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AGITATED
THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.
IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8PM ON MONDAY APRIL 22ND.
CHEAP PRICE COMPILATION CD of rare, unreleased, forthcoming, and brilliant tracks from the Agitated Label,and friends.. Like a massive bag of pick and mix to have a party with.. features Straight Arrows, Kelley Stoltz, Carlton Melton, oldboy, Headland, Laurel Canyon, Catatonic Suns, Last of Easy Riders, Icarus Line, Blamers, and much more besides.. 500 CD ...cheap...and tasty.. some tracks first time on CD, some exclusive to this release.. its fun! But whats that?..its not just a single CD label comp, its been double bagged with a extra CD, put together as a collection of “Radio Shows” by good friends of Agitated, The Hawk and KBCD radio!!! Heres what they had to say about DISC 2!!!! “CD2: The Agitated Radio Show on KBCD Radio - The Hawk presents a chemical hit of underground medicine all the way from Nixon County... "a repeat of CD1?" you may unreasonably ask - no, friends, it most certainly isn't.” Only 500/.. grab it on RSD 24..
IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8PM ON MONDAY APRIL 22ND.
CHEAP PRICE COMPILATION CD of rare, unreleased, forthcoming, and brilliant tracks from the Agitated Label,and friends.. Like a massive bag of pick and mix to have a party with.. features Straight Arrows, Kelley Stoltz, Carlton Melton, oldboy, Headland, Laurel Canyon, Catatonic Suns, Last of Easy Riders, Icarus Line, Blamers, and much more besides.. 500 CD ...cheap...and tasty.. some tracks first time on CD, some exclusive to this release.. its fun! But whats that?..its not just a single CD label comp, its been double bagged with a extra CD, put together as a collection of “Radio Shows” by good friends of Agitated, The Hawk and KBCD radio!!! Heres what they had to say about DISC 2!!!! “CD2: The Agitated Radio Show on KBCD Radio - The Hawk presents a chemical hit of underground medicine all the way from Nixon County... "a repeat of CD1?" you may unreasonably ask - no, friends, it most certainly isn't.” Only 500/.. grab it on RSD 24..
The Kings of the Fucking Sea are Sara Nelson (b), Poni Silver (d), and Chet Weise (g,v). About the group's sound, Walter Scott Award winning author of The Gallows Pole and The Offing, Benjamin Myers said, "Kings of the Fucking Sea make me want to mask-up, topple statues, carve Iggy’s face in Mount Rushmore, storm the White House and paint it black. Their noise hits on a visceral level and will scorch the edges of your very DNA. if MC5 and Black Sabbath had a baby it would be a biological miracle, and they would call it Kings of the Fucking Sea. Troubled times need troubling music: here it is, a live soundtrack to a crumbling empire. Totally righteous."
TRACK LISTING
1. Diosa Luna
2. Witch Mountain
3. Buick Mackane
4. Hiding No More
5. Death Dealer
6. Arcade Atlantis
7. Talk To God
8. I Walk Alone
9. The Nile Song
Headland is a collective of Australian musicians that compose, record and perform soundtrack music for surf films in various forms. The group leader is Murray Paterson, an old surfer himself, who in between wrangling two red-headed boys, finds time here and there to record bits and pieces of guitarbased music. Mostly he heads to Nashuaville where his longtime colleague from a previous life in arts education, Les Dorahy, has set up a small recording studio in the old Booyong General Store, situated in the Byron Bay Hinterland. Whenever friends visit their part of the world, they drop past and join in. Most of the music remains instrumental but this new album is a collection of songs. One of Murray’s comrades from his days with Tex Perkins and The Dark Horses is Joel Silbersher. Joel has been a longtime Headland collaborator–playing bass and guitar–but while recording material for the new album, vocal melodies kept finding their way into Murray’s instrumentals. Soon there seemed enough of a coherent lyrical theme to build an album around. There’s a song about installing a dishwasher. There’s one about a soccer ball filled with blood, and one from the point of view of a lizard. The topic of love among the elderly gets a look in, and there’s a drone called Face in the Sky, which is about a face in the sky.
There is some nice instrumentation touches here too with cello (Tahiti Jones), pedal steel (Danny Widdicombe), double bass (Melissa ‘Curly’ Hunt), violin/melotron (Amanda Brown – GO BETWEENS), percussion (Luke Peacock) and organ (Whitey White) fleshing out the core band of Paterson, Silbersher, accordionist Les Dorahy and drummer Brock Fitzgerald. During the recordings, a good friend of the band, Australian rock legend Spencer P. Jones sadly departed. One of his melodies and lyric was dovetailed to a Paterson instrumental and Ode to Death Trip became an emotional tribute to mark his passing. A couple of other covers appear on the album. There is a surprising, acoustic rendition of Motörhead’s Deaf Forever and a version of John Sebastian’s Darlin’ Be Home Soon. This last is a relic from 2007 when following a hard-drive meltdown at Nashuaville, the only remaining recording of a late night jam was an unedited headphone mix. It seems though, it was impossible to exclude this from the collection.
There’s still enough of the spacious Australian land- and seascapes to satisfy fans of the previous Headland albums (sound/track 2013, Cosy 2015, True Flowers from this Painted World 2017), journeys through a sonic architecture centred around the motion of the ocean and it’s meeting with the coastline. But a narrative of loss and longing sits on the surface here: Silbersher’s voicing is an emotive thread that breaches at all the right times. There are references to the likes of Alex Chilton, Nick Drake and Daniel Lanois but Christian Pyle (Prawn & Spanner Studio) brings a sensitivity to the mix so that any references float rather than reveal themselves in bold relief. What Rough Beast marks the development of an ensemble and documents a sense of meaning embedded with the tone of place.
There is some nice instrumentation touches here too with cello (Tahiti Jones), pedal steel (Danny Widdicombe), double bass (Melissa ‘Curly’ Hunt), violin/melotron (Amanda Brown – GO BETWEENS), percussion (Luke Peacock) and organ (Whitey White) fleshing out the core band of Paterson, Silbersher, accordionist Les Dorahy and drummer Brock Fitzgerald. During the recordings, a good friend of the band, Australian rock legend Spencer P. Jones sadly departed. One of his melodies and lyric was dovetailed to a Paterson instrumental and Ode to Death Trip became an emotional tribute to mark his passing. A couple of other covers appear on the album. There is a surprising, acoustic rendition of Motörhead’s Deaf Forever and a version of John Sebastian’s Darlin’ Be Home Soon. This last is a relic from 2007 when following a hard-drive meltdown at Nashuaville, the only remaining recording of a late night jam was an unedited headphone mix. It seems though, it was impossible to exclude this from the collection.
There’s still enough of the spacious Australian land- and seascapes to satisfy fans of the previous Headland albums (sound/track 2013, Cosy 2015, True Flowers from this Painted World 2017), journeys through a sonic architecture centred around the motion of the ocean and it’s meeting with the coastline. But a narrative of loss and longing sits on the surface here: Silbersher’s voicing is an emotive thread that breaches at all the right times. There are references to the likes of Alex Chilton, Nick Drake and Daniel Lanois but Christian Pyle (Prawn & Spanner Studio) brings a sensitivity to the mix so that any references float rather than reveal themselves in bold relief. What Rough Beast marks the development of an ensemble and documents a sense of meaning embedded with the tone of place.
STAFF COMMENTS
Barry says: A beguiling mixture of Red House Painters style expansive morose rock and brittle, jazzy acoustic stuff. Flickering guitar and soaring ambience bring to mind expanses of land and weightless dreaming. Thoroughly lovely and always surprising.TRACK LISTING
01. Let's Get On With It
02. I Will Fix This
03. Reverse Painting
04. Ode To Death Trip
05. O Tulip
06. Deaf Forever
07. Build A Good Bubble
08. Clattering Thing
09. Betrayal
10. Komodo
11. What Rough Beast
12. Face In The Sky
13. Darlin' Be Home Soon
In a world LOUSY with B-grade garage bands and wannabe punk rockers, Straight Arrows are back to show us all how it’s done!
Side A features '21st Century' - a Straight Arrows-esque psychedelic punk/
near breakbeat report on the 21st Century from their forthcoming LP 'On Top!',
while side B features 'Cyberbully', a version of the A side reworked by Owen
and legendary Sydney DJ and crate digger DJ Soup.
Side A features '21st Century' - a Straight Arrows-esque psychedelic punk/
near breakbeat report on the 21st Century from their forthcoming LP 'On Top!',
while side B features 'Cyberbully', a version of the A side reworked by Owen
and legendary Sydney DJ and crate digger DJ Soup.
Overflowing with unbridled energy, you’d be forgiven for thinking On Top was the band’s debut album, but the third record for the Sydney quartet sounds as vital and as exciting as ever. Having spent years touring their incendiary live show around Australia and the world, Straight Arrows have honed their fresh, reverb-laden, fuzzed out, psychedelic punk sound into pointed perfection with On Top. From the frantic buzzsaw of “Nothing To Me”, to the break-beat groove of “21st Century”, to the tender outsider folk of “Dead Weight”, to the mind-melting psych-out that is “Buried Again”, this is the sound of a band that isn’t short on ideas and isn’t afraid to push the envelope of what people expect a Straight Arrows record to be.
“Nothing's more boring than a bunch of the same guitar bullshit over and over again. We’ve taken the guitar bullshit, made it occasionally a little faster, and sometimes even a little slower too,” says vocalist, guitarist and chief songwriter Owen Penglis with a cheeky grin.
Clearly he and his bandmates have cast a wider sonic net this time around, largely influenced by Penglis’ love of crate digging and his vast musical knowledge of the detritus of pop culture’s past. “Over the writing of this thing I was listening to a lot of 60s and 70s private press LPs from the USA, weird bubblegum, private press 45s from Australia, and a whole heap of 60s Jamaican rocksteady singles. Al (Grigg guitar/vocals) reckons 'Gun Man' sounds a little rocksteady-ish, but I think he’s wrong and it’d be embarrassing for a bunch of Australians to attempt these sounds.”
Much like everything else they’ve done, On Top was completely created on their own terms. Produced and mixed by Penglis himself, the album seems to be more direct than the band’s previous efforts, bringing a clarity to their sound without losing any of the ramshackle charm that has earnt Straight Arrows a worldwide cult following. This aural evolution is something that has happened more by chance than by any conscious choice. “As a group of gifted amateurs it sometimes happens that through repetition and long tours we've improved at our craft, despite our best efforts to the contrary,” laughs Penglis.
On Top is the riveting next episode in the ongoing Straight Arrows saga.“The first album is It’s Happening, the second is Rising, so it only makes sense by this point that we'd eventually make it On Top!!” says Penglis. “Plus it’s WAY more flattering than 'Peaked'.”
“Nothing's more boring than a bunch of the same guitar bullshit over and over again. We’ve taken the guitar bullshit, made it occasionally a little faster, and sometimes even a little slower too,” says vocalist, guitarist and chief songwriter Owen Penglis with a cheeky grin.
Clearly he and his bandmates have cast a wider sonic net this time around, largely influenced by Penglis’ love of crate digging and his vast musical knowledge of the detritus of pop culture’s past. “Over the writing of this thing I was listening to a lot of 60s and 70s private press LPs from the USA, weird bubblegum, private press 45s from Australia, and a whole heap of 60s Jamaican rocksteady singles. Al (Grigg guitar/vocals) reckons 'Gun Man' sounds a little rocksteady-ish, but I think he’s wrong and it’d be embarrassing for a bunch of Australians to attempt these sounds.”
Much like everything else they’ve done, On Top was completely created on their own terms. Produced and mixed by Penglis himself, the album seems to be more direct than the band’s previous efforts, bringing a clarity to their sound without losing any of the ramshackle charm that has earnt Straight Arrows a worldwide cult following. This aural evolution is something that has happened more by chance than by any conscious choice. “As a group of gifted amateurs it sometimes happens that through repetition and long tours we've improved at our craft, despite our best efforts to the contrary,” laughs Penglis.
On Top is the riveting next episode in the ongoing Straight Arrows saga.“The first album is It’s Happening, the second is Rising, so it only makes sense by this point that we'd eventually make it On Top!!” says Penglis. “Plus it’s WAY more flattering than 'Peaked'.”
TRACK LISTING
01. Nothing To Me
02. 21st Century
03. Gun Man
04. Bound To Lose
05. Out And Down
06. The One
07. I Don't
08. Headache
09. Buried Again
10. Turpentine
11. Deadweight
From high in the Rocky Mountains, Last of the Easy riders descend with Unto the Earth, its new psych-infused country-rock long-player.
While the Easy Riders’ first outing exhibited the band’s kaleidoscope of trippy guitar sounds and production techniques, Unto the Earth unveils the band’s earnest songwriting chops and knack for genuine Bakersfield-Sound country. Though, the guys certainly didn’t abandon its lysergic-leanings, especially on the mind-warping title track – which also serves as the lead single.
With no shortage of jangly guitars, piano and pedal steel, the LP no doubt echoes Clarence White-era Byrds, but it doesn’t stray far from the band’s Southwestern-rock ‘n’ roll roots. The early-‘70s AM rock sounds of “Free Wheelin’,” the opening track, reverberates the band’s nomadic lyrical tendencies, while promptly setting up the sonic road trip Unto the Earth delivers. “Turn the Tide,” which closes Side A, melds brilliantly modest Tom Petty-esque guitar riffing with the Easy Riders’ signature vocal harmonies – which soar across both sides of the wax.
Being the first full-length for the band, the members – whom all share songwriting credits – were able to stretch out and laydown some lengthy and tastefully-stacked arrangements. From the fiery doors-esque jamming on “Woodland Echoes” to the ominous western guitar lines of “Shadow Cruiser,” numerous moods freely wander across the nine-song track list.
“Almost all the lyrics are intended to paint vivid picture, and give listeners a sense of place,” says the band’s co-founder Christopher Minarik (guitar/backing vocals). “Certain songs and lyrics really lay it on the line and say exactly how the songwriter felt, or what they were going through. It’s the most personal and honest songwriting I’ve ever done.”
Rounding out the lineup heard on the LP is bassist/vocalist Dan Duggan, guitarist Bradley Grear and drummer Mitch Mitchum. Unto the Earth was recorded in March 2017 in Lansing, Michigan by producer/songwriter George Szegedy – who also offered up his own song for the disc, the twangy-and-wistful “It Won't Be Long” After five months of mixing and fine-tuning, the Last of the Easy Riders were ready to deliver the record.
While the Easy Riders’ first outing exhibited the band’s kaleidoscope of trippy guitar sounds and production techniques, Unto the Earth unveils the band’s earnest songwriting chops and knack for genuine Bakersfield-Sound country. Though, the guys certainly didn’t abandon its lysergic-leanings, especially on the mind-warping title track – which also serves as the lead single.
With no shortage of jangly guitars, piano and pedal steel, the LP no doubt echoes Clarence White-era Byrds, but it doesn’t stray far from the band’s Southwestern-rock ‘n’ roll roots. The early-‘70s AM rock sounds of “Free Wheelin’,” the opening track, reverberates the band’s nomadic lyrical tendencies, while promptly setting up the sonic road trip Unto the Earth delivers. “Turn the Tide,” which closes Side A, melds brilliantly modest Tom Petty-esque guitar riffing with the Easy Riders’ signature vocal harmonies – which soar across both sides of the wax.
Being the first full-length for the band, the members – whom all share songwriting credits – were able to stretch out and laydown some lengthy and tastefully-stacked arrangements. From the fiery doors-esque jamming on “Woodland Echoes” to the ominous western guitar lines of “Shadow Cruiser,” numerous moods freely wander across the nine-song track list.
“Almost all the lyrics are intended to paint vivid picture, and give listeners a sense of place,” says the band’s co-founder Christopher Minarik (guitar/backing vocals). “Certain songs and lyrics really lay it on the line and say exactly how the songwriter felt, or what they were going through. It’s the most personal and honest songwriting I’ve ever done.”
Rounding out the lineup heard on the LP is bassist/vocalist Dan Duggan, guitarist Bradley Grear and drummer Mitch Mitchum. Unto the Earth was recorded in March 2017 in Lansing, Michigan by producer/songwriter George Szegedy – who also offered up his own song for the disc, the twangy-and-wistful “It Won't Be Long” After five months of mixing and fine-tuning, the Last of the Easy Riders were ready to deliver the record.
STAFF COMMENTS
Laura says: Sublime psych-tinged country rock from this Denver four piece. If Byrdsian guitar jangles, vocal harmonies and pedal-steel are your thing then this is definitely for you. Lovely stuff!TRACK LISTING
A
1 Freewheelin'
2 It Won't Be Long
3 Easy Alameda
4. Unto The Earth
5. Turn The Tide
B
1 High And Lonesome
2 Shadow Cruiser
3 Silver Canyon
4 Woodland Echoes
This will be Carlton Melton's first full length release since 2015’s widely lauded “Out To Sea” double opus, itself a languid drifting of drones and psychedically enhanced riffmongering. Sure, there's been some long EP releases since.. .Hidden Lights in 2017 (featuring the immeasurable drone sike float on “Rememory”) and Aground in 2016 (a companion, the Desert Island weather beaten psych-flow follow up to Out To Sea), now it’s time to soak up...Mind Minerals.
Mind Minerals finds Carlton Melton in fine fettle, all the songs were recorded and engineered at El Studio in San Francisco by Phil Manley on September 3rd and 4th 2016 (except 'untimely' - recorded at the Dome by Brian McDougall), the studio setting suits them -- a logical progression from a weekend’s recording out at the Dome.
Under Manly’s watchful ear/eye, Carlton Melton have created a futurescape soundtrack..,a “3001 Space Oddyssey”. The drums are more pounding and direct than before, the constantly re-assuring bass creates a helping hand to propel you through the clouds of static and shards of electrifying guitar dazzling your horizon. Synths help soothe the sharp edges and lull you into some out of body experience whilst and orchestrated calamitous scree pulls you back…. This is a breathless, yet deep breathing album. It demands full immersion...
Searing guitar piercing the drone with relentless power, the core trio of Carlton Melton; Andy Duvall (drums/guitar), Clint Golden (bass guitar), and Rich Millman ( guitar/synth), have some alchemical bond that’s helped them create a post-rock / psychedelic / freeform organic slab of American Primitivism / space drift , this is unashamed head-music from the melting pot of Northern California.. 5 decades ago this album would have been released on the ESP Disk Label or even Apple…there would have been no helter skelter if the desert Hippies had locked onto these vibes, plug in, turn on, tune out..float free.. Carlton Melton can provide your own aural microdose to reset your Mind / Psyche!!
Andy Duvall plays juno synth on 'the lighthouse'
Special guests:
Phil Manley - juno synth on 'snow moon' and 'sea legs' / Guitar on 'eternal returns' and 'psychoticedelicosis'.
John McBain - guitar on 'electrified sky' and 'way back when' / synth/mellotron/guitar on 'atmospheric river'.
All songs mastered by John Mcbain at JPM mastering.
Cover artwork is “Walls” (2013) by Andy Vogt.
Mind Minerals finds Carlton Melton in fine fettle, all the songs were recorded and engineered at El Studio in San Francisco by Phil Manley on September 3rd and 4th 2016 (except 'untimely' - recorded at the Dome by Brian McDougall), the studio setting suits them -- a logical progression from a weekend’s recording out at the Dome.
Under Manly’s watchful ear/eye, Carlton Melton have created a futurescape soundtrack..,a “3001 Space Oddyssey”. The drums are more pounding and direct than before, the constantly re-assuring bass creates a helping hand to propel you through the clouds of static and shards of electrifying guitar dazzling your horizon. Synths help soothe the sharp edges and lull you into some out of body experience whilst and orchestrated calamitous scree pulls you back…. This is a breathless, yet deep breathing album. It demands full immersion...
Searing guitar piercing the drone with relentless power, the core trio of Carlton Melton; Andy Duvall (drums/guitar), Clint Golden (bass guitar), and Rich Millman ( guitar/synth), have some alchemical bond that’s helped them create a post-rock / psychedelic / freeform organic slab of American Primitivism / space drift , this is unashamed head-music from the melting pot of Northern California.. 5 decades ago this album would have been released on the ESP Disk Label or even Apple…there would have been no helter skelter if the desert Hippies had locked onto these vibes, plug in, turn on, tune out..float free.. Carlton Melton can provide your own aural microdose to reset your Mind / Psyche!!
Andy Duvall plays juno synth on 'the lighthouse'
Special guests:
Phil Manley - juno synth on 'snow moon' and 'sea legs' / Guitar on 'eternal returns' and 'psychoticedelicosis'.
John McBain - guitar on 'electrified sky' and 'way back when' / synth/mellotron/guitar on 'atmospheric river'.
All songs mastered by John Mcbain at JPM mastering.
Cover artwork is “Walls” (2013) by Andy Vogt.
STAFF COMMENTS
Barry says: Hypnotic swells of strummed guitars, camouflaged with the scream of a thousand delays fighting a thousand reverbs in space, breaking out into beautifully languid streaks of light in an otherwise foreboding musical landscape. Beautiful, ambient bliss.TRACK LISTING
01. Untimely
02. Electrified Sky
03. The Lighthouse
04. Eternal Returns
05. Snow Moon
06. A Basketful Of Trumpets
07. Sea Legs
08. Way Back When
09. Climbing The Ladder
10. Atmospheric River
11. Psychoticedelicosis
A long time in the making, this “solo” offering from Melbourne underground /outsider rock legend or indeed mainstream collaborator and sideman, Joel Silbersher cranks up the hiss and crackle with three absolute classics, an original and two cover versions…all displaying Joel’s idiosyncratic take on the blues, or folk.. or indeed soul music. For it is that which burst forth on this essential 45.. almost a Beefheartian guttural (from the gutter, and indeed the gut…) growling from Silbersher makes these songs his, and ultimately..yours....
Featuring assorted members of the Drones (Liddiard / Noga) on various instrumentation, the a-side – “No Teeth” is a Silbersher original, it sparks and spits with huge wit and snarl..making a mess / meal out of the blues..a true visceral outburst! … on the b-side, there’s two covers… a take on Bill Withers’ “ I Don’t Want You On My Mind” which emboldens the smooth soul with a vitriolic preaching of good, common sense… and then The Holy Modal Rounders’…”Half a Mind”…an urgent and exuberant take to put it mildly!! Theres 500 of these being made, don’t be a dope and miss out!
Brief Bio from Joel Silbersher:
'Rock n Roll Turtle' Joel Silbersher ( Hoss/God/Headland/Dark Horses/Tendrils/Greasy Lens main man)…presumably done nothing for ages, presumed useless...Swelling slowly back to tumescence with half constructed slugblues hit of the century soon to be covered by the ghost of the Winter brothers.... Ancient turtle wisdoms shared now for betters or worst. Couple Drones present and past playing with Abbadon, I mean abandon. Bill Withers tune which preaches good sense...Exuberant approximation of Rounders song.
Featuring assorted members of the Drones (Liddiard / Noga) on various instrumentation, the a-side – “No Teeth” is a Silbersher original, it sparks and spits with huge wit and snarl..making a mess / meal out of the blues..a true visceral outburst! … on the b-side, there’s two covers… a take on Bill Withers’ “ I Don’t Want You On My Mind” which emboldens the smooth soul with a vitriolic preaching of good, common sense… and then The Holy Modal Rounders’…”Half a Mind”…an urgent and exuberant take to put it mildly!! Theres 500 of these being made, don’t be a dope and miss out!
Brief Bio from Joel Silbersher:
'Rock n Roll Turtle' Joel Silbersher ( Hoss/God/Headland/Dark Horses/Tendrils/Greasy Lens main man)…presumably done nothing for ages, presumed useless...Swelling slowly back to tumescence with half constructed slugblues hit of the century soon to be covered by the ghost of the Winter brothers.... Ancient turtle wisdoms shared now for betters or worst. Couple Drones present and past playing with Abbadon, I mean abandon. Bill Withers tune which preaches good sense...Exuberant approximation of Rounders song.
TRACK LISTING
A1: No Teeth
B1: I Dont Want You On My Mind
B2: Half A Mind
After their crushing debut 7" released in 2015, which saw lead single No Good get a full rotation to cult Sydney radio station FBi Radio and saw them join the stage with the likes of The Buzzcocks, Die! Die! Die!, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and The Meanies amongst others, WHITE DOG return with their debut album, SYDNEY LIMITS. Recorded in one day by Wade Keighran (The Scare, Wolf & Cub) and mastered by Nick Franklin (MAKING, Unity Floors, No Art), this is an album that follows the template of all great punk records - just shy of half an hour, but loaded with 16 tracks of intense, unrelenting punk.
Much like the city it was bred in, WHITE DOG make music that has been pushed to the brink, but refuses to die. Taking cues from Black Flag, Cosmic Psychos, Venom P. Stinger and Sick Things, early US Crossover Hardcore ala COC/DRI, SYDNEY LIMITS explodes with deranged energy, seething with an anger that can only come from the forced nihilism of Sydney living. A cesspit of high costs and low value. Lose the bullshit, replace it with WHITE DOG.
Much like the city it was bred in, WHITE DOG make music that has been pushed to the brink, but refuses to die. Taking cues from Black Flag, Cosmic Psychos, Venom P. Stinger and Sick Things, early US Crossover Hardcore ala COC/DRI, SYDNEY LIMITS explodes with deranged energy, seething with an anger that can only come from the forced nihilism of Sydney living. A cesspit of high costs and low value. Lose the bullshit, replace it with WHITE DOG.
TRACK LISTING
01. Sydney Limits
02. Neck Up
03. Beyond Repair
04. Unproven
05. Downhill
06. Hard For You
07. Turnip
08. These People
09. Black & White
10. No Good
11. Pound For Pound
12. Pike
13. Whipping Boy
14. Gutless Wonder
15. Xman
16. Locked Out
First new song from the Straight Arrows since they started working on their new album, rushed out on a super limited 7” to tie in with their Debut US tour, including 7 or so Dates with Thee Oh Sees… theres 120 the band are selling on the road, and we have 180 to sell elsewhere.. Numbered to 180, hand stamped labels and paper sleeves.. this is a stab of punk rock pop scizz that will make your toes tap uncontrollably and your hips shake incessantly.. A real high energy garage blaster, this could be on any of the Teen Shutdowns or Back From The Grave comps, not retro, but reaffirming!! Turn It Off is the first offering from their forthcoming (2017!) new album, get on it!! The b-side is a debut to vinyl, having been one of the lo-fi/ no-fi scorchers from their bonus CD/Cassette that Agitated bust out with the first few copies of their debut album… Yeah!! Where the action is!!!!
While Last of the Easy Riders formed last summer in Denver, the band of sonic nomads each converged high in the Rocky Mountains individually from various parts of the country.
Even with dissimilar backgrounds, each of the musicians shared one common vision: to create cosmic rock ‘n’ roll. The outcome is the band’s naturally formulated blend of raw Midwestern treble and passionate deep-south rhythm and bass. That acoustic integrity shines bright on the group’s gutsy self-titled debut EP on Agitated Records.
Much like their iconic heroes in bygone country-rock outfits like The Byrds and The Band, each member contributes song credits to the new disc. The band comprises guitarist/vocalist, Christopher Minarik, Mitch Mitchum (drums, vocals), Daniel Duggan (bass, vocals) and guitarist, Bradley T Grear.
“It’s what makes us dynamic – four individual songwriters playing in one band,” said Minarik, who refers to Last of the Easy Riders as “southwestern psych-rock.”
The earthy, inspired track list projects the tranquility of the outdoors, or perhaps hazily driving through Joshua Tree National Park with the windows down, while a CCR cassette warmly hums in the background. It’s an honest, but optimistic batch of original tunes.
“It conveys the aspect of moving across the country,” Minarik added. “Or overcoming past experiences and crossing into the next stages of modern adulthood.”
And even though this freshly pressed EP was recorded earlier this year in a remote cabin in Rollinsville, Colorado – the production and arrangements throwback to the golden days of ‘60s American music – back when Buck Owens still ruled Bakersfield and Gram Parsons still had a chance.
Even with dissimilar backgrounds, each of the musicians shared one common vision: to create cosmic rock ‘n’ roll. The outcome is the band’s naturally formulated blend of raw Midwestern treble and passionate deep-south rhythm and bass. That acoustic integrity shines bright on the group’s gutsy self-titled debut EP on Agitated Records.
Much like their iconic heroes in bygone country-rock outfits like The Byrds and The Band, each member contributes song credits to the new disc. The band comprises guitarist/vocalist, Christopher Minarik, Mitch Mitchum (drums, vocals), Daniel Duggan (bass, vocals) and guitarist, Bradley T Grear.
“It’s what makes us dynamic – four individual songwriters playing in one band,” said Minarik, who refers to Last of the Easy Riders as “southwestern psych-rock.”
The earthy, inspired track list projects the tranquility of the outdoors, or perhaps hazily driving through Joshua Tree National Park with the windows down, while a CCR cassette warmly hums in the background. It’s an honest, but optimistic batch of original tunes.
“It conveys the aspect of moving across the country,” Minarik added. “Or overcoming past experiences and crossing into the next stages of modern adulthood.”
And even though this freshly pressed EP was recorded earlier this year in a remote cabin in Rollinsville, Colorado – the production and arrangements throwback to the golden days of ‘60s American music – back when Buck Owens still ruled Bakersfield and Gram Parsons still had a chance.
Limited to 350 only / Dinked old skool pressing for this pounder!!
Australian oddball punks STRAIGHT ARROWS bring forth a brand new greasy side-project dancefloor workout, DIRECT FROM THE ZOO. Not since 'THE MONKEY' and 'THE GORILLA' has there been such a PRIMITIVE routine that has electrified the club this thoroughly! Drop it on the turntable, and HIT THE FLOOR. Then flip it over, and work out over the instrumental. A GUARANTEED HIT!
Australian oddball punks STRAIGHT ARROWS bring forth a brand new greasy side-project dancefloor workout, DIRECT FROM THE ZOO. Not since 'THE MONKEY' and 'THE GORILLA' has there been such a PRIMITIVE routine that has electrified the club this thoroughly! Drop it on the turntable, and HIT THE FLOOR. Then flip it over, and work out over the instrumental. A GUARANTEED HIT!
BRAND NEW album from legendary LA firestarters, The Icarus Line. Their third full length release for Agitated (their eigth album in total), following on from their imperious return to the fray in 2013 with the much lauded release of 'Slave Vows', followed up by its companion "album release" 'Avowed Slavery' in 2014.
Recorded and arranged live as a group in Cardamone's studio, Valley Recording Company in Burbank, the sessions "were very private and conducive to conjuring," the frontman describes. "If you are lucky, you can capture something before it dies. I feel like all great music is a fleeting inspiration. You only have so much time to capture it before it either turns into routine or it turns its back on you."
The album features a guest appearance from legendary outsider artist Joe Coleman who helped coin the album title. Also appearing is Bad Seed / Grinderman/ Dirty Three band leader Warren Ellis who helped pen the track "Bedlam Blue" with Cardamone.
Art work for All Things Under Heaven was found during the making of the record. Veteran news photographer Randy Taylor was receiving attention for some works of his that were created out of destruction. During the Sandy hurricane his archive was flooded and many of his photos were "destroyed". The pictures that would make up the record's sleeve were simply a document of a 4th of July cookout but after the waters of Sandy they became the american dream in a car crash with mother nature. The perfect visual to compliment a document about a melted american dream.
All Things Under Heaven packs the kind of swagger, raunch & ascent that would make Iggy Stooge and Sun Ra proud parents. It is a record that expands the vocabulary of what rock music can be without sacrificing the critical spirit that makes it Rock N Roll. The Icarus Line have summoned up the demons from the past, paid their homage and taken the sound in an entirely new direction; because this band are never ones to be caught on their knees. The album is a sprawling sonic landscape that has a timeless quality about it as it traverses between low valleys, towering skyscrapers and all the dirty alleyways that connect them. It's a record that's as sprawling as the city of Los Angeles to which The Icarus Line have always called home. It's a fuck you to the bite size society that has become music consumption. Life is bigger than that. And just like LA, this is a record that from the opening hollow echo swallowed pounding drums of "Ride Or Die" to the final free jazz funeral lullaby of "Sleep Now" is all its own world.
The Icarus Line have been deep in the rock 'n' roll trenches since their debut album Mono in the late 90s, yet sound more significant now than ever. Over the years The Icarus Line have proved to be one of the most exciting and unpredictable live bands around, again and again. Their performances are explosive, dangerous and sexy all at the same time.
"Joe Cardamone slanks in a room like some sick fuck who actually knows how to live on the street, instead of pretending that he still does," writes Permanent Midnight author Jerry Stahl. "Walking down Vulnerable Hardass Ave " the one where OG rock'n'rollers, the early eat-their-arms screamers and bar walkers that paved the way for posers and haircuts to come, first started screaming out the truth that was eating them alive."
For fans of all music styles American Primitive: Ayler, Patton, Howlin Wolf, Gira, Velvet Underground, Funkadelic, Sun Ra, The Psychedelic Stooges, Black Flag, Charlie Feathers, Tony Conrad.
Recorded and arranged live as a group in Cardamone's studio, Valley Recording Company in Burbank, the sessions "were very private and conducive to conjuring," the frontman describes. "If you are lucky, you can capture something before it dies. I feel like all great music is a fleeting inspiration. You only have so much time to capture it before it either turns into routine or it turns its back on you."
The album features a guest appearance from legendary outsider artist Joe Coleman who helped coin the album title. Also appearing is Bad Seed / Grinderman/ Dirty Three band leader Warren Ellis who helped pen the track "Bedlam Blue" with Cardamone.
Art work for All Things Under Heaven was found during the making of the record. Veteran news photographer Randy Taylor was receiving attention for some works of his that were created out of destruction. During the Sandy hurricane his archive was flooded and many of his photos were "destroyed". The pictures that would make up the record's sleeve were simply a document of a 4th of July cookout but after the waters of Sandy they became the american dream in a car crash with mother nature. The perfect visual to compliment a document about a melted american dream.
All Things Under Heaven packs the kind of swagger, raunch & ascent that would make Iggy Stooge and Sun Ra proud parents. It is a record that expands the vocabulary of what rock music can be without sacrificing the critical spirit that makes it Rock N Roll. The Icarus Line have summoned up the demons from the past, paid their homage and taken the sound in an entirely new direction; because this band are never ones to be caught on their knees. The album is a sprawling sonic landscape that has a timeless quality about it as it traverses between low valleys, towering skyscrapers and all the dirty alleyways that connect them. It's a record that's as sprawling as the city of Los Angeles to which The Icarus Line have always called home. It's a fuck you to the bite size society that has become music consumption. Life is bigger than that. And just like LA, this is a record that from the opening hollow echo swallowed pounding drums of "Ride Or Die" to the final free jazz funeral lullaby of "Sleep Now" is all its own world.
The Icarus Line have been deep in the rock 'n' roll trenches since their debut album Mono in the late 90s, yet sound more significant now than ever. Over the years The Icarus Line have proved to be one of the most exciting and unpredictable live bands around, again and again. Their performances are explosive, dangerous and sexy all at the same time.
"Joe Cardamone slanks in a room like some sick fuck who actually knows how to live on the street, instead of pretending that he still does," writes Permanent Midnight author Jerry Stahl. "Walking down Vulnerable Hardass Ave " the one where OG rock'n'rollers, the early eat-their-arms screamers and bar walkers that paved the way for posers and haircuts to come, first started screaming out the truth that was eating them alive."
For fans of all music styles American Primitive: Ayler, Patton, Howlin Wolf, Gira, Velvet Underground, Funkadelic, Sun Ra, The Psychedelic Stooges, Black Flag, Charlie Feathers, Tony Conrad.
STAFF COMMENTS
Barry says: As brash as ever, The Icarus Line return to the fore with this, their latest outing since 2013. All Things Under Heaven sees the band in a more grungy, punk-influenced mood. Snarling vocals, and screaming call-to-arms refrains atop driving distortion and thumbing kick drums. Never likely to be accused of being boring, this is a new direction from a band that can do no wrong. A Political noise-punk statement, and a righteous performance from one of the greatest post-hardcore bands of all time.TRACK LISTING
RIDE OR DIE
TOTAL PANDEMONIUM
EL SERENO
ALL THINGS UNDER HEAVEN (featuring Joe Coleman)
LITTLE HORN
MILLENIAL PRAYER
INCINERATOR BLUE
MIRROR
BEDLAM BLUE (featuring Warren Ellis)
SOLAR PLEXUS
I DON'T WANNA STAY
SLEEP NOW
“Out To Sea” is the most focussed of all Carlton Melton’s recordings to date: the voyage is long; the voyage is joyous.
Leaving their geodesic dome behind, they hitched their magick karpet to San Francisco’s El Studio for a fried weekend in July 2014 with The Fucking Champs / Trans Am’s Phil Manley at the production helm and occasionally contributing to the furore. Phil Manley plays guitar on “Similarities” and synth on “Peaking Duck”
Out To Sea sees Carlton Melton expanding their vision of the psychedelia and free outrock sound of their previous output and push to their furthest horizons using waves of sound - from huge pounding rhythms, outta space riffage, gentle synth wave-riding, pastoral passages, searing shards of molten guitar, smothered ambience and gentle flowing guitar picking – to lap at the shores of your senses.
For fans of: Space travel, the Heads / Kandodo, Faust / Funkadelic, the Kon Tiki Expedition, Parson Sound, Flotation tanks, Bong, Bardo Pond, float on, float on.......
We’re gonna need a bigger boat.
Leaving their geodesic dome behind, they hitched their magick karpet to San Francisco’s El Studio for a fried weekend in July 2014 with The Fucking Champs / Trans Am’s Phil Manley at the production helm and occasionally contributing to the furore. Phil Manley plays guitar on “Similarities” and synth on “Peaking Duck”
Out To Sea sees Carlton Melton expanding their vision of the psychedelia and free outrock sound of their previous output and push to their furthest horizons using waves of sound - from huge pounding rhythms, outta space riffage, gentle synth wave-riding, pastoral passages, searing shards of molten guitar, smothered ambience and gentle flowing guitar picking – to lap at the shores of your senses.
For fans of: Space travel, the Heads / Kandodo, Faust / Funkadelic, the Kon Tiki Expedition, Parson Sound, Flotation tanks, Bong, Bardo Pond, float on, float on.......
We’re gonna need a bigger boat.
TRACK LISTING
1. Peaking Duck
2. Wheel And Deal
3. Diamond In The Rough
4. Out To Sea
5. Amfmpm
6. Too Close To Home
7. Similarities
8. It?s Been Summer All Winter
9. The Barrier
10. Perdiddle
11. Realms
Originally released in the late 1980’s on cassette only, “In The Name of All That is Unholy” is Evil Acid Head’s (aka John McBain, previously of Monster Magnet & Wellwater Conspiracy fame) long overdue reissue.
Fully remastered from the original recordings by McBain himself, “In The Name of All That is Unholy” is, across all 7 tracks, 4 sides of this LP, a jarring mind expansion of the third eye kind. It’s by no means a whimsy gaze; “In The Name of All That is Unholy” takes your psyche and smashes it into smithereens.
Fully remastered from the original recordings by McBain himself, “In The Name of All That is Unholy” is, across all 7 tracks, 4 sides of this LP, a jarring mind expansion of the third eye kind. It’s by no means a whimsy gaze; “In The Name of All That is Unholy” takes your psyche and smashes it into smithereens.
Agitated's favourite album that they didn’t release in 2014 was the amazing bulldozer of australian rock and roll driven by HITS. "Hikikomori" was released in Australia and France, Agitated asked to do a single, a proper old fashioned 7" single. HITS obliged, and the track "Loose Cannons" (from the album) was chosen as the a-side, with the unreleased studio version of Big Black Car.
Both songs recorded with Radio Birdman /New Christs' Rob Younger at the desk. Loose Cannons kicks out your speaker dust with a sound that can only be from Australia, loud guitars, riffs a-plenty, hi energy rock and roll with killer vocals. and then theres "big black cars" on the flip, a previously released live version blew peoples ear offs, this studio version is even more proof that rock and roll action from Australia is superior to all!
Both songs recorded with Radio Birdman /New Christs' Rob Younger at the desk. Loose Cannons kicks out your speaker dust with a sound that can only be from Australia, loud guitars, riffs a-plenty, hi energy rock and roll with killer vocals. and then theres "big black cars" on the flip, a previously released live version blew peoples ear offs, this studio version is even more proof that rock and roll action from Australia is superior to all!
Wet Blankets are from Australia. Rise Of Wet Blankets is the first 12” from these Geelong whackers, packin’ 11 bangers into 18 minutes.
Wet Blankets don’t write long songs, don’t get played on JJJ (UK residents, read, XFM), don’t have a permanent guitarist on this LP, in fact, Wet Blankets don’t even have a front cover on this LP (hand stamped cardboard to protect the record!). Wet Blankets write songs about real world problems like homeless people, stealing from Coles (UK residents, read Tescos) and being late for school.
The band came together round August of 2013, when 14-year-old Zane Gardner started slammin’ chords and rippin’ solos on his brother’s guitar. By the years end, a two track 7” was recorded in the bedroom and released in February ’14 on Italian label Goodbye Boozy. A couple of months later, Rise Of Wet Blankets was born.
The record was recorded on the industrial side of West Geelong with top bloke Mark Doman on his reel-to-reel 8 track one Saturday last year, spitting out influences like the Reatards, Swell Maps, Ramones and Dead Kennedy’s to name a few. Guitarists Zak & Jake (of Hierophants fame) take turns shredding over the top of each track to give it some extra life, but what it really sounds like is a fifteen-year-old kid yellin’ his guts out about bogans stealing carrots, crummy school teachers and eating overcooked steak for breakfast.
Wet Blankets don’t write long songs, don’t get played on JJJ (UK residents, read, XFM), don’t have a permanent guitarist on this LP, in fact, Wet Blankets don’t even have a front cover on this LP (hand stamped cardboard to protect the record!). Wet Blankets write songs about real world problems like homeless people, stealing from Coles (UK residents, read Tescos) and being late for school.
The band came together round August of 2013, when 14-year-old Zane Gardner started slammin’ chords and rippin’ solos on his brother’s guitar. By the years end, a two track 7” was recorded in the bedroom and released in February ’14 on Italian label Goodbye Boozy. A couple of months later, Rise Of Wet Blankets was born.
The record was recorded on the industrial side of West Geelong with top bloke Mark Doman on his reel-to-reel 8 track one Saturday last year, spitting out influences like the Reatards, Swell Maps, Ramones and Dead Kennedy’s to name a few. Guitarists Zak & Jake (of Hierophants fame) take turns shredding over the top of each track to give it some extra life, but what it really sounds like is a fifteen-year-old kid yellin’ his guts out about bogans stealing carrots, crummy school teachers and eating overcooked steak for breakfast.
Geelong delinquents The Living Eyes will unleash a new, 10-track slab of stompers via Agitated Records.
The Living Eyes are Billy Gardner (who, not only runs the esteemed Geelong record label Antifade, but also plays in Ausmuteants and Wet Blankets amongst others…) on vocals and guitar, Mitch Campleman on guitar / vocals, bassist Dayle Herbert and drummer Nicholas Hill. Their second full-length, “Living Large,” was recorded in a day-and-a-half by (Straight Arrows’ front man) Owen Penglis in his (new) Sydney hideout, Goliath Professional Recording Studio. The tapes were then driven back down the Hume highway and finished off in a couple of West Geelong bedrooms before being sent off to Australia’s mixing master, Mikey Young.
Taking their cues from the likes of The Easybeats, The Hoodoo Gurus, The Saints and The Hard Ons, The Living Eyes stand true to the vitriolic punk brash and sharp garage crunch of their s/t debut (2013, Antifade Records) whilst crafting some DAMN SWEET power-pop hooks. The Living Eyes are ‘Living Large’ with feral wallaby beat to make you pick up your feet and a shake you just can’t shake! For Fans Of: Jay Reatard, Citadel Records, The Kinks, Waterfront Records, The Ramones, In The Red Records, High Voltage AC /DC.
The Living Eyes are Billy Gardner (who, not only runs the esteemed Geelong record label Antifade, but also plays in Ausmuteants and Wet Blankets amongst others…) on vocals and guitar, Mitch Campleman on guitar / vocals, bassist Dayle Herbert and drummer Nicholas Hill. Their second full-length, “Living Large,” was recorded in a day-and-a-half by (Straight Arrows’ front man) Owen Penglis in his (new) Sydney hideout, Goliath Professional Recording Studio. The tapes were then driven back down the Hume highway and finished off in a couple of West Geelong bedrooms before being sent off to Australia’s mixing master, Mikey Young.
Taking their cues from the likes of The Easybeats, The Hoodoo Gurus, The Saints and The Hard Ons, The Living Eyes stand true to the vitriolic punk brash and sharp garage crunch of their s/t debut (2013, Antifade Records) whilst crafting some DAMN SWEET power-pop hooks. The Living Eyes are ‘Living Large’ with feral wallaby beat to make you pick up your feet and a shake you just can’t shake! For Fans Of: Jay Reatard, Citadel Records, The Kinks, Waterfront Records, The Ramones, In The Red Records, High Voltage AC /DC.
TRACK LISTING
01. High Standards
02. Eat It Up
03. All In Good Time
04. Dry Spell
05. On Sale
06. Guilty Pleasures
07. Low Life
08. Put It Back
09. Bad Example
10. Lighten Up
Tripping the Light fantastic courtesy of Night Flights, a new San Franciscan take on the path taken by the likes of Schulze / Tangerine Dream / Cluster / Eno and other doyens of the space-synth-riff float.
Night Flights is a recording project of lo-fi, ambient, synth-driven, soundscapes. Consisting of members of the band Carlton Melton and Mastered by John McBain, Night Flights is a collection of sounds prepared 'for headphones only'. It is very much influenced in spirit by the 1980's late night television series 'Night Flights'. Rich Millman - synth and guitar; Andy Duvall - galaga-guitar on 'alpha jerk'. Recorded and mixed by Rich Millman, Mastered by John McBain at Taylor Street Studios. Art by Kaveh Soofi
Its not like this hasn’t been done before, but Agitated hasn’t released anything so chilled and spatial…and after the year we've had, this 40 minhutes from Night Fligths de-bugs the sytstem and sets our mind straight!
This is the ideal comedown record for the concerted psychedelicist. Freak on my flotation tank flag wavers. 500 only 12” vinyl, clear orange vinyl at that.
Night Flights is a recording project of lo-fi, ambient, synth-driven, soundscapes. Consisting of members of the band Carlton Melton and Mastered by John McBain, Night Flights is a collection of sounds prepared 'for headphones only'. It is very much influenced in spirit by the 1980's late night television series 'Night Flights'. Rich Millman - synth and guitar; Andy Duvall - galaga-guitar on 'alpha jerk'. Recorded and mixed by Rich Millman, Mastered by John McBain at Taylor Street Studios. Art by Kaveh Soofi
Its not like this hasn’t been done before, but Agitated hasn’t released anything so chilled and spatial…and after the year we've had, this 40 minhutes from Night Fligths de-bugs the sytstem and sets our mind straight!
This is the ideal comedown record for the concerted psychedelicist. Freak on my flotation tank flag wavers. 500 only 12” vinyl, clear orange vinyl at that.
Limited edition new two tracker from one of Geetroit’s (that’s Geelong, Victoria to you pommy losers!) best! The Living Eyes deal in punk rock, as in pop, with a snarl and whipsmart edge. Australia has some killer stuff going on (as usual), and this new breed of Murder Punk Unknowns features the likes of the Living Eyes at the forefront.
Snotty, snarly, and almost both tracks being pop hits (from the gutter), fans of the Hard Ons, Psycho Surgeons, Fun Things, and Ramones might want to check some of this action out!! A Split release with Agitated and Anti-Fade. 200 for UK only…
Snotty, snarly, and almost both tracks being pop hits (from the gutter), fans of the Hard Ons, Psycho Surgeons, Fun Things, and Ramones might want to check some of this action out!! A Split release with Agitated and Anti-Fade. 200 for UK only…
Reduced
Hey, this aint no “follow up” number, this is a the other arm getting a shot; this is the Slave Vows era of the Icarus Line getting its I’s dotted. A sort of finality at play here, “Avowed Slavery” is the companion release to 2013’s well received SLAVE VOWS album, this completes the circle of fury.
With the video release of “City Job” at the end of 2013, and the Slave Vows album still making people talk, it was time to put these songs to wax, prepare the world for The Icarus Line's next move. Five tracks spread over the two sides, this mini album serves as aSlave Vows booster jab, the feral verocity of the last album is in spades here, maybe even more so, the fire in the band’s belly is roaring, and its only when the last track closes down do you realise quite fully, the impact.
Reference points take in a whole gamut of genres, styles, sounds, stances…… Cardamone leads the gang once more into the rough, the desecrated warzone that is the music industry, american culture and love , they (Cardamone, Hallet, De Guzman, Arnao) create their brand of “hellfire and brimstone” rock and roll…
Leeches and Seeds is a frenetic blast of noise with Hallets drums threatening to collapse your ears, driving you into live favourite Junkadelic. The bastard offspring of Clinton and Bargeld this grooves and slithers, winding its earworm abilities into your whole shuddering psyche…..
Raise Yer Crown closes off side one, with their LA swagger back in full effect, thump and grind from the Icarus Line, this is Los Angeles NOW…
Side two opens with the long awaited studio version of other live fave “Salem Slims”, first aired on the Killing Joke support tour in 2012, this fearless headrush is so adamantly an Icarus Line song, that theres no other comparison, howling stoogian vocal, building-destroying rhythms, shards of guitar gloss stunning all within range, this headrush of almost-insanity then moves into the last track, “The Father,. The Priest” , is this the calm after the storm, is this the comedown, is this the penance for the passion? Or is this the Vows era Icarus Line laying down tools to prepare for the next go?
Listen at full blast
- Joe Cardamone
With the video release of “City Job” at the end of 2013, and the Slave Vows album still making people talk, it was time to put these songs to wax, prepare the world for The Icarus Line's next move. Five tracks spread over the two sides, this mini album serves as aSlave Vows booster jab, the feral verocity of the last album is in spades here, maybe even more so, the fire in the band’s belly is roaring, and its only when the last track closes down do you realise quite fully, the impact.
Reference points take in a whole gamut of genres, styles, sounds, stances…… Cardamone leads the gang once more into the rough, the desecrated warzone that is the music industry, american culture and love , they (Cardamone, Hallet, De Guzman, Arnao) create their brand of “hellfire and brimstone” rock and roll…
Leeches and Seeds is a frenetic blast of noise with Hallets drums threatening to collapse your ears, driving you into live favourite Junkadelic. The bastard offspring of Clinton and Bargeld this grooves and slithers, winding its earworm abilities into your whole shuddering psyche…..
Raise Yer Crown closes off side one, with their LA swagger back in full effect, thump and grind from the Icarus Line, this is Los Angeles NOW…
Side two opens with the long awaited studio version of other live fave “Salem Slims”, first aired on the Killing Joke support tour in 2012, this fearless headrush is so adamantly an Icarus Line song, that theres no other comparison, howling stoogian vocal, building-destroying rhythms, shards of guitar gloss stunning all within range, this headrush of almost-insanity then moves into the last track, “The Father,. The Priest” , is this the calm after the storm, is this the comedown, is this the penance for the passion? Or is this the Vows era Icarus Line laying down tools to prepare for the next go?
Listen at full blast
- Joe Cardamone
Rising is Straight Arrows’ new album half of which was recorded in frontman Owen Penglis’ house and the other half in his new, legitimate studio, set up after a neighbour started getting mad about all the quality 'medium fidelity' recordings happening next door.
Straight Arrows began with Owen Penglis yelling about getting dumped and kicked out of bands into a four-track cassette machine in his bedroom. Joined by friends Alex Grigg, Angela Bermuda, and Adam Williams with colourful musical pasts, the four have honed their reverb-laden, fuzzed out, DIY punk garage into scrappy perfection and, in the process gained an outstanding reputation for being "the band that will make you start your own band".
Since their inception Straight Arrows have pressed and sold out of internationally released 7”s, toured with friends Thee Oh Sees, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, The Black Lips, Jay Reatard (RIP) and Ty Segall and released their debut album ‘It’s Happening’ (Agitated, 2013) to a flood of praise. Bagging Album Of The Week from the likes of Australian radio stations FBi, 2SER, RTR and 3RRR, the record also landed them an invite to perform at the hugely respected Gonerfest in Memphis, Tennessee and a few rounds of touring the USA and Europe.
Bands have been queuing up to have Owen Penglis record and produce their music – the likes of Royal Headache, Circle Pit, Living Eyes, The Frowning Clouds, The Gooch Palms have all used his bathroom and in 2012 Owen produced and recorded the who’s who of the Australian Garage scene for a 40th Anniversary tribute to the hugely influential Nuggets compilation. Rising is an exciting follow up to ‘It’s Happening’ and sees the band step things with their warm and dirty garage pop sound. For fans of: Pebbles, Nuggets, Lollipop Shoppe, Kinks, and all that Brit-Invasion sound, but also all the new slew of garage chug, Oh Sees, Ty Segall, Black Lips…
Straight Arrows began with Owen Penglis yelling about getting dumped and kicked out of bands into a four-track cassette machine in his bedroom. Joined by friends Alex Grigg, Angela Bermuda, and Adam Williams with colourful musical pasts, the four have honed their reverb-laden, fuzzed out, DIY punk garage into scrappy perfection and, in the process gained an outstanding reputation for being "the band that will make you start your own band".
Since their inception Straight Arrows have pressed and sold out of internationally released 7”s, toured with friends Thee Oh Sees, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, The Black Lips, Jay Reatard (RIP) and Ty Segall and released their debut album ‘It’s Happening’ (Agitated, 2013) to a flood of praise. Bagging Album Of The Week from the likes of Australian radio stations FBi, 2SER, RTR and 3RRR, the record also landed them an invite to perform at the hugely respected Gonerfest in Memphis, Tennessee and a few rounds of touring the USA and Europe.
Bands have been queuing up to have Owen Penglis record and produce their music – the likes of Royal Headache, Circle Pit, Living Eyes, The Frowning Clouds, The Gooch Palms have all used his bathroom and in 2012 Owen produced and recorded the who’s who of the Australian Garage scene for a 40th Anniversary tribute to the hugely influential Nuggets compilation. Rising is an exciting follow up to ‘It’s Happening’ and sees the band step things with their warm and dirty garage pop sound. For fans of: Pebbles, Nuggets, Lollipop Shoppe, Kinks, and all that Brit-Invasion sound, but also all the new slew of garage chug, Oh Sees, Ty Segall, Black Lips…
TRACK LISTING
01. Introduction
02. Fruit Of The Forest
03. Can't Stand It
04. Petrified
05. Continental Son
06. Don't Tell Me
07. Rotten Teeth
08. Make Up Your Mind
09. Without Ya
10. Dont Call My Name
11. Breakdown
12. Changing Colours
13. Never Enough
Agitated is way pleased to be releasing the new / forthcoming album from the Straight Arrows in the summer, and to get the motor running they are releasing a limited edition 7” with one track from the new ablum, “Make Up Your Mind” and one track exclusive to this release…..a cover of The Tempos – “Two Timer”. This is dancing music, garage pop nuggets that will get you up out of your dronesome slumber and force some rug cutting antics. Easy reference points are Nuggets, Pebbles, and good times! This is psychedelic garage pop without the patchouli scented kaftans, more yr blue bomber bop than LSD loafabout!! This lot are one of the best Sydney bands we’ve heard in a good long age, forget your scenes, “Australia is hip right now” genres, etc, this record is fun, and is not for lameo pigeonholing. Theres 500 black vinyl 7”… get with the beat!!
THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2014 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.
500 ONLY ON BANANA COLOURED VINYL: this celebration of two classic singles from 1979… Yes, indeed, 35 years ago these tracks were originally released, and Agitated’s fave bubble grunge pioneers, Star Spangled Banana do a cover of each on this RSD 2014 double A side!! One A-side feats a bubble grunge version of the Cabaret Voltaire banana masher 'Nag Nag Nag', and the other A-side features a cover version of the Scientists (Agitated followers will know of this one, pop pickers) debut single “Frantic Romantic”…possibly the best love song ever…
150 of this is going to the US of A for their RSD stuff, 100 is going to European lands, yep, 250 only for the UK… the sleeves, well, the SSB have created their own versions of these “seminal” single covers… mash it up!
500 ONLY ON BANANA COLOURED VINYL: this celebration of two classic singles from 1979… Yes, indeed, 35 years ago these tracks were originally released, and Agitated’s fave bubble grunge pioneers, Star Spangled Banana do a cover of each on this RSD 2014 double A side!! One A-side feats a bubble grunge version of the Cabaret Voltaire banana masher 'Nag Nag Nag', and the other A-side features a cover version of the Scientists (Agitated followers will know of this one, pop pickers) debut single “Frantic Romantic”…possibly the best love song ever…
150 of this is going to the US of A for their RSD stuff, 100 is going to European lands, yep, 250 only for the UK… the sleeves, well, the SSB have created their own versions of these “seminal” single covers… mash it up!
Reduced
Oh yeah! Agitated gets in on the act with a three tracker psych blast from the midwest's purveyors of the finest 'Elevators chug and UK invasion jangle you are likely to hear! Formed in 2007 by two sets of brothers: Alex Szegedy (guitar/vocals) and George Szegedy (drums) and Spencer Young (bass/vocals) and William Young (guitar/vocals).
An easy reference point could be the Nuggets compilation, in fact Nuggets compiler Lenny Kaye had this to say about them last year: "Awash in reverb and mood enhancers, the People's Temple create an atmosphere truly "Texas Revisited," embracing trippy International Artists like the Red Krayola and Bubble Puppy, bone-shaking a tambourine ("Nevermore," "Looter's Game"), and mumbo-jumboing poetics ("House of Fools"). Alternately soaring, dislocating, unsettling and uplifting, the album culminates in the phantasmagoria of "(Dark Dreams) Distant Memories," a hymn to the glories found in a millisecond's delay by way of Jane's Addiction. Pass the Kool-Aid," Kaye wrote.
A live single on Third Man Records, a 45 on Trouble in Mind, singles and albums on Hozac, is setting this up as a complete doozy of a single..
An easy reference point could be the Nuggets compilation, in fact Nuggets compiler Lenny Kaye had this to say about them last year: "Awash in reverb and mood enhancers, the People's Temple create an atmosphere truly "Texas Revisited," embracing trippy International Artists like the Red Krayola and Bubble Puppy, bone-shaking a tambourine ("Nevermore," "Looter's Game"), and mumbo-jumboing poetics ("House of Fools"). Alternately soaring, dislocating, unsettling and uplifting, the album culminates in the phantasmagoria of "(Dark Dreams) Distant Memories," a hymn to the glories found in a millisecond's delay by way of Jane's Addiction. Pass the Kool-Aid," Kaye wrote.
A live single on Third Man Records, a 45 on Trouble in Mind, singles and albums on Hozac, is setting this up as a complete doozy of a single..
LIVE RAIN, the first-ever official live album by Howlin Rain, is released via Agitated Records.
"A great rock guitarist needs a signature affectation. Ethan Miller's happens to be an abrupt upstrum that, combined with a backward stagger, probably makes him something of an onstage hazard to his bandmates. When he really gets into it, as he does with elemental regularity, the Howlin Rain leader resembles a spasmodic marionette under the influence of a power greater than himself - call it the power of rawk. With his long thinning hair and big black beard, Miller also sometimes resembles a defrocked rabbi on the run. And when he opens his mouth, the history of classic arena-rock vocals passes before your ears in a full-throated wail, embracing the combined spirits of Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Leslie West, Greg Rolie and the ghost of Freddy Mercury." - the Village Voice.
Recorded live in various locations on the 2012 worldwide tour for The Russian Wilds, the live 2XLP features vintage Howlin Rain originals including "Roll On The Rusted Days," "Dancers At The End Of Time" and "Hung Out In The Rain" plus The Russian Wilds' "Phantom In The Valley" and an 11-minute plus version of "Self Made Man."
Live Rain features the most honed and bombastic Howlin Rain line-up to date; songwriter Ethan Miller (lead vocals / guitars), Earthless' Isaiah Mitchell (guitars / backing vocals), Drunk Horse's Cyrus Comiskey (bass/ backing vocals) and Raj Ojha (drums).
Live Rain was recorded by David Streit, mixed by Tim Green and produced by Ethan P. Miller.
"A great rock guitarist needs a signature affectation. Ethan Miller's happens to be an abrupt upstrum that, combined with a backward stagger, probably makes him something of an onstage hazard to his bandmates. When he really gets into it, as he does with elemental regularity, the Howlin Rain leader resembles a spasmodic marionette under the influence of a power greater than himself - call it the power of rawk. With his long thinning hair and big black beard, Miller also sometimes resembles a defrocked rabbi on the run. And when he opens his mouth, the history of classic arena-rock vocals passes before your ears in a full-throated wail, embracing the combined spirits of Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Leslie West, Greg Rolie and the ghost of Freddy Mercury." - the Village Voice.
Recorded live in various locations on the 2012 worldwide tour for The Russian Wilds, the live 2XLP features vintage Howlin Rain originals including "Roll On The Rusted Days," "Dancers At The End Of Time" and "Hung Out In The Rain" plus The Russian Wilds' "Phantom In The Valley" and an 11-minute plus version of "Self Made Man."
Live Rain features the most honed and bombastic Howlin Rain line-up to date; songwriter Ethan Miller (lead vocals / guitars), Earthless' Isaiah Mitchell (guitars / backing vocals), Drunk Horse's Cyrus Comiskey (bass/ backing vocals) and Raj Ojha (drums).
Live Rain was recorded by David Streit, mixed by Tim Green and produced by Ethan P. Miller.
TRACK LISTING
Side 1:
Phantom In The Valley (8:45)
Self Made Man (11:04)
Side 2:
Can't Satisfy Me Now (6:34)
Beneath Wild Wings (4:19)
Lord Have Mercy (7:50)
Side 3:
Hung Out In The Rain (6:07)
Calling Lightning Pt 2 (8:16)
Dancers At The End Of Time (5:53)
Side 4:
Roll On The Rusted Days (7:49)
Excellent scuzz and buzz from the wondrous town of Geelong in Victoria, Australia!! A new track from each of these bands: the Frowning Clouds play the almost perfect 60s styled pop smothered in a sheen of fuzz, while the Living Eyes dish out a swift one-two knockout with some of their hummable garage styled thwack! Both these bands have new albums on the horizon, both bands are part of the almost unstoppable wave of killer new Australian underground. Limited edition of 200 only on white vinyl.
Whoa! Daddy-o! Here's some 100% hi-octane grooviness!!! Agitated is pleased to announce release of the long awaited debut album from these pioneers of the happening sound soon to be known to the masses as BUBBLEGRUNGE! Yes, believe it! Dirty amps tweaked to a happenin’ rhythm and floorshaking beat, eviscerating the soul of your tired and over-referenced Nuggets comps and bustin’ you loose with some wild grunt and grind! The songs may be familiar, but you will be too furiously wigging out to even care who or what wrote them in the first place! It's an ever-lovin' tribute to the bubblegum greats of yore! The Beatles! The Monkees! Paul Revere! Tommy James! Flipper! And more!
“Probably the Koolest thing that’s ever happened on this planet!”
“Probably the Koolest thing that’s ever happened on this planet!”
Brand new album from LA hellions, the Icarus Line, is quite possibly their best album yet. Harking back to the fury of Mono, the fire of Pennance Soiree and dragging the swagger out of the Black Lives / Wild Life albums, "Slave Vows" is quite simply a fearsome vitriolic rock and roll outpouring that starts, and never lets up for every 45 minutes of Stoogian styled glory.
Evoking Funhouse, Everything Went Black, Goats Head Soup and Maggotbrain in one fell swoop, it could be said that the Icarus Line have finally made the album they set out on making in 2001... this is not for the fainthearted! Some of these songs were blooded on their support slot with Killing Joke on their European tour in 2012, this album also features the best rhythm section the band have had (new drummer Ben Hallett and original bassist Lance Arnao completely NAIL IT!), underpinning the white hot guitar flow from singer/leader Joe Cardamone, the songs..ebb, and flow, slash and burn...cauterizing any that stand in their way.
This is pure rock and roll hellfire distilled onto vinyl and CD.
Evoking Funhouse, Everything Went Black, Goats Head Soup and Maggotbrain in one fell swoop, it could be said that the Icarus Line have finally made the album they set out on making in 2001... this is not for the fainthearted! Some of these songs were blooded on their support slot with Killing Joke on their European tour in 2012, this album also features the best rhythm section the band have had (new drummer Ben Hallett and original bassist Lance Arnao completely NAIL IT!), underpinning the white hot guitar flow from singer/leader Joe Cardamone, the songs..ebb, and flow, slash and burn...cauterizing any that stand in their way.
This is pure rock and roll hellfire distilled onto vinyl and CD.
Recorded within the realms of MEDIUM FIDELITY at HANGING TREE - Tim Done's home/studio/archaic equipment museum - using all the 1950s equipment available has resulted in a record where almost all the instruments can be heard. Add in Brent Griffin/SPOD to the mix with his injection of fuzzed out reverberating budget psychedelia and IT'S HAPPENING! was born.
Straight Arrows began with Owen Penglis yelling about getting dumped and kicked out of bands into a four-track cassette. He was soon joined by Alex Grigg, Angela Bermuda and Adam Williams - all friends with colourful musical pasts. Slowly the four honed their reverb-laden, fuzzed out, punk garage into scrappy perfection.
Finding it tough to get shows, Straight Arrows went down the DIY path and decided to put on their own raucous parties at New South Wales' notorious (and now abandoned) gay bar, The Newtown Hotel. Around the same time they put out their first 7" 'Something Happens/Can't Count' on their newly formed label Juvenile Records. Figuring the only way to sell these records (and make their money back) was to force them, photocopied sleeve 'n all, into the hands of drunks and connoisseurs.
Straight Arrows started driving up and down the east coast of Australia, playing parties, warehouses, bars - wherever they could - and in the process gained an outstanding reputation for being "the band that will make you start your own band". By late 2010 Straight Arrows sold out two more 7s, toured with friends Thee Oh Sees, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, The Black Lips, Jay Reatard (RIP) and Ty Segall amongst others and released their debut album It's Happening to a flood of praise, landing them an invite to perform at the Goner Fest in Memphis, Tennessee playing alongside garage punk royalty The Gories. Bands began to queue-up for Owen Penglis to record and produce their music at his home studio and in 2012 Owen produced and recorded the who's who of Sydney / Brisbane Garage scene for the 40th Anniversary tribute album to the seminal Nuggets compilation, originally compiled by Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith band).
Straight Arrows will release their follow up to IT'S HAPPENING! via Agitated later in the year.
Straight Arrows began with Owen Penglis yelling about getting dumped and kicked out of bands into a four-track cassette. He was soon joined by Alex Grigg, Angela Bermuda and Adam Williams - all friends with colourful musical pasts. Slowly the four honed their reverb-laden, fuzzed out, punk garage into scrappy perfection.
Finding it tough to get shows, Straight Arrows went down the DIY path and decided to put on their own raucous parties at New South Wales' notorious (and now abandoned) gay bar, The Newtown Hotel. Around the same time they put out their first 7" 'Something Happens/Can't Count' on their newly formed label Juvenile Records. Figuring the only way to sell these records (and make their money back) was to force them, photocopied sleeve 'n all, into the hands of drunks and connoisseurs.
Straight Arrows started driving up and down the east coast of Australia, playing parties, warehouses, bars - wherever they could - and in the process gained an outstanding reputation for being "the band that will make you start your own band". By late 2010 Straight Arrows sold out two more 7s, toured with friends Thee Oh Sees, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, The Black Lips, Jay Reatard (RIP) and Ty Segall amongst others and released their debut album It's Happening to a flood of praise, landing them an invite to perform at the Goner Fest in Memphis, Tennessee playing alongside garage punk royalty The Gories. Bands began to queue-up for Owen Penglis to record and produce their music at his home studio and in 2012 Owen produced and recorded the who's who of Sydney / Brisbane Garage scene for the 40th Anniversary tribute album to the seminal Nuggets compilation, originally compiled by Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith band).
Straight Arrows will release their follow up to IT'S HAPPENING! via Agitated later in the year.
Say hello to The Alien Ballroom, the combination previously known as Koolaid (Global Tyranny). "Huh?" you may think, "What has happened to Koolaid???" Let's be perfectly clear about this: there is a current market glut of "koolaids". The group, therefore, have sensibly altered their nomenclature and are henceforth known as The Alien Ballroom. You may recall Agitated Records "I'm So Convoluted" compilation - or you may not. Rest assured friends, there is guaranteed conceptual continuity here. On their new Agitated Records long player Zero PAC A.D. the mystrionic Alien Ballroom plant their seeds and pitch their balls on the lush interzone betwixt the vintage and the cutting-edge to create a seven song album that fuses Atomic Age pop foppery with Neolithic year-zero sanguinity. Aficionados of their previous releases will find much to enjoy in this new recording - or perhaps they won't. Frankly, it vexes the band not. Of course, we really should have made some mention that this album is "song based" and not just relentless "space-rock-riff-battery" - is it as weird and leftfield as the Koolaid album? Probably not ...or maybe it is. Very different but very similar perhaps – we will leave it up to you.
Brand new! 7 tracks on 12" vinyl! comes with a DL postcard..you can actually see members of the band in song making pose on the sleeve...
Side one, is one long track that pretty much sets out the M.O from the get go.. you will shake, you will shiver, you will want to play it over and over and over to work out why it has taken over your life..but look out, theres 6 tracks on the other side that will equally blast your mind.. heres the rub, its NOTHING like the Koolaid 12", but really, its just like the Koolaid 12"... we could list a load of bands you might like also..but thats irrelevant.. its loud, its nasty, it will make you dance oddly, you will go and see them play live....
500 copies only..
Brand new! 7 tracks on 12" vinyl! comes with a DL postcard..you can actually see members of the band in song making pose on the sleeve...
Side one, is one long track that pretty much sets out the M.O from the get go.. you will shake, you will shiver, you will want to play it over and over and over to work out why it has taken over your life..but look out, theres 6 tracks on the other side that will equally blast your mind.. heres the rub, its NOTHING like the Koolaid 12", but really, its just like the Koolaid 12"... we could list a load of bands you might like also..but thats irrelevant.. its loud, its nasty, it will make you dance oddly, you will go and see them play live....
500 copies only..
Axis is Mugstar’s long awaited fifth full length album - an expansive collection of songs that take the listener on a journey. The destination is not important it’s all about the journey - travelling through different movements, diverse colours and sounds picking up from where Lime left us in August 2011. From the dark brooding (‘Black Fountain’) to the elevating (‘Tangerina’), the cylindrical (‘Axis Modulator’) and the sonic mantra (‘Upturnsidedown’)
Axis showcases a more diverse MUGSTAR whilst retaining their unmistakeable sonic wall of sound. Albeit mainly instrumental, theres a real psychedelic groove that emanates from the kraut-rock inspired sounds of this record, it will shake you down in the same way the first time you copped earfuls of Oneida, Neu!, Loop, Wooden Shjips, Bardo Pondo and even a puff of Hawkwind.
Axis showcases a more diverse MUGSTAR whilst retaining their unmistakeable sonic wall of sound. Albeit mainly instrumental, theres a real psychedelic groove that emanates from the kraut-rock inspired sounds of this record, it will shake you down in the same way the first time you copped earfuls of Oneida, Neu!, Loop, Wooden Shjips, Bardo Pondo and even a puff of Hawkwind.
On their third album, Carlton Melton elevates their organic, improvised psych-jams to the sonic plane befitting the geodesic dome in which it was recorded, pulverizing all psychedelic hypno-drone that has come before.
Mastered and featuring John McBain (Monster Magnet, Well Water Conspiricy) Photos of Photos sees Carlton Melton take their organic improvised psych-jam to the highest sonic plane befitting the geodesic dome in which it was recorded and pulverizing the psychedelic hypno-drone that has come before. Photos of Photos is a testament of Carlton Melton’s ability to bottle and hone their craft with sincerity – from the lush pastoral sonics of ‘Nor’ Easter’ and title track, ‘Photos of Photos’ the smoldering gargantuan riffs of ‘Space Treader’ and the synth drones and spare rhythms of LP closer ‘Wingspan’. Carlton Melton meld -what could be a heavy indecipherable psychedelic mess - into something louder, more uncompromising and more coherent: 'Melton’s Magick Karpet ride’.
Bonus tracks (available on CD and download) - featuring McBain on guitar/synth/ echoplex - include the full 23 minute psychedelically enhanced drone ‘Adrift’ that peaks and dips as the title suggests and ‘Smoke Drip’ sounds exactly how you imagine a song called ‘Smoke Drip’ to sound. And that is exactly what Photos of Photos is about: the SOUND, the VIBE, a new age drifting, unchartered, across a sonic expanse.
For Fans of: Bardo Pond, Monster Magnet- Tab, Hawkwind - Warrior At The Edge of Time, Parson Sound, The Heads, Clark:Hutchinson - A=MH2.
Mastered and featuring John McBain (Monster Magnet, Well Water Conspiricy) Photos of Photos sees Carlton Melton take their organic improvised psych-jam to the highest sonic plane befitting the geodesic dome in which it was recorded and pulverizing the psychedelic hypno-drone that has come before. Photos of Photos is a testament of Carlton Melton’s ability to bottle and hone their craft with sincerity – from the lush pastoral sonics of ‘Nor’ Easter’ and title track, ‘Photos of Photos’ the smoldering gargantuan riffs of ‘Space Treader’ and the synth drones and spare rhythms of LP closer ‘Wingspan’. Carlton Melton meld -what could be a heavy indecipherable psychedelic mess - into something louder, more uncompromising and more coherent: 'Melton’s Magick Karpet ride’.
Bonus tracks (available on CD and download) - featuring McBain on guitar/synth/ echoplex - include the full 23 minute psychedelically enhanced drone ‘Adrift’ that peaks and dips as the title suggests and ‘Smoke Drip’ sounds exactly how you imagine a song called ‘Smoke Drip’ to sound. And that is exactly what Photos of Photos is about: the SOUND, the VIBE, a new age drifting, unchartered, across a sonic expanse.
For Fans of: Bardo Pond, Monster Magnet- Tab, Hawkwind - Warrior At The Edge of Time, Parson Sound, The Heads, Clark:Hutchinson - A=MH2.
STAFF COMMENTS
Darryl says: Superb molten drone-psyche that smoulders along in an improv psyche jam style whilst synthy interludes sneak in and out, and humongous riffs slay all before them. Immense!!
Limited edition tour only 7" for the upcoming Howlin Rain tour, a-side is a great cover of the Grateful Dead song "Till The Morning Comes", b-side is demo version of the album track "Collage", itself a cover of a classic James Gang track..
1000 only being made, 500 clear blue vinyl, 500 clear vinyl...
1000 only being made, 500 clear blue vinyl, 500 clear vinyl...
Agitated is super chuffed to be handling the CD reissue of this monster... Over the past few months and years, dropouts all over the world have been nodding out to the amped up riffing of PURLING HISS & the economical chuga- lug zen of SPACIN'. But only the most committed seekers have been privy to the roaring big bang that started it all: BIRDS OF MAYA.
They're a locked-in dynamo that gets real, real gone at the strike of the first note that needs to be seen to be believed. But as the Birds rarely (very, very rarely) perform outside of their North Philadelphia neighborhood, Ready To Howl will have to suffice. Formed in 2002, BIRDS OF MAYA is the finest meat n' potatoes neanderthal rock group operating in the world today, and they're undoubtedly the outfit most committed to creating throbbing, thoroughly relentless, blues-based hard rock.
On Ready To Howl, astute listeners will note nods to the fried power-rock of Split-era Groundhogs or the relentless garage mayhem of High Rise recorded under claustrophobic sub-Funhouse decadence. Anyone with ears will hear fried-Hendrixisms all over this thing. It was the most ambitious TestosterTunes release to date: a 3-song, double-LP by the three men of Philadelphia's BIRDS OF MAYA. Called Ready To Howl and it's the soundtrack to an upcoming feature length film of the same name. Ready To Howl, the film, deals with one dude's struggles in-and outside of polite society.
According to the producer, "the order of events is something like... getting off of work, partying, a parking lot bottle fight with a marine, driving drunk, the purchase of a deadly snake for purposes of revenge, hitchhiking, off road driving, car accident, the folly of vindictiveness, and finally a physical and metaphorical ascent to the highest point of the mountain." The soundtrack follows the same line, with album sides tracking Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The CD version features the 3 tracks of the 2LP in unedited for vinyl length, no splits in the songs for you to get up and turn the record over...turn it UP!!!
They're a locked-in dynamo that gets real, real gone at the strike of the first note that needs to be seen to be believed. But as the Birds rarely (very, very rarely) perform outside of their North Philadelphia neighborhood, Ready To Howl will have to suffice. Formed in 2002, BIRDS OF MAYA is the finest meat n' potatoes neanderthal rock group operating in the world today, and they're undoubtedly the outfit most committed to creating throbbing, thoroughly relentless, blues-based hard rock.
On Ready To Howl, astute listeners will note nods to the fried power-rock of Split-era Groundhogs or the relentless garage mayhem of High Rise recorded under claustrophobic sub-Funhouse decadence. Anyone with ears will hear fried-Hendrixisms all over this thing. It was the most ambitious TestosterTunes release to date: a 3-song, double-LP by the three men of Philadelphia's BIRDS OF MAYA. Called Ready To Howl and it's the soundtrack to an upcoming feature length film of the same name. Ready To Howl, the film, deals with one dude's struggles in-and outside of polite society.
According to the producer, "the order of events is something like... getting off of work, partying, a parking lot bottle fight with a marine, driving drunk, the purchase of a deadly snake for purposes of revenge, hitchhiking, off road driving, car accident, the folly of vindictiveness, and finally a physical and metaphorical ascent to the highest point of the mountain." The soundtrack follows the same line, with album sides tracking Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The CD version features the 3 tracks of the 2LP in unedited for vinyl length, no splits in the songs for you to get up and turn the record over...turn it UP!!!
THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.
The Icarus Line, a proper rock and roll gang, led by the fearsome Joe Cardamone, toured the UK in October 2011 in support of their Wildlife album. With stand in drummer Sammy as their drummer quit just before boarding the plane!! they slammed it, this was feral rock and roll grime, even original bass player Lance Arnao was back in the fold, someone recorded the London show.. and here it is, pressed on some limited edition vinyl..raw, bleeding, and a good indication of how the Icarus Line are...oh yes.. 100 copies only for the UK.
The Icarus Line, a proper rock and roll gang, led by the fearsome Joe Cardamone, toured the UK in October 2011 in support of their Wildlife album. With stand in drummer Sammy as their drummer quit just before boarding the plane!! they slammed it, this was feral rock and roll grime, even original bass player Lance Arnao was back in the fold, someone recorded the London show.. and here it is, pressed on some limited edition vinyl..raw, bleeding, and a good indication of how the Icarus Line are...oh yes.. 100 copies only for the UK.
5 Tracks of post apocalyptico techno from Urban Americanica fore runners Moon Pool & Dead Band....Detroit, Michigan being the birthing place for this ..Moon Pool & Dead Band, A duo who deal in old school DIY tweaked and bleaked techno ideal that assimilates the dystopian furies oft found amongst some of the master-works of John Carpenter to a no-future groove. Moon Pool & Dead Band is David Shettler and Nate Young.
"It is all analog synth, real drums and whatever.. played live=no overdubs, make no mistake this is syncopated synthesizer music or Detroit Techno....Dance music" ---Nate Young.
Amazing sleeve art...see to believe! 700 only.
"It is all analog synth, real drums and whatever.. played live=no overdubs, make no mistake this is syncopated synthesizer music or Detroit Techno....Dance music" ---Nate Young.
Amazing sleeve art...see to believe! 700 only.
"So, we get a tape of this in the post, yes, a tape, and thought it was pretty wild, then heard nothing...then we get a CDR, well two of them, some mix cassette, and a CD containing some OTT modern day Pop Art sleeve design that is retina rubbling!....with a scrawled note claiming, "when you put the record out, you have to limit it to 500 LPs with a bonus free CD version that has a different mix of the music on it, NO Downloads whatsoever, and the sleeve has to be wrap-around, like it could be a poster, on thicker card too, full colour mind!...we are Koolaid (Global Tyranny) on this record...send us some copies when its done"....
Well that was telling us, so we had to put the record out. We listened to the CD again; it was bonkers, some wild psychedelic noise stomping round the room, meshed with some dark samples, really heavy and LIVE drums, almost a non stop mix of edge-of-the-seat paranoiac scuzz, with loops that pulse through the entire record. Like a modern day mix of the avant pop samplings and cut-up wizardry of Negativland, the obscure fractal pop psychedelic rock of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, some of the white hot guitar of the Stooges / Loop variety, and a primal beat /rhythm that could have been lifted from Cro-Magnon..
We started putting the RSD 2011 12" together, when another missive arrived, this time the message was simpler..."when's our LP coming out? And can you put this out too, we are Koolaid (Alien Ballroom) on this track...", that was a crunchy, noisy version of Daft Punk's "Da Funk", and nothing like this album..we put it on the RSD Agitated 12" release.. they fitted in well.. And no, we have no idea who is in the collective, band, or whatever they are or might be..in a way, that makes this even greater.... " - Agitated Records.
Well that was telling us, so we had to put the record out. We listened to the CD again; it was bonkers, some wild psychedelic noise stomping round the room, meshed with some dark samples, really heavy and LIVE drums, almost a non stop mix of edge-of-the-seat paranoiac scuzz, with loops that pulse through the entire record. Like a modern day mix of the avant pop samplings and cut-up wizardry of Negativland, the obscure fractal pop psychedelic rock of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, some of the white hot guitar of the Stooges / Loop variety, and a primal beat /rhythm that could have been lifted from Cro-Magnon..
We started putting the RSD 2011 12" together, when another missive arrived, this time the message was simpler..."when's our LP coming out? And can you put this out too, we are Koolaid (Alien Ballroom) on this track...", that was a crunchy, noisy version of Daft Punk's "Da Funk", and nothing like this album..we put it on the RSD Agitated 12" release.. they fitted in well.. And no, we have no idea who is in the collective, band, or whatever they are or might be..in a way, that makes this even greater.... " - Agitated Records.
STAFF COMMENTS
Darryl says: The mysterious Koolaid drop their debut album and what a scorcher!! Think Sun Araw mixed with Negativland and the burnt-out psyche guitars of Loop. Superb!!
Remixes were mentioned when Agitated asked to reissue the Mugstar LP "Lime", we asked about, we got some good response! this two Track EP / one track CDEP release features the remix work of Robert Hampson (Loop / Main), he has transformed 'Serra' into some 39 minute planeshifting kosmische epic.
The first 19 or so minutes (side One on the vinyl) pulse with some fizzing electrical energies that evoke obscurio Kraut rock demo tapes from the mid 70s, the sail by, and then the second part (side Two on the vinyl) the beats, the rhythms they subside into some early (early!) Tangerine Dream-esque ambient but not ambient soundscapes, wholly immersive, wholly essential. Both "sides" combined as the whole "piece" on the CD version.
The vinyl cut is deep, the pressing is in Germany (natch), and will be on clear green vinyl in a clear plastic bag, limited to 800 copies for sale only.
The first 19 or so minutes (side One on the vinyl) pulse with some fizzing electrical energies that evoke obscurio Kraut rock demo tapes from the mid 70s, the sail by, and then the second part (side Two on the vinyl) the beats, the rhythms they subside into some early (early!) Tangerine Dream-esque ambient but not ambient soundscapes, wholly immersive, wholly essential. Both "sides" combined as the whole "piece" on the CD version.
The vinyl cut is deep, the pressing is in Germany (natch), and will be on clear green vinyl in a clear plastic bag, limited to 800 copies for sale only.
THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.
Well, lookee here, Record Store Day, a time to put some crazy stuff out right? Agitated talked to some friends, scrounged up 4 exclusive tracks,found a bunch of unused sleeves, then went and made a record to fill them sleeves.. theres only going to be 350 of these things, we might number them, if we can find the time: but theres 4 exclusive tracks from: CARLTON MELTON, MUGSTAR, RITUALS FROM THE HEADS & BIG NATURALS, and KOOLAID (ALIEN BALLROOM). yep, 350 only for the world.
Well, lookee here, Record Store Day, a time to put some crazy stuff out right? Agitated talked to some friends, scrounged up 4 exclusive tracks,found a bunch of unused sleeves, then went and made a record to fill them sleeves.. theres only going to be 350 of these things, we might number them, if we can find the time: but theres 4 exclusive tracks from: CARLTON MELTON, MUGSTAR, RITUALS FROM THE HEADS & BIG NATURALS, and KOOLAID (ALIEN BALLROOM). yep, 350 only for the world.
What are these Precious Jules that all the ladies truly covert, they’ll lead you to your certain ruin and then think nothing of it. Dangling surreptitiously, yet somehow in your faces, deflating your economy to inflate your airs and graces. What are these Precious Jules that shine so dark before us, dazzling darkness all around only to ignore us, what are these Precious Jules so idly hanging round Your precious necks or In your ear Wishing only to be found. Acceptable for come what may With ‘come what maybe’ clowns Precious Jules are Kim Salmon and Mike Stranges residing in Melbourne, operating as a slick pop partnership, masquerading as a ‘glam/punk’ combo, masquerading as a ‘garage’ duo. Precious Jules are "Pearls Before Swine" backed with "Chinese Rocks" on 7 inches of the best use of poly vinyl chloride you are likely to encounter!
Another total winner from the Agitated stable, and two blasts of wild pop from San Francisco's finest purveyors of said genre The Fresh & Onlys. It's their first UK release, and both tracks highlight the bands abilities in creating pop music thats skewed yet perfect. They blend in many sounds / influences,
immediate 'recommended if you like pointers' include Violent Femmes / 13th Floor Elevators / early 80s British indiepop / Australian underground singles from the 80s. Both tracks exclusive to this release. You will dance to this, and so will Matt Groening at ATP in May.
immediate 'recommended if you like pointers' include Violent Femmes / 13th Floor Elevators / early 80s British indiepop / Australian underground singles from the 80s. Both tracks exclusive to this release. You will dance to this, and so will Matt Groening at ATP in May.