Indierock | Alternative 173 Items

a number of concepts communicable only by abstract lines and shapes.

use your imagination.

synthesized from various seemingly disparate fields, in the development of, what has been dubbed 8485’s…personal protocol.

Back in 1996 Swans released what was supposed to be their final album and declared themselves "dead". While Gira focused on Angels Of Light, Norman Westberg, Algis Kizys and Vinnie Signorelli paired up with Dan Joeright (The Rentals) and Kelly Burns for a project of "rock type music" under the name A/N. This project was recorded in 96-97 has never been released in any format. Limited hand-numbered edition of 275 copies on oxblood and black swirled vinyl.

As corny as it sounds, you can’t help but describe Bermuda Squares as a Minneapolis supergroup. Ringleaded by singer/guitarist Tony Milek, the band comprises members of Sinks, Neo Neos, Citric Dummies, Color TV, green/blue, Retainers, Dummy, the Soviettes, IV, and Awesome Snakes. That pedigree alone provides a good idea of where you’re heading here. Clever pop for dumdums. Well crafted knuckledragging catchy fuzz hammered out meticulously by idiots.

Vinyl with scuffs and hairlines. Cover with bumped corner and creasing. Copy close to VG+. Original inner sleeve with seam splits.

The Gloss is the second album from Cola. From their inception Cola have expanded on the d.i.y. ethic of the Dischord and SST eras, creating potent sounds from a minimal palette of drums/bass/guitar and lacing their songs with winsome one-liners and societal commentary. What’s another word for commentary? Gloss, apparently. Never basic, the lyrics reward repeated listening for deeper meanings. David Berman’s poetry-via-garage light pennings are an inspiration, as equally so are the lighter side of UK first-wave New Wave and the Dunedin sound. The results are in the pudding: at times sparse and poetic, at others a thrilling, hook-laden good time, as with the cheeky romantic sketch of a one-night stand that is so overflowing with innuendo-cum-journalism talk that it almost teeters over into self-parody. But the results are the right combination of lightheartedness and sincerity. Romanticism is never far from laughter, and equally never far from righteous anger in the music of Cola: “Pulling quotes now in the dark/Our outlook is restrained/Your tongue might weaken to be-fit your smile/Til nothing ill remains.” ‘nuff said. It's an album bursting with energy and wit and ideas–filled to the margins. Out June 14th 2024 on Fire Talk.

The Gloss is the second album from Cola. From their inception Cola have expanded on the d.i.y. ethic of the Dischord and SST eras, creating potent sounds from a minimal palette of drums/bass/guitar and lacing their songs with winsome one-liners and societal commentary. What’s another word for commentary? Gloss, apparently. Never basic, the lyrics reward repeated listening for deeper meanings. David Berman’s poetry-via-garage light pennings are an inspiration, as equally so are the lighter side of UK first-wave New Wave and the Dunedin sound. The results are in the pudding: at times sparse and poetic, at others a thrilling, hook-laden good time, as with the cheeky romantic sketch of a one-night stand that is so overflowing with innuendo-cum-journalism talk that it almost teeters over into self-parody. But the results are the right combination of lightheartedness and sincerity. Romanticism is never far from laughter, and equally never far from righteous anger in the music of Cola: “Pulling quotes now in the dark/Our outlook is restrained/Your tongue might weaken to be-fit your smile/Til nothing ill remains.” ‘nuff said. It's an album bursting with energy and wit and ideas–filled to the margins. Out June 14th 2024 on Fire Talk.

Crack Cloud’s new album Tough Baby is both a clarion call and a life-manual for the listener. Unsurprisingly, it is a record with purpose and resolve. Nothing is wasted. Sometimes the music feels deliberately compressed, the essences extracted and bottled into an overpowering cordial, as on ‘115 At Night’, which sounds like an ‘80s Van Halen track being squeezed into another shape. And it’s difficult to see how a track like ‘Virtuous Industry’ can hold itself together, such are the sonic hoops it jumps through. The sharp angles and hook-laden guitar lines that were once seen as a trademark sound are less in evidence. Last track ‘Crackin Up’ does nod back to earlier releases with a booming beat and guitars that snag, like wool on barbed wire. Tough Baby contains music to think to, music with which to educate, agitate and organise. Zach Choy: “The name Tough Baby is an allusion to our Planet. To our Culture. And to our Selves.” It’s made to remind us that whilst we are all in the gutter to some extent, some of us are looking at the kerb.

close to NM

A majority of the music Drew Gardner has made over the years has been deeply collaborative, in contexts where his skills with improvisation can shine: with Elkhorn, Jeffrey Alexander + THE Heavy Lidders, and his own Flowers IN Space band. Cygnus A, where Gardner is playing and multitracking all the instruments, marks a shift in his approach as well as his intention, drawing the audience closer for an inward listening experience. With an earthy yet cosmic vibe, this multi-instrumentalist solo foray explores themes of distance and nearness. The album title Cygnus A refers to a distant galaxy that is one of the brightest radio sources in the sky. Its broadcast from space comes from a supermassive black hole generating energy as it consumes material, causing electrons to emit radio waves as they spiral outward in magnetic fields. Recorded in Gardner’s home studio in Harlem, Cygnus A forms a suite of serene pieces that create a soothing, mesmerizing psychedelic flow. The songs are named for our closest stars, and the album is voiced using instruments best heard at an intimate range—the mbira and zither. And while his electric guitar still plays a role, Gardner has stepped away from guitar soloing on this effort in favor of celestial leads on the zither. Fittingly, Gardner’s ability to play a variety of instruments runs deep and serves him well in guiding listeners beyond this earthly sphere.

Record is close to NM.

While Duster went into hibernation in theyear 2000, Clay Parton's four-track neverstopped rolling. Recorded alone at homeover several years, Birds In The Groundis an album of 30-something, post-9/11malaise. Under his Eiafuawn (EverythingIs All Fucked Up And What Not) acronym,Parton hides beneath layers of fuzzy andclean guitars, his hesitant, cottony vocaldisappear into noise. This deluxe pressingis packaged in a gorgeous tip on sleeveand includes the complete lyrics for thiscryptic entry of the Dusterverse.

Elijah McLaughlin and Caleb Willitz lean hard into their improvisational skills on their debut duo release for Centripetal Force, Morning Improvisations / Evening Abstractions. Elijah McLaughlin, a Chicago-based guitarist who has released three well-regarded albums as bandleader of the Elijah McLaughlin Ensemble (Astral Spirits, Tompkins Square), and his long time friend and collaborator, Caleb Willitz, a recording engineer, producer, and sound artist, are in their element on this album, as each musician is constantly feeding off the other’s creativity. The eight tracks that make up Morning Improvisations / Evening Abstractions are replete with experimentation, and each performance displays a building excitement and exudes inspiration. Willitz, who also worked with the likes of Jeff Parker and Bill MacKay, and McLaughlin set up the ideal conditions to invoke the best of their abilities, allowing for even the recording process itself to take on a more spontaneous spirit. The duo set up camp in Willitz’s studio to work without the restraints of time, a move that allowed total freedom to create adventurously. Utilizing a refurbished 8-track tape machine, the pair was only restricted by the 25-minute limit of their analogue reels of tape. With McLaughlin playing an electric guitar routed through stereo amplifiers and various effects and Willitz playing piano while simultaneously controlling a tape delay with a foot pedal, the two developed ethereal and transcendental soundscapes that exist somewhere between free jazz, post-rock, and ambient music. From there, the two artists picked the best takes from their sessions and exhaustively mined them for musical directions to pursue. Once a path was determined, they worked their material into song structures through extensive editing, rearranging, and overdubbing. As they were in the process of shaping these raw jams into well-crafted compositions, Willitz and McLaughlin intentionally left space within some tracks for their guest musicians to jump in. Fellow Chicago improv veterans Edward Wilkerson Jr., Josh Johannpeter, Charles Rumback, and Jason Stein not only assisted in fleshing out the sound of these recordings, they straight up elevated them to new dimensions with heaps of additional color and texture. A prime example being on “Vesper Pt. 2” as McLaughlin's wall of distorted guitar is perfectly met by a surge of cataclysmic drums, howling sax, and whirling clarinet. The finished track is a veritable hurricane of brass, amplifiers, and percussion of Pharaoh Sanders sized proportions. Fittingly, the approach and feel of Morning Improvisations / Evening Abstractions is intrinsically linked to some of the music McLaughlin was consuming during the early phases of its production. The intentionality of Lalgudi Jayaraman’s Violin, Venu, Veena is present on the album, as is the frenetic aggression of Sonny Sharrock’s Ask the Ages. The meticulous editing and rearrangement that famously went into Talk Talk’s Laughing Stock certainly played a role, as did the kind of rhythmic and harmonic interplay found on Laurie Spiegel’s The Expanding Universe. Similarly, the album reflects some of the fertile and multifaceted music ecosystem of McLaughlin and Willitz’s Chicago home. Shades of the city’s abstract jazz, minimalist, and free improv scenes can be detected within the very fiber of the record’s being, informing the performances and compositions, as well as the vast palette of sounds and the duo’s unrestrained creative energy. This influence of Chicago’s rich culture is further enhanced by the contributions of their guest artists, each of whom represents a different pocket of the city’s music scene.

Orange in White w/ Splatter Vinyl.Enumclaw, led by primary singer/songwriter Aramis Johnsonis a movement for the people by the people from Tacoma, WA.With their new second LP Home in Another Life, Enumclaw hasgrown to be more than just a rock band. Instead they're a communityof creatives, videographers, photographers, writers, critics andskaters. They're for the punk ass kids at skate parks in the Tacomaof every city, for the kids who get the deli chicken strips and eatthem in the store without paying, for the kids who might not befound at the theatres and amphitheaters but will definitely go off inthe pit at the punk venue which used to be a CVS.Home in Another Life packs a lifetime of emotion intoit's eleven songs - Johnson sets the personal tone from the starton opener "I'm Scared I'll End Up All Alone," a swaying but fiercekickoff track that channels bands like Dinosaur Jr and Archers ofLoaf with a modern edge. Singles like "Change" and "Not Just Yet"show that the band's ability to write hooks has completely leveledup since their 2022 debut Save the Baby. "Would you want me tochange?" Aramis shouts over a raucous riff from guitarist NathanCornell, while the aggressive drum and bass pairing of LadanielGibson and Eli Edwards on "Not Just Yet" feel integral to the song'sheadbanging tempo.After a hectic touring schedule with bands like Nothing,illuminati hotties and Toro Y Moi, Enumclaw shows no signs ofslowing down their non-stop pace. From the start they have pridedthemselves on being a working-class band, hitting the road asmuch as possible and burning CDs at merch tables when they'veneeded to. Home in Another Life captures that energy - it's asoundtrack to be played loud as hell out the window of a mid-2000'ssedan or blaring through the walls of your neighbor's apartmentbuilding. It's a record built to connect with you - that's the only wayEnumclaw has ever operated.

Orange Vinyl. Enumclaw, led by primary singer/songwriter Aramis Johnsonis a movement for the people by the people from Tacoma, WA.With their new second LP Home in Another Life, Enumclaw hasgrown to be more than just a rock band. Instead they're a communityof creatives, videographers, photographers, writers, critics andskaters. They're for the punk ass kids at skate parks in the Tacomaof every city, for the kids who get the deli chicken strips and eatthem in the store without paying, for the kids who might not befound at the theatres and amphitheaters but will definitely go off inthe pit at the punk venue which used to be a CVS.Home in Another Life packs a lifetime of emotion intoit's eleven songs - Johnson sets the personal tone from the starton opener "I'm Scared I'll End Up All Alone," a swaying but fiercekickoff track that channels bands like Dinosaur Jr and Archers ofLoaf with a modern edge. Singles like "Change" and "Not Just Yet"show that the band's ability to write hooks has completely leveledup since their 2022 debut Save the Baby. "Would you want me tochange?" Aramis shouts over a raucous riff from guitarist NathanCornell, while the aggressive drum and bass pairing of LadanielGibson and Eli Edwards on "Not Just Yet" feel integral to the song'sheadbanging tempo.After a hectic touring schedule with bands like Nothing,illuminati hotties and Toro Y Moi, Enumclaw shows no signs ofslowing down their non-stop pace. From the start they have pridedthemselves on being a working-class band, hitting the road asmuch as possible and burning CDs at merch tables when they'veneeded to. Home in Another Life captures that energy - it's asoundtrack to be played loud as hell out the window of a mid-2000'ssedan or blaring through the walls of your neighbor's apartmentbuilding. It's a record built to connect with you - that's the only wayEnumclaw has ever operated.

Fucked Up formed in 2001 in Toronto, Canada. Meeting each other through the local diy hardcore punk scene they developed a cult following early on which blossomed into a long career of releasing genre expanding music.

"Another Day" is their 7th full length album, they have released over 60 7” singles, countless hours of open-format guitar music, and toured consistently all over the world since early in their career.

Their first three LPs, “Hidden World,” “the chemistry of common life,” and “David Comes to Life” have all been canonised as classic, critically acclaimed, genre defining efforts. The three to follow, “Glass Boys,” “Dose Your Dreams,” and “One Day” have challenged expectations in scope, style, and delivery, the latter which was written and recorded within the span of 24 hours.

Alongside their LPs, the band have been releasing their more experimental “Zodiac” series since 2006. Fucked Up have released 9 12”s of compositional, genre-less, long format songs (20mins plus) corresponding to the Chinese Zodiac, diving ever deeper into narrative forms including a 4 act opera (year of the horse), a musical palindrome (“onno”).

Fucked Up has toured the world extensively and under extraordinary circumstances – a vegetable oil powered school bus through the mountains of the American West Coast, a literal slow boat to China across the sea of Japan, and of course a humble van on any highway that will have them – and bring the same idiosyncrasy to the stage that they do to their records.

Named for the band’s third lease on life, Third Wind finds Gulfer at a unique moment in their ten-plus year career. When they started in 2011, Gulfer played scrappy, complex math rock influenced by the emo revival. But in 2024 they’ve emerged almost unrecognizable, while still retaining the spirit of what made them all fall in love with Gulfer in the first place.

Third Wind’s stylistic turns are emphasized by deeper texture and simpler songwriting, influenced by the reemergence of 90s alternative and shoegaze. With a new emphasis on atmosphere and more straightforward composition, Gulfer give themselves space to explore audaciously. Album opener “Clean” gets as close to pop as the band has ever been, where “No Brainer” dabbles deftly in downer rock that asks “what even is my fucking place in the world?”

Bold juxtapositions feature elsewhere on Third Wind: pop-punk bruiser “Too Slow” stops on a dime before evolving into a slow burning drum n bass passage, all within two minutes. And then there’s “Heartshape”, a downright love song shrouded in virtuosic performance and electric-acoustic counterpoint. Although these contrasts could be construed as aimless fiddling, their seamlessness is the true essence of Third Wind, indicative of a sage band with a renewed love for what they do.

Released periodically on three of 2024’s full moons – April 23rd’s Pink Moon, July 21st’s Buck Moon and October 17th’s Hunter Moon – the three-album cycle, “Triptych”, is (Steve Von Till from Neurosis) Harvestman’s most ambitious undertaking yet.

Guest musicians including Al Cisneros of Sleep / OM who plays bass on one track for each LP, of which he will also mix a dub version on the B-Side of each LP. Dave French of Yob, Sanford Parker and Wayne from Petbrick all make appearances.

40 Years ago Hunting Lodge was nearing the peak of its fertile “Tribal” period. In celebration of this anniversary we are releasing Nomad Souls, Tribal Warning Shot (expanded) and The Harvest (live/expanded). All of the included tracks have been lovingly remastered from the original reels and cassettes, restored and mastered for digital by Grant Richardson. Nomad Souls LP was released in the fall of 1984 on S/M Operations in the U.S., and in the following spring on Side Effekts Records, U.K.. Tribal Warning Shot 12” 4-track EP was released early 1985 on S/M Operations (U.S.). The title track was remixed with drums added for a 12” 45 release on Normal Records (Germany) soon thereafter. This version appears here (the original mix is included as a digital bonus track). A new remix of the 1983 7” “Night From Night” b/w “Untitled” is included, along with 2 tracks that appeared on compilation albums and one unreleased track. The Harvest cassette was a collection of live Hunting Lodge tracks circa 1984. Those tracks are #15, #18 through #27, and digital bonus track #1. The Detroit show bears the distinction of being the only time Roselle Williams (“The Wolf Hour”) sang live with the band. Included here are two previously unreleased tracks, one from Chicago and the other from Detroit. This set features a replica of the original S/M Operations Nomad Souls cover, and of the Normal Records 12” art, which was designed by T.M. Caldwell & executed by Trish Damon. The third sleeve features a newly designed back cover by Rolaid Alpo Cola, and an inner panel including the original Harry O. Morris promo poster artwork along with an essay from Graeme Revell. Puppy38 assisted in design and pulled together all of the design elements. Includes a limited edition 34-page booklet. This tome includes a replica of the original S/M Operations booklet (originally included in Nomad Souls / Tribal Warning Shot mail-orders) and has been expanded to feature detailed information pertaining to this LP set. All of the new artwork, as well as that of the original, are the creations of the legendary T. M. Caldwell.

Theme: collaboration. Or how to remain creative in the modern world. Nanocluster started as a bespoke one off pop up gig that turned into an album series. Built around Colin Newman from acclaimed UK post-punk band Wire and his partner in life and sound Malka Spigel from Minimal Compact with various guests, they define collaboration. Colin met Malka when he produced her band in 1985.The collaboration started there. They became a couple and created their own projects like the instrumental electronic duo Immersion in 1994 and Githead in 2004 - spaces where they both 'feel really comfortable.' Growing out of Immersion, Nanocluster was birthed as a series of one-off gigs at the Rosehill in their new hometown of Brighton in 2017 with an added cast of influential and cutting edge musicians. These were not ad hoc jams. The songs had been written and rehearsed prior to each performance. This adventure led to a debut album, Nanocluster Vol 1, released in 2021 with Stereolab singer/guitarist Laetitia Sadier, German post-rock duo Tarwater, electronic musician Ulrich Schnauss and experimental artist Robin Rimbaud (Scanner). Released again as double 10 inch with each collaboration taking up each disc, the new album Nanocluster Vol 2 has further developed this idea with a stark beauty that sounds like a future pop with sleek lines and unexpected great melodies. Disc one is built around Thor Harris, the charismatic percussion player from Swans and many other projects, who they met and performed with at South By South West in Austin, Texas in 2023. Thor adds ideas, his tuned percussion instruments, clarinet and trumpet to the sessions. Disc two is built around Cubzoa (Jack Wolter from the band Penelope Isles) who brings his musical craft, beguiling voice, guitar and much more. Meanwhile Matt Schulz from Holy Fuck plays drums across both combinations helping the resulting music become a third entity. What results is a true collaboration that, enhanced via Immersion's production, merges its elements to develop a new har...

Record is close to NM.

7" is close to NM.

You’ve Changed Records presents a special limited edition first-ever vinyl pressing of Julianna Riolino’s debut EP “J.R.”. Previously available only through digital channels, J.R. predates her 2022 breakthrough full-length “All Blue”, feted by the New York Times, Pitchfork, Uncut, and NPRs Mountain Stage, among many, many others, as well as Julianna’s stint in Daniel Romano’s Outfit. For the most part, J.R. omits the county, americana, and folk influences heard on All Blue though there is a shock of recognition in the always surprising power and pure tone of her voice. Rich in melody and early confidence, Julianna Riolino here draws from classic girl-group pop and contemporary indie while establishing a characteristic song-writing template of interpreting foundational texts and iconography to portray uniquely personal experiences and emotional truths. “It’s like it’s who you are before you grow more” she says of J.R. now. It’s an important step in the formation of an important and thrilling artist, and one of today’s greatest singers.

Clear Vinyl, only opened to verify colour.

Magenta Vinyl. Overall close to NM.

Between outside musical projects, pushing past 50 years old and becoming a father for the first time, San Francisco psych-pop legend Kelley Stoltz has spent the past two years steadily writing and recording his 18th album, “La Fleur”. The dazzling 12 song collection will be released in June by Agitated in Europe/UK and Dandy Boy Records in the USA. “La Fleur'' finds Stoltz once again playing nearly all of the instruments on the album- though a new friendship with pop guru Jason Falkner has led to Falkner appearing on two songs, “Hide In A Song” and “Make Believer” respectively. There’s the requisite 60’s meets 80’s pop rock confections that Stoltz favors with a new focus on out front vocals and perhaps a bit shinier production. Pandemic era blues, politics and fatherhood are lyrical touchstones throughout. The album’s first single “Reni’s Car” is the jangle rock lead single based on an actual event of Kelley riding around Manchester in the Stone Roses drummer's car. The accompanying music video was shot (partially) on location. “About Time” marries Twin Peaks synths to Fleetwood Mac and Avalon era Roxy Music in a cautionary tale to Stoltz's young daughter. “Human Events” puts revolutionary prose to a Moody Blues strum that floats off into Osees territory …and do I hear a nod to Gershwin in there? During the 2010’s Kelley played live as a sideman with Rodriguez and Echo & the Bunnymen, as the 2020’s dawned he was invited to support Pavement on their big reunion tour. He’s also been heard playing drums live with Robyn Hitchcock as well as adding sitar to Hitchcock's last two albums. In 2022, Stoltz was championed with a live appearance on Marc Riley’s Bbc6 show. As producer, he has recorded the new album by Brigid Dawson formerly of the Ohsees. In my ears, Stoltz rarely does any wrong, and these comparisons are only just that little fruit to get you curious- he is still one of a kind. An under the radar hero to a few, and still after all these great songs, deserving of more. Climb on the bandwagon - as ever it’s quite pleasing here. - George Cloud San Francisco, CA 2024