Monday, September 28, 2009

...On a less-Obscuro! related note...



This past weekend, I had the good fortune of seeing one of Sunny Day Real Estate's American reunion shows. Let's just say, if you think this band can do no wrong, but also feel Jeremy Enigk's solo albums are more or less garbage (aside from that awesome first one) and that the Fire Theft wasn't anything all that special, this tour does not disappoint. 

This is the fully original lineup (only present on "Diary" and "LP2"), and unlike that weird live album, Jeremy was yelling his head off and even lost his voice towards the end of the gig. Plus, Dan Hoerner (2nd guitarist who disappeared from music to focus on farming) was very obviously excited to be playing again and could not stop smiling. 

HERE is a really thorough and often humorous interview with Dan and Jeremy discussing the reasons behind the reunion. Also, it should be noted that at the time of this interview (only a week or so before the gig I saw), they hadn't written any new songs. They did, in fact, perform a new tune, which was definitely on par with anything off "Diary" or "LP2."

This was an immensely exciting gig, considering I've loved this band since high school, and they seem wayyyyyy more re-energized than other 'reunion' acts. Loud as hell, too. If you like this group, don't even second guess this reunion tour. Obviously it's not monetarily-motivated (Enigk has a smooth-sailing solo career, Nate is in the Foo Fighters) so any 'reunion record' that may come out of this will be simply for fun. Badass.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Playlist for 9-25-09, featuring Guest DJ Fives

WORD

Below is the playlist for last night's show. My buddy DJ Fives stopped by the studio and helped pick some tunes and chatted it up a little on-air. I was going to play this one album all the way through, but forgot to bring it, so the show is more like older episodes which just featured a hodge-podge of all sorts of bullshit. Enjoy, and get the podcast here

Sep 25 - 1:53 AMNicodemusRed SkySpacechild SquallNoe/d
Sep 25 - 1:46 AMSunn0)))Big ChurchMonoliths and DimensionsNoe/d
Sep 25 - 1:41 AMRobbie the WerewolfRockin' WerewolfAt the WalebackNoe/d
Sep 25 - 1:38 AMThe DoPlayground HustleA MouthfulNoe/d
Sep 25 - 1:31 AMHarbingerCircus WorldSecond ComingNoBizarro Jerrye/d
Sep 25 - 1:23 AMSkip SpenceLittle HandsOarNoe/d
Sep 25 - 1:21 AMJay ReatardAin't Gonna Save MeWatch Me FallNoe/d
Sep 25 - 1:05 AMVermonsterBlack SallyInstinctively InhumanNoe/d
Sep 25 - 1:00 AMLightning BoltDracula MountainWonderful RainbowNoe/d
Sep 25 - 12:55 AMSoggyLost My BrainS/TNoBizarro Jerrye/d
Sep 25 - 12:48 AMCovenBlack SabbathWitchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps SoulsNoe/d
Sep 25 - 12:43 AMDennis DuckOne O'Clock JumpDennis Duck Goes DiscoNoe/d
Sep 25 - 12:40 AMRoger Rubin and Rotfree AndersonHeavyAtlanta Underground -- Freek MusicNoe/d
Sep 25 - 12:36 AMZero KamaHassan I SabbahThe Secret Eye of L.A.Y.L.A.H.Noe/d
Sep 25 - 12:29 AMBobb TrimbleWhen the Raven CallsIron Curtain InnocenceNoBizarro Jerrye/d
Sep 25 - 12:23 AMFootscray CollegeLuciferThere's an Elf in My PocketNoe/d
Sep 25 - 12:21 AMGary WilsonGary's in the ParkMary Had Brown HairNoe/d
Sep 25 - 12:14 AMPaternosterBlind ChildrenS/TNoe/d
Sep 25 - 12:12 AMThe ShaggsMy CompanionPhilosophy of the WorldNoe/d
Sep 25 - 12:10 AMDr. John D. ClarkeThe Ruleswho fucking cares, eh?Noe/d
Sep 25 - 12:05 AMStone HarbourWitch to YouEmerges (Bonus Tracks)NoBizarro Jerrye/d
Sep 25 - 12:03 AMEartha KittI'd Rather be Burned as a WitchStrange Interludes CompilationNoe/d

Monday, September 21, 2009

Not-so-easy riding (An exploration of 70's biker-rock)

Are you angry and/or don't understand why everybody/thing is so fucking stupid? If so, I've got your soundtrack right here!

It should be obvious that, as closely attached as groups like the Hell's Angels were to the 60's and 70's music scene, these guys tried their hand at rock and roll also. Completely different from the feel-good vibes of the time, most of these acts feature a decent amount of yelling, violent and angry lyrics and a surprisingly decent sense of melody. Here are a few of my favorite independent biker-rock albums of the late 60's and early 70's. I'm not putting any download links, but you can go out and dig around th
e internet for these if ya want.

Nicodemus - Spacechild Squall
This dude is from Detroit, MI and is one hell of a cool guy. He's been self-releasing albums of ridiculously varied music since the early 70's. Some LP's feature electronic soundscapes while others are just voice and acoustic guitar (as this one is) and some are heavy rock. This one in particular has great songs and sounds a little bit like Seattle grunge for some reason. There's fake audience applause after every song, too.

Raven - Back to Ohio Blues
Damn. This is some angry shit. Released in 1975, this is one nasty record, particularly the tune "Raven Mad Jam." I've never heard so much cursing on a 1970's-released album, or yelling for that matter. Wild blues jams with barely-contained vocals. The title track is like 15 minutes long and one hell of a tune.

Oracle - Nataraja Da Nada
This record makes Raven's "Back to Ohio Blues" sound like the most tame-ass Steely Dan LP by comparison. The singer sounds too angry to even attempt a rhythm or melody, and the music is exactly what it sounds like: A bunch of biker dudes in the middle of nowhere jamming the fuck out in a shed high on countless hits of acid. There's only 2 tracks on this one; both an entire side long. They use lots of weird instruments in the background, and the band photos are rather creepy and disturbing. Heavy as hell.

Wicked Lady - Psychotic Overkill
UK biker-metal released in 1972. Although these guys play rather sloppy and their drummer plays incredibly tame beats (probably because he joined the band during the sessions or something), they write really good songs with drugged-out 'bad dude' lyrics. "Sin City" is one of the most rocking songs ever. On a good day, these guys could probably give Sabbath a run for their money. On a bad day, they'd be more apt to play the same song over and over until the audience leaves (true story).

Hopefully that holds y'all over until the show later this week. On that note, be sure to tune in to WIDR FM this Thursday night from midnight to 2, when Obscuro! will once again rule the airwaves. I'll probably play some of this shit, too.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Playlist for 9-18-09, featuring an interview with T. Storm Hunter, aka Mark Tucker


Indeed, as promised last week, I conducted an interview with Encinitas, CA independent musician T. Storm Hunter, previously known as Mark Tucker. Aside from the interview, this show featured tracks from a few different releases he has produced over the years. More information about him can be found in lower posts. Here is said playlist:
Sep 18 - 1:57 AMT. Storm HunterLight the Lamp of thy LoveHim With the LightNoe/d
Sep 18 - 1:53 AMT. Storm HunterStrawberries (Finnish Folk Song)Him With the LightNoe/d
Sep 18 - 1:51 AMMark TuckerThe Importance of Making Molehills Out of SpecksIn the SackNoe/d
Sep 18 - 1:47 AMSally and LouiseHa Ha HaS/TNoBizarro Jerrye/d
Sep 18 - 1:43 AMT. Storm HunterNo Apple Pie in HeavenHim With the LightNoe/d
Sep 18 - 1:34 AMMark TuckerSultry Summer Siren/More Than Just FriendsIn the SackNoe/d
Sep 18 - 1:30 AMT. Storm Hunter44,000 MilesHim With the LightNoe/d
Sep 18 - 1:24 AMMark TuckerCan't Make LoveIn the SackNoe/d
Sep 18 - 1:18 AMSally and LouiseWhen Kids Were CuteIn the SackNoBizarro Jerrye/d
Sep 18 - 1:09 AMMark TuckerSally Sally SheHim With the LightNoe/d
Sep 18 - 1:02 AMMark TuckerSandbox-Upon-StormIn the SackNoe/d
Sep 18 - 1:02 AMT. Storm HunterFleshHim With the LightNoe/d
Sep 18 - 12:42 AMT. Storm Hunter interviewed on WIDRNoe/d
Sep 18 - 12:09 AMMark TuckerEverywhere With Sally (Ride)In the SackNoe/d
Sep 18 - 12:00 AMT. Storm HunterCarrot ChaserHim With the LightNoBizarro Jerrye/d

You can download the podcast here, at the Obscuro! podcast page. Also, listen for T. Storm's album "Him With the Light" in WIDR rotation.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

T. Storm Hunter, aka Mark Tucker on Obscuro! tomorrow night!


Just a little friendly reminder that the creator of last week's featured album, "Batstew" will be 'dropping by' the show tomorrow night to do a little interview by way of telephone. If you're a fan of the program, or just a fan of the American Underground pre-1980's you'll definitely want to check this out. I'm pretty sure the last couple of posts give enough info if you wanna know what this dude is about. You can tune in at midnight tomorrow, or just check out the podcast later on. Coincidentally, I found this old picture of Mark at the top of the post when looking for an album from some other band just now.

Podcast

Sunday, September 13, 2009

First Obscuro! Mixtape f'dat azz



Here is the first Obscuro! Mixtape. It contains a song off every album I've played all the way through on the show, as well as a track by every artist that has been featured for whatever reason. I don't really give a shit if anybody listens to it, because I'm bored at work. Here is a tracklist, with a brief description of each tune. The download link is below.

1. Bobb Trimble - "Selling Me Short While Stringing Me Along" - Harvest of Dreams, 1982
This dude made two albums of homespun psychedelia in the early 80's. Then he started a couple bands with mostly 12-year-old kids. Dark, disturbing and surprisingly catchy tunes featuring Trimble's unique voice and multi-layered harmonies.

2. Countryside Unitarian Fellowship - "Fear I Feel" - Hey Jesus Christ Welcome to This World, 1971
Basically insane song-cycle type recording from a church group. The whole thing was written and performed by members of the church and feels like if the Shaggs were cooler and wrote a rock-opera about the birth of Jesus.

3. Snakefinger - "The Man in the Dark Sedan" - Greener Postures, 1980
One-time Residents collaborator goes out on his own and puts out a record that sounds...well, a lot like the Residents...but different. Dated drum machine beats, 'snakey' guitar playing and often humorous lyrics. Too bad he's dead.

4. The O - "Walkmann" - Junk in tha Trunk, 2004 (Originally recorded in '94?)
Strange mix of the Beatles, Replacements, and bedroom-rap. This group is still active under the name gONNA gET gOT and came through K-zoo about a year ago.

5. JW Farquhar - "My Bundle of Joy" - The Formal Female, 1972
Dude gets dumped by his wife. Dude buys instruments and soundproofs his Philly apartment. Dude makes REALLY angry psych LP by himself, for himself, about how much he hates women. Obviously, the LP in question is awesome. Misogynistic as hell, but awesome.

6. Black Randy and Metrosquad - "Theme from Shaft" - Pass the Dust, I Think I'm Bowie, 1980
Sure, it's offensive. However, I think this group is funny as hell and I couldn't ever play this track on the radio. For the record, Black Randy is a white dude. This group can be seen in the film "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains."

7. Stone Harbour - "Ride" - Emerges, 1974
More basement jams. Two dudes from rural Ohio who knew how to make a Radio Shack tape recorder sound pretty freaky.

8. Kenneth Higney - "I Wanna Be the King" - Attic Demonstration, 1976
Kenneth was a truck driver during the 70's who decided to record some of the ideas he had and try to sell them to musicians. Nobody bought them, but his versions rule harder than any cover would. Jagged lo-fi proto-punk tunes. He was a guest on the program and discussed this album at great length with me.

9. Grand Nutz Da Ladies Man - "Girlfriend (Rubber Duckie)" - Grand Nutz Da Ladies Man, 200?
(Possibly) Retarded wigger dude singing a Capella R and B with ad-libbed words. This song very obviously steals the melody from that Sesame Street rubber duckie tune, and damned if he doesn't give a shit. I probably would never feature this album on the show, but it's sure to clear a room...if that's what ya wanna do.

10. Virgin Insanity - "Time of Sorrows Gone Soon" - Illusions of the Maintenance Man, 1971
Ridiculously creative husband-and-wife group from Texas who cut a couple homemade records in the early 70's. Apparently they can now sell original copies for hundreds, while back in the day it was a challenge to get rid of them for $3. Sounds kind of like the Violent Femmes, which is fucked up since this is an entire decade before those guys did their thing.

11. Proyecto A - "A Venus" - Proyecto A, 1970
What-the-fuck tropicalia/psychedelia concept LP that appears to have something to do with the solar system. It's from Spain and is pretty nutty.

12. Tommy Jay - "Village Idiot" - Tommy Jay's Tall Tales of Trauma, 1986 (Though this track could be as old as '74)
Local Columbus, OH rock and roll renaissance man who's been in a lot of bands, including Mike Rep and the Quotas. This is a collection of solo recordings done between '74 and '86. Lots of different styles, but a strong Velvet Underground influence.

13. Brian Wilson - "H.E.L.P. is on the Way" - Adult/Child, 1976
Unreleased solo LP from Mr. Wilson that features songs about eating healthy, little tomboys turning into girls, and shortenin' bread. I love the Beach Boys, and this LP is definitely better than a lot of the admittedly shitty light-rock stuff they put out around this time.

14. First Chips - "Pieces" - Volume One, 1972
Chicago weirdo Vyto Baleska's first recording project, which is mostly just him. He has a couple 'solo' records I like to play as well, but this stuff is the weirdest and coolest. Kind of reminds me of Pere Ubu and early Pink Floyd with some Krautrock shit and some out-there production. The broken English that sometimes appears and Vyto's accent make the whole thing even stranger.

15. Mark Tucker - "Sideways Love Forever" - Batstew, 1975
Encinitas, CA's own Syd Barrett. This album is an interesting mix of field recordings (mostly Mark's car, The Bat, and his then-girlfriend Eva) and strange tunes like this one. Piano-driven ballads that are often relentlessly depressing...this LP has a weird mood to it, but it's one of my favorites to play on the show. He will be doing an interview with me next week.

16. Copernicus - "Dust" - Immediate Eternity, 2001
Street-poet-type-dude who also organizes controlled-chaos jam sessions for him to recite his stuff over. The mood throughout is generally intense and apocalyptic. He was a guest on the program a couple weeks ago.

17. Harvester - "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" - Hemat, 1970
Stoned-out Swedish group that sounds totally loose and wasted. This is an interesting take on the song in question, and sounds near-collapse at all times. Kind of like Can if they didn't even have ideas for songs and just jammed the fuck out on mad drugs.

18. Alien City - "Older Men" - Alien City, 1979
Apparently a one-man project from Seattle...this album took 5 years to complete. It's a little glam-rock-ish, but is totally out of the ordinary. Especially this tune...

19. The Manson Family - "Is There No One in Your World" - Manson Family Jams Vol. 1, 1970
While Charlie was on trial, his family put out a record of campfire-style songs in his honor. I played this during the Charlie Manson-themed show. A lot of the songs are actually more structured and catchy than Charlie's own, although I think he wrote a decent chunk of them.

Download this collection!

It's a .zip file, and it's SUPPOSED to be in the order listed above, but I suppose you could put the tracks in whatever order you want. I also included a little front-and-back-cover action that I made myself! Hopefully I'll be on the air long enough to put out a second compilation. Who knows?

Friday, September 11, 2009

Playlist for 9-11-09, featuring Mark Tucker's "Batstew"






Sep 11 - 1:54 AM
Three Pea's in a PoddIf I Ruled the World??
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 1:49 AMMayo ThompsonWorried WorriedCorky's Debt to His Father
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 1:43 AMC. Newman and Janet SmithMy Wife is FrenchS/T
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 1:41 AMMike Curb CongregationMore Than Ever (Nixon Theme Song)45 rpm single
NoBizarro Jerrye/d
Sep 11 - 1:38 AMCosmic MichaelPeople's FairS/T
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 1:37 AMMark TuckerKidsBatstew
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 1:30 AMMark Tucker1964 CadillacBatstew
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 1:21 AMMark TuckerSubmerged Bat VortexBatstew
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 1:18 AMMark TuckerBataszewBatstew
NoBizarro Jerrye/d
Sep 11 - 1:14 AMMark TuckerHoney TreeBatstew
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 1:12 AMMark Tucker64Z037375 Part 2Batstew
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 1:08 AMMark TuckerSideways Love ForeverBatstew
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 1:00 AMMark Tucker64Z037375 Part 1Batstew
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 12:57 AMMark TuckerPrologue: 1964 CadillacBatstew
NoBizarro Jerrye/d
Sep 11 - 12:51 AMBootsCity of FearS/T
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 12:47 AMAlvin DahnYou're Driving Me MadSongs in the Key of Z, Vol. 2
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 12:44 AMNicodemusThe MiserWhat For?
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 12:42 AMThe BugaloosIf You Become a BugalooS/T
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 12:39 AMHot PoopAlways Play With My FoodHot Poop Does Their Own Stuff
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 12:35 AMHasil AdkinsChicken WalkOut to Hunch
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 12:30 AMMichael Yonkers BandSmile AwhileMicrominiature Love
NoBizarro Jerrye/d
Sep 11 - 12:24 AMAlien CityOlder MenAlien City
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 12:21 AMSkip SpenceKeep Everything Under Your HatOar (Bonus Tracks)
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 12:17 AMCovenCoven in Charing CrossWitchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 12:12 AMLuie LuieTouch of LightSongs in the Key of Z, Vol. 2
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 12:06 AMBitter Blood Street TheatreWhy the Night is Crossed I Speak the DeadVol. 1
No
e/d
Sep 11 - 12:05 AMBob ChanceThe Van Man??
NoBizarro Jerrye/d



Next week's show will feature an interview with Mark Tucker, so I played his 1975 album "Batstew" in its entirety for this show. Mark (now known as T. Storm Hunter) is a California musician whose early self-releases featured recordings of his car and intricate pop songs with often strange lyrics. This particular album is both a love letter to his car, 'The Bat,' and his then-girlfriend Eva Bataszew. Hell yeah. More info can be found here.

Also, you can access the podcast for this show (and all others) here.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

New Obscuro! homepage


From now on, this will be where you can find playlists for the Obscuro! program I host on WIDR FM. Myself being Bizarro Jerry, aka WIDR's Production loser.

I will also post the albums I play in their entirety here, since most are out of print.


On that note, here is First Chips Volume One, which was featured last week. It is a collection of recordings made by Clay Pigeons Productions...the music/sound engineer collective headed by Chicago resident Vyto Baleska. He also released a couple of albums under his own name in the 70's which you can find online if you dig around. The First Chips recordings were made between 1968 and 1973 or something like that.

If ya don't wanna download it, you can always hear it in the Obscuro! Podcasts.



Here is last Thursday night's playlist, which featured First Chips Volume One:
Sep 04 - 1:48 AM High Speed and the Afflicted Man Sun Sun Get Stoned EZY let's try this again... No
e/d
Sep 04 - 1:46 AM First Chips Love Has Happened (Again) Volume One
No Bizarro Jerry e/d
Sep 04 - 1:37 AM First Chips Mind and Soul Volume One
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 1:34 AM First Chips My World and Your World Volume One
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 1:32 AM First Chips Thoughts of You Volume One
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 1:28 AM First Chips Fire Mountain Volume One
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 1:22 AM Sleep Dragonaut Sleep's Holy Mountain
No Bizarro Jerry e/d
Sep 04 - 1:16 AM First Chips My Love Volume One
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 1:13 AM First Chips Time (Part One) Volume One
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 1:09 AM First Chips Pieces Volume One
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 1:07 AM First Chips Me and My Lady Volume One
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 1:04 AM First Chips Present Song of the Future Past Volume One
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 1:00 AM First Chips Stoneball Volume One
No Bizarro Jerry e/d
Sep 04 - 12:50 AM Randy Rice Hello/Mr. Dumpty, Before the Fall/The Song To Anyone Who's Ever Laughed at Somebody Else
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 12:46 AM Afflicted Man Zip Ead Get Stoned Ezy
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 12:41 AM Companyia Electria Dharma Fesomies Urbanes Diumenge
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 12:36 AM The Space Lady Major Tom S/T
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 12:30 AM Sound Ceremony Electric Brain S/T
No Bizarro Jerry e/d
Sep 04 - 12:25 AM Vyto B Year of the Elephant Automatic Vaudeville
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 12:24 AM Renaldo and the Loaf A Medical Man Songs for Swinging Larvae
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 12:20 AM David Guetta and Sidney Duteil Nation Rap 33 rpm single requestical Yes
e/d
Sep 04 - 12:17 AM Jerry Rayson Do the Boogaloo The Weird Thing in Town
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 12:12 AM The Lat-Teens Mary Wanna Hey Everybody...I Gotta New Dance
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 12:06 AM Eddie Callahan Paper Rain False Ego
No
e/d
Sep 04 - 12:03 AM Cooking With Gas Cooking With Gas Cooking With Gas
No Bizarro Jerry e/d