Friday, April 24, 2009

Andy T. and Martin P.'s Top 5 things you might hear at River Gods next Thursday!"

Posted at 02:57 by Shaula Clark

Andy T.'s List
1. High Rise, "Ikon" (Live LP)
Bought this at Twisted Village because the sticker on it just said "HEAVY." Overblown, piercing, howling feedback and total amplifier worship/abuse. If you think wah pedals are only for dudes (or ladies) with soul patches, think again. These Japanese speed freaks exploded the Blue Cheer template by pushing all sorts of needles into the purple. And it's still rock & roll, just not for lightweights.

2. George Brigman, "Pull Your Pants Down" (Jungle Rot LP)
Loner dirtbag rock from the crumbling Baltimore ruins, 1970s, way before you watched The Wire. Inspired by the Groundhogs, Stooges, and DMT, the LP has a murky yet soulful stoner blues atmosphere. Brigman has become a cult hero since its private press release and is still making music today. A true lifer.

3. The Ridiculous Trio, "Down On The Street" b/w "No Fun" (7")
Stooges covers as performed by trombone, tuba, and drums. Raging.

4. Witchfinder General, "Soviet Invasion"
Named after the Vincent Price flick, devout scholars of the Iommi scriptures, and blokes you might find wearing large pagan necklaces down at the local meatpie and lager house. Often canonized alongside St. Vitus and Pentagram, they have become legendary to fans of the doomish hand. Here they tackle the subject matter of The Russkies, in a metallic context with a reflective acoustic intro. Get pissed.

5. Funkadelic, "Maggot Brain"
I think this speaks for itself. Good way for a DJ to clear a room?
Sure. Of poseurs.

Martin P.'s List
1. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, "Are You Gonna Look After My Boys?"
Thee underappreciated pop genius of our time, simultaneously stealing the respective thrones of Hall & Oates and Robert Pollard. Infuriatingly prolific, with a hit:miss ratio most bands would murder for, he's a nearly bottomless well of hit after profoundly medicated hit.

2. Unrest, "So So Sick"
Local (by way of Arlington, VA) legend Mark Robinson is the silent hero lurking among us. Unrest and Teenbeat Records were a crucial indie-rock touchstone throughout the '90s and helped write the language we all speak.

3. The Monks, "Monk Chant"
There's no band in the universe as cool as the Monks.

4. The Soft Machine, "Hope For Happiness"
When psych started becoming prog, The Soft Machine helped push it along. Drums, bass and organ, each of them lead instruments in a badass mess. Not to be confused with the aimless and wanky jazz/rock nightmare this band turned into after all the founding members eventually filtered out, the first two albums are among the most crucial recordings of the late '60s.

5. Sic Alps, "A Story Over There"
The top of the goddamn heap in this new "wave" of scrappy low fidelity psych indie punk garage rare OOP L@@... oops, I forgot I wasn't listing their scarce singles on ebay. Anyway, these guys understand more than most that pop and noise need not be strangers, and do it without the heavy-handed brutality that plagues so many of their peers.

Bonus Night-Ender
Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Up Above My Head"
Mesmerizing gospel singer who incidentally shredded like a demon on guitar. One of the best ways to wind down a Saturday night and start reminding folks about Sunday morning. Brunch.

Andy T. and Martin P. spin punk and psych oddities for "Vertical Slum" at River Gods on Thursday, April 30.