Features &
Interviews

Chocolate Weasel
DJ Cam
DJ Method One
DJ Stratus
DJ 3D
Dwindle
Ed Rush
Electronica
Frank Lloyd Wright's California
Ganger
Gapeseed
Her Space Holiday
Holiday Flyer
ICU
Jungle Defined
Kim Salmon
King Rhythm
Laika
Latin Playboys
Lounge Lizards
Mark Robinson
Mixtapes
Monochrome
Most Secret Method
Music Appreciation 101
Pressure Drop
Terrastock II
Third Eye Foundation

Abilene s/t CD
Months have passed me by. Many events and people have crossed me and my path. An ageless time, these recent months, little has caused re-examination, life-course changes, nor discovery of newborn gray hairs. Abilene has seen me through the vagueries of this episode; this chapter has had this release as its 6-song soundtrack. In the drama that led to this discussion, slow ebbing and flowing bass lines, twisting guitar notes and chords led by a snare, kick & cymbal constantly build toward peaks. Growing hotter, intensifying their focused energy until someone speaks. His repeated shouts wake the listener from the lulled state only to notice one is behind in turning several calender pages. Absolutely essential. (Slowdime POB 414 Arlington, VA 22210)

Acetone s/t CD
Three guys from L.A. sitting around a campfire under a Nevada desert moon, singing and playing their idea of rock. Blended with subtle touches of blues and country, this music is undoubtedly influenced by a twinkle in the starry skies and that cactus resting nearby. Relaxed, sincere and as cozy as a sleeping bag for two, Acetone has captured the moon and the stars and have gift wrapped them for you. Go ahead. Open the box and snuggle with the prize. Tonight is yr night, bro’. (Vapor (via Girlie Action Publicity) 3300 Warner Blvd. Burbank, CA 91505-4694)

Acrobat Down RE: Dereliction CD
Spending much of this afternoon tearing up my rotted hallway flooring with Acrobat Down on the stereo, the clock spun ‘round much faster than one would anticipate on a holiday weekend such as this. One inside the disc’s explosive whirlwind, all on the outside of the sound’s reach becomes inconsequential. Taking cues from the long lost archives of Quicksand, Acrobat Down toy with the mind as programmed drums and keys navigate the ear like hungry termites. Watching the dissolved wood particles of the floor turn to dust and fall through the space between my fingers, guitars sawed through the air, bass notes like nailguns in the distance acted as foremen to the concussive hammering drums. Constructed of the finest Colorado timber, Acrobat Down stand firm, their energy surrounding you like the walls of your dwelling, secure you from the dangers that lurk on the streets. Seat yourself within their dust cloud and smile. (Atact Musicalities POB 104 Denver, CO 80201-0104, A4HB@aol.com)

Actionslacks The Scene’s Out of Sight CD
For two (past) albums, the Actionslacks trio (now quartet) pounded the pavement of mid-town USA gathering steam around punk rock energy. They purposefully neglected to feed off “teenage angst”, instead they kindled fires in pop song lovers that had energy to burn. The listener would expect more firey prose and bouncy pop songs on The Scene’s… What instead we find with …Out of Sight is a reawakening in Tim Scanlin and his backing band’s (staff changes since ‘96’s Skene! debut) affection for melody tempered by the years they spent in tour vans one month. Yeah, it sounds odd to you, dear reader, to ponder – is this good or bad? This is likely the best album since Unrest broke up, and Pavement stopped being good or is the latter “started-sucking?” The disc is crammed with the best songs Berkeley has exported in a long while – whether it be soaring guitars, stop/start chunka chunka, heart-string tugging piano lines, or simply well crafted multi-minute affairs that skip your heart beats like stones on a placid early morning pond, it’s all here for you. Mid-town USA radio stations would be altogether more interesting if station programmers invested in the morality plays that would yield better decisions and more Actionslacks. I can’t gush any longer, please share the experience with me by giving this album a listen. (Self-Starter Foundation POB1562 NYC 10276)

Actionslacks Too Bright Just Right Good Night CD
When enjoying brief instances of free time, Tim Scanlin (editor of Snackcake!) writes and records with his San Francisco based power trio, Actionslacks. Amidst some bristling Overwhelming Colorfast-ish (read: Husker Du-ish) rock songs are more tender moments of Guided By Voices pop swank. Scanlin’s guitar usage sways from surf-like riddling, to pop strumming, to garage tweaking while enveloped in distortion or playing “straight” through his amp. Bobbing, the songs are contagious and engaging - enveloping the listener in an opaque sphere. Once inside Actionslacks’ tiny microcosm, the listener is inable to interact with any other of the outside world’s stimuli. (Skene! PO Box 4522 St. Paul, MN 55104)

Adam F Colours CD
Jungle is changing: bipolarilizing to be exact. Some folks minimize the structure of their tracks, max. out the bass punches and grow ever "darker" in the vocal and non-vocal samples they extract from the ambient world.
There is another group of folks in the UK and elsewhere that are reinvigorating jungle with melody and instrumentation that closely approximates "real" or "acoustic" vibes. Like Roni Size Reprazent, Omni
Trio and LTJ Bukem, Adam F loves the dimly lit, smoky alcoves of jazzy black & white grainy scenes in which heroines are ensnared in larceny and melodrama alongside the dashing, sharply dressed and 'witted nouveau spy. Saxes blare as breakbeats toss and turn small ships on tall seas. Ace vocals from MC Conrad and Tracey Thorn ride the waves like foamy crests and dashing, glistening dolphins. The seas part, the ice flows and merges as jungle morphs (or fragments) itself further as days and weeks pass. Colours reminds me of how fresh Platinum Breaks was two years ago. How important the revolutionary transformation of filtered breakbeats is to
dance music. How unimportant the "Amen, Brother" break is becoming to the repertoire. It's one of the few truly stunning pieces of craft within the drum 'n' bass domain. Why, you ask? Because each song varies like tides
with the changes in the moon - they represent a multitude of unique variations on essential themes. And Otis Redding's grandson digs it. He was just at my door asking for money for the charity he operates and Adam F was kickin' massive output from the house PA. Otis the 3rd started dancin' on my doorstep. Droppin' bombs with style. (Astralwerks)

Aesop Rock Float CD
Float like a butterfly, Aesop Rock stings like a bee. With guests Vast Air (Cannibal Ox), Slug (Atmosphere, Deep Puddle Dynamics), and Dose One (Them, Deep Puddle Dynamics etc.), NYC’s Aesop Rock unleashes the eccentric wordplay of an urban cynic. Cutting teeth with Cannibal Ox, Percee P, and Atoms Family, in addition to charting at mp3.com, Aesop has bubbled under for some time, making Float an important index mark in his career timeline. With this debut long-player the headphone-set experience a sweeping collection of his words, thoughts and the masterful downtempo hip-hop production of Aesop-compatriot Blockhead. Adopting the strategies of early MoWax sexuality through dirty dropped-tempo tracking with skunk-sluggish bass grooves, Float does just what it describes… floats the listener atop a hip-hop storm cloud balancing thunderous roar with crackling lightning. (Mush/Dirty Loop 244 5th Ave. #F212 NYC 10001)

Agnish, Jai Automata CD
Presenting his lo-fi, lo-tech electronic folk music (Har Mar Superstar, Busy Signals, Trevor Holland, Takako Minekawa etc.), Flygirl zine founder Jai Agnish has made an impressive record. Balancing his self-professed passions for “indie music” and Christian spirituality, his songs and written work are a worthwhile snapshot into a New Jersey man’s lifestyle. As the drum machines whir, and the acoustic guitars strum, Jai sounds alone singing sadly as if an introvert with only music to announce his thoughts. Tenderness is a fitting device to bridge the gap between trad instrument-born folk-isms and the latest in electrical appliance devices. Impressive. (Blue Bunny 43 Morris Ave. West Milford, NJ 07480)

Air Moon Safari CD
Not since Stereolab's Peng has an album struck me bluntly - and consequently drained me of emotional energy for weeks on end. Initially shocked by its frank monotony, I was further dumbfounded by its magically
addictive replies that came with each return to the CD player. Along with their French compatriots Daft Punk, Laurent Garnier et al., Air reach into the electronica bag and display hat tricks aplenty. In contrast to their
dance colleagues, Air reflect upon downtempo pools of Rhodes, Fender and Moog analog electronics, punctuated by strings and horns, and the sweetest vocals just shy of being an American Tracey Thorn. Close your eyes and imagine a new landscape hitting your ears, borrowing from EBTG's Walking Wounded, Portishead's Dummy, Kraftwerk, Neu!, Orbital, and Morcheeba. Neon bright, each song hits with dramatic flair so startling it takes a moment for your senses to adjust. But as each song pours from the speakers like a hot sweet comforting cup of tea, you draw it in repetitively, unconsciously. "Remember" burns with a downbeat house drum stance with vocals stripped from Kraftwerk's Trans Europe Express. Despite the album's one quick track ("Sexy Boy") hitting your radios as you read this, the remainder of Moon Safari begs for a far sultrier, ecstatic frame of mind. (Source/Caroline 104 West 29th Street NYC, NY 10001)

Airport Songs International Airport 7”
As Howard Greynolds’ All City series lands in Glasgow, we find the Airport Songs sextet intoxicating in their backporch ramblings on mandolin, organ, melodica, flute, guitar, bass and percussion. Strangely reminiscent of Belle & Sebastian for the forest-like shelter of their songs, Airport Songs create lulling hypnotic songs that magnetically draw the listener in, and stir their hearts with repeated listens. A tour with Yo La Tengo would make for a splendid evening reminding us how fragile humanity is. (All City 2414 Medill Chicago, IL 60647)

Aislers Set 7”
With a nod to decades past (60s and 80s), San Francisco’s The Aislers Set launch your heart skyward with new songs following up last year’s The Last Match. With Wyatt and Amy sharing lead vocal duties this single exposes those few remaining folks who have yet to hear the Set’s magic. Having started as Amy’s post-Henry’s Dress creative outlet, the band has grown to include Jen Coehn (Fairways), Alicia Vanden Heuval (Poundsign) and Yoshi Nakamoto (Scenic Vermont). You really don’t need me to push you to investigate this further, I am sure everyone you know alread glows over their music. (Suicide Squeeze 4505 University Way NE Box 434 Seattle, WA 98105, kwo@olywa.net, suiciderec@earthlink.net)

Akre, Carrie Home CD
Stepping out of the role as bandmate after stints with Hammerbox, Rockfords and VIPs, Carrie Akre has self-released her debut solo long-player. Strangely intimate while resonating in a very public manner, Carrie’s work wrestles the listener to the floor where the exhausted, spent senses try to capture the wonderful melodies and energy. Her sensuality and exhibitionist rock ‘n’ roll personas clash and fight one another only to explode in your speaker cone. (Good-Ink Records POB 19645 Seattle, WA 98109)

Album Leaf One Day I’ll be on Time CD
Crouched, albeit comfortably, amidst standing party-goers looking down at the players, the Album Leaf played. Conversations murmured in the background as the occasional light throughout the loft space illuminated someone’s face. Everyone was younger than I. Everyone being elegantly hipper in form and presentation than I. Guitars and keys leveled the playing field amongst the fanbase and somehow I still felt like an outcast. Music having such a visceral reaction on me has always been problematic, and The Album Leaf isn’t much different. While I can enjoy headphone relationships, it is much more difficult to listen to music publicly, sharing the ritual with others -- strangers no less.

Retreating into the personal, the solitude that much of us dwell in, Jimmy Lavalle’s (Tristeza) second album One Day I’ll be on Time is demonstrably more comforting than his previous work (An Orchestrated Rise to Fall) in the headphone world. Leaving behind theexplicitly solo effort to this broader sound (though still very much a solo release) moves The Album Leaf much closer to Her Space Holiday’s melancholic electronica. The listener now crouches on the floor with Lavalle and any collaborators and seeks to an eye-level view of the magician. After all, that’s how you learn their secrets. (Tiger Style 149 Wooster St. 4th Flr. NYC 10012

Album Leaf An Orchestrated Rise to Fall CD
The keyboard speaks. Solo walks through wooded paths overgrown from a lack of care and attention described by synth, organ and electric piano lines. Jimmy LaValle (of Tristeza) walks such woodsy paths daily, with each successive trip bringing a new eye to the sedate regimen of his life. Ambient noise of overheard conversations and neighborhood inactivity join fragile acoustic guitars, and stripped-bare drum lines hand-in-hand to walk through the mossy groves of LaValle’s keys. Across slippery, water softened rock formations, Jimmy falters on occasion as navigating the terrain while carrying such heavy emotional luggage is never graceful. The starkness is stunning. (The Music Fellowship POB 581035 SLC, UT 84158)

Alger Hiss Graft vs. Host LP
Though recorded in ‘94 and ‘95, this recent release displays much more of Alger Hiss’ post-punk personality. By coaxing the spirits of Mission of Burma, and Wire (fellow-NYC combos like Of Cabbages and Kings, Surgery, and Cop Shoot Cop), Alger Hiss display a fragmented appreciation for guitar damage and pop songs pummeled by dirty rhythm lines as one would expect from their neighborhood. While their contemporaries have approached more mathematical, bluesy or complete noise as their tour de force, like Sonic Youth, Alger Hiss have an affection for “all of the above” within the dynamic ranges of their instruments and vocals. As plaintive vocals ride atop detuned guitars the song maniacally changes into Big Black stop/start moments. Alger Hiss display their frustrations, lust, greed, hate and lovelorn male personas all over these songs. The noisier, more manic moments on this LP raise the standard from their previous 12” release (on Ba Da Bing!), but the latter’s more subtle, introspective quiet pop songs are still their crowning achievements as songwriters. With another album’s worth of recorded material, Alger Hiss will soon have more products readied for our consumption and I for one can’t wait another goddamn minute. Trade in the kids for this one. (Feldspar/Tangential PO Box 334 NYC 10009)

Alien Crime Syndicate From the Word Go CD
With former members of San Francisco’s Meices and Seattle’s Lemons, you would think Alien Crime Syndicate would sound something like a cross between Replacements and the Ramones. What we get instead is a delicious Brian Wilson homage filtered through the Flaming Lips’ intoxicating psychedelia. (Will 300 Queen Anne Ave. N. #10 Seattle, WA 98109)

Aloha The Great Communicators, The Interpreters, The Nonbelievers CD
That’s Your Fire CD
Upon my initiation to Cleveland, Ohio’s Aloha, I was taken aback (quite literally, I tripped as I walked away from the stereo) by an aura from an inauspicious quartet of young white guys. What sounded like a Dearborn, MI space-rock combo (on their 5-song EP The Great Communicators…) has morph into a dramatic avant-rock melody machine (on That’s Your Fire). With more emphasis placed on keys and percussion, Aloha’s EP, convinced me they were walking the Ui, Füxa path while having a more dramatic (Trans Am-like) hunger for power. In their latest release (their debut full-length) we find Tony, Cale, Matthew and Eric flowering from the seedlings previously offered. With their sounds of June of ’44’s intricate rhythm and exotica-evoking vibraphones, I feel like jazz has been re-born for me. Not jazz as in horns and caterwauling instrumentation, but jazz as in the inherent chemistry flowing from player to instrument to fellow musician in a swirling presentation of unspoken common ideals. That’s Your Fire is majestic. Like taking in the most extravagant vista, you want to just sit and stare at this. Stare at the sounds Jackson Pollack paintings make. (Polyvinyl POB 1885 Danville, IL 61834)

Alphastone Life’s a Motorway CDEP
In the wake of several compilation appearances, Alphastone offer up a remix EP of their album’s title track “Life’s a Motorway.” On this EP we find tweaked lo-tech remixes and the standard version of the track (which reminds me of a Spacemen 3 offshoot), a soothing groovy little rock song. Flowchart, Acclera Deck, Pacifica, as well as Alphastone’s Steve Janes take varied approaches toward the cut-up… likely the most enjoyable is Pacifica’s “Bliss Mix” which hunts for drum ‘n’ bass. For those on the 555 tip, check this out.
(Enraptured 134 Replingham Rd. Southfields, London SW18 5LL UK)

Alternative TV Punk Life CD
Whether or not Mark Perry has found his way into your record collection over the decade(s) you have been shopping for off-kilter British "rock," Punk Life will likely surprise you. As his cynicism reigns supreme on
much of the discography, Alternative TV (AKA Mark Perry) has mutated continuously. Endlessly. The bulk of Punk Life may sound like Mark E. Smith's/Fall's banter and pop dissonance to the uninitiated. But more than
anything, it testifies that Perry can still manufacture intense, near-Ex-ish moments of conflict sound. He still manufactures pop jewels that irreverently and snidely remark upon the world we live in. In this
case he did it with members of the Cannanes on board. Memories spring from high school ATV record swapping. Those days were punk. I guess they still are. (Overground PO Box 1NW Newcastle Upon Tyne NE99 1NW UK)

American Football s/t CD
Despite my lack of interest in organized sports viewing, American Football had me glued to my seat. Trumpets, organs, guitars and drums got me out of my seat to cheer the three member team waving the banner for the national indie-rock league. Like true all-stars having learned the ropes from other teams, these young men have joined forces to create something much more intense than any X-Game competition. Tossing the melody back and forth, I kept hearing a coach’s influence, perhaps an elderly Mark Robinson (Teenbeat, Unrest, Flin Flon etc.) telling Mike, Steve and Steve to dig deep and find the strength to keep the audience on their feet. Keep cheering. Keep listening. This is worth the ticket price. (Polyvinyl POB 1885 Danville, IL 61834) – Keith York

AM/FM Audiot CD
Ween vs. Pulsars. The listener wins. Prizes come in seven varieties of sensible-psych driving music for lonesome highways in wooded regions bright with the colors of seasonal change. The guitar picking matches the tempo of the windshield wipers criss-crossing the morning mountain mist from view as drum tempos parallel the tires riding the center-divider reflectors glued to the asphalt. The Ride-sounding vibe of “Say What?” wakes the driver from the long-haul’s narcotic effect. Waking up suddenly tapping the 4/4 tempo on the steering wheel, the car’s inhabitant finds himself unrehearsedly singing along to the cryptic lyrics such as “Speedos don’t always look dumb. And water’s not always wet.” (Skylab Operations POB 4376 Salisbury, NC 28145)

AMFM Mutilate Us CD
As Brian Sokel (Franklin) and Michael Parsell (The Science Of) come together again under their AMFM moniker, a smile will return to your face. With a similar appreciation of the ‘60s as Stereolab, Sportsguitar and Ladybug Transistor, one that shines through in their construction of melodies, the duo of Philadelphians make a timeless brand of studio magic. Borrowing ideas and personnel from neighboring outfits Franklin, Aspera Ad Astra as well as the inimitable Lenola, Brian and Michael’s collaboration extends outside of their studio-writing process and lands squarely on the gaping jaws of those well outside the city’s perimeters, helping to finally express a sound to the city of brotherly love. (Polyvinyl POB 1885 Danville, IL 61834)

Amir and Donovan Imagination Sound Vol.1 CS
In what seems to be a growing trend of split-mixers arriving in the mailbox, we are finding some surprising talent helming SouthWest mixers ‘n’ decks. Imagination Sound is full of wonderful psychedelic house grooves that ebb and flow as the sun rises and sets on the record bags of two highly spirited jockeys. With hi-hats as crisp as the morning air on a desert landscape, this little jaunt gets a body groovin’ (whether it’s vertical or horizontal).
(Booking: 949-233-6750)

A Minor Forest/Gainer split 7”
What an artifice, this single. Two mighty demonstrations of math-rock ingenuity. A Minor Forest balance their distortion-fueled fury with quiet passages of radio transcripts and TV fuzz over the low rumble of the toms and single, haunting guitar notes. The proverbial eye of the hurricane. But the storm is far from over. Gainer lunge directly at the listener’s throat, writhing and riffing their way through the angular and inventive “Bastion.” The guitars and drums alter course many times during the song, yet never lose their momentum. The vocalist bristles with rage. The aggressors have reached his last line of defense. Fight or flight, Gainer will make their stand here, behind the bastion. (Divot Records PO Box 14061 Chicago, IL 60614-0061)

A Minor Forest/Gainer split 7”
A Minor Forest deliver what seems like three different songs, or movements, under one song title “(talking to the) man from lusk.” From complacent drumming and CB radio chatter, to furious havoc wreaking and screaming vocals to quiet rest time this is a difficult listen, a moody record. A welcome challenge. Gainer push forward with abandon. Their frenetic assault, like a steam locomotive with an endless supply of coal, lunges at you with a punk rock fury. Loud. (Divot PO Box 14061 Chicago, IL 60614)

A.M.P. Studio EP 7”
Richard from Amp set out to dare himself and listeners with this “side project.” Fueled by his passion to extend beyond any boundaries Amp was placing on his creativity, he has come up with at least these recordings. Amp is pretty out there, and so are the two songs etched into this single. One side is a floating piece of guitar feedback and drone while the flip side uses keyboard output to maintain the VU meter levels. The guitar-based track reminded me a bit of Windy & Carl and Azuza Plane (coincidentally Jason Azuza Plane runs the label behind this release) while the other poked fun at the better Labradford recordings. Though I do have a talent for babble at times (reason enough to start a zine!), releases like these leave me speechless - its not always easy coming up with the charming, flowery, spirited language necessary to convey on paper what sound waves flying through the room do to one’s eardrums (and consequently your cortex). Suffice it to say this is a pleasant experience with drone rock. A well thought out and thought-provoking exercise for Richard and for us listeners - and only available in an edition of 1000. (Colorful Clouds for Acoustics 273 Cambridge Rd Clifton Heights, PA 19018)

And/Ors Will Self Destruct CD
Pop songs on the verge of exploding, their players near extinction through the self-destruction behind the mania of being a slave to rock ‘n’ roll. Culling together their individual strengths (posited by their work with previous San Diego –based collectives Interstate Ten, Thee Psychic Hearts, Crash Worship, Jejune), the collective gunpowder of power pop tweaked by garage mayhem (think Buffalo Tom and the Replacements collaborating with San Diego’s Tell Tale Hearts), Will Self Destruct is something to behold. With the addition of Araby on bass, the soothing tones of expansive post-shoegaze takes pole position on a few tracks and broadens the scope of the And/Ors’ ability to entertain. ExceptionaL. (Better Looking POB 11041 Santa Monica Blvd. PMB 302 Los Angeles, CA 90025 kyle@holidaymatinee.com, info@betterlookingrecords.com, theandors@hotmail.com)

...And You Will Know us by the Trail of the Dead s/t CD
Thin like wires. Twisting micron-thin lines of copper and aluminum trace maze-like courses embedded in sheets of silicon. The ideas of men transmitted at lightspeed. Lasers read photonic digital signatures stamped into consumer products. Cold this environ is. White hot is ..The Trail of the Dead. Intense like sunspots these songs burn your eyes as one curiously stares directly into their faces; their guitars and drums fly around the room - - duck or you shall be stabbed by the debris. Stylistic noise, otherwise “punk,” is a foundation from which ..The Trail of the Dead leap from; sonic assaults as springboards to meaningful song ideas. Trance says they need to be experienced live. I am comfortable sharing a room with the recorded version - my furniture and carpets need to be clean for house guests. I love their name, I love their abusive entertainment, I love these guys for the tension they have delivered into my home (need I remind you they are strangers). Thin like wires. Fully self-aware, I write these words knowing the label that invested in this release, and the band members will eye my sentiments and laugh; laugh at me and themselves. Egos as thin as wires, as strong as wires. ...The Trail of the Dead : warm this environ is. (Trance Syndicate PO Box 49771 Austin, TX 78765

And You Will Know us by the Trail of Dead Madonna CD
It certainly has been some time since an audio steamroller has rolled through my pad. With diesel-powered drums rolling across steamy hot black asphalt, the newly paved roads become smooth enough for turbo-charged guitars and basses to drive, take-off and land. Pilots to talk to air traffic controllers who talk to highway patrol officers in tonal communiqués about the steadiness of traffic patterns on land and in the air. The urban rituals of angst, power and greed play out across thirteen acts as the dramatic play re-enacts the immense goings-ons of the city and its surrounding ‘burbs. The power of the city’s machinery rolls along unflinchingly as heated rock songs on Madonna and one should exercise caution crossing the streets in such busy intersections as these. (Merge POB 1235 Chapel Hill, NC 27514)

Another Fine Day Cutting Branches/Scarborough Fair 12”
AFD present some heady downtempo dub for those lost in transient spaces. Wondering aloud “where to go from here…” listeners are likely to find themselves in a compass-less forest wander akin to those snivelling Blair Witch Project teens. Whether it be Coldcut or The Orb remixing the tracks themselves, the bleep-bleep IDM funk is white hot in its standoffish “cool” aesthetic. Fitting in the scope of Astralwerks’ Excursions in Ambience, “Cutting Branches” is exceptionally meditative in the heart-rate murmur pulsing of its skeletal structure. Quite distant from the dropped tempo of “Cutting Branches” is the Jazz Dub Mix of “Scarborough Fair” with a bright Hammond/Roland jazz-key line atop a Luke Vibert meets Aphex Twin percussion backdrop. (Six Degrees/Climate POB 411347 San Francisco, CA 94141-1347)

Antartica 81:03 CD
As mid-80s Roland sequencers swiftly embark upon their journey to spine and hip, you can see the cynical stare of Antartica’s members. Tipping the scales at well over an hour, this two-disc set holds no clunkers, only showcasing the smarts of a quintet poised to create a stir. Paying homage to New Order, Twice a Man, Abecedarians, Happy Mondays and even A Primary Industry and Colourbox, the high-octane synth-rock is way out on the fringe from yesteryear’s well-accepted 12” dance culture. Unclear whether or not this is their way of putting Factory Records on an altar, or just an occurrence of band-member chemistry, the results are timeless. Having listened to this dozens of times now, it is one of the most baffling collections of songs to my ears… I am suspicious but my smile can’t hide the truth, this is wonderful. (File 13 POB 2302 Philadelphia, PA 19103

Aphex Twin Come to Daddy EP
DJ and techno artist Richard James, a.k.a. Aphex Twin, dishes out another humor-ridden endeavor which barely tops 30 minutes in Come to Daddy. This album features three different versions of the title track, including a "Pappy" mix, which is seemingly James' mockery of the Prodigy's "style." It includes vocals griping, "I want your soul/I will eat your soul/Come to Daddy." In the song "Pappy," Aphex Twin successfully rips the Prodigy to shreds in an off-kilter manner comparable to Skinny Puppy. The "Little Lord Fauntleroy" mix, on the other hand, is stripped of the distorted and growling vocals and replaced with warped children's vocals (either slowed down or sped up) - also characteristic of Aphex Twin's demented humor. Another track, "Bucephalus Bouncing Ball," seems like an exercise in rhythm manipulation. The track flings beats out and "bounces" them to the point where they sound like marbles falling on a metal surface. (Sire Records, 2034 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90404)

Apples in Stereo Fun Trick Noisemaker CD
Not taking myself too seriously, I can use these pages to discuss and debate (myself on) the hows and whys of records being released. One of the highlights of doing much of this writing myself is that records do not have to be new to be critiqued; not new to me, not new to the world. I have written lengthy reviews of Beach Boys records recently purchased from used bins across this city - I just can’t seem to write well enough about these. Therefore the most essential 20th Century music doesn’t always make it to these pages. Fun Trick Noisemaker came out two years prior to typing this, yet I only recently picked up a used copy, and only recently realized I have been putting this in my CD player on a fairly regular basis - and enjoying it. Friends and I have discussed this band at length, I have witnessed one forgettable live show of theirs and without a proper new release from them I thought I would mention here that I still am enjoying this record. I don’t think Spin or Rolling Stone let writers just say that...do they? (SpinArt PO Box 1798 New York, NY 10156)

Apples in Stereo Tone Soul Evolution CD
Has it been two and a half years since their last album? Wow. I guess with the release of that singles/vinyl/rarities thing Science Faire, I hadn’t realized the Apples were so unproductive. Still stuck in their midwestern flavored pop bonanza, these Colorado residents have been held up in a Denver studio for some time now producing what will be heralded by some as a masterpiece. I think rather highly of its spirited melodies. The rock critics’ notion of “perfect pop” and “pop sensibilities” always crack me up when reading others’ writing about this band...these descriptions lack any real sense of description. It would be easy for me to reference their other records or compare/contrast their sound with compatriots Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel (what’s with these three-word-named bands anyway?), but it is more likely that better parallels to their music can be drawn by not talking about music. Analogies to colors, references to San Diego’s weather, and other “writers’” uses of temperature, stories of love, and fond memories are more apt to adequately describe the contents of Tone Soul Evolution. Shimmering lights reflecting off the small tides on a lakeshore at dusk, and the rising-heat-wavering of city lights from a distance are grand visual images that parrallel the subtleties in these songs. The subtleties and the obvious mannerisms of these hot tempered pop songwriters crash together in a brilliant light. Each song builds upon the next withholding from the listener the complete picture untilt the record is nearly over. The beauty is the lack of a formalized radio-canned hit single. A good pop record is hard to come by at today’s prices, this one is at least worth a try. And that is saying a lot these days. (SpinArt PO Box 1798 New York, NY 10156)

Arab Strap Elephant Stone CD, Mad for Sadness CD
Along with their many other recordings (on Chemikal Underground and Matador) the Arab Strap Elephant Stone and Mad for Sadness have become essential listening for those seeking calm in their otherwise hectic lives. The duo of Glaswegians Malcolm Middleton and Aidan Moffat demonstrate the charm and drama in slower tempos (though house-influenced 4/4 chatter at the end of “Girls of Summer” shows they have a faster tempo in their bloodstream) and dramatic lyrical readings as guitar and bass notes make love around a chattering drumbox (and live drums as well). With contemporaries like Mogwai, Low, Album Leaf, Her Space Holiday, A-Set, and other usual suspects of comparison (Seam, Idaho, Radar Brothers…etc.) Arab Strap songs are so much more than notes and rhythms dependent on math calculations of timing, these are environs. Middleton and Moffat are interior designers; their songs change the tone of any room they perform in – with these two releases any room where your stereo is located. (Jetset 67 Vestry St. Ste. 5C NYC 10013, jetset@davidbowie.com)

Arab Strap Mad for Sadness CD, Elephant Shoe CD
Thinking of Arab Strap as a couple of Glaswegians flipping through the photo albums of their pained lives, is a bit too cursory of an assessment to gather the full meaning inside their two latest releases (Elephant Stone, Arab Straps’ third studio album was released last year in England on Go Beat). The bickering, lovelorn, spiteful, hateful existence of Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton have been on stereos for five years now, and whether it be their live or studio-based recordings, their strangled fragile music somehow is a breath of fresh air. With the urban roar of Glasgow as the backdrop, the drums and drum-machines keep time for the guitar melodies as half-muttered vocals describe the painful pleasure of the tortured artist. Less of the American feel of Songs:Ohia and Smog, or more of the blackness of Sonic Youth painted with the tender brush of Idaho, Arab Strap are the softest violent relationship to watch from afar. If you find yourself wrapped up in their operatic lives, it’s too late to turn back. Just smile and turn up the volume. (Jetset 67 Vestry St. Suite 5C NYC 10013)

Arco Coming to Terms CD
Slow motion pop songs lull the tensions away from the weary spirit. Extending the day’s length, Arco watches the sun set with those who have weathered a long path across town, to offices, from trains, cars and subways to deli sandwiches and bosses that disagree with one’s delicate spirit. Arco poses important questions for the weak to better understand their fragile state – “How many strangers d’ya have to meet…with how many lovers do you have to sleep to know that you’re alone…?” sums up the album’s bittersweet approach. With the lingering drama of East River Pipe, melodies of Lightning Seeds, and the temperament of Belle & Sebastian, Arco are poised to make a lot of sad people happy and even more happy people sad about their happiness. (Dreamy POB 30427 London NW6 3FF dreamyrecords.com)

Ariel Starbody EP 12”
Adding one human to the SpaceWürm equation results in Ariel. Trancey driving keyboard displays like liquid crystal display screens on the ‘bot-driven drone craft we dream of. Difficult rhythms careen left, then right as the bouncey bass bob pushes us forth into the fireworks display. Technicolor tones. Trance-like numbness covers the limbs like molasses as you stand still, like an island, shaking and shivering with the pulsing analog maelstrom. Armed with the technoid superhuman strength that Ariel possesses, world leaders could delight their subservient masses into labor camps and blind consumerism easily, enticingly. Like a new skin, Starbody EP covers your weary cold frail shell with sunshower of warmth and energy. Captured and secured in a padded room, Ariel could get you through the long months of isolation, starvation and electro-shock. Ariel communicate in an indefinable language, yet one soft-spoken, understood and necessary. (Vinyl Communications PO Box 8623 Chula Vista, CA 91912)

Armchair Martian s/t CD
Vaguely interesting punk rock band from Fort Collins, CO. Fort Collins is where my friend Billy Cummings was from prior to his family moving to San Diego. Billy and I enjoyed our Beach Boys records. I owned “Good Vibrations, The Best of the Beach Boys” and he had a stellar copy of “Endless Summer.” A few months ago I picked up a copy of the latter to reminisce those days. The album still holds up. My memory still recalls the times when all that mattered (at age 6) was GI Joes and the Beach Boys. Armchair Martian will not remain in my head 23 years later, and for that I have nothing to apologize for. (Headhunter 4901-906 Morena Blvd. San Diego, CA 92117)

Arson Words Written in Blood CD
New Jersey lightning-rod metal. Sucking the sky of its electricity, Arson’s six-string ferocity is stunning. On the desert plains below the dark sky, raw angst, like dry air, is quick to ignite. Once the envelope is reached, the horizon lights up with fiery thunderous energy. As the vocalist screams torturously, the bass grounds the music with its gravitational force. All the while kick drums pound the cracked earth riotously forcing the animal kingdom to run for cover. One must witness this to believe it. (Resurrection AD POB 763 Red Bank, NJ 07701)

Art of Noise The Drum and Bass Collection CD
As drum 'n' bass splinters into its ever-darker, minimal and complex factions, it's fun compilations like this that remind us how important it is to dance. Granted, it is nearly two years old and sounds dated. I found
a used copy at a local shop for a few bucks and wondered what could be wrong with a CD containing remixes by Doc Scott, J. Majik, Lemon D, and Dom & Roland (all of which have released some of my favorite drum 'n' bass 12"s). Not much here for the Art of Noise fan, but plenty for the DnB historian - as two years may as well be a decade within this genre. (China Records 2034 Broadway Santa Monica, CA 90404)

A-Set The Science of Living Things CD, The Way it Used to Be… 7”
What seems like a parallel course to that taken by Her Space Holiday’s Marc Bianchi, Albert Menduno has abandoned his family, hit the streets, grown up and arrived home safely. Having left his friends (including Bianchi) behind in groups like Mohinder, Calm, Duster and Haelah, Menduno is striking out on his own with A-Set. The Albert-Set is whimsical coffee-house pretension-free folk rock that has more energy than the Mekons’ discography. Upbeat pop songs masterfully crafted by a man who has spread his wings many times before, but has only now, with his most recent project, found a nest to dwell. Soon after completing The Science of Living Things Albert returned to the recording studio to offer up two more song ideas (The Way it Used to Be… 7”) comprised of his drums, guitar and lyrics. Honesty can hardly be avoided, and certainly not go unnoticed in the A-Set’s return home. Both documents are proof positive that the truth shall set us free. Welcome home Albert. (Tree POB 578582 Chicago, IL 60657, Dogprint POB 577947 Chicago, IL 60657)

As Friends Rust Fists of Time CD
Hardcore with the requisite growling anthemic vocal lines and chunka-chunka metallic guitar licks grows on you with every listen. Like vines crawling castle walls, the songs of Fists of Time (the Doghouse release containing two tracks not available on the Belgian import version) take over your life as the Gainesville, Florida quintet (including former members of Culture, Morning Again, Roosevelt) burn your candle at both ends. (Doghouse POB 8946 Toledo, OH 43623)

Asha Vida Nature's Clumsy Hand CD
At times sounding clumsy, Asha Vida display an improvisational persona in several live and studio sessions. Taking more cues from Tortoise than their guitar feedback drone neighbors from Michigan, Asha Vida utilizes effect-laden guitar, blunt bass, sleepy Fender Rhodes and relaxed drums as tools to create Nature's Clumsy Hand . What the listener receives is something more difficult to describe. The effect this album will have on you is dependent on solely on your mood . If one were angry, the tensions created in these non-linear pieces would likely aggravate. If relaxed, the tones would soothe like a brush of a feather across one's back. I listened to Nature's Clumsy Hand in the morning and felt very calm; when listening to Nature's Clumsy Hand in the evening, I found myself disconnected from many of the songs interrupting the resonance created by those sandwiching said pieces. It is oddly inconsistent, but obviously intentional, as their craft is compiled from different sessions at various locations with a varied set of tools. While the members of the trio remained constant across the recordings, the personalities of the residue remaining change shape and color as the hours and days pass. In a reference guide, one could envision this being part of a post-Spacemen 3 lineage, siding more with Sonic Boom's ideologies than those of Jason Spaceman's. (Burnt Hair PO Box 5519 Dearborn, MI 48128)

Asteroid Number Four In Apple Street… CD
After several listens wondering why the sound of In Apple Street: A Classic Tale of Love and Hate was so familiar, I picked up the jewel case to read the liner notes. Not only was the Psychelphia band thanking Kurt Heasley for providing help, the founder of the Lilys himself co-produced the album. Hearing Spacemen 3, Biff Bang Pow, Aspera Ad Astra, and Telescopes (not to mention the Lilys) wrapped into one 6Ts garage-pop collection couldn’t be more to the point of what one would imagine of the end-product resulting from these two forces joining together. An exquisite journey through record collections, reunion concerts, and long conversations with pre-alzheimers hippies, Apple Street… is worth your time today. (A.I.P. 1625 Oakwood Drive San Mateo, CA 94403)

Astroblast The Scientist CD
Five Austin, Texans (by way of Waco practice spaces) manage to pull off a blend of Pixies, Sixteen Deluxe, Swervedriver and Lush without gazing at their shoes much at all. In eight songs, The Scientist ,takes the listener on a journey through Texas’ hot, sticky summer heat creating a unique environment wherever this is listened to. In that searing sun-baked goodness lies some wonderful melodic noise. Pop songs with the danger of a solar flare. (band: POB 33342 Austin, TX 78764)

Astrud s/t CD
As the vinyl spins 'round, the headphones click away questions...What if Magnetic Fields embraced breakbeats? Uptempo synth-pop that Joy Electric and Sukpatch have thought about during a mix-down, Astrud have realized. Sugar-coated happy Silicon Teens this duo are not. From skittering beats to samba patter, to quiet guitar-ballad-strum, the Spanish and English vocals toy with everything from Simon & Garfunkel to 808 State, and Pet Shop Boys' radio fare with nary a hint at easing up in the future. Like Mods, Astrud's
Sophisticate Pop Star sneer is elitist and daunting. After all, they have you tangled and entranced in their web. The songs tug at your trousers' leg like optimistic children questioning everything that catches their eye.
They stare back and exhale imported cigarette smoke. You sing along in failed attempts at their foreign language. Synths, guitars and sampling flow like water across rocks in gentle streams pouring themselves into
colorful ponds that capture the reflections of the environment's beauty. Astrud songs draw you with their intoxicating charm. Fame is imminent. (Sealed Fate PO Box 9183 #120 Cambridge, MA 02139)

Ativin Summing The Approach CD
In four movements, Ativin are quite capable of amassing your attention away from even the top of Mazlow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The listener, caught up in the post-rock romance, loses the fears and tensions of hunger, danger, and even love from another warm-blooded biped. Ativin pull the listener along on marionette strings as they force, almost as if we were hypnotized, us to follow their lead. The trio of guitars and drums lead us to the fourth and final movement in their clandestine seduction – and what we find there is something of an umpteenth wonder of the world. Let the noise be your guide as the subtleties of Summing The Approach may not hit you for several minutes after the disc has spun down and then you are left naked, starving and cold on the floor of your apartment. Self-actualization can’t match Ativin. (Secretly Canadian 1703 North Maple Street, Bloomington, IN 47404)

Atlas , Natacha The Remix Collection CD
Having performed as a part of Transglobal Underground, it shouldn’t be surprising to us to hear the beat-dominated remixes of Atlas’ work. Previously only available on 12” slabs of vinyl, these mixes by Talvin Singh, Banco De Gaia, Klute, Youth, Spooky, and Bullitnuts arrive to your disc player with an open tray (open arms?). While the Youth remix sounds a bit like MARRS’ “Pump up the Volume” and TJ Rehmi’s remix reminisces with old skool DnB style, this collection is fresh, new and lively. (Mantra 580 Broadway Suite 1004 NYC 10012)

Atman Personal Forest CD
Our fine friends from San Francisco, Drunken Fish, once again pull another rabbit out of their hats with this one. Though I'll say right off that if you're mortally offended by the sound of bamboo flutes and dulcimers, you better skip over to the next entry. Yup, there's a couple of moments here
that are downright pastoral, which shouldn't be a surprise to anyone whose read over the song titles. "Forest of Karma," "Forest Vibrations," "Green, Wild Blood," "The Talking Meadow," and the like. In case you hadn't guessed, Atman are all fervent deep ecologists (as opposed to the weekend-only folks: kinda like the difference between vegetarians and vegans, I guess) from the forests of Poland. Apparently they've been doing this for some time, though they've only come to the attention of western music fans in the last couple of years.
"Yeah, that's all well and fine, but what the hell do they sound like? Shut up and tell us something that we can use!"
Okay. The best capsule description that live heard of them is "Imagine an eastern European version of Ghost." (Uh, Ghost sound like a bunch of very talented musicians filtering big west-coast circa '70 psychedelia through folkish and traditional Japanese sensibilities). There are some engaging, and dare I say it, rockin' moments on the album, "Green, Wild Blood" especially, which mixes acoustic 12-string with some unidentifiable keening howls and a rhythm that makes me want to rip my shirt off and run around on all fours while throwing all the furniture in the house into the backyard, douse it with kerosene, light it and howl. Well, maybe not, but it's really good. Though I'll have to say that they more often than not favor the atmospheric side of things, such as the minimal acoustic drone of "The Talking Meadow," which is punctuated with blasts of flute and embellished with the flourish of dulcimer. A very evocative and moving collection of music, really, though there's going to be a bunch of you who put it on and scream "Newage!" (rhymes with "sewage") and fling the record out of the house. It isn't for everyone, that's for sure. Atari Teenage Riot fans need not apply, but if you're hankering for a taste of old-fashioned communal folk-rock-drone with a flavor of its own, Personal Forest is worth checking out. I know that I'll be putting it on to piss off those electronica dweebs that live down the street. (Drunken Fish)

Auburn Lull Alone I Admire CD
Ever since being entranced by their split-12” with Mahogany, Mason, Michigan’s Auburn Lull have yet to leave my mind. The numbing artwork, the dulled-nerve-ending throb of their hypnotic atmospherics and heart-beat rhythms envelope the listener in a space unlike anything we find in the physical world. It’s appropriate that I am listening to Alone I Admire at dawn. Prior to breaking out onto the open rode on a cold, damp early morning bicycle ride, I sit here staring into the lush canyon below my window sipping coffee. Auburn Lull (as well as the spirit of Mahogany, as the split 12” made them inseparable) calmly caress my shoulders and scalp erasing the tensions of the past week. The fog outside clings to the window as the cloudy reverb-drenched keyboard ‘n’ guitar drones press their faces against the inside pane. The soundtrack to the early morning hours when it seems that new life is beginning and the world is a brand new place. Quality space rock is a mind-expanding substance. (Burnt Hair POB 5519 Dearborn, MI 48128)

Autumn Leaves Treats and Treasures CD
Post-Mod or pseudo-Mod sounds of Blunt clothing-wearin’ Oasis-listenin’ scooter boys have abounded from numerous labels, cities, and perspectives. From the ashes of Minneapolitan powerpop bands have risen Autumn Leaves, a cohesive retro vision of songs and style. On the heels of a brilliant single, this album came with high expectations. Treats and Treasures has its moments of brilliance; “Theme to the Autumn Leaves,” “Why Must You Feel So Sad?” and a few song ideas they should have left in their practice space. (Grimsey PO Box 541 Stillwater, MN 55082)

Autumn Leaves You Didn’t Say A Word 7”
It doesn’t seem like years have passed since I was buying singles by The Caroline Know, Bag O’ Shells, Springfields and others on Bus Stop. Nor does it seem that distant since I thought of Summershine as becoming the next Creation Records. Time has stood still for the Autumn Leaves. And in their timeless pocket of the world, their shimmering pop guitars and voices are as fresh as possible. While enjoying early 60s Britpop and mid-80s heroes like the June Brides, Autumn Leaves are as timeless as the Mod kids make the Small Faces and Davey Jones. Grimsey is one of the few labels that I look forward to what they are going to pull out of their hats next...and from Andrea’s letter it looks like an Autumn Leaves album is forthcoming. (Grimsey PO Box 541 Stillwater, MN 55082)

Azusa Plane Lou, Nico, Sterling, John and Maureen 7”
Rather than plucking a single note and letting the sustain ring it dry into the air, Jason strums his guitar allowing for the strings, reverb and delay to create a soundscape. Though Azuza Plane recordings are absent of vocals still they herald another kind of voice. Soon harmony flutters alive like a new moth amidst the soaked foliage following a downpour. As its wings shake themselves free of the dew, guitar strumming lights a fire across the landscape illuminating the winged one’s path. Akin to early-period FSA pop songs and the Once Dreamt 12”, this Azuza Plane outing finds comfort rather than pain in the flying sounds of guitar distortion. Creating a polar opposite to the likes of Keijo Heino, Jim O’Rourke and Thurston Moore, artists like the Windy & Carl and the Azuza Plane are toying with beauty batting an eye in the clouds of guitar drone rather than stark tonal dysfunction. (Burnt Hair PO Box 5519 Dearborn, MI 48128)

Azusa Plane s/t 12”
Photocopied art glued to the sleeve of a tossed album. Album recycling from the used bins, the garage sales and swap meets of the world appeals to the lo-fi enthusiasts. Among them is Blackbean, the home of a series of one-sided live 12”s packaged “efficiently” and cost effectively for our use. The packaging sets the stage for the endearing 4-song release inside. Each track recorded live and under budget, but their soothingly simplistic arrangements make for a nice afternoon listen over tea and cakes. I’m not sure if a bass guitar existed during these recordings, and if so, the mastering & recording processes threw it away. (Blackbean and Placenta Tape Club 124 Ventura Avenue Oxnard, CA 93035)

Azusa Plane Tycho Magnetic Anomaly...Hidden Harmony CD
The Spires of Oxford s/t CD
Both of these releases, though under different names, were largely the product of a single creative source. That source being Jason Diemilio, operating from the largely mythical state of Pennsylvania (ever a hotbed for interesting recordings of late). Though best known as the Azusa Plane, he's been on a number of recordings (many of those being split singles shared with some real luminaries in the field).
These recordings are simply of Jason and a Fender guitar (probably a Strat, if anyone cares), though this does not make them the same record. Indeed, they are two very different beasties. The Azusa Plane is primarily concerned with space and soundscaping (something that they do quite well), while the Spires of Oxford disc is more concerned with the relationships between single notes. You could say that Azusa Plane is more organic, looking at entire structures/units, whereas Spires of Oxford plays around with the connection of much smaller parts.
Atmosphere. Tycho Magnetic Anomaly (name the movie reference) is all about atmosphere. While it has more than its fair share of drones and attackless sounds that seem to stretch out the length of the entire disc, modulating only just quickly enough to be perceived, it is not a static and lifeless collection. Superficially, a lot of the lead guitar sound is not dissimilar from that of Carl Hultgren (of Windy & Carl, natch), with a lot
of doubling and chorusing. However, there's a greater underlying structure to the sound and changes, one that you have to pull back from in order to fully appreciate.
Tycho Magnetic Anomaly seems to operate in one of two modes. Either the barren and isolation-evoking, such as "Implications of Holomovement" (which sounds like mostly empty tape for the first few minutes, before building into the distant hum of some insect swarm and then back again), or swirling and very much alive "The Miracle of the Octave" (which surrounds the listener with what sounds like bells, all with that odd reversed attack, and a single figure reaching above all the other sound). Really some very
beautiful stuff, but it's not Superchunk (thank God). Not for those of you with short attention spans.
The Spires of Oxford was conceived as an improvisational project, with Jason just sitting down and playing. Absent are the layers upon layers of reverb/delay/chorus/distortion with which the Azusa Plane constructs its worlds of sound. There are modest dolings out of echo and delay, but nowhere near what you're going to find on TMA. Needless to say, Spires of Oxford is a much more melodic work, though don't go looking for intricate song structures here, as with most improvisation, the pieces move along from place to place, not falling into any perceivable patterns. And unlike a lot of improv, Jason hasn't tossed out the concepts of letting a pretty melodic line move the listener along. Not to say that this album is free of dissonance or anything like that, but it’s more the dissonance of unfamiliar chord structures and not an all out noise assault.
Both are very interesting and different sides of the same coin, which is probably one of their greatest strengths. One thing that I have a lot of respect for is when an artist/musician/whoever is able to look at the work they've done in the past (even the very recent past) and is able to step away from that and into another, different, mode. Too often complacency replaces the urge to explore, which prevents a lot of great music from being made (and I guess a lot of crap, too, to be fair).
If forced to choose between the two, I’ll have to say without hesitation that I am much more drawn to the Azusa Plane. I had the opportunity to catch them at Terrastock last May and have been trying to hunt down the disc ever since (having a hard time finding it in stores, as I don't buy mail-order very often). Though I must say that the performance that the Azusa Plane put on in Providence was quite different in feel (primarily due to the presence of a very good live drummer) than the disc. I can get right to what Jason's saying in the Azusa Plane recordings. I find that I have to work a little harder to listen to the Spires of Oxford disc. Though there are real moments when you're listening and a quick little figure will jump out at you like you're cleaning the dust off an old photograph and you notice a little detail that you hadn't seen before. Definitely worth a listen if you're interested in some of what's going on in the world of guitar-based music today. (Just remember, kids, according to The Wire and a bunch of other people [whom I don't believe] the guitar is about as useless as Whitney Houston. Don't you believe it.) (Camera Obscura Records no address/Colorful Clouds for Acoustics 273 Cambridge Rd Clifton Heights, PA 19018)

Azusa Plane America is Dreaming of Universal String Theory CD
I’m kinda wondering what to say about this one. Well, first off, and I've said this before, if you’re going to release a double CD, then at least make sure that everything on it is worth keeping. I can’t help but get the feeling that Jason and company (joined as he is by his live band on a handful of tracks) felt the urge to fill up every bit of space on both discs. Not that there isn’t some lovely music on ...String Theory, but I just have to keep looking for it.
From a compositional standpoint, I never understood the desire to put what are four essentially unrelated tracks into one big track. That happens on “Strings 2” on the first disc (alternating between noodling and serious drone, as on Tycho Magnetic Anomaly). Maybe he didn’t want the listener programming out the tracks that they didn’t like (which isn’t much of a worry, since I don’t know anyone who actually uses their CD programmer to skip tracks, ‘cept my parents). I have no idea. I only know that if I really want to listen to this stuff, I'm gonna make a tape and edit out all the stuff that doesn’t do anything for me (which is a good 1/3 of the material here, probably).
That said, “Strings 3” (which they performed at their Terrastock set, quite happily) is about as conventionally rockin’ as Azusa Plane has ever been on disc. This is a good thing. For as wonderful and “mighty” (not my description, but I wish it was) as their first album was, I never got the feeling that Jason cut loose. There are moments here where he approaches that. “Strings 4” (minus the amplifier hum) could have easily appeared on the Spires of Oxford CD that followed TMA. There are still moments of huge, glacial sound and reverb that made their first album so entirely listenable, but I almost find myself wanting more (yeah, I'm a greedy bastard, so shoot me.)
To Jason Diemillio’s credit, there’s a greater diversity of sound, but much of it seems direction-less and wandering, as opposed to the quite deliberate focus that was evident in TMA. It’s quite likely that I'm just hard to please. However there are some sterling moments (parts of “Strings 2”, all of “Strings 3”, “Strings 7” and “Strings 9”) being among them, but there’s nothing here that grabs me by the collar and demands repeated play, but fans of the first one shouldn’t miss a chance to hear string theory and judge it for themselves. (Colorful Clouds for Acoustics)

Azuza Plane/Roy Montgomery split 7"
Sand slips through the cracks of light between each finger of each hand lifted above my face. The crystals and shards and rocks, so tiny they feel like a liquid, fly away in the wind's path. Sounds of shattering glass slowed down. Guitars crawl low: The chords' bellies so low to the hot sand they burn. Hurry across the hot coals or one will surely cook and die. Roy Montgomery plays the south sea island game of relaxed aesthetics. Guitar and effects in hand, Roy paints with his near-atonal brush strokes on a mobile canvas; he takes it with him. (Colorful Clouds for Acoustics 273 Cambridge Road Clifton Heights, PA 19018) - Keith York