Bis Aufs Messer Weekly News 02 / 2023
Hi. Welcome to another newsletter for February. Lots of stuff arrived. We got a massive Mount Eerie / Microphones restock, a few Fugazi, Minor Threat, Embrace, One Last Wish, Hammered Hulls etc restocks from dischord, lots of American Football restocks, Momma LP in Polyvinyl, a bunch of Orindal Records restocks like GIA MARGARET - Mia Gargaret LP, Macie Stewart LP, Claire Cronin Lps, Gordons LP + 7“ restock, Sea Urchins restock, Ashley Paul - slow Boat LP, BROKEN HEARTS ARE BLUE - Dark Whimsy and Soft Surrealism DLP, THE CAT'S MIAOW - Songs '94-'98 LP restock, the new CIVIC LP, CLAIRE ROUSAY & MORE EAZE - Never Stop Texting Me LP, Latest Ryley Walker LP, POHGOH - Du Und Ich LP, Pop Unknown re issues, THE SONORA PINE - II LP re issue, new Soul Side LP, SHANE PARISH - Liverpool LP, NADJA - Labyrinthine TAPE, SHAKE CHAIN - Snake Chain LP on Upset The Rhythm along some restocks , the REX - C DLP re issue, BIG JOANIE - Back Home LP, YO LA TENGO - This Stupid World DLP and much more
We also finally received the NADJA Tapes after waiting 5 months for it. We have a handful left (around 10 or so out of 50) .. get one while they are there.
Thank you as usual
Til then thank you for all your orders & support.
Robert & Norman
mailorder@bisaufmesser.com
www.adagio830-records.bandcamp.com
7“
SILVER GODLING - Rain When I Die 7″ (howling mine - Singer and pianist Emily McWilliams crafts dark ethereal pop music under the solo moniker Silver Godling. This is a limited press 7″ with Emily’s Alice in Chains cover plus the collaborative Bad Religion cover with Thou on the b-side. Nice, thick photograph booklets with work from Teddie Taylor, plus an oversized silk screened wrap. Emily’s take of “Rain When I Die” transforms the iconic grunge tune into a turmoil-ridden tale that feels distinctly her own.) 10.00
LP
ANNE MALIN - Summer Angel LP (dear life - In poet and songwriter Anne Malin’s “Summer Angel,” tales of love and violence intersect in dreamlike soundscapes. Conceived in response to the poem “Summer Angel” by Alfred Starr Hamilton and Marianne Faithfull’s rendition of Morrissey’s “Dear God Please Help Me,” Anne Malin sings with childlike wonder and a sense of harrowing indictment, playing with the lyric as a multilayered tool for self-expression and self-protection alike. “Summer Angel" wields prisms in the face of sexual abuse and its nonlinear aftermath, asking: what is healing, what is self-harm, and what might freedom look like? These songs, brought into full form with collaborators Will Ringwalt-Johnson, Trevor Nikrant, Jake Smith, DJ Young, and JayVe Montgomery, reveal Anne Malin’s fluid vocal range: capable of operatic force and cutting delivery, and confident in navigating the grey areas in between.) 30.00
ASHLEY PAUL - slow boat LP (orange milk - Slow Boat pulls out every last sound in the organic world and puts it into a context of sheer beauty and conceptual interest simultaneously. It is masterfully original and well thought out with superb musicianship and puts hope into the polarized world of conceptual vs. analytic. This is a limited pressing of 300. Featuring Eli Keszler on percussion.) 21.00
ARTIFICIAL BRAIN - s/t LP (profound lore - back in stock - Drawing frequent comparisons to mind-altering progressive death metal acts, ARTIFICIAL BRAIN have distinguished themselves from their peers through an emphasis on rich, melancholic melodic figures, contextualizing the harmonic and emotive qualities of black metal within a more aggressive death metal framework. Dissonance is threaded through elegiac, otherworldly chordal structures; saturnine tremolo melodies float along in the high registers of the instruments; guitars and bass traverse distinct paths before locking into harmonic orbit. These elements, anchored by blast beats and bellowing guttural vocals, create a sense of contrast that has come to characterize the band’s sound over the past decade. ) 30.00
BIG JOANIE - Back Home LP (Formed in the heart of London’s DIY punk scene, Big Joanie (featuring guitarist Stephanie Phillips, bassist Estella Adeyeri, and drummer Chardine Taylor-Stone) are a Black feminist punk band whose passionate live shows and moreish blend of nineties riot grrrl and synth-heavy post punk, have seen them steadily rise to become one of the most championed bands of the current era. Big Joanie are back with their sophomore record Back Home. Recorded at Hermitage Works Studios in North London, the album was produced and mixed by Margo Broom (Goat Girl, Fat White Family). Back Home is a dramatic leap forward for the band; the band build on their tightly knit, lo-fi punk formula to bring forth a collage of blazing guitars, down tempo dance punk, and melancholic strings that evoke the full depth of the band’s expansive art punk vision. The album title references a search for a place to call home, whether real or metaphysical. “We were really ruminating on the idea of a home and what it means,” explains Stephanie. “It’s about the different ideas of home, whether that’s here in the UK, back in Africa or the Caribbean, or a place that doesn’t really exist; it’s neither here nor there.“) 28.00
BODY DOUBLE - Milk Fed LP (ZUM - Ten relentless, slippery songs that cut and crowd in a way that will feel familiar to anyone who’s been alive these past few years. The elemental familiarity of brash guitars, highway-tempo drumming and penetrating vocals builds a mordant foundation for destabilization. Bursts of static, foggy synths, and percussive keyboard notes are set precisely. There’s a feeling of being leveraged, of being manipulated that mimics the everyday debasements of 21st century life, which doesn’t sound that compelling I guess but the record has a subversive ability to transform itself into a kind of resistance or rejection. The Maximum Rocknroll review of this record says “some people want music that’s awkward to access” which gets at the brilliance of this LP, the most concise and wrenching expression of our current conditions I can think of.) 25.00
BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE - Bohren For Beginners 3xLP (pias - Since their formation just over 30 years ago, hardly any German band has managed to create such a unique musical cosmos as Bohren und der Club Of Gore, from Mühlheim. With their dark instrumental tracks, Bohren have been able to create a firm fanbase, and renowned musicians such as Mike Patton (Faith No More), Ry-X, John Grant, Soap and Skin and Thor Harris (Swans) have long since fallen for Bohren’s timeless songs. The wonderfully titled ‘Bohren For Beginners’ now collects all the highlights of the Bohren catalogue in partly remixed versions, as well as a new song, for the first time as a 3LP album; a gateway drug for newcomers as well as for diehard fans. Since a large part of the Bohren back catalogue has already been deleted for years, musical treasures are unearthed here that have lost none of their quality, and they will still be giving you goosebumps in 20 years.) 40.00
BROKEN HEARTS ARE BLUE - Dark Whimsy and Soft Surrealism DLP (council - Broken Hearts Are Blue wasn't built to last. Formed in late 1995, the band was ticking down almost from the beginning. Not out of any sense of acrimony among the members, but because it was that time in their lives. College graduation, grad school, a move to Denver—everyone's eyes were on a different horizon. They played what in retrospect seems like too few shows, recorded and released an LP, 1997's majestic The Truth About Love. And then they were done. ) 30.00
THE CAT'S MIAOW - Songs '94-'98 LP (world of echo - back in stock - Songs ’94-’98 is a smart selection of material from The Cat’s Miaow, an Australian indie-pop group that gifted their decade with some of its finest songs. Released on World Of Echo, the album draws from the group’s string of excellent seven-inch singles, a small clutch of compilation contributions, and features one previously unreleased song, “I Take It That We’re Through”, recorded in 1998. Part of the burgeoning international pop underground of the nineties, The Cat’s Miaow’s legend has only built over subsequent decades, as more people discover this most quixotic and curious of groups: a recent appearance on A Colourful Storm’s compilation of Australian indie-pop, I Won’t Have To Think About You, is testament to their enduring influence. In part emulating the selection of tracks on the 1997 CD-only compilation, Songs For Girls To Sing, Songs ’94-’98 is also the group’s first ever full-length 12” vinyl collection – and if you score a copy of the initial edition, there’s an extra 7” featuring all the songs from their “Third Floor Fire Escape View” recording session. ) 28.00
CIVIC - Taken By Force LP (ATO - The Melbourne-based five-piece Civic return with their visceral new sophomore album Taken by Force - aptly described by the band as “1984 meets Endless Summer.” Civic have reimagined the reckless intensity of proto-punk for an era of endless uncertainty and have become one of the most exhilarating bands to emerge from the Melbourne-scene in recent years. Taken By Force was produced by Radio Birdman frontman Rob Younger and mixed / mastered by Mike Young (Eddy Current, Total Control). 28.00
CLAIRE ROUSAY & MORE EAZE - Never Stop Texting Me LP (orange milk - Never Stop Texting Me by More Eaze and Claire Rousay is a pop record. Melodies and chorus in every track about crushes, collaborating with friends, and the mundane of everyday life. Maybe the first mention of Bandcamp Friday in a pop song? Mari and Claire share an equal amount of duties on the record, rendering it a pure representation of their collaborative work. The appeal of this record is the assertive pop blending w Robert Ashley like moments which simultaneously satiates the desire to hear structure and the abstract. The album is funny, sad, interesting, accessible, and very honest. Includes collaboration w Bloodzboi and How To Dress Well. ) 22.00
DANNY ARAKAKI - Tumble In Shade LP (husky Pants - Arakaki has gathered together a fairly astonishing multi-generational collection of underground legends to back him up here. We’ve got Mike Bones (Weak Signal, Endless Boogie, Soldiers of Fortune) providing wicked lead guitar and Dan Iead (Broken West, Jess Williamson, Radar Bros.) on perfectly baked pedal steel. We’ve got Rachel Herman and Samara Lubelski (The Sonora Pine, Tower Recordings, Chelsea Light Moving) on dreamily droning violin and Jef Brown (Jackie-O-Motherfucker, Gospel of Mars) on righteous sax. The sturdy, imaginative rhythm section is Ryan Jewell (Chris Forsyth, Ryley Walker, Mosses) and Chad Laird (Jantar, Prince Rupert’s Drops). The elegant keyboards are courtesy of Office Culture’s Winston Cook-Wilson, while Andi Magenheimer and Helen Rush (Tower Recordings, Metal Mountains) pop in with harmonious backing vocals. ) 25.00
DEAD HISTORY - s/t LP (landland - Dead History is still a pretty new band — almost as much as they very much aren’t. In a similar manner, Dead History could easily be considered a “supergroup” of sorts — except that at least half of the band would laugh at that title. Despite only releasing their self-titled debut album, the Minnesotans come by their classic post-hardcore sound in the most earnest way possible. Comprised of vocalist Brad Senne, Matthew Rezac and Brock Specht on guitar, and a rhythm section made of drummer David Jarnstrom and bassist John McEwen, pretty much everyone in the band has deep roots in the northern edge of the ‘90s Midwestern punk, hardcore, and emo scenes.) 25.00
GAVIN BRYARS - The Sinking Of The Titanic LP (superior viaduct .- back in stock - Vinyl treasure. A heartbreakingly beautiful, eerie elegy to a tragic event, Gavin Bryars’ magnum opus - a pinnacle of the c.20th classical canon - is finally available on vinyl again via Superior Viaduct some half century since it was issued on Eno’s Obscure label. Gavin Bryars’ Eno-produced ‘The Sinking of the Titanic’ artfully evokes the liner’s in-house band continuing to play as it sank into the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912. Its understated string arrangements and use of Cageian indeterminate strategy set a haunting precedent for later works by the likes of The Caretaker, Akira Rabelais and Stephan Mathieu, heralding the culmination of a phase shift between popular classical music, proper, and its experimental paths beyond convention into realms of pure sonification. No doubt it’s one of those works that simply stops you in you tracks and effortlessly holds the attention for the duration.) 32.00
GIA MARGARET - Mia Gargaret LP (orindal - Mia Gargaret is an ambient, (mostly) instrumental album by Chicago, IL singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist & producer Gia Margaret. Mia Gargaret was not the follow-up album that Gia intended to release after the critical success of her 2018 debut, There’s Always Glimmer. But after she suddenly found herself without use of her primary instrument, she had to rethink her methods, at least temporarily.) 28.00
THE GORDONS - s/t & Future Shock LP + 7“ (1972 - back in stock - The Gordons crashed upon the do-it-yourself scene of early 1980s Christchurch with torrential force, self-releasing two foundational planks of the vibrant New Zealand underground. Future Shock, a three-song 7-inch released in 1980, is a wild-eyed rampage, as staggering as any feedback-addled punk then being recorded at Southern Studios. The Gordons LP, which followed in 1981, matches the abandon with motorik churn and livewire dissonance, evoking New Zealand antecedents as divergent as This Kind Of Punishment and the Dead C. Brought together on this release, they’re a noise-rock landmark anticipating fans such as Sonic Youth.) 27.00
HAMMERED HULLS - Careening LP (dischord - back in stock on blue vinyl - The Hammered Hulls are a band from Washington D.C. made up of some very old connections. Mary Timony (bass) and Alec MacKaye (vocals) grew up in the same Washington neighborhood and have spent the better part of their lives in each other’s somewhat distant orbit. Always aware of each other, but never able to play together. Mark Cisneros (Guitar) has been in D.C. for more than a decade. He cut his teeth in Los Angeles listening to both Mary and Alec’s bands, but also a healthy dose of free jazz and garage. He is the man who plays everything with everyone, but this is his band. Hammered Hulls are rounded out by Chris Wilson (drums), a monstrous drummer with no shortage of love for all three of his bandmates. Every person in this band is a fan of every other person in this band. Mutual respect drives this train. To say they are an odd collection of influences is to understate the point. If you tried you couldn’t imagine what this band might sound like.) 23.00
HEAVY BLANKET - Moon Is LP (outer battery - The brand new Heavy Blanket LP is finally here! J (of Dinosaur Jr - fame) has been saving his heaviest riffs for this project and he finally got the chance to round up his mysterious rhythm section and head back into the studio.) 25.00
HISTORICALLY FUCKED - The Mule Peasants' Revolt of 12,067 LP (upset the rhythm - Historically Fucked is a four way entanglement made to create short, eruptive songs and then set about obliterating them from the inside, like improvising a barrel to encase themselves in and then proceeding to lick their way out of it. It is about playing and laughing at playing, and it is about not doing either of those things sometimes. Sometimes it is to do with talking, howling or grunting, and sometimes it is to do with hitting and rubbing. Historically Fucked contains four people, who each share the same duties, and whose names in sequence are Otto Willberg, David Birchall, Greta Buitkuté and Alecs Pierce. They are from Manchester and often other places. Guitar, bass, drums and voices keenly jostle amid the group’s frenzy of spontaneous rock throttles. Some of these rampant exercises in avant are collected on ‘The Mule Peasants’ Revolt of 12,067’, the band’s new album, released by Upset The Rhythm on February 3rd. This is the group’s first release since 2018’s mantlepiece staple ‘Aliven Wool’ (Heavy Petting). This is Rock and/or Roll as fertilizer, uncivilised and free, as if one were to imagine what the Plastic Ono Band would’ve hit upon if they had read ‘Riddley Walker’, the sound of an entire timeline of expression put back together back-to-front, misshapen and irradiated. ) 21.00
HUNDRED HANDS - Little Eyes LP (third something - First time on vinyl. Led by Aaron Pillar and Christopher Crisci (founding members of The Appleseed Cast), Hundred Hands pilots the listener through a complex journey of exquisite musical landscapes, glimmering melodies and warm, pulsing, beautiful instrumentation. But this time it's Aaron who takes center stage on vocals. Little Eyes pulls at the right parts at all the right times - the texture, the feel, the sound of everything - creating a surrounding that is abundant in introspection and sonic inspiration. Little Eyes is flawlessly executed. With producer Ed Rose on drums / percussion, this trio of post-hardcore heroes can do no wrong.) 25.00
INNUMERABLE FORMS - Philosophical Collapse LP (profound lore - Back in stock - Helmed by founder Justin DeTore (aka DFJ), “Philosophical Collapse” emerges as INNUMERABLE FORMS’ most triumphant work as alongside DFJ, guitarists Chris Ulsh (Mammoth Grinder/Power Trip/Devil Master) and Jensen Ward (Iron Lung), drummer Connor Donnegan (Genocide Pact), and bassist Doug Cho deliver an opus that coalesces the old school Finnish death metal cult of the early ‘90s and the early ‘90s UK doom glory (Anathema, Paradise Lost most notably).) 30.00
JORDAN REYES & ELI WINTER - Controlled Burning LP (husky pants - Jordan Reyes - Synthesizers, Percussion, Office Chair - Eli Winter - Electric Guitars - Released on Ryley Walker’s Husky Pants label, this mind-bender of an album of duets from guitarist Eli Winter and keyboard and synthesizer artist Jordan Reyes is unashamedly bonkers in places and calm and sedate in others. What is clear is the musical relationship between the two and their ability to balance these often spacious but always complex and experimental pieces of music. For instance, there is a moment towards the end of epic finale Underground City of Dogs where Jordan’s electronic blasts of sound have hit an almost demented level, and the calming notes (with a wonderful tone) of Eli’s electric guitar can be heard beneath, reassuring the listener that there is indeed control here and purpose from both musicians.) 25.00
JORDAN REYES - Close LP (american dream - Close is the debut album from American Dreams Records founder & ONO member Jordan Reyes. The album is comprised of six songs composed on modular synthesizer working in a rhythmic ambient, electronic realm- songs like ‘Quicksand’ are glacial and melodic while others like ‘Lost Machine’ skew to the kinetic. On this album, Reyes mused on idea of sobriety, endurance, and being in a state of trance - wading deep in the patch cords of the eurorack synthesizer allowed him to reach a state of non-attachment, similar to running or biking a long distance. This kind of tunnel vision allowed him to perceive himself fading from the day-to-day and exist wholly inside the machine, becoming a more cybernetic organism.) 27.00
LAS ROBERTAS - Love Is The Answer LP (Costa Rican based Las Robertas Owen Morris (Oasis, The Verve, Ash) produced album "Love is the Answer" highlights their love of 90’s alt rock greats.) 27.00
LEIAH - Endless LP (thirty something - With Endless Leiah have made the album they always wanted to make but could not complete due to the chaotic circumstances that surrounded the band 20 years ago. You might be wondering why a small Swedish indie/emo/punk band decides to make a new album after 19 years? The answer is quite simple, the members always felt that the band deserved a better sonic ending. 2022 also marks 20 years since their critically acclaimed album Sound and Diversity (BB/Startracks) came out. ) 25.00
MOMMA - Household Name LP (polyvinyl - Momma, the band led by singers / guitarists Allegra Weingarten and Etta Friedman, release their anticipated new album, Household Name. Fresh off a series of dates with Wet Leg, the band’s new full-length Household Name reveals an exciting new chapter marked by both personal and artistic growth. Now based in Brooklyn, New York, after relocating from hometown Los Angeles, the duo upgraded from GarageBand and took their time writing and recording in a proper studio alongside multi-instrumentalist/producer Aron Kobayashi Ritch. The resulting album, mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Emily Lazar, is a tightly stitched collection that is magnetic and dynamic, and also marks their debut for Lucky Number, who signed Momma in the midst of the pandemic before the band members had even finished college. In chasing their idols and embracing personal storytelling, the band has skill-fully carved out their own path. Household Name showcases an unfettered vulnerability elevated by serious alt-rock bombast and is an album that tells the world: This is Momma.) 12.00
MT. ORIANDER - Then the Lightness Leaves and I Become Heavy Again LP (cyls - If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it was meant to be. In 2016, frontman Keith Latinen quit nearly everything music related by dissolving his band Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) after a decade of constant writing and touring. Little by little, the desire to write again trickled though until it finally came flooding back. Latinen picked himself up and began to pour his heart into something new. The end result is the debut solo full length "Then the Lightness Leaves and I Become Heavy Again". While the album bears Latinen's hallmark sounds- chimey guitars, intimate drumming, and confessional vocals, it also lauds a more nuanced approach to songwriting. Each song feels like an open book, a new entry that shows life goes on no matter how bad the losses.) 27.00
THE OBITS - Die At The Zoo LP (outer battery - Somewhere between ‘Having Fun With Elvis On Stage’ and Pat Benatar’s ‘Live from Earth!!,’ we offer you ‘The Obits Die At The Zoo,’ a 12-song, rip-roaring, zig-zag-wandering pile of riff after simmering riff—just the way Bob Seger showed us how to do it at Cobo Hall. Recorded in 2012 in Brisbane, Australia, the pint-quaffing playground of rock'n'roll legends like The Leftovers, The Saints and SixFtHick. We were on tour between our second and third album for Sub Pop, so you get sing-along classics like "Widow Of My Dreams" and "I Want Results," plus 7" jams like "One Cross Apiece" and „Refund." The digital download* contains 4 more tunes, including our covers of "The City Is Dead" (originally by Belgium's The Kids) and "Milk Cow Blues" (penned by Lovejoy via Chicago southpaw James "Kokomo" Arnold).*yes, a download card is included!) 23.00
THE OWNERS - s/t LP (dischord - DC punk scene veterans in a female fronted, melodic punk/power pop group featuring members of Ex Hex, The Shirks, Gray Matter, Iron Cross, and The Problematics (among others). The Owners are Dante and Catherine Ferrando, Laura Harris, and Alec Budd.) 25.00
POHGOH - Du Und Ich LP (thirty - Textured, tight and emotionally muscular, Pohgoh’s "du und ich" is easily the foursome’s most ambitious outing yet, a confident, eclectic release that showcases the band’s strengths — catchy riffs and big dynamics ridden deftly by Susie’s inimitable voice and evocative lyrics — in a bright new light. The band’s four-on-the-floor rock format is augmented by additional vocals and instrumentation, including pedal steel on the slightly countrified “Planet Houston,” and cello and Hammond organ on "Words Are Harder," and the moody, compelling album highlight “Hammer.” Opener “Now I Know,” “House Burned Down,” “Heavy,” and the intensely personal “Over-Under” — about Susie’s decades-long battle with multiple sclerosis (MS) — are among Pohgoh’s best balancing acts ever between hook and heft, driving anthems with just a touch of post-rock edge. Twenty-seven years later, Pohgoh continues to reassess and reassemble its parts in the most daring yet listenable ways. The act’s third full-length is more than another great album; it’s a collective anthem of survival, a refutation of all that would break us down. It’s a record that says we’re in this together, that it’s us against the world.) 25.00
POP UNKNOWN - Summer Season Kills LP (thirty something - The debut record featuring ex-members of highly-regarded Mineral. Need we say more? An impassioned blend of post-hardcore rock and warm, dynamic pop from Austin, Texas. This engaging combination matched with a strong sense of melody defines their sound on Summer Season Kills. Perhaps the members of Pop Unknown have stumbled upon a harmony which is often unbalanced by the allure to be all that is "pop" or all that is "emotion." The Pop resists that temptation. And a quick listen to any of their songs will put this balance into perspective. Let's not forget they rock...with a thick, noisy guitar attack on the senses. So forget about sitting up all night fussing over the perfect mix tape arrangement for that special someone. This is it. ) 25.00
POP UNKNOWN - If Arsenic Fails, Try Algebra LP (thirty something - Pop Unknown presents textures and tones on If Arsenic Fails, Try Algebra that will make you go weak at the knees. Everything fits so well, it's more than you hoped for. "One of the best records to come out in a very long time, for any label" says Rocket Fuel. Immaculately constructed pop songs with tranquilizing melodies and chiming guitars lines. A power-chord workout with a driving rhythm section that conveys passion and reminds us how good it feels to sing along. Dreamo.) 25.00
REX - C DLP (numero - Hovering somewhere at the intersection of Nirvana and Neil Young, Rex exploded—or drifted, rather—onto the slowcore scene in the mid-1990s. Taking its cue from bands like Codeine, which drummer Doug Scharin was a part of, Rex managed to synthesize the dynamic eruptions of grunge, twinkling guitars of folk, and sprawling string arrangements of chamber pop on its seminal 1996 album, C. In recording C, Scharin, along with bandmates Curtis Harvey and Phil Sprito, created an untamable and uncategorizable beast. The album’s 11 tracks clock in at an hour and 7 minutes, most often winding from folk warbles to distortion-drenched power chords and back. End-to-end, listening to C feels like being granted access to one of the band’s most unfettered jams.) 33.00
ROCKY VOTOLATO - Wild Roots LP (thirty something - Rocky Votolato’s music has consistently chased something universal — a perspective that connects us all, mysterious yet present, simultaneously humble and profound. Maturing over the course of eight increasingly accomplished solo albums, including the widely heralded records "Suicide Medicine" and "Makers," he has spent the last two decades endlessly writing, recording, and touring. It is through this dedication that Votolato has become a mainstay within the indie-folk scene and developed a following of loyal and devoted fans who have been deeply impacted by his music. With his first release in seven years, Votolato returns with "Wild Roots," an intimate concept album inspired by and written for his family. At its core, the record is a collection of fifteen epistolary songs, each one a letter to a family member focusing on a special memory or a specific moment in time. While the record inadvertently constructs a narrative of Votolato’s own life, multiple themes and motifs emerge that resonate universally with listeners. “This is a storytelling album,” says Votolato, “But to me, this record is really about how family has nothing to do with blood, but more to do with who sticks with you and who learns to be good to you, and love and appreciate you for who you are.”) 25.00
ROXANE MÉTAYER - Perlée de Sève LP (In the midst of a wave of hybridizing ambient, drone, folklore and experimental electroacoustic music, Roxane Métayer has gained a cult following with only a couple of releases to date. Following her debut album (Éclipse Des Ocelles) for Morc with a split EP and a limited cassette for Wabi-Sabi, Roxane now turns to Marionette with her intimate narrative based multi-instrumental recordings, a match made in the heavens if you ask us. With her violin, woodwind, voice and various effect pedals, Métayer takes the listener on a newfound journey into the ancient, medieval, and primordial. ) 26.00
ROXANE METAYER / PEFKIN - split LP (More - Mutual admirers of each other’s work, these titans of Scottish and French dronefolk team up for a split LP – 2 tracks by Pefkin, 3 by Roxane Métayer. The fact that these like-minded artists explore the boundaries of what connects them, makes it a very exciting release. The Pefkin side is Gayle at her most melodic, whereas Roxane goes down a poetic and rhythmical path. Dream combo.) 23.00
RYLEY WALKER - So Certain LP (husky pants - In the aftermath of 2021’s album ‘Course In Fable’, American singer-songwriter Ryley Walker released the quietly impressive ‘So Certain’ EP in 2022. Four tracks of loose, slightly improvised psychedelic folk fronted by Walker’s stoic, imperious vocals. For fans of Matt Sweeney and Kevin Morby.) 25.00
SHAKE CHAIN - Snake Chain LP (upset the rhythm . Shake Chain have been busy demolishing audiences and expectations for the best part of the last three years. Vocalist Kate Mahony sets that standard by anything from crawling through the audience’s legs in a bright yellow raincoat to crying and washing her hands in a nearby toilet, as the rest of the band start the set. A feeling of anxiety and unease conjures relevant questioning, ‘what an earth is going on?’, ‘am I hallucinating?’ and ‘is this part of the show?’, all hallmarks of Shake Chain’s unruly and lyric-bespattered rock show. The four-piece from London are completed by Robert Eyres (Synth/Guitar), Chris Hopkins (Bass/Synth/Samples) and Joe Fergey (Drums). Born from the ashes of their former bands, the group met with a desire to create something that would feel new for each of them and audibly take its own course. The result is a nervous propulsion of bass lines, twitchy guitars that jolt and jerk and tack sharp drums, overridden by screeching vocal slurs and sampled television. Kate’s singing is a unique embrace of flights of atonal fancy, head-first repetition and ecstatic frenzy. Opinion-dividing arguably, but singular in making Shake Chain dauntingly brilliant. ) 22.00
SHANE PARISH - Liverpool LP (dear life. In a career defined by breakthroughs, “Liverpool” finds masterful guitarist Shane Parish at a natural culmination point. Following years of intensive self-directed musical study and teaching, as well as a move to Athens, GA, Parish set out to continue his work arranging traditional folk music for solo guitar with bursts of improvisation ala his 2016 album “Undertaker, Please Drive Slow” (Tzadik 4016), or 2019’s “Way Haul Away: A Collection of Fireside Songs” (Dear Life 005); this time exploring sea shanties as source material. By repurposing nautical worksong melodies and “lover-lost-at-sea” ballads, Parish provides a unique window into their universal evocativeness and ever-fluid evolution. Parish hypothesizes that “These old melodies are timeless due to their physiological power to vibrate the human nervous system in just the right way, they are the code to resonance within the body, and thus a fantastic and magical part of our evolution.”) 30.00
SHIROISHI / TIESENGA - Empty Vessels LP (full spectrum - A collaborative record released in August 2022 by multi-instrumentalists Patrick Shiroishi and Marta Tiesenga from LA, USA, on the Texas experimental/ambient label Full Spectrum. Includes 4 acoustic drone-free jazz songs recorded in an underground tunnel.Comes with liner notes and DL code.Mastering is handled by the label owner Andrew Weather.Below is a commentary by the label.) 25.00
SLOW MASS - On Watch LP (landlord - Formed in 2015, the band released their debut EP Treasure Pains, offering up an expansive new take on both post-hardcore and indie-rock. The band toured in support of the EP with the likes of mewithoutYou, The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, and Pianos Become the Teeth. On Watch—their debut LP—expands Slow Mass' sonic palette in service of creating an ambitious, uncompromising album that never adheres to a single genre. It deserves a place alongside other classic albums like Fugazi's The Argument and Unwound's Leaves Turn Inside You, becoming the latest in a long line of records that push a genre forward by remaining focused on creating a cohesive, expansive work.) 25.00
THE SONORA PINE - II LP (quarterstick - / husky pants - Formed in the aftermath of the demise of post-hardcore band Rodan, Tara Jane O’Neil’s The Sonora Pine released a brace of crestfallen but beautiful indie-rock albums in the mid-Nineties. 1997’s ‘II’ was the second of these, recorded as a trio after guitarist Sean Meadows had quit, and the group called it a day soon afterwards. Remastered from the original tapes for its twenty-fifth anniversary, this hidden gem is reissued with previously unseen photos.) 25.00
SOULSIDE - A Brief Moment In The Sun LP (dischord - A Brief Moment In The Sun, which was written during the heart of the coronavirus pandemic and recorded in person by J. Robbins in November 2021.) 23.00
TONY CONRAD / ARNOLD DREYBLATT / JIM O'ROURKE - Tonic 19-01-2001 LP (Black Truffle - A major archival discovery: a stunning document of the only performance by the trio of Tony Conrad, Arnold Dreyblatt and Jim O’Rourke. Across a two-night programme organised by David Weinstein at legendary New York experimental venue Tonic in January 2001, Conrad, Dreyblatt and O’Rourke presented individual projects before performing a collaborative set each night, the first with members of Dreyblatt’s ensemble and the second the trio heard here. As Dreyblatt points out in the wonderfully informative and reflective liner notes written for this release, this was a collaboration across generations, reflecting the profound impact of Conrad’s pioneering minimalism on Dreyblatt and O’Rourke. Both Dreyblatt and O’Rourke came to this collaboration armed with a deep appreciation of Conrad’s music and the just intonation principles at its core, Dreyblatt having first encountered the incredible power of Conrad’s precisely tuned violin chords during his tenure as an archivist for La Monte Young in 1975, while O’Rourke had performed with Conrad in various settings since the mid-1990s (as well as admiring, reissuing, and performing Dreyblatt's music). ) 28.00
WORMROT - Hiss LP (earache - Wormrot return with their most stunning work to date! Following on from 2016's critically acclaimed album 'Voices', Wormrot's 4th studio album 'Hiss' is released 24th June 2022 on Earache Records. The Singaporean trio features the same line up as 2016's Voices with Arif (Vocals) Rasyid (Guitar) and Vijesh (Drums) and is without doubt their most ambitious and creative work to date. Having already made their mark as one of Grindcore's biggest names, Wormrot are intent on bringing Grindcore back to the masses with a sonically stunning record of wildly unhinged and downright feral noise.) 33.00
YO LA TENGO - This Stupid World DLP (matador - The most live-sounding Yo La Tengo album in years, This Stupid World. Times have changed for Yo La Tengo as much as they have for everyone else. In the past, the band has often worked with outside producers and mixers. In their latest effort, the first full-length in five years, This Stupid World was created all by themselves. And their time-tested judgment is both sturdy enough to keep things to the band’s high standards, and nimble enough to make things new. At the base of nearly every track is the trio playing all at once, giving everything a right-now feel. There’s an immediacy to the music, as if the distance between the first pass and the final product has become more direct.) 30.00
TAPES
ASHLEY PAUL - I Am Fog TAPE (orange milk - Ashley Paul is an American multi-instrumentalist/ composer based in London. Her intuitive process integrates free form song structures with a focused approach to sound. Using a complexity of instruments including saxophone, clarinet, voice, prepared guitar and percussion she creates a delicate palette, uniquely her own. I Am Fog to us sounds like a new evolution of Ashley’s work, it is silent shoegaze with hints of free jazz. Joan La Barbara on methadone is something that comes to mind. Ashley’s work is always intensely sad yet has these little moments of sparkling joy that does not distract you from the malaise of everyday life. I Am Fog is a great example of Ashley’s allure, it barely holds onto structure, and the despair is undeniable, all the while listening to it is a pleasure.) 10.00
CLAIRE ROUSAY & MORE EAZE - Never Stop Texting Me TAPE (orange milk - Never Stop Texting Me by More Eaze and Claire Rousay is a pop record. Melodies and chorus in every track about crushes, collaborating with friends, and the mundane of everyday life. Maybe the first mention of Bandcamp Friday in a pop song? Mari and Claire share an equal amount of duties on the record, rendering it a pure representation of their collaborative work. The appeal of this record is the assertive pop blending w Robert Ashley like moments which simultaneously satiates the desire to hear structure and the abstract. The album is funny, sad, interesting, accessible, and very honest. Includes collaboration w Bloodzboi and How To Dress Well. ) 10.00
MOMMA - Household Name TAPE (polyvinyl - Momma, the band led by singers / guitarists Allegra Weingarten and Etta Friedman, release their anticipated new album, Household Name. Fresh off a series of dates with Wet Leg, the band’s new full-length Household Name reveals an exciting new chapter marked by both personal and artistic growth. Now based in Brooklyn, New York, after relocating from hometown Los Angeles, the duo upgraded from GarageBand and took their time writing and recording in a proper studio alongside multi-instrumentalist/producer Aron Kobayashi Ritch. The resulting album, mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Emily Lazar, is a tightly stitched collection that is magnetic and dynamic, and also marks their debut for Lucky Number, who signed Momma in the midst of the pandemic before the band members had even finished college. In chasing their idols and embracing personal storytelling, the band has skill-fully carved out their own path. Household Name showcases an unfettered vulnerability elevated by serious alt-rock bombast and is an album that tells the world: This is Momma.) 12.00
NADJA - Labyrinthine TAPE (adagio830 - LTD TO 50 copies. Nadja's latest full-length offering Labyrinthine, recorded during the pandemic and concurrently with their Southern Lord album Luminous Rot, finally sees a CD release on the band's own label, Broken Spine, with limited cassette versions by several different indie labels from around the world: Katuktu Collective (US), Cruel Nature Recordings (UK), Bad Moon Rising (Taiwan), Adagio830 (Germany), Muzan Editions (Japan), WV Sorcerer (France/China) and UR Audio Visual (Canada). Labyrinthine explores themes of identity and loss, monstrosity and regret, extreme aesceticism, the differences between labyrinthes and mazes, taking inspiration from Haruki Murakami's Killing Commendatore, Ursula K. LeGuin's The Tombs of Atuan, and Victor Pelevin's reinterpretation of the story of the minotaur and Ariadne, The Helmet of Horror. Four extended tracks of atmospheric doom sludge, each with a different guest vocalist: Alan Dubin (Gnaw, Khanate), Rachel Davies (Esben & The Witch), Lane Shi Otayonii (Elizabeth Colour Wheel), & Dylan Walker (Full of Hell). Mastered by James Plotkin, artwork by HLG.) 8.00
PATRICK SHIROISHI - inoue TAPE (Patrick Shiroishi returns to his brutal prog roots for an album of 60 saxophone exercises, equally punishing and rewarding. Executed during the plague years and delivered in two halves, one featuring pieces composed strictly with programmed drum accompaniment, the second with additional metal/wood sound sources, Inoue truly stands out in an extensive and captivating discography.) 10.00
