Music For Your Weekend

Blind Owl Wilson - Blind Owl Wilson

This interesting figure from American music of the 1960s has one of the most noticeable voices of that era. Most recognizably a singer for the LA-based blues rock group, Canned Heat, Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson gained accolades for his harmonica playing from other musicians of the era including living blues legends such as John Lee Hooker. 

This release by Mississippi Records compiles his most famous tracks from Canned Heat as well as lesser known tracks. Blind Owl's high register voice may most closely resemble that of crossroads blues guitarist Robert Johnson. Some who knew him suspected Wilson might have been autistic, though no formal diagnosis was given prior to his early death at the age of 27. 

OPSEC - Affordable Death

This is hardcore punk I can sink my teeth into. I can only judge punk bands by the quality of the singer's voice. I can recognize good musicianship but if the singer's voice isn't awesome, I will not be a repeat listener... just like Gang Starr made clear in 1994 when Guru said "If your voice ain't dope then you need to chill".

Signed to NYC's Label of Goods, OPSEC brings the aggression and voice that makes me want to keep this EP easy access when driving my beat up shit box around Newark. The singer's voice is similar to that of the Canadian hardcore punk band S.H.I.T., or maybe even the singer of The Peechees. If you need to work out some angst this weekend, may this be the soundtrack for your efforts.

Mamalarky - Pocket Fantasy

Brilliant and wonderful things often emerge from terrible occurrences... it's just the way things happen. It doesn't make those terrible things worth it by any means... it just speaks to the resilience and persistence of the human spirit.

Take Covid, for example. If Covid had never happened, Mamalarky's sophomore release Pocket Fantasy may never have been happened. They were already a band, playing around Austin and making waves. But then the pandemic happened and the band retreated to Atlanta to live in an old house and record what you have here: an inspired and inventive rock record with catchy songs that eschew pop conventions. It's experimental in song structure but recognizable in essence. Not sure what compares.

on4ward - In Rainbow Roads

Sometimes you need a conversation piece that not only piques one's interest but also pulls you in for the whole ride. Some individual out there in the world, going by on4ward, took Radiohead's 2007 In Rainbows and decided it needed to be redone through an Nintendo64 sound bank, "mostly sounds from Super Mario 64" as noted on the artists bandcamp page. 

It's interesting and this homage is one of detail and love. The hipster in me wishes slightly it was done in 8-bit sounds instead, but probably only because I never owned a Nintendo 64 so the sounds don't muster the nostalgia that one who DID own an N64 might get from this. Either way, it's pretty incredible and I look forward to what on4ward does next.

Shakey Graves - Roll The Bones (2011)

Shakey Graves is the music project of Alejandro Rose-Garcia. The music is country-influenced lo-fi folk. Looking at his bandcamp page, which features several booking and publicity contacts from all over the world, I feel like Shakey Graves is a bit bigger than bands normally posted on Spacerockmountain. This Austin musician is also on an extensive tour of North America, and will soon be playing Portland's Crystal Ballroom in May - that's no small feet for someone I've never heard of, considering this is a venue where bigger names play while visiting the "Rose City".

I really enjoy the music on Roll The Bones. It's got an old-timey folk vibe throughout. It's his earliest post to bandcamp, though I imagine he's been writing and recording prior to 2011 judging by the quality of his musical abilities. The tunes are bold, but not overbearing. There's a good pace from song to song ... hills leading easily into valleys rhythmically, and the harmonies are minimal but lush. Roll The Bones is that rare record you could easily play while commuting or making dinner... anywhere where silence can be filled with a record that's easy on the ears.

I'm not one to quickly subscribe to this sort of music, either, a testament to the quality of this music. That said, I'm always a sucker for a good voice, and Alejandro definitely has one.

It's pay what you want for 10 songs, including a fantastic cover of Johnny Chash's "I'm On Fire", done with only an acoustic bass guitar and vocals.

Listen and download here: Shakey Graves - Roll The Bones

Buy the vinyl: HERE

Like him on Facebook: HERE

Caterwaulrus - eNVy yoU (2013)

Texas has an unfortunate stigma associated with it. To some, it's a state full of conservative, gun-toting, Christians... and to people like my mother, not to mention most of my family, friends, fellow Portlanders, etc...  that's akin to being a criminal or an alien or worse.

But, preconceptions aside, Texas also has a history of being a breeding ground for some great psychedelic music. Roky Erikson and the 13th Floor Elevators were out of Austin, a city that The Black Angels still call home. Red Krayola were from Houston, and so is the outsider musician, Jandek. The Butthole Surfers came out of San Antonio. Those are some severely psychedelic acts, and I'm thrilled to say that Caterwaulrus, which is the solo work of one John Michael Sherry, fits that lineage quite nicely.

"eNVy yoU" is not a rock record by any means. It's not a throwback 60's psych record either. If anything, it's like lo-fi bedroom pop but with broad stripes of psychedelic production. A fair comparison would be Animal Collective, but this is a bit stranger. Voices pan from left to right speaker and almost every track is drenched in delay, making this a good headphones record. It's got a drum machine at times, and is mostly acoustic, but with all the weird shit happening it escapes a "folk" categorization. I suppose if you could take what was happening in Daniel Johnston's head during his psychotic break and set it to music, it would sound like Austin's Caterwaulrus.

9 songs, name your price.

Caterwaulrus - eNVy yoU

The Gory Details - Killer Waves (2012)

I have an incessant love for trashy garage rock that could theoretically be used as the soundtrack to a 1950s horror film. Record some upbeat, snarling jams to a 4-track, and I am almost surely going to enjoy it. Throw in a few ounces of monsters and grime and you have just assured my attention.  The Gory Details hail from Austin and released their first cassette (Killer Waves) last August. If you enjoy rancorous garage punk with a heavy dose of organ thrown in for good measure, these guys are likely up your alley. I am sure these guys were going for a Mummies vibe with this set, and they capture that quintessential act’s vigor flawlessly.  The download isn’t free, but for a measly 3 bucks, it is worth every cent. 

Get it here:

The Glory Details -  Killer Waves