Re-Up by request: Mr. Dean - il Grande (IT 2009)

"this is my last "solo-mad-lonely at home with EXTREMELY low budget-album" but although his hundreds of thousends of flaws, i think it sounds pretty nice. -- i'm a semi-professional (whatever means) musician playing alternative and tradional rock with my band in italy, but from time to time i can't help trying to find other ways to approach music/sound. -- by myself, i've always recorded improvisations. every single track and every word of this record are improvisations. -- instruments: acoustic guitar, 10euros and 10 years old and half broken audio equipment, mac. -- the album is, of course, in italian. i'm afraid it loses a lot of meaning if you don't understand it, but, who cares about meaning anyway."

(Mr. Dean, 2009)

I sadly don't speak Italian - so I've got no idea what MR. DEAN is singing about, but maybe that's not really that important (B.t.w.: Of course the artists featured on HLFP alone are responsible for lyrical and musical content of their work posted here!). Anyway: What surely comes through, is that this is very intense music - and that is pretty cool, if you want my opinion. Most of the songs are rather simple regarding the arrangements: mostly only one or two guitars - acoustic or electric - and a voice singing or screaming or moaning or whispering... But often there is something slightly weird going on, an unexpected twist or some unusual tuning or whatever - something that make those songs a little ... hmm, weird. Some kind of experimental lofi approach, and I really love that. Enjoy!

Favourite tracks: 'Spettri' and 'Bisonte'

http://www.myspace.com/purpletelevision

Mr. Dean - il Grande (IT 2009)

(mp3-zip, 12 tracks, 45 min, 60,9 MB, front cover incl.)

Get it here (new link)!

STILL LIGHT - rare live track 'Latitudes' - STILL LIGHT will play live on SAT. Sept. 25 at Denver's Walnut Room

Here's another rare gem for you: an excellent psych folk track by STILL LIGHT, originally only featured as a free download track in the STILL LIGHT Electronic Newsletter # 1.

STILL LIGHT: Latitudes (live March 14 2010)

(mp3-zip, 1 track, 7'10 min, 16,2 MB)

Get it here or here or here!

Recorded live straight to minidisc at a "secret" show, billed as the bogus alter-ego "The Bells of St. Clarence". This was the first official Still Light live outing in the intimate atmosphere of Denver's Gypsy House Cafe as part of Symbolic Insight's monthly "textures" showcase.



Music written/improvised by Still Light, at this recorded instance comprised of:



- Grayson Scherer: percussion
 - Mark Pruisner: bass guitar, theremin
 - Ammon Swinbank: flute, chord organ - 
Jessica Dye: guitar, percussion - 
Kirill Nikolai: electric guitar, harmonium



Order the limited edition 180g vinyl of Still Light's "Lything" from the tonefloat shop here:

http://www.crazy-diamond.nl/tonefloat/html/store.htm



Upcoming shows:



Catch another special intimate live performance this Saturday, Sept. 25th at Denver's The Walnut Room with new music and visuals from Still Light, also with performances by Frieda Stalheim, The Widow's Bane, & Voladores.



http://www.thewalnutroom.com/show/detail/33210



Then Oct. 27th, Beta-lactam Ring Records presents Music For Personality Disorder featuring Expo' 70 with Orbit Service and Still Light at The Walnut Room.



http://www.thewalnutroom.com/show/detail/33229
 


Links:


http://footprintsinthegarden.wordpress.com/


http://www.myspace.com/stilllightrecords


http://www.last.fm/music/Still+Light



Jessica Dye:


http://www.myspace.com/jessicadye



Symbolic Insight & Textures


http://www.myspace.com/textureslive


http://www.biostatic.org/si.htm

Least Carpet - Least Carpet (GER 2010)

"If you listen to Least Carpet the first time it will remember you of something you do already know, but it's blurry and then you get pictures. Pictures of sitting on a hill top in the fresh blooming meadow. You smell the weed and maybe yourself, you listen to the birdsongs and hear tiny bells ringing. On the left side, downhill you get a glimpse of some small village, on the right side: your sheep. You pickup your self carved flute and whistle with the birds. – A romantic notion? Yes, but what about the fact that the magic mushrooms you've found in the grass beside you, start to take effect right now."

(Info by DFBM:

http://leastcarpet.bandcamp.com/album/least-carpet)

The fine guys over at the Dying For Bad Music Blog founded a DIY net-label (concentrating on Neo-Psychedelic, Folk, Lo-Fi Pop and Experimental) starting with a strangely named band AALFANG MIT PFERDEKOPF (a reference to Guenter GRASS' novel Die Blechtrommel I suppose) followed by the LEAST CARPET release featured here. Next will be a new album by LOW - FYE, also featured on HLFP (see here).

LEAST CARPET get compared to HALA STRANA/STEVEN R. SMITH which doesn't say much to me, since I do not know any of them (maybe you do?).

The music on offer is fantastic instrumental psych folk with a definite eastern flair. Somehow reminding me of some instrumental passages of the late DEAD CAN DANCE. This is like some trippy Indian soundtrack music.

Very much recommended!

http://dyingforbadmusic.com/dfbm.phtml

http://myspace.com/leastcarpet

LEAST CARPET: Least Carpet (GER 2010)

(mp3-zip, 8 tracks, 24 min, 56,7 MB, @320)

Get it here or here or here!

Altan Basharan - Plucking Feather (UK 2009)

"i met Altan, like Patrick, at my job at the Assisi House Project, he has severe schizophrenia & lives in sheltered housing with the Mind mental health charity in bradford uk... these recording were done over a period of about a year whenever he was well enough... he was very specific about how the songs went & sounded, everything is played by him & in the most part played live in one take, i did get him to track a guitar a few times but he was always reluctant... although, the results are amazing... he was very difficult to record as he sang so very quietly... the sound of his pick on the strings can be heard often as bleed through the vocal mic... & i think adds much charm... he is an absolute treasure to work with..."

(michaelDUSTdevil)

Amazing record! ALTAN BASHARAN's singing voice and guitar playing as well as his witty, whimsical compositions truly bring to mind SYD BARRETT in his post PINK FLOYD phase.

Strongly recommended!

Thanks a lot to michaelDUSTdevil!

Altan Basharan - Plucking Feather (UK 2009)

(mp3-zip, 8 tracks, 33 min, 74,1 MB)

Get it here or here or here!

Various Artists - Nougats: A North Texas Compilation (USA 2010)

Okay, you were digging NUGGETS, were listening to RUBBLE and PEBBLES, now here is something new for you: NOUGATS: A NORTH TEXAS COMPILATION.

The man responsible for it all is BRODERICK YOUNG (see older post here).

"The concept behind Nougats is sort of Nuggets from nowhere (i.e. where I'm from). I got the idea after listening to Nuggets and watching this documentary on Seattle and the whole grunge thing. So yeah. It's supposed to be a compilation of sorts: There's bands that actually existed and there's bands that existed for all of one recording session on there. The ideas of what each song is going for is mostly different too. For example, Dance (by Mr. Madge) was my take on early Madonna. All of the stuff that wasn't made by actual bands was recorded in a span of 3 weeks which I think is the amount of time it took the Ramones and Phil Spector to record End of the Century. We went about a song a day. Thanks to all the people who "compiled" it and everyone who gives it a shot. Enjoy it."

(B. Y.)

Don't let the title fool you: Most of the tracks featured on NOUGATS don't have that typical 60s garage/psych rock or psyche pop sound (that one would expect from the title), but are more in a late 80s/90s alternative rock or folk-rock style – or are just plain fun (e.g. "Jazz Interpretations"). What those aforementioned 60s music collections and NOUGATS do though have in common are the often funny sounding "band" names...

Anyway there are lots of great songs on NOUGATS to discover! And again BRODERICK YOUNG's voice sounds very much like a young LOU REED.

Enjoy!

http://polydactylrecords.blogspot.com/

Favourite track: "Enter the Dog Man" by TORRY FINLEY and "Hello" by LMO

VARIOUS ARTISTS (= BRODERICK YOUNG & Friends):

NOUGATS: A NORTH TEXAS COMPILATION

(mp3-zip, 21 tracks, 67 min, 140 MB, artwork incl.)

Track list:
1. Victory Punch by The Huntsmen
2. Chontelle Waters by The Blues B-Woman Bangers Band
3. One by Julia's Boyfriend and the Cherry Sours
4. Duck Sauce by Coffee Hobos
5. Hello by LMO
6. Slow Motion by Chris Daily
7. Accordion Butterfly by Stylish Headphones, Milady
8. Jazz Interpretations by The Chawntonian Orchestra
9. Leave It Alone by The Saber-Tooth Seersuckers
10. Chontelle Waters (live) by Kahuna and McFleece
11. Dance by Mr. Madge
12. More Than Construction by Dos Twees
13. Enter The Dog Man by Torry Finley
14. Teenage Anti-Comunist American Bossa-nova Defense System by Stylish Headphones, Milady
15. I'm Just A Mops by The Bandit Kings
16. Rainy Day by Los Gigantos
17. Limited Edition Sasquatch Bin by Broderick Young
18. Slo-Mo by Hyphen Nation
19. Wishing by Broderick Young
20. Not My Time by The Robot Brothers
21. Virgin by Nerds Etc...

Compiled by David Chawner, Chris Daily, Julia Greuner, Will McManus, Torry Finley, Lauren Moseley, Corbin Young, and Broderick Young.

Get it here or here or here!

Jeff Daily - Barnyrd, Je'Taime (USA 2009)

http://barnyardmusic.blogspot.com/ is the place where JEFF DAILY and his brothers CHRIS and MATT from Texas post their homemade recordings that they are doing since 1999. Check it out!

So this will explain the title of JEFF's work to those that are not (yet) familiar with the huge cosmos of barnyard music.

What do we have to expect? Well, Barnyrd, Je'taime is meant to be a double lp and is devided into four sides:

SIDE ONE
1. “Barnyrd…” (M. Daily/J. Daily)
2. Helpless Child
3. Music & Love
4. 27 Blues
5. It Doesn’t Matter #1
SIDE TWO
6. Oh You (live 7/10/09)
7. Red Light District (J. Daily/C. Daily/M. Daily)
8. Down
9. Come a Cropper
10. U Coattail Rider
11. Life’s a Gas!
SIDE THREE
12. I Never Cry
13. U Coattail Rider (demo)
14. End Piece (from HISTOIRE DE MELODY BARNYARD)
15. It Doesn’t Matter #2/Gales Redux (J. Daily/C. Daily/M. Daily)
SIDE FOUR
16. Friends, I’ve Left Behind
17. Leave Me Alone
18. Song After Song
19. Delirious
20. “…Je’Taime” (M. Daily/J. Daily)

But don't fear: It is not really a concept album - at least I can't see one, but anyway: that all doesn't matter. It's a record filled with good handmade folk and rock music, some punk rock (e.g. u coattail rider) and some weird stuff (like the opening and closing number and end piece). Quite a lot of different styles on offer - and a pleasure to listen to.

See older post here: JEFF DAILY - Miss Cretin Prosody (EP)

as well as JEFF's funky contribution on the 3rd HLFP-Sampler NEW KIDS ON THE BLOG (here).

Enjoy!

JEFF DAILY - Barnyrd, Je'taime (USA 2009)

(mp3-zip, 20 tracks, 68 min, 62,2 MB)

Get it here or here or here!

Dustdevil & Crow - while walking slowly you can see the grasses grow (USA/UK 2009)

DUSTDEVIL & CROW are Michael Dustdevil of ANCIENTS and ATLANTIC DRONE fame and Bendle from THE DOOR AND THE WINDOW.

"walking slowly, watching the insects grow, watching the nettles sew, watching (and recording) the wind blow, moving slowly but then again - we're instantly in oak harbour usa and simultaneously in the weird whiteley woods in the uk, zanging and zinging, zinging and zanging..."

(http://www.myspace.com/dustdevilcrow)

Don't have much info on this one, so just go, download and listen.

What do we hear?

First of all: This isn't rock music, it's rather experimental or some kind of weird folk music. Very quiet and with a rather sparse arrangement, mainly vocals and guitar. How you will react to this music will depend very much on your liking of the vocal style. It's very special and fits perfectly to the strange dreamlike atmosphere, but it surely will not be everyone's cup of tea. (Somehow it even reminds me of some a capella songs by the HOLY MODAL ROUNDERS, e.g. Werewolf, though the mood is very different, or some songs by ROY HARPER.)

Enjoy!

http://www.myspace.com/dustdevilcrow

http://www.myspace.com/thedoorandthewindow

http://www.myspace.com/bendle

http://www.myspace.com/dustdevilsextant

And don't forget to visit Michael Dustdevil's site:

http://michaeldustdevil.multiply.com/

DUSTDEVIL & CROW (2009):

while walking slowly you can see

the grasses grow

(mp3-zip, 12 tracks, 102,4 MB, 45 min)

Get it here or here or here!

Patrick Baker And Beyond - same title (USA 2009)

Excellent album by PATRICK BAKER AND BEYOND from Ewing, NJ, USA.

Patrick has been playing music for many years, and one can clearly hear that: production and playing are superb and his music is very original and therefore rather difficult to categorize.

"Patrick Baker And Beyond is an instrumental musical project I completed in October that takes elements from a wide range of musical styles ranging from classic rock, psych, jazz, African, Indian and current indie music.

I have been playing music all of my life; from 1990 to 1991 I recorded and performed with a hardcore band from NJ called Mouthpiece. Our first 7 inch recording was released by New Age Records (...) called Can't Kill What's Inside (...). – In 1991 I left Mouthpiece to start a band with my brother called The Semibeings. We recorded, performed and toured together until we disbanded in 1999. The band self released many albums as well as releasing two Kramer (Bong Water, King Missile, Butthole Surfers, Gwar) produced albums. The first Sickness And Health was released on Shimmy Disc Records and the second Three Pawns Standing was released by C/Z Records. – Had a brief outing with a band called Junkygood since then, most notably having a song recorded and produced by Andrew Weiss (Rollins Band, Ween). I have been involved with writing music for small indie films and promotional material as well." (P.B.)

The singing style (yes there are some vocals on some tracks, though not necessarily words are sung) on "The Owl" reminds me of ROBERT WYATT while "Sudden Flash" brings BRIAN ENO to mind. But most songs are indeed instrumental pieces based on some gentle acoustic guitar playing with some drums/percussion, occasional piano and electric guitar and - from time to time - some spacy effects (e.g. "Balloons") or even strings added.

Very uplifting music! Great!

Favourite tracks: hmmm... difficult; probably "The Owl", but the whole record is really excellent and strongly recommended!

http://www.myspace.com/patrickbakerandbeyond

http://www.reverbnation.com/patrickbakerandbeyond

Q: How recorded?

A: I recorded this at home using a computer (Cubase) and various instruments

Q: When recorded?

A: I have been recording this off and on since 2004

Q: Who involved? Who played what?

A: The music was written, performed, recorded and mixed by myself

Q: Any more releases?

A: This is my first release, I am unsigned

Q: Any previous bands worth mentioning?

A: I was in a psychedelic rock band called The Semibiengs for about 10 years. We self released many albums as well as releasing one on the Shimmy Disc label and also the C/Z label

Q: How'd you "label" your music?

A: "Dronefolk"

Q: Influences?

So many, some include The Beatles, Talking Heads, Pink Floyd, African Music, Indian Music, Bob Marley, John Coltrane, Animal Collective, Prince, The Clash the list goes on and on

Q: Myspace?

A: http://www.myspace.com/patrickbakerandbeyond

If you like what you hear, PLEASE SUPPORT THE ARTIST.

You may buy a cd at CD Baby and you will also find Patrick's music at iTunes.

Enjoy!

PATRICK BAKER AND BEYOND (2009)

(mp3-zip,10 songs, 39 min, 71,1 MB)

Get it here or here or here!

East Ra - Sutra (Croatia 2009)

In February last year I posted "Cold Summer" by Croatian underground psych band EAST RA.

"Sutra" is their latest release, their second album, this time sung in their own language.

dino-s translated the original song titles for us, so that we might get an idea what the songs are about.

These are raw, rather lo-fi recordings, again mostly folkrock mainly based on acoustic guitar playing and often unpolished, sometimes blues-y vocals. Probably not quite as dark as the first album, but just as atmospheric.

Amazing work!

http://www.myspace.com/eastra1

EAST RA - Sutra (2009)

(mp3-zip, 15 tracks, 62 min, 140,1 MB, artwork incl.)

01. the witch (Štriga)

02. cock blues (Kurac Blues)

03. little green song (Moli zeleni kanat)

04. watering can (Žbrufador)

05. flower (Rožica)

06. dark road (Škura cesta)

07. chamomile and coffe (Kamamila i kafe)

08. arm, knee (Ruka, koleno)

09. orange (Naronca)

10. our meadow (Joko joko)

11. very very (Naš kršin)

12. my cloud and i (Moj oblak i ja)

13. went hiding in the woods (Šo son se skrit va bošak)

14. border of miracle (Kunfin od mirakula)

15. this morning (Sutra)

Get it here!

Allister Thompson - Infinities (CAN 2006)

ALLISTER THOMPSON is from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He's been playing his own music since the late 90s.

The biggest band he's been in was called CRASH KELLY (2002-2009), a 70s-style glam band, that released three albums on various labels internationally and toured Canada, the U.S. and parts of Europe. Allister was the rhythm guitar player/occasional bassist/backing vocalist in the group. "The highlight of our career was doing two tours opening for ALICE COOPER."

ALLISTER THOMPSON has recorded two albums under his own name: The first is "Infinities" (2006), where he played all instruments (g., bs., keyb., perc.) and sang everything. It was produced at home in lofi conditions and later mastered very well to sound "pretty sparkly". His second album, "Shadowlands", produced last winter, was recorded in a professional recording studio in Toronto with a full band on most tracks.

"I had called my music "psych folk", in the late 60s/early 70s tradition of Donovan, the Incredible String Band, Popol Vuh, that sort of thing. The new album has a bit of that on it but also a lot of psych-rock/early prog/Kraut influences. So I guess it's now "psychedelic folk rock"!

Primary influences: Nick Drake, John Martyn, Sandy Denny, Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, Popol Vuh, Flying Saucer Attack, The Church (the Aussie neo-psych band)." (A. T.)

Excellent mellow psychedelic folk recording strongly influenced by late 60s/early 70s British folk music – especially NICK DRAKE – with a slight ambient music touch. There are surely not too many current musicians that are working in the area that ALLISTER THOMPSON is in, i. e. mixing folk with more ambient/psych sounds, with lyrics that are more philosophical than personal.

"I personally generally dislike confessional singer songwriting (people whining about their relationships) and enjoy it when songwriters try to give their lyrics a greater meaning. That's my goal anyway." (A. T.)

Great music! The only thing I do not like that much is the cover artwork. I think it doesn't do justice to this rather sad, but beautiful music at all.

Enjoy!

Favourite track: 'Galaxies Turn'

http://www.myspace.com/allisterthompson

http://www.archive.org/details/AllisterThompsonInfinities

http://www.last.fm/music/Allister+Thompson

Listen to some of Allister's lates cd "Shadowlands" on Myspace. You can buy it at cdbaby.

IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR, PLEASE SUPPORT THE ARTIST!

ALLISTER THOMPSON - Infinities (2006)

(mp3-zip, 11 tracks, 51 min, 119,2 MB, artwork incl.)

Get it here or here or here!