Elephant Stone - The Seven Seas [2009]

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Brimming with love, hope, longing and timeless pop, Elephant Stone’s debut The Seven Seas is the latest creation from multi-instrumentalist and ex-High Dial Rishi Dhir. Produced by Jace Lasek (The Besnard Lakes) and featuring friends from The High Dials, The Besnard Lakes, and the Dears, The Seven Seas perfectly melds Rishi’s obsession with the perfect pop song and the trippiest raga.

In August 2006, after 6 years, 2 albums, and countless tours across North America and the UK with Montreal’s The High Dials, Rishi decided it was time for him to part ways with the band he co-founded. As the Dials’ bassist, sitar player, and backing vocalist, he played a vital role in defining the band’s sound, but eventually came to the conclusion that his destiny lay elsewhere.

Rishi spent the next year focusing on honing his Indian classical music chops and collaborating with numerous artists both locally and internationally. His sitar-playing can be heard on the latest recordings by Texas-based psyche –rockers, the Black Angels, and Manchester-based UK outfit, the Earlies.

In 2008, Rishi discovered he had gathered a vast back-catalogue of songs written over the past years and Elephant Stone was born.

The Legends - Over and Over [2009]

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The Legends are a Swedish pop band, distributed by Lakeshore Records in the US, by Labrador Records in Sweden and by Little Teddy Recordings in Germany. The Legends were formed in January 2003 and the week after a gig was booked, supporting The Radio Dept. in Stockholm. As the band basically lacked songs and members the first two weeks were spent writing songs and gathering friends who could play, or wanted to play, in the band.

According to The Legends the band play music that can't be placed in a genre, still they're happy to agree on Television Personalities, Comet Gain, Motown and C-86 as inspiration.They received acclaim internationally for their debut album Up Against The Legends released in 2004 in the UK and the US, and have since then released 3 EPs, 1 single and two new albums ("Public Radio" and "Facts And Figures"). A new single "Seconds Away" is due out on Labrador in November 2008.

The band's website says they consist of 9 members, but the band is actually the brainchild of Johan Angergård; Labrador records founder and also of Swedish bands Club 8 and Acid House Kings. They have been described by Swedish Pop Review as "absolutely the best band to emerge from the Swedish indie scene since The Hives".

The Legends song "When The Day Is Done" was a part of the soundtrack for the film Wicker Park

Spacemen 3 - Playing With Fire [1989]

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Spacemen 3 were an English rock band who formed in 1982 and whose career spanned from the post-punk to acid house eras.

This influential group’s minimal sound, characterised by droning guitars, softly sung/spoken vocals and sparse or monolithic drumming would be adopted by the shoegazing movement that would eventually dominate the fringes end of British indie-rock, and influence a range of groups on both sides of the Atlantic (such as Galaxie 500, Loop, Bardo Pond and Earth). They can also be regarded as an example of post-rock and space rock. Spacemen 3 consisted of the core of Jason Pierce and Peter Kember (Pierce sometimes credited as J. Spaceman and Kember usually known as Sonic Boom), who formed the group in Rugby, Warwickshire, having met at art college. Other members of what would become a fluid lineup over the years included Pete Bain (Bassman, also of The Darkside), Natty Brooker, Sterling Roswell (Rosco), Will Carruthers, Jonny Mattock (Slipstream), and for the final few shows, Mark Refoy (also of Slipstream).

From the outset Spacemen 3 had a very defined set of aesthetic principles. They based almost their entire sound on their own concept of minimalism—droning guitars, feedback, as few chords as possible, pounding drums—with their motto “Taking drugs to make music to take drugs to”. Their minimalism bled into their stage show as well. Sitting down to play their guitars and covered in the spinning colours of a cheap psychedelic light show, their stage “act” was very anti-performance. Another striking aspect of Spacemen 3 was their willingness to cover and share their influences. Song titles, lyrics and interviews were peppered with references to bands and artists they believed shared their “minimal is maximal” aesthetic. The Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, the Stooges, the MC5, Captain Beefheart, free jazz musician Sun Ra, the Silver Apples, krautrock bands Kraftwerk and Neu!, 1960s garage punk such as the 13th Floor Elevators, Red Krayola, and the Electric Prunes; the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean and other surf bands; 1980s rockabilly groups the Cramps, the Gun Club, Tav Falco; blues and gospel acts like Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, the Staple Singers and John Lee Hooker; and the production techniques of Joe Meek, Brian Wilson and Delia Derbyshire were just some of the names mentioned by the band.

Yo La Tengo - Electr-O-Pura [1995]

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Yo La Tengo is an American indie rock band based in Hoboken, New Jersey. With more than 15 albums released since their formation in 1984, they have demonstrated unusual longevity for the indie-rock scene. They are frequently regarded as one of the definitive indie rock groups of the 1990s. Though Yo La Tengo has achieved limited mainstream success, the band has become a critical favorite with a devoted fan base.

My Jerusalem - Without Feathers EP [2009]

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My Jerusalem is a collaboration of talented artists who all met when singer/songwriter, Jeff Klein, traveled as a solo artist. From his adventures, he met guitarist Dave Rosser (of Twilight Singers), bassist Ashley Dzerigian (formally of Great Northern), drummer Cully Symington (formally of Bishop Allen) and multi-instrumentalist Rick Nelson (of The Polyphonic Spree and St. Vincent).

Together, they are prepping the release of their debut EP, Without Feathers, which drops March 10th via 00:02:59 Records.

The Sleepover Disaster - Hover [2009]

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Inspired one night by a particularly great set by local Fresno band Flaming June, songwriter/guitarist Luke Giffen and drummer Vince Corsaro formed The Sleepover Disaster in 1997. Sharing a love of the late 80s/early 90s Shoegazer scene, they immediately set about crafting a sound that combined big, atmospheric guitars with melodic songwriting and driving rhythms. The result is a sound rooted in the Shoegaze genre, but decidedly updated, as well as an energetic live show.

Surviving a few line-up changes in the early years, The Sleepover Disaster eventually found bassist/engineer Eric Peters, whose knowledge of the recording studio greatly enhanced the band's recorded sound.

The Sleepover Disaster has played all over the West Coast with bands such as Earlimart, Starflyer 59, Radar Bros, Great Northern, and Lagwagon, along the way releasing four recordings. Their most recent releases, Loud is the New Quiet (2004), and The Oceanographer EP (2005), received glowing reviews from indie zines The Big Takeover, Dagger, and Losing Today, as well as many stellar web reviews, and garnered college radio and independent radio play across the U.S. and internationally.

2008 found the band playing a showcase at the prestigious South by Southwest Music Conference (SXSW2008), and in August, 2008, the band signed to Devil in the Woods Records. An all-new, full-length record is scheduled for release on February 10, 2009, and the band will play many and various locations in the Western United States during the first half of 2009.

Artefacts For Space Travel - Artefacts For Space Travel [2009]

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"Like the Pixies after a high dose of morphine, the group are unpredictable, savage, demented… but ultimately great communicators. Their songs aren't simply jams: they're glimpses into a dark future, with heartbreaking melodies and all. Things come alive every time Joe Walsh unleashes his adolescent wail. It's endearing and lonely, touched with a sense of the genuine."

"a futuristic dystopia of panic stricken pop, contains all the sinister and occult vibrations that a Naked Lunch reader could ever wish to consume." Artrocker

AFST give us Inspiration to 'Recoop'.
Songs bend from noisy and growling psychedelia to panic stricken punk packed full of modern and haunting melodies. I’ve had “Recoop,” on repeat for the last week or so - Friction NYC

"Stolen Recordings are a label with an action plan for the UK rock underground, and with bands like Artefacts For Space Travel on their books the future is looking scarily cool." - Rough Trade

"Artefacts are three young dudes who play straight-up rock reminiscent of Nirvana and Pavement, but manage to contemporize in a way that makes it sound futuristic and sometimes spooky" - 'Sup Magazine

Quasi - Featuring Birds [1998]

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Quasi is an indie rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1993, consisting of the ex-husband and wife team of Sam Coomes (vocals, guitar, roxichord, various keyboards) and Janet Weiss vocals and drums. In 2007, bassist Joanna Bolme became an official member of the band; she had toured with Quasi in 2006.

In 1990, Coomes, Weiss, and Brad Pedinov formed the band Motorgoat. The band released two self-released cassettes and one 7" single before dissolving in 1993. Quasi started recording as a duo in 1993. They played with various additional musicians in early live appearances, but eventually settled on playing live as a duo as well. They self-recorded and self-released a cassette and a CD in 1993. They recorded R&B Transmogrification in the Portland band Pond's basement recording studio and released it on Up Records in 1997. They released two more albums with Up: Featuring "Birds" in 1998 and Field Studies in 1999; both albums were recorded at Jackpot Studios in Portland, Oregon.

In 1998 and 1999 they toured the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Japan opening for and serving as the backup band for Elliott Smith (who Coomes had played with in Heatmiser) as well as touring on their own in the U.S. and Europe. In 2001 They home-recorded The Sword of God and released it on Touch & Go. They released Hot Shit! in 2003 and When the Going Gets Dark in 2006, both on Touch & Go in the U.S. and Domino Records in Europe.

Although Coomes and Weiss remain busy with other bands, Quasi tours fairly regularly. In 2007, they toured the U.S. with Touch & Go labelmates Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Just prior to that tour, Quasi announced that bassist Joanne Bolme, who had toured with Quasi in 2006 and plays with Weiss in Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, was a permanent member of the band.
In addition to her work in the Jicks, Weiss was the primary drummer for the group Sleater-Kinney, and has recently played with Bright Eyes and John Doe, while Coomes has been working with Pink Mountain and on his solo project, Blues Goblins. He has also played with Jandek, and has appeared on several Built to Spill albums. According to a recent post on their website, Coomes stated they are beginning to work on new material following the end of touring.

Quasi has been somewhat political since its inception, but their opposition to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq showed through in a straight-forward way with the release of Hot Shit! in 2003, particularly in the songs "White Devil's Dream" and "Master and Dog."

The Depreciation Guild - In Her Gentle Jaws [2007]

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These guys really know how to merge genres. Consisting of two young men both brandishing guitars and backed up with Nitendo sounds, The Depreciation Guild has managed to overcome my initial weariness that this might be another spastic pop-rock with cartoonish sounds lain over thing. Fortunately, they knew exactly what the weakness of being too gleeful could expose them to, and took a more controlled and sober mood that I'd definately say fits with a shoegaze act. The use of the electronics does two things for the music really, allows them to get away without a conventional rhythm section and provides a uniqueness that seperates them from many other comtemporary shoegazers. The chiptune side really shows in the opening of the songs, with a gradual ease from electronic humming and synthetic drumming to guitar being brilliantly executed. The singing is more melodramatic than I'm used to, but it certainly isn't anything overpowering. A nice experience for fans of shoegaze.

Radio Moscow - Brain Cycles [2009]

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Radio Moscow are a blues rock band from Story City, IA in the USA formed in 2004. After approaching Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, the band managed to sign themselves to Dan's home recording studio Alive Records. Auerbach also produced their eponymous debut album, released in 2007.

Radio Moscow came about a few years back in a Story City basement. The First version of Radio Moscow Began as a solo project by Parker called Garbage Composal. At this time the sound was very raunchy mid-sixties-ish garage rock heavily influenced by the hidden gems and bands on the nuggets comps, yet still sounding very much its own. Parker recorded one albums worth of the Garbage Composal Demos under the new name Radio Moscow. (you can hear those songs here!: www.myspace.com/radiomoscowtheearlydays Along with the new name came new bass player Serana Andersen. This line-up lasted for a few years without any drummer. Around this time the band started evolving and a whole new sound was created. Still garage-y but now channeled through the blues with experimental breakdowns, unpredictable tempo changes, crazy rave-ups and fuzzed out psychedelic guitar work. For shows parker would pre-record the drums on a 4-track and then blasts it through amplification. Serana and Parker moved to Colorado in the quest for a drummer and a new scene. Things started out very promising when Dan from The Black Keys called Parker up said he dug the demo that he gave him at a concert and was going to try to push it for us to get it on ALIVE/BOMP records. Parker returned by himself to Iowa to try to get the band up and going. Luke McDuff from Ames filled the vacant bass spot. Together they recorded the debut album for ALIVE/BOMP records with producer Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. The Album was released Feb 27 2007. Luke had to go back to school so he continued looking for a solid line-up. After one tryout Zach Anderson jumped on as new bassist. With the help of a few drummer friends (keith rich, todd stevens, paul marrone) Radio Moscow has been touring ever since. And now Finally found a down drummer.....Zach's Step-Brother, Cory Berry. The three Boys plan to be hitting the road extra hard early next year to promote the second Radio Moscow studio album (release date: April 14th, 2009)

Yakari - Yakari [Vinyl] [2008]

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A cold, windy and rainy sunday afternoon in autum, some small parking near some backyard of Zurich's inner city, an old Peugeot and two rusty bicycles, four young men in dirty sneakers are standing in the plain rain, next to them a straying cat – Not just some dull, depressing downtown city scene, because at exactly the same moment, high over the rails of well known Sihlbruecke, straight beneath those lonesome sky scrapers of Hardau and right between Uetliberg and Rigblick, there's this strange hand painted words, scribbled with neoncolor, which say „HAVE A SIP, NOT A NAP, CALL THEM YAKARI“. Not without conscientiously drying their hair, but sure with their pockets full of warm dilettantism, while outside it already smells like dinner, the friends begin rightaway to make guitar music which tastes like used iron, which makes you feel like there's some heavy cargo trains rolling away under your feet but still reminds of a randonnée at the nearby city park, where that irreversibely caused chaos abruptly asks you for a schmooze, where that charming confusion asks for forgiveness and suddenly invites you to a drink at the bar. Ocassionally there is some tape music from bands like Pavement, Polvo, Sonic Youth or Spiritualized. Time goes and Yakari are being seen and heard on bigger and smaller stages and the idea evolves slowly, to make a first record. From the beginning it is for sure, that it will only appear on vinyl (COOL COMES FIRST). Thanks to the acquaintance with honorable mister Gabriele De Mario (DISO DOOM) and personal as well as musical CONVERGENCE they decide to make the records in DISCO DOOM's own MIR Analog Studio in Zurich. Gabriele D.M. somehow achieved to unite Yakari's unconcern and airiness with a high quality analog record session and turn the whole thing into a strong and qualitative tape record. The mixing is also done by Gabriele D.M., for mastering Dan Suter (Echochamber, Zurich) has been engaged. It comes december. NO STAGNATION, KID.

Moose - Sonny and Sam [1991]

Moose were a British indie rock band who formed in London in 1990. The original line-up included Russell Yates (guitar, vocals), K.J. “Moose” McKillop (guitar), Damien Warburton (drums), and Jeremy Tishler (bass). After Warburton and Tishler left the band they were replaced with Lincoln Fong (bass), his brother Russell (guitar), and Richard Thomas (drums). Other members have included Mig Moorland (drums) and Mick Conroy (keyboards).

Moose have been credited by some as being the first band to be called "shoegazers" which was inspired by an early gig of theirs at which Russell Yates read lyrics taped to the floor. Moose’s first three EPs, however, are their only releases which feature the intense guitar effects that characterize shoegazing. Beginning with their first full-length album, ...XYZ, Moose started to lean more towards jangle pop with a slight country-tinge. The album sold poorly, and as a result they were dropped from Hut Records shortly after its release. Within the next few years the band would release two more full-length albums on Play It Again Sam. Despite a strong critical response, Moose’s albums continued to sell few copies. Following the release of their third album, Live a Little Love a Lot, Moose took an extended break from music only to return five years later with the release of High Ball Me!. "This River Will Never Run Dry" has been featured on the recent Britpop collection "The Brit Box."