Bambara

Bambara have based themselves as one of my favorite groups in the recent years, with a dazzling Three of a Kind incredible albums. I've talked about my admiration for them at least once here before, when they started to gain some more fame with their 2006 Swarm.
Most of their releases are available through bandcamp, except two early albums, for whatever the reasons are, and this post joins in the series of posts I now title "clearing albums I will never listen to off my PC, and are recommended for groupies/curiousity only". Already done this kind of posts before so I'm repeating myself here- If you by any chance never heard these guys, these albums are not where you should be starting, not because they're bad or something, but just far from representing what this band is capable of, and doing today.

If you haven't looked it up, you probably won't have a clue how long this trio is active. Reid brothers and Brookshire are working together since 2001, when they where young teens in Athens. Their perseverance is something I truly admire, they worked hard for many years and now I believe fruits are being paid off. I also love the fact you can hear through their music the process of them growing up and gaining musical influences, style changes, maturity, evolving their sound.

Debut release (actually, they've released in 2006 an album under the name 23Jinx, never heard it though) was this self titled, released when they were only 20 I believe. By far the most different one from today's Bambara, but you can still hear some glimpses. Recorded when they were still in Georgia, this one has much more alternative rock/21st century emo post hardcore vibes to it. Not bad at all, considering the young age and all.

2008 - Bambara

1. Clouds Around Our Feet

2. Shake

3. Lullay

4. Someone's Ghost

5. In The Palace Of TVs And Chairs

6. Ferocious Beasts At Play

7. Snakes In Our Hair

8. Rattling On The Cusp

9. Morning Dye

10. Native Tongue

Next came the last EP, before moving to New York City. Making the move towards post punk, pretty bad production.

2010 - Dog Ear Days

1. Repeat After Me

2. Drag Hesitation

3. Stay Gray

4. Feed The Pigs

5. Swim With The Trees

6. Chiromancy

As said, if you wanna listen to Bambara, check Swarm-Shadow On Everything-Stray 'trilogy'. 

And give them your full support, these guys deserve it.
They had a pretty good momentum, hope that virus won't stop them.

One Two Four Nine - TV Dog

David Opp's Cadaver Eyes are touring the UK this coming March, plus I've recently heard Nada Surf's Popular after a long long time. Those are two reasons to make this post.. besides I know a few people are seeking it and it's a damn solid album so..
How the hell do I link Israeli industrial doom noise psychos to that forgotten surprising one hit wonder, you might ask yourself ? now there's a question.. let's dig in a bit lads.

After the break of 3Het, both bass player Reem Hareuveny and drummer David Oppenheim moved to New York City, Teaming up with a British guitarist named Robert Randall under them name One Two Four Nine, as Robert and Reem shared vocals duties. Now Robert here, was formerly in a group called Because Because Because with Daniel Lorca & Matthew Caws, both will continue to... drum roll.. yeah, Nada Surf. Yes, that's it, here's the useless piece of information I wasted my time to write about.
Back to business shall we ? I can't say TV Dog is a one in a kind masterpiece or anything like that, you've all heard things like that, pretty generic for it's time. But, nonetheless, this 1994 release is a top notch slowcore/indie rock/alternative creation. If you're suckers for any of those (and why wouldn't you be ?) that's a good damn one to know and brag your hipster friends about.
Self produced by the group and the aformentioned Matthew Caws, released via Toastheadman (their own label ? proto-Heart and Crossbone ?).

1. Fourteen
2. Sixteen
3. Eight
4. Nine
5. Three
6. Four
7. Six
8. One
9. Seven
10. Fifteen
11. Thirteen
12. Twelve
13. Ten
14. Eleven
15. (0:09)
16. Five

1249 OneTwoFourNine - tv dog 10551355 (lossless)

CE March, 2020, UK

Soon after their most "commercial" release, the pair of Reem and David continued with many other projects together and apart, doing the Scott Walker thing (as in going more extreme and more experimental), among their projects are Barbara, Mildew and Cadaver Eyes.

The latter as I said are touring this March in the UK and if you happen to live there, do yourself a favour and drop by one of their shows. I'd personally recommend going to Brighton one, where another group called 72% are also performing, and that's what they call killing two stones with one bird, cause 72% are responsible for one of the best albums of last year, and I do mean that.

Belfast Ghetto - Live At Millennium, New York City

I found this one many years ago, I'm pretty sure on some Sonic Youth forum or something like that, but can't recall, so much respect to whoever recorded/ripped/upload it back than. I left the folder same as it was so if you recognize and want a credit send a message.

Belfast Ghetto, better known as Beirut Slump, better known as another Lydia Lunch project.

All in all they performed only four shows, active around the same time as Teenage Jesus.

If you've never heard Beirut Slump you should check them out first via Shut Up And Bleed compilation, including their only single plus a few more studio and later live tracks, all in better quality than what is presented here, this one is.. for fans.

This is their debut show, the only one under the name Belfast Ghetto, at the Millennium Film Workshop, 66 East 4th Street, Manhattan. As you can expect audio quality is not the best, but hey, at least it's FLAC..

Other than Mrs. Lunch who only plays guitar here, another worth mentioning name to catch your eye will be Jim Sclavunos on drums.

Gotta give last credit to From The Archives where you can get much more info on this and other Lunch (and other's) projects.

1978.07.14 - Live at Millennium Film Workshop, New York City, New York (FLAC)

1. Untitled

2. See Pretty

3. Untitled

4. Try Me

5. Sidewalk

6. Staircase

Mildew - Flat On The Face / +

Original '98 cover

So after Israeli group 3H split up, both drummer David Oppenheim and bass player Reem Hareuveny moved to new york, forming there short living trio called One Two Four Nine (nice alt. rock, I'll post their album somewhen), than, same year (1995), going even further, towards much more extreme and experimental realms, acting as the semi-active to this day, menacing metallic noise duo Barbara.
In 1997 David's solo project Mildew, Ovesh in Hebrew, released it's first cassette [if you have it, please share]. Mildew was his first shift towards electronics (at least recorded, as far as I know), using samples, keys, computer and triggers.
After a few Barbara demos, Reem had to come back to Israel in 1998, due to personal problems, leaving David alone, to concentrate on Mildew. Flat On The Face is the only full length, recorded straight after Reem left, and it is one of his finest creations in my opinion (and let the record show that I truly admire a lot of his stuff, and he has released a vast variety).
Musically I always get an image of the Scorpion VS Johnny Cage fight, while trippin badly on a large dose of ketamine, and that Fear Factory remix in the background getting a minimal remix by Duran Duran Duran having a program crash. A Y2K version of Chu Ishikawa's Tetsuo OST. Or as his own legendary label Heart And Crossbone states "super slow, dark & repetitive electronics, drum machine gone out-of-control, a digitized binhexed godflesh floating in cyber-outer-space".
This was self released as an "interactive piece" with an external controller, I'm uncertain about the meaning of this, since I own only the 2005 repackaged re-release. But there it is on bandcamp, enjoy.



An interview with David a bit after, but same era, if you're willing to know more about
Bonus track for fans, unreleased - Shir HaShiryem (I think it was recorded after the album, but not quite sure)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

boy man machine

Now for the plus meaning - just paying your attention to a new release coming up next month, Drose - boy man machine +
Those agonizing long "end of the year" list I've written on this humble blog, are filled with great albums, but to be honest, only a few truly lasts with me afterward. 2016's Drose is still a one I come back to, that's why I give it's upcoming exciting re-release this very special honor.
Cmptr Stdnts, what seems to be like a promising label (responsible for last year's Big'n EP), are in charge for giving boy man machine a new life, both again on vinyl and more important, first time on CD, with bonus songs and a very thoughtful design.
Do I need to write again about the brilliant dissonance between the soulful emotional vocals to doomish industro music on this one, harmonized together in a wonderful biomechanical album ? I think not..
Do yourselves a favor and pre-order it here

David Linton - Orchesography

Early examples for Linton's unique bashing rhythm qualities, can be heard listening to him playing percussion and drums for some NY groups on the less known side of no wave scene, such as I/S/M, Interference or Plus Instruments.
1986's Orchesography, is his only solo album, released via Branca's Neutral Records, self produced with the help of Bruce Tovsky and Roli Mosimann.
Definitely an early bird, experimenting with noise gate on drums to generate samples, and while not the first, this album has it's own magic for me, mixing upbeat tense rhythms along with mostly classical theatrical samples. Fits well with his other art involvements.
If you like early Keith LeBlanc, looking for an instrumental, less new wave jumpy Foetus version, or have any electro-acoustic tendencies, give this one a listen.

Orchesography (lossless)

⨂ - Various Unreleased

Here's a nice thing I got on my pc and have absolutely no recollection of how'd it got there.. probably via soulseek some years ago, but no idea.

If you by chance aren't familiar with those who are often called Circle X, than you better start off with their formal releases (I think all is available online somewhere, if ya can't find something, ask for it).
If you are familiar, than I can assume you're a sucker for them just like I am, hence this one is a real treat.

Massive compilation of songs referred to Circle X, my guess, from varied periods, and not only "pure" Circle X tracks. Some are probably from their "inactive" period of the late 80's, perhaps some by side projects ((for instance, one is actually credited on the file to Life of Falconetti (which were Bruce Witsiepe, Michael Pullen and Ricky Feather)), other versions for released songs (1st Species sounds like early version of '92 7" Compression of The Species / Sweet Song and Machine were released as '94 studio bonus tracks for Live In Dijon '79 release of 2009 / Crash was released on VA '90 compilation St. Sebastian of The Hood), some might even be dated way back to their Dijon era (as they sound extreme noisy as they were back then, and one track's title is Dijon Infirmary).

No matter which, what or when, all track has that distinctive raw sound of Circle X, the one that sure makes them one of my own faves,

Bruce Witsiepe (1951.05.12 - 1995.04.28)
by Jeanne Liotta

truly artistic and innovative group of individuals.

(I left the folder just as it was, that's how I got it, with tracks 5-6 missing, and those titles)
1. Obey The Lash
2. Sweet Song
3. Machine
4. I Go On Stairs
7. Last Days of Capitalism
8. Glory
9. Country Cinematique
10. 1st Species
11. Club of Despair
12. Aloness
13. Cowboy Song
14. Hundred Years War
15. Cinematique
16. Dijon Infirmary
17. Pyramid l Volcano
18. John The Vines
19. Police Chief l Wax Fruit (Bruce Voc
20. Crash
21. Strange Siesta

Some things don't grow back...