Not Not Fun

Rangers – ‘Pan Am Stories’ CD/2LP $10/$22
Tape-warped phantom band Rangers finally unleashes the grainy, soaring, expansive prog-pop opus we always knew was floating inside the fretboard (and imagination) of multi-instrumentalist mystery maestro Joe Knight. The north Dallas-raised, San Fran-residing head Ranger grew up taking classical guitar lessons from a dude who claimed to have ‘toured with the Dead,’ and some of that brain-wonked jam agenda obviously seeped into the young Knight, who began recording his own loose, lo-fi jangle sprawls in 2005. But whereas last year’s critically lauded Suburban Tours LP found him condensing his cassette-crushed alien pop into 3 minute radio nuggets, Pan Am Stories uses the reverse strategy, letting each blurry strum pattern coast away and ride the breeze a bit before steering it into a fresh counter-melody or flanged-out guitar comedown. The extra breath and space gives the 13 songs a real sense of freedom and lightness and flight, layered in gentle blankets of fuzz, silky reverb, and audio collage riddles. A total saga, and a summit achievement of next-level invention for Knight as a musician (it’s insane he played/recorded every instrument on this thing!) and artist. Have been soaking in these tracks non-stop since we first heard ‘em this summer and are thrilled to get to share Stories with the world. 4-panel full-color CD digipaks (mastered by Carl Saff, who worked on Suburban Tours too) with micro-detailed collage art by Mr. Rangers himself; interior artwork by Knight and Anthony Yuen. Edition of 800.

Pharaohs – ‘Uhh Uhh’ 12″ $9
Heavy-grooved world-rhythm baggy bangers by LA’s best band, hands down. Pitch-shifted vocal samples swirl over low-slung warehouse drug beats and tranced 3 AM keyboard leads, jacked up by unbelievable live sax freestyles and jazzy electricities. Bring it all back. Get this now.

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