Monday, May 18, 2015

Hey Everybody,
This week's list includes new releases from Metz, Blanck Mass, Holydrug Couple, Guantanomo Baywatch, Prefuse 73, and some vital reissues from Kenny Knight and Blast!  Peep the list below for further details…

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.
 

More love for Rectal Hygienics "Ultimate Purity"

Chicago Shop Stuff

It was nice seeing some familiar faces and some new ones while DJing at the Empty Bottle on Wednesday for the Follakzoid, Holydrug Couple, and L.A. Witch show.

Thanks to everyone who came out for the Mako Sica, Daniel Wyche, and onYou show at the Chicago shop on Saturday!

The Chicago shop welcomes CCR Headcleaner for an in store performance on Saturday, May 23rd!  Come one, come all!
 

Los Angeles Shop Stuff

P-Rex Los Angeles had a blast DJing at Subvert City Thursday night!  Thanks to everyone who came and hung!

Thanks to Ex-Cult for rockin' the Los Angeles shop Thursday!  Stellar sounds and fine folks all around!

Prepare yourselves! Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds are playing the Los Angeles shop on Saturday, May 23rd at 6:30 PM!
 
Tickets are available for sale at the LA shop!
 

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) 20 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 5 copies to go.

LP - Bil Vermette - Katha Visions (Official 2013 Reissue, Includes Digital Download, Black Wax, Ltd 200) Minimal electronics masterpiece reissue originally released in 1984, less than 10 copies left!

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 - King Blood - Eyewash Silver (2013 Permanent Records Screened Fold-Over Sleeve Special Edition) Blown out fuzz guitar majesty, less than 10 copies left!

LP - Leather Slave - Leather Slave (Oxblood Wax, Ltd 100) Under 5 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 - 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/

USED PICKS OF THE WEEK

LP - Joseph - Stoned Age Man (VG) plays great
Original on Scepter Records
 

Lance - Permanent Records Los Angeles

 
$124.99 → Email If Interested LISTEN

Here's what we had to say about the reissue:
Swampy, fuzzed-out, hard-rockin' guitar madness from Texas gunslinger, Joseph! "Stoned Age Man" was the lone album from this Lone-Star State lunatic, originally released on Scepter and reissued here by the fine folks at Sundazed! Grab that loincloth and take them shoes 'n' socks off fellow troglodytes - read on:

"Rooted in the steamy backroads of Texas and deep-fried at a Memphis recording studio, Joseph’s Stoned Age Man was served up like a sizzling hot rattlesnake appetizer slathered in fuzz-blooz grease in 1969. Legend has it that the titles of eight of the album’s nine songs came before they were written on the spot, which speaks volumes for the talents of Joseph (aka, Joseph Longeria) — who A&R man Steve Tyrell signed to Scepter Records after witnessing the Lone Star State bluesman gig with B.B. King and T-Bone Burnett. Brandishing his guitar like a Cro-Magnon’s club, Joseph mixes his fuzzy licks with meat-grinder vocals as he loudly ruminates of fattened snakes, fish heads, mountains, cavemen and gumbo in the maddest peyote hallucination Alley Oop never had. Long revered among collectors, this fine slab o’ rock gets its first-ever reissue from the original masters, pressed at RTI onto 180 grams of cold hard vinyl that’ll rip your turntable from its hinges."

Geezus, Joseph doesn't waste any time blowing your mind, hitting hard straight outta the gate with "Trick Bag", grinding hard on his fuzz pedal and letting loose with an array of in-studio psychedelic trickery! The album get's wilder from there, with Joseph sounding like an LSD and speed-fueled version of Beefheart or Edgar Broughton crossed with Dr. Teeth or the Riverbottom Nightmare Band! At it's best moments, there's a proto-punk feel to tracks like "Gotta Get Away" (Rob Tyner, anyone?) and a voodoo-tinged, psych-funk trip on others like the title track, or "Cold Biscuits and Fish Heads".  If you like your Boneheads crunchy, or just a fan of tripped out hard rock, then Stoned Age Man is your ticket to a mind-expanding head-trip! Remastered and reissued on 180gm vinyl for maximum bodaciousness! RECOMMENDED.
 

LP - Joseph - Stoned Age Man (VG) plays great
Original on Scepter Records
 


Dave - Permanent Records Chicago

 
$124.99 → Email If Interested LISTEN

Here's what we had to say about the reissue:
Swampy, fuzzed-out, hard-rockin' guitar madness from Texas gunslinger, Joseph! "Stoned Age Man" was the lone album from this Lone-Star State lunatic, originally released on Scepter and reissued here by the fine folks at Sundazed! Grab that loincloth and take them shoes 'n' socks off fellow troglodytes - read on:

"Rooted in the steamy backroads of Texas and deep-fried at a Memphis recording studio, Joseph’s Stoned Age Man was served up like a sizzling hot rattlesnake appetizer slathered in fuzz-blooz grease in 1969. Legend has it that the titles of eight of the album’s nine songs came before they were written on the spot, which speaks volumes for the talents of Joseph (aka, Joseph Longeria) — who A&R man Steve Tyrell signed to Scepter Records after witnessing the Lone Star State bluesman gig with B.B. King and T-Bone Burnett. Brandishing his guitar like a Cro-Magnon’s club, Joseph mixes his fuzzy licks with meat-grinder vocals as he loudly ruminates of fattened snakes, fish heads, mountains, cavemen and gumbo in the maddest peyote hallucination Alley Oop never had. Long revered among collectors, this fine slab o’ rock gets its first-ever reissue from the original masters, pressed at RTI onto 180 grams of cold hard vinyl that’ll rip your turntable from its hinges."

Geezus, Joseph doesn't waste any time blowing your mind, hitting hard straight outta the gate with "Trick Bag", grinding hard on his fuzz pedal and letting loose with an array of in-studio psychedelic trickery! The album get's wilder from there, with Joseph sounding like an LSD and speed-fueled version of Beefheart or Edgar Broughton crossed with Dr. Teeth or the Riverbottom Nightmare Band! At it's best moments, there's a proto-punk feel to tracks like "Gotta Get Away" (Rob Tyner, anyone?) and a voodoo-tinged, psych-funk trip on others like the title track, or "Cold Biscuits and Fish Heads".  If you like your Boneheads crunchy, or just a fan of tripped out hard rock, then Stoned Age Man is your ticket to a mind-expanding head-trip! Remastered and reissued on 180gm vinyl for maximum bodaciousness! RECOMMENDED.
 

LP - Television - Marquee Moon


Jamie - Permanent Records Chicago

 
$99.99 → Email If Interested LISTEN

" Marquee Moon is a revolutionary album, but it's a subtle, understated revolution. Without question, it is a guitar rock album -- it's astonishing to hear the interplay between Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd -- but it is a guitar rock album unlike any other. Where their predecessors in the New York punk scene, most notably the Velvet Underground, had fused blues structures with avant-garde flourishes, Television completely strip away any sense of swing or groove, even when they are playing standard three-chord changes. Marquee Moon is comprised entirely of tense garage rockers that spiral into heady intellectual territory, which is achieved through the group's long, interweaving instrumental sections, not through Verlaine's words. That alone made Marquee Moon a trailblazing album -- it's impossible to imagine post-punk soundscapes without it. Of course, it wouldn't have had such an impact if Verlaine hadn't written an excellent set of songs that conveyed a fractured urban mythology unlike any of his contemporaries. From the nervy opener, "See No Evil," to the majestic title track, there is simply not a bad song on the entire record. And what has kept Marquee Moon fresh over the years is how Television flesh out Verlaine's poetry into sweeping sonic epics." - Allmusic.com
 

LP - Bayete (Todd Cochran) - Worlds Around The Sun


Jon - Permanent Records Chicago

 
$49.99 → Email If Interested LISTEN

" While it's often a mixed bag when a 20-year-old musician who believes anything and everything is possible gets absolute freedom in a recording studio, in Todd Cochran's case, his faith was a truth. A child prodigy, by age 19 he had arranged and played piano on Bobby Hutcherson's 1971 Blue Note date Head On; he also composed most of it. As a result, Cochran, who had by this time changed his name to Bayeté, scored his own record deal with Prestige in 1972. Accompanied by Hutcherson, Hadley Caliman, Oscar Brashear, James Leary III, Michael Carvin, Wayne Wallace, and more, he composed, produced, and arranged this set of six wide-ranging tunes. The jazz world flipped: Worlds Around the Sun topped Downbeat's year-end list; number two was Miles Davis' On the Corner. In retrospect, there was great reason for the enthusiasm. The array of textures, dynamics, and musical shapes here are dazzling; yet diverse as they are, they create a seamless, unified whole where the musical horizon not only comes into view, it's integrated. Check the opener "It Ain't" that touches on everything from bop to modal jazz to 20th century classical music -- and the composer's piano solo cooks. Likewise, "Njeri (Belonging to a Warrior)" is an Eastern-tinged spiritual jazz tune with fine inside vibes from Hutcherson and flute from Caliman. The 12-minute "Bayeté" is initially driven by Carvin's drums, layers of percussion and the composer's Rhodes. It is reminiscent of Joe Chambers' "The Almoravid," but was released a year earlier. It gradually transforms itself into a galloping modal tune with taut, free-thinking soloing by various members of the group. In addition to sophisticated jazz, there is driving jazz-funk here too, most notably in "Free Angela (Thoughts...And All I've Got to Say)." With Carvin's stop-and-go breaks and Leary's popping electric bassline atop a group percussion orgy and chant, Bayeté's wah-wah clavinet resembles an electric guitar. (Perhaps that's why Santana delivered an instrumental jam version of the live Lotus in 1973.) The tune's last third gives way to a sweet, electric soul groove turning it on its head. "I'm On It" is another stomping jazz-funker with chanted vocals, clipped syncopated clavinet, Rhodes, vibes, and a thudding bass vamp. Caliman shifts it all with an outside yet bluesy tenor solo to carry it out. Closer "Eurus (The Southeast Wind)" is an impressionistic ballad with stellar pizzicato from Leary, Hutcherson's spacious vibes, and elegant flute from Caliman. Worlds Around the Sun is indeed a masterpiece that sounds every bit as convincing in the 21st century as it did upon release." - Allmusic.com
 

LP - Sonic Youth - Sister


Robert - Permanent Records Chicago

 
$74.99 → Email If Interested LISTEN

"The blunt, chaotic sound of Sonic Youth's visionary but difficult early work had begun to give way to a more coherent and song-oriented attack on 1986's EVOL, and with 1987's Sister, Sonic Youth revealed that they were a great rock band as well as a great art band. From the shifting dynamics and disquieting mood of the opening track "Schizophrenia" to the ferocious coda of "White Cross," Sister was the work of a band that had grown impressively stronger and more unified in the 12 months since their previous long-player. The sheets of sound that issued from Thurston Moore and Lee Renaldo's re-tuned and modified guitars were still the core of their sound, but Sonic Youth's songcraft was steadily improving as they made better and more effective use of their aural palette and created a melodic context that helped their noisy report make greater dramatic sense. After going through a handful of drummers, Steve Shelley finally gave Sonic Youth the combination of chops, imagination, and force that they needed behind the kit, and while he certainly improved EVOL (his debut with the group), it was Sister where he truly make his mark: the steady pulse and rhythmic shadings of "Catholic Block," "Stereo Sanctity," and "Tuff Gnarl" helped firm up the tunes and added some discipline to Moore and Renaldo's exploratory guitar work that, remarkably, made their twisted instrumental figures more impressive and no less distinctive. And the warmth and clarity of Bill Titus' all-analog engineering made the guitars (and Kim Gordon's bass) sound as glorious as they always deserved; while Sonic Youth had been a band with great ideas from the start, Sister was where the execution finally caught up with the concept, and it was their first truly great album." - Allmusic.com

This Week's New Featured Releases and Reissues
 

LP - Metz - II - Loser Edition

 
$17.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN



CD - Metz - II

 
$9.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

"II is the 2nd full-length from METZ.

To begin:
“I look at it like this,” METZ frontman Alex Edkins says. “You start a band, just as something to do, because music’s what makes you tick, the thing you dream about and think about and that’s it. You never think that you’ll be able to do it all the time. But then, for some inexplicable reason, people actually listen and latch on and the band begins to take on new meaning. All of a sudden there are expectations and pressure, real or imagined, to change who you are. It was important to us, when making this record, not to give in to that pressure.”

What happens when a seemingly irresistible force meets an immovable object is a serviceable metaphor for the music METZ creates, both live and on record. Now behold II, the concussive new full-length from what is arguably North America’s finest touring rock band. Written and recorded in 2014, after two years of constant touring behind their rightly adored self-titled debut, II is METZ at their most true to form—as pure an expression of what they do as can currently be committed to tape. The guitars are titanic, the drums ill-tempered, the vocals chilling, and the volume worrisome. Though they incorporated new instruments, (baritone guitar, tape loops, piano, synth, found sounds) and stretched out the arrangements, they still managed to “stay true to what made us tick in the first place: that immediacy,” Edkins calls it. “If it punches you in the gut.”

And does it ever. From the exhilarating grind of “Spit You Out” to the blunt-force thrills of “Landfill,” herein reside 10 songs as uncompromising in their ferocity and abrasiveness as any collection this record label has had the pleasure of releasing to date. To accomplish such a sound, the band forced itself to stay home and write for the better part of six months. Tracking was done in three different studios, in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario, including the same barn where much of METZ had been painstakingly assembled. While said predecessor was often “clean and clinical,” II is what Edkins describes as a “much heavier, darker, and sloppier” affair, with many of its roughest edges and ugliest tones kept intact. Its lyrical matter, Edkins notes, stems from a year of loss and doubt, of contemplating our relationships with death and the planet. “I consider myself a pretty massive pessimist, but a pessimist who knows how lucky he is,” he says. “A lot of things in everyday life drive me crazy: how we relate to each other; how politics, media, technology, money and medication influence our lives. This band, in a lot of ways, is an outlet.” 

What we’re left with is the sound of an already monstrous band improving in both subtle and terrifying ways.“We take our noise and our feedback very seriously,” Edkins says. “The more we do this, the more we realize there’s no such thing as right or wrong in music. It comes down to feel. And if it feels good, it works. This time we sorta said, ‘This is who we are. We are not going to clean up our sound, we are not going to hire a big producer, we are not going to try to write a radio song. We are going to be honest and leave the warts for all to see. We are really happy with how it turned out.”

As are we." - Sub Pop
 

LP - Blanck Mass - Dumb Flesh - Clear Vinyl 2xLP

 
$18.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN



LP - Blanck Mass - Dumb Flesh 2xLP

 
$18.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN



CD - Blanck Mass - Dumb Flesh

 
$9.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

"Benjamin John Power's newest solo offering as Blanck Mass, Dumb Flesh, was written, produced and recorded in a number of different locations over the space of a year. It began life in Fuck Buttons' 'Space Mountain' studio, moved into a windowless attic space in Hatch End, North London, then was finished up at Ben's new home in Edinburgh. The geographical spread of the sessions is reflected in the shifting landscapes of the tracks and the ever-changing sound-palette used to realize Dumb Flesh as an expansive body of work.

As a work of art, Dumb Flesh is a comment on the flaws of the human form in its current evolutionary state. The frailty of the human body naturally became a resonant and inescapable part of the album's gestation. "We are at the mercy of our genetic heritage everyday. No matter how intelligent we are compared to other life forms, we're still made up of the same building blocks and things can go very wrong". In particular, the first single 'Dead Format' reflects upon this reality, whilst 'Atrophies' and 'Detritus' acknowledge the organic decay we will all inevitably succumb to." - Sacred Bones Records
 

LP - Fall - Levitate - Import

 
$17.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

"An LP reissue of their long out of print 1997 release, this one is especially noisy and experimental, incorporating some drum'n'bass influences. Original artwork, Euro import."
 

LP - Guantanamo Baywatch - Darling... It's Too Late

 
$14.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN
 


CD - Guantanamo Baywatch - Darling... It's Too Late

 
$9.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

"With Darling... It’s Too Late, Guantanamo Baywatch sought to harness and manipulate the sparkling sounds from yesteryear, all while staying true to the tape hiss and rough takes of analog recording. “We really wanted a mixtape compilation sound to the record,” says Powell, and that approach can be heard in both the songwriting and the production. According to Powell, each individual song was approached with all the amps and the EQs on the recording console zeroed out. That meant that every song was recorded with a new template. The title track and lead single, “Too Late”, perfectly captures this new aesthetic. With Burger Records soul singer Curtis Harding contributing backing vocals and rounding out the classic Motown ballad vibe of the track, “Too Late” is an enormous departure from the trashy Mummies-esque ruckus of their earlier recordings. Of course, the band hasn’t completely abandoned the rowdy surf rock of their previous releases—Powell put the finishing touches on the album back at his Jungle Muscles Studio in Portland to keep that rough-hewn feel intact. But even when he and his bandmates Chevelle Wiseman (bass) and Chris Scott (drums) tread on their familiar territory with songs like “Raunch Stomp” or their cover of Eddie & The Showmen’s “Mr. Rebel”, there’s a newfound clarity, punch, and swagger to their sound. Throughout the course of Darling... It’s Too Late the trio continues to fuck with various subgenres, from the dusty Western twang of “Corey Baum’s Theme” to the straight-outta-Sun Studios rocker “Do What You Want.”"- Suicide Squeeze Records
 

LP - Hole - Live Through This - Import

 
$17.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

"The European vinyl issue of their 1994 second album, this was only released on CD in the US. Original artwork, Euro import."
 

LP - Holydrug Couple - Moonlust

 
$14.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN
 


CD - Holydrug Couple - Moonlust

 
$9.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

"The Holydrug Couple began in Santiago, Chile in 2008, a little over a half-decade after Ives and Manu met for the first time. The two young friends hadn't seen each other in a few years when Manu texted Ives to tell him that he bought a drum kit. They started jamming, and a week later, the band was formed. A flurry of songwriting activity followed, culminating in 2011's Ancient Land EP and 2013's Noctuary, both released on Sacred Bones. Moonlust boldly treads territory that those earlier psych-indebted recordings only hinted at, especially the dreamy French movie soundtracks of the '70s and '80s and the discography of Serge Gainsbourg." - Sacred Bones Records
 

LP - Kenny Knight - Crossroads

 
$19.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN
 


CD - Kenny Knight - Crossroads

 
$9.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

"The first-ever reissue of the private-press country-rock rarity by Colorado auto body painter, Marine, and garage band lifer Kenny Knight—he played in the original ’60s Black Flag—Crossroads recalls a homebrew American Beauty-era Grateful Dead in its world-weary, low-key mood and indelible songwriting. Faded, anxious, melancholy, and beautifully woozy, this out-of-time document belies its 1980 release date. Produced in cooperation with Numero Group, it features liner notes by writer and collector Michael Klausman and Kenny himself.

I met up with Kenny Knight in the parking lot of a Guitar Center at the southern end of Denver a couple years back. He was there to drop off a guitar that needed to be repaired, and I took that as a sign that he was still involved with music. He did confirm that was the case, for which I was glad. Despite the intervening decades since Kenny had released his sole LP, it was easy to recognize him as he stepped out of his pickup truck; although his hair was shorter, he still retained the compact frame and thoughtful gaze you see on the cover of Crossroads. He struck me as being somewhat shy and diffident, a person who values his privacy and probably wary about some random guy being interested in the music he’d made long ago.

About a year and half before our meeting, I came across Kenny’s record sitting in the bins at a shop in Denver, and it just had that look: sepia tones, a rugged guy hanging off a train, all original songs, a pedal steel player in the credits. Promising stuff, the only thing I was unsure about was its 1980 release. Yet from the first couple of notes I was totally elated, for these were beautifully well-crafted songs, timeless, really, and impossible to date if it hadn’t been for the copyright on the back of the LP cover. It turned out there was nary a mention to be found on Google of this album, and none of my collector friends had ever seen it. Now, I realize there’s nothing more obnoxious than reading liner notes which paint some self-aggrandizing portrait of the heroic record-digger, and that’s certainly not what I’m trying to do here. The fact of the matter is this LP and its songs, which are simply undeniable; if I hadn’t picked up Crossroads and passed it around, it would only have been a matter of time before someone else did.

There’s a very singular combination of world-weariness and hope running throughout Crossroads, a still timely grappling with the realities of getting by in this country. You can hear it most clearly in “America,” which is at turns a paean to this nation, as well a plea to it: “don’t lock me out.” This juggling of sophisticated dualities extends even to his love songs, as on “One Down” (possibly the album’s finest track, and one which could sit comfortably next to American Beauty’s best), where he asks, “how much can one heart take?” while still acknowledging that he’ll “stay in love forever more.”

As so often is the case, life got in the way of Kenny’s music, and even after crafting such a perfect LP, his hopes and dreams would remain unrealized, with family obligations and service to his country ultimately having to take precedence. As we talked in that Guitar Center parking lot, I discovered a quietly humble man, proud of the album he’d made and seemingly appreciative that I’d expressed interest, that the folks for whom I’d been playing it also thought it was great. It was sadly obvious, though, that he didn’t think Crossroads had received the reception he felt it had deserved; he told me rather regretfully that he had tossed all the leftover copies of the pressing into a dumpster at some point during the 1990s. And while he didn’t expressly say it, I got the sense that he had no other choice but to throw them out, as if he just couldn’t face the album’s commercial failure any longer. Some records take a while to find their audience, however, and Crossroads is one of them; it’s just a matter of holding on.

Michael Klausman
Longmont, Colorado
January 2015" - Paradise Of Bachelors
 

LP - Kraftwerk - Autobahn - Colored Vinyl - Import

 
$19.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

"A blue vinyl pressing of their 1974 uber-classic that laid the groundwork for all the electrofunk, electro-ambient and synth to come. We suspect this will use the UK artwork, but we'll see. Euro import."
 

LP - L7 - Bricks Are Heavy - 2015 Reissue

 
$21.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

"Bricks Are Heavy was the third album by L7 originally released in 1992. Produced by BUTCH VIG, Bricks Are Heavy is somewhat poppier with more focused songwriting than their previous LPs and was the bands breakthrough album fueled by the success of the single "Pretend We're Dead." L7 was often associated with the then raging grunge movement (even though they were from L.A.) and it's not hard to see why as the album features abrasive, sledgehammer guitar riffs and plenty of heavy rockers with the songs "Wargasm,” "Slide," and "Everglade." The group emphasized their feminist and Riot Grrrl side with "This Ain't Pleasure" and "Diet Pill." First domestic release on vinyl for this early ‘90s alternative classic." - Plain Recordings
 

LP - My Bloody Valentine - Kiss The Eclipse  - Import

 
$17.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

"This collects all 18 tracks from 4 different mid-'80s 12" EPs: "The New Record by My Bloody Valentine" (1986), "Sunny Sundae Smile" (1987), "Strawberry Wine" (1987), and "Ecstasy" (1987). Great full color glossy cover art reproduces the covers of all four EPs. Color vinyl pressing, Euro import."
 

LP - Nirvana - At The End Of Lonely Street - Import

 
$16.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

" A collection of demo recordings from 1989 through 1992, never before released on vinyl.  Some tracks were recorded in bedrooms while the band was still playing bars, others (with excellent pro sound) in studios while they were touring the world, this includes "If You Must," "Pen Cap Chew," "Dive," "They Hung Him on a Cross," "Token Eastern Song," "Polly," "Here She Comes Now," "Even in His Youth," "Aneurysm," "Ain't It a Shame," "Blandest," "Pay to Play," "Drain You," and "Grey Goose." Packaged in a stickered, fine full color photo sleeve, with a pressing limited to only 750 copies. Extra-heavy 200 gram vinyl, Italian import."
 

LP - Onyou - Ultimum Photon A Sole

 
$14.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

"ONYOU have been stirring around the Chicago scene for a multitude of years now. The band has spent hundreds of hours laboring away in their underground layer perfecting their noxious brew. During that time they have appeared on the surface briefly to litmus test the toxicity through heavily dosed live performances. Seemly as rare as a hen’s tooth, those lucky enough to experience onYou first hand, walk away shrouded in sweat and subsequently drippy nightmares. These boy’s don’t mess around, they stoke the flames of some seriously fucked up psychosis and hypnogogia. We have been drinking onYou’s brew for years, telling everyone in the aftermath how necessary the experience is. Having dropped six releases for Captcha Records, Ultimum Photon A Sole is the card they’ve held close to their chest for the last year, perfecting it week after week. The result is a very heady ethereal and tribal record that veers to the darkside with mantric vocals, heavy guitar shredding and dual drumming. Skillfully traversing a massive ascent to the peak of the aside, summiting this album features onYou at the top of their game. Heads will tremble when this batch of psych gets mainlined. Freaks jonesing for bands like Les Rallizes Dénudés and CAN will find close company in onYou. Limited edition of 500 copies on electric blue / cyan split vinyl." - Captcha
 

LP - PJ Harvey - Uh Huh Her - Import

 
$17.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

"Only ever issued on LP in Britain, this was her dark and raw 2004 album. Original artwork, UK import."
 

LP - Prefuse 73 - Rivington Nao Rio

 
$14.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN
 


CD - Prefuse 73 - Rivington Nao Rio

 
$9.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

"Rivington Nao Rio revels in the kind of compassionate complexity that marks Prefuse 73's greatest works, with a profound new element added to the mix: Patience. Herren's ability to marry the manic to the melodic has always been uncanny, but here it feels downright magical as the songs inhale with his trademark sense of urgency... then exhale in longer, more revealing breaths. The prismatic textures that have long been a staple of Prefuse 73 are bound to beats and melodies with the spirit of hip-hop and the subtlety of modern minimalism. The album's guests treat the material with a hushed respect: Roc Nation songwriter and Jessie Ware collaborator Sam Dew turns "Infrared" into a sublimely soulful, dimly-lit portrait of inverted R&B;\013Milo & Busdriver's vicious, rapid-fire verses contrast a pastoral downbeat to brilliant effect; and elsewhere, Pinback's Rob Crow and Latin electronic-folk crooner Helado Negro navigate splintered tropics with passive grace. As a stand-alone album, Rivington Nao Rio ranks extraordinarily high in the Prefuse 73 canon. As a centerpiece to an epic triptych that includes the Forsyth Gardens and Every Color of Darkness EPs, it's a new peak from a pioneer who appears to only just now be hitting his prime. For an artist who has played an undeniably integral role in the careers of so many influential artists, it's not just refreshing to hear him return to top form... it's revelatory." - Temporary Residence Ltd.
 

LP - Replacements - Stink - Import

 
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"Their 1982 eight-song 12", this is more rough, noisy and chaotic semi-hardcore punk in the vein of their first LP (with the exception of just 2 songs), with Westerberg venting his pissed-off-ness on school, trying to find a job, and other high school irritants. Out of print on vinyl for a couple of decades, this dedicated reproduction of the original comes with hand-stamped covers and the original label art. Limited pressing of 500 copies."
 

LP - Screamers - Strength Through Intimidation - Import

 
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Killer 1978 Geza X demos from the legendary synth damaged LA punks the Screamers. One of the most important punk bands of all time, who never got around to releasing an LP, but this comp will more than satiate you.  RECOMMENDED!!!!!!
 

LP - Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Demos - Import

 
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"Just exactly which demos we don't know (no liner notes!), but these fine quality live-in-the-studio tracks include "Holidays in the Sun," "Liar," "No Feelings," "God Save the Queen," "Did You No Wrong," "Belsen was a Gas," "Seventeen," "Anarchy in the UK," "Bodies," "Pretty Vacant," "EMI," and a full-on Pistols version of "Religion," which eventually became a PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. song. Lots of minor variations and between-song goofing around. Cover art closely follows "Never Mind the Bollocks." Euro import."
 

LP - Smiths - The Pablo Cuckoo Tape - Import

 
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" This rough demo, recorded on cassette in May 1983 in their manager's clothing warehouse, was made just for producer Troy Tate to give him something to work with before going into the studio. Songs include "Accept Yourself," "What Difference Does It Make," "Reel Around the Fountain," "You've Got Everything Now," "These Things Take Time," "I Don't Owe You Anything," "Hand in Glove," "Handsome Devil," and "Miserable Lie." A bit rough at times, but considering it was recorded on a cassette deck with a stereo mic pointing into the room, the quality is quite good and the band is cookin', giving us a look into the band's early evolution. Packaged in a nicely designed blue & black board jacket, in a limited pressing of only 500 copies. Heavy 200 gram vinyl, German import."
 

LP - Surfer Blood - 1000 Palms

 
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CD - Surfer Blood - 1000 Palms

 
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"1000 Palms marks a return to Surfer Blood's DIY ethos. Abandoning the big time studio, the band decided to head back home to self-record and self-produce their third full-length album. Free of major-label-influence, Surfer Blood has delivered a uniquely compelling album, unlike anything in their catalog.

The story of 1000 Palms began on January 1st 2014, after playing a New Year's show in Portland, OR. The band decided to stick around for the rest of the month, renting a practice space and sorting through a backlog of ideas. By February, as their lease ran out, Surfer Blood had recorded demos for most of the tracks that are now featured on their third LP.

After a frustrating time at their previous home, Warner Brothers, the quartet was beyond ready to return to a more DIY recording process, completely void of the middlemen scrutinizing every bar of previous LP, Pythons. With the band self-recording, it was in the glamorous setting of an attic studio above a doctor's office where drums were committed to tape. Of the work, frontman John Paul Pitts states "fortunately none of us are strangers to DIY recording, so this seemed like the kind of challenge well-suited to our band".

The making of 1000 Palms also owes a lot to the kindness of friends and family, with the remaining instrument sessions taking place at the home of drummer Tyler Schwartz's parents, while they were on vacation. Following a few days of very little sleep and after the band pooled resources and called in favors, the band had managed to craft everything you now hear on the upcoming record." - Joyful Noise Recordings
 

LP - Undertones - Undertones - Colored Vinyl - Import

 
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"Their 1979 debut LP has often been called Ireland's most sublime piece of pop-punk ever, thanks to straight-as-an-arrow pop melodies and Feargal Sharkey's quivering vocals. Number one fan John Peel referred to their 1977 "Teenage Kicks" EP as his favorite record of all time, and this special expanded reissue includes 3 songs from that 7" ("Teenage Kicks," "Smarter Than U," and "Emergency Cases") as bonus tracks, as well as the entire "Get Over You" 7" ("Get Over You," "Really Really" and "She Can Only Say No") plus "Mars Bars" from their April 1979 "Jimmy Jimmy" 7". Most likely the original artwork. Euro import."
 

LP - Various Artists - Glamstains Vol. 2: Rebels Rule - Import

 
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" More "all killer, no filler" rare, obscure and hard-rockin' glam and proto-punk tracks of the 1970s collected from impossible-to-find 7"s! This one includes contributions from THE BOSTON BOPPERS, PLASTIC FEET, ANGEL, MERLIN, GANG, FLOATING OPERA, THE PANICS, ABACUS, BITCH, SHABBY TIGER, CRUNCH, BIG JOHN'S ROCK'N'ROLL CIRCUS, LIGHT FANTASTIC, and BUSTER. We don't yet know about cover art, but if it's similar to the last it will include reductions of the original singles plus liner notes for each track. Euro import."
 
 

CD - Weather Station - Loyalty

 
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"In excess virtue lies danger, or at least limits to pragmatic action—it’s a lesson hard learned by anyone disillusioned by the erosion of youthful mythologies. Strict fealty to a fixed ideal of identity doesn’t do us any favors as adults. Loyalty, the third and finest album yet by The Weather Station (and the first for Paradise of Bachelors) wrestles with these knotty notions of faithfulness/faithlessness—to our idealism, our constructs of character, our memories, and to our family, friends, and lovers—representing a bold step forward into new sonic and psychological inscapes. It’s a natural progression for Toronto artist Tamara Lindeman’s acclaimed songwriting practice. Recorded at La Frette Studios just outside Paris in the winter of 2014, in close collaboration with Afie Jurvanen (Bahamas) and Robbie Lackritz (Feist), the record crystallizes her lapidary songcraft into eleven emotionally charged vignettes and intimate portraits, redolent of fellow Canadians Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and David Wiffen, but utterly her own." - Paradise Of Bachelors
 

LP - White Eyes - White Eyes

 
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"Hailing from the Show-Me State, White Eyes lugged their heavy psych and harmony-clad ballads across the Midwest, honing their live set wherever audiences were abundant. Whether it be the famed Cowtown Ballroom in Kansas City or the nearest American Legion, the quintet of long-haired bohemians loaded a double bass drum set, a wall of Marshall amplifiers, and a array of acoustic guitars into their 1953 Cadillac hearse to deliver their impeccable stage show across the plains.

Despite years of relentless gigging, White Eyes never caught their break. This previously issued LP, recorded between the fall of 1969 and 1970, was originally intended as a demo for talent buyers and industry prospectors. Well-crafted arrangements and pro-sounding production make this an exceptional piece of lost psychedelic pop." - Numero Group
 

LP - X-Ray Spex - Germfree Adolescents - Colored Vinyl - Import

 
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"A new vinyl reissue of their great, classic, hook-filled and rockin' album from 1978, this is indisputably one of the top highlights of '70s punk, with not a bit of filler in sight. Plus, this new reissue will include 4 bonus tracks: "Oh Bondage Up Yours" and "I am a Cliche" from their Oct. 1977 debut 7", as well as "Age" from their Oct. 1978 third 7" and "Highly
Inflammable" from their April 1979 final 7". Original artwork, Euro import."
 

CD - Juan Wauters - Who Me?

 
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"Who Me? is the next chapter in the ongoing story of Juan Wauters. Whereas his debut solo record was recorded casually over the course of one year, his new album was crafted in under two weeks at Future Apple Tree in Rock Island, Illinois. Inspired by both the arrangements of Uruguayan songwriter Jaime Roos and the production of American master Dr. Dre, this collection of songs presents his continued approach to existential questioning through pop music. Tracks like "She Might Get Shot" and "I Was Well," which may seem like wisdom addressed to the listener, are in fact part of Juan's reciprocal process of self-actualization through songwriting and performing. Bringing new sounds to his repertoire, "This Is I" and "Through That Red" add a spiritual tone with ethereal string arrangements. Juan's voice - which has risen to the forefront of his music since his first recordings with The Beets - intensifies with added nuance. This year Juan Wauters will continue to tour the world in support of his second solo record." - Captured Tracks
 

7in - Blast - Damned Flame b/w Hope

 
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"Originating from the improbable city of Mons, this Belgian power trio was responsible for one of the fastest, rawest records of the pre-punk era. Recorded in the summer of 1972, it sits alongside the savage Stooges classic 'I got a right' as one of the most fully realised early '70s examples of what would later be classified as punk and hardcore. Some people might also consider Blast's music to be proto-thrash metal or proto-metal punk, but all there really is to know is that they were way ahead of their time regardless of the label! With this reissue, we hope that Blast will finally be getting the recognition and respect they deserve, because this record should be, and will soon be, legendary!
Originally released in early 1973, only 300-500 copies of this historical recording were ever pressed, and it's always been as rare as snake’s legs. Finally reissued in cooperation with the band by Death Vault, this long-overdue new deluxe repress comes in an extra thick jacket with 14” x 7” glossy insert, featuring unseen pictures and liner notes written by singer/bassist Antonio Cucchiara. Once again it's a limited run of only 500 copies, including 100 on translucent green for mailorder only, so don't sleep on this killer proto punk beast!" - Death Vault
 

7in - MAMA - Night Shoot - Color Wax 2x7in Box

 
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"Without being nostalgic retreads, Mama manage to evoke middle-western pinball summers of Bondoed ’81 Camaro Z28s, drive-in beer binges, and epic finger bangs under the bleachers.
“Night Shoot”—produced by George and Alex Szegedy from the Peoples Temple—has plenty of focused Lynott vocal and bass propulsion and dark Nielsen guitar hooks, but there’s an aggression to the sound born not of majoring in “Classic Rock” with a “Power-Pop Emphasis,” but rather of years spent honing their shit in the booze-sweat-piss-and-Adderall magik of the house-show circuit."
-Brian Costello" - Automatic Recordings
 

7in - Mummies - 1994 Peel Sessions - Import

 
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"Last seen about 6 years ago, here's five totally killer tracks from this outrageous San Francisco surf/garage punk outfit, recorded for John Peel's BBC Radio One show in 1994: "The Fly," "The Ballad of Iron Eyes Cody," "Just One More Dance," "Baba Diddy Baby,"and "High Heel Sneakers." A limited edition import, pressed on color vinyl."
 

Tape - Saki - I Just Popped Off

 
$4.99 → BUY NOW LISTEN

"The story begins for South Florida producer SAKI with the debut release of I JUST POPPED OFF. Six cuts of raw and deep Miami Beach nite-time sweat. Kinky DIY productions drip and swirl not unlike early TRAX records joints. Pro-dubbed chrome cassettes housed in a heavy-stock slipcase and 7-Panel J-card. Green and Black Risoprint on Pink paper. 50 Copies." - Non Porous
 

QUALITY USED GOODS CHICAGO

Man Or Astro-Man Is It.. $29.99
Harry Pussy Ride A Dove $29.99
Arab Strap Philophobia $49.99
Link Wray Be What You Want To $29.99
St. John Green s/t $39.99
Imperial Dogs Unchained Maladies Live! 1974-75 $49.99
Verlaines Juvenilia $39.99
Michael Rother Flammende Herren $39.99
Uncle Tupelo 89/93: An Anthology $49.99
Harry Nilsson Nilsson Sings Newman $39.99
The Troggs Wild Thing (Mono) $29.99
Loop Eternal The Singles 1988 $39.99
Damnation Of Adam Blessing s/t $29.99
Georgia Sea Island Songs Georgia Sea Island Songs $29.99
Come Don't Ask Don't Tell $49.99
Verlaines Hallelujah All The Way Home $29.99
Ekstasis Life In The Shadows $29.99
Novalis Branished Bridge $29.99
Garnet Mimms I'll TakeGood Care Of You WLP $49.99
Alan Vega s/t $39.99
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Your Funeral… …My Trial $49.99
Smiths Meat Is Murder $29.99
Groundhogs Who Will Save The World? $29.99
May Blitz s/t $99.99
The Last Fade To Black (Still Sealed) $49.99
Dinosaur Jr Bug $39.99
Arthur Lee Vindicator $39.99
Public Enemy It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back $29.99
Miles Davis E.S.P. $29.99
Dwayne Smith Get Directly Down $49.99
Stepson s/t $49.99
John Coltrane Standard Coltrane $29.99
Thelonious Monk Genius Of Modern Music Volume One $29.99
Thelonious Monk Genius Of Modern Music Volume Two $29.99
Thelonious Monk Quartet Monk's Dream $29.99
DA Time Will Be Kind (Sealed) $29.99
Heldon Stand By $49.99
Funkadelic Cosmic Slop $29.99
Nina Simone Wild Is The Wind $49.99
Shangri-Las 65! $49.99
Art Blakey A Night At Bird Land Volume 2 $29.99
UFO Space Metal $29.99

QUALITY USED GOODS LOS ANGELES

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath (white label promo) $29.99
Deer Tick Black Dirt Sessions $49.99
Cabaret Voltaire Red Mecca $29.99
Can Flow Motion $29.99
Clinic Walking With Thee $29.99
Civil Wars Barton Hollow (Signed) $49.99
David Bowie The Man Who Sold the World $29.99
Miles Davis Nefertiti $29.99
v/a Cottage Chees from the Lips of Death: a Texas Hardcore Compilation (Still Sealed) $29.99
Chameleons John Peel Sessions (Still Sealed) $29.99
Francoise Hardy Ma Jeunesse Fout le Camp.. $39.99
Heldon IV $29.99
Leyland Kirby When We Parted My Heart Wanted to Die (Part 1) $29.99
Mississippi John Hurt Today $29.99
Mississippi John Hurt the Imortal $29.99
Jimi Hendrix Band of Gipsies $29.99
McDonald and Giles McDonald and Giles $49.99
Lifestream Land of HU (Private Press Cosmic Folk) $29.99
Mummies Party at Steve's House (Still Sealed) $49.99
Major Accident Massacred Melodies $29.99
My Bloody Valentine Sunny Sundae Smile $149.99
Love Forever Changes $99.99
Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back $29.99
Iggy Pop The Idiot $29.99
Metallica Master of Puppets $29.99
Pink Floyd Saucerful of Secrets $39.99
Ramones Rocket to Russia $29.99
Riechmann Wunderbar $39.99
Skinny Puppy VIVIsecVI $29.99
Suns of Arqa Revenge of the Mozabites $39.99
Michael Rother Katzenmusik $39.99
Six Finger Satellite Law of Ruins $39.99
Sam Samudio Sam, Hard and Heavy $29.99
v/a RE:Generation $49.99
Red Hot Chili Peppers Mother's Milk $29.99
Skatt Bros. Walk the Night (12" Promo) $29.99
v/a Sound of Hollywood 3 $29.99
Nikki Sudden & Rowland S. Howard Kiss You Kidnapped Charabanc $29.99
Suicide Suicide $79.99
Alan Vega Alan Vega $29.99
V.3 Photograph Burns $69.99
Tom Waits Heartattack and Vine $29.99
Wigwam Nuclear Nightclub $29.99
Robert Wyatt Old Rottenhat $29.99

UPCOMING CHICAGO IN-STORES & EVENTS

UPCOMING LOS ANGELES IN-STORES & EVENT

 
  • 5/23/2015
    Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds
    6:30 PM * FREE/ALL AGES
     
  • 5/30/2015
    Socialites
    6:30 PM * FREE/ALL AGES
     
  • 7/11/2015
    Gel Set // Matchess
    6:30 PM * FREE/ALL AGES
     
  • 7/18/2015
    MELKBELLY
    6:30 PM * ALL AGES
    FREE
*** ALL shows are FREE and ALL AGES unless noted otherwise ***