I would never dream of imposing my will upon any of the great musicians I've had on the air over the years (except to say, "uh, play now"), but I really wanted to title this session "Suite: Castle Blue Eyes." Why? Bad rock joke? Not necessarily, as Towering Heroic Dudes sit firmly on the wooden front porch of improvised noise; they're friendly, approachable guys, whose "organic" nature is plainly evident in their creations, which are basically lurching, giant paramecium in search of constant sonic nourishment. (Hell, I have no doubt THD have a lot more to offer socially than CS&N at their peak! Those guys were probably dicks! And why aren't THD playing the big, outdoor stage at the Sonoma Jazz Festival?)
I've been listening to this session over and over, and I continue to hear new layers of communication and activity each time I do. Gentle piano gives way to violence, metallic scrabbling accompanies vocal murmurs, and sheets of digital noise drive past like suspicious white vans. Enjoy!
Towering Heroic Dudes
Set 1
Set 2
Tremendous thanks must go to session engineer Glenn L, who has continually demonstrated his expertise in mixing live, improvised noise with enthusiasm and sensitivity. Big thanks also to Tracy Widdess of Brutal Knitting for her ace manipulations of my sometimes dodgy iPhone captures.
The Towering Heroic Dudes' session on WFMU's My Castle of Quiet will also be available on our Free Music Archive, and via my curator portal there. Thanks again to Neil, Paul and Nathan; THD have CDrs out on Obsolete Units and Phase! Records, and a tape on Cryptic Carousel.
Amazing sets. IT'S ALIIIIIIVE!!
Posted by: SAR ZAN | February 23, 2010 at 08:11 PM
heard this on the air the other night. AMAZING, thanks for making this happen!
Posted by: mh | February 24, 2010 at 10:21 AM