Not much, at all.
Sharkey and Richie from Clockcleaner in front of the Louisville Slugger bat, 10/30/07.
The Jesus Lizard Cover Band at the Pour Haus, 10/26/07.
Nick gets wild in Lexington.
Only 99 cents! (but a lifetime of regret.)
(Image swiped from http://edition.r2010.de)
Wow! One of my favorite screeching, abrasive violin drone albums of all time, Harley Gaber’s The Winds Rise In the North, is set to be reissued this fall on the excellent Edition RZ label:
To be released in autumn 2007! Linda Cummiskey (Violin), Malcolm Goldstein (Violin), Kathy Seplow (Violin), Stephen Reynolds (Viola), David Gibson (Violoncello)
Questions
How endlessly the heavens turn.
And yet the earth remains at rest.
Do the sun and the moon quarrel as to their positions?
Who rules over and orders all these things?
By whom are they in harmony?
Who effortlessly causes and maintains them?
Is there, perhaps, some hidden tension
that prevents them from being other than as they are?
Must the heavenly bodies move as they do, powerless to do otherwise?
Look how the clouds drop the rain!
And how the rain rises again to form the clouds!
Who moves them to this abundance?
Who effortlessly produces the primary orb and stimulates it?
The winds rise in the north and blow to the east and west.
Others move upward uncertainly.
Whose breath moves them?
Who effortlessly causes them to blow?
What is the cause?[ Chuang Tzu ]
CD1 53:00 – CD2 50:48 – Gesamtspielzeit 103:48
Availability: In production
This is fantastic news for fans of post-Theatre of Eternal Music drone, as well as downtown music in general, as this classic has been out of print for quite a long time. The Winds Rise In the North was originally released on Titanic Records in 1976, and according to Alan Licht‘s Minimalism Top Ten III over at Volcanic Tounge, “Gaber gave up music not long after this record to pursue a career as a tennis instructor (!)….” Nutty. Anyways, a favorite in my household for some years now (purchased from Bob Fay on eBay, heh), it’ll be nice to see this relatively unheard classic get a new leash on life (and hopefully up-to-date mastering).
Insect Factory is the solo guitar drone project of one Jeffrey Barsky of Silver Spring, Maryland. Now, as you could probably guess, the words “solo guitar drone project” sometimes conjure up some startlingly bad mental images. However, on the new release Air Traffic Control Sleep, Insect Factory delivers the sort of drone that is, y’know, actually engaging! Like, not only did I not get bored listening to it, I actually liked it! There’s something in Insect Factory’s sound that reminds me of what I’ll call (for lack of a better term) post-Niblock electronic drone (apologies to Mr. Phill Niblock as he is certainly still alive and well and making great music), wherein rock guitars were used to make pretty heavy non-rock music. The first (and foremost) practitioner of this style who comes to mind is Rafael Toral, the Portuguese guitarist who began making heavy drone statements such as Wave Field in the mid-1990s (more on him in a post coming soon). Insect Factory continues pleasantly in Toral’s footsteps, using guitar to make music that sounds nothing like “guitar music.”
Funnily enough, the last track on the record, “Landing Back on the Shore [By Morning],” isn’t really drony at all, but since it’s the shortest, it’s what I’ve decided to upload. This song is unlike the other two on Air Traffic Control Sleep, but don’t let that deter you. You can buy Air Traffic Control Sleep direct from Insect Fields here (for cheap!).
Barsky is also a member of/contributor to D.C.’s excellent Kohoutek, who will be soon releasing a new CD entitled Expansive Headache on Music Fellowship shortly. In the meantime, here is their self-titled two-song CDr from 2005, unfortunately Barsky-less, but still worth your time (disclaimer: I booked a Kohoutek/Mouthus show in the fall of 2005). And if you happen to live in the Washington, D.C. area, you can catch another Barsky band Civilians on September 18th (with Eddy Current Suppression Ring), Insect Factory on September 20th (as part of the Sonic Circuits festival), and Kohoutek on September 28th (with Alasehir and Suishou No Fune), all at the Velvet Lounge.
In an unrelated note, I will be moving at the end of the month, so posts may become infrequent. I know all two of my readers will be upset, but that’s the way it goes.
The following reviews appeared in the Volume 3, Number 7 edition of Doug Mosurak’s Still Single column at Dusted Magazine that ran today:
Dog Faced Hermans
Mental Blocks for All Ages LP
(Mississippi Records)
Dog Faced Hermans were one of the best bands I’ve ever had the pleasure to see live. This amazing Scottish-via-the-Netherlands four-piece just absolutely fucking destroyed on stage with an intensity and energy that even their sister band the Ex sometimes can’t manage. The key to understanding what sets them apart from other ostensibly good post-Crass UK punk bands is the direct connection that singer Marion Coutts’ vocals, lyrics and presence made with earlier 20th century developments in radical art and politics. Mental Blocks for All Ages, originally released on Project A-Bomb in 1991, is the moment when the Hermans really came into their own, showing an ability to absorb all kinds of fantastic non-punk sounds (Indian, Kurdish, Vietnamese, free jazz) while still retaining the steadfast adrenaline rush-sound fueled mainly by Andy’s guitar-playing-and-dismantling and Wilf’s ridiculously ferocious drumming. So while it’s easy lament the band’s passing (Marion continued her art in the UK), it is fantastic that those not privileged to see the Hermans can at least still enjoy their recordings. Key tracks include “Suppressa” (with a fantastic overdubbed horn break), the mellow “Astronaut,” “Ballad About Bhopal,” and “It’s Time” (based on a Charlie Haden tune). So when can we expect a vinyl box-set of their discography and one or two live shows? (no address provided)
Egypt Is The Magick #
The Valentine Process LP
(Mad Monk)
Charlie Manson once said “No sense makes sense,” and that’s all fine and dandy, but every once in a while a little clarity goes a long way. But if you’re looking for clarity, or at least want to hear it; you won’t get it from Egypt Is The Magick #, a long-running mystery project with perhaps some No Neck Blues Band ties. Nope, on The Valentine Process you get lots of murk, maybe even a little esoteric mysticism, and a lot of nonsense. Now, nonsense ain’t necessarily bad, sometimes it’s even good, but in the way it manifests on The Valentine Process, it’s mostly just kinda boring and pointless. I hate to bag on a band for doing things their own way, and Egypt Is The Magick # is certainly unique, but ultimately the music just doesn’t gel in an interesting way for me. There’s a lot of moaning, some scraping and bowing, and on the second side an extended electro-ish sequence reminiscent of what the far-more-interesting Excepter does, but yeah, I just can’t get into this. Sorry, mystic weirdos. On the other hand, this record does look good, so at least they got that part right. (www.woodenwand.net/madmonk)
Emil Beaulieau
Moonlight on Vermont LP
(Ecstatic Peace!)
Ah, the myriad guises of one RRRon Lessard. Among the pranks and put-ons, fun times and harsh noise, one thing has remained constant: RRRon’s propensity to just do whatever he damn well pleases, and to do it damn well. The Beaulieau nom-de-plume (swiped from a former conservative mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire) has been with us for a while and much like the permanence of the magic marker scrawl when I saw it written in a bathroom in a gas station in rural Oregon in 2003, who knows how much longer it will last? Will RRRon get bored and move on to something else, hanging up the sweater vest and turntables for some other means of expression? I don’t know, but I’m glad that for the moment we’ve got Moonlight on Vermont to listen to. While it’s taken some years for it to, uh, come to light, Moonlight delivers some harsh ’00s realities that any longtime listener will enjoy. The noise novices out there might enjoy it, too, especially the slightly-more-rock overtures of the second side. As for me, this disc goes quite nicely with the incessant pounding, drilling and sawing of the workmen converting the first floor of my building into what will soon be some new bouge’s apartment. What noise will exist when the housing and new construction boom ends? Ask Ben Bernanke. In an edition of 300, each with a unique cover handmade by the artist. (http://www.ecstaticpeace.com)
GHQ
Crystal Healing LP
(Threelobed)
This long-running unit comprised of heavy-hitters Marcia Bassett (Double Leopards, Hototogisu, Un, Zaimph), Pete Nolan (Magick Markers, Bark Haze, Flux Spectre) and Steve Gunn serves up some tasty extended drone action on Crystal Healing, from the Bardo-affiliated Three-Lobed Recordings label. Those familiar with their work in other bands and configurations won’t really find much out of the ordinary here, as the emphasis is on lots of meditative fuzz. However, occasionally the fuzz is accompanied and complemented by acoustic guitar – and on the second side by a plaintive male groan – both injecting a subtle yet affecting melodicism that helps make Crystal Healing sound more interesting than your average drone fest, making it clear that it’s played by above-average droners. Perhaps the only complaint is that there isn’t enough; the drawback of the LP format is that it just isn’t long enough for me to get really immersed in the music. Like a nice warm bath on a late fall day, the GHQ performances I’ve seen had a tendency to make a long amount of time seem like it really had just been standing still, regardless of (or perhaps in spite of) the added pleasures of imbibitions and inhalations. Maybe a five-hour long DVD with some Marian Zazeela-style light installation visuals should be in order. Or maybe not, as we wouldn’t want La Monte Young to sue anybody. Either way, Crystal Healing provides a nice, if only temporary, fix. Nice gatefold sleeve, edition of 855. (http://www.threelobed.com/tlr)
…and there’s a couple more, but I don’t feel like posting the rest, so I guess you’ll just have to read the rest of the column. Which you should anyway, as it contains some good writin’ by Mr. Mosurak and special guest Matt Stern. Will I contribute more often to Dusted? Well, I have no idea, so for now, let’s just enjoy the moment.
(Photo swiped from Washington City Paper.)
As previously reported here, John Staab of Government Issue was assaulted on July 17, sustaining three facial fractures, two broken bones, and a broken nose (read the City Paper’s story here).
A benefit has been set for Sunday, September 23rd in D.C., at the Rock and Roll Hotel (yeah it’s a Live Nation venue, but who cares? it’s more important to help Staab out anyway).
Stabb himself will perform, as part of Government Re-Issue, with Brian Baker, Tom Lyle, and William Knapp.
Other bands set to perform are 76% Uncertain, No Image, Alive At Last, Lion of Judah and Pup Tent.
The following review appeared in the latest edition of Doug Mosurak’s Still Single column at Dusted Magazine:
Before I even sliced open the shrink-wrap with my thumbnail, the name of this one-man-electrical-line6-jam-band and its nausea-inducing title had me wincing. Like then I saw that the dude is Belgian and all, and no offense to our friends in Brussels, but it ain’t exactly a hotbed of exciting new sounds – even when the inevitable comparison to France is made (boy do Belgians hate being compared to the French!). And who knew the Belgians were so emo? Seriously the band name and titles had me expecting some whack job eyeliner five-piece from Passaic (a place more boring than Brussels, as far as I can tell) playing gear they bought at Guitar Center with mom’s credit card. What I got instead is, well, line6 and guitar rock not far afield from what everyone and their older not-into-emo brother’s been doing since they read about Sunn0))) in the New York Times Sunday Magazine. Aside from the kinda-nice album cover (a close-up photo of a guitar’s bridge), there’s really nothing here to distinguish this from about a million similar dudes. Gatefold sleeve, on really pukey-looking colored vinyl.
Buy it from Equation Records, if you like.
The next installment will include some more reviews by me, on records by Dog Faced Hermans, D. Charles Speer and more. That column should run in a couple weeks from now. Check out the rest of this week’s columns for great records, with reviews by Doug, Mike Crumsho and Matt Stern
Nick Hennies, one of my oldest Louisville friends and a member of the Weird Weeds (and former member of Telephone Man and Nero), recently unearthed some old fliers, some of which I “designed,” so I thought I’d share them with you, all two of my readers. The one above was, as you can see, for a show at the long-gone Ground Zero Records (when Ed had a basement for impromptu shows) by Washington, D.C.’s excellent the Crownhate Ruin and Nero. Unfortunately, Crownhate (which featured Fred Erskine from Hoover and June of 44) had to cancel as they got a flat or something on the way there, so the False Start played instead. Who were the False Start? Well they were a fucking awesome band consisting of Jesse Lebus (my best friend from high school and also the man behind the Rattlesnake Kit and Imagineagents, two fantastic but basically unheard Louisville bands), his brother Morgan (now works at Domino Records here in NYC), their half-brother Jeffrey Treitz and Sebadoh member and man-about-town Jason Lowenstein. Somehow as audacious teenagers Jesse and I got to be friends with Jake because we’d give him tapes of our intentionally-horrible cover band Leafpile (our m.o. was to “cover” songs by playing along with them, taped to air using two boomboxes in my mom’s basement), and he’d give us his Sparkalepsy tapes (get in touch, Jason! I still have that one tape you wanted).
This next flier I made for a show that Nick put on, but I wasn’t able to go to as I was back at Bard, beginning the second semester of my junior year. The Sevens and The Sorts were both from D.C., again. I guess it wasn’t that far for bands to get to Louisville, though some of it is some rough driving through stretches of West Virginia. Anyway the D.C.-Louisville connection probably goes back to Minor Threat playing there, so I guess it makes sense. Anyway, too bad I couldn’t make this one.
This last flier is from a mega-show I booked during the fall semester of my senior year, with five bands. Of course, one of the bands was Julia Schagene, which consisted of Nick, Drew Wilson and Andrew Drummond who was visiting the US from Sheffield, UK. They drove all the way from Chicago through an ice storm (taking about 20 hours for what would otherwise be a 13-hour drive) to play, and I paid them $150 (loved that college money!). The other bands were fantastic, but hampered a bit by the early snowstorm that kept attendance pretty weak. Anyway, all those names you should know. I’d be worried if you didn’t. And it was a fun time.
Update 8/16/07: Here’s the first of a few related albums for you to check out – more on the way:
Nero, s/t (1997) – anybody who calls it “the Dune Concept album” gets a slap in the face.
The Crownhate Ruin, Until the Eagle Grins (1996)
Brother JT and Vibrolux, Music for the Other Head (1995)
Blues Control with Brian Turner at the Rock Star Bar for Mark’s birthday party, 8/11/07
Isn’t “Most Hated Band in Philadelphia” something like “Most Useless Celeb in L.A.?” Clockcleaner’s John Sharkey III gets wild on the mic, something Kidd Chris would most certainly approve of.
The strobe lights make it hard to take a crappy cellphone shot, yet Karen looks good here.
Noted super-bro Michael Berdan looks on as Clockcleaner winds up.
Watersports and Aaron Rosenblum give Gavin Bryars a run for his money at Goodbye Blue Monday, 8/10/07.
Lots more to come, shortly.
(Photos of Paul Rutherford and Iskra 1903 swiped from http://www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/mrutherf.html, which contains a discography and short biography.)
More bad music news, this time from the world of British free improvisation as Paul Rutherford, trombonist and founding member of Iskra 1903, has apparently passed on. Rutherford also played in the Globe Unity Orchestra and the London Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, as well as in many smaller groups. Additionally, his solo recording The Gentle Harm of the Bourgeoisie is considered to be ground-breaking, though I’ve never heard it.
In memoriam, all three discs of Iskra 1903’s Chapter One are available for downloading, starting with disc one, available here; disc two, available here; and disc three, available here.
Additionally, please take a gander at this interesting interview my good friend Cliff conducted with him last year.
His Myspace page is reporting that Lee Hazlewood passed on August 4, 2007 from cancer.
He will be greatly missed.
Update: As a tribute of sorts, I’ve uploaded Hazlewood’s 1963 solo debut Trouble Is A Lonesome Town, which you can download here. Enjoy.
Update 8/9/07: My roommate Joe has added an interview with Lee Hazlewood from his 2001 Loser’s Lounge appearance here.
The Other Side of Life 