...off to a Flying Start since Sunday 15th August 2010

...off to a Flying Start since Sunday 15th August 2010

Friday, December 31, 2010

Here's Part Two Of The Cockfight.....




I Know This Is Really Childish But It Makes Me Laugh!






I twinked out some war comic caption bubbles and added my own dirty words-I dug these out from my artchives the other day and they have stood the test of time.I did these for a zine a couple of years ago that I never got around to doing so here they are in digital form.Please look away if you are prone to getting offended....also the captions have to be read bottom to top.Part two will be posted in a moment.Have a laugh on the house...

Thursday, December 30, 2010

CHRISTCHURCH UNDERCOVERED VOLUME ONE!


Here is the cream of the crop culled from my minidisc archive of jam sessions,four track experiments, and live performances recorded in Christchurch 1992-2003.It all leans on the noisey side with precedence given to munted rock expeditions and free-form scat guitaring.
Indulgence yes!I like it that way...All of these projects were recorded by myself and feature me on either guitar or drums .From musty practice rooms to empty bars this album represents a sound much undercovered so ROCK on ROCKER!
I will now attempt a short biography on these projects, so if any details are incorrect please let me know as the cumulative effects of hard-rocking have slightly impaired my memor y!.

SOD COCKS. Michael Banks-guitar/vocals,Lynton Denovan-drums/backing vocals.
These recordings were done on a Sanyo tapedeck when we were finishing the first or second term of high school in 1992.I had only played the drums a couple of times and Mike was the bass player at the local youth orientated chuch. I hoped we could play more often but Mike was pulled away by the power of Jesus.We were 17 years old.My mum and her friend were listening to us in the dining room next door and afterwards my ears rang.Sod Cock was a character Mike invented who was a punk rocker who vomitted and beat up the audience-I hadn't heard of G.G. Allin yet!

ROCKING WHORES. Tim(sorry forgot your last name)-drums(stalemould,greenest sleeves),Scott MaCashlin-drums(batman),Kent Roper-bass,Kyle Denovan-guitar/vocals,Lynton Denovan-guitar.
This band was going for about a year(vaguely 2002) and we played a few shows with stalemould being recorded live at the Wunderbar and the other tracks recorded at my home on Madras Street(greenestsleeves) and at Shadbolt house in Lyttelton(batman).We specialised in a slowed down rock good for barely conscious inebriants...Greensleeves was the Mr Whippy theme tune and batman was some kind of pervert...

BLACK PANTHERS. Rob Buick-guitar,Matt Alien-vocals,Vaughn Richardson-bass,Lynton-drums.
This track was recorded live at the Jetset Lounge(formerly the House of Pain and the Subway) on Christmas eve 1999. This cover of "you really got me" was inspired by the hard rock version that Human Instinct did in the early 1970's. Vaughn used to play with an afro wig that made him look like a microphone and he still plays in the death metal group called Human. The screaming on this recording is a local drunk death metal singer who refused to leave the stage,I thought he added to the fun...

OPEN MIC. This is the name I decided to call my early four-track experiments.My friend Joe Griffiths sold me his Tascam for $440 when he got too deep in academia and needed the money.This machine is still going and has seen many miles of tape pass through it....
The two tracks here; "that ceo padre"(recorded 1998-99 in St Albans) and "money maker drive"(recorded 2003 at Madras St) were performed by me in my own time.

MACE. Kent Roper-guitar,Joe Griffiths-bass,Lynton-drums/four-track manipulations/chants.
Mace was a bit of a joke really-we had all played together in our first band called Valve who did a few party gigs around Wainoni and Brighton.Bogans and metallers were our audience and as long as there was beer in abundance they were happy.One time I passed out on the snare drum and woke up vomiting on my doorstep-rock keeps you young or from getting old I suppose...
We recorded this on my four-track in Bishop St,St Albans around 1999.I did a bit of tape gymnastics on the session and added a bell and chanting and the rest is history...

MEGABAND. I can only list the names of the participants as I am only sure of one thing;there were a lot of funny cigarettes and crunching chip packets.This track was from a session at Shadbolt House during 2003.We had two drumkits,three guitars,two basses,a vibraphone,keyboards and a whole lot of rhythm.......Recorded to minidisc(overloaded signal and in mono).Megaband was:Izzy Biscotti-bass,Lisa Preston-keyboards/bass(?),Kyle Denovan-guitar,Lynton Denovan-guitar,Rustle Covini-drums/percussion(?),Scott MaCashlin-drums/percussion(?),Ricko-guitar(?),Kent Roper-(were you there?!)..Not sure if anyone else was there at Lisa's practice room.Lost in sound...

ANGRY STRANGER. Lisa Preston-bass,Pat Faigan-drums,Lynton Denovan-guitar/tape dubbing.The three of us had a jam at Shadbolt house which I recorded on my new portable tape dictaphone.I was out one night in Lyttelton and recorded a domestic argument that involved a man shouting one-liners down the main street.Poetry.I crudely dubbed the argument onto the jam session and hey presto!

ULTRASOUND. Kent Roper-bass,Rustle Covini-drums,Lynton-drums.We never had a name that would stick.The best show we did was under the name "Shiharde" after Shihad changed their name to pacifier.We had no singer so I would often use spoken word marketing and religious tapes for vocals.These two tracks were live improvisations with "ultrasound theme song" recorded at the Media Club and and "broadcaster" being recorded on my home stereo from a Radio Lyttelton show that I used to do. Those were the days when I used five guitar pedals.....

UNMANNED BLAZE. Dean(sorry I forgot your last name..)-guitar/Marshall,Lynton-drums.This was my first drumkit and grunge informed the rhythm I played on it.My friend Dean who was a surfer used to have jam sessions with me at his mum's house.He had just gotten into smoking pot and I had no idea what it was all about.This was the recording that we did the day he got his new Marshall combo-I was sober and Dean was blazed!Recorded early 1994.

COPKILLER. Richard Neave-treble guitar,Lynton-rhythm guitar,Rustle Covini-drums. This session was done around 2002 at my apartment on the corner of Madras and Tuam Streets.This is my favourite jam recording that I did with Ricko(R.I.P.) and Rustle.It is a dirge-ridden monstosity.Spewing doom and keeping the dance going....


Thanks to everyone who participated or danced.


Friday, December 17, 2010

Earmuff



This is a prime noiserock album that I put together from two sessions we had back in 2002(could be 2003).Scumreggae and Doggy Gym feature the bass guitar talents of Danny who was kicking around town in a band called Substandard.Rustle Covini plays drums on all tracks.I play rhythm and lead guitar on all tunes.Richard Neave plays treble guitar throughout and Lisa Clement plays electric violin on Harley Davidson Apocalypse and Ironbeing.
These were quite fun and spontaneous jams that we did before I left Christchurch to live in Wellington.All songs were recorded on a digitally overdriven minidisc player which gives the noisier Danny-driven tracks a distinct "suction effect" where Ricko pops through with the treble message.
Metal funk;not funk Metal.

The last track entitled "New Blend of Hate" is myself on bass and Rustle drumming.
Lisa was keen to join in so we put her violin through Ricko's amp which created a bit of a see-sawing effect between the two sound source's.They made love through the speaker!
The house that we recorded this was down Kilmore Street next to a power substation that did strange things to my Alron Fatboy amp. Richard,Lisa and I lived here for a while and it has now been demolished by developers.That's how it goes in the Flatcity...

Anyhow,noiseheads and skank walkers should have a picnic out of this one!


P.s.If anyone has any pictures of Danny or Lisa I will upload them for the write up.
The name Earmuff came about because we were all wearing earplugs.Sensible times insane racket no complaints..also cheers to Dave Kahn for taking this picture of us at his house a year or two ago. Cheers Chris for the photo of Danny!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

BLACKBOARD JUNGLE




This is somewhat of a greatest hits package that I put togetther of my brother Kyle's rock group called Blackboard Jungle.Although they recently changed their name to Asshole Rebel Unit I thought it best to stick with the old moniker as most of the tracks included are from that period.Steve plays bass and handles most of the vocals,Kyle plays guitar and sings on "I'm So Bored",Chris plays drums and unfortunately I have forgotten the other two musos names who sometimes play with these guys(I will add this information when I get the data).
They regularly practice every Saturday at Steve's house under the trees next to Canterbury University on the banks of the mighty Ilam Stream.I have had the pleasure of visiting a couple of practices and they are a low key affair with instruments being shared in a rather socialist manner.No rock star egos here...
No-one knows about them due to their lack of interest in self-promotion and I think it adds to the home-on-the-ranch vibe of these recordings. I reckon they should play to the public more often outside their idyllic headquarters but they seem content in their ways. It's punk,funk,metal,reggae,brain splurge paranoia and cathartic frustration..
Anyhow,I am a fan and here it is for your consumption;I just hope more people get to hear this ultra-underzone Christchurch band and perhaps they will play a Battle of the Bands sometime soon...


P.s.All recordings were done on one microphone sent into Kyle's laptop.This is lo-fi so have a smoke...

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Incisions



This is a band that I played in for a year or so back in Christchurch around 200-2001(this is a guesstimate as my recall is a bit skewered).It was led by Nick Hodgeson who was a very prolific lad on the local experimental music scene establishing such acts as the C.M. Ensemble in the local conscience.Dan Brady played bass,I played drums and Nick(Tony) explored the electrical possibilities of the guitar.Blue Cheer meets Link Wray.Maketh my day.
We recorded on an old tape cassette deck that gave the album an interesting "suction" effect during the silent passages.The drums and bass had one microphone and were set-up in the library of the old sea captains house that I lived in.Tony had a mic all to himself and played through a tiny practice amp much to the annoyance of my flatmates in this Lyttelton mansion.
Dan blew my Holden bass amp.I think it was the feedback.Keep your ears out for my beer bottle percussion.
We played a few shows and parties around town until I got kicked out for being too drunk...

I shall post some other recordings we did with AlC5 on bass and the legendary Wunderbar gig where I played two drumkits and were graced by a sleazy guest on saxophone. Kato Records have released a cd of the previous line-up which is more of a fifties rock and roll noise as opposed to this metal mannered beast. In fact Dan and myself enjoyed the previous incarnation of the Incisions so much that we managed to prompt Nick into getting this version of the band up and running after a year or so of retirement...See what you reckon,comments are compulsory.


P.S.Let me know if all the tracks work as I have tried for the first time to upload this as a zip file and am not sure if I did it right.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

For Ricko....


It's been a few month's since I have posted anything because I have been without the internet.The Bat's back!
Recently a very good friend and artistic collaborator of mine passed away.Richard Neave had recorded this album and had given it to his friends Sharon and Karl in Christchurch.He told them that the tunes hadn't been titled yet and if they had any ideas for names he'd be keen to hear them.Unfortunately he died before this process was complete so i am posting this recording as a tribute to a truly great friend.
I didn't feel like doing a speech at his wake last week so I guess this is where I will share a few words of appreciation.....
I met Richard Neave when i moved into a flat about fourteen years ago at 45 Holly Road,Christchurch.He seemed very nervous and we instantly bonded over a smoke and an episode of Sapphire and Steele.The first time i saw him play was after Mincheng moved in and he invited us into his darkened room where we were instantly assaulted with a barrage of treble.He started to scream into his guitar pick-ups and I thought that something was wrong and that he might do something violent to us!Catharthis.
Mincheng,Ricko,and myself(Lynton) soon organised ourselves into a disorganised music animal called the James Last Appreciation Squad. Our drums and guitars played or rather stormed a few venues around town such as the Blues Bar during their jam night.Hamish Noonan joined us for some of these and I remember the soundman asking us not to break anything.To their credit they let us have five minutes and then pulled the plug.Plug pulling was a common event except when we imposed our racket on friends who I guess have a palate for this sort of hi-jinx.We made our own fun.Toy Love's bass player pulled the plug when we played the amphitheatre at Canterbury University.Apparently we had complaints from the lecture theatres.This performance was my good bye to uni life and also part of a local protest group's Indonesian invasion of East Timor statement.You could say we were boozey and drugged and I guess conflict is a bit like that...
Anyhow I coined Ricko's nickname which he once told me to stop using;I thought it suited him and kept calling him that.He didn't mind after a while and the Ricko persona continued to thrive and grow often putting us into awkward situations that afterwards made me laugh.
Richard was very unsentimental and never wanted to draw any attention to his problems but would instead try to offer others his warm hospitality.I hope he is bursting angels eardrums in the sky!
He definitely pushed himself to the limit and had very little time for lower frequencies and instead opted for ultra-treble which would carve out new destruction within one's earcanal!
I do not know who else appears on this recording but there is perhaps a drummer.If anyone wants to fill in the details of this recording feel welcome to do so...

I miss you greatly.

BLOW YOUR SPEAKERS!


(p.s.Thanks Chris Andrews for taking the photo of Richard and letting me use it as an album cover and thanks also to Sharon and Karl for passing the c.d. on to me so I could publish it..)

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Contempory Classic Kiwi Pop


Here is a couple of tracks from my good friends Terror of the Deep.They self released this album last year.It was recorded in Wellington at Fred's(which is an old church now used as a venue for interesting happenings.The band is on myspace so look 'em up if you want to get the full album as I have only uploaded a couple of tunes...
Oly Dixon-guitar/vocals
David Michaels-drums/vocals
Mason James-guitar/vocals
Taip Adams-bass/vocals
Dan Beban-recording/keyboards/vocals



what to do

spEnjo!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

The NOISEY EXITS (2009)

I'm a big fan of this band,although they need to get a singer I think the music is interesting enough in itself to warrant a spin or two.The last track(shimmering up the stairs) features Ducklingmonster on electronics.
Does this band have anything to say,probably not.All I can say is if they come to town throw some loose change at them because they're not kidding when they say they're homeless and hungry.





mEnjoy!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

merry xMAS!


the glitter shines on...

SUM POETRY


Fuck jizz,poetry already!Yes it is,and, it is very creative. My friend Victoria who is an undiagnosed manic depressive wrote these as part of her "My Contributions To Contemporary Culture In The Face Of Fashion" four volume set of epic poems.This immensely massive piece of work has never been published. So look on listener and be welcomed into Victoria's word-world...
These recordings were from her critically acclaimed reading at the Conservative Lefty Lesbian Bookstore and were produced by a skinny man wearing rainbow spandex....believe me,Victoria's words are not to be taken lightly!







I cannot recommend this fine sampling of Victoria's fine body of work and it's all you're getting because she's all mine...

Dick Smith Practice For Nothing Sessions (2009)





This group had a lot of dreams about success and wealth. Unfortunately they had no idea on how to achieve these things. This session was recorded in a bedroom in Melbourne during a sunny winter's day last year. Josh's room, Jackson's recording equipment and Dick Smith.
These tunes are roughly mixed on digital format and are not edited-so you get the bad bits. Talk amongst yourself if your interest follows elsewhere.
Jackson-bass,recording

Josh-drums

Lynton-guitar

For technical questions you should ask Dick Smith...



MALTESE FALCONS (2010)


Here's two songs from the Maltese Falcons.This combo is a recording project consisting of Beth Dawson and Pat Kraus. Both these folks have been making music in various combos for a while now.This is their latest project and will be released soon as an album.These two tracks are a sampler for you.
If you want to contact the artists follow these link....Pat and Beth.










Monday, August 16, 2010

STARCRUZER (2008)









This









band consists of the following: BACK COVER UP THERE...
Mason James-bass
Lynton Denovan-guitar
Oly Dixon-drums
Paul Solly-guitar
We played for less than a year.
Hardly anyone came to see us.
We couldn't find a singer.
Apparently the space thing had been done before.

Here is the Starcruzer e.p.
Peter Trevalyan and myself made the cover.Peter gave the nazi plane thing a bit of a sci-fi bent.
Thanks Peter!


I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS one and,remember there are a couple of bootlegs floating around wearing boogie boots and rodeo hats that I could rope onto mediafire...























Sunday, August 15, 2010

ORNAMENTAL FADE-INS (2008)



Well this is a three-fer that I made solo style on tascam in Wellington above a late night gay karaoke disco bar.Optimistic times,no words to confuse matters just dubby good vibes in a relaxed and open atmosphere.Download on a track by track basis because I haven't figured out how to do folder uploads yet.




The original mix of this was meant to be in stereo but I hadn't figured out stereo on the sound software at that stage.....
Crack a few eggs on this one!

THE BABY HITLERS E.P.





.........this little fucker was made shortly after I had a break up,so it ebbs slightly towards the darker shades of mauve.Four songs,four tracks,slap in the face,one man show.When was this made?2008 during winter in Wellington while I was working for an esteemed local entrepreneurial gardener.We had a banner waving in the wind by the name of Public Records and this plastic gem was one of those fifty run cdr's.....





Enjoy and remember that if you're feeling like a bit of an egg,don't crack up.




James Last - Silver Machine

wow this one is a bit of a classic!

Lynton Works (2001-2008)



this may work...

sonic country
steelpots
cannibal maggots attack
st. chammond tank
gentleman's regiment

fed up with food
public wobble limit

maquinas de sangre


Well I hope this works.These works were recorded by me in Lyttelton and Wellington(between 2001-2009...I am a bit hazy on years;I may have to consult the archives..).My Grandma took the picture of me when I was eight in front of Devil's Punchbowl Falls in Arthur's Pass...

Call this a "Greatest Hits Package",my gift to the world's ears..

Satanic Rockers




I recorded this album on tascam four track during the fungal winter of 2008 in Wellington.It is my psychedelic concept rock album about "everyman" rocker who over gets into showbiz and proceeds to have a hallucinatory breakdown....Thanks to Mr Rob Buick for initially uploading these files.....
ANy questions will be happily answered!
http://www.mediafire.com/?mwd1mwzk2nz

HEAVY TURKEY e.p.(2008)



Here is the first Heavy Turkey mini-album.This combo is myself on drums and Dave Michaels on bass and lead vocals.Dave and I had been through two combos by this point(Talent Quest and Anti-Quest) and had stripped down the sound into a power duo.Playing parties and concerts were our forte and people seemed to like it....Here's a link to a live gig we did in Dunedin last year at my friend Pat's record store(Records Records).....

Here are the track links::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




copporn(live at the Adelaide)



Dave and I drew the back cover,Oly Dixon was the sound engineer and we originally only made fifty of these hen's teeth..

Saturday, August 14, 2010

T A L E N T Q U ES T

V

Here's the only Talent Quest album thus far.T.Q. was floating around Wellington around 2007(not totally sure,will have to consult the archives...) and can lay claim to being the "only true punk band in Wellington" during it's tenure.Hardly anyone would come to our shows and the ones that did would tell us to get a new singer.Fuck 'em! Andy has a great voice and wrote a good lyric or two....
How did it start Lynton?Well,I put an ad in a local zine looking for interested musicians to get this large beach ball rolling.What I got was a bunch of likely lads; half of whom had little or no musical experience(but post-graduate diplomas in dough kneading) and two retired meatworkers with a lot of experience playing in Batman tribute bands.
We carved that ROCK until it had become a formidable weapon of cultural combat....
Listen on my friend for this is future heritage.....
Well there you go..also,I have some tapes where we are doing more of a poetry ambient jazz thing and a rocking version of "Dazed and Confused",so these may in the future make the transition from cassette to BLOG....

ROCKSHOP "Rocksolid" e.p. (2009)

This e.p. was recorded in Wellington with my friends Kristen,Edie,and Kim.We had this band(Rockshop) going for a few month's in N.Z.'s capital city.
I posted this so that my bandmates can let me know what they think of the mix(if anyone else happens to download this hot little packet of awesomeness so be it.)...
Hot Levels Mix has been a long while a-comin'!


I think I'm getting the hang of this,when I get it properly mixed I may repost it with a back cover and lyrics...there could also be a live album from one of the last gigs we did at Spacething.
Here's a bit of footage of us in action at the Klearnote Tavern and Bistro...
Put it in your skull!


I Hope This Works

Here's a recording I did yesterday.I bought my first computer a couple of weeks ago and am figuring out how to use protools.The mix is rough and there will eventually be some vocals going over the top.Three guitars and drums......this is fresH!
(I called it "Saturday Session" for conveniance as I don't have the lyrics sussed yet.....).Get a wad of incense burning.....

http://www.mediafire.com/?crohdhnxk3h9qfh