SEXTON MING - 'BARKING AT THE HALF MOON'

Formats

• PHOER027 - CD

  809651900529

Details

*Re-list CD finally here* You know that sometimes you just have to stand there and stare at something so beautifully grotesque that it becomes its own spellbinding universe. The idea of Sexton Ming covering Dave Cloud and vice versa is just such a proposition conceived somewhere amongst the wreckage of a handful of gigs and meetings between the two and their band members in London and Nashville in 2006/2007. The 2008 sub-prime collapse interceded and these recordings became almost lost in the dank, dusty archives of relocation. Thankfully they re-appeared as randomly as they disappeared at the end of 2013 and have been restored to their mighty majesty. The wit and genius of both Sexton Ming and Dave Cloud is something that no magic potion could contrive; mutual respect straddles addled sanity lovingly backed by the demonic perspirations of two bands grunting their mesmeric sex musics. Sexton Ming is the living definition of an outsider artist, throwing his hat into all manner of artistic rings to extraordinary effect. A Medway Poet, contemporary of Billy Childish (collaborating on several tomes and albums), founder of the Stuckist anti-art movement, raconteur, musician, and noise artist, he now resides in a shed in Hastings and refuses to come out. His backing group and long time friends and collaborators on these recordings are The London Dirthole Company whose recent Phono Erotic CD/ Squoodge Records LP, ‘The Sounding Alley Tapes’ was top of the playlists in several floods. One soggy box of CDs was even found washed up on a remote Kent estuary beach, followed by several unconfirmed reports of Whisky Galore-style events happening in youth and yacht clubs in the vicinity. Dave Cloud is the living definition of an outsider artist. Nashville’s last Easy Rider incarnate. Hell for leather Rock’n’Roll preacher of all things bad for your health, but good for your tortured soul. He has appeared in several films and TV programmes confounding all with his insightful observations and unnatural body gyrations. A generous handful of albums of music material are available on both Fire and Goner Records with his Gospel Of Power band; a group made up of members of Lambchop, Silver Jews and other salubrious Nashville outfits. His live show has been described as as ‘sophisticated musical grindhouse’, touch it and see. ‘Barking At The Half Moon’ finds the kind of celebration that would leave the devil checking his pockets after meeting them at the crossroads with bits of souls stolen from everyone: Roky Erikson, Iggy Pop, Oliver Reed, Butthole Surfers, Peter Cook, Keith Moon, Mark E Smith, Daniel Johnston, Lux Interior, Dennis Hopper, Tom Jones and Johnny Cash. You’ll know you’ve had a party. It’s witchcraft.

Tracks

SM&LDC - Fantastic Rage / I Feel Pretty Good / Si-Fu Bruce Lee / You Missed A Good Damn Good Chance / Icy Cold Brew / Evil Dracula Man / Today Is The Day That They Take Me Away (Oh Yes, Oh No, Oh Yes, Oh No)
DC&GOP ? Flowers (Why Do You Hate The Hippies So Much?) / Your Arse Is My Venus / Playtex / The Cryptic Village Idiot / I Am Sparticus / Sad Is The Airoplane / Lesser Known / Hot Rod Man / Mentally Undress You / Take You Slow

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Audio & Video

S - 'COOL CHOICES'

Formats

• HAR084 - LP

  098787308419

• HAR084CD - CD

  098787308426

Details

Getting a Dog Will Never Save a Doomed Relationship, and Other Lessons Hidden in Cool Choices “S started over a decade ago as a bedroom-based side project. Just a guitar, a four-track, and Jenn Ghetto’s heartbreaking voice.”. At the start of 2012, in the middle of a break-up, I started writing this record. As with the others, the songs all started in my bedroom, but I convinced my metal drummer friend Zach McNulty to help me flesh them out (you guys, he uses a lot of restraint), along with my longtime friends Betsy Olson (bass) and Carrie Murphy (guitar) because I knew they were talented, I liked being around them, and they both had cars. After many months of trying to get our schedules aligned, there we were, in the studio with Chris Walla. As he was setting up my guitar amp combo and pulling gadgets off the shelves and microphones out of boxes he said to me, "This is how you make a Van Halen record." And then we made Cool Choices. I feel pretty good about it and I hope you think it is okay. • Featuring Jenn Ghetto of Carissa’s Wierd • Produced, engineered, and mixed by Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie • LP comes with MP3 Downloads of the entire album

Tracks

1. Losers
2. Like Gangbusters!
3. Vampires
4. (guitar solo)
5. White House
6. Brunch
7. Remember Love
8. Tell Me
9. Muffin
10. Balderdash
11. Pacific
12. Let the Light

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Audio & Video

DOUGLAS DARE - 'CAROLINE / IF ONLY'

Formats

• ERATP063EP - 10"

  4050486109663

Details

"If I knew I were alive, I could do so much better. If I knew what I had, then I could use it more wisely. If only I’d known before then I’d be in a better place already. If only." London-based singer-songwriter Douglas Dare releases new EP, following on from his debut album Whelm. Named after album track Caroline and new track If I Knew I Were Alive, it also features remixes by fellow label mate Ryan Lee West aka Rival Consoles and Houndstooth’s own electronic producer Ross Tones aka Throwing Snow. Caroline has always been a precious track for Douglas, one of the first tracks he recorded and a story in which he imagines his grandfather is writing to a loved one during the war. As the only song on his debut album that is stripped down to just his voice and piano playing, and it being a favourite amongst fans at his concerts, it was a natural choice as a first single. The new track If I Knew I Were Alive Douglas wrote by creating beats, looping them and recording parts live. Dancing around to the beats in his room, he started singing melodies and coming up with ideas that he wouldn’t usually have, sitting at the piano. The idea that we can do a lot more if only we appreciated our own ability and opportunity encouraged Douglas to not take the track to anyone else to re-record it, but to work with what he had created himself. “The recording has this demo quality, which I really enjoy. I love how revealing a demo can be. It seems to expose the fundamental ideas the songwriter had and the basic quality of the recording is very revealing. One of my favourite records is PJ Harvey’s ‘4 Track Demos’, where the songs are so stripped back that you can appreciate the finest details.” – Douglas Dare Ryan Lee West, who crafted the Rival Consoles remix of album track Swim explains, “the track existed in a minimal state for a while, and I kept thinking something was missing. There's always something missing! And then out of casual chance, I was sorting through my portable recorder files, and I came across a recording of an installation that I did, which included four motors hitting glockenspiel or xylophone notes at random. I chopped it up in a few seconds and it worked perfectly. It adds texture and movement to the remix. But what's important about these sounds is that they are not in time. I think this remix creates sense of space, subtlety and physicality.” "The original is so well put together, and the vocal so unique that it was a hard one to approach. I set out to reflect the beauty of the vocal in the intro, so that I could build it into something darker later on. This also mirrors the meaning of the vocal. The last sections are meant to evoke feelings of being washed away by a torrent” – Ross Tones about his Throwing Snow remix of Nile.

Tracks

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