Psychic TV - In The Nursery

 #Psychic TV #Genesis P-Orridge #industrial #experimental #acid house #post-punk #ambient house #neo-psychedelia #electronica #industrial dance #ex-Throbbing Gristle #performance art #video art

The prettiest song Genesis P-Orridge ever wrote was “The Orchids,” a simple, pastoral folky gem from Psychic TV’s 1983 album Dreams Less Sweet. It’s a far cry from the noisy electronic bastards that his previous band, Throbbing Gristle, so masterfully twisted into horrific shapes. And while TG certainly had their share of more melodic moments (“Hot on the Heels of Love” comes to mind), “The Orchids” is something different altogether, a gorgeously upbeat and, frankly normal, song, not to mention one whose very gorgeous intricacy seemed very much of another time. Not that it was ever released as a single, or promoted as such. Califone somewhat famously covered it on their 2006 album Roots and Crowns, but by then it was still something of an obscure, underground classic. Still, it’s a classic all the same.
The album it comes from, Dreams Less Sweet, is a bit more experimental and difficult on the whole. It’s not Throbbing Gristle difficult — that’s a level of audio antagonism that few artists can continue to muster over time, let alone one of the band’s original players. But P-Orridge, along with former bandmate Peter Christopherson, carved a similar path with Psychic TV, albeit one with a considerably different approach. That approach is a confusing and complicated, yet continually intriguing one on Dreams Less Sweet, an album that puts industrial pieces alongside a cappella chants, found sound, audio collage and the occasional true pop song. Dreams Less Sweet, then, isn’t a wholly inaccurate title. It does contain moments of sweetness, such as the glorious “The Orchids,” and the playful lullaby, “White Nights.” Yet by and large, it’s more nightmarish overall. Barking dogs and gunshots erupt in “Finale.” Clatters and stomps are met with unsettling drones in the 41-second “Botanica.” And distant sounds of chanting sidle up against ping-pong percussion and bassy piano in “Ancient Lights.” Let there be no question about it — this album is bizarre.
Then again, it’s very much part of P-Orridge’s M.O. H/er life has been spent as a provocateur, and Dreams Less Sweet accomplishes that handily, even more so because he does allow h/erself unexpected moments of beauty and simplicity. Yet the most unsettling moments on the album are those that are just musical enough to be alluring, but still somewhat terrifying in spite of it. Take “Eden 1,” whose introduction is a collage of ringing telephones, which give way to a plodding dirge and hissing, squealing sonics beneath P-Orridge’s narration. And “In the Nursery” is by far the moment in which Psychic TV most closely resembles Throbbing Gristle, howls and screeches creating a house of horrors while P-Orridge maintains a characteristically unhinged performance.  From: https://www.treblezine.com/psychic-tv-dreams-less-sweet-review/

The pioneering Psychic TV, co-founded in 1981 by the London performance artist and provocateur Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, was formed after the breakup of P-Orridge’s previous group, Throbbing Gristle, which arguably invented industrial music. Psychic TV’s sound started out chaotic and noisy, but it gradually came to embrace house music and catchy, melodic pop while maintaining Throbbing Gristle’s sharp edge and ritualistic ethos. Psychic TV was influential in pioneering the acid house genre, releasing several albums as fake compilations, as well as several under the Psychic TV banner. Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth was formed as an organization at the same time as the band. T.O.P.Y. was intended to be a magical order and the philosophical wing of Psychic TV, but also presented an image of being a cult-like fanclub for the group. P-Orridge left it in 1991. After breaking up in 1999, Psychic TV reformed as PTV3 with a new line-up in 2003. Psychic TV have released over one hundred full-length albums to date, and earned an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for most records released in one year (1986).  From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychic_TV

Spooky Tooth - I've Got Enough Heartaches

 #Spooky Tooth #Gary Wright #Mike Harrison #hard rock #blues rock #psychedelic rock #progressive rock #classic rock #British R&B #proto-prog #proto-metal #1960s #1970s 

Spooky Two is this British blues-rock band's pièce de résistance. All eight of the tracks compound free-styled rock and loose-fitting guitar playing, resulting in some fantastic raw music. With Gary Wright on keyboards and vocals and lead singer Mike Harrison behind the microphone, their smooth, relaxed tempos and riffs mirrored bands like Savoy Brown and, at times, even the Yardbirds. With some emphasis on keyboards, songs like "Lost in My Dream" and the nine-minute masterpiece "Evil Woman" present a cool, nonchalant air that grooves and slides along perfectly. "I've Got Enough Heartache" whines and grieves with some sharp bass playing from Greg Ridley, while "Better by You, Better Than Me" is the catchiest of the songs, with its clinging hooks and desperate-sounding chorus. The last song, "Hangman Hang My Shell on a Tree," is a splendid example of the bandmembers' ability to play off of one another, mixing soulful lyrics with downtrodden instrumentation to conjure up the perfect melancholia. Although Spooky Tooth lasted about seven years, their other albums never really contained the same passion or talented collaborating by each individual musician as Spooky Two.  From: https://www.allmusic.com/album/spooky-two-mw0000191912

Part of the early 70s British hard rock scene, Spooky Tooth had a towering sound, highlighted by swelling keyboards and, in founding members Gary Wright and Mike Harrison, two full-throated blue-eyed soul singers. Crucial to their sound was their instrumentation; they were one of the few acts within the rock forum of the time to adopt the twin keyboard approach (both an organ and a piano player).  From: http://www.spookytooth.sk/bio.html

Mediaeval Baebes - Scarborough Fayre

 #Mediaeval Baebes #medieval music #classical crossover #European folk #ethnic fusion #choral music #vocal music #traditional #a capella 

Mediaeval Baebes is an all-female ensemble from the UK, known in the international media as much for how they dress as for their music. The group originated on a lark and grew quickly, as friends invited friends to sing with the ensemble. Soon after recording a demo, Mediaeval Baebes was signed to Virgin, where the group became the fastest selling act on the label, second only to the Spice Girls. Their vocal musical style, steeped in ancient traditions, has topped the charts. The group was originally founded by Katharine Blake and Dorothy Carter in 1996 as an a cappella vocal group. Blake, a British classically trained musician who has worked with Michael Nyman and Nick Cave among others, said she founded the Mediaeval Baebes "just for fun." Her idea was to gather women friends to sing a few medieval songs at informal gatherings. While traveling in Germany she met Carter, who played hurdy-gurdy and dulcimer, and who eventually composed music for the group. Carter's talent for playing hurdy-gurdy, zither, and dulcimer inspired Blake to begin exploring ancient music, and she recruited other friends to join in the project. "Twelve was as many people as you could fit into Katharine's sitting-room," group member Ruth Galloway told the Independent in a 1998 interview. When the group was formed in 1996, there were 12 members plus Carter. In addition to Blake and Carter, there were Teresa Casella, who was in the band Miranda Sex Garden with Blake; Audrey Evans; comic writer Marie Findley; Nichole Frobusch; and Ruth Galloway. Members held various day jobs, from actor to computer programmer to clothing and jewelry designer.  From: https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/mediaeval-baebes

DakhaBrakha - NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

 #DakhaBrakha #folk #Ukrainian folk #world music #Eastern European folk #folk rock #cabaret #NPR #live music video

The Ukrainian band DakhaBrakha calls itself "ethno-chaos." Over the past decade, this Ukrainian-folk-meets-punk group has brought their music to audiences around the world. They recently kicked off a U.S. tour - just weeks after Russia invaded their country. For years, DakhaBrakha have called themselves "ambassadors of free Ukraine." Their shows have been punctuated with cries of "Stop Putin!" and "No war!" Now, they hear those demands reflected and amplified around the world. This quartet's name means "give/take" in old Ukrainian - and that's exactly what they do. Cabaret, jazz, rock and hip-hop are all part of the band's DNA. But they also explore all kinds of old Ukrainian folk styles, fed through the prism of the 21st century.  From: https://www.npr.org/2022/04/20/1091770301/ukrainian-band-dakhabrakha-delivers-an-urgent-message-to-u-s-audiences

The Doors - The Celebration of the Lizard

 #The Doors #Jim Morrison #psychedelic rock #experimental #acid rock #hard rock #art rock #blues rock #classic rock #1960s #poetry #spoken word

Celebration of the Lizard is a performance piece by American rock band the Doors, featuring lyrics written by lead singer Jim Morrison and music by the Doors. Composed as a series of poems, the piece includes both spoken verse and sung lyrics, musical sections and passages of allegorical storytelling. According to Morrison, Celebration of the Lizard was "pieced together on different occasions out of already existing elements rather than having any generative core from which it grew." The entire piece was originally intended to be recorded and released as one full side of the band's third studio album, Waiting for the Sun, in 1968. However, record producer Paul Rothchild and the members of the band thought that the extended poetic sections and overall length of the piece made a complete recording impossible, while the other reason was due to its lack of commercial appeal.  From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebration_of_the_Lizard

Diamanda Galas - The Litanies of Satan

 #Diamanda Galas #avant-garde #experimental #avant-goth #classical crossover #performance art #operatic #blues #jazz #spoken word #piano #a capella

Diamanda Galas is the kind of singular artist who seems to escape category and time. Her music - usually a mix of voice, piano, and minimal electronics - is more closely aligned to blues and jazz than the classical music she’s often roped in with. And the subject matter of her work is most often dark: genocide, war, abuse, torture. A couple of her records reference the devil and hell and Satan. She once recorded a spoken-word incantation complete with burning witch sounds called "Let Us Praise the Masters of Slow Death." And the one book she wrote is called "The Shit of God. " All that said, her work is ultimately uplifting. This is because Galas doesn’t work in a vacuum. She sings about real-world evils, and you can tell she wants to find solutions: She was once arrested inside New York’s Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in 1989 as part of a demonstration opposing the Church’s stance on AIDS education and distributing condoms in public schools. She’s also an active collaborator, someone who seems to believe in community. She’s worked with avant-garde composers like Iannis Xenakis and John Zorn, but also with Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, synthpop vets Erasure, and industrial pioneers Einstürzende Neubauten—and her voice has been used by at least one black metal band.  From: https://pitchfork.com/features/5-10-15-20/9891-the-music-that-made-diamanda-galas/