The Desert Sun - Desert Rock Short Documentary

The Desert Sun - Desert Rock Short Documentary

Blogger was down the entire day... So here's a last minute addition before we prepare for The Queens Of The Stone Age shows... Today we’re doing something different in this Rancho De La Luna month. We will view a four-minute short documentary about what Desert Rock might be. Filmed at the Rancho De La Luna studio we see members of Fatso Jetson, Gram Rabbit and co-owner Dave Catching discuss desert rock. Mario Lalli; he da man!

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Midget Handjob – Midnight Snack Break at The Poodle Factory

Midget Handjob – Midnight Snack Break at The Poodle Factory
Epitaph – 2000
Rock, Punk, Spoken, Avant-garde
Waardering: ****

Yeah! There’s a kick ass poodle on the cover! Indeed. Los Angeles is surely a freak magnet and has emanated some strange sounds, even by Hollywood standards in past years; seering from seedier clubs and galleries on the east side. The clang of pots and pans, pounding water jugs, blasting saxophones and an eerie western slide fill the night air. In the middle of this cyclone of noise sits a strange little man perched on top of a broken TV set reading from a scroll of papers like a post-apocalyptic Moses in dread locks. The guilty party calls themselves Midget Handjob, a name whose pronunciation is almost as foul as the images it conjures up. Midget Handjob is one of the rarest of musical anomalies. Spoons and forks sloshing around together in a pot keeping perfect time creating eleven mind blowing and bone chilling tunes. Recorded in the high desert of Southern California, in the studio at Rancho De La Luna with producer Tom Grimley, Poodle Factory almost didn't happen as the band encountered an earthquake. But former Black Flag and Circle Jerks frontman Keith Morris makes light of it. When the “tumbler” hit, he laughs, he didn't even get out of bed. “What the hell for?” he asks. “I've lived my whole life in California, so an earthquake is hardly a new experience for me. All these people were convening in the parking lot of the motel, freaking out because we had lost power.” The power came back, of course, and Poodle Factory was back on track. Pleased with the results of Midnight Snack Break at the Poodle Factory and grateful to have his health back, Morris reveals, “I'm hoping that this record does well enough that Epitaph allows me to do another one. [Epitaph owner and former Bad Religion member] Brett [Gurewitz] pretty much understands that it's important to keep me busy and this record was really inexpensive to make. Over the years, the Circle Jerks were really good to Bad Religion, so it looks like things are starting to come full circle, pun intended.” Morris' verbal blitz received augmentation from Frenchman John LeBear (Saxophone) plus ex-members of Clawhammer (multi-instrumentalists Jon Wahl and Chris Bagarozzi), Lutefisk (percussionist Brandon "Quazar" Jay), the Geraldine Fibbers (percussionist/guitarist Kevin Fitzgerald) and Detox (guitarist Tony Malone), all of whom appeared on the album. Unfortunately; so far no second album has appeared but the poodles still roam free… Like a demented flee infested plague…

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Post Stardom Depression – Sexual Uno

Post Stardom Depression – Sexual Uno
Will Records – 2000
Rock, Garage, Grunge, Retro, Space, Hard
Waardering: ****

Today’s Rancho De La Luna post is a band that got drafted to go on tour with Queens of The Stone Age after playing only nine live shows. Without a demo and looking to record a few songs Josh suggested they’d go see Chris Goss and enter the Rancho. And Post Stardom Depression did just that. Their songs are diverse and flit between metal, blues, soul, post-grunge, and hard rock. Time changes, interesting arrangements, and Jefferson Angell's vocals, which are dark and moody, but also soulful and bluesy, color the band's debut EP Sexual Uno. Angell is a captivating frontperson whose voice is an unusual blend of Joe Cocker, Chris Robinson, Mark Lanegan, Ian Astbury and Scott Stapp of Creed. The theme of this recording focuses on the chasing down of a female muse, which translates into lyrics that paint pictures of self-deprecation, lust, longing, and superficiality. “Drown in a Dream” and “Suntan Lotion” are the two shining moments of the set and best demonstrate this theme. The first boasts music that is cynically dark and creeping, while the latter resembles an alternative Southern rock number. With all of these varying elements, Post Stardom Depression still has to carve out a defining sound for themselves, however. Sexual Uno is a display of musicians in progress -- and they are so close to being -there-, too. The band possesses plenty of winning qualities -- provocative lyrics, interesting music, and a dynamic lead singer -- that poise Post Stardom Depression for future success. The next order of business for them should be to polish off their act. If they do that, subsequent works promise to be quite impressive. Post Stardom Depression could have had some winning albums in their future. Unfortunately the 2003 album Ordinary Miracles which also featured some Chris Goss produced songs although most of it was done by Jack Endino and the 2005 Prime Time Looks A Lot Like Amateur Night record were the last we would ever hear. For they called it quits; the jig was up - for good. Post Stardom Depression officially broke up in 2007, following a show at the Sunset - leaving a gas trail of sex-drenched rock, dysfunction and unrealized potential behind them. Two of the members are now currently working on a project called The Missionary Position; which sounds promising to say the least.

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The Bangkok Five – Who’s Gonna Take Us Alive

The Bangkok Five – Who’s Gonna Take Us Alive
UMVD – 2006
Rock, Stoner, Garage, Punk
Waardering: ****

We continue the Rancho De La Luna month with another piece of excellent punk energy. A band which will probably also be lesser known but has a couple of serious strings running towards Rancho. I am referring to The Bangkok Five. This typical LA band is lead by Nik Frost and has had some seminal Rancho players in the band. For instance the first drummer of The Bangkok Five who were then called LowFive was Nicky Lucero; the Queens of The Stone Age drummer from the Rated R period and who also played with The Flys and Masters of Reality. And Peter Perdichizzi who ofcourse also played with The Flys and Goon Moon offered his guitar-duties to LowFive. Chris Goss helped produce their record back then and Dave Catching provided new guitarplayers when the first ones decided to leave. Their Who’s Gonna Take Us Alive album from 2006 is pure punk attitude and full of energy. It’s down and dirty rock ’n roll with the justified amount of fun. The sound on the entire records bears mentioning. From the gigantic tone on the riffs, to the responsible use of electronic elements and samples, the band has nailed the production on this record thanks to Sean E and Ryan Boesch. The guitars jump right out into the front of the mix, as they should, and everything else falls into place around them. Add to that well-balanced song writing that features paint-peeling guitar in just the right ratio to more spacious arrangements and you've got a killer album. Leather jackets and guitars transcend any kind of trend if the music backs it up. A bled-together mix ensures that chaos reigns supreme, but the individual instrumentation is still solid. Little guitar and drum fills pepper the recording and keep things interesting on repeated listens.

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The Giraffes – Prime Motivator

The Giraffes – Prime Motivator
Crustacean Records
Rock/Punk/Metal/Stoner/Surf
Waardering: ****

Now that the weekend break is over we can continue along with posting all that wonderful Rancho De La Luna affiliated stuff. And since we have already addressed some of the starting points it is now time to take a look at the possibly lesser known stuff to which the magic soul of the Rancho will inevitably lead. For instance; the fourth album Prime Motivator by Brooklyn based band The Giraffes. (Not the Seattle one) Prime Motivator was recorded at Rancho De La Luna and masterly produced by Dave Catching. And without a doubt we can claim this is their best album to date. A lovely mix of punk, metal, rock, surf, rock ’n roll and a dash of stoner brought to you by four crazy guys. Although the band has been reduced to three on a lot of occasions due to the mysterious heart condition suffered by singer Aaron Lazar. Powerful riffs and pointy guitar-licks interchanged with metal chords and surf waves. Add to this some background vocals by Jesse ‘The Devil’ Hughes and Melissa Auf Der Maur and we can enjoy a classic and very hot summer rock album. Dave Catching together with Ed Monsef show once again what kind of magical stuff they do so well. A dastardly album filled with great songs, which are all chuck full with energy, aggression and mild psychosis. So let’s stay tuned for the new The Giraffes album Farewell, Fat Astronaut about to be released… For that one must surely be just as wicked!

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Banderas – Beast Sounds and Parlour Tricks

Banderas – Beast Sounds and Parlour Tricks
Self released / Suburban – 2008 / 2011
Rock, Dune Boogie, Garage, Stoner, Sleaze
Waardering: ****

And another weekend break record. Although their is a small link towards Rancho De La Luna. For Dave Angstrom who we know of Supafuzz, Black Cat Bone, Candy Says, Devil May Care and his new band Asylum On The Hill is the man who is promoting the hell out of there guys. And he is also ofcourse the guy from Hermano; which features John Garcia among others. This feel like playing that silly Kevin Bacon game. Anyhoo... Another record I’ve been waiting for; for a couple of years. Recorded in 2008 and only released locally by the six gentlemen of the American rock band Banderas. And now finally their debut-album Beast Sounds And Parlour Trick will see the light of day in the rest of the world. Twelve crazy rock songs that loan stuff from MC5, The Stooges, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, David Bowie and everything that drunkenly sways through the rock’n roll world. It will get the beards waving in the right direction and will let the skirts dance. Catchy, poppy, sleazy and very tasty. The album also features a trippy battleship in the way of the song Madragoria. Freaky shit for these muppets who are a definite live experience. I sure hope they will come to the Netherlands in the near future; together with pusher Dave Angstrom’s and his Asylum On The Hill…

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Gingerpig – The Ways of The Gingerpig

Gingerpig – The Ways of The Gingerpig
Suburban – 2011
Rock, Hard, Free, Psych, Stoner, Soul, Funk, Prog, Jazz, Blues
Waardering: ****

As a sort of 'weekend break' during this Rancho De La Luna Month I wish to bring you a couple of albums I cannot bear waiting with until june. Cause these are all absolutely brilliant and I've been waiting for all of them for a while now. As for this one for instance: I’ve been waiting for a few years now for the debut album The Ways of The Gingerpig by the Dutch band Gingerpig. For those who saw them during Roadburn Introduces know who they are. Founded by Boudewijn Bonebakker, who used to be part of deathmetal-band Gorefest, his new band is a perfect piece of free rock. With a screaming Hammond we swirl though eight incredible songs. With the sixties and the seventies as banner and with the ghosts of Zappa and Beefheart on their shoulder we are served a mixture of blues, progressive, jazz and hardrock on a plate without edges. And all those different styles are neatly fused together to deliver one perfect treasure chest filled with musical wealth. Tasty bombastic without becoming overwhelming and often chased as if the Devil really is on his heels. And everything recorded analog and live. And then we have conservatory drummer Maarten Poirters who succeeds, without a doubt, in making us forget about former drummer Ries Doms; freakishly good in his fills and even better in space. A truly wonderful debut effort on which the Bonebakker vocals serve as beautiful icing on the cake!

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Earthlings? – Earthlings?

Earthlings? – Earthlings?
Man’s Ruin / Crippled Dick HotWax – 1998
Rock, Space, Psychedelic, Electric, Ambient
Waardering: ****

Everyone will surely be familiar with Earthlings? but I still felt that something had to be said about this band. For it is the first official group both Dave Catching and Fred Drake were a part of. It also features Pete Stahl who we all know from bands like Wool, Scream, Orquesta Del Desierto and Goatsnake. And on this first record Dave Grohl, Scott Reeder, Victoria Williams, Matina Topley-Bird, Adam Maples, Robert Butler, Tony Mason, Kat, Billy Bizeau, Dave Linn and Esther Swart also join in. Esther Swart provides the second Dutch connection to the Rancho De La Luna. For she is responsible for the Dutch murmur on the song The Dreaded Lovelies. The first one will be addressed in a different post. Earthlings? is also the first release that celebrated all the ‘faulty’ broken equipment lounging around in the Rancho. The result is an ambient mood album that washes over you like a spring tide. That full moon sound that cleanses, makes you float and produces synergism with all around...

Dave Catching at an Earthlings? show at Pappy & Harriets 2010-09-25

Tex And The Horseheads – Tex And The Horseheads

Tex And The Horseheads – Tex And The Horseheads
Enigma / Bemisbrain – 1984
Rock, (Cow)Punk, Blues
Waardering: ****

When Dean Chamberlain decided to close his Dominion studio, Dave Catching brought the gear Fred had learned to record on out to the Rancho. Dave had already been playing with some great L.A. bands like Tex And The Horseheads and The Ringling Sisters; of which Fred had done some recording. Tex And The Horseheads are one of the wilder exponents and maybe founders of the cow-punk genre. A kin to bands like Gun Club it ofcourse featured Mike Martt who also joined the Gun Club’s last line-up in 1995 and singer Linda ‘Texacola’ Jones who was Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s girlfriend at the time. The Horseheads released two full-sized albums, a self titled one in 1984, Life’s So Cool in 1985 and an EP called Big House III later that year. There is also an official bootleg recorded on the Pandora festival in, Rotterdam Holland in 1986 also featuring a few songs recorded at the Effenaar in Eindhoven Holland a week later. It’s that most raucous of no nonsense rock and can only lead to drug and alcohol abuse; add to this that feeling of travelling down a lost highway with the scent of dead animals and spilled whisky with to top it all off the hysteric vocals of Texacola and you know you are right smack dab in the middle of train wreck waiting to happen… On a side note; Dave’s connection via Tex with the Palm Desert was multiple. The band already played at one of the generator parties organized by Mario Lalli and his band Across The River. And before that they met at some friend’s birthday bash, which featured Across The River and guys from Black Flag. Now those are the freakin birthday parties I would love to go to… Mario Lalli wearing one of those cardboard party-hats. Can you imagine that?

Earthlings? – Earthlings?

Earthlings? – Earthlings?
Man’s Ruin / Crippled Dick HotWax – 1998
Rock, Space, Psychedelic, Electric, Ambient
Waardering: ****

Everyone will surely be familiar with Earthlings? but I still felt that something had to be said about this band. For it is the first official group both Dave Catching and Fred Drake were a part of. It also features Pete Stahl who we all know from bands like Wool, Scream, Orquesta Del Desierto and Goatsnake. And on this first record Dave Grohl, Scott Reeder, Victoria Williams, Matina Topley-Bird, Adam Maples, Robert Butler, Tony Mason, Kat, Billy Bizeau, Dave Linn and Esther Swart also join in. Esther Swart provides the second Dutch connection to the Rancho De La Luna. For she is responsible for the Dutch murmur on the song The Dreaded Lovelies. The first one will be addressed in a different post. Earthlings? is also the first release that celebrated all the ‘faulty’ broken equipment lounging around in the Rancho. The result is an ambient mood album that washes over you like a spring tide. That full moon sound that cleanses, makes you float and produces synergism with all around.

Dave Catching at an Earthlings? show at Pappy Harriets 2010

 

Ministry of Fools – Color While You Dream

Ministry of Fools – Color While You Dream
Self released – 1989
Psychedelic campfire music, love songs of rebellion
Waardering: ****

Back in the beginning of the eighties Fred Drake and Ted Quinn were playing in a band called Telekin featuring among others artist extraordinary Dean Chamberlain who also founded new wave, power pop/punk band Code Blue. At Chamberlain’s studio Fred was given free range and he stayed for days on end learning himself to record and lay the foundations for his first solo album Cowbells For Cowboys. When the end of the eighties rolled around Robert Allen Floyd and his band Third Eye entered the studio to record and needing a place to crash, Fred offered his couch. Within a day they had written and recorded their first song: Zero Tolerance based on a poem Quinn wrote about the anti-drug war started by Grandpa Bush. Not long after they jokingly named themselves Ministry of Fools in honor of the jesters who expose the Emperor. Together with Quinn they performed as an acoustic trio at the most diverse of events; from burials to protest marches and from the Chinese Consulate to the hippest clubs in Hollywood. A self-made tape made it to the radio station and garnered attention of big record companies. But since they demanded a big showcase the trio decided to ask twenty of their friends along to play on stage and mess with the heads of the executives. Rest assured: they did not get the deal. So they finished recording Color While You Dream themselves and went their separate ways in 1993. With a title taken from a children’s coloring book the album is a mixture of that typical eighties sound and a sixties spirit. It sounds in part decadent and depraved but preaches love, tolerance and understanding. It is highly Beatles inspired psychedelic pop with a new wave foundation. Honest, sincere and lovely!

Fred Drake – Twice Shy

Fred Drake – Twice Shy
Cholla Records – 2001
Rock, Folk, Singer/songwriter, Psychedelic
Waardering: ****

Before finding his place in the desert and founding the Rancho De La Luna studios honorable Fred Drake had already been making name for himself in Los Angeles. He played in bands such as Telekin, Ministry of Fools, House of Love, Resurrection and The Shy Party. Released one year prior to his death Fred Drake stated about his solo album Twice Shy: “Although many a moon has passed and many a boy band too, through me, to you, this is the record that I moved to the desert to make.” With only some mastering help provided by Mark Chalecki who has worked with a massive amount of artists. (Earthlings?, Goatsnake, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sun0))), Jimmy Eat World, Skee-Lo, Nine Pound Hammer and many more.) Fred Drake arranged, wrote and recorded the entire album by himself. Except ofcourse for the cover versions of I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry and Blue Moon. This solitary achievement not only excels in musicianship it also accomplishes something not many albums can; to set a mood and to paint a picture as if you were there at its conception. It hints at deep sadness and makes one dream and float on ghostly sounds. And when you concentrate on that too much; it just goes. It’s melodic and holds that old cowboy playing guitar around the fire adagio in high respect without ever becoming a cliche. It’s the lonesome desert sound captured and distilled so it can pierce every nerve…

Rancho De La Luna

Rancho De La Luna, an Ode

Speeding out of Los Angeles and heading east for about three hours. Watch the houses, stores and fast food joints diminish and give way to cacti, massive rocks and Joshua Trees. Before long you will feel the intense heat of the desert. A windy warmth that can only be appreciated by a certain type of man and can only breed a certain kind of song. Nestled between all of this is a low house and one filled to the rim with musical mojo and memories. There’s something magical about the Rancho De La Luna studio in Palm Desert. It’s a place where the odd and the strange meet and become perfectly normal. It’s a place where the need to survive is pure and where creativity comes from all directions. It’s where Place Concept flourishes and where you can write and record your best material by a fire pit watching a real coyote chase an imaginary roadrunner. It might be the ghost of Gram Parsons who died of a drug overdose in the Joshua Tree Inn further down the road and whose ashes were scattered in the national park in 1973. Or it might be the residual spirit of the beautiful mixture of all the different souls who spent a day or longer there. Or as Alex Turner once told me: “It’s the location. It introduces possibilities. You don’t feel like anyone’s watching you out there. You dare everything and want to try it all.”

Fred & Kashmir 

Rancho De La Luna was found and founded by the late Fred Drake (1958-2002) in 1993. He was a southern gentleman, a Texan cowboy though born in Taft, California near Bakersfield with a penchant for coffee and a huge love for the Beatles. One and all knew him as The Mayor; and he wanted to have a quiet place outside of LA to do musical magic while battling his cancer. He asked Dave Catching to join him a year later and thanks to a friend who was getting rid of all his old recording equipment the place was quickly filled with loads of vintage instruments. The rest of all the amazing stuff covering floor to ceiling Fred gathered at thrift stores and swap meets. And between all of this is there is a genuine house; with a kitchen where former restaurant owner Dave Catching is cooking his insane meals. And while tracking the bass or drum you’d smell the garlic and herbs. All rooms are inviting and welcoming. Everyone who has ever passed through the doors felt like coming home. It is a true sanctuary of life that opens ones heart and mind. It is truly amazing that such a barren, hostile and unfruitful landscape can house a true oasis that gives birth to a seemingly endless stream of sublime music.

Dave Catching

With all the different people leaving traces of their persona among all the wonderful stuff it is impossible not to soak up that inspiration. Dave Catching bringing the New Orleans vibe, Chris Goss with his New York soul and alchemist spirit. Josh Homme with his genius, punk attitude, humor, intellect and workman’s ethic. Troy van Leeuwen with his pure artistic vision. Ted Quinn’s poetic voice. Alain Johannes’s prowess, intuition and ability. And so many other wonderful people that left an impression on the already magic soul of the Rancho. You can almost feel it growing with every record it gives birth to. Like it is some sort of magical beast feeding on tones, rhythm and melody.

Alain Johannes & Alex Turner

And then there’s La Casa Blanca and The Back Of The Moon studios just behind the Rancho where Tony Mason holds office. Where the good vibe also flourishes. It has a similar operation to that of the Rancho. Both work at creating that wonderful enigma. The fact that everything is possible but you have to make it happen. There are restrictions, not everything is present and they know that the creative mind works best when there are those limitations. Because then your mind needs to do the work and you will need to stretch yourself. There’s something in the amalgam of the wrong location, the wrong house, and the wrong equipment that makes everything all right. The overall approach is to get everything mic’d up, set a nice vibe and afterwards to just go with the flow. Feel comfortable and let the experimentation begin; let it bring you into all the uncharted territories and find them sonic landscapes that brings that solid gold.

Hot tub at Dusk

And then when you need a breather you just go outside and sit in the hot tub, start barbecuing or walk out into the desert. Or like Alex Turner explained: “And when you don’t record you can head out into the national park. And there the magic simply continues. We visited Skull Rock. Listening to Emmaretta by Deep Purple. Singing along together: Emmaretta, did you get my letter. And after that the song kept popping up whenever we turned on a radio. It felt like an affirmation of everything we were doing for some weird reason. And we all felt like that.” And that’s just the daytime. At night the Rancho is this entirely different thing. There’s no light pollution and it seems like you are much closer to the stars. It makes you feel small, insignificant and unbelievably thankful that you are right there in that place at that time in the world; whatever it may mean. And on most night you will see shootings stars. It is highly impossible not to be touched by these experiences. It will point everyone in the right direction. And will leave a mark on your heart, mind and soul. For Rancho De La Luna has that most wonderful and cherished of ‘things’; a direct connection to all the magic of...

 The Great Magnet…

Firestick dancing on patio