Latest release: 09 Aug 2024
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OSEES - 'SORCS 80'
Formats
CF151X - LP (COLOURED)
657628446439CF151 - LP
657628446415CF151CD - CD
657628446422
Details
This album was a self imposed ambitious project for us. Something to kick in the creative flow. The last few years, having been a challenging time in general, felt like a good time for a pivot. The last two albums were so guitar and keyboard centric, I wanted a weird and fun set of parameters for us to work with. I demo’d everything at home on cassette 4 track (harkening back to simpler times) using drum loops, and just had at it 'til I had a pile of “songs”. Tom and I chose one sound each using synths and created a range of 3 octaves of that sample, then loaded them into Roland SPD-SX samplers and learned the transcribed songs using drum sticks. The idea was to change the way we wrote and to have 4 people along the front of the stage essentially playing percussion. So no guitar, no keys. As we were recording I kept thinking how the sounds, when paired up, sounded a bit like brass. So, we added a saxophone horn section to round out the horniness of the sound with a bit of reedy bell tones. Thanks to Cansfis Foote & Brad Caulkins on tenor and Baritone saxophones :) Sort of a Dexy’s Midnight Runners meets Von LMO meets The Flesh Eaters meets the Screamers kinda punk junk. Poppy and hooky, heavy at times.. Sort of vacuous and maybe a bit sci-fi in sound. Boneheaded in riff and heady in lyrics. Recorded at Stu-Stu-Studio by me on 8 track 1/4” tape . So pretty hot and raw. Lots to write about today. A lot of these lyrics were taken from things people said in passing about taking on life right now that stuck with me. Things that made me reflect. Things that made me laugh. Things that made me WTF. Some folks are kind, genuine & give you love and energy. Some are greedy manipulative ghouls who hang off your veins. You must be strong, composed and take care of yourself. Be self aware and check your mind for cracks. Learn to relax and be well. There are moments of beauty and redemption. Its not all bad news and there’s always hope. People continue to surprise me one way or another. Anyhow, Hope you enjoy and good luck out there. — John Dwyer
Tracks
1. Look At The Sky 2. Pixelated Moon 3. Drug City 4. Also the Gorilla... 5. Termination Officer 6. Blimp 7. Cochon d?argent 8. Cassius, Brutus & Judas 9. Zipper 10. Lear?s Ears 11. Earthling 12. Plastics 13. Neo-Clone
Press
Underground icons completely reinvent their line-up with brass and percussion into a new hot and raw sci-fi sound
Audio & Video
DANIEL O'SULLIVAN - 'THE PASTORAL MACHINE'
Formats
VHF161 - LP
783881016116
Details
Fourth volume of Library Music miniatures by Daniel O’Sullivan (Ulver, Æthenor, This is Not This Heat, etc) for VHF, this time commissioned by the legendary German Music Library, Sonoton. Another sampling of O’Sullivan’s versatility and brilliance as a composer, performer, and sound designer, the focus on The Pastoral Machine is more “electronic” compared to the three previous albums O’Sullivan recorded for KPM (also issued on LP by VHF), with simpler arrangements and a focus on gentle and emotive synthesised soundworlds. Even without as many full ensemble arrangements, there’s still a wealth of diversity—“Empathogen” opens the record with latticed arpeggiating sequences recalling Japanese “environmental music” or Persian Surgery-era Terry Riley, “Fruit Of Stream Entry” burbles with gentle ripples evoking the album’s title, while “The Silversmith Of Space” mines a simple chord sequence evoking Eno’s ’70s classic short instrumentals. “Superstrings” is a series of hypnotic overlapping guitar patterns, like a lost Ash Ra or Achim Reichel track. The brief “Star Lore” is a heavy highlight with deep bass washes and grainy, tape-laminated melodies, followed immediately by Rose Keeler Schaffeler’s vocal feature on “The Oscillating Love” recalling futurist new-age pop in the vein of Enya or Virginia Astley. Housed in a jacket and heavy euro-style inner featuring collages by O’Sullivan, soon to be the subject of an art book published by Timeless Editions in mid-2024.
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Audio & Video
ELKHORN - 'THE RED VALLEY'
Formats
VHF164 - LP
783881016413
Details
Debut standalone VHF album by the Elkhorn duo of Drew Gardner and Jesse Sheppard, a tight set of six studio recordings in a variety of moods and featuring a lot of new sound textures. Elkhorn’s prolific stream of releases since 2016 has highlighted their mastery of sprawling long-form, acoustic-driven hypno-jams, with an emphasis on live performance (including on their collaboration with Pelt’s Mike Gangloff on the Shackamaxon Concert album). The Red Valley is a more layered and composed-sounding set, with the duo overdubbing extensively on top of their own dual guitars. Leading off the LP, “Crystal Hummingbird” features one of their signature minor-modal vamps, with layers of fuzz bass, zither, and frame drum providing weight and psychedelic density. “Gray Salt Trail” continues the vibe, with thick fuzz vibraphone supplementing the cinematic palate, leading into the spare side-closer “Black Wind Of Kayenta,” where Sheppard plays electric 12-string and Gardner solos on acoustic guitar. Side two starts with “Road to Chaco Canyon,” a brooding duet that builds momentum with Gardner’s insistent frame drum cadence, dropping down into the quiet string pool of “Inside Spider Rock” (featuring Fern Knight’s Jesse Sparhawk on gloriously swirling lever harp) and the graceful finale “Jackrabbit Hops.”
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Audio & Video
STRAIGHT ARROWS - 'SURFACE WORLD'
Formats
AGIT071 - LP
5061041820663AGIT071CD - CD
5061041820052AGIT071B - LP (COLOURED)
5061041820045
Details
**LTD 150 COPIES FOR UK ONLY ON BLUE VINYL** Sydney 4-piece Straight Arrows have returned with their 4th studio album ‘Surface World’ today via Rice Is Nice Records in Australia, Agitated Records in the UK/EU and Lolipop Records in the US on the 9th of August. Since forming back in 2007, Straight Arrows have been a force on the Australian indie scene; with 10x 7”s, 3x studio albums, a live LP and countless shows domestically and internationally under their belt, the band have developed a devoted fan-base, and praise from the likes of Henry Rollins and Iggy Pop along the way. Recorded at Marrickville’s Golden Retriever Studios with Nick Franklin (Polish Club, The Buoys), their 4th LP ‘Surface World’ is a whirlwind of fuzzy riffs and infectious hooks. Thematically, ‘Surface World’, as explained by the band, is a “reflection of the plane of existence we’re all currently trapped upon”, taking an introspective look at modern life and the world around them. “We’ve Been ‘Happening’ on our debut, we’ve been ‘Rising’ on LP two, on our last album we were ‘On Top’, and now we’re sitting at the juncture of the ‘Surface World’. Be it swift manufacture (Fast Product), staring through the window at an outside world (City Ranger, Peakin, Smoke), looking back inside (Walkin’ Thru My Mind, Keep On Cryin, It’s Clear, Summer Skies), suburban fantasy (Car Thief, Don’t Shoot Me), or the Surface World staring back at you (Shop Window). And what’s it sound like? A reverb-laden, fuzzed, pulsating experiment sandwiching popular AND unpopular tunes from the likes of 60s garage and psychedelia, 70s punk and power pop, and 50s-2020s mutant music. It wouldn’t be a Straight Arrows record without throwing a whole pile of eclectic old (and newish) influences into the fuel tank to see what combusts on the other end.” Mixed by frontman Owen Penglis (who has worked with Royal Headache, Frowning Clouds, Mini Skirt and Palms over the years), the album was recorded over just two days, live to tape. The quick turn-around led to some intense rehearsals ahead of time, resulting in some incredibly tight performances on the record. “In true budget Straight Arrows fashion, we spent months rehearsing to be able to spend as little time and money in the expensive tracking studio as possible. With trusted engineer Nick Franklin behind the desk, and Owen [Penglis] trying not to micro-manage him, we managed to smash out the whole album, live to tape in two days. This is also the first Straight Arrows release with some straight up co-writes between Owen and Al - I guess those last few years of apocalyptic world out-view were good for something! Then comes the part after recording where Owen overdubs and warps and changes the whole thing over the next year in his own studio, in between whatever else he’s working on (from punk EPs, 60s reissues, and the Wiggles [!]), messes with the words, and comes out the other end with a shiny-ish, medium fidelity Straight Arrows hot CLASSIC.” Having built a strong reputation as live performers early in the piece, Straight Arrows have maintained consistency right throughout their career. As well as headlining packed rooms around the country, the band have rubbed shoulders with some huge names over the years, supporting the likes of The Black Keys, The Buzcocks, Deerhunter, Black Lips and more. The band were also included on the Hoodoo Gurus curated festival Dig It Up! In 2012; were featured on a Gonerfest lineup in Memphis, Tennessee (alongside Ty Segall & Royal Headache), and toured with Thee Oh Sees across the US East Coast.
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Audio & Video
COWGIRL - 'CUT OFFS'
Formats
SSH041 - LP
0743966000041
Details
Cowgirl runs a conveyor-belt of future classics; their well-crafted melodies wrapped in walls of wailing guitar fuzz. Running the gamut of garage rock to power pop, Cowgirl's music shimmers with an inherent pop shine. Renowned for their explosive live shows, Cowgirl have shared the bill with The Flamin’ Groovies, King Khan & The Shrines, The Sadies, Mozart Estate, Kelley Stoltz and Tess Park. Cut Offs, due for release on 9th August 2024 is the follow up to 2021’s self-titled debut. Recorded again with Euan Hinshelwood (Cate Le Bon/A. Savage/Devendra Banhart) at Vacant TV studios in London and tracked straight to tape in one weekend; Cut Offs displays the same ability to craft propulsive high energy rock and roll songs as their debut.
Tracks
1. Against the Night
2. Wake Up
3. Fading Lights
4. Adeline
5. Out of Place
6. Nobody Cares
Press
Audio & Video
LA PAIRE D'OR - 'S/T'
Formats
HEX002 - LP
Details
Guy Maddison (Mudhoney, Beauty Hunters, Lubricated Goat, PLanT) and Martin Bland (Monkeywrench, Bloodloss, Lubricated Goat) combine electronic instruments & percussion to create a unique & intoxicating Electro Punk Garage brew. Also features the splendid voice of Annabella Kirby. RIYL Silver Apples, Heldon, Suicide.
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Audio & Video
SLOOG / BRAIN TOURNIQUET - 'SPLIT'
Formats
LG-9 - LP
711574956517
Details
Hear the brutal anguish and aural suffering! LG Records has gathered out-of-print and unreleased recordings by two of San Diego’s more infamous and obscure punk bands from the very early 1990’s onto one blistering split LP. Often remembered merely as side-projects of Heroin and End of the Line, Sloog (aka Slug) and Brain Tourniquet were standalone outfits that were beloved locally but barely made any impact outside of the local San Diego scene. Sloog were heavy, tortuous, and disturbing. Fronted by mysterious and odiferous local character “Justinman”, Sloog sounded like they could have been the lovechild of Savage Republic and United Mutation. Brain Tourniquet were a younger thrash band who were noticeably inspired by contemporaries like Born Against and Crossed Out. Primitive and sublime, members went on to bigger things, but this was the not-so-humble beginning. The first release for each band was the 1991 Slug/Brain Tourniquet split cassette, released as Gravity Records #0. Copies of this tape were sold at local shows and during Brain Tourniquet’s west coast tour with Heroin. Sloog would record multiple demos in 1990 and 1991, and in the end they recorded what became their only vinyl release, 1992’s Pigs 7”. The material on this LP was pulled together from all of these recordings. Punish yourself with the Slug / Brain Tourniquet / Sloog vinyl LP out now on LG Records. Caution: this record may emit visible stink-lines into the air of your household. Open a window while enjoying the soothing sounds of Slow Death, circa 1991. 180-gram black vinyl only, 500 pressed, 28 pt tip-on jackets with printed inner sleeve.
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Audio & Video
THINKING FELLERS UNION LOCAL 282 - 'THE FUNERAL PUDDING'
Formats
BM04 - LP
843563178485
Details
The Funeral Pudding originally came out as a CD-only release on the Dutch label Brinkman to promote Thinking Fellers Union Local 282’s 1994 European tour. For the domestic release, the band chose Chicago’s Ajax Records—which had already released two TFUL282 singles in 1990—to press a 12-inch mini-LP. Comprising a selection of songs masterfully recorded and produced by Greg Freeman right after the sessions that yielded 1993’s Admonishing The Bishops EP, The Funeral Pudding could be thought of as a sister release to that EP; indeed, the band originally considered combining tracks from both sessions into a single album. Had it been released, that record would’ve followed the pattern of the previous album in which the band’s pop and avant-garde leanings are yoked together cheek by jowl. Instead, Admonishing showcases the band at its most accessible while The Funeral Pudding flaunts their more expansive, abrasive and absurdist side without forfeiting the earlier EP’s miraculously high standards for songwriting and sonic clarity. What makes The Funeral Pudding a unique feather in the Fellers’ cap is that most of the tracks are sung by bassist Anne Eickelberg and guitarist Hugh Swarts—a notable departure from the Davies / Hageman vocal dominance on most of the other albums. With Eickelberg’s soaring vocals leading the proceedings, tracks like “Waited Too Long” and “Heavy Head” are some of the most beloved in the band’s discography. And “23 Kings Crossing” is a whiplashinducing psych / prog stunner that adds another metric ton to the burden of proof demonstrating that TFUL282 was creating some of the most thrilling, enduring and sonically autonomous music of its era.
Tracks
1. Waited Too Long
2. Flames Up
3. Firing Squad
4. Traffic Mule
5. 23 Kings Crossing
6. Heavy Head
7. Give Me Back My Golden Arm
8. Sidewinder
9. The Invitation