Changes

The packing has commenced and the moving will begin tomorrow. In a rare hour of quiet here this evening, I managed to get the new site up and running. Every Issue Presents Itself will now be located at thepsychicpilot.com. Please update any links and bookmarks you might have set up. I'll leave this Blogger site up for a while, maybe forever, who knows.

My last music-related post here comes courtesy of the Leargehearted Boy, a reprise from yesterday's post about Nikki Sudden. Musicisnotdead.com has posted what may very well have been Nikki's last interview. I find it quite fitting that they started the interview off with this Q&A:

"You've created a career well outside of mainstream circles but always
had this panache of being a larger than life sort of rock star figure.
How does one manage such a feat?

Basically not enough luck! I dress and act like a star because I am one...
even if only in the eyes of a few."

Perfect.


Now, for the rock:

Bowie - Changes
Sugar - Changes
Robert Pollard - Psychic Pilot Clocks Out

R.I.P. Nikki Sudden

I just came across this on Billboard. I never had the chance to see Nikki Sudden live, but I got hooked on the Swell Maps during my time at WVXU’s Nightwaves. I never really followed them much outside of their music, but every time I came across a record or a CD in a record store or a used bin someplace, I always bought it despite having never heard it before. Their albums never disappointed. I was saddened several years ago to learn that Nikki’s brother and partner in the Swell Maps, Epic Soundtracks, had passed away. Nikki wanted to ensure Epic’s legacy lived on and see that the Swell Maps records were re-released. Secretly Canadian has been more than willing to release some of them as well as Nikki’s solo albums and other projects over the last several years. Nikki Sudden and Epic Soundtracks were both very influential to early alternative music as well as a lot of the newer crop of bands emerging today, whether they realize it or not.

Nikki Sudden:
Fall Any Further
Great Pharoah
Mafeking Blues
Back to the Coast

with The Jacobites:
Shame for the Angels
Big Store
It'll All End Up in Tears
When the Rain Comes

with Rowland S. Howard:
Wedding Hotel

I'm moving

For the next week to 10 days or so I will be moving into a new house and starting a new job. Naturally, my computer will be disassembled during that time. While finalizing the deal on the house and packing up my music, I've also been working on setting up a new website and moving everything from Blogger to the new domain. Unless something comes up that requires posting, this will be the next to last post here. The next, and last post here will be from the new digs. In the meantime, I've dug up a few home/house/moving - related songs.

Cheers.

Bob Mould - Moving Trucks
The Cure - In Your House
P.J. Harvey - A Place Called Home
Guided by Voices - Peephole (live)
The Breeders - Lime House
Dinosaur Jr - Goin' Home
Built to Spill - Sidewalk
Grant Hart - In a Cold House
The Jesus Lizard - Mistletoe
Fugazi - Furniture
Luna - Going Home
Love - A House is Not a Home
Mogwai - Stop Coming to My House
On - Feel at Home
Sebadoh - Tree
Minutemen - Storm in My House
Eric's Trip - Behind the Garage

Ambulance LTD

I have no idea how I managed to overlook Ambulance LTD. I picked up their self-titled TVT album this week and it's stuck in current car radio rotation. They have a new EP, New English, that's just been released. You can stream the songs and order it at their website. Here are a few from the 2004 album.

Ambulance LTD:
Yoga Means Union
Heavy Lifting
Stay Tuned

Amy Millan

The Arts & Cafts label has offered up this preview (read: tease) from Stars vocalist Amy Millan's upcoming solo record, Honey From the Tombs. As always, her voice is amazing. I've probably listened to this song 10-15 times today. Here it is with the album version of Stars' Ageless Beauty and a radically different, but equally brilliant version of the same song mixed by Most Serene Republic. There is also another song from the album up at her MySpace page.

Amy Millan - Skinny Boy
Stars - Ageless Beauty
Stars - Ageless Beauty (Most Serene Mix)

(click the image to watch)

From the Inbox: Track a Tiger

The songs on Track a Tiger's Woke Up Early the Day I Died began as simple acoustic songs in 2003. Over the course of two years, songwriter Jim Vallet added more guitars, banjo, cello, female harmonies, and various subtle electronic "bleeps and blips" - all without creating a thick wall of sound. Instead, he left space for the songs to expand and breathe. He describes the sound as "Moody, lots of male-female harmonies. A little rock, but mostly slow, sad, sleepy late nights." His vocals remind me of the Connells, while the music has a lot in common with Mojave 3 and Yo La Tengo's mellower, acoustic-based songs.

From Woke Up Early the Day I Died:
Glad to be Scattered
Happy
Flood

Number One Cup

I saw Number One Cup only one time, at Canal Street Tavern in Dayton Ohio. It was sometime shortly after their first album, Possum Trot Plan, was released in 1995. I first heard the album while DJ-ing at WVXU in Cincinnati. The band was lumped in with the lo-fi movement of the time, though, much like Guided by Voices, their live shows were anything but. When asked about the validity of the lo-fi sound, the band responded:

"[lo-fi is] As valid as hi-fi. If the recorded version of the song kills me, I don't care what "fi" it is. But I'll say this about lo-fi: contrary to what Lou Barlow says, he or Robert Pollard or whoever don't release lo-fi recordings just because they're quicker and cheaper and easier to do. They know better than anyone that those recordings have a realism and an authenticity that is as important to the feel of the song as the chord changes or the melody. In the end, recording choices become a compositional element"

If I had to describe their music, I probably couldn't do much better than tagging it as lo-fi indie rock myself, which truly would not do them justice. Instead, I'll avoid any cliches and use another band quote:

"It's foreground music. It's pop rather than experimental, but with experimental touches"

Hear for yourself:

Connecticut (the first single from 1994)

From Possum Trot Plan:
Just Let Go
No Particular Style
Divebomb
She Plays the Numbers

From Wrecked by Lions:
Paris
Astronaut
Malcolm's X-Ray Picnic

From People People, Why Are We Fighting?:
Unison Bends

Scrawl

Scrawl were originally signed to indie it-label Rough Trade US who released their first three records, Plus, Also, Too, He's Drunk and Smallmouth, before the label went bankrupt and folded. They signed with Simple Machines and released two more records, Bloodsucker and Velvet Hammer and several singles. Their final two albums, Travel on Rider and Nature Film were released by Elektra. During thier approximate 11 year run, they recorded with Steve Albini, went on high-profile tours with Sugar, the Meat Puppets, My Bloody Valentine, and the Afghan Whigs. Their last album came out in 1998, but Mays and other core member Sue Harsche still play out, though only on very rare occaisions. Afghan Whigs fans might even recognize Scrawl's Marcy Mays from her vocals on their My Curse, which she sang with Greg Dulli on his last swing through Cincinnati with the Twilight Singers.

From Plus, Also, Too:
Breaker, Breaker
Gutterball
I Can't Relax
Slut

From Smallmouth:
Begin
Enough
Absolute Torture

From Velvet Hammer:
Take a Swing
Prize
Remember That Day

From Travel On, Rider:
Louis L'Amour

From The Afghan Whig's Gentleman:
My Curse

Guided by Voices

It's no secret that Guided by Voices is one of my favorite bands. This weekend I finally started reading Guided by Voices: A Brief History : Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll. During non-reading time today I was listening to the first few albums, via their first box set, simply titled BOX. It contains the first 4 albums and a bonus LP of unreleased songs, many of which turned up either in part or in full on later albums. Here are a few select tracks:

Captain's Dead
Lips of Steel/A Visit to the Creep Doctor
Liar's Tale
White Whale
Drinker's Peace
Pendulum
Squirmish Frontal Room
Postal Blowfish

From the Inbox: Candy Bars

The inbox presents us with Candy Bars , a band from Tampa Florida. With their minimalist set-up (one guitar, on snare, one cymbal, one hi-hat and a cello), comparisons to Low would not be far off the mark. Mix in hushed vocals, reverb, bells and occaisional harpsicord in and you get a full, rich sound falling somewhere between Low and Sunny Day Real Estate. They have a full-lenth available through New Grenada Records.

Violets
Enough to Choke a Cold Air
Landscape
The Flood in Your Town
Works Cited

*My EZArchive account was giving me fits this morning, so there are not links for the last three songs. I'll update them later tonight.

**Links updated

The Ukrainians

In 1989 the Wedding Present, at the suggestion of original guitar player Peter Solowka, released two Peel Sessions of Ukrainian folk music. They recorded a third one which went unreleased until 2000, when they were all compiled and released as Ukrainian John Peel Sessions. Shortly after, Solowka left and formed the Ukrainians with several of the mucians brought in to play on the Peel Sessions.

The Ukrainians have released several studio and live albums of original and traditional versions of Ukrainian-influenced folk music. They show their English rock influences by covering several popular songs of their own (in their Ukrainian style of course) including songs by the Sex Pistols, the Velvet Undergrouond, Sinead O'Connor, and Prince. However, my favorites remain their versions of several Smiths songs, especially their awesome take on The Queen is Dead - by far the best of the bunch.

From the Psni iz the Smiths e.p. (compiled on the Kultura CD)
Koroleva ne Polerma (The Queen is Dead)
Batyar (Bigmouth Strikes Again)
Spivey Solovey (What Difference Does It Make)
M'yaso-Ubivstvo (Meat is Murder)

Chewbacca

Monsterland - Chewbacca
Supernova - Chewbacca
DVDA (Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Bruce Howell) - I Am Chewbacca

Blumfeld

Blumfeld are from Germany. They have been recording since around 1990 and only had a little attention paid to them here in the States. In 1995 they managed to get a U.S. distibution deal through Big Cat Records and release L'etat et Moi. The band's lyrics are more political in nature, taking a huge dose of inspration from Kafka. Musically they fall somewhere in the neighborhood of the Wedding Present. They've got several records that, so far, are available import-only. Hopefully a recent deal with Sony/BMG will change that.

From L'etat et Moi:
Walkie, Talkie
Verstarker
Superstarfighter

Beastie Boys

After recording Ill Communication, the Beastie Boys returned to their hardcore punk roots and recorded the Aglio e Olio e.p. Backed by their touring drummer, AWOL (of Suicidal Tendencies), they cranked out 8 songs in 11 minutes. Here are three of them.

From Aglio e Olio:
Brand New
Believe Me
I Want Some

Macha

Josh and Mischo McKay spent time backing Lynda Stipe (yes, Michael's sister) in her eclectic band Hetch Hetchy in the early 90's before Josh and his roommate Kai Riedl headed to Indonesia for a period of time. When the two returned to Athens, Georgia they brought back a wealth of indigenous instruments and field recordings. They hooked back up with Mischo and formed Macha, integrating Eastern influences with American indie rock. Their first two records, Macha and See It Another Way, are fairly similar in sound with each one having a more minimalist, less produced feel than their third and last album Forget Tomorrow. Forget Tomorrow takes the lo-fi Indie-nesian rock and incorporates more electroncs and danceable beats.

From Macha:
When They First Saw the Floating World
Double Life
Capital City
Light the Chinese Flower

From See It Another Way:
Until Your Temples Are Pounding
The Nipplegong
Submarine Lover

From Forget Tomorrow:
Forget Tomorow
Smash & Grab
It's Okay Paper Tiger

From the Inbox: 13Ghosts

Another suprise from the Inbox today comes from the band 13Ghosts. The press release describes the reissue of their 2004 album, Cicaida, as "Sonically, it’s all over the place, moving from cracked-up folk rock to twangy rockers to drunken sing-alongs to atmospheric exercises in minimalism". Judging by these songs and a bunch of others they have up at their website, I couldn't agree more.

Here are a couple songs from Cicaida. It'll be available in May from Skybucket.

13Ghosts - The Search Party
13Ghosts - Robert J.

The Lonesome Tumblers

The first time Bill Catfish and I crossed paths was at Miami University Middletown on a sunny, fall day in 1992. I was walking out the door to leave Johnson Hall as he was walking in. He was wearing a Ramones t-shirt, black leather jacket, Chucks and carrying an armload of LP's to play in the cafeteria radio station. I distinctly remember Barbara Manning's S.F. Sorrow was on top and facing forward. I have no idea why I remember that day, and I doubt if Billy remebers it either. Fifteen years later, our paths crossed again. This time it was last weekend at The Southgate House, where his band The Lonesome Tumblers played upstairs in Junie's Lounge before (well, during) the Bob Pollard show.

The Tumblers recorded an album, Race Music For the Long-Distance Runner, but it has yet to get a proper release. It's unfortunate, because it's a great record. Throw equal parts Hank Williams Sr., Verve, Wilco, Spacemen 3 and Jim Beam into a martini shaker and serve it with earplugs through a Vox Amp and you'll have the Lonesome Tumblers.

They're about to hit the studio again to record songs for the next album. In the meantime, listen to these choice cuts from Race Music. And if you, or anyone you know, are with a label or want to help get these records out, contact me at the e-mail address at bottom right or contact Billy through their MySpace page.

Bluesbreaker
This Town's On Fire
Bootleg Novocaine
Fizzle Like the End of Time (turnin' off the sun)

Times New Viking

Times New Viking are from Colombus, Ohio. I read a little blurb about them in Magnet Magazine last month, and it piqued my curiosity. The areticle mentioned that their recent Siltbreeze Records record Dig Yourself was "lovingly fucked with by Mike Rep", the same Mike Rep [Hummel] who "lovingly fucked with" some of Guided by Voices earlier records. Having never heard them, I was quite surprised to learn that they were going to open for Bob Pollard at the Southgate House last weekend. I missed the first part of their set, but was fortunate enough to catch the last few songs. Of those few songs I heard live, I was quite impressed. The album is a bit rough, and definately leaves room for improvement, but they're definately on to something. After hearing the album and seeing them live (which I preferred over the album), I'm even more interested in hearing what they can do with a little more time and polishing.

They have a few songs on their MySpace page, which you can listen to below. They don't have a website of their own yet, other than the MySpace page. However, you can order the record and listen to :30 second samples from Midheaven. The pictures in this post are ones I took at the show. A bit out of focus, but there they are.

Skull Versus Wizard
Not High
Fuck Books
Natural Resources, I Love Mine

Kent

I don't know much about Kent, but I do know they're from Sweden. They are one of those European bands that, in any other just universe, would be big in America. For whatever reason, they are not. They did make a minor splash on this side of the pond in late 1998 when RCA picked up their 1997 album, Isola, for U.S distribution. Their song "If You Were Here" did get some airplay, but the band has not had anywhere near the relative amount of success in the U.S. with any of their albums that they have in Sweden and Europe. Could it be because they sing in their native tongue? Given the recent popularity of Sigur Rós, there is no excuse for Kent not to be as equally revered.

From Isola (1998):
Lifesavers
If You Were Here
747

From Vapen & Ammunition (2002):
Parlor
FF
VinterNoll2 (FF B-Side)

From Du & jag döden (2005):
Den döda vinkeln
Rosor & palmblad
Max 500

Double post wackiness

I guess the Blogger monkeys were updating something when I posted the Acetone post earlier. Somehow it duplicated the post. I republished to get rid of one, and it wiped out the one with the comments. So, I'm posting the HaloScan comment link here if you want to read the comments that were posted before it was deleted. You can leave comments on the actual comment link on post itself. I just didn't want it to look like I deleted the post on purpose.

Rock on.

Acetone

I'm sitting here trying to think of something to say about Acetone. Of course, I have their first album, Cindy, blasting in the headphones. It's kind of hard to concentrate on thinking of something creative to type. Have you ever tried to type and play air guitar/bass at the same time? It's not easy. While track 6, Intermission, is playing, I'll set the air guitar down and quickly paste this exerpt from their Vapor Records website:

"Los Angeles is the type of place where it’s easy to keep your head down, stay low to the ground, and do your best to avoid the throngs of humanity.
So much traffic. So much frustration. So much white noise. It's easy to get lost in your own orbit, and tune the world out. It's easy to be oblivious to the simplest beauty that hides around the corner. This might explain why the music of Acetone has remained a bit of a secret. But it also explains what was so great about them. If you've somehow stumbled upon these words, I urge you to take a step further and seek out the songs of Richie Lee, Mark Lightcap, and Steve Hadley.

Acetone seeped out of the cracks of a smoggy culture, creating soulful art that mirrored the underground beauty of Los Angeles. Listening to their music, you can feel the old uneven sidewalk of a quiet Atwater neighborhood under your feet. Richie Lee's delicate voice fills your ears like the whisper of a friend. Mark Lightcap's guitar makes you feel that sense of longing that only music can capture. Steve Hadley’s cymbals splash like lazy waves on a deserted beach. The music is elegant and honest. It is powerful because it is subtle. The measured swells of energy remind you what feels so good about rock music. It's great Art without being too arty."

They borrow faithfully from Pink Floyd, Isaac Hayes, The Velvet Underground the Flying Burrito Brothers and Kris Kristoferson. Imagine Syd Barret, Neil Young and Buddy Miles jamming in their prime. Aw Hell, just listen.

From Cindy:
Acetone - Sundown
Acetone - Chills
Acetone - Barefoot on Sunday

From If You Only Knew:
Acetone - 99

From York Blvd:
Acetone - Wonderful World
Acetone - Like I Told You

Rodan

I was going to do a Slint post, but noticed a few other bloggers around lateley that pretty much had them covered. So, I give you Slint protege's Rodan.

When I first heard their one and only full length album Rusty, in 1994, it hit me like a brick in the face. The first song, Bible Silver Corner, is a mellow yet tense instrumental reminiscent of Slint. It gives way to the abrasive blast of Shiner that wollops you upside the head. It's lyrics are barked, screamed and spoken by three of the four members of the band before it fades out into an almost inaudible wash of ambience that allows your ears to regroup for the marathon that is The Everyday World of Bodies. Bassist Tara Jane O'Neil takes over much of the vocals for Jungle Jim, while dueting and alternating with Kevin Coultas and Jason Noble for the majority of the album. Rusty, for me anyway, is to math rock what Loveless is to shoegaze. It's that good.

Hear for yourself:

Rodan - Bible Silver Corner
Rodan - Gauge
Rodan - Tooth Fairy Retribution Manifesto

Brave Captain

Brave Captain (aka Martin Carr of the Boo Radleys) has just released an album on-line. It's free to download at the Brave Captain website. All you have to do is register your e-mail address to acces it. I'm listening to it now and like what I hear, so far. If you haven't kept up with him since the Boo's split, he's dabbled in electronica and big beats - much like their last record Kingsize. Although that record was a bit of a letdown, he seems to have improved on that sound considerably.

Here is some of his past work as Brave Captain. Definately check out this new album.
Brave Captain - All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace
Brave Captain - Big Black Pigpile
Brave Captain - Me and You Glue
Brave Captain - Captain America
Brave Captain - Another Day in December

More older downloads are available at the Brave Captain website.

Husker Du

Here's my response:


Husker Du - Blah, Blah, Blah

Husker Du - In a Free Land
Husker Du - M.I.C.

State of the Union

While Bush gloats about Alito's confirmation, his "success" in Iraq and his wonderful new Medicare Prescription Plan in a State of the Union address designed to improve his 40% approval rating, let us not forget the men, women and children who have lost and are losing their lives and those of their loved ones every day in his conquest to spread Democracy in the Middle East.

George Bush - Sunday Bloody Sunday
(Courtesy of Rx @ The Party Party)

Lazy

(This post is for you, Billy)

Along with the aforementioned Sistern, Wolverton Brothers and Afghan Whigs, Lazy were one of the pillars of the early 90's Cincinnati scene. While Sistern gave us the shoegaze, The Wolvertons freaked out, and the Whigs tried to steal your girlfriends, Lazy cranked up the fuzz and jangle. They mixed equal parts of the Wedding Present, Cramps and Heavenly and created simple yet catchy songs. They signed a 5 album deal with Roadrunner Records, but were dropped after their second album failed to get the push it deserved. Although both albums were great in their own right, the band's pinnacle was by far the Revolutions Per Minute vinyl-only 10" released between them. I wish I had a way to convert vinyl to digital here, because I'd post the whole thing - including their spot-on version of Cupid Car Club's Grape Juice Plus. (If anyone has it digitized, please contact me!). But since I don't, here are few songs from both albums and a couple of compilation tracks released right before they split.

From Some Assembly Required:
St. Christopher
Crush
Radio Heart

From The Lazy Music Group:
Favorite Song
Get It Right
Cherry Smash

From Cincinnati Music Vol. III (Deary Me Records):
Jet Black

From Rejected Art...A Compilation of Unity:
What U Want

Updates & stuff

I recently registered for an EZArchive account to host some of my own files. If you want to download any of the tunes, please right click and save. Likewise, if you want to link to any of the music I have up, please post a link to the page the music is on and not directly to the links. If you drop in to visit, talk to me. Leave me a comment or something, tell me what you think of the music.

Thanks for stopping by. Now, listen to Moose.

Moose

Moose's Sonny & Sam was released in 1991 at the same time as Ride's Nowhere and My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, Lush's Gala, and Slowdive's Just for a Day. Although it may be the lesser known of the lot, it deserves just as much attention and respect.

Popmatters had an excellent piece in 2003 on Moose, Sonny & Sam and their legacy.

Although I love them all, here are my 3 favorite tracks from Sonny & Sam:

Moose - Last Night I Fell Again
Moose - This River Never Will Run Dry
Moose - Jack

Neil Young

Watch the trailer for Neil Young: Heart of Gold

Neil Young - Cowgirl in the Sand
Neil Young - Hey Hey, My My
Neil Young - Southern Man
Neil Young - Heart of Gold

MBV Rareities

My Bloody Valentine were one of the greatest, most influential bands of the 90's. Period.

Here are some rare compilation tracks and a 1998 Peel Session.

My Bloody Valentine - We Have All the Time in the World from Peace Together

My Bloody Valentine - Instrumental A Rare 1988 7"
My Bloody Valentine - Instrumental B Rare 1988 7"

My Bloody Valentine - Map Ref 41N 93W from Whore: Tribute to WIRE
My Bloody Valentine - Sugar Free flexi with British magazine The Catalogue #67 (1989)

My Bloody Valentine - Peel Sessions 10.5.98 (.zip)

My Bloody Valentine - Coral Sea from Patti Smith's Meltdown, June 22, 2005 featuring Patti Smith, Kevin Shields and Chan Marshall

Afghan Whigs Update

Under The Radar has a preview of upcoming projects from Greg Dulli. On tap are an Afghan Whigs retrospective on Rhino, with a working title of The Unbreakable Afghan Whigs. There's no release date set. Also without a release date is Dulli's collaboration with Mark Lanegan called The Gutter Twins. "There are nods to the Everly Brothers. There are nods to Simon and Garfunkel. There are nods to the Stooges and Primal Scream too."

The new Twilight Singers album, Powder Burns, is nearly completed and should be out around April. "It's the most thematically and sonically different record I've ever made."

Pick up the latest issue of Under the Radar or read the full article at Summerskiss.



In related news, Whigs bassist John Curley is busy in Cincinnati working at Ultrasuede Studios and with his band The Staggering Statistics. They released one album and are wrapping up a second. Visit their website for sample downloads of all of the first album.



Whigs guitar player Rick McCullum has his band MoonMaan. As far as I know they are still together, but their website hasn't been updated in a year or so.

Moon Maan - Light of the Moon
Moon Maan - Chain Your Soul
Moon Maan - Feed the Methman




Original drummer Steve Earle has just put together a new band called Earle Grey. Earle's put down the sticks and picked up the guitar and microphone. There are four fresh, smoking hot new songs available on his MySpace page. Fans of the revved up earlier Whigs sound will not be disappointed.

Finally, I was cruising around some blogs last night and found these two little gems from Big Top Halloween at Strange Reaction:

The Afghan Whigs - Scream
The Afghan Whigs - Back O' the Line

Girls Against Boys

I was working on this post the other day, to go along with the Brainiac post, but I got sidetracked and forgot to post it. So, here it is.



They're not from Dayton, but Girls Aainst Boys' Eli Janney produced much of Brainiac's output.

From Cruise Yourself:
Kill the Saxplayer

From House of GVSB:
Super-Fire
Disco Six Six Six
Click Click

From You Can't Fight What You Can't See:
Kicking The Lights
Basstation

Swearing at Motorists

Swearing at Motorists is the brainchild of Dayton, Ohio native Dave Doughman. The band got their start in Dayton and are currently recording for Indiana-based Secretly Canadian (Antony and the Johnsons, Jens Lekman, The Earlies). Doughman's low-register vocals and crunchy, fuzzy pop fall somewhere between Idaho and Mark Kozelek/Sun Kill Moon. Doughman recently relocated to Berlin and has developed a following in Germany, Italy and the surrounding area. He'll be back stateside touring with The Hold Steady in February.

Northern Line
Lost Your Wig
This Flag Signals Goodbye
Telford to North Main
I'll Only Sleep
Flying Pizza
Talking Pictures

Brainiac

In the early 90's Brainiac were another band from Dayton Ohio on the verge of making it big. They took cues from past (Devo and Robert Moog), the present (The Jesus Lizard and Girls Against Boys) and mixed it up with a slick sense of fashion to come up with the sound of the future. The band worked their way up from a small independent label to Touch and Go Records. They were about to sign a major label contract in 1997 when, after playing a rawcus home town show, singer Tim Taylor was involved in a firely car crash that claimed his life. Tragically, the future never came.

From Hissing Prigs In Static Couture:
Vincent Come On Down
Nothing Ever Changes
1 AM A CRACK3D MACH1N3
Pussyfootin'

From Electro-Shock For President:
Flash Ram
Fresh New Eyes

From Internationale:
Go Freaks Go

Shawen Acres

Two more songs from the forthcoming debut from Shawen Acres, Life As A Long Night, have been posted at their website. (photo courtesy of Phil Lacefield)

"Listen to this record or go ahead, stay in the dark. You will not meet its kind soon in the record stores of America. Tightly wound guitars shift abruptly through sharp-angled chords, pinned in place by a frenetic but never sloppy rhythm section. Cognates include everything you, personally, hold dear, and lots more, too. Some of the words rhyme! Melody simmers melodically underneath the melodic chunks of tuneful tuneage. No idea what Nate is singing about, but it sure sounds pretty or angry or dolorous or melancholy or, yes, religious. The soundtrack to a thousand bleak winter nights, redeemed by shards of occasional light and love. Aurora Borealis? You bet! As an added bonus, on the song “Run From The Day”: monkey noises. Written By: James Greer Author: Guided By Voices: A Brief History (Grove Press, 2005) and Artificial Light: A Novel (Akashic Books, 2006) Los Angeles, CA October 2005"

Monsterland

Monsterland were one of my favorite bands of the early 90's. More punk than shoegaze, less avante garde than Sonic Youth, and just the right amount of distortion and harmony. The band released several singles, e.p.'s and compillation tracks before recording their one and only full length, Destroy What You Love. After the band split, singer/bassist Thom Monahan joined The Pernice Brothers and has recorded just about everything Joe Pernice is involved in, as well as releases from The Silver Jews, Lily's and New Radiant Storm King among others. I've searched the 'net for more information, but the only place that seems to have anything decent complied into one place is this RedEye profile of Monahan from 2003 and this fansite, which has several tracks available for download. All of their stuff is long out of print, so if you like what you hear, head over to eBay and purchase some stuff for next to nothing.

The Wolverton Brothers

The Wolverton Brothers are another band from Cincinnati that deserve way more attention than they've been given over the last 15 years. They were born and raised in the same scene that gave us the Afghan Whigs. They released a 7" early on in the original Sub Pop singles club and several more scattered throughout the 90's. Early on they were primarily a guitar/bass/drum outfit with a little twang, but over the years they have become much more open and experimental with their sound. They'll kick out some straight up rock and roll (think of a less offensive Jesus Lizard) or slow it down to a near-dub pace all while mixing bird whistles, obscure record samples, trumpets, electronic samples, and various other musical effects into the mix. At an in-studio session at WVXU around 1994 they used a wooden slide whistle for the first time live. The next time I saw them was about a year ago opening for the Twilight Singers at the Southgate House and they used an old cheap component turntable to mix in crackly vinyl sound effects. They never cease to amaze me.

From Sucking Hind Tit (1990):
Could've Had A Life

From Liarman (1993):
Vampyre
Max Gomez Love
Xanadu

Sample two minute clips of all of 2004's A Better Place

If you like what you hear, go to their web site and order directly form the band. There are instructions on the main page. Or, you can order it from CD Baby. They'll thank you for it.

Sistern

Cincinnati's Sistern have been kicking around in obscurity for nearly 10 years. Why they've never been able to go further is beyond me. Since I first saw them at Sudsy Malone's and heard their Make a Move b/w 5 Foot 9 seven inch (released on Cincy indie label MonoCat 7) in the early 90's, they've been one of those bands that have always been in the back of my head to keep an eye out for, but hardly anything has come. They've released numerous singles and individual songs on compllations and only one self-released full length, Glaisemalaise, in 2002. They've got a new MySpace page that has a 2005 demo, so hopefully something new is on the horizon.

Here's a blurb from Cincinnati City Beat from 2002:

"Glazemalaise is a lysergic guitar album, loaded with lush textures and augmented by fluttering guest vocals (courtesy of Fairmount Girl Dana Hamblen), the occasional keyboard and sturdy, anchoring rhythmic support. Girton's distant vocals waft over the layering with whispering melodies and, guitar-wise, he experiments with unique sounds, creating potent, swirling soundscapes. But all the six-string glaze wouldn't mean much if the songs weren't there. Thankfully, Girton has a way with melody, as songs like "Americanvience" and "Prescence Sound" exhibit. Like My Bloody Valentine, The Dandy Warhols or the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Sistern successfully bridges the gap between addictive melodicism and an expansive, smoky-cool framework."

Sistern - No Rules Again
Sistern - pps
Sistern - shocked

Frigital Records

I was mildly suprised the other day when I opened my e-mail box and found a couple of songs from the Hypermodernity Club and Crix Crax Crux, with a little note that they will have new releases in February on Frigital Records.


The first song from the Hypermodernity Club's Praxis vs. Poiesis, Our Friend in Baghdad, is an ode to, well, their friend and bandmate who is currently serving in Iraq. It's a percusion-less, softly strummed acoustic track that reminds me of Macha, with a droning mandolin (or other similarly stringed instrument) in the background. There are a few other tracks on their MySpace page that are well worth checking out if you like Love & Rockets or The Jesus & Mary Chain.


crix crax crux's Radio On and Moth will be on the upcoming album, Mountainears. Radio On reminds me of Flame-era Sebadoh and Spoon. The chorus has even got handclaps. You can't go wrong with handclaps.

These and other records are available from Frigital for six bucks. You can't beat that, either.

the Hypermodernity Club - Our Friend in Baghdad

Crix Crax Crux - Radio On
Crix Crax Crux - Moth

Whysall Lane

Whysall Lane began as a solo/side project for Richard Baluyut of New York's Versus. Now that Versus is on indefinate hiatus, he's moved to San Francisco and finished recording a full album as Whysall Lane with Mikel Delgado and ex-Jawbreaker Adam Pfahler supporting him. You can sample several tracks on their MySpace page and 30 second samples of all of the tracks at the Midhaven Mailorder site, where the album's also available for pre-order.

Whysall Lane - The Way Back



If you're not familiar with Versus or any of it's offshoots, well, let me catch you up. Versus mainly feature Richard Baluyut singing and playing guitar, Fontaine Toups singing and playing bass and James Baluyut providing additional guitar while Patrick Ramos and Ed Baluyut split drum duty. They released numerous albums, EP's and singles from 1993's Let's Electrify to 2000's Hurrah. They are pretty much a guitar-driven band, with an equal mix of jangle, noise and sweet boy/girl vocals.

Versus
Yeah You from Secret Swingers
Deseret from The Stars Are Insane
Reveille from the Ear of the Dragon compillation
Crashing the Afterglow from the Afterglow EP


With Versus on hiatus, James Baluyut formed a project of his own called +/- with Ed Baluyut backing him on drums. For the first +/- record Self-Titled Long-Playing Debut Album, James moved away from the louder guitar sound of Versus and towards a softer, acoustic/electronic mix. To tour the album he put together a full band, which brought the louder guitars back into the mix by default. That line-up recorded the second album, You Are Here. Their 3rd album Let's Build a Fire was released in Japan on Dec. 14th by &Records. So far, there's no word on a U.S. release, but there are streaming samples on the &Records website.

+/-
Ventriloquist
Trapped Under Ice Floes (redux)


Fontaine Toups released a solo album of her own in 2004 where she took her sound from Versus and added a bit more pop. She also made up half of Containe with Connie Lovatt, who herself made up one half of The Pacific Ocean with Ed Baluyut.


The Fontaine Toups - Who Told You


Containe - Tired Eyes


A few streaming audio tracks from The Pacific Ocean can be found at this fansite.