Review: Gone - Pong (2014)

Wow. First post of the new year, and I believe my first review ever! I thought I'd have to really dig down & describe a bunch of tunes, but looks like SoundCloud's gonna bail me out.

Just recently got to catch one of my main favorites, Pong (#3 of 2010, #1 of 2005) here in Houston again, for the first time since those #1 Live Shows of 2010. The occasion was releasing an all-new studio album, Gone, on Saustex Media. Buy the LP or CD from them here, get the CD or MP3 from Amazon, or AAC format on iTunes.



"Still Here" [live 2012], from Gone (2014)

That opening track started cropping up on live YouTubes awhile back, at least 2012 as shown there. "Still Here" kicks up a ruckus & kicks off some kind of general overall theme: being here or there, wanting to be elsewhere, going or being gone, a longing nostalgia / time travel... perhaps even survival. "They may be gone, but we are all still here." Experience the studio version via Pong SoundCloud.




My personal pick to click, "Livin in the Future" does best that relatively laid-back Pong mid-tempo stroke. Fits in a lot without goin' totally nuts (see next), catchy as hell from the beats on up. Various nice guitar parts that build to a funky blowout. That's a really well-constructed pop song there!




Uncork the nuttiness now. This one goes back at least to that 2010 Cactus in-store, when they were releasing the previous album. "Fish Sauce" is brewed from like The B-52's, Devo... I dunno, Mr. Bungle or maybe Fishbone (dat skankin' bass). Also, Gilligan's Island, Tootsie Pops, maybe Nilsson even? So much guitar texture: crinkly rippling, ersatz island slack-key, Morse Code. And the theme reappears.



"Electronic Friend" from Gone (2014)

I'm gonna back up a bit to the 2nd track. As explained over at Blurt Online, it's about a free iPad. And there's an official video.

Okay, cool.




I don't think Pong has ever done anything like "Sleepwalker" before - so normal-ish, like in a sincere Ween mode. A sleepy longing vibe, until... the wake-up? So Shane basically likes to get hit everywhere but the face? Ow! "Being dumb could be a virtue. OH NO!"




Whoa, new girl Kerri Atwood (only 5 years!) gets a full-fledged lead vocal - very nice. Like the song, like the driving momentum, love the breakdown. Frame it! Bury it! Walk twenty paces away!

"Lyman" is the drummer of Pong.




And "The Spot" finishes up the album. Kind of smoldering for awhile, it builds & builds, moving forward, but with lots of subtly ranging accompaniment (the music part). Solid wrap-up, good record!

Given that we're talking Pong, my range of reactions was limited and predictable. But I'm really happy with this one already.

Enjoy!!

Up In Flames - Manitoba/Caribou (#1, 2003)

All references to Manitoba are explained by this ridiculous lawsuit and the resulting name change. The next couple of Caribou albums (#4, 2007 and the Krauty one) were good & quite different music.

I saw Manitoba on this tour, with many of these videos projected behind the live band. I remember it being great, but I remain frustrated that I cannot remember who the headliner was. I believe all of the official videos are contained on the Marino DVD+EP release (2005).

Also in general, Manitoba/Caribou is/was one individual guy (except live): Ontarian of Canadia Dan Snaith.



"I've Lived on a Dirt Road All My Life" from Up In Flames (2003)

Analogous to a lot of '60s pop, especially Brian Wilson (Teenage Symphonies to God & palette) and Phil Spector (Wall of Sound & drumbreaks). Even the pastoral interludes that would have been experimental nature field recordings way-back-when, but are handled electronically here.

Inserting relevant YouTube comments. I'm gonna skip the endless arguments about the acceptability of applying the Caribou name to these songs... in YouTube comments!

such a great song--and the video makes it look like they are tripping in the 80s?? its boring -otacon451

"Skunks" from Up In Flames (2003)

The first of a few song titles that are animalses. Later there will come "Bees" and "Hammerheads." Splashy cymbals and freak-out saxophone, maybe a bit o' theremin.

PRETTY sure this song is sampling a Bubble Puppy song. ''A gathering of promises'' -AlabamaManWhore

"Hendrix with KO" from Up In Flames (2003)

Bah bah bah... I think I might have had an album by this Koushik guest star - but I don’t remember connecting him with Manitoba.

THEY'RE ALL TRIPPIN' BALLS. -keith0rz

"Jacknuggeted" from Up In Flames (2003)

The song title makes me think of drugs. I can't tell what the whispered vocals remind me of. Something else.

The insturmental chorus sounds like love feels; beautiful synthesesia:) -dvdgrwtz

Then comes brief interlude "Why the Long Face?"



"Bijoux" from Up In Flames (2003)

It's got kind of a marchy martial feel, and with more blaring (but melodic) sax, I'm thinking of Albert Ayler. Well, except for the electro-tinkling breaks. "Bijoux" and other similar nonsense words also get recycled later on.

alucinante! -etnopinkfloyd

"Twins" from Up In Flames (2003)

I don't think I'd noticed that this song is so short. The power of strum.

Dan Snaith is my god. -drearyleary
These guys are incredible. -MightyDragon
terrible -400millionbillion

Here's a pretty cool unofficial fan-video for "Kid You'll Move Mountains." (no comments)



"Crayon" from Up In Flames (2003)

That's a toy piano, right? That's pretty '60s, right? Yeah, the Koushik album I have is Out My Window (2008).

really? to me it was instant but then again i'm more musically evolved then you..... everybody has always said that about us -Humanshieldchorus00

"Every Time She Turns Round It's Her Birthday" from Up In Flames (2003)

And this ties it all together and brings us home. I think the whispering vocals also reminds me of Mercury Rev - Dingus Donahue's, not David Baker's.

I don't wanna kick off any further legal proceedings, but this one could be included in some sound-a-like song-pairs internet listicle - right beside one of my favorite indie-noise-pop hits. Hmmm....

I'm glad I didn't take that LSD before watching this. -BigPapaSmurfy

Genre - Neo-Retro Electro-Indie-Pop
Official - caribou.fm/
Myspace - myspace.com/cariboumanitoba
Location - Dundas, Ontario

Review - Stylus Magazine
Download - Amazon, iTunes (w/ bonus)
Purchase - Amazon

Desert Sessions 09 & 10 (06, '03)

Since Queens of the Stone Age have just announced some 2014 tour dates, I guess I could re-start the 2003 countdown. These are the last two EP's of Josh Homme & associates' Desert Sessions project. PJ Harvey features prominently, and a buncha Dean Ween, plus all the regulars.

Here's both EP's in full.



"Crawl Home" from I See You Hearin' Me (2003)

As with so much that happened before the last few weeks, I don't remember this. Official Desert Sessions videos in 2003? Where did they even play?



"I Wanna Make It Wit Chu" [live] from I See You Hearin' Me (2003)

Live promotional appearances?! A few years later, this track would appear officially on a proper Queens of the Stone Age release, Era Vulgaris (2007).



This one's got some convoluted credits, but other than the original studio "Make It Wit Chu," Deaner appears mostly on Vol. 10: I Heart Disco, the final chapter


"In My Head... or Something" from I Heart Disco (2003)

And much like that tune, QOTSA later recycled "In My Head" for Lullabies to Paralyze (2005). There's a lot of different stuff going on all over the place... I'm just hittin' the highlights here.



"Subcutaneous Phat" from I Heart Disco (2003)

Like, see how different that one is that the previous "Creosote?" Diversity!

And yet another thing that I'd never heard of was the "Crawl Home" single, with exclusive B-sides. PJ Harvey cover: "The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore" (7")... and a Prince cover: "It" (CD). Glad I have the blog to make me learn things!

If you're into Queens of the Stone Age & the like, the rest of those people involved here are basically 'the rest of those people': Dave Catching, Twiggy Ramirez, Alain Johannes, Troy van Leeuwen, Chris Goss, Josh Freese, and Joey Castillo.

Genre - Hangin' out & Messin' around...
Official - desertsessions.com/
Myspace - myspace.com/desertsessions
Location - Joshua Tree, Calif.

Review - Ultimate Guitar
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - Amazon

Bend Beyond - Woods (#9, 2012)

As always, I have very little of interest to say about Woods' music. I like it, think it's good. I know decent, law-abiding people that can't stands 'em. O well...



"Cali in a Cup" from Bend Beyond (2012)

Judging by the video exposure (which escaped me), I guess there was a pretty big push to make this record happen. Not sure how it went, but that would be nice.

Another good tune would be "Is It Honest?"



"It Ain't Easy" from Bend Beyond (2012)

I guess I could say that Woods have pretty consistently cleaned things up since Songs of Shame (2009). They can still let things rip (especially live), but have trended more towards an easier vibe overall.

But not always: "Find Them Empty."



"Size Meets the Sound" from Bend Beyond (2012)

Y'know, maybe I took Woods for granted last year... underestimated them... maybe #9 is too low. Or maybe all these official videos are working on me? It's happening.

Kinda classic: "Impossible Sky."



"Bend Beyond" [live] from Bend Beyond (2012)

And there's the sprawled-out live jam of that tune. I think you can select from all the videos of that 2012 outdoor show here. Okay, and here's the studio title track.

Genre - Psych-Folk-Pop
Official - woodsist.com/
Myspace - myspace.com/woodsfamilyband
Location - Brooklyn, New York City, NY

Review - Tiny Mix Tapes
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - Amazon [& on vinyl]

Octopus Projector

I saw this new record at End of an Ear in Austin a couple of weeks back, but hadn't heard any of the tunes. Pretty cool, yeah?



"Sharpteeth" by Octopus Project, from Fever Forms (2013)

I think the only real Octopus Project I've covered so far is the Thunderbeam game Soundtrack (#10 of 2012's Top Ten Archival / Re-releases / Soundtracks / Compilations / Live / Misc...).



"Whitby" by Octopus Project, from Fever Forms (2013)

Lo-fi stop-motion origami-mation?

I swear I discovered Octopus Project opening for Pong years ago. Not like Brian Epstein discovered, just 'learned about.'



"Stereoscopic Trailer #2" for Fever Forms (2013)

And check out #1.

Plus there's a free download of the song "Perhap" right here.

Of course there was a limited edition with sold-out 3-D Viewmaster + reel! Here's where you order.

HaHa Sound - Broadcast (#7, 2003)

I really just don't have much to say these days, I suppose.

I was introduced to Broadcast super-late, with ... and The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age (#6 Drone/Ambient, 2009) - which I've enjoyed a lot. HaHa Sound is a terrific album of radiophonic experimental pop, with some folkish nods, and even a little Stereolabic krautiness.

As promised, here are some excellent external YouTube videos for most of the album - Broadcast fans make the effort!



"Colour Me In" from Haha Sound (2003)

Do I have a track-by-track gimmick? Not yet I don't!

Uhhh, I'm sure I've done this before... But since I'm posting user-content videos, how about user-submitted lyrical interpretation? At least until they run dry.

Per SongMeanings.net:

It is the living, subconscious dream of perfection that we all have, be it a person, a beautiful place, a meaning, or state of being. We need to set the ideal, and set out to find it.

"Pendulum" from Haha Sound (2003)

A common SongMeanings take:

This song is about tripping.

"Before We Begin" from Haha Sound (2003)

Socratic debate over at SongMeanings:

is it about making love?
I think it's more about coming back into a relationship

Strangely enough, this theory doesn't show up nearly as much as you'd imagine. Might say something about lyric freaks - I dunno, I just listen to the sounds, man.



"Valerie" from Haha Sound (2003)

Factual trivia à la SongMeanings take:

This song is on the Skins soundtrack and is a cover of the theme from the Czech film "Valerie and her Week of Wonders" but with English words.

"Man Is Not A Bird" from Haha Sound (2003)

Only lyrics at SongMeanings-dot-net:

The sky is faint, their tears remain
In me the rain has stopped falling
The fading light, walls barely white
In me the night has stopped calling

I will not lament with the sky
No longer feel night on the inside

Here in this room, no more a tomb
Thoughts of you conclude without ending
Caution will keep, worries still speak
Fewer the leaves are descending

I will not lament with the sky
No longer feel night on the inside

Here in this room, no more a tomb
Thoughts of you conclude without ending

The lonely distance and time
The only tears falling outside
I will not lament with the sky
No longer feel night on the inside

The lonely distance and time
The only tears falling outside

Probably about tripping...



"Minim" from Haha Sound (2003)

The grammar lessons of SongMeanings:

Very close. "Ändern" is in the infinitive (with poetic gapped "sich", )so a better translation is probably "Man and wind are quick to change."

I guess that's how they punctuate & parenthesize in German, huh?



"Lunch Hour Pops" from Haha Sound (2003)

Pretty sure this is some SongMeanings.net drug code:

This song is so, so cute!! Love her voice ...

Haha, nice try! "Black Umbrellas" is instrumental.



"Ominous Cloud" from Haha Sound (2003)

Only lyrics at SongMeanings... Despite fleeting moments of true liberty and happiness, the horizon is often darkened by potential misfortune, and you must learn when to prepare for the inevitable & when to celebrate the good times as long as possible.

Rhythmic interlude: "Distorsion"

I believe that "Oh How I Miss You" represents an effort by the speaker to communicate just how much she misses the object of the song ("you").



"The Little Bell" from Haha Sound (2003)

Acclamation via SongMeanings:

I absolutely love the analogies here. Broadcast is amazing

I was somehow expecting a lot of in-depth analysis from Broadcast fans, like the extra effort on some of the videos.



"Winter Now" from Haha Sound (2003)

Truly.

Rest in Peace

And someone made their video for "Hawk" private, and there are no comments over at SongMeanings - so great job! If you've got Spotify, try here. Otherwise:

Sow the seeds
Of everything to be
Safe in sleep
I winter in my dreams

Speak your words
Define your grief for me
Out of reach
Some things just can not be

Now is the winter of our beautiful bummer...

Genre - Hauntological Art-Pop
Official/Myspace - myspace.com/broadcastuk
Location - Birmingham, UK

Review - Treble Zine
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - Amazon

The 3-Dimensional In-Popcycle Dream - The Pillbugs (#8, 2003)

I gotta move on with these Top 10 from 2003. Repeat offenders all over again: #4, 2004 and #4, 2008. Many more groovy hits from the prodigious, beloved, late, lamented retro-pop ensemble. 1960s fetishism without all the laziness.

Straight outta Ohio!



"Heather (Whatever)" from The 3-Dimensional... (2003)

It gets a little more difficult (and pointless) to go on & on about some great album, when you can just stream the whole thing yourself - but that's my job. The Pillbugs made a handful of official videos, and that's one right there. Organ rattles, tambourine & handclaps, drum breaks, so forth and so on...



"Red Light Summer" from The 3-D I-P Dream (2003)

Mellow grooviness, nice little tune, animated in the style of Yellow Submarine (#6, 1969). Or as much as possible.

O yeah, this CD also came with an actual set of red/blue 3-D glasses! I think I've owned about twenty of those over my life, and this is probably the only ones left standing.



"Charlie Blue Car" from The 3-D I-P Dream (2003)

As always, I'm left with a couple of Pillbugs albums that I need to pick up - I think Buzz for Aldrin (2007) should be next. What else? Here's a label commercial with some Warholian SFX. And unofficial slideshow vid for another good track, "Liberty Town of Love."

This in-studio look shows the recording on a great one, "Girl on a Laser Beam." Free download?! Might be time for another MP3 comp.

Genre - Retro Psych-Pop
Official/Myspace - myspace.com/thepillbugs
Location - Toledo, OH

Review - Psyche Music
Download - Pillbugs Bandcamp, Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - Proverus

Now Is The Time When We Dance

I think this was all prompted by that crazy, ersatz-retro Space Disco commercial for McDonald's Hamburger Shoppe. I dunno...



"Inpector Norse" by Todd Terje, from It's The Arps EP (2012)

Heard nothing about this DJ / song all year, until like the last month... then it seemed like everyone was talking about it.

I would like to see that documentary in full.




"Brillar" by Pegasvs, from Pegasvs (2012)

I voted for GOAT (#1, 2012) as Best Rock & Breakthrough Artist in the Rober Awards poll - looks like they won the polls, but not the awards! Anyway, I found this group under Best Hispanic Artist category (Spain).

Just found a more recent video from them.



"Affection" by Crystal Castles, from (III) (2012)

Wow, I don't even know enough to pick a 3rd one to round it out. Guess I will go with the apparent winner of Best Electronica poll: Crystal Castles?

Okay, that's not really dance music. So I actually looked around for anything more appropriate, and... I just... what?! Whatever I found was some of the worst stuff I'd ever heard in years. I don't even... Wow.

Benevolent Yule Tidings

I've done these for Hallowe'en and Thanksgiving, but totally forgot that I'd done one last Christmas!



"White Christmas (live)" by The Flaming Lips, from The Soft Bulletin tour (1999)

I caught this tour in Houston the following April 7th. I don't recall any special Tax Day covers, but a strong show all around (especially as a trio). O yeah, and it was in some small metal club in South Houston.

Obviously, with the Lips I could have picked any number of holiday cheer options: "Christmas at the Zoo," "Little Drummer Boy," a whole secret Christmas album (2007), "A Change at Christmas (Say It Isn't So)," "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" (w/ Sean Ono Lennon), "Silent Night," "It's Christmas Time Again" (really anything at all from the Christmas on Mars film, 2008), "What A Wonderful World," "Miracle on 42nd Street," et cetera... And that's not even touching on the many random Jesus songs.

[Edit: HA! Immediately after posting, I see on the Flaming Lips Facebook feed: "Here's the newly discovered Imagene Peise track, Christmas Kindness Song. Love." ... posted 15 mins ago.]



"Please, Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)" by John Denver, from Rocky Mountain Christmas (1975)

Project Grimm played this song on Friday, wearing these creepy Christmas luchador masks. It was a bit more rockin' version...

The opening act covered Mariah Carey for some reason. Irony, I'm thinkin'.



"Troika/Romance" by Sergei Prokofiev, from the score for Lieutenant Kijé (1934)

Here's some 20th-century classical music from Prokofiev. You can watch the Soviet film at Archive.org.

I know that piece has been used in tons of winter movies, but I just read about Free Design's song "Kije's Ouija." Groovy! It's Love and Death (1975) I was thinking of - hilarious film.

Øyvind, Øyvind, All the way Holm

Resuming the series of single-track artist profiles from the awesome For Lee Jackson in Space benefit comp (2012)...

We're up to #8, some Beatlesque folk-pop from Øyvind Holm!

Once again the name throws me off, making me think of others from the Scandinavian periphery: Øystein Aarseth (Euronymous of Mayhem), maybe Ólafur Arnalds, and even a little bit of Eyvind Kang (#8, 2007).




Holm is indeed Norwegian, working out of Trondheimfjord, pretty consistently since the late '90s, usually with some kind of steady band. From what I have gathered, the earliest of these groups was Dipsomaniacs (1997-2003). I certainly don't associate Norway with heavy drinking... Hahaha! Yes I do.

Couldn't find anything from their first two records - Bumble-bee Eyes (1997) and Reverb No Hollowness (1998). But here are some live stuff from a 2009 reunion show.



"Nothing Is For Keeps" from Braid of Knees (1999)

Kind of a classic pyschededelic drone-pop thing there - the sort of stuff I'm generally predisposed towards... if not exactly my bread & butter. Pretty similar on "Bring Flowers to the Courthouse" from Stethoscopic Notion (2001). Then along came The Tremolo of Her Mind... The Strings of Her Soul (2002).

I'm liking these album titles!



"Read My Mind (And Tell Me)" from Praying Winter (2003)

Time enough for another quick one - and then I'm moving on to Deleted Waveform Gatherings (2004-2011).



"Emily Barratt's Dead" from Complicated View (2006)

The ship? Probably doesn't matter... What's the over/under for my using some combination of: jangle, drone, psych, pop, '60s? I'll shoot for the under, but it's difficult - what with "Tiger Rider" from Baby Warfare (2008).



"Hate Waiting in Line" from Ghost, She Said (2009)

Ever so slightly a bit more rockin', as is "Shaman’s Tambourine." An earlier solo version of "This House" appeared on Trip Inside This House's Summer Solstice 2008 free-mix.

Deleted Waveform Gatherings have released as recently as 2011's Pretty Escape, with the more elegaic "Another One of Those." Albums available (along with free .MP3's) from Rainbow Quartz Records.

Then you have Øyvind Holm solo, which seems to be only two records. Last Judgement (2001) appears lost to the mists of time.



"Salt-Mutated Summer Breeze" from The Vanishing Act (2005)

And then another one a few years later. He's still diggin' that Vox Phaser too... The only other tune I found was "Sunday Church Bells Chime."

And much more recently, Holm's been involved in a few duos. Ryanbanden (with Øyvind Ryan & others), Sugarfoot (with Hogne Galåen), and something with Ulf Risnes (from the band Three Small Chinese People).

Okay, that's all I've got for now. To be continued...

Hey, Ladies

I'm-a do a few posts on some 2012 releases that you might see cluttering up other Year-End lists (but not mine) - thematically linked. These will be about records I don't know, but might hold some interest for someone out there.

According to Pitchfork, Julia Holter has a new Fleetwood Mac cover out, on some Mojo (UK mag) free mix-CD. This comes not too long after Just Tell Me That You Want Me, a tribute album with: MGMT, J & Lee, Best Coast, 'Bonnie' Billy and Billy Gibbons, The Entrance Band, and others...



"Gold Dust Woman" by Julia Holter, from Rumours Revisited: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac's Classic 1977 Album (Mojo, 2012)

A little bit ago, her album Tragedy was Boomkat's overall #1 of 2011. Which confused me somewhat when there was just recently a new official video for "Goddess Eyes..."



"Goddess Eyes I" by Julia Holter, from Ekstasis (2012)

That's because she's got a bigger, newer album out this year. Still, that song - or near enough - also appeared on Vol. 7 of the blog's comps (***new download link***).

[Update: Adhoc.fm brings new news of an official "Goddess Eyes II" video.]

All of which, for some reason, just made me think of Grimes...



"Oblivion" by Grimes, from Visions (2012)

Now I don't group all the electronic ladies together, and even I really don't see enough similarities to link these two specifically. Someone explain it to me!

Where Holter is influenced by an array of experimental and eccentric music from the 1960s and 1970s – her voice sometimes sound uncannily like a young, less maternal Vashti Bunyan – Boucher seems primarily predisposed towards 1980s and 1990s pop (in addition to being one of the few Western artists to have absorbed the influence of contemporary Korean pop music), filtering her pop star fascinations (Madonna and Mariah Carey) through the same experimental impulse that guides Holter.

Ah, okay.



"Genesis" by Grimes, from Visions (2012)

Or maybe because that video came out around the same time as the "Goddess Eyes I" one?



"The Drummer" by Niki & The Dove, from Instinct (2012)

Besides... when you're talking electro-Fleetwood, I think it's almost mandatory to include Niki & The Dove. I think I also mentioned MGMT there at the beginning too, right?

The Giving of Thanks

This was so fun when we did it for Hallowe'en, let's do it again...

Happy (U.S.) Thanksgiving!



"Turkeey" by Ed Hall, from Love Poke Here (1990)

I never quite figured out why there are cat noises on a song called "Turkeey" [sic]... Ed Hall reuniting this weekend in Austin - so maybe I'll ask them. I expect to be talkin' about this album soon enough.



"Milking the Turkey Jam" by Grateful Dead, live at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA (live rehearsal, 3/21/1975)

Or "Stronger Than Dirt," per the Blues for Allah album (1975). Jazzy, jammy holidays. David Crosby in session apparently.

No, not "Cold Turkey"... Can't find "Turkey Shoot"... No Sandler, nor that recent click-bait crap... Wow, what else is there?



"Ağlarsa Anam Ağlar" by Üç Hür-El, from 7" single (1973)

Yeah, because Anatolian garage-prog psych comes from Turkey! As usual, I'm thankful to Beyond the Wizards Sleeve for this one.

That was harder than expected...

Too late, I realized my mistake: I was focusing too much on the main dish. Where were the songs by The Cranberries? ... using green-bean casserole as a metaphor? ... on the Cornucopia [image above]?



"Thank You, Friends" by Big Star, from Third (1978)

Who needs a jazzy, jammy, Grateful holiday when you could have a sneering, sarcastic Thanksgiving? In the spirit of the season!



"Run to the Hills" by Iron Maiden, from The Number of the Beast (1982)

And/or??

Not sure if advertisements and Vevo are going to make or break YouTube - not cool...

Hallowe'en

Happy Devil's Night!!

To get you in the mood for tomorrow, here's a bunch of tunes with the word "Halloween" in the title. It's pretty basic...



"Halloween" by Sonic Youth, from Bad Moon Rising (1985)

That's the first track on the upcoming '85 live album from Sonic Youth (#1, 1987 and #2, 1988). Spooky!



"Halloween on the Barbary Coast" by The Flaming Lips, live in Norman, OK - 10/31/1993

Live on Halloween in their OU backyard, with an all-new smokin' line-up. Studio version, if you prefer.



"Halloween Theme - Main Title" by John Carpenter, from Halloween: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1978)

Uh, yeah... of course.

Live version from Goblin keyboardist Claudio Simonetti's more recent band Daemonia.



"Halloween" by The Misfits, from 7" single (1981)

The '80s, punk rock, horror, Halloween? I can dig it!



"(Every Day Is) Halloween" by Ministry, from 12" single (1984)

O, why not? So silly...



Demon Angel: A Day and Night with Roky Erickson

Bonus video! (Halloween Night 1984)

Seeing Skip Spence

It looks like the only times I've ever mentioned Alexander "Skip" Spence was talking about covers or comparisons. So today will be his day!

Picture comes from this William Gibson packet. Thanks!

Skip played drums for Jefferson Airplane on their debut album, and then got one of his songs on Surrealistic Pillow (1967) - without even appearing on it.



"Omaha" from Moby Grape (1967)

As many drummers do, Spence decided to be a guitarist... one of three in Moby Grape, a terrific late-'60s SF psych-pop rock band. He only wrote a couple of tunes on their debut, but one was the band's most famous song, "Omaha." His other song was "Indifference."



"Just like Gene Autry: A Foxtrot" from Wow/Grape Jam (1968)

Skip Spence contributed more to their next record. Some of his songs were more rockin', more dramatic, or more country... but none was as weird as "Gene Autry."

As explained on that YouTube:

"Just Like Gene Autry: A Foxtrot" is a 1920's-era sounding dance number complete with a cameo spoken introduction by Arthur Godfrey himself, who also happens to play ukelele and banjo on the number. As if this tune isn't odd enough, the original vinyl on Columbia mastered this one track at 78 rpm rather than the typical 33-1/3 rpm as the rest of the album is pressed at. An announcement precedes the track "reminding everyone to kindly get up and change your turntable to 78, thank you!" after which there is a lock-groove that stops the needle from playing any further until you pick it up and place it on the next track.

During the making of the album, Spence freaked out on acid and apparently chopped down a hotel door of another band member.

"Save me" indeed.



"War in Peace" from Oar (1969)

After Skip got out of the psych ward (not psychedelic), he took his ideas, bought a motorcycle with his record advance, drove down to Nashville, and recorded Oar all by himself. It's a harrowing but incredible minimalist doom-folk album. For some reason, "Little Hands" seems to pull the most attention, but pretty much the whole album's excellent.



"Grey/Afro" from Oar (1969)

The unprecendented final jam. And other than some re-issues and compilations, I kinda thought that's where it ended. But I happened to notice that Skip had actually participated in some later Moby Grape output down the years.



"Chinese Song" from 20 Granite Creek (1971)

So that's a Skip Spence song on a Grape album that Skip actually played on. Looks like he also played on 1978's Live Grape, where they included 1 total Spence tune (and it wasn't "Omaha" either).

It's too bad how things worked out for Skip, but he made some fine music during his burning-bright youth.

Sun and Shade - Woods (#7, 2011)

I'm gonna have to hurry to finish last year's Top 10 before this year's gets posted!

Woods's previous album was #6 of 2010, and they've already put out the next one - pretty good as well. Before the films last month, I had posted the Woods Story So Far history.

I don't think I'll discuss all 12 tracks from Sun and Shade here. Lots of good songs, but I think you'll get the idea without complete overkill.



"Pushing Onlys" from Sun and Shade (2011)

I thought this was the designated 'big hit,' but there's no official video? (Not a Woods specialty to be sure...) Catchy, jangly, sunny folk-rock - well, I like it plenty. They do throw in a twinge of weird, some sonic warble, but not enough to be disturbing... which can be enough.



"Any Other Day" from Sun and Shade (2011)

But the second song gets that video? Kinda odd stylistically though, seems to me.



"Out of the Eye" from Sun and Shade (2011)

Most of the tunes are shorter like those first couple, and then you get a couple of extended jams. Like the kraut-y, Neu!esque "Out of the Eye" (still available on the free APF5 mixtape) - and also an Español-language semi-'title' track: the spaghetti-western sprawl of "Sol y Sombra."



"To Have in the Home" from Sun and Shade (2011)

I'm just throwing out a couple more. I think I picked that one just based on the visual effort from the videographer.

No secret messages!



"Who Do I Think I Am?" from Sun and Shade (2011)

I do like that song especially - with the melody & rhythm & the really nice vibe. But who do I think I am anyway?

Genre - Folky Psych-Pop
Official - woodsist.com/
Myspace - myspace.com/woodsfamilyband
Location - Brooklyn, NYC

Review - Paste Magazine
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - Woods

The Story So Far: Woods #7

Woods are a Brooklyn folk-psych-pop band of recent vintage. I haven't delved too far into their back catalogue... until now. Next Woods post should be the #7 of 2011 write-up, for Sun and Shade.



So I discovered Woods opening for Dungen (#4 Live Show, 2009) - by which I don't mean that they were unknowns and I signed them to a record contract. And much more recently they played a great set at this year's Austin Psych Fest.



"Kids Got Heart" from How To Survive In / In The Woods (2005)

I believe I have this album on back order from Rough Trade. One of those deals where they had it on their webstore, but not actually in stock. Ugh... I'm calling it 2005 (2xC20 cassette), but there seems to have been a 2006 CD release, and then the big one in 2007...

Visuals from Jean-Luc Godard's Charlotte et Véronique, ou Tous les garçons s'appellent Patrick (All the Boys Are Called Patrick, 1959). "Holes" is a good Woods tune. I would normally be turned off by "Make Time for Kitty" as an introduction, so maybe just skip it.



"Blood on the Sand" from Ram single (2006)

First 7"! Hip!! The background vocals are a little different than usual.



"Don't Pass on Me / Keep It On" from At Rear House (2007)

But overall, what am I gonna say? It doesn't sound like they went through various stylistic phases, or significant growth from crappy new act to later greatness. They seem to have always done kinda noisy, sorta lo-fi, catchy tuneful acoustic folky songs, with high-pitched and divisive vocals. I like it, but I'm comfortable with others not. Rear House is a real place, Woods' home studio. Couple more from here: the dirgier "Be Still" and the mellow "Ring Me to Sleep."

Kooky album cover, though...



"End to End" from Woods Family Creeps (2008)

Official video! Getting closer to the known universe... Someone made some YouTube found-film vids for "Creeps Collage" and "Howling on Howling" too. Album sounds a little more ghostly and disembodied.



"To Clean" from Songs of Shame (2009)

More official!! And here's where I enter the picture, or Woods enters my picture... I can support anything from Songs of Shame to nowadays as a good starting or continuing point for the Woods. Here's a cool video of "Rain On [live]" that I think I might have posted before. Big loose jam called "September with Pete!"



"The Dark" - B-side of "Sunlit" single (2009)

Someone did a video art project with this song. I couldn't find the A-side to see if it was significantly better - a mystery for later!

Next came At Echo Lake, 2010's #6 Record...



Although last year's full-length was my #7, I did miss a couple of things. Apparently, there was a Kurt Vile Summer Tour split (with "Skull" and "Cold Blue") and the "Find Them Empty" single (which I might have bought & forgot). It will be on the upcoming record out later next month though!