IN THE MEANTIME.....

(Helmet reference? Yes.)

Mammal has a great new tape out on Ides Recordings, a C60 called Distant Days. It features 12 years worth of previously unreleased demos, outtakes, live stuff, etc, but for an odds 'n' sods cassette collection this thing is really just about as good as his 2007 double-LP magnum opus Lonesome Drifter. A lot of it seems like a sketchbook for that album, with those same bleak distorto-bass/drum-machine vibes cast in an even starker instrumental light, and some cuts are newer demos for the follow-up (ADR 101, to be titled Lago, I'm really looking forward to it). It can be a surprisingly mellow tape too, and even when it comes to older tracks, he seems to have selected only the most minimalist and psychedelic stuff. (None of the 'rave era' beats some of you may remember circa 2001... I can understand if he wants to leave that stuff behind but "Fog Face" from the Fog Walkers LP will always be a fave around here...) Anyway, I've been putting this on every night since I got it. Go order it from Ides and get some other stuff too, it's a really good cassette label.

Another odds & sods compilation has come our way from Load Records, this one featuring the one and only Harry Pussy, called You'll Never Play This Town Again. If you're reading this I probably don't have to tell you TOO much about them, but just in case you missed the 1990s, well, they were from Miami, Adris Hoyos is (was) a holy terror on drums and vocals but so is (was) Bill Orcutt on guitar and they are (were) a blistering impossible Beefheart/Yoko/No Wave/HC take-no-prisoners noise-rock attack that released some 7-inches and a short blast of a 12" on Siltbreeze, all of which and more is compiled on that label's crucial What Was Music? CD. This new one on Load cleans up most of their other releases, stuff like "the long out of print self released tour 12", the Cherry Smash live 10", Live at Salon Zwerge 12", Pelt & Frosty split 7"s & the De Stijl 7"s..." Some of this stuff seems to be compiled with deletions and additions - carrying on the tradition of the What Was Music? CD, the tracklisting isn't clear on the sources, but either way, all the tracks were recorded in 1997 when they were at the top of their game, playing as a red-hot gtr/gtr/drums trio. I saw 'em live in 1996 (on tour with Charalambides and Shadow Ring!) and I can recall some of the songs here specifically from that show... a lot of short blasts but there's this one very memorable track called "Mandolin" where they shift gears and play these slow gnarly tangled free-floating guitar tone clusters over Hoyos's inimitable spread-out sprawl-drumming.... it's the sole track on the one-sided Salon Zwerge record (originally released by Blackbean & Placenta) and appears three other times on here as well. But there's lots more to dig into here, heavy stuff all around, a fine disc for the fan or the newcomer.

AND NOW ON THE INTERNET:

Check out Tony Rettman's interview with Joe Carducci over at Swingset Magazine online, Part 1 and Part 2.

Interview with the late Quorthon of Bathory. As the dust continues to settle I really do find them to be one of the greatest metal bands of the last 25 years.

Say what you will about the CIA/UFO opening and the cheezy embedded sound, but I like this interpretation of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Nicole Panter has some old photos (and big skies) on her Flickr page...

Bill Cosby portraits from Life Magazine, as tipped by WFMU's Beware of the Blog....

Man, I haven't watched Letterman in awhile but I am digging these Lyle the Intern youtubes! His first appearance is a stone classic and this one is pretty good too... "Best thing to happen on Dave since Chris Elliott"....."omfg LMFFFFAO!!!!!!!! Lyle should be Ben's son on Lost"......"I'm seriously feeling Lyle's walk"....