Smoke Ring Days: Buy Stuff

Mosaic is the third CD release by SpiceHouse, a band whose music encompasses a number of varied musical genres, including jazz, rock, trip-hop, psychedelia, world, serial, pop and electronica. Clocking in at a substantial one-hundred-and-thirty-six minutes, Mosaic is a triple-length collection on two CDs, charting the musical progression of the group since their first full-length effort in 2005, Tomorrow is the Answer. With Disc One featuring songs ranging from the retro jazz of ‘Bleecker Street’ to the African-instrumented ‘Mosaic’ to the bluesy funk of ‘Do You Not Know Why,’ Disc Two includes extended improvisations on several tracks, including free jazz takes and the incorporation of moga (or modern raga) progressions, as well as eclectic bonus material.

On this limited edition version of Mosaic, the first five hundred copies will be signed by the members of SpiceHouse.

This double-CD, two-hour plus musical sojourn is the first full-length release from the trip hop/world beat/jazz band SpiceHouse, following their debut extended play CD, Anise Star, also on the Blue City label. Influenced by the unique stylings of musicians as diverse as Ornette Coleman, the Grateful Dead, Eno, Portishead, and Zero 7, the group's sound blurs the boundaries between genres, waxing poetic and waning cool. From upbeat polyrhythmic syncopations to meandering, mystical explorations to sultry, straight-forward sambas, Tomorrow is the Answer raises many a musical question that will leave you listening again - and again.

Get assorted songs from "Tomorrow is the Answer" for .99 cents each at Apple iTunes.com

Channeling the mystical symbolism of its Chinese namesake, SpiceHouse’s first wholly instrumental album, Anise Star, is synthesized from a seemingly juxtaposed, yet surprisingly congruent set of influences both ancient and modern, interpreting ecclesiastical modes with modern electronics and intertwining synthesized and organic instrumentation to create sonic architecture that leads one down dark corridors into spaces of celestial light, taking you on an orchestral journey that one critic has described as "a 23rd century symphony playing at the end of the universe."
Containing three tracks - ''The Inner Journey,' 'A Symphony of Storms,' and 'The Haunting' - originally commissioned for the film 'Bushinko,' as well as nine new compositions and the bonus track 'Where Have the Feelings Gone,' from the Barbarian Lovers album Dancing in Dreams, Anise Star shines brightly with a warm, ambient aura while still maintaining a cool edge of shamanistic mystery that lures the listener on a transcendent trek of aural exploration, again and again.

SpiceHouse's Anise Star showcases the band's instrumental, ambient side, as compared to their album Tomorrow is the Answer, which focuses more on SpiceHouse's trip hop and vocal compositions. With seventy-two minutes of music, much of Anise Star is suitable for meditation, yoga, or simple relaxation.

Get assorted songs from "Anise Star" for .99 cents each at Apple iTunes.com

blue Noise is the sophomore release by Sinfonia Electronique, an amalgam of electro-noise sound art that includes ten new tracks by this creative, cross-cultural collective. Stylistically-varied, the album cites as influences the early twentieth century audio innovation of Luigi Russolo, through the twisted genius of mid-century production pioneer Joe Meek, to the esoteric inventiveness of such modern avant-gardists as Brian Eno. blue Noise has been described as “an abstract scrapyard symphony of sound.”

Finally available in the US after several years as an import-only UK release, Songs of Simple Dreams lures the listener by weaving earnest songwriting, transcendent lyricism, nouveau blues, and Alt-Americana arrangements into the fabric of a new musical consciousness. Coloured by lush and haunting harmonies and soaring guitar work, the album is a painstakingly-crafted patchwork of moving material, from the powerful protest music of ‘August Sun’ and ‘Darkness on the Land’ to the fragile folkiness of ‘Daydream Tomorrows’ and the sweet sensuality of ‘Baby, Don’t You Follow.’ With Songs of Simple Dreams, Smoke Ring Days creates aural commentary that spans the gamut from heartfelt emotional outpourings to well-placed political punches.

As the title implies, A Tribute to Berio, Subotnick, Legeti is comprised of various compositions that were stylistically influenced by the more experimental/electronic work of these three great twentieth century masters. The music contained herein includes material recorded using both analogue equipment dating from the early 1970s, as well as modern digital technology. This issue marks the initial release of the music of Sinfonia Electronique outside of Europe.

Get various songs from iTunes

Get assorted songs from "Songs of Simple Dreams" for .99 cents each at Apple iTunes.com

Da Capo is a collection of previously-released and never-before-heard songs, some dating back from the early days of Smoke Ring Days, and others culled from the archives of Barbarian Lovers, the band's previous incarnation. These ten (plus) tracks are amongst the band's catchiest and most melodic, with an audible emphasis on vocal harmonies, country-tinged guitar and harmonica riffs, and driving rhythm lines. The opening 'Round and Round,' originally released in Europe on Italy's Cruisin label, was a Gavin Report 'Spotlight Pick of the Month' upon its initial release, and numbers such as the hipster paen 'Simon Templar' and Yardbirds-influenced 'Don't Walk Away' received much airplay and positive press in Europe.

Get assorted songs from "DA Capo" for .99 cents each at Apple iTunes.com

This album is a select retrospective of the band's early work from the late 80s to early 1990s. With the exception of the poignant and meditative Answer to Love, the songs within hone a sharper edge than material previously available by the band on Amazon, providing a welcome addition for fans who wish to re-experience the punch of their limited live performances.

Originally a 1988 UK release on the Aura label as Fatal Embrace, this album was first made available in the US in 1992 on the Blue City imprint. Featuring several additional unreleased tracks, Dancing in Dreams is a collection of 13 Barbarian Lovers songs, each unique unto itself, yet woven together by a sense of possession, abandonment, and longing, and punctuated by the pain of unrequited passion. Culled from the band's early 1984-88 period, the material compellingly captures the Barb's burgeoning songwriting skills, affording the listener the opportunity to see why this band became one of the best-kept secrets of the 1980s. US version includes duo-fold lyric booklet.

British vinyl LP on the Aura label. Cover design by Stylorouge, clean mastering. See photo section for cover art. Brand new for $ 9.00 plus postage. Available directly on this site. E-mail for additional info.

Barbarian Lovers vinyl 7" single 'Hit to my Heart' b/w 'Simon Templar.' See photo section for cover design. Brand new, available direct from this site for $ 3.00 plus postage. E-mail for additional info.

American vinyl LP on the Blue City label. Full color cover and direct- to-metal mastering. See photo section for cover art. Brand new for $ 9.00 plus postage. Available directly from this site. E-mail for additional info.