Mr. Gammon conceived a fearful, a shuddering loathing and disgust for the miscreant leader into these enormities; and, but for certain consequences, would have dispatched him with as much indifference as he would have laid arsenic in the way of a bold voracious rat, or killed a snake.
Calexico – “Inch by Inch”
Aerocalexico
This is a short but sweet track off of Calexico’s self-recorded tour LP — whenever I hear it, it always captures my attention, but it’s so short that I always think I missed some of it.
If the earth gradually stopped spinning and was eventually still, the water would be drawn to the polar regions due to the flattened ellipsoid shape of the planet. We’d be left with two polar oceans, an immense “waistband” megacontinent, and a few scattered lakes.
“Pray, sir, be silent!” exclaimed Mr. Aubrey, in a tone that electrified Gammon, who started from his chair. Mr. Aubrey’s face was whitened; his eye glanced lightning at his companion. Dagon-like, Gammon had put forth his hand and touched the ark of Aubrey’s honor. Gammon lost his color, and for, perhaps, the first time in his life, quailed before the majesty of man; ‘twas also the majesty of suffering; for he had been torturing a noble nature.
Geo Herriman was an actual genius. (big)
Earthless – Cherry Red
Rhythms From A Cosmic Sky
This absolutely stunning album is equal parts Don Caballero, Van Halen, and Dead Meadow. The virtuosity on display in the two 21-minute epics making up the rest of the album is ear-breaking. It’s indulgent, insane, and technically impressive — and I’m betting their live shows are bananas. This shorter track encapsulates the sound, but you should really get the whole record to feel the expansiveness of this psych-rock masterpiece.
Seven That Spells – Quetzalcoatl
Future Retro Spasm
My friend Jeremy (who also sent me the excellent Peach Pit) is now in this band, though he didn’t play on this album of wildly kinetic prog. This is the shortest and most succinct of the tracks on the record, which barely gives you time to breathe except during the spacey epic “The Abandoned World of Automata.” Personally, I think it could use a little less horn-wankery, but it’s chock full of ideas and some great sounds — the guitars at 1:25 through 2:06 remind me of the very best of Earthless’ superb Rhythms From A Cosmic Sky. (band site)
Green Palm Radiation – “Rachel Brook”
Green Palm Radiation
This psych-rock album calls back to Jesus & Mary Chain style heavy guitars and atmospherics, though inexact vocals tend to hamstring some of the songs. This, the closing track, brings it to a beautiful and hazy conclusion, with shades of Charalambides’ INCREASE and the more ambient cuts from Sunset.
Placed in a situation which may, I think, be described as entirely without parallel, what is the first proceeding to which I resort? Do I seclude myself from all human society? Do I set my mind to analyze the abominable impossibility which, nevertheless, confronts me as an undeniable fact? Do I hurry back to London by the first train to consult the highest authorities, and to set a searching inquiry on foot immediately? No. I accept the shelter of a house which I had resolved never to degrade myself by entering again; and I sit, tippling spirits and water in the company of an old servant, at ten o’clock in the morning.
What an elegant and beautiful representation of our species’ time in space. (large version)
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesman and philosophers and divines.
Someone at Reddit posted these this morning; his dad, the author of these comics, died today and he wanted to share them. I’m actually shocked at how good they are. Here are a few in honor of Father’s Day; there are more at Reddit. (click for big version)
Before another word could be said by any body a thundering knock at the street-door startled us all. I looked through the window and saw the World, the Flesh, and the Devil waiting before the house—as typified in a carriage and horses, a powdered footman, and three of the most audaciously dressed women I ever beheld in my life.
Dirty Three/Low – “Down By The River”
In The Fish Tank
This fruitful collaboration seemed to me at first to be a strange match-up. The personal, immediate songwriting of Low struck me as a poor match for the itinerant chamber improvisations of Dirty Three — but as it turns out, they supply each other’s wants quite satisfactorily, as this rendition of “Down By The River” demonstrates. Low occasionally wants atmosphere, Dirty Three occasionally wants direction. I hear a lot of both in this song, though many will disagree.
The region’s efforts have been especially focused on protecting its “superstuds” — bulls that have been carefully selected to produce calves with the optimal fattiness.
The studs, picked by local agricultural officials in a multiyear selection process, are monitored for the quality of meat from their offspring. Only one or two bulls out of the nearly 39,000 bulls born in the prefecture each year eventually attain superstud status. Tadafuji, the best superstud in recent memory, sired 220,000 calves, local officials say.
The virtues which distinguish the present generation were not invented in my time.
