Thorn - solace of noise (2018)

Artist:thorn
Album: solace of noise EP
Style: Punk, No Wave, Basement Tapes, Garage
Release: 2018
Me - music, guitar, drum kit, percussion, accordion, piano
Raul Dorn - words, singing, chattering 
Matt Thorne - additional guitar on "Stoner Girl"
Where the fuck is Lamb?

Cover photo: Micaela Adams

After a 30 year break, some of the members of AOS collaborate on three noisome garage tracks from their basements spread out across the western US of A. This one was intended to satisfied an itch I had for some stupid punk songs. Getting Raul involved, of course, ruined any chance of things staying stupid, and Matt saved Stoner Girl from being stuck in inept guitar purgatory. Raul and I have another batch of decidedly non-punk songs in the works, out sometime this year. Stay tuned.

Out Standing Rock - Turqouiz Noiz - Sweat Lodge (2016)

The perfect soundtrack for your road trip to North Dakota. Punk rock. 

Jonny Cat Collectibles

Found some old Jonny Cats artwork while visiting NM last week. Thought I'd share them. Here's some music to go along with the images.

Banksy Cat in Tokyo

The Jonny Cats bandcamp page now has the whole catalog - so you can make your own Cat Box set.

The Jonny Cats: S.B.C.P.M.F.

Recently uncovered masters from The Jonny Cats. These songs were released in very limited edition cassettes back in 1994. The Burrrns Rubber 7" was taken from these sessions. Hearing them now, in better fidelity, after over 15 years; they seem to have aged like fine whisky. Rumor has it that Kenta and Jon (along with High Iron) are playing these tunes again. Recordist: Ryan Martino. Also available on on bandcamp.

High Iron - Tiger Blood

Jonny Cats Kenta and Jon are in a great new band, High Iron. Kenta just posted a new track over at soundcloud. Check it out.



While you are there, you can also check out the aboombong page. Along with admixture,(also available on bandcamp) there are some tracks aboombong has contributed to the disquiet junto project. Have been having fun with these. If you are a musician both the junto and admixture are looking for your participation. Don't be shy.

teenage wearwolves- live in Santa Fe

A couple of videos featuring Kenta, from The Jonny Cats. These were recorded recently at El Corazon in Santa Fe, NM. Enjoy.

Teenage Werewolves at Corazon #2 from Santa Fe Pulse on Vimeo.

Teenage Werewolves at Corazon from Santa Fe Pulse on Vimeo.

Don't forget you can support our work here at Pen & Mallet by purchasing something from aboombong , psychic enemies network, or azwarm, (name your own price) or making a donation via a "donate" button here at Pen & Mallet.

sludge the butcher

Another release from Jeff and Dave recorded in the 1990's, Sludge the Butcher. Some longer trippier tracks alongside some shorter odder ones on this release...in the end it all blurs into one beautifully incoherent whole. This one has a lot more sampling & tape manipulation/outright noise on it than Songs for Mommy but manages some definite ¡para!helion like passages as well. Whereas touchstones for Songs for Mommy might include Half Machine Lip Moves era Chrome, this one is much closer to territory opened up by The Residents or Negativland. Very much a DIY gem for the fan of outsider music. Enjoy.


Don't forget you can support our work here at Pen & Mallet by purchasing something from aboombong , psychic enemies network, or azwarm, or making a donation via a "donate" button here at Pen & Mallet.

Friend of the Show: Elephant (A Reunion) + an early Halloween mix

Elephant was the big thing in Albuquerque back when Choke was getting together. Elephant was still the big thing in Albuquerque years later when The Jonny Cats and Waltz Bop Shop were getting together. 'Bout that time I was in Grad school with rock goddess Christina. Now she's an awesome photographer and still writes great songs (I'll post some soon). Elephant reformed for a benefit show last week. Wish I could've been there. Here's the last two songs (more here, and here, and here, and here, and here).



And in Halloween news: the aboombong track Forsaken from asynchronic is the opener on this halloween mix...check it out.

Darkchasmsandphantasmsmix by Chelonian on Mixcloud

AOS - Eggs Are Tasty (video)

From 1987, AOS live at the pit. Thanks to David Lamb for sending this one to me. This is the video of the concert I posted earlier. Camera work by David Liso who would end up in Choke in the 90's. Pretty rough quality but it gives a good sense of the band and the era. Raul's charisma and energy as a front man comes through on the video, methinks (dig those shades). He was the real nexus for any success the band had. Most fun for me was seeing old friends in the audience looking chic in their 80's hair cuts and youthful innocence.



AOS live in the Pit (Sponsored by KRUX, the NMSU student radio station)

Some aboombong updates: asynchronic was recently reviewed at the mighty Snap Crackle & Pop...alongside some of the best music on the web. Also featured at Hot On The Heels of Love. Ran across a very nice review of asynchronic over at Shot By Both Sides , looks like a good place to find new music. And Babelfish tells me this review is positive and eloquent. Also at Kalachakra with some nice comments, and asynchronic has even crept into the political discourse at analytic analeptic, if you haven't heard it yet, you should check out this political pundits music. If for some reason you don't want to get it direct from me (set your own price), asynchronic is now available through Napster, Songorilla, iTunes, Amazon, and will be showing up in your favorite download store soon....

Speaking in Tongues: Waltz Bop Shop Live @ Wavy Brain (video)

This one is from 1994 (95?). A show at the height of Waltz Bop Shop's Math-Punk Noisiness. A fun show dedicated to Marc Bolan with all the bands doing at least one cover penned by Bolan. Held in Wavy Brain Video (RIP). Features some good shots of the hardest working guitar amp in Albuquerque: Grant's Marshall. Enjoy.





And, of course - the mandatory plug for the new aboombong: asynchronic. Available (set your own price) in pretty much any digital format you could want.

A.O.S. - Live and Raw in The Pit

This one was recorded in the summer of 1988 at New Mexico State University's Corbett Center "Pit" Amphitheater. It was also one of the first performances to include an AOS stage show. Dubbed something like "At home with A.O.S.," we brought all the furniture from the living room of our house, set it up on stage, and spent the day watching T.V. & hanging out. Seemed like a good idea at the time, at least until the Las Cruces sun decided to start cooking the concrete on all sides of us. By show time the temperature on stage was over 110. As we played I was sweating so profusely that puddles of perspiration were forming on my drums, sending up a dramatic splash each time I hit them. Sponsored by KRUX, the NMSU student radio station, there is a video of this performance floating around. If David ever decides to digitize his copy and upload it, I'll be sure to post it here.

Available today are two versions of a recording that my old roommate Marc provided to me recently (thanks tons Marc). First up are the raw .wav files of original AOS songs from his cassette-rip of the concert. These are followed by a selection of tracks that my brother ran through pro-tools for some noise reduction and equalization. They are posted as separate albums on the internet archive. Take your pick. Enjoy.

Album: A.O.S. - Raw in the Pit: (wav, FLAC, mp3, Ogg Vorbis)
Recorded: Summer of 1988
Players:
Raul Dorn - vox (see some of his paintings here)
David Lamb - Bass
Matt Thorne - Guitar
Me - trap set

Raw tracks:

1) 667
2) Rhyme of the Reason
3) That's My Heart
4) Southern Romance Song
5) Laughing
6) Bad Brick
7) Mary Mary in the Lavender Pumps
8) Confession Time
9) Robert
10) I can hear the monsters
11) The Graveyard Song
12) Rip It Up
13) Core Canto

Cleaned up selections (mp3, ogg vorbis):

1) 667
2) That's My Heart
3) Southern Romance Song
4) Laughing
5) Bad Brick
6) Mary Mary in the Lavender Pumps
7) Confession Time
8) Robert
9) Rip It Up
10)Core Canto

AOS: The very first show

Well, my plan to post the NMSU experimental music tapes from the early 80's fell through as my cassette deck bit the dust this weekend. Luckily, David sent me a little surprise in the meantime that can fill the gap while I work on a replacement. This is a video of the very first A.O.S. show. I had no memory that this video existed. David dates it as 1988, but my memory says it would be summer of 1987 (my memory is often wrong). I'm only sure about a couple of things from the show. 1) It was windy and very, very hot; and 2) I had the worst drum monitor ever and couldn't hear a thing. A.O.S. has quietly moved up the Pen & Mallet charts and Rip It Up is now the most popular album posted here, so maybe some of you will enjoy this blast from the past.



Sound quality is pretty variable, but a few songs sound alright. This is really all about the images. While watching, dig the vintage skaters in the background, the big hair, our low-budget equipment, and the really bad audio/video sync. The first song is 667, one of the band's more popular numbers that we never managed to record (although a cover version by Mr. Vague's old band The Young Pros is floating around, and I may post it if I can get permission).

Update: David (bass) found a newspaper ad for the show. Turns out it was April 25th, 1987. Click for a closer view. I am a little baffled by the "Aussie" theme, I must admit. Opening for the best "Tan-Woman" contest...good time slot to assure somebody shows up. =/;^)

Choke: Hard to Swallow- 4-track demos

I have been in a lot of loud bands. Although it is not readily apparent from the recordings the band put out, Choke was easily the loudest. In the last post on the band, I noted that there were some tracks missing from the Gauze/Total Reverence cassettes due to my copies being destroyed. Well, I have tracked down a DAT that includes some demos we sent to my brother prior to the recording session for the eponymous e.p. It contained rough mixes of the missing tracks. These all ended up on the e.p., but these 4-track versions give a better sense of what Choke was like as a live band. I have also added a straight to ghetto-blaster track that I like - a catchy little punk-ish diddy [update: Grant tells me it is called "Pine-Sol"]. To me, Choke wears its influences on its sleeve with these cuts- equal parts Stone Roses, Cocteau Twins, Big Black and Ritual Tension. But I am hardly an objective listener. Anyway, here they are (flac, ogg vorbis, MP3). Enjoy.

The players:
David Liso- guitar, vocals
Grant Garner - bass
Matt Sneddon - guitar
me - drum kit, hammond organ, headphone feedback.

Choke: Hard to Swallow-4-track Demos

Track list:
1) Browse (scraping nails mix)
2) Barcelona (jet set)
3) Alexander Orchid (Hammond Mix)
4) Pine-Sol

The Jonny Cats' Last: Ode to Sergio

Today we have the final album by The Jonny Cats. It was recorded in the waning days of the cowboy lounge just as the band's dedication to all things self-destructive began to take over and tore the band apart. Copies of the album have circulated hand-to-hand among friends of the band, but it has never had an official release. To my ears this is a more distinctive album than Burrrns Rubber with a clear connection to traditions in American roots music that recognizes punk rock's place as roots music. So, grab your best girl or guy, hop in the convertible Caddy, turn this one up loud, and hit the road...but be sure to hold on to your hat.

Record: Last - Ode to Sergio (FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MP3)
Style: surfbeatcowpunkmutherfucker, Americana
Recorded in 1995, never released.


Tracklist:
1) Ode to Sergio
2) Bring Down the Bull
3) Parched
4) Johnny T's O.D.
5) Hellfire and Damnation
6) Fix Up My Tears
7) Face Down
8) Mi Vida es a Toda Madre
9) Creepin' Man

Enjoy.
Update: Now officially endorsed by the great PunksOnPostcards blog

A.O.S.: Tripping back to the 80's for some post-punk art rock- Rip It Up

We go back to the 80's for this one by Anxiety of Silence. A post-punk art rock band featuring David Lamb, from Cattle Mutilators and Manson Family Christmas fame, his art school compatriot Raul Dorn, and my brother Matt on guitar, A.O.S. was known primarily for Raul's on-stage antics (which included Iggy Pop levels of danger and head-worn architecture), elaborate stage sets, and catchy college-radio friendly tunes. The song "love riot" managed to top the local college radio charts, and A.O.S.'s legendary performances at the annual Art Students League fund raisers held in the NMSU art department sculpture graveyard were a sight to behold. Very much a band of the time, some of this stuff sounds pretty dated to my ears, but I was surprised while preparing this post with how many of the songs hold up.

Album: Rip It up
Style: Post punk art rock with touches of goth & punk
DIY Cassette release from 1988

A.O.S. were
Raul Dorn - vocal
David Lamb - Bass
Matt Thorne - Guitar
me - drum kit

Get Rip It Up

Side One (note - tracking does not match list on cover)
Southern Romance Song
Love Riot
Katchina
Bad Brick
Laughing
That's My Heart
Side two
Bitter Grass
Rhyme of Reason
Confession
Rip it Up
Core Canto
Mary Mary in the Lavender Pumps

Thanks to Darin for the scan of the original artwork.

As a bonus, I have included some songs from one of the Art Student League Halloween shows. This one is from 1988 and was recorded by a fan on a reel-to-reel 2-track. Most of the tape is unusable due to "wow and flutter" issues, but I pulled the ones that I thought good enough to preserve. On the way to this show, Matt's homemade guitar amp fell out of the van at about 35 MPH. It lasted for most of the set, but you'll hear its final gasp on the end of "I can hear the Monsters." My old roommate Linda Rosul adds some additional vocals on "Caw Crow."

Tracklist:
Caw Crow
I can hear the monsters
Robert
The Thing (part II)
Get it


Enjoy

The Jonny Cats burn rubber on a punk rock 7 inch

By request we have what will be the only vinyl posted here.

The second release by The Jonny Cats was this punk rock 7 inch. These sold out quickly, but if you are in Albuquerque, Dave over at Charley's Records & Tapes (7602 Menaul Blvd NE Albuquerque NM 87110, (505) 296-3685) tells me he has a few tucked away.

The Jonny Cats were:
Kenta Henmi - lead guitar
Dave Chavez - bass
Jonny Jarden - vocals, nudity
Jonny Reed - guitar
Johnny T- drum kit

Record: Burrrns Rubber
Style: surfbeatcowpunkmutherfucker
Released in 1994 on 7" vinyl (500 copies).
33 &1/3rd RPM
American Low Fidelity Recordings
Cover art by J.B. Jones (R.I.P.)

Download

Track list (player plays all tracks):
1) Pinky Black
2) Comfort
3) White Trash
4) Whiskey Woman

Stupid trivia...rumor has it that this poster was seen hanging on the wall at the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame.

Stay tuned for A.O.S., more Waltz Bop Shop, the unreleased Jonny Cats full-length, more experimental soundscapes, the genius of Joe Brown, and whatever else I can dig up.

Enjoy

Swayback - Last Ride (unreleased demo)

unreleased single from 2002
style: cow punk

Players:
Jon - Guitar and vocals
Lucky - Bass
me - drum kit

Swayback was a short lived trio I was in with my old bandmate Jon Reed from the Jonny Cats (watch for Jonny Cats posts soon). Last Ride is a little diddy we recorded as a demo. The band did only one show, but I really liked the direction it was going.

Go on one "Last Ride" (@320) (also here)


Update: Check out Lucky and Jon in Sin Serenade.