Trading In The Old For The New

Went down to Lou's Records to trade in some CDs that I'll never listen to again. With the credit for the CDs I was able to pick up some new releases. They had the latest releases from Jandek which I never ordered through Corwood for cheaper so I picked up the lastest live album CD and the double DVD release that includes rehearsal footage that sounds very interesting. The other new releases included a new one from the Melvins, their second with Big Business as the rhythm section. Kayo Dot, despite loosing most of their members have released a jazz-tinged modern prog-rock album - all the metal in their music is finally gone. The lone older release was Ghost's 2004 epic album that I've been meaning to pickup for awhile now.

New At Lou's

I went down to Lou's Records on Friday to return a CD I already had (I can't believe this finally happened) and picked up some new albums.

After a long time between albums, Spiritualized have returned to good form with a new album. So far I like it much better than the past two albums from J. Spaceman and company. Opeth have unleashed a new album with their new guitarist and drummer. Their albums seem to be growers so I'm unsure of where this will rank in their discography. Harvey Milk have followed up their 2006 album (my favorite of that year) with a quality new full length. I'm not sure if it will sit atop my 2008 list but it's great to have them back as a band making records again. Lastly, I finally got around to buying Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' Murder Ballads which has been on my "to buy" list for nearly a decade. I guess it's better late than never.

New Stuff From Lou's

On Friday I went down to Lou's Records to pickup new albums from Boris and The Black Angels that I had pre-ordered. They also had a sale going on and I picked up a bunch albums from Jefferson Airplane, Weather Report, Soundgarden, The Velvet Underground, Rush and Neil Young that have been on my "to buy" list for many years now. I also bought the two full length CDs from Howlin Rain and a Religious Knives disc.

Vinyl purchases included the debut LP from Holy Fuck, a vinyl only release from Gown, Fatso Jetson's live album and a GHQ record they had on sale. A good haul from Lou's.

While I Was Away And A Trip To Lou's

While being out of town for awhile, I got a couple of packages in the mail. The second release from Volcom's 7" split series features the pairing of Witch and Earthless doing exclusive tracks. I have a feeling it will be my favorite of the series. As arriving were a pair of releases from Profound Lore - Half Makeshift's Omen and Nadja's remastered reissue of Bliss Torn From Emptiness.

At Lou's Records I picked some new releases that came out on Tuesday by Nine Inch Nails, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Torche. I also bought newer releases from Silver Mt. Zion, Dead Raven Choir and yet another Nadja reissue.

New Release Tuesday

I hit up Lou's Records yesterday for some new albums that came out in the past month. The newest of the bunch is the latest from Flogging Molly. Been awhile since they've put out a new full-length album so I'm hoping it's as good as their past material.

Last week's new release was a live EP from Porcupine Tree. The live set is actually just Steven Wilson on acoustic and electric guitar and John Wesley helping out on guitar and backing vocals. It's great to hear short versions/stripped down versions of some old PT songs. Definitely an essential release for fans of the band.

The older new releases include softmore albums from Black Mountain and Danava, another solo album from The Mars Volta's Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and a long in the making full-length from the instrumental duo 5ive.

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...

Lou's Again + ATH

Went back to Lou's Records to pick up some stuff they didn't have in last time. While they didn't have almost any of it in, I did manage to pick up many CDs and LPs.

CDs:
Captain Beyond - Captain Beyond
Captain Beyond - Sufficiently Breathless
Wooden Wand - James & The Quiet
Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II
The White Buffalo - EP
Bartenders Bible - Rimrock Recording Sessions

LPs:
Heavy Winged - We Grow
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Willie And The Poor Boys
Jefferson Airplane - After Bathing At Baxter's
The Moody Blues - Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
The Moody Blues - To Our Childrens Childrens Children


And the latest order from All That's Heavy featuring a couple of new releases. Everything is on CD:

Witchcraft - The Alchemist
Los Natas - El Universo Perdido de Los Natas (2CD)
YOB - Elaborations Of Carbon
Blind Dog - Captain Dog Rides Again
The Ribeye Brothers - If I Had A Horse...

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.

Trip To Lou's + TLR

Arriving on Thursday was the latest CD release from Three Lobed Records. Actually coming in a standard jewel case, the disc collects the best from three CD-R releases by Wooden Wand Hassara.

Titled Hassara 'Backyard I-III', the album features eight instrumentals that sounds nothing like I've heard from a Wooden Wand release. I had no idea what to expect on this release (would it be like the "free folk" of the Vanishing Voice albums or more like the folky singer-songwriter approach of the Sky High Band and Omen Bones Band) but find it's a bit of both styles with more of a psych rock approach. There are some nice long jams with most of the tracks over nine minutes in length. With only one listen under my belt, I've only scratched the surface. Should get better with more listens. Another solid release from Cory at Three Lobed. Can't wait for the Turnstone album.

Yesterday I went to Lou's to pick up a bunch of new releases that have come out in the past couple of weeks. The list:

CDs -

Do Make Say Think - Do Make Say Think :: finally completed their discography
Earth & KK Null Tour Split CD :: out of print so I had to snag a copy
Goon Moon - Licker's Last Leg
Grave Temple - The Holy Down
Michio Kurihara - Sunset Notes [2007 Reissue] :: finally released domestically for a much lower price
Nadja - Truth Becomes Death
Neurosis - Given To The Rising
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Se Dice Bisonte, No Bùfalo
Pelican - City Of Echoes :: I found this to be a much better album than I first thought
Queens Of The Stone Age - Era Vulgaris
Queens Of The Stone Age - The Fun Machine Took A Shit & Died (Single) :: Came with the above
Year Of No Light - Nord :: Domestically released by Crucial Blast

LPs -

Bardo Pond / Pre - Split 10"

Trip To Lou's

It's been awhile since I've been to Lou's Records and I had some Christmas money and a gift card to spend. So here is today's haul:

Vinyl
Steven R. Smith - The Anchorite 12"
Hush Arbors - Since We Have Fallen 12"
Wooden Wand & The Sky High Band - Second Attention 12"
Bardo Pond/Buck Paco - Split 12"
Crippled Black Phoenix - Sharks And Storms 10"

CDs
Bardo Pond - Selections: Volumes I-IV
Can - Future Days (2005 Remaster)
Comets On Fire - Field Recordings From The Sun
Comets On Fire - Blue Cathedral
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - The Good Son
Suishou No Fune - Where The Spirits Are
Victor Wooten - A Show Of Hands
Victor Wooten - What Did He Say?

Most of those CDs I have been putting off forever to buy so I'm happy to finally have them.