Tuesday, January 26, 2021

2 Great LP's To Kick Off 2021 !

The ripe nostalgic emotions I feel upon hearing this finished project from Dead Sea Apes, Adam Stone and Black Tempest are hard to describe. From a distance, it's like hearing the dystopic quasi dub/krautrock record that was never made in 1981. If you were standing in THAT record shop when this was playing loudly in the background while being overwhelmed by 5 miscellaneous rows of "D" section vinyl releases, each 2 feet deep; it would give you pause! A teenager with a throbbing gristle tee on, some cash in pocket and visions of sugar plum fairies dancing in your head, you make your way to the counter; glancing at a Linton Kwesi Johnson LP in a rack to your left, as you screw up the courage to ask the clearly "cool" fucker at the counter, "what's playing"? As the curmudgeon snorts offhandedly, "new Dead Sea Apes", you say thanks and retreat back to the "D" section. As the LP appears to get flipped you rummage and find "Dataland". You look in your pocket, do quick math and tuck it under your arm. You also nab Palais Schaumberg, that LKJ "Forces Of Victory" you spied earlier and yer off ! Once home, "Dataland" gets it's inaugural voyage with an ice cold brew and a hit off the pipe. After "Empty Streets" dies out at end of side 2, you are feeling the inspiration and the follow spin becomes"Hamburger Lady" from "D.O.A The Third And Final Report"... Thank You to all involved in this new offering...I love timeless records...they are the bee's knees...


https://cful.bandcamp.com/album/dead-sea-apes-black-tempest-adam-stone-dataland 


So Zeus is outside going off like a rocket while I'm having a smoke and my postie Chris zooms up the snowy driveway. I see through the slats in the cedar fence the telltale sign of an exciting delivery! Being a white cardboard 13 x 13 inch record mailer it can only mean one thing! Like a kid in a candy shop; despite being 60, I'm tingling (this feeling never gets tired) ! This is a record by an obscure underground band from New York state who are called
Ambassador Hazy
and this is their FANTASTIC debut entitled "Glacial Erratics". It immediately got "cracked" and spun and I was sold after the first track! You can check out, if inclined, the links I post in my first comments, but suffice to say, my aforementioned "tingling at 60" above has proven an accurate thermometer as usual. I get very few free LPs, and feel super honoured when I do. I would never be so presumptuous to EVER ask for "free" anything...especially records, cuz I fucking get it!
Ambassador Hazy has unleashed a small run release which embodies for me, all that is right about why one is in a band, makes music and bothers to release in physical format. I suspect based on personal experience, that upon hearing the finished session, that all involved sat around, listened and said to one another..."fuck this is great, we should release this"... that is the way it works! This album encompasses a shitload of influences and time spans and is not simply put in a box! There is a psych of now, but also psych of yore, that spans 5 decades, I hear it. I hear Sebadoh (who i never listen to anymore: o.d.'d in the 90's but still love what they tabled). I hear a variety of obscure 60's psych influences (weird Pink Floyd), but others, too many to mention and it's mixed with a lopey, lazy funkiness (Circuit Rider scuzzy biker thingy) saddled right against warped west coast pop sensibilities. All influences are brought up to the "NOW". To these old ears I guarantee, this is not an accidental album! The playfulness throughout the entire record, is arguably it's most endearing quality and coupled with a sense of an understated heaviness is super appealing as well. The pieces are short and indicate to me that $10. says Ambassador Hazy can jam out and stretch shit to endless mind bending extremes in a live setting with ease! I have to thank
Josh
for being a conduit here, otherwise I may never have had the privilege of experiencing this really fucking excellent record...please give it a listen!

https://soundcloud.com/user-911853496/sets/glacial-erratics?fbclid=IwAR0r2MSNXElTj26IJy5C2L0KI9Ij05YgPQz7h8sPpWBre1OqtYCLYFQs1AI


by John Westhaver

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