SILTBREEZE

Hurrah! New stock in from Siltbreeze records - based in Philly, US. Siltbreeze has a long standing dedication to releasing and distributing excellent records. From the nineties putting out Dead C , Guided By Voices, Alastair Galbraith, Strapping Fieldhands etc. Really, the very best. 2007 was a biggin for Siltbreeze - and we've got the best releases thus far on the shelves. Very limited numbers, so move it! NB To customers in Australia - if there is something that hasnt come in yet from the siltbreeze catalog you might be interested -email us and we can order it. clothearshoppe@gmail.com

Starting with:


Pink Reason - Cleaning the Mirror (vinyl only) $25


...Surface listens find Cleaning the Mirror in league with a type of lo-fi aesthetic that lines up with the early 1990s and their impending revival, right down to the reactivated Siltbreeze imprint whose name this album bears. Labels like Shrimper and Road Cone built their lowercase aesthetics on drowsy, hand-produced cassette releases by groups like Bugskull and Refrigerator, two examples in particular that share in the charred, dented-can charms that Pink Reason reproduces. The twice-removed alienation that drove groups like Black Tape for a Blue Girl and Lycia merit reference as well for the replicated crawling crush and apocalyptic melancholy gathering at their stone feet. That these songs are essentially loose blues-based mantras separate Pink Reason from much of the forlorn pack. That de Broux uses three singing voices (one jarring and awkward, on “Dead End,” the record’s most upbeat offering, another a Mick Jagger-esque drawl, and a third a recently-awoken moan that allows itself to sink below the music into mystery and incomprehension) distances itself further. - dustedmagazine.com





Sapat - Mortise and Tenon (lp and cd) $25


Spawned from the formidable Louisville, KY collective known as Black Velvet Fuckere (Valley Of The Ashes, Phantom Family Halo, Kark, etc.), Sapat resides as the centrifugal force in this Midwestern psychedelic madrigal set in the psychosexual backwaters of the mighty Ohio River. For the entirety of the '00 decade, members have kept busy collaborating with and/or massaging the egos of various and sundry avant-pontiffs such as Robert Fripp, Magik Markers, Dead Child (David Pajo's metal band. That's right, David Pajo!) and Eugene Chadbourne -- when not honing the orgone energy of Sapat.


Airy and pristinely recorded in a comfortable mid-fi that’s been heretofore unknown in the annals of the label’s back catalogue, Mortise and Tenon rarely falters. Captured here is a band that understands the limitations inherent in Nth generation psych rehash, and rather than pine for a long-gone zeitgeist, these eight hunker down with a batch of supple tunes that play to admirable strengths and a keen, intuitive knowledge of how to mine a generally tapped mainline in all the right ways. Miles away from the band’s still excellent debut, Sapat’s inaugural full-length shuffles the cards and deals a hand steeped in rich tradition that never once sounds like a haphazard pastiche. -dustedmagazine.com

NB: also voted as one of the top records of 07 by the folks at blastitute.com - clth



Psychedelic Horseshit - Magic Flowers Drowned (lp and cd) $25

The sounds on Magic Flowers Droned captures the rickety skeletal pop of Step Forward-era Fall, the lo-fi fuzz of Swell Maps, and static noblesse of Slay Tracks-era Pavement. Is that classical enough for ya? For sure, this full-length debut is no Parsifal, but to these guys, sometimes a spear is just a spear and The Holy Grail is a movie made by Monty Python. The sounds on Magic Flowers Droned captures the rickety skeletal pop of Step Forward-era Fall, the lo-fi fuzz of Swell Maps, and static noblesse of Slay Tracks-era Pavement. Is that classical enough for ya? For sure, this full-length debut is no Parsifal, but to these guys, sometimes a spear is just a spear and The Holy Grail is a movie made by Monty Python. _siltbreeze.com

LP/VINYL: SOLD OUT email us for vinyl order!

CD:



Ex- Cocaine - Esta Guerra (vinyl only! ltd pressing of 500) $25


"Forged in the Garden City (that's Missoula, Montana to you, piker), Ex-Cocaine is the formidable, sneer-wielding duo of Bryan Ramirez (guitars, effects, vocals) and Mike C (percussion, hexes, spells). Their debut LP from 2005, Keep America Mellow (on Ramirez's Killertree label) brought to light heavy august vibes steeped in the tippled, woodbine 'n' cider electro-folk of Michael Chapman, Steve Peregrine Took, Roy Harper, and other more reclusive Anglo biscuit-snuffers whose works haunt the archives of Kissing Spell and Shadoks. On their second effort, Ex-Cocaine throw down hard, evoking a gnarled bonfire with flames that roar thunderously like the detuned, rockist clang of Dead C's Harsh '70s Reality, and burns evenly like the smelted, Rust Belt psychedelia of Stone Harbour's Emerges. Vinyl-only and limited, the sparks are flying off this one already. Catch it if you can. Working pretty much from a template of congas and electric fuzz, these heavy mellow bros conjure up swirling eddies of lo-fi, DIY psych that are pretty unbeatable. Were we to have a seance--or simply break out a Ouija Board--to investigate previous blazers of their trail, we might see, hear or spell out such luminaries as Steve Peregrine Took, Stone Harbour, Parameter, Tim Buckley or (Jandek's) Units."...flippedoutrecords.com

Cabaret Collado

Cabaret Collado - fragments from a software driven mechanism

This is the new cdr from Brazillian born, Sydney based Cabaret Collado aka. Rodrigo! Beautiful clean home recordings of abstract sounds and compositions - xref Silver Apples, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, John Cage etc. Improv/exp/concrete/folk etc. Very rich and refined sounds as can be experienced here.

Some words from the man himself:

I am one man observing and absorbing information from many different origins by rustic methods. Streching the possibilities of sound, I try to turn sound into instrument, exploring improvisation and melody over a 'bed' of pre-recorded material. I started recording my solo material between the years of 1997 and 1998 with prepared acoustic guitar, a cassette player and a 3 band short wave tuner.

FRAGMENTS FROM A SOFTWARE DRIVEN MECHANISM is the first solid material to be released after almost a decade.

FYI: Rodrigo also runs extra-ordinary label Aparelho M.O.S. which can be found with sounds here.

LOOK POND / KITCHENS FLOOR

BRISBANE BEDKNOBS AND FOUR TRACKS....

highly recommended stuff coming outta up there.


Look!Pond CD $10:

...Look! Pond hinge their loose structure around the aggressive and seeming spontaneous nature of Matt Kennedy’s squealy, squeaky guitar style. Kennedy meanwhile employs a much pronounced single syllable vocal scream, feeding his frustrations back into an already hostile mix. The rhythm section seems like it’s trailing him at times – both in technique and voice – although that could well be both the intention and point. Highlights here are the melodic charm of ‘Park’ and ‘Village’; a freeform closing piece of arcane beauty that comes in at the 16 minute mark. For a period in the middle during it they sound like they’re beating the notes out on an anvil. - mess+noise magazine






Kitchens Floor - Self titled cassette $6
This is the amazing solo project for Matt Kennedy of Look!Pond (as praised in the above review). Kitchens Floor is.. as described by the article itself ... like no wave folk music for jerks down on their luck. 10 songs of laughably miserable loneliness and heartache captured on a stolen dictaphone. soul music for the soulless.
We here at Clth ear find that a little harsh,even if it came from the kitchens pantry and would ourselves describe it as scruffy, bittersweet downer pop - crafted with 10 licks of the genius whip. But thats why we asked him to write on it first. Listen here.

Spanish Magic - Moonmilk - Tired Hands

NEW STOCK FROM SPANISH MAGIC

Run by the brothers CASTINGS, Spanish Magic is a helluva label with a helluva lot of good releases. Run out of a scruffy warehouse in Sydney, Spanish Magics' repetoire ranges from free noise to ambient to psychedelic rock etc.. some more things are on the way, but for now we have

Punk Rock is Bunk Squawk - CASTINGS $8

Read this lil ol' review from John Olson of Dead Machines/ Wolf Eyes

"CASTINGZ= everyone weird is from a small town, puts fuel in they music brain damage cells of strange-nezz....but fucking NEWCASTLE AUSTRAILIA?Makes Up North Michigan look like a SKY MALL. When the boyz were there it was nothing but soccer fights, empty buildings, dry streets, and CASTINGS. They had no fans there, said they been around for 5+ years= nothing. No chicks, no beer, no drugz, nada. But they did have a super strange weirdo lurch vibe going down. Six or seven underground types with tons of electronics, and a kinda of mystic searching zoner loner sound. Wasnt cluttered, wasnt busy, just a super tight vision of unique audio slomo attack. Its what you want slowing aging inside every tiny hidden mystery bermuda triangle of townz. They trump alot of the big wig big ego noizerz out there, and have a pinky length discography....I hope they get chicks, drugz, beer, and FAMOUS.....FULLY." - John Olson

The World Creaks - MOONMILK $8

Described as 'Awesome boy girl duo of the keyboard moaners type.'

Weird distorted sounds made up by various keyboards, tape and microphones, all collide to create music that is haunting, yet beautiful. Nice packaging, hand printed covers. Moonmilk are the team creative behind Tuff Puffin records, fyi.

Star Obsolescence - EXPANSION BAY $14

Nathan Thompson, long standing member of New Zealand based Sandoz Lab Technicians releases his third solo release, first under the Expansion Bay name. Three tracks comprising of various processed instruments, laptop, field recordings and samples taken from various band projects.

ZOND. HI GOD PPLE SPLIT AVAILABLE HERE SOON!

As mentioned - Moonmilk are the hands and elbows behind the Tuff Puffin label, who released the immensely popular Garbage and the Flowers cassette - Coronation... which is still available from Cloth Ear Music - here. And now for the second release on Tuff Puffin :

TIRED HANDS - Good Neighbours $7

The second release from the Tuff Puffin label is the excellent solo project of Kell who is one half of Moonmilk. Exploring sounds with traditional instruments and the surrounding environment. Recorded under the flight path with planes and television singing along on the second side. home dubbed cassettes.

PAGAN DAWN

Sydneys newest age member has just put out an self released and self titled CDR. For yr listening pleasure head here.
Pagan Dawn is predominantly Jonothan Hochman - and this release was mostly recorded in Berlin. Hypnotically layered synth and guitar loops, perpetuated by the Dawns vocal harmonies and chanting... reminiscent of Eno absurdities and Clusters clean, austere early recordings. Cover painting by Sydney artist Anna Kristensen

MAGIK MARKERS LIVE LP

Pleased to announce that The Spring Press - the new label and book publisher run out of Sydney - has stocked us up with their recently released Magik Markers LP.. it has been very popular...

"Our first release by Hartford, Connecticut outfit Magik Markers is out now. The beautiful 12" LP [featuring artwork by Pete Nolan] contains the best Markers free rock meanderings youre bound to hear. The current lineup consisting of Elisa Ambrogio & Pete Nolan sees Steve Gunn (General Head Quarters) & Josh Burkett (Joshua, The Believers) pitching in on the new material. The record is in a strictly limited edition of 250 copies. Excited? So are we. Tracklisting: Relax In a Panic Free Atmosphere [10.39] (lIve at Smell, LA), Come Back to the Five & Dime, Tex Watkins [12.27] (Live in Cleveland), When Big John Gets Up [8.12] (Live in Denton, TX)" - Spring Press.

Music Your Mind Will Love You

The folks at MYMWLY out of Kyogle NSW sent us a whole bunch of stuff the other day, and its all really great. Take the time to saunter through these bits of sound bliss..(all reviews taken from their mymwly.blogspot.com site)

6majik9 ritualisimo putrido
Gathering around a glowing moment…intent on discovery but distracted by the glorious light that seeps from the merging…so a record is kept to remind of the things thought seen, seen heard. Employing something closer to the sound as it grew, avoiding the clamour of the magnetics and spools…now a binary spectre from a mirrored laugh…wasted but pretty .comes in a hard card gatefold with hand painted (by the band) canvas stick on.

Terracid– out dual head vibration

One of the major risks faced by a spacecraft stems from the high level of vibration submitted during essential spacecraft components the shakers are coupled to a dual head expander for tests in the vertical axis and to a large slip under similar conditions to ensure that it will be able to withstand the launch and arrive, in orbit, in perfect condition. Vibrations in the three orthogonal axes of the spacecraft is the case for the dual-head expander.Weirdo hand made art sleeves with insert.

inhibitionists – concession strings
From Christian Kann, head honcho at BSBTA , comes this gorgeous collection of abstract sonic assemblages. Spiralling plumes and sheeting alien blasts lay out like the rooms in some grand mansion, filled with fuzzy visions and cloudy memories…broken music built into dark places…making for a deeply immerse and rewarding journey.Comes with artwork by the inhibitionists and felt innards.

bOTOs – chimes against reality
Second breath of the occultists. alchemical dispersal and hex dilution. Features one member each from brothers of the occult sisterhood, terracid and 6majik9…formation like a triangle but with fewer angles, a single point.Drifting outsider strum and trance while watching the suns light fade and the colors shift…then inside amongst the cables and fields, under a flowers thought…free jizz?







Blank Realm- free time

Out of our nor eastern sparkling sea city comes damaged free psych swim and spaced out inward clean streams of meaning nothing is everywhere all the time , the way this one rolls from the out it is more space than signifier , all growling gentle sines and filters , building their temple a wide mind upon waves of schism and perfect void.