Red Red Meat-Jimmywine Majestic (1994)

"This Chicago, Illinois, USA-based quartet forged a healthy mix of lo-fi and blues rock over the space of a chaotic seven-year recording career during the 90s, in marked contrast to the alt pop direction of many of their contemporaries. Led from the beginning by vocalist/guitar player Tim Rutili, the band's roots lay in a previous Chicago-based outfit, Friends Of Betty. When the band's second drummer left, Rutili and the others (bass player Glynis Johnson, guitarist Glenn Girard, and drummer Ben Massarella) immediately launched Red Red Meat, in 1990. Although there was some line-up tweaking along the way, with Massarella replaced by Brian Deck, Red Red Meat quickly built a local buzz, which led to a recording contract with the hip indie label, Sub Pop Records. What should have been a happy time for the band was one of uncertainty, as Johnson was diagnosed with AIDS around this time, and died in 1992 (friends of the band, the Smashing Pumpkins, penned a tribute song, "Glynis', to Johnson a year later). Rutili decided to keep the band going, with Tim Hurley replacing Johnson in the line-up, as their self-titled debut followed the same year. Red Red Meat's follow-up, Jimmywine Majestic, proved that the band had studied their early 70s Rolling Stones albums thoroughly, and went on to be widely considered their finest recording. Massarella returned to the line-up and Neil Rosario replaced Girard. Two further releases followed during the mid- to late 90s, 1995's Bunny Gets Paid and 1997"s There's A Star Above The Manger Tonight, but neither succeeded in expanding their audience beyond a small but dedicated cult, and Red Red Meat quietly disbanded shortly after. Rutili concentrated on his own indie imprint, Perishable, and often guests/produces other artists for the label. He also began recording with a new band, Califone."

Great album by a very overlooked band. One of the Sub Pop bands that somehow never got the exposure or the credit they deserved...I'll post some Califone here too, I love these bands.

Drink that jimmywine

Circle-Andexelt (1999)

A surprisingly passionate, intelligent, (kind of) well written review from Pitchfork...albeit 7 years ago. Nevertheless, this dude seems to get it:

"Nothing brings me to crummy stripmalls swifter than crummy used CD marts. I love their $1 bins. I love the dusty stench that manages to conquer the reek of the fried-chicken place next door and wards off all but the most determined diggers. But more than anything, I love these bins because I've discovered so many great records in them. One such gem is Circle's Andexelt. Before Thursday afternoon I knew nothing of this Finnish band, but by the typography that reminded me of Brothomstates' Claro and the mechanized body-part photography that occupies the lowest sixth of the cover, I knew I should punt my buck.

After a thirty-minute metro ride home and enough time to brew a pot of coffee, I was ready to try out Andexelt. I'd lined up other discs just in case it, in fact, turned out to be Scandinavian doom metal or a cunning front for an area smooth jazz combo. I needn't have bothered. Andexelt is still in my CD tray days later. The album is pure krautrock and it is the most invigorating collection I've heard since a French Canadian called Charles-Émile sent me his debut album, Nothing Down to Earth.

Circle, I googled, are a five-piece who since 1991 have been astounding those just south of the Arctic Circle with their muscular explorations of space, time, and the pan-dimensional mega-riff. Andexelt is their seventh full-length, and you need to hear it often. The record voyages to the same places as Les MacCann's Layers, but takes a different route. Grafting Neu!'s motorik percussion, Berlin-era Bowie synths to Robbie Shakespeare's dubby basslines and riding a guitar wave that recalls Black Sabbath and Michael Karoli, Andexelt surpasses Brainticket's Adventure, and equals Can's Future Days in loaded grace.

If this band were well-known, the Chemical Brothers would have already sampled Janne Peltomäki's rhythm-salvo of the opening title track, and music critics at large would already have acknowledged Circle's ferocity. The band's guitarist, Teemu Elo, unloads a double-barreled reverb riff straight in your face, and while you're busy searching for bits of your head, frontman Jussi Lehtisalo's analog synth enters, intent on slicing to ribbons any sounds that cross its path. Fortunately, it's hard labor cutting away at Peltomäki's resilient groove. Elo and Lehtisalo form a cluster-bombing alliance against him, but the man relentlessly motoriks on.

For "Odultept," the band jumps on the Fender Rhodes space-jazz and bolsters their move by allowing bassist J. Laiho to showcase his fits-and-starts dub-bass abilities. Guest T. Huunonen gives up a galactic flute solo after an explosion of ARP synths and the band decides to take a tour round the interstellar medium. "20Milate" is an Arkestral reworking of My Bloody Valentine's "You Made Me Realize" whereas "Lisääpui" mines the same Stooges treasury that Julian Cope's Brain Donor project did, except Circle got there first and stole the heavenly guitar line that Agitation Free's liquid-harmony guitarist Lutz Ulbrich had left behind. "Humusaar" emerges from a doomy bass ground into a receding, FX-spattered star-field. And the brooding, numinous closer, "Kidulgos," proves that Circle have processed Tangerine Dream's nebulous Zeit as well as the third-eye mantra of Electronic Meditation.

Andexelt is astounding, no two ways about it."

This is a great rhythmic, psychedelic, rocking piece of work right here. By far one of the best and most consistent bands over the last 15 years. Every single record is listenable and fun, if not completely awesome. And this one is by far the best.

So join the Circle

Quintron-Jamskate (2007)

"Jay Poggi, aka Mr. Quintron, is the core of the musical train wreck experience that is Quintron. The Quintron name was apparently appropriated from the company for which his father worked as an electrical engineer.

Mr. Quintron plays the organ.
Mr. Quintron plays the drums.
Mr. Quintron plays the guitar.
Mr. Quintron plays various wind instruments.
Mr. Quintron plays things that nobody else has ever heard of which are usually of his own design, including:

• The Spit Machine - an electronic drum trigger activated by saliva.
• The Disco Light Machine - not really an instrument so much as a "sonic visualizer" for drums.
• The Drum Buddy - a theremin-esque device which triggers drum and synthesizer sounds when the light provided by a dangling incandescent bulb is interrupted by hand or by a rotating, perforated cylinder.

Science doesn't get any mo' madder than this. You can buy one of these babies for only $999.99!

Imagine the result of Jerry Lee Lewis romancing Judy Tenuta who then gives birth to a shrieking fireball of thumping, organ-ic, booty shaking fury. Now you're getting close to the groove. Mr. Quintron is often accompanied by his wife, Miss Pussycat, who will shake her maracas like the beat was a clingy spider and screech like Kate Pierson with a hot poker on her ass. She also produces puppet shows and makes her own costumes. Bully for her!

Much like Tool, Mr. Quintron and Miss Pussycat often appear to be completely full of shit. When cornered by an interviewer (which is rare for Quintron's hatred of the press is legendary) they often claim that they are first cousins, that Mr. Quintron is actually a paraplegic due to a freak rollercoaster accident and the like. I'll take my Quintron with a twist of lime and pinch of salt.

In previous incarnations, Mr. Quintron has been a member of Idol Chatter and Math. Quintron has produced music with Skin Graft Records, Bulb Records, and Rhinestone Records. He has also collaborated with The Oblivians and Ernie K-Doe. Miss Pussycat's puppet band, Flossie and the Unicorns can be found in New Orleans, Louisiana at Pussycat Caverns on St. Claude."

Swamp boogie!

sorry about it skipping a little...not my rip I'm afraid

Swampage

Zoltar's Playlist...Vol. I

No real theme here, just either songs I have been listening to lately or songs I always like showing/playing for people. There will surely be more of these to come. I threw the playlist file in there so hopefully you all can listen to it in the order I intended on Itunes or even some other Nazi music program (it's the disc jockey/playlist nerd in me). But nevertheless, these are some choice tunes for certain and I'll throw a little note next to each one. It's the disc jockey playlist...wait...

Title Artist

1. The Peppermint Tree-The Amorphous Androgynous (cool psych tune, 60s like Pink Floyd vs Flaming Lips)

2. Nowhere to Run-Martha Reeves and the Vandellas (good ole fashioned soul music)

3. Aquarian Time-Wooden Shjips (doing what they do...always awesome garage/psych)

4. Mr. Grieves-The Pixies (classicly demented)

5. Red Tuesday-Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve (so blissful and warm...)

6. Liquid Memoryman-The Oscillation (GROOVE)

7. Canned Happiness-MV/EE & the Bummer Road (hazy, squinty eyed rock music...good thing)

8. Echohead-Big Blood (they are incredible...almost a Pixies-like lead)

9. America's Most Blunted-Madvillain ft. Quasimoto (such an awesom beat)

10. Wanyama Na Mapambazuko-Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffalo (those riffs!)

11. Ashes Round the Skull-The Blue Angel Lounge (mind blowing VU styled rock)

12. Juggernaut-Black Pus (the drummer from Lightning Bolt...madness)

13. Trouble Everywhere I Go (Alt version)-Mississippi Fred McDowell (masterful)

14. Gimme Some Truth-John Lennon (money for dope! money for rope!)

15. Ant 10-Boredoms (indescribable, a ryhthmic psych techno monster thing type song ma jig)

16. Ride My High (Joakim Edit)-JJ Cale (tasteful sleaziness? more groooooove)

17. Everybody Knows This is Nowhere-Neil Young & Crazy Horse (come on, it's Neil Young!)

18. Friends-Ducktails (summer drones, very nice and peaceful)

19. Sweet Premium Wine-KMD (sadly underappreciated early 90s group)

20. Turtles Have Short Legs (B Side)-Can (so happy! great beat as always)

Tell me if you like this format better than whole albums. Or if you like whole albums. Or both. Whichever the minions prefer eh? And if you guys wanna comment, I promise I'll answer (since I discovered some unanswered comments from March today....). I would love the feedback, requests, etc. You know, the whole shindig. It's good to know more and more people come here. So let's keep it up? I'll post as long as ya'll listen. Thanks again to you all.

Playlist Vol. 1

Faust-IV (1974)

"Faust IV is the album where Faust consolidate all of the myriad soundworlds of their previous three records into one. The abstraction of 'Faust', the rhythmic cohesion of 'So Far' and the cut-and-paste heroics of 'The Faust Tapes' are here combined into a diverse collection of pieces and songs that encapsulate all that is special and unique about this most distinctive and innovative band. Easy listening it isn't, yet there is a strange and compelling accessibility and inevitability about this album that will attract the attention of even the most conservative listener, at least in part. Like it's budget-priced predecessor, 'Faust IV' was and is a key record in my realisation and appreciation of pop music beyond its commercialised forebears. But it's taken its time, a long, long time, to hit me.

I wonder how many early owners of 'Faust IV' did as I did and 'The Sad Skinhead' aside, ignored the well-weird (or so it seemed at the time) first side in favour of the comparatively conventional second side. I've now come to love side one to distraction, but still prefer to listen to the album in reverse order. Side two begins with Faust as hard rock behemoths: 'Just A Second' being a short, heavy-as-sin instrumental that sounds like Sabbath, Ash Ra Tempel and the Grateful Dead all melted into one and with treble set to eleven. But any hopes of winning over prospective buyers from the Ozzy fanbase are soon allayed by the free-form 'Picnic On A Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableau' that follows: a short but attention-grabbing piece that helps prevent any impression of a straight-ahead rock band. 'Giggy Smile' is a nearest Faust get to just that: a two-stage rock epic with manic rising and falling vocal scales over Bolanesque tinny axework in the first part, and the best Yazoo keyboard lick that Vince Clarke never wrote in the second. 'Lauft...Heist das es lauft Oder es Kommt Bald...Lauft' is, in total contrast, basically a delightful vignette in the same mode as that consolidatory French-language acoustic piece that ends 'The Faust Tapes', only this time jauntier, more rhythmic and utterly irresistable, falling into a still, droning synth and harmonium phase that sounds like a cosmic collaboration between Klaus Schulze and Ivor Cutler. The side's final track, 'It's A Bit Of A Pain', is an endearing ditty (in the manner of 'Unhalfbricking'-era Fairports) whose release as a 45 seems a sound enough choice until the most jarring and dischordant sustained note, mixed at a higher volume than the rest of the song, wails over the "...But it's alright babe" chorus. The effect is unwelcome, disturbing, and in the last resort incredible. Play this as the background for seduction and see how far you get. A song for loners!

Which brings us (in my own perverse order) to side one, track one, and the twelve demanding minutes of 'Krautrock', the album's apex. It's taken me best part of three decades to get it, but now that I have, it's the first Faust track I'd play to anyone. It's a racket almost beyond words, but totally compelling. I'm convinced that Lou Reed must have heard this before he set to work on 'Metal Machine Music'. The same high frequency guitar tone, in-your-face feedback, and rhythms that are so mixed down in the mellee that they have to be imagined (at least until the drums come in two-thirds through - and what a moment THAT is) permeate the piece. Play this at full volume through headphones and you simply become at one with it. You'll have one hell of a headache but one hell of a high. Sheer, unadulterated power with no tune and no compromise - perfect.

The song that follows is simply not on the same planet, and I don't know of any successive tracks on any album that differ as much as 'Krautrock' and this one. Nearer to 'The Pushbike Song' than cosmic music, 'The Sad Skinhead' is the single that never was. It would have been a wow at school discos in 1973, especially the raucous fight scenes that accompany the vibe-driven middle section. It's as crass as The Pipkins and as catchy as mumps and I love it.

'Jennifer' is dirge-like, hypnotic and spacey with Donovan-like vocals over an incongruous and repetative bass rhythm that sounds like the lick at the beginning of Floyd's 'One Of These Days'. It's a beautiful song that builds slowly until the sheer glass guitar noise that began 'Krautrock' twenty minutes earlier takes over, only to end with an amusingly out-of-place stride piano. Diverse, distracting and delectable."

Not the most popular Faust release but one of the more accessible and enjoyable for certain. I have been humping this album lately, especially for "Jennifer." That's really not supposed to come off any particular way. But yeah. Ch-ch-check it!

In other news, first Zoltar playlist coming soon...be warned...

It beckons....

Aluk Todolo-S/T (2006) & Descension (2007)

Aluk Todolo (2006)

"Holy fuck, this record is amazing! You'd never guess it, but Aluk Todolo is the occult trance rock side project of French black metallers Diamatregon. OK, maybe it doesn't seem that off the wall, Diamatregon definitely dabbled in strange rhythms and distinctly non-black metal sound forms. But this is definitely something else altogether. Ominous krautrock rhythms over Einsterzende style industrial clatter, some lost seventies psych rock holy grail channeled through modern post rock. Dreamy and dark and mesmerizing. Hypnotic guitar lines and simple shuffling rhythms that build into clattery propulsive jams, all clanging angular riffs and dense tangled drumming. VERY This Heat like, and reminiscent of the late great Laddio Bolocko. Some sort of dangerous and mysterious postrock / krautrock hybrid, lo-fi but thick and dense and amazingly heavy."- Aquarius Records (aQ)



Descension (2007)

"this trio, just guitar, bass and drums, are most definitely alchemists, working some sort of ancient magic, turning the simplest of rock band instrumentation, into something massive and mysterious, heavy and haunting, brutal and mesmerizing, repetitive and motorik. Crafting songs, that manage to be both pieces, in the classical sense, abstract and intellectual collections and arrangements of sound, subtle shadings, tonal color and timbre, harmony and dissonance, and SONGS, in the rock sense, fucking kick ass jams, that seem to go on forever, killer riffs, and relentless head nodding rhythms, like krautrock, only heavier and darker and way way blacker. Like black metal but without all the buzz and howl, stripped down to its very essence, to just mood and rhythm, ambience and propulsion.
In the review of the previous 7" we described the band's sound as: Ominous krautrock rhythms over Einsterzende style industrial clatter, some lost seventies psych rock holy grail channeled through modern post rock. Dreamy and dark and mesmerizing. Hypnotic guitar lines and simple shuffling rhythms that build into clattery propulsive jams, all clanging angular riffs and dense tangled drumming. VERY This Heat like, and reminiscent of the late great Laddio Bolocko. Some sort of dangerous and mysterious postrock / krautrock hybrid, lo-fi but thick and dense and amazingly heavy.
And the full length essentially still sounds like that, but having loosed themselves from the shackles of the way too brief 7" format, the band can take all those elements, and lay them out, an epic massive post rock, krautrock, dronerock, experimental post black metal sprawl. These are the kinds of songs and sounds that need space, and time, need to lull the listener in, to entrance, ensorcel, the rhythms are stripped down and repetitive, looped and hypnotic, simple, but surprisingly and subtly complex at the same time. It's not hard to hear other hypno rockers in Aluk Todolo's sound, Circle, Salvatore and the like, but also space rock masters of repetition, Hawkwind, The Heads, and of course krautrock legends Can and Faust. Especially Can, with their focus on the power of the rhythm, no mater how seemingly simple or plain. But more than anything, it's legendary UK experimentalists This Heat whose, haunting mysterious rhythmic influence is all over Descension.
The opening track is the heaviest, a brutal slab of in the red distorted riffage, the actual riffs barely discernible, more like a heaving mass of crumbling distortion and space rock FX, but the rhythms that frame the whole record are already in place, pounding steadily beneath the buzz and skree. A head nodding pulse underpinning the swirling distorted clouds above. A bracing and white hot burst of blackdronekrautpsych that has the speakers rattling for all of its 8+ minutes.
But that track mostly serves as an intro to the complex and moody rhythmic sprawl that makes up the other three tracks. "Burial Ground" begins with what sounds like a slowed down This Heat rhythm track synched up to the free abstract drift of legendary seventies dronepsych collective Taj Mahal Travellers. The drums unwavering, but the background constantly in flux, swaths of black buzz, brief flurries of chaotic FX, distant low end swells, haunting fragmented melodies, a gorgeous spare kraut rock jam dropped into the abyss.
"Woodchurch" is a dense wall of high end buzz, all swirling distorted hum and keening feedback, tones all tangled up, a chordal wash of tuned vacuum cleaners, a sort of Sunroof! Style urdrone, but beneath it, the simplest of bass lines, distorted and downtuned, a heartbeat like throb, only a handful of notes, just enough to tie into the even simpler drum part, just kick drum and snare, a two step tattoo, as completely mesmerizing as it us utterly simple. The background buzz, swaying and pulsing, like some massive black sea, or clouds of insects ravaging a blighted sonic landscape.
The disc closes with "Disease" which opens with an ultra heavy slide guitar, unfurling a slow motion blues riff, caked in black buzz and thick distortion, the notes left to hang, ringing out until the tones slowly transform into feedback, immediately being swallowed up by the riff right behind it. It's like Robert Johnson playing SUNNO))), and then suddenly, the sound shifts, and the band reverts to its murky trawl, a thick throbbing bass line, another Can like rhythm, guitars warm and warbly, more like a layer of wet fuzz than distinct riffing, but occasionally, bits of that opening salvo return, offering up brief blasts of speaker destroying crunch, or brief bits of grinding buzz, a sudden start that almost, but doesn't quite wake you from your soporific reverie. Near the end, the distorted slide guitar returns, and drums drop out, and the track finishes with a thick coda of pealing guitar roar and shimmering chordal droneŠ
Intense and hypnotic and heavy and fucking genius. Ritualistic sounds, both black and brilliant, pulled from the void, a mysterious and sonic netherworld. Definite contender for record of the year. "

Um, black metal krautrock? Count me in! These are some absolutely awesome atmospheric pieces of work. Terrifying and awe-inspiring at the same time, Aluk Todolo is keeping both metal and psych fresh with these records. The new album "Finsternis" just came out, look out for it! Get these, damn it!

Aluk Todolo

Scientist-Rids the World of the Curse of the Vampires (1981)...Awesome Dub!!!

I'll be completely honest in that I don't know much about Reggae, Dub, and the related genres. I know some heavy hitters and that's about it. I was bored one day and stumbled upon this album on the Glowing Raw (one of the best music blogs out there, you all must visit...that dude has gotten me into a shit ton of music). So I figured that I would give this a shot since he said it got him into Dub. And holy balls. Slow, bumping grooves, echo, delay and reverb everywhere, a cornucopia of stoned out noise with the beautiful warble of roots music in the background. This has been my choice lounge record of late since I am mostly sitting around getting stoned in absence of a real job. Cool for cruising too. I know this isn't a real review. Thanks to Alex over at Glowing Raw for this choice cut. Recommended.

REAL REVIEW:

"After a stint learning the dub craft from innovator King Tubby in the late '70s, Scientist began mixing his own sessions, coming up with a more wide-ranging and effects-riddled sound than that of his mentor. One of a handful of choice Scientist albums on the Greensleeves label, Rids the World of the Curse of the Vampires (1981) not only ably displays the mix masters varied approach, but clocks in as one of his best outings. While Scientist heeds Tubby's minimalist call with "strictly drum and bass" cuts like "Night of the Living Dead" -- spotlighting tightly wound guitar and organ chords for body -- he also expands things with a sunny mix of horns and bubbly keyboards on "The Mummy's Shroud" (as hard as it is to imagine sunshine with a ghoulish title such as this). Even without horns, Scientist keeps things lively with plenty of reverb and echo-treated percussion, ghostly piano parts, video game sound effects, and other various wobbly interjections from the mixing board. Pointing to his originality, Scientist doesn't just apply a few tweaks here and there, but heavily reworks the basic tracks -- here laid down by the fine Roots Radics band and produced by Henry "Junjo" Lawes (Don Carlos, Frankie Paul) -- then deftly integrates his panoply of effects into the cut-up mix. And adding to the record's expert evocation of the Halloween spirit are some fiendishly voiced intros, the cover art's cartoon potpourri of horror film characters, and the dubious claim made in the liner notes that Scientist mixed it all at midnight on Friday the 13th (reach for the flashlights kids). Along with Keith Hundson's Pick a Dub and Lee Perry's Blackboard Jungle Dub, this excellent Scientist release is one of the essential dub albums available."

And tell me if you want more of this, you sweaty rogues, you. I have more. It's all excellent.

Dubliscious

Sunn O)))-Monoliths and Dimensions (2009)

Note: This will probably be removed at some point. Get it while you can.

"SUNN O))) is proud to present their 7th studio album, after 10 years of existence, entitled Monoliths & Dimensions. The album showcases the core guitar duo - Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson - incorporating influences from a plethora of guest musicians, bringing the SUNN O))) sound to epic new levels. The band also collaborated with composer Eyvind Kang (notable for his work with John Zorn, Marc Ribot, Bill Frisell, etc.) on various acoustic ensembles, in addition to the Helios fueled electric guitars and basses. Key players on the album include Australian guitar genius Oren Ambarchi, enigmatic Hungarian vocalist Attila Csihar (Mayhem, Tormentor, etc.) and slow music godfather Dylan Carlson (Earth), as well as Julian Priester (worked with Sun Ra in the 50s, John Coltrane’s African Brass band, and Herbie Hancock’s Sextant band) and new-music horn player Stuart Dempster. There’s also an upright bass trio, French & English horns, harp & flute duo, piano, brass, reed & strings ensembles, and a Viennese woman’s choir led by Persian vocal savant Jessika Kenney."

Haven't had a chance to listen to it yet but they have never disappointed and this is their best cast of characters by far. Should be a doomy occasion as always!

)))))))))))))))))))))))

The Time & Space Machine- Vol. I (2007) and Vol. II (2009)

More awesome psych revivalism madness! This is one of half of Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve, DJ Richard Norris, engaging in the same fun, familiar territory. More awesome music to blast since it's summertime and, honestly, this stuff is some bad ass summer music. Does the word "groove" meaning anything to you? Get it, scallywags!




Vol. II (2009)



Vol. I (2007)

"Now onto Time & Space Machine, or Richard Norris, one half of psyche Sun warriors Beyond The Wizards Sleeve. 'Volume One' sounds like it was recorded in a field just outside of Dunwich where the haystacks burned with crimson flame and the Moon rose to meet with the Sun, clashing violently in plumes of cosmic miasma, seeping torrents of blood from a wound that drenched the earth and soaked into Richard's synthesisers, fantastic machines built with the technology from Videodrome."

Both albums together babeh.

Link

MV/EE & the Bummer Road-Green Blues (2006)

"

I must confess to temporarily losing contact with the complex universe of Matt Valentine, perhaps our decade’s greatest American vernacular artist, about a year ago: swamped by the (admittedly unrelentingly powerful) wave of solo and duo acoustic guitar CD-Rs he was releasing, I put my hands up in the air and stood back to breathe. Consequently, records such as Green Blues and its predecessor Mother of Thousands, both performed with constant foil Erika Elder and their rural pick-up gang The Bummer Road, hit like a sucker-punch. For one, MV & EE have focused their occasional prolix tendencies while maintaining their fondness for destabilizing psychotropic song forms. Secondly, these records represent a great squaring-off of Valentine’s interests: multi-limbed guitar improvisations; soaring post-Buckley freedom melody, best exemplified by MV’s Space Chanteys album from years back; and loose-arm group-sound that swallows American Primitive threads such as free jazz, early 20th century blues and the rustic melancholy of the Grateful Dead circa American Beauty.

Green Blues is one of the first records released by a newly energized Ecstatic Peace!, Thurston Moore’s imprint, who’ve hooked up an M&D deal with Fontana/Universal. It’s appropriate that Green Blues appears on first blush to be MV & EE’s most coherent recording, the first half of the set tackling C21 campfire songs that nonetheless still carry within their DNA the intensely fucked structural liberties that are part and parcel of Valentine’s song writing. Opener “East Mountain Joint,” floating out on humming mellotron supplied by J Mascis, is a celebratory flash, but it’s tracks like the following “Drive Is That I Love You,” which smear hypnotic acoustic guitar mantras with black-tar electric guitar fuzz as wasted as Royal Trux’s self-titled debut album, that carry the most weight. Most songs on the set are built from simple acoustic guitar, around which collect waves of distortion, floated flute and violin and purring tambura and dulcimer, sediment and grit that pulls the focus out on the aperture. By the closing two songs, “Grassthighs” and “Solar Hill," MV & EE have dropped most of the overt structure and let The Bummer Road fill in the gaps with fractal detail.

MV & EE have been the primary instigators and aesthetic anarchists in the American underground for some time now, and Green Blues is another kick to the solar plexus from the duo and their extended family. Luminous yet dense with foliage, filmed through a haze of smoke and fog, it’s their strongest collection of songs to date."

Like Neil Young, Tim Buckley, and the Velvet Underground thrown into the Psych Folk blender...so interesting and so good


Green Blues