Form a Post-Drone-Shoegaze-Psychedelic-Rock Band

Step 4: Get organezized
(or, more accurately: procrastinate)

 Although, looking at these broke-ass guitars will hopefully light a fire...

Form a Post-Drone-Shoegaze-Psychedelic-Rock Band

Step 3: Discover that the Vibrato Channel on your Fender Twin Reverb (the channel WITH the reverb and "vibrato" - why do they call their tremolo a vibrato?) is giving you guff and tends to short out here and there randomly.
I'm hoping this is merely because it hasn't been used in 7 years and just needs to get the shit blown out of it...(I can hope, right?)

Form a Post-Drone-Shoegaze-Psychedelic-Rock Band

Step 2: Assemble

(step 2A: bust the first damn string you put on)

(step 2b: finally get it together)

Form a Post-Drone-Shoegaze-Psychedelic-Rock Band

The urge to make more music has been slowly building over the past year or so. The last time I played in a band was I Am Not The Janitor in 2003. I didn't do much in the way of music in the intervening years. Now that I've been remastering my old songs, and have met some very inspirational people, that old feeling has started bubbling up again.
So, I've decided I need to make music.
I need to play live.
It's time to move...it's time get down with it.
I think I need to testify!

Step one: Gather supplies

The Brian Jonestown Massacre rehearsal shots

http://www.sarahmorrisonphotographyblog.com/?p=223

Love the rehearsal space. Is that red velvet?

The Sirago 17 - Sunshine

A cover of Chatterbox's cover of "You Are My Sunshine" by way of Spacemen 3's epic "Suicide." Lay back and let the sound surround you.

*I forgot to note this in the info file included in the ZIP - it's labeled "Sunshine/Suicide (edit)" because the instrumental part originally went on for 22 minutes. I intended for there to be a final "Sunshine" verse ("the other night, dear, as I lay sleeping...") after the middle "Suicide" bit. However, due the temperamental nature of the TASCAM 424, the day we did the vocals, it decided it didn't like the last 7 or 8 minutes of the tape and started wobbling something fierce. So, we never finished it - I faded it out just at the point it would've picked up again. Plus, I find it amusing to have a 15 minute long song called "(edit)".
(Years later, I Am Not The Janitor had an EP with a track called "Janitor Theorem (Short Version)" that clocked in at 14:38.)

Oh, Google....

http://lifehacker.com/5470104/google-updates-explains-buzz-privacy-setup
http://fugitivus.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/fuck-you-google/

Uncle Lou's Metal Machine Music in QUAD!!

I can finally stop searching for the original quadrophonic vinyl!! (well, I say that...)
http://www.loureed.com/metalmachinemusic/
Made of WIN. Or FAIL. Whichever. Possibly LULZ...

I'd like to tell PG&E to get bent...

...but it's not like I can switch to another energy company.
I don't even know where to start...

http://www.fresnobee.com/832/story/1813080.html

The Lovetones live review

Live in Melbourne at the John Curtin Hotel 5 Feb 2010

"...During the brief encore we are given a thrilling climax as (Matthew J.) Tow jumps off stage, playing into the crowd before dumping his guitar at our feet and leaving. At which point the guitar is taken up by Three Month Sunset guitarist Gabriel Lewis who seamlessly continues the song and joins the band on stage. Leaving us in a state of shocked excitement."

From here: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/events/22415/The-Lovetones--The-John-Curtin-Hotel-Melbourne-050210.htm

Awesome.

The Sirago 17 - Brainwaves

"I just listened to the entire Brainwaves album, and...I think it did something to me, 'cause I don't feel too good. it was that subsonic worm in Brainwave 9 Brainwave that did it, I think. the scraping at the end of Brainwave 8 Brainwave didn't go over too well with me, either.
I think I need to go lie down for a bit. I'll get back to you tomorrow."
-Arcana R. Ciphera

Ladies and Gentlemen... The Sirago 17

Ladies and Gentlemen... The Sirago 17

The best bits from our scarce live gigs in the mid-90s. Cleaned up & presented for your amusement. Free.

Rotting Audio Sound Recordings - The Podcast

Rotting Audio Sound Recordings - The Podcast: "Podcast #5 (The Advantages of micro-vacuum pumping)"

MPEG 1.0 layer 3 128kbit, 52909 frames 44100Hz Stereo size: 21.1 MB January 18, 2010 XML Feed Direct Link

The Sucksville Allstars - Welcome To Sucksville (Long Version) Um...well... - C. Reid The Sirago 17 - Ballrooms Of Mars (Live - Remix) Recorded live at Shadrach's in Visalia on June 29, 1996. Our second and final official show. Wasn't intended to be, but that's how it worked out. We had rehearsed with a drummer but on the day of the show he decided not to turn up. So we used a borrowed drum machine on a couple songs, and stumbled through the rest as is. Heavily remixed to attempt to make more interesting. Less remixed verion forthcoming on "Ladies And Gentlemen...The Sirago 17" available shortly. - C. Reid Z-Phantom 4 - Inertia Drive Man...you might think that I was really into Spacemen 3 at one time. - D. Davis The Sirago 17 - Goodnight And Goodbye An experiment in feedback and treated piano over a heartbeat like drum machine pattern. Recorded 6/23/93 at The Bartsch Compound. - C. Reid The Sucksville Allstars - Hell Hole Shuffle (Uncensored Version) Er...you see... - C. Reid

The Sirago 17 - Bedspins EP2

To the delight of maybe 3 or 4 people, Bedspins EP2 is now available. Droney-space-rock with ethereal vocals. (release dates are for suckers)
Dig it.
The Sirago 17 - Bedspins EP2

The Sirago 17 - Bedspins EP1

The Sirago 17 - Bedspins EP1

Street dates are for The Man.
Information must be FREE.
Download the rematestered/re-issued/retconned debut of The Sirago 17 "Bedspins EP1" and get lost in the Now Sounds of 1995.
Comments welcome.
Dig it.

Year End Movie Talley

Here they are, in the lazy man's alphabetical order (ie: movies that begin with The will be under T....see? lazy.) - so lazy, in fact, that I copied this intro from last year's list!

1. 1408 (2007)
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
3. A Christmas Story (1983)
4. A Fistful Of Dollars (1964) w/Commentary
5. A Hard Day's Night (1964)
6. A/K/A Tommy Chong (2008)
7. Amazing Journey: The Story Of The Who: Six Quick Ones (2007)
8. Apocalypse Now Redux (2001)
9. Baby Mama (2008)
10. Batman Begins (2005)
11. Be Kind Rewind (2008)
12. Bill Cosby – Himself (1982)
13. Blade Runner (1982) International Theatrical Cut
14. Bolt (2008)
15. Brick (2006)
16. Bug (2006)
17. Burn After Reading (2008)
18. Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)
19. Cadillac Records (2008)
20. Christmas On Mars (2008)
21. Circus Of Fear (1966)
22. Diary Of The Dead (2008)
23. Dig! (2004)
24. District 9 (2009) in the Theater!
25. Dust Devil: The Final Cut (1992) w/Commentary
26. Dust Devil: The Work Print (1992)
27. Eddie Izzard – Circle (2002)
28. Eddie Izzard – Glorius Live (2004)
29. Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (1998)
30. For A Few Dollars More (1965) w/Commentary
31. Funny Games (2008) US Version
32. Garage Days (2002)
33. Ghost Town (2008)
34. Ginger Snaps (2000)
35. Gran Torino (2008)
36. Hardware (1990) w/Commentary
37. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (2002)
38. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (2009) in the Theater!
39. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (2009)
40. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
41. Hellboy (2004) Theatrical Version
42. High Fidelity (2000)
43. Hostel Part II (2007)
44. Hotel For Dogs (2008)
45. I Tre Volte Della Paura / The Three Faces Of Fear (1963) Italian version of Black Sabbath
46. Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (2009)
47. Iron Maiden: Flight 666 (2009)
48. Kill Your Idols (2004)
49. Låt Den Rätte Komma In / Let The Right One In (2008)
50. Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain / Amélie (2001)
51. Lord Of The Flies (1963)
52. Mad Monster Party? (1967)
53. Monty Python's The Life Of Brian (1979)
54. Ocean's 11 (1960)
55. Persona (1966) Ingmar Bergman
56. Phantasm (1979)
57. Pineapple Express (2008) Extended Version
58. Planet Of The Vampires (1965)
59. Point Blank (1967)
60. Quadrophenia (1979)
61. Quick Change (1990)
62. Resident Evil: Exinction (2007)
63. Ring Of Terror (1962)
64. Run Fatboy Run (2007)
65. Scum (1979)
66. Sei Donne Per L'assassino / Blood And Black Lace (1964) Italian version
67. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) in the Theater!
68. Speed Racer (2008)
69. Suspiria (1977)
70. Tapeheads (1988)
71. The Cannonball Run (1981)
72. The Company Of Wolves (1984)
73. The Devil Within Her (1974) International Version of Beyond The Door
74. The Fear Of God: 25 Years Of The Exorcist (1998)
75. The Go-Getter (2007)
76. The Holy Mountain (1973)
77. The Last Legion (2007)
78. The March Of The Penguins (2005)
79. The Midnight Meat Train (2008) Unrated Director's Cut
80. The Princess Bride (1987)
81. The Reader (2008)
82. The Rocker (2008)
83. The Secret Glory (2001) w/Commentary
84. The Sentinel (1976)
85. The Shining (1980)
86. The Strangers (2008)
87. The Watchmen (2009)
88. The Whip And The Body (1963) Uncut European Version
89. The White Darkness (2000)
90. The Wind That Shakes The Barley (2006)
91. The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
92. The World's Fastest Indian (2005)
93. The X-Files: I Want To Believe (2008)
94. Thuderbirds Are Go (1966)
95. Twilight (2008)
96. Unaccompanied Minors (2006)
97. Underworld (2004) Extended Version
98. Underworld: Evolution (2006)
99. Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans (2009)
100. Up In Smoke (1978)
101. Voice Of The Moon (1990)
102. WALL·E (2008)
103. Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave (1995)
104. Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out (1989)
105. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
106. Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers (1993)
107. Wanted (2008)
108. You're Gonna Miss Me (2005)
109. Солярис / Solaris (1972)
110. スーパーロボット レッドバロン / Super Robot: Red Baron (1973-74) The Complete Series
111. となりのトトロ / My Neighbor Totoro (1988) Japanese Version
112. ルパン三世:炎の記憶～Tokyo Crisis / Lupin The 3rd: Crisis In Tokyo (1998) English Dubbed Version
113. 保鏢 / Have Sword Will Travel (1969)
114. 大決戦！超ウルトラ８兄弟 / Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers (2008)
115. 水滸傳 / The Water Margin (1972)
116. 用心棒 / Yojimbo The Bodyguard (1961)
117. 遊俠兒 / The Wandering Swordsman (1969)
118. 長江七號 / CJ7 (2008)
119. 飛燕金刀 / Vengeance Is A Golden Blade (1969)

Last year = 201

Year before that = 258

These kids...they take up so much valuable movie watching time! What's an amateur cineaste to do?

Rotting America Film's YouTube Channel

Rotting America Film now has a YouTube Channel to showcase the pioneering work of our founder, Chris Hiatt.
(however, I reserve the right to put up any ol' crap I may have done, too)
Dig it.
http://www.youtube.com/user/RottingAmericaFilm

Year End Music Tally

Most of 2009 was a big pile of suck. However, nothing on this list is anything less than awesome. Hell, I even ventured out of the house to see a couple of these bands. This is the music I deemed it necessary to actually pay money for this past year. Dig it:

1. Company of Thieves - Ordinary Riches (Bonus Track Version) m4a
2. Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno - IAO Chant From The Cosmic Inferno CD
3. Flower Travellin' Band - Satori CD
4. Jessica Bailiff - Feels Like Home CD
5. The Lovetones - Meditations CD
6. Pacific UV - Pacific UV CD
7. Bardo Pond - On The Ellipse CD
8. Dean & Britta - Back Numbers CD
9. Puffy AmiYumi - Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi: Music From The Series CD (Birthday present for Maiya)
10. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - We Are The Radio CDEP
11. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Armed Forces 2xCD
12. Spectrum Meets Captain Memphis - Indian Giver CD
13. The Jam - All Mod Cons: Deluxe Edition CD+DVD
14. The Who - The Who Sell Out CD
15. Mogwai - Mogwai Young Team CD
16. Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling CD+DVD
17. Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind CD
18. The Lovetones - Be What You Want CD
19. Bardo Pond - Peri CD
20. The Jam - Snap! 2xCD
21. Drop City - A Revolution Of Purely Private Expectations CD
22. Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew CD
23. The Lovetones - Dimensions CD Bought at the gig
24. The Prisoners - In From The Cold CD
25. Bardo Pond - Ticket Crystals CD
26. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Give It Back! CD
27. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Zero: Songs From The Album Bravery, Repetition, And Noise CDEP
28. Labradford - Fixed::Context CD
29. Drop City - Living In The Machine CD5
30. Cornershop - Handcream For A Generation CD
31. The Dandy Warhols - ...Earth To The Dandy Warhols... CD Promo
32. Luna - The Days Of Our Nights CD
33. Spectrum - War Sucks CDEP
34. Drop City - The New Situation CD Autographed!
35. Drop City - Chiaroscuro EP CDEP
36. Colorsound - Auspicious Beginnings CD
37. Colorsound - A Higher Station CD
38. The Morning After Girls - The General Public m4a
39. The Morning After Girls - Alone m4a
40. ExDetectives - Closing Bell mp3
41. Drop City - Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow m4a
42. Cornershop - When I Was Born For The 7th Time CD
43. The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man CD (remastered reissue)
    
44. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - My Bloody Underground CD
45. Bardo Pond - Dilate CD
46. Tom Waits - Blood Money CD
47. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Baby 81 CD
48. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme CD
49. The Cramps - Psychedelic Jungle + Gravest Hits CD
50. The Who - The Who Sell Out: Deluxe Edition 2xCD
51. Drop City - Magic Transister Radio CD
52. The Lovetones - Stars EP CDEP
53. The Morning After Girls - The General Public 7" Bought at the gig
54. The Asteroid #4 - An Amazing Dream CD Bought at the gig
55. The Morning After Girls - Evolve. (Reissue) m4a
56. The Morning After Girls - Shadows Evolve single mp3 (only the b-sides)
57. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - B.R.M.C. CD
58. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl CD
59. Crass - The Feeding Of The 5000 CD
60. Bardo Pond - Game Five And A Half mp3
61. Bardo Pond - Cypher Documents I mp3
62. The Morning After Girls - Hi-Skies CD1 CDEP
63. The Morning After Girls - Hi-Skies CD2 CDEP
64. The Morning After Girls - Run For Our Lives CDEP
65. The Daytime Frequency - Sun Opus Is Upon Us CD Matt Sigley
66. Dead Man's Bones - Dead Man's Bones mp3 Ryan Gosling
67. The Asteroid #4 - B-Sides & Singles 1997 - 2007 mp3
68. The Saints - (I'm) Stranded mp3
69. The Lovetones - Axiom CD
70. Big Star - Keep An Eye On The Sky 4xCD won in a contest!
71. Big Star - Feel (Alternate Mix) / Mod Lang (Unissued Single Mix) 7" won in a contest!
72. Chris Bell - I Am The Cosmos / You And Your Sister 7" won in a contest!
73. Chris Bell - I Am The Cosmos 2xCD won in a contest!
74. The Black Angels - Directions To See A Ghost mp3
75. The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust mp3
76. Graham Day And The Gaolers - Soundtrack To The Daily Grind mp3
77. Graham Day And The Gaolers - Beggin You / Sitar Spangled Banner mp3
78. Wooden Shjips - Vol. 1 mp3
79. Bardo Pond - Adrop mp3
80. ?Alos - Ricamatrici CD Bought at the gig
81. AcidMothersGuruGuru - Underdogg Express CD Bought at the gig
82. Spacemen 3 / Wooden Shjips - Big City (Demo) / I Believe It 7" Red Vinyl
83. Kawabata Makoto - Inui mp3
84. Cul De Sac & Damo Suzuki - Abhayamudra mp3
85. The Quarter After - Changes Near mp3
86. The Quarter After - The Quarter After mp3
87. Tommy McCook & The Aggrovators - King Tubby Meets the Aggrovators At Dub Station mp3
88. Michael Nyman - The Draughtsman's Contract: Music From The Motion Picture mp3
89. Michael Nyman - Decay Music mp3
90. International Jetsetters - Heart Is Black mp3 (Elli's Christmas Present)
91. David Bowie - Space Oddity (40th Anniversary EP) mp3
92. Wild Billy Childish & The Musicians Of The British Empire - Punk Rock At The British Legion Hall mp3
93. Wild Billy Childish And The Blackhands - Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Hitler? mp3
94. Wild Billy Childish & The Musicians Of The British Empire - He's Making A Tape mp3
95. Wild Billy Childish & The Musicians Of The British Empire - Thatcher's Children mp3
96. The Quarter After - Too Much To Think About / Here It Comes 7" Turquoise Vinyl
97. Tones On Tail - Everything! 2xCD (Elli's Christmas Present)
98. Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - Through The Devil Softly mp3
99. The Stevenson Ranch Davidians - Life & Death mp3
100. The Stevenson Ranch Davidians - Psalms, Hymns, & Spiritual Songs mp3
     
     
101. The Prisoners - Taste Of Pink! (currently on order)
     

(incidentally, it is listed in order of purchase... so it's not, strictly speaking a Top Whatever list... although, it must be good if I shelled out cash-money for it "in these trying financial times" or however the line goes...)

And LO! a child is born!

On the 40th minute of the 7th hour of the 24th day of the 12th month of 2009th year of our Astronomy Domine, Connor Lewis Reid, son of Douglas, son of David was brought forth into this world to herald the arrival of the Connormas!
Or some such thing.
I had a full mythology worked up in my head, but it leaked out the back.
In any case, big ups to our Doug and Abbey (who, quite frankly, did the heavy lifting here).
Connor Lewis, weighing in at 7lbs 10oz 19in

(same birthday as Lemmy, too!)

updated to change Abby to Abbey - in my defense, I DID tell her I'd most likely never get it right...

The Sirago 17 - Bedspins EP 1 - coming 10 Jan 2010

To usher in the 20th Anniversary of Rotting America, and to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of our 1 and only trip to a correct and proper studio, on January 10th 2010 I'll begin reissuing everything I can make sound good from my rack of 4-track tapes by posting The Sirago 17's BEDSPINS EP1 on RottingAmerica.com. Using new-fangled digital technology, I've made this stuff sound as good as I think I'll be able to. I dare-say it sound almost good.

And, it's free. Can't go wrong with that.

"Free" is the new "Awesome."