Electronic psychedelia

AntManBee · July-13th-2004, 07:45 PM

The United States of America/White Noise discussion in the WAYLT thread made some other (obvious) names enter my mind without too much thought:

Fifty Foot Hose
Silver Apples
Dreamies

and an honorary mention of contemprary Englishmen Broadcast who follow along the lines of the bands above.

Any other suggestions to expand the list?

Gentle Giant · July-13th-2004, 09:29 PM

I wasn't hip to the discussion on that thread, but I'm going to check it out. Someone mentioned Silver Apples a few months and I threw it on for probably the first time since I gave up dope 11 years ago. It wasn't bad, but man they were a couple of ugly mofos.

I did recently get on CD the first album by Gong synth master Tim Blake, Crystal Machine. That's my all-time favorite electronic album, I like it better than any Tangerine Dream or Synergy thing I've ever heard.

Trivia: the third-ever Moog was used by Mickey Dolenz in 1968 on the Monkees' "Daily Nightly" (composed by Mike Nesmith).

Jon Abbey · July-13th-2004, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AntManBee

Dreamies

I love, love, love this record, it's fucking brilliant, I've never seen anyone else recommend it. have you heard the Olivia Tremor Control? they're a more recent band who sound totally in the Dreamies lineage.

AntManBee · July-14th-2004, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gentle Giant

Someone mentioned Silver Apples a few months and I threw it on for probably the first time since I gave up dope 11 years ago. It wasn't bad, but man they were a couple of ugly mofos.

Their reputation is a little bit better than their music IMO. They have their moments for sure, most notably "Oscillations".

Quote:

Trivia: the third-ever Moog was used by Mickey Dolenz in 1968 on the Monkees' "Daily Nightly" (composed by Mike Nesmith).

I'm not sure this is true but I once heard that Roger McGuinn bought the very first one. Legend has it that when he got it he got it without a manual and had no idea how to operate. He contacted Robert Moog who just told him that he should know how to use before ordering it. McGuinn supposedly said that it's the first one you built and sold, and Moog responded, "that's not my problem".

AntManBee · July-14th-2004, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

have you heard the Olivia Tremor Control? they're a more recent band who sound totally in the Dreamies lineage.

I've heard OTC and I also caught them live once. It was a while ago though and I thought they sounded heavily influenced by UK pop psych. Some of the later releases of theirs sounded more interesting to me, but like I said it was a couple of years ago. Are they still around?

AntManBee · July-14th-2004, 05:02 AM

If I may stretch my original idea to include later bands with a sharper edge than the abovementioned, I must mention Chrome. They remain among my special favourites, and I still play their early albums when Helios Creed was still in the band a lot. I even like the pre-Creed debut album "The Visitation" - charmingly over-the-top DIY proto-punk sci-fi psychedelia. Sort of.

It's an insular life being a Chrome fan though. Not many people seem to care about them anymore.

(I'm actually playing a Helios Creed solo album right now - "Kiss to the Brain". I probably like it a bit more than it deserves...)

lazarus · July-14th-2004, 05:21 AM

I have always thought that parts of the White Noise album sounds pretty close to The Residents. Whatever, it´s a nice album.

I agree with AntMan that the Silver Apples albums are very uneven. But it´s very charming "period-pieces" anyway. I have a low-price cd with both albums included.

Yeah, AntMan. I really dig early Chrome very much. Great group and definitively psychedelia influenced. After "3rd From The Sun" unfortunely the quality of their music went fast downwards.

AntManBee · July-14th-2004, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazarus

After "3rd From The Sun" unfortunely the quality of their music went fast downhills.

Yes, post-Creed albums are almost completely unlistenable. Creed was way better at keeping the Chrome spirit alive than Damon Edge was. The last Edge era of Chrome probably reflected his sad personal state. After moving to France, he maintained severe parallell drug and alcohol habits, gained massively in weight before his body eventually gave up on him.

Creed has revived the Chrome name in recent years although I've heard nothing from these latter day releases. One may assume they sound more or less like Creed has sounded since his original departure from the band.

BTW, I agree that White Noise resembles the Residents in places (or vice versa).

Alastair · July-14th-2004, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AntManBee

I'm not sure this is true but I once heard that Roger McGuinn bought the very first one. Legend has it that when he got it he got it without a manual and had no idea how to operate. He contacted Robert Moog who just told him that he should know how to use before ordering it. McGuinn supposedly said that it's the first one you built and sold, and Moog responded, "that's not my problem".

Having heard "Moog Raga", I'd imagine this is true.

Never heard of The Dreamies before. Checked it out at allmusic, looks like my kinda thing.

I believe the chaps behind Tonto's Expanding Headband helped Dolenz out with the MonkeeMoog. There's a longer version of "Star Collector" on one of the CD reissues where it's all over the place.

Alastair · July-26th-2004, 05:52 PM

There's a feature review of the reissued United States of America LP in Mojo this month (August 04). Despite being by one of the biggest wankers in British rock criticism, Peter Paphides, ("Krautrock forefather LaMonte Young" indeed) it's worth a read in the newsagent at least. Apparently after the first album Columbia wanted to kick Joseph Byrd out of the band and base it entirely around Dorothy Moskowitz. Three previously unreleased tracks on the CD are from those later sessions, which apparently lack any of the sonic experimentation that was what USA were all about. Record execs, eh...

Anyone familiar with this baby? Outta site.

AntManBee · July-26th-2004, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alastair

Having heard "Moog Raga", I'd imagine this is true.

The weirdest thing of it all is that McGuinn wanted to make "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" a double album; one LP with country rock ("Sweetheart" as we know it), and the other with only moog experiments!

AntManBee · July-26th-2004, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alastair

Apparently after the first album Columbia wanted to kick Joseph Byrd out of the band and base it entirely around Dorothy Moskowitz. Three previously unreleased tracks on the CD are from those later sessions, which apparently lack any of the sonic experimentation that was what USA were all about.

Yeah, great - like taking the jelly out of the donuts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alastair

Anyone familiar with this baby? Outta site.

Never seen it let before alone heard it! Is Electric Lucifer the band name or the album title? What does it sound like? [Edit: A little web search reveals it's Bruce Haack. He's been on my "must hear" list for a while.]