JOY - 'DEVIL?S BLUES'

Formats

• SHR146 - CD

  759718114621

Details

FORMED BY DANIEL MADRI AND MATT SAVAGE AS AN ACOUSTIC DUET IN 2002, JOY PUTS A UNIQUE SPIN ON POP MUSIC. A LITTLE FOLKY, A LITTLE BLUESY, AND A LITTLE COUNTRY, THE BAND?S SUBTLE COMPOSITIONS WARBLE BENEATH IDIOSYNCRATIC VOCALS ? THE CORNERSTONES OF A MUSICAL RELATIONSHIP THAT SPANS TWO DECADES. JOY?S SELF-TITLED DEBUT WAS A QUICK HALF-HOUR OF DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE AND SPARSE ACOUSTIC 4-TRACK TWANGLIN, WHILE HATRED AND GRIEF, THE DUO'S SELF-RELEASED SOPHOMORE EFFORT, INTEGRATED MULTI-TRACK STUDIO RECORDING TO DELIVER A MORE COMPLEX SOUND WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE DIY SPIRIT OF EARLIER WORK. MORE CONCEPTUAL THAN THESE PREVIOUS RELEASES, DEVIL'S BLUES USHERS IN A NEW PHASE OF JOY'S MUSICAL . ? FOR FANS OF SENTRIDOH, NOTHING PAINTED BLUE AND SECRET STARS.

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NOTHING PAINTED BLUE - 'TASTE THE FLAVOR'

Formats

• SHR147 - CD

  759718114720

Details

TASTE THE FLAVOR, NOTHING PAINTED BLUE?S SIXTH FULL-LENGTH, BRINGS THE VETERAN INLAND EMPIRE TRIO TOGETHER FOR THIRTEEN SONGS THAT ARE LOUDER, LOOSER, AND STRANGER THAN ANY PREVIOUS RELEASE WOULD SUGGEST. RECORDED AT TUCSON?S FAMED WAVELAB BY CRAIG SCHUMACHER (GIANT SAND, CALEXICO, NEKO CASE), MOST OF THE ALBUM EMPHASIZES PERFORMANCE AND FEEL OVER ELABORATELY OVERDUBBED ARRANGEMENTS. THIS IS THE BAND'S LEAST RESTRAINED AND MOST VARIED EFFORT, RANGING FROM TOUCHING POP AND ANGULAR SPEEDBALLS TO STONES-Y RIFF-ROCKERS AND ACOUSTIC DUB EXCURSIONS. FRONTMAN FRANKLIN BRUNO'S SHARP-WITTED LYRICS AND EMOTIONALLY ENGAGED VOCALS ARE STILL IN PLACE BUT THEY?RE AUGMENTED BY NEWFOUND GUITAR FIREPOWER AND TOUGH, NO-BULLSHIT RHYTHM ARRANGEMENTS FROM DRUMMER KYLE BRODIE AND BASSIST PETER HUGHES. THIS IS NPB'S FIRST MAJOR RELEASE SINCE 1998 BUT THEY'VE BEEN FAR FROM SLACKERS IN THE INTERIM. BRUNO RELEASED TWO SOLO WORKS AND COLLABORATED WITH THE MOUNTAIN GOATS' JOHN DARNIELLE AND TSUNAMI'S JENNY TOOMEY.

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DEADLY SNAKES - 'PORCELLA'

Formats

• ITR128CD - CD

  759718512823

• ITR128 - 2xLPs

  N/A

Details

HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY 1960S R'N'B AND ROCK'N'ROLL, THE DEADLY SNAKES HAVE AN IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF MUSIC FROM THAT GOLDEN ERA, YET CAST OFF ANY NOTIONS OF MERE REPRODUCTION.

THE BAND RELEASED THEIR FIRST ALBUM, LOVE UNDONE, IN 1999, FOLLOWED BY I?M NOT YOUR SOLDIER ANYMORE IN 2001 AND THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ODE TO JOY IN 2003. CONFIDENCE AND GENUINE TALENT OOZE FROM THE GROOVES OF PORCELLA AND, DESPITE AN ENERGETIC AND REVAMPED SOUND, THE GROUP NEVER STRAYS FAR FROM ITS ROCK OR SOUL ROOTS. GUIDED BY COMPETENT HANDS, TOY PIANOS, MELLOTRONS, ORGANS, HORNS, STRINGS AND PERCUSSION ARE FASHIONED INTO GOOD, NEW-FASHIONED ROCK?N?ROLL AT TIMES SOFT, THOUGHTFUL AND HEARTWRENCHINGLY PASSIONATE, AT TIMES FAST, FURIOUS AND UNQUESTIONABLY FEARLESS. PORCELLA IS ONE OF THOSE RARE ALBUMS THAT HAS DEPTH WITHOUT BOTTOM, NO LIMITS AND CERTAINLY NO PLACE FOR CONFORMITY. RESPECTING THE ROOTS OF THE MUSIC THEY CREATE AND REFLECTING THOSE ELEMENTS IN THEIR OWN WORK RESULTS IN A DAZZLING PALIMPSEST EFFECT. THE UNITY OF PORCELLA RIPE, RAPACIOUS YET REFINED WILL CONVERT YOU AND THEN PERVERT YOU.

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SMOOSH - 'SHE LIKE ELECTRIC'

Formats

• P2510 - CD

  751937251323

Details

MUSIC IS NOTHING IF IT'S NOT CONCEIVED FOR THE JOY OF IT. "MY FAVOURITE THING IS HOW WHEN I PLAY OUT PLACES, IT MAKES ME FEEL ALL HAPPY. I LIKE TO WATCH MY FRIENDS WATCHING ME," CONFESSES CHLOE, 1/2 OF SEATTLE'S SMOOSH. THE PRETERNATURALLY GIFTED DUO SPEARHEADS A GROWING MOVEMENT OF YOUNG FEMALE INDEPENDENT BANDS WITH AN INGENIOUS, INSTINCTUAL WISDOM THAT COMES AS NATURALLY AS THEIR MULTIFACETED, GENRE-TICKLING SONG WRITING. CHLOE'S OLDER SISTER ASYA, SMOOSH'S VOCALIST AND PIANIST/KEYBOARDIST, WAILS AND CROONS LIKE AN OLD SOUL WITH HER TINY, TREMULOUS VOICE. THE FEARLESS CONFIDENCE THAT OFTEN ACCOMPANIES YOUTH (ASYA IS 13, CHLOE IS 11) RUNS THROUGH SMOOSH'S POP-BASED QUIRK ROCK WITH STRENGTH AND BEAUTY, AND PEOPLE ARE LISTENING IN AWE.

SMOOSH WAS BORN OF NATURAL CURIOSITY. WHILE THE FAMILY STOOD IN LINE AT SEATTLE?S TRADING MUSICIAN STORE TO PAY FOR WHAT THEY HAD INTENDED TO PURCHASE?A VIOLIN?ASYA AND CHLOE WANDERED UPSTAIRS TO THE PERCUSSION ROOM. THERE, THEY MET JASON MCGERR (DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE), TEACHER AT THE RENOWNED SEATTLE DRUM SCHOOL WHERE CHLOE NOW STUDIES, AND LEFT WITH A $600 DRUM KIT, JASON?S CARD, AND NO VIOLIN. ASYA, HAVING TAKEN SEVERAL PIANO LESSONS THAT SHE THEN ABORTED BECAUSE ?THEY MADE YOU JUST PLAY THE SAME THING, AND I WANTED TO MAKE STUFF UP,? JOINED IN. A SMALL, FAMILY-RUN WEBSITE WAS LAUNCHED THAT ADVERTISED FREE COPIES OF HOME RECORDINGS. SOON, THE DUO PLAYED AT OREGON?S BOOMING, HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL ROCK AND ROLL CAMP FOR GIRLS. SMOOSH SUBSEQUENTLY TOURED WITH JIMMY EAT WORLD AND MATES OF STATE AND PLAYED WITH RILO KILEY, PEARL JAM, DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, SLEATER-KINNEY, THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND CAT POWER (WHO PAID TRIBUTE TO THE BAND BY LIP SYNCHING THEIR RAP SONG, "RAD" AT 2004'S SASQUATCH! MUSIC FESTIVAL). THE BAND ALSO HIT 2004'S CMJ MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST 2005. STUNNING PERFORMANCES AND WORD OF MOUTH GAVE WAY TO GLOWING AND AWESTRUCK REVIEWS BY NME (WHO CALLED THEM ?THE HOTTEST NEW BAND IN THE US UNDERGROUND?), BOSTON GLOBE (?TRULY IMPRESSIVE?), ALTERNATIVE PRESS (5 OUT OF 5 STARS), SEATTLE WEEKLY (?REMARKABLE?), VICE (10 OF 10), DEVIL IN WOODS (#8 IN BEST OF 2004 PICKS), AND MANY OTHERS (SEE THE REVIEWS LINK ABOVE). SOON NATIONAL RADIO AND TELEVISION EMBRACED SMOOSH, TOO. THE BAND'S PATTERN 25 DEBUT, SHE LIKE ELECTRIC, SPENT 9 WEEKS IN THE CMJ TOP 200 CHARTS AND CHARTED #27 ON TRIP WIRES' TOP 30.... BUT THAT'S NOT ALL. LA'S INFLUENTIAL KROQ AND KCRW, CHICAGO'S WXRT, AND SEATTLE'S KNDD HAVE ALSO LEANT THE DUO GREAT AIRPLAY. AFTER NPR'S "ALL THINGS CONSIDERED" ALONG WITH LOCAL SEATTLE NBC AFFILIATE KING TV, ABC AFFILIATE KOMO TV NEWS AND KONG TV INTERVIEWED THE DUO, SMOOSH LANDED FEATURES ON CNN AND THE TODAY SHOW. ALL THIS ATTENTION HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THESE LADIES? YOUTH IS IMPRESSIVE AND ABNORMAL--ANYONE WHO INVESTIGATES SMOOSH OUT OF A CURIOSITY FOR NOVELTY IS QUICKLY PUT IN THEIR PLACE. THE BAND?S VISIBILITY WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE AS IT MATURES ALONG WITH THE PUBLIC?S CONCEPTION OF WHAT AGE BRACKET AND GENDER IS CONDUCIVE TO MAKING MUSIC. BY ESCAPING THE DOMINANT PARADIGM HERE, SMOOSH IS THE PUNKEST. THE BAND?S FIRST STUDIO-RECORDED ALBUM FOR PATTERN 25 RECORDS, SHE LIKE ELECTRIC, BRIMS WITH INTENSELY DIVERSE AND MAGICALLY COHESIVE POP SONGS THAT AMAZE AS THEY ENGAGE. THE RICH RANGE OF THE SISTERS? EMOTIONAL SPECTRUM FACTOR AS STRONGLY INTO THE FLAVOUR AS VANILLA EXTRACT: PURE, SIMPLE AND TRUE. FROM THE JOYFUL AND CONTEMPLATIVE (?TO WALK AWAY FROM?) TO THE SILLY AND GIGGLY, (?THE QUACK?) TO THE ANGRY AND BITTERSWEET (?BUT NOW I KNOW?), URGENCY PREVAILS. SMOOSH IS, ABOVE ALL, NOT AFRAID TO MAKE EXACTLY THE TYPE OF BEAUTIFUL, VARIED MUSIC THEY WANT TO. YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE THEY?RE FEELIN? IT. AND SO WILL YOU.

Tracks

1. Massive Cure
2. It's Cold
3. It's Not Your Day To Shine
4. Rad
5. Take It Away
6. La Pump
7. Pygmy Motorcycle
8. About The Picture
9. Bottlenose
10. Make It Through
11. I've Got My Own Problems To Fix
12. The Quack
13. To Walk Away From
14. But Now I Know

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FEATURES CONFIRMED: THE GUARDIAN, THE TIMES, METRO, TELEGRAPH MAGAZINE, MIZZ MAG - FEATURES TBC: SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE, SUNDAY TIMES STYLE, OBSERVER MUSIC MONTHLY, THE GUIDE, TOP OF THE POPS, MUSIC WEEK, COMES WITH A SMILE, NME, TIME OUT - REVIEWS CONFIRMED: MUSIC WEEK, DAZED AND CONFUSED, PLAN B, Q, NME, THE MIRROR, THE SUN, METRO, STANDARD - REVIEWS TBC: MOJO, ROCK SOUND, THE FLY, TIME OUT.

Audio & Video

SPIRAL JOY BAND - 'LULLABIES FOR JEFF DEAN'

Formats

• VHF94CD - CD

  783881009422

Details

THIS LONG RUNNING BUT UNTIL-NOW-UNDOCUMENTED VIRGINIA GROUP WAS FOUNDED IN 2001 BY PELT MEMBERS MIKEL DIMMICK AND MIKE GANGLOFF WITH KARL PRECODA (LAST DAYS OF MAY, THE DREAM SYNDICATE).

THEIR DEBUT CD CONCENTRATES ON LIVE PERFORMANCES FEATURING MARATHON, UNORTHODOX DRONE TREATISES FOR ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS, INCLUDING TIBETAN SINGING BOWL, GONG, SRUTI, AND ESRAJ. THE BOWED, ROLLED, AND (USUALLY) GENTLY STRUCK METAL PERCUSSION ANCHORS THE SOUND WITH RICH, RESONATING TONES. THE MUSIC IS A COUSIN TO PELT?S EXPLORATIONS ON (UNTITLED), AND KEYHOLE AND KEYHOLE II (ECLIPSE). ?LULLABY 1? IS BUILT ALMOST ENTIRELY ON THE GONGS AND BOWLS, A SLOWLY BUILDING NARCOLEPTIC TRIP. THE FORTY-ONE-MINUTE EPIC ?LULLABY 2? BEGINS WITH GANGLOFF ON ESRAJ, BUILDING UP A TRANCE BEFORE THE SHENAIS AND SHARPLY STRUCK GONGS TAKE OVER AT THE CLIMAX OF THE PIECE. ?LULLABY 3? THROWS SOME SURPRISINGLY MELODIC AND ACTIVE PIANO INTO THE MIX, EVOKING ALONG-FORM VERSION OF POPOL VUH?S ?DIE NACHT DER SEELE.?

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GALAXIE 500 - 'PEEL SESSIONS'

Formats

• 20202002CD - CD

  600197100226

Details

FOLLOWING UP THEIR FULL-LENGTH ALBUM, THE EARTH IS BLUE, FROM EARLIER THIS YEAR ON THEIR NEW LABEL 20/20/20, DAMON & NAOMI HAVE ASSEMBLED THE RARE, OFTEN-BOOTLEGGED, GALAXIE 500 JOHN PEEL SESSIONS.

THE TWO SESSIONS, WHICH CAPTURED THE BAND AT THE HEIGHT OF THEIR ABILITIES, FEATURE A SELECTION OF THE BAND'S PERSONAL FAVORITE ORIGINALS ALONG WITH SOME UNEXPECTED COVER SONGS. KNOWN BY FANS FOR YEARS, THESE TRACKS ARE MADE GENERALLY, AND OFFICIALLY, AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE MEMBERS OF GALAXIE 500 WERE NOT EXPECTING THE RECEPTION THEY RECEIVED WHEN THEY WENT OVERSEAS IN 1989. WHILE THEIR FAME IN THE U.S. WAS RISING, IT STILL REMAINED IN AN EARLY, NASCENT STAGE. ENGLAND, ON THE OTHER HAND, CAUGHT ON QUICKLY, AND THE BEWILDERED BAND PLAYED TO SOLD-OUT AUDIENCES UP AND DOWN MOTHER BRITIAN. OF COURSE, NOTHING WAS MORE OF AN HONOR THAN BEING ASKED BY MUSIC WEATHERVANE AND SCHOLAR JOHN PEEL TO RECORD A SESSION FOR HIS BBC ONE RADIO SHOW. THEIR FIRST SESSION, RECORDED SEPTEMBER 24TH, 1989, PRODUCED LIVE VERSIONS OF FOUR BAND FAVORITES, "FLOWERS," "BLUE THUNDER," "DECOMPOSING TREES," AND THEIR MODERN LOVERS COVER, "DON'T LET OUR YOUTH GO TO WASTE." A YEAR LATER, THEY WERE BACK OVER, PLAYING EVEN LARGER VENUES, AND DECIDED TO TRY OUT A FEW NEW THINGS IN THEIR SECOND SESSION. RECORDED OCTOBER 30TH, 1990, GALAXIE 500 DID "WHEN WILL YOU COME HOME," AS WELL AS COVERS OF BUFFY ST MARIE ("MOONSHOT"), YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS ("FINAL DAY"), AND A LEFT-FIELD VERSION OF THE SEX PISTOLS' "SUBMISSION." STUNNING ARTWORK BY NEW YORKER ILLUSTRATOR LARA TOMLIN.

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