Mad Scene's 'Blip' LP.....NOW AVAILABLE!

It’s staggering to think that this is the first album from Mad Scene since Merge released Chinese Honey way back in 1995. But that’s a fact. Not that the band has been inactive on the live front—far from it. When you have a group as diverse as Hamish Kilgour (The Clean), Lisa Siegel (Vegetarian), Steve Thornton (Go-To Guy), Georgia Hubley (Yo La Tengo), Gary Olsen (Straight Shooter), Josh Feldman (Professional Athlete), Cassie Tunick, Danny Tunick (Same Last Names!) and Brian Turner (WFMU Music Director), things can get sidelined when it comes to the studio. But eventually things fell into place and for their fourth long-player, the band enlisted Sonic Boom to produce and mix, then thrust the finished product into the waiting hands of the Siltbreeze label. Blip is a masterful mélange of sounds, mixing a range of influences such as nascent Flying Nun chug, Television Personalities DIY psych, shambling Pastels-like rockers and Sarah label indie-pop nuggets. The palette of aural perfection here offers something for everyone. And yeah, it may have taken 17 years to get here, but you can’t say it isn’t worth the wait. Price as follows; 15$ppd=US 18$ppd=Canada 25$ppd=Europe 30$ppd=Pacific Rim Paypal to; sltrx@pil.net

Mount Carmel's 'Real Women' LP.....NOW AVAILABLE!

For those swayed by the magisterial authenticity of Mount Carmel on their eponymous 2010 debut album: its follow-up Real Women finds the band honed and sharper, thus delivering what might be the best sophomore album released by an American blues-based power-trio since ZZ Top’s Rio Grande Mud. Nods to Free, Humble Pie, even Trapeze can be sussed out in the mix, but at the end of the day, Real Women is straight-up Mount Carmel all the way. Searing leads, smokey vocals, thundering rhythms, cascading drums, hyperbolic hyperbole... it’s all here. Mount Carmel brings back the spirit of 1973 like no one else. The only difference now is better weed and shittier barbiturates. It’s hands-down pure rock, no frills. Nary a retro contrivance is to be heard. These guys live it for real. Honest. So climb on board with Real Women and see what you’ve been missing. The results are astounding. Price; 15$ppd=US 18$ppd=Canada 25$ppd=Europe 30$ppd-Pacific Rim Paypal to; sltrx@pil.net EAST COAST TOUR DATES COMING UP!