Saturday, 31 January 2009
Robin Storey & Nigel Ayers - Perfidious Albion. Soleilmoon1999
After pursuing innovative solo work for years, Nigel Ayers (Nocturnal Emissions), Robin Storey (formerly of zoviet france and currently recording as Rapoon), became enamoured of the notion of passing on original sound sources to one another in order to reach a communal voice. Drawing from each of their investigations into deep hypnotic patterns.
Perfidious Albion, is the result of Nigel Ayers reworking the material of Robin Storey. Storey's scratchy sampled loops, the trademark sound for:ZF: and early Rapoon emerge on "Spiritually Appraising Things" and remain the only static factor amidst Ayers's amorphous washes of distant organs.
Perfidious Albion is a lush overwhelming work of seismic proportions, twisted abstract dreamscapes with undercurrents of earthen decay, evolving sound entities,shamanic electronics, scrambling footholds into some of the more vertiginous areas of non-linear music.
| Spiritually Appraising Things (7:01) | |
| Moot Toot (2:11) | |
| Anticipating Retaliatory Measures (4:25) | |
| Out! ...... Vainglorious Priests (8:20) | |
| Praising Dead Chieftans (15:24) | |
| Wraiths And Eidolons (7:38) | |
| Trafficking With Demons (4:06) | |
| Let Loose The Dogs (10:35) |
Friday, 30 January 2009
V/A - On the Cam . Touch and Go & Quarterstick
"DISTILLED" - BLONDE REDHEAD
"PLEASED AND HONORED PT.2" - THE DELTA 72
"ROOM TEMPERATURE SUITE" - DON CABALLERO
"CARDIAC ATLAS" - JUNE OF 44
"FLY TRAP LAIR" - P.W. LONG'S REELFOOT
"AN EVENING OF LONG GOODBYES" - RACHEL'S
"TREMELY" - RED STARS THEORY
"INTIFADA DRIVING SCHOOL" - SEAM
"ALL THESE THINGS" - SHANNON WRIGHT
"BOOKS ON TRAINS" - SHIPPING NEWS
"NEW ROCK CRITIC" - SKULL KONTROL
"CLOISTER" - THE SONORA PINE
"ORANGE CONE MADE NO NOISE" - STORM&STRESS
"STOMP" - UZEDA
Steve Reich - You Are (Variations)
Steve Reich pairs two unusually scored pieces here.
"You Are (Variations)" is set for three sopranos, an alto and two tenors, with flutes, oboe, English horn, two marimbas, clarinets, four pianos, vibraphone and strings. The texts, in Hebrew and English, are philosophical meditations: "You are whoever your thoughts are," "Say little and do much," etc. The resulting work is fascinating, the textures unique and fresh, the experience haunting and captivating, with the voices used as another significant instrumental part.
Equally fine is the second work, "Cello Counterpoint," scored for eight cellos (seven pre-recorded and one played "live" by soloist Maya Baiser), which is noteworthy for its complex rhythms, use of counterpoint, and handsome lyrical solo cello line floating above it all. Reich fans will love this; the uninitiated will want to give it a try.
Steve Reich - You Are (Variations)
Equally fine is the second work, "Cello Counterpoint," scored for eight cellos (seven pre-recorded and one played "live" by soloist Maya Baiser), which is noteworthy for its complex rhythms, use of counterpoint, and handsome lyrical solo cello line floating above it all. Reich fans will love this; the uninitiated will want to give it a try.Steve Reich - You Are (Variations)
You Are (Variations), for chorus & ensemble| 1. You are wherever your thoughts are |
| 2. Shiviti hashem l'negdi (I place the eternal before me) |
| 3. Explanations come to an end somewhere |
| 4. Ehmor m'aht, v'ahsay harbay (Say little and do much) |
Cello Counterpoint, for cello & pre-recorded tape (or 8 cellos)
NoahJohn - Had A Burning
Though originally a stage moniker for surreal singer/songwriter Carl Johns, as he felt uncomfortable seeing his name on promotional material, Noahjohn has come to incorporate a revolving coterie of 25 members since 1997. In addition, Johns is also the founder of Madison, WI's Speakeasy Records and the Wild Chirp fanzine.The creation of multi-instrumentalist Carl Johns, NoahJohn's self-styled "post-modern hillbilly' music defies easy categorisation. Johns grew up in Darmstadt, Indiana, where he learned to play drums and piano. He added guitar and accordion to his repertoire while studying creative writing and literature at Indiana University in Bloomington. NoahJohn was inaugurated in late 1997 when Johns relocated to Madison, Wisconsin and began writing material and performing live under the moniker NoahJohn.
The project gradually expanded to include as many as 25 musicians, many of whom appeared on 1999's Tadpoles, which was released on Johns" own Speakeasy Records label. The album mixed traditional country and bluegrass with a twist of punk attitude, with Johns delivering his acutely observed examinations of the twisted underbelly of small town America in a raw, unschooled vocal style perfectly suited to the subject matter. NoahJohn was subsequently whittled down to a core quintet comprising Johns, Stephen Burke (guitar), Peter Kaesberg (drums), Eena Ballard (violin), and Lisa Maerae Hinzman (violin). This line-up added a more conventional electric rock sound to the second NoahJohn release, Had A Burning.
After completing a third album with his band, Johns took time out to record a self-produced collection by his one-man side project, Charlemagne.
The project gradually expanded to include as many as 25 musicians, many of whom appeared on 1999's Tadpoles, which was released on Johns" own Speakeasy Records label. The album mixed traditional country and bluegrass with a twist of punk attitude, with Johns delivering his acutely observed examinations of the twisted underbelly of small town America in a raw, unschooled vocal style perfectly suited to the subject matter. NoahJohn was subsequently whittled down to a core quintet comprising Johns, Stephen Burke (guitar), Peter Kaesberg (drums), Eena Ballard (violin), and Lisa Maerae Hinzman (violin). This line-up added a more conventional electric rock sound to the second NoahJohn release, Had A Burning.
After completing a third album with his band, Johns took time out to record a self-produced collection by his one-man side project, Charlemagne.NoahJohn - Had A Burning
1. Ima Clam
2. Porter
3. Wounded Rabbit
4. Had A Burning
5. Lady Macbeth
6. Atlas Nails
7. Bitch Lounge
8. Surefire Woman
9. Sister's Recital
10. Dead Skunk
11. Orange Cat
12. Infirmary
13. Drunkle
1. Ima Clam 2. Porter
3. Wounded Rabbit
4. Had A Burning
5. Lady Macbeth
6. Atlas Nails
7. Bitch Lounge
8. Surefire Woman
9. Sister's Recital
10. Dead Skunk
11. Orange Cat
12. Infirmary
13. Drunkle
red krayola - Live In Paris 1978. Sordide Sentimental. plus rough trade singles/12''
One of the most important & longest-lived underground avant-rock groups , the Red Krayola lasted through the birth pangs of psychedelia past the death throes of post-punk. The one constant in its ever-shifting lineup was principal singer/songwriter/visionary Mayo Thompson, who seemed as concerned with deconstructing the language of "rock" music as with actually expressing himself within it. That made the Red Krayola's catalog challenging, often difficult listening. Its saving grace was the quirky charm of thompson's songs and vocals, with a whimsical humor and open-mindedness rather atypical of avant rock.
The Red Krayola, initially spelled Red Crayola, was formed in Houston as a trio in 1966. The International Artists label, which was building a roster of Texas psychedelic bands, signed the group after watching one of their performances in a shopping mall, of all places. The company was convinced that if the musicians could entertain a crowd without anything in the way of conventional command of their instruments, they must be onto something. indicated a spacy folk-rock bent. But although some of the material was reprised on their debut, the parable of arable land, by this time the group was taking a more confrontational, experimental approach in the studio. With "war sucks!" chants and layers of "free-form freak-out"[ features Roky Erickson/13th Floor Elevators] noise threatening to smother the songs underneath, it's been hailed as a precursor to the assault of industrial rock
The Red Krayola was unexpectedly resurrected in the late '70s, however.Thompson had moved to England, where he found that the old Red Krayola recordings enjoyed a cult among hip listeners. mayo was never a champion of hippie ideals, and he was able to make the transition into the punk era effectively by forming new incarnations of the Red Krayola with such musicians as Gina Birch[raincoats] Epic Soundtracks [swell maps] Lora Logic[x-ray spex]. The Red Krayola's releases on underground European labels like Rough Trade and Recommended presented an ensemble that dove into the heart of post-punk, with skronky guitars and horns, and disjointed, arty song structures.
Mayo thompson joined pere ubu for a while in the early '80s. He always kept the Red Krayola going, however, although most of their releases went all but unheard in the U.S., as they were only available as obscure European indie imports.
The situation changed to some degree in the mid-'90s, when Red Krayola landed a U.S. deal with Drag City and Mayo returned to the States after a long residency in Europe, even embarking on some modest American touring.Albums were still resolutely uncommercial, but the material was nonetheless more approachable for adventurous listeners who shied away from full-throttle avant rock. Mayo's 90s Red Krayola collaborators include Jim O'rourke [Gastr del Sol] David Grubbs [Bastro/Gastr del Sol] Tom Watson [Slovenly] George Hurley [Minutemen/firehose] & John McEntire[Tortoise/sea and cake] 
| Worried Worried | |
| Conspirator's Oath | |
| Yik-Yak | |
| On The Brink | |
| Opposition Spokesman | |
| Hurricane Fighter Plane | |
| X | |
| Men & Women | |
| Discipline | |
| Uh Knowledge | |
| Wives In Orbit, Part I | |
| Wives In Orbit, Part II | |
| Dairymaid's Lament |
mayo thompson on gtr & vocals
jesse chamberlain on drums!
jesse chamberlain on drums!
BUY red krayola from drag city discography at white rose
myspaceBroad Strokes - An Interview With Red Krayola
TEXAS PSYCH BLOGSPOT
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Sunday, 25 January 2009
David Thomas and the Wooden Birds - Monster Walks The Winter Lake 1986
A song stylist in the truest sense of the word, David Thomas is one of rock's few truly one-of-a-kind artists. The Pere Ubu vocalist's lyrics and unusual compositions bring strangeness out of the mundane — imparting magic to everyday objects and activities — aided by an eclectic bunch that have included Richard Thompson, Anton Fier, Chris Cutler & Lindsay Cooper [ex-henry cow], Eddie Thornton, Philip Moxham and the Two Pale Boys (trumpeter Andy Diagram and guitarist Keith Moliné) . Each demonstrates hitherto unimagined aspects of their talents, and Thomas' otherworldly voice — has never been more expressive high point of avant-garde folk-blues-jazz-swamp rock
I wish we could take this moment & freeze it...To come back to it again & again & again,
To hold it to the light,
To turn it in our hands,
To study all the angles...
To find out how & why things go the way they go
The band (re)assembled for Monster Walks the Winter Lake is almost an Ubu reunion, with Maimone joined by Allen Ravenstine on synths and Paul Hamann producing. The low-key music moves more slowly than usual, with cello and strangely played accordion often the predominant instruments; the increasingly philosophical lyrics containing recurring monster metaphors. The four-part eleven-minute title track is a real treat.
David Thomas and the Wooden Birds - Monster Walks The Winter Lake
My Theory of Spontaneous Simultude / Red Tin Bus (3:06),What Happened To Me (2:45),
Monster Walks The Winter Lake (11:13),
Bicycle (4:17),
Coffee Train (2:24),
My Town (3:19),
Monster Magee,
King of The Seas (2:14),
Monster Thinks About The Good Days (3:37),
and What Happened To Me (2:41).
ubu projexinterview w/ david thomas
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