It's the small unexpected things that make life worth living

As I earlier today was leaving a comment on musictraveler the word verification code I was asked to type was "progg". This can only have been an accident, as Blogspot's word verfications are random strings of letters, not even meant to form actual words

This brought a smile to my face as progg was a political music movement in Sweden in the late 60s and 70s, one that mustn't be confused with prog. Although some progg bands were prog (as in "progressive" musically), a progg band could play any kind of music.

The important thing was their proletarian left-wing, anti-American, anti-capitalist stance, and they often had a deep appreciation for their own rich culture, language and heritage, as opposed to popular music which leaned towards American and Anglosaxon culture. A lot of these bands also had a welcomed sense of humor about themselves which stopped their political message from getting too heavy.

Many bands incorporated native folk influences in their music and nearly all of them sang in Swedish. As always there were exceptions, for example Peps Persson who favored blues and Dag Vag dabbled in many genres, including reggae.

Regarding the politics of the progg movement, Wiki puts it quite well:

The political opinions ranged from everything from anarchism and communism to less clearly pronounced general left-wing opinions. The relations with the governing Social Democratic Party were not that good, which can be exemplified by the song 'Fy På Dig Sosse' ('Shame on you, Social Democrat') by Gudibrallan.

Few people in the movement were members of any party, though the communist parties the Swedish communist party and Communist Party of Sweden (1967) started their own record companies which joined the movement.

The United FNL groups were a strong movement in support of the National Front for the Liberation of Vietnam, and progg bands often played at their demonstrations. Progg bands also played at other big demonstrations at the time, such as the protest that managed to stop the cutting down of the elms in the park Kungsträdgården in Stockholm, and the protests to stop the tennis matches against tennis players from the Pinochet-ruled Chile in Båstad 1975.

Towards the end of the 70s the progg movement began to decline in favor for punk rock, electronic music etc.

So I just had to throw together this little collection of old progg tracks, taken from the mammoth 3 disc compilation Progg Hits from 1993. I also included Staten Och Kapitalet, Ebba Grön's ferocious cover of Blå Tåget's Den Ena Handen Vet Vad Den Andra Gör, such a famous rendition most people don't even know it's a cover.

For more info on what was going on in the Swedish music scene around this time, check out my post A Brief History Of Swedish Rock from December 13th.

(zip) Metal Bastard's Progg Collection (55 mb)

1. Sillstryparen - Doin' the omoralisk schlagerfestival blues (1975)
2. Risken Finns - Du känner väl mig (1973)
3. Contact & Skäggmanslaget - Hon kom över Mon (1971)
4. Fläsket Brinner - Gånglåten (1971)
5. Arbete & Fritid - Polska efter Lejsme Per Larsson, Malung (1972)
6. Ronny Åström & Peps Blodsband - Livet på landet (1976)
7. Kenny Håkansson & Sergio Cuevas - Till Cathrine
8. Philemon Arthur & The Dung - Naturen (1972)
9. Samla Mammas Manna - Folkvisa i morse (1973)
10. Blå Tåget - Den ena handen vet vad den andra gör (1972)
11. Nationalteatern - Livet är en fest (1974)
12. Tältprojektet - Vi äro tusenden (1977)
13. Ebba Grön - Staten och kapitalet (1980)

Silver&Crimson Vol. 8

For information, email info@silverandcrimson.com.

(zip) Silver&Crimson volume 8 (37 mb)

Like whatcha hear? Then buy it.

The Outsider Odyssey presents: The Shaggs

The Shaggs are one of the most well known outsider groups - outsider musicians tend to be solo artists. Perhaps because what they're doing is so out of leftfield that it's hard for anyone to understand.

That wasn't a problem for The Shaggs. This was a band consisting of three (later four) sisters of the Wiggins family in New Hampshire in the 1960s and 70s, formed at their father's insistance. Austin Wiggins' mother, their grandmother, had predicted through palmreading several things about her son's life.

For example that he would marry a redhead (which he did) and that he would have two sons after her death, and that his daughters would form a pop group. When the first two came true he decided the third one was their family's destiny and pulled the girls out of school, got them some instruments and forced them to start a band.

The girls had no real ambition to be in a band, but did what their father told them. They did some local gigs and in 1969 they released their only album. Out of the 1,000 copies pressed only a 100 were sent out to radio stations who had no interest in playing it. When their father died in 1975, the girls quit the band.

Why wouldn't radio stations play their songs? Well, just listen these two samples from the Philosophy Of The World LP. These girls have no idea what they're doing. They couldn't play, couldn't sing and had no idea how to write a song. Most of the time it sounds like everyone is playing a different song.

As songs by toad so elaquently put it: "You could stamp on a guitar, tie it to an octopus and push it down the stairs and it would have more rhythmic structure than this."

But of course there would be a resurrection for The Shaggs. By the late 70s rumors had spread of this peculiar band and their lousy record. Lester Bangs wrote a piece about his appreciation for the band, Frank Zappa claimed it was one of his favorite albums, Philosophy Of The World was rereleased in 1980, the band reunited for a few gigs in 1999 and in 2001 a tribute album was released.

There's even talk of biopic about The Shaggs. Could be the best movie ever.

(mp3) The Shaggs - My pal foot foot (highly recommended!)
(mp3) The Shaggs - Philosophy of the world

Buy Philosophy Of The World @ Amazon.com.

Babylon's burning and I'm animal wild

Let it be known, simply, that I give no quarter to stray animals on my property. ... I love dogs, but see no reason for the pitbull line to continue. ... I'm not a fan of pits either, since I had a run-in myself, but I hold that owner 100% responsible. 100%! ... How Many Miles From Babylon · Invasive Species Weblog ...

(zip) Metal Bastard's Animal Songs (70 mb)

1. Live - Rattlesnake (1997)
2. 13th Floor Elevators - Monkey island (1966)
3. Green Jellÿ - The bear song (1994)
4. Supergrass - Mansize rooster (1995)
5. Jethro Tull - Mother goose (1971)
6. Jeff Buckley - Kangaroo (live, 1995)
7. The Beatles - Piggies (1968)
8. America - A horse with no name (1972)
9. Pink Floyd - Dogs (1977)
10. Loosegoats - Indian eagle (1999)
11. Tom Waits - Starving in the belly of a whale (2002)
12. Robert Johnson & Punchdrunks - Garlic chicken & shots (1997)
13. The Presidents Of The United States Of America - Froggie (1996)
14. Pearl Jam - Red mosquito (1996)
15. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free bird (1973)

Previous installments:

Metal Bastard's Gone Songs (January 20th)
Metal Bastard's House Songs (January 23rd)
Metal Bastard's Satan Songs (January 28th)
Metal Bastard's Dream Songs (February 1st)
Metal Bastard's Water Songs (February 5th)
Metal Bastard's Time Songs (February 9th)
Metal Bastard's Hand Songs (February 13th)
Metal Bastard's River Songs (February 19th)

Like whatcha hear? Buy it @ Amazon.com.

The Outsider Odyssey presents: Eden Ahbez

How about a refreshing dish of trendsetting hippie beatnik hermit? Alright then.

Eden Ahbez' (born George Aberle) biggest claim to fame was writing the hit song Nature Boy, loosely based the old Yiddish ditty Schwieg Mein Hertz, for Nat King Cole in 1948. Frank Sinatra later recorded a more well-known verison.

He was ahead of his time in terms of both appearance and lifestyle, he beat the hippies to the punch by at least 20 years. As early as the prim & proper 1940s when most people couldn't even imagine showing themselves in public without a hat and tie, Ahbez practiced Eastern philosophies, stood on street corners and preached Oriental mysticicsm and sported a look that can only be described as Jesus-like.

At the time Ahbez was living a self-chosen barebones lifestyle in southern California. For a time he slept by the Hollywood sign with his family (under one of the L's apparently), lived on virtually no money at all, had very few material possessions and adhered to a strict vegetarian diet.

Nature Boy made him a bit of a celebrity and everyone from Time Magazine to Newsweek covered him and his story. Life Magazine gave their article the intriguing headline "Nature Boy Eden Ahbez Lived On Nuts In A Canyon, Wrote Hit Song".

Throughout the 40s and 50s he kept writing music for people like Eartha Kitt and Frank Sinatra, until he finally made his first and last album, Eden's Island in 1960. A very peculiar mix of exotica (which was quite hip at the time and remains one of my all time favorite styles of music - check out Martin Denny, people. He'll change your life) and spoken word elements in the form of beatnik poetry, no one has recorded anything like before or since. An absolutely brilliant album, a one of a kind masterpiece.

After that album he pretty much disappeared off the radar. He kept in touch with some of his musician friends and released a single or two, but he more or less turned away modern society. He lived a nomadic life with his wife and their son under the stars and apparently they spent most of their time just chillin'.

Sounds pretty sweet to me, wouldn't mind living that way myself. I just need to move to a warmer country first.

Eden Ahbez died in 1995, at the age of 86, due to injuries sustained from a car accident.

(mp3) Eden Ahbez - Myna bird
(mp3) Eden Ahbez - Full moon (highly recommended!)
(mp3) Eden Ahbez - Mongoose

Availabe on Eden's Island (1960)

The Outsider Odyssey presents: Cal Andrews

I have no idea who Cal Andrews is, and the kid on that pic has nothing to do with any of this. That's just a photo I found when I googled "Cal Andrews". Good looking kid though. Well-fed. Probably eats corn and potatoes.

I found these two songs on WFMU's 365 Project blog a while back, and there is no information on this cat to be found anywhere. I've searched the far reaches of teh innerweb but all I've found are forum and blog entries asking the world who this fucking guy is. So I guess he'll remain an enigma. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy his extraordinary music.

It appears this is another one of those sublime vanity records, which is exactly what it sounds like: Someone talentless recorded themselves to show the world how amazing they are. Well Cal Andrews (whoever he was/is) sure was amazing, but perhaps not in the way he intended.

This fits quite well into the "so bad it's good" category.

I suppose this was meant to be some sort of loungy exotica jazz, but ol' Cal didn't realize he completely lacked the sensability and delicate touch to produce such music in the proper manner.

Good on ye, Cal Andrews! You made cool music once. But I still don't know who the fuck you are.

(mp3) Cal Andrews - O sing to me
(mp3) Cal Andrews - Sundown at sea (highly recommended!)

The Outsider Odyssey presents: Shooby Taylor

Today the Outsider Odyssey gives you one of my all time favorites: Shooby Taylor.

From Wiki:

William "Shooby" Taylor (a.k.a. "The Human Horn") (September 19, 1929-June 4, 2003) is 'a little bit famous' for scat singing over various records, including the Ink Spots, the Harmonicats and country gospel in a baritone voice. He is noted for his highly idiosyncratic scat style, using sounds and syllables quite unlike those used by other scat singers.

Shooby Taylor was born in Indiana Township, Pennsylvania, on September 19, 1929. Shortly thereafter he moved with his family to Harlem, where he spent the majority of his life. Besides Shooby's several decades of pursuing a career as a scat singer, he also worked 21 years as a New York City postal worker.

He is most famously known for the 14 tracks he recorded in the early 1980s, at the now nonexistent Angel Sound Studios in Manhattan. These recordings began circulating among tape and file-swappers and are now available at the official Shooby Taylor website.

Video of a 1980s appearance at the Apollo Theater has also surfaced, and is the only known footage of Shooby performing. Taylor was booed off the stage moments after beginning his act.

In 1992, Shooby moved to a senior complex in Newark, New Jersey. Shooby experienced a stroke in 1994 that crippled his scat skill, also stopping him from recording and performing.

Shooby was "re-discovered" in spring 2002 by producer Rick Goetz On August 28, 2002, Shooby appeared for his first and only radio interview on WFMU. Taylor died on June 4, 2003, at the age of 74. Plans for an official CD release of his work are still pending.

This man's music has to be heard to be believed. Truly a unique individual.

(mp3) Shooby Taylor - Lift every voice and sing (highly recommended!)
(mp3) Shooby Taylor - Tico tico
(mp3) Shooby Taylor - You're nobody til somebody loves you

Shooby pwning ass @ the Apollo:

Take me to the river

Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age. The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Ethir Anduin in the Belegaer.

In her Atlas of Middle-earth, Karen Wynn Fonstad estimates a total length of 2,233 km.

1. Howard Shore - The great river (2001)
2. Tom Waits - Misery is the river of the world (2002)
3. Captain Beyond - Raging river of fear (1972)
4. Badly Drawn Boy - River, sea, ocean (2002)
5. R.E.M. - Find the river (1993)
6. Nick Drake - River man (1969)
7. Whiskeytown - Drank like a river (1995)
8. Queens Of The Stone Age - River in the road (2007)
9. M.I.A. feat. The Wilcannia Mob - Mango pickle down river (2007)
10. Eleven - Flow like a river (2003)
11. Christie - Yellow river (1970)
12. Creedence Clearwater Revivial - Green river (1969)
13. Johnny Cash - Big river (live, 1969)
14. Jonathan Byrd - May the river run dry (2008)
15. The Band - The river hymn (1971)

(zip) Metal Bastard's River Songs (53 mb)

Previous installments:

Metal Bastard's Gone Songs (January 20th)
Metal Bastard's House Songs (January 23rd)
Metal Bastard's Satan Songs (January 28th)
Metal Bastard's Dream Songs (February 1st)
Metal Bastard's Water Songs (February 5th)
Metal Bastard's Time Songs (February 9th)
Metal Bastard's Hand Songs (February 13th)

Like whatcha hear? Buy it @ Amazon.com.

The Outsider Odyssey presents: Gerald & Linda Polley

The outsider music investigation continues with two complete fucking nutcases, Gerald and Linda Polley of North Dakota. I've written about mentally unstable characters in the past (Eilert Pilarm, Wesley Willis etc), but these two are the first bonafide lock-them-the-fuck-up-before-they-hurt-themselves loonies to grace this blog.

Gerry and Lindy, as I affectionately like to call them sometimes, are "speakers". Which means they channel spirits and voices from beyond the realms of human comprehension. Gerald claims to be an "internationally known psychic", which I can only interpret as "someone in Canada heard of me once".

Interestingly, the Polleys don't refer to themselves as Christians, they claim to be completely neutral and are only delivering the messages brought forth to them. Which of course is only a sneaky way of saying that the existence of Jesus Christ as humanity's saviour is an unbiased truth. If two completely neutral agnostic psychics get messages from Jesus, how can you possibly question his divinity? Right?

I've been trying to set up an interview with the Polleys for several weeks, but they won't answer my emails. Perhaps the email address itself (monkey_bastard at hotmail dot com) made them suspicious. They have a website, and there's so many goodies on there I don't even know where to begin.

There's one area where they post songs that they've recorded. Not written however, no these songs were provided for them by the likes of George Harrison, John Lennon and Johnny Cash. And Kurt Cobain, who in the afterlife appears very passionate about trans fats and the spiritual wars raging in Ellsworth, Maine.

As the website explains:

"Kurt Cobain has been working with them but Gerald is the one who can bring through his songs. Kurt has given them a short version of the song he's singing in The Afterlife about what is going on with the Spiritual Forces in Gerald's home town of Ellsworth, Maine.

Kurt insisted that Gerald sing it with Linda. Gerald said it would probably be better if Linda just sang it herself, but Kurt insisted. So Gerald did the best he could. You'll notice if you listen to the song and read the lyrics even with the sheet in his hand and reading them Gerald did one part wrong. However they didn't have time to do more attempts. Just not enough hours! But it still sounds good that way.

The lyrics are the way it's supposed to be sung. They just can't do Kurt's style! They wish they could get some really hot band to record this! Linda thinks this is the best song they've done together since 'Whacko The Clown'."

I'm on the edge of my seat - what "really hot" band will be first to record Kurt Cobain's The Battle Is Raging about the spiritual forces in Ellsworth, Maine? The suspense is killing me! Scroll down to download The Battle Is Raging. Then form a really hot band and record a cover of it!

There's also a part about Gerald's candidacy for the Republican presidency of the United States. His platform included battle cries such as Children's Rights? Yes. Child Abuse? No! and Weapons of Mass Destruction? Not On My Watch!. Not to mention If You Live in the U.S., English is Our Language.

When Barack Obama won, Jesus was absolutely outraged and revealed to the world (through internationally known speaker Gerald Polley) that he was stepping down and from now he will:

"give the authority to give all of God's messages to Speaker Gerald Polley, who, as long as he lives, will be God's only true voice on Earth, the only one in the material world that has God's truth. This is positive and absolute. In any question of doctrine, in any question of belief he is God's only authority on Earth. If he says God disapproves of something, God disapproves of it. If he says God approves of something, God approves of it, that is it. There is no one else. Anyone that disagrees with him on any subject is not of God. "

Wow.

I initially found this to be extraordinary entertainment of a sort only Christian zealots can provide, until I started watching some of their recent videos on YouTube (all their old videos were deleted by the site and apparently "Jesus is even angrier than ever!").

In some of these, one of which you can see at the bottom of this post, Linda hints at suffering from mental instability and retardation and that her husband "saved her" from it by teaching her to clean the house, cook for him and hear the voice of Jesus in her head.

This interesting turn of events gave this whole ordeal a new and very depressing light. You could see it as a humanitarian act on Gerald's part to give Linda some direction and purpose in her life, or you can see it as brainwashing someone vulnerable who doesn't know better. No awards for figuring out where I stand on the matter.

I don't know if Gerald Polley genuinely believe that he is hearing God's voice or if he is simply another manipulative douchebag with a Messiah complex. And I don't care, both scenarios are equally chilling.

This sort of blind religious fanaticism is without a doubt the most frightening phenomenon on this planet, but I suppose at the end of the day one can always comfort oneself with the knowledge that these people are harmless and on the fringes of Christianity, or even society, and won't hurt anyone any time soon.

It's still highly fucked up though.

Take a few minutes to hear these three amazing songs written by Kurt Cobain in heaven.

(mp3) Gerald and Linda Polley - The battle is raging
(mp3) Gerald Polley - Don't listen to the voices
(mp3) Linda Polley - Down with trans fats! (highly recommended!)

Linda Polley explaining how her husband "helped" her:


Gerald Polley announces he is running for president of the United States. Don't miss the creepy part @ 0:35 when he removes his glasses and his appearance changes from random parish weirdo to psycho-spree-killer-with-an-M16:


Linda Polley channelling Mary Magdalene, who appeals to the credit card companies on behalf of the striking Writers' Guild:


God Talks About Speaker Gerald Polley's Prison Experience And How It Benefits Mankind (yes, that's the actual title of the video). Thanks for pointing it out, Too Many Sebastians.

Silver&Crimson Vol. 7

I love the Silver&Crimson mixes. Wonderfully eclectic, and anything that gives me a reason to use the word "eclectic" is close to my heart.

By the way, if you can name the album from which I stole the cover to make the Silver&Crimson picture seen above you will receive my undying respect.

(zip) Silver&Crimson volume 7 (38 mb)

Like whatcha hear? Then buy it.

Retro Post: Monkey Bastard's Mix Vol. 24

My death defying trek into the worrying realms of outsider music will continue in a few days.

While you wait for that I give you an awesome blast from the past, namely the 24th volume in my Monkey Bastard series originally posted here on July 9th 2007.

The Monkey Bastard mixes were posted every Monday and Friday on my old blog back when I still cared about it. These mixes carried on on this blog before I retired them after volume 115. I post so many other mixes anyway, they weren't necessary.

Back in July 2007, this was the only comment I left regarding this mix:

"Now this may be the weirdest and most eclectic one yet. This one's all over the damn place."

Pretty much sums it up, this mix makes no sense.

1. Anders Berglund - Ouvertyr (1978)
2. David Bowie - "Heroes" (1977)
3. Sator - I wanna go home (1992)
4. Evert Taube - Vals i gökottan (1936)
5. Kenta - Just idag är jag stark (1979)
6. The Creeps - Ooh I like it (1990)
7. Lasse Dahlquist - Very welcome home, Mr. Swanson (1939)
8. System Of A Down - Old school Hollywood (2005)
9. The Trammps - Disco inferno (1976)
10. Tages - I'll be doggone (1966)
11. The Tony Jackson Group - Fortune teller (1965)
12. R.E.M. - Find the river (1993)
13. Sigge Fürst - Schottis på Valhall (1945)
14. The 101'ers - Silent telephone (1981)
15. The Posies - Terrorized (1996)

(zip) Monkey Bastard's Mix Vol. 24 (41 mb)

Like whatcha hear? Then buy it.

Metal Bastard's MySpace Raid Vol. 2

Okay, another batch of songs ripped from various people's MySpace pages. Some of these people are signed, the ones who aren't should be.

Mucho gracias to bingo bratt for introducing me to Kilroy and Pontus Snibb.

(zip) Metal Bastard's MySpace Raid Volume 2 (36 mb)

1. Kilroy - Heart of stone
2. Pirate Love - Death trip
3. Daniel Norgren - Let me go
4. Selfish Cunt - Feel like a woman
5. Pontus Snibb - Peg legged Pete
6. The Shitty Limits - Straight forward
7. Adiam Dymott - Miss you
8. The Disciplines - Oslo
9. Sin Galore - Move me
10. Alex Face - Out in the rain
11. Paper - Strider

Songs That Get My Juices Flowing #11

(mp3) Focus Three - 10,000 years behind my mind
Available on V/A - Psychedelia At Abbey Road - 1965 To 1969 (compilation, 1998)

(mp3) Bob and Doug McKenzie feat. Geddy Lee - Take off
Available on The Great White North (1981)

(mp3) Screamin' Jay Hawkins - Itty bitty pretty one
Available on Portrait Of A Man And His Woman (1972)

(mp3) Beck - MTV makes me wanna smoke crack
Single (1993)

(mp3) Tigarah - Tokyo cool kids
Available on ??? (2007)

Die by my hand

The two intricate, prehensile, multi-fingered body parts normally located at the end of each arm of a human or other primate.

They are the chief organs for physically manipulating the environment, using anywhere from the roughest motor skills (wielding a club) to the finest (threading a needle), and since the fingertips contain some of the densest areas of nerve endings on the human body, they are also the richest source of tactile feedback so that sense of touch is intimately associated with human hands.

Like other paired organs (eyes, ears, legs), each hand is dominantly controlled by the opposing brain hemisphere, and thus handedness, or preferred hand choice for single-handed activities such as writing with a pen, reflects a significant individual trait.

1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Red right hand (1994)
2. Mudhoney - By her own hand (1994)
3. Primus - Shake hands with beef (1997)
4. Interpol - Slow hands (2004)
5. The Masters Apprentices - War or hands of time (1966)
6. Gemma Hayes - Back of my hand (2002)
7. Pearl Jam - Severed hand (2006)
8. The Faces - Three button hand me down (1970)
9. Tom Waits - Clap hands (1985)
10. The Smiths - Hand in glove (1983)
11. Jandek - Hand for Harry Idle (1987)
12. My Solid Ground - Handful of grass (1971)
13. José González - Hand on your heart (2005)
14. Blond - Sun in her hand (1969)
15. Richie Havens - Handouts in the rain

(zip) Metal Bastard's Hand Songs (62 mb)

Previous installments:

Metal Bastard's Gone Songs (January 20th)
Metal Bastard's House Songs (January 23rd)
Metal Bastard's Satan Songs (January 28th)
Metal Bastard's Dream Songs (February 1st)
Metal Bastard's Water Songs (February 5th)
Metal Bastard's Time Songs (February 9th)

Like whatcha hear? Buy it @ Amazon.com.

In pursuit of Jandek (The aftermath)

I'm still recovering from yesterday's events.

On February the 2nd I sent a letter to Jandek's P.O. box in Houston with a clear mission: to get a personal, written response. Not just the generic xeroxed order form he sends everyone, but an actual personal response.

For some reason I expected this to take ages, but the letter landed in my mailbox after less than two weeks. Is it always this easy to make contact? I half expected it to be really difficult. Maybe I was fooling myself.

Either way, I'm over the moon with the letter I got, and to see my name written in the iconic and almost mythical hand-writing made Friday the 13th 2009 one of the best days in recent memory. Fuck superstition and bad luck, that's my lucky day from now on.

Also, the envelope had a certain smell. I don't know if it was just the smell of the paper, but it smelled like cologne or after shave. Could it be I not only got a letter from Jandek but also a whiff of his scent? Well, that's what I like to tell myself anyway.

Since I thought this would take much longer I accumulated massive amounts of mp3s by various outsider artists to post and write about on this blog while I waited for Jandek to write me back.

I won't let these go to waste, so I will continue to write about the strange world of outsider music over the next few weeks. As always, you can find them by clicking the "Outsider music" tag at the bottom of this post or the link in the sidebar to the right.

What Jandek wrote in his letter to me? That's between me and him, hombre. ;)

(mp3) Jandek - Afternoon of insensitivity, part four
Available on Manhattan Tuesday (live, 2007)

Jandek pursued

On this the twelfth day of my In Pursuit Of Jandek project, a little letter landed in my mailbox.

That's the classic Corwood handwriting alright! There's even a little Corwood Industries stamp in the left corner. How cute!



Quick, get the letter opener!



Slowly... slowly... I know you're excited, but don't cut yourself. Does Jandek lick his envelopes? Maybe I can use some saliva DNA and make a little Jandek clone.



There's something in there!



Ah yes, it's the famous Corwood Industries order form I asked for. I see the new album Skirting The Edge is on there, I might have to order that one. Maybe the Manhattan Tuesday live dvd as well, I love the album version and I hear there's some behind the scenes backstage bonus footage (gasp!) included.



But wait... There's another piece of paper.



Looks like there's something written on it... Could it be...? Could it be...?



YES!!! A HANDWRITTEN NOTE FROM JANDEK!!!


MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, MOTHERFUCKERS!!! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

Fuckin' hell, my hands are shaking... I think I'm gonna die. Seriously, I'm dying right now as I'm typing this. Shooting pains down my left arm, can't breathe!

My life flashes before my eyes... first step, first word... first day at school... first time getting laid... and Jandek. The perfect life, I regret nothing!

Let's hope someone walks by the computer and hits the "publish" button after I croak. Farewell sweet world.

Farewell beautiful, beautiful world...

(mp3) Jandek - Naked in the afternoon
Available on Ready For The House (1978)

(mp3) Jandek - Pheonix
Available on One Foot In The North (1991)

(mp3) Jandek - There's no door
Available on The Myth Of Blue Icicles (2008)

In pursuit of Jandek (day 11)

How often does Jandek check that P.O. box? Once a week? Once a month?

I know for a fact he's not on the road, he doesn't have another gig scheduled until next Sunday, but he might be out of town on some other business. Ah well. All good things come to those who wait.

In the meantime I'll present to you someone who could be considered the very first outsider musician, and I will do so with this hunk of text directly and shamelessly copied and pasted from Wikipedia.

Download the mp3 at the bottom of the post and listen to it while reading. The part between at 2:42 and 2:50, where she sounds like a puppy in pain, is particularly fascinating.

Florence Foster Jenkins (July 19, 1868–November 26, 1944) was an American soprano who became famous for her complete lack of rhythm, pitch, tone, and overall singing ability.

Born Florence Foster on July 19, 1868 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to Charles Dorrance Foster and Mary Jane Hoagland, Jenkins received music lessons as a child, and expressed a desire to go abroad to study music. Her wealthy father refused to pay the bill, so she eloped to Philadelphia with Frank Thornton Jenkins, a medical doctor, who became her husband (the two divorced in 1902).

She earned a living there as a teacher and pianist. Upon her father's death in 1909, Jenkins inherited a sum of money which allowed her to take up the singing career that had been discouraged by her parents and former husband.

She became involved in the musical life of Philadelphia, and later New York City founding and funding the Verdi Club, took singing lessons, and began to give recitals, her first in 1912. Her mother's death in 1928 gave her additional freedom and resources to pursue singing.

From her recordings, it is apparent that Jenkins had little sense of pitch and rhythm and was barely capable of sustaining a note. Her accompanist can be heard making adjustments to compensate for her tempo variations and rhythmic mistakes. Her dubious diction, especially in foreign language songs, is also noteworthy.

Nonetheless, she became tremendously popular in her unconventional way. Her audiences apparently loved her for the amusement she provided rather than her musical ability. Critics often described her work in a backhanded way that may have served to pique public curiosity.

Despite her patent lack of ability, Jenkins was firmly convinced of her greatness. She compared herself favorably to the renowned sopranos Frieda Hempel and Luisa Tetrazzini, and dismissed the laughter which often came from the audience during her performances as coming from her rivals consumed by "professional jealousy." She was aware of her critics, however, saying "People may say I can't sing, but no one can ever say I didn't sing."

The music Jenkins tackled in her recitals was a mixture of the standard operatic repertoire by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giuseppe Verdi and Johann Strauss (all of them well beyond her technical ability), Lieder (including works by Johannes Brahms and Joaquín Valverde's Clavelitos [Carnations], a favorite encore), and songs composed by herself or her accompanist, Mr. Cosmé McMoon, who reportedly made faces at Jenkins behind her back to get laughs.

Jenkins often wore elaborate costumes that she designed herself, sometimes appearing in wings and tinsel, and, for Clavelitos, throwing flowers into the audience while fluttering a fan and sporting more flowers in her hair. After each performance Cosmé McMoon would collect these flowers from the auditorium in readiness for redistribution at the next one.

After a taxicab crash in 1943 she found she could sing "a higher F than ever before." Instead of a lawsuit against the taxicab company, she sent the driver a box of expensive cigars.

In spite of public demand for more appearances, Jenkins restricted her rare performances to a few favorite venues, and her annual recital at the Ritz-Carlton ballroom in New York City. Attendance at her recitals was always limited to her loyal clubwomen and a select few others — she handled distribution of the coveted tickets herself.

At the age of 76, Jenkins finally yielded to public demand and performed at Carnegie Hall on October 25, 1944. So anticipated was the performance that tickets for the event sold out weeks in advance. Jenkins died a month later.

There have been claims that Jenkins's entire 32-year career was an elaborate joke on the public, which seems to be in contradiction with another claim that her death after the Carnegie Hall performance was a result of derision by her critics.

However, there is little evidence for either claim. All indications are that Florence Foster Jenkins died with the same happy, confident sense of fulfillment that pervaded her entire artistic life.

(mp3) Florence Foster Jenkins - Der hölle rache
Available on Der Hölle Rache (2006)

In pursuit of Jandek (day 10)

The virus is spreading! \m/

Click here and see for yourself (second paragraph from the bottom). Always good to see that someone takes notice, so hats off to MusicMyNC, Fishdog, and Sinbad.

But when will Jandek take notice?

(mp3) Jandek - Moving slow
Available on The Beginning (1999)

In pursuit of Jandek (day 9)

I'm a little dubious whether or not I should put Ken Butler in the outsider category.

He's certainly eccentric enough, definitely goes his own way and couldn't be more non-mainstream, but I somehow feel that being an outsider musician must to at least some extent mean your music is so bad that it's good.

But I'll ignore that one rule just so I can include Ken Butler in this outsider series. You see, Ken Butler is nothing short of a genius. This man is absolutely brilliant, and he makes some pretty awe inspiring music.

But most impressive is the way he produces this music - he builds his own instruments out of rifles, toothbrushes, axes, garden hoses, hammers and god knows what. He's every mad scientist you've ever seen in bad horror films, only instead of performing horrendous human experiments on innocent victims, he build violins out of nostril hair.

In terms of the things he's done so far, I'll direct you to the bio page on his website, 'cause that list is pretty damn long.

(mp3) Ken Butler - Building a desert bilzzard (highly recommended!)
(mp3) Ken Butler - Eye-con ergonomics

Available on Voices Of Anxious Objects (1997)

Ken Butler performing Building A Desert Blizzard on an amplified snowshovel:


And demonstrating some his other hybrid instruments:


Official website
MySpace

Time waits for no slave

Time is a component of a, to and the intervals between them, and to measuring system used to sequence events quantify compare the durations of has been consistently a to all fields events the motions of objects.

Time eluded of study has religion, manner applicable philosophy, and science, the a major non-controversial subject of but defining time in greatest scholars.

(zip) Metal Bastard's Time Songs (64 mb)

1. The Hellacopters - Making up for lost time (2008)
2. Björk - Big time sensuality (1993)
3. Jim Ford - Sounds of our time (1970? 1969? '71? Huh?)
4. Bob Dylan - No time to think (1978)
5. Dooley Wilson - As time goes by (1942)
6. Temple Of The Dog - Times of trouble (1991)
7. Opeth - In my time of need (2003)
8. Depeche Mode - A question of time (1986)
9. Silverbullit - Once upon a time (2004)
10. The Electric Prunes - Get me to the world on time (1967)
11. Khonnor - Screen love, space, and the time man (2004)
12. Jandek - I know the times (1988)
13. Tom Waits - All the time (2006)
14. Lee Hazlewood - Cold hard times (1970)
15. The Sonics - Night time is the right time (1965)

Previous installments:

Metal Bastard's Gone Songs (January 20th)
Metal Bastard's House Songs (January 23rd)
Metal Bastard's Satan Songs (January 28th)
Metal Bastard's Dream Songs (February 1st)
Metal Bastard's Water Songs (February 5th)

Lika whatcha hear? Buy it @ Amazon.com.

In pursuit of Jandek (day 8)

Holy shit, has it only been a week? Feels like I've been doing this for months. For those of you who are just joining us, here's a little recap:

Last week I decided to get in touch with reclusive outsider musician Jandek. The only way to do so is by writing to a P.O. box in Houston, Texas. After losing both my jobs my life needed a purpose and I decided to focus my energies on getting a written response from Jandek. Hey, it's better than nothing.

I don't know how long this will take, but until I get a response I will update daily with reports from the odd world of outsider music. In the first week of our Waiting For Jandek project we've gotten know to Wesley Willis, Pontiak Johanzon, Eilert Pilarm and Anton Maiden (you can find all posts on this subject by clicking the "Outsider Music" label at the very bottom of the post, or the link in the sidebar to the right).

In the upcoming weeks we'll be taking a closer look at B.J. Snowden, Joe Meek, Wildman Fisher, Hasil Adkins, Ken Butler, The Kids Of Widney High, David Peel, Eden Ahbez, Gordon Thomas, Peter Grudzien, Lucia Pamela and many others. And I'll keep uploading a Jandek track or two every now and then just to remind myself of what this mission is really about.

The ones I look forward to writing about the most however are Gerald and Linda Polley, a married psychic couple from North Dakota who channel the music of spirits. They tune in to songs that Johnny Cash, John Lennon and others write in heaven and perform them to the world. Their best song is one that Kurt Cobain wrote about the evils of trans fats.

I am currently trying to strike up an interview with them, and if all works out it will be published here.

Oh, did I mention Gerald ran for president of the United States of America in 2008 and channeled an open letter to George W. Bush from Jesus about how disappointed he (Jesus) was that the republicans had lost and that he would resign and "give the authority to give all of God's messages to Speaker Gerald Polley"?

Oh man. That's just too amazing. Pleeeeeeease let me interview you, Gerald! Jesus would have wanted it!

(mp3) Jandek - European jewel
Available on Chair Beside A Window (1982)

In pursuit of Jandek (day 7)

Anton "Maiden" Gustafsson rose to fame in 1999 when he uploaded mp3s of himself singing Iron Maiden songs.

He would download MIDI or MOD files and record his own vocals over them on his home computer using a cheap microphone. Much like his fellow Swedish cover artist Eilert Pilarm (see yesterday's post) Anton couldn't sing. At all. Not even a little.

But his intentions were genuine and he did his best, and that's all you could ever ask of anyone. I'd say that's another "rule" of outsider music, doing it honestly and from the heart. The strangeness of your music should be come naturally, but be completely unintentional.

If you deliberately try to be cooky and weird, or willingly make music that sounds a bit off, you're no longer an outsider - you're a novalty artist, which is something different all together. Nothing wrong with being a novalty artist, but let's just make that distinction very clear.

What the world didn't know however, was that Anton suffered from deep depressions and frequented various online suicide forums. In the winter of 2003 he asked for advice on the most efficient way to end his life, and was recommended to use a method that would be as merciful as possible for whoever would find his remains.

On the evening of October 31st 2003 he left the following message:

"Tonight is the night, wish me luck.

If I don't post again, consider me dead."

Three hours later he was dead, after following the instructions given on the forum. His disappearance made national news, and his body was found a week later. He was only 23 years old.

(mp3) Anton Maiden - Hallowed be thy name (highly recommended!)
(mp3) Anton Maiden - Run to the hills

Anton on the TV show Sajber (1999):

Tradera. Sista chansen!

Mina auktioner stänger snart, people.

Klicka här och kolla.

Här!

In pursuit of Jandek (day 6)

While we're on the topic of Swedish eccentrics (see yesterday's post on Pontiak Johanzon), let's talk a bit about Eilert Pilarm shall we?

In the early 90's Eilert Pilarm sold cassette tapes of himself singing Elvis songs and performed live locally. These tapes eventually made their way to radio host Tomas Tengby who started playing them on the air and calling up Pilarm live on the air every now and then.

And just like that Eilert became a celebrity. He appeared on television and toured endlessly - he was the most booked performer in Sweden in 2001. In 1999 he went to London and appeared on the BBC where he was given the "Best Impersonation By A Swede Of The Past 1,000 Years" award from the hands of none other than John Peel.

In 2003 he announced his retirement, did a farewell show, sold his Elvis costumes and last I heard he works in a paper mill in his home town of Husum in the north of Sweden.

The twist of the story is of course that he had very little to do with Elvis. He had no command of the English language, no sense of time and rhythm, no singing talents whatsoever and he couldn't have looked less like Elvis if he tried.

Legend tells of how Pilarm was challenged to lift a big heavy rock (he was known for being very strong). He gave it a go and got a stroke from the strain. When he woke up the big Elvis fan actually thought he was The King himself. Later on, he was convinced he was Elvis' son. With time though he appears to have gotten much better and (dare I say it?) saner.

I remember discussions on both TV and radio in Sweden back in the 90's whether it really was appropriate to exploit someone with mental disabilites this way. But Eilert obviously had a great sense of humor about himself, knowing perfectly well he wasn't exactly the best singer the world had seen.

What may have started as a minor psychosis as a result of his stroke, I'm convinced he was putting it on after realising how popular his take on Elvis' material really was. During interviews, especially later on in his career, there was always a glint in his eye and you could tell he wasn't nearly as naive and deranged as people thought he was.

No doubt laughing all the way to the bank. And for that he has my undying respect. Anyone taking money off the rabble and the riffraff is my hero.

Coming up tomorrow: Anton Maiden! \m/

(mp3) Eilert Pilarm - In the ghetto
(mp3) Eilert Pilarm - Always on my mind
(mp3) Eilert Pilarm - All shook up
(mp3) Eilert Pilarm - Return to sender

Eilert performing Hound Dog:

In pursuit of Jandek & The continued journey into the world of outsider music (day 5)

Alright, by now the letter has to at least left the country, right? How long do these things take? Let's hope the U.S. postal service are efficient eager little beavers.

While we wait for a response from the Corwood representative, allow me to present Pontiak Johanzon.


(photo taken from pontiak.nu without permission)

In my post yesterday I called him Sweden's Wesley Willis, and that was a bit unfair and prejudiced of me. But while Johanzon has none of Willis' obscene lyrics or lurid subject matters and while he is nowhere near as prolific as Willis, they do both make very simple music with lyrics performed in some kind of half sung, half spoken manner and they both share an infectiously joyous relationship with their music.

Just like Willis, Johanzon also has some sort of mental retardation, but exactly what is difficult to tell. I've worked with people with various mental disabilities for years, and Johanzon fits many patterns. A bit of autism perhaps, a little Asberger's maybe?

Whatever it is, there's certainly a screw or two missing and I mean that in the best way possible. Honestly I do. I swear there is no mocking and looking down on people going on there, I genuinely love this man and his music and I wouldn't want him any other way. He's certainly a big character with an even bigger personality who makes music you can't help but fall in love with.

A big part of the appeal is in his accent. If you think foreigners think it sounds like the Swedish chef singing, believe me it sounds just as funny to us Swedes.

Pontus "Pontiak" Johanzon comes from Norrköping and has been a minor celebrity in that area for years, someone that most people seem to be familiar with in one way or another.

In his blog he tells us his musical trajectory: He recorded his first song at home in 1986 and played it for his music teacher who liked it. Three years later he'd written another song, and again played it for his teacher. They worked on the song together and sent it to a record label who didn't want to release it. He wrote another song in 1990 but he can't remember what it was called.

In 1993 he thought of the stage name Pontiak, entered a local talent show and was the second runner up with his version of The Beatles' Help sung in Swedish. Around the same time he wrote the song Gulliga Johanna (eng. Sweet/Cute/Pretty Johanna).

He kept playing and recording his music locally until one day in 2007 the TV show 100 Höjdare came into town to interview him.

They stopped by his spartan studio where was recording his best-known song to date, 80-talet (eng. The 80's). After the episode aired he more or less became a national overnight sensation, and the 80-talet single was released soon thereafter, with Sommaren Är Här (eng. Summer Is Here) as a b-side.

He did a few gigs around the country and appeared on television a few more times. His website hasn't been updated since last summer, so I'm not sure exactly what Pontiak is up to at the moment. But please let there be an album in the making. Pleeeeeeease!

(mp3) Pontiak Johanzon - Gulliga Johanna
(mp3) Pontiak Johanzon - Inte mer OS (highly recommended!)
(mp3) Pontiak Johanzon - Sommaren är här

Pontiak Johanzon on MySpace.

The absolutely brilliant video for Sommaren Är Här:


Pontiak performing 80-talet on 100 Höjdare:

Songs That Get My Juices Flowing #10

(mp3) Pink Floyd - Up the Khyber
Available on More (1969)

(mp3) Bruce Willis - Under the boardwalk
Available on The Return Of Bruno (1987)

(mp3) Eddie Izzard - Birdstrike
Available on Glorious (1997)

(mp3) DJ Shadow feat. Mos Def - Six days
Available on The Private Press (2002)

(mp3) Judy Garland - Over the rainbow
Available on The Wizard Of Oz - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1939)

Så skimrande var aldrig havet

"Yea, foolish mortals, Noah's flood is not yet subsided; two thirds of the fair world it yet covers."
--- Herman Melville, 1851


"O madly the sea pushes, pushes upon the land
with love—with love"
--- Walt Whitman, 1855


"Just jump in you fucking pansy, it ain't that cold."
--- My dad, 1986

1. The Cooper Temple Clause - The lake (2002)
2. Slade - Miles out to sea (1974)
3. Roger Waters - Sea shell and stone/Red stuff writhe (1970)
4. Pearl Jam - Oceans (1991)
5. Blond - Sailing across the ocean (1969)
6. Bruce Springsteen - Lost in the flood (1973)
7. Richard Hawley - The ocean (2005)
8. The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Songs of the ocean (2008)
9. Jandek - Sea of red (2005)
10. Camel - Lunar sea (1976)
11. Ernie Graham - Sea fever (1971)
12. Cat Power - Sea of love (2000)
13. Gavin Clark - Never seen the sea (2006)
14. Captain Beyond - As the moon speaks (to the waves of the sea) (1972)
15. Coldplay - Swallowed in the sea (2005)

(zip) Metal Bastard's Water Songs (71 mb)

Previous installments:

Metal Bastard's Gone Songs (January 20th)
Metal Bastard's House Songs (January 23rd)
Metal Bastard's Satan Songs (January 28th)
Metal Bastard's Dream Songs (February 1st)

Buy em @ Amazon.com.

In pursuit of Jandek (day 4)

Time to dig deeper in the world of outsider music. I'm no authority in this world like say, Irwin Chusid, Dr. Demento or the 365 Days Project people, but I'll do my best.

"Outsider music" is a very broad term and can mean almost anything. There are a few criteria however - being outside the meanstream music realm is a given, but the term doesn't apply to any Tom, Dick and Harry without a record deal.

An outsider musician is someone whose music is simply unusual. They may use unusual structures and pentameters in their songs, if they use any at all. Either because they consciously want to do things differently, or because they don't know any better. As someone put it, "they're not thinking outside the box, they don't know the box exists".

Apart from these fundamental laws, the views differ on what exactly consitutes an artist as "outsider". We'll be exploring these different views on this blog over the coming weeks.

To some it also means the person in question has some sort of mental illness which is expressed in their music. If so, few fit the bill better than Wesley Willis.

(photo by Chris Carnel, cropped slightly)
Willis was born in Chicago in 1963 as one of thirteen children born to an abusive alcholic mother. In 1971 the children were placed in a foster home, and by the late 70s Willis had been adopted.

Ten years later he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was institutionalized for two months. He started busking and selling his art (ink pen drawings) on the streets of Chicago as well as fronting punk band The Wesley Willis Fiasco. After the band split up he began his career as a solo artist, and recorded over fifty albums and more than 1000 songs.

Willis' solo work can be described very easily: pre-programmed beats from his Panasonic Technic keyboard with ramblings on top of it. These ramblings often centered around his life and every day activities (My Mother Smokes Crack Rocks, I'm Sorry I Got Fat, I'm Running My Inkpen, I'm Going On A World Tour), copulating with various animals (Suck A Caribou's Ass, Suck A Pitbull's Dick, Suck My Dog's Dick) and beating up superheroes (I Wupped Batman's Ass, I Wupped Spiderman's Ass, I Wupped Superman's Ass).

In fact, often the lyrics are the only thing that sets the songs apart, as many songs use the same pre-programmed music. Sometimes the keyboard's different sound effects would be used.

According to Willis himself the obscene lyrics were meant to scare off the voices in his head who apparently hated that kind of language, and indeed Willis' music helped him keep his illness in check.

But he would also write songs about his faith (Jesus Christ, Jesus Is The Answer, Love God) and pay tribute to the artists he liked and the bands he opened for (Elvis Presley, Urge Overkill, Stabbing Westward, Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, Foo Fighters) and even the guy who released his records (Jello Biafra). Or perhaps a Duran Duran cover (Girls On Film).

Wesley Wills past away in 2003 from complications of leukemia.

The same year Daniel Bitton's documentary about Willis, The Daddy of Rock 'N' Roll, was released. A film I've heard great things about, but haven't seen. If someone were to share a download link in the comments, I wouldn't complain.

Coming up tomorrow: Pontiak Johanzon, Sweden's own Wesley Willis.

(mp3) Wesley Willis - Jesus Christ
Available on Rush Hour (recorded in 1993, released in 2000)

(mp3) Wesley Willis - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Available on Greatest Hits Volume 3 (compilation, 2003)

In pursuit of Jandek (day 3)

I don't think I've sent an actual letter abroad since 1994 when I had a penpal in Germany who never wrote me back.

So this might take months, I have no idea. But I'll hang in there! I have the determination of a badger, once I sink my teeth in I never let go. Ever.

Over the following weeks and months (or years if that's what it takes - you hear me Jandek? I am Anton Chigurh and I never stop hunting you!) I will continue my trek into the strange world of outsider music.

The Shaggs, Shooby Taylor, Pontiak Johanzon, Wesley Willis and others. It will be a deeply worrying journey into the shady parts of town, not unlike Kyle MacLachlan finding the severed ear in Blue Velvet.

Sometimes snooping around in the grass is the worst thing you can do. Before you know it, some lunatic will huff gas and buttfuck you.

(mp3) Jandek - Real wild
Available on Glasgow Sunday (live album, 2005)

Silver&Cimson Vol. 6

Yet another installment.

These mixes rule. They rules so hard.

(zip) Silver&Crimson volume 6 (33 mb)

Like whatcha hear? Then buy it.

In pursuit of Jandek (day 2)

By now my letter to Jandek will have arrived at Stockholm Södra to be placed among the foreign mail and will most likely be shipped off today or tomorrow!

Is anyone else salivating?

This is so exciting!

(mp3) Jandek - I need to be
Available on This Narrow Road (2001)

In pursuit of Jandek (day 1)

When you're unemployed and just above bums and hobos on the caste scale of modern society it's important to keep your spirit up, you need a project. Sending your CV to a company on the other side of the country just because have to will only get you so far.

I decided my objective in life should be to get a letter from Jandek.

For more details on this man and the film about him, Jandek On Corwood, see this post from December 1st, but I'll give you a quick recap: Jandek is an outsider musician from Texas who has released about 60 or so self-produced albums since 1978. Albums that never contain any information what so ever, only strange photos on the front and the tracklisting and an address on the back.

He has never given his real name (although it's known to be Sterling Smith), has only given two interviews, in 1985 and 1999, and had never performed live until 2004. He has no known email address, no website. The only way to get in touch with him is to write a letter to a P.O. box in Houston, Texas.

And by god I'm gonna do it. And I'm gonna get a proper response too. If it's the last thing I do.

Why? Why the hell not? I've been a fan for a few years now, and that mysterious P.O. box of his always intrigued me. Correspondence in this manner have always worked, Jandek usually writes back. Sometimes in the past when someone would write and ask for a list of albums one can order, he would send a whole pack of records for no reason, free of charge. Sometimes there would be a little hand-written note or comment.

That's what I'm after. Personal contact, a custom response from Jandek, something out of the ordinary. I'll only ask for a catalog list from Corwood Industries (his D.I.Y. record label), and it's the least I expect.

But deep down... My heart yearns for more. So much more.

The letter will be dropped in a mailbox this afternoon.

The hunt is ON!

(mp3) Jandek - Oh Jenny
Available on Later On (1981)

Dream a little dream of me

"...sequence images, sounds and feelings experienced while sleeping, strongly associated with rapid eye movement sleep. The contents and biological purposes of dreams are not fully understood, though they have been a topic of speculation and interest throughout recorded history."

1. Dreadzone - A dream within a dream (1997)
2. Cornershop - England's dreaming (1994)
3. [ingenting] - Hollywood dreams (2006)
4. The Mamas And The Papas - Dream a little dream of me (1968)
5. Whiskeytown - Too drunk to dream (1995)
6. Brant Bjork & The Bros - Sweet Maria's dreams (2005)
7. Johnny Hates Jazz - Shattered dreams (1987)
8. McGuiness Flint - Dream, darling dream (1971)
9. Nat King Cole - You stepped out of a dream (1945)
10. The Electic Prunes - I had too much to dream (last night) (1966)
11. The Everly Brothers - All I have to do is dream (1958)
12. Eagles Of Death Metal - Bad dream mama (2004)
13. Lyrics Born - Bad dreams (2003)
14. Ilene Woods & Chorus - A dream is a wish your heart makes (1950)
15. Patsy Cline - Sweet dreams (of you) (1963)

(zip) Metal Bastard's Dream Songs (52 mb)

Previous installments:

Metal Bastard's Gone Songs (January 20th)
Metal Bastard's House Songs (January 23rd)
Metal Bastard's Satan Songs (January 28th)

Buy em @ Amazon.com.