Homespun Spacerock

Wordless Wodensday

2010-01-20T10:11:00.000-08:00

Warming up to blogging again. Thought I'd at least post an image for wordless Wednesday before I tackle some actual writing. Hee hee....

Harts Horn live performance in Kalamazoo

2009-05-23T06:03:00.000-07:00

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:

http://thethreepeas.blogspot.com/

Dani Davis / Pumpkinhaus blog:

http://pumpkinhaus.blogspot.com/

Wordless Wodensday

2009-05-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wodensday

2009-04-01T15:28:00.001-07:00

Hmmmm... I think all my posts are wordless lately. More to follow....

25 Albums That Changed My Life

2009-03-05T14:48:00.000-08:00

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

Wordless Wodensday

2009-02-25T15:46:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wodensday

2009-02-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

if I didn't have projects like these to focus on, I'd be a crazy person without my wife and children here

2009-02-09T16:58:00.000-08:00

Spent this weekend recording since Dani and the kids are out of town. I worked on some guitar based tracks for a few hours on Friday and then had a marathon session on Saturday (began with tracking drums at noon and then worked through th night until 6 am Sunday). I finished the record only to find that my CD burner is giving me fits and won't finalize the master. Ah well... The tracks are there, I may just have to work a bit to extract them. I'm at work on 4 different releases (3 Harts Horn albums, 1 Far Look album,) at the moment (and it's only February!). '09 promises to be a productive year....

Got up this morning with 15 minutes to get ready, got drive through corporate coffee, flew to work (7 am)... only to find that the power was out for several blocks which included my building which was pitch black. After a call to my manager, it was recommended that I go home and take a day off! This has never happened to me before. I didn't record. The last few days had me too psychically exhausted to work on anything even remotely expressive. So instead I spent the day reading comics, zines, drinking coffee, and blasting music. Reminded me of how I spent every day before I had kids... It was nice for an afternoon, but it also confirmed something that I already suspected: that I don't miss that life at all. Yeah, it's been a rock and roll weekend but I really want my kids and wife back now. It feels silly dancing in the kitchen to the MC5 alone...

Here's my playlist for today. Now that's heavy, no?

Osibisa- Black Magic Night, Queen - News Of The World, Zamla Mammaz Manna - The Mystery Of Popular Music, Zamla Mammaz Manna - For Older Beginners, Otolithen - Sabatage Opportunistic DeafMutism, MC5 - Kick Out The Jams, John Du Cann - The World's Not Big Enough... and the night's not over......... Cheers.

Joe

weird trajectories

2009-01-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

Harts Horn - Cubist Golgotha : new release

2008-12-07T10:09:00.001-08:00

Ah, just when I begin to feel like I haven't been that active musically this year, some time presents itself and the releases begin to surface. Quick on the heels of the Tentacular ep (which itself was quick on the heels of Minuten) comes another Harts Horn full length. This release I guess falls under the more experimental/psychedelic side of Harts Horn - no singing on this one. I'd say influences on this particular release would be Sun Ra, Alien Planetscapes, 80's cassette culture in general, many krauts, and even Grateful Dead bootleg culture (albeit in an unrecognizably mutated form). Here's a brief track breakdown:

1. Web Of The Wyrd - A loop based piece drawn from my Halloween/Samhain recording session. Spiritual in some ways, as regards setting the tone... 4 min.

2. Cubist Golgotha - A lengthy space excursion. Drums, bass, guitar, keys, electronics. Fans of the Jettisoned or Begin To Exist albums will find something in this tune to like. Channeling early T. Dream through a home tapers resources (as usual). 25 min.

3. Homelife - A track built around voice samples from thrift store sci fi and evangelical cassettes. With noise guitar and piano in there somewhere. 7 min.

4. When Mars Had Water - More spacerock in the vein of Chrome perhaps.... Delay drenched guitar over an industrial distorto beat + electronics. 5 min

Many of you may be wondering what happened to the On The Loose or Master Of None albums which I have often mentioned in the last year. They are not dead in the water. Master Of None will likely surface this winter sometime. On The Loose is all written and I will begin tracking this winter as well. Sometimes the song based work takes me longer simply because as a father and husband it becomes tough to get alone to sing. With the freakier stuff, I can usually go direct and it becomes less of guerilla affair to get takes.

As always, contact me with any trade ideas. I'd love to hear your music.

Joe

Harts Horn - Tentacular ep : new release

2008-11-23T07:01:00.000-08:00

This blog is to announce the release of a new Harts Horn ep called Tentacular. This is a CDR release with 4 songs clocking in at a little over 20 minutes. Here is the final track listing:

1. The Snake - This is a different version than the one found on the When Snakes Had Legs And We Were Free album. This is a more acoustic based version with just guitars and keyboards (no drums) still played in 7/8.

2. Finding Alien Tech - A kind of low fi R.I.O. influenced track. If Present were a spacerock band recording on 4 track it might sound like this?...

3. D.H. Lawrence - An acoustic instrumental with a lot of high feedback throughout.

4. Tentacular - This is the longest (8 minutes) most meditative piece on this release. It's built around a slow bass and guitar loop but also has keyboards, violin, noise, and a lot of children's toys. Again I'm offering this CDR for trade for your music, zine, art, or other D.I.Y. endeavor. Contact me. Cheers.

Joe

Record Review: Harts Horn - Begin To Exist (2007)

2008-11-20T14:19:00.000-08:00

My friend, Paul, from the band Astro Al wrote a very kind review of one of my records from last year. It was posted on the website http://www.%20liarsociety.%20com/ Here's what he had to say:

Harts Horn - Begin to Exist : Harts Horn is a one man space rock band from Indiana churning out scores of wonderful self released discs straight from the id of a psych wild man.With a loving touch of unrepentant prog abandon Begin to Exist is a little over forty minutes long and only has three songs. It’s great to see someone who is unafraid to not turn their back on mad architectural constructs of epic songs.The pulsing instrumental 18 plus minutes long track, "Am I?" starts things off with high speed drums, piano sweeps and squalls of deep space synths. This tune really makes a great jump off point to the rest of the disc.Deep synth tonalities, sweet Robyn Hitchcock I Often Dream of Trains style jangle guitar and lilting 60's style vocals make up the basis of "Where Do You Go?" A tasty refresher after the prog assault of the prior tune kind of like a musical oasis.Then it's back to prog psych atmospheres and orbits with "I Am." Some discordant drum smashing, rhythms, rolls, cymbal riding, and strange bursts of sound fill this tune up. It's a thrashing beast of an instrumental that smashes its way right up to the end.This disc is a great exploration of the forgotten songscape stylings of the past and is unabashed and beautiful in giving the listeners ears a sonic sample of what music of this kind can do.Guest review by Paul Angelosanto, an undead being who haunts the band Astro Al
Visit scenic http://www.astroal.com/

Thanks Paul! Cheers.

Joe

Harts Horn - Minuten : new CD

2008-11-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

Heads up, everyone. I've just finished the new Harts Horn CD. It's called Minuten. This one is made up of 29 tracks - all roughly one minute in length. It's a stylistic hodge podge ranging from actual songs to low fi noise to psychedelia to minimalist spoken word to appliances with contact mics... all presented in a no track space / collage style format. I've been working on this record for the better part of a year and it feels great to have it done.

I'm offering this CDR for trade for your home recorded music, mix tape/CD, zine, art, or other DIY project (or $5 cash for the unimaginative). Simply comment on this blog or email me and we'll work something out.

The next album is in the works (about 1/2 finished) and is shaping up to be more of a song based space rocker. In the spirit of my "one man band" approach and home recording ethos, I'm going to call it Master Of None. There's something you'll never get from major label rock bands - a little self deprecating humor. Now go start your own band. Cheers.

Joe

Cider and wah

2008-10-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

I was recently disturbed by the words of some folks I know regarding my favorite day of the year - Halloween / Samhain. One friend described her church pastor calling it "devils day" and recounting trick or treating as having derived from the practice of placing food on dooorsteps to feed flying demons. This has no basis in historical fact that I could locate (the spirits of the dead perhaps, but not demons). Another friend told me of his church's harvest festival / Halloween alternative where they bob for apples and hold a huge bonfire - clearly these are adopted pagan rituals. There's nothing anti Christian about it. I just don't see why they can't practice these ancient folk customs without hanging Christ on them. There's nothing wrong with celebrating our simple human lives. I always think it is strange when religions attempt to promote fear of our own natures, and especially of death. It's part of life, folks. Get used to it... Like rock and roll, it's here to stay.

As for me, I'll be celebrating this day my own way - Trick or treating with my family and friends and then returning home for some quiet contemplation and an all night improvised recording session. Now that's a harvest ritual.

Joe

Take a history lesson on the Wik.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween

Jagged Time Lapse

2008-10-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

Quite a space of time since my last blog. It seems you could fill this life with only work and parenting very easily (I suppose that's why most people do it). It's hard for me to believe it's October and there has been no new Harts Horn album yet this year. 2007 saw the release of 3 albums, a split, and a Far Look (my duo project) album. My son, Cael, just turned a year - it seems it's tougher to find the time to record with 2 children. I didn't really expect that. When Rowan was born, it seemed to drive my creativity. In fact the first Harts Horn record came out right after her birth (the alien looking baby on the cover is her at a week old). I think that a second child seems to have upped the exhaustion level profoundly. This is not always a bad thing. Most of the best music I have ever made has been in the middle of the night in an altered state brought on only by fatigue....
There is, in fact, a new Harts Horn album on the horizon. This one is going to be called Minuten and consists of 29 one minute songs, fragments, noise events, etc. I'll post the cover and info as soon as it's available.
I have another rockish album in the works and a possible all night noise recording session planned. I may get 4 albums out this year yet. Anything is possible, and if you want it then it's even probable. Cheers.
Joe

Scalded Dog

2008-08-15T22:40:00.000-07:00

Scalded Dog will be playing at Manifesto on Main St, Niles, MI Aug 22. This is sort of a jazz fusion, free form, jamming, spacey band that I play drums for once in a while. Bill, our piano player, is living in New York so we don't play out unless he comes to town. If you think a 20 minute extrapolation on the X-Files theme sounds good to listen to... then this band is for you.
Joe

Harts Horn live

2008-08-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

Here is my live set from our Boston trip in May. It is available streaming or for download for all interested parties. Please forgive my rocky vocals for the first half - Had some trouble hearing myself with all the reverb in that church + we were having to put my whole mixer through Debbie's guitar amp (thank you Debbie, you rule). Paul Angelosanto of Astro Al guests on Jettisoned. Cheers.

Joe

sand, stars

2008-07-30T15:55:00.001-07:00

Went to the beach today with my wife, mominlaw, and my 2 kids. This is my first time to the beach this summer and I have to say that the beach is more fun when you have children. I used to go there only as an acceptable excuse to read all day. Even then, after an hour I'd be walking up to the local coffee shop. In many ways, having children makes things that once bored you, fun again. Rowan and I walked all the way out on the pier and climbed the lighthouse tower. Things mean more now.

I recorded a new song the other night called "Starlit Roses". It's piano based which is a bit different for me, and it also incorporates a 4 stringed Dutch "Wilkommen" door chime that Dani found for me at a garage sale. This song is like a weird crossbreeding of The Grateful Dead, Psychic TV, and The Youngbloods in my mind but actually no one else would pick up on those influences but me. I'm not sure where this tune will land since the next Harts Horn album is all written with not a lot of room for new tracks. The next album (after Minuten) will be called On The Loose and I'm going to begin tracking soon. I suppose I should do a general music update for this year so that you all will know what's out there. Next time, though. Cheers.
Joe

the grotesque

2008-07-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

A couple grotesque lunchtime images for you. I generally like to take my lunch break in the park across the river from where I work. It's a minute's walk and anyway, the Heavenly Brew and my 25 cent refill is right en route to the footbridge. Only trouble is there are vicious squirrels about as well as some rather assertive geese. These animals are used to sharing... I try not to be too ritualistic in terms of sitting in the same spot daily so this time I made a break for a swinging bench near the river to eat and read. I was wondering why no one had taken it since there were lots of folks about and the benches and picnic tables can become sort of coveted. Well I soon found out. Right in front of the bench, on the ground, was a freshly beheaded goose. Bloody with flies, but almost sort of hollowed out looking. It reminded me of a 7th grade coil pot with feathers. It also made me think of the Holmes story with the jewel inside. I thought it was wierd because the head was missing. The meaty part was left, so I guess you could say it must have been for sport? I know if I were homeless I'd be trying to kill and cook one of those. They're everywhere.
After that I figured I better start carrying a camera with me, but I didn't. I was lazy, and it's already hard enough to balance my bag, and a book, with those dripping coffee cups.
A couple days later I was on a sidewalk moving toward the bridge to cross into the park, when I saw something tiny that was glistening in the sunlight. It was a mouse stomach. I only knew it was a mouse because its head was laid out perfectly next to it. No body. I guess this was the work of some feline artisan. The whole thing had the look of a meticulously thought out still life. Perhaps he'd be returning to sketch it.
A day later I found 3 swatstikas carved in a stone nearby. Probably no connection...
Eventually, I'll begin carrying a camera, and then who knows - you may find a headless goose adorning the top of this blog. It's not that I'm drawn to the gruesome. I've never been a fan of splatter culture. But I am drawn to the grotesque, that surreal mix of beauty and repulsion that makes you glad to be a live on your lunch break on an average day.
Joe

My actual life is interfering with my virtual life.

2008-07-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

With the difficulties I've had keeping up with my Myspace, Facebook, and Soundclick pages, I have stunned even myself by creating this blog page. This is either another much needed outlet for my bottomless fountain of enthusiasm, or a symptom of mental illness. I've heard there's a thin line.

It's hard for me to believe August is right around the bend and that after that we'll be rolling into Autumn. Soon I'll be feeling the brittle crunch of crystals in the 7 am parking lot. I need to go camping. My thoughts have been filled with house taxes and home schooling. Dad woes, of a sort. Still, it's been a good year.

The new Harts Horn album is in post production stages. It's called Minuten and features 35 one minute songs and noise events. More news on that to follow.So this blog, I guess will have music updates since it's the only thing I never get tired of talking about, but it will also have some more personal updates for the family and friends that I don't usually put out there on my other pages. A bit scattered, but that's good for me. Cheers.

Joe