Every honest comic has acknowledged the influence that Richard Pryor (1940-2005) had on their career. He is the progenitor of our modern humor. There is no way you can listen to this and not see where everyone has been getting their ideas from for the past 30+ years. Did you know that "Bicentennial Nigger" won a Grammy? I didn't. I didn't even know that there was a comedy category.I wonder who had to announce that, "And the winner is... Richard Pryor, Bicentennial Nigger!"/ "Yo, what the fuck did you just call me? I will fuck your ass up, motherfucker!" The material here deals mostly with the old "White folks be like/Black folks be like" observational race humor, but there's enough truth under the surface to keep the jokes from sounding all-out racist or hateful. I'm sure the title will scare away the squeamish, besides. This record was put out a few years before he lit up like a campfire while drinking 151 and free-basing. I'm sure you know all about that, but did you know that he was an animal rights activist? He sure was. I hope you enjoy this fine piece of comedy history as much as I do. [Once again, I did what I could to clean up the clicks/pops and general static. The signal to noise ratio on my set-up is pretty suspect, but I'm fine tuning it.]
San Jose was a fun city to grow up in. I know some people from larger Bay Area cities like to shit all over it, but fuck those dudes. The skate scene was, and is, one of the most creative and fertile ones in the country. Just watch the Enjoi "Bag of Suck" video if you don't believe me. They've also had a great music scene (though lacking in equally great venues) over the years. "Bike for Beers" is an annual underground party where they get about five houses, each with a keg and a band or two, around the downtown area. You start mid-afternoon, and rage/bike till the wee morning hours. The cops are actually pretty chill about it, and usually just stand guard at the front in case of fights or other destructive jackassery. After one of the Bike for Beers, I got to hang out with Dean from Stinky Feet Records at his apt. on Pearl Ave (He's since moved, and I didn't know him well enough to know what he's up to these days. If you know, I'd love to hear.)That's his bathroom the dude is sitting in on the cover. The walls were covered in losing scratch-off lottery tickets. He had an amazing record collection (from which he gave me several items that he had duplicates of), every MST3K episode on tape, and was always down to hang out and drink and talk about punk rock. Dean was a good guy. He was also in at least two kick-ass bands: Idiot Bitch and Preachers That Lied. Today, I'm posting the Idiot Bitch "Loser" 7" for your consideration. Male and female vocals, a little melodic, and fairly intelligent in the lyrics dept. [I apologize for the quality of the rip, I really tried to clean it up without affecting the sound quality of the music. A couple pops in some tracks,still.]
So, I've been ripping from vinyl, and I started you out with a couple 7"s, but I figured I should get to some LP's. Since they are more time consuming, and our time here is so precious(?), I thought I'd make sure that whatever I rip is going to be something you want to hear. So, I thought I'd put a poll up, and see if any victor emerges. It's just one click, and it's anonymous, so vote goddamnit!
Remission have been around, on and off, since '95. I first heard from them on the No Fate Vol II world hardcore comp. (I thought I saw somebody post it, but I just searched it and nobody has an active link. I guess I'll put it up here, sometime soon.) They play vicious, splintering hardcore with the classic screech/scream duel vocal assault. The lyrics mostly deal with the threat technology poses on humanity as we become increasingly more dependent on the silicon teet. Speaking of which: isn't it strange how comfortable we've become with having an electronic two-way communication device with GPS and personal data on our persons at all times? How pissed are you when you can't get a WiFi signal? How many times a day do you log onto a global networking service to let your every action be known? Think about it. Or, don't. Thinking is strenuous. Just relax, it hurts less that way. Well, back to the record - This is a short one, with 6 tracks, each under the two minute mark, but you'll probably end up playing it a second (or possibly third)time through, because it is just pure killer. I have the "Our Days Are Numbered" LP, which I may or may not post at some point. I just saw that Profane Existence released a discography and they have an absolutely amazing deal that you should check out over here. Seriously.
I posted an album by The Rat Bastards before, maybe you got it. Today, I'm posting a rip of the "Contaminated Minds" - 7inch, complete with painstakingly put together scans of the bile green, multi-panel, fold-out cover. These tracks are a bit more raw than the later material, and I gotta say that this was the 7" that really got me hooked on this band. Just perfect, angry, bitter hardcore punk rock from Illinois. As a bonus, I have one extra, one-sided, version of the fold out poster insert (11"X16"). If you want it, tell me something interesting in the comments section. Whoever has the most interesting comment(judged by me, of course - and assuming anyone tries) will, within a couple weeks, receive said poster in the mail. Along with some other bits of worthless junk and ephemera I deem unsentimental enough to part with. Free swag, you dirty scum. Always remember that I will never, ever, always love you.
Alright, here's my first attempt at ripping from vinyl, and it's a good 'en. 320KPS of sloppy sonic love, directed at the hearts and groins of those sultans of sweat and semen, The Fuckboyz. "A Tribute To The Fuckboyz" - 2X7" was released by Farmhouse, Monkey Bite, and Six Weeks back in the mid '90s (95?). There was some discussion of Farmhouse Records and Red #9 in the comments over at Marc's blog, so I figured this was appropriate. Other bands on the comp. are: All You Can Eat, 40% Saline Solution, Wooly Mammoth, Idiot Bitch, Krupted Peasant Farmers, Your Mother, and The Dread (Sorry, it took some effort to scan all of the booklet and get the tracks legit, so I'm not including hot links. Just Google that shit, that's what I do, anyway). Pretty excellent example of what most of the punk coming out of the San Francisco Bay Area sounded like at that time; bouncy bass, raspy vocals, quick drums, good stuff. The booklet has some really good stories from the contributing artists about their love for the FBoyz. Listen to this, then go buy a beer for Aesop, he deserves it.
(Oh, and let me know if you have any suggestions on improving the technique for ripping vinyl. I think this turned out really nice, but you may know something I don't.)
[Post Edit: If you already grabbed this, "Track 04" was corrupted by Mediafire. You can grab just that track, here. I also re-uploaded the complete rip, and replaced the link. Let me know if there are any further issues with it, please."
[Thought I would give Carnie a nod. This is Food on Stoned] A long time ago, The Onion ran this article about a new "Pizza Lovers Pizza". Now, I know The Onion is a satirical paper, but I always held onto the idea of making a pizza with smaller pizzas for toppings. Last night, the neighbors came down and we set to work making this dream a reality. I can gladly say that we put to rest any notions that there can be "too much of a good thing."
[Warning, this is not a music post.] We moved to Culver City. Killer new Apt. right below our friends, Ben and Sarah. It's a way better place than our last one,there's even a swimming pool (not that I can swim). Friendly, chill neighbors. My favorite part has to be the dining room: Yup, I can finally play my drums daily. Expect some crap home recordings in the near future. Oh, and it's only a mile away from this sweet young thing:
Also, I finally got a new turntable, so I can start posting from my vinyl collection, which is admittedly small, but it is 90% gems. Speaking of which: does anyone have ($free$) software they recommend for digitizing records? I have Audacity, but I was hoping for something more specifically purposed for transferring vinyl to mp3, with auto-track separation and all that rigamarole. I appreciate any suggestions. Thanks guys, see you soon.
"Dad, sister is on fire. Shut up and get the marshmallows. Dad, I don't like little brother. Shut up and eat what i give you. Let's go. This damn dollar has got to get me two. Dad I'm tired of running in circles. Shut up or I'll nail your other foot to the floor."
This has got the original version of "Well I'll be a Monkey's Uncle" from the self titled CD, and then six re-mixes of the same track. (Bastard Noise, Kid606, Wizards of War, Christophe de Babalon, I Am Spoonbender, Sinking Body) Mostly crushing, oppressive noise, with small breaks of gabber/electronic, un-danceable dance music. Perfect for clearing rooms full of pussies. And by pussies, I mean guys that like Bright Eyes, and anyone with a vagina. Released on Gold Standard Labs.
This is an album that was on constant rotation for a good six years of my life. There isn't a whole lot of info on the web about these guys,other than passing references. All I know is that The Piss Drunks put out two really good albums before breaking up and that they were from Seattle. The quality on Urine Idiot is a bit suspect, but the song writing makes up for that in spades. Straight up punk rock, here, with just a hint of blues. I believe this was put out by Ransom Note Records in 1995. Urine Idiot captures the feeling of drinking, puking, and drinking again as well as any Bukowski poem. Oh, don't confuse this band with the skate crew "The Piss Drunx", that Greco, Dollin, and Reynolds were affiliated with, they had nothing at all to do with this.Their other release, "Alocoholocaust" will probably be posted here sometime soon. It's time for beers. Black Label Me
To coincide with yesterday's post featuring the only ice cream man to ever pull off a black leather vest and a bolo tie, Reggie Bannister, I've got another Phantasm goody for you. This archive features the soundtracks for both Phantasm and Phantasm II, and was put together by the extremely diligent folks over at the Inferno Music Crypt. All credit goes to them, please check out their blog. They really work hard, even putting together scores that were never commercially available. Anyways,enjoy this beautiful piece of film score history. Oh, if anyone happens to have the vinyl version of the first one, I'd be willing to trade some dear things for it.
There are only an elite few, unique, well crafted films that I would ever consider as being my "favorites". Of that small group, there is one title that holds a place in my heart above the others. A thoroughly enjoyable, genre-bending, scary, and downright charming film that I never tire of. That movie is Phantasm. A while ago, I e-mailed Reggie Bannister, kind of on a lark. I figured that between acting in films, playing and recording music, and helping to run an independent film production company, the guy would be a little short on spare time time. I was surprised when, instead of the standard form letter reply, Reggie himself got back to me and thanked me for my appreciation. So, when I was thinking of subjects for "The Basics", I always figured he would be a nice enough guy to take a moment out for his fans. He's a cool, down to earth person, and I'm extremely grateful that he took some time out of his busy schedule to talk to us here.
Who? My Mom and Dad, who supported and encouraged my creative spirit from a very early age. Anytime I played music somewhere or appeared in a play my Mom and Dad were there. They even appeared with me in 'Phantasm.' If you recall the scene of Tommy's funeral, my Dad played the priest and my Mom was a mourner. My Mom was actually standing next to Don Coscarelli's Mom Shirley, who also played a mourner in the scene. Don's parents were obviously as supportive as mine.
What? Guitar. I was always a talented singer and performer but when I picked up guitar at the age of 15 it opened up a whole new world of entertainment for me. I was able to sing and accompany myself so, for the first time I was able to be a self sufficient entertainer. I took off on a musical career that led to concerts, TV and touring with icons of the time. From Bing Crosby, George Burns and Red Skelton to Chubby Checker, Sonny and Cher and Steve Wonder. I've had a remarkable musical career because I learned to play guitar.
When? The 60's and 70's were powerful times for people like me to mature in. There was so much creative camaraderie flying around it was like a giant circus and we were all ringmasters. It's when I met and was in a group with brothers Carson and Van Dyke Parks two of the greatest musicians I've ever been blessed to play with. It's when I met Steve Stills and had the opportunity to pick up a guitar with him. It's when you'd go to a party and you're having a drink with the Righteous Brothers and Jackie DeShannon joins in the conversation then you turn around and David Crosby walks in. Great time to be alive.
Where? Right here where I am. My wife and I live in a beautiful village called Crestline. We work from our home and have enjoyed a level of professional success that's been gratifying. I've worked on two film projects this year with one ongoing as I write. I've got several pictures ready for distribution this year and two of them will feature my music. so, Here is good. Why? Because in a larger sense, I really had no choice, other than to be who I am today. If you had asked me pretty much as soon as I was old enough to talk, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I would have replied that I want to be a singer an actor and a politician. I realized later that if you want to be a successful politician you need to drop music and acting and I wasn't willing to make that sacrifice...so much for politics. I've also had more than my share of day jobs. Everything from hauling hay in Washington State to driving Taxies in Long Beach California. Now, this is my day job.
How? When I met Don Coscarelli in the early 70's I had returned to college classes at Long Beach City College. I had immersed myself in acting classes and was performing in one play after another. After a weekend performance of original vignettes called "Circle Games" which I also performed the music for, I received a call from Paul Pepperman who identified himself as the producer of a film that was shooting locally. He said that he and the director had seen my performance that weekend and had an important character role that needed to be filled and asked if I was interested. That picture was called "Jim the World's Greatest." It was Don's first picture my first picture and Angus Scrim's first picture with Don. The point of this story is, if you greatly desire something just keep your head down and keep working at it. Eventually you'll look up and find yourself exactly where you want to be.
[Thanks again to Reggie and Gigi Fast Elk Bannister. Please take some time and check out the hot links in the intro paragraph (click on the green text), there is a TON of cool stuff in the sites.]
What? Oh, hey, I forgot I was talking. I think iTunes is updating more often than me at this point. But, I've got some really cool posts coming up, so stay tuned. Spring Break is over, and I'm back in the game. The gears are turning.
I've had the engorged middle finger of The Mummies pleasantly shoved in my face for well over a decade. No other band was ever so rude, and so shitty, and so fucking great as the dirty gauze and toilet paper wrapped jerks, right here. It's hard to even imagine that a band like this once existed. These guys were rebelling against C.D.'s and digital recording years before the cyber-geek twiddlery of Pro tools ruined any chance of rock n'roll making it out of the twenty-first century alive. They refused to record with any decent equipment and managed to trash just about every venue they played in record time, before taking off in a vintage ambulance filled with someone else's gear. I still haven't bought myself a turntable, and I hope to post a lot more from these guys when I do. Until then, here's a post-humous collection of rarities and live trash. It's definitely not my favorite, but it's one of the only ones I have a digital copy of. From this site: "Runnin' on Empty: Vol. 1" [Runnin' On Empty Vol. 1 LP (Estrus, 1996, ES 94016) side one are all previously unreleased recordings: side two is live at the Chameleon 9/5/91:] In the spirit of fuck you-edness, I'm not posting a picture of the band above, but rather a picture of myself dressed as one of the Mummies from a Halloween, years ago.
Budget Rock Showcase! [Oh, shit. If you're on the East Coast, they're playing a reunion in Hoboken, New Jersey!]
Drive Like Jehu released Yank Crime back in '94, on Interscope. I'm surprised it wasn't a huge sensation, but it wasn't until years later, after the band had broken up, that the majority of people began to recognize it's significance. And then, unfortunately, it was imitated and the sound was bastardized almost beyond recognition, giving birth to Emo. Eck! This is the re-release on guitarist John Reis' Swami Records, which includes three bonus tracks not found on the original release. Insane guitar work, unconventional time signatures, and driving rhythms make this a real beast of an album. It's really hard to sit still when listening to this one. Of course members also played in Rocket From The Crypt and Hot Snakes, both of which would overshadow this important project in the collective memory.
I just watched another mind-grape-blowing documentary on Netflix Watch Instantly called Touch The Sound. It's about Evelynn Glennie [Watch out if you link over, it's loud.] She is an amazing percussionist. Highly, highly recommended to anyone who would spend their time frequenting and/or writing a music blog. Chaka.
(Dedicated to the Badger) Darkest of the Hillside Thickets are a Canadian band dedicated to all things Lovecraftian. I guess I would label these guys as nerdcore, similar to Nerf Herder in intent, if not sound. Catchy punk tunes and weird-horror themed lyrics. The productions pretty shite, but it gives it that recorded in mom's basement kinda feel, which can be good. Apparently they've got a track on Rock Band? That's good, I hope they get some exposure. Favorite track here is "Burrow Your Way Into My Heart." Go Miskatonic U! The madness in the clay...
I'm terribly sorry. I've been sick/lazy/apathetic/uninterested. I even considered quitting this blogging business for a minute. But, I'm going to go ahead and keep chugging along. Why not, right? I'll try and get back onto a more consistent program. Here we go...
Oh, Steve Albini, when will you be content? In a way, I guess I hope the answer is never. I love your curmudgeonly ways. Always railing against the illogical approach of the mainstream music industry dick blisters. I hope you keep making uniquely menacing, heavy, abrasive music. Like, Shellac's 1000 Hurts (2000). Like being pleasantly raped by your stereo, this album is plenty full of rythmic pounding, grunting, and static. Try this: download this album, play it really loud at your crappy job, and punch yourself in the face. You'll feel awesome.
This site is a collection of music that I love, and I feel like many of these bands have slipped under the radar of most people. I try and keep the posts limited to albums that are out of print or obscure. If you've got a legitimate reason, I'll remove any music I have posted. GO BUY RECORDS AND SEE SHOWS! SUPPORT THE BANDS! Also, this is a sort of dumping ground for any cultural ephemera that may have held my interest. Sometimes I post shitty drawings and stuff, too. And, for Crom's sake: LEAVE COMMENTS! If you need anything else, e-mail me at: rygar1332@yahoo.com
PLEASE, let me know if any of the links are no longer working, I'll re-up them.
Posts
