Thursday, December 2, 2010

David Bixby


Ode To Quetzalcoatl (which might be the best name for a record in the history of music) was originaly pressed on vinyl with a run of only 1,000 copies. David Bixby had recently "found God", but the drug addled folk singer was shunned by the conservative christians as well as the hippies (if only he'd wandered on to the set of Godspell). Eventually finding himself accepted by a cult, Bixby was asked to record this record to help fund them. Eventually he was disillusioned with the cult and managed to get out.

This is a deepy personal recording and there's a real eerie quality about it...plus you get awesome song titles like "Drug Song" and "666".

Q

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Saint Vitus


Sad news yesterday that original Saint Vitus drummer Armando Acosta passed away at 58 years young. As a guitar player, I never pay a whole lot of attention to the drums of a band but I do notice when they are especially amazing (Mountain's Corky Laing and Melvin's Dale Crover come to mind). Armando Acosta was also that kind of drummer.

I didn't hear Saint Vitus 'till the end of 1986 when I got SST's great comp tape "Blasting Concept 2". For me, the stand-out track was Saint Vitus's "Look Behind You". In fact Dave Chandler's Wah pedal sound on that (especially the awesome audible clicking off of the pedal) is what made me buy a wah pedal of my own. I've never forgotten how to play that song and can't help but play it every time I hook up the crybaby.

This early 12" EP is on the CD reissue of Hallow's Victim, which is amazing and since I think all their stuff is finally in print again, you might as well skip the download and head straight to their store. Oh wait, you already own this I bet...

War is our Destiny