***THE HOLYDRUG COUPLE (THC) unleashes their fully-dreamy pop-rock under BYM Records after their acclaimed two records for the NYC based Sacred Bones Records. Conceived to be part of the recently released Moonlust, these original and never released set of songs continues to display the same elaborate and delightful compositions that group together to become the soundtrack of an imaginary film, “one of the best non-existing movies of all time”. Pressed on limited edition white vinyl.
LP $24.50
01/27/2017
***After two LPs under BYM, To Live and Leave and Flashbacker (also released on Permanent Records 2013) the band goes further into Latin psych adding some heavy riffs that could convert any person into WATCHOUT!’s cult and become part of the fuzz ritual. Songs that go in the Hendrix line end up as an amazing one-shot jam and tunes that follow a classic composition with catchy-mellow choruses that turn into an epic riff. References are everywhere but none of them recognizable at once. Feeling is sustained all along the record, a nervous but steady feeling that goes through your flesh into the bone and getting to the hypothalamus, calling upon many substances but just done with music. Edition of 400 on black vinyl.
LP $24.50
01/27/2017
***Bonus! With the new CATE LE BON not long gone, here’s four candles not placed on the original Crab Day cake for you to hear as the titular holiday comes round once again. Produced by NOAH GEORGESON and JOSIAH STEINBRICK, and featuring musicians H. HAWKLINE, STEPHEN BLACK and STELLA MOZGAWA, Rock Pool spins and swirls the waters with carnival pop, synth, drone and dance, all beamed along the panelectric ray of Cate’s immutable blank stare. Short-and-sweet-play fun of a highly ambiguous nature.
12" $15.75
01/27/2017
***BACK IN STOCK!!! Received an 8.0 rating from Pitchfork. Life is a Rorschach, life is a Rashomon. Fuck your facts. Throw ‘em out with yesterday’s webpages. Lives lie beyond the equations of currency, border lines and government—and truth is just a drop in the beholder’s eye. TY SEGALL has made whole records that wrestle with realities—fighting against some, pulling mightily to bring others into being. Of late, he’s thrown up his hands and donned clown shoes, dancing merrily in the dual role of oppressed/oppressor! His hands aren’t any more or less dirty than anyone else’s—but amidst the thunder and the chaos of the ongoing storm, he’s looking for the eye within. The new self-titled record—the next record after Emotional Mugger, Manipulator, Sleeper, Twins, Goodbye Bread, Melted, Lemons, and the first self-titled album that started it up in the now-distant year of 2008—is a clean flow, a wash of transparency falling into a world that needs to see a few things through clearly, to their logical end. It’s got some of the most lobe-blasting neckwork since the Ty Segall Band’s Slaughterhouse, but it also features a steep flight of fluent acoustic settings, as Ty’s new songs range around in their search for freedom without exorcism, flying the dark colors high up the pole in an act of simple self-reclamation. All he wants is some truth! The construction and destruction of his chosen realities has, until now, been a luxury Ty has rightfully reserved for himself, striping overdubs together to form the...
LP $21.50
01/27/2017
CD $13.75
01/27/2017
MC $10.50
01/27/2017
***Medical Records proudly presents a special limited edition of all 3 “Forgotten Tracks, Sketches and Unfinished Work 2002-2004” by Martial Canterel as a triple gatefold set. Volume I was released previously in 2013, and Volume II and III are simultaneously being released by Medical Records as standalones. SEAN MCBRIDE has been producing work under the Martial Canterel moniker dating back to 2002 as well as working as half of XENO AND OAKLANDER. These tracks capture the allure and depth of Sean’s early work exploring rhythms and perfectly crafted pop songs using a very early incarnation of limited instrumentation. Fans of Martial Canterel’s early work (think “Austerton” and “Sister Age”) will be instantly elated. This is the first time these tracks have been released on vinyl and have been remastered for this release by MARTIN BOWES at the Cage, UK. Contains special bonus insert with lyrics. Fans of early Martial Canterel as well as other cold wave icons such as A Blaze Color, Snowy Red, and the like will need this collection. Presented on high-quality 180-gram classic vinyl in a triple gatefold pack.
3XLP $45.50
01/27/2017
***Medical Records proudly presents Volume II of a collection of “Forgotten Tracks, Sketches and Unfinished Work 2002-2004” by MARTIAL CANTERELl. This release coincides as a standalone with Medical’s other releases of Volume III as well as a special 3xLP compiling Volumes I-III. SEAN MCBRIDE has been producing work under the Martial Canterel moniker dating back to 2002 as well as working as half of XENO AND OAKLANDER. These tracks capture the allure and depth of Sean’s early work exploring rhythms and perfectly crafted pop songs using a very early incarnation of limited instrumentation. Fans of Martial Canterel’s early work (think “Austerton” and “Sister Age”) will be instantly elated. This is the first time these tracks have been released on vinyl and have been remastered for this release by MARTIN BOWES at the Cage, UK. Contains special bonus insert with lyrics.Presented on high-quality 180-gram classic vinyl. (STREET DATE - 1/27/2017)
LP $21.35
01/27/2017
***Medical Records proudly presents Volume II of a collection of “Forgotten Tracks, Sketches and Unfinished Work 2002-2004” by MARTIAL CANTERELl. This release coincides as a standalone with Medical’s other releases of Volume II as well as a special 3xLP compiling Volumes I-III. SEAN MCBRIDE has been producing work under the Martial Canterel moniker dating back to 2002 as well as working as half of XENO AND OAKLANDER. These tracks capture the allure and depth of Sean’s early work exploring rhythms and perfectly crafted pop songs using a very early incarnation of limited instrumentation. Fans of Martial Canterel’s early work (think “Austerton” and “Sister Age”) will be instantly elated. This is the first time these tracks have been released on vinyl and have been remastered for this release by MARTIN BOWES at the Cage, UK. Contains special bonus insert with lyrics.Presented on high-quality 180-gram classic vinyl. (STREET DATE - 1/27/2017)
LP $21.35
01/27/2017
***Medical Records collaborates with their good friends Anna Logue across the pond in Germany to present the long out of print Neu Deutsche Welle cult classic album Weltweit by MONOPOL. Released in 1982, Weltweit was the sole output of the band. It has appropriately become quite rare and difficult to find with the resulting high prices to obtain an original copy. Inspired by the greats such as Kraftwerk, YMO and Klaus Schulze, the three members crafted an exquisite collection of pop songs played on a very impressive collection of analog synthesizers, self-builds and drum machines that were considered cutting edge at the time. The band would have recorded a second album but split up before that was possible. Members of the band continued to be involved in the music industry at least peripherally but didn’t participate in further collaborations or bands. Also interestingly, Monopol was basically a studio-only project and actually never played live (despite some TV appearances). The album has been remastered by MARTIN BOWES at the Cage, UK. Contains a special bonus insert with lyrics and photos. Definitely a must-have for fans of NDW such as Grauzone, Reingold and the like. Presented on high quality 180-gram classic black vinyl. Limited edition. (STREET DATE - 1/27/2017)
LP $21.35
01/27/2017
***BACK IN STOCK!!! Nothing Feels Natural is the first full-length by Washington, D.C.'s PRIESTS. Recorded in the fall of 2016, the record is the culmination of two years' writing, touring, tweaking, and refining. Throughout that time the band has carved out an existence on its own terms,performing mostly all-ages shows booked via a network of like-minded artists both within and outside punk communities. The album represents a major step forward for Priests. It's the bands most stylistically diverse set of songs to date, expanding on their lo-fi post-punk bona-fides with ideas drawn from pop, R&B, and industrial noise. Thematically, Nothing can be understood as a series of vignettes—nine stories that crystallize into a bigger picture about the economics of human relationships, the invisibility of feminized labor, and the dual purpose of art for both the group and the individual. The album will be the first full-length LP released on Sister Polygon Records, the label that Priests founded and operate. Priests are Daniele Daniele (drums), Katie Alice Greer (vocals), G.L. Jaguar (guitar), and Taylor Mulitz (bass). Formed in 2011, the band has proven a valuable force for strangeness in a city that is increasingly terraformed by norms. More significantly, they've helped to raise the general standard of show-going at home through cassettes and singles released on Sister Polygon, including music by bands like Sneaks, Snail Mail, Pinkwash, Cigarette, Downtown Boys, and numerous Priests-affiliated groups like Gauche and Flasher. Still, even amidst thriving hometown creativity, Priests possess a...
LP $17.75
01/27/2017
CD $11.00
01/27/2017
***First-generation American Primitive guitarist RICHARD OSBORN studied with Robbie Basho in the late '60s. 40 years later, Osborn finally recorded, appearing on Tompkins Square's Beyond Berkeley Guitar comp in 2010. Endless is his first widely available solo guitar album. "He's a student of mine and he's better technically than me or Fahey."—Robbie Basho "[Osborn has] an unhurried, quiet spirit of adventure, a love of ringing strings and slowly revelatory meditations on the natural world."—Acoustic Guitar
LP $15.00
01/27/2017
CD $12.75
01/27/2017
Murder is a classic D.O.A. release that has not seen the light of day since 1990, so Rip Snortin’ Records is giddy about unearthing this great punk rock album. It came out at the height of the band’s fame and mixes in all the right ingredients: ear-splitting guitar riffs, bombastic drumming, humor and lots of “right to the chin” politics. The album features one of the band’s best lineups: Joey Shithead Keithley, Wimpy Roy, Jon Card and Chris Prohom. Together they blast the listener with non-stop rockers, while also not mincing words with their politics. D.O.A. does not let up on the evils of the world, and thankfully, this is a time-honored stance the band has had from day one to the present. This album also features sterling cover versions of “No Productivity” (Subhumans) and “The Midnight Special” (Leadbelly). A must for old and new D.O.A. fans alike.
LP $17.50
01/27/2017
CD $12.00
01/27/2017
MP3 $9.90
01/27/2017
FLAC $11.99
01/27/2017
***Total Punk returns to New Orleans yet again for a brand new single by BLACK ABBA. Easily one of my favorite bands of the last Fuck Off and following a killer debut single on Goner Records, putting out a Black Abba single was a no brainer. Blabba returns with two synth driven punk jams about lost dogs and the dreaded band manager. Discordant guitar noise, cheapo synth sounds, street tough girl gang vocals, and 100% Total Punk! Edition of 500.
7" $7.25
01/27/2017
***While the rest of humanity vacated the primordial ooze from which we came, Timmy Vulgar has been more than content to grunt, spit, and make bubbles in the stuff. Previously of such legendary Detroit rock acts as Epileptix, Clone Defects, and Human Eye, Timmy’s Organism has been his vehicle of choice for the last five years or so. Flanked by the powerhouse rhythm section of Blake Hill and Jeff “The Giant” Fournier, Timmy’s Organism makes mutant thug rock that’s equal part caveman discovering fire and alien invasion. 100% TOTAL PUNK! Edition of 500.
7" $7.25
01/27/2017
Originally released in limited formats in 2017 and having since been repressed several times, 2025 sees a new pressing to acknowledge the enduring legacy of this recording. In 2024, the song "Trees & Flowers" became an unexpected hit on Tik Tok and introduced a new generation to these timeless songs. “1982 4-Piece Demo” is the first official, fully-licensed and unreleased material to be released under the name Strawberry Switchblade in 30 years. Since disbanding amid major record label acrimony and personal differences in 1986, the already-cult band have since grown in stature and legend. Trailblazers in many ways, the band’s mythology justifiably centers around the charismatic duo of Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall, but that isn’t a complete picture. Bryson and McDowall’s growing friendship, having met some years earlier on the punk scene, became a creative partnership: Bryson’s art school background and McDowall’s history in avant-punk group The Poets meant Strawberry Switchblade was a band pitted against many established norms. The band’s very first incarnation, an all-female 4 piece, recorded one demo at Glasgow’s Hellfire Club and played a handful of gigs. Friends Janice Goodlett and Carole McGowan completed the line up on bass and drums respectively. Strawberry Switchblade would eventually pair down to a duo and go on to chart success but it’s in these raw, passionate recordings that the songwriting and vocal elements were being hammered out and explored in real time. “Spanish Song” is a previously unreleased song. With Rose McDowall’s instantly recognizable lead vocal...
7" $16.00
05/23/2025
MP3 $2.97
01/27/2017
FLAC $3.99
01/27/2017
***Delirious Things is an exploration of Baker's interest in 80s-influenced cold-wave, shoegaze, and synth-pop from recording artists like Factory Records' Durutti Column and Section 25 and 4AD's Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil. Combining song-oriented tracks with abstract interludes, the primary instrument on Delirious Things is a 1980s Casio synthesizer, rather than guitar, though Baker processes the synth through his usual guitar effect pedals, creating heavy, layered washes of droning synth sounds overlaying electronic rhythms and pulsing bass lines. Baker is joined by guest vocalist Claire Brentnall (of the UK project Shield Patterns) whose voice is reminiscent of Liz Fraser and Kate Bush but still distinctly her own. Aidan Baker is a Canadian musician and writer who has toured and performed around the world, both solo and with his partner in the “ambient-doom” duo Nadja. A prolific artist, Baker has released numerous albums on such labels as Alien8 Recordings, Important Records, and Gizeh Records. He is also the author of a several books.
LP $16.00
03/03/2017
MP3 $7.92
01/27/2017
FLAC $8.99
01/27/2017
***Original live re-score composed and performed by MORRICONE YOUTH inspired by George Miller's Classic 1979 Australian Dystopian Action Film. Features Devon E. Levins (guitars, keyboards), John Castro (bass, vocals, keyboards), Dan Kessler (analog synths and keyboards). Brian Kantor (drums), Fraser Campbell (saxophone, flute, keyboards), Aaron Bahr (trumpet), Karla Rose Moheno (vocals), Scott Hollingsworth (keyboards, percussion). Edition of 500 copies on coke bottle colored vinyl.Notes: Brian Kantor also drums with Nina Persson of The Cardigans, Nathan Larson of Shudder to Think, Higgins, Fruit Bats, Yellowbirds and Sam Cohen. The synths and keyboards used were all analog, mostly owned by Joe McGinty (of Psychedelic Furs/Loser's Lounge) and maintained in Carousel Vintage Recording Studio where we tracked with engineer Steve Silverstein (regular TapeOp contributor and member of Christmas Decorations). The album was mixed by World Inferno Friendship Society founder/keyboardist Scott Hollingsworth (who has also engineers and mixes for Sean Lennon, Ghost of the Saber Tooth Tiger and Yuka Honda, amongst others).
LP $17.75
01/27/2017
***ADAM STONEHOUSE (ex-HOSPITALS) has finally released his follow up to Hospitals' Hairdryer Peace. His new band is called ANGEL. The album is called 2017. "...Like 300 years later Stonehouse has come out of nowhere again with another insane record. Sounding like field recordings of good hard rock when that still existed but without any 80's nostalgia. Not hiding behind any lo-fi production or hazy vocals. Don't worry, dude is still weird as fuck and has done a record that nobody else could do. Probably my favorite fucking rock record since the last one this guy did. Recorded with a full band (RACHEL BLOTZER) on drums and VINCENT ROSS on guitar) now and joined by SKATERS alum SPENCER CLARK and LAVENDER FLU guitarist CHRIS GUNN, this thing shreds. Fans of Hairdryer Peace will dig this but it's in a completely different direction... A fucked up party record for 2017."—Hicham Chadly (Cairo)
LP $18.50
01/27/2017
***ELDEN M. combines and arranges eclectic sounds, noise frequencies, and electronic music. Sources include manipulated cassettes, a scratched record, distorted feedback originating from amplified junk metal, vocals, pedal and rack effects, synths, drum patterns, and excerpts from a recent live performance. Two inserts. Edition of 400.
LP $24.50
01/27/2017
AVAILABLE AGAIN!!! This is ASH BORER’s 2009 demo remixed and mastered at mammoth sound. "Ash Borer's brand of atmospheric black metal, or as it's being called ‘Cascadian black metal’ is absolutely incredible. Might as well start off with the most important aspect of this album and that's definitely the instruments.The guitar riffs and tremolo picking definitely have the biggest effect on this demo. They are used to create one hell of an atmosphere. When you hear some of the riffs on this album, they're going to put you in a trance like state. Now with only two songs on this album, the first being about 14 minutes and the second being about 11, you're going to hear the riffs repeated plenty of times. Now for some black metal bands repetitiveness can be bad, well that's not the case with Ash Borer. The riffs are extremely catchy and will stick in your head long after you listen to this album. Drumming is pretty standard for a black metal album. Now with atmospheric black metal you should know that it's all about atmosphere (obviously). The drums aren't really meant to stand out over the guitars and they really don't, but it's not like it's the same beat over and over. There's enough variety in the drumming to keep the listener entertained for the whole 25 minutes of the demo. Fast and slow parts are present on the album and the drums vary with that. Vocally the album is pretty unique. Now the...
LP $15.75
01/20/2017
***BACK IN STOCK LAST COPIES!!! Note new price. Following a stunning cassette EP for Night-People and an equally killer 12" single for Oraculo, DKA is very excited to issue Yr Body Is Nothing, the debut LP from BOY HARSHER. Even if DKA had never heard the aforementioned recordings, we'd have been easily convinced by the strength of their live performance alone, as the duo has passed through Atlanta several times in the past few years and never disappoints. With a heavy emphasis on rhythm and atmosphere, the ten songs presented here showcase a songwriting and production style that is sophisticated and unique, dark but powerfully uplifting. The sound is paradoxically massive yet minimal, providing the perfect space for JAE MATTHEW's rich, deep, and emotive vocals to occupy as she, along with co-pilot GUS MULLER, pulls the listener ever deeper with each passing song. Inlcudes an insert. "A drug-induced dance coma, fit for the hospital"—Impose
LP $17.75
01/20/2017
***A 2xLP compilation of the most groundbreaking artists of current and past decades who have redefined sound by creating and destroying musical instruments to fit a specific sonic character and method of music-making. Features exclusive tracks from SILVER APPLES, DAVID GRUBBS, OVAL, SENYAWA, JAD FAIR, DAN DEACON, SLUMBERLAND and more. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl with download.
2XLP $24.95
01/20/2017
***The Elephant 6 Collective’s family tree is beyond diverse. The first seed to take hold was E6-001, the 1993 self-titled EP (referred to by fans as the Tidal Wave EP) by The Apples in Stereo, then known simply as The Apples. It was recorded and produced on four-track cassette by Elephant 6 co-founder Robert Schneider, who would soon apply his genius to the records by Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Tremor Control, The Minders, Beulah, and countless others in the E6 pantheon. In 1994, the renamed Apples In Stereo released a subsequent EP on the Bus Stop Label along with a peppering of seven-inch split singles before their first full length, Fun Trick Noisemaker, came out in 1995. The band has consistently stated that vinyl is the primary medium for, in the words of the Summer 1993 E6 catalog, their “dense chiming classic pop... soaked in fuzz.” Long out of print, Science Faire collects these earliest recordings as originally released, how meant to be heard: on seven-inch vinyl! Complete with posters, stickers and books, Science Faire has been lovingly reproduced. Each side stretches to the sonic limit with maximum music per side, just as with the originals. And as with the original 1996 pressing of this collection, there is never-before-seen artwork (for the “Time for Bed” single) from the early ’90s by Elephant 6 co-founder W. Cullen Hart of The Olivia Tremor Control. As a bonus, the track “Onto Something” is included here which wasn’t included on the original release.
3X7" $20.25
01/20/2017
“Heat’s debut seven-inch is a hellish, whirlwind onslaught of ultracore agony. It would be easy to name check the cult HC groups of yore who make up Heat’s primary influences — Neanderthal, Citizens Arrest, Impact Unit, Crossed Out, etc. — but these San Diego insurgents aren’t content simply paying homage; they’re taking their savage influences and pushing the aural torment into a refreshing, self-stylized direction. Whether full tilt blasting, stomping at a mid-pace, or trudging through a dirge, there’s a natural fluidity and cohesion to Heat’s under-a-minute nuclear reactions that belies the group’s intensity. Simply put, any fan of extreme hardcore will revel in Heat’s burly, mutant approach. Buy it, steal it, hype it, but above all: feel it.” —Colin Tappe
7" $6.00
01/20/2017
MP3 $3.99
01/20/2017
FLAC $4.99
01/20/2017
***"One of Spain's greatest rock and roll bands, Ilegales, once said, 'We are everything you say we are, and even worse.' BIZNAGA might share this motto if it weren’t for the fact that they don’t give a shit about rock and roll. They wanted me to dedicate few words to their 'Sense of Spectacle,' so maybe you’re expecting to read a long list of over-the-top metaphors and grandiose yet undeserved adjectives to describe their songs. That’s not gonna happen. I’m not going to do anything even remotely similar—they wouldn’t want that. I’m not going to say that this is an album created through balls and ingenuity, an arrogant and tender artifact, full of urgent melodies, hymns about daily struggles and the same nervous verbosity as many UK-based bands from past decades (The Clash, Buzzcocks, Mekons, Zounds, Stiff Little Fingers, Television Personalities), or that they know how to squander with taste and impertinence the inheritance of some local heroes (Parálisis Permanente, Eskorbuto, Ilegales) or that even when they succumb to that fabled fatigue and their flamenco style comes out, they make it work. I won’t say that you should pay attention to the lyrics of these songs that are full of streets and nights, because, as in all the songs they’ve written up to this point, they sing about the classic problem of fear, disgust, boredom, and the lack of communication in current times, and they talk about these issues in a way nobody else is doing. I won’t say any...
LP $15.50
01/20/2017
CD $10.25
01/20/2017
***Recorded in 1970 and 1971, after a difficult spinal surgery following a severe warehouse accident. “…the basic home fidelity, with vocals recorded in a bathroom for echoing ambience, adds to the strangeness, the tunes also sounding on occasion like holiday carols by and for celebrants not quite certain they'll live to see another Christmas. Though not every fan of rare psychedelia will agree with this assessment, it sounds immeasurably better than Microminiature Love, as the songwriting is substantially superior; the melodies far more varied and affecting; and the vision far more likably personal.” —Richie Unterberger, AllMusic. Released in 1974 and rescued from deep inside Yonks’ storage space/weirdo museum. While they last!
LP $31.50
01/20/2017
***Recorded in 1968 (not 1969, as previously reported), not terribly long after the material eventually released as "Microminiature Love", Grimwood sounds like it emanates from another universe entirely. Straightforward on the one hand, yet fascinatingly and psychedelically abstruse on the other, Grimwood remains an essential "outsider” acid-folk document that sits comfortably (and irreplaceably) alongside Spence, Grudzien, Tweddle, and a few select others. “ Released in 1974 and rescued from deep inside Yonks’ storage space/weirdo museum. While they last!
LP $31.50
01/20/2017
***Self-recorded in 1971 & ’72, 'Michael Lee Yonkers' has often been referred to as Michael's "country” album. It is many folks’ favorite of his early works, and is likely the weirdest. The roughhewn quality of these recordings has caused listeners to make comparisons with other “real people” outsiders like Grudzien and the Holy Modal Rounders, but there are more obvious, well-known comparisons (Townes Van Zandt) that are at least as appropriate. There are clear references to various classic country stylings in these songs, even as Michael's unique distillation of their influence lends a delightfully skewed mischievousness to the proceedings. Released in 1974 and rescued from deep inside Yonks’ storage space/weirdo museum. While they last!
LP $31.50
01/20/2017
***Received a 7.3 rating from Pitchfork. "All Of Them Naturals is a fully realized, inclusive world of faux-corporation sponsored surrealist new wave punk music rife with satire and discordance. Roboticaly tight. Delightfully warped. Ideas as vast as Nebraska’s GMO cornfields and as lethal as the pesticides they spray on them. Did the Sunbelt Chemicals Corporation invent DDT? Maybe. Did they invent man? They think so. Did they invent the wheel? No, that was URANIUM CLUB. Truly, our generation’s DEVO. An important group."—Jensen Ward
LP $14.50
01/20/2017
***"KINDLING is comprised of my good buddies STEPHEN and ANDY who also play in WMass hardcore outfit AMPERE, as well as GRETSCHEN (who plays guitar and sings) and ANDREW, who plays bass. I can tell you these people have the most solid musical knowledge I know… While it would be easy to compare them to My Bloody Valentine, a closer listen will also led you to find evident traces of Superchunk guitar riffs, Teenage Fanclub and Jesus & Mary Chain melodies to serve a very personnal and unique sound… They blur they dreamy melodies into a wall of a massive fuzz sounds with a a pop sensibility rarely found when the volume and attack ends up this far in the red. While they spent a week at Sonelab in rural Easthampton, MA with JUSTIN PIZZOFERRATO (Dinosaur Jr, Pixies, Speedy Ortiz, Sonic Youth, etc.) to record their first full length Galaxies for the amazing No Idea Records in Florida, they cut 6 extra songs for this Euro-only release."
LP $15.00
01/20/2017
***"VC3 is—you guessed it—the third LP from San Francisco’s VIOLENT CHANGE, a brand new collection of hazy pop channeled through submarine-fidelity noise. If you were among the fans of their previous records, this remains heavily dissociative music; if it helps to paint the picture, the live band now includes members of Bay Area favorites RAYS and LIFE STINKS, though these recordings here are a whole different grade of barbiturate. Still, take note: from the opening notes of the second track, 'Unit A,' it’s immediately apparent that bandleader GLADYS BIEYLE has learned to let his melodic brilliance shine. This is Violent Change’s real pop moment, an album of lonesome romanticism on par with Shoes’ One In Versailles and Chris Bell’s I Am The Cosmos. I kid you not, this record is that good. A co-release of Melters and It Take Two."
LP $15.50
01/20/2017
***OLD GRAVES are a band from British Columbia, Canada that plays an atmospheric form of black metal with some folk and doom metal elements. "Acoustic guitars start off the album and they also give the music a progressive and folk music feeling and after a minute the music goes into more of a dark, heavy and melodic direction and the vocals are mostly high pitched depressive black metal screams and synths are also brought into the music at times. Throughout the recording the music alternates between both the heavy and acoustic parts while a great portion of the tracks are very long and epic in length and the songs also bring in a lot of modern atmospheric and post black metal elements and the guitar solos and leads bring in a very dark and melodic style. When the music speeds up a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats can be heard which also gives the songs more of a raw black metal feeling and there are also a couple of instrumentals which also shows the synths incorporating more ambient elements and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts while some of the slower riffs are influenced by doom metal. Old Graves creates a recording that is still very heavily rooted in the atmospheric black metal style while also adding in more folk music elements this time around, the production sounds very raw yet powerful at the...
LP $15.00
01/20/2017
***Formed in Spring 2016, the trio that makes up TEACH ME, old friends JEREMY ROJAS, ANDREW MONTOYA, and TOMMY GARCIA came together in a flash, banging out six songs in a week for a friend’s birthday party (Cory Stiers of Mrs. Magician/Cults/Thrill Me Records). When BEN MOORE, producer extraordinaire behind all three Hot Snakes Records and other releases by the likes of Metz, Swami John Reis and the Blink Shake, Rocket from the Crypt, Pinback, and scores of others, happened to catch this first performance, he was immediately struck and invited the boys to come record in his studio soon, with two of those recordings, “Collector” and “Pup Pup,” making up this first release.
7" $6.75
01/20/2017
***Esteemed Sacramento button-men SWIMMING IN BENGAL present seven slabs of improvised, Eastern-inspired, hypnotic goodness for yr listening pleasure. Peer through / inhale the Apricot Haze and enter the esoteric Garden of Idle Hands—hear the denizens invoke powerful drones blending seamlessly into unforgettable gourd guitar licks. You'll never leave… Edition of 300 copies. “Sacramento trio Swimming in Bengal makes music like hookah smoke. Slow, sensual and snakish, their Indian-influenced blend of drone and raga builds exponentially past mere Eastern imitation and into a state of pure, hypnotic Param dhama”—Decoder UK
LP $21.50
01/20/2017
***BACK IN STOCK!!! Debut LP from this prized west coast act. Cool, grooving, hot wet saxed punk. Love those bongos. No modern day DIY band has made my blood skank like this. A wiggly record, you’re dancing.
LP $14.75
01/20/2017
***East Wall was an Italian electronic dark wave band formed by Fabrizio Chiari (ex keyboardist of Kirlian Camera) and Wilma Notari in 1982. After a series of demos and live performances, the duo recruited Angelo Bergamini of Kirlian Camera to help with arrangement and synthesizers. In September 1984 they booked a recording time at Master Studio 33 in Cremona Italy. Working with produced Ray Masola, they recorded their debut single “Eyes Of Glass”, which was released on No Comment in early 1985. The equipment set up was a PPG Wave 2, Roland ProMars, Roland Juno 60, Simmons drum, and an upright piano. “Eyes Of Glass” is an outstanding example of 1980s Italo disco full of dark, moody atmosphere and depth. Wilma Notari’s coy vocals cast a spell on the listener as she weaves a story about lost love and “bitter tears”. Included here are the original extended 12” mix and instrumental version with mid-song breakdown and dubbed out chorus. All songs are remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Housed in the original jacket featuring a photo of a boy by Pushe 27. Each copy includes a 2-sided postcard with photos of the band, lyrics, and liner notes by Flemming Dalum.
12" $12.00
01/17/2017
***East Wall was an Italian electronic dark wave band started by Fabrizio Chiari (ex keyboardist of Kirlian Camera) and Wilma Notari in 1982. After a series of demos and live performances, the duo recruited Angelo Bergamini of Kirlian Camera to help with arrangement and synthesizers. They released their debut single “Eyes Of Glass” in 1985 which had huge success in Germany, leading to a deal with ZYX. By 1991 the band consisted of Fabrizio Chiari (Synthesizer, Electronics, Keyboards), Tiziana Wells (Vocals, Synthesizer) and Angelo Bergamini (Synthesizer, Piano, Arrangement). At the beginning of the year, they recorded their next batch of songs at Prominence Studio in Cremona and A Love Sound Studio in Piacenza. "Silence" was self released by the band in 1991. The lead track “Silence” was a left-over song by Kirlian Camera recorded in 1985 with vocals by Simona Buja under the alias Lorenza Larini. It was recorded largely using a variety of now-classic Roland, Yamaha, and Oberheim synthesizers. The album displays East Wall’s maturity and unique aesthetics, with instrumental pieces reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti’ Twin Peaks score. Tiziana Wells sings with pure emotion, hypnotic at times, upbeat and carefree at others. Frankie Teardrop (of the Wierd party and the Systems of Romance blog) describes this album as "possibly the closest thing to darkwave freestyle that exists.” We decided to expand the album, releasing it as a deluxe double LP cut louder at 45 RPM. We have also included an unreleased extended version of “Ice Of Fire”...
2XLP $22.25
01/17/2017
***Dark Entries is proud to release “Helden Platz”, a long out of print 12” maxi single from seminal Italian electronic act Kirlian Camera. Keyboardist/vocalist Angelo Bergamini founded the project in Parma in 1979 and named it after an electronic device that photographs the electromagnetic halo around objects and living beings. By 1980, Angelo had recruited singer Simona Buja, keyboardist Fabrizio Chiari, and bassist Mauro Montacchini. Their demo cassette, “Dawn”, attracted the attention of Italian Records, a popular independent label. Over the next few years the band would release their first mini-LP, “Kirlian Camera”, the full length “ It Doesn't Matter, Now”, and the singles “Communicate,” “Edges,” and “Blue Room”. The latter was a significant hit, eventually landing them a deal with Virgin Records. By 1987 the line up consisted of Angelo Bergamini on all instruments, Charlie Mallozzi on electronic drums and Simona Buja on vocals. Virgin wanted the band to provide another hit single in order to exploit the success of “Blue Room", refusing to release the band's less commercial material. In 1987 the band went Lark Studio at Carimate Castle, Italy to record with Italo disco producer Oderso Rubini. Thanks to the insistence of Bergamini, the label agreed to release “Helden Platz”, German for “Heroes' Square,” in 1987. The song features Kirlian Camera’s brand of dark wave, marked by haunting melodies, slow moving synth washes, and orchestral strings. The song features the stark, dramatic vocals of Simona Buja, who sings about the “Blue blood of Winter” in a...
12" $12.00
01/17/2017
***After the success of their debut EP, post-punk art rockers Y PANTS performed regularly in NYC and other East Coast venues. In 1981 they toured Europe for six weeks and upon return went into the studio to record their only LP, Beat It Down, released in 1982 on Neutral Records (Sonic Youth, Glenn Branca et al). The album extends the band’s signature pared down rollicking minimalism. The 10 songs are varied, using surprising and inventive instrumentation. The music is at once filled with a sense of longing and a fierce ironic rebellion. With exuberant precision they brandish their “toy” instruments and plaintive vocals in emotive expressions of female resistance. In dustedmagazine.com, Seth Watter wrote of the album, “I love the sprightly keyboards of ‘The Fly,’ the gentle lyricism of ‘Lulu,’ the anger of ‘Beat It Down’ that comes through in the music’s shambling, atonal jangle. The songs covered a huge range of emotions with an entirely new syntax.”
LP $15.50
01/13/2017
***"Y PANTS was a three-woman New York band: BARBARA ESS, ViRGiNIA (VERGE) PIERSOL and GAIL VACHONS, all visual artists. They played in clubs, galleries and performance spaces between 1979 and 1982. They were “as idiosyncratic, edgy, minimal, wry and literate as post-punk no wave got. Furthermore, the fact that these were three ferocious and formidable females was not to be overlooked.”—Wolfgang Staehle, Gail found a toy piano on the street and started jamming with Barbara on the ukulele. When they were invited to play a few weeks later at TR3 (the short-lived but influential downtown NY music club), they electrified their instruments and recruited the neophyte drummer Verge for percussion on a children’s drum set. Their first gig met with an unexpected wildly enthusiastic reception. The instrumentation was then rounded out with Barbara’s bass (former bands Daily Life and The Static), an African thumb drum, and a Casio keyboard for Gail. Verge’s initial Mickey Mouse toy kit soon fell apart and she cobbled together a modest trap set. They gained a following and soon recorded a four song EP produced by Glenn Branca for 99 Records. They often shared the stage with label mates the Bush Tetras, ESG, Liquid Liquid, Branca and other NYC “downtown” bands. This release includes their four-song debut EP and two songs never before available on vinyl: Magnetic Attraction (previously released on Tellus Audio Cassette), and the mysterious Kung Fu. In a NY Times review, John Rockwell wrote”…what really makes Y Pants a success is...
12" $15.50
01/13/2017
***Having been invited to perform at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland by one of the scientists, HIS NAME IS ALIVE spent a year studying particle physics and then created Patterns of Light. The scientist, Dr. James Beacham, was asked to "fact check for bad data, misquotes, dragons, pseudoscience and to make sure the witchcraft to physics ratio wouldn't be too embarrassing," he agreed and soon sent pages of notes, screenshots, event displayes and also recommended books and videos. Patterns of Light is the result of this exchange of information. The research focuses on dark matter, dark energy, the search for extra dimensions, mini-black holes and the machinery that collides particles at high speeds using thirteen teraelectronvolts but also studies the fundamental forces of nature as seen through the classic creation myths, the visionary theology of Hildegard Von Bingen, medieval manuscripts and cosmic maps, all in an effort to turn the physics back into poetry. Patterns of Light is His Name is Alive's 100th release since their first cassette in 1986. HNIA spent 13 years recording for the legendary label 4AD and sold 100,000+ records, toured the world, received gold and platinum records for soundtracking Tom Cruise's nervous breakdown in the movie Jerry Maguire and collaborated on two short films with famed animators the Quay Brothers.
LP $20.15
01/13/2017
CD $13.75
01/13/2017