Uri G

A good fiend of NSS had some great luck crate diving recently. He came up with some valuable gems & sent me a few. I just had to pass this one on to everyone else visiting here. Thanks Xtm!

I am Spoonbender was started as a recording project in early '97 by Pansy Division drummer Dustin Donaldson & friend Brian Jackson . Dustin handled synths, drums, & vocals while Brian worked bass, synths, & Protools. When the band cub called it quits, their guitarist Robynn "Cup" Iwata joined IaS on the synths & vocals. The band was halfway through the making of their debut album Sender/Receiver.

For 2002s Shown Actual Size single, Dave Edwardson, bassist for Neurosis (& numerous other side gigs) joined Donaldson, Iwata, et. al for a fuller IaS sound.

I am Spoonbender - Shown Actual Size 12" 45, 

Gold Standard Laboratories GSL 60, 2002.

Side a -
I Went & had My Knives Sharpened
Remover-Installer

Side b -
Re-Dial Meant "Remember"

Enjoy,
NØ

6 Degrees of Separation

"When the child came, he would be prepared in the right way, watched over by the Comsat relays, hot lines open, the armies of the world immobilized. This time there would be no mistakes"

Taking their name from  this J. G. Ballard short story "The Comsat Angels", the band's original lineup (1978 - 1992) was: Stephen Fellows - guitar & vocals; Andy Peake - keyboards; Kevin Bacon - bass; & Mik Glaisher - drums.

"Includes free extra single 5 tracks in total JIVE 54".

The Comsat Angels - Independence Day 2x7", Jive JIVE 54, 1984.

decryption code in comments

Disc 1 -

a. Independence Day
b. Intelligence

Disc 2 -

c. Mister Memory
d1. Total War
d2. After the Rain

All tracks on Record Two recorded live at Sheffield University.

Enjoy,
NØ

Dub for Dreamers

For three decades Conscious Sounds has been instrumental in releasing consistently ground-breaking roots & culture music.

Here is a collection of the label's strictly limited vinyl releases, Dubs from the Vaults. It contains exclusive unreleased cuts from the Conscious Sounds studio archives featuring little known studio collaborations like Rockers 44 & Planet Dub alongside some Conscious Sounds heavy-weights like Centry & The Music Family. All the tracks were recorded at Conscious Sounds Studios between 1992 - 1996.

Various - Conscious Sounds presents Dubs from the Vaults, Dubhead DBHD 019CD, 2000.

decryption code in comments

tracklist -

Firing the Phasers
Patient Man
Dub for Dreamers
Spanish Horns
Revenging Centry
Fly like a Falcon
Big Mouth
Big Mouth Dub
Rewind it Again
Cradle Rock
Rememberance Dub
Bad Time Girl
2am Dub
Pizzicato Dub
The Waterhole

Tracks 1, 2, &10 - The Music Family; 3, 7, 8, & 15 - Rockers 44; 4, 11, & 14 - Planet Dub; & 5, 6, 9, 12, & 13 - Centry.

Enjoy,
NØ

Hey, Herb

Phallus Dei - Nature Mortes, Paragoric PA23, 2001.

decryption code in comments

tracklist -

Prologue : Mesmerism
Valium
After the Night
Rev
Stalker
Herb
Pathology
Astronaut
Sepulchral
Ange
Epilogue : Eden

Enjoy,
NØ

Big New Prinz Live(s)

I hadn't heard from Brother Jonder for quite some time. I was wondering if I'd somehow fallen off the grid, so I reached out to him. To eulogize the passing of & to commemorate the greatness of M. Mark E. Smith, Jonder has created a new blog, jonderblog. It's also in the links to the right. He's been posting up some great compilations of The Fall related materials. Go check it out.

Jonder's often chided me (goodheartedly) about not being a fan of The Fall. I don't dislike the band or MES & in fact I have at least once posted a song by Mr. Mark. Sometimes I just can't shake "Bill is Dead" if I unwittingly hear it. It's not like that melody you just can't stop whistling, it's more like the lingering dread of last nights faint nightmare. My taste (if I dare even call it that) just favors other morsels.

In homage to the revered MES & as a nod to Brother Jonder's continuing good work, I give you these bursts of The Fall...four bootlegish live recordings that might not be as well known as their Beggars Bullshit, et. al

Probably my favorite of the four recordings here is Live Various Years (hence the nod in the title of this post) because of the excellent sound quality & the fact that although the recordings are from various years, the sound is extremely cohesive, but I’m posting Backdrop first.

Backdrop is the most "The Fall album" of any of these offerings here. That's because Backdrop came into existence as a bootleg but then was officially released. It appears to be out of print nowadays. This collection of rarities consists mainly of live tracks from the early to mid 80s, including live versions of tracks from their Beggars Bullshit years as well as many other gems. "Dresden Dolls" is extremely entertaining.

The Fall - Backdrop, Pseudo Indie Label PIL05CD, 1994.

all decryption codes in comments

Marquis Cha-Cha
Bremen Nacht Run Out
Mark'll Sink Us
Lucifer over Lancashire
Hey! Luciani
Wings
L.A.
U.S. 80s-90s
Guest Informant
The Man Whose Head Expanded
Dackdrop
Dresden Dolls
Strychnine
Race with the Devil
Plaster on the Hands



in the city... was recorded live at The Roadhouse, Manchester over three nights from March 20 - 22, 1995. The sound quality seems excellent to these old ears. This was a stop-over during the tour immediately after the release of Cerebral Caustic. It seems to features plenty of material from CC. Cerebral Caustic might not be the band's finest effort, but only it's stronger material ends up here. There's also stuff from the 90-95 era ("Middle Class Revolt" stands out) plus some 'oldies'. This recording features a classic line-up...joining Smith are the long-standing core of Hanley/Scanlon/Wolstencroft. Karl Burns was back. Brix had made a surprising return. Finally, making her debut on this tour was Julia Nagle who, in a couple more years down the road would be the only member of this group (bar Smith) to remain.

the fall - in the city..., Artful Records ARTFULCD03, 1997.

The Joke
Aphid
Deadbeat Descendant
Feeling Numb
War Glam Racket
Pearl City
L.A.
Don’t Call Me Darling
Bill is Dead
Behind the Counter
Edinburgh Man
Middle Class Revolt
Gut of the Quantifier
Life Just Bounces

Live Various Years: Tracks 1-2 recorded live in New York in September 1993 (possibly at The Academy on September 17, 1993); tracks 3-6 recorded live in Munich in October 1993; tracks 7-11 recorded live at the Bierkeller, Bristol on January 18, 1997; tracks 12-14 recorded live at the Arena, Vienna on April 16, 1988.

Although this covers different tours, the songs form quite a cohesive "show". The sound quality seems like professional multi-track recording with proper mixing.  The 1993 shows are notable for Dave Bush's fantastic keyboard work. On the 1997 tracks Julia Nagle is responsible for all music outside bass & drums.

The Fall - Live Various Years 2xCD, Cog Sinister COGVP111CD, 1998.

CD1 -
Deadbeat Descendant
Big New Prinz - NYC Sept. 93
Why are People Grudgeful
Free Range
Shift-work
Strychnine - Munich Oct. 93
Das Vulture ans ein Nutter-wain
Spine Track
Behind the Counter
Interference
Hip Priest - Bristol Jan. 97

CD2 -
Carry Bag Man
Yes Oh Yes
US 80s-90s - Vienna April 88


Live in Cambridge was recorded live at the Corn Exchange, Cambridge on March 19, 1988.

This ties in perfectly with the second disc of Live Various. At this point in their history The Fall were arguably more of a viable, professional live act than at any other time in their career. This was recorded on the last night of a short UK tour promoting The Frenz Experiment. Most of that album appears to be featured here. "Pay Your Rates" seems thrashingly out of place amongst the more groove-oriented material.

The Fall - Live in Cambridge 1988, Cog Sinister COGVP115CD, 2000.

Shoulder Pads
2 x 4
Get a Hotel
Cab it Up
Bremen Nacht
Frenz
Pay Your Rates
Hey! Luciani
Oswald Defence Lawyer
L.A.
Carry Bag Man
Victoria
Mr. Pharmacist (2nd half) / U.S. 80s-90s
Lucifer over Lancashire

R.I.P. Mark E. Smith...

Get a hotel,
NØ

Even with Twilight as My Guide I've Crashed on Mars

I've never really shied away from the fact that I'm a big fan of The Mars Volta (I’ve actually called myself "a fan-man" & "queer for them")...TMV from here on out. I've never really explained how it all came about, but I’d like to, in the self-inflated belief that hearing my bizarre journey with TMV might spark a chord with anyone.

It all began with The Itsy Bitsy Spider.

I'd alway been a fan of ATDI & was saddened when they ceased (for a time). But after the Drive-In, I got Tremulant. "Cut That City" was ATDI becoming something else. "Concertina" is perhaps the first true TMV song. Then "Eunuch Provocateur" played & I heard strange backward masking. I spun it around. "Have Mommie or Daddie ever had to...have Mommie or Daddie ever had to spank you?" then a voice out of some crazy dream sez: "I’m very fond of this..." & goes on to recite The Itsy Bitsy Spider. I felt a flash of satori. I'll just have to keep an ear on this band.

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The first full-blooded TMV came in the form of a strange tale of madness...De-Loused in the Comatorium. It tells the story of Cerpin Taxt, a man who goes into a week-long coma after attempting suicide by intentionally overdosing on a mixture of morphine & rat poison.  In his comatose state, Cerpin enters a dream world where he is put through a series of trials by the Tremulants (here we go again, layers on layers & a storybook to boot [included here]), creatures from his own mind that inspire his art. In the end, he comes out of the coma. He feels only fit for the dream world. He once more attempts suicide, this time by jumping off of a bridge, this time succeeding.

The story of Cerpin Taxt alludes to the death of El Paso, Texas artist & close friend of Cedric Bixler-Zavala...Julio Venegas (1972–1996).

I've included the essential "Drunkship" / "Eriatarka" / "Cicatriz Esp" arc & two more.

!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!

Next came Frances the Mute. I've only included "The Widow", "L'Via L'Viasquez", & "Miranda (excerpt)" here to introduce the other female members of the cast. The entire five sides of this opus are the most cohesive musickal work I know. Listen to it in its entirety for maximum enjoyment.

Frances the Mute is about a diary discovered by former TMV bandmate Jeremy Ward while he was employed as a repo man. Ward saw resemblances to his own life.  It's mainly about the search for his biological parents. Before Ward's 2003 death from an apparent overdose, he took it upon himself to finish the unknown writer's work. TMV frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala later used the writings as a blueprint of sorts for Frances.

Frances the Mute is Cygnus' mother, L' Via's sister, & Miranda's daughter. Although possibly a deaf-mute, this could be completely metaphorical. If it is in fact literal, she may have been in the care of the Church somehow, or working for them in some capacity. In any case, she was raped by at least one priest while others looked on. Her sister L' Via was a witness to this act. She ran away. Frances bore a baby, Cygnus, who it appears was taken away from her & most likely raised in a Church-run orphanage. It seems that Frances fought the Church on this, trying to protect her baby from them, vowing they would not take him. They did. She may have threatened to go to the secular authorities with her story as a means of blackmailing them into giving her Cygnus. It appears she was killed to silence her.

Vismund Cygnus is a twenty-five year old, HIV positive, IV drug-addicted prostitute. He seems to have some deep guilt for being born male. His hatred of himself combined with his male aggression lead him to rape & murder. Cygnus takes his revenge through raping & infecting (thus effectively murdering) 25 people, becoming the very thing he most fears & despises in other men.

One of Cygnus' sexual liasons is The Widow.

!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!

Amputechture...Cedric sez. "I love the way that Rod Serling's 1970s series Night Gallery had that common thread, that it was a gallery & every painting told a different story. I guess I'd like that to be true of this album, too. The subject matter is all different, but the song do all come together in a strange way. Every song would be a different episode that kind of relates in the way that Paul Thomas Anderson's 1999 film 'Magnolia' has all these different characters who all come back together in the end."

This one blasts off with a bang, let's listen to the Vs..."Vicarious Atonement" / "Vermicide" / "Viscera Eyes". "Vermicide" is such a perfect capsule that the only minor minor complaint I've ever had was that it is much too short for a TMV song...only 4'15".

!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!

The Bedlam in Goliath...As origin stories go, this one's a doozy. While on tour, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez bought The Soothsayer, an antique talking Ouija-style board at a Jerusalem curio shop. The band used the board as a game, part of its after-show wind-down ritual. Then, according to Omar, things got strange.

Through the board, certain spirits started visiting night after night. Their communications partially inspired the lyrics & sounds TMV developed for Bedlam.

When the band went into the studio to record, chaos ensued. Rodriguez-Lopez says the messages coming through the Soothsayer board got scary. The studio flooded. There were a series of equipment malfunctions. Fearing the spirits were behind the problems, Rodriguez-Lopez says he broke & buried the board so the group could finish the album. It sounds preposterous, but spend some time with The Bedlam in Goliath. The paranormal visitations begin to seem almost plausible.

For the the Mars Landing compilation I've chosen "Agadez" & "Conjugal Burns".

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Octahedron...Similar to the band's third studio album, Amputechture, the album does not contain a single unifying narrative. Vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala notes that the album is "not really" a concept album: "I thought it was going to be but never really got around to writing about anything in particular. Just a lot of instant song composing & regular themes that I wouldn't even want to elaborate on (kidnappings; vanishings; 'what if' scenarios about how to get Republicans out of the White House if they'd got in."

I decided to drag out the "EVIL" here: "Since We’ve Been Wrong" / "With Twilight as My Guide" / "Luciform".

!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!

Noctourniquet is a concept album centering on a character based on the mythical Greek figure Hyacinthus & the English nursery rhyme Solomon Grundy. The main character lives under The Whip Hand. His mother is The Malkin Jewel (her local stripper nom de pole). She loves to leave our poor boy alone at night while she strips. She sarcastically calls him Lapochka (li'l dear) & at the same time scares him with tales of the boogeyman Moloch.

I posted my favorites...The Malkin Jewel / Lapochka before here.

I’m including "Empty Vessels", "Imago", & "Vermalady".

Mars Landing: A Splattering of TMV

With Twilight as My Guide
Drunkship of Lanterns
Eriatarka
Cicatriz Esp
Miranda (excerpt)
Vicarious Atonement
Ambuletz
Imago
Vermicide
The Widow
Since We’ve Been Wrong
Vermalady
Conjugal Burns
Televators
Viscera Eyes
L'Via L'Viasquez
Agadez
Empty Vessels
Luciforms

Enjoy,
NØ