2009 August | The Decibel Tolls

Monthly Archive for August, 2009

De Stijl Discovers a True Gem with 39 Clocks

Published

on August 27, 2009

. 0 Comments

39clocks De Stijl Discovers a True Gem with 39 Clocks

There’s something about the former Axis powers post-WWII that developed some of the strangest, most visionary, and most divergent music some three decades afterward. Both Germany and Japan were largely responsible for the music of the 70s and 80s that came out of nowhere and sounded like absolutely nothing else – everything from Kraftwerk to Merzbow. All of it is still as important and relevant today (perhaps even more so).

De Stijl Records dusts off and uncovers one such group out of late 70s/early 80s Hanover — 39 Clocks. While their timeline coincides with New York’s no wave movement, their Deutsche no wave is something else entirely. Amalgamating the dadaist cool and nervous energy of Suicide, their homeland’s motorik rhythm, the loud and detuned psychedelics of Spacemen 3 (whom 39 Clocks actually predate), the organ-as-diving-rod experimental pop ethos of Silver Apples, and a Nuggets-ready proto-punk punch, the mensch of 39 Clocks chew up kraut and psychedelic subsets and spit them out into a ball of drug-riddled prophecy and rock and roll shenanigans.

And like Suicide, who may still remain most infamous for the riot they provoked during 43 Minutes Over Brussels, 39 Clocks also enjoyed stirring trouble and inconvenience. De Stijl writes: “The first public appearance pairing Christian Henjes and Juergen Gleue was in 1976, at the Dada Nova (a space occupied by Otto Mühl’s AAO commune) in midtown Hannover, Germany. Dada Nova would be a space of enduring clash. From the subtlety of a shat upon organ to the ejection from communal meetings by bodily force, the AAO would display that the presence of the 39 Clocks was one of their constant grief. Known for pranksterism and the destruction of the clubs in which they would perform, friction in every form would continually follow the band. They created an outrage (they wrote a tune with the title “Art Minus Idiots”) at the Filmtage Hannover with their avant-garde Super 8 movies made under the disguise of director Zachius Lipschitz. Rumour claims that at a Hannover show at the Cafe Glocksee, they played the vacuum cleaner and a circular saw instead of guitars, and there was even a knife throwing incident in Bremen.” It’s hard to say whether 39 Clocks were going for legnedary status or if they just didn’t give a shit, but at least they wear their sense of humor on their sleeves. What, with song titles such as “Shake the Hippie” and “You Can’t Count the Bombs (It’s Zero),” you’d kinda have to be funny.

Antics aside, the 18 tracks on Zoned, an anthology of various releases between 1981 and 1987, are solid and, in my eyes, a total achievement. 39 Clocks perfected a no wave style sound they were far removed from while developing an original reiterpretation of ’60s garage rock and created a facet of neo psych rock that was about a decade ahead of its English counterpart in the shoegaze and Jason Pierce circles. But their cheif export is pure aural insanity. This is too fresh to be 23-30 years old. De Stijl really found a gem with 39 Clocks, and the remastered Zoned is a must have for any fan of mind expanding music.

Zoned is available now from De Stijl.

For fans of: Spacemen 3, Can, Suicide, Silver Apples

MP3 :::
39 Clocks – Psycho Beat
39 Clocks – Dom (Electricity Elects the Rain)

Praise Ye Jehova… Broadcast is Back in Action

Published

Kenny Bloggins

on August 27, 2009

in News

. 0 Comments

l_dac8e7008fe04ade8cbddd938480c76a Praise Ye Jehova... Broadcast is Back in Action

Hey Trish and James,

It’s Bloggins. Many moons since we’ve heard from you all. I mean, it’s been a minute. I wondered what happened to you dudes. I mean, Broadcast drops this brilliant album, Tender Buttons, back in the fall of 2005. It made my solar plexus tingle. You all toured a bit on that jam hive. Good times. But then you guys, like, bounced. Just straight up peaced out. I feared you might’ve broken up. I went through five stages of acceptance.

But now you’re touring again – first time in ages. That’s great news. I guess I would’ve known about this sooner if I followed the Fun Fun Fest lineup, but unfortunately I didn’t/don’t give a shit about it. Perhaps I should be better about shit-giving. But anyway, you’ve roped in Deerhunter bro Bradford Cox’s Atlas Sound. Excellent choice. Does this mean that a new album is to follow? I hope so. You guys need to show the indie rock retards how it’s done. I know that a new EP is getting ready to drop on Warp. And that Focus Group had something to do with it? Sweet cinnamon and biscuits! It’s like Christmas up in this bitch.

Anyway, enough gabbin’. I do see you’re playing a club called The Black Cat, too. That’s funny. A hardy lol was muttered from this side of the table, no doubt. Hope the tour goes well, and I’ll be seeing you guys in Columbus or Chicago. Haven’t decided which yet. Wish you had, like, just one open date on the east coast so I could help bring you all to Louisville, but somebody’s got some type-A-personality booking goin’ on. I ain’t mad at ya, though.

TTYL,
Kenny Bloggins

All dates below are with Atlas Sound and The Selmanaires. No word on the official release date or title of the new EP, but I think it might be called Witch Cults of the Radio Age. If you poke around their MySpaceTime, you’ll probably ascertain why I think that. Anyway… dates…

10/15 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
10/16 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
10/17 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
10/18 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church Sanctuary
10/20 New York, NY @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
10/21 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (CMJ)
10/22 Boston, MA @ The Paradise
10/23 Montreal, QC @ Le National
10/24 Toronto, ON @ Lees Palace
10/25 Columbus, OH @ Wexner Center
10/26 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
10/27 Northfield, MN @ The Cave
10/30 Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
10/31 Seattle, WA @ Neumos
11/01 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
11/03 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
11/04 Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour
11/05 Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room
11/07 Denton, TX @ Hailey’s
11/08 Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest

MP3 :::
Broadcast – Black Cat
Broadcast – The World Backwards

[Photos + Video] Oblisk, R Keenan Lawler, and Softcheque – 8.19.09, DCE, Louisville

Published

Kenny Bloggins

on August 26, 2009

in Rockshows and Visual Aids

. 0 Comments

[Photos + Video] Oblisk, R Keenan Lawler, and Softcheque - 8.19.09, DCE, Louisville

Last Wednesday was a beautiful evening of music. The most significant testament to the show was how well three somewhat disparate genres meshed in an aesthetically sensible way. Many thanks to everyone who came out!

[Photos + Video] Oblisk, R Keenan Lawler, and Softcheque - 8.19.09, DCE, Louisville

The evening kicked off in a dream state thanks to Softcheque. This was my first time seeing them (I missed them when they opened for Phantom Family Halo), and I was extremely impressed. Though they were missing a member due to a last minute work conflict, the group sounded thick and tight. Though Softcheque is often known as a group of Sapat members, Sapat in no way overshadows what Softcheque brings to the table. While Softcheque toggles between many genres, the soft, pointed vocals of Dane Waters over slow-tempo, orante instrumentation evokes a serious Broadcast and/or Pram vibe, minus some of the retro kitsch. I’ll let the video speak for itself:

[Photos + Video] Oblisk, R Keenan Lawler, and Softcheque - 8.19.09, DCE, Louisville

R Keenan Lawler was up next, and killed it as usual. Lawler is a one-man act, using hollow-body guitar, a bottle neck, a mixer, and effects pedals to create Martian mountain folk. Lawler plays it claustrophobic and intense – you don’t need visuals or distractions to keep your attention focused on the man sitting on the stool noodling away.

[Photos + Video] Oblisk, R Keenan Lawler, and Softcheque - 8.19.09, DCE, Louisville

Detroit’s Oblisk closed the evening with the loudest performance. Walls shook, the strobe light blinked, and there was lots of smiling before a few faces melted off. Super resonant Big Muff distortion makes me emotional. I almost cried. I’ll be reviewing the group’s latest, Weather Patterns, later this week. So good. Enjoy a couple of minute-long nuggets (I wish the video was longer, but alas, camera fail):

Phantom Family Halo Cover The Red Krayola, Set to Drop New Album in October

Published

Kenny Bloggins

on August 26, 2009

in MP3 and News

. 0 Comments

meahpfh Phantom Family Halo Cover The Red Krayola, Set to Drop New Album in October

Louisville-based label Sophomore Lounge does things right. Not only do they list “Fourthmeal” as an influence on their MySpaceTime, they’ve also prepared a gorgeous split from Chicago’s Meah! and the monolithic Phantom Family Halo. The limited edition 7″ vinyl is a transparent crystal blue that comes equipped with screen print liner notes and original 35mm photography from the bands.

Side A features two jams from Meah! – a sorta mathy, spastic proto-punk meets free jazz collective in the vein of Hella and Shellac. Actually, they’re playing tomorrow night at Skull Alley if’n you have an itchin’ for insanity.

Of course, the best part is Side B, with Phantom Family Halo doing a low key but brutal rendition of The Red Krayola (i.e. Mayo Thompson’s old stompin’ ground). “Hurricane Fighter Plane” rumbles and creaks, and tests your aural fortitude in the song’s bridge. The world needs more of this. An excerpt of the song is provided below for your consideration. If you want the whole song, you, of course, should grip the 7″. But considering everything I described, Sophomore Lounge has it priced to own. Go see about it at the SL Store.

In other PhantFamlo news, the group’s dropping a new joint this fall courtesy of Karate Body, and it’s called Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die. The label’s been kind enough to provide us two sneak peaks streaming at their site. It sounds retarded good. “Alive & Well,” except for the vocals, has this Boards of Canada vibe I was not expecting, and hence, I’m really excited for this. Monoliths hits shelves and the Intarwebz October 6. Buy it or the terrorists win.

MP3 :::
The Phantom Family Halo – Hurricane Fighter Pilot [excerpt]

Sapat, Crazy Dreams Band and Jana Hunter are Playing at Swan Dive on My Birthday and I Can’t Go

Published

Kenny Bloggins

on August 24, 2009

in Rockshows

. 0 Comments

l_d0bce1c2e33949faa9a777154328efb7 Sapat, Crazy Dreams Band and Jana Hunter are Playing at Swan Dive on My Birthday and I Cant Go

1390104664_l Sapat, Crazy Dreams Band and Jana Hunter are Playing at Swan Dive on My Birthday and I Cant Go

And it’s bullshit! I’m off to a family reunion. I like and love my family of course (that’s an important distinction). Fam hang time is definitely a great style. But ooooh goddammit, I want to be here for this. No doubt that if you’re within a 100-mile radius of where I’m currently typing, you probably know about Siltbreeze’s Sapat, but I’ll go on and give you the skinny on all three acts, in an effort to admonish you to spend your Friday evening – this Friday evening – at Germantown’s Swan Dive.

Sapat is a local collective that features between eight and one million people (depending on the type of show), all of whom have a like-minded approach to fringe music. Sapat is a pulsating orb of eclecticism and mysticism – never cateogorizable, but always freaky, funky, and brain splattering. Sapat’s expansive beauty and unwavering experimentation is what makes Louisville amazing. They are truly a breath of fresh air. Remember that part in Amistad when they’re in the court room and the bro is all ike “give us… free!”? Sapat gives you free with every show.

The mighty Holy Mountain writes up Crazy Dreams Band better than I could, so I’ll let them do the talking. All I’ll say is that the first thing I noticed in the press photo above is Lexie Mountain sporting the infamous “hand diamond,” first utilized by the WCW’s Diamond Dallas Page right before his opponent was bested by the “Diamond Cutter,” then reappropriated by former University of Kentucky point guard Ramel Bradley when court ownage was about to commence. You know this show is going to be fuckin’ treated.

Grooves that confuse? Crazy Dreams Band is an outfit that presents its guitar free “thug pop” of dirge rather than drone with creeping crooning and brassless horn blasts [note: Crazy Dreams Band will actually have a guitarist in tow at this show --ed.]. Like the best of Giallo films you’ll be as turned on as you are terrified. As tender as Coco Rosie, as brutal as Magik Markers and as cool as Royal Trux “Radio/ Video” vibe. Imagine if Bruce Springsteen and Martin Rev collaborated on songs for Patti Smith or Catherine Ribeiro. Channeled inner voices are expelled as cave anthems into neon text in Linear A while bones poke through the skin atop a witch’s brew of venomous sludge. This is the urban tribal music that survives whatever “end is nigh” theory you choose. They’re jamming this music outside the thunder dome, beneath the planet of the apes and the day after tomorrow. CRAZY DREAMS BAND has released one self-titled album on Holy Mountain, and features members of Lexie Mountain Band, Harrius, Religious Knives, and Mouthus.

If Jana Hunter isn’t a name you heretofore recognize, now’s the time to change that. Jana Hunter has been a callaborator with groups like Indian Jewelry and Castanets, and has toured with flawless hometown hero Tara Jane O’Neil and Cocorosie. To quote Walter Sobchak, this young lady is “not exactly a lightweight.” Her goregous, sparse, midtempo dusty rides through dark deserts lit by twilight should enthrall fans of Grouper who wish she would give caffeiene a try every now and again.

If you go, and take photos/videos, please send them my way. I will give you the credit, a link, and a high five. Send ‘em to kb [at] thedecibeltolls (dot) com, playa.

Sapat, Crazy Dreams Band, and Jana Hunter
Friday, August 28
Doors at 9 p.m. / $5 / 21+
Swan Dive, Louisville (map that shizz)

MP3 :::
Crazy Dreams Band – Separate Ways
Jana Hunter – Completely Golden
Sapat – Dark Silver

Niao Plays Your Campfire Songs

Published

Kenny Bloggins

on August 24, 2009

in MP3

. 0 Comments

sail011complete%20cover%20%283%29 Niao Plays Your Campfire Songs

Like BCE and CE, there are two distinct timelines for discussing Animal Collective. For the sake of shorthand, I will herein refer to these periods as the BF epoch (before Feels) and the AF (after Feels), with Feels being the Christ period. While the AF epoch emphasized vocal harmonies and booty bass (not to mention zealous internet hype, which was not necessarily undeserved), BF was brilliant, disjointed freak folk. If you miss that sound, Niao might help you out with their latest bucolic experimental jaunt Clenched Fist.

I had a feeling I would really enjoy this EP, considering the cover featured a sweet UFO and the press release was pointed, straightforward, and devoid of hyperbolic hype. It literally read “pentatonic blues runs on the keyboard, hypnotic rhythms and melodies accompanied by toms… no words, only drones and simple syllables like ‘ey ah oo wah’.” Well, alright, count me in.

The trio does indeed deliver the goods – sparse arrangements, thick tribal dissonance, and a sinister vibe. These are campfire songs for the possibly possessed. Great stuff. Czech out Sailing Records for more info and to grip Clenched Fist.

For fans of: Blues Control, early Animal Collective, Black Dice

MP3 :::
Niao – Untitled Six

[Bootleg] Deerhunter – Annandale Hotel, Sydney

Published

Kenny Bloggins

on August 20, 2009

in MP3 and Rockshows

. 0 Comments

3798764688_b22d6a51fb [Bootleg] Deerhunter - Annandale Hotel, Sydney

Another bangin’ Deerhunter bootleg. This is a high-quality audience recording, taken from June of this year in Sydney. It comes to you courtesy of the groovy blog down under Bastard Squad (via Fuck Yeah, Deerhunter), which has an array of bootlegs from other great groups, as well as photos of pandas and other radness.

ZIP :::
Deerhunter – Annadale Hotel, Sydney (approx. 136 MB)