Friday, December 14, 2012

ugEXPLODE ug001: Weasel Walter - The Final Solution (1992)

I've had continual requests for a reissue of the first ugEXPLODE Records release, so here it is.

ug001 was originally issued on cassette in spring 1992 under the name "Javelin Bats" (a tag borrowed from my high school no wave band). It was released in tandem with The Flying Luttenbachers' "Live at WNUR 2-6-92" cassette sometime during the spring of 1992.

"The Final Solution" is an overdubbed duo of guitar and drums, performed by myself on two separate evenings. The guitar track was done on December 30, 1991 and the drum track was done on the next night. I believe I went to a fairly raging New Years Eve party afterwards and came home very early in the morning to mix the audio.

I suppose the inspiration for this music was "Interstellar Space" by John Coltrane and Rashied Ali, as well as later noise-out duos by Rudolph Grey with Beaver Harris. My chops were crude at the time, but youthful enthusiasm makes up for it. Essentially I was going for a marathon 45-minute explosion of energy and I believe I achieved it.

I remixed and remastered the audio around the year 2000 and briefly offered it in a generic cardboard sleeve as part of the "ugEXPLODE Archives" series along with many other titles. This is the 2000 mix.

LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT.


Sunday, December 2, 2012

ugEXPLODE Related Artists Live Dates Dec 2012/Jan 2012

Friday, December 7, 2012
I-Beam
168 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY


8:30 PM Set
Protest Music (Yoni Kretzmer/Pascal Niggenkemper/Weasel Walter)


==================================


Saturday, December 8, 2012

JACK

505 1/2 Waverly Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Bassoon
Sarcaustic (Ron Anderson/Tim Dahl/Weasel Walter)
Elevator Rose
Blipvert

==================================


Sunday December 9, 2012

Death By Audio
49 S. 2nd Street, Brooklyn, NY
9 PM show


Weasel Walter/Mary Halvorson/Peter Evans

Kid Millions/Jim Sauter duo
Finite State Machine

==================================


Saturday, December 15, 2012

St Vitus
1120 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
9 PM show


Behold The Arctopus

Ocrilim

El Drugstore

==================================


Sunday, December 16, 2012

The Haunt
702 Willow Avenue, Ithaca, NY
7 PM show
$10

Behold The Arctopus

Sulaco
BRIAN!
Dialysis
Yakbak


==================================


Sunday, January 6, 2013

Death By Audio
49 S. 2nd Street, Brooklyn, NY
9 PM show


Cellular Chaos
+ others

==================================


Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Goodbye Blue Monday
1087 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY

Michael Foster/Chris Pitsiokos/Weasel Walter

==================================


Wednesday, January 16, 2013

JACK

505 1/2 Waverly Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Brandon Seabrook/Chuck Bettis/Weasel Walter

Monday, October 29, 2012

Audio/Video Samples from the latest ugEXPLODE Releases/Artists

BARR SHEA DAHL IS
Mick Barr (guitar of Krallice, Ocrilim, etc.)
Kevin Shea (drums of Talibam!)
Tim Dahl (bass of Child Abuse)

Their debut CD on ugEXPLODE contains 40 minutes of brainfrying high-octane improvisation. Here's a sample:




BURMESE 
COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER CD
A remastered reissue of their devastating 2008 release featuring four bonus tracks from the recording session:





WEASEL WALTER/CHRIS PITSIOKOS
UNPLANNED OBSOLESCENCE LP
LIMITED TO 100 COPIES. This LP of raw saxophone/drum duos (with some primitive synth squall) comes with a unique handmade woodcut print and all copies are numbered:




THESE THREE ITEMS CAN ALL BE PURCHASED AT
HTTP://UGEXPLODE.COM

Friday, October 26, 2012

Preorder new ugEXPLODE releases now (Burmese, Barr Shea Dahl and more)


The following items are ready for preorder at http://ugEXPLODE.com
all orders will ship on November 1, 2012

 BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS
 
HORRORSCENSION digipak CD


BURMESE
 
COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER digipak CD


  BARR SHEA DAHL
 
UNTITLED digipak CD


WALTER/PITSIOKOS
 
UNPLANNED OBSOLESCENCE LP


WALTER/HALVORSON/EVANS
 
MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION CD


OCRILIM (Mick Barr SOLO)
 
ANNWN 2 CD (LIMITED!)



OLDEST (Mick Barr/Brooks Headley)
-
UNTITLED LP

Monday, October 15, 2012

ugEXPLODE Video Roundup


CELLULAR CHAOS - 5.12.11 DEMO FOOTAGE 1



CELLULAR CHAOS - 5.12.11 DEMO FOOTAGE 2


MICK BARR/WEASEL WALTER - LIVE BROOKLYN OCTOBER 4, 2012



MICROWAVES COVER CELTIC FROST


WHITE SUNS LIVE IN L.A. APRIL 2012


WEASEL WALTER/MICHAEL LYTLE/EVAN GALLAGHER
LIVE ABC NO RIO, NYC - AUG 26, 2012 PART 1 OF 5

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Lydia Lunch Retrovirus November Tour Dates (feat. Weasel Walter on guitar)

LYDIA LUNCH RETROVIRUS TOUR DATES
featuring
Weasel Walter (guitar)
Algis Kizys (bass)
Bob Bert (drums)


The band will peform a brutal survey of Lydia's material from past and present, including songs from Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, 13.13, 8-Eyed Spy and Shotgun Wedding.

Nov 8 - Los Angeles - FIDM Museum Grand Hope Park
Nov 9 - San Francisco - Verdi Club
Nov 11 - Los Angeles - The Echo
Nov 12 - Toronto - Wrongbar
Nov 13 - Hamilton - This Ain't Hollywood
Nov 15 - Brooklyn - Knitting Factory

Lydia Lunch: Queen of Siam photo session, circa 1980






















Sunday, September 9, 2012

ugEXPLODE Related Artists Live Dates Sept/Oct 2012

MICROWAVES TOURDATES
9/12 - Philadelphia @Silk City w/Teepee, Combine, Mohican
9/13 - NYC @Death By Audio w/Cellular Chaos, Xaddax
9/14 - Boston @secret house show - ask a non-cop
9/15 - Providence, RI @Fest
9/17 - Pittsburgh, PA @Lawrenceville Moose w/Lightning Bolt
9/27 - Ohio TBA
9/28 - Louisville, KY @Cropped Out Fest
9/29 - Chicago, IL @Quenchers w/Lovely Little Girls
===================================

Thursday September 13, 2012
Death By Audio
49 S. 2nd Street, Brooklyn, NY
9 PM show


Microwaves
Cellular Chaos

Xaddax
G. Lucas Crane and Greg Fox
Radio Shock


==================================


Friday September 14, 2012

JACK

505 1/2 Waverly Ave, Brooklyn, NY
8pm show

Stuart Popejoy/Kevin Shea

Matt Nelson/Tom Blancarte/Weasel Walter (10PM)

Ron Anderson/Justin Veloso
Nick Didkovsky/Dan Romans/Tomas Ulrich


==================================


Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Cake Shop
152 Ludlow St, New York, NY
9pm doors $7.00


Marc Edwards/Weasel Walter Group

Violent Bullshit
Aperiodic


==================================


Friday September 28, 2012

Spectrum

121 Ludlow Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY

Charity Chan/Weasel Walter
(set time TBA)

==================================


Thursday October 4, 2012

Shea Stadium

20 Meadow Street, Brooklyn, NY
8PM doors - $8.00

Pulverize the Sound
Jealousy Mountain Duo

Mick Barr/Weasel Walter

Joe Merolla/Kenny Grohowski


==================================


Monday October 22, 2012

Death By Audio
49 S. 2nd Street, Brooklyn, NY
9 PM show


Child Abuse
Vaz
Chris Pitsiokos/Weasel Walter

+1 act TBA


==================================


Sunday October 28, 2012

Paper Box
17 Meadow Street, Brooklyn, NY
9 PM show


Mermort
Normal Love
Child Abuse
Killer Bob

Procatrosist (Mick Barr, Weasel Walter, Eston Brown, Joe Merolla)

Monday, August 6, 2012

Selected Video Footage Of Recent Weasel Walter Related Gigs



Vinny Golia (reeds), Max Johnson (bass), Weasel Walter (drums)
I-Beam, Brooklyn, July 26, 2012




Elliott Sharp (guitar), Tim Dahl (bass), Weasel Walter (drums)
Death By Audio, Brooklyn, July 31, 2012



 Cellular Chaos
Cake Shop, New York, June 16, 2012



Weasel Walter (drums), Mary Halvorson (guitar), Peter Evans (trumpet)
Stadtgarten, Cologne, May 2, 2012

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Mars - "Live At Irving Plaza" LP Review


I bought a copy of the new archival Mars "Live at Irving Plaza" LP (Feeding Tube Records) last week. I opened it and put it on while a friend of mine was over. He listened for a few seconds, shook his head, then quipped, "Why the hell would anybody put out a live Mars record?" I said, "Well, this is a historical document for the few dozen people that really care, and a fetish item for several hundreds of record collectors who buy everything that certain arbiters of taste tell them to buy." I fall into the former category.

I wasn't too crazy about the previous live Mars LP, "Live At Artists Space". Neither was my guest columnist. The layout was pretty boring. The audio quality was pretty lousy. It didn't seem worth the money. My pal said, "Come on, this thing is, like, a bootleg. Why would you even press something like this? It should be a torrent on some bootleg site, or something, and just call it a day." I agreed with him about the Artists Space gig being a bit non-essential, even for hardcore Mars fans. The record didn't live up to the label generated hype on any level. It was a disappointment.

I'm happy to say that the Irving Plaza release is a big improvement. The cover features a crisp scan of a photo negative featuring the band live on stage. The lp comes with a download card for both the Irving Plaza and Artists Space sets. Also, in the package is a carefully done, small-format 20-page booklet by Byron Coley and Thurston Moore, featuring an in-depth look at the rise and fall of Mars, featuring newly released oral history tidbits from a wide range of relevant characters. It's a fascinating read and might just answer any remaining questions anybody has about the topic.

I think the TLC put into this release shows and, although I think the audio probably could have translated to vinyl better than it did at the cutting stage, the performance is really killer and the impact of the atonal terror the band was wreaking at the end of their brief career is amply displayed.  I was was hoping that I would never have to say that the MP3 download version sounded better than the LP, but there you have it. Welcome to 2012. Buy the record, read the book, listen to the MP3s endlessly and shelve the vinyl quickly.

At this penultimate performance by the band, on August 4th, 1978, the savage deconstruction of musical values displayed by the quartet culminates into a seething vortex of atrocious proportions. Mars sound extremely tight and well-rehearsed. Their execution has a sharpness and focus which elevates them from being an average-joe noise band to the historical juggernaut they are. There's no dicking around between songs: these folks are not messing around. The first half of the performance features some familiar titles: "Puerto Rican Ghost" and "Hairwaves" from the "No New York" compilation (Antilles, 1978); "Outside Africa" and "Immediate Stages of the Erotic" from their posthumous EP (Infidelity, 1980); and "Fractions" from the long out-of-print "Live" CD (Les Disques Du Soleil Et De L'Acier, 1993). The overriding feel of these performances is of visceral brutality. At times, the entire ensemble seems to be pounding their instruments into submission like a deranged drum corps. The music is wholly atonal and histrionic, but structured in succinctly wrought vignettes. These pieces are songs, albeit wholly disemboweled and tortured nightmare visions of songs. The vocals are incomprehensible and frightening.

The B side of the record is devoted to an epic fourteen-minute performance of the old chestnut "NN End" (from "The Mars EP") featuring added guitar mutilation by former Red Transistor co-founder Rudolph Grey. The added density pushes the piece over the edge into a hellish inferno of disjointed noise. There is a lurching rhythm section pulse underlining the composition, but it is victimized heavily by the broken-glass spray of the strings. Despite all the intentional chaos of the performance, "NN End" is a gripping piece of total tension which keeps revealing layers of density and improvisational invention. The pacing is intuitive and captivating. Around 6:30 the intensity ratchets up several notches and begins to approach the unbearable, anticipating the sound approach esoteric bands like Hijo Kaidan would eventually make their whole career out of. Excellent.

These archival releases are not the best place to begin investigating the band, but "Live at Irving Plaza" in particular will satisfy those looking to find another piece of the historical puzzle.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE MARS CANON

Saturday, July 28, 2012

New Metal Acquisitions

Antediluvian - translate this, motherfucker.
Nuclear War Now Productions continues to be the mightiest contemporary label in terms of consistently releasing finely packaged product reflecting a high standard of the wide range of extreme metal aesthetics. I recently purchased the following:

Antediluvian "Through The Cervix Of Hawaah" 2LP
This is an incredible work of art from the much-talked-about Canadian band. Easily the best sounding material the group has issued, this item comes as two 45 rpm green vinyl records with the fourth side etched, bound in a beautiful hardcover book/album sleeve, also with a faux-leather embroidered back patch of their convoluted logo and a vinyl sticker. The cryptic, ornate graphic design ties directly into the esoteric, quasi-primitive persona of Antediluvian perfectly. Musically, they might vaguely seem like a more experimental "Onward To Golgotha"-period Incantation disciple, but from a compositional standpoint, the band takes many more chances in terms of tonality and progression. Antediluvian aren't about speed, but rather, about heaviness and creating a crushing, dark ambience topped by infernally gutteral vocals. Otherworldly and inspired.

Ignivomous "Contragenesis" CD
Australian based act performing solid brutal death metal in the tradition of the classic early '90s bands, bolstered by the solid drumming of Chris Volcano (a member of the also great Abominator). The emphasis is on coherent riffing and momentum. The compositions are well thought-out and unflagging in their intensity. There's not much more to say. If you wish groups like Immolation, Grave or Monstrosity would have stopped progressing after their first albums, this is for you. Of course, Ignivomous sounds nothing like those three, but they fit right in with that strain of virulent power.

Prosanctus Inferi "Red Streams Of Flesh" CD EPAnother group leaning towards the old sound of song-based death metal, hailing from Ohio. Clear, heavy production with rock-solid execution on these seven meaty tracks. Not a lot of surprises, but satisfying.

Dead Congregation "Graves Of The Archangels" CD
A repress of their 2008 debut full-length. This Greek unit recently toured America to some acclaim in the underground. They are being hailed as one of the mightiest bands working in . . . you guessed it . . . the neo-'90s death metal vein. Yes, it's back - for a long time one couldn't really give it away - and I have to say Dead Congregation are much more explosive as a live act than on this four year-old recording. I cannot say that this release really blows my mind in any particular way, but as a fan of old death metal, it is quite satisfying to crank in the car. Of note is the interesting instrumental composition they chose to open the album with.

Martire s/t CD
Ok, now for something completely different and original, Aussie veterans of brutality Martire FINALLY offer us their first bona-fide full-length since forming way back in the late '80s. Oh, wait. . . a band that was actually around in the early '90s? How novel! Ha ha ha. I've been a fan of Martire's rough and unadorned intensity since the mid-90s when my band Hatewave was in contact with their drummer T.S.I. (he, also of the bizarre and unique band Stargazer). It turns out that the Hatewave lp he was owed never made it down under - our singer was running the mailorder operation alone, but decided to play hooky that year instead of going to the post office - so, technically I feel like I owe these guys one. Luckily, their release is outstandingly different and painstakingly imaginative musically. The production is raw, but clear, avoiding the pitfall of sounding like every Pro-Tooled-to-hell identikit band coming out these days. You can tell this is human music, not computer generated bullshit. This is fast, crazy music with a lot of passion, warts and all. Sick, weird vocals and inventive riffing abound. One can actually clearly hear what the bass player is doing - quite a rarity for most extreme metal releases. There are no triggers on the drums, just energetic, complex battering. Martire are committed to holding true to the ideals they always had and they pull it off with aplomb. Also highly recommended at NWN is the budget priced vinyl version of the first Martire EP from 1991. I know it hasn't sold like hotcakes, but with this release, I'm sure more people will be tracking this powerful group's music down.

Other new metal releases I'm looking forward to absorbing are the debut LP by the unruly Russian Black Metal unit Pseudogod, the second LP by Texan occultist clan Nyogthaeblisz, a new set of blasphemies by seminal sickos Profanatica and much more. The metal scene is thriving and continually inspiring to me. Indie Rock? Not feeling it. I want to hear people actually going for it, not patting themselves on the back because their parents told them they are special.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Factrix/Cazazza "California Babylon" Reissue

Factrix/Cazazza live in 1980 at Kezar Pavillion
left to right: Joseph T. Jacobs, Cole Palme, Bond Bergland, Monte Cazazza, Tana Emmolo-Smith
I ordered the Factrix/Cazazza "California Babylon" LP directly from Subterranean Records mailorder in 1989. At the time, the label had a solid reputation in the underground for fostering West Coast artists erring on the abstract side of the punk movement. Also in that order was Flipper's "Generic" album, a beautifully silkscreened Chrome single ("Anorexic Sacrifice") and the massive "Live At Target" compilation LP featuring Nervous Gender, Uns (a.k.a. Z'ev), Flipper and Factrix.
Factrix were a San Francisco-based trio - featuring guitarist Bond Bergland and multi-instrumentalists Joseph T. Jacobs and Cole Palme - formed in 1978. The band seemed aesthetically sympatico with the so-called "industrial" movement spawned by Throbbing Gristle and counting amongst their peers, disparate entities like SPK and NON. Although these sorts of units seemed to spring from a firmament vaguely catalyzed by the Punk revolution, the focus of these loosely associated artists had far less to do with rock and roll tradition and more to do with mood, sonic experimentation and macabre obsessions with contemporary cults and undercurrents of violence in society. Reflecting a dour, proto-gothic sense of subject matter and minimalistic delivery, Factrix's 1981 Adolescent Records debut album "Scheintot" was a low-key affair, tossing a lot of random instrumentation and approaches into the ring. It's hard to pin down, and I believe that is exactly the point. Despite Julian Cope's hyperbolic championing of the band (and his oddly histrionic anti-No Wave jabs) in the liner notes of the brand new, beautifully mastered and packaged Superior Viaduct reissue, the album isn't particularly timeless. The opening instrumental death-boogie "Eerie Lights" opens with treated voice, Bergland's Fripp-ish tritone guitar riffing and subtle electronic shadings over a light, mechanical pulse. Nothing could possibly sound more totally "Eighties" - but, if that's what you want, here it is in all its New Wave glory! In the studio, Factrix concentrated heavily on detailed timbral collage rather than propulsion, so most of these loosely structured pieces brood and slink across the murky mise en scène languidly in a haze. The reissue appends a duo of discordant contents from a 1980 single as bonus tracks.
Updated artwork for "California Babylo
Industrial Icon or Dingleberry? "PRO MAN SON"
Titles from the Factrix/Cazazza DVD

Factrix live eschewed their subtlety for an air of artful confrontation. The earliest released recordings by the band appeared on the "Live At Target" compilation lp, documenting a concert from February 1980. The attack is more blatantly rockish and aggressive. The 1982 "California Babylon" release is a lo-fi affair, mating the core unit with antisocial SF weirdo Monte Cazazza, with guest appearances by scrap metal stylist Z'ev and scenemaker Tana Emmolo-Smith. When I originally owned this disc, it always seemed like a big piece was missing from the puzzle - the bare audio fell short on many levels, making the LP seem like a personal archival document of something we, the listeners, were not particularly made privy to. I am happy to say that the full picture comes together here in the form of the outstanding bonus DVD of the group's mythic "Night Of The Succubus" performance video. At the time, this video was only available on VHS from some ungodly amount of money. As a result, I never met a single person who had owned or even seen it. In context, the rough, chaotic noisemaking of "California Babylon" becomes a bona fide artistic happening.

The following is a huge spoiler for the video. Stop reading now if you want to experience it yourself for the first time.

We enter a dark realm once the raw, spectral titles begin to emerge from darkness. Piercing guitar noise strafes steady, low grunts from the bass guitar on "Death By Hanging". The action opens with "Poltergeist", featuring more slobbering racket from Bergland and Jacobs. Cole Palme is in the background, attending to mysterious electronic processes. At random intervals, cryptic, strobing footage visually interrupts the performance shots. A psychedelically filtered video clip of Charles Manson introduces "Pro Man Son", featuring Monte Cazazza. Cazazza calmly recites what I believe are quotes from the notorious icon before a primitive drum machine kicks in. The camera focuses on an image of Squeaky Fromme. Stills of the Manson Family are intercut. Bergland begins yet another angular, feedback-laden tirade, lit cigarette dangling from his mouth. Cazazza pounds the strings of a bass guitar like a drum, as hard as he possibly can with his clenched fist. We see some darkly lit footage of another Factrix performance. Cole Palme sings on "Thin Line" while strumming high chords on a cheap bass. A tape of Jim Jones is played. Footage of Cazazza violently stabbing at the camera is interspersed. We see a skull as Jones screams and giggles maniacally. Macabre, primitive images of paintings from the People's Temple are flashed. Most of the band is seen hovering around electronics at the back of the stage. An atonal version of "Helter Skelter", initially riddled with massive flanging follows. At the end of the song, Cazazza, frantically tinkers with some sort of mechanical device with a yellow tank on it. Someone in the back of the stage is cutting away at paper covering something hanging from cables. The negative energy of the band's music is lethargic but insistent. More previously recorded Factrix film footage is laid over the ruckus and the Manson Family stills are shown again, as well as many other film stills including Christopher Lee as Dracula and Roman Polanski in drag in "The Tenant". Finally a skinned animal converted into a robot is seen hanging behind the performance space and violinist Tana Emmolo-Smith joins the fray. The animal/robot starts ascending across the space, shuddering as more people enter the scene. Jacobs begins using a grinder on the corpses' teeth as it nears the front of the stage. An explosion suddenly goes off. Closeups of the slimy, shuddering cyber-beast. Someone flicks off the camera before the morbid creature continues its pained, deathly journey across the performance space, into the audience. Smith throws her violin across the room and walks off. Painful feedback occurs. Minutes later, someone attacks the flesh robot with a folding chair. 

Call the PC Police: You can't make this kind of art anymore. Factrix' Joseph T. Jacobs does dental surgery.

Weasel Walter Related Gig Update for July/August

Saturday, July 28, 2012
Freedom Garden
295 Douglass St., Brooklyn, NY
9 PM show
$5 donation

9PM - Elliott Sharp/Scott Fields
10PM - Weasel Walter/Chris Pitsiokios
11PM - Zack Pruitt/Mike Wilbur


==================================


Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Death By Audio
49 S. 2nd Street, Brooklyn, NY
9 PM show $7

Normal Love
Sightings
Elliott Sharp/Tim Dahl/Weasel Walter
MV Carbon


==================================

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Spectrum
121 Ludlow Street, New York, NY
from 2:00 PM until midnight, doors open at 1:30 PM
tickets $10 for individual acts or $25 for an All Day Pass


2:00 PM: ensemble et al.
5:00 PM: Erbium
6:30 PM: TBA
8:00 PM: Little Worlds - Bartok's Mikrokosmos Re-imagined 
9:30 PM: Sarcaustic - Ron Anderson, Tim Dahl, & Weasel Walter
==================================

Thursday August 16, 2012
Zebulon
285 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
9:30 PM show
FREE - donation

Cellular Chaos

From Bacteria To Boys

==================================
Wednesday August 22, 2012
Whole Foods
4 Union Square South, New York, NY
7-9pm sets

Steve Swell/Max Johnson/Weasel Walter
==================================
Sunday August 26, 2012
ABC NO RIO
156 Rivington Street, New York, NY
7-9pm sets

Michael Lytle/Evan Gallagher/Weasel Walter

Saturday, June 16, 2012

What The Pop Group Would Sound Like These Days If They Did Cocaine

The Pop Group, circa 1980: left to right - Gareth Sager, Bruce Smith (obscured), Mark Stewart, Dan Catsis)

Recently WFMU broadcasted this year's Primavera Sound Festival from Barcelona, Spain and one of the headliners was the reincarnated lineup of The Pop Group, featuring a majority of the members from their prime incarnation (I vastly prefer their work with second bassist Dan Catsis, cf. my earlier TPG blog post).

I listened to the time-delayed broadcast with disappointment. The tempos consistently lagged across the board. Now, to be realistic, The Pop Group are not hormonally addled 16 year old boys anymore, but . . . the group is getting the instrumental timbres, general attack and song selection right, but I really want to hear this material at the blistering tempos they were once played at. It just doesn't sound right to me otherwise.

So, for my personal use, I have electronically sped up the Barcelona broadcast by 15 percent, without altering the pitch. I believe this gives one a fairly accurate portrayal of what the new Pop Group might sound like if their asses were still totally on fire. I give them a B+ for effort, but wish they would pick up the pace . . .  a lot of bands have come back sounding a lot worse. I wish them well!


cheers,

WW

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Weasel Walter Related Gig Update for June/July

Wednesday June 6, 2012
Zebulon
285 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
9:30 PM show
FREE - donation

Weasel Walter and guests tba
plus other acts


==================================

Thursday, June 14, 2012
Lit Lounge
93 Second Ave, New York, NY
9pm show

Suishou No Fune
Absaroka
Marc Edwards/Weasel Walter Group
a.o. tba


==================================

Saturday, June 16, 2012
Cake Shop
152 Ludlow St, New York, NY
8:30 PM show

Mike Pride/Jon Irabagon + 1
Cellular Chaos (10:30 set time)
Dominique Leone
Harpoon Forever
Sediment Club
Bob Crusoe


==================================

Sunday, June 24, 2012
Death By Audio
49 S. 2nd Street, Brooklyn, NY
9 PM show

The Home of Easy Credit (Tom Blancarte/Louise D.E. Jensen)
Ghola Tanks (Blancarte/Tim Dahl/Weasel Walter bass trio)
Jensen/Dahl/Walter
Split Red


==================================

Monday, June 25, 2012
Douglass St. Collective
295 Douglass St., Brooklyn, NY
8:30 PM show

Aram Shelton/Josh Sinton
Aram Shelton/Mary Halvorson/Weasel Walter (9:30)
Pascali


==================================

Saturday, June 30, 2012
Freedom Garden
295 Douglass St., Brooklyn, NY
9 PM show
donation

Nick Millevoi/Evan Lipson/Weasel Walter
a.o. tba


==================================

Thursday July 5th, 2012
I-Beam
168 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY

8:30: Jason Hwang/Max Johnson/Weasel Walter

10:00: Sabir Mateen/Bern Nix/Max Johnson/Weasel Walter


==================================

Thursday July 12th, 2012
I-Beam
168 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY

8:30: Elliott Sharp/Max Johnson/Weasel Walter

10:00: Elliott Levin/Louie Belogenis/Max Johnson/Weasel Walter


==================================

Thursday July 19th, 2012
I-Beam
168 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY

8:30: Mark Whitecage/Max Johnson/Weasel Walter

10:00: Kirk Knuffke/Ken Filiano/Max Johnson/Weasel Walter


==================================

Thursday July 26th, 2012
I-Beam
168 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY

8:30: Vinny Golia/Max Johnson/Weasel Walter

10:00: Steve Swell/Mary Halvorson/Max Johnson/Weasel Walter

Friday, June 1, 2012

New Stuff at ugEXPLODE.com

http://www.ugEXPLODE.com

see the website for previews and prices.
ug55 ( co-release between ugEXPLODE and Public Eyesore)
NORMAL LOVE - SURVIVAL TRICKS CD/LP


THE NEW STUDIO ALBUM FROM THIS UNCOMPROMISINGLY DENSE UNIT.
MINDBENDINGLY MODERN, DETAILED CHAMBER SKRONK.
A DEVASTATINGLY BIONIC MUSICAL VISION! 

 


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


ug56 - CELLULAR CHAOS - 3 SONG EP
http://weaselwalter.bandcamp.com/album/cellular-chaos


VITRIOLIC NOISE/GLAM FEATURING ADMIRAL GREY, WEASEL WALTER,
CECI MOSS AND MARC EDWARDS. FULL-LENGTH LATER THIS YEAR!



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ug57 -
MICROWAVES - PSIONIC TREATS CD/LP

THE ASSAULTIVE NEW STUDIO RELEASE BY THIS DISSONANT,
FUTURISTIC NOISE-ROCK INSTITUTION FROM PITTSBURGH.
A GNARLY GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE OF ROBOT DIRT!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ALSO IN STOCK:

WHITE SUNS "SINEWS" LP/CD
ON LOAD RECORDS.
MINDBENDING SECOND ALBUM

WWW.UGEXPLODE.COM

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Previews of New ugEXPLODE Releases Out 5/21/12

On May 21, 2012 ugEXPLODE presents two intense new releases of modern rock music.
 

HEY RECORD STORES! ugEXPLODE is distributed by REVOLVER, STICKFIGURE and CARROT TOP.

Buy our stuff direct at ugEXPLODE.com or from fine stores like SQUIDCO, DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY,  WAYSIDE RECORDS and CD BABY.

Download these titles soon from most major digital stores like I-Tunes, Emusic, etc. or stream on Spotify.
ug 55 - NORMAL LOVE "SURVIVAL TRICKS" LP/CD
(co-release with Public Eyesore)


NORMAL LOVE creates bracingly intense modern music of shrewd density and unique imagination orchestrated for processed voices, guitars, violin, drums and various electronics. Everything about the band displays a cultivated air of alien logic, from their densely detailed sonic conception to their surreal, blacklit live presentation. “SURVIVAL TRICKS” is their second full-length release, a culmination of years of work and progression following their self-titled debut released in 2007 on High Two Records. Their sound evokes an epicurean fusion of influences as varied as Modern Classical, “Rock In Opposition” prog, Extreme Metal, Noise, Improvised Music and No Wave. Normal Love is on tour this August!!!

ug 57 - MICROWAVES "PSIONIC IMPEDANCE" LP/CD


‘PSIONIC IMPEDANCE’ is MICROWAVES newest salvo of dystopian guitar riffing, off-kilter drumming, warped electronics and manic vocals. The duo elicits fifteen succinct odes to technological paranoia and decay on this painstakingly dense production. They are loud, they wear uniforms and their equipment looks good. The material on this release consists of intelligently constructed series of angular phrases coupled with obliquely visceral lyrical references, delivered in a highstrung, agitated manner. One might sense a whiff of CHROME, a smattering of DEVO, a grain of GRINDCORE, perhaps a glint of AMREP - whatever signifiers you want to tag on them, this kind of grimy, futuristic noise is i short supply these days. MICROWAVES are prepared to give this dying mudball full of insipid drones what they need: rigor and discipline.

Friday, May 4, 2012


CONCERTS:

Tuesday May 8, 2012
Zebulon

285 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
9:30 PM show

Arrington Di Dionyso w/ Melinda Ray Allen
Weasel Walter/Paul Flaherty/Steve Swell/C. Spencer Yeh
Grasshopper
Eartheater

DJ Greg Fox, The Oracle DJs, Projections By Trouble


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Wednesday, May 9, 2012
The Stone
Corner of Avenue C and 2nd St, Manhattan, NY
10 PM show


Darius Jones/Forbes Graham/Tom Blancarte/Weasel Walter


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Thursday, May 10, 2012
The Acheron
57 Waterbury St, Brooklyn, NY
9 PM show

Ahleuchatistas
Les Rhinoceros
Child Abuse
Den Svarta Fanan (Sandy Ewen/Joe Merolla/Weasel Walter)


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Tuesday May 15, 2012
Zebulon
285 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
9:30 PM show


Weasel Walter/Elliott Sharp duo
Water Towers (mem ZS/Metamatics)
Ash Can Orchestra
Turner Williams

DJ Dutch E. Germ, The Oracle DJs, Projections by Sleepy People

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Tuesday May 22, 2012
Zebulon
285 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
9:30 PM show


HPMYN
Weasel Walter/Peter Evans/Matt Nelson/Tom Blancarte
Katie E (X young Peopl)
Swarms
DJ Dutch E. Germ, The Oracle DJs, Projections by Sleepy People

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Thursday, May 24, 2012
Death By Audio
49 S. 2nd Street, Brooklyn, NY
9 PM show


Xaddax
Normal Love
Cellular Chaos
In Heat (member of Tinsel Teeth)

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Tuesday May 29, 2012
Zebulon
285 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
9:30 PM show


Dustin Wong
Sam Hillmer/Weasel Walter duo
Mike Wexler
Driphouse

DJ sets By Weasel Walter and the Oracle, Projections by Sleepy Peopl