sweetblahg

(mostly legal)musics and other reprehensible things | pfcidb@gmail

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mssv - Sleeping Village 2019

Back in the beforetimes of 2017, Knoxville guitarist Mike Baggetta teamed up with a legendary rhythm section consisting of Mike Watt & Jim Keltner and Big Ego / Psychic Temple cult leader / producer Chris Schlarb to record what would become Wall of Flowers - a dang kaleidoscope of an album. “The chemistry is palpable, the vibe is loose, and the songs are all worlds unto themselves.” says Aquarium Drunkard...but click through and see for yourself.  Keltner doesn't gig much these days, so Baggetta enlisted veteran percussionist / composer Stephen Hodges (Mavis Staples / David Lynch / etc) to tour this material, and a new band was born! The ‘post-genre’ trio now known as mssv hit the road in March of 2019 in support of ‘Wall of Flowers’ but quickly became a monster all its own.  This set splits into two seamless minisuites, each featuring a perfect mix of Baggetta originals, Watt originals and covers. The rhythm section is damn powerful, but what really blows my mind is how both Baggetta’s tone and phrasing effortlessly morph throughout.  After a live release last year, mssv’s first proper album Main Steam Stop Valve is out now...you guessed it, on Big Ego Records.  mssv 3.26.2019 @ Sleeping Village Chicago, IL The Pink Room [David Lynch & Angelo Badalamenti] > Data Point > Hospital Song > No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) [Mike Watt] Dirty Smell > Blue Velvet [Bernie Wayne & Lee Morris] > Liberty Calls! [Mike Watt] > Wall Of Flowers Mike Baggetta - guitar / live processing  Stephen Hodges - drums / live processing Mike Watt - bass / vocals  stream | download

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Rempis / Daisy: Sugar Maple 2020

Live music...in 2020?! Esteemed shredders/improvisers and friends, Dave Rempis & Tim Daisy, have kept me sane during this pieceofshit summer by playing a handful of duo sets at Milwaukee’s best beer/spacemusic hub The Sugar Maple.  Catharsis via sounds moving through air, what a novel concept. Thanks, Dave/Tim!  Their most recent release Dodecahedron is amazing, and features some heavy guests. Buy it.  Dave Rempis / Tim Daisy 8.30.2020 @ the Sugar Maple Milwaukee, WI set1 I set1 II set2 I set2 II Dave Rempis – alto / tenor / baritone saxophones Tim Daisy – percussion / electronics  streaming | download

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Milford Graves: Bijou Teatre 2018

Professor Milford Graves is 79 today! Amazing!  He’s also in a ‘Fight to Keep His Own Heart Beating’ (click to read this unreal story) against stiff heart syndrome, monitoring his own heart rhythms daily in order to try and keep them regular. The incredible full-length documentary about him, Full Mantis, touches on this saga a little bit but mostly focuses on his life, music, and how they intertwine. It’s required viewing.  Cliffs notes via the Full Mantis site if you’re new to Professor Graves: Graves has performed internationally since 1964, both as a soloist and in ensembles with such legends as Albert Ayler, Giuseppi Logan and Sonny Sharrock. He is a founding pioneer of avant-garde jazz, and he remains one of the most influential living figures in the evolution of the form. So with this beautiful/heavy context in mind, I’d like to revisit the only time I’ve gotten to see Mr. Graves - the Professor’s mind-expanding 2018 solo performance / clinic / lecture at the glorious Bijou Theatre.  Milford Graves 3.23.2018 @ Bijou Theatre Knoxville, TN Milford Graves - percussion, knowledge streaming | download

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Keneally & Beller / The Hue: Bottom Lounge 2009

In a past life, I worked with an instrumental band from Chicago called The Hue. They were a damn good band, but we were all kids and that shit wasn’t meant to last. IMO the coolest gig we ever did was our CD release party at Bottom Lounge in 2009, where we somehow convinced esteemed geniuses Mike Keneally & Bryan Beller to swing their duo tour through town and open for us. If you don’t know of Mike/Bryan, stop reading right now and fix that shit immediately. I had the “brilliant” idea of arranging sitins between the groups, beginning with The Hue’s drummer Brian joining the drummer-less duo for the last three songs of their set. Later, Mike was kind enough to jam with The Hue on a song I’m fairly certain he’d never heard before...which didn’t matter one bit, because he’s Mike Frickin Keneally. So here it is - audio documentation of a highpoint of my former life...from 11 years ago today. Huge thanks to “John F.” for taping the Keneally / Beller set from FOH, and to whoever the eff taped the Hue set off the SBD (seems I’ve lost the .txt file, sorry). Mike Keneally & Bryan Beller 8.14.2009 @ Bottom Lounge Chicago, IL Career / Quimby > Panda Pride Is A Sin Dee 'n' A > The Desired Effect Them Dolphins Is Smart > 1988 Was A Million Years Ago Splane Alice's Restaurant Tease Nonkerchunk Self 'N' Other* Cave Dweller* Snowcow* Mike Keneally - guitar / vocals Bryan Beller - bass * with Brian Gilmanov on drums stream | download The Hue 8.14.2009 @ Bottom Lounge Chicago, IL Blackout Igneous Pillow Quiet Defiance From Anger Like Lines Bipolar Pride Shatter for Now Only Way Out Waking Visions* Prospects Low Midnight Sunrise Brian Gilmanov - drums Kyle Meyers - bass Jared Rabin - guitar Marcus Rezak - drums * with Mike Keneally on keyboards stream | download

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Anteloper: The Hideout 2018

"ANTELOPER is the electric brain child of JAIMIE BRANCH (fly or die, high life) and JASON NAZARY (little women, helado negro, bear in heaven). Branch and Nazary have been playing together as trumpeter and drummer for years, since meeting at the New England Conservatory of Music in 2002, but in this duo both musicians include synthesizers to push further into the spectral space ship ether. With deep rhythmic passages, telepathic improvisations and effortless melodic negotiations, Anteloper pushes forward, swinging its horns all the while.” I’m certainly not going to do better than International Anthem’s perfect description above, so why bother? This duo rules.  ...so here’s Anteloper ripping it up at The Hideout, your favorite place, a few years back while on tour behind their incredible debut tape (which is somehow still not sold out - 3 remaining!). Their new live record is out today (digitally, vinyl ships in Sept) and is sure to explode domes.  Anteloper 4.29.2018 @ The Hideout Chicago, IL improvisation jaimie branch - trumpet / electronics / vocals Jason Nazary - percussion / electronics stream download

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Trey Anastasio: The Riverside Theater 2019

Terry, solo acoustic. I’d wanted to see it since I was a kid, but it took going to Milwaukee last fall to finally ☑️. The set had a few first-time-played tunes, lots of good stories, a timely Oysterhead bust out (iirc, the reunion was announced earlier that day), and most importantly - some TerryDelayLooperJamz. Those seem to be a rather recent development in dude’s acoustic arsenal, and one I hope he digs into more. I know a sbd/LP source is already out there, but my e-tape turned out pretty dang good so I wanted to share it anyways. If you like Phishmusics and AUDs, this is a fun listen...if you don’t, plenty of other shite to check out on this here blahg.  Trey Anastasio 10.18.2019 @ The Riverside Theater Milwaukee, WI Prince Caspian Back on the Train Limb by Limb My Friend, My Friend Runaway Jim* Brian and Robert Rubberneck Lions* Turtle in the Clouds Guelah Papyrus Snowflakes in the Sand The Inlaw Josie Wales Waste In Long Lines Ghosts of the Forest Blaze On Shade The Connection Mountains in the Mist Mercury Cavern Backwards Down the Number Line Wilson encore: Till We Meet Again Windora Bug Sanity* Lawn Boy Say It to Me S.A.N.T.O.S. * first time played solo acoustic stream download

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sweetblahg 2019 year in review

Daniel Johnston & Tweedy(, the band) - 10.20.2017 @ The Vic

Greg Spero & Blaque Dynamite - 10.2.2018 @ The Whistler

Neil Young - 1.23.2019 @ The Riverside Theater

Tortoise - 2.17.2019 @ The Empty Bottle

Sunwatchers - 4.13.2019 @ Cafe Mustache

Elkhorn + Charles Rumback 4.14.2019 @ Elastic

Papa M - 4.22.2019 @ Rockefeller Memorial Chapel

Ryley Walker - 8.16.2019 @ Hungry Brain

Mute Duo (Quintet) - 8.22.2019 @ The Empty Bottle

One Eleven Heavy - 9.5.2019 @ The Hideout

Bitchin Bajas - 9.12.2019 @ Constellation

Stereolab - 10.4.2019 @ Turner Hall Ballroom

Bill Frisell - 11.14.2019 @ The Art Institute

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Sunburned Hand of the Man: The Hideout 2019

Every spring Milwaukee Psych Fest announces an incredible lineup that tempts me into heading up to The Good Land...and just like previous years, nearly everyone on the 2019 lineup ended up coming through town on extremely stacked bills on their way to/from the fest so I never made it up there.  This particular Thursday evening began with intrepid Chicago travelers, Plastic Crimewave Syndicate, ripping a tight half hour before yielding the stage to Dire Wolves for a majestic set (which you can listen to here as part of their bandcamp subscription!). Closing the night was legendary Massachusetts freak collective, Sunburned Hand of the Man, who i was psyched to finally see after a few years of poking around their expansive catalog.  For the uninitiated, I leave you Thurston Moore’s perfect description instead of failing to do better with my own bullshit: Sunburned Hand of the Man are a loose knit gang of musical artists from the wilds of Eastern Massachusetts. Founded as a way to let off steam from years of obsessive weirdo record collecting and perversely decoding the hand jive of wanton talents from the psychedelic and punk rock hardcore scenes in the Boston zone Sunburned was born to be awesome. The nucleus of the group is a small ragtag contingent of fascinants completely focused on the idea of spontaneous composition within the framework of religious experience: the rock n roll EVENT. Best played LOUD. Sunburned Hand of the Man 4.11.2019 @ The Hideout Chicago, IL PhD I PhD II Shannon Ketch - vocals / synth  John Moloney - drums / vocals  Jeremy Pisani - guitar  Mark Perretta - sax / tapes / vocals  Jackie Thomas - bass / vocals  Ron Schneiderman - guitar  with very special guest Pat Gubler - keys stream download

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Dave Burrell: Constellation 2020

I must admit, before this gig I wasn’t too familiar with Dave Burrell’s storied career outside of a few Pharoah Sanders records...but a Joshua Abrams / Hamid Drake rhythm section will get me to go just about anywhere, so I was off to Constellation to see what the heck was gonna happen. Turns out conversations happened. Multiple, multi-fasciated conversations - conversations between musicians, conversations between instruments, and ultimately a conversation between Burrell and the audience after all the music finished. Burrell began the evening by himself at the house piano, playing two pieces and telling a few quick stories before saying he’d be back for another set with Hamid and Joshua. Second set began with another brief story before settling into a quick Burrell/Abrams duet...which dissolved (a little too quickly for my liking) into Burrell and Drake discussing the beginnings of their relationship.  It’d been an interesting evening up to that point...but was nothing compared to the inter-generational musical conversation between three masters of their respective crafts that followed. Heady shit.  Dave Burrell 1.25.2020 @ Constellation Chicago, IL solo Dancing with Monica / Red Summer March Harlem Rhapsody with Joshua Abrams & Hamid Drake improv1 improv2 Dave Burrell - piano Joshua Abrams - upright bass Hamid Drake - drums/percussion stream download

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Levin Bros: Bananna’s Comedy Shack 2020

Unbeknownst to me, southside stalwart Reggies turned their upstairs space (recently vacated by excellent record store Record Breakers, who moved to Avondale) into a comedy club...which turned out to be the best room for jazz/fusion/prog/etc of the 3 musicrooms in that building. A welcome addition to their arsenal since they’re always bringing such sounds down to Motor Row.  Also unbeknownst to me was the fact that Tony Levin and his brother Pete started a band a few years ago. Instead of blathering on, I’ll just let Pete explain what they sound like: “We were fascinated by the Cool Jazz of the 50s that we’d listened to as kid. 40/50 years later we could actually sing some of the songs to each other and remember some of the solos we’d heard…pretty amazing. We thought that had some validity, so we decided to do an album and wrote some original music. Over the years we’ve picked up idears...we’d hear something that we want to do – a composer, a rock artist, anybody writing an interesting piece of music – and we’d give it a shot [in that style].” Levin Brothers 1.16.2020 @ Bananna’s Comedy Shack Chicago, IL Out of Darkness Up From the Skies [The Jimi Hendrix Experience] Deacon Blues [Steely Dan] Kakilambe Peter Gunn Theme [Henry Mancini] Little Sunflower [Freddie Hubbard] Bells The Meaning of the Blues [Bobby Troup] Jump Ballad of the Innocent [Jeff Siegel] When I Was Young Hidden Drive [David Spinozza] Gimme Some Scratch Sleepless [King Crimson] encore: Icarus [Ralph Towner] Pete Levin - keyboards Tony Levin - electric upright bass Jeff Siegel - drums Jeff Ciampa - guitar stream download

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Bill MacKay & Nathan Bowles: The Hideout 2019

Noted bestplace, The Hideout, brought esteemed heads Bill MacKay and Nathan Bowles together as part of their Picnics on the Porch series...a great time was had by all (except for setbreaklady, I guess).  Over the course of two short/excellent/hypnotic sets, the pair picked their way through a few of each other’s tunes, a few covers and one deeply-zoned improv. Even evilLincolnYards’ unnecessary/sprung-up-overnight soccer fields causing a ruckus directly across from the Porch couldn’t wreck the vibe of that perfect latesummer evening.  Seems Bill & Nathan recently hit the studio, which is good news for everybody. Bill MacKay & Nathan Bowles 9.13.2019 @ The Hideout Chicago, IL set1: Rise [MacKay] Umbra [Bowles] Freight Train [Elizabeth Cotton] Stump Sprout [Bowles] Pretty Weeds Revisited [MacKay] at setbreak a lovely woman (aka irritating chomper) decided to call a fellow patiopatron a DICKWHORE before storming off to her car, it was fantastic set2: You Win Again [Hank Williams] The I in Silence [Bowles] Free Thing [MacKay / Bowles] Fresh & Fairly So [Bowles] Bill MacKay - guitar, requinto Nathan Bowles - banjo stream download

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Neil Young + POTR: Murat Theatre 2019

Four years to the day after our last hang, a renegade pre-Farm Aid one-off finally brought me an opportunity to catch up with my old friend Old Black. Four long years of (incredible) Neil solo shows where the only loud moments (from the stage at least) were courtesy of Ohio on the ole White Falcon. I loved those shows but the breathtaking acoustic arrangements just can’t compare to when Old Black gets cranked the fuck up, riding on top of Neil’s band-at-the-moment (Promise of the Real on this night) and rattling the walls of a small theatre. A direct line to the cosmos, channeling the infinite to us mere morals via The Whizzer & a souped up Fender Deluxe.  POTR has proven to be a great non-Horse outlet for the dude. While they lack access to The Vortex (miss you Poncho), they make up it for with a chameleon-like ability to play *any* song from *any* NeilEra. Ditch dirges and Trans zones shouldn’t necessarily work in such close proximity, but POTR pulls it off with grace.  The setlist speaks for itself...but so does the crowd, unfortunately, causing the quality to vary wildly over the course of the show. Some parts sound great, others involve the guy in front of me failing to hit on his friend’s gf’s friend (who moved every year as a kid).  Death to chompers.  Neil Young + Promise of the Real 9.19.2019 @ Murat Theatre Indianapolis, IN After The Gold Rush (solo) Sugar Mountain (solo) Country Home Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere The Losing End Are You Ready For The Country? My Heart* New Mama** Don't Cry No Tears Words Ohio Like An Inca Fuckin' Up September Song [Kurt Weill & Maxwell Anderson]^ Everything Is Bullshit [Particle Kid]^^ Like A Hurricane Throw Your Hatred Down encore: Don't Be Denied Roll Another Number (For The Road) Mr. Soul *first My Heart since 1.14.1995 ** first non-solo New Mama since 8.12.1977 ^ vocals by Lukas Nelson ^^ vocals by Micah Nelson mastered by Barnaby Bennett stream download previously on tehBlahg: Neil Young: The Riverside Theater 2019 Neil Young: Auditorium Theatre 2018

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Bill Frisell: Art Institute 2019

I’ve been lucky enough to see master of space/time Bill Frisell a lot over the years in many different groups/iterations, but had never seen him solo prior to this set in The Art Institute’s gorgeous Fullerton Hall...and, whoa.  The electric set does deeeeeep, beginning with a sparse take on Shenandoah and closing nearly an hour later with with a wild deconstructed version of Burt Bacharach’s What the World Needs Now. The whole medley was closest thing to the Seattle Dark Star I’ve ever seen from him, any further description would just become a long series of loosely-strung, over-the-top adjectives so I’ll leave it there.  The acoustic encore floats around a bit before settling into a stunning arrangement of We Shall Overcome.  Bill Frisell 11.14.2019 @ Fullerton Hall, The Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL electric medley encore: acoustic medley stream download

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Stereolab: Turner Hall Ballroom 2019

This was my first time seeing The Group...and dangit I hope it’s not the last, that shit ruled.  Instead of rambling further, I’ll just link to my pal Cal’s excellent review for the Milwaukee Record. As usual, he puts words to zones much better than I. Stereolab 10.4.2019 @ Turner Hall Ballroom Milwaukee, WI Anamorphose Ping Pong Infinity Girl Fluorescences Crest Need to Be Lo Boob Oscillator The Stars Our Destination Come and Play in the Milky Night Miss Modular Percolator Metronomic Underground French Disko encore: Brakhage Rainbo Conversation Jenny Ondioline stream download

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Bitchin Bajas: Constellation 2019

New zones, classic tones, BAJAS.  Bitchin Bajas 9.12.2019 @ Constellation Chicago, IL [new song 1] Jammu Circles on Circles Angels and Demons at Play [Sun Ra] Marimba Chokayo [new song 2] Zone 1 Be Going stream download previously on tehBlahg: Bitchin Bajas: Hungry Brain 2018 Bitchin Bajas: Hungry Brain 2017 Bitchin Bajas: In C 2016 Bitchin Information Society: The Hideout 2016

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One Eleven Heavy: The Hideout 2019

Overtly heady transcontinental supergroup, One Eleven Heavy, choogled through The Hideout on a rare tour in support of their excellent second LP Desire Path.  I could rattle off a list of RIYL-type references that would make both the band and myself sound like the giant nerds we are...but it seems easier just to say if you like rock and roll, you’ll like this set.  Crank it loud.  One Eleven Heavy 9.5.2019 @ The Hideout Chicago, IL Stir Crosses House of Cards Valley Bottom Fever Chickenshit Kitty Clyde’s Sister Hot Potato Soup Old Hope Chest Dan Brown - bass Hans Chew - keyboards / vocals Nick Mitchell Maiato - guitar / vocals Jake Morris - drums / vocals James Toth - guitar / vocals stream download previously on tehBlahg: Wooden Wand: Subterranean 2017

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Mute Duo (Quintet): Empty Bottle 2019

Chicago’s Mute Duo "is Skyler Rowe (drums/percussion) and Sam Wagster (pedal steel). Building on simple composed melodies, Mute Duo explores an atmosphere ranging from sparse chimes to pummeling drone with a free, rhythmic fluidity. In 2017, they released their self-titled debut album featuring artwork by local artist/writer Dmitry Samarov, and 2018′s ‘Axially Grasp’ EP on Lurkerbias.” I just ganked the official bio because I sure as shit couldn’t do better. Mute Duo rips, always...and on this night were joined by a trio of Chicago zoners for 38minutes of wide-open group improvisation that covered an incredible amount of ground.  Mute Duo (Quintet) 8.22.2019 @ The Empty Bottle Chicago, IL improvisation Mute Duo: Skyler Rowe - drums/percusison Sam Wagster - pedal steel with... Jessie Smith - electronics Mars Williams - tenor sax Andrew Scott Young - upright bass stream download