IMPEDIMENTS - 'S/T'

Formats

• HPR999 - LP

  879198-003458

• HPR998 - CD

  879198003441

Details

It feels like the first time: Let's face it? not un-like a cockroach, true soul rock and roll will never die and high-energy rock and roll warms the heart. Call it what you will ? punk, rock, proto-punk, or hitmakers, Impediments are a bright light at the end of the hipster tunnel. It's obvious these cats have not been paying attention to the blogsphere. Having been born and raised in Berkeley, CA - where Frat Boys still clash with Hippies, and Crusties walk the streets of Telegraph ? Impediments have stayed true to the fundamentals of classic 70's punk rock and roll. Discovered on a cold Monday night at Oakland's trash rock epicenter The Stork Club ? Home of Budget Rock festival ? now in its eighth glorious year ? Impediments music will provide relief for those suffering from a pure rock and roll jones. Having record collections hopped-up on family dysfunction? this band is built for the ages ? all ages ?geezer or ing?nue? you'd have to be beyond pretension not to enjoy the loud and fast guitars, played effortlessly ? as if riding the Big Wheel ? for the first time. Their self-titled debut on HappyParts Recordings is now yours for the spinning. This is pure adrenaline fueled rock and roll composed, performed and delivered by four lads straight out of Berkeley High School. They co-produced with local rock and roll recluse, Greg Ashley. (Gris Gris, Sir Lord Von Raven) Granted they focused on band rehearsal, rather than arithmetic, Ray, Nick, Mike and Rene' learned some chords back in eighth grade and proceeded to cover Aerosmith, Dictators and Pink Fairies with abandon in Mike's family's garage. Ray's father was even in a brief rehearsal-only incarnation of the band, The Phil Spector Shotgun Experience, but fortunately that couldn't last. Call it apathy, denial or just plain stoned ? the rehearsal room vacuum preserved 11 pure jams for the arrested development set. Conceived in the cafeteria line, Impediments are keeping rock and roll dangerous, seriously entertaining and full of hope. So you see, this debut is only the beginning ? as these refined misfits are built for speed, combining screaming guitars, solid back beat and outrageous lyrics. It's worth noting that the majority of these tunes were penned in detention. Having obtained their diplomas, Impediments are now hitting the road for the very first time. Nothing can change the shape of things to come.

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Audio & Video

SIR LORD VON RAVEN - 'S/T'

Formats

• HPR909 - LP

  879198002840

• HPR910 - CD

  879198002833

Details

Every several years there come a few acts that rise out of demo tape heaps to take a piss on the masses. Sir Lord Von Raven, hailing from Oakland, California has a rock and roll stream of nuggets primed for saving true souls, and the debut album "Please Throw Me Back in The Ocean" is loaded with sinful beauties. Ladies, gentlemen and rock lovers that will do anything for kicks, it's time you bend your ears to the West, and welcome Sir Lord Von Raven to your sonic repertoire. This is the now scene and where it is happening. Please Throw Me Back in The Ocean features an all-star indie performance cast: Eric Johnson (Time Flys), Greg Ashley (Gris Gris) Chris Stroffolino (Silver Jews) Terry Six (Nice Boys) and Garrett Goddard (Howlin' Rain, The Cuts, Girls) - Be here now, for true soul rock and roll. Like Alice Cooper, an exceptional band formed around a Detroit born disconnect (Vincent Damon Furnier), Sir Lord Von Raven is positioned around the quintessential rock and roll front man and talented pop savant, Eric Von Raven (Born in El Paso, not Detroit.) The nitty-gritty rock gems of Von Raven (The Time Flys) are complimented by the unique accompaniments and skillful guitar leads of acclaimed record producer and songwriter Greg Ashley (Gris Gris, The Mirrors). Their album, recorded in Ashley's wintry warehouse studio, is a cosmic rock 'n' roll masterpiece, also starring longtime friend and producer Jay "Bronzo" Bronzini on drums. Bronzo's spirited humor and Irish whiskey help keep the studio warm and fuzzy. Last but not least in the lineup is Josh Miller (White Music) taking the bass-playing seat. His superb musicianship and even keel ship made their circle complete. Together, these players have become Sir Lord Von Raven. Their songs grab from many of the fundamentals of rock and roll - snatching straight from R & B and Doo Wop (including a cover of Fats Domino's classic "I'm Ready"), movin' on to the psychedelic 60's, and then borrowing a bit Glam and 70's Punk. This is true rock and roll - heavy on the boogie, light on the crap. The sound of SLVR is reminiscent of a time when pioneers like Brian Eno and Phil Manzanara collaborated with like-minded freaks and tinkered obsessively with their glamorous arrangements. Eric Von Raven's commitment to the deranged pop lyric, combined with Greg Ashley's mastery of indie riff raff studio juju, has created a timeless long player loaded with quirky, whimsical, eclectic tunes. If it is true that the end of days are near, feel comfortable knowing that Rock and Roll has still managed to ring true in this last generation.

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Audio & Video

FRED BIGOT - 'MONO / STEREO'

Formats

• HOLY83268 - CD

  655035626826

Details

Wow, what an end of year curveball winner this is...imagine throbbing gristle, wolf eyes and ealry Aphex Twin totally ruining your speakers...just too good!! On Mono/Stereo, Fred Bigot's early "Panasonic meets rockabilly" sides are compiled and sequenced such that you can't help but mistake it for a 21th century version of KLF's "Chill Out"-except the country and Elvis references have been replaced by things like the sounds of attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion and C-beams that glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. You know, shit you'd read about in a Samuel Delany book or something. Culled from two 12-inches of murky, minimalist proto- Schaeffel-beat, this CD also features rare outtakes from the full spectrum of heaviness. T-Rex-like rock-groove head-nod decadence expands the notion of stereo separation so far that the Memorex dude on the couch would be reduced to a puddle of flesh. How do you explain this stuff? You can't-it was from the future.

Tracks

1. Chant
2. Mono
3. Stereo
4. Binary
5. Ternary
6. Extinction
7. LR_YZ
8. Outside
9. Symmetriad

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Audio & Video

JAIL WEDDINGS - 'INCONVENIENT DREAMS'

Formats

• WN008-2 - CD

  899873002132

• WN008-1 - MLP

  899873002088

Details

Well, we are working with White Noise, they seem to have a line into some of the best stuff in Los Angeles right now...we first heard this and thought..Deadly Snakes as if they recorded for GSL, thats close...White Noise is proud to present the biggest record yet-a one-sided five-song 12" EP, following up two 7" singles-by Jail Weddings, one of L.A.'s biggest rock 'n' roll bands including ten ferociously incandescent personalities and enough sax and violins for a pre-Technicolor Hollywood epic. It could have come from Memphis-it's produced to gourmet Jim Dickinson-ian standards by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's Russell Simins-but instead (and even better) it's from right here. Inconvenient Dreams EP takes the indomitable spirit of Rock 'n' Roll-era Mekons to X's Los Angeles with Norma Desmond ?lan and wall-of-sound production to satisfy Phil Spector (in happier times) and get Lee Hazlewood planning an answer record. It's the same territory traced by Sam Fuller and John Fante and the same doomed-and-loving it-or at least living it-mood that found an uneasy home in the most outr? radio hits of the '60s. Lou Christie, Scott Walker and Joe Meek all might appreciate.

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Press

ears will open...press should be written

Audio & Video