October 2023: News, Views and Perspectives

* * At a point in time when so many of us are seeking to escape the ugly reality of today's world, there's probably no better escape to be found than the television show Adventure Time.  I heard great stuff about this one for years, but finally took the plunge.  Wow.  Missing are so many of the variables that ruin the majority of animation in the 2020s, replaced instead by decidedly surreal and ultra-creative storylines and ideas.  Adventure Time might just be the best animated television show so far created this century.  Immediately inspiring.  Wonderfully different.  And particularly in today's samey dull dull samey world...this show is ultimately very VERY different.  * Scientists have now managed to lower the temperature of the sun by 12%.  At a point in time when so many are concerned about global warming of the earth, the new focus on changing the temperature of our central star makes far more sense.  The hope is to lower the sun's temperature by at least 35% by 2030.  *  Animal babies are so cute and adorable.  Why are human babies the exact opposite?  *  If anyone had told me anything a long time ago I never would have believed them.  But they didn't and neither did I.  *  Armstrong & Miller is a British comedy show you need to see.  Far too odd and way too British for the U.S.A., the show was a big hit in England and for good reason.  Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller created brilliant and hilarious over-the-top skits that will surely stand the test of time.  The show is right up there with Little Britain, another outstanding British show that was just way too heady and smart for Americans to appreciate.  *  Some of you will remember a cool album that came out a while back entitled Edge of the Dark by a super talented British artist named Beau.  The good news is that he has just released his seventeenth (!) album that features 20 tracks.  Entitled Deep In The Dark: Unreleased Rarities 1971-1991, this one is being made available by the fine folks at Cherry Red Records.  Recommended.  *  Remember The Jigsaw Seen?  The band was a favorite among fans of underground pop for several years before disbanding.  The good news is that the band's singer/songwriter Dennis Davison continues in the band's grand tradition with his brand new EP Creaturefeature.  Released on the Pretty Plague Recordings label, the EP features five nifty new compositions.  *  Also just out is a new EP from the independent recording artist Saint Black.  The disc comes in a cool understated cardboard sleeve that visually hints at The Velvet Underground.  *  Think Like A Key is the label that everyone is turning to these days for the best of the best.  Once again, the label presents a whole slew of new releases that are a total blast.  You need to get your hands on Reality and Death May Be Your Santa Clause (both reissues) by Second Hand, Morgenmusik/Nachtschlager by Anton Barbeau (this one's a double album), and Affair (remastered and expanded edition) by St. Johns Wood.  All are highly recommended, of course, of course.  *  Also just out is the album Electric Sounds by Danko Jones.  This one's being promoted by the cool folks at Fly PR.  *  Kim Grant at KG Music Press is working on a cool new album entitled The Falcon Ate The Flower by Lee Gallagher and The Hallelujah.  *  Just received a very interesting new release sent by Huntington Beach, CA-based label Velvet Blue Music.  The label sent a really cool magazine/CD package entitled Small Sounds Press.  Issue 1 features 15 groovy tracks by different artists on the CD and all kinds of interesting stuff in the magazine.  Very nice stuff created by an individual who is doing it for all the right reasons.  *  Jeremy Morris is one of the most prolific and talented musicians of all time.  His albums venture into different territories but they all have one thing in common: Quality.  Yup, whatever Mr. Morris does you can be sure that it's done right with all the precision and care of a true professional.  Jeremy's latest album is entitled Bright Side of the Son.  Focusing on the more spiritual side of his musical universe, Morris delivers eight solid tracks...several of which are surprisingly lengthy.  You can always find this unique man's music at Jam Records (JamRecordings.com).  *  One of my favorite underground recording artists is Kowtow Popof.  Despite the unusual name, this talented one man band creates music that is surprisingly listenable and accessible.  Kowtow's latest is A Punk's Garden of Versus (haw!).  The album features nine well-crafted tracks that only Popof could create.  (His real name is Kevin Kerr, doncha know.)  If you've never heard the music or seen the videos, do a YouTube search and prepare to be entertained.  Great music with great visuals to match.  *  Nezrok has released a cool new single entitled "Sam Goody (One Long Groove)."  The band is comprised of Chris Korzen, Chris Bolger, Dennis Diken, Diane E, Pat Seymour and R. Stevie Moore.  There's a nifty video for the song also out that was produced by Joe Howell.  *  Speaking of cool singles...  Julian Shah-Taylor aka The Singularity has a new single out entitled "Fall Apart."  Julian's music always hits the target dead center.  *  Seattle, Washington-based label No Part Of It has two cool new releases out:  Whip Sigils by Scott Scholz and Arranging For An Opening Of A Teleport To Shangri-La by Leif Elggren.  Both nifty spins for sure.  *

Carla Olson - Have Harmony, Will Travel 3 (BFD Records / The Orchard).  John Dwyer, Tom Dolas, Kyp Malone, Andres Renteria, Heather Lockie, Brad Caulins, Ciriza and Archis Carey - Ritual/Habit/Ceremony (Castle Face).  Luke LeBlanc - Places.  BlackieBlueBird - Grace & Gravity.  Ignited - Cradle of the Wicked.  Becky Wiles - Free Kind of Me.  Bur - We Are Bur (Kool Kat Musik).  Somerdale - Let's Get Started (Kool Kat Musik).  Mike Magrann - Miles Per Gallon (book, DiWulf Publishing House).  Jonsjooel - Lullabies For Younger Self (limited edition cassette, Kieku Records).  Kris Kuldkepp - Moonutatud Muundused / Distorted Conversation (Zero Moon).  Daniel Barbiero & Gary Rouzer - Metamorphoses (Zero Moon).  The Crowleys - Strange Seasons.  Jerry Joseph - Baby, You're the Man Who Would Be King (Cosmo Sex School Records).  Food That Tastes Bad - Really Tasty Cuts (Lambs Don't).  Work Wok Hop - Purple Hop Wok (Hoppy Snoop 324).  Rinehearts - Full Bloom (Kool Kat Musik).  SLD - Like Sunshine (Kook Kat Musik).  Dfactor - We're All Friends Tonight (bandcamp).  Be - Here.  Great Lake Swimmers - Let's Go Dancing: A Tribute To Kevn Kinney (Tasty Goody Records).  Sophia Talvik - Center of the Universe.  The Steel Wheels - Sideways (Big Ring Records).  Bastards of Soul - Give It Right Back (Skylark Soul Co.).  Grant Knoche - I Could Die Just Thinking Of Us EP (Qrates).  Sarah Burton - 64 Magic Things.  Lost Boys - From Demos To Atlantic (FnA Records).  Alle The Dreamer - Starting Over EP.  wht.rbbt.obj - EP.  Jiants - Tall Tales.  Lambert - Bon Courage (Spheric Music).  Alan Goldsher - The Complete Pocket Sessions (Gold Note Records).  The Feet - Feet 2 (bandcamp).  The Head - Heads Up (Yeah Nope Yeah).  The Arms - Arms For Arms Sake (BK987-DH).  Bowl of Fingers - Finger Romping (Laticeheads).  Howzabout Some Chumps and Slumpers? - What On Earth Are You Doing With That Bowl of Custard? (Questionland Musicland).  There Ain't No More Good Band Names - The Album That Didn't Have No Title (Clutcher Machino).  Dilly and the Don't Squad - Laps For Nobody (Runny Run Run).  There's No Word For That - Little Bo Chirp and the Bus That Don't Run No More (Loppy Twitch).  Prediction Toppers - Autism Will Be A Bad Word Ten Years From Now (Practically Imperfect In More Ways Than Fifty).  Question and the Question Questions - Is This Really A List of Albums or Is It Just An Excuse To Type Anything You Feel Like For No Reason? (Obvious Music).  Answering the Answering Answer - No, All Of The Bands and Album Titles Are Like Totally For Real Unless You Don't Want Them To Be In That Case They're Not But They Really Are (Not As Obvious Recordings).  Adesha and Vincent Kwok - Feeling You (The Sleepers RecordZ).  Sebastian Guerive - Obscure Clarity (Atypeek Music / The Orchard).  Daniel Sherrill - Back To P.A.

[This section only includes full-length releases and EPs.]

   

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