Clavius Productions presents:
Warehouse Next Door
1021 7th St NW
Washington DC
$7, all ages
doors at 8:30, show at 9
http://www.claviusproductions.org Long Live Death (Baltimore, Secret Eye Rec., mem. of The Anomoanon and Oxes)
In Gowan Ring (Utah, Bluesanct/Durtro Rec.)
Nick Castro (CA, Eclipse/Strange Attractors)
Talibam (NYC, mem. of Storm & Stress/Coptic Light/Crossing Clouds)
Long Live Death http://www.longlivedeath.net Long Live Death is a communal folk group based in Baltimore, RI who compose spooky, commie folk for gong, musical saw, cello, and vocals. Legend has it that one night in 2003 while touring with Will Oldham, the entire group stripped naked and danced in the aisles. Recently we here at Secret Eye were informed that the gong they play is named "Thunder Expressions" and it is only struck with a one-of-a-kind mallet who goes by the name of "Electric Destiny." They share members with popular math-rock band Oxes.
In Gowan Ring http://www.ingowanring.com From the land of little Osmonds, comes this nomadic bunch of sprites and pot-headed pixies, led by the enigmatic B'eirth and wielding such modern day contraptions as sackbut, cornetto, cittern, psaltry, zither, timbrel, whistles, bells, gongs and tons of other weird sounding shit too numerous to mention. Epic-lengthed drones are nestled comfortably amidst some of the finest acid/psych/wyrdfolk on this (or any other) planet.
"Though arguably the best In Gowan Ring experience is live -- B'eirth plays the medieval troubadour quite well and mysteriously, but doesn't forget humor or the fact that the Industrial Revolution has in fact happened --
The Glinting Spade is quite a lovely listen indeed. Anyone captivated by folk that either consciously explores its very early roots or the acid folk approach that psychedelia let in will find something to like here; B'eirth's approach suggests Edward Ka-Spel as much as it does the mythical figure of Ossian, say. His generally acoustic bent is more carefully seasoned by low-key experimentation throughout
The Glinting Spade -- extended tones, strange echoes, and buried sounds expand the palette of his work to an intriguing degree, with "In the Dream of the Queen" being an especially striking example. That said, the choice of instruments tends to be tried and true -- everything from church organ to zither is credited, along with more esoteric choices of fire, chalice, bow and arrow, even oats! Quite what the role of everything is meant to be is unclear, but if the effect is to create a sense of a shadowy ritual out of time past, In Gowan Ring succeeds quite well. B'eirth isn't one to shout or scream -- what's the point, after all? -- and his style of singing is very, very restrained, avoiding the sometimes tiresome drama of similarly minded revivalists who apparently think they really are about to summon up the Horned King and the Great Hunt. Songs like "To Thrum a Glassy Stem" and "Bow Star" are quiet beauties, while the lusher approach of "Cipher's String on the Tree" suggests a great lord's minstrels performing a late-night service. (Ned Raggett, All Music Guide)
Nick Castro http://www.spyinthehouse.com "On his second album, Nick Castro works with a slightly ad hoc band, the Poison Tree, drawing on similarly Pennsylvania-based 21st century acoustic/psych performers such as folks from Espers. It's a fine pairing, resulting in an album very much in the vein of performers old and new such as the Incredible String Band in its quieter moods and Stone Breath at its most gothed-out. As many musicians are now actively exploring this vein, though, it's all the more important to stand out from the field. Castro's singing voice is in ways his calling card. His songs are enjoyable if not surprising interpretations of the form, so it's the clear, crisp rasp in his singing -- a bit Nick Drake on songs like "Guilford" but not overly indebted -- that often lends a slight edge to the compositions, less a medieval minstrel, say, than a reflective veteran from some strange conflict. While musically acoustic guitar unsurprisingly forms the basis of the arrangements, it's Castro's work on whistles (and on "Music for Mijwiz" that particular wind instrument), Adam Hershberger's on flügelhorn, and Helena Espvall's on flute that actually proves the most distinct element, establishing a continuity song for song and making
Further From Grace seem that much more of a unified piece. When set aside from the gentle variations in the songs -- the queasy, slightly tripped-out guitars on "Unborn Child," the self-descriptive instrumental "Waltz for a Little Bird" (with jaunty piano from Castro) -- the results can be quite enjoyable. The murky, haunting extended coda of treated voices and improvised flute on the opening "Sun Song" gets contrasted against the slightly commanding tone of Castro's voice, each standing out all the more. If Castro's not as dramatic as, say, Brendan Perry from Dead Can Dance, he doesn't need to be, finding the right balance between close, almost tactile recordings -- the instruments seem to be sitting right there next to you, such is the quality of the engineering -- and a mysterious, removed resolve." (All Music Guide)
Talibam Improv/rock three-piece of synth, drums, and baritone saxaphone via electronics...sort of in between '60s Euro improv and "black _____" bands. Talibamâ??s raucous output comes from synthesizer manipulations by Matt Mottel, baritone sax trenchwork mechanics by Ed Bear, and further confused drumming by Kevin Shea (Storm and Stress, Coptic Light). Talibam amalgamates, remixes, and chews out sonic influences of groups like early Cecil Taylor Trio, MEV, and the Sun Ra Arkestra.
Clavius events:
611 Florida 7/7: The Peppermints (Pawtracks)/S.T.R.E.E.T.S./E-Zee Tiger/Le Flange du Mal
8/5: Double Leopards (Eclipse)/The Skaters/Earthen Sea/Insect Factory/Daniel Martin-McCormick
8/19: Rake (reunion!)/Jana Hunter/Mouth of Leaves/Meadows/Lights
Warehouse Next Door 7/10: Warmer Milks (acid-folk-rock from Kentucky)/Wax & Wane/Human Host
7/16: Reverend Bizarre (Finnish doom)/Well of Souls/Gates of Slumber/VOG
7/19: The Rat Traps (Goner Records, from Memphis)/Jeffrey Novak (one-man band from Memphis)/The Blast of Valour
7/21: Castanets/I heart Lung/Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice/Portions Toll
7/24: The Mirrors (Birdman, feat. Greg Ashley)/Primes/The Factory Incident
7/28: Love As Laughter (Sub Pop, ex-Lync)
7/29: John Wilkes Booze (Kill Rock Stars/Family Vineyard)/Newagehillbilly
8/22: Jim Yoshii Pile Up (Absolutely Kosher)/The Fake Accents/Get Hime Eat Him (Absolutely Kosher)
8/24: Caution Curves/Others/Jesse Kudler
8/26: Kinski/Last Days of May (ex-Dream Syndicate)/Kohoutek
9/2: Easy Action (ex-Laughing Hyenas/Negative Approach)/The Old Haunts (Kill Rock Stars)
9/16: 302 Acid/Gel-Sol
9/30: Phosphorescent
DC9 9/1: Valkyrie
9/12: The Fatal Flying Guilloteens (Estrus)/16 Bitch Pile Up (all-female noise trio from OH)
9/17: The Hidden Hand/Wooly Mammoth
9/27: Wolf Eyes/Prurient/Nautical Almanac
9/29: The Bloody Hollies (Sympathy for the Record Industry/Alive)
10/9: Barbez
10/26: Green Milk From the Planet Orange (Japanese space rock/prog-psych)
10/30: DMBQ (Japan, Estrus)/An Albatross
11/2: Miminokoto (Japanese psych, ex-White Heaven)/Kohoutek
