Sun City Girls: Cloaven Theater
Deep from the bowels of the Interwebs, we spelunked this gem from 1994.
From the notes on the Youtube page:
“1994: VHS video (Abduction: Video 1)
A mind control experiment shot and edited at the cable public access studios of Viacom in Seattle (after TCI pulled the rug out from under us). It was supposed to be aired, but Viacom's tech guy screwed up the dub and it never did. So it was released on VHS. “
Guest appearances by:
Eddy Detroit and Adam Burke (percussion on "The Venerable Song"),
Eddy Detroit (goat calls on "Sam Manilla" and "Brothers Unconnected").
Includes a "video comic book" by Blaine Thurier, narrated by Charles Gocher.
Filmed by: Charles Gocher, Greg Hynes, Javier Gallegos, Keith Parry, Steve Reetz, Erin Lofton, and Bohemia Afterdark.
Songs and ???:
* Flippin the Bird
* An Old Eyeball in a Quart Jar of Snot
* Music For the Funeral of Drama City
* Nay Bah Zay
* Bail Out of Jail
* The Brothers Unconnected
* Bliss of Coma
* Drifting in Smiles
* The Venerable Song Pt. 1 (the meaning of which is no longer known)
* Hitman Boy
* No, There I Go
* Out on the Dixie
* The Momentary Fugitive
* The Venerable Song Pt. 2
* Sam Manilla
* Mamas Milk (Too Dry)
* It's Not a Real Knife
* Let the Night Roar
Fine China: 'Trees At Night'
I love to promote local music.
Phoenix guitar-pop heroes Fine China have returned with their new single ‘Trees At Night.’
Here’s what singer / songwriter Rob Withem has to say about the track:
“In my home growing up there was an odd assortment of vinyl records among which were new age type albums by artists like Andreas Vollenweider and Mannheim Steamroller, and a whole stack of Windam Hill samplers from the early 80’s. I always was drawn to the songs with nature sounds, songs that sort of had a setting in which they existed. With ‘Trees at Night’ I wanted to combine that approach with pure pop music. So a song not only is a song but it lives in a place.“
Though the track is certainly not “New Age,” you can certainly feel that touchpoint. The track definitely has an 80’s feel and captures a nostalgic move but remains original and engaging.
Lyrics :
If you asked me for a moment
If you told me as a friend
That I'm going on alone
In the shadow of the moonlight
There's a ghost upon the room
I'm going on alone
Faces in the leaves speak with voices we deceive not
Rivers get the land both beautiful and damned
But it's on my mind and it's in the trees at night
I don't want to be a lion and I never was a lamb
Is my heart beating or is it just a hologram
Faces in the leaves speak with voices we deceive not
And the rain waters the land for the lonely and the grand
But it's on my mind and it's in the trees at night
Giant Sand, Live at Mad Dog Studios/The Atlantic Session (01/30/90)
I don’t know if it’s still around, but when we lived in KY (roughly 2002-2005), I was part of The Sandman Series. This was a CDR series of bootlegs organized by Jim Blackman and Howe Gelb. Basically, the way it worked was that CDRs were sent out to “seeders.” I was a seeder. The seeders committed to recording and mailing the CDRs to a certain number of people (I think it was around 10 but I really don’t remember). I seeded several different discs, but the one I still return to most was called The Atlantic Session.
The core group (at that time) of Howe Gelb, John Convertino and Joey Burns recorded this set as a demo for Atlantic Records at Mad Dog Studios in CA. It was never officially released until the Sandman Series helped bring it to the light of day. As the name suggests, this is a studio recording. The band is tight and the tunes are bitchin.
The set is available at the fantastic Archive.org.
Dive right in.
Giant Sandworms: "Body of Water"
Videographer Ray Frieders recently posted on Facebook:
“37 years ago today at Gates Pass, a spectacular backdrop for Tucson’s own Giant Sandworms. “Body of Water” was directed by Tony Sotelo and was the first of many 80’s music videos that I shot and edited. I am very fortunate to have these photos and some amazing memories! I am not sure what I love most, my full head of hair or the fact that I “borrowed” a KVOA news camera for this shoot.”
“Before Giant Sand there was Giant Sandworms, Howe Gelb's first band in Tucson. Here is their debut music video from 1983.
Howe Gelb - Guitar, Vocals
Dave Seger - Guitar, Vocals
Billy Sed -Drum, Vocals
Scott Garber - Bass”
Visit Howe Gelb/Giant Sand’s official website.
Follow Giant Sand at Facebook.
Follow Howe Gelb at Facebook.
Browse all posts marked “Giant Sand” here at Holiday at the Sea.
Purchase Giant Sand music at Amazon.
Remembering Rainer Ptacek With Arizona Illustrated
By now you’re probably familiar with my love for Rainer Ptacek and his sunbaked folk blues. If not, visit this post, or this post, or this post. I’m not going to give further background information on the amazing singer/songwriter/guitarist here. Instead, enjoy this profile from Arizona Public Media (which actually does a good job profiling the story). Actually, the whole video is 28 minutes, but only the first 15 (or just shy thereof) minutes is about Rainer even if the segments about “healing art” and “Tucson trains” are interesting.
The video profile features interviews with Rainer’s widow Patti Keating, Howe Gelb, and Rainer himself. It includes some overlapping footage with the KUAT profile featured here but also includes some home movie segments which don’t quite feel like we should be privileged to see, adding depth to the music and weight to the loss.
And here’s grainy black and white footage of Rainer playing the song Patti mentions, ‘Don't Know Why ‘ in 1989.
Harsh Narayan: Grand Canyon Sarangi
Phoenician and tabla player (“tablist?”)Shreyas Iyer operates the Dhaa School of Music. Their website says:
“Dhaa School of Music strives to teach this complex musical instrument, Tabla, in a fun and supportive environment. The goal is to cultivate the seed of love for this instrument so that it becomes a lifelong journey for each and every student.”
On Sunday October 20, the Dhaa School of Music, together with Authentic Yoga Teacher Training are hosting and evening of live music with Harsh Narayan and Shreyas Iyer “Only 60 seats available and these are filling up fast. Get your tickets soon.”
The Burnlackers: "Laughter" EP
I don’t know if you remember it, but there used to be a coffeehouse in Scottsdale, AZ called The Congo and they used to host fantastic all-ages shows. Friends and I would go there and drink coffee and play chess and listen to live music. We fancied ourselves poets, but that’s another story for another day.
I’m sure there was one, but we never checked the schedule of who was playing, it was just something that you could count on, that there would most likely be great live music.
And it was always a special treat when a band called the Burnlackers would play. Sort of alt. country even before I knew there was such a thing, sort of moody alternative rock, it felt like music conceived in the sunbaked desert, which I most definitely dig.
At one of the shows, I bought a cassette of their 1994 EP called “Laughter.” I lived in the on-campus apartments at Grand Canyon University and we had a huge boombox in the front room. In the Fall, we would open the sliding glass door and put on this tape at full volume. So much so that I went through several copies. Having the sliding glass door open also made it easier for our friend living outside in his station wagon to come in and use the shower or the stove, but that’s also probably another story.
The band has recently started playing around town again and I couldn’t be more pleased. They are working on recording new material and graciously gave permission to post the EP here at Holiday At The Sea.
It’s well worth your time. Listen here.
The Myrrors: “Sonoran Trance Music” from Tucson via Fuzz Club Eindhoven 2019
“Sonoran Trance Music” from Tucson via Fuzz Club Eindhoven 2019.
Check out this live set from 23.8.19 at Fuzz Club Festival, Eindhoven.
Rainer Radio 1983 and 1986
If you’re not familiar with the music and life of Arizona (by way of Germany)’s Rainer Ptacek, then let’s rectify that (though for a much better and fuller account, please read the piece by Fred Mills at the official Rainer website).
Born in East Berlin to parents of Czech and German descent, Rainer’s family fled East Germany for the United States when he was only five years old. Young Rainer was exposed to the Blues while the family lived in Chicago before landing West in Tucson in the 1970s.
Later that decade, Ptacek helped found the Giant Sandworms with Howe Gelb, a band which would later more into Giant Sand, also launching the Calexico story. Ptacek also played solo and with his own band Das Combo.
“Although he never became well known in the United States, he became more and more recognized in Europe. ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons was so impressed with the singer-guitarist that he arranged to have Kurt Loder review Ptacek's "Mush Mind Blues" cassette in Rolling Stone. Ptacek later traveled to Houston at the invitation of Billy Gibbons to record at Gibbons' Gold Star Sound Services studio which saw release as "The Texas Tapes" meeting international attention and approval. Robert Plant, similarly impressed, flew Ptacek to England for the sessions for B-sides to supplement the singles from Fate of Nations.”
The article continues:
“After suffering a seizure while riding his bike to work in February 1996, Ptacek was diagnosed with a brain tumor in February 1996. He was uninsured and was overwhelmed by his mounting medical expenses. Howe Gelb and Robert Plant organized recording sessions for a fund-raising tribute album. The resulting record, The Inner Flame - A Tribute to Rainer Ptacek, featured Ptacek-penned songs performed by Gelb (with Giant Sand), Plant, Jimmy Page, Emmylou Harris, John Wesley Harding, Evan Dando, Victoria Williams, Mark Olson, Tina Chesnutt, Vic Chesnutt, PJ Harvey, John Parish, The Drovers, Madeleine Peyroux, Kris McKay, Chuck Prophet, Jonathan Richman, Lucinda Williams and Bill Janovitz. Ptacek is a participant on most of the tracks.
Intense chemotherapy sessions put his tumor into remission, and Ptacek's musical skills and creativity both returned. He resumed his concert activity vigorously, beginning with a guest performance at Greg Brown's show in November 1996. By this time, media attention was more focused on him than ever before. On December 17, 1996, he performed a show for 300 doctors, nurses, and patients at the hospital where he was being treated. Just when it seemed as though he had beaten his disease, it recurred in October 1997, and he died three weeks later at age 46.
What the Wikipedia blurb fails to mention is that Rainer re-taught himself to play guitar. Imagine that.
Anyway, today we feature two live performances from the 1980’s. Each is made available by the amazing Jim Blackwood. Visit the Live Music Archive page for each show for specific notes, to stream or download for yourself (1983 // 1986)
Rainer Live at KXCI-FM Studios on 1983-12-05
Rainer Live at The Sound Factory on 1986-04-08