Tony Coulter here, with a fourth post from Portland -- this time bringing you sights and sounds from Oregon and from that other solidly Northwestern state, Washington. All LPs, by the way, were found by me since moving here, and all tracks are things I would have played on FMU. As a special bonus, I'll also show you two strange artifacts I brought with me from my longtime Brooklyn home....
Before I get started, I should tell you that the image of Seattle's Space Needle seen above was created by Jim Cherry for the inside cover of a KYYX-FM compilation LP called Seattle Grown....
Anyway, enjoy!
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Tom & Theresa: Carry Me Back (Orygun Records, 1975)
Tom & Theresa, touched by the cosmic light:
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Mark Jorg: Come Home My Son (Mt. Angel Abbey Records, 1973?)
Apparently, at the height of the Jesus Freak movement even monasteries released records aimed at turned-on youth. Such is the case with Mark Jorg's sensitive, moody folk LP, which was put out by the Mt. Angel Abbey, located in St. Benedict, Oregon. I've picked two originals, "Listen" and "Lonely Road," which are both spare, delicate, and atmospheric -- and likely to appeal to lovers of "loner" folk psych sounds.
Mark Jorg heading down that lonely road:
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Peace, Bread, & Land: Bright New Dawn (Olequa Records, 1978)
Next up is an LP recorded in Tumwater, Washington, by a trio that successfully blend bluegrass and eastern-inflected folk psych. Incidentally, one of the band's three members, guitarist Sid Brown, was previously in the fine sixties psych band The Spike Drivers. I've picked an instrumental originally written for the soundtrack to a documentary about the beautiful old barn pictured on the album's front cover.
The gentlemen three of Peace, Bread, & Land:
Peace, Bread & Land: Round Barn
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Modality Stew: s/t (UMP, 1978)
Another Sid Brown project, this one recorded in
Vancouver, Washington -- which is essentially a suburb of Portland, as it's right across the state border. The track I've uploaded features the clear, bright vocals of Marisa Longo and is very much in the cosmic hippie vein -- but tastefully and sensitively so, to these ears. Incidentally, a different track from this album was aired on FMU by the great Hatch.
From the booklet:
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The Key Folk: I Know Where I'm Going (Nor-vel, 196?)
The Key Folk -- AKA Mike and the Key Folk -- were a youth-for-Jesus group based in Seattle. This custom press LP mostly consists of so-so covers, but they really hit the nail on the head with the title track, composed by group member Debbie Hicks. Tranced-out and sparely, yet strikingly arranged (love the pointillistic banjo and piano), this epitomizes the sound I look for in this kind of record.
The Key Folk in Action:
The Key Folk: I Know Where I'm Going
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Seagull: s/t (Burdette, 197?)
Recorded in Seattle, Seagull's self-titled LP is an oddity that seems a bit fishy, somehow -- perhaps it was an attempt to cash in on the craze for that atrocious book Jonathan Livingston Seagull? After all, the covers of book and record are almost identical. In any case, what's actually on the record has no connection to the book: instrumental duos featuring violinist Jonathan Parry and guitarist Ronald Orden. Though basically blues-based, the album's improvised-sounding tracks feature lots of odd and dissonant passages that fleetingly bring to mind the Third Ear Band. The cuts are linked by the sound of waves, and the track I've picked, "Dawn," features Parry's violin imitating the cries of seagulls. Would like to know the story behind this one.
A bit of the back cover:
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Various Artists: Regional Zeal: Mouth Music from Olympia, Washington (Palace of Lights, 1982)
Last up on the vinyl front is a compilation of vocally based experimental music (i.e., "New Music") produced by artists of various stripes, all then based in Olympia, Washington. Olympia was also the home of the stone-cold essential OP Magazine, published by John Foster -- who indeed was responsible for the first of two tracks from Regional Zeal submitted for your consideration. The other track, "Getting Things Done," is a clearly Laurie Anderson--esque, yet excellent piece by one Heidi Drucker (played on WMU, ages ago, by the fantabulous Scott Williams).
The "R" Issue of Op Magazine, from 1983:
John Foster: Academic Exercise
Heidi Drucker: Excerpt from "Getting Things Done"
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Turning from ear to eye, I show you next a painting I recently found in a Portland Goodwill. I don't know who the artist is, and can't really put into words why I like it -- but I do!
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Next up is something a friend found in a Brooklyn thrift store years ago, and subsequently gave to me (thanks, Matt!). Two hispanic boys (or so I imagine them to be) made their own LP out of paper. The touch of genius is that they included a paper disc!
Art: Jorge Caraballo II & Richard Oliveras
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Finally, we close with another fake record -- this one is actually a board game! I've given you a sample of the game's rules below. They're way too complicated for me: Apparently, when attacked by a succubus or ogre, a hero must engage in confusing mathematical calculations....
The Rules:
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That's it for this time -- I'll be back in two weeks....
That Looney Brothers album looks remarkably like a real Mingering Mike piece.
See http://www.mingeringmike.com/
Wanna sell it?
Posted by: Ramone666 | January 21, 2010 at 03:15 PM
I have a copy of that KYYX compilation album. KYYX was founded by Pat O'Day, a legendary Seattle DJ who long supported local music in the Seattle area in the '60s and '70s. The station evolved into Seattle's first commercial alternative FM station before being sold and the format, call letters changed. Today, 96.5 in Seattle is KJAQ, a "JACK-FM" station....
Posted by: Larry In Seattle | January 22, 2010 at 05:59 AM
Thanks for the info, Larry! Forgot to mention that the KYYX sampler is from 1978.
As for the Looney Bros. album, I think I'll keep it. Sorry, Ramone666!
Posted by: Tony Coulter | January 22, 2010 at 01:39 PM
It is funny to see this post because I was just in the Seattle-Tacoma area and found a super-rare copy of Art Barduhn's "Our Dinosaur Friends" I had been searching for this album for years, and the fact that Barduhn was a local musician made this a vacation super score. The fact that I found it in the Tacoma Goodwill Bins made it even better.
Posted by: Zombek | January 23, 2010 at 07:46 PM
Hi Tony: See you escaped to Portland (verrry curious about that town myself). Just a notice that ROCKADROME CD is close to release in Spring 2010 by Pacemaker Records. www.pacemaker.cd
Mike Clancy, Toronto.
Posted by: mike clancy | January 24, 2010 at 01:20 PM
Tacoma has the best thrift stores. I should know. As local hero's girl trouble said so eliquently "I live in tacoma and I'm proud to say it's my hometown"
Posted by: Johnny8 | January 26, 2010 at 05:18 AM
Yeah that Mark Jorg album shows up now and again here in Portland, nice "loner folk" as you say. I'm tryin' to put together a Vanco collection, there's a lot of crap on that label but plenty of good stuff too, I recently found the ridiculous Center Line lp, and a so-so one by the Waynes...
Posted by: mjstender | February 08, 2010 at 09:41 PM
Ok This is strange to see.. I'm "Mark Jorg". I changed my name because I keep getting offered gigs for Hispanic functions. I’m in Nashville now and still playing an writing music. I tour with a group called “Bears On The Run”. We have a lot of videos posted on youtube. Oh It took my Moms maiden name for my last name “Temple” and she wanted to name me “Matthew” so I took that for a first name. Thanks for the nice comments. Matthew Temple
Posted by: Matthew Temple | April 06, 2010 at 04:21 PM