John Carpenter-Escape from New York OST

My friends and I had a viewing party of the Thing a few weeks ago and I was reminded once again just how much I love John Carpenter’s films. No doubt, the Thing is ten plus stars and the Morricone soundtrack is definitely worth owning, but I did kind of wish that Carpenter soundtracked it himself. And that made me go back and listen to this classic. This would still be worth owning if it was only the snippets of dialog included here. Thankfully, we get much more than that. Oh, so much more.

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Teiji Ito-Meshes: Music for Films and Theater

You ever have crushes on dead people like me? Is that natural? I don’t mean some necrophilic desire but that feeling that you’re really not living in the right era. Well, Maya Deren was one of my long running crushes. Just look at her most famous photo of her looking out the window and tell me you don’t want to spend all day laying around in bed with her doing crosswords together. Lucky Teji Ito was not only a talented composer but was married to Deren at some point. All of her shorts are worth checking out, but I think it’s really Ito’s soundtrack work that affects me the most. Meditative, haunting, and definitely worth a listen. This means nothing to me but it might to a few of you, this was reissued by John Zorn at some point.

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Ovens

On paper this combo sounds like the worst shit imaginable. Oft described as some weird alchemic transmutation of Weezer (one of my most loathed bands) and a classic NWOBHM sound, I wasn’t too sure if this was going to live up to the acclaim. Thankfully, it does. And I can’t figure out how it does. It’s kind of like when you’re walking around and you see something on the ground and you can’t tell not only what it is, but even if it’s organic or synthetic. One of those objects that you really have no idea where the fuck it came from or how it might be used. And then you stare at it for awhile, and people begin to think you’re a nut and then you move on.

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Monguito-Escuchame

Not sure if we’re supposed to think of Monguito as being some celestial orb eerily looking down from the firmament to observe our sins. I suppose I kinda like that idea a little more than the whole old man with white beard myth that I keep hearing about. Monguito demands that we listen, and I believe it’s about time that we prick up our ears, if you haven’t done so already. It’s on Fania so you’ll probably know what this will sound like. As the weather turns warm this will be blasting out of my Saab. I’m sure the rednecks won’t be pleased. Mind you, I still see confederate flags on a daily basis.

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Anal Magic & Reverend Dwight Frizzel-Beyond the Black Crack

Well, I'm a little hesitant to post this since I'm a little afraid that this might draw complaints from prudes. I'm also a little worried that this might elicit an unusual crowd. But hey, if you want to see people with wizard wands sticking out of their asses, then who am I to complain? I don't think I'm going to write anything about this one since I'm kinda curious to see how many people will just download it. Honestly, there's nothing to fear, it's quite good.

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Ash Ra Tempel-Schwingungen

Again, this one is for my friends who have been giving Manuel Gottsching's album a lot of ear time. Some of them have told me that they've never heard his original band. And now you may though it's not going to sound anything like that album. Of course, Gottsching is a guitar god so that doesn't change here, but instead of sound sculptures that massage the mind, this album is like taking ten hits of acid. Heavily stoned krautrock in its pure form that gives you that mind leaving the body feeling. And would it be nice to take a trip right now? Not sure guys, maybe you'll like this one. But I suppose you can always delete it, so what's the harm.

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Charles Mingus-Mingus Plays Piano:Spontaneous Compositions and Improvisations

The title of this disc pretty much explains what it's all about. Everyone knows that Mingus was a mean son of a bitch on the bass and that he was perhaps the most important jazz composer of all time. So it may be surprising to some that he's actual a good piano player too. Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting him up there with Cecil Taylor or anything, but he definitely can play. I also like the fact that some of his idiosyncrasies remain noticeable (he was a right nutter). I dunno I think this is safe enough so you can get away with playing it at your next dinner party. Also good for those sleepless nights spent staring out the window.

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Valerio Cosi-Collected Works

I think some of my pals who have enjoyed the more trancey things I post would dig this, so fellas give this a listen. Touchstones here could be Terry Riley and Lamonte Young in that there's definitely some heavy meditation going on here. But Cosi also has a Pharaoh Sandersish sax playing ability. He's also wise because drone records can get super fucking boring so he adds in some interesting elements like krautrock beats, exotic instruments, tribal percussion, etc. It all adds up to something that really surprised me on first listen. You know I typically could care less about what people are producing these days, which is why I was so pleased to stumble across this.

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Arvo Pärt-Alina

It's a warm and stormy day here and I'm in a contemplative mood, so this has been on heavy rotation. Last night was spent, in part, discussing classical music. This is a genre where my familiarity is a bit odd. I hardly know much about the big names but can go on and on about Feldman or Xenakis. I feel like someone who listens to rock music but hasn't heard the Stones. Anyways, this guy's name came up and most people I know who dig classical music aren't too hip to his work. I don't get that. So here's their chance. Break out the big headphones and brew some tea (I'll take lapsang suchong, thanks). Sit down in your comfy chair but give yourself some time because once this starts playing you're probably not going to want to do much else. I seem to remember a period back in the early 90s when he and fellow composers all got lumped into the "Holy Minimalism" genre and it seemed like they might actual have some mainstream success. Funny times those were.

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The Staple Singers-Let's Do It Again OST

I once thought that the influx of people wearing sweatpants in public signaled the downward cultural slope that we'd eventually have to face. Laziness to the point that putting two legs into pants seemed utter ridiculous, now things are even worse. I've noted, and I'm sure you have too, that recently nearly everyone I walk past seems to be content with slowing dragging their feet. Lift up those shoes motherfuckers. It's not difficult. I guess that's just how lazy we really are. This is probably the evolutionary step between functioning legs and some slug like means of locomotion that humans/chuds will eventually employ. This soundtrack might be just the right prescription to get those flabby legs pumping. Really, it's near impossible to listen to this and not start bopping around. I love Curtis Mayfield (who does the music here) and I love the Staple Singers too so this was obviously a paring that was going to work. And the film rules too.

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Frank Sinatra-Watertown

I recently turned a bunch of friends on to the true bummer trip that is Sinatra's "In the Wee Small Hours." Man, what a downer that one is. So all of these friends who always hated Sinatra (I was once amongst their ranks) we're really surprised by what they heard. But that album might be kind of an easy sell since it's heralded by most as his classic work. This one, however, is one that is often neglected. That's a mistake. It's on par with Small Hours in that it feels like it was recorded in a bottle of scotch and it's full of agony and torment. Basically, it's his concept album about a failed marriage and all of the fallout that comes with it. This still might be a little too schmaltz for some people but if you can get past that, you're faced with an album as bleak as anything Nick Drake ever did. Oops, I just noticed that I didn't tag the tracks when I ripped this. That's something I tend to forget. Oh well.

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Galwad Y Mynydd

I got some positive feedback from the Meic Stevens post, and I'm still on that whole Welsh jag, so here's another one that I don't believe is posted on Weird Brother (hey, make with more Welsh postings). I haven't a clue what this band's name means or what they're going on about in the songs, but I do know that it's something that seems to easy my worries. And right now, I've got plenty of those. My entire back is full of knots caused by stress. I need a new job, money, etc. Oh what fun life is. At least there's good music.

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Showbiz & A.G,-Runaway Slave

Okay, I'm pretty late to the game with all the hype surrounding the whole OFWGKTA phenomenon. I fucking hate Jimmy Fallon (a mountain of coke donning a skin suit) so I missed their performance that got all the hipster kids' to stop their crying more a minute. But going through their catalog, I started to get a little nostalgic. And that leads me to this post. I'm no rap expert so I'm not going to get into the significance of this album or try to discuss it in any other terms aside from saying that it's a classic I can turn to time and time again...that is, when I'm in the mood for rap (most of the time I am not).

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Älgarnas Trädgård-Framtiden är ett Svävande Skepp, Förankrat i Forntiden

How's this one for you? The lack of recent posts is largely in part due to gmail's decision to block my account. Not the blog but my actual e-mail address that this account is linked to. I have no reason why this is the case and no explanation was ever rendered, yet I had to go through a fairly idiotic process several times over before I could post again. And since lately I've spent some time with a pretty Swedish tennis player (I don't know how that happened either), I thought I'd post something from her native land. I mean, she even knows who Philemon Arthur and the Dung are. Not that she knows them personally, but that she knows who they are. And that's more than I can say about most girls. Anyways, this is another NWW lister, and, I believe, one of the better ones at that. Weirdo, outer limits psych with tons of bizarre instruments thrown in for good measure. What was really going on in Sweden at this time? Was there tons of good acid or something?

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Meic Stevens-Ghost Town

Yeah, this image sucks but I don't seem to see this anywhere on-line. Deal with it. Aggression aside, the fella over at the fantastic Weird Brother blog (visit it and learn) has reignited my love of Welsh music. I have know idea why the hell I love it so much, considering I can't speak the language at all and even just looking at it makes my head hurt, but there's just something that I have an unexplained connection to. And here's one of the Welsh masters in his early period. Later on, he gets super Welshy but here he sings in English as well, so there's no need to be afraid. I've read in places that he's supposed to be the Welsh Bob Dylan, but I'm not buying that. I'd much rather listen to Stevens, and that comparison always seems so facile. But then again, I'd say pretty much all of rock "criticism' is tripe written by fat slobs who still jerk it to faded Dictators tee shirts.

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Washington Philips-The Key to the Kingdom

This is a fucking weird one. Not necessarily because of the song structure or lyrical content, but it's the instrument that makes this unusual. I believe the instrument that Philips plays is the Dolceola but that might not be right. Regardless of what it's called, it's fucking bizarre. It looks like a type of zither and sounds kinda like one too, but still, weirder. That alone made my instantly love this beautiful collection of old timey sounds. I remember Palace covered him on an early record and just checking things out on the internet, it seems that Phish covers him too. But don't let the horde of patchouli stank scumfucks ward you off from this. Hippies have been known to steal some good things, though their general disposition tends to gravitate them towards shit.

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John Martyn-Solid Air

I can't say that I've ever dated a girl whose taste in music I respected. I mean, I've dated girls who like hip things and all, but it all seems too simple or specific or generic. But then again, most of the girls I've dated are in their early 20s and barely know shit about life anyways. The weird thing is that (and I have no understanding why) all of them seemed to really like this album. That always blows me away. And also, I'm not that type of guy who tries to force his tastes on his girlfriends in an attempt to make them cool. Most of my friends listen to complete shit. I could care less. But what the hell is it about this album that gets girls? I love it for sure. If I made a list it would probably make my top 100 records. But I don't picture a bunch of young hipster chicks listening to this. Seems more appropriate for lonely record nerds. By the way ladies (and I'm sure this will be a surprise), I'm single.

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The Raincoats-Odyshape

All the record goons I know seem to get hard when you mention the Raincoats first album. But why is it that the conversation end with just their debut? Is it because Kurt Cobain didn't put this one on his top 100 albums list? Obviously people aren't really listening because, while I love the first album, this is so much better. They dropped any punk tendencies, got better at their instruments, brought along Robert Wyatt (always a wise decision) and Charles Hayward (now you're super smart) and made a really brilliant album that seems appropriate for whatever the weather might be. If you're still sore about the fact that their won't be any more This Heat records and you don't have this one yet then the joke's on you pal.

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Mind Garage

I live in Morgantown WV, at least, that is until I finally push the reset button on my life. Many of you are probably unfamiliar of what this town is like. Because of that, I've decided to conduct some studies and observations around town and report back to you what the natives seem to prefer. Here is a list of my findings:

5.) Standing on corners.

Not sure why this is considered a past time but this town is full of malingerers who tend to gravitate towards intersections with the intent of congregating. Discussion seems to be kept to a minimum however.

4.) Getting fat.

Never in my life have I seen more people bound to a wheelchair due to their weight. And I live in America.

3.) Spitting.

A filthy habit that nearly everyone here seems to enjoy. It's impossible to walk downtown and not step in some repugnant, bacteria infused slime produced from the mouth of some syphilitic cro mag.

2.) Yelling "hey faggot" at me.

This used to be a daily occurrence. And that is not a joke. As my friends in town and they'll tell you this is true.

1.) Making psychedelic, proto-Christian rock albums.

Well, I can't say this happens that often in town, but Mind Garage did hail from here and that's more interesting than writing about the ingrates I typically have to deal with.

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