The Dead C come to America in October

Awesome! I saw them at Upstairs at Nick's back in, uh... I don't know... 1996? 1997? So exciting that they are coming back. Hooray... Here are the dates:

10-12 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
10-13 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
10-16 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
10-19 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle


And what the hell, why not link to the interview I did with the C's Michael Morley back in 1994. Yay... man, this makes my Thursday.

Acid Mothers Sunday vol 7 (the return of...): Inyogogyo (LA-096)

Ok, so it has been a few months since the last one of these, the one thing I said I would do on a semi regular basis on the blog. You know how it goes. This time around it is not Acid Mother Temple proper, but it is another one of Kawabata's many appearances on a LA Musica release. La Musica was the label run by Asahito Nanjo in the nineties that documented his scene and those around him. Inyogogyo is a duo of Kawabata and Nanjo making some evil sounding drone/scrape 'scapes. According to the (color!) sleeve, this was recorded in 1996, mastered in 1997 and (probably) released in 1998 or 1999. I am not sure what instruments they are creating with, but this isn't insanely far removed from the stuff they did as Toho Sara, though darker, for sure. Creepy and kinda disturbing, not exactly the relaxing meditation grooves of a lot of the more recent solo/drone Kawabata. Bowling clouds of deep rumble bounce of off slow motion free jazz scronk way in the background with a general bad vibe ambiance. Side two is a tad mellower and closer to surface earth, some chimey and effects covered acoustic guitar layers with the melting woooosh for a slightly more recognizable grounding. A totally interesting release in that mud puddle where drone and noise kinda bisect. Here is the La Musica catalog blurb, in typical mystic/carny goof:

096. INYOGOGYO / Wood, fire, earth, metal, water
Secretive “music” group formed by Makoto Kawabata and Asahito Nanjo. Taking as their theme the two contradicting powers that are the origin of all things, they explore the universe, nature and humanity. Studio recordings by a martyred group with a spacey psychedelic sound.

So there you go. Perhaps it is the clash of "contradictiing powers" that lends the heaviness to this one, who knows? Inyogogyo has no other releases listed in the catalog and I only know of this one being a cassette. Martyred group, indeed!


Inyogogyo - Wood, fire, earth, metal, water (LA-096)

Blog Bitez LOLZ II !

I am still kinda new to reading mp3 blogs and I get all excited when I stumble across one from one of my favorite fanzine writers from the 90s (or 80s or 70s). This week I found myself on Jay Hinman's Detailed Twang all breathlessly reading old posts and such. Jay did Super Dope fanzine back in the 90s, always one of the best reads out there. Many happy days spent in my bedrooms at the Punk Haus and the New Wave Condo, sitting in A/C and smoked out, reading and re-reading Super Dope and tracking down the records he wrote about. I must have read his Brainbombs interview like 50 times. Anyways, lots of great posts and mp3s, and yes I know I am insanely late to the party on this kind of stuff, hell this is Jay's second blog, even! I was all excited to see a positive Birds of Maya mention in the midst of Monster Magnet post, awesome!

In non-music, but totally psychedelic, my pal Rusty is writing about his stint at Indian Echo Caverns this week on his blog. IEC was my first job and where I met Rusty. His recollections are pretty spot on and I hope this winds up being a week plus of posts, as it is insanely entertaining and quite good to see some of the stories/characters we have been blabbing about for over 20 years at least getting some historical due. And yeah, that dude Russ really was as insane, if not more, than he sounds like from Rusty's writings. It was a fucked up job and totally something I could never do again (I knew that by the next summer), I am not sure how I did it to begin with, but in a bizarre way it was part of the summer of age 16 that totally molded me (laid, 'cid, smoke, first job/own money, older friends...ok some of that happened summer of 15, but you know...). Anyways, it is totally psychedelic b/c I was doing 'cid back then a lot, but not at the actual caves. More later, perhaps, but definitely check out Rusty's musing on the deal.

Utley F'n Rules

At least today...



Though he should not have apologized, I guess ya gotta do what ya gotta do. But remember, Philly fans boo'd Santa Claus! Ahhhh! Phils still in first place, eat a dick Mets!

Holy Angels - Angel Trip (LA-082)

This is another one of the Nanjo/La Musica cassette tape releases from the late nineties. This is one of my faves; the rich, deep echo'd out psych is just gorgeous. Not really sure what the story behind this is exactly, though Holy Angels do have a few cassettes listed in this La Musica catalog. Angel Trip is listed as catalog number LA-082 and contains two long tracks. The description from the catalog (by Nanjo, translated by Alan Cumming) goes like this:

Space psycedelic group centring around female members. Their third release to feature that heavenly holy sound. While still pursuing the minimal progressive direction evident on their previous release, here they increase the voltage and add a full psychedelic trip-feel. Also features Asahito Nanjo on sitar. Unreleased studio recordings.

And that is about all the info I can dig it. It seems this was issued on vinyl at one point, but I never actually saw it or anything.

Holy Trip Part 1
Electric Flix

New Issue of SALT (#8)

Been meaning to mention this for a bit, but have been sidetracked and such... anyway, the new issue of SALT is out now and has been for a month or so. Kevin McCaighy's zine is one of my all time favorites and a new issue is always a welcome delivery in this house. Full disclosure: I am personal friends with Kevin and have written for SALT in the past.

Totally done like a real deal fanzine; on paper, black & white, music (and film and wrestling and print) coverage, it really is one of the best reads out there. Sure, as a crank, I dig the aesthetics of actually paging through paper whilst being super awesome and listening to the new Endless Boogie (which is pretty massive by the way)... but the printing would be pointless if the writing didn't back it up, of course. Luckily Kevin (who also writes for Rock a Rolla as well as some other pubs, I think?) is one of the best music writers doing it these days. His mix of analytical questions and excited music fan enthusiasm make his interviews dig much deeper than the usual email transcriptions. His reviews actually talk about what the stuff sounds like and his sense of musical history often makes connections between sounds/bands I would have never thought of. I wish this issue had more reviews, though! Plus he pretty much sticks to writing about what he likes (in SALT) and wants people to hear instead of wasting time trashing easy targets like so much internet/indie smart mark dreck. I seem to be praising "genuine enthusiasm" a lot lately, but goddamn it is nice to see/read, what can I say? Plenty of it in issue eight, no doubt.

Interviews with Circle and Xasthur are highlights for sure, especially since it is probably one of the last interview Malefic is gonna give. Some good inside stuff, without being gossipy, etc. A cool journal about Suishou No Fune at SXSW and a funny interview with grind types 7000 Dying Rats. Nice long chat with author John Lister about ECW and pro wrestling in general, always an awesome focus in most issues of SALT. The first 50 copies come with a 3" CD of exclusive music from Hwyl Nofio, who are also interviewed in the mag. Of course the issue is rounded out with some of Kevin's artwork, check out the cover drawing of Diamanda Galas and a full page of RTX.



It looks like Aquarius Records has issue 8 in stock, read their review and try not to buy an issue! Seriously... you can always contact Kevin at kevinmccaighy (at)hotmail(dot)com and buy direct from the source.

Wave That Flag

Happy 4th of July... my eternal goal is to be as fuckin' stoked as overalls guy at 2:30. He is the my fave person in the Dead movie, hell any movie... And screw the air guitarist looking at the camera, what a phony!



OVERALLS UPDATE: He is even more stoked at 3 minutes in. Yes!

La Otracina @ Marvelous July 1 2008

Great set last night from La Otracina in West Philly at Marvelous Records. New guitarist leads to a more rock (but not rockist) sound, though certainly in line with their old deal to me. Pure psychedelic rock meeting that blues boogie jam action as well. Would fit in so good at a Pearls & Brass show... or Stone Age! Heavy riffs meeting spazz drumming and Adam sings now too, so I guess things are more song oriented by definition, but yeah, I dig the heavy-now. I guess they played around 40 minutes with the last jam being an awesome "Kick Out the Jams" style rave up. Fun blabbing with them as well, always dig their genuine enthusiasm and work ethic. Plus new guitarist Phil was down with Turning Point and Misunderstood, crazy small world, yall. And friggin' William Walton and Eric Zimmerman (who has copped my beard and the Jay Laughlin headband from like 2002) were there. Awesome!

Here are some pics. Go see them if you can, psych is not afraid to rock, yo.

Awesome Lil Wayne mixtape

Probably the best mixtape (I have heard), since None Higher. This one came out of left field and is a great mix of Wayne raps and "fresh" beats/blends. Mardi Gras!

La Otracina @ Marvelous Recs West Philly tonight

Ooops, forgot to mention this over the weekend, but the awesome psych trio from Brooklyn, La Otracina are rocking out at Marvelous Records in West Philly tonight, July 1. They are on tour and have a new tour CDr and such to join their full length on Holy Mountain. Should be awesome. Marvelous Records is at 208 S. 40th St. in West Philly. La Otracina start things off at 8PM as far as I can tell. Here is a pic from almost exactly a year ago when they played the Balcony Bar.