31-Aug-2006 5:38 PM - Maybe the biggest open directory.. watch out, You risk to waste all the whole day in it (lots of junk, but not only!).
31-Aug-2006 10:45 AM - The mp3s research i done a couple of days ago for Distorted Pony, drove me to this amazing website, Pressrandom, an ultra precious internet-place for re-discovering lots of forgotten (or almost) Bands: yes, i'm talking of free mp3s.. like for The God Machine.. ohmioddio i have the creeps each time i listen to Pictures of a Bleeding Boy.. and it's about since 12 years this still happens, - i guess that means something, doesn't it? - and i guess You already visited komakino_tribute this amazing Band. btw, don't even miss the contents for: Warsaw, The Cure, Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth (covering The Fall), - i mean, all Music none of Your workmates or relatives love, or as the pressrandom-dude writes "My wife always says that she can't find a damned thing to listen to in the huge mess that is my collection, hopefully this will point out some bands for her and maybe you as well".. - thanks for sharing.
29-Aug-2006 10:13 PM - Jon Krause is a brilliant illustrator, surreal, skilled communicator, conceptual, dreamer. His name is already well-known between major magazines and media, anyway, all His works are featured in fantastic website, with an enoyable flash navigation menù.
29-Aug-2006 9:38 PM - Now, time for something stupid: a guy wears 121 tshirts, and it says it's a world record. I guess it was funny.
29-Aug-2006 12:19 PM - Small tribute. Personally, from my little, i think that Jesus & Mary Chain, Unsane, My Bloody Valentine, and Sonic Youth are four of the five Bands that guided me into noise music. Or better, These are the ones who created, redefined, and then made even brighter the primary noise matter. These are the first who made a great fire of distorted guitars and bass, getting mayem under control, and understood how to blow the winds of over satured feedbacks. - Ok, I said 5, because the #5 is Distorted Pony, more rare than a unicorn, - as a blog posted last month. - So, let's stop with flattery, give Your-self a chance to blow-up Your mind, and listen to the following mp3s, then, if You're in, keep on reading below..
ƒ¬mp3s (just a selection, dudes, i won't do all the job for You..):
__from Punishment Room (via 100records):
.. Hod
.. God's List
.. Krank
.. Death in the Turnstile
and (via builtonaweakspot):
.. Castration Anxiety
.. Down Where the Dirt Collects
and (via pressrandom):
.. Plague Bed
.. Blare
__ from Instant Winner (via blog):
.. Smitten
.. Cripple
and even more rarities.. (via homepage):
.. Insatiable Times - from the Smitten compilation
.. Jahr Null - from The Big One compilation
.. Scratch Out the Sky - from the HURT compilation
.. Sinners Prayer (live) - from the I Give You the Head of Corporate Rock compilation
So, seen this is the first time i find all these Distorted Pony mp3s, it's a good excuse to write a small memory about Them (even if previously made on past paper issue of komakino). LA-based ensemble, lifespan 1986-1994, saw David Uskovich (aka David U, @ vcls, guitar) and Dora Jahr (aka Tricia @ bass, vocals), started recording Music with the help of a pre-industrial drum-machine (i think more of a technical consequence than a sound choice) until their first full-length release, when Robert Hammer (guitars) joined together with Theodore Jackson (aka Ted Carroll @ drumming), rendering the song-writing less goth (even if not goth!) and repetitive. The right way for intensity. In 1991 Their sound became even more complete and free when They recruit London May (later in Misfits and more); yes: a drum section and percussions together, special rattling trash-can banging. I remember They came to my attention in early 90s, thanks to a jewel entitled Punishment Room (Bomp, '92), album that a friend of my sister lent her, together with Star Pimp's Treasure Trail (Boner, '92). I couldn't resist from passing in on tape, and for a bunch of time i always mixed up the two above mentioned releases, because Treasure Trail's cover art featured a small minipony dismantled.. Both album were magic, although different, and if You want to know more about Star Pimp, read my past komainterview. - As regards Distorted Pony, They were a total lucid distress and desperation manifesto, Music made, - rage for the human condition, for each status quo, an absolute cynic pause from solitude. Or at least, that's what They mean to me. You can preview something of that from titles like early Work Makes Freedom (can You image anything crazier people believe in?), until last stone Instant Winner (hope of more than a nation..). Listening to Hod is like declaring war to Your-Personal-Tragedy, like a machine-gun loaded with the double drumming and percussions, the rancid satured bass line and blistering guitars like screaming out. Dora's wrenching vocals, and more post-punk and severe David's style, sing into a continuous explosion of sounds, made even more cohesive on latest release, second and last full-lenght produced by Big Black Steve Albini. I don't think They wanted to become rockstars (maybe London did..), - if You hand Istant Winner You won't even find the credits inside the booket (except for Trance Sydicate's one, King Coffey's (Butthole Surfers)), but just the lyrics.
The last track, A Fine View from the Temple is a total final bitter sip of poison; it starts with about 6 minutes of two guitar notes, in saturation, ending with the following mortal lyrics:
been a loser all my life wish i were down there too
will someone search for me
will someone say my name
will they cry on my grave
will they find my jokes and stories
the jokes that say "i'm lonely" and stories of no hope
I got an email from Ted Carroll some years ago, in 2003 to be precise.. - He wrote me bacause He found my mve links page where i cited Distorted Pony between my ethernal loves. and how happy i've been to get that message, and You know, only my sister could understand my excitement, because none of my friends knew yet this Band. It's unbelieveble how a Gem like that has been so ignored. Even at AllMusicGuide there are just a few generic lines about Them. What a shame! And while at myspace, there's a spartan fan page (i guess it is..), the domain distortedpony.com features a "new design available shortly" since ages (if i remember well, this is maintened by a fan, too)..
Here You are some cut&paste, a part of Ted's message:
"[..] After DP. I played in a short lived pop band with Steve, from Slug (you may have heard of them) called Go-Kart. We put out a couple of singles, and I think their are several other bands of the same name. Trisha played in a band called SaraSpodin, same thing... a few singles.
David is in Austin, Texas now, put out a few records with a band called Sweetpea and is now playing in a band called Switchhitter [see below for mp3s].
London has played in several metal-esque bands, including a few Danzig inspried bands, but he sued us and we have no contact [i cut the rest, - anyway Ted is not exactly happy of London..]"
Ted was very nice with me, He also offered some help for distribution and putting some show together in usa (i'm still dreaming..), and added "Do you know of Uzeda? They are an italian band that I used to be friends with and have lost contact."
Instant Winner is maybe the only still availble record from all their discography, - just surf the net. Maybe You have a chance with Punishment Room at Bomp rec, have a try (the label puts the band into industrial..); - the rest is nearly impossibile to find, if not of second hand. And, if You ever have or find a picture of Them, please, send it to me, - i never saw Their faces..
1991 Work Makes Freedom 12-inch (Bomp)
v/a The Big One (Flipside)
v/a HURT (Braindrops)
1992 Punishment Room LP/CD (Bomp) Dept. of Existence b/w Go Cart 7-inch (Gasoline Boost)
v/a OW! Quit it! 2x7-inch (Volvolo)
v/a I Give You the Head of Corporate Rock (Che/Pacifica Radio)
199?
Trash Can School - Sick Jokes and Wet Dreams CD
(Sympathy for the Record Industry- SFTRI 147)
Features Ted Carroll on 2 tracks
1994
Go-Kart 7-inch (Jamboree/ Magnatone Products)
Features Ted Carroll with Steve from SLUG
199?
Saraspoden- 7-inch
Features Tricia Pistay
1995
Sweet Pea - Chicks Hate Wes CD (Trance- TR51CD)
Features David Uskovich
2000
SwitchHitter - Academy CD (Framed- FR!-008)
Features David Uskovich
28-Aug-2006 10:54 AM - I pre-ordered in May latest Mahogany's release Connectivity!.. i long to get It! in the meanwhile, let's watch the first video from single Supervitesse, produced by Robin Guthrie: i love the style of this multi-35mm standstill film!
28-Aug-2006 10:14 AM - It's with extreme pleasure that i found the episode #13 of Low Morale [see past year komapost], entitled hug meh (?!) : - it was ages i was waiting for an update! - As always, black humour, extreme solutions.
27-Aug-2006 5:42 PM Tree + Me is an evil short flash animation by Van Beater, interesting creator of scary coloured toys and other deadly characters.
25-Aug-2006 2:20 PM - As You may have already noticed, on the right You find since now a new small window showing some tracks i recently listened to, so You can know how much i am cool. Bullshits apart, it's just an easy way to spread some more the Music i like, because last.fm has got some interesting features, overall that one that allows You to listen lots of streaming audio from Your favorite Artists.. have fun.
24-Aug-2006 5:34 PM - "Scusa, ma di autobus non ne passano?" fa una di loro, al che le chiarisco che "non lo so, io mica stò a aspettà: ho deciso de vive qua". - Tratto dal blog del Vono Box, assolutamente una lettura consigliata (encore une fois..)..
23-Aug-2006 4:47 PM - Mai sfracellatomi tanto le palle al cinema. Mai sfracellatomi tanto i gingilli con Bjork, che amo. Ma andare a vedere (lo scorso mese, solo ora mi sono ripreso) Drawing Restraint 9, film del di Lei marito Matthew Barney (il geniaccio del ciclo Cremaster) mi ha davvero messo a dura prova da crisi narcolettica. Sarà stato l'andarci alle 22.30? Immagino le vittime dello spettacolo seguente di mezzanotte, lì al cinema Farnese di Campo De' Fiori a Roma. Ricordo due tre persone del pubblico abbandonate addormentate sulle poltrone a fine spettacolo, con gente con le borse agli occhi che li indicavano schernendoli. E ricordo anche la mia testa, mai stata così pesante nel tenerla sopra il collo, tanto che ad un certo punto mi sono dovuto alzare per andare alla toilette a sciacquarmi la faccia. - Come al solito (non che komakino sia propriamente solita nel recensire cinema), non Vi racconterò la trama, - anche perchè sarebbe arduo spiegare i nodi del gioiellino in questione, porno della fotografia (poche le inquadrature che non lasciano a bocca aperta), film diverso, tutto focus sul cerimoniale, gli atti del cerimoniale, specie la parte del cerimoniale del thé, - apoteosi della lentezza letargica (vedere la pellicola con l'avanti veloce renderebbe tutto più normale nella tempistica dei movimenti), - come l'atto liturgico della vestiione, della mutilazione, del cambiamento, della trasformazione, rinascita, un'esperienza senza misura dell'innaturale. Film suicida (immagino il budget per affittare un'intera baleniera!) in nome dell'arte cinematografica, - l'industrializzazione di fondo che fa da cornice alla storia a malapena scalfisce quello che sta accadendo. Film jappomuto, con al massimo una pagina di dialoghi, in japponese e in inglese, un dolce di gelatina bianca gigantico, un immenso tronco che assomiglia ad un immenso sterco di balena, - una colonna sonora stupefacente e assassina, come tutti i punti interrogativi che man mano si ammassano nella testa dello spettatore, sino a fargliela esplodere in un Vi prego, è bellissimo, ma BASTA! - E' un'opera d'Arte, e guardarla dopo le 22 può lessarVi il cervello. ps. ah, si vede il sedere di Bjork, non esattamente in forma.
ƒ¬video:
.movie teaser (2'22", 13mb)
22-Aug-2006 3:13 PM Robin Guthrie - Everlasting (4tx cd ep, 16'58" Rocket Girl rec 'o6) - This ep is a fountain of diaphanous glacial sounds, or better, as one of the four tracks titles, it's A Sigh Across the Ocean. The release features all songs not previously included on the full-lenght release Continental, - it's kind of appendix itself, more focusing over dense atmospheres and astral trips. While Fountains has the typical Cocteau Twin's well known guitar mark, the title track better recalls those ambients dear to Guthrie's melodies together with Harold Budd, in a full explosion of psychedelic melancholy. Note: cover artwork is by Robin's daughther, Lucy Bell.
ƒ¬mp3s:
.Bordertown (sample via darla rec)
..Continental (from s/t full lenght album, via darla)
22-Aug-2006 12:45 PM - This animation is sad, melancholic and cruel, as almost all videos i post here, - so it seems. Well, Ol' Toy, a brief stunning story.. And Still Walkers is very beautiful too, always by belgian artist Van der Haeghe Alexis; check it out, enjoy.
22-Aug-2006 12:32 PM - The only pity with this 3d videogame like animation is that it's a coke's commercial.. as regards the rest, it's fucking cool and well done. (ps. i love the comment 'viral for sugar water)
21-Aug-2006 10:06 AM - Yes, i'm a nostalgic Slowdive fan, how might i not love such a so Beautiful, full-of-Grace Band? - And well, this brief introduction was due to the fact i found this japanese last.fm post, where there a precious rapidshare link to the demos of Just For A Day: doesn't that make delight Your day? - The same post also features the (maybe) most complete Slowdive discography detail. Anyway, due to the low-quality form, it's something for fans-only, - i mean, if You're still new to the Slowdive, buy the official album or download some of the gems here (free mp3s), or You'd risk to burn Your chance to be lighten.
18-Aug-2006 4:02 PM - I don't know why, but at DailyMotion is available for streaming the South Park movie Bigger Longer and Uncut. [hilarious note (in case You already watched it): the user who posted the film is from canada.. ^_^]
18-Aug-2006 3:51 PM - Yes, what You see in the picture is a young Björk dismantling a tv. If You are wondering why, well, just visit the following link. I like the part where She says 'it's like a little city'. I wonder where it is taken from, - probably when She still was in Sugarcubes.
18-Aug-2006 3:16 PM - I still remember with pleasure The Go! Team live show in rome of past year (read komareview), - They're fucking talented and funny. And They're worthy one more applause, after listening to this well-done Sonic Youth cover song, formerly available to download at Their myspace page, Bull in the Heather, with a great guitar play totally Sonic Youth-ish, perfectly fitted into Their own 70s funky/cheerleader style.
ƒ¬mp3 (via blog):
.Bull in the Heather - The Go! Team (2,7mb)
17-Aug-2006 10:40 AM - Little Big Love is a tin (as well delicate) love story, short movie worthy 8 minutes of Your life, isnt it? So lovely and desperate.. From 2004, by Tomas Mankovsky.
17-Aug-2006 9:30 AM - Ok, komakino won't be the most original choice for a fanzine name ever; - even when i printed the first paper issues i crossed into a couple of homonym ones, irish, belgian, and of another one from north italy in early 90s. Now, there is this new german komakino magazine, - my deutsche languange knowledge is equal to zero, but i've been able to appreciate the excellent production of their podcast#2 about the Buzzcocks, featuring a long interview to Steve Diggle and some live excerpts from latest show in hamburg, for the promotion of the release Flat-Pack Philosophy.
17-Aug-2006 9:23 AM - I don't know if in this years of terrorism or fear of terrorism this link can be opportune or not; anyway, this flash-game is a funny way to fly over google maps, and waist some minutes of Your precious time (altough the eventual airplane crush and shots over washington dc is somewhat less funny - but You can always choose Mars as a politically-correct location..).
16-Aug-2006 1:06 PM - And ok, if You still need some more mp3-blogs, my dear Vono Box passed me this ultra-wiki-link, to a long, long, long mp3 blog list. Enjoy. Share.
16-Aug-2006 12:51 PM - Oddity is daily bread for Li Wei, experimental photographer from China, or better, free-fall photographer, seen that His head is often buried somewhere like His body was a meteorite, plummetted from the sky, under the flag of no-sense, against each gravity law. - Worthy some wows.
16-Aug-2006 11:43 AM - Ok, fateVi una Cultura: sono i Big Black dell'83 e dell'85, rispettivamente dal 12pollici Bulldozer e il 7" Il Mussolini, ovvero mr. Albini adolescente con due Naked Raygun, a farVi un pò male alle orecchie. O al vicino magari. Il criptio del vinile non mente (nonostante la codifica mp3). Io riascoltando queste cose dopo anni mi sento un vecchio I feel old, I feel cold, I'm sublime, I'm sublime (sì, è una citazione..), benché nell'85 al massimo mi registravo dalla tv la sigla di Rascal. Le generazioni nuove non lo sapranno mai. Pura alienazione. - Aggiungo che su skafunkrastapunk (nome dominio osceno, ma l'apparenza inganna i nobili propositi di sharing..) figurano una bella manciata di album essenziali per un (in)sano nutrimento punk, lontano dalle m(tv)ode e denaro: vedi Cramps, Fugazi, e +. Poi se non siete abbastanza scaltri da vedere sulla destra del blog il link a regnyouth, - beh, siete fessi. // Ok, a little bit of Culture: it's Big Black of '83 and '85, rispectively from 12" Bulldozer and 7" Il Mussolini, that is when teenager Steve Albini with two Naked Raygun young men, just to hurt Your ears, or at least, neighbours' ones. Vinyl clicks won't lie, besides the mp3 encode. Frankly I feel old, I feel cold, I'm sublime, I'm sublime (yes, it's a quote..), notwithstending i was a child in 1983, and i nearly started recording cartoons music coming out from my tv.. ok. this is Music that the new generations probably never discover.. pure alienation.. but, but, thanks to skafunkrastapunk (horrible domain name choice) They can.. and 'thanks for sharing', noble act, seen the blog features some essential punk gems as Cramps, Fugazi, and More. Far from m(tv )ode, far from commercial-driven shit. - And in case You will not notice on the right page a link to regnyouth.. well.. don't miss it..
ƒ¬ mp3s (via skafunkrastapunk):
. Big Black - Bulldozer 12" / Il Duce 7" (pass: inx)
04-Aug-2006 4:49 PM - Dear komareaders, i'll be off for holidays until july 15th.. take care.
04-Aug-2006 10:07 AM - In the meanwhile i am still patiently waiting for the new Mahoganydouble CD albumConnectivity! to reach my mailbox (fantastic full-lenght release produced by ex-Cocteau TwinsRobin Guthrie, also playing guitars on a couple of tracks, whose one features His and Elizabeth Frasier's daughter, Lucy Belle, at vocals!), in case You bought uk-based Digit magazine, would You share with me the Supervitesse video included, featured on the accompanying CD?
ƒ¬ sample mp3 (via darla):
.Supervitesse (fu**ing New Order bassline-style, lovely melodies!)
|read past koma-interview|
03-Aug-2006 10:07 AM - The Majestic Twelve - Schizophrenology (11tx cd - 37'25", Pandora's Legacy rec 'o6) - Yes, The Majestic Twelve, from North Carolina, are schizophrenic indeed! Album's title is not accidental. CRYYYYYYYYYYYYY Yeah - ya - yeahhhhhHHHH CR-CRYYYYyyyyyy!! Oh my.. Cry is a total hit, ultra powerfull song of raucous desperation, - Kenyata Sullivan screams His soul out loud as hell, and it's easy You have the shivers, - i felt the goosebumps all over my skin.. these sensations remembered me of some quality Sunny Day Real Estate picks, as well the frenzied Trapped Under Water. - And i didn't expected a song like that, because previous tracks Welcome To The City and sarcastic Condoleeza Check My Posse (or pussy?) are crazy pieces closer to Enon or B'52s' eclectism than above mentioned emo power-pop influences, also reprised with Whispering, Break It And Breathe, American Rage - while Are You Ready? is an odd thing out, - alcoholic song perfect for an october fest in Monaco. They alternate hilarious with melancholy, it's hard to keep still, if not where it's turn for calm piano song Grandfather, - the whole album is a strong set of catchy dynamic range, somewhat impressive. Last but not least, i must say i appreciate a lot The Majestic Twelve' no-copyright attitude, - some cd booklet notes explicitly invite to 'burn, upload, ipod, broadcast, bit torrent [..] pimp this disc..'. It's Music moved by Passion, You know. //The Majestic Twelve - Schizophrenology (11tx cd - 37'25", Pandora's Legacy rec 'o6) - I Majestic Twelve, dal North Carolina, sono davvero schizofrenici, - il titolo dell'album non lo trovo casuale. CRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYeah-ya-yeahhhhhHHHH CR-CRYYYYyyyyyy!! oddio.. Cry è nato per essere una hit, - una canzone ultra potente di rauca disperazione, con il cantante Kenyata Sullivan che grida fuori tutta la sua anima, - ed è facile avere i brividi, - io mi sono ritrovato con la pelle d'oca. Sensazioni simili le ricordo con i picchi di qualità dei Sunny Day Real Estate, come anche per la frenetica Trapped Under Water. - E non mi aspettavo un pezzo del genere, perchè le precedenti tracce Welcome To The City e la sarcastica Condoleeza Check My Posse (o pussy?) sono più vicino ad un certo eclettismo Enon o B'52s che alle sopra citate influenze emo power-pop, poi in seguito riprese con Whispering, Break It And Breathe, American Rage - mentre Are You Ready? è un'altra mosca bianca, - canzone alcolica perfetta per un october fest a Monaco. - I Majestic Twelve alternano l'ilare con il malinconico, - è dura stare fermi, - se non quando arriva il turno della calma piano song Grandfather. L'intero album è un forte set di accattivante dinamismo, - piuttosto impressionante. - Infine, devo ammettere che apprezzo molto l'attitudine no-copyright del disco, - con note del booklet che esplicitamente invitano a 'burn, upload, ipod, broadcast, bit torrent [..] pimp this disc..'. Insomma, è Musica mossa da Passione sapete..
ƒ¬ mp3s (via myspace):
.2 Welcome to the City
.3 Condoleeza Check My Posse
.4 Cry
.8 Break It and Breathe
01-Aug-2006 4:54 PM - I must confess i love that first of all i love the flash made navigation menù (i can't stop playing with mouse arrow..), and then the amazing noir, dreamy, sometimes erotic, surreal drawings and oil on wood paintings, by Esao Andrews. ps. i didnt know ballerina's feet could be such so horrible..
01-Aug-2006 11:21 AM - Suicide or where is my baked chicken? - Just joking, - Caryn Drexl's website features some exquisite galleries of pure taste for oddity, disturbing beauty, imaginary scary scenes of girls hair-braids coming out of mouth, and moer classic portraits. Everything with a special love for details, and, how great, 'self-taught'.
The mp3s research i done a couple of days ago for Distorted Pony, drove me to this amazing website, Pressrandom, an ultra precious internet-place for re-discovering lots of forgotten (or almost) Bands: yes, i'm talking of free mp3s.. like for The God Machine.. ohmioddio i have the creeps each time i listen to Pictures of a Bleeding Boy.. and it's about since 12 years this still happens, - i guess that means something, doesn't it? - and i guess You already visited komakino_tribute this amazing Band. btw, don't even miss the contents for: Warsaw, The Cure, Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth (covering The Fall), - i mean, all Music none of Your workmates or relatives love, or as the pressrandom-dude writes "My wife always says that she can't find a damned thing to listen to in the huge mess that is my collection, hopefully this will point out some bands for her and maybe you as well".. - thanks for sharing.
Jon Krause
1990 
1991 
1992 
1994 
band promoter like Tapes 'n Tapes' one
Robin Guthrie
Craig Robinson
The Majestic Twelve
