RECENT FAVES FROM THE RECORD LIBRARY- DEC 1999


As compiled by WFMU's Music Director Brian Turner


BELLRAYS Let It Blast (Vital Gesture)
This record is a year old, true, but one didn't fall into our hands until recently. Take a kickass MC-5 band and front them with a gal named Lisa who belts pretty damn near Lyn Collins and you've got a dynamite formula. "Hot request".

BRUCE HAACK, ESTHER NELSON & DIMENSION 5 Listen Compute Rock Home (Emperor Norton)
Like Raymond Scott's "Soothing Sounds For Babies", Bruce Haack offered straight-out Plutonian homemade electronics for childrens' amusement, and musically he created one of the weirdest universes for this forum. Indeed, these records remain in the novelty realm, but they jump out at us every time a track is previewed on the air. There's a great intro to Indian culture for kids herein; overall a nice overview of a composer who is due for some high-profile attention (this music dates back to early 60s; he died about 10 years ago).

VARIOUS FUNERAL BANDS Dead and Gone Vol. 1 (Trikont)
We've been trying to line up more music on this label since we were wowed by the Ho! Roady Music From Vietnam collection (which finally has US distribution a year later); this too is an awe-inspiring compilation. This one consists of amazing funeral music from around the world: brass bands, Tom Waits, sobbing punctuating the end of a George Lewis contribution. Excellent all around.

DEBRIS Static Disposal (Anopheles)
Reissued recordings of great 1973-74 Oklahoma band that did the spuzzing MX-80 crash-and-burn art attack guitar thing with saucer-on-the-horizon synth blatt ala Pere Ubu. Studio/live/rehearsal tracks nicely packed on here.

STOCK, HAUSEN & WALKMAN Ventilating Deer (Hot Air)
More electronic goofiness from these UK scamps, this is a reissue of a 97 disc that was initially an expensive CD-ROM, with an Eerie Materials 7" tacked on. SH&W always kind of reminded us of a drunken, staggering Richard James, though that is really not a good comparison. They do dissect electronic sound into very fine splinters, but dump an extra exotic factor in that makes them a bit more FMU-loved, we suppose.

SONNY MURRAY Sonny's Time Now (DIW)
A pretty mindblowing 1966 release that was on a Thurston Top 10 elusive freejazz list in GRAND ROYAL, newly reissued, again, I believe. To say Murray is, along with Milford Graves, the sheer concrete foundation of the free stick movement would be an understatement. Add Don Cherry, Albert Ayler and Henry Grimes to this and you have an essential reissue to pick up. Add Leroi Jones ranting about cops and the jelly between Elizabeth Taylor's toes and you have to find a chair to sit down.

THE SIMPSONS Go Simphonic With the Simpsons (Rhino)
Come on! Patty & Selma's "We Love to Smoke" is the hit of the month!


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