Lee Fields & The Expressions - Special Night

Well what could possibly be cooler than Lee Fields?
Lee Fields in a Hot Air Balloon over what appear to be the Cali vineyards from the Sideways film! They had me from the moment the organ appears on this beauty. Also check out that first jacket he's wearing and how it catches the light...damn...

It's the title track from their new album which is out now on Big Crown Records, and ALL of the links you need are under that vid!

Love the old-school cover

The chaps also make an appearance on this newly-released space oddity...

and if you wanna see 'em live (it is traditional here that the formatting now goes haywire...)

Feb 16: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS w/ THE SHACKS - Boston, MA Royale
Feb 17: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS w/ THE SHACKS - PHILADELPHIA, PA  Union Transfer
Feb 18: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Washington DC Rock & Roll Hotel
Feb 23: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Burlington, VT ArtsRiot
Feb 24: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Montreal, QC L'Astral
Feb 25: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Toronto, ON  Lee's Palace
Feb 26: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Detroit, MI Majestic Café
Feb 28: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
Mar 01: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Bloomington, IN Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Mar 03: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Kansas City, MO Record Bar
Mar 04: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - St. Louis, MO 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center
Mar 05: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge
Mar 09: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Charlotte, NC Neighborhood Theatre
Mar 10: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Savannah, GA Savannah Stopover Music Festival
Mar 11: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Atlanta, GA Terminal West
Mar 12: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Durham, NC Motorco
April 16: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Indio, CA
April 23: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Indio, CA
May 12: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Black Mt, NC
June 3: LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS - Beach Haven, NJ

Senyawa - Calling The New Gods

Many years ago, before the internet, you would have to stay up to silly-o'clock at to catch amazing gold that would be buried late at night by stupid television execs. Every now and then there would be a quite extraordinary find. Later, when videotape arrived you could set up a recorder to run through the night, and then see what, if anything, you had 'caught' at a more sensible time. This wonderful film took me straight back to those days.

It follows these two as they perform in all sorts of different places in Jogjakarta, from rural to city, and the music (just vocs and an incredible instrument called bambu wukir - bamboo spear) is semi-improvised to fit each setting. The filming catches each environment perfectly.

Fans of Popol Vuh and Magma will explode when they hear this stuff! Their influences seem to be Metal; local tribal styles and, clearly,improvisation.

Look, just watch and listen it's beautiful

See?

Hats off to the director Vincent Moon (he seems to work as Petites Planetes as well)

Ok now the good news is they're coming to the UK (well Newcastle!) this October.

We are Twisted Fucking Sister! - Film/Documentary

Finally saw the DVD version last night - what a riot. Unlike hipster fools, everyone in Heavy Metal knows it's all about delivering the goods. It's either a great show or the band AND the audience have failed. Twisted Sister knew it instinctively, and spent 10 years building a colossal steamroller of an act and huge live following in the States - in the REAL States outside of New York city - where "Disco Sucks". There's a great comment about NYC in the 70's...something like "the adults had moved out and left it to the children" spat out with contempt. This is a documentary about those first 10 years and, as luck would have it, everyone in the band and crew are born storytellers/auteurs so this is two and a quarter hours of great, and sometimes tall, tales. Because the story just falls into the era of videocams there's contemporary live footage to back up the claims to live awesomeness. The contradictions as to what happened behind the scenes are left in, which I think was a great decision as they were all about the schtick, and were clearly very savvy businessmen. To keep the steamroller going without any media/ record company assistance was a goshdarned miracle, and you will love them for it. The latter moments when England saved their bacon brought a tear to the eye because I was there and, whilst not a great fan of their music, live they simply destroyed. We had no idea of the disasters they'd been through to get to that stage, and they didn't drop their guard...as the Reading Festival (and poor Hanoi Rocks) found out. Dee even sprayed us with gunfire from a machine-pistol and we loved it. If you want a good show this film, and Twisted Sister, deliver the goods \m/

A trailer cannot really do it justice but...

Blanck Mass - Dead Format + UK tour dates

Well i'm not sure what happened there but it involved one of Fuck Buttons and what appears to be a cyber-tuber!

A tip of the hat to director Konx-om-Pax

The track is from the current album 'Dumb Flesh' which is on the excellent Sacred Bones label. Here is the album sleeve + current tour dates - how neat...

Wooden Indian Burial Ground - Burnout Beach + album/tour deets

I've been meaning to flag up this lot, and now is the time because they are in the UK and the visuals are all in alignment. The new vid is a tremendous freakout - stick with it...

They're from Portland but the new album 'How's Your Favourite Dreamer' is out on Belgian label EXAG' Records. It is a thing of beauty.

There are a lot of bands doing this stuff but they all tend to be generic sound-a-likes. This lot stand out, I think, because they really can jam. Here they are from a coupla weeks ago.

Phew! So, tour

The Finsbury in London; The Cavern Club Exeter; The Hope & Ruin Brighton; The West Indian Club Rugby; 1000FRYD Aalborg.

Joanna Newsom - Divers

This is a sensational return to form. I'm up & down with Joanna (listeners to the Radio Show may recall my getting completely lost in the 3 disc 'Have One On Me' release - in a good way), and this is def an UP. Perfect 'recording' from Albini and a BEAUTIFUL vid from Paul Thomas Anderson. Yep, she's pulled out the big guns for this one.

This is the title track from the new album which is out now on Drag City.

Tour dates for USA & Australia (+ anything else you might need) are here-

http://www.dragcity.com/artists/joanna-newsom

Maya Art (Vera Bremerton) - What Happened?

Actually, just while I am posting about these two, here is a film by Maya, with soundtrack by Vera (who is also clearly in the film)

Great isn't it?

Vera Bremerton - In The Dark Synapses + gig + albums

Vera Bremerton is pretty much impossible to write about save to say that she will do anything to try and make you feel

Brilliant video from Maya Art as well.

One live event (although she plays events in London regularly)

and at last you can all hear and buy her music at Bandcamp. Keep an eye out for the piece entitled 'Then All These Curses' - still the most astonishing music I have played in the Radio Shows (it's on 'Elemental').

Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats 2015

Well it's been two years since I posted about the Beatles from Hell Cambridgeshire! Drugs, exploitation, bikes, horror, cult films, vintage beauties are all present and correct, as is their secret weapon - SONGS!

Anyway the new album - The Night Creeper - has been out for two months on Rise Above Records ffs! And, they've been on the road for 2 months as well -

then they're off here

and later they're going here

Right, just time for this classic from last year

Oh and check out their web site - a brilliant design

http://www.acidcoven.com/

Sycamore Age

I've played this band's music in the radio shows but didn't realise what a wonderful video artist Stefano is. This is beautiful (and so is the sentiment). Stick with it - doesn't go where you quite expect...

Bravo Stefano Santoni.

Now look at what their music does to other directors. This starts with Jodorowsky occult/catholic flirtations, but once the illuminati chicken boat-plane arrives all bets are off...

Erika Errante B directed that one!

The current album is 'Perfect Laughter' (via the Woodworm & Santeria labels)

Yep individually painted

Last few dates of their current mini-tour (sorry these three lines will NOT fit in damnit) -

04/11/2015 Nantes-the workshop of bitche

05/11/2015 Rouen-the 3 pieces06/11/2015 Tournai-water moulin

With The Dead - Crown of Burning Stars (OFFICIAL PROMO) + album + live debut

We love DOOM at Toby Towers. Greening & Bagshaw ARE DOOM. They were the groovers in mark 1 Electric Wizard, and then created the ultimate dread of Ramesses. So we're delighted to see them back together again in this supergroup - get ready for a thorough drubbing...

That's better. 

The self-titled debut album is out now on Rise Above Records. Check out the Ltd Edition vinyl...

 and they'll be playing their first live date at Roadburn next year (Lee is curating)

Blondi's Salvation - Human Hymn + album/ live deets

Tour videos. I have to watch loads, and they're so formulaic - you know the drill - bars; flipping the bird; smokin; not-funny comedy bits...so imagine my surprise when this little work of art exploded in front of me. It's absolutely beautiful!

First rule of tour vids should be to show what the band saw, and not what they did? This one's particularly surprising as the band shot it themselves with excellent direction by Manuel Jesus. Great work.

Anyway, they're from Nantes but could easily fit in with the Italian occult prog scene.

Their new album 'Wisdom Whisper' is coming out 13th November on the excellent Howlin Banana label.

and I have found one gig (with Sycamore Age - another act we have played in the radio shows)

Purson - Electric Landlady

New single from a band I've loved for years. This is supposed to be a lyric video but actually turns out to be a design classic!

It's available digitally at the usual places.

The forthcoming album is to be called Desire's Magic Theatre.

They are currently on the road in the USA with Ghost until the end of October, and a quick trawl of social media suggests that they are tearing the place apart. This doesn't surprise me as their live show is incredible and Americans do appreciate a good live band.

Remaining dates and ticket links are here -  http://www.purson.co.uk/tour-dates/

Now as Rosalie rather hogged, albeit justifiably, that video here is the whole band.

but here's where they really come alive

Huntress - Sorrow/ Zenith/ Eight of Swords + album deets

Fronted by the frankly staggering Jill Janus, this lot keep knocking the ball out of the park with their vids. This new one's a perfect retro-horror concoction

Well done Phil Mucci.

Esoterica; melody; occult science and bong-rips...mix in a cauldron and you get this amazingness

Anyway the new album is out now on Napalm Records

See my post about The Shrine for live dates (what a tour that's gonna be!). Now let's go back to their debut for a reminder of a) why walking around hell in a leotard can be a great idea and b) what an incredible voice Miss Janus has (if you don't know this - wait for the "Let the witches in" bit when she will freeze your blood)

sun zoom spark

This is a club night based in Digbeth/ Birmingham UK dealing with oscillations/ kosmische/ radiophonics/ low-end psych...all monochromatic futurist punishment. But check out the lighting design!

How about that for a brain-fryer.

Good work Film Ficciones.

Next performance is this Saturday (10th October) at the Centrala Gallery.
STOP PRESS - performance cancelled unfortunately.
Keep an eye on their facebook page for the next trip.

Peter Max Psychedelic animations

a worthy copy by Vincent Collins

Hookworms - Away / Towards

Thin pickings lately so let's have this one from a few years ago. Very slow build with a bunch of forest-bound arkastrites, but when it kicks off we're driving on the motorway of the universe

All I can find is a coupla dates for this lot -

17/10/15 - Headrow House, Leeds w/Richard Formby

24/10/15 - The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge w/Sauna Youth

Figs In Wigs - Cilla Black Bean Sauce + tour deets

Pun-mongous Fungus

"The Queens of Pun" apparently! They have a show touring (and it does seem to be a show, rather than a gig)

Fig Dates:

24 Oct The Cube, Bristol 8pm

11 Nov Colchester Arts Centre 8pm

14 Nov Croydonites, Matthew Yard, Croydon 8pm

21 Nov Tom Thumb Theatre, Margate 8pm

25 Nov The Continental, Preston 8pm

26 Nov Live at LICA, Lancaster 7:30pm

27 Nov Live Art Bistro, Leeds 8pm

You can expect this sorta thing

The Shrine - Death To Invaders + album/ tour deets

Well The Shrine can do no wrong as far as I am concerned. I stumbled across them way back when Sir Chuck Dukowski had taken a shine to them and produced that incredible first single. The following demo was incredible - there was a period long ago when punk met hardcore met metal and it was a golden era when the great punk lie was thrown out of the window (together with all the dumb-arse journalists) and folk just ROCKED. We now know that it was the return of Proto. The Shrine mainline that era, that feeling, and they can fuckin' JAM. Finally we have a vid that does them justice...

I would just add that their beast of a drummer was a very talented singer-songwriter as well! I hope he's still doing that. Anyway the new album is 'Rare Breed' and is out 30th October in Europe but 15th January in N America! Apparently the American version will have additional tracks...here are all 3 of their albums so far

They tour relentlessly so...

Some of those are with Clutch and Corrosion of Conformity, and yes that is a 5 day stint on Motorhead's motorboat!

Then it's over to Europe for this

and then back to the USA for this incredible package

Unfortunately Coolrunnings nabbed it first but if ever there was a band deserving of this album sleeve - it's The Shrine-

The Groop - Alright

Brilliant 60's bongo-tastic garage-rocker, with a brain melter video - full screen recommended...now let's frug!

excellent work by The RotatingChinmen