In my coverage of South American bands, I really haven't been fair to Argentina. I've only ever covered one band: the fantastic Go-Neko! While Chile has gotten three, whole, posts... So here's an Argentine band to compensate.
Invisible played some heavy progressive rock en Español, out of Buenos Aires from 1973-1977. First let's get to the singles.
"La llave del mandala" (The Key to the Mandala), 1974 single
That's actually their 2nd single, but I like it better anyway. Definitely in the proto-hard rock realm of yer Deep Purple's and such.
"Estado de coma" (Coma), 1974 single
[***NSFW VIDEO***] Similarly, but moreso...
Invisible disco completo (1974)
The album sounds quite different than the harder singles - more often proggy & jazzy. And I think they made the right call. Not sure if their heavy boogie-rocking would carry over through a whole LP. Here's a cleaned-up translation from the YouTube description...
Note from Rolling Stone's 100 best albums of rock bands:
After the end of Pescado Rabioso [Rabid Fish] in late 1973, [Luis Alberto] Spinetta formed Invisible with Pomo [Lorenzo] and Machi Rufino Lorenzo (the former from Pappo's Blues), and the following year released his debut LP, with the drawing "Puddle" by M.C. Escher, on the cover. Complex music (composed rhythmic, jazz harmonies) and lyrics influenced by Surrealism and the French Symbolists characterized this first group stage, which shows Spinetta's expansive creativity that would not fit on one record, as evidenced by three singles appearing in the same year: "La llave del mandala", "Elementales leches" and "Viejos ratones del tiempo."
These additional tunes all end up as bonus tracks in various places, but my favorite bonus so far is the "Mandala" B-side.
"Lo que nos ocupa es la conciencia, esa abuela que regula el mundo" (What concerns us is the consciousness, that grandmother that regulates the world), 1974 b-side
RAWK!! Now I want to get that 7" single on vinyl! And possibly the full-length as well...
Like many kids my age, I watched a lot of television before I could drive. And since my pre-licensed days coincided with the early-'80s, that meant that I watched a lot of Mtv (the "M" once stood for 'music').
So this will be a round-up of what I remember liking about early MTV. Before I discovered punk rock, I basically liked the music played on the channel - such as my Top 40 Top 40 Songs of 1982. I definitely enjoyed the free-format where you never knew what to expect next. Except for a few actual shows that I remember being regularly scheduled.
"Punks & Poseurs: A Journey into the L.A. Underground" (1985)
My main weekly favorite was the "Saturday Night Concert" - check out the intro. I don't remember Punks & Poseurs, but I'm really glad that it exists! The Dickies, GBH, Plain Wrap, The Breakouts, Raw power... Wild.
Metal was much more common. I do remember the AC/DC show (with this intro), but I think GnR 1988 was quite a bit after my time. In fact, I'm surprised they were still showing regular live shows that late (might've been a special though).
"Moving in Stereo" live in Houston, 1984
But the one they showed all the time was The Cars at The Summit (Houston TX, 1984). I remember distinctly because it was originally pretty cool to see a show filmed locally, but the charm was lost after the same concert reappeared every third weekend.
Another show I watched pretty regularly was "Basement Tapes," which was a video competition between unsigned local acts' submissions. It always featured some hilarious terribleness and some occasional hidden gems. Honestly, I don't remember many details.
I think there was some audience voting, with some kind of prize either for each show's winner or eventually. Here's someone's blog post about the show. Actually, the first video there includes the show intro, which explains a bit... Monthly finalists!!
Did Screen Test win the final slot? I have to know... nooooo, Friday wins!
"Paranoid" by Black Sabbath (Mtv Closet Classic, 1972)
At first, "Mtv Closet Classics" were really just individual videos for music from before the MTV era - with a special video-tag to make sure no-one confused it with modern music. I mainly remember Sabbath, but this 1986 VHS tracklist will give you a general idea.
Also, apparently by 1987, they had an actual show. Not sure if I was onboard for that, because I just remember surprise treats in the free-form.
Then of course, there was "120 Minutes" (1986-2000). I don't remember JJ Jackson hosting, but I do remember Alan Hunter (still one of the original VJ's) and Kevin Seal - then a bit later, series creator Dave Kendall.
Not too much video evidence of the early days I'm talking about, and I can't find the hilarious Dave Kendall/Jack Officers SXSW interview (or maybe BHS), so here's Ween in 1995.
Looks like there's a few there that I could pick up. I really highly recommend Persistent repetition of phrases (2009) - missing out on the vinyl release for that's a darn shame... for me.
So, I haven't been able to find "All Tangled Up" from Woodsman (#2, 2011) either. Until I did.
It's a live version, but all 4 of those March 2012 tracks are downloadable! There's also a January 2012 live recording of "Oneina" on Woodsman's Soundcloud.
Strangely enough, at one point I had a planned overview of Transmission #13 from one week before. But I could just never make the post work right. I'd suggest downloading both, and possibly others. It was this Altered Zones post that kept haunting me into attempting the #13 article.
Might have to check out what Cullman, AL, is all about. But for now, let's stick with the music. I don't think I've heard of a single one of these performers, and we're talking Space Music from the American Deep South. Should be an adventure...
Unus Mundus - raw psychedelic space jams from from Athens, GA. As with many of these groups, it took awhile to track down any leads - and some I never found anything. These guys have the Bandcamp (bio + 2 albums), Facebook (active), Soundcloud (with some free downloads), MySpace, and some Aural Innovations reviews.
"Babblepoint" from Echobeast EP (2005)
Echobeast - Atlantean psych-guitar jams (that's Atlanta, GA, mind). They've got Cosmic Jam Live from Dec 2011, and a homemade video for "Ballroom." First band I know to use The Internet Archive for their vids, but they also have the Echobeast EP (The Movie) available for download. Mainly I've found their MySpace page and a YouTube channel.
One Eyed Bishops - very possibly the only band ever to cover both the Velvet Underground and Uriah Heep - at the same show no less! Hailing from Columbus, NJ. Interesting historical official website. The Bishops folks also double up as the Hawkwind cover band Sloterdijk (Dutch name due to Holland origins).
The Maple Key - from Cullman, AL itself! This might also be them playing live, but I haven't been able to nail down too many details. Progressive metal, yeah?
Jellyfish - Kind doubt it's either the '90s band, or the Visual Kei group above... but maybe? If the Christian gothbangers & Indonesian boy-band are both playing, I will be there.
Nixon for Xmas - Literally no idea... That is, until I found this video while investigating Lysteria (below): "Jamming with Nixon," which is just generally a great name for a song.
"Star Harvesters" from Leaving the Earth Behind (2008)
Vessels of the Divine - they're "an ambient doom metal band from Cullman, Alabama. Our influences..." Then the cached preview text gets cut off!
Brother Cloud & The Scarecrow - more doom (folk) from Cullman! I really like that one, I think the most of any bands so far. And with tags like Neurosis, Tribes of Neurot, Steve von Till and Rwake, you can't go wrong. 2 more: "No Souls" and "Dig It on the Hill." (Those together seem like a single, if only conceptually...) We got Facebook and MySpace too.
Dreamwind - "electronic ambient band from Birmingham, Alabama." Mellow new-age drift... Stream & download samples from their official site.
"Holy Ground" - Directed & edited by Allen Welty-Green
This guy's name has come up quite a few places I've been looking around. Here's your portal into that strange world.
"Perelendra" by Hart Deer
Hart Deer / Dark Night of the Soul will be performing. After looking around a bit, I'm not sure what to think. I believe... that I might be missing something. I mean... I just don't... Anyway, here's his website.
Oasirubric - electronic-techno from Rocket City FurMeet 2012! (I will spare you the details.)
From this other poster and the con's Facebook, here are some more possible performers:
"Black Death" live at JC Arena, Cullman, AL (02/25/2012)
Bonejackal - instrumental psychedelic Sabbath-y space classic-rock, it would appear. I'm surprised we haven't seen more local bands with Bandcamp. And of course both Facebook and MySpace. They also have some live videos on YouTube.
"Giger's Locomotive" video (2006)
High Pink Clouds - really pretty cool ambient electronicals outta Louisiana or maybe Jackson, Mississippi. There's another video for a more recent song, "Indigo Noise" (2011). Lots more that I haven't explored on their YouTube channel.
Now I just have to verify that it's the famous Indonesian Jellyfish and the apocalyptic Revelation X of St. John of Patmos, make some travel reservations, and get my Space Rock (c)On!
I'm really liking this "full album" thing on YouTube (made possible by the lifting of the 10-min limit on videos). Not sure how long it will last.
Tarot Disc 1, by Walter Wegmüller (1973)
So, here's all of Tarot, one of Julian Cope's Top 50 Albums from his book Krautrocksampler (1995). Music by the Ash Ra Tempel / Cosmic Jokers contingent (#6, 1973). The singer was some sort of Swiss hippie prophet or something like that.
Tarot Disc 2, by Walter Wegmüller (1973)
Each track has a Tarot card theme (in German), and seer Walter Wegmüller even designed a complete psychedelic Tarot deck to go with the album. Check out some of his art!
Okay, I'm off now - blog's on auto-pilot from here on...
Gradually moving through the artists/tracks from the Lee Jackson in Space benefit compilation (2012).
Song #4 is by Stone Breath - also maybe known as Breathe Stone, Crow Tongue, Black Happy Day, The Spectral Light & Moonshine Firefly Snakeoil Jamboree, etc...
The Astral Research department indicates they're from Maryland (and/or Pennsylvania), active since circa 1995 timeframe. I definitely get the sense of a loose collective that works together, then takes a break, then reunites again. I believe these are: an interview, a Facebook page and a MySpace link, respectively.
Songs of Moonlight and Rain (1997) by Stone Breath
Appears to be the first ever release on the Camera Obscura label (CAM 001CD). Sounds like some mellow, ancient psych-folk - back to the roots, the deep gnarled physical roots in the earth. Someone(s) thought enough of these tunes to put them up special: "Perched Upon the Temple Bell, the Butterfly Sleeps" and "Willowisp."
"The Rainbow Gilded Leaves of Autumn" from A Silver Thread to Weave the Seasons (1998)
"Wasp-Sting, Thorn, and Arrowhead" from The Silver Skein Unwound (2003)
More string pluckings and haunting vocals. I get the impression that the available videos are from their 'bigger' albums, and that they have tons of smaller-run releases that you'd have to dig for. Couple o' more from here: "Bless the Lily, Bless the Rose" and the "Last Lost Love Song."
I'm assuming that explains the gap from 2003-2011, despite featured releases such as comeback album The Shepherdess and the Bone-White Bird (with The Forest Beggars, 2009), the Knotwork rarities collection (2008), plus a few CDr's here & there.
"Scorpion Tears" from The Ætheric Lamp (2011)
Dark Holler Arts calls it "expansive Middle Eastern influenced sounds ... Intricate and driving - half composed and half improvised - tense and intense - beautiful and terrifying." Also contains "The Coming Fires" if'n yer so inclined.
"In the Garden of Ghostflowers" from Twist of Thorn (2012)
That cassette (also with "Blood Winter") is one of two so far for 2012.
The other is The Night Birds Psalm ...and Other Songs We Sung Beneath the Silver Web, which "is the third chapter in Stone Breath’s silver thread (following 1998’s A Silver Thread to Weave the Seasons and 2001’s The Silver Skein Unwound)." I found this 5/5 review - from the same website that did the interview linked way up there. Full circle!
