Bed Maker-The Mark b/w What Boy Where; Dischord Records, 2026

 

When it comes to seven inch wax, Dischord Records has been a seriously heavy hitter at many points in past years. Think about their initial run that documented the D.C. Hardcore scene as it was transpiring in real time. Or Salad Days. Or the Egg Hunt release. Or the first offering from Ignition. Disaster Amnesiac has no doubt that many people could add their own special addition to the list. Perhaps the never-issued Minor Threat material from a few years back? Or the Lungfish 10 East slab? It was in light of this fact that when the news of the second release from Bed Maker would be a two song seven inch record there was no doubt in mind that a copy would make its way over to my turntable. 

Disaster Amnesiac places Bed Maker within the Dischord continuum as being squarely within the post-Revolution Summer strain of D.C. Punk Rock. By that it's meant that the guitar sounds of Jeff Barsky spiral out with a tightly (W)ire(d) precision stabbing that foregoes the mellow and instead cuts with manic precision. That sound is pushed relentlessly by the fast paced kick/snare beat from Vin Novara on The Mark while Arthur Noll's fat and Dub-ey bass line holds down the frame. Singer Amanda MacKaye declaims about female isolation and alienation within pursuits that are traditionally male centered. Sorry that's still a dynamic. Here in Tucson there's a scene which is very well integrated between girls and boys. Hopefully that's the case in the District, too? The voice which delivers Bed Maker's singer's voice is sometimes reminiscent of her brothers Ian and Alec, never a bad thing, and when the former joins in on the chorus sections, the tune's overall aesthetic value ebbs even higher. Not that it wasn't really cool before, mind you, it's just that Ian has some kind of elevatory magic which imbues everything he's involved with. If you know, you know. The blending of all stated elements assures that The Mark is a song that will have many moving their stereo needle back to the beginning for another spin. That's been the case aqui anyway. 

The second side of this tight document, What Boy Where stays within the Post Punk as Bed Maker groove together as an electric guitar band that on occasion jangles and on occasion roars. This song has such a consummate D.C. sound with its electric, pulsing drama within the rhythm section and the urgent vocals that deliver a harrowing story in the voice. They end it tight as a drum, too. 

Given with an interesting cover image, clear engineering, and tightness in the graphics/photos department (you can't really go wrong with Jason Farrell managing these aspects) The Mark b/w What Boy Where presents itself as a strong seven inch statement from within a label that specializes in such matters. Reach out for it before it goes out of print! 

Sleep-Hempispheres; Third Man Records, 2026

 

Here's to hoping that the 2026 Surprise Lineup Change Of the Year was approved by all parties concerned within the Sleep organization. This is not to say that Disaster Amnesiac doesn't see Sleep as being a band first and foremost, and a very important, genre defining one at that. It must be acknowledged that the original trio were pretty much inventors of the type that's come to be known as Stoner/Doom. Those guys were laying that particular type of groove many years ago now and the entire Metal macro-genre is well aware of the fact. It would be so cool to find out that Matt Pike and whomever was last to hold the drum throne signed off with acceptance, if for no other reason than to hear what drum King Dale Crover and D.C. Hardcore guitar legend Bubba Dupree could cook up with the bass/vocal action of Al Cisneros. Pike seems like the type of person to take just about anything in stride: his career in High On Fire has been admirable and fascinating. So, yeah, trusting that it was all good in the 'hood with past and now current members of Sleep. 

As to the new LP, Hempispheres, the news of Sleep's new configuration documented therein was greeted within esta casa with some serious excitement mixed with perhaps a touch of bewilderment. Was this listener really going to able to hear new, easily accessible guitar work from Bubba? OH SHIT YEAH went the refrain. His first band Void has never not been in my listening rotation since first encountering them in November of 1985, when a guy that had been able to attend those essential early 1980's Hardcore Punk shows in D.C. hipped me to the wider Dischord catalog (I'd already discovered Minor Threat earlier that year in June). The possibilities of how Dupree would sound tantalized, and the first single and album opener, Have Spacesuit Will Travel did and does not disappoint. Definitely a more laid back approach for a bit, and then....impact. Bubba has harnessed a deeply imaginative, Sci-Fi guitar sound that blends so well with the Crover drumming flow and Cisneros's unique chanting and super fuzzed Rickenbacker low end grooving. The b-part of the tune has this excellent 1970's Library Record synth that hits with extreme precision. Trio action with Dale bell traction! Dupree's solo is wonderfully melodically expressive and he's so in control of the tones. Plus a very logical chord sequence to end. If memory serves correctly, the second single was The Morrisist and that tracks as it feels like a second movement vis a vis the opener. Is it an outright ode to T. Iommi in verse? Crover just drives the heavy earth moving six string riff and its Sabbath style hippie percussive jam takes it out with further sonic linkage to the masters of reality from Brum. It may be a purely subjective idiosyncrasy on Disaster Amnesiac's part that the title track makes me think of slightly slowed down New Wave of British Heavy Metal but after multiple hearings that's still the case. Bubba grabs some ultra fuzzy guitar sounds. Astute Moog interjections ride atop cymbal bell boogie and into a half-time slink on the b-part here. One can hear Crover making slight adjustments to Cisneros and Dupree as they tandem on the electric guitars. It's an evolving plot with wicked, creaking tones from Bubba that bring Paul Leary's heights to mind. Kind of an abrupt ending, huh? On Arrival of the Industry Ships Sleep take up a real desert groove. Al Cisneros sounds more upfront as his bass rumble comes this close to clipping. The emergent b-part climbs up to firmament within his imagined Science Fiction world and it's heavy! The group sits on another phat groove, lets the smoke fill the chamber until Bubba rips a bong load of heavy Rock action. His soloing takes off on multiple flights and each one balances perfectly with its predecessor. Stoner bliss is activated as this powerful trio grooves for a nice, extended duration. The sonic interstices are slid around with such dextrous finesse. Hempispheres concludes on Whole Wheat Mountain/Well Backed. The first half of this title cracks me up again and again. What does this mean? Insert Instagram laughing emoji here for sure. The coolest drum flow on the album resides here: tight cymbal bell work that glues all of the elements together. Bubba stabs at chords at goes into minimal, flatted progressions. It's a song that gives a heavy-assed goodbye wave as the newly reformed Sleep prepare to trudge on off down the road. 

Despite Sleep's new lineup being somewhat of a "shock" to many, it's no surprise at all that Hempispheres is another fantastic statement from the deep mind of Al Cisneros. Here's to hoping that their tour takes a stop in The Old Pueblo, as Disaster Amnesiac would be over the moon at a chance to occupy the same room as the one that Bubba's amp and hands are also in.

Many Hails To Mike Krukow!

 

It's a sad day for San Francisco Giants fans as we've now listened to our last game spent with Mike Krukow giving his unequaled color commentary. Like many others in The Bay, Disaster Amnesiac has spent countless hours listening to his analysis and personal recollections of the greatest sport ever. Hails, hails, hails!!!!!

Live shot(s) #247!

 

Shots taken at Che's Lounge Tucson, 9/26/26. Full moon.

Below: Bear Down Bear harmonizing about life. Children, friendship, traffic frustration, war, etc.

Above: Schlog Cart play primitivist Boogie. Great raw guitar tones!

Below: Wayne Norfleet out in Tucson from Los Angeles. Working out his tunes solo. 

Live shot(s) #246!

 

Shots taken at Sky Bar Tucson, 9/25/26.

Below: Raven And The Acolytes continue to play danceable and well written songs. Tight, well thought out music.

Above: The Disconcertions present uncluttered trio Garage Rock. Great drummer! 

Live shot #245!

 

Shot taken at Brick Box Brewery Tucson, 9/24/26.

August Minotaur deliver actual poetics through a blend of Glitter and Bedroom Psych. Very astute use of full band through PA mix, as it allows the vocals of lead singer Theo to come through without being pushed out. 

Live shot(s) #244!

 

Shots taken at Casino del Sol Tucson 9/19/26.

Below: Tower of Power, the legendary Soul/Funk band from Oakland. Probably one of the best horn sections to have ever been assembled. Their harmonic richness was served well by a fantastic sound mix. Tight rhythm section action and a tremendously charismatic lead singer. A show band with sixty eight years of playing and they're still kicking ass!

Above: War has rhythms and routines that are a bit deeper into the pocket. Their amalgam of Soul, Funk, Rhythm and Blues, Jazz, and Psychedelic Rock stands up to the test of time. The drummers lay it down with such torque! The rest of the group shines as they cruise along on tap of all that. Clearly a popular favorite, people were singing along to EVERY song. 

It was really interesting to compare the sounds and approaches of an East Los Angeles band and an East San Francisco Bay band. Either way, your soul's gonna be moved.