visitors AUTOMATIC MAN

this album rules for 2 reasons: 1) look at that cover! 2) the first track "Give it to Me" is worth the 5 minutes it will take you to download this.

so overall this album really isn't that great. the first two tracks are pretty great, but it's kinda all downhill from there. not terrible, but nothing special. the whole record has this weird disco/soul meets prog/fusion vibe to it. it's strange but in a really fun cheesy way. from what i've gathered this was their second and last album. originally started by Michael Shrieve (yes, the drummer from Santana's band, you may recognize him from Woodstock) their first album was supposedly more fusion oriented and less disco. Shrieve left the band after the first album and here the band is lead by keyboardist Bayete (who was a small time fusion jazz star at the time).

but like i mentioned before the lead track "Give it to Me" is a brilliant lost gem of funky space disco rock. it's weird in the best way possible. give it a listen for yourself. there is nothing here that is groundbreaking or that interesting but this is pretty fun. check it out here.

baroque primitiva ALVARIUS B.

UPDATE: sorry to all but as you can see from the comments there is a CD version of this album coming very soon! it's gonna be just as awesome! so link is gone. My apologies to Kristin and Forced Exposure/Poon Village Records....go there to get a copy of the CD version shortly! very very excited to see Poon Village back in action...also the ridiculously beautiful cover for the album (see above) is Kristin's work, and seriously on the LP it looks incredible!


wow. thanks to the best record store in austin, End of an Ear, I was lucky enough to get a copy of this actual LP. only 300 copies, it was released on Tuesday (yes, 2 days ago) and it's already sold out! you're only hope is to find your great local record store and hope they are hiding copies somewhere. (end of an ear only had a few copies hidden behind the counter for select individuals, I was lucky enough to be one of those people). regardless of physical copies, you really NEED to hear this album.

for those that do not know Alvarius B is the nom de plume of Alan Bishop (of Sun City Girls). that being said certain connotations come to mind, and occasionally hold true (especially on "Humor Police") but the album is just....beautiful. not being familiar with his previous solo albums i didn't really know what to expect and i'm blown away. most of the tracks are simplistic, almost singer/songwriter-esque tunes that are surprisingly pop-oriented. in the hands of a less accomplished musician this could come across as fluffy and unnecessary, but Bishop wears his heart on his sleeve here and it shines through. his cover of "You Only Live Twice" is just amazing (honestly reminds me of Richard Swift recorded on a 4track, and I mean that in a good way). to read a better review of this LP check out Byron Coley's description:

"By my count, Baroque Primitiva is the sixth album cut by Alvarius B. and is, like its predecessors, a deep swim through mysterious waters. The 11 tracks here were recorded at various sessions over the course of several years and range from "Humor Police" [a track that imagines what Syd Barrett might have sounded like had he been a devotee of rembetika] to a trippily Beatles-damaged version of 'You Only Live Twice' [the sole surviving shard of the aborted Alvarius B. Plays The Bond Songbook project]. Baroque Primitiva is the first long-format telegram from Alvarius B. since he lost his mothership [the Sun City Girls, with whom he employed his slave name, Alan Bishop] and it also feels like his most consistently non-acerbic -- perhaps even most beauty-oriented -- work. The songs often have a meditative pace and are filled with gorgeous lo-fi blends of vocals, guitar, bass and keys. Eyvind Kang guests on several tracks, but the bulk of the material was broadcast direct from the naked soul of Alvarius B., which turns out to be a warmer, sweeter place than you might imagine. The record also marks the return of the equally-legendary Poon Village label, whose productions are always extraordinary in visual terms, and Baroque Primitiva is no exception. The cover's meditative human mandala is a brilliant ocular ode to shifting visions of feminine pulchritude, and is worthy of the best framing job you can afford. "

highest recommendation I could ever give for this one.

split EXPO 70/RAHDUNES

split LP from two heavyweights of the noise/drone scene released by Kill Shaman back in 2008 (in an edition of 300 copies. very OOP.) Expo 70 is the sometimes solo jams from Justin Wright and sometimes as a duo with Matt Hill (whom you may know as Umberto). Rahdunes was the duo of Aaron Coyes (now of Peaking Lights) and Nate Archer (and sometimes a trio with Indra Dunis also of Peaking Lights).

Expo 70 hails from Kansas City. Wright generally goes it solo as Expo 70 these days. he also runs the fabulous Sonic Meditations label. on his side of this LP he leans a bit more toward the doom-y side of things. although toward the end of his track "like sucking panther blood" things clear up a little bit with some beautiful droning guitars and a solid bass line (courtesy of Matt Hill). totally stellar track. Expo 70's more recent work "Blackout," "Where Does Your Mind Go" and more have been blowing my mind lately. and going back to this split LP is interesting to hear the progression he's made in the last two years.

Rahdunes were based in San Francisco. however upon Aaron's marriage (to Indra) they moved to Madison, WI and Rahdunes are unfortunately no more. they only put out a handful of releases while together (excellent LP's on Emperor Jones and Qbico and a handful of cassettes). on their side of this LP they give 3 shorter tracks. you can begin to hear a lot of the qualities that will eventually make their way into the Peaking Lights sound. hazy and dubby drugged out sounds with steady drum machine and echoing guitars in the background. really amazing stuff.

the Aquarius Records review of this LP said: "RAHDUNES taking the high road and EXPO 70 taking the low road" & "EXPO 70 with an earthy throb" & "RAHDUNES sounding like the charles manson and the beach boys jamming high on acid at a bonfire on a so-cal beach." completely appropriate. listen to it here. good luck finding a copy, it's long OOP.

go to Sonic Meditations to keep up on the new Expo 70 LP's and tapes. they have really been killing it lately. all of their stuff is highly recommended. and I think Justin Wright's artwork is quite amazing and completely appropriate for their sound.

936 PEAKING LIGHTS

absolutely stellar new release from Peaking Lights on Not Not Fun (one of the best labels around right now). this is a follow up to 2009's equally amazing "Imaginary Falcons" and EP "Space Primitive" released in 2010 (both on Night People). You may know Aaron Coyes from Rahdunes (which I'll be posting about shortly) and Indra Dunis from Numbers (yes, that Numbers from Kill Rock Stars). together they are making some of the best stuff to come out the last few years.

"936" picks up where "Imaginary Falcons" left off. these two are masters at creating atmosphere. all of their records are heavy on hazy dubbed out jams with steady drum machine beats. lots of repetitive rhythms and complimenting touches of guitar, keyboards and nice pop-tinged vocal melodies. where "imaginary falcons" was a little murkier ,"936" shines brighter with a cleaner and more focused sound. you could draw a lot of parallels between this and the last Pocahaunted record "Make it Real." it's still what we've come to expect from Peaking Lights but they've upped the ante here. the ideas are more focused and it comes across as a more approachable album. and i mean that in a good way.

go to Not Not Fun and buy a copy of the LP (only 600 printed, it will go fast). there is also a CD version and an upcoming cassette version for those so inclined. listen to it here. highly recommended!

my father will guide me up a rope to the sky SWANS

sure. the reformed 2010 version of Swans might not be the exact same Swans from the 80's and 90's. but all expectations for "my father will guide me up a rope to the sky" were exceeded (and expectations were EXTREMELY high). this album perfectly captures exactly what Michael Gira is capable of and intends to do. whether you prefer Swans, Angels of Light or solo Michael Gira, this LP makes all his previous records seem like footnotes.

even more exciting is the fact that Swans are playing in Austin tomorrow night and I will be there. cannot wait. LP is still available from Young God Records and (most likely) your local record store. this one gets my highest recommendation. listen to it here.