Warming up to blogging again. Thought I'd at least post an image for wordless Wednesday before I tackle some actual writing. Hee hee....
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Harts Horn live performance in Kalamazoo
I will be playing live in Kalamazoo Michigan on June 5th as part of the Tiny Studio gallery exhibit at Kalamazoo Art Hop. Tiny Studio is run by Bonnie Pfingst, an old friend of mine from high school who I was very close to during the formative/punk rock/art wing years. My wife, Dani, will be showing some work that will include her art dolls as well as recent forays into spinning/fiber arts. It's a family affair. I will be playing a mostly song oriented set with a few cerebral pieces thrown in. Music for the rest of the night will be a playlist selected by me (with input from Dani) designed specifically for the event. Come on out and say hi. Cheers.
Joe
Tiny Studio
Music/Arts - Exhibit
Date: Friday, June 5, 2009
Time: 5:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Park Trades Center #219, Kalamazoo, MI
Email: tinystudio@charter
Tiny Studio blog:
Dani Davis / Pumpkinhaus blog:
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
25 Albums That Changed My Life
This was going around Facebook, but I spent a bit of time on it so I thought I'd repost it here: Think of 25 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of, they musically shaped your world. They stood up, they lasted, they mattered. They still matter, in some way (even if only in memory). Doesn't have to be The 25. Just the 25 Right Now, as memory and listening demand. In no necessary order. Unless you want order.
1. Screaming Blue Messiahs - Gun Shy: Growing up in a white working class world in the 80's, it was either radio pop or metal so I opted for the latter (we are talking junior high age here). I bought this record by accident due to a faulty Columbia House listing in the metal section and it opened me up to a subculture of punk rock and art. I tried to express to Bill Carter how important this album was to me on Myspace and got no response! Ha! I own this on tape, vinyl and CD... it's true...
2. Leroy Jenkins - Space minds, New Worlds, Survival Of America: Josh Brewer had bought this on tape when the Tomato Records catalog was in every cut out bin. He said it was a little weird for him. Jenkins is an avant garde jazz violinist and composer. Great stuff, again opening me up to a world that was new to me. I remember Jason and I driving through the Lincoln Tunnel blasting this and feeling like we were one with the universe.
3. Hawkwind - In Search Of Space: The quintessential protopunk psychedelic freakout blue print for the rest of my life. Space rock forever.
4. Tyrannosaurus Rex - A Beard Of Stars: It's hard to pick just one Marc album, but this one is particularly magical. Maybe even magickal.
5. T.Rex - Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tomorrow: I couldn't pick just one Marc album. Most people dismiss this one as a transitional album and opt for Electric Warrior or The Slider, but this album has a special quality all it's own. Merges glam rock with cosmic soul in a strangely dark way with lyrics reaching his surreal best with references to "explosive mouths", "teutonic teeth", and "the mighty slug".
6. MC5 - Kick Out The Jams: A bit rock 101, but let's face it: This is the greatest rock and roll record that has ever been or will ever be. There is nowhere to go but down. Life changing indeed...
7. Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand: It's not too late to discover the best record of the 90's! This album is the Pet Sounds of my generation.
8. David Bowie - Hunky Dory: A classic that fused his Dylan folk aspirations with Warhol's Factory in an uncomfortably British way. I have listened to this since high school and the vocal delivery still moves me. "I'm starving for me gravy"... Ha!
9. Ghost - s/t: Debut from the Japanese tribal folk band. Experimental, reminding me of Amon Dull II at times. This album was very important to me.
10. Psychic TV - Dreams Less Sweet: Anyone interested in experimental music or even spacerock, at some point has to come to terms with Psychic TV/Throbbing Gristle. This album is so beautifully recorded. There really is nothing else like it. The barking dogs scare me every time.
11. Leonard Cohen - Songs Of Leonard Cohen: Bonnie bought me this in high school. I spent many nights in my room laying on an army cot in a self indced (drugless) half dream state, having visions to this one. That's when I had a lot more free time...
12. The Flying Luttenbachers - Revenge!: Jazz punk at breakneck speed. Jason bought this in Chicago with no knowledge of who or what it was. We were completely blown away and it definitely informed us musically.
13. Booker T. & the MG's - Green Onions / Ian & Sylvia - Northern Journey: I'm putting these together because Jason dubbed them from his dad's record collection on to one of those old crappy neon yellow Maxell's that were everywhere in high school. It seemed like a window the past and made us wonder why our parents worried about us.
14. Magma - Magma Live: Another that was discovered from the Tomato Records cut out catalog. Having no knowledge of prog rock or Zeuhl, I though this might be some kind of weird African music because of the vocals and some of the rhythms. How could I know it was Frenchmen singing an epic science fiction saga in a made up language. The playing on this makes it hard to believe it's live. Amazing.
15. The Minutemen - Post Mersh Vol 1: This goes back to high school again. I was too young to ever see The Minutemen, but we saw fIREHOSE whenever they came through town. Mike Watt's between song banter informed all my ideals about music and the industry.
16. Butthole Surfers - Psychic...Powerless...Another Man's Sack: Another of the first punk or arty records I ever bought. Gave me a skewed idea of what punk was. My brother Dave and I put this in on a family vacation to Florida and dad about lost it. The desired effect, I guess.
17. Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks: This changed everyone's life I guess. Rock 101 again, but endlessly important.
18. Julian Cope - Interpreter, 20 Mothers, Autogeddon, Jehovakill (hard to pick just one): This era of Jules' music had a profound effect on Dani and I. The way he mixed politics, neopagan ideals, poetry, and family life into his art made me feel like anything was possible.
19. Sun Ra - Atlantis: This album kills. "Atlantis" takes up all of side 2 and from the moment you hear Mr. Ra drag the mic stand across the floor, you know you're in for it. Cosmic jazz explorations.
20.Moondog - Moondog/More Moondog: I listened to this A LOT when I was first learning to use a 4 track. These records are so individual that it is amazing they were ever made and released.
21.Better Disease - Early Symtoms: I bought this tape from Micky after one of their gigs for 2 bucks and he seemed astounded that I even wanted it. I had only a little knowledge of 80's cassette culture at that time and I have to admit that it was a tough listen. Years later, it stands the test of time, and definitely caused me to think about self suffiency as far as music production goes, trading, collaboration, and artistic independence (as a condition to seek out).
22. Can - Cannibalism 2: I know, it's a compilation but there are some important tracks unavailable elsewhere. These songs greatly influeneced my aproach to composition and arrangement. And Jaki on drums... I mean come on!
23. Taku Sugimoto - Myshkin Music U for electric guitar: I bought this by accident because someone told me (wrongly) that he was a member of Ghost. Sugimoto is a minimalist experimental guitarist from Japan. Often his albums contain far more silence than actual played notes. I knew about John Cage and everything, but this still changed my ideas about what was actually listenable.
24.The Blues Project - Live At The Cafe A Go Go: I found this in my dad's record collection as a teenager and it just blew me away. You can feel the change from the folk to the psych scene as this is being played - like something big is about to happen. Turns out, it was a huge influence on many of the late 60's psych bands but nobody knows it.
25.Space Brothers - green demo tape: Space Brothers are a power trio from Grand Rapids that we used to gig with in the early 90's. It is hard to describe how inspiring they were and are. I have listened to this endlessly. I remember this tape was "dedicated to dried fruit and mixed nuts" which is just genius.Can't believe I didn't include anything by The Fall. Oh well, I gotta stop.
All right . You asked for it you got it. Honorable mentions that didn't make the cut: The Fall - Escape Route From A Wonderful and Frightening World, Alien Planetscapes - Life On Earth, Twelfth Night - Collector's Item, Zendik Farm Band - My Dying World, Voivod - Rrrroooaaarrr!!!!, Beach Boys - Smiley Smile / Holland, Boredoms - Pop Tatari, Amon Dull II - Tanz Der Lemming, Pink Fairies - Never Never Land, Heldon - Stand By, Chuck Berry - The Great 28, Ars Nova - Book Of the Dead, Silver Apples - s/t & Contact, The Suicide Twins - Silver Missiles and Nightingales, Steve Roach & Robert Rich - Soma, Otis Redding - Otis Blue, Bobby Bland - 2 Steps From the Blues, Yoko Ono - Aproximate Infinite Universe, Glam Crazeee! (a compilation tape of british 70's glam bands), Yatsura - We Are Yatsura, Cocteau Twins - Bluebell Knoll & (especially) Garlands, Tangerine Dream - Zeit, Link Wray - Walkin' With Link, Charles Mingus - Mingus In Wonderland, L.A.F.M.S. - The Lowest Form Of Music
1. Screaming Blue Messiahs - Gun Shy: Growing up in a white working class world in the 80's, it was either radio pop or metal so I opted for the latter (we are talking junior high age here). I bought this record by accident due to a faulty Columbia House listing in the metal section and it opened me up to a subculture of punk rock and art. I tried to express to Bill Carter how important this album was to me on Myspace and got no response! Ha! I own this on tape, vinyl and CD... it's true...
2. Leroy Jenkins - Space minds, New Worlds, Survival Of America: Josh Brewer had bought this on tape when the Tomato Records catalog was in every cut out bin. He said it was a little weird for him. Jenkins is an avant garde jazz violinist and composer. Great stuff, again opening me up to a world that was new to me. I remember Jason and I driving through the Lincoln Tunnel blasting this and feeling like we were one with the universe.
3. Hawkwind - In Search Of Space: The quintessential protopunk psychedelic freakout blue print for the rest of my life. Space rock forever.
4. Tyrannosaurus Rex - A Beard Of Stars: It's hard to pick just one Marc album, but this one is particularly magical. Maybe even magickal.
5. T.Rex - Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tomorrow: I couldn't pick just one Marc album. Most people dismiss this one as a transitional album and opt for Electric Warrior or The Slider, but this album has a special quality all it's own. Merges glam rock with cosmic soul in a strangely dark way with lyrics reaching his surreal best with references to "explosive mouths", "teutonic teeth", and "the mighty slug".
6. MC5 - Kick Out The Jams: A bit rock 101, but let's face it: This is the greatest rock and roll record that has ever been or will ever be. There is nowhere to go but down. Life changing indeed...
7. Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand: It's not too late to discover the best record of the 90's! This album is the Pet Sounds of my generation.
8. David Bowie - Hunky Dory: A classic that fused his Dylan folk aspirations with Warhol's Factory in an uncomfortably British way. I have listened to this since high school and the vocal delivery still moves me. "I'm starving for me gravy"... Ha!
9. Ghost - s/t: Debut from the Japanese tribal folk band. Experimental, reminding me of Amon Dull II at times. This album was very important to me.
10. Psychic TV - Dreams Less Sweet: Anyone interested in experimental music or even spacerock, at some point has to come to terms with Psychic TV/Throbbing Gristle. This album is so beautifully recorded. There really is nothing else like it. The barking dogs scare me every time.
11. Leonard Cohen - Songs Of Leonard Cohen: Bonnie bought me this in high school. I spent many nights in my room laying on an army cot in a self indced (drugless) half dream state, having visions to this one. That's when I had a lot more free time...
12. The Flying Luttenbachers - Revenge!: Jazz punk at breakneck speed. Jason bought this in Chicago with no knowledge of who or what it was. We were completely blown away and it definitely informed us musically.
13. Booker T. & the MG's - Green Onions / Ian & Sylvia - Northern Journey: I'm putting these together because Jason dubbed them from his dad's record collection on to one of those old crappy neon yellow Maxell's that were everywhere in high school. It seemed like a window the past and made us wonder why our parents worried about us.
14. Magma - Magma Live: Another that was discovered from the Tomato Records cut out catalog. Having no knowledge of prog rock or Zeuhl, I though this might be some kind of weird African music because of the vocals and some of the rhythms. How could I know it was Frenchmen singing an epic science fiction saga in a made up language. The playing on this makes it hard to believe it's live. Amazing.
15. The Minutemen - Post Mersh Vol 1: This goes back to high school again. I was too young to ever see The Minutemen, but we saw fIREHOSE whenever they came through town. Mike Watt's between song banter informed all my ideals about music and the industry.
16. Butthole Surfers - Psychic...Powerless...Another Man's Sack: Another of the first punk or arty records I ever bought. Gave me a skewed idea of what punk was. My brother Dave and I put this in on a family vacation to Florida and dad about lost it. The desired effect, I guess.
17. Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks: This changed everyone's life I guess. Rock 101 again, but endlessly important.
18. Julian Cope - Interpreter, 20 Mothers, Autogeddon, Jehovakill (hard to pick just one): This era of Jules' music had a profound effect on Dani and I. The way he mixed politics, neopagan ideals, poetry, and family life into his art made me feel like anything was possible.
19. Sun Ra - Atlantis: This album kills. "Atlantis" takes up all of side 2 and from the moment you hear Mr. Ra drag the mic stand across the floor, you know you're in for it. Cosmic jazz explorations.
20.Moondog - Moondog/More Moondog: I listened to this A LOT when I was first learning to use a 4 track. These records are so individual that it is amazing they were ever made and released.
21.Better Disease - Early Symtoms: I bought this tape from Micky after one of their gigs for 2 bucks and he seemed astounded that I even wanted it. I had only a little knowledge of 80's cassette culture at that time and I have to admit that it was a tough listen. Years later, it stands the test of time, and definitely caused me to think about self suffiency as far as music production goes, trading, collaboration, and artistic independence (as a condition to seek out).
22. Can - Cannibalism 2: I know, it's a compilation but there are some important tracks unavailable elsewhere. These songs greatly influeneced my aproach to composition and arrangement. And Jaki on drums... I mean come on!
23. Taku Sugimoto - Myshkin Music U for electric guitar: I bought this by accident because someone told me (wrongly) that he was a member of Ghost. Sugimoto is a minimalist experimental guitarist from Japan. Often his albums contain far more silence than actual played notes. I knew about John Cage and everything, but this still changed my ideas about what was actually listenable.
24.The Blues Project - Live At The Cafe A Go Go: I found this in my dad's record collection as a teenager and it just blew me away. You can feel the change from the folk to the psych scene as this is being played - like something big is about to happen. Turns out, it was a huge influence on many of the late 60's psych bands but nobody knows it.
25.Space Brothers - green demo tape: Space Brothers are a power trio from Grand Rapids that we used to gig with in the early 90's. It is hard to describe how inspiring they were and are. I have listened to this endlessly. I remember this tape was "dedicated to dried fruit and mixed nuts" which is just genius.Can't believe I didn't include anything by The Fall. Oh well, I gotta stop.
All right . You asked for it you got it. Honorable mentions that didn't make the cut: The Fall - Escape Route From A Wonderful and Frightening World, Alien Planetscapes - Life On Earth, Twelfth Night - Collector's Item, Zendik Farm Band - My Dying World, Voivod - Rrrroooaaarrr!!!!, Beach Boys - Smiley Smile / Holland, Boredoms - Pop Tatari, Amon Dull II - Tanz Der Lemming, Pink Fairies - Never Never Land, Heldon - Stand By, Chuck Berry - The Great 28, Ars Nova - Book Of the Dead, Silver Apples - s/t & Contact, The Suicide Twins - Silver Missiles and Nightingales, Steve Roach & Robert Rich - Soma, Otis Redding - Otis Blue, Bobby Bland - 2 Steps From the Blues, Yoko Ono - Aproximate Infinite Universe, Glam Crazeee! (a compilation tape of british 70's glam bands), Yatsura - We Are Yatsura, Cocteau Twins - Bluebell Knoll & (especially) Garlands, Tangerine Dream - Zeit, Link Wray - Walkin' With Link, Charles Mingus - Mingus In Wonderland, L.A.F.M.S. - The Lowest Form Of Music
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
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