Sunday, August 28, 2022

BRAILLE SATELLITE FESTIVAL - "Part Two" ( July 28-31, 2022)

 
Matas Labašauskas sent me some video footage from the Braille Satellite Festival 2022 in Lithuania, and it is my honor to share some of it with you. 
This footage was shot by his friend Kamkorder, so thanks to them both!

Matas sent me hours of footage and so I just grabbed some random photos starting with this shot of Monty Oxymoron, who is still a member of the Damned. He was invited to perform because he started in the cassette scene. When contacted he said he was up for coming to play electric piano and yamaha keyboard, his own compositions and improvised music, as well some minimal psychedelics.

Is it a UFO? No, it's a Frisbee. This is a place to have fun!!

There's magic in the air!

Everybody seems to be digging what they are hearing including this friend of Matas named Jose.

This is Harmony Molina playing with his band. He was born in Chile and is now based in Berlin. 
Oscar added  that "Harmony Molina is probably one of the most authentic "bedroom-rock stars" we had from last decade. He started making music at the age of 14 and ever since then he never stopped his obsession for success, fame and glory. Unfortunately, his career always fluctuated between semi-obscurity and bits of attention by a small cult following, which hasn't stopped him from still making music these days."

 
There was lots of food and drink to enjoy! 
I can't tell you how much this reminds me of Sonoma County circa 1977, and that's not a bad thing!

Next is Tape DJ-Ebu, playing cassettes from his collection. His scene name, or performing artist name is Herr Ebu. Ebu has run his classic cassette label called Ebu's music for over 40 years. He also makes radio shows, and is based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
I exchanged tapes with Ebu back in the 90's.

I looked it up! There are no krokodilas in Lithuania!

Classic rock pose. 
This is another friend of Matas and Oscar named Mario, sitting in with The Harmony Molina Band.

Comic-strip artist and weirdo musician Zad Kokar lives in Strasbourg, France. Since 2015, he has developed (either solo or with Les Combi Beyaz) a cathartic mix of no-wave dissonances, Devo-esque minimalism, early hip-hop beats, and Residentesque strangness. His live shows are loud, defined by high energy, and vibes that make you want to dance!
He was playing on the Musikii stage at the festival. (The festival had 3 stages: Braille Satellite main stage, Musikii stage and DJ stage) .. Musikii is a stage dedicated to solo projects, homemade musicians, curiosities, freshness, and singular projects. There's always surprises every year!

I love this shot!
This is a local band from Vilnius called Ambulance of Fire.

Ambulance on Fire are a duo comprised of Jūra Elena Šedytė and Mėta Gabrielė Pelegrimaitė.They play alternative electro acoustic music Both professionally trained musicians, participants of many ensembles and projects and long-time friends, they created Ambulance of Fire to play a kind of sound that is based on their most secret and strange musical inspirations. It is a sound of dance rhythms, layered textures, lyric melodies and spontaneous improvisations. The duo experiments with extended techniques of voice, flute and bass, and spice everything with a pinch of minimalistic poetry.

I'll leave you with this awesome shot of Ambulance On Fire!
Thanks again Matas and Oscar, you guys rock!

Friday, August 26, 2022

BRAILLE SATELLITE FESTIVAL ( July 28-31, 2022)

 
Hermanos Guzanos was never really a performing band, although we did do one gig or two, but it was a real drag that we missed this opportunity to play live in the early 1990's at this festival in Ontario, Canada. It was going to be a week long festival, and the producer  had already inked us in to be the closers on the Monday night show. Unfortunately, with a family to feed, and not a lot of money, we had to decline, but I've always regretted it! Another opportunity like this never came along.

 
In "The Show Must Go On" department, Matas Labašauskas in Lithuania, and his partner in Germany Oscar Olias Castellanos are the guys who produced our first and only record last year on their Bigbandalone record label, and they somehow managed to put on their Braille Satellite Festival last month despite all the negatives there are in that part of the world these days. Lots and lots of indie music that even included The Plastic People of the Universe in the original lineup. (Matas told me they were not able to make it because 2-3 days before the festival, the doctor did not allow Jiri Kabes - the band leader to fly, because of some health issues.)
Maybe we'll get invited to play there next year! I think we'd fit right in!
On the festival website you can find links to all the bands if you want to know more about an indie music scene that is still alive and kickin' today!

Saturday, August 20, 2022

LORD LITTER - "Tape Department" (1992)

 
Lord Litter has been making music and promoting other people's music for almost 40 years now. His radio show called "Magic Music Box International" is currently being broadcast on radio station KOWS in Occidental, California, along with 100's of other shows from the past!
 
 
It was almost exactly 30 years ago, that this radio program was broadcast.  
It was July of 1992 on Radio Marabu, and there was NO internet, so one of the ways of getting the music out there was via shortwave radio! 
His show back then was called Lord Litter's "Tape Department!

I don't think his shows in The Archive go back this far, but I have this one on cassette tape because my buddy Slim was played on the show, so Lord Litter sent me a copy back then.
Here's the intro to the show.........

Saturday, August 13, 2022

HERMANOS GUZANOS - "Track 19" (1987)

Here's what our studio looked like back in 1989. It was a very small room with a lot of stuff in it!

 
Even though we had this amazing studio to work in with perfect acoustics, the following track was recorded in Gary's garage in Reseda, Ca, which was our alternative studio. Gary tells me this is from a night when Brian's brother Mike came by with a friend. Part of our modus operandi was if you showed up, then you were in the band, and weird things like this happened.
This track has never before heard by human ears before, and is not on any of our tapes.

Monday, August 8, 2022

JOE SHMOE AND THE CRAPULOUS SNIGGLERS - "Piss On It!" (Early 2000's)

 
Well, we ain't heard from our good buddy Joe Shmoe lately, so let's just remedy that up right now. Good old Joe never dates his CDs, so I have to go by memory which isn't such a good idea these days. I think this probably came out in the early 2000's. Actually, it's timeless, so I guess it don't matter that much.
Pretty odd, I just walked out to the mailbox, and there was a letter from him!

 
"*DANGER!!! 
Joe Shmoe opposes every thing and every body equally reguardless of race, color, creed, or national origin. He defends his right to believe in NOTHING and refuses to do cover versions like real Professionals." And that's what you're gonna get!!
Lotsa talent here, this cut features Alex Disjlancovic on Guitar, Gary Holt on Bass, Jason Smay on Drums, and Ethan Lyons playing the Sax!

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

DON CAMPAU & CHRIS PHINNEY - "Rain Wash Me" (2022)

 
Just released today but sounding like vintage 1989, Don Campau & Chris Phinney have a new release on Bandcamp called "Rain Wash Me," and I dig it!
This IS the stuff!! I suggest you play it at least two times in a row for full effect, and then go buy it!!