20 December 2010

Duncan Edwards

Albums and Singles

In 1986, Duane Warr retreated to his trailer home with an 8-track recorder to make an album which turns out to be a bit more than a doom-laden, cartoonish amalgam of the antics of everyone who has played air guitar in just their underwear during a dark night of the soul.

Drag City

Warr's 1984 psych-drone debut Starting Over was ignored and his attempts to make country music also got nowhere. A couple of years later, someone pulled a blade on him at his factory workplace and he apparently went home in an enraged state, and had a dream where he wreaked vengeance and devoured human flesh and bones. Animals is his attempt to make sense of the dream. Anvil, eat your hearts out.

The first 70 seconds of the title track will be enough for most listeners to either embrace (or be repulsed by) the ridiculous beauty of Dwarr. Grunts and howls and squealing synths preface plodding sub-Sabbath earnestness. Actually, a glance at the album cover may be all that is needed: Warr in bare-chested He-Man pose, sword aloft, snake wrapped around his leg, human skull nearby, cannibals feasting, a partially submerged Statue of Liberty in the middle distance and a crumbling city on the horizon.

Animals is a subterranean impression of 1970s progressive rock; and a bleary crude blueprint for a psychedelic version of doom-metal. Key track may be "Are You Real" with its chorus of "Christ, Christ are you real?" sounding as much an unfortunate cry of sexual passion as the anguished plea of a man on the cusp of the spiritual transformation which would occur as Duane Warr found God (or vice versa). "Lonely Space Traveler" has a contrasting slower pace that is not so much relaxed as completely over-medicated; with Warr singing a standard rebuke to the human failure to treat all hobos as if they could be the messiah (or words to that noble effect).

This project might be called "outsider art" but I don't care for the way that somewhat patronizing term can label artists eccentric or mentally ill as a way of stimulating interest. Animals is an oddity, but it represents an honest attempt to document some weird feelings with what the artist had at hand: a few instruments, fierce motivation and less than state-of-the-art technology. That said, Duane Warr is now a realtor and I can only hope he never sets out to record an album about that.

20 December 2010

John Kealy

Albums and Singles

Gregory Scharpen’s latest EP under the pseudonym Thomas Carnacki (named after the main character in William Hope Hodgson’s series of ghost finder stories) sounds like one of those Victorian spirit photographs made music. Whether it is a trick of the mind or a psychic invasion, these four pieces unsettle and disorientate like malevolent specters.

 

Alethiometer

Scharpen has served a tour of duty accompanying Matt Waldron in some of irr. app. (ext.)’s live incarnations and echoes of Waldron’s neosurrealist compositions appear fleetingly during The Disappearance of This Terrible Spool. The sonic experiments kick-started by Coil as Black Light District or on The Remote Viewer are also given a look in by Scharpen. Here he attempts to open up listeners' worldview to the things that are best ignored; tapping into mental states that may tap back.

However, the music here is cut from a very different cloth and the weird moods of Hope Hodgson’s short stories are more evident than any musical influence. Ectoplasmic tendrils form unfathomable noises as unknown machines creak, click and rattle. It is easy to imagine Scharpen recording this within his own electric pentacle. "Ecstasy, Vaguely Porous (A Palindrome)," a mercifully short and terrifying piece, looks behind the curtain of death. Pale voices writhe in a desolate ether, eternally alone.

I knew from my first time listening to The Disappearance of This Terrible Spool that it was something special but recently it has begun to encroach into my thoughts. Scharpen has managed to create something truly supernatural, avoiding any of the pitfalls or the usual clichés of "spooky" music. This is not an homage to horror soundtracks or a work of generic dark ambient music, this is a whole other world where art and the afterlife briefly touch.

 

20 December 2010

Administrator

Albums and Singles

The tenth full-length from Asteroid No. 4 finds this group of professed musicologists flowing between a myriad of musical styles, each tinged with the band’s brand of psychedelia, with a balance between jangly and anthemic melodies. Having relocated from Philadelphia to the Bay Area, their sound takes on a less grungy east coast feel, opting for a more open, "cool" west coast feel, extra bass added to offset the lighter notes with heavier undertones. While less drenched in lysergic reverb, their romance with the past still runs deep, nostalgia a key thread throughout the album.

Cardinal Fuzz (Europe) / Little Cloud Records (USA)

Part of the independent psych scene since the mid 1990s, the group has a penchant for textured guitars and reverb-drenched harmonies reminiscent of the British indie sound of the 80s and 90s, with doses of late 60s jangle that inspired their music. Northern Songs finds them truly DIY, entirely in their own studio with no guest appearances, and mixing and mastering entirely by the band for the first time since 2006. The title itself refers to the location of the newly located band to their northern California studio in San Rafael. Yet their latest offers a more polished sound, trading reverb for atmosphere, and dialing up the bass for a more polished but haunting effect, as on "Swiss Mountain Myth." The song was inspired when inclement weather stranded the band in a small Swiss town with their tour bus driver, with whom relationships were already strained, and whom had taken to carrying around a machete-sized knife. The band attributes the event as their personal version of The Shining. While polished, this does not mean the album is refined of all edges; there are bangers like "All Mixed Up" and "Hand Grenade" that take no prisoners, and fuzzed out spacescapes like the riffs-heavy "No One Weeps."

Their reverence to 80s-90s reverb can be heard on "No One Weeps," with a bass line reminiscent of Psychocandy, but musical elements aren’t limited to this era alone; in fact, "Paint it Green" could potentially be mistaken for a reworking of David Bowie’s "Heroes." The group pulls from their musical knowledge to incorporate homages across decades, from 60s pop and beyond, but is not bound to any decade, timeless pop hooks that find a home just as easily in 2020. Lyrically, the album is scattered with current social and political commentary. Hooky, well-crafted melodies provide an air of pop-driven nostalgia, hearkening back to what may feel, to many, like a more normal time compared to today.

Samples available here.

20 December 2010

Creaig Dunton

Albums and Singles

On this beautifully presented little 7", Japanese artist Sawako Kato uses a variety of found sounds to create an audio representation of what are or will become fossils, either literally or conceptually. With one side sourced from handmade crystal radio recordings and the other being field recordings of a then-abandoned amusement park, the sense of emptiness and decay is clear among the subtle sounds presented.

Winds Measure Recordings

The A side of the record consists of random radio recordings around Brooklyn, New York, that (I assume) Sawako carefully processed and edited to create a somber, yet relaxing composition.Quiet, but dense walls of voice fragments and pieces of conversation appear over long, spreading passages of somber melody in "Radio Stone," all the while relaxing bits of static can be heard.There is a certain nostalgia in hearing that static that anyone who owned a small, cheap portable AM or FM radio will surely feel, a sound that is alien to anyone who has only experienced MP3s or internet radio stations.The short "Dot" that follows is mostly made up of silence, with the occasional blip of voice or interference appearing.

On the flip side, "Season Off" is untreated field recordings from the Astroland amusement park in Coney Island, which was, at this time, closed to the public.Distant car horns can be heard, but the creaking doors and metal scraping that appears is quite jarring and somewhat painful to hear, especially when paired with the long passages of emptiness.The second piece "Astro Land" sounds exactly as expected from a field recording in an abandoned park.The only real sound to be heard is the howling wind, affected by the still, lifeless rides that were just sitting there to decay.

While I found the processed melodies of "Radio Stone" to be quite beautiful, I thought the Astroland recordings on the B side were the most fascinating.They are the epitome of what field recordings should be:they do more than just capture the ambient sounds, but also present a mood and image of the location and its context.While this amusement park and traditional radio may be in the process of fossilization, this document is a compelling one that ensures neither will be forgotten.

20 December 2010

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Originally composed for five channel video installations by artist Byron Westbrook (who has worked with the likes of Rhys Chatham and Phill Niblock), the four pieces that make up this album stand strongly on their own as a traditional two channel listening experience. Based upon a variety of pre-recorded and live sources, some of which were weaved together to create singular works, the results often show little semblance of their original forms and become something else entirely.

Sedimental

The four works on this album were all composed in distinctly different ways.The first piece was a live studio improvisation for trumpet, guitar and autoharp that was then mangled and processed live for performance.Opening with delicate, shimmering sounds and soft currents of tone, the piece eventually segues into louder, more commanding passages, but never becomes too much.Bits that resemble sustained notes on a violin or cello arise towards the end, but are obviously not actually there.However, what might be the forceful notes of a trumpet almost seem recognizable towards the end, but that could be a complete fabrication of my mind.

The second track is comprised of two different performances using only guitar feedback that are molded into a completely different sonic character, though at times the unmistakable squall of guitar noise seems to be irrepressible.The piece emphasizes the subtle elements of feedback, focusing on the hum that builds into noise.Undulating, rhythmic elements appear, as does an overarching sense of restrained heaviness…the intensity we all associate with a blast of feedback is there, but kept at bay like a wild animal.

The two remaining pieces were built from a total of five performances, all utilizing processed recordings of viola, organ, and found sounds.Interestingly, but unsurprisingly, both go in extremely different directions.The first of these two pieces has an overall more abrasive feeling, with crackling sounds and machinery like textures.It’s quiet, but there is a consistent stuttering metallic din to be heard that slowly builds in intensity.Of the entire album, this is probably the weakest piece in my opinion, simply because it is rather monochrome and heavily focused on repetition.

The second, however, is the only one here in which the true sounds of the source material can actually be heard.Opening with a digitally reassembled passage of viola, it then leads into mostly untouched heavy organ sounds, with delicate strings to accompany it.The processing elements here are far more subtle:towards the second half it is mostly just used to stretch the more traditional tones out to infinity, creating an enveloping mass of sound that eventually goes out like a lamb, ending on the smallest of sounds.

While there is definitely an overarching concept of using and reusing live performances in a live context, this is a strong piece of audio even without any knowledge of how it was created.While personally I would have enjoyed being able to hear a true five channel mix of these installations at home, this stereo version is still enough to satisfy.

samples:

• Track 2
• Track 3
• Track 4

 

20 December 2010

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Recorded just towards the end of the career, the Philadelphia noise rock trio ends up departing on a definite up note. This four track EP is an exemplary one, capturing both the surly, filth driven noise scuzz with the melodic, '80s death rock leanings that vocalist John Sharkey would carry over to his current Puerto Rico Flowers project.

Load

There almost seems to be a bit of intentional obscurity in the structure of the disc, with the opening and closing tracks being very in-line with 2007's Babylon Rules and all its grimy punk violence, while the two sandwiched in the middle are much more melodic in nature, almost like the band was a bit apprehensive of this "softer side" being heard initially.The opening "Pissing At The Moon" is, therefore, not unexpected in the least for anyone who knows Clockcleaner.Crawling along at a snail's pace with sharp, trashy metallic drums and a basic repeating guitar rhythm, Sharkey's voice is up front, bring along the dramatic monotone style that is the obvious result of hearing every worthwhile goth band of the 1980s.

The closer, "Midnight Beach," channels the trio's industrial heritage with the rapid fire drums and random percussion sounds thrown around with reckless abandon.Between that and the distorted, bass led opening and outbursts of guitar squall, there's more than a hint of Swans and Big Black to be found, of course with the requisite deadpan vocals.

Squeezed between these two blood and shit covered outbursts are two songs that show a very different Clockcleaner sound."Chinese Town" uses ragged high pitched guitar and simple, plodding drums, but opens up with dramatic flourishes of sound that is the very definition of the sum being greater than the parts.In addition, the presence of what at least resembles a guitar solo and actual moments of melody in the vocals, rather than the morose, autistic approach that’s usually utilized creates a song that’s definitely catchier than the usual audio abuse.Lyrics like "Everyone I have ever loved is sleeping in the ground" keep it grounded in familiar territory, however.

"Something's On Her Mind" pushes those barriers even more, with a guitar sound that screams "new wave" at the onset, more actual singing, and a sense of propulsion that is quite different than the usual zombie death march.Even some of the grime is stripped away, to the point where it sounds almost "normal," although with old school demo tape aesthetics.This feels like the jumping off point that lead to Puerto Rico Flowers, with its slightly less morbid feel and catchier songs.

As far as "final albums" go, Clockcleaner at least went out on top of their game, pleasing fans with familiar material while still dabbling in new realms, and not simply shatting something out to cash in on any sort of legacy.While it's always sad to hear a band I like ceasing to exist, at least it is a strong, memorable exit from this world.

samples:

• Chinese Town
• Something's On Her Mind
• Midnight Beach

 

20 December 2010

Administrator

Albums and Singles

While I have always associated Shiflet with his harsher noise output, his work goes much deeper than that, and this self-released album demonstrates his versatility. His synthesis of harsh noise, droning textures, and hidden melodies showcases a careful equilibrium that he retains throughout.

Editions Shiflet

Shiflet is also known for his graphic design work (he's responsible for the iconic continuity of recent Intransitive Records releases), so it's not surprising that his audio works retain a similar sense of care and restraint to his visual arts, pushing boundaries but with the caution and consideration of an artist.This is even more overt on Llanos, as he juggles three different, often disparate styles seemingly with ease.

The opening "Antrim" exemplifies this, mixing a chirping mechanical drone, buried, stuttering guitar melodies, and a bit of raw noise that never reaches an abrasive point.It’s a beautiful combination, with the static drone elements, the dynamic melodies, and the chaos of noise living together in perfect harmony.

The long "Pink Meadow" uses its duration to create a more diverse composition, slowly building up from filtered static into subtle changes and variations, adding in what sounds like distant field recordings and soft, melodic tones that eventually outpace the static, allowing the musical elements to overtake.While shorter, the title track allows things to go the other way, throwing a distant malfunctioning television together with a bit of digital noise.In comparision to the other tracks, this one errs a bit more on the side of noise, but only ever so slightly, continuing to balance the different sounds beautifully.

The second half of the album has a different, more somber mood in my opinion, with the abrasive squawking electronics of "Sunbathers" obscuring a dark musical drone.The short "Web Over Glen Echo" strips away most of the noise moments in lieu of a filmic ambience, with muted tones audible in a far off corner."Gunpowder (For Raglani)" also relies on sad tones that are amongst a layer of varying static, cyclic melodies that are offset by the slightly abrasive noises.It builds to a sense of hypnotic repetition that becomes soothing and relaxing, but still allows a variety of subtle and varying sonic textures to be heard.

In his description of the disc, Shiflet's quote "the noise and the music have made peace" couldn't be a more concise descriptor for this album.It's not an easy endeavor, in my opinion, to work in these very different contexts without leaning too heavily into one side or another, but here it seems to be done with ease.Llanos is an album in which subtlety and beauty can, and should be enjoyed by all adherents to the genres he works within.

samples:

• Antrim
• Pink Meadow
• Gunpowder (for Raglani)

 

19 December 2010

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Campbell Kneale has been enjoying quite an impressive creative rebirth since retiring Birchville Cat Motel and re-emerging as Our Love Will Destroy the World, but he wound up with an extremely difficult predicament on his hands in the process: 2009's Fucking Dracula Clouds pretty much perfected the art of being as gnarled, ugly, and visceral as possible and took guitar-based noise about as far as it could logically go.  Unwilling to repeat himself, these two new albums document Kneale's struggle to emerge from that stylistic cul de sac and find innovative new ways to remain vital and nightmarish.

Krayon/Dekorder

It took me a while to warm to Krayon's Blue Eyes Are My Reward because it feels a bit restrained and scattered compared to past Our Love Will Destroy the World albums.  In fact, the exuberantly strummed acoustic guitar in "Kisses Flaming Hell" approximates what I envision Swervedriver jamming at a beach party might sound like (which is "pretty damn annoying," actually).  However, the rest of the album is pretty unwaveringly excellent despite Kneale's many bold departures from his comfort zone. He does include one characteristically snarling hellscape in the roaring "Triple Encryption Dynasty" that should please anyone hoping for more typical OLWDTW fare, but the remainder of the record is packed full of unexpected surprises ranging from psych-damaged bagpipe drones to tabla-driven ethno-ambiance.  There are also several songs that call to mind a more muscular version of mid-period Zoviet France, melding insistently looping pile-ups of odd percussion, field recordings, and voices with strangled and warped guitars. The fact that very few of these pieces are immediately recognizable as Our Love Will Destroy The World could arguably be considered a flaw, but that is an inherent and unavoidable peril with evolution in general.  This is a very impressive and unexpected effort.

Dekorder's I Hate Even Numbers, on the other hand, is significantly more immediate, distinct, abrasive, and consistent, yet falls quite flat progression-wise.  Thematically, Kneale stays pretty focused on further exploring the possibilities of incorporating thumping beats and deep bass lines to his usual ear-searing, cacophonous onslaught. The dance music elements are generally kept pretty straightforward, like the four-on-the-floor house beat of the title cut, but that seems to be the point: rendering danceable grooves undanceable with shrill feedback, metallic whines, and a litany of non-musical sounds.  Unfortunately, Kneale doesn't quite go anywhere worthwhile with it on the first half of the album, opting to idly ravage unchanging beats without much in the way of pay-off.  The second side of the album is a bit more inventive, as both "Snipers on Skis" and "Twins Like Swans" are built upon unusual mutant-Indian beats, but it still can't escape feeling like a series of underdeveloped song skeletons.  The album's brightest spot is "Tokyo Modern Magic" which marries a somewhat anthemic synth motif to grinding guitar noise and bubbling electronics with some success.  It still fails to evolve much, but it achieves a kind of immersive power simply through sheer density and activity.  I Hate Even Numbers is definitely heavy and attention-grabbing, but its appeal dies rapidly with repeat listens.

Blue Eyes Are My Reward Samples:

• Snakeshape Stargarden
• Kisses Flaming Hell
• Unborn Forests Winged Pests

I Hate Even Numbers Samples:

• Tokyo Modern Magic
• Snipers on Skies
• I Hate Even Numbers

 

 

19 December 2010

Administrator

Albums and Singles

I have yet to encounter a disappointing major Dust-to-Digital release, and this three-disc collection of the choicest bits from John Heneghan's archive of early 78s continues that hot streak beautifully.  Focusing entirely on the many facets of romance (and not skimping on the negative ones), Heneghan wisely opts to skip most of the "serious" artists from the era and instead plunges headlong into the most satisfying examples of hillbilly kitsch, Hawaiiana, casual racism, yodeling, clumsy lewdness, and spectacular poor taste that the '20s and '30s had to offer.

Dust-to-Digital

The 66 songs of Baby, How Can It Be? are helpfully divided into themed discs labeled "Love," "Lust," and "Contempt."  I found this to be a very helpful feature, as it enables me to skip love and go right to lust and contempt (much like I do in my personal life). That is not to say that there aren't a number of wonderful love-themed pieces, because there are (like Bo Carter's "Baby, How Can It Be?").  However, the most immediately gratifying songs are the cartoonishly embittered and lascivious ones: the album doesn't completely catch fire until the clumsy double entendres, misogyny, and suicide threats start flying.  The way I see it, I can always go back to the conventionally good songs later.

The Lust disc is such a treasure trove of questionable taste that I don't even know where to begin.  Did you know that there's a slang term that means both "cat" and "female genitalia?"  There is!  And Harry Roy and His Bat Club Boys make damn sure that they milk that coincidence for all it's worth.  Those same organs also figure quite prominently into Hartman's Heart Breakers' "Let Me Play With It," but they are stealthily referred to as a yo-yo this time around.  Aside from that, a quick review of the song titles pretty much conveys everything anyone needs to know about the contents: "I Ain't a Bit Drunk," "I'm Feelin' Devilish," "Strut That Thing": the Lust disc is pretty much a steam-clouded window into what it was like to be liquored-up and randy in the Jazz Age.  There are also some great break-up songs mixed in, like Rutherford & Foster's resigned-yet-hopeful "There’s More Pretty Girls Than One."  Additionally, there is inexplicably a very tuba-heavy song about falling in love with a mermaid.  I had difficulty relating to that one.

The Contempt disc also has its share of timeless classics, many of which deal with the trials and tribulations of having an overbearing wife, like "She Ain't Built That Way," "He Went in Like a Lion (But Came Out Like a Lamb)," and the brilliant "I'm Wearin' The Britches Now" (about a "lousy sow, " of course).  Then there is the jawdropping "It's A Shame To Whip Your Wife On Sunday," which points out that are six other days of the week to take care stuff like that (along with gettin’ drunk and gamblin’).  For sheer ridiculousness, though, I was perhaps most enamored of the jaunty big band sing-along "Wimmin-Aaaah!," which comes complete with exaggerated yelps of anguish.  Thankfully, the women also get their say about relationships gone wrong, most explicitly on Hazel Scherf's bluntly matter-of-fact "Married Girls Troubles."  Laura Smith takes a far more direct route, however, with her sassy and melodramatic "I’m Gonna Kill Myself."

Heneghan maintains a remarkably high standard of quality despite the album's enthusiastic devotion to all things base and campy.  No one should pick up Baby, How Can It Be? expecting to find the next Blind Lemon Jefferson (though the actual Blind Lemon Jefferson is present), but the more absurd moments are nicely balanced by a healthy proportion of swinging early string jazz, banjo virtuosos, urbane big bands, heartbroken hillbillies, and world-weary bluesmen.  There are certainly a handful of recognizable names here, like Mississippi John Hurt and Cab Calloway, but they are often eclipsed by those who've been largely forgotten: this show belongs to them.

Much like it is with the music contained within, the emphasis for the packaging falls squarely on character and charm rather than on scholarship or comprehensiveness. Pretty much no background is provided for any of the artists involved, which is no surprise as I can't imagine much is available anyway.  Besides, I can't imagine that there are that many people that are dying to learn more about the career of, for example, The Broadway Bellhops.  Instead, there are some colorful liner notes by Nick Tosches and a detourned cheesecake centerfold by R. Crumb (I am actually a bit surprised John Waters didn't get involved too–seems right up his alley).  Even those touches are pretty superfluous, though: Baby, How Can It Be? is essentially a crackling old-time-y party in a box for sociable types and a handy primer for turning your life into Ghost World for the rest of us.

Samples:

• Hartman's Heart Breakers, "Let Me Play With It"
• Asa Martin, "She Ain't Built That Way"
• Joseph Falcon, "Poche Town"

 

19 December 2010

Duncan Edwards

Albums and Singles

This 1967 recording features an intriguing line-up of alto sax, cello, and two bass players. Since Tyler played on Albert Ayler's Bells and Spirits Rejoice it is no surprise that on his own album he challenges the other musicians to explore restless improvisation and avoid locking into too much of a groove.

 

ESP Disk

In the wrong hands, this kind of improvising can be extremely alienating for some listeners who perhaps suspect that this is almost made up as it goes along. However, as was noted by Brian Priestley in 1988:

"just like improvisation in comedy (or, indeed, in conversation) it requires a knowledge of the language; and it requires having something to say or, at least, a point of view (and, in performance involving two or more people, it requires a responsiveness to others' points of view). Above all, it is necessary to have a conviction that the act of improvisation is in some ways superior to making prepared statements, and that is something not easily acquired in Western societies."

Charles Tyler's approach communicates a belief in freedom and expression and Eastern Man Alone sets about building bridges between players and listeners from the opening bars of the first piece, "Cha-Lacey’s Out East." It's not a fantastically memorable riff but does provide enough of a solid basis to justify the ensuing 12 minutes of deviations and tangents. Overall, the album's sense of almost continual movement is more rewarding than disorienting or annoying. The bassists might have engaged in more of a tussle, but in addition to Tyler's deep and howling alto tone there is plenty of textural variety from David Baker's cello.

The third (and shortest) of the albums' four pieces, "Le-Roi," seems to be the most intense and spirited. The cello and basses anchor the tune and gnaw away at everything as if in a Claude Makelele-inspired trance. This allows Tyler's sax the freedom to wander. It could also be that the running order is vitally important and the opening two pieces serve to warm the ears up to hear just what is going on. After several complete listens to this album I was hearing (or imagining) all sorts of obliquely phrased references: everything from "Waltzing Matilda" and Salvation Army hymns to "The Star Spangled Banner." Eastern Man Alone is a worthwhile reissue from Charles Tyler, who started playing clarinet aged seven, and also played piano and baritone. In his 40s Tyler moved to France, where he died in 1992.