Music We Like Amoeba Music's
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MUSIC WE LIKE - STAFF LIST
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"Smiling makes my face hurt."
  • X - Live In Los Angeles
    Commemorating the band's 25th anniversary of its debut album’s release, Los Angeles, this is a 21-song live set recorded at the House of Blues showing them to be as undiminished a force as ever - with drummer D.J. Bonebrake's pile-driving wallop, guitarist Billy Zoom's atomic Rockabilly solos and the haunting tandem vocals of John Doe and Exene Cervenka.
  • Code of Honor - Complete Studio Recordings: 1982-1984
    Known for their innovative song structures, unconventional use of effects and tape manipulation and their radical politics, Code of Honor was one of the best SF Hardcore Punk bands of the early ‘80s. This collection of studio recordings includes the Sick Pleasure split LP, What Are We Gonna Do? 7" and Beware The Savage Jaw LP with a 20-page booklet insert of lyrics, photos, and history by guitarist Mike Fox.
  • Strung Up - Society Rot In Hell More
    A CD release of the band's 12" vinyl e.p. from 2004, their first self-titled 7" and a few unreleased tracks recorded at Burnt Ramen Studios in Richmond. Fast, raging, bass-heavy Thrash that assaults and antagonizes organized religion (Christianity in particular), police officers, faux-political correctness, mainstream pop-music and "heroin chic."
  • Epoxies - Stop The Future
    On their sophomore record, Portland, Oregon's Epoxies command us to "Stop The Future!" with their Punk-Wave mix of robotic, dominant-female vocals decrying the numbing sterility of mass culture over crunching guitar riffs, throbbing basslines and oscillating synthesizers. This is everything that New Wave could have been in the ‘80s but wasn't.
  • The Chaplin Collection, Vol. 1 (DVD Box Set)
    Charlie Chaplin, who's limber gestures, sense of comedic timing and evocative facial features made him a landmark silent film star, gets his proper due with this deluxe package of four classics; Modern Times,The Gold Rush,The Great Dictator and Limelight. One of the greatest talents to ever grace the silver screen.

DEAN SANTOMIERI
I have given in to my inner curmudgeon; blame the music.

I didn’t find much that I would be willing to call the best of 2005. If you heard the awful NPR Best of the Year nonsense, you already know what I mean. I was so desperate to praise something that I almost invented a series of imaginary recordings and concerts, but then a friend said: “ Somebody’s already done it.” Check out: http://www.wfmu.org/~jhhl/Best/

  • Moondog CD -
    The Viking of Sixth Avenue
    Some pieces unavailable elsewhere and some different performances of familiar ones, great but overpriced.
  • Kraftwerk -Minimum - Maximum DVD
    Live Kraftwerk from various venues, 2004 tour. Fabulous.

Outstanding Concerts:
A New Music S?ance.
Charles Amirkhanian and the Other Minds organization put together a concert about the spiritual in music featuring the indefatigable pianist Sarah Cahill playing almost 5 hours of music broken up into 3 concerts, but all taking place in one day. Performed by candlelight in the chapel of the amazing, rustic Bernard Maybeck designed Swendenborgian church.

Among my favorites were: Julia by Bunita Marcus, a stunningly beautiful adaptation of the John Lennon song, that was like a perfumed garden with just enough of the melodic fragrance of the original ballad. An example of great music from one genre recomposed/interpreted through another; now if only the so-called remix artists would take note.

Self, by Bay Area composer Daniel David Feinsmith.
I’ve heard Sarah perform this wonderful piece twice (it includes spoken excerpts from Emerson’s essay The Poet), and I can only say Feinsmith is a composer to watch. He has a real gift. Check out MP3’s at: http://www.danieldavidfeinsmith.com

  • Maybeck Studio Presents "The Sunshine of Your Love: An Alluvial Morass of Mixed Means" by Jorge Boehringer
    A quartet nearly one hour long, for trumpet, clarinet, cello and saxophone. An absolutely riveting work superbly performed by Liz Albee, Matt Ingalls, Theresa Wong and John Ingle.

I hope I haven’t encouraged you intrepid music explorers to leave the store empty handed. Please continue to support live music, shop Amoeba and tell us when you hear something interesting. You are as much a part of the Amoeba community as we are.

BRADLEY
You can throw me like a boomerang, I'll come back and beat you up.

  • Chris Mills - The Wall to Wall Sessions
    Recorded and mixed live, this is like Leonard Cohen's Death of a Ladies' Man if that album hadn't been, you know, a total train wreck. Horns, strings, percussion - the works. All beautifully framing Mills' fantastic voice and great songs - a bit like Mark Eitzel's or Alejandro Escovedo's.Way under the radar - please check it out.
  • Richard Hawley - Coles Corner
    An outrageously beautiful album with echoes of Sinatra after hours, Scott Walker's haunted ballads and a less schlocky Roy Orbison. Rich, rewarding songwriting and extraordinary singing.
  • Alec Bathgate - Indifferent Velvet Void
    The Tall Dwarfs' "secret weapon" has obviously been listening to lots of Slade and T. Rex, which he's mixed in with his usual mess of one-man-band/DIY indie pop. Infectious, rowdy, homemade glam pop. His wife and kids are credited with "hand claps".
  • The Coral - Invisible Invasion
    Critically and commercially ignored (and then falling victim to Sony's anti-copy protection scandal), The Coral finally make a great album and no one's listening. They've still got the core elements of Nuggets-style psych pop, but it's more immediate and distinctive than their earlier stuff. They've really come into their own - buy a copy while you can still find it! But, um, don't play it in your computer.
  • Everly Brothers -In Your Image (reissue)
    No fancy packaging or bonus tracks, but this lost gem from the Everly's wilderness years is truly one of the lost greats from the ‘60s and worth picking up. They're dipping their toes into British Invasion and folk rock, but there's nothing forced or gimmicky about it. Perfect songs, perfect singing, perfect arrangements. "It Only Costs a Dime" is your new favorite song.
  • The Moore Brothers -Murdered By The Moore Brothers
    The Bay Area's finest brother-harmonysinging folk/pop duo finally release an album worthy of their brilliance. Amazing singing, sparse production and songwriting that brings to mind the best of English folk, ‘80s indie pop and The Bee Gees.
  • Field Music - self-titled
    Imagine Wire's “Chairs Missing” or early XTC played by baroque pop obsessives. Ringing melodies and beautiful harmony singing (with all the strings, bells and whistles) played strict and sharp. Fans of Spoon, Lilys and The Feelies should check them out.

RYAN
"DREAM-DATE-IS-THE-CUTESTBAND- EVER!" MIYASHIRO
5' 7", 6"

  • Dream Date - The One I Need/Dance Party!
    The most smiles you will ever see at a show.
  • Teatter Moderni Kanuuna - Oopperse Le Feti Le Grande Anaale
    Music from a play in which a man builds a giant ass. Demons escape via the ass and wreak havoc. The villagers retaliate by building an enormous penis to trap the demons in the ass.
  • Fine China - The Jaws Of Life
  • A Benefit For Our Friends -various artists
  • The Finches - Six Songs
  • Richard Swift - Nothing To Do With Foxy Boxing
  • Nods of Recognition - self-titled
  • Fucked Up - Generations cassette
  • NF Orchest - Parasite/Cleanse
  • Thrice - Vheissu
  • Boris - Scott Slimm Presents Archive
  • Gris Gris - For the Season
  • Susie Arioli Band - Learn to Smile Again
  • Final Fantasy:Advent Children DVD

Tip: Every band's a local band somewhere. You might as well support yours.

MICHAEL HENNING
www.musicshapes.com and www.myspace.com/thewhybecause

  • Califone - Every Mother's Son,Vol. 1 (Perishable)
    I've loved these Chicagoans for years now, and one of my favorite things about them is their ability to sound both traditional and modern, drawing on diverse influences... They infuse their sound with heavy traces of old roots music (folk, blues and country), and always include lots of great unusual percussion sounds. Normally there's a good helping of electric guitars, and even some spacy keyboards here and there, but this release (culled from a few years worth of live concert recordings and radio appearances) finds them using mostly acoustic instruments, including banjo, violin, acoustic guitar, and even piano. On top of that, only 3 or 4 of the 17 tracks on here have been available in ANY form on any of their other releases (bands take note: this is how to make a live album essential rather than unnecessary).Warm, organic, downhome style tunes with a few dashes of experimental soundscapery... oh yeah, they're limited edition cd-r's, each one with unique handmade artwork. Get one now before they're gone!
  • Paavohaarju - Yh? H?m?r?? (Fonal)
    An otherworldly and highly psychedelic fusion of folk, electronica, and experimental pop. The tripped-out production weaves audible trails within your confused synapses, while the rich, haunting melodies from an ancient tradition hover like magical spirits in the cold mist... Totally surreal and eclectic post-modern Finnish folklore which somehow manages to sound like nothing else I've ever heard. Completely amazing!
  • Akron/Family - self-titled (Young God)
    I keep coming back to this record, which continues to reveal new layers or subtle sonic detail with each listen. There's a poignant simplicity to the lyrics that also resonates deeper as time passes. A masterpiece of grandiose modern psychedelic space-folk/rock. The closest I can come to describing it (which still doesn't do it justice): a cross between the epic swirl of The Flaming Lips (with a bit less bombast) and the intimate and melancholic tunefulness of the early Palace stuff (but not quite so dreary). Somehow, that middle ground doesn't sound much like either one, but is instead a mystically unique and spiritual experience...
  • Animal Collective - Feels (Fatcat)
    This album is a musical gem from a band that always seemed like they were on the cusp of creating something really amazing... they've realized that potential here by going in a more structured rock/pop direction, but haven't lost any of the weird magic from previous releases. It's a record about relationships and intimacy, and it definitely captures the joy and beauty inherent in discovering yourself becoming entwined with another person. The songs shimmer with an incandescent auditory haze, while the lyrics have an innocent, childlike playfulness. Some moments are liltingly gorgeous while most of the album simmers with whimsical excitement, on the verge of boiling over at any minute. Their sold-out live show at the Great American Music Hall was one of my favorite concerts last year, showing that they have certainly come a long way since I saw them play for about 30 people in a church basement here in Berkeley a few years back.
  • Deerhoof -The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars)
    Another mind-blowing release of chaotic brilliance from this great band. This one's an epic adventure, with 20 tracks lasting almost an hour. It's even more progressive and structurally complex than their last album, and just as catchy.They also explore some new territory (some nice acoustic guitar, plus a couple of tracks with other members singing). Packed with loads of innovative ideas and executed with finesse, it shows why this group is unlike any other.
  • Rollerball -Catholic Paws/Catholic Pause (Silber)
    This Portland quintet keeps on making amazing records which consistently defy proper classification (experimental rock/ jazz/dub/noise/cabaret, anyone?).This one finds them trying some more new avenues with very successful results.The abundance of shorter songs is a good thing too, enabling easier digestion of their unique brand of musical innovation. Highly recommended.
  • Cerberus Shoal - The Land We All Believe In (North East Indie)
    A truly weird and epic pile of organized sound... totally original and "out to lunch" in a good way. It almost seems like this septet from the OTHER Portland (in Maine) has actually created some kind of 21st century avant-garde rock opera. It takes a few listens to get a handle on the quirky instrumentation (the usual guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards, plus contrabass, marimba, accordion, percussion, samples, and more). The multiple, choral-style singing voices occasionally take on different, sometimes schizophrenic personalities, and it even sounds like some strange cult chanting mantras at certain points. This one will probably go over well with devotees of The Residents, Captain Beefheart, Amon D??l II, Harry Partch, the aforementioned Rollerball, and other like-minded practitioners of extremely unusual and progressive songcraft.
  • Maleficia - self-titled (Breaking Wheel)
    First release from this local (Oakland) psychedelic improvised noise-folk duo... Ethereal female vocals shrouded in clouds of slowly shifting drones and grainy shards
    of static. Quite nice, actually, and the hand-sewn package is a great touch too.
  • Mountains - Sewn (Staartje)
    A well-crafted record of gentle, textural electronic sounds with some subtle, melodic acoustic guitar work. Meditative and beautiful, and like all the best "ambient" music, this works equally well as either background or foreground listening.
  • Kiln - Thermals (Infraction)
    A beautiful collection of ambient vignettes recorded between 1993 and 2000 by this Michigan trio. My only complaint is that many of the pieces could have been at least twice as long, perhaps with the material even split over two discs. As it is, some of the tracks seem a little too brief to really let their magic unfold properly, but it's still a lovely disc of tranquil bliss nonetheless.

Music Tip: Let's all lobby the UN to establish an annual Worldwide Musician Draft... here's the idea: All musicians from everywhere throughout the world would be randomly assigned to teams which vary in number from 3 to 10 members. Each team convenes at a neutral location (a place which nobody on the team is actually from). Each member brings their respective instruments and the group is given a six month period to create and record a number of musical pieces. At the end of this time, the completed music is distributed freely via the internet and is also available as CD-r's for the cost of the CD-r itself (which would enable nearly anyone to hear this music). All travel costs and basic living expenses (food and shelter) for the musicians would be covered during this time. Just imagine if this country supported a program like this instead of spending billions of dollars on weapons and military operations! It would easily create some of the most amazing music we might (n)ever hear, and it would also teach us all to respect and learn from people of other cultures, religions, and lifestyles. Think about it. Music is both the universal language and also the weapon of the future... My friends, it is time for the focus to change. Requests can be submitted to the UN at: http://www.un.org/geninfo/faq/piucontact2.asp
LARRY KELP
World Music Buyer, Berkeley store
  • Lila Downs – La Cantin
  • Lydia Mendoza – La Alondra de la Frontera
    These two CDs make it clear that the first Tejano singer, Lydia Mendoza is current Mexican star Lila Downs’ musical grandmother. Downs’ fifth CD focuses on smokey, emotion-drenched cantina songs (rancheras), backed by everything from electric guitars to a mariachi, and most wonderfully by accordionist Flaco Jimenez. Sad, funny, almost always over the top, Downs’ traditional choices and her own songs (even an ode to the women of southern Mexico’s Juchitan market in “Agua de Rosas”) are the music of life. Mendoza, who recorded the first Tejano hit by a woman in 1934, has been so prolific that “La Alondra de la Frontera” is a lost gem, never issued when it was recorded in the 1970s. In its instrumental settings, mostly her ringing 12-string guitar and an amazing, uncredited accordionist, also ranges from small orchestra to rollicking cantina band. Her singing is so strong, so just right for each song, that one can only wonder why it sat on the shelf all these years, waiting for Arhoolie Records’ Chris Strachwitz to discover it.
  • Lagos Chop-up - various artists
  • Lagos All Routes - various artists
    With the exception of Ebenezer Obey, nearly all the Nigerian musicians of the 1960s through the ‘80s on these two compilations are little known. Yet the endlessly inventive guitars, the horns and voices and, of course, the percussion, is a revelation, even in a year when we are blessed with a cornucopia of African compilations from that golden era. Good sound, wild cover art, and available in LP form as well, from Honest Jons (a label coowned by Gorillaz/Blur singer Damon Albarn).
  • Anthony Brown Orchestra –Rhapsodies
    Grammy nominated Berkeley jazz big band leader again stretches the form as he mixes Chinese and brass instruments in brilliant blend of exciting arrangements and superb soloing, revives Gershwin and does a tribute to Art Ensemble’s Lester Bowie (“Bread and Bowie”) to the tune of “Shortnin’ Bread,” with guest David Murray’s ecstatic sax solo topping it off.
  • Our New Orleans - various artists
    Uplifting music in a benefit CD that features greats from soulful Allen Toussaint and Irma Thomas to the second line fire of Wild Magnolias and Dirty Dozen. And then there’s accordionist Buckwheat Zydeco’s surprise resurrection of the soul gem “Cryin’ in the Streets” with Ry Cooder on guitar.
  • Rolas de Aztlan - various artists
    Smithsonian Folkways continues to issue important historical music with little commercial potential, in this case the ‘60s and ‘70s soundtrack to the Chicano movement, from school kids’ “De Colores” to Daniel Valdez and Teatro Campesino, to Los Lobos’ earliest recordings.
  • Festival - various artists DVD
    One of the first music fest documentaries culled from Newport Folk Fest in the early ‘60s, finally out on DVD. Along with Studs Terkel’s new book “They All Sang,” it is the year’s most comprehensive and lyrical look at American music. The breadth is breathtaking: blues (Howlin’ Wolf to Lightning Hopkins) and gospel, Odetta and Baez and Seeger, mountain clogging, John Jacob Niles and bluegrass, and Dylan going electric. Martin Scorsese couldn’t have done “No Direction Home” without borrowing a chunk of this footage.
  • Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run 30th Anniversary box
    The reissued CD, and the 45-minute DVD documentary are fine, but it’s that two-hour 1975 London concert film (not video) that is as close as we’ll get to reliving the E Street Band’s Halloween ’75 show at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre.
STACY
East Bay Mistress of Metal
  • Ajattara - Apare
    Amazing black metal from Finland
  • Charon - Songs For The Sinners
    Finnish rock in the vein of H.I.M.
  • Eternal - Sleep Of Reason
    Australian gothic metal with a splash of doom
  • Falkenbach - Heralding The Fireblade
    Viking metal from Germany
  • Gojira - From Mars To Sirius
    Technical death metal from France
  • Hardcore Superstar - self-titled
    Rock n' Roll done Swedish style
  • Old Man's Child - Vermin
    Black metal from Norway
KIMPOSSIBLE
AKA Kim Yount
Yes, I was on that show & no, there was no real date.
  • Forward to Death - Death Therapy
    One of my favorite records ever with the dudes to match. POUND!
  • Lights Out - Overload vs. Allegiance Overlooked
    I can't pick my Bay Area favorite. And let's face it I'd get a lot of shit if I didn't put either of them in my top 5.
  • Annihilation Time - II
    Even without weed this record makes my brain explore… so think of the possibilities.
  • Kill Your Idols - From Companionship to Competition
    Every release gets better & better. Happy 10 year! Have a cold one on me.
  • Modern Life is War - Witness
    Seriously I didn't know good music came from Iowa 'til I heard this band.
  • Blacklisted - The Beat Goes On...
    Not only is this band great on record but they're even better live. Thanks for reminding me what I like about hardcore music.
  • Go it Alone/Blue Monday
    Two of Vancouver's best bands. Not only are they some of my favorite people ever but they make some killer music.
  • Shook ones - Sixteen
    Do you like Dan Yemin? These guys do and they also love Lanesplitters pizza. So if you like both of these things, you'll like them.
  • Darvocets - Authentic Music From Another Planet
    Any band that sings about aliens and screen prints crop circles on their records is absolutely the best band in this solar system.
  • Witch - self-titled
    J Mascis never does anything wrong.

Tip: My favorite break-up/moving on music; Jawbreaker, Cro-mags, Sheer Terror & Bob Dylan.
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