Mos Def - Umi Says
Public Enemy - Hard Rhymin
Swan Lake - A Venue Called Rubella
A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Ghost in the Graveyard
Robert Vincs - Mantra
Einsturzende Neubauten - Weil Weil Weil
Bruce Haack - Song of the Death Machine
Mike Flowers Pops - Light My Fire
Frustration - For Them No Premises
The Satelliters - I’ll Make you Sorry
OM - Pilgrimage
Ween - Mutilated Lips
Wire - Our Time
Volt - Volt
Adult - Gimme Trouble
Aavikko - Viitostie
The Vandelles - Fever of the Beat
Serena-Maneesh - Selina’s Melodie Fountain
Magnetic Fields - Three-Way
John Maus - My Whole World is Coming Apart
Soiled Mattress & the Springs - Caesar’s Palace
The Pleasure Kills - Smash Up the Radio
Dada Swing - Ru-diculous
The Jam - Set The House Ablaze
Mojack - The Caves
In Like Flint
Pre - So Jazzed
Kidnappers - Street Where I Live
Japanther - See Evil
Joe Lally - Map of the World
Black Flag - Process of Weeding Out
TTC - Dans Le Club
Toog - The Green Giant
Auntie Pus - Marmalade Freak
Jeremy Jay - Air Walker
The Ponys - Another Wound
Agent Orange - Bloodstains
Pieces of Peace - Pollution
Ruckus Roboticus
“Playing with Scratches”
Grease
Electronic/Turntablism. Ruckus Robiticus is a guy
from Dayton, Ohio. On this record he mixes children’s
music with Hip-hop and funk. This record is mostly
upbeat (12 & 13 are slow) and it’s fun. Track 15 is
just record “static” sounds, no music. The rest of the
music on the record sounds very 1960s (kind of like
Ursula 1000).
Picks: 2+,3,4,6+,8,9+,10+,11+,12+
No fucks.
Curia
“Curia”
Fire Museum Records
Experimental. Curia (Roman term for a tribe of people
started by Julius Caesar in 44 BC) is an underground
music group from Lisbon, Portugal. The
instrumentation consists of bowed and wah guitars,
hammond organ and percussion intertwined to create
soundscapes. The group consists of David Maranha,
Manuel Mota, Margarida Garcia, Alfonso Simoes and
guest Helena Espvall (on track e). The tracks are
long and moody - but interesting and good.
Picks: 1, 2+, 3
No fucks.
I saw The Blow last night at the Great American Music Hall. The Blow – as much as I can gather – is a one woman show (and her name is Khaela). I think there is another member who does some or all of the music but doesn’t tour. I guess I could find out easily enough on the internet. Perhaps later.
So I left my apartment at 9:00 and walked through the freezing rain to the Geary Street bus stop. Luckily a bus came within five minutes. I rode it down to the Great American and stood in the freezing line, getting mooked by all the panhandlers and not sure if the club would honor my comp ticket since it was a sold out show. But they did.
I walked in and the place was freakin’ packed – to the gills! I was unwilling and unable to push my way forward to get a good view, so I stayed at the back. Kaitlyn was on stage already and telling a story about something to do with belonging to a group (perhaps a recovery group – I should probably look that up too). It was funny – like a stand up act – but I wanted to hear music. I figured I didn’t have to hang around too long if this was how the show was going to be.
Well, she went into a song and it was good. Her singing was a bit off –key (compared to her records) but her performance more than made up for that. She acted out a lot of the lyrics and added bits of irony here and there, which made it more interesting.
Somewhere along the line – and I don’t quite know where or when – she was talking about her heart (and how it has the bloodlust) and, without going into the details, I felt like I understood (but not the bloodlust part).
After she left the stage I took the freezing trek back to my apartment – which didn’t take too long. I was, in fact, home by 10:20. Hi ho!
I saw OM with Lichens last Friday - 1/18/08 – at the Independent and it was a cool show. I went by myself and didn’t see anyone I knew there, but that was cool.
Lichens came on first and really tripped me out. It’s just one guy who samples himself making noises, playing guitar and singing (or chanting). It started out with him making whistling sounds and built its way up to an orchestra of sound and trippy vocals. He made the craziest facial expressions along with it. I wonder how it looked to all those stoners in the audience who kept lighting up?
OM came out while Lichens was still on the stage and sort of took the stage. Their music was BIG, though the instrumentation is just electric bass and drums. They used to be the rhythm section of the band Sleep (from San Jose, I think). The bass player sings sort of like Ozzy with Black Sabbath and the lyrics – at least of what I was able to discern with all the effects – were all about unicorns and the like. Their sound is sort of stoner rock meets metal meets experimental. It’s a trip.
OM played for almost two hours and it was intense the whole time. Many of their songs go from loud to soft and back to loud. I was lucky enough to have scored one of the side seats so I was able to sit for a lot of the show and, when people stood in front of the seats I could stand on my seat and see over heir heads.
OM, check ‘em out. I’ve playing them on the radio ever since the show.
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Deus Ibi Est
Sons & Daughters - Rama Lama
Los Reactors - Dead in the Suburbs
The Members - The Sound of the Suburbs
Jeremy Jay - Air Walker
Joy Division - Atrocity Exhibition
Cranes - Ave A
The Pleasure Kills - Over & Over
The Vaticans - Hong Kong Flu
Hank IV - Dirty Poncho
The Corruptors - Red Hot Slumbers
The Satelliters - Where Do We Go?
Black Francis - Threshold Apprehension
Frustration - Blind
Volt - Green Eyes
Kitchen & The Plastic Spoons - In Bars
Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun (by request)
Joe Lally - Day is Born
PJ Harvey - When Under Ether
Gang of Four - Ether
Dragon Or Emperor - Fast Apache
Einsturzende Neubauten - Ich Warte
Busdriver - Casting Agents and Cowgirls
Beastie Boys - Stand Together
Mojack - Unlimited Talk
Bazooka - Frankenstein
Clash - London’s Burning
Frank Details - False Pretenses
Cloak/Dagger - JC Pays the Bills
Les Breastfeeders - Septembre Sous La Pluie
Ruckus Roboticus - Bedtime for Sleepyheaad
Siouxsie & the Banshees - Hong Kong Garden
Wire - Desert Diving
Wire - Ahead
Triclops! - Freedon Tickler
OM - Bhima’s Theme
Operation S - Ne Me Touche Pas
The Vandelles - Fever of the Beat
William Parker & Hamid Drake - Konte
I subbed a show from 3-6 a.m.
Gil Scott Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Serge Gainsbourg - Requiem Por Un Con
James Brown - Say it Loud
Lynn Williams - Don’t Be Surprised
Om - Bhima’s Theme
Wire - 23 Years Too Late
A Place to Bury Strangers - Another Step Away
Lack of Knowledge - We’re Looking for People
My Bloody Valentine - Only Shallow
Volt - I Don’t Feel So Good
The Vandelles - Fever of the Beat
Subarachnoid Space - Circular Motion
Curia - Track 2
Oh Astro - Lucy Sees the Moon
Robert Vincs - Sanatorium Lake
Shooby Taylor - Shooby Shwa
Doris Wishman - Trailer for “Gentlemen Prefer Nature
Girls”
Kali Bahlu - A Cosmic Telephone Call
Francis Bebey - Pygmy Divorce
Keuhkot - Koonit
Brian Ritchey - Religion Ruined My Life
Porter Wagoner - The Rubber Room
Tom Heinl – 3-way
Einstruzende Neubauten - Weil Weil Weil
Kitchen & the Plastic Spoons - Blatta
Slits - Earth Beat
The Pleasure Kills - Smash up the Radio
The Satelliters - Something
William Parker & Hamid Drake - Sky
John Coltrane - Sun Ship
Sun Ra - Narrative
Jeremy Jay - We Stay Here (In Our Secret World)
Psychobud - Weird
Japanther - Summer of ‘79
My Dad is Dead - Nothing Special
Black Dice - Drool
I saw Jadek on Saturday January 12, 2008 at the Swedish American Hall above Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco and it was an interesting blend of many different types of insanity.
Jandek is the enigmatic outsider of mainstream music who has created 45 albums since 1978 through his company called Corwood Industries. He never does interviews, admits that he’s Jandek or gives any information about who he is. He is probably the opposite of every known musician (cult or icon) in the entire music industry. A DJ at KUSF referred to Jandek as the “Uni-bomber of outsider music.” My friend Flubber, who came up from LA to see the show, said that Jandek was “More like the Colonel Kurtz of outsider music.”
The anticipation of the crowd before Jandek came out was very apparent. I talked with several people and they all seemed charged up and excited. I myself was feeling nervous for some reason. All around me, before the show, people were drinking coffee and smiling.
The lights went out and Jandek came out austerely along the edge of the club wearing all black, including a black hat that covered a lot of his head and part of his face. He kept his back to the audience at the beginning (and for much of the entire show) while he, Ches Smith (the drummer) and Tom Carter (the bassist) prepared to perform.
When it came, it was like an explosion of sound in that off-key Jandek style. Tom Carter followed Jandek with heavy bass rhythms and Ches Smith was all over the map with his drumming and facial expressions. As Jandek approached the mic to sing/recite his lyrics, he seemed to be far away from the audience.
The show, in my opinion, was set up in approximately four sections of mood enhancing themes. The first was a step into sadness; the second was life-hating despair; the third clinically diagnosed depression; and the fourth, a sort of Samuel Becket type of theme of “I can’t go on, I must go on.”
The sadness theme was sort of an introduction to Jandek’s world. Most of the lyrics were observations that people often make about things they see, though these were of a personal nature. This theme peaked with images that might be interpreted as drug induced hallucinations or the onset of schizophrenia.
It was obvious to me when the second theme came into play because many people walked out, including my buddy Luigi who was new to Jandek. The lyrics of songs went from contemplative (and rockin’) to the opening line “I hate my life.” This part of the show was tortured sadness and included many references to coffins and lost love. The words were extremely personal and very uncomfortable for me (and others too, I think).
After people began to walk out, and the lady next to me was tapping her leg in a manic pattern that tried to keep time with the music, I found another spot a little closer to the stage. I noticed many different types of reactions. Many people were sitting there motionless, others seemed to be fidgeting a lot, some were bouncing their heads to the drum beat, some were swaying to the guitar and others were just laughing hysterically.
The third theme, the diagnosed depression theme, turned from suicidal thoughts to questions along the lines of “What did I do wrong?” Although it was sad, it seemed to me that author was aware that his feelings were out of control and that there was a problem.
The final theme brought everything to a new place, but it was not necessarily a better place (or even the starting point). Jandek seemed to be leading the listener down a path that had no light at the end, no safety rail to hold on to and guarantees of any kind.
Jandek never said a word to the crowd. He just came out, performed for about two hours, and walked off stage, his persona remaining a mystery.
A guy in the audience was telling DJ Schmeejay and I that he saw Jandek on Haight Street the night before the show. He approached him and asked, “Excuse me, are you a representative from Corwood Industries?” Jandek smirked and said, “Why yes I am.”
Electronicat - Rock & Shuffle All Over You
Aavikko - Bermuda
Love of Diagrams - All the Time
Jeremy Jay - Air Walker
Bauhaus - Who Killed Mr. Moonlight?
PJ Harvey - Grow Grow Grow
The Satelliters - Where Do We Go?
Acid Eater - Free
The Cramps - New Kind of Kick
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti - Baby Comes Around
Japanther - See Evil
Rodd Keith - I Died Today
Deadbolt - Voodoobilly Man
Man or Astroman - Philip K. Dick in the Pet Section of WalMart
The Hidden Cameras - That’s When the Ceremony Starts
Black Francis - Captain Pasty
Wire - Desert Diving
Experimental Dental School - A Little Bird Told Me
The Moles - Tendrils & Paracetamol
Einsturzende Neubauten - Ich Warte
The Fall - Midnight Aspen (Request)
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - The Creature
The Vandelles - Swell to Heaven
Volt - Volt
Kitchen & the Plastic Spoons - Fantastic
Mojack - The Caves
Captain Beefheart - Ashtray Heart
William Parker/Hamond Drake - Earth
Scott Walker - Jackie
Bernie Worrell - Moon Over Brixton
Frank Zappa - Uncle Reemus (Request)
Cloak/Dagger - Bended Knee
Agent Orange - Bloodstains
Steve Treatment - Danger Zone
Husker Du - Never Talking to You Again
Lamps - Anvil
Christine Pilzer - Ah Hem Ha Uh Err
The Monkees - Porpoise Song
The Jam - That’s Entertainment (Request)
Mammal - Repulsion
Richard Youngs - One Hundred Stranded Horses
KUSF’s Rock’n'Swap - Music Fair and Fundraiser …. Coming Jan. 13th
KUSF’s Rock-n-Swap is a Giant Music Lover’s Fair where vendors come from all over to sell music related items in various formats & genres - many offer hard-to-find & rarities. Vinyl galore, CDs, DVDs, posters, books and so much more. This event is one of the biggest regularly held swaps of it’s kind in California for over 20 years. Proceeds help keep KUSF 90.3fm (San Francisco) non-commercial radio on the air and makes people happy (really happy). Help support KUSF, your favorite Alternative Radio Station and have a darn good time!
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Regular Admission: (10a-3p) is $3
University of San Francisco students get in FREE!
Early Bird Shopping Special: (6am-10a) is $20.00 (includes bagels and coffee)
Location: McLaren Hall on the University of San Francisco campus
===ANYONE CAN BE A DEALER===CHECK IT OUT=== www.KUSF.org/ swap
Don’t have that much to sell? CRATE RATE (max size 12″x15″) is $20 per crate! Call in advance to reserve a spot.
UPCOMING SWAPS:
March 16, 2008
May 11, 2008
August 10, 2008
Oct 12, 2008
DIRECTIONS:
From the Golden Gate Bridge, take 19th Ave exit to Park Presidio.
From Oakland and San Jose, Take the Central Freeway (101 North) to the Duboce exit. Parking is available at the nearby on-campus lots with plenty of street parking, too.