New Grails is righteous!! It's called Deep Politics, and you should grab it now if you haven't already. Three-sided double-vinyl with an artistically etched 4th is superbad. But it's all about the music, yeah?
I like one of the YouTube commenters description of Grails as "ambiental deep psych oriental folk prog." With this one, they've added some Teo Macero cut-and-paste soundtrack-jazz - check this out!! I was a little worried by the mellowness of the Black Tar Prophecies, Vol. 4 EP (#19, 2010) - but this one brings it all and more.
And the videos... Here's a couple by Emil Amos (drummer), and a few others with more than just the album cover sitting there. Some videos might be *NSFW*, depending on where you work...
Named after the American [TV] drama series, "loosely based on the life of Herbert Philbrick, a Boston advertising executive who infiltrated the U.S. Communist Party on behalf of the FBI in the 1940s" (naturally).
Maybe I should just perma-link to Pitchfork's kinda-new sister site, Altered Zones. It's pretty informative and generous, if you like that kinda stuff. In this case, various types of electronics - krauty, Italo Disco, and library/ambient mix (respectively).
Somebody put up the A-side of this 12", which is downloadable from the link.
And here's the B-side to complete the set. Purchase the vinyl at Juno... New Zombi LP is already out, and I'll be posting on it somewhat soon-ish. (I got the "canary yellow" vinyl!)
I'd started this post quite awhile ago, but comp's still up - and four-plus hours at $15, it's a complete steal. Quite the introduction to a a bunch of heavy-hitters (and some personal faves), and a wide range of weirdo genres: electronics, guitar, minimalism, drone, some noise, even a little "rock" music.
Something(s) along the lines of this...
"Cassiopeia" by Grouper, from Benefit for the Recovery of Japan (2011)
Part One:
1. Fennesz: "Fearless" 2. Helado Negro: "Cabeza Bella" 3. Stephan Mathieu: "(Excerpt from) The Floating World" 4. School of Seven Bells: "Midnight Sun" 5. Lawrence English: "Hotaru" 6. Noveller: "Darkheart" 7. Zeena Parkins: "The Letter"
"Camptown Races" From the Great American Songbook (#8, 2008)
8. Tom Carter (of Charalambides): "Mended" 9. Akron/Family: "Deep Kazoo" 10. The Ex: "Cold Weather Is Back" 11. Shinji Masuko (of Boredoms/DMBQ): "Botsuon" 12. Oneohtrix Point Never (#39, 2010): "The Inside World" 13. Tokimonsta: "Sound Caves" 14. Joshua Abrams: "Jackdaws" 15. Keith Fullerton Whitman: "Anzac #3"
20. Jefre Cantu-Ledesma (of The Alps, #4 of 2010): "Moon in a Dewdrop" 21. D. Charles Speer: "Steel Infant"
"Night of the Archon" from West Winds (2010)
22. Evan Caminiti (of Barn Owl #11 of 2010): "Blue Veil" 23. Blackshaw, Wood, Wood & Tomlinson (James Blackshaw & Hush Arbors): "Are You Alright? (Chump Change)" 24. Nat Baldwin (of Dirty Projectors): "In the Hollows" 25. Chris Forsyth & Shawn Edward Hansen: "Dirty Pool Blues"
"All I Want Is Calm" from Give It Up (2009)
26. Zelienople: "Stone Faced About It" 27. Elm (Jon Porras of Barn Owl #11 of 2010): "Diamond Dust" 28. Lobisomem: "Kusha" 29. Stabbing Eastwood (Tunde Adebimpe & Ryan Sawyer): "Thundersnow Mountain" 30. Alan Licht & Greg Malcolm: "Natasha Utting Reporting" 31. Scott Tuma: "To: Hasty" 32. Rhys Chatham: "Prayer for the People of Fukushima"
"Guitar Trio (G3) Part 2 (Finale)" by Rhys Chatham
Part Two:
33. Prefuse 73: "The Only Climactic Dissonant Hums"
"The Class of 73 Bells" from Preparations (2007)
34. Growing: "Untitled" 35. James Plotkin (of Khanate): "Broken '96" 36. Totem Test: "Pulse Prayer for Japan" 37. Marcus Schmickler (of Pluramon): "2.71828 Up"
38. Tim Hecker: "Hatred of Music (Double Gate Mix)"
39. Sylvain Chauveau: "Colours in Darkness" 40. Bear In Heaven: "The Days We Have" 41. Spires That In The Sunset Rise with Michael Zerang: "Collision Theory" 42. C. Spencer Yeh: "Solo Violin March 13th 2011" 43. Lau Nau: "Oi Kuolema" 44. Oren Ambarchi (#10, 2004): "Merely A Portmanteau"
And we're back!! With a new computer, a new internet, and from Austin Psych Fest... Still getting used to the new keyboard, so I'll gear up with a series of mini-posts. Let's start with the Psych Fest.
Got to see Woodsman, a psychedelic quartet from Denver, Colo. According to this Altered Zones artist profile, they used to be two separate guitar/drum duos - then merged into each other. I was turned on to their mix of avant-experimentation, krauty songcraft and spaced-out jammin', by the .mp3's available at that AZ link, this one and that one. Et cetera...
"When The Morning Comes" from Mystery Tape EP (2010)
Check it out! Pretty cool video, song, vibe - right? That's a little more on the experimental side, I guess.
"Serfer" from Rare Forms (2011)
This one was a big hit with the kids at the fest, which was held in a soon-to-be-demolished power plant. A truly awe-inspiring venue!
"Smells Like Purple" from Mystery Tape EP (2010)
But that was the one I liked most. I think... Not sure how many ultra-mega-jam epics they have, and it was kinda hard to follow at the time.
You can expect a few more like this as I gear up for regular posting once more...
Once the epic Immortal / Absu show has come and gone, Texas will see a spectacular run of sweet gigs for awhile, about one show of Astral proportions per month. So, here's an excuse for me to post some cool live performance videos!
Next up is White Hills (the #5 Top Ten write-up is taking forever), March 15th at the Continental Club here in Houston. Looking forward to seeing this band - and finishing up that post! More tour dates here.
"Dead (live)" in Paris, France - March 14, 2010
Then on April 9th, Maserati will return to The Mink on Main (#2 Live Show of 2009)! The drum slot is still being filled by A.E. Paterra (from Zombi), and this should be a barn-burner. Attendance is mandatory! US and Euro tour info here.
"Monoliths (live)" in Chicago, IL - Nov. 17, 2010
Later that month, Austin Psych Fest 4 features: Roky Erickson (#1 Live Show of 2009), Cloudland Canyon, The Black Angels, Dead Meadow, The Quarter After... Oh, plus White Hills (again!) and many, many others.
The Quarter After, live in Sheffield UK - Sept. 24, 2008?
And the preliminary line-up for Free Press Summer Fest just recently came out. WEEN!! That's enough, I say (#2 Live Show of 2010). But there are some other nice surprises - especially glad to see locals Linus Pauling Quartet nab a slot.
"The Final Alarm (live)" in Portland, OR - Jan. 26, 2011
Sometimes Ween will play it safe with their festival sets. Here's hoping they'll really brown it up for something lower profile than Bonnaroo or whatever. January 2011 setlists were mind-blowing for the most part.
Full for-future-reference Austin Psych Fest line-up (so far) - in order of my psychedness or interest in exploring:
With the recent chilly weather (for Houston) and upcoming Immortal / Absu show in San Antonio (2 weeks!), I thought I'd put together some of my grim and mythological favorites from each. Plus learning the new software has been rough - even MS Paint??
"All Shall Fall" from All Shall Fall (2009)
The title track of the last Immortal studio album and apparent set opener, this video was just put up on Immortal's YouTube in September. As with all Immortal videos, it's equal parts ridiculous and sublime. I just hope Demonaz does a mountaintop spoken-word cameo at the show! I've been digging the stuff I've heard from this record - also check out "Hordes to War" and "Norden on Fire."
"One by One" from Sons of Northern Darkness (2002)
This is the first Immortal song I ever heard, on a Nuclear Blast compilation - not that long ago actually. From the last album before they took an extended hiatus, and Abbath went to play in Bömbers, a Mötorhead tribute band! Other great tunes from SOND would be "Antarctica" and of course "In My Kingdom Cold"... maybe you're picking up on a theme here.
"Solarfall" from At the Heart of Winter (1999)
Maybe my most favorite Immortal tune. There doesn't seem to be a consensus "best" Immortal album, but At the Heart of Winter is a definite contender for me. It's the first after Demonaz had to retire from playing, and also contains the classic "Withstand the Fall of Time."
"Blashyrkh (Mighty Ravendark)" from Battles in the North (1995)
The notorious and infamous "Blashyrkh" video - love it!! Battles is another obvious contender, and also provided the "Grim and Frostbitten Kingdoms" video. It's weird to see Hellhammer in that one, although he was playing drums live with them at the time. He seems really out of place with his non-corpse paint make-up and poofy pirate shirt.
"Pure Holocaust" from Pure Holocaust (1993)
Immortal's second full-length boasted super necro production values and almost unending blastbeats and tremolo-picking. So basically your classic of 2nd wave Black Metal classics. The title track has it for diversity, but the ultimate is probably "A Sign for the Norse Hordes to Ride."
And so what about Absu? They're opening this Immortal US mini-tour, and I couldn't be happier! Definitely Texas' finest Black-ish metal band, although more on the thrashened side. I'll go backwards, same for them...
"Night Fire Canonization" from Absu (2009)
So many to choose from on the most recent, self-titled Absu. Like Immortal, this was their triumphant return after a long break (up). I thought it was the #2 Non-Top 10 Metal release of 2009. If just starting with Absu, I'd suggest both "Amy" and "Girra's Temple." Seriously looking forward to this opening slot!
"Manannán" from In The Eyes of Ioldanach EP (1998)
That one was re-recorded and improved for Tara. This EP also features the awesome (and awesomely-named) "Never Blow Out the Eastern Candle."
"Highland Tyrant Attack" from The Third Storm of Cythraul (1997)
I've never been able to find this album, but that song shows up all over the place. And because it's about leather and swords, they like to call this one "Swords and Leather!" Thrash. It. Up.
"The Thrice Is Greatest To Ninnigal" from Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (1993)
For the final one, I could have gone with something from The Sun of Tiphareth (1995), but I love that song title. Also, the full name of this release is Barathrum: Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultul Lapidem. Hahaha!!
As I guessed, per Steve Moore's tumblr, "Artwork by Jeremy Schmidt." Who is Sinoia Caves (co-#8, 2006) and keyboards for Black Mountain (#10, 2008) - he did both those covers, and Zombi's Spirit Animal (2009) too!!
Escape Velocity sees ZOMBI return to their roots, using synth, and drums to create stirring melodies and moving cadences. Whereas earlier efforts found the band entrenched in Italian horror scores, Escape Velocity finds Zombi continuing their exploration of famed Italian record producer Giorgio Moroder and legendary Kraut Rock icons Neu and Harmonia. The sweeping synth sequences and pulsing rhythms are sometimes dancey, sometimes reflective, but always hypnotic under the watchful eye of this distinguished duo. Escape Velocity's five ethereal tracks are simply put, celestial music for other worlds.
BOOM! The only reason I haven't pre-ordered is to wait on possible special vinyl edition, but this is now locked in at the top of my list.
