Playlist for 10-9-09, featuring Stephen David Heitkotter's album "Heitkotter"

Last Friday's show featured an interesting record indeed. Steve Heitkotter, once a drummer for a late-60's garage band in California called the Roadrunners, cut this album presumably in his basement with a couple other guys. During his time in the aforementioned band, his contributions included incredibly solid drumming and a b-side titled "Pretty Me," which I also played on the program.

That's where the story gets kind of strange: Mr. Heitkotter was apparently institutionalized for some reason I have not been able to uncover very shortly after recording this disc in 1971. So soon after, in fact, that only about 10 copies of this LP even exist. Most of them were sent out to radio stations in California, and probably didn't receive much airplay due to the music contained within.

Upon contacting a knowledgeable source, I was told that Mr. Heitkotter is STILL in the psych ward, and in very bad shape. I was also informed that it would be useless to try and contact him because his family is very against having anything to do with his record, and will not allow it to be re-released (even though offers have been proposed.) All this adds up to a good story, but how is the actual music?

Strange, to say the least. It sounds to me like Mr. Heitkotter's trio consists of two guitars, drums and vocals. He is the drummer, songwriter and vocalist on all tracks, although the two guitarists are unknown (one of them absolutely shreds.) The songs are filled with bizarre rhythms and repeating patterns that imply a certain amount of improvisation--but nobody could have completely improvised shit this intense. The LP is comparable to other releases by troubled musicians (i.e. Skip Spence's idiosyncratic songwriting on "Oar), but literally sounds like nothing else. The vocals provided by Mr. Heitkotter sound to be those of someone who can croon like a motherfucker when he's not completely breaking down.

In other words, despite some disturbing off-key ranting, there are some really interesting melodies here. I dunno; if you like Captain Beefheart or any early 70's experimental stuff, you'll probably get into this.

Get it here. As a bonus, Steve's song from the Roadrunner days is also included.

Or, get the podcast for the entire show.

Playlist:

Oct 09 - 1:57 AM	The Spoils of War	Now is Made in America	S/T		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 1:53 AM	Peter Grudzien	White Trash Hillbilly Trick	The Unicorn		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 1:52 AM	Dion McGregor	The Diet	The Night World of Dion McGregor		No	Bizarro Jerry	e/d
Oct 09 - 1:47 AM	Randy Holden	Fruit and Iceburgs	Population II		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 1:45 AM	Jack Starr	My Love for You is Petrified	Born Petrified		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 1:40 AM	The Roadrunners	Pretty Me	45 rpm single		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 1:26 AM	Stephen David Heitkotter	Fly Over the Moon	Heitkotter		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 1:20 AM	Stephen David Heitkotter	Cadillac Woman	Heitkotter		No	Bizarro Jerry	e/d
Oct 09 - 1:15 AM	Stephen David Heitkotter	Quaker, Dog Got Away	Heitkotter		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 1:04 AM	Stephen David Heitkotter	I Don't Mind	Heitkotter		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 12:58 AM	Stephen David Heitkotter	Hangin' All Night	Heitkotter		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 12:52 AM	Mike Rep and the Quotas	Steppin Fetchit is Dead	Stupor Hiatus		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 12:50 AM	Bob Jacobs	The Illustrated Man	Songs for a Sideshow of the Mind		No	Bizarro Jerry	e/d
Oct 09 - 12:47 AM	Kenneth Higney	Night Rider	Attic Demonstration		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 12:44 AM	Bob Log III	bump pow! bump bump bump bump pow!	One Man Band	requestical	Yes		e/d
Oct 09 - 12:40 AM	Gary Wilson	Chromium Bitch	You Think You Really Know Me		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 12:35 AM	The Strange	Twelve Boats	Souvenir Album		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 12:29 AM	Kaplan Brothers	Happy	Nightbird		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 12:28 AM	Vyto B	Secret	Automatic Vaudeville		No	Bizarro Jerry	e/d
Oct 09 - 12:25 AM	Virgin Insanity	Thursday Matinee Theme Song (I Got Your Love)	The Odometer Suite		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 12:21 AM	Bruce Haack	Word Game	The Electric Lucifer		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 12:18 AM	Sun City Girls	The Flower	Torch of the Mystics		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 12:13 AM	Simply Saucer	Mole Machine	Cyborgs Revisited		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 12:09 AM	Thirsty Moon	Rooms Behind Your Mind	S/T		No		e/d
Oct 09 - 12:05 AM	Bob Vido High	Speed	Songs in the Key of Z, Vol. 2		No	Bizarro Jerry	e/d
Oct 09 - 12:01 AM	Bill Clint	Mama I'm a Baby	The Crying of a Generation		No		e/d

Next week, I will be ending the inclusion of full-length albums in the show. Instead, I'll be featuring 3-4 cuts off some of my favorite 'Cut-Out Bin Classics.' These are albums that I've purchased from outlet malls or pawn shops for cheap. Often, the same albums will end up in numerous cut-out bins because nobody wants 'em.

Such records include the only LP by the Killer Shrews--a band consisting of one Mekon, one guy from Pere Ubu, and another guy who I can't remember. Another is Yall So Stupid's album "Van Full of Pakistans," an oddball hip hop LP similar to the Pharcyde, but funnier and sloppier. Tune in next Thursday night, midnight til 2 to find out what the first classic will be!