The delectably psychedelic Circulatory System have been recording their sophomore album for the past 6 years. The last time I contacted their label about a release date for their upcoming album in 2006, it was supposed to be coming out that spring. However, after e-mailing Cloud Nine, they simply replaced the 6 with a 7 in the original 2006 date. Well the frustration is now over as it appears that they’ve made progress in recording their album and two weeks ago performed some of their new material live. Luckily, Southern Shelter bootlegged the show and has put it up for everyone to download and hear. Say what you will about the differences between the E6 and Naturalismo artists, but I think Circulatory System tap into something similar.
Track 1 – Intro
Track 2 – A Peek
Track 3 – ?*
Track 4 – Should A Cloud Replace A Compass?
Track 5 – Jam*
Track 6 – Round Again
Track 7 – Days To Come (in photographs)
Track 8 – Solid Forms Dissolve*
Track 9 – The Spinning Continuous*
Track 10 – Yesterday’s World
Track 11 – Begin Now
Track 12 – Can you come down with us?*
Vashti Bunyan has announced that she will be playing at the upcoming Syd Barrett tribute concert, Madcap’s Last Laugh, on May 10th. The evening will pay homage to the pioneering psychedelic artist whose music has influenced so many artists since. Madcap’s Last Laugh was organized by Joe Boyd, both Barrett’s first producer and more recently Vashti Bunyan’s on Just Another Diamond Day. Also performing will be Kevin Ayers, founding member of the legendary Soft Machine. For more information visit the Barbican.
Tropical percussion and lyrics about space, what more could you ask for? Such a killer track, so catchy. The video is a little cliche’, but somehow it works. I never saw this clip when it first came out.
The ‘Pac of folk, Nick Drake, will posthumously release an album comprised of unreleased tracks recorded before his debut album, Fire leaves Left. Slated for release on June 19th, Family Tree brings together a collection of rare Nick Drake material that was culled from old reel-to-reel tapes. Family Tree sees Drake performing a duet with his sister, Gabrielle, and a solo performance from his mother Molly. Also included on the album are several covers performed by Drake. Many of the songs on Family Tree have been in circulation for some time thanks to Nick Drake’s parents making copies of the early tapes for adoring fans who came and visited them wanting to know more about their sons life and music. Family Tree presents the most complete picture of Nick Drake’s early career, that up until now has only seen scattered release. Today I have a track from the forthcoming Family Tree. The first is Nick Drake covering the incredibly talented Jackson C. Frank. If you’re not familiar with Jackson C. Frank I suggest you go download the Yo Si Oigo | Devendra Banhart’s Influences compilation, as there’s another great song by him on it. The second track I’ve included is the original song recorded by Jackson C. Frank.
Nick Drake – Milk and Honey(cover) One of my favorite covers, Drake makes this song his own. The sped up tempo and unique finger picking give the song a darker and more mysterious tone than the original
Peter and the Wolf have recorded a brief set with the always intriguing Daytrotter at Studio one. Included in their new recording are two unreleased songs named “Where Summer Goes” and “The Fall.” To listen to the songs and get a preview of the bands upcoming Sunchasers album head over to Daytrotter.Sean Moller describes the recording process:
“When we recorded this session on March 13 th, just after lunchtime – though I don’t think anything was eaten, just Tecate drinkin’, he just walked over with his guitar and the funny lookin’, goatskin instrument with a bow and some strings. It wasn’t raining yet, but when he got to the studio, the droplets began pelting the roof and they didn’t stop for hours. Sometimes they fell harder, as if being thrown, and that’s when we had to pause the tape rolling. The rain had become louder than Hunter and with the special things he was doing, that would not stand. Hunter played that day in a gray T-shirt that had copious amounts of battery-acid-created holes all over it and in the cowboy boots that he was seen in on every occasion over the week…With the way these songs turned out though, there are no complaints.”
Joanna Newsom’s new EP, Joanna Newsom and the Y’s street band, is due for release on April 24th. While the Y’s Street Band sees Joanna continuing her lavish baroque folk on one third of the new EP, the other songs mark a slight return to the sound of her more personal and minimal recordings of her debut album the Milk Eyed-Mender. “Colleen,” the single new song on Y’s Street Band builds on the epic song structures she paved on her acclaimed Y’s.However, the song that most stands out to me is her re-recording of Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie. Joanna’s soft and elegant repeating melody at the end never ceases to send chills up the back of my neck. To listen to her new rendition of the song head over to Shameless complacency, who has the song posted.
In other Joanna Newsom news… she has been selected by Bjork to open for her upcoming tour on the following select dates:
05-15 Denver, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
05-19 Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
First up is the preview for the Rocky Erickson documentary You’re gonna miss me which covers his drug dependency, family and music life after his time spent fronting the legendary 13th Floor Elevators.
This record has been growing on me quite a bit and I thought I would share it with my readers who haven’t heard them yet. Woods consists of two core members Jeremy Earl and Christian DeRoeck, with a rotating assembly of other contributors they call Woodsists. Earl is the founder of Fuckittapes, which you may remember from an earlier (now out of print) Jana Hunter release. Woods play a blend of dark low-fi folk with wiry hooks and timber drums that I highly recommend. I’ve posted two songs below for you to give a listen to.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Woods also have an upcoming show with WWVV and Little Wings:
Forgive me for keeping mum about the status of Arthur magazine, as I preferred to stay optimistic in the wake of its apparent demise. It’s now official that Arthur Magazine is on the path for resurrection. Arthur editor, Jay Babcock now has his baby safely back in his hands thanks to a second negotiation arrangement made between him and publisher Laris Kreslins. In regards to the melancholias symbolist ink drawing that has graced Arthur’s website for the past month Jay has the following to say:
“‘Arthur is in Avalon.’ In some versions of the story, he explained, the lady presides over the British island of Avalon, where Arthur is sent to heal his wounds.
“The whole thing is that he will return in our time of need,” Babcock said. “He is supposed to die and come back.”
Charles Manson, known more so for his murderous direction of his followers, than for his musical career and connection to The Beach BoysDennis Wilson. What finer a day than Friday the 13th to put on your favorite Manson Family album? Today I have two tracks from his now infamous demo tape recorded in 1968 by Phil Kaufman and more commonly known as Lie. What’s most unsettling about them I think occurs after one listens to them. The songs have a sense of hope and sincerity to them and without knowing what was to follow their recording, one could easily mistake them for any other endearing folk artist. Play them for a friend without first telling them who they’re by and I’m sure you’d be hard pressed to find someone that didn’t think they have nice melodies to them. Having read about the Manson Family murders beforehand, it actually took me a little bit of time before I worked up enough courage to listen to them and once I did I was (begrudgingly) pleasantly surprised. I would never try to make light of the murders he was involved with but try to cast all of that aside for just a moment to give the songs a listen. I find the psychological aspects and deep history to it all fascinating. It’s difficult to say what would of happened if he had been signed instead of rejected by the music industry. To read more about Charles Manson before – and after “The Manson Family” head over to CharlieManson.com. Check out these two tracks from Charles Manson’s album Lie: The Love & Terror Cult
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Ira Cohen’s psychedelic masterpiece“The Invasion of Thunderbolt Pagoda,” will see release on June 1 thanks to Arthur Magazine. “The Invasion of Thunderbolt Pagoda” will be a full Directors cut DVD with commentary by Ira Cohen, an alternative soundtrack by sunburned hand of the man, and a film short compiled from unused footage from Invasion.
“In 1961 Mr. Cohen built a room in his New York loft lined with large
panels of Mylar plastic, a sort of bendable mirror that causes images
to crackle and swirl in hypnotic, sometimes beautiful patterns. After
a few years experimenting with the technique in photographs, he
invited his friends from the downtown scene — like Beverly Grant, Vali
Myers and Tony Conrad — to make a film.
The finished product sets languid images of opium smokers (in
fantastic makeup and costumes) against a droning, chanting,
tabla-beating soundtrack by Angus MacLise, the original drummer of the Velvet Underground. Xavier Garcia Bardon, film curator at the Palais
des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, said the film is an important artifact of
the era.”
For more information head over to Arthur Magazine, for now you can catch a preview of the restored film on youtube:
