BLASST 96 - TRACKLIST + NOTES

TRACKLIST
1. Les Reines Prochaines - "Opfer dieses Liedes"
2. Rockabye Baby - "Heroes"
3. Vivienne Styg - "Hellhound"
4. Kaleidoscope - "After The Futures"
5. Exercise - "Catastrophizer"
6. Nosferatu - "Under the Sun"
7. Institute - "Shangri-La"
8. Notekillers - "Ricochet"
9. Sleater-Kinney - "Start Together"
10. Jayne Cortez & The Firespitters - "If The Drum Is A Woman"
11. Einsturzende Neubauten - "Horen Mit Schmerzen"
12. Dump - "International Airport"
13. Temple of Angels - "Cerise Dream"
14. Taleen - "Baby Love"
15. 7FO - "Ten"
16. Harriet Brown - "Obsession"

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NOTES
What a week. Ever since getting back from my trip, it's been one thing after another. First, I'm sick the first week back. The worst kind of sick, too. I resembled more of a human mucous fountain than anything else. I certainly couldn't think like a human being for that week, that's for sure. Too much cold medicine. Why are so many of us plagued with allergies?

Anyway, after being sick, I lost my wallet, which threw a big wrench in a lot of my plans. I had to cancel my cards and order new ones, which put most of my services on pause, INCLUDING this show's hosting services. Eventually, it turned up, but the damage had been done. Getting settled has been a slow process, altogether. It's left me feeling very discombobulated and disorganized, despite the fact that I am continuing to organize things in my life. Namely, the 13th U-Punk show, which will feature Houston's yee haw post-punk outfit Vivienne Styg in the place of out-of-town band, supported by several great local groups that I'll be announcing later this week. Promo flyer below.

Along with this show, I've also begun practicing with Slow Attack for a show we'll be playing later this month, 6/29 at Sauce House, flyer for THAT below:

So those practices have been going very well. No matter how long a break we take from playing together, we always fall back in-line really quickly. I really like that about the band. It makes the collaborative relationship we share truly rich and worthwhile. In a final bit of band news, I'm also working on getting Super off the ground again. That poor band has suffered from a lack of momentum for years now. It sucks, because that's usually my main creative outlet. I also think that I've been having trouble wading through depressive episodes to get things done and find motivation to overcome those obstacles that the band's been facing. We could find a drum machine, or maybe pick up a fill-in drummer, but that takes a little work, and perhaps in the past it's been more daunting to me than usual.

I think moving out of my apartment has provided some sort of stress relief. I feel less weight on my shoulders, despite still feeling the pressure to have my shit together and things in order. Like, I still get the "what are you working on now" question from people when I run into them in public, and it's like I want to say "nothing. nothing at all. I've been stuck in depression loops since you last saw me, and sometimes can't tell if I'm doing things to appear as if I'm productive or because I genuinely want to do them. That kind of disillusionment is something that has left me with the move. I feel more comfortable than ever with dropping everything and disappearing off the face of the earth, but my current endeavors require otherwise. To compensate, I've tried to find more peaceful uses of my time that can help my brain breathe, despite the cramping sensation of time slipping away. It's truly helped. Okay, I'm rambling and haven't even talked about today's episode. I supposed that's because there isn't a big theme associated with this one. No one (that I admire) has died today or recently, so I've put together a collection of stuff I've heard over the past couple of weeks. A little trip through some sonic exploration, if you will. This week's cover photo features Jayne Cortez, an essential poet, writer, and performance artist of the Black Arts Movement, known for her distinct vocal range that is often associated with strong political discourse and critique. She released several albums in collaboration with various groups of musicians that she identified with politically. Today's selection is from There It Is. I hope you enjoy it and look her up afterward!

Next week's broadcast will be fun though. We'll be talking to LA's funk emissary Harriet Brown about their music, inspirations, and their new record, Mall of Fortune, while playing some tracks of their choosing. It'll be one of my last interviews on the show, so I'm thankful for the privilege of having this conversation.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading. Seeya next week.

-A

BLASST 95: STUFF I FOUND IN NEW YORK CITY RECORD STORES

TRACKLIST
1. Brian Eno - “Microsoft Windows 95 Theme”

2. Blu Anxxiety - “I Haunt Myself”

3. J.V.C.F.O.R.C.E.  - “Strong Island”

4. C. Memi & Neo Matisse - “No Chocolate”

5. Mikan Mukku - “Kan”

6. Kimio Eto - “Yuki No Genso (Snow Fantasy)”

7. Los Diablos Rojos - “El Guapo”

8. Los Babys - “Jinetes En El Cielo”

9. Babatunde Olatunji - “Akiwowo (Chant of the Trainman)”

10. Farmers - “House of Pancakes”

11. Really Red - “Youth Culture For Sale”

12. Wire -  “A Question of Degree”

13. Albert Ayler Trio - “The Wizard”

14. C. Memi & Neo Matisse - “ホロラヴァーズ ”

15. Juma - “化石になる日”

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NOTES: On my recent trip to New York City, I made a point of visiting as many record stores as possible. I've been to the city twice before and on neither trip did I find the time to visit a record store. Granted, I had other stuff to do—the city is pretty big after all—and with my pick of things to do to pass the time, I found myself quite busy without spending all of my hard-earned on a handful of cherished records.

This time around, I swore things would be different. I was going to be in town for a week, so I knew I had to at least visit one shop in that time. There's gotta be at least 10 in the five boroughs, I figure. So, fast forward a week of bagels and more walking than I've ever done in my life, and I'm throwing away clothes to make room for my records in my carry-on bag. I packed clothes that I could part with in the event that this would need to happen, and lo and behold, I was right. I brought home 26 records from 7 different shops: Material World, Brooklyn Music Exchange, Academy Records, Record Grouch, The Thing, Rough Trade, and Alberto & Sons. The last place was a thrift shop that had a sizeable record collection, and considering I left with two Kraftwerk LPs and an Eno/Fripp collab, I deem it on the same level as my other record shopping experiences. 

The first shop I stopped at, Material World, was also the one at which I spent the most money. I struck up a long conversation with the guy at the counter, Adam Whites, who it turned out co-owned the shop and also used to run a label called Katorga Works that's released a particular wealth of the releases that have helped shape the punk and punk-related scene of the past few years. These days though, Adam told me he runs a reissue label called Bitter Lake Recordings that has specialized in releasing a constant stream of underground gems from Japan's avant-garde 80s, forgotten tape collections, groups that no longer exist and have no interest in reliving their musical past in their present lives, and I got to hear a lot of it while hanging out in the shop. In fact, when my buddy Steven Salazar (of Shanghai Beach) and I walked in, Adam had been reviewing some masters on the shop sound system, and I was so taken with them, I pre-ordered a copy of the release they were going to be put on, along with most of the upcoming BLR catalog. Some of that is what you hear on the show today, C. Memi & Neo Matisse, Juma, Mikan Mukku, that stuff is all Bitter Lake. Once those new tapes drop in, I'll be sure to play those on the show, that is if they arrive before we reach episode 100!

Also a bit of personal news, I've moved to Weslaco for a few months to save money/pay off some debt. It's been a strange transition, but then again, when is moving not a completely discombobulating experience? Anyway, this little jumble my head has been in has given me some new priorities. I'm still going to pull the curtain on BLASST at 100 episodes, but perhaps it will not be gone forever. I just need to better manage my time so that I can pursue other projects. I want to do more design, I want to produce some zines, I also want to make some new music. More to come in the next few weeks. As always, thanks for listening. I lost my wallet a few days ago and cancelled my cards as a result, so my podcast hosting is suspended until I can reconnect a card to my account. That being said, all episodes of the show will only be on Mixcloud for the time being.

-A

BLASST 94: ROKY FOREVER

TRACKLIST 
1. Curse of the Demon - “The Demon Arrives”
2. Dengue Fever - “Both Sides Now”
3. The 13th Floor Elevators - “You’re Gonna Miss Me”
5. Jonathan Winters - “Airline Pilots”
6. The Red Krayola - “Hurricane Fighter Plane”
7. Veronica Falls - “Starry Eyes”
8. Roky Erickson - “Bermuda”
9. Ghost - “If You’ve Got Ghosts”
10. Roky Erickson & The Aliens - “Sputnick”
11. Roky Erickson - “Colors”
12. Jonathan Winters - “Magical Tour”
13. Roky Erickson - “Don’t Slander Me”
14. Butthole Surfers - “Earthquake”
15. Roky Erickson - “Please Judge”
16. Roky Erickson - “Warning (Social and Political Injustices)”
16. The Red Krayola - “Free Form Freak-Out”
17. Southern Pacific - “It's A Cold Night For Alligators”
18. Roky Erickson - “Never Say Goodbye”
19. Roky Erickson - “Goodbye Sweet Dreams”

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NOTES
Roky Erickson passed away last Friday. This is a loss not just felt here in Texas, but in the entire world. The impact his music and his spirit have had on the worlds of music and art is without measure or equal. A singular figure in the world of Psychedelic Rock music and a symbol of how one can absolutely overcome the worst odds of all time and end up on top, and by that I don't mean rolling in money and stardom, but alive and able to do what you love, which he did til he took his last breath. 

It feels so surreal to think of how he's gone, but in these situations, where people we care about die, I think it's best to spend time thinking about them and helping cement the memory you wish to remember most about them for the foreseeable future. For me, that memory is seeing Roky walking around downtown Austin with a tote bag slung on his shoulder at one of my very first South by Southwests. At the time, I had a negative association of men wearing bags like that, but seeing Roky wear one meant that clearly I was mistaken. From that day forward, a tote bag has been my bag of choice when going out and about. It's proven itself to be an incredibly utilitarian and valuable decision in my life, and it's all thanks to Roky Erickson. I get really sad when I think about it now, and that's okay. I'm going to watch the documentary on him tonight. I suggest you do too, if you haven't. 

A

BLASST 93: New York City...Again

TRACKLIST
1. The Velvet Underground - "I'm Waiting For The Man" & Oki Remix
2. Talking Heads - "This Must Be The Place"
3. Suicide - "Ghost Rider"
4. Yuka Honda - "Humming Song (Alone Together)"
5. Haruomi Hosono - "Bara to Yaju"
6. DJ Haram - "BODY COUNT"
7. Sonic Youth - "The Sprawl"
8. DNA - "Blonde Redhead"
9. T.A.Z. - II
10. Kaleidoscope - "SCORCHED EARTH"
11. Pinocchio - "BEHIND YOU"
12. Murderer - "Juicy Fruit Dream"
13. Ramones - "Bonzo Goes To Bitburg" 

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NOTES
Today's BLASST is a sound poem of sorts. It's also a day late. WOOPS. Gimme a break, I'm out and about in the world! I'm actually just in New York City again, (see BLASST #23 for my first visit), but while it may be one city, it's filled with people, food, and languages from all over the world. An "American" city in that it is a prime example of how immigrants have managed to forge lives for themselves despite oppressive living conditions, ever-ascending rent rates, and a constantly changing world surrounding them. Even the homeless people make up a key component of what this city represents: possibility. I know that sounds silly, but the way I see it, even folks who don't have a roof over their heads and walk around reeking of their own urine refuse to leave, so that has to say something about what this place means to the people that live in it. I've only been here a few days and still have another few to go, but already I'm getting both exhausted (you have to walk everywhere, who thought that up?) and comfortable in my surroundings. I can even picture myself giving the city a shot one day. When will that day come? Who knows. But I think now more than ever I have to recognize that as inevitable.

- A

BLASST 92: L@s Skagaler@s - TRACKLIST + NOTES

BLASST 92 TRACKLIST
1. The Contraceptors - "Y So Salty?" 2. Carmen Fria - "123 Fuck CPCs"
3. L@s Skagaler@s - "Cunt Love"
4. L@s Skagaler@s - "2 Tales of the Working Class"

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NOTES: As you'll hear in today's episode, L@s Skagaler@s and I have a bit of a history. The band—a political powerhouse of a ska group—first appeared on the scene in late 2012 and quickly became one of the most popular groups in the Valley, turning every show they've ever played into a massive dance party (most notably their packed debut EP release show at Yerberia Cultura in 2016). Even though I may not be the biggest fan of modern ska myself, I can still acknowledge the skill and power with which this group creates their music and how much joy it brings to their audiences. 

Along with being incredible musicians, the band is also heavily involved in local reproductive justice activism, and has become well known for their yearly Skank 4 Choice benefit shows, which raise funds for local non-profits that help provide access to abortion services for those who need it. L@s Skagaler@s have proven themselves to be a band of action, and it is with that in mind that the band returns from a hiatus to headline this year's fourth Skank 4 Choice benefit, which is happening on Saturday, May 25th at Yerberia Cultura. To further illustrate the situation at hand, members of the group have also worked together to produce an EP, Tales from the Border, featuring songs by Carmen Fría (of the Skags & formerly Caldo Frío) and new group The Contraceptors, which will be self-released at the benefit show along with a zine.

On today's episode, I sit down with the band (all 8 of them) in a tiny room and talk about their story, Tales from the Border, their departure from and return to the stage, the attack on choice that is underway in this country, and how the band plans to do something about it! 

Most heroes don't wear capes, but in this case they totally make music!

-A

BLASST 91: THE OBJECTS - TRACKLIST + NOTES

BLASST 91 TRACKLIST
1. Pinocchio - “MY TIME VOL. I”
2. El Ultimo Sueño - “El Silencio De Los Cisnes”
3. The Objects - “Taboo”
4. Wurve - “Blowout”
5. Musta Paraati - “Hyvää Yötä”
6. The Cure - “One Hundred Years (Live)”
7. The Objects - “Regression”

KBYL (Know Before You Listen): Today's conversation contains a brief story of sexual assault from 18:08-19:50. Feel free to skip past that if it may make you uncomfortable.
 
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NOTES

Today's episode brings us a conversation with two-thirds of Brownsville's leading post-punk group, The Objects. I sit down with Fernie De La Garza and Xavier Castañeda to talk about their upcoming debut LP, Playground, which the band will be releasing themselves on a run of 100 cassettes this Friday, May 17th. The album is an exhibition of the band's development over the past year into a solid post-punk unit and songwriting trio. On today's show we feature two tracks from Playground, the lead single "Taboo" and the as-of-yet unreleased cathar-tune "Regression". I've known Xavier Castañeda for a few years now, his old bands and my old bands used to play shows together somewhat often, my favorite show being the night in June of 2013 when both our bands opened for Destruction Unit when they came down to McAllen. 

From L-R: Fernando De La Garza, Xavier Castañeda. Photo by Andres Sanchez.

A note from the corrections dept: Three Rose Charm is actually from Denton/Fort Worth, TX, not Houston as I say in the episode when we're talking about how the band is going to play San La Muerte Fest. TRC are still amazing and you should absolutely listen to them and buy their new album when it's out.

Be sure to attend the band's LP release show this Friday at the Carlotta Petrina Cultural Arts Center in Brownsville which features support from Austin's Wurve (who we also play on the program), Xavier's other excellent band Cutters, McAllen's hardcore slapshot Pussyfooter, and Harlingen's noise-pop scientist Pillowsnake, who I've been trying to see for the better part of a year now. Spinning music between sets will be Small Vortex, who I am still indebted to for introducing me to the greatness that is Jun Togawa a couple years ago. The show's being put together by BAM, so you know it's gonna be all-ages, and the cover's $7. Come down and say hello! Brownsville shows are always the best.

-A

BLASST 90 - JESIKA ESPIRICUETA - TRACKLIST + NOTES

BLASST 90 TRACKLIST
1. Ranil y Su Conjunto Tropical - "Las Oleadas"
2. Hooded Fang - "Ode to Subterrania"
3. La Femme - "La Femme Ressort"
4. Archy Marshall - "Eye's Drift"
5. Broadcast - "Tender Buttons"
6. Connie Converse - "Playboy of the Western World"
7. Helado Negro - "Pais Nublado"


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NOTES:
Jesika Espiricueta is one of the most hard-working artists I've ever met. Whether to acheive her musical dreams or build a vintage clothing company from the ground up, Jesika has poured every ounce of her energy into what she does. It's a dedication that you have to respect, especially considering how much she has been able to achieve despite facing some of life's most challenging obstacles both in her work and at homel. 

In 2016 she released her first EP, Hora Mística, which I consider her creative thesis statement; both a demonstration of everything she's learned and experienced in her first four years as a musician (a lot), and a sign of dreams to come. Following a whirlwind of a weekend opening for Mitski and Helado Negro on the Texas dates of their 2017 summer tour, Jesika began work on her ambitious first full-length album, Cardboard Angel, which was released last summer. 

Today, she is working on new music while also running Trash Brat Vintage, a rapidly growing company she started at the same time she began playing music. Her vintage discoveries (which she customizes) have taken the world (literally) by storm, as we discuss in today's conversation. I've known Jesika for a long time, so this conversation was one of the more comfortable I've had on the program, and perhaps you will be able to tell. We talk about everything from music to clothes to touring and our collective journeys as fans-turned-haters of Austin's premiere corporate music festival, SXSW. I missed so many opportunities to ask about a million other things, but perhaps Jesika will return to the program at a later date, where I can do so.

Please enjoy this conversation, I sure did. 

You can listen to Jesika's music here, and buy her vintage clothes here.

- A