Best of 2008

A list of records released this year that made all the difference in the long weeks and months of my sometimes stressful, sometimes blissful 10 month vacation/hibernation of 2008. Just the list for now, I'll post some tracks or maybe a mix soon.

Gang Gang Dance Saint Dymphna

Marnie Stern This Is It And I Am It And You Are It And So Is That And He Is It...
Grails Doomsdayer's Holiday
Tape LuminariumNick Cave and the Bad Seeds Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
Duchess Says Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs
Oneida Preteen WeaponryPortishead Third
Our Sleepless Forest Our Sleepless Forest
Grouper Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
Dungen 4
Indian Jewelry Free Gold!
Padded Cell Night Must Fall

Saudade The Hooded Ones
Religious Knives It's After Dark

The USA Is A Monster Space Programs

TV On The Radio Dear Science

Julian Cope Black Sheep

Entire Cities Deep River

D. Lissvik 7 Trx + Intermission

Bottle Up & Go These Bones

Kelpe Extraquarium
Black To Comm Fractal Hair Geometry

Child Bite Fantastic Gusts of Blood

Honorable mention:
Getachew Mekuria & The Ex & Guests Moa Anbessa
This is, by far, the record I listened to the most in 2008 but for the life of me I can not get an answer on whether there was a definitive release date in the U.S. "Ethiopia Hagere" appeared on the Wire Tapper 18 comp at the end of 2007 but the Euro release date is listed as 2006. I'm pretty sure it wasn't available here, at least not in stores, until this year. Anyhow, this record and the concert at Damrusch Park were the musical highlights of my year.

DeadHeat - This Thursday / Pre-Election Jams

Weird to be promoting a night called DeadHeat when what we're hoping for tomorrow is a landslide. Feeling pretty good about this being a celebration but either way Dave and I will make sure the tunes are rockin'. We hope to see you on Thursday.

Some tunes to get you in the mood to vote:
Rahsaan Roland Kirk - One Nation
The Wailers - Bama Lama Bama Loo
Curtis Mayfield - Power To The People

Bad Brains - Rock For Light

Willie Hutch - Brother's Gonna Work It Out

Halloween

Is there a better holiday/non-holiday for music? Sure, X-mas is fun, but it has nothing on the level of diversity or sheer quantity of tunes that can be directly linked and/or interpreted as Halloween music. Below I've posted a spooky soundtrack for your trick or treaters. I love the fun party-time Halloween jams (and I may end up posting a "more fun" mix later) but this year I was really feeling the need to be creeped-the-fuck-out. For some reason, I have a lot of this type of music. I swear I was never a goth. Enjoy and Happy Halloween.

(The songs are all mixed together and broken into 2 parts.)





















Grotto of Miracles Halloween mix Pt. 1 - Everybody's Afraid of Something
Afraid Intro / Coil - Hellraiser Theme / Swans - Coward / Third Eye Foundation - Corpses As Bedmates (edit) / The Birthday Party - Deep In The Woods / Oxbow - Insylum / Brian Reitzel - The One Who Fights / Psychic Ills - Witchcraft Breaker / Liars - Broken Witch / Jonny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood / Thought Gang - The Black Dog Runs At Night / Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Carny / Holger Czukay - Dark Moon / John Murphy - The Tunnel / CocoRosie - Werewolf




















Grotto of Miracles Halloween 2008 Pt. 2 - Tonight We Begin With Torture!
Torture Intro / Ennio Morricone - Humanity (Part II) / Coil - Tenderness Of Wolves / Wolf Eyes - Skull and Bone / Vasilisk - Fangs And Claws / Wojciech Kilar w/ Diamanda Galas - The Ring Of Fire / Butthole Surfers – Strangers Die Everyday / Dowser - Narishima no theme / Throbbing Gristle - Hamburger Lady / Brian Reitzel - Vampired Johnny / Nurse With Wound - The Burial Of The Sardine / Sun City Girls - Spook / Bohren & Der Club Of Gore - Grave Wisdom / Portishead - Small / Oneida - Black Chamber

Trappers Cabin

This sort of falls into the category of "you either get it or you don't". Lots of comparisons to Beck, Beefheart and Zappa but also some Brian Wilson and late-'60's Beatles. Some of it is silly or indulgent, especially lyrically, but the there are too many infectious musical moments to dismiss what's happening up in the woods of Northern Georgia.

Trappers Mind

Cosmically

DeadHeat October - This Thursday

Every month it seems like it gets a little longer since the last DeadHeat party (or maybe that's just my time between posts, sorry 'bout that) but here we are back for another night of who knows what. Dave R. returns this month and naturally that adds to the excitement.

• Come out to Bowery Electric - 327 Bowery @ 2nd Ave, this Thursday from 8 - 11pm.

Just think, next time we do this we'll have a new president and as long as a night out doesn't cost as much as your monthly rent/mortagage by then, we'll still be able to smile and rock out.

How about some music:

• The Action 13 - More Bread For The People
• Roxy Music - Both Ends Burning
• James Chance - Money To Burn

Paul Newman 1925 - 2008

Paul Newman - Plastic Jesus

Au / Terry Reid / DeadHeat Tonight

Slack on the DH promo this month. Sorry about that. Dave's at the beach this week so it's just me. Lots of end of summer jams and a few headscratchers I'm sure. Hope to see you.

Au - Summerheat

Terry Reid - Writing On The Wall/Summertime Blues

-Suge

Getachew Mekurya & The Ex

GOM is completely geeked about tomorrow's performance of legendary Ethiopian saxophonist Getatchew Mekurya (sometimes spelled Mekuria). It's his first ever NYC appearance with our favorite Dutch band, the Ex, who have been playing off and on with Mekurya since the band visited Ethiopia and fell in love with his Shellele style. If you haven't heard their 2006 collaboration Moa Anbessa, I'd get on it. It's a powerful combo of Mekurya's roaring jazz figures unhinging over The Ex's propulsive mix of post-punk, avant and free improv.

August 20th
Lincoln Center/Damrosch Park Bandshell
W 62nd Street & Amsterdam, Manhattan
6:00-10:00 PM
Free to the Public

also performing:

Mahmoud Ahmed and Alemayehu Shete with Either/Orchestra and Extra Golden.

Question Mark + Sin Sisamouth + DeadHeat (This Thursday!)

As I blindly feel my way through this week's DeadHeat playlist possibles, here are a couple of "international" rock tracks. Enjoy and hope to see you in person on Thursday from 8-11@ Bowery Electric (327 Bowery @ 2nd Street).

Question Mark - Freaking Out

Originally on the 1977 LP, Be Nice To People (EMI Nigeria), this is a solid hard rock jam from Nigerian-based group, Question Mark. This one is also on the awesome Nigeria Rock Special comp releassed earlier this summer.

Sin Sisamouth - Biting Game

This one is from the Cambodian Rocks IV comp...been out for awhile but I just picked it up...Lots of vibrant sounds from some other amazing Cambodian artists but I just can't get past The King of Khmer. He's the best. You can learn more about his life at his wiki page.

Siren Festival 2008

It's safe to say DeadHeat made the most of their time on and off stage at this year's Siren Fest. Hope you did too. Thanks to Diane, Neil, Shay, Yevlove and all the Siren staff for the good times.

Dave R. (33/45) gets down.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Danja! Russ!

DeadHeat backstage.

Anna from the Annuals and Danja talk Totonno's and Maker's Mark.

Siren crowd enjoys...

...Broken Social Scene...

...ans so does, DeadHeat.

The perfect visual for the blur that was the end of the night.

I don't have DR or Danja's playlist but here's mine:
1st Set:
The Monks - Higgely Piggely /MC5 - Tonight / The Rattles - The Witch /

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Sweet Hitch Hiker / The Fall - Strychnine /

Oneida - Cream Puff War / Earthless - Cherry Red /

Big Black - Fish Fry /Black Flag - Gimme Gimme Gimme /

Battles - Ddiamondd / Holy Fuck - Milkshake / Food For Animals - Elephants

2nd Set:
Flying Lizards - Sex Machine / The Cramps - New Kind of Kick /

Wolf Eyes - My Recipe Is Lust / Duchess Says - Black Flag /

DJ Donna Summer - Peepers / Jam Pony Express - Gotta A Lotta Booty /

Telepathe - Chromes On It (Tan Lines RMX) / Van Halen - Unchained /

dj/Rupture - Little More Oil

3rd Set:
Janko Nilovic - Rush On The Ball /The Clash - Overpowered By Funk /

Wide Boy Awake - Slang Teacher / Grace Jones - This Is Life /

Chemical Brothers - Midnight Madness / Justice Vs Simian - We Are Your Friends /

After the Fire - Der Kommissar

Coney Island, Baby!

Yeah,we know, we're more "Coney Island Whitefish" than "Coney Island Baby" but we also know that's how you like it.

I posted previously about staying tuned for news about a special Brooklyn appearance of the DEADHEAT DJs, well...here it is...

Dave R., Suge White and (special guest) Danja Russ take command of the Stillwell Stage DJ duties at this year's Siren Fest. Saturday July 19, starting at noon and going all day, we'll be summoning the Kraken from the Coney surf with raw garage rock, tranced-out kraut jams, damaged electronic punk and psychedelic soul. We're in between sets of another great rock n roll line-up. Check it: http://www.villagevoice.com/specials/siren/

Links to the bands on the Stillwell stage:

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE, THE HELIO SEQUENCE, BEACH HOUSE, JAGUAR LOVE, THESE ARE POWERS, ANNUALS, FILM SCHOOL

Siren 2004 - Mission of Burma on Stillwell Stage (Suge and Danja djing in background) Photo by Sheri Hausey.

A Grotto of Miracles Mix: Hallucinating Light

A new mix of free flowing folk, jazz, improv, experimental and mythological meanderings from Van Mo.

Hallucinating Light (55:41)

Roy Harper - Hallucinating Light
Supersilent - Are
Larry Young - Sunshine Fly Away
The Focus Group - Soho > St.Ives > Tangier
In The Country - How To Get Acquainted
Talk Talk - Taphead
Tape - Sunrefrain
Van Morrison - You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push the River

DeadHeat News

After a successful June residency, DeadHeat got under way as a monthly throwdown last Thursday. We'll be back at Bowery Electric on August 7 but stay tuned for info on a special Brooklyn appearance of the DeadHeat DJs this month.

Dave R. rocked 3 killer sets last week. You can see his playlists at 33/45. Here's what I played when Dave tagged me in:

Cluster - Prothese
Stereolab - Three Women
Dome - D-D-Bo
The Dylan Group - Running In Pairs
Boredoms - (two circles)
Siim Sisamouth - Don't Let My Girlfriend Tickle Me
Clinic - The Witch
The Rattles - The Witch

Oneida - Turn It Up (Loud)

Cactus - Evil

Black Mountain - Evil Ways
Simply Saucer - Instant Pleasure/Electro Rock

String Driven Thing - Night Club

Groundhogs - Split - Part 1
Julian Cope - You Gotta Problem With Me

Holy Fuck - Royal Gregory
Battles - Race In
Brian Eno - King's Lead Hat
Joy Division - Interzone
The Ex - Theme From Konono
The Comsat Angels - Independence Day

Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, CockSucker, MotherFucker, and Tits

Don't Just Eat A Hamburger, Eat The Hell Out Of It

S.Koreans pissed about lifted beef ban teach the ol' U-S-A a thing or two about how ugly (and hilarious) nationalism can really be.

Some of my fave songs referencing beef:
Anal Solvent - Sponteneous Smeadcore
Portland wackos experiment with electonics and samples, drink Guiness, take drugs and rap.
Gang of Four - Cheeseburger
How punk is Jon King's melodica? A new inspiration for a muxtape...melodica rock.
Fear - Beef Bologna
Lee Ving knows...the ladies like the beef.
MDC - Corporate Deathburger
"Change from your five"? This song needs an inflation-based lyric update.
Gary Clail & On U-Sound System - BEEF
I ate a hamburger last night humming this song the whole time.

A.R. & Machines

I'm sure it's stenciled on your bathroom mirror but just in case, this is a reminder that tomorrow night is the debut of DeadHeat at Bowery Electric (327 Bowery nr. 2nd St.) Hope you can make it.

A.R. & Machines Die Grüne Reise (The Green Journey)
I was just recently turned onto this gem by DJ Hallogallo when I guested on his radio show a couple of weeks ago. The A.R. stands for Achim Reichel, apparently a big star in Germany for, among other things, leading a group called The Rattles (aka the "German Beatles"). A fairly straight forward but decent 60's pop group that eventually, toward the end of the decade, morphed into this awesomeness:
In 1971, The Rattles still (ahem) rattlin' on, Achim Reichel started releasing amazing solo guitar records that stretched farther into outer space guitar jams, echo tape delay experiments and the hypnotic rhythmic chugs that would define so-called Krautrock. The Green Journey may or may not have been originally conceived as music for a movie. No footage ever surfaced but the reissue includes a DVD with a student-made film inspired by the music.

A.R. & Machines - Im Selben Boot(In The Same Boat)

A.R. & Machines - Schönes Babylon (Beautiful Babylon)

A.R. & Machines - Ich bin dein Sänger, du bist mein Lied (I'll Be Your Singer - You'll Be My Song)

Ellas McDaniel 1928 – 2008

Bo Diddley - Hey! Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley - Ooh Baby
The Animals - Story of Bo Diddley
Johnny Otis - Willie And The Hand Jive

Introducing DEADHEAT

Just in time for Summer, a new event we're calling DEADHEAT. Good news for the after work crowd, the responsible types and you early risers, we got the get-down early. Starting June 5, from 8-11 pm, Bowery Electric (327 Bowery @ 2nd St.) will be filled with the tag team sound selections of Dave R (33/45) and Suge White (Grotto Of Miracles). The hang happens the first Thursday of every month but we're kicking it off in style with a weekly residency in June. That's every Thursday from 8-11pm in June.

Dave made a sweet mix to give you an idea what to expect. You can download it. Just click here: http://www.tradebit.com/usr/dmr3345/pub/8/Deadheat.mp3


Songs:
Vangelis Papathanssiou - Come On
Vampire Sound Inc. - The Lions and the Cucumber
Sarolta Zalatnay - Hadd Mondjam El
Rare Earth - Hum Along And Dance
Them - I Can Only Give You Everything
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band - Big Eyed Beans From Venus
The Sonics - High Time
Quintron - Swamp Buggy Badass
Suicide - Ghost Rider
David Byrne - The Red House
Silver Apples - Lovefingers
Can - Outside My Door
Power of Zeus - It Couldn't Be Me
Black Sabbath - Supernaut
Babe Ruth - Wells Fargo
Iron Butterfly - Iron Butterfly Theme

Color Me Impressed

Mr. Brown

He's big, he's brown and he's one race away from horse racing immortality, the Triple Crown. After defeating 19 other 3 year olds and a daunting break from post 20 in the KY Derby just two weeks ago Big Brown absolutley toyed with an overmatched Preakness field, displaying a push-button burst of speed that took our breath away. Our Belmont Stakes tickets arrived today (thanks Marc) and well...here we go again. For the 6th time in 12 years there's a chance for a Triple Crown and whether it's tears in our beer or champagne corks, we'll be there, as always.

1997 - Silver Charm fails to pick up late surge from Touch Gold

1998 - Real Quiet gets nipped on the wire by Victory Gallop

1999 - Charismatic finishes a brave third to Lemon Drop Kid

2002 - War Emblem stumbles in gate; Sarava a 70-1 winner

2003 - NY Bred Funnycide well beaten third to Empire Maker

2004 - Smarty Jones captures hearts but not Belmont; Birdstone by a length

Slipping Soft Rock Into The Playlist Now

G.O.M. on East Village Radio (Slight Return)
Yep! Yours truly (Suge White, DJ Dynowhite, DJ Dustcommander, DJ Hack Squad) is guest selecting this Friday with EVR O.G. DJ Hallogallo. His show is called Infinite Eargasm and airs from 2pm - 4pm. You can catch us by setting your browser to http://www.eastvillageradio.com/ and clicking the "Tune In" icon on the upper right hand corner. You'll get the ol' "open or save" prompt, just press open and it should slide right into your player real easy-like.

About Infinite Eargasm:
It's a post post post-modern world: heart-on-sleeve songwriters, New'Awlins gutbucket backbeat, cryin' pedal steel, fragmented micro-house beats, ragged garage spunk soul. Infinite Eargasm attempts to bring order to the bricolage that is this download/mashup age.

Bottomless Pit Release 4 New Songs

Another obvious post given the name of this site shares inspiration with the name of one of Silkworm's songs. Been a massive fan of Silkworm since being exposed to them minute one of a 12 hour road trip from Seattle to San Francisco in the spring of 1993. Love for their music carried over naturally a few years ago when I heard their latest incarnation, Bottomless Pit. Their full length debut, Hammer of the Gods, retained the focused intensity and the emotional whomp of Silkworm and songs like "Dogtag" and "Human Out of Me" continued the tradition of Tim and Andy's duelling songwriting talents. It was an easy '07 favorite .

On June 1, Jon Solomon's Comedy Minus One will digitally release a new 4-song e.p. called Congress via his label's site. A vicious new "Andy song" called "Fish Eyes" is available for streaming or download. Apparently the band will self-release the vinyl sometime in July that will include a cd version. Hope it's ready by the NYC show.

Bottomless Pit Tour Dates
Thu., 5/29 @ Schuba's - Chicago, IL w/ The Buddyrevelles - Free show!
Fri., 6/6 @ Villette Sonique Festival - Paris, FR w/ Shellac, Mission Of Burma
Fri., 6/13 @ The Alley - Highwood, IL w/ The Effigies
Fri., 7/11 @ Knitting Factory - New York City, NY w/ The Kadane Brothers
Sat., 7/12 @ Middle East - Boston, MA w/ The Kadane Brothers

Sun. 7/13 @ Divan Orange - Montreal w/ The Kadane Brothers

Mon. 7/14 @ Sneaky Dee's - Toronto, ON w/ The Kadane Brothers

Thu. 7/17 @ Schuba's - Chicago, IL w/ The Kadane Brothers

Fri. 7/18 @ TBD - Madison, WI w/ The Kadane Brothers

Sat. 7/19 @ 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN w/ The Kadane Brothers

"About:" (better late than never)

This was meant to be the obligatory introductory first post but I couldn't get my shit together before my enthusiasm to post other (much more important) things took over. Also, I tried to post this a permanent side bar item but it was just too clunky. So...in case you were wondering (probably not)...here's what amounts to the "ABOUT:" section of Grotto Of Miracles...

Despite the name, this is not a site for religious fervor (unless you worship at the house of rock and roll), not a portal to the fourth spatial dimension (but you should check this out) and not an allusion to a certain area of female anatomy (well, maybe) . G.O.M. was originally conceived in either late 2003 or early 2004 as a two hour radio show airing Monday nights on a newly created internet based station called East Village Radio, (past playlists can be viewed here). After a little over a year, a hectic schedule imposed it's will and a forced hibernation ensued. FFWD 4 years later, inspiration, built to critical mass, necessitates reincarnation and a shaky submissive posture toward Blogdom. What you'll see here will mostly be postings about musical exploration (forgotten gems, new releases, mp3s, mixes) and events involving music (shows, concerts, festivals, parties, etc). Hopefully a sense of discovery prevails as G.O.M. most impassioned interest is its continuing musical education. Occasionally, you may be subjected to posts based on other topics (cooking, drinking, baseball, horse racing, water witching, sinkholes) but ultimately it will all relate all back to our lives in music.

MP3s will appear for a short time and will not be reposted.

Welcome to The Grotto, miracles happen every day (or at least once a month).

Grotto Of Miracles Mix - Nomads

You know what they say about opinions? Well...same goes for mixes on blogs. Here's a mix of songs that have been rattling around the G.O.M. craw lately.

Thanks to 33/45, Paper Thin Walls and 20 Jazz Funk Greats for the assist. Enjoy.

Nomads

Ashra - Don't Trust the Kids / Blackouts
Michael Rother - Aroma Club B3
Our Sleepless Forest - Nomads
Apse - Legions
Telepathe - Chrome's On It
These Are Powers - Chipping Ice
Ulver - Christmas
Duchess Says - Cut Up
The Comsat Angels - Independence Day
Coyote - Going Out

Indian Jewelry @ Cake Shop 5.8.08

Despite lax set times turning the evening late, Dave (33/45) and I were rewarded for sticking it out with a supremely confident set of tightly-coiled pagan prog from Houston's Indian Jewelry last night at Cake Shop. Mixing old and new, the band really seem to be shedding some of their shambling primitiveness for something equally hard to pin down but far more enjoyable.

Indian Jewelry - HELLO! AFRICA

(from their latest, "Free Gold!")

2008 Siren Music Festival

Illustration by Paul Antonson

Before I even have a description, complete profile (or clue) for this site I've got my 2nd post. Our friends at Siren Festival, the annual Coney Island indie rock pilgrimage, have announced their initial line-up. G.O.M. is happiest to see bands like Parts + Labor, These Are Powers and Times New Viking get the nod. For more info and updates you can go here. Siren Fest is always one of the best events of the summer if not the year and anyone who knows me knows I bring the good times.

Les Savy Fav's Tim Harrington and I do a little mid-set bonding during Siren Fest 2002.

A Tribute to Charles Gocher & Sun City Girls - tour dates

I realize this isn't a hot-off-the-press exclusive but as first posts go it's certainly appropriate given that I've cribbed the title (of this blog) from one of my fave bands of all time. Hey, at the least the info is still fresh.

Alan Bishop & Richard Bishop Present: THE BROTHERS UNCONNECTED

Most dates will feature an opening 40 minute film of Charles Gocher's video experiments followed by two sets of music. AB and RB will be performing Sun City Girls songs as an acoustic guitar duet. This tour will most likely be the only time this show will be presented as such and is a tribute both to Charles Gocher and selected music from the 27 year legacy of Sun City Girls.

5.18.08 - Seattle, WA - Triple Door
5.19.08 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir
5.21.08 - San Francsico, CA - Slim's
5.23.08 - Phoenix, AZ - Modified
5.25.08 - Los Angeles , CA - Echoplex
5.27.08 - Sacramento, CA - Horse Cow Art Gallery
6.08.08 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
6.10.08 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
6.11.08 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room
6.12.08 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
6.13.08 - Iowa City, IA - The Picador
6.14.08 - Chicago, IL - Lakeshore Theater
6.15.08 - Louisville, KY - Pour Haus
6.17.08 - Toronto, ON - St. Vladimir's Institute Theater
6.18.08 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rosa
6.19.08 - Cambridge, MA - The Brattle Theater
6.20.08 - Portland, ME - SPACE
6.21.08 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
6.22.08 - New York , NY - Knitting Factory
6.24.08 - Pittsburgh, PA - Andy Warhol Gallery
6.25.08 - Washington, D.C. - Black Cat
6.26.08 - Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle
6.27.08 - Atlanta, GA - The E.A.R.L.
6.28.08 - Chattanooga, TN - Barking Legs Theater
6.29.08 - Memphis, TN - Odessa
6.30.08 - New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jack's
7.02.08 - Austin, TX - Emo's
7.05.08 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
7.06.08 - San Diego, CA - Bar Pink Elephant
7.09.08 - Santa Cruz, CA - TBA
7.10.08 - TBA
7.11.08 - TBA
7.12.08 - TBA

http://www.suncitygirls.com/news/
http://www.charlesgocher.org/