Hi - don't know about digital options or keyboard options - - but in the 'physical world' I have played about in this way for fun ... ...if you have, or can borrow one to check it out - maybe try running the mic. through a phaser of some sort [or phaser & bass flanger linked together] - I have an old 70's out out control/near uncontrollable 'colorsound' foot pedal phaser ...but with foot pedals [vox etc...] & mics ...I have found that you sometimes need some kind of volume 'limiter' or 'threshold' style noise gate to stop deafening/wild variations in volume - I also have a pretty wild 'Boss' super phaser PH-2 [they are lime green in colour] - you can tape it onto the head mic stand next to the mic and control all 4 buttons & modes on it real easy it that way ...phasers can give you real squelchy and drippy acid lyrics so long as you constantly fiddle with the settings as you are using the mic [takes a little practice but good fun and maybe worth a try] - a piece of foam taped between the pedal and the mic. stand can help stop unwated noise vibration from using the pedal in this way ... guitar effects are pretty good fun anyhow and you can get prefft wierd stuff out of most of them with some mic's - kind regards - bry ; )
The Striped Bananas said:
I'm wondering if anybody has some insight into recording trippy vocal effects? Sometimes in the old 60's psychedelic songs it sounds like the singers are running through a keyboard or tremelo pedal or something. Has anybody ever recorded vocals with these kind of effects?
I'm wondering if anybody has some insight into recording trippy vocal effects? Sometimes in the old 60's psychedelic songs it sounds like the singers are running through a keyboard or tremelo pedal or something. Has anybody ever recorded vocals with these kind of effects?
I don't think I'm covering any new ground here, but my son (he's two and a half) loves The 5.6.7.8s and Thee 50s High Teens. The new album from The Routes is a strong candidate for my year-end favorite albums list.
A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican Nov. 18, 2011
The modern-day one-man band refuses to die.
Maybe it’s the bad economy that makes it more fiscally feasible to travel and perform without having to divide up the gate with others. Or maybe stripping music down to its gutbucket basics is a reaction to slick, over-produced rock ’n’ pop. Or, to indulge in some sociopsychological navel-gazing, perhaps the whole thing is a weird symbol for 21st-century isolation.
Whatever the case, one-man bands continue to haunt the edges of the rock ’n’ roll underground.
The concept is basic: one man plays guitar, banjo, ukulele, or sometimes keyboards with his hands, drums or other percussion with his feet, and harmonica or kazoo with his mouth.
Among the current practitioners of the art are Scott H. Biram, whose album Bad Ingredients is one of the finest records of the year; Bloodshot Bill; King Automatic; Bob Log III; John Schooley; Jawbone; Urban Junior (who calls his music “Swiss-spankin-electro-trash-garage-boogie-disco-blues-punk”); and Mark Sultan aka BBQ, whose acrimonious split from the King Khan & BBQ Show is an example of how even a two-man band can be a petri dish for personality conflicts.
Here are some recent one-man wonders whose CDs have crossed my ears in recent weeks:
* Burn Down by Poor Boy’s Soul. I first became aware of Trevor Jones, the one man behind this band, by way of a strange email from his publicist: “I have been trying to get this band serviced to you for weeks now. Want to know why I haven’t been able to get this out to you? He went missing. Got a call today from him, apparently he was in jail in a small town in North Dakota. Trevor rides the freight trains around the U.S. and, well, he got busted.”
That modern-day hobo-minstrel tale got me curious. I had to hear his voice before the railroad bulls silenced it forever.
Jones, an Oregon resident, got his band name from an old outlaw ballad, “Wild Bill Jones”: “I pulled my revolver from my side / And I destroyed that poor boy’s soul.”
He started out as a metal and punk player. But after he started riding the rails, he apparently got possessed by the lonesome ghosts of Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly. “I bought a cheap acoustic and started learning folk, bluegrass, and blues from folks on the road. That’s when I started developing the style of music I play now,” he says in his official bio.
His voice has a gruff edge to it, but it’s not overdone. Crediting Mississippi Fred McDowell as a major influence, PBS plays a mean National guitar. Most of the seven songs here are hard-edged blues stompers, starting out with the title song — a slow-moving, ominous tune that sounds as if the singer is about to do something regrettable.
My favorite at the moment is “Nails in the Pine.” It’s the most uptempo number, reminding me of The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band. Also notable is the almost-five- minute “Ain’t Comin’ Back,” which has a dark, spooky feel. The way it’s recorded, you might think you’re hearing it from a car radio in the 1950s (right before your car breaks down on a dirt road near the local serial killer’s house).
The biggest surprise on the album is the last song, a somber seven-plus minute ballad called “Annalisa.” Sounding like a more melodic Jandek song, this is a moving tribute to Jones’ sister — who, he says, has overcome many obstacles. “Annalisa, you’re stronger than those demons in your head,” goes the refrain.
I’m looking forward to hearing more music from this poor boy’s soul.
* The Chicken Album by O Lendário Chucrobillyman. This is some of the craziest music I’ve heard in some time. Faithful readers of this column will know that’s saying something.
Chucrobillyman, whose real name is Klaus Koti, is a one-man band from Brazil, who plays American blues with shades of Brazilian country music and some pretty snazzy percussion.
He sings in English and Portuguese. This record is pure Amazon River voodoo.
The eight-song album starts off with a tune called “Chicken Flow,” a slide-guitar blues romp with a frantic clacking beats. Add then he starts clucking — singing actually — like a dadgum chicken!
The late great Hasil Adkins — the West Virginia maniac who is the patron saint of most of these contemporary one-man bands — did a compilation called Poultry in Motion. Chucrobillyman takes that concept one level further. He doesn’t cluck on all the cuts, but a listener gets the feeling that the chicken spirit could return at any time.
All the hens in the henhouse better beware!
This album was originally released in 2008 and was recently re-released by Off Label Records, a German company.
* One-man Spotify: Hear a selection of some of the finest past and present one-man (and one one-woman) bands on my new Spotify playlist One-Man Wonders. (Unfortunately, neither Poor Boy’s Soul nor O Lendário Chucrobillyman is on Spotify, at least yet.) It’s at www.sharemyplaylists.com/one-man-wonders.
I use Gibson amps. I have a 120 watt bass amp I usually run my guitar through live. It gets that nitty rich low end distortion for Hendrix style songs we do. It sounds beautiful for the clean songs as well. It is from '72. I have a 60 watt Gibson guitar amp from '66 that I use for studio sounds. Both are great and I recommend Gibson amps if you are looking for your own sound as a guitarist, something very hard to do.
Me i'm hoping that there are some clips posted from the saturday night triple threat of Luis and the Wildfires, Untamed Youth and the Randy Fuller Four. All three were outstanding and escalated the energy level. Don't think i'll ever be with that many people who get it again. Only three others around here know what i'm talking about and two were at the shows.
Many thanks to all the staff from Norton Records who made it all possible.
If Norton sells a 25th anniversary t-shirt it needs to include the words "I Survived"
Monoman and the Official Canadian Lyres at the Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto. Great performance and setlist! Everything you wanted to hear from Help You Ann to We Sell Soul.
Download or stream the entire Nov. 18 show right here.
Back in the U.S.A. – Bloodshot Bill Bald Tyre – Hipbone Slim & the Knee Tremblers When I’m With You – The Alarm Clocks I’m a Ding-Dong Daddy from Rock-n-Roll City – Jerry “Boogie” McCain Right on, Sister – The Live Ones
Everybody Loves Somebody – Hasil Adkins Buzzard Juice – The Naked Heroes Something for Your Ass – Mighty Fine Flame Gettin’ Higher, Fire Getting’ Hot – Dave “Baby” Cortez Watching My Baby – The Reigning Sound Maybe I Love You – The Jay Vons
Rocket Science – Organs Come On, Come On – Barrracudas
Tomás Kubínek interviewed
Local Lunchbox Break Your Teeth – Holly & the Nice Lions Coyotes – Holly & the Nice Lions Stop Sobbing – Holly & the Nice Lions
Feelin’ Alive – The Cavestompers Sad & Blue – The Cavestompers Everything, Everything – Curlee Wurlee New York Francine – Boss Mustangs Come & See Me (I’m Your Man) – The Gruesomes I Woke Up – Trolley
Hey Papito – Brijitte West 12th Bar Blues – The Loyalities We See Red – The Spivs Did You Forget My Name – The White Wires
You Gonna Wreck My Life – The Dustaphonics Black Plague Blues – Figures of Light My Love – Light Bulb Alley Come Down With Us – The Hook Up Bhaji Blues – The Tandoori Knights
Kev Russell from the Gourds live in-studio
Gila Monster – Joe Johnson Days of Denton – Bad Sports Joker’s Wild – Man or Astroman Electrodynamite – Dynamite Pussy Club Get Off My Baby – Thee Gravemen
Swamp Thing – Southern Culture on the Skids Louie’s Louie Louie – The Keys Cry – The Monsters Give Me Everything – The Ills Pretty Girl – Two Bit Dezperados Too Much Junk – The Alley Cats
Party Lights – South Bay Surfers Denise – South Bay Surfers I’ve Had It – South Bay Surfers Lipstick on My Collar – South Bay Surfers I Fought the Law – South Bay Surfers
We are gonna have open sundays on our radio in december, so anyone can join and do his/her show on Yeah Right Radio! It's loads of fun and we're not giving any restrictions as long as your musical tastes fall within the GaragePunk.com styles.
If you want to give it a go, send an email to sundays@yeahright.eu so we'll get you going!
I'll be on the air and web playing garage, punk and psychedelic tunes from 1:00-3:00PM EST on Saturday November 19. Listen on 89.7 WITR-FM in Rochester, NY and streaming live at http://witr.rit.edu
Show #350: "Bands & Artists Starting With E, Part 6" playlist:
The Essence [UK] - "Call Me A Friend" Essence [US] - "Fever" The Essentials - "Freedom" The Essex [CA] - "Cemetary Stomp" The Essex [NC] - "A Walkin' Miracle" Essex St. Journal - "Progression 256" David Essex - "Just For Tonight" Jackie Estick - "Daisy I Love You" Et Cetera [CAN] - "Tandem" Et Cetera [GER] - "Lady Blue" The Eternals - "Rockin' In The Jungle" Eternity's Children - "Can't Put A Thing Over Me" The Ethics [OR] - "It's OK" The Ethics [PA] - "Can't You See" The Ethics [WI] - "(A Whole Lot Of) Confusion" The Ethiopians - "Free Man" Les Etoiles Filantes - "Something" Euclid - "A. Shadows Of Life, B. One The Way, C. Bye Bye Baby" Euphoria - "Did You Get The Letter" Euphoria's Id - "Deception's Ice" The Tony Evans Band - "Beach Bird (Hot Pants)" Evariste - "Connais-tu L'Animal Qui Inventa Le Calcul Integral" The Even Dozen Jug Band - "The Even Dozens" Evensong - "The Smallest Man In The World" The Ever-Green Blues - "Three's A Crowd" Betty Everett - "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)" Keith Everett - "Don't You Know" Kenny Everett - "A Little Train Number" The Everly Brothers - "Leave My Girl Alone" The Everpresent Fullness - "Darlin' You Can Count On Me" Every Mothers' Son - "The Proper Four Leaf Clover" Everyday Hudson - "Laugh, Funny Funny" Everyman - "It's A Pushbutton World" Evil - "I'm Movin' On" Evil Enc. Group - "The Point Is" The Evil I - "Love Conquers All" Evolution Phase 1 - "Theme Pour La Mort" The Ex-Cels - "Like A Dream" Excalibur - "Dreamin'"
Show #350: "Bands & Artists Starting With E, Part 6"
Every 3 weeks I do a show where I randomly draw a letter from the alphabet. Then I play all bands & artists in my collection from the 50s, 60s and 70s that start with that letter in alphabetical order. This week I drew the letter "E". This is the sixth time I've drawn the letter "E", so I will start from where I left off (which was with The Esquires [WI]). So, tune in tonight (Friday at 10:00pm EST) to hear 3 hours of bands and artists that start with "E" like: The Essentials, 2 different groups called The Essex, David Essex, 2 bands called Et Cetera, Eternity's Children, 3 different Ethics, The Ethiopians, Euclid, Euphoria, Euphoria's Id, Evariste, Betty Everett, The Everly Brothers, The Everpresent Fullness, Every Mothers' Son, Evil, Evil Enc. Group, The Evil I, and many many others!!!
1. The Diodes....Shape Of Things To Come...from the Time/Damage LP from last year. Recorded live in 1978 and broadcast over the airwaves of CHUM FM. Great way to start the show as there is a scheduled phone interview with The Diodes prior to their show at Call The Office Nov 18th.
2. The Cyrkle...Red Rubber Ball...from the 1984 Nuggets series on Rhino Records. Original song that The Diodes covered back in 1977.
3. The Higher State...These Things Take Time...from the Freakout At The Gallery CD on 13 O'Clock Records out of Austin.
4. The Falcons...Belair...from the CD Atomic Guitar. New arrival at CHRW of a Vancouver based surf combo's CD....i have several of their cassettes from the early 90's that i'll have to dig out.
5. The Cynics...I Need More...from their latest LP Spinning Wheel Motel on Get Hip Records. This one is half red and half black...so it looks pretty cool spinning at 33.3 on the turntable.
6. Bush Tetras...Cowboys In Africa...from their Rituals 12" EP from 1981 and for bassist Laura Kennedy who passed away earlier this week.
7. The Sphinxs...Time Above Me...from a brand new split 12" with Miesha and The Spanks...we had both bands here in London this past summer and they both put on great shows!
8. Pack AD...Sirens...from their lastest LP Unpersons and they are coming back to London on Friday Dec 16th to APK here in London. Also on the bill is our pals The Standstills as it is their record release show.
9. The Hook Up....Nerves...from their soon to be released CD and they come back to London on Friday Nov 25th at The Spoke on the University Of Western Ontario campus.
10. The Shanks...David Headon...from their latest CD, Skordalia. They are at The Brass here in London tonight.
11. The Shanks....Jesus Make It Fun...from their Dark Richard CD.
12. Light Bulb Alley...Pepper Spray..from the Sound Of Things CD>
13. Frankenstein V...It's A Cryin' Shame...from a CHRW CD compilation called Dig Deeper from 1994.
14. Katrina And The Waves...Walking On Sunshine...from The Original Recordings CD on Bongobeat Records. BongoBeat Records is run by Diodes manager/Canadian music expert Ralph Alfonso and these next 2 tunes are part of our Bongobeat highlight. For those that don't know, Katrina and The Waves first broke out in Canada back in the early 80's and played here in London many times during that era. This is probably their most well known song and it's a good one!
15. Kimberly Rew...English Road...from his Great Central Revisited CD. Former Soft Boy and Katrina and The Waves, Kimberly knows how to get the pop out of whatever he's playing!
16. Ralph...Gene Vincent Died In My Arms Last Night...from the Sophisticated Boom Boom CD. Ralph of course is, Ralph Alfonso during his beatnik stage.
17. The Diodes...Time Damage..from their first LP from 1977.
18. The Diodes...Blonde Fever...from their Greatest Hits CD on Sony.
19. The Diodes...Catwalker...demo version from their just released CD Action/Reaction which is a re-issue of the LP of the same name with many bonus tracks.
20. The Diodes...Tired Of Waking Up Tired...the hit song from their 1979 LP.
21. The Fine Print....Haunt You No More...recorded live at Brennan's Beer Bistro 11/5/11.
22. Danny Laj....The Match....from the 12" of the same name. Toronto power popper who regularly plays with all of the cool garagepunk combos.
23. Ludella Black...I've Just Seen A Face...from the Sympathetic Sounds of Toe Rag Studios CD i picked up at LA Mood last weekend.
24. The Brood...Why Girls Cry...from their Estrus CD Vendetta.
25. Flying Squad...Fie On You...from Four Whom The Bell Tolls 7" that came with What Wave #16 wasy back in 1988.
26. Photorman...La Ronde Des Garcon....demo from this Quebec combo and we had to fade it out as the time ran out.
Thanx for all the requests and phone-ins.....The Diodes manager Ralph Alfonso called in just as we went off air to apologize for not being able to do the interview. Sound check at The Horseshoe lasted way longer than anticipated...we've had all of The Diodes onair before, and it'll happen again some day.
And The Diodes are at Call The Office tonight...see ya there!!
This more like shameless self promotion but my budy is making clones of FZ-1, FZ-1A, and mosrite fuzzrite. He does a pretty dam good job. Drop me a message if ya interested.
01. Les Dauphins. tu marches et tu pleures [EP/Columbia/1965] 02. Mike Furber and the Bowery Boys. you stole my love [SG/Kommotion/1966] 03. St Louis Union. behind the door [SG/Decca/1966] 04. The Monckenmier Ensemble. cry the rain down [SG/Sonoplay/1967] 05. The Outsiders. haunted by your love [LP In/Capitol/1967] 06. The Outsiders. I'm not trying to hurt you [LP In/Capitol/1967] 07. Tommy James and the Shondells. say i am (what i am) [SG/Roulette/1966] 08. The Trashmen. same lines [SG/Tribe/1966] 09. Jimmy White and the Relations. diamond-coated banana bush [SG/Dome/196?] 10. The Reactors. do that thing [SG/Cameo/1966] 11. The Chartbusters. she's the one [SG/Mutual/1964] 12. State of Mind. make you cry [SG/Chavis/1967] 13. Las Aspiradoras. ni rastro de polvo [SG/HeyGirl/2010] 14. Lothar and the Hand People. L-O-V-E [SG/Capitol/1967] 15. Sound Solution. hide your face in shame [SG/Kapp/1969] 16. Coachmen. tyme won't change [SG/MMC/1967]
