Permanent Records Chicago & Los Angeles

Hey Everybody, This week's list includes new releases from Jacco Gardner, Alvarius B, Home Blitz, Best Coast, Crocodiles, Sarah Mary Chadwick and a whole new batch of great reissues from Brigitte Fontaine, Coachwhips, Elias Hulk, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Dr. Octagon, Elliott Smith, and tons more.  Treats and treasures await in the full list below… Also both the Chicago and the Los Angeles shops are getting quality used LPs, 7ins and CDs in all the time so come on by either location and dig in, we're sure you'll find something you like.  A sampling of some of the used LPs showing up at both shops can be found in lists at the very bottom of this newsletter.

Chicago Shop Stuff Thanks to all who attended the Night Auditor performance at the Chicago shop on Saturday! Check out this great article in The Chicago Reader from Leor Galil: R.I.P Ray Ellingsen Permanent Records Chicago is DJing the Empty Bottle on Wednesday, May 13th in support of the totally ruling show that night with Follakzoid, Holydrug Couple, Paperhead, and L.A. Witch.  This goes down at 9PM, don't be late this show is gonna be amazing! The Chicago shop welcomes Mako Sica, Daniel Wyche, and onYou for an epic in store on Saturday, May 16th at 5PM.  Tell yer friends!

Los Angeles Shop Stuff Thanks to everyone who came out to the Los Angeles shop on Saturday for the Charlie Overbey and the Broken Arrows show!

LABEL RELEASE COUNTDOWN Have you been snoozin'? Lucky for you, there's still time to wake up. Many of the still in-print Permanent Label Releases are nearly sold out! 7in - Bad Axe - Coachman b/w Poor Man, Run (Ltd 300) A mere 10 copies left of the hard rockin' archival jammer from '73! 7in - Sneakers - Children Into People EP (Ltd 500) Early Perm release, CAVE side-project, 6 copies then it's OOP. LP - Afflicted Man - I'm Off Me 'Ead (Official 2013 Reissue, Repress, Black Wax, Ltd 300) 19 copies of this acid fried punk record still lookin' for a good home. LP - Basic Cable - I'm Good To Drive (Black Wax, Ltd 200) Tune in while you still can, under 10 copies to go. LP - Heater - God and Hair (Regular Edition on Black Vinyl) Columbia Missouri's short lived DIY RNR summer jammer, less than 15 copies are still in the mix. LP - Leather Slave - Leather Slave (Oxblood Wax, Ltd 100) Under 40 copies on the Permanent exclusive color vinyl left, c'mon creeps, there's still time! LP - MERX - 20000 Sq Ft Under The Sea (White Wax, Ltd 100) Only 20 copies on the Permanent exclusive color vinyl! Come up for air and grip a copy! LP - Psyclones - Different Thinking People (Regular Black Vinyl) Just 2 copies left. Get weird! Think different! LP - Purling Hiss - Purling Hiss  (Regular Edition Black Vinyl) Fully printed jacket version is still with us thanks to a warehouse find! Only 13 copies left of this now classic Hiss debut by Mr. Mike Polizze! Screen printed tour edition stock is dwindling as well... LP - Rectal Hygienics - Ultimate Purity (Black Vinyl) Just released at the end of this past February and already down to under 20 copies! Very fresh. Very freaky. Very gnarly. Hot! Hot! Hot!

FEED THE FREAKS! And just like every week, P-Rex Los Angeles DJs continue to FEED THE FREAKS!!! Here's the general info on Feed The Freaks: "Every Wednesday.  Black Boar - 1630 Colorado Blvd.  10-2am. Rock'n'Roll Partytime! With Lance Bummer and Special Guests. Drink specials. Excellent adventures, only.  Absolutely, no bogus journeys. Get down."

WE'RE ALWAYS BUYING USED LPs, 7"s, CDs, and DVDs! Running out of room, need to clear some space, going on the lam? Regardless of the reason, before you unload your unwanted records and digital media, please bring them to us for CASH or STORE CREDIT!  One man's trash is another man's treasure and we treasure all sorts of quote un-quote trash!  Before you donate your stuff or have a yard sale, drop us a line.  We'll probably pay more (without haggling) than you'll ever get at a garage sale and often times we'll buy it all in one shot.  It doesn't get much easier that!  So remember, when you wanna sell your stuff, SELL IT TO US!  Please and thank you! P.S. We make house calls for collections.  Drop us a line to make an appointment.

Permanent Label is Portable! Did you know, many Permanent Records Label Releases are now available for purchase as a digital download? Check out: Revolver, emusic, Google play, iTunes, Amazon. Prefer streaming? Well good news, pretty much everything that has a “play” button on the internet now features many of our label release. Examples include: Spotify, Rhapsody, rdio, Deezer, and YouTube.

EMPTY BOTTLE (CHICAGO) + PERMANENT RECORDS CHICAGO = FREE SHOWS. When you buy a record from Permanent Chicago by an artist playing at The Empty Bottle, we can get you on the Guest List (with a few exceptions). Check the full list below and hit us up: http://emptybottle.com/

This Week's New Featured Releases and Reissues

7in - Alvarius B - Sorban Palid   $6.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Unearthed from a very shallow grave: limited edition screenprinted tour-giveaway 7"s from Alvarius B.'s East Coast 2014 tour, featuring artwork by Byron Coley." - Poon Village

LP - Jacco Gardner - Hypnophobia   $16.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Hypnophobia, the brand new album from ‘baroque pop’ prince and Dutch producer / multi-instrumentalist JACCO GARDNER, casts a majestic and vibrant psychedelic spell that will hypnotize listeners at the point dreams and reality meet. Capturing a true sense of exploration, Hypnophobia combines Gardner’s newfound love of travel with his continued passion for collecting and playing vintage instruments. A stunning exhibit of lush instrumental tracks as well as songs that boast lyrics worthy of any great pop number, the record features a Wurlitzer electric piano that was purchased on tour, waltzing alongside mellotrons, harpsichords, an Optigan, and an antique Steinway upright piano sold to Gardner by a local church. Akin to the sonic boom of maverick contemporaries John Maus, and Tame Impala, his is a sound that holds fast next to fellow paisley performers Syd Barrett and Curt Boettcher, with the airy dynamics of Stereolab or Simon & Garfunkel. Yet what truly marks Gardner from his musical ancestors and accomplices is his forward-thinking, hi-tech approach." - Polyvinyl

LP - Areski And Brigitte Fontaine - Je Ne Connais Pas Cet Homme - Reissue   $17.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Following their groundbreaking collaboration with the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Comme à la Radio, Areski and Brigitte Fontaine began recording almost exclusively together as a duo. Originally released in 1973, Je Ne Connais Pas Cet Homme is their first record billed under both names. Deeply rooted in North African and European folk traditions, the album features evocative vignettes with breezy vocals and minimal accompaniment of classical guitar, strings and woodwinds.  As always, there is a mercurial quality to their lyrics. The title track (translated as “I Do Not Know This Man”) suggests at once Apostle Peter’s denial and a poetic acknowledgement. On “C’est Normal” Fontaine playfully questions the status quo while Areski offers satirical answers. What makes Je Ne Connais Pas Cet Homme one of their best-loved albums, though, is its remarkable sense of intimacy—as if Areski and Fontaine beckon listeners into their strange and beautiful world. This first-time domestic release continues Superior Viaduct’s reissue campaign of Fontaine’s classic ’70s catalog." - Superior Viaduct

LP - Best Coast - California Nights   $19.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Best Coast – singer/songwriter/guitarist Bethany Cosentino and guitarist Bobb Bruno – return with their third full-length album, entitled California Nights. Produced by Wally Gagel (Miley Cyrus, New Order, Muse), and recorded at WAX LTD in Hollywood, CA – the appropriately titled collection is a brighter, more sparkly, more sophisticated, more psychedelic Best Coast album across the board, embodying the rich lightness and stinging darkness of a California state of mind. The love stories Bethany spins on California Nights all detail the highs and the lows of relationships, similar to the juxtaposition of the band’s native Los Angeles – a place tinted by candy-colored palm trees and pale blue skies while existing within the loneliness and desperation of waterless place. More than that, there is a literal meaning to the record’s title – Cosentino is a well-documented insomniac whose creativity spirals out in the early hours of the morning, allowing her to write, undisturbed, the finest album Best Coast has made to date. “If you have ever lived in California, you know what nighttime here feels like. You know what the sky looks like when those epic sunsets begin, and you understand that feeling and the way things change when the sun finally sets. In LA, or maybe just personally to me, when the sun sets – I feel like there is a large sense of calmness in the air, and I feel like everything that happened to me prior in the day, whether crappy experiences or good ones, at night, it all goes away and I sink deep into this different kind of ‘world.’ "It also ties in with the idea that, in LA, there’s a real darkness that you don’t see unless you know where to look. That’s a theme we very consciously decided to explore and play with when making this record. We related to the idea that things may look or sound fun and upbeat, but they may not actually always be that way – much like our songs. A lot of the writing for this record consisted of me getting to know myself again and remembering where Bethany ended and Best Coast began. "I took a much needed step back and I was able to breathe deep for a moment and really focus on what I was doing. The end result of all of that, is California Nights. It’s about a journey, accepting the things you have no control over; it’s about dealing with life like an adult, and at the end of the day, reminding yourself that there really is no reason to be sad, and you have every right to feel okay.” - Bethany Cosentino" - Tompkins Square

LP - Coachwhips - Bangers Vs Fuckers - Reissue   $15.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN  "Feeling listless? Falling asleep behind the wheel? Need a soundtrack for your backyard Fight Club (with the lucky possibility of a muddy mid-fight kiss)? We have just the thing: a fully re-spruced version of the Coachwhips’ classic LP, Bangers Vs. Fuckers.  If you’re unfamiliar, this record may be the loudest thing ever put to tape. Weasel Walter’s mastering job is more of an act of terrorism than anything else but it perfectly captures the intensity of seeing them live in, say, your bathroom. This record right here is Coachwhips at their bloody-nosed best, way past in the red, shoving white-hot heart-attack anthems like “You Gonna Get It,” “Evil Son” and “Thee Alarm” straight through your reptilian brain and into the sweaty crowd behind you. Essential listening for anyone with a pulse and a chip on their shoulder.  Remastered and recut at 45 RPM for maximum blunt force. We found the artwork all beat up but we nursed it back to health. It’s never been louder, clearer or more fun than this, and it’s out on Castle Face Records on Record Store Day 2015." - Castle Face

LP - Cosmic Michael - Cosmic Michael - Import   $25.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Ultra-crude basement garage psych and acid-boogie-blues from 1969! Who was the mysterious Cosmic Michael? Nobody knows for sure -- rumor goes that he was a freak from New York who later relocated to the West Coast after living the Woodstock dream. That's all we know about him. But before vanishing without trace, Cosmic Michael self-released a couple of primitive, homemade albums on his Bliss label. This is his first one, DIY stoner bluesy garage psychedelia with crude organ, guitars, and vocals. Featuring underground classics like "Cosmic Michael Theme" (covered in 2013 by neo-psych band Psychic Ills) and "Now That You Found It" among others. First ever vinyl reissue, original artwork, insert with a reproduction of the original poster, plus pasteable reproductions of original LP labels like those that came with the original release. Remastered sound." - Out-Sider

LP - Crocodiles - Boys   $15.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Crocodiles have always traveled their own particular road of excess; playing, recording, dreaming and scheming in various far-flung corners of the globe. For their fifth album Boys, the boys decamped to Mexico City where producer Martin Thulin captured this psych-pop masterpiece. Trashy in some places and beautiful in others, this colorful album sees the band revisiting familiar Crocodilian themes that have earned them worldwide acclaim while also cooking with many new flavors.Take the salsa-punk of tracks like “Crybaby Demon” or “Kool TV”; noisy guitars mesh with Latin rhythms to create a new sound that can only be described as “muy chingón!” Beautifully lush soundscapes on “The Boy Is a Tramp,” “Don’t Look Up” and “Blue” are sure to seduce the listener. “Foolin’ Around” is a bonkers car-crash of influences, something the punks can do The Hustle to. Crocodiles’ bizarro-pop craftsmanship shines brightly on “Peroxide Hearts,” “Transylvania” and “Hard.”Boys is an album for boys and for girls and for boy-girls and mutants, back-alley poets, thieves, space cadets and alien babes, righteous tricksters, sonic deviants, and everything in between. But most of all, Boys is an album for you." - Zoo Music

LP - Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst - Reissue with 3D Lenticular Cover 2xLP   $33.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "An original member of New York’s new-school pioneers the Ultramagnetic MCs, Keith Thornton is best known as a solo rapper. His signature style is stream-of-consciousness lyrical flow and complex vocals, two skills that earn him a perennial nod from the underground hip-hop community. The average Kool Keith album is peppered with bizarre, disjointed, even delusional or disassociated themes, concepts, and references. Nearly all of his albums incorporate a satirical dislike for more commercialized strains of hip-hop, as well as major record label scams. After single-handedly redefining "warped" as the mind and mouth behind the Bronx-based Ultramagnetic MC's, "Kool" Keith Thornton - aka Rhythm X, aka Dr. Octagon, aka Dr. Dooom, aka Mr. Gerbik - headed for the outer reaches of the stratosphere with a variety of solo projects. A onetime psychiatric patient at Bellevue, Keith's lyrical thematics remained as free-flowing here as they ever were with the N.Y. trio, connecting up complex meters with fierce, layers-deep metaphors and veiled criticisms of those who "water down the sound that comes from the ghetto." His own debut single, "Earth People" by Dr. Octagon, was quietly released in late 1995 on the San Francisco-based Bulk Recordings, and the track spread like wildfire through the hip-hop underground, as did the subsequent Dr. Octagonecologyst full-length released the following year. Featuring internationally renowned DJ Q-Bert (of Invisibl Skratch Piklz) on turntables, as well as Dan the Automator and DJ Shadow behind the boards, Dr. Octagon's left-field fusion of sound collage, fierce turntable work, and bizarre, impressionistic rapping found audiences in the most unlikely of places, from hardcore hip-hop heads to jaded rock critics. Although a somewhat sophomoric preoccupation with body parts and scatology tended to dominate the album, Keith's complex weave of associations and shifting references is quite often amazing in its intricacy. Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) will continue its Respect the Classics tribute to many of hip-hop’s finest with the vinyl reissue of Dr. Octagon's underground masterwork Dr. Octagonecologyst with a trippy 3D lenticular cover that appears to suck you right into Dr. Octagon’s crazed world." - Geffen Records

LP - Eddie Warner - Progressive Percussions - Import   $23.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Eddie Warner, born in Magdeburg, Germany, in 1917, was one of the leading figures in European exotica in the 1950s, operating from France, where he ended up at after the war. His repertoire of styles included several kinds of jazz- and Latin-based dance music such as mambo, baião, and chachachá, but, as a tireless explorer, he also found refuge in the library music and electronic sounds department. A cornerstone of his work in that field, Progressive Percussions, was originally released in 1968 and has not been reissued since, until now. Library music was always meant to be used for the soundtracks of movie and TV productions or commercials, so not many people outside of that world have taken notice of this colorful masterpiece. It was not uncommon for such late '60s productions to consist of powerful, funky, and jazzy rhythms; fuzzed-out guitars; and steaming keyboard work. Eddie Warner and his compatriots spice up these standardized elements with freaky electronic chimes, Morse code sounds, and even outbursts of free-format psychedelic eruptions that will blow your mind. The title suggests that Eddie Warner and his musicians often emphasized the groove; a tight netting of polyrhythmic patterns is conjured by the regular drummer along with some skillfully executed xylophone work and some handy percussions that rattle and ping somewhere within this jungle of grooves. Rock and heavy funk are the predominant styles from which this studio band starts its musical expedition. Despite being European, Eddie Warner and his mates hit the frequency of pure hot-blooded power-funk and heavier west coast rock played mostly by American bands from California to Detroit and NYC in the late '60s. When this group calms down a bit and gets in the mood for a Latin- and jazz-influenced jam, you as the listener find yourself in a smokey psychedelic club somewhere in San Francisco until the song and your trippy dream end. While most of the time you could imagine a rampant jam session of Sly & the Family Stone, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Jefferson Airplane, the pure electronic moments here are years ahead of their time and should have been a massive influence on later German pioneers such as Kraftwerk, NEU!, or Cluster. An adventurous piece of music for fans of groovy, sexy, and mind-expanding music based on what the pop scene in 1968 had to offer. Close your eyes and join the space dance." - Fifth Dimension

LP - Elias Hulk - Unchained (180gm reissue) BACK IN PRINT!!!!!!   $25.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN Elias Hulk thrusts some raw hard blues rawk to the masses with their sole album from 1970. For years, Unchained has been a wet dream for record collectors, and now Sommer has finally and legitimately re-issued this beast, giving it the 180 gram vinyl treatment. Elias Hulk utilize a formula of thundering drums (along with a few killer drum solos), throbbing bass, blistering guitars, nasaly vocals, and bong hits to make an ass kicker of an album. Lie down on some shag carpet, turn on a black light, get yourself 'proper', and listen to this firecracker.

LP - Elliott Smith - XO - Reissue BACK IN PRiNT!!!   $22.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Following the success and acclaim of his two releases on the Kill Rock Stars label, as well as an Oscar nomination for the use of his song "Miss Misery" in the film Good Will Hunting, the late ELLIOTT SMITH signed with Dreamworks for the 1998 release of XO. With a major label budget for this, his fourth full length album, Smith was able to craft a fully realized pop masterpiece, fulfilling the promise of previous releases. Though firmly in the McCartney / Lennon / Rundgren / Davies school of songwriting Smith was nothing if not an original. Possibly his best record." - Plain

LP - Gaps And Spaces (Greg Ward / Caleb Willitz) - Synoptic Optiks   $14.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Greg Ward hasn’t made a whole lot of records (yet), but each time he does, he reinvents himself. The first time out he made a refreshingly powerful fusion-jazz record, the second time was an alternative approach to the acoustic trio format. And with the April 7, 2015 release of Synoptic Optiks, that trend of reinvention continues. This time, he returns with a partner, a composer, producer and sound architect Caleb Willitz, and the music is far outside the bounds of jazz. Joining this Ward/Willitz project named Gaps & Spaces are Tortoise’s Jeff Parker on guitar and effects, Dave Miller also on guitar and effects, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and effects, Makaya McCraven on drums and Dominic Johnson on violin and viola. If the music of Gaps & Spaces’ debut Synoptic Optiks is offbeat and fascinating, well that’s probably because it’s the product of an offbeat and fascinating process: Each of the musicians was asked to make increasingly adventurous takes on a musical motif devised by Greg Ward, and Caleb Willitz distilled the best of those takes into the four tracks that make up the completed album. For the final track, “Oration,” Ward composed and overlaid additional music featuring Johnson (from New Millennium Orchestra) and McCraven (from In The Moment), with Greg Ward making his only appearance of the record on his primary alto sax instrument. Willitz’s sonic alchemy juxtaposes noise music and mellifluous strands in vividly sharp divergence. For “Postulate,” the gloomy, chamber sounds of the cello and viola duet is competing with a white, electronica backdrop. A shimmering guitar surfaces amid the static wall of more computer-generated noise on “Cerberus.” A drone permeates “Efflux,” where guitars played both forwards and backwards integrate deeply with the effects. Oddly, it sounds like a weirder, more psychedelic “In A Silent Way.” “Oration” is, as noted earlier, an actual song as most people perceive them to be, but not much less experimental. With the complementing talents of Caleb Willitz on board, Greg Ward finds another way to defy not only expectations but discourage the very notion of setting expectations on him in the first place. More chances are taken on the completely different Synoptic Optiks, but as before, Ward (and Caleb Willitz) pursue a different path with the same confidence and know-how." - somethingelsereviews.com

LP - Home Blitz - Foremost And Fair   $15.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "The fractured, ballsy electric guitar pop from Dan DiMaggio’s outfit defines the form. Anybody who has been paying attention already knows that the Home Blitz name is a trademark of quality stamped on a handful of singles and EPs, as well as their jaw-dropping album on the Richie Records label. Foremost & Fair continues the trajectory of those records, achieving heights of fidelity, craft and fretwork dexterity that will continue to elude humbuggers, ham ’n’ eggers, and all the other-butter-users for years to come. DiMaggio and the Home Blitz name have rightfully been pegged to the tradition of prolific, idiosyncratic punk-qua-pop individualists, but if you’re looking for a convenient reference, you won’t find it in this little write-up. Home Blitz stands alone." - Richie

LP - JD Emmanuel - Trance-Formations 1 - Ancient Minimal Meditations - Import   $25.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "2015 repress of the 2011 reissue of the original 1986 cassette. Pressing of 400 copies on 180-gram vinyl in full-color thick cardboard sleeve. Created between 1981 and 1985 by JD Emmanuel, a new age composer who has received a lot of praise from people like Lieven Martens and John Olsen. These recordings signify Emmanuel's praise to the course of the day. Starting off slowly with morning synth meanderings, walking through midday, running in the evening, and closing the day with midnight meditation. "Somewhere hidden in the deepest part of the Self is that special place, where One can go within to the most ancient part of one's Self and connect with the origin of Self. Ancient Minimal Meditations reaches into that special place of creation of the Self and its Oneness with the Creator of All." Recorded using three Sequential Circuits Pro-One synthesizers and a Yamaha SK-20 Poly-Synthesizer. 100% analog sound. Mastered by JD Emmanuel." - Aguirre

LP - Last Sons Of Krypton - Teenage Trash   $14.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Certified PR Records is doing us all an immense public service by releasing upon the world this twenty-track raging slab of explosive garage punk hits. I had forgotten how great this band was, and I was lucky enough to see them up close and personal living in Wisconsin. The first time I booked them at the Concert Cafe in Green Bay, Wisconsin I immediately was convinced this band was on to something. Their music was a youthful (unpretentious), garage-y punk rock attack, like Angry Samoans and Black Flag mixed with early Devo. LAST SONS OF KRYPTON, a band of young teenagers growing up in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a town that had a rich punk rock history that they tapped into, went about things their own way. Not really quite an attitude, but they didn't mind ruffling a few punk rock feathers (mine included) along the way. Listening to this record instantly flashes me back to an era of rock and roll that no longer exists, when we had rock animals roaming the world such as SuperCharger, Teengenerate, and of course last but not least, The Rip Offs. That's pretty rarified garage punk rock air to be associated with, but I honestly believe Last Sons of Krypton is definitely within spitting distance of hanging with that crew.   The first six tracks are from their first demo cassette, highlights of those are “Meteorite,” and “I Want Action.” Track seven, “I Want” is from the out of print, various artist compilation Sawmill. Tracks 8 through 10 are previously unreleased. Track eleven is an alternate version from a previously released seven inch. Tracks twelve through seventeen are unreleased demos.  Tracks eighteen through twenty are from The Smuts first demo tape, a band the Last Sons of Krypton had morphed to in '99. This record is an excellent way to discover a lost gem of Wisconsin's punk rock music history, and that's the bottom line because Time Bomb Tom said so."—Tom Smith (Anti-Lunatic Squad Productions)" - Certified PR

LP - Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Your Funeral...My Trial - 2014 Reissue   $23.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Your Funeral… My Trial sounds far more arranged than I remembered: things sound broader, deeper, from the very off, the title track waltzing in on this marvelous Al Kooper-ish organ swell like the sonic equivalent of ecclesiastical purple trim, one stitch in a quasi-hymnal sweep of glinting detail. The bass is monumental, but somehow ghostly. Hear how the singer stretches – lives in – the “here” of “Here I am, little lamb…” Might not the softest song in the world hail from the hardest nights? "Stranger Than Kindness" has to be near top of my own personal Desert Island list of Cave works. Sheer dream of a timeless yet timely torch song, like yearning or wistfulness made sound, it feels lighter than air yet heavier than sin. Unique arrangement by Bargeld, sonic eddies like warm breath around your ear, discreetly framing Cave sermonising like Orson Welles in Huston’s Moby Dick. (I love the way he almost caresses the phrase “they journey, they loiter,” and, especially, “Tell me I’m dirty…”) Bargeld makes guitars sound like spray, spume or embers. A song you don’t need to be some delirious Nick Cave believer to believe in, to adore. "Jack’s Shadow" trips on a deviously simple acoustic blues figure, the drums like guillotine fanfare, Bargeld’s electric slide summoning sheer sonic anxiety, the song itself like Mailer’s unwieldy Executioner’s Song compressed into the breezy allegory of Song. Jack has peeled off and must throw his demon away; Cave seems to be on the verge of reaching some kind of fruitful accommodation with his own. Where on previous works it wasn’t entirely clear whether he was in charge of his demons/obsessions, Your Funeral… My Trial now sounds like the watershed moment when a proper measure of artistic control was gained, to be subsequently built upon. "The Carny" totters near the grimy ledge of self-parody – but the music is so delicious, so delicate and rich and properly arranged (and captures somehow such a depth of genuine sadness) it’s impossible to resist. This was the song Cave & The Seeds performed in Wenders’ Wings of Desire; although in hindsight it seems hard to think of Wenders and Cave in the same room, artistically – or more to the point maybe, theologically – speaking. "She Fell Away" features one of my all-time favourite Cave lines: “Seems impossible to me now / But once the road lay open like a girl…” and the unfeasibly sublime "Sad Waters" has too many favourite lines to quote. At this distance, we may note how Cave is learning to sing, really sing, such lines. Hear, for example, the way he invests an almost throwaway, simple line like “Mary in the shallows / laughing” with such tenderness and ache. Something listening to this re-issue led me to notice is how saturated the whole album is with religious quotes, references, and overtones. It’s often so subtle you may not even notice – carnal devotion italicised in the syntax of heavenly worship, as here, where Mary’s honey body turns the “waters into wine”… "Hard On For Love" may be the thumping-est thing Cave had essayed since the Birthday Party’s Junkyard O.D., its wired blood pounding somewhere between an unlikely Gospel and old favourite "Sonny’s Burning." Cave’s take on the Tim Rose classic "Long Time Man" sounds genuinely wracked, abject; listen to the way he sings “love” in the line “I haven’t had any love…” – this is why Your Funeral… My Trial sounded so striking in 1986 and why it does so again, today. Indie music for the most part still sounds all too homogenously jangly and sexless and metaphysically empty to me, as it did then; and Cave still sounds like a man consumed by devotion, doubt, love, need. He throws himself into song, as into something both forbiddingly holy and something seductively unclean." - Ian Penman" - Mute

LP - Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Let Love In - 2015 Reissue   $22.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Let Love In, the eighth studio album by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, was originally released in 1994. Their first full-length studio album in over two years, Let Love In preserves the same line-up (Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, Conway Savage, Martyn Casey and Thomas Wydler) as established on its two immediate predecessors: Henry’s Dream (1992), the band’s troubled collaboration with producer David Briggs, and Live Seeds (1993), an interim concert compilation. "The novelty of recording in America with a “name” producer now long behind them, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds returned to familiar turf, choosing to conduct both demo and album sessions in their accustomed habitats of the UK and Australia. In September 1993, recording proper for Let Love In commenced at London’s Townhouse III Studios (formerly The Who’s Ramport studio, purpose-built for Quadrophenia), and the album was completed and mixed at Metropolis in Melbourne by the end of that same year. "Producer/engineer and long-time confederate Tony Cohen was reinstated to preside over the sessions, and a veritable “Who’s Who” array of Australian guest musicians were called in to lend a hand with the overdubs: former Birthday Party band mate Rowland S. Howard and Beasts of Bourbon singer Tex Perkins lent their backing vocals to “Do You Love Me,” as did The Triffids’ Dave McComb to “Lay Me Low”; while Warren Ellis makes his (uncharacteristically low profile) debut on a Bad Seeds recording, playing violin alongside Robin Casinader on Mick Harvey’s sumptuous string arrangements for “Ain’t Gonna Rain Anymore” and “Do You Love Me? Part 2.” "Artwork depicting the lyric sheet-festooned area around the piano gives some indication of the obsessive mood permeating the sessions, which Nick ascribes at least in part to the massive amounts of amphetamine being consumed during the sessions. “Tony was lost in his own world,” muses Nick. “Head bent down over that mixing desk, not listening to what anybody had to say about anything, waving his hands his around and screaming abuse at us. We would go in there in the morning and come back in the evening and Tony would still be working on the same sound, talking to himself.” "In the end, Cohen’s mania somehow suffuses the entire album with a remarkable sense of presence that heightens the sense of immediacy and urgent intimacy in the songs. “When I hear it, I’m surprised at the actual sound of it; it doesn’t sound like the kind of record we would normally make,” demurs Cave. “It sizzles, like every sound had a little too much time devoted to it; but, for sure, it has it’s unique sound.” Nick, for his part, became as absorbed in minutiae as Tony, literally spending two days and nights trying to seamlessly render his oscillator solo in “Red Right Hand.” “Occasionally a Bad Seed would put their head in the door and go ‘Oh Jesus…’ and walk out again,” he discloses. “I don’t know why someone didn’t just stop me.” "...much of the potency of Let Love In lies purely in the riveting intensity of its songs. The sinister inexorability and explosive dynamics of “Red Right Hand” and “Loverman” make for the album’s most climactic moments; but pervading the landscape around those melodramatic peaks is a feeling of yearning vulnerability and aching remorse previously untapped in Cave’s lyrics. The songs “Do You Love Me” and its reprise, as well as the title track - even “Thirsty Dog” - all exemplify this tender desperation; but especially “Nobody’s Baby Now,” which Cave claims he wrote for Johnny Cash. “Rick Rubin asked me to write a song for him. I sat down and wrote that but I liked it too much and didn’t send it." - Mute Records

LP - Paki-Visnadi - Imaginary Choreography - Import   $18.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Previously unreleased guitar-and-synth musical jewel from Italy circa 1984. An until-now unknown collaboration between a guitar maestro who composed contemporary dance scores and a gifted electronic music composer. Melodic complexity and rhythmic sonic beauty create a unique and timeless classic that has already achieved cult status among the few who have heard it. Obvious comparisons can be made between Imaginary Choreography and the softer ambient side of vintage German electronic music -- Göttsching, Schnitzler, Cluster, etc., but that would be too easy, as this recording stands alone with its uniquely Italian atmosphere of sophisticated and complex simplicity. This session was recorded by two Venetians: Paki Zennaro (then working with composer René Aubry for choreographer Carolyn Carlson) and Gianni Visnadi (an experimental composer), who met one evening over a glass of wine and decided to work together for the first time with the intention of recording contemporary music to be used by dance schools for study and exercise. The duo recorded on reel-to-reel tape using electronic equipment (Sequential Circuits Pro One and Prophet 5; Roland TR-808 and guitar synth) with an acoustic 12-string guitar. When finished and mixed, a few BASF LH extra cassette copies (maybe as few as six or eight) were sent out to a few friends with a homemade photocopy insert, complete with handwritten track names and production details. A chance find in a Paris market of one of these original demo cassettes led to this wonderful LP finally seeing its first release. This now famous BASF tape was found one lucky morning by Johanna Heather Anselmo (filmmaker, photographer, musician) while searching for musical surprises in a box of tapes that had probably been at that same flea market for 20 years or more. Mademoiselle Johanna is used to rummaging in boxes of dusty tapes, being the girlfriend of Antinote artist Iueke, who has the unusual habit of hiding tapes all over their flat. A bit of searching by Iueke lead him to finding contact information for Zennaro and Visnadi, who were happy to oblige with releasing this almost forgotten 1984 session. Master tapes were sent to Paris for immediate transfer and mastering, while the Check Morris graphic design team worked with its usual class on adapting and reworking the cassette tape artwork for a vinyl issue. Open a bottle of wine and sit back. Includes download code." - Antinote

LP - Sarah Mary Chadwick - 9 Classic Tracks   $15.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "As moving as Kim Blackburn, Sarah Mary Chadwick is back with her second official full-length release following her debut solo LP Eating for Two (Bedroom Suck Records, 2012). While preserving her distinctive traits of bare-skinned honesty and visceral delivery, 9 Classic Tracks sees Chadwick venture into decidedly more lush territory—her unmistakably raw vocals present this time through a vaseline filter and with an air of reflection indicative of both artistic growth and intimate evolution. In a new collaboration for Chadwick, 9 Classic Tracks was recorded and produced by Geoffrey O’Connor (The Crayon Fields) and mastered by David Walker. “Where do I fit in?” she inquires on the opening track “Ask Walt,” setting the tone for what soon becomes clear is an album of great introspection. But rather than alienating the listener with inward-facing questions, Chadwick’s astute observations on relationships and the utter messiness of love are both deeply idiosyncratic and universally relatable. In the thick of the album, the mercurial fifth track “Same Old Fires” moves from a hymn-like whisper into an uncharacteristically sunny backing beat layered contrarily behind emotional cries of “I’m tired of feeling the same old burns / From wandering through the same old fires,” before transitioning into a similar lament in the sixth track, “I’m Back Where I Was.” 9 Classic Tracks reaches a turning point with “I’m Like an Apple with No Skin,” a song that will resonate with anyone who has walked away from a relationship in the name of self-preservation. Closing with “Until the Grave,” Chadwick repeats the refrain “Until the grave I’m fighting.” As hopeful and irrepressible as it is depressing, that confusion and acceptance is present throughout the entire album, summed up in a line in “Lying Down”—“’Cause every human here / Is a prism dark and clear / First glass, then dust.” - Siltbreeze

LP - Spirit Club - Spirit Club   $17.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "SPIRIT CLUB is NATHAN WILLIAMS (WAVVES), ANDREW CADDICK (JEANS WILDER), and JOEL WILLIAMS (SWEET VALLEY). Brothers Joel and Nathan, alongside childhood best friend Andrew make music about loss that frays at the seams. Soaring harmonies over sludgy guitars and lush production create a sound all their own." - Ghost Ramp

LP - Twilight Ritual - The Ritual - Import   $23.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "First vinyl release of the first ever recordings by Belgian minimal synth masters Twilight Ritual. Originally released in 1982 in a tiny cassette edition, this album has not been heard by many people. The Ritual includes some of their best work, from mysterious dark synthpop songs ("Elegy") to club music ("Webb Men") and the epic 14-minute track "Up to Now." Twilight Ritual is the main project of Geert Coppens and Peter Bonne. During the early '80s they were both involved in many other bands, including Autumn and Linear Movement (both later reissued by Minimal Wave), but Twilight Ritual is by far the most inspired project. The spirit of the band lingers on beneath the work of Autumn through A Split-Second and stands beside the best tracks of bands such as Oppenheimer Analysis and League of Nations. Instruments and production by Peter Bonne. Lyrics and artwork by Geert Coppens. Remastered at Equus. Includes double-sided insert with lyrics and photos." - Onderstroom

LP - Warm Soda - Symbolic Dream   $15.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Matthew Melton goes for the hat trick on Warm Soda’s third LP, Symbolic Dream. These vacuum-sealed and impeccably arranged power pop numbers are sure to please that teenage sweet tooth.  With a masterful production blend of soft focus, punch, and dusty sparkle, Melton is essentially running a seminar on timeless teen-angst jams here, throwing second bridges and double choruses into the mix like it ain’t nothing. The nooks and crannies of this little banger, from the subtle turnarounds to the perfect hi-hat sound, reward repeat listens. He’s covering familiar bases with Symbolic Dream—it’s the finely tuned ’80s Corvette that’s gonna get your ass kicked out of school, it’s your girlfriend’s dad hanging up the phone, it’s the world intruding on a nascent romance that just wasn’t meant to last—but he still keeps it fresh-faced like that new girl in AP Chemistry." - Castle Face

CD - Brian Jonestown Massacre - Musique De Film Imagine - Import   $11.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Musique de film imaginé (music for film imagined) is a soundtrack that pays homage to the great European film directors of the late '50s and '60s, such as François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard (to name but two), created by Anton Newcombe on behalf of The Brian Jonestown Massacre for an imaginary French film. Named in tribute to the legendary Rolling Stones guitarist and his influence in introducing Eastern culture and music into the world of western rock and roll, The Brian Jonestown Massacre formed in San Francisco, California in 1990. Two dozen band members and numerous ups and downs later (some of which have been famously sensationalized in the media), the one thing that has always remained consistent for this psychedelic collective is frontman Mr. Anton Alfred Newcombe. The Brian Jonestown Massacre returned to wide acclaim in May of 2014 with their 14th full-length album, Revelation (AUK 030CD/LP), the first of the band's albums to be fully recorded and produced at Newcombe's recording studio in Berlin. Also recorded in Berlin, Musique de film imaginé features vocals from French chanteuse and multi-instrumentalist SoKo and Italian actress, singer, and director Asia Argento. SoKo is signed to Because Music and her track "We Might Be Dead by Tomorrow" was featured in the viral video "First Kiss," which has garnered over 63 million views; the track debuted at number 9 in the Billboard Hot 100 in 2014. Argento, who has starred in music videos for Marilyn Manson, Placebo, and Tim Burgess, wrote the storyline for A$AP Rocky's 2013 cinematic music video "Phoenix," which has had over 5.5 million hits. Both vocal performances are in French. Newcombe recorded this daring symphonic experience in August 2014 after a successful European tour with The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Newcombe describes the work as "a soundtrack, my own creation, a tribute to great directors and filmmakers [and] to an era that now seems to be behind us. Leaving the smart person to care to imagine that this art could now be in the shadow of its former glory. The interesting thing about this project is that the film does not exist either. Even so, I imagined and I realized its soundtrack... Now it's your turn, you are the listener to imagine the film." - A Recordings

CD - Emika - Drei - Import   $11.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Berlin-based producer Emika follows her 2015 solo piano album Klavírní (EMK 001CD/LP) with DREI, an album that channels electroclash-era rapid-fire bass and syncopated beats amid soaring synths. It is the work of a songwriter who wears her heart on her sleeve, with deeply personal sentiments imbuing her brooding, expansive soundscapes throughout the album. The intricate, deft production flourishes that flow through the album and the breadth of moods attest to Emika's status as a fully-fledged artist. On the vampish "Miracles," she pitches her voice down to duet with herself in haunting fashion. "DREI is ultimately about freedom. Coping with freedom. Limitations vs Freedom. The shock of a miracle. The madness of being alone. Ambitions and insecurities. The perils of a limitless creative mind. And without a doubt, my desire to produce fat hard beats without needing anyone -- complete with a fresh sound." --Emika" - Emika Records

CD - Liebezeit Mertin - Aksak - Import   $11.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "Aksak is the exciting encounter of two exceptional musicians from different generations: legendary drummer Jaki Liebezeit and percussion wizard Holger Mertin (Drums and More). Liebezeit, born May 26, 1938, in Dresden, Germany, and best known as a founding member of Can, has been called "one of the few drummers to convincingly meld the funky and the cerebral." In the mid-1960s, he was part of Manfred Schoof's quintet, who were early exponents of European free jazz. He subsequently moved towards the new possibilities being opened by psychedelic music as a member of Can. His drumming was prominent in the band's sound, particularly in his much-admired contribution to the side-long "Halleluhwah" on Tago Mago. Liebezeit is renowned for his exceptional "metronome" style of playing; other members of Can have suggested that he sounds as though he is "half man, half machine." Mertin, born in 1977, is a multipercussionist and specialist in rhythmic traditions. He is involved in diverse transdisciplinary projects. Mertin's playing is characterized by his spontaneous, melodious, and rhythmic style that is equally reflected in his individual instrumentarium. Mertin has collaborated with internationally renowned musicians and artists including Milan Sladek, Eberhard Kranemann (Kraftwerk), Martin Sasse (Sting, Martin Sasse Trio), Hayden Chisholm, Paul Shigihara (WDR Big Band Köln), Roland Peil (Die Fantastischen Vier), and Ali Haurand (European Jazz Ensemble). Like a zen master of the minimal, repetitive beat, Liebezeit -- famous for his hypnotic precision -- creates with only few sound colors the perfect matrix for Mertin's unleashed playing on any imaginable percussion instrument. The result is a mighty, complex pulse -- the groove of a better world. On the basis of that musical matrix, sound magician Joseph Suchy has produced a jaw-dropping album that defies any categorization. Even if other instruments like violin, guitar, brass, and electronics sometimes seem to take the lead, the compelling pulse is always in the center of this swinging music. Liebezeit, Mertin, and Suchy have created a timeless masterpiece that, despite its complexity, always stays melodic and danceable. That's how modernity sounds (and swings)! Jaki Liebezeit plays: world drum kit, hand cymbals, dholak, tambourine, bongos, and one-string percussion instrument. Holger Mertin plays: hang, hand cymbals, gongs, Modulationsscheiben, cymbals, tube sticks, frame drum, snare drums, melodic and metal percussion, helix bowl, tambourine, spoons, singing bowls, kalimba, marimbula, waterphone, K.G. sound sculpture, and overtone drum. CD includes two bonus tracks: "Overtone" and "Surfangel." - Staubgold

CD - Various Artists - Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock And Roll   $9.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN "On April 17, 1975, Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge and Cambodian rock and roll was no more. Its star musicians were targeted and killed, record collections were destroyed, clubs were closed, and Western-style music-making, dancing, and clothes were outlawed. The deaths of approximately two million Cambodians and the horrors of the Killing Fields have been well-documented; add to this John Pirozzi's fascinating tale of Cambodia's vibrant pop music scene, beginning in the 1950s and '60s, influenced by France's Johnny Hallyday and Britain's Cliff Richard and the Shadows. The filmmaker has assembled rare archival footage, punctuating it with telling interviews with the few surviving musicians. Cambodian culture has long been synonymous with a love for the arts. Pirozzi's 2014 film Don't Think I've Forgotten pays homage to the country's rock legends who paid for their creativity with their lives. Through the eyes, words, and songs of its popular music stars of the '50s, '60s, and '70s, Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll examines and unravels Cambodia's recent tragic past. This soundtrack to Pirozzi's important film, compiled by the director, is very cinematic in nature. The sequencing and newly-remastered audio transport the listener through the rock and roll history of Cambodia in a similar fashion as Pirozzi's documentary film. It is both entertaining and essential to hear so many tracks that are available outside of Cambodia for the very first time. Includes tracks by The Royal University of Fine Arts, Sinn Sisamouth, Chhoun Malay, Huoy Meas, Baksey Cham Krong, Ros Serey Sothea, Pen Ran, Sieng Vannthy, Va Sovy, Drakkar, Pou Vannary, Yol Aularong, and Cheam Chansovannary." - Dust-To-Digital

QUALITY USED GOODS CHICAGO Man Or Astro-Man Is It.. $29.99 Man Or Astro-Man Experiment Zero $29.99 Harry Pussy Ride A Dove $29.99 Arab Strap Philophobia $49.99 Link Wray Be What You Want To $29.99 Cramps Psychedelic Jungle $39.99 Chokebore Motionless $39.99 St. John Green s/t $39.99 Imperial Dogs Unchained Maladies Live! 1974-75 $49.99 Butthole Surfers Double Live $49.99 Verlaines Juvenilia $39.99 Peter Jefferies Elevator Madness $29.99 The Clean Vehicle $39.99 Lyres On Fyre $29.99 Skinny Puppy Bites $29.99 Michael Rother Flammende Herren $39.99 Uncle Tupelo 89/93: An Anthology $49.99 Boards Of Canada Music Has The Right To Children $29.99 Harry Nilsson Nilsson Sings Newman $39.99 Leonard Cohen Songs Of Love And Hate $29.99 The Troggs Wild Thing (Mono) $29.99 Fever Ray s/t $39.99 Loop Eternal The Singles 1988 $39.99 Big Black Headache $39.99 Bratmobile Pottymounth $49.99 Damnation Of Adam Blessing s/t $29.99 Aphrodite's Child 666 $29.99 Georgia Sea Island Songs Georgia Sea Island Songs $29.99 Come Don't Ask Don't Tell $49.99 Byrds Sweetheart Of The Rodeo $29.99 Verlaines Hallelujah All The Way Home $29.99 Neil Young On The Beach $39.99 Lydia Lunch 13.13 $29.99 Sparks No. 1 In Heaven (Colored Vinyl) $39.99 Gram Parsons Grievous Angel $29.99 Ekstasis Life In The Shadows $29.99 Novalis Branished Bridge $29.99 Slits Man Next Door 12in $29.99 Cows Effete And Impudent Snobs $39.99 Garnet Mimms I'll TakeGood Care Of You WLP $49.99 Cramps Songs The Lord Taught Us $39.99 Alan Vega s/t $39.99 Joseph Stoned Age Man $99.99 Lydia Lunch Queen Of Siam $29.99 Silver Apples Contact $49.99 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Your Funeral… …My Trial $49.99

QUALITY USED GOODS LOS ANGELES Can Delay $49.99 Can inCANdescence $29.99 Beck Mutations $99.99 Cocteau Twins Treasure $29.99 John Coltrane Kulu Se Mama $39.99 Delta 5 See the Whirl $29.99 John Coltrane A Love Supreme $49.99 John Coltrane Quartet Ballads $49.99 John Coltrane Ascension $49.99 Birthday Party Junkyard $39.99 Birthday Party Prayers on Fire $29.99 Cluster Curiosum $49.99 Clinic Clinic $49.99 Ashra Correlations $39.99 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Kicking Against the Pricks $29.99 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Abattoir Blues / Lyre of Orpheus $99.99 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Tender Prey $49.99 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds From Her to Eternity $39.99 Contortions Buy $29.99 Kenny Burrell Midnight Blue $99.99 Chaino and his African Percussion Safari Jungle Echoes $29.99 D.A.F. Fur Immer $29.99 D.A.F. Die Kleinen Und Die Bosen $29.99 Buzzcocks Love Bites $29.99 Holger Czukay Rome Remains Rome $29.99 Holger Czukay On the Way to the Peak of Normal $29.99 Chris and Cosey Trance $39.99 Eddie Callahan False Ego $34.99 Der Plan Japlan $99.99 Din A Testbild Programm 2 $49.99 Merry Clayton Gimme Shelter $49.99

UPCOMING CHICAGO IN-STORES & EVENTS 5/13/2015 Permanent Records DJs: Föllakzoid Holydrug Couple Paperhead L.A. Witch 9 PM $ BUY TIX @ Empty Bottle   5/16/2015 Tape Release Performance: MAKO SICA Daniel Wyche onYou 5 PM - FREE! All-ages in-store!   5/23/2015 CCR HEADCLEANER +TBA 6:30 PM - FREE! All-ages in-store!   6/19/2015 LUGGAGE WEAKWICK 6:30 PM - FREE! All-ages in-store!

UPCOMING LOS ANGELES IN-STORES & EVENTS 7/18/2015 MELKBELLY 6:30 PM * ALL AGES FREE IN-STORE

*** ALL shows are FREE and ALL AGES unless noted otherwise ***