Chewing Pine

droneadroneadroneadrone (A Repeating Mix Tape)

This should be listened to while intoxicated…or at least while dreaming…

Tracklisting:
01 – Sapat – Who U With
02 – Sun Arraw – Horse Steppin’
03 – Glenn Branca – Bad Smells
04 – Sonic Youth – She is Not Alone
05 – Organisation – Milk Rock
06 – Wooden Wand – Satya Sai Sweeeetback Plays ‘Oxblood Boots’
07 – La Monte Young – Early Tuesday Morning Blues
08 – Psychic Ills – Fingernail Tea

droneadroneadroneadrone (A Repeating Mix Tape): Download | Stream

Psychic Ills – Mirror Eye (Social Registry, 2009)

There aren’t too many records that can actually compare to Dins (Social Registry, 2006). It’d be nice if there were, but music geeks just aren’t that lucky.

After that first full length, the Brooklyn based Psychic Ills saw fit to issue some previously recorded work in the guise of Early Violence (Social Registry, 2007). That disc, while still tangentially related to what fans heard on Dins, was more tied to sad-sack Brit rock than anything. And while it was a decent listen, Early Violence was never intended to compete with the band’s first full musical statement.

The release of Mirror Eye, though, has come to mean more than just a continuation of where the Ills were a few years back. Out of the eight tracks that make up this new disc, only half could have made an appearance on Dins. That’s not to say that the other four offerings are detached from their musical lineage, but simply different.

“Mantis” and “Meta” begin the album in typical serpentine fashion, gliding just above what rock music is supposed to be, even touching on electronic gadgetry. But what this disc accidentally asserts is that there will always be a cottage industry of record freaks pushing out original music. And even beyond that, there’ll always be a market for this type of work.

If half of the album is tied to previous efforts from the Ills, then the other tracks may well be the footing for the band to move onto something new – to them at least. The mostly instrumental and overwhelmingly minimal constructions of various tripped out sounds and bizarre instrument voicings don’t mark a new period for the grand tapestry of music, but instead show these Brooklynites further incorporating disparate and difficult influences into their work.

As a result of this perceived mutation in its aural approach, it might well serve the band to examine how this new clutch of tracks affects fans. While Dins sported what could only loosely be referred to as songs, Mirror Eye is even less concrete. The band’s guitarist Tres Warren figures that “Structure can exist in different ways and it doesn’t need to always exist.”

With his vague and philosophical understanding of music, it would be reasonable to believe that fans of the Psychic Ills might have some of the same perceptions. However, the work spring forth from Mirror Eye sounds strictly tied to studio gimmickry in a number of ways.

When asked about performing these new constructions live, bassist Elizabeth Hart explains, “We haven’t played all the songs on the record out because some of them were created in the studio and would not necessarily translate live,” which sounds rather sensible. But also because of the improvised nature of the band’s music, she concludes that, “we are not trying to replicate the songs that we do play live, we leave a lot of space to see what happens or how they will unfold in each particular setting.”

That response, though, seems as good a reason as any other to hunt down the Ills at their next performance and hear how the band re-imagines its newest work.

Live @ the Funhouse

The Paste Top Albums of 2008: A Refutation

This photo was cold-jacked from Zack Arias

Allow me to say that I really enjoy reading Paste. I, however, hate year end lists more than I hate wearing tight pants in general – but specifically after a huge meal. Anyway, Paste, much like every other media outlet in the world has compiled their favorite discs from the year 2008.

Considering that the way in which human beings arbitrarily defined time, year-end lists seem ridiculous. But also, considering the fact that Psychic Ills, WAVVES and dälek amongst others have already swamped the press with soon to be released 2009 discs, I feel like any list compiled now would contain glaring empty spaces with those discs not included.

These are my points of contention with Paste and its list.

#15: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!: I’ve really tried to like the music of Nick Cave. I probably should, but I can’t. And watching him release this disc as well as Grinderman, really just aggravates me ‘cause I won’t be listening.

#12: Of Montreal – Skeletal Lamping: These folks might be the biggest hoax currently being perpetrated on the indie-record buying public. You know who’s got cooler out fits? KISS, that’s who.

#06: Fleet Foxes – Self Titled: What qualifications do any of these bands have to be touted as great? All I know is that I’m pretty sick of seeing this band’s name everywhere I bloody look.

#03: Vampire Weekend – Self Titled: Seriously?

Instead of compiling some noxious list of ephemera, I just asked the folks in the Psychic Ills to give me a list, any list, of stuff (or even things) that they’ve enjoyed over the last year. This is what they got back to me with. And if you’ll notice,  Santogold are glaringly absent.

Tres Warren (guitar):

La Monte Young live at the Dream House, June 20th, 2008.

Juan Atkins live at Studio B, June 21st 2008.

Jimy SeiTang (guitar):

Omar S. live at the Beach (Queens), July 16^th, 2008

Elizabeth Hart (bass):

Burial – Untrue

Excepter – Debt Dept

The moon on December 12th. It is the closest it has been to the Earth in 14 years!

Psychic Ills – Early Violence (Social Registry, 2007)

(This originally appeared in the Summer ‘07 issue of Skyscraper)

Considering that Dins stands as an un-touted moment of perfection amongst all of the psych schlock that appeared within the last few years, Early Violence only serves to explain where the band came from. The assertion of Dins main idea, prehistoric drumming coupled with repetitive but intelligent guitar lines, is present even at these early dates. What the band has come to embrace in their live shows is augmented by additional influences. “Killer” gushes forth ‘80s British adulation with rudimentary keyboard and electronic sounding drum programming. Punk rears its head a bit during some of the guitar focused moments, but never over takes the proceedings. Early Violence displays a band trying to work out which of their influences should take over. Obviously there’s the omnipresent Spacemen sound, but ‘70s NYC rock is a touchstone as well. Having figured this, naming a song “Days”, which Television did as well, and playing it for 7 minutes amidst the worst recording of the scattered selections seems a bad idea. The 8 tracks only add up to thirty-five minutes and every listener will find at least one song a throw away. Unless the copy of Dins you bought is worn out already, you probably can wait to find this used in the discount bin.