Full-length from Minneapolis’s Michael Yonkers, who birthed the staggering avant-garage LP Microminiature Love back in 1968, a no-show on Sire Records at the time and finally released on LP by Clint Simonson’s De Stijl records a few years back and now available as a CD on Sub Pop. It’s Only Yonkers was recorded last year, with Yonkers playing everything straight through in order onto a four track, all first takes, no overdubs. A clutch of miniature blues informed by *that* guitar tone. You know.

Harvesting set of ritual brain clamour, drone-chuff and synapse chauffeuring blitz from this free-improvising big band consisting of members of Pelt and Rake. This inter-band ensemble blew across the States a bunch of times during their short existence – 1996/97 – and this limited to 330 copies vinyl LP is a beautiful document of their scorching style, an extract from a two-hour performance at Tommy’s in Richmond in April 1997. The line-up is: Mike Gangloff (guitar, shenai, electronics), Jack Rose (lap steel), Patrick Best (guitar, bass resonator, conga), ~SKB (bass and percussion), V2G2 (nylon string guitar, percussion, shenai and voice), Planet C (moog, sax, percussion), Mick (dumbek and dijembe), Beth Jones (dijembe).

When The Windmill's Whirl Dies comes in a suitably y moody-looking gatefold sleeve and features one side-long piece with Roberto reading his own poetry (reproduced on the inside sleeve) in a voice that sounds like Spacemen 3’s Sonic Boom performing Robert Ashley’s The Wolfman in the spirit of Hammer House of Horror and two shorter pieces on side two. For the most part the music is ultra-minimal, just padding drums and the slow, distant purr of looped electronics. Recordings come from 2003.

Second volume of a two-volume set on Eclipse documenting various sonic settings featuring Californian sound artists/composers/improvisers Ilya Monosov and Preston Swirnoff. Side one features two minimal compositions for tape loop, bowed guitar, air organ and voice that are some of the best of the set, with a kind of helium-high Terry Riley-styled sense of dizzy euphoria building slowly across the side. Side two is credited to Monosov and Swirnoff’s rock group, The Shining Path, and is all-blaring in a fractured style that recalls Faust circa Tapes. Limited to only 500 copies.

Anyone who thinks they’re got Michael Gibbons’ modus-operandi figured from the fathoms of hot sticky fuzz that coat his playing with Bardo Pond better think the fuck again. 500 Mg presents a revealing sideways look at his guitar conceptions and here they’re all about actual physically locatable notes, albeit contorted into profoundly mutant shapes that reference everything from Conny Veit’s work with Gila and Popol Vuh through American frontiersmen like Sandy Bull and Neil Young. Also features a guest appearance from Bardo’s John Gibbons on guitar and lo-fi loops.

Great glob of profound solo thought by this confirmed margin walker. A dose more fractured than his Charalambides work, Root King makes for a perfect late-night listen as Carter scrambles chords and brain cells via electric and lap steel guitar while choruses of far-off bells rattle like the bones of tiny fish dancing in yr veins. Real rock bottom blues.

Limited edition studio LP from Steve Krakow’s Plastic Crimewave Sound that combines the Notting Hill street fighter sound and caveman wasa-wasa of The Deviants, Edgar Broughton and Crushed Butler with lead guitar action that hotwires licks from The Stereo Shoestring and Ash Ra Tempel and some wild, hip-humping boogie rock. The most lurid, technicolour psych moves this side of Acid Mothers Temple.

"Long-, long-, long-, loooooong-awaited and singular entry in the Charalambides and Klang Industries discographies; one of those does it really exist? items thats finally seeing daylight, or moonlight. A stark, unsettling and beautiful slice of duo Charalambides invocation/incantation, taken from the period between Jason Bill and Heather Leigh's tenures with the band and featuring extraordinary chord organ and vocal work from Christina and some signature lap steel mastery from Tom. Fans of the bands most recent, more song-based work will find this revelatory, long-time listeners will say ahhhh and settle in for the flight. Heavy vinyl, limited pressing, covers handiwork by Tom, the first release in years from Klang and a sign perhaps of a truly epic revival." "Long-awaited Klang debut of Charalambides. This record has been brewing since 2000, and is now finally available under the auspices of Eclipse/Klang. Two side-long improvisations in much the same vein as IN CR EA SE, a bit more topographical perhaps, but still horizontally serene and horizonless. Chord organ, lap steel, vocals." --Wholly Other.

Hand-numbered vinyl edition of 800 copies of the CD that originally came out on VHF. Sold-out at source: "Music for Witches and Alchemists is a dark and beguiling collection of songs by Fern Knight, the primary cover for Margaret Wienk's singing and songwriting. Beautifully recorded by Greg Weeks, the songs are cast in rich, detailed arrangements with Alec K. Redfearn (The Eyesores), Greg Weeks and Meg Baird (Espers) and several other Philadelphia-area luminaries contributing to the sweeping sound. At the heart is Wienk's strong voice, cello, and guitar, leading the tunes with feeling and subtlety. Following in the footsteps of electric-trad legends such as Pentangle and Trees, Wienk's music rings of the intensely personal and is delivered with crystal clarity, not the hipster-fuzz obfuscation of some contempo 'folk' (uh?- ed). Music for Witches and Alchemists is Fern Knight's first domestic release, following their barely available debut on the German Normal label." - VHF.

Original vinyl copies of their long-gone 2003 Eclipse LP, which many rate as their best. It's certainly their most form destroying, a whole other vibration from most of the Manhand CDs.