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the sixth album from solo artist, brad rose (ex-terrene, ex-ocasek). mostly acoustic based, but the instrumentation is deeper than on past efforts. he gets some help from ammon taylor (piano), matt hopper (upright bass), and eden hemming rose (vocals). there was little beer consumed for the production of this album, yet the songs are as strong as they ever have been. recorded between march and october of 2003 in tulsa, ok and seattle, wa. for more information, click here. now pick up a copy for the kids.
ocasek was brad rose and john mulhausen (of terrene) as a duo during one year in the late '90s. songs full of layers and textures and themes ranging from eastern europe to anything else, this is pre-"ok computer." i imagine at 17, you were not this cool. lazy vocal takes aside, these are 18 impressive tracks. a testament to being a highschool dropout with nothing else to do but make music. for more information, click here. buy it, baby.
s. brooks, leader of minmae, makes his solo debut. impressive to say the least, brooks is a modern day troubador. extracted from his intelligent and witty mind, these 10 songs have never been heard before. get your hands on this gem now. you don't want to be the only one driving in silence in your car. is cancer inevitable? i think not. you buying this? i think so. features minmae classics such as "one hand clapping" and "bluebird." yes, classics. for more information, click here. yams sold separately.
chauchat is the incarnation of tyler whitney. after a few releases on omaha's unread label, he makes his digi-tal debut with the exquisite "cardboard projectors." somewhere between the bruces and neutral milk hotel, gaze at this craftsmanship like your dog in heat. cooked in an acoustic stove until it became nothing but ashes, this will make you want to eat carbon. more info coming soon. click here.
the lost domain are an avant-folk/drone/jazz/improv ensemble out of brisbane, australia that has been at it since the late ’80s, but due to virtually no promotion has remained in obscurity. with no labels even vaguely compatible in brisbane, and none until recently in the rest of australia, and no overseas connections, it was easier just to concentrate on enjoying making music and release it in limited editions on their own shytone imprint. they figured that eventually their track record would speak for itself and with this release we’re definitely getting there. but if people just would have been able to hear the band’s epic folk/jazz improvisations earlier iam sure that they already would have a fan base of the same size as critically acclaimed outfits such as no neck blues band or jackie-o motherfucker. order.
with nine new tracks extracted from the earth through shamanistic rituals, this is easily one of the year's top releases. with endorsements from ben chasny, mats gustafsson, and more, what's not to like? keith wood concocts massive emotional releases in his head, and transfers them to tape using the most organic means possible. bowed dulcimer, singing bowl, banjo, and more dot the horizon of this majestic release. the spirit of the forest is dancing throughout "under bent limb trees;" it is graceful and subdued, but always audible. keith wood is a master and with hush arbors, we are privelaged be allowed into his world. "under bent limb trees" is a masterpiece on every level. order.
postal collaborations often go awry. but when you bring together two masterful performers like new zealand's peter wright and finland's uton, there is potential. over the course of year, uton & wright traded tapes, utilizing the space-compressiong postal system to their glorious advantage. these insular drones are like a warm blanket, wrapping around your skull and keeping you safe. they are impossible to escape, but once you submit, you won't want to. a beautiful combination of new zealand sun and finland's mystics. there's nothing but beauty to be found within. CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK!
i knew james blackshaw ran a great little mailorder site, but it came as shock when i learned he also made music. i was even more floored when i first heard his "celested" ep on campbell kneale's c/psi/p imprint. james is dripping with talent. "lost prayers & motionless dances" is the logical follow-up to the aforementioned "celeste." one long raga-induced drone that finds its way through every obstacle you throw up. 12-string madness, open tunings, fahey-inspired picking, and harmonium graces... there's not much else to ask for on this magical piece of music. over the course of its 35 minutes, you will follow a path in search of something grand. a spiritual quest that never lets you down. this is pure gold. order.
the magic hidden with the green hills of the english countryside are aurally unearthed by phil legard on his work as xenis emputae travelling band. "toadsman's bell" is filled with spirits of old druid songs, masked in a psychedelic haze. recorded on location in various locales throughout the uk, xetb is filled with majestic organic drones and peaceful nature sounds. underneath the psychedelic haze remains the ruins of a magical time that phil legard has unearthed. let the myths begin to reign. order
and finally, unto the earth, the golden oaks are borne. comprised of brad rose (the north sea) and keith wood (hush arbors), the golden oaks are roadshow magicians springing forth candles from wooded sanctuaries. composed via the postal system, "autumn testament" is a hymn to the season of red, gold, and orange. a canopy of leaves shelters the proceedings from the fog that threatens to obscure these sounds. this is a glorious combination of organic grace, blessed by the forests of past centuries and those still in their infant stages. the trees will put tears in your eyes. order
the chaotic free jazz skronk of helsinki's braspyreet comes to a head on "maamme laulu." aquatic visions of spacetime bending, this quartet chants its way through the fanciful forested heavens of the north. "maamme laulu" is the culmination of months of preparation and practice. bathed in blankets of shimmering white snow, braspyreet's manic compositions will melt the surrounding ice into a swimming hole. so many things find their way into the collective psyche, but braspyreet will destroy them all and send you off in a jewel-encrusted golden gondola to the pastures beyond. order.
many were said when dead raven choir said goodbye. many more, didn't even notice. smolken's project of avante-folk grows a new head on "fire mouth," introducing new faces while keeping the same old scars. "fire mouth" ventures into territory never explored by the choir, opting for original lyrics on top of sparse, intricate compositions. this is perhaps drc at its most accessible. using cittern, bass, banjo, piano, mbira, guitar, and other instruments, the beauty of clatter emerges from beneath a black cloak, showing its face for the very first time. rosin's voice lifts the veil and admits, for the first time, that the sun is still shinning. order.
cja sceams, "i am a fucking monster." shout it from on high. cja's master opus, "ironclad," reaks of monstrous minimalist genius. these songs are unearthed from a secret place, within the depths of new zealand's green pastures and jagged mountains. this is music that was destroyed and pieced back together so that it can destroy you. "ironclad" is a monolith. hell, it caused cja to stop making solo records. it is that good. don't take it from me, take it from glenn donaldson: "i've already set all my electric guitars ablaze in tribute to cja." order
(co-released with broken face recordings)
coming soon
coming
soon on digitalis: the
stumps; keijo; christina carter & gown; stuart busby; brothers of
the occult sisterhood; terracid; hush arbors reissues (w/ music fellowship),
and more.