WHITE STRIPES, THE Elephant (Third Man / Warner) cd 13.98

WHITE STRIPES, THE Get Behind Me Satan (V2) cd 17.98
Yay! The new album from Meg and Jack. Well of course this bad boy's gonna sell gadzillions of copies without any help from us, so this review is more of a cursory first impression kinda thing, more of a formality than anything else. But in case you care, the consensus here is that this is indeed pretty dang great! Get Behind Me Satan sure enough sounds like the White Stripes we all know and love. Not sure if it beats out their last one Elephant in any way, but it doesn't disappoint either. Andee thinks that it sounds like the 'Stripes are really channelling Led Zep 3 here... it's kinda acousticky, and Jack's doin' some Robert Plant for sure. Standout tracks (at first listen or three) include "Take Take Take" (which we all keep singing) and riffy opener/single "Blue Orchid".
MPEG Stream: "The Denial Twist"
MPEG Stream: "Take, Take, Take"

WHITE STRIPES, THE Get Behind Me Satan (Third Man / Warner) cd 14.98

WHITE STRIPES, THE Icky Thump (Warner Bros.) cd 14.98
It's hard to hate on a band as awesome as the White Stripes. So why bother?! If you're in the market for some slithery fuzzed out Zep infused garage rock stomp, can't do much better than the WS. Plus the title track is SO FUCKING GOOD, killer riff, crazy squiggly guitars, fractured synths, all wound up into a hook filled jam that DESTROYS. Dig it... their latest, and greatest, as far as Andee is concerned.
MPEG Stream: "Icky Thump"
MPEG Stream: "Conquest"
MPEG Stream: "St. Andrew (This Battle Is In The Air)"

WHITE STRIPES, THE s/t (V2/Sympathy For The Record Industry) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Meg and Jack's debut!

WHITE STRIPES, THE Walking With A Ghost (V2) cd ep 6.98
Jack 'n' Meg fans, here's a lil' something to stuff in a stocking of someone near and dear (or of your very own)! Not sure why they chose to do so, but the duo have covered Canadian twin sisters Tegan and Sara's tune "Walking With A Ghost" and made it the title track of their latest release... and it's quite a different, strange and gnarly rendition if we do say so ourselves... but then again that might be a good or not so good thing depending on your particular palate. Also included are live versions of "Same Boy You've Always Known", "As Ugly As I Seem", "The Denial Twist" and "Screwdriver". Sure to please diehard fans, but it might not be the best place to start for someone who has yet to be White Striped.
MPEG Stream: "Walking With A Ghost"
MPEG Stream: "As Ugly As I Seem"

WHITE STRIPES, THE White Blood Cells (V2/Sympathy For The Record Industry) cd 17.98
Ummm, can't say much about this band other than they're getting tons of press and are selling out venues like the Fillmore. People love 'em and Jack White's certainly got a great voice, and he's a lot less annoying and attitudinal than his contemporary-in-sound Jon Spencer, but I think I'm missing something here. Or maybe not. Upon listening to "White Blood Cells" (their hotly awaited third album) I put aside any preconceived opinion of how I thought I was supposed to react to the music and realized that it isn't the songwriting (good, garagey Detroit-style stomp) so much as it is the Iggy-tastic enthusiasm and love of making music that makes the White Stripes incredible. And I think it shows, just listen to the music -- it's not bad, but not the second coming either, but it definitely rocks. It makes you want to drink beer and fuck shit up. Just like rock n' roll should.
RealAudio clip: "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground"
RealAudio clip: "Hotel Yorba"

WHITE STRIPES, THE White Blood Cells (Third Man / Warner) cd 14.98

WHITE STRIPES, THE White Blood Cells (Sympathy For The Record Industry) lp 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Ummm, can't say much about this band other than they're getting tons of press and are selling out venues like the Fillmore. People love 'em and Jack White's certainly got a great voice, and he's a lot less annoying and attitudinal than his contemporary-in-sound Jon Spencer, but I think I'm missing something here. Or maybe not. Upon listening to "White Blood Cells" (their hotly awaited third album) I put aside any preconceived opinion of how I thought I was supposed to react to the music and realized that it isn't the songwriting (good, garagey Detroit-style stomp) so much as it is the Iggy-tastic enthusiasm and love of making music that makes the White Stripes incredible. And I think it shows, just listen to the music -- it's not bad, but not the second coming either, but it definitely rocks. It makes you want to drink beer and fuck shit up. Just like rock n' roll should.

WHITE STRIPES, THE White Blood Cells (V2) cd + DVD 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Following the growing trend of recent albums being reissued with bonus material (dvds, videos, extra tracks, etc), V2 offers up a new run of the White Stripes' third album with a bonus dvd. Why? Because V2 are nice, generous folks? To extend the life of a popular album a little longer? Hmmm. Regardless, fans of Meg and Jack, here for you is the White Blood Cells cd with a dvd containing two "previously unreleased" extra tracks (actually they should instead be called "rare" 'cuz one of the songs "Lafayette Blues" was actually previously released and re-released on a 7", while the other "Hand Springs" was also formerly available on 7" and a compilation - I guess V2 didn't consider those to be officially "released") and four videos ("Hotel Yorba", "Fell In Love With A Girl", Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground", and "We're Going To Be Friends"). As for the album itself here's what we had to say about it last year when it was initially released:
People love 'em and Jack White's certainly got a great voice, and he's a lot less annoying and attitudinal than his contemporary-in-sound Jon Spencer, but I think I'm missing something here. Or maybe not. Upon listening to "White Blood Cells" (their hotly awaited third album) I put aside any preconceived opinion of how I thought I was supposed to react to the music and realized that it isn't the songwriting (good, garagey Detroit-style stomp) so much as it is the Iggy-tastic enthusiasm and love of making music that makes the White Stripes incredible. And I think it shows, just listen to the music -- it's not bad, but not the second coming either, but it definitely rocks. It makes you want to drink beer and fuck shit up. Just like rock n' roll should.
RealAudio clip: "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground"
RealAudio clip: "Hotel Yorba"

WHITE STRIPES. THE Under Great White Northern Lights (Warner) cd 16.98
The White Stripes live and rocking and while it's not bad, it's not great either, and sort of feels like one of those contract obligation fillers...

WHITE WHALE Wwi (Merge) cd 14.98

WHITE WINGED MOTH (Poon Village) cd 13.98
Solo project guitar from guitarist Dean Roberts of New Zealand's guitar/drone/pulse trio Thela. Poon Village delights us anew with lovely packaging, each sleeve is unique.

WHITE WIZZARD High Speed GTO (Earache) cd 14.98

WHITE+ s/t (Maybe Mars) cd 12.98
Recently, through several friends of aQ, we've been introduced to a bunch of really cool indie rock from China, Boyz & Girl (reviewed elsewhere on this week's list), Pairs, Snapline, Mr. Graceless, Carsick Cars, Duck Fight Goose, but the one that really grabbed us the most was this one right here, the oddly monikered White+, which is in fact not really indie rock at all, but is in fact an experimental offshoot of the Chinese indie rock group Carsick Cars. This duo describe themselves as being a "hardware electronica band", although the friend who turned us on to these guys, described them as sounding like Neu! crossed with Yellow Magic Orchestra, which thankfully is pretty dang accurate. Utilizing a set up of customized keyboards, pedals, samplers, loops and live drums (and the occasional bit of spare ethereal vocals), White+ lay down some droned out, super mesmerizing, darkly motorik krautrock influenced electronic hypnorock, that sounds like a weird hybrid of Circle, the Boredoms and Fabulous Diamonds, or something like that, just check out the opening track here. A cascade of skittering programmed beats, looped and layered, chopped and collaged voices, live tribal drums, swirling electronics, dizzying FX, the sounds warped and constantly shifting speed, the vocals processed into strange streaks of psychedelic melody, the various other loops slipping from crunchy chug, to spaced out shimmer, the whole track churning and propulsive and utterly hypnotic. The second track is where the Neu! first pops up and shines through big time, the band locked into a serious psych-kraut groove, a sound that positions these guys squarely in the current movement of kraut-psych space rock revisionists, but their sound is definitely more electronic, and much more beholden to classic krautrock, albeit here wreathed in psychedelic effects and layered with warm washes of keyboard melody, not to mention clouds of swirling FX.
And here's where we'd usually say something like "and that's how it goes from there on out", but these guys aren't so simple to peg. The next track takes seriously driving drums, and adds some electronic bagpipe sounding synths, the result some twisted Amps For Christ / Maserati hybrid, with brief bursts of twisted FX heavy warpage, where the sound slips into near Aphex Twin territory.
From there on out, all bets are off, bloopy and bleepy, skittery and playful one moment, all lilting melodies, and hazy dreamlike kraut-age shimmer, brooding buzz drifting atop wild dense drum damage the next, all supporting soaring echo drenched vocals, the vibe ritualistic and trance-like, definitely a sound that fits perfectly alongside modern day Boredoms. The live drums are really what make the band, even the most ethereal sprawl of soft focus electronic ambience, takes on a whole new vibe when anchored by some pounding rhythms, and the mix of programmed beats and real drums makes for a heady rhythmic concoction, with the surrounding sounds just as compelling, equal parts melodic pulsation, kosmische cascade, and tripped out sonic swirl, some tracks sounding like a full on, heavy as hell hypnorock band, others like ultra abstract avant kraut experiments, the vocals transforming some of the tracks into near popsongs, but more often than not, the vocals splinter and are transformed into something more textural or rhythmic, the song following suit, taking that pop element and wedding it to something much more abstract and psychedelic.
A unanimous new aQ favorite, and literally every time we play this in the store, we sell a copy! We have a whole bunch, but when we sell out, we'll have to get more from China, so might take a couple weeks. Needless to say, grab one NOW! Super deluxe packaging too, sweet design, massive booklet, obi, etc.
MPEG Stream: "1"
MPEG Stream: "2"
MPEG Stream: "3"
MPEG Stream: "4"
MPEG Stream: "8"

WHITE, BUKKA Mississippi Blues (4 Men With Beards) lp 16.98
Born in Mississippi in 1906, Booker T. Washington White - "Bukka" as he came to be known against his wishes thanks to a misspelling - got his start in the music business in 1930, with records for Victor and Vocalion. Following a stint in Mississippi's notorious Parchman Farm prison, White made his way to Chicago where he recorded for OKeh in 1940. Years later, White's songs would be covered by everyone from Bob Dylan to Spacemen 3, but to the record buying public at this time, the Mississippi style of hard hitting country blues was out of fashion, and his work met with little commercial success. It's strange to think of music like this being viewed as outdated, because the sheer power of White's guitar work and his intense vocals are timeless. Fortunately, one of the people who found inspiration in White's music was none other than John Fahey, who in the early '60s figured he'd attempt to locate White in the town the bluesman sang about two decades earlier in "Aberdeen Mississippi Blues". Addressing a postcard to "Booker T. Washington White (Old Blues Singer), c/o General Delivery, Aberdeen, Mississippi", Fahey lucked out when White's relatives obtained the note and forwarded it to the singer, now living in Memphis. In 1963, Fahey and ED Denson went to meet and record White, resulting in this lp. Unlike some of the other original bluesmen to be "rediscovered", White sounds as strong as ever. His resonator guitar playing seems to defy logic with its thunderous, heavily percussive attack and a piano-like slapping technique. White's expert slide playing is frantic yet precise, and everything is topped off by a huge, booming voice that could only belong to someone who had been through a lot. The sound quality here is no frills and upfront, but nice and clear and perfect for capturing the raw power of White doing what he did best. Highly recommended.

WHITE, EMILY JANE Ode To Sentience (Antenna Farm) cd 13.98
For some strange reason this is the first record we've reviewed by Emily Jane White, but Ode To Sentience most definitely has us smitten, and also has us wondering how it is we're only discovering her now. The sound here is a gorgeous sonic concoction, equal parts classic Americana, brooding torch song and dark psychedelick folk, her voice mesmerizing and magical, a lush and velvety croon, powerful and throaty, with a tone that's rich and lustrous, presented way up in the mix, wreathed in just a smattering of reverb, the kind of voice that has you realizing the music is really only secondary, that old 'singing the phonebook' adage comes to mind, and when her vox are multitracked and she harmonizes with herself, it's downright divine.
We've seen White compared to Chan Marshall from Cat Power, and Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star. Kate Bush of course, but we also hear less obvious comparisons, one that really struck us was David Eugene Edwards of Sixteen Horsepower and Woven Hand, they have a similar phrasing, and seem drawn to the same sort of melodies and progressions. But unlike Edwards' music, which tends to be harrowing and apocalyptic, White's songs are definitely shot through with a little sunshine, whether it's a playful bit of slippery slide guitar or some surfy twang, that said, Ode is definitely a dark record, sonically and lyrically. Just check out the opener, "Oh Katherine", which we find ourselves playing over and over, a lush bit of Appalachia, wreathed in moaning mournful cellos and soaring lyrical violin, one of the prettiest songs we've heard in ages. And while "The Cliff" is a little bit jaunty, it's also about someone leaping to their death (literally or metaphorically it's hard to say), a strange country folk love song, appropriately doomed, but musically hopeful, that maybe just, something else waits at the end of that interminable fall. "Black Silk" is another gorgeous lush brooder, dense tangles of steel string buzz, wreathed in clouds of cymbal shimmer, a darkly dirgey ballad that manages to be impossibly catchy without being the least bit cloying.
And so it goes, each and every song a dark softly psychedelic folk gem, lush twang flecked balladry that manages to fuse classic country/bluegrass tradition with a more modern doomfolk songsmithery, into something we can't seem to stop listening to. Lovely stuff for sure. And we'll definitely be tracking down the two records we missed as well...
MPEG Stream: "Oh Katherine"
MPEG Stream: "The Cliff"
MPEG Stream: "Black Silk"

WHITE, JACK Blunderbuss (Columbia) cd 14.98

WHITE, JACK Blunderbuss (Third Man Records) lp 27.00

WHITE, JAMES Flaming Demons (Ze) cd 16.98

WHITE, JAMES AND THE BLACKS Off White (Ze) cd 16.98

WHITE, JIM Drill A Hole In That Substrate And Tell Me What You See (Luaka Bop) cd 16.98
Jim White's third album Drill A Hole In That Substrate And Tell Me What You See is brimming with warm, lovely songs (and it's also brimming with an unbelievable list of special guests... more on that later). Occasional atmospheric flutters of slide guitar slinks and horn flourishes mingle with White's smoky, achingly emotive vocals sorta like the more recent recordings by Calexico (he does bear a striking vocal resemblance to Calexico's lead singer Joey Burns), but when female vocals surface to join White's, the songs much more brings to mind Yo La Tengo's murmur-singing duo Georgia Hubley and Ira Kaplan. If you're familiar with either of those groups, you know they're superb company to keep, and actually the further into the album you go the more White leans into the more obtuse territory of Calexico's comrade Howe Gelb (just check out "Jesus Drove A Motorhome"). We should add however that although White's music may at times ring rather similarly to those artists', for the most part he definitely has his own thing goin' on. Sometimes soaring and elegant, sometimes lulling and earthy. Now, what about all those guest players that we alluded to earlier? Here goes: Aimee Mann, The Sadies, M. Ward, Bill Frisell, Joe Henry, Ralph Carney, Eyvind Kang and uh, the Barenaked Ladies. That's just scratching the surface. Plus it was produced by David Byrne. Wonderfully enveloping music for hideaway evenings far away from the hustle and bustle.
MPEG Stream: "Static On The Radio"
MPEG Stream: "If Jesus Drove A Motor Home"

WHITE, JIM Jim White Presents Music From Searching For The Wrong-Eyed Jesus (Luaka Bop) cd 16.98
Wow, this is fantastic! All on its own (i.e, even without the film for which it was made) Jim White's soundtrack to Searching For The Wrong-Eyed Jesus is one helluva stunning, evocative collection. The odd thing is, the film itself (by British filmmaker Andrew Douglas) was inspired by one of Jim White's previous albums. Funny how things come full circle, innit? Anyways, this will surely appeal to fans of Calexico and Giant Sand. The artists certainly weave similar musical tapestries, but whereas those Arizonans' music is drenched with Southwestern desert sunsets, Jim White's is conjured from the humid Deeep South. In addition to his own material, this cd includes songs by many AQ faves such as David Eugene Edwards of Sixteen Horsepower, Cat Power, Johnny Dowd, Maggie Brown, Handsome Family, Clarence Ashley, Doc Watson, Lee Sexton, Trailer Bride's Melissa Swingle, David Johansen, Larry Saltzman, and spoken word from Harry Crews (one of Andee's favortie authors EVER!). Steeped in rich imagery with plenty of soul searching and haunting gothic chills, each individual artist's contribution converges magically with the rest, making for a deeply moving and cohesive aural journey. Really, if this soundtrack's impact is even a fraction of that of the film, we're gonna totally love it. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: WHITE, JIM "The Wound That Never Heals"
MPEG Stream: DOWD, JOHNNY WITH MAGGIE BROWN "First There Was"

WHITE, JIM Transnormal Skiperoo (Luaka Bop) cd 14.98

WHITE, PAUL Paul White And The Purple Brain (Now-Again / One-Handed Music) cd 17.98
First we've heard from sampledelic South London producer Paul White, whose new album for Now-Again ought to appeal to everyone who liked the Madlib Medicine Show No. 6 disc we listed last time (which was a crazy DJ mix of vintage psych/funk/prog from around the world). Paul White likewise takes a chopped-up, dial-spinning, hiphop approach to quite similar, psychedelic material coming from but ONE source: the records of cult Swedish psych purveyor ST Mikael (who records for the Subliminal Sounds label, same as Dungen). Sampling, editing, looping, and layering snippets of ST's stuff, Paul also contributes additional synth, percussion and vocals, constructing a veritable psychedelic fantasmagoria, 25 delirious and delightful tracks that mash n' meld hiphop beats, popsike melody, Eastern string zing, folky strum, freaky electric guitar, odd sound FX, head nodding funky grooves, mystical atmospheres, non sequitur spoken bits, etc.
While we must admit we were only passingly familiar with the work of ST Mikael (and what we'd heard, or maybe it was just his record covers, seemed a bit cheesy, in an aging New Agey hippie sort of way, he's from the '90s after all) but Mr. White's hiphop makeover of Mikael is definitely cool. The results are a bit like the aforementioned Madlib, also remind us of When albums like The Lobster Boys and Pearl Harvest, as well as the likes of DJ Shadow, BMSR, and Rockford Kabine. Dreamy and druggy and definitely A.D.D. Recommended for sure. YOUR brain will be purple by the time you're through listening.
The cd version comes in a cardboard wallet, the vinyl in deluxe "paste-on" jacket, and in addition, the vinyl version includes a bonus 12" (first 1000 copies only) featuring Paul White together with Guilty Simpson.
MPEG Stream: "Pride"
MPEG Stream: "Ancient Treasure"
MPEG Stream: "Marshen Signals"
MPEG Stream: "My Guitar Whales"
MPEG Stream: "Every Breath"

WHITE, PAUL Paul White And The Purple Brain (Now-Again / One-Handed Music) 2lp + 12" 30.00
First we've heard from sampledelic South London producer Paul White, whose new album for Now-Again ought to appeal to everyone who liked the Madlib Medicine Show No. 6 disc we listed last time (which was a crazy DJ mix of vintage psych/funk/prog from around the world). Paul White likewise takes a chopped-up, dial-spinning, hiphop approach to quite similar, psychedelic material coming from but ONE source: the records of cult Swedish psych purveyor ST Mikael (who records for the Subliminal Sounds label, same as Dungen). Sampling, editing, looping, and layering snippets of ST's stuff, Paul also contributes additional synth, percussion and vocals, constructing a veritable psychedelic fantasmagoria, 25 delirious and delightful tracks that mash n' meld hiphop beats, popsike melody, Eastern string zing, folky strum, freaky electric guitar, odd sound FX, head nodding funky grooves, mystical atmospheres, non sequitur spoken bits, etc.
While we must admit we were only passingly familiar with the work of ST Mikael (and what we'd heard, or maybe it was just his record covers, seemed a bit cheesy, in an aging New Agey hippie sort of way, he's from the '90s after all) but Mr. White's hiphop makeover of Mikael is definitely cool. The results are a bit like the aforementioned Madlib, also remind us of When albums like The Lobster Boys and Pearl Harvest, as well as the likes of DJ Shadow, BMSR, and Rockford Kabine. Dreamy and druggy and definitely A.D.D. Recommended for sure. YOUR brain will be purple by the time you're through listening.
The cd version comes in a cardboard wallet, the vinyl in deluxe "paste-on" jacket, and in addition, the vinyl version includes a bonus 12" (first 1000 copies only) featuring Paul White together with Guilty Simpson.
MPEG Stream: "Pride"
MPEG Stream: "Ancient Treasure"
MPEG Stream: "Marshen Signals"
MPEG Stream: "My Guitar Whales"
MPEG Stream: "Every Breath"

WHITE, ROLAND I Wasn't Born To Rock'n Roll (Tompkins Square) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Kansas City Railroad Blues"
MPEG Stream: "The Storms Are On The Ocean"
MPEG Stream: "Head Over Heels In Love With You"
MPEG Stream: "Doorstep of Trouble"

WHITE, SIMONE I Am The Man (Honest Jon's) cd 17.98
Dreamy! Initially this struck us as being oh so very very adorable, but for those around here with a low tolerance for sugar its cumulative effect soon became too much. Their teeth started to hurt, and they fruitlessly tried to shield themselves in the metal section. Alright, that's an exaggeration! Simone White's voice is a little bit Regina Spektor and a little bit Sybille Baier and a little bit Rose Melberg. The production is seriously lux, with some of the nicest inclusion of brass instruments in a pop song we've heard in a long time. Everything is ultra soft and smooth. Hmmm, it's sort of Finchy too. Our only sticky point is that Ms White opts for a few lyrical trends that have become somewhat tired and overused, like uhh... anything about feathers! However, if you embrace your inner cute and twee darling self no matter what your age, this is so for you! Absolutely crushworthy!
MPEG Stream: "Roses Are Not Red"
MPEG Stream: "Sweetest Love Song"

WHITE, TONY JOE s/t (Sepia Tone) cd 13.98
This is a reissue of Tony White's second (or third?) solo album, and the one that is considered his best. A prolific songwriter (the stunning "Rainy Night in Georgia" as well as hits performed by everyone from Elvis to Etta James to Ray Charles), he's got this husky deep bass of a voice that he lets growl and croon over his own version of blues-based white soul. It's not blowing us away or anything, but it's good strong wellcrafted music.
RealAudio clip: "My Kind of Woman"

WHITEBUZZ Book Of Whyte (MeteorCity) cd 11.98
Recently we remarked upon how the long-running stoner rock label Small Stone had been kicking our asses with some great releases of late (Obiat, Iota, etc.). Gotta say the same thing now about the MeteorCity label, another veteran stoner rock purveyor who in the '90s, were second only maybe to Man's Ruin as THE stoner rock label of the day. Well, it's 2010 and, despite a lowered profile, the re-activated MeteorCity has been killing it lately, maybe even moreso than in the good old days, with such recently highlighted here releases like Ararat, Village Of Dead Roads, Freedom Hawk, and Egypt... THIS list, we've got two more from 'em to rave about, Leeches Of Lore and WhiteBuzz!
WhiteBuzz hail from Germany and illustrate a controversial point. You might think that the sound a band is known for is THEIRS, they invented it, and anyone else that sounds similar are obviously influenced or are flat out copycatting. Well, yeah maybe that's sorta true. But you could also think of it this way: the SOUND exists already, band A just came along and "discovered" it, channelled it, made use of it. But rather than wait for band A to make another record 'cause you want to hear that sound again, what about if band B comes along and ALSO taps into that sound, and it speaks through them just as legitimately as it does through the "original" band? Nobody is copying anybody, both bands A and B are servants to that sound, it's just that chronologically speaking band A came first, band B later. Likewise, there could be bands C, D, E, etc., all "tuning in" to this pre-existing, eternal "SOUND". That's a theory anyway, and it makes more sense when the sound in question seems so darn cosmic. We might be making too big a point out of this, actually, 'cause while we were gonna say if band A = Om then band B = WhiteBuzz, we think you'll be able to tell 'em apart. For one thing, WhiteBuzz have a guitarist! But if you like the epic ritualistic psychedelic fuzzed out epics of Om, we're pretty sure you're gonna dig WhiteBuzz, complete with a similarly chant-like vocal style and lysergically spaced-out interludes amidst the blown out super heavy repetitive riffage on the 4 loooong tracks here (plus a fifth, shorter, unlisted bonus cut that sounds more like a tribute to the Melvins).
Has WhiteBuzz heard Om? Well, we'd bet they have, probably, yeah, but who know, could be the not-so-coincidental cosmic scenario outlined above too. Heck, these heavy invocations weren't invented by Om, or precursors Sleep, EITHER, exactly. They go back to Pink Floyd and Hawkwind and Black Sabbath... to Tibetan monks... to the first cultivators of cannabis... to pagan prehistory... You could probably hear sounds like this in temples on Mars or during the ancient, imaginary Hyborian Age!
Basically, we're sure YOU'VE heard Om, anyway. And it's likely you like Om, too. If so, and you'd like some more Om-ishness RIGHT NOW, then check out WhiteBuzz. To be honest, original or not, we like 'em almost as much as Om themselves. The only thing that kinda bugs us about WhiteBuzz is, why do they spell white/whyte two different ways in band name and album title? But otherwise, we're quite happy with this release!
MPEG Stream: "The Return Of Phoenix"
MPEG Stream: "Antipocalypse"

WHITEHEAD, PETER Now This (Out Of Round) cd 11.98
The local label Out of Round has been laboring quietly in the background, not calling a lot of attention to itself yet turning out record after record that are consistently of similar mood -- due to the fact that they all play on each others recordings. The homegrown label's "sound", then, is one of a grimy circus atmosphere, like Fellini's La Strada if it was set in some dusty corner of an urban American metropolis. There are lots of slowed down polkas and depressed waltz time-signatures, dour vocals, sad accordions, and dolefully plucked guitars. Great mood music for the Tom Waits fan in all of us who feels like Waits is just too hip for his own good these days.
Check out www.outofroundrecords.com -- we carry all of their releases. For a limited time only, get an Out of Round Records label sampler free with purchase any full length on the label.
Peter Whitehead is my favorite artist on the label. This Mission-ite is British-born and a cool instrument-maker, who croons downer vocals over otherworldy stringed instruments just "off"-sounding enough to be delightfully puzzling. Piano, mandolin, zither, siren, "spike fiddle", lyre. Very cool layers of lush metallic sounds acts as climaxes to his Michael-Stipe-like haunting verses.
RealAudio clip: "More"

WHITEHORSE Caverns (2005 Japanese Tour cd) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Record number two from Australian doom dirge juggernaut Whitehorse. And whaddaya know? It's another live record! But so what!?!? If they sound this heavy and this brutal live, why even bother going in the studio? In fact, we're sort of afraid of what might happen if these guys actually did make it into a studio. Not sure we could handle it! This is intense stuff. Massively heavy, so slow and plodding it's almost ambient, with huge stretches of near silence, while the crumbling remnants of the last riff drift earthward before the next riff comes crashing down. Shrieked inhuman screams, and plodding drum beats set at least a mile apart, moans and drifting guitars and cymbal sizzle drift like tendrils of black smoke between each Teutonic crush. Hell they even have a guy in the band credited with just "Rumblings." Fuck yeah! Think Khanate, Bunkur, Corrupted, Eyehategod. So so so good! Packaged in a beautifully printed oversized cardboard sleeve. And as always SUPER LIMITED!!!!
MPEG Stream: "Caverns"

WHITEHORSE Flames To Light The Way / Everything (Conspiracy) lp 29.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Our pals at Conspiracy Records, a label/distro based in Belgium, who in the past have brought us records by Boris, Jesu, Shora and more, are this year celebrating their 10 year anniversary. A decade of amazing music. From a bedroom based punk rock label, to one of Europe's most important and influential labels and distros, all we can say is HURRAY! And HUZZAH! It's always so exciting, when a bunch of folks get together to spread the word about great music, great WEIRD music, and survive, even thrive. Such is the case with Conspiracy. And as if that weren't already enough, just knowing that some great people were selling some amazing music, those sweeties at Conspiracy have decided to share the love with us. And you.
To celebrate their 10th anniversary, they've decided to do a super limited subscription series, 12 records over 12 months, each limited to somewhere between 200-500 copies, ONLY available to series subscribers. EXCEPT, they've decided to let AQ have 20 copies of each, we're the only store with copies of these subscriber only lps, and for a brief moment, we can offer them to you, our loyal AQ customers. Needless to say we are thrilled, as the series lineup reads like a who's who of AQ faves, as well as including a handful of lesser knowns. All pressed on super thick vinyl, and packaged in killer hand screened original art sleeves. But be warned, we only got 20 of each, and we will run out fast and we will not be able to get more. When we do run out, there is a chance you can still get one from Conspiracy direct, but what that means is act fast and prepare to leave empty handed.
Australia's masters of monstrous sludge return with an actual studio recording. Their first if we're not mistaken. After multiple live recordings, these guys finally made it into a studio and the result is much as we imagined. These guys are seriously heavy and frighteningly brutal! One side long epic, a massive slow build, like an apocalyptic metal tinged Godspeed, swirling cymbals, keening guitars, thick drifts of distorted fuzz, underneath gargled demonic vocals struggle to be heard above the swirling din, super abstract and nearly ambient, it takes almost half the side before the song kicks in properly and then you're done for. A slow motion math metal sludge jam of unprecedented proportions. Stumbling and crushing, swathed in space rock FX, sounding very Corrupted like, Whitehorse are an unstoppable dirge, with some wild off kilter drumming and strange arrangements, so strange in fact, that occasionally, the band bursts into spastic chaotic almost 'free' sonic freakouts, like Neurosis doing free jazz. Nicely compliments their unstoppable glacier like brutality. WOW.
Amazing cover art too, angular, black and gold metallic patterns, the same patterns are also silkscreened on the B side of the lp. Quite striking!

WHITEHORSE Live - Oct / Nov 2004 cd 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Falling somewhere between the ultra doom of Khanate, the metallic post rock pummel of Isis, and the shrieking feedback / bowel-loosening dirge of Earth / Sunn O))), Whitehorse kick up a serious racket. Rumbling ambient drones slip into screaming feedback which in turn become huge unstoppable walls of noise, occasionally interrupted by beautiful mellowed out melodic interludes. Crashing drums all over the place, high end guitar melodies shriek like sirens, and of course the howled hyper intense vocals add another layer of sonic skree to the mix. Recorded live, with a totally blown out, super distorted mix, that while losing a lot of the finer details, definitely makes the whole thing sound that much more aggro and chaotic and on the verge of total collapse. Seriously noisy and fierce as fuck. Can't wait to hear a studio record from these guys. But for now, this white hot blast of live fury will do just nicely. Packaged in a beautifully printed oversized cardboard sleeve, with some deranged apocalyptic liner note ramblings from artist Seldon Hunt.
MPEG Stream: "Ocean Turns To Black"

WHITEHORSE Live At Sinkagura, Osaka 29.06.2005 cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
In the review of the last Whitehorse cd, we went on a bit about their propensity for releasing eps, and live eps at that. And only a few days later we got a sheepish email from the band, seeing if we wanted copies of their new record, a live ep?!?! Arghhhh. Well, the band has promised us that next stop will be the studio for a proper studio recorded full length, but what the hell, another 30 plus minutes of soul crushing sludge can never be a bad thing, and in the case of Whitehorse it's a very very good thing indeed. This time, the live show in question took place in Japan, but the sound is not that far removed from the first two eps. A massive slow moving lumbering sludge metal behemoth, trudging through graveyards, and ruined villages, the depths of hell and everywhere in between. This two track set is actually a wee bit speedier than their other recordings, which is a lot like saying a turtle is a wee bit faster than a tortoise, as this is still slow motion tarpit doom, but the pace is not so funereal, instead the vibe is much more Eyehategod than Khanate this time around, still harsh and abrasive and brutally heavy, but there's almost a groove going on. Which definitely lends the proceedings a sort of stonery doom vibe. As always really fucking great! Fans of Corrupted, Khanate, Eyehategod, Bunkur, Moss and all that is slow and heavy will not be disappointed.
Packaged in a beautifully printed oversized cardboard sleeve. And of course, SUPER LIMITED!!!!
MPEG Stream: "Untitled (Live In Japan 2005)"

WHITEHORSE Progression (Sweatlung) cd 11.98
Progression is the latest chunk of abject nihilistic ultra doom sludge from these Aussie heavies, the first full length since their sprawling double cd on 20 Buck Spin, and it continues on right where that one left off. Lurching lumbering downtuned slo-mo riffage, dueling vocals: grunted monstrous growls versus maniacal shrieks, fat fuzzed out bass buzz and massive pounding drum pummel, but unlike many of their doom/sludge contemporaries, Whitehorse actually have some groove, and some serious forward momentum, with maybe more in common with Eyehategod and Khanate than say Monarch or Bunkur, this isn't all near-ambient black doom drift, no these guys grind and pound, this is most definitely metal, just really really slow, it's propulsive, but a sort of tarpit propulsion, the sound super dynamic, lacing their metallic crunch with plenty of stop/starts, long stretches of squealing feedback, strange industrial clatter, the songs shifting from slow slung bass driven crawls, to loping glacial doom, to almost swinging metallic crush.
Opener "Mechanical Disintegration" channels the spirit of Winter and diSEMBOWELMENT into some sort of slow motion death metal, peppered with some surprisingly melodic filigree, these strange but super hooky guitar melodies draped over the main churning riffage, makes it sound like some classic metal playing at 2 rpm.
The title track slows it done even further, adding lots of scrape and clatter to the death march trudgery, a pounding minimalism that shifts gears part way through when the band launch into a serious groove (at least for them), verging on almost headbangable, really lurching and lumbering, some Sabbathy swing slowed down into something more serpentine and slithery. The rest of the record veers from funereal crawl, to grinding metallic pound and back again, the songs laced with strange mechanical hiss, white noise hum and weird glitches, all wrapped around that super low throb and thrum, culminating in the epic 9+ minute closer, which pounds away relentlessly before finishing off in a squall of feedback skree, twisted black noise and super distorted buzz.
MPEG Stream: "Mechanical Disintegration"
MPEG Stream: "Progression"
MPEG Stream: "Time Worn Regression"

WHITEHORSE Progression (At A Loss) lp 19.98
NOW ON SWANK VINYL!!
Progression is the latest chunk of abject nihilistic ultra doom sludge from these Aussie heavies, the first full length since their sprawling double cd on 20 Buck Spin, and it continues on right where that one left off. Lurching lumbering downtuned slo-mo riffage, dueling vocals: grunted monstrous growls versus maniacal shrieks, fat fuzzed out bass buzz and massive pounding drum pummel, but unlike many of their doom/sludge contemporaries, Whitehorse actually have some groove, and some serious forward momentum, with maybe more in common with Eyehategod and Khanate than say Monarch or Bunkur, this isn't all near-ambient black doom drift, no these guys grind and pound, this is most definitely metal, just really really slow, it's propulsive, but a sort of tarpit propulsion, the sound super dynamic, lacing their metallic crunch with plenty of stop/starts, long stretches of squealing feedback, strange industrial clatter, the songs shifting from slow slung bass driven crawls, to loping glacial doom, to almost swinging metallic crush.
Opener "Mechanical Disintegration" channels the spirit of Winter and diSEMBOWELMENT into some sort of slow motion death metal, peppered with some surprisingly melodic filigree, these strange but super hooky guitar melodies draped over the main churning riffage, makes it sound like some classic metal playing at 2 rpm.
The title track slows it done even further, adding lots of scrape and clatter to the death march trudgery, a pounding minimalism that shifts gears part way through when the band launch into a serious groove (at least for them), verging on almost headbangable, really lurching and lumbering, some Sabbathy swing slowed down into something more serpentine and slithery. The rest of the record veers from funereal crawl, to grinding metallic pound and back again, the songs laced with strange mechanical hiss, white noise hum and weird glitches, all wrapped around that super low throb and thrum, culminating in the epic 9+ minute closer, which pounds away relentlessly before finishing off in a squall of feedback skree, twisted black noise and super distorted buzz.
MPEG Stream: "Mechanical Disintegration"
MPEG Stream: "Progression"
MPEG Stream: "Time Worn Regression"

WHITEHORSE s/t (20 Buck Spin) 2cd 14.98
Finally, the first widely available full length (and then some!) cd release, after a handful of live eps, from Australia's masters of monstrous sludge, a double disc set collecting tons of previously released material from some of those long out of print cd-r's, a couple tracks from the long gone Conspiracy lp, and most importantly, a brand new studio recording in the form of the 22 minute track "The Unwelcome Return"! We'll get to that in a second, but first, a primer for those new to the downtuned brutality of Australia's Whitehorse, and folks who may have missed out .
Falling somewhere between the ultra doom of Khanate, the metallic post rock pummel of Isis, and the shrieking feedback / bowel-loosening dirge of Earth / SUNNO))), Whitehorse kick up a serious racket. Rumbling ambient drones slip into screaming feedback which in turn become huge unstoppable walls of noise, occasionally interrupted by beautiful mellowed out melodic interludes. Crashing drums all over the place, high end guitar melodies shriek like sirens, and of course the howled hyper intense vocals add another layer of sonic skree to the mix, plodding drum beats are set at least a mile apart, moans and drifting guitars and cymbal sizzle drift like tendrils of black smoke between each Teutonic crush. These guys are a massive slow moving lumbering sludge metal behemoth, trudging through graveyards, and ruined villages, the depths of hell and everywhere in between
Each track a massive slow build, like an apocalyptic metal tinged Godspeed, swirling cymbals, keening guitars, thick drifts of distorted fuzz, underneath gargled demonic vocals struggle to be heard above the swirling din, super abstract and nearly ambient, it takes forever before the songs kick in properly and then you're done for. Slow motion math metal sludge jams of unprecedented proportions. Stumbling and crushing, swathed in space rock FX, sounding very Corrupted like, an unstoppable dirge, with some wild off kilter drumming and strange arrangements, so strange in fact, that occasionally, the band bursts into spastic chaotic almost 'free' sonic freakouts, like Neurosis doing free jazz. Nicely compliments their unstoppable glacier like brutality. But the pace is not always so funereal the vibe is as much Eyehategod as it is Khanate, still harsh and abrasive and brutally heavy, but there's almost a groove going on here and there. Which definitely lends the proceedings a sort of stonery doom vibe. It's easy to hear bits of Corrupted, Khanate, Eyehategod, Bunkur, Moss and the like, but Whitehorse definitely add their own twisted slow motion spin.
A good chunk of this stuff is previously released. Avid AQ doomhounds may very well have 75% of this stuff, but odds are, due to the limited nature of the eps, and especially the Conspiracy lp (of which we only ever had 20 copies), a lot of you missed out on at least some of it. And besides all that, there's the brand new 20+ minute "The Unwelcome Return" to contend with... and whaddayaknow, another crushing, head caving slab of slow motion sonic dirgery, like Electric Wizard on some serious downers, spun at 16 rpm, a lumbering gargantuan crush, with a long stretch of swirling bass heavy ambience in the middle. A loping bassline amidst lowend rumbles and strange shuffling drumming, all wrapped in constantly shifting swells of white noise and buzzy hiss, before the whole track explodes again, trudging hellward and crushing every goddamn thing in its path. Including us. And we LOVE IT.
Worshippers of all things doom and drone and sludge would do well to prostrate themselves before these mighty and unmerciful doomlords, and to welcome the oncoming sonic annihilation...
Packaged in a killer black on black, gloss on matte, mini gatefold lp style cd sleeve, with a full color insert!
MPEG Stream: "Fire To Light The Way"
MPEG Stream: "Everything Ablaze"

WHITEHORSE s/t (20 Buck Spin) 2cd 14.98
Finally, the first widely available full length (and then some!) cd release, after a handful of live eps, from Australia's masters of monstrous sludge, a double disc set collecting tons of previously released material from some of those long out of print cd-r's, a couple tracks from the long gone Conspiracy lp, and most importantly, a brand new studio recording in the form of the 22 minute track "The Unwelcome Return"! We'll get to that in a second, but first, a primer for those new to the downtuned brutality of Australia's Whitehorse, and folks who may have missed out .
Falling somewhere between the ultra doom of Khanate, the metallic post rock pummel of Isis, and the shrieking feedback / bowel-loosening dirge of Earth / SUNNO))), Whitehorse kick up a serious racket. Rumbling ambient drones slip into screaming feedback which in turn become huge unstoppable walls of noise, occasionally interrupted by beautiful mellowed out melodic interludes. Crashing drums all over the place, high end guitar melodies shriek like sirens, and of course the howled hyper intense vocals add another layer of sonic skree to the mix, plodding drum beats are set at least a mile apart, moans and drifting guitars and cymbal sizzle drift like tendrils of black smoke between each Teutonic crush. These guys are a massive slow moving lumbering sludge metal behemoth, trudging through graveyards, and ruined villages, the depths of hell and everywhere in between
Each track a massive slow build, like an apocalyptic metal tinged Godspeed, swirling cymbals, keening guitars, thick drifts of distorted fuzz, underneath gargled demonic vocals struggle to be heard above the swirling din, super abstract and nearly ambient, it takes forever before the songs kick in properly and then you're done for. Slow motion math metal sludge jams of unprecedented proportions. Stumbling and crushing, swathed in space rock FX, sounding very Corrupted like, an unstoppable dirge, with some wild off kilter drumming and strange arrangements, so strange in fact, that occasionally, the band bursts into spastic chaotic almost 'free' sonic freakouts, like Neurosis doing free jazz. Nicely compliments their unstoppable glacier like brutality. But the pace is not always so funereal the vibe is as much Eyehategod as it is Khanate, still harsh and abrasive and brutally heavy, but there's almost a groove going on here and there. Which definitely lends the proceedings a sort of stonery doom vibe. It's easy to hear bits of Corrupted, Khanate, Eyehategod, Bunkur, Moss and the like, but Whitehorse definitely add their own twisted slow motion spin.
A good chunk of this stuff is previously released. Avid AQ doomhounds may very well have 75% of this stuff, but odds are, due to the limited nature of the eps, and especially the Conspiracy lp (of which we only ever had 20 copies), a lot of you missed out on at least some of it. And besides all that, there's the brand new 20+ minute "The Unwelcome Return" to contend with... and whaddayaknow, another crushing, head caving slab of slow motion sonic dirgery, like Electric Wizard on some serious downers, spun at 16 rpm, a lumbering gargantuan crush, with a long stretch of swirling bass heavy ambience in the middle. A loping bassline amidst lowend rumbles and strange shuffling drumming, all wrapped in constantly shifting swells of white noise and buzzy hiss, before the whole track explodes again, trudging hellward and crushing every goddamn thing in its path. Including us. And we LOVE IT.
Worshippers of all things doom and drone and sludge would do well to prostrate themselves before these mighty and unmerciful doomlords, and to welcome the oncoming sonic annihilation...
Packaged in a killer black on black, gloss on matte, mini gatefold lp style cd sleeve, with a full color insert!
MPEG Stream: "Fire To Light The Way"
MPEG Stream: "Everything Ablaze"

WHITEHORSE / HOT GRAVES This Is For You + Metal Blaster / Blood Sick (Sweatlung / Vendetta / Super-Fi / Satanaik Recordings) 7" 5.98
Killer split 7" from Aussie heavies Whitehorse, and Floridian thrashers Hot Graves. Whitehorse offer up another skull caving slab of extreme heaviness, churning, lumbering, groovy and sludgey, with some cool harmonized melodies offsetting the otherwise downtuned crush. The vocals are a demonic gurgle buried in the mix, occasionally exploding into banshee like howls, the sound creeping one second, swinging and Sabbathy the next, a killer jam, and surprisingly melodic/catchy.
Hot Graves are new to us, and a quick glance online seemed to have them pegged as sounding like Swedish styled death metal, but to these ears, at least on this split, they sound way more old school thrashy metal, reminding us quite a bit of aQ faves Speedwolf. Loping, galloping metallic punk (or punky metal?), all classic metal chug, shredding leads, raspy throat shredding bellows, raw and fucking fierce, with wicked classic harmony guitar leads, and a cool second half, that slips into a mosh worthy breakdown with still MORE classic metal riffing. Definitely want to hear more...
Probably limited, super swank silkscreened covers, and a printed heavy cardstock insert.

WHITEHOUSE Cruise (Susan Lawly) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Yes, the notorious Whitehouse are still at it after twenty years. Love them or hate them, you've probably got a strong opinion about Whitehouse. While we at Aquarius do not necessarily agree with the lyrical content of past Whitehouse releases, some of us appreciate the *concept* of Whitehouse, William Bennett's realisation of "a sound that could bludgeon an audience into submission." On this, their sixteenth album, Whitehouse run the risk of losing some hardcore fanatics, while possibly gaining new ones. With the exception of the inclusion of "A Cunt Like You" (which can also be found on 1998's Mummy and Daddy), Cruise marks a new direction for Whitehouse. Tracks like "Princess Disease" and "Cruise (Force the Truth)" are atypically rhythmic, quite enjoyable in fact -- add some amen breaks and you've got the next DHR record! (Whitehouse Remixes, Alec???) Most notable about Cruise is an expansion of lyrical content by William Bennett, pulling us deeper into the depths of his complex and misunderstood mind. And in continuing the concept introduced on Mummy and Daddy, Cruise's centrepiece is a found sound collage of first hand experiences of sexual abuse, arranged by Peter Sotos. Brutal, yet probably the most accessible Whitehouse record to date. Sadly, no cover art by Trevor Brown this time around...
Whitehouse have always seemed to position themselves in close proximity to the artworld (while at the same time alienating themselves from the music world), and in doing so, may be positioning themselves closer to the accepted forms of transgressive art such as Vito Acconchi's public masturbation or Jeff Koon's airbrushed pornography. Whatever you may think about Whitehouse (i.e. if they are or are not 'art'), that which lies underneathe the packaging is certainly not going to change your mind about them. You probably know already if you need to own this. However, Whitehouse does change things up a bit on 'Cruise', taking their normally ear shredding shrieks, and lowering the ultra high frequencies to a more gritty mid-range analogue noise.

WHITEHOUSE Cruise (VFSL) 2lp 34.00
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!!
Yes, the notorious Whitehouse are still at it after twenty years. Love them or hate them, you've probably got a strong opinion about Whitehouse. While we at Aquarius do not necessarily agree with the lyrical content of past Whitehouse releases, some of us appreciate the *concept* of Whitehouse, William Bennett's realisation of "a sound that could bludgeon an audience into submission." On this, their sixteenth album, Whitehouse run the risk of losing some hardcore fanatics, while possibly gaining new ones. With the exception of the inclusion of "A Cunt Like You" (which can also be found on 1998's Mummy and Daddy), Cruise marks a new direction for Whitehouse. Tracks like "Princess Disease" and "Cruise (Force the Truth)" are atypically rhythmic, quite enjoyable in fact -- add some amen breaks and you've got the next DHR record! (Whitehouse Remixes, Alec???) Most notable about Cruise is an expansion of lyrical content by William Bennett, pulling us deeper into the depths of his complex and misunderstood mind. And in continuing the concept introduced on Mummy and Daddy, Cruise's centerpiece is a found sound collage of first hand experiences of sexual abuse, arranged by Peter Sotos. Brutal, yet probably the most accessible Whitehouse record to date. Sadly, no cover art by Trevor Brown this time around...
Whitehouse have always seemed to position themselves in close proximity to the artworld (while at the same time alienating themselves from the music world), and in doing so, may be positioning themselves closer to the accepted forms of transgressive art such as Vito Acconchi's public masturbation or Jeff Koon's airbrushed pornography. Whatever you may think about Whitehouse (i.e. if they are or are not 'art'), that which lies underneath the packaging is certainly not going to change your mind about them. You probably know already if you need to own this. However, Whitehouse does change things up a bit on 'Cruise', taking their normally ear shredding shrieks, and lowering the ultra high frequencies to a more gritty mid-range analog noise.

WHITEHOUSE Quality Time (Susan Lawly) cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Repress of the 1995 headsplitter from the masters of extreme electronic music. "Quality Time", their fourteenth (by my count) record, is a massive subsonic masterpiece that transcends the majority of Whitehouse's early work. Along with the prior "Halogen", this record brings forth deeper, more abstract sonicscapes; minimal, ambiguous vocals and a powerful low frequency rumble to boot. Six tracks recorded at Steve Albini's studio in Chicago. Gorgeous cover art by Trevor Brown.

WHITELODGE Whitelodge (Beta-Lactam Ring) cd 13.98
Kinda like Legendary Pink Dots meets Labradford.

WHITEST BOY ALIVE, THE Dreams (Asound / Bubbles) cd 16.98
The sweet, dulcet pipes of one Mr. Erlend Oye can now be heard in a pop band other than Kings Of Convenience! It's The Whitest Boy Alive!
And yes, the name is quite fitting. You might say that Oye's body of work to date has been unflaggingly, Milquetoastily vanilla, and Dreams continues in similar fashion. Oye is an impeccable songwriter and this is his most guitar based outing yet with totally tasty instrumentation laying the perfect bed for his sweet alluring voice. He even reminds us of a younger Arto Lindsay with his suave stylings and undeniable charisma. Or like Sam Prekop taking one foot off the sea and onto the dance floor. This record stands out in all of its smooth, creamy, soft and soothing glory.
MPEG Stream: "Burning"
MPEG Stream: "Figures"

WHITEST BOY ALIVE, THE Rules (Bubbles) cd 16.98
While Erlend Oye is best known for his band Kings Of Convenience, there is something truly special that happens when he records under the Whitest Boy Alive moniker, cranking out some of the most infectious, breezy and immaculate sounding pop songs we've heard. His second album as The Whitest Boy Alive is just as potent as the debut we fell in love with a couple years back.
Breezing along somewhere between The Sea & Cake and The Junior Boys but somehow pretty much blowing both of those bands away in the way he creates songs that float with such ease yet have such solid impact, rife with sentiments that ring with such subtle truth. While it's not a surprise to have pop songs that deal with the nuance of human relationships and heartbreak, it is remarkable when those messages and simple vocal phrases are able to so simply and insightfully speak to universal truths. Oye truly has a way with words, but what makes Rules such a special record is that nothing ever feels forced or out of place, it all flows with such seamless perfection and allows you to skip and dance as your memory spins wildy off in a million different directions. There are so many songs here that have gotten totally stuck in our heads, but they are more than catchy, they are that rare kind of pop song that you actually WANT stuck there in your subconscious, perhaps never to escape. They're just that damn good!
We love how there are songs that take riffs from groups like Daft Punk and make them their own, while at the same time employing a subtle jazz aesthetic in some of the instrumentation that would fail so miserably in other hands but works so perfectly here. We could go on and on, but we'll stop by saying that this is for sure a major contender for pop record of the year!
MPEG Stream: "Courage"
MPEG Stream: "1517"
MPEG Stream: "Timebomb"

WHITETREE Cloudland (Ponderosa) cd 24.00
Maybe it's the encroaching autumn, but lately we can't get enough of solo piano music. Especially when it's all minimal clusters of wistful passages, lilting progressions and sustained overtones. While this isn't a solo piano record per se, the liquid piano playing of Italian classical composer, Ludovico Einaudi, collaborating with electronic artists Robert and Ronald Lippok (To Rococo Rot, Tarwater), is at the heart of every track here. The group works fluidly together as a single unit (they recorded this live, together in one room) with the electronic nuances and occasional, but never overpowering, rhythms interlocking with Einaudi's playfully lyrical compositions. It's a lovely album that reminds us of the Rune Grammofon label's prettiest releases, and is fast becoming one of our favorite late night / early morning records. Highly Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Ullysses And The Cats"
MPEG Stream: "Tangerine"
MPEG Stream: "Derek's Garden"

WHITMAN, KEITH FULERTON / MIKE SHIFLET split (Amethyst Sunset) lp 19.98

WHITMAN, KEITH FULLERTON 21:30 For Acoustic Guitar (Apartment B Records) cd ep 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
You know him as Hrvatski (Boston-based electronica maverick fond of long German words and 'Amen' breaks), we know him as Keith, our friendly sales rep at Forced Exposure distribution. With this new cdep release under his own name, Keith/Hrvatski combines his expertise in the digital realm with --yes-- his acoustic guitar playing. Using a "realtime playthrough" program he designed for his Mac G3 laptop, inspired by the "Timelag Accumulator" of Terry Riley and the phasing experiments of Steve Reich, he transformed his live acoustic guitar playing into 21 minutes of haunting, beautiful abstract drone-drift. So different from the Lesser-like electronic breaks n' beats of his Hrvatski persona, but equally great. We really like it!
RealAudio clip: "Untitled01"

WHITMAN, KEITH FULLERTON Antithesis (Kranky) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Keith Fullerton Whitman aka Hrvatski takes a break from glitching and skittering and breaks of all shapes and sizes to indulge his first loves, minimalism and Krautrock. This *lp only* release is 4 tracks of hypnotically blissed out drones and Sunroof! like shimmer. One track does start to pulse and almost rock, with booming percussion and a darkly propulsive riff, but for the most part these pieces fall more into the Reich, Riley, Flynt, etc. sonic realm. Beautifully droning and repetitive, dark and abstract ambience.