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NEWS MARCH 2002
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THE GREAT MOMENT
What? We missed another month plus change in the life of this, your treasured on-line Drag City Newsletter? Well, god-damn, man...the time sure does slip away here in the military-industrial complex we don’t dare call home...no, the name of this (God) complex is Drag City. And as far as we’re concerned, we’re not late for January — we’re early for June! But late for February, it’s true. But early for March! But not for long... March already! We’re late for that very important date once a-motherfuckin-gain! At this point, what can we say regarding our shameless lack of punctuality (not to mention timeliness) in the newsletter department? Disappointed description readers should take solace — for every moment we weren’t here, inscribing the once and future Drag City greatness in store for you culture vultures, listeners and other assorted flotsam and jetsam, we were out on the frontlines, pitching our records, books and magazines (and the odd video) to real-life buyers and sellers. Thus insuring a future featuring more, more, more! of what you crave and what we’re so in love with today. So rejoice! But save the rejoicing for later, okay? Right now it’s time to tell you a tale or two — from the never-ending story that is — Drag City. So while you ponder the true meaning of the word ‘monthly,’ let us regale you with the story — of how we got so crazy-busy — and about how it might just have to stay that way FOREVER. Ready? Here we go — IN REVIEW But then we heard about this year! And we were, once again, psyched. Naturally, aught-two’s a work in progress — a work in progress that you’ll come to love and loathe as we do. Some of the names in store for you? Stars and future stars — what else, fool? Here’s how the list looks at the moment: Brother JT3, Papa M, HNAS, Mimir, Jim O'Rourke, King Kong, Xhol Caravan, Kev Hopper, The Fucking Champs, David Grubbs, Suntanama, Weird War, The Continental OP, Cynthia Dall, Royal Trux, David Berman, Phill Niblock, and, of course, more. And that’s not to mention the just-released new entries from Alan Licht, Neil Michael Hagerty, David Grubbs, Luc Ferrari, and Workshop. And not one of this bunch is less than a solid, mood-elevating, consciousness-expanding, mind-controlling entertainment for the whole freaky family. What else can we say? Read on... MAKING IT HAPPEN Those of you Drag City extremists who have already been down to the local shop can skip ahead — unless of course reviewing moments of pre-experienced greatness will make it all come back to life once again. Should that be the case, this bud’s for you. THE NAME OF THE GAME (NOT ‘GO INSANE’) The thrill of it all will be apparent to a goodly number of you Americans out there in the mix when Neil Michael Hagerty and the Neil Michael Hagerty band take it to the streets in March. They’ll be playing songs from Plays that Good Old Rock and Roll and who knows what else? Or how? When pecking up his set list, Neil usually aims for the sky and then overshoots by a gravitational mile or two. As they wind on their path to All Tomorrow’s Parties (the festival, not the parties) in L-fuckin’-A, traveling as a trio this time around, they’ll deliver the kinds of thrills and chills that would normally be expected from at least five or six guys. Which means it's more for your money, innit? That’s the way we’re pitching it anyway... AN EMOTIONAL RESOLICITATION OF ALAN LICHT’S BOOK ON THE BLUE CHOPSTICKS SIDE OF THE STREET Thus caps a grand triumvirate of new discs from Blue Chopsticks — out now! MARCH! First off, there’s Spirituals from Brother JT3. It’s the second Brother JT3 release on good old Drag City, the second produced by Neil Michael Hagerty, as well (Neil co-produced Way to Go as part of Adam and Eve back in ’99). Brother JT wears a more complicated coat of colors on Spirituals than on Way to Go or previous Brother JT releases. The good Brother's got some preaching to do, but in a sweetly melodic setting, with acoustic guitars ringing, flutes and recorders riffing, with liquid leads and gentle mid-tempos...it’s full-on sandals rock. If you check the MP3 on our front door, you’ll find that JT’s crafted a stoner anthem in “Mellow” — an instantly compelling tune with lyrics that just keep knocking you out. There’s a few more of them on Spirituals as well as some other things that make Brother JT great, like lots of rock and roll, heavy religious moments, a jam, two traditional songs, more melodies, cultish weirdness and an air of grooviness that just won’t blow away. All without breaking its pure pop stride. Spirituals will be available for you to move into any day after March 11 — it's ready right now. Also with the Brother JT3 LP and CD, we’ve got two discs on Streamline, both of which reissue Streamline releases from earlier on that didn’t get wider currency back in the day, whenever that might have been. Both have been remastered and sound as crisp and as clear as they never have been up until now. And both involve Christoph Heemann, curator and contributor to his very own Streamline label. The first of these is a reissue of the third Mimir album. Mimir is Christoph’s kind of group — the collected efforts of Andreas Martin, Jim O'Rourke, Christoph, Edward Ka-Spel (of Legendary Pink Dots), and Silverman, all of 'em improvising their butts off. These performances were then put through the blender by Christoph. That these contributions came over the course of years should surprise no-one. And Jim O’Rourke swears all of his bits were done back in 1990 (this record first came out in 1999). The air of mystery is tangible — but we're to tell you, it's all improv and editing, folks — and the result is post-modern psychedelia, beautiful and terrible, entrancing. The other Streamline release dates back to 1987 and might excite more than a few of you. It was released on the Dom label (Christoph’s first joint). Does the name H.N.A.S. mean anything to you? Im Schatten der Mohre is the third of their four releases. For those not in the know, H.N.A.S. (short for Hirsche Nicht Aufs Sofa — provide your own translation) worked in the cut-up industrial psych vein of Nurse With Wound and that, providing a colorful, often whimsical version of their own. And like I said, this is their third album, a cult classic, cutting sharper than ever. Don’t play this too loud at home — they’ll be coming to take you away before you know it. Or play this loud at home when they're coming to take you away — you decide. Yep, that’s March for you — Brother JT3 Spirituals, Mimir S/t CD, H.N.A.S. Im Schatten der Mohre CD — all coming your way starting on March 11th. But that's not fucking all. Additionally new on that date are two incredible items you're not going to want to miss: Papa M “Three Songs” 3"CDEP and Jim O'Rourke’s I’m Happy and I’m Singing and a 1,2,3,4 LP/CD. More on these intriguing items below! But first... WHAT LIES BEYOND? The King Kong album is an all-new King Kong album (in several ways) entitled The Big Bang. As you might have guessed, the entertainment to be found on The Big Bang includes lots of adventure, including a song called “Space Travel” (check the MP3 on this here site!), tons of synthesizers, a secret moral to the story and, best of all, forty-five minutes of truly rump-shaking disco moves. Ethan Buckler’s admiration for rhythm and blues music has long guided the hand of King Kong — through five albums and several phases of maturity, to be precise. This latest incarnation of King Kong is the ultimate one, and The Big Bang is King Kong’s masterpiece — believe it. The Kev Hopper release is an EP — a CDEP only, as a matter of fact. Kev’s new one is called “Saurus.” The master of the musical saw is back, but Kev plays other instruments too — and “Saurus” features more than just his entrancing saw-work. There’s even a composition involving lyrics and yes, singing. On an otherwise instrumental EP. It sometimes happens. Ask Papa M. Fortunately, “You’re a Delicacy,” is eminently worth the ink and air expended towards its realization. And “Saurus” is a delicacy all of its own, a lush little weiner of an EP (how’s that for getting the crossover vote?). Also on the Kong / Kev date in April, the madness and mystery of Xhol Caravan will be revisited, courtesy of the Streamline label. See, Christoph Heemann, head mann at Streamline, he loved this group from the minute he heard their records, all of which were released on German record labels in the years between ’68 and ’72. Xhol Caravan was wild late German psychedelia, pre-prog if you will, and in the case of Motherfuckers Live, totally live. Their approach gets around, ranging from a medley of short songs to an out-and-out jam on the second disc that rivals the extended jamming on sides one or two of the Soft Machine’s Third. The two performances captured on this double LP have been previously released as a double-CD, but it sure sounds great to hear them on the vinyl. And that’s not all. Included in the package is a 12"EP in a separate sleeve — shrinked together with the gatefold double-LP — with Xhol Caravan tributes from Current 93, Nurse With Wound, and their old buddy (and yours) Christoph Heemann! Each was massively influenced by Xhol, and each take a shot at their own impressions of the various phases of Xhol, and the result is extra gravy for you. Again, we pause to marvel at the superior quality of the vinyl on the EP, everything sounds so rich and spacy... All this plus the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy / Rainywood split 7" — a pair of Kate Wolf cover tunes. Kate Wolf, the late Kate Wolf, is a shining little stone, much loved by the strange androidal humans that buy organic foods. Her songs "Brother Warrior" and "Cornflower Blue" are the songs of choice on the single. Rainywood is from California and Alabama, and are currently on tour way out west with the Bonnie 'Prince' himself — check your tourdates, man! All of these will be hitting your streets (or streets like them) in mid-to-late April — so more on them in April. THE NEXT MOVES ALIVE, WE WEPT Fortunately, this problem really isn’t bugging us right now — we’ve got loads and loads of bands fixing to tour as we speak. March brings Neil Michael Hagerty and U.S. Maple to the West Coast. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy too! Edith Frost follows them all out there for some rare western shows in April. Moikai's own Orton Socket will be playing shows exhaustively from west to east (and back) in April as well. Rob Mazurek fans, unite! Then in May, The Fucking Champs get started, in defense of their extremely new LP/CD release, V (!). And by then, who knows what else’ll be going on! But who cares about then? Check out the dates nearest to you as soon as you can — on our Tour Page... PAPA M OFF TOUR Anyway — a year later, we find him riding along, surfing on the deadly fumes of the jarring, melodic “Whatever, Mortal” — and Papa’s obviously digging the piano-man persona that comes along with songs and singing. The just-concluded tour found him in well-rounded entertainer mold, leaving the audience with tunes, tears, laughter and performance — a little something for everyone to remember. Good God — is there anything Papa M can’t do? We expect the answer will come...slowly and methodically. While we wait, here’s news. Papa M has a new CDEP available RIGHT NOW. It's called “Three Songs.” Not coincidentally, there are three songs on the EP. Believe it or not, some of his freaky fans have already been asking around for it! Those reading this, you know who you are — now return to your caves! I’m sure your bison is almost cured. Seriously though, “Three Songs” sketches another chapter in the new Papa M mythology — on the xtra small 3-inch CD format! The girls will be so pleased — xtra small is their size, right? But wait! There’s more. This 3-inch CD is available exclusively as a Drag City mailorder item, as well as an item available in selected stores around the country that buy from Drag City direct. Those what don’t — ain't won’t not gonna have it. "Three Songs" is not only a tiny CD — it's also a tiny pressing as well (all the better to be compiled on later 2002’s Papa M Singles comp (PMS for short, y’all!)). The "Three Songs" CDEP is $5 from us — and if you order it now, we’ll be able to ship it to you sometime verrrry fucking soon. It’s just a click away, hoss. O’YEAH! (THE JIM O’ROURKE UPDATE) As the official head honcho of the Moikai label (home to releases from Nuno Canavarro, Lithops, The Frogs, Ray Russell, Fennesz, Pita, Rafael Toral, Kevin Drumm, Aki Tsuyuko, Orton Socket, and Triangles), O'Rourke promises you the listener more fireworks in the year to come — starting with long-promised CD titles from Phill Niblock and Alvan Curran, then segueing into a new, all-analogue phase — namely, vinyl reissues of albums previously released on CD only! Oh, Moikai, where will you take us next? He’s still in the steely grip of Sonic Youth, of course committing their “latest” to tape. And hopefully getting some REM sleep — we hear those SY geezers like to work early — and stay till late (with a generous nap in between). O’brother! Jim’s actually gonna do some shows, not his own of course...so here they are, catch them if you can, the Jim O’Rourke 2002 world tour dates.
You can’t miss Jim live, no matter who he’s representing for. Funny things tend to happen when Jim’s onstage...take, for example, the incidents that occurred at The Bottom Line in NYC recently. Somehow Jim was on the bill with Phoebe Snow and Joan Osbourne. What were they all doing there? What else? Sparks covers. Don Fleming filled the role of Ron Mael, Jim handled Russell as best he could. Alive in the moment, Joan caught bits of Don’s nether regions in her grip. Jim was left unmolested — and unsatisfied. Why couldn't he get a piece of that? Better luck next time, O’Rourke. Meanwhile, we here at Drag City have taken control of hundreds of copies of Jim’s recent Mego release, I’m Happy and I’m Singing and a 1,2,3,4 on both vinyl and CD formats and are preparing to sell them not only to stores and distributors but also the people nearest to the hearts of our wallets — you lovely mail-order customers. The vinyl won't be in for a couple weeks, but the CDs are available now. Take a trip to the Special Orders page right now to see and hear more about how to buy this potentially limited item. And don’t forget to order you a Papa M 3-inch CD while you’re there. This has been O’Yeah — the official Drag City sponsored Jim O'Rourke update. ON WITH THE SHOW! |
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