Pelt - Ayahuasca / Dauphin Elegies [2001/2008]

vhf#62 Pelt Ayahuasca dbl CD

A sprawling follow-up to 1999’s critical and commercially successful release Empty Bell Ringing In The Sky, Ayahuasca represents the most comprehensive survey of Pelt activities to date. Recorded over a period of more than two years at various live and studio sessions, the double CD shows the heavily-bearded trio broadcasting from some lesser-known and newly-discovered corners of the drone-omniverse. Most striking about the record is the inclusion of several traditional tunes, arranged for the group’s eclectic instrumentation. While the band has been performing some acoustic material for several years and let some sneak out on the limited edition For Michael Hannas CDR, Ayahuasca is the first release to fully explore this part of their repertoire. "The Cuckoo" and ‘Deep Sunny South" are traditional Appalachian numbers, played and sung with considerable skill and feeling. The sawing bowed acoustic guitar on "The Cuckoo" and the rolling banjo and Tibetan bowl accompaniment on "Deep Sunny South" draw a direct line between raw/folk music traditions and the deep, visceral drone music that Pelt have specialized in over the past several years. Combining the two styles neatly, "A Raga Called John" features Jack Rose’s very, very fine country-blues/Fahey-influenced fingerstyle guitar over a shifting backdrop of hurdy-gurdy and concertina, before giving way to tanpuras overrun by fretless banjo. Of course, on top of all of this easily comprehensible music there’s plenty of ear-cleansing ecstatic drone, from the two long flotation-inducing trios for bowed electrics and Esraj to the wall-shaking electric hurdy-gurdy mania of "Bear Head Apparition." Truly a record for our times, such as they are. 10 Tracks, 134 Minutes.

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vhf#112 Pelt Dauphin Elegies CD

First new studio recordings from Pelt in 3 years finds them picking up where 2005’s Untitled CD left off – delivering massive slabs of heavy, all-acoustic drone action. “Waning Crescent” is an ominous workout for three large gongs, rich with overtones and subsonic rumble. “Fire Signs Along the Field” offers a slightly jarring quartet of spare string noise, with Nathan Bowles (Black Twigs, Spiral Joy Band) sitting in on double bass. “Cast Out to Deep Waters” is an immense 30 minute epic that fits into the archetypical classics in the Pelt canon, in the vein of “Empty Bell Ringing in the Sky” and Untitled’s “I.” The all too brief “Crown of Comets” closes the CD with the chiming, overlapping ring of bells recorded in Virginia’s Falls Ridge caves. In card folio.

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Pelt (1 of 1) at Terrastock 7

Black Twig Pickers / Jack Rose

I have seen since there fly the sonorous details that like small drops of water falling due to the puddle surrounded with dry land, the last consecutive condition that the physical interfaces of his announced end, the green one that exists in thinking, cultivosfolk and printed roots, the music to the meeting of primitive paces associated with the situation, the man opposite to his destiny does not write any more to torment the energetic beginning of the kindness before, now your commentaries give form to the hills that replete with fruits have given you the new food, probably understand that the guitars are listened in the distance they are the echo of your hands in the plough, dirty, but ready to live another day more with contemplative fullness.

He visto como vuelan los detalles sonoros que a modo de pequeñas gotas de agua cayendo al charco rodeado de tierra seca, el ultimo estado consecutivo que las interfases físicas de su final anunciado, un verde que existe en pensar, cultivos folk y raíces impresas, la música al encuentro de ritmos primitivos asociados al trance, el hombre frente a su destino no escribe más para atormentar los principios energéticos de la bondad antes, ahora tus comentarios dan forma a los cerros que repletos de frutos te han dado el nuevo alimento, quizás entiendan que las guitarras se escuchan a lo lejos son el eco de tus manos en el arado, sucias, pero dispuestas a vivir otro día más con plenitud contemplativa.

vhf#108 Black Twig Pickers Hobo Handshake CD

4th full length from the Black Twigs finds a slightly reshuffled lineup and a renewed emphasis on kicking out raw, percussive takes on both Appalachian traditional and original material. With Ralph Berrier Jr.’s retirement from the group, Mike Gangloff has added fiddle to his already considerable arsenal, and along with stalwart guitarist Isak Howell, brought in Nathan Bowles (Spiral Joy Band) on percussion and several guests who make substantial contributions to the party. The Twigs work the fine line between the Friday night old-time dance party and the wellspring of grim and evocative tragedy that runs through the tradition, delivering these laments, travelogues, and wild whoops with sawing, rocking joy. This is a sprawling collection, with visceral group takes on “Crossing the James,” “Cherry River Line,” and “Old Joe Clark.” Charlie Parr and Lane Prekker join the crew on “Last Kind Word Blues,” “Train 45” and “Twin Sisters” (first essayed by Pelt way back in 98) with Parr’s amazing, ragged voice leading the charge over Bowles and Prekker’s driving percussion. Along with the full group material, the Twigs throw in other welcome oddities such as Howell’s Fahey-like “At the head of Every Creek,” “P.E.A. Vine Blues,” an arrangement of a tune from Portuguese Africa, and a book ending solo version of “Crossing the James,” with Gangloff on baritone banjo. In tri-fold digipak. CD $10.

vhf#92 Jack Rose Kensington Blues CD

Fourth full-length from Jack, an inspired mix of styles and sounds that brings his in-person mastery down to CD scale. Kensington Blues is Jack's most diverse outing by far, with straight ragtime, heavy 12-string, and that sweet sweet Weissenborn lap guitar all checking in. Honed during endless touring in 2004, the repertoire here is delivered with maximum authority in a series of first-take performances recorded in early 2005. "Cathedral et Chartres" and "Calais to Dover" are dense, brooding 12 string numbers, recalling the key tracks on 2004's Raag Manifestos CD. "Calais" features a sequence of right hand picking furious enough to evoke a dream state ala Charlemagne Palestine's "Stumming Music." "Rappahanock River Rag" and "Flirtin' With the Undertaker" are pure syncopated ragtime, while "Kensington Blues" offers an almost regal take on the intersection of Anglo and American trad. The epic "Now That I'm A Man Full Grown" was the signature piece of many of 2004's live shows, a display of mind-boggling slide invention that straddles the line of east and west ala "Yaman Blues" from the Opium Musick LP. In something of a surprise inclusion, Jack's take on Fahey's "Sunflower River Blues" (long a staple of Pelt and J.R. gigs but never included on a record) is subtle and expressive, with a wonderful rise and fall that perfectly accentuates Fahey's beautiful melody. LP is a new cut by John Golden, pressed by RTI, and sounds glorious. Gatefold cover. CD $9, LP $13

*Jack Rose Kensington Blues
*Black Twig Pickers Hobo Handshake

Hobo Handshake [2008] (part1/part2)

Kensington Blues [2005]

Jack Rose & The Black Twig Pickers at Terrastock 7

Jack Rose - I do play Rock and Roll [2008]

A cordial disc, of healthy parameters based on the increasing tuning in of relation of gratitude among persons, to the horizon of a field of wheat the bodies are spied emerging of the lovers, a perfumed track blocks up in the birds the distance that it controls in dread, and they dance for neighborhood of the orange painting, as a trip to the unknown thing makes, with fine arpeggioes that transforming in environment, up to sinking in you connect of guitar the only melodies at the back of the noise core that creates dependent disoriented condition.

Un disco cordial, de parametros saludables basados en la creciente sintonia de relacion desde gratitud entre personas, al horizonte de un campo sobre trigo se divisan los cuerpos emergiendo de los amantes, un rastro perfumado ciega en las aves la distancia que controla su temor, y bailan por rededor de la pintura anaranjada, tal como las notas emprenden un viaje a lo desconocido, con sutiles arpegios que se transformaran en ambiente, hasta calar en acoples de guitarra melodias unicas en el fondo del ruido nucleo que crea estado dependiente desorientado.

jack rose — i do play rock and roll CD, LP

CD released march 3, 2008 as an installment in the oscillation III series. sold only as a part of the set.

LP released in september 2008 from a limited edition of 1000 copies. $19.00

while jack rose's compositional skills are always clear and apparent, observing one of his live performances allows even the most casual of listeners to be exposed to his works in an entirely new light. when played for an audience, rose's compositions are given time to stretch out and display an improvisational punctuation. various live tracks have popped up over the course of rose's discography, but i do play rock and roll is his first complete album of live material.

i do play rock and roll's forty-one minutes are comprised of only three tracks meticulously selected from jack's live archives. an epic workout of "calais to dover" (originally appearing on 2005's kensington blues) recorded in 2006 starts the whole affair with a bang. the follow-up is documentation from a 2004 appearance on VPRO-fm in the form of "cathedral et chartres." the disc's closer, "sundogs" is a real treat. previously available only as a studio performance on the seminal by the fruits... triple LP compilation, it takes on a whole other twenty-two minute grinding, droning life live.

this disc will be released on vinyl by three lobed recordings in september 2008 from a limited edition of 1000 copies. the LP will be on 180g RTI vinyl and housed within an "old style" high gloss LP cover. available for pre-order for delivery upon release.

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Three Lobed recording

I do play Rock and Roll [2008]

Jack Rose Kensington