Friday, April 24, 2020

PODCAST: April 2020 Episode

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EPISODE NOTES & HIGHLIGHTS:

Continuing on our long, strange journey through the apocalypse, welcome to the April 2020 episode of "Out ov the Coffin." It feels like we all hear enough about the current, worldwide pandemic nightmare on the news every day, so this show will focus mainly on the relief from trauma that great music can provide. The emphasis, as always, is on the latest releases, but we will stop along the way into these dark woods to turn the flashlight on some noteworthy classics, as well as some landmarks that are celebrating anniversaries this month. As you may have guessed, the 30th anniversary of "Twin Peaks" will figure largely in this episode as well.

Having recently shared it on social media as "a song of our time," I decided to begin this episode with Whispering Sons' harrowing "Hollow," taken from their Image album (which was my top pick for 2018). I do not wish to press the past words of an artist into the mold of current situations, but as I listened to this track (and watched its great video) over and over again last week, it felt like a stream of relevant, if abstract, reflections that gave breath to my own background thoughts on the current state of things. So here we are. (NOTE: For even more "Twin Peaks" vibes, check out the album's other outstanding single "Alone," the chorus of which directly quotes the Log Lady!)

The first full set begins with brand new deathrock from Athens, Georgia's own Tears for the Dying, taken from their new Memories EP. We then delve a track deeper into Fearing's new dark, shoe-gazey post-punk collection Shadow, before jumping all the way over to Sweden to check out the new release from Isolated Youth. Iris sees the band going further into their unique indie-blend of post-punk traditionalism, topped with a vocal approach more akin to the sorrowful moments of brit-pop artists or mid'90s emo -- which could play oddly against some listeners' ears. We then stop to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Christ vs. Warhol's Dissent album, which helped to solidify to return of original deathrock strains to the goth scene at the time. 

Continuing the first set, we visit Russia for some fresh post punk from Кафе Ван Гог (Kafe Van Gogh), taken from their 2019 release Зарублены Сады (Zarubleny Sady).Beyond that, we check in with current French post-punks Je T'aime for another dose of their high-energy self-titled album from last year, before flying the flag of New Model Army with a second taste of their latest album, From Here. Finally, set 1 closes with a 25th anniversary nod to Lycia's 1995 ethereal goth classic, The Burning Circle and Then Dust.

Set two acts as a three-way tribute, in which I've threaded a few of my favorite things together, in chronological order. We start the furthest into the past, with the 40th anniversary of The Cure's "Seventeen Seconds," the album that paved the way for the indelible mark the band would leave on goth. For this, I chose a couple of my favorites: The studio version of the album's somber title track, followed by a more raw and upbeat, period live recording of a personal favorite, the under-appreciated deep-cut "M." From there, we enter the town of Twin Peaks to mark the 30th anniversary of the show's initial release. In honor of that, I dug up some great television promos from April of 1990 and used them to set the tone for two of the show's most beloved musical themes: Angelo Badalamenti's unforgettable opening theme (the instrumental and Julee Cruise's vocal version spliced together) and the aching beauty of "Laura Palmer's Theme." Finally, speaking of aching beauty, we reach my annual remembrance of the art of Rozz Williams, beginning with a short solo-album piece, followed by the song that will haunt me forever, the delicate epitaph that is "Flowers," and closing with the title track from Christian Death's (some would say "final") studio album, Ashes


Set three turns the focus back on new releases, beginning with the first of two songs taken from the new benefit compilation Tiny Gods Who Walk Beside Us (from Sounds + Shadows), a remix of I Ya Toyah's "Code Blue." The compilation features many noteworthy artists from the current darkwave, industrial, and goth scenes, and proceeds will help to save the lives of cats in peril. From there, to remind myself of what month it is in these trying times, I pulled out ThouShaltNot's 2008 classic, and perhaps motivational at this point, synthpop anthem "April, We Can Break Through If We Try." Brand new music from Chicago's Panic Priest steps in next, as a teaser for their forthcoming Second Seduction album. We then get a second taste of fresh darkwave/post-punk from Anders Manga's new Andromeda, before marking the 10th anniversary of UK Goth rock act Pretentious, Moi?'s self-titled 2010 album, and all the trad-goth flag flying it proudly rode in on. Speaking of traditional gothic rock, Sweden's Funhouse are up next, with a new rehearsal track to hold our attention until their next release sees the light of day. Also doling out singles as a precursor to new releases, the now Atlanta-based Seraphim Shock returns next with a second digital single, the very classic-SS-sounding "Vaartuig." Finally, the set draws to a foggy close with another song from the latest Sonsombre album, One Thousand Graves. Honestly, it gets better every time I spin it. 


The fourth set begins with new music from Norway's Swansect (providing our second taste of the new Tiny Gods Who Walk Beside Us compilation). Despite their location, both on the map and in this episode, they are not a metal act, but the ominous soundscape and delivery of their post-punk and electronic blend felt right sliding into the dark metal portion of the show. Things then tip all the way into metal with brand new music from Colorado's Velnias, who have returned with another earthen black metal volume, Scion of Aether. Finland's Grieve arrive next, with a track from their self-titled new EP, followed by a deeper cut of quality French black metal from Sühnopfer. Finally, we close this chapter with some legendary Finnish doom: The opening song of Skepticism's 2008 classic, Alloy, which has just been reissued with a bonus track.
 
All of that PLUS: A brand new closing track from Nash-sylvania's own crypt-keepers of the flame, Boo Dudes, who issued a stoner metal jam this week, just in time for 4/20 (and you can just guess the exact run-time of the aptly-titled "Dracula's Coughin'"); Dark ambient rarities from The Twin Peaks Archive behind every talk break of this episode; and more!


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PLAYLIST BEGINS HERE
Format: Band Name - Song Title [Album Title, Year]
(each band name is also a website link)
(sets and talk breaks separated by dashes)



"Out ov the Coffin" w/ Ichabod
  Show recorded: April 23rd/24th, 2020

Opening Theme: 
Elliot Goldenthal - Libera Me [from "Interview with the Vampire" (soundtrack), 1994] 

Whispering Sons - Hollow  [Image, 2018]
-
* Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch - Dark Mood Woods (studio version)  [The Twin Peaks Archive, 2011]
-
Tears for the Dying - Palomine  [Memories, 2020]
Fearing - Intro / Catacombs  [Shadow, 2020]
Isolated Youth - ICT (Installment Credit Transaction)  [Iris, 2020]
Christ vs. Warhol - Cross of Lorraine  [Dissent, 2010]
Кафе Ван Гог (Kafe Van Gogh) - Выпью ночь  [Зарублены Сады (Zarubleny Sady), 2019]
Je T'aime - The Flying Dutchman  [Je T'aime, 2019]
New Model Army - Weather  [From Here, 2019]
Lycia - A Presence in the Woods  [The Burning Circle and Then Dust, 1995]
-
* Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch - Slow Speed Orchestra 2 (Unease Motif / The Woods) / Nightsea Wind  [The Twin Peaks Archive, 2011]
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The Cure - Seventeen Seconds  [Seventeen Seconds, 1980]
The Cure - M (Live in Arnhem, 5/80)  [Seventeen Seconds (Deluxe Edition), 1980 (2005)]
[Sample] "Twin Peaks" premiere episode promotional intro (April 8th, 1990)
Angelo Badalamenti & Julee Cruise - Twin Peaks Theme / Falling  ["Twin Peaks" (soundtrack) 1990]
[Sample] "Twin Peaks" television spot, 1990
Angelo Badalamenti - Laura Palmer's Theme  ["Twin Peaks" (soundtrack) 1990]
Rozz Williams - Dec. 30, 1334 (exc.)  [The Whorse's Mouth, 1996]
Rozz Williams & Gitane Demone - Flowers  [Dream Home Heartache, 1995]
Christian Death - Ashes  [Ashes, 1985]
-
* Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch - Sneaky Audrey (Audrey's Investigation) / Owl Cave  [The Twin Peaks Archive, 2011]
-
I Ya Toyah - Code Blue (Arcontas Blank Mix) ["Tiny Gods Who Walk Beside Us" (comp.) 2020]
ThouShaltNot - April, We Can Break Through If We Try  [New World, 2008]
Panic Priest - Lonely City  [Second Seduction, 2020]
Anders Manga - When the Lights Go Down  [Andromeda, 2020]
Pretentious, Moi? - Living Dead and Undecided [Pretentious, Moi?, 2010]
Funhouse - Dark and Stormy  [Rehearsals Deluxe, 2020]
Seraphim Shock - Vaartuig  [digital single, 2020]
Sonsombre - Highgate  [One Thousand Graves, 2020]
-
* Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch - It's Your Father / Log Lady Presence  [The Twin Peaks Archive, 2011]
-
Swansect - Clovermouth  ["Tiny Gods Who Walk Beside Us" (comp.) 2020]
Velnias - Supernal Emergent  [Scion of Aether, 2020]
Grieve - Lohduton  [Grieve EP, 2020]
Sühnopfer - La Chasse Gayère  [Hic Regnant Borbonii Manes, 2019]
Skepticism - The Arrival  [Alloy, 2008 (reissued 2020)]
-
* Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch - Laura's Dark Boogie (clean)  [The Twin Peaks Archive, 2011]
-
Boo Dudes - Dracula's Coughin'  [single, 2020]


 
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