NEW IN

Acid Birds – Acid Birds II LP (Blackest Rainbow) 11.50

“Acid Birds was formed in 2004 in Brooklyn, NY by Andrew Barker (drums & percussion), Jaime Fennelly (harmonium & electronics) and Charles Waters (alto saxophone & bass clarinet). NY-based Barker & Waters are both founding members of Gold Sparkle Band, and Fennelly, who recently relocated to Chicago from the Pacific Northwest, is 1/3 of Peeesseye, and recently embarked on his new solo project Mind Over Mirrors. Their first self-titled LP came out on the Italian label QBICO in 2009. Their second LP, Acid Birds II, on Sagittarius A-Star, and their first cassette, entitled Mock Load, out on Electric Temple were released to coincide with their Midwest / East Coast Winter 2011 tour. This trio work tirelessly on some wide ranging genres of fine musical output; Barker has worked with Gold Sparkle Band, Sirone of the Revolutionary Ensemble, Daniel Carter, Roy Campbell’s TAZ, Rob Brown, Chris Jonas, Sonny Simmons, Sabir Mateen, Virginia Genta, and many others.He has appeared on several recordings, including Apostolic Polyphony (with Matthew Shipp and Charles Waters) and The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra’s Mayor of Punkville. In addition to several ongoing projects, Barker has also recently formed a metal band called Hallux. Fennelly is a founding member of Peeesseye, the transatlantic amalgam of minimalist rock, noise, folk, drone, psych, improv, sound poetry, and absurdity that has produced nearly twenty releases. Fennelly recently released his solo LP under the name Mind Over Mirrors on Digitalis Industries to some excellent reviews. Through blending together harmonium, piano and synth drone slabs, hemorrhaging feedback and percussive tape loops, he creates music operating somewhere between a hypnotic ritual, kosmische-inspired minimalism and seriously blurred out american folk music. Releases of his various projects/bandscan be found on labels such as Chocolate Monk, Locust Music, Utech, 8mm, Unframed, Archive, Digitalis Industries, QBICO, Smeraldina-Rima, Misanthropic Agenda and Evolving Ear. Charles Waters is a member of the Gold Sparkle Band, a large collective of musicians that has included Nate Wooley, Sabir Mateen, Matt Lavelle, Hill Greene, and many others.Waters studied clarinet with Eugene Kavadlo of the Charlotte Symphony, and has also worked with William Parker’s Little Huey Music Orchestra, Matthew Shipp, and Chris Jonas’ Brooklyn Comprovisers Orchestra. ‘Red Beak, Yellow Eye’ opens up the record with wild drumming, electronic screeches and raging alto sax, building to a rapid waterfall of incredible sounds and then falling back out to minimal electronic pulses and clarinet bursts leading to disintergrating electronics, percussive clatter, and back to full force with Barkers drums and Waters sax fusing together seamlessly with Fennelly’s crumbling electronics. ‘Rings and Lenses’ is a shorter darker piece with Fennelly laying down a bleak electronic landscape with Barker adding sinister cello and Waters monsterous bass clarinet adding a real deep texture to the almost ritualistic piece. ‘Acid Birds III’ comes to a close with ‘Rapture Rupture’, an absolutely wild piece of free music, insane electronics, pummeling drums, and sax that at times doesn’t even sound like a sax. What Acid Birds do here is completely tear down the walls between rhythm and noise music, creating something entirely new and pushing the genre of jazz and experimental free music to new limits and standards. Mastered by Scott Colburn. Pressed on 140 gram black vinyl in an edition of 500 copies with stunning artwork by Jacob Magraw and Rachell Sumpter.” (BR)

Astral Social Club / Tomutontto split LP (Tipped Bowler) 13.25

“Two of Europe’s finest collide on a 12” 45 RPM platter loosely inspired by the club single. On “Wet Wheel / Hot Wheel,” Neil Campbell of Astral Social Club succumbs to the heartbeat throb of house, but tops the bass with a frenetic squall of darting alien melodies. On cursory listen, the elements congeal into honest-to-goodness body music, but the track is riddled with stutters and gaps that the flooded synapses fill with aural afterimages. On the reverse, Jan Anderzén of Tomutonttu buries the dance influence, retaining only the genre’s neon shimmer and linear logic. “Syvät Svyät” overflows with cuckoo loops that briefly cohere into musical shapes before casting off, replaced by an ecstatic march of manic squiggles. One must focus to follow the train of musical thought, but Anderzén’s humor and intuition reward the effort. Silk-screened Alan Siwa sleeve” (TB)

Atlantis – House of Tomorrow cassette (Digitalis) 5

“this new guise from maps & diagrams takes an unexpected aquatic turn with a half-hour set of short & sweet synthesizer compositions. it’s not all float-y and dream-y, though – the opener sounds like an outtake from bladerunner and at various other points i feel like i’m listening to a lost soundtrack for some weirdo spy movie. it all stays together, though, and even hints at a pop song or two. get your rockets on, shoot for the stars and ultimately get drowned.” (Digitalis)

Black Church – Vawan cdr (Reverb Worhsip) 6

Black Church is the work of LA-based musician Kim Free and this release compiles previous releases “Madeline Blue” (2008), “Less You” (2009), “YxY” (2010) and “Down With Hades” (2010) plus an unreleased track. Reverb-heavy shoegazery bedroom pop.

Buchikamashi – New Astral Projection cassette (Digitalis) 5

Gorgeous mix of minimal synth undulations and huge enveloping vapourizing drones. Two long tracks to get lost in.

Cray – Show Fakes cassette (Digitalis) 5

“australia joins the party as ross healy flexes his muscles on some serious machines. buchla & voyager collisions from the cosmic outback cooked to perfection, bleep and blop into your subconscious. bizarro vocals are cut to shreds and thrown down an echo chamber while static cuts through the underwater buzz. healy mines a lot of territory here but with considerable skill. drowned pop elements even bleed through before being crushed with more bloopy, library sound-infused goodness. dripping dreams” (Digitalis)

Datashock – Pyramiden Von Giessen 2LP (Dekorder) 18

“Datashock is a south-german collective of young punks pretending to be old hippies. They have released albums on Qbico, Textile, Chocolate Monk and their own Meudiademorte label, and have collaborated with Family Battle Snake, Aidan Baker and Black To Comm. Pyramiden Von Gießen is their most psychedelic, mature, song-oriented and krautrock-infused outing so far (think Kosmische Kuriere, Ash Ra Tempel et al). It’s a vinyl-only double-lp in a gorgeous fold-out cover with liner notes by seminal german cut-up poet and novelist Jürgen Ploog” (Dekorder)

Dead Black Arms / Fire Serpent cd (Ark Tarp) 9.50

Excellent Danish drone. Dead Black Arms contribute one long piece of gently undulating tone, which will appeal to fans of Gareth Hardwick. Fire Serpent’s 3 tracks are more visceral, reminding me of the searing tape delayed flicker drone of Our Glassie Azoth. Handmade packaging.

Denied By Character – Wrecks cdr (Reverb Worship) 5.50

Duo featuring James Brewster and Andreas Beraha. Recorded live at Malmo’s Cafe Montag the pair use guitar, pedals, laptop and metal objects to create a huge wall of fuzz that engulfs everything in its path.

Diva – The Glitter End LP (Alt Vinyl) 9.50

“essential debut  album by the ethereal and mesmeric LA based former front woman of cult alt.indie band blackblack and of pocahaunted. This is the real diva coming out, quirky, catchy alt.pop for those hankering after a hook and looking for a middle ground somewhere between the cure and joy division. Variously described as a psychedelic assette tape princess and a mythicalcreature lady diva, frsh frour playing with os mutantes and ariel pink, is touring across Europe from april, so enjoy the record and catch the live show and get in on the ground floor.   ” (AV)

Driftwood Manor – The Same Figure (Leaving) cd (Rusted Rail) 7.50

Another splendid release from Eddie Keenan and his band who contain members of United Bible Studies. Dave Colohan appears on this and if you’re a fan of Agitated Radio Pilot (and you really should be!), it’s safe to say you will love this too. This is a re-release of the Rural Faune cdr, long sold-out. ALSO: Holy Ghost 3″ cdr (Rusted Rail) 3

Evening Fires – Holy Ghost Explosion cdr Deep Water) 5

This release features Evening Fires as a sextet with the addition of Jennifer Breimhurst on theremin and violin. The tracks were recorded in a large 1920s barn in the Pennsylvanian countryside live to 2 track. The resulting sound is as warm and spacious as you would hope for which suits the band’s spaced-out psych rock.

Flaming Creatures & Hering Und Seine Sieben Sachen – Kein Stress cassette (Digitalis) 5

Collaborative recording. Two long dreamscapes of twinkling synth, gaseous drones, delayed guitar and wordless vocals that build into ecstatic reverie.

Billy Gomberg – Give or Give In cassette (Digitalis) 5

Long, slowly evolving compositions comprised of synth / field recordings. Side A recalls the eerie submarinal drone / noise-scapes of Bjerga / Iversen. Side B floats in a calm sea of watery synth and restrained feedback.

Hahn Kult – Across Ashen Faces And Leaden Gazes cassette (Golem) 4

“Aafalg was recorded in 2009, and has been on its way out ever since, finally ending up here. It is the first release by Hahn Kult since 2007, and is very different from their old experimental black metal-output. The sound will be recognizable for people who have experienced them live the last couple of years, as it consists of a studio-versions of this set. The sound of the A-side is that of complexly collaged and constantly evolving drone-rock soundscapes wi th a cinematic feel, the B-side features one 24-minute droning organ-based soundscape.” (Golem)

Hobo Cubes / J Hanson split cassette (Digitalis) 5

Split cassette release featuring one side of magnificent weird synth cinematics from Frank Ouellette of Montreal. Half radiophonics, half early instrumental Human League and totally unsettling. On the reverse more synth magic, this time from modular synth-meister J Hanson.

Robert Horton – Ducksnort! Boot III cdr (Nothing Out There) 8.50

Fairly recent recordings made on the homemade “boot” (acoustic and electric). The unadorned sound of the boot is Horton’s warped folk-blues at its best. At times the incessant repetition of notes and particularly the frenzied bowed strings remind me of Henry Flynt’s hillbilly drones. This comes in a handmade 8 page card sleeve with art by Robert and Constantin Dubois who runs the label. ALSO: If I Can’t Play My Boot, I Don’t Have A Leg to Stand On cdr (Nothing Out There) 5

Isadore Ducasse – s/t LP (Blackest Rainbow) 11.50

“A new collaborative project from Jefre Cantu-Ledesma and William Trevor Montgomery. Both musicians played together in Tarantel and Moholy-Nagy. Cantu-Ledesma also runs the superb Root Strata label, releasing solo material under his own name (including a recent LP on Type), and also plays in The Alps. Montgomery also releases music under Lazarus, The Drift and Believer. This project was originally conceived and composed as a soundtrack to an unreleased western. The 14 tracks on this record are beautifully delicate, textured, sparse pieces ranging from slow acoustic reflective moments, to fully electric strumming, they capture the feel a western perfectly. It’s a shame the film never made it out, because judging by the music it would’ve been a beautiful spectacle. The project was was recorded by Jefre Cantu-Ledesma and William Trevor Montgomery and mixed at studio Lamantia, the record was mastered by Greg Davis. The image on the cover is a still from a Paul Clipson film, whose films have previously featured the music of Jefre, Barn Owl, Tarantel, Gregg Kowalsky and Metal Rouge. Sleeve layout by Jefre. Pressed on 140 gram black virgin vinyl. Limited to 500 copies.” (BR)

Mpala Garoo – Sur Satori cassette (Digitalis) 5

Wondrous spaced-out electronics that floats somewhere between Monopoly Child and Moondog.

Mazurka – Fruits cassette (Golem) 4

“Amplified clarinet and drums-duo playing free, noisy, psychedelic klezmer. This is the second press, limited to 25 copies with second-sorting of covers and on black tapes, the first being ltd. to 30 on red tapes.” (Golem)

Mythic Sunship – Colour Out of Space cassette (Golem) 4

“The sound on colour out of space is that of minimalistic repetitive spacerock. Simple line-up (guitar-guitar-drums), simple song-development, flat dynamics, no fancy production, and a characteristic hypnotic flow. Spacerock is a tough genre to reach; too much dynamics and it’s postrock, too complex and it easily goes bluesy, too short it’s psych, too long it’s drone etc. But these guys seem to find the right balance here.” (Golem)

Cian Nugent

• Doubles LP (VHF) 10.75
• Doubles cd (VHF) 9

Two gorgeous long tracks by Irish guitarist Cian Nugent, imbued with the spirit of Takoma. The first track “Peaks & Troughs” builds slowly through drone-based finger-picking into an ear-buzzing drone that almost drifts into atonality. “Sixes & Sevens” features a full band including drums, viola, clarinet / bass clarinet, flugelhorn and trumpet, replacing the melancholy of the previous track with a delightfully upbeat melody for the opening section. Things become quieter and tense with descending arpeggios, long breathes of silence broken by drum and chimes, then quieter pastoral finger-picking like an intense sunset fading to monochrome. Audiophile vinyl, gatefold sleeve.

Paintings of Windows – Plazas de Armas cdr (Bunkland) 7

New set of field recordings from Antony Milton (A.M. / Nether Dawn etc) following on from earlier releases featuring recordings from India and Pakistan. This one captures sounds recorded during Antony’s time in South American. Crowd noise from markets and buses, water, wildlife, wind, music and nightlife. A fascinating audio portrait. Comes with a 12 page booklet.

Psychic Frost (Mike Tamburo / Matt McDowell) – s/t cdr Deep Water) 5

Two long pieces from regular collaborators Mike Tamburo and Matt McDowell. “Hey Enis Dance” starts out as a hypnotic piece of acoustic fingerpicking accompanied by tones of guitar feedback. The piece goes through a process of disintegration, fragmenting into reverberant throbs of decay and fuzzing feedback drone, before returning to the meditative feel present at the start. “Taste the Frost” finds the duo in an intense modal duel of electrified tenor banjo and hammered dulcimer. Great stuff.

Pummeler / The North Sea split cd (Ark Tarp) 9.50

Pummeler is Dane Mikkel Dunkerley and on here he contributes one long track of synth disintegration. The North Sea’s explorations of weird synth-scapes continues with this lengthy track that mixes a background of infernal tape-wowing hum with spiralling oscillations. Excellent hand-made packaging too.

Colin Andrew Sheffield – Signatures cd (Invisible Birds) 8

4 long compositions made on a turntable, old sampler and a portable 64 track workstation, using commercially available recordings and field recordings of water and birds, although you’d be hard pressed to identify anything. The result is a stunning obfuscation of original source sounds; thunderous static, glistening chordal structures, dreamlike melodies obscured by vast clouds of drone. Listen loud and disappear. Highly recommended/

Sol – Black Cloud of Becoming cassette (Golem) 4

“Th e sound on black cloud of becoming is diverse, though strangely consistent, moving from oscillator/organ-drones to blackened doom-metal and on to heavy earth-inspired dronerock. The sound is striving and desparate. Sol has a lot of more or less straight doom metal-releases behind him on prominent labels like Paradigms and ván, but this tape examplifies a new and less genre-specific direction in his production.” (Golem)

Jesse Sparhawk & Eric Carbonara

• Sixty Strings  LP (VHF) 10.75
• Sixty Strings cd (VHF) 9

The Sixty Strings referenced in the title are the combined number of strings played by both artists on this release. Jesse Sparhawk plays a 38-stringed Lever Harp and Eric Carbonara plays a 22-stringed Upright Chaturangui guitar. The harp glissandi at the start reminded me of Alice Coltrane and this certainly matches her recordings for a sense of cosmic blissfulness, though the proceedings never drift into New Age territory, due to the precision and clarity of the playing. Thrillingly intense driving modal composition. Excellent.

S. Gone – Kimberley Al Butan cassette (Digitalis) 5

AKA Sovetskaya Gone. “danchisko may have shortened the name but the impact is still long for this world. the previous sovetskaya jaunts were dreamy affairs but “kimberley al butnan” is something else. skeletal, irregular rhythms dot the horizon while methodic key plundering follows the trail up the mountain. each point on the map flirts w/ melodicism while staying on the knife’s edge. there’s a wobbly, uneasy feeling hiding under the surface, but i’m okay with getting seasick as long as we continue down this way” (Digitalis)

Tarhumans / Mette Mareridt split cd (Ark Tarp) 9.50

4 tracks of communal clang and clatter and searing metallic drone from Tarhumans. Mette Mareridt contribute 6 tracks of screwed-up no wave. Excelloent packaging featuring inserts and hand-painted card sleeves.

Alexander Turnquist – Hallway Of Mirrors LP (VHF) 10.75 / Hallway Of Mirrors cd (VHF) 9

Third album from Alexander Turnquist. Guitar playing of densely packed notes create a richly reverbed thrum of harmonics while vibraphone and violin carry the melody lines. Partly inspired by Steve Reich’s “Music for 18 Musicians”, the compositions have more in common with minimalism that Takoma-style fingerpicking. Recommended.

Winter Family – Red Sugar 2LP (Alt Vinyl) 11.50

“a rare and unique audio worldview expressed by the singular approach of brooklyn based duo ruth rosenthal (spoken words) and xavier klaine (harmonium, organ etc..). from the first bares of searching donkeys this double album creates a glowering and intense atmospheric…part nightmare, part uplifting dreamscape it permeates and builds into a compelling whole. a reference point might be some of the output of constellation records – indeed GYBEs norsola johnson plays on this record..however it is doubtful whether any of those artists ever produced anything to match the taut tension of the title track red sugar..a spoken hymn to absence. the ambition of winter family is evident on the expansive, orchestral epic dancing in the sun..crank your speakers, sit back and open your mind..it WILL blow you away. as an entirety this album builds on previous releases on marienbad and sub rosa and demonstrates that rarest of things..a unique voice..once heard never forgotten. essential.” (AV)

v/a – We Are All One, In The Sun: A Tribute to Robbie Basho LP (Alt Vinyl) 10.25

“We are All One, In the Sun: a Tribute to Robbie Basho, represents a humble tribute to this truly original and passionate American guitarist, musician and composer curated and realized by musician, producer, and acoustic guitar maker Buck Curran (who along with his wife Shanti performs as the duo Arborea).. This  collection of both original compositions and new interpretations of Basho songs befittingly begins with German guitarist and painter Steffen Basho Junghans, who has devoted almost 20 years to composing guitar music in the spirit of Robbie Basho. There is also a gorgeous composition by Glenn Jones, a friend of Basho and another musician who has dedicated his life to proliferated music composed on the Steel String guitar, and the young Irish guitarist Cian Nugent…who represents a new generation of guitarist-composers carrying on the torch. Meg Baird, Arborea and Fern Knight all represent beautiful female led vocal tributes to Robbie Basho compositions that feature his passionate and evocative singing. Curran’s choice of female led vocal performances is a tribute honoring Basho’s own profound spiritual reverence and fantastical love for women. Basho’s own singing was said to have been first inspired by the beautiful and powerful voice of Peruvian soprano Yma Sumac. The choice of involving instrumentalists Rahim Alhaj and Helena Espvall in this project was simple, in that Curran feels Basho would have appreciated their roots, virtuosity, and passion and in their sound he also hears a kindred spirit linking all three musicians. Rahim AlHaj is a Grammy Nominated Iraqi born master of the Persian Oud. AlHaj, a student of the great Munir Bashir, exhibits great technique and a pure emotional style. Cellist Helena Espvall, a native of Sweden, represents a musician with a deep connection to her instrument, a musician who conjures up mysterious and emotionally charged improvisational music from bow and cello, music that is an amalgamation of sounds and textures from her travels all over the world. This record is also dedicated to the memory of Philadelphia based guitarist Jack Rose, who passed away too young (1971 to 2009) and who over the past decade created and recorded some of the most beautiful and powerful guitar music in the tradition pioneered by Robbie Basho. (excerpted from the original press release from Important Records).” (AV)

COMING SOON

please email gayleboa@yahoo.co.uk to preorder.

Rick Reed 2LP, Matt Shoemaker cd, Keith Berry pic disc LP and v/a A Cleansing Association cd on Elevator Bath

Robbie Basho tribute LP, WInter Family & Diva LPs on Alt Vinyl

Datashock 2LP on Dekorder

Yek Koo 7″ and Ashley Paul 7″ on Emerald Cocoon

Chubby Wolf tapes on Teosinte

JD Emmanuel LP on Aguirre

Larry “Sunshine” Rice LP on Time Lag

The Cosmic Dead tape on Who Can You Trust

Painting Petals on Planet Ghost LP, Aidan Baker LP, Twinsistermoon 2LP & cd, Cam Deas & Jack Allett LP, Acid Mothers Temple & Cosmic Inferno 2LP on Blackest Rainbow

Tomutontto 12″ and Dolphins Into the Future cassette on Benniffer Editions

Panabrite, Venn Rain, Emuul, Quiet Evenings and Dozens / Confused Kundalini tapes on Tranquility Tapes

Panabrite cdr on Sturmundrugs

Orang Punjabi tape on Tristes Tropiques

Acid Birds LP and Isidore Ducasse LP on Blackest Rainbow

Svenmonsoon cdr on Reverb Worship

NEW IN … VINYL

Æthenor – En Form For Blå 2LP (VHF) 13.50

“Stephen O’Malley (Sunn0))), KTL), Daniel O’Sullivan (Ulver, Mothlite, Guapo), Kristoffer Rygg (Ulver), Steve Noble (N.E.W., Company, etc). En Form For Blå documents the continued evolution of this unlikely collective, a collision of players from various avant, improv, metal, and “other” threads who together make a unique and arresting sound. Documenting three gigs in Oslo recorded in 2010, the music is deep and weird, with liquid sounds juddering around the occasionally identifiable percussion or Rhodes motif. Moving from an occasional/studio group to a frequently working live act, Æthenor has somehow kept their sound intact, taking the musique concrète-style transitions and “what’s that sound” ethos of their three previous efforts directly to the stage. Noble, having spent a couple of decades playing drums with Derek Bailey and other well-known UK improvisers, moves the music along subtly, keeping much of the focus on the burbling sound mass. O’Malley’s guitar, an instrument of extreme viscera in Sunn0))), is used with restraint, providing occasional low menace but mostly mixing it up with O’Sullivan’s thematic lines and Rygg’s sound treatments. The overall effect is atmospheric rather than sedate – something like a modern, small group version of Miles Davis’ classic “He Loved Him Madly” or Nurse with Wound’s “Spiral Insana.” Other than Supersilent, it’s hard to think of anyone really working this sonic vocabulary – this is a bold engagement from players who are well-known for completely different reasons from the strangeness heard here. Deluxe double LP is on white vinyl with printed inner sleeves” (VHF)

Oren Ambarchi / Robbie Avenaim – Dream Request LP (Bo’weavil) 15.50

“Bo Weavil presents a sublime duo recording from old sparring partners Oren Ambarchi and Robbie Aveniam recorded live in Tel Aviv in 2009.This is a single edit of the performance which perfectly captures the chemistry between Robbie’s busy percussive maneuvers and Oren’s textural overlay.   A previous performance of the pair was documented on the ‘Clockwork’ CD (re-issued by room40) and prior to this the notorious ‘The Alter Rebbe’s Niggun’ CD was released on Tzadik.  Here, the two come together with an energetic performance of free interplay.   Steeped in rock, electronics and feedback the duo conjure an ecstatic instrumental journey.  Momentum builds whilst shifting around a variety of sonic styles until the entire patchwork is laid bare, exposing all the nuance within.    For a dream comes with much business and a fool’s voice with many words.” (Bo’weavil)

Christina Carter – Obelisk / Tholos 7″ (Emerald Cloud) 7.50

“A new 7″ by Christina Carter which serves as the opening ceremony for our new 7″ series of solo performances ‘Alone Together’. A loan voice, the tangled bells, the caw of a crow, a plane passing overhead… A fortuitous overlapping of sound moments, trapped in amber by Christina for us to bear witness. Much like her early CDRs ‘Hand & Mind’ or ‘Human As Guitar’, ‘Obelisk/Tholos’ is an act of white witchcraft, a healing spell that defines time with the merest of tools: bells, voice, a microphone…” (EC)

Nova Scotia – A Million Corpses of Dead Bees LP (Tipped Bowler) 13.25

“Tipped Bowler returns to the fertile soil of New Zealand to cull two choice improvisations. On the A-side, Wellington’s Nova Scotia delivers “A Million Corpses of Dead Bees,” an eighteen minute free-rock burner. Growing from violin sine-squeak and distant shortwave, the piece gains momentum with its patient drumming and resolves into a saxophone swarm shot through with synthetic scrabble. On the reverse, Dunedin’s Eye comes off colder and more aggressive. “High Road” throttles the listener with Schnitzler-ian electronics, militant percussion, and guitar strangulation before collapsing into coda of cymbal taps and glassy string-work. Rigorous yet unbound, these pieces shine a light on a musical community few of us can witness firsthand. Issued in an edition of 250 150-gram black LPs in elegant black-and-white matte sleeves screened with consummate skill by Alan Sherry of Siwa.” (TB)

Starving Weirdos – Rolled in the Midst of Never Ceasing Currents Flowing Without A Rest Forever Onward LP (Bo’weavil) 15.50

“Firstly, this is not for the faint-hearted, but fear not, this is not another noise record.  This LP is something else altogether.  This is a massive, glorious psychedelic din, a thick fog of dramatic sound events.  Starving Weirdo’s latest offering promises to enfold the listener who will experience the ecstatic grandeur of Anton Bruckner as much as the rich industrial drone of David Jackman.  This is Lhasa in California – a world drenched in ecstatic thrills and intense ethereal exploration.There are sounds, there are drones, there are rhythms and there are songs – a glorious concoction that moves in a vertical fashion.  As we live today, in all this murk; all this twisted history and convoluted present, we can be thankful that these folks in California came together to create such a glorious record for all to bathe in.   But this, like all good things, is limited and will not be around forever.   Step in now or forever remain the great unwashed.” (Bo’weavil)

Still Corners / The New Lines 7″ (Great Pop Supplement) 5

“Here we have the latest from the hottest new things in the new-’60s scene. It’s a transatlantic split between Still Corners, an English hype band, and The New Lines, an American band I’ve never heard of. Both offer pleasant excursions into psychedelic pop territory. I think that on first impressions I’m probably enjoying the New Lines side the best. It’s got a real B-movie soundtrack feel to it, with a really sparse, thin guitar sound. It’s all held together by bass, drums and hammond organ, really. If my ears aren’t deceiving me there’s also a short trumpet solo. It’s really true to the ’60s pastoral freak folk aesthetic, I think, and the vocals are quite monotonous which gives it a slight Velvet Undergroundy edge. There’s some cool cascading dual guitars at the end as well. A brilliantly constructed track. Flip it (and change the speed!) and the Still Corners one is a cool, breathy little groover with Spector-influenced production and girl band harmonies. Phil wants me to point out that it was previously on their ‘Remember Pepper’ CD EP. I think he just wants to show off that he’s known about them since way back when. It’s a lovely little song, actually. Took me a couple of listens to really warm to it but it’s superbly put together and there’s some really sweet little momentary touches – some kind of wild synth sweeps in the chorus, and I could swear there’s some little string flourishes, but maybe those are done on keys, too. Both nice songs here, anyway.” (GPS)

Talibam! with Alan Wilkinson – Dem Ol’ Apple Pie Melodies LP (Bo’weavil) 15.50

“Balancing contradictory cultural fragments into a psychadelic yin and yang power drive of glitch emission sprezzatura horns, Zarathrusta organ drone launch, and sayanora-rama drum spills, alan wilkinson, matt mottel, and kevin shea turn anamitronic nihilists into veritable musicological sexphorisms — they cut the tension on the dance floor like that abrupt liminal point between peace and footsie, between donuts and bagels, between lizards and turtles. Our three dangerously handsome myriad-men from the future have materialized mixed signals into sharp-fanged foreign accents on this red-eye voyage to vinyl metropoly, a 2-sided ecosystem of Gatsby-killer morph-prov entitled “dem old apple pie melodies”. Talibam! Was set up on a blind date by Bo’ Weavil records for a london basement gig in may 2008. It was a french kiss right off the bat.. a second gig happened in the fall and recording in winter 09. Talibam! Was excited to continue in its path of collaboration and heard in Wilkinson’s tone the strength and grit of a fine british pint served cool and fresh…a perfect energy to bounce and swing with  Talibam!s rolly polly hyroglypic dance mayhem..  if talibam! And wilkinson were a rugby team they’d be in first place, trouncing the competiton with more riff hard tenacity and powerful declarative end zone dances” (Bo’weavil)

United Bible Studies & Jozef Van Wissem – Downland lp (Incunabulum) TBC

“Dutch Lutenist Jozef Van Wissem has collaborated with James Blackshaw, Smegma, Keiji Haino and Jim Jarmusch among others. Mostly based in Ireland, the ever-shifting line-ups of United Bible Studies have spent the last decade roaming far and wide from their folk roots, exploring ecstatic group improvisation, songcraft, and studio-based Prog epics. The album is bookended by two different versions of the same composition,  ‘Downland’ and ‘The Seas Have Lifted Up Their Voice’. Propulsive and metronomic, with Beach Boys-inspired harmonies, it led UBS to a new way of working. Van Wissem’s pieces were either stark and minimal, or had multi-layered harmonies which led UBS into less than familiar territory. The sparser pieces lent themselves to being shaped into songs, and the addition of extemporaneous textures. Van Wissem wrote the lyrics of Altars Of Brick (The Day Is Coming) for Alison O’Donnell to sing. Its ominous tone inspired Gavin Prior to write the tangentially related Í Rith na h-Óiche in Gaelic. O’Donnell did historical research for her courtly romance Seven Tears, named after Dowland’s famous song cycle. The Bible Students have woven murk and mystery around the lucid austerity of van Wissem’s compositions, together creating an album which is unlike anything in either of their substantial back catalogues and more than the mere sum of its parts. Numbered limited edition, silk screen art print silver on black.” (label)

Wooden Wand – My Week Beats Your Year LP (Great Pop Supplement) 8.50

“the latest in a very long line of essential releases from james jackson toth, sees this brand new collection for the GPS. following 2 treasures from the mighty wand canon previously released on the label over the last 3 years. “my week beats your year” acts as a follow up to fans favourite “born bad” released 2 years ago on mad monk / people in a position to know. a collection of home recordings and demos from various points since 2002 to the present. an intimate, up close, occasionally stark collection of late night blues, and darkside musings that somehow manage to yet again raise the songwriting bar within the wand catalogue – check out “tribulation fear” and “pale fire”. includes one of his most in yr face, confessional tracks ever put to wax – an ace take on jimmy rogers’ “sloppy drunk”. an utterly fabulous collection in a sleeve to match – beautiful inside and out pro printed jackets, and brown 70s French lined inners – a killer LP in an edition of 400 numbered copies.” (GPS)