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Nightmare Ending is the first proper Eluvium album released since 2010's Similes, the unexpectedly vocal-heavy ambient-pop record that simultaneously delighted and confounded longtime fans. But the Nightmare Ending story actually began years earlier, as it was intended to be the follow-up to the watershed album, Copia. Conceived as a way of helping loosen his selfimposed ideals of perfection, Cooper labeled each Nightmare Ending track as either a "dream," or an "imperfection" ? a way of differentiating the philosophical concept of "dream vs. reality," couched in the more tangible technical distinctions of "flawless vs. flawed." With each progressive listen those differences naturally challenged themselves, and without relying on the standardized perfection protocol, Cooper became increasingly reluctant to release any of it. He shelved it, and pursued Similes instead. But Nightmare Ending wouldn't go away; it lingered in the back of his mind, the abandoned fruits of a truly worthwhile and noble journey towards a less creatively constraining mindset. Cooper returned to it with renewed vigor, writing and recording in a blur of time that spanned several years, ending with a pair of inspired collaborations with Mark T. Smith of longtime friends and label mates, Explosions In The Sky ("Envenom Mettle," closing Disc 1)and Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo ("Happiness," closing Disc 2). The result is a body of work that encompasses everything remarkable about past Eluvium albums, executed more powerfully and poignant than ever before.

Like his best and most iconic works, the magic of William Basinski?s new album, Nocturnes, is in the glacial, inevitable decay of something beautiful. Tape loops of prepared piano ? composed and recorded more than 30 years ago ? reflecting, refracting, and disintegrating into a haunting sentimental haze, like losing a vivid memory to the natural deterioration of time. Nocturnes is two sprawling new works, begun in 1979 and completed in 2012. It is Basinski?s first new studio release in nearly four years.

Celebrating their 10th year as one of independent music?s most substantive bands, Louisville?s Coliseum return with their fourth full-length, the stunning Sister Faith, to be released on April 30 on Temporary Residence Ltd. Expanding on the anthemic direction the trio veered toward on 2010?s highly acclaimed House With a Curse, Sister Faith?s 13 songs are the most dynamic and immediately captivating of the band?s career, bristling with galvanizing melodies at the collision point between punk and noise-rock. The first album to be recorded in producer J. Robbins? recently relocated Magpie Cage Studios, Sister Faith is also the first Coliseum recording to feature new bassist, Kayhan Vaziri, in addition to contributions from some of the groups? closest friends and musical peers: Wata of Boris, J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines), and Jason Loewenstein (Sebadoh, The Fiery Furnaces), Jason Farrell (Swiz, Bluetip) all make small but memorable contributions.

Multi-instrumentalist and sci-fi prog-rock explorer A.E. Paterra returns with his second proper fulllength as Majeure. Following closely on the heels of his beloved but scarcely limited split album with fellow Zombi cohort Steve Moore, Solar Maximum expands on the cinematic, atmospheric vision alluded by his 2010 debut album, Timespan. Once again composing, performing, and producing the entire album, Paterra broadens the Majeure cosmos with an increased focus on moody synths and an almost inhuman level of patience in the payoff. Drawing influence from 70scelestial film scores, ambient krautrock, and dexterous vintage prog-rock, Solar Maximum trades in the cosmic disco of Timespan for a more spacious and ominous feel that lives up to its ambiguously ambitious title.

For a collection of music built around the poignant inevitability of decay, there has been a great many hopeful and inspired words devoted to William Basinski's The Disintegration Loops: stunning, ethereal, majestic, transfixing, life-affirming? and for good reason. From its 20-year gestation period to its infamously fateful completion, The Disintegration Loops is one of the most powerful manifestations of the inevitable cycle of life ever committed to tape, even as it documents the inevitable decay of all that is committed to tape. The very passage of time is its most effective instrument. To mark the 10-year anniversary of its original release ? and its forthcoming induction into the 9/11 Memorial Museum this year ? Temporary Residence Ltd. is honored to collaborate with William Basinski in presenting The Disintegration Loops in a fashion truly befitting a library of music with such a lasting legacy. This massive limited-edition box set contains all four historic volumes, plus a pair of stunning live orchestral performances from theMetropolitan Museum of Art, and the 54th Venice Biennale, both previously unreleased. Remastered from the original recordings and pressed onto 100% virgin vinyl for the first and only time, this exquisite box set also includes all of the remastered recordings on 5 CDs, the extremelyrare 63-minute The Disintegration Loops film on DVD, and a 144-page full-color coffee table book featuring rare photos taken during the making of The Disintegration Loops, and liner notes by Basinski, Antony, David Tibet of Current 93, Ronen Givony of the Wordless Music Series, andMichael Shulan, Creative Director of the National September 11 Memorial Museum. The Disintegration Loops has never appeared on vinyl, and will never appear so again outside of this sincerely special, painstakingly beautiful collection.

Melbourne, Australia's most enigmatic trio return with a brain-bending slice of bleak mantra-rock that only they can make inexplicably addictive. Coupled with two new jams are a pair of remixes from like-minded friends and world-renowned artists Justin K Broadrick (Jesu, Godflesh), andFactory Floor (DFA). Picking up where they left off on last year's sensational Little Joy, "Wrapped Coast" is tribal post-punk clatter at its finest, like a slightly deranged bastard spawn of Boredoms and Mission of Burma. The beat has clear nods to late night dance and debauchery, making Factory Floor's "The Michael Cliffe House Remix" a logical extension of the original. Four songs pushing a half hour in length on a limited-edition vinyl 12" ? this is how My Disco do. This vinyl-only release is strictly limited to 1,000 copies, and includes a free MP3 download code featuring a bonus alternate remix by Justin K Broadrick.

On one hand, their fifth album, Information Retrieved, is the logical and accessible realization of a sound Pinback have been developing and refining for over a decade. However, that consistency that we've taken for granted is what makes Information Retrieved such a euphoric surprise; their finest and most fully realized album, a dozen years deep into a career that includes bona fide modern classics like "Good To Sea" and Summer In Abaddon. Simply put, this is better than we ever could have expected. They could have coasted on automatic pilot to another lauded albumthat likely would have made it onto plenty of year-end lists, but instead they shot the moon, and the result is a major triumph. The touchstones are still there: Zach Smith's stunningly unique bass guitar acrobatics driving both rhythm and melody in lock-step unison; the incredibleimmediacy of Rob Crow's voice that could make a phone book sound compelling; and the musical and lyrical interplay between the two of them that made Pinback so special in the first place. The difference now is their exquisite control over dynamics and a greater emotionalresonance throughout. It's the most complete and soulful Pinback album by a fair distance, the finest moment in the career of a band whose unfettered brilliance we've come to count on, but will never again take for granted.

When Jerry Fuchs joined Maserati in 2004, he initiated a complete overhaul of the group: old songs were dropped, tempos were drastically sped up, and the budding psych-rock impulses of guitarists Coley Dennis and Matt Cherry were given room to grow. Beginning with the electrifying inventions For The New Season, Maserati were a better, faster, stronger beast. That spirit shines bright on Maserati VII, their first album conceived since Fuchs' passing. Maserati has an uncanny ability to toggle time back and forth between the past, present, and future ? often in the span of one song. On Maserati VII, they're grounded and driven by new drummer Mike Albanese (Cinemechanica), whose dexterity and stamina prove a perfect fit for Maserati's trademark relentless, driving rhythms and epic song lengths, anchored by bass badass, Chris "Coach" McNeal. Maserati VII perfectly captures the essence and evolution of Maserati as face-melting, bone-rattling, ass-shaking Moroder Metal.

In 1992 Louisville, KY was home to a unique and diverse punk rock scene that was fast becoming a highly influential underground mecca, and for every Slint and Rodan there were a half dozen brilliant and forward-thinking bands that went virtually unnoticed ? most of whom were guilty of more than a little self-sabotage. Plenty of cities across the world have these kinds of musicians, the ones who are cherished in worn-out mixtapes and increasingly unbelievable stories of historic local live shows. The Telephone Man were one of those, and one of the best ones to ever fall through the cracks of Louisville music history. With a maturity and level of execution that betrayed their youthful age, they were the missing link between the introverted slow burn of Slint, the angular aggression of Bitch Magnet, and the emotional expressiveness of early 90s DC punk. It was a unique combination at the time, and twenty years later sounds downright prescient. Less than 75% of this collection ever saw the light of day, and even that was limited almost exclusively to short-run handmade cassettes passed around at live shows and sold at local record stores. Though its members would move on to more notable endeavors ? guitarist/singer Matthew Ronay is now a world-renowned artist based in NYC, while others continued to pursue music in a diverse array of bands, including Guilt, Ink & Dagger, The Metroschifter and Weird Weeds ? this beautifully remastered anthology fills in a little-known but enlightening piece of the legendary Louisville music puzzle.

Formed in London in 2011, Ultraísta is a multimedia trio founded on a mutual love of Afrobeat, electronic and dance music, visual art, and tequila. Its members are vocalist/artist Laura Bettinson, and multi-instrumentalist producers Nigel Godrich and Joey Waronker (whose collective resumes read like a guide to groundbreaking and culturally influential modern music). Their eponymous debut album is 10 tracks of highly infectious, exquisitelycrafted electronic kraut-pop. Favoring mantras over traditional choruses and distilling their compositions to the barest essentials, they possess the kind of masterful control over the pure anatomy of a pop song that only comes from having played a significant role in redefining the pop song in the 21st century. We've already said more than they probably wish we had. This album is superb.

For My Parents is the new album by MONO, the Japanese quartet who ? over the course of half a dozen albums in twice as many years ? has followed their own muse, and in the process have become "one of the most distinctive bands of the 21st century." They are an instrumental rock band whose melodies have grown increasingly lyrical, with increasingly transcendent execution. There is no doubting a MONO song when you hear it, and no denying their uncanny ability to feel perfectly at home in both pristine symphony halls and dirty rock clubs. In the way that only MONO can, For My Parents obliterates that divide, showcasing a sensitivity and maturity that simultaneously acknowledges where they came from, and where they're going. The songwriting is sharper, the dynamics are subtler, and the production is stunning. For the recording, the band once again enlisted The Wordless Music Orchestra for support, and the collaboration has never sounded stronger. The unique combination of soul-stirring melodies, cinematic East-meets-West arrangements, and firm command of elusive emotional intangibles is what makes MONO so...well, so MONO.

Well, we didn't expect this! After a 3-year hiatus following what we assumed was their swan song ? the sprawling double-album, Growing ? San Diego's Sleeping People return with this hypnotic fever-dream of a 12". Following the departure of guitarist Amber Coffman (who left to pursue herother group, The Dirty Projectors, full-time), Sleeping People's core group ? guitarist Kasey Boekholt, bassist Kenseth Thibideau, and drummer Brandon Relf ? reunited with original guitarist, the nimble-fingered Joileah Thalmann. The Sleeping People trademarks are all here: angular, dissonant riffs, mind-bending counterpoint guitar interplay, and grooving, stop/start dynamics. The major evolution here is the hefty amount of patience and primal repetition; each song unfolds over many minutes, revealing something new with repeated listens. In other words, it sounds like what you would expect from a band that draws equal inspiration from Yes, Steve Reich, and Tool.

Following the release of Verdugo Hills ? the second album from Caroline, the Japanese electronic-pop songstress and Mice Parade alum ? a slew of her peers graciously answered our calls for remixes and reinterpretations of every song from the acclaimed album. Not surprisingly, the results are more successful and less ephemeral than most remix albums ? a testament not only to the ingenuity of the various remixers on deck, but also Caroline?s weightless, angelic vocals which transcend even the most jarring sonic manipulations. Along with Caroline?s bandmates in Mice Parade, remixers include: Eluvium, Manual, Dntel, Dead Waiter, Lumia, Her Space Holiday, Rory Vallis, Dan Lippel, and JNH. Additionally, the album comes with a free MP3 download code that includes a bonus remix by Doug Scharin of Mice Parade/Codeine/June of 44 fame.

When Three Mile Pilot ? the legendary Southern California trio that spawned Pinback and The Black Heart Procession ? returned to active duty in 2010 with The Inevitable Past Is The Future Forgotten, it ended a 13-year silence from the band. The album was amazing, and the hope was we wouldn?t have to wait another dozen years for more. The brand new Maps EP delivers on the evolution of The Inevitable Past, but also finds the group returning to some of their exploratory roots in a unique and refreshing way. Traditionally EPs serve as stop-gaps between albums, often a collection of toss-offs and leftover b-sides. Maps rejects this notion as it?s filled with some of the strongest songs in Three Mile Pilot?s remarkable 20-year history.

In the mid-late 1980s, Moss Icon pioneered a progressive, highly emotive sound that stood in stark contrast to just about everything even remotely considered punk-rock at the time. In retrospect, they more resembled an inspired marriage of the bleak post-punk leanings of Joy Division with the raucous riffage of the Wipers, albeit considerably less accessible thanks to Moss Icon's more sinister tone, exploratory arrangements, and frontman Jonathan Vance's almost stream-of-conscious sociopolitical rampages. In the decades since Moss Icon's disbandment, bootlegged t-shirts and patches have been easier to come by than actual recordings, and the Internet is filled with misconceptions and misinformation, incidentally lendingan enigmatic, almost mythical status to the band. Rather than attempt to pull back the curtain, this collection ? compiling the group's entire official catalog ? serves to permanently document the very important contributions of one very important group from a very formative era of undergroundmusic.

What Is The Meaning Of What is the third album from New York City psych-dance-rock stalwarts, Turing Machine, their first since the critically acclaimed Zwei was released on Frenchkiss Records way back in 2004. The extended hiatus was largely due to its members other projects, most notably drummer Jerry Fuchs? relentless rotation in virtually every live band within stone?s throw of the DFA orbit ? including but not limited to LCD Soundsystem, Maserati, Holy Ghost!, The Juan Maclean, !!!, MSTRKRFT, and Massive Attack. For What Is The Meaning Of What,Turing Machine spent the better part of a year mixing and tweaking, with a little help from a plethora of friends, including Disappears vocalist Brian Case, and a host of musicians from the DFA roster, including Andrew Raposo and Caito Sanchez (both of Midnight Magic), AbeSeiferth, DJ McNany, and Pat Mahoney (LCD Soundsystem). What Is The Meaning Of What boasts an increased focus on the dance floor while maintaining the adrenalin-fueled psychedelic post-punk fetishism that is the heart of Turing Machine. Propelled by Fuchs? unrelenting grooves and bubbling with layer upon layer of hypnotic riffs and driving synths, the album locks in and refuses to let go for its 40-minute duration.

Sprouting from the same mind that created the Books ? one of the most acclaimed and innovative groups of the past decade ? Zammuto marks a deep reinvention of the highly detailed, genre-defying spirit that made seminal albums such as The Lemon of Pink and The Way Out possible. Given the Books? success as an experimental collage-pop project, founder and namesake Nick Zammuto could have comfortably extended that thread. Instead he has given us a record that is progressive and forward-looking, intense and driven, with hugely varied rhythms and melodies. The whispered, folksy vocals that became a trademark of the Books are for the most part shed in favor of an uncharacteristically confident, soaring delivery, often fueled by awide array of vocal effects. The result is a man-machine sensitivity that ultimately enhances the songs? emotional intensity. With dense and beautiful string arrangements by Gene Back (the Books) and brain-warping drum performances by Sean Dixon, the radical and varied sound of Zammuto leaps out of speakers with a searing directness. Making music that sounds and feels like no one else is nothing new for Zammuto, but making music that doesn?t even sound like his own past is a whole other impressive feat in itself.

Brainstorm is a split album from Steve Moore and Majeure (aka A.E.Paterra), both founding members of renowned sci-fi prog-rock duo Zombi. Side A finds Steve Moore infusing heavy doses of John Carpenter-inspired ghostly synth fog into the early 80s sci-fi film scores that made Vangelis a household name. In other words, it?s four more examples of what Steve Moore does better than anyone since the above-mentioned pioneers. Side B features a single epic side-long 20-minute piece by Majeure consisting of three movements: an exploratory ambient first act, followed by a Tangerine Dream-worthy synth workout, and culminating in a mid-tempo prog-rock outro that recalls Zombi?s Escape Velocity album from 2011.

Temporary Residence Ltd. is proud to present the remastered and repackaged reissue of the legendary Bitch Magnet's seminal and critically acclaimed three albums ? Star Booty, Umber, and Ben Hur. The deluxe 3xLP/3xCD package include all three albums, plus more than a half dozen rare and previously unreleased tracks, a total of 34 songs, remastered from the original, restored analog master tapes. Bitch Magnet was formedat Oberlin College in 1986. Immediately following the release of its debut Star Booty in 1988, the band garnered rapturous reviews and established itself among the top-tier of America's independent music underground. The band's reputation continued to grow with tours of the US and Europe, and the subsequent releases of Umber (prominently included by Mojo on its list of "Lost Albums You Must Own") in 1989 and Ben Hur in 1990. The latter two have been frequently cited as a key inspiration for what would become known as "post-rock," a term that baffled and amused the members of Bitch Magnet when it first surfaced, and still does today. Along with their contemporaries in Slint, in the years following their breakup, Bitch Magnet has been recognized as a significant influence on generations of aggressive and musically complex bands, including Don Caballero, Mogwai, Rodan, June of 44 and Battles.

Parasites EP is the eight song follow up and companion piece to Coliseum's critically acclaimed third album, House With A Curse ? and their first release since this year's wildly popular and sought-after Record Store Day split release with Superchunk. The band has toured tirelessly across North America and Europe with bands as varied as pop-punk superstars Rise Against, experimental rock titans Red Sparowes, and crossover icons Corrosion of Conformity. The bulk of Parasites EP was produced and recorded by J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines, etc.) at Washington, DC's legendary Inner Ear Studios, the site of classic recordings from Bad Brains, Fugazi, Lungfish, Rites of Spring and countless others. Rounded out by tracks recorded during the House With A Curse sessions, Parasites EP shows Coliseum defying expectations and showcasing some of their most infectious anti-anthems and blazing hardcore tiradesto date.

Moholy-Nagy is the moniker of San Francisco / Berlin-based musicians Jefre Cantu-Ledesma (The Alps), Danny Paul Grody (The Drift) and Trevor Montgomery (Lazarus, The Drift). The trio are the founding members of Tarentel ? a group that helped inspired a decade's worth of widescreen ambient rock ? and Like Mirage reunites them for the first time since that group's sophomore album, The Order of Things, was released almost a decade ago. Recorded and mixed by Phil Manley of Trans Am and The Fucking Champs, Like Mirage bottles a vibrant landscape that recalls the late 70's explosion of cosmic and new age music as if it were a sunset descending on the damp streets of San Francisco.

More dynamic and eclectic than its predecessor, He Thinks He's People marries Pinback frontman Rob Crow's penchant for drawing inspiration from a variety of genres with an uncanny ability to create a subtle, relaxing mood throughout. This is likely attributed to his remarkable voice, a trademark that has helped make Pinback an institution for the past decade. The ease and sincerity with which he delivers lines as wrought as "Sometimes, just hope is the trap" ? or playfully revels in the morbid demise of people who talk on their cell phones during movies ? is what make Crow truly one-of-a-kind, and a shining light who continues to thrive on the outer edges of pop music.

After teasing blogs with enigmatic, homemade video clips for the past year, Indiana's most promising and perhaps most eccentric group finally unleashes their debut album, the stunning Enemy/Lover. Dreamers of the Ghetto marries the sentiment of classic 80s film soundtracks to minimalist, romantic dream-rock, creating a unique environment that becomes almost instantly addicting. The triumphant, reach-for-the-stars attitude of veterans like U2 and Depeche Mode is paired with the gospel splendor of Spiritualized and ominous austerity of The xx, all carried by what Shaking Through calls "the most amazing singer we've seen since Sharon Van Etten." DOTG have mined a sound that is both timeless and nostalgic, and they?ve done so with an earnest fearlessness and refreshing lack of irony. They are true, pure, and unbelievably powerful.

Blue Hour is the first release by The Drift since the passing of their indelible trumpet player, Jeff Jacobs, but his spirit is undeniably present throughout the album. Without a doubt their most meditative release since their Travels In Constants debut, Blue Hour eases off the jazz and dub influences that had become a trademark of The Drift's sound, and instead focuses on hypnotic repetition and subtle, textural layering of guitars, keyboards, electric bass and drums. Beautiful, fragile melodies descend into sheets of noise atop an unwavering lockstep groove, and the near-silence of a single bass note becomes alternately haunting and near transcendent. It is a cathartic memorial to a dear friend and invaluable collaborator, and the perfect beginning to a new chapter in The Drift's resilient story.

Though technically residing in Nashville, TN, rising singer-songwriter Daniel James aka Canon Blue has spent the majority of the past three years touring the world with Efterklang while simultaneously writing and recording Rumspringa in their Copenhagen studio. He then headed to Iceland to record orchestral arrangements with renowned string quartet Amiina (most famously recognized as Sigur Rós? string section). The result is a breathtakingly gorgeous mix of orchestral pop and neoclassical minimalism that blends the soulful intimacy of Jeff Buckley and the playful whimsy of Sufjan Stevens with the stately meditation of Steve Reich and Philip Glass. Canon Blue?s auspicious beginnings are rooted in the 2007 debut album, Colonies, a bedroom electronic folk collaboration with Grizzly Bear?s Chris Taylor. Rumspringa ironically finds Daniel James coming into his own by employing nearly 20 musicians to translate his expansive vision. The reserved, introverted abstraction of Colonies has given way to the eclectic glee of Rumspringa, and in the process has magnified the emotional heft and overall replay value significantly.

On their fifth album, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, Explosions In The Sky takesome of their greatest creative leaps yet, experimenting with layers of haunting,unplaceable sounds, euphoric vocals, classical guitar, body percussion, Japanesesinging bowls and more. With solitary focus and collaborative vision, each instrumentclearly exudes the spirit and inspiration of its player, squeezing more expression andlyricism out of guitars and drums than most singers could ever conjure with their voices.Take Care, Take Care, Take Care is Explosions In The Sky's most texturally diverseand emotionally dynamic album yet, and certainly their most masterfully crafted. Itemanates a subtle humanity and disarming comfort that marries youthful idealism withintangible magic. It is perhaps the most emotionally arresting album by a bandresponsible for some of the most emotionally arresting music of the past decade.

The day has finally come! We have waited with eager anticipation to release MatthewCooper's spellbinding soundtrack to Some Days Are Better Than Others since beforehis creative breakthrough album, Similes (released under his more widely knownEluvium moniker) was even made. The film stars James Mercer (Broken Bells, TheShins) and Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia, Sleater-Kinney) as strangers whose livesoccasionally intersect as they navigate their way through the struggles of personalattachment and disconnection. When viewing the film, Cooper observed themes beingpresented regarding our throw-away society, and realized that both he and Some Daysdirector Matt McCormick shared a common interest in this world of things left behindand the emotional baggage that is connected to it ? whether broken or simply tossedaside for something new; something once considered the future, turning into antiquatedrubble. Cooper decided that using a collection of damaged instruments would be a fittingway to underscore this aspect of the film. Here he uses the inherent characteristics ofthese instruments to create something honest and beautiful, something that is at oncefamiliar, damaged and unique ? something we can all relate to.

Youth and Lightness was produced by the band and Kevin Ratterman (My Morning Jacket) at The Funeral Home in their hometown of Louisville, KY. The musical palette remains fundamentally the same ? singer-guitarist Evan Patterson's cavernous, warped blues riffs weighted by Nick Thieneman's earth-shaking bass and drummer Jeremy McMonigle's sturdy, shifting rhythms ? but the augmented instrumentation and choral vocals lifts them to incredible new heights. With lyrical themes of emotional despair and domestic dissolution leading to inevitable catharsis, Youth and Lightness finds Patterson rising from his personal hell with a level of wisdom and maturity that most aggressive bands will never know. WIth a depth and ambition well beyond their years, Young Widows have stepped out of the shadows of their influences to become one of America's more interesting and spirited underground rock bands. In and Out of Youth and Lightness is an unquestionable breakthrough for the band and an inspiring force in the canon of heavy music.

Lost and Safe, maintained the Books' reputation as a pioneering musical force, even asthey flirted with traditional song structures more than ever before. It would go on to benamed Album of the Year by the highly influential music magazine, The Wire. As withthe recently reissued Thought For Food and The Lemon of Pink, Lost and Safe isrepackaged with dazzling new artwork and expanded to include lyrics for every song.Carefully and thoughtfully remastered from the original mixes by Zammuto at his newstudio outside his home in Vermont, Lost and Safe now boasts an increased warmth andclarity that reveals new details with repeated listens. To be sure, the differences aresubtle, but for a band who have transformed minutiae into modern art, that subtlety isdownright sublime.

Deep Politics was conceived during the lengthiest gestation period between Grailsalbums, and reflects a deeper, more educated level of concentration. In their ongoingexploration of occult/fringe culture and the rich history of film music, they have cultivateda unique environment that inspires both an eternal sense of longing and an indeliblesense of dread. Produced by the band, as always, the most immediately noticeableadvances are the lush string arrangements (courtesy of acclaimed composer TimbaHarris) and increasing use of the same kind of fetishistic cut-and-paste productiontechniques that made producers like RZA and MF Doom hip-hop legends. It's aseemingly unlikely twist to the Grails aesthetic, but not unusual given the size of the potin which they've stirred just about every genre imaginable. Through tireless explorationand awe-inspiring execution, Grails have found their true calling as purveyors of a newkind of library music, to be discovered by future generations of crate diggers and curiousforward-thinkers.

Following up their hugely acclaimed debut, Thought For Food, The Lemon of Pink was the album that cemented the Books as a pioneering musical force. It would become their biggest-selling album (a feat usurped only by the recently released The Way Out), and still stands as perhaps the most beloved album in the Books' unfailingly brilliant catalog. As with the recently reissued Thought For Food, The Lemon of Pink is repackaged with dazzling new artwork and expanded toinclude lyrics for every song for the first time ever. Carefully and thoughtfully remastered from theoriginal mixes by Zammuto at his new studio outside his home in Vermont, The Lemon of Pinknow boasts a warmth and clarity that surprisingly reveals an increased harmonic depth.

Filled with endearing and enduring songs, the Books revisit their wide-eyed beginnings with this remastered Thought For Food, repackaged with all-new artwork and expanded to include lyrics for every song for the first time ever. Carefully and thoughtfully remastered from the original mixes by Zammuto at his new studio outside his home in Vermont, TFF now boasts a warmth and clarity that surprisingly reveals an increased harmonic depth. Having combined and refined their compositional and recording processes over the course of four albums, addressing the technical limitations of these earlier recordings offers the chance to marry the technical, musical and emotional aspects of these songs in a way like never before. To be sure, the differences are subtle, but for a band who have transformed minutiae into modern art, that subtlety is downright sublime.

Verdugo Hills builds upon the same minimalist, angelic pop that made Caroline's debut album, Murmurs, so striking. Having spent the past several years as a full-time member of the small musical army that is Mice Parade, Caroline has mastered the art of mingling a dozen or more distinct sounds to form miniature symphonies for the soul that can turn from an icy chill to a warm glow in the span of a few breaths. Her lyrical delivery and subject matter have matured enormously, exposing new depths to her emotional range to accompany the deceptively subdued mix of acoustic and electronic instrumentation. Ultimately Verdugo Hills succeeds emphatically in giving electronic music a comforting heartbeat and a contemplative soul. She has become an intriguing and understated figure in the world of electronic pop music, accelerating the genre with startling, unexpected beauty while leaving lasting impressions on all of us who are along for the ride.

Garnering increasing acclaim in their native Australia with their first two albums, we are proud to finally present Melbourne trio My Disco's third full-length, the truly brilliant and enigmatic Little Joy. As always with My Disco, the most fascinating and unique element to their sound is space ? long, deep, sometimes scary space. Their defiance of rock music's time-worn tropes is what defines them, and Little Joy explores and expands on that concept, stretching a naked few instruments to transform short blasts into heavy, rhythmic, meditative body music. The bare bones of a drum beat, a rumbling bass, one repeated phrase and some bursts of feedback add up to a wholly compelling world of sounds between sounds. Shards of vaguely recognizable post- punk riffs fuse pounding, euphoric rhythms to hypnotic, almost psychedelic vocal mantras. This unlikely marriage is at the heart of Little Joy's success. It's the sound of a band using the fewest tools to create the greatest range of possibilities ? a record both expansive and minimal, a compressed expression of vast emotions.

Following the release of the artistically daring and critically-acclaimed Similes earlier this year, we're proud to present The Motion Makes Me Last EP, the scarcely limited companion CDEP to the equally rare Leaves Eclipse The Light EP. In addition to the stately ambient pop title track, The Motion Makes Me Last EP features three brand new, previously unreleased non-album tracks. "Crash Deconstructed" is a melancholy keyboard-based instrumental that's equal parts Sigur Rós and Hill Street Blues; "Remnant Signals" matches the elegant, otherwordly beauty of Eluvium's most striking ambient instrumentals; and closing this collection is a reworking of the Similes cut "Leaves Eclipse The Light" by Nick Zammuto from the Books that's as much a cover as it is a remix ? and every bit as charming, beautiful and unique as you'd expect from the Books. Strictly limited to 2,000 copies and featuring an exquisite custom die-cut cover, we don't expect these to stick around for very long.

Recorded throughout 2009 and 2010, Pyramid of the Sun is the most dynamic, melodic and tuneful Maserati album of the band's decade-long career. Retaining the trademark driving momentum that makes the band's live shows so euphoric, Pyramid explores the lighter and darker sides of their sound, anchored by more melodic and varied song structures and exhilarating production. In other words, you'll not only bob your head and tap your feet, you'll also involuntarily find the tunes lodged in your brain. Mixed with Justin Van Der Volgen (!!!, Out Hud, TBD) and Temporary Residence founder Jeremy deVine (Sonna), Pyramid includes two collaborations with friend and tourmate Steve Moore (Zombi) in the form of the Cluster-meets- Jan Hammer scorcher "They'll No More Suffer From Thirst" and the synth-heavy dance epic "Oaxaca". Closing the album is the bittersweet "Bye M'Friend, Goodbye," a motorik summer punk jam that splits the difference between Wipers and Neu!; it also carries the bittersweet distinction of being one of the band's finest songs, and the final track written and recorded with their legendary drummer Jerry Fuchs, who tragically passed away during the making of this album. Pyramid of the Sun assures Maserati their rightful place in the pantheon of rock bands who have not just painted outside the lines, but painted them over completely with a vibrant array of colors that glow in the darkness of long overnight drives and early morning after-after parties.

Goddamage has stood as Coliseum's benchmark for much of their career, and for good reason. The combination of chugging hooks and turbo-charged riffs is an addictive rush that sounds as vital now as the day it was first unleashed. Out of print and increasingly difficult to find, the time for a reissue is well overdue. Goddamage is given the royal treatment here with the addition of TEN bonus tracks ? most of which are previously unreleased ? more than doubling the length of the original Goddamage release. Included are all three tracks from their 2005 split EP with Doomriders, plus seven live tracks from a Los Angeles show that same year? all remastered from the original master tapes. Packaged in a breathtaking metallic gold triple-gatefold jacket that spreads out to a whopping 3 feet in length, the original Goddamage artwork is augmented by previously unreleased images and live photos. Goddamage is the perfect display of where Coliseum came from, and a shining example of why they are one of underground rock's most inspiring bands.

NOW AVAILABLE ON LIMITED EDITION VINYL FORMAT WITH BONUS TRACKS! Systems Officer is the solo guise of Armistead Burwell Smith IV, the prolific multi- instrumentalist songwriter and founding member of Pinback and Three Mile Pilot. Written and recorded between breaks in the rigorous Pinback recording and touring schedule, Underslept is five years in the making, a concise collection of thoughtful, complex pop songs. Written, produced and performed by Smith in his home studio, Underslept features the same kind of intricate arrangements and layered vocal harmonies that have become a trademark of Pinback, with nods to the dramatic tone that marks the best Three Mile Pilot songs. Underslept gives Smith ? already one of rock's most innovative and influential bass players ? the opportunity to place his often understated gifts as a singer and songwriter front and center, drawing influence from The Police, Peter Gabriel-era Genesis and The Beach Boys to craft thoughtful, progressive pop with spiky hooks and impressively high replay value.

It's no surprise that Envy have increasingly found inspiration in instrumental rock and experimental ambient music ? genres that historically circumvent cultural trappings. With each album since their inception in the early '90s the group have chipped away at the linguistic and cultural barriers inherent in international rock music. Their breakthrough came with 2003's A Dead Sinking Story, the groundbreaking third album that replaced familiar hardcore breakdowns with the sound of actual emotional breakdowns, and ? along with ISIS and Explosions In The Sky ? helped blur the lines between more than a few genres. That began a transition that leads straight to Recitation, by far the most musically and lyrically dynamic, technically diverse and emotionally complex album of Envy's two-decade career. All the touchstones of classic Envy are there: Enormous dynamic range, soaring melodies that feel equally inspired by late 80s power ballads and dramatic film scores, and tortured, impassioned vocals that, even in a foreign language, vaguely recall 19th Century romantic poetry. The difference with Recitation is in its execution. Where recent co-releases with fellow underground rock icons Thursday and Jesu hinted at a band in transition, Recitation is a fully realized vision from a band at their most inspired. Packed with more songs than any previous Envy album ? songs lengths range from 90 seconds to nearly 9 minutes ? Recitation is more than most any Envy fan could have hoped for, a triumph for the band and an inspiring leap forward for heavy music the world over.

Befitting of The Black Heart Procession, Blood Bunny / Black Rabbit takes the experimentation hinted at on Six and expands upon it in bizarre and brilliant ways. Centered around three stunning new songs, the collection is arranged and mixed as one continuous composition, sounding every bit like an LSD-influenced DJ set in the kind of terrifying but strangely alluring vampire sex den commonly seen in True Blood. It's the ideal atmosphere for The Black Heart Procession, where they feel most comfortable and sound most in control. The set is rounded out by a series of remixes, most notably the eccentric freak-out "Freeze" by legendary dub pioneer Lee "Scratch" Perry and ambient electronic luminary Eluvium's 10-minute orchestral reconstruction of the solitary piano ballad "Drugs". Jenkins remixes a couple of tunes himself under the guise of Mr. Tube, and San Diego electronic producers Jamuel Saxon close the album with an unlikely downtempo dance reworking of "Drugs" that transforms the song's morose lyrics into a meditative, almost hopeful trance. If Blood Bunny / Black Rabbit was supposed to be a stop-gap between albums, no one seems to have told the band as much. It is easily one of The Black Heart Procession's more compelling and intriguing releases of their extensive and impressive catalog.

Simulacrenfield rearranges the vision set forth in previous Parlour releases, utilizing the septet for all it's worth. The songs are tighter, heavier, and more melodically complex than ever before ? no doubt partly contributed to the addition of Jon Cook (Crain, Rodan) on drums, and Breck Pipes (Cerebellum) on guitar. Furnish, Cook and Pipes ? along with longtime Parlour member Steve Good (The Web, Sapat) ? have a rich and storied musical history, having played in bands together in their hometown of Louisville, KY since the late 1980s. That familiarity and inherent musical dialogue with one another can be heard throughout Simulacrenfield; the rhythm section in a tight pocket while the guitars, keyboards and brass section trade sharp melodies and chugging riffs. Imagine a heavier, more disturbing Neu! with more unexpected twists and turns (and that's just the jumping-off point).

Are we really here? Is this really happening? When we say that we never thought this day would come, we REALLY mean it. The rumor of a new Three Mile Pilot album has been circulating for over a decade, further fueling the mystery and mythology that has swirled around the San Diego trio since the 1997 release of what was thought to be their swan song, the enormously influential Another Desert, Another Sea. That brings us to the aptly-named The Inevitable Past Is The Future Forgotten, the first Three Mile Pilot album in 13 years. While in many ways it is their most uncompromising album since their inception, it also happens to be their most accessible. While Pinback and The Black Heart Procession were obviously influenced by 3MP in their early days, the inverse can now be heard, with many of the songs on The Inevitable Past bearing the unmistakable and inevitable stamps of those 3MP-related bands. This circular influence is what makes the album so brilliant; instead of a proper hiatus, 3MP's progression was charted vicariously through its members' other groups. As such, The Inevitable Past makes good on the promising glimpses heard through a long but breathless wait. Yes, we are really here!

Following the release of the artistically daring and critically-acclaimed Similes earlier this year, we're proud to present Leaves Eclipse The Light EP, a scarcely limited CDEP featuring the stunning opening track from Similes, plus two brand new exclusive tracks. "Leaves Eclipse The Light" is a gorgeous, laconic piece of ambient pop that Alternative Press called "breathtaking." Following that is "A Life In Tides Less Current," an 11-minute instrumental in which your mind is taken on the kind of self-reflective, nostalgic journey that made Eluvium's Talk Amongst The Trees album the cherished treasure that it is. Closing this EP is the incredible, long-awaited remix of "The Motion Makes Me Last" by electronic/dance icon Four Tet. Tucked away on the Enhanced CD portion of this EP is the awe-striking "The Motion Makes Me Last" video directed by acclaimed filmmaker Matt McCormick (The Shins, Some Days Are Better Than Others). Strictly limited to 2,000 copies and featuring an exquisite custom die-cut cover, we don't expect these to stick around for very long.

Majeure is the alter ego of A.E. Paterra, drummer for seminal sci-fi prog explorers Zombi, and Timespan is his debut release. Taking the term "full-length" quite literally, the album is made up of three epic, side-long journeys through time and space. Merging the darkness of Vangelis' Blade Runner-era Moog-driven scores and the stately minimalism of Steve Reich and Philip Glass with the relentless drive of Can and Silver Apples, Timespan delivers inspiring sci-fi disco of the highest caliber. Written, recorded and painstakingly produced by Paterra over an 18-month period, Majeure is unique in its careful collaboration of live and electronic sounds. Anchored by Paterra's sturdy, propulsive live drums, each song uses layers of analogue synthesizers to masterfully craft extended compositions that virtually stop time before speeding it up, culminatingin countless moments of genuine majesty. 2xCD version includes a bonus album of remixes by Steve Moore (Zombi), Justin K. Broadrick (Jesu) and acclaimed French producer Black Strobe!

Over the course of three albums in nearly a decade's time, the Books have grown to become one of modern music's most genuine innovators. Creatively complex and truly unclassifiable, The Way Out continues the Books' tradition of meticulous, existential songcraft, infusing the playfully surreal elements of previous albums with a humorous, childlike excitement. Produced and recorded as always in the Books' home studios, The Way Out expands on the charm and intimacy of past endeavors with a deeper emotional resonance and an ever-impressive marriage of seemingly disparate sound worlds. With The Way Out, the Books have mastered the precarious balance of beauty, absurdity and accessibility.

Repetition is Kenseth Thibideau's first true solo album, following a long and rich history of collaborative efforts that includes Tarentel, Sleeping People, Rumah Sakit, Pinback and Three Mile Pilot. Thibideau wrote, performed, recorded and produced every note of Repetition. Inspired by an increasing obsession with the Can/Cluster/Harmonia/Tangerine Dream world of classic krautrock and European prog, Repetition fittingly centers around a series of circular melodies anchored by repetitive grooves and colored by swirling keyboards and understated vocals. It's a surprisingly diverse formula that proves extremely successful. Of the dozen or more projects that Thibideau has played a part in over the years, Repetition may be the most subtly rewarding. It's unusually understated for an album that adequately displays the many strengths of one of the west coast's most genuinely talented musicians, and thus makes each listen more revelatory than the last.

Timespan Remixes is exactly what the title implies: The entire debut album by Majeure (aka A.E. Paterra of sci-fi rock luminaries Zombi), remixed by three of his friends and favorite producers. Zombi co-conspirator Steve Moore expands on the opening minutes of "Timespan" to give it an ominous John Carpenter dread. Jesu mastermind Justin K Broadrick transforms "Teleforce" into a 10-minute vertigo-inducing shoegaze epic. Renowned French producer Black Strobe closes out the album with a staggering 20-minute reinvention of "The Dresden Codex," a white-hot house banger that scorches straight away before disintegrating into an ambient heap of sci-fi ash. This vinyl-only release is strictly limited to 500 copies.

How much change is a band willing to endure in pursuit of a dream? In the case of Coliseum, as much as it takes. In the three years since their second album, No Salvation (their first and only for Relapse Records), the Louisville power trio have changed labels, producers, engineers, and replaced the frenetic breakneck speed of former drummer Chris Maggio with the emphatic rhythmic stomp of Carter Wilson ? all in the service of producing the album they always dreamed of. That album is House With A Curse, their third full-length and first for Temporary Residence Ltd. Produced by the band at The Funeral Home in Louisville and mixed by J. Robbins in Baltimore, House represents a major sea change in the Coliseum canon. For the first time in their nearly decade-long career, the trio play like a singular unit, commanding an agile, indestructible army of enormous riffs grounded by the head-nodding, foot-stomping rhythm section of Wilson and long-time bassist Mike Pascal. Guitarist/vocalist Ryan Patterson's gravel-throated proclamations are more personal than ever, reflecting against himself and projecting to the outside world. Features a small army of guests, including Will Oldham (Bonnie 'Prince' Billy), J. Robbins (Jawbox), Jason Noble (Shipping News, Rachel's, Rodan), Peter Searcy (Squirrel Bait) and more.

To celebrate their 10th anniversary as a band ? and the release of their acclaimed new album Hymn To The Immortal Wind ? MONO and Temporary Residence Limted organized a once-in-a-lifetime concert in New York City. In association with the esteemed Wordless Music Series, MONO super-sized their already legendary live show with a 24-piece orchestra. Painstakingly recorded and mixed by famed producer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, ISIS, Minus The Bear), Holy Ground brilliantly captures every moment of whispered calm and breathless beauty with patient clarity. Included with the album is a stunning live DVD documenting the entire 90-minute performance, featuring live orchestral versions of many of MONO's most beloved songs. For a decade fans have clamored for a MONO album that matches the catharsis of their infamous live shows, and Holy Ground overwhelmingly delivers.

The long-awaited follow-up to the acclaimed Copia, Eluvium takes a courageous creative leap with Similes, an 8-song album featuring three key musical elements previously uncharted by Eluvium: percussion, a verse-chorus song structure, and singing. For a celebrated experimental musician, it was just about the bravest and scariest direction to go. In this way, Similes is the most truly experimental Eluvium album yet, and also the most accessible. Written, performed and recorded as always by Matthew Cooper's own Watership Sounds studio, Similes marries Eluvium's trademark dream-like aura with Cooper's unique, laconic vocals, akin to an especially contemplative Ian Curtis with trace reflections of Magnetic Fields and Brian Eno. It is the most daring ? and ultimately most rewarding ? work of Eluvium's impressive and prolific career.

More than just a return to numerical album titles, Six is The Black Heart Procession's first album to be written and recorded simultaneously with a new Three Mile Pilot album. As both bands now coexist for the first time ever, coconspirators Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel have steered The Black Heart Procession into a darker, more adventurous direction. Produced and recorded by the band over the past couple years, Six is without a doubt the group's most emotionally resonant album since Three. Brimming with pitch-black ballads of discarded loves and forgotten souls, the album paints a bleak yet strangely comforting portrait of heartbreak, self-destruction and religious allegory over some of their most inspired songs to date, drawing a clear line fromhere to soul-stirring visionaries such as Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash and Tom Waits.

Recorded as always with long-time collaborator Steve Albini, The Precious Prize of Gravity is Bellini's most accomplished production yet. Guitarist Agostino Tilotta wraps a hundred notes per minute around the towering, sturdy rhythm section of Matthew Taylor and Alexis Fleisig (Girls Against Boys), while Giovanna Cacciola's poetic lyrics and smoky melodies alternately recall Grace Slick and PJ Harvey. With no less than four songs centering around the deaths of loved ones (including the heart-wrenching "The Thin Line," featuring Andy Cohen and Tim Midgett of Silkworm/Bottomless Pit), Precious Prize is lyrically Bellini's darkest album yet. Never wanting to repeat themselves, the songs are more complex and progressive than the comparatively stark Small Stones, with a driving, X-inspired cowpunk vibe throughout.

In anticipation of the long (long...long) overdue new album coming in 2010, the mighty Three Mile Pilot have recorded two new songs for this limited edition single. Right away you're reminded of The Black Heart Procession/Pinback connection with "Planets," an unusually upbeat and infectious slice of weird pop perfection. B-side "Grey Clouds" is a darker, sprawling gem recalling the band's earlier days, when they were one of the most risky and experimental bands on Geffen Records. Strictly limited to 2,000 copies ? and nowhere near enough to satiate those of us who have waited with baited breath for a dozen years in eager anticipation of a new album ? "Planets"/"Grey Clouds" only builds on that hopeful anticipation. Any new Three Mile Pilot would have been something worth celebrating, but the fact that these songs are so undeniably great makes the thought of waiting a mere six months feel like another twelve years. It's actually a wonderful feeling.

In anticipation of their long-awaited new album coming in 2010, Athens, GA's premier (or maybe only) psych-dance-rock-etc stalwarts collect their rare and out-of-print vinyl tracks from the past couple years onto CD for the first time. Featuring all four tracks from their blink-and-it's-gone limited-edition split LP with Zombi, as well as their remix LP (featuring The DFA's Tim Goldsworthy and !!!'s Justin Van Der Volgen), Passages is augmented with two previously unreleased tracks ? the Moog-fueled meditative trance of Steve Moore's "Monoliths" remix, and the positively sublime emotional heft of "Do You Hear The Nightbirds Calling?", all remastered from the original master tapes and packaged with eye-popping new artwork. Also included on the Enhanced CD are two brilliant videos for "Inventions (Live)" and "This Is A Sight We Had One Day On The High Mountain."

Following on the heels of their breakthrough Old Wounds album, Young Widows haveassembled an all-killer-no-filler split single series, featuring new, unreleased YoungWidows jams, split up over four separate 7" singles, accompanied by a handful of theirfavorite friends and artists on the opposite sides of each single. Those artists includeBonnie 'Prince' Billy, Melt-Banana, Pelican, and My Disco. All songs by all artists arebrand new and exclusive to this series. Each single is strictly limited to a one-timepressing of 2,000 copies. The artwork for the four singles fits together to form one large,beautiful puzzled image. This fourth and final single in the series features YoungWidows and My Disco.

Following on the heels of their breakthrough Old Wounds album, Young Widows have assembled an all-killer-no-filler split single series, featuring new, unreleased Young Widows jams, split up over four separate 7" singles, accompanied by a handful of their favorite friends and artists on the opposite sides of each single. Those artists include Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Melt-Banana, Pelican, and My Disco. All songs by all artists are brand new and exclusive to this series. Each single is strictly limited to a one-time pressing of 2,000 copies. The artwork for the four singles fits together to form one large,beautiful puzzled image. This second single in the series features Young Widows and Melt-Banana.

Following up their widely acclaimed and most successful album, Doomsdayer's Holiday,Grails unleash their first-ever DVD, the career-spanning Acid Rain. Centered around ahalf dozen mind-altering music videos from their last few albums, Acid Rain also featuresnearly two hours of live shows from the past several years. Packed full of bonus materialand special treats, Acid Rain is as bizarre, eclectic and otherworldly as their albums, withthe added spectacle of debaucherous activities, vicarious cult obsessions, and streetpreachers on rollerskates.

Just in time for their 10-year anniversary, MONO return with their fifth studio album, the absolutely massive Hymn To The Immortal Wind. The music is naturally majestic, with MONO's trademark wall of noise crashing beautifully against the largest chamber orchestra the band has ever enlisted. The instrumentation is vast, incorporating strings, flutes, organ, piano, glockenspiel and tympani into their standard face-melting set-up. While Hymn continues to mine the cinematic drama inherent in all of MONO's music, the dynamic shifts now come more from dark-to-light instead of quiet-to-loud. The maturity to balance these elements so masterfully has become MONO's strongest virtue.

Finally back in print on vinyl! Now featuring a bonus album of remixes! After years of enduring hundreds of requests for a repress of MONO's breakthrough second album, One Step More And You Die, we have finally come to our senses. Perhaps it was the increasingly insane eBay prices, or maybe it was the brand new MONO album coming in March. No matter the reason, it's back, and it's bigger and blacker than ever! Rather than simply repress the original single-record version, we decided to include the out-of-print New York Soundtracks album as well, featuring remixes of One Step More songs by Calla, Loren Connors, Jackie-O Motherfucker and more. The expanded two-record set has been beautifully remastered and repackaged with expanded artwork.

Originally released on Trevor Jackson's fledgling Output Recordings, Fridge's early releases playfully skated all over the musical map, jumping from bashing lo-fi punk to sublime expanses of downtempo dance with equal enthusiasm. Always produced by the band at home (and often mixed directly to cassette), these early records drew much deserved fanfare. With Output Recordings now defunct, and Fridge having spawned no less than three successful side-projects (most notably Four Tet, Adem and Kieran Hebden's collaborations with jazz legend Steve Reid), Early Output 1996-1998 is a band-curated collection of the most memorable tracks from those wildly prolific early years, including six previously unreleased tracks from that era. Remastered from the original master tapes, the package also includes photos and extensive liner notes from the friends, collaborators, and the band themselves.

More than two years after Thursday first put the idea in our heads, Temporary Residence Ltd. is proud to finally bring together two influential bands from two very different places. Recorded in Spring 2008, both bands turn in some of their most inspired work yet. In addition, Thursday invited Anthony Molina of Mercury Rev to remix the dark instrumental "In Silence" into the pitch-black closing track, "Appeared And Was Gone," providing the perfect transition into the massive dynamics of Envy. Beginning with the subtle electronics of the symphonic opener, "An Umbrella Fallen Into Fiction," Envy thrashes and burns through a trio of thoughtful face-melters. Pressed on audiophile-quality 180 gram vinyl and featuring original artwork by acclaimed poster artist, Dan Grzeca, this deluxe set includes a free copy of the CD format beautifully incorporated into the exquisite package design.

At two hours in length, A Bottle Of Pills With A Bullet Chaser compiles every song everrecorded by Wino. In addition to the many singles and lone album, the set includes sixpreviously unreleased tracks, plus the live track "Dogs," recorded during one of their finallive performances. Largely inspired by Swans, Crain and the Amphetamine Reptileroster, Wino were one of the loudest, darkest and most eclectic bands in Louisvilleduring the 1990s, and their influence can be heard today in loads of Louisville bands.Expertly digitally remastered from all of the original master tapes by Alan Douches atWest West Side Music (Converge, High On Fire), A Bottle Of Pills With A Bullet Chaseris the perfect commemoration to the band that inspired dozens of later Louisville bandsand helped launch Temporary Residence a dozen years ago.

Following up last year's Burning Off Impurities and their recent Take Refuge In Clean Living EP, Grails return with their darkest, heaviest record yet. Written and recorded over the last 18 months, Doomsdayer's Holiday delivers on the promises made by their previous albums, taking equal pride in smoky psychedelics and mountain-ascending riffs. With Faust, Earth and Sunn O))) collaborators acting as engineers ? not to mention drummer Emil Amos having recently become the new other half of Om ? Grails' avant-metal leanings are evident as always. But Doomsdayer's Holiday finds their already-broad palette continually expanding with 70s European film noir and cosmic free jazz explorations complimenting the Middle Eastern psychedelic folk-metal the group is already known for. After a wildly prolific three-year streak that saw the band ceaselessly pushing forward, Grails have finally made an album that pushes back.

Last year Georgia's Maserati ended a four-year absence with Inventions For The New Season, a delirious soundtrack for late-night cityscapes and never-ending car chases. The first album featuring new drummer Jerry Fuchs (LCD Soundsystem, !!!, The Juan Maclean), Inventions quite literally reinvented Maserati as a motorik psych-rock band with a disco ball for a kick drum. It makes sense, then, that Maserati have commissioned a pair of remixes by two producers most likely to shove their songs onto the dancefloor feet-first.

Side A finds Thee Loving Hand (Tim Goldsworthy of The DFA, Hercules and Love Affair) stripping "The World Outside" to almost nothing, reimagining it as a vintage European disco track from the ground up. Starting with a steady, far-off kick drum and a rogue, in-your-face hi hat, the song's seemingly disparate parts eventually lock into the kind of dirty disco that has made Goldsworthy a club legend.

Equally club-friendly, !!!'s Justin Van Der Volgen brushes away the grit of the original "Inventions" and painstakingly buffs it to a shine as slick as black ice. The side-long trance mix maintains the sweaty atmosphere of the original, but removes the top-down drive in favor of a midnight jog.

Strictly limited to a one-time pressing of 1,000 copies, Inventions Remixes is both an addendum to the successful reboot of Inventions For The New Season, as well as a testament to the broad spectrum of influences that flow in and out of Maserati's music.

Arriving two years after their debut, Settle Down City, Old Wounds completes Young Widows' transformation into a top-shelf rock band firing on all cylinders. Forging the best parts of Nirvana, The Jesus Lizard, Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Fugazi and The Melvins, Old Wounds is a series of dynamic, thoughtful tunes anchored by cavernous that will certainly push most speakers to their breaking point. For the unique production, the band reunited with uber-producer friend (and Converge guitarist) Kurt Ballou, who had been eager to experiment with recording the band in multiple environments, with the intent of capturing the definitive take of each song for the final cut of the album. Feeling most at home when they're not at home, they brought Ballou along on tour to record all of their live shows. In addition, they recorded multiple sets in their rehearsal space, and another set at Ballou's Godcity Studios in Boston, MA. After tediously combing through a dozen hours of recordings, they compiled and mixed the album. The result is a bonafide classic, overflowing with the sweaty euphoria of a great live show, and the high replay value of a perfectly sequenced, well-produced rock record.

Quickly following their debut full-length, Prints return to stir the pot with a little more pop, their usual dose of psychedlia and an intoxicating amount of dance. Once again produced at home by multi-instrumentalists Zac Nelson and Kenseth Thibideau, the songs here were originally conceived as b-sides for a proposed single for "Too Much Water" from the group's eponymous debut. By the time three new songs were completed, they stood too strong on their own to be pushed out as b-sides, so the decision was made to forfeit the single and instead offer the songs as a stand-alone EP. Meanwhile, DFA cofounder and Hercules and Love Affair producer Tim Goldsworthy fired up his new alter-ego Thee Loving Hand for an epic super-funk remix of a pair of Prints tracks, "Pretty Tick" and "Meditation" (featuring, among other things, the funk bass skills of !!!'s Tyler Pope). To top it off, acclaimed visual artist Toben Seymour directed an eye-popping video for "Too Much Water," which is included here on the Enhanced CD portion of the disc.

Formed in 1996 and disbanded less than two years later, The Loved were an accidentally mysterious pop trio from the unlikely locale of Louisville, KY. In truth, they were just three ordinary guys making Beatles-inspired pop with a few nods to some 70s and 80s guitar gods. Their shows became notorious in Louisville; loud, sweaty affairs where the crowd knew all the words to songs that weren't yet recorded, much less released (a remarkable feat in the age before downloading or record leaks). Available here for the first time, Everything, Anything, Nothing collects the entire recorded history of The Loved, culled from the only two recording sessions during their brief existence. Recorded on 8-track analog tape by Kevin Coultas (Rodan), and remastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music (Yes, Sufjan Stevens), this is the way The Loved were always meant to be heard, and truly the way they should be remembered: three ordinary guys that just happened to make ten great songs.

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Transfovista is the first long-form video documenting the long and winding history of Envy's sound and vision. Presented here are seventeen of the band's most notable live performances, spanning a dozen years and countless pieces of murdered equipment. Beautifully edited from a variety of sources culled from hundreds of live shows, Transfovista is a perfect documentation of where the band started, where they've been, and where they are now. From tiny basements to massive outdoor stages and back, this is how the first fifteen went for a band that is becoming more legendary with every passing moment.

Originally released in 2003 on Level Plane Records, the album expanded Envy's American audience, and marked the first time the band toured North America. The original vinyl pressing sold out immediately, and not surprisingly now fetches over $100 on eBay. Here, finally, both CD and LP formats are repackaged and re-released along with the lion's share of their seminal back catalog. The vinyl has been remastered, sounding better than ever. Along with their now-legendary second album, All the Footprints That You've Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead (also reissued recently by Temporary Residence), A Dead Sinking Story is widely regarded as an innovative high-water mark for hardcore. These two albums are justifiably viewed as modern hardcore classics whose monumental footsteps created an unending ripple.

Celebrating the release of their incendiary new EP, Abyssal, and in conjunction with their forthcoming North American tour, Temporary Residence Limited is proud to re-introduce the lion's share of Envy's colossal back catalog. Along with their second and third albums ? All the Footprints You've Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead and A Dead Sinking Story, respectively ? we are happy to finally bring you Compiled Fragments 1997-2003. This collection of singles, rare tracks and unreleased gems maps Envy's storied transformation from pioneering spastic hardcore to masters of exquisite, triumphant doom. Originally released in 2003 on the group's own Sonzai Records in Japan, this album has never been available in North America, and has never been previously released on vinyl.

Originally released in 2001 on respected Japanese punk label H.G. Fact, All the Footprints You've Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead introduced Envy to Americans when it was licensed for limited release in 2003 on Dim Mak Records. Their original pressing sold out almost immediately, and the album has been scarcely available ever since. The vinyl now regularly fetches over $100 on eBay, and the CD is equally difficult to score without paying increasingly undesirable import fees. Along with their now-legendary follow-up, A Dead Sinking Story, All the Footprints is widely regarded as an innovative high-water mark for hardcore. These two albums are justifiably viewed as modern hardcore classics whose monumental footsteps created an unending ripple.

Following their acclaimed fourth album, Insomniac Doze, Japan's Envy return with this face-melting four-song EP. Though acting as a stop-gap between Insomniac Doze and their eagerly anticipated next full-length, Abyssal sounds more like the missing link between the driving, cacophonous force of their breakthrough third album, A Dead Sinking Story, and the lush, cinematic tones of Insomniac Doze. In fact, were it not for its somewhat brief half-hour running time, Abyssal would be the ideal Envy album, marrying their vast influences into a transcendent, almost romantic sound that is rarely heard or felt in heavy music.

The Sky Remains The Same As Ever is a nearly two-hour document of the recording sessions for You Are There, and the several worldwide tours that followed its release. In addition to the dozen live songs that are documented in all their sweaty fury, the film captures the decidedly less glamorous aspects of being an underground rock band from a foreign country, expressing sentiments through body language out of necessity, and driving...lots and lots of driving. Most effectively, the film displays the friendships that have made MONO's journeys enjoyable, and the fanatical dedication that has made it all possible

Coming off the heels of the scarcely limited 3" CD series ? and a full two years after the release of their debut album ? By the End of Tonight has finally dropped the anvil of badass on us with six new jams. In the two years since the release of their brilliant A Tribute To Tigers, BTEOT have toured almost non-stop, playing every rock club, living room (or even barn) that would have them. Their relentlessness has paid off, as their half of this split album with good friends and like-minded power jammers Tera Melos is far and away their most accomplished work to date. Not to be outdone, Sacramento's Tera Melos have also been on the road more than they've been home this year, touring with the likes of Fall of Troy and Horse the Band. Their frantic, absurdly complex songs are the perfect compliment to By the End of Tonight's darker, more sinister instrumental metal. Though both bands play a hyper-catchy, addictive form of spastic punk, Tera Melos brings to mind a hybrid of fellow Sacramento speed freaks Hella and Cap'n Jazz, while BTEOT draws an unfathomable arc between Blink 182 and The Jesus Lizard. The combination makes this by far the strongest release to date from either band.

When The Drift first popped up with their debut 12", "Streets/Nozomi," they were lauded as one of the most creative, forward-thinking jazz-rock hybrids, drawing comparisons to everyone from The Necks and Isotope 217 to Miles Davis and The Upsetters. Thanks to these two songs, the stage was set for The Drift to unleash their debut album. When Noumena was released, critics and audiences were polarized. It would seem that "Streets" and "Nozomi" ? less than twenty minutes of music combined ? had provided enough for The Drift to already have expectations to live up to, whether they liked it or not. At times glacially paced, Noumena ventured into the darker, lonelier regions of jazz, dub, and ambient rock, where In A Silent Way and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly coexist in sinister harmony. The trumpet freak-outs and Beefheart-inspired guitar stabs were fondly missed, while the increased attention paid to atmosphere was applauded. What critics and most fans didn't get to hear were the two extra tracks included only on the 2xLP vinyl edition of Noumena (including, ironically, the title track from the album). These two tracks sprawled to lengths and depths only alluded on their debut12". Ceiling Sky collects these previously rare, vinyl-only tracks onto CD for the first time. In addition, the limited edition (rmxs) 12" released earlier this year ? featuring remixes by Four Tet and Sybarite ? is included to complete the collection. In total this is an hour's worth of enchanting, haunting music that only a handful of people have had the pleasure to hear until now. That should be just enough to get us through the wait for the next proper full-length from The Drift, due in spring 2008.

Hawk Medicine is the first Lazarus album written and performed as a group, and it shows. The eccentricities of each member shine brightly, with Montgomery's voice no longer the grounded base, but more of an ominous presence drifting above and below. Produced by the band and engineered in large part by Jason Quever of The Papercuts (for which Montgomery is also a member), Hawk Medicine imagines an alternate world where Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash take turns scaring each other with their political ghost stories while driving down a foggy highway at night with the headlights off. In spite of this darkness, Hawk Medicine is undoubtedly the most hopeful Lazarus album yet, and it's this precarious balance that also makes it the most mesmerizing.

Merging the eclectic instrumentation of Talking Heads with the ethereal vocals of Peter Gabriel, the two members of Prints mingle the precision of Brian Eno and the jubilance of Brian Wilson. Produced at home by the group, Prints resists precious tendencies, building from the unvarnished performances and otherworldy themes. The lyrics ? often improvised and laid down live in one or two takes ? create a lucid, dreamlike environment, marrying disparate images into fantastic and sometimes comical scenarios. Prints is that rarest of pop records, consistently rewarding with repeated listens ? the distorted thumb piano lingering in the background on "Easy Magic" and the stereophonic vocal counterpoint throughout are particularly stunning. Its soul shines long after the hook has been worn down.

Growing advances Sleeping People as a band in every way. It's faster, more aggressive, more thoughtful and more dynamic than their debut. Engineered by Ben Moore (Hot Snakes, The Black Heart Procession), the songs are pushed to extremes, sparking an addictive adrenaline high that is ultimately eased by Rob Crow's surprise appearance at the conclusion of the album, his saccharine vocals providing a perfect, blissful freefall. Growing is Sleeping People at their most inspired. It is a document of a sometimes frantic, always fearless band who sounds best when they're only pretending to be in control. Like the band itself, Growing embraces change with an improvisational flair that is both confounding and consuming.

Collecting all of MONO's rare and out-of-print non-album tracks, Gone perfectly (and chronologically) displays their astounding growth, from the modest opening notes of "Finlandia" to the scorched finale of "Little Boy (1945-Future)." These tracks are culled from a series of highly sought-after releases, including the Japanese-only debut Hey, You. EP, their split LP with Pelican, the Cameron Crowe-commissioned Memorie dal Futuro vinyl 10", and The Phoenix Tree, their out-of-print EP for the storied Travels In Constants series. All tracks have been beautifully remastered from their original master tapes, with both CD and 3xLP formats boasting absurdly beautiful deluxe packaging.

Still living well, Rob Crow returns with the second single from his breakthrough album, Living Well. Primarily known as the frontman for indie pop darlings Pinback, Crow has established himself as a brilliant solo artist with tracks like "I Hate You, Rob Crow," and this new single, "Up." Also featured here are three (count 'em) previously unreleased tracks, including the obscenely catchy "Forced Letter."

Immediately following the release of their acclaimed 2004 album, We Move Through Weather, Tarentel built on their forward momentum by recording another several hours worth of material, its fate to be determined at a later date. Tarentel don't follow up their albums so much as follow through them. To that end, Ghetto Beats On The Surface Of The Sun is more of an exploded view of the world the band has built and un-built for over a decade, each track acting as a map to an increasingly cosmic landscape.

Originally released as a limited edition series of vinyl albums, Ghetto Beats is collected here onto two CDs ? a full two and a half hours of music. It is a sun-baked cluster of ragged rhythms, splintered sound and scorched shimmer. The production is a caustic mix of hi- and lo-fi, creating a strange sense of timelessness, like discovering a black and white photograph of the future.

Available in a numbered, limited edition quadruple gatefold jacket, Ghetto Beats On The Surface Of The Sun is a widescreen projection of unspeakable charm and unlikely beauty.

Following the 2005 release of their debut album, Noumena, The Drift set out to tour relentlessly in support of the album. Two years later, the band is still on tour, and to keep up we're rolling out a limited edition 12" compiling two side-long remixes from Four Tet and Sybarite. Side A is a nine-minute jazz exploration, launching The Drift's spacious, atmospheric compositions into deserted, zero-gravity territory. Four Tet's remix is a stone cold classic, rich in the virtues of patience and the payoff. Side B, conversely, is a dense, rhythmic reworking of Noumena's most immediately accessible track, "Invisible Cities." Sybarite gets to the point quick, and fleshes out the deliriously funky details over the course of its emphatic 11-minute runtime. This 12" is strictly limited to 1,000 copies. Each copy is housed in a beautiful full-color chipboard jacket, and has been individually assembled by the tireless hands of the Temporary Residence staff.

NOW AVAILABLE IN LIMITED EDITION VINYL FORMAT WITH FIVE NON-ALBUM BONUS TRACKS!!!

Somewhere between the breakneck touring to support Pinback's breakthrough Touch and Go debut, Summer in Abaddon, and the release of The Ladies' debut album (his collaboration with Zach Hill of Hella/Team Sleep), the impossibly prolific Rob Crow had an epiphany: SLOW DOWN.

Not coincidentally, this revelation occurred shortly after the birth of his first child (named Robertdale Crow III, of course). Crow's time at home was suddenly more important than ever. His family is all over Living Well, his third solo album: in the album title, the artwork (layered with dozens of family photos), and the intensely personal lyrics which document Crow's courtship with his wife, their marriage, and the subsequent birth of their first child.

Not only is Living Well Crow's finest solo album by a country mile, it also transcends many of Pinback's most canonic moments. It has the hooks and heart that he is famous for, with a refined focus not seen in Crow's other projects.

Following the success of his recently released solo alum ? and his first-ever US solo tour ? Pinback frontman Rob Crow keeps the ride moving with the first single from Living Well, affectionately titled "I Hate You, Rob Crow." In addition to the album cut, the disc also includes two non-album tracks ? the moody synth-driven instrumental "Sea Sawn," and the Heavy Vegetable-esque "Slick" ? as well as the now-infamous video for "I Hate You, Rob Crow," featuring, among other highlights, Crow singing through a mic attached to a man's intestines.

The 90 Day Men create a thrilling masterpiece of innovation and anger; discordant yet sometimes jazzy riffs to stop-start guitar bashing, spite-filled vocals that bite and spit, background samples of unknown voices whispering - all of the pieces fit together beautifully. The raw intensity of "Sweater Queen" rips through the ears, while the intricacy of "Hey Citronella" brings forth a new feeling or idea with every listen. It is refreshing to hear something as well-written and as passionate as (this EP) proves to be.-All Music Guide

Hailing from the same rural Kentucky town that birthed fellow longhairs MyMorning Jacket, The Anomoanon's music sythesizes backwoods folk andarena-ready anthems. Combining Ned Oldham's familiar croon with theacoustic textures of Led Zeppelin and inspirational dirge of Crazy Horseinto a sound that seems so natural, one wonders if this record wasn't justwaiting around for these guys to discover it. Saying that this is theband's most accomplished recording is downright redundant, since it's alsoone of the finest of its kind by anyone. In a sea of glorified bar bandsposing as hipster revivalists, Joji finds The Anomoanon dropping from thesky and landing on both feet with a rhythmic stomp that rattles every bonein your body.

It all began in late 2000 when Sicilian guitarist Agostino Tilotta (of Uzeda) formed Bellini with Damon Che (Don Caballero). Originally conceived as an instrumental duo, the two soon expanded the group to include Tilotta's wife Giovanna Cacciola (also of Uzeda) and Matthew Taylor (of The Romulans). They embarked on a small tour on the way to Chicago to record their debut album, Snowing Sun, with longtime friend Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studios. In 2002 they toured Italy and the US in support of Snowing Sun. After enduring a string of cancellations at the hands of Hurricane Lilly, the band could not withstand the wrath of Hurricane Damon. Midway through their set in Athens, GA, Che quit the band in a well-publicized on-stage breakdown, literally leaving the band stranded with no vehicle or drummer. This is where the band calls it a day and catches the next flight home, right? Not quite. Taylor called his old friend Alexis Fleisig (Girls Against Boys, Soulside) to ask for help. Incredibly, Fleisig answered their cries for help. Having just walked in the door from an extensive GVSB tour when he got the call, he headed right back out the door with the GVSB gear and headed out on tour with Bellini, replacing Che only two days after the Athens meltdown. Learning all the songs in one day by listening to the CD in the van, Fleisig and Bellini got along famously, so much so that by day three he was a permanent member of the band.

Recorded in a whirlwind 5-day session in a dilapidated studio in Austin, TX (much of which was spent watching Albini repair neglected recording equipment), Small Stones is the sound of a band made stronger. More melodic, more rhythmic and more intense than anything Cacciola and Tilotta have ever been involved with, Tilotta's guitar stabs punctuate the relentless rhythm section, and more than ever before. And Cacciola sings, her voice exuding an assured power and effortless sexiness that eludes most contemporary vocalists. If Bellini had to endure tragedy before enjoying triumph, Small Stones is as brilliant a reward as they could have ever hoped for.

Produced in an actual recording studio (albeit for only $300) the four boys of By the End of Tonight almost stand still for a couple moments during the album. The scorching metal riffs of Fireworks on Ice are distilled through hyper-emotional crescendos and vivid, playful melodies. The drums â?? which overwhelmed previous recordings â?? are more subdued, the controlled chaos propels the dynamics of each song to new heights. Yes, he still plays a child's drum kit; and yes, he can still muscle more out it than Tommy Lee and Alex Van Halen combined. By the End of Tonight have done what few others have achieved: giving virtuosity heart, and letting that heart determine the pulse of their music. They have a rare gift for shrugging off genres and finding the concentrated emotional core of every melody they play, all the while keeping your eyelids glued to your forehead.

Born and raised in Okinawa, Japan, Caroline (last name: Lufkin) elicits that rare EVERYONE HAS TO HEAR THIS RIGHT NOW response that bounces inside your head when you hear music that feels like an epiphany. Produced by Sweden-born Andreas Bjorck, "Where's My Love" sparkles like crystal wind chimes, with Caroline's fragile, angelic voice like a siren's breath against your cheek. Combining minimalist electronic instrumentation, classic arrangements, and vocals that seem supernaturally transparent, "Where's My Love" is virtually autonomous, defying referential impulse. It's the sound of a million tiny shards of recognizable sound (Bjork, Joanna Newsom, Boards of Canada, Portishead, Lali Puna, Sigur Ros, and Aphex Twin, for starters), poured into a totally unique new mold. This is the sound we were waiting for.

Following the critical and fanatical praise of last year's otherworldly "Where's My Love" single, Tokyo, Japan's Caroline releases her enchanting debut album. Murmurs is a thing of blessed beauty that defies easy description. It is nearly impossible to attach words to the supernatural brilliance of Caroline's songs. From the weeping trumpet and innocent lyrical sentiments of opener "Bicycle" to the cinematic tide of "Winter" ? whose orchestral weight and lyrical hopefulness threaten to crush the listener from the inside-out ? Murmurs is a truly masterful album. No samples were used: dozens of live acoustic instruments ? pianos, harps, bells, guitars, strings and hand drums ? are shaped around Caroline's crystalline voice and threadedtogether by warm bass and dense beats. With a transcendence that could give you chills on a blistering summer day just as easily as it could warm your body on a bitterly cold night, it's no wonder Caroline has developed a reputation as queen of the "snow jams."

Following her first single, the much-adored "Where's My Love," Caroline is back with the second single from this year's transcendant Murmurs album. Accompanied by a pair of remixes from avant-electronic artist Logreybeam (Type Records) and DJ Poignant, "Sunrise" brings a warm thaw to Murmurs, its minimal heartbeat rhythm thumping beneath transparent washes of reverberating pianos and vocal harmonies. It is a perfect reminder of why Caroline's tiny music is making such a big impression.

Originally released on the small UK imprint 555 Recordings, Starship Galactica was both impossible to find and none-too-durable (a single piece of paper folded over the CD and tucked into a thin plastic sleeve). It quickly fell out of print and has been lingering on eBay ever since. At that time, Cex's rise in popularity had only just begun ? 4 years later, a reissue of this treasure was long overdue. The very sound for which artists like Prefuse 73 and Four Tet are so universally championed for these days is represented here in spades, several years before either of those artists brought it above ground. Along with the original eight tracks, we have included a few lost gems from Cex's early days, all lovingly remastered and repackaged. Recorded way back in 1996, the three previously unreleased bonus tracks are rumored to be the very first songs that Cex composed on his computer. These reveal the seeds of the ideas that would later sprout into the genre-shrugging chaos that turned groups like The Postal Service, Super Furry Animals and Mogwai into drooling fans and tour mates. Some think he's a total genius, others think he's a total spazz. Starship Galactica proves that he's actually both.

Six years in the making, Sketchi is Cex's densest, darkest, and longest album to date; slow-moving ambient dirges that are heavy on the beats and light on vocals (being instrumental and all). There are sounds in these songs that you will swear are not of this world, and truth be told, you never know with the Cex man. Take all your clothes off, paint your face, beat your fists into the floor and pray that this lasts forever. But it can't, and this strange brew is strictly limited to 1,000 copies. Showcasing the most controversial art in the history of Temporary Residence Ltd., each copy of Sketchi has been carefully assembled by hand and numbered by the loving fingers of our devoted and fatigued staff. Keepin' it real since forever!

In the late 1980s Louisville, KY was a breeding ground for a new, complex, art-damaged form of punk rock that ultimately and undoubtedly changed the face of underground rock forever. The two bands who were, unquestionably, the driving forces behind this movement were Slint and Crain. The former's story needs no introduction. The latter's is far overdue for re-examination. Twelve years after its original LP-only release, we are reissuing Speed on CD, with four bonus tracks of rare and unreleased material. Recorded by Steve Albini in 1991 on an eight-track in his basement ? and remastered from the original tapes by John Golden in 2004 ? Speed fits somewhere between the positive punk anthems of Fugazi and the gritty wall-of-noise melodicism of Nirvana. Throw in the occasional spoken-word vocals a la The Minutemen, and you have a record that was every bit as important as Spiderland in directing the quick evolution of underground American rock music. Be it for their envelope-pushing music, or certain members' notorious button-pushing antics, Crain's influence is wide-reaching and evident on countless records by everyone from James Murphy's now-defunct pre-DFA projects (Pony, Speedking) to widely popular and hugely influential acts like Shellac and Helmet. To call this Speed reissue "long-overdue" is quite an understatement.

For the past few years, avant-jazz legend Nels Cline (Wilco, Thurston Moore, The Geraldine Fibbers) and omnipresent beat freak Zach Hill (Hella, The Ladies, Team Sleep) have been waiting for an opportunity to spend a few hours making noise. When Cline joined Wilco full-time and Hill started The Ladies with Pinback's Rob Crow, the dream seemed increasingly unlikely. And by the time Hill's full-time gig as half of Hella saw him touring arenas with modern rock staples like System of a Down, the dream seemed dead. But through a bit of careful planning and a whole lot of serendipity, Wilco had a day off in Chicago the same day that Hill was in town. Recorded and mixed in one day at Semaphore Studios in Chicago, IL, the four pieces on Distressed are entirely improvised, with a little post-production editing courtesy of Cline's former Geraldine Fibbers partner, Carla Bozulich. Sitting somewhere between the most abstract freak-outs of Wilco's more recent material and the looser, more minimalist moments of Hella, Damsel exhibits a surprising amount of control over its chaos.

Anticipation for the debut album by San Francisco's The Drift has grown much faster than anyone could have predicted, following the sought-after "Streets"/"Nozomi" 12". With the debut full-length, Noumena, the band leaves no stone unturned. Taking their name to heart, The Drift do just that ? from ambient noise and elegant guitar rock to mournful jazz ballads and stunted, down-tempo hip-hop ? all with the subtle grace that is to be expected from veterans of the sound. As The Drift, Danny Grody (Tarentel, Furniture), Safa Shokrai, Jeff Jacobs, and Rich Douthit (Halifax Pier) comfortably expand on the cinematic bliss that Tarentel willfully abandoned long ago for more chaotic landscapes. Existing somewhere between Miles Davis's In A Silent Way and Tarentel's From Bone To Satellite, The Drift compose predestined soundtracks for everyday life ? not only perfect for a night on the beach, but just as suitable for the long drive getting there. Their music is inescapably passionate, executed with just enough wide-eyed improvisation to sound eternally fresh.

In the dictionary, the literal definition for Eluvium reads: the debris from the disintegration of rock. One listen to Matthew Cooper's (aka Eluvium) flawless debut album, even peripherally, and you can't help but smirk at how perfectly appropriate the moniker is. Sounding somewhat like the echoed resonance of a Sonic Youth show after everyone has stopped playing and the crowd has gone home, Cooper himself isn't guilty of the mass destruction, he's merely there to pick up the beautifully broken pieces. Resting comfortably and confidently in the spirits of Brian Eno's Discreet Music and Ambient Music For Airports, Eluvium is a freakishly beautiful affair. If it was ever possible for a warm gust of wind to send chills through every bone in your body, then Eluvium is that warm wind. It is pure, epic rock music... after the lights go out.

Returning exactly one year after dropping one of the most consistently gorgeous ambient rock records of the last decade with 2003's Lambent Material, Eluvium's Matthew Cooper follows it up with, well, one of the most consistently gorgeous neoclassical records of the last quarter century. An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death began as most Eluvium's pieces do, sitting on a bench in front of a baby grand piano in Cooper's apartment. The difference this time was that the songs started to grow legs, and eventually ran away together until an entire album of haunting, intimate suites were made for solo piano. Cooper's longtime influences of baroque classical and modern minimalist composers shines bright over the brief-but-sweeping half hour length of this record, and never once does he give in to the wall-of-noise temptations that made Lambent Material so oceanic. Instead of drifting away in a sea of swelling guitars and drones, you're graced with a rare display of Cooper's unaccompanied piano movements.

Beneath the cold water glow, Talk Amongst the Trees is a soundtrack for exploring the surface of your own ocean, slow moving like the sand that runs through your fingers, and incandescent like the most unique creatures of the sea. Lacking most recognizable instrumentation (save the guitar mantra, "Taken"), Talk Amongst the Trees is an album that exists in its own fantastic landscape. Making no attempt to compete with the world outside, it drags you inside your own subconscious, allowing sentimental thoughts and memories to pile up on themselves. As the hour-long journey progresses, details fall away until nothing remains but a warm, colorless â?? but intimately personal â?? abyss. We're not sure how he does it, but once again Eluvium creates a new and beautiful feeling.

Over the course of three albums Eluvium (aka Matthew Cooper) has crawled from total obscurity to his rightful place as one of American's premier modern composers. Tying up his career to this point ? and acting as a companion piece to Talk Amongst the Trees ? the four pieces on When I Live by the Garden and the Sea showcase both the neoclassical piano-driven elegance and the tidal drones that he has become almost famous for. It takes his explorations in sound and vision to their logical conclusion, clearing the way for a new phase to be unleashed on his next album in spring 2007.

Following a string of increasingly remarkable albums, Eluvium's Matthew Cooper set out to broaden his instrumental palette, while maintaining the uncanny emotional resonance that has become his trademark. The result is Copia, an hour-long epic that applies Eluvium's heartache-inducing ether to a symphony of strings, brass, keyboards and piano. Noticeably absent but hardly missed are the washes of guitars that color most of Eluvium's previous material. The deliberate exclusion of traditional rock instrumentation serves as sufficient proof that the instrument is not Eluvium's driving force. At best it is a catalyst, a vehicle to that netherworld in the back of your head, where your life starts to uncontrollably reevaluate itself.

The year is 1991. The line between alternative and mainstream culture in America is irreparably blurred, just as a group of Japanese teenagers form an uncompromising thrash band half a world away, spitting 2-minute blasts of indecipherable terror for anyone that can stand the physical and emotional damage it willfully inflicts. Fast-forward fifteen years: Punk's corpse has been cannibalized to the bone and Envy has irreparably blurred the lines dividing the various factions of hardcore. Still terrifyingly sincere, their songs are now life-affirming, triumphant portraits for anyone strong-willed enough to withstand the emotional epiphanies they inspire

Last year the boys in The American Analog Set sent us a live cassette of an Explosions In The Sky show with a note attached that read: THIS TOTALLY FUCKING DESTROYS. After half a listen, we couldn't describe it better. Made up of four soft spoken Texas lads, EITS makes music from the heart, for the heart. Steeped in sentimental melodies and dreamy soundscapes, each song lifts you in the air and carries you away, touching down on Earth occasionally to witness total destruction by way of their walls of cacophonous noise. Layers of chiming guitars become layers of metallic annihilation in the blink of an eye. Total silence to total violence, that's what we're talking about here, kids.

Picking up where their hugely successful Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever left off, The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place begins as a flickering twinkle that soon grows to a blinding light. This new sense of hope is the defining characteristic of this record, and ultimately the journey that their music takes us on. Immeasurably more dramatic and dynamic than their last album, The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place takes its shape not in the unexpected cacophony that had become the band's trademark, but in the infinitely deeper caverns of the human soul. With a soft heartbeat-like thump that grows stronger by the minute, the band is now closer than ever to replicating the simple movements that, when strung together, form the unpredictably complex machine that is the human body. Words simply cannot do this the justice that it deserves. It goes so far beyond elementary comparisons to other bands. The answer is somewhere between your head and your heart, and indeed, that is not a cold dead place.

Before Four Tet was remixing Radiohead and Coldplay and before Adem was performing with David Byrne and Fairport Convention, they were breaking new ground as Fridge, a trio formed in 1996 with fellow schoolmate Sam Jeffers. After three critcally-acclaimed albums, the group took an inadvertent hiatus when its members' various solo projects took off. Six years later, the group are back with The Sun, their most celebrated album yet. To celebrate their triumphant return, we are releasing their astonishing 2001 album, Happiness, on deluxe limited edition double vinyl. Strictly limited to 2,000 copies, and pressed on 100% virgin black vinyl, this is the first time Happiness has been available on vinyl anywhere in the world in over five years.

It may have been a while since Fridge's last record (2001's Happiness), but contrary to what some may think the band never went away, never went on sabbatical and certainly never broke up ? they just stretched a little at the edges, and ended up with a bigger, wider sound than ever for their new record, The Sun. The pure and simple fun of playing music with friends that you can hear in a garage pours off the record. It's the impulse behind everything the band does. But the The Sun is still orchestrated with all the musical intelligence to be heard on the Adem and Four Tet records. Process is key, with the studio itself being integrated as one of the instruments Fridge 'play'. But really it's Fridge's harmonies that hold The Sun together, joining up the dots between their disparate interests and influences. It's not a part of the band's sound that gets recognized enough, but there are plenty of tunes here that will get stuck in your head for weeks.

Following soon after the critically praised Black Tar Prophecies collection on Important Records, Portland, Oregon's Grails return with their first proper studio album since 2004 release of Redlight. Burning Off Impurities ? their debut for Temporary Residence Ltd. ? makes good on the promise of those past releases in delivering an album that not only thursts the group to new heights, but also pushes the instrumental rock genre forward for the first time in nearly a decade. An increased interest in psychedelic, ambient and world musics is most likely to blame for Grails' exploration of the lesser-traveled paths of modern music. Influenced in equal parts by Ash Ra Tempel, Erkin Koray, Popol Vuh, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and dozens others, this is very likely the closest Grails will ever get to making a classic rock record; the kind of sprawling masterpiece that you savor for years before passing it on to your younger brother so he can repeat the process.

The debut CD by this acoustic 6-piece conjures dark images of loss and lust. Six absolutely breathtaking tracks featuring a couple acoustic guitars, cello, violin, percussion, bass and male/female vocals. Totally stunning compositions from Louisville, Chicago, San Francisco, and beyond.

When eletro-pop producer extraordinaire TREVOR/hollAnd and world-renowned New York artist Mark Borthwick collaborate, the results are sure to be richly poetic, hypnotically melodic and more than a little abstract. Words are strung together in non-linear patterns as they are recited in a stream of conscience over hypnotic acoustic guitars. The melodies weave in and out as the words are slowly cut apart by empty space. Eventually only traces of the original melody remain and the human voice disintegrates into washes of time-stretched loops and clicking drones. Packaged with a special set of Polaroids and a foldout mini-poster. Absolutely stunning!

EP is four new songs that cover the entire aesthetic spectrum of Howard Hello (aka Kenseth Thibideau of Pinback, Rumah Sakit and Sleeping People). Beginning more or less where the 2003 album Don't Drink His Blood left off, the aptly titled "More of the Same" is a sprawling orchestral pop gem. "Interlude" recalls early Howard Hello, when ambient guitar loops and keyboard washes were punctuated by eerie echoes beneath foggy melodies that seemingly float along on mood alone.

The biggest surprise comes with the dense, thumping pop of "Follow." Riding the line between Stereolab and Popol Vuh, the track's skidding duel drum attack (courtesy of Hella's Zach Hill) provides the foundation for the hypnotic vocal layers that glide across the entire song. Ending with the Pink Floyd-inspired "Even More of the Same," EP is more than a stop-gap between albums. It's an eyebrow-raising glimpse into the future of Howard Hello. And if this is any indication of what is to come, then the best we can hope for is indeed "more of the same."

Brimming with dark, epic energy, Thomas Weber possesses a creativity and sense of innovation that is truly unique. Fearlessly extending into raucous and experimental bursts of static while sounding like a highly charged improv ensemble. Weber's playfulness and scope make Maander a truly engaging experience. It's his willingness to explore new sounds, moods and manners - to move well beyond expectations and into a new realm - that make Maander so interesting. Weber (a member of the revered Payola collective that also includes Tied & Tickled Trio, Notwist and Village of Savoonga among others) ably provides 13 tracks of unrivaled spontaneity, diversity and originality that serve to shake things up and turn the genre on its head.

Combining brass and string instruments, electronics, drums, percussion and keyboards, Cicadidae sees the band communicating with each other in the spaces between control and loss of control, intuition and reflection, density and transparency. The childlike brilliance of their melodies renders you weightless, with an occasional thumping pulse to keep you from losing your balance. Formerly drawing comparisons to To Rococo Rot, Amon DÃ?Ã?l II and Third Eye Foundation for their cold, dark anthems, Cicadidae finds more in common with the lighter side of the German underground, specifically the mates of The Notwist, Styrofoam, the Morr Music roster and Icelandic darlings, Mum. Cicadidae offers Kammerflimmer Kollektief the chance to not only grab those that have followed all along, but also the folks that have wanted to love them all along, but couldn't shake the feeling of being pushed away. Where before there was a push, now there is an irresistible pull.

After delaying the inevitable for over half a decade, the west coast's most versatile indie rock everyman (Rob Crow, co-creator of Touch and Go sentimental pop superstars Pinback) and the world's most left-of-everything drummer (Zach Hill, one-half of the outlandish noise duo Hella and drummer for Deftones side-project Team Sleep) have joined forces to unite the disparate worlds of noise and pop as The Ladies on the stunningly addictive and efficient They Mean Us. More adventurous than Pinback, and more accessible than Hella, The Ladies prove to be the best of both worlds. It's even better than the ideal album you've been making up in your head for the last half decade or so.

Like Trees We Grow To Be Satellites (The Backwards America)TRR72 CDFollowing his departure from esteemed avant-rock collective Tarentel,William Trevor Montgomery donned the Lazarus moniker and began releasinghis (sometimes uncomfortably) intimate bedroom recordings. His firstalbum, last year's Songs For an Unborn Sun, was a slow-burning affair withthe uncanny ability to make you feel simultaneously better and worse aboutyour life. It was a cavernous sigh of distress and with Like Trees We GrowUp To Be Satellites (The Backwards America), Lazarus follows it with amuch-anticipated breath of fresh air. Produced by Scott Solter (Tarentel,Court & Spark), Like Trees... is an epic folk-rock masterwork. Influencesas disparate as Elvis Costello and Pink Floyd to Nirvana and Bright Eyestake on a whole new light in this grand, orchestral production, which isrelentless in its beauty and power. Like fellow SF freak folks DevendraBanhart and Joanna Newsom, Lazarus clears a path between your head andyour heart, and you can feel it widening with each listen.

The debut EP from Louisville hopefuls The Loved. Taking it back to 1970, this trio creates passionate, heartfelt songs that reminisce in the sounds of late Beatles and Hendrix with a little vintage Sabbath thrown in to darken it up a bit. This is truly a pop masterpiece. And they don't even realize it.

Much has changed in the four years since Maserati's last release. In that time, the band's sound has evolved so significantly that only shades of the reverb and delay-drenched guitars resemble their previous output. The rhythm section has been overhauled, with Gerhardt Fuchs (!!!, Turing Machine, LCD Soundsystem, The Juan Maclean) replacing Phil Horan on drums. The result is Inventions For The New Season, a bloodshot, 3AM soundtrack to a Michael Mann movie that hasn't happened yet; a sweaty, delirious mix of mid-to-late 70s Pink Floyd, German psych-rock, Krautrock, and mid-80s action film scores. Produced by longtime friend Andy Baker in his Athens, GA home studio, Inventions drags the glory years of psychedelic arena rock kicking and screaming into the 21st Century, with the pomposity (and vocals) carefully removed. The mix is pushed firmly in the red, giving the songs a white-knuckled energy that ? coupled with the ethereal guitar theatrics ? puts one foot on the dance floor and the other on the ocean floor.

Self-produced and brimming with the kind of speaker-rattling bass that's best appreciated in three-wheel motion, Miss Violetta Beauregarde's second album, Odi Profanum Vulgus Et Arceo (a famous Latin phrase meaning I hate the common crowd and I spurn them) is an abstract force to behold. Constructed from fractured electronics, earth-shaking rhythms and throat-ripping screams, each song is a self-contained temper tantrum. And if you think this is damaged, you should see her bruised limbs after one of her infamous live shows. Never before has someone had so much fun being so pissed off. We affectionately refer to this as grind-hop; half Volkswagen Thing, half Cadillac Escalade.

Just before recording their epic disasterpiece You Are There, MONO began collaborating with fellow Tokyo native and modern electronic composer world's end girlfriend. The result is a five-part sojourn of neoclassical grace and luminescence that defies lazy categorization. As dark as the bottom of the ocean, and nearly as otherworldly, Palmless Prayer/Mass Murder Refrain finds MONO inhabiting a magical world previously only hinted at in their most orchestral compositions.

This CD contains one of the strangest ideas I've run across lately... an insane, angular, aggressive soundtrack for David Lynch's failed sci-fi beast of a movie, Dune. Trust me, though - as goofy as this sounds - this is a fantastic album. It takes more than human guts to dish out the beating that Louisville, KY's Nero gives the senses with the nearly 18-minute long improvisational album-closer, "Kwizzach Haderach." Within this track, dialogue samples from Dune are alternately buried and brought to the surface, while Nero relentlessly tweaks and hacks away at building a colossal, disturbing drone. It's absolutely maniacal - which is the best way to describe Nero. With guitars, bass, drums and vocals all armed with razors and needles, and a really scary stab at an oddball "concept album," Nero has designed an inspired piece of unforgettable mayhem.-pillowfight.com

For Hives Fives, Parlour ditched the laptops, broadening instrumentation and expanding into a seven-piece. The result, as desired: bigger beats, stronger melodies, and a more organic sense of composition. Bass and drums lock into Neu!-like grooves, while an array of keyboards and long-time member Connor Bell's (Shedding) guitars swirl in all directions; saxophone and bass clarinet layer thick drones at the very heart of the sound, cementing the instrumental density that is Parlour's trademark. Replacing computers with live players lends each song a newly warm-blooded adrenaline rush, a relentless forward motion that doesn't let up. No longer just a solo vehicle for Furnish, Parlour's contributors make the group greater than the sum of its parts. With a sound like Sonic Youth on a sugar high, or a Krautrock !!!, or soundtracks to the best TV shows you never saw, Parlour are making the most vital, interesting music of their long career. And nine years in, the Hives Fives EP gives us a strange feeling that the best is yet to come.

Though aptly described as a "pleasant headache," Sleeping People are more concerned with filling your headspace than hurting it. They build up elaborate song structures, only to deconstruct them through a series of complexities that would most certainly run away from themselves without the group's rigorous-yet-fluid control. Recorded on analog tape by brother-producer tag team Jay and Ian Pellici (Deerhoof, Rumah Sakit, Dilute), Sleeping People is rich with clarity and depth. Tonally similar to early Yes albums, and bearing more than a passing resemblance to classic King Crimson, it is an album of stunning complexity that never abandons the thoughtful melodicism that carries all great records. Featuring past and present members of Pinback, Tarentel, Rumah Sakit and Howard Hello, Sleeping People's pedigree no doubt partly explains its fascination with trance-like repetition and aggressive time signature changes. But nothing about the group adequately explains why every one of their songs makes you feel like you're being chased by the cops.

Xian Hawkins (aka Sybarite) has been busy doing a lot of things, but making a new album is not one of them. After the release of his 4AD debut, Nonument, Hawkins found himself scoring an array of film and television projects for clients ranging from VH1 to Playboy and everyone in between. Temporarily diverted from following up Nonument, Hawkins instead took the time to focus on remixes and collaborations, contributing only a handful of new songs to various compilations and singles over the last four years.

As it turns out, the long delay was good for him, as the Sybarite of today sounds remarkably fresh, with a wider range of tempos and more varied instrumentation than most electronic and dance artists. Hawkins has grown as both a composer and producer, and Cut Out Shape benefits greatly from the trees-before-the-forest work ethic that Hawkins has been experiencing since 2002. The attention to detail is startling, the product of spending four years on a set of songs with no specific destination in mind beforehand.

As much as Cut Out Shape was originally designed to be more of a collection of loose ends, it grew into what is now Sybarite's finest hour yet, rivaling the finer moments of Four Tet, Sigur Ros, Tortoise, Mouse on Mars and The Notwist.

Though hardly a pop record, We Move Through Weather is Tarentel?s mostfocused album since their 1999 debut, From Bone To Satellite. However, thesimilarities stop there. Now stripped to a trio (Sonna?s Jim Reddcompletes the line-up on drums), the sound is almost entirely intuitive.Virtually every song is built from expansive improvisations of sweepingdrones and walls of discordant feedback. Where taught, meticulous guitarmelodies once drove their songs to conclusion, thunderous drumming nownavigates the group through an uncertain abyss of layered noise, hornbursts (courtesy of musician Steve Dye's arsenal of homemade instruments)and the occasional lonely piano. Perhaps for the first time since theirinception, the studio Tarentel and the live Tarentel are one and the same.With nearly all obvious reference points now removed, their music hasbecome incredibly difficult to describe, and we like it that way.

If last year's breakthrough album We Move Through Weather was Tarentel's high water mark, then these two companion EPs could be interpreted as the rise and fall of that flood. The same recording sessions are responsible for all three releases: Paper White represents the beginning, We Move Through Weather is the inspired centerpiece, and the 43-minute Big Black Square signals the smoky ending. Played in succession, the three releases chart Tarentel's journey from dynamic, guitar-driven instrumentalists to perpetually curious treasure hunters of the mysterious sounds that most of us take for granted. If this were the end of Tarentel's story, they would have enough riches to last a lifetime. Eight years into their career, however, it seems they've only just begun.

If last year's breakthrough album We Move Through Weather was Tarentel's high water mark, then these two companion EPs could be interpreted as the rise and fall of that flood. The same recording sessions are responsible for all three releases: Paper White represents the beginning, We Move Through Weather is the inspired centerpiece, and the 43-minute Big Black Square signals the smoky ending. Played in succession, the three releases chart Tarentel's journey from dynamic, guitar-driven instrumentalists to perpetually curious treasure hunters of the mysterious sounds that most of us take for granted. If this were the end of Tarentel's story, they would have enough riches to last a lifetime. Eight years into their career, however, it seems they've only just begun.

Generally, we think compilations should be saved for rare, newly rediscovered gems from a time before we were even born. But every so often a new compilation will come along that offers genuine insight into an idea or an environment. It is in the spirit of those top-shelf revelations that we present to you our most recent attempt at legitimacy.

A companion piece to 2004's TRR50: Thank You compilation, TRR100: Thankful collects one new, previously unreleased song from nearly every band we've signed since TRR50. As such, the music is decidedly more diverse than TRR50, as the eclecticism of the label is increasingly explored. From the transcendent textures of Eluvium to the sentimental pop of Carloline; the dark prog-pop of The Ladies to the backyard barbecue jams of The Anomoanon; the jarring rhythms of Sleeping People and By The End of Tonight to the sublime minimalism of MONO; every corner is explored, and no two releases better express that than TRR50: Thank You and TRR100: Thankful.

Since its original release in 2002, One Step More and You Die has become the monolithic cornerstone of MONO's discography. Every subsequent release has been inevitably (and perhaps unfairly) compared to this album, as if it were the band's high watermark, never to be dethroned. MONO brilliantly answered even the most stubborn of naysayers with this year's transcendent You Are There. To celebrate that release, we dug into their back catalog and pulled out this masterpiece of dark dirge, repackaged with additional artwork. One Step More stared the "sophomore slump" threat square in the face and pummeled it from note one. Four years later we can confidently say that it sounds just as brutal and beautiful as it did the day it was laid to tape.

Throughout their six-year career, MONO has ascended consistently in both popularity and critical acclaim, with record sales and live show attendance corresponding. But still elusive to the Japanese quartet has been the successful translation of their powerful and violently beautiful live performances to their recordings. Despite their albums' masterful subtleties and majestic walls of noise, the consensus has remained that their transcendent live show is simply incomparable.

If there is any chance of breaking that spell, it lies in You Are There, without a doubt the prime contender to unite the live and recorded worlds of MONO. Once again captured to tape by Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studios in Chicago, IL, the album extends the cinematic drama of 2003's Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined (also recorded by Albini), while surpassing the sinister heaviness of 2002's lauded One Step More and You Die.

If Walking Cloud was a nuclear winter, then You Are There is the post-war rebirth; steeped in an ominous creation-via-destruction atmosphere not heard since Neurosis' landmark Enemy of the Sun defined the sound more than a decade ago.

You Are There disproves the myth that an increased focus on intricate song structures and string arrangements comes at the expense of youthful energy and inspired aggression. With You Are There, MONO's representation of tragedy comes with an inherent joy, delivered with the hope that in all dark there is equal parts light. They're not heavy like Black Sabbath ? they're heavy like Beethoven.

The third in this seasonal series of albums by Nice Nice veers off-course completely from the first two albums, and we're all the better for it. This gem of an album is by far the most accessible Nice Nice recording ever, and appropriately reminds us of the best things about the bustling holiday season. Beyond the stress, the anxiety, the material worship (and the religious worship, for that matter), there is an inherent innocent beauty to the fall that is virtually indescribable, and we'll be damned if this wasn't the perfect soundtrack for it.

The fourth and final album in the Nice Nice seasonal series brings us back full circle to the drift and drone of the Spring and Summer albums, albeit more aggressive and twisted in its ominous beauty. Certainly the darkest album in the series, this single 24-minute track temporarily stops time and might even make you second guess the thoughts in your own head. It's supposed to sound that way.

Containing the very first transmissions from Explosions In The Sky to the world, the songs on How Strange Innocence were freshly written, painstakingly rehearsed, and anxiously put to tape during a whirlwind two-day recording session with Stephen T. Hall (Sixteen Deluxe) at The Bubble in Austin, TX. But the group evolved quickly, and recorded what would be their breakthrough, the stunning Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever, less than one year later. How Strange Innocence was pushed aside in favor of the more accomplished Those Who Tell The Truth as the band's introduction to the rest of the world, seeing no official release beyond 300 CDRs the band produced to sell on the road. Original CDRs fetch over $200 on eBay, the scarce vinyl version nearing $500! This phenomenon was disconcerting to the band and their growing number of fans, which makes us all the more proud to announce this official How Strange Innocence reissue, beautifully remastered with all new artwork.

Originally a side project from Danny Grody (Tarentel) and Trevor Montgomery (Lazarus), San Francisco's The Drift very quickly matured into a full-time dub-jazz-rock ensemble. After Montgomery left Tarentel and The Drift to focus on his Lazarus project, the band enlisted upright bass phenom Safa Shokrai to replace him â?? in addition to Jeff Jacobs on trumpet and Rich Douthit (Halifax Pier) on drums â?? ultimately steering the band away from its ambient rock leanings and into the hazy world of dub-infused guitar stabs and inspired jazz shuffles. After spending the better part of two years improvising together several times a week, the band got down to the business of writing and recording some new material. This 12" showcases the first two tracks from ongoing recording sessions. Like every great jazz group, they have tons more where this came from... we're just getting started..

Packaged in hand silk-screened chipboard jackets, and limited to 1,000 copies (a handful of which are colored vinyl), "Streets" and "Nozomi" are two perfect teasers for the epic debut album that will be released this fall. Until then, play it LOUD, and play it over and over again.

Back in 1997, we at Temporary Residence Ltd. had a novel idea: compile a Black Sabbath tribute album with experimental rock, folk, and electronic bands reinterpreting classic Ozzy-era Sabbath tunes. At the time it seemed like a unique idea, since such tributes were then executed primarily by washed-up glam bands or tired hardcore groups cheekily cashing in on nostalgic quasi-irony. Much has changed over the last eight years, of course. Black Sabbath did the unthinkable by reuniting - and has since done so three times. Ozzy Osbourne became a household name with his startlingly popular MTV-produced reality show. Everything Comes & Goes is full of genre-bending homages by genuine Sabbath fans; each track serves to remind us of the stunning brilliance and innovation that was the original Black Sabbath. And that, first and foremost, makes it worth all the wait. Artists include: Matmos, Four Tet, Ruins, Paul Newman, The Anomoanon, Racebannon, Curtis Harvey Trio, Grails and more.

Sleeping People is an instrumental band from San Diego, CA that formed in early 2002. They began playing shows by the end of that year as a trio with two guitars and drums. In August of 2003 they became a 4-piece with the addition of Kenseth Thibideau (Pinback, Rumah Sakit) on bass guitar. Scrapping most of the old material, they honed their sound to become a faster, stronger version of the previous line-up. They are currently writing songs for there debut album which is due to be released on Temporary Residence Ltd. in early 2005. Stay tuned.

Secret Fun Club is in the business of fashioning robots from sunlight. During down time, they mainline trucker-culture rock n' roll and Elvin Jones's left hand. This split 7" is 10 minutes of instrumental heaviosity pressed on diamond-colored (aka clear) vinyl. It is very limited and should be bought sooner rather than later.

Genuflecting guitar melodies beautiful weave within a drifting ambient wash of strings, bells and moody electronics from Mr. Xian Hawkins (of Silver Apples reunion fame). Armed with an array of live instruments (including guitars, upright bass, cello, violin, bells, whistles, drums, etc.) and various electronics, Xian has managed to create a flawless, symphonic album that lies somewhere between a modern chamber orchestra and experimental, dub-tempo house music. Incredibly intimate and lush in both approach and execution.

Tokyo, Japan's Mono are a peculiar group. While most bands offer up their sincerest and most genuine recordings in their infancy and spend the rest of their careers trying desperately to rediscover their youthful energy, Mono's trajectory has been quite the opposite. Their early recordings are a visceral homage to their past and present heroes â?? the documents of a band boasting an impressive symphony of sound in spite of their relatively small line-up. These days, they have become one of the most passionately aggressive rock bands of the last decade, executing their soaring crescendos, titanic sheets of distortion and dark melodies with the delicacy and precision of a folded paper crane. This flourish of hopeful creativity was captured by Steve Albini in the form of the eight pieces that make up their third album Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined. More lush and orchestral than previous recordings, the album couples an overall slow-melting ambience with a thunderous drive that reaches far greater heights than the bandâ??s earlier work.

Proudly standing as the only band we have ever signed from and unsolicited demo, By the End of Tonight are a young 4-piece from a tiny town just south of Houston called Alvin, TX. They are also the only band we've ever signed whose drummer plays a kit designed for a toddler, without irony. As with many great bands, this one almost literally came out of nowhere and brought with them the most mind-bending combination of sounds we've heard since that dream that I had about Don Caballero and Botch playing a hillbilly ho-down with The Police. It was weird, man. Beginning like a twisted prog-rock Georgia stomp, the four songs here are equal parts hardcore, speed metal, jazz breaks, epic avant-rock and sentimental 80s soundtracks. It's a refreshing change of pace for a scene that is so saturated with one-trick ponies. Plus, it's loads of fun trying to guess which 80s songs some of these riffs were lifted from.

In the eight years that Temporary Residence has been releasing music, we have never done a proper label compilation or budget-priced sampler of any kind. This is for one simple reason: compilations are usually bad. We can probably count the number of solid, essential compilations released in the last 20 years on one hand, with fingers to spare. Why then, would we go and jeopardize a good thing by releasing an inexpensive label compilation? Because this one's not bad at all. As a matter of fact, it's pretty damned amazing. Featuring BRAND NEW and EXCLUSIVE tracks from most of our artists â?? and packaged in a gorgeous 24-page full-color booklet â?? this collection is absolutely essential for any fan of Temporary Residence bands (specifically Explosions In The Sky, Fridge, Tarentel and Sonna), or just fans of beautiful instrumental music. Itâ??s really awesome, itâ??s pretty cheap, and itâ??s definitely not gonna be around forever.... but then again, what is?

The infamous debut EP from San Francisco's Tarentel pulls you into their world of ambient-influenced dreamscapes. Melodic guitars chime through polyrhythmic beats and swells. By far their "dancier" record. Frequently requested at house parties.

Already being hailed in some circles as "the greatest instrumental metal band in America," Nightfist was born in Menlo Park, CA by five young men with mutual obsessions for triumphant melodies, complex rhythms and chugging dual guitar riffage hellbent on traveling at lightspeed back to a time when people lived and died by the sword. They are not ironic. They listen to copious amounts of Yes, Queen, Metallica and Dream Theater. Standing strong and hard against any and all bands they are influenced by, Nightfist have pushed the whole game back. Fuck this looking to the future shit. Tonight, we go back in time.

Formed from the ashes of local legends Cinderblock in the early 90s and boasting a revolving line-up that would make Spinal Tap blush, the group solidified in 1993 when Britt Walford (Slint, The Breeders, Palace Brothers) joined on drums. A tight mix of percussive guitars, strolling, funky bass and relentlessly catchy drum beats escalated the drunken vocal sways of Sean McLoughlin to immeasurable heights. Equally inspired by Fugazi, Television and The Stooges, Evergreen was a breath of fresh air that only Louisville folks were really ready to breathe. While the rest of the world was too busy going ape shit over increasingly soulless faux-jazz, Evergreen were throwing down party-punk jams to tear the roof down and/or get them arrested for public indecency (that's another story for another time). Recorded in brilliant dance-punk stereophonic mid-fi by James Murphy (now of the DFA), this album seemed like a throwback in 1995. Oddly, it now feels more at home amidst the increasingly soulless faux-garage rock revival. When all is said and done and you are left with nothing but the music to tell the story, it's damned near impossible to tell when it was made and it's even harder to care.

Written, recorded and produced entirely by Kenseth Thibideau (Pinback, Tarentel, Rumah Sakit) and Marty Anderson (Dilute), Don't Drink His Blood is a mystical adventure of pop proportions that few have ever reached. More in tune with his other band, Pinback than ever before, the mind-blowing combination of sounds and styles is truly unlike anything we've ever heard (help us out if you know of something else that sounds like this... please). Add to that the fact that it carries the contemplative message of being seduced by commercial media, and you have an album that is more important than it leads on, and often too catchy for you to notice. Seduced, indeed. No one saw this coming, but we sure hope it never goes away.

Born in Olympia, WA and now calling Portland, OR their home, guitarist Jason Buehler and percussionist Mark Shirazi meticulously warp hard funk, psych, soul, dub, angular rock and no-wave noise into a mechanical beast that can take you from dream to dance in 30 seconds flat. The instrumentation is relatively simple: guitar and drums. But it's the endless tap-dancing of effects pedals and rock solid dub beats that make every moment more magical than the last. Recorded entirely in their home studio, most of the tracks are largely improvised, with only basic ideas and motifs to start from. Having played with everyone from Black Dice to Cex to Lightning Bolt to Gold Chains â?? and thoroughly blowing their minds all the same â?? Nice Nice are that rare band that seems to equally appeal to the bedroom stoners and Friday night hipsters.

Three years after carving an unorthodox path to IDM superstardom, Cex sheds his former skin to show the world the grown man that had been buried beneath his own expectations. After years of releasing albums that he refers to as "practice," he takes his tallest leap yet to The Next Level and proudly unravels the first strands of "the real thing." Produced and recorded in the homes of Cex and Craig Wedren (Shudder To Think), Being Ridden is a monumental leap forward in the career of a guy who, at 21 years old, has already eclipsed many of his heroes in creative risk-taking and execution alone, not to mention shear accessibility. Layering acoustic guitars, hip-hop beats, dense bass, bells and witty, catchy-as-hell Fresh Prince meets Eminem meets Bright Eyes lyrical flows, Cex is just about the freshest mashing of genres ever unleashed.

Cex's initial rise to fame came from a series of warm, skittery instrumental albums showcasing a dark mix of hard dance production and atmospheric ebb and flow. Recorded for a couple of highly respected electronic labels (Tigerbeat6 and 555), Cex was already feeling the itch to expand and move on by the time 2001's acclaimed Oops, I Did It Again! was released. 2002's Tall, Dark, and Handcuffed was Cex's first recorded attempt as a full-fledged MC. Although accomplished and successful in so many ways, he saw this as merely "practice for the real thing," which is now presented to you as Being Ridden. Rather than release Being Ridden strictly in its original lyrical format, we're also releasing this special all-instrumental version to appease DJ's and haters of rap alike! For those that felt more comfortable when Cex was merely an IDM superstar and not a party-rap-pop genius, we give you this warm blanket of instrumental treats. As an added bonus, there are three exclusive instrumental tracks on this disc that are not included on the vocal version!

Formerly an integral part of Tarentel and The Drift, Trevor Montgomery is now Lazarus, the voice that sings with projected whispers while a lonely acoustic guitar trails slowly behind. Recorded in Montgomery's bedroom, and mixed with Marty Anderson (Howard Hello, Dilute), Songs For an Unborn Sun is the shimmering, striking confessions of a man tired from telling stories. They are filled with a lost hope that's trapped inside of a puzzle that patiently unfolds over the course of the album's 50 minutes. The challenge lies in staying alert as the songs tempt you to give up the fight and drift into your longest sleep yet. But keep your eyelids open, and your heart will follow. It will fill with love, and thus you are our hero.

Recorded in 1999 during the same session that produced their "Machine Is Not Broken" album, these three tracks combine the best elements of the Paul Newman sound. Layers of moody guitars over dark electronic pulses and thundering drums. This EP sounds genuinely darker than their other releases, as the dated (read: 80's) effects that saturated their later albums are kept firmly in check here. All songs are exclusve and have never been released elsewhere.

Recorded and released in 1999, this EP is what catapulted Sonna's popularity with obsessive post-rock fans. A trilogy called "The Eventual Bow," the track was the band's first musical statement in what would become their trademark sound. Often still hailed by fans as their finest release.

Icarus is the misadventure of Ollie Bown and Sam Britton, following the fiddly twisted rhythm along a scratchy line; noise from black boxes through which only certain pieces of data may pass. This in turn feeds through boards and wires to become processed as musical, by default. In short, an effect similar to dropping ink into water is experienced aurally as a series of ineffable blips, interleaved within the sounds of the marketplace. With a bit of luck this should reconfigure musical industriality into a dadaist work of precision chaos, but a freak occurrence could equally spell disaster for us all. All Icarus can do is try to mediate the event; this is the true fate of the modern musician, sending his or her sound bouncing along wires until somewhere, at some unknown point, they crash headlong into context. It's like tapes and cars. It's like the junk equation. It's like the effect of indifference to sound, which is less than the difference in sound from in front or behind. The dissolution of noise clears way for a fragmented melody; a flux of harmony on a polymetric pulse. As yet more vibrations fall victim to the staccato bit-wise we say "let noises run amok."

Following up the near-unanimous critical acclaim of their debut album, We Sing Loud Sing Soft Tonight, Baltimore's Sonna delivers slow-motion acrobatics with a beat you can dance to. With tempos ranging from head-bobbing to head-nodding, their blend of shimmering counterpoint guitars, buttery bass and shifting rhythms has become somewhat of a trademark that discerns them from similar bands of the ilk. Taking cues from Television, Brian Eno, Bedhead, Yo La Tengo and maybe a little bit of The Beach Boys, their songs are simultaneously more complex, more subdued and more catchy than ever before. Once again recorded by Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studio, the captivating energy of Sonna's live show is captured in brilliant detail, with every subtle nuance left intact. The songs were recorded live with barely an overdub in sight. At its most dense, you feel as if the band is playing right in front of you; at its most stark, you're convinced you could walk for miles and never get any closer. This mix of intimate and intimidating is what makes it such a fascinating listen.

Returning with his band, The Anomoanon, Ned Oldham has carefully crafted an album ripe with country crooners, slow burning ballads and the occasional raucous back woods jam. Joining the band are brothers Will (aka Bonnie 'Prince' Billy), David Heumann (also in Bonny's band) and David Michael Curry on viola. Inspired by the birth of Ned's son and daughter, these songs have a communal, heartfelt warmth previously only hinted at on Anomoanon recordings. There's an overwhelming beauty and depth to these songs that is simply heartbreaking; a charming series of stories about the family as told by the family themselves. Recalling a diverse batch of influences ranging from Neil Young to Uncle Tupelo, Asleep Many Years in the Wood is a sentimental walk through the woods that lets you in on the family secrets, but also lets you in on the family fun.

Following up their stunning debut, Octopus Off-Broadway mere months after its release, Parlour kills the notion of a sophomore slump by smacking you in the face with another brilliant endeavor while most critics are still contemplating words to describe the first album. Googler continues the meditative flow of synth-laden drones, crystalline guitars and dense rhythms, but a dark wind blows through the album to reveal the band's angular aggression. Having helped plant the seeds for the sprawling array of musical inspiration that is Louisville, KY, Googler sees Parlour blooming vibrant new shades of a favorite color. And the best is yet to come.

Sonna recorded some bare tracks of acoustic guitar, samples and drones and sent the unfinished pieces to Sybarite and Lilienthal to complete. Flaunting just about every facet of Sonna's dynamic range, these four tracks glide from punchy, guitar-driven electronic pop to dark, glitchy soundscapes. Acoustic guitars mingle with thumping drum programs and every sound is twisted into a gorgeous new groove. This brilliant collaboration has churned out some of the sweetest, most heartfelt tunes, in grand Sonna tradition.

Rumah Sakit have recorded a high watermark for angular rock music. A flowing, mood-altering masterpiece of jazz-infected structures, funky rhythms and beautifully frenzied guitar interplay called Obscured By Clowns. Steeped in progressive rock influences, they blend their intricate polyrhythms and subtle beauty with massive walls of destructive improvisation. But they also stretch out to reveal more fragile melodies and structures on some of their longest tracks ever. Added to the mix are a couple live songs that perfectly display just how focused and flawless they truly are. Swan song or not, this will certainly leave an inspiring mark on fans of Don Caballero and Tool. That sounds like a joke, I bet.

Highlighting the more uplifting side of Sonna, "Kept Luminesce" and "Mirameko" are packed with gorgeous guitar hooks, intricate polyrhythms and charming vocals. The production is crisp and rich with buttery bass grooves grounding the whole mix of mellow pop perfection. Fusing moody textures and subtle melodic interplay, the songs drift and drive like Bedhead or Yo La Tengo with a quicker pulse. As brief as it may be, this single serves as an excellent teaser for the upcoming album. Typically known for being masters of lengthy sentimental soundscapes, this further proves that Sonna not only makes great sounds, they make great songs.

With every new release Tarentel have offered spellbinding proof that they aren't just musicians, they are also magicians. This collection most perfectly depicts the course of the band's four year history. Beginning with the slowly unfolding crescendos of "The Waltz" and "Looking For Things," and ending with the spacious tonal drifts of "Two Sides of Myself" and "Searching For Things." Not since their stunning debut album From Bone To Satellite has there been a Tarentel release that more accurately compliments their dynamic shifts and subtle nuances. Even as a collection of singles, it plays like a flawless album. Like magic.

Now, for the first time ever, all of Fridge's Go!Beat-era recordings are available in one convenient package for a much more appealing price. No more will folks have to settle for rumors of this masterpiece. Included in the Double CD set is the original "Eph" album in its entirety, plus a second disc containing the out-of-print "Kinoshita Terasaka" single and "Of" EP. And just for good measure, we threw in two previously unreleased remixes from uber-hyped Matthew Herbert and mix maestro P Pulsinger. A total of about 100 minutes worth of music. We're talkin' boombox-on-the-shoulder type shit. Get bent.

Recorded over a four year period in various home studios, Parlour combines gentle circular guitar chords, warm synthetic washes and confident, down-tempo drum beats to create a truly meditative rock experience. With a certain krautrock leaning ala Can and This Heat, Tim Furnish (formerly of Crain, Aerial M and The For Carnation) leads the groove all the way to the edge without falling into monotony. The rhythm section is the dense, tightly wound cord pulling the heavy load along with comfortable ease. The many subtle details of this album take dozens of listens to fully reveal, which is perhaps part of its unexplainable addiction. It all seems pretty simple at first, then the grooves and melodies begin to haunt you. Like a good friend recently told us, "This record is so weird and beautiful, it might just be absolutely brilliant." We couldn't offer a better explanation if we tried.

Equally inspired by John Fahey, Steve Reich, Brian Eno, Fennesz and Joni Mitchell, Howard Hello is a cool breeze of airy synthesizers, intricately plucked acoustic guitars and angelic vocals. With haunting drones and the occasional cyclical rasp of Marty Anderson's voice, the album is dangerously seductive. Using familiarity and recurring melodic themes as a springboard, the guitars and vocals get twisted, chopped and turned inside out to create turbulent walls of sound. And just like Kenseth Thibideau's previous endeavors (Tarentel, Rumah Sakit), you can't help but get sucked in and just trust that you'll be pulled out safe and sound.

A massive step forward for the band, The Bright Side boasts the dangerously sharp hooks Kilowatthours are known for, but the attack is incredibly subtle and deliciously mood-driven. Once again returning to Trevor Kampmann's (aka hollAnd) studio, the band worked with loose arrangements for songs and always kept the mixing process open for new ideas and interpretation. The result is a virtually flawless pop album from timid start to epic finish.

Culled from a variety of sources, all of the tracks here are now out of print and impossible to find elsewhere. Connecting the pieces like a giant jigsaw puzzle, Sybarite draws from folk, rock, jazz and dance influences to generate down-tempo, feel-good hits that will rock both dance floor and bedroom. The remarkable attention to detail keeps it wound together with brilliant organic precision. Often compared to other Rocktronic heavyweights Boards of Canada, Mouse On Mars and Fridge, Sybarite has amassed a following that includes critics, fans and musicians alike.

In early 2000, Halifax Pier struck a strong nerve and broke a thousand hearts in the process with their first album. Now they're back to beat up on you some more. Still ever-present are the intricate acoustic guitars and driving string section, with the addition of Greg Burns on bass to add that extra swing in their step. Vocalists Nathan Salsburg and Charles Sommer continue to project their touching stories of loss and love, with an occasional sprinkling of optimism. Added to the mix this time around are backing vocal harmonies, several sets of snapping fingers and even some electric guitar thrown in here and there for haunting effect.

With the domestic release of Kammerflimmer Kollektief's debut album, Mäander, still fresh in people's heads and stereos, we waste no time in bringing you the startling follow-up, Incommunicado. Now weighing in as a sextet, the Kollektief pokes its head out of the bedroom and into the living room with a totally live, genuinely inspired organic experience. Kollektief mastermind Thomas Weber gave his band mates copies of Mäander and had them study the song structures and tones and attempt to reinterpret them using guitar, strings, upright bass and drums. The performances are entirely improvised. No electronics were used (except for that pesky synthesizer), no edits were made and no overdubs were done. The result is a lush, breathtaking collaboration of jazz, orchestral and avant rock.

Recorded last summer with Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio Studios, Sonna picks up where their critically adored but all-too-rare The Eventual Bow EP left off. Pretty songs come a dime a dozen, and simple beauty is not what makes Sonna so special. There is a complexity to their music, executed so seamlessly that it often goes unnoticed. It's that complexity that makes every song so memorable. Subtle changes in time signature and tempo creep in without jarring the listener. More often than not the guitars are playing in different time signatures simultaneously, yet never become the tangled mess one would expect. With the occasional hushed verse of vocals poking through in spots, the pieces are elevated to near pop song status, breathing angelic life into fragile, somnambulant compositions.

Part A Minor Forest, part Tarentel, part Italian film score and part classic rocking for acoustic guitars, accordion, upright bass and really loud drums. This startling Bay-area four-piece combines complex arrangments and subtle mood shifts to create a beautiful space somewhere between tense and overwhelming. In less skilled hands, the thought of acoustic guitars, accordion, bass and drums running circles around each other sounds like a surefire recipe for bad dance moves. But leave it to these boys to be the ones to pull it off. It's unique, it's excellently crafted, and it's so gorgeous.

Hailing from San Francisco, CA (and featuring members of Tarentel and Tsui), Rumah Sakit (pronounced like Room-Uh-Sock-Eeet!) create a head-swirling excercise in progressive rock intuition. A six track blend of prog, classic jazz, and contemporary pop that floats in and out of everything from 'Bitches Brew'-era Miles Davis to King Crimson. No fucking overdubs, no cheap studio tricks, and no mistakes. Uncompromising and totally beautiful. Proof that aggression and maudlin melodies can happily co-exist. The much heavier vinyl format comes in a handsome gatefold sleeve with a free full-color foldout poster. For the same price as the CD! Now that's beautiful.

The long awaited debut full-length featuring nine gorgeous new songs, including a cryptic cover of The Velvet Underground's 'Candy Says'.Melodic, intricate guitars weave between flowing piano leads and thunderous drumming. Angelic vocals lie delicately over top like transparent sheets of color. Flawlessly produced by electro-pop virtuoso TREVOR/hollAnd.

Beautiful debut EP by Louisville's new unsung heroes of melodic, driving ballad-core. Lush melodies with wonderful piano/guitar interplay. somewhat anthemic at times, always brilliant and uplifting. Inspirational hymns for those that are worn out on emo, featuring member of Elliott/Falling Forward. Get it now.

Sonna are master artists of mood enhancing artwork. Their songs swim graciously and elegantly through your ears and your surroundings and melt into your subconscious. The three songs that make up this EP lock into a groove and work it until all the energies and feelings are extracted. The music moves and breathes on its own. Time is well-paced and maximized to pull every ounce of pleasure from the notes. Drums skip like stones across a pond, guitars chime like bells of a cathedral, and the bass pulses like the rumblings of an impending storm. Close your eyes and relax and you'll swear the colors you see cannot be duplicated with red, yellow and blue.-pillowfight.com

Visceral debut full-length combining classic elements of minimalist composers such as Eno and Cage with the cinematic brilliance of Morricone. Toss in a touch of "Bad Moon Rising" you've got yourself what could be Album of the Year. The vinyl includes two extra tracks not available on the CD.

This two song 7" is a LIMITED EDITION one-time pressing, so when it's gone, it's GONE. The packaging is a lovely full-color gatefold design. Very fancy and quite classy. Get your copy now because they'll go fast.

Carrot Top Records released the CD format. We ONLY have the LP format. This is Retsin's most touching record to date. Genuflecting, slow burning love songs from the heart and the front porch. They pour their hearts out to you with a little helps from friends from Aerial M, The For Carnation, Rodan, The Sonora Pine and more. The vinyl is bigger than the CD.

Two different bands interpret the same instrumental song on this single. The vibrant Paul Newman version sets the click and hiss of programmed percussion against a confidently strummed guitar that sounds pretty fierce by the song's end. Alternately, Sonna plays up the track's lush, ambient elements, turning the track into a dreamier, more repetitive soundscape.-CMJ