Japan wins, YET again!

ON A WHIM

So yesterday I picked up two Larry Coryell records I didn't own and only one of which I had heard before. We all know that the 11th House is a fucking fusion monster and the 1st LP is fucking beyond gnarly, but I wasn't aware how gawdamn good Offering is.




It opens with this atonal white noise fuzz attack that eventually turns into this fucking manic melody. It like Inner-Mounting Flame meets Hot Rats. If you can dig on fusion you need to check out 'em jamz up on it.





Its nice outside. Fuck Mr. Internet.

THIS JUST IN!

Summer is fucking here!

Therefore:

High and listening to Little Feat!
SRSLY!
It was, after all, started by two ex-members of the Mothers of Invention.

This is the official "Sound of Summer '07" Sound, and remember this through the season. Funky AOR dixie light-rock is the sound of this summer, as I see it. If you are around people who aren't actually down with 'Operation Goodtymes' and you want them to 'get it' (or at least be able to pretend) then light-rock of any format is acceptable.
Atlanta Rhythm Section is another great flavor for this summer, and note their uber jam "I am so in to you" as a reason to dig 'em. "I am so in to you" is way up in my list of mega jamming singles ever, as it has the power to bring to me to my knees in the frozen food section during an attempt to gain a microwave pizza (this is not in way shape or form exaggerated or embellished) at a Big Bear (PS - we miss you) grocery store in the middle of night.

Also start drinking mint juleps, ASAP!

WILDFIRE (THEY CALLED HER)

Sooo...

I am presently at work, sitting up in the booth of sound at the horrid pit of faux-humanity that I sell my soul to for a above market price. They just installed public wifi here and I am fucking taking full advantage of it.

Well.. I just stumbled across this...



At the last record show I picked up a copy of Wildfire 'Smokin' from the mighty Paul 'O Athens, the man who has, or can get, every record you want. It is never cheap, as he has got the best shit at the show PERIOD and knows we want it.
The coolest thing about him, aside from his great taste, is that he will put on ANYTHING and often pulls out stuff you have never heard and demands you hear it. It's the sort of ACTUAL excitement you rarely get from dudes who deal in such rare records, aside from the late, amazing, and soooooo fucking mised Ken Stone.
Wildfire was one of those records that he said " I had to hear" and he was right.
Apparently only 5 copies of it have ever been unearthed, all in plain white sleeves with the band's name and the title written on them. One of Paul's friends found a copy and eventually pressed a limited to 500 re-issue in '96, which is what I purchased.
Fucking killer power trio guitar jamz and its on CD now... and rockadrome has it.
But if you look here you can download it.

The '96 re-issue LP has a very simple sleeve, as at the time nobody had been able to dig up much info on who the members of the band were, etc... so I was absolutely amazed to see that picture of the band as they look absolutely fucking amazing.
Peep that fist waving in the air, the glorious goofy grin, the 'merican flag, and just the pure fucking REALNESS that it encapsulates.

That picutre is what we all wish it looked like when TOTH play.
I think only Matt Miner could pull off that grin...


FUCK YEAH!

WARNING!

Unless you happen to be Jason R. Womeldorph sweatpants and/or flip-flops are COMPLETELY FUCKING UNACCEPTABLE ATTIRE ANYWHERE!
PERIOD!

Dearest America:

I apologize for my lack of recent entries, but I have had laptop vs internet issues as of late. They appear, for now, to be fixed so as to allow me to resume attacking your senses with useless information.

So lets begin!



I do not believe that there are many records recorded and mixed better than the orange self-titled Grand Funk LP. Much like the cover the bass is to focal point of the mix and it is absolute PERFECTION. The sound of a cranked tube amp clipping and rounding the Fender Jazz Bass attacking it into square waves then panned hard left. The guitar and drums are fantastic too, but SERIOUSLY listen to the fucking bass sound on this record on record, as I am sure (like the early yes re-masters) that they toned the gnarly on the bass down a bit.



The Mops have been making me very very happy as of late. They are regarded as Japan's 1st psychedelic rock band and released this one killer fucking LP in 1967. Apparently it was impossible to get acid in Japan at the time and so in order to try to achieve a 'higher state of being' they would blindfold themselves and flash strobe lights in their eyes until they had achieved the desired effect. That fact alone makes the record with checking out, as that is serious dedication to the psychedelic experience. The LP is the typical mix of covers and originals one would expect, but the covers are fairly amazing in that they were songs that had barely had time to make their way to Japan. The version of "Somebody to Love" is fucking unreal, but the real gem is their cover of "Inside Looking Out," which sounds less like the Animals original version and more like... oh the cover that Grand Funk does on the orange self-titled LP. Seriously, play them back to back. The originals are killer and sung in their native tongue. Thanks to Kyle for putting this on in the store for me so I could give it a listen.

In other news...
The FRDM! record is coming along... we got a practice space in downtown c'bus and are in the midst of FINALLY get what I have in my head to tape and should be playing shows by... may-ish, or so I hope... but you don't come here to read about that...

100% pro-d00m!
dig it!

SXSW!

Soooooo...

I did a post about the voyage to SXSW o'er at the new dark ages SXSW blog and then continued to not post a gawdamn thing after that... ooops...

Instead, however, of doing some day by day logical sort of re-cap or overview I am merely going to make a list... yes a fucking list.

SXSW:

1. 2 days in a van sucks. Even if the van is nice and you have your own bench seat. It still sucks. Sitting still sucks. The desert does rule though, everybody knows that.

2. My tolerance and ability to drink has nearly doubled (thank you free drinks, I heart thee) over the last few drink. I flat out cannot believe the volume of alcohol I consumed on Saturday. I thank you various corporations and magazines whom want to see 'FUCKING COOL' so you will spend as much money on my worthless generation as you can so as to get their money (read parents money mostly) as quickly as you can. Product placement rules! Lets go drink So Co in our Levis! PS: I am not bitchin' I saw Vietnam and Redman back to back on their tab.

3. Seeing this:



4. Kevin J. Elliott is a great dude to talk to when you have no idea what show to go to. He will know where to go, and in case of the rare time(s) he doesn't... well then he will join you for a drink.

5. Times New Viking were fucking amazing and it was great to freakout with friends from Columbus whilest they played. PS: How did pitchfork know we were all from Columbus? WTF BRO!

6. Entrance / TOTH / Earthless back-to-fucking-back! I haven't seen Guy (play live) since he went electric and he fucking ripped. The record was solid.. but fucking hell were they great. TOTH melted off my face as per usual, which I fucking neeeeeeeded desperately. Haven't seen any true metal since I left Ohio. Ending with Earthless! FUCK! Seeing Mario play drums in person and did anybody else notice how they miced his drums? WTF! The bonus at this show was bro-ing down with even more Columbus dudes. I remembered why I loved Columbus.

7. Talking to LA dudes about Columbus.

8. Talking to Columbus dudes about LA.

9. Being let down by the Portland / San Fransisco bands I *DID* manage to see.

10. This.

11. Missing most of what I actually cared about because I was busy having fun.

12. I am not good at being interviewed.

13. Etc etc...

AFTER SXSW:
So my moms lives in Austin and picked me up at the hotel on Sunday to stay for a few days and on the way home I ask to stop at the Half-Price Books near her house (in some weird suburb north of town) for no specific reason. Well what the fuck do I find but... A COPY OF 'MEDUSA' by TRAPEZE!
I almost paid (arguably) wayyyy to much for it at the last record show, but I scored a copy for 14 bucks. This blew my mind.
If you haven't heard this record download it now... you know how to find it. I will do a big review of it when I get back to Columbus tomorrow.

Finally to top off my 'lil trip to Austin, I got to see a showing of a restored 35mm print of El Topo this evening... with my Mom. Needless to say it was a great fucking close to a hell of a week.

I am still tired.

Tomorrow I return to Columbus after a month of adventure.