Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Art for Spastics v. 114

Now listen in for part II of my favorite vinyl, discs, and tapes that were released in 2006...

Download AFS v. 114 (w/in next 10 weeks)

...or stream it (by Jan. 2, 2007).

ABE VIGODA // Yes 1, Yes 2 // split 7" w/ Child Pornogrpahy // Oms-B
THE INTELLIGENCE // Empty Piñata // internet-only 12" EP // In the Red
EAR & DARK // Don´t Mess Me Up + 2 // There´s No Such Thing as Dragons 10" // Black Light
ERASE ERRATA // Cruising // Nightlife // Kill Rock Stars
THE WOLF TRACKS // How I Feel About Going On Stage // v/a: Siked Psych // Not Not Fun
HUE BLANC'S JOYLESS ONES // Time Machine // Fait Accompli // P.Trash

HUE BLANC'S JOYLESS ONES // The Lecherous One
NOTHING PEOPLE // I Can´t Find My Monkey // Problems 7" // S-S Records
CHEVEU // La Truite // v/a: Tête de Bébé // S-S
CHEVEU // Superhéro // Clara Vénus 7" // Royal/SDZ
HOMOSTUPIDS // Brutal Birthday // Brutal Birthday 7" // Richie
UNMONO // 13h Bender Kranky ShangriLaLa // split cassette w/ Kate Hall & Elijah Forrest // Deathbomb Arc Tape Club
FRUSTRATION // Your Body // Full of Sorrow 12" EP // Born Bad
ICH BIN // Danger // Obeis! // Poutré Apparente
THIS SONG IS A MESS BUT SO AM I // Faces // Marble Mouth EP // Acuarela
SNOWSUIT* // Build // Consolation Prize // No Format
JONNYX & THE GROADIES // Unmortål // self-titled // self-released
GLACIIAL // Removing the Mask of Shadows (False Light II) // Glaciial CDR // EEE/Gud er Sannhet

MONARCH // We Are the Music Makers // Speak of the Sea // Throne
DRUDKH // The Cranes Will Never Return Here // Songs of Grief and Solitude // Supernal
DEAD WESTERN // The Beautiful Light in the Day // 3-song 7" // Weird Forest
ZELIENOPLE // Life Is Simple // Ink // Loose Thread
DEAF CENTER // Loft // Pale Ravine // Type
PLANTS // The Sky Above You Seeks the Below // Double Infinity // Paradigms

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Art for Spastics v. 113

The following show features some of my favorite new things released in 2006! I'll be playing selections from my best of '06 lists for the next few weeks...

Download AFS v. 113 (w/in next 10 weeks)

...or stream it (by Dec. 25).

JAY REATARD // Oh It´s Such a Shame // Blood Visions // In The Red
RICH AND FAMOUS // Machine Gun // v/a: Messthetics #101 // Hyped2Death (orig 1981)

NIGEL SIMPKINS // Oblique Encounters // v/a: Messthetics #102 // Hyped2Death (orig 1978)
REJECTS // Vision Smashed // v/a: Messthetics Greatest Hits (#100) // Hyped2Death (orig 1977)
TYVEK // Mary Ellen Claims // first 7" // X! Records
PSYCHEDELIC HORSESHIT // Phony Detectives // Who Let the Dogs Out? 7" // Columbus Discount
SO SO MANY WHITE WHITE TIGERS // Bell // The Greatest Hits of Acid CDR // no label
COUGHS // Dark Powers // Secret Passage // Load
YELLOW SWANS // Psychic Secession // Psychic Secession // Load/Weird Forest
BUG SIZED MIND // Daisy Cutter // v/a: Sarcophagus 1-4 CDR // Radius Waste
BERNARD BONNIER // Véro-la-Toto // Casse-Tête CDR // Creel Pone (orig 1979)
FAT WORM OF ERROR // Red Melting Plastic Box // Pregnant Babies Pregnant with Pregnant Babies // Load
IMPRACTICAL COCKPIT // Furrowed Frow // To Be Treated // Load
WOODEN SHJIPS // Shrinking Moon for You // Shrinking Moon for You 10" // self-released

SAPAT // Krackhouseblooze // Tongue-Tied & Staid 7" // Black Velvet Fuckere
JACKWACKER // Messin´ with the P-Hole // ...Things from Inside Your Body // Black Velvet Fuckere (orig 199?)
LAKE OF DRACULA // Cherries and Socks // Skeletal Remains // Savage Land (orig 1997)
BATTLESHIP // Two Horses Too Many // To Give not a Gift 7" // Double Negative
PISSED JEANS // Dont Need Smoke to Make Myself Disappear // 2ND 7" // Sub Pop
THE NEW FLESH // Steel & Stone // Vessel // Heart Break Beat *new
PRE // Big Dique // 4-way split 2x7" w/ AIDS Wolf, Crack und Ultra Eczema, & Dmonstrations // Lovepump United
COUNTRY TEASERS // White Patches // The Empire Strikes Back // In The Red
BUSINESS LADY // Slow Motion // v/a: Why Is Anything Forbidden? vol. 2 // Deathbomb Arc
CARLA BOZULICH // Evangelista II // Evangelista // Constellation
PLANTS // 1000 Swarms // Totem CDR // self-released
MY LITTLE RED TOE // Fireman // v/a: Siked Psych // Not Not Fun

ÉL-G & CHARLENE DARLING // Du Bearre // Au Grand Dam du Jour CDR // self-released
PINK REASON // Slate Train // Throw It Away 7" // Savage Quality
ENTRANCE // Never Be Afraid! // Prayer of Death // self-released
JUNKPILE JIMMY // The Stupid Fickle Whims of Women // Alberhill 2xLP // Cártel Ilustré
SIC ALPS // Surgeon and the Slave // Pleasures & Treasures // Animal Disguise

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Art for Spastics v. 112

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Download AFS v. 112 (w/in next 10 weeks)

...or stream it (by Dec. 18).

THE INTELLIGENCE // If I Had a Hammer // I´m Your Taxi 7” // The Holy Cobra Society *new
IMAGINARY ICONS // Fade // Eye-Cons 7” // Daggerman *new
SWIMMERS // I Got Problems // Scubacide CDR // No Label *new
HIBACHI STRANGLERS // Parking Lot // Our City Doesn´t Stink All the Time 7” // Florida´s Dying *new

THE WAX MUSEUMS // I Eat Vomit // Introducing... 7” // Rehab *new
SHIRLEY MACLAINES // Television Sucks! // Hey Girls 7” // Heads Up *new
CAPT. 9's & THE KNICKERBOCKER TRIO // Burner´s Barrel // Sophie´s Tiki Lounge 7” // Heartpunch/Burnt Toast 1991
CAPT. 9's & THE KNICKERBOCKER TRIO // Rock n Roll Paper Route // Scum of the Earth LP // Ripoff 1996
HEAD // No Hugging No Learning // No Hugging No Learning LP // Evil Clown *new
HEAD // Teacher´s Pet // No Hugging No Learning LP
JUNKPILE JIMMY // Drunk and Disorderly [the Shirkers] // Alberhill 2xLP // Cártel Ilustré *new
THE FEELING OF LOVE // Julie C. // s/t 7” // Yakisakana *new
SUPPRESSORS // Woods of My Heart // Woods of My Heart 7” // Goodbye Boozy *new
HANK IV // Oyster // Third Person Shooter LP // Hook or Crook *new
CHILDREN IN ADULT JAILS // Fishing for Compliments // Man Overcome by Waffle Iron // Buy Our 1985 *request

CHILDREN IN ADULT JAILS // Man Overcome By Waffle Iron/Justice
CYANAMID // I Support // v/a: New Jersey´s Got It LP // Buy Our 1985 *request
CYANAMID // In the Hole // Stop the World 7” // Mutha 1984 *request
ASSDROIDS // Daft Crunk // Fuck Bob Dylan CDR // Valis *new
ASSDROIDS // Snakes and Ladders // Fuck Bob Dylan CDR
MR. LUGGS // Dafty Duck // Neeby Deep lathe-cut 7” // Topplers *new
MR. LUGGS // Ukrainian Girls // Neeby Deep lathe-cut 7”
SKAREKRAU RADIO // Hair Claw Hair Hole // The One Eyed Swine Is Queen CD // Apop *new
SKAREKRAU RADIO // Corporate Dragons // The One Eyed Swine Is Queen
SKAREKRAU RADIO // Experimental Clone // The One Eyed Swine Is Queen
BOOGIE BOARDER // Teleporter // What Riding Waves Is All About CDR + comic book // Famous Class *new
TALBOT TAGORA // You Look Like a Human // MySpace mp3 *new
ABE VIGODA // Eat Your Crown // Kid City CD // olFactory *new
BATTLESHIP // The Blind Eating the Blind // Hearts Addendum CD // On/On Switch *new

BATTLESHIP // Kissing Cobras // Hearts Addendum
YUKON // Legsick // Mortar CD // Terra Firma *new
HALLELUJAH! // Shizzow! // Dirty Revival CD // CNP *new
GOLIATH BIRD EATHER // Mongol Hammer // v/a: Siked Psych CD // Not Not Fun *new
THE USA IS A MONSTER // Too Many Moves // Sunset at the End of the Industrial Age LP/CD // Load 2006
THE USA IS A MONSTER // Wine Country Cracker Blues // Sunset at the End of the Industrial Age
DANAVA // Eyes in Disguise // self-titled CD // Kemado *new
RESIDUAL ECHOES // California Creek Suite // California LP // Holy Mountain *new

RESIDUAL ECHOES // California // California
HANADENSHA // Headspinningdizzyblues // v/a: Young Person's Guide to West Psychedelia LP // Alchemy 1988 *request

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Art for Spastics v. 111

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Download AFS v. 111 (w/in next 10 weeks)

...or stream it (by Dec. 11).

EAR & DARK // Never Cared // There´s No Such Thing as Dragons 10" // Black Light *new
JUNKPILE JIMMY // Death Total Death // Alberhill 2xLP // Cártel Ilustré *new

SLICING GRANDPA // Dirty Baby // Electric Shitstorm // Strain Theory 2003
KOUNT FISTULA // Nerd on Nerd // Fistmist // Scatalogical Liberation Front *new
KATHERINE HALL & ELIJAH FORREST // My Hands On // split cassette w/ Unmono // Deathbomb Arc Tape Club *new
TURMOILED FUNCTIONS // Mature Creature // v/a: Population Problems 7-inch // Cephia´s Treat *new
LEPRECHAUN CATERING // For Now, Opaque Means "Opaque" // Male Plumage // White Denim *new
KLONDIKE & YORK // Atone (the Beginning) // The Holy Book // Weird Forest 2002
JACKWACKER // Wickclipper // ...Things from Inside Your Body // Black Velvet Fuckere *new
WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE SON, GOD? // Tapestry Mouth // Out of Body Diva // KDVS Recordings *new

BEHALF // untitled // Black Noise & a Collaboration with Josh Hydeman cassette // Self-Released *new
DEEP JEW // Pass By/Let Me Bleed // War 7" // Troniks *new
CRACK UND ULTRA ECZEMA // Arbeit Rastafareich/Ebola Day // split 2x7" w/ AIDS Wolf, PRE, & Dmonstrations // Lovepump United *new
RADIO SHOCK // White Noise Ain´t Got No Soul // split 7" w/ Radio Shack // Roger/Breathmint/Carbon/Ignovimious/Sunship *new
YATAGARASU // Brief Lives // split CDR w/ Carpet Violence // Self-Released *new
RUTHLESS DUKES // untitled // self-titled CDR // Self-Released *new

GREY DATURAS // It Was // split cassette w/ Shearing Pinx // Isolated Now Waves *new
BRIAN MILLER vs. NICHOLAS GITOMER // Dark Monytaur // Slavelords // Deathbomb Arc *new
BIRD COSTUMES // Natural Disasters // split cassette w/ Aerosol Constellations // Isolated Now Waves/Thankless *new
ARGUMENTIX & BIRD COSTUMES // Sticks & Stones/Bored With My Body // Armageddon...Maybe Later // Below PDX *new
ARGUMENTIX & ADAM GNADE // We´re Never Gonna Die // Wilderness and the Holy Gold // Below PDX *new
KITES // Riding the Glass Geyser // v/a: Rare Youth 2xCD // Rare Youth *new
BLACK PUS // Huckdoll Finn // Black Pus 3: Metamorpus // DiareahRama *new
THE HOSPITALS // Jocks and Jazz // I've Visited the Island of Jocks and Jazz // Load 2005
SO SO MANY WHITE WHITE TIGERS // Menswear // The Greatest Hits of Acid // No Label *new
SIC ALPS // Reconnection Land // Pleasures & Treasures // Animal Disguise *new
DANAVA // Quiet Babies Astray in a Manger // self-titled // Kemado *new




We begin this week with the most fractured ramble from Ear & Dark, a band that first got my attention when Crudblog editor Scott Soriano raved about this artpunk band that sounded “like Karate Party meets The Ex,” or words to that effect. On this, their herky-jerkiest of songs, I am reminded of the band Stump if only they had hyperventilated in a rubber cement factory. Sharp angles are in attack mode throughout the other songs on this 10” even as gleeful whimsy keeps things upbeat, and thus Scott’s comparison is well warranted. This is a really outstanding discovery from Denmark, and Scott even snapped up 30 copies (of a total pressing of only 300) for his Ss Records distro. If you don’t know who Karate Party is…well, that is a story for a later blog, but if you are a fan of the A Frames family tree of bands, please just trust me when I say that Ear & Dark will delight you, and this 10” will be worth every penny to you.

I suppose I’ll be playing a cut off the new Junkpile Jimmy double album every week for the next few weeks. There are so many flavors in his music, from the bluespunk to the old-timey folk-blues, to the “Killed by Death” punk, psych, sludgy experimental, and even black metal. On paper, it seems too wide a gamut to make a cohesive sounding album, but Jimmy pulls it off incredibly well, and “Alberhill” is a masterpiece! This week’s selection sounds like 12-bar noise.

With this “Electric Shitstorm” LP, I think I’m finally all caught up on the incredible discography of Slicing Grandpa, Seattle’s supreme slingers of evil lofi dungeon drone. Now, don’t think boring ‘cos I said drone. Writhing, scrawly, and creepy, their scuzzy noise reveals a great sense of humor. Not everyone will appreciate the joke, because of course it’s very twisted and misanthropic. But if you have the heart for black comedy, and especially if you reach again and again for Shadow Ring records when you wanna let the laffs rip, then you oughta get to know Slicing Grandpa…and while you’re getting familiar, also check out Kount Fistula. The Kount includes SG members doing downcast psychedelic gothsludge. Early Swans meets Gang Wizard?!? I saw Kount Fistula at the Funhouse in Seattle on Tuesday, November 21, and they were a really fun show…not at all like 95% of equipment-swapping improv sludge bands. I think it was the unexpected goofball element they had. These were four people that didn’t look like they’d ever be friends, let alone bandmates.



Pictured above is Kate Hall, the drummer of Mika Miko and my appointed role model for any future daughter I might have. As I screw around with sticks and skins myself, Kate’s on my shortlist of drumgods that I try to emulate. She’s in a great band but maintains a singular voice, making Mika Miko’s upbeat pop perks explode into a powerful juggernaut. And she is so much fun to watch because she is having such a good time even as she’s drumming for dear life. There’s nothing subtle about her approach in Mika Miko, and that’s why I’m so amazed at the results of her collaboration with Elijah Forrest for this new Deathbomb Arc Tape Club cassette. It’s like I hear the Dead C deconstructing a sweet little indie-pop tune set as a theme, but with many variations ranging from sweet and gentle to dense, scary, and cloying, and the movements even vary from gradual phasing to quick editing. It’s very pleasurable for deep listening. I sense that she has a knack for the “free twee” thing, so I hope she continues to do more work like this.

I hope to continue with more reviews later this week…stay tuned!

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Art for Spastics v. 110

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Download AFS v. 110 (w/in next 10 weeks)

...or stream it (by Dec. 4).

THE NEW FLESH // Whitewash // Vessel // Heart Break Beat *new
THE NEW FLESH & ROBERT INHUMAN // Punched in the Head [Drunks with Guns] // Punch Drunk in This Shit World 7" // Human Conduct/Realicide Youth/MT6/Cephia´s Treat *new
JUNKPILE JIMMY // Life [Flipper] // Alberhill 2xLP // Cártel Ilustré *new

JUNKPILE JIMMY // Puta Suerte
AIDS WOLF // Put Your Head on a Plate // 4-way split 2x7" w/ Crack und Ultra Eczema, PRE, and Dmonstrations // Lovepump United *new
PRE // Dude Fuk // 4-way split 2x7"
HOT LOINS // Buzzkill // Buzzkill 7" // The Broadway to Boundary *new
TWIN CRYSTALS // Trinity // 4trk CDR // Deer and Bird *new
N.213 // Francine´s Bad Dream [Mutators] // Fucksexyou cassette // Isolated Now Waves *new
N.213 // Scars
SHEARING PINX // Cursed Heart Matter // Poison Hands dbl 3" // Not Not Fun 2005 *request
MODERN CREATURES // House on Fire // split cassette w/ Shearing Pinx // Isolated Now Waves *new
THE YES SIRS // Anthem Too // Dos Locos // CNP *new
HALLELUJAH! // Pink Antenna // Dirty Revival // CNP *new
JAY REATARD // Not a Substitute // Blood Visions // In The Red *new
ABE VIGODA // The Walk // Kid City // olFactory *new
EAR & DARK // Be Your Mama // There´s No Such Thing as Dragons 10" // Black Light *new
NO FEELING // Don´t Tell Me What to Do // split 7" w/ Ladies Night // Seeing Eye *new
BRIAN WILSON SHOCK TREATMENT // Hey Sister // The Lords of the Infinite Cosmos 7" // Slutfish *new
NOTHING PEOPLE // Systems Failure // Problems 7" // S-S Records *new
FARCES WANNA MO // Lady Preacher // Farces Wanna Mo Covers Slept on It! // Self-Released *new
SKAREKRAU RADIO // The One Eyed Rod Is Love // The One Eyed Swine Is Queen // Apop *new
WHITE TIGER PREPADE // Unicorn Asteroid // v/a: Exercise for Exorcisms vol. 1 // Unnecessary Friction *new

COCA COLA // Show Me Whatcha Got on the Dancefloor // v/a: Exercise for Exorcisms vol. 1
UNICORN BASEMENT // Cannibal // Self-Titled // Unnecessary Friction *new
UNMONO // 13th Bender Kranky ShangriLaLa // split cassette w/ Kate Hall & Elijah Forrest // Deathbomb Arc Tape Club *new
ARGUMENTIX & ADAM GNADE // We´ll Help You Out, Neighbor // Wilderness and the Holy Gold // Below PDX *new
ARGUMENTIX & BIRD COSTUMES // Tranquil Devastation // Armageddon . . . Maybe Later // Below PDX *new
BIRD COSTUMES // Natural Disasters // split cassette w/ Aerosol Constellations // Isolated Now Waves/Thankless *new
SUSAN SCHROEDER, JESSE WILEY, & BEN PHILLIPS // side A // Of Sex, Your Body lathe-cut 7" // Deer and Bird *new
REFRIGERATOR MOTHERS // Black Moth Scrap Serum // Arab National Anthem 7" // URCKarm *new
DEATHGLEANER // Life With Lice // v/a: PDX Artix Mixtape CDR // Below PDX *new


While I was gone, I managed to see Baltimore’s burliest brawlers The New Flesh five times, including a full set recorded in Studio A at KDVS which I plan to air in its entirety once I’ve edited out the between-song silence. So yeah, I saw them five times in six nights, and it never got old for me. This is one of the most tremendously assaultive and agonizing bands ever.

Like last year’s message board darlings Pissed Jeans (and curiously this year’s goats since they came out with a record on Sub Pop), the New Flesh seem to have every song ever by Fang and Drunks with Guns committed to memory, but unlike the Jeans boys, the New Flesh dispense with all humor and punch up the negativity two or three rungs higher with militaristic drumwork featuring machinelike repetition of tom rolls and fills, more complex rhythms, and alien guitar chords. It sounds like all of Pissed Jeans’ influences have gone into the New Flesh’s funnel, too, but additionally, you hear some early Swans, Missing Foundation, Brainbombs, and Whitehouse.


the New Flesh @ Jeff the Pigeon

The New Flesh seems to have made more inroads in the noise scene than with punks, rockers, etc. I’ve heard from Brian Miller (D.I.Y.C.E.O. of Deathbomb Arc) that the band Dynasty, the Providence band comprised of Kites and God Willing—and the band which caused such a stir on their tour with Coughs this summer—focused on the New Flesh as their primary influence. And perhaps this was emblematic of the most noteworthy trend in the noise scene in 2006…noise dudes picking up guitars, basses, and drums and letting all hell break loose. Deep Jew—with a cast of artists from the Troniks/Pac Rec stable—was another to do this in 2006. Another band active for a while within this idiom is Byron House, and their show I caught at the ATA in San Francisco this summer was impressive. Certainly Sightings and Burmese seem to be relevant to all of these bands, too, and Sightings in particular have made blogwaves on both sides of the noise and rock divide. If this continues further, I see a great opportunity for this neo-pigfuck revival making friends outta more punks and noisefreaks.

The “Vessel” album is the strongest New Flesh release to date, but the nastiest has gotta be their one-sided collaboration 7” with Robert Inhuman of Realicide and Hentai Lacerator. Have a listen to this outstandingly authentic cover of DWG’s “Punched in the Head” made even more evil by Robert’s incredibly harsh demon vokills.

Next up is a late entry into the “Best Album of 2006” sweepstakes, the limited-to-226 double-LP of Junkpile Jimmy who deploys swampy bluespunk and junkyard metals to take us on an adventure through a diverse array of musical styles from old-timey folk-blues to outsider psych to covers of Flipper and an old “Killed by Death” classic to even a Mötörhead rip and excursions into even more experimental territory. But the whole thing rocks and is totally cogent, and even when Jimmy plays the bluespunk fairly straight, it never sounds too much like the Oblivians (which is not such a bad thing for bands that do, if they do it well). This is an absolutely incredible album that is truly unique!



Another startling double vinyl is this new glossy gatefold with stupendous Seripop graphics containing a 4-way split of some of the most exciting high-energy no-wave-informed dayglonoise bands from France, England, Canada, and the States, and they are all in top form here. Dmonstrations and Crack und Ultra Eczema will hafta wait ‘til vol. 111, but for now, but Montreal’s AIDS Wolf will get you dizzy with corkscrewing guitars, panic shrieks, and odd oval-shaped rhythm. If anyone’s still foolish enough to sell AIDS Wolf short with an overly broad brushstroke of the Arab on Radar ripoff brush, this might be the final deathblow to all the needless hatergames. This band is daring and exciting and deserves your attention. Next up is the most refreshingly un-British-sounding band in Britain since…I dunno…ever? (At least since Superhelicopter, Ltd., I think!) PRE is ignited artpunk with a propulsive yet limber rhythmic bass/drum synergy a’la Erase Errata and the right kinda splintery, spidery guitarwork to please the angles ‘n’ artpunk set. With the helium yelp of the female singer, this almost sounds like an A Frames record at 78 rpm. While I was in Vancouver, a friend played me PRE’s new 7” on Blood of the Drash, and it was even more impressive. A growing number of Americans are courting PRE to come tour the U.S.A., and I will be joining them.

I hope to pick up with more reviews later…
(Check back tomorrow perhaps!)

Friday, November 17, 2006

AFS v. 110 Postponed for Pink Reason Tour!

(I'll post v. 110 on 11/28!)

Hello Friends!

This band came outta nowhere (actually, Green Bay, Wisconsin) to make one of the very best records of 2006.

The band is called Pink Reason.

Here's the MySpace presence...
http://www.myspace.com/secondculture

Pink Reason's music is so diverse, it's probably able to appeal to the majority of people targeted to read this scattershot cross-post email. It takes at least a good long paragraph to explain, but in a nutshell, I call it "ultra-drugged sleazy freakblues-psych-artpunk of thee highest order!" (But with hints of folk, electro, and even a hint of gothiness (in the best possible way, mind you!)).

Remember the guy who loved the Remington electric shaver company so much that he bought the company? Well, I love this band so much, I'm ready to drive them up and down the West Coast and roadie them myself. I'm burning up all my remaining paid vacation days for this, so I know it'll be worth it for you to walk, bike, bus, drive, take a cab...


P.S. Here's the entire tour itinerary...

Fri 11/17 @ the Bakery, 3407 Harlan St., Oakland (w/ New Flesh, Sexual Tourist, Universal Baltimore)
Sat 11/18 @ Delta of Venus in Davis, CA (w/ Nothing People/Art Lessing & the Flower Vato)
Sun 11/19 @ Hemlock Tavern in SF, CA (w/ Nothing People)
Mon 11/20 @ Food Hole in Portland, OR (w/ Blow Up Nihilist/New Flesh/Argumentix)
Tue 11/21 @ Funhouse in Seattle, WA (w/ Kount Fistula/Nice Smile/Hopscotch Boys)
Wed 11/22 @ Other Space, Cambie @ Georgia, Vancouver, BC (w/ Hot Loins/Fun 100/International Falls)
Thu 11/23 @ Pub 340 in Vancouver, BC (w/ Shearing Pinx & No Feeling)
Fri 11/24 @ Rotturé, 315 SE Third, Portland, OR (w/ Haiku Ambulance + ????)

I've included some words by some folks who are influential in the blogosphere to get you more interested in Pink Reason...

Doug Mosurak's "Still Single" review column at Dusted
http://www.dustedmagazine.com/features/511
Pink Reason might be new, but totally reaches back to that period of musical isolation, with a truly frozen, loner vibe that is all but lost on those who are playing outside of sex/drugs/rock/roll motivations. No, demons are being let loose here, the kind that smell like mildew and haunt basements. It's one mysterious guy named Kevin and he's channeling the solitude in a way that hasn't felt this complete since Luxurious Bags hung it up. Claustrophobic mope done right; a 5 A.M. comedown vibe that shivers where it would otherwise warm, with ten-dollar organ floating in and around the premises, even-keeled and truly on its own amidst a sea of garage-punk types. "New Violence" gets close to Kate Bush territory regardless of the speed it's played at, and is my favorite here, though the other tunes are definitely no slouch, and "Throw It Away" comes as close to a conventional psychedelic figurine sound as anything I've heard recently. Challenging, inspired, and not easy to shake. Intense Myspace presence to boot.

Tom "Siltbreeze" Lax's "Siltblog"
http://siltblog .blogspot.com/2006/06/malice-in-dairylandpink-reasons-st-7.html
They seem to have a pretty good take on the woeful ennui that make Saxon hearts (& veins) flutter & I wouldn't be suprised to meet this band & find'em wrapped in scarves that had once been owned by JG & Ch 39 or other, lesser known phlegmatic Deutsch masters that worship at the Reed, Chilton, Richards alter. From a more jovial, Quixotic perspective (mine or theirs, no matter) this could also pass for liquid take, pre Ohio Demo's from the Cramps; the wet, nascent beat of gravel 'n blues has a loose & rickety DIY presence that would make any right-headed Anglo murk-shuffler light up like a radial bonfire. The best record of it's ilk to ooze outta Wisconsin since Hollywood Autopsy slithered into exile.

Hear Pink Reason's live session in WFMU...
http://www.wfmu.org/listen.m3u?show=20231&archive=29766&starttime=2:02:39
Brian Turner's pre-show comments:
Green Bay, Wisconsin is the smallest locale in the USA to own a major league football team, has some hellish winters, and also is the home base of a guy named Kevin who has sent forth one of the stranger 7" singles to pass through WFMU in recent memory. Capturing the stumbling blues of early Royal Trux, the creeping synth and echoed percussion of the Legendary Pink Dots, and the android alienation of Gary Numan (if he was recording some 70's DIY demo with a cheap organ in a dank basement), there's about four other unpeggable things floating around in each one of these songs that I just have to shrug my shoulders and stop trying to be so analytical all the damn time. Check out what's sure to be an interesting live session today.

From Larry Dolman at http://www.blastitude.com/
2006: THE RETURN OF THE WEIRD DIY 7-INCH! YOU HEARD IT HERE LAST!"
"First of all, what a gem of a 7-inch by Pink Reason, two sides of gloriously weird underground pop/rock/something from Green Bay, Wisconsin -- how often does that happen? First song "Throw It Away" is the one that slays me the most -- acoustic guitar pounding out a three-chord mantra, with droning electric guitar melodies winding over it, and really strange multi-tracked venusian/manphibian vocals singing great hooks. The two shorter songs on Side B take the same basic elements and actually dress 'em up a little weirder by slowing down the pulse and adding
even more helium to the vocals, along with other odd overdubs like flutes and music-box keyboards. 300 pressed here, probably long gone, West Coast tour coming up in November, and word is that Siltbreeze is putting out a full-length soon, which I honestly can't wait to hear."

From Phil Honolulu's http://lettershavenoarms.blogspot.com/
It's good stuff. The one that comes up first on my browser "Throw It Away", has a the same ramshackle, um, 'vibe' that early Royal Trux has, like you were lucky enough to walk into the best part of a two hour drone when everyone was hitting everything just right. The drum fills are subtle and great, the ominous guitar lines fit in snug. An evil howl of dark feedback vocals almost overpowers the song, before it lilts off into a meandering acoustic fade. I dig the relax crawl of the tempo; it's like the song instinctively knows it's good and doesn't have to go fast to impress anyone. 'New Violence' has some great echoed drums and nicely bizarre synth. It has a seat of the pants, semi improvised feel to it, and the deceptively simple little synth riffs are perfect in context, plodding organic blurps over the chime. 'Slate Train' lazily drifts on subtle synths and echoed percussion, like a far more calm track on the first Intelligence LP. Here's hoping someone will make a Pink Reason LP. I would certainly purchase it.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Art for Spastics v. 109

.
Download AFS v. 109

...or stream it

HUE BLANC’S JOYLESS ONES // That Vile Regret // Fait Accompli // P.Trash *new
MAYPOLE // Glance at the Past // The Real // Anopheles *new
MAYPOLE // Show Me The Way
MAYPOLE // Henry Stared

NEW DAWN // Dark Thoughts // There´s a New Dawn // Akarma 1970/2001
THE HUNCHES // Turkey Timer Pinnochio // Hobo Sunrise // In the Red 2004
DEAD MOON // Diamonds in the Rough // Echoes Of The Past // Sub Pop *new
DRIVETRAIN // Time Is of the Essence // Time Is of the Essence b/w Trains // Tombstone 1988
BRIAN WILSON SHOCK TREATMENT // Can U Feel It? // The Lords of the Infinite Cosmos 7” // Slutfish *new
NOTHING PEOPLE // I Can´t Find My Monkey // Problems 7” // S-S Records *new

THE INTELLIGENCE // No Nurses // I´m Your Taxi 7” // The Holy Cobra Society *new
SKAREKRAU RADIO // We Will Kill // The One Eyed Swine Is Queen // Apop *new
KK RAMPAGE // Part 2 // split 7” w/ Hot Girls Cool Guys & Prettty Thigh // HIV Tarnations *new
LAKE OF DRACULA // Four Teachers // Skeletal Remains // Savage Land *new
BEAR PROOF SUIT // Prosecutors Will Be Violated // Science is Dead 7” // Criminal IQ *new
STRATE COATS // Teenage Suicide // s/t 7” // Hook or Crook *new

STRATE COATS // Swingin´ Strate Coat
STRIP MALL SEIZURES // True Story // s/t LP // True Panther Sounds *new
LEPRECHAUN CATERING // The Roar of Pizza Boxes // Male Plumage // White Denim *new
THE GEEKS // Visiting Day at San Quentin // Too Fat Pig 7” // S-S *new
SLICING GRANDPA // title unknown // 4 Trak Album 7” // Strain Theory *new
SLICING GRANDPA // Urination Crane // Urination Crane 7” // Strain Theory 2005
RUBBER O CEMENT // Excised Muscle Cells... // split 7” w/ Slicing Grandpa // no label 2006
PENETRATION CAMP // Argento // split 7” w/ Slicing Grandpa // no label *new

SUNNO))) & BORIS // Etna // Altar // Southern Lord *new
GROUND-ZERO // Consume Red // Consume Red // ReR 1997 *request

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Art for Spastics v. 108

.
Download AFS v. 108

...or stream it

BATTLESHIP // This Town Wants You Skinny // Hearts Addendum // On/On Switch *new
ABE VIGODA // Tom Tom Sun // Kid City // olFactory *new
LAKE OF DRACULA // Biographers of the Flaming Druglords // Skeletal Remains // Savage Land *new
SILVER CREME // untitled // Perfumed Metal // Self-Released *new
MUTATORS // Stevie Wonder Can See // Nerves 7" // Grotesque Modern *new
SMUT // Big Business Can Suck It // split 7" w/ Ovo // Friends & Relatives/Carbon/MT6/et al. *new
NEW FLESH // Scapegoat // Parasite // Maelstrom 2005
PUKE ATTACK // Elizabeth´s Bed // Love Cum´s 1st split LP w/ New Flesh // No Label *new
UNMONO // Two Dirty Flies // As Long as an Album // 12 Pylons *new
UNMONO // Prodpot

UNMONO // Schoolgirl Stalker
THE BLOW // Bonjour Jeune Fille // Paper Television // K Records *new
KANIA TIEFFER // Coq à l´Ail // Kania Tieffer Against It // Self-Released *new
LAWRENCE WASSER // Piggy on a Rooftop // v/a: Tête de Bébé // S-S Records 2006
PRETTY THIGH // Testicaligraphy // Split 7" w/ Hot Girls Cool Guys & KK Rampage // HIV Tarnations *new
SLIVERS // Questions // Restraint for Style 7" // New Alliance 1981

DEAR RAINDROP // Theme to the Pharoah´s Secret part VIII // v/a: Sarcophagus 1-4 // Radius Waste *new
BLACK PUS // Kind Companion // Black Pus 3: Metamorpus // DiareahRama *new
BLACK PUS // The Mad Scatter
WHAT CHEEK? BRIGADE // Disco Bhangra // v/a: Rare Youth 2xCD // Rare Youth *new
MERCY LIGHT // Fuck Deke (Live at Club In-Zane) // v/a: Rare Youth
DYNASTY // Milk of Human Kindness // Gate 2x7" // Dynasty *new
TORTURING NURSE // -0- // Hate Human cassette // Hate State *new
TIK///TIK // Out of Respect for His Family, Let´s Say We Ate the Cabin Boy // Sea Door split 2x3" CDR w/ Stomach Aches // Deathbomb Arc *new
CAPTAIN AHAB // I Was the Only One There to Suck // Snakes on the Brain // Deathbomb Arc *new
OKAY TEMIZ TRIO // Trabzon Karsilamasi // Turkish Folk Jazz // Sonet 1975

EAT THE PEOPLE // Disappear // Soundtrack to the Unicorn Movie // Baby Arm 2005
M.A.L. // Seven Minutes to Midnight // Compendium Maleficarum // Physiocrat 1981
RUTH WHITE // The Irremediable // Flowers of Evil // Creel Pone *new/1969
DEAD SCIENCE // White Stain // Crepuscule // Slender Means Society *new
TUNNELS // Partitions // Vexations / Reflections / Partitions // Yarnlazer *new
SHADOW RING // I Am the Black Piper // Lighthouse 2xLP // Swill Radio 1999
SHADOW RING // I Am Lloyd Lyson
SHADOW RING // Mindart
SHADOW RING // If It Is a Boy

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Art for Spastics v. 107

.
Download AFS v. 107

...or stream it

BATTLESHIP // Buster Keaton // Hearts Addendum // On/On Switch *new
BATTLESHIP // Bringing Home Jerusalem
HIPS // Monkey in a Cage // v/a: Happy Birthday DNT! // DNT *new
MUTATORS // My War [Black Flag] // Nerves 7" // Grotesque Modern *new
BOB BURNS & THE BREAKUPS // Losing My Head // Hydrostatic Heart 7" // Plastic Idol *new
NO FEELING // Holes // split 7" w/ Ladies Night // Seeing Eye *new
APE CITY R&B // She´s Candy Coated // She's Candy Coated 7" // Jenasol 2005
HONEYMOON KILLERS // Vanna White (Goddess of Love) // Hung Far Low // Fistpuppet 1991
HONEYMOON KILLERS // You Can´t Do That
NO DOCTORS // Sharkskin Blues // Hunting Season // Cock of the Rock 2004
CHEB SAMIR & THE BLACK SOULS OF LEVIATHAN // I Know What to Do // Don´t Like Girls 7" // Yakisakana *new
THE CHEERAKS // Honey // The Cheeraks are N°1 7" // Yakisakana *new
THE NORMALS & JEFF CLARK // The Street of Your Heart // The Street of Your Heart 7" // Yakisakana *new

HOLE CLASS // What Doesn´t Kill You // A Glimpse of Hole Class cassette // No Label *new
ETERNAL TAPESTRY // Puff Cloud Temple // Demo CDR // Self-Released *new
POCAHAUNTED // Water Moccasins // Moccasinging cassette // Not Not Fun *new
PLANTS // Animal Spirit Gestalt // Totem CDR // Self-Released *new
TUNNELS // Reflections // Vexations / Reflections / Partitions // Yarnlazer *new
YELLOW SWANS // Live at Grandma´s House 12/05 // Psychic Secession 2Xlp // Weird Forest *new

NON-HORSE // excerpt // Rigor Lore cassette // Not Not Fun *new
BREATHER // Radiation // Loves and Disloves // Sonic Incision 1984
NEITHER/NEITHER WORLD // Our Devil´s Cave // Sociopathic Pleasures // Majestic Chaos 1992
CAROLINE K // Tracking with Close-Ups // Now Wait for Last Year 12" EP // Earthly Delights 1987
FACTRIX // Phantom Pain // Scheintot // Adolescent 1981
AKSAK MABOUL // Three Epileptic Folk Dances // Aksak Maboul: Onze Danses Pour Combattre la Migraine // Kamikaze 1977
IVA BITTOVÁ // Ouvertura // Dunaj // Panton 1988
IVA BITTOVÁ // Kaše
FLYING LUTTENBACHERS // From Oblivion // Cataclysm // ugExplode *new
VÁGTÁZÓ HALLOTKÉMEK // Másfélé Táj (Another Kind of Landscape) // Jumping Out the World Instinct // Sonic Boom 1990
SAPAT // Halcyon Daze // Tongue-Tied & Staid 7" // Black Velvet Fuckere *new
DANIEL JENKINS // Gridlock // Taking a Drive... // No Label 1987
DEAD MOON // Fire in the Western World // Echoes Of The Past // Sub Pop *new

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

What Are You Gonna Wear???



Friday, October 27
@ the DAM House
503 E Street in Davis

7:00 SHARP! to 10:00 p.m. SHARP!

RAD SHOW!

GANG WIZARD
http//www.gangwizard.tk/

w/ special guests...

WAY BAD
&
WOMAN'S WORTH
http//www.myspace.com/105893724

Bring $3-$6 to donate to bands. Wear a costume??? Dance! Eat our food (come hungry!!!) & drink (WOO!).

Gang Wizard's new album--Byzantine Headache--is out on Load Records. Says Load CEO himself

Los Angeles-based GANG WIZARD play an unholy gumbo of out-fried rock that draws from fluff between such couch cushions as the more stumblin' side of the ROYAL TRUX and the jazzercize neck of sonic explorers like the NO NECK BLUES BAND klan. Its truly a groups effort as 13 members appear on this release utilizing every weapon in the war chest ... from guitars, snyths and vocal pipes onwards. Truly the sound of levitation.

The band has three previous records on Ecstatic Peace, and its members have been in too many bands to mention THE HOSPITALS, KEVIN SHIELDS, BOXLEITNER... the list goes on. Labels as diverse as DEATHBOMB ARC, WEIRD FOREST, IN THE RED have all played home to these members projects.

In short, if you crave the out sound, this record will burrow its way into your routine. Its the sound of life... in all its shitty glory. Blowing loud, proud and straight through. Get it while you still are alive. Waiting could be your biggest mistake.


This album is also my debut, as I drum on part of it. But this particular Gang Wizard incarnation is a reunion of the classic early band that hasn't played publicly since this decade began. But I might grab a stick and beat on something (your adam's apple) at some point during the show.

Call this the Byzantine Headache release party!

WAY BAD is a special performance by a merged band of The Hospitals and The Skaters. So we get the pinnacle band of gnarly garage-scuzz/artpunk's moan-wave arm together with the band that is arguably the pinnacle of moan-wave altogether, the kings of burly and brilliant waves of mouthsound modulation. This should be historic, especially when you consider that The Skaters are supposed to be moving to Berlin in a few weeks. Catch 'em while you can! I imagine this might be the only time you'll see the Skaters and feel the urge to rock out at the same time.

Please also be aware that this will most likely be thee exclusive Way Bad performance. Like, don't expect the band to ever happen again after this. Already, if minor celebrities will book flights from NYC to Sacto to see this, you can drive to the DAM House or ride your bike here, right?

Woman's Worth is a special and sweet sorta damaged take on chamber music with a heaping dose of free-jazz influence, but these are rigorously rehearsed and composed spasms of trombone of Wilson and sax of Matt (from Vholtz), cascades of drum rolls by Paul from Business Lady, and the zany operatic yelps of fellow S.D.-expat Jessalyn. This band kinda loopy, wild and weird, but most of all EXTREMELY FUN! I saw them play at The Bakery in Emeryville with Deep Jew and Gator Surprise and some other bands, and they were by far the best act of the night. Paul built his snare drum by hand, he is one of the very best drummers I've ever seen, but he will not glaze your eyes with Berklee/Juilliard-level wizardness.

FOOD WILL BE SERVED AT 700 SHARP! Eat it all up!

When the donation jar comes around, please put some of the money we saved you on food and drink in the jar so that the bands will make it to their next stop and feel appreciated.

Please also bring extra cash if you wanna buy the new Gang Wizard CD before its actual release date...PLUS there will be the typical Brian "Deathbomb Arc" Miller merch table including all the latest and greatest of the worldwide scene of exquisitely packaged DIY noise and arty fun weirdness, etc., etc. I always blow $50 on 10-15 pieces of merch that I have only the faintest clue about because his merchbox is my favorite merchbox, and I've only ever fished out one dud outta dozens and dozens of "adventure picks" I've purchased.

This will tbe greatest show in Davis at least until the following night when Flying Luttenbachers, No Doctors, and (((Microwaves))) rock the Delta of Venus for another costumes-encouraged band show/party.

Davis will be really happening on this weekend!

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Art for Spastics v. 106

.
Download AFS v. 106

...or stream it

ENTRANCE // Prayer of Death // Prayer of Death // Self-Released *new
RESIDUAL ECHOES // MFI-GBSP Ride // MFI-GBSP 12" // Rocket *new
HOLE CLASS // Cigs & Beer // A Glimpse of Hole Class cassette // No Label *new
HOLE CLASS // Mind
HOLE CLASS // Two Children

SIC ALPS // Surgeon and the Slave // Pleasures & Treasures // Animal Disguise *new
STRAPPING FIELDHANDS // Neptune´s World // Neptune's World 7" // Siltbreeze 1995
STRAPPING FIELDHANDS // October Kentucky // Future Pastoral 7" // Siltbreeze 1993
STANDARD TRIBESMEN // Riverside Strangler // self-titled 7" // Borox 2006
GRAVITAR & NICODEMUS // It´s an Idiot´s Life // It´s an Idiot´s Life 12" // Insignificant 1997
RUDOLPH GREY // 1000 Luminous Flowers // Transfixed 12" // New Alliance/Ecstatic Peace 1988
JERK // Jimmy Sled Dog // Reverse Vampire // Banana Seat Girl/Soundesign *new
SELF DESTRUCT BUTTON // Neon Dad // Natural Selection of Accidents // Tower Control *new
SHEARING PINX // Chaos Patent // Caves 7" // DNT *new
IKEBANA // Children Are Inhumane When Excited // v/a: Happy Birthday DNT! CDR // DNT *new
MICROWAVES // Song X // split 7" w/ Made in Mexico // Rampage *new
DUCHESSES // The Pit Bulimia // Demo CDR // Self-Released *new
HARDCORE-OPA // Lenin Yulidan // v/a: Paxta-Core: Underground Uzbekistan // Tian an Men 89 *new

EVIL/ZLO // My Malice // v/a: Dushanbe Punkers & Rockers: Underground Tajikistan // Tian an Men 89 *new
BUG SIZED MIND // Daisy Cutter // v/a: Sarcophagus 1-4 CDR // Radius Waste *new
MATTRESS // Eldorado // Eldorado // Below PDX *new
YOUNG MANIACAL // O.R.M.F. Shutdown // quick demo CDR *new
WESTERN BLOCK/ZAPADNY KVARTAL // Autumn to Blame // v/a: Dushanbe Punkers & Rockers: Underground Tajikistan
DEAD MOON // Ricochet // Echoes Of The Past 2xCD // Sub Pop *new
DEAD MOON // Dead Moon Night // Echoes Of The Past
GAMMA RAYS // Infinity // v/a: Strummin´ Mental! part one // Crypt 1999/1961
THE RATS // Defiance // Intermittent Signals // Whizeagle 1981
BIZARROS // Mind´s a Magnet // self-titled // Mercury 1979
HANK IV // Melonhead // Third Person Shooter // Hook or Crook *new

TALES OF TERROR // Deathryder // self-titled // CD Presents 1984 *request
THE DRAGS // I Wanna Be a Carnie // Tedster +3 7" // One by One 1994
MECHT MENSCH // Killer Klowns // v/a: The Master Tape vol 2 // Affirmation 1983
SACRED ORDER // I Just Do // v/a: The Master Tape vol 2
HARPOON GUNS // 16 Year Old Adult/Follow Your Leader // self-titled // Square Wave *new
HARPOON GUNS // Mutant
YELLOW SWANS + MOTH DRAKULA // 4:49 // They Do Not Always Remeber // Obsolete Vernacular/Oedipus *new
WOLF EYES // Human Animal // Human Animal // Sub Pop *new
BLACK PUS // Swampus // Black Pus 3: Metamorpus // DiareahRama *new

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Art for Spastics v. 105

.
Download AFS v. 105

...or stream it

SELF DESTRUCT BUTTON // Comparing Cancers // Natural Selection of Accidents // Tower Control *new
SELF DESTRUCT BUTTON // Best in Show
BLACK PUS // Earth Ain´t Enuff // Black Pus 3: Metamorpus // DiareahRama *new
DAVE PUBLIC // Chicken Pox Pie // v/a: Sarcophagus 1-4 // Radius Waste *new
DAVE PUBLIC // 11 Months Pregnant
GOILS GOILS AND FRIPPED // title unknown // self-titled CDR // Being Weird Isn't Enough *new
BULBS // Beloved Sun // v/a: The Fruit Will Rot vol 2 9X3" CDRs // Deathbomb Arc 2006

GATOR SURPRISE // A Species // Camping Trip 3" // Jugular Forest *new
DEEP JEW // Searchlight // Harem c10 // Callow God *new
CIRCUIT WOUND // The Smog Monster // v/a: L.A. Noisescape // Bastardised *new
PEDESTRIAN DEPOSIT // Intrigued by Her Stare // v/a: L.A. Noisescape
DJ DOGDICK // Nuthin´ Be Makin´ Any Sense // v/a: Less Self Is More Self 2xCD - A Benefit For Tarantula Hill // Ecstatic Peace *new
LEE RANALDO // Spkr Test 3 // v/a: Less Self Is More Self
VAMPIRE CAN'T // Wax Lips // Key Cutter // Load *new
SEXUAL TOURIST // Teenage Fantasy // Womb Broom 7" // Black Lakes *new *request
THE HOSPITALS // Missing My Hands // self-titled // In The Red 2003 *request
THE HOSPITALS // Airplanes There // I've Visited the Island of Jocks and Jazz // Load 2005 *request
NO FEELING // Don´t Tell Me What to Do // split 7" w/ Ladies Night // Seeing Eye *new

THE MAGNETIX // Horror Chalet // Horror Chalet 7" // Yakisakana *new
SAPAT // Mystikal Stupors // Tongue-Tied & Staid 7" // Black Velvet Fuckere *new
STEVE MACKAY & THE RADON ENSEMBLE // Voyage to Arcturus // Tunnel Diner // Qbico *new
THTX // Nightfall // The Lost City // Cosmo-Revolution Technologies *new
THEE SCARCITY OF TANKS // titles unknown (2-3) // NZ Metals CDR // Slow Toe *new

CHANGELING // Astral Arch // Astral Arch 7" // Not Not Fun *new
BRUCE GILBERT // Work for >Do You Me? I Did< (3) // This Way // Mute 1984
TAMPAX // UFO Dictator // v/a: Killed by Death #7 // Redrum 1979
SLIVERS // Questions // Restraint for Style 7" // New Alliance 1981
LAKE OF DRACULA // Coconut Wine // Skeletal Remains // Savage Land *new
NECROPOLIS // The Governor´s Wife // The Hackled Ruff & Shoulder Mane // Columbus Discount *new
100 FLOWERS // Contributions // Drawing Fire 12" EP // Happy Squid 1984

Rare power, drastic bombast, and epic melodicism are words that I’d use to describe what’s special about bands like Parts & Labor, Oneida, or The USA Is a Monster, but just when I began to think that the borough of Brooklyn had effectively cornered the market on bands well-versed in all three, here comes a band from the Midwest that mines that same sonic territory. As I keep mental inventory of candidates for “best of ’06” nominees, Cleveland’s Self Destruct Button skyrocket straight to the top of the class with their Natural Selection of Accidents, a disc full of pump-up jams that run the gamut from clever “indie-rock” of the early 90’s vintage (before the word began its transition to synonym for “sucky”) to almost “brutal prog.”

Can a music critic—or even just a blogger like myself—use “brutal prog” without quotation marks. That seems to be the one so-called genre of the last five years or so which seems destined to suffer the fate of “powerviolence.” Even as “powerviolence” nostalgia has unquestionably crept in, I still see in quotes more than it is not in quotes. (I will say nothing more of “moan-wave” (the one I singlehandedly try to keep alive) and “free twee” (the one I made up myself)…until next week!)

I’ll leave some meat on the bone for the next time I play Self Destruct Button. They offer a lot of texture to describe in detail, and I’ve got plenty more bands to write about this week.



Brian Chippendale is best known as the tireless drummer extraordinaire of Lightning Bolt, and he’s secondarily best known for his stentorian work in Mindflayer, but even less known is his even more daring, radically noise-soaked solo project, Black Pus. The third Black Pus CDR release has been issued, and it is Chippendale’s most gloriously pungent bleep-bloop dayglo-noisecore to date. I hesitate to use the “in a blender” method to describe this sound—second only in laziness and deplorable-ness to the ad-lib style of “like [such and such band] on crack (or other drug)”—but I really must do it this time. Throw Brian’s other bands in the blender with two heaping scoops of Carl Stallings Project and a generous ration of The Residents, grated coarsely. Doesn’t this song have a happy, chirpy vibe, and a strange Eastern Euro folk flavor to it? Ultra-limited for fans of the scum stats, and it comes in a beautiful hand-screened sleeve, a paroxysm of pigment.

Brian also sent me this wonderfully weird anthology of “handmade Providence music,” as he described it in the little note. The Sarcophagus 1-4 CDR contains four EP’s in their entirety, one each by Dear Raindrop, Bug Sized Mind, Blast City, and Dave Public. Each artist featured here will scramble your brain with low-tech klingklang-scuzz, seemingly equally informed by the label outputs of Load, Ralph, and Xtract. Fans of Men’s Recovery Project are especially advised to seek out this compilation. Here we hear Dave Public broadcast the most cracked and forbidden noise on the disc. Next week, get ready for a more mellowed-out space-jam. Seemingly no website exists to market this thing, so let me give you a physical address and an email for you to write to…

Radius Waste
PO Box 321
Providence, RI 02901

radiomachete@muchomail.com



One of the dudes in Self Destruct Button stayed at my house after Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom IV, where he performed as part of Thee Scarcity of Tanks a revolving-door cast of musical improvisers who make a fantastic racket to compliment the poetry of the one constant member, Matt Wascovich. Another person in Thee S.O.T. that fine October day (until it was broken up by the Yolo County Sheriffs Deparment) was Angela Sawyer from Boston, who’s also a member of the ruthless dog-whistle noise band, The White People.



Angela (pictured above at Jeff the Pigeon in Allentown, PA) left me a copy of a fascinating new CDR of her solo project, Goils Goils and Fripped. I was dumbfounded after hearing these songs, so I pressed her for comment and the song titles, and she said:

Goils is me, Angela, who spent a fine night in the black chair next to your couch, just doing solo synth stuff. Afraid there weren't any song titles when I made the cd, as it was an attempt to make a whole record in one day, including the art, the imaginary band members, & the cdr copying. I'm usually very, very, very slow to get recordings finished, so I decided to try a super fast one & see how it went. Thrilled that it made it onto your deck. If you'd like some hoppin' song titles, I would like to hereby declare you the official song titler for the band, and would love to hear what happens when you let 'em rip.


Awesome! Last time I was commissioned to title songs for a band, it was for What Does Not Kill Me…I HATE! by Le Flange du Mal, and I never heard back whether they liked the titles or not. Some of the titles were inside jokes for people who know the words to Chrome songs. I’m gonna give it my best for the Goils, but I still need to digest the album fully. It’s a weird one. It’s like Neon Hunk’s synth player insta-composing the weirdest waltzes in world history at a sludge pace. This is absurdity and self-contradiction that will be evident if you are patient.

Bulbs is Jon Almaraz on unrecognizable guitar and the manually-played electro drumpads of William Sabiston, who formerly worked with Axolotl. Jon’s guitar is indeed so unrecognizable that it makes the guitar on Arrived in Gold by Sightings sound like AC/DC. It’s very alien, unstable, yet oddly appealing.

Gator Surprise is part of a new crop of ascetic Los Angeles noise artists, and he jams pedal effects with his panicked shrieks and despairing moans from his small suitcase. The four tracks on his new 3” CDR are horrific heart-wrenchers. He came across legit in his solo performance before playing with Deep Jew at The Bakery in Emeryville a couple weeks ago. Whereas Gator Surprise seemed like an introvert’s attempt to exorcise himself of shame, the band Deep Jew aggressively externalized their hatred with their flailing, lashing slaughter-noisecore barrage that recalled the Providence band Dynasty when they trounced through the West Coast supporting Coughs. Deep Jew—an all-star cast of noise artists including Impregnable, Privy Seals, and Oscillating Innards—is similar to Dynasty in their opaqueness of blackness, but there is no calculation or pace and almost never a moment where a rhythmic groove sets in. Here, you can hear most of side B from their extremely limited cassette release on Callow God.

These tracks by Circuit Wound and Pedestrian Deposit are culled from the outstanding L.A. Noisescape CD, which I’ve described elsewhere (if not here in an earlier volume) as arguably the most important single compilation album of its kind in years. I can say that because I’m not aware of another compilation of exclusive tracks all from contemporary experimental artists from the same geographical area since the legendary Elephant Table Album. With this disc, Los Angeles makes a strong case for being the world’s noise capital.

Less Self Is More Self is a new double-CD collection of “experimental” (in the broadest sense of the word) artists released by Ecstatic Peace as a benefit for Tarantula Hill, the Baltimore home of Twig Harper, the notorious leader of Nautical Almanac. Some of the crucial-est freaky folkies—especially Jack Rose—appear here betwixt the more forbidding sounds of artists like Chris Corsano, To Live and Shave in L.A., and Twig himself. Perhaps it’s Mouthus or Jessica Rylan (a.k.a. Can’t) who marries these factions together on this disc. Here, I’ve offered you DJ Dogdick’s spasmodic sample stew and Lee Ranaldo’s jarring juxtaposition of guitar drone and supersonic hisses. Next, Corsano and Rylan team up (with Bill Nace) in Vampire Belt to belt out one of the two songs from Key Cutter to nearly take the shape of an actual rock song. Yet it’s still plenty gnarly.

Art for Spastics newsflash: San Francisco’s excellent Sexual Tourist went down a drummer, and in their moment of need, friends of the band suggested Honus Wagner-dressalike and handcrafter of his own snare drum Paul of Business Lady to assume the drum throne. Paul and the band discussed rehearsal on the sidewalk of Harlan Street in front of the Bakery and agreed that Sexual Tourist and Paul should develop their rapport and explore their compatibility as musicians. I expect it will work out great. Since leaving San Diego last year, Paul has only recently found a band to employ his energy and creativity, Woman’s Worth, an unusual outfit with Matt of Vholtz and two other S.D.-expats, Wilson of Duchesses and Jessalyn, whose operatic vocals recall Dagmar Krause’s work in the Art Bears.



The trombone/sax/drums combo creates a bizarre take on chamber music that is free-jazz-damaged, yet certainly rehearsed. Perhaps that hardly sounds like “F-U-N,” but Woman’s Worth definitely is fun…kinda silly, and composed enough to make dancing easy, even if it’s a bit interpretive and lurchy. The band will open up in my living room for the Gang Wizard Halloween party at the DAM House here in Davis on Friday, October 27th at 7:00 p.m.

Also appearing at that Halloween party is a special sorta merged band of The Hospitals and The Skaters. Together, they will perform as Way Bad. Sure, I said I’d wait ‘til next week to drop the “moan-wave” bomb again, but if there’s ever gonna be a moan-wave supergroup, Way Bad is it! On their tour this week of the west coast, The Hospitals consisted of founder and only constant regular Adam Stonehouse, original Hospitals guitarist Rod Meyer, Chris Gunn of The Hunches (and one of thee most bad-ass guitarists in punk rock today!), and on bass, sometimes third guitar, and sometimes extra drums and vocals, Rob Enbom, who was briefly a Hospitals member in 2005, but best known for his stints in Hale Zukas, Vholtz, and Gang Wizard. They sounded gnarly beyond belief on this tour. And their supposed to be recording in the studio up in Portland this week. They made a cassette for the tour which I didn’t get because they had to dub some more off, and it didn’t help that I stayed up ‘til 5:45 a.m. with them after their show talkin’ shit about the Crazy 8’s, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, Sweaty Nipples, and all the other bands that made Portland, Oregon, a laughing stock of a musical scene in the early 90’s before it became the mecca for radness that it is today.

Next, you get a primo slice of excessively reverbed garage-scuzz from—not the Hospitals or The Lamps—but an awesome new Vancouver (BC) band called No Feeling. This is the flip of the split 7” that I raved about when Ladies Night came through Davis. And if you didn’t know by the sound of Ladies Night, now you know that you need this record. Especially if, like me, you are a fan of ridiculous levels of reverb soakage. No Feeling is the more “traditional”-sounding punk band of the two on this split, but they are no less interesting than the cryptic cavestomp of Ladies Night because they have co-ed duet vocals.

Gonna hafta end it here ‘cos I don’t always have all the time in the world to review or share anecdotes about 50 bands per week. Jeez, what did you expect?

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Art for Spastics v. 104

.
Download AFS v. 104

...or stream it

STRIP MALL SEIZURES // Songbird // Self-Titled LP // True Panther Sounds *new
THE WRISTS // Final Few // Freak of Natures 7" // Die Stasi *new

THE NORMALS W/ JEFF CLARK // School = Shame // The Street of Your Heart 7" // Yakisakana *new
CHEB SAMIR & THE BLACK SOULS OF LEVIATHAN // Just Do It [Cheater Slicks] // Don´t Like Girls 7" // Yakisakana *new
LADIES NIGHT // Nazi Tomb // split 7" w/ No Feeling // Seeing Eye *new
THE LAMPS // Now That I´m Dead // v/a: Zine:White square 8" // Borox 2005
THE CHEERAKS // Cheeraks Are N°1 + No Mercy // Cheeraks Are N°1 7" // Yakisakana *new
THE MAGNETIX // Missing Joker // Horror Chalet 7" // Yakisakana *new
HOMOSTUPIDS // Tapeing the Worm // The Brutal Birthday E.P. 7" // Richie *new

HOMOSTUPIDS // Finger
LIVE FAST DIE // Bang It´s War // split 7" w/ VCR // Daggerman *new
LIVE FAST DIE // Lovedogs in Space

VELVEETA HEARTBREAK // I Shot the Invisible Man // I Shot The Invisible Man 7" // Semper Lo-Fi *new
IMAGINARY ICONS // Fade // Eye-Cons 7" // Daggerman *new
OSCURO LUGAR // Alguien Muere // Alguien Muere 7" // Darbouka *new
PINK REASON // New Violence // 3-song 7" // Savage Quality 2006 (2 copies simultaneously outta phase)
AFTER THE SNOW // Oktober // v/a: Electronic Renaissance // Enfant Terrible *new
ECHO WEST // Luck to Come // v/a: Electronic Renaissance
THIS SONG IS A MESS BUT SO AM I // Deaf Ears // Marble Mouth EP // Acuarela *new
THIS SONG IS A MESS BUT SO AM I // untitled
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY // Swoosh! // split LP w/ Quem Quaeritis // Not Not Fun *new
CHANNELS 3 & 4 // Plastic // Christian Girls 12" // Summer Lovers Unlimited *new

MICROWAVES // House of Regurgitation // split 7" w/ Made in Mexico // Rampage *new
[RETARDS] // Will Drum for Food // Kicking Against the Micks 7" // Rimbaud *new
WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE SON, GOD? // track 2 // Out of Body Diva // KDVS Recordings *forthcoming
THE CRAINIUM // You Pretend that You Depend, but Now You Are, Are You, Visible? // A New Music for a New Kitchen // Slowdime 1998
LE CHEVALIER DE RINCHY // La Ballade en Vélo // Mes Plus Belles Chansons D'Amour 7" // Le Vilain Chien *new
THE PUNKS // This Right Here Is Considered a Banger // Unanimous Bangers // 5RC *new
THE PUNKS // Poppin´ My Collar (+band commentary) // Unanimous Bangers (test press edition w/ bonus commentary CDR) *new
PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH // More Paranoia // Self-Titled LP // Homestead 1986 *request
PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH // The Whaling Ultimate // Valley of the Gwangi 7" // Homestead 1986 *request
PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH // Barracuda [Heart] // Power-Toy // Homestead 1988 *request
LIVE GIRLS // Blanks // split 7" w/ Nons // Grotesque Modern *new
SO SO MANY WHITE WHITE TIGERS // Menswear // The Greatest Hits of Acid // No Label *new
BIPOLAR BEAR // Smoking in the Secret Garden // Man Mountain // Deleted Art *new
GOLIATH BIRDEATER // Mongol Hammer // Blood Venus // Not Not Fun *new
GERRITT // Cali Mega // v/a: California 10xLP boxed set // Troniks/Groundfault/RRRecords *new

Over the last couple of years, the Strip Mall Seizures have grown into one of the most cherished DIY bands among East Bay youth, mostly through the local buzz surrounding their energetic live shows. Now, it’s been years since I was part of the 924 Gilman roll call, and in the years since, I’ve been blinded by the ubiquitous Grimple (and other overrated bands) patches adorning the freight-rider-chic punkpants and backpacks of Berkeley punk kids. It’s like these kids have been frozen in time since 1993, only if they were actually frozen, they wouldn’t smell so bad, right? So even as I heard of their burgeoning rep as a great live act, I willfully ignored the Strip Mall Seizures. What a mistake? I finally did see them in June at Ghost Town Gallery playing in support of Coughs and Dynasty, and they were pretty fantastic. They brought a lot of their young fans there, and they really freaked for them. And it was then that I learned that East Bay kids weren’t only digging on crustpunk and pop-punk. The kids are alright again.

With that vampy lead keyboard sound and rollicky rhythms, the Strip Mall Seizures inevitably invite comparisons to a great East Bay live act of yesteryear, the Phantom Limbs; but where the Limbs had a debauched druggie vibe, these Strip Mall Seizures are an upbeat, freshfaced, fun party band, and also very intelligent with metaphor-rich lyrics about sociopolitical issues. Distinguishing them even more is the flavor of traditional Russian folk music, unmistakably rendered by a prominent accordion and a junk-encrusted drumkit. What’s that Russian folkdance where the dudes get really low with those gravity-defying, alternating kick-steps? (You’ve seen the Dschingis Khan video for “Moskau,” right? No? Then google it now.) When you hear Strip Mall Seizures’ new LP, you’ll wanna do that dance, seriously. There’s also some cool lofi klingklang noise during between-song interludes. If Alternative Tentacles is smart, they will put out the next SMS album.

Next up is The Wrists, a synthpunk band from Denton, Texas, which seems rather distinctive among synthpunk bands for the very reason that they’d sound so typical of any raw garagepunk band, were they to go back to guitars. Not an ounce of arty pretension here! Four songs on a 45 rpm 7”…quick, fast and dirty!

I picked up the four newest 7” Eps from the French label Yakisakana from the SS Records mail-order, where thankfully it’s convenient enough for me to just walk across the street during my lunch break. They’re all winners. The Normals & Jeff Clark break no new ground with their raw, wild rock ‘n’ roll, but they are positively on fire! Cheb Samir & the Black Souls of Leviathan do justice to a Cheater Slicks original in the damaged bluespunk style. Related personnel-wise to both the Normals and the Black Souls of Leviathan, The Cheeraks throw the sharpest breaking curveball of the bunch, sampling themselves a’la early 80’s electro-hop and running it backwards for an intro to this ace garagey artpunk scorcher. And at last, hear an exquisite instro burner from The Magnetix.

I know I’ve gone outta order here…sorry!

From their brand-new split 7” with fellow canucks No Feeling, Ladies Night from Vancouver (BC) have taken the rhythm from Toxin III’s “I Rock I Ran” and ignited it even more to make “Nazi Tomb” one of the most undeniable cryptic cavestomps on vinyl. Both of the bands on this record take vocal reverb into (and perhaps beyond!) Hospitals or Sexy Prison territory. Ladies Night gave an intense, riotous, and amazing live performance at Delta of Venus Tuesday night which make the whole crowd shake, and they shocked everyone when the two guitarists progressed their playful ribbing to personal attacks and eventually a physical altercation resulting in an instant implosion of their set, guitars clashing like light-sabers, and an amp doing a dangerous belly-flop on-stage. I was sure that the band just broke up right on the spot, but within an hour or so, heads cools and friendships were renewed, and the band was ready to forge ahead with the rest of their tour.

Another from the upper echelon of the beyond-trashed and finely fucked slaughtergaragepunk is The Lamps. This song is from the Zine:White 8” square slab of white wax which comes with a Xeroxed zine in a white envelope which also featured Ladies Night, Tractor Sex Fatality, and Hotel Pistol. There’s still several of these left after more than a year, but there’s no reason why they shouldn’t all be gone now. So please do my friend a favor and get your own copy of this very unique future collectible now.

I’ve already gotten a lot of flak via email for playing a band called The Homostupids. Pay attention to the lyrics, people! Since you obviously are very familiar with political correctness and sensitivity, you’re probably also an expert in white guilt, too. Now, unless you are a hapless homostupid, follow this analogy…

“Guilty of Being White” : racism :: The Homostupids : species-ism

We analytical bipedal primates who make better use of tools than any previous species are mammals of the genus Homo. The Homostupids do not mean to offend homosexuals and their friends (whom I totally adore, BTW!); no, they are far less discriminatory. The entire Homo sapiens is fair game, so unless you are too prideful of your species—or genus—you should give this great idiot savant trashed-out thrashpunk a chance. I guess this is their second 7”, and it’s a one-sided affair with about half a dozen quick songs.

More reviews to come later…

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Art for Spastics v. 103

.
Download AFS v. 103

...or stream it

BILLY BAO // Bilbo´s Incinerator // Bilbo´s Incinerator 7" // W.M.O. 2005
BRAINBOMBS // Urge to Kill // Burning Hell // Blackjack 1992
NOXAGT // Coefficient Ascender // Self-Titled // Load *new
LEPRECHAUN CATERING // The Roar of Pizza Boxes // Male Plumage // White Denim *new
ICH BIN // A.I.N.Z. // Obéis! // Poutré Apparente *new/1990

LAWRENCE WASSER // Der Lift // Der Lift 7" // Le Vilain Chien *new
LAKE OF DRACULA // Four Teachers // Skeletal Remains // Savage Land *new
COUCH // Doctor Power // Glass Brothers 1993-1994 // Bulb 1999
SILVER CREME // title unknown // Perfumed Metal // Self-Released *new
WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE SON, GOD? // Celestial Titanic... // Out of Body Diva // KDVS Recordings *forthcoming

SAPAT // Krackhausblooze // Tongue-Tied & Staid 7" // Black Velvet Fuckere *new
CAR COMMERCIALS // Last Man // Grant's Dead cassette // Leaf Leaf *new
HAIKU AMBULANCE // untitled // Live at Food Hole // ideath *new
INCA ORE & LEMON BEAR'S ORCHESTRA // The Garden of the Awakening Orchid // The Birds in the Bushes // 5RC *new
VICEKOPF // Principia Schizophonica // Principia Schizophonica 7" // RRRecords 1991
FAMILY UNDERGROUND // Vengeance Valley // split 7" w/ Quintana Roo // Not Not Fun *new
PUMICE // Brawl // Live from the KDVS Hallway // KDVS Recordings *forthcoming
SO SO MANY WHITE WHITE TIGERS // No One // The Greatest Hits of Acid // No Label *new
PSYCHEDELIC HORSESHIT // Quasar // Who Let the Dogs Out? 7" // Columbus Discount *new
THE STAPLER // Orange // Metaphysical Haircut // Columbus Discount *new
HOME BLITZ // GT Performers // split cassette w/ Friends & Family // Leaf Leaf *new
BRIAN WILSON SHOCK TREATMENT // Drop Me on My Head // Saviours Of Rock // Slutfish/Poe *new
HANK IV // Family Adam // Third Person Shooter // Hook or Crook *new
THE DELPHOBICS // Emotional Cripple // Emotional Cripple 7" // Fake Doom 1980
THE FANS // Deathwish // True b/w Deathwish 7" // Blue Beam 1980
ABE VIGODA // Gallop // Summer Tour CDR 2006 // Self-Released *new
WEIRD PAUL // Nacho sin Casa // Lo Fidelity, High Anxiety // Homestead 1991
ZOUNDS // Demystification // The Curse of Zounds! // Broken Rekids *new/1981
X // I Don´t Wanna Go Out // Aspirations // X Music 1979
NECROPOLIS // Cloud 151 // The Hackled Ruff & Shoulder Mane // Columbus Discount *new
SIC ALPS // Making Plans // The Soft Tour in Rough Form // Mt. St. Mtn 2006
PINK REASON // Slate Train // Self-Titled 7" // Savage Quality 2006 *request
MOME RATHS // Jungle Consulate // v/a: Silverware: Audraglint Fifth Anniversary Compilation // Audraglint *new
TUNNELS // Vexations // Vexations/Reflections/Partitions // Yarnlazer *forthcoming
NINO NARDINI // La Planete Oubliee // Musique Pour Le Futur // Creel Pone *new arrival/1970




Billy Bao is Nigeria’s answer to Stickmen With Rayguns-era Bobby Soxx. On the back cover of his debut 7”, Billy describes his journey, beginning in Lagos where he was an ignored songwriter and soloist looking for a creative spark and outlet. It was in San Francisco, Spain, in the Basque area of Bilbao, that Billy discovered punk rock’s primal energy, and he became inspired to make this abhorrent pummeling scuzzrock that is so extremely harrowing. He hooked up with the drummer of La Secta and other local SOB’s and made this three-song EP of unbridled anger and despair which was released about a year ago, but is only finally starting to get distributed to the States. A full-length CD also came out a few months ago, and I’m anxious to hear it, too. This stuff is as scathing, violent, and agonizing as the Brainbombs.

Hence, we revisit our favorite Swedish reprobate rockers the Brainbombs with this punishing cut off Burning Hell. The next sleazy slice of Scandinavian sonic discipline is from Norway’s noiserock force Noxagt. Self-Titled is the third Noxagt album, and the first to break away from Nil Erga’s viola which had been my favorite aspect of the band’s first two albums. I was worried that personnel move would render Noxagt useless to me, but the bass and guitar are more throttling, doomy, and sinister…more complex than ever before, and now this album has grown on me quite a bit. A late bloomer for me. I’ve been raving about Load’s September batch before finally giving the veritable two-thumbs-way-up for this one.

Ridiculous images run through my mind whenever I think of the band name Leprechaun Catering, like little green munchkins climbing on each other’s shoulders to unlatch the Tommy-Lift gate and unload the typical buffet of lukewarm chicken cordon bleu, pasta primavera, and Caesar salad (with Lucky Charms instead of croutons). While it may indeed be incredible luck to run into a leprechaun just as the sun peaks out between rain showers, I can only assume that leprechauns shouldn’t be serving us humans food from the back of a truck. That can only be bad news. Promiscuously pillaging rock and jazz, noise and electro, and all shades in between, this Baltimore band’s slapdash straw vote of sounds seems as mischievous as those tiny Irish magicians might be at your corporate luncheon event.

Speaking of ridiculous…Far be it from any industrial band this side of maybe Pankow or the first Nitzer Ebb album to be crazed dorks, but in the late 80’s and early 90’s, Ich Bin from the island of Corsica made this outstanding album of electro-industrial that is courageously kooky, yet as dancefloor-oppressive as Simon Legree whipping a Palladium full of rivetheads and goths from atop a mound of 20” woofers and Roland TR-808’s. That’ll teach ‘em to have a healthy sense of humor! (Read more about Ich Bin in AFS v. 84.)

Here’s more humorous dancefloor oppression from the Belgian artist, Lawrence Wasser (officially with a “W” although it’s spelled L-A-U-R-E-N-C-E on this record). This may actually come dangerously close to that mostly poopy “dancepunk” genre or even “post-punk revival,” but the humor and the extreme vigor and ingenious catchiness completely redeems this from too-late-for-the-trend-that-was-a-sucky-trend-anyway status. Now, could someone please clue in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs that 2003 is over?



Fortunately saved from the Fall 2004 release schedule of Troubleman Unlimited (thanks to Savage Land Records from Lyon, France), the perfect denouement to the story of Lake of Dracula has finally been released. Skeletal Remains collects rare performances of the mid-90’s Chicago now-wave all-star group which otherwise only appear on outta-print 7-inches or were never released, such as most of their KFJC live on-air set which sounds absolutely great! I’ve never heard drums sound that awesome on a live radio broadcast before!! These tracks were all remastered by Weasel Walter to excellent effect (I compared this particular song to the sound of the Kill Rock Stars singles club 7”, and it’s a major improvement), and now they are ready for competition-level car audio system bumping. Another odd surprise is how certain moments of Lake of Dracula seem to foresage the early work of the A Frames.

Couch is one of the bands from the L.o.D. family tree, as they shared a singer in Marlon Magas, who continues to do outstanding work as a solo artist making electro of astounding cleverness. (Hear the newest Magas work on AFS v. 97.) I remember really enjoying Couch at the time it was new, but 12 years later, it seems like a had to sift through a lotta filler to find the few nuggets. Each of the three Couchmen went onto bigger and better things, such as Aaron Dilloway’s stint in Wolf Eyes and Mr. Velocity Hopkins’ various works up to and including the first two or three 25 Suaves records (before suckitude set in and attitude went through the roof), but especially Prehensile Monkeytailed Skink, one of the greatest bands of all time!!!

Rising from the ashes of Hustler White, Silver Creme is a brand-new Portland (OR) band featuring the implacable clobbering of Meghan Remy’s drums and the textural twin guitar of HW’s Nick Bindeman and Kelvin Pittman (previously of Portland Bike Ensemble, and himself a one-off sax-skronker for Hustler White at a Spring 2005 performance in Seattle). Just hours before the cutoff for a weeklong tour of California, the band completed a 19-track demo CDR which has echoes of Glenn Branca and even more so Rudolph Grey. Some of the songs are underdeveloped as you might expect of a 19-track CDR hastily recorded for the purpose of having a merch piece for a brief tour, but kernels of excellence are easily detectable on fully half of this disc, and I expect great things in 2007, if not even sooner, by Silver Creme.

The first release of KDVS’ record label is coming very, very soon…hopefully before Who’s Your Favorite Son, God takes the stage at Plainfield Station to kick off KDVS presents “Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom IV” on Saturday, October 7th. WYFSG are a brilliant Sacto-area trio of calculus-level math/psych sorcery including Robby from The Advantage and Zac Nelson, formerly of Princess Sweepstakes and about a dozen other amazing projects on his Scenery Audio Archive label. This is the most straightforward cut from the entire album, and one of the few, if not only, instros. I’m very proud that (a) our radio station is starting a label and (b) that our first release will be such a tremendous band that I’m very excited about.

From the mysterious Black Velvet Fuckere label, here’s some kind of a bizarre psych-damaged mavel as weird and paradoxically forbidding and beautiful as the Karst topography of Kentucky, where Sapat is from. Obviously recalling “Dachau Blues,” the A-side’s “Krackhausblooze” is one of the most effective and convincing Beefheart impressions ever heard in the 37 years since Trout Mask Replica, with its oblong jittering and skittering rhythm, brain-tickling psych/blues guitar mutations, and vocals that sound an awful lot like Don Van Vliet himself. Midway through the song, the band shifts as smoothly as possible from the trembling boogie to a discordant free jazz skronk ‘n’ treble-fest before dissipating into thin air. I’ll be sure to flip this over for you next week. A serious entrant in the 7” of the year sweepstakes!

Car Commercials is a New Jersey band featuring Daniel Dimaggio, becoming much-loved in this area of blogosphere for his main band vehicle, Home Blitz. A new cassette album of Car Commercials is a pleasantly perplexing program of poetic warbling punctuated by freeform fractured guitar, with occasional songlike forms coming out just when a dose of charm needs administering. It’s sorta like an American boy’s analogue to the Shadow Ring. Almost. I dunno…it’s hard to describe, but I really like it.



Haiku Ambulance is a Portland (OR, again (will a band from Maine please send me their CDR?)) improv duo of drums and guitar who toured together down to California with Silver Creme last week. They primarily work the fluttering, barely-there angles while just the right frequency of guitar feedback noise is achieved, at which time Mark (also formerly of the Portland Bike Ensemble) surfs that wave like Kelly Slater (that would be the guy known as “The Michael Jordan of surfing”) around outta the amplifier and around the room, swirling like a moshing circle-pit of ghosts, while Dottie’s drums accelerate in speed and intensity. Two CDRs of Haiku Ambulance exist, and the better (more dynamic) of the two in my opinion is Live at Food Hole, which is presented in one long track.

You can backtrack to last week’s AFS v. 102 for extensive explanation and effusive praise for Inca Ore & Lemon Bear’s Orchestra’s The Birds in the Bushes; this week, I’ve offered you a glimpse from the album’s chatteriest and clatteriest hellraising. It’s like they were chasing demons outta their house that night.

Next up, I’ve layered a spoken-word piece by pioneering speech pathologist Prof. Vicekopf and some mighty massive atmospherics by Danish drone-gods, the Family Underground. This is part of a new trend of drone-centric releases by the stalwart label and fave of AFS, Not Not Fun.

From New Zealand and sounding every bit like it, Pumice is Stefan Neville’s one-man-band which alternates mostly between hopeful basement punk jangle and haunting droney texture, recalling shades of Dadamah, the Dead C, and other greats of the Land of the Long White Cloud. “Brawl” is my favorite song from his live session which was recorded in the hallway of Lower Freeborn Hall, just outside the KDVS lobby. About a dozen extra mics were used to capture the little whorls of echo in far corners of the hallway, and it makes this recording sound especially like a long, lost memory coming back to mind. This is also slated for eventual release on KDVS Recordings.



Here’s another surprisingly subtle burner from the swansong CDR of So So Many White White Tigers. A song of gradual unraveling, “No One” goes from forlorn to desperate to a raging tantrum by the end. Read more about these farewell recordings in last week’s AFS.

Nope, still can’t get enough of this Psychedelic Horseshit. A Crispy Ambulance lyric I think about sometimes is “stuck somewhere between, the unsightly and serene,” and that perfectly describes the keyboard riff in “Quasar.” It’s such a cute lit’l melody, but such a gnarled-up, dirty tone, and I love it! See kids…”Lofi” is not an excuse to suck. You’re supposed to make “lofi” sound awesome! This is a perfect example of how it’s done! And so is The Stapler! Columbus does “lofi” like no other city, including South San Francisco (sorry, “budget rockers” of the post-Mummies era (but I still love you all)).

As I mentioned earlier, Daniel Dimaggio is much loved here for his band Home Blitz. Both Home Blitz 7-inches are great, but they’ve been blogged about a lot elsewhere. This split cassette release, however, doesn’t seem to be mentioned, so I will tell you now that it is also fantastic, but I will warn you punkers out there that this does work a lot more on the experimental angles, kinda splitting the difference between the Home Blitz records and the Car Commercials tape. Cute, clever pop-songs poke out between haphazard guitar deconstruction (and if you go a few weeks back, you’ll hear a cover of New Jersey’s immortalized Killed By Death punks Public Disturbance that is gloriously mutated). With the bands Sex With Girls and Weirdo/Begeirdo no longer among us, I crown Home Blitz the foremost free twee band on the planet on the strength of these songs. I can do that because “free twee” is a genre I made up. My genre, my rules.

It was a couple years ago that I coined “free twee” to conveniently describe the music of the courageous Portland band Sex With Girls (formerly Sex With Girls Is Rad) without having to launch into a several paragraph-long explanation of each of their wildly varying releases. I defined it as a combination of elements of twee pop—especially those which are knowingly and unabashedly cute—with an acclivity toward free noise and improv and/or integration of stylistic influences that run counter to formulaic indie pop music. The noisy songs of early Half Japanese and the least songlike songs of Beat Happening are forerunners of the genre, as are the most simplistic songs of artists for the L.A. Free Music Society which have a Mary-Had-a-Little-Lamb-sorta melodic sensibility (e.g. The Pablums). The prettiest moments in certain Gang Wizard jams are right in the free twee realm. And now Home Blitz is on its pinnacle.



Can anyone please tell me the current condition of Billy Syndrome? We love the guy’s music here on KDVS. A renaissance man of garage, punk, psych, and “anti-folk,” Billy was reported to have lapsed into a long-term coma some time ago, and I lost track of his status. But now I’m kinda encouraged because KDVS just received a new CD of one of Billy’s bands, the Brian Wilson Shock Treatment. This one’s a live album, and the performance is an absolute scorcher! I really hope he’s doing okay.

Also appearing at the Maximum Freedom IV festival is the San Francisco band of punk veterans (with credentials aglow from such legendary bands as Crime and the Icky Boyfriends and should-be-legendary bands like Bum-Kon) who make the best four-minute songs in punk rock this side of the Anteenagers M.C. from France. Here, listen to a righteous swinging punk song from their brand-new album on Hook or Crook. If it sounds good to you, expect it to rule even harder when you see ‘em play it live at the festival. These guys are outstanding live!

Next up, I’ve unearthed a dusty 7” from our catacombs which looks like it hasn’t been played in two decades. The Delphobics were a NYC band who made two 7” singles, and this is the A-side of the second from 1980. “Emotional Cripple” defies its name with upbeat singsongy chorus and enthusiastic jangle. It’s certainly ripe for inclusion on a Hyped2Death “Homework” compilation because it slipped through the cracks during the 90’s boom of bootleg punk and powerpop comps. Surely the song was just a tad too pop for Killed By Death or Bloodstains, but far too punk for Powerpearls.

The Fans were a band from Atlanta, Georgia, in the late 70’s and early 80’s who made a few singles. The included Kevin Dunn, who was also in the dB’s, I think. At any rate, this band is considered squarely within the uprights of the powerpop goalpost, but “Deathwish” is actually rather weird and psychedelic…almost paranoia-inducing with those cloying authoritarian voices and their reverbed reading of computer code: one!, zero!, zero!, one! This is the best Fans record!

I heard some news about Abe Vigoda possibly getting a deal or something, but I forgot the details. Is this true? If so, congratulations to the label for being so smart. I remember in the days of emo, there was a band called Chino Horde, but they mostly sucked, and all of the songcraft skill in Chino, CA, must have actually been horded by Juan, Michael, David, and Reggie. These guys are scintillating melodic artpunk with shades of Swell Maps, Desperate Bicycles, and other British DIY, but also some occasional neo no wave aggression. If it’s not true, and you’re a label looking for a great young band, Abe Vigoda is the one!



Seems like I hafta play at least one band from the Homestead Records stable circa the late 80’s every week now. Just when I said that label was mostly mediocrity, I keep finding the nuggets. First Nice Stong Arm, Great Plains last week, and now Weird Paul. Weird Paul was a kid from Pittsburgh named Paul Petroskey. A perfect Pittsburgh name, n’at. Yinz wanna hear another precursor to the “free twee” vanguard? Lo Fidelity, High Anxiety is another good one. It’s got a million fun silly songs ranging from bedroom acoustic skeletal scrapings to bouncy funnypunk to the most un-macho goofball thrash/HC. It’s like Half Japanese wanted to make a record for Dischord or something, but then it got too weird and it wound up on Fountain of Youth.

Curse of Zounds gets reissued from time to time, and Broken Rekids has done it right! Double vinyl, top quality, nice insert. Smart postpunk from Rough Trade and Crass Records…for many years, Zounds were perhaps the most criminally underrated UK band of that era.

X will always mean X from Australia to me. Their first album—“Aspirations”—should be universally recognized as a landmark punk album of the late 70’s. But I’m sure you know why the band has an identity crisis here in America. It was reissued on CD by AmRep back in the mid-90’s and then again on LP by Rock & Roll Blitzkrieg. Both labels are defunct, and the reissues have long gone outta print and are hard to find. Here’s to hoping that someone can make it new again. A brigade of bloggers is ready to help sing the praises.

In the week since I debuted the LP by Columbus’ Necropolis to the AFS audience, I’ve just realized who this band reminds me of…100 Flowers. Certainly this song is referential to Pere Ubu, but it especially reminds me of 100 Flowers. Pretty sweet!

Here’s another enticement for you to check out the Maximum Freedom IV fest. Sic Alps is playing, and their “Making Plans” is one of the hits of Summer ’06 in my book. Beautiful sweeping post-garage with one of the most dazzlingly stylish fadeouts in the history of recorded music. Ex-Coachwhips, ex-Henry’s Dress, ex-other awesome bands that I forget at the moment.

Another contender for 7” of the year is this Pink Reason EP from Green Bay, WI. I keep saying that everywhere, on all my internet haunts. But it’s so good. In case I haven’t said so here at my AFS blog headquarters, I am gonna burn all of my remaining paid vacation time at work—and perhaps temporarily burn bridges with family by skipping out on Thanksgiving dinner—to roadie Pink Reason up to Seattle and back. Yeah, that is how much I love this record. And if you are reading this and you’ve heard the wonderfully weird murk of Pink Reason’s psych/folk/blues/artpunk, maybe you can help fill the gaps in the tour itinerary…

Venues needed…
Fri Nov 17 – Oakland
Wed Nov 22 – Olympia
Thu Nov 23 – let’s eat! (Portland or Olympia)
Sat Nov 25 – anywhere in Oregon or CA “Northstate” (e.g. Arcata, Chico?)

All other dates are looking good.

Mome Raths were a band from Portland (OR) who included Joshua Blanchard (now of Plants and formerly Point Line Plane) and other friends who landed in bands such as Space Hawk and the Dendrites, and they might have been forgotten—what with the city of Portland having a current inventory of some (est.) 1500 active bands—but Audraglint snatched a sweet track of PDXYDIYKosmische-Muziek from the Mome Raths repertoire for inclusion in their awesome Silverware fifth anniversary compilation CD.



Tunnels is the ambient experimental solo project of Nick Bindeman, who we already heard this week playing guitar in Silver Creme. Nick is probably one of the three or four most featured musicians on KDVS, up there with other incredibly prolific people like Nic Hughes of Vancouver, BC, or Brian Miller, Noel von Harmonson, Chris “Vice Cooler” from XBXRX, KIT, and a dozen other bands, Robert Pollard, et al. Haha…what an unlikely list that makes! This is the third Tunnels release I’ve heard, and as always, it is beautiful, transcendent psych/drone ambience built in layers from synth and organic instruments such as bells. It reads and studies and drifts off to sleep well at low or medium volumes, but when played loud, it can be really great for analyzing and enjoying. Tunnels is also great headphone music. I’m just old enough to remember when everyone who was serious about music and stereo equipment had an expensive set of advance headphones. My folks did. I think I can remember my mom putting headphones on me when I was about eight years old so that I could hear a new world within the sounds of Santana’s Abraxas (the cover was my first sight of a nude woman). Of course, there was so much better headphone music out there, but my parents weren’t cool enough to be O.G. Krautrockers. Not even Tangerine Dream or Eno, whose best ambient works are indeed rivaled by Tunnels.

Finally, we hear from another Creel Pone reissue…this time, a forgotten classic of Nino Nardini, a French musician who was considered an electronic pop pioneer. Musique Pour le Futur is not pop, though. It’s literally Nardini’s concept of the sounds of outer space.

See you next week!