BIG BLOOD 'Daughters Union' LP (Feeding Tube Records) review

Just when I think we've caught up musically with Big Blood they put out a record like this, proving that they remain, ahead of th' pack. One of th' most noticeable things about the beginning tracks on this record are the crazy rhythms, the band sounds like a recorded locked grove of some undistinguishable stringed instrument happy accident. Meanwhile a chorus of Colleen, the lead singer, walks the line between chain gang song and spiritual; a dance between sorrow and bliss, the human condition. Now hold up, that is only my impression of the first two songs. Other high points are the murkey and understated Spacemen take on a Troggs tune, the T Rex Slider stomp, 'All is Clear', that hugs the label, esoteric Patty Smith 'Easter' era vocal chants on 'Stars Sewn Into Our Skies' and some Nick Cave-like urgent and skeezey rhythms. Also, I hope that someday I hear 'On and On' blasting on the loud speakers while teenagers ride the Music Express at the beach. The B side of this album also features Big Blood's funnest cover since they did Vitamin C by Can. If you want more, hearing is believing, order this treat of an album immediately. Get schooled by the mighty Big Blood.

HUMAN ADULT BAND / JIM SCHMIDT 'Gross Fire' New England Tour 2019

Thurs Aug 22, 2019

PENGO
HUMAN ADULT BAND
JIM SCHMIDT
ULTRABUNNY
PSIRENS

@ Never Get To Be Cool
New Haven, CT

***


Fri Aug 23, 2019

BIG BLOOD
HUMAN ADULT BAND
COLBY NATHAN
JIM SCHMIDT
THOT AUDIT

@ Root Cellar Bar
Greenfield, MA

***

Sat Aug 24, 2019

BIG BLOOD
HUMAN ADULT BAND
COLBY NATHAN
JIM SCHMIDT

@ Apohadion Theater
Portland, ME

***

Sun Aug 25th 2019

CREAM CANDLES
HUMAN ADULT BAND
JIM SCHMIDT
THOT AUDIT

@ Machines with Magnets
Pawtucket, RI

Weird Punk / Drone Rock / Dungeon Synth / Noise Rock in Flemington, NJ

Fri May 31, 2019, 7-10pm

SPECK (CA)
SLENKO AND MCKEYS (PA)
RANSEUR
TOADS

@ Flemington D.I.Y.
90 Main St Flemington, NJ
$10 / all ages

Keeping it Weird in Flemington II

Sunday March 17th 2019, 7pm-10pm

DRUMS LIKE MACHINE GUNS (PA)
HEALERS (MA)
HOTLINE (NY)
SCHMIDT / ERDELY DUO (NJ)

@ Flemington D.I.Y.
90 N. Main St
Flemington, NJ

BILL NACE / SAMARA LUBELSKI / HUMAN ADULT BAND / SUICIDE MAGNETS - Jersey Shore

SATURDAY MARCH 30th 2019, 9pm

BILL NACE & SAMARA LUBELSKI DUO
HUMAN ADULT BAND
SUICIDE MAGNETS

@ White Chapel Project, Long Branch, NJ $10

Keeping it Weird in Flemington

Saturday February 2nd, 2019, 7pm-10pm

KING DARVES
RISK RELAY
MERGER (DE)
TOADS

@ Flemington D.I.Y.
90 North Main St
Flemington, NJ

Postie 'It Was You' CD / DL

Soundbite heavy Astro Zombies (Brooklyn) meets GBV and early aughts hipster love. Art damaged alt rock from drummer of NJ's Knights Templar. From what I know of this character he pieced this together from pirated mp3s, cell phone recordings and the occasional fractured studio session. Some pretty nice tones considering the sources. This guy does his Sonic Life homework. -T Penn

Curanderos S/T Lathe Cut LP (Clavius Productions)

I love the Dead and I love Phil Lesh's bass playing. But I can't name one memorable Phil Lesh bassline. Yeah I know he's got perfect pitch and all. But with all that talent and skill, his bass playing compliments the other instruments in a way that the bass 'line' is lost. It's a different story with Clint Takeda of Curanderos (also of Bardo Pond). On this limited lathe cut LP, Clint lays down a damn memorable and moody bass line and sticks with it. There are interesting variations but he sticks with a heavy bass groove that would be at home on Tokyo Flashback comps and also has the heaviness of a Parson Sound groove. Scott Verastro (Bardo's touring percussionist and Kohoutek impresario) finds the groove on his kit immediatley as the line is being solidified. Michael Gibbons (Bardo Pond), on guitar, wails in kind of a Neil Young meets Les Rallizes Denudes kinda way, but the whole jam is a lot sludgier and check it out the B side is an instrumental take on 'Danger Bird' written by the man himself, Neil Young. Sick guitar wipe out at the end too. This lathe cut is ultra-limited. I think only 25 copies were cut and its kinda pricey as lathes are...but if you want some real quality sludge psych from the Bardo / Kohoutek gang, it doesn't get much better than this!