Indie Vinyl

2009 sees the release & reissue of various Faust LPs, all on different labels. "So Far" has always been my fave Faust LP; all their albums are radically different from each other, but all are pleasing nonetheless.  4 Men With Beards get the honors with "So Far", a great-sounding record (check those drums!), that is catchy & complex at the same time. Way ahead of their time, this 1972 LP has affected Indie Rock since the beginning, and I'm happy to witness that great Krautrock like this continues to do so. Great album cover, eh? Nod to Spinal Top not intended.

These laid the groundwork for The Ramones & Punk Rock in general. My favorite music of all! These five are guaranteed to cook your goose.

MC5 "Kick Out the Jams"

The Stooges "Fun House"

New York Dolls "New York Dolls"

Flamin' Groovies "Slow Death"

Velvet Underground and Nico "Velvet Underground and Nico"

The new FF LP "I'm Going Away" feels as comfortable as an old sweatshirt that has been stretched out & frayed at the sleeves. The Fiery Furnaces' eighth album is decidedly weird as their others, but this band is always solidly based in trad-rock & even bluesy arrangements. The fact that they can play the hell out of their instruments certainly helps. Satisfying in a way as most avant garde-leaning modern jazz LPs are, perfaps The Fiery Furnaces are now the Jazz Messengers of Indie Rock? A welcome album for the hottest part of summer.

This mid-sixties LP helped homogenize the drone tone of exotic folk & Indian sounds to American Rock & Roller's ears. When I say homogenize, I don't mean it in a negative way: this LP sounds positively perfect in form, a truly beautiful LP. Along with Sandy Bull's output of the same decade, "Rainy Day Raga" is a top fave of mine. Summer is the perfect time to reissue this on vinyl- great for the long hot days & steamy nights

Speaking of psychedelic classics, this new LP by Texas duo is mind blowing! If your idea of psychedelia is excess in instrumentation and arrangements, this LP will set you straight. Much like early Spacemen Three, this music can be minimal & gritty too. "Lunes" is the sound inside my head when I'm not listening to something else, and if I ever formed a "band", it would sound very much like this. Spooky, sleazy,  & droning, it is the perfect late night soundtrack. I can't get enough of this record. Entirely appropriate for vinyl- pick it up soon, it is limited.