Monday, March 20, 2006

I actually sort of wanted to hit up SXSW this year, 'specially to get drunk with Neil Young and check out Marissa Nadler's Texas debut, playing along with Jack Rose and some other people, but thought better of it with another big musical adventure looming the following month and only so much patience for the whirlwind culture media explosion that is SXSW. Besides, drinking that much Red Bull in a week can't be good.

I think I did my bit by crawling out of my dusty din and driving to The Cavern Saturday night(in the rain, mind you) to catch some SXSW carry-over: Marissa Nadler (playing Dallas ?) on a bill with Asobi Seksu ("playful sex"--LOL) and Tunng (beards and beats from England--LOL). Arrived too late to see opening band Voot Cha Index, boo-fucking-hoo.

Asobi Seksu has a sexy, short Asian singer/keyboardist. They sound like Tubeway Army meets Broadcast. They are not original, but they are tight and polished and use strobelights. I also thought Stereolab crossed with early "Seamonsters" era Wedding Present, but I was probably being generous.

Marissa's set was next, and despite a few sound issues ("the soundman is an asshole"), she pulled it off glowingly. Her voice is this massive, reverb drenched siren call from the land of broken hearts--an undeniably rich, luminescent specter that gathers over the crowd and thrives on the concentrated warmth. I was pleased with the response and Marissa and Jesse's (Sparhawk, a talented multi-instrumentalist touring with her this time out) tenacity in fighting through the gaffs and delivering the goods. They looked and sounded great. She played both "Box of Cedar" (set closer) and "Annabelle Lee," two of my favorites. She was shy and it showed (didn't say a word to the audience), yet I think her demeanor suited her songs.

A crappy phone pic taken by your Womb-master.

One fellow said he'd just seen Belle and Sebastion a few days before, and that was really good but didn't even come close to what Marissa did. He bought an album, even though he already owned both of her official releases. Another guy named Mike, who loves free jazz and harsh noise, also bought both albums and promised to do some sort of smash-up remix of Marissa's voice with loops and feedback a la Diamanda Galas. She was actually into the idea.

Marissa is a very sweet, beautiful young woman. I worried all day yesterday as she and Jesse drove up the torso of the American plains through constant rain and snowfall to get to Iowa City. Hopefully, they are sleeping right now somewhere safe in preparation for their show tonight. St. Louis tomorrow (3/21).

After the show, she asked me if she was everything I expected, if I was surprised at all by the real Marissa versus the one I'd gotten to know on record and through email. I hope I didn't disappoint when I said she was exactly what I expected, and qualified that with "I tend to know people really well." And it's true; I do. Her voice though, it was something else.

We both sung harmonies, drunkenly, to Townes' "Tecumseh Valley" much later than night and sounded GREAT together! Well, I thought so anyway...

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Back among the land of the blogging, at least for today. Really enjoyed Be Here to Love Me, which comes out on DVD today. A deep, heartfelt look at the man and myth that was Townes Van Zandt; it features some priceless footage of TVZ and his second wife stumbling around his Houston trailer park circa '75, whiskey bottle in hand. Overall, an honest look at what a really down to earth, self-effacing and equally self-destructive guy he was. There are the expected morality issues of what happens when one leaves it all behind to chase inspiration down an endless highway, but director Margaret Brown passes no judgments either way. She obviously idolizes Van Zandt, but this is pretty far from a gush piece. Despite a few blurred collages and old acid-trip stories, "Be Here to Love Me" is a sobering portrait of a sweet guy who probably knew and understood his demons more closely than most of us would ever want to. He came from wealthy means, but he breathed humility. Sincerity appears to pour from his veins every second he's being interviewed, be it for Dutch television or Texas radio.

William Van Zandt's description of finding his father upright on his death bed leaves a chill of finality in the air. People lament the early loss of great talents to dope and excess, rightfully so. They write sad songs about all the good times that were and never will be, but Townes Van Zandt, at least in song, seemed to live a hundred lifetimes or more in just about half the time it takes most of us to figure out how not to fuck up over and over with cyclical precision. The wisdom is in his songs. Can't help but wonder if checking out early was just his way of saying, "Thank you, ma'am, but I got more than my share already."


Also, LOVED "The Sopranos" season opener. I'm sorry to those of you out there who don't have HBO. Been there, done that. DVD's or torrents will possibly help to assuage some pain in the coming months. The voice of William Burroughs is featured in the brilliant opening montage--wickedly cool. Otherwise, don't really want to give away any spoilers [Uncle June's gone bonkers!] or reveal any key plot developments [AJ's grown a mullet!] because I can't stand assholes that spill the beans too early [Carm's getting mighty com-for-ta-ble with her position as wife of The Boss!].

Already hooked on "Big Love," too. Polygamy! Bill Paxton! Harry Dean Stanton! Who knew??? It's like a bizarre anthropogical inverse to "Deadwood" with zero profanity (everyone talks in this castrated "dangit!" and "oh my heck!" speak that's utterly charming and adorable), much God and more sexual tension than The Chicken Ranch during Texas/OU weekend. Thumbs up, brosephs and sistines.

...shit. I have tons of new albums to review, which'll mostly appear in other places. Just got the new Maryrose Crook with The Renderers album on Three Beads of Sweat, "Ghosts of Our Vegas Lives" (released concurrently with Brian's new solo joint under the name Anti-Clockwise, "Artificial Light"--aint heard yet). You Renderers groupies will definitely get a kick out of this Maryrose album, more to come on that front.

Buy your copy of Not Alone on Durto/Jnana if you haven't already. Compilation of the decade, no lie. Also got a fantastic package from United Fairy Moons that I've been soaking up with much disoriented glee, my favorite new label! Rory Storm owns my soul. That's all for now. Check back in a week or two of so inclined.

Hope to see some of you at Terrastock 6 in a little over a month!

Thursday, March 02, 2006

I've been reading any articles I can find about TVZ and his later life, preparation for the movie I suppose, and stumbled upon this heartfelt and revealing interview with his son from Rockzilla, which goes into a good amount of detail. Give it a gander.

Two fine remembrances from the always capable Perfect Sound Forever:
Townes Van Zandt: A Tribute by Steve Cooper (August, '97)
Travels with Townes Van Zandt by Steve Hawley (July 2003)

Also, here are some fairly harrowing live reviews from the early-mid '90s.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Howdy, folkies. Been really busy lately. Hard to believe, I know. Just sweated out a fever, and I'm trying to wrestle a few different articles for a few different publications at once. Crunch time, as they say. The shit I do for rock 'n' roll...

I really liked Capote. Give Phil Seymour Hoffman the Oscar already! Also got some nice chuckles and much visual splendor from The Corpse Bride. Highly recommended if you like that sort of thing.

I have received my copy of Not Alone and will proclaim here, without irony, it is the experimental music compilation of the decade for many reasons, mainly its content. Click the link for the low-down.

That's all for now. Don't expect to really make any updates in the next few weeks or so, but that may change.

Hope to see some of you at Terrastock 6 in April!

Monday, February 13, 2006

Couple bits:

Foxy Digitalis's weekly update features a fine review of the latest live One Ensemble of Daniel Padden CD-R, scribed by your Womb-master, and sitdowns with everybody's favorite Uncle Jim (Actually Al Bishop of the Sun City Girls/Alvarius B/Sublime Frequencies) and Elizabeth Harris, aka Grouper, plus much more.

Also, Deep Water's e-zine guise is now up and running with profiles on Nick Castro, Uton, and the dearly missed psych cult rockers, Thin White Rope (the name's a Burroughs term for ejaculate, you prudes). Also, I babbled here about limited, mostly CD-R releases, and Tony Dale shares his recipe for Damper Bread. We hope to be updating this on a staggered monthly basis, so turn on, tune in and freak out! And check out The MIGHTY Clear Spots while you're there!

Saturday, February 11, 2006

A little bit out of left field here, but then in two years I’ve never mentioned Dischord once in Womblife. This is, after all, the label that gave us Fugazi, Rites of Spring, Shudder to Think, Scream and a lot of other crap! At least in regard to one long-standing band on their roster, I finally get it. I’ve heard Lungfish a few times over the years, and I never really knew what to think. “Hardcore noise rock”? “Proto-emo”? “Post-shoegaze”? A li’l later I realized what they are isn’t nearly as important as how they sound. And they sound pretty fuckin' great. “Feral Hymns” is their 11th album of angular crash and burn stomp rock with song titles -- “Time is a Weapon Against Time,” “You Are the War,” “Invert the State” -- that make their vaguely political intent known, while the lyrics and delivery maintain the expected art-school distance. What sells me is the trance-inducing repetition of their driving three-piece workouts, conjuring early 70s King Crimson and “Man Who Sold the World” era Bowie equally in heavy lumbering jams without all the prog bloat. Every song sounds fairly similar, but again, it’s about realizing that this is a good thing. For a glam-prog head such as myself, their power is hard to deny. “Feral Hymns” is the coolest real rock record for real rock rebels I’ve heard in at least two weeks.

And wow, sweet album cover!

On a completely unrelated note, if you have about 30 mins or so to kill, you can watch this filmed tour of Steven Stapleton's (Mr. Nurse With Wound) home and family. Pretty cool shtuff, nabbed from Brainwashed.

Friday, January 27, 2006

Two interesting discoveries in early '06:

First up, Dallas cult rockers Virgin Insanity; they received an informative write up in the Dallas Morning News a couple weeks ago. Imagine my surprise when I read that a genuine cult rock band hailed from my neck of the woods, and more interestingly, played a kind of arty folk rock that could be compared to later Velvet Underground, The Manson Family(!), Brit psych folk, and any number of "lost/utopian" acid kissed garage bands. Needless to say, I immediately located their one and only privately pressed LP (edition of 200), "Illusions of the Maintenance Man," in digital form through nefarious means. The music: a humbling listening experience, youthfully optimistic, but with an edge that can be deemed "art basement," a cynicism that acknowledges the disasters of the previous five years (this came out in '71) and a hope that keeps eyes forward and attention focused on the present. The lyrics are both naive and honest in their declaration that all we really have left in a dying world is a little hope and much love. Seems obvious, doesn't it? Tempos occasionally waver as minor key guitars dance beneath heartfelt boy/girl vox, and percussion is rarely used, but effective when it is.

Opener "Don't Get Down" really does sound like it could've been the first song on "Loaded," only Bob Lang actually means what he's singing (but then, I guess Lou meant it by then, too), as he captures archetypical emotions of loss/hope in 2 and a half minutes of folk pop transcendence. Not everyone will see it that way, but then what do they know? Any soul who doesn't listen to the oblique acid pop/tender emotional pleas of "Be My Friend," a number that begs for affection and acknowledges the end with the same earnest poignancy over a soft bed of hypnotic fingerpicking, probably doesn't have a pulse. Belle and Sebastian and Clientele fans should appreciate, but I'm more inclined to think of Japanese folk pop legends, Nagisa Ni Te, or even Maher Shalal Hash Baz. All in all, shambolic, truly timeless folk psych, and get this: Japan's P-Vine records will be reissuing this album and its never released follow-up (recorded over 30 years ago!) in February. Can't help but wonder if Shinji Shibayama ever came across one of those original pressings back in the day.
Sound samples:
Don't Get Down
For a While

The Battles are not an instrumental math rock ensemble featuring the former drummer from Helmet. Based on a randomly read email in recent months, that's precisely what I expected. The Battles (the other act is simply Battles) actually hail from Vancouver (New Pornographers country) and conjure pretty melodies over a charging, garage punk backdrop of Feelies obsessed guitar jangle, Pere Ubu synth and Peter Hook hypno-bass. That's a simplification, of course. The ghost of early Flying Nun Records, Todd Rundgren, Ray Davies, Roxy Music (I realize these people are not dead) also hover sublimely over Steven Wood's alternately impassioned, quirky and detatched songs, which can definitely make the heart shiver in its cage, especially when his band kicks into high gear and hits everything harder. Just check out "Poem #8 (That Would be Good)," its elastic basslines and surging chorus wiping all memory of Interpol from the gray matter. Too bad it's so short, but I'll take a minute, fifty secs of what The Battles have to say over 40 mins of Interdull any day of the week. The beauty of these performances may have something to do with the fact that contributors play or have played with Destroyer, Loscil and Black Mountain, among others. There is depth to burn in "Tomorrow's Eager Hands" (Soft Abuse) and like a classic Wire album (other than "Pink Flag"), its genius isn't always so obvious on first listens. As for me, I just had to hear opener "Changes" turned up to 10, and I was pretty much hooked.

Dan Bejar can also be heard harmonizing on a few tracks, but you know what? I dig this more than Destroyer or the recent work by New Pornographers. It's because Wood is such a visionary, all encompassing songwriter. He obviously loves stripped down, minimal basics, but his use of harmonies, quirky synths and massed distortion ups the ante sufficiently. The glory hewn "We Were Right to Fight" sounds almost like the New Pornos gone prog. A welcome inclination towards moody, spectral folk pop never disappoints (see "In Excelsis, Yes"), and the monumental groove of "Northern Man"--Mott the Hoople power chords over thudding drums--propels a monster hook of a chorus to the golden rock promise land. Diggit. This isn't actually out till early Feb, but Soft Abuse is taking pre-orders now.
Sound sample:
Suzanne

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Just what can one say about the Akron / Family? What a jam band should sound like? Brooklynite freedom fighters from da undaground? King Crimson locked in mortal combat with the Flaming Lips in an endless runout groove on the flipside of a scratched copy of 'No New York'?

The Akron / Family Four men with beards.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Driving around earlier with a friend listening to some kind of ultimate badass super mix, consisting of Eminem, Townes, Neutral Milk Hotel, Missippi Juhn Hurt--left me wondering why doesn't Jeff Mangum retool NMH and hit the nostalgia circuit, if not actually release a followup to "Aeroplane"? I don't care if it's half-assed. Just play some shows! He's been spotted on stage in the last year or two doing the damaged sideman bit with the Olivia Tremor Control. His absence leaves a fairly gaping hole in the pop cultural landscape today. What I loved most about NMH was the sound--grungy, gritty, full body fuzz drenched acid jugband pop that always sounded messed up, even during the most anthemic moments.


Going to see the Akron / Family tonight (one band doing its part to fill the void), and this newfangled Young God signing, Mi and L'au (impossibly beautiful people playing impossibly beautiful music). Shearwater (not the Chicago band, rather an Okkerville River side thing) goes on first. Should be boogielicious. First gig of the new year.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Just had to share... Rula Lenska is her name. Horses are her game.
Shit, mane! I forgot to post something here! Something about something regarding someone somewhere and you were all waiting with nervous anticipation cursing my name for the epiphany that never came. Keep waiting!

First off, congrats to my friend Joanna and her new husband, Dave; they just got latched at the hip forever up in Seattle. Way to go, you two!(?)

I just got the most incredible package of the short new year, including the CD version of Mirror's "Still Valley" on Die Stadt and the new "Live at VPRO Radio" CD by the One Esemble of Daniel Padden on Brainwashed. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!! You know who you are. I feel unworthy. I feel like bacterial slime squished under a dirty hippie's bare feet. I feel like a street mutt's slobber. I feel like a dead ant's anal leakage.

But I'm still happy.

All you Satanic Euro-droners, make note:
Here Comes The Sunn O)))!

(From SOMA)

LIVE AKTIONS

SUNN O))) & EARTH vs EUROPE 2006

WED 8/2 GERMANY KOLN GEBAUEDE 9
THU 9/2 BELGIUM DIKSMUIDE 4AD
FRI 10/2 LONDON ISLINGTON ACADEMY
SAT 11/2 LEEDS THE COCKPIT
SUN 12/2 GLASGOW ABC2
MON 13/2 LIVERPOOL ROADKILL
TUE 14/2 BRISTOL THEKLA
WED 15/2 BIRMINGHAM CUSTARD FACTORY
THU 16/2 LUXEMBURGESCH ALZETTE KULTURFABRIK
FRI 17/2 FRANCE PARIS POINTE EPHEMERE
SAT 18/2 SPAIN BARCELONA MEPHISTO
SUN 19/2 FRANCE TOLOUSE VENTS DU SUD
TUE 21/2 SWITZERLAND DUDINGEN BAD BONN
WED 22/2 ITALY TORINO SPAZIO 211
THU 23/2 ITALY FIRENZE AUDITORIUM FLOG
FRI 24/2 ITALY MILAN JAIL
SAT 25/2 ITALY RAVENNA BRONSON
MON 27/2 CROATIA ZAGREB GALERIJA SC
TUE 28/2 AUSTRIA VIENNA SZENE
WED 1/3 GERMANY DRESDEN STAR CLUB
THU 2/3 GERMANY BERLIN VOLKSBUHNE
FRI 3/3 NETHERLANDS AMSTERDAM PARADISO
SAT 4/3 GERMANY HAMBURG MARKTHALLE
SUN 5/3 DENMARK COPENHAGEN LOPPEN
TUE 7/3 NORWAY OSLO BLÄ
WED 8/3 SWEDEN STOCKHOLM DEBASER
FRI 10/3 SWEDEN GOTHENBURG IDEAL FESTIVAL
SAT 11/3 DENMARK AARHUS VOXHALL
SUN 12/3 NETHERLANDS GRONINGEN VERA
TUES 14/3 PORTUGAL PORTO CASA DE MUSICA


Booking Europe: Vincent/Conspiracy www.conspiracyrecords.com/bookings/
Booking States: Angela/Eclipse www.eclipsebooking.com
Booking UK: Jodie Cox/Feedback/Riverman www.feedbackbooking.com /
www.riverman.co.uk

VIDEO!
SUNN w/ XASTHUR vs KNITTING FACTORY NYC 122105

out now: KHANATE CD “Capture & Release”: "Two tracks of funeral psyche from the originators of such mezmerizing dismal cacophony powered by vintage Sunn equipment and negative essence." —Chris Barnes

"Based on what I knew, I figured they'd sound something like Godspeed You! Black Emperor with occasional screaming-cookie-monster metal-dude vocals. Turns out they sound more like the driver of an 18-wheeler parking outside my apartment and leaning on his horn for an hour straight. " — The Village Voice on SUNN O)))'s live presence

Monday, January 09, 2006

Bad news from the alma mater:

SAVE KOOP!

the short version --

fire BAAAD!

91.7fm GOOD!

every dollar helps http://koop.org/

so does your time: 512-472-1369

and showing your support at upcoming benefit shows

longer version --

Some drunken asshole fell asleep while sucking a cancer stick and burnt up the bottom floor of the building housing KOOP's studios. The music library is covered in ash, and it's unclear how badly studio equipment was damaged. They will probably have to move.

KOOP is Austin's community-run, listener-supported radio station during the day on 91.7fm.

I can't say enough about the unique and valuable programming they do. I used to be addicted to a music show that came on Tuesday evenings and was run by a guy who patched his laptop into the soundboard, fed samples of pop music into a multitracking software and looped them in real time to basically create live, improvised mashups. It sounded fricken amazing.

KOOP is also -the- Austin outlet for progressive and minority voices on air, with programming that just isn't done on any other local station.

Two other music shows close to my heart, Ear Candy and Commercial Suicide have been hosted by a rotating cast of players for-freakin-ever, and they both mine the best gems from the obscurist corners of their respective genres ... have no words for how great they are. I've discovered so much music through them.

It's going to be a profound loss to Austin if KOOP can't get back on its feet.

feel free to repost.

upcoming benefits

Sunday Jan 15, a KOOP HoeDown at Shoal Creek Saloon, located at 909 North Lamar. Featuring the Grassy Knoll Boys and Double Eagle String Band. Music starts at 4pm. $5 cover to support KOOP's studio equipment fund. Plus, your donation will be matched by one of our very generous supporters!

Friday February 10, KOOP's Artic Blast at Beerland, located at 711 Red River. Featuring music from The Ugly Beats and The Nervous Exits and KOOP's own Jennifer (Ear Candy) and Scott (Stronger than Dirt) will be DJing.

Thursday February 23, The Sinus Show, with KOOP's own John Erler (Elk Mating Ritual) at Alamo South Lamar.

Saturday, January 07, 2006


I love the songs of Townes Van Zandt. I love Townes Van Zandt. I feel like I've always loved him, since even before I was born. One doesn't have to always hear something to understand what it's saying, right? It was like that with the Beatles. One day a switch was flipped and I could never really go back to how it was before.

I recommend this: Be Here to Love Me

trailer

Some select screenings (you can bet those SXSW shows will be packed like sardines):

January 20, 2006
Landmark Midtown Art
931 Monroe Drive, Atlanta, GA 30308

February 3, 2006
Landmark Lumiere 3
1 Embarcadero Centre, San Francisco, CA 94111

February 3, 2006
Landmark Act 1&2 Cinemas
2128 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704

February 10, 2006
The Clinton St. Theater
2522 SE Clinton St., Portland, OR 97202

February 17, 2006
Angelika Film Center
510 Texas Avenue, Houston, TX 77002

February 17, 2006
Angelika Film Center
5321 E Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX 75206

February 17, 2006
Darkside Cinema
215 SW 4th Street, Corvallis, OR 97330

March 3, 2006
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
3200 Darnell Street, Fort Worth, TX 76107


Festival Screenings

Toronto Film Festival
Jan 26 - Feb 6, 2005

International Film Festival Rotterdam
Jan 26 - Feb 6, 2005

Amsterdam Weeping Willow Film Festival
February 13, 2005

True/False Film Festival
February 25-27, 2005 Columbia, MO.

SXSW Film Festival
March 11-19, 2005 Austin, TX.
March 13 - evening, Paramount Theatre

...more at the site.

Thursday, January 05, 2006

What a fucking year...

These are CD/LP’s, and I've not heard everything released this (last) year, so this list is not necessarily definitive. Just damn close. Expect a shorter “best of” of limited CD-R type things in the next day or two.

25 in 05:

25. Jackie-O Motherfucker “Flags of the Sacred Harp” (ATP)
24. Franklin’s Mint “Gold” (Sunburned)
23. Oneida “Secret Wars” (Jagjaguwar)
22. Major Stars “4” (Twisted Village)
21. Todd Tamanend Clark “Nova Psychedelia” 2CD (Anopheles)
20. The Directing Hand “Bells for Augustin Lesage” (Secret Eye)
19. The Iron Kite “No Eyebrows” (Twilight Flight Sound)
18. Skullflower “Orange Canyon Mind” (Crucial Blast)
17. Earth “Hex: or Printing in the Infernal Method” (Southern Lord)
16. The Goslings “Between the Dead” (Self-Released)
15. Simon Finn “Magic Moments” (Durtro/Jnana)
14. Boris “Pink” (DIW-Phalanx)
13. Corrupted “El Mundo Frio” (H.G. Fact)
12. Om “Variations on a Theme” (Holy Mountain)
11. Josephine Foster “Hazel Eyes I Will Lead You” (Locust)
10. Jack Rose “Kensington Blues” (VHF)
9. Mirror “Still Valley” (Die Stadt)
8. Marissa Nadler “The Saga of Mayflower May” (Eclipse)
7. Windy & Carl “The Dreamhouse / Dedication to Flea” (Kranky)
6. Steven R. Smith “Crown of Marches” (Catsup Plate)
5. Sunn 0))) “Black One” (Southern Lord)
4. The No-Neck Blues Band “Qvaris” (5RC)
3. Angels of Light “Sing Other People” (Young God)
2. Michio Kurihara “Sunset Notes” (Pedal)
1. Damon and Naomi “The Earth is Blue” (20/20/20)

Debut of the Year:
Akron/Family "S/T" (Young God)

Other albums thoroughly enjoyed in 05: Antony and the Johnsons "I Am a Bird Now" (Secretly Canadian), August Born “S/T” (Drag City), James Blackshaw “Sunshrine” (Digitalis), Cobra Verde “Copycat Killers” (Scat), Lightning Bolt “Hypermagic Mountain” (Load), Øyvind Holm “The Vanishing Act” (Camera Obscura), Xiu Xiu “La Foret” (5RC), The Harvestman “Lashing the Rye” (Neurot), Nick Castro & The Poison Tree “Further From Grace” (Strange Attractors), Twilight “S/T” (Southern Lord), Lurker of Chalice “S/T” (Southern Lord), Thralldom “Black Sun Resistance” (Total Holocaust), Kinski “Alpine Static” (Sub-Pop), Sleater-Kinney “The Woods” (Sub-Pop), Khanate “Capture and Release” (Hydrahead), Current 93 “How I Devoured Apocalypse Balloon” 2CD (Durtro/Jnana), Wooden Wand “Harem and Sundrum” (Soft Abuse), Eyes and Arms of Smoke “A Religion of Broken Bones” (Cenotaph), Six Organs of Admittance “School of the Flower” (Drag City), Badgerlore “Stories for Owls” (Free Porcupine Society), Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice “Buck Dharma” (Time-Lag), Urdog “Eyelid of Moon” (Secret Eye), Mike Tamburo “Beating of the Rewound Son” (Music Fellowship), Mahjong “Raydongcong” (Cold Crush), M. Ward “Transister Radio” (Sub-Pop), Espers “The Weed Tree” (Locust), Miminokoto “Orange Garage” (Last Visible Dog), High on Fire “Blessed Black Wings” (Relapse), Sigur Ros “Takk…” (Geffen), The Soundtrack of Our Lives “Origin, Vol. 1” (Republic), Outrageous Cherry “Our Love Will Change the World” (Rainbow Quartz), Broadcast “Tender Buttons” (Warp), Gravenhurst “Fires in Distant Buildings (Warp), Thuja “Pine Cone Temples” 2CD (Strange Attractors), Nels Cline/ Wally Shoup/ Chris Corsano “Immolation/ Immersion” (Strange Attractors), Cold Bleak Heat “It’s Magnificent, but It Isn’t War” (Family Vineyard), Hototogisu “Green” (Heavy Blossom), Residual Echoes “Phoenician Flu and Ancient Ocean” (Holy Mountain), Disembowelment “S/T” 2CD (Relapse), Castanets “First Light’s Freeze” (Asthmatic Kity), Fursaxa “Amulet” (Last Visible Dog) and Lepidoptera (ATP), Nagisa Ni Te “Dream Sounds” (Jagjaguwar), Black Mountain “S/T” (Jagjaguwar), Subarachnoid Space “The Red Veil” (Strange Attractors), Islaja “Palaa Aurinkoon” (Fonal), Boduf Songs “S/T” (Kranky), Birchville Cat Motel “Firepower Fragrant Cloud” (Celebrate Psi Phenomenon), Spires That in the Sunset Rise “Four Winds the Walker” (Secret Eye), Sunroof “Silver Bear Mist” 2CD (VHF), The Volebeats “Like Her” (Turquoise Mountain), Mirror “Viking Burial for a French Car” (Plinkity Plonk), Goblin Market “Haunted” (Camera Obscura), Salamander “Bent Hemlock” (Camera Obscura), Tetuzi Akiyama “Pre-Existence” (Locust), Mountain Goats “The Sunset Tree” (4AD), Paul Metzger “Three Improvisations on Modified Banjo” (Chairkickers Union), Jesu "S/T" (Hydrahead), Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti "Worn Copy" (Paw Tracks), Animal Collective "Feels" (Fat Cat), Black Dice "Broken Ear Record" (DFA/Astralworks), Angels of Light and Akron/Family Split (Young God), Pelt Untitled (VHF)

Reissues:
5. Judy Henske & Jerry Yester “Farewell Aldebaren” (Radioactive)
4. The Nether Dawn “Whiskey Mute-Down” (Last Visible Dog)
3. Omit “Tracer” 2CD (Helen Scarsdale)
2. George Brigman “Jungle Rot” (Anopheles)
1. Current 93 “Thunder Perfect Mind” 2CD (Durtro/Jnana)
...and mustn't forget the entire Can back catalog, Stooges "Funhouse" 2CD on Rhino, Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" and Dino Jr.'s classic early albums.

Compilations:
3. “Gold Leaf Branches” (Digitalis)
2. “By the Fruits, You Shall Know The Roots" (Time-Lag/Eclipse)
1. “Invisible Pyramid Elegy Box” (Last Visible Dog)
Honorable Mention: “Wailing Bones Vol. 1" Tom Carter, Alligator Crystal Moth, Keijo & The Free Players, Drona Parva (Digitalis)

Music Related DVD or Program:
The Flaming Lips “The Fearless Freaks”
Bob Dylan “No Direction Home”
Ghost "Metamorphosis: Ghost Chronicles 1984-2004"

Live Space-Prog Blast from the Past:
Robert Wyatt & Friends “Theater Royal Drury Lane” (Hannibal)

Monday, January 02, 2006

Thursday, December 29, 2005

In an effort to "feel the love" and that all too elusive peace or stillness during this time of long days and bitter winds, and to acknowledge that there is such a thing as "beautiful noise," I give you seven albums that offer their own defined paths to the undefinable.

First up, yet another snapshot at the under-underground, as in the Australian/New Zealand noise/psych scene. It's a compilation that arrives with the same holy reverence that brought a few out of the region in the early/mid 90s--albums that offered harrowing glimpses at some of the most genuinely twisted, vibrant, bleak, raw, undeniably human pop/jazz/noise whatever the world has ever known. Going back to the early years of the Flying Nun label (The new "Where In The World Is Wendy Broccoli?" comp is an excellent introduction to those early daze) on down through the ages to the equally visionary likes of PseudoArcana, Celebrate Psi-Phenomenon and Metonymic, but what about NZ's much larger neighbor to the North? Oz is largely overlooked and ignored, at least around here, but 2005 has shown the likes of Rhizome, Kindling, MusicYourMindWillLoveYou and Spanish Magic to be every bit the spiritual, mind-warping equals of their kiwi predecessors. Only just scraped the top of the enormous MYMWLY discog, and the recordings on the Spanish Magic imprint are equally essential listening for those who favor the droning, squealing, dissonant blissout above all other methods of discourse. "It's Over, We Don't Care," the CD in question, is more firm proof that any so called golden age has far from subsided. "It's Over..." feels like a direct extension of that blessed era. This little comp (12 songs, just one CD) is chock full of trance inducing garage noise passages (see Hiss's "Burning Easter"--incredible!), and a track by the all too elusive, dearly loved Garbage and The Flowers (and it's a slow pop dream entitled "Elisabeth"). The always dependable Hi God People do the sort of space age minimal pulse that Stereolab and Jessamine perfected in the mid 90s. There's the roly poly Tortoise like post-jazz of ii, Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood's moody prog noise and Keith Mason's godhead guitar sorcery. Castings (the cats who run Spanish Magic) keep it short and stumbling with "Missive:Aside," and Anthony Guerra and Peter Blamey arouse a piercing fuzz scream of twin guitars that glares like the morning sun. Also on Spanish Magic comes the ubiquitous Robert Horton in his Egghatcher guise. The guy has probably released more limited CD-R's in 05 than any other artist, and be he conjuring screeching steel string meditations or unleashing a free jazz howl, his stuff manages to maintain a constant magnetic pull. On "Cat's Ear" Egghatcher bears some resemblance to Robert's solo material, only this is more of a sound sculpture thing, complete with some tasteful digital manipulation. Imagine Omit given a slightly more bubbly texture, which is shorthand for Horton has a lot of ideas up his sleeve that range from surrealist nightmare collage to fun with contact mics, field recordings, turntables, dulcimer, etc. It occasionally makes me think of the holy trinity of NWW/Coil/Current 93 at their most abstract. Praise be.

Next up an extended reissue of Fursaxa's "Amulet" (Last Visible Dog), without question a deeply spiritual journey. Tara Burke's vocal on opener "Rheine" takes on a somber, devotional aura, as a chant loop that could earn her another Popol Vuh comparison is slowly engulfed in shakers, percussion, flute and other harmonies. Definitely one of her most alluring, transportive trips, that commanding opera voice in full siren form. Other places we get the kind of strummy lo-fi pop I could copulate with ("Rodeo in the Sky"), organic chorals to the heavens ("Crimson," "Songs for the Cicada") and more mind cleansing, fuzz laden medieval arias, and guest contributions from the Brothers Gibbons of Bardo Pond. That explains things.

The brothers and lovers of Pelt bring us their own take on the holy holy with "Untitled" (VHF), which I'm going to go out on a limb here and say is among their top three or so albums to date. There is an air here, a noticeable tone shift towards the highest regions, that conveys some genuinely inspired chaplets of sound stretched out over 3 extended raga jams and 1 short dissonant drone. There's a noticeable influence (to my ears) of those wacky Euro improv/droners who seem to be on the constant sonic ascent, but Pelt maintains its patented trademark of growing, mutating, lysergic dream/nightmare music from the deepest spiritual realms. There is beauty and horror here, dark and light, ecstasy and despair. Acoustic guitars are often scaled back (save for the extended central second track) for sake of rippling, sawing, droning, bowing, buzzing tones that stretch infinitely across the heavens, earth and the heart/mind, all carefully and deliberately constructed. Extra bonus of ambient sounds (thunder, a dog barking, a cat's mew?) only furthers my admiration. For those longing for more Jack Rose, less drone, "Kensington Blues" (VHF) will satisfy with 8 impeccably performed finger-picking symphonies that range from bouncy ragtime ditties and toe-tapping blues jigs to bizarro pan-stylistic string trips and stupefyingly fast, intricate, jaw-dropping 12-string workouts that sound more like a small ensemble than just one guy. With KB (;P), Mr. Rose emerges as the true successor of the mantle of Fahey (whose "Sunflower River Blues" he covers with deep reverence here) and, at the same time, blows the whole mother wide open. Masterpiece.

Another young acoustic sorcerer who likely admires Jack as much or more than I do is James Blackshaw. His "Lost Prayers & Motionless Dances" snuck out at the end of 04 to relatively little hubbub, and knocked me over the head with its deft mastery of 12 string raga, arty drones and inspired fingerpicking. You can bet James has spent much of his life obsessing over, soaking up and exploring all manner of folk and world music, and I wouldn't be surprised if one day he and Jack toured the US together. It would make for an unforgettable double bill. "Sunshrine" (Digitalis) is officially his third album (it and "Lost Prayers..." were issued on vinyl this year by Bo'Weavil), two tracks--one very long, one fairly short. The title is the real draw here with a few warm strums building to some of the most liquid playing you will ever hear on a 12-string acoustic with rushes and lulls that make the heart rush and lie down on command. The guy is simply phenomenal, stretching notes out in endless spirals of dancing string tones, shifting to ornamental Brit-psych folk and well beyond, dropping to a drift of tinkling bells and bowed metal and closing things on a religious note with harmonium. "Skylark Herald's Dawn" is a gentle come down, a sweet little instrumental that arouses images of wind swept heather and hands interlocked. A slice of love, God, peace--take your pick.

Windy & Carl is a husband/wife duo that's come a long way since their modest beginnings in Detroit Shoegaze City. From their earliest recordings of the mid 90s on their music has maintained a dreamlike, narcotic quality that tugs at the heart/mind like a precious childhood memory or a particularly vivid dream that one hopes is never lost. The new "Dream House/Dedications to Flea" (Kranky) honors the tradition, but further abstracts and blurs the boundaries between dissonance and melody, waking life and dream, life and afterlife. This is an album of release and gentle glide, space time breaching, absorption, release. Four extended tracks of gorgeous harmonic wash comprised of guitar/feedback, e-bow, field recordings, Flea himself (their pooch who passed recently as explained by Windy in the sincere, touching liners) and more. Anyone who appreciates the subtler side of drone, gently shifting kaleidoscopes of sound and life in general should eventually be captivated by the deep listening possibilities residing here.
Merry Festivus, folks! And a Happy New Year to all. I'm having my own Festivus bash on New Years; if yr in DFW, let me know! We will be strobing to the greatest hits and near misses of 05, minus Kanye West (this is still Bush country!), though I can guarantee some marathon Curb Your Enthusiasm viewings. And all you haters out there--you know who--put it down, doggs. Feel the love.


In other news, some American Mothers are MAN! M.A.N. stands for Mothers Against Noise. They hate noise. And I must give these ladies props for at least studying up on their subject matter.
From the site:
"NOISE MUSIC EMBRACES:
1. Rebellion
2. Violence
3. Nihilism
4. Escapism
5. Drugs / Alcoholism
6. Perversion
7. Dissonant / Offensive Sound
8. Paranormal / Occult Activities
9. Anti-God / Anti-Authority
10. Cult-like Organization"
...all essentially true, but this list seems incomplete... No God? Doth not the noise embrace His Holiness as well? These ladies take a rather dim view, it's true, but then they seem to mostly get it right at the same time. I particularly like the suggested remedy for anyone who actually likes Whitehouse: "If your child has any Whitehouse CDs, stop everything and please think of getting them professional help (I suggest Military School over therapy)." On Merzbow: "Japanese noise uses a mix of technology, sex, nihilism, occult themes and violence to further their aims." Concise, but hardly spiritually probing. I thought noise was about catharsis, which is all about purging the body/mind of unholy spirits. Turn it up, sinners.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

I'm glad no one left me any hate comments regarding my recent theistic declaration or whatever that was (wink, wink). Jesus was a social radical who was into hallucinations and mysticism. Hippies, punks and art-junkies alike should appreciate the culture jamming possibilities. I wonder if anyone ever tore John Fahey a new one for releasing two Christmas albums? Great albums btw! Tis the season to be fingerpickin'.

Various Artists "Gold Leaf Branches" (Digitalis) 3CD

In a year that will surely be marked as the year of the wyrd compilation, one definitely takes the "freak folk" cake (pardon all hip-speak clichés). Not to suggest that the other three or four documents that've surfaced recently on like-minded labels aren't entirely definitive albums; they are. And don't even get me started on this! "Gold Leaf Branches," Digitalis Industries' stab at the all encompassing underground world music hypno-log, is a 3CD summation of all that is Foxy Digitalis the e-zine, Digitalis the label, and by extension a larger world community of avant trippers and sonic soul mappers. The constant release schedule of Digitalis and its Foxglove subsidiary has yielded some of the most consistently fascinating music of the past two years. Without FD, artists like Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood, Terracid, The Lost Domain, Hush Arbors, Keijo, Stuart Busby and James Blackshaw (just to name a few) might still just be obscure blips on the underground radar. Not to suggest that people wouldn't have caught on, but thanks to Brad Rose, his wife Eden and their team of sonic excavators, a lot of diligent work and aural intuition has yielded sweet fruit for the select multitudes.

Oklahoma is like Texas, deceiving in its iconic imagery, boundless in its artistic integrity. It's even mystical, this rectangular box of lakes and prairies where cultures clash, wheat grows, wind blows and illegal drugs are processed/consumed daily--and it's also the home of the Flaming Lips! But this here is not "drug music." This is closer to spirit music or--to borrow a phrase--old magic. Other labels in the region, namely Anticlock and Maritime Fist Glee Club have offered their own glimpses into the Middle American sonic headspace, but none has covered what's happening in the musical underground today with such range and devotion. Digitalis's output is simply inspiring, not to mention overwhelming, and this is precisely why a compilation such as "Gold Leaf Branches" is so necessary. It somehow touches on all of these local aspects, while flying off and leaving borders behind at the same time. From conception to sequence, quality to quantity, this is a brilliantly executed compilation, and a perfect introduction to the sprawling, elusive sound world that FoxyD and so many others have come to exemplify in recent years.

Each of these three discs would make a fine introduction into what's variously termed psychedelia, free noise, acid folk, avant sound sculpture, ethnic drone, minimal noise, fractured pop. Whatever phrase you want to drop into the porridge, it's probably at least touched upon here. Six Organs of Admittance turn in a crisp live recording of "Thousand Birds," sure to whisk any tormented soul to the holy mountain. And Ben Chasny isn't dead, folks! Kuupuu unleashes a smatter of dancing spirits and percussive clatter on "Haava" before Stuart Busby plays a haunted looped trumpet on "First Steps," brilliantly grafting restraint with probing spiritual investigation. Hala Strana's "Fanfare" is equally inspired with its rush of haunted drones and jangly acoustic meditation--classic Jewelled Antler ecstasy. Alligator Crystal Moth's (Mr. Digitalis and one half of the Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood) "Epicenter Crystal" breaks down the elements into pure cosmic energy. The Gray Field Recordings combine minimal acoustic plucks and ethereal chants on "Rune of the Moon and Endymion." James Blackshaw's "No Ghosts" is a Basho incantation of fingerpicking raga guitar that's as powerful as anything I've heard from the man. "Friday Morning" features Timothy, Revelator's spectral banjo plucking and haunted baritone vocal. Pefkin summons the ghost of early 70s Nico with her eloquent "Blast Beach," and Silvester Anfang turns in crusty acoustic guitars and coursing feedback that any Dead C fan should appreciate. Then there's the devastating "Ruination of the Runaways" by Elephant Micah, which was recorded live in one take and drips with heart-aching humanism every step of the way. Haunted, inspired, sad folk pop at its finest, but the same could be said for Kulkija's "Hijaa Hiivin Pois Aurinkoon," though it is a tad more Finnish.

The second disc features a genuine highlight in Charalambides' "Voice Box," which sounds like a rawer Mirror with Tom Carter's slide meshing against Christina and Heather's vocals and organ, all coaxing minimal striations across a luminous space. The North Sea (Mr. Digitalis himself) combines ethereal acoustic guitars, effects, birdsong and vocal into an ethereal pop blessing called "Guiwenneth of the Green Wood." The Weird Weeds (The Laudable Pus) layers two songs, one on top of another; the gentle art pop "Soda Jerk" is beset with the primal lust of "(Sex With Strangers)," making for a truly disturbing juxtaposition. A moody electro psych swirl is rendered in the Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood's "Missing Peace." Leighton Craig & Eugene Carchesio combine angular guitar thwacks, horn squawks and bowed strings on "Here I Give Thanks No. 1." Rameses III employs delicate floating acoustic guitars on "The Tidal Draw." Snowfox explore a dreamy shoegaze wash on "Love Style One." And then there's the fantastic trad folk psych of Ireland's The Magickal Folk of the Faraway Tree's "Being Here Has Caused Me Sorrow," a show-stopping moment of gentle acoustic guitars, accordion and gorgeous harmonies. Wax Ghost conjures a minimal tone poem of harmonium, voice and bells on "Fall city." The Golden Oaks meld high pitched tones with meandering acoustic guitars on "Grower's Communion." And folk chanteuse Marissa Nadler turns in the haunted "Lilly, Henry and the Willow Trees," from her brilliant "Saga of Mayflower May" album.

Disc 3: Drekka invokes the spirit of Current 93 and old hymns with its live rendition of "Possibilities." Anvil Salute conjures a gentle folk drift with "Vines Through the Window." Hush Arbors weaves a tender psych folk spell of longing and devotion on "Far Away I have Been," which eventually snowballs into a haunting windstorm of distortion. It's one of the most affecting tracks I've heard from Keith Wood yet. The Lost Domain gives us the damaged chamber jazz of "Death Dances," which segues to the haunted fractured folk pop of Lau Nau's "Hidas Kuula," assured to make some neck hairs stand at attention with its layered siren vocals. "Death Dealer Blues" is another choice moment, coming to us from Wood & Wand (featuring the Rose), as in Wooden Wand, Keith Wood and Aaron Rosenblum playing live in a backyard in Knoxville, TN, and getting philosophically tribal. Agitated Radio Pilot fashions a minimal glide of dreamy surreal feedback on "Innumerable Night." Terracid (one half of the Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood, solo) combines bows, jaw's harp and guitars on the short and sweet "Sky Love This Day," and Dead Raven Choir (who to me personally is incredibly inconsistent, and about as likely to amaze as grate) strikes cryptic gold with the clanky acoustics, fuzz and spoken word of "We Will Not Whisper." "Unborn Child" sees Nick Castro teaming up with B'eirth (of In Gowan Ring) for a live number. "Lullaby," a gorgeous moody psych folk number from The Does, features effects and slide guitar beneath a tender fem vocal. Mike Tamburo plays looped harmonica to reveal a shimmering aural waterfall in "No More Dripping From the Windsor's Beard," and continuously surprises with his various stylistic approaches. Beautiful and transportive in the best way. Closer, Finland's Braspyreet returns things to the oblique with "Kuu Putoaa," a nightmare of fractured folk guitars, off-key vocals and ominous metallic drones. In a word: WEIRD!

So there you have it, damn near the longest review I've written in '05. Not everything on these 3 discs is up to par, it's true, but more often than not I find myself truly impressed and occasionally knocked out by these numbers. There is so much range here, a seemingly endless reserve of DIY possibility. Each artist is unified in that they are doing it themselves, for themselves, and the precious few who might care to listen. The packaging is minimally characteristic of other Digitalis/Foxglove releases, with just enough information to reveal who’s doing what.

Thursday, December 08, 2005

God is Love......and love is action. I've been fighting them wintry blues in the form of microscopic bacterial lung infestation these last few days, but I think I'm getting better. First off, must acknowledge--as has the rest of the world--the anniversary of John Lennon's death. I deeply value the musical and/or other contributions of the Beatles here at the Womb. They're probably the first non heavy metal band I ever loved (though "Helter Skelter" is fairly proto metal and right malevolent at that!), and John Lennon was the hippest, most cynical cultural lovemaking junkie the pop world will ever know. His face, his glasses, his speaking voice, that nasally acid splashed singing voice, and his words define more than just a generation or time. I always get a tinge of sadness when someone says they don't like the Beatles, or worse yet, dismiss them as "creepy carnival music." These folks seem to miss the point that the creepy carnival bits were entirely intentional, and that these lads could trade in a half dozen other musical genres with equal depth and aplomb while never missing a beat. Lennon was the spunk, the caustic wit and even the unconditional love of the Beatles. And what can I say? I dig love. I dig Christ. Yes, I am gentile. If you don't believe, don't know what to believe, don't know, don't care, makes no real difference to me. Just try and have a little tolerance for those who might? Not all Christianzzzz are gun-toting warmongers. In fact, no Christians are, are they? Granted, some "Christians" are fucking lunatics, but you should just learn to appreciate their zany antics and think up clever punchlines to preface their introductions.

To get to a point, I love and deeply respect the power of myth. My earliest memories of stories revolve around Sunday school and a fascination with Greek Mythology a few years later. I imagine most adolescent boys go through such a phase, especially those who had "Clash of the Titans" to spurn their limitless, nonjaded imaginations. But then we get older, "wiser," more cynical and independent. We realize we were essentially brainwashed as youths and we feel like fuckin' idiots. And that's fair. I mean we are 17 after all, and all those chemistry and biology classes are starting to leave their mark. Science and logic makes us feel like infinitesimal microorganisms in some labrynthian void where we essentially push the same button over and over, receive food pellets, shit and repeat. Fuck that H-bomb mentality, man. Fuck it right in the ear.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Folks, I'm sorry the blog is so boring/inactive these days. It's hard to pretend like you know what you're talking about on a regular basis. I have so much shit to review, so many things to consider, and so little time/desire to do it all, especially in the wake of other recent developments. I'm currently working on a feature on Current 93 for Dream Magazine that's drivin' me up the wall, and due inside of a week. I've received some amazing packages recently from 267 Lattajjaa and Digitalis but not sure I'll ever really get around to discussing them here, though rest assured a review of the "Gold Leaf Branches" compilation is coming. It's definitely an essential dish.

I'm going to be writing a column on more limited (mainly CD-R) releases soon for the musical visionaries over at Deep Water, hopefully by January. DW is run by Mr. Kevin Moist, a very informed, sweet and musically inclined fellow (he plays with Third Troll and The Clear Spots lately). The print version of his zine was extremely influential on how I view, approach and write about the rock. He also wrote the liner notes to the original "Harmony of the Spheres" boxset on Drunken Fish (featuring Bardo Pond, Charalambides, Loren Mazzacane Conners, Flying Saucer Attack, Roy Montgomery and Jessamine), which was recently name checked as a direct inspiration for the "Elegy Box" on Last Visible Dog, not to mention a spiritual precursor to the "By the Fruits You Shall Know the Roots" 3LP box on Time Lag/Eclipse.
I love Kitten War and watching "The Natural" with my Dad.

Monday, December 05, 2005

A random review...

Renato Rinaldi “Hoarse Frenzy” (Last Visible Dog) CD - Renato Rinaldi is an Italian sound artist/musician that fits in perfectly among Last Visible Dog’s diversified roster. “Hoarse Frenzy” is a single 40 min track broken up into various sections or movements, all seamlessly edited together, that run a gamut from the most homespun porch pop (complete with desolate stoned vocal) to heavenly distorted buzz tones and beyond. Rinaldi incorporates everything but the kitchen sink--harmonium, organ, acoustic/electric guitar, piano, dulcimer, field recordings, found objects, etc--into surging tone poems that never grow sterile or predictable. From gamelan swells and piercing minimal shrieks to the most sedated piano sonatas, “Hoarse Frenzy” maintains a constant magnetic pull. Maximum volume yields maximal results for this haunted little beauty.

Thursday, December 01, 2005

HOLY CHRIST! Lightning Bolt just got added to the Terrastock 6 lineup!

In other news: the new Corrupted album "El Mundo Frio" is a total blackened masterwork.

One love.

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Monday, November 28, 2005

Review Haikus:

Ashtray Navigations "The Love That Whirrs" (Last Visible Dog) CD
phosphorescent squeal
concentrated sparkle chain
crumbling ascension

Sigur Rós "Takk..." (Geffen) CD
inverted word scape
cyan fruit bulb tender swell
alien awake

Mike Tamburo "Screwing Six Bolts Into Last Tuesday" (New American Folk Hero) CD-R
soft piano space
bathing as electronique
temporal transfer

Uton "The August Light" (267-Lattajjaa) CD-R
bottomless chasm
dimensional hollow bend
spectral under side

Robert Horton "Washed Out Headspace" (267-Lattajjaa) CD-R
free tonal jazz meld
elastic cosmic implosion
psychic gamelan

Islaja "Palaa Aurinkoon" (Fonal) CD
dancing moon shadow
voice glimmer tired shimmer
fractured earth tissue

Hush Arbors "Cleaning the Bone" (267-Lattajjaa) CD-R 3"
the earth is breathing
cathedral as vibration
this is what I hear

Christina Carter "Living Contact" (Kranky) CD
a backlit gesture
silhouette and dream mother
contrasting moments

Jackie-O Motherfucker "JOMF Live Radio" (U-Sound) CD-R
electric raga
fire dream is namaste
the frost dissipates

Lightning Bolt "Hypermagic Mountain" (Load) CD
holy fucking shit
my ears my exploding skull
erect volcanoes

Nurse With Wound "Drunk With the Old Man of the Mountain" (United Jnana) CD
I think I could die
crepuscular reaction
evacuate mind

The Stooges "Fun House" (Rhino) 2xCD
mongrel lava spew
big muff fetish arousal
"tv eye on me"

Loren Chasse "The Air in the Sand" (Naturestrip) CD
sand grains restless dance
arranged in spiral logic
erosion of time

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

So long, Link Wray. You taught me how to play (not literally, of course). David (late) Tibet digs Marissa Nadler. I told him he would months ago. They're apparently going to do something together in the future. He's also a bigtime Stephen O'Malley fan; who isn't today? "Black One" is an incredible album. Speaking of Southern Lord, Twilight also comes highly recommended for Leviathan, Xasthur, Sunn 0))) freaks or anyone into uber-lo-fi end of the world nightmare metal.

The Terrastock 6 lineup is the best yet, at least the most Broken Face influenced. I will be there, gods permitting.

Avarus (Finland)
Bardo Pond
Black Forest / Black Sea
Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood (Australia)
Charalambides
College Girls Gone Wild
Cul de Sac
Damon and Naomi
Fursaxa
Ghost (Japan)
Glenn Jones
The Green Pajamas
Kemialliset Ystävät (Finland)
Kinski
The Kitchen Cynics (Scotland)
Sharron Kraus (England)
Landing
Larkin Grimm
The Magic Carpathians Project (Poland)
Major Stars
Marissa Nadler
MV/EE
Paik
Jack Rose
Salamander
St Joan (England)
Spacious Mind (Sweden)
Spires that in the Sunset Rise
Tanakh (Italy)
Thought Forms (England)
Urdog
Windy & Carl

plus Special Guest Appearance by TOM RAPP

College Girls Gone Wild is actually Sonic Youth (isn't that funny!?!). Kitchen Cynics American live debut and Culdesac's Terrastock debut? They may have played one of the earlier ones, not sure. I've never seen them live, and they are hands down one of the most influential underground avant/psych whatever American bands of the last 20 years. This lineup speaks for itself, me thinks. Woot!

PS: Nice to see the original "King Kong" finally make it to DVD. It's a killer all the way around with a great print and snazzy extras.

Monday, November 21, 2005

This is very sad news. Glenn Mitchell was a great host, with one of the most signature voices in radio. I truly valued his show on NPR, even called in a few times. Shocking to say the least.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Well this is just great news.
Made it out to see Broadcast and Gravenhurst Friday night. Gravenhurst rocked.
Gravenhurst rocking.

It was an interesting set for these guys, because the only album I ever heard by them (the quite cool "Flashlight Seasons") is what might be dubbed "folktronica," ie acoustic mellow tunes with some interesting effects. They were in full on power trio mode this night though and invoked the spirit of plenty post punk greats through the course of their set (Joy Division, Wedding Present, Slint, Flying Saucer Attack, etc) with tight musicianship and even a few genuine psychedelic freakouts. Talked to Nick Talbot for a bit afterwards about some things, including the fact that the mean age for a Pitchfork writer must be 18 because they sure like to compare his band to Interdull, kind of silly considering Gravenhurst has been going for almost a decade now. Short memory spans I suppose, impressive vocabularies though! We also talked about image and facade and how that's all bullshit, isn't it? I tend to agree. I asked Nick what his favorite (post) punk band was: Husker Du.

Broadcast were simply awesome. I've gone back and forth with these guys/gal over the years, but agree with the consensus, "Ha Ha Sound" is some sort'a pinnacle. I suppose the pampering is deserved (they have a big pretty purple tourbus), as the music does have a certain scuzzy high brow charm. Broadcast simply hits all the right buttons for me, no pun intended, but they're admittedly a bit of a one trick pony. It's simply a good trick. The set opened with "Pendulum" and only got better from there with tons of hard rocking analog electrips and Kraftwerk inspired motorik freakouts doled out from behind a constant retro-projection.



And here's a very fuzzy pic of my friend Jessica with Ms. Trisha K. of Broadcast (this was right after we'd watched Trisha fumble with trying to shut the door to her tourbus for like 30 secs straight). She does look rather dazed (or annoyed). I love Jessica and her husband, Greg, two of my oldest and favoritist pals in the world. Always a fine, loud time with these people. And a shout out to Frank and Alicia, too. Had a blast hanging out with you whooping, festive alkies!

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Whoa, doggies...I very occasionally wish I lived in New York:

Marissa Nadler dates...

Nov. 13th- Brooklyn Fireproof Gallery- 101 Richardson St., Brooklyn, New York, (718- 302- 4702) with the Big Huge, and Black Forest/Black Sea

Nov. 20th - NYC- Knitting Factory Main Space, with legendary band Earth and drone kings Pelt, featuring guitar master Jack Rose. Buy tickets at the Knitting Factory's website

...I mean come on. Pelt, Earth and Marissa on the same stage? Shiminy haystacks! After these shows I believe the fare maiden sets off on her European tour, so check her site and keep those eyes/ears open, Euro peepees.

A few other things. I've still not gotten around to covering some albums that were released in the last 3-4 months, and may not have time to. I imagine between Brainwashed, FoxyD, Dusted, Fake Jazz and onward, they've all been well documented anyway. In the meantime here are some links to reviews and features I've submitted to folks in the last couple months in case anyone hasn't found them through the usual means:

Marissa Nadler Terrascope interview

Marissa Nadler "The Saga of Mayflower May" (Eclipse)

Kinski "Alpine Static" (Sub Pop)

Oooooooooooommm

Mike Tamburo "Beating of the Rewound Son" (Music Fellowship)

Vocokesh "Through the Smoke" (Strange Attractors)

Urdog "Eyelid of Moon" (Secret Eye)

Volcano the Bear "Catonapotato" (Digitalis/Broken Face)

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Had a really nice evening this past Thursday hanging out with the one and only, Mike Tamburo. He's an interesting guy (and YES, HE DOES EXIST!) with a lot of heart and soul, me thinks. He knows how to tell a good yarn, too. I had nothing to do with bringing him to the area, because last time I got even remotely involved in setting up a show, disaster's-ville: population me. His show was in Denton at a little coffee house called Art Six with an outside deck area. There were four of us that watched him play (with the occasional smoker dropping by for an abbreviated listen). He'd occasionally build up loops via acoustic guitar and dulcimer and played a selection that spanned his fingerpicking career and drew largely from the excellent solo debut, "Beating the Rewound Son" (Music Fellowship). He also played a solo rendition of a piece from his new duo, The Amazing Trapeze. I was struck by his control of dynamics, on top of his dexterous fretwork, and his ability to keep each piece flowing, even as he shuffled through his bag looking for something else to throw on top. I was especially impressed when he started playing dulcimer with mallets and created a beautiful shimmer of tones that actually resembled a gamelan orchestra. No shit!

Here's a pic of Mr. Tamburo doin' his thing on the leafy deck...


We hung out a while and talked about all sorts of things, including fingerpickers, the greatness of Jack Rose, spirit and humility. He gave me a fat stack of releases on his own New American Folk Hero CD-R label (including his last copy of the Kennan Lawler 3"--thank you, Mike!) as gifts, a couple Meisha albums, and the latest (and possibly greatest) Arco Flute Foundation Live CD on Music Fellowship. I gave him a CD by The Lost Domain in an effort to repay the love, but more than anything what Mike gave me was a warm night of kinship. I feel lucky to call him a friend.

He's going to be on the road for about another month. See here for remaining dates, mainly East Coast. I recorded 80 mins of the 90 min gig. I told Mike it was his storyteller set, because each song came with exposition. All in all, a good night.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

"Feels" (Fat Cat), this new Animal Collective album is doin' it for me. Like a warm tongue lashing the bung--billowy and light as air, but still bubbling over with enough frothy effervescence to catapult me way up into the crystal palace in the sky. No one else rips-off--or builds on, for that matter--ideas first pioneered by the Beach Boys ("feels" are what Brian Wilson calls isolated symphonic scores) and Eno as inventively.

A bittersweet old style songwriter's paradise gets mined in Franklin's Mint. "Gold" (Sunburned) is comprised of heart-tugging rootsy folk pop that harkens back to early 70s Dylan, the Band, Neil Young, Emmylou and more inspirational folk-rocker types with a warm analog glow. It's a Sunburned Hand of the Man sanctioned roadtrip, with rough and tumble contributions from a bundle of folks who usually play a sloppier, more avant groove, all backing singer/guitarist Phil Franklin. His dusted, stream of conscious lyrics are branded with a sense of weariness and humanism that would be the only logical outcome for any civilized creature living in America in the year 2005. Beautiful handmade silkscreen package folds into a 3D pyramid. Might be hard to find, but so is peace of mind. Limited to 1000; got mine from Fusetron.

Further down the rabbit hole we fall with The Iron Kite, spiraling and divebombing out of control through a red tinted underworld (and I don't mean hell, but it's close, baby!). This Austin "free noise" groop cranks a mighty rusted carousel round and round on "No Eyebrows" (Twilight Flight Sound), writhing in the clattery free metallic rush that builds in friction to a throbbing industrial/ krautrock surge and more lumbering heavy jams. Nothing prepares the listener for the sheer power and forward momentum of this single track live recording. Lots of acid fuzz and clattery percussion give way to metronomic thumping and back again with tribal howls and whoops resounding over top. Spontaneous, beautiful ROCK that sort of answers the question, "what if the Red Krayola's "Free Form Freakout" actually went somewhere?" No-Neckers and Sunburned Handies, rejoice!

Another loud ass Fuck Yeah! comes along with the reissue of Kemialliset Ystävät's "Kellari Juniversumi," (Fonal CD/ Beta-Lactam LP). Hailed upon its release in 2002 as a masterpiece, I'm prone to fall into line with this one; possibly the most perfectly realized trip through Chemical Land I've come across. KY (gotta love those initials) is without question one of the most fascinating and unique bands around today, and this seems to capture them in an ideal state. Possibly a transition album based on what I've heard till now, splitting things roughly between the kind of haunted free spirit blues they've conjured of late and a clanking (almost) art pop/folk. If Yahaweh was an early industrial band from Finland, they might have come up with something this dementedly beautiful, but then that's not even fair. This is a dense, ethereal trek through the warped sonic hinterlands that sounds basically like nothing else, save maybe for a few other KY albums and spinoff ensembles.

Speaking of some spiked punchbowl action, props to the mystical sound magi of Louisville, Kentucky's Eyes and Arms of Smoke, who conjur a rare magic indeed on their "A Religion of Broken Bones" LP, via the always reliable Cenotaph organization. This record easily exhibits a similar sort of scattered, what-the-hell(?) aura as the above, materialized in an unclassifiable instrumental sound that brings together chamber music, jazz, folk, crude electronics and more into a smoothly kinetic sound tunnel to the outer realms. Only two bands I can think of currently who even come close to this sort of downbeat dream: Comus (EaAoS occasionally features warbling high pitched vocals over rushing acoustic guitars, channeling the demented forest gnome spirits) and...

...Portland’s Rollerball specializes in a cryptic chamber/ nowave/ lounge jazz/ trip hop(?) on "Catholic Paws / Catholic Pause" (Silber) which I can't help but be completely transfixed by. These folks have almost no discernable style, yet maintain a constant musicality that's amorphous and engaging all the way through. Boy and girl vox occasionally appear in strange art pop songs that continuously ride the surrealist/ absurdist roads of the subconscious, passing through some genuinely disturbed back alleys along the way, and probably losing most who’d dare follow. Robert Wyatt and the Art Bears come to mind across the span of these rough and tumble, occasionally lo-fi, lounge/no wave excursions. This is definitely an acquired taste (pretty much all Rollerball is), but worth investigation if you like the weirdo art rock/lounge lizard thing.

Mmmmm August Born. This self titled album (Drag City) is a transcontinental dream meeting if ever there was one. Ben Chasny (Mr. Six Organs) and Hiroyuki Usui (Mr. L) come together (via post) to brilliantly combine their etheareal takes on blues and folk musics, and the results are really just about what you'd expect. Essential and haunted lo-fi tone poems for the impending cold months, and whatever else may loom on the horizon.

Hush Arbors/ Terracid/ The North Sea issued this untitled CD-R on newish upstart Barl Fire recently; all three of the contributors are bright new hopes in this avant folk whatever thing that's happening all across the globe as I type. Hush Arbors conjurs meditative electro dream swells before strapping on the acoustic and introducing beautiful tremelous vocals. I love to hear this guy sing. Terracid offers hushed winds and spacious ragas over quiet clatter that sounds as if the gods themselves decided to sing, and then drops a drifting vocal over a bed of percussive patter and desolate acoustic guitar to seal the deal. Fucking incredible. The North Sea offers three more direct paths to divinity, my favorite being the opening acoustic instrumental which combines a sweet melody with spectral raga tones in a blissful excusion to the soul center. The rest offers sparse melodies, shakers, rainsticks and distant vocals with a slight pop base.

George Brigman's "Jungle Rot" comes via the cult rock diggers at Anopheles Records; they definitely got a nack for recommitting weird limited pressings from the psych underground back into the wild. Couldn't think of a more deserving album than Brigman's mongrel blues psych punk tribute to the Groundhogs and other scuzz blues merchants (namely the Stooges and Blue Cheer). Low-fi before lo-fi was a marketing term, this is some seriously demented garage boogie with Brigman's volatile guitar skills at center stage. Absolutely devastating stuff that fans of Comets on Fire, Monoshock and Major Stars should especially dig. FUCKIN' SWEET!

Pumice's "Worldwide Skull" (Audiobot) features various live recordings by Stefan Neville. Think Xpressway, early Chris Knox, solo and slightly pissed (read as drunk) and maybe, Alastair Galbraith. There's a chilling quality in Stefan's songs, often times just him and guitar with some primitive effect on the vocals or whatnot, and the intimacy and ramshackle arrangements are all painfully necessary in conveying a sense of crude wonder and naked honesty. Worth the hunt for any damaged soul.

And finally comes a fantastic split CD between Breathe Stone (should sound almost familiar to some) and The Does via Hand/Eye. This one's been out a while now, but it's still available. Breathe Stone is a Stone Breath alter ego (think plugged in), and The Does (as in female deer!) are a smoking blues/ garage/ noise punk trio that probably has a few Birthday Party and Swans albums on their shelves, but that's not to say the three songs on "Sleep Deprivation Blues" are copycat material. They churn and rock with some tasteful slide guitar, lacerating rhythms, kicked up beats and a heart-throbbing fem vocals pushing everything over the top of the mountain. Breathe Stone's more likely to hang out up there with "Crow Omens," offering a slightly expanded version of their trad folk delirium, including some pretty burly fuzz guitars. Considering the typically more acoustic (but no less psychedelic) approach they're known for, this makes for a swell detour.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Clipped from somewhere:

"A site claiming to be 'the official website for Vincent Gallo,' the controversial filmmaker, is offering Vincent's sperm for sale.

The Internet site, VGMerchandise, has listed the sperm for a whopping $1 million. The website has listed a detailed agreement informing mothers of their options at Vincent's sperm. Gallo will reportedly inseminate them through in vitro fertilization or naturally. The natural route will cost and extra $500 thousand, which he offers to waive if he finds the woman attractive enough.

VGMerchandise also offers a detailed description of the director, saying 'Mr. Gallo is 5 feet 11 inches and has blue eyes. There are no known genetic deformities in his ancestry and no history of congenital diseases. If you have seen 'The Brown Bunny,' you know the potential size of the genitals if it's a boy (eight inches if he's like his father).' His 'essence' is said to 'blend well with a softer, more subtly featured female.'"

My favorite bit: "To be clear, the purchase of Mr. Gallo's sperm does not include the use of the name Gallo. The purchaser must find another surname for the child."

--So, is Vincent Gallo a fuckin idiot or one of the greatest minds of our time? I like some of his movies/music (mainly Buffalo 66), but it appears his true value is measured in his outlandish persona. He hangs out with Paris Hilton and thinks she's a genius. He's a card carrying republican. Punk rock incarnate.

Saturday, November 05, 2005

I actually saw Shonen Knife open for Nirvana back in 1993. Very sad news:

RIP DMBQ/Shonen Knife drummer Mana Nishiura


"I'm merely the messenger. Keep her, her bandmates and their families in your thoughts.

Hello,

It is with a lot of grief and weariness that I announce that tonite's DMBQ and friends show @ Club Exit has been cancelled following a tragic car accident today.

DMBQ's van rolled from I-95 in Delaware en route from Baltimore to Brooklyn this
afternoon. All members of the band have been hospitalized, as well as Michelle Cable from Panache Magazine and booking, who has been managing their tour.

Mana "China" Nishiura did not survive the accident. China was DMBQ's drummer,
as well as the drummer in Shonen Knife. China will be missed.

Michelle Cable is conscious following surgery for a head injury. The other members
of DMBQ are stable but sedated and are expected to recover.

That's all the information I have.

None of the bands tonite nor I felt up to a rock show following the news.

We are tentatively planning to continue with tomorrow's show @ Kingsland Tavern
as a benefit to cover DMBQ's travel and medical expenses. If the bands and I decide we can't go through with the show, I'll send out a cancellation.

Thank you for you support and your understanding."

Saturday, October 29, 2005

Could be worse...
I'm having one of those "I feel dead inside" days. It is nothing new, but sharing this sensation with the blogopshere is. Send me candy, drugs and/or special limited CD-R promos.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

So Miers is gone and I loathe to see who her replacement will be. Looks like Dubya will have at least enough time to get his second justice appointed before the impeachment proceedings begin.

In different news, clipped from a Myspace message board:

The new Throbbing Gristle album is completed, delivered, ready to got into production and is titled: PART TWO. Official worldwide release is January 2006 on Mute Records. The initial pressing will be an extra-special edition. Live dates to be announced very soon!!!..please check www.throbbing-gristle.com and www.myspace.com/throbbinggristle for latest updates..new info soon ..its VERY EXCITING!!!!!


Adds me: Yeah!

Friday, October 21, 2005

Jackie-O Motherfucker Live, Motherfuckers!




and some merchandise... Vol 20 of the U-Sound Archive series, featuring a nifty impromptu cover drawing of the state of Texas by Tom Greenwood. Apparently the members of Jackie-O first came together to make fine smoking products, and only later did a proclivity towards more musical activities reveal itself. Well rounded and psychedelic: Made in America.

Saturday, October 15, 2005

I did make it out to see Devendra Banhart and his Hairy Fairy Band the other night, though the best part of the evening was the drive out there when we rocked some Townes and the new Lightning Bolt and smoked superdank till we turned green. The new LB in particular is something to be reckoned with: a CHARGING primordial SHRED METAL post hardCOREkrautROCK assault!! They should use it to reanimate expired corpses.
At the Devendra show I observed:
The club was too small. It was overcrowded and sold out (last time I saw Banhart in Dallas, 30 people were there, and most didn't even pay attention as he played crosslegged on a table top).
A cute blonde with big byoobs brushed against me as she danced.
She couldn't help it.
We talked some.
A fight broke out and some poor fella was cracked over the head with a beer bottle. Blood everywhere! As a result the cramped club immediately became looser and easier to move around in. I jumped in front of big byoobed blonde as large protectors tend to, tried my best to see where all those loud "thuds" were coming from. At the time it occurred to me that this was a Devendra Banhart show, supposed hippie dippie love dream blah blah, dismissed the whole torrid affair as sign o' the times.
Devendra and his frazzle haired gaggle of craggles were not so bad, playing through the melee. Big byoobed blonde disappeared to the front of the crowd, was never seen or heard again.
Shouted: "What happened to Woody Guthrie, Devendra?" in a cockney accent.

My Pops came through his operation just fine.

np: TWILIGHT "As The March of Worms"

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

SHEESH...I really need to get some new friends or somethin'. Wolf Eyes played here Saturday night, and NO ONE bothered to inform me just in case I wasn't up on the concert calender thingamijig, and I wasn't. I LOVE Wolf Eyes...you should too unless yr a pussy. They're playing Austin in just under a month, so all may not be lost. Sure wish they'd bring Comets on Fire with 'em.

Seeing Devendra Banhart and his Hairy Fairy Band tomorrow with the one and only Bunnybrains should serve as some sort of compensation. I quite like the new one, Cripple Crow. Not as good as the first three, but the good songs are really darn good.

Got the "Invisible Pyramid: Elegy Box" today. This is definitely doing the trick. Doesnt hurt that so far every contribution (listening to Up-Tight on disc 3 currently) has rivaled the best material from each artist I've been exposed to before now. Well, almost... Also got the new Tetuzi Akiyama on Locust, been LOVING "Buck Dharma" by WWVV, The Eyes and Arms of Smoke LP on Cenotaph, this three way split Cd-R by Hush Arbors/Terracid/The North Sea on Barl Fire; August Born is beautiful stuff... The latest live Current 93 album is a sad dream. More on all this later, mayhaps. It's a shame I'm not going to be able to see C93 in SF in a few weeks. Real life is like that sometimes... fuckin' lame.

Finally: "Garden State" sucked. I hope Zakk Braff dies and becomes a zombie and eats Natalie Portman alive.

np: Up-Tight "Le Bleu du ciel"
Feelin': saucy

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Don't ever let anyone tell you that the world is a cruel and unjust place:

Old bird face-slapped with a tofu pie in France!


And...
As some of you may or may not know Brian Wilson has come up with a rather bizarre/cool plan that only he could dream up: He'll match anyone who makes a donation of a hundred bucks or more to the Red Cross and--the kicker--make a personal phone call to that person so he/she can ask Mr. Wilson any question of thier choice. Pretty rad, and apparently he's already raised over $200,000 and been making lots of calls. Tempting...

Kelley Stoltz, a recent Sub Pop signing that I quite like (early Bolan crossed with late 60s Kinks based on the couple songs I heard, with nice throwback production to the days of my infancy), made a donation. Here's the story, hijacked from the Sub Pop site:

"So Kelley’s girlfriend paid for him to do that Katrina benefit deal where you donate $100 to the Red Cross & he matches your $ & gives you a phone call & let’s you ask him a question. So the very same day they pay for it Kelley is sitting around the house spacing out & he gets the call. “Hi Kelley, this is Brian Wilson…”. He was apparently pleasant & asked what Kelley did etc. Kelley hadn’t worked up a question yet for him but in a rush he remembered that after getting his piano tuned he could no longer play a song he plunked around on called “Meant for You” so he asked him what the chords were. Brian’s response was “I wouldn’t know”. So that conversation kind of ground to a halt & Brian said “thanks for donating etc.”. Kelley was pacing around going wow, that was weird, what a trip etc. & the phone rings again. “Hi, Kelley it’s Brian Wilson. The first chord is an A-minor”. So Kelley goes over to the piano & smacks an A-minor & starts playing the song & sings a little bit of it & Brian joins in & they sing a 4-5 verse duet!!!!!! What the fuck????"

Friday, October 07, 2005

The leaves are growing old and deathly again as we all come together for the seasons of mischief. This was originally to be Part 2 of my Summer's End Pop Roundup, but now it's simply:

Part One of The Fall:

Old friend Øyvind Holm (Ringleader of Norway's masters of psych pop delirium, Dipsomaniacs) returns with his solo debut, "The Vanishing Point" (Camera Obscura), a heartfelt collection of rustling folk pop and psych rock that draws from the likes of the Byrds, Love, Dylan, John Lennon and maybe Guided By Voices for influence, but of course the biggest inspiration on Øyvind's songs is his life, and it's one lived with emotional clarity. These ten tracks easily rank among his best, but then he's probably one of the most consistant tunesmiths on the planet after all is said and done. "Self-Mutated Summer Breeze" goes from a jangly uptempo rush to fuzz implosion before the rousing chorus takes us to the fade. Elsewhere he employs harmonica, ivory tickles and tasty string swells to give everything a nice warm push into the coming cold season. For fans of Cardinal (excellent s/t'ed album recently reissued), the more structured side of Elephant 6, Beulah, later REM, etc... I'd also like to give a quick nod to Dungen and the reissue of their lovely breakthrough, "Ta Det Lugnt" album here in the states on Subliminal Sounds/Koch. It comes with a bonus EP of material (not as good as on the album, so not really essential if you already scored the import version) in a lovely digipack. What I said before still applies: "Some might dismiss "Ta Det Lugnt" as too retro or, the horror, too Swedish; fair I suppose given Gustav Ejstes sings everything in his native language in a nasally Lennon-esque tone, but I hesitate to see these traits as shortcomings. In a way similar to maybe Gorkys Zygotic Mynci, Dungen relishes all the retro trappings with glee and, by extension, so does his audience. The pummeling Jack Bruce meets Keith Moon drum work, the ornate strings, astounding guitar work and reverb drenched vocals are all lovingly employed in a dish crammed full of inventive ideas....easier to get into than a Volvo."

Every one of Mercury Rev’s six albums to date brings something interesting to the table, though the last one definitely showed them floundering a bit. "The Secret Migration" (V2) is a step back in the right direction me thinks with booming, shimmery pop constructions conjured with an ear towards classic 60s symphonic psych and all our favorite musical auteurs. The results are upbeat with a deep production, if not a tad overly familiar. This could be the best thing they've released since "Deserter's Song" and not necessarily just another rehash of what's come before; either way, it’s definitely a Mercury Rev record, with an almost mythical quality cascading throughout. I still like what they have to say, but it largely seems the rest of the world has moved on, or regressed, depending on your perspective.

This Delaney girl is new to me, but I like her moxy on this self titled debut, released by the Pehr Label. A Frenchie playing jangly pop songs that fall somewhere between Cat Power and PJ Harvey, all sung in the native language, mind you, which I suppose would make this French pop! Sensual and catchy, sad and a little pissy, she manages to transcend her predictable origins, and occasionally rocks out in the process. Better than expected, though not that original. What is today? Not Of Montreal, but they're still fun to shake yo booty to. "The Sunlandic Twins" (Polyvinyl) is a funky, freaky, poppy dance fix that combines their previous Beach Boys worship with an ever growing slide into 80s post disco. Still timid and loveable, less maniacle than earlier albums. One of the songs is titled "Knight Rider" (a likely nod to George Romero's cult classic). Almost there... "Oceans Apart" (Yep Roc) comes to us via everyone's favorite Aussie guitar pop export, The Go-Betweens, and it’s another solid effort from these legendary Monkees obsessives. The Go-Betweens are definitely one of those bands that bridged the gap between DIY punk and modern day meloncholic/ melodic indie rock (The Clean and REM are two others), and these 10 songs perfectly convey just why that is; particularly the rousing acoustic jangle pop of "Finding You" and the gorgeous swoon of "Boundary Rider," both radiating a lingering sense of loss as they knock you out with their harmonic splendors. The whole collection is a gorgeous slice of seemingly effortless mid-tempo guitar pop the likes of which too few bands can muster these days, but that hardly stops them from trying, does it? Pay attension, folks. Master Forster and McLennan wrote the book. This version comes with a bonus disk of live material recorded in London in 2004 with a solid selection that spans their storied 27 year career. There you have it: Melodicsm incarnate.