Fire Records
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It feels like someone left the light on in the studio and it all just ran itself, there had been a funky human input earlier in the day but, by a Darwinian machine-led kind of osmosis, the tracks recorded spent the wee small hours self-reducing and simplifying themselves. Marinated in music.Visit product page →
'I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil,' said Truman Capote. 'Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,' opined Leonardo da Vinci much earlier in proceedings. Yes, it's the space around the object, what you leave out that makes what you leave in so important. ESG know this. Sure they can play the game but it's the swagger of the groove and the minimal topping - like an anti-cup cake - that makes this unique New York sisterhood so appealing on Keep On Moving'.
Sampled on TV ads, lauded by critics and swooned over on the dancefloor, ESG's post-punk took out the grunge and polished the basics. Cut them open and 'less is more' is written all the way through. Keep On Moving'was released just over ten years ago to much praise (Q said it was 'even better' than 2002's much loved Step Off').
ESG had been sparring partners for PiL and early hip hop and four years after the Off', they were onto something new - rhythm as core, reflective storylines about relationship management, sensuality and insanity gather around the bass fix but they're much blurrier than the incessant beats. Inadvertently they unmask techno and glitch and leave out any kind of superfluous fluff. It's hard and temple throbbing. Turn it up. And keep moving.
'If there's one tune which sums up ESG's enduring lust for life, it's the beautifully-judged Black Flag/early techno crossover of the closing 'Gimme A Blast'.' The Guardian 5/5
'This album's every percussive aspect has been honed to impart the maximum amount of pleasure.' The Observer
'Despite their influence on younger bands (you can hear LCD Soundsystem's knobbly grooves on Insane'), ESG still sound like nothing else.' The Guardian
Tracklisting:
1. Purely Physical
2. Keep On Moving
3. Insane (Tambourine Mix)
4. The Road
5. Id Do It For You
6. Everything Goes
7. Ex
8. Insane (Bass Mix)
9. Gimme A Blast -
ESG's fusion of sweet soul and punk attitude with an intuitive understanding of dance music remains.' The GuardianVisit product page →
'This is still funk with an alien otherworldliness the likes of which George Clinton never envisioned, stripped to its barest essentials for maximum impact.' All Music
'ESG are as cool as ever.' The Guardian
Pumping their way out of the South Bronx of New York in the early 80s, this rhythm and dance-punk outfit made unforgettable funk that was also unusually rooted in post-punk.
This powerhouse of raw and cutting edge music ultimately made them ahead of their time. ESG enjoyed success sharing stages with PiL and Gang Of Four and have been heavily sampled as many musicians including TLC, Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys and Liars.
A band-approved reissue of 'Step Off' will be released the same day with artwork from award nominated illustrator Hannah Alice, who recently gained critical praise for her work on the Bert Jansch reissue of 'Avocet'.
Tracklisting:
1. Be Good To Me
2. Talk It
3. Its Not Me
4. Six Pack
5. Step Off
6. Sensual Intentions
7. My Street -
Double yellow vinyl LP, single sleeve, printed inners, download card included.Visit product page →
2CD Book-back with 24 page book.
Emerging after The Lemonheads disbanded Evan Dando returned to music first with a solo tour and Live At The Brattle Theatre'then came his debut solo album Baby I'm Bored'.
Mature and autobiographical, Baby I'm Bored'is a stellar record that stripped Dando of his grunge label. At the time of recording, he was without the band which saw him lean more towards an achingly melodic alt-country rock sound. Self-deprecating, these are songs of decline and coming back from that.
The record includes 'Hard Drive' and 'All My Life' two tracks penned by Ben Lee and features contributions from producer/composer Jon Brion, producer Bryce Goggin, Tom Morgan, Giant Sand's Howe Gelb, Calexico's John Convertino and Joey Burns, ex-Spacehog frontman Royston Langdon, Come's Chris Brokaw and Arthur Johnson.
'Dando has a flair for bruised melancholy that stands comparison with Gram Parsons and Alex Chilton.' Q Magazine.
'A beautiful album of tender reflections on life, love and drug-induced folly set in soulful, country-tinged guitar pop.' The Independent.
Tracklisting:
Disc 1:
1. Repeat
2. My Idea
3. Rancho Santa Fe
4. Waking Up
5. Hard Drive
6. Shots Is Fired
7. It Looks Like You
8. The Same Thing You Thought Hard About Is The Same Part I Can Live Without
9. Why Do You Do This To Yourself?
10. All My Life
11. Stop My Head
12. In The Grass All Wine Colored
Disc 2:
1. Shots Is Fired (Alternative Version)
2. I Wanna Be Your Mamma Again (Cover - B-Side from 'Stop My Head' Single)
3. Tongue Tied (B-Side from 'Stop My Head' Single)
4. Whoops
5. Sucker Punch
6. The Same Thing You Thought Hard About Is The Same Part I Can Live Without (Alternative Version)
7. Au Bord De La Seine (B-Side From 'Stop My Head')
8. Rancho Santa Fe (Alternative Version) A Walk In The Woods With Lionel Richie
9. Walk In The Woods With Lionel Richie
10. Rudy With A Flashlight (Evan Dando)
11. Hannah & Gabi (Live Version - B-Side to 'It Looks Like You' Single)
12. The Same Thing You Thought Hard About Is The Same Part I Can Live Without (Live Version - B-Side to 'It Looks Like You' Single) -
Visit product page →Faten Kanaan's fifth LP Afterpoem is a mysterious, smudgy, bittersweet, and uniquely playful album. Deeply melodic, it continues her poignant exploration of counterpoint as a narrative tool. From the repetitive structures of modern minimalism and early music/baroque influences - to more languid textural ebbs & tides, there's a warmth in her use of electronic instruments that gives the album a curiously timeless feel. Composing intuitively, her music has often been described as 'strange', mostly because it creates its own world- one that isn't easily categorised. The album's title refers to the haze of a poem's intended meaning being abstractly fleeting and barely graspable. Glistening threads of understanding still touch us - the poetry becoming intimately personal, and no further literal explanation is needed. "I find pleasure in music as a language that nudges and hints. There's a potential that lives in things left unsaid... meanings drifting in and out of focus... hovering like spirits. It's a romantic and earnest album... of yearning for lost places and people, while still looking out at the world with tenderness and humour".
Tracklisting:
Side A
1. Fin Août, Début Septembre
2. Trenchcoat
3. Ard Diar
4. Ebla
5. Florin Court
6. Snowing
7. Domari's Lamp
Side B
8. Votive
9. La Smorfia
10. Castling
11. Falconers
12. Cascando
13. Storm Signal -
Recorded and broadcast way back when, an actual back yard barbeque Nick Hill had set up live on air at the radio station, WFMU. watermelon and everything...Visit product page →
This BBQ record nicely captures the sweetness of the season when Giant Sand were turning into something else. Nick Hill, An old buddy from Brooklyn, had an important radio show there as well as harbouring tremendously good taste. Once when the odds were tremendously against Howe making a plane outa NY on time, he turned the car around and fetched a 2 man kayak. They went kayaking in the Hudson river instead. "Have you ever seen New York city from a kayak? nothing but stunning. And wonderfully spooky, zipping under those giant rotting piers too. That was Nick Hill." He was the fellow responsible for presenting this record and getting it recorded and broadcasted way back when.
This collection of songs was recorded by WFMU over two live sessions for 'The Music Faucet' show in the summer of 1994 and 1995. This 25th anniversary reissue CD also features two bonus tracks, 'Yer Ropes' and 'Rolling Stones I Am' which featured originally as a not so 'secret track'.
"Giant Sand is a mood," says Howe' of Giant Sand, as if trying to oer a low-key explanation for his dizzying array of artistic exploration that includes a back-catalogue of some 40 albums as a singer, band-leader and producer. After growing up in Pennsylvania in the 1970's, it wasn't until he moved to Tuscon, Arizona that he met his musical soul mate,
the guitarist Rainer Ptaceck. The two formed Giant Sandworms and issued only a handful of recordings before the worms were put to rest: since then, Giant Sand have released 24 albums - an impressive haul when considering Howe's equally prolic output under other projects including Black Ranchette and Arizona Amp & Alternator as well as his solo releases.
1. BBQ Suite2. World Stands Still (BBQ Suite part i)3. Good & Gone (BBQ Suite part ii)4. I Wish You Love (BBQ Suite part iii)5. Romance Of Falling (BBQ Suite part iv)6. Seashells (BBQ Suite part v)7. Mope-A-Long8. Lean9. Get To Leave10. Lester Lampshade11. Blue Waltz Reprise12. Yer Ropes (Bonus)13. Rolling Stones I Am (Bonus) -
'Center Of The Universe', originally released in 1992, is the eighth Giant Sand reissue in the series from Fire Records.Visit product page →
Howe holds 'Center Of The Universe' close to his heart, explaining the record ,"Could be my favourite. .. written in a one room cabin at the end of the road in the high desert around Joshua tree where I lived for a few years ... recorded back in Venice, California with the same slant as was instilled in the writing ... adorned with the 'psycho sisters' who show where the melodies in these songs were hiding ... now through the miracle of remastering, these tracks sound more vibrant and alluring".
What was a common approach to record making for Howe and Giant Sand, 'Center Of The Universe' would be the last of a kind, "it marks the last time I could work like this, before the advent of family life was to take over and populate the day .. this record marks the final time of isolation with a happy careless abandon and an immediate urgency delivered by a wired up acoustic guitar with stomp box distortion ready and willing".
"The experiment: to record a vocal in fragments while intentionally singing differently each time on the same song, then combining the takes instantaneously . The result was "loretta and the insect world".
"Giant Sand is a mood", says Howe of Giant Sand, as if trying to offer a low-key explanation for his dizzying array of artistic exploration that includes a back-catalogue of some 40 albums as a singer, band-leader and producer. After growing up in Pennsylvania in the 1970s, it wasnt until he moved to Tuscon, Arizona that he met his musical soul mate, the guitarist Rainer Ptaceck. The two formed Giant Sandworms and issued only a handful of recordings before the worms were put to rest: since then, Giant Sand have released 24 albums - an impressive haul when considering Howes equally prolific output under other projects including Black Ranchette and Arizona Amp & Alternator as well as his solo releases.
Tracklisting:
1. Seeded (`Tween Bone And Bark)2. Pathfinder3. Center Of The Universe4. Off Ramp Man5. Year Of The Dog6. Live To Tell7. Thrust8. Loretta And The Insect World9. Sonic Drive In10. Milkshake Girl11. Stuck12. Thing Like That13. Return To Fodder14. Unwed And Well Sped15. Solomon's Ride16. Slip Slice Suite (Bonus)17. Goin' To New Mexico (Bonus) -
Visit product page →2002's 'Cover Magazine' is a much less cryptic, typically literal title for one of Giant Sand's lighter alternative offerings. A collection of covers which says as much about Howe Gelb's personal musical taste as it does the friends he has made on his musical journey. Being in the fortunate position of looking back on Giant Sand's output with the 25th Anniversary reissue series, we are able to see the influences which have shaped the existence of the band at each turn and chapter. Neil Young, Johnny Cash, Nick Cave and of course Rainer Ptacek have all made an impression and the tables are turned as Giant Sand give thanks with renditions of Young's' Out on The Weekend', Cash's 'I'm leaving now' and Rainer's touching 'The Inner Flame'. More contemporary takes on PJ Harvey and Goldfrapp show Giant Sand are forever keen and willing to listen.
With Giant Sand's clattering percussion and Howe's meandering vocals, nothing should be assumed before listening. Each track is taken from a new (alternative, strange, weird, interesting, unexpected, intriguing) angle, so surprises are aplenty. A Black Sabbath lounge ballad anyone?
This 25th Anniversary edition features two bonus tracks, 'Summertime' and 'The Pilgrim (Chapter 33)'
Tracklisting:
1. El Paso / Out On The Weekend2. Johnny Hit And Run Pauline3. Iron Man4. Human / Lovely Head5. The Beat Goes On6. Plants And Rags7. Wayfaring Stranger / Fly Me To The Moon8. Red Right Hand9. King Of The Road10. I'm Leaving Now11. Blue Marble Girl12. The Inner Flame13. The Beat Goes On (Alternative)14. Summertime (Bonus)15. The Pilgrim (Chapter 33) (Bonus) -
1995's 'Goods And Services' was another for German ears only. It's re-issue will bring it toVisit product page →
the attention of new fans as part of the series. Once not remembered fondly by Giant
Sand's Howe Gelb, time has been kind and his perception has softened with the memories
of Vic Chesnutt's contrbution.
"Another live record. but this sound was bloated from euro touring and was supposed to
be a reection of only how it was sounding then. Later, that made less sense to me since
every tour the band sound would change anyway. So i am not in love with this record
and thusly never made it available for the states. but now, looking back on it, it brings a
smile. . . . and also moistens the eye with the missingness of Pappy and Vic Chesnutt."
"Giant Sand is a mood," says Howe' of Giant Sand, as if trying to oer a low-key explanation
for his dizzying array of artistic exploration that includes a back-catalogue of some
40 albums as a singer, band-leader and producer. After growing up in Pennsylvania in
the 1970's, it wasn't until he moved to Tuscon, Arizona that he met his musical soul mate,
the guitarist Rainer Ptaceck. The two formed Giant Sandworms and issued only a handful
of recordings before the worms were put to rest: since then, Giant Sand have released 24
albums - an impressive haul when considering Howe's equally prolic output under
other projects including Black Ranchette and Arizona Amp & Alternator as well as his
solo releases.
1. Back To The Black And Grey2. Opus - Solomon's Ride - Opus3. Good And Gone4. Bender5. Occupied6. Warm Storm7. You're So Vain8. Welcome To My World9. Surfin' Lean10. Trickle Down System11. Faithful (Bonus) -
In 2004 Giant Sand had changed beyond recognition. The revolving door of band members that so invaluably contributed to a prolific and gifted past was now, literally, all over the map, and so were Giant Sand. Bassist Joey Burns and drummer John Convertino had now moved to pastures new with Calexico, in their place were a new Scandinavian backline which would enable Howe and Giant Sand to release the first original material since 2000's 'Chore of Enchantment'.Visit product page →
The reaction produced a record which at points harked back to the more rowdy and aggressive tones of Giant Sand of old, seemingly in search for the familiarity of earlier times, stretching in to new surroundings, distortion being the tool.
The songs of course are great, Gelb's often whispered and crackly in-ear vocals, pretty piano, acoustic guitar (and with peppering of that distortion) all play their part to continue the Giant Sand train moving, ...um, all over the map.
1. Classico2. NYC Of Time3. Remote4. Flying Around The Sun With Remarkable Speed5. Cracklin Water6. Rag7. Muss8. Drab9. Fool10. Les Forcats Innocents11. Napoli12. Hood (View From A Heidelberg Hotel)13. A Classico Reprise14. Anarchistic Bolshevistic Cowboy Bundle15. Ploy16. A Quiet Remote (Bonus) -
"Purge & Slouch" was originally released in 1993 and is the ninth Giant Sand reissue in the series from Fire Records and follow up to the successful 'Center Of The Universe'.Visit product page →
After the commercial and critical success of 'Center Of The Universe', Giant Sand looked to lay down the instinctive and impulsive spark of the band onto record, "Believing in recording in "the moment of impact" to result in a "perfect harvest" where a song gets captured the first time it ever gets played, and this record marks the moment where 98.5 % of it was done like this". Howe was planning on it being his "metal machine music" album, but instead, "some real songs happened too many times in the process ... songs I have never learned".
Recorded at a house on the outskirts of Tucson, 'Ramp' features some local guest guitarists on a couple of tracks with the aim to "fully realize an album without working up any of it before arriving at the studio".
"Giant Sand is a mood," says Howe' of Giant Sand, as if trying to offer a low-key explanation for his dizzying array of artistic exploration that includes a back-catalogue of some 40 albums as a singer, band-leader and producer. After growing up in Pennsylvania in the 1970's, it wasn't until he moved to Tuscon, Arizona that he met his musical soul mate, the guitarist Rainer Ptaceck. The two formed Giant Sandworms and issued only a handful of recordings before the worms were put to rest: since then, Giant Sand have released 24 albums - an impressive haul when considering Howe's equally prolific output under other projects including Black Ranchette and Arizona Amp & Alternator as well as his solo releases.
1. Slander2. Bender3. Swamp Thing4. Santana, Castanada & You5. Blue Lit Rope6. Overture (Part 1)7. Rice Road Rumba8. Slice & Dice Blues9. High Lonesome Curl10. New Carjack City Blues11. Owed Ode12. Overture (Part 2)13. Here On The Planet14. Elevator Music15. Song For The Accountants16. Dock Of The Bay17. Tripping Moon18. Dance Of The Cicadas19. Disclaimer20. Smokey Joe's Deep Blue Pancakes21. Thin Lizzy Tribute-Personality Flaws-Last.. -
Visit product page →"Ramp" was originally released in 1991 and is the seventh Giant Sand reissue in the series from Fire Records.For 'Ramp', Giant Sand ushered in several new members to the fold, "including young bassist Joey burns, the stunning voice of 74 year old Pappy Allen, and our sweet, sweet friend Victoria Williams .. we had begun recording in Tucson and finished it back in Venice, CA at mad dog studio again .. the first track was produced by Dusty Wakeman and featured the late great Duane Jarvis".
Howe describes that the experiment with 'Ramp' was "to record an electric song live in the studio and have the pre-recorded acoustic bridge be slotted in by DAT machine while then starting up again with the electric part live at the same pace as before the DAT take was applied with its different beat. What made this tricky was the mechanical delay of the play button on the state of the art day machine...you can hear the result in "warm storm".
"Giant Sand is a mood," says Howe' of Giant Sand, as if trying to offer a low-key explanation for his dizzying array of artistic exploration that includes a back-catalogue of some 40 albums as a singer, band-leader and producer. After growing up in Pennsylvania in the 1970's, it wasn't until he moved to Tuscon, Arizona that he met his musical soul mate, the guitarist Rainer Ptaceck. The two formed Giant Sandworms and issued only a handful of recordings before the worms were put to rest: since then, Giant Sand have released 24 albums - an impressive haul when considering Howe's equally prolific output under other projects including Black Ranchette and Arizona Amp & Alternator as well as his solo releases.
1. Warm Storm2. Romance Of Falling3. Wonder4. Welcome To My World5. Anti-Shadow6. Jazzer Snipe7. Z. Z. Quicker Foot8. Neon Filler9. Seldom Matters10. Resolver11. Nowhere12. Always Horses Coming13. Patsy's Blues14. Shadow To You (Bonus) -
"Storm" was originally released in 1988 is the third reissue from Fire Records. It features the popular single 'Uneven Light Of Day' and a cover of Robbie Robertson's 'The Weight'.Visit product page →
"Giant Sands is a mood," says Howe's of Giant Sands, as if trying to offer a low-key explanation for his dizzying array of artistic exploration that includes a back-catalogue of some 40 albums as a singer, band-leader and producer. After growing up in Pennsylvania in the 1970's, it wasn't until he moved to Tuscon, Arizona that he met his musical soul mate, the guitarist Rainer Ptaceck. The two formed Giant Sandworms and issued only a handful of recordings before the worms were put to rest: since then, Giant Sand have released 24 albums - an impressive haul when considering Howe's equally prolific output under other projects including Black Ranchette and Arizona Amp & Alternator as well as his solo releases.
Howe, though, is definitely not content to rest on his laurels. Giant Sand's 2000 album Chore Of Enchantment has been declared one of the Best 1000 Records Ever Made and scooped up plaudits from NME and The Guardian amongst others, with the former insisting the record cemented his reputation as "a founding father of modern Americana". His most recent solo project, meanwhile - 2006's 'Sno Angel Like You - earned a 5 star review in Mojo and was described by Q as "showcasing an immense generosity of spirit and poetic warmth".
Rather than retrospect, then, this is a time for celebration. Howe and his band marked the 25th anniversary of the release of Valley Of Rain by hosting a very special evening of brand new collaborations and performances. They played some of their choice cuts from their back catalogue, and were joined by Kristin Hersch, guitarist and founder of the seminal art-rock band Throwing Muses. "I'll jump at any chance to be on stage with the wild and wacky, kooky and cozy Howe," says Hersch. "With Howe, I never know exactly what will happen, but it's always great to be a part of it."
1. Uneven Light Of Day2. Town Where No Town Belongs3. Back To Black And Grey4. Bigger Than That5. Right Makes Right6. Three 6ixes7. Big Rock8. The Replacement9. Storm10. Was Is A Big Word11. Town With Little Or No Pity12. The Weight13. Uneven Light of Day - Alt Take (Bonus) -
2010 marks the 25th anniversary of Valley Of Rain - the debut album by Giant Sand, the ever-shifting alternative rock band overseen by "the Godfather of Alt. Country" Howe Gelb. With that in mind, the band are celebrating in the only way they know how: with a flurry of great music. This year will see a special one-off show at The Barbican in London on July 22 and a new Giant Sand album, Blurry Blue Mountain, released in October.Visit product page →
Fire Records is also proud to announce the start of a Giant Sand/ Howe Gelb series of rolling reissues from September 2010, which will see the re-release of roughly 30 albums starting with the re-release of Valley Of Rain on the 6th of September and culminating in two box sets to be released next year. Each re-issue will be lovingly re-issued in red and silver limited edition digipacks.
"Giant Sand is a mood", says Howe of Giant Sand, as if trying to offer a low-key explanation for his dizzying array of artistic exploration that includes a back-catalogue of some 40 albums as a singer, band-leader and producer. After growing up in Pennsylvania in the 1970's, it wasn't until he moved to Tucson, Arizona that he met his musical soul mate, the guitarist Rainer Ptacek. The two formed Giant Sandworms and issued only a handful of recordings before the worms were put to rest: since then, Giant Sand have released 24 albums - an impressive haul when considering Howe's equally prolific output under other projects including Black Ranchette and Arizona Amp & Alternator as well as his solo releases.
Howe, though, is definitely not content to rest on his laurels. Giant Sand's 2000 album Chore Of Enchantment has been declared one of the Best 1000 Records Ever Made and scooped up plaudits from NME and The Guardian amongst others, with the former insisting the record cemented his reputation as "a founding father of modern Americana". His most recent solo project, meanwhile - 2006's "Sno Angel Like You" - earned a 5 star review in Mojo and was described by Q as "showcasing an immense generosity of spirit and poetic warmth".
Rather than retrospect, then, this is a time for celebration. Howe and his band will be marking the 25th anniversary of the release of Valley Of Rain by hosting a very special evening of brand new collaborations and performances. As they play some of their choicest cuts from their back catalogue, they'll be joined by Kristin Hersch, guitarist and founder of the seminal art-rock band Throwing Muses. "I'll jump at any chance to be on stage with the wild and wacky, kooky and cozy Howe" says Hersch."With Howe, I never know exactly what will happen, but it's always great to be a part of it."
As well as The Barbican show, Giant Sand played three other UK dates in July at Winchester, Brighton and Gateshead, before the release of the new album Blurry Blue Mountain in October. And with the re-issues and Giant Sand box set still to come from Fire Records, 2010 will certainly be a celebration to remember for Howe and all of his fans.
1. Valley Of Rain2. Tumble & Tear3. October Anywhere4. Barrio5. Death, Dying & Channel 56. Torture Of Love7. Down On Town / Love's No Answer8. Black Venitian Blind9. Curse Of A Thousand Flames10. Artists11. Man Of Want12. Valley Of Rain - Remixed Instrumental (Bonus)13. Tumble And Tear - Repaired (Bonus) -
Sold outVisit product page →The new Guided By Voices album is the best thing the band has recorded since the last album by the legendary Dayton, Ohio rockers. That's not meant facetiously: the last thing Guided By Voices recorded was the rapturously received Let's Go Eat The Factory, and Class Clown Spots A UFO ups the ante raised by that stellar effort, both in terms of recording fidelity (boring!) and songcraft (not boring!) One could argue there's more depth and variety here than on Alien Lanes, that there are better songs here than on Bee Thousand, but that's an argument no one's ever going to win, at least definitively. And this album is a win, by any (definitive) definition. Class Clown is classic GBV, starting with the head-body-head combination of "He Rises (Our Union Bellboy)," "Blue Babbleship Bay," and "Forever Until It Breaks" before finishing you off with the title track, a ridiculously catchy, melodically-complex, shot-through-with-melancholia song that serves as a kind of sadder and wiser riposte to XTC's "Making Plans For Nigel" as performed by the Hollies. If that makes any sense at all (it will when you hear it, hopefully).
And that's just the first four songs of a 21-track album clocking in at just under 40 minutes. We've yet to get to "Keep It In Motion," a propulsive, drum-machine driven pop song which features, unusually, acoustic guitars, strings, and Bob/Toby singing together in a way not heard since "14 Cheerleader Coldfront" on 1992's Propeller. Possibly. (The song was one of a few that Bob recorded and sent to Toby at his home studio in Michigan for over-dubbing.) Nor have we discussed galvanic rocker "Jon the Croc," a clear single candidate, or "Chain To The Moon," one of the saddest and (why not?) prettiest songs Pollard has ever written.
In between you get wah-wah guitar solos, a wide range of unusual recording techniques of varying fidelity (but, as referenced above, much less of the murk lurking on Let's Go Eat The Factory), and a generous helping of Alien Lanes-style snippets. In fact, the sequencing of Class Clown seems to hearken back to that landmark LP - as on AL, songs bleed into each other, fadeouts segue into fadeins, short bursts of melodic rock ("Billy Wire," "Roll of the Dice, Kick in the Head") jut against somber chamber pop ("They and Them," "Starfire"). The last song, the anthemic "No Transmission," if played at the proper volume, will in fact blow your mind (and your windows).
'Class Clown Spots A UFO' is available now. A side benefit of Pollard's for-now decision to call it quits on touring is that you get more Guided By Voices albums. It's really hard to see how that's not a great thing for everyone. Because it is a great thing for everyone. Obviously.
Side A:1. He Rises! Our Union Bellboy2. Blue Babbleships Bay3. Forever Until It Breaks4. Class Clown Spots A UFO5. Chain To The Moon6. Hang Up And Try Again7. Keep It In Motion8. Tyson's High School9. They And Them10. Fighter PilotSide B:1. Roll Of The Dice, Kick In The Head2. Billy Wire3. Worm W/ 7 Broken Hearts4. Starfire5. Jon The Croc6. Fly Baby7. All Of This Will Go8. The Opposite Continues9. Be Impeccable10. Lost In Spaces11. No Transmission -
Visit product page →After a fifteen year hiatus, the "classic line up" of Guided By Voices (Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Greg Demos, and Kevin Fennell) finishes off its year-long reunion tour by releasing an album of 21 new songs, deliberately choosing to return to what bandleader Robert Pollard calls the "semi-collegial" approach of iconic GBV albums like Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes. Let's Go Eat The Factory is much more than a mere return, however: sprawling, variegated, heavy, melodic, and yet still recognizably and coherently Guided By Voices in both its literal and mythic senses.
"At first I said: no reunion, period," explains Pollard about the decision to revive Guided By Voices. "And definitely no record or re-formation. But the tour went so well; the response was really unexpected. I thought at some point that a lot of people would like to hear new GBV music. The chemistry was still there."
Choosing to eschew the recording studio, LGETF was instead manufactured in the living rooms, basements, and garages of various long-time bandmembers. Some tracks were recorded more-or-less live at Mitch Mitchell's garage, where the band would often practice back in the early- and mid-90s. These sessions comprised Mitch, Bob, and Jimmy Pollard, Bob's brother and long-time collaborator, who, though never a part of the touring ensemble, always played a crucial role on the classic-era releases. Some tracks were improvised over acoustic jam sessions at Greg Demos' house. Many were recorded at Tobin Sprout's place in Wherever, Michigan, and later lovingly fucked with in order to achieve the proper level of weirdness. Band members occasionally switched instruments (Bob plays drums; Mitch plays drums; Kevin plays drums; Jimmy Pollard plays bass; Greg plays lead guitar; Toby plays pretty much everything; etc.), and Bob gladly accepted input from other band members. Tobin Sprout wrote or co-wrote and sings on six out of the 21 songs.
The aesthetic is very much in keeping with Guided By Voices, but in some unexpected ways (more prevalent use of keyboards and samples, for one thing) the 21st century can't help but poke its nose into the resulting music. Devoted fans of Bee Thousand will not be disappointed in, for instance, the demonically tuneful "Chocolate Boy," or the relentless chug of "We Won't Apologize For The Human Race," which Tobin Sprout describes as "Peter Gabriel singing 'I Am The Walrus.'" Other standouts include "Doughnut For A Snowman," which Pollard calls "the goofiest, twinkliest song I've ever written," or "Spider Fighter," a Tobin Sprout number that was in fact the first song title conceived for the new album, and which features a piano coda that Pollard likens to "a Pete Townshend demo for Lifehouse."
Tracklisting:
1. Laundry and Lasers2. The Head3. Doughnut for a Snowman4. Spiderfighter5. Hang Mr. Kite6. God Loves Us7. The Unsinkable Fats Domino8. Who Invented the Sun9. The Big Hat and Toy Show10. Imperial Racehorsing11. How I Met My Mother12. Waves13. My Europa14. Chocolate Boy15. The Things That Never Need16. Either Nelson17. Cyclone Utilities (Remember Your Birthday)18. Old Bones19. Go Rolling Home20. The Room Taking Shape21. We Won't Apologize for the Human Race -
Sold out2xLP Single sleeve, download card included.Visit product page →
In 1974 Jad Fair, along with his brother David, co-founded the lo-fi alternative rock group Half Japanese. Over the ensuing three decades, Half Japanese released fourteen albums, and in the process, attracted a solid base of fans passionate about the band's pure, unbridled enthusiasm for rock and roll.
Half Gentlemen/Not Beasts is a collection of the Fair brothers earliest home recordings, originally released as a homemade three LP box set.
These stretch their DIY, lo-fi ethos to the limits featuring sound experiments cobbled together from guitar noise, electronics and odd effects, whilst throwing in some barely recognizable covers (such as tracks by The Temptations, Buddy Holly and Bob Dylan).
'Half Gentlemen / Not beasts' is now available as a 2xLP package.
Tracklisting:
LP 1:
Side A:
1. No Direct Line From My Brain To My Heart
2. 10th Ave. Freezeout
3. Ta Sheri Ta Ta
4. My Girlfriend Lives Like A Beatnik
5. Her Parents Come Home
6. Shhh/ Shhh/ Shhh
7. Girls Like That
8. Rrrrrrrr
9. No More Beatle Mania
Side B:
10. Tangled Up In Blue
11. Patti Smith
12. School Of Love
13. Jodi Foster
14. Shy Around Girls
15. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
16. Bogue Millionaires/ Cool Millionaires
17. Tn Tn Tn Tn Ki
LP 2:
Side C:
1. I Can't Stand It Any More
2. I Love Oriental Girls
3. Dream Date
4. Du Du Du / Du Du Du
5. Ain't Too Proud To Beg
6. Ann Arbor. Mi.
7. I'm Going To The Zoo
8. Shi Yi Yi
9. Rave On
10. I Ta Nasi Si Na Mi Eee
11. Till Victory
12. Rip My Shirt To Shreds
Side D:
13. I Don't Want To Have Mono No More
14. She Cracked
15. Bbbbbbbb/ Bbbbbbbb / Bbbbbbbb
16. Funky Broadway Medley
17. I'm Sorry
18. T/ T/ T/ T/ T/ T -
LP with pop out mask sleeve. On LP for the first time, Boo!'includes a unique sleeve with pop out mask, no strings attached.Visit product page →
They set a blueprint for subsequent indie rock, the kind that valued DIY yet didn't shy away from melody, and addressed matters of the heart without arch distance.' Pitchfork
'Half Japanese are no dictatorship - more an underground political movement, united in their love for Jad Fair's weird dismantling vision' The Wire
Fire Records will be reissuing Half Japanese's "Boo!", capturing their 1992 European barnstorming tour, just in time for Halloween.
The record features a removable mask (no strings attached!) designed by the one and only Jad Fair. Issued for the first time on vinyl, Boo!'was recorded at a pivotal time for the influential act, as they were gaining international recognition from the likes of Sonic Youth, Nirvana and Teenage Fanclub.
These recordings capture the fierce and lively performances from their shows in Switzerland, Holland and Germany, highlighting all the things that are so amazing about the band. Europe was never quite the same after these shows.
Tracklisting:
1.Open Your Eyes/Close Your Eyes (Live)
2.Big Mistake (Live)
3.One Million Kisses (Live)
4.Fire To Burn (Live)
5.Mule In The Corn (Live)
6.If He Says He Did (Live)
7.King Kong (Live)
8.Postcard From Far Away (Live)
9.I'll Change My Style (Live)
10.Cherry Pie (Live) 11.Rrrrrrrssssssssttttttttt (Live)
12.Sex At Your Parent's House (Live)
13.Secret (Live)
14.Said And Done (Live)
15.Charmed Life (Live)
16.Casper (Live)
17.Around And Around (Live)
18.Rocking Chair (Live)
19.Turn Your Life Around (Live)
20.Firecracker (Live)
21.Silver and Katherine (Live)
22.Frankenstein Must Die! (Live)
23.By And By (Live)
24.Fire In The Sky (Live) -
Still creating some of the most engaging recordings of their lives, and that's truly something to believe in.' AllMusic - ¦Visit product page →
New studio album from Michigan's greatest outsider combo. An inspiration to Kurt Cobain, post grunge deep thinkers and veterans of the 'Can't Play/Will play' fraternity.
Pop music for those outside of pop music. Songs for those still bedevilled by one liners and abrasive melodies. Thematically succinct tales of puppet people, vampires and the walking dead juxtaposed with discerning love songs and eternal affection.
'Half-Japanese are a respected institution. They've been making noise since the late '70s.' Pop Matters
'Innocent abandon is still at the heart of the band' Pitchfork.
An off-kilter classic that shouldn't sound right but ultimately does, in the best tradition of The Residents, Richman, Johnston, Brian Wilson at his most bamboozled and any number of out there talents. Uncategorizable, joyous, detuned, quizzical, alluring, childlike, charming, innocent, questioning - invincible.
Jad Fair of Half Japanese has previously collaborated with Teenage Fanclub, Moe Tucker (Velvet Underground) and Daniel Johnston.
EU tour planned for Q2 2019.
Tracklisting:
1. Swept Away
2. Love Explosion
3. The Puppet People
4. Return Of The Vampire
5. Or Ever Will
6. No More
7. All At Once
8. The Walking Dead
9. Forever In My Heart
10. What Are You Gonna Do?
11. It's Here
12. Invincible
13. No Wonder
14. It Has Me
15. Indestructible
