*sigh* Guess I'll have to add a whole lot of stuff to my already overlong listening list. I hate you. Thanks.

Let me know if anything shines or especially stinks to you.

Preciate your interest.

Over half of your list is already known to me.
Tried to check the rest out but pretty hurriedly.
Can already say that I'm gonna love A New Kind of Water by Jessica Ackerley, 我們從明天來 / We Come From Tomorrow by Melting Bridge 融化橋, The Gratitude Principle by The Cosmic Range, Scattered Memories by Saba Alizadeh, konoha by obijuan x philanthrope, Slavic Spirits by EABS.

Music is so frustratingly awesome these days.

It really is. Purple Mountains is supposed to be on my list somewhere but it got lost in my head. It’s going to be somewhere near Raw Honey.

https://i.postimg.cc/YCG4XCpS/E471-C...-B157-E517.jpg
Wiki lists this as a roots record but I’ve always thought of it as dub. It’s among the greatest albums ever recorded any genre period. It’s deeply connected to island life and is thematically related to themes you find in the arts from Hawaii to Japan. A connection to the sea and an isolated stretch of land that reaches above it. It’s the sound of soil enriched with the nutrients of fish guts. It’s a protest against hunger and all the other indignities and sufferings. It’s the sound of perseverance and love and justice. It’s a beautiful empowering record.

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG...er=allrovi.com

Stian Westerhus
Pitch Black Star Spangled

PBSS is a slow paced avant garde solo electric guitar record released in 2010 on Rune Grammofon. I can’t say for sure but I think the title is a nod to Hendrix and a comment on this soulless void we call America. Or perhaps it’s a nod to Starless and Bible Black or both or all three. It’s also the frozen sound of empty nothingness of outer space.

I know it’s a super cold winter for many of you now that we’ve broken the polar vortex. Today was around 45 here and an intense thunderstorm rolled in which is rare when it’s that cool. The point is, PBSS is cold weather music. The colder it gets the more important it becomes to listen to this record.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...-_Fandango.jpg

Fandango! by ZZ Top

Side A is live. The first track is from memorial stadium in Austin where the Longhorns still play. The introduction with the 80,000 plus fans starting to roar and the MC saying, “Get ready for ZZ Top. Ladies and gentlemen, the fantastic ZZ Top!” is one of my favorite live album non-musical moments up there with Ted Nugent’s intro into Hibernation on Double Live Gonzo and Cheap Trick’s “This is the first song on our new album” and slightly under (ok maybe way under) The MC5’s “Brothers and sisters!!!” and Public Enemy’s “Everybody who loves the queen be quiet!”

The live tracks include covers by Elvis, Willie Dixon, and John Lee Hooker.

The first lyrics implore everyone to get high and then later this interlude takes place

He thinks he’s real bad
He thinks he’s badder than Shaft, Superfly, James Bond and Kung Fu
All put together tonight.
But I got news for him
They don’t call me the Texas homewrecker and Heartbreaker for nothing.

Got to mellow down (Repeat over and over)
If you wanna blow your top.

Well, I might not have no top to blow
Then you better blow what you got baby

I got this album shortly after it came out so I think I was around 8 years old maybe older, maybe 10 I’m not sure. But I had this routine where I did the same act and dance moves and recited the lyrics and changed spots for each line and I used to act that out like it was Georgia Championship Wrestling and I used to pretend it was my teachers fighting.

Side B has six studio tracks. All under five minutes and 4 of the tracks clocking in under three minutes. It’s white boy electric blues but very brilliantly they never overstay their welcome. It’s all meat and no filler. Personally I love every track but Heard It on the X and Tush are the classic fan favorites. The guitar riffs all through both sides of this album are a furious blast.

This album has been with me my entire life and I still love it.

https://deangranrosartbunkerrecordin...-a-past-future

First off, this guy is a damn fine jazz guitarist but on this recording he’s playing a Moog "Grandmother" semi modular analog synth. The title appears to me to be a homage to the futuristic electroacoustic music of the late fifties and 1960’s. Free jazz has clearly seen a resurgence, even shockingly rivaling the original masters. If such a thing is happening with electroacoustic music either it’s a part of something that has redefined itself artistically or I simply haven’t heard it. Granros is revisiting the unordered unpatterned unpredictable nature of the electroacoustic giants. Frankly, it’s a very tall order and this is a bold and successful attempt. Since these things are almost never appreciated this will probably just be out there for us very few who take an interest.

4/5

This is a genre that’s really holding up well with me. You never really know what the artists are thinking especially with this stuff but I find the music here to be very sincere interpretations of the genres that are melted. Also, non-abrasive genuinely experimental avant-grade music is something we need more of even if it’s within an agreed upon consensus that’s up around a decade old. The props given to DJ Screw probably impress me the most. It’s such a strange way to reinterpret such comforting sounds and it’s incredibly effective. I still find this stuff fantastically surreal. This particular recording has a lot of abrupt stops and changes that remind me of the canyons of GBV.

4/5

It would be out of character for me not to mention that she’s beautiful so there’s that. Usually I shun attaching narrative like meaning to instrumental works but here perhaps the album and song titles provide enough guidance.

Branching Low And Spreading 6:28
Strongly Leaning, With Irregular Crown 6:44
Unlike More Slender And Graceful 5:20
Long, Pendulous 6:30
Rough Above With Uneven Base 9:00
Persists Into Winter

Plantlife is a given obvs but it seems to reach out further. Plant sentience perhaps. The organism as an allegory for social structures. Or you know just songs about a plant. Probably one she waters herself.

This is great avant-garde experimental music. Field recordings, the beautiful and sorely under untilized French Horn. It’s great.

5/5

I’m going to share a travel story.

During a lot of my time in college I worked two part time jobs. I was a janitor in the morning and a dishwasher at night. One summer, the university was still open but I wasn’t taking any classes so I upped my restaurant hours. Toward the end of summer I had enough extra money to buy something or go somewhere so I decided to go to London.

I had a friend who went there and he told me about a youth hostel. I called information in England and got their number, called them, made a reservation and got directions from a specific stop on the tube. For some reason I thought it was funny that an automated voice with an English accent said, “The number you require is...”.

I can’t remember what airport I arrived at but the train ride to get to the underground was pretty long. I enjoyed looking out the window. Some old man tried to talk to me but I didn’t want to talk or seem rude either. I had this go-to gesture back then of putting a peace sign over my heart that was meant to be friendly - I didn’t know back then that a backhanded peace sign was the British bird. It didn’t get me in any trouble.

My underground line was a big loop. It was just one stop but after one stop I realized I was going the wrong way. Instead of switching off I decided to just ride through the entire loop which took over an hour I think. Then when I put my ticket through it beeped. I started to explain what I had done but the cop or subway worker or whoever it was just waved me through.

The desk at the hostel praised me for having so little luggage. I had a couple change of clothes and a walkman, some cassettes, and toiletries. Just a small bag. They joked about how much **** most Americans bring.

Right away in the hostel, I met a beautiful college girl from the midwest and we hit it off. We even slept together in the same single bed that first night. She told me right away that she had been raped and asked if we could just sleep in our clothes and if I would hold her. I was so honored she wanted to do that.

It turned out she was on some kind of exchange deal where she already had a flat arranged and she offered me to stay with her for free. That night she asked if I would masturbate in front of her so she could watch. I went to the end of the bed and started up a very well-known routine and she took her shirt off. After that night we feel into a pattern of soft kisses and above the waist caresses. It never went any further.

Some of the shows we saw were The Pixies at Brixton Academy, Half Man Half Biscuit at a punk venue, and Flux of Pink Indians at a matinee show in a bar. At the Flux show a punk rock girl tore the pocket off my shirt and punched me in the jaw.

One time my temporary girlfriend and I climbed over a fence to sneak into a park that was closed for the night. Some passing drivers saw us and honked their horns and shouted cheers of approval from their windows. We just sat in the park and talked though.

On the flight home an engine blew out and we had to return to London. They had me set up for the next flight but I was scared to get back on because when that engine blew out it was scary and the landing was real bumpy. So I got really ****ing drunk during the wait. The next flight was uneventful.

Oh there was one thing that happened in the airport. Security asked me about my trip and where I stayed and I said I stayed with a woman I met. Then they asked where I got my walkman and I said my girlfriend gave it to me. I meant my American girlfriend like a year ago but they thought I met a woman who planted a potential explosive on me. A long flight without my own music was becoming a very real possibility but in the end they let me keep it.

That was my first trip overseas.

I should’ve read more on this. It’s actually a reissue from 1985

Anyway... this is so ****ing top tier

Good to know. I loves throwin' the deuces.

Incredible album. Timeless.
Thanks!

https://i.postimg.cc/k5TvV343/ECD17-...9-F1-F5811.jpg

https://chubbywolf.bandcamp.com/album/ornitheology

Ornitheology

This is music specifically designed for people whose life opened up a certain way. Her death, the album cover, who can say why I’ve stopped to listen to it when it pops up on Spotify so many times. Chubby Wolf. There she is. Ambient that could almost be meaningless and unspectacular but instead there it is like a tiny thread in a giant void expressing your sorrow and your pain for you. Great art. And unlike other genres it’s so hard to understand why this soars or even maybe orbits is the word while similar attempts can barely swim. This is music that takes you by the hand and deserves to float or orbit in our descendants’ consciousness.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...5_Kamikaze.jpg

Teenage recruits for Japanese Kamikaze suicide pilots in May 1945

https://i.postimg.cc/s2gnwV8g/5-C7-E...E9-AE7-DBB.png

https://elan.school

https://i.postimg.cc/VLWqzfgV/AE7-FA...D776-B22-A.jpg

Hero

https://williamdelano.bandcamp.com/album/vibrating-air

Originally released in 83 Vibrating Air is timeless unassailable and should be a well-known drone classic. It focuses relentlessly on singular tones with various swells of sound swirling in the mix. More stripped and less forgiving than Klaus Schulze this falls somewhere between KS and La Monte Young.

Absolutely a must listen for innerspaceboy.

https://www.subradar.no/album/natash...tt/trade-winds

Cool af unassailable electroacoustic music centered around the sounds of the sea and spoken word. Ros probably knows why I’m wrong but I hear Stockhausen all over this. This being a 21C piece however as expected it has more directional focus as is usually the case with rebuilding on what the giants so brilliantly deconstructed. This is a blast to listen to. I love when the sound of water is used effectively in music and this is right up there with the best of best.

This album is a forgotten gem of Pioneering free jazz improv punk rock fusion. Even though Greg Ginn is Greg Ginn I still think he’s a seriously underrated guitarist, especially by jazz fans. The instrumental tracks on the seemingly almost forgotten Black Flag’s Family Man attest to the brilliance of Ginn’s improv chops. Joe Baiza who more so than Greg Ginn bridges the gap between punk rock and free jazz is great. If you’re at all partial to this type of music his discography is essential. This is music that was highly influenced by Ornette and weed and probably most importantly 1980’s LSD. Somebody has to come to this record’s defense. It’s under appreciated because it doesn’t pay deference to punk or jazz. It’s irreverent music but the spirit and talent shine through. Some day this will be universally heralded as a cult classic masterpiece and you can tell all your friends you heard it here first.

“1.What is it made of, or its material cause?
2.What is its structure, or its formal cause?
3.How did it get started, or what is its efficient cause?
4.What is its purpose, or its final, or telic, cause?”

- Aristotle’s Big Four Questions

https://keithfullertonwhitman.bandca...album/epithets

1.What is it made of, or its material cause?

Epithets (2015) is a 12-channel, 44 minute electronic work released on cassette and digital stream.

2.What is its structure, or its formal cause?

Electroacoustic music in the tradition of the early pioneers of the 1950’s - 1960’s.

3.How did it get started, or what is its efficient cause?

Tony Myatt & Oli Larkin's "The Morning Line;" a 53-channel hybrid sculpture / Acousmatic space currently installed in front of ZKM in Karlsruhe, Germany.


4.What is its purpose, or its final, or telic, cause?”

An objection to dreadful events taking place under social anesthesia. To disrupt routines and to get people unyoked from their habits of mass media long enough to question what’s going on.

Going through PJJ’s discography is something FF is supposed to be doing. This one is available track by track thanks to a kindhearted youtuber.

It’s PJJ with these French dudes in a session in Paris ‘69. They’re trying to go cool and modal and even have a cellist soloing, which is the most engaging part of the record, but PJJ just keeps playing bop like he doesn’t give two ****s what they’re up to. At the time, it was probably pretty off putting to the typical jazz fan but in our post-modern minds it works pretty ****ing well.

Time for another Freak Fighter interview!

This time with the beloved Exo!

Exo, is it true you own a record store? If the word “own” exaggerates your position at the shop what are the exact deets?

I use the term "run a record store" because I don't have any ownership in anything.

Basically the owner opened a bookstore with a small record section. I found the store early and was a frequent shopper and noticed the record prices were either too high or in many cases too low. I offered my assistance to help price the records and long story short just never left and became the only "employee" the store has.

I control everything record related with the store and since he opened, the store has basically flip flopped into a record store with a book section which is fine because it saved the business. The owner, who is basically my partner/best friend now so I don't have that "authority" figure telling me what to do and when to do it. It's actually why we work so well together. He hates telling people what to do and I work very well by myself. So I basically built the record store aspect myself.

The store is a product of the both of us, but I pretty much manage and control the record aspect. I price, buy, and organize every record in the shop.

Having done so much for the well-being of the business don’t you feel like you deserve at least partial ownership in a legal sense? Things can change. Friendships can sour. Are you confident that your sweat equity is securely invested?

I don't want ownership at the moment. I'm perfectly happy with my salary which allows me to live in a nice ass neighborhood down the road from Stephen Colbert and Patrick Wilson while still being able to put money into savings and recently buy a new car outright.

Our building is a 100 year old former train station. That sh*t is expensive to fix. The roof is going and that sh*t will cost a fortune. I'm glad I don't have to foot any of the bills for taxes and repairs and all that. If I'm going to own a shop one day, it'd be my own. Partnership gets dicey when it's part ownership. Right now we're just business partners in the sense that we run the business together and he trusts me. Like a first mate to the captain of the ship. Except I can boss him around because we're very close.

He's a very interesting person. Gets upset at nothing. Has a sense of humor. Knows his limitations. Dude worked catering for years while hoarding books, dvds, records, cds, and vintage equipment. Doesn't know how to run a store properly. Likes that I do the dirty work. Gives me plenty of say in everything. It's a good relationship.

I spent almost all my disposable income on records and CDs until the internet made it possible for me to listen to what I want for free or a nominal fee. I’m never going to buy another record again. I actually remember record store cashiers looking at me with a sort of pity like for a heroin junkie. The loss of consumers like me brought down Tower Records and all the chains. In my mind it’s like you’re selling ice to Eskimos. How different do you think your typical customer is compared to my day? How do think not having people like me around has changed record store culture?

I have two types of customers...

- People who have always collected records and will never stop. Key word is collecting. Like baseball cards or comics. I fall into this category.

- People who are caught up in the fad or reliving old days. This includes kids who think it's cool to be into vintage stuff and older people who got rid of their old collection and want to start over again.

The only thing that has changed is you no longer have to buy a physical copy of something to hear it. You can listen on the internet for free for mostly anything. However, the idea of records being a collectible item and not just a way to ingest new music is the new norm.

My desire to find a first pressing of Coltrane's Blue Train is the same desire that as somebody looking for the first issue of Superman.

What are some of the impediments people face when trying to turn a profit by buying and selling online?

Is a first pressing of Blue Train worth 14 million dollars?

First thing is to understand that just because a record is old doesn't mean something is valuable. The most common records I turn away are from the 50's. Common records are not "valuable" due to obvious reasons of just being abundant. Selling online has pitfalls. Listing fees, Paypal fees, and the ever frustrating relationship with the post office make online selling less ideal than selling in a store but it can turn a good profit. Discogs has started to usurp eBay in terms of the go to marketplace but I use it mostly for it's incredible database features.

Depending on condition, $200-$1000

Then it's not quite the same is it?

I didn't say they were the same value wise to be fair, only that people seek out the originals.

I promise you 99.99999999% of comic book collectors are not seeking to buy an original copy of Superman #1. That'd be excessive even if you won the lottery.

That's why it's so cheap. Nobody wants it.

How about Record Store Day? How’s that worked out for you in the past and what do you think about the plan to spread it out over 3 or 4 separated dates because of covid?

Okay, so my Superman example wasn't the best. I didn't know how expensive that-----SHUT THE F*CK UP. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

Yes, I know that comic books are more valuable than music.