Unholy Medicine

Kurt Vile - Live @ the DNA Fest

2010-08-11T05:03:00.000-07:00

Live solo set by Kurt Vile recorded at the Velvet Lounge during the 2009 DNA Fest in Washington DC. Having released the classic lp 'Constant Hitmaker' in 2008 Mr. Vile was signed to Matador for the following years 'Childish Prodigy' and the recent 'Square Shells' ep. He also strums strings with The War On Drugs and can be heard honking a nifty horn for Blues Control. Enjoy:

Kurt Vile - Live @ the DNA Fest

01 - Limited Capacity
02 - See It Now
03 - My Best Friends
04 - Take Your Time
05 - Take A Breather
06 - Don't Get Cute
07 - Classic Rock in Spring
08 - It's Alright

Medicinal Mix Tape Vol.5 - Acid Reign

2010-08-11T04:33:00.000-07:00

Mixtape installment number 4 is now available for download, featuring the usual plethora of styles from shoegazing black metal to teepee psych and beyond. Follow the link to retreive your prescribed doseage of aural enlightenment:

Medicinal Mix Tape Vol.5 - Acid Reign

01 - Intro
02 - Wolves in the Throne Room - Dea Artio
03 - Ghost - Hazy Paradise
04 - Sun Dial - Plains of Nazca
05 - Boris - Farewell
06 - Tells - Both The Eyes Open
07 - Brightblack Morning Light - Everybody Daylight
08 - Pontiak - The Endless Plain Of Fortune
09 - White Heaven - Mandrax Town
10 - Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound - The Chocolate Maiden's Misty Summer Morning
11 - Picastro - Dakar Relay
12 - Ai Aso - KA MI TSU RE NO O O KI NA MI ZU TA MA RI
13 - Beach House - Gila
14 - the Warlocks - So Paranoid
15 - Michio Kurihara - Do Deep-Sea Fish Dream of Electric Moles?
16 - James Jackson Toth - The Dome
17 - Black Mountain - Faulty Times
18 - Jex Thoth - Equinox Suite
19 - Grails - Acid Rain

A Quiet Pint

2010-03-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

A Quiet Pint

‘You worry aboot the legal part; let me worry aboot the illegal part.’ ‘Right?’ he laughed as he clapped his stubby fingers together.

We’d only gone in for a quick one on the way home from the shop after seeing Uwe through the window of the pub looking bored behind the bar. We got a couple of drinks in and then both nipped outside for a smoke. This guy, about mid-50s, pretty short, smart dressed but undeniably sleazy said ‘alright pal’ and once I responded, that was his chance.

‘Come on now, see that, that’s nothin!’ He crumpled up the plastic bag before I could get a look inside. He leaned in to my shoulder to whisper, but his voice was still just as loud, ‘ye should see whit ah’ve got back at the flat, loads ay stuff, jeans, shirts, an no all boy’s stuff, lassie’s claes tae – dead nice stuff n all. I can go an get yis mair if ye want, nae bother? Ye want new claes don’t yis, ah can tell, an ah dinnae mean ye look like ye need them, ken? Yir obviously a gorgeous lassie, nae offence pal, but she is, right, an ye need tae make the maist ay yir good looks, I can tell yis are baith deid intae fashion eh. If yis dae a bit ay work we me, right, yis’ll be walkin doon the street lookin like a million dollars! Ha-hey! 10 minutes work, and ye can get a hale new ootfit!’

He’d started off trying to sell us some nicked stuff when we were out smoking. He had his samples in a Co-op bag, some make-up; lipsticks, mascara, pretty decent stuff by the look of it and a couple of lass’s vest-tops. After we’d shown a bit of interest, we got the full force of the sales banter. Sophie eventually bought a few bits of make-up and a top for a fiver, if anything just to get him to leave us alone when we got back in to the pub. He was fairly pissed, and was telling us there was easy money to be made if we were keen.

‘What’s the problem like, eh, ye jist take the stuff back, ye dinnae get caught takin stuff ‘back’ tae the shop, only takin it oot, an that’s no your concern, aye? Ken whit ah mean?’

‘All yis do, right, go up to the counter, say yiv got some claes to return, and yiv only got a receipt fir wan o it, right? Who’s gonnae say no tae a couple ay innocent wee souls like yersels eh? Aye, and you… you always go up tae a lassie, and you, you always go up tae a boy, right? Boys go up tae lassies; lassies; guys, right? It’s a sexual thing ken, that’s a big pairt ay it, cannae leave nae stane left unturned, in the metaphysical sense if yis understand. Dead into the whole psychological aspect me.’

‘Well, yeah that sounds interesting’ I said, trying to sound non-committal and ignore his eye contact, but unable to resist a laugh at his enthusiasm.

‘Interesting? Aye! That’s whit I like, a thinkin man, only ye cannae think too long on it eh no, cos I’ve got jobs goin right noo! No next week, no the week eftir, right noo ken? Bang, bang, bang, ha ha!’

He took a gulp of his lager and looked over at his pal in the corner who was starting to look bored. Me and Sophie were looking over at him when our friend swivelled back round.

‘Dinnae worry aboot him, he’s no intae aa this. It’s jist me, you, and you. He’s no a thinking man like wirsells eh?!’

He struck a pose with his chin resting on his clenched fist.

‘Hey Davie, wha’s this?’

‘Brucie Bonus! Way-heyy, The main man!’

‘Huh, see whit I mean? He doesnae even ken it was off that painting by that Italian boy. No a man ay the arts, a man ay culture, like ourselves over here, right? No a thinking man by any stretch.’

‘See me, I’m jist oot for a quiet pint, but I’m eyewis spotted an opportunity, thinking outside ma box ken. But I see them everywhere, an in ma book, I’d be a fool no tae take them. Yous can see them too though, no? An I can tell yir nae fool either. A thinking man, that’s what I like tae see!!’ He spluttered and wheezed, but still managed to continue before I could get a word in.

‘Got to be on the ball at all times in this game. Jist like that Lionel Richie. No! Fuck me! Lionel Messi, that’s the boy! Ha ha, even the best can get caught oot, that’s why we’ve got tae work as a team, right?’ he said, slapping us both on knee.

‘Us thinking men need to stick together right, we’re few and far between, but if we work together, they’ll be rich rewards my young friend! The spoils of the marketplace will be oors to divvy up as we see fit, and that’s whit it comes doon tae, pal, right? Do ye want the freedom tae take whit ye want? Can you handle it?’

He lowered his voice.

‘Cos it’s there tae take, if ye want it.’

‘See, I’m what you call an operative in the ‘free’ market. There’s nae taxes an nae border controls, if ye see what ah mean. Unrestricted business, that’s ma philosophy. That’s just the ‘most’ organised crime – business, capitalism’, wir aa criminals noo, doesnae actually maiter whit side ay the law yir actually oan, ken?’

‘So whit’s it tae be? Are ye in, or are ye oot?’

The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Pol Pots Pleasure Penthouse

2010-03-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

Early unreleased BJM rehearsal tape circa 1991(or there abouts). Featuring recordings of later classics 'Evergreen' and 'That Quiet Song' and an overall Cure/Chameleons vibe, as reflected in a couple of the song titles.

Pol Pots Pleasure Penthouse

1. Fingertips

2. E To G

3. Phone Song

4. Thoughts Of You Too

5. Chameleons

6. Evergreen

7. Fade

8. Space

9. Psychedelic Sunday

10. Jazzy Song

11. That Quiet Song

12. Only Trying To Help You

13. Don't Leave Me Here

14. Fade II

15. Memphis Sound

16. Remember Yesterday

17. Fade III

18. The Cure

19. Fade IV

20. The Cure II

21. Fade V

Medicinal Mix Tape Vol.4 - Spaceship Lullabies

2010-03-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

Finally mixtape number 4 has landed with a somewhat more sedate and nocturnal platter this time around. Sun Ra opens the affair with an exquisite interstellar doo-wop dreamscape, Dead Canaries interject midway thru with a spectral space-folk epic while My Morning Jacket wrap things up with some high lonesome Americana of the reverb bathed variety.

Medicinal Mix Tape Vol.4 - Spaceship Lullabies

01 - Sun Ra - Teenager's Letter Of Promises
02 - Baxter Dury - Oscar Brown
03 - Skip Spence - War in Peace
04 - Ai Aso - Te Te Tee
05 - August Born - Birds & Sun & Clay
06 - the Low Lows - Wolves Eat Dogs
07 - Lift to Experience - Down Came the Angels
08 - Dead Canaries - Thank My Stars
09 - the Mirrors - the Lonely Head
10 - MV & EE Medicine Show - Mine All Troubled Blues
11 - Dino Valente - Test
12 - Christina Carter - So Many Stars
13 - Jackie-O Motherfucker - Hey! Mr Sky
14 - Wooden Wand - Dread Effigy
15 - the Warlocks - Dreamless Days
16 - Boris - Yesterday Morning
17 - Slowdive - Rutti
18 - My Morning Jacket - One in the Same

Occupation: Dali

2009-09-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

Arthur Schlesinger Jr. - A Life in the 20th Century

2009-09-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

As one of the most prominent historians and general public intellectuals of the past century the late Arthur Schlesinger Jr. “lived through interesting times and had the good luck to know some interesting people.” These words, spoken by the man himself, are something of an understatement (check this wiki article for more info). In this audio recording he introduces the first volume of his personal memoirs, which are as much a chronicle of the century as they are a reflection on his own life. Covering the years up until 1950 he reflects on two world wars, the rise and fall of fascism and communism, the perseverance of democracy and offers more light-hearted and humorous observations about social trends of the era. Sadly he passed away before completing a second volume, though his sons did publish his journals from the same period. I’d highly recommend purchasing them along with the first volume of A Life in the 20^th Century. Anyway, enjoy the recording:

Arthur Schlesinger Jr. - A Life in the 20th Century

Medicinal Mix Tape Vol.3 - Yiddish Melodies In Swing

2009-09-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

Mix Tape Vol.3 has officially dropped. This latest installment, vastly superior to it's distinguished predecessors, offers a rich tapestry of rhythmic treats; blasting off with an epic funkadelic jamboree courtesy of Sunburned Hand of the Man, taking a mid-way trawl through the discoid dreamscapes of Yoshimi P-We's OOIOO, finishing up with an astral-psych behemoth from La Otracina and a pile of other equally frazzled audio artefacts sandwiched inbetween. Enjoy, or don't...but preferably do...whatever:

Medicinal Mix Tape Vol.3 - Yiddish Melodies in Swing

01 - Intro
02 - Sunburned Hand of the Man - Tent City Roller
03 - Cul De Sac - Far Off, The Fabulous Iron Serpent Whistles
04 - Cloudland Canyon - You & I
05 - the Stars - Subway (aka Night Walker)
06 - Circle - Andexiet
07 - Mother Spits - Track 4
08 - OOIOO - Ats
09 - Cerberus Shoal - The Ghosts Are Greedy (Coda)
10 - Wildildlife - Things Will Grow
11 - MV & EE with the Golden Road - Canned Happiness
12 - Abunai! - Time of the Funk-Lords
13 - Do Make Say Think - Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
14 - La Octriana - Ode to Amalthea

Wormsblood – ‘In the Stars’

2009-09-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

The question of influences is perhaps the most frequently discussed topic between musicians and journalists. I suppose it goes without saying that the best of artists dip into a deep and wide pool of enlightenment en route to their own unique vision. While it’s inevitable that as we grow older our tastes will diverge onto many new and different paths it’s sometimes worth going back to the point of entry to see where it all began: “Of course, I became a metalhead when I was a teenager, Metal is my first true love and it still runs very deeply in my veins.” Yep, metal has been the first and, in some cases, only true love for a great many young music fans and this particular quote comes from an interview Wormsblood mastermind Clay Ruby did a couple of years ago in the Sound Projector magazine.

Over a number of years Mr Ruby has been an immensely prolific experimental musician, exploring a number of different genres in numerous bands and projects; industrial electronics in Burial Hex, free-folk improv with Davenport and the Second Family Band, kraut-rock with Hintergedanken and boogie-drone with Zodiac Mountain to name a few. This is perhaps what makes Wormsblood so interesting as Ruby (here under the pseudonym Wyrdskull) and his mysterious crew of co-conspirators set out to filter their boyhood love of metal through these diverse strains of influence with the end result a vast aural underworld, one of the most distinctive black-metal records these well-worn ears have yet been exposed to. According to the accompanying press notes ‘In The Stars’ is a collection of recordings drawn from various recording sessions dating as far back as 2003 though you wouldn’t guess this from listening to it as the ominous cloak of atmosphere, apparent from the beginning, hangs heavy throughout.

Leading off side A of the LP Thundercall (intro) opens with some layered nocturnal field recordings of cricket calls and beyond the grave mumbles then abruptly segues into some familiar rapid-fire black-metal riffage accompanied by deep-throated vocal moans. A brief melodic bass part breaks the piece into a section of slower guitar chugs while the vocals rise to a dementedly shrill pitch. This would seem like standard fare if it weren’t shrouded in low-rent electro-FX and a treble-tweaked lo-fi production aesthetic. Additionally the typically relentless and hard-hitting precision drumming of so many metal albums is substituted here with a frantic clattering orchestra of cardboard-like percussion sounds. The Marriage (eclipse) offers a brief respite (of sorts) from the onslaught with a cavernous ritual of droning organ, solitary depth-charge drum blasts and deathsick howls. This track wouldn’t sound out of place soundtracking one of Kenneth Angers’ occult visions, Invocation of My Demon Brother indeed! Side A is then rounded off with an aptly ripped cover of Manilla Road’s Street Jammer.

Side B kicks off with the bands cathartic vocal incantations straddling some warped hardcore punk rhythms before fracturing off into another chopped-up black-metal symphony, the editing making it a little difficult to establish precisely where each track begins and ends. Following on from this section the band notches up the thrash elements of their sound a bit with noodling guitar riffs before taking a final dive-bomb into more ambient climates of analogue keyboard tones seasoned with field-recordings, some tribal drums and a somewhat ramshackle zombie choir.

Initially given a super-limited release on cd-r format, this album is now available on vinyl through the Aurora Borealis imprint in an edition of 333. Ah yes and I should probably mention the LP itself has been pressed on one of the most exquisite slabs of coloured vinyl I’ve ever laid my eyes upon, so grab fast or be forever damned!

http://www.myspace.com/wormsblood

http://www.aurora-b.com/

John Kennedy Toole - A Confederacy of Dunces

2009-07-11T06:31:00.000-07:00

Good day reader, if you enjoy a book but sometimes those pesky eyeballs just won't do as they're told you could always bypass the buggers and stuff that literature into your brain directly through your ears! Try an Audiobook today, and give your ears a rest from that dreadful music you bombard them with.

Part 1 of A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole is available below. Based around the exploits of Ignatius J. Reilly, N'Orleans resident and philosophical colossus, at least in his own mind. A man of both huge bulk and literary delusion, he still relies on his old Momma to see him right. Too intellectual to work but too lazy to get a job, Ignatius believes his historical and metaphysical musings will see him claim his reward, if only he could shape them coherently. The range of crazy characters he meets around 60s French New Orleans are often as colourful as Ignatius, and in the recorded book the narrator adds a lot of humour to the distinctive dialect of Nawlins and John Kennedy Toole's witty and satirical dialogue.

John Kennedy Toole - 'A Confederacy of Dunces'

Medicinal Mixtape Vol.2 - Gutter Ball

2009-06-12T13:57:00.001-07:00

Mixtape number two is now ready for aural consumption. Once again comments are welcomed and playlists are available on request. Anyone who found episode one to be a glorious waste of time will be delighted to hear that this latest intallment is somewhat different in style and content...so go on and lend an ear if you will:

Medicinal Mixtape Vol.2 - Gutter Ball

01 - Intro
02 - Smog - Held
03 - Quickspace - Standard 8
04 - Madam Robot & the Lust Brigade - Make it Happen
05 - Magik Markers - Volodor Dance
06 - Simply Saucer - Bullet Proof Nothing
07 - Royal Trux - Teeth
08 - Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice - Don't Love the Liar
09 - Brother JT3 - Naked
10 - Luna - Going Home
11 - Julian Cope - If You Loved Me At All
12 - Spindrift - Beauty
13 - Photon Band - Could it Be?
14 - the Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight
15 - Asteroid #4 - Here We Go
16 - First Communion Afterparty - Muse
17 - Sun City Girls - Radar 1941
18 - The Pastels - Worlds of Possibility
19 - Royal City - Bad Luck
20 - The Gun Club - Ghost on the Highway
21 - The Fall - Vixen
22 - Dead Moon - Fire in the Western World
23 - James Jackson Toth - The Park
24 - Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Death to Everyone

Farms in Trouble – ‘The Gas Station Soundtrack’

2009-06-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

“A kaleidoscopic patchwork of songscraps and fidelities from shimmering pop-folk psychedelia to clattering basement caveman rock…from Beefheart to the White Album to early Guided By Voices.”

The above quote is an extract from a zany press-release accompanying the debut full-length of the Milwaukee based Farms in Trouble and for once here is an album that makes such bold comparisons seem not only justified but almost an understatement. ‘The Gas Station Soundtrack’ does indeed have shades of Beefheart eccentricity, the broad stylistic range of the Beatles’ White Album and employs a lo-fi recording technique similar to Guided By Voices but more than that the band have a personality and charm all of their own. Though largely the work of song-writing duo Zach Pieper and Riles Walsh, the cover lists a total of nine players whose instrumental credits range from the traditional guitar, bass, drums etc. to ‘bike spokes’, ‘static’, ‘junk’ and curiously: ‘enthusiasm’.

By squeezing 27 tracks into a concise 42 minutes it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect the album to be overly fragmented and lacking in focus. Actually the opposite is true; the brief song lengths (longest 2:36, shortest a mere 22 seconds) allow the band to trim the fat while keeping all the flavour and though the disc hops from one genre to the next each new track seems perfectly sequenced to follow on from the last. With so many mini-masterpieces to choose from singling out favourites can prove a challenge. The band’s unique approach to recording and mixing means that repeated listens reveal new layers of detail, such as the droning organ chords of ‘Empty Arrows & Exit Signs’ and snippets of sampled dialogue that litter the cut-and-paste sound collage of ‘Guilty Science’. ‘Like a Needle in Heaven’ is about the most perfect piece of jangling sing-song pop I’ve heard in a long time, almost as good is ‘The Open Range’ whose upbeat rhythmic drumming will surely make it a live favourite. The aforementioned ‘bike spokes’ make their appearance on ‘Stick Man Bugs Out’ which sounds a little like some of Beck’s early lo-fi experiments. Further hints of Beck show up in the retro keyboards and hip-hop beats of ‘Many Boss Levels’. Pieper and Walsh’s quirky sense of humour is apparent throughout many of the lyrics and song titles like ‘Tigerlilly Pillowfighter’. The humour can also be tinged with darkness as in the ghostly guitar strums and lonely lament of ‘No Free Rides’. The quality remains consistently high right through to the end; penultimate track ‘Pleasure Dome’ is one of the best with driving drum beats, snaking guitar noodles and sighing vocal harmonies while the final ‘Auto-Biography’ is a brief and bittersweet voice and keyboard closer. These 10 songs along with 17 others make this probably the best album I had the good fortune to discover in 2008. Current edition is in cd-r format and limited to 200 copies.

On a side note ‘The Gas Station Soundtrack’ was released through ‘Activities Recordings’, a Milwaukee based collective of like-minded musicians. Most members of Farms in Trouble also play in a number of other bands under this banner and the 25 track ‘Activities Compilation Vol.1’ is a great (and, at $5, cheap) way to sample their considerable talents.

http://www.myspace.com/farmsintrouble

Sun Araw - 'Beach Head'

2009-06-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

Simply gazing at the tropical surrealist cover-art of this latest release from Sun Araw gives a fair indication of the blissed-out musical escapism contained within the vinyl grooves. This is the solo work of Magic Lantern guitarist Cameron Stallones and acts as a more mellow counter-point to the circular psych-rock jams of that band. Following on from the previous ‘Boat Trip’ 12”, this new LP offers four new experiments in Stallones’ patented ‘coconut-dub’.

Thoughts are Bells begins Side A with rattling percussion and jungle field recordings. Slowly building into a black haze of sound, this creates the feeling of drifting down a narrow river darkened by surrounding trees. Eventually fading to a lone tambura drone then, as though emerging from the dark of the river into a sun-drenched lake, the track picks up something resembling a rhythm and is quickly draped in warm fuzzy keyboard melodies and jangling guitars leading to a gradual fade out. This thread is picked up by the following Horse Steppin’, which opens with elastic bass plucks and steady beat. This time the keyboard and guitar are accompanied by melodic vocal chants, suggesting we’ve now crossed the lake and come upon a welcoming tribal village. The recurring dub influence is most apparent on this track, making it perhaps the most accessible on the album.

Soft acoustic guitar strums open Beams, the first track of Side B and my favourite overall. Echoing vocals and distant guitar feedback soon enter followed by a looping bass-line. All this creates an atmosphere reminiscent of Spacemen 3’s opium-blues mantras or maybe Sunburned Hand of the Man at their most rhythmic, then as the bass and percussion grow louder and the funk elements of the track more pronounced it feels as though night has fallen and the tribe is engaged in ritual ceremony. Bridal Filly, the fourth and final epic of this set, ends the trip on yet another high note. The sun has now risen again above the village and a lone tribesman stands atop an overlooking hill. The shamanic vocal chants are pushed skyward by overlapping waves of distorted drone that grow bigger and bigger as more layers of instrumentation are added. Largely leaving rhythm behind and focusing more on pure sound, this track closes the LP with a nice dreamy comedown.

As is probably clear at this point, four soundscapes are hugely evocative and a great antidote to the these dreary winter months. While a more talented writer than myself could likely convey more vividly the evocative qualities of the music on this album, hopefully this review will draw some interest. Now available on Not Not Fun records in a limited edition of 420 copies, grab one quick before they’re all gone.

http://notnotfun.com/

Medicinal Mixtape Vol.1 - the Petrified Forest

2009-06-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

Greetings one and all. New blog, debut post. Unholy Medicine will be updated at random intervals with music reviews, mixtapes and other occasional treats. Comments welcomed and if anyone's interested in contributing get in touch and we might just get back to you.

Follow the below link to download the first mixtape installment:

Medicinal Mixtape Vol.1 - the Petrified Forest

01 - Intro
02 - the Gris Gris - Everytime
03 - the Myrrors - Burning Circles in the Sky
04 - C.A. Quintet - Cold Spider
05 - Arzachel - Garden of Earthly Delights
06 - Tiffany Shade - An Older Man
07 - Simply Saucer - Nazi Apocalypse
08 - MV & EE with the Golden Road - Colaed Out
09 - White Heaven - Strange Bedfellow
10 - Superfine Dandelion - Bring Em' On In
11 - Circus Maximus - People's Games
12 - the Group Image - Banana Split
13 - Creation of Sunlight - Second Thoughts
14 - the Human Beast - Circle of the Night
15 - Lilys - Accepting Applications at Univeristy
16 - Druids of Stonehenge - Forgot to Begot
17 - Faine Jade - Look at Me
18 - the Light - Tell Me, Tell Me
19 - St. John Green - St. John Green
20 - the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - If You Want This Love
21 - Madam Robot & the Lust Brigade - the Village