I first came into contact with one David Sutton of Leaf Leaf records shortly after having become aware of the release of CAR COMMERCIALS “Judy’s Dust” LP, and stumbling upon several notably “mixed” reviews where the consensus seemed to be that it were that it were an undercooked, semi-retarded Half Japanese/Smegma-esque nightmare, without even a semblance of a HINT of proper form or structure in plain sight. Naturally, I was intrigued and knew I HAD to suss out a copy of the disc for myself. Rather than tuck-my-junk and spend the unjustifiably steep fortune of some $50AU, which was the rough pound-to-dollar translation of how much UK label Cenotaph was unloading off onto their few sub-pacific customers… I desperately emailed Dave for a copy, and fortunately he was enough of a sick bro to have me shipped a copy direct from New Jersey, U.S. for a princely and well-reasonable $20PPD. Well, suffice it to say the LP did strike a chord with me right from the get-go. I had heard the previously released “Jar” 7, which in all honesty I can’t remember having given more than a quick cursory listen, and maybe a couple lethargic/warmed over followups, before filing it away amongst rows of similar-but-different abstract hubballoo. I knew by memory that I was definitely into it, it just wasn’t something I had ever really felt completely obliged to revisit with any kinda regularity. In any case this LP was somethin’ else entirely, a beastunlike what I had been hearing as far as new releases were concerned from at least the last year or so, but obv. in debt, at least in part, to marginal and “outsider” sounds of decades' past (namely the two mentioned earlier; among a laundry list of others whereby passively listing them off would only be a disservice to the kick and singularity of J.D.) and something I’d sure many would be just as happy NOT having to hear.. EVER! As far as I’m concerned though, “Judy’s Dust” were a disjointed modern masterpiece (no fuck off, not “Messterpiece”..that's not even a WORD mate), the stimulus for me to seek out more noisy artifacts from this bunch. So as quick as I could drag myself away from the overworked turntable and on to my email box, I bugged top bloke Dave with due praise, before anxiously inquiring as to whether I could hear some more of what that him and his “collective” had been up to music wise, and he done GREAT and sent out a veritable wealth of good shit. I’ve had a while to listen to these, some of which are months… years old, hastily booted onto recycled, case-scratched cassette’s and the like. Some, by contrast came dressed in elaborate and eye catching fabric/packaging, like creepy little pieces of art. I’ve listened heavy and intently under every which condition I seen fit …sitting content, layin’ strawn out, sipping robotussin, readin’, sleepin’, writin’ etc. Was good times all round, and well worth a write-up..
CAR COMMERCIALS “Grant’s Dead” CS65:
CAR COMMERCIALS “Grant’s Dead” CS65:
Long one from the CC’s, and it’s a doozy! No discernable template or framework which these tracks were built upon, just wicked hints of childlike rythmn/melody here and there, parts lingering past their welcome, others burning out well before any kind of momentum is built, in defiance of easy classification and much of an audience. As frustrating as it is entertaining, and about as entertaining as you’re likely to find within whatever skeletal realm it is that the CC’s exist. This is a killer tape, a fuckin’ rager even, but that was to be expected and by the time I was done with it, I was ready for something else entirey…
That’s KING DARVES, who doses out a full length CD-R and one half a split tape worth of wretched introspection; jam-packed with well-worn tunes which run the full gamut from miscreant, folksy singalong’s, to stoned guitar noodling, and a few tracks worth of honest to god STOMPIN’ r’n’r what’ll shake the cobwebs and cookie crumbs outta yr beard. Wheezy campfire/sundown blues, distracted by droning/electronic tape manipulations and hallucinogenic noise. 200LBU blog calls Darves a “one man Meat Puppets”, and I’d hafta hazard a guess that zine’s curator was stumbling for an easy reference point at the time, what with how KD’s totally UNIQUE sound can’t be so easily relegated to a simple half-liner, but aptly enough it fits the King like a tattered, puke stained robe.. Do they grow peyote in Jersey??
HELLMOUTH “Adelaide Moans” CS26:
That’s KING DARVES, who doses out a full length CD-R and one half a split tape worth of wretched introspection; jam-packed with well-worn tunes which run the full gamut from miscreant, folksy singalong’s, to stoned guitar noodling, and a few tracks worth of honest to god STOMPIN’ r’n’r what’ll shake the cobwebs and cookie crumbs outta yr beard. Wheezy campfire/sundown blues, distracted by droning/electronic tape manipulations and hallucinogenic noise. 200LBU blog calls Darves a “one man Meat Puppets”, and I’d hafta hazard a guess that zine’s curator was stumbling for an easy reference point at the time, what with how KD’s totally UNIQUE sound can’t be so easily relegated to a simple half-liner, but aptly enough it fits the King like a tattered, puke stained robe.. Do they grow peyote in Jersey??
HELLMOUTH “Adelaide Moans” CS26:
It’s near two months into Australia’s winter and the cold is only just now (barely) being felt. Now I truly do LOATHE shitty winter 7am’s as much as the next true maroon blooded Queenslander, but I’ll be flat out bullshittin’ if I said that the cold didn’t make for good early morn cassette listening, and Hellmouth is fit for that schedule like you-don’t-know-what.. Quiet, barely there drones and swirling “found sounds” creep under yr sheets. Spatters of noise fall in sync with them beads of cold sweat tricklin’ down your forehead, or that mist out yr window. Otherworldly vibes?? You bet! Smoke a joint to this near dawn, and you’ll wanna stay in bed all day long (or at least ‘til the heat kicks in around 11:00). What; You got something BETTER to do today?! Didn’t think so…
FRIENDS AND FAMILY "Death Anxiety" CDr:
Apart from Darves, the only other CD-release which was snuck in with all these tapes was one entitled “Death Anxiety (The Creek)” by perhaps what’s Mr. Sutton’s most reputable(?) non-C.C. group, the Friends and Family. A three year old release recorded live reel to reel, “The Creek” is thematically similar to any given Car Commercials release, in that all the listener is certain to expect from each “song” is a track length and maybe even a title, and it to be somewhat abstract and/or noisy while consciously avoiding the many trappings of creatin’ noise solely for it’s own sake. The difference being that this is tenfold more sonically intense, rather than playfully paranoid, and it is deliberately so. Blood-pudding dense and skull beatingly tense... by the time the slurred vocal chants wander in near the end you’re already a mess, trapped under layers of murk and scuzz. First reference point would be last years’ terrific LAKES CD/LP, and if you liked that one as much as me, than you should like this just as much as that. Perk up or the last two tracks will put you to sleep, sweet dreams buddy! A sinister release; not for everybody, sure, but I’ve come to find that the best stuff never is..
And we’ll leave it at that: Sure there were other pups in the pile, some of which I still haven’t managed to wrap the head around, but that’s a discussion best saved for later. Or never. And hey maybe if you’re lucky, DS and the Leaf Leaf might be able to hook you up with a bunch of these for yrself. (thebestbluebicycle@yahoo.com) It’ll make your day like it did mine. My only gripe was that I wasn’t able to score a copy of the Home Blitz/F&F split cassette, ‘cause the masters had mysteriously vanished, presumably somewhere deep 'n green under the Jersey Underpass.. If anyone could dub me a copy of that one, it’d be much appreciated!!
Apart from Darves, the only other CD-release which was snuck in with all these tapes was one entitled “Death Anxiety (The Creek)” by perhaps what’s Mr. Sutton’s most reputable(?) non-C.C. group, the Friends and Family. A three year old release recorded live reel to reel, “The Creek” is thematically similar to any given Car Commercials release, in that all the listener is certain to expect from each “song” is a track length and maybe even a title, and it to be somewhat abstract and/or noisy while consciously avoiding the many trappings of creatin’ noise solely for it’s own sake. The difference being that this is tenfold more sonically intense, rather than playfully paranoid, and it is deliberately so. Blood-pudding dense and skull beatingly tense... by the time the slurred vocal chants wander in near the end you’re already a mess, trapped under layers of murk and scuzz. First reference point would be last years’ terrific LAKES CD/LP, and if you liked that one as much as me, than you should like this just as much as that. Perk up or the last two tracks will put you to sleep, sweet dreams buddy! A sinister release; not for everybody, sure, but I’ve come to find that the best stuff never is..
And we’ll leave it at that: Sure there were other pups in the pile, some of which I still haven’t managed to wrap the head around, but that’s a discussion best saved for later. Or never. And hey maybe if you’re lucky, DS and the Leaf Leaf might be able to hook you up with a bunch of these for yrself. (thebestbluebicycle@yahoo.com) It’ll make your day like it did mine. My only gripe was that I wasn’t able to score a copy of the Home Blitz/F&F split cassette, ‘cause the masters had mysteriously vanished, presumably somewhere deep 'n green under the Jersey Underpass.. If anyone could dub me a copy of that one, it’d be much appreciated!!
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