ALL TOMORROW’S PARITIES IN REVIEW
Whew! We just stepped in from LA, where the ATP festival ended not so long ago. How was it? For a festival held on a college campus, it was pretty good. We’ve never seen so much security in all our life! Or insecurity, now that we mention it. Fortunately, the kids seemed to go for it. All the Drag City invitees (Smog, Neil Michael Hagerty, U.S. Maple, Papa M) went over like a ton of bricks, laid a few tricks on them. Out at the Drag City merch booth, we made lots of friends (and sales). Papa M’s performance with strings caused a run on all things Papa M, and when we weren’t selling Whatever, Mortal and the 3-inch CD, we were selling those lovely brick-red Hagerty shirts. Or the U.S. Maple shirt — baby blue with a shit stain across the front! Other big sellers included Alan Licht’s An Emotional Memoir of Martha Quinn broadside and The Adventures of Royal Trux comic. Whenever you can come home with thousands in profit, it was a pretty good time, wouldn’t you say?

APRIL SHOWERS
Remember the old adage about April showers? Word is, you gotta love ’em — and so, we’re quite hyped for a downpour of new releases on April 22nd — a veritable torrent of sounds and words from King Kong, Kev Hopper and Xhol Caravan.

The premiere release of the date is the new King Kong record. It’s been a long time since our world has heard something new from King Kong — nearly five years, in fact! Although last year did see the release of the Breeding Ground, the official King Kong demos collection, on Sea Note. But we don’t care about time — we’re just pleased to tell friends and fans everywhere that The Big Bang is the most way-out King Kong record ever. And it’s no retread, either. Ethan Buckler has come up with a fantastic new tale to tell on The Big Bang, wherein an earthman is launched into space in order to discover the mysteries of faraway Planet Kong. What he finds and you find there may shock and amuse you. Deep-space grooves and interplanetary disco are the soundtrack to this improbable adventure — deeper, groovier and more disco-like than any King Kong musics you’ve ever heard before. We, the people of Drag City, have loved all King Kong records — from Funny Farm to Me Hungry to Kingdom of Kong — but we think that you’re going find, like we did before you, that The Big Bang is a pinnacle in the far-reaching career of King Kong.

Then there’s Kev. Kev Hopper, that is. Someof you may remember his debut Drag City release from a year or so back — Whispering Foils, it was called. It showcased his uncanny abilities with the singing saw — an instrument whose crying sound has been emulated by guitars and synthesizers but never quite duplicated — and an instrument played with utter mastery by our Kev. Planting its quivering presence in a series of instrumental compositions, and pairing it with a variety of other acoustic and electronic sounds (such as his own prepared bass playing), Kev scored a new exotic masterwork with Whispering Foils. But that was only the beginning.“Saurus,” his new CDEP release, discovers a few sounds more in the overgrown jungle-world of Kev Hopper. And just to keep the changes coming, there’s one song featuring lyrics and singing among the six ’newies’ on “Saurus.” Though it is just a mini-album, “Saurus” provides a surplus of mini-enchantment for friends as well as the uninitiated.

Also available for purchase along with Kong and Kev is Xhol. Xhol Caravan, that is. And courtesy of the Streamline label, Motherfuckers Live/”Hot Buttered Xhol” is a vinyl must-have for all you collectors out there. As many of you probably already know, there’s been a lot of talk about the krautrock over the last decade or so — with groups like Can, Faust, Neu and all the rest typically touted as the forerunners of this movement. Now that all the dust has settled a little bit, can Xhol get their due, please? Ahem. Starting their arc in 1967 as Soul Caravan, they got with the psychedelic winds of change and became Xhol Caravan, releasing an LP in 1968 called Electrip. It was around this time that the live recordings that make up Motherfuckers Live were committed to tape. Sides one and two comprise the “Freedom Opera,” from 1968. Sides three and four were recorded live on the radio in 1969. Between the two (or the four, if you wish), you the listener will receive an arch view on the revolution going through the world of music and youth culture at the end of the 1960s. For Xhol Caravan, this was just the start of changes that would carry them through to ’72 — when their final LP, Motherfuckers GMBH & Co KG would help to stir a whole new generation of musical thought in the minds of guys like Stephen Stapleton (Nurse With Wound), David Tibet (Current 93) and Christoph Heemann (Mimir, H.N.A.S. and curator of the Streamline label that this very release is on!). Flash forward to a couple ago, when Stapleton, Tibet and Heemann (among others) contrived to release these previously unheard live recordings as one massive collection. They decided to up the ante by putting together an EP worth of covers and tribute material. That’s where the “Hot Buttered Xhol” part comes in. And now, for your pleasure, it all comes rolled together in one triple-LP vinyl set, wider, deeper, richer than all previous incarnations. It ain’t cheap — but by god, it’s awesome!

And that’s April for ya.

MAY IT ALWAYS BE
It’s just as true as pride coming after the fall; after goeth April, there be May. And this May, we might got some items that will spark your imagination all over again. And if all goes well, you’ll be in the streets by June (your choice: to dance or riot?). So we may have our work cut out for us. Read on...

The Fucking Champs V
It had to happen, didn’t it? the Fucking Champs are back. And their new opus, V, might be the best thing they’ve done. You’ll have to buy it to find out, won’t you? Or you could just trust us instead — but you’ll still have to buy it if you want to hear some of the freshest, hottest heavy rock sounds available these days.The Fucking Champs are aficionados, scholars and extremists when it comes to heavy rock, and they even have a name for their own special brand of it. It’s called Total Music, and V delivers an album-length dose of this ultimate blend. As victory after victory are achieved, you too will cry “Hats Off to Music” (mp3 preview of which is available on our website TODAY). All hail!

David Grubbs Rickets & Scurvy
From the Fucking Champs to David Grubbs in one release date — seems like a stretch, don’t it? Well think again. Rickets & Scurvy is actually the rockinest thing David Grubbs has released since — well, maybe since the 80s. And it was no mistake, either. Rickets & Scurvy is a self-conscious exercise in youth recapture (while at the same time, a secret ode to the joys of maturity). As this record unfolds, you can positively feel that feeling of wonder pulsing all about you. Plus, Rickets & Scurvy works more as a whole record than his previous releases — which is no patch on The Thicket and The Spectrum Between, they do all right all on their own. David got some pretty interesting people involved this time out — in addition to his very interesting group of stalwarts (McEntire, Akchote, Brown), he’s also got Matmos doing their thing here and there. There’s also lyrical contributions from Rick Moody, author of The Ice Storm and Demonology. Lots of talent there, a dense mix of skills. But most of all, the record is a lot of fun — and come May, we fully expect the cry to go improbably across the land — “We want Rickets & Scurvy!”

The Suntanama
After the two-headed monster that is our May 14th date, we’re going to kick back with some sweet and gentle (and powerful) acoustic rock and roll. Ladies and gentlemen, presenting The Suntanama! Straight out of Harlem, these New York City boys are making their debut on Drag City. And we’re proud to have them. Representing for all the people out there who love songs and singing in the uncomplicated, old-fashioned way, The Suntanama are a band that’ll rock ya, knocking out whatever they please. For floating in their bloodstream is rock and soul, a strain of rhythm and blues, some country picking, the sound of common folk, and lots of riffs to boot. All of this bleeds out into the air in a fashion that is purely Suntanama. Sprung from the same well as NNCK, The Suntanama have a freaky vibe hung all around them. And the The Suntanama album is guided by the sure production hand of Neil Michael Hagerty, who captures the grooves and choogles inherent in their sound. Simple and classical, The Suntanama is an album waiting for a movement to come along. Don’t let me down!

Phill Niblock G2, 44+ / x2
Coming out in May at the time of The Suntanama LP/CD is this long-awaited disc on Moikai. Phill Niblock’s music is a slow-moving succession of tones and micro-tones, the sound of which comes off as almost static to most human ears. They call it minimalism, but it’s kind of funny when stuff that sounds so minimal involves as many players as G2, 44+ / x2 does. In addition to Phill’s original piece, a second version is included with Rafael Toral, Alan Licht, Kevin Drumm, Lee Ranaldo, and Thurston Moore also captured sympathetically droning away. No matter which way you like it, it’s a majestic sound (along the lines of the Folke Rabe What?? CD on dexter’s cigar), with simple waves of sound evoking a strong atmosphere wherever they are played. At the end of May, get your Phill!

THE ROAD WAR
March saw Neil Michael Hagerty and U.S. Maple out there — way out there. Way out west, as a matter of fact. And naturally, the Maple left them drooling up there in Portland and Seattle (though they might have been drooling before U.S. Maple pulled up, we didn’t check). Hagerty laid waste to some of the near-west — bastions of faith and tragedy like Lawrence, Albuquerque, and Phoenix, as well as sweet home Chicago. And lo, March came and went.

Now that it’s April, Edith Frost is setting the controls for the West Coast as well. She’s taking the northern road out west and coming back home through Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Nebraska — take a look! Edith too will be finishing up in Chicago. Also out there (way out there) in April is Moikai’s own Orton Socket, which between you and me is none other than Rob Mazurek. Rob’s opening for himself on the current Underground Duo tour, which means you should plan to get there a little early — if you wish to be floored by a healthy dose of pretty and heavy electronics emanating from a laptop computer, that is. We caught one of these displays of Rob’s here in town and it was really moving — actually physically moving.

And before April is done, Neil Michael Hagerty will get hisself and band back out there once again — this time in support of Wilco, whose new release is receiving the kinds of raves that should draw big crowds everywhere. The Hagerty experience only gets better as it gets louder — and those big sound systems will be rock and rolling, so get your tickets for those shows today.

Scheduled to travel through the land of live next month The Fucking Champs, that’s who! Yes, those heroes of the soon-to-be-released V have cranked out a nationwide touring concept, a vehicle designed to take them ever where they can possible play in a four-week frame. All this will occur after the magical May 14th release date of V. Don’t dare miss it!

Also not to be missed — U.S. Maple, blowing Jon Spencer’s Blues Explosion off the stage in Bloomington and Detroit city, May 10th and 11th. JSBS fans won’t know what hit them — because it’s going to be something real for a change. Yeah! All right!

We’re not letting you out of this little section of the newsletter until you hear one last thing from us: Ghost Tour! That’s right — for the first time in what? Five years or so, a full-band version of Ghost will be at large in America. Known for their lilting folk melodies, heavy sound and outrageous group appearance, Ghost will tour from west to east this Autumn, around the time of the Terrastock festival, which, not coincidentally, they’ll be playing. If you’ve appreciated their records, you’ll love ’em live!

MAIL ORDER PREVIEW
Check out the Special Orders page if you haven’t done so recently — in addition to those oh-so-hot items from Jim O’Rourke and Papa M we put up there last month, we’ve got a few new things to offer — including a mail-order only split 7” from Bonny Billy and Rainywood! As soon as those kids get off the road they’ve been on out west this month, we’re going to be offering what’s left of this 7" to any and all interested parties. The theme of the 7" is the songs of Kate Wolf — and duly, “Brother Warrior” and “Cornflower Blue” are given unforgettable treatments. This record will become available after April 17th.

Also available around April 17th or so: a variety of titles from the mego label. We had such a favorable response to the O’Rourke mego CD that we decided to bring in a few more things. These things include Fennesz Endless Summer and Hotel Paral.lel CDs, Pita Get Out CD, The Magic of Fennoberg CD (an O’Rourke, Fennesz and Pita jam), General Magic Rechenkonig CD, Ilpo Vanisen Asuma CD (he’s from Panasonic), Noriko Tujiko Shojo Toshi CD (good, song-based material), Russell Haswell Live Salvage CD (a ton of noise!) and finally, vinyl copies of O’Rourke’s I’m Happy and I’m Singing and a-1,2,3,4 release — still available from us on compact disc. Make your orders as soon as you can — but hurry, quantities are limited!

AND WITH THAT...
We’re off! We’ve got a plane to catch — we’re set to make the scene at Cambersands in another couple weeks for another brain-busting installment of All Tomorrow’s Parties. It seems like they've got one every month this year. It's getting to be like Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, except without the millions. Featured DC tribe representatives this time include Smog and Bonny Billy. Also, Rockin' Rian Murphy will be there, doing what he does best — talking. You can't miss that. See you there?

If not, then we’ll catch you next month — look for us right here, as always.

Drag City
April 2002