Mappy Holidays!

It's time for the obligatory Best Of 2007 list. Here are my top ten favorite albums of the past year. Order is determined by how much I liked the album, and also how much I have listened to it.


1. Maps - We Can Create

2. Matthew Dear - Asa Breed

3. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

4. Mabuses - Mabused!

5. Caribou - Andorra

6. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity

7. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

8. Blonde Redhead - 23

9. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position

10. Ulrich Schnauss - Goodbye


A special holiday message from Maps:

Hello friends

It's been a very strange and wonderful year here in Maps Central (Earls Barton). I started 2007 recording my debut album without any idea of the year ahead that awaited. As well as fantastic reviews, 'We Can Create' was nominated for the Nationwide Mercury Music Prize, which made me very proud. Since then the band and I have toured the UK played great festivals like Latitude, Reading and Leeds, I've toured across Europe and the US playing to fantastic audiences everywhere. Emotional sell out shows like Stockholm, New York and Kings College in London will live long in my mind.

Before I embark on the quest that is writing my second album I wanted to send a special gift to those of you who've supported me through this amazing year. This song is my special Xmas gift to you inspired by taking 12 E's and running myself over in my own car. Only an enormous puffer jacket prevented me from certain death.

Happy Xmas

James

The Monstrous Surplus

Picking up where 2003’s “Dreams Top Rock” left off, THE MONSTROUS SURPLUS is resplendent with reverby, dreamy guitars and the ethereal vocals of Julee Cruise and Julia Hummer.
Shoegaze to your heart's content with your very own copy.

Gorillaz D-Sides

Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz are back with a new double-CD collection. Just as 2002’s “G-Sides” compiled unreleased tracks and remixes from the “Gorillaz” album, “D-Sides” does the same for the smashingly successful “Demon Days.” Disc one features previously unreleased tracks and b-sides, while disc two contains remixes by the likes of DFA, Stanton Warriors, Soulwax, Hot Chip and more.
Get the regular edition, or the deluxe (boxed edition with sew-on patch, buttons, and booklet).

The Brit Box: U.K. Indie, Shoegaze & Brit-Pop Gems

Just in time to make it onto my holiday wishlist, Rhino Records has done what they do best again. They’ve made an indispensable, amazing compilation box set. Spanning four discs, the set features 78 U.K. performers and covers British indie pop from the mid-80’s (The Smiths, Cocteau Twins) to the early 90’s Shoegazing Years (My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Lush, Moose) to the Brit-Pop invasion of the later 90’s (Suede, James, Pulp, Supergrass, Cornershop). The Brit Box is shaped like a British phone booth, and also includes an 80-page book with interviews, essays and memories from Stephen Street, Alan Moulder and more.
Make someone buy this for you!

Moog Acid

Now here's a meeting of minds: electronic music pioneer Jean Jacques Perrey teams up with one of the very finest producers in British electronica, Luke Vibert, for a brilliant meeting of styles. Instruments used include:
Moog Mini
Moog Poly
Moog Modular
Moog Voyager
Moog MG-1
Ondioline
Prophet T8
EMS Vocoder 1000

You want one, don't you?

45:33

Originally composed for Nike as a digital-only release, LCD Soundsystem's "45:33" is meant to be used for working out or running. Although I probably will never ever use it for that, I still find it enjoyable as a long, meandering disco/electronic piece. The CD edition comes with a few bonus tracks, too, including this week's featured track, "Freak Out/Starry Eyes," originally a b-side to "All My Friends."
You should totally get one for $14.99.

u-Ziq: Knob-Twiddler Extraordinaire

Mike Paradinas founded his Planet-Mu label in 1995. In addition to releasing his own work under the moniker u-Ziq, the label also features artists such as Jega, Venetian Snares, and Luke Vibert. Paradinas collaborated with Aphex Twin on the 1996 album “Expert Knob Twiddlers.” Since then, he has gone on to make what seems like hundreds of brilliant IDM albums, but is probably closer to about seventeen. His latest, “Duntisbourne Abbots Soulmate Devistation Technique,” is a bit mellower than some of his previous efforts, but no less commanding of attention. The absence of unmitigated noise leaves room for dense layers of sound – a great album to listen to on headphones while daydreaming, or really really loud on a good home or car stereo system. Check out one of my favorite tracks, "2CV," and then get your own copy for just $14.99.

Philosophy of the Besnard Lakes

Besnard Lakes - Volume One
Though Montreal spacegazers Besnard Lakes would eventually grow to include six members, their debut album, Volume I, was recorded entirely by founding members Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas. Lasek had previously produced albums for both Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown. Besnard Lakes create vast, reverby spacerock, but also include elements of shoegazer and psychpop. Listen to my favorite track, "Life Rarely Begins with the Tungsten Film #1," then pick up your copy of the Volume One CD for $13.99.

Smile! No One Cares How You Feel

Morrissey will always be the Pope of Mope, but Stephin is the Duke of Drear.

Richard Barbieri on his own

Richard Barbieri - Things Buried
Originally the keyboardist for Japan and its later incarnation, Rain Tree Crow, Richard Barbieri also recorded an album with his wife as Indigo Falls, was a member of the Dolphin Brothers (a project with Japan drummer Steve Jansen) lent his skills to the Tim Bowness/Steven Wilson project No-Man, and ended up a full-fledged member of Wilson’s prolific prog band, Porcupine Tree. Somehow, in addition to all that, he found time to record a solo album. “Things Buried” is a showcase of what Barbieri does best – beautiful dark ambient synth music, with an occasional bit of synth pop. The album also features the fretless bass of Percy Jones, bassist for Brand X, and for several Brian Eno albums (including my favorite one, “Before and After Science”).
After enjoying this track (Fear and Trembling), pick up a copy of the CD for $15.99.

In the U.K., they actually put good bands on the telly!

The Dunny drought is over!!

Yes, believe your eyes:









We just got a huge order in from Kid Robot (we love you, Kid Robot!), including the elusive Dunny series 4. Other wonderful goodies now in stock include Smorkin' Labbits series 3, Mongers (both regular AND menthol), Sketbots, Scary Girl, and Finders Keepers. Every time I walk into the store now I just look at all those toys and want to cry (in the good way).

Fiery Furnaces Blaze Brightly

Fiery Furnaces - Widow City
The sixth full-length release for sibling duo Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger, “Widow City” is more of a “rock” album than previous efforts, but it’s a rock album done in a way that only the Fiery Furnaces could. The electric guitar makes a prominent appearance, but only as it is interspersed with the Furnaces’ familiar vaudevillian piano and bizarre, abrupt tempo changes, so it still sounds like nothing anyone else would ever do. Even after six albums, the Fiery Furnaces continue to break new ground, creating their own unique brand of prog-pop. Listen to one of my favorite tracks, "Philadelphia Grand Jury," then grab a copy of the CD for $14.99.

Siouxsie without the Banshees

Siouxsie - Mantaray. Teaming up with producers Charlie Jones (Goldfrapp) and Steve Evans (Robert Plant), Siouxsie has at last released her long-awaited solo debut, “Mantaray.” To the delight of her fans, Siouxsie’s trademark voice is in top form. This solo endeavor allows her to explore a wide range of territory, from torch song to glam. Take a listen to the track "Loveless," which happens to be my current favorite. Then pick up a copy of the CD for just $13.99. Act quickly and we'll throw in a FREE limited edition Siouxsie 7 inch single while supplies last.

My Favorite Cyborg

Rokeby lives and works in London. In 2003 Rokeby transformed himself into a cyborg for the project Memex: A Cyborg Pilgrimage in The Age Of Amnesia. Commisioned by inIVA (Institute for International Visual Art), Rokeby embarked on a 40-day pilgrimage around London, recording his journey on his wearable computer as he mapped the sacred sites of London.
Pioneering the use of brain/computer interaction, he connected a portable EEG brain wave monitor to his wearable computer, using his brainwaves as an interface to control his computer and generate music.

Dot's In Trouble

Unreleased Mabuses track with animation by Miles Nervine:

What would you do with a brain if you had one?

The Return of the Mabuses

The Mabuses - Mabused

Holy crap! So, after disappearing for about thirteen years or so, Kim Fahy & Co just sort of nonchalantly throw down one of the best albums of the year. Certainly an unexpected turn of events, and most definitely a welcome one. For fans of XTC, the Beatles, psychedelia, Brit-pop, and anything else that's good. Lyrically intelligent psych-pop sprinkled with a few instrumental interludes.

Check out the track "Dark Star," then buy the CD.

Q: Will the Green Machine ever shut up about Maps already?

A: No. No, she will not.


After hearing their stellar performance on KCRW's nationally syndicated Morning Becomes Eclectic last Wednesday, I could hardly wait to see them on Friday night in New York. I'd heard that the Mercury Lounge was small, but had never been there before.
When we arrived, I was delighted to see that the place really is pretty tiny - probably holds about 250 people, 249 of whom were at least six inches taller than me. Luckily, after the opening band was done, a rush to the bar left open the only spot I wanted - front & center - which was where I planted myself and remained for the rest of the night. Looking back to all the hundreds of shows I've attended, Maps is one of a relatively small handful of bands I can actually say I have seen.
Also, they are one of a small handful of bands I think actually sound good live. All five members of the band contribute vocals, giving a fuller, harmonized effect. The setlist included most of "We Can Create," as well as "Start Something," the title track of Maps' debut EP. After the show, I was fortunate enough to meet James, who seemed astounded by the number of copies of "We Can Create" that I have sold at the Olde Record Exchange in little Rochester, NY. Truly a gracious and friendly guy, meeting him made me feel like coming back to Rochester and selling fifteen more copies, just to show those White Stripes who's boss.

Mum's the word

Mum - Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy

Originally formed in 1997 by Gunnar Orn Tynes, Orvar Poreyjarson Smarason, and twin sisters Gyoa and Kristin Anna Valtysdottir (who appeared on the cover of Belle & Sebastian's "Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant"), Mum is one of my most adored bands. Inspired by the likes of Aphex Twin and Boards Of Canada, and with an ever-changing cast of members (now a 7-piece band), Mum create an almost impossible jumble of glitchy beats, children's toy instruments, accordions and pianos, and spacey vocals. The sound they create is unmistakably recognizable, but difficult to describe - on their website, they do their best:

"The feeling of the music is hard to explain. Maybe a cross between something and something else, you know like music critics say. 'It´s like Aerosmith and Spin Doctors stuck together in an elevator,' obviously they don´t say stuff like that about us, but they could say something in that direction so you know what I mean. I can make up one of these for us: 'It´s like a cross between hovering silently over a field of rhubarb jam and breaking your teeth, remembering how you broke your teeth or dreamily anticipating the time that you eventually will.' Doesn´t quite seem right though, but we tried."

Check out the track "A Little Bit, Sometimes".

Hailed in the UK, Simian Mobile Disco gets released in USA

Simian Mobile Disco - Attack Decay Sustain Release
Consisting of remixers/producers James Ford and James Shaw, Simian Mobile Disco grew out of the experimental psychedelic pop band Simian. The project evolved out of Ford and Shaw doing DJ gigs while touring with the band. Hoping to prevent sounding too programmed, Simian Mobile Disco exclusively used analog equipment to create "Attack Decay Sustain Release." Bringing a pop sensibility to electronic dance music, they have drawn comparisons to artists like Daft Punk and Vitalic. The U.S. release of "Attack Decay Sustain Release" adds two bonus tracks, including "Clock," which you can check out here. Simian Mobile Disco's Attack Decay Sustain Release CD is available now for just $9.99

Bassically a bad idea?

Wow! It's the new "supergroup" Freebass, which you can hear a sample of here! Comprised entirely of bass players and nothing else, Freebass includes Peter Hook (New Order) Mani (Primal Scream), and Andy Rourke (The Smiths). Put them all together, and that's still only twelve strings!

Ace of Clubs - one of the many secret identities of Luke Vibert

With only a rare promo 12" issued five years ago, the name Ace Of Clubs will probably mean nothing to many electronica listeners. But you should recognize the name Luke Vibert from his releases under the names Wagon Christ and Plug.
His latest incarnation as the Ace of Clubs has provided him a platform for his best material in quite some years. A tribute to the acid house sounds of the late eighties and early nineties, Benefist continues where Vibert's 2003 album Yoseph left off. Check out this track "Assid," which plays like a demented game of Pac-Man. The Benefist CD is in stock now and can be yours for a mere $15.99

Caribou visits a European tax shelter

I have always been fascinated by the one-man-band. On one hand, it seems that it would be easier to make music that way, because there are no bandmates' schedules to work around, no arguments within the band, and the purity of the original creative vision never has to be compromised in order to accommodate anyone else's tastes or playing style. On the other hand, it's all up to one guy to have every idea, to play every part, to put in the hours of composition, rehearsal, and recording time. A perfect example of this type of intense dedication is Dan Snaith and his project, Caribou. Upon first listen, it sounds like Andorra is a total departure from the more electronica influenced earlier Caribou albums, a psychedelic romp through 60's folk-pop nostalgia. But a few more listens reveal complex layers, analog synths that mimic fluttering flutes, and other interesting things going on underneath it all. Most importantly, Andorra, Caribou's first album for Merge Records, is full of the kind of songs you want to listen to again and again - a nearly perfect gem of an album.

Check out the last track, the dark, shimmering "Niobe," then grab a copy of the CD for $13.99 or the vinyl for $17.99.


Also, check out the making of...

I hate you, Klaxons, I hate you!!!!

The Klaxons just won the 2007 Mercury Prize. Please. I didn't not like their album, I just didn't care either way that much about it. From now on though, I will actively dislike it for robbing my beloved Maps of their deserved award!

Maps for Lashes

BBC Radio 1's Colin Murray hosted a two-hour Mercury Prize nominee special last night. Here are Maps, Bat for Lashes, and Fionn Regan collaborating on a cover of Primal Scream's "Higher Than the Sun," from their 1992 Mercury Prize winning album, "Screamadelica."

Mathangi Arulpragasam

M.I.A. - KALA
With production by Diplo, Switch, Blaqstarr and Timbaland, and also a much wider scope of style, M.I.A.'s second album easily outdoes her first. She covers the neo-disco number "Jimmy" from the '80s Bollywood film "Disco Dancer," showing us that she can really sing if she wants to. She turns the mic over to the children on "Mango Pickle Down River," which features guest vocals by the Wilcannia Mob, an Aboriginal kids' hip-hop group. And, on "Paper Planes," this week's featured track and quickly becoming a fan favorite, she samples the Clash and uses machine guns for percussion, yay! Take a trip with M.I.A.'s Paper Planes, then buy the CD for $11.99 or if you prefer get the super cool vinyl for $15.99 and for a limited time get a FREE M.I.A. bandana with purchase of the CD or record while supplies last.

Tivoed forever...

The two things that have been saved on my Tivo "now playing" list the longest are and episode of Family Guy called "The Thin White Line" (since December 15, 2005) and this, which I watch over and over. Aren't you glad you don't live with me?



P.S. Note to Damien- No, this does not mean we can delete it off the Tivo now.

I heart Richard D. James...

..because...


..and also...


..more than meets the ear...

New sounds from yet another talented Mancunian.

BOLA - KROUNGRINE
After about three years, Bola have returned with their fourth full-length album of densely layered, elegant electronica. Like labelmates Boards of Canada, Bola's Darrell Fitton has a certain knack for making electronic music sound organic and emotional. "Kroungrine" showcases a real skill for composition, as opposed to the sterile, repetitive beats and loops that are often the refuge of the electronic artist without any real ideas.

Listen to the standout track Halyloola, then pick up a copy of the disc for your own music library for just $14.99.

Daydream Deluxe

ENTER TO WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED SONIC YOUTH CD
The recent deluxe double-CD reissue of the classic DAYDREAM NATION earned itself a rare 10.0 from Pitchfork. The second disc contains live versions of all the album's tracks, and four cover songs, three of which were taken from now hard-to-find tribute albums: "Within You Without You" (The Beatles), "Computer Age" (Neil Young), and "Electricity" (Captain Beefheart). There's also a version of Mudhoney's "Touch Me I'm Sick," with demented vocals from Kim, taken from a split 7".
So, if for some reason you haven't already purchased your own copy of this masterpiece, or even if you have, now's your chance to win yourself an autographed copy. Send an email to deana@alternativemusic.com and please include SONIC YOUTH in the subject line. The winner will be chosen and contacted on September 5th.

Weird Science

Here's the video for the latest single from Maps' Mercury Prize nominated "We Can Create."



Says James, "The video is rather weird - I just hope people don't think I'm the mad scientist! - but at least it's memorable. I'm not going to any more danceathons, that's for sure."

A Massive collection of Rarities from the Deadverse of Dalek

DALEK - DEADVERSE MASSIVE Vol. 1 (DALEK RARITIES 1999-2006)
Is it rap? Is it shoegaze? Is it industrial? Is it IDM? Is it metal? Do you love it? Do you hate it?
I suppose the short answer to all those questions is yes. Yes it is, yes it is, yes it is, yes it is, yes it is, yes i do, and yes I do.
I love the music that Dalek makes so much, I can almost overlook the vocals. One reason I still like these guys so much is that they totally know that people feel this way about them - and they just don't care. They do what they do, and you can take it or leave it. DEADVERSE MASSIVE is a great collection of non-album tracks and remixes, and includes a number of the dark, dreamy instrumentals that I find the most enjoyable element of their work. Listen to his track and get your own copy of the Deadverse Massive Volume One CD for a mere $12.99

The Night Time is the Right Time for Chemicals!

Chemical Brothers - We Are the Night
The Chemical Brothers have always done a great job of summing up whatever is going on around them in the world of music. "We Are the Night" continues this tradition, bringing the best bits of the current landscape of electronica, dance, and the spawning habits of salmon together as one cohesive piece of work. Seriously, "The Salmon Dance," with guest vocals by Fatlip, is probably the funniest song released in 2007. Other guests who show up on "We Are the Night" include Willy Mason, Klaxons, Ali Love, and Midlake.
This week's featured track, "A Modern Midnight Conversation," borrows some dreamy vocals from Barbara & Ernie's 1972 psychedelic folk song "Listen To Your Heart," and adds a little cowbell (which can never be the wrong thing to do). Get "We are the Night" on CD for $14.99 or as an ultra cool 2 record set for $18.99

The men from UNKLE

UNKLE - WAR STORIES

James Lavelle was pretty much doomed when making this album- doomed by the expectations of his critics (Pitchfork- 4.5, Allmusic 3/5). Pitchfork's Ryan Dombal goes so far as to suggest that Lavelle must have been turned down by the guest artists he really wanted, instead resorting to a cast of "has-beens and never-will-bes" including "second (third?) tier Brtitish garage rockers Duke Spirit." Well, Ryan, I've never heard of you either. That's right, UNKLE has made a rock album. No wikky-wikky, wah-wah-wah. Hey, I've got an idea- if you love DJ Shadow so much, why not go listen to him? In the meantime, I'll be over here, enjoying a band that at least isn't afraid to go out on a limb and try something different.

This perfect example features guitar by Queens Of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, and also contains a tiny sample from "Low," my favorite Bowie album. Dig this track? We have two versions of the CD available. There is a standard CD for $12.99 or the super heavy duty collectable deluxe box set version for $21.99.

Beat Box from the the Balkans!

BALKAN BEAT BOX - NU MED
Balkan Beat Box is steeped with an intense lifetime of research into their own non-Western roots as well as other cultures. A quasi-circus event, they perform with a core of 6 musicians, collaborating with artists from Bulgaria, Morocco, Spain, Israel, and Turkey who draw on a variety of styles from around the world.
For a prime example take a listen to the track Habibi Min Zaman. When you've fallen in love with this track, click here to buy the CD for just $11.99.

Decapitated Noggins

SEVERED HEADS - COMMERZ
ComMerz offers a definitive overview of Severed Heads' work between 1982 and 2006. Compiled and mastered by head Head Tom Ellard, the 30 tracks double disc set runs for 140 minutes and includes the dance hits Dead Eyes Opened, Greater Reward and All Saint's Day, as well as earlier singles such as Goodbye Tonsils, Petrol, Hot With Fleas and Big Car plus selected album tracks. Says Ellard: "Here is our latest box of chocolates, which includes our familiar fruits and nuts, hard and soft centres. Some new exotic rum balls might lock your false teeth, but we're sure the pleasure will be well worth the extra chewing." Get a copy of this amazing double CD rushed to your door immediately for just $19.99.



Still not convinced? Take a look at the video.

Watch a lot of PBS as a kid ?

DJ FOOD - NOW LISTEN AGAIN Want to hear Rakim dueting on the mic with Phil Oakey from the Human League? Rock drummer Cozy Powell trading beats with DJ Format? Maybe some West Coast surf-psych in the form of the Dragons' rarity 'Food For My Soul' is more to your taste? Solid Steel presents DJ Food & DK with "Now, Listen Again" - the sequel to the mix that kicked off the series in 2001. Get the CD now. It'll be the best $19.99 you've spent this week.

Dear Matthew Dear,

Matthew Dear has enjoyed a fairly extensive career under a few different monikers, including False (on Richie Hawtin's Plus 8 and Minus labels), Jabberjaw (on the Perlon label), Audion (on Ghostly International's dance-oriented offshoot Spectral Sound), and also as just plain Matthew Dear (on both Spectral and Ghostly). His latest effort, Asa Breed, takes a fascinating journey from minimal techno to dance to gritty almost-country. If you listened to them separately, it would almost seem impossible that the first track and the last track of Asa Breed are from the same album, but Matthew Dear is a master of transition, and somehow the whole thing makes perfect sense. Get the Asa Breed CD by Matthew Dear for just $13.99 plus shipping. What a bargain!

A Roller Disco inferno

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum CD. Hailing from Pennsylvania, this 5 piece band grew up watching “321 Contact” and “The Letter People Show,” and they say their primary focus is turning their childhood memories into songs, and they feel much more at home playing music in the woods or an old barn than a club. DANDELION GUM is a mindbending record of superb melodies, warped and woozy vintage synths, and vocoder vocals. Add the Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum CD to your collection now.

Crusade for The Maps has begun

Maps - We Can Create CD, created on a 16-track recorder in a bedroom over the course of about four years, the debut full-lenth album from Northampton, England's MAPS (a.k.a. a really nice bloke named James Chapman) is definitely the best thing I've heard this year, and quite probably the best thing I've heard in about five years. Add to that the fact that it's on one of my favorite labels (Mute), co-produced by Valgeir Sigurosson and mixed by Ken Thomas (of Sigur Ros fame), and you've died and gone to Shoegazer Heaven.
Plus, for you nerds out there, the cover art is not just your average black and white art photograph. MAPS' graphic artist, Ben Brown explains, "The idea was we wanted to make the artwork for the album create itself, so if one day we fired it into space and it landed on the moon then someone could pick it up, decipher it and remake the album. Simple really. The first thing we needed to do was to find away to take data from the music and turn that into something that looked organic, interesting and beautiful. After about 2 weeks we found a program called Walrus that allowed us to do exactly that. So, we stripped data from the album, fed it into Walrus, and converted it into huge decision tree diagrams. Once we had created the Walrus model, we then rebuilt it in 3DStudio Max on a hired Supercomputer, then we rendered and lit the huge structure that was around 5 million faces. This part of the project took about 3 months as each tiny tweak of the camera meant the computer re-rendering everything. When we had great looking shots of each song's structure we took those renders into Photoshop for some final work on the lighting and atmosphere." Trust us you will like the Maps - We Can Create CD so buy a copy now.

The Junior Boys get a special edition

Junior Boys - So This is Goodbye (Special Edition) CD. The special edition of the Junior Boys' highly acclaimed sophomore album contains a bonus disc of distinction: the only physical release of their 4-song iTunes studio session from last fall's tour, plus remixes from Carl Craig, Hot Chip, Tensnake, Morgan Geist, Alex Smoke, Kode 9, and Marsen Jules. So This is Goodbye Limited edition 2 CD set, Get it now.

... and the home of The Bravery

The Bravery's 2005 self-titled debut was easy to miss in the wake of a massive onslaught of new wave inspired bands like Interpol, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and the like. However, if you did happen to listen, it turned out that it contained some really great songwriting and well-crafted tunes. THE SUN AND THE MOON adds to the breadth of their style a bit, including a couple of harder rocking, guitar-driven songs, as well as a ballad. And, best of all, they have used the number one ingredient for an infectious pop song - whistling! Buy the CD now and we'll give you a free bonus remix CD while supplies last.

They're not Asian. There's more than two of them. None of them are named Fujiya or Miyagi

Not only do they have one of the best new CD's of 2007. They also have a super cool video as well.



Get the CD Transparent Things featuring this track Ankle Injuries from Fujiya & Miyagi Now.

A Schnauss and Guthrie throwdown!

It's been about six years since Ulrich Schnauss introduced the blend of electronic textures and shoegazer aesthetics featured on his debut, FAR AWAY TRAINS PASSING BY. Two years later, his second album, A STRANGELY ISOLATED PLACE, secured his place among the elite of current electronic artists. That album combined the sound of pioneering acts like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine with modern electronic tapestries. QUICKSAND MEMORY marks a triumphant return, featuring two new tracks and re-workings of two of Ulrich's most celebrated songs by the incomparable Robin Guthrie.
Have a copy of Ulrich Schnauss - Quicksand Memory CD delivered right your mailbox.
And watch for the upcoming full-length CD, GOODBYE, arriving soon.

Spiderman Spiderman !

Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings: Electronic music composer Dan Deacon is based in Baltimore, MD, and seems to be influenced by such diverse elements as Devo, Conlon Nancarrow, Koji Kondo, total insanity (in a good way) and of course Spiderman. After several self-released projects, he became a figurehead of Baltimore's fledgling electronic music community. In 2004, he lost 60 pounds while making the transition from a diet of chicken and cookies to a healthy vegan lifestyle. Dig this tune ? Then get a copy of Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings CD for just $12.99 before we sell out!

Who knew the Sun Shone in Glasgow ?!

They were from Glasgow but now live in Philadelphia. A brother and his two sisters remind you that shoegazing never sound so cool. After you've fallen in love with it click here to buy the disc.

A relatively large rodent covered with sharp erectile bristles mingled with fur and growing from a woody plant with a distinct central trunk.

AKA: Porcupine Tree. Just one of the many projects from workaholic Steven Wilson. You may know Mr Wilson from one of his other projects (Bass Communion, Blackfield, No-Man or producing metal band Opeth), but Porcupine Tree is probably the most developed, with something like 14 albums. This one sees a little more focus on the synths of Richard Barbieri, (formerly of the group Japan and the brother of David Sylvian) and is sometimes reminiscent of some of their earlier work, like THE SKY MOVES SIDEWAYS. Also includes a guest spot by guitar-god Robert Fripp on this week's featured track, "Way Out Of Here." Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet CD $14.99. So buy it already.