Joshua Emery Blatchley

J. Emery Blatchley is a guitarist from San Diego Ca. who has a deep understanding of ragtime, pre-war blues and other distinctly American forms. These traditions with the so-called "Takoma School", free improv and contemporary underground music allow Blatchley to create a personal and original language for six string guitar.

This collection of compositions and improvisations is a first for us here at GSU. These recordings aren't available anywhere else at this time. So, what we have here is a "virtual" EP. I'm not sure at this time if we will be doing more of these.

Joshua sent me a cdr awhile back for a forthcoming guitar based compilation that we are working on. It will come out sometime this year. I asked him if he minded if I posted some of the tracks here and he suggested that I pick a few. Hopefully he likes the tracks I chose and the sequencing.

If you like what you hear please visit Joshua Emery Blatchley and let him know.

Joshua, thanks for making these recordings available.

here it is

Your comments are always appreciated.

A Postcard I May or May Not Send

gsu compilation repost

As requested, we've reposted the links for our 3xCD compilation from the fall of 2006.

Click here -- links are now updated.

Your comments are appreciated

Requested Re-Post

Boots/C.C./ Snake & Remus

Very mysterious box set collection that bundles three enigmatic, modern private press LPs that slipped out under cover of a bunch of record collectors enormously swollen bellies in tiny runs sometime in the past few years.Rumour has it that it's the same nomadic tribe that were responsible for the Jim Collins Music From The High Mass and Terry Rovji LPs that got a bunch of connoisseurs of the more lonesome/dislocated desert hermit school of basement DIY satori pretty excited.And much of the material here follows in the same vein, with side-long narcotically damaged acoustic guitar/vocal performances that navigate personal modes of revelation with alla the slow-burning narcotic haze of the early Jandek records, with a touch of Peter Laughner (circa "Cinderella Backstreet"), Leonard Cohen at his most Biblical and prophetic and solo Roky Erickson.But there's also a ton of other: compositions for electronics and percussion that match avant garde smarts with primitive tape logic and machine sounds that are almost "Bat Stew" in their rudimentary chaos, aleatoric percussive jaunts that skirt form so completely they could almost be NNCK, eerie, dead man piano and subdued field recordings that cross the kind of hallucinatory landscapes that Christoph Heemann assembled across the space of solo titles like Days Of The Eclipse with the nagging feeling that you're somehow privy to the slow tick-tock of broken down brains locked in paralysing thousand-mile embraces somewhere in the last blue sky gasps of nowhere USA.
Housed in a black coffin-style box with a picture of a corpse on the cover, individually-stamped jackets and nada in terms of information, this is exactly the kind of high, lonesome sound that keeps you combing the used bins, set sale lists and backwoods stores in search of the kinda gods-honest blues that would transcend any notions of technique, entertainment or presentation and all the other dud-ends that prevent humans speaking to humans openly and according to their own terms. Highly recommended. from volcanic tongue
These three LPs were originally privately pressed by the artist(s) in minuscule editions sometime in this new century. It appears that very few copies were circulated outside a close circle of acquaintances and it was only by chance/luck that they found their way to us.
Each LP contained no information whatsoever, the only hint was the name stamped on the plain white jacket. Clouding matters even further was the fact that each of the three albums bore a different moniker.Musically the LPs share a consistent solitary vision, one that treads an inward-looking path that leads to far-reaching psychedelic excursions.
"Boots" is a prime example of the range of these albums. Side one features five tracks of acoustic guitar and raw vocal accompaniment heavy on the loner vibes. The flip changes directions entirely, offering a wild ride of percussion and electronics.
Likewise, "C.C - Live at Rainbows End" follows a similar course, although the mood is somewhat less solemn (though no less introspective) on the tracks featuring voice and guitar. The counterpoint here is the near side-long track of barely audible field recordings from an unrecognizable location."Snake & Remus - No Tape Outside" is a continuation of sound and thought. Interchangeably piano, electronics and percussion supplement the songwriter, adding a haunting layer to the already subdued mood. The final side contains instrumental passages of processed guitar strum that weave delicate waves.The LPs are presented in a box, its own cryptic coffin perhaps, with individual stamped jackets consistent with the original LPs. As it says, "It's just a box man". from HP Cycle.

This set is still in print and limited copies are available from Time-Lag, Eclipse and Fusetron

If you like it be sure to order a copy

Thanks to HP Cycle for releasing the box

Your comments are always appreciated

Boots/C.C./ Snake & Remus

Requested Repost

Twenty Six

This Skin is Rust

and

For Every River Buried

In the mid-90s, Texas-based boutique indie label Bobby J Records released these two short-run LP-only albums to little fanfare and even less press. The forces behind this music to this day remain unknown to those outside of the immediate circle of production, and while the conventional wisdom has long assumed that they were done by the same person, the lone presence of
Bobby J Records online claims they're two completely different projects.You be the judge. They're both the sort of '90s indie bedroom psych (w/ the Forever River record being the folkier of the two) that may or may not sound like a single artist's singular progression.Please don't hesitate to add any additional info should you happen to know more about these records than we've been able to share.

This Skin Is Rust

For Every River Buried

Your comments are appreciated

James Beaudreau

Java St. Bagatelles

Debut collection of 24 improvisations and compositions for six string acoustic and electric guitars. The pieces are mostly miniatures. The recording is stark and honest. Fingertips and nails scrape and squeak on strings. Patterns emerge out of chaos and crumble into clusters of notes only to reappear later and crumble again. Simple themes taken from folk and classical forms are quietly and joyously corrupted with dissonant notes, re-arranged structures and muted harmonic phrases.

The pieces are all distinct, but share a certain reflective theme. Like diary entries, there are questions, statements and unfinished sentences.

Passing cars, birds and faint bits of conversation can be heard occasionally and Beaudreau wisely leaves things as they are.

Java St. Bagatelles was released in 2006 in a numbered edition of 500 copies. I’m not sure how many of these are still available, but they can be purchased by contacting James Beaudreau or by visiting his myspace page or website.
James, thank you for making this recording available to us.

Java St. Bagatelles

Big Blood + The Grove

Big Blood + The Grove is the latest installment in the Big Blood saga, slid to us by Caleb at their show here in Portland, Maine, a week ago.

For those already privy to the genius of ex-Cerberus Shoal (now Fire on Fire, and briefly Threads) husband & wife masterminds Caleb Mulkerin and Colleen Kinsella, you needn't read any further -- you already know you need this.

For the uninitiated, this might be a good entry into the short-lived yet extensive oeuvre of Big Blood, as it's quite possibly their best collection of tunes yet.

In addition to the jaunty stoned off-key folk singalong stompers they've become known for over the course of this last year, there're a few nice drawn-out psych jams on here, as well. Charalambides or GHQ might be decent reference points for the sound on a couple of these tracks.

But forget comparisons -- when Caleb and Colleen are in action, there's no real comparison. No one else sounds like this... and no one (as far as we're concerned) can write songs like this.

Special thanks to Caleb and Colleen for making this available to us.

Big Blood + The Grove

Big Blood cdr's can be purchased directly from them or through Time-Lag Records

Fire on Fire have released a 5 song ep, which is available on Young God Records

Rivers Of and Time-Lag Records present

Paul Meztger
Glenn Jones
and Tim Kaiser

November 12, 2007
at One Longfellow
8PM
Portland, Maine
$8.00

Micah Blue Smaldone

Red River Rough Cut

Red River Rough Cut is intended as a sampler for a new album that Micah is working on. The 5 untitled pieces on the CDR are simply great songs and remind me of the best work of Jimmy Webb or Townes Van Zandt while sounding nothing like either. The songs are stripped bare and every note and word is neccesary with nothing out of place.

Currently Micah is touring in the UK and Europe. Below are the dates. Visit http://www.northeastindie.com/micah/home.html for more information or visit http://www.myspace.com/micahbluesmaldone

Micah probably has some of these CDRS available for sale on the road. They are limited in number and totally handmade. We haven’t included the cover art with this download.
The photo of Micah is from The Time of Rivers Festival and was taken by

http://www.myspace.com/telepoet

Micah, thanks as always for making these recordings available to us.

Red River Rough Cut

Your comments are always appreciated.



tour dates
10.19 - Manchester, UK @ Hare and Hounds (Shudehill) w/ Kalbakken10.20 - Skipton, UK @ Christ Church Crypt (North Yorkshire) w/ D. Bridgewood Hill, Kalbakken10.21 - Edinburgh, Scotland @ Henry's Cellar Bar (Morrison Street)10.22 - Glasgow, Scotland @ Tchai-Ovna House of Tea (Otago Lane) w/ D. Bridgewood Hill, Kalbakken10.23 - Newcastle, UK @ Cumberland Arms (Ouseburn, Byker) w/ Steve Malley, the Horse Loom10.24 - Collyweston, UK @ Village Hall (Stamford, Lincolnshire) w/ Lying Scotsman, Hoax Funeral10.25 - Bristol, UK @ Scotchman and His Pack (St. Michaels Hill)10.26 - day off...10.27 - Milton Keynes, UK @ the New Queen Victoria (Church Street, Wolverton) w/ David Thomas Broughton, Mrs. Pilgrimm10.28 - Brighton, UK @ West Hill Community Hall (Compton Avenue) w/ Robert Stillman's Horses10.29 - London, UK @ Gramophone (Commercial Street, Spitalfields) w/ Simon Finn, Tom James ScottEurope dates w/ Alec K. Redfearn:10.30 - Brussels, BE @ La Salle RTT10.31 - Ghent, BE @ 't Floere Foefken, Glasvocht Presents11.01 - Ghent, BE @ Glasvocht at Home11.02 - Nijmegen, NL @ Onderbroek11.03 - Louvain-la-Neuve, BE @ Ferme du Biereau11.04 - Liege, BE @ L'an Vert11.05 - TBA11.06 - Lille, FR @ La Malterie11.07 - Rennes, FR @ Le Bon Accueil w/ Profondo Rosso11.08 - Nantes, FR @ Cafe le Bobard11.09 - Bordeaux, FR @ TBA11.10 - Toulouse, FR @ La Mediatheque Associative11.11 - Clermont-Ferrand, FR @ TBA11.12 - TBA11.13 - Milano, IT @ TBA11.14 - Arezzo, IT @ TBA11.15 - Cesena, IT @ Lego Caffè11.16 - Verona, IT @ Circolo Pianeta Musica11.17 - Senigallia, IT @ Zabumba11.18 - Bologna, IT @ Lovomotiv Club11.19 - TBA11.20 - Ljubljana, SLO @ Celica11.21 - Murska Sobota, SLO @ TBA11.22 - Maribor, SLO @ Club Satchmo11.23 - Knin, HR @ Club A311.24 - Kastel Novi, HR @ Treci Svijet11.25 - Dubrovnik, HR @ Orlando11.26 - Mostar, BA @ Galerija Mala11.27 - Banjaluka, BA @ TBA11.28 - Belgrade, SRB @ TBA11.29 - Skopje, MK @ TBA11.30 - Thessaloniki, GR @ TBA12.01 - Athens, GR @ Small Music Theatre12.06 - Porto, PT @ Casa Viva w/ Chriss Sutherland12.07 - Aveiro, PT @ Mercado Negro w/ Chriss Sutherland12.08 - Lisbon, PT @ ZDB w/ Chriss Sutherland, Norberto Lobo12.11 - Alicante, ES @ El Pixies w/ Chriss Sutherland12.12 - TBA12.13 - Barcelona, ES @ Helioglabal w/ Chriss Sutherland12.14 - Sant Feliu de Guixols, ES @ Casa Irla w/ Chriss Sutherland12.15 - Scandanavia dates w/ Asa Irons TBA :