How do you conclude a year like 2020? I’ve already posted my “Best of 2020” compilation, but I wanted to close out the year by focusing on a few record labels that had a substantial impact in 2020. In particular I wanted to focus on I Heart Noise. This episode also features tracks by Raving […]
One of the bright spots of this year of quarantine was that a lot of great music was released. I started the Turn Me On, Dead Man podcast just about this time last year, though I certainly had no idea what was in store for the coming year. Putting together the podcasts turned out to […]
What a strange year this has been. I’m sure we could all list several things that have been terrible, but the psychedelia released during this year continues to dazzle. Most of the tracks in this episode have been released in the final quarter of 2020, with a couple of re-releases thrown in, as well. The […]
One of the best discoveries of the year for me has been Psychedelic Source Records. Over the course of the year, I’ve featured tracks by Satorinaut, Lemurian Folk Songs, Pilot Voyager and Liquidacid, all affiliated with Psychedelic Source Records, a music collective of bands that share members and jam together. Located primarily in Páty, Hungary, […]
These days it does seem like we’re teetering on the brink of some sort of catastrophe, but every day the world lurches on. Maybe, though, we’ve already gone over the edge and we’re just watching this shitshow play out. In any case the great music just keeps coming out. This episode of the Turn Me On, Dead Man podcast features great tracks from across the industrialized world. From the US are Herbcraft (Portland, Maine), Dark Fog (Chicago) Carlton Melton (San Francisco) and a farewell track from the Suzies (Grand Rapids, Michigan). Elsewhere in the Americas are The Suuns (Montreal) and Yajaira (Santiago, Chile), and from Australia comes Los Skallywags (New South Wales). From Europe are Causa Sui (Denmark), Flying Moon in Space (Leipzig, Germany), and coming from further east are Skuma (Chelyabinsk, Russia) and Pree Tone (Kyiv, Ukraine). Closing out the set is a collaboration primarily between Mike Vest (Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK) and Suzuki Junzo (Tokyo) called Mienakunaru.
00:00 TMODM – Intro 01:28 Dark Fog – In The Background Of Your Mind 03:23 Skuma (Скума) – Иза 09:46 Carlton Melton – Waylay 17:46 The Suzies – Bubble Driver 20:32 The Suuns – Death 23:24 Causa Sui – Sole Elettrico 29:00 Los Scallywags – Scattered 32:46 Yajaira – Se va la tómbola 38:00 Flying Moon In Space – The Observer (Radio Edit) 42:18 Herbcraft – III (pt. 2) 47:10 Pree Tone – Fifth O 52:21 Mienakunaru – (I) [excerpt]
This episode of Turn Me On, Dead Man features a good deal improvisational psych, with powerful tracks from Frozen Planet….1969, Population II and High Arctic, as well as atmospheric tracks from Herbcraft, Magic Cobra and Melody Fields, a little stoner/doom from Outer Head, and lo-fi guitar pop from Honey Radar. It opens with one of my all-time favorite bands, Magic Shoppe.
The title and breaks come from the 1978 Vietnam War epic The Deer Hunter. The cast of The Deer Hunter elevates what is otherwise a shallow, poorly thought out film. As Studs Turkel pointed out, “not since The Birth of a Nation has a non-Caucasian people been portrayed in so barbaric a fashion.” Still, De Niro. And even when he doesn’t make sense (“This is this”) the viewer is swept along by his intensity. “Is this what you want? Is this what you want? I love you. *click*”
00:00 TMODM – Intro 00:50 Magic Shoppe – On High Street (Live) 03:55 Herbcraft – Eon Rd 10:29 Magic Cobra – Golden Child 14:15 Frozen Planet….1969 – Rollback (Green Version) 19:15 Melody Fields – Broken Horse 22:47 Population II – Ce n’est Rêve 30:03 Honey Radar – Lilac Pharmacy 32:21 Outer Head – Left Hand Cult 38:32 High Arctic – First Trip
I recently watched In My Mind, a documentary about an interview with Patrick McGoohan conducted in 1983. The interview was for a documentary that was released the following year about the The Prisoner, which first aired on television in 1967. McGoohan was as enigmatic in the interview as the show itself and interviewer Chris Rodley wanted to revisit the interview more then 30 years later to give it a somewhat less enigmatic presentation. In My Mind had a lot of great footage and given that I revisit The Prisoner every few years (because I want information… information… information…), it was interesting to see.
00:00 TMODM – Intro 00:50 EarthOmen – Black Cloud Part I 05:42 Thee U.F.O. – Floating Eye 08:37 Spiral Wave Nomads – Ten Color Ritual 16:15 The Electric Myrrs – Witchy 20:21 black (w)hole – Psilosy 24:33 C.B. Kidd – Wishful Thinking 28:25 Sun of Man – Heavy Burn 32:45 Druggy Pizza – Radium Canyon 35:30 Burnt Hills – untitled (b3) 41:38 Minimal Bliss – Sunburst Eyes 46:50 Flying Anomaly Theorized – Fire in the Sky 54:40 EarthOmen – Black Cloud Part III 57:35 TMODM – Number 6 resigns
As the summer winds down, I’ve been listening to a lot of psychedelia. This summer has been strange but good in a lot of ways. At the top of the list is that we celebrated my son’s first birthday. He seems to enjoy it when I sing Beatles songs (even if no one else does!). But there is something I want him to know:
A lot of people don’t realize what’s really going on. They view life as a bunch of unconnected incidents and things. They don’t realize that there’s this, like, lattice of coincidence that lays on top of everything.
00:00 TMODM – Intro 00:44 Gloom Merchants – Kids and Their Children 05:50 Hyper Tensions – Solar Stare 07:55 TMODM – Plate o’ Shrimp 08:20 fuguers cove – Tanks/Flanks–>Bar Stool 11:01 Castle Club – Anybody Else 15:25 Excellent Skeleton – Stop Waking The Sun 25:00 TMODM – Time Machines 26:31 Prana Crafter – Chalice of the Fungal Sage 34:04 CCR Headcleaner – High Def 37:50 Martin Rude & Jakob Skøtt Duo – The Short Sun 40:22 TMODM – The More You Drive 40:42 Liquidacid – Scurry Release 46:36 White Manna – ARC 54:44 Lamp of the Universe – Beams of Ra 60:56 TMODM – One in every car
With this episode of the Turn Me On, Dead Man podcast I’m back to recent garage/psych releases. Opening this set is “Earth on the Verge of Destruction” by The Uplifting Bell Ends, which put me in mind of The Day the Earth Stood Still.
00:00 TMODM – Intro 00:53 The Uplifting Bell Ends – Earth on the Verge of Destruction 04:36 TMODM – Such Power Exists? 04:57 Ringo Deathstarr – Tambourine Girl 09:34 White Hills – A Picture Unto the World 18:39 TMODM – KL93 19:01 Clavicule – Asshole 23:18 Satorinaut – Atropine II 32:54 Caroline Reza – Heart Healing 34:16 TMODM – The Robot’s on the Loose 34:46 Trip Hill – Improvisation 1 38:35 Shroom Eater – Intro/The Illusion 45:34 TMODM – Get That Message to Gort 45:59 The Writhing Squares – Sonic Control 51:57 Dope Smoker – Severn 58:12 TMODM – Gort Run Amok
This show is a departure from the usual recent garage rock and paychedelic releases because this episode is entirely made up of parodies done in character. The title of this episode is “These Go To 11” and that, of course, comes from the mock documentary This Is Spinal Tap, a parody heavy metal band. Some of the parodies in this episode are genre parodies, but most are parodies of artists doing unexpected covers.
Bruce Springstone – (Meet The) Flintstones – Bruce Springsteen sings the theme song of the Flintstones
Gary Panter & Jay Cotton – God Save The Queen – Alvin & The Chipmunks sing the Sex Pistols
Dylan Hears a Who – Green Eggs and Ham – Bob Dylan sings Dr. Suess
Mac Sabbath – Pair-a-Buns – Ronald McDonald and the McDonaldland characters sing Black Sabbath
Dread Zeppelin – Black Dog – Reggae Led Zeppelin sung by Elvis
The Beatnix – Stairway To Heaven – “Stairway to Heaven” as sung by Beatlemania-era Beatles
Peter Sellers – She Loves You – Dr. Strangelove sings the Beatles
Beatallica – Ktulu (He’s So Heavy) – Metallica sings the Beatles
The Zombeatles – Brain – Zombies sing the Beatles
The Rutles – Cheese and Onions – A Rutles song so close to the Beatles that it was credited to the Beatles on a bootleg
The Barron Knights – Call Up The Groups – The Barron Knights Parody the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Searchers, Freddie and the Dreamers and the Dave Clark Five in 1964
Flight of the Conchords – Bowie – The Flight of the Conchords pay homage to David Bowie
Richard Cheese – Another Brick in the Wall – Another Brick in the Wall done as a lounge song
MC Hawking – The Mighty Stephen Hawking – Stephen Hawking as a gangsta rapper
Okilly Dokilly – White Wine Spritzer – Death metal performed by (several) Ned Flanders
The Jimi Homeless Experience – Are You Homeless? – Jimi Hendrix advocates for the homeless
Spinal Tap – (Listen to the) Flower People – Spinal Tap as a 1960s folk rock band
Robin Williams – Elmer Fudd Sings Bruce Springsteen
While the music of this episode of Turn Me On, Dead Man is recent garage rock and psychedelic releases, 2020.10 Bad Apples is also a tribute to the demonstrations that have been going on the last several days in response to the killing of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police. While it would be easy to assume that this event will not change anything, the public outcry has gone well beyond the usual response to events like this. Only time will tell if this represents any sort of turning point.
2020 continues to be a great year for garage rock and psychedelia. I did short interviews with most of the artists featured in this episode. I wanted to know how they were getting along in these strange times. Their responses are below.
00:00 TMODM – Intro 02:19 The Reverberations – Palm Reader 05:30 Lanes – 俳優 [Actor] 08:45 Dayshifters – Greg’s Song 12:51 Turtle Skull – Rabbit 16:50 Psychic Idols – Sheel of the Wizen 21:07 ToneTeeth – Liquid Lady 24:04 Holy Monitor – This Desert Land 27:57 Heavy Trip – Mind Leaf 35:57 Los Pebbles – One of These Days 39:45 The Silk RailRoad – 8 Sided Pyramid 48:44 Snakes Don’t Belong In Alaska – ทะเลทราย [Desert] 64:45 TMODM – Outro
I went out of order with the numbering of these podcasts because I wanted to revisit the “Bigger than Jesus” controversy that caused such a stir in 1966, and I thought Number 9 was appropriate for that. All of the tracks in this episode of Turn Me On, Dead Man were released in June, 2020 (or right at the end of May in the case of Fontanarosa), but we’re still fighting the same culture wars that emerged in the 1960s. Amid all the insanity of 2020, musically our current year continues to be an absorbing and exciting one.
00:00 TMODM – Intro 01:37 Fontanarosa – Dawn 03:40 Korto – Tempor 07:30 Shibumi Loop – Waiting for the Bus 12:38 Tia Carrera – Layback 19:50 The Daisy Heaves – Land of Nod 24:30 Ty Segall & Cory Hanson – She’s a Beam 29:35 Anthroprophh – Too Old 32:52 Centre El Muusa – Szolnok 38:54 Comacozer – Sun of Hyperion 57:53 TMODM – Outro
The COVID-19 pandemic goes on and we are all trying to come to terms with the new normal. This episode of the Turn Me On, Dead Man podcast opens and closes with tracks from the Burger Records compilation Quarantunes: Songs From Self-Isolation. Burger Records organized this ambitious undertaking to support its artists during the COVID-19 pandemic. The label is covering all the costs and all proceeds from Quarantunes will go directly to the artists. There’s also a track from another COVID-19 benefit album, CosmoPraesidium compilation by Eiderdown Records. All proceeds from this compilation will go to food banks in Washington state, California, and New York.
COVID-19 comes out in other ways in this podcast. Kikagaku Moyo released a track earlier this month called “Ouchi Time” (“Home Time”) that I take to be a response to stay-at-home orders. Other bands, like the Watchmakers, Flowers Must Die and CCR Headcleaner used this opportunity to release recordings from years past. I asked the artists how they were faring through this time, and I got some varied responses.
Like 2020.07, this podcast features audio from Apocalypse Now. This time we hear from Dennis Hopper’s unnamed character.
00:00 TMODM – Intro 00:52 Exploding Flowers – (There’s No Arms Around) The Isolationist 02:45 The Watchmakers – Illumination 07:10 The Haze Parade – P-ills 09:27 Sky Burrow Tales – Photons 16:02 TMODM – Little Man/Great Man 17:45 Prana Crafter – Cloud Ambassador 20:15 El Viaje De Los Antiguos – Capitulo 1 24:45 The Cove – Come Down Easy 30:01 Doug Tuttle – No, No, No, No 32:07 CCR Headcleaner – Unified (Dubified) 34:39 TMODM – Dialectics 36:33 Kikagaku Koyo – Ouchi Time 40:09 Tonstartssbandht – Olde Feelings 45:14 Flowers Must Die – Funki 54:05 O.S.H. – Let’s Try To Have Good Times 56:52 TMODM – Outro
An old friend texted me “Saigon. Shit. I’m still only in Saigon.” In these strange days it seems like we’re all Capt. Willard stuck in a room in Saigon waiting for a mission. This episode of the Turn Me On, Dead Man podcast is heavy on psychedelic freakouts, thinking about Apocalypse Now while putting it together.
00:00 TMODM – Intro 01:08 Oakacetator – Open Up Your Mind 04:59 Vince Cory – Death Birth of Time 12:08 Kundalini Genie – Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind 16:59 Psychic Ills – Never Learn Not To Love 20:42 TMODM – He’s Close, Man 22:09 Frozen Planet….1969 – 900 Mile Head Rush 32:30 Dark Fog – Revird Ysatnaf Eht/The Fantasy Driver 37:14 TMODM – We’ll Go Together 38:14 Heaven’s Gateway Drugs – Sweet ‘N Low (Dub Mix) 43:51 Long Slow Dissolve – Into Darkness 56:34 oz. – Is Risen 65:21 TMODM – Outro