most profoundly brilliant and disturbing records we've ever heard. Sigtryggur Berg Sigmarsson is one of the drunken pilots of Stilluppsteypa, an Icelandic project of electro-absurdity capable of magnificent minimalism. M.S. Waldron is responsible for irr. app. (ext.), (an unwieldy moniker for sure) which has produced an amazing body of post-Surrealist expressivity in recent years. When he's not manning the fron counter here at Aquarius, Jim Haynes has developed a peculiar knack for rust-inflected dronescaping, and finally R.K. Faulhaber, who is the mystery man amongst the bunch, although we've been told his unpublished works offer a byzantine array of mutilated sonic collages. The album that these five produced is a weighty proposition to say the least, with detours a plenty within this mangled concoction of delirious dronescaping punctuated with glossalaic vocalizations. Delicate plinks and plonks sprinkled across sublime, gaping tones which transition to a convulsive beauty with mechanical spasms and nightmarish creakings. Throughout The Sleeping Moustache, ghostly reminders of each of the contributors' refined aesthetics emerge as a Gordon knot of convoluted logic, unsettling shifts between horror and comedy, psychological instability, and disquieting soundscapes. If you're even remotely a fan of Nurse With Wound or irr. app. (ext.) or Stilluppsteypa, this album is not just recommended... it's absolutely required.
MPEG Stream: "Sprawled Naked Across A Piano"
MPEG Stream: "A Few Items Known As Children"
MPEG Stream: "Oh Sir, I'm Scared"

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

WALKABOUTS Slow Days With Nina (Shingle Street) cd ep 5.98
A big welcome back greeting goes out to Seattle's Walkabouts! They're that great band who bucked the trend back in those Pacific Northwest grunge rock days, making beautiful, somber and decidedly un-grunge music. Hmmm, maybe that's a bit misleading for us to say, 'cause actually they never went away. In the years since they've continued to craft their distinct gothic (not goth) Americana music in abundance. Really, the size (not to mention caliber) of their body of recordings is astounding. The problem is that many of their releases have been downright impossible-to-find imports, but fortunately this particular release found its way to our ears. And we are grateful. The theme of this release is Nina Simone. That's right, they've covered five of her songs, and they're fantastic! Their haunting version of "Nobody's Fault But Mine" may send chills down your spine! For fans of Ms Simone, The Walkabouts, of both or of neither. We only wish they'd kept on goin' past the five song mark.
MPEG Stream: "The Desperate Ones"
MPEG Stream: "Nobody's Fault But Mine"

WALKEN 01.21.07 (self-released) cd-r 9.98
Walken raise their fists at the crossroads of hardcore punk and metal on this their debut -- a brief, but promising ep that the band self released on cd-r. With bass strings so loosely strung that you can hear 'em clatter and manly screamo vocals, the band's raw thrashing is heavily indebted to very early Bay Area metal bands such as Metallica, Exodus and Testament, but with unexpected bluesiness in the riff department. Furious, chunky and part of the latest virulent strains of Bay Area thrash.
MPEG Stream: "Bitch Wizard"
MPEG Stream: "Like The Phoenix"

WALKER BROTHERS Singles (BR Music) 2cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
In the mid-1960s the Walker Brothers scored a string of hits in the UK. An American trio (who weren't really brothers), their brooding, epic recordings appealed to the same crowd entranced by the Righteous Brothers. Scott Walker went on to become even more famous than the Walker Bros, with three solo albums that went to the Top 3. We try to always carry his solo albums, as they are classics that will never ever sound dated, and you should definitely give them a try. But if you are already in possession of those you might want to pick up this double cd collection. It's filled with all their hit singles, including the sublime "Make It Easy on Yourself". The second disc is a collector's delight, with selected solo tracks from all three Walker Bros' separate solo projects.
RealAudio clip: "Make It Easy on Yourself"
RealAudio clip: "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"

WALKER, ERIK IAN / MARIT BROOK-KOTHLOW I Have Never Told You (Bottomfeeder) cd 11.98
I Have Never Told You is comprised of twenty tracks of haunting, contemplative compositions from the fine songwriting quill of one Mr. Erik Ian Walker. Together they form a somberly dramatic soundscape of constantly changing atmospheres. Walker's piano, hammond organ and vintage synthesizers (a Buchla and an Oberheim Matrix-12) entwine with a variety of guest musicians' strings, horns and woodwinds. Brief surfacings of Marit Brook-Kothlow's soulful forlorn vocals, occasional rhythmic outbursts and fleeting glimpses of ambient sounds like the whistling of a tea kettle or the percussive rattle of an old radiator punctuate the proceedings. A particularly stirring stretch comes in the tenth track "Castle Canyon" in which over the course of a few minutes a mere whisper of sound slowly builds, swelling to an absolute roar. Wonderful!
MPEG Stream: "Castle Canyon"
MPEG Stream: "Far From Here"

WALKER, JEFF UND DIE FLUFFERS Welcome To Carcass Cuntry (Fractured Transmitter) cd 17.98
Oh how the mighty have fallen. We were secretly psyched for this, a country solo record from ex-Carcass guitarist Jeff Walker. How cool would that be, Carcass country!! But the actual end product is not quite what we had hoped. In fact it's sort of embarrassing. The arrangements are pretty cool, a bunch of countrified covers of badass classic tunes, rock, country, whatever, but Walker is just not a very good vocalist. In fact we might go so far as to say he is really really bad. And since it's the vocals that are front and center, a lot of this is a bit tough to stomach. We almost wish he had sung these Carcass-style, a harsh raspy shriek over acoustic guitars and fiddle would have been pretty dang weird. But alas... Carcass freaks might just need to own this cuz it's Walker, but not sure who else we could recommend this to.
Killer Cherry Poptart cover art though, if you're into that...
MPEG Stream: "The Man Comes Around"
MPEG Stream: "I Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)"
MPEG Stream: "Rocky Mountaiin High"