EDITION OF 500
Mind!'s in house Not On Label Records with some added support from Odio Sonoro, Nooirax Producciones, The Bloody Dirty Sanchez, Subterranea , Soviet, and El Lio Es Gordo have released this spacerock epic of an album. "Stunde Null" is the debut long player from Algeciras, Spain's Mind! and what a way to get things started. "Stunde Null" is a lush slow burning cosmic collection of well crafted and supremely paced psychedelic spacerock. You'll find some hints of Hawkwind, a dash of Dead Meadow's foggy grooves, and even some Pink Floyd guitar stylings throughout. We're really digging how well the songs are paced, never rushing to get to the apex, instead building slowly with deep undulations and cosmic swells that sure-handedly unfurl into glorious lush transgressions of interstellar hypnosis and smile inducing waves of calm clear serenity. "STUNDE NULL" is nearly half instrumental but when the vocals do present themselves they find their place in the haze and totally add to the overall aesthetic this group is providing.
Really great stuff gang! This LP contains a CD copy of the entire record and it comes with our highest of Recommendations!
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES!
SOLD OUT AT THE SOURCE!
SOLD OUT AT THE SOURCE!
YES! Scorpion Violente returns with another record of sleazy synth depravity in the form of "The Rapist". Their "Uberschleiss" LP from 2010 was one of our favorites of that year, if not of all time. SV is one of many projects of ex-ANALS mastermind Nafi, though credited here as Scott Scorpion (trying to keep track of all this dudes aliases is no small feat) and his partner in crime Toma Uberwenich. Made up of various keyboards and synthesizers in various states of disrepair, tangles of cables, duct tape, drum machines and Toma's lascivious groan Scorpion Violente dole out the noxious French glue wave proto industrial thump that we are constantly on the prowl for here at Permanent and they do it with an eerie uneasiness all their own. These creepies have released several other records on Bruit Direct Disques, Avant! Records and Enfant Terrible to name a few, but this outing finds the fellas working with the Teenage Menopause label that brought us the amazing Catholic Spray "Amazon Hunt" album. While the sounds could be compared to the dubbed out minimal post-punk synth buzzes of The Dreams or early Cabaret Voltaire, Scorpion Violente tread a dark giallo-tinged shadowy nightmare land with just the right amount of camp that is distinctly theirs aesthetically. If the terrifying bespectacled flower offerer on the cover doesn't send you running than the eerie Halloween grooves that lay within this package should be right up your alley. We know it is certainly up ours and that we'll be spinning this thing on hard rotation for many a month to come. Deleriously Recommended.
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES!
SOLD OUT AT THE SOURCE!
SOLD OUT AT THE SOURCE!
Third record from these Bordeaux badasses! After two LPs on Slovenly in 2010/11, JC Satan is back - this time on Teenage Menopause Records and raging like a fiery demon from the pit!
Maybe we're just remembering wrong, but GOOD GODDAMN "Faraway Land" is WAY darker and menacing than the band's previous output. Third time's the charm, indeed! The album starts out with "Legion" - an ominous dirge that does literally sound like a horde of possessed demons inhabiting the grooves of this 12-inch record! After that we're treated to hook after hook of raging, glue-slathered, garage jangle! We were hooked from the first listen - WAY more immediate and entrancing than previous efforts! If you find yourself bewitched by the sounds of folks like Cheater Slicks, Night Beats, Oh Sees, and even some of the more recent crop of reverb'd soaked Slovenly acts like Paint Fumes or Acid Baby Jesus, then grab a map, some rations, and a canteen and head off for "Faraway Land"!
Grab this one while you can - according to the label, we allegedly have the last of the pressing of 500 so unless they repress, you might be in distress! RECOMMENDED!
AWWWWWW YEAH! Last week's release of the 'Cyclops Reap' single had our gums chompin' at the bit for more new White Fence goodness! Lo and behold it's like the folks at Castle Face Records have a mainline to our brain-holes, 'cuz this week we're treated to the brand new full-length (also titled) "Cyclops Reap"!
Mister Presley never ceases to amaze - we're astounded at how he can keep tossing off tunes imbued with as much dead-cool swagger as we're hearing in "Cyclops Reap". His warbly, treble-y psych-folk poetry lulling us to sleep like a sleeping pill washed down with a shot of whiskey! Much like the teaser single, the fidelity is kicked up a notch, allowing the TUNES to shine here, un-obscured by any "lo-fi" trappings, but still retaining the mercurial weirdness that is White Fence. Presley has many cloaks in his songwriting wardrobe, all of which are shorn from the same fabric, but painted with different patterns - a little Dylan, a dash of Syd, some Fall, and even a bit of Byrds for good measure but all sewn and retooled to fit Presley's mold.
A dazzling record and already one of the best of 2013 - unless White Fence releases another record this year! KEEP ONE EYE OPEN, 'cuz this one is RECOMMENDED.
DUDES. Stop what you're doing. Seriously - stop reading and buy this record now. An absolute CLASSIC of thee highest order, and a shining diamond in Canadian underground rock and roll - Simply Saucer's "Cyborgs Revisited"! After originally being compiled by Mole Sound/Cargo Records in 1989, "Cyborgs" was resoundingly heralded as a lost classic of the era - the record's been in and out of print for years, but NOW we're treated to an all-new edition courtesy of Get Back Records!!!!
This album was a serious WHAT THE FUCK when it was (re)released originally, with Simply Saucer's lone single being the only known document of the band. Needless to say a whole side's worth of studio demos and another side of live material dropped a whole helluva lotta jaws! We feel some heavy Electric Eels and Pere Ubu vibes - there's some serious Clevo misanthropic skronk imbued in these tunes! But we also hear a lil' bit of the alien guitar thud of Michael Yonkers crossed with the acid-fried electronics of Silver Apples too! Did you buy this yet? GEEZ - what are you waiting for?? RECOMMENDED, of course!!
Finally Sacramento punkers RAD are releasing their debut lp "Loud and Fast" on Sacramento Records, naturally. This is quite the cause for celebration, as their quickly sold-out 7 inch and cassette EPs were only teasing with their brand of classic California skate punk fun.
Like a more hardcore version of the Tyrades, featuring perennial shop fave Charles Albright on guitar, RAD's "Loud and Fast" is no false advertising, just crunchy, furious punk rock like those definitive Black Flag, Descendents and Circle Jerks lps, with a bit of JFA, DRI and/or Consumers edge thrown in for extra rowdiness. And make no mistake about it, Lory (formerly of the Ramones loving Riff Randells) has some serious vocal chops (watch out White Lung) that we just can't get enough of. Fans of more well known punk acts like Fidlar, Trash Talk and OFF! would do well to check out RAD's red bull fueled thrashcore cuz it's definitely upping the ante. This is brash one minute bursts of pure punk energy sure to get an insta-pit going at your apartment and make some year end lists.
And of course if Charles Albright is on the record, you know it's HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Grab one quick, it'll be gone before it's nice enough to go to the skate park.
LIMITED LOSER EDITION ON COLORED VINYL
NEW fucking MUDHONEY, on their long-time home (well, save for a brief cash-grab on Reprise Records), Sub Pop Records!!!!
It's weird to think of Mudhoney as "elder statesman" of the Seattle music scene - no other band from the classic grunge-era has been around this long and to be honest, we're glad it's them (it could be Gruntruck or something). They've been the crotchety uncles getting drunk at the family reunion for years - you know the ones that pull you aside and make fun of your cousins, or tell you what a tool your dad used to be and stuff. The great thing about "Vanishing Point" is that these dudes are still filled with vitriol towards poseurs and douchebags everywhere - Arm's lyrics haven't been this direct and biting since, well maybe EGBDF? They're zest for life consists of pointing out what fucking pricks everyone is and writing a KILLER fucking song around it. "Vanishing Point" isn't a step forward for Mudhoney in any shape or form - it's Mudhoney. You know what to expect, but it's the equivalent of slipping on that comfy sweatshirt you've been hanging onto since high school. It always fits and is JUST what you wanna wear.
In short - Mudhoney still rules... and we couldn't be happier to see them back. Again. This is the limited LOSER edition, bros - pressed up on color vinyl - we can all take heart that Arm and Co. would be making fun of you for buying it. RECOMMENDED.
EDITION OF 500
Noise rock veterans Sightings return with their ninth platter full of skronky feedback, entitled Terribly Well--their first for Dais Records.
Sightings show no signs of slowing or turning the volume down on their latest ear bruising effort. "Terribly Well" is just as frightening, twisted, off kilter and guitar mangling as their earlier albums for Load, and this new collection ought to finally cement this NY outfit in the upper echelons of the avant noise scene. Starting off somewhere close to the scorching destruction of Wolf Eyes or early Black Dice, Sightings dig deep into the muck, stretching and bending their post-melody scree back to the classics--a touch of Throbbling Gristle, a smattering of DNA, a dash of Harry Pussy and of course a heavy dose of the industrial crunch of Einsturzende Neubauten.
"Terribly Well" sucks you right in with its off beat free jazz leanings, cacophonous sound sculpting and its all out no wave destruction of the rock power trio format. Fans of Lightning Bolt, Pink and Brown, Blue Sabbath Black Cheer, Hair Police, Ruins and high volume sheets of metallic noise will need this new LP from Sightings.
IT'S TOTALLY AND BRUTALLY RECOMMENDED.
Definitely file this one next to "Metal Machine Music."
Katie Crutchfield returns with her second internet buzz worthy album as Waxahatche, entitled "Cerulean Salt" on Don Giovanni Records!
Sometimes it's sad when a promising young band breaks up, but sometimes it's a good thing, cuz all those solo recordings done on the side finally see the light of day. Katie Crutchfield, who toured the DIY circuit with her previous bands PS Eliot and Bad Bananas, took the opportunity of being all out there on her own to record as Waxahatchee, and isn't looking back for a second. "American Weekend" and her new album "Cerulean Salt" find her digging deep into the alt pop / 90s indie rock of her predecessors like Liz Phair, the Breeders, PJ Harvey and Rainer Maria. Catchy introspective songwriting set to fuzzy guitars and a stripped down rhythm section, bits of the Evens, Hayden, Colleen Green, Cat Power and Angel Olson come through the new Waxahatchee lp, yet it all sounds unique and urgent and all her own.
"Cerulean Salt" is much more fleshed out then Ms. Crutchfield's first go around, part due to the help of former Swearin' members as her backing band, part due to her finding her distinctive voice on this second LP. Her songs feel like experiences you've already lived through and the melodies are stuck in your head way after the album stops spinning. No wonder why when Waxahatchee played the Chicago shop we had to turn people away it was so crowded. So join the excited masses and grab your copy of "Cerulean Salt" now. TOTALLY RECOMMENDED
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FIRST and ONLY U.S. PRESS!
We've been huge fans of the hypnotic, unpindownable sound of Gala Drop since first hearing their Golf Channel EP Overcoat Heat in 2010 and Six Organs of Admittance's Ben Chasny always keeps us on our toes. The two units have linked and the result is a tribal psych affair:
Pulsating bass, wispy guitars, relentless drums -- it's a Permanent Records recipe for instant obsession. Pagan disco? Beach psych? Whatever this combo is sellin' we're buyin! Hints of Goat, Cave, Camera and the usual kraut touchstones abound on this record and with a limited pressing we cannot recommend this enough!!
GREAT new full-length from Los Angeles DIY outfit Dirt Dress, released by the folks at Recess Records!
The repetitive swagger of Mark E. Smith's long-running outfit is a definite touchstone here, but we're also hearing the pounding "weird-garage" scree of modern-day miscreants like The Intelligence, A-Frames, Wounded Lion and even newcomers like Spray Paint (perhaps a lil' bit of Pixies in there too)! "Dlvnvn" is front-to-back with ragged, oddball tunes that are a quick as they are catchy - We've already spun this one a few times and we're wanting to hear it again, so that's a great sign! Pressed up on yellow vinyl too - RECOMMENDED!
After a series of rowdy brutal eps, Chicago's own don't-give-a-fuck thrashers Cülo are finally out to destroy the long playing format with their furious hardcore punk rock.
"My Life Sucks And I Could Care Less" is the perfect trashy drunk basement punk record you've been looking for. Cülo have ugly punk down to a fiery science-- equal parts hate, blast beats and spit, that goes off like a bomb on yer turntable. Hey this isn't for the faint of heart, but anyone like us that still dives head first into the newest issue of Maximum RocknRoll will need this Cülo LP stat.
Songs like "Adult Life Is No Fun", "I Was Supposed Be An Abortion" and "Sick Sick Sick" say it all, but if you need a reference point or two, imagine DOA, the Germs, Cro Mags and Slayer torching an abandoned building after a killer DIY show. Bored angsty abrasive punk never sounded this good. Fans of Crazy Spirit, Sea Of Shit, Negative Approach, Exploited and the Functional Blackouts take note, you need this kick in the head. FURIOUSLY RECOMMENDED.
7in - True Sons Of Thunder - Black Astrologers B/W I Can See But You Don't Know - $5.99 - BUY
- LISTEN 
- LISTEN These Memphis misanthropes are back with a brand new 2-song blast on Goner Records!!!!
"Black Astrologers" sounds like 2 bands playing two different songs at the same time - Magma, meets the Mummies? I swear the opening sounds like the opening to The Mummies version "Stronger Than Dirt" played by Hawkwind. The flip treats us to a seriously deconstructed version of The Equals' deep cut smash hit "I Can See But You Don't Know" that sounds like the band rehearsed it (maybe) once?
This shit is barely rock and roll and we love it! RECOMMENDED!
The greatest band that almost was finally sees the light of day! Sector Zero was a short lived Memphis super-group of Eric and Zac from Goner (and from the Oblivians and Final Solutions, respectively) plus the doomed genius of Jay Reatard!!!!
Musically, Sector Zero doesn't stray too far from Eric and Jay's work in Bad Times, or Jay's work in the Reatards, but injected with Ives' penchant for retro futurism a'la Wire or The Urinals. "Guitar Attack" is destined for 'Killed By Death' Vol. 145 someday - mark our words! "Hiding In My Car" is a trebl-y rager that sounds like Mudhoney when they were trying to rip off Spacemen 3 - who knows where this could have gone had Reatard lived to drum another day?
Shit - be thankful we at least have this single! RECOMMENDED!
Tape - Lumerians - The Weaning And The Dreaming - $6.99 - BUY
LIMITED TO 200 SILVER PEN NUMBERED COPIES
Shit yeah! We snatched up some copies of the TOUR ONLY cassette the Lumerians are carting around with them as they hit the road. Released by the fabulous freaks at Sanity Muffin, "The Weaning And The Dreaming" finds the Lumerians in ultra experimental mode. Forget the insectoid crystal planet motorik groove pulses of "Transmissions From The Telos Vol. IV" on Permanent, forget the sensuous space-kraut pin-stripers of "Transmalinnia" on Knitting Factory cuz on this outing Lumerians are exploring the furthest reaches of their broad stretching sonic abilities and coming up with one of the weirdest tapes we've heard in some time. Apparently the gang got together, laid down some improvised kookiness and then flipped the tape to play in reverse and recorded more instrumental jams over top of the backwards stuff (try to keep up here). Strange clicks and warped dark ambiance collide with backwards swoops and dense swaths of downer drones to create an unsettling blur of foggy disturbances. The b-side is the a-side in reverse causing all the original backwards stuff to play forward (you still with us?) revealing more to this cosmic oddity that is like the sonic equivalent of a blurred and distorted image reflected in mylar: mutated yet familiar. The Weaning And The Dreaming is an expansive psychedelic ouroboros that reveals greater depths of mysticism with each new listen. Totally Recommended.
