Scott Solter : The Great Cold

Scott Solter - 'The Great Cold' from Hidden Shoal Recordings on Vimeo.

Excerpt from a full-length visual accompaniment to the re-release of Scott Solter's glacial ambient masterpiece One River - out 10/4 via Hidden Shoal

Out of the Carrot Top Records Deeps

Retsin- Cabin in the Woods

Bon Iver wasn’t the first artist to disappear into a remote cabin and come back with an album of haunting, delicate tunes. On aptly titled Cabin in the Woods (Carrot Top Records, 2001), Retsin-- Tara Jane O’Neil (Rodan) and Cynthia Nelson (Naysayer)-- don’t actually seem to re-emerge from their cabin at all. The surrounding bark and fires have seeped into their delicate tunes and won’t let them dissociate. Banjo and guitar have a steady presence throughout the album, while fiddle, accordion, flute, and toy piano trickle in and out through the tracks. Cabin in the Woods is refreshing--it doesn’t seem to wallow in self-pity but is able to capture an at-home, laid-back, intimate lifestyle in a slightly somber, deeply wooded, and uniquely disconnected atmosphere.

BUY this record HERE or pick it up at saki!

Retsin- Sepia Shade by carrottoprecords

Buy the album here:

Almost the best news ever. ALMOST. But not quite.

It IS very difficult to drive - THE FERRARI YOU OWN AT AGE 17 - when you're absolutely this deplorable.

SUN ARAW-IGHT! PITCHFORK 7.9 BESTOWED UPON "ANCIENT ROMANS"

Here at CTD, Cameron Stallone has been no stranger to us. What with his Sun Araw project, how could he be a stranger? His is th'stuff that keeps us coming back, day after day after day, relentless natural disaster after natural disaster after natural disaster.

Pitchfork knows whassup. They even wax poetic-ish about Sun Araw's new 2LP/CD Ancient Romans. Check out the big brain on Pitchfork ~

"Like a sleepless night in an intemperate climate, Sun Araw's undulating edgeless psychmares stick to your clothes and leave chemtrails in your periphery. Ancient Romans, SoCal seeker Cameron Stallones' latest LP under the Sun Araw name, is another fever dream of dub-mottled organ grind and guitar squiggle, at once elemental and futuristic."

"Though all of Stallones' music is built around improv, Romans feels a mite looser, more free-flowing than its predecessor, its individual movements less choreographed, its overall mood a bit more relaxed. Yet Stallones maintains his incredible compositional economy and precision; with all its moving parts, Ancient Romans can sound a bit haphazard at first, but each gurgle and whirr works in brilliant tandem, and one more element could tip any of its scales. Romans' sandstorm soundscapes and Afrobeat-indebted underwater funk are panoramic, deliriously detailed visions beamed in from some untapped back-of-the-mind vista."

"It's one of Stallones' finest moments to date, yet another reminder that there are few people making music either this all-encompassing or this enveloping."

To Umph or not to Umph! No questions asked!

New Releases @ saki 8/30/2011

Beirut "The Rip Tide" LP/CD

Balam Acab "Wander/Wonder" LP/CD

Big Troubles "Sad Girls/Phantom" 7''

Black Lips "200 Million Thousand" / "Good Bad Not Evil" / "Los Valientes... (Live)" LP (re-issues)

Blood Orange "Coastal Grooves" LP/CD

Brian Jonestown Massacre "Singles Collection 1992-2011" CD

John Doe (of X) "Keeper" LP/CD

The Joy Formidable "The Big Roar" LP

Hella "Tripper" LP

Low "Things We Lost..." / "Trust" / "Secret Name" LP (vinyl re-issues)

Male Bonding "Endless Now" LP/CD

Jim O'Rourke "Old News #6" LP

Limes "Tarantula!" LP

John Mayall's Bluesbreakers "A Hard Road" / "Crusade" / "S/T" (w/ Clapton) LP/CD (re-

issue)

Pumice "Pebbles" (remastered) LP

Sean Smith "Huge Fluid Freedom" LP/CD

Devon Williams "Euphoria" LP

Yacht "Shangri-La" LP

Listen to new Wild Flag!!

From @allsongs:
Start your Monday morning right. Hear the new album from WILD FLAG: http://n.pr/n8R1JE

In-store Performances Today (8/27)

We've got some great bands playing at saki today -- Oshwa, Uncle Ghost, and Emme & The Moon! Starts at 3pm...come out and support!!!

Carrot Top Records: Revisited Releases

During Coctails shows, audience members would get popcorn passed around in lil boxes (later, they cheaped out and used bags) with the band's cartoon self portrait--kinda like the cover of this box set! The Coctails had a certain knack for showcasing themselves as an experience that went along with their garage jazz music. Renowned for making an initial intruiting impression on Chicagoby decking out the highly regarded Wax Trax! Records bay window as a stage with 3 ft tall dolls of themselves (that mechanically waved at passers-by), the Coctails soon became staples at renowned Chicago rock club Lounge Ax.

The Popcorn Box is a kickass collection that includes tracks that were staples in their live

shows, as well as rarities that got minimally pressed, passed around, or were never released. The booklet inside includes great perspectives of the band, Coctails cartoons by Jas Dundore (aka Archer Prewitt), and images of their unique hand-designed merch and artwork. Includes an essay

by our own Patrick Monaghan, owner of Carrot Top Records (who also released the rest of The Coctails' catalog on CD) with another by Chicago Tribune rock critic Greg Kot that he wrote for Trouser Press in 2002, which is more or less accurate. Most tracks also have brief commentary from the band as well as detailed release and artwork information.

If you’re not familiar with The Coctails, get into it. This box set is a great way to experience not only their important and impressive music, but their personas, their kitsch, and what they meant to their listeners.

BUY it HERE! or pick it up at saki! 

The Coctails- Whoopsy Daisy by carrottoprecords

Today and Other Days Episode #1!

Ladies and Gentlemen, please enjoy the first episode of saki's new podcast "Today and Other Days." In episode one, your hosts Mark Jumper, Max Neuman & Scopey Boronto of Bob Dey's Tank Engine Man, talk time travel and the downside of summertime, along with some songs and an interview with The Fiery Furnaces' Eleanor Friedberger, and a brief check-in with saki's manager to update you on some upcoming events and special deals at saki! Have a listen and let us know what you think!

Click here and save as to download and open in iTunes!

Straight From The Horses Mouth

Check out Daytrotter sessions from Disappears and My Gold Mask, two awesome Chicago bands!

The Daytrotter gang has been at it for a while, so make sure to check our their extensive archives too. There are sessions by the likes of Grizzly Bear, Of Montreal, Times New Viking, Bon Iver, Foals, Raphael Saadiq and tons more.

CTD Press Update 8/23/11!

CTD Press Update 08/23/2011
Now Available Exclusively/Semi Exclusively from CTD:

FEATURED:

Razika
“Program 91”
Smalltown Supersound: sts210
PITCHFORK 7.3!!:
“Program 91's basic makeup is spiky, sharp, post-punk-inflected pop, executed with laser-precise accuracy....”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15730-program-91/

NEW YORK TIMES:
“Razika plays naively sweet and imperfectly rhythmic ska-pop. Program 91, the band’s first album on Smalltown Supersound, is light as air, with lyrics about young love and frustration, and guitar tones so transparent they sound almost African.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/arts/music/new-work-by-razika-dev-hynes-owlfood-canon-blue.html?_r=3

ELLE MAGAZINE:
“Razika - four teenaged girls from Bergen, Norway - could make even the most staunch of ska’s critics take note. Their take on the genre is a shimmering update, one that crosses with pop.”
http://fashion.elle.com/culture/2011/08/12/razika-norways-teen-dreams/

FLAUNT:
“Razika, however, a group of four teenaged women, actually write their own songs, play their own instruments, and make danceable pop/ska that makes you want to pogo like a Norwegian troll. It's got energy enough to make you forget Norway is dark half the year, and spunk enough to bring you to the brink of giddiness.”
http://flaunt.com/flaunt/interview-razika

NYLON:
“We’ve only known about the Norwegian band Razika for a couple months now, but our love for their girly melodies and soft vocals is definitely growing by the day…it’s basically what we’d want the soundtrack of our life to sound like.”
http://nylonmag.com/nylonblogs/?s=razika&x=0&y=0

NME 8/10!!:
“Scandinavian dream-pop at it's best…it’s pretty perfect.”
http://www.nme.com/reviews/razika/12264

STOOL PIGEON 4/4!!:
“This is music imbued with wonderment and freedom, far removed from the cynicism and concerns about marketing you can hear creeping between the bars of so many fledgling bands.”
http://www.thestoolpigeon.co.uk/reviews/razika-program-91.html

DROWNED IN SOUND:
“This promising debut is a thing of such utter and ruddy brilliance it feels at once irresponsible to get carried away with praise and uppity to proffer anything so improbable as a perceived shortcoming.”
http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16433/reviews/4143342

BITCH MAGAZINE:
“Razika is cheery. Razika is crisp. Razika is catchy. Razika is Norwegian girl power pop made with two scoops of 2 Tone, rainbow sprinkles of '60s garage, and a cherry of jingle-jangle guitars on top. Yum!”
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/b-sides-razika

FADER:
“Norway’s Razika made a sweet, sweet album Program 91 (91 as in 1991 as in the year they were born!) that’s so sugary it almost gave us a toothache. That’s a compliment. They’re 20 years old, high school’s over, things are good. So many people are trying so many complicated things with music, it can be nice to hear something that’s just about the joy of being young and wanting to go on strolls in the park with boys you like. The Ramones understood that, and so does Razika.”
http://www.thefader.com/2011/08/01/interview-razika/

FADER REVIEW OF “Eg Vetsje”:
“...we need great pop rock like this. It’s infinitely listenable.”
http://www.thefader.com/2011/06/23/razika-eg-vetsje-riktig-mp3/

GUARDIAN UK:
“This is faithful stuff, pretty straight and unreconstructed, with nice choruses, sweet vocals and a bubblegum bounce.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/jul/08/new-band-razika

ARTROCKER - ALBUM OF THE SUMMER 2011 5 STARS!!:
“...they’re totally brilliant; using the regular set up of bass, drums, guitars and all that polava, that they somehowe manage to create snappy, breezy and lime-fresh sound. Why don’t millions of bands sound this magical?”
http://www.smalltownsupersound.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/ArtRockerAlbumOfTheSummerAlbumReviewAugSept1.jpg

More Used Stock...

We've just bought several collections recently, and there's a little something for everyone in our used section currently. Everything from Rush & Led Zep to This Mortal Coil & Wire. Some cool and very rare 7''s as well. All priced to sell, so stop in!!!

saki After Hours with Bob Dey's Tank Engine Man & Bigcolour!

Hey folks, the details are coming in! Our first saki After Hours show is slated for September 2nd. There will be sets by Bob Dey's Tank Engine Man and their guest of the month, Bigcolour, followed by the audience participation portion of the show. As you may know from our last post on the topic, each after hours show will have a different guest and a different theme centered around audience participation. This month's concept will be Concatenating Pedals:

Amplifiers will form a large circle along the edges of the room. The musician attached to each amplifier will be situated directly across from their amplifier on the opposite side of the circle. The two will be connected by a chain of linked guitar pedals of different varieties, thereby filling the center of the circle with a web of cables and pedals. As the musicians play, the audience is asked to enter the circle and begin twisting and fiddling about; manipulating the sounds. For 20-40 minutes, suggested moods will be projected upon the wall as we try to create a cohesive, improvised, and collaborative piece of music, which will be recorded and made available to those who wish to have a copy.

So, you are cordially invited to join us on the 2nd at 8pm when saki ceases to be just a record store, and becomes a place where you can indulge in the inner depths of your imagination and explore new sonic territory with two of the best bands in town!

Doors at 8 PM
Free
BYOB (Bring a guitar pedal to use and we'll give you a beer!)

New Releases @ saki 8/23/11!

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic CD & LP
Charles 'Packy' Axton - Late Late Party 65-67 CD & LP KILLER COMP. FROM STAX ERA WILD MAN!
Stephen Merrit (Magnetic Fields) - Obscurities CD & LP
Active Child - Your Are All I See CD & LP
Sun Araw - Ancient Romans CD & LP SPACED OUT DUBBY PSYCH JAMS FROM THE ALWAYS STELLAR CAMERON STALLONES!
Michael Hurley - Fatboy Spring LP HAS MICHAEL HURLEY EVER PUT OUT A BAD RECORD? JUST BUY IT ALREADY!
Razika - Program 91 CD & LP
The George-Edwards Group - Archives LP
P.G. Six - Starry Mind CD & LP
Mahmoud Ahmed - Jeguol Naw Betwa LP
CSS - La Liberacion CD
Susan Howe & David Grubbs - Frolic Architecture CD
Street Music Of Yogyakarta - V/A LP
Mickey Newbury - An American Trilogy Deluxe CD
Ganglians - Still Living CD MORE SUNNY BEACH BOYS INSPIRED INDIE ROCK FOR THE DREAMERS!
Edie Sedgwick - Love Gets Lovelier... 7"
Nig-Hest - S/T LP
Teen Idles 7"
Sic Alps - Breadhead 7"
Kourosh Yaghmaei - Back From The Brink 3xLP PRE-REVOLUTION PSYCH ROCK FROM IRAN 73-79

The Perception of Moving Targets

THE PERCEPTION OF MOVING TARGETS - TRAILER from Weston Currie on Vimeo.

via gorilla vs. bear - Trailer for The Perception of Moving Targets, Weston Currie's "anthology of 4 short films scored by the songs of Grouper." The films will premiere October 1 in NYC, and will feature live accompaniment by Liz Harris herself. The films will be released in a physical form this winter

Antietam on Sound Opinions WBEZ

This week on WBEZ's show/podcast Sound Opinions was the Buried Treasures show. Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot featured saki favorite Antietam with their album Tenth Life released this year on Carrot Top Records.

If you missed it, you should really download it or stream it here! Thanks Sound Opinions! Pick up the release at saki

Charles "Packy" Axton - Late Late Party: 1965-67

Charles "Packy" Axton - Late Late Party: 1965-67 (LITA067)

Coming August 23rd, a party platter of soul stompers and R&B rompers sure to get any kegger kickin'. There's even a couple slow-dances so you can catch your breath or find something to puke in. Features many of Memphis soul's most formative session musicians, centered around Stax problem child, Charles "Packy" Axton.


"In the vast netherworld of soul there are countless characters that reside on the fringe, their significant contributions to American music history long forgotten. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, tenor saxophone player and bandleader Charles ‘Packy’ Axton is yet another of the uncelebrated, despite a deep pedigree and funky catalogue of notable grooves. Part of the mighty Stax family through birth—Packy’s motherEstelle Axton and uncle Jim Stewart founded the southern R&B dynasty in the early 1960’s—Packy picked up the sax at a young age, and after linking with future Booker T. & the M.G.’s Steve Cropper andDonald ‘Duck’ Dunn, formed the The Mar-Keys. Almost reaching the top of the R&B and pop charts in 1961 with the classic “Last Night,” friction caused by Packy’s party going ways caused a split. It wasn’t until 1965 that the wild child had another national instrumental hit on his hands, “Hole In The Wall” by the Packers, chronicled by Light In The Attic Records in the first ever compilation of Axton’s work: Late Late Party 1965-67." read more


Get it at saki.

Reich Fest @ Millennium Park

Millennium Park Reich Fest with eighth blackbird & Third Coast Percussion from eighth blackbird on Vimeo.

Monday August 22, 2011
@ Pritzker Pavillion in Millennium Park
6:30pm / FREE

Chicago Cassette Compilation

Twosyllable records might be based in New York City, but founder Zach Pollakoff spent his fair share of time in Chicagoland and like a lot of music fans was enthralled by the discovery of an "underground scene." "I was able to pull back the curtain on another underground I didn’t know existed […] I started attending basement shows in Highland Park and Northbrook. Hardcore kids raised on Naked Raygun and Big Black playing loud. That wasn’t exactly my scene, but as I delved deeper I learned that genre was no boundary to the underground", he explains in the press release for the Chicago Cassette Compilation.

Almost ten years later Zach's label releases a 7" by local band Distractions and another curtain is pulled back. "We slowly began discovering an intricate network of friends, musicians, small record and tape labels, DIY venues, bands, and music. We learned, in working with them, that every member of Distractions had their own musical project. And every member of those projects had their own, and so on."

The result of this recent discovery is a truly eclectic 18 track collection of songs, from ethereal pop and indie rock, to lo-fi punk and electronic experimentation, featuring some of the most compelling artist in Chicago's thriving underground.  "The music ranges genres, but is on the whole homemade."

If you're not familiar with any or all of the artists featured on the mix, we highly recommend you pick up a copy and check them out. Wether you're dipping your toe in the city's music scene or diving into the deep end, this comp won't do you wrong.

Many of the featured artists have graced the saki stage since we opened last summer, so we couldn't be happier to have this collection on the shelf.

New Releases @ saki 8/16/11!

Tame Impala - Innerspeaker LP FIRST TIME IN US! THE WON'T LAST LONG!
Graves - Summr Bummr LP
HTRK - Eat Yr Heart 12"
Heatmiser - Mic City Sons LP reissue OLD ELLIOTT SMITH PROJECT!
Theophilus London - Timez Are Weird These Days LP
Matthew Friedberger - Cut It Out LP PART 4 OF A 6 LP SERIES FROM HALF OF FIERY FURNACES!
Battles - My Machines 12"
Braid - Closer To Closed CD EP & 12"
Boats - Cannonballs, Cannonballs CD
Limes - Tarantula CD
Michael Yonkers Band - Microminiature Love LP
Zounds - Curse of Zounds LP KILLER COMP. & SINGLES COLLECTION FROM INFLUENTIAL POST-PUNK BAND!
Tunnels - The Blackout LP
Mister Heavenly - Out Of Love CD & LP MEMBERS of MAN MAN, ISLAND/UNICORNS & MODEST MOUSE!
Maria Taylor - Overlook CD & LP
Gold Leaves - The Ornament CD & LP
Case Studies - The World Is Just A Shape To Fill The Night CD & LP
Amen Dunes - Through Donkey Jaw CD & LP
The War On Drugs - Slave Ambient CD & LP
Cut Off Your Hands - Hollow CD & LP
Fool's Gold - Leave No Trace CD & LP
Hercules & Love Affair - Blue Songs CD
New Villager - S/T CD
Wooden Indian Burial Ground - S/T 10"
Psychic Dancehall - A Love That Kills 7"
The Leopards - Kansas City Slickers LP
Brad Long - Love Me Again 7"
The Onion Dolls - The Kids 7"
Veronica Falls - Bad Feeling 7"
Bleached - Carter 7"
Not The Spaces You Know, But Between Them - V/A 4xLP box set
Bitches/Yuppies - Palmist 12"
Lotus Plaza/Odonis Odonis 12"
U.S. Girls/Slim Twig 12"

The Great Wave: Takeshi Terauchi

By the mid-60s the surf rock wave had broken and was being pulled back away from the shore. The tremolo-heavy and reverb-derenched instrumentals were pushed to the side as the British appropriation of R&B took center stage. Though, surf was defined by American artists like Dick Dale, The Ventures, Duane Eddy, Link Wray, and others, there were a few foreign acts that could hold their own against any of the more notable artists. The Shadows in the UK for example.

None, however, really compare to Japanese guitar legend Takeshi Terauchi. Sixties artists who similarly blend Western influences with their native traditions continue to be unearthed, however few were as consistent or prolific. 

Terauchi's phenomenal playing and compositions really set him apart and considering how common it is for artist like him to get the crate-diggers-deluxe-vinyl-reissue in the US nowadays, it's pretty surprising it hasn't been done yet.

Pure X Review on Epitonic

I reviewed Pure X's debut full length, Pleasure for our friends at Epitonic. Go read it! I mean, if you want... whatever, I don't care. I'm cool.

New From Sing Sing records

We just got in some fantastic new reissues from Sing Sing records. All available right now at saki.

The Leopards  - Kansas City Slickers (LP 1977)

*An LP of heavily Kinks-influenced rock and powerpop from this underground Kansas City combo. Self-released in 1977! Sophisticated musicianship with subtle nods to a variety of 60s artists, and obvious ones to the aforementioned rock gods.  

Brad Long - Love Me Again b/w Come To Me (7" 1977)
*DIY powerpop release from an Indiana music store owner. If only he knew 35 years later bands would be trying very, very hard to capture hazy, bedroom pop sound he seems to nail effortlessly!


The Onion Dolls - The Kids b/w Hot Love (7" 1979)
*The lone, snotty single from this Belgian punk band. Not to be confused with their The Kids (also a killer Belgian punk band).

Why the London PIAS/Sony Warehouse Fire Is a Big Deal

Transcript of a late night Twitter essay in response to good questions from @poptartsd about the London arson that burned down the UK Sony/PIAS warehouse that housed much, if not all, of the physical inventory for many, many independent labels and their artists from around the world. While this horrific fire is only a small piece of the puzzle that is the English riots of 2011, its effects will be felt by many for years to come, both in England & the rest of Europe, but here in the USA, and especially here in Chicago.

The transcript (slightly cleaned up for clarity, new format,
& lightly edited for punctuation & grammar):

@poptartsd Chicago, instead of worrying about music biz inventory, let's look at London's lessons on race, inequities, and police behavior for us...

@pkmonaghan: @poptartsd Can we only do one?

@poptartsd: @pkmonaghan well, local media seems to think so...also: insurance? Or no?

My long response edited into one piece:

@pkmonaghan: @poptartsd is the stock insured? Yes, most likely. But you can't just order music like sliders. Minimum orders & spare printed parts are a huge problem. If you have 300 of something and are selling 10-75 a year & all 300 go up, you face a decision to repress 500 or even 1000!

Is it worth that huge outlay for a slow selling catalog piece that you are already paying taxes as an asset just to sit on? And if that was also the last of your printing, jackets, you have to print 1100+. But you MAY only sell 50-150 in next 2 yrs!

Now is it worth it? No. Multiply x the number of titles in a label's catalog! Think of the big indies!


My little catalog is only in the 50s for # of titles, but multiply that problem x TJ, T+G, SC, or DC and it feels insurmountable, at least to me from a great distance.

Most of those guys [US labels] had only a part of their stock there. The super screwed are Euro labels who used PIAS as primary warehouse. Likely every piece of their inventory was melted down except for tiny amounts kept on hand just to fill mailorders & whatever was in transit or perhaps on hand at another distributor, but this would be probably less than 5% of their stock, ESPECIALLY on older titles.

More then you wanted to know, but it is an indie musical disaster of epic proportions! Thankfully no humans were hurt, but this will be felt for quite a long time. I suspect more than a few labels will just fold up & bands will be left screwed.

Thanks for listening!

Beef up on LOVE...Carol Kleyn's brand, that is!

Backstory:

Carol Kleyn was a freshman in the early 1970s at UC Santa Barbara, and was given to write songs for her poetry class before dropping out to concentrate on music full-time. She soon meets one-man psychedelic band Bobby Brown, who brought her a harp for her birthday one year. Rather than take lessons at the university, she taught herself to play the instrument and promised to perform her own songs exclusively, eventually lugging the harp in and out of buses, down streets and alleyways, and across fields to busk for passersby at street corners, community fairs, and Renaissance festivals all over California. She then meets Gregg Allmann, tours with him, and hobnobbs with the Eagles, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli, and Sly Stone, among many other contemporaries. She came close to signing with a label, specifically Allman home base Capricorn, but instead she released three self-funded albums on her own. Rather than achieve success as defined by the music industry, Kleyn went on to become a legend among crate diggers and harp-folk enthusiasts.

Epilogue:

More than three decades after self-releasing her debut, Kleyn signed her first record deal with Drag City to release Love Has Made Me Stronger on CD/LP and now Pitchfork has awarded this lost (and now found) classic a 7.8 review.

Read on, dear reader~

"Kleyn displays an intriguing cross section of styles and influences, a range that ostensibly results from her being self-taught. She strums and picks her harp like a guitar on 'Baby Come Close' and 'Love's Goin' Round', and on 'Street Song', she plays the instrument almost like a dulcimer, percussively plucking countermelodies that sound both tender and slightly foreboding….More often, though, Love Has Made Me Stronger's rough-around-the-edges imperfections only allow Kleyn to convey her spirited optimism all the more forcefully. That sort of music boldness never goes out of style."

No more guest list spots for The Horrors!

Sorry folks, we've already exhausted all our guest list spots for the Horrors show at Lincoln Hall on 9/25! We've still got room for all of the other bands that I mentioned here.

For anyone asking about Toro Y Moi, we'll have it back in soon. Unknown Mortal Orchestra is playing with Toro Y Moi, so you can always buy that album to get in as well!

That is all. Carry On, good people.

New Releases @ saki 8/9/11!

Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out & Painful LP reissues
Marc Maron - This Has To Be Funny CD
West Indies Funk 3 CD
The Horrors - Skying CD & LP
Belle & Sebastian - Boy w/ Arab Strap, If You're Feeling Sinister & Tigermilk LP reissues
Cat Power - What Would The Community Think LP reissue
Dom - Family of Love 10" & CD
The Authorities - Puppy Love LP reissue
Bossanova - Blue Bossanova 12"
Cerebral Ballzy - S/T LP
Pillars & Tongues - Pass & Crossings LP
Black Sabbath - Sabotage, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath & Vol. 4 LP reissues

saki After Hours with Bob Dey's Tank Engine Man

We just received this mysterious message from Bob Dey's Tank Engine Man. It appears as though they intend to hijack our store on the first friday of every month from now until... eternity? We just don't know. The details are fuzzy. We'll keep you up to date as we learn more. Here is what they sent us:


On the first Friday of every month, when the day is done and the store lights go out, saki will become the domain of the weirdos as Bob Dey's Tank Engine Man presents evenings of musical and conceptual exploration. From improvisational wanderings to clearly defined paths, one can expect to partake in a variety of musical journeys; designed to be enjoyed, not consumed. We aim to take the peddling out of performance and to highlight the diverse talents of musicians who are often confined to playing the same songs show after show. Each event will feature performances by Bob Dey's Tank Engine Man and their Guest of the Month, as well as interactive portions that blur the lines between artist and audience.

It appears there will be performances by BDTEM among others and the audience will be able to contribute... with guitar pedals. This looks like it will be truly unique people! Here's the specs:

Friday, September 2nd
Doors at 8 PM
Free
BYOB
*Bring a working guitar pedal and we'll give you a beer.

Songs Of Farewell & Departure: A Tribute To Hum

SONGS OF FAREWELL AND DEPARTURE: A TRIBUTE TO HUM from MDfilms.net on Vimeo.

A much deserved tribute to beloved 90's space rockers Hum will be released on 9/6 via Pop Up Records. After viewing the above clip with brief samples of each track, I do not have high hopes. A few sound promising, but as expected, most seem to be lackluster atmospheric bands sticking closely to the original tracks. The influence of Hum surely branched out further than that, and a little more variation would have been nice - Benoit Pioulard has expressed how much he loved the album Downward is Heavenward - I'd be very interested to hear a Hum track transformed into his blissed-out dream-pop aesthetic. Other artists like Justin Broadrick or True Widow would still make sense, but would likely take the tracks in more interesting directions. Still, if this tribute causes more people to check out Hum that would have otherwise been unaware, Songs Of Farewell & Departure has served some purpose. For those who never gave Hum a listen, You'd Prefer An Astronaut and Downward is Heavenward are essential. Below is the audio for one of my favorites, "I'd Like Your Hair Long." The final minute of the track gives me goosebumps every time.

The new Fruit Bats is here! The new Fruit Bats is here!

I love this band. Even though they have grown and changed so much from their beloved debut, "Echolocation," I have followed them through every melodic twist and turn. Little makes me happier than new music from Eric and crew, and here we have some. Download the free MP3 from NPR/Amazon and then come on into saki and pick up your own physical copy to have, hold, fondle, and cherish.

How to Get Rich (Not Quick) by Mark Cuban

In light of the recent economic turmoil, Mark Cuban recently relinked to a post he wrote back in 2008. Like or not his antics on the Dallas Mavericks sidelines, Mark is one of the wealthiest and sharpest guys on the planet, so I tend to pay attention when he offers free advice like this. Short of lighting cigars with $100 bills, who wouldn't want a little more cash? Here's what he has to say.

I have a whole lot more fun now. It doesn’t suck to be rich. 

The question everyone wants answered, is how to get there. There are ways to get there. But there is not a template that works every time for everyone. It works sometimes. Getting there requires being ready when opportunity presents itself.

Read the rest of what he has to say on his blog.

Recent Used Buy

If you're a DJ, or just an electronic music enthusiast, you should definitely swing by saki, as we've just acquired a rather large collection of excellent used 12''s & LP's, on labels like Ghostly/Spectral, Kompakt, M_nus, and Bpitch. All in excellent condition, and priced to sell...

Bonnie "Prince" Billy defies God, Pitchfork responds with 7.0!

Is there a God? Is there a heaven? Is there a hell?

(Answer to the first two: no, and who cares, answer to the last one: yes, it's called Albany Park, in Chicago).

Bonnie "Prince" Billy said there's no God. Said it/thought it/lives it so loud n' proud, that he and Drag City released it on a 10", called There Is No God. Then Pitchfork.com (our holiest of holies), offered full validation by giving said 10" a 7.0 rating. Oddly enough, God himself didn't even receive a rating from Pitchfork.

In the name of our lord, they heralded thusly ~

"Of his recent offerings, "There Is No God" b/w "God Is Love", released as a benefit for two Gulf-oriented charities, Save Our Gulf and the Turtle Hospital, is most in line with what Oldham has done well in the past few years: Joyful, barefoot Americana at some unfixed intersection between folk and rock. It's an approach that Oldham has probably absorbed from country, a genre with enough clearly delineated rules that the fun part becomes how to bend or break them without becoming something unrecognizable: The innovation is in the craft, not the concept."

A-fuckin'-men to that!

Stream new Pure X: Pleasure

If you'd like to hear the new, saki select featured, Pure X album, Pleasure in its entirety, you can do so here. It's quite a listen. I've waited 2 years for a full length from these guys and it's definitely one of my favorites of the year.

Malkmus: Mirror Traffic

Of all the promo items I've received at a record store, this is my favorite! Hand-painted artwork from the new Malkmus album!

Mirror Traffic come out 8/23 on Matador! Get it at saki!

CTD Press Update 8/2/11!

CTD Press Update 08/02/2011
Now Available Exclusively/Semi Exclusively from CTD:

FEATURED:

Szczepanik, Nicholas
“Please Stop Loving Me”
Drag City/Streamline: stream1031
PITCHFORK 7.8:
“There is a lot to love here, much of it mesmerizing, even soothing. Just don't turn your brain off, because Szczepanik is more interested in challenging than hypnotizing...Szczepanik excels at finding subtlety and nuance in immersive volumes. Even at his softest here, he could fill an airplane hangar with his music”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15689-please-stop-loving-me/


UPCOMING SOON:

Cronin, Mikal
“Mikal Cronin”
Trouble in Mind: tim031
DEATH AND TAXES:
“Judging from ‘Get Along’ and ‘Apathy,’ the upcoming LP sounds pretty promising. The two tracks build on the lo-fi fuzz of Mikal’s many West Coast affiliations but noticeably follow a more pop route with cleaner vocals, plenty of harmonies and nods to ’60s psych. It all creates a heavily infectious blend of garage rock.”
http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/123711/listen-mikal-cronins-apathy-and-get-along-produced-by-ty-segall/

CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND Top 10 MP3s of the week - “Apathy”:
“This song is all kinds of amazing, from the machine-gun snare fills to the catchy-as-shit chorus where Cronin implores that he “don’t want apathy”, and you’ve no choice but to believe him. It’s a perfect mix of pop and fuzz to draw ears of all kind. Put it on, and put it on loud, why don’t ya?.”
http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/07/top-10-mp3s-of-the-week-729/
SF WEEKLY:
“‘Apathy’ sounds like a forgotten MTV Buzz Bin hit from about 1994, with its soft acoustic intro and relentlessly catchy chorus. The song then rises into a noisy climax complete with what sound like off-kilter saxophones. It's pretty rad.”
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/shookdown/2011/07/hear_apathy_by_mikal_cronin_ty.php

KATIE DARBY RECOMMENDS:
“As soon as the first few lines of ‘Apathy’ flew out of my stereo, I was sold on Cronin– not just as a musician, but as a composer. The way this song fits together reminds me of the way I felt when I was listening to early Beck records; this isn’t a completely new venture, but it feels new and fresh. I love the way the instruments in the song jump in and out; I love the controlled chaos. If ‘Apathy’ is any indication, this guy is fantastic.”
http://www.katiedarbyrecommends.com/2011/07/27/keep-listening-for-mikal-cronin/

CITIZEN DICK.com:
“Just like his work with Segall, Cronin's LP promises a collection of gritty and attitude-laden garage rock. I've professed my undying adoration for Segall's Goodbye Bread too many times to count on this here blog. I'm already considering this album a perfect counterpart for the second half.”
http://citizendick.org/2011/07/25/mikal-cronin-apathy-mp3/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CitizenDick+%28Citizen+Dick%29&utm_content=Twitter

ALTERED ZONES:
“Opening itself up wider with each play, this is a good record in the truest sense of the word.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1682/mikal-cronin-apathy/

RAVEN SINGS THE BLUES.com:
“Cleaner than we've heard him in a long time, the record packs a huge whollop in its three-minute garage-pop punches. Scraping its way through fuzz, jangle, slow burn motions and even a few psychedelic breakdowns, the record is nothing if not infectious; opening itself up wider with each play.”
http://ravensingstheblues.blogspot.com/2011/07/mikal-cronin.html

AUSTIN TOWN HALL.com:
“If you toss in a little more melody on Segall’s formula for psych-rock, perhaps remove a bit of hazy tones, and this is pretty much what you’re going to get. I know, right! Sounds pretty awesome, so jump on the wagon now…”
http://networkedblogs.com/kIX8n

IMPOSE MAGAZINE.com:
“Much like Segall's excellent Goodbye Bread, Cronin is maturing beyond the grimy scuzz with little hint of growing pains.”
http://www.imposemagazine.com/bytes/mikal-cronin-bros-down-with-ty-segall-again

THE BAY BRIDGED.com:
http://www.thebaybridged.com/2011/07/27/mikal-cronin-get-alongapathy/

CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND: TOP 10 MP3s OF THE WEEK:
http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/07/top-10-mp3s-of-the-week-729/

New Releases @ saki 8/2/2011

Cindytalk "Hold Everything Dear" LP

Fruit Bats "Tripper" LP

Richard Buckner "Our Blood" CD/LP
Archers of loaf "Icky Mettle" CD/LP
Arcade Fire "The Suburbs" (Deluxe CD + DVD)
Tig Notaro "Good One" CD + DVD
Collections of Colonies of Bees "Giving" CD/LP
Moonface "Organ Music..." CD/LP
Okkervil River "Your Past Life as a Blast" 7"
Thou "The Archer and the Owle" LP
Brilliant Colors "Again and Again" LP
Pure X "pleasure" LP
Mount Kimbie "Carbonated" 12"
Gnod "Ingnodwetrust" LP
Meredith Bragg "Nest" LP
Bibio "K is for Kelson" LP
Hype Williams "Kelly Price w8 gain vol. 2" LP
Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter "Marble Son" CD/LP
Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band - No Time For Dreaming Insturmentals LP
Belle & Sebastian "Come On Sister" 12"
Buffalo Killers "3" CD
Wild Swans "Coldest Winter for a Hundred Years" CD

Soft Abuse on Free Form Freakout!

Free Form Freakout just posted a webcast curated by our good friend Chris Berry from Soft Abuse! Check out his playlist for tracks from Ed Askew, Pigeons, Pumice & UV Race among others.

Any of these shows for FREE!

Here's a list of artists who saki has in stock and are playing an upcoming Schubas or Lincoln Hall show. Just buy anything from these artists at saki and we'll get you and friend on the list!

Fruit Bats, Vetiver, The Horrors, Breathe Owl Breathe, Matt Pond PA, Starfucker, Girls, Rocky Votolato, Tapes n Tapes, Toro Y Moi, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Megafaun, Tim Kasher (or Cursive or The Good Life), Doug Paisley, Japandroids, Bass Drum of Death, War On Drugs, Tammar, Asobi Seksu, Houses, Pet Lions, Peter Bjorn & John, Viva Voce and Dntel.

That's better than a sale!

Szczepanik! Szczepanik! Szczepanik! Szczepanik! Szczepanik!

His name may be difficult to say 5 times fast (try it!)...but it's not as difficult to say as "7.8". That's right - Pitchfork.com has awarded his debut CD, Please Stop Loving Me, for Drag City's Streamline imprint, a 7.8 review.

To paraphrase ~

"There is a lot to love here, much of it mesmerizing, even soothing. Just don't turn your brain off, because Szczepanik is more interested in challenging than hypnotizing."

"...Szczepanik excels at finding subtlety and nuance in immersive volumes. Even at his softest here, he could fill an airplane hangar with his music."

(Apparently - and thankfully so - Pitchfork did not take the album title as an actual request from the artist.)