3 Feet High & Rising: Height Keech-backing Cornish "Abstract Deconstructed Folk" Band Zapoppin' Unleash Frantic Live at THE CURSE (Last Shop Recs/Damnsonic)

Earlier this month, I got a cold-sent email from a fellow named Luke Richards entitled "Zapoppin' (UK band just been touring with Height.)" Luke was of course, referring to Height Keech's recent MIND MOVES THE MOUNTAIN UK TOUR with Zapoppin' AKA his own band spanning six consecutive dates from 10.18-23. Luke Richards went on to mention that Height suggested I might be interested in their new album, Live at THE CURSE, for potential review on The Witzard. Zapoppin' not only opened for Height, but backed him "with drums and organ on his sets" playing new arrangements of his MIND MOVES THE MOUNTAIN compositions and various tracks from throughout his storied discography. Zapoppin' is a self-described Powerskiffle/"Electrick" organ and drums duo consisting of Luke Richards & Matthew Collington hailing from Falmouth, Cornwall (England.) When asked what they might cite as their greatest sources of influence and inspiration, Richards replied: "we started out being into things like Minutemen, Daniel Johnston, those Anti-Folk bands, Primus, and Tom Waits. With [Live at THE CURSE], we've looked to Suicide, Butthole Surfers, The Make-Up... obviously, there's a lot of 60's Pop and Rock in there and New Wave. We listen to a lot of music!" It's quite hard to peg a genre-blending/creating band like Zapoppin', but if pressed, I would compare them to Gypsy Punks Gogol Bordello, Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock's short-lived side-project Ugly Casanova, wailer Tom Waits, and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

Live at THE CURSE was recorded during Zapoppin's Spring 2016 UK tour and documents their show at "legendary Cornish venue," The Curse; consisting of 10 frantic tracks whizzing by in about 30 minutes, Live at THE CURSE features beefed-up sections from Parma Violence (2009,) The First Four Singles & Other Pearly Wotnot (2011,) Ugly Musick (2013,) and St. Kreun: Songs of Land & Waterways (2016) as well as two previously-unreleased recordings, "Look It Up In a Book" and "Theme from a Spelling Bee." Zapoppin's Live at THE CURSE is now available on Last Shop Recs & Damnsonic and was released just in time for this year's Cassette Store Day, which fell on October 14, 2017. Limited edition cassette tapes and "good ol' fashioned compact discs, like from the 90's" were pressed up to celebrate the occasion; both formats are still available on Bandcamp for a limited time. Each CD and cassette purchase will be accompanied by a complimentary digital album. A few short, cell phone-shot clips from Height Keech's MIND MOVES THE MOUNTAIN UK TOUR with Zapoppin'—including a spirited rendition of Height's recent "DEAD RIDER, RIDE ON"—are currently available to view on Dragonfruit's Facebook page. It appears as though organ player Luke Richards and drummer Matthew Collington are presently holed up in the studio working on Zapoppin's proper follow-up to 2016's St. Kreun: Songs of Land & Waterways.

"Let Me Shine for You:" Lindsay Lohan for Playboy (Winter 2011-12 Leak)

Lindsay Lohan essentially embodies exactly "What NOT to Do In Hollywood :" Fame, fortune, success... sex, drugs & Rock "N" Roll . Within a fairly short period of time, Lohan somehow managed to obtain a plentiful helping of POWER @ a very young age. This gradual rise-downfall was captured on film; Between 1998-2010, she portrayed a wide array of roles across the silver screen in movies including: Mean Girls, Bobby , Herbie Fully Loaded , Georgia Rule, Machete , and Freaky Friday . Between rapid-paced film shoots, Lindsay Lohan also found time to record 2 Pop Rock albums for Casablanca , Speak (2004) and A Litter More Personal-Raw (2005). Needless to say, Lindsay Lohan has gotten roped up in a lot of troubles and woes with the law over the last 3-5 years... a vicious cycle of drugs, arrest, court, rehab, "daddy issues," jail time [Repeat]. That's the pure basics of it - But Google that shit for additional info, if necessary. Towards the end of...

[W]reckless, Topless American Youth: Lana del Rey - "Born 2 Die" (Britney Spears Birthday 30)

Lana del Rey [Lizzy Grant] effectively became 2011's "It Girl" with the release of her phenomenal debut single, "Video Games" (Stranger) . Like many struggling singer-songwriters, Grant has been signed, dropped, and significantly changed her public image since bursting onto the scene (2009). With that said, it can be assumed that Lana del Rey has collected just as many "haters" as she has avid supporters. To be perfectly honest, the only other artist I can think of that made this much commotion... garnered so much wide-spread buzz/hate and critical acclaim -- right out of the gates -- with just one track is Britney Spears . And maybe in this post- Mike musical era, that's the true synthesis of Pop Culture: Britney Lynn Spears . After months of repeated teasing and speculation, Lana del Rey 's major label debut, Born 2 Die will [finally] be released this coming Jan. 30-31, 2012. Pitchfork reports that it will feature "Off to The Ra...

Liberty Bell Cracked In 1/2: Ween - "Freedom of '76" (Gene Ween's Final Send-Off)

Chocolate & Cheese (1994) was one of the first albums I bought with my own money. I was in some sort of BMG Music Club , where you'd buy 5 CD's and then get 10 for "FREE." It was all sent through mail order and you picked the titles from some special booklet. I'm almost positive that Chocolate & Cheese's side boob-baring album cover was what initially drew me in... mind you, I was 12-15 and the zany Ween logo/middle finger CD graphic really didn't hurt either. Honestly, I forget how I really felt about it @ the time, but a few years later, my older cousin Josh told me that Ween were this BIG college "jam band." CKY did some sort pf 93.3 radio takeover to promote their new album and played "Freedom of '76" late that night on air. Needless to say, I re-visited Chocolate & Cheese @ about 20-something this go 'round and I fucking loved it! Ween were really weird, yet talented... almost too talented. I can vaguel...

The Witzard

Search This Blog