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dustedmagazine · 4 years ago

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Dusted Mid-Year Round-Up: Part 2, Dr. Pete Larson to Young Slo-Be

James Brandon Lewis

The mid-year exchange continues with the second half of the alphabet and another round of Dusted writers reviewing other people’s favorite records. Today’s selection runs the gamut from Afro-beat to hip hop to experimental music and includes some of this year’s best jazz records. Check out part one if you missed it yesterday.

Dr. Pete Larson and His Cytotoxic Nyatiti Band — Damballah (Dagoretti Records)

Damballah by Dr. Pete Larson and his Cytotoxic Nyatiti Band

Who Picked it? Mason Jones

Did we review it? No, but Jennifer Kelly said about his previous record, “It’s authentic not to some musicological conception of what nyatiti music should sound like, but to the instincts and proclivities of the musicians involved.”

Bryon Hayes’ take:

Judging from Jenny’s review, Dr. Pete Larson hasn’t really changed his modus operandi much since last year’s self-titled release. Well, he has appeared to have dropped vocalist Kat Steih and drummer Tom Hohman, who aren’t credited with an appearance on Damballah. Sonically, this album feels more polished than its predecessor. There’s a richness that was lacking before, a sense of clarity that Larson seems to have added here. He still hypnotizes with his nyatiti but doesn’t lose himself behind the other players. That sense of mesmerizing repetition of short passages on the resonant lute-like instrument is what sets the music of the Cytotoxic Nyatiti Band apart from other rock groups who play in the psychedelic vein. It’s easy to get lost in the intricate plucking patterns as the guitars and synths swirl about. The rhythms bounce cleverly against those created by the percussion, anchoring the songs to solid ground. Balancing the airy and the earthy, Dr. Peter Larson and His Cytotoxic Nyatiti Band create a cosmic commotion perfect for contemplation.

James Brandon Lewis / Red Lily Quintet — Jesup Wagon (TAO Forms)

Jesup Wagon by James Brandon Lewis / Red Lily Quintet

Who recommended it? Derek Taylor

Did we review it? Yes, Derek said, “’Fallen Flowers’ and ‘Seer’ contain sections of almost telepathic convergence, the former and the closing ‘Chemurgy’ culminating in Lewis’ spoken words inculcating the import of his subject.”

Tim Clarke’s take:

Tenor saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis demonstrates his control of the instrument in the opening moments of Jesup Wagon’s title track. Before his Red Lily Quintet bandmates join the fray, he alternates between hushed ululations and full-blooded honks, inviting the listener to lean in conspiratorially. Once the rest of the band fire up, cornet player Kirk Knuffke, bassist William Parker, cellist Chris Hoffman and drummer Chad Taylor lock into a loose, muscular shuffle. Their collective chemistry is immediately evident, and each player has the opportunity to shine across this diverse set’s 50-minute runtime. I’m particularly drawn to the rapid-fire rhythmic runs on “Lowlands of Sorrow,” the gorgeous cello on “Arachis,” and the spacious, mbira-laced “Seer.” There’s something about the mournful horn melody of the final piece, “Chemurgy,” that sends me back to first hearing Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman” — and, just like that, I’m excited about the prospect of exploring jazz again, for the first time in a long time. Great pick, Derek.

Roscoe Mitchell & Mike Reed — The Ritual And The Dance (Astral Spirits)

the Ritual and the Dance by Roscoe Mitchell & Mike Reed

Who recommended it? Derek Taylor

Did we review it? Yes, Derek wrote, “Roscoe Mitchell remains an improvisational force to be reckoned with.”

Andrew Forell’s take:

For 17-plus minutes, Roscoe Mitchell solos on his soprano with barely a pause, the rush of notes powered by circular breathing, as drummer Mike Reed’s controlled clatter counterpoints Mitchell’s exploration of his instrument’s range and tonal qualities in what sounds like a summation of his long career at the outer edge of jazz. It‘s an extraordinary beginning to this performance, recorded live in 2015. On first listen it sounds chaotic, but shapes emerge in Mitchell’s sound, and Reed’s combination of density and silence complements, punctuates and supports in equal measure. After an incisive solo workout from Reed combining clanging metal and rolling toms, Mitchell swaps to tenor and the pace changes. Longer, slower notes, a rougher, reed heavy tone and a lighter touch from Reed. Having not closely followed Mitchell’s work since his days in The Art Ensemble Of Chicago, this performance was a revelation and will have me searching back through his catalog.

The Notwist — Vertigo Days (Morr Music)

Vertigo Days by The Notwist

Who recommended it? Tim Clarke

Did we review it? Yes, Tim said, “The Notwist really know how to structure a front-to-back listening experience, and this is emphatically a work of art best appreciated as a whole.”

Arthur Krumins’ take:

In his review of Vertigo Days, Tim Clarke highlights the “multiple layers of drifting, shifting instrumentation.” It is an album that seems unbound by adherence to a set instrument lineup, and it moves quickly between moods both frenetic and contemplative. However, due to a careful mixing and an unforced approach to genre expectations, it is a surprising and varied listen that bears repeated scrutiny. The touchstones of the sound are at times the motorik beat of krautrock, at others the ethereal indie pop of their melodies and the quality of their singing. It feels like the perfect quirky coffee shop album, just out there enough to create a vibe, but tactful enough to take you along for the ride.

Dorothea Paas — Anything Can’t Happen (Telephone Explosion)

Anything Can't Happen by Dorothea Paas

Who picked it? Arthur Krumins.

Did we review it? No.

Eric McDowell’s take:

In one sense, it’s fair to say that Dorothea Paas’s debut album opens with a false start: A single note sounded and then retreated from, fingers sliding up and down the fretboard with the diffidence of a throat clearing. Yet what gesture could more perfectly introduce an album so marked by uncertainty, vulnerability, and naked self-assessment?

If Anything Can’t Happen is an open wound, it’s a wound Paas willingly opens: “I’m not lonely now / Doing all the things I want to and working on my mind / Sorting through old thoughts.” That doesn’t make the pain any less real — though it does make it more complex. “It’s so hard to trust again / When you can’t even trust yourself,” Paas sings on the utterly compelling title track, her gaze aiming both inward and outward. Elsewhere she admits: “I long for a body closer to mine / But I don’t want to seek, I just want to find.” Instrumentally, Paas and her bandmates manage to temper an inclination toward static brooding with propulsive forward motion, a balance that suits the difficult truth — or better yet, difficult truce — the album arrives at in the climactic “Frozen Window”: “How can I open to love again, like a plant searches for light through a frozen window? / Can I be loved, or is it all about control? / I will never know until I start again.” In the spirit of starting again, Anything Can’t Happen ends with a doubling down on the opening prelude, reprising and extending it — no false start to be found.

Dominic Pifarely Quartet — Nocturnes (Clean Feed)

Nocturnes by Dominique Pifarély Quartet

Who recommended it? Jason Bivins

Did we review it? No

Derek Taylor’s take:

Pifarely and I actually go way back in my listening life, specifically to Acoustic Quartet, an album the French violinist made for ECM as a co-leader with countryman clarinetist Louis Sclavis in 1994. Thirty-something at the time, his vehicle for that venture was an improvising chamber ensemble merging classical instrumentation and extended techniques with jazz and folk derived influences. The results, playful and often exhilaratingly acrobatic, benefited greatly from austere ECM house acoustics. Nearly three decades distant, Nocturnes is a different creature, delicate and darker hued in plumage and less enamored of melody, harmony and rhythm, at least along conventional measures. Drones and other textures are regular elements of the interplay between the leader’s strings, the piano of Antonin Rayon and the sparse braiding and shadings of bassist Bruno Chevillon and drummer Francois Merville. Duos also determine direction, particular on the series of titular miniatures that are as much about space as they are centered in sound. It’s delightful to get reacquainted after so much time apart.

The Reds Pinks & Purples — Uncommon Weather (Slumberland/Tough Love)

Uncommon Weather by The Reds, Pinks & Purples

Who picked it? Jennifer Kelly

Did we review it? Yes, Jennifer said, “Uncommon Weather is undoubtedly the best of the Reds, Pinks & Purples discs so far, an album that is damned near perfect without seeming to try very hard.”

Bill Meyer’s take:

Sometimes a record hits you where you live. Glenn Donaldson’s too polite to do you any harm, but he not only knows where you live, he knows your twin homes away from home, the record store and the club where you measure your night by how many bands’ sets separate you from last call. He knows the gushing merch-table mooches and the old crushes that casually bring the regulars down, and he also knows how to make records just like the ones that these folks have been listening to since they started making dubious choices. Uncommon Weather sounds like a deeply skilled recreation of early, less chops-heavy Bats, and if that description makes sense to you, so will this record.

claire rousay — A Softer Focus (American Dreams Records)

a softer focus by Claire Rousay

Who picked it? Bryon Hayes

Did we review it? Yes, Bryon Hayes wrote, “These field recordings of the mundane, when coupled with the radiance of the musical elements, are magical.”

Ian Mathers’ take:

In a weird way (because they are very different works from very different artists), A Softer Focus reminds me a bit of Robert Ashley’s Private Parts (The Album). Both feel like the products of deep focus and concentration but wear their rigor loosely, and both feel like beautifully futile attempts to capture or convey the rich messiness of human experience. But although there is a musicality to Private Parts, Ashley is almost obsessed by language and language acts, and even though the human voice is more present than ever in rousay’s work (not just sampled or field recorded, but outright albeit technologically smeared singing on a few tracks) it feels like it reaches to a place in that experience beyond words. The first few times I played it I had moments where I was no longer sure exactly what part of what I was hearing were coming from my speakers versus from outside my apartment, and as beautiful as the more conventional ambient/drone aspects of A Softer Focus are (including the cello and violin heard throughout), it’s that kind of intoxicating disorientation, of almost feeling like I’m experiencing someone else’s memory, that’s going to stay with me the longest.

M. Sage — The Wind Of Things (Geographic North)

The Wind of Things by M. Sage

Who recommended it? Bryon Hayes

Did we review it? No

Bill Meyer’s take:

Matthew Sage’s hybrid music gets labeled as ambient by default. Sure, it’s gentle enough to be ignorable, but Sage’s combination of ruminative acoustic playing (mostly piano and guitar, with occasional seasoning from reeds, violin, banjo, and percussion) and memory-laden field recordings feels so personal that it’s hard to believe he’d really be satisfied with anyone treating this stuff as background music. But that combination of the placid and the personal may also be The Wind of Things’ undoing since it’s a bit too airy and undemonstrative to make an impression.

Skee Mask — Pool (Ilian Tape)

ITLP09 Skee Mask - Pool by Skee Mask

Who picked it? Patrick Masterson

Did we review it? No

Robert Ham’s take:

Pool is an appropriate title for the new album by Munich electronic artist Bryan Müller. The record is huge and deep, with its 18 tracks clocking in at around 103 minutes. And Müller has pointedly only released the digital version of Pool through Bandcamp, adding it a little hurdle to fans who just want to pick and choose from its wares for their playlists. Dipping one’s toes in is an option, but the only way to truly appreciate the full effect is to dive on in.

Though Müller filled Pool up with around five years’ worth of material, the album plays like the result of great deliberation. It flows with the thoughtfulness and intention of an adventurous DJ set, with furious breakbeat explosions like “Breathing Method” making way for the languorous ambient track “Ozone” and the unbound “Rio Dub.” Then, without warning, the drum ‘n’ bass breaks kick in for a while.

The full album delights in those quick shifts into new genres or wild seemingly disparate sonic connections happening within the span of a single song. But again, these decisions don’t sound like they were made carelessly. Müller took some time with this one to get the track list just right. But if there is one thread that runs along the entirety of Pool, it is the air of joy that cuts through even its downcast moments. The splashing playfulness is refreshing and inviting.

Speaker Music — Soul-Making Theodicy (Planet Mu)

Soul-Making Theodicy by Speaker Music

Who picked it? Mason Jones

Did we review it? No

Robert Ham’s take:

The process by which DeForrest Brown Jr., the artist known as Speaker Music, created his latest EP sounds almost as exciting as the finished music. If I understand it correctly — and I’m not entirely sure that I do — he created rhythm tracks using haptic synths, a Push sequencer, and a MIDI keyboard, that he sent through Ableton and performed essentially a live set of abstract beats informed by free jazz, trap and marching band. Or as Brown calls them “stereophonic paintings.”

Whatever term you care to apply to these tracks and however they were made, the experience of listening to them is a dizzying one. A cosmic high that takes over the synapses and vibrates them until your vision becomes blurry and your word starts to smear together like fog on a windshield. Listening to this EP on headphones makes the experience more vertiginous if, like I did, you try to unearth the details and sounds buried within the centerpiece track “Rhythmatic Music For Speakers,” a 33-minute symphony of footwork stuttering and polyrhythms. Is that the sound of an audience responding to this sensory overload that I hear underneath it all? Or is that wishful imaginings coming from a mind hungry for the live music experience?

The Telescopes — Songs of Love And Revolution (Tapete)

Songs Of Love And Revolution by the telescopes

Who recommended it? Robert Ham

Did we review it? No.

Andrew Forell’s take:

Songs Of Love And Revolution glides along on murky subterranean rhythms that evoke Mo Tucker’s heartbeat toms backed with thick bowel-shaking bass lines. Somewhere in the murk Stephen Lawrie’s murmured vocals barely surface as he wrings squalls of noise from his guitar to create a dissonant turmoil to contrast the familiarity of what lies beneath. The effect is at once hypnotic and joltingly thrilling, similar to hearing Jesus And Mary Chain for the first time but played a at pace closer to Bedhead. A kind of slowcore shoegaze, its mystery enhanced by what seems deliberately monochrome production that forces and rewards close attention. When they really let go on “We See Magic And We Are Neutral, Unnecessary” it hits like The Birthday Party wrestling The Stooges. So yeah, pretty damn good.

Leon Vynehall — Rare, Forever (Ninja Tune)

Rare, Forever by LEON VYNEHALL

Who recommended it? Patrick Masterson

Did we review it? No.

Jason Bivins’ take:

I was amused to see Leon Vynehall’s album tucked into the expansive “Unknown genre” non-category. This is, as is often the case with these mid-year exchanges, a bit far afield from the kind of music I usually spin. Much of it is, I suppose, rooted in house music. Throughout these tracks, there are indeed some slinky beats that’ll get you nodding your head while prepping the dinner or while studying in earnest. There’s plenty to appreciate on the level of grooves and patterns, but he closer you listen, the more subversive, sneaky details you notice. The opening “Ecce! Ego!” isn’t quite as brash as the title would suggest, featuring some playfully morphed voices, old school synth patches and snatches of instrumentalism. But after just a couple minutes, vast cosmic sounds start careening around your brainpan while a metal bar drops somewhere in the audial space. Did that just happen? you wonder as the groove continues. Moments of curiosity and even discomfort are plopped down, sometimes as transitions (like the closing vocal announcement on “In>Pin” — “like a moth” — that introduces the echo-canyon of “Mothra”) but usually as head-scrambling curveballs. Startled voices or flutes or subterranean sax bubble up from beneath deep house thrum, then are gone in ways that are arresting and deceptive. I still don’t know what to make of the lounge-y closing to “Snakeskin – Has-Been” or the unexpected drone monolith of “Farewell! Magnus Gabbro.” In its way, Vynehall’s music is almost like what you’d get if Graham Lambkin or Jason Lescalleet made a house record. Pretty rich stuff.

Michael Winter — single track (Another Timbre)

single track by Michael Winter

Who recommended it? Eric McDowell

Did we review it? Not yet!

Mason Jones’ take:

Over its 45 minutes, Michael Winter’s 2015 composition slowly accelerates and accumulates, starting from an isolated violin playing slightly arrhythmic, single fast strokes. The playing, centered around a single root note, seems almost random, but flashes of melodic clusters make it clear they're not. After nine minutes other players have joined in and there's a developing drone, as things sort of devolve, with atonal combinations building. By the one-third mark everything has slowed down significantly, and the players are blending together, with fewer melodies standing out. Instead, it's almost more drone than not; and at a half hour in, most of the strings have been reduced to slowly changing tones. As we near the end we’re hearing beautiful layers of string drones, descending into the final few minutes of nearly static notes. It's an intriguing and oddly listenable composition given its atonality. The early moments bring to mind Michael Nyman, and the later movements summon thoughts of Tony Conrad and La Monte Young, but it's clearly different from any of them, and more than the sum of those parts.

Young Slo-Be — Red Mamba (KoldGreedy Entertainment / Thizzler On The Roof)

youtube

Who picked it? Ray Garraty

Did we review it? No.

Ian Mathers’ take:

The 12 tracks on Red Mamba fly by in a little over 27 minutes (not a one breaks the three-minute mark) but the result doesn’t feel slight so much as pared down to a sharpness you might cut yourself on. Stockon’s Young Slo-Be only seems to have one flow (or maybe it’d be more accurate to say he only seems interested in one) but he knows how to wield it with precision and force, and if the subject matter hews closely to the accepted canon of gangbanger concerns, Slo-Be delivers it all with vivid language and the studied, superior disdain of an older brother explaining the world to you and busting your chops at the same time. The tracks on Red Mamba all come from different producers, but Slo-Be consistently chooses spectral, eerie, foreboding backgrounds for these songs, even when adding piano and church bells (on “Asshole”), dog barks (“21 Thoughts”) or even Godfather-esque strings (the closing “Rico Swavo”). What’s the old line about the strength of street knowledge? These are different streets, and different knowledge.

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doomedandstoned · 6 years ago

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Portland’s Eight Bells Ready for Psycho Las Vegas

~Interview by Jamie LaRose~

If you haven’t caught Oregon’s EIGHT BELLS yet, your chance is coming up at the Psycho Las Vegas, where they play on Sunday, August 19th. Some of the bands playing Psycho this year are Dimmu Borgir, Danzig, Red Fang and Wolves in the Throne Room. Eight Bells has long been held together by the very talented Melynda Jackson, who has given life and beauty to this emotional masterpiece of sound. We had the chance to speak with Melynda Jackson as well as Melynda Amann, Brian Burke, and Alyssa Maucere and get some insight on how the band has progressed as well as their plans for the future. While they have been working on new material for you to get your emotional heavy groove on, they have made great strides as a group and have plans to record once they have completed their current writing process. Don’t miss them at Psycho '18, and look forward to the delicate doom that will enrapture your soul.

Landless by Eight Bells

You have a very unique and particular style about Eight Bells. What was the original inspiration for the project?

MELYNDA: I had started out playing in SubArachnoid Space for years, kind of a hard psych/noise what have you instrumental project. That project started as improvised noise, and over 15 years morphed into more of a songwriting collaboration. When I decided to let that project go, I knew I wanted to continue on into more distinct and concise songwriting but keep a little bit of the feel of SubArachnoid Space. Over the years the drummer was becoming more and more interested in some metal techniques like blast beats etc. We decided that we wanted to continue that trajectory after we dissolved SubArachnoid Space, so we named the new band Eight Bells, after the final SAS album. We never really wanted to fit anywhere perfectly, and I think we have accomplished that goal. I feel like turmoil and sadness are expressed frequently in this project. We would like to make something emotionally vivid and not have all the songs sound the same.

What is the driving force that carries you on over the last few years?

MELYNDA: It has been a tough couple of years for sure, with many points where I considered giving up. Playing music teaches me lots of things. I would say those things go beyond learning to play the music itself, but interpersonal stuff, connectedness, commitment, self-examination, and emotional expression. I have a lot to learn so I keep trying because it is interesting. Getting older reminds me that I have a finite amount of time to create, so I really have no choice-it is an itch that can’t be scratched. Also, I am stubborn as fuck so when signs all seem to be pointing to giving up, I try harder.

Can you talk about the lineup changes and how that has affected the sound this year?

MELYNDA: Oh, we have about 20 minutes of new music that has been difficult in its creation because of how many people Lindy and I have gone through in the rhythm section. (laughs) She has been with me for a couple of years now, but we are on our 3rd drummer (Brian), as well as our 3rd Bassist, (Alyssa). It felt like a struggle to really practice with regularity and treat it as a discipline until Brian and Alyssa joined. The songs Lindy and I were working on as a duo sort of finished themselves with their input and the ideas were made better for sure. I am not sure yet how the sound has changed to an outside listener, but I can say for me, the music is more defined. We have three-part harmonies now and we had a great time at our last two shows, so we can have fun together and connect onstage and that means everything to me -- and I do mean everything.

Do you have any upcoming plans for a new release with the new lineup?

MELYNDA: We totally want to record when we have another couple of songs. We will be focused on writing and making demos when get back from Psycho Las Vegas.

Describe your favorite way to enter the writing process.

ALYSSA: When someone comes in with a riff and we play it over and over, and it grabs us, that's when it's the best. We can see where else it could be taken, or it can push us in a completely different direction as our minds/ears begin to churn. It's important for me to carry the foundation for the harmonic layering to give space and clarity to my bandmates. It's a lot of refinement and experimentation, and that gives birth to truly abstract and complex song structures that give that feel really satisfying once they're played to our standards. Witnessing my bandmates get lost and found within a composition is how I know we all found something that works for us.

LINDY: Before I even present anything to my bandmates I am often inspired in random and unexpected ways. My voice recorder on my phone usually gets a lot of action for spur of moment inspirations out of nowhere. If I hear a riff in my head I often sing it into my recorder, so I don’t forget it. Sometimes this spontaneous idea could translate into a vocal melody or a keyboard riff. This riff usually doesn’t make it to the band practice room for others to listen to until the pot smoke has dissipated, and some serious rumination has occurred. If my riffing inspires others. I get excited and a possible jam may elicit more awesomeness that I didn’t hear the first go around in my head.

MELYNDA: I kind of feel like I don’t really have a choice in the matter in terms of how I process, meaning I don’t consciously choose to sit down and write a song. I hear riffs in my head and enjoy working with the group in real time to flesh out songs and arrangement. Recording riff ideas, like lindy says, helps. Sometimes I will work off a keyboard part of Melynda’s, or whatever. I like jamming a riff until it leads to the next part. We don’t really have a formula that we follow and we are still developing a language that we all can understand. Seems like learning to play the parts together is the first pass like a rough draft, then more arranging and tweaking.

What do you most look forward to while participating in the upcoming Psycho Las Vegas 2018?

ALYSSA: It's a family reunion for many of us. We have friends from all over the country convening all in one place, seeing bands that we all look up to, together, or never have seen, confined to a ridiculously fun environment that encourages all forms of debauchery. I'm honored that we get to play the Vinyl Stage with of such an amazing line up, I mean, c'mon we play after Necrot and Mutoid Man, two of my favorite bands out right now! It will be great to have this moment to give people the ability to see the reincarnation of Eight Bells. Plus, there's that killer pool and legal marijuana.

LINDY: I look forward to the camaraderie and friendships with my contemporaries and fans and also the bangovers and ringing ears caused from my own band’s crushing performance and from the performances of my friends and heroes on all of the stages.

MELYNDA: Playing the set honestly. I am not a fan of the desert in August. I look forward though, to air conditioning and seeing folks I don’t get to see very often.

Where did you start on the path of playing music?

ALYSSA: It started when I was a little kid. I used to play this game with my family where they would turn on a song for one second on the radio/CD player, and I'd have to identify what band it was, and most of the time I was dead-on. I was obsessed with tone and recording quality, all the unique sounds individual to a specific band, and it fascinated me how different everyone was. That's how I was able to remember who was who by their tone! Before I was even 10, I was hooked to MTV, especially 120 min and Beavis and Butthead (which I used to sneak at night and watch). It was there I heard PJ Harvey, Bjork, Soundgarden, Helmet, Unsane, Hum, The Beastie Boys, etc. I really liked playing on one of those children's pianos and would do it all the time for hours. Eventually my family broke down and found me a cheap upright piano when I turn 8 and it changed my life. I got my first electric guitar when I was 13, and I’ve played one almost every day for 20 years now. It was when I was 23 that I got asked to play bass in a band, and I never looked back.

LINDY: It started from the days of infancy when my mom would place my playpen by the record player, plug my headphones and spin an LP for me to keep me occupied. Later, that path continued on long car rides from Massachusetts to Maine when my Dad would blast Pat Benatar, Black Sabbath, Tina Turner and the Motels all the way to his place. It started with singing in church every Sunday, and friends picking me up in the morning for school blasting Iron Maiden and Metallica. Music has always been a central part of my life.

MELYNDA: I played clarinet and bass clarinet in band, but was kicked out for being unruly even though I could play well. I suppose that was my first lesson – you are never so good or talented that you get to be an asshole to everyone and keep playing. I failed at guitar lessons soon after. As a kid I liked to listen to music and count the beats- oh here are 4s, but halved they are 2, oh this is 6… that sort of thing.

What are some of the most influential artists to you?

ALYSSA: Al Cisneros is a wizard. He creates a sonic vortex by meditating on very few potent riffs for lengths at a time. There's a mathematics going on there, a pattern that undulates in and out of consciousness. I know how to play most of those riffs, but if you ever see the man live, you're blown away by his delivery. Kim Thayil and Chris Cornell were probably the first musicians to show me what "heavy" meant, between the depth of the content in the lyrics and the eclectic richness of their influences. Soundgarden was a perfect storm of catchiness and brutality. It was also because of Kim Thayil that I ended up loving bands like Master Musicians of Bukakke and Sunn O))). Last but not least, metal bands like Blut Aus Nord and Deathspell Omega have a profound influence over my writing. It's chaotic and unsettling, and somehow, it's incredibly emotive and beautiful.

LINDY: In terms of vocalist heroes, I would say: Pat Benatar, Bruce Dickinson, Joni Mitchell and Aretha Franklin. Musicians that I am influenced by would be Nick Cave, Prince and Diamanda Galas.

MELYNDA: Old and new: Steve Reich, Sonic Youth, hildur guðnadóttir, Death, Enslaved, Popol Vuh, Butthole Surfers, Oranssi Pazuzu, Vaura, Earth Wind and Fire, Bauhaus, Faust, Amon Düül II -- so many. Basically, everything music influences me in some way, even if I don’t like it. I try not to wear my influences on my sleeve, but I also try not to overthink things.

Do any shows stand out above the rest, so far, as your favorite experience with the band and why?

ALYSSA: I'm so new to this band that every show so far stands out. Psycho Las Vegas will be the largest crowd I've played to in 5 years, and I'm really looking forward to performing.

BRIAN: The first two and the last two stand out most in my mind.

LINDY: Considering that I have been a member of Eight Bells for 2 years, I have only played 6 live shows with them. One that stands out for me is playing in Canada, opening for SubRosa. The energy and our playing were great and the excitement of the show was palatable.

MELYNDA: Brian we have only played two shows together. (laughs) Honestly, I would say our first show with this lineup eclipses any other that I have played with Eight Bells so far.

Is there a central message that you would like to convey?

ALYSSA: Eight Bells will crush your soul.

LINDY: Our time is finite. Our time is up. Crush my enemies, see them driven before me and hear the lamentations of everyone.

MELYNDA: For the love of Satan, please when driving on the highway, use the left lane for passing only.

Catch Portland, Oregon’s Eight Bells on the Vinyl Stage of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Sunday night, August 19th, at Psycho Las Vegas. Get tickets here

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cadwo · 7 years ago

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The Kazoo Incident

a story from the The Fun and Quirky Life and Times of the Somewhat Chill Bird People

“You mean to tell me they’re making it mandatory now?” a teen angel questioned her teacher. She stood, fists balled, in front of his desk. He looked tired, but more specifically tired of dealing with everyone’s shit… this girl’s shit in particular.

“It has been passed down from higher authority that in order to promote well roundedness, every student has to be involved with a music program or personally maintained group for practice.” he answered.

The West and North Haven cities had recently grown more concerned than usual about the disconnected way in which the four cities had been operating. This led to a number of somewhat trivial rulings being passed to make everyone was just a little more similar in lifestyle, especially targeting students. Most of the New South Haven kids just shrugged and went along with it, figuring they would just find ways around the stuff they really didn’t want to do. Some though, just didn’t even like the principle of the thing.

“That’s dumb!” the girl complained. “I don’t have any experience with music. I just like listening to it. I don’t want to use my time to learn it! Ughh…”

“You’re going to have to figure out something. If you don’t have much experience, enroll in a program so that an instructor can walk you through things.”

The girl rolled her eyes and walked out of the classroom. The teacher sighed and went back to his work. They both knew their next encounter on the subject would be unpleasant, but they didn’t know how or what exactly to expect.

The girl, Jaylee, was later out on a solo job to a nearby island to retrieve supplies. Of course, she was currently goofing off and chilling out with the locals instead of actually working. She pulled her dirty blonde hair into a scrunchie as she sat around on the steps with a group of humans her age. Her shorts and tank top may have let the sun bake her skin, but at least there was less fabric for the sweat to cling onto. One of the kids’ younger siblings came out of the nearby store holding some weird little noisy buzzing thing in their mouth. Jaylee watched them mess around with it for a bit before asking about it.

“What is that thing he has?” she pointed at the noisemaker.

“That? It’s a kazoo.”

“Kazoo?”

“Yeah, you hum or kinda like, make a sound into it and it makes it all vibraty.”

It took a second, but then a scheme hatched in Jaylee’s head. A wild grin crossed her lips.

“Did you buy that in that store there?” she asked the little boy. He nodded. “Excellent. I need 20.”

Jaylee entered into the schoolhouse, a kazoo and stack of forms in hand. She marched right up to her teacher’s desk and practically slammed the forms down in front of him. It wasn’t a class day, and he had other work he had been working on, so the teacher looked up at her with a small amount of irritation and confusion. He waited for her to start.

“I am forming my own musical group.” she declared.

“Oh? Are you going the acapella choir route like the other kids who don’t want to do anything?”

“Nope! I have an instrument.” she held out the little metal kazoo to show him. He blinked. “It’s a type of flute called a kazoo.”

“ I think flute might be a bit of a stretch for a kazoo…” the teacher seemed wary, but wasn’t going to stop her. “Alright. I’ll go ahead and process your forms to have your group registered.”

“Great, thanks!” Jaylee was back out of the door in a flash.

The teacher, having found that to be the most painless interaction with that student ever, decided not to chase after her to make sure she knew what she was doing. If she’d read the forms she’d be fine.

In the next month, she had managed to recruit a small group of other angels to join her little kazoo band. Mostly they goofed off. Sometimes they pulled together and actually managed to make some music… much to the distress of the occasional passerby. But they had fun covering hit songs or themes from media they liked. And because of the wording of the rules, their goofing off usually qualified for actual rehearsal given the nature of their instruments.

Unfortunately for them, another announcement was shortly made.

“What do you mean we have to put on a performance??” Jaylee stood in front of her exasperated teacher’s desk once again.

“There are representatives from West Haven coming in to check on developments in our city. All registered groups were potentials to be pulled for the performances. Your group and five others have been chosen from the registry to play at the welcoming event for them.”

“You… you know what a kazoo is.”

“I’m aware.”

“So you know this is a terrible idea.”

“There’s nothing I can do.” he said. She stood there standing at him in disbelief. “I do have some sympathy for your situation but… you will just have to take responsibility for your decisions.” He pulled out a folder and gave it to Jaylee. “These are copies of traditional songs to pick from for the performance.”

“You’re kidding.” There was no way he was actually expecting her to get up there in front of West Haveners and butcher a piece of traditional angel music… on a kazoo. With other kazoos. There. Buzzing in a horrid harmony. She… she could be accused of making a mockery of their people. Surely her teacher had to understand that.

“I’m afraid I’m not kidding. I wish you and your group luck.”

…

The day of the visit came, and it came too soon for comfort. To be fair, any day that this day could have arrived would have been too soon for Jaylee and her friends.

They were in a sort of line on the side of the road in front of gathered crowds of local officials. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Well, unless it had been raining and the whole thing had been called off.

The other performance groups stood around nearby. One must have been an acapella group, a couple of groups were string ensembles… and there Jaylee’s group stood, with their kazoos. They felt stupid. They felt like they looked stupid. They knew the song well enough, even if the rehearsals had been some of the most embarrassing hours of their young lives, but they had no idea what the response would possibly be when the time came for them to go on.

They were terrified, and rightfully so. West Haveners had a reputation for not fucking around. If they got offended and thought they were joking, the whole group could be in serious trouble. The only thing that could possibly save them was the fact that they had negotiated their position in the lineup. Their little kazoo band would be the first group the representatives would actually hear, but it would just be background noise for when they were first arriving. Hopefully they would be so wrapped up in other things that they would hardly pay them any attention. Hopefully. Of course, as one of her friends had pointed out, West Haveners were also said to observe and judge everything.

Oh they were doomed.

...Down the road the representatives came. Jaylee’s group was given the signal to start.

They took one last glance around between them. This was it. Before they were ready they had launched into their piece, gaining confidence as the seconds passed through sheer force of acceptance of their collective fate. Some of the people who had been waiting around to greet the representatives cast them odd glares. Some stared at them in curious horror.

Jaylee knew how ridiculous this all was. If only she hadn’t been such a sarcastic bitch. If only she could have just sucked it up and went along with the rules as they were intended to be followed. Who knows how much would have been different in this moment. Who knows what her future could have held for her. These thoughts all crossed through her frantic mind as she stood with her group. You know what. No. She would go down with these friends. She would go down always standing up for her belief of not having to do crap that shouldn’t have even been necessary. Why should she change now? In her last moments?

One of the two representatives casually looked over to their group as they played what was usually a beautiful soaring tune on these buzzing little instruments. His lips stretched tight to stifle a giggle before rejoining the conversation with those that were welcoming him and his partner.

And as anticlimactic as it felt for the poor scared kazoo band, that was all the reaction they received that day.

But kazoos became a popular toy for the kids of New South Haven.

#cadwo's story nonsense #the journey earthbound #i think google docs played me on the formatting #when i tried to copy and paste it did some weird stuff #woops #tried to fix it buuut...

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