An Even Longer Overdue Update

Not too long after my last post the house market in San Diego County had tanked and I began a quest to find a house to buy. So not much happened during the period regarding music purchases. I'm still getting a monthly 7" from Sub Pop and started a second monthly series with Volcom Entertainment. Other than that, my music purchases are few and far between these days.

There have been some great albums released. The new one from Alice In Chains was a nice surprise. I had no expectations for it and think it's a well done album. They work in the new guy nicely over the course of the record.

The new Porcupine Tree album is a long concept piece that has excellent variation over the course of the 55 minutes. Looks like Deadwing was their only bump in the road.

Sunn O)))'s 'Monoliths & Dimensions' couldn't have a better titled as the album has both in spades. I'm really liking where they went with the collaborations and new instrumentation.

Clutch's new one hasn't quite clicked with me like their last two albums but it's a solid effort.

The Mars Volta have finally released something that is relatively accessible while still retaining their sound. A solid album but I think the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Band is the real new TMV album since it's pretty much the same band and is all over the map.

Big Business' first album as a trio is good but I dislike one of the tracks and it's a short album so I'm not quite in love with it like their last album.

Les Claypool's latest has a weird, organic percussion sound that shows some progression from his other solo albums.

A couple fine records from Cave and Eternal Tapestry round out the new purchases with some quality psych-rock jams. I think I'm liking this year better for music.

Back To Lou's

Now that summer is over with and traffic on the freeway is not insane, I finally made a trip to Lou's Records in search of some new releases. All but one of the CDs was a recent release and I managed to score some good vinyl.

CDs:
Area C - Haunt
Kawabata Makoto - INUI 4
Nadja - Radiance Of Shadows
Om - Pilgrimage
Deathspell Omega - Kenose

Vinyl:
Oren Ambarchi - Stacte Motors
Oren Ambarchi & Scott Horscroft / Hado Ho - Split
Big Business - Here Come The Waterworks (gold vinyl)
GHQ - California Night Burning Dreams (plus 3" CD-R)
LSD March - Shindara Jigoku
Silvester Anfang - Echte Vlaamse Geiten

Arriving the mail during the weak was another vinyl release from Three Lobed Recordings. Under the name of Basalt Fingers, Elisa Ambrogio, Ben Chasny and Brian Sullivan play some improvised guitar-only music that take up both sides of the record. I previewed a bit of the music just hear what it was like (different from what I expected) so I still need to sit down with this one for a spin. Love the fact that a pressed CD of the vinyl material has been included with the silk screened packaging.

Amoeba Music

No trip to San Francisco is complete without a trip to Amoeba Music. I could have spent all weekend in the store browsing the records, CDs and DVDs. Lou's Records is great, but the selection at Amoeba is unbelievable. I tried to buy mostly albums that were rare, that I couldn't at Lou's or those having a cheaper price than Lou's. Now to the long list, which was a deal considering many of those were cheap:

CDs:

Big Business - Head For The Shallow
Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum
KTL - KTL 2
Tetuzi Akiyama - Pre-Existence
Tom Waits - Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits - Heartattack And Vine
Tom Waits - The Black Rider

LPs:

Yawning Man - Pot Head (10")
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bayou Country
Causa Sui - Causa Sui (2LP)
Brant Bjork And The Bros - Saved By Magic (2LP)
Tool - Opaite
Tool - Undertow (2LP)

Round Up

Since I was expecting a couple of orders to arrive and I planned on hitting up Lou's Records, I decided to do an end of the week round up of recently acquired records and CDs.

Middian - Age Eternal (CD)*
YOB - The Unreal Never Lived (CD)
A Silver Mt. Zion - Born Into Trouble As The Sparks Fly Upward (CD)
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. - Myth Of The Love Electrique (CD)
Big Business - Here Come The Waterworks (CD)*
Blackfield - Blackfield II (CD)*
Do Make Say Think - Goodbye Enemy Airship The Landlord Is Dead (CD)
Do Make Say Think - & Yet & Yet (CD)
Do Make Say Think - Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn (CD)
Do Make Say Think - You, You're A History In Rust (CD)*
Ghost - In Stormy Night (CD)*
Orange Goblin - Thieving From The House Of God (CD)
Brant Bjork - Tres Dias (LP)*

* 2007 release

As noted there are quite a few albums from this year. So far this year has had a much better start than 2006 did. Some fine releases in the first 2 1/4 months that will surely make the best of 2007 more difficult.