Long Overdue Update

A new batch of Archive discs arrived earlier in the week. Being the Archive fanatic that I am, I bought the limited edition LP+CD for the Hasegawa & Igler release and the lathe cut 7"+CD for the Zaika release. Some excellent instrumental music from both. Hasegawa & Igler create some noisey, psychedelic-like sounds that go to the verge of harsh noise but they manage to keep it listenable. Zaiaka is the duo of Tom Carter and Marcia Bassett who create some spacey, haunting sounds.

Other new music arriving was the huge double LP, single CD release by Three Lobed of Sunburned Hand Of The Man's 'A Grand Tour Of Tunisia'. The CD is a live set called 'London Zero' that features some Beat-like poetry with sparse instrumentation throughout. The double LP on the other hand is a free folk, psych-tinged adventure. I also picked up the new Mastodon album with the DVD that has a documentary on the making of the album. It's a different sound from them as they were going for a classic progressive rock sound.

From Sub Pop's subscription series, singles from Arthur & Yu, Tyvek and Circle have showed up. I started a new 7" series with Volcom Entertainment and the first edition is a split between Kandi Coded and Valis.

On the gear front, I've added a Agile 2000 guitar to the mix. It's a Gibson Les Paul style guitar with a flamed top. For effects pedals, I've added the Devi Ever Bit and MXR Bass Auto Q Wah to the mix. I built up a Cream Pie boost/overdrive and combined it with a clone of Electro-Harmonix's Mole/Hog's Foot bass boost. I've found it to be a great combination that works very well with my fuzz pedals. I'm also working on an original project that generates different waveforms where you can modulate the amplitude and frequency.

Order From All That Is Heavy

Colour Haze's latest album All has finally arrived on double vinyl. Elektrohasch does a great job with their vinyl, making sure that the original analogue recording stays analog. I've been enjoying the album on CD and can't wait to hear it on their best format.

CDs that came included the latest from Peru's La Ira de Dios, Elektrohasch's reissue of Josiah's self-titled album (with two bonus tracks) and Wall Of Sleep's Sun Faced Apostles (as the freebie).

The Week's Haul

Arriving earlier in the week was the latest from Three Lobed Recordings. A three-sided LP from Enos Slaughter who features members from Sunburned Hand Of The Man and No Neck Blues Band. The two LPs come on heavy 180g vinyl and a CD of the material is included as well. The music is rather hard to describe as I haven't heard any of the group's previous material. They take acoustic instruments and make a junkyard-like brand of folk music. It's going take more listens to get a handle on what they are doing since no traditional sound structures are used.

From the fantastic distro and label Eclipse Records came a bunch of new releases and reissues. Tompkins Square has reissued a bunch of early material from James Blackshaw that has long been out of print so I ordered the albums I didn't already have. In order to get everything I can get my hands on by Raccoo-oo-oon, I bought my first cassette tape in 13 or so years. The tape is entry number 4 in their Mythos Folkways series. Rounding out the order are a couple of LPs, the latest from Belgium's Silvester Anfang and a pervious CD-R only release from Six Organs Of Admittance.

New Important Records

A monster package from Important Records has finally arrived. Coil's The Ape Of Naples has finally received a release on vinyl thanks to a 4LP box set. The original album takes up three one-sided LPs with the fourth LP featuring unreleased songs on both sides. Credit to Important Records for using plenty of packaging to protect the set and shipping the records outside of the sleeves - everything arrived in immaculate shape. This set is HEAVY. The vinyl is on thick red vinyl with the four records housed in a thick box with nice graphic work. In the end it was worth the steep price tag for such a great album.

As coming in the box is the latest(?) from Birchville Cat Motel. It's always hard to keep up with all of Campbell Kneales releases. Also is a double disc live set from Rameses III who put out an excellent EP on ImpRec last year. The first disc features some remixes from live material and the second disc appears to be a suite.

Old And New From Hydra Head And New Not Not Fun

I put in a massive order to Hydra Head for some new releases and some older albums they have recently gotten back in stock.

The new stuff is Pelican's DVD/3" CD package that includes their recent 'Pink Mammoth' 10" plus an extra track on the CD. The DVD is live footage, interview and video. The other new release is from Ocrilim, guitarist Mick Barr's solo project.

Older albums include the softmore album from Isis' Mike Gallagher's solo project MGR, Lustmord's collaboration with the Melvins' Buzz Osborne, Aaron Turner's solo project House Of Low Culture's full length, Oxbow's CD/DVD compilation, and James Plotkin's Phantomsmasher.

From Not Not Fun Records I received the latest CD from The Goslings, a duo that has really created some interesting works recently. I have high expectations for this one. LPs from Family Underground (the description sounded interesting), the latest from Mudboy and a split between Christina Carter (Charalambides) and Pocahaunted came as well. Lots of new music I've never heard before.

Pair Of AMT Albums And New Stuff From SL

Thanks to the Archive CD distro, the latest releases from Acid Mothers Temple have arrived. The first album is under the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. moniker and is a reissue from a vinyl only album back in 2002 with two bonus tracks. The latest from the Cosmic Inferno version of AMT has an album of new material coming in a nice mini gatefold sleeve with a pop-up.

From Southern Lord came the new CD from Earth which has been in the can for awhile now. When I saw them back in July of last year they were done recording and played a bunch of new tracks. I think they upped the ante with this one.

To celebrate Earth's tour with Sir Richard Bishop, both artists have a new "tour only" split 12" album featuring side-length tracks from Richard and Dylan. Also released was a beautiful picture disk version of Earth's 'Hibernaculum' that comes in a heavy cardboard sleeve. It's definitely one of the better sounding picture disks I've heard.

Last Of 2007 Purchases

I had the itch to go to the record store and pick up some CDs and records at Lou's. I hit up the used section first and finally bought Mr. Bungle's California on CD. On LP I found some nice gems - Frank Zappa's Joe's Garage Act I, The Moody Blues' Seventh Sojourn, and Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow.

In the new store I picked a limited edition 7" from Mick Barr's Octis project and a 10" from Tim Hecker I've never seen before. On CD were 2007 releases from Citay, Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound, and Richard Youngs. Older discs included last years debut from Citay and the collaboration between UP-TIGHT and Makoto Kawabata of Acid Mothers Temple fame.

So coming in the new year will be my Best Of 2007 list along with information on my music project. For Christmas I received an MBox2 Mini from Digidesign that comes with ProTools and loads of plugins. I've working on compositions that center around my two bass guitars and now I'm trying to add new elements into the mix. 'Til next year...

Last Order From ATH In 2007?

With a good sized stack of CDs on my desk, I'm hoping I received my last order from ATH for 2007. It's been one of the best years of music since probably 2004. The only new release that I need to get from this year is the latest from Burning Saviours. Other than that I can't think of any more new albums on my "to buy" list. Here's the latest haul:

CDs
Suma - Suma
Rosetta - Wake/Lift
Lento - Earthern (Deluxe Edition) - This is the latest piece of artwork from the Malleus' Supernatural Cat label and the best looking and constructed one yet.
Golden Death Music - Ephemera Blues (freebie)
VA - Road To Nowhere (freebie)

LPs
The Sword / Witchcraft - Split 12"
Burial Chamber Trio - WVRM 10"

Turkey Week Roundup

Back from a nice Thanksgiving in the mountains, there were some packages waiting for me.

From Crucial Blast were a pair of reissues, that of Grey Daturas' 2004 album 'Dead In The Woods' and a remaster of Skullflower's IIIrd Gatekeeper.

Public Guilt have released the debut full length album from French occult psych rock band Aluk Todolo so I picked that up along with one of the latest albums from Finland's Circle. They also threw in the sampler disc featuring bands on Public Guilt and Implied Sound.

An order from the fantastic label/distro Eclipse Records came a couple of new CDs from Drag City - Sir Richard Bishop's second release of the year 'Polytheistic Fragments' and another new album from Six Organs Of Admittance titled 'Shelter From The Ash' (an appropriate title for where I'm at after 1/3 of the county burned down in October). On vinyl came the latest from Bardo Pond side project Alasehir, a new 45 from Wooden Shjips, and a split 7" from Jack Rose and Silvester Afang.

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.

Robotic Empire

Picked up a CD and double LP from Robotic Empire. After being out print for years now, RE has reissued Isis' epic 'Panopticon' on vinyl. I went for the silver wax. The CD is the self-titled album from Floor, who no longer exist but whose members went on to form Torche. Floor certainly shares a similar sound.

Red Sparowes Debut LP

I bought the repress of the debut double LP from Red Sparowes titled 'At The Soundless Dawn'. The LP features different artwork from the CD version. Robotic Empire did two color variations for it and I went with the "clear with smoke". The wax itself sounds awesome on my system so I couldn't be happier. This was one of my favorite albums from 2005 and still my favorite Red Sparowes release to date.

The Mars Volta and Related Projects

When I was looking at records in Amoeba Records in May I noticed that all of albums, the EP and single of The Mars Volta were all available. For some reason I thought their full length albums were out of print and never bothered to confirm this. Having spent enough money Amoeba I decided to hold off getting their recordings on vinyl. Until now... Also picked up some of The Mars Volta's guitarist's solo recordings and a CD from their dub side project.

LPs:

The Mars Volta - Tremulant EP
The Mars Volta - De-Loused In The Comatorium 2LP
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute 3LP
The Mars Volta - The Widow 12"
The Mars Volta - Amputechture 2LP
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (Picture Disc)
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez & Damo Suzuki - Please Heat This Eventually 12"

CDs:
The Mars Volta - Termulant EP
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Volume One
De Facto - Megaton Shotblast

Catching Up

Been getting lots of new stuff this week, most recently orders in from Eclipse Records and All That's Heavy. Many new albums from this year in this batch. So far 2007 has been a fantastic year of releases. The list of new stuff:

CDs:

Acrimony - Tumuli Shroomaroom
Brant Bjork And The Bros - Somera Sól
Buried At Sea - Migration
Causa Sui - Free Ride
Nadja - Corrasion
Orange Goblin - Healing Through Fire

LPs:

Brant Bjork And The Bros - Somera Sól
Raccoo-oo-oon - Mythos Folkways Vol. 1
Wooden Wand/Hust Arbors - Split 7"
Hush Arbors/Voice Of The Seven Woods - Split 7"

Tequila Sunrise

Philadelphia's Tequila Sunrise Records has released a pair of LPs that were put out by Scott Slimm's Archive CD label and I couldn't resist getting them. Jack Rose's recent untitled/self-titled and LSD March's 'Empty Rubious Red' both come in heavy stock sleeves on 180 gram vinyl. I like the idea of having select Archive albums released on vinyl. I know Slimm mentioned about doing some vinyl releases, but I think he should continue to do the CD (and his current DVD projects) releases with TS doing the vinyl additions.

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)

DNT

I put in order to DNT Records for the latest from Raccoo-oo-oon, who happen to be one of my favorite bands at the moment. Arriving was their new CD 'Behold Secret Kingdom' on Release The Bats, a self-titled 7" from Gilgongo Records and the third entry into their 'Mythos Folkways' LP series on Woodsist. DNT also threw a freebie 7" from Shearing Pinx which was kind of them. I'm always looking for new tunes.

3 Lobed And More

The latest slabs of wax from Three Lobed Recordings and a couple of CDs from At A Loss Recordings arrived on Monday and Tuesday.

Three Lobed does vinyl just the way I like it - on heavy 180g black wax. GHQ's 'Crystal Healing' has a nice gatefold sleeve that feels like it's from the 70's and because I pre-ordered it, a nice 13 minute EP on CD was thrown in as well. I've only listened to it once so far, so I don't have a concrete opinion of it. I will say that it's their most varied release so far and that the title track is fantastic, a great way to close the album. Coming in a dark, hand silk-screened cover was the latest from Yellow Swans (who go by Descension Yellow Swans on this album). Again, only one listen so far. From what I've heard from Yellow Swans, this album is less noisy than their other work.

A big thanks to At A Loss Recordings for releasing the latest album from Blutch, 'Materia', stateside. I'm glad I didn't have to pay the import price for this fine album. The other CD from At A Loss was Minsk's 2005 release 'Out Of A Center Which Is Neither Dead Nor Alive' which I had download but didn't listen to recently. Minsk recently released a new album which I will also checkout in the future. Also a thanks goes out to Stickman Distro who through in some promos with my order.