Marcia Bassett & Samara Lubelski - Sunday Night, Sunday Afternoon | Album Feature
Marcia Bassett & Samara Lubelski are some of the brightest stars in the contemporary underground. Maybe they are not the most mentioned names but their reach & light affect many corners of the musical universe. I'm not even sure where to start in the long list of names that these women have worked with. But more importantly to this discussion is that they have been frequent collaborators for years & have only now come together for a proper duo release titled Sunday Evening, Sunday Afternoon.
This excerpt from the full-length album essentially highlight what the two do best manipulate bits of droning white noise into moving compositions of beauty. Neither attempt to take center stage & really stick their thumbs out. That doesn't seem to be the point here. It is the subtle elapsing layers of ambient noise that Bassett & Lubelski are skillfully coaxing out of their guitar & violin. A sublime pairing to say the least.
Marcia Bassett & Samara Lubelski's Sunday Night, Sunday Afternoon is available now via Kye.
Sedition Ensemble - Tax | Track Feature
Occupying that fine cross section of politically motivated groove music that seems to bear hallmarks from every corner of NYC's late 70's early 80's underground. Sedition Ensemble's Regeneration Report has classic written all over it yet for some reasons feel through the cracks of above ground (even if marginally so) history. The group was founded by Ed Montgomery, a San Francisco transplant living in New York City, & included Hector Lavoe, Larry Harlow, & Bern Nix (Ornette Coleman's Prime Time & The Contortions) to name a few.
If the lead track "Tax" is any indication of what else is to come on this album then we can expect a quintessential mix of underground political ideologies & cultural fusion. The latin influence in particular is hard at play here. I'm not sure if Montgomery's latin influence came before or after his move from San Francisco to New York but would wager a pretty penny (that is if I gambled) on the latter as the big apple had it's own thriving Latino music scene at the time. It's a great blend of radical post-hippie politics made music.
Sedition Ensemble's Regeneration Report is available now via Sol Re Sol Records.
TRUE DELTA - A Cinematic Snapshot of the Clarkesdale Blues Scene Today Needs Your Help via Kickstarter!
True Delta co-director Daniel Cowen (founder of City University Film Festival) requested that I help spread the word about his new documentary and i'm happy to do so. The more we support efforts like this the better chance the music has to survive. In True Delta, Cowen and his partners concentrate on the delta music scene as it is today, and how it intertwines with "the religious, economic, and cultural life of the Delta region."
The film features Mr. Johnny Bilington, who's Blues To Schools program works to get a guitar in school kids hands before a crack dealer puts a pipe in it. I once helped with presenting a Blues to Schools program to Gainesville, FL school kids at the UF Art Gallery, which included jamming with Mr. Johnny for five hours non-stop. Also appearing are Super Chikan, Jimbo Mathus, the late Big Jack Johnson, and many more. Sharde Thomas makes an appearance and leaves no doubt that she is carrying on her grandfather Othar Turner's fife and drum tradition.
This is a worthy project and the premiums are low so most anyone can afford to help and still get something cool in return. You can find out more about True Delta by clicking right HERE.
The film features Mr. Johnny Bilington, who's Blues To Schools program works to get a guitar in school kids hands before a crack dealer puts a pipe in it. I once helped with presenting a Blues to Schools program to Gainesville, FL school kids at the UF Art Gallery, which included jamming with Mr. Johnny for five hours non-stop. Also appearing are Super Chikan, Jimbo Mathus, the late Big Jack Johnson, and many more. Sharde Thomas makes an appearance and leaves no doubt that she is carrying on her grandfather Othar Turner's fife and drum tradition.
This is a worthy project and the premiums are low so most anyone can afford to help and still get something cool in return. You can find out more about True Delta by clicking right HERE.
Led Er Est - Turritopsis Blues | Video Feature
Led Er Est are back bringing with them a bit of icy detachment for this unusually warm spring. The group have announced a new full-length titled The Diver & releasing a limited single which is the soundtrack to the video above. I'm not sure much has necessarily changed since their last outing in 2009 but it's possible they gave the rest of the world time to catch up a little.
"Turritopsis Blues" is a largely instrumental affair which is full to the brim with mystery & occult vibes. At times feeling like the theme song to some long lost sci-fi classic. The accompanying video by House Plants brings an equally surreal & unusually cinematic vision to the plate. It is partly a contemplative look in urban life as it is death. The main protagonists working through partly choreographed movements that manipulate time and physics in their occult like symbology. All the while shot in clear stark takes the weave in & out of each other dancing to the music.
"Turritopsis Blues" is a largely instrumental affair which is full to the brim with mystery & occult vibes. At times feeling like the theme song to some long lost sci-fi classic. The accompanying video by House Plants brings an equally surreal & unusually cinematic vision to the plate. It is partly a contemplative look in urban life as it is death. The main protagonists working through partly choreographed movements that manipulate time and physics in their occult like symbology. All the while shot in clear stark takes the weave in & out of each other dancing to the music.
With their lead track "Kaiyo Maru" from The Diver Led Er Est are back where they left off on the previous LP Dust On Common (released on Wierd records). They're not leading us in a new direction here but they have refined it. They have their figure on the pulse though & did with this type of thing before a lot of other seemed to have jumped on board.
Led Er Est's Turritopsis Blues is available now on a fancy single sided 12" w/ silkscreened b-sde on Monofonus Press & their full-length will be available via Sacred Bones this May 8th.
JUNiOR KiMBROUGH VS The Grassy Knoll
I recently received a a nice message from Bob Green of Grassy Knoll , the subtle genius who remixed the tracks. Bob assured me that he was not the one who requested the takedown and has given me permission to repost them:
If you believe you own the rights to these remixes you are welcome to contact me about them. Meanwhile, grab 'em quick kids, before somebody has a hissy and requests another take down.
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The Grassy Knoll was invited by Fat Possum Records boss Matthew Johnson to remix the late, great, Junior Kimbrough. Here are the results:
We all had to start somewhere...
Along with many others I am indebted to this book which I was given with my first guitar. What a legacy Bert leaves, becoming more successful as the author of this guide than as a performer and above all for creating an initial introductory milestone for so many players.
Bert will be remembered for this book, whilst Jim Marshall will be remembered for effectively defining the rock guitar sound, both lives are to be celebrated...
PB
Ed Schrader's Music Beat - Jazz Mind | Album Feature
I saw Ed Schrader's Music Beat perform a few years ago and was immediately blown away. All he had at his disposal was a single drum & his own twisted musical vision which he milked for all they were worth It was one of those moments where it seemed like everything could & possibly should go wrong. It didn't. I was wrong and it is now one of those performances I have held onto over the years.
Ed Schrader's Music Beat's most recent album Jazz Mind follows a similar line of logic. The main difference here is the expansion of the project into a duo with the addition of bassist Devlin Rice (of Nuclear Power Pants) whose subtle contributions really help propel Schrader's vision into the outer realms. They explode out of the gates with "Sermon" a tune that immediately grabs a listeners attention with it's punk aesthetics before letting us know what's really going on here.
The mood over the rest of the album drastically changes from the hard-edged punk of the aforementioned track to more open ended vocal music that seems to searching for some sort of spiritual transcendence through odd-ball mantra's & weirdo associative logic. Ed Schrader's Music Beat are really doing their own thing here delving into a sound and musical philosophy few are willing or able to pursue.
Ed Schrader's Music Beat's Jazz Mind is available now via Load Records.
Hiro Kone - Fever | Video Feature
LONE WOLF OMB- The Slayer of old-timey Music
I have heard in the modern era.” -Triggerman
Asked about influences Bruno lists many of the folks one might expect for a blues-infected banjo player: Roscoe Holcomb, Buell Kazee, Dock Boggs, Clarence Ashley on the Appalachian-side and Ishmon Bracey, Son House, Charlie Patton, Booker White and Tommy Johnson on the blues-side. It's all filtered through the punk rock of the 'Pistols, Exploited, Minor Threat, Jerry's Kids, and Gang Green. I greatly appreciate that, in spite of the instrument, he does not wear those influences on his sleeve.
Lone Wolf OMB's music is lightning fast and hard driving, so damn fast that at first I thought the album was playing at the wrong speed! How the hell does he do that? That speed is well-tempered by a deep rasp that sounds scraped from the souls of Waits, Wolf, Biram and James Leg. The result of that combination is that Lone Wolf OMB achieves a musical balance that makes for an exciting and fresh punkgrass sound.
He recently returned from successful gigs at SXSW and XSXSW (The Hillgrass-Bluebilly/Saving Country Music/Muddy Roots/Cracker Swamp event) and his tight new collection of songs, A Walk In My Pause is now available from the usual virtual spots:
T.R. Mahalingam - Portrait Of A Prodigy | Album Feature
Whenever I come across an album of international music that carries a tag that reads something like "first time released outside of place non-western country name here" I admittedly get rather excited. Even after years of full of some primo disappointments I always dive head first. Luckily T.R. Mahalingam deserves all the excitement my anticipation can muster. It's also the second album EM Records has released of his work so people must be digging in.
India's T.R. Mahalingam has left behind a legacy & influence over Carnatic music that no other flautist has been able to match since his death in 1986. His technical & melodic abilities were acclaimed throughout during Mahalingam's lifetime, shortly before his death in 1986 India awarded him the Padma Bhushan.
This compilation of recordings dating from the 1940's - 50's find Mahalingam, accompanied by T. Chowdiah (on violin) and Palghat Mani Iver (on mridangam), in fine form. "Suki Evaro pt. 1" is a frenetic composition that utilizes a constantly moving flute melody that does much to cement Mahalingam's unique flute styling, that many have compared to being almost as expressive as the human voice, with clusters of notes flowing to & fro. "Paramaathmudo pt. 1" is a more subdued affair where Mahalingam mixes extended tones & drones without sacrificing the melody he is unfolding.
There is a definite air of playfulness to this music as well that is totally unique. Mahalingam never lets virtuosity trump the expressiveness & spiritual nature of this music. If only every international reissue taunted with such honors was so rich & moving.
T.R. Mahalingam's Portrait Of A Prodigy is available on LP & CD now via EM Records.
We all give God the blues...
From the album Mercyland: Hymns For The Rest Of Us, a collection of 12 songs curated by Phil Madeira by various artists. As well as this song in the style of the Blues there are contributions ranging from traditional, Country and Rottsy folk songs.
This Nashville Scene article explains more, a couple of sentences that challenge are:
a devotional album without all the religious and commercial hoopla
"I think the most visible expressions of Christian faith are very exclusive, and I think that has been a real struggle for me."P h/t @iancron
You would not believe your eyes...
Video featuring iDrum virtuoso sticksman Dan Abbott along with his pots and pans percussionist Jono breaking out some broad smiles in the metropolis of Londinium with some guerrilla busking. Hailing from my local patch of Colchester iDrum is a drummer's collective headed up by Dan who is also a regular member of Psalm Drummers as well as playing for various bands. Dan stresses that iDrum is primarily about having fun, being a tad different from other buskers and definitely not a commercial masterplan. Love the mime to Owl City's single Fireflies too, pukka performance art!
According to Dan the interaction of the watching crowds makes all the serious effort well worthwhile, with folk saying that stumbling across them playing landed up making their day. Young guns have staged dance offs in front of the band, there have been spontaneous break dances and other pro drummers have stepped up and joined in for impromptu jam sessions. Keep an ear and eye out for them as they perform all over the place, check out the various youtube videos.
Film above created by Timecode Cartel.
P h/t Tim Abbott
IN DEFENSE OF LiNER NOTES
Our good pal April at Now This Sound has posted a terrifically brilliant rant which has kind of set the music blog interwoods on fire by calling for the return of liner notes. I could not agree more. Read on:
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It was a part of the deal for me, sometimes consumed before the music was even played. Vinyl had them. CDs had them. Even fricking cassettes had them. And in the pre-internet age when all of the information I sought was not gathered in one convenient location, it was a cornerstone on which I built my reputation as someone who knew too much shit about music.
Liner notes – sometimes stately and elegant, sometimes silly, sometimes anemic, I would pore over every word of them. From musician histories to who played what instrument on which track to “The band would like to thank…”, I digested it.
Taken as a whole, stories and portraits began to emerge from seemingly unrelated albums. Hey, that bass player from that other band I used to like is now playing with these guys, and the guitarist from this band is thanked in the liner notes from that album, and those two bands use the same graphic designer, while this album and that other album were produced by the same person. Previously errant bits of information began to fit together in a great jigsaw puzzle of musical minutiae enlightenment. It was a continuing education with strands that could take you into forever if you had the mind to follow wherever they led. I learned who was most often involved in making the music I liked and was able to more successfully choose future albums to buy and enjoy, as well as being led to bands I never would have known about otherwise. I got to feel like an insider for catching on to certain jokes. And I gained an arsenal of facts that no one but me really cared about and was able to annoy my friends with them accordingly.
For someone who is a devourer of words as well as a lover of music, liner notes are a beautiful synthesis of the two, like an extra gift with every album. The more extensive the liner notes, the brighter my eyes light up.
But as the digital download becomes more prevalent, with some albums never released in a hard copy format, I watch with dismay and genuine sadness as liner notes begin to disappear. Every once in a while, a band will make me happy by including full liner notes in a .pdf with the digital version of their album (bless you, James Leg and the Dad Horse Experience), most albums only include a cover art .jpg and the songs, and sometimes even the cover art is dispensed with.
But… who produced this? Where was it recorded? Who is that playing zither on the third track? In what coy way does the guitarist wish to thank his girlfriend? I NEED TO KNOW THESE THINGS, PEOPLE!
Why are liner notes growing rare? As mentioned previously, such things can be produced in the form of a .pdf file or by other electronic means. And your average band website (which, in the case of some bands I listen to is just a Facebook page or an outdated MySpace profile) doesn’t bother going into production minutiae of each song.
Look at it this way, musicians: In a time when many of you are working your asses off by taking on the additional role of being your own PR rep, liner notes can add another avenue of connection with listeners. Aside from including the more technical notes that some of us really-I-promise are interested in, you could share stories, in-jokes, candid photos that haven’t already been reproduced on countless websites. Give the people a little more incentive to come see your live shows and buy your tour merch by giving them a deeper look into who you are and what you’re about.
The gradual disappearance of liner notes has been on my mind for a while, but this post was given a swift kick into existence by the fact that I was recently a part of creating liner notes for a forthcoming album. A close friend was asked to write these notes for one of his favorite bands, and I was honored when he asked me to be his editor. The experience of getting that first view of the words my friend chose to communicate the essence of the music brought to mind another, rarer connection that can be found in liner notes, that of reading what someone else has written about what you’re listening to and thinking, “Yes! That’s how I feel, too!” (And isn’t that personal resonance the basis for much of our love of music?)
So, musicians, while you’re busy connecting to your audience on an unprecedented personal level, don’t let the actual transmission and digestion aspect of your recorded output grow less personal. What I’m saying is: Give me my fucking liner notes! Junkie needs a fix!
It was a part of the deal for me, sometimes consumed before the music was even played. Vinyl had them. CDs had them. Even fricking cassettes had them. And in the pre-internet age when all of the information I sought was not gathered in one convenient location, it was a cornerstone on which I built my reputation as someone who knew too much shit about music.
Liner notes – sometimes stately and elegant, sometimes silly, sometimes anemic, I would pore over every word of them. From musician histories to who played what instrument on which track to “The band would like to thank…”, I digested it.
Taken as a whole, stories and portraits began to emerge from seemingly unrelated albums. Hey, that bass player from that other band I used to like is now playing with these guys, and the guitarist from this band is thanked in the liner notes from that album, and those two bands use the same graphic designer, while this album and that other album were produced by the same person. Previously errant bits of information began to fit together in a great jigsaw puzzle of musical minutiae enlightenment. It was a continuing education with strands that could take you into forever if you had the mind to follow wherever they led. I learned who was most often involved in making the music I liked and was able to more successfully choose future albums to buy and enjoy, as well as being led to bands I never would have known about otherwise. I got to feel like an insider for catching on to certain jokes. And I gained an arsenal of facts that no one but me really cared about and was able to annoy my friends with them accordingly.
For someone who is a devourer of words as well as a lover of music, liner notes are a beautiful synthesis of the two, like an extra gift with every album. The more extensive the liner notes, the brighter my eyes light up.
But as the digital download becomes more prevalent, with some albums never released in a hard copy format, I watch with dismay and genuine sadness as liner notes begin to disappear. Every once in a while, a band will make me happy by including full liner notes in a .pdf with the digital version of their album (bless you, James Leg and the Dad Horse Experience), most albums only include a cover art .jpg and the songs, and sometimes even the cover art is dispensed with.
But… who produced this? Where was it recorded? Who is that playing zither on the third track? In what coy way does the guitarist wish to thank his girlfriend? I NEED TO KNOW THESE THINGS, PEOPLE!
Why are liner notes growing rare? As mentioned previously, such things can be produced in the form of a .pdf file or by other electronic means. And your average band website (which, in the case of some bands I listen to is just a Facebook page or an outdated MySpace profile) doesn’t bother going into production minutiae of each song.
Look at it this way, musicians: In a time when many of you are working your asses off by taking on the additional role of being your own PR rep, liner notes can add another avenue of connection with listeners. Aside from including the more technical notes that some of us really-I-promise are interested in, you could share stories, in-jokes, candid photos that haven’t already been reproduced on countless websites. Give the people a little more incentive to come see your live shows and buy your tour merch by giving them a deeper look into who you are and what you’re about.
The gradual disappearance of liner notes has been on my mind for a while, but this post was given a swift kick into existence by the fact that I was recently a part of creating liner notes for a forthcoming album. A close friend was asked to write these notes for one of his favorite bands, and I was honored when he asked me to be his editor. The experience of getting that first view of the words my friend chose to communicate the essence of the music brought to mind another, rarer connection that can be found in liner notes, that of reading what someone else has written about what you’re listening to and thinking, “Yes! That’s how I feel, too!” (And isn’t that personal resonance the basis for much of our love of music?)
So, musicians, while you’re busy connecting to your audience on an unprecedented personal level, don’t let the actual transmission and digestion aspect of your recorded output grow less personal. What I’m saying is: Give me my fucking liner notes! Junkie needs a fix!
Ashley Paul - Slow Boat | Album Feature
People seem to be generally afraid of silence in the context of music. Silence can feel fragile. We're the bull in a glass house. Ashley Paul seems to understand this. Maybe I'm projecting, or possibly coming from more of a "rock" background where this type of thing rarely exists. Except for the realm of Mayo Thompson & his Red Krayola, someone whom Paul at times reminds me quiet a lot of, or should I reverse that.
Either way this video a collaboration of sorts with audio from Ashley Paul & animation from Gretta Johnson. I'm not sure which came first. The chicken or the egg. I'm not sure which is the chicken or the egg. I'm not sure it matters. If it does let me know & I'll email someone. But really this is a fine pairing at any rate. The slow building motifs & movements of each artist fully compliment the other.
Either way this video a collaboration of sorts with audio from Ashley Paul & animation from Gretta Johnson. I'm not sure which came first. The chicken or the egg. I'm not sure which is the chicken or the egg. I'm not sure it matters. If it does let me know & I'll email someone. But really this is a fine pairing at any rate. The slow building motifs & movements of each artist fully compliment the other.
Paul's use of voice is something that really brings this all together in my perspective. Her precise compositions walk a fine line of too controlled but the human voice enters to relieve the cool detachment with a instrument more primal & immediate. Even when drawn out to the last gasp & whisper it is enough to satisfy this urge I feel for something that does not feel fabricated.
Ashley Paul's Slow Boat is available now via Orange Milk Records.
Nude Beach - II | Album Feature
The songs on their second release, appropriately titled II, run the gamut from straight ahead pop jams to lyrical, anthemic bursts of fist-pumping rock; ripping guitar leads intact. Case in point: mid-album track "Love Can't Wait," a lovely bit of earnest, yearning rock n' roll, perfected by the likes of Springsteen and Co., has you obediently bopping along until a Mascis sized guitar solo comes in to steal the show. The guitar work on this record deserves special praise for accomplishing a feat many an axeman struggles with, combining proficiency with melody and purpose. Each guitar figure is carefully constructed to serve the song it's anchoring, not a note wasted.
Guitar geek-outs aside, the album is a no-frills excursion into the back catalogue of rock n' roll as we know and love it. Influences such as the aforementioned Springsteen, The Replacements, and The Attractions are payed unabashed tribute. "Walkin' Down My Street" sounds like a long forgotten b-side from Costello's first record, while the whole affair is slathered in the slop-pop aesthetics of The 'Mats. This is not to detract from Nude Beach's songs in the slightest; these are the types of loving homages that make you smile rather than cringe. Bottom line: this is some of the most fun you'll have listening to guitar pop this upcoming season. While the group may keep a low profile, their only internet presence being a Bandcamp and bare-bones Angelfire site, I have a feeling it's only a matter of time until that luxury escapes Nude Beach. Here's to 'em. Raise your glasses.
II is out now via the band's own Nude Beach Records. They're currently doing a full album stream and a "pay-what-you-wish" type of deal over at their Bandcamp, so get it while it's hot.
White Suns - Footprints Filled | Track Feature
This is some serious punk/noise rock here. I think that the tag of being released via Load Records kind of cements this fact but for those not convinced we have "Footprints Filled" & shortly the full length release of White Suns album Sinews this April. They are walking a fine line of technical proficiency & fuck it punk-rock attitude. The kind where life & concepts usually lead towards all or nothing scenarios. White Suns work well in this landscape.
Maybe that's just some pretty words but I did see this youtube clip of a motorized percussion piece they performed. I don't think a bunch of total scuzz balls would do this, well maybe they would think about doing it but doing it... that's another thing. So they're definitely nerds. That's cool though. I dig that. Noise nerds. Actually who am I to pigeonhole them. Maybe they'll make a prog record. I hope not. I don't think they will. That'd probably be too off putting.
Maybe that's just some pretty words but I did see this youtube clip of a motorized percussion piece they performed. I don't think a bunch of total scuzz balls would do this, well maybe they would think about doing it but doing it... that's another thing. So they're definitely nerds. That's cool though. I dig that. Noise nerds. Actually who am I to pigeonhole them. Maybe they'll make a prog record. I hope not. I don't think they will. That'd probably be too off putting.
White Suns Sinews will be available April 17th via Load Records. Be sure to check below for the group's upcoming national tour as there's a good chance they'll be heading your way.
sun may 6 - baltimore, md @ ottobar w/ friend collector, cursed
mon may 7 - richmond, va @ strange matter
tues may 8 - chapel hill, nc @ meadows of dan w/ hitherdaxodes
weds may 9 - atlanta, ga @ drunken unicorn
thurs may 10 - macon, ga @ TBA w/ national dairy
fri may 11 - pensacola, fl @ sluggo's
sat may 12 - new orleans, la @ TBA
sun may 13 - houston, tx @ mango's w/ cop warmth
mon may 14 - austin, tx @ 29th street ballroom w/ expensive shit, lechuguillas, coma in algiers
tues may 15 - las cruces, nm @ the trainyard
weds may 16 - phoenix/tempe, az @ TBA w/ marshstepper, drainbow
thurs may 17 - los angeles, ca @ beauty is pain w/ nasa space universe, low places, sheepshead, surplus killing, w.h.i.t.e.
fri may 18 - san francisco, ca @ hemlock tavern w/ high castle, ccr headcleaner
sat may 19 - oakland, ca @ TBA w/ stillsuit (x-coughs), cubicle
sun may 20 - sacramento, ca @ boiz house w/ darling chemicalia, ennui trust
tues may 22 - portland, or @ TBA
weds may 23 - olympia, wa @ swamp house
thurs may 24 - vancouver, bc @ zoo zhop w/ yellow thief, stamina mantis
fri may 25 - seattle, wa @ the in w/ white coward, mountainsss
sat may 26 - missoula, mt @ ole beck vfw post 209
mon may 28 - fargo, nd @ the aquarium
tues may 29 - minneapolis, mn @ madame of the arts
weds may 30 - chicago, il @ TBA
thurs may 31 - columbus, oh @ bourbon st cafe
fri june 1 - pittsburgh, pa @ TBA
sat june 2 - philadelphia, pa @ level room w/ hot guts
mon may 7 - richmond, va @ strange matter
tues may 8 - chapel hill, nc @ meadows of dan w/ hitherdaxodes
weds may 9 - atlanta, ga @ drunken unicorn
thurs may 10 - macon, ga @ TBA w/ national dairy
fri may 11 - pensacola, fl @ sluggo's
sat may 12 - new orleans, la @ TBA
sun may 13 - houston, tx @ mango's w/ cop warmth
mon may 14 - austin, tx @ 29th street ballroom w/ expensive shit, lechuguillas, coma in algiers
tues may 15 - las cruces, nm @ the trainyard
weds may 16 - phoenix/tempe, az @ TBA w/ marshstepper, drainbow
thurs may 17 - los angeles, ca @ beauty is pain w/ nasa space universe, low places, sheepshead, surplus killing, w.h.i.t.e.
fri may 18 - san francisco, ca @ hemlock tavern w/ high castle, ccr headcleaner
sat may 19 - oakland, ca @ TBA w/ stillsuit (x-coughs), cubicle
sun may 20 - sacramento, ca @ boiz house w/ darling chemicalia, ennui trust
tues may 22 - portland, or @ TBA
weds may 23 - olympia, wa @ swamp house
thurs may 24 - vancouver, bc @ zoo zhop w/ yellow thief, stamina mantis
fri may 25 - seattle, wa @ the in w/ white coward, mountainsss
sat may 26 - missoula, mt @ ole beck vfw post 209
mon may 28 - fargo, nd @ the aquarium
tues may 29 - minneapolis, mn @ madame of the arts
weds may 30 - chicago, il @ TBA
thurs may 31 - columbus, oh @ bourbon st cafe
fri june 1 - pittsburgh, pa @ TBA
sat june 2 - philadelphia, pa @ level room w/ hot guts
Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland - Black Is Beautiful & The Attitude Era | Album Feature
Hype Williams, or rather Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland, have been a busy pair the past couple of years and only seem to be gaining moment. Not only have they announced the release of their next full length Black is Beautiful, out this April 17th, but each have been busy releasing the odd solo release or two along with well you know the usual kind of stuff like being accused in a court of law of going on a robbing spree of raccoons from taxidermists.
The duo have also recently graced the pages of The Guardian as well for an in-depth article and interview with the artists. As a special treat they also released an exclusive download titled "The Attitude Era" to go along with the article which will be available for 2 weeks after it's original publish date (4/5/12).
Such a move seems to be almost counter active as the tracks contained found on the download album can stand up there with any of the Copeland & Blunt's work. A feature that has occurred over and over again in their career where high profile releases receive no special attention. It handled as what is available at the time naturally evolving and sharing along the way. In a way it enables further growth, yet at the speed they are going at how long will it be able to last.
Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland's Black is Beautiful will be available April 17th via Hyperdub.
Itch, caring for the Elements...
Itch, an abbreviation of a dear departed soul resting in Holy Trinity, the parish church in Blythburgh, Suffolk, is also the nickname of the hero in this thriller from the pen of pop-tastic BBC radio presenter Simon Mayo. Set in Cornwall and a modern day version of earlier swashbuckling style tales, Itch is a bit of a loner with an obsession to collect all the elements in the periodic table. This process lands up getting him into all sorts of difficulties right from the start.
OK, I confess, I loved reading this book
, not a skimpy tome at just over 400 pages, yet one I found I could not put down despite it probably being targeted at those of somewhat fewer years! However, there are nuggets for more mature readers to latch onto. For example, when I read the words 'Cousin Jack' early on I immediately wondered if Simon was subtly referring to the very excellent folk artistes Show of Hands? His allegiance becomes progressively more unveiled, culminating with a specific mention in an appendix. Beyond that I am left wondering if the Doctor Fairnie's name is actually an homage to the late, lamented and mutual friend Steve...? Simon has been quoted as saying he didn't set out to write an educational book yet it ticks lots of curriculum boxes, even if one moment in the Chemistry may be slightly suspect. Check out the Itchingham website for more information along with Simon's podcasts.
I'm already looking forward to the promised sequel.
P
Trumpet Trumpet Synthesizer - Trumpet Trumpet Synthesizer | Album Feature
First off I would like to make a point in mentioning that this should be listened to some sort of decent speakers. You just won't be able to hear everything coming through crummy computer speakers or earbuds. This happens. It's ok. We shall prevail.
Anyway Trumpet Trumpet Synthesizer works within a heady conceptual realm of contemporary compositions. Something which roughly translates to is "music for those who like to think in the post-noise, post-minimalist, post-new music kinda world." You know one where digital freedom allows for vast histories & futures to unfold before our eyes.
The trio roughly inhabit a interzone or contradictory place within the musical landscape. Performing group leader Weston Minissali's compositions on one hand allude towards more traditional forms of academic music, while their freeform / improv based structures & fact that each were written for the specific players begets another answer. At moments the sound like a more straight laced Jon Hassell while at others mixing in elements of classic electronic music of the past like Karl Stockhausen or a myriad contemporary noise/sound artists put in the room with a jazz band.
Trumpet Trumpet Synthesizer's self-titled debut album is available now via Prom Night Records.
BI - "Tuf Jak" | Track Feature
Eric Copeland, a man not usually known for this sort of thing, has just released an accessible pop jammer for your aural consumption. It comes courtesy of his new project BI, a collaboration with ex Haunted Graffiti and Beachwood Sparks drummer Jimi Hey. Aesthetically similar to his recent solo work, yet more polished, Copeland seems to have struck gold here. Slathered in weird vibes, “Tuf Jak” sounds like a summer day spent basking in the glow of lysergia with your back to the grass and eyes to the sky. Modulated guitar dominates the track, hammering home a classic garage beat filtered through god knows how many effects. By the time the close harmonized vocals and fuzz bass come in, you're already sold. Grab some headphones and get weird y'all.
"Tuf Jak" will be released on BI's debut 7 inch, out 4/17 via Mexican Summer.
JUNiOR KiMBROUGH and R.L. BURNSiDE - Chicago Blues Festival - 1995
Cheers to DJ Hillfunk for the find!
R.L. BURNSiDE - Going Down South - Live - 1995 - Murphysboro, Illinois
Devin Miller writes:
"I recorded the audio on a $25 mini-jambox I bought at Sears, so forgiveness for the lo-fi and modulation. Musicians with R.L. including 17-year-old Cedric Burnside, Kenny Brown, and Dale Beavers (on bass). This was the second time I saw R.L. and one of four. The visuals is Super 8 film I shot that day (actually the first film I ever shot in my life). Then projected against the wall and captured with my Canon 5D Mark II for digital capture. No post processing or filters used other than cross dissolve and timing."
Kudos to DJ Hillfunk for the find!
"I recorded the audio on a $25 mini-jambox I bought at Sears, so forgiveness for the lo-fi and modulation. Musicians with R.L. including 17-year-old Cedric Burnside, Kenny Brown, and Dale Beavers (on bass). This was the second time I saw R.L. and one of four. The visuals is Super 8 film I shot that day (actually the first film I ever shot in my life). Then projected against the wall and captured with my Canon 5D Mark II for digital capture. No post processing or filters used other than cross dissolve and timing."
Kudos to DJ Hillfunk for the find!
Key of Shame - Live at Death By Audio | Artist Feature
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