Catbird Bliss

The other day while drifting the net I found Catbird records, a boutique indi label that puts out limited edition small run hand printed discs for a affordable price with the inclusion of a tip the artist option, and early orders generally get some sort of bonus goodie. Current "available" releases from Maestro Echoplex, Manishevitz, Fulton Lights, Moviola as well as Mathew Sawyer & The Ghosts.
As far as I am concerned, you should run out and buy all these records. Give your money to the little guy. Promote more indi art. Dont just download the songs. support it.

Blitzen Trapper "Furr"

This subpop release of exerimental folk rock is perhaps my favorite album of 2008. My favorite track has got to be the amazing Black River Killer with Furr a close second. In my opinion this is a exciting and brilliant record all the way thru.

Woven Hand at the Empyrean (trembling and ecstacy)

Last nights show at the Empyrean was brilliant.

David Eugene Edwards and associates led us thru a rock filled traveling mystical evangelistic medicine show that bordered on trance inducing entrainment.


Trembling the entire time, the sweat and spit flew, the ground shook.


For the uninitiated, D.E.E. is formerly of 16 horsepower whose music has been described as civil war traditional and even goth psychobilly or thrashgrass. The influences are all over the place and that is a brilliant thing. I even managed to pick up a copy of Ten Stones on vinyl.

Black Moth Super Rainbow "Drippers" EP

"Drippers" the latest release from Black Moth Super Rainbow is a delightful record. My "scratch-n-sniff" had the campfire smell. The other flavors are fruit punch, firecracker, tomato, and dirt.I was a little disappointed that the "scratch-n-sniff" was only on the wrapper and to get the disc out you had to remove it.

With the exclusion of I saw brown (pre BMSR from 1999) it is great recent stuff not to be included on an upcoming record. The low point for me was I saw brown and that only because of production. My personal favorite is the delightful BMSR remix of Laura Burhenn's beautiful track Just For The Night.

They are also giving away a digital download of older unreleased stuff called bonus drippers. find it here.

Ray LaMontagne "Gossip In The Grain"

While not quite the emotional hammer that "Trouble" was, "Gossip In The Grain" with its sound somewhere around Van Morrison meets the Beatles is a strong album. My Favorite track is the surprising Meg White.

The Black Angels "Directions To See A Ghost" 3xlp

The Black Angels "Directions To See A Ghost" 3xlp is a limited run of 1000. It comes with a poster/lyric sheet and a sticker. The Album takes up sides A-E and finishes out with the 16 minute epic "Snake in the Grass" and then continues with side F featuring "Surf City (Revisited)" and "Paladin's Last Stand" from the prerelease e.p. No sophmore slump here. This is a powerful and purifying recording. Find a copy, turn it up, hunker down and let it cleanse you.

Black Moth Super Rainbow "Dandelion Gum" 2xlp

The epic Dandelion Gum by BMSR is the odd story of witches making candy in the woods and giving it to passers by. That is about the extent of the storyline leaving a majority of the story to the imagination of the listener. This record is packed absolutely full of Sugary Summer Bliss and Electro Fuzzy Hooked Licks from track one, The Dark Forest Joggers, thru to the end and that includes the Scratch and Sniff Cover (Bubble Gum). I really wish I had got one of the Limited pink and gold flaked copies.

The glorious thing is that they manage to keep it interesting. Far to many bands fall short when they use vocoders, mellotrons and the like, but BMSR manage to pull together a consistent sound that is absolutely infectious and downright delicious.

They are also currently running a promo at their site for people wanting to purchase a copy of the 2xlp. http://www.blackmothsuperrainbow.com/news.htm

It really is to bad that I already have my copy.

In addition, the lp features a track not on the cd.
The track list is as follows

Side A:
The Dark Forest Joggers
Forever Heavy
Jump Into My Mouth and Breathe The Stardust
When the Sun Grows on Your Tongue

Side B:
Lollipopsichord
Sun Lips
Rollerdisco
Drippy Eye
Wall of Gum

Side C:
Melt Me
The Afternoon Turns Pink
They Live in the Meadow
Lost, Picking Flowers in the Woods
Caterpillar House

Side D:
Neon Syrup for the Cemetery Sisters
Spinning Cotton Candy in a Shack Made of Shingles
Untitled Roadside Demo
(Hidden Track)

Shearwater "Rook"

Jonathan Meiburg recently quit Okkervil River to focus his attention fully on Shearwater and I believe it shows. That is not to say that the other recordings are subpar, just that Rook, the new Shearwater record is startlingly exquisite. The haunting opener On the death of the waters is quiet and beautiful only to be shattered with the crashing waves of its bridge. The bouncing march of Rooks filled with howls and trumpets. Leviathan, bound follows with a percussive Philip Glass type structure that creates a certain urgency and tension that is not resolved until the final phrase. The clean simplicity of Home Life with its Sylvianesque mood, sounds like it could be straight off of Secrets of the Behive. Absolutely gorgeous. The balance of the record is just as wonderful. This is meaty music. I got my copy direct from Matador last week and I am still letting it sink in. There is much to absorb and enjoy here.

Sufjan Stevens "Seven Swans" lp reissue.

Sufjan Stevens "Seven Swans has been remastered and re-issued by Sounds Familyre on audiophile grade vinyl! It now also includes a bonus 7 inch with two previously unreleased tracks, "I Went Dancing With My Sister" and "Waste Of What Your Kids Won't Have". More beautiful than ever, Find it, Buy it. Listen to a record. . .

Jesu "Silver" EP

Clocking in at just 28:43 The Silver EP by Jesu (Justin Broadrick) is packed full of metallic bliss. Massive droning and heavy buzzing riffs all while finding a pulsing beauty hidding in its layers. For my taste even with tracks running from 6-8 minutes, I think the ideas presented here could be developed into much longer tracks. Almost like a classical recording with movements etc. I do really love the full lengths. I am getting tired of the EPs Beautiful as they are. As always the art is starkly beautiful and top notch.

Elf Power "In A Cave"

Formerly of Elephant 6, Elf Power has released "In A Cave". I believe this is their ninth record. A delightfuly sprawling and subversivly psychedelic one at that. On the surface it seems all pop and positivity but there is a fuzzy scratching/scraping hiding underneath. I find it quite delightful to find a record that can be both disonant and bouncy. Kind of makes me wanna dance. that is, if i could dance.

Mi And L'au

This is slowcore at pretty close to its finest. A haunting,barren record in its pure and simple beauty. Please give this a listen.

Older

Fire On Fire Handmade Limited Edition 5 Song EP

The Fire On Fire Handmade Limited Edition 5 Song EP exclusively from young god records is a densely beautiful recording featuring "real" acoustic intruments like the Nay or the Oud. This may be no big stretch for some but, Fire on Fire is Cerberus Shoal. (The band, not the geological feature) And that fact alone makes this record unexpectedly special. Old timey gospel folk at perhaps its most in your face, psychedelic and layered. I aquire more appreciation with each listen. I am also a packaging nut. This one features a original drawing / screen print by Colleen Kinsella (also in the band). Check out Hangman.

Steve Scott

First, I must apologize for the past several months of virtual inactivity. I guess I have been distracted. I have however been completely immersing myself in the catalog (or at least as much as I can get my hands on) of one of my favorite artists... The brilliant and multi talented Steve Scott-poet, spoken word artist, and musician. There is a beauty here beyond my understanding.

The list as it were is as follows

Love in the Western World, 1983

Lost Horizon, 1989

The Butterfly Effect, 1992

Empty Orchestra, 1994

We Dreamed that We Were Strangers, 1996

More than a Dream, 1997

Crossing the Boundaries, 1998