holy shit, i'm alive?

hi all. yep, it's true. i'm still here. been a while, no? anyhoo, i think i'll give you something nice now since you've all been sooooooooooooo patient (i think?)

so... this is a big one. as you may know, i am a big fan of all things finnish, especially droney folky musicy stuff. this here is a 3 cd collection of tracks from the mysterious and smokey artist Uton. three cds are a lot to cover here, so imma gonna let mr. brad rose do the talking about this one.

"Where to begin with a 3 CD set of one of my favorite artists around... that's not easy. Last Visible Dog's massive "Whispers From the Woods" set is an essential, monolithic look at one of the most underappreciated artists in the sprawling Finnish scene. This release compiles many of Uton's (aka Jani Hirvonen) essential, but out-of-print, releases along with some bonus unreleasted material. It's a huge set, but for those who haven't yet experienced the forest spirit that is Uton, this is the best possible place to start.

The best disc here is the first, just because it finally gives Uton's essential "T?m?n Sanan J?lkeen" CD-R (originally released on Hirvonen's own, now defunct, Haamumaa imprint) the proper reissue it deserves. This densely textured album is the aural emergence of the first primeval woods centuries ago. This music has an old soul and Uton's use of dark electronics in conjunction with acoustic instrumentation is nothing short of spectacular. This is a wholly satisfying release, combining all the elements that makes the Finnish underground so great.

Also of note is the long out-of-print CD-R on the Jewelled Antler label, "Ay Um Au Lam." This seven-song release was Uton's most impressive foray into minimal droneworks. Hirvonen never overwhelms you with the electronic tones on "Ay Um Au Lam." He knows when to hold back and let the listener's imagination fill in any gaps or cracks that he leaves out. It's an underrated skill, but is used to perfection on this album. "Ay Um Au Lam" is the logical precursor to what is my favorite Uton release to date, "The August Light." Where that release had rich, organic threads weaving through it, like it was the modern music of the magic woods, "Ay Um Au Lam" is more primitive. It's the primordial soup that all life emerged from. In this simple state, this is pure beauty.

The other releases on "Whispers >From the Woods" expand on these various themes and offer a deep insight to Uton's modus operandi. The more noisy and abrasive "Mik? Kasvaa Maan Sis?ll?" (from the noise label Hammasratas in 2003) has an almost childlike feel to it, like a baby learning to finally walk. And there's the underrated 3" from 267 Lattajjaa, "Buddhamania," that is like the same moments from "Mik?," but from the perspective of a concerned, yet proud, parent. It's full of anticipation and fear. This is simply an awesome collection by a wonderfully talented artist.

Uton should be mentioned in the same breath as all the better known acts from Finland. Sure, popularity or recognition means squat these days, but in the end, more people need to hear these excellent compositions. Jani Hirvonen knows what he's doing and does it very, very well. "Whispers From the Woods" is essential for fans of Uton and those who have yet to discover his brilliance. 9/10 -- Brad Rose (25 July, 2005)" - from the Foxy Digitalis page.

huge release for sure, get this while it's hot.

Uton - Whispers From The Woods

cd 1:
http://www.mediafire.com/?dxgwmyiruqh

cd 2:
http://www.mediafire.com/?toomeyyzmmm

cd 3:
http://www.mediafire.com/?m0m3ndkuzgn

the harmony of the spheres is in the spheres themselves

kind of more like harmony of the circles (get it? records aren't spheres? get it?) released in 1996 on the awesome drunken fish label as a triple lp boxset with one of the more beautiful booklets i've ever seen (i wish i had scans, i've searched for them. acetate, cardstock, and spot varnish everywhere, not to mention awesome blurbs and partial discographies of all the bands. way well done!) this is like the space-drone who's who of the mid nineties. three lps, beautiful box and book, and a hell of a line-up. one side each by flying saucer attack, jessamine, loren mazzacane conners, bardo pond, charalambides, and roy montgomery. this is a really huge comp, and really really really well done. tough for me to give it the full review job, just know that the flying saucer side is awesome (duh, right?), the bardo pond side is stoned ass meanderings that aren't boring for a change, this is some of the best loren connors stuff, the only better jessamine are either the first lp or the triple 7", charalambides were coming off of the houston lp (i think, it was around there) and it's beautiful, and roy montgomery really can do no wrong. if you have not heard this monumental and wonderful compilation, then do yourself the biggest favor you have done in a while and get it now!

Harmony of the Spheres boxset:
part one:
http://www.mediafire.com/?mydw5rztnnn
part two:
http://www.mediafire.com/?wznkz3jwzjz

sorry for the lack of posts.

internet access around here has been shady to say the least. i'm planning on making a few updates this weekend, so stay perked cause this shit is gonna be howt.

on that note, here's to 1993.

throw up in the sky!

Ashtray Navigations is/are a project of one Phil Todd and his friends when he feels like incorporating them, playing with the likes of Alex Neilson, Neil Campbell, and Ben Reynolds. he crafts a style of drone music that stays very close to the grounds his contemporaries do, but it stays strictly unique and his own. coming from a noisier side of things (think west coast noise bands like Noggin or yellow swans (even though they aren't similar really)), but still sticking to the drone, he crafts lush fields of drone that are spacious and immense, with loads of little details that keep shifting in and out. very dynamic for drone, and usually the quality control is on "high."

this is his Qbico album "Throw Up In The Sky / With Fine Clinking Magnets." two shimmering pieces of processed guitar and tapes and other such jingle-jangle. i like this record a lot, it sounds awesome at 33 or 45.

just ripped at 33 though. sorry.

Ashtray Navigations - Throw Up In The Sky / With Fine Clinking Magnets
http://www.mediafire.com/?fiqzmdln4dr

get slap happy, humphrey.

Slap Happy Humphrey were an interesting little idea of a band from japan. they played covers of songs by japanese folk singer Morita Doji, but they didn't do just straight up covers. they took the songs, and played them as straight as they could except for the inclusion of hyper-distorted ultra-destruction guitar that comes in and makes noise more than solos every once in a while. it's incredible how it comes off, the juxtaposition of harsh guitar noise and the crystalline voice of Mineko Itakura (also singer for Angel In Heavy Syrup). it works quite well, though the entire album is a tough one to sit through at once. there is, however, a standout track entitled Chiheisen (which also was the single released for this album) that is staggering.

this cd is a tough one to find. the band forgot to get permission to do these songs from Morita Doji, so she threatened to sue them unless they stopped selling the cds. so they did. sucks.


Slap Happy Humphrey - S/T
http://www.mediafire.com/?mbhzgxzwt0e

heat, birds, and jewelled antlers

here's the other Jewelled Antler Collective compilation entitled "Heat and Birds." this one is a bit different than the other comp. firstly, there are bands on here outside of the immediate Jewelled Antler family of members, before this the label had been pretty much solidly only side projects and friends bands. now it had grown to encapsulate bands of a similar spirit and global friends. the lineup is awesome. my two favorites are the MCMS track and, of course, the Golden Hotel track, but really there are no stinkers here, though it is a much slower and droneier affair than the other comp. lots more to do with feild recordings. very peaceful, really.

tracklist:
Track Duration
1 Jewelled Antler Collective - 'heat and birds'...and frogs 2:15
2 Hala Strana - Kanasztancok Ket Hegedun 3:02
3 The Floating Birthday Children - Swan On A Black Lake 1:30
4 The Muons - Little Star 3:51
5 Of - Aerial Cisterns 4:12
6 Kemialliset Ystävät - Juurakkotukka 2:49
7 The Blithe Sons & Daughters - Death In The Woods 3:01
8 Dead Raven Choir - Red Rocking Chair 3:28
9 Markus - King Of Black Leaves 2:35
10 Byram Abbott - 'doves rehabilitating at fort cronkhite, 2001' 1:01
11 The Family Of Apostolic - Mabel's Umbrage 3:52
12 The Franciscan Hobbies - The Horned Ibexes 3:21
13 Avarus - Hessu Se Tässä Vann, Ei Mikki 1:58
14 Golden Hotel - The Blame 1:38
15 MCMS - Live In Brooklyn, 8-24-2002 8:23
16 Thuja - Opaque Reeds 8:23
17 Yasmomati-Nandana - Gill's Pier, 6am, 07-07-2002 Krsna Meditation 14:27


hop on pop.

Jewelled Antler Collective - V/A - Heat and Birds
http://www.mediafire.com/?jwzzmm2kmmz

old habits are hard to kick. so is Vibracathedral Orchestra

here's their double lp that i think the band released themselves (there's no label listed at least) and this one is a free-form doozy. loads of skittering and skattering of random percussion, strings, and keyboards going on underneath the layers upon layers of buzzed out, stoned up, messed around, and faded guitars that shimmer in and out when necessary, but mostly just occupy a drone space to set the mood of the track. this is the orchestra really letting loose and bouncing ideas off each other in a way that is playful but still retaining the overall feel that any of their albums holds, drones that you just want to give yourself to and fade into as they fade you out of this world.

i think this is one of the better of this band's cannon of albums. a bunch of minds on tape. truly exceptional.

Vibracathedral Orchestra - Double lp
(link removed cause i'm a dumbass.)

this one's for the lonely.

happy valentines day everyone.

good ole kills got you a present.

you don't need a review of this one. M Gira bedroom recordings. put this one on and drink bourbon from the bottle smoking cigarettes and staring out a window.

Michael Gira - I Am Singing To You From My Room.
http://www.mediafire.com/?1zmntkwjntm

ride those WAVVES man.

ok, i know this is everywhere right now, but seriously, if you haven't checked this out, then please please do so now.

this is Wavves, dude. a one man project consisting of 22 year old Nathan Daniel Williams and his 4 track and a bunch of guitars and drums. he plays a brand of surf-rock that is pretty unique in that genre. his songs are fast, snotty, blown the fuck out, noisey, but most of all fun. the thing that strikes me the most is how young this kid is... what were you doing when you were 22?

this is a band i would want to see at a house party in the summer time. definitely my new party album.

this is the tape version of the lp on fuck it / woodsist.

shimmy out and ride those Wavves on home

Wavves - s/t
http://www.mediafire.com/?xrdermh2mom

i return with a century of moonlight!

howdy.

i'm back. here's some Ilyas Ahmed for you all to consume. i like this album a lot, it's spacey and spacious and fucking brilliant. when he meanders on some sort of formless wave of free-drone noise it helps to drift along with him and find yourself somewhere else, where ever the notes take you. when he's playing that spectral guitar and howling it's truly ethereal. this is the brightest of Ilyas' releases i've heard, but not bright like cheery, like least smokey sounding and open. it's more sundrenched, but washed out. lovely album, really. i truly hope he sticks around for a while and makes more incredible recordings like this.

Ilyas Ahmed - Cetury Of Moonlight
http://www.mediafire.com/?myzmzay1jky

be patient, my friends. the wait is almost over.

i have shady internets right now, but in like 2 days i will have good internets again and will resume the postage. sounds GREAT right? i might need to check my pants i'm so excited.

hang tight, lay loose, and keep on keeping on.

a bittersweet passage

i started this blog as something to "kill time" with, something to pass the long, lonely days spent here in my parent's basement while they went to work and my leg mended. it's been about four months. my leg is doing quite well, i can almost walk without a limp at all (considering i had 3 surgeries, 2 plates, 10 pins, and an external apparatus that went into my bone, i'd say it went well.) so now i am going back to my life (i hope) starting tomorrow. i will have a lot less time to kill, so this blog is going to slow down. i know i've been saying that for a while, but whatever. now it's true.

so, in parting with this chapter i am leaving you here with this: a new mix. it's a bittersweet one, again on the downer side. but, it's definitely a good one. get it if you like. i'd like you to.

as stated before, the blog is not dead. by no means will i stop doing this, it's just going to be a lot more sporadic and less regular. i've got about 40 or so albums coming your way over the next few weeks so keep your eyes peeled. after that, i am hoping to have regular computer access again (i'm getting my old one back! 100 gb of music and all my cds ripped to it! woo!) so posting will resume on a somewhat regular pace, but when that will be i am not sure.

to all of you: thanks for reading and continuing to read. this blog helped me out during some hard times, believe it or not. so, thanks for checking me out. keep on keeping on.

here's the mix.

titled: Four Months Away
1. satanstompincaterpillars - Aphid
2. Deerhunter - Red Ink
3. Current 93 - Lullaby
4. The Blithe Sons - The Rustic House
5. Jarboe - Song For A Buried Child
6. Belong - I Never Lose. Never Really.
7. Glassine - Birds Are The Life Of The Sky
8. For Every River Buried - There Is Not One Fire
9. Jen Wood - Bullet Box
10. Low - Murderer
11. The Softies - Anywhere But Here
12. A Hawk And A Hacksaw - Oporto
13. Colleen - A Swimming Pool Down The Railway Track
14. Fursaxa - Desiree
15. Hala Strana - Home
16. Starbird - Feathers In Smoke
17. Alastair Galbraith - Blue Room
18. Mark Kozelek - Smokey (demo version)
19. Fennesz - Coedine
20. Hush Arbors - Dark Mist Curtains In The Door
21. Set Fire To Flames - This Thing Between Us Is A Rickety Bridge Of Impossible Crossing/Bonfires For Nobody...

thanks folks. i'll be back soon.

"Four Months Away"
Part 1
http://www.mediafire.com/?njmquyymyyx

Part 2
http://www.mediafire.com/?4lni1mq4miz

totally awesome MAGMA video

from a 1977 french television show. my favorite Magma song, "De Futura."

good quality and fucking weird!

enjoy.

ever wanted to see comus live?

here's most of their set from their "reunion" show on the Melloboat last year. as far as reunions go, this one seemed pretty awesome. awkward angle, but the sound is pretty good. part 3 seems rather short, but overall this is pretty cool, and at least interesting to see all the main players there after 35 years.

enjoy.

part 1


part 2


part 3


part 4

flying canyon. that's it.

so yeah, usually i get sort of "poetic" with the titles, but this one deserves better. this one is a cd that deserves to stand on it's own. this is Flying Canyon's s/t cd. Cayce Lindner poured himself into these songs. you can hear it. this is some of the most emotionally strained and saddest folk music i've ever heard. it's intense to say the least, it's beauty spans well beyond the scope of just the songs... it is a personal and incredibly close album, an album of hope and despair at the same time. featuring Glenn Donaldson and Shayde Sartin as the backing band, but mostly focussed on Cayce. as it should be. his sad guitar mixed with his coedine stained whiskey soaked voice makes me break.

Cayce took his life almost a year after this cd was released. this sounds like his heart was already breaking. so sad.

this is one of my favorite cds of all time. put it on and give it a good close listen. it deserves that.

Flying Canyon - Flying Canyon
http://www.mediafire.com/?lmoijfuyelj

time for a reality check

i'm going back to the real world in about a week (my leg is healed! yay!). posting is gonna start slowing waaaaaaay down cause i will lose regular computer access. this does not mean the blog is dying, no no no quite the contrary. it just means i am gonna have a hard time uploading stuff and will do so whenever i get the chance (which may be more often than i expect). i'm gonna fill my mediafire with shit too so that there will be stuff to post even if i have to go to a public library. so, if you are reading this blog and are a newcomer, go through some of the older posts. chances are if you like the first page, you will like the other pages just as much.

sorry folks, i need to have a life again. the operative word here is NEED.

here's a cool video i found searching youtube recently, not really music related.

after a few days off it's time for a MAGIC HOUR of posting!

Magic Hour were a quartet consisting of Kate Biggar (guitar), Wayne Rogers (guitar & vocals, of the awesome Twisted Village label and about 30 or so bands), Damon Krukowski (drums), and Naomi Yang (bass, the latter two of Galaxie 500 and Damon & Naomi). these folks made some exceptional psychedelic fused dreamy pop with extended fuzz solos and really gentle voices. This cd is titled "No Excess Is Absurd" and if you can find the first edition you should purchase it for the really nice packaging alone (let alone the music, which is exceptional, this being my favorite of their stuff). housed in a silver box with some printing on it and packaged with a really nice booklet, it looks as awesome as it sounds. the later editions have the cover art pictured here. this cd is pretty much necessary downloading for those fans of D&N, g500, any Wayne Rogers band (the guitar and FUZZ are way awesome!), and extreme solos.

Magic Hour - No Excess Is Absurd
http://www.mediafire.com/?i35fcjk2izq

more bower, more TOTAL

this is one i've been slacking on putting up, though also mediafire didn't seem to like me uploading it either (took me 4 seperate tries. fucking internets.)

here's TOTAL's awesome noise opus called "Clear Factory." this is an awesome release, put out on that swell label Majora a bunch of years back. this is pure Bower in top form, with tons of extra blown out guitar, loads of layers of feedback, and yes, even some melody laid underneath it all. there are three tracks on this one, each longer than 10 minutes. the instrumentation is much sparser than other Total releases, centered around Bower and his ultra destruction guitar (though there is some piano and what sounds like a radio present as well). this album is prime, one of the best things Matthew Bower has ever done.

if you are a Bower nut like i am, then don't hesitate. get this now.

super duper special thanks to david for the high quality rips here. rock on my friend!

Total - Clear Factory
http://www.mediafire.com/?jmzkwyhmzux

another visit to the astral social club

ah, Neil Campbell, you rule my world.

here's Astral Social Club's #11 cd-r which he put out himself, of course. strictly limited to 150 copies (and reissued on a mp3 cd-r which i think is out of print now too...), this cd-r has sounds very close to the important releases. loads of high end skree and layers here, and tons of that fast-forwarded tape sound here too.

actually, his own description is much better than i could do:
"Content this time around is highly nitrous, with much overloaded top-end twinkle. Check for some particularly screwy (and often barely-recognisable) versions of tracks set for release on QBICO and Important Records later this year, taking the demented recent ASC live persona and twisting it further with heavy collage/layering techniques. Offset this with remedial drumbox stumble and mysterious processed tracks and you know theres only one hotel you can be checking into. Edition of 150 in colour ASC corporate house-style. 7 tracks, 42 minutes"

get it. no cover scans, but the art is the usual "Astral Social Club" picture with a green background.

Astral Social Club - #11
http://www.mediafire.com/?nwknzykdzwz

sorry no uploads today.

i'm not feeling great. here's a jack rose video to cheer you all up.

a few questions...

1. how did you find out about this blog? i want to spread the word more and want to know how people are finding out about it. google? other blogs? esp?

2. do you like the idea of mixes? i'm still gonna make em and post em (my friends get em), but i want to know if anyone even really cares.

a golden cosmos of psychedelia weaved by joshua burkett

FIXED THE LINK NOW IT WORKS SORRY

yo. here's today's shit:

this is Joshua Burkett's cd entitled "Gold Cosmos" and this one is a real hum-dinger. some of you may remember Joshua from his work with Tower Recordings, others from his collaborations with Sunburned Hand Of The Man or Kemialliset Ystavat (on the essential "By The Roots You Shall Know The Fruits" comp). This cd is amazing, a veritable who's who of players (MV, Ben Chasny, P.G. Six, Dredd Foole, Chris Corsano, Matt Moran, and others!). it's full of appalachia, psychedelia, and raga. the tracks are spectral and smokey, full of ethereal almost gone vocals, loads of effects treatment, and every song is amazing. this is one of my favorite cds of this style, it really is hard to top this one. if only there were loads more of Joshua's work out there for our consumption, this cd (which was released in 2001) is one of his only solo releases.

get this gem right now. astral projections for an astral mind.

Joshua - Gold Cosmos
http://www.mediafire.com/?jyxethijztn

unaccompanied voice accompanied by some news...

ok, starting with the post for tonight, here's Maja Ratkje's cd entitled "Voice." you may remember Maja from her project Fe-mail. this is her "a capella" cd of just her incredible voice and vocal chords. Mike Patton, eat your fucking heart out. Maja can do some INSANE shit with those chords. this is a really interesting listen, very different but really only for the adventurous listener as there is really nothing but jarring and strange vocals. she uses no electronics, no post production, and nothing else but those lungs. it's amazing, really. worth a listen cause you will never hear anything else like it.

Maja Ratkje - Voice
http://www.mediafire.com/?fi5y04qudjm

and here's the sadder news: i'm slowing down posting. i'll still try to put up something every day, or at least some youtube stuff, but my computer has been crashing every time i upload more than one file at a time, and since i am not the only user on this computer i can't sit here and spend hours uploading stuff. so it's one thing per day for a while. sorry guys, untill i figure what the problem is then that's the way it has to be. the quality will not drop, however. as a compensation i'm gonna put a few more mixes up soon. no one really cares about those, but you should. they are all really good and full of weirdo bands from all over. so download them mofos!

top 3 downloaded stuff on this site btw:

1. homosexuals cd
2. gamelan son of lion 2xcd
3. conrad schnitzler lp

keep it up! thanks for the support! i've got loads more goodies to come, and some extra rare shit too!

from creek to creation, matt valentine is stoned.

you know, i love me some Tower Recordings. i love me some MV + EE. and i love me some MV solo shit. so it's natural that i would post this album since, you know, it's on Qbico.

this is Matt Valentine's "Creek to Creation" album put out on the good ole' Qbico way back in 2004. this album is full of stoned ass meanderings and stumblings, loads of appalachia styled fingerpicking, singing bowls, disembodied vocals, and fuzz. the album features 5 tracks, three under 2:30 and two going almost 15 minutes or longer. the influence of Dredd Foole is felt acutely here, with any vocals being warbly and weird, which is fine. someday i'll post that Dredd Foole album that's basically a Pelt album with guest stars.... we'll see.

all in all this is an interesting listen and way spaced out. for the more drugged of my readers for sure.

Matt Valentine - Creek To Creation
http://www.mediafire.com/?ztiy2eqeznn

p.s. oops! i had the link to the Kuupuu file here... i've fixed it now. srry flks. my bd.

finland might have more snow than i do right now...

ok folks, more finnish free-folk for you today!

here we've got an album by that ever-so enchanting chanteuse Kuupuu entitled "Kulta Sulka." this album is a little more ADD than some of her counterparts, sounding at times closer to the weirdness of Anaksimandros or Kemialliset Ystavat than the more homely sounds of Lau Nau. there's also hints of american acts like Grouper or Fursaxa in her sound, but it's still very strictly Finnish. loads of reverb drenched vocals and delay pedals being put to full use here, but this is not a noise album. it's very pretty in an odd sort of way, and striking how memorable these songs are (even though i don't understand a word of what she is singing when she is singing...)

it snowed about 10 inches here last night. fucking nuts.

warm up with this, folks.

Kuupuu - Kulta Sulka
http://www.mediafire.com/?zznneitoxjt

you might need a murderer, someone to do your dirty work...

first of all, i love Low. seriously, slow music that is bare and stripped down to just raw emotion. and fucking sad too. i guess being a mormon from minnesota is depressing? who knew?

anyhoo, here's one of my favorite of their releases, the "Murderer" ep put out on director Cameron Crowe's Vinyl Films label as part of a short lived 10" series that never saw completion (though i guess stuff is still in the works, like 5 years later... too busy making shmaltzy movies?) this is an awesome ep. three songs. short. to the point. it has the best version of the song "Murderer" (which appears on "The Great Destroyer" as well) and the other two songs ain't bad either.

i must've listened to this ep like 10,000 times by now. if you like sad, slow music, then get it and cry yourself a river. or don't. either way.

Low - Murderer
http://www.mediafire.com/?nkj2jizqjzh

a mantra for weirdness in c

L'Infonie were a collective of like-minded individuals from montreal, canada that were quite and interesting group. they were all said to be lucid dreamers and all were working together on various arts, mostly music but there were playwrights, poets, sculpture artists, painters, etc. in their ranks. boasting up to 33 members, this collective only released 4 recordings, all ranging from funky jazz fusion to free-jazz to krauty rock. each of the releases led you to believe there were many, many more to be found (the titles are all volumes numbered 3, 33, 333, and 3333 respectively), but to anyone's knowledge outside of the group there weren't.

this is their second release, entitled "Volume 33: Mantra (In C)," which is really just an adaptation of Terry Riley's famous "In C." but what an adaptation, with a very driving and tight rhythm section and fuzzed out guitars, this is the stuff lucid dreams are made of. this is the original lp rip, not the cd reissue that has an extra track (which is just the two tracks without a break in the middle for flipping sides). if you can find any of their stuff, get it (forced exposure carries vol. 3 and vol. 333).

it must have been fun to live in the late sixties and early 70's...

L'Infonie - Volume 33: Mantra (In C)
http://www.mediafire.com/?r0aiwmt1m4x

shapes are fun, even linda perhacs agrees.

here's a real treat: Linda Perhacs' "Parallelograms" album. released in 1970 to almost no sales, this album became a "holy grail" of sorts to many over time. hell, it was on my most wanted list before the reissue came out a few years back. this album is very strange by 1970's standards, mostly consisting of Linda's pearlescent voice and spectral guitar, but then things get weird with electronic manipulations and interludes. this album set a course for many out there to follow, a sort of trailblazing path of folk music that hadn't been heard before and has rarely been topped since. do yourself a huge favor and get this.

this is the expanded edition, in case you were wondering. good demo tracks.

Linda Perhacs - Parallelograms
http://www.mediafire.com/?cnnzziczzcx

winds sweep past the trees and past the houses...

here's a gem: jewelled antler collective's "Windswept Trees And Houses" compilation. this comp is full of great outsider folk and drone music from a collective of artists most of you should be familiar with (and if you are not, learn!) there are three really standout tracks on here (for me, at least) 1. the silt track. just awesome. 2. the knit separates track. it's really beautiful and a great way to end a comp. 3. the billy crosby's cover of Current 93's The Signs of Emptiness. that song was sad enough when tibet played it, but the warbly out of tune vocals give it another layer of emotion that makes you want to just cry a bit.

this is a good comp. here's the list of artists and titles (cribbed from discogs.com). sorry, no cover scans (i don't actually own a scanner, and there isn't anything of this on these here internets!)

1 Family Of Apostolic, The Taking Me Home (2:15)
2 Entlang Lisa (9:45)
Drums - Donald J. Smith
Guitar - Kristen Wineera , Yuri Frusin
Viola, Vocals - Helen Johnstone
3 Blithe Sons, The Thin Sheets Of Beaten Gold (3:46)
Guitar - Glenn Donaldson
Harmonium - Loren Chasse
4 Ohm-A-Revelator World's End (5:56)
Performer - Bobby Ray (2) , Cole Palme , Greg Saunier
5 Thuja Pity Drain The Sea (2:40)
Performer - Glenn Donaldson , Loren Chasse , Rob Reger , Steven R. Smith
6 Rob Eugene Reger* Intruder (2:09)
7 Billy Crosby's, The The Signs Of Emptiness (3:16)
Written-By - Current 93
8 Jon Frum Movement Title Unknown (2:20)
Recorded By - James Nestor
9 Family Of Apostolic, The Bubbling Brook (3:22)
10 Skygreen Leopards, The I Fell Asleep In The Sun-Bleached Grass (I'll Just Pass Away) (2:39)
Guitar, Vocals - Donovan Quinn
Mandolin, Drums, Guitar, Vocals - Glenn Donaldson
11 Floating Birthday Children, The God's Secret City (1:24)
Guitar - Glenn Donaldson
Keyboards - Kerry Mclaughlin
12 Silt (2) Sail Reticulum (4:07)
Recorded By - Keith Evans (2)
13 Child Readers, The Fear Of Nature (5:22)
Harmonium - Loren Chasse
Vocals - Jason Honea
14 Steven R. Smith Night Partridges (5:37)
15 Knit Separates, The Upside-Down Flame (3:10)
Guitar - Glenn Donaldson
Keyboards - Mark Williams (7)
Lyrics By - Jason Honea
Performer [Music Box] - Loren Chasse

Jewelled Antler Collective - "Windswept Trees And Houses"
http://www.mediafire.com/?qjw0ynnmkiy

what's the score down in the village?

i've mentioned Village of Savoonga before, so now i'm gonna give you all a treat. this is their album "Score," and it's a doozy. full of tension and builds like you wouldn't believe, this is like This Heat covering a band like Godspeed You Black Emperor (for lack of a better post-rock band) with just the three members. it's really amazing what they pull off on this album, which ranges from quiet and tense to explosions of tightly controlled rage. a very interesting listen for late at night when you are trying to wind down from all the crazy shit you might have just done. weirdos.

Village of Savoonga - Score
http://www.mediafire.com/?mhmye4ammmn

painting a picture of reverb

Corsican Paintbrush are the duo of Brad Rose and Eden Hemming Rose, husband and wife. these two create a wonderful brand of hazy folk music that sounds like a soundtrack to a travel documentary. on this cd-r, their debut entitled "Lichens And Moss," the reverb on every track gives each song a haze and smokey feel that makes you think this is some unearthed recording from the past. there is a definite european feel on these songs, mostly consisting of guitar pieces, but there is a huge diversity of instruments played on this. listen closely to this one, it's very quiet (and meant to be so) and very natural sounding.

wonderful folk that is very warm and pleasing. much love.

Corsican Paintbrush - Lichens & Moss
http://www.mediafire.com/?d5modumvzvt

three finnish ladies making a lot of racket

Hertta Lussu Assa are a trio of three wild ladies from the ice cold lands of the Finns. the trio consists of Kuupuu (!), Islaja (!!) and Lau Nau (!!!). this album has a wide range of sounds, from noisy and weird to crystaline and beautiful. there seems to be an excess of electronics on this album as compared to the folkier sounds that these ladies usually stray towards, but this is no harsh noise or glitch affair, there's just a lot of electronics that go with that folk. each of the ladies brings their unique sound to the table, and they each compliment each other really really well. this is one of my favorite of the free-folk stuff to come from Finnland ever. well worth your download.

Hertta Lussu Assa - Bink Sweat Album
http://www.mediafire.com/?j2mn22qonxm

running towards a night between two skies

Ilyas fucking Ahmed. incredible. folk music that is wispy, vaporous, layered, and incredibly emotional. this is the sound of loneliness, of an empty room, of hearts fading.

here we've got his first two cdrs (Towards The Night and Between Two Skies) that he self released in a criminally limited quantity of 50 copies each. thankfully, the kind folks at Digitalis recently reissued these cds as part of their arts and crafts editions. the songs are breathtaking, with Ilyas' mostly wordless vocals evoking better images than most singers can with volumes of poetry, and his eastern influenced fingerpicked guitar seems to weep. David Keenan described this music as "gone." i couldn't agree with that sentiment more.

these albums are phenominal and definitely worth checking out and purchasing. (here's the link: http://www.digitalisindustries.com/ace003.html )

i'm only going to leave these up for a short time since this is definitely still in print, so download, love, and order away please.

Ilyas Ahmed - Towards the night
http://www.mediafire.com/?ngjhoogmomm

Ilyas Ahmed - Between Two Skies
http://www.mediafire.com/?n2lnfegdmzn

no more crazy women, please.

you heard me.

Arthur Doyle would agree too, since he released a one-sided album on the mighty Qbico entitled "No More Crazy Women." it's full of his usual bombastic sax, a little muttering and wildness, and even a little elctronic manipulations. this is a short listen and an interesting one.

for fans of free-jazz, the qbico label, and crazy women.

sorry, no cover scans and qbico's website seems to be out of order.

Arthur Doyle - No More Crazy Women
http://www.mediafire.com/?auozkmddodj

city lights cast a ring of shadows

ah, The Shadow Ring. amazing. ineptitude honed down to a point that is so sharp and cutting it makes you wonder how skilled you have to be to play such a way. this is their first lp, put out in 1993. for an early release it is still just as striking as most of their later material, with a definite outsider vibe and spoken/recited vocals. this band sounds like Jandek from england playing with a backwards Village of Savoonga or something of the like. very unique, very strange, and totally worth listening to if you are at all interested in unique strange things. you will never hear a band who sounds anything like The Shadow Ring, i can almost promise you that.

The Shadow Ring - City Lights
http://www.mediafire.com/?ztwktdjwmll

some more bower for the new year!

here's Sunroof!'s cd "Rainbow Electric Sabbath." it's three tracks of patented Sunroof! bliss guitars. each track is centered around a main riff that repeats through all three tracks. but, there are subtle differences between the tracks (besides their lengths), such as post production shit, extra layers of fuzz and radio waves and such, and all in all just usual Sunroof!-isms. this is a good album, kind of similar to Skullflower's exquisite fucking boredom (celestial highway I-IV are very much the same idea.)

happy blissful drone music for those so inclined.

Sunroof! - Rainbow Electric Sabbath
http://www.mediafire.com/?y3zjxyymye1

didja miss me?

i'm back on the ol' puter. i'm gonna have a bunch of shit to post tomorrow. i'm still not allowed to walk. it's 2am. i'm going to bed.

happy new year.