Hairdryer Peace, 2008

Lately it strikes me that language fails miserably when attempting to describe or muse on Noise/Psych music. From reading blogs and reviews, I can reach no other conclusion. All too often they are filled with cliches like "totally damaged" "psych bombs" "sonic noise fuck-fest" "pure headfuck" etc.

This might well be for the best. After all, psychedelia and the concurrent search for transcendental bliss inherent to noise music, is in many regards a rejection of modernity's adherence to logocentrism, historic linearity, rationalism, and individualism. The more meaningless the terms to describe the experience, the more important actually listening and experiencing is.

And let me be the first to admit, these meaningless cliches don't deter my interest. After being thoroughly inundated, I spend several weeks trying to track down a copy of The Hospitals new garage/noise 'album of the year' Hairdryer Peace, no easy task given that only 500 LPs were self pressed and sold out immediately. Last week I finally located a digital copy. In searching, my favorite description of the record came from a comment left on a blog - "They don't make acid strong enough for these jams. fuckin sick."

LSD or not, this record feels quite special, spectacular in fact. Rather than tell you how "ass blasting" it is, I will forsake language and post a few pictures related to the tracks. The more adventurous among you can obtain a copy HERE.
The Hospitals
A1 Hairdryer Peace
A2 Getting out of Bed
A6 Sour Hawaii
B2 Animals Act Natural
B7 Don't Die

4.25.08 Fuck the Police (J.Dilla)

I'm Beginning to Think There's Hope for the Human Race

Albatross Mating Dance
"After a period of trial and error... the young birds learn the syntax and perfect the dances. This language...involves synchronized performances of various actions such as preening, pointing, calling, bill clacking, staring, and combinations of such behaviors (like the sky-call). When a bird first returns to the colony it will dance with many partners, but after a number of years the number of birds an individual will interact with drops, until one partner is chosen and a pair is formed. They then continue to perfect an individual language that will eventually be unique to that one pair; Having established a pair bond that will last for life."

Mixtape

While having several 'Sportsmans' (aka a can of Black Label Beer and a shot of Evan Williams) at the Levee last week, Mary urged me to post a mix on Muxtape, basically a mix sharing site. (Don't ask me about the 'u') As far as I can tell like most things related to youth, music, and the internet, it mostly houses a lot of unimaginative 'indie' rock, but I thought I would post up anyway.
Given that I can easily spend three days straight obsessing about a mix for someone, I posted an abridged version of a Birthday mix I made for Juliet. Muxtape only accepts MP3s so some hot jams that I only had in MP4 didn't make the cut and it limits you to 12 songs, but I still think it holds up OK. Check It.
*Image courtesy of the talented Victoria Hely-Hutchinson.

Ooohhh Sssnnnaaappp!!!

Trevor Paglen, author of I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to be Destroyed by Me: Emblems from the Pentagon's Black World, on the Colbert Report...

The Psychic Force of Minor Economies

Lizzy was kind enough to share this piece of Texan weirdness with me. In 2001, artists Dog Big, Eva Kasson, Nathan Austin, Rick Perry, Ronnie Bass, & Wes Martin (collectively the Fast House) staged The Pricemaster, a mock Yard Sale in Denton, Texas. Selling average yard sale items, the 'pricemaster' determines the price upon request, which is always thousands of dollars or more.

If you only watch one obscure Texas art video/performance today, watch this one!

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Are You Leaving for the Country?

Kindling and I watched Sean Penn's Into the Wild on Sunday night. I didn't have especially high expectations, no doubt related to a prejudice towards the Eddie Vedder baritone-y soundtrack, but I was quite pleasantly surprised (though not by the soundtrack). The film did a good job of not overly romanticizing the views and life of its subject, Christopher McCandless. It was uplifting but as one can imagine also immensely sad, especially given that he didn't really have to die. Had he been more prepared, i.e. had a compass or a map of the region he easily could of survived.

In one particularly charming scene, McCandless (played by actor and Jeff H. look-a-like Emile Hirsch) is eating an apple and talking to it, telling it how delicious it is. At the end he looks directly into the camera and moves his head right up against the lens, smiling. I really love this non-diegetic moment in such a film, stepping outside the narrative for a moment to remind the viewer that this is just a movie about a real event, that it can't actually convey McCandless reality, but merely poetically meander within the peripheries.

Unlike McCandless, Dick Proenneke thoroughly prepared for and took seriously his decision to live alone in the Alaskan wilderness, which he did for 35 years. At the age of 51 he moved there and built a cabin by hand, all the while capturing his life in journals and with a 16mm camera, which later became the documentary Alone in the Wilderness. Simple and unsentimental, the film is captivating. The full version is an hour but this edited 10 minute version gives a great overview- (Thanks Molly for hipping me to it!)

Trees Community

Our micro-blogosphere has been rightly buzzing with the news of the Ya Ho Wha 13's upcoming visit to NYC in April. K and B both have excellent posts dedicated to the lovely California commune/music group. All the excitement has reminded me of my own favorite 70's collective The Trees Community.
Founded in 1970 in New York City, Trees Community (or Trees as they are often cited) were a Christian musical commune that lived in an abandoned loft while rehearsing and recording in a basement space in St. John the Divine Cathedral. In 1971 they "embarked on a pilgrimage without a destination," traveling from church to church in a converted yellow school bus, spreading the good word and their joyous sounds.
I have a sweet place in my heart for Christian Psychedelic Folk, but their music really transcends that or any other category. Their 1975 album The Christ Tree has some of the most beautiful and sweeping harmonies imaginable, mixed with plenty of haunting free-folk freak outs. On their myspace page they list Balinese Music, Indian Classical Music, Claude Debussy, Terry Riley, and Steve Reich as some of their influences and upon first listen they are all too clear. While they incorporated over 80 instruments from around the world, sitar and harp arrangements figure prominently and to great affect. Rejoice!
PS: Some songs are posted on the myspace page linked above, but for a full copy go HERE

Vision. Creation. Newsun

No frontin', life's sweetest pleasures are the most obvious and simple ones. As such, forgive me for speaking to two of them - Gorgeous weather and the music of the Boredoms.

If you are reading this you are most likely in the New York area and know what an absolutely perfect day it was yesterday; Bright bright sun and clear clear blue skies. While I have been talking about Spring a lot I believe yesterday was the first legitimate Spring day (Today being the second). Totally obvious and totally pleasurable.

Its a rare and special occasion when an entire album perfectly captures the spirit of the day, and yesterday that happened with the Boredoms 1999 album Vision - Creation - Newsun. After going to lunch at Egg with Molly and Julia, and taking a leisurely walk in the sun long enough to have my face feel all warm, putting the record on and pouring over every sound was like swimming in an ocean of shamanic psychedelia with the threat of land nowhere in sight. (Even the album cover, above, captured what yesterday felt like)

Surely the Boredoms aren't obvious in any conventional sense, but singing their praises feels quite vogue given that right now every significant band is so influenced by them (Dan Deacon, Health, Aa, Japanther, et al.). This is no bad thing especially given that to my knowledge it is unprecedented. Totally obvious and totally pleasurable.

While I love the Super Roots series and Super AE, I think Vision - Creation - Newsun is perfection. The record is more accessible and the Amon Duul II and CAN influences really shine through but I think it is really the spatial qualities that I love. Some of the Super Roots series can feel limited in so far as each song is a constant burst of energy. While conceptually thrilling, it falls flat in practice. There is a lot to be said for build up, tension, and release as opposed to just orgasm after orgasm which some of their records can feel like.

Obvious simple ecstasy. Please. Thank you!

Should you want to feel like I do, Peep THIS for a copy.

The Easter Bunny Gave Me a Broken Heart