B A L L P E E N ( ! ) B U L L E T I N S
updated:August 31st, 2006
Salütes Sound Seekers ( ! )
SKiN GRAFT's Ace Reporter, "Jazzy" Joe Romita here with another staggering summary of the frankly phenomenal feats fathered at the famed fount of flabbergast... the forever favored, far-from faddish, far-flung frontiersmen of the fashionable Fort SKiN GRAFT!!!! Face front, frenzied ones!!!!
IN THE NEWS:
vv Viva Koenki!! CD! The band's second, largely
vv unheard album. Brand new domestic release
vv of the heaviest Koenjihyakkei album
.....Live At Doors DVD! Plays in all regions!
vv Imported from Yoshida's Magaibutsu label.
vv RUINS ALONE plays RUINS & KOENJIHYAKKEI!
.....split 7" with the MICROWAVES
vv It's all in the headline!!
.....E*Rock's Spit Tastes Like Metal in 2-D!!
Gzandak Zeuhligans!!! ! Best be in a modernist, neoclassic, full-on fusion-filled frame of mind, cause we're going on a superiorsonic celestial excursion in this edition of the Ballpeen Bulletins! That's right, it's a full-on Prog Party, with Yoshida Tatsuya's KOENJIHYAKKEI!!!
ITEM! When it comes to highly-desired, collector brow perspired,"been-looking-for-it-but-boy-am-i-tired", albums, KOENJIHYAKKEI's second full length "Viva Koenji!!" takes the present-day prog cake. With the original pressing routinely going for two arms and a leg on the collector's market, it occurred to those ingenious overseers' at SG Recs that there just might be interest in seeing the record brought back from the grave. And after countless late nights, hours of negotiations, and a couple of bucks - HERE it is! Let's take a gander at the official press release scribed by our own Charlie Nite!
Following the release of 2005's "Angherr Shisspa", Skin Graft proudly presents Koenjihyakkei's second album "Viva Koenji!!" to western listeners. With the original issue on Japan's God Mountain label largely unheard, "Viva Koenji!!", generally considered the band's heaviest album, returns to print in an affordable remastered edition. Headed by vocalist / composer / drummer extraordinaire Yoshida Tatsuya (of the bass and drum duo RUINS), Koenjihyakkei sports a listenership comprised of zuehl prog fans, no-wavers and adventurous music enthusiasts; and has proven itself the most exciting contemporary progressive rock act on the planet.
"Start here. That is, put down all your worn out copies of Magma "Hhai", King Crimson "Red" and Univers Zero "Ceux du Dehors" and start all over again with "Viva Koenji!!"... The opening track "Grembo Zavia" has it all - spastic tempo, coathanger meter, vocals that would make the cokehead Magma fan proud, and a creepy zeuhl mosh at the end. The ultimate prog call to arms".
- dom at Ground and Sky
Not convinced? Saunter on over to the AUDIO page, download all ten minutes, fourteen seconds of the newly encoded "Grembo Zavia", and take it for a test spin. If you're still not sold, kindly download it to where the sun don't shine and step off... posuer!
ITEM! Now, ever since "Angherr Shisspa" dropped late last year, the internet traffic cops haven't been able to halt the torrent of emails worrisomely wondering if Koenjihyakkei would be perfoming outside of Japan anytime soon. See, the line-up's scheduling conflicts make it especially difficult, so, we've brought in the next best thing! By special arrangement with Yoshida's Magaibutsu label, we're pleased to import Koenjihyakkei direct to your television set! In stock and ready to ship now, put your heads together for KOENJIHYAKKEI "Live At Doors" on a portable, all region DVD! Packaged in a lavish photo filled fold out jacket, this dynamic video disc documents last years' Angherr Shisspa release show - performed at the Doors nightclub in Tokyo (Photos of the show were previously posted in the photo gallery HERE). The DVD includes two sets plus an encore for a grand total of 16 tracks (and one of 'em's a 3 song medley)! Quantities are limited, so slackers need not apply
KOENJIHAYAKKEI "Viva Koenji!!" and "Live At Doors" are up for ordering now in honor of the incoming Japanese New Music Festival (see below). For prices and info, paypal customers are advised to click HERE. And get this, we have a treat for those who prefer the tried and true traditional mailorder method (y'know, with stamps and envelopes and stuff). You will be among the first to try out the brand spanking NEW Skin Graft Mailorder address! From here on out, send those checks or money orders to:
SKiN GRAFT Records
Mailorder Department
P.O. Box 1545
0'Fallon, MO. 63366 USAThe Chicago P.O. Box remains open, but we've shifted the mailorder outfit a few hours south, so unless you're prepared to W-A-I-T for your order to wind it's way over to the ajoining state, send it direct to the new address.
ITEM! And - wrapping up this edition's titanic trifecta of peerless progressive rock reporage, the North American edition of The JAPANESE NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL is practically upon us! Gird those loins, cuz no less than SEVEN EXTRAORDINARY ACTS will be appearing LIVE on-stage!: - RUINS ALONE! - ZUBI ZUVA X! - AKATEN! - SHRINP WARK! - ZOFFY! - SEIKAZOKU! - and - ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE! The tour starts September 2nd at New York's Tonic and will conclude south of the border in Mexico City! Much like last summer's RUINS "Bassist Wanted" Tour, Yoshida will be perfoming a stripped down solo set as RUINS ALONE, and this time, he'll not only be performing the music of RUINS, but (by special request) attendee's should keep an ear wax-free for some KOENJIHYAKKEI tunes too! A complete listing of The Japanese New Music Festival tour dates have been posted HERE.
ITEM! FAST FACT: The Spellcaster Lodge in New Orleans' 9th Ward is back in business, so to celebrate, Mr Quintron and Miss Pussycat are taking a European vacation... And all of Europe is invited to join 'em! The month-plus long tour will wrap with a show aboard the S.S. Stubuniz at an undisclosed location in Amsterdam! Dates are at the TOURS page!
ITEM! If the first three items have proven anything, it's that music made in Japan can be the tops - the coliseum, even! But take it from Jazzy, some of the best tunes you're likely to hear are MADE IN MEXICO. As you already know, their debut album "Zodiac Zoo" has been pleasing plenty in parts far and wide - and now MADE IN MEXICO have a new split 7" with the mighty MICROWAVES courtesy of the rollicking rollers at Rampage Recordings! We have copies at the ready for mailorder direct to your den of iniquity, so for details, hop to the everything else section of the paypal shop and click "Add To Cart" or, if you prefer, subtract the appropriate fee from your checkbook and send it to the aforementioned new P.O. Box! And get this - MADE IN MEXICO will be performing at the Knitting Factory for CMJ's New Music Marathon this year (along with AIDS Wolf and a host of stars). The scoop may be scooped HERE!
ITEM! Shortly after their CMJ splashdown with MADE MEXICO, Montreal's AIDS Wolf will be blasting off to Europe for a massive two month long tour. The dates are starting to pour in and they are up and at 'em at the TOURS page. And in other news, AIDS Wolf have enlisted the ever-awesome artistry of E*Rock (well renowned all around for the mind-altering POINT LINE PLANE "Smoke Signals" sleeve) to direct a video of the song "Spit Taste's Like Metal" from "The Lovvers LP"! It's now online for the watching - no MTV required! JUST click HERE!
And, yep, all ingredients are jelling for a year-end release for the debut LP from AIDS Wolf versus ATHLETIC Automaton. Watch this space!
But before AAAW hits, tune in same Graft time, same Graft channel for another long awaited piece of business, as members of HELLA, PINBACK, THE ADVANTAGE and a former FLYING LUTTENBACHER (to name a few) knock iit way outta left field. Hit after hit after hit, here comes HOLY SMOKES!
Excel-sore!
"JAZZY" JOE ROMITA
MORE NEW NEWS!
updated: July 11th, 2006
IN THE NEWS:
vv Soak The Saddle LP Deluxe! Includes: vinyl LP,
