Lakeshore's Alternativemusic.com

New & Upcoming Release list 7/23/08

If you see anything you’re interested in or have any questions about anything you see listed please email us at Deana@Alternativemusic.com

Check out some of the sounds that are on top of Deana the Green Machine’s playlist on her blog.

SONIC YOUTH WITH MATS GUSTAFSSON AND MERZBOW "Andre Sider af Sonic Youth" (SYR - SYR 8) CD (UPC: 787996900827 - CDSONICAndre)

***This installment of SONIC YOUTH's series of experimental and mostly instrumental releases is available in a CD-only edition on the band's own SYR label. Andre Sider af Sonic Youth presents the complete "Other Sides of Sonic Youth" improvised live performance from the 2005 Roskilde Festival in Denmark, featuring Sonic Youth (with JIM O'ROURKE) and guests Swedish saxophonist MATS GUSTAFSSON and Japanese sound artist MASAMI AKITA (aka MERZBOW). The single piece performed was a structured improvisation which for 60 minutes added and subtracted musicians one by one until only Akita was left onstage. Black Sabbath followed.

*SONIC YOUTH "Anagrama" (Sonic Youth - SYR 01) CD (UPC: 787996000121)

*SONIC YOUTH "Anagrama" (Sonic Youth - SYR 01) LP (UPC: 78799600011)

*SONIC YOUTH "Daydream Nation" (Goofin - GOO013) 4xLP (UPC: 787996801315)

*SONIC YOUTH "Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities" (Goofin - GOO 012) 2xLP (UPC: 787996801216)

*SONIC YOUTH "Dirty Box" (Goofin - GOOFIN 05) 4xLP (UPC: 787996800516)

*SONIC YOUTH "Goodbye 20th Century" (Sonic Youth - SYR 04) 2xCD (UPC: 787996900421)

*SONIC YOUTH "Goodbye 20th Century" (Sonic Youth - SYR 04) 2xLP

*SONIC YOUTH "Hold That Tiger" (Father Yod / Goofin - GOO 02) CD

*SONIC YOUTH "J'Accuse Ted Hughes" (Sonic Youth - SYR 7) LP (UPC: 787996900711)

*SONIC YOUTH "Koncertas Stan Brakhage Prisiminimui" (Sonic Youth - SYR 06) CD (UPC: 787996900629)

*SONIC YOUTH "Rather Ripped" (Goofin - GOO011) LP (UPC: 787996801117)

*SONIC YOUTH "s/t" (Goofin - GOO08) 2xLP (UPC: 787996800813)

*SONIC YOUTH "Slaapkamers Met Slagroom" (Sonic Youth - SYR 02) CD (UPC: 787996900223)

*SONIC YOUTH +O'ROURKE "Invito al Cielo" (Sonic Youth - SYR 03) CD (UPC: 787996900322)

THE BUG "London Zoo" (Ninja Tune - ZEN 132) CD (UPC: 5021392486123 - CDBUGLond)

***There can be no more of an appropriate soundtrack for the coming apocalypse than THE BUG's London Zoo. The Bug is the main project for KEVIN MARTIN( TECHNO ANIMAL, ICE, GOD, KING MIDAS SOUND, RAZOR X PRODUCTIONS, PRESSURE, etc.). The album was born of three key moments: an introduction to the thriving dubstep scene (of which The Bug is very much a pioneer from before it carried a name) and its key producers (via Kode 9 and Loefah) where Martin realized there were others on the same sonic trajectory as himself; an introduction to Warrior Queen via his work with Wayne Lonesome on the Razor X Productions project; and a Mary Anne Hobbs Breezeblock session which introduced him to Flowdan (Roll Deep) and Ricky Ranking. All three of these figure heavily in the end result and live presentation. The obvious entry point to the album is the dubstep tag, particularly after the success of the three lead-up singles, but London Zoo clearly reaches past, brings together, and celebrates reference points from dancehall, grime, hip-hop, and noise-it could have only come out of London sound-system culture, while its appeal spans cities and scenes. Includes contributions from dancehall and dubstep vocalists TIPPA IRIE, RICKY RANKING, KILLA P, FLOWDAN, AYA, WARRIOR QUEEN, ROGER ROBINSON, and SPACEAPE. No exports outside the US and South America. Upcoming LP Street Date - 8/12/2008

*BUG "Poison Dart 1 - feat. WARRIOR QUEEN" (Ninja Tune - ZEN 12202) 12" (UPC: 5021392489162)

*BUG "Poison Dart 2 - feat. WARRIOR QUEEN" (Ninja Tune - ZEN 12202X) 12" (UPC: 5021392489261)

*BUG VS. ROOTSMAN/DJ RUPTURE "Split" (Tigerbeat 6 - MEOW 072) CD (UPC: 751937221623)

*BUG FEATURING WARRIOR QUEEN "Dem A Bomb We" (Ladybug - LBG 001) 7"

DAEDELUS"Love to Make Music" (Ninja Tune - ZEN 142) DBL.LP (UPC: 5021392501185 - LPDAEDELove)

DAEDELUS "Love To Make Music To" (Ninja Tune - ZEN 142) CD (UPC: 5021392501123 - CDDAEDELove)

***NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! DAEDELUS returns with his best and most playfully accessible album to date. Featuring guest spots from PAPERBOY, producer MICHAEL JOHNSON (The Lilys, Holopaw), TAZ ARNOLD & OM'MAS KEITH (SA-RA), N'FA (1200 TECHNIQUES CREW), and chanteuse ERIKA ROSE. No exports outside the US and South America.

SPARKS "Exotic Creatures of the Deep" (Lil Beethoven - LBRCD 111) CD (UPC: 5037300753362 - CDSPARKExot)

***Thirty-seven years after their debut LP, SPARKS release Exotic Creatures of the Deep, their 21st studio album. Recorded in their Los Angeles studio, brothers RON and RUSSELL MAEL once again display their extraordinary ability to create, to challenge, and to confound. Should it be possible for two people to be so fresh, so vital, so unpredictable, and so incomparably individual? The result of a year spent in near-isolation, Exotic Creatures of the Deep could, perhaps, be seen as a natural evolution from their last two records, on which pop-opera, rock, and high drama combined to redefine Sparks' sound. During these recent times, the cognoscenti have lauded and applauded Sparks while enjoying membership of an exclusive club. However, the remarkably exceptional and notably catchy creations on Exotic Creatures of the Deep are the key that enables many more, as Sparks have said, to "come and meet them." No exports outside North America

SPARKS "Introducing Sparks" (Lil Beethoven - LBRCDRON / LBRCDRUS) CD (UPC: 5037300751030 - CDSPARKIntro)

***FIRST TIME ON CD!!! Introducing Sparks, originally released in 1977, is the seventh album by SPARKS and the only one of their 20 long-players not available on CD. Until now-released on the duo's own Lil Beethoven imprint. Finally, you can hear the much-discussed but rarely heard transitional album from RON and RUSSELL MAEL's near-40-year career. David Bowie wasn't the only chameleonic figure in '70s rock. Introducing Sparks finds the Mael brothers, in the company of an array of top session musicians (mirroring Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan in this respect), caught between the innovative glam-prog-pop of their four early-to-mid-'70s Island albums (Kimono My House, Propaganda, Indiscreet, Big Beat) and the audacious proto-electro of their 1979 collaboration with Giorgio Moroder (No. 1 in Heaven). Introducing Sparks was their first and only album for Columbia, who pushed the boat out at the time by releasing it on red vinyl. They also spared no expense when it came to the recording, allowing or perhaps encouraging Ron and Russell to engage the cream of LA's backing singers and session guns for hire. Just as the front and back cover of the album presents our heroes as faux matinee idols, all soft-focus and airbrushed perfection, so Introducing Sparks has a polished, slick, sophisticated, big-budget sound that reflects the record company's desire to get the Maels' music on the radio. Heard today, Introducing Sparks sounds less like made-for-heavy-rotation AOR and more like a comment on, or rather series of pastiches of (all right, then: acerbic attacks on) daytime US radio-fodder: imagine Randy Newman as program controller in charge of America's airwaves for some idea of this satirical yet highly commercial meta-rock. No exports outside North America

*SPARKS "Dick Around" (In The Red - ITR137) 7"

*SPARKS "Dick Around" (In The Red - ITR137) CDEP (UPC: 759718513721)

*SPARKS "Hello Young Lovers" (In The Red - ITR 131) CD (UPC: 759718513127)

*SPARKS "Hello Young Lovers" (In The Red - ITR 131) LP (UPC: 759718513110)

PLASTIQUE DE REVE "Lost in the City" (Death From Abroad - DFA0115) 12" (UPC: 829732011517 - LPPLASTLost)

***After several very successful releases on Gigolo Records and Tiga's Turbo label, Swiss producer DAZE, aka PLASTIQUE DE REVE, unleashes a 12-inch on Death From Abroad that has the potential to be a future classic. This time he leaves behind the dark, EBM-influenced attitude and goes deeper on one side of the record, while showing his fun-loving, tongue-in-cheek approach on the flip. "Lost in the City" is a true gem of deep Acid with a captivating vocal performance by 18-year-old talent GHOSTAPE. "Resist," on the B-side, toys with ghetto-tech cliches, delivering a steamroller-like groove at 138 BPM able to get any peaktime dancefloor to ecstatic heights. Featuring wacky cheering routines by THE RADICAL CHEERLEADERS, a group of anti-globalization girls who tour stadiums in the US and Canada, the track is nonstop fireworks of galloping bass, brass samples, twisted acid, and euphoric vocal tracks. No exports to the UK and Europe

KRALLICE "s/t" (Profound Lore - PFL 036) CD (UPC: 880270236626 - CDKRALLs/t)

***Recognized as one of the most virtuosic guitar wizards today, MICK BARR displays his awe-inspiring six-string histrionics in such bizarre outfits as OCRILIM (Hydra Head) and ORTHRELM (Ipecac), bending and stretching the rules of modern-day playing and giving new meaning to progressive guitar-work. Nonetheless, Barr (who has also collaborated with the likes of John Zorn and Mike Patton) is quite the enigma today. COLIN MARSTON, one of the most prolific and recognized musicians in technical / extreme progressive metal, also boasts an impressive pedigree, having played in BEHOLD... THE ARCTOPUS (Black Market/Metal Blade), DYSRHYTHMIA (Relapse), BYLA, etc., as well as founded his own recording studio, Thousand Caves (in which he recently recorded the latest Jarboe solo album). On their self-titled debut, KRALLICE treads the musical landscape familiar to Barr and Marston, but this time the pair translates it into a visceral, tremolo-layered black metal monolith. Comprised of six epic, time-stretching hymns, the album is a vitriolic and hypnotizing assault on the senses that brings to mind early Burzum, Nattens Madrigal-era Ulver, Gorgoroth (Antichrist in particular), and US legends Weakling. Krallice is Barr and Marston's unique vision-singular in the realm of US black metal today. No exports to Canada or the UK

TORCHE "Meanderthal" (Robotic Empire - ROB 072) LP (UPC: 655035707211 - LPTORCHMean)

***Can a band be absolutely crushing yet sweepingly anthemic at the same time? Miami's TORCHE have not only figured this out, they've mastered it. Their third release, Meanderthal, is simultaneously oppressive and powerfully uplifting. Torche's gargantuan return to their patented megaheavy pop'n'roll streamlines their form into brief and precise slabs of songwriting brilliance. Prepare to headbang while singing along at the top of your collapsed lungs as Meanderthal surpasses all groundwork laid by the band's self-titled debut and last year's In Return EP. Copious hooks abound and psychedelic swarms of drone weave throughout riff-wizardry while the sheer heavyness is downright overwhelming. Robotic Empire goes huge on their most ludicrously elaborate packaging yet, because Torche absolutely levels the earth with their finest work to date. Features Robotic Empire's most elaborate packaging yet-die-cut fold out sleeves. Colored vinyl pressing. CD version released simultaneously on Hydra Head. Limited quantities available.

*TORCHE "In Return" (Robotic Empire - ROB 068) CD+10" (UPC: 655035706818)

*TORCHE "Self-Titled Reissue" (Robotic Empire - ROB 060) CD (UPC: 655035706023)

*TORCHE "Self-Titled Reissue" (Robotic Empire - ROB 060) LP (UPC: 655035706016)

PANTALEIMON "Heart of the Sun" (Durtro / Jnana - DJ 008) CD (UPC: 061297329885 - CDPANTEHear)

***"The whole thing started when CLODAGH SIMONDS (FOVEA HEX) asked if she could remix 'Under The Water.' Of course, I said yes. When she came back with such remarkable music, and casually mentioned, 'Oh, why don't you ask a couple of other pals to do remixes?', it gave me the idea for this album. It is not simply a remix album, but a collaborative project. I chose friends I admired as artists and who inhabit creative spaces that are connected in some way and on some level to me and to each other. I gave away my 'babies' to go out to play with the likes of ANDREW W.K., STEPHEN O'MALLEY, LILIUM, CARTER TUTTI, COLIN POTTER, ANDREW LILES, THE BRICOLEUR, PLINTH, FABRIZIO MODONESE PALUMBO (LARSEN), and, of course, FOVEA HEX. Even though I had an inkling that the mixes would fit together as one coherent whole, I had no idea just how much they would complement one another. There are also some previously unreleased tracks including a cover of Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's 'Even If Love,' which didn't quite make it on Mercy Oceans for aural reasons. However, this cover version has been gently manipulated and star-mangled by SUSAN STENGER (BAND OF SUSANS)."-ANDRIA DEGENS / PANTALEIMON. Comes in a beautiful digipak with artwork by BETH CARTER and full liner notes.

*PANTALEIMON "Cloudburst" (Durtro Jnana - D/J 003) CD (UPC: 621617432024)

*PANTALEIMON "Mercy Oceans" (Durtro / Jnana - D/J 007) CD (UPC: 621617388628)

*HEADS "Dead in the Water" (Rooster - ROOSTER 009) CD (UPC: 689492076924 - CDHEADSDead)

***BACK IN STOCK!!!

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Popular Styles...

ATLAS SOUND "Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel" (Kranky - KRANK 114) DBL.LP (UPC: 796441811410 - LPATLASLet) (STREET DATE - 7/29/2008)

***NOW AVALABLE ON DOUBLE VINYL WITH 6 BONUS TRACKS!!! One of the latest "true queer art punks" to emerge from the cracked pavement of Southern suburban sprawl, ATLAS SOUND is the solo moniker of DEERHUNTER frontman/provocateur BRADFORD COX. Here on his debut album, Cox/Sound moved out of dank nightclubs filled with eternal existential drone punk, and relaxed at home in his Grant Park, Atlanta bedroom. And this is, essentially, a bedroom album, a collage, mixing the garage rock and ambient electronic influences previously explored with Deerhunter in a new context, with newly explored recording techniques, mainly laptop based, learned with guidance from Kranky artist NUDGE's BRIAN FOOTE. The results are songs of melancholy and mania.

SAVES THE DAY "Sound the Alarm" (Cobraside / Vagrant - CSDLP 1125) LP (UPC: 0829707952517 - LPSAVESSoun)

***REISSUED ON VINYL!!! The first in a trilogy of albums from SAVES THE DAY that was followed by Under The Boards and the upcoming Daybreak. A one-time reissue pressing of 3,000 copies.

HELENA ESPVALL & MASAKI BATOH "s/t" (Drag City - DC 359) LP (UPC: 781484035916 - LPESPVAs/t)

HELENA ESPVALL & MASAKI BATOH "s/t" (Drag City - DC 359) CD (UPC: 781484035923 - CDESPVAs/t)

***NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! HELENA ESPVALL and MASAKI BATHO first met at a festival in the United States in 2006. Batoh presented Helena with a handmade bamboo instrument; short on spare celli, she gave him a copy of her solo CD. Afterwards, they stayed in touch. At some point Helena suggested an improvised musical collaboration. Batoh said that he felt they should record not improvisations only, but songs as well. The recording session was held in Tokyo in December 2007. Six of the Swedish traditional tunes were reconstructed, along with Batoh's arrangement of "Death Letter," a classic Son House delta blues song. The improvisations were done on the last recording day, with no overdubs. For one of them, they were joined by Batoh's fellow GHOST members TAKUYUKI MORIYA, KAZUO OGINO, and the santur player MAYUMI NAGAYOSHI. The same morning Helena had received notice that her grandmother suddenly had died, and that a dear friend had chosen to end his life. Two death letters in one day...there is great emotion reflected in the improvisations. And great depth and beauty throughout the whole album.

NISENNENMONDAI "Tori / Neji" (Smalltown Supersound - STS 149) CD (UPC: 600116844927 - CDNISENTori) (STREET DATE - 7/29/2008)

***NISENNENMONDI means "Year 2000 Problem'' and is an instrumental Japanese girl trio from Tokyo. Visits to Tokyo by Lightning Bolt, Battles & No Age and others have unearthed these three girls with the mammoth sound. With song titles such as "This Heat, Sonic Youth & Pop Group," one understand which musical territory the band comes from, and if you ad Black Flag, DNA, Neu! & Pere Ubu you are pretty close to Nisennenmondais sound. It's raw & repetitive (post) punk instrumentals, at the same time as they are wild groovy with a no wave/disco vibe to it. This is the first release outside of Japan & it contains the bands two EPs "Neji" and Tori" released as one album with new cover design by KIM HIORTHOY.

TAKKA TAKKA "Migration" (Ernest Jenning - EJR 040) CD (UPC: 600064784023 - CDTAKKAMigr) (STREET DATE - 7/29/2008)

***TAKKA TAKKA's sophomore release was lovingly produced by SEAN GREENHAIGH (CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH) and features performances by BRYAN DEVENDORF (THE NATIONAL), LEE SARGENT (CYHSY), OLGA BELL (BELL) and CHARLES BURST. "Sometimes this record is about existing in a place you don't belong. Conversely, it is about where you came from & how you got there... Sometimes this record is about a band experimenting with sound & form, trying to honestly say things in song it has never said before. Sometimes this record is about not going back & staying in the place you don't belong."-GABE LEVINE (Takka Takka).

GREAT NORTHWEST "Widespread Reign of the Great Northwest" (Kora - TKR 005) CD (UPC: 797734004120 - CDGREATWide) (STREET DATE - 7/29/2008)

***The thirteen-track album brims over with lush soundscapes; ambient modulations, pop melodies and slowcore pacing coalesce seamlessly throughout the record. Lavish and haunting vocals woven with BRIAN COATES' savvy wordplay complete the sonically induced mind altering experience. After the mixing session, Coates said warmly, "there's guitar, there's bass, there's drums, there's trombone, there's Leslie speakers, practice amps, Jew's Harps, drum loops, tambourines, ebows, harmonicas, pie tins, there's thought, there's love."

VELVET UNDERGROUND "White Light / White Heat" (4 Men With Beards - 4M 155) LP (UPC: 646315115512 - LPVELVEWhit)

***If the VELVET UNDERGROUND's debut record was a shot at the conventions of rock music White Light/White Heat, released on Verve later that same year (1967), was a full on nuclear blast. Relative to this record, The Velvet Underground & Nico was a gentle slab of folk-rock. From the amphetamine fueled, and inspired, opening of the title track to the the 17-minute assault that is "Sister Ray," White Light/White Heat hardly lets up for a second, with the haunting "Here She Comes Now" being the album's only mellowing moment. One of the most difficult, challenging, and ultimately beautiful pop records of all time, considered by many to be the Velvet's greatest record.

FAIRPORT CONVENTION "Liege And Lief" (4 Men With Beards - 4M 159) LP (UPC: 646315115918 - LPFAIRPLieg)

***The fourth album from the FAIRPORT CONVENTION, originally released in 1970, is considered by many to be the paramount of British folk-rock. After three solid albums of folk-rock that only hinted at their British roots, Liege & Lief is the first Fairport record to fully and completely embrace their home country. They roll through no less than four traditional British folk songs including an incredible reading of "Tam Lin" along with quality originals that pay tribute to and expand on their rich tradition. This is the last Fairport Convention record to feature core members SANDY DENNY and ASHLEY HUTCHINGS, and though it is decidedly British it is an absolute classic of electric folk-rock of any variety.

AIR "s/t" (DBK Works - DBK 543) CD (UPC: 646315054323 - CDAIRs/t)

***"Before you ask, this isn't the same AIR that was comprised of members of the AACM. Instead, the group's a totally great little rockish band-with a spare groovy feel and a mellow hipster sound that's a mix of jazz, bits of folk rock, and some of the hipper sides of the singer/songwriter scene. Lead vocalist is GOOGIE COPPOLA, who also plays piano, organ, and harpsichord-with a style that's not that dissimilar from Roberta Flack (who also seems to be an influence on her singing, too.) The other backing includes organ, bass, and drums-and the style of the record is similar to other 'folk funk experience' albums from the time, like work by Barbara & Ernie or Shades Of Joy."-Dusty Groove.

CARLOS GIFFONI "Zamuro" (Important - IMPREC 201) LP (LPGIFFOZamu)

***A Zamuro is a dark South American vulture of great size. Zamuro is also a solo composition piece for portable synth and analog filter. Side A on this LP is a live realization of this piece recorded at the Compound in San Francisco in 2006 (Mastered by LASSE MARHAUG), CARLOS GIFFONI composed and performed this piece live on several tours in the US/Europe/Japan all trough out 2006 and 2007, if you saw him live in those two years this is the piece he performed. This was the most complete version of it that made it to tape. Side B is a studio piece recorded live on a much larger modular synth, based around the same theme, but with structural and tonal variations not in the original composition. This is pure psychedelic electronic music. Cover illustration by MEGAN ELLIS. Limited edition of 300 copies in a heavy stock screen printed jacket.

OM "Live At Jerusalem" (Southern Lord - SUNN 86.5) LP (LPOMLive)

***BACK IN STOCK!!! In December of 2007 the mighty duo that is OM made a pilgrimage to Israel to play for its people. Their pinnacle performance unfolded at 4 Aristobolus Street in Jerusalem the site of Uganda Records. The band played for over 4 hours on this evening! The tracks: "Flight of the Eagle" and "Bhimas' Theme" were captured and flown back to the United States where the vinyl lacquers were made by BOB WESTON. Limited to 3,000 machine numbered copies.

BLACK ANGELS "Directions To See A Ghost" (Light In The Attic - LITA 033) TRPL.LP (UPC: 826853003315- LPBLACKDire)

***NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! Austin's darkest droners THE BLACK ANGELS are back with their second full-length release. With tidal rhythms and rasping epics, Directions To See A Ghost is a driving, psychedelic masterpiece that churns through the album's 72 minutes and eleven tracks. Debut album Passover sold over 45,000 copies worldwide.

HIGH PLACES "03/07 - 09/07" (Thrill Jockey - THRILL 204) CD (UPC: 790377020427- cdhigh0307)

***HIGH PLACES began as an experiment in collaboration: two people with diverse artistic backgrounds coming together to merge their skills, aesthetic tastes, and music-making approaches. ROBERT BARBER grew up listening to punk and hardcore, and MARY PEARSON studied bassoon performance. Both gravitated toward a DIY compositional style and shared a love of layers. It is the affinity for layering that has thus far defined the duo, both in ideas and instrumentation. High Places songs contain a fascinating range of aural layers: bells and bird calls over a wash of ocean waves; mallets hitting mixing bowls over treated guitar and glockenspiel; Mary's reflective vocals over Rob's inventive and infectious beats. The result is an imaginative and spacious amalgamation of sounds with a unique almost Caribbean undertone that is as immediate as it is refreshing. 03/07 - 09/07 is a singles collection that collects both better known songs along with a few hard to find gems.

LACKTHEREOF "Your Anchor" (Barsuk - BARK 76) CD (655173107621 - CDLACKTYour)

***LACKTHEREOF is the bedroom side-project of DANNY SEIM, best known as the incredibly talented and very tall drummer for the acclaimed Portland band MENOMENA. Listening to Lackthereof, it's quite obvious that Seim's fractured art-pop sensibility is a big part of the sound of his more well-known band. Of the nine very hard-to-find albums that Seim has made mostly by himself over the last ten years (many of which found their sum-total distribution and marketing campaigns in the form of individually-duped cassette tapes handed out to friends in the late '90s), Your Anchor is certainly the most cohesive and immediate.

LAKE OF DRACULA "Lake of Dracula" (Skin Graft - GR 39) CD (UPC: 036172603923 - CDLAKE Lake) (STREET DATE - 7/29/2008)

***REISSUED!!! Relive No Wave's summer of love! LAKE OF DRACULA layer vicious, angular guitar and obtuse, howling vocals over propulsive, throbbing dance beats in an unprecedented melange of excitement and alienation! Assembled from the lineups of THE FLYING LUTTENBACHERS, COUCH, SCISSOR GIRLS and U.S. MAPLE, L.O.C. raise the wooden stakes for all them so-called "Super Groups." It's Clobberin' Time! As an extra special bonus, this new edition of Lake Of Dracula's studio album has been augmented with the four legendary tracks from the infamous SINRAFT Bootleg 7-inch single-recorded live at the Fireside Bowl in Chicago!

LAKE OF DRACULA "SiNRAFT LIVE 1996" (SinRAFT - SIN 01) CD (UPC: 647216600121 - CDLAKE SiNR) (STREET DATE - 7/29/2008)

***REISSUED!!! A limited edition (300 copies) of the alternate version of LAKE OF DRACULA's self-titled album on SiNRAFT Records. Uncovered at customs in Norway, this bootleg CD has been seized by Skin Graft Records for lawful distribution worldwide. Includes the original four-song SINRAFT Bootleg 7-inch songs, plus sixteen bonus tracks-the entire Lake Of Dracula studio album, produced by JIM O'ROURKE.

JORGE BEN "Jorge Ben (1969)" (Dusty Groove - DGA 3014) CD (UPC: 600753098721 - cdben jjorg)

***A samba soul classic from JORGE BEN-quite possibly his greatest album ever, and a true treasure through and through! The tunes explode with an amazing sense of energy-driven by Jorge's great guitar and vocals, plus key percussive efforts from the TAMBA TRIO-whose sounds here are simply amazing, and create a unique undercurrent of funk. This is the album that set a whole generation on fire, and it's probably still one of the most-copied moments of Ben's long career. In contrast to the cerebral output of the Tropicalia camp in 1969, this album's much more visceral and personal-yet no less revolutionary! First time on CD in the US-and first time on CD in the world in over 15 years. Includes the classics "Take It Easy My Brother Charles," "Pais Tropical," and "Que Pena."

THAI RECORD "s/t" (Mississippi - MR 009) LP (LPTHAI s/t)

***BACK IN STOCK!!! A true mystery, this field recording appeared on Mississippi's doorstep. Due to a lack of information, this LP has become known as THE THAI RECORD. It is a stunning record of hypnotic country Molam from Thailand. A rich tapestry of heavy percussion, xylophone, khaen & phin (more or less the Thai electric guitar). A strong groove behind an inherently psychedelic music.

SKULL DEFEKTS "Drone Drug" (Release The Bats - RTB 041) CD (CDSKULLDron)

***First there was Skkull then there was The Drone Drug. Continuing on the same path, the sound of The Drone Drug is of a similar relentless minimalist nature as its predecessor. This could be seen as the electronic backbone to last years amazing Blood Spirits & Drums Are Singing (Conspiracy Records), creating a heavy beast with the most basic and stripped-down use of variations in drones and frequencies instead of guitars and percussion. Monotonous motor humming via drugged-out machinery and assaults of feedback attacking with a strong feel of claustrophobia. Compared to Skkull, The Drone Drug evolves more around a grim and abrasive sound, constantly toying with lo-fi aesthetics and a rough industrial edge. The atmosphere created is thick and black, bringing up visions of a dystopian society trembling on the edge of the world. Spreading the disease in a world slowly dying, The Drone Drug is poison and affect you it will. On this recording, THE SKULL DEFEKTS are JOACHIM NORDWALL and HENRIK RYLANDER. Four tracks cut by an unsharpened razor. Total playtime of 52 minutes. 4-panel digipack with artwork by DANIEL FAGERSTROM.

RYAN AUFFENBERG "Marigolds" (Evangeline -EV 0007) CD (UPC: 796873050623 - CDAUFFEMari)

***BACK IN STOCK!!! Born in Jefferson City, Missouri, an area made famous by the exploits of one Mr. Thomas Howard, aka Jesse James, RYAN AUFFENBERG has, in his own peculiar way way, retained a bit of mystery that is somewhat akin to that of the infamous anti-hero. It's not in his personality or even in the songs he writes, records, and performs, but rather the sheer fact that a young man of 26 can write with the depth of human understanding and mine the American spiritual landscape in a way that few others can. Ryan's debut LP, Marigolds, is a masterwork of deserted beauty, presenting a palate of songs ranging from the deeply melancholic to the hopeful-yet-realistic. He is capable of melding the beauty of records like Beck's Sea Change and the lyricism of Sam Beam and Conor Oberst while maintaining a definitive sound and voice all is own. Based out of San Francisco for the past several years, Ryan has worked with many of the city's indie rock luminaries while having toured extensively and shared the stage with such notables as Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon), Laura Veirs, Willy Mason and the Watson Twins.

BATS "At The National Grid" (Little Teddy - BiTe 046) LP (LPBATSAt T)

***NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! The At The National Grid album from double-decade running New Zealand pop heavyweights THE BATS-ROBERT SCOTT, MALCOLM GRANT, PAUL KEAN, and KAYE WOODWARD. Twelve tracks of classic, strummy pop recorded at National Grid studio in Christchurch. Includes guest electric violin from ALASTAIR GALBRAITH.

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE "Campfire Songs" (Catsup Plate - CPR 716) CD (CDANIMACamp)

***LAST COPIES BEFORE IT GOES OUT OF PRINT!!! THE ANIMAL COLLECTIVE-DAVID PORTNER (AVEY TARE) and NOAH LENNOX (PANDA BEAR), and DEAKEN-deliver a beautiful example of exploratory folk sounds. Recorded largely on a screened-in porch in rural Maryland, the album is a blend of strummed and plucked acoustic guitars, chanted, nearly wistful vocal harmonies, and pulsing rhythms that seem like they might break apart at any moment, and occasionally do. Simple and repetitive melodies that recall the early work of the Third Ear Band, 1970s German commune-music, and other folk-psychedelic searchers. Excellent, and beautifully packaged.

BODIES OF WATER "A Certain Feeling" (Secretly Canadian - SC 177) CD (UPC: 656605017723 - CDBODIEA Ce)

***One year after the self-release of the acclaimed Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink, BODIES OF WATER have created another full-length offering. The strains that one can hear running through all of Bodies of Water's music are fully exhibited here; instantly familiar melodies, rich harmonic color, expansively deft arrangements, and compositions that ebb, flow, and double back on themselves in cathartic synchronicity. Though no two songs sound entirely similar, it's a cohesive that comes out feeling like the anthemic prog/gospel/psychedelic/kraut-tribal movie score that Ennio Morricone and Phil Spector never got around to collaborating on.

JULIE DOIRON "Loneliest In The Morning" (Jagjaguwar - JAG 061) CD (UPC: 656605206127 - CDDOIROLone)

***Originally released in 1997 by Sub Pop, Loneliest In The Morning was JULIE DOIRON's second solo release and her first release under her own name. This reissue comes complete with three bonus tracks-"Second Time" from split 7-inch with Snailhouse and the tracks "Who Will Be The One" and "Too Much" from the 7-inch release Doiron recorded with the Wooden Stars. Loneliest In The Morning was described by Pitchfork as "catchy enough to knock Liz Phair upside the head," and is a critical piece to the Doiron catalog.

DREDD FOOLE "Kissing The Contemporary Bliss" (Family Vineyard - FV 56) DBL.CD (UPC: 656605405629 - CDDREDDKiss)

***For over 30 years troubadour wailer DAN IRETON, aka DREDD FOOLE, has called upon the spirit of 78 shellac blues n' psychedelic Stooges n' Velvets to fuel his guttural, pure soul ethos of the song. Whether solo or leading mass, Foole hints at the classic forms of Dylan's Blood On The Tracks, Buckley's Starsailor and the celestial fug of Sun Ra's third-eye vision to create an approach untraveled yet increasingly influential (see: Six Organs of Admittance, Sunburned Hand of the Man). Produced in multi-dimensional spectrasound by MATT "MV" VALENTINE. Packaged in a mini-LP-styled gatefold book with full-color photos of The Foole in action.

LOVED "Everything, Anything, Nothing" (Temporary Residence Ltd - TRR 141) CD (UPC: 656605314129 - cdlovedanyt)

***Formed in 1996 and disbanded less than two years later, THE LOVED were an accidentally mysterious pop trio from the unlikely locale of Louisville, KY. In truth, they were just three ordinary guys making Beatles-inspired pop with a few nods to some '70s and '80s guitar gods. Their shows became notorious in Louisville; loud, sweaty affairs where the crowd knew all the words to songs that weren't yet recorded, much less released (a remarkable feat in the age before downloading or record leaks). Available here for the first time, Everything, Anything, Nothing collects the entire recorded history of The Loved, culled from the only two recording sessions during their brief existence.

JOHN TERRILL "Frowny Frown" (Family Vineyard - FV 60) CD (UPC: 656605406022 - CDTERRIFrow)

***Between 1988 and 1998, JOHN TERRILL (co-founder of the late '70s new/no wave DANCING CIGARETTES) recorded this album and made a few copies for close friends and for mailing to musical heroes. In another era, it could have stood next to Scott Walker or Michael Hurley's early albums or even Randy Burns' LPs on ESP Disk. It's an out-of-time classic that mixes honey baked orchestration, acoustic soul, and pop-psychedelia into cracked and spellbinding songs. Now reissued for all and remastered with a bonus track from 1984.

MILK N' COOKIES "s/t" (Radio Heartbeat - RHB 105) DBL.LP (LPMILK s/t)

***This is the definitive version of the 1975 Glam-Pop classic! The complete LP on one record and six studio bonus cuts on the second LP. Influenced by Sparks, Roxy Music and Sweet; these Woodmere, Long Island boys were flown out to England to record this masterpiece of star-struck teenage anthems. Released at the wrong time and with barely any record company help, this brilliant record couldn't get a foothold at the time. The time is finally now, with MILK N' COOKIES popping up as major influences for bands like The Busy Signals, Cheap Time, NoBunny, Baby Shakes and The Pets and recently getting the front cover treatment from pop-obsessed mag Rock Mania. Due to the renewed interest, Radio Heartbeat has pulled out all the stops, going for a deluxe gatefold with an 11"x17" full-color repro of the original promo poster. Mastered for vinyl to perfection by JAMES FLAMES, this thing sounds ridiculously good on new vinyl and the second record spins at 45rpm for maximum fidelity.

DUCHESSES "Estupet" (Apop - APOP 033) CD (CDDUCHEEstu)

***This precocious all-girl quartet with an average age of 19 create a Medusa's head of sound; their influences range from Death In June to Kate Bush. The musical result is a motley collision of razor-chainsaw guitars (ALICE DEE), sinister high school marching band drums (TRACI), seasick rolling basslines (EVA BORG), all heading into battle lead by a screaming banshee-girl-thing spitting acid and venomous bile (AMBER ALERT!). Includes remixes by WEASEL WALTER, SUNSHINE MILITANT CHILDREN'S HOUR, OPUS SPIRITS, QULFUS, and BLANKETSHIP.

BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE "Just Like Kicking Jesus" (A Records - AUK 012) CD (UPC: 689492080426 - CDBRIANJust)

BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE "Just Like Kicking Jesus" (A Records - AUK 012) LP (UPC: 689492080419 - LPBRIANJust)

***Just Like Kicking Jesus, the new mini album from THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE was recorded in Reykjavik and showcases five songs (four never released before) and runs over 27 minutes. The first track of this release, "Amazing Electric Cave (Learn To Speak Icelandic You Smug Shit Version)," features the vocals of Icelandic artist and film maker UNNUR ANDREA EINARSDOTTIR. The Brian Jonestown Massacre are undertaking an extensive world tour beginning in June 2008.

BUFFALO KILLERS "Let It Ride" (Alive - ALIVE 0086) CD (UPC: 095081008625 - CDBUFFALet)

***Drawing comparisons in sound to Blue Cheer, Cream, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Mountain and the Allman Brothers Band, the BUFFALO KILLERS released their self-titled debut (Alive 2007) to critical raves praising them and their music as "the real raw deal" (Amplifier). Simply said, this is as authentic as they come. Finishing their run on the opening slot during the Black Crowes tour, the band recently returned to the Midwest to complete recording sessions in Akron, Ohio with producer DAN AUERBACH of The Black Keys at his Akron Analog studio. The result is Let it Ride, an album deeply rooted in their signature '60s psychedelic and '70s blues rock inspired sound. On the road throughout 2008, the band toured the States with The Black Keys in May, they will be back on the road with the Black Crowes this fall.

SMITTENS "Coolest Thing About Love" (Happy Happy Birthday To Me - HHBTM 101) CD (UPC: 795103605626 - CDSMITTCool) . (STREET DATE - 7/29/2008)

***Delicate and Twee! Summer fun with a sparkly heart! it's The Coolest Thing About Love the new album from THE SMITTENS and Happy Happy Birthday to Me! Sincere honest pop music with a gentle soul and good intentions! Herein lie some of the Smittens sweetest songs yet. Expanding their sonic palate a bit on their third full-length album, the Smittens, take on hot fun in the summer sun finds them creating oodles of hummable melodies in a rainbow assortment of whimsical locales (on the beach, on the interstate, in a dandelion field, in the library- to name just a few!) and dishing out the love in all directions! The Smittens sing their songs directly into your heart and leave a lasting deep warmth there, even as their catchy tunes continue to spin round and round your head! Lovingly recorded by the Smittens themselves with new sounds and friends chipping in including (a sassy cameo from TULLYCRAFT'S SEAN TOLLEFSON!) and then mixed and produced with ERIC MASUNAGA and the gang working to make their new favorite record to share with friends and lovers and family and fans the world over.

STANDING NUDES "Ghost Story" (True Panther - TRUE 005) LP (LPSTANDGhos)

***"The guitars plonk like Sonic Youth in their tinniest pop modality, with oddly ganged female vocals on top...The basic construction dynamics are weird as hell, but seem to be solidly inside the dictates of post-punk gesticulation."-Byron Coley, Wire Magazine. Limited edition of 300 copies.

BROKEN STRINGS "Broken Strings" (True Panther - TRUE 006) LP (LPBROKEBrok)

***Extremely limited edition LP pressed on high-grade vinyl with silver-foil stamped jackets. Pre-mastered by WEASEL WALTER. The recording was passed around the country for several years on tapes and CDRs before seeing this official release.

SOUNDS OF AMERICAN DOOMSDAY CULTS "Volume 14" (Faithways - K 84173) CD (cdsoundvol14)

***BACK IN STOCK!!! A document of the spellbinding chants, call-and-response decrees, hypnotic invocations and prayers performed against the demon rock'n'roll by the ultra-conservative New Age Church Universal and Triumphant, led by charismatic, gun-hoarding nutjob ELIZABETH CLARE PROPHET-who is believed by her followers to be divinely inspired by a host of Ascended Masters, including Merlin the Magician, Hercules, William Shakespeare, Jesus Christ, Gautama Buddha, the Archangel Michael, and other emo legends. Humorous for its damnation of seemingly harmless rock stars like Billy Joel, which explains why Negativland and other experimentalists would sample it, this mesmerizing, all-vocal performance should fascinate listeners interested in La Monte Young's drones, Kurt Schwitters' "Ursonate," or the stringent choral works of Ligeti, Penderecki and Scelsi.

v/a "FAIRY CAKES FOR TEA - FAIRYTALES CAN COME TRUE 2" (Psychic Circle - PC 7015) DBL.LP (UPC: 5051125701520 - lpfairycake)

***NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! Another twenty sparkling, pink icing-covered, pop-psych confections previously uncomped on CD. The first collection, Fairytales Can Come True, visited the melodic, pop side of British and European psych, and met with a really positive response, so what could the label do but offer up another trayful of sweet refreshment. Includes THE MERSEYS operating under a pseudonym, an obscure Cat Stevens-composed weird-out, popsters PETER & GORDON showing that psychedelia had not passed them by, beat legend SEAN BUCKLEY with a new name, an unknown OAK version of a Deram gem, plus a host of similar pleasures). Other artists include: CRACKERS, GRAND UNION, THE YOUTH, THE STARLITES, LLOYD BANKS, ROEK'S FAMILY, SCOTT HENDERSON, DAVE ANDREWS & THE SUGAR, SASPERELLA, THE FACTOTUMS, THE BATS, 14, THE GUARDS, FLUFF, PETER, MIKE QUINN & THE BREADCRUMBS, CHUCKLES, OLIVER NORMAN and RESCUE CO. NO. 1.

FAITH "Blessed?" (Transubstans - TRANS 039) CD (UPC: 7393210231580 - CDFAITHBles)

***The third album from Swedish doom metallers entitled Blessed? is another progression from their previous Sorg album from '06. With this nine tracker, the band steps further towards a unique mixture of doom metal, progressive and with influences of Swedish folk music. This is close to a masterpiece, mixing Candlemass and Hedningarna with HEDNINGARNA, but always with a heavy approach, and one foot in the 1970s doom scene. Simply great.

CHAIR "s/t" (Transubtans - TRANS 039) CD (CDCH