March 22, 2013 Playlist

"Die Donnergötter" by Rhys Chatham (1987)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Rhys Chatham  "Die Donnergötter"  1987 (USA)
Sonic Youth is officially kaput (for the time being at least, "never say never"!)  Out of the ashes, Lee Ranaldo put out an excellent solo album in 2012 (with Steve Shelley on the drums making it 50% Sonic), and this year Thurston Moore has emerged with a new band Chelsea Light Moving (I think that's also the name of a light moving company in Chelsea, get it?)  Furthermore, CLM is playing in Madison next week, so we'll be having a bit of avant guitar rock on the show to celebrate.  This week's classic album is by a contemporary of the Youth, another downtown New York 80's legend named Rhys Chatham (sounds like "Reese Chattum").  The common ground is oceanic guitar skronk, though Chatham's arrangements are instrumentals, inspired by classical music, and are far more minimalist (I think his most famous piece "Guitar Trio" has only one chord!)  Which is not to say that his music doesn't rock hard, because it does!  Though he was performing in NYC in the late 1970's (a couple years before SY; Thurston Moore apparently even played in an early Chatham group), Chatham's music didn't begin to appear on record until a couple years after. Die Donnergötter was his second album, and some of the songs were already 10 years old by the time it was released.  These days Chatham lives in France, where he leads a 100-member guitar orchestra!
(N) = New Release
   
Artist Song Album Year (Label) Country
The HussyBad Speed
Weed Seizure (N)2012 (Tic Tac Totally)
USA
The Drain Jack
At The Door (N)2013 (self release)USA
Chelsea Light Moving (Thurston Moore) Empires Of Time
   / Groovy & Linda
Chelsea Light Moving (N)2013 (Matador)USA
 
 
Rhys Chatham Die Donnergötter
Die Donnergötter
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1987
USA
Band Of Susans
Guitar Trio (Rhys Chatham)
The Word And The Flesh
1990
USA
   
 
Hawkwind
Lord Of Light (single version)
A-side 7" single (bonus track on Doremi Fasol Latido CD)
rec. 1972
UK
Chrome
Half Machine Lip Moves
Half Machine Lip Moves 1979
USA
Rodd Keith
Space
I Died Today (song poem compilation)
rec. 1970's?, rel. 1996
USA
Sleep
Inside The Sun
Sleep's Holy Mountain
1993
USA
Melvins
In The Freaktose The Bugs Are Dying
Honky
1997
USA
 
 
Swans
No Words/No Thoughts
My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky
2010
USA
Matmos You
The Marriage Of True Minds (N)2013 (Thrill Jockey)USA
Mystical Weapons Gilbert Releases His Pet Salamander Into The Wild
   / Colony Collapse Disorder
   / Distant City
Mystical Weapons (N)2013 (Chimera)USA
Pere UbuFeuksley Ma'am, The Hearing
Lady From Shanghai (N)2013 (Fire)
USA
Boredoms
7
Rebore Vol. 0
2001
Japan
Boris & Michio Kurihara
Sweet No. 1
Rainbow
2007
Japan
 
  
Frank Zappa Uncle RhebusFiner Moments (N)rec. 1968-72 (2013 Zappa Vaulternative)USA
Jimi Hendrix Easy BluesPeople, Hell And Angels (N)rec. 1969 (2013 Experience Hendrix/Legacy)USA
 
 
Can
Vernal Equinox
Landed1975
Germany
Kraftwerk
Morgenspaziergang
Autobahn1974
Germany
      
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