Recent Releases
Sacred Bones Presents
Todo Muere vol. 2
SBR-075
Sacred Bones is thrilled to present our second Record Store Day compilation, Todo Muere Vol. 2, featuring ten songs — nine of which have been previously unreleased or only released in limited edition. The first song, by Copenhagen’s War, is a complete break from the “At War For Youth” 7-inch we released in February, and is a modern-day, post-apocalypse love song for the ages. Led Er Est’s “The Gold Cane” is an outtake from their new full-length LP out in May, and mixed by Chris Coady. “Neon Lights,” by Pop. 1280, was the A-side of a split with Hot Guts originally released on Philly’s Badmaster Records. “Adult Living,” the brand new single from our beloved Brisbane recreational drug enthusiasts Slug Guts, shows a far more refined, instrumental performance, paired lovingly with a fully unhinged performance by frontman JD. The Crystal Stilts track “Dark Eyes” appears on their EP, Radiant Door, but the song is so good we felt it needed to be released twice. Side A closes with “Strange Desire” by Wymond Miles of the Fresh & Onlys; this is a preview of his first full length which we will be releasing this summer. (more…)
Moon Duo
Mazes Remixed
SBR-050r
When Moon Duo’s last full length, Mazes, was released on March 29th, 2011, several indie retailers also received a limited edition bonus remix cd that was available to customers with purchase. Limited to 500, this remix album included six re-workings of several tracks off Mazes by Sonic Boom, Psychic Ills, Gary War, Purling Hiss, and Cave, along with one cover version of the album’s title track by Berlin based, Eagle Boston. The bonus album was so well received that retailers could barely keep up with demand and most everyone sold out of it during the first few days of release. One of the Sonic Boom tracks was featured on Altered Zones and the Psychic Ills remix was the soundtrack to an incredibly decadent Victorian era themed Chanel fashion show in Paris. Some staff members at Aquarius Records in San Francisco and Other Music in NY claimed to like the like the bonus disc as much as the proper album itself. In the spirit of Record Store Day and to honor collectors and completists everywhere, Sacred Bones has decided to make this remix album available on vinyl in North America for the first time. This is a one-time pressing limited to 1000 copies.
Led Er Est
The Diver
SBR-072
Led Er Est emerged from a series of jam sessions that core members Shawn O’Sullivan and Sam De La Rosa started having in early 2007, using bass guitar, some cheap drum machines, and synths. They were inspired to record music largely by ’70s synth prog, and ’80s lo-fi electronic and industrial music. They recorded a number of songs at friend Will Burnett’s studio that fall. Their first officially released track was on the Wierd Records compilation, Analogue Electronic Music Vol II. Owen Hutchinson joined the band for their first live show at the Wierd party that December. In January of 2008, they released their first 7-inch, a split with Excepter member Jon Porkchop aka SSPS. (more…)
UV PØP
No Songs Tomorrow
SBR-3009
UV PØP were an early 80’s post-punk group from the South Yorkshire region of England. Their sound was regionally bleak and they used staccato, angular guitars lines, with vocals ranged from spoken repeated mantras to whispered and shouted political poetics. An excerpt from the album’s liner notes penned by JP Shea helps explain the political climate during which this album was recorded: “In the 1980s there was nothing to smile about; nothing to smile for. The person whom some called wrongly the iron lady brought vengeful spiteful selfishness and a narrow-minded outlook into all our lives. Instead of love and respect there was: a three-day week, Miners strike, and The Falklands War.” (more…)
Twelve Dark Noons
A film by Jacqueline Castel
SBR-076
Sacred Bones Records is proud to present its first film production with the DVD release of Twelve Dark Noons, an experimental short film in twelve chapters. Set against the backdrop of the Australian Outback,Twelve Dark Noons is a character study of a lone man, lost in an unforgiving desert terrain with nothing but a suitcase and fragments of his unraveling memory. As memories unfold and reality dissolves, the film’s scenery transforms into a psychological dreamscape haunted by a mysterious woman hidden in the dunes. Equal measure horror film, music video, and homage to the psychedelic cinema of the 1970s, Twelve Dark Noons is an experiment in existential dread. (more…)
The Men
Open Your Heart
SBR-071
Ironically referred to by Timeout NY as “Thurston Moore & the E Street Band,” The Men have never been a band to play by categorical punk subgenre rules. Instead, over the last three years, this band has dabbled in everything from hardcore punk to psych to shoegaze to black metal; and they have done all of it effortlessly, and for the most part, flawlessly. Totally removed from the current climate of ADD-youtube-blog-hyped generation of musicians under 21, The Men stand out from the pack as both scene elders and actual record collectors. What makes this band so unique is their ability to synthesize their influences rather than just regurgitate them. (more…)
Pop. 1280
The Horror
SBR-068
New York’s Pop. 1280 are back with their debut full-length for Sacred Bones, The Horror. This record comes almost one year after their highly-praised EP The Grid, and it finds the band exploring new territory and perversions. Chief songwriters Chris Bug and Ivan Lip are now joined by drummer Zach Ziemann (ex-Twin Stumps) and bassist/sonic manipulator Pascal Ludet. Recording for The Horror took place at the Python Patrol basement studios in Brooklyn with engineer Ben Greenberg (Z’s, Pygmy Shrews). The Horror showcases a lot more improvisation and in-studio writing, giving the album a darker, more unhinged organic feeling. This new approach let the band stretch out more, and while they haven’t lost the synth-punk skronk that has gotten them compared to Pussy Galore, D.A.F. and Cop Shoot Cop, The Horror adds longer songwriting explorations and psychedelic-scapes that reference bands like Cabaret Voltaire, Chrome, and early Sonic Youth. Thematically, The Horror finds Pop. 1280 stepping out of the cyberspace of The Grid and into the deserted beaches, highways and plains of a surreal hell. It’s the road album for the post-apocalypse. (more…)
Wymond Miles
Earth Has Doors
SBR-070
Four years ago Wymond Miles, lead guitar player in San Francisco’s The Fresh & Onlys, began writing solo material thematically based on the concepts of eschatology, anthroposophy, and Gnostic and Hermetic symbolism. Drawing from a vast musical pool of inspiration, including Scott Walker, Robert Wyatt, Arvo Part, and Nikki Sudden amongst others, Earth Has Doors is Miles’ first solo release. Since beginning Miles had basically shelved these songs to attend school, focus on fatherhood, and commit to the demanding schedule of the F&O’s. He earned a degree in humanities with an emphasis on the philosophical implications of the ecological/economic crisis of our times, and that subject matter can be traced throughout his first EP. These songs concisely yet esoterically document the existential crisis of our current epoch—moving from the nothingness of modern materialism, fragmented reductionist thought, and drug escapism to a world imbued with subjectivity and meaning through a new relationship with the Earth and cosmos as alive and full of inherent intelligence. (more…)
Zola Jesus
In Your Nature (b/w David Lynch remix)
SBR-073
Nika Roza Danilova, admittedly, has never been a huge fan of remixes in general. Although she makes dance-y beats and music, the dozens of remix requests that come in each week — both asking her to lend her own stems or to produce for other bands — have been declined. Both artist and label tend to feel that most remixes frequently fail to improve on the original and since Sacred Bones is not (yet) a full fledged dance 12-inch label, no one in this camp has felt that remixes are an imperative for our roster artists who do not wish to engage in them. Once in a while though, an opportunity comes along that we simply can not pass up. The chance to work with one of our all time favorite artists, David Lynch, was such an opportunity. And so it is our honor to present the first and only official authorized Zola Jesus remix, “In Your Nature,” as heard through the ears of David Lynch. (more…)
War
At War For Youth
SBR-069
Sacred Bones is thrilled to present three new songs from an ongoing collaboration between two of Copenhagen’s most active musicians in its burgeoning punk scene. Loke Rahbek co-runs the Danish label Posh Isolation, sings for the band Sexdrome, and records with Skurv and Damien Dubrovnik while also performing under the solo moniker of LR. Elias Bender Rønnenfelt sings and plays guitar in Iceage and is a member of Marching Church and Pagan Youth. Between the two of them a rich lineage of musical history and influences can be traced, but within the context of SB releases, War is a band who falls somewhere between Daily Void and Trust. Recorded in a basement on four-track cassette in the summer of 2011, using analog synth, pedals, drums and guitar, both members sing and play a bit of everything. It is a compelling and utterly unique new genre, pulling elements as abstract as lo-fi post-apocalyptic punk dirge and early Chicago house music. The b-side, “Brodermordet,” is a about fratricide, specifically Cain and Abel’s. (more…)
Sacred Bones
Logo Tote Bag
Sacred Bones logo in silver ink on a black canvas tote bag. Holds up to twenty-five records or three bottles of wine.
Crystal Stilts
Radiant Door
SBR-064
Sacred Bones is elated to present a new EP from a NY band that has been very near and dear to our hearts for many years now, the Crystal Stilts. Recorded in early 2011 by Gary Olson, with the band’s guitarist JB Townsend producing, Radiant Door unveils some of the Stilts’ most dynamic recordings to date. The album features the beguiling blend of romanticism and mystery that one expects from singer and lyricist Brad Hargett. (more…)
Psychic Ills
Hazed Dream
SBR-063
Sacred Bones Records is proud to present Hazed Dream, the new long-player from fellow New Yorkers, Psychic Ills. Since their formation in 2003 as a home-recording experiment, the Ills have evolved into a live band, in their element playing the extended jam. Musically, it also marks a departure from some of the band’s more recent sonic explorations. The raga rumbles and synthesizer space-outs aren’t gone all together; the singular blasted musical perspective of the Ills remains. Fans new and old will find it totally dreamy. (more…)
Zola Jesus
Conatus
SBR-062
In the last three years, Nika Roza Danilova has gone from being an outsider, experimental, teenage noise-maker to a fully-fledged, internationally-celebrated, electronic-pop musician. It was a huge accomplishment, and, despite her age (young), her origins (mid-western, desolate), her accelerated scholastic achievements (high school and college were each completed in three years) and her diminutive physical size (4'11", 90 lbs), she has triumphed. She has emerged as a figurehead — a self-produced, self-designed, self-taught independent woman. (more…)
UV PØP
Just a Game
SBR-3007
This 7" is part of the Sacred Bones reissue series that has so far covered albums from 13th Chime, Carl Simmons and The Cultural Decay. UV PØP were from North Country UK, Sheffield to be exact. They crafted morose, jagged punk songs about the political climate of their country at the time. This single was originally released in 1982 on the legendary PAX Records in an edition of 1000 individually designed silk-screened covers. It was produced by Cabaret Voltaire and charted on Rough Trade but in America the band remained largely obscure. They have recently reformed and we also look forward to bringing to light their original full-length, No Songs Tomorrow early next year. (more…)
Trust
Bulbform
SBR-065
On the heels of the very well-received 7" single “Candy Walls” — which we released this spring — Toronto’s Trust are back with a four-on-the-floor dancefloor anthem. Cashing in on the promises delivered by The KLF, “Bulbform” is the next in line to define a genre and a generation.The B-side, “F.T.F.” is an epic masterpiece in its own right about the trials and tribulations of love affairs, and will most certainly appeal to fans of their slower, darker work. (more…)
Amen Dunes
Through Donkey Jaw
SBR-059
Amen Dunes, the solo project of Damon McMahon, began with recordings made in the fall of 2006 in upstate New York. Those tapes were initially put on the shelf as personal recordings he never intended for release, and the following summer, McMahon moved to China and all but stopped making music. He would live in Beijing for the next few years, writing and recording only occasionally. With the release of DIA on Locust Music in 2009, however, he decided to move back to the States and form a band around Amen Dunes. (more…)
Case Studies
The World Is Just a Shape to Fill the Night
SBR-052
Statement from the artist, Jesse Lortz: Most of these songs were recorded were recorded with friends during Feb. 2011 by Greg Ashley (Gris Gris), in a secluded cabin in Sequim, WA. The cabin sessions marked the third time most of the songs had been recorded. Two of the songs on this album are from a previous recording session done at the Pool in Portland by Alex Yusimov. “The Day We Met” is from a demo recording session I did at my grandfather’s cabin on Lake Inez in Montana. A woman some of these songs are about flew out to visit me there. It was the last of the good times we had together. (more…)
Woods
Find Them Empty
SBR-060
As a companion piece to their new full length, Sun and Shade, this single was recorded in the winter of 2011 at Buttermilk Falls in Warwick, NY. Woods have gracefully risen to the top of their class by crafting intricate nostalgic, experimental pop songs that are unforgettable. The A-side, “Find Them Empty,” is far less falsetto and way more Bobb Trimble than any of their previous work. The B-side, “Be There,” is a more jam-friendly number reminiscent of their legendary live shows.
Human Eye
They Came from the Sky
SBR-058
Detroit’s Human Eye is a futuristic sound world with rock’n’roll roots that aims to assault all the senses. Fronted by Timmy Vulgar (formerly of the Clone Defects), who also released a solo record this past fall on Sacred Bones under the name Timmy Organism, the band’s sonic palate ranges from heavy psychidelia to proto-punk and beyond. Their live shows are primal, chaotic and unpredictable, utilizing home-made props and masks or whatever your local dollar store has to offer. Human Eye’s debut album was released on In the Red records, and the follow-up LP, Fragments of the Universe Nurse is available via Hook Or Crook records. (more…)
The Men
Leave Home
SBR-057
The Men yes, “The,” are a four-piece post punk outfit from Brooklyn, NY. Their catalog, which began in 2008 with a hand-dubbed self-released demo cassette, has grown to include two LP’s — We Are the Men and Immaculada — two more tapes, and a 7-inch. They have toured three times, played over 75 shows and have grown a following of die hard fans crowding into living rooms and basements throughout the five boroughs, desperately trying to see them. The buzz in their hometown has grown so fervent that the Village Voice debuted this album’s first single, “Bataille,” a full six months before the record was scheduled to street. Named for the famed French pornographic writer, the track review expounds, “rides a pug-ugly joy-punk riff into almost krautrock oblivion — complete with gorgeous voice cracks and face-mooshing distortion.” (more…)
Christmas Island / Meth Teeth
Split 2x7"
SBR-043
Having already released singles for HoZac and Sweet Rot and debut full-lengths for Woodsist and In The Red respectively, we’re finally ready to roll out the long awaited double 7-inch from Meth Teeth and Christmas Island. These two West Coast bands offer opposing sides of the same coin. San Diego’s Christmas Island don’t play holiday music, but they do offer two sides of shambling melodic guitar-and-xylophone driven bubblegum garage. The poppy vibes of the A-side “Ex-Beach” coupled with “Drawing Skulls,” a revved up slide-driven stomper serve as a counterpoint to Portland’s downer folk stalwarts Meth Teeth. Their dirge-like “Don’t Come Home” is coupled with “Control” a song whose loner vibes might be the last thing you’d want to hear while jacked outta your mind on amphetamines. Sadly Meth Teeth are now defunct but their core member Mattey Hunter continues to be active in the Portland scene and his new band, No, is even harder to google. Christmas Island toured with Wavves last year in addition to several headlining jaunts of their own.
The Fresh & Onlys
Secret Walls
SBR-056
The Fresh & Onlys have had an unusually prolific past couple of years. On the heels of their critically acclaimed album Play It Strange, the band returns with a bold creative leap forward on their new EP Secret Walls. The cavernous opening sounds of Secret Walls reveal the strong threads of hazy post-punk melancholy that have been woven throughout the band’s catalog and have now fully matured. Tim Cohen’s crooning baritone is more confident and commanding than ever as it is sewn into the dizzying tapestry of the melody, while the guitar sounds of Wymond Miles often suggest the dynamic interplay of Verlaine/Lloyd. Long in the works, this EP was recorded in guitarist Miles’ San Francisco studio and properly captures their ambience while bringing forward Kyle Gibson’s lock-step drumming and the unique melodic play of bassist Shayde Sartin. It is the next logical step for the F&O’s and their moody, jangly guitar pop.
Religious Knives
Smokescreen
SBR-055
The core duo of Michael Bernstein (guitar, synth, vox) and Maya Miller (organ, vox) began their careers together as the extreme noise act, Double Leopards. By 2005, they had left the industrial noise realm for the somewhat mellower pastures of Kraut explorations. Their last album on Ecstatic Peace was highly acclaimed and co-produced by label owner Thurston Moore. This new long-player is in a similar vein — long, drawn-out and sprawling; the shortest song is just shy of the five minute mark. Pulse-like repetition and reed-organ oscillations are the main framework as the duo are joined here by Todd Cavallo on bass and Ryan Nadieau on drums. Like SB label-mates Moon Duo, or the recent signings of Chilean artist Follakzoid and The Holydrug Couple, Religious Knives draw from a well of pounding rhythmic drums and psychedelic drones with heavy organ and synth landscapes which envelope the listener fully.
Sacred Bones Presents
Todo Muere vol. 1
SBR-054
Todo Muere is no ordinary comp, as five out of the eight songs are unreleased rarities including b-sides, alternate takes and one demo from not only current but future roster artists. The first song by Moon Duo is an unreleased bonus track from the Mazes sessions, not featured on SBR-050. Number two, the TRUST track is a yet unreleased epic dark dance affair. Cult of Youth’s, “Eihwaz” was recorded during the Chris Coady S/T sessions and did not appear on the album solely due to lack of space on the vinyl, otherwise it would’ve been the single. Side B features an unreleased demo version of a song by Jesse Lortz (The Dutchess and the Duke), for his new Case Studies project due out early summer. Interspersed we have a couple slept-on hits and highlights from the recently released EPs by Pop.1280 (SBR-41), Gary War (SBR-042) and Amen Dunes (SBR-035). The closer is a once-in-lifetime acoustic track by Zola Jesus whose original version appeared on SBR-032, Stridulum. This version was recorded during a Part Time Punks radio session on KXLU.
Trust
Candy Walls
SBR-053
Born out of desperation in the brutal Canadian winter of 2009, Robert Alfons and Maya Postepski began writing songs about nostalgia, lust, and erotomania. TRUST combine dark synth arpeggios, live and programmed drum beats with haunting, effected vocals. What begins in the genre of minimal synth progresses into a sort of slow-techno that is equal parts introspective cold-wave and extroverted 808 dance beats. Their debut video directed by Eva Michon, shows a playful side to the duo as they ride around nature on a motorbike together, later though, it hints at the pair’s darker undercurrent when an Equus inspired incident unfolds. “Candy Walls” is a gorgeous and unapologetically sexual debut, which will be heavily blogged about. It’s an undeniable beat matched with a stunning and unique aesthetic. (more…)
Naked on the Vague
Twelve Dark Noons
SBR-051
Having expanded from the no-wave two piece of Lucy Cliche and Matthew Hopkins to a fully fleshed out four piece including drummer Lachlan Vercoe and bassist Nic De Jong, our favorite Australian outcasts return with a stunning EP as their follow-up to last year’s full length Heaps of Nothing. This EP is a bit lighter in mood and delivery; in the words of the band’s own Hopkins it’s a bit like, “Dracula fronting the B-52’s.” While this is certainly Hopkins taking the piss, opening track, “The Gift” is a perfectly modern homage to past dark lords such as Bauhaus and Christian Death. (more…)
Vinyl LP includes digital download.
Moon Duo
Mazes
SBR-050
We are thrilled to present the newest long-player from psych prodigies Moon Duo. For just over two years now Ripley Johnson (Wooden Shjips) and Sanae Yamada have been burning up the scene with their propulsive beats and compelling acid washed shows. Formed in San Francisco, the duo recently relocated to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. This record, however, was cut in Berlin. Certainly the most pop-oriented batch of songs the band has ever delivered, Mazes reveals a more accessible vocal delivery and song structure that is sure to appeal to a wide audience not necessarily well-versed in the psych underground. The concepts of minimalism, expansion through repetition and sensory distortion are all still here and the dynamic interplay between Ripley’s guitar and Sanae’s keyboard continue to push this band and genre into uncharted territory. A benchmark follow-up to their critically acclaimed previous LP, Escape and prior release for Sacred Bones, Killing Time. The Duo will be slow riot mosh touring the US beginning mid-March. (more…)
Vinyl LP includes digital download.
Medication
Judgment Day EP
SBR-048
Mike Hyde has been cultivating private press style recordings since high school, and for the past few years under the handle Medication. What initially was a private endeavor went public in 2007 when a friend of his in Germany asked that he write music for a short film he was working on. At that point he started a MySpace page as a means to play the producer works he had come up with for the project — mostly instrumentals and tape loops — but it quickly became more of a forum to post the other, more personal songs as well. (more…)
Cult of Youth
Cult of Youth
SBR-047
Born out of a love for the post-industrial music and culture that had inspired him ever since he had first discovered music as a teenager, Cult of Youth began as a series of home recordings by founder Sean Ragon. Ragon’s solo Cult of Youth project released a 7-inch and then one full length on then fledgling Dais Records (also responsible for introducing the world to Cold Cave and releasing Genesis P-Orridge’s pre-Throbbing Gristle recordings for the first time). The early recordings seemed to strike a chord with many people who felt alienated by the cultural irony and lo-fi slacker mentality that was ever present in independent music at the time. Adding three permanent members to the line-up: performance artist/director/painter/occult scholar Micki Pellerano on bass, machinist drummer Glenn Maryanski, and the violin virtuoso/goddess Christiana Key. (Key’s brilliant string arrangements were recently featured on new Zola Jesus single “Poor Animal.”) (more…)
Slug Guts
Howlin’ Gang
SBR-046
Slug Guts hail from the baron, heat stricken confines of Brisbane, Australia, a town as desolate as it is depressing and suburban. Slug Guts began when four degenerates had little else to do but form a band in the tradition of Pussy Galore, X (Australia not L.A.), and Birthday Party. In the first four months of the band Slug Guts recorded their first LP Down on the Meat which was released on Stained Circles Records (Jay Reatard, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Dirtbombs). (more…)
The Holydrug Couple
Ancient Land EP
SBR-045
“Two forest travelers, united by the will form the Holydrug Couple. With a minimal formation they managed to create a bluesy exploration, which takes the audience to a psychedelic trance. Like the rhythm of a train, with mid-tempo songs, they provide the audience a dense and misty energy. Without caring much about the contemporary scene they stand up for their own fascination about blues heroes, indian raga and hidden arts.” (more…)
Föllakzoid
Föllakzoid EP
SBR-044
Föllakzoid (prounounced foll-ack-zoid) started playing together three years ago in Chile when they were 20 years old. They were an eclectic group as far as musical taste, having dabbled in everything from classic rock to punk. The first time they jammed together they played non- stop without speaking for two hours and were seemingly over taken by a trance without any clear reference point. After they played their first show they began to delve into 60’s German krautrock while cultivating their love of and simultaneous propulsion towards motorik beat. (more…)
Gary War
Police Water EP
SBR-042
On the heels of the recently released 7-inch, Reality Protest, New York City’s mastermind Gary War delivers a new six song EP. Recorded just this summer (2010), Police Water sees War’s audio explorations breaking new ground in electronic prog and pop other-worlds. These new pieces reveal new experiments in song-approach, structure, sampling, and tightly synced synthesization. Meanwhile War delves further into tape manipulation and post-future digital recording techniques. The overall feel of Police Water vibrates with post-apocalyptic urgency but ultimately carries the listener in through the darkness and out into light. This new work spans War’s full emotional range, and never abandons his hopes of a more enlightened collective consciousness for the future of the human race. Heavily experimental yet highly accessible and hook- laden, Police Water is the next stage in War’s singular and specific vision of a real future pop music. Gary War will be touring Europe this fall and recording a live split album in Italy with label mate Zola Jesus. This winter, War will start working on a follow-up full length to his critically acclaimed (Wire Mag’s #23 album of 2009), Horribles Parade.
Pop. 1280
The Grid EP
SBR-041
Pop. 1280 are a cyberpunk band from New York City. The Grid is their first 12-inch release. Members include: Chris Bug, Ivan Lip, John Skultrane, and Andrew S. They got together in 2099 and have released two 7-inch records, the most recent being a self-released single and split 7-inch with Philadelphia’s Hot Guts. As dark and sinister as the Jim Thompson novel from which the band borrows their name, these nine dirges of skronky noir are the logical successor to the brand of scree practiced by forebearers the Chrome Cranks, Honeymoon Killers, and Pussy Galore, and along with contemporaries Twin Stumps, White Suns, Woman, and York Factory Complaint are ushering in a new era of punk. (more…)
Timmy’s Organism
Rise of the Green Gorilla
SBR-040
The debut solo on Sacred Bones Records, Timmy’s Organism is Timmy Vulgar’s organism of sound. Vulgar is of course the Human Eye front-man, erstwhile Clone Defect, and most recently a 2010 Kresge Artist Fellow which he was awarded for a “creative vision and commitment to excellence within a wide range of artistic disciplines.” Exploring a wide spectrum of the tree of rock n’ roll, heavy nuclear guitar rock, quick punk space glam, drunken late night white-man blues, instrumental joys of sadness, and don’t forget a little comedy rock. The lyrics are interesting and colorful, painting a picture, or a silent film in the listeners cerebellum. What is a gorilla symbolically? A peaceful creature living in a thick green jungle. He is king in his layer. Roaring like an angry guitar pounding on his chest like a primal drum. Chewing vegetation and leading his furry family to freedom! This is the Rise of the Green Gorilla!
Zola Jesus
Valusia EP
SBR-039
Saying the last six months have been a whirlwind for Sacred Bones’ youngest roster artist would certainly be a bit of an understatement. In addition to turning 21 successfully, by the time you read this, she will have also graduated college with a double major, and left her home of Wisconsin for the significantly less flat pavement of Los Angeles. But beyond the collegiate and personal milestones, Zola Jesus has attained some crucial career milestones since her last EP as well. She will be heading out on her first proper tours this fall, (three of them back-to-back, actually) supporting Fever Ray and Xiu Xiu abroad and The xx stateside. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of headline shows sprinkled throughout as well, and yes, most of the shows will be with her full backing band. (more…)
Mac Blackout
Don’t Let Your Love Die 7"
SBR-038
Sacred Bones presents a new solo single from ex-Functional Blackouts and current Daily Void man Mac Blackout that sounds that could have been made either in the year 1980 or 2980. “Don’t Let Your Love Die,” a driving synth driven tune that almost goes pop—albeit in a very Alexander Robotnik kind of way—sounds like it might as well have been recorded on an NES console. On the B-side “Sometimes” is a dirge like midtempo song that goes beyond the obvious comparisons to the Helios Creed/Damon Edge orbit and at times recalls Sacred Bones label-mate Gary War and even Mac’s other project, Daily Void.
Electric Bunnies
Pretty Joanna 7"
SBR-037
The Electric Bunnies have already come into their own releasing a string of singles and touring regularly. Late last year, Florida’s Dying dropped Through The Magical Door—a debut album hailed as the S.F. Sorrow of fuzzy sludge pop that topped just about everyone’s “best of” lists. Though it may be a little while longer before we get another full length, this single captures both the noisy and saccharine sweet sides of the band and should keep fans sated for now. “I Swear I’ll Never Let You Go” is a two-and-a-half-minute downer-pop gem, four harmonies and all. The A-side, “Pretty Joanna,” is virtually the opposite with a melody buried under layers of warm cascading fuzz and feedback.
The Bitters
Have a Nap Hotel EP
SBR-036
Hot on the heels of their debut Mexican Summer long-player, The Bitters, consisting of Aerin Fogel and the ever-prolific Ben Cook (Roommates, Young Governor, Fucked Up), bring us their Have a Nap Hotel EP. This Toronto-based duo have built a name for themselves forging their self-coined “cave pop” genre, which merges elements of 50s melodies and dark post-punk instrumentals with just a hint of flannel. Their debut 12-inch EP Wooden Glove, was released last spring on Captured Tracks and sold out shortly after, having been instantly well-received among tough critics and keen listeners alike. Cook’s jangly guitars stay back in the cut and let Fogel’s vocals (and the occasional fuzzy lead, saxophone, synth line, and handclap) wash over the tunes. Their collaborative work appears live with the help of drummer Jonah Falco (Fucked Up, Career Suicide) and a rotation of starry guest bassists. Though live shows have been scarce, owing to the members’ involvement with a number of other disparate projects, the band made their live debut a short time ago and found time to play the Sacred Bones label showcase at SXSW.
Amen Dunes
Murder Dull Mind EP
SBR-035
Recorded while Damon McMahon was living as an expatriate in China, Amen Dunes presents seven new stunning works of sunlit haziness. During the two years he lived abroad, he lived most of the time in an apartment on the north end of Beijing. He tracked these songs one summer in that apartment. With the exception of “Diane” and “Murder Dull Mind,” all of these songs were recorded in one take and are completely improvisational; on repeated listens though, there is a pop-ness to these songs amidst the improvisation. The title track in particular, a melodic mantra-like work could certainly function on its own as a single. Although the songs have a bit less pre-written structure than Amen Dunes’ previous work on the Locust label, they are still every bit as miraculous. The geographical influence on his work central to both writing and recording conditions is evident here as these songs are way more open, and generally more free than his debut Dia (recorded in 2006 in a Catskills cabin) was. A bit less psych freak out and a bit more dark folk vibe throughout.
Nerve City
Sleepwalker EP
SBR-034
The 6-song Sleepwalker EP by Nerve City—the one-man home recording project out of Richmond, VA—is the next installment in the Sacred Bones 12-inch EP series. Awash in the whips and twangs of a spring loaded reverb tank and faint hints of a distant drum kit, Nerve City’s hook-driven songs recall the hard-charging down-strokes of the Velvet Underground’s more driving moments or, more recently, the psychedelia of West coast kindred spirits in Sic Alps and the Gris Gris. Over the past several years, the band has cemented a rep both live and on record. First came the Catholic School demo tape and the follow-up, Hell (both via Amateur Depression), then quickly sides on Severed Hand, Kill Shaman, HoZac, and Sweet Rot.s For the most part, those releases are now completely gone.
EFFI BRIEST
Rhizomes
SBR-033
Rhizomes is the debut full length from the all-female outfit, EFFI BRIEST. The nine-song opus, Rhizomes, unleashes a propulsive beat that drives angular guitars and bone chilling vocals over dark bass, dense drones and clattering, dance-like percussion. The atmospheric psychedelia owes as much to Arthur Russell as to Amon Duul. Rhizomes includes two of the band’s UK singles on Loog Records, and seven more previously-unreleased original songs. There are brilliant videos for both singles; the cinematic “Long Shadow,” directed by Brandon LaGanke, is making its way around the internet, and showcases the six-piece during their most formidable hour. Mak Kern’s stunning animation for EFFI BRIEST’s palindrome song, “Mirror Rim,” is bound to boomerang back if you missed it the first time. Coming soon is a split with Peaches on Blast First Petite as part of the label’s ongoing 12-inch tribute series to Suicide.
Zola Jesus
Stridulum EP
SBR-032
Since her debut LP for Sacred Bones last summer, Zola Jesus’s profile has grown exponentially. Her video for “Clay Bodies” debuted on The Fader and her likeness was plastered all over the Internet. The Spoils made dozens of year-end lists including The Wire, Pitchfork, The Fader, and Dusted, and fans and critics alike now seem rabid for new material. So without further ado, we present Stridulum, the new, far less lo-fi 6-song EP from Nika Roza Danilova. Recording her vocals for the first time with professional instruments, Nika’s voice is brought to the powerful forefront of the mix unleashing the full range of emotions that had previously only been hinted at in her previous work. It’s a siren song for the apocalypse, which manages to come across immensely nurturing at the same time. (more…)
Daily Void
The Eclipse of 1453 EP
SBR-031
The third installment in Sacred Bones’ 12-inch EP series comes from Daily Void. The Chicago band which includes 3⁄4 of the Functional Blackouts and who cut their teeth with singles for Boom Chick, HoZac, and Florida’s Dying pick up where they left off on their previous full length with a half dozen songs of disjointed, death-tinged noisy punk. Shades of Rudimentary Peni and some off the lesser celebrated acts on Crass Records course through this slab of vinyl.
Nice Face
Immer Etwas
SBR-030
Immer Etwas is the first full length release from this one man bedroom recording project turned full on 5-piece live band. Nice Face have been turning out singles, comp tracks, and cassettes at a steady clip over the past two years and change. This LP is a solid thirteen tracks of drum-machine driven blown out hook-laden punk rock that one reviewer prone to curmudgeonly ranting proclaimed “locks Blank Dogs in the pound, erases ‘Psychedelic’ from Psychedelic Horseshit, makes purses and boots out of Crocodiles, and, oh I don’t know…makes a puddle out of Wavves?” We think that is the cheesiest sentence ever written, even though it was intended as a compliment. Live, the band now counts members of Livefastdie and Imaginary Icons among its ranks. The CD version will include the two Sacred Bones singles, the HoZac single, and the song from Killer Diller Records’ Wild About Jenkem comp.
The Pink Noise
Birdland
SBR-029
This is the deluxe remastered LP edition of the previously cassette only release on Beniffer Editions. It is their third official full length, described as “a totally peaced out collection of destructo boombox symphonies.” Sounds about right to us. This French Canadian duo, who’s output has been prolific already—two full lengths, two cassettes, a single and an appearance on the “World’s Lousy Vol. 2” comp—is mining territory similar to Chrome and Suicide channeled through warm layers of fuzz and broken Casio beats.
Gary War
Reality Protest 7"
SBR-028
This is the newest single from Gary War which was originally pressed up in Italy as a split release between Sacred Bones and Holidays Records to be sold on the band’s European tour. “Reality Protest”—a swirling ball of spring reverb and psychedelia that builds to a driving pulse—is the lead off track backed by “Hollow Futures,” a dark and moody keyboard laden song similar to the material on the Horribles Parade LP. For those who failed to make it to the continent to catch the band on the road Sacred Bones is making this limited edition tour single available stateside and beyond.
Carl Simmons
Honeysuckle Tendrals
SBR-3005
Honeysuckle Tendrals is a lost recording. It resides within a canon of musical output by a singer/songwriter no one has heard of, from a place that the world has almost entirely written off. Recorded in 1999 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Honeysuckle Tendrals was Carl Simmons’ 2nd effort at a full length recording. He released it into the world in a miniscule edition of cassette tapes on his own Unconscious Piano Productions imprint. To say it was poorly distributed is an understatement. It was handed out to friends, and perhaps sold at various open mic nights, where he would sometimes pass off his own songs as Bob Dylan tunes to an unsuspecting audience. (more…)
13th Chime
The Lost Album & Complete Discography
SBR-3003/4
Earlier this year Sacred Bones released the singles collection from 13th Chime which collected the scant few recordings released during their brief lifetime as well as a handful of heretofore unheard demos and alternate recordings. With their blend of dark driving aggression and sparse arrangements for a brief moment in time the band seemed poised to breakout of the day to day of slogging it out in clubs and onto the international radar but through a series of mishaps ended up a footnote and dissolving into obscurity. (more…)
Vermillion Sands
Miss My Gun EP
SBR-026
The second installment in the Sacred Bones 12-inch EP series comes from Treviso, Italy’s Vermillion Sands who sound like they could be the house band at the dystopian oceanside resort that features prominently in the J.G. Ballard short story collection from which the group takes their name. The Vermillion Sands’ ramshackle female fronted country tinged garage rock gives off some serious Mekons-meets-Headcoatees vibes or a femme fronted counterpart to the records Dan Melchoir has been pumping out as of late. Reverbed whips and twangs and a little mouth harp underlie some serious hooks and melodies. Look out for the debut full length out soon of Fat Possum.
Factums
Flowers
SBR-025
Flowers is the latest full length from Seattle’s bleak and ominous Factums and is their second for the Sacred Bones label. Recorded between 2006 and 2007 but only now seeing a proper release, Flowers is dark and disturbing. The album has twenty two tracks that fluctuate from sound collage to soundtrack-esque moments as well as more structured songwriting. This album also has flashes of abrasive electropunk that has garnered them well-deserved comparisons to Chrome, Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle and much of the early Wax Trax catalog.
Moon Duo
Killing Time EP
SBR-024
Moon Duo is a project of Wooden Shjips guitarist and singer Ripley Johnson. Under the Moon Duo moniker, Johnson and collaborator Sanae Yamada create expansive Krautrock influenced tapestries of warm cascading fuzz and controlled feedback, organ, and accenting keyboard. This four song 12-inch is the second release and incorporates a much more concise, composed and driving sound than before. The Duo expand on ideas only hinted at on the Sick Thirst 12-inch (which is already long gone) adding a driving drum machine beat behind the thick walls of layered sound. Don’t sleep on this one.
Gary War
Horribles Parade
SBR-023
Horribles Parade is the new full length from Gary War. This is the second album and the followup to last years’ New Raytheonport LP on SHDWPLY Records. The album expands on the more stripped down sound of his Sacred Bones “Zontag” single, plying layers of warm fuzz and feedback on top of psychedelic pop song structures. The CD contains “Anhedonic Man,” previosly released as a one-sided single on Hell Yes! records, as well as the whole Galactic Citizens 12" EP, soon to be relased on Captured Tracks.
Zola Jesus
The Spoils
SBR-022
Sacred Bones is proud to present The Spoils from Zola Jesus. Hailing from the unsuspecting locale of Madison, WI, Zola Jesus—the alter ego of Nika Roza Danilova—occupy a sphere of sparse industrial rhythms, no-fi drones, and ethereal femme vocals. Those who have seen her handful of live shows, heard her WFMU set, or caught any of the acclaimed, sought after, and now mostly out of print releases on Die Stasi or Troubleman Unlimited already know. For those uninitiated The Spoils may be the most fully realized representation of her sound. Zola Jesus have two previous releases on Sared Bones, the Souer Sewer single and a limited CD of a live performance from WNYU. The CD contains the entire “Soeur Sewer” 7" as well as the three songs from the Die Stasi single.
The Cultural Decay
Eight Ways to Start a Day: Singles & Demos
SBR-3002
Cultural Decay existed from 1980-1982. The band’s collective discography is comprised of a highly sought after 7" single and two song 12" EP. The latter was produced and features additional accompaniment by future Revolting Cocks co-founder Luc Van Acker. The band played a total of 15 gigs in local clubs—with like minded Belgian acts such as Struggler, De Brassers, and Siglo XX—before disbanding. (more…)
13th Chime
The Singles: 1981-1983
SBR-3001
We are proud to announce the release of the 13th Chime singles collection. Long sought after by collectors, the UK band only released a scant three singles in their time together before dissolving into obscurity. Their sound--a merging of deathrock's dark driving aggression and post-punk's sparse arrangements--reflected the realities of life in a small market town in the desolate political landscape of early 80s Britain. (more…)
Sacred Bones
Sacred Bones Bird T-Shirt
100% cotton Gildan t-shirts. Available in prairie dust or black.
Timmy’s Organism
Squeeze the Giant 2x7"
SBR-021
Sacred Bones is proud to present this 5-song EP spread across two 7-inches from Timmy’s Organism, the solo alter-ego of Human Eye frontman and Clone Defects mastermind Timmy Vulgar, along with members of Hamtramck’s Terrible Twos. Traversing the gap between the disjointed Helios Creed-inspired work of Human Eye’s skronky punk and more spacey, out there explorations, Timmy’s Organism is the next logical step in a family of Michigan noise that includes the now defunct Pirhanas as well as Tentacle Lizardo, The Frustrations, Reptile forcefield and even Tyvek. More stripped down and raw than anything Human Eye has done to date but no less intense! Don’t miss out on this one!
Naked on the Vague
Chitty Chat 7"
SBR-020
“Chitty Chat” b/w “Goodbye Dear Cliche” - Australia’s Naked on the Vague return for another two-sider of serious harsh downer vibes. Drum, synth, bass and vocal ferocity from this male/female duo that comes out sounding like a surprisingly more danceable version of Whitehouse. Fans of last year’s Skulltones 7-inch and Siltbreeze full-length won’t be disappointed. The band will be touring the US with Blank Dogs and will appear at this year’s Sacred Bones showcase at SXSW.
Nice Face
Mnemonic Device 7"
SBR-019
“Mnemonic Device” b/w “Situation Is Facing Utter Annihilation” — The third single from Nice Face follows on the heels of the recent HoZac 7-inch and an appearance on the “Wild About Jenkem” compilation alongside like-minded fellow travelers Wizzard Sleeve and Livefastdie. “Mnemonic Device” is a slower plodding mid-tempo song driven by a hypnotic repeating keyboard line and fuzzed out vocals. “Situation Is Facing Utter Annihilation” on the flip is the punkest Nice Face track to date bridging the gulf between disjointed no-fi punk rock and sinister synth and drum machine derangement. Keep an eye out for forthcoming live dates from this heretofore bedroom-only project.
Zola Jesus
New Amsterdam CD-R
SBR-018
A collection of four songs recorded live at WNYU plus six unreleased songs.
Gary War
Zontag 7"
SBR-017
Sacred Bones presents the followup release to last year’s New Raytheonport full-length LP on Shdwply Records. Gary War’s keyboard and tape manipulations exist in the loner sphere somewhere between the Legendary Pink Dots’ keyboard driven take on UK psychedelia and current fellow travelers like the Pink Noise. Like the LPD or Ariel Pink (to whom he’s garnered comparisons since the debut LP release) the odd experimental arrangements and off-kilter instrumentation never stray very far from melancholy pop song structures rooted around a catchy hook and melody.
Spirit Photography
Time is Racing 7"
SBR-016
Debut release from this San Diego three piece that includes members of Christmas Island. Two tracks of unpleasant and foreboding post-punk with baritone vocals in the vein of Douglas P and early DIJ. Look out for future releases including a track on the Charles de Goal tribute Expositions (str8line records), a 4-way split 7-inch with Sharp Ends, O Voids, Ale Mania (Volar Records), a cassette only release on Neon Aztec, and the HHH/The Centre Cannot Hold 12-inch.
Max Elliott
The Nature o’ Nature 7"
SBR-015
Sparsely arranged folk from Absinthe Minds member Max Elliott. The central Wisconsin singer/songwriter’s dark acid folk hovers close around the lone guitar/vocal arrangements with subtle percussive accompaniment at points. This is not the folk of Jewel or Devendra Banhardt…think along the lines of Beard of Stars-era T-Rex or Simon Finn’s Pass The Distance. Raspy voiced tales of death, woe, and redemption. If you were quick enough to catch the 13-song cassette on Jerkwave last year you know what you’re in for; if you missed it, don’t sleep on this one
The Pink Noise
Gold Light 7"
SBR-014
Canadian 2-piece The Pink Noise return for their second release on Sacred Bones. Last year’s Dream Code LP ended up topping most people’s best of 2008 lists. Electronic and organic drumming with keys with staccato punk guitar blasts--think the Residents played through a Big Muff. A double sider of deranged bedroom punk that shames the dozens of one-man-bands hunched over a Tascam trying to make a cheap knockoff of the original. The record sounds like it was mastered through a boombox onto a thriftstore cassette. The Jerkwave cassette release, the previous 7-inch single, and their track on World’s Lousy (both on Almost Ready Records) are all long gone.
Children’s Hospital
Alone Together LP
SBR-013
Alone Together is the debut release from Children’s Hospital. If their despondent sounds remind you of something you may have once heard its because this is the latest project from the A-Frames/Intelligence/Rodent Plague/AFCGT axis. Reminiscent of the brooding and gray skyline of their hometown of Seattle the duo hover between abstract soundscape compositions, Jandek inspired bouts of melancholy droned out dementia, and stripped apart abrasive punk...often combining several of the forms at once. If recent Rodent Plague releases on Killshaman and Jerkave Tapes are any indication it would be ill-advised to sleep on Children’s Hospital.
Children’s Hospital
Children’s Hospital Photo Book & CD
SBR-013-B
In addition to the forthcoming Children’s Hospital debut LP Sacred Bones is also offering a very limited edition photo book and CD edition. The book is a reproduction of stunning found photography from 1926 shot inside a ward of an actual children’s hospital. In total it includes 24 pages of personal photos of one particular nun working in hospital as well as many period photos of the patients themselves. The morbid vibe presets a stunning paradox with stark black and white photos of patients who despite the circumstances appear generally happy. This book will be released in a limited edition of 200 copies and will include a CD copy of the Children’s Hospital record.
The Rebel
Northern Rocks Bear Weird Vegetable LP
SBR-012
Sacred Bones Records presents Northern Rocks Bear Weird Vegetable—the nextfull-length from London, England's The Rebel. The alter ego of Country Teasers’ Ben Wallers, The Rebel dates back to the tail-end of the 80s—having existed side-by-side throughout Country Teasers’ prolific career—often releasing records at a steadier clip than Waller’s main project with songs too madcap to fit into even their William-Burroughs-by-way-of-The-Residents take on country music. (more...)
His Electro Blue Voice
Duuug 7"
SBR-011
Italian punks His Electro Blue Voice mine territory first scoped out by Crisis, Warsaw, and early Xmal Deutchland. Two sides of serious Italian dark punk. Fans of last year's “Fog” single on S-S Records and their split with Nuit Noire take note.
Dead Luke
Record Two: Jumping Jack Flash Drive 7"
SBR-010
The second offering from Dead Luke and the final installment to be included with the box set of records and other assorted ephemera. A two-sider from the warped mind of this Wisconsin home-recorder. Recommended for psychedelic electronic skronk enthusiasts.
Zola Jesus
Soeur Sewer 7"
SBR-009
From classically opera trained virtuoso to lo-fi bedroom psych wave heroine, Madison, WI’s Zola Jesus already has a prolific output to her name. With a 7" already out on Die Stasi Sacred Bones is psyched to offer this single. “Souer Sewer” taps into a tortured cabaret vibe while “Odessa” sounds like something that would have been banned by the party from the airwaves in its namesake Soviet homeland.
Blank Dogs
On Two Sides CD
SBR-008
Sacred Bones presents the CD version of the first Blank Dogs full-length On Two Sides--vinyl was released (and already oop) earlier this year via Troubleman Unlimited. The first long-playing release and the first non-vinyl appearance (save for a very limited run cassette release of this album via Fuckit Tapes) from bedroom punk's new crowned prince of home-recorded DIY synth dementia. After a string of highly coveted and now mostly out of print singles and EP's On Two Sides finds the band holding attention in the long form. Buried under the layers of distortion, fuzz, and synth lines are pop hooks that call to mind The Bats and The Chills as much as Helios Creed or Debris. Psychedelic punk for fans of the more minimal and electro tendencies of the Komische. Which mask will you wear during Blank Dog Time?
Nice Face
Thing in my Head 7"
SBR-007
Mid-tempo guitar and drum machine driven bedroom punk from this faceless one-man act. Clear the room at your next family function with this pair of unbalanced ballads. Another great Mike Sniper designed cover.
Dead Luke
Record One 7"
SBR-006
The first of two singles to be included in the Sacred Bones released Dead Luke Box Set (which will include both singles, a four song CD-R, buttons, stickers, and other assorted ephemera). Milwaukee dark sludge from one man. The Troggs cover on this record is a must hear for fans of musical dementia. Handsome hand-drawn Mike Sniper cover art.
The Pink Noise
Dream Code LP
SBR-005
The first full-length release from this French Canadian guitar and electronics duo. Those who caught their track on Almost Ready’s “World’s Lousy With Ideas Volume 2” comp have been craving another fix. Drum machines, pop-hooks, processed guitars, distorted vocals, boombox recording aesthetic.
Factums
The Sistrum LP
SBR-004
Full-length follow-up to last year’s LP on the recently resurrected Sitlbreeze label from this band that vaguely circles in the A-Frames/Intelligence/Fruit Bats orbit. Critics have compared Factums to Tronics, Cabaret Voltaire, or Pere Ubu’s more chaotic moments also citing some heavy Kraut influenced flashes.
Hunchback
Werse Houses 7"
SBR-003
First solo vinyl appearance from this New York/New Jersey dark punk combo cut straight from the Killdozer/Scratch Acid mold. The B-side sees the band and ’dozer vocalist Michael Gerald take on Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful.” Stunning cover art by the sadly deceased underground comic legend Rory Hayes. Recorded by Conrad Uno and mastered by Crypt Records’ Tim Warren. Mid-period Touch & Go fans take note!
Blank Dogs
Diana (the Herald) 12"
SBR-002
The second 12" offering from this mysterious bedroom synth project that’s been shrouded in secrecy from the start. Blank Dogs lives in the grey space between early Minimal Synth pioneers and current experimentalists like Blues Control and Excepter. Offensively limited cloth-bound edition is long gone. So is the orange cover. Get your copy of the Green & Black pressing while quantities last!
The Hunt
1000 Nights 7"
SBR-001
Virgin offering from the Sacred Bones family. Sparse arrangements, desert guitars, and a charismatic frontman, New York City’s The Hunt lead a new crop of Death Rock bands bent on spreading their coarse invective. The Hunt begins.
Distributed Exclusively by Secretly Canadian
Upcoming Releases
June 12, 2012
- SBR-080 Wymond Miles Under the Pale Moon LP/CD
July 24, 2012
- SBR-077 Slug Guts Playin’ in Time With the Deadbeat LP/CD
- SBR-081 Anasazi 7"