Friday, January 29, 2010

Libyan Dream



"Libyan Dream was originally released as 50 cassette copies dropped in cassette vendors racks in various cities throughout SE Asia in 1993."

Awesome Amboy Dukes cover...and some of their best material since Torch of the Mystics. Charles Gocher, rip

Link in comments.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Never, Neverland



Annihilator, dude. Link in comments.

Anal By Anal



First Boredom's 7" from 1986. Yup.

Link in comments.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The Greatest Gift



The Greatest Gift. Link in comments.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Monday, January 25, 2010

No Desire to Continue Living



Awesome German 10" compilation with MITB, Pink Flamingos, Hiatus, Capitalist Casualties, Rorschach, Systral, Devoid of Faith, Bohren und der Club of Gore, etc. Very hard to find. Link in comments.

Sore



"Buzzoven (typeset Buzzov•en) was a sludge metal band from North Carolina, formed in 1989 by the remaining members of Sewer Puppet. The band was known for being one of the founders of the sludge genre (after Eyehategod), and also for their out-of-control and violent live shows. The band in its early days toured heavily around the United States and built up a cult following leading up to the release of their debut album, To a Frown (1993), which caught the attention of Roadrunner Records, who released the band's second album Sore (1994). The band was dropped by Roadrunner, and from then on have gone through several periods of being split-up and reformed, with the only constant member having been Kirk Fisher. Dave Collins now heads sludge bands Weedeater and Ramsey has gone on to join fellow sludgers Sourvein."

Link in comments.

Heavy



1970. Best album cover ever? Link in comments.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Graduation and Other Country and Blues Music



"The secret history of minimalism continues to expand with the excavation of Henry Flynt's "Graduation and Other Country and Blues Music". Much minimal music has a trance-inducing effect; a composer like Riley, Reich or Young would borrow liberally from countries whose music had a tradition of using sound to induce trance states. Referencing Ghana, Morocco, or India gave those composers' music an exotic sheen. Henry Flynt instead delved deep into the music of possibly the most exotic country of all-- America -- to find his inspiration in truck driver culture and the commercial country radio of the sixties and seventies: George Jones, Merle Haggard, Del Reeves are his muses. Where Terry Riley evoked mescaline and psylocybin, Flynt's is all caffeine and amphetamines. He realized that there isn't anything more trance-inducing than the painted stripes of the highway from 80 mph, or any place more hallucinatory than a waffle house along I-75 at 3 a.m. This document reveals is nothing less than Flynt's vision of cosmic cowboy boogie. The first track is a 'hillbilly' response to Pandit Pran Nath that wouldn't sound out of place on Mayo Thompson's "Corky's Dept to His Father", The second track could be 'Poppy Nogood' transposed to guitar, fiddle and drum. Much of the music is country raga -- ringing steel guitars, electric fiddles, a beautiful 20-minute foray of pastoral oscillating guitar revery. Flynt even explores what I guess could be called avant-garde country disco, replete with breakbeats and a steady backbeat. Baffling; my vote for strangest record of the year."

For fans of Amps for Christ. Link in comments.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Love Cry Want



"The times were filled with darkness and turmoil. This music, of loving, of crying, of wanting, makes a powerful statement. It is awash with the anguish of the times, yet it heralds the promise of better days to come.

Love Cry Want was a legendary jazz fusion group based in Washington D.C., and led by guitarist, Nicholas. This recording took place during a series of concerts in Washington, held across from the White House in Lafayette Park, and featured the late, great jazz organist Larry Young, who had just recorded the historic Bitches Brew LP with Miles Davis and had left the Tony Williams Lifetime and guitarist John McLaughlin to combine forces with Nicholas and drummer, Joe Gallivan.

This second incarnation of Love Cry Want featured the triumvirate of Nicholas, Gallivan, and Young performing some of the most important music in the history of jazz. No record company would release this music, which was ahead of it's time.

Nicholas, who pioneered the development of the first guitar synthesizer (in association with Electronic Music Laboratories) performs on the first prototype guitar 'synth' along with fellow musician, Joe Gallivan, who pioneered the development of the drum synthesizer with inventor, Robert Moog.

June 1972, Lafayette Park.

Richard Nixon was President. There was a nasty war going on in Vietnam, good people were rioting in the streets and cities were aflame. During this series of concerts outside the White House, President Nixon ordered aide, J.R. Haldeman, to pull the plug on the concert fearing that this strange music would levitate the White House. This is that music, remastered for this first time-vinyl release by Weasel Walter."

Personnel:

* Nicholas: prototype guitar synthesizer, ring modulator, wind, rain, thunder, lightning, water, hi-tension wires and wailing dervish
* Joe Gallivan: drums, steel guitar, moog synthesizer, and percussion
* Jimmy Molneiri: drums and percussion
* Larry Young: Hammond organ.

Singles, Volume 1




"James Pobiega, a 6'9" Polish-derived man from Chicago's South Side, performed heavily in bars and and to a greater extent on the street of his home turf during the late 70s through the mid 80s under the name Little Howlin Wolf. During that time, self-released 32 45s (that weknow of) and two LPs (compiled from the 7"s) titled The Guardian and The Cool Truth. The LPs show a unique and visionary take on emotive, raw, dissolved blues featuring Wolf on every instrument he could lay his hands on with a wrenching souldfulness and commanding fire-brained intensity to match Albert Ayler. The 45s, though, are where Wolf really stretched out, taking his music to its furthest reaches including stabs at Calypso, gypsy songs, Country-Western and children's songs." (via FM Shades)

Link in comments.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Uncomfortable But Free



"During this portion of their career, Faxed Head played a messy mixture of extreme metal and Japanese-style electronic noise, topped with growly indecipherable lyrics and punctuated by frequent blasts of annoying feedback and tape-squealing racket. Still, there are enough great hooks to keep your ears open and eyes along the road, including the twisted marchcore anthem 'Show Pride In Coalinga,' funnilegible moomaloom 'Violence Gone' and ass-kicking metal licker 'Wyoming Hair.'"

Sample lyrics:
- "I'm never going to leave Coalinga/I love it here; it is my home/Also, I cannot get up/Or my bones will puncture through my skin"
- "In spring, at Burger King, they put up orange banners/In December, they put up red/In their parking lot, I shot myself"
- "In addition to our suicide pact/We respect tires, and their rubber track"
- "Element of life/Butter butter cup/I'd drop it all right now/Dearest babe/I'm in pain/Sniff glue you whore cow"
- "Don't tell me cut your Wyoming hair/I'll nail you to a cross and piss on you"
- "I shot my face and it was bad/So I had the surgeon make it plaid/Why, God, why?"
- "They put a man into space/He shit his pants on the moon/The whole galaxy was watching"

Link in comments.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Tales from the Crypt



The Mummies recorded this album for Crypt records in 1994, but ultimately shelved it because it sounded too good. I saw 'em play last year's Budget Rock fest and they are still amazing. One of the all-time greats. Link in comments.

The John Morand Session




Butterglove. Link in comments.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Some People Deserve to Suffer



Stick Men with Ray Guns.
"After spending time in prison and a mental hospital, Bobby Soxx died of alcohol poisoning on October 23, 2000."

Link in comments.

Route 666



Reverb Motherfuckers, Route 666. More nyc scuzz-rock circa 1987. Link in comments.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Make Up



1973. Double-live album. Seems like lots of people enjoyed my last Flower Travellin' post, so here's some more for your listening pleasure. Lots more posts coming this week, so keep checking for updates. Links in comments.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Cataclysm



"Led by drummer Weasel Walter, Oakland’s instrumental band The Flying Luttenbachers enter their post brutal-prog era with blast beat happy “Cataclysm”. The album is themed as a battle between the biblical Behemoth and ‘The Void’ (2004 album), ending with the “celebration of the inevitable self destruction of a tyrannical, non-sustainable system”. Alas, the Republican Party lives on. Perhaps capitalism or the USA is a more appropriate parallel. I say that Weasel knew what was seen the Behemoths dying eye was our own eventual demise. Musically, the albums aggressive and heavy bass, perfectly dissonant jazzy guitars and unrelenting beats are all neatly produced. The tracks on the album clash circus, metal, & horror-movie, each one a separate nightmarish sedative-invitation to pain. Guitars & drums frequently revert to a call & response system. This conceptual album thematically transverses ancient times, greek mythology and finally bludgeons Western music to a pulp with cover “L’Ascension”, by French composer Olivier Messiaen."

Flying Luttenbachers called it quits in 2007. Link in comments.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Faith/Void




Link in comments.

Arkham




"Arkham are one of the lost legends of early 70's European progressive rock. They were formed in Bruxelles in 1970 by keyboardist Jean-Luc Manderlier & drummer Daniel Denis, along with a bassist. They were probably the most popular progressive rock band in Belgium during their lifetime, playing numerous gigs & festivals, but the band eventually broke up in 1972, when Christian Vander invited Daniel & Jean-Luc to join Magma. Jean-Luc stayed for some time, performing on their Mekanïk Destructïw Kommandöh album, while Daniel only stayed a short while, before eventually returning to Belgium and eventually founding Univers Zero. An all instrumental trio/quartet (late in the band's life, they added electric flugelhornist Claude Deron), their sound was comparable to an original, continental take on Canterbury style bands such as Soft Machine, Egg & Caravan. Despite their popularity & influence, due to their early demise no recordings have ever been released until now!"

Link in comments...and why not leave a comment yrself?

Thursday, January 14, 2010

United Mutation




Collected tracks 1981-1987. Some seriously demented shit here, like who else was mixing Hawkwind and Beefheart with hardcore like this? The vocal style is also way ahead of its time. Link in comments.

Cottage Cheese From the Lips of Death




Awesome Texas comp from 1983. My favorites are The Offenders, Big Boys, Stick Men with Rayguns, DRI, Butthole Surfers, and Watchtower. Link in comments.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Bandolier



Budgie's 5th album from 1975. Link in comments.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Genius and Brutality, Taste and Power



Link in comments.

Purple Trap



Also known as The Wound That Was Given Birth To Must Be Bigger Than The Wound That Gave Birth, this is one of the more epic Fushitsusha releases. Recorded live in London, released in 1996 on Blast First.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Frost and Fire



Classic 1980 debut album from Cirith Ungol. Kind of a weird record with lots of unexpected touches (slap bass, synthesizer)...doesn't sound quite as metal formulaic as their last record, Paradise Lost. The last three tracks are really great: "What Does it Take", "Edge of a Knife", and "Better off Dead". Link in comments.

Rats & Monkeys



Art Bears 7" on Ralph Records. "Rats & Monkey's" b/w "Collapse". Link in comments.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Allright, You Little Bastards!



This time around its Zeni Geva and Steve Albini, live in 1992 playing material culled mostly from ZG's Total Castration album. If you like this, then seek out the ZG/Albini collab entitled "Superunit". Link in comments.

Tearbucketer



1996. Venom P. Stinger are known for being the band Mick Turner did prior to The Dirty Three, which is a crying shame because this album, Venom P. Stinger's last, is a force to be reckoned with. Link in comments.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

The Hermeneutics of Fear of God



On this record Dave Phillips deconstructs archival recordings from his old band Fear of God. The result is a pleasing barrage of grind/noise. This may have been rereleased as an expanded version on cd, but I haven't seen it.

Note: this was one of my first attempts at vinyl transfer. Since there are no track titles, I broke the files up into sides one and two. Link in comments.

Day of Reckoning



1987. Day of Reckoning was the second LP by Pentagram. This is the original Napalm Records mix, not the Peaceville rerelease version. Link in comments.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Axe-wing



Axe-wing was a Pomona band circa 79-81 featuring the guy pictured above. Henry Barnes (the Dull, Amps for Christ, Man is the Bastard), Marz (Pyramids on Mars, Auto de Fe), and Roland Thunder (the Dull). There are touches of hard rock, psychedelia, and even Allan Holdsworth-style jazz fusion. Some of the live blues tracks towards the end are less exciting, but this should appeal to fans of 70s hardrock, as well as to Amps for Christ afficianados. Marz plays lead guitar and sings on most of the tracks, I think. The lo-fi quality on some of the tracks only adds to the charm, imo. Sadly, drummer Roland Thunder passed away several years ago. This may be the first time that these tracks were made available to the general public. I may post more Marz music in the future. Link in comments.

With Magnetic Fields Disrupted




1970. Sproton Layer was a post-psychedelic band from Ann Arbor, Michigan. The core of the group was Roger Miller and his two younger brothers Ben (guitar) and Larry (drums). Described as a hybrid of Syd Barrett fronting Cream, future members would go on to form acts such as Destroy All Monsters, Mission of Burma, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic. This recording was originally rescued from obscurity by New Alliance Records. Link in comments.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Floating Music



Stomu Yamash'ta is a Japanese percussive genius. Among other things, he is known for playing in the supergroup "Go" with S. Winwood and A. Dimeola. Songs from this album appear on the soundtrack to David Bowie's otherwise awful movie, The Man Who Fell to Earth. The music on this album recalls the best moments of mid-period Soft Machine. Bass duties handled by A. Powell from Henry Cow. This record is mind-blowing and totally unique. Link in comments section.

Stand By


Heldon is the brainchild of French guitarist Richard Pinhas. He was a student of Gilles Deleuze and has collaborated with members of Magma and is heavily influenced by Robert Fripp. This record rules. Link in comments.

No Balls


No Balls is an instrumental side project of Sweden's legendary Brainbombs. The new LP by No Balls on Release the Bats is amazing. That and Brainbomb's "Fucking Mess" are the best new records I've heard this past year. This lil' 7" gives you a taste of their style. I love how the cover art recalls the bunny aesthetic of late-period Swans. Link in comments.

Live on KSPC




This time around we have the Man is the Bastard playing on KSPC, 88.7 Claremont radio in March 1992. A brutal thirty-minute set from these guys. Material mostly from the early sevens, the Bleeding Rectum split, and Sum of the Men. Link in comments.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Energetic Disassembly



My favorite technical thrash metal album, from 1985. Someday I'll get around to posting the great Texas comp, Cottage Cheese from the Lips of Death, which has an alternate take of one of the songs from this album. Link in comments.

Heroin Man



1994. The Cherubs sound like a younger, snottier version of (early) Unsane, hailing from Austin, Texas. Link posted in comments.

Works Composed Mainly By Humans



In 1970, the Flower Travellin Band collaborated with the Japanese keyboardist Kuni Kawachi on the album "Works Composed Mainly By Humans", also known as "Kirikyogen". Link in comments.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Hose



This is the first post for my blog. Here we have the first Hose single, from 1982 on Def Jam records. I will put up good tunes culled from my personal collection and from the web throughout the year. Happy 2010. Link posted in comment section.

Tracks:
1. Mobo
2. Girls/Zoo