Perpetual Bridge-Upon the Deep; self-released via Bandcamp, 2021

 

The world certainly has been under heavy manners, has it not? Fear seems to have become the guiding emotion for a LOT of people over the past year, even more so than usual. Disaster Amnesiac will spare you the list, for, surely, you're aware of it. I will say, that during times of stress, duress, and societal mess, I, like many others, tend to turn towards the more soothing sounds. After a day of taking in whatever weird/bad news is currently being spewed, it can be really tough to listen to, say, Slayer, with the hopes of just finding a way towards making it to another one. 

Recently, this dynamic has been where Perpetual Bridge's Upon the Deep has come in really handy. This three track EP-length digital release is full of the kind of hypnotically cosmic sounds that can truly assuage the frightened feelings that seem to be poking up from all corners. Composed and performed by Swiss/Italian sound artist and DJ Nadia Peter, who coaxes all manner of digital exotica and hypnotica from what I imagine are digital sources, Upon the Deep sends the listener into three worlds of comfortingly beautiful sound baths.  On tracks Nebula, Hidden Rivers, and Blue Orbit, quiet musical motifs are presented and then fleshed out with many different manner of bubbling, scratching, and whirling sound accents. The sounds here are almost New Age in their melodic composition, but the added accents give them a certain spice that enlivens them into something more spacey and singular. 

There's plenty of musical variety coming from the mind of Perpetual Bridge's creator, and it can surely appeal to wide swath of listeners, as evidenced by Mrs. Amnesiac deeming it "really cool", often most assuredly NOT an appellation given by her to the music that she hears coming from my stereo. 

Upon the Deep has provided Disaster Amnesiac with a place of refuge in which to relax and to escape from the turbulence that society is stumbling through. Recommend listening technique for this lovely EP: put it on repeat, find a comfy spot in which to sit, and just let its sounds embrace you with their mysteriously calming mists.

Bad Brains-Pay To Cum!/Stay Close To Me; Bad Brains Records, 2020

 

Ok, so Disaster Amnesiac was NOT there for the rock that hit the water of culture that the Bad Brains were. That said, I most DEFINITELY felt their ripples. I can still recall hearing Pay To Cum! on Let Them Eat Jelly Beans and just knowing that their sounds, along with those of Black Flag, had changed how music was going to be heard and appreciated by me. I would soon become aware of just how many other people had this same revelation, but at the time, it was a purely subjective one as I sat alone in a small bedroom apartment in West Germany. The lightning fast guitar riffs from DR. Know and Darryl Jenifer, giving off so much more energy than those I'd been digging from groups I had been hearing, exploded in my ears, their chords tracing neural paths that were clearly necessary! The precision drumming of Earl Hudson, as if originating from some ancient and yet absolutely current ritual, with that cowbell sound and crisp snare hits! And, of course, the strange incantations from H.R., sung and spat out with such declarative fury and intriguing accent! Much like many others, Disaster Amnesiac found myself asking "who are these beings, and what planet are they from?" 

Pay To Cum! was one of those paradigm shift moments that Punk Rock presented. I'd imagine that copies of the original 7" are closely guarded and kept in secure locations by those that acquired them at their initial release, they being well aware of their import on the cultural landscape. It was fucking significant then, and it remains so.  The song has just never aged for me, and I'd imagine that that rings true for millions of others at this point, too. 

Thankfully, for people such Disaster Amnesiac that never were able to get their mitts onto an original copy of it, Bad Brains have gotten their business act tight, and are re-issuing huge chunks of their back catalog, starting with the world historical song of which I'm now singing praises. I was stoked to have found my copy of Pay To Cum! on a sleek silver slab of 7" vinyl at their website, and at a non-bank busting price to boot. 

As for the B-side, I was never familiar with Stay Close To Me, and have been enjoying its Punky Reggae feel as well; it conjures up visions of summertime cook outs and puppy love, what with its good time feels. Not as earth shattering as Pay To Cum!, but, then, what really could be so? Not much.....

Badbrainsrecords.com is a beautiful, slick, and classy spot on the web, and they're delivering their product with efficiency. Kudos to Bad Brains for that, and, of course, for using their PMA to draft that kick ass template of a large swath of music for the ensuing four decades. 

I needn't tell anyone who has marveled at the precision attack of Bad Brains musical vision that they should get on over there pronto, if for nothing more than a reminder of the possibilities that Bad Brains are so adept at invoking.

Waycross-self titled; self released 1998

 

Cities are damn weird places, and as regards San Francisco, this is doubly true. A tiny geographical area that is stuffed with people, it's a place that is full on quick transitions. One minute you're in an affluent  neighborhood, and the next you're walking past bodies, maybe living, maybe not, and crunching on used dope needles. It can be pretty jarring on the psyche. 

In light of that, a fair amount of the art and music that comes from San Francisco can have a certain dark tinge. Think of the brooding soundscapes of Toiling Midgets or the nihilist lyrics of Flipper. People in the City that are awake to this darkness, or have been affected by it need to find outlets for it. Some of those people are musicians; some of those musicians' work is going to reflect it.

A case in point is Waycross, a San Francisco band that emerged in the late 1990's. As Disaster Amnesiac recalls it, they were a pretty big deal in their home town, and deservedly so. The sound on their first, self-titled CD is one that is drenched from top to bottom with reflections of the environment from which it arose. As such, it resonated with people there. 

It's fitting to speak first off of the lyrics. Often intoned in duo by Caroleen Beatty and Sunshine Haire, they tell eloquent stories of relationships observed to be in bloom or in decay and everywhere else on the spectrum. It's not listed who wrote lines such as "lovers of art who gave you the message/you neglected to use the proper inflection/you're loveliest when you're perfectly still" on Lovers Of Art, but  whomever it was that did, credit them with superb powers of observation. Every time that I hear this song, I marvel at the sharpness of its insight. Waycross is filled with great lyrics such as that, or "the world's hungry and mean/and it's waiting for me" on Tips For Travelers. Suffice it say that you're a fan of poetry, you'll find tons of great verbiage here, and so much of it seems to reflect the lived lives of people in San Francisco. The harmonies achieved by Beatty and Haire as they deliver the words are subtle and quite lovely. They must have spent a ton of time honing them. There is a richness to them which makes hearing even the harder edged lyrics a beautiful experience. Beatty's voice, when solo, is like a Punk Rock Patsy Cline, never histrionic but powerful in its confident understatement. 

Along with their entwined vocals, Haire and Beatty also pair their guitar sounds on Waycross.  Beatty holds down the rhythm with clean tones and lines while Haire adds deliciously smudgy slide and echoed reverb. It's the latter sound which feels like the band's secret weapon. As Disaster Amnesiac has listened to this disc over the years, I've often been able to see the fog of San Francisco rolling down over Twin Peaks, or the gleam of sunset in the Mission, or the otherworldly glare of the Outer Richmond in July. This is large part due to the creative sound colors that Haire coaxes from her axe. They are often just unhinged enough to take the sound to those surreal spaces for which the electric guitar seems to have been almost exclusively designed. Just as with their vocals, this guitar team clearly spent a ton of time setting up a unique musical dynamic for their band, and in Haire's case I imagine there was also plenty of it spent in solitude, working out unique ideas.

One aspect that defines a band is its rhythmic feel. Think about groups such as the Ramones, Iron Maiden, or Black Flag. Regardless of how one might feel about them on an aesthetic level (Disaster Amnesiac enjoys them all), one must admit that they have distinct ways of shaping the rhythms of their songs. This quality is also the case with Waycross. They mostly stick to a loping 12/8 form on Waycross, which is held down tightly by drummer Bruce Ducheneaux and bass player Doug Hilsinger. This feel often has me thinking of hikes up the hills from Downtown or SOMA and up into the Western Addition. So often the faster Thrash rhythm is upheld as being indicative of the San Francisco environment, but that's probably because of speed; I never tried that shit, but I did a ton of walking around those 7 Hills, and Waycross brings those memories back. Hilsinger made hugely psychedelic guitar sounds with Bomb and Gift Horse, and it's really fascinating to this listener that he switched over to the bass for his duties within Waycross. He proves himself to be just as adept with four strings as six, and his booming fat tones set up and underscore the riffs really well. From the interactive and involved playing within the arrangements, it seems unlikely that Hilsinger saw playing the bass as any lesser of a role than that of guitar. Bruce has a great bass drum feel and gets pretty intricate with his cymbal beats, all the while managing to remain locked in with and supportive of Doug, Caroleen, and Sunshine as he does it. A fine drummer he is.

Taken as a whole, the Waycross sound is a deep and swirling fusion of Rock, Punk, and Country, one which manages to transcend these influences in shaping a singular musical band voice. The unique and mysterious lyrics, the great harmonized vocals, the creative instrumental playing: it all adds up to a solid document of musical ideas worked upon and realized. Disaster Amnesiac sees Waycross as a defining document of a specific time in the life that strangest of cities, San Francisco. Willing to bet that there are others out there that would share this opinion as well.

Above: Waycross set list, probably from Bottom of the Hill ca. 1999

 

Euphotic-Isopleths; Public Eyesore Records #146, 2020

 

A euphotic space is one in which plankton can receive enough sunlight for the process of photosynthesis. When Disaster Amnesiac thinks a bit past the definition, I think of areas that are both dark and light, warm and cold. You know, that spot that you can float around in, with a snorkel, while half of your body is warmed by sunlight and the other half is touched by the cooler dynamics emanating from the water's depths. These spaces are liminal, and as such, one must strive to pay attention a bit more when one is within them. 

Paying attention is a key to interactions with Isopleths, the recent CD from Euphotic. A kind of Eletro-Acoustic power trio, made up of Bryan Day on self-invented instruments, Cheryl Leonard on same, and Tom Djill on trumpet and electronics, the group has recorded a work that demands and rewards that attentive listening. Generally, you can disregard the inclination to identify what instrument is making which sound. This is especially true in the case of Leonard and Day. Their rigs are so unique, so personal as to defy all that, unless you're able to see them in a live setting (...ahem....) 

Instead, just let the sounds flow over the perceptions, much in the same way that could let the water within that liminal zone flow over your body as you float or swim. Sounds click, and snort, and clang, and wheeze, and splatter, all the while bumping up against other sounds that occur simultaneously. On occasion, Tom's trumpet bleats, giving off a bit of traditional timbral familiarity. All of this action happens within a generally still and unassuming manner. These three musicians all work within a scene that values understatement and active listening to a high degree, and, within those parameters, Djill, Leonard, and Day are very refined. As Disaster Amnesiac has listened to Isopleths, I've done so both within a more "active" mode and within one less so (driving, doing dishes, writing emails), and the album suits both modalities just fine, even though one will definitely get more sonic payoff from the a place of the active variety. Significant, "rocking" heat is at times generated, especially within the tracks that have most consistently made my ears perk up, Echolocution and Pluton. On the former especially, it's felt almost as if Euphotic planned things to go that way, winding their way to it with a relaxed, gentle pace. The latter gives a bit of a preview of what's to come, before slinking more into the background for a while. The dynamic ebb and flow of Isopleths is very compelling, that's for sure. You wade in, immerse, start to float, notice more and more, and then you're hit with the immensity of the environment in which you're presently dwelling. A VERY nice feeling, and absolutely worth the wait. 

As stated,  you'll want to give as much of your direct perceptual attention to Isopleths as you can. Do so, and you'll find yourself floating along within a very fascinating liminal world. Don't be panicked by the wide open spaces therein, for you can be assured that they'll lead to plenty of satisfying sound interactions in time.

 

Mandy Zone & Ozone-Live At Max's Kansas City 1981; ugexplode Records, 2019

 

Often times, fate just is not fair to musicians. The story of Rock 'n Roll is especially strewn with unacknowledged real artists that toiled in total or relative obscurity before flaming out completely. Thankfully, the Age of the Reissue continues, and Disaster Amnesiac gets turned on to great, seemingly forgotten, sounds from the past pretty often, sounds such as those from Mandy Zone & Ozone. Ugexplode Records has done a great job with Live At Max's Kansas City 1981, which features killer live sets and several equally killer demos from this undeservedly obscure New York City Rock 'n Roll band. 

Vocalist Mandy Zone gave the Ozone not only their name, but also their sonic calling card, with his powerful singing voice. Mandy was clearly not afraid to emote with his incredible pipes. He hits high notes with ease, and seems to love doing that. Dig on Emergency for ample proof of that. His ripped heart emotionalism looms large over songs like Shotgun and Baby It's You. This is the kind of convincing singing, singing which goes wildly past "cool" and into the sort of "hot" emotion that needs to give no further convincing than its own action. Mandy meant it, and if you have ears to hear, you will. His banter on the live tracks seems to show an engaging, affable stage persona as well. Why did this guy not become a huge star? Hell, Disaster Amnesiac has felt while listening that most Hair Bands own him a debt of gratitude for inventing the 1980's strain of power ballad on The Chain. Listen to it and just try to tell me that I'm wrong! Along with his great vocals, Zone plays really great funhouse style keyboards that drive the tunes; try the demo version of Broken Toy or the live version of 19 Teleporter to hear how well his playing did this. They're equal to any of Ozone's contemporaries who were dealing in the same aesthetics, and the latter song rivals just about any Hawkwind for Space Rock prowess. 

Guitarist Jon Pilkington proves to be equally versatile. Disaster Amnesiac has noted many different spices within his six string stew, from early Rock 'n Roll to Glitter to the then current Hardcore Punk. His rhythm playing is chunky and full on songs like Dawn and Born To Raise Hell, swaggerin' along with the songs' changes. His solo voice is simultaneously eloquent and ripped. Pilkington is a great player that clearly deserves more accolades.That's what guitarists generally desire, right?

The rhythm section of Tommie Moonie and Tedd Dolhon stomps and churns with rocking authority that keeps the songs moving with lightning grace. Dig on the cut time swing on Rockie Fever and Shotgun and try not to bop your head in sync with them.  The demo versions of Ozone's tunes have them a bit more restrained, but, man, the live stuff swings like crazy. If Rock 'n Roll is about setting forth a runaway train, Moonie and Dolhorn are damn fine conductors. Check out Lay Away Plan to hear what I'm talking about! 

Mandy Zone & Ozone sound to Disaster Amnesiac like a band that was rooted in past forms but also looking forward to the future within their sound. Live At Max's Kansas City 1981 shows a band  that could have and really should have gained a wider audience. Their sound is creative and catchy, and it's a real head scratcher as to how and why they did not get past their local circuit and out into the mainstream. The tunes on this album are of a high enough caliber to have done so. That said, it's great that we can hear them now or in any other time going forward, for they seem pretty timeless to me.

Goodbye Milford Graves

 

With the passing of Milford Graves, America has lost one of its true geniuses. 

Drummer, scientist, health food advocate, martial artist, philosopher: he covered all of these vocations. As far as Disaster Amnesiac can understand it, Graves pushed the envelope within them all in a way that was truly exemplary and independent. Find an interview with him and marvel at the truly individualistic and creative ways in which he tackled his pursuits. You'll be amazed and inspired. 

Milford Graves's body of work will in no way come to end with his physical passing. He planted the seeds, and they're going to be giving fruits for a long time to come. 

Well played and well stated, Professor Graves. You are now pure quantum.

Galactapus-I Intend To Stay; self-released vinyl and digital, 2020

 

One of the formative influences on this here blog was most definitely the Left Field Americana column in Wax Poetics magazine. Over several issues, the authors of that column would write about strange records that they'd discovered, records in which an artist or artists would blend whatever influences that they had with distinct visions of their own. It would be pointed out how this action would result in recorded documents that display a singular bit of musical magic, unique in the world. Left Field American did a really great job of pointing Disaster Amnesiac toward many a recording that provided the craved "wtf?" upon hearing it. 

I mention this because I'm delighted to say that there is an artist working out of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area would fit right in to one of said columns. Galactapus is his name, and I Intend To Stay is his debut release. Disaster Amnesiac was really excited to hear it online last year, and even further so when my vinyl copy arrived in late January of this year. 

The music of Galactapus is beautifully eclectic and personal throughout I Intend To Stay. Starting off with a kind of tribal invocation with Waking The Troll, featuring the sounds of bells, birds, and weird synth tones, it quickly moves to a mood that brings to mind underground Los Angeles circa 1980 on Succubus. These tunes pair so elegantly, it's tough to not see them as a kind of opening suite. Be Alright follows, and it shows how well versed Galactapus is with primal garage stompin' sounds. Great synth riffs and percussion here, with a nicely twisted refrain in the middle. Things go weirdly surreal on Hold On (I Just Wanna Check Something), as cascading keyboard tones meet up with goofy chanting and funny hand claps. It's here were one starts to feel the genuine, heartfelt oddness of it all; this track has made me laugh out loud, as well as scratch my head with the forementioned "wtf?" mental feel as I've heard it. Kind of like watching an old aerobics VHS cassette at times. Cool, scratchy percussion and very effective, simple drums frame whimsical flute and melodica on The Whistling Lung. A kind of return to the indigenous-to-current feels of the opener. Is Galactapus hanging out with the Ojibwa Nation up there? Next up, Blood Tantrum makes Disaster Amnesiac consistently imagine myself to be viewing a Saturday morning cartoon series from another, better dimension than this one. I see strange heroes and villains coming across my mental screen as I listen. Surely, there is some great animator who could manifest this better show? Any volunteers out there? Please? Side one ends with Faeries' Wet Dream, a nice little etude that gets spiced by some elemental feedback type tones, which wrap its prettiness up neatly within their mysteries. Side Two begins with Cherries That Scream. This song feels like a linear continuation of side one's last track. This is cool, because it places the listener immediately back within I Intend To Stay's singular aesthetic. Chaotic Neutral Overdrive is a fusion of Twee and Garage, with an infectiously groovy singalong, simple vocal, perfect for evoking a mood of carefree skullfucked-ness, which is perfect for these times, would you not agree? Strong Like Tree starts out with an incantation of organ and percussion, then busts out into some more of that fun Twee Pop skippy-do-run-run. I challenge you to not join in with the chorus here! C'mon, it'll be fun, like a Coney Island Steeplechase! Galactapus is a great, less is more drummer, and he proves it on this track. Some glistening, cutting guitar tones lead the way on Aquatron Brother, Surf tones bending around some more of that effective percussion simplicity. Could this Super Hero be included within the imagined series from side one? Would Aquatron Brother front a group of dudes laying down Dick Dale riffs in 1965 Hermosa Beach? If not, can we make that happen on some other time line, just for shits and giggles? Sugar Pussy Boom Boom rocks the keys in a way that would make KK Barrett pound his tom toms really heavy or Su Tissue stand up and take note (at least before she went to The Berklee School). I imagine this one as being inspired by a beloved cat, but your view could be more prurient. 2Hot2 Cuddle (Right Now) mixes beginner sitar with wah-wah keys and warbles, plus more of that astute work on the drums, while the vocals alternate between Space Age "aaaaahhhhhhh)" and the glossolalia from the innermost places of Soul. Yeah, definitely tough to get all touchy-feely when you're jumping between the Starship Enterprise and James Brown on the T.A.M.I. Show. Get down with it and make the moves later, it'll keep. Wait a sec, maybe Galatapus just wants to forego the cuddle and get right on over to home base, what with the "oh baby" that gets placed right there in the middle. Is getting hot in here? I Intend To Stay's penultimate track, Still Alright, brings the listener even further out into space with crinkled key tones to start before a neat drum machine beat and some more of those handclaps mix it up within a fast-paced song about being alright; at least that's what the lyrics suggest. This song should be a hit single, and Disaster Amnesiac should hear it out of car windows and at Target now and at Grocery Outlet in the future for ever and ever. I wanna be alright, and Still Alright makes me feel that way. Just as in any great, effective ritual, I Intend To Stay ends with a short, poignant wave goodbye in Anti Climacto, wherein those great keyboards are joined by plaintive thumb piano and scrap yard percussion tones. Some crows caw, and then, out. Again, a simple, quick wave goodbye.

Wrapped in a cover that features an odd yet intriguing portrait of Galactapus on its front and genuinely lovely calligraphy on its back, I Intend To Stay is a damn near perfect specimen of personalized musical vision, effectively put out into the world, and this world is surely better for its appearance. It would have moved those expert crate diggers who wrote those Left Field Americana columns, and it sure has moved Disaster Amnesiac's perceptions to those cherished musical spaces that I crave so much. Get with Galactapus!