Sun City Girls – “Sun City Girls” (1984)
First run pressing of 1000 copies on Placebo Records
Desert landscapes, weather, people, and culture are so unique. One of the quietest places on Earth, deserts tend to produce a lot of introspection. I assume this is why some of the weirdest and most creative art, particularly music, comes out of such regions.
I could never keep up with all the output from the Sun City Girls and the two brothers that constituted its core. But that’s ok. Their first two albums are so good, with both music and silly, clever lyrics.
My favorite #boots: jika tabi popular with construction workers in #Japan that I modified with tanker boot straps and rechargeable LED lights on the heels. Keeps me visible walking or biking around traffic.
"Church of Anthrax"
[Church Of Anthrax
The Hall Of Mirrors In The Palace At Versailles
The Soul Of Patrick Lee
Ides Of March
The Protege]
John Cale – bass guitar, harpsichord, piano, guitar, viola, organ
Terry Riley – piano, organ, soprano saxophone
Our next spotlight is on number 2 from The List, submitted by MetalheadDana.
Tanya Tagaq is a woman of immense talent. She’s the bestselling author of Split Tooth, a stunning piece of fiction/memoir set in 1970s Nunavut, written in both poetry and prose. Her English/Inuktitut picture book for children, It Bears Repeating, is set to come out in August this year. She’s an activist and overall exceptional human being, not afraid to speak her mind and call people, corporations, and governments out for the crimes they have committed against her people, others, and the environment. She co-directed and -wrote the documentary Ever Deadly, about her own life and career. And, more recently, she’s an actor, appearing in season 4 of True Detective, which she also provided the soundtrack for.
Which brings us to what she’s most known for, and why we’re here. Tanya Tagaq – often performing under the name “Tagaq” – is an award-winning experimental musician and composer, combining Inuit throat singing with improvisational vocals and various backdrops such as avant-garde classical violin, jazz, electronic beats, or nothing else at all. She’s collaborated with artists such as the Kronos Quartet, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Björk. While she often performs at folk festivals, Tagaq’s music is truly the most metal thing you could possibly hear.
The first I heard Tagaq’s voice was on the first track of Björk’s 2004 vocal album and utter masterpiece, Medúlla. From day 1, Medúlla was instantly my favorite Björk album, not in small part due to Tagaq’s incredible guest vocals (especially on the track “Ancestors”, which reappears on Tagaq’s first LP, the 2005 Sinaa, co-produced by Björk). It would be nearly 10 years before we (myself and MetalheadDana) finally got to see Tagaq live, in an old movie theatre, improvising a soundtrack to the 1922 silent film Nanook of the North with the film playing on the screen behind. There we picked up copies of Sinaa and the 2008 Aux / Blood (or ᐊᐅᒃ, in Inuktitut syllabics). We got to chat with her for a few minutes while she signed our CDs, and she was giddy to mention that she was thinking about doing some covers for future albums, Pixies’ “Caribou” and possibly also some Iron Maiden. Soon after that performance, she released the 2014 Animism (which we’ll come back to another day since it also appears on The List).
While I typically listen to Tagaq’s later work, going back to Aux / Blood, I think this is perhaps her most accessible album in her discography. If you’re not familiar with Tagaq’s gripping music and/or Inuit throat singing in general, this is a great introduction. Fans of Faith No More will be happy to pick out Mike Patton’s guest vocals on the album. And, for Canadian folks from Edmonton/Calgary/Vancouver, make sure you check out “Force”, “Burst”, and “Construction”, which feature the brilliant beat-boxer Shamik (also of Too Attached, Shamik’s duo with his sister – another woman of immense talent – Vivek Shraya; the duo has also performed alongside Tagaq).
#TheMetalDogArticleList #Loudwire
What's the Difference Between Technical + Progressive Styles of Metal?
Just because theyre similar doesnt mean theyre the same!
A 639-year-long piece of music being played in a cathedral in Germany has just changed a chord for the first time in 2 years - after letting that previous single chord drone out day and night - as crowds gather in anticipation.
The album illustrates an ongoing conversation nkls and i have since several years about miniatures a musical lifeforms.
It's as brief and as pure as it can get, the pieces are transmutational and are produced without any additional deliberate listener pleasing (such as concert reverb ;)
Cover artwork by @suetszu
We hope you'll enjoy.
Berliners can pick up a 12" with me directly for a pre-xmas price of 15€. Please contact via @jrp or jayrope.com/cntct/