Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

A question & answer with Hunter S. Thompson at Boulder University in 1977. He mentions that Tom Wolfe thinks that Thompson is turning into "a brain damaged geek" and at times he might not be far off. Then again, it truly is confusing when you have someone speaking into a microphone and the speaker is on the other side of the room. The "lecture" is fascinating, in a slightly baffling way, as Thompson repeatedly cycles from jackass to genius to zoo attraction, though it is hard to tell at some points just who is antagonising and who is being made a joke of.

Download HERE (101MB)

Agnes Bernelle

Agnes Bernelle (7 March 1923 - 15 February 1999) was a Berlin-born (though soon England-based) actress and singer, famous (alongside being an international cabaret performer) for being codename “Vicki” – an OSS wartime 'Black Propaganda' radio announcer who demoralised a U-Boat Captain into surrendering via one of her targeted broadcasts. Other accolades include being the first non-stationary nude on a British stage, working with Orson Welles on the radio, collaborator with Tom Waits, being the proprietor of Ireland’s first disco…

In the 80s, Bernelle released two phenomenally titled albums. Father's Lying Dead on the Ironing Board and Mother, The Wardrobe is full of Infantrymen featuring cabaret songs that Bernelle had collected throughout her career including her own translations from German of Joachim Ringelnatz’s works. Father… is more traditional material, with obscure 1930s playwrights often supplying the lyrics, whereas Mother… features songs in the same style penned by the likes of Tom Waits, Peter Maxwell Davies and Marc Almond. The albums are camp at times, occasionally suffer from the fact that they were made in the land of 80s production, and a sixty-something Bernelle presents a voice more in keeping with Lotte Lenya than Ute Lemper (read: her range is not great and she intentionally does not try and overstretch her vocal talents, rather aims for the more theatrical delivery) but there are some real gems on these two albums. At times it is reminiscent of your grandmother disgracing herself at Christmas, but songs such as Chansonette, In Amsterdam, The Road To Marseilles, and Go To The Wall really stand up for themselves.

A little eccentric at times, but more wheat than chaff. If you’re a fan of Kurt Weill, Marianne Faithful, Gavin Friday, The Dresden Dolls, or French chansons you’d do well to check these two albums out.

Mother is HERE (75mb) and Father is HERE (48mb)

Whilst I’m pimping, I should mention that the modern-day musician most in keeping with Agnes Bernelle’s music (and I mean that in a very good way) is the manic, beautiful ukulele-toting chanteuse Patti Plinko. With a raw, captivating voice, seemingly demure appearance and disturbingly dark love songs delivered with a visceral intensity, Patti is the sound of the French Resistance in war torn Paris; all whisky, murder and high heel shoes. Check her songs out on Myspace and catch her up at Edinburgh Festival this August. You’ll be mesmerised.

www.myspace.com/pattiplinkoandherboy

Oh, and she wrote a song about me and it’s fucking ace.

Gothic Americana

Imagine a backwoods Pentecostal preacher on a bender, with a whisky bottle in one fist and a bible in the other and you’ve got the general idea of what the genre of “Gothic Americana” is about. Mixing generous helpings of spaghetti Western tremeloed guitar, country & western, hillbilly, bluegrass, and even klezmer into gospelized rock & roll, these bands walk hand in hand with the devil and Jesus, seemingly unsure of which they're most comfortable with. Themes of redemption and damnation sit side by side here. Banjo, harmonium, pedal steel, auto harp, fiddle, and accordion are standard. Howls, pants, even yodels are to be found as the frontmen (and occasional frontwoman) sing odes of sin and salvation as if hellhounds are nipping on their trail. Waltz time dirges alternate with double-time barn burners. Think Flannery O’Connor, William Faulkner, Carson McCullers and Cormac McCarthy stories in song form.

This is not so much a playlist as it is a proportional representation of a genre you may not be overly familiar with. I’m terrible with making mixtapes, so just consider this a cross-section of the genre with more weight given to the major players (whilst subjective, I’d say Slim Cessna’s Auto Club are the daddies, if solely for the fact that they seem to be the hub of the network). I have also included a couple of songs from The Denver Gentlemen (listen), whom were one of the first bands to be recognised as within this genre; and Murder By Death (listen), whom are a rock band who display hallmarks of the genre. Also of trivial note is that many of the bands have at some point shared the same musicians. Reverend Glasseye (listen) and Jay Munly are both alumni of Slim Cessna’s Auto Club (listen), who in turn had a hand in The Denver Gentlemen of whom David Edwards (later of 16 Horsepower and even later of Woven Hand) was also a member. Furthermore, John Rumley of gaucho Argentinean band Tarantella was another member of the Auto Club. You’ve got the past two decades of Denver, Colorado’s music scene to thank for this.

If you like any of the stuff on this sampler, then I do urge you to track down the albums (and pay for them). Several of these bands are still fairly small and still active and if they’re passing through your area then do go and lend your applause. Especially if it’s the Auto Club. Seeing Slim Cessna’s Auto Club live is one of the most amazing experiences you’ll ever have in a dark, sweaty room. Seriously.

Murder By Death - Coming Home
The Denver Gentlemen - Fixin' To Die
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - This Is How We Do Things In The Country
Reverend Glasseye - Seven Little Girls
16 Horsepower - Outlaw Song
Strawfoot - Seven Ways
Tarantella - Dark Horse
Murder By Death - Brother
Reverend Glasseye - King of Men
Jay Munly - A Gentleman's Jihad
Woven Hand - Sparrow Falls
Warren Jackson Hearne & His Merrie Murdre of Gloomadeers - She Wouldn't Look At Me As She Wept
The Denver Gentlemen - That Certain Kind Of Woman
O'Death - Home
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - This Land Is Our Land Redux
16 Horsepower - Black Soul Choir
Reverend Glasseye - Mother Is A Carpegian
Tarantella - Elder Tree
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - Magalina Hagalina Boom Boom
Reverend Glasseye - Midnight Cabaret
Jay Munly - Old Service Road
The Denver Gentlemen - Vulture Girl
16 Horsepower - Scrawled In Sap
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - All About The Bullfrog In Three Verses
Warren Jackson Hearne & His Merrie Murdre of Gloomadeers - The Clove Queen
Reverend Glasseye - Black River Falls

Download HERE (124MB)