SHADOW IN THE CRACKS - 'S/T'

Formats

• 126GONE - LP

  600385259910

• 126GONECD - CD

  600385259927

Details

Brothers Jim and Mike Blaha constitute 66.6% of Minneapolis’s best export this side of Target: The Blind Shake. Rounded out and beaten forward by cofounder Dave Roper, the trio exercises undeservedly antiquated practices, such as: (1) marrying quality-control with a hyper-prolific release and touring schedule; (2) allowing the resultant discography to boast an uncommon variety and scope; (3) what might be the best live show in contemporary garage-punk / related underground; and (4) appropriating garage-punk, classof- 1990 noise-rock and blunt-force post-punk, out of which emerges a largely proprietary mountain of scuzz-pop menace. If the brothers’ new endeavor, Shadow in the Cracks, was a “side project” in quality of sound and aesthetic, the term would’ve landed in the opening sentence. However, the world deserves to consider the nine-song, selftitled debut on its own terms. Everything here is natural; nothing is overt or a convenient diversion obscuring a deficiency in song-craft. Reverb is used but only where it makes total sense—on the vocals, where it accentuates the mood and menace of each song. This record is not here to distribute hi-fives and constant positive affirmation. It is about how the universe can gradually compound the duller negativities of life and state of mind; the conditional negation of contentment when maintaining survival mode. Shadow in the Cracks “refers to the darker part of the dark,” explains Jim. “We decided to create a new band after the first song was written. It felt much different to us that it sort of got us scheming and we created an entire back-story / idea for the band; then started writing the songs within that limitation. Having only a kick drum and Indian bells changed the way we played our guitars. It could have been a new direction for the Blind Shake for sure, but it was really fun to enjoy the new limitations without having the temptation to go back to what was more familiar. The first song was written when the drums were not fully set up at our practice space. Mike sat behind the kick drum and started playing. I responded to what he was doing and it came out way different than it usually does. It really moved us in a new way.” The band will appear at Gonerfest 12 and tour in support of the album’s release.

Tracks

1. Timeless
2. 800 Meters
3. Planting Flowers
4. Penguins Blood
5. Lonely Time
6. Elephant Seal
7. When the Bubbles Stop
8. Shadow in the Cracks
9. Ships Roll In

Press

Audio & Video

SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE - 'DUST AND CHIMES'

Formats

• HOLY1165 - LP

  655035616513

• HOLY1165CD - CD

  655035616520

Details

Ben Chasny was on a holy roll when he laid down the eleven tracks on Dust and Chimes. It was 1998 and y’all were floating on that Bill Clinton peace-and-prosperity bubble. Meanwhile, Chasny had dropped his self-titled debut LP earlier that year, and the cognoscenti and illuminati were pricking up their ears. Dust and Chimes announced the arrival of a brow-furrowed troubadour whose complex, morosely beautiful guitar playing didn’t Basho you over the head with Fahey-isms. The three solo guitar tracks here contain quicksilver skeins of glinting acoustic work, recorded over a decade before the American Primitive style of playing would be of any interest to the indie world. Brilliant darkness and somber ecstasy abound, as Chasny ragas against the machine with a bold inventiveness. Elsewhere one may hear hints of Tyrannosaurus Rex’s impish arboreal-folk charm and feathery Donovan-esque incantations—reverent but not lightweight in the least. Now newly remastered, Dust and Chimes sounds like the work of a young sage wise beyond his tears.

Tracks

1. Stone Finders Verse I
2. Assyria
3. Hollow Light Severed Sun
4. Tukulti Will Burn
5. Blue Sun Chiming
6. Oak Path
7. Black Needle Rhymes
8. Sophia
9. Journey Through Sankuan Path
10. Stone Finders Verse II
11. Dance Among the Waiting

Press

Audio & Video

VARIOUS - 'GERMAN ROCK SCENE - THE CLASH OF AGES'

Formats

• BACILLU0086489 - 2xLPs

  4003099685413

• BACILLU0087497 - 2xCDs

  4003099685420

Details

German Rock Scene – The Clash Of Ages, collates the early days of the German Rock movement, especially music released on the legendary Bacillus record label, with the current Psych-/Prog-/Retro- Rock scene in Germny. Compiled by Okta Logue, whose style is often referred to as being influenced by '60s psychedelic rock bands, they picked their favorite tunes from the Bacillus catalogue to shape Disc 1 of this outstanding 2CD/2LP rock document and with Disc 2 being the modern rock contingenet, this compilation is both a great introduction and a great bridge between two eras. It has exclusive liner notes by one of the last remaining witnesses of the original era, Bacillus Records cover designer and book author Helmut Wenske aka Chris Hyde, who became well known for his psychedelic artwork for bands like Nektar. Great double vinyl package, wa DL card containiNg the bonus tracks featured on the 2CD version. "Music from Germany is so much more than just Boney M. and Silver Convention, more than BAP, Die Toten Hosen or Doro Pesch. For over forty years now Rock music from Germany has been a multifaceted happening on its own. And that is something we are allowed to be a little bit proud of, aren’t we? ‘" Classic Rock Magazine 

Tracks

DISC #1: 01. NEKTAR - GOOD DAY 02. FRAME - FRAME OF MIND 03. WYOMING - I'LL BE BACK 04. MESSAGE - WHEN I'M HOME 05. MY SOLID GROUND - MELANCHOLIE 06. KROKODIL - AND I KNOW 07. KARTHAGO - SOUND IN THE AIR 08. PELL MELL - MOLDAU 09. NINE DAYS WONDER - IT'S NOT MY FAULT 10. EPSILON - BETWEEN MIDNIGHT 11. FRAME - ALL I REALLY WANT EXPLAIN 12. NEKTAR - REMEMBER THE FUTURE PART 1 (EDIT) *
DISC #2: 01. WEDGE - '61 SG 02. KADAVAR - LIVING IN YOUR HEAD 03. HEAT - LOVING DEVOTION 04. MOUNTAIN WITCH - SHRUBBERY THE WARLOCK 05. SPACE DEBRIS - CAT FLOW 06. THE PICTUREBOOKS - YOUR KISSES BURN LIKE FIRE 07. TRAVELIN JACK - STEELY SUN 08. LUCIFER - ANUBIS 09. SUNS OF THYME - THE YEARS WE GOT ARE NOT ENOUGH 10. WOLVESPIRIT - SHINING 11. OKTA LOGUE - BRIGHT LIGHTS 12. CLIFFSIGHT - RASCAL GIRL * 13. SUPREME GALORE - SHAMAN SAYS * 14. PEOPLES TEMPER - FIX ME UP * 15. ODD COUPLE - NIGHTCRAWL * 16. LOVELAND - MISSING ILLUSIONS *
*CD BONUS TRACKS

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