Saturday, February 23, 2013

Top 13 (of the Week)


Sure,you know what's cool. But do you know what's really fuckin' FAR OUT? That's where Advanced Demonology comes in. Every week, (K)en and (S)wilson trudge through the murky waters of the pop culture hellscape, dredging up sparkly morsels of wonder. These are the result of our latest foray into the world of the weird, our wildest, wiggest-out picks of the week. Call it our 13 Point Program.

13. Edie Sedgwick – a Documentary Film
More like a mini-doc, part of a Warhol show on PBS, but I've been trying to figure out Edie since Ian Astbury started howling about her in the 80's. This concise clip helps to explain her spooky allure. Now I get it! (K)


12. Tombstoned
So somehow it took till 2012 (the year the world was supposed to end) for a doom rock band to name themselves Tombstoned.  Had to happen, right? The results are pleasing, like a Norse viking Beach Boys cursing to Valhalla, with blood on their faces and severed heads in the trunk. (S)


11. Disco Spatial Quebec 1976- 1984
The excellent blog Psyquebelique posted an amazing self-curated compilation this week of French Canadian space disco from the mid 70's to the mid 80's. Space Disco is thought to mostly be the work if Italians, but as this comp proves, Canada pumped out more than its share of the stuff. In fact, according to the blog, Montreal was the second biggest disco production hotspot in the world, after NYC. Who knew? Anyway, strap on your jet pack and get down to these far out sounds! (K)


10. 10CC
 I'm digging deeper into these avant 70's pop-o-dytes. Pretty goddamn groovy if you ask me. Thanks to Seth the cyclopian drummer from the west coast Swilson band for hipping me to this awesome tune and getting me to listen to all the records of theirs I've been stockpiling, and baby I'm amazed. (S)


9. Cleveland's Screaming
I love documentaries about obscure music scenes. This one covers Cleveland's hardcore punk scene from 1981 to 1983. Featured bands include non-household names like Starvation Army, Urban Mutants, and Zero Defects. Who? Excactly. Awesome stuff with lots of heart amidst all the screaming and smashing of things. (K)


8. Last Summer
You owe yourself a nice bummer in the summer in the middle of winter. Don't ya? Last Summer is it.  Sporting itself as a coming of age film staring the now obscure Catharine Burns, who scored an academy award nomination, Bruce Davison, Barbara Hershey, and Richard "John Boy" Thomas, but ends in a way that a precious few of us has ever "came of age" by becoming out right criminals. This is a really well made movie unlike almost anything else I've ever seen and will give you the creeps. The soundtrack is really cool, with members of the Modern Folk Quartet and The Band. (S)



7. 42nd Street Grindhouse Footage
I've never seen no-budget 70's softcore roughie The Rogue, and I'm not sure it's necessary to see it. But this short comp of scenes is notable for the killer shots of the long-gone grindhouses on 42nd Street.  Sure, the streets are safer now, but seriously, don't use miss the grime? (K)


6. Love - Reel to Real
It's 1975 and Arthur Lee was pretty much a solo act at this point, running almost exclusively on the fumes of his late 60's legendary genius status. Having blown almost every post Forever Changes opportunity due to drug use and erratic behavior, he's given his last and best shot at the big leagues by RSO, who front Arthur 100 grand to make this awesome record. It's funky, it's soul, it's freaky as hell, and has almost nothing to do with Forever Changes. It's really a lost soul classic. Pun intended. Lee would get a tour opening for Eric Clapton and Lou Reed but he would blow that with bad behavior and flippant remarks about RSO head Robert Stigwood. Some people are their own worse enemies I guess, but give this one a chance it's really good. PS: I never heard this song before I wrote White Witch Black Witch. (S)


5. Roky Erickson and the Black Angels – Night of the Vampire
Holy fuck! Professionally shot full-show of Roky doing his thing in '08! Yeah! (K)


4. BBJr - How to Fuck All Your Co-workers in One Sitting
Captcha Records is on the forefront of beautiful weirdness. Here is a good one if your in the market for a noisy free for all, that has the hallmarks of  the 2010's overground: free jazz, digital hiss, lo-fidelity, minimalist blues, free folk and punk rock presentation. The kid is from the mid west, I don't know what he's got angst his co workers and it's too soon to tell if he's fucked them, but he may have made an enduring record in the process. (S)



3. Edgar Froese – Sobornost
Tangerine Dreamer in his backyard, wailing on his scary synths for a German TV show. How can you be so nerdy and so cool at that same time? (K)


2. Buffalo Tooth
Are they a combination of the Australian rape rock of Buffalo and the bummer blues of Spooky Tooth? Maybe?  Hailing a from the  fuzz pedal flats of San Francisco,this pure stone groove. Reminds of something but what is it? Oh wait I remember now….drugs. (S)



1. Circuit Rider
Completely fucked-up, blown-out biker psych nightmare from Connecticut circa 1980. There's a certain group of folks who think this album is proof that Jim Morrison faked his own death. What it really proves is that Connecticut was full of dangerous acid-heads in 1980. (K)

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