Locust

Locust

ASIN: B0002I9R7C

Track Listings

1. Show me State

2. Maple tree

3. Happy

4. Skinny boy

5. Curb and gutter

6. Vacation in the sun

7. Locust

8. 2's better

9. Shy

10. Fastback

11. Kind

12. The psg song

13. Sync. swimmer

14. Louis

Editorial Reviews
milesofmusic.com June 21, 2004
...14 amiable and honest tunes. Lyrically, Drake speaks from personal experience and his plaintive voice supports his descriptive, unpretentious style.

Product Description
Americana singer/songwriter Bruce Drake breaks out from his Northern California based band "Belleville" and records his first solo project. In the woods of Felton (Santa Cruz Mountains), Bruce dips into his multi-instrumental palette and delivers a diverse play list of original songs that stand as individuals - with nuggets. Using traditional instruments such as banjo, pedal steel, harmonica and jaw harp,... folk/pop/Alternative country (not over-produced country) Singing on all songs (no instrumentals)

Locust

Tracks:

Sweat Loaf
Graveyard
Pittsburg To Lebanon
Weber
Hay
Human Cannonball
U.S.S.A.
The O-Men
Kuntz
Graveyard
22 Going On 23

Amazon.com

The Butthole Surfers were never more playful and psychotic than on Locust Abortion Technician, which opens with the tender dialogue between an inquisitive, sweet son asking his father the meaning of regret. The father, it turns out, is Gibby Haynes (uh oh!), who spouts something comfy--"it's better to regret something you have done," he opines, "than to regret something you haven't done"--and then adds, "By the way, if you see your mom this weekend, tell her..." Then the band explodes into a ragged, tweaked metal riff, with Gibby screaming "Satan" in the background. Nothing could touch this in 1987 and nothing since has been as convincingly bent, as close to postpunk music theater gone madly haywire. Haynes growls and warps and pleads and the band drones and thuds and rocks, and the whole mix is so demented that it's almost touching to think that in a farmhouse somewhere in Texas, a bunch of acid-dosed punks were not only making this kind of racket, but also making it in the grand 1980s punk market of endless tours, crappy venues, and, well, more and more and more of the same. Including the acid. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

A Postmodern Masterpiece of Music.......2006-11-30

This may be the most unique album I have ever heard by any band, and that includes The Velvet Underground, a possible influence to the Surfers. 'Locust' certainly tops the list for the most deranged.

Here you have the band at their twisted peak. Highlights include 'Graveyard pt. 2' with its pounding bass line, 'Human Cannonball', the most mainstream punk song on the whole album (where Gibby actually sings in his normal voice), and the haunting finale of '22 Going on 23' complete with the surreal moo-ing of cows against the white noise of crickets chirping in the background at the end. An interesting little tid-bit of a song called 'Weber' could have been great if only it lasted longer.

To truly experience this album in all its dementia you must listen to it the whole way through. Gibby described it as "a no-concept album in which every song is a concept in and of itself." Certainly each song seems to have its own theme and can be interpreted in many different ways. Pop it into your discman and get ready for 33 minutes of pure, dark insanity. You'll love it more than the title.

Gets better with age.......2006-08-21

Your perception of music will never be the same after listening to this. I must stand up and be counted with the other BHS fans that say this is their masterpiece. Their stuff before this is good especially Rembrandt Pussyhorse but something about this album keeps drawing back to it. The opening music always pulls me in and it's hard not to finish this album once you've started.

If you're looking to explore music don't end your quest without listening to this album. If chaos and beauty ever co-existed on a record this is it. This music was not made to listen to while your outside in the sun or at a party. You sit in a dimly lit room with the headphones on and let this take you to places you've never even dreamed of.

way ahead of it's time.......2006-06-16

way ahead of it's time, it still is today it seems.
the music is very experimental, demented, and playful
nothing could be compared to this in 1987, and even today nothing can come close to this, the album starts quietly,
and a little boy asks his father what ''regret'' means.
and the dad replies ''well son, a funny thing about regret is,it's better to regret something you have done, than to regret something you haven't, and by the way if you see your mom this weekend would you tell her''SATAN SATAN SATAN''
and then it explodes into 11 tracks of utter chaos & destruction
the artwork is really cool, the front cover has 2 clowns & a dog playing around, and the back cover has a photo of a deformed baby, and the song titles are no where on the album but scribbled on the disk. i have all the butthole surfers
albums except for ''double live'' and i think this is their best. also their next 2 releases were really good. they being
''hairway to steven'' and ''widowermaker!''this is the latino buggerveil remastered digipak version.and the front cover artwork is a bit differant than the touch & go release, on the touch&go version,you can see the artwork in it's full blown size,same with all the other remastered versions. but besides that the tracks are great, the best album album ever.
5 stars+

The Perfect Wedding album for Satan.......2005-11-19

Reviewer A. Taeger has the right idea... but I chose David Lynch's film "Erasurehead" to watch using this masterpiece by BHS turned up as the soundtrack. I once read a review of "Erasurehead" in a book that said that you probably wouldn't be comfortable around anyone who can watch that movie all the way through. The same holds true for this CD, but if the amount of reviews of Locust Aboration Technician are any indication, there are a lot of us out there. So sit down, turn up this CD, and have a blotter and SlimFast milkshake. Hey, let's have a singalong to "Kuntz"!
(and by the way, the Erasurehead soundtrack is cool too)

the Holy Grail of sponge rock Texas cosmic acid.......2005-08-20

How to say it?
The Butthole Surfers' music is sacred to me. I look at their first four albums as works of art. The most transcendentally wigged-out rock and roll music ever recorded. Period.

And Locust Abortion is the creme de la creme of the Surfers music. A short but bursting to the brim sonic sponge bath carefully engineered to hit you where it hurts.

I go back and forth over which track is my favorite. Both versions of "Graveyard" are gleaming sinister perfection. I decided a few months ago that the version played at regular speed is the greatest song ever recorded (it's between "Whirling Hall of Knives", "Edgar", and "Jimi" - Surfer fans should know them all).

Pittsburgh to Lebanon is the sludge that life is made from. Total beauty. The hollow moans at the end are actually quite lovely.

A word about the slowed down version of "Graveyard". You should probably listen to the songs in order, so you hear "Sweat Loaf" before "Graveyard". "Sweat Loaf" basically primes your head for the drop into "Graveyard". (whoever said that listening to the Surfers was like taking drugs was NOT lying. It really is).

Other great songs: "Kuntz" . I could listen to this again and again (and I do). "22 going on 23" is another free-floating dangerous masterpiece that will even out your mind.

I have this CD in my car always and usually listen to it at least once every couple of days. Sometimes it won't leave my CD player for days at a time. I love it.

Now, a quick word of warning. If you have never listened to this CD (or any Surfers' CD) be careful (heh-heh). You may want to start with one of their easier albums like Psychic Powerless. If you listen to this album first, it could freak your head out a little (course you wouldn't listen to it in the first place if you didn't enjoy that sort of thing from time to time) - I KNOW I do.

Have fun. disappear. Fall in. Embrace. This is it.

Average customer rating:

amazing album
Best Album Of 2007
hit or miss
If only God was alive to hear this.

New Erections
The Locust
Manufacturer: Anti
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Plague Soundscapes
The Locust
The Locust
Whole Tooth & Nothing But the Tooth

ASIN: B000MV8CS4
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Tracks:

AOTKPTA
We Have Reached an OfficialVerdict: Nobody Gives a Shit
The Unwilling...Led By the Unqualified...Doing the Unnecessary...For the Ungrateful
One Manometer Away FromMutually Assured Relocation
Full Frontal Obscurity
Scavenger, Invader
Hot Tubs Full of Brand New Fuel
God Wants Us All To Work inFactories
Book of Bot
Slum Service (Served on the Sly)
Tower of Mammal

Album Description

New Erections is The Locust's follow -up to their acclaimed 2003 ANTI-/Epitaph debut Plague Soundscapes. The San Diego group - bassist/vocalist Justin Pearson, drummer Gabe Serbian, keyboardist/vocalist Joey Karam and guitarist/vocalist Bobby Bray - changed things up for New Erections. "We don't want to limit our art in any way, shape or form... We like the challenge of reaching those who would not naturally stumble upon us, or those who are not accepting of what we do." With longer tracks, and Mars Volta producer Alex Newport at the helm, New Erections should find new fans for this adventurous quartet.

Customer Reviews:

amazing album.......2007-05-12

a little different than other locust albums, but definately a must.

most people don't like the locust when they first hear them. that's because they just don't get it. there's a lot going on with the music as far as melodies and tempo changes etc.

not music for the stupid masses.

Best Album Of 2007 .......2007-03-29

The Locust isn't your average heavy music, it's swift, violent, and shocking. While yes, those are some general components of Heavy music; The Locust do it with such a surgical precision, it's almost unreal. And New Erections is a colossal expansion of this. What i've always found ironically surprising about their music, is it's actually like being attacked by Locusts. With so many sounds and noises spewing from all directions, it's proven to be far too much for many ears. But for those of us who warmed up to the attack, New Erections will prove to be quite the proverbial kick in the teeth. The Opening track is similar to a Science fiction creature rebuilding from the ground up, as it starts with a quick clamor, and start/stops until it's reached a full on sonic assault. The album as a whole is a huge seperation from what their known for. Taking obvious cues from their previous EP, The Locust find much bludgeoning in unhurried structure rather than broken glass tornado's of synth driven madness. The third track is a great example; as it begins with a classic Locust barrage of hazaradous grinding cacaphony, speeding into a minute's worth of aural damage. Then submits into a evil, plodding synth that gives way to a crushing description of your average American Dinner. Lyrically is where the album finds much of it's diversity. The lyrics are dripping with raw genius; cold blooded stabs at our hasty drive thru anchored culture. Sardonic descriptions of an apocalyptic wasteland, which is excactly how the album ends up feeling. This is the first album where much of the vocal's are done by the keyboardist. Even a singular track of his own "Scavenger, Invader" in which he describes a traffic jam from an insects view. His voice is perfect for the tone of the album, it's very bellowing and quite unsettling at some points. Once again, each musician is stunningly tight, Drumming that defies the laws of physics, Pearson's Bass Shredding, and those countless moments where you can't tell if what's blowing your mind is a Guitar or a synth track. New Erections stands unmatched as the most mind blowing release of 2007, and I doubt it will be topped. This is also an album that takes at least 4 0r 5 listens before it becomes unhealthy with it's addictiveness. Raw, Genius, And So diversely heavy. Like em or not, The Locust are one of the most important bands around, creating the most unique and shocking music for our generation. This music makes me very proud that I do not find talent in today's commercially accepted music (MTV, VH1). Overall, The Locust are kings of the undergound and are only getting better

Fav Tracks: Hot Tubs Full Of Brand New Fuel, Tower Of Mammal, We Have Reached An Official Verdict.

hit or miss.......2007-03-21

when the locust hits, they hit HARD. they did that on their earlier releases by repeating the locust formula with ruthless efficiency. on safety second body last, they alternated between the old style screamcore/bash-your-face-off-the-wall noise spurts with their chilling keyboard soundscapes creating one long piece, rather than many 30 second fragments. the tension and release of this format made for an even more intense experience.

this album, however, is split more into traditional "song" structures (only one track is less than one minute). one can find hints of the verse-chorus-verse (key word is "hints") and moderately understandable lyrics. they've even slowed down their instrumentation for many tracks (AOTKPTA; Scavenger, Invader; Book of Bot), creating a much more accessible sound (compared against any of their previous works). thats not to say it isn't good; "The Unwilling..." is a perfect compromise. 3:53 (about the length of a traditional single) alternates between the good old locust sound and the new "slow" sound to terrific results. in fact, the entire album seems as though it is pulled in two directions, the locust's past works and their new "slow" format. (the locust:new erections::black flag:my war)

my conclusion? the reason the locust wrote such short songs was that they could say what they needed to say in 0:45. now it seems they have more to say, and, for better or worse, they want us to actually UNDERSTAND what they are saying.

the locust is a band that creates art. this album seems to indicate a new direction for the band, a direction that, although more accessible, is no less art than anything else they've done. time will show this to be their transitional album, with them perfecting the new format in the future.

If only God was alive to hear this........2007-03-21

The Locust's sound has adapted drastically, once again, while remaining one of the most intense and passionate bands around. This CD is no exception to that progressive style. The Locust's vocal stylings have evolved from Plague Soundscapes and SSBL, but Don't think I mean they're "singing". I only mean the recording quality has improved along with the range of vocal..."sounds". Also, you'll notice almost every song is OVER 1 minute, instead of under. Some even pass the 3 minute mark! This makes for some interesting intros, transitions, drone parts, etc. I will warn that this album is not for the faint of heart or the pregnant, but anyone with an open mind musically can at least appreciate the tenacity and originality of probably the craziest band I've ever heard.

Average customer rating:

While My Guitar Violently Bleeds
Sir Richard Bishop
Manufacturer: Locust
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Against Which the Sea Continually Beats
Icky Thump

ASIN: B000PSJCN8
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Tracks:

Zurvan
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Mahavidya

Average customer rating:

Just a few thoughts
will nourish gentle and patient souls for decades

The Weed Tree
Espers
Manufacturer: Locust
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Feathers
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Sun Awakens

ASIN: B000B63IRU
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Tracks:

Rosemary Lane
Tomorrow
Black Is The Color
Afraid
Blue Mountain
Flaming Telepaths
Dead King

Customer Reviews:

Just a few thoughts.......2006-03-18

I purchased the self-titled Espers album a few weeks ago, and found myself in love with it from the first play. I had to have the Weed Tree. I won't bother typing a lot, since the guy above me seemed to have reviewed the album thoroughly. Espers really has a mature, enlightened aspect to their music. They seem to be very comfortable with their style, and they pull it off so well. I listen to them and can't help but feel like I'm sitting in a meadow, perhaps in times of knights and plagues. And no, I do not live-action-role-play. The music really pulls emotions from you, and never fails to transport you to another world.

Favorite songs on this one? Black is the Color is amazingly peaceful. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for the man and woman harmonizing their vocals, because I also adore the cover of Flaming Telepath. Overall, you can't go wrong with this cd, unless you're expecting something adrenaline-logged. Think, smoke a cigarette, look out the window, and listen to Espers!!

will nourish gentle and patient souls for decades.......2005-12-14

from DMG:

It's safe to say of the Espers that if their albums were recorded 30 years ago and released in a small vinyl edition they'd trade hands among collectors for absurd sums and be heralded as lost masterpieces. Their astonishing 2004 debut has been taken as an instant classic among connoisseurs of yesteryear's creative folk music. As torchbearers nursing timeless traditions of melody, harmony, mood, and wistful words, it's almost necessary for their artistic health to balance their own songwriting with interpretations of masterworks from the traditions they can trace themselves back to. So all is right with the universe now that we have Espers album no. 2 with 6 stunning cover songs from Bert Jansch ("Rosemary Lane"), Durutti Column ("Tomorrow"), The Famous Jug Band ("Black is the Color"), Nico ("Afraid"), Michael Hurley ("Blue Mountain"), and Blue Oyster Cult ("Flaming Telepaths"), topped off with a new gem from the group's own songbook that hints of extraordinary things to come on their next album of originals currently being created. Having expanded their lineup and mastered their craft from extensive touring, Espers has become an exquisite organism ready to gracefully dance through such a diverse program as if it were simply blissful-and-tender-business-as-usual. It's fitting they've chosen not only a Nico tune to reinvent, but one of Nico's prettiest; Espers often hovers at the edge of Nico's fatalistic melancholy, but rarely sink into its depths. Meg Baird's angelic vocals strike a perfect balance between the wafts of afternoon bloom and the cold dewdrops of late-night wilt. Instead of sparse piano and distant viola, Espers have layered acoustic guitar, cello, harmonium, tuned percussion, and faint harmony vocals to amplify both the lush optimism and the acquiescent sadness of the Nico/Cale creation. Just like their self-titled debut, the range of emotions and musical intensities througout The Weed Tree create an immersive and complete experience of exiting the cold banalities of everyday life and entering an idyllic plane of languor, and exquisitely slow, but blistering guitar, cello, and synth solos erupt in the Blue Oyser Cult tune to give the album a passionate climax that sets the delicate acoustic guitar and vocals of the final track in breathtaking relief. The spacy 70s vibe and analog synth of this 10-minute excursion and other pieces here reveal the essence of Espers as an inclusive and expansive band (now a sextet with a bit more percussion and keyboards compared to the original core trio of Baird, Brooke Sietinsons, and Greg Weeks) rooted in vintage dreamy prog and psychedelia as much as the hazy, taciturn, lilting acoustic folk sound that permeates the musical surface. I was completely enraptured by this disc from the first listen and I've barely been able to take it out of my CD player since! Another instant classic for Espers that will nourish gentle and patient souls for decades. I trust that someday a few inspired young people will wind up pooling their instrumental and vocal crafts to make an album of special cover songs that will honor an Espers original the way Espers have honored these artists and the infinite circle will remain unbroken.

Average customer rating:

Fairly interesting.
HONEY I SHRUNK THE CD

The Locust
The Locust
Manufacturer: Gold Standard Labora
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Locust
Flight of the Wounded Locust
Safety Second, Body Last
Plague Soundscapes
New Erections

ASIN: B0001JXPF2
Release Date: 2004-03-23

Tracks:

Halfway To A Worthless Ideal Arrangement (An Interlude To A Discontinued Sarastic Harmony...Yea Whatever)
Prepare To Qualify
Kill Roger Hedgecock
Pain Reliever
Off By A Long Shot
Cattle Mutilation
#99
Head Hits Concrete
Hairspray Suppository
Ass Gravity
Keep Off The Tracks

Customer Reviews:

Fairly interesting........2006-06-24

Certainly one of the Locust's better releases.
Here is displayed some of their earlier material.
Here they have not yet had the chance to develop their songwriting skills, so don't expect the complex song-structures (or smooth production) they'd revealed on Plague Soundscapes.
Rather, these're eleven (or maybe ten - they do soundscapes) energy capsules.
Heh.

HONEY I SHRUNK THE CD.......2004-04-06

another tiny cd, bu hokey smokes its the locust. this is their first album chock full of inspirational anthems for popular sporting events like lawnmower fights and cattle wrestling.
if you like the locust and you cant get enough youre wasting your time reading this when you could be listening.

The Maltese Falcon and Other Film Scores

Average customer rating:

Intriguing
A Tribute to Adolph Deutsch...

The Maltese Falcon and Other Film Scores
Adolph Deutsch , William T. Stromberg , and Moscow Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0007ACVKA
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Tracks:

The Maltese Falcon: Main Title
The Maltese Falcon: Street Scene
The Maltese Falcon: Door Slam
The Maltese Falcon: The Deal
The Maltese Falcon: The Plot
The Maltese Falcon: Gutman
The Maltese Falcon: End Title
The Maltese Falcon: End Cast
George Washington Slept Here: Main Title
George Washington Slept Here: Arrival At House
George Washington Slept Here: Uncle Arrives
George Washington Slept Here: The Phone
George Washington Slept Here: The Letter/Wheelbarrow
George Washington Slept Here: Locust/End Title
The Mask Of Dimitrios: Main Title/Deadman
The Mask Of Dimitrios: Dimitrios Selects A Victim
The Mask Of Dimitrios: Contract
The Mask Of Dimitrios: Dirty Spy
The Mask Of Dimitrios: The Traitor
The Mask Of Dimitrios: Peter Writes A Letter
The Mask Of Dimitrios: The Escape
The Mask Of Dimitrios: Blackmail Letter
The Mask Of Dimitrios: The Black Hat
The Mask Of Dimitrios: Struggle For The Gun
The Mask Of Dimitrios: Revenge
The Mask Of Dimitrios: Death Of Dimitrios/Finale
High Sierra: Main Title
High Sierra: The Pardon
High Sierra: Velma's Plight
High Sierra: The Giveaway
High Sierra: Apprehended
Northern Persuit: Main Title
Northern Persuit: Nazi Sub/Customs/Train
Northern Persuit: Consultation
Northern Persuit: Planning The Escape
Northern Persuit: Escape
Northern Persuit: Preperation
Northern Persuit: Eavesdropping
Northern Persuit: Gun Battle
Northern Persuit: The Big Battle
Northern Persuit: End Title: 'What Am I Saying?'

Customer Reviews:

Intriguing.......2007-02-15

This is a very commanding and intriguing score. Composer Adolph Deutsch did a tremendous job scoring this one. Conductor William T. Stromberg and the Moscow Symphony Orchestra once again come through with an excellent recording intrinsically representing Adolph Deutsch's perspective.

A Tribute to Adolph Deutsch..........2005-04-02

In the shadow of the big film score trio of the 1930s and 40s, Steiner, Korngold, and Waxman; there were other distinguished film composers such as Adolph Deutsch. Thanks to this now budget priced reissue on Naxos, we are given a varied program example of his film score output from 1941-44. John Morgan again as in most of these projects has reconstructed and quilted together suites to preserve talent that would go down in obscurity. Deutsch was a contract composer at Warner a good part of his career, where the five selections on this disc are drawn. Oddly Deusch had a popular music background, but was not given any musical assignments. He was however thrown a comedy or two, one which was the Jack Benny, Ann Sheridan farce "George
Washington Slept Here". Through whimsical dressed up folk themes, we see the mishaps of a couple struggling to get a supposed historical farmhouse up to par. Nice to have a comedy score for a change! We get two Bogart scores, ofcourse "Maltese
Falcon" and "High Sierra". In Maltese the music is subtle and mysterious using economy of instruments; yes, because the studio was on a budget. "High Sierra" also was budget restricted, but Deutsch still managed a melody Steinerish score depicting the great natural locations of California's Sierra Mountains. In the "Mask of Dimitrios" we get a tension filled mood score as Peter Lorre pursues a deadman walking. "Norhtern Pursuit" a WWII
espionage thriller gets a big orchestra illustrating icy Canada and patriotic themes as well as Nazi darkness. The bars of V victory from Beethoven's fifth end the film abruptly. Mosfilm Studios does another good job with the recording, full and spacious.

Average customer rating:

Sorry..but they're no Pentangle
4.5 Stars... Exquisite update of the 60s psychedelic-folk sound
Dream folk
Flowery Noontide
A wonderful change of pace

Espers
Espers
Manufacturer: Locust
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00012QLAU
Release Date: 2004-01-20

Tracks:

Flowery Noontide
Meadow
Riding
Voices
Hearts & Daggers
Byss & Abyss
Daughter
Travel Mountains

Customer Reviews:

Sorry..but they're no Pentangle.......2006-06-07

I've tried very hard with this album since its release, but have to disagree with most of the reviewers here. The incredible string band, pentangle, Bread, love and dreams comparisons are, in my opion, wishful thinking. This isn't due to Espers ability as song writers, but to their incessant use of annoying overdriven heavy metal type guitar everywhere. This ruins what is otherwise a nice album.

4.5 Stars... Exquisite update of the 60s psychedelic-folk sound.......2006-04-03

I admit I had never heard of Espers, but my 16 yr. old daughter somehow (I have no idea how) found out about them and bought their album, and of course I was interested in checking them out as well. What a pleasant surprise this was! (And kudos to my daughter...) Espers is a trio lead by Greg Weeks, and is essentially a trip back in time to the 60s of the psychedelic-folk sound.

"Espers" (8 tracks, 40 min.), released in 2004, is a "mood" piece all around. The overall sound is of acoustic guitars, flutes, violins, and even dulcimers (but no drums), all to great effect. There are no uptempo songs on here, just slow mood pieces as if you were sitting around a camp fire. The vocals are shared by Greg Weeks and Meg Baird, who sounds just angelic. The 2 outstanding tracks are "Hearts & Daggers", an 8+ epic that culminates in a beautiful instrumental outro, and the album closer "Travel Mountains", another long song with a similar structure.

This is a beautiful album from start to finish. Not something to listen to when you are in a hurry, that's for sure. Espers has released an EP of covers last Fall, as a stop-gap for the release of their next proper album, and I can't wait for that. Meanwhile, check this out. Highly recommended!

Dream folk.......2005-07-04

Psych-folk trio Espers get it right on the first try in their self-titled debut. While their summery, acid-tinged kind of folk occasionally misfires on the indie-rock route, when it sticks to dilated pupils, Appalachian fiddles and sparkling chimes, it stays a good thing.

It opens with a song that pretty much sums up what the sound is all about: "Flowery Noontide." It opens with soft windchimes, right before a flute, guitar and Meg Baird's indistinct vocals kick in. It proceeds pretty much in that vein, sounding like a stoned summer afternoon at the Renaissance Festival. In short, quite good.

That lush folk sound continues throughout the album, mixing stately folk tunes with fuzz and some classical flourishes. Songs like "Meadow" err on the side of folk, despite that implosive riff. On the other hand, "Hearts and Daggers" veers over to Neutral Milk Hotel-like indie-rock, with weird flourishes and thick fuzz.

Actually, that indie-rock bent does have its weakness -- Espers sometimes seem unsure what to do with all the indie flourishes. "Riding" is downright painful to listen to at high volumes, because of a riff that completely drowns out the delicate acoustic layers.

Fortunately by the end of the album, they seem to have grasped how it should sound. And the fragile stoner folk sound is remarkably pretty, without the grounded sound that people usually associate with folk. This stuff is up in the sky, and it's staying there.

Meg Baird and Greg Weeks share vocal duties, and they both sound sweet and laid-back, although I had difficulty hearing what Meg was saying. Then again, the lyrics seem to fade away in front of the lush instrumentation -- acoustic
guitar and fiddle, often overlaid with an otherworldly flute, chimes, dulcimer and classical strings.

Espers' self-titled debut is a charming, sweet trip through layers of acid-folk. Best listened to on a lazy summer day, with wind-chimes and crickets.

Flowery Noontide.......2004-04-01

Espers release on Locust Records is a modern psych folk meltdown, arranged by a smoky wizard with overly dilated pupils and taken in by hiccupping pixies, one of which lies out arms akimbo on the grass, grooving. A circle of mushrooms encircles the stage, and the scent of sage lift up on the wind. Espers are from Philidelphia and built around Greg Weeks, Meg Baird and Brooke Sietinsons. The part there about Philly and the band, that there is true... the other part about the wizards n' stuff, yea I kinda made that up.

Most songs showcase some flavor of stripped down acoustic guitar work, complete with the subtle sounds of fingers scratching along the strings. Often a simple flute or dark stringed instrument comes in to assist, and Greg's voice and a female vocalist (not sure whom) either playing off each other or harmonizing. Permeated with minor keys, the pieces are generally foreboding, usually culminateing in the inevitable psilosybin-esque breakdown. These frenzied freak outs are my favorite part. For example, when "Hearts and Daggers" fuzzes out into a flurry of flutes and flossy keyboards it conjures up memories of "Space Odyssey" by The Byrds. And you can read any number of reviews and see comparisons to a number of other contemporary and classic acid-folk acts, but I like to through curveballs, so here comes an odd comparison. With the haunting, apprehensive tone in most of the songs, coupled with clean acoustic guitars I can't help but note a comparison no one else has seen. Early Black Sabbath always seemed to produce at least one haunting instrumental ballad per album, I get a sense of that here. Seriously, go listen to "Orchid" off Master of Reality, then "Riding" by Espers... or maybe "Byss and Abyss" back to back with Sabbath Bloody Sabbath's gem "Fluff".

All in all, I really like this album, but my dig on it is after a bit it is kind of formula driven. The aforementioned song structure occurs on just about every song. Guitar + Flute/Strings + Droning Voices. Punctuated by outbursts of psych twisting sonic whirlwinds that overshadow everything else however, this album is well worth checking out. A bit repetitive at the openings, but when the songs peak they are first class. Best track? Probably "Travel Mountain" with its slipstream of ghostly vocal mixing in the background.

A wonderful change of pace.......2004-03-14

I agree about what the above reviewer said. This is quite typical of the classic late 60's/early 70's psych folk scene. Adding to the list of bands mentioned in the other review, I'd like to add the gorgeous Scottish/psych/folk band "Bread, Love and Dreams" who influenced Espers. "Bread, Love and Dreams" released 3 classics in 1969/1970/1971 which Espers went out of their way (on their web-site) to mention "Bread, Love and Dreams".

Although there's nothing innovative about what Espers has done, I can sure toot the horn for them and say "It's about time that good music is being done again since music has really gone on the decline since the glory days of the British folk/rock invasion". Accoustic guitars, strings and etheral vocals (both female and male) abound. Again, if you end up liking Espers, investigate "Amaryllis", "Strange tales of Captain Shannon and the Hunchback of Gigha" and the "S/t" albums from Bread, Love and Dreams and discover the big influence on Espers. You'll love and treasure those albums as well.

Sleeping in the Market: Ethiopian Music & Sounds from Amhara
Average customer rating:
Sleeping in the Market: Ethiopian Music & Sounds from Amhara
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Locust
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Africa | International | Styles | Music
General | International | Styles | Music
General | Compilations | International | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Lonely Planet Ethiopian Amharic Phrasebook

There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children

Gold from Wax: Ethiopian Urban & Tribal Music

The Storyteller's Beads

Ethiopia: Ari Polyphonies

ASIN: B000784X94
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Tracks:

Laluyeah (Yearning Song)
Bale-Washinto
Berewoo Taha Taha (The Bull... Taha Taha...)
Demam Era Dema
Aderch Arada (Sleeping in the Market)
Bale Ageru
Ney, Ney, Ney (Come, Come, Come)
Endiaw Mela Mela (Compassion)

Well I'll Be a Monkey's Uncle: Lab Remix

Average customer rating:

What is this?

Well I'll Be a Monkey's Uncle: Lab Remix
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Gold Standard Labora
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005YPB1
Release Date: 2001-06-19

Tracks:

Well I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle
Bastard Noise
Wizards Of War
Christoph De Babalon
Sinking Bo Dy
Kid 606
I'am Spoonbender

Customer Reviews:

What is this?.......2006-10-28

What is this? It's an album of various artists covering the song "Well, I'll be a Monkey's Uncle" by The Locust. The original song is from The Locust's self titled CD. The rest of the album consists of covers of that same song performed by other artists. Other than track 1 (which is performed by The Locust), the track names listed above are actually the names of the bands that are covering the song. What's the music like? Check out reviews of The Locust's other albums and that should help you. I'm not even going to begin to try and describe it. I do like it though.

Devil's Prayer. Featuring: Brotha Lynch Hung, Xianex and Young Droop.

Average customer rating:

REAL SAC GAME
Amazing Versatility
Explicit just makes other rappers look stupid.
Crazy

Devil's Prayer. Featuring: Brotha Lynch Hung, Xianex and Young Droop.
Explicit A.K.A. Trace , and Brotha Lynch
Manufacturer: Locust Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | R&B | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Ignition
The Ripgut Collection
Lyrical Octane: Tha Gas Effect
State 2 State
Nigga Deep

ASIN: B000EGEKDS
Release Date: 2006-01-31

Tracks:

Passion: The Death of Explicit Loc
Game
Numurdera
Grindin: Tha Other Side
Devil Incide
Murda Rap
Friday Tha 13th: Feat. Crooked Loc
Poizon
C.Y.A.
Dead Ringer
Devil's Prayer
187 Feat. Brotha Lynch and Young Droop
Narcotic Muzic Feat. Mista Drawmuh and Xianex
Hard 2 Love
My Soul
Rain
Getaway With Murda Feat. Xianex

Product Description

Revenge: The Astonishing Debut Full Length Release From California Rap Prodigy and Leader of The 916/918 Connect Gang... Explicit a.k.a. Trace: Devil's Prayer: The Dead Ringer Albulation... 1/2 Album 1/2 Comp...All Gangsta. Explicit Returns with a Futuristic Sound and a Relentless Lyrical Flow Unheard-of Since The Era of Records Like Season Of Tha Siccness and Adrenaline Rush... Locust Records and Narcotic Music Group are Proud To Bring You... Devil's Prayer: The Last Great Gangsta Rap Album... Featuring Mista Drawmuh, Young Droop, Xianex, Crooked Loc and Brotha Lynch Hung. 2006 Locust/NMG.

Customer Reviews:

REAL SAC GAME.......2006-08-02

T NUTTY AND EXPLICIT GOT SAC ON FIRE!
CAINT EVEN FADE LYNCH N LUNI NO MORE, THEY NEED TO STETP THEY GAME UP. WE PATIENTLY WAITING FOR THAT NEW X-RAIDED TOO. ARE YOU LISTNIN?

Amazing Versatility.......2006-07-16

My man and his homies play this cd all the time. I never really payed too much attention until I heard the song Hard to Love,
that record is really subtle and sexy. Album tracks like Devil's Prayer, My Soul and CYA really give you a glimpse into the HEART of Explicit. It's these songs that show you the pain and drama that fuel his crazy persona and contrast well with the fast songs that are really pretty nuts. I now listen to my copy of this cd from top to bottom, If you take the time to listen Devil's Prayer is an intense yet playful journey. I love it.

Explicit just makes other rappers look stupid........2006-03-25

I never heard anybody spit this agressive before.
I went to see Yukmouth in St. Louis and explicit opened and ripped it. I been waitin for this cd to come out 4eva and everysong is tight. And ol boy is from the H's so u know its hood. the only bad thing is that the song Roccstarz with yukmouth aint on here. why???

Crazy.......2006-03-23

Dood is crazee and i love his style.
He caps on hella ppl on this cd n i like number 3 and number 1 the best.

epa wut it dooo rouge!
xMuncHx 650

Album Review:

Album Review

Album Review