With the recent release of The Devil And Daniel Johnston, a documentary about Johnston's genius and continual struggle with mental illness, more of the world is getting a peak into the magical world of one of the greatest musical minds of the last several decades. While the film and most of the press surrounding Johnston tends to focus on his mental health and long bouts of illness, the recent release many of his classic albums seemed like the perfect opportunity to seriously gush about his oh so prolific musical output. We can't think of many songwriters over the last couple decades, or maybe ever, who have written as many memorable, deeply honest, and totally profound songs as Daniel Johnston. His ability to get to the core of human emotions, insecurities, hopes, fears, and desires is pretty much incomparable. This cd collects two of his earliest tapes on one cd.
Hi How Are You was recorded in 1983 and Continued Story in 1985 and both contain some of the most raw and powerful songs in Johnston's catalog. "It's Over", "Casper", one of his best Beatles covers "I Saw Her Standing There" and so many other classic damaged pop masterpieces. So amazing!
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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In collaboration with Jason Falkner, Johnston's usually loosey goosey lo-fi freewheelin' compositions are thoroughly fleshed out and fancied up. On Is And Always Was he's backed up by a full band's instrumentation (mostly played by Falkner) and gussied up with deluxe studio production (also with Falkner at the helm). At times it can be a bit overwhelming (to both the listener and the songs) and disorienting to hear Johnston in this setting. But Johnston's precarious imagination and charm still shines through on many of these songs.
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A new collection of the sincerest of storybook songs about love, despair, hope and true silliness sung in that sweet, wavering, warbling voice. Offering his unique view of the world, well, actually more like his world, as Daniel Johnston exists in a place all his own. Be forewarned, out of nowhere you may find yourself humming along to a song of his and realize it's also the melody to "Jingle Bells" or some other equally familiar yet out of place tune. Such is the mad music of Daniel Johnston. He also continues to illustrate each of his releases with his own felt pen drawings. In the land of Daniel Johnston, green martians, five-headed duck creatures, and superheroes roam freely.
Finally released on cd, this double disc o' the one and only Daniel Johnston includes "Songs Of Pain 1980-83" and "More Songs Of Pain". They were his very first two cassettes that he recorded in his parents' basement over two decades ago. The inner child sings out freely from this oft-troubled grown man whose freewheeling musical spirit and imagination have captured the hearts of many fellow artists over the years (Sonic Youth, Half Japanese and Nirvana to name just a few). His songs - perky primal melodies crudely hammered out on piano or guitar and sung in his distinct singsong delivery - are filled with genuine naivete, broken hearts, playful silly musings and downright strange meanderings. And these early recordings while still retaining their tape hiss and muffledness, not to mention Johnston's coughs, commentary and pauses are perhaps his most immediate and impactful. Pretty darn wonderful!
MPEG Download: "A Little Story" [/audio/johnstonalittle.mp3]
MPEG Stream: "A Little Story" [/audio/johnstonalittle.m3u]
With the recent release of The Devil And Daniel Johnston, a documentary about Johnston's genius and continual struggle with mental illness, more of the world is getting a peak into the magical world of one of the greatest musical minds of the last several decades. While the film and most of the press surrounding Johnston tends to focus on his mental health and long bouts of illness, the recent release many of his classic albums seemed like the perfect opportunity to seriously gush about his oh so prolific musical output. We can't think of many songwriters over the last couple decades, or maybe ever, who have written as many memorable, deeply honest, and totally profound songs as Daniel Johnston. His ability to get to the core of human emotions, insecurities, hopes, fears, and desires is pretty much incomparable.
Yip! Jump Music was recorded in the summer of 1983 and is an amazing look into the early and raw world of Johnston's song writing. Mostly just him, a keyboard, his obsessions and lots of unrequited love, it's a record that's both full of humor and rife with despair. With songs like "Casper", "I Remember Painfully", "Sorry Entertainer" and "Speeding Motorcycle". Little did the world know, that in the summer of 1983, a homemade cassette would contain some of the greatest pop songs of the last quarter century.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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Daniel Johnston has been a staple of underground DIY indie rock for as long as we can remember. From his early homemade cassettes, to his rock records, some time spent on Shimmy Disc, always totally unique and bizarre and beautiful. Johnston is the ultimate outsider artist. Innocent and childlike, troubled by demons, some we all have to deal with, and of course some of his own invention. A talented artist as well as musician, he has influenced everyone from Yo La Tengo (who has covered his songs) to the Butthole Surfers (who used to play shows and tour with Johnston). This double disc is such a fantastic testament to Johnston's talent and legacy. The first disc is all covers, various well known 'fans' offering up their own versions of Johnston classics. Flaming Lips with Sparklehorse, Death Cab For Cutie, Vic Chesnutt, TV On The Radio, Teenage Fanclub with Jad Fair, Bright Eyes, Tom Waits, M. Ward, Mercury Rev, Beck and more. The second disc consists of 19 tracks, all the hits everyone knows and loves as well as some less well known jems, spanning his 15 year career. Johnston's immediately recognizable keening childlike voice, over plinking guitars, warbly toy pianos, wezzing squeezeboxes and all sorts of weird home taped sound bites. So good. Essential listening for sure, hopefully the star studded selection of indie rock luminaries will get people less inclined to indie weirdness to check out the genius of Daniel Johnston. Who sure does look remarkably like Captain Kangaroo these days....
Tehran, Iran isn't the first place you'd think to find a heavy '70s power trio playing loud distorted blooze rawk, but if you were there in 1972 and looked in the right garage, you'd have found these guys rocking out, the Jokers. They recorded this album on a reel-to-reel tape machine, with two mics, in that garage, but it was never released - until now. Lotsa fuzz and wah where the guitars are concerned, and raucous vocals. Influenced by English and American blues rockers like Cream and Mountain and Hendrix and Grand Funk, we'd hazard a guess. And, especially on "Southern Blues", seemingly also inspired by '50s rock n' roll cats like Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent.
Only 4 songs here, but it's still over a half hour long, 'cause the fourth song is really a wailin' three-part suite that would have taken up a whole side of vinyl. All in all, awesomely unrestrained and uncouth, though maybe a bit too bluesy for some. You probably would never guess that these Jokers were from Iran, it's not like they incorporate any Persian music in their sound, but this definitely sounds real raw and underground in its blues-blasting abandon. Packaged in mini-LP style sleeves, numbered limited edition of 1000. (There's also a limited vinyl reissue we can get, from the same label, but it's waaaay more expensive, we can order it for you though if you like...)
One of our favorite reissues and new/old discoveries of last year was the passionate and powerful work of Gerard Manset. We immediately fell hard for his rich and textured songs which showed the more intense side of '60s and early '70s French Pop. So we were immediately intrigued by this collection of songs by Rene Joly when we saw that the orchestration was credited in part to Gerard Manset. But once we listened, it turned out to be Joly's voice that grabbed our attention right away. Full of drama, fire and beauty we couldn't believe that this was the first time his amazing voice had made it into our ears. It made us think of what Antony & The Johnsons might have sounded like if they were from France in 1970, or maybe Bryan Ferry doing Edith Piaf covers.
Even some of our friends who grew up in France had not heard of Joly so we don't feel quite as bad for not hearing him until now. How glad we are that this gem of French orchestral psychedelic pop has finally risen to the surface, brought to us by the same label that brought us the great Pop Made In France compilation highlighted last time. Prog fans will even want to check this out for the great King Crimson cover "La Cour Du Roi Musicien" (The Court Of The Crimson King). Majestic sounds filled with cinematic flair, and bubbling with grandeur and rich color. Joly's commanding voice sweeps us off our feet every time we listen. Highly recommended!
Dunno what to say about this one except that Windy who hates Jon Spencer thinks this is almost palatable with it's leaning toward soul and blues (backup singers etc, the whole shebang) and the production talents of the Automator and Alec Empire etc. But then again the longtime Spencer fans who work here all uniformly dislike it. Make of this what you will.
Ok, we'll admit that while Jon Spencer's old band Pussy Galore has their fans at Aquarius, nobody here has ever been able to really get into his subsequent Blues Explosion. (Perhaps almost entirely 'cause of the way the man calls out his band's name in almost every song -- annoying!) But this new record, a collection of long-ago, out-of-print, rare and/or unreleased JSBX singles ("rockin' mid-90s punkers!"), might just be the thing to make us admit that Jon Spencer's post-Pussy band had some good stuff going on, early on. Starting back in '92 with the frantic "Shirt Jac" recorded for In The Red's jukebox singles series, the 18 cuts here definitely include quite a few wigged-out gems. Their cover of Chaingang's "Son Of Sam" is almost as cool as the awesome original, with guest sax-appeal. We're amused to hear "Caroline", a song that their record label at the time, of the same name, wouldn't release. The intense "Naked" (about David Yow) could be something by Lubricated Goat. The Moog blurt on the chaotic "Push Some Air" is satisfying. And even though it starts off with a "BLOOOOOOOZE EXPLOSION" we still like "Train #1". Maybe something about the in-the-moment mindset a band has when writing and recording a track for a single just adds to their authenticity, 'cuz the low-down, scabrous blues-ravaged swaggering scuzz here sounds like the real deal, despite Jon Spencer's self-sabotage when he switches from screams to his Elvis-impersonator yowl (and James Brown grunts).
The thick cd booklet annotates each track with suitably arrogant liner notes, and includes plenty of graphics and photos. Also dig the cool "Back From The Grave" parody cover art/design! So, maybe the the only JSBX disc you need to own. Or, maybe the disc to make us go back and reevaluate some of the JSBX's albums...
Still crankin' out the ball-bustin' bad boy blues rock is the gent known as Mr. Jon Spencer. And along with his trusty Blues Explosion, he presents this his eighth album proper. Plenty of howlin' and an ample supply of "mama!"s and "ahkintaykitnomoah!"s, but with thankfully less self referential "The Blues Explosion" banter. There is less spit, bite and sneer than he's been able to muster up on past releases. For those hardcore JSBX fans there are a limited number of lps and cds specially, kitschily packaged in cello-bag with hang-card... oh, and there are cheesy promotional plastic fangs for the taking. Yep, JSBX has sunk that low.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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Of course, the Jon Wayne we're talking about is not THE John Wayne, archetype of the bad-ass cop / cowboy / sheriff / general. This Jon Wayne appears as a scrawy, incompetent drunk who got it in his head that he needed to move to Fresno, California because
Yet, there is no doubt that Jon Wayne loves Texas, for Texas is huge. Texas is oil. Texas is J.R. Ewing. Texas is The Alamo. Texas is country AND western. Texas is a pick-up truck with tobacco stains puddled on the running board. Texas is a Longhorn (both the cow and the football player). Texas is a fucked-up place where the good ole boys control the state with backroom politics, blaming problems on immigration, but won't dare have their sons working in the field instead of some Mexicans. While it may not be true for all, it's true for Jon Wayne: Texas is God. It's a mythology that holds similarities to the "South will rise again" belief of Tennessee rednecks, but the two should never be confused. It may not make much sense, but asking why will just get your ass kicked. So don't.
In fact, it's hard to tell if Jon Wayne and his band are the genuine bastard sons of Texas or if they are a part of the great Southern lineage of telling tall tales of hard drinkin' and hard livin' or if they are just a bunch of indie-rock dorks method acting. I don't much care what Jon Wayne's intention is, just as long as it isn't irony.
"Texas Funeral" was Jon Wayne's first album, mostly recounting how screwed up it was for this drunk Texan to be in the California Central Valley. His half mumbled / barely sung tales ambled alongside a raucous musical affair of sloppy cow-punk tunes and spouted the infamous epithets "I had to jerk off the dog just to feed the goddamned cat" and "Mr. Egyptian you're a goddamned liar." Even after all the time since its release in 1992, "Texas Funeral" remains an incredibly hilarious record.
Nearly nine years later, Jon Wayne makes his musical return with his sophomore album, "Two Graduated Jiggers." Upon first listen, Jon Wayne has become just slightly more competent as a song writer, without so many of the miscues and false starts which ran through "Texas Funeral." Of particular note is the opener "Generator," which is exactly what a drunk Calexico would sound like, yet is much more musical than anything else Jon Wayne has ever recorded. The rest of the album stays truer to "Texas Funeral" with Jon Wayne's country/western two-step crashing out of rhythm and tune during almost every song. Lyrically, he's even less decipherable, with his drawl overtaking the delivery and reducing what little song their might have been to a rambling mumble of obscenities. To many, that may be a living hell. But to those of us who find the current output from Nashville reprehensible, Jon Wayne's drunk antics are a blessing.
Ltd to 300 numbered copies. Includes dvd, poster.
Ready to go clubbing? In another galaxy? With his latest record under the not-a-person-but-a-band Jonas Reinhardt moniker, Jesse Reiner (and friends) have turbocharged the synth swells and flourishes of their previous kosmische krautrock-inspired releases with some powerful booty-shaking beats. As much as we loved their self-titled debut, and Powers Of Audition (both on Kranky), we're happy that Jonas Reinhardt are providing fuel for our dance-making body parts. Such an effort seems fitting with their new home on Not Not Fun Records, a serious concern in new electronic and dance music that has also released material by aQ faves Peaking Lights among others. The result is an entrancing visit to planet space disco that owes as much to Giorgio Moroder and other Italo devotees as it does to Neu!...
To kickstart the party, Reiner and co. rely less on the amazing motorik drumming of Damon Palermo and more on drum machines, which creates an equally ecstatic vibe, but for a more vertically positioned human. Frequent Jonas Reinhardt participants Phil Manley (Life Coach, Trans Am, The Fucking Champs), Diego Gonzalez (3 Leafs), Tim Soete (The Fucking Champs), Steve Moore (Zombi), and others are also on on board. Don't let all our talk of discoing make you think Mask Of The Maker is a soundtrack to the coke-fueled lives of mere beautiful people, because Jonas Reinhardt forms melodies with otherworldly synth sounds and stratospheric mantras from the ethereal mouth of Meryl Press (check out "Elimination Street") to guide you on your imaginary extraterrestrial journey. Thus Emeralds is still a definite comparison.
Perhaps the Philip K. Dick quote "It is the basic condition of life, to be required to violate your own identity" on the inner-sleeve suggests the journey you are on is actually to a star called The Real You. Or maybe this turn towards real-deal dance music is the revelation that follows. That's just a guess, though. Jesse Reiner and his Jonas Reinhardt cohorts may have pulled back the veil a bit, but we still don't know what truths lurk under Reiner's red beard (which is on full display on the front cover), now do we?
Sometimes you have to go straight to the source to get it really right. And no doubt, for the sounds of Jonas Reinhardt, that motherland (er, fatherland?) is Germany, as their kosmische sound has no doubt been shaped heavily by so many of the groups that came out of the Krautrock scene of the seventies and eighties. Spending some time in Berlin and recording this new record there seems to have really helped take JR's sounds to the next level. Music For The Tactile Dome, their vinyl only debut for Not Not Fun, is the most successful outing yet by JR, demonstrating different facets of their sound while still keeping a focused eye on the unknown cosmic sky. It also has some of the darkest elements that we've heard from these guys so far and those sounds really suit them so well. Analog synth overdrive orbiting a pulsating planet with mysterious and surprising twists and turns along the way. Conrad Schnitzler and Klaus Schulze would be proud!
Album number two for San Francisco kraut groove channelers, Jonas Reinhardt, who continue to mine krautrock, prog and cosmic gold with their spaced out and now sometimes even rocking sound. Powers Of Audition finds JR mastermind Jesse Reiner opening up his project as a full fledged band with members of Mi Ami, Trans Am and 3 Leafs hopping on board. While the sound is still very much steeped in the same sort of kosmiche aura as their debut, there are new sides to Jonas Reinhardt that have emerged with this sophomore outing. A few tracks even get very uptempo and rocking, like "Atomic Bomb Living" which sounds like some awesome lost car chase theme from a John Carpenter movie or a Giorgio Moroder score from the late '70s, and we for sure hear the contribution of Trans Am's Phil Manley there, as its a track that would have been right at home on one of those great Trans Am records like Futureworld or the Red Line. Meanwhile, title track "Powers Of Audition" is full on new-Neu done so spot on, motorik and and so totally entrancing. We even hear a bit of the soaring sound of Citay which makes sense as Reiner was once a member of that band. There are also more prog undertones that bring to mind Jesse's other old band Crime In Choir. But it's still the more spaced out, kosmiche side of the group that hits the hardest. One of the few modern groops worthy of carrying on the tradition of Conrad Schnitzler, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Goblin, Manuel Gottsching, and Cluster. So damn good!
Two new killer tracks from one of our favorite modern day kosmiche music crews, Jonas Reinhardt. Before we get to the music we got to say the vinyl itself is pretty fucking cool, both sides have etchings on them and side A is pressed as a 7" to be played at 45rpm, and side B is cut as a 10" to be played at 33rpm, but ON A 12". Ok, now that we got that out of the way we can also geek out on how great the music is.
If it's possible this might be the most intergalactic and spaced out Jonas Reinhardt offering yet, as the synths pulsate and glide with other dimensions on their mind. Channeling Klaus Schulze and Manuel Gottsching, in a spirit similar to other kosmisce explorers we love like Expo 70, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Emeralds. We dig that for how cosmic and baked these tracks sound, there is also a sense of song writing and structure within the grooves that really makes it a record you just want to flip over and over, dazed and blissed out by the these sweet sounds...
Import, limited to 500 copies.
It's been a great year for krautrock inspired kosmiche pastiche. As records by Arp, Cloudland Canyon, Growing and White Rainbow have found a new generation using old analog synths to orbit the earth with lots of great results. It was so fitting and ideal that Jonas Reinhardt got to make their live debut playing the after party for the Cluster show in Big Sur at the beginning of summer which some of us were lucky to see, and we were immediately impressed with what is slowly becoming one of the most exciting outfits to emerge from San Francisco in a long while.
Reinhardt is the alter ego of Jesse Reiner who played in Crime In Choir and Ascended Master, as well as serving as one of the guitarists in Citay, whom he recently parted ways with so he could focus all his attention on this project. He's really managed to find his inner Klaus Schulze with this record creating an album that shimmers and pulsates with strength and grace. Like the best of '70s era Tangerine Dream with the ominous moments of Goblin and healthy nods to Cluster and Harmonia this is sure to please fans of spaced out propelling cosmic adventures in sound. It seems as this was recorded before the live version of the band was formed as recent live shows finds Jonas Reinhardt catching much more of a groove as they create 'kraut style' dance parties with totally thrilling results. We can't wait to hear them capture that side of their sound on tape, but until then this is a really great beginning of what we have a feeling will be a long running and rewarding project!
Oh Grace, we've missed you so! The world is a much more fun, wild and thrilling place to be when you step into the spotlight. It's been almost twenty years since her last album, and this new incarnation of Grace Jones is sounding pretty great! With folks like Tricky and Brian Eno on board for production on a few tracks we were happily surprised at how this doesn't sound like too much of a forced comeback. In fact its a much better record than anything she released since the early to mid '80s. While she's never been one for total consistency, when she's on she is on fire! There are some totally slow burning and powerful tracks on Hurricane that rank right up there with some of her most classic songs. With disco revival in full swing and folks like Glass Candy/Chromatics practically aping her persona and sensual delivery it's so nice to hear from one of the most iconic, influential and enigmatic voices in the musical world of the last quarter century. While she is more often appreciated for her amazing fashion, outlandish antics and incredible body, which is like a piece of art onto itself, she has made some truly amazing music over the years as well. If you haven't explored her back catalog we think everything from '77-'82 is totally worth checking out (Nightclubbing will always be an all time favorite) and those records from the late '70s with Tom Moulton display a much more airy and full on disco sound than the dark and smoky diva we've come to know over the years. Besides having a handful of super good songs, this has to be some of our favorite album art in ages. Grace Jones in a chocolate factory mass producing chocolate faces of herself! Hurricane is not without a few misses but overall it's a really welcome return from one of the strongest forces of musical nature to ever grace this planet!
Lately we've fallen deeply under the spell of one of Grace Jones' best outings. While she might be best known for her amazing fashion, body, charisma, overall presence, and her appearances in the Conan and James Bond films, it's her early music that we've been totally obsessed with lately. So while this isn't a new reissue or anything we thought we'd share our love of this classic with you all.
Recorded in 1981 in the Bahamas, Night clubbing is the ultimate snapshot of the greatness of Grace Jones. Musically it's for sure her strongest moment, with Sly & Robbie as her rhythm section the mood is so totally seductive and irresistible. There are so many hits or should-have-been hits on this album. While there have been a few different collections and best ofs, we really think that this proper album blows all of them away. From start to finish Night clubbing just sizzles so hot! It's the perfect late-night, up-to-no-good soundtrack! The title track is of course the Iggy Pop song written by Bowie that somehow Grace takes to new drugged out heights. In fact the whole album feels like the kind of drugged out, raw space disco that you can't help but give into. Sassy, sultry and so damn sexy!
Local experimental guitarist Mason Jones -- you know him from his popular space rock band Subaranoid Space, and perhaps also from his isolationist guitar explorations under the name Trance (a moniker it seems he's dispensed with here), or his Japan-o-centric music 'zine Ongaku Otaku, or his former label Charnel Music, or his other dabblings in the world of Japanese noise, etc. -- presents this cd-r of guitar music. Really beautiful, spaced-out guitar music. These nine tracks incorporate both lovely, melodic note-picking and echo-effected ambience. We know Mason's got a ton of effects pedals and isn't afraid to use 'em, but the underwater drones and neighing-horse symphonies he creates don't stop him from actually utilizing his guitar in a more conventional sense here as well. Mason's pleasant, kinda sixties-sci-fi-sounding playing on this solo project (live to DAT, with subsequent edits) falls in zone somewhere betwixt the pretty post-rock dynamics of, say, Sonna, and the physicality and psychedelia of a Kawabata Makoto... good stuff Mason!
Guitar experimentalist Jones (of Trance and SubArachnoid Space) live in Japan, with some amazing guests--folks from Zeni Geva, Mainliner, Omoide Hatoba, Aube, Boredoms, and Hijokaidan!
Alright, after we got done coveting Ms Jones' dress that she's wearin' on the album cover, we set about listening to the music contained within. It is just as striking. Although she continues with her favored blend of jazzy pop, poppy soul, and old tyme Americana (unfortunately lumping her in with the Starbucks' set). Not Too Late leans more heavily on the latter more earthy, melancholic folksiness and is far less light and breezy in mood than either of her previous two albums. There's a touch more of an unpolished edge and smoky sass to her voice. Mind you, she's no less sultry and captivating, but Jones has slipped into increasingly somber, more worldly territory in which the air weighs heavy with heartache and despair. But all is not lost as the album's title seems to express, and her richly expressive voice glints with that glimmer of hope.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
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Blimey, here's a "best of" from an early '70s UK prog band we'd never even heard of before, but we are now firm fans of (these nine tracks, at least). Ah, thank the gods for cd reissues and anthologies like this one, catching us up with worthy obscurities from way back when. Nothin' dusty here, as Jonesy kicks out some vigorous, vibrant, jazzy tunage all across this disc, offering up selections from their three albums (No Alternative '72, Keeping Up '73, and Growing, also '73) featuring searing horns, hard-charging guitars, melodic vocals -- and full-on mellotron abuse. The opening cut, "1958" sets the tone, and comes off sort of like Lalo "Mission Impossible" Schifrin meets Caravan. Meanwhile, at the far end of the disc, the wah-wah trumpet stylings of the 11+ minute "Jonesy" remind us the heck of '70s Miles, cool. And in-between, there's lots to like as well. It's propulsive stuff, energetic and superbly played, less about show-offy compositional complexifications (though there's enough of that to keep it prog!) or pretentious concepts (no Lord Of The Rings fantasies from these guys) than wild soloing combined with solid groove.
The liner notes cite such influences and/or comparisons as King Crimson and Nucleus, and they'd be right about those two for sure... we might suggest a little early Chicago as well (hey Chicago's first album is pretty killer, trust us!). Amon Duul II and Neu! are also mentioned, but we can't quite see exactly how those krautrockers can be heard here. But we'd agree that the grooviness and experimentation of Jonesy give them something of a Continental character.
As "prog" becomes more and more the "in" thing (hadn't you noticed?), the time is certainly right for a band like Jonesy to get some posthumous props. We'd suggest, ferinstance, that fans of Crime In Choir should investigate forthwith.
We listed the brand new record from the crazed Northwestern party black metallers a few lists back, and were a bit surprised that more people didn't TOTALLY FREAK OUT the way we did over these guys. Could it be describing them as "party black metal"? Not a phrase we coined, or one that's even all that applicable really, especially here. Could it be the name? JonnyX And The Groadies might be a goofy name, but these are goofy guys, the music though, ANYTHING BUT. The sound of JXATG is brutal and epic and heavy and fierce and twisted, a sort of new wave black metal hybrid, WAY heavier on the black metal. In fact, when someone was playing this up front this morning, we were all trying to figure out what black metal band it was, never occurring to us, for some reason that it could be JXATG. Which should speak to the power of this crew's black crush.
TV Party collects loads of older tracks, from various splits and demos, culled from the early days of the band, and are even more raw and fierce and furious than the new record, which is saying a lot. In fact, if these guys were called Satanic Skullfuck or something and were from Norway, people would be shitting themselves, but they're not, deal with it, they're fucking called JonnyX And The Groadies and they're from the Pacific Northwest and they slay, they destroy, they brutalize. Don't believe us? Check out the sound sample for "Organ Failure", it may only be a minute long, but it's still the soundtrack to some subterranean Teutonic march, the musical accompaniment to an army of orcs destroying some ancient civilization, pounding beats, buzzing frantic riffing, shrieked demonic vox, a killer almost industrial breakdown, with some serious chugging, and a bitchin' riff. Hell every track here could be the soundtrack for some epic battle, or you know what, some CRAZY PARTY? This is raging, blasting, crusty, pounding blackened heaviness, and it utterly rules. We'd put these guys up against any of the black metal heavies, and not only could they hold their own, they'd whip out their buzzing synths and leave the grim buzzing blasters in the dust, and would probably be having a fuckload of fun while doing it. Definitely one of our favorite bands going, they should be yours too!!
It's been a while, and we've waited patiently, but finally, it's the triumphant return of JonnyX And The Groadies, longtime aQ faves, and really, how could they not be? Self christened as the world's only "party black metal" band, these guys lay down some seriously grim black riffage, some howling hellish vox, but all wrapped around programmed beats, swirling new wave synths, howled chaotic screamo, all wound into a baffling, brilliant chaotic black synth, punk wave whatthefuck. And if anything, in the last few years, these guys have gotten even better, and WEIRDER. We described them in a past review as "Drop Dead, Arcturus, Teen Cthulhu, The Locust, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Behead The Prophet No Lord Shall Live, and Cradle Of Filth all packed into a sweaty filthy Portland Basement, playing before some strange mix of metalheads, emo kids and the walking dead!", which still pretty much applies, but these days, the blackness is way more intense, the riffing epic and frenzied, the songs super convoluted and complex, slipping from thrashing pound to inhuman blast and back again, but somehow, the new wave-ness has been cranked up too, with songs slipping into warped stretches of pulsing electronic drums, squelchy fuzzy synths, and occasional face melting blackened psychedelic blowouts of frantic guitars, screaming synths and chaotic drummachine damage, and besides all that, the songs RULE, catchy as hell, super varied and twisted and confusingly over the top. If these guys weren't from Portland, and weren't called JonnyX And The Groadies, and if they weren't one of the most awesomely motley looking crews ever, the long haired burnout glam metaller, the bearded metal lumberjack, the Dr. Jeckyll mad scientist, and of course the skeleton suited voodoo axeman, then they'd probably be oft discussed by the grim troo black metal hordes, a few championing their fucked up far out avant blackness, but most decrying their sullying of the true black traditions, so it's probably better that they exist well outside the black metal world, where they're free to twist their own peculiar brand of warped synth driven grind punk undead party synth brutal blackness into something this far out and fucked up and totally genius.
Available both as a cassette and an lp, the lp version comes with a big full color poster.
So what kind of a name is JonnyX And The Groadies anyway? Well, quite possibly the only appropriate monicker for the world's only "Party Black Metal" band. Huh? What? C'mon, you heard us. PARTY BLACK METAL. That's right. Might not sound good, at least to all you grimmer than grim blackmetalheads, but it is, in fact it's a heck of a lot more interesting than most black metal we hear these days. And actually the 'party' aspect isn't as obvious on record. Live they seem to be a serious blast, wild and goofy and explosively spastic, with pointy metal axes (as in guitars, although we imagine their might be actual axes as well) and goofy outfits and plenty of mayhem and destruction. But on record, it's all skull encrusted synths and upside down crosses, um... tight pants and foot long spikes, and, well, wild windmilling hair and white belts? The most unholy union of buzzing black metal and insanely aggro spastic screamo EVER. Grinding buzzing guitars, demonic shrieks, programmed blast beats and a thick wall of majestic keyboards. Think maybe Drop Dead, Arcturus, Teen Chtulu, The Locust, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Behead The Prophet No Lord Shall Live, and Cradle Of Filth all packed into a sweaty filthy Portland Basement, playing before some strange mix of metalheads, emo kids and the walking dead! Huge thick blasts of grim black metal segue into fuzzy squelchy ambient synth break downs and then slip into some moody midtempo near-doom, before exploding again in a blast of barbed buzz. Awesome! Nine tracks, the first eight, brief blasts of blackness, all clocking in at under two minutes, the final track, "Unmortal", a massive 14 minute blackened synth doom juggernaut.
Happy, peppy, catchy, sugary, colorful and cute. Those are all words that have probably NEVER been used to describe Sigur Ros. Yet the band's front man, Jonsi, has proven to be a person of many sides and personas. Last year he and his boyfriend put out a really nice and subtly drone based soundscape record called Riceboy Sleeps, and now Jonsi is ready to really go and branch out on his own in another totally different direction.
Go is a total catchy, upbeat pop record. Filled with lush instrumentation and electronics, we hear the sunnier side to Jonsi's voice and songwriting. Much more akin to folks like Sufjan Stevens and The Postal Service. And after years of singing in a made up language, he sings in both his native tongue and English on this record, as it really does feel like he's not interested in making things seem mysterious but instead he's laying his heart on the line and making the kind of sweet sounding pop record he's probably been wanting to get out of his system for years, especially after spending so much time creating such epic and shoegazing sounds with Sigur Ros.
Golly, doesn't this album absolutely scream "Iceland"? Albeit in the most hushed fashion. Not a bad thing in our books by any means! Very apropos, of course! Jonsi & Alex aka Jon Por Birgisson and Alex Somers are indeed a duo from Reykjavik, Iceland. The cover artwork for their debut album is a deadringer for any release from Mum or Sigur Ros. Go figure as Jonsi is in fact the singer of Sigur Ros! The muted dark tones shroud blurry mysterious figures like snapshots from a dream. As well, their music has both a familiar sighing wistfulness and expansive grandeur to it. The first track "Happiness" follows a three note melody drawn out on bowed strings in a slowly swelling cycle. It's deceptively powerful in its seeming simplicity, and quite capable of stirring up bittersweet aches from days long past. Riceboy Sleeps is graced with strings by Amiina and choral accompaniment by Kopavogsdottur. And really, the album is just as much theirs as it is Jonsi & Alex. Their performances are breathtaking! Other highlights: "Indian Summer", "All The Big Trees" and "Daniell In The Sea". Recommended!
Latest blast of blown out, super fierce and fiery free jazz pummel from this Italian duo, whose last tour cd-r was a huge hit around here, and whose surprisingly hushed and minimal instore was pretty fantastic. But for those of you who lucked out and snagged one of those cd-r's or saw the duo perform live when they were in SF, you know what you're in for, two sides, two tracks brimming with nonstop, relentless, frantic, frenetic, explosive super rhythmic, wildly tangled and super psychedelic next level free jazz freakout. The drums never let up, laying down a super textured avalanche of rhythmic shuffle and skitter and pound, a non stop drum solo, that manages to be totally free, yet somehow strangely rhythmic, but it's the sax and clarinet, wielded by Virginia Genta, that drives these jams, the sounds she gets out of her horns are inhuman, alien, free jazz may skronk and squeal, but this stuff SHRIEKS and GRINDS and is just a face peeling onslaught of strangled notes, atonal melodies and wild high end squiggles. There are bits of extra percussion, some vocals, even a little blast of harmonica (?), but this is definitely hardcore free jazz that will send anyone with any sort of aversion to skronk and squeal and shriek running for the hills. The rest of us can just revel in Jooklo Duo's divine jazz chaos.
If you were expecting something along the lines of Seu Jorge's wonderful covers of David Bowie tunes that graced the soundtrack to The Life Aquatic, we're afraid you might be sadly disappointed. We sure were. Our giddy excitement to hear some new Seu Jorge was immediately extinguished when we realized that this new live album of his 2005 concert in Montreaux falls completely within the realm of 'adult contemporary'. Sure Jorge's voice is as gorgeous as ever, but whereas his Bowie covers showcased his tastefully light, mood-setting touch, this live cd comes across melodramatic, slick and heavy handed. Yikes.
For those of you who were left craving more of Seu Jorge's dulcet tones after you exhausted your soundtrack cd to Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic (on which he covers a bunch of David Bowie songs in Portuguese)... here's the complete collection of his acoustic interpretations that he recorded for the movie (note: some of them did already appear on the soundtrack release). Geez, this would've made a great summer album, wouldn't it have?! Ah well, we might just have to bring a little of that season's warmth into the winter months... either that or resort to tucking a copy away 'til next June!
This is the best Seu Jorge record we've heard since we were first turned on to his stripped down bossa interpretations of David Bowie songs for The Life Aquatic Soundtrack. And it's not just because all the songs featured here are covers. Backing him up this time around is a trio of Brazilian rock musicians (Almaz) who originally joined the singer to record one song for a soundtrack and the chemistry was so right that they ended up doing a full record and are currently touring together. We were never too keen on Jorge's previous records of original songs, because they carried too much of a global fusion vibe that held little of the magic of his pared-down reinterpretations. But Almaz hit the musical tone just right, keeping the grooves sleek and prominent with a tight focus on rich atmosphere with psych and dub flourishes and economic arrangements. The covers are mostly of classic and obscure Brazilian songs by Tim Maia, Jorge Ben, Noriel Vilela and Nelson Cavaquinho but Jorge also throws in English-sung covers by Michael Jackson ("Rock With You"), Kraftwerk ("The Model") and Roy Ayers ("Everybody Loves The Sunshine"). The Ayers track works best, adding a layer of sultry coolness with Jorge's rich deep voice, but keeping the rare groove of the original completely in tact. All in all, a direction we're happy to see the Brazilian singer headed towards and hope future releases are just as promising.
Named after the protagonist from Kafka's The Trial, Josef K were a short lived post-punk / art-rock band hailing from Scotland beginning in 1979 and debanding less than a year and half later when vocalist Paul Haig declared that the band need not accomplish anything more. During that time, Josef K managed a handful of singles and one full length album; but alongside fellow Scottish ensembles Orange Juice and The Fire Engines, presented a unique sound that ventured beyond the post-punk offerings from London and Manchester. All of these bands held a bright jangliness to them that was clearly the template for a handful of more recent bands especially Franz Ferdinand; yet as this 22 track retrospective of Josef K's work demonstrates, they were clearly the darkest and most morose of the three bands. They often drew comparisons to Joy Division due to their occasional bouts of dark intensity and melancholy lyricism (and what self-respecting band from 1980 with a disaffected demeanor didn't warrant a Joy Division comparison?). Despite the dour attitudes in their tunes, Josef K more often than not displayed a mastery of art-pop jangliness complete with jittery funk reminiscent of Gang Of Four's agitated grooves and even a smattering of jagged guitar melody genius that must have gotten under the skin of Johnny Marr when he and Morrissey started The Smiths.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
1969-1971 era 'heavy' blooze rock from Texas. 2 super rare lps finally reissued by the swell Sundazed label. Self described as 'a bare knuckled slugfest with the devastating wallop of a Texas tornado.'
