Twittering Machines

anbb
mimikry

Alva Noto (Carsten Nicolai), Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), Veruschka on the cover (from her self-portrait series titled “Wallstreet Spider”) and on voice inside, how could I possibly not buy this record? Opening with an impossibly extended version of Blixa’s manic tea kettle on the boil scream/hiss which is chopped, cut and mixed with his speaking and singing and sounds from alva noto until it all becomes pure sound, anbb takes up prime real estate in one of my favorite darker alleys.

Carefully and lovingly produced and released in September 2010 on Raster-Norton (alva noto’s label), Mimikry is the product of a shared approach, a kinship which sounds itself out in each cut on this double 45rpm gatefold set. Everything here is pared down to a bare minimum, stripped bare, laid barren and reassembled to flower in your head. Fucking Lovely. Alva Noto electronics and effects, Blixa vocals (no guitar), Veruschka voice on “katze”, and violin, violas and cello on a few tracks. Includes a poster insert by Blixa.

The boys also include two covers (am I ever happy about that) “one” (is the loneliest number but comes off so off-handed you can’t help but laugh and/or shudder) and the traditional folk song “I Wish I Was a Mole In The Ground“. You can think of the latter as a beautiful Blue Velvet moment where Blixa’s voice over throbbing electric pulse highlights the twisted (and true) nature of the original tune:

I wish l was a mole in the ground

Yes, I wish I was a mole in the ground:
‘F I’se a mole in the ground, I’d root that mountain down,
And I wish I was a mole in the ground.

Oh, Kimpy wants a nine-dollar shawl.
Yes, Kimpy wants a nine-dollar shawl;
When I come o’er the hill with a forty-dollar bill,
‘Tis “Baby, where you been so long?”

I been in the pen so long.
Yes, I been in the pen so long;
l been in the pen with the rough and rowdy men.
‘Tis “Baby, where you been so long?”

I don’t like a railroad man.
No, l don’t like a railroad man;
‘Cause a railroad man they’ll kill you when he can,
And drink up your blood like wine.

I wish I was a lizard in the spring.
Yes, l wish I was a lizard in the spring;
‘F I’se a lizard in the spring, I’d hear my darlin’ sing,
An’ I wish l was a lizard in the spring.

Come, Kimpy, let your hair roll down.
Kimpy let your hair roll down;
Let your hair roll down and your bangs curl around,
Oh, Kimpy, let your hair roll down.

l wish I was a mole in the ground.
Yes, I wish I was a mole in the ground:
‘F I’se a mole in the ground, I’d root that mountain down,
An’ I wish I was a mole in the ground.

$20.00 from the Black Keys Store (or put your own together for a few bucks)

Stuck for a Halloween costume? The Black Keys got your face with this nifty kit. I suppose some of us could do the anti-Black Keys kit by removing same.

Remembering is the next best thing to being there.

What’s remarkable about Sierra Nevada’s 30th Anniversary Series of beers isn’t only how they taste or how they’re made. It’s about who made them. I sampled the fine Pioneer’s Stout called Fritz & Ken’s Ale which was brewed by none other than Fritz Maytag of Anchor Brewing Company (pause) yes the makers of Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada’s competitor. It appears that some people in the craft brewing business, like Fritz and Ken, understand a thing or two about a love of craft over a love of insular myopic product profit-mongering.

How delightfully un-American. I vote for Fritz AND Ken. Bravo & cheers!

soviet france (zoviet france/$OVIET:FRANCE:/:zoviet*france)
untitled (Hessian)

12″ 45rpm recording from December 1981 and released on Red Rhino in 1982 wrapped in a screen printed burlap sack. This is the boys and girl and makers of  noise 2nd LP and they really let loose, cracking a nearly side-long joke repeating “bring in cheese” “bring in sheaves” [note: thanks to 'Peter Jensen' for the correction, see: comments] until it becomes a ritual chant, deteriorates into laughter and then restarts with “take out cheese sheaves [ibid.]“. This record is less electronically induced and more sparse, less densely layered than their later offerings with only hazy hints of faraway sounds which makes it sort of lovely.

You could make the case that this screen printed hessian bag perfectly mirrors the musical mix within which includes sampled eastern ritual, electronic funk, squalls, storms and found-object clatter. Finding art in our ordinary and increasingly noisy and culturally mashed up everyday. I know I would.

Zoviet France on this record is Lisa Hale, Peter Jensen, Ben Ponton & Robin Storey. Cover artwork concept & design by Lisa Hale. Label artwork by Ben Ponton.

There are 3 LP versions of this record – the first and second on Red Rhino the difference being the first has a hand-screened cover (and a slightly different mix but I’ve never been able to compare the two since I’ve only owned one copy at a time) whereas the 2nd released in 1985 went with a commercial screen-printing process as did the 1990 release on Charrm Records.

“Extraordinary crimes against the people, and the state, have to be avenged by agents extraordinary. Two such people are John Steed, top professional, and his partner Emma Peel, talented amateur. Otherwise known as
The Avengers.”

As a youngster I also noted how extraordinary crime fighting could be when the talented amateur wore a leather jump suit and kicked ass. The Avengers British TV Series ran from 1961 – 1969. It first hit the US airways in 1965 which also coincided with the exit of Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale (aka Pussy Galore in Goldfinger) and the entrance of Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. Word has it Ms. Peel got her name while the writers were brainstorming their new characters’ assets and “man appeal” was to be a main ingredient.

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Pandit Pran Nath
Earth Groove: The Voice of Cosmic India

“Every breath have a different feeling, so this is the meaning of raga.” Pandit Pran Nath

Originally released on Douglas Records in 1968, Earth Groove: The Voice of Cosmic India was to unleash a quiet meditative storm into American music thanks in part to La Monte Young and Marianne Zazeela who, upon hearing this record, convinced Pandit Pran Nath to leave his native India and come to the US to teach his Kirana vocal music style/tradition of North India. Pran Nath’s students included Young, Zazeela, Terry Riley, Charlemagne Palestine, Henry Flynt, Jon Hassell, Don Cherry, Lee Konitz, Yoshi Wada, and Rhys Chatham.

This record consists of side-long morning and evening ragas with Pandit Pran Nath’s classical masterly studied improvised vocalized good vibrations backed by sitar and tabla serving up a genuine undiluted helping of music in the service of the intangible.

Side A: Raga Bhupali
Side B: Raga Asvari

An unofficial ‘gray area’ Mississippi Records release from 2008.

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Richie Havens
Mixed Bag

Released in 1967 on Verve Forecast, Mixed Bag hit Billboard’s pop and jazz charts (I bet it was in the mix). This was Havens’ third record, the first two appeared on Douglas Records, and here there are two Havens-penned tracks, “Adam” and “Three Day Eternity” and also the war protest tune “Handsome Johnny” which Havens co-wrote with none other than Lou Gossett of hard-assed drill sergeant fame (steers & queers).

Richie Havens taught himself to play his open-tuned guitar and along with his deep resonant voice I’m reminded of Eastern drone and the meditative quality of hovering around that open center. This reference is most overt on “Adam” (a lovely song) which includes tasteful touches of tabla. The remaining songs are covers and even Haven’s treatment of classics like “Just Like a Woman”, “Elanor-Rigby” and Jesse Fuller’s “San Francisco Bay Blues” come across convincingly re-made when run through the Havens’ flavorizer (his Woodstock performance of “Freedom” is so powerful I can never not think about it when I think about Richie Havens).

The drummer on this record is one Bill LaVorgna and I’m actually not certain if this one is my first cousin once-removed or the other drummer Bill LaVorgna that played with Sinatra and Liza Minelli. I’m tempted to believe its the former so I will.

Jackie McLean
Jackie McLean & Co.

1957 starring Jackie McLean – alto sax, Bill Hardman – trumpet, Mal Waldron – piano, Doug Watkins – bass, Arthur Taylor – drums and Introducing Ray Draper & Tuba. Recording by Van Gelder.

John Lenwood Jackie McLean was born into music – his father John Sr. played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw’s orchestra, his stepfather owned a record store and his neighbors included Monk, Bud Powell and Charlie Parker (and heroin). While probably better known for his solo records on Blue Note (1959-1967), his earlier playing on Prestige like this one can be a blast (I also discovered later last evening, this is also dance music).

As the title and cover claim, this record is also notable for the appearance of 16-year-old tube player Ray Draper. Ray blows his heart out on three tracks, “Minor Dream”, “Help” (I knew I heard that Beatles song before) and “Flickers”. That last tune is a Mal Waldron composition who’s referred to as “Head” ‘idea man’ in Ira Gitler’s liner notes. Overall, the playing is full of blues-tinged hard-drivin’ energy even on the slower Mal-ballads.

Jackie McLean was also a busy sideman in the ’50s playing with Miles, Art Blakey, Gene Ammons, Mal Waldron and Donald Byrd to name just a few. I suppose his most notorious stint was on Mingus’ Pithecanthropus Erectus when Mingus’ temper and fist punched McLean so Jackie pulled a knife in self defense but thought better of using it. He went and played with Art Blakey instead (I’ve read other versions of this story where the stabbing actually took place but I prefer this less violent re-telling). I’ve see Jackie McLean’s sound referred to as “having a slightly sharp pitch” and here I’d have to agree – at times McLean reaches so deep and high he comes out of tune.

The only other thing I have to say about this record is that during Ray Draper’s more challenging solos and where he’s matching McLean note for note you can nearly feel the physical demands of blowing jazz tuba (now that’s! a horn). I also can’t help but recall this line from Woody Allen’s stand up days, “And, my family is musical, you should know that, my father used to play the tuba as a young man, he tried to play the tuba, he tried to play “Flight of the Bumblebee”, and blew his liver out through the horn.”

Cu-bao – The Taino word for “where fertile land is abundant” or “a great place”

I read somewhere that some cigar maker, I seem to recall it being Christian Eiroa of Camacho, saying something to effect of “To me, a cigar tastes like tobacco.” He was commenting on cigar reviewers and their use of non-tobacco descriptors like leather and kitten fur (I made that last one up) and how for him a cigar tasted like tobacco. And I thought, that’s refreshing.

Cubao cigars are from EO Brands (Espinoza y Ortega)/United Tobacco who also make the “601 Series”. I’ve had the Blue box-pressed maduro and Green habano osuro and enjoyed the later’s spicy kick. The other thing these EO Brands cigars have in common is Jose Don “Pepin” Garcia. Garcia is not only responsible for the Cubao blend, he also manufacturers Cubao exclusively for EO Brands in Esteli, Nicaragua. Master blender Garcia must be one of the busiest men in cigar business. His blending savvy has touched more cigars than Winston Churchill’s ashtray including the Padilla Signature 1932, Tatuaje, San Cristobal as well as his owns lines which are too numerous to name.

EO claims they were shooting for “a truly old world flavor” with Cubao and while I wouldn’t know if they hit their target since I’m not familiar with old world flavor (I’m happy they avoided those extra e‘s), I think it goes a long way toward explaining the presentation which I kinda like. Rusticness.

Comprised of aged Nicaraguan tobaccos topped with a beautifully rich and oily Ecuador Sumatra Oscuro wrapper, Cubao is far from a powerhouse yet its no cream puff. And boy, does it taste like tobacco! The three (or is it four?) Cubao’s I’ve smoked from my very rustic 7-pack sampler box which includes every single size Cubao makes (I love that) has been rich and creamy and oh so dreamy. Tons of flavor too (not to confuse flavor or lack thereof with strength).

I will certainly be getting more Cubao when I decide which size I like best but I may have to get another sampler box before I’m certain. And aren’t those pigtailed versions adorable? Can you call a cigar adorable?

News flash: EO Brands has recently merged with Rocky Patel. No news yet on what this means for Cubao or 601.

Another News Flash: You can buy a ten-pack of the Cubao #5 (6.1″ x 50) for $39.50 (normally $80) from Cigars International right now!

Totally brilliant and totally impossible to find. This double 10″ LP makes me oh so happy every time I give it a whirl. Imagine if you will, Fennesz going all Hawaii.

Rayon Hula is one of Mike Cooper’s finest works. Recognised by Prix Ars Electronica in 2005 as a seminal vision of expanded exotica, the record has since gone on to gather a rather substantial cult status. Now over a half a decade since it’s original limited edition release on Hipshot, Room40 makes Rayon Hula widely available for the first time, as an extended and completely re-mastered edition.

A Note From Mike Cooper:

“Rayon Hula is a homage to the Hawaiian cool jazz / exotica musician Arthur Lyman and Ellery Chun creator of the Hawaiian Aloha shirt. This collection is made from samples of some of Arthur Lyman’s records, deconstructed, treated and reconstructed with lap steel guitar and/or electronics played across the top and with the repeating brightly coloured ‘looped’ patterns of my many Hawaiian shirts in mind.

I borrowed this from Room 40 website.  They’ve reissued a remastered and expanded version. CD or DL only.  Sorry folks.  Happy hunting.

For The Love of Vinyl
The Album Art of Hipgnosis

Formed by Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell in London in 1968 (with the addition of Throbbing Gristle’s Peter Christopherson in 1974), Hipgnosis beyond being a very cool name was the design firm behind such classic LP covers as Zepplin’s Houses of the Holy, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, T. Rex’s Electric Warrior, Syd Barrett’s The Madcap Laughs,and billions more including this one:

This book (from 2008 but I didn’t know about it until just now, and why not 12 x 12?) covers their 15 year career with 224 pages of pictures, in-depth studies of over 60 designs, and essays by musicians and fellow designers. Yum.

Shepard Fairey
OBEY Fidelity
Hand Painted Multiple
Silkscreen Collage on Album Cover
Image size: 12 x 12 inches