TUNES-FOR-FREE JAMBOREE #5: GEOFF LEIGH

Here's a veritable King Tut's tomb of post-punk/avant/weirdo rock from the ever-fertile late-70s/early '80s punk days of England. Geoff Leigh was a founding member of prog legends Henry Cow, who offered a distinctly different take on art-rock then, say, Emerson Lake & Palmer, namely avant-jazz/20th century classical influences. And those influences splatter all over these tracks, some of which are otherwise not too far removed from contemporaneous fellow Brits like Gang of Four or Magazine. A Pere Ubu-ish free-form explosiveness further conspired to keep these records off "Top of the Pops."

Apart from solo releases, we also get tracks from his other bands Black Sheep (now X Black Sheep), Red Balune, Kontakt Mikrofoon Orkest - none of whom I'd heard of before, and I thought I knew my New Wave. Start with the irresistible synth-punking "Animal Sounds," then check both sides of the "Do The Residue"/"Living in Rotterdam" single. "Buy mccb", a commercial for their label, is catchy twisted funk. Advanced students may then want to move on to "Spider In Love," a delirious burst of spazz-jazz, with Geoff humorously singing "I'm Spiderman in love!"

A generous 22 tracks in all, yet the quality level rarely dips. And it's all free. Ahhh, life is good...

Geoff Leigh "Things From The Past"

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TUNES-FOR-FREE JAMBOREE #4: GRANT MOROS

"Originally recorded in 1973, this vinyl rarity is best described as an electronic ceremonial soundtrack. After being discovered in a hidden compartment beneath a closet floor, Fonetap Music has obtained the rights and reissued it in all its dusty glory."

That's their story and they're sticking to it. In any case, Grant Moros' all-instro all-electro "Mysteries" certainly sounds like it could have been recorded in the early '70s, and the whole occult ritual aspect of it recalls Moog-master Mort Garson's excursions into that realm.

Lots of nice stuff here: the song "Neophyte's Illumination" hints at a more low-key "Popcorn," and "Ritual of the Serpent" makes great use of primitive drum machines. "Death Be The Penalty" is as intense and scary as it's title, but it's immediately followed by the genuinly lovely "Rosslyn's Crypt." You can download the whole thing here:

Grant Moros "Mysteries"

but buy it here in various formats, including the fancy-shmancy FLAC. Rumor has it that there's a vinyl version availble, which would worth picking up for that cool artwork alone.

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TUNES-FOR-FREE JAMBOREE #3: YOU ARE NOT STEALING RECORDS

Some of my favorite albums of late have been internet give-aways, the perfect music-distribution route for weirdos who don't make the kind of trendy cookie-cutter sounds the labels are looking for. Such as:

YOU ARE NOT STEALING RECORDS

Were it not for the 'net, how else would I know about the strange/outsider music underground of Portugal? There is abundance of goodies here, and from what I've heard so far, none of it sucks, and everything's been at least worthwhile, and at best wonderful.

Stealing Orchestra is the band that started this 'net label. "We are using: sampling, guitars, accordeon, drums, flute, oboé, marimba vibraphone xylophone, cello percussion, piano, theremin and a lot of keyboards like church organ or hammond." Start with:

- "For Me 'Formidable," from their "É Português? Não Gosto!" album, in which traditional Portuguese polkas and waltzes are transformed into a spazz-tronic circus.

- From their "Bu!" album, "É Contra Mim Que Luto ," and "Catarse" especially when the exotica sample comes in @ 1:oo.

- G.G. Allin's Dick, also Portuguese, play a cartoonishly crazed polka-tempo electronica on their "King of the Road" album; might be my fave YANSR release so far; "Monocycle From Hell" is a tune that has wormed it's way into my head, popping out at odd times.

- Slipper are a British band featuring ex-Loop Guru members that draws inspiration from '50/'60s exotica, but filtered thru a modern sensibility. Check "Nuke Bug," in which a thick dub bass line is crawling with insect sounds; kinda like those tropical bird call-festooned Martin Denny records, but more creepy. "Lobsters" features a Peter Gunn-ish guitar riff, Miles-esque horns, and weird nightmarish noises.

- The Prostitutes play '60s-style garage rock and surf instros with maximum fuzz and energy; compared to the eccentric eclecticism of other YANSR acts, there's nothing too original here, but these Portuguese punks are plenty fun.

- Duo Inmortales play Residential one-minute-long songs with text-to-speech robots on vocals. Pick hit: "My First Nazi Girl."

- Vincent Bergeron's first two tracks annoyed me with it's modern-classical atonalities and Bergeron's nerdy voice singing in French. Then, either I got used to it, or the classical-chamber-group-chopped-up-in-a-sampler sounds sunk in, and I found songs like "L'Art du Déssaroi" to be pretty damn cool.

- Luis Antero's 17-minute long "Sinfonia Amphibia" consists of nothing but field recordings of some very loud uncredited Portuguese critters, presumably amphibians. I like to play this at the same time as other musics, such as the minor-key shoegazey sounds of worriedaboutsatan.

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AUTHENTIC MUSIC FROM ANOTHER PLANET...

...has been re-upped, by request. Fly your saucer over to HERE.

BOSTON SUCKS! BOSTON SUCKS!

No offense to my Boss-Town peeps, it's just a basketball thing. Us fans of the Los Angeles Lakers love it when our team wins the NBA Finals, but when they beat Boston to get there, oooh, it's just that much better. Bwahahahaaa!

So let's celebrate the Laker's latest championship title the way we celebrate everything around here at M4M: with some really weird, bad music.

Ron Artest: "Michael Michael" - Artest played a great Game 7; made a jaw-droppingly awful Michael Jackson tribute song; not at the same time. He actually thanked his psychiatrist after the game last night. Um hmm...

NBA "Where Clutch Happens" - I recorded the audio for this commercial off the video; features the sampled voice of the Finals MVP Kobe Bryant auto-tuned to nice effect; it's actually a pretty catchy little tune.

There's a million rap songs celebrating Bryant and the current Lakers team by everyone from Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg down to the most rank amatuer rapper. But the Laker tribute song tradition began in the '80s during the reign of Earvin "Magic" Johnson and the "Showtime" Laker team, producing records that ran from cheezy/goofy:

Onaje Murray "Hoop Troop (Lakers)" - from his otherwise serious funky jazz album, "I Hear A Samba"

to the spectacularly tasteless and hilarious:

Niki Rios: "Thank You Magic" - A 9-year-old girl attempts to tug at our heartstrings with this epic ballad; If Magic Johnson wasn't already HIV-positive, this would have really sickened him.

The "Curl Activate: '80s Novelty 12" Singles" collection I posted a couple years ago featured some other home-brew basketball/Lakers records, including a good one sampling the late great announcer Chick Hearn, the voice of the Lakers. After Chickie died, this solo acoustic folk atrocity was released in tribute:

Swamp Donkey "Golden Throat" - Reminiscent of Neil Innes' Bob Dylan parody, but of course, I don't think this one is supposed to be funny.


(Thanks to ma home-slice IVOR for heppin' me to the "Thank You Magic" magic.)
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TUNES-FOR-FREE JAMBOREE #2: HOT-DOG ROCK

Some nerdy guy releases an album featuring songs about hot dogs, and they send it to me. I swear, do other bloggers get this kinda stuff? But I figured I should give it a listen since I doubt anyone else is gonna review it.

And I'm glad I did listen. Actually, not all of New Yorker McSAPPR's songs are about hot dogs, but they all are pretty silly. And pretty enjoyable. He gets deep into his subject, with songs even saluting the winners of the Coney Island Nathan's wiener-eating championships.

Musically, it's a quite unexpected return to '70s jazz-inflected "soft rock" - think Gerry "Baker Street" Rafferty, Randy Newman, Michael Franks, etc. Even in these retro-crazed days, I haven't heard too may folks go back down those "mellow" roads too often. Probably cuz you really need some serious chops to play that kinda L.A. session cat style, which these guys most certainly do. Imagine Steely Dan, only with lyrics by a five-year-old.

"Hot Dog Rock"

UPDATE: The link seems to have disappeared. Yo McSAPPR, where's your album?

TUNES-FOR-FREE JAMBOREE #1: NAC/HUT REPORT

Some of my favorite albums I've heard lately have been internet give-aways. Perfect for weirdos who don't make the kind of trendy cookie-cutter sounds the labels are looking for. Such as:

Nac/Hut Report: Might as well start with this one, since I've been listening to it regularly since it dropped late April. This Polish/Italian boy/girl team reference the old musique-concrete scene and infamous noisemakers like Psychic TV and Einstürzende Neubauten, and there are certainly all manner of harsh industrial screeches here, but the songs are lovingly topped with cool vocals crooning evocative minor-key melodies. I play this one after a cocktail before going to bed. For some reason, it's kinda soothing (must be the feminine touch.)

Nac/Hut Report: 9th Overflowing...Milky Slaughterhouse...Dream Of Incubator

Here's an interview, with a link to a download of their first EP, which I haven't had a chance to check out yet.
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I LIKE RALPH CARNEY (A LOT)

Well, I am having too much fun with all these new Blogger design goo-gaws, aren't I? Red-blood cells in the background! A new look everyday?!

Ralph Carney's having even more fun on his album "I Like You (A Lot)," which came out back in 1999 (yeah, I'm a bit slow sometimes). Carney is the carny calling you into his freak show of kazoos, xylophones, Tibetan bowls, drum machines, cheesy organs, Beefheartian guitar, harmonica, musical saw, strings, bamboo flute, pots 'n' pans percussion, and all manner of spazz-jazz horns.

Yep, he plays 'em all, producing a new adventure in every song: some tracks could be by The Residents if they were influenced by early jazz instead of Zappa. There's a "Pet Sounds" pastiche called "Brian The Beach Man," kinda-klezmer Middle-Easternisms, beat-box funk, free jazz skronk, a song inspired by Miles Davis' psychedelic excursions, and the occasional vocal number sporting absurd dada-esque lyrics. Add a subtle sense of humor and fun, mix with technical virtuosity, serve hot.

Carney has been Tom Waits' right-hand man since the early '80s, contributing greatly to His Waitsness' transformation from '70s singer-songwriter to experimental oddball. But he also has played with Chris Butler in Tin Huey, has appeared on records by The B52s, David Thomas of Pere Ubu, Allen Ginsberg & William Burroughs, and even more sedate acts like country/folk singer Victoria WIlliams.

Ralph Carney "Fun House" - Not the Stooges' song, this is a delirious carnival ride
Ralph Carney "Hawaiian Eye" - Because I'm feeling summery: some exotica for kazoos, autoharp, cowbells and jews-harp.

SOUL SURFIN'

Here's a collection of '60s surf rock by black artists, more recent reggae songs about surfing, a tongue-in-cheek '80 New Wave song (the Bus Boys) and some mashups pitting black singers against surf instrumentals. And one rap song.

The Black Surfing Association has only a handful of members now - during the '60s surf music craze, there were no doubt even fewer black surfers, especially in the days of segregated beaches. So why would black musicians make surf music? For money of course. As with the "Surfin With Bo Diddley" album I posted a few days ago, record companies were looking to jump on any profitable trend. The reggae songs, tho, might be more of a sincere nod to their large surfer fan base. Ernest Ranglin's song "Reminiscing" is indeed reminiscent of the '60s classic "Theme From Endless Summer" by the Sandals.

All these tunes are high-energy summer fun, but some work better then others. The Isley Brothers' "Surf and Shout" and Chubby Checker's "Let's Surf Again" merely re-write old hits. And Diana Ross and The Supremes' "Surfer Boy" is really unbelievable - can you imagine Miss Thing on a dirty beach in those gowns? With that hair? Surfer, please!

Soul Surfin'

- Let's Go to the Beach 2:06 Sanford and the Sandies
- Surf Party 2:26 Chubby Checker
- Surf and shout 2:28 Isley Brothers
- Summertime Is Surfin Time 2:09 Surf Bunnies
- What'd The Bulldog Say 3:10 Zoom (Ray Charles vs The Ventures)
- Surfer Boy 2:26 The Supremes
- Soul Surfing 3:34 The Bus Boys
- Surfbusters 2:58 G3RSt (Ray Parker Jr vs The Tornadoes)
- Wipeout Taffy 3:29 Party Ben (The Surfaris vs D4L)
- (We're Gone) Surfin' 2:05 Chubby Checker
- I Like Nitro 2:39 JetSetAlex (Reel2Reel vs Dick Dale)
- Surfin' 4:57 Israel Vibration
- Mama Nature 4:30 Pato Baton
- California Girls (Crenshaw Blvd. Mix - Extended Remix) 6:11 The Cally Boys
- Surf Trick 2:10 RIAA (Kelis vs The Phantom Surfers)
- Dizz And The Boyz Getz To The Beach 2:42 MadMixMustang (Dizzy Gillespie vs Beach Boys)
- Reminiscing 4:38 Ernest Ranglin
- Let's Surf Again 2:08 Chubby Checker

There actually have been a couple hip-hop/surf cross-over hits (not included here cuz you can get 'em anywhere). The Black Eyed Peas "Pump It" takes a page from the MC Hammer hack songcraft playbook: 1) take the most obvious cliche song (Dick Dale's "Miserlou" in this case) 2) don't sample it so much as take pretty much the whole song 3) put a beat over it 4) shout a catch phrase over the music. Witless, but hey, it is "Miserlou," hard to ruin that one, so if I have to listen to Top 40, I'll take it. And in the '80s the Fat Boy's remade "Wipeout." The lovable lard-asses hooked up with the unloveable Mike Love's pseudo-Beach Boys to produce not only a jaw-droppingly kitschy video but a Top 40 hit.

HANGIN' TEN ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

UPDATE 6/10/10: Corrupted track 4 has been replaced; album re-upped.
Obviously, this is not surf music. It's barely even Bo Diddley - apparently he's only on four of the songs. So what is this? Southern-fried r'n'b deceptively packaged to cash in on the '60s surf craze. I guess the scam would work if you had no idea that Diddley was a black guy from the middle of the country, nowhere near any oceans (not that it's impossible for black folks to surf, but it was mighty rare in the early '60s.) But considering that Bo was one of the biggest rock'n'roll stars of his day, that's not too likely.

The other songs were by one Bill Riley, who may or may not be Sun Records rockabilly wildman Billie Lee Riley, tho these instrumentals don't sound anything like Billie Lee's stuff.

At least they are mostly guitar instrumentals, with the psuedo-Hawaiian nonsense vocals of "Surfer's Love Call" hinting at exotica. A real curiosity, and a sought-after collector's item.

Surfin' With Bo Diddley

1. What Did I Say
2. White Silver Sands
3. Surfboard Cha Cha
4. Surf Sink or Swim
5. Piggy Back Surfers
6. Surfers Love Call
7. Twisting Waves
8. Wishy Washy
9. Hucklebuck
10. Old Man River
11. Oops He Slipped

AIN'T WE GOT FUN?

Just for you lucky Maniacs! Here's an exclusive collection of rare, obscure novelty songs and kooky instrumentals, thanks to DJ Useo, podcast host, and the compiler of the "It Is To Laff!" comedy mashup collections.

For you Dr Demento fans, the more juvenile/tasteless (not that there's anything wrong with that) songs are early on, giving way to cartoonish instros, dada weirdness, and satire (e.g.: the spot-on easy-listening yuppie spoof "Are You Middle-Class Enough?") Full of surprises, and, yep, fun stuff indeed.

FUN MUSIC
Mega-thanks to DJ Useo!

"THEY CALL ME APPLE LOVE..."

Paul Super Apple made a demo tape sometime in the '80s, and sent it to Keith Richards. The tape was passed around, copied, and tho the aspiring singer/songwriter never did get a record deal (much less a chance to work with his hero Richards), he did become an underground legend.

It wasn't just his music that made the tape such a sensation, tho Super Apple's singing augmented by seemingly-random echo effects accompanied by his enthusiastic electric guitar certainly has its charms. No, it's the between-song banter that really reveals the "interesting" personality of the artiste, such as when he compares his songwriting to folks like "Mister Master Paul McCartney," or, as he says in his thick East Coast accent, "Mistuh Mastuh Paul McCAWtney." A must-have.

Paul Super Apple

1 - Introduction
2 - Apple Love
3 - Love Lives On
4 - The Chance 5 - Closing Remahks
6 - Phone Conversation w/ Paul Super Apple

MORE MECHANICAL MUSICS

The collection of "mechanical music" I put together last month was a surprise hit, and it just so happens that some more music played not by human hands has come my way: an awesome German slide-guitar robot, a complex contraption that accompanies silent films, and a real curiosity: a late '50s album of rock 'n' roll player-piano arrangements.
The Three Sirens are the aforementioned German guitar-bots; their site's free-download page has some tasty tunes from their album "Robot Rock" - I especially like the balls-out (gears-out?) "Aglaopheme's Solo."

The P.A.M. (Partially Artificial Musicians) Band (pictured above) was created by Kurt Coble of the (get this) "Robotic Music Laboratory" of the University of Bridgeport, CT. No album, but as evidenced by the videos on his site, the live show must be amazing. His 'bots have recently been performing an original score to the classic Fritz Lang silent sci-fi film "Metropolis."

J. Lawrence Cook was a veteran piano-roll puncher and pianist who made a bizarre album in the late '50s of his piano-roll versions of current rock and r'n'b hits. A live band accompanies the player-piano mechanically grinding out unlikely (sometimes near-unrecognizable) ragtime-ish versions of songs made famous by Elvis, Bill Haley & The Comets, The Everly Brothers, etc, as well as some Cook originals. Why?! I mean, why go to the bother of laboriously punching out a player piano roll if live musicians are performing - why not just sit down and play the piano live? Definitely one of the weirdest artifacts of the original rock 'n 'roll era.

J. Lawrence Cook "Piano Roll Rock 'n' Roll"
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Thanks to J-Unit 1 and windbag!

THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THEN FREE DOWNLOADS...

...Yes, Virginia, there are still independent artists out there selling albums, trying to raise a little scratch so that they can continue their good works. So go buy stuff! Like what what we used to do!

The Everyday Film have another CD of serial-killer vocals and enigmatic electronics; 24 tracks in 12 minutes; still the most creepy cryptic thing out there, but this one seems strangely more accessible...or maybe I'm just getting used it. "The Cycle - excerpts"

Pan For Punks is an instrumental collection of Ramones classics performed punk/reggae/calypso style on Carribean steel drums. Could be a cheezy gimmick, but it's so well executed that it's a really good gimmick. Beach party/bbq album of the year. "Rockaway Beach"

Arrington de Dionyso blows mad horn improv over throbbing percussion - a voodoo ceremony on Hepcat's Island. Recorded directly to vinyl. Only 100 tapes available. "Naga Suara track 3"

Thelema Trio are a sax, clarinet and piano trio named for Aleister Crowley whose latest album features the work of South American composers. I know, I know, another one? My fave track might be "Shadowing" for intertwined clarinets and saxes reminiscent of Steve Reich stuff like "Electric Counterpoint" but more loose; it's 8 minutes long tho, so here's a piece by Peruvian composer Raphael Leonardo Junchaya that suggest Philip Glass playing a Bulgarian wedding: "Sikkinus"

Sc.art is a trio with roots in the Budapest '80s New Wave scene (who knew?) but have moved far beyond - the songs on their album "The Well-Tempered Universe" are based on actual outer space sounds, such as the ones we've featured here. Quite a variety of styles result, from the expected Vangelis-ish space-rock and Eno-esque ambience, to near-funk/pop, to abstract percussion, electro-noise and spooky drones. Hmmm, maybe in space they can hear you scream. "Universes Wailing"

Crying Demons Crying Demons Crying Demons!!

Preacher A.A. Allen made countless recordings of his fiery tent-revival sermons. But few religious records are as notorious as "Crying Demons Crying Demons Crying Demons," which claims to be real recordings of Allen casting out demons in front of enthusiastic crowds during his revivals. I think this album's cover has a lot to do with it's fame: the goofy-looking cross-eyed guy with the words "Crying Demons" scrolling down his face. But the unfortunates "saved" by Allen here are not black guys, but white and Latino women. Hmmm...
Allen sounds rather ineffectual. He commands the demons to leave, but they simply refuse. A lot of this album goes like: "Leave this woman!" "No." "Come out, I say!" "No, leave me alone." "I command you in the name of Jesus!" "Buzz off, mac." They don't do much crying til the end.

I found another mp3 called "Crying Demons" somewhere on line that I've included here that is apparently from another record. A three-sided record?! Now that's demonic!

A.A. Allen: "Crying Demons Crying Demons Crying Demons"

I think the album might just called " Crying Demons," but I like writing it three times so it's like the album cover.

Kids Party! Ice Cream! Roky Erickson!

So you want to put on a children's music show. Who do you book? How about someone who's been in and out of mental hospitals and prisons for decades, who sings in an anguished howl about monsters and demons? Someone who looks like this:

Sure, why not!  Yesterday I took Baby Fab to
her first concert. I was there, but I still can't quite believe it.  It was
NOT a nice little children's show, it was a full-on loud electric
rock 'n' roll extravaganza performed with absolutely no concession
to kiddie-music standards. Lots of parents did indeed bring their
children, who sat in front of the stage, some with their hands
covering their ears. But otherwise, they seemed to enjoy it.  It
was a great show, really fun, and over in 30 minutes.

I brought along a portable audio recorder. 

 
Roky Erickson - live at Echo Park Center For The Arts 5-19-10
1. I Walked With A Zombie 

2. Two-Headed Dog
3. Goodbye Sweet Dreams
4. Ooh! My Soul
5. Night of the Vampire [cut-off]

Unfortunately, due to my techno-clutziness, I didn't record the
very surreal q-and-a with the kids. He cheerfully answered
questions like:

Q: How does the drummer play so fast? Does he get splinters?
Roky: I hope that the drummer uses some magic gris-gris to
protect himself!
Q: Why was the zombie song so loud?
Roky: Because some people were wearing headbands and heavy
clothes and the music has to seep in...

They wrapped things up with a blistering version of
"You're Gonna Miss Me" (minus the jug
player). His backing band Okkervil River was excellent. I got a
free ChocoTaco. Baby Fab pretty much just slept.

Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer

What ho, Maniacs! Jolly nice rapper, or "MC," as it were, I've got spinning on my gramophone right now. The king of "Chap-Hop," doncha know. Unlike those other rap ruffians, this fellow knows the importance of good manners, has mad cricket skillz, and most importantly, comes from the right stock. Proper schools and all that.Mr. B has a ripping debut album out ("Flattery Not Included") of his upper-class raps (and occasional crooning) over beatz sampling vintage recordings + "banjo-lele" (a cross between a banjo and a uke) playing. DJ Kool's "Let Me Clear My Throat" is remade as "Let Me Smoke My Pipe" and the break-dance classic "Hey You (The Rocksteady Crew)" becomes:

Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer "I Say, You!"

Spiffy!

I Been Single All My Life...

Back in '05, I wrote: "Robert Alberg's sad life is detailed here, chronicling his battle with mental illness and depression. So despondent was he that he began creating deadly poisons, pondering the possibility of killing all life on earth. He was recently sentenced to five years probation."
I'm not one for lists, but this would be on my Top Ten Crucial Outsider Albums You Must Hear list, were I to make one. It makes Daniel Johnston sound like Rod Stewart. Accompanied by the most minimal acoustic guitar imaginable, Robert Alberg tunelessly "sings" variants of a phrase over and over in a warbly voice as he plunks one or two notes on his guitar. He's as obsessive/compulsive as Wesley Willis, with his use of repetition and half the songs being about sand and/or the ocean, but he doesn't have Willis' outrageous humor and high energy. It can be funny though, just because it's the most pathetic thing you've ever heard. I'm probably making this sound like it would be torture to listen to, but it's fascinating.

Someone started a MySpace page for him a couple of years ago, if you want to hear a couple of songs streaming. Can't find any info on what's happened to him since '04, but as his website no longer has a link to buy his album, here 'tis:

Robert Alberg

1. Walking Alone on the Sandy Beach
2. San [sic] Storms
3. I Been Single All My Life
4. I Want To Fly
5. Ocean of Darkness
6. Do You Really Want To Know
7. Snow Melting Away
8. Martian Sands
9. Water Wheel
10. I Been Looking For You

MUSEUM OF OBSOLETE INSTRUMENTS: THE XYLOPHONE

This whole album sounds like cartoon chase music.

The xylophone is yet another ancient instrument that has sadly fallen into obscurity. Because, y'know, you're only "cool" if you play the electric guitar. Which is a great instrument! But, as I've written before, our musical vocabulary - and, hence, a variety of moods and styles - is stunted if only a few sounds are permitted. So let's get uncool:

Apart from it's early use in classical music, "the xylophone was frequently used by early jazz bands in the 1920s and 1930s. It was also a very popular instrument in vaudeville." I admit I only bought this album because it contains a version of Gershon Kingsly's "Popcorn," and the title "Shake - American" looked intriguing (it's a version of Ray Charles' "What'd I Say") but I ended up liking the whole thing. The "classical" stuff is sometimes backed by a sleazy electric organ-led lounge combo, not a chamber music group. Everything's played at a frantic energy level as Eingorn pounds away with machine gun-like precision.

Michael Eingorn

REPO(ST) MAN

By request, I posted the mp3 of the funky Moog gospel song "Knee Power" HERE...

...the Lux Interior tribute "rat fink" songs...

and the German kitsch remix album.


("and I'm looking for the joke with a microscope...")

THE WORLD'S LONGEST ALBUM?!

We've been writing about British nutter Ergo Phizmiz for a while now, but he's outdone himself this time. Actually, he's outdone everyone. Presenting a 15-hour long project, which you can listen to or download for free here:

The Faust Cycle or, The House of Dr Faustus
He mixes radio-drama surrealism with antique-garde mashups and experimental music, and except for a prolonged noise/tuneless whistling stretch in the middle of part one, I was pretty much entertained throughout. Yes, I've listened to the whole thing, and then some. As the man says:

"One afternoon Ergo Phizmiz finds himself lumbered into delivering a parcel to the house of legendary alchemist and necromancer Dr Johann Faustus who, since the events of some time ago for which he is renowned, has entered into a rather quieter life in a vast, labyrinthine house, with hundreds of lodgers running the gamut from artists, birds, bird-people, walking fictions, ventriloquists, a Cassowary, running chairs, walking gramophones, and myriad automata.

This enormous dream fable, told through speech, songs, collage and sound-design, is the result of over three years delving down various rabbit-holes, and features collaborations in a range of contexts with artists of many disciplines...
In glorious radiophonic technicolour, it is a musical-comedy of disorientation and magick, somewhere between nightmare and the half-remembered childhood whimsy of an insomniac music-hall artiste."

Spectacular projects like this and Wax Audio's "Nine Countries" are further evidence that, despite mass media/entertainment industry indifference, the internet is on the cutting edge of culture. It's not just a bunch of kids posting LOL-cat pictures. Maybe historians will figure that out one day...

MEXICO A-GO-GO

Wow, I'm way late for Cinco de Mayo, but what the heck. Matorral Man are merry Mexican masters of mirth and music (I'd just like to break in here to apologize for the excessive use of alliteration in this sentence) that sample '60s kitsch for a upbeat blend of electronica, lounge, surf and go-go beat. Recommended to fans of Messer Chups, The SG Sound, Ursula 1000, and wrestling movies.

Nothing too radical here, just a big blast o' fun. Song titles that translate to "Kamikaze Girls" and "The Taxi of Tomorrow" should give you the idea. Next time you're at a party and the Black Eyed Peas come on for the umpteenth time, slip this one in. Everyone will give you a big ol' muchas gracias.

Matorral Man - Guateque Estelar

1. Tema De Monamu
2. Chicas Kamikaze
3. No Lo C
4. Vaquera Estelar
5. Operación Dinamo
6. El Taxi Del Mañana
7. Tripi
8. GoGo Girl
9. Yu Yu Beat
10. El Acapulco Rock
11. Lunática
12. Untitled

YOU GOTTA HAVE KNEE POWER!

I'm not really posting this album because of it's musical virtues (namely, upbeat Xian county-pop that sounds like a '70s variety show soundtrack), but because it's from Nashville, whose music district, including the venerable Grand Ol' Opry, is underwater as I write this. And for the album cover artwork. I mean, really: what...the...hell?!
That's Alvis (not Elvis!) pictured, with his wife and daughter. Gary S. Paxton's liner notes describe how Alvis would tell him: "What you need is JESUS. And I would reply, later man, pass the dope. At the time I could not figure out his bag. Where's this guy comin' from?"

Alvis

There's some nice "Moogs and Special Effects" by one Shane Keister, giving this an unexpected Space-Age feel, and more then a few ludicrous lyrics. But it really all comes together on the song "Knee Power." Seriously, folks, download this album for that track alone. It's got some funk-ay FUNK-ay Moog action. Yup, you never know where you're gonna find that next killer hip-hop sample. And dig the theology of these lyrics:

"God answers prayer night and day /and sometimes it's not what we want to hear/ but if we spent more time on knees bent low /the answer might be yes instead of no." Ah, so God DOES answer all our prayers - it's just that sometimes the answer is 'No'!

Don't want the whole album? By request, here's just the song:

Alvis Barnett & The Barnetts "Knee Power"

Thanks to windbag!

The Invertebrates "Eat 'em While They're Young"

The Invertebrates were one of the stranger ducks to emerge during the San Francisco punk/New Wave days, and that's sayin' something, considering how off-the-charts eccentric that scene was (Tuxedomoon, Monte Cazazza, The Units, Flipper, Inflatable Boy Clams/Ki-Di-Me, etc.)
The 6 songs on this EP are largely centered around compelling bass lines, sometimes dub throb, sometimes rock power, with all matter of sonic ephemera thrown on top: thrift-store record bits, horn skronk, electronic bleeps. The lyrics often seem to be sung verbatim from newspaper articles.

"The initial shows of fall 1980 depended on numerous film, slide, and overhead projectors. Much of the music was improvised as background to the visuals, though a few loose songs were also a part of the act. But then the songs began to tighten and grow in number. Pretty soon the musical side came to dominate.

An EP, "Eat 'em While They're Young", was released in 1981, followed in 1984 by an LP, "Let's Have Fun" (we still have a few hundred in the garage, so let us know if you'd like one) [I do!].

For a few years in the early 80's we also managed Club Foot, an art/punk hole-in-the-wall out at Third and 22nd Streets. From the beginning we've undergone innumerable personnel changes while generally consisting of a core of from three to ten men and women at any given time, along with an ever-varying group of occasional players dropping by. As of 2006, almost three dozen people have been involved." Surprisingly, they're still around, still releasing new albums.

The Invertebrates "Eat 'em While They're Young"

1. Phone Dub 1
2. Get It Right
3. Circus Doctor
4. Political Films
5. Please Gimme Another Chance
6. Phone Dub 2

This video of one of my fave songs off the EP demonstrates their visual/performance side:

MOOG MANIA

Los Angeles funky jazz band Mojo Triage did a few shows as Moog Mania in 2006, performing solely on vintage Moog synths and Moog Ethervox theremins (plus drums). I caught their first show, then bought a CD-R of a live recording of that very show the next time I saw them. They also performed at a Bob Moog tribute that featured a screening of the documentary film "Moog." And, so far as I know, never performed again.

This ain't no "Switched On"-type cheese fest (much as I love that kinda stuff). It's all original, all improvised. But it's not the amphetamine mayhem of Margaret Raven either - it's so funky/groovy it's hard to believe that it's all improv, like a '70s action soundtrack gone sci-fi. "Starsky and Hutch on Mars."

Mojo Triage "Moog Mania"

1. The Sourcerer
2. Voyager
3. Moog Mania
4. Theramoniously
5. Mighty Mini
6. Mo Memory
7. Moogocity

FORBIDDEN 45s!

That lovely Mr. Otis Fodder invited me to guest dj on his internationally-distributed show Friendly Persuasion, and since Otis has switched to all vinyl, I took the opportunity to break out my shoeboxes of singles and spin some of my all-time fave-rave obscure-o, funny 'n' freaky 45s. And it's (give or take a minute or two) 45 minutes long.

Talking harmonicas, noir mambo, inane novelties, orchestral twist, Space-Age doo-wop, Mel Blanc's least-loved voice character, Moogs being eaten by The Blob, Scatman Crothers covering Nervous Norvus, a truly amazing version of The Archies "Sugar Sugar"...it's all here:

Friendly Persuasion Show #257

Thanks, Otis!

Mr. "Home" Center

From the liner notes: "Jim Noste has been at the helm of one of New Jersey's most successful-reliable Home Improvement Center since 1948."

This album looks to be from the '80s, and features some top session aces (complete with arranger) playing the swingin' standards as Mr. "Home" Center adds his heavily-vibratoed vocals. The results can be funny, embarrassing, and, on ballads like "Could I Have This Dance," oddly moving. He sings with plenty of enthusiasm and emotional commitment. I would definitely buy vinyl siding from this man.

Bonus tune! A version of "I Get a Kick Out of You" from his first album (recorded at Sun Studios!) that, alas, I do not have, courtesy of WFMU's "Incorrect Music Companion."

Jim Noste "Songs For You"

Thanks to windbag!

'MAD MAN IN WACO': STILL WANTED

I thought I posted the David Koresh song "Mad Man In Waco" that everyone wanted but alas, I was wrong - apparently there's another version, in a more acoustic demo style, that is the one coveted by fans of singing doomed cult leaders. I can't find any info on MSNBC's website about the show that featured the song, hence, I can't even write the show's producers for info.

I keep getting emails and comments from folks desperate to hear the song, so again, if anyone's got it, give it up! (And, no, not the cd with the songs "Book of Daniel," and "Shesonahim" - we posted those HERE.)

LISTENING TO DANCING

Composer Stefan Poetzsch has a new album out now called "Light On" that features not just music for dancing, but music with dancing. Which is not a new concept - tap dancing's been around for years - but not quite like this. Here's a lovely bit of Minimalism for strings and piano that also features Afro-German dancer Bettina Essaka on amplified "...very quiet noises made when she moved her arms and legs":

Stefan Poetzsch: Sounds of The Dancer part 4

The rest of the album is wildly eclectic, ranging from thorny atonal modern classical, to Coltrane-inspired jazziness, to heavy Gothic organ, but this is the track that I keep returning to. My one complaint about this album: so much of the music has a visual aspect (the title track is performed with thousands of light sticks), but there's no DVD/video feature to this CD.
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MAN, LIKE, DIG THESE CRAZY SQUIRRELS

Of all the sped-up-voices novelty acts rushed into print after the success of the Chipmunks, the craziest had to be The Nutty Squirrels, who, improbably, were a scat-singing bop-jazz variant on the concept. Heavy cats like Cannonball Adderly even played on it. Even more improbably, they could be really good - "Uh Oh, Pt.2" was an actual Top 40 hit in 1959 (the only bebop hit single?) and a ridiculously catchy tune to boot.

The Nutty Squirrels.

01 Uh Oh! (part one)
02 Uh Oh! (part two)
03 Ding Dong
04 Something Like That
05 Jumping Bean
06 Nutty
07 Uh-Huh
08 Salt Peanuts
09 Eager Beaver
10 Bang
11 Nutcracker
12 Zowee

They even had a tv show. Again I ask: when did jazz lose it's sense of humor?

THE TERROR-TRONICS OF NEIL ROSE

I scarcely could have imagined that when I picked up an innocent-looking package from my post office box that it would propel me into a world of unimaginable horrors, and that music, of all things, would be a bridge to unspeakable entities from beyond our realm!

But let me start at the beginning - I am a humble scribe for a music blog, and part of my regular duties is visiting the local post office to retrieve all manner of recordings sent to us by aspiring composers for possible review. Ah, music! Surely it is proof of the goodness of God himself. Or so I once thought...

The package, postmarked Plymouth, England, bore no indication of its' contents, and, indeed, a glance at the 18 page monograph contained therein prepared by sober academics and laden with charts and illustrations would lead one to believe that this was yet another humdrum musicological study.
It concerned one Neil Rose, whose interests were queer to be sure: a respected professor's attempts to communicate with the dead are hardly standard university fare. But Rose's own efforts eventually "went beyond science," through Carlos Castaneda-like ingestion of sacred drugs that act as a gateway to paranormal experiences beyond the imaginings of Lovecraft himself. The booklet's authors note that his writings come to an abrubt halt, leaving his ghastly fate a mystery.

I put on the cd containing recordings of "residuum," that is to say: "supranatural energy and imprinting of this energy to magnet media," and no sooner had I done so when the window to my study flew open and a gust of frigid air blew out my candle. But it was the disk's eerie sounds of Rose's damnable experiments that truly sent a shiver down my spine. May the Lord have mercy on our doomed souls!

Neil Rose: "Residuum" (SoundCloud link)

The book/cd package "Residuum" is available by writing neil@gotanyrice.com. The music is dark, compelling abstract ambient electronica, occasionally with a beat, tho dancing is hardly appropriate, and the realistically detailed booklet will convince many.
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No Humans Allowed - A Mechanical Music Sampler

UPDATE 4/21/10: New link to zip file.

My attempts to post an album a day were foiled by yet another computer virus. A $250 repair bill, and we're back in business. In the last couple of days I've had requests to re-up a number of tracks under the "Mechanical Music" category - music played by robots and machines - such as the "Creepy Circus Tesla Coil" song, "Printer Jam," and the fairground organ version of "Puppet On A String." So, to save valuable time, I just decided to put together an album's worth of mechanical music that's been featured here on M4M into one zip file.

Music untouched by human hands! Office equipment, player pianos, music boxes, Tesla coils, and robot instrumentalists. ATTENTION HUMANS: YOU. ARE. OBSOLETE.

No Humans Allowed - A Mechanical Music Sampler

ArcAttack - Creepy Circus Song
bd594 - Bohemian Rhapsody
Ceiri Torjussen - Raiders March
Conlon Nancarrow - Studios For Player Piano 21
Cybraphon - A March For The Sea
Cybraphon - The Balkan Bazaar
dying carousel - Moon River
Ferranti Mark_1_computer - God Save The Queen-Baa Baa Black Sheep-In TheMood
Guy Hoffman and Shimon the robot
James Houston - Big Ideas (Dont Get Any)
James Tenney - Spectral CANON for CONLON Nancarrow
John Morton - A Delicate Road III (excerpt)
Joshua Fried - EmergencyBot
Mistabishi - Printer Jam
Steve Ward - Tesla Coil music
The Geek Group - Mario Bros Theme
The Trons - Sister Robot
The User - Symphony for Dot Matrix Printers
Tristan Perich- Just Let Go
wurlitzer fairground organ - Puppet On A String


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ALBUM DU JOUR #8: "Potato - 777"

Let's see what's in the Music For Maniacs mailbox, shall we?

"My name is Mark and I'm representing an artist that has a difficult time communicating in a way that makes sense. During the late 70s to late 80s this artist went as Potato, now he goes by Jerome Ron Dinkle. I am submitting his album "Potato - 777" (1988) with full permission from the artist. The album is comprised of Psychedelic Satire (very comparable to the Residents) which curves on the early side of noise. It's mainly comprised of vocals which is amazing due to the fact that Dinkle suffers from a "severe case of cleft pallet" which in turn gives the recording even an odder sound. This is the weirdest thing I've heard in a while..."

Potato - 777 (1988)

"...Feel free to post the entire album. By the time I ran into Jerome, he was residing in an assisted living community and had already given up on his pursuit in the arts. So I'm sure he will be delighted at the thought someone besides his friends are interested in his music."

Like the Everyday Film albums I wrote about recently, J.R.Dinkle is also from Texas, and his songs are also very brief (most a minute or less) featuring non-singing jibberish vocals and crude electronics. Unlike the scary Everyday Film, however, it's all quite silly and child-like. Residents comparisons are, indeed, apt - the Eyeballed Ones themselves would be proud of the better tracks here, like "Potato Party."

Tracklist:

1 - Sir Trumphet Stands Attention
2 - dirtfromlongbreakingoflandunderneathyouwatchingasallslipsthroughyourgraps
3 - Creeping Sunrise
4 - Potato Party
5 - Class of 777
6 - heysuesrideformine350fordor
7 - Clam Parade in Flesh of Sing
8 - RNR - Featuring Apprentice T Waine Edishun
9 - Thumn Mountian
10 - I Am The Rhinosorceress
11 - Twinkle Gums
12 - Randol Mill
13 - Today is The Joke, Tommorow is The Punchline
14 - Once Light Tickeled Shadow and Then it Consoled
15 - Twilight of the Year
16 - Notato
17 - Inch Allot Ah
18 - I am a Mountian When it Falls (Fly Away on the Wings of Love)
19 - Layase Fountian
20 - P.O.T.A.T.O
21 - I Am The Rhinosorceress (Club Remix)
22 - Cadillac Spring (Live at The Plop 1987)

ALBUM DU JOUR #7: Hank Williams Psych-sploitation

Country music legend Hank Williams just won the Pulitzer Prize. That's pretty interesting, because 1) he's been dead for well over a half-century, and 2) they give Pulitzer Prizes for music? I thought that it was a journalism award. Well, in any case, I'm sure that it must have been this album that swayed the committee.

The experience of listening to "Songs of Hank Williams - A Return Trip - Modern Sounds," a '60s album released by L.A.'s Alshire label (101 Strings), can best be summed up by the the liner notes: "Presented here is a program of ten of the most famous songs made famous [a redundant redundancy?] by the immortal Hank Williams. A group of exceptionally talented modern musicians were assembled with two top vocalists. These great songs were arranged in a modern Rock-Acid style, without losing the melodic line of the lyrics, and are presented here for the modern music lover. The whole idea of this album is to bring Hank's great music to the modern young generation, for truly they are great 'heart and soul' songs as evidenced by the millions upon millions of records they have sold. ENJOY THIS PROGRAM OF MODERN ACID-ROCK HANK WILLIAMS SONGS PERFORMED AND SUNG BY A FINE YOUNG GENERATION GROUP."

Sacrilege? It's pretty groovy, actually, with some funky rhythms, and fuzzed-out guitar. No musician credits. It isn't very psychedelic, tho the album cover shows a hippie girl giving a horse some multi-colored sugar cubes.

Hank Williams - A Return Trip - Modern Sounds

(Thanks to windbag!)