WFMU's Beware of the Blog

recommended music: Computer Jesus Refrigerator

Today my top music recommendation for you is, well... it's another weird one. This band comes from Austin, TX and that is about all I know about them/him. I present Computer Jesus Refrigerator! I could probably track down more info on this musical outfit, but in some ways the mystery is part of the fun. Even the above video is as chaotic and incomprehensible as one could ever hope (the band members even seem to speak in an alien language) though it does confirm one thing for me: these glitch-core freakout songs do appear to be strictly composed and performed largely as they appear on album. That fact was definitely not clear from listening. It just seemed impossible that I could be hearing a live drummer playing in synch with what sounds like a random jumble of digital error sounds. I thought the drums must have been sampled and each track pasted together on the computer, but the proof is in the YouTube. For fans of Neon Hunk, Caroliner, The Locust, and dial-up modems. This might be one of the greatest bands in America. Links and an entire album for listening and download follow...

recommended music: Satanized

There aren't too many bands making hard, challenging, composed music these days. Not outside of metal anyway. And I think it might be partly due to the economic realities of today. It's hard to justify spending months composing and practicing complex songs, and the time to record them, when a rapidly diminishing number of records will ever sell for money. And so if you're into edgy and challenging music you're pretty much going to have to settle for bands that can toss off a few improvised albums in a weekend.

Thank the dark one that at least we have Satanized. (please note, there is also a black metal band named Satanized, from Turkey, who are actually pretty cool too, but this is the noise-rock band from Philadelphia) Satanized throw the following into the musical blender: tech-metal chops, noise-rock attitude, math-rock composition, and guitar tone that makes Big Black sound sweet & warm. I just got to see them play at Public Assembly in Brooklyn and it was a wild show too, in large part due to vocalist Andrew who comes from the David Yow school, becoming a lurching, yowling, and progressively unclothed madman while the rest of the super-tight band blasts away behind him. From this description you probably already know if you're in or out, but if you think you're in, check out some video and an mp3 beyond the "Continue reading" link ...

Cock ESP show you how noise should be done

Cock ESP has been performing since 1993 (or 4?), and in my opinion, their influence on noise bands in America cannot be overstated. They pioneered the 1-minute set, the play-everything-until-it-breaks approach, and they championed absurdity and self-deprecation at a time when the noise scene was dominated by themes of fascism and misogyny. When most others making noise were sporting black leather trench coats they wore chicken and donkey costumes. Their performance style lies at the Venn Diagram intersection of the Hanatarash, Jackass, and backyard wrestling.

In keeping with this approach, they've also edited highlights from their shows and adventures into an extremely dense series of short videos. The video above covers the period of 1993-1999 in 5 and a half minutes, and may actually be the tamest of the series! I'll place the rest below the fold. The videos cover 15 years in about 36 minutes. (The last few years have not yet been included) This might be the most entertaining 36 minutes of live music footage you can watch. You may wonder how the band members survived all this. It should probably also go without saying that you may see some very Not Safe For Work things in this video series.

Great bands nobody ever heard: FM Cowboys

The FM Cowboys came from rural, small-town Pulaski, NY. I saw them play in the nearest city, Syracuse. Syracuse itself is surprisingly isolated for a city you've probably heard of, and this was in the late 1990s, before MySpace even. And so a great band like the garage/blues/punk FM Cowboys had little chance of being heard by anyone outside the immediate area. That's why I'm sharing their music here, including their entire tape/album, which still sounds amazing to me. Check out the first track, which summarizes their mission with the line "I wanna save this rock'n'roll world":

FM Cowboys "Rock-n-Roll World"

The FM Cowboys were high school friends who were always into indie rock (at the time that meant Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, etc) and then discovered country and blues. Their band was a ripping merger of lo-fi garage rock, country & blues, and an indie pop sensibility. It's not too far from the kind of style that The White Stripes and The Black Keys have since popularized. The style merger is summed up by their song "Sonic Blueth." (which contains the lyrics "God bless Thurston Moore, Goddamn Lou Reed, I wanna see him bleed") There was a garage rock scene going on elsewhere in the world at that time, but the FM Cowboys still seemed out of step. Wrong place, wrong time. Except for those of us who were at their shows, we got to be at the right place at the right time.

I first saw the FM Cowboys when a rock band I was in played before them at a Syracuse show. We spent the entire set talking crap about how no one else in town knew how to rock. Then, of course, the FM Cowboys came out, tore it UP, and blew us off the stage. Members Scott Spicer and Martin Scoville would switch back and forth between drums and singer/guitarist duties. Martin seemed like the wildman rocker while Scott was the loveable joker. A true buddy-movie pair. Their still-existing MySpace page tells their story in some more detail, including an explanation that they broke up because one member found Jesus. Perhaps there was a dispute over the aforementioned damning of Lou Reed? In any case, I'm glad that a document exists of them in their rip-roaring heathen days.

Download their sole album tape here:
FM Cowboys "FM Cowboys" album

Scott Spicer is also now in a band called Old North based in Pulaski, NY which is more low-key but seems to contain much of the same influence.

 

Breathmint video archives: greatest moments in 00's weirdo rock

Mat Rademan, proprietor of Philadelphia-based Breathmint Records and member of the noise/performance band FUN (as well as a solo noisemaker under the name Newton), has also been a long-time scene documentarian. As far as I know, he has shot video of every show he's been at, which comprises a serious overview of underground/noise/avant/weirdo music throughout the 2000's. This includes heavy hitters like Arab on Radar and The Locust in 1999 and Black Dice in their hardcore phase, lesser-known but seriously influential bands like Neon Hunk, and totally unknown but amazing acts like The Organ Donors.

Plenty of these videos had already made their way online, but recently, Mat has undertaken the project of sharing a huge number of older videos spanning 1999-present, via the Breathmint Vimeo account. Tons of great viewing can be found there, and lots more is to come. Hit the "Continue Reading" link for just a few top recommendations!

recommended music: Mincemeat or Tenspeed

Yes, Mincemeat or Tenspeed is one act, and in fact one person. And though Mincemeat or Tenspeed has received a shout-out from the WFMU blog in the past, I felt that the music is so innovative and awesome that a feature post was well-deserved.

Davey Harms, the man behind Mincemeat or Tenspeed, famously proclaimed that his music was made without synthesizers, samplers, computers, or musical instruments. Though he's recently added a sampler to the mix, I can reassure you that his sounds still appear to be made by some form of mysterious wizardry. Davey starts with a simple feedback loop or a simple rhythmic sample and runs it through a table of effects pedals, looking much like any harsh noiser's table circa 1999 but with rather different results. Some effects double-up the sound, some mash it back together, others shift things in hard-to-comprehend ways. Contrasting rhythms and tones fight for dominance and you're swept into the sonic wormhole. The results are something like the audio equivalent of the classic Dr. Who opening effects (no disrespect intended to the actual Dr. Who theme) or perhaps falling into an infinite fractal picture (mute that video and play some Mikncemeat or Tenspeed instead).

Some listening, free downloadables, and links after the jump...

recommended music: (((MICROWAVES)))

If you're into hard, weird, smart rock music, you will want to check out Microwaves. (sometimes written as (((microwaves))) in case you need to differentiate them from other similarly named groups).

Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, these guys have been making edgy No Wave/sci-fi rock for about the last decade. Microwaves have similarities to contemporaries like Six Finger Satellite, Flying Luttenbachers' brutal prog material, or Holy Molar, but seem to be less well-known - though no less skilled, challenging, or innovative - than any of those groups. They recently started playing without their bassist, who had always played through effects turning the bass into an analog synthesizer sound. Instead they've added a variety of triggers and synth pads to drummer/vocalist John Roman's already demanding responsibilities.

Today these guys seem to be operating on the Shellac M.O., avoiding the rat race of any "scene" and taking the time necessary to make their music sound exactly the way they want it to. These days, however, things are more difficult for bands which don't release a steady stream of material and constantly try to shout over the incessant internet noise. And that's exactly why I'm trying to make a little noise on their behalf. These guys are absolutely on the same level with any band I've name-checked here and will definitely appeal to fans of any of the above.

They have a new 7" record out on Thunderhaus Ltd featuring an excellent Big Black cover. Video, music, and links below.

recommended music: MUTWAWA "Necro Zulu"

Today I'd like to encourage you to check out some true undergound freak-squad music. Mutwawa, from Richmond, VA.

This 2-man unit combines mutated African rhythms and sounds, perhaps akin to the vibe of Konono No 1, with the gritty, experimental synth-stomp of Forcefield. Both members have long and impressive resumes: Jason Hodges is credited with samples and has played in the power-violence bass-n-drums band Suppression, freakout post-punk band The Amoeba Men, Bermuda Triangles... the list goes on. All of them highly recommended. Gary Stevens is credited with effects, and he is also the founding member of noise band Head Molt and for several years ran the infamous DIY house/venue The Rat-Ward. Again, I could go on...

Mutwawa - Live at Strange Matter - March 8, 2011 - Richmond, Virginia
from Silver Persinger on Vimeo.

Embedded below is their first album "Necro Zulu" which can also be dowloaded. I have to point out that I love how this album is composed of songs. Mutwawa can do the noise band M.O. of cranking out one solid 15-minute set too, which works live (just check out how well they work that format in the video above), but I do appreciate the extra bit of self-editing that goes into boiling your material down to a batch of 2-3 minute highlights. It also makes an album that much more repeat-listenable for me, and this is a good one. Play this on something with some good bass.

 
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/MUTWAWA/Necro_Zulu

CNP Records blog, Jason's record label
Rat-Ward blog, for all of Gary's projects 

 

an interview with: EAR PWR

I first met EAR PWR when they set up a show for me in their hometown of Asheville, where Devin was studying experimental music in college (for real). Devin and Sarah turned the place into an outrageous dance party, then gave me sugary pastries for breakfast and gave me a CDR of sugary electro-pop songs that I listened to probably 10 times in a row in the car, and which I'd hear in my head upon waking up for a few weeks.

Since then they put out a record on Carpark Records (Super Animal Bros III), moved to Baltimore, toured the world, and moved back to Asheville. They're about to put out their second record for Carpark which promises to delve deeper into their adult emotions. I don't doubt that EAR PWR honestly love Sparkly Sweaters or the other things they sing about on their last record, but maybe they love the National Parks (which they sing about on their next album) in a slightly deeper way -  and the music is sounding deeper to reflect that.

In fact, they're making a music video for their "National Parks" song and are raising the funds to pay for it with Kickstarter. My feelings are slightly mixed on bands using Kickstarter, but I can't argue when the rewards offered are worth the price regardless. For example, just $5 gets you a download of the new album. Donate here, http://kck.st/h8IWmH

I sent some interview questions to EAR PWR, which Sarah answered below. Hit play on this new track, "Baby Houses," and read on!

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How is the new album different from your first album? 

 

We dug deep.  Worked harder.  Got more personal.  Added live drums.  Also, Devin composed most of the songs on paper this go round.

 

At one point you told me you were going to be incorporating live drums. Has that happened and how has it/did it work out? 

 

Oh yeah, it has happened.  Devin plays drums and mans the electronics.  It’s a lot for one person to handle but I think it works out pretty well.  I guess the drums kinda took the place of the megaphone in a way.  They’re both hype machines.  

 

How was life in Baltimore and why did you decide to move back to your hometown of Asheville?

Life in Baltimore was great.  Cost of living was super low and we were always surrounded by the best people.  We had so much fun that we became pretty unproductive.  We needed to get back to nature and our roots in order to move forward with ear pwr.

 

Do you think going to Baltimore was a good career move? Did it help you hook up with your label?

Well, we hooked up with our label about a year before we moved to Baltimore so it didn’t help in that instance.  I guess being “from” Baltimore carries clout and people take more notice of bands that are Baltimore-based, but other than that I don’t think it was a good career move.  It attached a stigma to us that wasn’t really accurate and lumped us in with a group that we didn’t belong to.

 

Do you think being on a record label helps small bands these days, or is it just as effective to put things out yourself?

It is just as effective to put things out yourself.

 

What is the most awesome place you've gotten to travel to and play at?

Wroclaw, Poland.  Absolute insanity. 

 

You said you got some bad press and bad vibes from haters after your first album, which to me seems weird because you're such a positive poppy band. Why do you think anyone got upset by EAR PWR?

I can’t really tell you why but I guess that unhappy buttholes are always looking for something to hate and being that we’re happy and posi, we’re a pretty easy target

 

Did you get any harsh but valid criticism that's helped or informed what you do?

Most definitely.  When we made Super Animal Bros. III we just churned it out without a lot of thought.  It served as something people could take away from our live show to remember the insanity that occurred.  We weren’t thinking about people listening to our album who had never seen us live.  This time we took that into consideration.

 

Why make a big production (relatively speaking of course) music video?

National Parks is really important to us.  It is simple lyrically but it evokes a lot of grand imagery.  It deserves a fancy video, anything less would not do it justice.  We’ve always loved making wild videos for our songs, we just hadn’t hooked up with anyone who had the means to make our wildest dreams come true.  Until now.

 

Lastly, could you hype up your upcoming stuff? When is the new album out? Next shows? Tour?

Album comes out May 24th.  We’re playing ATP curated by Animal Collective in May and doing a little UK tour around that.  I think we’ll be playing in NYC in June.  Look out!

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EAR PWR's Kickstarter project ends this Friday night at midnight, so donate NOW if you're gonna. They're 3/5 of the way to their goal.

facebook.com/earpwr
earpwr.tumblr.com
earpwr.com

An interview with: Unicorn Hard-On

Val Martino is the one-woman noise/beats/electronic/psychedelic act UNICORN HARD-ON. She has also toured as a member of the Laundry Room Squelchers, Gang Wizard, and done collaborative recordings and performances with Leslie Keffer. Though for the most part she's been operating under the radar (so far!), Unicorn Hard-On has had a significant influence on the underground weirdo/noise/experimental scene. If you connect the dots, you start to find that an awfully large number of movers and shakers have seen or played with, and fallen in love with, Unicorn Hard-On. For several years Val has been sticking to her personal style and following her unique vision - and wherever I travel it seems I'm witnessing storms that started with her butterfly wingbeats.

Val was kind enough to answer a few of my questions about her music and share some tracks with all of you. 

When you first started making music as Unicorn Hard-On, what was the intention and what gear did you start out with?

Originally, I was supposed to start a band with a friend, but we had no gear, only ideas. I started saving up my money and walked into a Mars music store that was going out of business. There were two Korg Electribe floor models I wound up messing around with and walked out with both for the price of 1. Got the EA-1 and the ER-1. The original band never happened, and I wound up just putting the Korgs away as I worked on finishing my photography portfolio for school. I started talking with another friend about starting a band and we went for it and played two shows before I graduated. (After that, I continued on with the band solo.) We had no idea what we were doing. We considered ourselves artists and performers, not musicians. (at least I did, I had very little musical training) I used music as my medium and taught myself how to program those synths, and created elaborate stories to tell using the range of sounds I got out of them. 

Has that changed any between that time and now?

I do consider myself a musician. I have learned so much. My intention now is to keep writing and continue to learn different ways to compose my visions and add to my body of work.

You often play in the "noise" scene. How is Unicorn Hard-On received at noise shows?

Well, now there are tons of bands (many former "noise" bands) that have adopted the electronic/dance/beat style so the difference isn't as drastic. But when I started playing gigs 8 years ago, I was generally the only band with that style. For the most part, I was received fairly well, as I think most people understood that I was creating something more complex than just a dance set.

You've moved around a lot and recently returned to Nashville. Is that the best place to live? Why or why not?

Hmmmm... I really don't know. The one thing I do know is that no place is perfect and you have to figure out what is most important. The scene here is small, but it is cheap to live, and for the most part the weather isn't too bad. Also, it is pretty centrally located, so touring out east or west is somewhat more convenient. I have great friends here, and that is really important to me as well.

Most of your stuff has been self-released or put out by friends. (I think) Have any bigger labels been after you to do releases? Would you consider that or are you happy putting things out as you have been?

I would love to put music out on bigger labels. Yo, hit me up!

You've done some collaboration with Leslie Keffer before. Will you be doing any more stuff together?

We haven't played together since I moved back, but I'm sure we will when the time is right. 

I happen to know you like some pop music. Does that influence Unicorn Hard-On? Would you ever try making some straight-up pop music yourself?

Yeah, I like some pop music, haha. I have been known to play some Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, and Britney in my DJ sets, but for real, I'm a huge fan of Madonna, Depeche Mode, David Bowie, Sparks, Pixies, The Cure, etc and definitely all of it influences me. As for a straight pop record... you never know.

Where is the strangest place you've played a show?

In the middle of the woods in the middle of nowhere in West Virginia

What is the most rewarding part of making and playing the music you do?

When I first started playing gigs, I was usually the only women on the bill. Over the years, I've gotten a handful of letters from other young women thanking me for giving them the courage to play their own beautifully weird music out live. That's always awesome. There are so many amazing, talented women making music now, we are all in good company. 

Am I right that you started getting involved in music when you lived in Richmond? What is your take on the scene there between then and now?

Unicorn Hard-on started while I was in school in Richmond. My first gig was at a hardcore show in my friend's living room. I scared every single person out of the room except one dude who was like, "Fuck yeah!" At that time there was no experimental scene. That scene really flourished after I left town and I haven't played there in a long time.

What releases and/or shows are coming up next?

I'm playing a show in Nashville on Easter with Captain Ahab, and I got a month-long Europe tour with Container, Laser Poodle, and Fyoelk in May/June. Also got a split 12" coming out on Hot Releases and some other stuff in the works.

*******
A couple of people shared the following praise for Val and Unicorn Hard-On:

"I discovered Val's work in 2006 and totally fell in love with it. I view Unicorn Hard-On as being one of the first projects in a line of many who started mutating the contemporary noise scene into a more rhythm oriented and club influenced community. Val has definitely always been ahead of the curve."
- Jonathan Coward (SHAMS)

"she makes the best cupcakes and beer coozies."
- Leslie Keffer

*******
Check out the following MP3s:

Unicorn Hard-On "Your Many Furry Features" (MP3)

Unicorn Hard-On "Major Moon" (MP3)

Unicorn Hard-On "Forever Fantasy" (MP3)

*******
And you will definitely want to visit Val's blog, which covers not only her own stuff, but also documents lots of other excellent music: http://www.tangledhares.com

Unicorn Hard-On on last.fm: http://www.last.fm/music/Unicorn+Hard-On 

recommended music: THE RUINED FRAME "Breath and Pulse"

Today I'm going to hip you to one of the best albums you've never heard - probably. I mean to say, it's definitely one of the best, but you've probably never heard it. The Ruined Frame is the solo project of one Rick Weaver, who has been in a string of amazing underground bands like the caustic noise-rockers The New Flesh and the cassette-tape-noise all-stars Form A Log. Yet the Ruined Frame is, strangely, an acoustic and (relatively) straight-up singing-and-songwriting project.

I think there must be something to the noise-rock-to-songwriter story, because two of the bands The Ruined Frame reminds me most of are the Failure-era Swans, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Both are projects where the people involved seemed to have made a decision that they could make more gut-wrenching and soul-crushing music with acoustic instruments than with stacks of amps and heaps of distortion. The Ruined Frame is maybe less dark and heavy than those examples, but, well, if you listen... it does get that heavy. Rick's voice will just slay you. And the musical accompaniment, primarily guitar, but also including slide whistles, kazoos, organ, and it seems whatever else was on hand - is just bullseye perfect at every turn.

Really, I'm just trying to convince you to listen for yourself, because I'm posting this entire album here with the artist's permission. Download this ZIP file of the entire album:
The Ruined Frame "Breath & Pulse" album (ZIP)

or check out this MP3 track as a sample:
The Ruined Frame "Breath & Pulse" title track (MP3)

In a just world The Ruined Frame would be regarded as being in a class with Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, or Neil Young. But hey, Rick is a young guy - that world may yet come to pass.

You can follow Rick's various projects at the Human Conduct Records blog - the label he runs and releases some of his own music on. I also found this very nice interview with Rick Weaver at the Aural States website. He is also currently in a band called Dinner Music. And lastly, I was informed that Human Conduct is still selling cassette copies of The Ruined Frame's "Breath and Pulse" - contact rickjweaver AT gmail.

 

Recommended music: HUMANBEAST "Queer Marriage"

After hearing some raving about this duo from Providence, RI, I finally caught a show by them at Death by Audio a while back and was absolutely blown away. I immediately sought out the band after their show and got a copy of this tape. When I asked which release I should get, I was told "This tape is music, this one is noise, and this one is the new stuff we played tonight" - which carried the implication that the third option could be neither or both music and noise.

And that's very much what we have here. These are definitely songs, constructed from simple heavy beats and synth notes, but with cracked electronic noise that sometimes bleeds in at the edges, sometimes plays an integral role, and occasionally threatens to wash the musical elements away in a mudslide of static. The best part of this and the central element is the powerful and powerfully delivered female vocals. It sounds something like if the Eurythmics were forced to do a recording session with Wolf Eyes and the results were the best thing either of them had ever done.

HUMANBEAST - In Heels

What I love best about this album, and this band, is the thematic unity of the sound, the art, and the performance. There's a push and pull of beauty and ugliness at work, in the lyrical content, the noise/music tension within the sound, and the way bruises and scratches are used as album art. It's precisely a meditation on what it's like to be human (a human beast), which can be scary, gross, and gorgeous at the same time.

You can order this tape or download the album as MP3s for free at their Gross Domestic Product label/website HERE.