RODEO-singin purty for the ladies. songs from the backseat of life. did you
ever get left at the Texaco when the family stopped for gas? some Pitchfork
favorites stripped down and sung high and lonesome. Jesus Loves Me, Dead and
Gone, Hard Year and Where'd You Sleep Last Nite. everyone knows the feeling
of wanting to move to Arizona and never look back, or waiting to take your
sweetie to the Rodeo. three petticoat pretty instrumental guitar pieces
grace the folds of this one as does finally, a cover of Pink Floyd's
Childhood's End. done at home during winter on a little 1950s Gibson
acoustic.
FROGS AND BIRDS-talismans for protection. eyes closed in a fight. earth and
sky and all in between. using two homemade guitars i was able to channel
something divine into your stereo speakers. at times sounding african,
japanese or downright appalachian, Frogs and Birds is an all instrumental
near religious experience waiting to happen.
THE HINDENBURG TAPES-"with a handful of pills Broome Handel come to town".
in the year 2000 with some road trip rants scrawled on some truck stop
placemats Broome Handel came to Mempfis for a hobo hoedown with the core
group from Genesee Leroy Stone. that was John Stain, Rexford "40" Youmans
and Peter Head. banjos mandos and slide guitars tellin raw tales from the
backwoods of whatever podunk state you happen to be in. includes a 16 page
color booklet designed by BH himself! once these babies are gone they are
GONE! a true gem.
PFM - BIG BEEF BONANZA-the first string greatest hits picked from the 7 tapes we
did at the Coop in catskill NY with John Annese. inspired by sleepless cross
country driving jags, broken hearts,and people clearly pissing me off. by
far the most definitive "early years" collection. full of fan favorites like
Pennsylvania, Trucker, River Song, Milk Bibles and Guns and Bulldog.12 of
the 16 songs are unfit for radio. dripping with drunken farm accidents, dust
bowl poverty, and raging humor sex and social commentary. this is the CD
that's always reccomended as a first for the pitchfork virgin.
PFM - JERK WATER-we just couldnt stand it, after Big Beef had taken 16 of the
"best" songs off those first 7 tapes, there were still a lot of good songs
left, so we put together another compilation called Jerk Water - our term
for all the beer we drank laughing our heads off over songs like Walter,
Sarah, Amy Fisher and I Will Give You Pain. Visions of Tractors, Dont Dump
It On The Ground and Town Life were the foundation the Militia was built on.
PFM - IN THE ABSENCE OF A COSMIC JUSTICE-this was actually slated to be the 7th
tape, that's how the 4 song crossover occurred, but then we started making
CDs so we made it into a CD. as an album this is a nice cohesive batch of
songs. a couple murder songs, some slavering christianity and a little
existentialism thrown in with the usual drunken zaniness and spit-flecked
rage and self criticism. more road trip inspiration with Alabama, Jesus
Lives In The Carolinas and 800 Miles Of Texas. some downright funny stuff
too like Egg McMang, Two Ton Tom and Dog Turds. the last and best yet
recording by John Annese.
PFM - THE NUMBER TWO-starting with a farting noise and adorned with a turd on the
cover...note the lack of commercial potential. Fucked Up, College Boy and
Sunflowers are no-holds-barred ass whoopers. Crash, Mary Jane and Drinkin
are tippin the cows and burnin the barn. Dildo, Metro and Campin are still
everybody's faves. the first recording by Jacques Cohen at the Space in
Poughkeepsie NY.
PFM - BRIGHT NEW WORLD-the cover photo is a picture of 1950s comfort and security
that i could walk right into, the kids are playing badminton, their moms are
serving jello...a collection darker still, despite the cover, than the last.
Black And White, Cole Durhew, Monkey and Thing pull no punches but the
classic rock medley in Short Jig and a song like Mother Die keep the party
jumpin. sorry mom. done on 2 inch tape at the Space.
PFM - CHIMP WAGON-a year and a half in the making, this is absolutely the most
phattest sound we ever got in the studio. it opens with Blue Cow-a Doorag
cover that we stripped down and rebuilt with Karl on banjo. Meat and
Pertaters and Whitey's On The Mountian are destined to become pitchfork
classics. Nineteen, The Ass and Calamity Jane all feature the high strung
fervor of the electric mandolin instead of guitar. Pancho Villa and Boneyard
are by my friend John Stain. and finally a studio take of everybody's
favorite-Hard On! (dont tell me size doesnt matter)
JUNK PILE-2 homemade guitars, my voice and a 2 second sampler. a stick
whacking some rattles and cans. a visit to toys R us. this is the first in a
series of ambient Wreckerds. music to wash dishes to. little sketches by
nomadic mountian horsemen. a dream of a distant land and living out of
doors. tiny lights coming from under a tree stump.
SO-LITE-"heavy ambient", expect nothing, put it on while you do something
else. another book of sketches with an annoyance factor of about 3. done
with an M'bira made by Phil Crandon, two homemade guitars and a 2 second
sampler. some moments of pure beauty.
THE BIRTH OF WESTERN TRANCE-american bison, lonesome campfires, unexplained
murders and perry mason. mildly menacing melancholy mixed with fat happy
laziness. reverb drenched guitars, harmonica, homemade percussion and
pulsing loops. crickets, birds and thunder storms. the 3rd "heavy ambient"
wreckerd. broome handel is my partner on this one, playing harmonica,
accordion, percussion and banjo. he describes it as "elevator music for the
working cowboy". John Stain plays a homemade garbage can stand up bass/kick
and snare contraption on Sleepy Time 1 and Rez. this is a beautiful album
the high desert would be proud of.
A LOVE SUPREME-recorded in 1993 and dedicated to John Coltrane, this 29
minute psychdelic wonder resembles Coltrane's masterpiece in it's freedom of
exprssion only. this album is very sonic and textural and shows just how far
out the electric guitar can get. reversed tape and endless loops fuzzed to
the max wash this stuff straight from "the bottom of the ocean". with a
little spoken word on the two songs titled Hole...dont be scared, it'll be
over quick, it may hurt but you probably wont die