I have a new band as I mentioned before> Spring Break 82. The link will take you to the MySpace page which as of now might feature a couple of other songs than this one.
The members are Jordan Myers-g,bv, Pat Barousse-b,bv Brian Heath-d and myself-g,v. It is going well and we’ve been writing a lot of songs together and apart.
These are some demos we’ve been working on. We’re in the process of doing full on studio versions of these.
Some photos from our second gig:
It’s been a long time since I took a stroll, rock and roll, etc.
I have been immersing myself in making new noise. Hopefully soon there will be stuff to post.
I am currently enjoying working with a new band consisting of Pat Barousse, Jordan Myers, Brian Heath and myself. I am playing guitar, singing and writing some songs with the guys. So far it is going very well and we have about 8 songs already in various larval and finished stages. No band name yet. ‘Poncho’ was mentioned earlier. John Hintz would probably offer up the band name ‘Side’, which we thought was the worst band name ever!
In other bright and crispy news, The Exploding Madonna reformed after a year and a half and has been trying to bust out of its dormant state. Good things happening with that and possibly a new record coming up. Maybe some shows too, but it’s tentative at best right now and we’re just thankful to be back together and enjoying music and each other.
Newsboy Legion worked on some new tunes back in September/October, but they are incomplete. It will probably take another session to wrap it up, but the stuff turned out a little more like “Jimmy Don’t Like That” then the electronic stuff.
It’s pretty raw and ragged as we shook the cob webs off.
Icon Mine disbanded for now with no plans for the future anytime soon. I would like to thank James and Larry for allowing me to participate in their music.
Trying to pull Canard and the Magnetic Band out of the ether. No firm plans, but the reunion show at the Legion Hall was kicking back in September.
That’s all for now… thanks!
Maybe new music posted here soon!
I recently spent time in Rome, Ga with Kelly working on some new Newsboy Legion stuff and breaking in his new studio gear. Before I left, I found these tracks which were designed to be on the second ‘Twilight of the Puppets’ concept piece.
Puppet Pieces this features various pieces and songs in on mp3.
In the early 90’s, I developed a fixation with Lee Perry’s production. His murky, weed clouded efforts were a soothing balm to my psychotic state. I unearthed this disturbing track which sums up everything that was wrong with my being during those years. A sample from a prog rock group, a sample from Jerry Butler and lots of screaming sounds like the wizard ghost being sucked into Satan’s canyon of despair. Enjoy.
I found this practice tape from around ‘92-’93 of Ultraboy. The sound quality is abysmal, so be forwarned. the impression I got from this was a young and giddy Mike Coleman. I constantly laugh at every idea I have or anybody else’s for that matter. I am somewhat annoying with my wheezing guffaws, but man I sure was enthusiastic. We all were! Kelly Shane shows us some mad drumming skills. The meshing of these bizarre styles and personalities is something to behold. What that something is. We’ll never put the finger on, but it feels right! Johnny is in the ether as usual!
Bouquet of Bacon was our attempt to contextualize a story we heard from a drunken member of a local Tallahassee metal band. We wanted it to sound like Molly Hatchet and it kind of does, until the weird little jazz breaks. The short story is some guys were at a party and these two people paired off to go make sweet metal love. While the humping was going full throttle, these other guys burst into the room and started whipping them with fists full of raw bacon. Hence “Bouquet of Bacon” was born.
Star Spangled Boner had lyrics that we pieced together from a bunch of televangelist rantings that Kelly transcribed.
Baby’s on Fire is a Brian Eno cover given the Ultraboy treatment. I believe there is a studio version of this elsewhere on the site. This is the raw, beefed out version.
Chinese Steak is also somewhere else on the site in studio form. Here is a practice version in No-D.
Here’s where we discuss disturbing the audience. I am not proud of this.
A typical practice discussion involving Foghat. I talk about the incredible vocal/guitar interplay of Peverett and Co. The other guys go along with my tendencies.
Even Red Ryder is not spared.Lunatic Fringe. Oddly enough, this obsession continued like 13 years never happened into one of the new Ultraboy songs posted earlier.
Tupelo Honkey is what you get when a band has no new song ideas.
It only took a year to mix down and post, but due to school I ran out of time. Last summer, Kelly and Chris met here in Tallahassee to have a mini-reunion of Ultraboy. Our expectations were low as we had not played together in about 12 years. Chris in particular had given up playing music and has instead concentrated on being a professor and a daddy. However, he took it seriously and spent a lot of time getting his chops back enough to rock it one more time. We got together at the Exploding Madonna’s practice space and hashed out a couple of songs over some malt liquor. We then turned around and recorded them the next day in my studio. Things went so smoothly that we quickly wrote and recorded three extra tunes there on the spot. I hope that you enjoy them as we had an absolute blast getting back together. I think if you were familiar with Ultraboy in the past, you will agree that the chemistry is still intact. 211 Steel reserve!!! I give you:
ULTRABOY-RIDE THE FANTASY PICKLE e.p.
Make sure to make yourself a cd cover!
In light of my graduating college I thought it was high time for a post. It’s been a while.
On Sept. 1, I will be partying down with Canard, Icon Mine, Apocalypse Now! and possibly an early, early Spoons reunion between Chris, Pat and myself. To celebrate…twisted lo-fi jams over 20 years old.
In no real order
Wilderness- Vessel States www.jagjaguwar.com
These dudes make anthems for aliens. Their lead singer sounds like he’s undergoing a metamorphosis or some kind of rebirth. I like them. They’re pretty atmospheric, all guitar arpeggios and wide open space. It just sounds strangely majestic and tiny at the same time. I recommend! It’s an aquired taste and a lot of people prefer their first record, but this one is my fave.
Comets on Fire- Avatar www.subpop.com
Noone is making the freak out music like these guys. Great sounds of psychedelic passion with withering guitar and spazzed out drumming.
Mastodon- Blood Mountain www.mastodonrocks.com
Best current metal band. These guys did not compromise wih their signing to a major. i know some indie fuckheads will disagree, but they can go listen to their “hard to find albums pressed on Norwegian black Metal ham sandwiches”. Heavy, prog-ish in parts. It’s on relapse/reprise! Did Sinatra’s ghost sign these guys?
Band of Horses- Everything All the Time www.subpop.com
Never has a band that on first listen sounded so derivative had such a lasting impact on me. This record is beautiful and the singer/guitarist has a pretty great voice and “awwww, shucks I’m on ecstacy” stage presence and banter. We saw them at Pitchfork Fest in Chicago. Our friends hated them and compared them to Journey. That should tell you about the sound mix out there and by the way, the guy that MC’s that festival was a cheeseball. These guys get compared to My Morning Jacket a lot because of the reverb activity. I agree they share some aesthetics in their sound.
Espers- II www.dragcity.com
This folk-rock band expanded its line up to include a drummer and some more instruments. They’re kind of on the Pentangle tip, but at the end of one of their freeze dried, trance inducing drone sessions, they remind me of the end of “Epitaph” off of King Crimson’s first lp. That is a huge compliment coming from me as I worship Robert Fripp’s delay module and vintage mellotron. Great musicianship all around. This is a bliss out type of jam. “Dead King” and “Moon Occults the Sun” are my favorite.
Oneida- Happy New Year www.jagjaguwar.com
These guys from New York aren’t afraid to get down on the prog tip. They change stylistically from album to album.”Up with People” is a stilted funk-pop-a-roll jam about 8 minutes long. The title cut is pretty great too with its meandering synth. Jagjaguwar seems to be putting out my favorite stuff right now.
Decemberists-The Crane Wife www.decemberists.com
This is literate rock for nerds. There’s nothing wrong with this. Let your nerd-o flag fly. Pretty pop music that doesn’t insult your intelligence unless you’re stupid, in which you will not be able to comprehend its beauty. Try listening to Fall Out Boy instead you jerk-off.
Bright Black Morning Light- self titled www.thebrightblackmorninglight.com
This is some mellow shit. If I was a pot damaged goober, I’d love this. I’m not, but I still love it. Good late night or Sunday morning music. Drones for the drones.
Built to Spill- You in Reverse www.builttospill.com
The delay pedals! The haunting voice!
I haven’t really cared too much about these guys since ‘There’s Nothing Wrong with Love’, but I really liked this one a lot. You can shoot me now, but I didn’t say I disliked ‘Perfect..’ or ‘Keep it…’. Those records just didn’t move me as much.
Mew- And the Glass Handed Kites www.mewsite.com
Scandinavian dudes kick up some MBV-type noise on this album. I liked it quite a bit. Atmospheric rock with a guest vocal from that grey haired wizard J Mascis. The guitars sound hyper compressed and with weirdo twang on them. Nice vocals and some pretty interesting drumming/time changes. A little prog-ish.
Viva Voce- Get YR Blood Sucked Out www.vivavoce.com
Husband and wife team make some great rock and roll. Great songwriting, interesting structures and hot ass guitar playing. A home produced gem of a record.
Lemonheads- Lemonheads www.vagrant.com
Essentially, if you did not already know, Evan Dando is the Lemonheads. After a good, but overlooked solo album he has teamed up with the rhythm section of the Descendents and put together a solid album of pilled out sounding punk pop. The guy (Dando) has always been somewhat of a burn out, but I’m not sure he’s put out a really stinky album. ‘Come on Feel the Lemonheads’ was the closest due to his smoking crack rocks all through the sessions. Strangely it produced their slickest record! Bill Stevenson helps out with some songwriting and Dando benefits from his tight ass power drumming. It breaks no new ground and will be largely forgotten, but it is a worthwhile, humble effort. Stay off the needle.
Silkworm- Chokes www.silkworm.net
Anybody who knows me is aware of how much I love Silkworm. Most of them cannot understand it. They don’t dislike them, they just don’t see why they tower over a lot of bands in my opinion. I feel it is their lyrical complexity and maturity mixed with a powerful drummer and some great guitar/bass interplay. A band like Silkworm is so adept at using dynamics and space in their songs that it’s almost ridiculous. A lot of bands should stop playing all the fucking time and learn some restraint. Silkworm will rock the house down when they want to and if the song needs it. Unfortunately, Michael Dahlquist-drummer genius, was killed along with some other good folks when an asshole, waste of space plowed into their car in a failed suicide attempt. She survived while all three of them perished. Tim and Andy of Silkworm have carried on in Bottomless Pit and will hopefully relese something soon. They have some tracks streaming on their site ( www.bottomlesspit.us ) and they sound really great. The ‘Chokes’ ep is the last stuff Silkworm recorded and its awesome. Interestingly enough , there is no bass on the cd, Tim plays the “twanker” which is some kind of bass/baritone guitar type-o-thing. Don’t take my word for it though. You can order the ep direct through a link on the Silkworm site.
REISSUES
I generally send too much time and money on music I already own or have owned. Where’s the new shit that doesn’t suck?!?!?
here are some reissues from 2006 that I found to be…worthwhile.
Chavez- Better Days Will Haunt You www.matadorrecords.com
The complete recordings of Chavez, a great guitar based rock band that were active in the mid to late 90’s. Billy Corgan should be licking their balls.
Pavement- Wowee Zowee Sordid Sentinels edition www.matadorrecords.com
Pavement’s “difficult” album. This is the one where they dig hard on the prog tip. Great stuff. Lots of bonus shit on the extra disc. Would have liked more liner notes about the actual sessions.
Boobs: Junkshop Glam Discoteque
Brent gave me a copy of this glam collection of obscure 70’s rockers. Looks like Kim Fowley had his greasy fingers on most of these songs. “Motorboat” is a standout and they all sound like they were recorded in Marc Bolan’s gold lame trousers. Great fun for anybody that digs T. Rex, Sweet and Gary Glitter (prior to his child molesting exploits, of course!). Although this actually came out in 2005, I am making an exception for its greatness! Thanks Mr. Brence.
DUE TO CONCERN FOR METHUSELA’S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL BEING THE LINK HAS BEEN DISABLED! THOU SHALT NOT TEMPT THE LORD!
YOU WANTED THE BEST AND YOU GOT…. Methusela’s ‘Black Christmas’.
After much cajoling I have posted this atrocity as one long track. That is the only effective way for its greasy finger of foul despair to reach into your soul and fart happlessly on your psyche.
Recorded in one awe inspiring night of filth and drunkeness. Methusela’s ‘Black Christmas’ represents the yawning chasm of tastelessness that occurs when some dudes have too much time and beer on their hands.
Methusela-guitar, lead vocals, despair
Peabo Chocolunch-bass, vocals, mixing-editing
Curt Vile-drums, vocals, concept
Ben Dover- organ, vocals, memory
Eat the acid…Black Christmas (LINK DISABLED)
Keep in mind that some people find this hysterical, disturbing, stupid, pointless and gross. Much of the time all of these feelings combine into one sad sigh upon basking in the black hole glow of Methusela. Not for kids!
Contact: canard (at) canardmusic.com
