"Changing tempos, directions, riffs & rhythms every 20 seconds, stopping on a dime, accelerating to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds..." 5/5 stars ("Indispensable") – Alternative Press

In the early 80s, The Stick Men ruled the Philadelphia no wave scene. Reminiscent of James Chance and the Contortions with more hyperkinetic energy, they created a frenzied psycho-punk sound that featured gut-wrenching timing, extraordinary charm, personality with a plus, and tons of good humor....

For nearly 45 years, John Surman has been one of England's best known modern jazz musicians. His career began in the late 60s as both a sideman and a leader with such notable greats as John McLaughlin, Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath...

Chad Taylor: Drums
Brian Settles: Tenor Saxophone
Neil Podgurski: Piano

As the debut recording of an ensemble rooted in deep and abiding friendships The Daily Biological is a creatively roiling conversation. The unusual trio of drums (Chad Taylor), saxophone (Brian Settles) and piano (Neil Podgurski) creates tough and engaging music that unfurls in kinetic conversational bursts.
Taylor is probably best known as co-founder of the

The Muffins were a Washington, D.C. area band who existed from 1974-81 and then again with their best-known line-up still intact from 1993-2015. They released three albums during their original lifetime and six albums during their second life.
They were called, "...the finest progressive band that America produced...even at it's most complicated, (they) sounded effortless & convincing” by Fred Frith. They also acted as Fred’s backing band on his first post-Henry Cow solo album....

LAST COPIES! Has a small drill hole through the tray.

"Perhaps the finest attempt so far by an American band to add to the pantheon of classic Rock In Opposition records...Mike Johnson's compositions are astonishing and - the clincher - beautiful, and Susanne Lewis' vocals are ...eerily enigmatic..."

Michael Formanek – double bass and electronics
Tomas Fujiwara – drums and vibraphone
Mary Halvorson – guitar

“Thumbscrew...are likeminded souls with decades of experience among them. Encapsulating a rare chemistry, their music offers a virtual masterclass of communal interplay.” – Point Of Departure

At the center of a spiraling musical universe, Thumbscrew is like a reverse black hole radiating brilliant constellations of overlapping.

BACK IN STOCK, BUT NOT FOR LONG! THIS IS THE SECOND AND FINAL PRESSING OF THIS TITLE!

Tomas Fujiwara – drums
Mary Halvorson – guitar
Michael Formanek – double bass and electric bass

"...a streamlined trio quickly becoming today's premiere small jazz group" - Francis Davis, NPR

NOTE that this vinyl version has over 20’ of bonus material that is only available on the vinyl; not on the CD & not on the download! ...

Tomas Fujiwara – drums and vibraphone
Michael Formanek – double bass
Mary Halvorson – guitar

“...one of the most spellbinding trios in contemporary improvised music.” – Echoes

“Thumbscrew are one of the essential contemporary jazz groups, and each of those last four words requires an equal stress.” – The Wire ...

Michael Formanek - bass
Tomas Fujiwara – drums
Mary Halvorson – guitar
Thumbscrew demonstrates their unique collective musical vision in contrasting but complementary ways on two exciting new CDs. Ours and Theirs are the first to be released on a newly revamped Cuneiform Records, just returning from a hiatus. Comprised of longtime collaborators Michael Formanek, Tomas Fujiwara, and Mary Halvorson, Thumbscrew is

U Totem were the avant-rock supergroup that combined personnel from Los Angeles' 5uu's and Motor Totemist Guild. They existed between 1998 - 2004 and released two albums, of which this is the second. Since his time in U Totem, drummer/composer Dave Ker...

Founding members of the original "Rock In Opposition" [R.I.O.] movement and the inventors of "chamber rock", Univers Zero have continued to change and grow and develop over their entire career, while still keeping a ensemble sound and spirit that is...

Founding members of the Rock In Opposition movement, Univers Zero have continued to change and grow and develop over their entire career, while still keeping a ensemble sound and spirit that is easily recognizable. Relaps presents something that Univers Zero's fans have been hoping for for decades; a peek into the recorded archives of one of the greatest avant-rock ensembles since mid 1970s! This CD documents the final 1980s line-ups of Univers Zéro before the band's long sabbatical from recording and...

Univers Zero play fascinating, modern, chamber music-influenced rock. Simultaneously gothic & futuristic, they are somewhat like the very best of Magma or Crimson, but infinitely darker, with helpings of Eastern European folk melodies added. This band and these discs are completely deserving of the mystique & legendary status that have grown up around them. Incomparable! This is their 1st in 13 years!

''The fall of Rome? The parting of the Red Sea? What else can compare with the monumental...

"...a must for lovers of adventurous music" – Keyboard

"A remarkably subtle weaving of rock, classical, & avant garde tactics..." – Alternative Press

"If Stravinsky had a rock band, it would sound like this. Blazing, white hot, medieval" – Advocate Newspapers

"Univers Zero's vision (is) pretty much unique & for those touched by it, nothing else will quite do...a sound that really couldn't be any other band in the world." ...

As I hope most of you have noticed, I have a strong belief and interest in the new, young(er) bands who are playing now what would have been called progressive rock if they had been doing it 35-40 years ago, but now they sit in a sort of a odd, uncomfortable place between math-rock, art-punk, technical-rock and god knows what other hyphenated names you care to use. In any event and in my opinion, this is one of the most intense, indescribably brilliant albums we've ever released. It's stupidly

"A fascinating variety of influences are at work in UJD's music, but prior to any explication and dissection, it's important to note that this group effing rawks!!! The CD has punch, drama, virtuosity, hooks–all the things that make for a dynamic...

Nick Didkovsky commisioned over 20 artists to create music using the 44 "Nerve Events" found on Beta 14 OK. From high tech computer music using custom designed software, to low tech sampling & multitracking. Performances by Henry Kaiser, George Lowe, ...

C.W. Vrtacek – sampler, tape, toys, synthesizer, acoustic and electric guitars, piano, etc

“It may be preferable to meditate in a quiet room, but we seldom find ourselves in quiet rooms...so, always the same question: how to find silence in the midst of chaos?" - C.W. Vrtacek

This puts Chuck's 3rd & 4th solo lps onto one CD; “Learning To Be Silent” & “When Heaven Comes To Town”.
Very different from his band Forever Einstein, the music here is quiet, sober, introspective, sometimes...

Rich Woodson is a self-taught composer and guitarist who grew up on hard rock and heavy metal in Nashville, TN and San Antonio and Austin, TX. His major musical influences are Tim Berne, Frank Zappa, Watchtower (the 1980's Austin metal band, who invented the technical metal subgenre) and composer Charles Wuorinen.
This debut CD, performed by a crack band, comprising Rich on guitar, Aaron Stewart-tenor sax, Peter Epstein-soprano sax, Mat Fieldes-acoustic bass and John Hollenbeck-drums, is a bold and...

Frédéric L’Epée – guitars, synth, chorus
Laurent James – guitars, chorus
Nico Gomez – bass, chorus
Volodia Brice – drums
with
Ayşe Cansu Tanrikulu – vocals (1, 5, 6, 9, 12)

French composer and guitarist Frédéric L'Épée formed his first serious band, Shylock, while in his teens and waxed two now highly collectible albums with that formation in the mid 70s; moving on to the guitar-centric combo Philharmonie, who existed

"The music of Zevious shrewdly juxtaposes order and its opposite: structural intensity pushed to its breaking point in the most appealing way. These boys are brilliant and fearless."–Vijay Iyer

"...Zevious is for anyone who loves aggressive, rock-oriented improv with grooves and some semblance of a song...these guys put their music degrees to work...letting us know that being intense doesnt mean you can't have arrangements and following a script doesnt mean you can't let your hair down." – DownBeat..