T.H. White More Than Before
The highly anticipated solo effort from one of NYC hottest producers, “More than Before” delivers a refreshing new fusion of 70’s rock grooves, trip hop and soul. Already a favorite on the fashion and art scenes of New York, T.H. White’s music captures the excitement and diversity of both the high society and street cultures. Elle Magazine’s PR dept calls “More Than Before” “A deeply satisfying urban experience” Look for THW out on tour this fall.
Laptop Don’t Try this at Home
Last year, NY Press called Laptop “the best band in NYC”. Next year, critics won’t just be talking about New York. With its break-though third album Don’t Try This At Home due for release in April 2003 (Gammon Records), the 80’s-inspired, cinematic Laptop is finally poised for the world-wide recognition it’s had coming.
Jesse Hartman is the main circuit attached to the motherboard that is Laptop, a project created by Hartman to update and modernize the beloved music of his early 80’s childhood. Boldly wearing his heroes on his sleeve, Hartman is creating a new icon for the masses. Picture the Thin White Duke’s mind seeing the world through transformer eyes with Woody Allen’s wit. Picture “Leonard Cohen remixed by Devo”, as NME once put it. Hartman is the “ghost in the machine”, a modern-day ironicist behind an electrock curtain.
Daniel Johnston Fear Yourself
At the dawn of the 21st century, Daniel Johnston brings us his 21st record and possibly his most outstanding to date. “Fear Yourself’ is a collaboration between Daniel and Capitol Records recording artist-frontman Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse. Fear Yourself is a giant step forward from Daniel’s previous work. Daniel and Sparklehorse spent the week of September 14, 2001 at David Lowery’s (Cracker) Sound Of Music studios laying down tracks for this record. “Fear Yourself’ marries the like-minded qualities and distinctive styles of the two artists perfectly. Linkous is credited as producer and arranger of the sessions and has layered his trademark of eerie strings, Mellotron and chilling backdrops around Daniel’s heart wrenchingly honest eccentric pop songs. This collaboration has produced an epic sound that will stir Daniel Johnston and Sparklehorse fans alike and could place Daniel into the mainstream once more.
Langley Music School Project “Innocence & Despair”
Gammon Records is proud to release the exclusive VINYL edition of The Langley Schools Music Project “Innocence & Despair”. Two 12″ LPs will replicate the covers, labels and complete track sequences of the extremely rare 1976 and 1977 albums, of which only 300 each were pressed. (An original sold on eBay for $750 early this year.) The set includes two tracks left off the North American Bar/None CD edition. Album producer Irwin Chusid’s liner notes from the CD will be included as a paper insert in both LPs.
The Langley Schools Music Project is one of the most unexpected and unlikeliest hits of the recent past. This CD of “found” mid-’70s recordings of rural Canadian schoolchildren aged 9-12 performing classic rock songs of the Beatles, Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac and others has topped Amazon.com’s sales charts twice. It has been the focus of several NPR profiles and of a VH-1 documentary that aired six times, while earning raves from David Bowie, Richard Carpenter, Van Dyke Parks, Nick Cave, and John Zorn. The CD has sold over 65,000 copies worldwide since its late 2001 release, and has been written about enthusiastically in the NY Times, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Pulse, the Washington Post and elsewhere. It was a Top 10 Reissue of the Year in SPIN. And Robert Christgau of the Village Voice hated it (“Dud of the Month”). Can’t please everyone.
Songs In The Of Key of Z Volume One The Curious Universe Of Outsider Music
Music historian and WFMU radio host Irwin Chusid has authored Songs In The Key Of Z: The Curious Universe Of Outsider Music (A Cappella Books/Chicago Review Press), the first exploration of this eccentric musical genre that explores such avatars of outrè sonics as The Shaggs, Daniel Johnston, The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, Jandek, the Cherry Sisters, Captain Beefheart, Tiny Tim, Wesley Willis, Wild Man Fischer, Shooby Taylor (the human horn) and countless other “differently sane” souls with loyal followings.
“Outsider music” refers to a genre of audio exotica that in some ways is so wrong — it’s right. This stream of musical mutation could be the product of supernatural possession, genetic flaw, psychosis, or spiritual awakening. Outsider musicians are the sonic counterparts to the long-celebrated progenitors in other fields of outsider art (e.g., painting, sculpture, architecture, landscaping, literature). This phenomenon is also referred to as naive, visionary, folk, or primitive art. The French referred to it as “art brut” (raw art). These largely self-taught musicians may lack conventional tunefulness and self-awareness, but they display an abundance of earnestness and passion. And they’re worth listening to, often surpassing all contenders for inventiveness and originality.
Songs In The Of Key of Z Volume Two The Curious Universe Of Outsider Music
Even more madness from the mind of Irwin Chusid!
From the unshakeable patriotism of B.J. Snowden’s “America,” to Señor Luie Luie’s 14-trumpet opus “Touch of Light”; from Bob Vido’s one-man-Shaggs “High Speed” blowout, to Alvin Dahn’s Van Halen-spiked “You’re Driving Me Mad”; from Buddy Max’s nakedly confessional “Birthmark Story,” to Congress-Woman Malinda Jackson Parker’s 7-minute, freewheeling “Cousin Mosquito #2”– this is REAL MUSIC. If all you hear are imperfections, your ears are on wrong.
The Mooney Suzuki “Electric Sweat”
In the tradition of Plant & Page, Jagger & Richards, Johansen & Thunders, The Mooney Suzuki‘s Sammy James Jr. and Graham Tyler are a classic rock and roll duo. Case in point: their second album Electric Sweat — recorded with Jim Diamond at his Ghetto Recorders studio in Detroit — is bristling with 10 sweat-drenched slabs of electrocuted rhythm & blues! Experience their authentic brand of garage rock for yourself. The Mooney Suzuki released their first CD “People Get Ready” off of Estrus. Their follow up CD “Electric Sweat” was released on Gammon Records on April 9th 2002. March 11th “Electric Sweat” was re-released on Columbia Records! All of here at Gammon wish them the very best!
Tandy “The Lowdown 1997-2002”
After three self-released albums, Tandy has come to Gammon to release The Lowdown (1997-2002) — a snap shot of the best of the band’s career that showcases Mike Ferrio’s vocal and guitar stylings — authentic roots rock at its apex. Check out special appearances by alt. country luminaries Dave Van Ronk, Jim White, Kelly Willis and Malcolm Holcombe, which make this album even more special.
Daniel Johnston Rejected Unknown
Daniel Johnston is an unlikely pop phenom. From carnival corn dog boy to mad underground rocker to dark hill-country lone star, Daniel’s career spans twenty years. Through ups and downs he has composed idiosyncratic pop songs with a gift that occasionally rivals the masters. His output has been erratic, his career trajectory as unpredictable as Wall Street. But he continues to exert a powerful creative presence, despite the demons with which he’s beset.
At age forty-two, he is considered among the Pioneers of alternative music, not because he deliberately explored a different direction than the synthetic music of his time, but because he compulsively followed his heart, expressing the contents of his soul with an ungluing purity.
The album Rejected Unknown is culled from over two years of on and off home recording sessions with Daniel’s long-time friend, producer and musician Brian Beattie. From bubble gum optimism to primal heartache, the album delivers an unpredictable fluidity that represents the best of Daniel’s creations.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Armed with passion and love of craft, The Brian Jonestown Massacre have stayed one step ahead of the retro fetish crowd by staying true to themselves. With “Bringing It All Back Home Again”, their latest and perhaps most starkly original piece de resistance, the band has crafted a classic collection of acoustic based lullaby’s that will have you wishing you’d grown up in the Ozarks.
Show and Tell
Show and Tell: A Stormy Remembrance of TV Theme Songs is a punk rock smorgasbord featuring No Use For A Name, The Meatmen, The Hi-Fives, The Dickies, H20, Agent Orange and many more covering some of the most famous television theme songs of all time. As an added treat Todd Bridges, a.k.a.”Willis Drummond” from Different Strokes sings a full throttled version of his respective theme song to stunning results. At a whopping 35 tracks there is something here for everyone.