J.T. IV's Cosmic Lightning

The goofy VU-sendup "Waiting for the CTA" (Real Audio) has popped up a lot on WFMU's airwaves since the arrival of JT IV's Cosmic Lightning LP (Drag City/Galactic Zoo Disk), but this collection of the songs and sounds of Chicagoan loner-psychpunk John Henry Timmins is no mere novelty but a document of some headscratching diversity, depth, and weirdness. Medallion-wearing, twin-neck-guitar-sporting JT IV served himself up as a lightning rod of glam-punk eccentricity, seesawing in these archived recordings between ugly basement rock and lost-mind cosmic acoustic wanderings. Discharged from an institution in the mid 1970's and releasing his first single in 1980, Timmins had an unlimited well to draw from in terms of reflections of the seedy underworld of the Chicago streets, fighting heavy demons, and the fantasy of rock salvation. You can see it in his eyes in the (amazing) DVD that accompanies this limited LP, so snap it up now, and check out the trailer clip below.

It's good to know that archivists are out there in assorted locales keeping track of the local luminaries who haven't gotten their dues. Discovering music in the last few years by the likes of Little Howlin' Wolf, Todd Tamanend Clark etc. make you wonder what other treasures remain waiting for a wider cache of ears.

Comments

[Miles]

I actually wrote a column on J.T IV and the story behind Cosmic Lightning: http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/sharpdarts/081106/

[brock]

With only 29 days to go it's safe to say this is the top reissue of 2008.