Roadburn » 2009

NYTimes.com: Chefs Using Marijuana Create a New Kitchen Culture

Roadburn — Tue, 25 May 2010 09:07:47 +0000

EVEN preschool teachers unwind with a round of drinks now and then. But in professional kitchens, where the hours are long, the pace intense and the goal is to deliver pleasure, the need to blow off steam has long involved substances that are mind-altering and, often enough, illegal.

“Everybody smokes dope after work,” said Anthony Bourdain, the author and chef who made his name chronicling drugs and debauchery in professional kitchens. “People you would never imagine.”

So while it should not come as a surprise that some chefs get high, it’s less often noted that drug use in the kitchen can change the experience in the dining room.

In the 1980s, cocaine helped fuel the frenetic open kitchens and boisterous dining rooms that were the incubators of celebrity chef culture. Today, a small but influential band of cooks says both their chin-dripping, carbohydrate-heavy food and the accessible, feel-good mood in their dining rooms are influenced by the kind of herb that can get people arrested.

Call it haute stoner cuisine.

Continue reading: Chefs Using Marijuana Create a New Kitchen Culture – NYTimes.com.

Album of the day: Red Sparowes – The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer

Roadburn — Wed, 12 May 2010 04:01:58 +0000

Lovinly pinched from Popmatters: L.A. post-rock heroes return with their third full-length release.

It starts with a whisper: A heavily delayed guitar fills the sonic floor, swells and echoes and reverberates, and soon the room is filled with crashing, triumphant drums and double-tracked guitars aiming for the heavens. But just when you think the song is going to lift off into such a stratosphere, it cuts out, and is almost immediately replaced with a near funk bassline and subtle drums. One soon ascertains, in the course of the next 43 minutes, that the utmost tenant of Red Sparowes 2.0 is to expect the unexpected.

The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer exhale is the Sparowes’ third full-length. It finds the Los Angeles band going bigger, more epic, and a bit more metal, which isn’t surprising given the gang’s ‘six degrees of post rock’ connections to sister groups like Halifax Pier and Isis.

The crushing three-guitar lineup of Bryant Clifford Meyer, Emma Ruth Rundle and Andy Arahood means the layers here are piled high, very high, while the comfortable muscle of the Craig Burns / David Clifford rhythm section remains airtight and lethal, one of the best bass-and-drums duos in the post-rock game. But what really shines here is the new, welcome fullness of the production, courtesy of Melvins / Tool producer Toshi Kasai. This is Sparowes in widescreen, and it brings the band to a level previously unimaginable.

Continue reading: Red Sparowes: The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer < PopMatters.

Album of the day: Dead Meadow – The Three Kings

Roadburn — Mon, 10 May 2010 05:31:53 +0000

Lovingly pinched from Dusted Reviews: Since their first album in 2000, DC’s Dead Meadow haven’t so much evolved as honed. From the beginning, they’ve mined the past for heavy psychedelic influences, and while their early albums have a distinct grittiness as compared to their more recent releases, it’s hard to say whether it’s due to aesthetic choices or simply iffy recording conditions.

Their style has remained resolutely backward-facing, drawing from a long thread of psych rockers — one can hear everything from Deep Purple and Iron Butterfly to current brethren like Bardo Pond and Nebula. Like many of the best of that lineage, Dead Meadow are stronger in concert than on album, which made their 2002 live album Got Live If You Want It a bit of a disappointment; it didn’t succeed in the admittedly difficult task of translating the energy of a strong live show into good home listening.

With The Three Kings, the trio set out again, and this time around they’ve got it. Presented as a DVD and soundtrack set, the film mixes fantasy sequences with live footage (only the soundtrack was provided for review so I can’t comment on the visuals except to admit that, yes, that sounds like a potentially fatal notion). As for the music, though, the band added a handful of new studio tracks to the live material, and thankfully the latter recordings are extremely well-done, with the energy of the live setting coming through loud and clear. When the band reaches a peak and the audience can be heard cheering, it feels just right.

Continue reading: Dusted Reviews: Dead Meadow – The Three Kings.

Album of the day: Master Musicians of Bukkake – Totem One

Roadburn — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:40:17 +0000

Master Musicians of Bukkake - Totem One

Lovingly pinched from Obsidian Grave: Sun City Girls fans! Drone-doom freaks! Here’s your unlikely crossover dream come true, kind of. A psychedelically heavy (sometimes) and always eerily exotic new album on the Conspiracy label from this band with the wise ass faux-ethnic name .

Now including members of Earth and Burning Witch amongst their ranks, and once again boasting cameo appearances from folks belonging to the Sun City Girls and Secret Chiefs 3, this is exactly what we might have expected from this project. Acoustic ethnic instrument buzz and drone meets guitars-leaning-on-amps buzz and drone.

Continue reading: OBSIDIAN GRAVE: MASTER MUSICIANS OF BUKKAKE -Totem One (Conspiracy).

The Exile of Satan from Heavy Metal Design: the art of Seldon Hunt, Stephen O’Malley & Aaron Turner

Roadburn — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:57:08 +0000

Sunn O))) Monolith's & Dimensions Cover

Those “heavy metal” bands that debuted during that first palmy MTV generation sound like nontoxic pop compared to today’s vast offerings of subaltern metal genres, where intricate is the new heavy, and glacially slow is far more radical than hyperfast. Metal has evolved in such diverse directions—drawing from and crossing over with punk, math rock, noise, and avant-garde musical threads—that perhaps the real surprise is how audiences who never thought of themselves as metalheads are now exploring bands with names like Baroness, Gojira, Isis, and SUNN O))).

Shrinebuilder: fan filmed footage posted on line

Roadburn — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:24:31 +0000

Some video clips of Shrinebuilder’s first ever live performances (Viper Room, Los Angeles, 11/11/09 and Empty Bottle, Chicago, 11/14/09) have been posted online, including a cover version of Joy Divisons 24 Hours. The videos can be viewed below.

Roadburn is also very pleased to report that doom supergroup Shrinebuilder will be part of the festival line-up on Saturday, 17 April 2010.

With Scott Kelly (Neurosis) and Scott “Wino” Weinrich (Saint Vitus, The Obsessed, The Hidden Hand and Wino) on guitar, Al Cisneros (OM, Sleep) on bass and Dale Crover (Melvins) on drums, Shrinebuilder’s self-titled debut full-length (released on Neurot Recordings) is perhaps the most anticipated “Roadburn Festival album” of the year. Over the past 10 months we have watched the Shrinebuilder buzz rise to fever pitch.

We are truly looking forward to see Kelly, Wino, Cisneros and Crover meld their unique, different styles. When these four musicians get together, catchy canyon-size riffs lead to psychedelic guitar solos; subdued vocals add a mellow touch; and the meandering, groove-laden ambience ultimately creates crushing doom riffage. The sum of the parts is only strengthened by the natural vibe between these musical heavyweights – all of whom embody the true spirit of the Roadburn Festival.

Science of Anger ( Viper Room, 11/11/09)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWkAPuJljUw

24 Hours (Viper Room, 11/11/09)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMhdJNBRvyE

Pyramid of the Moon (Empty Bottle, 11/14/09)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dypstVliaNQ

(Empty Bottle, 11/14/09)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=weC4V6Q4v9o

Them Crooked Vultures interviewed by Arthur Magazine

Roadburn — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:55:36 +0000

Jay Babcock of Arthur Magazine recently conducted an interview with John Paul Jones (of Led Zeppelin-fame) and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age / Kyuss). An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Them Crooked Vultures

Arthur: Josh, you go back a long ways with Chris Goss [Masters of Reality, Goon Moon, etc] there’s a weird parallel/connection between you guys, as usual. You’ve both worked with guys from an older generation: you’re working with John, and Chris worked with Ginger Baker [Cream, Blind Faith, etc.] at one point.

Homme: Ginger’s the only guy who ever called me ‘boy.’ [laughter] If I may tell a story… [laughs] I was selling pot for a brief moment then. I brought them some weed. They were in the studio, and there was a pool table. And he said, You play pool. I said Yeah. You have pot? I said yeah. He said, Roll us a joint, boy. And I was thinking to myself, [muttering] youmotherfuckerI’mgonna. So we played pool for five bucks a game, and after I’d taken 45 bucks off him, I said, You’re not very good at pool but you’re really stoned…old man. [laughter]

Continue reading: MUSIC IS NEVER WRONG: A visit with Josh Homme & John Paul Jones of Them Crooked Vultures

Blue Cheer’s Dickie Peterson remembered

Roadburn — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:50:58 +0000

For those who didn’t get to take part in the Roadburn festival 2007, and for those who did, but want to relive BLUE CHEER, here’s the link to the audio stream (as a tribute to the late DICKIE PETERSON).

Dickie Peterson - Blue Cheer

Peterson, age 63, died in Erkelenz, Germany, where he lived, on the morning of October 12, 2009. He is survived by wife Ilka Peterson, ex-wife Marilyn (Peterson) Stephens, with whom he had a daughter, Corrina Peterson-Kaltenrieder, and a grandson. He was a founding member and leader of the San Francisco band BLUE CHEER; a group known to heavy metal fans for being louder and heavier than any band before them and for laying the blueprint for much of what would come after.
The band debuted with a ground-shaking cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” on their 1968 album Vincebus Eruptum. In the early days, the CHEER regularly played shows with their San Francisco peers, including such era luminaries as the GRATEFUL DEAD, JANIS JOPLIN, JIMI HENDRIX, BIG BROTHER & THE HOLDING COMPANY and CREAM.

BLUE CHEER’s last U.S. tour (featuring Peterson, founding drummer Paul Whaley, and guitarist Andrew “Duck” MacDonald) was in support of their 2007 release, What Doesn’t Kill You…, and had the band playing shows with the fourth generation of bands to follow in their path. “He loved the younger musicians,” said MacDonald of his bandmate. “He thought of all of them as his children.”
Zach Gabbard of the band BUFFALO KILLERS, one of Dickie’s favorite new-generation rock bands, said, “You never know what it is going to be like to play with your heroes, but we walked into the club and Dickie stopped and said, ‘BUFFALO KILLERS, cool name. We played and hung out with Dickie and the rest of the band all night. It was a gift. Dickie was worthy of his hero status and will be missed by many.”

Plans were underway for the band to tour in support of the 2009 Rainman Records DVD release of Blue Cheer Rocks Europe when Dickie’s cancer was found. Tour plans were put on hold, but the first full-length concert DVD in the band’s more-than-forty-year history was released without delay. The DVD includes not only the concert footage with 5.1 audio, but also included a Peterson voiceover commentary and a complete interview with the late leader of the band.

Dickie and BLUE CHEER cherished their fans — the 1%ers, as they were called — and considered them the fourth member of their band. “Without you, what we do is completely pointless,” Peterson said to an audience in 2006, continuing, “You’ve got to take care of each other, you’re all you’ve got.”

MacDonald says that Dickie believed in the best of people. “The people loved him and he loved them right back,” he said. “It was the best relationship he had in his life.”

RIP Blue Cheer’s Dickie Peterson – Black Sabbath Online Forums

Roadburn — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:31:18 +0000

Dickie Peterson, Bassist and Singer for Blue Cheer, passed away this morning at 5am in Germany. Causes still have not been released to the public, I learned of his death through the Blue Cheer Myspace and Facebook accounts. Truly a legend, a man who was credited for introducing a proto metal sound which eventually snowballed into Heavy Metal. I will defiantly miss him, a great example of how your never to old to love rock n’ roll!

“I am heartbroken to have to announce that my friend and an icon, Dickie Peterson, has died this morning in Germany. He was a true rock and roller and lived to play. He will be missed. Love you Dickie.” – Gabrielle Person who runs page.

Dickie Peterson - Roadburn 2007

Continue Reading: RIP Dickie Peterson – Black Sabbath Online Forums.

Playlist: September (Aligator Descartes)

Roadburn — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:18:06 +0000

The Roadburn playlist is a monthly update from the Roadburn staff reflecting what we are spinning here in the head office. These are the records that get us through the day as we work on Roadburn Festival business and our blog.

Much as you’d expect, our playlists feature heavy rock, drone, psych, doom and space rock from the 60’s to immediate present. We also will feature guest playlists from knowledgeable contributors like long-time Roadburn cohort Aligator Descartes amongst others. Please share your personal Top 5 in the comments box below.

“Been a long time,” said Robert Plant. Never a truer word with a massive hiatus from writing for Roadburn which hopefully this set of micro-reviews will begin to rectify. This is a completely non-inclusive list of “recent-ish” stuff that’s I recommend!”

Isis -- Wavering Radiant (LP / CD - Conspiracy / Ipecac)

Isis - Wavering Radiant

The latest release from Isis has them ploughing a similar furrow to, well, everything since Oceanic redrew the map. There are no surprises in Wavering Radiant with the expected ambient / loud sequences and a mix of
Aaron Turner’s roaring / quiet vocals.
The record seems slightly more instrumental than the previous In the Absence of Truth but less focussed, in my opinion. Not as critical an album as Oceanic or In the Absence of Truth but still an excellent record hitting all the right spots.

Low Sonic Drift -- Shadow of the Titan (LP -- Theoretical Records )

Low Sonic Drift - Shadow of the Titan

Shadow of the Titan is the debut release for Glasgow-based power trio Low Sonic Drift. Shadow of the Titan is a 5-track mini-LP clocking in at a respectable 32 minutes. Awesomely, the opening track is a sprawling 9
minute stoner / thrash / prog epic which lays out the LSD manifesto of complex shifting riffs, grooving heaviness and excellent musicianship. A highly recommended release.

Misericorde -- S/T (Demo)

An interesting release this one from UK’s Misericorde, a three-piece doom trio from various locations around the UK. Recorded in a fairly basic manner, this three song demo (with an intro and outro) still manages to impress with sheer power and some interesting riffage.
The overall vibe I can only describe as “remember that sort of sound you got off Noise Records releases in the 80s?”. If you’re nodding, a bit like that. If you’re not nodding, it’s heavy doom with half spoken vocals occasionally floating across the thunder. With some better production, Misericorde’s trip would sound shakingly huge.

Note: Misericorde are now on hiatus, which is a shame given the promising nature of the tracks on offer here.

Ozric Tentacles - The Yumyum Tree (CD -- Snapper)

Ozric Tentacles - The YumYum Tree

The Yumyum Tree is the latest album for UK psychedelic stalwarts, the Ozric Tentacles. For anyone familiar with the output of the Ozrics, the new album has no surprises covering a variety of instrumental space rock,
pulsing techno-tinged guitar workouts and whooshing psychedelia.
The record, as with several of their more recent albums, is light on the “band” moments favouring a more Ed Wynne solo album feel, but is still a solid release in the Ozrics canon.

Ozric Tentacles -- Sunrise Festival (CD / DVD -- Snapper)

Ozric-Tentacles - Sunrise Festival

In between their two most recent studio outings, the Ozrics did a UK tour featuring two members from their early days, Merv Pepler and Joie Hinton (who later formed psytrance duo Eat Static). This DVD is the highlights
from their set at the Sunrise Festival and features tracks mostly from the Erpland and Jurassic Shift era (early 1990s).
The sound quality here is excellent and the visuals also good. The DVD still manages to capture the obvious energy and general glee about having three members of the “classic” line-up on stage and Brandi Wynne also plays a blinder on the bass. In short, if you like your spacerock, this is an essential purchase. The DVD also comes with an audio CD which makes it very good value for money!

Sons of Otis -- Exiled (CD -- Small Stone Records)

Sons of Otis - Exiled

The Sons of Otis return with their latest release since 2005′s X. Exiled sounds like classic Otis with soulful blues playing coupled with crushingly heavy riffs and drones and echo-soaked vocals. Several tracks here stand out including the opening ‘Haters’ which drones with vicious vocals and the more upbeat, but still crushing, ‘Lost Souls’. ‘Oxazejam’ is a re-recorded (and improved) jam originally on the split with Queen Elephantine.
The remaining tracks are a fairly conventional cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Bad Man’, a spacey cover of Motorhead’s ‘Iron Horse’ and the droning ‘Tales of Otis’, again originally off the Queen Elephantine split but re-recorded. As a bonus, a heavy, ambient drone track from Ken’s OX project hides at the end of ‘Iron Horse’…

Another solid release from Sons of Otis, athough not as essential as Templeball or X.

Masters of Reality -- Pine/Cross Dover (CD -- Brownhouse / Mascot)

Masters of reality - Pine-Cross Dover

Chris Goss finally returns with the latest Masters of Reality album after the slightly patchy Give Us Barabbas (which was bits and pieces + a bunch of disjointed tracks from the unreleased, but amazing, ‘Ballad of Jody
Frosty’). Pine/Cross Dover is yet another progression for the Masters sound (if you can categorise it at all now!) with a blending of psychedelic jams, insanely catchy tracks and full on rock-outs.
Goss’ vocals are as smooth as ever and there’s not a low, or even medium, point on the entirerecord. A class listen from beginning to end. Buy it now!

Gong -- Unconvention 2006 (DVD -- unGONG)
Steve Hillage Band -- Live at the Gong Family Unconvention (DVD -- G-wave)

A pair of related DVDs both drawn from the very succesfull Gong Unconvention mini-festival at Melkweg, Amsterdam in 2006 which reunited many past members of Radio Gnome-era Gong plus many of the offshoot bands spawned from Gong over the years.

The DVD focusses on Gong’s lengthy and amazing set with fabulous sound and overall trippiness. The only negative to this very watchable DVD is the silly sparkly effects dropped in here and there.
The visuals are good enough, leave them alone! If you’re an afficianado of the strange Gong universe, this is a very very good release.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqyo9YU2FzI

The Steve Hillage Band DVD is slightly less visually interesting, but has an excellent set-list covering a good chunk of his classic Fish Rising album plus other tracks throughout his career. Hillage (and band) are on
form and it’s an excellent purchase. The DVD also comes with the set on audio CD which is a handy and worth extra for the very reasonable price.