Wounded Lion on DITG and Gilgongo records.

Finally this single showed up in my mailbox...after almost a year after it was prepaid. Without going into details...well, I really don't know anything other than the bitching on Termbo, and random emails to and from Down in the Ground and Gilgongo, it's been a wild ride. So it finally showed up but at this point I think it's pretty safe to say Down in the Ground has blown whatever cred they might have gained by releasing singles from Blank Dogs, Cold Cave and Wounded Lion...Now that I think about it that's a hell of a start, the art on that triple split was great, the single itself, cold cave being on it, then Blank Dogs! I just assumed whoever was running this label was entrenched in promoting venues or something...and who knows maybe there were just insane pressing problems, I also think it's important bands stand behind their singles like this. This is probably one of those situations that's never going to happen again, but any band should do their homework a little bit on a new label bent on putting out your stuff. It's complicated but it reflects badly on you at the end of the day. DITG can pack up and just leave everyone screwed, and just a tiny bit I'm looking towards you to make it better, or just blame.

Hey I'm glad Gilgongo stepped up, contacted everyone and made this happen, along with a nice surprise which I'll cover tomorrow.

Wounded Lion take these bizarre concepts in what sometimes must be a dare, or drunken scrawl and write sincere songs about them. This time it's creatures in a cave - a ballad. Sensitive piano intro and when it changes to chords a hint of drums starts up. Huge echo on the vocals, (he's in a cave after all) with Devo delivery it's deadpan serious, with a David Byrne kind of inflection. Ultimately that's what keeps this all on the right side of the tracks taking it beyond the kind of lounge comedy you might at first listen mistake it for.
He's into all the animal friends he's met in the cave and is going to stay with them. It reads like a suicide note, he's made up his mind, he's leaving, goodbye cruel world, I belong in the cave. I'm not even trying to convince you, I'm just putting it out there, you want me to be happy....well, it's in this cave thank you very much.
For Wounded Lion the pressure in creating is a little different, there aren't groundbreaking, challenging things happening musically, it's up to Brad to carry this band with his particular vocal style, delivery and subjects...so far.

But the B-side wyld parrots is closer to their pony people single, which might just haunt them into the next incarnation of these members projects. There's synth for once, and there's a lot of space sound in this one. The drumming here is soprano toms hard and soft, and I think I like them the most when they aren't as literal in their songs...leave a little to be deciphered, a little ambiguous...like pony people. It's nonsense that almost makes sense.

I'm into these guys brand of loose weirdo art rock that isn't taking itself too seriously. They are walking that punchline, John S Hall, listenable one time rope, but not falling in those same traps...except maybe the muppet babies and the star wars degobah song...but I give them credit for trying.

DITG must be out, Gilgongo might have this available? Or try contacting the band directly? Midheaven is their distributor but I didn't see any on their mailorder...good luck.

Wounded Lion on Down in the ground

Down in the ground is grinding out the latest in 7" innovation. The factory is working nonstop. Really, if there is a band going places, they have their scientists out in the field tracking and trapping the bands we've been dying to get on tiny wax.
Down in the ground has some serious funding and has captured the elusive Cold Cave, Blank Dogs and now Wounded Lion?
DITG, I am begging you to set up a subscription already. It's killing me to be paying shipping every other week after I read about your latest on the Terminal Boredom Forums. This time it's the Wounded Lions who won me over, just barely, with songs of Muppet Babies and Degobah. I am a little jealous they can just write this genius pop culture reference...without trying to be funny or a wink anywhere. It's deadpan funny.
There is this place where it's really dark. There are people with asses for faces. The degobah system. But don't call me from there because it would be expensive.
I'm paraphrasing....but you get the idea, these are serious issues.

This is the 'Creatures in the cave' single. What could they possibly be talking about on this one? Is it that thing that tries to eat the milennium falcon? Is it Fraggles? Something to do with Nancy Drew? That old videogame.
The possibilities are endless.
WTF Guys!

There are 3 left of the first 100 green pressing!

Shit.

Cold Cave / Crocodiles / Blessure Grave on Down in the Ground Records + podcast EP 35

So let's see here, brand new label, tri-split from Down in the ground records, and a podcast with a brand new label Stumparumper records with it's founder Pat.

First the single:
The crocodiles are like some no wave nightmare... a lot of really nice sounding messed up feedback... Hell, I can like anyone that uses feedback like this...lots of distorted yelling, mechanical drums. It's pretty catchy sounding, like later JAMC. God, I reference them a lot, but really it's that kind of mondo post punk fuzz sound. I guess I didn't get much further than them....so that's my reference...or like a Place to bury strangers/cramps. Better? No.

Cold cave is working with clean mechanics...it's really kind of dancy, they could make a killing crossing over into some euro-disco scene...or like Daft Punk...take themselves seriously for a minute. The track 'Sex Ads' sounds like the drum pad from a cheap keyboard was run through a couple distortion pedals and then a first....a casio SK1 human voice sound is used for the first and last time successfully by an artist. I'd recognize that sound anywhere. He's really deliberate in the sounds...it's all compressed, the distortion is clipped...it's not left to chance. 'Always someone' on the other hand is working with the glitch in an epic way...there's thousands of sounds here on this digital shitgaze track. Disintegrating, swirling around in this haze of malfunction. The only other single I've seen on Hospital productions is long gone, this is about the only thing at the moment, other than a 12" on fusetron.

It really reminds me of seeing this band in high school at this local college. It was a dark basement, and this guy had a backing drum machine/synth track on a walkman. He was all gothed out singing in the middle of this room of 5 people. At the time I just wanted a huge show, tons of equipment, lights...what the fuck was this? I bought a tape...I think it was called 'the Love of Death' or something ridiculously pretentious. Sometimes I would play it when I was waiting tables at Dojo's. I have to find it and put it on vinyl. Maybe the label I start would be one of those labels of just weirdo found music.

Last but not least is Blessure Grave....it sounds like there's real drums and guitar doing the same things stylistically as the above bands....this would be one hell of a lineup. Why does this sound optomistic to me? It's very Joy Division, the vocal effects are great. It's really true to that dark sound, lots of tom beats, that chorus guitar.
On 'Steps' they actually use an acoustic and get even darker, with this pulsating darkwave synth sound...it's done in a kind of low-fi way that doesn't push it into ridiculous territory. it's hard to explain exactly how these bands are getting away with this. I'm sure you could play something from the late nineties that would sound nearly like this, but might be too ernest, to aware. This is done in homage, still sincere, but pushing the electronics and throwing in a few lessons learned from contemporary projects, but then throwing it away. Who knows how these guys will do...there's a mystery around it on this level that I love.

They are playing all over LA in Jan, if you are on the west coast, make sure you catch these guys... most of the dates are with the crocodiles actually.

Just found out about this, but there can't be many copies left...get it from down in the ground for $7.

Let me know if anyone gets a test pressing...


THIS IS A PREORDER! VINYL SHOULD SHIP BEFORE JANUARY 20TH.
One track from each band. San Diego's Crocodiles (ex-members of bands you liked/hated) give us something special from the past and the future simultaneously, whatever that means. Listen and it'll make sense.
Philly's Cold Cave lives up to their name. You will be left uncomfortable and aware of everything around you.
Blessure Grave combines 80's goth, neo-folk and post punk into something all it's own. Artwork by Mark McCoy of WOUND fame. Limited to 540 copies: 40 hand-numbered test pressings w/ alternate covers, 100 solid white and 400 solid black. All orders of 2 or more will receive one white copy and the rest black.

3 random orders will receive a test pressing along with their normal copy as a way of saying thanks and hello.

For the podcast this week I talked with Pat from Stumparumper records who is starting what must be the most limited edition run of singles I know about. He's pressing some of his projects in editions of 20 with peter king....that's podcast episode 35. I think it's the perfect example of the future of vinyl...small batches of you and your friends music. It's not hard...Pat's doing it. There's no reason you shouldn't either.

Or me for that matter.