Mariae Nascenti, RAISE YOUR PAW TO THE SKY AND BREAK THE TRUCE limited cd (Final Muzik)
Ango Visone, who is the creative force behind this project, both in terms of music and the art that is on the cover and booklet, is a nice Italian bear (well, I don't know that he's nice in a moral sense - but he's pleasing to my eye, anyway...) who has made numerous impossible-to-get CDRs as well as some fairly short, relatively more accessible (in terms of obtaining) releases.
This would be one of the latter, though, as there are only 1200 copies available, that might not be the case for long. I only got one because I know someone who guests on this disc (more on THAT later).
This is electronically based, but not in a dance music way. Drones are behind much of the music, but not the ugly squalls of, oh, Vibracathedral Orchestra (who I love, but tuneful they are not). These tracks are generally moody and will definitely not be used on an Up With People tour, but they are not utterly gloomy and despairing Cure pastiches (DESPITE a track called "Blood Runs Through My Veins But I'm Not Sure or Count Three And Slice My Throat, C'Mon It's Easy").
The track by that name opens the collection, and, though the vocals are by Buffalo, NY Bear artist Kendall, along with someone named Artemisia, it's not the former's usual funky or funny fare. Of course, that might be because the vocals take up only about 5 seconds of the eerie looped crashing and humming synth noises that constitute the rest of the track.
Track 2, "Maria" - blink and you miss it - it's a baby sobbing out that name.
Track 3, "These Giddy Moments Ruin Me And My Sleep or This Is A Letter I've Never Sent", is the only appearance of vocals by Ango on the disc - a deadpan recitation in English in a deep voice. There is a persistent bulleting machine beat throughout, along with some choir vocals. This track is the closest thing here to danceable, though it is more like approachable Throbbing Gristle.
Track 4, "Dagger", is nominally a Slowdive cover, though it peels away the bombastic and grandiose qualities of that British band's rendition and leaves it a grim, dark drone, though the e-bow guitar is very affecting. Ironically, considering Eno produced the original, it sounds much more like that gentleman's work than the source version does.
"Everything Is Fine But Me or The Kindness Of Your Touch" is a dark and hollow vocal mostly set against a squealing or thudding guitar and a spacious drone, though sparse piano comes in at the end to relieve some of the gloom.
"Holding Gessica's Halo In My Hands I Feel Less Unhappy or Bark Bark Bark Bark Bark Bark Bark Bark Bark Bark to The Clouds" has a dramatic, neo-classical piano part, intercut and underlaid with drones, bells and organ.
"Remember To Forget or O'Spanteco Dint O'Core" has approximately one minute of the husky, sensual voice of GB Jones (one of my personal heroines) at the outset. The way in which the delivery of the line "Have you forgotten?" simultaneously suggests horror, hope and curiosity is brilliant. The track then opens into a vibrant, pulsing instrumental (featuring the only real drum kit appearance on the record) that is spookily beautiful.
"Amavo Addormentarmi Sulla Tua Pancia E Respirare Al Ritmo Del Tuo Respiro or There Are Things You Can Leave But You Cannot Lose" is a brief pulsing drone which is somehow vaguely reminiscent of an airplane engine.
"Grazie" is a brief recording of someone singing in the subway, accompanied by accordion.
"The Story of The Sad Bear, The Meek Hunter and The Pale Spark or The Story of the Deaf Bear, The Silent Hunter and the Blind Spark" is a long, sad but darkly humorous story, oddly reminiscent of Stardust without the misogyny and with an extra character added. Paul Beuchamp's flat recitation only heightens the black comedy of the piece.
There is also a bonus video on the disc, "The Monster's Faded Eyes", in which our artist appears nude. Though it is a very effective film, making good use of both found and new footage, I'd be lying if I said that a major factor in its appeal were not the bear-nekkedness. :)
Scott Free, THE PINK ALBUM (A POP OPERA) cd (Leather/Western Records)
On the superficial honesty tip, I must confess that Scott is one of the few musclebears I have ever found attractive, and his was, ironically enough, the only gay wedding I have attended since they became legal in Canada, though it wouldn't be legal back in Illinois, to my knowledge.
Having said this, I have enjoyed the evolution of his music over the past few albums (and his one 7", at that), starting at the savage fury of "Getting Off" (at a time when his health as an HIV+ man was at a low ebb), moving on to the varied pop of "The Living Dead" and "They Call Me Mr. Free" (with the latter even including rap and hip-hop), leading to...
"The Pink Album". He warned us it would be different. I, of course, being an immature Bear holding on to my Cubbishness as long as I can, theorized it would be an all-lambada release. Um, no.
It is, instead, a collection of songs inspired by roughly forty years of gay male experience as related to Scott by friends.
The record opens with a trumpet and organ overture (it IS an opera) called "Pretty Girl", and leads into the pounding piano and angular guitar strums of "Like A Girl", which more than a few Bears (even those in denial) can relate to. You know the drill - 'you throw like a girl', 'walk like a girl', etc. I guess I was lucky enough to have a fairly rugged sister, so I didn't really get that. No, my rejection was based on my behaviours - I threw like a wimp or a geek or... I DO remember being told that boys didn't do certain things. That was kind of irritating, but I guess it's further proof that I am a loner that it would never have occurred to me not to do those things in order to fit in. Again, I still know the stories...(the middle part where some synthetics deliver clarinet and strings was also very stirring).
"The Boy In The Last Pew" is all about religious rejection. The track is driven by piano, sampled voices and church organ. Scott's voice has a beautiful raspiness, even in the harmonies. Immature as I am, I can't wait until preachers who stand in judgement of children arrive at the Pearly Gates and are reminded by Miss Thing Jesus what she said about suffering the children to come on to her...
"Alone" is, well, about living alone without family, friends or lover, as the funny uncle and so on. Vaguely jazzy piano chords, trumpet, accordion, crashing drums - it's not unlike Joe Jackson , which is apt.
"This Is Me" is led by jazz organ, propulsive drums and percussion and stabbing rhythm guitar, in a tale of sex at the beach, with a mixture of regret and realization.
"Mom Dad I" is a coming out story of sorts, accompanied by bitter piano and a flat drum thwack, as well as organ,with a mixture of abjectness and trying to be sensitive and positive. More than a few folks TODAY can relate to THAT one...
"Happy Again" has a techno groove to it, with a bed of string sounds and bass. I had a bit of a hard time placing it chronologically or thematically, but I think it would be the 70s and its bittersweet tone suggests someone starting to come to terms with the possibility of happiness, though not quite there yet.
"Meet Mr. Right" has a cheery rhythm guitar, clacking drums and a walking bassline, and seems to be about introducing a boyfriend to not particularly supportive parents. Halfway through, some broad piano chords, organ and trumpet join in as well.
"Free" opens with real violin and harmonica, as well as insistent drums, and is one of the first signs of defiance on the record. When will we be free? Still waiting...
"GRID", well, is about what AIDS was called initially. I wish I wasn't old enough to remember that, but, then, I wish neither I nor anyone else had to know about the syndrome, inasmuch as I wish it didn't exist. The song discusses some of the earliest theories, approaches and treatments. Not a happy subject, but delivered over stabbing piano chords and swelling harmonies.
"Death Toll" has a breakbeat of sorts, with a rap over top of that and squiggly/chiming electronic sounds. It's the first real hint of anger and politics on this release, but, halfway through Act III, we are clearly in the 80s. "Better" follows, with deep piano, bells and a sad vocal. Painful.
"Act Up Fight Back" is a voice collage over a beat, much like Le Tigre's "New Kicks", though, in this case, about the war for affordable drugs and treatment and funding, rather than, well, given the effects of war on the economy, perhaps they're not that different...
"Equal" kicks off Act IV with swirling synth, organ and string patches, full of hope and optimism. The harmonies are almost Beach-Boys-like halfway through. Of course, this song seems largely ironic in the States, and not all that much less ironic in Canada.
"Two Great Dads" is a touching and sentimental song about parenthood. Very sweet, though not likely to be the TV movie of the week. (note: yes, Bill, there was that TV show "My Two Dads" - not QUITE the same thing... ;) ).
"Side Effect" is a rather bitter song, evidently using the metaphor of medical side effects to describe a dissolving relationship. The discordant chord that ends the piece is, thus, perfect.
"My Generation" closes off with a return to the trumpet, gently ticking drums, clanging rhythm guitar and piano that occupy much of the release, in an attempt to sum up all that preceded in roughly four minutes. It does include most everything, though it can hardly be complete - but, then, this is not EVERYONE's stories - it's SOME people's stories.
Scott continues to evolve as a mostly one-man band, what with the accordion and trumpet found here. I can hardly wait to see where he goes from here, and I hope his is a long life full of much more art as touching and ambitious as this.
Various Artists, BEAR TRACKS 4 cd (Woobie Bear Music, 912 S. 4TH STREET, IRONTON, OHIO, 45638)
I confess to my prejudices. I am, in the words of Sleater Kinney, the queen of rock and roll. My taste for dance music is fairly limited , so I was a bit surprised to hear what sounded like electronic disco tunes on the 4 discs to date in this series.
On the other hand, I can see some of the point. If you grew up like a number of bearish lads, generally ostracized from dances, and then you came out and STILL got people staring at you on the dance floor (not in a good way), you might turn to dance music to reclaim it. Besides, though I can't relate to THAT impulse, I can definitely relate to not feeling at home. Generally, the more people tried to make me uncomfortable, the more I infiltrated and refused to leave. In that regard, maybe I should regard this disc as a little version of me, surrender and hear what it has to say.
"Breathe" by Nekked has nice throaty vocals, catchy string pads (both stabbing and warm baths of chords) and a definitely toe-tapping bass drum part. I liked it.
"Woof" by Straight Up Queer has some cute piano elements, and the bass synth part is nice enough, while the lyric about something hairy on the dance floor was nice, but the echoey vocals and horn-like edits just got on my nerves somehow. I felt much the same way about "Deep As Blue Water" by Flipbunny.
"Sweat" by Bigg Nugg - fun vocal processing, nice grunting sounds and weird squiggly synth noises. Hip-hop. I liked it well enough, though I've never been much on the whole sexual bragging tone of that genre. Again, I can understand it is, to an extent, a reaction to repression in the culture (wow - double whammy - black and gay...), but I prefer to think that's a sign one needs to work on the culture that leads to such necessities.
"My Penis Has A Mind Of Its Own" by Patrick Arena and the Testoster-tones is fun loungey jazz. My favourite track to date, though the wrong "its" on the cover irked me (I corrected it in the review).
"Trash Circus" by Micah Barnes has a nice driving piano and a growling baritone vocal, with a rolling groove to it. Canadian content, at that...
"Bear Man Hoedown" by Jack Schell has a nice slide guitar tone to it, but the house piano, the sort of clapping/skipping beat and what sounds like a vocoderized wordless vocal nag at me. It's brief, though.
"Shucks (The Homosexual Song)" by Richard Summerbell is a sort of Kinky Friedman song, if everyone's favourite Jewish cowboy really WERE gay. It's a wonderful country-rock piece of gentle satire.
"Laughing Mosaics" by Northgate is a gradually unfolding, majestic piece of electronics. It reminded me of the gothic sound of Black Tape For A Blue Girl. I liked this one.
"Saw It In A Movie" by Flipping The Pig is a somewhat rocking track, though the tempo is a bit sluggish and the percussion rather repetitive. The synthesizer sound is reminiscent of late 70s post-punk records, which is a good thing. The vocal mix is at its best when the voice is lower and singletracked - the harmonies seem slightly off when the singer either harmonizes or has another singer with him. I do like how the track sort of stumbles to an end, though.
"Break The Silence" by Freddy Freeman - boy has a beautiful voice, and his arrangements are always tight. Hmmm - that sounds a bit suggestive - so be it.. Wah-wah guitar, wailing Hammond organ, subtle fuzz-tone rhythm guitar - tasty stuff.
"Warning" by Skin MdchaniX has some individual elements I like (a few guitar passages that sound Led Zeppeliny) but the track as a whole is just too changeable and confusing.
"Trade" by Jinx Titanic is reminiscent of the bombast of Extra Fancy, which is a good thing. Nice feedbacking guitar, insinuating snarl of a voice, strong propulsive drumming. While, again, the boasting tone is troubling, I suppose I'm a hypocrite in finding it stimulating. Of course, one wonders about the difference between author and narrator (I was an English major - I have to think that).
"I'm Drunk" by Patrick Kelley, again, has some nice fuzz-tone guitar, and the way in which the vocal is processed and pushed way forward does seem a bit like the way some drunks talk (too close and too loud), but the track doesn't really develop much - it's a fairly static groove.
"Axis" by ROLEKI sounds very much like standard dance club fare at the local establishments. DIdn't do much for me.
"Eisbar" by Glamour To Kill sounds like Boney M with some metal guitar added on, except with the guy from Right Said Fred or even The Sugarcubes or Aqua deadpanning on top, backed by even more ironic female singers. I liked it, despite myself.
"Labrynth" by Gore Gore Gays also shouldn't work, but the opening acoustic guitar, the 'whoooos' and the syndrums all conspire to shortcircuit my critical faculties. Great campy fun...
"Dominator" by Reigning Men? It didn't dominate me. It didn't even make me want to call it Daddy. It just...was.
All told, another eclectic collection of styles. There is no ONE 'Bear' music...
Winsome Griffles, MEET THE GRIFFLES cd (self-released, P.O. Box 590488, San Francisco, CA, 94159)
One of the members of this queer rag-time trio is none other than Larrybob, aka Larry Roberts, who was behind the long-time publication HOLY TITCLAMPS, a wonderfully irreverent and varied 'zine from the Bay Area (though he is a Minnesotan - practically a Canadian...this may be why I like him so...). He tinkles piano and sings here.
Anyway, these days, Larry has an ottery look (otter: thinner Bear), and favours big fellas, based on his ex whom I've met and his current partner of whom I've seen pictures.
This album, whose base sound is vocals (Larry-Bob and Jack Griffle), piano, drums (from Serbie Griffle) and banjo (Jack), though bass, harmonica, jew's harp and trombone sneak in the back door here and there, is full of both originals and covers in a lively, jazzy feel.
"Alabama Jubilee" opens the proceedings with a bouncy piano and an account of a roaring party.
"Birthday Party Clown", on the other hand, is an entirely different kind of party, complete with naughty words (but not to worry, as there's a radio friendly version appended to the disc). Suffice it to say fear of clowns does not seem to be among the narrator's neuroses.
And then there's the sardonic, banjo-strumming and drum-tapping "Gay Cruise" - thank goodness I'm not the only person to whom the notion of being trapped on a boat full of queer men is hellish.
As to "Your New Stupid Boyfriend", well, it's bitter and nasty (with the sugar of the group vocals not concealing the arsenic) and, thus, required listening (and, again, tender ears can be spared by the radio version).
"Atheist Gospel Song" and "Family Tradition"? Both are cheery tunes setting a nice pace by which the band can march straight to hell and/or prison.
"Crush Me" and "Dan's Big Hands" have varied perspectives on dominance/submission, the former brightly gleeful and the latter wistful.
It's not a rock album, but it's not easy listening either. Imagine if Randy Newman or Tom Lehrer did a ragtime record...that might help you get the idea.
