Friends

So the last series was really self-centered, but this whole time it was all with the intention of putting out a collection of songs by my friends.  Most of the are the fascinating characters mentioned in my previous articles.  I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by geniuses my whole life, most of them musicians, and many of them collaborators.  Though some may be over or under-represented in this set, I tried not to have any favorites, I merely wanted all the major projects represented.  Alameda and Basking Ridge probably make up the majority of the lot, but people I know from college (the bridge to all, I suppose) and LA are in there too.  Now for the long explanation int eh only order that makes any sense:  Alphabetical...

Colin O'Brien-Lux is a Maryland-bred performance artist in Los Angeles who has been active in many communities in the city and is perhaps best-known for his Winter 2012 clown show Everybody Nose Nothing Means Anything And I'm Very Worried, which unfortunately coincided with Super River's debut.  Not to discuss my own band too much, but the connection is a major one as Jesse Johnstone did the engineering on the EP Angel Will You Marry Me? from which both these tracks are taken and played drums on one song.  Other drums were played by Miles Marsico and bass came from Andrew Lewis, who played in Skin Rat.  Last I know he was performing as Grandma in a very atmospheric and intimate way that should not be missed.  "Scarf" is one of the most powerful tracks I have heard in a while.

The Darflers is a project led by Alex "Flash Gilmore" Hatatsis that has also featured fromer Funbeatles/Sunfighter Marty Skeels and local legend (and portrayer of Nagatoku in "Gundam Driver") Chris Arnold.  The band had an emphasis on power-pop with green musician Halatsis skillfully pulling off both bass and vocals.  Not much has been heard since, but Halatsis is now in a band with Big/Ewox member Alyssa Polizzi before her move to LA.  "Best Boy" comes from the Spencer's Girl EP, and "Another Lonely Girl" is a demo with lyrics penned by yours truly.  One of my two appearances in this set.

Flash Gilmore & the Funbeatles was Alameda's greatest band, band certainly the greatest live act of 2012.  With firm roots in The Comfy Men, they were comprised of frontman Flash Gilmore, drummer Jerry Ramone, bassist Mick James and guitarists Hazel James and The Glove.  Their uniformed and choreographed shows were a rare spectacle featuring both phenomenal originals and classic covers.  They released the record Debauchery Playground, named after their closing track - the first composed for the project shortly before disbanding in late Spring of 2011.  Unfortunately, the album was recorded months before and the band's playing and songs had improved much in that time, but that's only an issue if you were lucky enough to witness these later shows.  It still stands as one of the best rock records of its time and "The Top" and "Here It Comes" are hardly enough to hear by this unbelievable combo.

Kidz was a project led by Sam Deutsch (who will be explained in more detail shortly) with a collaborator named Mike.  "Move Yo' Body" is a fantastic piece of 90s dance music that shows just how much the artist who cut his teeth in Hurtu/the Shears/Love Athena can do.

The Last Nights was the brief reunification of Funbeatles Alex Halatsis, Paul Igaz, and Arran Rogerson who made a worthy (even by their standards) debut with an improvised set in May 2012.  Before the Hawaii exodus they played a few shows and recorded Dig This from which these two tracks come.  "Dany James" is about the inspirational Oakland artist.  Sadly other classic tracks "Virtual Tibet" and "Guided by C-Mac" remain unrecorded to my knowledge.

Love Warrior was a solo project from Arran Rogerson after the disbanding of the Funbeatles and recorded the album DMZ, a power-pop album mostly about masturbation.

Also from Alameda is One Tribe, the project of Hawaii native Tony O'Toole.  A spiritual figure in the Alameda scene, Tony was the subject of one of the Funbeatles' earliest songs and has been catalyst to much musical growth (in both directions) with most of the Alameda musicians.  Music For My Friends was an ambitious project for him, but turned out to be a success.  It is the source of the atmospheric instrumental "John" and the cover of "30 Century Man," with guest vocals from Alex Halatsis.  "What a Strange Day" is a demo I rather like as well.

pow wow! is the project of Basking Ridge originals Jeff and Eddie Nazareno with roots going back arguably about ten years, or 26, depending on the perspective.  Last year they released the refreshing Don't Stop To Look with a five-member lineup providing big arrangements, tons of hooks, and beautiful harmonies.  The first two tracks are here, but the whole thing is about as good.  The band has had varying levels of notoriety throughout it its career, and their album, one of the finest of 2012 still needs its due.  Unfortunately their future is a bit uncertain, but there is no doubt its members will go onto creating more great music.

Sunfighter is the primary band of former Funbeatles Arran and Sam Rogerson.  They both play guitar and sing and split songwriting duties.  Sweet Machine was another great and overlooked album of 2012 full of catchy guitar rock that evokes all the best stuff and is quite creative in its songcraft.  They toured the West Coast last summer with rhythm section Fed Martinez (drummer in Rogerson's past groups Life on Mars? and others) and Eamon O'Conner, playing with Super River in two instances.  Here are two of my favorites from that record.

SWade is the former alias of Sam Deutsch, one of the most talented and unpredictable artists I know in any regard.  That made selecting tracks from him very difficult.  He can write great classic pop songs, experimental pieces, piano ballads and just about everything in between.  Lately his focus has been on Dark R&B, though with plenty of breaks in between.  He is currently using the name 50 Grand Sam and working on an EP, but just released the song "Hollywood" yesterday which you can purchase on iTunes, and I implore that you do.  These two are different though - "Could This Mean Space?" is an experimental synth pop that is as edgy as it is catchy, and "A Best Friend's Love" is a funny folk-rock demo.  Just two of my favorites among a whole lot.

Volcano Divers is Liam Carroll, from Liberty Corner, not Basking Ridge if you can believe that.  First appearing in this blog as Batwolf's butler Dr. Alphonzo Vengeance (yes, we had a doctor for a Butler), he has recorded a lot of noise-pop in this form and here are a couple of my faves.

Will Stratton is another old friend from Basking Ridge.  His real name is Will Lulofs and he was a member of Batwolf, the Tangles, and previously Time Well Spent.  He is recovering from Testicular Cancer and planning to return u-time to New York in October.   There will will be more about that in an upcoming article.  Last Friday was his benefit show, featuring a closing performance by the man himself in accompaniment of the BENEFIT ALBUM which I will also discuss in more detail.  Having the most professional career of all (four albums released on real labels) it was also hard to choose material from him, especially considering how much of it has Basking Ridge references.  However I chose one from his first, another from his second, and a demo of the title track for the next.  I am sure it will change a lot before the album is released, but I like this version.  I also used to like the demo version of "You're a Real Thing" more, but that has changed.

As mentioned before, Zero the Astronaut is Alex Adler's solo project after Ways ceased to be.  With so much material he started narrowing it down and went into the studio to record a debut single of "Solitude" and "Misery City."  He played all the instruments except the bass on "Solitude" which, not surprisingly was me.  The songs show both his sides - heavy and complex and soft and stoney, but both have a great deal of raw emotion.  Adler is an excellent songwriter who is firmly in the tradition of the best American rock of the 80s and 90s who has a lot of potential, particularly in his ability to not fear the obvious.

DOWNLOAD: THE BEST OF FRIENDS

I hope you enjoy all these tracks and artists as much as I do.

Roots, Part 6: (Winding) Ways

Alex Adler, George McTernan, C-Mac

There was another barren period, this time also lasting about three years, but it was perhaps even more barren and a lot of it had to do with not even having an instrument with me when I moved to LA in June of 2009.  That changed slightly over a year later when my family visited.  I needed the thing back no matter what, but it was heightened by the possibility of the Funbeatles losing a member.  Luckily for everyone other than me that never happened.  The bass was useful when I moved to Alameda at the end of 2010, though, but I would not be in a proper band until the following Spring when I returned to LA.

That band was Ways, also known as Winding Ways and sometimes The Ways.  It was led by my college friend Alex Adler who had amassed a large quantity of songs, ideas, and titles, all of which impressed me, such as "Inner Moon," "Alive In Well," "(Oh) Family," "Ocean Vision" and many more.  Just looking forward to playing again, we began and all too quickly found drummer and recent transplant from New England George McTernan.

We began weekly sessions at Echo Park's ultra-hip rehearsal space Bedrock (where less than a year later Super River would be) and got to work on this wide body of songs.   Some of the first were "Zero The Astronaut," "On Pleasure Pier," "Discipline" and "Vice/Versa."  The band's influences were mostly of the 80s and 90s rock type like grunge, shoegaze, and American Underground, though with some space-rock in there too.  Some more specific inspirations were the Wipers, Meat Puppets, and Bobb Trimble, with Adler's dominant guitar style evoking a lot of John Frusciante, Curt Kirkwood, and Trimble.  Those four early songs were recorded in early May by Paul Igaz in his legendary basement with him on drums.  I unfortunately do not have these demos at the moment which is tragic as they may be the best recordings and Igaz' drum style is quite different from McTernan's which offers a very different interpretation of these songs.

Brady Nelson played with us a few times on synth, but we were unsure how needed that was and schedules were not ideal.  Through that Summer we kept playing and our setlist grew and grew into an exciting little show.  That show was finally put on display at the embarrassing Highland Park venue Mr. T's Bowl with current Los Angeles buzz band Spaceships and a "punk" band called Dog Teeth or something, who I guess has a cassette or something.  I found them unpleasant, but Spaceships was great.  We got that show through their bassist Schuyler Stone, also of Benefit Friends (who departed that November for New York) who also, through them got Super River a nice show at Silver Lake Lounge a year later.  It went well for the most part, other than my amp being a bit too loud and my mic being way too loud as the sound guy was not expecting my screams on "Pheonix" which on a good night like that were pretty ear-piercing.

We recorded nearly every rehearsal to varying success.  The vocals were often far too low.  We used some kind of good machine I've seen before, but an iPhone probably would have worked better as it did for Super River.  There were also some really great videos made with the help of Adler's room mate Hee-Jae Park, but those have been taken down.  These are probably the rawest recordings I will share.  Not our best performances nor best sound quality and I think I may even be out of tune on "Vice/Versa," but this is the best I have of the band in its original form.

"Misery City" is probably the most pop-oriented song, with a dark beachy vibe.  Keeping with the nautical theme, common in Adler's work is the ballad "On Pleasure Pier," which was always a lot of fun to play, even at its slower tempo.  "Phoenix" was maybe our heaviest songs and definitely the heaviest here.  It has a rare complexity and was more complicated than most, which made it a lot of fun to play, in addition to the screams.  "Vice/Versa" is another emotional rocker, one where it's hard to find a point of reference, though.

The first song we did together "Zero The Astronaut," is obviously pretty spacy and at its best was a hypnotic piece that we would jam on for a while live despite its radical shifts.  Also a lot of fun on bass.  "Discipine" was a loud fast punk track, sort of like a stiffer Wipers.  "Greener Paper" was also fun and one of our shortest songs that always reminded me of Nirvana for some reason, though I really can't hear it.

The band folded in late 2011 as Adler and McTernan's inability to agree on drum parts worsened and the early days of Super River made me unable to focus on any other projects - I even wrote a song partially inspired by this, also included here.  It is one of the few Super River tracks with me on lead vocals.

I think all these songs have a lot of potential and just needed some fine-tuned dynamics to be classics.  Luckily, Adler has stuck with most of them on his own as Zero the Astronaut - available here.  So far he has recorded "Misery City" and "Solitude" which I have also included.  I was lucky enough to lend my bass to "Solitude," though to see it live, and on the old video was ideal with vocal harmonies provided by George and me.  It was truly something exciting and I have a lot to look forward to from Alex Adler.

THE ORIGINAL WAYS +related

Next:  The lost bands, the future, and the best of friends.

New Hope on Earth

Well, I just got back from another show at 5011 in Mid-City. A week and a half I went to see my friend Benefit Friends, but had to leave before he played. However it was still a good time thanks to Tubby Boots and the San Francisco band that preceded them. That band sounded like Ratatat with the guitarist from Tortoise if that rings any bells.

Tonight was an even better show, though. The first band - Furcast was amazing. They were like an epic goth-inspired Black Moth Super Rainbow... but no, that would be playing them off as a little bit more derivative, but shit, they were really great. Corridor may have been even better. Merely a heavily-affected acoustic guitar and drummer they had a very full sound.

Both bands I genuinely liked and fully endorse. I am sure they all have myspaces, but I don't really keep up with that kind of thing. Either way I think despite Jay Reatard's death we have a lot to look forward to again.

The Heavenly Touch of the Synthesizer

After seeing their album and hearing their name so much I was assuming that Black Moth Super Rainbow was just like Animal Collective at their worst (at a time when I was "washing my hands" of them). I finally gave them a chance and was pleasantly proven wrong and they became a part of my every day life for a few weeks last summer. What is so amazing about them is that they are the first band since the synth-pop explosion to really show the beauty of the synthesizer. By the time of BMSR's breakthrough, their primary instrument had become much-maligned as a music machine with no depth and nothing but artificiality. We all know that the instrument of Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, and Dane Conover could never be such a thing! Where AIR had made the analog synth hip and pretty, this group from Pittsburgh reminded everyone just why Walter (at the time) Carlos' Switched On works were so popular. BMSR shows just why these great tools were invented- to eliminate all restrictions of live music creation, and through their dedication to vintage instruments proves just how much the likes of Robert Moog succeded. This is a brilliant and transcendent record that comes as much from the woods of Western Pennsylvania, as it does from the blissed-out mind of a modern music geek. Great for almost any occasion.


Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum (2007)

Tomorrow You Could Start Anew

The first time I heard "Confusion is Nothing New" - the first real song on this album I listened to it about 70 times in in a row. I am not even sure how I managed to procure it on my dying low-tech 2004 computer, but something in it really spoke to me.

This is some very Los Angeles music. The band's name comes from an intersection here (I've heard, though I used to think it was a play on the Zombies song), and there sound is full of good vibrations and the local tradition (check out the Forever Changes-esque album art), mainly that of Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Additionally, their sound owes a debt to previous California cowboys Camper Van Beethoven. The band's silence and eventual and very recent official demise was jsut another reason for the shortage of good music in this decade. This album, though does leave them with a pretty strong legacy. This is perfect psychedelic country rock, and perhaps even more than Gilded Palace of Sin lives up to Parsons' title of "Cosmic American Music." The perfect laid-back Saturday afternoon in the sun sound complete with alternating Western lap steel and trippy organ. The indie kid vocals could be tedious to some, but they are delivered with an alarming amount of sincerity for the sound and at times even excel. Inaddition to the aforementioned track other standouts include the harmonica melody of "The Hustler," the blissed-out "The Sun Surrounds Me," and the successfully romanitc Sade (!?) cover "By Your Side." This is the ultimate soundtrack to a bike cruise along the Pacific Coast, or a day spent folicking in Griffith Park, or even just floating in a broken-into Beverly Hills pool blazed. Enjoy.


Beachwood Sparks - Once We Were Trees (2001)

Just Need A Future That's Possibly Bright

Well, first things first: A few words for MJ. As we all know by now Michael Jackson died today. Regardless what you may think of him he gave the world some great music and there never has been, and even less likely, will be a performer like him. His relatively young death, I suppose, an end as tragic as his last decade and a half. Let us remember him for all the joy he brought us. ...and don't forget that Farrah Fawcett died as well.

One of Jackon's most devoted followers...

...is tonight's topic once again as his music and words motivates me along this tedious journey to L.A. on which I have embarked (this being written in a motel in Iowa near Omaha).

As many know, Ariel Pink has more music than has been re-released and widely distributed, originally making CD-Rs which were eventually composited into his "proper" albums. This is one of the best examples as its title was re-used with maybe about half of the tracks with ones from its original companion FF>> and others added. Unfortuantely, many of the best tracks were omitted, including Pink's theme song "Beverly Kills (Freaks with the Golden Heirs)," the epic "Express, Confess, Cover-Up," and our namesake "I Wanna Be Young," whcih was eventually included on Oddities Sodomies, vol. 1. Some of the more familiar numbers from the widely avalable version are absent, but still this is the better version, as FF>> is essential as well. One of the greatest tragedies of the widely-avalable version is the absence of some covers including a rendition of ideol R. Stevie Moore's "Shedon'tknowwhattodowithherself" (no spaces in Pink's version) and Strawberry Alarm Clock's "Birds in My Tree." This album is ever more proof that Ariel Pink is a more consisten artist than the more pompous critics would admit, and this oroginal version is essential for any fan of Pink's, particularly one who can absorb his more eccentric work.

I did, however, include "Politely Declined," which takes it's place as the other track 5 - it is not on FF>>.


Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Scared Famous (Original CD-R Version)

Please Make Me Feel The Beat, You're the One That Drives Me Wild

While I did not take this picture, I could have.

The story with Gary Wilson is that he is from Endicott, NY and released the album You Think You Really Know Me, recorded in his parents' basement in 1977. It was a bizarre, smooth set of outsider music all about unrequited love. Unrequited love to the degree of almost stalking. It is cool though, Wilson comes from a tradition of sleazy lounge music as seen in such titles as "Groovy Girls Make Love At The Beach" and "6.4 = Makeout." After 1980, though he kind of disappeared whilst the album made huge impacts on the likes of the PNW underground and Beck, whose "Where It's At" not only name drops Wilson but shows a clear influence from him. In the early part of this decade Wilson resurfaced as there was a desire to re-issue his first album. He was working in an adult cinema and performing in a lounge band in San Diego. Then he started recording again.

This album picks off where he left off 27 years earlier, which is particularly depending on which album you hear first. Really, the only change here is the addition of his sped-up voice as the alter-ego. Here are more songs from the stalker's point of view even including some of the same characters as in the first album. In this regard some of the best tracks are "Linda Wants To Be Alone," "Gary's In The Park," and "Gary Saw Linda Last Night" - both of which are some of the most exciting parts of his show. Both tracks also come from Wilson's uniquely Endicott voice, namedropping the local geography also heard in "Newark Valley" and the instrumental tribute "She Makes Me Think of Endicott." As creepy as it can get at times, this is a fun set of loungey outsider pop.

Wislon still performs lounge music on the side and it seems like his live band may be the same. When I saw them last summer many members looked very old, as in older then Wislon himself (he is in his mid 50s) - a telltale sign of a lounge band. Still, those guys were a lot more fun, original, and rock 'n' roll than any under-30 band I have seen.


Gary Wilson - Mary Had Brown Hair (2004)

This is Why They Call Him "Loverboy"

As promised, here is a hard-to-find Ariel Pink release, and overall one of my favorites of his - Loverboy, in the last moment I can listen to his music for about 24 hours (as I do follow that vital rule of rock.

This album is perhaps his most electronic and has some of his most catchy and unique moments. Really, this is a great step two with Pink, preferably after House Arrest (the two were actually packaged together int he original self-release). The title track is a catchy little number, his cover of R. Stevie Moore's "Hobbies Galore" bests the original, "So Glad" is a perfect cheesy 80s ballad with an intro that tops Alphaville's "Forever Young", and "New Trumpets of Time" is completely unlike any other Ariel Pink track you'll ever hear.

As intimidating as some of his albums not released by Paw Tracks can be, this one is quite pleasant and I think great surpasses his widely released Scared Famous. This is a perfect find for anyone looking for more Pink.


Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Lover Boy (2003)

Mr. Los Angeles' Worn Copy

In light of the big show at T.T. the Bear's Place Wednesday night I though I would put up some Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti for the uninitiated. Most Likely there will be some more tomorrow, but for now I'm putting up one of his more available albums jsut because... I'd put it ont he web already... tomorrow most likely Lover Boy.

Worn Copy, though his second release on Paw Tracks was actually his last recorded album to be released. Though it is not his most solid, IMO, it has some of his strongest work I have heard so far and has his best use of long song structures, which in earlier work can get tiresome. In addition to songwriting and arrangement his playing is tighter, but the true star is the lyrical content on this album which ranges from the frighteningly relevant and foreboding "Trepanated Earth," "Artifact," and "Credit" to a look on Pink's distinctly Los Angeles persona in "Life in L.A." and "Jules Lost His Jewels."

Overall his sound is pure L.A. - a unique blend of all of that city's diverse musical history: Sunset Strip Hippiedom, Yacht Rock, L.A. Punk, Deathrock, Paisley Underground, and Hair metal are all well represented in his Lo-Fi sound. Outsider musicians like R. Stevie Moore (with whom Pink has collaborated) and Bobb Trimble are also unmistakable influences.



















Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Worn Copy

Are you Gonna Look After My Boys?

exactly why I love Ariel Pink.

Directed by Nick Fensler who you may remember for his re-mixed GI Joe PSAs backin 2004.