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The new Broadway location is OPEN! Come by and see us. We're still unpacking, but most everything is out. It's a much bigger space, but we hope to grow into the space over time!

The new store is at 3126 Broadway, across the street and south about 1/2 a block (217 feet according to Google Maps) in the space formerly occupied by American Apparel.

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TORTOISE BEACONS OF ANCESTORSHIP (W/DOWNLOAD) :180 gm VINYL
Thrill Jockey
Our beloved TORTOISE are back & it's hard to believe that it's been 5 years since their last album. Each TORTOISE album has a distinct feel & the first thing that jumped out at us about this one was the 'in-your-face' live drum production & they synth-heavy arrangements. The normally restrained Jeff Parker cuts loose a few times with some raw solos that would certainly make John Mclaughlin smile. It seems that the boys in TORTOISE have finally excepted that they really are a 'post-rock' or prog band & though the songs to get complex from time to time, TORTOISE has a knack for making it all sound so easy. It's hard to totally pin these guys down but there is a bit of a 70's Euro-horror soundtrack vibe at times ala GOBLIN & their contemporary counterparts ZOMBI but maybe that's just because of the heavy analogue synths. Surprisingly, most of the songs are under six minutes which gives "Beacons..." more of a proper rock album feel. TORTOISE has rewarded us for our five year wait with another rock solid release.
Available at: All Stores
New LP $16.99

VARIOUS ARTISTS WORLD IS SHAKING: CUBANISMO FROM THE... :CONGO, 1954-55 (IMP)
Honest Jon's
The fifth release from Honest Jon's exploring vintage recordings (mostly on 78) from the EMI archives (past releases including "Living is Hard", "Sprigs of Time" & "Give Me Love", all releases that we've been absolutely loving). This time the focus is on the beginnings of the 'golden age' of African music & the origins of the Congolese rumba, the most popular music on the ENTIRE CONTINENT during the 60's & 70's. The music started in the nightclubs of the twin capitals, Leopoldville on the Belgian side & Brazzaville on the French. The music was a blend of traditional music of the area, Latin American rhythms & American & European jazz, especially Louis Armstrong. As always, the sound quality is top-notch & well-researched liner notes are included.
Available at: Broadway
New CD $16.99

KATHARSIS FOURTH REICH (IMP)
Norma Evangelium Dia
The "Worldwithoutend" album by KATHARSIS was one of the most extreme & apocalyptic sounding black metal albums we've ever heard & now they're back with a vengeance with a new album in 2009 with a ballsy title, "The Fourth Reich." The album is a little less insane which isn't too surprising because we're not sure if anybody could make an album any faster or as completely over the top as "W.W.E." In some ways, this album sounds like it could have came after their second album "Krucifixxxion" because it embraces their early more traditional black metal leanings while showing while showcasing their improved musicianship. Fans of contemporary bands such as DEATHSPELL OMEGA & WATAIN will eat this up. Limited edition.
Available at: All Stores
New LP $21.99

CIRCLE OF OUROBORUS OLD GHOSTS
Cocainacopia
CIRCLE OF OUROBORUS is a Finnish duo that creates dark & lo-fi heavy rock with black metal tendencies though their past few releases have gone more in a goth/rock direction. These recordings were originally intended for two different splits with Norwegian experimental/black metallers URFAUST but those releases were scrapped for some reason. According to the band "Old Ghosts" shouldn't be seen as an album but as a collection of previously unreleased material up to this point. Most of the songs have clean guitars & if there is distortion it's not too important to the overall sound of the song. Similar to the last few eps, there's actually some fairly melodic songwriting here with some of the songs sounding like a bizarre take on THE FALL or 80's New Zealand indie pop. We're really excited to stock another record by this great band & supposedly there's more to look forward to in the future. EXCELLENT STUFF.
Available at: All Stores
New LP $15.99

DEERHUNTER RAINWATER CASSETTE EXCHANGE
Kranky
In the 60's, it wasn't uncommon for bands like say THE BEATLES to release three albums in one year, nowadays, most bands are lucky if they release one album in three years. This is the fourth DEERHUNTER related release in the past year (including LOTUS PLAZA) & the band shows no sign of slowing up. The e.p. is mostly upbeat with early 90's Brit-pop isms & overblown, 60's girl group production. This is a logical exclusion to "Microcastle" & if they had released "Microcastle" as a boxset like RADIOHEAD did with "In Rainbows" this would be equivalent to the bonus disc included in that set. Another solid release from one of the best bands around right now.
Available at: All Stores
New CD $7.99

MIRRORS SOMETHING THAT WOULD NEVER DO
Violet Times
Holy crap! It's amazing that these recordings by this early/mid 70's Cleveland band haven't been properly reissued until now. The band was contemporaries of legendary Cleveland bands PERE UBU & ELECTRIC EELS & the group included an ex-ROCKET FROM THE TOMB member as well as musicians that would go on to form classic groups like THE STYRENES & PERE UBU as well as PSYCHOTRONIC magazines & books. Their Hearthen 7" (PERE UBU's label) is insanely rare & some of their other stuff has turned up on a few comps over the years but this is the first proper collection for this overlooked but not forgotten band. These guys were heavily influenced by the VELVET UNDERGROUND but THE MIRRORS version is heavier with some FLAMIN' GROOVIES-esque power-pop with some occasionally sick guitar playing & some hints at the future with some stuff sounding like THE FEELIES & PAVEMENT. ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL!!
Available at: Broadway and Loop
New LP $22.99

ENSLAVED VERTEBRAE (IMP, 3LP DELUXE VERSION) (COLORED VINYL W/ BONUS LIVE LP)
Indie Recordings
Norway's ENSLAVED formed in 1991 during the height of original Norwegian black metal scene. Unlike most of their peers, ENSLAVED's message focused on Norse mythology instead of satanism. Over the years their music gradually became more complex & on their 2000 album "Mardraum" the band began experimenting with progressive & psychedelic elements. Since then the band has exploded with creativy & "Vertebrae" finds them at their peak. The album start with a arrpegiated keyboard part that sounds like something from a GOBLIN song. The song breaks down into a midtempo rock riff with heavy organ backing the guitars. The first vocal part is melodic & clean & hints at what is to come throughout the rest of the record. Of course, Grutle's snarling vocals are as present as ever but the gutteral black metal growls share almost equal time with keyboardist Herbrand's PINK FLOYD inspired clean vocals. ENSLAVED have been building to this point since "Mardraum" & in a way "Vertebrae" is the perfect culmination of all of their records since then as well as their fresh & new take on what metal should sound like in 2008 & beyond. This will be metal album of the year of many people in 2008. To celebrate their success with this album, the band has reissued it with a bonus live LP recorded at the Hard Rock Festival in Germany in 2008. The fancy gatefold sleeve has redesigned artwork & the colored vinyl LPS are housed in printed inner sleeves.
Available at: Milwaukee Ave.
New LP $39.99

SOULEYMAN, OMAR HIGHWAY TO HASSAKE (2LP, GATEFOLD) FOLK & POP SOUNDS OF SYRIA
Sublime Frequencies
Raw & frantic Syrian pop music produced by Syria's legendary OMAR SOULEYMAN. He began his musical career in 1994 with a group of local collaborators & to this date has released over 500 live & studio recorded cassettes. The myriad of musical traditions of the region are evident in their music. Here, classical Arabic mawal-style vocalization gives way to high-octane Syrian Dabke (the regional folkloric dance & party music), Iraqui Choubi & a host of Arabic, Kurdish & Turkish styles. This amalgamation is truly the sound of Syria. The music often has an overdriven sound that consists of phase-shifted Arabic keyboard solos & frantic rhythms. At breakneck speeds, these shrill Syrian electronics play out like forbidden morse-code, but the moods swing from coarse & urgent to dirgy & contemplative in rugged anthems that comprise Souleyman's repertoire. Oud, reeds, baglama saz, shouting, & precussion fill out the sound from track to track. This is by far the coolest thing I've heard all day. On Sublime Frequencies!!!
Available at: All Stores
New LP $27.99

BIG BUSINESS MIND THE DRIFT (LTD. EDITION) (WATERY SPLIT PEA W/ CARROTS COL. VINYL)
Hydrahead
The 2009 album from BIG BUSINESS brings a few changes for the band. They've added a guitarist which is a pretty dramatic change for a band that used to be a bass/drums duo. More importantly, gone is the 'sludge' from days of yore. Don't get us wrong, these guys are still freakin' heavy but it's more in a proggy 70's hard rock way then post-MELVINS hard rock. The vocals are much cleaner too. Maybe they've been listening to a lot of MASTODON lately. Something about this album reminds us of early BLUE OYSTER CULT a lot. So yeah, there's been some big changes but these guys still know how to make an insanely heavy record. This limited edition vinyl version comes in a heavy cardstock sleeve with a printed inner sleeve & some damn heavy vinyl. As always, Hydrahead delivers a top-notch product!
Available at: Broadway and Milwaukee Ave.
New LP $23.99

GRIZZLY BEAR VECKATIMEST (2LP, W/ DOWNLOAD)
Warp
Veckatimest, named after a tiny island on Cape Cod, is an extremely collaborative effort considering how busy each band member has been since the release of "Yellow House" (2006). Tours with Radiohead, TV On The Radio, and Feist, the highly acclaimed album release of Daniel Rossen's other group Department Of Eagles, and releasing singles and EP's should have kept this album from happening in a timely fashion. However, here it is. Twelve songs of folk-pop with amazing orchestrations by Nico Muhly (if you haven't heard of this guy yet, look him up!!!), and guest backing vocals by Victoria LeGrand of Beach House on the track entitled "Two Weeks." Frankly, this album probably did not even need a description. Grizzly Bear's star has been rising since "Horn Of Plenty" was released in 2004. However, for our fashionably late listeners, if you enjoy Bon Iver, Panda Bear, or the Beach Boys you will like this with 99.9999% certainty. On Warp Records. Vinyl versions of "Veckatimest" include a free download of the entire album.
Available at: All Stores
New LP $18.99

AHMED, ILYAS GONER
Root Strata
Portland's Ilyas Ahmed is back with a new album & this one finds him dusting off the electric guitar & making a little noise this time. Ahmed is a gifted guitarist & his acoustic playing has dominated over the past few albums. The acoustic parts are still there but they seem to serve as the framework for Ahmed to build over with deep, fuzzy electric guitars, spare percussion & his haunting falsetto vocals. There are some Eastern flavors in his melodies but the riffs are more straight forward this time around almost as if Kurt Vile was stuck on some Peyote trip. GROUPER's Liz Harris lends some chilling singing (almost moaning) to the final track & her voice sounds great over Ahmed's fingerboard travels. Another excellent release from this mysterious artist.
Available at: All Stores
New CD $11.99