Polyvinyl Garage Sale

Polyvinyl are having a garage sale, and are offering some brilliant records for ridiculous dirt-cheap prices over at Polyvinyl

I've spotted cheap LPs and 7"s by 31 Knots, American Football, Braid, Ida, Joan of Arc, of Montreal, Owen and many others.

Waxwing - One For The Ride LP

I've been desparately looking for the vinyl version of this album for years. If you have a spare copy, please get in touch.

AIDS Wolf - Dustin' Off The Sphynx 7"

AIDS Wolf, the Montreal noise outfit are back with a new EP called "Dustin' Off the Sphynx". These guys (and girl) make excellent noise-rock, definitely recommended if you're into the likes of Lightning Bolt, The Chinese Stars, An Albatross or one might even hear slight traces of Liars in there. So, this new 7" not only includes 4 new songs, but also comes with a download code to the 7 additional bonus tracks from the out-of-print "Pas Rapport" tour-only cassette. The Colored vinyl 7" EP comes in a screenprinted gatefold sleeve and will most likely blow your mind.

Dustin' Off The Sphynx" comes at a whopping $18,99 from Skin Graft Records directly, but it seems like they're only offering it as a bundle with the CD. The cheapeast version I found out there is over at Interpunk; for only $10,25.

Doomriders - Darkness Come Alive LP

Sorry for the lack of the updates, I went to Paris to check out Faith No More with the misses. Yeah, be agressive!

So, let's kick this week off with a Beast shall we? Up for pre-order as of today is the new album "Darkness Come Alive" by Doomriders. Everybody should know by now who these guys are thanks to either the obvious Converge connection, or because of their splits with Boris and Disfear. At first, musically, lyrically and visually more a 'gimmick' band, "Darkness Come Alive" is supposed to be their "serious" record. If you have no clue what this band is all about, it's guys from Converge, Cave In, Disappearer and Cast Iron Hike getting all gritty and dirty on us. Their older work was somewhere in between the aforementioned Disfear, Entombed, High On Fire and a touch of stoner like Fu Manchu or so, the new tracks which can be streamed Here seem a bit more melodic.

"Darkness Come Alive" will be available on 3 different colours of vinyl, and is due September 28. Get yours from Deathwish

Ganglians - Monster Head Room LP + 7"

The "Monster Head Room" LP by Sacramento's Ganglians caught my attention because of the sublime artwork pictured above. And upon checking out their myspace, I quickly turned into a believer. Apparently Ganglians managed to release their first 2 LP's almost simultaneously on Weird Forest / Woodsist Records, home to other breakthrough artists such as Vivian Girls, Crystal Stilts, Woods and Wavves to name just a few.

What to expect of Ganglians? Well, most comparisons talk about Brian Wilson on acid, but since I always have the math equation Brian + Wilson = drugs, I'll say yes, there's definitely the Beach Boys vibe in it, but that can also be said of Fleet Foxes. So, for the sake of using modern references, I'd put them somewhere in between early Animal Collective and a dirtier more lo-fi sounding Fleet Foxes, with the psychedelic vibe that Grizzly Bear brings.

Do yourself a favour and pick up both the "Monster Head Room" LP +7" and the "s/t"LP from Boomkat

Bygones - By LP

Bygones somehow slipped through the observant net that is my brain. Especially considering that Bygones is another band in the countless number of outfits that Zach Hill is now part of. Yes, that crazy drummer from Hella, Holy Smokes, Team Sleep, CHLL PLLL, euhm, that project with Rob Crow, etc. This time he's found Nick Reinhart of Tera Melos to jam in his basement, and "By" actually sounds like one of the most entertaining and fulfilling records that he's worked on lately. For Zach Hill, this is pretty straight forward math rock, with even some melody thrown in there.

This debut LP comes on yellow vinyl and is limited to 1000 copies. And yeah, it has that chick from Dirty Projectors eating a burger on the cover, so get it from the band directly so that she just can order a drink with her meal already!

Asshole Parade - Welcome Fucking Home 7"

Asshole Parade are back or what?? I happened to stumble on the No Idea site, only to discover that out of the blue, they put a new 7" by Asshole Parade up for sale. Holy guacamole!

"Welcome Fucking Home" features 7" tracks of blistering, fast, angry powerviolence tracks as we're used to from them. These guys were the absolute Kings back then, then being the heydays of powerviolence with notorious acts such as Charles Bronson, Spazz or Los Crudos. The 7" comes on either opaque blue vinyl or "transparent goldenrod" vinyl, both limited to 500 copies.

Yes, you WANT this! So get it from No Idea!

White Shit - Sculpted Beef LP

White Shit is a band to keep your eyes on, even if their name is shitty (sic).
-Why? Well, because behind this moniker are some experienced musicians who know how to bring the rock!
-Who? Andy Coronado (Monorchid, Skull Kontrol, Wrangler Brutes) on guitar, Jared Warren (Karp, Big Business, Melvins) on vocals and Cody Willis (Murder City Devils, Big Business, Melvins) on drums.
-What? This 12" features 9 songs of "absolute hardcore crossover faster than sludge"
-When? Due September 22.
-Where? Available for pre-order from Vinyl Collective/

Boyd Rice - Hatesville! LP & The Way I Feel LP

Not one, but two Boyd Rice albums are being finally rereleased. Boyd Rice can be called "eccentric" or "controversial" at best, I'm personally most familiar with his collaborations with Death In June and Blood Axis. Either way, he was one of the godfathers of the industrial/noise scene, starting with this unaccesible kind of music way back in the 70's. Loyal fans and followers will also remark that he was once a priest in Anton LaVey's Church Of Satan, he regularly visited Charles Manson in prison, etc.

So there you have it. Soleilmoon are now gearing up to release the albums "The Way I Feel" and 'Hatesville!", the latter even for the first time ever on vinyl. "The Way I Feel" is limited to 300 copies on red vinyl and 500 picture discs, whereas "Hatesville!" comes on black vinyl and limited to 1000 copies with a picture disc version limited to 500. For those who care, pre-order now before the September 14 release from Soleilmoon

The Twilight Sad - Forget The Night Ahead 2xLP

"TheForget the Night Ahead", the new full-length by Scotland's The Twilight Sad is now up for pre-order. The new album "retains the guitar-washed drama of their previous effort, w/ an added complexity both sonic & thematic. Tremelo'd guitar creates seismic shifts between melancholic introspection & explosive release, the cacophony broadening to accommodate the band's most melodic & yet most thrillingly discordant moments to date" according to FatCat.

That doesn't say very much now does it? Well, I'll fill you in. First of all, James Graham sings with a wondeful Scottisch accent (reminding of labelmates Frightened Rabbit) and his lyrics are as dark as dark can be, whereas the musical blend of postrock and shoegaze is mesmerizing. Oh yeah, they already did a fullscale tour with Mogwai, so that's not too bad now is it?

It's also good to see that they've finally come up with a new theme for their artwork because the debut album and consequent 7"s all looked so bad I didn't bother getting them on vinyl. If this new record is as good as their previous effort "Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters", then it'll definitely be worth pre-ordering from Insound

Eels - Myspace Transmissions 12"

Here's a new installment in the Myspace Transmissions

series, which are for the most part not really worth your time, but the 6 tracks of E performing solo sound pretty good. This EP will be released on 12" on September 1, and is also available as a free download from myspace The 12" is available for pre-order from Resonance

Switchblade - s/t

Sweden's Switchblade are back! I had no idea these guys were working on a new album, even more that it's already finished. For now, they're only taking CD pre-orders due 09/09/09 (nifty!), so if that's your thing, go for it. However, patient folks like us, will just wait for the LP version to surface, but in the meantime can already listen to the entire beast online on their site

These 3 new songs seem to mark the natural progression Switchblade have been making. Whilst at first more into the whole Isis/Neurosis/Amenra vibe, these guys gradually slowed down more & more, becoming much more doom, without forgetting the monumental build-ups and punishing vocals. I'll definitely keep you posted about a possible LP release - Trust No One are ususally always a few months later with the vinyl, but in the meantime, pre-order the CD from Trust No One

Switchblade & Kongh are touring early September by the way, check out Switchblade.se for more info.

Thom Yorke - All For The Best 7"

Radiohead fans listen up! You can now place your pre-orders for the 7" version of Thom Yorke's single "All For The Best", with an original Mark Mulcahy track on the B-side. This 7" comes a few weeks before the tribute album for Miracle Legion’s Mark Mulcahy, whose wife Melissa passed away unexpectedly. The tribute album, which also features covers by The National, Vic Chesnutt, Mercury Rev Frank Black, Dinosaur Jr. and many others is due late September.

This 7" version will be stricly limited to 2000 copies. Obviously, all proceeds go directly to the cause, so get yours from Recordstore.co.uk/

J. Tillman - Year In The Kingdom LP

So who cares that almost no one had heard of J. Tillman before, let alone that he had already released 5 albums before Fleet Foxes suddenly exploded? I don't. Apparently Tillman only joined the Floot Fexes when they had already recorded and released the "Sun Giant" EP, but honestly, when hearing him sing alone, you'd swear he was with them from the start. So, this fifth record and my first introduction to the man reminds me of ... Fleet Foxes! Who would have thunk! Seriously, the vocal harmonies and such definitely remind of FF, but there's also some Great Lake Swimmers in here and some decent singer-songwriter stuff such as Rocky Votolato.

"Year In The Kingdom" will not let you down, so get it from Insound

The Mountain Goats - The Life Of The World To Come LP

The Mountain Goats caught me by surprise with the release of last year's "Heretic Pride", not alone for the superb music but as well as the delightful lyrics about mythical creatures, imaginary cults, slasher films and pulp fiction novelists, so my anticipation is quite high for their newest release called "The Life Of The World To Come By".

For this new release, singer-songwriter John Darnielle worked with his familiar crowd, but also enlisted some friends to help out, such as Jon Wurster (Superchunk) and Owen Palett (Arcade Fire/Final Fantasy), as well as that girl from St. Vincent and apparently 2 backing vocalists who haven't worked with the band in over a decade. Sounds like fun! No pre-orders from 4AD yet, but already online at Rough Trade

Wilco - LP Reissues

Wilco, you either love 'em or hate 'em, I for one am one of the lovers, but with too little vinyl of theirs in my collection. That's about to change though, as they are re-issueing some of their classic albums back on LP. Hooray! These reissues comes on 180g vinyl and in a gate-fold cover. As a bonus, each vinyl copy also includes a copy of the album on CD, as well as a download coupon. The albums are:
- Summerteeth
- AM
- Being There
Apparently these LP's are being released one per month. Summertime became available yesterday, for AM you have to wait an additional month, and "Being There" is expected late October. They're still expensive, but at least less expensive than before, so head over to The Wilco Store to get yours.

Ocean - Pantheon Of The Lesser 2xLP

Not available from Important Records yet, but I see these surfacing at several distributors, and since Ocean (definitely not to be confused with The) are one of my favourite doom bands out there, doesn't hurt to already pre-order this, I know I will. "Here Where Nothing Grows " was one hell of a debut, and last year Ocean hit back with "Pantheon Of The Lesser", which is now finally getting the vinyl treatment.

Packaged in "deluxe letter-pressed covers foil printed heavy duty cardboard jackets" with art by Bruce Hutchison, the vinyl itself is double 200-gram (wow!) vinyl, and there are 2 versions available, either with a white or a black cover, both limited to 500 copies. Besides the cover, what also sets them apart is the content on the D-side. On the white version you get an adaptation of The Swans song "You're Not Real Girl". On the black version is an adaptation of Roy Orbison's "It's Over".

I paid over $40 for their debut album back in the day, and although worth every penny I kinda missed the ball by a few months, so now let's order this on time and save some bucks shall we? Available from Darla for only $19,99 (Insound has them for 29,99). I'm getting both versions, just for the heck of it.

Transitional - Stomach Of The Sun 2xLP

Transitional is a supergroup of sorts, featuring the core-members Kevin Laska (Novatron) and Dave Cochrane (Jesu, Grey Machine, Head Of David), who on this new record get drumsupport from Phil Petrocelli (Trey Gunn, The living Jarboe, Fear Falls Burning). The new album "Stomach of the Sun" is up for pre-order now at Conspiracy Records , available on limited Gold (100 copies) or White (400 copies) 180gr vinyl for €16. Or, for €25 you get the pre-order pack containing an exclusive t-shirt as well.

For one week only, "Stomach Of The Sun" can be streamed here

Conspiracy comments: "Stomach of the Sun" serves up as an excellent full length reply to last years debut release " nothing real, nothing absent ". Over an hours journey through a sonic universe of 9 tracks all of which give you different possibilities and range of what this band can produce. From devouring linear drones, lush melancholy to pure unadulterated rage experienced through a back drop of churning rhythms, using Cohesive experimental recording techniques combined with discordant world eating riffs enveloped in a signature approach to atmosphere and interspersing melody making a truly individual record. The line up consists again of musican/producer Kevin Laska on guitar/voice/electronics/synth and drum programming, who's probably best known work before transitional was with Anthony Di Franco ( ex- skullflower ) as Novatron. Dave Cochrane( who's past and present credits to name a few include Head of David, jesu, Greymachine and God) on Basses. This record also sees the introduction of Phil Petrocelli to the band (whos past and present credits include, to name a few, Trey Gunn, The living Jarboe, fear falls burning and Bill Laswell) appearing on drums on several tracks throughout the record. Mastered by Justin K Broadrick."

Volcano Choir - Unmap LP

Girlfriend alert! I've already been waiting for weeks for this pre-order to come online, so without further ado, here's Volcano Choir. For anyone with their head stuck in the ground, this is a new project featuring Justin Vernon aka Bon Iver. I'll spare you all the hype ramblings, but judging by the song posted on Pitchfork a couple of weeks ago, this album will be great.

As of now, Jagjaguawar are taking pre-orders for the "Unmap" LP, which comes at $12,50 including a bonus 11" x 17" poster, so order yours Here

For all readers, here's the press release from Jagjaguwar: "Volcano Choir is an assembly of Wisconsinites Jon Mueller, Chris Rosenau, Jim Schoenecker, Daniel Spack, Justin Vernon, and Thomas Wincek. You might find these old friends also frequenting records and stages under different monikers, Collections of Colonies of Bees and Bon Iver. The collaboration predates the meteoric rise of Justin Vernon's Bon Iver project, with original songwriting dating back to the summer of 2005, right around the time the Bees first toured with Vernon's previous band DeYarmond Edison. While entirely a studio record, the collection doesn't suffer from the overburdens of a digital pile up or over-thinking. Rather it breathes and convulses in equal measure, radiating an inherent dynamism found only in the voluntary bondage of intimacy. With influences ranging from David Sylvian and Steve Reich to Mahalia Jackson and Tom Waits, it might be more accurate to say the group's influence is music itself. You can hear it in the care and real love generously applied to each moment of Unmap. With the vibe of some intimate backwoods gospel, plus a spirit of patience and thoughtful repetition, the music of Volcano Choir is as dynamic as it is lovely. Unmap ultimately came together over a weekend in November 2008 in Fall Creek, Wisconsin, at Justin and Nate Vernon's recording studio. And while it is at its heart a record about the allure of being with people you need and making something with them, it is also a document created by musicians with rare gifts getting together to exorcise their ideas about beauty. This scaffolding of loops and off grid tempos for choral style vocals offers a state of continual surprise, call it unexpectation. Unmap marks the debut full-length from Volcano Choir, the collaboration between Collections of Colonies of Bees and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver."

of Montreal - 5 LP Reissues

Of Montreal are sadly one of those bands who somehow managed to dissappoint me more & more with each new record they release. Fortunately enough, the people from Polyvinyl are making all their old records available again on LP. You can either buy their first 5 records all separately to comlete your personal collection, or you buy them as a bundle together with James Husband's debut album "A Parallax I" (featuring of Montreal members).

The seperate LP's which all come on heavy 180g vinyl by the way, are only $12 each, except the "Coquelicot Asleep In The Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse", which is a 2xLP and costs $16. The package comes at $60, so basically you get one of the records for free if you do so. More info and pre-orders are up at Polyvinyl

Troum - Eald-Ge-Streon 2xLP

Troum are an ambient-drone duo from Germany, who were active before in the influental ambient industrial group Maëror Tri. You know the deal, drones, feedback, the odd melody thrown in, pretty great stuff!

This 2xLP edition packaged in a full color book bound gatefold sleeve with design, layout and artwork by Stephen O'Malley. All copies from the label directly will be on colored vinyl and limited to 400 copies. Available November 18, but already up for pre-order.

Here's what the label has to say: "Welcome to the Thunderdome. Troum’s bone-cracking reverberations respirate with such ferocity that all non-Troum molecules are blown away. Eald-Ge-Streon is a massive, rising beauty. It is a great becoming, and we are nothing but an ant in the afterbirth. Troum has set its controls beyond the heart of the Sunn. The pulsating inferno of these 7 drone concertos may require an insurance adjuster, but what a lovely way to burn. It is in your nature to do one thing correctly. Before Troum, you rightly tremble. But fear is not what you owe Troum. You owe Troum awe!"

Get your copy for $25 Right Here

Nadja - Under The Jaguar Sun 2xLP

What did I say about Nadja last week again? There's no keeping up with Aidan Baker. Available now to order is the new 2xLP called "Under The Jaguar Sun" from Beta-lactam Ring Records - now there's a mouthful...

The 2xLP edition is due late August 2009 (thus now) and is packaged in a full color custom made book bound gatefold sleeve with 180 gram vinyl. Note: The vinyl version features three mixes by Nadja and one mix by Edward Ka-Spel (that's right, the guy from The Legendary Pink Dots) using the 2xCD set as source material so the music is very different from the CD version.

Get if for $25 from BLR Records

Eagle Twin - The Unkindness of Crows 2xLP

Goddammit. I placed an order at SL about 4 days ago, and here they go and put another record up for sale. And not just any record, it's the goddamn Eagle Twin record, definitely one of the best things they've released lately - well, in my book at least.

If you haven't checked out "The Unkindness Of Crows" yet, here's some info about the band which will make you want to check them out asap: "Densley was the musical visionary and leader of the legendary Jazz, Prog, Rock, Metal, Hardcore group Iceburn from 1991-2001. In order to disseminate his majestic and mountainous riffs in the present day he enlisted massively behemoth skinsman Tyler Smith. The drums are not only a driving force that efficiently steam rolls over you they conjure a repetitious mantra that is eerily infectious. The riffs and music definitely have familiar reference points (Caspar Brotzmann Massaker,Earth, sunn 0))), Melvins etc..) but are crafted in a way that stands miles beyond the others. “The Unkindness of Crows” was recorded to tape in Seattle by Randall Dunn (earth, sunn 0))), Kinski, Ascend). Beautifully packaged in a digi-pac with original artwork from Gentry, Sri Whipple and others. Designed by Stephen O’Malley"

For $17 you get the 2xLP (no pressing information yet), for 29$ it comes with a shirt. The vinyl version is supposed to have 2 bonus tracks compared to the digital version. So, don't sit on this, and get if from The Lord

Tigers Jaw - s/t LP

And a new reader submission has arrived! Up for pre-order is the new self-titled album by Tigers Jaw, a PA emo-punk outfit. Their sound reminds me somewhat of the Great 90's Emo Bands like The Get Up Kids or Saves The Day. Never was too fond of this kind of emo myself, but I'm sure college kids in the US will eat this up!

The ultra limited pre-order version limited to 40 copies is already sold out, but you can still get one of 400 pressed on black vinyl and hand numbered with screened covers done by the band. Since it's their first release, show some support and get it for only $8 from Photobooth Records

Chuck Ragan - Break Our Bread 7"

Hometown Caravan Records are preparing a new Chuck Ragan EP called "Break Our Bread". I know a lot of my friends wet their pants for anything Chuck Ragan related, so if you're one of them, pre-order this 7" before the September 1 release date from Vinyl Collective. For those of you who aren't familiar with this singer-songwriter, Chuck Ragan is the frontman for the legendary Hot Water Music. This 7" is limited to 1000 copies, so don't sit on it.

I would also dedicate a full entry to the pre-order for his new full-length out in September on Side One Dummy, bit it's for the CD, which does come with a limited picture-disc 7" though. So, go find it yourself!

Jesu - Opiate Sun 12"

Nothing seems to slow this man down. Justin Broadrick is back with a new EP under his moniker Jesu, available for pre-order from Aural Exploits "Opiate Sun" comes in a one time only edition of 2000 copies, broken down across five different colors (300 each) and black vinyl (500 copies), housed in a Stoughton old style tip-on jacket.

Ramones - California Sun 7"

Back! Rhino and Insound are gearing up to release some re-issues of long out-of-print classic 7"s, one of the first in this series will be by The Ramones! From Insound: "This heavily sought-after 7" EP contains live tracks from the Ramones' legendary first show at the Roxy in LA on July 12, 1976. Comes in a picture sleeve featuring the original artwork and repressed using the master files. A highly limited release of an almost impossible to find classic - you won't get something like this anywhere else!"

Strictly limited to 1,000 copies, 5 copies maximum per customer. Release date is TBA, but already up for pre-order at Insound

Off

Off for the weekend to attend Pukkelpop, Belgium's #1 festival. I'll be seeing the likes of Dinosaur Jr, Arctic Monkeys, Life Of Agony, Deerhunter, Fennesz, Tortoise and many others. Have fun, I will

Caspian - Tertia 2xLP

Here's the first reader submission! Justin informed me that Joel and Lindsay from Mylene Sheath are now taking pre-orders for "Tertia", the new album by Caspian. The few songs that I heard online remind me of Red Sparowes or Growing, with the long soundscapes, monumental build-ups and whatnot. Solid!

Several LP versions are available, such as 180gr, transparent pilsner and opaque maroon. The jacket is a 5mm spine, 350gsm jacket, with a matte varnish and gold foil stamping galore. Two 300gsm jacket stock inner sleeves, covered in artwork, slide into the jacket to hold the LP's. To top it all off a huge 11" by 11" twelve page booklet is included, which collects a literary interpretation of the album by Jon Bennet and full color photography by Andrew Weiss and others. Deluxe! All vinyl orders will ship with a free download coupon as well.

Seems like they're putting a lot of effort into this so the outcome will be high-quality. Get yours for $25 from Mylene Sheath

Oh yeah, Caspian are touring Europe for about 2 months straight in September & October, so for those who care, check out the tourdates on their myspace

Russian Circles - Geneva LP

No ordering information yet. This is just me being siked.

Fennesz / Sparklehorse - In The Fishtank LP

On September 14th, Konkurrent will release its 15th (!) installment of the "In The Fishtank" collaboration series. I'm not sure what this will turn out to be, but hey, at least it's new Fennesz music!!

Here are Konkurrent two pennies: "Ever since 'Endless Summer' we were attracted to the music of Christian Fennesz. Where many laptop artists don’t reach further than idle electronic rumble without engagement, Fennesz manages to create a world of unheard and rich new sounds.
Christian’s idea to collaborate with Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse excited us immediately. The two artists had performed together a couple of times and both felt that there was further mileage in the collaboration.
Just two days in December 2007 were enough to record over 40 minutes of the sublime Fennesz and Sparklehorse combination. Prepared oddities and masses of inspiration make these recordings unique in their style and in this series in particular. Songs and soundscapes of rare beauty with stunning atmospherics, where abstract sounds and wellcrafted traditional songstructure meet and where acoustic instruments and electronics create outstanding ambience."

Available from Amazon and Boomkat

Motorpsycho - Child Of The Future LP

Released last week but without any fuzz: ”Child Of The Future” by Motorpsycho, a Norwegian psychedelic rock band, who every now and then pop up out of nowhere and sneak a new release by us, or suddenly show up at some small concerthall in Europe. Their approach goes from classic rock, to weird folky acoustics to hypercatchy psychedelia. I've always given them the benefit of the doubt, and will do so for their new release as well.

Rune Grammofon comments: ”Child Of The Future” consist of six trademark Motorpsycho high energy rockers recorded by Steve Albini in his Chicago studio and bearing the classic hallmarks of great riffs, that driving tractor bass and some truly inspired guitar work. The slightly Zeppelin-esque ”The Waiting Game” is more acoustic and recorded at home. Motorpsycho, and indeed Rune Grammofon, have always been fans of music dating back to the late 60s and the 70s, also when it comes to production values and presentation. It should not come as a shock to anyone, especially not to the fans, that they have chosen to release this album on vinyl only, at least for the time being. Seeing as it is an analogue recording engineered by Steve Albini it only felt natural to release it in the format that many still consider to be the ultimate sound carrier. This sentiment also goes for the possibilities of the cover format, something Kim Hiorthøy has taken advantage of when doing this sleeve. The main sleeve has two die-cuts and has print on the inside, there is a thick colour inner sleeve and there is an amazing 60x60 poster with colour print on both sides. And before we forget, the vinyl itself is 180g and glorious white. Simply a great package and a great way to celebrate 20 years as a band.

Get the 180gr white LP from Rune Grammofon for 150NOK, which is about $25 or €18.

Brian Jonestown Massacre - Methodrone LP

So, Anton Newcombe, singer of BJM started his own label and is now re-issuing all the hard to find classics from his band. Pictured here is the Methodrone LP which is actually for the first time getting the vinyl treatment, but also the Love EP will be released soon on 180gr 12". The Brian Jonestown Massacre were an influential band in the garage/indie scene of the 90s, borrowing somewhat from The Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, and were a huge influence on bands like the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

Get Methodrone and other LP re-issues by BJM from Cargo

Fall of Efrafa - Inlé 2xLP

Never really knew what to do with these guys. You see, Britain's Fall of Efrafa not only have an awful name, they're also all over the place, mixing elements of post-rock, hardcore, black metal and even krautrock. Yep... It seems a lot of people are into them though, maybe just for parts of the songs in their respective genre, or because this way they only have to sit through one band while consuming a lot of others at the same time. Comparison wise, I'd say this is somewhere in between earlier Mouth Of The Architect and Battlelfields.

The story behind these recordings is interesting enough though, as this is apparently the final chapter of their "Watership Down" inspired Trilogy of records known as "The Warren Of Snares", consisting of:
- Owlsa, (warrior) the first record, created the narrative of an unnamed society in the final throws of a war against mankind.
- Elil (predator)was the second full length and dealt with these beliefs, and the oppressive reign of religious indoctrination.
- Inlé" (death) is the final recording effort of Fall of Efrafa, after this they disband.

Sound Devastation are now taking pre-orders for the 2xLP, available on regular black vinyl, as well as different coloured versions, all limited to 200 copies.

Black Boned Angel - Verdun LP

Well hell, speaking of Black Boned Angel. Turns out Riot Season are taking pre-orders for "Verdun", the new album by Black Boned Angel! Hooray!

Here's the release info from the label: "The eagerly awaited and much delayed (our fault!) new studio album from Black Boned Angel. Described by Rock-A-Rolla magazine as the bands "most sombre and realised work to date", and who are we to argue ?

Sharing a similarly bleak ground to Corrupted, Sunn 0))) and Earth, New Zealand's Black Boned Angel return with their fourth full length album 'Verdun', and perhaps their most sombre and fully-realised work to date.The Battle of Verdun was fought between the German and French armies, and was one of the critical battles during World War 1 on the Western Front. It resulted in more than a quarter of a million battlefield deaths and at least half a million wounded. Verdun was the longest battle and one of the most devastating in World War 1 and indeed in history. Over the course of 50 minutes, BBA soundtrack that brutal conflict with their trademark dark ambient drones and doom-laden riffs."

Limited edition black and colored vinyl LP, available for pre-order from Riot Season

Nadja / Black Boned Angel - Split LP

Back to the metal. Or sort of. This is a release I'm definitely spending my money on: the collaboration between Nadja and Black Boned Angel. Nadja are in my book similar to Boris, meaning that it's quite impossible to own all their records because they seem to release something every month. Black Boned Angel is also known under his other monniker Birchville Cat Motel. These 2 drone/metal soloplayers actually collaborated before on the one-sided Christ Send Light LP (which is still available from Conspiracy by the way), and as far as I've understood, this is more material from these recording sessions. To top things off, the artwork is also a collaboration between two heavyweights; David D’Andrea and Stephen Kasner.

20 Buck Spin don't have the LP available online, but you can order yours from Insound

Naked Raygun - Understand? LP and Jettison LP re-issues

Naked Raygun were a post-punk band from Chicago, emerging somewhere in the early 80's and had more in common with Hüsker Du or Gang Of Four than with let's say The Ramones. I found about this band from the "File 03" EP by The Hope Conspiracy when they covered "Treason", and the Big Black fans out there, know that 2 of these guys also played in that band.

Quarterstick re-issued their entire catalog a few years ago on CD, and now Haunted Town Records took the time to re-release 2 of their albums. "Jettison" is commonly considered their masterpiece, I've honestly never listened to "Understand?", but the cover also doesn't really invite me to do so. Either way, Naked Raygun definitely deserve the re-issue attention.

Understand?" LP

All original tracks remastered, includes a Government Issue cover as a bonus.

Limited to 1050 copies (handnumbered) on the following colors:

250 solid Purple

350 solid Yellow

450 clear Red

"Jettison" LP

All original tracks remastered w/ deleted Jettison track as a bonus.

Limited to 1350 copies (handnumbered) on the following colors:

350 solid Orange

450 Clear/Black

550 clear Pink

Available for pre-order from Haunted Town, shipping date is August 21.

Vaccine - Demo 7"

First released on tape which sold out in no-time, Clean Plate and Red Room Records are now taking pre-orders for the vinyl version of this demo. This is a one time pressing only, all songs come on the A-side, making room for a nifty screening on the B-side. Limited to 300 copies, 100 on clear, 200 on black.

Not excited yet? Vaccine are one of the new names in hardcore that are taking the scene by storm. They're fast and loud, their songs last about 30 seconds, they have a take no prisoners approach, and oh yeah, you might have heard of their previous bands such as Orchid! Bucket Full Of Teeth! Think I Care!

That's right. Order it from Clean Plate

Mission Of Burma - The Sound The Speed The Light LP

As probably thousands others, I got acquainted with Mission Of Burma through Moby's cover of "That's when I reach for my revolver". After picking up "Signals, Calls and Marches" and "Vs."only a few years ago, it began to dawn on me that these guys have left a major impression on many of the "groundbreaking" bands on the nineties, yet somehow never got their moment of glory.

Mission Of Burma reunited a few years ago, I think their last output was called "Obliterati" or something, and now they're back with a new album. Here's what Matador has to say:

"The new album sounds far more spacious and dynamic. It is more or less divided into 4 sets or suites of 3 songs. Each suite explores a set of moods or colors, across the usual dizzying array of lyrical topics, from alcoholism to fleshly concerns. The anthemic, catchy opener, our first MP3, is a classic Burma rocker on a level with “This Is Not A Photograph” or “That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate.” Other tracks, such as “Feed,” “Forget Yourself,” and “Slow Faucet,” the latter a live favorite for some time, are slow, hypnotic builders. “Good Cheer” is a burst of almost uncontainable joy and fun that literally explodes from the speakers.Of course, all the Burma trademarks are also present: the military snare drum, the melodic basslines high up on the neck, and the furiously experimental guitarwork, refracted and changed back into the songs via tape loops – all punctuated by the hoarse shouts of drummer Peter Prescott. This controlled chaos, this disciplined letting go, is the heart of what they do and it remains as exhilarating and fulfilling as ever."

For $18 you can pre-order the "The Sound The Speed The Light" LP from http://www.matadorrecords.com/ They also have pre-orders up for new Yo La Tengo 2xLP but I don't care enough to dedicate a full entry on them, as well a 7" pre-order for Kurt Vile - who remains an unkown to me at this point.

Failures - s/t 7"

Painkiller released this 7" last week, but as far as my eye can see still has some of the 229 white/gray colored editions, if not, don't be dumb and just get one of the 810 black vinyl copies. Failures released their first record last year on Clean Plate/Youth Attack. Who the hell are Failures? Well: Mark McCoy (Charles Bronson, Holy Molar, Das Oath), Andrew Jackmauh (Cut The Shit, Bones Brigade), Will Killingsworth (Orchid, Ampere, Bucket Full of Teeth), Matt Wilga (Bucket Full of Teeth, Cancer Kids). Need I say more? Order now from Painkiller Records

Gnaw Their Tongues - All the dread magnificence of perversity 2xLP

Not sure how long ago this has been released because I just recently stumbled upon this release with the announcement that Crucial Blast will be releasing this album on CD pretty soon, but here it is, the new album by the one-man blackmetal project Gnaw Their Tongues. According to Burning World records this is "An impossible blend of metal, choral, industrial, electronic, ambient, drone, noise and blackness, a gorgeous, and gorgeously infernal concoction, every record, another chapter in some sick saga, hell swallowing the surface dwellers, misery and mayhem overtaking humanity, death and pestilence, the world a graveyard for humanity, such utter depravity conveyed in such epic and dementedly brilliant sounds"

The simple 2xLP version as pictured here below is only €18, while the Wooden Box version is a whopping €50, but it definitely looks worth your while. The box contains a silkscreened lid, 2xlp gold vinyl ,a shirt and a sticker, limited to 100 copies.

This, and other vinyl collectibles such as the Year Of No Light - Live at Roadburn LP available from Burning World

Shit And Shine - 229 2299 Girls Against Shit 2xLP

Shit And Shine return with their fourth Riot Season album after a link-up with the Load Records stable for their last release. Definitely one of the most notorius acts in the drone-scene, these guys offer a loud mix of drone, kraut-metal and noise, and expect nothing else from their latest "Girls Against Shit"

Riot Season states: "Continuing in their usual Riot Season style, what we have on offer here is the bizarre, the puzzling and the downright groovy. The epic, drawn-out single-riff jams that make up their legendary live shows are replaced by their trademark off-the-wall lunacy, making for a fun-packed adventure akin to biking trips with friends, and the local mental as a child.
'229 2299 Girls Against Shit' could be the soundtrack to that summer, the beating of rats with sticks, the shooting of girls with gat guns, swimming in a mang ridden cut and the discovering of dead dogs and maggots. Ah, those were the days my friend ...

Available from the good folks at Boomkat

Refused legacy: AC4 - s/t LP and Final Exit - Discography 2xLP

Two new upcoming releases, both featuring Dennis Lyxzén & David Sandström of Refused fame, thé, and I repeat, thé number one Swedish hardcore band - for that matter, maybe even number one European band, crossing every boundary they could their Magnum Opus "The Shape Of Punk To Come". So, after Refused disbanded, the members went their different ways. Most visible was Dennis in The International Noise Conspiracy. I also remember an album on Simba Records, I think it was David Sandström solo, just his voice and piano which was beautiful, but can't seem to find it in my shelves, nor find any information on it, so any help is welcome. Anyway:

AC4 - s/t LP
Not much news about this, just that it's the 2 aforemenioned guys with their new outfit called AC4. From what I've heard, they're hereby returing to their hardcore roots with pretty uptempo stuff and anthemic lyrics. You can pre-order the self-titled LP by emailing the label over at Ny Vag

Final Exit - Discography 2xLP + DVD

Didn't really expect this to come out on vinyl, but hey well, why not? And when you read the press comment it sounds pretty exciting: "This is a monument representing the storm that swept in over Sweden, Scandinavia, the world during the time era of the 90's. The music & anger, the brotherhood and the fun was for real and still is. Veganism, riot, straight edge, hardcore...
This release is in the works and be available later this autumn. Full discography on vinyl, gatefold. With poster and a dvd with Final Exit in motion."

For those of you unfamiliar with Final Exit, they played fast raging hardcore and were one of the founding bands of the Umea hardcore movement, featuring members who later went on to form band such as Refused and Abhinanda. Pre-order this discography 2xLP + DVD + poster for only €16,7 over at Monument HQ/

Lou Barlow - Goodnight Unknown LP

On October 5th, Domino will release Lou Barlow’s new album, Goodnight Unknown. In the 4 years after his previous album "Emoh", Lou Barlow has reunited with Dinosaur Jr. and reissued three of Sebadoh’s classic albums - and obviously toured extensively with both.

Domino comments: "Borrowing the live-band energy of Dinosaur Jr. and the stylistic reach of Sebadoh, Barlow has built on "Emoh"’s full production and written a set of immediate, melodic pop songs that Lou describes as, “a cross between my later work with Folk Implosion and my earlier work with Sebadoh…to my ears, anyway.”

Get "Goodnight Unknown" as a pre-order for only GBP7,99 from Domino Records

Do Make Say Think - Other Truths LP

Wohow! A new album by Do Make Say Think. Anyone who rightfully loves Mogwai and Godspeed You Black Emperor! also probably has every record by this Canadian outfit.

I'll let the label do the talking, because they seem to know what they're talking about: "These guys have always been a mystery to me, The sixth full-length from Do Make Say Think defiantly features four long-form tracks, three of which clock in at over 10 minutes, and all of which trace the inimitable musical arcs that have made this band justly celebrated for their unique sonic palette and vibrant distillation of compositional forms and influences into some of the past decade’s most consistently rich and rewarding instrumental rock.

Bucking the trend towards diminishing attention spans, immediate gratification, snappy digital singles and things that go ‘pop’ right out of the gate, DMST admirably stick to their roots and allow the vines that spring from their fertile musical garden to wind, curl and climb for as long as required. More than ever, the players keep their heads down, creating wonderful multi-movement instrumental works (with the occasional mantric or wordless vocal passage, courtesy guest singers The Akron Family and Lullabye Arkestra), overflowing with attention to tone and timbre, animated by unfussy yet ornate harmony, melody and polyrhythm, shot through with ineffable soul. The four songs on Other Truths are vintage Do Make Say Think, and the album represents the first time since the band’s debut (recorded over a dozen years ago) that they have found themselves with an entire collection of songs that unfold so organically over long duration. As testament to the unfettered evolution of these tunes, the band has titled them simply “Do”, “Make”, “Say” and “Think”. "

"Other Truths" is available in a first pressing on deluxe 180gLP that includes a limited edition poster (unique to the LP package), an artwork insert printed on heavyweight translucent paper and a CD copy of the album all packed in a thick 24pt. paperboard record jacket. Pre-order if for the October 19 (EU) or October 20 (World) date at Constellation/

Orthodox - Sentencia LP

One of the few European doom bands to get the Southern Lord "two thumbs up", Spain's Orthodox are back with "Sentencia". The LP comes in a beautiful gatefold, with debossing on cover, printed inner sleeve, and coloured vinyl. "Sentencia" is another jumb in the sense of the evolution for a band like Orthodox. With an instrumentation closer to jazz than ever before, the album is best example of the music progression the band always wanted to show, from their unique heavy metal perspective, and particular vision of the traditional andalusian music has to be performed in their own repertoire.

Available on black or gold vinyl from Alone Records

Tyondai Braxton - Central Market 2xLP

I've honestly been waiting foréver for a new Battles record. Well, that isn't gonna happen any day soon, so I'll just consider "Central Market" as the follow-up to "Mirrored". On September 14, Warp will release the debut-album by Tyondia Braxton, frontman for Battles. Warp states: "Composed, arranged and produced by Braxton, the 7-track set features guitars, vocals, electronics, percussion and the Wordless Music Orchestra, unified to create orchestral music re-imagined for the 21st century, and perhaps the 22nd as well. Central Market introduces Braxton as an exceptional addition to the world of New Music composers, while maintaining a strong hold on the poly-rhythmic and technically awe-inspiring creations he is already known for."

Pre-order the Limited, heavyweight high quality pressing on double gatefold vinyl for €23,99 at Bleep