Landlocked Music - 202 N. Walnut Ave. - Bloomington, IN
info @ landlockedmusic . com
(812) 339 - 2574
Hours of operation:
Monday - Saturday : 11:30 - 7:30pm
Sunday : 12pm - 5pm
Every week (or so...), the proud employees of Landlocked Music attempt to help guide you along the path of auditory redemption. We take time away from our busy schedules and craft, in our own words, a tiny little review of a great piece found in our bin that is for sale. We are happy as a clam when a customer purchases our picks, we gotta feed our egos somehow, right? But don't just take our word for it... or rather, DO take our word for it!
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Turns out Clint Eastwood is a pretty hip dude despite his stiff, stoic demeanor. His movies (at least the non-westerns) often incorporate jazz in some way- most obviously in "Play Misty for Me", where Eastwood plays a late-night jazz DJ, and, of course, his Charlie Parker biopic, "Bird". But, on top of that, the tight-lipped gunslinger likes to get funky too, as evident on the soundtrack to Dirty Harry. Lalo Schifrin (Cool Hand Luke, Enter the Dragon, Mannix...) is the musical mastermind behind it all. His funk-jazz-rock score pretty much defines the 70s action flick soundtrack: bongos, menacing violin shrieks, go-go stripclub scene fodder, playful music box interludes, fuzz bass, scratchy guitars, ghostly chicks moaning, and wicked snare hits that have become a break hunters dream. For fans of Axelrod, Morricone, Madlib, Shadow, car chases, big 70s coke-broom mustaches, etc. Do you feel lucky, punk? - Jason
England's Supergrass have been cranking out great albums consistently for the past 13 years. They have somehow also managed to stay consistently under the radar of most U.S. rock fans. Their debut album is one of the most enduring and classic releases to come out of the britpop movement of the mid 1990s. Basically a power pop record, this album spices up the usual power trio sound with a weird lyrical cheekiness and punk attitude that have always set the band apart. Every track on this album is a hit, chocked full of the kind of melodies that get stuck in your head for days and won't let you take the disc out of your changer for months. Nothing groundbreaking here, just timeless melodies and a carefree, fun rock 'n roll spirit that is totally infectious. Equally great live even now, these boys deserve way more stateside recognition. - Cyrus
During the early 80s, Bauhaus guitarist Daniel Ash formed Tones on Tail with Glenn Campling as an outlet for songs that wouldn't work in his band with Peter Murphy. When Bauhaus broke up soon thereafter, drummer Kevin Haskins would join the fold as well. Not long after that, Ash became unsatisfied with Tones on Tail and Bauhaus looked to be reforming with David J's departure from the Jazz Butcher and Murphy's failed project with Dali's Car. The reunion never happened (Peter went solo instead) and thus Love and Rockets was then formed with the remainder of Bauhaus. Everything indeed collects everything from ToT's varied catalog and piles it into one superb package. An obvious must for fans of Love and Rockets or Bauhaus, but also an excellent collection for lovers of early 80s glam / synth / electro darkness from musicians at the top of their game. - Heath
While some people love The Who for the stadium-rock power of their 70s output, I prefer the mod-pop melodicism and excitement of their 60s material, a side of the band which reached crystalline perfection here. A concept album of sorts, it is a love letter to the 'pirate' radio stations of the day, complete with commercials and jingles linking the tracks. Underneath the pop-art cover lays probably their strongest, catchiest and most consistent set of songs. Every song has an amazing, ear-catching melody and intriguing subject matter, ranging from Kinks-style social commentaries to introspective love songs, goofy stories and blissed-out psychedelic relevations. This is the album where Townshend found himself as a songwriter, going deeper than the angry young mod and exploring new musical territories which reappear on their next album, 'Tommy.' The CD includes tons of bonus tracks which are so good that you wonder why they weren't included in the first place. - Cyrus
Southampton England's Mat Sweet is whispering dark phrases into my ear from both directions. He says "this is not folk music." I would agree, and it is certainly not "freak-folk" either. Its a man, his finger-picked acoustic guitar and subtle embellishments from a variety of non-traditional sounds. You can hear the British folk past in his bones, but years of darkness and acid have soaked his sound into a new realm. Recorded at home on one microphone onto a 4-track, it takes these constraints and explores the space fully, while still leaving plenty of room to breathe. Monastic in its simplicity and serenity, it captures your attention and does not let go. RIYL Bonnie Prince Billie's I See A Darkness, Iron & Wine's nightmares, getting lost in dark forests. - Heath
Summarizing them in one paragraph is tough, but here goes: Now that Jandek has entered the public sphere, there's perhaps no "band" more mysterious that Les Rallizes Denudes. They emerged from the leftist underground scene of late 60s Japan, more from the avant-garde theater scene than any official music community. They're often compared to the Velvets in terms of their sound as well as their pervasive influence upon Japanese rock (this is the heavier/drone, European Son/Sister Ray-side of the Velvets). Skuzzed-out psychedelic, feedback-spraying live tracks have been compiled on countless "bootleg" recordings over the years; this one is an official comp, a "best of" of sorts. There's even some studio-quality near pop songs here. But it's the brain-piercing live cuts, with perhaps the ugliest guitar tone ever recorded, that must be heard to be believed. Oh yes, one more thing, their bass player was arrested for hijacking an airplane. - Jason
At this point, Dead C's status as neg-fi free rock elder statesmen is secure. Much like Sonic Youth, a band to which they're often compared, the only question remaining is, after 20 odd years of spewing murky sonic goop upon the earth, what next? The answer posed with this album seems to be, refinement through added digital chicanery. It's something I'm usually patently against, but in this specific case it adds some much needed variety to the brute buzz, scrape, and thud for which the kiwi trio are known. There's still the instantly identifiable hermetic, visonary NZ quality, and they're still noisy as hell in places (the acoustic track on this album is maybe the loudest), but there seems to be alot more going on underneath the thrum and howl. If SY approach experimental music from a rock perspective, Dead C approach rock music from an experimental perspective, making track #1 on this album, "The AMM of Punk Rock", a very apt description of themselves indeed. - Jason
Named after Kafka's famous man/roach, their sound isn't what one might expect from the name. On their previous releases, the band took cues from the dream pop aesthetic of the early 90s and caressed it through a modern classical and ambient lens, creating dynamic shifts of epic sound not unlike Mogwai or GYBE. On Rest, their third full length, the band embraces their slow-motion chamber sound with a more subtle approach. Guitar is nearly absent, replaced by piano. White space helps sculpt the notes out of the page as prominently as the notes themselves. Deep reverb, vibrato and echo still spin around, creating a warm glow of an album that is as haunting and beautiful as Sigur Ros at the height of their powers, but with guy/gal vocals you can fully absorb and break your heart to. Expertly recorded, hushed and emotional. A perfect rainy day record. - Heath
The definitive statement of Brazil's fabled Tropicalia movement of the late 1960s, this is a collection of individual efforts as well as collaborations between the scene's major players. Rebelling against a repressive government and military dictatorship, these artists were greatly influenced and invigorated by the revolutionary freedom of expression captured in the psychedelic music pouring out of the US and UK, 'Sgt. Pepper's' being the most obvious touchstone. These new western sounds were melded together with the traditional samba and bossa nova musics more common in Brazil, resulting in some utterly fresh and amazingly music. All the major players are here, including Caetano Veloso, Os Mutantes, Gilberto Gil and Gal Costa. Really beautiful stuff, gorgeous melodies and infectious rhythms meld perfectly with wildly experimental studio effects and tape manipulation. The essential soundtrack to summer. - Cyrus
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