Acid Mother's Temple: In C (CD)
Kawabata's brilliant Japanese drone collective, in a tip of the cap to Mr. Riley. Heavy psychedelic freakout, with beautiful and highly narcotic moments throughout. Does nothing to dispel the growing cliched truism: if it's Japanese, it probably will kick your ass. As highly recommended as your mama. (cactus)
Azure Ray: Burn and Shiver (CD)
Marie and Orenda, who also play with Bright Eyes, and also with Now It's Overhead, give us their third album of beautifully introspective songs. The first couple of songs had a lot of keyboard so I was kinda scared, but the acoustic guitar+whispered/quiet singing sound Azure Ray fans know and love has not been left behind. (Stereo Steve)
Steffen Basho-Junghans: Waters in Azure (CD)
Excellent minimalist acoustic guitar meditations. Repetitive, circular constructions reinforce the trance effect. There seems to be a flood of experimental drone guitar records lately, and this is one of the best of this now-crowded sub-genre. Reminds me of that old Laraaji record that Eno produced in the 70's. Doubleplusgood. (cactus)
Michael Blake: Elevated (CD)
Knitting Factory-style post-bop. Very nice, if a wee bit restrained. Blake is a quite versatile and expressive sax man, in the gerneral area of Vandermark and Zorn, and this is solid. I m'self prefer a bit more danger and noise with my jazz, but this works well as a late night reprieve from the scree school of death jazz that is so saturating the City's consciousness. Recommended. (cactus)
Bratmobile: Girls Get Busy (CD)
The latest from this all-girl punk/popster trio, who, along with contemporaries Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney, paved the way for this particular sound...less angry and profane than before. In fact, very tame and poppy now. Still worth a listen to these grown-up riot grrrllls, who moved to Lookout! Records from KRS. (Miles)
Dan Cantrell: Divided Loyalties (CD)
The soundtrack to the film of the same name, Divided Loyalties examines the musical traditions on the island of Cypress as well as the Turkish, Greek, and Bulgarian roots of those traditions to reflect the mixture of joy and sorrow of those who have resided there over the course of history. From a bouncy, ceremonial wedding jig to a melancholy taqsim, many different forms appear here, involving santur, violin, doumbek, tanbur, clarinet, accordian, guitar, oud, daf, vocals, and more. (Prem)
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band: Dust Sucker (CD)
Mostly recently discovered master tapes of the Cap'n's own recordings of songs intended for release as an album following "Bongo Fury" called "Bat Chain Puller." That never happened, and many of these songs turned up in re-recorded versions on 1978's "Shiny Beast" and later releases, though the sound of these '75/'76 versions is closer to that on 1970's "Lick My Decals Off, Baby." Great stuff. (Uncle Brad)
Srikanth Chary: Tiger and Silk (CD)
Classical music of India, but from right here in the Bay Area (Fremont). Chary plays the veena (kinda like a sitar, but with an earthier, less metallic sound), and is accompanied by various percussionists. Some tracks feature two veenas (w/Chary and one of his pupils). Some of the best-sounding stuff of its kind I've heard in a long time. (Prem)
Michael Cooke: Statements (CD)
Cooke (a multi-instrumentalist) challenges himself by playing every instrument you here in each of the ensembles--a variety of woodwinds (saxes, bass clarinet, flute, bassoon) and percussion all sequentially recorded--and challenges the listener with abstract improv and compositions worthy of his influences (Braxton, Coleman, Zorn, Coltrane, Hemphill, and Vandermark, to name a few). Sometimes peppy while at other times brooding, and more often than not navigating the murky shadowlands. (Prem)
Crack Emcee: Rap's Creation (CD)
Crazy local rap artist from the 'Mo, who spends way too much time listening to KUSF...not a bad offering. He's been around for quite some time. He sampled my voice on track 2...way too much time listening to KUSF. (Terrorbull Ted)
Damon and Naomi with Kurihara: Song to the Siren, Live in San Sebastian (CD)
Used to be 2/3 of Galaxie 500, now gentle acid-folkies. Pillsy lethargic spacey dreamy atmospherics and spooky haunting electric guitar from that Japanese guy from Ghost, keep this just on this side of the brink of sickeningly bland, vapid, precious, and petty. Most of the time. Sometimes it's cool, and sometimes it crosses the line. The Naomi-sung songs in particular seem to make me consider tearing my eyes out. (Uncle Brad)
The Fleshies: The Game of Futbol (CD)
EP from these East Bay punkers. They even got a slow song, "The Game of Futbol," this time. Also included is "Sexiest Man Alive," a favorite in their live show. With this record, these guys seem to be moving away from hardcore and into straight-up rock and punk. (Miles)
Fly Pan Am: Ceux Qui Inventent N'ent (CD)
From the Canadian label that brought you Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Do Make Say Think, and the Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra. This is more chill atmospheric ambient post-rock-by-way-of-white-funk-revival (and French-Canadian-white-funk, at that!), with digital noise and sonic fuckery. It's okay. I'm not excited. How many different breeds of tortoise are there, anyhow? (Uncle Brad)
The Flying Luttenbachers: Infection and Decline (CD)
Insane death-jazz. Weasel Walter and crew pummel you into ecstatic submission with 2 bass guitars and drums. And it fucking rocks your lame ass, too. Eclipses all of the math rock releases that we are buried beneath at KUSF. The sick changes make your brain go "wow." The power and velocity makes your butt go "holy shit." To top it off, they are quite hilarious in a live context, so wake up, chum. One of the very best combos on this planet named Earth. (cactus)
Free Sentridoh: LoobieCore (CD)
Aw, Lou Barlow. I used to squeal and melt every time he walked into Newbury Comics to buy his lame, mainstream comics. That was back in the day when he wrote those dissonant, angst-ridden, cut-up melodies that were Sebadoh/Sentridoh. Now he's...more mature, and there's songs on this about how much he and his friends love his dad, and how he loves his mama so. And, in keeping with his talent for writing minor epic anthems for his generation, a song about an indie musician mid-life crisis ("don't call me a writer"). The CD gets loopier towards the end, and thank god there's still at least one song about masturbation...(gabriella)
Fred Frith: Accidental (CD)
He's local now, teaching at Mills, and he is certainly cranking out the releases lately. This is yet another killer record, all the pieces being explosive solo improv guitar. Noisy, melodic, hellacious, soothing, you get me? SF is now quite obviously the epicenter of kick arse free improv noise in the universe, and this gent is one of the proofs in the pudding. Go to the record store right now and buy this thing, you poor, misguided, son of a bitch. (cactus)
The Fucking Champs: V (CD)
Another metal/math rock masterwork from these local Mission wunderkids. Play absolutely any track...entirely instrumental. Aside: did you know that 2/3 of this band used to play computer games for a living, and now at least one of them packages mail order dildos? (Dean Pickles)
John Hollenbeck: Quartet Lucy (CD)
Another excellent record from this wide-ranging drummer/composer. Very ECM and Hat Hut-like at times, the record successfully bridges the gap between avant-classical and experimental jazz tendencies. Intellectually interesting and challenging, while at the same time emotional and fully musical. The last 3 releases from this guy have been quite an impressive wallop--he and Zorn seem to be vying for the role of this era's Duke Ellington. And you can put that in your pipe and smoke it, Rasta. (cactus)
William Hooker: Black Mask (CD)
"Downtown" NYC avant-jazz bassist Hooker is prolific as fuck, and one of the kings of KUSF jazz (right now also in currents on the Matthew Shipp album, and on the Organic Grooves remix record). Tracks 1-3=with Andrea Parkins (keys, accordian); 4-7=with Jason Hwang (violin, electronics); 8=with Roy Nathanson (sax); 9=solo bass. (Uncle Brad)
Information: Biomekano (CD)
Yet another great release from Norway's Rune Grammafon label. This is electronica in the Bip Hop vein. Some of the songs bleep and blip, and some have a beat. You know who you are. You will like it. (Stereo Steve)
The Japonize Elephants From Zorlock, Land of the Lost: 40 Years of Our Family (CD)
Once again the Zorlockians weave together a fabric of diverse threads from the realms of bluegrass, klezmer, blues, jazz, folk, and more--all imbued with the characteristic kookiness for which they've come to be known. Banjos, xylophone, accordian, violin, guitars, horns, junk percussion, and bowed saw aplenty, among other things, as well as a guest appearance by Dawn McCarthy and Nils Frykdahl of Faun Fables. (Prem)
Jucifer: I Name You Destroyer (CD)
The full-length CD from the boyfriend-girlfriend duo (not "brother and sister" a la White Stripes) from Athens, GA. Think of a feminine version of the Melvins and a harder version of said White Stripes. Not a great analogy, but the only one I could think of. The Lambs EP is a tad better, but this is a worthy spin for our airwaves. (Terrorbull Ted)
Kid606: The Action-Packed Mentalist Brings You The Fuckin' Jams (CD)
More "post-modern" piracy from our own local hipster Puff Daddy (P-Diddy, sorry). Primarily party hip-hop and new wave, sped up with drum-programming and digital noise from the Kid's stock library. This guy owes more to Sigue Sigue Sputnik than anyone would likely care to admit. Snotty, nostalgic, and fun (sometimes). Everyone will love it. (Uncle Brad)
Andrew McNamara: No Compromise (CD)
Get in touch with your Irish roots...or maybe grow some...this is a romp (or a jig, or a waltz) for accordian and some other backing instruments; heavy Irish flavor, and I'm not talking about beer. (Prem)
The Means: Vil/Viol (CD)
Hard driving rock, somewhere between gimmeabeer buttrock and hardcore. Lotsa screaming vocals in front of heavy guitar chords. Yikes. (Miles)
Asie Payton: Just Do Me Right (CD)
Blues in the Fat Possum Records style. Some of the songs have a modern production and mix, and others are down-home country blues with naught but an acoustic guitar. If you like R.L. Burnside, you'll like this. Some funky grooves here, too. (Stereo Steve)
People Like Us: Recyclopedia Brittanica (CD)
People Like Us is a Brit sound collage/montage gal with a deft pause button, and more importantly, a keen sense of humor. This is a retrospective of material from 1992-2002, and is excellent, as usual. She takes mundane BBC soap opera and children's records and the like and cuts and blends them into a hilarious and sonically engaging little fondue. Although working in the same general ballpark as Negativland, Nurse With Wound, et al, People Like Us is clearly the cat's pajamas. Know this, pal: you will always be unhappy at a core level if you do not have some of this in your record collection. For your own mental health, buy this record now. (cactus)
The Piranhas: S/T (CD)
Loud, fucked-up, in-your-face ROCK from Detroit. Be cool. Play this. (Miles)
Pirx the Pilot: Friday Night Seafood Buffet (CD)
Local punky-wunky trio. It's fun, with cute girly vocals (obvious nods to Exene Cervenka), grunting guy vocals, and funny lyrics. The drummer used to play with American Steel. Pirx the Pilot just finished a national tour--no shit--carrying a potato bazooka across state lines, too. (T.O. Ted)
The Riffs: Dead End Dream (CD)
Old school punk from this east coast band. In the vein of Six Finger Satellite, The Business, etc. (Miles)
RJD2: Let The Good Times Roll, Parts 1 and 2 (12" single)
A 12" single of some soul sample sound collage type R+B. And, yes--it's a whacked-out cover of the old blues song that you might have heard Hendrix or Stevie Ray do...(Stereo Steve)
Rumah Sakit: Obscured by Clowns (CD)
More ace local math rock. Every track is both instrumental and brilliant. (Dean Pickles)
Elliott Sharp's Terraplane: Music For Yellowman (CD)
This has absolutely nothing to do with the dirty dawg of dancehall. Beautiful, short, bluesy guitar pieces from experimental jazzman E# and his blues band. The instrumental soundtrack from a play about racial tension between light-and-dark-skinned South Carolina blacks in the 50's. (Dean Pickles)
Steven R. Smith: Lineaments (CD)
Local musician making beautiful, droning guitarscapes. Roy Montgomery-esque, really lovely. You may recognize his stringing from the recent Thuja album, on which he performed. (gabriella)
Songs For Emma: Red Lies and Black Rhymes (CD)
A protest in a jewel case. Fairly raw rock--disenfranchised music from a quartet of angry Bay Area anarchists. Songs about gentrification, evictions, cluster bombs...it's a pity the album came out before the Roxie's misfortunes...that would have fit it well. (Warning: please don't call Songs For Emma "musicians," or "a band." They much prefer to be called "workers." Thank you.) It's good stuff. (Dean Pickles)
Tarentel: Ephemera (CD)
Local drone and chamber ensemble. Wonderful but slow-moving record, with a quiet intensity that will draw you in and then smother you. Similar to Rachel's, Sigur Ros, Low, and the less-histrionic moments of Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Tarentel crafts long and beautiful tracks that work well as background sound or as primary listening. And they're great live, too. Highly recommended. (cactus)
The Toids: Rupert Dances in Fins (CD)
A peppy mixture of Balkan influences (Greek, Bulgarian, Romanian, Hungarian, and more) featuring instrumentation from all of these cultures intertwined, to produce a powerful folk hybrid; headed by Dan Cantrell. (Prem)
Track Star: Lion Destroyed The Whole World (CD)
Indie pop from an Aislers Set. Kinda Belle and Sappy, kinda nice. (Dean Pickles)
Trans Am: TA (CD)
Trans Am return with another foray into 80's electropop. This could be a New Order or Kraftwerk record...although not quite as good as either of those, but it's still a fun play. (Dean Pickles)
V/A: Ska All Mighty (CD)
Produced by Duke Reid, it's ska, it's great. The classics in your hands! (Nathalie)
Wire: Read and Burn (CD-EP)
I am always leery and skeptical about the old farts coming back. I avoided the Sex Pistols reunion tour, and the new Buzzcocks records and gigs. I have yet to see the Adidas commercial with The Stranglers song on it that everyone has told me about. So I was primed and ready to pan this thing, but, man oh man, does this rip throats out. It's like the old Wire, Ma! Forget the mostly lame mid-to-late 80's crap they put out. This is a return to the glory of 154 and Pink Flag. It's just 6 songs, I know, but believe me when I tell you: they're back. Hail Satan! (cactus)
