Rodion G.A., Look Blue Go Purple, Santana, Led Zeppelin, Im & Count Ossie, Johnny Osbourne, Biota, Doug Rauch, Pharoah Sanders, Nathaniel Bettis, Cher Jey, Angel Bat Dawid, Sleater-Kinney, more
This post makes me extremely happy. I was bouncing around the Substack here because I was certain that you'd written about Don Cherry's "Summer House Sessions" and "Organic Music Theater" albums, two records that sound fantastic even when nothing else does. (Right now I can't stop singing, "oh Ganessssh/iiiiis/an elephant..." from the latter album.)
That particular Biota record is still my go-to example when I try to explain to people just how otherworldly music can truly sound when you go out of your way to make it that way. I like all the Biotas and all the Mnemonists, but I still love "Almost Never" the very, very tippy-top best. And the Mike Patton/Mr. Bungle mini-post make me actually Laugh Out Lord (er, Loud), especially that photo! I've been listening to the "Who Cares Anyway" podcast from Will York (basically a way to give airing to the many interviews he did that didn't get into the book), and there's a great one with Trey Spruance, who sounds like a very righteous dude. And I was thinking, "Hmmm, maybe I'm remembering Mr. Bungle too harshly..." I got 1.5 songs into Disco Volante, and, well, that's enough for another 10 years!
Miss you too! Let's hang IRL! That's amazing that "Almost Never" is your fave Biota. I still own 0 Biota releases to this day and only heard this because YouTube algorithmed it my way. It's SO GOOD. I've been listening to that Will York podcast too and enjoyed that Trey Spruance interview as well but no, still do not enjoy Mr. Bungle. Gotta get Will's book though. And hey, was this the Don Cherry/Organic Music writing you were thinking of? https://open.substack.com/pub/blastitude/p/stuffs-and-things-and-things-and-90c?r=kvc5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I *think* that article might be the one I was thinking of, but...I also think the one I was thinking of might be something I dreamed? I feel like I remember something, maybe going back to Blogstitude, or even the OG site, that went in more depth on those 2CD sets. At the same time, I also thought I remembered long descriptions of them on an old version of the Swill Radio catalog, but despite extensive use of Wayback Machine and sliding back and forth through time, I couldn't find any proof that Scott had ever sold those. Hmm.
Well, regardless, I love those records beyond words at the moment, so I'm glad to read your words in the meantime!
For me, the albums before "Almost Never" still sound more like Mnemonists and the ones after "Almost Never" (Before Almost Never/After Almost Never, aka the long-unreleased Carnival Folklore Resurrection Vols. 15/16!) get sliiiiightly more conventionally "folky," which is far from the worst thing, but I just revel in this one album where it feels completely otherworldly. (Listening back to this now, and remembering that people in college I gave mixtapes too that were especially open to high weirdness got "Circling These 5.")
Will drop you a line soon to talk hang. It's going to be a weird/hard year (in my immediate family specifically, but also in the world we appear to be hurtling toward), so it wouldn't hurt to convene and fortify for the trip ahead!
Yes you might be thinking of the Blogstitude era, which somehow lasted over 10 years, even if the posts were rarely frequent... did a "don cherry" keyword search and got these results - some may be relevant! https://blastitude.blogspot.com/search?q=don+cherry
This post makes me extremely happy. I was bouncing around the Substack here because I was certain that you'd written about Don Cherry's "Summer House Sessions" and "Organic Music Theater" albums, two records that sound fantastic even when nothing else does. (Right now I can't stop singing, "oh Ganessssh/iiiiis/an elephant..." from the latter album.)
That particular Biota record is still my go-to example when I try to explain to people just how otherworldly music can truly sound when you go out of your way to make it that way. I like all the Biotas and all the Mnemonists, but I still love "Almost Never" the very, very tippy-top best. And the Mike Patton/Mr. Bungle mini-post make me actually Laugh Out Lord (er, Loud), especially that photo! I've been listening to the "Who Cares Anyway" podcast from Will York (basically a way to give airing to the many interviews he did that didn't get into the book), and there's a great one with Trey Spruance, who sounds like a very righteous dude. And I was thinking, "Hmmm, maybe I'm remembering Mr. Bungle too harshly..." I got 1.5 songs into Disco Volante, and, well, that's enough for another 10 years!
Anyway, miss you, Fuzz-O! Hope you're well.
Miss you too! Let's hang IRL! That's amazing that "Almost Never" is your fave Biota. I still own 0 Biota releases to this day and only heard this because YouTube algorithmed it my way. It's SO GOOD. I've been listening to that Will York podcast too and enjoyed that Trey Spruance interview as well but no, still do not enjoy Mr. Bungle. Gotta get Will's book though. And hey, was this the Don Cherry/Organic Music writing you were thinking of? https://open.substack.com/pub/blastitude/p/stuffs-and-things-and-things-and-90c?r=kvc5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I *think* that article might be the one I was thinking of, but...I also think the one I was thinking of might be something I dreamed? I feel like I remember something, maybe going back to Blogstitude, or even the OG site, that went in more depth on those 2CD sets. At the same time, I also thought I remembered long descriptions of them on an old version of the Swill Radio catalog, but despite extensive use of Wayback Machine and sliding back and forth through time, I couldn't find any proof that Scott had ever sold those. Hmm.
Well, regardless, I love those records beyond words at the moment, so I'm glad to read your words in the meantime!
For me, the albums before "Almost Never" still sound more like Mnemonists and the ones after "Almost Never" (Before Almost Never/After Almost Never, aka the long-unreleased Carnival Folklore Resurrection Vols. 15/16!) get sliiiiightly more conventionally "folky," which is far from the worst thing, but I just revel in this one album where it feels completely otherworldly. (Listening back to this now, and remembering that people in college I gave mixtapes too that were especially open to high weirdness got "Circling These 5.")
Will drop you a line soon to talk hang. It's going to be a weird/hard year (in my immediate family specifically, but also in the world we appear to be hurtling toward), so it wouldn't hurt to convene and fortify for the trip ahead!
Yes you might be thinking of the Blogstitude era, which somehow lasted over 10 years, even if the posts were rarely frequent... did a "don cherry" keyword search and got these results - some may be relevant! https://blastitude.blogspot.com/search?q=don+cherry