Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Best Records 2011

Best Reissues:
Reatards - Teenage Hate


Throbbing Gristle - Second Annual Report/The Third and Final Report/20 Jazz funk
Greats/Heathen Earth


Jeff & Jane Hudson - Flesh

Best 7in:
Lantern - I Don't Know/Out Of Our Heads

Dirty Beaches - Lone Runner

Great music video as well...

Ty Seagall - Spiders



Best compilation:
CastleFace Records - Group Flex
















This thing is so damn fun and has great tunes!


Best Live album:

Best Albums:
1.Royal Headache -Royal Headache

This album is absolutely fucking stunning. Take 60's soul singing add a dash of 80's college rock and mix it all up with a heavy dose of garage punk and DAMN you are the best band of the year and no ones heard you! Get this album pressed in the states guys! You deserve a wider audience.

2.Peaking Lights - 936

Equal parts late night vampire voodoo roller rink disco and dreamy sunshiny pop bliss.

3.Thee Oh Sees - Castlemania Carrion Crawler/The Dream

Each release keeps getting better and weirder. Love these guys. You've come along way from Pink and Brown Mr. Dwyer.

4.Blues Control and Laraji - FRKY's Vol. 8

Excuse me while I drift on milky white stars into infinity.

5. Dirty Beaches - Badlands

Mother fucker made 50's croon and rockabilly, sexy, scary and cool again. Paging David Lynch, here's the music to any movie you ever make again.

6.The Men - Leave Home

These Brooklyn boys got some serious chops. This album and in particular this song blew my fucking mind. Neu meets hardcore? Sign me the fuck up.

7.Soft Moon - Total Decay

Going a little industrial but still keeping the post-punk skronk on top. Love this guys whole mindset towards music.

8.Ty Segall - Singles 2007-2010

I'm putting this here because I really hate Goodbye Bread. Don't get me wrong some of the songs on that album are good, especially live. I think the production tears the whole fucking thing down. Blander than a beige living room on christmas ya''ll. Thank god he's not sticking to that formula as indicated by that Spiders single. Phew!

9.Sun Araw - Ancient Romans

Ahh yeah! Lets travel back in time in our fucking minds. Heady synth blobs and globs all over this gem.

10.Human Eye - They Came From The Sky

What if aliens decided garage punk was cool? Timmy Vulgar knows.

Song of the Year:
John Maus - Believer
This was the JAM over the summer. Seeing him live ?(was at that show) Totally fucking nuts. The man is pure energy!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Lantern/Dirty Beaches - Live At Glasslands

Cop this free download from my buddies Lantern ASAP sucka! Its fucking FREEEEEEE. This is some serious skronk'n, blown out tape, proto-metal, proto-punk, dirge-y, free-form freak rock-n-roll that takes your brain into"Holy Shit" frame of mind. You like that High Rise Live album? You're gonna love this then, thanks to Zachary's dominating use of dive bomb, fuzz wah, attack. Its like he's using electrified razor wire instead of guitar strings! Alex from Dirty Beaches just freaks the fuck out like a raving Damo Suzuki fucking TomWaits in a rockabilly brawl on the microphone. If you liked Lantern's American Razorwire EP, you'll dig this for sure!



Friday, November 25, 2011

Mustard - Good Time Coming

Damn, thats a crunchy beat.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Ron Hays Music Image- Starship

God damn I love shit like this...



Sunday, October 16, 2011

There is always room for Jello!


“You are afraid of it because it is stronger than you; you hate it because you are afraid of it; you love it because you cannot subdue it to your will. Only the unsubduable can be loved.” Yevgeny Zamyatin, We

(Sorry! I'm in a dystopian literature quote battle on facebook and this quote has stuck with me. Just wanted to share)

So unless you've been living under a rock the Occupy Wall Street protests have gone GLOBAL! I marched two weeks ago in solidarity with OWS and have felt inspired and fucking EMPOWERED since then. This is a monumental, beautiful, and historic event taking place my friends. I am happy to be alive and see ordinary people take action! I really want a hero of mine, a one mister Jello Biafra, to come and speak to the crowd. I am going to write a letter this week and ask if he would do a speech to the crowd. What do ya'll think of his ideas? I feel they comply with my idea of justice towards wall street. There is always room for Jello!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

THE SPITS

Greatest punk band ever? Dave from Square Records tipped me off about them way back in the day and I've been enamored ever since. I love those doom laden Ramones' like back up vocals and chants. I think that turd of of a synthasizer is fantastic. And SHIT, I love their all out WEIRDNESS. If the mutants in Wizards had a punk band it would sound like THE SPITS. Be on the lookout for their new record coming this October! Behold! Your soundtrack to a night full of D&D!












Davila 666

I want this record mother fuckers. Sucks that I go to the record store(s) and cant find ANYTHING that I want anymore. I gotta purchase on the innets and I HAAAAAATE that (did i just commit a white whine?). But 'nuff of the jibber jabbery, you need to dive your face right into a big ole pie of Davila 666's "Tan Bajo". This has got enough gargage punk chunky goodness to make the summer feel like it never ended. I dont understand a godamn word they are saying but damn man they sure do bring the noise on this release. Whats with garage rock taking over lately? I'm not against it! Its going in all different willie nillie directions and its fucking cool as hell bro. ::FIST POUND::

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Julian Cope-The Modern Antiquarian

Amazing and well made doc from the always fascinating Mr. Julian Cope. Its about goddamn ROCKS, but its so much more. Totally worth your time. Great soundtrack as well!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

LANTERN Wants to come to YOUR TOWN

Hey boys and girls this post has been delayed too long! I keep forgetting to write this but no more shall I forget! Lantern needs your help to get their proposed tour of America off the ground and rollin into your god forsaken little shit of a town to blast the demons of lameness outa your rock n roll deprived soul. They've started a Kickstarter right here and they ask politely for your dineros padre. You can get some cool Lantern swag with the more money's you drop on them, including 5 guitar lessons by Lantern mastermind and guitar slinger Zachary (that is if you got the hundred bucks, and you do, you capitalist dog!) So be a rad dude and help these fellas out! They are 89% there! I wanna see them pull into town and do what they do LIVE mother fuckers!



Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Rattles

The Rattles doing what they do in 71 but with a female singer. Hard ass blues riffs with strange orchestral arrangements and occult lyrics. Oh Germany you never cease to amaze me.



Monday, August 22, 2011

Popol Vuh - Improvisation

Take a cosmic trip with me.

Jermain Tamraz - Ley Ley


Monday, August 8, 2011

Tall Dwarfs - Crush

Found this on somebodys Ipod ;) Forgot how AMAZING this song is!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Purling Hiss - Lounge Lizards


Holy shit it's another down and dirty release by Purling Hiss those scuzz monsters from Philly. Man-oh-man do they deliver with this new ep Lounge Lizards. It sounds like its been recorded over and over on a shitty cassette and played in your brothers pickup truck, but what the fidelity may lack, the 'I'm gonna fuck yer shit up" attitude more than delivers. I fucking dare you to listen to " Midnight Man", complete with chainsaw sound effect opening, and not wanna join an 80's street gang. I triple dog dare you to play "The Hoodoo" in your car one of these summer nights and not feel the carefree vibes of youthful reckless abandonment. Good god damn does this music got swagger! Scrounge your pennies together boys, this ones a doozy.

Jürgen Müller - Waterworld

Some serious syrupy Kosmic Komische going on here. Perfect for drifting away in the AC on a sweltering summer night.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Remember when I was in PARIS? Of course you do!

My lady just made this rad video of us and our AMAZING friend AGATHE in Frenchy land. Watching this makes me want to go back there so bad! Im gonna be on the lookout for the German video!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Gary War - Born of Light

Hey everybody! I worked on this Gary War music video for a whole weekend. I'm also in it. Can you guess where? I'm super proud of it so spread the word!


Born Of Light (The Legend) from headroom films on Vimeo.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Geneva Jacuzzi


A long time ago I downloaded this awesome album by a band called Bubonic Plague. Loved their album so much I tried in vaaaaaain to find more info by them but they just fucking disappeared. Time goes by and tonight I see this fucking mime named Geneva Jacuzzi open up for John Maus. I was totally unimpressed by her music and performance. She tried wayyyyy to hard to get people to dance and really hammed it up. But something about the music caught my eardrums attention. I get home, look up her info, and low and behold she was (in?) Bubonic Plague, she's some serious hot stuff without the clown makeup, and her music is like the second coming of Gina X Performance. Who'd a thunk it? Love her videos aaaaand her music now. So what the HELL was up with her live show? Especially now that I see these amazing videos. Moral of the story: MIMES AND CLOWNS NEVER WORK! I hope she takes contstructive criticism well because I truely do think shes pretty fucking awesome now. Just fix up that live show hun...








This is a Bubonic Plauge song.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

The Cremator - 1968

Best movie I've seen in a good while! Whats with Czech new wave cinema being absolutely amazing? Turn those CC on for english subtitles buddy!

Friday, June 24, 2011

FREEEEBIESSS

Its a little rugged, but you should be excited.

Lucky YOU

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The Urinals-I'm A Bug

Let's wing it baby

Sunday, June 19, 2011

SCORPION VIOLENTE

Weirdo modern minimal synth deliciousness. Like a retarded cousin to CCCandy. Pick it up here folks.



Wednesday, June 15, 2011

End of Data - If I'm Not A Killer

Super rad rarity. Weirdo coldwave synth punk from 84 France. You fucking Frenchies and your damn coldwave...

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Com Truise

Super sweet Neon Indian sounding jams. Really digging this.







John Maus - Believer

Been a while folks. Lets believe.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Interview Zachary Fairbrother

I interviewed this rad dude through sad and silly gchat a couple of weeks ago. If you didn't already know from reading my F'n Blog, Zachary is the driving force behind Omon Ra II (R.I.P.) and his new hot joint LANTERN. He makes psych damaged Americana/Blues/Proto punk jams that'll burn your brain right outa yur skull. So here creeps, breath deep the mysteries of one Zachary Fairbrother...

MGM: Where are you from originally?

Zachary: I grew up in Musquodobit Harbour Nova Scotia The Boonies

MGM: Ah so full on Canadian. When did you move to Montreal?

Zachary: My father is American - so they got my citizenship when I was a baby. Summer 2009

MGM: What has been the biggest influence on your music and guitar playing

Zachary: Hard to say - that's a very broad question. Early on it was just guitarist that really influenced me. A lot of metal. Some of it very bad, but some of it has stuck. I am a big Hendrix fan and I am still amazed but what he did. I love listening to the live stuff because he really pushes the limits of his songs and his band. But after that I got sort of sick of guitar players and wanted to explore music not just guitar. I studied music in school; I have a degree in composition. I learned a lot about music that on my own I wouldn't have come across. Then I began to get very into experimental music - I got really into the drone artists like La Monte Young.

MGM: Really? Wouldn’t have expected that by just listening to your music.

Zachary: Haha ya. I know, it's pretty lo-fi and sloppy. Not often associated with Academia but I am a studied musician. From La Monte Young I really got into Sunn O))) - around the same time I started listening to both artists then I got back into Metal.

MGM: That connects the dots in my mind for Crude Vessels of Sound.

Zachary: But looked at it through a different lens, then I got into the Stooges and the Velvet Underground - but backwards. Through La Monte Young, because John Cale played with him.

Then recently I've gotten back into guitar playing I guess the confidence to do a track like crude vessels because it could be "wanky" to do a 7 minute guitar solo

MGM: Lets go back here, when did you start playing in bands?

Zachary: Basically since I started playing guitar when I was 14. I used to jam in friends, but it wasn't till I was around 22 that I was in a real band Omon Ra

MGM: …and that was started in Montreal?

Zachary: no Omon Ra was in Halifax. Omon Ra II Montreal

MGM: Ah ok, and how long was Omon Ra around for?

Zachary: For about 2 years

MGM: when was the decision to split up and form Omon Ra II?

Zachary: Never really was a decision. On my part it maybe wasn't the nicest choice on my part, I wanted to continue Omon Ra in Montreal, I was prepared to go on without Dan, even though it was both our band. I thought that wasn't morally right, so I just called it Omon Ra II. I was scared to lose what I did with Omon Ra, I guess worried to go on my own. Towards the end of Omon Ra we recorded to records, which are great, that were never released. One which Dan mostly wrote, which you can hear the continuation in his new band OmmaCobba, and one that I mostly wrote, which is when I got a fuzz pedal and new amp and wanted to rock out and make noise. So that's where the sound of Omon Ra II came.

Omon Ra had a show at Pop Montreal in 2009, and since Omon Ra was a two-piece we always had to find people to play with us I was living in Montreal, Dan was back in Halifax. He came up for the gig while I rehearsed the band. That band ended up being Omon Ra II. I said let's keep playing, as people were offering Omon Ra shows. So I just called in Omon Ra II. A reference to Amon Duul II

MGM: The only member to go on to Omon Ra II was you correct?

Zachary: You got it.

MGM: OK I was sooo confused before!

Zachary: haha yah. I don't think you are the only one the break wasn't very black and white. It just sort of happened. Chris D'eon played in Omon Ra II he also collaborated with us in Omon Ra.

He now plays as D'eon he has put out a couple of records on Hippos in Tanks.

MGM: Who were in the lineup of Omon Ra II at the time of the split tape with Dirty Beaches? I cant read the tiny write up in the tape.

Zachary: Me guitar and vocals, Chris D'eon Bass/Keys Emily Robb Bass/Tambourine Matthew Wilson Drums. Yah its very small, not my making

MGM: I love the cover of that tape. Where is it from?

Zachary: Alex (Dirty Beaches) did it - although I love the cover. It’s from vintage porn. I think like pin-ups I like the art too, I just have to admit it is very hard to read the insert

MGM: What did you record on for the tape?

Zachary: I used garage band for the most of it.

MGM: Wow really?

Zachary: Yah. No more than two tracks at a time. We record the drums and guitars then overdub everything else except the first track. I recorded that all myself but its garage band for the most part

I think maybe I put it through ableton at the end to make it super loud our side of the tape was over two times as loud as Dirty Beaches side. I wanted to it be loud, to pump through people's laptop speakers. To sort of crush all other sounds haha

MGM: I was attracted to “Jimmy Melvin”; I think that song is pure rock n roll genius

Zachary: Thank you. The tricky part was getting the mixing right, it is very blown out. But I wanted to make sure you could hear all the instruments

MGM: haha honestly I don't hear any keyboard!

Zachary: no keys on that track

MGM: That’s news to me, on the tape?

Zachary: we only added keys till after the tape

MGM: ahh ok cause I’ve seen this.

Zachary: haha ya

MGM: and was like whoa keys?

Zachary: I am always changing things up. Yah Chris is an amazing keyboardist

MGM: Insane keyboard solo!

Zachary: Ya. He loves Rick Wakeman, you can tell but he knows about all these music’s from around the world. So he plays all these cool modes. Very gifted

MGM: What kind of music is Omon Ra II? How do you define it?

Zachary: Good question - I think I had very different ideas of it, when I first started it I thought it would be more psychedelic and jamming. But then I got bored of that and it wasn't really the style of our drummer - and then I kind of wanted to do this sleazy garage band - so it turned more into that. Although, I don't know if I was ever really happy with how Omon Ra II sounded, I loved the stuff it just didn't quite click. I wanted to change the lineup up a bit but I just thought it might be better to start fresh so I created Lantern. And my ideas are so much more clearer. I feel refreshed and less tied down. I love playing with my new band that I've assembled down here in Philly.

MGM: Did Omon Ra II end and Lantern begin when you moved to Philly?

Zachary: Omon Ra II last show was in June. It was one of the best shows we played. Some personal stuff hit at the end of June, which decided that I was moving to Philly. I had a jam space so I began working on some tunes. I gave up Garage Band because I started to think it all sounded the same and picked up a 4 tape four track and started recording songs. I finished the 1st Lantern tape then I moved to Philly. I left Montreal in September

MGM: It seems to me that Lantern is a more "mature,” sound that Omon Ra II.

Zachary: Yah. That's fair. I certainly feel like it is. Although live we really try and bring a party atmosphere. We want people to dance, to sweat, to make it a visceral experience. It certainly is for the

We try and be like 'blues band' but with a punk bent. Like the Stooges or the Stones.

MGM: Lantern to me has this psych/punk - Americana/ roots music sound to it.

Zachary: Yah exactly, I love American music. I love the blues, early folk music. Its so dark and minimal - but sexy and you can dance to it. I love the fuzz though that of the Stooges. The swagger of the Stones, my favorite band probably, I am interested in mixing all of it together. To me they are all very similar.

MGM: Who is in your band now and what are their backgrounds?

Zachary: Emily, my partner, plays bass. She hasn't been playing music that long, but she picks up fast and we have very similar tastes in music, so we talk a lot about what we should play. We always are listening to music and talking, and analyzing - how do they do that? How do they get those sounds? Let's cover these songs. Our drummer - she is very punk. She loves the Cramps, The Stooges, The Damned, The Misfits, and the Ramones - but also a lot of the early blues/Americana stuff we like - like Bo Diddley and Etta James Hasil Adkins, Wanda Jackson, Elvis. I like to think of my music as dark. The lyrics are usually pretty dark. Whereas, Sophie our drummer, is very life affirming. So she approaches it from a different angle. She knows all the songs by all those artists too and she can lay down a groovy drumbeat that can get people moving. Jamming with them is a lot of fun and the ideas are always flowing. They are very excited so it makes me excited. Something that was very different than Omon Ra II.

MGM: What do you think of the music scene in Philly? I think you fit right in with Purling Hiss and Kurt Vile

Zachary: Yah, those are the bands I want to play shows with! I want to play shows with other rock bands. I really getting tired of this sampler heavy-post animal collective castrated dribble. I want rock n roll!

MGM: I feel the same. Its frustrating hearing all the same "indie" shit that comes out. They had their time. Time for something new to come in

Zachary: I agree. I don't think we are the only ones either

MGM: Though I tried to explain Tonstartssbandht to someone, a band you played with, and I think they sound like sung tong era animal collective through fuzz pedals. How did you get involved with them?

Zachary: Yah, they used to do this melodic-sampler based fuzz pop. Although I think they are moving away from that. Their best stuff is when they play as a two-piece rock outfit. Guitar and drums. They are hellava musicians. They lived in Montreal when I was there. We played a couple of shows; I've just kept in touch. But I dig how they'll try anything. People should be encouraged to be as adventurous.

MGM: What kind of equipment do you use for Lantern? What’s your gear man.

Zachary: I keep it simple I don't like a lot of effects. I like to start with a basic sound that is just so good. I don't like to hide behind effects. I use a Zvex Fuzz Factory, with Jim Dunlop Wah Original. Played through a 1484 Silvertone Amplifier with a homemade cabinet.

MGM: Nice did you build it?

Zachary: And a fender American Strat

Yeah me and my Dad, my mom picked out the psychedelic cloth that is used as the grill. Haha Family effort

MGM: What do you use to record on?

Zachary: Mostly just a four track, but sometimes I dub in some stuff on the computer

Using garage band or Ableton, cause it has some cool effects.

MGM: What can we see from Lantern in the future as far as releases?

Zachary: Quite a lot. We have a release coming out on Night People in May. A spilt tape lined up for June with a band called the Ether, coming out on Electric Voice. Also working on a cassette for Bathetic. And in a couple of weeks we have a cassette single coming out on Craft Singles. The Craft Single release is interesting. It is sort of an odd ball compared to the rest of the releases. It has a high recording quality and was performed with an impromptu band in my last weeks in Montreal. Recorded when Lantern was still more an abstract idea. We perform an old blues standard “Love To You" But then there is this crazy noise-free jazz-esq. freak-out. Andy March Produced and recorded it and released it. I had Alex from Dirty Beaches come in and play bass

MGM: What is your association with Alex of Dirty Beaches?

Zachary: I've known Alex for a couple of years. Omon Ra and Dirty Beaches are label mates on Fixture Records. Whenever we would make the trek up from Halifax to Montreal we would always hang and play together. There is a video of Omon Ra jamming with Alex on Youtube.

MGM: Do you have any plans to tour with Lantern in the future?

Zachary: Hell ya. We really want to hit the road. Have plans to do a nation wide late fall tour.

MGM: Whom are you playing with?

Zachary: Not sure yet. Still very much in the abstract. Just piecing it together

MGM: Which songs do you perform most frequently when you play live, and any covers? Do you play any old material from Omon Ra and Omon Ra II?

Zachary: We sometimes play “America is My Zoo”. Thinking about revisiting “National Anthem” and Jimmy. But I am not really one to look back. We play mostly stuff we've jammed and hashed out ourselves. We've only had three shows though!! We usually play "I'm Happy" which is a Hasil Adkins cove and we've just played the old blues number "Money (That's What I Want)" In the studio we jam the Stooges a lot. But we want to do lots of covers they are really fun to realize.

MGM: What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs.

Zachary: A lot has to do with Death or depravity of some sort. Like the dark side of your conscious violent men, dark dreams that you keep to yourself or being buried by technology

MGM: What is your ultimate direction for your band?

Zachary: I don't know. Just to keep it interesting. If it is a good project new ideas will always surface - Ideas that I wouldn’t have come up on my own - I'll always be surprised and the music will be alive and fresh. Having a known end is the nail in the coffin.

MGM: How can people access your music.

Zachary: Well people can check the merch page I've set up on Lantern's Tumblr. You can join our mailing list as well. I send exclusive tracks to subscribers. Just check the tumblr, there will updates with releases and info on where to get them.

MGM: Can you briefly explain your song writing process?

Zachary: I work on the fly. Most of my best stuff just comes right up on the spot, not planned I consider myself to be a very good improviser. Most of my songs lately are one riff. I call them "little Boleros" where the interest and tension comes from how you arrange the riff over time. I used to try and write songs with a lot of parts, because I felt you had too. But I was never very good at that.

MGM: Some Tiger Beat questions. Favorite movies:

Zachary: I really like Jim Henson. I grew up with Sesame Street and the Muppets. I love the Dark Crystal

Blade Runner is one of my absolute favs. Big fan Blue Velvet, and Mullholland Drive. Eraserhead is pretty cool. And it is allegedly inspired by the neighborhood I live in Philadelphia. I always wish I would watch more movies. It is just hard to find the time in life to do it right now. I know I've watched a lot of good ones. I have netflix; I want to use it more. Spinal Tap is also one of my favorites.

MGM: What books are you cramming your eyeballs into?

Zachary: I read a lot of books about musicians and music I am a pretty big nerd

Although I read a shitload of Cormac McCarthy which definitely influenced the direction of Lantern.

I really like his book "The Outer Dark" it is one of his early novels. I really liked "The Last Temptation of Christ" “Steppenwolf” by Hesse. I like reading about mythology. Really dig Joseph Campbell. Reading Keith Richards autobiography right now. It's pretty fun. Was reading Lee Scratch Perry's bio.

MGM: Who are you following in music now?

Zachary: Well I generally listen to old music - and if it is new music is usually comes my friends - Omma Cobba, Dirty Beaches, The Friendly Dimension, Broken Deer. Although I do listen to lots of stuff on blogs. I really like Ty Segall and a bunch of those San Fran bands like the Sic Alps, Thee Oh Sees (Coachwhips are my fav, though) My friend played me the Black Angels the other day, I thought they sounded pretty cool, they have a major Spacemen 3 vibe, which is always cool. Purling Hiss is rad. I really like oOoOO and Ariel Pink and Omneotrix Point Never

MGM: Last question: Where do you see Lantern in the future?

Zachary: Well hopefully gaining a nice little following and getting better and better. Really want to do a proper album, put something out on wax and just tour it like crazy. I'd love to make Lantern my full time job - oh what I could do then. That is my ultimate goal - I don't want to settle for anything less.

MGM: You wouldn’t be doing anything but music.

Zachary: Ya. I just feel useless otherwise.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Tumblr

Hey. Pst. I started a Tumblr. You should check it out. Dont worry, I'm still gonna use this blogity blog. Stay creepy.

http://mygreatmachine.tumblr.com/

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Opal - Happy Nightmare Baby

This song is magik of the highest order. Reminds me of driving in Ohio on a cool summer night, through long stretches of open fields, under a hazy yellow moon. Kind of a proto Broadcast too, no?

Mr.Understand - Syougakusei no Jijou

Found this over at SameHat. I love the insane fuckery of this animation! What the hell is going on? I. DONT. KNOW! But i also don't care! Weeeeeeeeee

Saturday, April 9, 2011

The Calico Wall - I'm a Living Sickness

Some spooky kooky shit banging outa da garage. Breath it in deep creeps.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

You should be listening to BLOODSHOT BILL

This guy is like Hasil Adkins on speed . Keep it nice & greasy buddy.







Wednesday, March 23, 2011

LANTERN - Deliver Me From Nowhere...

Lantern, the brainchild of Zachary Fairbrother (guitarist of the late great OMON RA II ) have just dropped the amazing tape "Deliver Me From Nowhere..." for your ear holes to digest. Its a romp through protopunk blues that will leave you howling at the moon like a woodland maniac.

The opener "Crude Vessels of Sound" is a mind melting tour de force of power guitar pyrotechnics. It builds slowly over a serene Midwestern plain, then doused with gasoline, set on fire, and scorched to cinders, leaving only charred remains to bake in a harsh desert sun. Reminds me of Neil Young's solos for the "Dead Man" soundtrack mixed with a little early Ash Ra Temple or perhaps Guru Guru and a heavy dose of FUZZ. I'll be listening to this monster when the super volcano explodes in Yosemite. Check out the justifiably, virtuous music video shot and edited in part by Alex Hungtai of Dirty Beaches and Jackie Lachance.

Lantern from Jacqueline Lachance on Vimeo.



"Feeln' Like I Might End Up Dead" is straight up death row blues, with Zachary murmuring over gentle guitar lines about strange dreams. "Come On Rip Let's Take A Trip" is harmonica laced, Native American drumming, reverb drenched, Appalachian backwoods snake handling, coal miners music. Seriously folks, that harmonica sound is religious magic to warn all non-believers to get their shit together before the second coming.
"Screemin' Dream" is a Bo Diddley party stomper complete with twangy drum smacks/handclaps and chunky guitar riffs. Get down and grungy to the Hasil Adkins cover of "I'm Happy" recorded in the back of some scuzzy West Virginia redneck bar at 2AM. The closer "In The Night Alone" starts off as a stripped down 50's slow dance, then drops off into Lynchian nightmare territory of doom laden keyboards, complete with rain sound effects. I feel like I should be walking back to my apartment to find my own dead rotting body on my bed ala' "Mulholland Drive".
Dig this tape hard ya'll. I think you'll be hearing a lot from Mr. Fairbrother in the future and I'm looking forward to see where he's gonna take us next.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Ashes in the Sun

So yeah I trimmed the fat off my ep and added a rad new jam. If you like krautrock, komische, punk, post-punk, and the work of Klaus Dinger (my fucking idol!) you may dig this. If you read this blog (I know you do! I have god damn google analytics!) let me know what ya think! Keep it real ya'll!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Protometal MADNESS

Spring is in the air, I can feel it maaaaaan. Time for a PROTOMETAL SAMPLER. 50 bands that will destroy your brain with FUZZ DESTRUCTION. So get your woman (or man), hop on your Harley, ride into the desert, and meet an Indian medicine man who will guide you on a spiritual acid journey into self discovery. Or uhh drink a beer and kick back. This shit is gonna buttrock you into submission.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Peaking Lights - 936


Peaking Lights, a married musical duo in Spring Green California, bang out hissing, druggy, haze drenched, tapes that pull you into static laced labyrinths of sound. Fuzzy to the MAX. Well guess what? They cleaned up their sound and dropped a serious holy-shit-this-is-turning-my-mind-into-golden-goo of an album called 936. This record is steeped in late night voodoo disco dub magik of the highest caliber. Listen to the samples, drool staring at the floor for a bit, and then order this record PRONTO! Supplies are god damn limited son!





Saturday, February 26, 2011

Sunday, February 20, 2011

The Alternative Sound of North East Ohio in the 70's

In a conversation I had once with Jim Jarmusch, he asked me if I was into the "late 70's Cleveland punk scene". I said yes, and we immediately started to nerd out about the music. He told me how he had interviewed a lot of the groups, about the original 7in records he had, and asked what the Pirate's Cove in Cleveland was like nowadays. It's funny how music creates a sense of time and place for people.

Growing up in Stow, Ohio, I've been unintentionally exposed in one way or another to this music of a bygone area; a kind of Rock 'n' Roll music of the strangest breed. Influenced by the weirdo humor and creativity of cult TV icon Ghoulardi, and the minimal guitar work of The Velvet Underground, there's no real name for it - but the music from this time has it's own unique sound, a North East Ohio sound.

I remember seeing episodes of The Drew Carey Show with specific reference to a particular NE Ohio band, which my parents had to explain to me. My mother used to get her printing work from the guitarist of the Bizarros. Every time the intro of The Rugrats would come on, I was reminded of who wrote the music. And when I went to college, a teacher of mine did a little documentary for PBS on the sound of Akron. This music is carved into the deep recesses of my brain and it makes me so proud to say I'm from Ohio. So here's a sample of some awesome alternative music from 1970's North East Ohio.

GRANICUS, a band from 1973 Cleveland....singing about getting out of Cleveland.
This may be the beginning of the NE Ohio sound. It's hard rock but... whats going on here? The middle breakdown of the song turns into this goofy talk/sing thing in weird cartoon like inflections. "Someday I'd like to take you downtown Cleveland,down/down/down/downtown/ down to the Cuyahoga River/where we can wait for it to catch on fire/Where we can roast our wee-wee's/ and have ourselves a little picnic." This of course mocking Mr. Robert Plant in all his majestic Led Zeppelin glory. Pretty fun if you ask me. Too bad they never got to leave Cleveland...



Of course we all know DEVO. They are permanently ingrained into the pop culture zeitgeist thanks to their quirky song and video "Whip it," and uhh...funny power dome hats? My Aunt went to the second Devo show ever at Kent State, and said it was the worst thing she's ever seen. Well at that time they were making fart noises on synths over primitive rock 'n' roll, so that's understandable. But what if you're into synth fart noises? Then you're in heaven.



Here's an great early demo song and a video somebody did with their cat...



ELECTRIC EELS, Cleveland's best kept secret. A band with a reputation for playing lawn mowers on stage, guy-on-guy makeout sessions to freak out working-class Midwesterners, and Nazi memorabilia shock tactics (before Johnny Thunders, Sid Vicious and Siouxsie Sioux mind you). This was art terrorism at its most extreme in the the 1970's. I never really understood how protopunk of say The Stooges or The Velvet Underground became what is now known as punk until I listened to this band. I mean, shit, "Agitated" was from 1975 and he's sneering like Johnny Rotten. This band deserves way more attention and should be credited as the first punk band.



This is a contender for my all time favorite song EVER.



PETER LAUGHNER was a very important musician and music critic for NE Ohio. Laughner had his paws in Rocket from the Tombs and Pere Ubu. He has a record of rare recordings from the 70's that was released in the early 90's called Take the Guitar Player for a Ride. Within is some fantastic Lou Reed influenced folk rock with fractured psych influences. Would have been interesting to see where he could have went next. He died of acute pancreatitis in 1977.



Laughner's own "Heroin."



ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS, notable for splitting into two great bands: Pere Ubu and The Dead Boys. With contributions from the late great Peter Laughner, this proto-punk band from Cleveland was more ferocious than either the bands it split into. With a raw, aggressive and dirty experimental blues sound, its a shame they never properly recorded an album in their heyday. But perhaps these damaged recordings are better than anything they could have created in a studio?





PERE UBU took the more avant garde parts of Rocket from the Tombs and expanded upon them to make music which they dub, "Avant Garage". Taking cues from Krautrock (particularly CAN), they released "Tokyo/Heart of Darkness" in 1975 and then "Final Solution/Cloud 149" in 1976. Out of their entire career I feel these two songs are their best.





After leaving Rocket from the Tombs, Cheetah Chrome and Johnny Blitz scooped up Stiv Bators and called themselves Frankenstein, then renamed themselves THE DEAD BOYS. They reworked a song previously done in Rocket from the Tombs and the rest, as they say, is history...



THE MIRRORS were heavily influenced by The Velvet Underground, thanks to the Velvets trogging through Cleveland on numerous tours. But The Mirrors put their own quirky (almost goofy) spin on the Velvet's proto-punk 3 chord musings. The reissued compilation album Something That Would Never Do is always on the wall at Academy Records in Brooklyn with the sign: "Of course we always stock a copy of our favorite record ever". I like those sentiments verily.





When The Mirrors dissolved they became the POLI STYRENE JESS BAND. Here's a rare 7in they put out in 1975.



It's weird to for me to hear THE BIZARROS and try to dissociate the guitarist from the image I have of him in a suit, working for a printing company. I grew up going with my mom to business meetings with him in the summer, and she would mention The Bizarros in the car after the meeting. I always wondered what they sounded like until I got my first listen while I was in college. This is some great Velvets influenced hard rock from 1976 Akron, Ohio.





RUBBER CITY REBELS reworked a Fleetwood Mac song into an aggressive proto-punk burner. They formed in 1976 and had a split in '78 that spawned The Hammer Damage Band. I saw them play the last show at the Lime Spider in Akron before I left for NYC.



THE HUMAN SWITCHBOARD was a band from Cleveland that recorded this interesting e.p. in 1977. I don't know much about them but they definitely had that NE Ohio sound.



CHI-PIG had to really grow on me to fully appreciate them. They are almost too goofy. But when you're feeling really weird, this song, off the notorious Stiff Records Presents Akron album, hits the spot. They recently put out an album of unreleased songs from 1979 called Miami that has some great Devo-ish tunes.



THE CRAMPS were not from Ohio - or were they? Surprise! Lux Interior spent the better part of his youth in my hometown of Stow, Ohio. He met Poison Ivy in Sacramento, California in 1972, moved back to Ohio (this time to Akron in 1973) then moved to New York City in 1975. I would definitely say whatever funky stink was in the air of 1970's NE Ohio shaped the sound and ideals of The Cramps. Goulardi must have had a profound effect on a young Erick Purkhiser.



70's NE Ohio man, everyone wanted to get outa there. Some did, most didn't. But their music went farther than some of them ever did professionally.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Jeff and Jane Hudson - Flesh

Trying to find this record, but its super expensive. Love me some cold wave, minimal synth madness. Especially in this cold Brooklyn weather.





Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Ashes in the Sun


I just put out an e.p. called Transmigration for my music project Ashes in the Sun on Bandcamp. If you have been following my blog, you know all my influences and hopefully you'll enjoy! Check it out!

Monday, February 7, 2011

New Musik

So there was this band and they made insanely catchy synth music. They had two amazing albums made of pure pop bliss. I'd go so far as to say these guys were The Beatles of synth rock. That fucking good. Unfortunately they were WAY ahead of their time and sadly overlooked. But now my brothers and sisters the Internet has brought a shining ray of light upon their fantastic output. Breath deep friends. This is the New Musik you were looking for. This first song is one of my all time favorite songs ever. Seriously. I get chills listening to it. When that big bold synth comes crashing in, I'm flying away in the most happiest of spaceships to an even happier place. The film is over. The credits roll. Euphoria.







Saturday, February 5, 2011

Hermine - Blue Angel

One of my favorite covers ever. Perfect for feeling sad at 3AM. *sigh*

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Ancient structure on the Moon

This is probably fake. However it is creepy and I like da creepy thangs.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Visa de Censure n°X - Pierre ClĂ©menti

Like a cracked out Kenneth Anger. This is trippy. Need to get my hands on this guys work...





Sunday, January 23, 2011

Francis Bebey - la condition masculine

In trying to find some more minimal synth albums, this guys fucking single pops up all over the place. Its interesting for 1975 I guess. More of a historical artifact than something i'd listen to. The lyrics are supposedly( I don't understand French) extremely sexist. So there's that. Enjoy!

Ann Steel - My Time

I know I posted this song before, but HOLY SHIT THERE'S AN AWESOME LIVE PERFORMANCE! Friends, this is why the internet exists. I can't handle how amazing this is. Where the fuck is she now? Why hasn't this been re-released? The world may never know...

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Timmy's Organism - Rise of the Green Gorilla


With more distortion drenched wah wah guitar fury than your little turd of a brain can handle comes Timmy's Organism straight out of Detroit, Michigan. How have I never heard of this Timmy guy before? Immediately after hearing this album I went out bought all this guys output I could find which includes Human Eye and Clone Defects. Both bands equally impressive in their own right do not hold a candle to anything on Rise of the Green Gorilla!

The opening song "Ugly Dream" has drums like plastic oil barrels that just fucking pummel you into submission, while searing hot guitar flames shoot off into the stratosphere only to pull you back down and drag your filthy face into the mud and grime of an abandoned Detroit factory floor. Timmy's voice bellows as if he's rallying a call for all burnouts, freaks, and mutants to assemble against some other worldly danger. The laughing at the end of this song only solidifies in my mind that this man is possessed by the power of rock n roll in its most pure form and we are only here to bear witness to its awesome endowment.

There are tracks on this album that come so far outa left field I'm just floored and jealous that I didn't come up with it first. Take "Oafeus Gods" for instance. What the hell is holding this song together? It sounds like a rusted old machine with nuts and bolts flying off , the gears are grinding, and yet its still trucking, with Timmy singing like he's the most carefree guy in world. I am completely enamoured and entranced by it.

Then comes "Building the Friend-ship" and you fucking GET this band. An instrumental to the likes of Eno's "Golden Hours" (which isn't instrumental) having stinky monkey sex with with the early Chrome output. Its haunting, weird and when that guitar part comes in, stunning. Like aliens trying to replicate what music is supposed to sound like and failing, but in an oh-so-good way.

"Give it to me Baby" is punk infused garage rock spewing neon green keyboard bile all over your orifices. " Impregnate the Martian Queen" is a jaunting little diddy with garage rock vocal musings over decaying synthesizers and broken guitar equipment. "Move to the Sun Wave" is retard E.T. cowboy crooning at its fucked up finest. And sheesh, we have finally reached the summit of "Silver Mountain" a meditative spoken word mood piece, complete with synth farts and squiggles to make for freaky time. The closer "The Traveler" is a harrowing walk through somber and gentle guitar lines that leave you in another state of mind entirely different from the beginning of the record but still fits in the same universe as the record was made in. Get that?

They say that music releases dopamine in the brain, even releases it when you just think about a particular piece of music. Dopamine must be spilling out my eyeballs by the time I'm done listening to this record. Truly a magnificent release. Go. Go now and get this. Make an alter around your turntable, transform into a mutant ape creature, start a fire in the middle of your room, and bask in the glory that is Timmy's Organism Rise of the Green Gorilla. I'd also advise you to soak up whatever green slime is pouring out of this guys plastic cerebellum in the future, in fact get a bucket and save some for me.



Wednesday, January 19, 2011

NDW (Neue Deutsche Welle)

I just sent my friend Rixa from Germany (aka Germland where the Germs live) a gigantic list of music that I've been looking for on the vinyls. The list has some Krautrock rarities like A.R. & Machines "Echo" (jesus christ this is hard to get) and Walter Wegmuller - "Tarot" (With original Tarot cards, its worth more than your first born baby) but the majority is made up of NDW artists.

Neue Deutsche Welle is the German New Wave that took place between 1978-1984. True to form there was an underground NDW and a mainstream NDW movement. Both shared success in the German music market. However, I will primarily focus on the underground NDW artists.

If punk rock was a reaction to over bloated prog rock and disco, than NDW was a reaction to Krautrock and Berlin school electronics. I guess NDW bands reactionary idea was to take music further, and freakier in a shorter amount of time. The movement indeed took the technical electronic achievements of say Kraftwerk and put them through the punk filter. The music reminds me of taking CAN's "Vitamin C" and fucking with it by adding distorted guitars, weird synth plunks and farts until something musically retarded, yet deliciously inventive comes out of the mix. Also a lot of industrial strength La Dusseldorf and the spazztronics of Faust flung into the pot.

What makes these artists different from say the U.K. or U.S. New Wave movements is the sheer amount of studio fuckery and willingness to with go normal music conventions to make something that is truly OUT THERE. I can't stress that enough. You will either absolutely love it or HATE IT. This is not Goth, not Post-punk, and definitely notSynth Pop. NDW is its own island in the music universe.

Lets not forget these Germans youths were ANGRY even when they were dancing! Yet for however many crazy sound effects, angry shouts and lo-fi it got, what was consistent was rhythm, rhythm, rhythm! The drums be smacking yo! Its like handicapped funk music made by irritated, unibrowed German youths (watch the videos).

I just danced around my living room in front of my girlfriend like a crazy loon listening to these jams. She's all like, what the fuck is this shit and I just kept dancing. She didn't mind cause I don't dance outside of the confines of our apartment because i'm a gay mans dream (inside joke that shouldn't be on this blog). Enjoy the music.
















I think this live video shows off NDW at its best. hahaha






I had to add this duhhh.







Monday, January 17, 2011

John Foxx

Ultravox, Foxx's first band is cool, especially Systems of Romance, but Metamatic is where its at son. Bleak and creepy synths over tortured wimpish British man cries, with excellent bass lines and danceable drum beats make for what I consider a lost classic album. Here's two early music videos off the album.



Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Gary Numan Live

Blizzard pt. 2 on its way. Gary Numan on the turntable... Is it just me or are his late 70's/early 80's live shows absolutely fascinating? The lighting and stages mixed with the heavy synth sound create this incredibly oppressive and powerful mood. Like Orwells 1984, right around the corner, was indeed about to fulfill some terrible prophecy.





Your gonna be jelous of your eyes for seeing this first.




Friends if you were to buy me or make me those spinning pink glowing pyramids and give them to me as a house warming gift... I wouldn't say no!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Crash Course in Science - Cardboard Lamb

Just hearing the audio I couldn't tell if this was an old band or a new one. So many bands these days try hard as hell to sound like some weirdo band from the late 70's early 80's. But hey, I'm not complaining.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Monday, January 3, 2011

Dark Sea Dream - Shock Doctrine

Just got Dark Sea Dreams self titled album off of itunes thanks to my previous internship's lovely 50 dollar gift certificate. My first music purchase of 2011 and its wowing me pretty good. Doom metal guys that worship My Bloody Valentine? Yes please! Pretty epic stuff here that leaves all the metal pretensions at the door (and hey some of the MBV ones too). Damn, I may even double dip and get the vinyl release and you should too you cheap bastard.