Release of the Day: Crown Larks - Blood Dancer

Crown Larks, Chicago four-piece freak outfit par excellence, manages to weave together the skronkiest free jazz, the deepest krautrock grooves, the most expansive psychedelia, and an ethically sound DIY backbone to create a work of startling beauty and intrigue on Blood Dancer, their debut LP. While a less-maniacally-driven-to-tour band would most likely sound sloppier crafting such a diverse sound, Crown Larks manage to impart wonder in their compositions. As such, the surprises are near constant, which, once again, could easily allow for slip ups, but the band is as tight in its performance as it is ambitious.

The songs that fill Blood Dancer are big - I mean really big - but it's also an album that should be viewed through a Gestalt lens: the whole is actually bigger than the sum of its parts. That said, there's a clear moment when everything reaches this sublime watermark. On the closer "Overgrown," about two-thirds of the way through the meandering pilgrimage, a massive noise section interjects itself, all of the song's parts gyrate in an imploring miasma, and the vocals take on a desperate note, like David Bowie shouting "Give Me Your Hands!" at the peak of "Rock n' Roll Suicide." This is the most powerful point in the record, a reflection on what has gone before, and showcases every strength in the band's exciting repertoire. It's magical and elusive - a moment most bands never get to write or experience, but one that Crown Larks fucking nail and we're all artistically richer for it.

Release of the Day: Unmanned Ship - "Crystal Pepsi" b/w "Pad Thai Fighter"

The 33rpm 7" format is perfect for a band like Unmanned Ship. You get two wandering jams (about ten minutes of tunery) without getting the feeling that the band had to clip its songs. Unmanned Ship in a live setting is intense and loud with all the trappings of a heavy psych band. Comparatively, this 7" has a lithe feel: for instance, "Crystal Pepsi" has this recurring lucid, pop-like chorus. The guitar and bass swell and the pitch elevates briefly before returning to its motorik foundation. It's a beautiful cluster of moments, one that makes Unmanned Ship stand out from its peers.

"Pad Thai Fighter" begins, fittingly, with a storm before taking on a somnambulant feel, occasionally broken up by torrential passages that would be as at home on a Godspeed! You Black Emperor record as they are on this record. The song eventually collapses in feedback and looping, gyroscopic whirls. And goddamn, you've gotta hear it again.

I interviewed Unmanned Ship about a year ago too. Great band. Great dudes.

 

Release of the Day: Foul Tip/Lil Tits 7" Split

Maximum Pelt did a number on this one. The search for sonic comparison between Lil Tits and Foul Tip is tricky: the only clear parallel is instrumentation, as both bands have bass and drums, which is to say that these bands pull different spools on the punk technicolor dreamcoat. But who listens to a record, especially a split for that matter, to hear the same song two to four times? No one cool.

First off, both bands are monsters. Lil Tits, who on these tracks feature Hanna Hazard, Madalyn Garcia, and Pixie Rose is on some serious witchage, a little bit Suspiria and a little bit Hocus Pocus. They tear through two songs on the b-side after a menacing intro, which locks into a noisy bass groove. Lil Tits ain't about the calm before the storm - fuck the calm before the storm. Now there's two storms, possibly three, and the pallid horseman of the apocalypse follows. These songs are shouted over menacing guitar lines, throbbing bass, and dynamic drums. Equal parts hardcore and stoner me
tal. Shit rips.

Foul Tip, drum and bass punk funk band starring Ed Bornstein and Adam Luksetich, are tight and fast. Like the best pop songs, "Madness" draws power from the interplay with tension and release. But Foul Tip does restraint so well that when the bass-driven explosion occurs and the band shouts "Cut this out/Can't go Back/I don't care/I caught the madness," it's a goddamn revelation. Wish the band had put two songs on this split too, but that's a good problem to have.

Release of the Day: Hogg - Bury the Dog Deeper

Samuel R. Delany, coincidentally my favorite author, has books of a great variety: science-fiction, non-fiction, theory, erotica, etc. Within the last six months, I had the pleasure of reading one of his most confounding, transgressive books, Hogg, for the first time  All you need to know is this: Hogg is the name of the central character in the book, the embodiment of everything perverse in human society - his paying job is to rape and break people, which he'd do without the promise of financial compensation.

This is a sufficient backdrop to Hogg - I think it's where they got the name because it certainly makes sense. The Chicago postpunk two-piece made of Emma Sims and Hanna Elliott released their first album Bury the Dog Deeper, a cassette on Andy Ortmann's Nihilist label, earlier this month. It makes me feel so terrible and goddamn I love it so much. At a live show, the duo changes formation and instruments - guitar, drums, drum machine, bass, and vocal duties - between songs. This is done effortlessly and efficiently.

There's an element of hypnotism to both performance and song, as Hogg builds its foundation on deep, dark bass and drum grooves. This is sinister music. This is unsafe music. Additionally, Hanna and Emma get a ton of mileage out of their instruments and their voices. Sometimes guitar sounds like guitar and sometimes like a factory line. Similarly, sometimes their vocals are siren-like, but at other times they recall The Keres, the Greek female spirits of violent death. The eight songs on Bury the Dog Depper are reminders that we have yet to squeeze every ounce of postpunk out of its drying husk and I personally can't wait to see what vice-gripping method the band comes up with next.

Interview with The Bringer of Everything

Despite the sound of The Bringer of Everything, Alec's a really positive dude. I don't really know where he gets his energy, but it's a total blessing for the noise community. The noise and industrial scene often gets colored as dodgy and dangerous. And yeah, there's something to that. I've met my fair share of people who think it's cool to embrace/endorse dodgy ideology and symbology - it's fine, albeit a little pathetic - I think it's generally a cry for attention out of a failure to assert dominance in other regards, but they don't pay me to critique society - actually they don't pay me at all. Anyway, the point of why I'm bringing this up is because Alec, The Bringer of Everything, and his Music for Downers collective are totally what industrial/noise needs - an inviting portal into the realm of the fucked up children of this world.

That's hyperbole, but it's effective because the truth is that transgression gets a bad rap. The nasty connotation, however, results from it

s common confusion with gratuity: gratuity often gives it a bad name. Check it: Gratuitous violence is transgressive, but it may not be tasteful transgression, if you follow my drift. That's not oxymoronic either. Transgression, in my opinion, is more effective when it's used to expand consciousness or other thought patterns, which is the goal for the musical and cultural archiver/enthusiast/documentarian. Music for Downers succeeds in this area. Some of the success results from its wide reach and some of it results from quality. For instance, MFD produced an art show where several Chicagoan noise makers participated in performance, but many new visual artists also displayed their work - this type of outreach ends up centralizing a mood or effect. Transgression becomes an event. Transgression becomes a place. Transgression becomes catalogued or at least catalogue-able.

The Bringer of Everything is a three-piece noise/power electronics group from Chicago consisting of Alec Eberhardt, Dakota Parobek, and Brad Rohloff tied to Music for Downers. The releases up until now have been solo works of Alec, but they're about to put out their first record as a three-piece, which should be pretty swell. Here's what they said when I put questions to them.

Jordan Reyes: If you're a person who's bringing everything, you've got to be pretty swole. How often does The Bringer of Everything go to the gym to ensure it has the strength to bring everything?

Alec Eberhardt: Me and Brad are currently looking for a gym membership and run every Wednesday.

Brad Rohloff: #NoiseJock

Dakota Parobek: I’m in terrible shape.

JR: TBOE started as a solo project, right? Alec, how did you know that you wanted other people to join?

AE: Yeah, I started the project in 2012 when I was 20, at the same time I started Music For Downers. Initially the project was going to be more of a harsh noise wall thing, but after I learned how to make tape loops and got a synth I wanted to focus on a more structured, composed sound. That never happened, but I played maybe three or four shows on my own before I asked Brad to do a set with me to see how it went. I'd always wanted someone else to perform with me so I could focus more on doing vocals and adding some chaos to live sets instead of being glued to my gear the whole time.

JR: When did you guys all join the group? How has it affected the music in recording and in performance? I've always found that playing with others is more fun, but do you think it makes things harder or easier in recording/composition?

DP: I joined after I played a show w/ Alec at a bar in Milwaukee in June I think. Brad was out of town so I stood in. The bar-people or whatever thought it was going to be a ‘rock show.’ A birthday party showed up. A bartender invited a stripper. I guess someone stopped a guy from throwing bottles at us. And Alex from Climax Denial caught a monitor on fire. So, now I’m here.

AE: Brad joined in the spring of 2014 shortly before I began working on the self-titled full length. I asked Dakota to fill in for Brad at a show over the summer that he couldn't make it out to. After that we decided to try things as a three piece and it worked out incredibly.

AE: As a trio, we kind of function like a more conventional "band." Brad focuses on percussive sound with contact mic'd sheet metal and low-end synths (like a drummer/bassist), Dakota controls feedback and tapes (like a lead guitarist) and I focus on vocals. We are not bound to these quasi roles, though, we all contribute to composition.

AE: Recording as a three piece was surprisingly productive from the start. I think that after maybe three practices together is when we recorded the split tape with Swallowing Bile, which was the first thing the three of us did together, and also what I consider to be the best material released as The Bringer of Everything thus far.

What background in music do you all have? Have you been in bands before? How does it affect what you bring to the table for The Bringer of Everything?

DP: I’ve been playing guitar for a long time – mostly jazz – and I’ve been listening to ‘noise music’ (Merzbow mostly) for just as long probably. But yeah, in high school I played in a math-rock band and accordion in this cute folk-punk group lol.

When Alec and I were in the dorms I started a solo ‘sad-noise’ thing called Father Christmas which I’m still doing.

DP: Feel like I know a lot of music theory / jargon which isn’t super helpful. I mean, it is but…I don’t know…I make a lot of hand gestures…

AE: I've been playing in bands since I was fourteen. The first serious band I was ever in was a powerviolence band I joined when I was 16 and living in Wisconsin. There wasn’t a huge grind scene in Milwaukee at the time, nor was there a huge noise scene. Peter J Woods and Jay Linski would put us on noise shows they booked, which was basically my introduction to noise music. Shortly after I joined that band, Jesse Johanning (co-founder of Music For Dowers) and I started a screamy-ambient-noisey-hardcore thing that we played in through 2011. I briefly played guitar in a punk band here in Chicago, too. In the bands I've played in, the prime focus has always been to be noisy, heavy, chaotic, and violent. Cathartic, if you will. I never really got much closure with that while playing in those bands, but I feel like I'm finally accomplishing it in TBOE because noise music has allowed for those things to be explored outside of conventional song structures.

BR: My main discipline is visual work. I tried playing guitar when I was in second grade but quit. I tried playing drums when I was in 6th grade but quit. Junior year of High School I bought a theremin. I’ve always tried doing weird shit by myself with music but could never stick with it. When Alec wanted me on board I was all in. I work better with other people. I never thought I’d be making noise but I am very, very happy about it.

JR: I'm not going to ask what specifically musical influences you guys have in your artwork, but I will ask what ideas or philosophies inform your outlook on music and art. Are there any artists, writers, or even symbols that you connect with that influence your creative process?

DP: We all read a lot – and like, very different things. I read a lot of poetry and plays – Sarah Ruhl, Christopher Durang, Lorca. Been reading a lot of Donald Barthelme lately.

My views on art…I really don’t believe in the idea of ‘bad art.’ Like, as long as the person gives a shit about what they are doing then I think it is good. So, everyone can be really good at anything if they actually try – I don’t know. And I don’t really know what ‘philosophy’ that falls under, I just get really fucking angry when people tell other people they aren’t good at something…like if that person really cared about making it, that’s all that matters. Criticism (keep thinking, ‘anything said w/ love’)  is one thing, but to break someone down…that’s what makes people not want to make art anymore…and making people stop doing art is fucking awful.

BR: I’m pretty heavily involved in the alt comics scene in Chicago and read a lot of work coming from there. I love the comix community because everyone is kind of in it together and is actually really interested in and supportive of what each other is doing. It’s pretty inclusive and weird. I do a lot of printmaking, publishing, and sculpture stuff. In my own work I am particularly interested in the concept of failure. I tried buying 36 engraved machetes for an art object edition but the manufacturer ran out of them. I’m going to make 50 photo books and shoot them. I’m about to order 100 air fresheners. I have 5 projects on the spring roster of my publishing house Bred Press. I’m trying to keep busy with work. My favorite artist is Martin Kippenberger.

AE: I study filmmaking in college and that contributes to the visual aspect of our work. We’re shooting a series of short pieces to promote the release of the album. We project Stan Brakhage’s films over us when we perform sometimes. I think studying film has helped me visualize our music and performances. I think that’s important. Some of my favorite filmmakers are Gus Van Sant, John Cassavetes, Antonio Campos, and Harmony Korine. I’ve been reading through Dennis Cooper’s “George Miles Cycle” and trying to make progress on Birds of America by Lorrie Moore, Chilly Scenes of Winter by Ann Beattie, and Taipei by Tao Lin. Nam June Paik, Chris Burden, and Yves Klein are some artists who have inspired me lately. I’m working on some video art installations that utilize space, projectors, and surveillance. Everything I read, see, or hear influences the shape of The Bringer of Everything in some way. Getting into that would take a few nights.

JR: You guys have an upcoming full album and I think it's the first one as the three-piece. Tell me about it. Is there a concept you have for it as a whole or are you all bringing individual ideas to the table?

AE: There are a lot of things that go into creating our music; just as there are for anything that a human being creates. For the first time in a release by TBOE though, I'm not going to try to direct the listener to any kind of answers or motives to our work. I feel like I've failed musically in the past by trying to make my intentions too clear, by not letting the listener interpret the music for themselves. Despite each of us dealing with our own shit, us all being about the same age, in the same city,  and having dealt with similar things in life gives us the opportunity to detach ourselves from what affects us personally and explore emotions collectively. Subjects we're dealing with on this album include grudges, mental illness, obsession, trauma, the fear of one's self, and addiction. These are, more or less, things that play a part in each of our lives, but in very different ways, and we hope to create music regarding them from each of our own perspectives. We're also going to be working with a handful of contributors on this album, a lot of which have never worked with noise music before. You'll find out who they are when the album is released.

JR: How are you guys going to release it?

AE: We'd discussed reaching out to other labels to release it, but I think we're going to put it out on our label, Music For Downers. Nothing's set in stone yet, but I can tell you that it will be more than a tape in a jewel case.

DP: Flexi disc. Exclusively.

AE: All right, I’ll come clean: we’re mailing you Dakota and making them sing it to you.

JR: Alec, tell me a little bit about Music for Downers. What's the idea behind it? Is it more of a label or an art collective?

AE: I started Music For Downers in the winter of 2012 with Jesse Johanning, the mysterious fourth member of TBOE and one of my oldest friends. I had thought about starting a label for a while, and I pitched the idea to him when we were both home in Wisconsin for Christmas break. That's where it began.

AE: We started the label because I guess we were getting bored of the Youth Attack-boutique tape label aesthetic, or at least thought we could do our own thing with it. I wanted to do a tape label that put out both punk and noise. We put out some cool releases, but lately I just haven't been in any kind of place to run a tape label. I'm too broke being a student and working a low-paying part time job that works with my school schedule to be putting in the funds necessary to run the label the way I want it to be run. When I graduate in May, MFD will become my main focus for a while. I need to accomplish what I set out to do with this label.

AE: While at the end of the day, Music For Downers is still just a noise label, I do like the idea of us functioning as an artist collective of sorts. We've curated one art show together, and have put on shows as Music For Downers. These are things we're going to continue to do. Also, if you're part of The Bringer of Everything, you're a part of Music For Downers. I've always wanted for the two to be directly connected. Brad and Dakota are just as much a part of MFD as Jesse and I are.

JR: How do you see MFD expanding? Do you want it to expand?

AE: Yes, and it will. When we have the time to focus on it you'll be seeing way more releases and events curated by us. Jesse and I have discussed big, probably overly ambitious things for the future, but you'll have to see how things play out.

JR: How do you guys approach a live show? How much is improvised and how much is written down beforehand? Do you prefer performance to recording?

BR: Alcohol and Amphetamines, mostly. We usually have a loose composition set out before we play live. We have structure for when each of us will play and interact with one another, but only as much as necessary. We really enjoy improvisation in our sets, and we often find ourselves going in directions that are unexpected even to us. We played a set at a Northwestern University Indie Music Festival recently that was probably our best set ever. First off, the bands immediately before us were smooth jazz and big band. The guy who booked us knew exactly what he was doing. I forgot my sheet metal so someone found us a metal trash can lid. We set up this big ladder right next to our table. Alec found a bottle of tequila in the green room. It was all downhill from there. We stuck to our structure for about thirty seconds. I have this thing where for the last 3 shows or so I always end up bleeding on myself and my equipment. Alec and Dakota were jumping on and off the ladder and fighting on the floor, I had blood smeared all over my face while doing vocals in the crowd. There was about ⅓ of the people still there after our set was done. We approach recording and performing in two different ways and there is often little crossover between the sounds. We know we can’t perform a recording, and we know we can’t record how we perform. I like playing live the most, though.

JR: I guess I sort of know the answer to the last question after seeing your art show at your house, but I figured you'd explain it better. How'd you get all those different folks to work with you on such a great event? Your cheese and cracker selection was incredible by the way!

AE: Well I had had a big party for my 22nd birthday in November and me and my roommate cleared out everything in our apartment. After cleaning up, the place was completely empty and I had the idea to use the space for an art show. Most of the people that participated in the show were close friends of mine and fellow noise musicians who I knew made art in some respects. Everyone I contacted about it was very interested. A lot of them had never participated in an art show before and they were stoked to have the opportunity. We’re already in talks about the next show, and we’re very excited to be doing more.

BR: Alec approached me with most of the artists already figured out. He and I worked together on a few more selections and the press release, and I worked on most of the brass tacks sort of stuff. I had a pretty clear idea of how I wanted to use the space, and I’ve helped set up apartment shows like this in the past, so I spent my energy acquiring and setting up lights, hanging the work, and other formal considerations like that. As for the cheese, my roommate brought it way after the show started. I told him in a stressed out phonecall to “buy whatever bullshit platter they had shrinkwrapped” and some Ritz. He ended up bringing like 3 pounds of cheese and a shitload of crackers. It was perfect. I’m glad you liked it!

JR: Somewhat pedantic question, but I always love hearing what people are listening to and I imagine others do too! What records did you guys really love from last year? Is there anything you're excited for coming up?

DP: I’ve been listening to a lot of PC Music…I’m stoked on whatever they’re gonna put out this year. My computer broke so I lost everything and am like, relearning music. But, generally, I’m really out of the loop with what’s coming out and like current bands. (I just learned about Witch house.)

Right now on my phone I have’ ‘King of Jeans’ by Pissed Jeans, ‘Electro-Soma’ by B12 (rules), and a few albums by this 90s ‘grind-pop’ band PEE. And I listen to the Boris / Sunn O))) split at least three times a week.

BR: I’ve sort of dropped off on keeping tabs on a lot of new releases this year for no good reason. I can’t stop listening to Kate Bush! My favorite band is The Knife. The new Taylor Swift is really good. Alec and I have been freaking out over the new Consumer Electronics. I’m currently trying the herculean task of going through Muslimgauze’s back catalog. Some day I will listen to an entire Bull of Heaven song.

AE: My computer is currently broken and the headphone jack on my phone is too, so the only time I listen to music is at work on my boss’s Pandora account. I really like the Wire, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Vivian Girls, and Death In June stations. There were a lot of good albums this year. I particularly liked some of the stuff Orchid Tapes put out, like Alex G’s “DSU,” Ricky Eat Acid’s “Three Love Songs,” and Mister Lies’s “Shadow.” Me and Brad have been texting each other quotes from Consumer Electronics’ “Estuary English” in all caps daily. I really liked the new Lust For Youth album. I’m excited to hear the new Climax Denial and Rectal Hygienics LPs and I will be spending most of 2015 praying that Marshstepper comes back to Chicago. I’m hoping to see Witch House make a comeback.

JR: When are your next performances? Do you think you guys are going to tour after the new record?

AE: We’re playing a benefit show in Milwaukee this weekend (Jan. 10) that my friend Tyler set up. We have nothing planned yet but we want to do a release show for the new album. And yes, we are going to tour this summer after Dakota and I graduate college.

BR: I’m already out of school and my work gives me 4 day weekends so I’m fully ready to do some big touring come summer.

JR: Anything else you'd like to say?

DP: I quit.

BR: Dakota's back in the band.

AE: I want to reach out to anyone, particularly younger people, who are curious about noise music and the noise scene, and invite them to get in touch with me and come out to shows. We promise you it’s a much friendlier environment than a bunch of punk babies will tell you it is. Most of us got here because we were rejected from something else, usually for no good reason other than superficial things. Everyone is welcome. Come thru.

Release of the Day: The Chicago Triangle - Emergence

Face the facts: we're in the golden age of reissues. Hard to find records are getting their dues by labels like Light in the Attic, Numero Group, Sundazed, and 4 Men with Beards (though with somewhat all-over-the-place results on that one). I personally think some of this has to do with the success and limelight of Searching for Sugarman, but I'll take it - oodles of documentaries and reissues and reads are coming out with the same story: someone with a ton of talent got looked over. And General Public Steve and Sally declare "Oh my god! How could they do that to good ol' Sixto?" before resuming a scheduled listen to the new Katy Perry single. That ain't news! Talent gets passed over because talent might be unfamiliar or at least different from the most popular form of tuneage. For people like me, though, it just means getting to see some good flicks and finally being able to buy coveted wax.

So let's talk about The Chicago Triangle. These Latino cats came out of Chicago in the late 70s before disco pissed away all the guitar bands, playing their own amalgamation of funk, soul, prog, and rock n' roll to anyone who would listen - allegedly, they played to about five hundred people at their album release show so why did this album take so long to become possible? I mean, this band isn't even on discogs at the moment of writing - this is more elusive than elusive and don't that just make your inner music nerd squeal? To make a long story short, people didn't know this record but people KNEW OF this record until it was found at a record fair in Austin, TX. From there, the dudes at Permanent did their magic with Rob Sevier of Numero to track down the original band members who turned out to be true lifers! Longhairs with bandanas and first class tickets on the rad times express. These guys are even playing a free show at the Empty Bottle on November 3. A total pipe dream that became reality.

And man, the music really speaks for itself. For my money, there's no better word for the record than "lively." There's a real energy to the music here that could only possibly come from true belief in what they were doing. And now you can get your filthy meathooks on the dang thing!

Release of the Day: The Bachs - Out of the Bachs

I've been digging into private press albums ever since my pal Dave McCune hipped me to the Acid Archives, luckily with the help of some buds more in the know. It's been like uncovering a treasure chest - I've had the opportunity to learn about and listen to so many new records, many of which were impossible to track down before the spread of the internet. Out of the Bachs, for instance, was only pressed in an edition of about 150 copies privately. And now you can hear it on Spotify or YouTube or use discogs for a reissue without having to rely on rare record catalogs, books, or word-of-mouth.

So does this detract from the mystique of rare records or enhance it? Well, that's the million dollar question. Is it now easier to develop a mental encyclopedic reference list of records anymore? Yes and no. The process of getting to know a record is still to listen more than once, become familiar with its backstory, and hopefully grace your fingers and eyes with its cardboard sleeve. Listening and familiarizing are the more easy and affordable parts of this learning experiencing, which are hands-down easier feats with the internet. The tactile part, though, requires time and place. There is nothing like holding a record, if you ask me. This feeling for collectors is much more than a simple reward, but an accomplishment. The process of tracking down a record may be made easier with discogs or ebay, but holding or touching a record must still be done in person.

Enough philosophizing: the Bachs were a garage rock band that came out of the Chicago suburbs Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, and played for private parties and dances in the 60s before releasing this record and then calling it quits. The vocals and instruments were recorded at different times, which accounts for some of the shaky balance - sometimes the music will switch speakers if you're listening in stereo or on headphones, but I think that's part of the charm.

Doing a little extra research was really funny to me: for instance, Ben Harrison of the Bachs made an appearance on Rihanna's "Rated R." How weird is that?! It's easy to look up little trivia like this now, which can make the experience more enjoyable, but it can also disprove some of the record legends you might hear. Like, the other day, I was talking to Jamie at Permanent about record trivia and discogs and he told me that that story about Anton LaVey being in the back of the artwork for Hotel California was completely fake and it took away a little bit of the magic or at least the intrigue. The partial truths of record collecting folklore are just as valid and important as the reality, as much of it used to be spread in ways not dissimilar to folk and blues songs of old, perhaps around a campfire o at the saloon.

There is more magic in communion than in loneliness.

Interview with Ryley Walker

Ryley Walker is good at playing guitar. He comes from the tradition of finger-picking wizardry a la Michael Chapman or John Fahey or Bert Jansch - impressive licks thrown into a hew of pleasant, meditative steel-stringed whispers. Occasionally a voice emerges from within, though it isn't necessary. On his album All Kinds of You on Tompkins Square, one of my most consistently listened-to records of the year, Ryley fills his songs with string sections, piano, and more, though it doesn't take much of an imagination to know that these songs are also impressive without the additional orchestration. It's a good thing too because I've seen Ryley just as often play solo as I have seen him with his band of improvisational gurus, though he seems to be able to play music with just about anyone from Daniel Bachmann to JR Robinson of Wrekmeister Harmonies.

He's an interesting cat though, and also one of the funniest people that I know. I remember his performances for their musical prowess just as much for his, well, almost stand-up comedian routine. He interacts with the crowd, swears, and tells one helluva good yarn. That's the Ryley I know outside of shows too, smoking an American Spirit and shooting the shit with every dang person he sees. Thinking about it makes me happy - an extension of the medieval bard so to speak, entertaining and edifying.

The guy also tours a metric fuckton and has been to Europe twice this year already, I think, in addition to all over the United States. And I think I've seen him in Chicago about six times too this year, each one better than the last. I suggest picking up all the records of his you can find and following him on his Facebook Page to keep up with the traveling troubadour.

Jordan Reyes: When we talked the other night, you talked about coming out of the hardcore and noise scenes. Do you think that has affected the way your make or play music?

Ryley Walker: It made me value live performance. I like recording and nice albums, but a gig is where the power lies. So much of that music, for me, is about completely losing my mind and channeling the psycho part of my brain to come out in a hellfire of guitar tunes. It definitely carries through.

JR: Did you travel a lot as a kid? Do you enjoy the semi-nomad life?

RW: Not too much. A couple small vacations to Florida and I think maybe Pennsylvania? My folks were really busy workers growing up. I do have nice memories of busting Chicago though. That was only 60 miles away. Always loved that. 

RW: To answer the second part of your question, I really do enjoy traveling. It's hard being home sometimes.

JR: How did you learn to play guitar?

RW: Formal lessons gave me basic things and nice regiment and Discipline to practice. Hanging out with talented musicians and going to see live music all the time helped me find a voice.

JR: What comes to mind when you think of what essentially makes a good "Ryley Walker song"? 

RW: Something that I don't mind revisiting and revising again and again. And a nice melody.

JR: I’ve seen you play solo and with up to four other people. What determines who plays with you? How do you meet these cats and know they're well-suited for your music?

RW: The people I play with are all dear friends from various backgrounds in all sorts of music. Specifically, improvised tunes. Musically and personally, we all get along great. It's important for all of us that the songs remain very open ended and have room for every part to explore and dig deeper. All of them excel really well at what they do and make me want to be better. I'm constantly inspired by their genius.

JR: Tell me a little bit about recording and putting out your last couple solo 12"s. Where and how did you record these releases?

RW: Those were tunes written from an early point in my sing song days. Some are made up on the spot. I think it was assembled in a nice way and I got lucky enough that somebody wanted to put them out. 

JR: You also just put out a collaborative 12" on American Tapes. How did that one come to fruition? Had you and John Olson been friends for a while?

RW: I met John some years back but got to be pretty cool when Stare Case played my old house show space in Pilsen. They were really great. John asked me to do a split with Chris and I was more than happy to be on board with such a cool dude.

JR: Would you ever make t-shirts that just said your name on them?

RW: Probably not.

JR: What about t-shirts that just had your face on them?

RW: My ugly mug on a shirt sounds like a poor fashion choice.

JR: You were telling me you live in Little Village now. You must have a favorite Mexican joint. What would you say is your favorite or at least what's in your top tier?

RW: They are all consistently good but I gotta hand it to el burrito feliz and el patron. I can look out the window and see both of them. The convenience factor weighs in heavily for me here.

JR: You’re going to Europe soon for a tour with a full band. I think you were recently there if I'm not mistaken. Are there any places or people you're excited to see? Do you think audiences are much different over there?

RW: The audiences are the same everywhere. Cool people and drunk assholes every now and then. I think the venues are just more prepared for my type of tunes over in Europe. Often in the states I play rock clubs, which I'll do no problem, it's just the context is a bit lost. I'm not really bar music. 

JR: What all is in the future for Ryley Walker?

RW: New LP in March...covers record in the works...lots of gigs I hope!

Release of the Day: Running - Frizzled 7"

I'm still pretty happy that I have one of the only interviews with Running available to see - I saw those cats with Gary War back in 2012 just as I had moved to Chicago and it made a big impression. I don't know how many times I've seen them since, but not enough that's for sure. Side note: I would like to make an Alejandro Morales tribute band, but I need someone to play with me because I suck at Kazoo. Also, it would be called Cholo and the Cholos.

Last year, Running put out their tour de force Vaguely Ethnic on Castle Face records. It's a quick, nine-song blast into the tripped-out fuzz of these Chicago weirdo punk rockers. This year, they put out a three-song 7" on Drag City called "Frizzled." Music writers are supposed to avoid vague words like "good" or "awesome" or "cocaine," but that's exactly what this record is. It's fucking awesome. I listen to it before I run a lot - I'm straight edge, so this is as close to drugs as I get, for better or for worse.

That song "Totally Fired" on the b-side of this record is one of their better songs. It also has this weird scratchy sound that comes in a few times towards the end. And I thought my copy was busted for a while, but I heard it on soundcloud too so I know that these cats are just fucking with me. See if I care. Am I pretty yet?

Interview with Unmanned Ship

Doesn't the phrase "Unmanned Ship" have a bit of the mystique attached to it? I always think that "unmanned ship" would be used when a ship is expected to be manned - like it was careening over a lofty wave before settling into port, but no one was on board. Cause, like, there are ships in a harbor without people, but you wouldn't call it an unmanned ship - you'd just call it a ship. The name implies mystery, as does the band's music, but in reality, Kevin, Bill, and Dan are all very up front about their music, the band, and what is in their future.

The most easily attainable material from the band is their LP For Whom the Bowl Tolls on Rotted Tooth Recordings. They've also put out a couple tapes and some CD-Rs, but I don't know where or how you'd find those. Unmanned Ship creates a sonically expansive kind of music with clear psychedelic resonance. It's heavy. It's loud. And it's big. The band has written and recorded more songs than they've released - that said, many new songs are played in a live setting, which is my preferred method of listening, especially to massive, instrumental music.

I met Kevin through his other band Oozing Wound and got to know his music as Unmanned Ship afterwards. I only recently saw them for my first time, though, and I was really impressed. These guys play really well together, and are clearly in tune with each other, which is what separates a good psych band from a great psych band. We met at the Orbit Room for some Tiki-Tickle-Time and food. Dig em on their Facebook Profile, buy their record, which is linked above, and go see one of their shows.

Jordan: How was your practice session?

Kevin: It was fun, chill. It was nice to play in more of a daytime thing.

J: Are you gearing up for something?

K: No. Well, we have a show on the 29th of September at Emporium the barcade. The next couple of months are busy. We’d like to play a bunch of shows, but we’re all going to friends’ weddings and stuff throughout September.

Bill: Big wedding month.

K: Seems like everyone we know is getting married.

B: We’re going to master a two-song record on Wednesday that we’re putting out with Maximum Pelt. 

K: Ian, the guy who runs Wally World, has been putting out some records by the Funs and Lil Tits and Mines and stuff. He’s going to press this 7” with a couple songs that we had left over from the LP we put out on Rotted Tooth.

J: How long are the songs?

K: Like 6 minutes and 5 minutes.

J: So it’ll be a 33 rpm 7”?

B: Totally.

J: Have you done much else other than the LP?

K: Like two tapes and a weird CD-R thing from back in 2005.

B: It was a collage of a bunch of 4-track stuff that we would do. We’d do like 10 CD-Rs wrapped in...what did you used to wrap them in? Sweaters?

K: Yeah, they were like sweater cases. We’d throw em out at shows.

J: Where’d you get the sweaters?

K: Like thrift stores, but they’d be unravelling and stuff. But other than the LP that’s about it.

J: Do you have thoughts of recording another LP?

K: We actually have one recorded that we just finished mixing. We don’t know who will put it out yet. Ideally, we have another one that can be recorded in the winter.

J: Like, you’re still writing songs?

K: Yeah, we’re sort of behind all the records we put out by like two years. Hopefully by the end of winter, we’ll have like three songs done, but only one of them will be out - ideally it’d come out like next summer. Lots on the horizon, but we’re a pretty casual band.

B: It always ends up being that someone wants to put it out and we’ll jump for it.

Dan: Then we wait six months. What always happens is someone hints they want to put it out and then a year from that day it’ll come out. Then we’ll play like one or two of those songs live. Even these two songs on the 7” we stopped playing like two or three years ago.

K: And we only play like two songs off the new album that’s ready to come out.

B: It’s more like we’re two years ahead of ourselves.

J: So your show at the bottle was stuff for the third LP?

D: Some of it was. Two of the songs were.

K: Ten minutes worth or so.

B: The new record is going to be a mindblower though.

K: Yeah, it’s great.

J: Do you guys have artwork done?

K: No, but we have a title.

J: What’s the title?

K: No More Digital Blood.

J: I like it. I agree with the sentiment.

B: We have a new video too. I don’t know if you saw it yet.

J: Is it a new song?

K: It’s a No More Digital Blood song recorded live in the Situations garage.

J: Oh cool. Do you guys all live there or is it just you?

K: Just me. It’s a weird place.

J: I like the colors.

K: Thanks.

J: I’m amazed that the guys in like Club Rectum all live there. So many strong personalities in one place.

K: It’s hard to do, having a communal space that also puts on shows and ends up being a practice space with your roommates. Those guys can handle it, though, cause they’re crazy.

J: I was just talking to Zack [in Oozing Wound] about the Oozing Wound split with Black Pus at that Dark Entries show at the Bottle and how I hadn’t heard Lightning Bolt or Black Pus before and he was like “really?”

K: Oh, was he like “REALLY?”

J: Yeah, totally.

K: Yeah, Lightning Bolt was definitely an early influence. I got into them around 2003 or 2004 after Wonderful Rainbow came out and I didn’t even know that they were a duo.

B: Well, I remember watching that documentary at your guys’ place. That had to be like 2005 or 2006.

K: That was right when Hypermagic Mountain came out. I saw them pretty much by accident at a Califone show at the Empty Bottle in 2003 or something. They were really good, both of those Brians. Really crazy. It’s just nasty music. My grandma wouldn’t hear a difference between them and Cannibal Corpse, but those dudes are so positive too. Not outwardly, but in their tunes. You know that they’re having a good time. That struck me. You don’t see many bands that play harsh shit but are also into having fun.

J: Yeah, they’d be more likely to be into like heroin.

K: Heroin, pain, destruction, fights, aggro-nation. If they weren’t in the noise scene, though, they’d be jocks at a frathouse, but it just so happens that they’re into weirdo punk rock.

J: Do you think that mindset influences you guys?

K: That’s definitely why I was attracted to it. I relate to it. I like abrasive, loud music.

B: We’re all metalheads at heart, but we embrace the positive energy from people and getting buzzed. We like the dark stuff, but we’re not addicted to it.

K: Some people get totally addicted to it - they can’t get out of it. The deep, dark, mouth of madness depths. You can only get so much out of that stuff.

J: One thing leads to another and then you’re watching kids get run over by cars or some shit.

B: We just like to hole up in practice space, write tunes, and smoke a bunch. We should be putting out a record every six months, but we can’t do that.

J: Cause of financial stuff?

B: We’d just rather have powerful songs than farting in front of a micrphone.

K: We sort of move at a glacial place. There are some songs that I’m baffled at their existence.

B: It’s almost like they grow legs and walk into the studio when they’re ready.

K: It’s not really conducive to a John Dwyer method.

J: I have no idea how he does it.

K: There must have been a time period when he just recorded a shit ton and had the opportunity to finish it up. But maybe he is constantly writing non-stop. It’s admirable. It’s insane, but it’s more insane that he can do it and not be watered down.

J: Obnox kind of does that too. He’s got at least one record out each year. How’d you guys get into psych?

K: I was never really...

B: Out of it?

K: (laughs) Yeah I was never really out of it. I always liked trippy shit.

B: My dad basically raised me on Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, the original dark psychers. I was definitely drawn to the psych stuff.

D: It’s like, how soon did you get that delay pedal?

K: That’s what it is.

D: When you get the delay pedal simultaneous with your first bass, you get into psych. Remember those first shows? This was like back, way back. Kevin would be doing something like solo in high school. (sings a little bass riff) with massive delay.

B: When you start using effects as instruments.

K: I never really thought of it as “I’m into psych stuff.” I more thought “I like my mom’s old records and these nasty weird bands and these local Chicago bands that don’t even relate to each other in a genre way.” But I was always playing weird, trippy stuff from the get-go because it was fun. Maybe we are getting more psychedelic though. Our third album is tentatively titled Psychedelic Staycation.

D: I don’t think our last album was that psychy...It was like a quarter or a third psychy.

B: I’d say that you get into the surf rock a bit - there’s some psych surf stuff in there.

D: It’s like one part psych, one part rock, one part....

B: Mystery. There’s your tagline right there. “One Part Psych, One Part Rock, One Part Mystery.”