Captcha HQ on BBJr's Epic Endeavor and Upcoming Tour Dates
At least twice a month (if not more) I get an email from Iowa experimental noise guru / guitar savant BBJr with links to his extremely prolific studio output. Tapping into the world of Bob is always an experience. These tracks sound unfiltered and unmediated—it’s like these sessions were bussed direct from his 4-track into my own studio. This past March, Bob sent me an email explaining his tremendous new endeavor: during the month of February, he had recorded one cover song a day. I was blown away solely by the conceptual scope of this project. Astonished at the incredible amount of dedication it had taken, I asked myself: had he learned the songs in advance? Did he record, perform and master all of these himself? How did he chose the songs!?
The first song I listened to was Bob’s cover of Brian Eno's St. Elmo's Fire. It was brilliant—he absolutely shreds the guitar solo, which is (or should be) reason enough to listen. He also performs an enlightened version of Spacemen 3's Walking with Jesus, a track we've included in the recent Captcha compilation Introducing... , available here. He hits full stride on covers of tracks by Smog, the Velvet Underground and Big Star, making it seem as if they were actually written by or for the interpretation of Bob Bucko Jr.
What is truly amazing is the variety of music Bob selected for this project. The scope of these recordings reflects the multiple dimensions of BBJr’s art. Bob’s knowledge of music is encyclopedic, and his mastery of home recording and performance techniques is absolute. These skills allow him to make music from home that effortlessly transcends the boundaries of genre, time, space, and everyday consciousness. If you haven't yet had the pleasure of hearing his music, this is a fantastic place to start.
A few months from now we will be releasing the physical edition of the newest long-player from BBJr, entitled I Did What I Could With What I Had. We here at the Captcha HQ know what this guy is capable of doing with limited resources. On this recording the results are brilliant, fully realized and completely transformative.
- Benjamin
Tearjerker by BBJr
BBJR SUMMER TOUR 2014
July 21: Dubuque, IA @ Monk's w/Katrina Stoneheart, BANAL ANML
All dates with Ryan Werner:
July 28: Kenosha, WI @ TG's
July 29: Chicago, IL @ SloMo Dojo
July 30: TBA
July 31: Grand Rapids, MI @ Waffle Haus
August 1: Ann Arbor, MI @ The Yellow Barn
August 2: TBA
August 3: Cleveland, OH @ Guide to Kulcher
August 4: Columbus, OH @ The House With No Name
August 5: TBA
August 6: Champaign, IL @ Institute for Creativity
August 7th: Rock Island, IL @ Rozz-Tox