Circle - Katapult (2007)

 

Circle is usually hard to pin down. Every album these fine Fins produce finds the lads exploring some new, exciting sounds that pre-existed only in their heads at one time. What gets me is that when I first heard this record I thought it was some long lost proto-metal soundtrack-esque gem. 

CHECK 

Jurgen Muller - Science of the Sea (1982)

When I tell you that your album is dominating my "Sleep" playlist, please take it as one of the  highest compliments. 

Early eighties ambient aquatically themed concept album. Bubbly, oceanic, regressive  submersion back into the womb which we came from.

Sweet Dreams

Bernard Fevre - The Strange World of Bernard Fevre (1975)

Pure Analog synths and drum machines ranging from 8bit sounding game music to Italo horror soundtracks to proto electronic dance music. Fevre goes by the moniker of Black Devil Disco Club these days.

NEW LINK

Sun Ra & His Astro Infinity Arkestra - My Brother the Wind II (1971)

Only fools seek to harm the wind.

UNGAWA - 106.7 FM - Antwerpen, Belgium

Ungawa first appeared as a command that Tarzan used to communicate with that cute lil' monkey named Cheetah. And now it's here as a great radio show that airs Sundays in Belgium. If it's old, obscure, weird, lo-fi, etc. it has or will be played here. I came across this through myspace years ago somehow and managed to catch a point where you could download past shows but alas, nevermore. Here are the first four broadcasts.

UNGAWA!

Dirty French Psychedelics: French Psyche Pop (2009)

Here's a great comp of some euro trash from the 70's compiled by Dirty Sound System.

take

Miles Davis - Water Babies (1976)

Don't let the '76 fool ya. This is really a collection of unreleased material starting from the '67 "Nefertiti" sessions up to the "In a Silent Way" period, featuring the classic Miles Davis Quintet transitioning and cross pollenating with the eminent "Bitches Brew" crew. A great insight into a artist's process but then again Miles will always be Miles. 

Its rumored that bassist Ron Carter left the group because of the addition of the electric instruments, i.e. the Fender Rhodes. No?

GET you SOME

Turzi - B (2009)

Here's the second album from the enigmatic Frenchman Turzi. Mountains of synths amongst electronic pulses and suspenseful 70's Euro-thriller movie rock. His first album, A, is highly recommended as well, with more of a lean towards the electronic spectrum of music.

Link Removed

Sandy Bull - Still Valentine's Day Live (1969)

Sandy Bull is a poster child for bohemian genius. Mastering numerous stringed instruments, Bull would perform solo accompanied only by tape machines in which he played over himself, his own overdubs. Think 1960's folk revialism meeting a more sophisticated compositional outlook.





LINK

Suicide - Suicide (1977)

Here's another classic "rock" record that forever changed my musical scope. Suicide rules. They claim they recorded this in 4 hours. Now that's punk. Even though the were never received until much later in their career because of a.) their sound and b.) their oh so weird live performances (look below) Suicide will forever be regarded as pioneers for so many genres and various art mediums.


(LINK REMOVED)


Fun fact: "The Boss" himself encored with his rendition of "Dream Baby Dream" during his "Devils and Dust" solo tour in 2005.

nomeansno - Wrong (1989)

Talk about nostalgia. 1991, I was a freshman in high school. Some wayward skater kid who liked playing guitar and The Misfits. Learning how to smoke shitty cigarettes my friend would steal from his old man. Then I met this dude, lets call him......Clarence. Clarence was one of the cool kids who played drums in a local punk band. One of those kids who had a badass leather jacket, doc martins, odd hair, piercings and happened to live in my neighborhood. We could go over to Clarences house and smoke weed and cigarettes and what not in peace because his parents were "cool." One day Clarence puts this record on and, I still remember this moment, this beast of a bass guitar sound just slaps my face. Clarence is air-guitaring and drumming away, banging his head around. I'm there probably making a ugly face melting face and grinding my teeth in rock-inspired awe. The first song ends. I ask "Who is this?" He says nothing and throws the record cover at me while the second song starts.

This is definitely one of those records that made me want to seriously play music. Even to this day this album is amazing. Many consider this to be nomeansno's best. I am one of them.


Let us rock!

Scott Walker "Scott 3" (1969)

Noel Scott Engel A.K.A. Scott Walker achieved teen idol status with The Walker Brothers in mid 1960's.  Tired of the symphonic pop ballads of the group, Scott Walker broke away and began his solo career. With each solo record his compositions simultaneously delved more into classical western music and reached out towards experimental dissonances and drones. All while Scott's heavenly barritone croons overhead. "It's Raining Today" is a perfect example. Beginning with eerie screeching string trills, that recalls one of the many horror movies I've seen in my lifetime, and then shortly followed by the band with fragile guitars, chimes and a gentle brush-worked drum beat. Scott Walker is an artist in the purest form: Always progressing forward, sometimes ahead of his times and never looking back.




Enjoy!