The Big Chief with remixed art.
Yowza! I have emerged from the man-cave after battle with the ‘Chief’. Definitely one avant jazz scarcity (one site referred to it as a “sick collector’s item since long before ebay …”) that I never thought I’d ever get to hear let alone own. Mastered by Mike King of Canada’s own Reel Recordings fame.
Cheers to the folks at Eremite.
Marissa Nadler
Ballads of Living and Dying
Recently re-released on the new LP-only label Mexican Summer in a limited edition of 1,000, Marissa Nadler’s first record is simply somber goodness. Her voice ripe and rife with emotion that carries you off to quiet cold places.
Great little record with a cool cover. Although not so well known, Cerri is a super guitarist who made this tight little record (back in 1959) with these earnest looking gentlemen. Originally issued on Columbia, this flash reissue comes courtesy of the folks at DIW in Japan. I managed to grab mine from Dusty Groove.
Vietato Fumare? Me thinks not!
Susanna
Flower of Evil
I was on the fence ’till it began to hurt. Susanna (formerly with the Magical Orchestra) has released her 2nd solo LP of cover tunes on Rune Grammofon and it’s…interesting. My guess is this is destined to be an audiophile classic all close mic’d ‘n warm ‘n breathy.
Maybe it was Susanna wringing Lou Reed’s Vicious through her sadness machine that sent me over adoration’s edge. On 2nd thought it was the Baudelaire title that kills this one for me in its utter pretentiousness at something more than a formulaic rehashing of great songs that even Bonnie “Prince” Billy couldn’t resuscitate with his two duets.
If they weren’t great songs to begin with my guess is no one would care to sniff Susanna’s flowers; she leans so longingly and heavily on the lyric they begin to stink like funerals. The worst part is they’re so nice to listen to like some unhealthy addiction. Evil flowers.
Sonny Sharrock
Black Woman
I thougt I’d posted this already, I must have. No? Sonny Sharrock’s 1969 madhouse masterpiece with Sonny’s ripping free jazz guitar, Dave Burrell piano, Norris Jones bass , Ted Daniel trumpet, !!! Milford Graves !!! on drums and Linda Sharrock screaming. Another beautiful frenzied frenetic moment captured. Reissued by 4 Men With Beards.
Rainbow Arabia
Omar K / Let Them Dance 7″
Punk world music? Punk funk thrown into a Middle Eastern stew pumped out by husband and wife team Danny and Tiffany Preston from L.A. Why not. Danny (husband) cites label Sublime Frequencies as a source for his interest in Arabic music. I bought the 7″ (on green vinyl!) direct from Merok records in the UK and it’s just great. Fun, wild, funky exotica. Can’t wait for the full-length LP.
The Peter Brotzmann Octet
Machine Gun
Recorded in 1968 this is one totally brutally bitchin some say seminal record. Originally sold as a cassette (if anyone has an original please don’t tell me), FMP/Free Music Production put out the LP in 1972. Peter Brotzmann, Evan Parker, Willem Breuker, Fred Van Hove, Peter Kowald, Buschi Niebergall, Sven Johansson and Han Bennick. A monster whirlwind angst, anger and ferocious energy gig (I’ve heard it called punk jazz) with some looney melodic snippets (tunes?) thrown in that loses no energy, bite or freshness even at 40+ years of age.
I’ve been waiting/watching for this LP for years and just picked up this mint copy on eBay for $78. Makes the original CD sound like a stuffed starched shirt. fyi – Atavistic Records recently released The Machine Gun Sessions on CD (which isn’t very atavistic at all and strikes me as downright oxymoronish) that includes tracks you can’t get on LP.
Loren Connors
Moon Gone Down
More Loren Connors but still not enough Loren Connors. 2008 7″ The Moon Gone Down has only served to whet my appetite further with its sparse but utterly tasty guitar, bass, metallic clanks, creaky chairs and moonlit howls.
But there’s good news, and the main reason for this post - you can pre-order Loren’s new LP The Curse of Midnight Mary right now!! from Family Vinyard Records. Recorded in 1981 and recently unearthed, Loren went to the Evergreen Cemetery in downtown New Haven one night, sat next to Midnight Mary’s grave, clicked record and played and sang and howled (I don’t really know if he actually howls but I thought it sounded good). Rumor had it that if you stayed by Mary’s grave past Midnight you’d die. Well thankfully, that just ain’t so and this record is living proof!
I ordered mine and you should order yours soon – LP version limited to 100 copies
boo!
I came across this wonderful photo somewhere
The Hospitals
Hairdryer Peace
When I saw that The Hospitals Hairdryer Peace was the #3 Record of the Year in Wire Magazine AND it was self-released, I ordered it immediately.
“Hairdryer Peace serves as a reminder of what a vital force rock music can be when its energy is strapped to a voracious creative imagination.”
I don’t have any immediate references for Hairdryer Peace. Sure, lots of bits and pieces mostly brutal and noise-related with touches, more like glimpses of folkier niceties peaking through only to get drowned out. I have to say I like everything about this band, even their low-fi web site and hand made cover art. It all ‘fits’. And no label rocks.
What a lovely title
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