topaz rags

topaz rags ~ the crown center 7" (not not fun 2010)

"West Coast ghost squad Topaz Rags stalk back into the deadlights, ...recorded in the heart of winter in a room with one blue light bulb, “The Crown Center” is pure nightprowler music: quaking bass, grime-jazz keys, dusty drums, witch choirs floating through the smog and into sleeping homes with the power lines cut. The sound of crime to come. The flip (“You Go On”) slips deeper into the psych-psycho psyche, a bleached-brain riff-rhythm grinding away endlessly while voices and electric piano stabs arc across the stereo field, raining ash. A grimmer twist on the Topaz formula, the dreamer’s dream turned dark." not not fun

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la vampires & zola jesus

la vampires & zola jesus ~ s/t (not not fun 2010)

"...overflowing with damaged dub and desert ghost vocals, the ideal soundtrack for a summer spent melting in the heat on the porch" omg vynil

"La Vampires is the latest project from the equally prolific Amanda Brown, who doubles as an active member of Pocahaunted, & the seductive charm of nu-goth singer Zola Jesus. The duo have combined styles for some new haunted melodies, rumbles into motion with those familiarly smudged out, indecipherable vocals and evaporating drum machines but there's a heavy bass groove and some ghoulish melodic developments set to balance out any of the more noxiously no-fi elements" boomkat

foto: nequest

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my estrogeneration

va ~ my estrogeneration lp (not not fun 2009)

"First ever not not fun vinyl compilation finds the spotlight landing fairly on the fairer sex, and the glare is glorious. 11 diverse femme musical energies corralled across 12 inches of black vinyl, all exclusive contributions, and the breadth of zones and interzones traversed is a beautiful thing to hear. Carry on my wayward non-sons. LPs in jackets with artwork by Pocahaunted bassist/scholar Diva Dompe, plus a full-color double-sided insert. Edition of 500. This year's Estrogeneration includes: Zola Jesus, Tickley Feather, Pocahaunted (vintage unused track from Gold Miner's Daughters sessions), Inca Ore, Topaz Rags, HNY, Talk Normal, Islaja (featuring Samara Lubelski and Blevin Blectum), L.A. Vampires, U.S. Girls & Valet" nnf

foto: mikaylah bowman

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topaz rags

topaz rags ~ capricorn born again (not not fun 2009)

"Grey clouds stay grey. Low light situations birth low-lit moods. It's all bummer clockwork. West Coast lurk-jazz triad Topaz Rags return to vinyl with their debut long player, Capricorn Born Again, an eight-song comedown recorded/mixed from spring-to-fall of '09 via a complex 4-track/boombox assemblage method. Everything creaks and hisses, there's smoke in the air, players at the end of their ropes, lyrics washing over faded raga ballads, slinky electric piano bar depressions, shadow gauze cavern pop. The bell jar is half empty, obviously. Slow dive and sink in. Black vinyl LPs (mastered by Pete Swanson) in jackets designed by Amanda." not not fun

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topaz rags

topaz rags - tarot harem 7" (not not fun 2008)

"Topaz Rags is a new late night downer trio devoted to mapping these sour times and long goodbyes. this is their debut vinyl release featuring members of pocahaunted and robedoor. 2 sides of bleak piano and post-beatnik ruin. in hand-silkscreened sleeves with die-cut backs. edition of 250." nnf

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topaz rags

topaz rags - california ash cs (not not fun 2008)

"People in the West blame weird moods on a string of things: the wind (those Santa Anas), the end (of the country), the moon (crescent is cursed), even the movies. But it doesn’t matter which is right/real, because the effect is the same, freaked souls in a trapped environment, lotuses floating on a lake littered with bodies. Topaz Rags is a new late night downer trio devoted to mapping these sour times and long goodbyes, and California Ash is their 2-sided elegy for the Golden State’s darkest ghosts, the rich hills full of fire, the day after the kool-aid. Back-alley bass lines plod under smoky piano shadows, drums stalk a straight line in a house with the power out, a trumpet mourns from a warped 78 spinning in the basement. Wasted, grey, drug jazz lost somewhere between Bohren & Der Club Of Gore and some half-destroyed pre-Portishead demo. Gold-on-white pro-dubbed cassettes in spraypainted cases with doomed hippie chick portrait cover photo and bedecked with a hand-cut shred of neon palm tree fabric. Edition of 100." nnf

Topaz Rags son Amanda (Pocahaunted): drums & vocals; Britt: bass & trumpet y Ash: piano & vocals.

foto: ▼ A Fötos alison scarpulla

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