Topaz Rags

Topaz Rags

Crown Center

Not Not Fun

***West Coast ghost squad TOPAZ RAGS stalk back into the deadlights with a fresh vinyl single, their first new material since the Capricorn Born Again LP. Recorded in the heart of winter in a room with one blue light bulb, “The Crown Center” is pure nightprowler music: quaking bass, grime-jazz keys, dusty drums, witch choirs floating through the smog and into sleeping homes with the power lines cut. The sound of crime to come. The flip (“You Go On”) slips deeper into the psych-psycho psyche, a bleached-brain riff-rhythm grinding away endlessly while voices and electric piano stabs arc across the stereo field, raining ash. A grimmer twist on the Topaz formula, the dreamer’s dream turned dark. 33 RPM 7-inch pressed on various colored vinyl in hand-silkscreened cardstock sleeves. Edition of 345.

Topaz Rags

Capricorn Born Again

Not Not Fun

***Grey clouds stay grey. Low light situations birth low-lit moods. It's all bummer clockwork. West Coast lurk-jazz triad TOPAZ RAGS return to vinyl with their debut long player, Capricorn Born Again, an eight-song comedown recorded/mixed from spring-to-fall of '09 via a complex 4-track/boombox assemblage method. Everything creaks and hisses, there's smoke in the air, players at the end of their ropes, lyrics washing over faded raga ballads, slinky electric piano bar depressions, shadow gauze cavern pop. The bell jar is half empty, obviously. Slow dive and sink in. Black vinyl LPs (mastered by PETE SWANSON) in jackets designed by AMANDA. Edition of 400.

Topaz Rags

Tarot Harem

Not Not Fun

***The debut vinyl release by this downer drug-jazz trio featuring members of POCAHAUNTED and ROBEDOOR. Two sides of bleak piano and post-beatnik ruin. Packaged in hand-silkscreened sleeves with die-cut backs. Released in an edition of 250 copies.