Sinister: Blacky's <long but read for good music)

[Evan Gregg]

noticed this post while catching up after days of icky school work
personally i think that swerve is Giant Sand's blandest record of those
that I've heard (those being: 
"Ballad of A Thin Line Man", "Valley Of Rain", "Purge And Slouch", "Love
Songs", "Glum", "Center Of The Universe", "Long Stem Rant"
(unbefriggginleavable), "Ramp" "Swerve" and "Backyard BBQ Broadcast")

Swerve has a couple good songs but songs that Howe did much better
versions of on "Backyard BBQ Broadcast" (maybe my fav GS album) and a
solo record he did 91 which i randomly came across in Boston called
"Dreaded Brown Recluse" which is no doubt out of print though they're
sposed to be reissuing everything soon (YIPPE YIPEEEE YAAAAY)

dunno if youve heard "Backyard BBQ Broadcast" buts its the most recent
Giant Sand (under that name) album, its mostly recorded live whrere the
name suggests, recorded in someonee's backyard in jersey (i think) for a
radio station, will Bill Elm the bastard steel player from friends of
dean martinez who kicked Joey and John out of the band so he could take
over, aboslutely incredible album including the studio trakcs, a couple
remix type things including a song called "Lester Is A Lampshade" which
is wonderfully happy silly
um i suggest buy any giant sand album you find (hard to find, less so on
the west coast of america, i found "Purge & slouch", "Ramp", "Valley of
rain", "Ballad of A Thin Line Man", "Long Stem Rant" and  all in seattle
(Celophane square for the first two, Tower recrods (go figure) for the
second two which are on one cd, and Nothing Major (a wunnerful indie
store in Tacoma, WA with sspiffy yello buttons that say "it's Nothing
major" i have one on my backpack with my "world's greatest?" button and
they have a little kid with funny hair named Sage (after the band i
think)
um yeah
BBQ isnt too hard to find, Valley of Rain/Ballad of A Thin Line man has
been showing up and Center Of The Universe too, you can order most of
them online if you wanna ruin the fun of finding them in a tower records
playing gansta rap and ungodly decibel levels

wowie this is long, can you tell i like this bandd a little bit?
as for live ramshackle isnt a word i would use, chaotic maybe,
unpredictable yes, godly most definitely
I saw Mark Eitzel play with them at SXSW in 96 that was incredible (that
was my intro to Giant Sand), first Joey and John backed up Mark then
Howe came on to a big ass grand piano and mark left after a song or two
i didnt know any of the songs so couldnt teell you what they played but
it was insane, it wasnt crazy loud it was quiet and mellow, they're
getting old and mellowing out a bit (their first few albums are kinda
scary, pre-joey and john) which is a good thing i think, howe got up and
did his strumming the piano strings bit that he does on several songs on
various records
oh and before Mark Eitzel came on to sing it was Calexico (Joey and John
of course) by themselves, just a surfish guitar and drums, Calexico live
is indescribable, John's drumming is...ahhhh...it has to be experienced,
no horns or cello, or bass or accordian or anythbing else from teh
records just guitar and drums doing all a guitar and drums can do
without hurting your ears
ok i think thats finally all i have to see
<a href="http://www.giantsand.com">www.giantsand.com</a> has info on the
band and the label they finally formed to reissue their albums, Howe's
new solo record Hisser which is mighty fine is on this label but
distributed through V2

yeha thats all i have to say, these boys are gods in my mind (warped as
it is)
----ev
np-Mercury Rev-Deserter's Songs (a record hasnt blown my mind in this
way with this type of music since I heard Tindersticks' 2nd, as someone
said in some magazine about that record "totally fucking godhead", that
always summed it up nicely, and applies to this one too, wowie)

-- 
I'm just a shy boy sitting in a house
When everyone's gone
>From now on
----Mark Eitzel: "Blue And Grey Shirt"
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