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

Some hype: amnemonic, thanks 4 helping spread the word

Reaction to amnemonic has been encouraging.
I thought it was time to pass along some of the early hype.

Artist: aboombong
Album: amnemonic
Release date: September 11, 2010


The first review hit the webs over at The Stranger's Line out. The money quote "This is some of the most interesting, ambitious music coming out of Seattle at the moment." Humbling.

A nice feature over at Disquiet focused on Cheshiahud Loop and called it "a deep journey into Fourth World territory... a cacophony of bazaar action, all ringing bells, vibrating drums, and ritual chanting...as if some majestic parade has turned a corner. "

Estonia's Recent Music Heroes gives a very positive review (10 out of 10 rating, the highest I've spied on the site). Google translate had a hard time with the Estonian, but I had to pull this translated phrase: "then it can be concluded that the publication was completed around the monster floating on the harmonious (misjärel võib tõdeda, et lõppenud üllitis oli kõikjal hõljuv harmooniline monstrum)." I like the image (UPDATE: Translated version of the review is here).

geometria innamorata calls it "musical matter, like a flow, oriented by alchemy....original and wild. Orient and Occident are superposed in an origami of earth, wind, and thunder." Dying For Bad Music calls it "heavy listening." The Sound of Eye, calls it "an untamed collusion of the finest noise, concrète and ambient soundscapes."

The Sirens Sound, continues their strong support for aboombong calling it "another weird and freaking[ly] SPLENDID LISTEN where experimental-drone boundaries are reached and breached. EXCEPTIONAL title."

Thanks to Nadia for a nice review over at the couch sessions who calls it "full blown musical freedom."

And check out this short film featuring the opening minutes of Cromsby Grovernor's Jujujaiponmolam.

Also thanks to Disruptive Platypus, Living Exposed, ,& Exile on Moan Street for helping to spread the word. It is only through support like this that a zero budget DIY project like aboombong will ever get heard. Truly appreciated.

UPDATE2.3: There's this Hungarian review that has been sending over a lot of business. And action_jackson says "after listening to it again and again, I knew that this music would accompany me from now on...if you don't know aboombong by now, it's high time to dive into his great music." And, of course, the hype for asynchronic continues with a new review up at Visotactile Symphony...along side a nice collection musical cohorts. AND I don't know how I missed this one, but here's a nice review of Psychic Enemies Network from Wine, Women, and Song.

As with all the aboombong releases, this one is available for download from bandcamp in a variety of formats (including lossless formats) and you can name your own price (no minimum). Please note that there is a special limited edition bonus track available for the first 200 folks who name a price of $5 or more over at bandcamp, or donate (from the button below) $5 or more to Pen & Mallet. I will email you a unique, one-time use download code with instructions for retrieving your bonus track in gratitude for your support.

A note on changes at bandcamp. Bandcamp now limits the number of free downloads that an artist can offer and has begun a profit sharing plan (whereby they take a share of the artist's profit). These are both good for bandcamp, a service I strongly support, but it means that when you decide to support aboombong, some of your money will go to bandcamp and some of it will have to go to support continued "name your price with no minimum" for works by aboombong, azwarm, and psychic enemies network ($20 will support 1000 additional free downloads). If you want all of your money to go directly to me (minus a small paypal fee), use the donate button below. I'll still send you the download code for the bonus track for any donation of $5 or more.

amnemonic, dustdevil & crow: what I did for summer vacation

This summer has been a particularly enjoyable and productive one. While completing the azwarm album and the boom dispenser remixs project (as I have mentioned previously), I was honored to be asked to collaborate on the newest Dustdevil & Crow album, while speaking softly you can hear the insects sing. It was completed recently and is now available on the Free Music Archive. I have also added amnemonic over at the FMA (HERE). The FMA is a great resource, chock full of amazing music with easy access to high-quality MP3's. It also allows you to create custom mixes with an easy to use interface. I have created a mix with both while speaking softly you can hear the insects sing and amnemonic that will allow you to listen to or download both albums in one click. You can also easily embed this player or send it to your friends to help us get the word out (always much appreciated).


For those audiophiles out there who are looking for lossless versions of either of these albums, well, of course, they are available. Bendle has put both Dustdevil & Crow albums up at his bandcamp page for free (along with lots of other goodies), and, of course, all the aboombong releases are available in lossless formats on bandcamp (name your price) as well. Don't forget that I will email a special access code to anyone naming a price of $5 or more that is good for limited edition bonus material from amnemonic. You can also get access to this bonus material by donating directly using the "donate" buttons here at Pen & Mallet, or the "tip the artist" button at the Free Music Archive.

UPDATE2.1: Thanks to Dying For Bad Music and The Couch Sessions for helping to spread the word. And check out this short film featuring the opening minutes of Cromsby Grovernor's Jujujaiponmolam. Also a NSFW friend of the show note: Swellco & Swellco are getting some notice for exposing the underbelly (and more, much more) of the city that loves you back.

aboombong - amnemonic (the new album)

The new one is here. Start spreading the word.

Artist: aboombong
Album: amnemonic
Release date: September 11, 2010


Style(s): afro-asian noise, post-rock shoegaze, musique concrète, minimalism, noise, drone, post-punk.
Toys: amplified tongue drum, Turkish darbuka, New Mexican wooden-headed goblet drum, Igbo Ekwe (two tone log slit drum), Ibo Ekpiri shaker, Vietnamese jack fruit danmo, camel bells, elephant bells, goat bells, 16-tine Thai temple bell, Mimi's souvenir travel bells collection, Trinidadian tenor steelpan, 5-string table-top electric guitar, Kawai K3, one-man-army chants, Stylophone S1 orchestra, harmonica, drum kit.

Tracklist:
1) Cheshiahud Loop
2) From Cracked and Bloodied Fingers
3) Cromsby Grovernor Worthington's Jujujaiponmolam
4) Jiang Qing, Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, & Wang Hongwen in Dahomey
5) Noon

"Restrained" would not be a good word to use to describe this one.

As with all the aboombong releases, this one is available for download from bandcamp in a variety of formats (including lossless formats) and you can name your own price. Please note that there is a special limited edition bonus track available for the first 200 folks who name a price of $5 or more over at bandcamp, or donate (from the button below) $5 or more to Pen & Mallet. I will email you a unique, one-time use download code with instructions for retrieving your bonus track in gratitude for your support (which goes directly to pay for things like drum sticks, guitar strings, cables, distribution, and an occasional bowl of Phở).

UPDATE: in a totally uncoordinated coincidence, the new dustdevil & crow, while speaking softly you can hear the insects sing is also out. It was a real honor to be invited to work on this one. Check it out and spread the word.
UPDATE2.7: The first review of amnemonic is in and it made me blush. Now featured over at Disquiet with some very positive words. Also thanks to Nadia for a nice review over at the couch sessions and to Estonia's Recent Music Heroes for a very positive(?) review (google translate had a hard time with the Estonian, but I see a rating of 10.0 and lots of nice phrases scattered throughout) ; and thanks to Disruptive Platypus, Dying For Bad Music, Living Exposed, The Sound of Eye, The Sirens Sound, geometria innamorata, & Exile on Moan Street for helping to spread the word. The latest review of "asynchronic" over at rym deserves mention as well (by Ily, August 14th).

Drag Along Behind and Urban Photography

Another quickee
The tune Drag Along Behind from asynchronic is featured in a nice video over at Living Exposed.

Check it out:

Two Minutes: Neil Johnson and Urban Photography - Living Exposed from Living Exposed on Vimeo.

UPDATE: Just found a review that google translate tells me is quite positive over at ondarock. "Non fate l’errore di perdervi questo primo, grande dispaccio."

Roots: Eric Hisaw

When I was a kid I spent many a summer on my grandfather's cattle ranch in Oklahoma. One summer when I was about 12 or 13 I remember going to a farm auction and there being a western swing trio tucked in the corner of the large metal barn beside a large combine while neighbors and strangers stoically examined the detritus of a family's crumbling business, looking for a deal. The strange combination of melancholy and perseverance that permeated the scene and the music stuck with me and changed my perspective on western music, which I had not really had much use for up to that point. As an adult I have been in several bands that played some variant of western-tinged music, the most successful being cowpunkers The Jonny Cats. Today's featured Friend of the Show artist, Eric Hisaw, is the man from the circle of Jonny Cat friends who, to my mind, most influenced The Jonny Cats' particular take on American roots music. He's the real deal...a true American troubadour with a deep sense of the musical tradition that permeates the Southwestern United States. He's now active on the very vital music scene in his adopted home of Austin Texas. You can check out a selection of his songs over at reverbnation.








You can, of course, hear/download The Jonny Cats at the internet archive.


In aboombong news: The new album is sequenced, and with some artwork and a few final touches should be available soon. Stay tuned. Also, shout out to The Light That Failed who has featured songs from asynchronic and aboombong along side a host of other cool underground music.

egyptian hip hop's daymare

A quick one. Just ran across this mix over at mixcloud featuring daymare from asynchronic.
Check it out here.

Egyptian Hip Hop - Eyoe Radio - Live At Field Day by Eatyourownears on Mixcloud

Although trying to stick to the theme of music only having Field and Day in the title EHH are another young band displaying a vast knowledge of good taste of music past and present, here is an hour of tunes selected by Egyptian Hip Hop recorded live for Eat Your own Ears Radio live at Field Day festival 2010

Tracklist / Chapters
Hard Boiled Babe-Lucy Mercier Descloux
Aboombong-Daymare
Unknown Artist- Blue Basket
Brian Eno-Deep Blue Day
Earth-Miami Morning
William Onyeabor-When The Going Is Smooth & Good
Black Moth Super Rainbow-Falling Through A Field
Kelp-Quick Broken Harp
Madlib-Indian Hump
Uknown-Unknown
Lucy Dragons-I Keep Waiting For Earthquakes
Fondation-Effervescence
6-05- Fantomas

Madrotter: Indonesian Beats

I am sure that a good number of Pen & Mallet readers are regulars over at the amazing Madrotter blog where the mad Dutchman and friend of the show shares his vast collection of Indonesia vinyl with the world. If you always wondered what the difference between Jaipong, Gambus, and Dangdut was, there is no better place to explore and find out for yourself. And don't forget to check out the Indonesian twee pop, funk, disco, rock & roll, prog-rock, metal, hip-hop, electronica and other madness regularly posted.

Well, Madrotter is himself an excellent musician and recently shared a treasure chest of his own music (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), so I thought I would help spread the word. He was kind enough to let me post a mix of my favorites. Check it out below.



You can get this mix here: http://www.archive.org/details/MadrotterPenMalletMix.

In aboombong news, the new album is nearly sequenced and should be ready for a late August release and Michael is working on post-production to get the new dustdevil & crow out the door soon.

The Oil Man - Slow Mohicans (for BP)

This one from Slow Mohicans came up on the iPod while I was reading the headlines.
It sums up my feelings about BP (Bastard Petrol) pretty well.

The Oil Man - Slow Mohicans (click to listen)

Teach it to the crowd at your next march.

Odds & Ends

Just some quick updates and heads-ups to hold ya'll over 'til the next round of new releases.

1) The Siren's Sound recently featured Choke's eponymous E.P. along with some kind words after previously giving props to the Boom Dispenser remixs and to azwarm's first. UPDATE: also, Boom Dispenser is currently featured at geometria innamorata while Daymare is featured over at Anti-Gravity Bunny and a nice review of asynchronic has shown up over at Beyond the Valley of Ultrahits and A Chronic Groove Feeder is being featured over at All, Everyone, United. For the DIY musician, word of mouth from our kind supporters is invaluable and this help with promotion of our work is much appreciated.

2) 3 Bells Gone from azwarm now included in a nice mix over at Subversion. Take a listen to some other excellent ambient music mixes while you're there.

3) The next dustdevil & crow is coming along nicely with aboombong contributing drums/percussion, drones, keys & guitar alongside a host of other talented guests. You can wet your appetite on the first release over at the FMA, or listen to bendle's solo work on bandcamp.

4) New azwarm and new aboombong are both in the works with summer release dates very likely.

In the meantime: here's a little video from Fez Dispenser's grandpa Mr. Griddles - this one's called "Grand Central." (Buy Mr. Griddles here).