Eat Skull's 'Wild & Inside' + New Tyvek s/t cd's Part Of Blowout Sale! Buy Now!

I know I know, your all waiting for the vinyl. Hopefully both will be here soon, but in the meantime I have some copies of each of these on cd I'm willing to sell on the cheap. Like 10$ each here in USA (13$ elsewhere). These are stock copies, no hole punch, no cut corner promo crap, the real retail deal, sealed & everything. I have about 20 of each, 1st come, 1st serve. Interested parties can paypal to; sltrx@pil.net

Destination-ROCK! Siltbreeze At SXSW 2009. And We Have Posters! Get'em Now!

Siltbreeze is hosting a 2nd Annual SXSW Showcase at SoHo Lounge, 217 East 6th St., Thurs. 3/19. Festivities kick off around 8:00 pm, running order is as follows;

8pm-Ratas Del Vaticano
8:45-Eat Skull
9:30-Hank IV
10:15-Psychedelic Horseshit
11:00 Naked On The Vague
11:45-U.S. Girls
12:30-Los Llamarada
1:15-FNU Ronnies

And to commemorate the event, we've printed up a limited edition poster, edition of 35, silkscreened in the American colors of red, white & blue & printed by local artist Mark Price (http://www.markpriceisafactory.com/) & measure 18"x24". Paper is a nice heavy grade w/a thick ink coating. These are really sweet & easy on the eyes. Prices are as follows;

US-12$ppd$
Canada-14$ppd
Elsewhere-20$ppd

These will be mailed in appropriate poster cylinders & in US, we'll send delivery confirmation. Trying to make the price as cheap as possible, passing the saving's along to you, the fans. So order now, surely not to be along for long. Hope to see some of you there & if not, maybe next year.

Axemen's 'Big Cheap Motel' LP Ready For Order!

So the 1st of the Axemen reissue lp series is now available. 'Big Cheap Motel' was originally released as a cassette in 1983 & documents the band's assault on a free concert sponsored by the Big M milk congolmerate. On here one finds the Axemen to be the living embodiment of early 'don't man hate, man educate' Riot Grrrl doctrine, caterwauling a set of on-the-spot original protests (+ a Rolling Stones cover) aimed at local city council & Big M's salacious advertising that falls somewhere between ATV's 'What You See Is What You Are' & Half Japanese live in DuPont Circle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTuA_FGKzWk). Would Alan Alda approve? Hard to say, but hopefully it's a formidable enough aural action to keep Germaine Greer's piehole shut. It's no Crass, but then, what is?
This lp is an edition of 700. All copies include an insert & most come w/stickers suitable for bodily application. Step right up & order.

15$ ppd US
17$ ppd Canada
25$ ppd elsewhere

Paypal to; sltrx@pil.net

Not Exactly A Singles Club, Then Again.....Beyond The Implode's 'This Atmosphere' 7" ep GONE

OUT OF PRINT
Incredulous as it may seem, Siltbreeze is proud to announce the release of a super limited 7" ep from the legendary Beyond The Implode; 4 tracks recorded (at home) by the band in 1979. Tracks 1 & 3 ('This Atmosphere' & 'Steel Car') were originally issued on the band's 1979 debut ep 'Last Thoughts' while tracks 2 & 4 ('Disperse The Clouds' + 'Mid Ad Version') have remained unheard & unreleased lo these many years. Astute fans will no doubt hear 'Mid Ad Version' & perhaps "see" it as an alternate take on 'Midnight Adventures' (found on Last Thoughts) & if so, count yourselves among the lucky ones. This project was sanctioned by BTI head honcho Eddie Smith who also provided the master tape & as such making this 100% legit, i.e., NOT A BOOTLEG. Released in a one time edition of 300 copies, this ep is solely available from this site; no distro's, mail-order or blackmail. Not yet anyway. Once it's gone, it's gone.

Look Hard, This Might Hurt....Catching Up With The Awesome Vistas Label

No doubt some of you's out there is familiar w/Chris Johanson the artist. From what I was told by a man wearing a beret & sipping pernod, he comes for the disembodied school of Raymond Pettibon. Sorry Shirley, I've had to work most of my life, so excuse me if I weren't there the day they passed out snuff & showed you how to prance around w/a stick up your ass. All's I know from what I've seen of his work it there ain't no Gumby's or Manson's & that's fine by me. Then there's the Chris Johanson what's the mastermind behind perhaps the single most exciting vanity label goin (sorry Corwood), Awesome Vistas, whose 1st release was Sic Alps 'Description Of The Harbor' 12" (the artwork c/o Mr. J himself). Since then a spate of new one's has hit the street, all in small editions, each lovingly assembled. The jackets are silkscreened by different artist's or band members, the paper stock bein a heavy gauge what's near cardboard that's perfect for the sometimes elaborate screens what is laid down. To date I think there's seven releases & it's anyone's guess if more's to come. As it states on one of the inserts, "there is no way to contact Awesome Vistas". You might say they's along the lines of them Morant Tapes series of 10" lathe cuts from a couple yrs back except this is high grade 12" vinyl dudes. I ain't had a problem w/none of'em, actually I've enjoyed them all & considerin what a mixed bag they was, that's sayin somethin. But seein as how I've only been back to North America & home but a week now, I need to get my sleep patterns up to EST. So I've asked a couple Irish buddies of mine, Gerald Fitzpatrick & Patrick Fitzgerald to guest "curate" this column. Personally, I think the point/counterpoint buddy thing is insipid & lazy, so if this at anytime starts to read like the C&D column outta Arthur, you'll know where this idea come from. There ain't no reason for these 2 to be pseudonymous though. If you gotta problem with what they think, just stop on by to get your ass whupped, that's fine.

Enablers-The Achievement (1 sided lp, AV-01)

GF; (shaking a Belfast Bomber) Whatya know about Enablers?

PF; (lighting a cigarette & bats out the match) Well, they say me grandmother was responsible for me uncle Brian bein a nasty cur & me grandfather's hopeless alcoholism.

GF; (agitated) Not them ya twit, the band!

PF; (gently pouring a can of Guinness into a pint glass) ah, this record we're a hearin now. I like the voice, it's quite Welsh soundin (laughs).

GF; Ya, it's some voice, a fella by the name'a Peter Simonelli.

PF; Right, one'a them.

GF; (curious) One'a who?

PF; An I'tal.

GF; (rolling his eyes), Jesusmaryandjoseph, what's his heritage got to do w/all the tea in China?

PF; Dunno, just sayin's all.

GF; Well, it's a story put to music. Very San Francisco, ya can almost smell the Mission.

PF; (squinting, confused) Smell the missus?

GF; (yelling) THE MISSION! You know, the Mission district. The music takes me there too, very Toiling Midgets in a way.

PF; (pouring a Jameson) Ya, I hear it, very Saccharine Trust as well.

GF; (himself pouring a Jameson) Your right! Good on ya (they clink glasses in a toast).

PF: (browsing the insert) There's a paragraph here where he's on about a tranny goin mental. Do ya recall the time we was lost in San Fran & ended up in the poofter bar?

GF; (exhaling a cigarette) I do.

PF; And the poor bugger who was buyin ya drinks & asked to give ya a blowjob? And ya dropped him with a punch?

GF; (inhales the cigarette again, looks away & exhales); Ya, twas a tough call. No way for him to know I didn't need the work!

(GF & PF crack up)

http://www.myspace.com/enablers

Linda Hagood-Pink Love Red Love (Av-06)

PF; (snorting a line of cocaine off this lp jacket, then picking it up for closer inspection) Christ, this is a cover, innit?

GF; (head titled back & holding his nose) Ya, it's quite good. I thought ya said you know this woman, didn't ya say twas a bartender?

PF; (confused) Fucked her?

GF; (squinting at PF) What?

PF; Aye?

GF; (voice rising, eyes darting) The singer, here the artist in question, Linda Hagood! You'd drink at her bar, yes?

PF; (swirling an iced glass of Bailey's) Ya, indeed, the Confederate bartender. Lovely girl. Didn't know she made music.

GF; (smoking a cigarette, looking at insert, sweating) Ya, she pretty much does it all on this one.It's quite good, funny as well, reminds me a bit of something you might get from Yoshimi. "Trippy" ya might say.

PF; (teasingly) Ah so......

GF; (staring directly at PF) I suppose now you speak Japanese do ya?

PF; (gesturing w/left hand) Vely rittle (laughs)

GF; (laughing) That's ridiculous. You reckon we could say this was a psychedelic record?

PF; (exhaling cigarette) I do.

GF; (teasingly) But you also think that mushroom's on a cut of beefsteak is psychedelic as well, ya?

PF; (tilts head forward, blows smoke directly into face of GF) I think your mother thinks so, that's what I think.

GF; (incensed, stands up) My MOTHER? Let me tell ya somethin about my mother (charges PF, fistfight ensues).

http://www.myspace.com/lindahagood

Dragging An Ox Through Water-The Tropics Of Phenomenon (Av-07)

GF; (uncorking a magnum of malt duck) Aye, this isn't bad, a one man affair is it?

PF; (holding plastic champagne flute, looking at insert) I thought ya meant the bubbly (laughs). I reckon it is, hard to read this blasted fine print. Ya, here it says 'all instruments, etc, by Brian'.

GF; (pours & fills 2 flutes, they clink glasses) I'd say he owe's a bit to Mayo Thompson's 'Cory's Debt To His Father' lp.

PF; (lights cigarette, downs malt duck, pours a Jameson) Your onto something, I do declare. Sounds like he's a bit of an experimenter.

GF; (downs the cold duck) What, you reckon he's poof?

PF; (knocks back the whiskey) Proof? What proof?

GF; (smoking cigarette) I said HE"S POOF.

PF; (squints) Where's your proof?

GF (visibly frustrated) Christ, that's what ya said! Now I'm confused.

PF; Is that right? Last time I checked ya was Gerald Fitzpatrick. Confused is no name for an Irishman. Folks'll take ya for poof.

http://www.myspace.com/dragginganox

Thee Oh Sees-Peanut Butter Oven ep (AV-04)

PF; (mixing a gin & tonic sans ice) Aye, what's this your playin? Sounds freaky.

GF; (snorting a small pile of cocaine off the back of his fist) Umm, ah, Thee Oh Sees. Ya, it's quite good. It's a band w/this legendary SF bloke, John Dwyer.

PF; (takes a long pull on his drink followed by his cigarette, exhales) Right, Coachwhips fella. This is quite spastic, brilliant rhythm section, infectious to say the least.

GF; (pogoing in front of turntable, boths hands out & batting like flippers) Ya, they're hard not to like. And this Dwyer chap is daft, his mind seems to race constantly. And this guitar on 'Quadrospazzled', aye, it's like a cross between Ward Dotson & Karl Precoda. A long way from Pink & Brown. Ya remember Pink & Brown?

PF; (drains cocktail, pours Jameson, lights cigarette, bats out match) Pink & Brown? (squints) Your knickers ya mean?

GF (remains dancing, breathing heavily, head shoots sharply around to left, stares at PF, confused) Whot in the bloody hell are ya on about?

PF; (teasingly) Them knickers of yours. (exhales smoke) by the time your finished w/that spastic dancin they're to be pink & brown! (convulses in laughter)

GF (stops dancing, walks over to bar & picks up empty gin bottle. sneaks up behind PF who is still in laughing uncontrollably & whacks his in the head, knocking him to the ground) Is that right? Ya know I've a spastic colon & I asked ya to keep it to yerself, aye?

PF; (groggily) Aye, ya did. Pass us a fag, ya?

GF; (hands him a cigarette) Here ya'are. A whiskey then?

PF; (smiles) Ya, could do.

GF; (pours 2 whiskeys, they toast); To a fine record.

PF; Aye, a fine record indeed.

http://www.myspace.com/ohsees

Jackie-O Motherfucker-The Cryin' Sea (AV-03)

*Note; At this point both men are barely coherent. Faced w/imminent blackout, the lads resort to the last move left in their arsenal; quote verbatim from the pages of Finnegan's Wake.

GF; A spathe of calyptrous glume involucrumines the perinanthean Amenta.

PF; fungoalgaceous muscafilicial graminopalmular plan-teon; of increasing, livivorous, feelful thinkamalinks

GF; luxuriotia— ting everywhencewithersoever among skullhullows and charnel

PF; cysts of a weedwastewoldwevild when Ralph the Retriever ranges to jawrode his knuts knuckles and her theas thighs.

GF; one-gugulp down of the nauseous forere brarkfarsts oboboomaround and you’re as paint and spickspan as a rainbow

PF; wreathe the bowl to rid the bowel; no runcure, no rank heat, sir; amess in amullium; chlorid cup.

http://www.myspace.com/jonf

Hey thanks fellas! That was, uh, somethin.........

Awesome Vistas is distributed by Revolver USA, contact dave@midheaven.com

to find out all about'em. PLEASE-the Sic Alps & Thee Oh Sees is now OOP, so no need to bug him where they's concerned.

Many Has Called, Three Is Chosen.....Some More New Reviews

The record's what's piled up here durin my absence, well, it's akin to one of them Matthew Brady photographs of the Union dead at Antietam Bridge. Like cordwood, so I'm tryin to hype (or huff) as fast as possible.


I like the alliteration of Heathern Haints even if I ain't gotta clue to what it means. Could be someone's name, you know, like Pink Floyd. But let's fry that fish another day. These guys is one of the new breed of 3rd eye guru's basking in the lysergic eddy's of Shoegaze but w/a pretty neat comprehension of early Rain Parade (think an extrapolation of that debut 7" on Llama), the psychic channeling of Spacemen 3 + hints of cognizant appreciation for the Cogle/Stapleton Christchurch shimmer. All them elevators stop at the thirteenth floor, a matter of fact not lost on the 4 track's that comprise this 12". Comes in a silkscreened double sided chipboard sleeve too. Goin up?
www.myspace.com/heathernhaints


A Homosexual is a Homosexual is Bruno Wizard. So sez I. And if any y'all have been apprehensive as to the worth of this seemingly outta nowhere 'Love Guns?' 10"re-emergence, I'm tellin you's to save that cuticle skin from chewin another day. If I'd had my druthers I would've figured this to be solo, like the Sir Alick & The Phraser 7", but once I shook the package, out jumbled an insert statin the opposite. Could be I'm biased, but I don't reckon Bruno's missed a beat. Peeps might pweep that the production ain't as crisp as yore, but I lost my taste for micro-brew salon talk some time ago, thank you very much. Unlike, say, Pere Ubu, whose post Rough Trade career has never cottoned to me, the "new" Homosexuals can drop near perfect baby's like this till there ain't no lavender left to spare. Second edition of 300 available now, but for how long? http://www.seriousbusinessrecords.com/


The X! label has steadily built a solid discography documentin the contempo Detroit scene & anyone worth their salt will tell you concentratin on one city for yr output is (usually) a fool's errand. But that buck stop's here. What's there, somethin like, 14 releases out? And not a runt in the litter? Hell, at that rate X! is headin towards the legendary status of US labels such as Dangerhouse or VVV for keepin it real w/the hometown feel. Naturally, some's outta print, but what's soon to come is this monster lp comp entitled 'Shiftless Decay' what's a stoned bone of Motorcity meltdown. And yeah, there's an early trio demo of Tyvek rippin up 'Flashing Lights', the post Chrome demolition of Human Eye + Little Claw dishin out another take on 'Feeding You Your New Head' (w/Kilynn showin up both Niagara & Rockee from Flirt in the process). Fillin out the rest of this stunner is Tentacle Lizardo (a personal fave), Frustrations, Terrible Twos, Heros & Villains, Johnny III Band, Mahonies, THTX & Odd Clouds (whose brand of LAFMS blorp is always spot on). For whatever reason, Hero's & Villains & Johnny III really made me wanna dig out some Cincecyde & that Brain Police 7". Say what you will about the excellent 'Detroit On A Platter' v/a from back in the day, 'Shiftless Decay' is gonna be THE one for the droolers from here on out. Chalk up another winner for the best label in the city that's more fun to visit than to live in. http://www.x-recs.com/

After What You've Just Said, I Don't Know What You Mean.....The Return Of A Man Called Roland Woodbe

Hardy-har, I bet you's all thought I was gone for good. Truth be told, I weren't so sure myself if I'd be gracin the pages of blogland ever again neither. Right when I thought my service to God & Country had all but been depleted, that's when I got the call for some PSYOPS bullshit that proved to damn near be my physical undoin. What started out like routine debriefing's of some agitated CIA "muleskinners" down to Ecuador ended up gettin me ass deep in subterfuge & some ancient conspiracy threads what had my head spinnin & landed me in a jail cell for near 3 months time ( nabbed w/a sizeable portion of cocaine, planted of course). Ecuador has some harsh laws when it comes to this monkey powder but I came to learn that my incarceration was nothing more than a setup. A ruse if you will. Once inside I was to make nice to some folks that supposedly had heavy connections. So it was a case of the hunted becomin the hunter. And if I had time (& the proper clearance) I could tell you some stories what involve Nazi pastissier's, pearl divin off the coast of Venezuela, a secret Kennedy rum plantation, the self propelled human cannon, white rails inhaled off the hot latin ass of an (allegedly) ex Noboa mistress + nuclear secrets lyin at the bottom of the lost island of Elugelab. But them's for another day. Right now I'm more anxious than a 'lude queen on prom night to hump a few of these here records what's overflowin at casa Woodbe. Sorry to all you's out there what might've been lookin for a best of 08 from me. I just don't got the love this time round. Instead I'm gonna focus on some stellar releases what come out but seemed ignored, or stymied the dimmer rock-writer bulbs, doe-eyed in the kilowatt's. I'd say it's great to be back but I don't wanna presume any cognitive deficits just yet, if you know what I mean.

A couple've guppies I know seem perplexed by my pro stance on this Crazy Dreams Band lp what's on Holy Mountain. What's up their collective ass is that alls I do is bitch & complain about all the New Weird half-assed shit & hereI am now championing some of it's major domo's. If you say so. But are they? And am I? It is true, the affectation's, constant name-dropping & shameless bill-hogging (not to mention miles of just terrible releases) laid down in the annals of the day-to-day history of this aforementioned genre are deplorable. But it was a lost time for some, lot's of the underground rock had shifted into formlessness & the "improviser"/noise "artist" was top dog. My accusers has even taken to callin me a hypocrite as I work for Siltbreeze, sayin the label was responsible for the glut of crap spewed out en masse on account of introducin the world to Charalambides, Tower Recordings & UN. All's I can to that is blamin us for somethin like, say, Sunburned or Vetiver, is like blamin Nietzsche for Hitler. Go ahead, get riled up! I'm just makin a point. Now w/this Crazy Dreams Band, I'm told they's full of NWA high security types but I don't care. They manage to keep things percolatin w/enough genuine osmosis that I'm just about this far ( it's close, why, there's hardly any gap at all!-Capt'n Siltbreeze) from buyin completely into their neo-psychedelic glublub. The real highlight is Lexie Mountain. Beardo's & Arthur devotees might see this performance & gloat about the 2nd coming of Pomerance, but last I checked, this weren't a comedy record (ding!). I reckon she conjures up all sorta diva's, from Sumac to Joplin to Linda Sharrock & it's cool to see her takin a crack at the rock format. Actually the vocalist she most reminds me of on here is Ricky Williams & if this lp is the second comin of anything it might as well be 'Sea Of Unrest'. And a track like "Seperate Ways" is filled w/enough blind faith, it's enough to charm me outta my shirt'n flaunt the ol' chestnut's (hairs'n all) alfresco for.....as long as it takes. So be afraid, be very afraid. This fucker can be bought direct too, go to http://www.holymountain.com/
for the fix.


Another record what's along the same lines is this little fella by Terminal Wasteband, a two song 7" for the estimable Black Velvet Fuckere label. Last I heard from these gouchos they was lightin up the sonic skies w/a brand of fuzz they called 'Barn Rock'. But a move northwest & so many Trappist ales later, maybe it's safe to say the barn has given way to a shed. But density is relative & on here the trio don't lunge into the whoosh of Hawkwind & Mountain as before, yet they ain't missed a beat neither. These tracks seem more set the controls for the heart of the rural-delica sun, following the not so easily understood maps of neo-cartographers such as Thinking Fellers & Strapping Fieldhands. The moral of this offering might be 'revenge is dish best served cold' & if you miss Blackjack mailorder as much as I do, they you know what I mean. Distro on this dude seems scant, try www.myspace.com/theterminalwasteband


When I opened the package for Boron And The Grebes 'Your're A Horrible Person' 7" ep, Mr. Boron felt compelled to include a note so'd I knew what a grebe is. Mr Boron, PLEASE! This is Roland Woodbe your speakin to. I have done ate more grebe's than you'll ever know. My mother used to make a version of the Turducken w/ grebe, possum & chipmunk. Um-um, that was some good eatin! Mr. Boron went on to explain he made this record to attract bandmates & I wish him the best've luck. It's a very decidedy lo-fi affair & kinda reminds me of a cross between Amor Fati & Slicing Grandpa. Maybe you don't "need" it or maybe you do. Surely ain't many of'em made, go to elementalboron@yahoo.com & see what's what.


The 7" debut of the (new) Cro Magnon seems to have put the pout in the lip of grumpier gus' out there. And to that end I will say I could be confounded why anyone other than the band themselves would see the point of gettin this thing on vinyl but perhaps that's the rub; it all comes back to one's taste's. I'm bettin that if you played these tracks back to back w/the ones by old Cromagnon there's be as many what says it all sucks as would stand & applaud. 20 yrs ago when Happy Flowers (& later) Lisa Suckdog unleashed their feral frenzy they was lauded as 'genius'. Could be as they was self released & came outta nowhere, we was all so taken by the outrageousness, it was easier to fawn that to fart. But they was in on the joke or rather, drew a line to see who'd stick around & see how it played out. And maybe the same could be said about the new Cro Magnon's. As for Bruit Direct buyin a cat in a bag by puttin this out, I don't think so. What's a good horror movie w/o some screamin girls? Bruit Direct is now 3 releases into a narrative of rich, post-sanity, aural grindhouse zonk, now w/2 shrilling, barely legal heroines
to advance the hysterical depravity. No one's askin you to kiss'em, but don't turn your back on'em neither, okay? http://www.bruit-direct.org/


I know this Pop Horror 7" has been out for an age, but I's just now gettin to it. Kinda suprised that my Anglo obsessed buds weren't more smitten with this. It's got a great lost in time chug (a little bass heavy on the 1st track maybe), plus a cool contempo DIY skip in it's step that reminds me of Dry Rib & Desperate Bicycles. The 2008 answer to Hand Grenades (honkin bass & all)? I wouldn't say no! www.myspace.com/iwannabearichbitch

Last Two Releases For 2008 Are Here! Get'em While They's Hot!

Here we are with the last 2 releases for 2008, a self titled one from The Love Is So Fast & 'Games For Slaves', the 2nd lp by Der Teenage Panzerkorps. TLISF is comprised of members of Los Llamarada, notably Danyhell & Estrella while also being produced by Sagan Youth. Silly me, I had always assumed these tracks were pre Los Llamarada but in fact TLISF was actually a band that existed for a short period when LL broke up (pre Exploding Now). That said, it still sounds like surreal, prehensile psychedelia, the palate filled w/flourishes of nascent staccato & outer space VU fumble. Edition of 500.
Der TPK had promised/theatened their followup effort would be more in the post-punk vein & they weren't kidding. 'Games For Slaves' really is almost like a step back in time, circa '79-80. Imagine a sound forged from the sneering ore of Abwarts & smelting ennui via early Joy Division. All's I know is that if guitarist Edmund Xavier's spidery guitar runs don't ably channel a young Bernard Sumner, then your name isn't John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt (that's mine name too!). Silkscreened covers this time, edition of 500.

Prices are as follows
each lp US-15$ ppd, Canada, 17$, Elsewhere, 25$

Paypal via; sltrx@pil.net

And also a BIG THANKS to everyone out there who helped make 2008 a banner year for Siltbreeze. Hope to see y'all again in '09!

'Sweat It Out' For Christmas.....Axemen's Little Stevie McCabe's Legendary Solo LP Available For Limited Time!

SORRY, SOLD OUT

In anticipation of the forthcoming Axemen series that begins next year, I was able to procure the last copies of Axeman Little Stevie McCabe's solo lp 'Sweat It Out'. Released in an edition of 300 in 1986, this DIY/Outsider masterpiece has long been under the radar, mostly due to the fact that for ages it was only available from Steve himself. Soundwise it stands head to head with standout line blurringly great one-offs such as Jowe Head's 'Pincer Movement' & Milk From Cheltenham's 'Triptych Of Poisoners'. Handscreened covers by Steve, includes original insert, I have the last 20 in existence, 1st come, 1st serve. And as an added bonus, Steve took the time to individually autograph all copies so no 2 are the same!

Babe The Blue Ox Need Not Apply.....Siltbreeze Announces Axemen Reissues For 2009!

Yep, in conjuction w/Sleek Bott Indusries, Siltbreeze is PROUD to annouce no less than 3, count'em THREE, Axemen reissues to see the light of day in 2009. First up is a previously cassette only one entitled 'Big Cheap Motel' (originally released in 1983), followed by 'Scary!' (1989) & then a full-on repro of the cult classic ''Three Virgins, Three Versions, Three Visions' (1985). These will all be limited vinyl only runs, so stay tuned & feel free to email should you have any questions. The series begins in January & will continue through the whole of next yr. And who know, maybe even beyond!

For the uninformed, the Axemen have been the practitioners of a unique brand of DIY they lovingly refer to as 'Sigh-Fi' rock for 30 yrs now. Not an easy band to pin down sonically, their catalog speaks for itself in much've the same way as those belonging to The Homosexuals or Sun City Girls. That is to say vast & beautiful. For a mindblowing glimpse into the world of Axemen (+ related friends & accomplice's) check out; http://www.theaxemen.wordpress.com/ & be prepared to have copious block's of time squandered trying to fathom the genius. Also, for those who perhaps can't wait, Axemen have a site where you can purchase high quality cdr's of previous cassette's. Go to http://www.sleekbott.com/ & there you might get a jump on the rest of your not-quite-as-desperate brothers & sisters. Yeah, 2009 is looking to be quite an exciting yr for reissues. See y'all on the flipside!

Siltbreeze Updates.....Hank IV Do East Coast Tour, Pigs To Fly! Reissues Of U.S. Girls & Factums lp's Back In Stock Too!

First I win the Paducah Rotary Club's annual Top Chef Award (again. Them crackers always love the Possum Bourguignon), then the Phils snag the World Series & now Hank IV's doin a slew of East Coast shows w/Los Llamarada. Looks like 2008 is goin out w/a bang! I got them dates posted below, but also wanted you folks to know we've got some copies of the new Hank IV LP 'Refuge In Genre' available direct. Comes w/a dropcard so's y'all can put it on yr Ipod or whatever too.

Also, the reish of U.S. Girls 'Introducting....' lp as well as Factums 'Alien Natives' is both back in stock. Lot's of folks has been askin for'em & now they's here & ready to ship. So get'em while their hot! One more time.

Prices are as follows;

US-15$ppd

Canada-17$ppd

Elsewhere-25$ppd

Paypal to; sltrx@pil.net

Hank IV/Los Llamarada on East Coast;

Wednesday, November 12th, 8:00 PM Brooklyn, NY The Charleston with Los Llamarada, Blues Control, Black & Whites.

*Radio appearance, Tuesday, November 18th, 3:00 PM Newbridge, NJ WFMU, live in the studio for Brian Turner's Show*.

Thursday, November 13th, 8:00 PM Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's with Los Llamarada.

Friday, November 14th, 8:00 PM New York, NY Cake Shop with Los Llamarada.

Saturday, November 15th, 8:00 PM Philadelphia, PA Pi Lam House, 3904 Spruce St.,West Philly, with Los Llamarada, FNU Ronnies & Watery Love

Old Tricks For New Dogs.....Siltbreeze Antique Closeout!

While I was digging around in the basement this weekend I came across a box containing some long out of print 7" titles. That got me curious so I trawled around some more, looking to see if there was anything else I'd put in storage & had forgotten about. The answer; not really. But I did find these & they are the LAST copies I have of each respective title. Availability is limited, so if your interested, please email me 1st to see if what your after is still around. Sorry if the prices seem high, maybe you can find them cheaper on Ebay. Or maybe not.

Queen Meanie Puss-The Darkling ep (SB-15)

QMP were a female quartet hailing out of Auckland, NZ. Formerly known as Angelhead (then based in Dunedin) they released a cassette on Bruce Russell's legendary Xpressway label around 1991 or so. A move north & a name change, they released their debut 7" on Flying Nun sometime in early '92. Then it was on to Siltbreeze for the follow-up (early '93). 'The Darkling' is 5 tracks of dark, tempered, post-post punk. I guess you could say there's a Raincoats vibe going on here, but they had to go through (pre Daydream Nation) Sonic Youth to get it. Originally pressed in an edition of 800, I have 7 copies still available.

15$ ppd US
16$ ppd Canada
18$ ppd elsewhere


Mike Rep & The Quotas-Quit Talking & Start Chalking ep (SB-19)

Released sometime mid 1993, this was a revamped Quotas Rep put together, they lasted a year or so & I believe this was the only thing they ever put out. Guitarist Gilmore Tamney would later go on to form The Yips, the other two.....? 3 tracks, loud, Rep-ified crud production, mostly unavailable elsewhere ('Village Idiot' can be found on the 'Tard & Furthr'd' cd comp) & are NOT slated for the Mike Rep & The Quotas dbl lp retrospective coming out next yr. This is it. These copies are from the 1st pressing of 500, all numbered, I have 0 copies left. SOLD OUT.






Dead C- Vs. Sebadoh (SB-25)

Regardless of the title, Sebadoh is nowhere to be found of this record. Just the Dead C lads having a laugh, such jolly jokers. This is the band's Hardcore release, 8 tracks of blazing, unbridled fury by (perhaps) the last band you'd expect to belly up to the H/C bar. None of the tracks on here are available elsewhere, though there is a snippet of 'Air' which would later be fully realized on the 'Operation Of The Sonne' lp. This came out originally in 1993, edition of 1000 copies. I have 0 available. SOLD OUT.

20$ ppd US
21$ ppd Canada
23$ ppd elsewhere


Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments-Negative Guestlist ep (SB-33)

From 1994, after much cajoling, Ron House finally relented & let us put out a TJSA record. This was the bands 4th release following a split 7", a 7" & 12" for Datapanik.
'Baboon's Liver' is arguably one of the best songs ever recorded (& can be found on the Tard & Furthr'd cd compilation, http://www.siltbreeze.com/) but the other 3 songs on here rock pretty mightily as well. Originally in an edition of 1000, I have 0 available. SOLD OUT.

20$ ppd US
21$ ppd Canada
23$ ppd elsewhere


(The Music Of) The Shadow Ring-Tiny Creatures/Harlequin (SB-35)

This 7" came out in early 1995 & was the band's 3rd release though their 1st for Siltbreeze. An excellent effort from the most unique band I ever worked with. Originally released in an edition of 800, I have 0 available. SOLD OUT.

20$ ppd US
21$ ppd Canada
23$ ppd elsewhere


Un-Transmissions/Hangin Judge (SB-61)

This was Un's 2nd & final release. Ostensibly offered as a tour only 7", this was 1st made available by the band on their west coast jaunt w/Harry Pussy the summer of 1996. Stylistically the band seemed to orbit around planet Royal Trux & both the tracks sound like they could maybe be outtakes from 'Twin Infinitives'. It's also interesting listening to 'Hangin Judge' again after all these yrs & hearing the seeds of the New Weird America free-wha? orchard being sown therein. I loved these guys but never was a band more aptly named. Would you be surprised to know that member Marcia Bassett would later go on to record w/Double Leopards, Hototogisu, Zaimph & countess other agitators of musical form & function? Yep, she's famous! Originally released in an edition of 1000, I have 5 copies still available.

10$ ppd US
11$ ppd Canada
13$ ppd elsewhere


Email & Paypal to; sltrx@pil.net

New 7" on Siltbreeze.....Little Claw Pony Up

Hey, whaddya know, another 7"! We're knockin these things out like Kosher corn dogs at the state fair. And we ain't got a singles club or nothin! This time it's Little Claw that's delivering the goods, two new tracks ( 'Race To The Bottom'/'Feed You') that careen off the walls of your skull like drunken Valkyries lashing through the halls of Valhalla. What would Odin think? Who cares! Our own Roland S. Woode sez;



"The evolution of Little Claw has been wondrous to behold & now their beguiling cluck has found it's way into the Siltbreeze ranks. On what is their 5th vinyl outing, the band has laid down 2 distinct tracks & they are mightly gallops of ambidextrous charge. 'Race To The Bottom' rakes across the nodules of your brain w/serrated glee while 'Feeding You' could be a cosmic transmission from futuristic denizens who have carved Terrence Mckenna' pancreas into psychedelic sweetbreads & gobbled them for lysergic sustenance. The sound is, as one of the main pie tasters from Bull Tongue recently opined, "Fucking Awesome"! Edition of 400 copies".

Prices are as follows;

US=6$

Canada=7$

Elsewhere-8$

Paypal to; sltrx@pil.net

Look for Little Claw on tour w/Eat Skull & (on selected dates) Psychedelic Horseshit all through Sept. 08.

1st Siltbreeze 7" Since 1997.....Titmachine's 'We Build A New City/1989'

That's right, our 1st foray back into the beguiling world of 7" vinyl since Sunshine Superscum's 'Two Reactions' ep back in '97. Why, you might ask, would Siltbreeze haul off & get's itself mixed up in a format brimming w/dipshit speculators & Ebay 'day traders'? Because Titmachine are that good! Sure, it's not the 90's anymore & the small pressing is the way to go in the here & now, so that's what we've done. How many are there? Well, hopefully enough. All copies have hand done artwork on label's, some even have a ltd. ed. rubberstamp on inner sleeve. Man, I'd forgotten what a pain in the ass assembling a bunch of 7"ers was! Thankfully there's only so many.

And now without further adieu, let me hand over the embellishment to everyone's favorite hillbilly, Roland Seward Woodbe;

For the lucky few who were floored by Titmachine's debut 7" (released earlier this yr via Meeuw Muzak) come this sophomore effort, loaded for bear & released on the Siltbreeze label. Continuing their penchant for a-side covers, this time the ladies tackle Palais Schaumburg's 'Wir Bauen Eine Neue Stadt' (or 'We Build A New City' if you speak only in God's preferred tongue) & the results are as devastatingly great as could be imagined. Stripped of it's NDW gloss, Titmachine's reworking is more doused in raw Gueuze than refined Pilsener. In other words, them yeast's be wild y'all! The flip is an awesome (& original) little jawdropper entitled '1989' & is remarkably akin to what the Shaggs might sound like tackling the Urinals 'Ack Ack Ack'. Pressed on heliocentric black vinyl in a human(e) edition of less than one million copies, how chuffed can your summer be if you miss this chance to woggle in Titmachine's primitve, urpy grock? Don't tempt fate, buy now!

Prices are postpaid & as follows;

USA-5$

Canada-6$

Europe-7$

Elsewhere-7$

Paypal to; sltrx@pil.net

Revenge Of The Bongoloids......Blueshift/Russian Tsarlag Split lp

I know I've done railed on about my disdain for the split release format but it ain't like anyone's payin said bane much mind. Hell, you got labels like Not Not Fun doin whole series of split 7"ers & while they's is gobbled up (by speculators 'n fans alike) it don't mean they's good. But that's just an educated guess on my part as I don't own many. I reckon you get more bang for the buck, but mine's just break down to the 'good' & 'bad' sides. So bearin that in mind, I'm payin twice as much for what I like. I enjoyed that split lp last yr from Lexie Mountain & Lichens but to be honest, I could've used 2 sides of each. So again, there's a short shrift. Mind you, this is all petty complaints & there's them of you out there thinkin ol' Roland Woodbe is just whinin for whinin's sake. Not true. I'm just callin attention to a trend what I reckon to be lame. It's not like I'm gonna cut off my nose to spite my face, after all, I still buy'em in hope's of gleanin that diamond in the rough what's likely to appear every now & again. Case in point is this split lp from 2 Providence, RI artist's, Blueshift & Russian Tsarlag entitles 'The Burrow'/'Thank You For The Plastic Surgery You've Given Me'. Since they's from Providence & both been tagged as 'weirdo's it's a safe bet to presume they's both art school attendee's, graduates or dropouts. You get a letter pressed jacket + saddle stitched 32 page booklet w/assorted visuals, then there's the green vinyl lp which beholds the aural work of each. Can't say that Blueshift's improv violin scrape & assembled threadbare gloppage did anything for me but hey, if you still wax your pole to the itinerant heaps of piffle laid out by former Chocolate Monks, current Zaimphs, erstwhile Ashtray Navigators & the like, then there's a fat chance your gonna find this incessant filibustering potentially erectile.Me? The 1st thing that crossed my mind was it seemed like a good time to clip my fingernails. So I did. Then I flipped the record.
Now Russian Tsarlag is a whole different kettle of fish. He's got a pretty good grasp on humor, darkness & applied weirdness. His sound calls to mind the halcyon days of the early 80's when there was a small (but formidable) assemblage've roustabouts what fell outside any specific pecking order, hybridizin art/avant/industro squelch through the punk filters (which got'em tagged as weird), thereby isolating themselves in a cool corner of the scene that only a few of us embraced back then. I'm thinkin (early) Culturcide, Iceplants, Tom & Marty Band (to name a few). These folks def. fucked w/the rules of what was what & while that perhaps marginalized'em to the (then) arbiters, I was drawn to their skewered genius like a bear to honey. It was stuff that embodied a certain DIY aesthetic, as well it had to since nobody else was gonna touch it. It's still hard to say exactly what that sound was since it drew from so many wells, but Tom & Marty Band's credo was "We heard Chrome & Throbbing Gristle & thought they were pop bands' so maybe that gives you some idea of what I'm gettin at. They took Dada all the way to Mama & back (if you catch my drift). Nowadays with so much what's been done ( to death in most cases) in the underground bein pleasantly suprised by somethin like Russian Tsarlag almost makes me wanna take back all the shit talkin I done about the split release format. Almost, but unlikely. I could do w/out the Beach Boys cover, but I'm not gonna split hairs on account've that. I'm glad to have found the dude & I dunno, if you like the lines blurred & the zozzle zonked, Russian Tsarlag has some tunes for you to hum. Only 300 made. Find this via; http://www.rareyouth.org/

Paisley Douche Or Cactus Juice?.....The 'Worlds Lousy With Ideas' V/A 7" Series

Compilation's can divide a room. I knows some folks who's always been about'em as they are great resources to find out about a never ending wealth of obscure talent. But said talent can sometimes go hand in hand with dreck & comps is certainly stacked on that front as well. And seein as how there's all sorts've ways to skin this cat-regional, national, genre, gender, you name it-well, having to tolerate the bad to get what's good is, as they say, an occupational hazard. I's always considered myself pro comp, though I think the past decade or so seen me back off from'em quite a bit. Alls I can recall were ones what was mostly tributes-Godz, Shaggs & the like- or label specific things of which even Siltbreeze capitalized on ( Capitalized?! Next time you want to shift the MANY boxes of Tard & Furtherd in the basement by all means, be my guest-Capt'n Siltbreeze). Or they was "free" if you bought a magazine, so then you was at the mercy of the compiler, who more times than not was fishin w/a baitless hook. Sure, plenty of KBD styled things was present but they's can hardly be described as risk takers. Whatever the case, I simply balked at the format. Could be I missed some corkers, it won't be the last time for that by a stretch. My sleepin manners is just fine, thank you very much .
Then last year Dan Dimaggio gave me this 7" of v/a's called Worlds Lousy With Ideas that come in an amazin array of sleeves. He was passin'em out after a Clockcleaner show so I figured, why not? Seemed they was from Hawaii, or maybe it was the Moon, wherever it was, there weren't no way to get in touch for more. Or that was the story Dan was stickin to. Fair enough, I had a copy & I'll be damned if it weren't a standup disc all around. The tracks from Home Blitz & Nothing People was ace & I even dug the one from the unknown band called Boys Club. And who amongst us don't love a suprise? So fastforward a few months down the calendar & I seen a couple more of these things. And man if they ain't bustin out tracks by just about everyone what's workin the circuit. For the sake've long story short, the way they's is divvied up between Punk & Experimental, this series calls to mind a forerunner in the scene, the late, lamented 'Life Is' series from the New Undergound label, way back in the early 80's. True, they was lp's & centered around the (then) greater LA scene, but indulge me here, the vibe is remarkably similiar. World's Lousy may not have ringers like Germs, Urinals or Minutemen in the lineup (yet) but to me them tracks always paled to the stuff I weren't familiar with. When I hear the contrib's by Eat Skull, Catatonic Youth, Little Claw, Lady Doctors, Wax Museums & the rest, it ain't so hard for me to recall Anti, China White, Mood Of Defiance, Zurich 1916, Civil Dismay + all's them that saddled up for NU. I guess what I'm sayin is if you's is hearin folks talk about how nowadays is not unlike the early 80's, 'World's Lousy With Ideas' is certainly a case in point. And I got nary a problem w/that. The name's have changed, the spirit however, remains intact. And ain't it all about the fun in the end? I'd say so, hell yes! You think them girls on the cover of #6 would disagree? Not likely. Life is so bitchin, why not stock up? Go to; http://www.almostreadyrecords.com/ for further info.

The Medium Was Tedium.....And More 7" Reviews

I can't rightly explain why it's taken me so long to come up w/so few reviews. Alls I can say is that I have been up against it, I tell you what. I spent this past week over to some rock critic shindig in Rochester, NY & the minute I walked into the main conference room at the Strathallan, it was clear I'd made a big mistake. There was all sorts've bleating goin on about Shitgaze, etc. At one point I had many a English person askin me if I personally knowed any of the Psychedelic Horseshit fellas & was it true they preferred an English Shower? I took that to mean no showerin at all & nodded my head yes, laughin the whole time. The things people's want to know! I watched 2 lip flappers debate on which Leslie Q lp was best, a high school class what come up from Snipesville, Georgia to read papers on their favorite Jandek record & why, slept through a symposium on early Wire vs. the current one & was generally bored to tears. I'd been asked to attend and debate which was better, Columbus bands or one from Cleveland but that was on Saturday-the final day-& I reckoned I'd be long gone by then. To tell the truth, I spent most of my time eatin from chef Ethan Drake's menu down to The Grill, the inhouse restaurant there at the Strathallan ( I particularly enjoyed the Foie burger which was seared foie gras, bacon & beef. What's not to love?). Funny thing was there weren't no bands playin, just a lot've opinionated folks soundin off on things they cared about more than they knowed. I sat through one q&a when some rotund fella from Mexico spouted off something about the hegemony of Siltbreeze. He was eatin a hotdog, mustard & relish runnin down his porcine cheeks & talkin a mile a minute. There was something he mushed about Siltbreeze being a clearing house for clowns or bitches but no one knew what the hell he was talking about. Afterwards I went over to the buffet table where he was loadin up another coney to ask him how he'd got his head so far up his ass but he seen me comin & he shot outta the room, the speed of which I ain't never seen from a man his size. Maybe he oughta give up on the rock crit game & give them Mexican Olympic trials a go. Anyways, by then I'd had enough. The whole things had just confused & saddened me. But I guess I had it comin. After all, I did agree to attend even though I knowed instinctively what would play out. Not all of it was a wash, there was plenty of well informed folks, but the ones what try & come off like they's 'keepin it real' was just half-assed pedants who seemed more ego driven than knowledgeable. Or just jealous. Either way I guess. I didn't think the Mexican fella was a total idiot. I mean, he's gotta go to sleep sometime, right?
But that was last week. Today I went & listened to these here records & a fine pile they was. Have at'em.





Florida's Dying has gone & taken a dip in the Moselle only to wash ashore w/a 7" of brimstone howl via The Feeling Of Love. One side of this is deep in the synth/dark wave scheme that's taken western Europe by a storm, I esp. love the jabberin what sounds like Chicken Little hysterically tryin to place an order for the entire henhouse minutes before the last frites stand in Metz calls it a day. The flip is two scuzzy ramblers that recall the stripped down, how-do-you-do fuzz barrage the Workdogs excelled at so many, many records ago. Stick that in the cuff of your jeans & torch it. http://www.floridasdying.com/


Listenin to the a-side've the Dead Clodette's debut 7" I was inexplicably reminded of 'Chinese Gangster' by Warm Gun. It ain't a bad thing by any means, I liked that bunch plenty & it I could put my hands on their ep I'd give it a spin & see they's anywhere in the same orbit. The flip on this one moves nicely along too, remindin me of a femme version of Tyvek. Initally I dug the bass heavy mix but upon repeated listening-mostly to try & figure out if my tone arm needed adjustin or if it was just a fucked pressing (bingo!)-the skips started to drive me crazy. And seein as how this thing cost 12$ to order direct from France, I do believe I got the shit end of the stick. They's certainly got promise, but business via French Vinyl has got to go. www.myspace.com/trashmondainrecords


Is it me or does a band called the Pizza's scream Rip Off/Goner style lo-fi garage/punk pogoholic voom? Chuck Taylor & Doc Marten is all over this one. No suprises here but I reckon that's how they want it. http://www.daggerman.com/


Long Legged Woman (I think) is somehow connected to an outfit named Butt Savage but that's a quandry for another day. On this they certainly run the gamut, the a-side entitled 'Something Is Pressing Against It From The Outside' careen's around like Eat Skull covering 'Sedan Delivery' inside a Robotussin humidor. Side B has a remarkable Xpressway like quality to it's aura. Could be outtakes for either Jefferies brother 7" or a distant demo from an early incarnation of Plagal Grind. Who knew?
www.myspace.com/longleggedwoman


It's kind've remarkable to see the sand in the face, post hardcore aggression made famous in the late 80's by way of Touch & Go or Amphetamine Reptile finally catchin on in Columbus, Oh some 20+ yrs after the fact. Sure, Monster Truck 5 were lubed for action around '88 or so but that was a quick spurt & since then......
Now in the space of 7 months there's 2 releases from the CDR folks what is primed for a blood letting & string mangling bonanza. Necropolis burst through the door 1st w/a new sneer & face full've warts & now this outfit called The Unholy Two have followed suit w/2 pus filled boil poppers. Their unhinged caterwaul calls to mind a more distempered Clockcleaner & for a moment there as the 1st track was beginnin to distort, I swear I almost heard shades of pre Shadoobie Boredoms. From a Columbus band! Hey, if they cozy up to some blue chippers maybe these guys are next in line to curate a teenage riot or at the very least, adopt some (free) kitten's. http://www.columbusdiscountrecords.com/


De Stasi is a small label outta Finlay, Oh which seems to be forgin a foundation similiar to another midwester legend, the mighty Bone Air label. Of course we all know Bone Air was only around for 4 releases but what massive releases they was! So far De Stasi has done 2 TV Ghost records & excuse me for sayin so, but their lp is one of the best things I've heard in a long time. I know I never seen fit to review it here & that's my bad, as it is a grower of Herculean proportions. As great as the 7" is, steeped in a slithery, meth flaked Crampsish brine, the lp dominates w/some unclassifiable Goth vibe, like a heavy metal Goblin on acid. Anyway, a fantastic record & one to keep an eye peeled for. Now there's 2 new dudes on the block, one from somethin called Leper Print what possesses a ton've charm & diy punk propulsion. With heart firmly implanted on sleeve this little record spurts geysers of happy, squidish ink, 2 of the tracks resemblin the late great Toxic Shock while the 'Dead Flowers' tune marches along w/the ack ack attack of The Urinals (whom I'm assumin this is in tribute to). Zola Jesus is a chanteuse from Indiana who I'm told is one of the leading architects behind some sub genre called Crimson Wave. Excuse me for tryin to wrap my brain around this, but what does that mean? The undertones is certainly ripe w/Freudian connotations, conjurin up both castration anxiety & penis envy. And I know West Lafayette is a college town (go Boilermakers!) so let's leave this one on the shelf for blabbermouths w/majors & electives to concur or refute. So.....Zola Jesus. As charmin as the tape hiss is on this lo fi gem, that voice don't lie; this gal's got some range! Like the aforementiond TV Ghost, Zola Jesus traverses across some gothic terrain, but there's also tinges of Vega/Rev action, Cab Volt twiddle & an almost ESP like understandin've Amy Camus alter ego. Whatever it is, it works. So call it Crimson Wave if you's must, just don't lame up in the process or I will PERSONALLY see to it that Zola Jesus cuts off your balls & feeds them to you for supper. The Woodbe reach can be ruthless, beware. www.myspace.com/diestasi www.myspace.com/leperprint
& www.myspace.com/zolajesus



And on the eastern seaboard, this label what's called Sacred Bones is sort've a Castor to De Stasi's Pollux ( or vice versa, I ain't tryin to play favorites) & is also burnin bright w/a roster've solitary crawlers. The one from Nice Face hustles along in warm currents that sounds like Chemicals Made From Dirt tacklin outtakes from Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy. Dead Luke's debut also soars through the darkness, carpetbombing the bogs w/sonorous voce, layers of grock & stinging guitars. Seein him live down to SXSW this yr was one of my highlights. His flare'n understanding of early 80's regional wave is pretty spot on & the label itself seems primed to showcase this sort've genre much the same way them Sub Pop cassette's (#5 & #7 was the ones I had) served as fulcrums to inform a few hundred of us as to the talents of Neo Boys, Sport Of Kings, Zyklon, Ray Milland & a few others. My trousers maybe ain't tight as they once was but that don't mean I forgot the moves. The lp's from Pink Noise & Factums is winners too. A round've beers would be the ticket were we in the same room, but as it stands, one made've applause will have to do. www.myspace.com/nicefacetheband
www.myspace.com/bornunderadick & http://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/

Release #4 for 2008.....Fabulous Diamonds S/T LP

The s/t debut lp from this brilliant Melbourne duo. A fantastic mix of organ, tapes, sax & percussion peppered w/ delays, effects & harmonious chant-like vocals. Imagine a hayride w/Suicide, Young Marble Giants & Augustus Pablo, the fragrant aroma of homemade apple wine ticking your nose, the smell of burnt corn husks stinging your eyes. Wait a minute, that's not corn husks they're smoking! Anyway, you get the picture. A tremendous effort & look for Fabulous Diamonds on tour-beginning this weekend-w/Psychedelic Horseshit & Times New Viking, starting out west & ending up back east. Catch term if you can.
Lp's are 15$ ppd. U.S. 25$ ppd elsewhere. Paypal to sltrx@pil.net

Go to www.myspace.com/fabulousdiamonds for all tour info.

Bye Bye Binoculars & Macintosh, Everything Is Just Great. Or Is It?.....New Lp's!

A few releases what's come in seem to drag/wear/emblaze a lot of mid to late 90's sound trinkets & non essential bling rather prominently. I reckon from my side of the fence the 90's ain't so far away & boy was there a lot of shit to ingest! If it weren't Grunge & it's miserable minions suckin or blowin hard for the better part of the decade, the drum & bass, house + electronica schmaltz what followed was even more putrid. In light of all that one can almost forgive folks for buyin into the cottage industry what became Blew Beard Blamerica. But that old horse done been flogged to death around here. Personally I ain't one to welcome back most of the 90's, either w/reunions or influences. Not yet anyways. You might think otherwise. I've found that those what tend to be contentious about my opinions don't know much about much in the grand scheme of things so it ain't worth worryin about. Besides, my side's been around longer than there's been a fence, but that said, I'm glad it's there. Better to keep the ninnies & neophytes contained till they's wise up. What am I ramblin on about? Oh, just a little somethin called......


FREEer by an outfit called Gulls. See, on this 12" you get to see the crux of what I'm goin on about. The a-side is a luminous squall what brings to mind a backdrop've early 70's Miles Davis psychedlic fusion crossed w/the downtown, late 70's post funk pulsations found on labels like 99 or Y. It's not bad. I was never one of them what went ape shit over none of that sorta urp, but it was always 'cool' enough & I could dig it in a pinch. The flip though is where the flies start to swarm; a one man retelling of the a-side track, this time via effects, computers, drum box, it sounds like a Little Darla cocktail party, minus the tail, minus the party. I couldn't hang. Maybe your made of swishier stuff. http://www.soniclozenge.com/


My initial reaction to just lookin at this lp by Soft Location called 'Diamonds & Gems' was something akin to a dismal flashback when I 1st came into contact w/the post Krautrock/Stereolab worshippin wurst wank of Windy & Karl or Flying Saucer Attack. I was really preparin for a dreadful parcel of time to follow. But guess what.....it never come to pass. Instead what got encountered was a pleasant, just off kilter pop rumble that called to mind a similar output from the Otago Peninsula's great Jay Clarkson or some Pastels friendly racketeers who once recorded for the Bi Joopiter label. There is some twee debris that resembles (maybe) an unknown Harriet matrix taker or a forgotten gazer of shoe but what brush w/goodness don't come w/a price anymore? You don't have to be Kendra Smith to figure this one out.
Contact; michael@senselessempire.com for availability.


I'd done lost track of Dan Melchior, pretty much tossin his baby out w/the bathwater left by Billy Childish & Holly Golightly. I know, I sound like a Goddamn sour puss but jesus, how much of that Kent/Medway sound do you have to buy before it becomes an old dog? And when I ask that I mean to them's who don't sport a wallet chain, cuff their denim jeans or wear pork-pie hats at a jaunty angle. Like me. Fuck it, the answer don't matter, hey, the main thing is this Dan Melchior und das Menace lp don't seem burdened by the trappins of click uniformity. You can take a fella outta Kent, but I reckon you can't take Kent out the fella. 'Christmas For The Crows' surely exhales great plumes of hempish wry from the Hangman chillum-like a spit & polish take on that old rapscallion, Sexton Ming-but also devours w/great success lost tins've indica laced biscuits purloined from stash mongers pining for tunesmithery & pluck that harkens back Syd Barrett, Viv Stanshall or that Oliver fella. So you might say I got a bit of egg on my face in regard to ol' Dan Melchior. But that's okay, he can pelt me with'em by the dozen so long as he keeps makin records of this caliber. www.myspace.com/daggermanrecords

Someday I'll Listen To Albums Again.....The Perpetual 7" Reviews

Rosemary Krust is a duo hailin outta Baltimore that is self proclaimed Shoegazers. I guess that should come as no suprise since the whole Maryland/Greater WDC area was the breedin ground for so much of that stuff back in the 90's. But what a difference a decade can make. Rosemary Krust don't seem as precious as all them Slumberland bands what come before'em, I dunno, maybe it's the lo-fi starkness but they remind me of a marriage of DR503 Dead C & Our Bed Is Green era Charalambides. Or maybe the American equivalent to Garbage & The Flowers. I sure don't hear no MBV influence which is fine by me. Sonically introspective, slightly fuzzed + guiltlessly twee'd =A GOOD THING. Small pressing & nice handmade sleeves too. Check'em out at www.myspace.com/rosemarykrust


S-S Records continues to dominate the 7" landscape w/2 new winners, the 1st one I layed into bein the debut from XYX who is presumably buds w/Los Llamarada. You might call XYX the dancefloor version of LL. They share the same pulsing energy but while Los Llamarada dredge into darker spaces, XYX bask in the gas glow of strobbing neon. The blown out bass riffs light up this dogie w/serious post punk glare, Gang Of Four style, while the fem vocals, drum propulsion & additional electo swagger calls to mind the most salaciously charged moments of Maximum Joy, tempered w/the bloodlust abandon of El Chupacabra. They's definitely onto somethin. Lookin forward to more. www.myspace.com/xyxs
This was also my 1st exposure to Hiroshima Rocks Around, why I do not know. I seen their name around, probably via S-S postings, but I just never got the bug. My loss. These guys seem custom made for the S-S crew, revellin in a chaotic carnage that till now seemed exclusively hand zonked by Gallic outfits such as Cheveu & Crash Normal. Hard to know who did what 1st but I think it's safe to say no one's gonna blame none of it on Catherine De Medici this time. Aggressively twisted & fun for all. Now I gotta go look up their back catalog.
Both this & XYX available via http://www.s-srecords.com/


Naked On The Vague is also battin 1000% & on this 7" for Skulltones, their patented brand of Apocalyptic melancholia is runnin at a fever pitch. The A side cracks & peels behind a 'Discipline' styled drum beat while Matthew & Lucy's vocal trade off's resemble the malaise akin to once upon a time Lee & Nancy ( aka, the original Chris & Cosey) recounting a night at Spahn Ranch, where they was sick from the tofu roasted over a kerosene bonfire & exasperated by the results of a Family hootenanny. The flip finds our hero's not a little wrecked from the copious amounts of Fromme procured dirt-cheeb they'd inhaled & who knows, maybe it'd even been 'dusted' w/LOVE by Charlie himself. It's a wild world babe, that's alls I can say. http://www.skulltones.com/


I remember seein The Electric Bunnies last yr down to SXSW at some ungodly time like 11am whiles the rancid smells of stale beer & fresh vomit was goin toe to toe w/new urinal mints & bucket've Pine-sol. It was gonna be hard to keep me there w/that much sensory overload goin on. I done my best, managed to stay long enough to realize they weren't just some clueless h/c wannbe's, in fact, they seemed very much akin to the Wombats, whose live shows was always more charged then them records what was released on Voxx & Homestead. Since that morning, Electric Bunnies have released two 7"ers. The 1st one garnered much acclaim but it never crossed my path so's I don't know what I missed. This 2nd one-a 4 song ep-is sure a melange of individual humdingers. Like the Wombats, they can extoll a hazy power pop vibe, but the EB's approach seems cut from a more anglo pattern. Listenin to this a couple times it was curious to pick up scent's that-inexplicable or not-recalled the tarnished jangle of Whaam bands such as The Mixers, Laughing Apple & even Revolving Paint Dream. The one track on here, 'Super Fluorescent Hippo Flashback' is a great caterwaul that's very much now, but I think if the Cappuchino Kid were to hear it, he'd be chuffed by the moves. And maybe even pony up a round of babysham's to boot. Charmed, I'm sure.
available via http://www.floridasdying.com/ who also run an excellent mailorder service. Give'em a holler.

Sweet Rot's got another new one on the streets, this time from a trio called Blank Its. Two tracks that's pretty straight up Killed By Death punk w/treated vocals to give it, I dunno, an edge? Catchy tunes though & if your smitten by yore boys such as Plastic Idols & Deprogammer, then start collecting for the future. As for the vocal trickery & spiney tingles, FNU Ronnies eat these guys for breakfast, but it ain't a competition, merely an observation. Don't kill the pogo!
www.myspace.com/sweetrotrecords


There's lot's of student housing permeatin the cityscape've Columbus, Ohio. In most cases these abodes come w/ample porches & plenty of basement space. All's the better to croon your folk & practice your rock, usually w/nary a complaint from the neighbors. There's also troves of cheap records to dig through & seein as how thems what's wet behind the ears is willin to embrace things some of us more jaded sots would find unremarkable, it should come as no suprise that the goslings what make up RTFO Bandwagon seem to have fused the precious folk of Richard & Mimi Farina w/the precocious rock of Go Team on this 4 song ep for the Dull Knife label. Not that there's nothin wrong w/that, but from my vantage I can't tell if I smell patchouli or if someone turned on the oven but forgot to light the pilot. Guess we'll all find out soon enough. http://www.dullkniferecords.com/