Friday, April 29, 2005
Nudge Cached (Kranky)
There seems to be something about Portland, OR that just inspires people to not give a damn about what you’re supposed to sound like and what musical styles that should be able to cross-pollinate. Nudge is the latest in a row of Portland outfits that consistently seems to challenge their listeners as well as themselves by trying new things. With members hailing from combos as diverse as Fontanelle, Jessamine, Strategy, and Jackie-O-Motherfucker I guess this kind of sonic open-mindedness doesn’t come as a surprise. Given all this I am tempted to take the easy way out, letting you all know that this is an album impossible to describe, but I am afraid that I am not the one that is well-known for taking the highway.
Cached is an equally groovy and subtle sound affair that walks the tightrope between electronica, indie, fluid jazz and even dub reggae with astonishing ease. The latter characteristics mostly come packed inside the tasty rhythms, which might be one of the key factors why it all feels so playful and organic. The ear for details and the way Nudge make every sound float around the next one before uniting into one unexpected whole are impressive and occasionally even stunning. Cached is beautiful, charming, groovy and actually one of the best electronic records I've heard all year.
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There seems to be something about Portland, OR that just inspires people to not give a damn about what you’re supposed to sound like and what musical styles that should be able to cross-pollinate. Nudge is the latest in a row of Portland outfits that consistently seems to challenge their listeners as well as themselves by trying new things. With members hailing from combos as diverse as Fontanelle, Jessamine, Strategy, and Jackie-O-Motherfucker I guess this kind of sonic open-mindedness doesn’t come as a surprise. Given all this I am tempted to take the easy way out, letting you all know that this is an album impossible to describe, but I am afraid that I am not the one that is well-known for taking the highway.
Cached is an equally groovy and subtle sound affair that walks the tightrope between electronica, indie, fluid jazz and even dub reggae with astonishing ease. The latter characteristics mostly come packed inside the tasty rhythms, which might be one of the key factors why it all feels so playful and organic. The ear for details and the way Nudge make every sound float around the next one before uniting into one unexpected whole are impressive and occasionally even stunning. Cached is beautiful, charming, groovy and actually one of the best electronic records I've heard all year.
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Techix Monosymphonic (AntiClock)
I recently praised the AntiClock label’s new Gray Field Recordings release beyond belief at the Terrascope site and although not being as incredible their Techix project is also something to write home about. The music of Techix AKA Oklahoma’s Justin Jones is of a kind I have to say that I don’t think I ever have heard before. Imagine a foundation of mostly string-laced classical music brought through a filter of electronics and all sorts of subtle sound experimentation and you’re in the right ballpark According to the AntiClock website the project seeks to combine the beauty and organization of classical structure with the raw emotional energy of experimental improvisation, and at its best Techix is definitely getting close to the goal. I am not sure how many times I’ll return to this disc but it’s an interesting listen that surely will appeal to Broken Face readers who from time to time find themselves enjoying classical music.
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I recently praised the AntiClock label’s new Gray Field Recordings release beyond belief at the Terrascope site and although not being as incredible their Techix project is also something to write home about. The music of Techix AKA Oklahoma’s Justin Jones is of a kind I have to say that I don’t think I ever have heard before. Imagine a foundation of mostly string-laced classical music brought through a filter of electronics and all sorts of subtle sound experimentation and you’re in the right ballpark According to the AntiClock website the project seeks to combine the beauty and organization of classical structure with the raw emotional energy of experimental improvisation, and at its best Techix is definitely getting close to the goal. I am not sure how many times I’ll return to this disc but it’s an interesting listen that surely will appeal to Broken Face readers who from time to time find themselves enjoying classical music.
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Rollerball Catholic Paws/Catholic Pause (Silber)
You can never be quite sure what to expect when there’s time for a new release from Portland’s Rollerball. There’s the air-polluted jazz and fragile folk/chamber explorations of Trail of the Butter Yeti (still their true masterpiece if you ask me) and the poppy and cabaret theatric side of their Silber debut Real Hair. If we go further back in their 11 albums long discography we’ll find all sorts of deranged, jazz streaked expeditions, drones, psychedelia, skronking noise-beats laced with samples and there’s even some power pop thrown in for good measure. Catholic Paws/Catholic Pause offers a bit of all these styles although it emphasizes on the kind of spacious, fluid and organic jazz no one but these cats ever could do. To call Catholic Paws/Catholic Pause free jazz will give you the wrong idea, but this is truly music that is free from any kind of constraint and is free to wander wherever it wants to go next. It’s all fairly melodious and at times even catchy but it’s still as much an album about sounds as about songs. All in all another capable and inspiring addition to an already impressive back catalogue.
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You can never be quite sure what to expect when there’s time for a new release from Portland’s Rollerball. There’s the air-polluted jazz and fragile folk/chamber explorations of Trail of the Butter Yeti (still their true masterpiece if you ask me) and the poppy and cabaret theatric side of their Silber debut Real Hair. If we go further back in their 11 albums long discography we’ll find all sorts of deranged, jazz streaked expeditions, drones, psychedelia, skronking noise-beats laced with samples and there’s even some power pop thrown in for good measure. Catholic Paws/Catholic Pause offers a bit of all these styles although it emphasizes on the kind of spacious, fluid and organic jazz no one but these cats ever could do. To call Catholic Paws/Catholic Pause free jazz will give you the wrong idea, but this is truly music that is free from any kind of constraint and is free to wander wherever it wants to go next. It’s all fairly melodious and at times even catchy but it’s still as much an album about sounds as about songs. All in all another capable and inspiring addition to an already impressive back catalogue.
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The Spacious Mind Rotvälta (Goddamn I’m A Countryman)
Despite the fact that I’ve experienced the Spacious Mind four or five times in the live setting I still look forward to a new opportunity with childish expectations. Next weekend I am going to their neck of the woods to see them play at the Moonshake festival. Besides hosting other acts such as Avarus and Magic Carpathians the event will also be the official release party for the quintet’s new Rotvälta CD. As usual the Spacious Mind try their best to expand the horizons of seamless instrumental interplay, prog-rock, drones, psychedelia, spacerock and classic Bay Area acid jams. It’s raw, gorgeous, loud, dreamy, dissonant and mystical at the same time, somehow managing to transcend all sorts of seemingly limited genre barriers. Unlike their most previous outing you can hear more classic Dead influences in a lot of places but don’t be fooled to believe that this is lame jam music. It's flushed out with so much sonic depth and clarity that there are moments I feel like this is the most perfected form of psychedelic music ever. I don’t think I need to tell you that such comment is an exaggeration but there’s something to the flowing dreamy keyboards, effect-drenched electric guitar and impressive drumming that just work in a truly mind-melting way. Dedicated followers will for sure need this, but it also works very well as an introduction to a band that rarely disappoints on record and never seems to go wrong in the live setting.
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Despite the fact that I’ve experienced the Spacious Mind four or five times in the live setting I still look forward to a new opportunity with childish expectations. Next weekend I am going to their neck of the woods to see them play at the Moonshake festival. Besides hosting other acts such as Avarus and Magic Carpathians the event will also be the official release party for the quintet’s new Rotvälta CD. As usual the Spacious Mind try their best to expand the horizons of seamless instrumental interplay, prog-rock, drones, psychedelia, spacerock and classic Bay Area acid jams. It’s raw, gorgeous, loud, dreamy, dissonant and mystical at the same time, somehow managing to transcend all sorts of seemingly limited genre barriers. Unlike their most previous outing you can hear more classic Dead influences in a lot of places but don’t be fooled to believe that this is lame jam music. It's flushed out with so much sonic depth and clarity that there are moments I feel like this is the most perfected form of psychedelic music ever. I don’t think I need to tell you that such comment is an exaggeration but there’s something to the flowing dreamy keyboards, effect-drenched electric guitar and impressive drumming that just work in a truly mind-melting way. Dedicated followers will for sure need this, but it also works very well as an introduction to a band that rarely disappoints on record and never seems to go wrong in the live setting.
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Tuesday, April 26, 2005
After the goldrush #5…part 2
Sean Connaughty is a well-known figure in the Minneapolis psych/folk/drone scene as a member of Salamander and the Vortex Navigation Company. Five Hands Tall (Mutant Music) is his second solo outing and like his other groups it explores the possibilities of apocalyptic American folk and improvisation. But unlike the other groups this is all the way through a very sparse album where the vocals and improvised lyrics remain at the very front position, covering all sorts of dark and frightening subjects. It’s almost more like spoken word than singing and it’s difficult to think of a voice more suitable for all this than Connaughty’s. It might get a bit too repetitious after a while but it’s nonetheless a rewarding acoustic journey through the improvised psyche of Mr. Connaughty.
According to their website The Zendik movement is essentially about people, about the challenge of finding new ways to live and work together on planet Earth. At the Zendik Farm they're all part of a day-to-day process that teaches new ways in all areas of life—personal, spiritual, social, political. But Zendik is also an entire community of artists that has been going strong since the ‘60s. Arol Zendik’s Into the Oracle is a quietly seducing journey where Arol’s improvised vocal styling often is at the very forefront of the glacial proceedings. There are some keys, piano, guitar, drums and bass present as well but in some strange way they’re just there to back up Arol’s vocal/lyrical vision that’s packed with psychic emotion. To put this release within the conventional genre borders is simply an impossible task although I guess it owes its share to all sorts of subtle and personal folk music. If you’re feeling stressed this disc will be just what you need. Wulf Zendik was one of the Zendik pioneers back in the days and his Wulfsong Vol. 1 actually manages to cover a lot of the ground since then, as it was recorded over a span of more than twenty-five years. What Wulf did (he passed away in 1999) musically speaking was a kind of intimate and primitive folk/blues that often consisted of just the man’s voice and a singular instrument. Plenty of space between the guitar notes is one important characteristic, so is the deeply felt vocals that at its best will send shivers down your spine. The beautiful love poem “My Arol (When She Sees Yellow)” is unquestionably the highlight here with its circling guitar work and passionate vocal delivery. Not everything is great on Wulfsong Vol. 1 but enough is to make me want to play it again.
Then the Italian duo Allun’s Onitsed (Bar La Muerte) is something completely different. Now when I think about it, it’s actually quite far away from most of the things I’ve heard since their Onussen album arrived at my doorstep a few years back. On top of the amazing packaging (the CD comes wrapped in a photo book of sorts) we’re served surrealistic music (well, sounds is probably a more accurate description) that is utterly hard to describe and even more impossible to categorize. The sound is sometimes transfixing, almost floating while at others we get the sort of aural brain damage/sound collages that can be painfully annoying or pleasantly surreal depending on your mood.
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Sean Connaughty is a well-known figure in the Minneapolis psych/folk/drone scene as a member of Salamander and the Vortex Navigation Company. Five Hands Tall (Mutant Music) is his second solo outing and like his other groups it explores the possibilities of apocalyptic American folk and improvisation. But unlike the other groups this is all the way through a very sparse album where the vocals and improvised lyrics remain at the very front position, covering all sorts of dark and frightening subjects. It’s almost more like spoken word than singing and it’s difficult to think of a voice more suitable for all this than Connaughty’s. It might get a bit too repetitious after a while but it’s nonetheless a rewarding acoustic journey through the improvised psyche of Mr. Connaughty.
According to their website The Zendik movement is essentially about people, about the challenge of finding new ways to live and work together on planet Earth. At the Zendik Farm they're all part of a day-to-day process that teaches new ways in all areas of life—personal, spiritual, social, political. But Zendik is also an entire community of artists that has been going strong since the ‘60s. Arol Zendik’s Into the Oracle is a quietly seducing journey where Arol’s improvised vocal styling often is at the very forefront of the glacial proceedings. There are some keys, piano, guitar, drums and bass present as well but in some strange way they’re just there to back up Arol’s vocal/lyrical vision that’s packed with psychic emotion. To put this release within the conventional genre borders is simply an impossible task although I guess it owes its share to all sorts of subtle and personal folk music. If you’re feeling stressed this disc will be just what you need. Wulf Zendik was one of the Zendik pioneers back in the days and his Wulfsong Vol. 1 actually manages to cover a lot of the ground since then, as it was recorded over a span of more than twenty-five years. What Wulf did (he passed away in 1999) musically speaking was a kind of intimate and primitive folk/blues that often consisted of just the man’s voice and a singular instrument. Plenty of space between the guitar notes is one important characteristic, so is the deeply felt vocals that at its best will send shivers down your spine. The beautiful love poem “My Arol (When She Sees Yellow)” is unquestionably the highlight here with its circling guitar work and passionate vocal delivery. Not everything is great on Wulfsong Vol. 1 but enough is to make me want to play it again.
Then the Italian duo Allun’s Onitsed (Bar La Muerte) is something completely different. Now when I think about it, it’s actually quite far away from most of the things I’ve heard since their Onussen album arrived at my doorstep a few years back. On top of the amazing packaging (the CD comes wrapped in a photo book of sorts) we’re served surrealistic music (well, sounds is probably a more accurate description) that is utterly hard to describe and even more impossible to categorize. The sound is sometimes transfixing, almost floating while at others we get the sort of aural brain damage/sound collages that can be painfully annoying or pleasantly surreal depending on your mood.
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Monday, April 25, 2005
After the goldrush #5...part 1
Given the small-sized tower of CDs that has been piling up at the BF headquarters lately I guess it’s time for another one of those After the goldrush columns. First out is Enamored, the new disc from Silber Records head honcho Brian John Mitchell’s own Remora project. Mitchell’s first full length in four years is reminiscent of what it might sound like if Roy Montgomery actually wrote songs. There’s something about the hazy melodies, the minimalistic guitar explorations that are run through a squadron of effect boxes and his dark murky voice that draws an invisible line towards the far south. That being said, this is a pretty dark listening experience that owes equal parts to post-apocalyptic song writing as to pastoral string massage and heavy blasts of distortion. It’s overall an impressive listen with subtly shifting melodies draped in enigmatic and mysterious vocals following the rhythm in an intensely precise way.
The Fuck Me Stupid Mountain Princess Recording Collective is the latest in an already impressive row of Bloomington, Indiana labels. This one is decidedly more low-key than most of the others but given the quality of the discs I am holding in my hands right now I have a feeling that will change before we know it. DKG Sleep Trio is an improvising combo that utilizes guitar, electronics, percussion, voice and various effects to get to the hidden vista they’re searching for. The sharp-edged guitar sound is possibly the main attraction here but the way it blends with ambient electronic washes, tribal percussion and the occasional vocal chant into mind-bendingly stoned improv is also something to behold. These guys display a wrecked kind of tension in the meetings between screech/fuzz/hiss storms and ambient lull. This self-titled disc is a strong album, hinting at greatness to come. Jeremy Kennedy is the electronic wizard of the DKG Sleep Trio but when recording on his own his sonic arsenal is a whole lot more diverse. On Symphony dell'acqua the title track is a composition piece based on, and made up of to degree, water sounds. The other epic track is much more electronically oriented but it’s still a downcast, although unsettling, piece of improv.
Kennedy is also the drummer of my new favorite Bloomington band, the indescribable Puppy vs. Dyslexia. Hands raised immediately in a gesture of attention here, as this definitely is a love or hate release. There is simply no way you can listen to The Legend of the Elk Band and walk away thinking about anything else than the actual sounds presented. I belong to the category that just can’t resist the kind of disjointed mess and fucked-up lo-fi racket that these guys are capable of. Imagine being repetitiously thrown into a wall of noise, lo-fi, small-town lunacy, occasional bursts of delirious chanting, catchy weirdo-pop, incessant indie punk and all sorts of inaccessible sound abstraction for almost an hour, and I bet you don’t really have a clue of what to expect. There's plenty of odd banter, off-kilter vocals, inside jokes and laughter and if you can’t stand that sort of primitivism and humor you should probably look elsewhere. But if you dig the idea of a young Sun City Girls covering Trumans Water or Thinking Fellers Union Local #282 there’s no way on earth you can go wrong with this one. If The Legend of the Elk Band is any indicator I have a lot of catching up to do.
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Given the small-sized tower of CDs that has been piling up at the BF headquarters lately I guess it’s time for another one of those After the goldrush columns. First out is Enamored, the new disc from Silber Records head honcho Brian John Mitchell’s own Remora project. Mitchell’s first full length in four years is reminiscent of what it might sound like if Roy Montgomery actually wrote songs. There’s something about the hazy melodies, the minimalistic guitar explorations that are run through a squadron of effect boxes and his dark murky voice that draws an invisible line towards the far south. That being said, this is a pretty dark listening experience that owes equal parts to post-apocalyptic song writing as to pastoral string massage and heavy blasts of distortion. It’s overall an impressive listen with subtly shifting melodies draped in enigmatic and mysterious vocals following the rhythm in an intensely precise way.
The Fuck Me Stupid Mountain Princess Recording Collective is the latest in an already impressive row of Bloomington, Indiana labels. This one is decidedly more low-key than most of the others but given the quality of the discs I am holding in my hands right now I have a feeling that will change before we know it. DKG Sleep Trio is an improvising combo that utilizes guitar, electronics, percussion, voice and various effects to get to the hidden vista they’re searching for. The sharp-edged guitar sound is possibly the main attraction here but the way it blends with ambient electronic washes, tribal percussion and the occasional vocal chant into mind-bendingly stoned improv is also something to behold. These guys display a wrecked kind of tension in the meetings between screech/fuzz/hiss storms and ambient lull. This self-titled disc is a strong album, hinting at greatness to come. Jeremy Kennedy is the electronic wizard of the DKG Sleep Trio but when recording on his own his sonic arsenal is a whole lot more diverse. On Symphony dell'acqua the title track is a composition piece based on, and made up of to degree, water sounds. The other epic track is much more electronically oriented but it’s still a downcast, although unsettling, piece of improv.
Kennedy is also the drummer of my new favorite Bloomington band, the indescribable Puppy vs. Dyslexia. Hands raised immediately in a gesture of attention here, as this definitely is a love or hate release. There is simply no way you can listen to The Legend of the Elk Band and walk away thinking about anything else than the actual sounds presented. I belong to the category that just can’t resist the kind of disjointed mess and fucked-up lo-fi racket that these guys are capable of. Imagine being repetitiously thrown into a wall of noise, lo-fi, small-town lunacy, occasional bursts of delirious chanting, catchy weirdo-pop, incessant indie punk and all sorts of inaccessible sound abstraction for almost an hour, and I bet you don’t really have a clue of what to expect. There's plenty of odd banter, off-kilter vocals, inside jokes and laughter and if you can’t stand that sort of primitivism and humor you should probably look elsewhere. But if you dig the idea of a young Sun City Girls covering Trumans Water or Thinking Fellers Union Local #282 there’s no way on earth you can go wrong with this one. If The Legend of the Elk Band is any indicator I have a lot of catching up to do.
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Sunday, April 24, 2005
Playlist #17
Puppy vs. Dyslexia The Legend of the Elk Band (FMSMPRC)
Felipe & Forté Shaggy Black (Soft Abuse)
The Magic Carpathians Project Sonic Suicide (VIVO)
Kitchen Cynics For Will (William Schaff)
The Gray Field Recordings Hypnagogia (AntiClock)
Keith Fullerton Whitman Multiples (Kranky)
Nudge Cached (Kranky)
Remora Enamored (Silber)
Cerberus Shoal The Land We All Believe In (North East Indie)
Techix Monosymphonic (AntiClock)
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Puppy vs. Dyslexia The Legend of the Elk Band (FMSMPRC)
Felipe & Forté Shaggy Black (Soft Abuse)
The Magic Carpathians Project Sonic Suicide (VIVO)
Kitchen Cynics For Will (William Schaff)
The Gray Field Recordings Hypnagogia (AntiClock)
Keith Fullerton Whitman Multiples (Kranky)
Nudge Cached (Kranky)
Remora Enamored (Silber)
Cerberus Shoal The Land We All Believe In (North East Indie)
Techix Monosymphonic (AntiClock)
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Saturday, April 23, 2005
Baby Dee's Stolen Harp
I just received this message and I figured that I might as well post it here.
"It's a Camac electic/acoustic harp. It stands about five and a half feet tall and is painted blue and green and lavender and gold and pink with vines growing up the column and on the sounding board and there's a picture of an angel with an acordion and a fishing pole catching a fish and it says in large letters "Hooray For Baby Dee." It was stolen from a house in Ghent, Belgium. I'm offering a reward of five hundred dollars for its safe return -- no questions asked." contact deeinatree@aol.com
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I just received this message and I figured that I might as well post it here.
"It's a Camac electic/acoustic harp. It stands about five and a half feet tall and is painted blue and green and lavender and gold and pink with vines growing up the column and on the sounding board and there's a picture of an angel with an acordion and a fishing pole catching a fish and it says in large letters "Hooray For Baby Dee." It was stolen from a house in Ghent, Belgium. I'm offering a reward of five hundred dollars for its safe return -- no questions asked." contact deeinatree@aol.com
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Friday, April 22, 2005
Cerberus Shoal The Land We All Believe In (North East Indie)
This brand new release from the always-prolific Portland, Maine combo Cerberus Shoal is much like many of their previous outings. Not only in terms of sound but also in how it wears traces of pure genius, like the best on the planet, but also includes some filler material. It’s never less than interesting though, with the 11 minutes long “Wyrm” as the immediate highlight. It’s a spiraling cave of abstract sounds that includes some odd melodic choruses juxtaposed against euphoric folk-inspired vocals and repetitive background percussion. Like most things on the album it walks the tightrope between all sorts of styles. Cerberus Shoal finds space for everything from folk, jazz, noise, post rock, ambient, noise and avant-garde to general sonic weirdness across the span of this 60 minutes long disc. Not everything here is as great as "Wyrm," but enough is to make The Land We All Believe In another excellent trip to take, even if you aren’t really planning to go anywhere.
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This brand new release from the always-prolific Portland, Maine combo Cerberus Shoal is much like many of their previous outings. Not only in terms of sound but also in how it wears traces of pure genius, like the best on the planet, but also includes some filler material. It’s never less than interesting though, with the 11 minutes long “Wyrm” as the immediate highlight. It’s a spiraling cave of abstract sounds that includes some odd melodic choruses juxtaposed against euphoric folk-inspired vocals and repetitive background percussion. Like most things on the album it walks the tightrope between all sorts of styles. Cerberus Shoal finds space for everything from folk, jazz, noise, post rock, ambient, noise and avant-garde to general sonic weirdness across the span of this 60 minutes long disc. Not everything here is as great as "Wyrm," but enough is to make The Land We All Believe In another excellent trip to take, even if you aren’t really planning to go anywhere.
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Thursday, April 21, 2005
Kitchen Cynics For Will (William Schaff)
William Schaff is an amazing artist that among billions of other things have done cover artwork for Okkervil River, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Songs Ohia, Eyesores, Kitchen Cynics, Scott Farkus Affair and Havanarama. Add to this hundreds of trading cards, posters and flyers and it’s easy to understand this man’s importance for the Providence, RI underground scene.
I believe that the history behind this release is that Alan Davidson (AKA Kitchen Cynics) was very keen to get hold of an original Schaff drawing and when approaching him about it he suggested a swap. The two came to the agreement that Davidson would write five songs loosely inspired by Schaff’s artwork and produce a limited run of 50 CD-Rs, which he later sent to Schaff in return for the drawing. That disc, appropriately titled For Will, arrived at my doorstep the other week and as with every single Kitchen Cynics release it’s a very worthwhile listen.
The Cynics have released over thirty recordings in one form or another since the late ‘80s so it doesn’t come as a big surprise that Davidson is a master of penning a nice melody. Marvelous folk floaters with an elusive timeless quality are placed right next to intimate bedroom psychedelia. Acoustics mix with electrical instruments, but no matter chosen style the outcome is always draped in emotional honesty and although most of the tracks are relatively downcast they somehow also manage to be infectious. Kitchen Cynics’ repetitive sound world and fragile beauty recalls Syd Barrett at his most hypnotic but the poetic lyrics has probably more in common with Tom Rapp. If any of these two or Robin Hitchcock are names that ring a positive bell you know what to do.
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William Schaff is an amazing artist that among billions of other things have done cover artwork for Okkervil River, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Songs Ohia, Eyesores, Kitchen Cynics, Scott Farkus Affair and Havanarama. Add to this hundreds of trading cards, posters and flyers and it’s easy to understand this man’s importance for the Providence, RI underground scene.
I believe that the history behind this release is that Alan Davidson (AKA Kitchen Cynics) was very keen to get hold of an original Schaff drawing and when approaching him about it he suggested a swap. The two came to the agreement that Davidson would write five songs loosely inspired by Schaff’s artwork and produce a limited run of 50 CD-Rs, which he later sent to Schaff in return for the drawing. That disc, appropriately titled For Will, arrived at my doorstep the other week and as with every single Kitchen Cynics release it’s a very worthwhile listen.
The Cynics have released over thirty recordings in one form or another since the late ‘80s so it doesn’t come as a big surprise that Davidson is a master of penning a nice melody. Marvelous folk floaters with an elusive timeless quality are placed right next to intimate bedroom psychedelia. Acoustics mix with electrical instruments, but no matter chosen style the outcome is always draped in emotional honesty and although most of the tracks are relatively downcast they somehow also manage to be infectious. Kitchen Cynics’ repetitive sound world and fragile beauty recalls Syd Barrett at his most hypnotic but the poetic lyrics has probably more in common with Tom Rapp. If any of these two or Robin Hitchcock are names that ring a positive bell you know what to do.
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Wednesday, April 20, 2005
The Magic Carpathians Project Sonic Suicide (VIVO)
Although The Magic Carpathians’ brand new release, Sonic Suicide will offer no big surprises to fans, this disc does show a different side of the band that partly have gone unrepresented on their previous outings. What is fundamentally different about this one is that it doesn’t contain as much foreign instrumentation and that it offers a slightly more noisy and guitar-oriented kind of experimentalism. But the overall effect is still somewhat similar with electro-acoustic drones, found sounds, ethno noise, primitive folk structures and vibrating clusters of electric pulsations pulling the listener into a hot bath of mind-cleansing sounds. The aural patterns are often repeated over and over again and one can’t help but to bring out over-used expressions such as hypnotic and dream-like to describe its overall effect. Treated electric guitars, field recordings from all over the globe and all sorts of homemade electronics wrestle with saxophone, clarinet, flute, gongs, percussion and Anna Nacher’s powerful voice. Nacher sings beautifully in one second and in the next chants and mumbles words indistinguishably as if in a trance, and the blend of English and Polish only further cements the feel that something utterly original is taking place here. Fans of The Magic Carpathians will not need more incentive for picking up this excellent release. Newcomers will be excited by the duo’s growing connection to the free folk scene but the music is presented in such a spell-binding and inimitable way that Anna Nacher and Marek Styczynski still occupies a secret sonic vista than no one else dares to enter. This is a monumental release that might be the Carpathians’ strongest work to this day, and obviously comes highly recommended
All Scandinavians should be aware of the fact that The Magic Carpathians will play live at the Moonshake festival in Umeå on May 7th. Add Avarus and the Spacious Mind to the line-up and I think you know who will be there.
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Although The Magic Carpathians’ brand new release, Sonic Suicide will offer no big surprises to fans, this disc does show a different side of the band that partly have gone unrepresented on their previous outings. What is fundamentally different about this one is that it doesn’t contain as much foreign instrumentation and that it offers a slightly more noisy and guitar-oriented kind of experimentalism. But the overall effect is still somewhat similar with electro-acoustic drones, found sounds, ethno noise, primitive folk structures and vibrating clusters of electric pulsations pulling the listener into a hot bath of mind-cleansing sounds. The aural patterns are often repeated over and over again and one can’t help but to bring out over-used expressions such as hypnotic and dream-like to describe its overall effect. Treated electric guitars, field recordings from all over the globe and all sorts of homemade electronics wrestle with saxophone, clarinet, flute, gongs, percussion and Anna Nacher’s powerful voice. Nacher sings beautifully in one second and in the next chants and mumbles words indistinguishably as if in a trance, and the blend of English and Polish only further cements the feel that something utterly original is taking place here. Fans of The Magic Carpathians will not need more incentive for picking up this excellent release. Newcomers will be excited by the duo’s growing connection to the free folk scene but the music is presented in such a spell-binding and inimitable way that Anna Nacher and Marek Styczynski still occupies a secret sonic vista than no one else dares to enter. This is a monumental release that might be the Carpathians’ strongest work to this day, and obviously comes highly recommended
All Scandinavians should be aware of the fact that The Magic Carpathians will play live at the Moonshake festival in Umeå on May 7th. Add Avarus and the Spacious Mind to the line-up and I think you know who will be there.
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Friday, April 15, 2005
Felipe & Forté Shaggy Black (Soft Abuse)
Felipe & Forté’s Shaggy Black is not an easy album to enjoy but those who are up to the experimental challenge presented here will be immensely rewarded. I guess I might as well start with the obvious…this is simply one of the weirdest releases I’ve heard all year. All sorts of found sounds wrestle with shrieking electronics, rousing blasts of guitar feedback, processed neurotic glitch work and head splicing tape manipulation in a tunnel of sonic claustrophobia. The buzzing improvisations and manipulations range from the dissonantly beautiful work of Sunroof! to the kind of power electronics that characterize the Austrian Mego label and along the way this Miami/Brooklyn duo just happen to stumble on a seriously acid-freaked slab of psychedelia. Only for fans of seriously damaged ear candy.
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Felipe & Forté’s Shaggy Black is not an easy album to enjoy but those who are up to the experimental challenge presented here will be immensely rewarded. I guess I might as well start with the obvious…this is simply one of the weirdest releases I’ve heard all year. All sorts of found sounds wrestle with shrieking electronics, rousing blasts of guitar feedback, processed neurotic glitch work and head splicing tape manipulation in a tunnel of sonic claustrophobia. The buzzing improvisations and manipulations range from the dissonantly beautiful work of Sunroof! to the kind of power electronics that characterize the Austrian Mego label and along the way this Miami/Brooklyn duo just happen to stumble on a seriously acid-freaked slab of psychedelia. Only for fans of seriously damaged ear candy.
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Thursday, April 14, 2005
Patrick Porter Lisha Kill (Camera Obscura)
Certain records require a specific environment and time to work properly. In the case of Denver, Colorado singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Patrick Porter’s (part of the criminally overlooked Phineas Gage) second solo album Lisha Kill that time is today. Spring has shown its blessing to the nature here recently and once again there’s a sense of hope after a long winter, but today is one of those days when you hesitate things ever will be green again. It’s a cloudy dark rain soaked day with thick layers of fog hanging like a gauzed drapery over the landscape. These are ideal conditions to fall under the spell of Lisha Kill, an album inspired by the idea of “creating something beautiful out of a bunch of stuff that people had thrown into the bin”. The results are indeed beautiful and also highly emotional and filled with spectacular sonic details. What from the beginning seems like a capable space-folk odyssey will on repeated listens reveal itself like the two-headed monster it truly is. This is definitely a big step up from Porter’s solo debut Reverb Saved My Life and it might even be better than his previous work with Phineas Gage, and that folks says a lot. The only thing I hope for now is a few more rainy days with Patrick Porter as the soft-spoken, complex and very articulate companion.
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Certain records require a specific environment and time to work properly. In the case of Denver, Colorado singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Patrick Porter’s (part of the criminally overlooked Phineas Gage) second solo album Lisha Kill that time is today. Spring has shown its blessing to the nature here recently and once again there’s a sense of hope after a long winter, but today is one of those days when you hesitate things ever will be green again. It’s a cloudy dark rain soaked day with thick layers of fog hanging like a gauzed drapery over the landscape. These are ideal conditions to fall under the spell of Lisha Kill, an album inspired by the idea of “creating something beautiful out of a bunch of stuff that people had thrown into the bin”. The results are indeed beautiful and also highly emotional and filled with spectacular sonic details. What from the beginning seems like a capable space-folk odyssey will on repeated listens reveal itself like the two-headed monster it truly is. This is definitely a big step up from Porter’s solo debut Reverb Saved My Life and it might even be better than his previous work with Phineas Gage, and that folks says a lot. The only thing I hope for now is a few more rainy days with Patrick Porter as the soft-spoken, complex and very articulate companion.
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Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Satwa s/t (Time-Lag)
This Satwa LP has for a long time been one of the most looked-for records to ever make it out of Brazil's ‘70s psychedelia scene. Thanks to the fine folks at Portland, Maine’s Time-Lag Records the first ever re-issue of this private press LP has finally seen the light of the day. That’s about time as it immediately proves to hold exactly the kind of glorious acoustic acid folk qualities that persistent rumors have kept telling me. The wondrous and transcendent guitar work brings to mind Robbie Basho but there’s something to these folk ragas that also sends discreet nods towards the most downcast and structured part of the Jewelled Antler axis. 12-string guitar blend beautifully with Moroccan sitar and the occasional vocal inclusion and fuzz guitar prevent things from going the same route over and over again. This one fits nicely alongside all kind of modern experimental acoustic music and it doesn’t come as a surprise that it’s been an influential album to folks like the incomparable Matthew Valentine and Erika Elder. This is simply one of those painfully forgotten classics that live up to its underground reputation and along the way displays a band that did music back in 1973 that is as much a product of the past as something that is here and now. It’s like these simultaneously beautiful, innovative and meandering acoustic tracks are placed somewhere beyond time and space. Recommended.
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This Satwa LP has for a long time been one of the most looked-for records to ever make it out of Brazil's ‘70s psychedelia scene. Thanks to the fine folks at Portland, Maine’s Time-Lag Records the first ever re-issue of this private press LP has finally seen the light of the day. That’s about time as it immediately proves to hold exactly the kind of glorious acoustic acid folk qualities that persistent rumors have kept telling me. The wondrous and transcendent guitar work brings to mind Robbie Basho but there’s something to these folk ragas that also sends discreet nods towards the most downcast and structured part of the Jewelled Antler axis. 12-string guitar blend beautifully with Moroccan sitar and the occasional vocal inclusion and fuzz guitar prevent things from going the same route over and over again. This one fits nicely alongside all kind of modern experimental acoustic music and it doesn’t come as a surprise that it’s been an influential album to folks like the incomparable Matthew Valentine and Erika Elder. This is simply one of those painfully forgotten classics that live up to its underground reputation and along the way displays a band that did music back in 1973 that is as much a product of the past as something that is here and now. It’s like these simultaneously beautiful, innovative and meandering acoustic tracks are placed somewhere beyond time and space. Recommended.
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Friday, April 08, 2005
Playlist #16
V/A By the Fruits You Shall Know the Roots 3LP (Time-Lag/Eclipse)
Satwa s/t CD (Time-Lag)
Vibracathedral Orchestra Pontiac Lady 3CD-R box set (VHF)
V/A Radio Morocco CD (Sublime Frequencies)
Jamie Barnes Honey from the Ribcage CD (Silber)
Det Gamla Landet s/t CD (Aa)
Avarus Ruskeatimantti 2CD (tUMULt)
Eric Malmberg Den Gåtfulla Människan CD (Häpna)
The Phoenix Cube The Tyranny of Bird Song CD (Marshead)
Drekka Extractioning CD (BlueSanct)
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V/A By the Fruits You Shall Know the Roots 3LP (Time-Lag/Eclipse)
Satwa s/t CD (Time-Lag)
Vibracathedral Orchestra Pontiac Lady 3CD-R box set (VHF)
V/A Radio Morocco CD (Sublime Frequencies)
Jamie Barnes Honey from the Ribcage CD (Silber)
Det Gamla Landet s/t CD (Aa)
Avarus Ruskeatimantti 2CD (tUMULt)
Eric Malmberg Den Gåtfulla Människan CD (Häpna)
The Phoenix Cube The Tyranny of Bird Song CD (Marshead)
Drekka Extractioning CD (BlueSanct)
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Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Avarus Ruskeatimantti 2CD (tUMULt)
There was a time when I thought that the loosely knit Finnish musical collective Avarus would fight in obscurity during their entire existence. I remember writing reviews of some of their all too limited CD-Rs and pointing out that these releases probably were destined to a prominent seat in the category of obscure records that people are talking a lot about but very few ever will hear. Thanks to fine underground labels such as HP Cycle, Secret Eye and now tUMULt that is fortunately no longer the case. Ruskeatimantti collects the early-recorded works of these mysterious Finns, and although I already own pretty much everything on these two discs I am still forever thankful that this Californian label has chosen to put it all together in a much more accessible and reliable format. Here follows a few words about three of the releases presented here, reviews that I all wrote when these CD-Rs and 7”s first came out on Lal Lal Lal, Boing Being and 267 Lattajjaa.
Horuksen Keskimmäisen Silmän Mysteerikoulu
From the first second I laid my eyes on the simple but effective homemade packaging for this all too limited disc, I just knew it was destined to be right up my alley. The six-numbered collective Avarus emerge as one of the more stumbling and stoned outfits from the fertile Finland free form community. What we get is improvised tribal free folk that drones and hums its way in and out of psychedelic soundscapes, sometimes stumbling all the way to powerful jams and grooves. The spiritual "Mars On Paljastanut Salaisuutensa" builds an intricately patterned composition from organ, junkyard percussion and scraped strings while "Feeniks-Lintu Välitti Muista Enemmän" adds wheezing reeds to the mix resulting in fluent jazzish exotica that's as beautiful as it is strange and powerful. In "Ballerina Eksyi Mutta..." Avarus presents an otherworldly web of whistles, reeds and acoustic guitar that resembles Tower Recordings at their most damaged. "Kihara Silmäpisara" is possibly the best thing on the record with its strong Middle Eastern flavor. Imagine the folkiest side of No Neck Blues Band's drugged out sound world and you're in the right place. This record is equal parts of the bands mentioned above, Sun City Girls at their most mellow and New Zealand free music, and if you've been reading Broken Face on a regular basis you should know what that means.
Luonnon Ilmiöitä
We’ve praised the perfectly baptized Finish collective Avarus before and judging by this 7” and the rumor about a handful of upcoming releases for well-respected underground labels outside the borders of Finland they don’t seem to have any plans on abandoning their master plan to world domination. That’s just fine as long as they continue to deliver the kind of stumbling free-form folk jams that we get on Luonnon Ilmiöltä. The first side is a chanting mess of folk chaos while the flip is more melodic and groovy, taking cues as much from No-Neck Blues Band as from the most primitive aspects of Krautrock. Another winner from these Finnish folks and sure to run out of print before you know it so act like the house is on fire.
A-V-P
Here’s another chance to catch up on these incredible Finns. Even though A -V -P offers plenty of instrumental oddness it might very well be their most structured one yet. After a tumultuous and rather noisy start, this short one track CD-R veers off into a lovely Krautrock groove that is destined to have your head spinning or at least moving up and down until it's all over. It's not at all surprising that these cats enjoy the primitive side of Ash Ra Tempel and Amon Düül as much as the damaged-improv side of current psych/folk. What we're left with is yet another aural monster that's destined to go out of print so act accordingly.
When picking up Ruskeatimantti you’re as likely to find yourself digging motorik free rock jams as getting your head stuck in a never-ending spin of rhythmic mysticism and hypnotism. I can already hear the skeptics asking, what’s new about all this?, as bands like Ash Ra Tempel and Harvester/International Harvester already explored similar terrain back in the early ‘70s. Well, for a start, these guys are Finnish, and I'm not really sure how to explain it, but you really can tell. Sure they’ve studied the trippier sides of late-'60s/early ’70s psychedelia thoroughly, but there is something modern and demented about all this that feels especially relevant these days. A fucked-up world is inevitably the birthplace for such surreal musical journeys and boarding Avarus’ vessel through historic times and into the present certainly offers a different projection of all that madness. It just doesn’t get much better than this. Highly recommended!
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There was a time when I thought that the loosely knit Finnish musical collective Avarus would fight in obscurity during their entire existence. I remember writing reviews of some of their all too limited CD-Rs and pointing out that these releases probably were destined to a prominent seat in the category of obscure records that people are talking a lot about but very few ever will hear. Thanks to fine underground labels such as HP Cycle, Secret Eye and now tUMULt that is fortunately no longer the case. Ruskeatimantti collects the early-recorded works of these mysterious Finns, and although I already own pretty much everything on these two discs I am still forever thankful that this Californian label has chosen to put it all together in a much more accessible and reliable format. Here follows a few words about three of the releases presented here, reviews that I all wrote when these CD-Rs and 7”s first came out on Lal Lal Lal, Boing Being and 267 Lattajjaa.
Horuksen Keskimmäisen Silmän Mysteerikoulu
From the first second I laid my eyes on the simple but effective homemade packaging for this all too limited disc, I just knew it was destined to be right up my alley. The six-numbered collective Avarus emerge as one of the more stumbling and stoned outfits from the fertile Finland free form community. What we get is improvised tribal free folk that drones and hums its way in and out of psychedelic soundscapes, sometimes stumbling all the way to powerful jams and grooves. The spiritual "Mars On Paljastanut Salaisuutensa" builds an intricately patterned composition from organ, junkyard percussion and scraped strings while "Feeniks-Lintu Välitti Muista Enemmän" adds wheezing reeds to the mix resulting in fluent jazzish exotica that's as beautiful as it is strange and powerful. In "Ballerina Eksyi Mutta..." Avarus presents an otherworldly web of whistles, reeds and acoustic guitar that resembles Tower Recordings at their most damaged. "Kihara Silmäpisara" is possibly the best thing on the record with its strong Middle Eastern flavor. Imagine the folkiest side of No Neck Blues Band's drugged out sound world and you're in the right place. This record is equal parts of the bands mentioned above, Sun City Girls at their most mellow and New Zealand free music, and if you've been reading Broken Face on a regular basis you should know what that means.
Luonnon Ilmiöitä
We’ve praised the perfectly baptized Finish collective Avarus before and judging by this 7” and the rumor about a handful of upcoming releases for well-respected underground labels outside the borders of Finland they don’t seem to have any plans on abandoning their master plan to world domination. That’s just fine as long as they continue to deliver the kind of stumbling free-form folk jams that we get on Luonnon Ilmiöltä. The first side is a chanting mess of folk chaos while the flip is more melodic and groovy, taking cues as much from No-Neck Blues Band as from the most primitive aspects of Krautrock. Another winner from these Finnish folks and sure to run out of print before you know it so act like the house is on fire.
A-V-P
Here’s another chance to catch up on these incredible Finns. Even though A -V -P offers plenty of instrumental oddness it might very well be their most structured one yet. After a tumultuous and rather noisy start, this short one track CD-R veers off into a lovely Krautrock groove that is destined to have your head spinning or at least moving up and down until it's all over. It's not at all surprising that these cats enjoy the primitive side of Ash Ra Tempel and Amon Düül as much as the damaged-improv side of current psych/folk. What we're left with is yet another aural monster that's destined to go out of print so act accordingly.
When picking up Ruskeatimantti you’re as likely to find yourself digging motorik free rock jams as getting your head stuck in a never-ending spin of rhythmic mysticism and hypnotism. I can already hear the skeptics asking, what’s new about all this?, as bands like Ash Ra Tempel and Harvester/International Harvester already explored similar terrain back in the early ‘70s. Well, for a start, these guys are Finnish, and I'm not really sure how to explain it, but you really can tell. Sure they’ve studied the trippier sides of late-'60s/early ’70s psychedelia thoroughly, but there is something modern and demented about all this that feels especially relevant these days. A fucked-up world is inevitably the birthplace for such surreal musical journeys and boarding Avarus’ vessel through historic times and into the present certainly offers a different projection of all that madness. It just doesn’t get much better than this. Highly recommended!
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Makoto Kawabata INUI 3 (VHF)
INUI 3 is the third installment in Makoto Kawabata’s (known from Acid Mothers Temple and too many other combos to mention them all) drone series for Virginia label VHF, and this three-track album immediately proves to be a worthy successor to the previous volumes. What we get is a very personal kind of instrumental drone that resides somewhere in the midst of the distantly folky, the darkly unfolding and clusters of high-pitched minimal tones. This is achieved with a variety of instruments of both Eastern and Western origin (bouzouki, sarangi, electric guitar, viola, ECS-101 etc.), and this balance between different cultures is also something that shines through in the final results. Kawabata has released so many albums that it’s approaching the ridiculous, but if you’ve always been interested in his solo albums but didn’t know where to start you now know what to do.
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INUI 3 is the third installment in Makoto Kawabata’s (known from Acid Mothers Temple and too many other combos to mention them all) drone series for Virginia label VHF, and this three-track album immediately proves to be a worthy successor to the previous volumes. What we get is a very personal kind of instrumental drone that resides somewhere in the midst of the distantly folky, the darkly unfolding and clusters of high-pitched minimal tones. This is achieved with a variety of instruments of both Eastern and Western origin (bouzouki, sarangi, electric guitar, viola, ECS-101 etc.), and this balance between different cultures is also something that shines through in the final results. Kawabata has released so many albums that it’s approaching the ridiculous, but if you’ve always been interested in his solo albums but didn’t know where to start you now know what to do.
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Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Det Gamla Landet s/t (Aa)
Just like the name of Det Gamla Landet ("The Old Country" in Swedish) indicates, this is an ensemble that delivers nostalgic qualities in spades. What we get is mostly instrumental back porch tales fusing traditional folk with something a whole lot more modern, and the results are nothing short of spellbinding. This is a strangely alluring record that meanders along the deserted streets of Malmö with a great sense of melancholia, desperately trying to find the new soul of the changing city. But even though it’s a document of abandoned city streets it also includes vaguely psychedelic music aimed to present the sounds of the mystical Swedish forests. There’s some sort of serenity, majestic beauty, sadness and sense of isolation over the timelessly despairing banjo and guitar-driven ballads that often are draped in curtains of melodica. Simple melodies are embellished with a suggestive kind of brilliance, implying it's almost easy, making this a difficult record to explain and pigeonhole, but I do know that this is music for 2:45 AM when the last drunks have grumbled home from the bars just so they can awaken to work and hangovers. Recommended.
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Just like the name of Det Gamla Landet ("The Old Country" in Swedish) indicates, this is an ensemble that delivers nostalgic qualities in spades. What we get is mostly instrumental back porch tales fusing traditional folk with something a whole lot more modern, and the results are nothing short of spellbinding. This is a strangely alluring record that meanders along the deserted streets of Malmö with a great sense of melancholia, desperately trying to find the new soul of the changing city. But even though it’s a document of abandoned city streets it also includes vaguely psychedelic music aimed to present the sounds of the mystical Swedish forests. There’s some sort of serenity, majestic beauty, sadness and sense of isolation over the timelessly despairing banjo and guitar-driven ballads that often are draped in curtains of melodica. Simple melodies are embellished with a suggestive kind of brilliance, implying it's almost easy, making this a difficult record to explain and pigeonhole, but I do know that this is music for 2:45 AM when the last drunks have grumbled home from the bars just so they can awaken to work and hangovers. Recommended.
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Monday, April 04, 2005
Next Broken Face Recordings release
We have now received the master for the next release on Broken Face Recordings. I am happy and genuinely proud to put out a new CD by Volcano the Bear, once again a co-release with Brad Rose’s amazing Digitalis imprint. Catonapotato is a stunning live CD recorded by the duo of Aaron Moore and Nick Mott in Paris, Sweden, Sheffield and Leicester. We don’t have a set release date yet but we’re shooting for May…
As if all this wasn’t enough I am happy to report that Digitalis now has joined the Surefire distribution family of exclusive labels. We’re beyond excited about this as it means that the Volcano the Bear release will be available in non-limited format on CD, which certainly is good news for fans and artists alike. Please send me a note if you want to be notified when this one is available.
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We have now received the master for the next release on Broken Face Recordings. I am happy and genuinely proud to put out a new CD by Volcano the Bear, once again a co-release with Brad Rose’s amazing Digitalis imprint. Catonapotato is a stunning live CD recorded by the duo of Aaron Moore and Nick Mott in Paris, Sweden, Sheffield and Leicester. We don’t have a set release date yet but we’re shooting for May…
As if all this wasn’t enough I am happy to report that Digitalis now has joined the Surefire distribution family of exclusive labels. We’re beyond excited about this as it means that the Volcano the Bear release will be available in non-limited format on CD, which certainly is good news for fans and artists alike. Please send me a note if you want to be notified when this one is available.
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Friday, April 01, 2005
Vibracathedral Orchestra Pontiac Lady 3xCDR (VHF)
This is more like promotion than an actual review, but when something is this sonically fascinating and visually appealing I am definitely not the one that’s going to shut up. Highly recommended stuff!! These words are taken straight off the VHF site:
First vhf triple ever, celebrating the Fall 2003 tour by the UK team. The groop (Hayden, Davenport, Greenwood, Bradley, and Flower) tore it up in various shady east coast venues and now after much collating we're finally able to present the audio post-mortem. The tracks range from the atmospheric (Fredericksburg) to the raucous (Philadelphia), covering the full range of VCO styles. Bower and Godbert pitch in on some tracks. The CDR's are packed in a plastic case with exciting live aktion photos (the one of Bower drinking a beer on stage while the band plays on pretty much sums up the tour). Liner notes by Tom Greenwood. 6 tracks, 165 mins. 3xCDR $16
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This is more like promotion than an actual review, but when something is this sonically fascinating and visually appealing I am definitely not the one that’s going to shut up. Highly recommended stuff!! These words are taken straight off the VHF site:
First vhf triple ever, celebrating the Fall 2003 tour by the UK team. The groop (Hayden, Davenport, Greenwood, Bradley, and Flower) tore it up in various shady east coast venues and now after much collating we're finally able to present the audio post-mortem. The tracks range from the atmospheric (Fredericksburg) to the raucous (Philadelphia), covering the full range of VCO styles. Bower and Godbert pitch in on some tracks. The CDR's are packed in a plastic case with exciting live aktion photos (the one of Bower drinking a beer on stage while the band plays on pretty much sums up the tour). Liner notes by Tom Greenwood. 6 tracks, 165 mins. 3xCDR $16
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