Posts

Showing posts from 2015

The 35 Minutes That Sum It Up Best: Motivational Karaoke, "Spring Training Eve"

-
Today while driving around South Austin, my iPod bringed me a blast from me past.  A 35-minute segment of Motivational Karoke, the WESN radio show that Chris Golwitzer and I painstakingly crafted from 2002-2005.  It wunt crafted.  It wunt no pain. Part 5 of "SPRING TRAINING EVE (2/22/04) just seemed to sum up what we were about. It starts with an interview with Ted Leo after he blew out his voice in Champaign and I finished the singing for him.  That ends with a clip of Babe Ruth with a fake swear word beeped in. We played Ted Leo quite a bit. A new song that's old now. A lengthy, lie-riddled microphone break, back-selling a lot of things that we used to play.  A tongue lashing of the DJs on before us. An explanation of what Google is and how to spell it, followed by the futile spelling of our very long impossible find website. We were doing Dream Warriorisms then because we were on from 12-2am at that time.  We went retro and pulled out a Motivational Karo
19 comments
Read more

Rock Turkey '15 Recap #1: Golden Fleece.

-
These guys was good.  I was troubleshooting my recording setup during the first half of their set, but I got 16 good minutes.  Mastered it real quick in my mother's living room before I drove back to Texas.  This board mix worked pretty well, thanks in part to the band's excellent balance with the stage volume.  Brandon O. did the rest with knobs, faders and a lot of help getting it from the board to my thing.  The stage manager in me salutes you! Download it, listen to it, see them tonight! Golden Fleece ROCK TURKEY '15 at Peoria Pizza Works.MP3
Post a Comment
Read more

Super88 Remasters for the Big Thanksgiving Reunion.

-
Image
In 2003, maybe 2002, Super88 rolled into Lisa Falzone studios, in Joel Madigan's basement.  We cut 5 songs.  I was still pretty new to the band.  I think we had Joel remix it 2 or 3 times, before he did himself a favor and erased the masters.  I found an unmastered mix recently going through moldy boxes of CDs.  The disc unfortunately had some glitches in the audio that couldn't be fixed, but I went ahead anyway. Download the album ZIP file Listen to it WHOLE Sometime after that we recorded again in Dave Moe's basement studio, I think.  It was a hazy crazy time and PBR was running the show.  This collection was mixed pretty loud.  I'm not sure if I did anything to it already, but it sounded pretty dry.  I just mastered it.  Big and loud.  I like it. Download the 2003 or 2004 Dave Moe Mix (aka "The White Album") .ZIP Listen to it as it was intended.mp3
2 comments
Read more

2 Nights of Madness, with ArsoNick Scum.

-
Dates are getting hazy.  By dates, I mean remember what year something happened.  I think this happened in 1998 or 1999.  I was living in a house with 3 other people on Oak St. in Normal. Keith Harrell had a CD of sound effects and I used it over night to make this ridiculous collection of madness.  "PSYCHOSIS!"  The longer tracks with the madnessy songs weren't made that night, but around that time.  Keith recently sent me these MP3s.  He likely has the only surviving copy of that very short run cassette.  He and I may have had the only two. I don't know what to tell you.  You have to download a ZIP file on this one.  I'll put one up for a sample, and then you're on your own. ArsoNick Scum - PSYCHOSIS!.ZIP Listen to "A NO GOOD BUM." Night of Madness #2 took place while I was living in Dimmitt's Grove in Bloomington.  This was 1999, definitely after the first night of madness.  One of my roommates was Matt Pulford, owner of a Nintendo E
Post a Comment
Read more

Just Download the Damn Album As a Whole.

-
Image
Coldcock Jones - "2-Minute Warnings: The Gospels of Moderation" I worked countless hours making this album sound perfect.   I would really appreciate it if you would appreciate it. It’s hard not being appreciated. This is one of those annoying concept albums that is better as a whole.
Post a Comment
Read more

Super88 Trilogy Finale: Part III: Section B; Super88 at The Beat Kitchen (Chicago) Feb. 25, 2012.

-
Image
What I remember most was having a nasty sinus headache and being doped up on pseudo-ephedrine.  Sounds pretty fun, though.  I think someone with the Sleepers recorded this with a field recorder.  My Super88 live recording reclamation project has led me to believe that MP3s are better for ipods than mixing/mastering software.  I knew that, but I had to see what would happen. We were in better shape for this one that the Sweethearts dance.  The much shorter set exposed less of our windedness.  We pulled it together a few times for some magical moments. Super88 @ The Beat Kitchen Click n' Listen.  Download.  I dare you.
1 comment
Read more

Super88 Trilogy Part 3: Section A. 2012 Sweethearts Dance & Reunion @Peoria Pizza Works.

-
Image
About 10 days before I left Chicago for Austin, we played a couple reunion shows, starting with this one, then in Chicago at the Beat Kitchen, reunionizing with friends, THE SLEEPERS , and IROCK Z . Reunion is kind of a funny term for this.  Various Super88 reunions of various lineups tend to happen once or twice a year.  And they should.  Around Thanksgiving works for me. I'm not sure how this was recorded.  I just made it sound a little clearer and a lot louder. The orginal MP3 posted here has now been replaced.  I rushed it, posted it, then listened to it on the way to work and almost puked.  The only copy of this show I had to work with was an MP3 recorded on a field recorder.  I really just magnified the sizzly garble residing in the high end of an MP3.  Its not awesome now, but the more I listen to this, the more it sounds done. Listen/Download the UPDATED Sweethearts Magic!
Post a Comment
Read more

Super88 vol. 2: One Month Later - Halloween @ One World Coffee.

-
Image
This was "high energy."  We never played a tight show.  Never had consistent, balanced gear and never had the right amount of alcohol.  We had the right time and place this time.  We were 26-30, so close to knowing better. Someone recorded this from the back of the room on a digital recorder.  I salvaged it from an MP3 file, which means "don't over think it." http://www.mediafire.com/listen/z8ku39s4jdulhwd ... listen & learn.
Post a Comment
Read more

Super88 House Party - Bradley University - 9-23-02

-
Image
A party band farewell to Laura Satterfield! Then she came back. I always remembered this recording as the worst of Super88.  I remember it being a model of being a sloppy band, but going back over it... it's not that bad. I only had a 256kbps MP3 of this set, but I went ahead and mastered it anyway.  Cranked it like a party band. I can't really remember the technical aspects of this show/recording.  I have a cassette of this somewhere, which leads me to believe that I recorded it with my 4-track... perhaps the last time I used it to record a live show.  The bass was loud and proud on it, so it was probably after Chris got a big boy rig and Dave and I were still swapping out disgruntled, poorly matched guitar amps.  You can hear the vocals really well, too.  Not sure where the recording mics were placed.  Don't care.  You don't, either. This is Part One, of a Super88 trilogy.  Stay tuned. The Entire Set (listen/download) "I Wanna Be Your Dog" (list
Post a Comment
Read more

Scabies & Dysfunctionals at Tiamat.

-
The Scabies.  The first scoop on them at the time... Jan, '98, was that they were very young, 15.  Two dudes that were clearly twins.  I feel like I've known them forever, but it's just been a little over half their lives. Schwindenhammeranians. Lacey... get ready to fall in love with a juvenile, all over again. The Dysfunctionals... my memory tells me that they were visiting from a near distant land, perhaps in the suburbs... but part of that is that I remember that at least one of these bands was from Deerfield.  Maybe they were local.  I'm not going to lie, sometimes I was outside not watching the bands.  Thing 2:  A lot of bands were not seen twice so... who are you?  I want to know. Fill in the details, everyone.  All ten of you. THE SCABIES AT TIAMAT RECORDS THE DYSFUNCTIONALS AT TIAMAT RECORDS
Post a Comment
Read more

I Can't Wait... @Tiamat Dec. 27, '97: Gunga Dins & Pootinanny (again)

-
Image
The Scabies, Dysfunctionals and Psychodelics also played this show, and I have the tapes, and I'll do them next, repost this all as a whole, and place more commas in the post. Christopher Yeager, was a help in this, via Facebook, as he was able to supply the date and lineup.  I believe he rocked the Gunga Dins, too. What's so special about this one here, despite the rock, is the appearance of "LSD Man."  If you were there, you remember the guy that paid Pootinanny $10 to use the microphone for 1 minute.  Luckily the time was expanded, as he unleashed a Peoria River Gem of a public service announcement. I did my usual cassette tape restoration process on this guy, so if it sounds better than in your memory, play it back super loud in your garage.  That should do it. Party on, Wayne. POOTINANNY @ TIAMAT RECORDS 12 27 97.MP3 THE GUNGA DINS @ TIAMAT RECORDS 12 27 97.MP3 THE PEORIA LSD MAN.MP3 Scabies, Dysfunctionals & one more of many Psychodelics
1 comment
Read more

@Tiamat December 17, 1997: SUBSONICS, SIN SONNETS, THE SKALLOPS, & THE DEFILERS.

-
Image
The Defilers (the Bloomington/Normal garage/surf band).  This is the later lineup, after Jon had moved away and Kyle played 2nd guitar, instead of bass.  Jerred Gummere played drums.  He later went on to play guitar in Guilty Pleasures and front The Ponys.  Nick Hagan is the surf wizard. Sin Sonnets, formerly known as Rugg City tore it up.  Rugg City is how I met Mike, Brody and Dallas.  I'm up to my ears in Mike Rugg audio up in here between Sin Sonnets and Pootinanny.  Great short, quick banter between songs.  Dallas is a riot.  A lady Lemmy, but with a Mae West twang to her sang The Skallops were here, I believe, playing their last show as "The Skallops," or perhaps, their first show as "First Grade Crush."  Apparently, the name "Skallops" was a joke to begin with.  I think this was to distance themselves from the expectations that they were a ska band.  Chris Golwitzer is one of the best people. Subsonics.  See my earlier post of the Subsoni
3 comments
Read more

@Tiamat Jan. 23 '98: Wheel Chair Sex & Pootinanny.

-
Image
I found the Tiamat Box.  This isn't all of them, but it's most of them. Just transferred The Defilers, and about to do the same for Sin Sonnets (see also Rugg City), however, it's time to share a Tiamat gem.... From 1998, Peoria hip/hop legends, WHEEL CHAIR SEX and the wild sonic off-kilter laser, POOTINANNY . Mastered by your's truly, quickly and efficiently. Balls deep. (309) If you have posters/fliers/comments/corrections/actual dates, please post it.
Post a Comment
Location: Austin, TX, USA
Read more

Finally, Guitar Wolf @ The Gallery - "Nomo, Illinois: Lock City!"

-
OK.  This is certainly one of the prizes of my cassette vault.  1999 @ The Gallery (Normal, IL), raging through the U.S. with Nashville Pussy... GUITAR WOLF.  One of the best shows I've ever been at.  First time I ever got a rock n' roll burn on my face. This was a board recording.  Didn't mix it, it was already done with typical live sound board mix... very loud drums & vocals and it sounds like the bass was either so loud the mic was turned down or the mic had been knocked off the amp all together.  I did what I could to preserve the sound as it came off at the show. Guitar would would do a thing where they would pull someone out of the audience, give them the guitar and make them "jam."  This show, it was the great Mario Guzman, who also got on stage with them at House of Blues. What else, folks?  You tell me. "Nomo, Illinois: Lock City!"  Guitar Wolf @ The Gallery - Normal, IL 1999 (click to listen and/or download) (Anyone got the actua
Post a Comment
Read more

Coldcock Jones Goes to Chicago.

-
December 05, 2014 - Reggie's Music Joint. Coldcock Jones & The Shithawks.  A board recording that done got mastered and turned out better than the live album that ate up a lot of man-hours and money.  Reggie's is fun.  Did you know that? Anthony "Wild Willy" Rubino - Guitar, Dorian "Bob Dylan" Taj - keys/guitar, "White" Calvin Conway - harp/backing vocals, Danny "Machete" Severson - drums, and I think Justin "Titty-Grab" Miller on bass.  Or it was Eric "Tax Return" Kratz.  Hard to keep straight.  It's been MONTHS! Coldcock Jones & The Shithawks LIVE at Reggie's - Chicago - 12 05 2015
Post a Comment
Read more

VomitScum.

-
In 1997, ArsoNick Scum collaborated with Todd Vomit on a remake of Todd's Pissants' classic, "War."  He played the guitar and did the singing.  I maybe played guitar or bass or neither.  Both?  Sang backups and programmed the drum machine. This lineup will return eventually with "Krappuccino."  For now... "War" - VomitScum - 1997 .MP3
Post a Comment
Read more

Volatile Brainstem? It Was Something, But It Wasn't Bonanza Jellybean.

-
Josh Barnhart:  "I want to start a cover band that does reggae versions of ZZ Top." Me:  "I Don't think that's a good idea." I was wrong.  This was pretty fun.  I think this was early early on, if not the first time out.  Wasn't very reggae, but ZZ Top is a trump. 1998 sounds about right.  "Secret Weapon" was on his 22nd birthday, I probably was 22, as well.  I can hear myself all over this recording and I can't distance myself enough from that young annoying clusterfuck of energy. This was recorded in the basement of a house on Vernon Ave. in Normal on the ISU campus.  Don't remember who lived there, I just remember it was brutally hot and humid and that there was a giant window to the outside, and that it wasn't enough.  A lot of familiar voices for me in there.  An audio Micheleo's reunion. Joshua Barnhard:  Bass/Vocals.  Eric Davis:  Guitar/vocals.  Secret Weapon:  Drums. On side two, ArsoNick Scum makes an appea
Post a Comment
Read more

Relevant Bootlegs at This Moment.

-
Eventually I'll organize and explain this, for now, these are from a compilation I compiled.  There are more, but this is most of the live stuff. The Resinators (live at The Gallery - board recording - with intro from Dudestalk '04 or '05. Super88 (live at The Gallery - mic recording - not sure what year, but Jeff was playing guitar, too) Guilty Pleasures (live at The Gallery - board recording) Demolition Derby (dudestalk) Moonlight Stranglers (Gallery - mic recording) The Mullens (encore - board recording at The Gallery) Guitar Wolf (encore - board recording at The Gallery) Scouts Honor (Dudestalk) Party At Russell's House! - One night, after a show in Peoria, or maybe the night, everyone showed up and there was no show after all, everyone headed back to the home of Russell Moe, who was out of town with his wife.  His son, Dave Moe, was in charge.  Bands were playing, or jamming or something and I was recording it, but then the party evolved into Da
Post a Comment
Read more

"Black Widows, Feared Across the Land!"

-
Image
If I find the actual tape with the Nov. 1, 1997 spectacle that was The Suburban Sluts live at Tiamat Records, that should be the title, but in case I never find it, I'll use it here. These are the same demo tracks from the earlier post , but I've linked the songs individually so you can listen to them with the ease of a click. I've added two more Sluts disasters.  One is an mp3 of "I Have No Legs" from that show at Tiamat.  Reid and Marky D showed up hammered.  Just hammered.  Reid had been drinking for 48 hours straight and was struggling to stand up, but he was dressed as one of the Black Widows from "Every Which Way But Loose." I was 100% sober.  That's how I remember 1997. The other new link is to one of our early rehearsals before our first show.  Liz & Suzie let us practice in their basement on Hovey Ave. in Normal.  They took a noise ticket for us. 1.  Crabs 2.  El Duh Du Da Dey To El Duce 3.  Crybaby Pisspants 4.
Post a Comment
Read more

ArsoNick Scum & The Subsonics.

-
Image
The cassette on the left is a master tape from sometime in 1999 that I made.  The first three songs went on to my album, "I Like Your Panties."  An album cover that was, with the exception of the text and color, was exactly the same as Coldcock Jones & The Shithawks' "69 Greatest Hits EP."   I was experimenting a lot with tape speed and mixing in other ideas I picked up from Mothers of Invention, Flaming Lips and Butthole Surfers at the time.  I was living back on the farm at that time and getting song inspiration from around the grounds.  I was delivering pizzas at the time.  That's where the rest of my inspiration came from.  Marshall was the old guy that fixed all the pizza cars. The tracks I pulled of this patience test were... 1.  HOGTIED 2.  PUNCH HER IN THE SKIRT 3.  RICHARD GRIFFITH JONES STADIUM 4.  MARSHALL MEETS THE GIRLBOY 5.  UNKNOWN PSYCHEDELIC MESS The cassette on the right is, as you can see, The Subsoni
Post a Comment
Read more

Beward the Bubba.

-
Image
I did this one awhile ago, but let's go ahead and throw it out there again for ol' Steve Knoth. Back then, when someone asked me if I wanted to come by and play with their band they were starting, I seem to remember saying yes a lot.  These days, I have trouble finishing those conversations.  Big difference between then and now. I don't remember if it was Steve or David Hall that invited me to come by.  I arrived and discovered that not only did David not know how to play guitar, or that Steve didn't know how to play bass, but Mel, on drums, was still figuring it out, too.  So it took.  That evening spawned a lot of evenings on Steve's porch on Market St?  Or Monroe? More recordings of the Brains will show up eventually, but in this one, recorded at The Gallery (Normal, IL) 9/23/99 will happen now.  Pretty sure it was a board recording, as the acoustic guitar was really loud and the electric was real quiet.  So one night, for something to do, I put the tape ba
Post a Comment
Read more

Ham & The Psychodelics.

-
I shouldn't post 4 of these in one night.  My fingers are slurring.  Your comments should fill out the story. When I ran into the Psychodelics, it was with Suburban Sluts at Tiamat Records.  They were still in high school.  It was fun listening to this after over 15 years.  My memories were crashed into my experience.  They were really into it and a lot of fun.  Unrealized at the time, I now realize that what I liked about them is that I related to them.  A most unrefined but dead on witty charisma that made them fun to watch.  Where Ritalin went to die. Someone needs to have photos and post them here.  I want to see them. I'll supply the audio... DOWNLOAD THE PSYCHODELICS at Tiamat. The other side of this cassette, from the same show, is HAM. Ham eventually became "The Kill-o-Watts", then shortly after that, "The Amazing Kill-o-Watts."  This story is long, and eventually, as I find more tapes, these folks will return. Apparently, this show w
Post a Comment
Read more

Blue Bonnet Plague Had Nothing to Do With Texas.

-
I think that lately.  "Blue Bonnet" is a common name around Austin.  In the 309, it was just about the butter. This was one of the two bands I was in right after Suburban Sluts.  This one was most related.  I took Ben with me. Ben and I discussed making a band.  Neither of us had any great desire to put a lot of work into it, including the songwriting process.  Just spit 'em out.  I was kind of doing my "later Black Flag" thing.  We looked for awhile for a drummer and eventually found, and though we were both aware she had NO drumming experience, decided that Stephanie was perfect for the job.  A natural.  It worked out well.  Pretty funny that was her first band, though.  We had almost no structure.  It was fun. We didn't do too many shows.  Didn't last too long.  Hard to say how long, as short times expand in the future. This show was towards the end (which was towards the beginning, as well) at The Gallery.  We kept it pretty loose, using vari
Post a Comment
Read more

Audio Reclamation #1. The Suburban Sluts Demo.

-
Download the SUBURBAN SLUTS DEMO .ZIP File. This was my 2nd band.  I had met Reid one night at 3am one night in my first apartment at the ripe age of 19 or 20.  Matt Crummett, orchestrator of my first band, "DRUNK," brought him over.  I was in bed, but far too hospitable.  I didn't drink, but somehow I became an after-hours destination that night.  Reid picked up my acoustic guitar, asked if he could play it, and clunked out "I Don't Care About You" by Fear.  That's how we met. Awhile later, he came to me and said that George, at Skank Skates in Springfield (IL), asked him if he wanted to open for GG Allin's former band, The Murder Junkies.  Long story short, the band was being put together. I suggested a bass player, but he already had one, Ben.  I had met Ben once outside of Micheleos Pizza, where I was working, and by request, re-re playing my latest home recording, "I Have No Legs," in someone's car.  He was the bass player.
1 comment
Read more

This Is Beautiful to Us.

-
Through many moves and many repacks, the cassette tapes that I filled for, at the time, unknown reasons, have scattered all over my life.  Certain ones have coagulated in certain spots... certain boxes... smaller than others.  I opened one of those recently. In the last few years, I've acquired and sorta learned new software and, for the record, new "knowledge" as to what the fuck is going on.  A lot of that knowledge is moot on these recordings because most of them, the audio damage is done... however, I can make them loud and available to you, who may be no one. I'm trying to become re-interested in the whole thing.  This is what I've come up with as a start.  I might just start completely over from the beginning.
Post a Comment
Read more