Bougainvillea Or Bust.....Uke Of Spaces Corners County's 'So Far On The Way' LP

The last dream I had this mornin just afore wakin up involved red onions & the Beau Brummels. Not together (I don't think), but close enough that I cannot figure out the connection, 'cept that song 'They'll Make You Cry'. This kinda shit keeps happenin to me more & more.I knowed this Hungarian woman once who claimed to be a Gypsy soothsayer. All's I ever seen her do was sell speed, but whatever, she claimed that when your dreams start to make sense, then they's a premonition & as such, represent some sort of impending reality. I know, it sounds like the meth talkin to me too! Hey Goulash, the Ides Of March was last month! Personally I think I ought to quit eatin right before bed. That's where the problem lies. But I'd done gone & got behind w/my Blog chores, so's I needed to stay up & assess records. I was throwin back crackers smeared w/wasabi paste & gluggin bottles of that new Lindeman's green apple Lambic when I hit a patch of keepers, one of'em bein this here lp by Uke Of Spaces Corners County entitled 'So Far On The Way'. I can't say if it was ale, victuals or the tuneage, but once I got into the thick of this record my whole body began to tingle & my eyes got to sparklin. It reminded me of the scene w/Lawrence Olivier in Marathon Man when he see's them diamonds for the 1st time. I got to readin the inserts & seen one of the main brains on here was Dan Beckman who'd also been on that Flak Mask 7" I liked. But he wasn't scratchin out the numbers '11201' on this lotto ticket. In fact, this is just about as opposite of that as they come. Sure it's been recorded all over creation, but 'So Far On The Way' breathes deep from the flora 'n fauna of southern Appalachia rather than the wheeze've urban twiddley-dum. It's corn pone jocularity conjurs up an aura of Doc Snocks hickum & Dan's voice is similar enough w/Pete Stampfel's to lend an air of friendly Holy Modal Rounders cheer onto the porch. They's even got the gumption to croak out a haunting dirge-like interpretation of Sun Ra's 'Outer Spaceways Incorporated' (here entitled 'Outter Spaceways'). And guess what? It don't suck! Addin this lp in w/the recent spate of great releases what's come out over the past few months, it nestles comfortably between Lord Fyre's 'Destruction At 2013' & The Cherry Blossoms debut (which is gonna get harped on here soon). I'd say this is a dinger for comers, be they shoeless or clueless. And how 'bout that paste on cover & hand stitched lyric book what's enclosed?. I dunno about you, but until Pep Lester releases his lp of Avant-Bluegrass ditties, the bar for goodness starts here. Fostered by 8 different labels, try gettin this via; http://www.helloasshole.com/ or http://www.fusetron.com/

Did Someone Say T-Shirts? Just In Time For.....

....Summer! Last chance on these babies, at least until they's all gone. I would've thought they'd been done by now, but here I am, hawkin'em 1 more time. Dead C shirts are limited to Medium, Large & XL sizes , Siltbreeze label w/Graham Lambkin design in XL ONLY. Harry Pussy? Well....There might be a few smalls & mediums, but mostly it's L & XL on these too. I've probably got 10 or so of each so if you want'em, come & get'em! 15$ EACH ppd US/Canada ONLY. Elsewhere, 20$ each ppd. You can paypal us at; sltrx@pil.net

Or write & see what's available. All shirts is 100% cotton too. I sure would like to see these fuckers go soon so the 1st fifteen orders I get I'll throw in a 7" for FREE. So please buy my goddamn shirts, okay? Thanks.

Yours Truly,

Roland Woodbe

MRALPS MRNOT LIB MR.....Sic Alps 'Pleasure And Treasures' LP

Bein somewhat of a pedant, I was initially confounded by Sic Alps on account of the name. Not the name per se, but the spellin of it. Sic Alps....seemed right to me. How is it incorrect?Alps that is. Or is it spelled Alpes? That didn't look right, it has to be Alps. Who'd spell it Alpes? I walked around all day dizzy, my head filled w/this useless conundrum. Sic Alpes....get the fuck outta here w/that!
Later that night as my RLS (restless leg syndrome) was givin me fits I got to dwellin on Sic Alps all over again. Maybe the problem wasn't w/Alps. Perhaps it was the Sic part that was throwin me. It weren't no acronym. Maybe it was a verb, like when you say to a dog (or cheetah) "Sic'em Alps, good boy!" or rather, "Sic Alps on'em & they'll know pain". Maybe Alps was a name. Or was it purposely a misspellin of the word Sick? Hmmmmm. I gotta admit, Sic looks a lot better than Sik. That's just stupid! Sic Alps.....it looks cool. I can dig it. But what did they sound like; Sick Llama? Sick Things? Sick Of It All? Man, my legs was shakin somethin crazy! I managed to do a jig over to the medicine cabinet & pop one of them oxycontin's Dr. Van Der Kwak had prescribed & as I drifted off into Fuzzleville, I made a mental note-to-self; 'or......der......sss........ic..........aaaalll.......pzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....' plonk. Down goes Woodbe! Down goes Woodbe! The lights was out & I was feelin no pain. To sleep, per chance, to dream.
Next day I went & picked up that 7" what I wrote about a little while back. And it was damn good too. A teaser you might say. So then I decided to take some seed money (literally! I had a whole bunch've money I was savin for seeds; watermelon seeds, carrot seeds, zucchini seeds...I got about the greenest thumbs you's ever seen) & buy this here album of theirs called 'Pleasure And Treasures'. And dammit if I didn't win again! Man, I don't know my ass from my elbow when it comes to Sic Alps & the name & the spellin 'n all that but they sure are one helluva great band! Angular in style, aggregate in sound, they employ all sorts of ramshackle hooks & motifs that resembles somethin to the effect of what 'Chairs Missing' might've sounded like if it'd been recorded by The Strapping Fieldhands ( just after 'Discus'). I'd never, ever thought of nothin like that before & now I can't stop. What an odd pedigree! But it works. On the other hand, sayin it's like Wire doin 'Wattle & Daub'....that makes no sense at all. It's like Sik Alps; THAT JUST DON"T CUT IT. Sic Alps.....that's right. Just Sic Alps.
So now I get it. And it didn't take no time in the grand scope of things. There's another 12" what's before this one that need's a good snaggin too. What can I say? I'm a fan. And there's a new one supposedly just down the line. Can't wait! Whatya say? Let's all be four Sic Alps. Get'em here; for this lp, http://www.animaldisguise.com/, for the band; http://www.sicalps.com/ the 1st 12" available via; http://www.mtstmtn.com/

also try http://www.s-srecords.com/ & http://www.midheaven.com/

Grady Stings The Blues.....The Bad Trips S/T LP

What's in a name? That was the subject of an odd conversation I once had a few yrs back when I was in The Hague at a banquet to celebrate the signing of the Maastricht Treaty. I'd misprounced the name of this Dutch fella & he was gettin all pissy about it. 'Is all right', he sniffed, 'is only my name after all'. Then this English chap w/crisp Kentish diction chimed in 'But what's in a name really? I mean, it's just a name, isn't it? Certainly no harm done I should think'. He then proceeded to bite into a custard tart, the dust & crumbs of phyllo settling on his left cheek & shoulder like small pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. He didn't seem to notice & was off on his way, hobnobbin with & interruptin other guest's & conversations. A bad trip? I reckon. Personally I thought it was funny, but I'd bet at some point-especially considerin the way he was poppin them canapes-that someone had to draw his attention to the glutinous mess he was makin of himself. That's when his trip took a turn into bad. The next time I seen him at some function he was sportin this thing over his jacket he called "A vicar's bib". What a twat! But cheerio to that geezer. Toss off sez I.
Then there was the time I drove all's the way up from Portsmouth, Oh in a snow storm to see Pere Ubu in Columbus. Normally this would've been about a 2 hr affair, but w/the snow comin down so hard, it took me twice as long to get there. And then arrive at the club & find out the show'd been cancelled. Talk about your bad trips! I never did care much for the band after that. I mean, I made it & I was drivin a Pinto. Ah, whatever, it was around the time between 'Art Of Walking' & 'Song For The Bailing Man' so how good would it have been anyway? At least I got to eat a bag of White Castles on the way home. So I guess it weren't so bad after all.
But I didn't come down here to peck out a bunch of miserable musings from my memory lane compendium. I want to focus on this band The Bad Trips, which is the latest goings for one Grady Runyan whose proven himself a supreme pit master of barbequed Psychedelic brisket, havin smoked many an earhole in the legendary Monoshock as well as slaughterin all manner of burdensome beasts w/the most excellent petal-glorious sludge of Liquorball (listen to their live lp & then tell me it don't practically piledrive 'Get Stoned 'Ezy' into the mat. You can eat my______). Now he's runnin 'n gunnin w/The Bad Trips & while you might be able to take the man outta the marinade, you can't take the marinade outta the man. All the fuzzophonics & zoned riffage, the flambéd drums & rhythm... it's all there & honed to perfection (as usual). Only difference this time is The Bad Trips ain't layin waste w/sonic torches burnin off the fat of Hawkwind, Pink Fairies or Afflicted Man. No, they's crafted their 2007 blitzkreig to somethin that is extended, but also sharp & edgy. They seemed to've discreetly picked up some different stylings & tunings (just a little) than the smash/mouth action of Monoshock or Liquorball & at 1st I couldn't put my finger on it. But after a few plays it seemed to be that this lp was a perfect distillation between Paul Butterfield Blues Band's' 'East-West' jam & side 2 of 'From Pussies To Death In 10,000 Years Of Freak Out' by Flower Travellin Band. Grady 'n Jeff Grimes is like Mike Bloomfield 'n Hideki Ishima leadin messrs. Bob Anderson & Gordon Roberts (also known as 'the rest of the story') through statically charged parallelograms of improvised, psycho-gnarlic char.With that knowledge in my bonnet, I just keep listenin to it longer & longer & harder & harder & louder & louder. Rock, hint's of raga, molten leads, magestic rumbles, it's all there, recorded (gloriously) live to two-track & pressed on 180 gram vinyl for 500 willin pups (& pupettes) to have seared into their neck portals. Frankly, I ain't heard an lp anything like it this year & don't expect to. The Bad Trips might effacingly use the name in the pejorative, but the peyote is lethal & the nutmeg's toxic.If I was the snakes & coyotes out there in the desert surroundin their compund, I'd take'em seriously & keep my distance. The Bad Trips bite back & they got the pelts 'n rattlers to prove it. Go here; http://www.thebadtrips.com/ & see what I mean.

By The Way, Which One's Pink?.....Pink Reason Tour Dates, April 2007!

Here are some up coming tour dates for Pink Reason, who will def. be lookin to shake the cobwebs loose in these shotgun shacks out there in Midwesternville. The LP version of 'Cleaning The Mirror' (pictured above, LTD.ED pf 500) is now available ppd. 15$ (US/Canada only) from Siltbreeze.Overseas add 12$ for air post. Paypal to; sltrx@pil.net
Also, a repress of the debut Pink Reason 7" is (possibly still) available via Criminal IQ Records; http://www.criminaliq.com/
Or try; http://www.s-srecords.com/ & http://www.midheaven.com/




4/12: Chicago, IN @ Mr City w/ Indian Jewelry
4/13: Lafayette, IN @ Downtown Records w/ The Willowz & AZ (early ALL AGES show - 6pm)
4/13: West Lafayette, IN @ Pete's w/ Indian Jewelry (late show 21+ - 10pm)
4/14: Grand Rapids, MI @ DAAC w/ Indian Jewelry, Saffron Bloods, Brenmar & Tin Pigeons
4/15: Columbus, OH @ TBA w/ Psychedelic Horseshit
4/16: Cleveland, OH @ Tower 2012 w/ The Pages & Jerk
4/17: Cincinatti, OH @ Junior Gallery w/ USA Crypt

Revenge Of The Alophen Baby.....Little Claw's 'Moss Has Fangs' LP

I'd never claim to be the sharpest arrow in the quiver, which is my way of sayin it's taken me this long (arms spread WIDE) to get on board w/Ypsilanti Records. I recently recieved a small parcel of recordings from the label & they's all tip top. Who'd have figured! I mean no offense, but that's a pretty silly name for a town, let alone takin it on for somethin else. I been there before, it ain't a bad place-the all night chili dog stand was key- but I'd always figured it was a destination where old golfers who'd lost their edge on the putting green went to cry & retire. But silly me, it ain't called YIPsilanti (whuuuuuu?), it's IPsilanti (the y is pronounced as an i), which is a whole 'nother horse of a different shade. Now that the history/phonics lesson is over, let me tell you's the standouts I recieved was a 12" from Genders (great dub meets Cab Voltaire), a Odd Clouds album (terrific post Poobah's/Pasedena art-noise whoosh) & the latest title offered up, this mini lp from a band called Little Claw.
Now like I said, this is new to me, so if this here record is a year or so old, so be it. I ain't never heard nor seen it before & I reckon there many among you's what can make a similar claim. Since all the releases seem to come w/handmade covers, labels, inserts & pretty colored vinyls, I'd bet the runs on any of'em ain't more than a few hundred. The distro on it is exclusive to Carrot Top (for all you stores out there) but the fella what's the mastermind, one Fred Thomas, can be contacted direct but let's not put the cart before the horse just yet. This Little Claw record needs a spot of props 1st.
Since they's on tour & w/a couple of other records to be released imminently, I figured I'd single them out for some solid bunk. They's got an awesome sonic caul that immediately recalls a simmering crockpot've wafting aroma's as diverse as Raincoats, Royal Trux, maybe a hint of 13/13, def. a touch of X/Pressway damage, you know, all the right ingredients. But what overpowered my sense's more than any of them was a similarity to an updated, more menacing take on Sheer Smegma (aka Teddy & The Frat Girls), minus the yuks but every ounce the vitriol & unapologetic swagger. Occasionally atonal, often meandering, jaggedly rocking, Little Claw's got a great gust've gristle throbbing blabber 'n smoke behind'em. A summer tour w/them, Los Llamarada & Pink Reason would not be the worst thing that could happen to this planet. Calling all curators! Who you gotta blow to make this dream a responsibility? Ho-ho, I'm so sure, but then, you never know. In the meantime, don't wait for nothin, check out this Little Claw lp 'cause it is one goose that is really cooked.

(distributed via; http://www.carrottoprecords.com/ contact the label at www.myspace.com/ypsilantirecords & the band at; www.myspace.com/littleclaw)

Check'em out live in SF tonight, 8pm at the Hemlock & later at the Peacock Lounge (w/Sic Alps)!

Now Batting For Pee-Wee Wanninger....Times New Viking On Tour With Yo La Tengo!

A stunned Times New Viking (left) recieving the phonecall this past weekend informing them they were to replace Wally Pipp (scratch that, David Kilgour) as support on an upcoming Yo La Tengo tour starting....TONIGHT!

Apr 5 2007 8:00P> tipitina's w/ yo la tengo new orleans, Louisiana

> Apr 6 2007 8:00P> warehouse live w/ yo la tengo houston, Texas>

Apr 7 2007 8:00P> stubb's w/ yo la tengo austin, Texas>

Apr 8 2007 8:00P> granada theatre w/ yo la tengo dallas, Texas>

Apr 10 2007 8:00P> cain's ballroom w/ yo la tengo tulsa, Oklahoma>

Apr 11 2007 8:00P> granada w/ yo la tengo lawrence, Kansas>

Apr 12 2007 8:00P> the pageant w/ yo la tengo st. louis, Missouri>

Apr 13 2007 8:00P> vogue w/ yo la tengo indianapolis, Indiana>

Apr 14 2007 8:00P> barrymore w/ yo la tengo madison, Wisconsin>

Apr 16 2007 8:00P> southgate house w/ yo la tengo newport, Kentucky>

Apr 17 2007 8:00P> beachland ballroom w/ yo la tengo cleveland, Ohio>

Apr 18 2007 8:00P> majestic theatre w/ yo la tengo detroit, Michigan>

Apr 20 2007 9:00P> connie's ric rac w/king of siam, car commercials, psychedelic horseshit > philadelphia, Pennsylvania>

Apr 21 2007 9:30P> pa's somerville/boston, Massachusetts

Apr 22 2007 9:30P> luna lounge w/blues control, psychedelic horseshit, NYC, Ny

Apr 28 2007 9:45P> skylab columbus, Ohio>

Apr 29 2007 9:00P> skullys columbus, Ohio>

There's No Wolfgang Dauner In The Free Charm Scene.....The Enchanting World Of Moran Tape Label

When Peter King opened his lathe cut pressin plant in Geraldine, NZ (sometime mid 90''s) it was akin to an underground GOLD RUSH as had ever been experienced. Suddenly a bonanza of ltd. ed. pressings were known (or rumored) on the landscape, both in mini or micro editions & of course, a collector's frenzy followed. The music come in all manner of styles & I heard there was a couple gent's what have come to own pretty near every one what's ever been released. I wonder if ol' Pete was privy to hearin every gem what rolled off his press. If so, I'd imagine them ears damaged beyond repair or at least not bein able to tell the difference between the ding of a dime or a dollar anymore. And if he held on to one copy of each pressing, he's got a superior mother lode, one to rival the bounty of Dinty Moore & Darth Vallor COMBINED.Nowadays there's other cutter's of lathe what's got into the game & I believe they reside here in the US, but there's some that still swear by the founder of the fad & is willing to postally circumnavigate the globe to have the Geraldine mark of excellence stamped upon their offerings & one of those loyal is Clark Griffin at Moran Tape Label.
My first encounter w/them was in late 2005. I recieved a box've goods ostensibly as a press packet for the Sea Donkeys who was lookin for a show here. It come from some place in New York called MTL which I was unfamilar with. Upon openin I come to behold a few beautifully crafted cassette boxsets & a handscreened lp jacket that housed a 12" lathe cut. Naturally I went for the "vinyl" straight away & what jumped outta them speakers was exhilaratin. The thing opened w/ a raw,reed shreddin blast of saxaphone that conjured up the spirit of every free/fire blower from Ayler to Abe to Flaherty. And as them lathe's have notoriously thin cut grooves, the crudophonic quality gave it a tar-caked feral sheen. What's more, layered on top of the horn was a series of clunky cut/splice tape shenanigans that was adorably inept yet staggeringly apropos. The name of the band/record was Pigeons II & it didn't take long to realize they was takin a (duck) stab at the aorta of Neu Weird Counterfeiters while also stressin a bridge between Rova & Smegma that had yet to be spanned. The cassettes was even more ample in their zonked goodness & while I didn't know what any of it had to do w/Sea Donkeys, I really didn't give a shit either. Course I come to find out the two Pigeons-Wednesday & Clark-was part of the SD cast & blahblahblah, but that's talk enough about birds 'n asses. Let's jaw for a while about this new set've lathe's that MTL has on the table. You might find your interest's piqued.
Basically what's doin is Clark has gone & run off a set of seven 8" lathe's & housed'em all in superior, one-of-a-kind handmade jackets. They's like books for your ears or something. They's also like custom made shrines or sound sculptures. Hand bound, stitched, woven, painted, decorated, poached, fried & scrambled,I dunno how to appropriately convey the uniqueness of'em w/o soundin simp. And the music's just as indescribably covetable too. Once you get your hands on some copies you'll know what I mean. In the series is; Sea Donkeys, Enos Slaughter, Zashiki-Warashi, The Gentiles, Katerina Tunicata, Pigeons & Little Howlin Wolf. As I am privy to all titles, it's hard to imagine how any one would hold up w/o the others in tow: the ambience, assemblage, creaks, croaks, strains 'n strums while independent is also united. Imagine if them Blorp Essette or Recommended Records sampler LP's had been individual records to have, hold & hear. That's basically what's you got workin w/this set've beauties. If any one was to stand out from the rest I reckon it'd be Sea Donkey's whose contribution to the cause sounds like Elephant's Memory stuck backstage at a Tull concert (circa '73) not by mistake but on a DARE. Hey, I'd be fired up too!
So yeah, I guess if you's is the type to count them releases on Ralph, LAFMS, Recommended or M-Squared as the cream of your crop, an investment in the goings on at Moran Tape Label is a MUST. Listen, laugh, learn...oh what a joyous series this is to behold! And when you ain't got'em on the turntable they'll brighten up a bookshelf or display counter like a roomful've daisies. Just lookin at'em will put a smile on yr face. And the merest thought of balancin'em on your head makes posture perfect. Is there anything they can't do? Find out for yourself, go to http://www.morantapelabel.com/ & see what's available. There's only 40 of each & the clock is tickin.

And while I'm at it, it's openin day, so.....

GO PHILS!

(www.phillies.mlb.com)