Scrap Heap (and related musings)

music I like: Washed Out

scott@oceanbase.org — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:17:34 GMT

This music is incredible. Where the fuck did it come from? Why is it so good? Lo-fi, hazy, muddled synthpop; and the band name is appropriate - it does sound washed out. My favorite track, "New Theory," makes me feel like I'm drunk and out late, in a good way, you know.

This was a random find on an mp3 blog, and now you've randomly found it as well. I love it when a totally impulsive download turns out to be this good.

blinds

scott@oceanbase.org — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:45:20 GMT

Nice weather makes me happier than anything in the world... even the beauty of true love seems superfluous on a day like this.

Good thing, because the latter is a lie.

"new" re-recorded track: Your Way

scott@oceanbase.org — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:14:02 GMT

Hey internet,

Still waiting for any pics or recordings from the Lighthouse blowout to surface. I know people took some. The most exciting part of that night came at the end, when 20+ people took part in an epic spontaneous jam throughout the whole house. Hell yeah. That's what I'm talking about, DC noise scene. More like that, please.

For my part, I surprised everyone by singing and dancing to old songs of mine, relegating the obligatory noodly noise to a few minutes at the end. This was not a welcome or pleasant surprise, I'm sure. One was a spiffed-up version of the track "Your Way" which always suffered from poorly recorded vocals. Here is a new studio version with decent vocals:

Scrap Heap - Your Way

Crank it! And remember to stay posi.

Appearance at epic last Lighthouse show this Friday

scott@oceanbase.org — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:08:27 GMT

Both Bulkhead Collapse and Scrap Heap are playing short sets at the legendary Lighthouse's epic last show, along with 11 or 12 other artists, so don't miss it! We'll be going on fairly early in the evening so be there by 5 if you can - the flyer, in case you can't read it, says "skip work." Consider the relative weight of seeing Bulkhead Collapse play versus keeping your job and feeding yourself, and I'm sure you'll make the right decision. Seriously though, cool stuff will be going on at the Lighthouse well into the night.

From Sunday:

Bulkhead Collapse debut set was fun. Everything went wrong, but nobody noticed! Actually, nothing went wrong at all, which is kind of a gyp. Chris Videll was kind enough to record our set and you can listen to it if you're into recordings of shows.

Bulkhead Collapse show Sunday

scott@oceanbase.org — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:25:07 GMT

Is this turning into one of those "sorry guys, still can't think of anything to put here" blogs? Answer: YES. What is the point, lol internet, etc. (I can't believe the last thing I wrote here was about pasta)

BUT! Just in the nick of time, here comes Bulkhead Collapse to rock your socks.

My band's name might be written too big, considering that we are opening; oh well. Hey, you should've made the poster then, potential haters! I'm sure no one cares.

Bulkhead Collapse is a new electronics+drums duo consisting of former members of Aerosolized Mucus and The Caution Curves. We "meld feedbacking alien chromatic tones with clattering drumbeats," whatever the hell that means. Our name is taken from a track on this masterpiece of a harsh noise album.

After us will be playing: Fractale (from France), Vector Trio and Lost Civilizations (both local). I think they're all kind of experimental free jazz. Anyway, come upstairs at Bossa Bistro & Lounge Sunday at 7:30 and check it out!

pasta

scott@oceanbase.org — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:32:12 GMT

You know, the Italians think pasta should be "al dente," and that's all well and good, but I disagree. I don't want my pasta firm to the bite; I like it softer. So take that, Italians!

tonight

scott@oceanbase.org — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:32:13 GMT

unfortunately, i can't come to the noise show tonight. i'll still be seeing northern machine and second land at the epic all-day show next saturday, so that makes up for it for me. most excited about those guys.

show update

scott@oceanbase.org — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:10:10 GMT

here is a list of some shows that may be of interest to people i know and/or who read this blog. please do inform me of anything you consider an omission. a * means i'm planning to attend. i may go to other things as well, but it is less certain, you know?

*Fri, Sep 18: Himalaya, The Gagged @ Kansas House, Arlington, 7pm

*Sat, Sep 19: District of Noise CD release party: Second Land, RDK, Bushmeat, Nine Strings, TL0741, Soft Pieces, Twenty-first Century Chamber Ensemble @ Pyramid Atlantic, Silver Spring, 7:30pm

Mon, Sep 21: Electric Possible: Matta Gawa, Dubpixel, Rape Ape, Mercury Fools the Alchemist @ Bossa, DC, 8pm $5

Tue, Sep 22: Sonic Circuits Festival: Elliott Sharp, Annea Lockwood & Tom Bucker, Never Work, BLK w/ BEAR, VJ Poppins @ Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, U of MD, 7pm free

Wed, Sep 23: Sonic Circuits Festival: Nine Strings + Pilesar, Twenty-first Century Chamber Ensemble, Mind Over Matter Music Over Mind @ Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, DC, 6pm free

Wed, Sep 23: Sonic Circuits Festival: Fern Knight, Luigi Archetti, Odal, Blue Sausage Infant, Twilight Memories of the Three Suns @ Velvet Lounge, DC, 9pm $10

*Wed, Sep 23: Chain and the Gang, Soft Power @ Black Cat, DC, 9pm $10

Thu, Sep 24: Sonic Circuits Festival: Bernd Schurer, Martin Neukom, Thomas Peter, Jan Schacher, Marcus Maeder @ Embassy of Switzerland, DC, 7pm $10

Fri, Sep 25: Sonic Circuits Festival: Evan Parker & Ned Rothenberg, David Daniell, Bicameral Mind, Janel & Anthony @ Pyramid Atlantic, Silver Spring, 7:30pm $15

*Sat, Sep 26: Sonic Circuits Festival: Jandek, Kotra, Northern Machine, Qfwfq Duo, Ayyoko Confidential, ige*timer, Jeff Carey, Tim Hecker, Gunter Hampel, European Trio w/ Elliott Levin, Blevin Blectum, Fckn Bstrds, Soft Pieces, Pilesar, Ergo, Second Land, Sean Peoples @ Velvet Lounge, DC, 2pm-2am $20

Sat, Sep 26: Polvo, Last Century @ Black Cat, DC, 9pm $15

Sun, Sep 27: Sonic Circuits Festival: Faust, Rat Bastard+Chris Grier+Ulrich Krieger, HEALTH, Pekka Airaksinen, Alexei Borisov & Anton Nikkilä @ Black Cat, DC, 8pm $15

Wed, Sep 30: New Model Army @ Rock and Roll Hotel, DC, 8:30pm $15

Fri, Oct 2: Deathrats, Bloodmouth @ 3rd St Coop, DC, 6pm

*Mon, Oct 5: A Place to Bury Strangers, Darker My Love, All the Saints @ DC9, DC, 8pm

Mon, Oct 5: The Twilight Sad, Brakesbrakesbrakes, We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Black Cat, DC, 8:30pm $12

Sat, Oct 17: Broadcast, Atlas Sound, The Selmanaires @ Black Cat, DC, 9pm $15

Sat, Oct 23: Múm, Sing Fang Bous @ Black Cat, DC, 9pm $15

Mon, Oct 26: Ringo Deathstarr, Last Tide, State Department @ Black Cat, DC, 9pm $10

Tue, Oct 27: Screen Vinyl Image, Ceremony, The Sky Drops, Ringo Deathstarr @ Bar None, Virginia Beach, 9pm

Sun, Nov 1: myrmyr, Moon Pie @ Pyramid Atlantic, Silver Spring, 7pm

bemoaning excessive lengths

scott@oceanbase.org — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:05:48 GMT

RANT: i hate super-long albums. how self-indulgent do you have to be to think people want to hear 60-70 minutes of your shit in one sitting? make your point and be done with it. 20 to 35 minutes is great, 40 is ok. over 45 you have no excuse, unless your work is truly some sort of radiant masterpiece of brilliance (hint: it isn't).

less of a rant: last month when i was in london, someone stole my zoom h4, a handheld recording device/4-track machine/mic amp that was basically all the gear i owned. woe was me. not only did i lose a terrible aerosolized mucus jam in which i tried to teach myself to play bass, it's also put the kibosh on making music since i got home.

well that is no more, as i scored a replacement. time to jam with tons of people! my intent is to be musically slutty and have one-night bands with anyone and everyone. not looking for lasting relationships, but we'll see how it goes. if you want in on this action you know how to reach me.

also i am working on a new e.p. that should be done by the end of september.

saul williams

scott@oceanbase.org — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:26:09 GMT

recently discovered: the self-titled album by saul williams is really making me enjoy music in a way i haven't for a long time. i first checked out s.w. when trent reznor produced an album of his, which i dug at the time, but people were saying it sounded more like NIN than saul williams. the s/t is from a few years earlier, and it's got a much rougher and messier sound which is fucking great, and there seems to be a lot more emphasis on the words, and lyrical flow. saul is ostensibly hip-hop but he's all over the place and somewhat genre-defying and it's amazing.

my favorite track is "african student movement," driven by wonderfully sloppy off-beat drums and blasts. it's the glitchiest song on the album, but not the most experimental - "seaweed" is fucking weird. i'd upload these, but internet is slow and someone might sue me, but seriously, go pirate them right now. "black stacey" is a piano-driven hip-hop ballad that, 2 minutes in, suddenly adds super-tight, compressed electronic drums, and i love it. it's like, wait, you just can't do that. no way. you didn't. but he did. although i'm not too familiar with the hip-hop culture saul tends to reference, for my money his lyrics always seem erudite. the message in the spoken-word, orchestral-backed opener "talk to strangers" is haunting and has been running through my head right now as i'm trying, and failing, to talk a friend out of a bad decision, which i won't get into here. "grippo" and "list of demands (reparations)" are fucking killer. this whole album kicks ass.

now on a totally different musical note, i'm hanging out at soho tea & coffee in dupont circle a ton lately, mainly because i procrastinate and need late night wifi after the libraries close. i keep googling lyrics to find out what song they're playing, and it turns out some of the bands everyone loves to hate (the offspring, fall out boy, death cab for cutie) are surprisingly tolerable. i'm actually hearing some really good stuff here, if nowhere near as floor-smashing or profound as saul williams, and probably shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath. ahem. but, these songs are pretty fun and i've made a note to listen to them again sometime: muse - uprising, the white stripes - the denial twist, yeah yeah yeahs - heads will roll, snow patrol - take back the city. i think being musically open-minded means appreciating pop shit as well as out-there experiments. i mean, you have to listen to pop music; otherwise, what are you subverting?

i have many, many people i need to jam with, urgently. it'll happen.

love you all, even those of you who just skimmed this post because you think i'm a boring person (and you'd be right).

heavycore

scott@oceanbase.org — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:09:20 GMT

so i'm in london, and my friends are being fucking slags and taking forever to get their shopping done, so here i am in an internet cafe. we are a band. we are called facerape. this may or may not result in actual finished tracks of music that will actually come out of your actual speakers. if it doesn't, just know that some wasted musicians somewhere had some fun even though they ultimately failed to produce music. that should brighten your day.

music for you to not listen to

scott@oceanbase.org — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:00:02 GMT

hello friends. i recorded a new "e.p." but really more a collection of half-assed demos, in three weeks, as part of a competition/deal/thing with my friend adhesion, electronic musician extraordinaire. his thing is here, and is probably very good, i haven't had the pleasure of listening yet.

mine is called revolt, lover and it is terrible. for the morbidly curious:

1. feeling bad
2. clean
3. budget cuts
4. empty room
5. drip slowly into me

it is kind of stupid synthpop. please do not listen. take this for what it is, an e.p. made in two days (i procrastinated) by a 22-year-old college kid whose main influences are linkin park, the offspring, and fall out boy. okay, i made up that last part, but i want to set expectations as low as possible. somewhat explicit - mom and dad, please skip this one, i'll send you the instrumental mixes.

it was interesting making this. i had an initial flurry of ideas similar to "feeling bad" and "budget cuts," but somehow a bunch of sensitive bullshit ended up on there instead, so i guess i can't deny my true nature. please don't listen. i am going on vacation now and you will not be able to bug me.

tonight's show in Arlington

scott@oceanbase.org — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 07:03:03 GMT

Hey friends, a little more info on this evening's life-changing show at the Basement Speakeasy. Phonic Riot had to cancel, which is too bad because I really liked their band name, but in their place Space Tigers have been added. I have no idea what Space Tigers sound like, but if I'm not mistaken, Sam Chintha from Alcian Blue and The Antiques (both R.I.P.) is involved, so I'm eager to hear it.

The Water come highly recommended from Screen Vinyl Image who call them "an amazing two-piece who create textures through an insane amount of loop pedals and samplers and then play on top of what they build using drums, guitars, and synths. It's quite a sonic experience."

Again the show is at 5pm at a house near Clarendon Metro, and my psychedelic noise jam band, Aerosolized Mucus, is the opening act. More info including a now rather out of date poster in my last update. The final (?) bill is: Aerosolized Mucus, Ars Phoenix, Bop Beetle, Carlton James, Fall Catalogue, Hannah Racecar, Screen Vinyl Image, Space Tigers, Teething Veils, The Water. This will be quite an eclectic lineup, with noise, shoegaze, experimental rock, singer-songwriters, country and "sort of Americana" all represented.

Aerosolized Mucus open for Screen Vinyl Image, Teething Veils, more on 7/18

scott@oceanbase.org — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:12:19 GMT

First: Both shows last Sunday night went amazing; thanks to everyone who came out. During my showhopping I managed to catch Wilson Shook, Anduin, and part of Jasper TX. All were great. Wilson Shook was the most surprising: he's a meek saxophonist who played quietly in front of us with no amplification, making clicks, breathing noises and other stereotypically non-music sounds. I'm trying to talk my friend Adam into seeing him in Toledo.

The downside of playing two shows in one night is of course most people will miss at least one of them, and if you missed Aerosolized Mucus, good news! Although we said our Electric Possible show would be our last before Dana moves overseas, we lied, and are opening an otherwise non-noise event, Night of a Thousand Suns Fest at the Basement Speakeasy in Arlington, Virginia:

(The poster predates our being added to the bill.) This is super exciting. I've gushed before about Screen Vinyl Image and my love affair with their utterly unique electro-infused shoegaze sound and psychedelic visuals. If you live in the DC area and don't see this band, you are wasting your life. Then there's Teething Veils, solo project of Greg Svitil, formerly of The Antiques. A quieter act, Greg is an excellent songwriter with the rare skill of making the acoustic guitar/vocals formula fresh and making music that really sticks with you.

I admittedly know little about the other 7 bands, but Greg apparently picked them, so they will by no means let you down. Everyone who plays at the Basement Speakeasy has always been wonderful in my experience.

As for Aerosolized Mucus, we'll bring the psychedelic noise jams and lube everyone up for a great night. Most likely it'll be a quieter set for us, emphasizing our acoustic side (guitar, vocals, found percussion) with the electronics as more of an accent. This begins at 5pm Saturday, we're the opener and the only "noise band" that doesn't play songs, and you can learn the location by emailing basementspeakeasy@gmail.com - it's walking distance from Clarendon Metro on the orange line. Donations are taken for out-of-town bands so they can afford to get home. You should definitely go, not even for us - though you do love us - but because this whole fest will be so incredible.

Sunday noise

scott@oceanbase.org — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 18:26:55 GMT

Extremities' long-awaited breakout show is tomorrow at Pyramid Atlantic, in Silver Spring - be there! Harsh, pulsating and synthetic, our colliding sonic sensibilities will get under your skin as we open for Anduin and Jasper TX, fine purveyors of drone from Richmond and Gothenburg, Sweden, respectively. There's even a garish and pointlessly risque poster:

Jesus Christ. You try to not go for shock value in this scene, and that's what you end up with. Anyway, be there promptly at 6:30 - we might start early, because when the feeling hits, can you really hold it in? Cassettes of studio material will be available, and we'll also be giving out free hugs, whether you want them or not.

My other band, Aerosolized Mucus, got called last-minute to close Electric Possible in Adams Morgan, also Sunday night! Double score, right? We'll bring our trademark brand of guitar, vocal and makeshift percussion improv filtered through disfiguring electronic echoes, and copies of our debut album Fucking for Peace, with full-color photographs, will once again be for sale. Music starts at 8:30 but we won't go on till 10 at the earliest, so you can hop from one show to the other if suitably insane. Otherwise just pick one. See you tomorrow night - you can hardly avoid me!

cut me up

scott@oceanbase.org — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:54:34 GMT

Anyone know somebody who can cut people in half?

I was trying to get Aerosolized Mucus booked for July's Electric Possible, and it seemed like it might happen. But word is that Electric Possible, with a venue change, will be held July 12th, the same night my other band, Extremities, is playing at Pyramid Atlantic.

Seems there is not, in fact, enough of me to go around.

Noise. No comments.

scott@oceanbase.org — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:27:57 GMT

The Russian noise compilation (free download) I was asked to be on came out. Unsure what length the guy had in mind, I sent him a 15-minute track and a 5-minute excerpt, and it looks like he included them both! Oops.

Anyway, if you check it out, pretend someone gave it to you on unlabeled cassette and you have no idea what it is. That's the best way to enjoy this sort of comp.

Scrap Heap's track, "Rondo of Mortality", is recent feedback stuff like I've been doing in concert.

Edit: More info here, and hey, this comp has pretty cool cover art.

Free improv jam at Bridge Spot, DC - Sunday afternoon

scott@oceanbase.org — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:41:19 GMT

This Sunday, June 21, at 2:03 pm, Jeff Bagoto and I will host a free improv jam at a unique outdoors spot under 295/SE Freeway. Unofficially called Bridge Spot, this is a skate park adjacent to Garfield Park on Capitol Hill, just a few blocks from the Library of Congress in one direction, and Artomatic's Navy Yard location in the other. It's a beautiful little "temporary autonomous zone" that serves as the meeting place of skateboarders, playground families, a horse farm, and the train tracks. It's time there was some live music there as well!

This will be a rain or shine event. The spot is protected from rain by the 295 overpass.

Bring acoustic or battery-powered instruments, as there are no outlets here. And if your instrument is electronic, preferably don't be too loud. It's always annoying to be banging the shit out of a drum, sweaty and exhausted, and next to you someone's farting out a 10x louder techno pad by pressing a button. That's why I prefer all-acoustic jams. But JB curates the Electric Possible. He insisted!

If you want to map this, it's at 2nd St SE & H St SE, Washington, DC. See you Sunday!

John Vanderslice

scott@oceanbase.org — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:29:01 GMT

"The truth is that I have no faith in happiness. It turns to fear, draws the devils near..."

These lyrics are from "White Plains" by John Vanderslice, one of five songs I can recall that I've cried to, excepting occasions where I was actually at a funeral. JV is the only songwriter on that list twice.

However, at his show tonight with a full band at the Black Cat, there will be little if any crying. There will be much rocking out. I'm excited.

If you are anywhere near the DC area, you should go. This is one indie rocker you definitely want a 'slice of.

we all scream

scott@oceanbase.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:33:54 GMT

Feeling weird, I decided to listen to a song that's gotten me through many a hard time before, Powderfinger's "Waiting on the Sun". It's a love song. One of the lines goes,

I can see your face there, in my hands, my love

I took a glance at my palm.

But the blue veins appeared to trace Edvard Munch's "The Scream".

Aerosolized Mucus in Baltimore, 6/27

scott@oceanbase.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:07:24 GMT

Just a heads up, though it's still a few weeks away... everyone's favorite psychedelic found-percussion/kazoo/feedback noise band, Aerosolized Motherfucking Mucus, will be playing a great festival up in Baltimore later this month. The Baltimore Electronic Music Fest takes place Saturday, June 27th, and we will be playing at a punishing 1:30pm. Punishing, that is, if you stay up as late as I do Friday nights. Many other great acts are playing this fest, so check out the listing. Everything will be really great.

Aerosolized Mucus @ Sonic Circuits / Artomatic, 5-30-09

scott@oceanbase.org — Sun, 31 May 2009 19:55:38 GMT

Dear Amanda, about last night: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I hope you were too drunk to remember. That basically sums up Aerosolized Mucus' first show, my friend Amanda being the booker who scheduled us to play.

I'd like to think we provided a counterpoint to how un-experimental a lot of the experimental scene has become. I mean, look who we followed. Club-ready covers of Throbbing Gristle, only they're being sung by a girl; well, that almost reaches Tori Amos levels of innovation, doesn't it? And before that was a dude playing guitar into a bunch of delay pedals... wow, I'm creating walls of drone, man. Amazing, right? Yeah, nobody's ever thought to do that before.

Not saying these acts, Slug Bait and I guess Kuschty Rye Ergot, sucked or anything. Anyone who came to enjoy good music would definitely conclude they were way better than us. But what if you came to be confronted, to meet the unexpected? On that score, there are some very talented artists who don't even try.

That said, our set was mainly an accident. It began with Dana going nuts on the kazoo, and I was afraid people would think I wasn't part of the band and was just there for eye candy because my feedback wouldn't work. It ended with us getting kicked off the stage before our slot was over so the "secret" band that got added at the last minute, who proceeded to play a wanky 80s cover, could set up. I smashed my instrument in protest. My instrument is an old pretzel tin. It now sounds about the same as before I smashed it.

It's hard to call the show a failure, since pissing everyone off and not getting invited back was pretty much the point from the beginning. You know, sometimes you need a shitty band to come in and show you what can be done that the good bands won't. Happy to fill the need.

show tonight

scott@oceanbase.org — Sat, 30 May 2009 18:36:42 GMT

The band Aerosolized Mucus, of which I am a part, is playing Artomatic tonight at 12:30 am. It's a free show, come see us. Take Metro to Navy Yard (green line), west exit, Artomatic is right around the corner in the building directly above Metro. We'll be on the second floor "cabaret stage".

See this City Paper blog and especially the insightful reader comments for an idea of what to expect.

noisehouse was really good tonight

scott@oceanbase.org — Sun, 17 May 2009 08:23:28 GMT

How good? This good:

Also, today at 2:03pm is the flower tunnel jam! Come play something. It's an all-acoustic jam in an underground tunnel near the Crystal City Metro. Full scoop (I'm just going to copy/paste this, my excuse being that it is 4:20 in the morning):

In an attempt to keep the Washington region's music weird, there will be an acoustic jam in a truly unique setting - a vast, isolated, reverb-filled room in a little-used pedestrian tunnel that alternates between blank white walls and surreal montages of flower photos.

Bring: Acoustic instruments and inspiration! You can also play the room as there's great reverb. If you have a battery-powered audio recorder, feel free to bring that as well. No electronic instruments, please.

Directions: From Crystal City Metro (blue/yellow), take escalators up one level and turn right; or from street, take escalators down one level from the Metro entrance at S Bell St & 18th St S then turn left. Either way, you'll pass through a bunch of shops, jog left at one point, but continue straight. At the door to outside, turn left and you'll immediately see flowers on the walls. Continue to the room with two brown lighted pillars.

Contact scott at oceanbase dot org with any questions

Now listening to the GbV that was stuck in my head all evening. Oh yeah, I'm going to go real far. I don't even feel tired, but I sure did at 2, ha.

scott@oceanbase.org — Mon, 11 May 2009 05:24:13 GMT

Listening to old music I made long ago. I think the most demoralizing part of my early music efforts was when I criticized my own work, and someone agreed with me. Note to self: Don't do that to people. Or exchanges like this:

me: Wow, I just noticed I only used two notes in this song.

you (matter-of-factly): Yeah, and that does get boring after a while.