Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Kata Rokkar writes about Celestina


PYGMY INVASION

24December2008

17 Pygmies have been around for a lot longer (since 1982) than I would’ve guessed. Music like this doesn’t go unnoticed for this long. However, the spooky and murky sound of 17 Pygmies lives on with Celestina; a spacey and slow moving record that relaxes the listener as much as it makes them aware of the cinematic atmosphere it creates.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Smoldering Ashes and the INtro INdie Contest


Smoldering Ashes "Believe It, Brother" is close to being #1 for The INtro Radio INdie Contest, but we need your vote. Click HERE to put Smoldering Ashes on the top and get more airplay for 2009!!

The INtro, run by Darryl Hurd is a radio station dedicated to unsigned Christian artists. Darryl has rated "Believe It, Brother" a 9+ and has played this song on almost every playlist since we submitted it to him. 

"Feels So Good" makes Sepiachord Playlist

Sepiachord adds "Feels So Good" by Cult With No Name to the Playlist for the Week Ending 12/21

Monday, December 22, 2008

Two 17 Pygmies Songs Named in Top 100

Lucid Culture names two Celestina tracks in the Top 100 Songs of 2008

#16. "Celestina V" (Hero's theme) 

#71. "Celestina VII" (Could This Be Heaven?)


Saturday, December 20, 2008

CELESTINA NAMED #3 in Top 50 Albums of 2008 by Lucid Culture

Music e-zine Lucid Culture names CELESTINA by 17 Pygmies the #3 Album of 2008. Check out all TOP 50 CDs on their list. It has been an awesome year for music. Despite all the economic troubles, it's great to see creativity alive and well.

If you missed the Celestina review from the Lucid Culture October 31st post go HERE

 

THE MICK 45 and THE MICK Xmas Special 46


Mick Mercer's year end Magazines are now available online in pdf format
Reviews of all 3 Trakwerx releases can be found in this issue, including interviews with Jackson Del Rey and  Erik Stein
Christmas stories by various artists including our Trakwerx labelmates, Tory Troutman, Veronica Ashe, Erik Stein, Jon Boux, and Jackson Del Rey.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Caravansary Power Pop plays Smoldering Ashes


DJ Dr Zirconium plays songs from Smoldering Ashes' debut release Nervous Constellations on his live365 station Caravansary Power Pop.

Listed under Broadcaster Comments, Smoldering Ashes are this week's Spotlight Group!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Blank Point Ezine by (sic) things productions Reviews CELESTINA





Visit Ezine by (Sic) Things Productions to read a most enlightened review of CELESTINA
Thank you djpanix for listening in your headphones, as was intended!

Sepiachord plays "She B.C."



Sepiachord plays another Cult With No Name song "She B.C.", one of our favorites on their new CD Careful What You Wish For

Comfort Comes Reviews Careful What You Wish For



Souzan Michael from Comfort Comes writes a concise review of Cult With No Name's latest effort
Careful What You Wish For. We agree!!

Cult With No Name are a duo hailing from London, England, producing wonderfully unique piano pop music that is undoubtedly reminiscent of 1980’s synth and piano ballads. Self-described “post-punk electronic balladeers”, band members Erik Stein and Jon Boux have released their second album, “Careful What You Wish For” following their 2007 debut album “Paper Wraps Rock” and it is sure to please fans with its haunting and memorable vocals and lyrics.

“Careful What You Wish For” includes a beautiful cover of “Golden Brown” by 80’s rock band The Stranglers, which undoubtedly adds to the nostalgic feel of the album. Perhaps that is the greatest thing about this album – the idea of escaping the music and sounds of the present and travelling into the past, while still remaining unique and exciting. This is no easy feat, but Cult With No Name have done it. “Careful What You Wish For” is haunting, lovely, and simply unforgettable.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Terrascope Rumbles about Trakwerx releases


December 2008 -  Terrsacope posts reviews about all 3 new Trakwerx releases in their RUMBLE section: Cult With No Name "Careful What You Wish For"; 17 Pygmies "Celestina"; and Smoldering Ashes "Nervous Constellations"

Contributors to Rumble are Simon Lewis and Stephen Palmer

Thank you Terrascope for your kind words 


Northern Star Records offers 17 Pygmies downloads


UK online CD store Northern Star Records is now offering mp3 downloads of  17 Pygmies "Celestina" 

Soon they will be offering other 17 Pygmies releases "Ballade Of Tristram's Last Harping", "13 Blackbirds/13 Lotus" and "Last Train".

Northern Star is a label and digital download vendor specialising in indie, psychedelia, underground and experimental sounds. They put out a compilation in March 2006 called Psychedelica Vol: 1 which featured the Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Telescopes, The Lovetones, The High Dials, The Black Angels, Electric Prunes, The Telescopes and Silver Apples amongst many others. They have now expanded to sell digital downloads direct from their site www.northernstarrecords.co.uk

They specialise in selling music you are unlikely to find anywhere else including brand new never before released albums and EPs by underground bands, hard-to-find gems and obscure, long-deleted, underground classics. We find great music so you don’t have to!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Smoke & Mirrors plays Celestina VIII

brent wilcox plays the dramatic 'black hole' piece Celestina VIII from 17 Pygmies' latest release CELESTINA 

Smoke & Mirrors
KEUL - 88.9 Girdwood, AK
KABN- FM 89.7 Kasilof, AK
Sundays, 7-10pm
=======================================

Dec 7, 2008

Microscopic Septet - The Big Squeeze

Stars Of The Lid - Slight On the Childproof
David Lang - The Anvil Chorus
Knitting By Twilight - Jaunt To Dreamland
Leila - Daisies, Cats & Spacemen
Duet for Theremin & Lap Steel - Live eyedrum 1218 improv 2
17 Pygmies - Celestina 8

Monday, December 8, 2008

BBC radio plays "Context Is Everything"


November 8, 2008

Don Letts (Saturday 2300-0000) adds Cult With No Name's song "Context Is Everything" to his BBC RADIO 6 Music show.

Les Paradis Artificiels posts Jackson Del Rey Interview


December 8, 2008
Blogger from Argentina (Nina) interviews Jackson Del Rey about his latest releases, film scoring and more. 
Click here to read interview, hear audio samples and watch video clips - posted in Spanish and English.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

ROBO CAST RADIO 29 PLAYS "Soft Skills"


ROBO CAST RADIO 29 plays a song from Careful What You Wish For

Featuring original tracks from mostly unsigned, undiscovered artists. ROBO CAST 29 – LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF ROBO The latest show features fantastic electronic including - tenek, The Glimmer Room, Cult With No Name, Our Daughters Wedding ...
Electronic Music Forum Feed - http://www.idmforums.com/

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

La Folie du Jour

La Foli du Jour has posted a blurb about Trakwerx on their blogsite.

Retro Red-Eye Express plays Cult With No Name

Retro Red-Eye Express airs Saturday nights (11pm to 1am CT) on 90.1 FM KKFI

Thank you for loving Cult With No Name!

Playlist Nov 15, 2008 ( update+ Online Auction)

12am
Shot by Both Sides / Magazine / Scree / Blue Plate
Decent Days and Nights / The Futureheads / The Futureheads / Sire
Dead Give Away / Writ on Water / A Wingless King / Cypress Shade
Seven Sisters / Bell Hollow / Foxgloves / Five03
Operation Failed / Cult With No Name / Paper Wraps Rock / Trakwerx
Lost In Time / Stellastarr* / Harmonies for the Haunted / RCA
Dreaming / Orchestral Manoeuvres in The Dark / The Best of OMD / Virgin
Stripped / Depeche Mode / 101 / Sire
Transmission / Japan / Adolescent Sex / Caroline
Let Down / Another Cynthia / The Mannequin EP / Indie
Robots / Flight of the Conchords / Flight of The Conchords / Sub Pop
Daft Punk is Playing at My House / LCD Soundsystem / LCD Soundsytem / DFA Records
We Need You / Duran Duran / Skin Trade (single) / Capitol/EMI


SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 02, 2008
Playlist Nov 1, 2008 (Halloween part 2)

Title / Artist / Album / Label
11/01/2008
11pm
R2E2 Intro (Score: music from SDTK to "Mi Vida Loca") / John Taylor / MetaFour / TTP
Black Cat / Broadcast / Tender Buttons / Warp
Death Connection / The Flesh / Death Connection EP / Kanine
Terror! / The Rakes / Capture/Release / V2
Context Is Everything / Cult With No Name / Careful What You Wish For / Trakwerx
Horror Movies / The Bollock Brothers / The Last Supper / Charly/UK
Them Walls / Radio Jesus / Reaper in the Garden / Pepper's Ghost
Masquerade / Berlin / Pleasure Victim / Geffen
Way of The Girl / Mannequin Skywalker / Way of The Girl EP / Indie
Nobodysomeone / Sounds Under Radio / Cinematica / Shadywood Drive
A Forest / Bat For Lashes / Perfect As Cats: A Tribute to The Cure / Manimal Vinyl
My Life After Death Part 1 / Roman Numerals / Roman Numerals / Anodyne
My Life After Death Part 2 / Roman Numerals / Roman Numerals / Anodyne
A Strange Kind of Love / Peter Murphy / aLive Just For Love / Metropolis
Blood / Editors / The Back Room / Kitchenware
Retro Red-Eye Express airs Saturday nights (11pm to 1am CT) on
90.1 FM KKFI

Playlist Oct 18, 2008

12am
I Beg Your Pardon / Kon Kan / Move to Move / Atlantic
This & That / Michael Penn / March / RCA
Where Your Eyes Don't Go / They Might Be Giants / Lincoln / Restless/Bar None
Atmosphere / Joy Division / Atmosphere (single) / Factory
Context Is Everything / Cult With No Name / Careful What You Wish For / Trakwerx
Lips Like Sugar / Echo & The Bunnymen / Echo & The Bunnymen / Sire
The Stand (Prophecy) / The Alarm / Declaration / I.R.S.
Sex Crime (1984) / Eurythmics / 1984 (For The Love of Big Brother) / RCA
Totally Wired / The Fall / Skins / Polydor
Strobe Light / B-52s / Wild Planet / Warner Bros
Love Will Tear Us Apart / Joy Division / Atmosphere (single) / Factory
Is She Really Going Out with Him / Joe Jackson / Steppin' Out: The Very Best Of / A&M
Love Action (I Believe in Love) / The Human League / Dare! / A&M

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The Ark adds Nervous Constellations to their playlist

live365 internet radio station The Ark plays music from Smoldering Ashes CD Nervous Constellations.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Lucid Culture Reviews Nervous Constellations


November 18, 2008
CD REVIEW:
Nervous Constellations from Smoldering Ashes has just been reviewed by the very cool New York-based e-zine Lucid Culture

All of us at Trakwerx want to thank Lucid Culture for their support of our artists!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Mojophenia Reviews Careful What You Wish For

New review by Mojophenia has been posted. It's great to see new appreciation for the awesome talents of  Cult With No Name

Friday, November 14, 2008

Quiet Color posts a Cult With No Name track

Quiet Color mp3 blog posts a note about Cult With No Name. Even though the song "Blame It On Oil" is from their debut CD last year Paper Wraps Rock, we truly appreciate the post!


Lunar Hypnosis reviews Careful What You Wish For


Go to Lunar Hypnosis and hit the "Albums" tab to read the most recent review of Cult With No Name's Careful What You Wish For

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Psyche Van Het Folk Reviews Nervous Constellations


Psyche Van Het Folk posts a cool review of the debut release from Smoldering Ashes
11/08

Thank you again, Gerald for all your support!

17 Pygmies "13 Blackbirds/13 Lotus" (2007) review


Psyche Van Het Folk reviews the 17 Pygmies' 2007 release of "13 Blackbirds/13 Lotus" in his psychedelic folk pop section. 


Saturday, November 8, 2008

Psyche v/h Folk plays "New Generation" + posts review


Psyche van het Folk Radio Station in Belgium plays The 17th Pygmy song "New Generation" from Ballade Of Tristram's Last Harping TONIGHT 11/8/08. 
Review online now

Thank you for your suppport Gerald!

a product from www.radiocentraal.be
broadcast in Antwerpen, Belgium 106.7 FM : SA/2 : 20-22 PM
listen also live on line !!! http://streaming.radiocentraal.be/

KUSF on air radio plays Celestina VIII

KUSF plays 17 Pygmies "Celestina VIII" on 11/7/08 12-3 pm for the 'yma sumac memorial barbecue'
Listen to the show (we're the second song in the 1st hour)!

90.3, San Francisco 

Thank you DJ Stereo Steve!

Permancence Radio adds songs from new CWNN release

Online Indie Rock Radio Station Permanence Radio will be adding several songs from Careful What You Wish For 



Friday, November 7, 2008

Metroplex Radio adds Careful What You Wish for

Online Modern Rock Radio Station - Live365 Internet Radio

Metroplex Radio 360 F.M. - will be adding Cult With No Name's new album in it's entirety (!) and having it on rotation from 24th November through to 2009.

Welcome to Metroplex 360 F.M.
 Studio 1-866-532-4257 
1-206-333-0394 
Studio Hours Monday to Sat 6AM to 11PM EST

Mick Mercer reviews Careful What You Wish For


Mick Mercer, notable UK journalist, reviews Cult With No Name's "Careful What You Wish For"
See Nov. 7th, 2008 post
12:07 a.m.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

WPRB plays Celestina X

Princeton University radio station WPRB adds "Celestina X"
to their Playlist for 11/5/08.

Thank you Jon Solomon!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Mick Mercer reviews Nervous Constellations

November 2, 2008
Smoldering Ashes "Nervous Constellations"

Mick Mercer writes an interesting review for Smoldering Ashes' debut CD. 

947thebuzz.com plays Sea-Blue

Smoldering Ashes song "Sea-Blue" has been added to NEW! Help us promote this song by clicking on this LINK.

Thanks to 94.7 thebuzz for their support of our new release. 

Sepiachord plays "Shenfinity"

Smoldering Ashes song "Shenfinity" from Nervous Constellations is added to Sepiachord's playlist for the week of 11/2/08.

Strange Agent Radio adds new CWNN songs

Live365 radio station Strange Agent Radio has added "Bluff" and "She B.C." from Careful What You Wish For to their playlist. 



Friday, October 31, 2008

Lucid Culture reviews Celestina



A haunting review of 17 Pygmies latest release "Celestina" has just been posted online by Lucid Culture.

Bloggers review Celestina


Various bloggers are starting to review Celestina.
To read them click HERE.

Song Of The Day 10/30


Sepiachord chooses Cult With No Name's "You Know Me Better Tan I Know Myself" for Song of the Day 10/30/08
It's an achingly beautiful piece with Blaine L. Reininger (Tuxedomoon) featured on a soulful violin lead

Friday, October 24, 2008

Nosferatu for Halloween?

Just an idea for Halloween this year: 
Rent Nosferatu (with Jackson Del Rey's score) from Netflix

Or for US residents, you can purchase the DVD HERE by October 28th, and have it shipped in time for Halloween!


Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Sepiachord adds "Flying Ant Day"


October 19, 2008
Sepiachord adds Cult With No Name's  "Flying Ant Day"  to their playlist

Friday, September 19, 2008

New Trakwerx Releases


Nervous Constellations isn't just a new album, it's a neo album reflecting the recording technology and topography of the times.

17 Pygmies/The 17th Pygmy stalwarts Jeff Brenneman (guitars) and Dirk Doucette (drums), both alumni of the White Glove Test, ventured out of their California homes to meet Veronica Ashe (vocals) and Tory Troutman (various), of Oklahoma-based alternative rockers whose latest band, the college favorites judyjudyjudy, expanded upon the musical etherpop terrain laid out by their previous bands, Animated Mayfly Festival and Exapno Mapcase. Somewhere, the twain did meet, and together they drove in the golden spike that is Nervous Constellations

Listen to audio samples and pre-order CD HERE

Hot on the heels of their 2007 debut 'Paper Wraps Rock" Trakwerx is proud to give you Cult With No Name's second helping in "Careful What You Wish For". 

On this CD, Cult With No Name takes positive delight in exploiting their influences, complete with a stunning version of The Stranglers' "Golden Brown" and some quite remarkable violin from Tuxedomoon legend Blaine L. Reininger on "You Know Me Better Than I Know Myself". And as if one violin wasn't enough, "She B.C." gives you seven guitars...all at the same time, playing identically. Now who wouldn't wish for that.

Listen to audio samples and pre-order the CD HERE.


17 Pygmies' lastest release, Celestina, drawing from influences as diverse as A Saucerful of Secrets era Pink Floyd, Space Oddity era David Bowie, This Mortal Coil as well as film composers Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann, Celestina seamlessly welds classical film scores and '60s era psychedelia with 4AD style vocals to create a simultaneously beautiful and haunting universe. It would not be out of the question for fans to compare Celestina as a conitnuation of the 17 Pygmies signature sound that was first explored and presented on their classic 1984 release Jedda By The Sea
Listen to audio samples and pre-order the CD HERE
Read the short story written by Jackson Del Rey: CELESTINA STORY

OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 30, 2008
For interview and booking requests or review copies please contact:
Meg Maryatt at Trakwerx
info@trakwerx.com

Thursday, August 7, 2008

17 Pygmies play "Jenny Says" at Spaceland

Click on the title above to view the YouTube video of "Jenny Says" performed by 17 Pygmies.

August 5th
Spaceland
International Pop Overthrow

For more videos check out YouTube or our myspace page: www.myspace.com/17Pygmies

Monday, August 4, 2008

17 Pygmies return to play IPO Tuesday Aug. 5th

17th Pygmies Return for Rare Live Performance at International Pop Overthrow

WHAT: International Pop Overthrow LA
WHERE: Spaceland. 1717 Silver Lake Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026, 323-661-4380
WHEN: Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.
COST: $8.00/21+

LOS ANGELES - International Pop Overthrow (or IPO, as its friends call
it) is a pop music festival celebrating its tenth year in Los Angeles.
There have also been IPO festivals held in Chicago, New York, Boston,
San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto, and in Liverpool, England (at the
world-famous Cavern Club).

Each International Pop Overthrow features between 100-180 of the
world's best pop bands. The purpose of IPO is two-fold: to give every
worthy band who'd like to play their music in a festival atmosphere
the chance to do so, and to bring honest, delightful pop music the
attention it so richly deserves.

Featured at the upcoming Los Angeles IPO is the legendary post-punk
ensemble 17 Pygmies, featuring Jackson Del Rey (founding member of
influential L.A. band Savage Republic). 17 Pygmies will be performing
brand new songs for this show.

Band leader Jackson Del Rey has recently received world-wide attention
for his DVD releases featuring original soundtracks for the silent
films "Battleship Potemkin" and "Nosferatu." Recent press includes a
six-page spread in Blow Up Magazine (Italy) and a feature in Wound
Magazine (U.K.), both including in-depth interviews with Jackson where
he discusses composing film scores and returning to music making after
a 17-year hiatus. 17 Pygmies, 17 years? If we know Jackson, this is no
accident!

Of the 17 Pygmies' live show in Boston last year, Lucid Culture raved
"If it's possible for a sometimes quirky, often transcendentally
beautiful art-rock band to slay, The 17 Pygmies slayed, bringing to
mind other great, artsy jangle bands like the Church, the Byrds or
Fairport Convention. Mixing major and minor chords, verses that built
slowly to towering refrains and then subsided again, the band held the
audience spellbound. If the live show is any indication, the new album
must be amazing. This is a band you should get to know."

Sharing the IPO bill on August 5th at Spaceland are: Kristian Hoffman,
17 Pygmies, Saucy Monky, Io Perry, Aaron David Gleason and The
Holliston Stops

The 2007 releases "Ballade Of Tristram's Last Harping" and "13
Blackbirds" were well-received and left no doubt that Jackson Del Rey
is back to stay. A new experimental record "Celestina" is slated to be
released this fall.

For more 17 Pygmies and on the Trakwerx label, visit
http://www.trakwerx.blogspot.com
http://www.trakwerx.com/label.htm
http://www.myspace.com/17pygmies

For Spaceland info, visit http://clubspaceland.com

Jackson Del Rey is available for interviews, and review copies of 17
Pygmies' "Ballade of Tristram's Last Harping", "13 Blackbirds" & "Celestina" are
available upon request. Contact Meg Maryatt at Trakwerx,
info@trakwerx.com

Saturday, June 28, 2008

KDNK plays The 17th Pygmy!

KDNK Cummunity Radio plays music from Ballade Of Tristram's Last Harping
Craig Silberman brings you an eclectic blend of music every other Friday night from 7-9 pm
Songs like "Just Like Brian Jones" and "Dig It! (Quentin's Theme)" have made their playlist

Tune in: 88.1 • 88.3 • 88.5 • 94.9 • 93.5 • 94.7

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

WESN plays "New Generation"


THE QUAKER GOES DEAF
WESN 88.1 FM Normal, IL.
6-8pm 6/13/08

17th Pygmy—New Generation—Ballade Of Tristram's Last Harping (Trakwerx)
hypnotic, psychedelic pop w/ a 60's feel a la early Pink Floyd, 13th Floor Elevators;
they released 4 albums as "17 Pygmies 1984-2007", features Jackson Del Rey, an
original member of Savage Republic, from Los Angeles

Friday, June 6, 2008

Blame It On Oil gets airplay on WFSS

Saturday, April 05, 2008

WFSS 91.9 The Planet’s Playlist 03/01/08

WFSS 91.9 NPR stream live www.wfss.org
The Planet 03/01/08 Saturday 2pm till 4pm
Host: Peggy on The Planet
Request Line: 910-672-2650
Cell: 910-494-2913

Cult With No Name - Blame It On Oil

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

KUSF plays The 17th Pygmy

stereo steve show new improved friday edition playlist
Fri, April 11, 2008 "Beautiful Lie"
Fri, April 18, 2008 "She Gets High"

stereo steve show
fridays noon to three pacific time
90.3 fm kusf san francisco

www.kusf.org

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Not Lame Recordings blogs about The 17th Pygmy


THE 17TH PYGMY
"Ballade Of Tristram's Last Harping"

JANGLE ON!
The closest this psych-pop outfit comes to jangly tracks is “New Generation” and “Let It Shine.” However, the album is a delightful romp from start to finish – taking seasoned listeners on a journey through the past that will remind them of classic Stones and Moody Blues psych-rock. The boy-girl vocals also bring back fond memories of Sweetwater and the Washington Squares. Eric Sorensen

Monday, April 14, 2008

Lunar Hypnosis reviews Paper Wraps Rock


Cult With No Name is a relatively new band formed around 2004 and they come from London in the UK. Their style is self described on their Myspace website as post-punk electronic balladeers. I'll be perfectly honest with you and tell you right from the start that I don't understand the post-punk qualification since they could have also labeled themselves as post-Beatles and I would have never noticed.

Having said that, while they definitely play nothing but ballads, the term 'electronic' makes me wonder as this piece of work is more of a piano based work and it only gets enhanced by electronic keyboard notes and chords. For good or for bad I have got used to associate the term 'modern electronic' to music that has some sort of drum beat which would be more consistent with disco which this album completely lacks.

At any rate, this is an album full of mellow and lush melodies that while never reminding you of pop artists, it also rarely crosses the rock boundary. While I don't want to make an attempt to compare voices, many of the sung structures remind me of a young Elton John when he used to sing against a solo piano. Other times their singing style reminds me of David Bowie in his Hunky Dory or Ziggy Stardust era. Again, only the style, not the actual voice.

Other times the music reminds me of some of the more mellow moments in some of the work of Porcupine Tree without the progressive elements found on the later mentioned outfit. The singing is never loud, but it seems always full of emotion. Rhythms and melodies both border into a simplistic pattern rather than become complicated which makes the music easy to enjoy.

This is a good CD for a sunny afternoon where you want to sit and relax, let the piano melodies carry you through its length and enjoy moments of relative calm without getting too complicated. 7/10

Carlos - Lunar Hypnosis

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

SUBBA-CULTCHA reviews The 17th Pygmy

The 17th Pygmy

'Ballade Of Tristram’s Last Harping'
Trakwerx




Forty years on, the sixties are still cool

Take a look at the weather. It’s pissing it down. The wind is howling. the clouds are grey and foreboding. The storm is gathering outside the window and lashing London with icy cold rain and ripping branches from the trees, hurling them across the tracks and delaying the trains. And on the stereo, like a little ray of psychedelic sunshine, comes The 17th Pygmy.


I don’t know if it’s down to the sorry state of things outside or whether this is just a really good album, but in contrast to the stormy clouds ‘Ballade Of Tristram’s Last Harping’ sounds so refreshing and uplifting that it’s hard to tell. Drawing on sixties influences such as the first ministrations of Pink Floyd and The 13th Floor Elevators, the band have created 10 tracks that sound as if they could have been lifted straight from the psychedelic decade and transplanted somewhere in the millennium, stealing vocals from Grace Slick en route. ‘She Get’s High’ is the standout track, the nicely distorted guitar riff and the Velvet Underground-eque vocals combining beautifully.


There are of course down sides to this. The production is too crisp, detracting from their influences and sounding sometimes more like an impression than an original piece. You can’t help but think that had they recorded this upon sixties studio kit with lots of pre-Dolby and digital crackle, the results would have been quite staggering. Also, there is a slight pretentiousness to the lyrics (and to the album title) that can grate from time to time. But overall, this is hugely enjoyable. Come the summer and the heat of the sunshine, it’ll no doubts sound a lot better with a spliff and a cold beer sat in the garden.



By: Steven Fanning

Do you agree or disagree with what's been said? have your say here:

You agree or disagree with what's been said? have your say here - click here
If you like the sound of this, then check these out?

13th Floor Elevators
Barrett-era Pink Floyd
Jefferson Airplane

Links of interest?

www.myspace.com/17pygmies
www.myspace.com/subbacultcharawks

Friday, February 29, 2008

RELIX MAGAZINE reviews The 17th Pygmy!!


THE 17th PYGMY
Ballade Of Tristram's Last HarpingTrakwerx
Their second album within the span of a year, California's The 17th Pygmy, once a side-project for members of Savage Republic, take their psychedelia seriously. Much like Kendra Smith's Opal, Pygmy play hypnotic, unhurried tunes that glaze with chiming guitars and vocals that thrive in a catatonic state. Nothing rushes them. New vocalist Meg Maryatt never oversings. She lets the chips fall where they may. The eight-minute "Beautiful Lie" resembles a walk in the woods where paths meander and occasionally stop you in your tracks with their unexpected pleasures. "Just Like Brian Jones" resembles the blurry cascades of the Stones' own Satanic Majesties pursuit. Backwards effects and other trippy experiments work naturally. Yet, despite its '60s antecedents, the retro vibe is more directly '80s Paisley Underground.
*
Rob O'Connor

February/March 2008 issue featuring an interview with The Black Crowes
http://www.relix.com/

Radio Centrum Plays Cult With No Name

Re: Utwory w Centrum w Mroku

Postnapisał kuba dn. Fri Lut 01, 2008 1:21 am

NICK CAVE – where do we go but nowhere?
DEPECHE MODE – home
DEPECHE MODE – useless
SOLAR FAKE – your hell is here
GOLDEN APES – blind-eyed boy
GOLDEN APES – ferryman
GOLDEN APES – the scheme of things
THE CURE – all I want
THE CURE – how beautiful you are
HANNAH FURY – no man alive
HANNAH FURY – girls that glitter love the dark
NICK CAVE – far from me
FRANK THE BAPTIST – if I speak
FRANK THE BAPTIST – call the tune
GOLDEN APES – satin gardens
GOLDEN APES – tempest
THE CURE – one more time
THE CURE – the perfect girl
THE CURE –a thousand hours
CULT WITH NO NAME – that’s the power of tv
CULT WITH NO NAME – girl
SOLAR FAKE – creep (radiohead cover)


http://www.centrum.fm/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&p=47580

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Nosferatu opens Lake County Film Festival


Classic Silent Film Nosferatu Gets New Score from Del Rey & The Sun Kings

WHAT: F.W. Murnau's "Nosferatu" with Del Rey & The Sun Kings score
opens Fifth Annual Lake County Film Festival
WHEN: February 28, 2008
WHERE: The Libertyville Civic Center, 135 W. Church St., Grayslake, IL
COST: FREE!!

GRAYSLAKE, IL- Del Rey & The Sun Kings, the band led by Jackson Del
Rey, founding member of influential L.A. postpunk bands Savage Republic and 17 Pygmies, have produced a new score for F.W. Murnau's classic 1922
silent vampire film "Nosferatu" The film, with its new score, has been
selected as the premiere screening of the Fifth Annual Lake County
Film Festival.

ABOUT NOSFERATU: Released on DVD on 12/31/07, "Nosferatu" is Del Rey &
The Sun King's second installment in a planned set of four new
soundtracks for classic films made during the silent era of motion
pictures. Their first release was a radically re- worked (and
surprisingly, highly popular) score for Sergei Eisenstein's 1925
classic film "Battleship Potemkin."

F.W. Murnau's "Nosferatu" (subtitled Eine Symphonie des Grauens (A
Symphony of Horror) is the first screen version of Bram Stoker's novel
"Dracula." "Nosferatu" was unofficially adapted from Stoker's novel,
with the names of the characters changed in an effort to disguise the
source. In the case of "Nosferatu," though, the ruse failed, and on
the film's release Bram Stoker's widow sued, seeking the destruction
of all prints. Fortunately, for the sake of posterity as well as
anyone who just enjoys a well-made film, she did not achieve her goal,
and "Nosferatu" survives today as one of the great silent classics.

Due to the popularity of the bloodsucking subject matter, there are
many new scores for "Nosferatu," some vibrant and interesting, others
less so. But for Jackson Del Rey, something seemed to be missing in
all of these soundtracks, because at its core, "Nosferatu" is more a
love story than a horror story. To express this sentiment, Del Rey &
The Sun Kings chose to blend classical instruments with industrial
sounds to help enhance the film's themes of duality (light and
dark/man and woman/man and monster/woman and monster, etc.). And so as
there are indeed many "pretty" passages of music, there is a healthy
amount of dark and edgy material.

"Nosferatu" also pays homage to several of Del Rey's favorite film
composers, most notably Tangerine Dream, Popol Vue, Rachel Portman and
Thomas Newman.

With a number of live performances planned and a built-in audience
composed of (or is that decomposed of?) those who enjoy the
death/glam/Goth lifestyle, not to mention the potential of midnight
performance for actual vampires, Del Rey & The Sun Kings' "Nosferatu"
should have no problem building upon and surpassing the strong
commercial showing of its predecessor "Battleship Potemkin." From
there, it's two down and two to go. Do I hear boxed set potential,
anyone?

Del Rey & The Sun Kings NOSFERATU DVD
Track Listing:
1. Main Title/You Can't Escape
Destiny By Running Away
2. Land Of Phantoms
3. Blood! Your Precious Blood!
4. Coffins…coffins Filled With Earth
5. Carniverous Plant (Nina's Waltz)
6. Captain Of The Black Ship
7. Destiny Redux
8. I Too Have Been Saved
9. A Woman Pure In Heart

For more on Del Rey & The Sun Kings, visit
http://www.myspace.com/thesunkings

For a complete list of films at the Lake County Film Festival,
screening times and locations, visit www.lakecountyfilmfest.com . More
information can also be obtained by calling the Lake County Film
Society at (847) 362-5666.

Jackson Del Rey is available for interviews, and review DVDs of Del
Rey & The Sun Kings' "Nosferatu" are available upon request.
http://www.trakwerx.com/label.htm

Monday, February 11, 2008

Plastelin - Online magazine reviews Paper Wraps Rock



The ocean that is 80s nostalgia means many different things to different people. Some recall a time of leisure, some hedonism, some mistake the turquoise of water for the green of royalties. People are prepared to enter in in many different ways. And those that seem to always succeed are the ones for which appearance conquers everything. Short term and shallow, they are prepared to equip themselves with prejudice, blitz people with as much fluorescent gear as possible, and fleetingly entertain the fans who soon abandon them. Action is equal to reaction, remember. It's simply the laws of karma.

But then there are others, ones who actually find the taste of water interesting. They very cautiously test it over again, sometimes choking, but gradually building up the courage to leap in and swim. Sadly, save for more the careful observers, these people don't usually make a spectacle of getting in and out of the water, and these days it's hard to find a good place to watch, given that the very people you want to see are rarely on the most approachable beaches, but rather in small hiding places. All the more important, then, that such enjoyment can be seen, regardless of whether the water's clear or muddy, the weather stormy or calm.

For me, London duo Cult With No Name (Erik Stein and Jon Boux) is one such phenomenon. Their music is not some passing mantra, but rather a carefully kept secret (straight from clear waters) that should be shared. Poetic, and stacked in multiple layers of keyboards, Cult With No Name see themselves as post-punk, half-drunk, electronic, philharmonic, atmospheric, esoteric, balladeers. Their minimal approach (lead vocals, rhythm piano, lead piano, rhythm vocals) recalls singers who colour their voice with narratives, as if they were actors; Steven Brown (Tuxedomoon, Ninerain), Colin Newman (Wire, Githead), or maybe even Elton John stuck in an elevator with Howard Devoto (Magazine, Luxuria). Such distorted comparisons are rarely seen these days, even within 80s nostalgia. However, CWNN aren't nostalgists, but rather protagonists, satisfied to promote their own intricate sound with honesty in place of sloganeering.

The term 'a grower' is sometimes used by music consumers, and 'Paper Wraps Rock' is just that, a staircase where thrill an enjoyment is heightened with each successive step. With each passing minute, its clarity of concept is more exposed. If you've never been in a bar where a piano paints a background to an atmosphere of smoke, then it's probably time to try this. Their music is a touch too close to extroverted to simply come across as mindless virtuosity, although others will simply choose to daydream. The choice is yours.

A linked recommendation is Erik Stein's (lead vocals, rhythm piano) Cult Of the Week blog, where you might uncover some of the best kept musical secrets of the late 70s and early 80s. I'm guessing that Cult With No Name themselves will one day be the heroes of something similar. Isn't it interesting how some present day cults can paint a more beautiful picture of the world?



Mileta Okiljevic

Thursday, February 7, 2008

DJ Ola features The 17th Pygmy on Radio Nowhere

DEAR FANS,

Ola's Kool Kitchen, Show 11 is available on podcast!

or you can check it out old podcasts at

http://www.radionowhere.org/Podcast.htm
and at

iTunes
>http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=
211531875

Featuring,
New Young Pony
Interpol
Dalmatian Rex and The Eigentones
The 17th Pygmy "Dig It (Quentin's Theme")
The Vickers
River Endings
Morning Bride

Come join me in a fabulous musical cocktail in the sun! Spread the word to your friends and fans!

Regards,

DJ Ola

Thank you RADIO NOWHERE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

WPRB Plays "Blackbird"

Not Truth, But Effect
featuring the weekly Warped Moment at 6pm
with KPC


Tuesday, January 29, 2008
17:00 to 19:00
Rock/etc

17 Pygmies' cover version of "Blackbird" from "13 Blackbirds" release (2007) makes the playlist for this cool radio show at Princeton University.



wprb.com

Friday, January 25, 2008

WPRB Plays "New Generation"

Giants Of Jazz
with Daniel DiMaggio


Thursday, January 24, 2008
21:00 to 01:00
Rock/etc



WPRB is a commercial, non-profit radio station located in scenic Princeton, New Jersey. Operated by the students of Princeton University, WPRB offers the widest selection of music on the radio today; from the heart of Classical music composition, through the spectrum and crossroads of Jazz and into the best in Alternative and Indie Rock. We even have the longest running folk show in the state. During the academic year, WPRB also offers live sports broadcasts.

WPRB's broadcast range stretches from the outskirts of New York, NY through Philadelphia, PA and into Wilmington, DE which, combined with 14,000 watts of stereo power, makes us one of the world's strongest college radio stations. This is an advantage not only for our listeners, but also for advertisers who wish to take advantage of both our wide-ranging, eclectic audience and the 15,000 square miles of coverage.

http://www.wprb.com/printplaylist.php?show_id=12860

Monday, January 21, 2008

The Next Big Thing Reviews Cult With No Name


This is a strange concept that initially sounds like a lounge pianists outing with a piece entitled “the morning after the night before last”. This is as far away from “rock” as I’ve been in some time. Drifting way out to sea and I think that the calming effect is something I could use more of.

There’s something quite Roxy Music about it without them sounding anything alike. Kinda abstract Ben Folds territory even. Or Todd Rundgren? It kind of reminds me of The Pearlfishers with a darker streak too.

PWR is a grower. I was sceptical at first but their songs have somehow wheedled themselves under my skin with repeated plays. Look at the influences listed on their myspace as you listen. Go easy on the head scratching though.

Lindsay Hutton

The Next Big Thing Reviews The 17th Pygmy


So here’s the paisley overground. A lush, soaring psychedelic psmogasbord that seems to connect Fleetwood Mac with Wooden Shjips. Beautifully packaged, which seems to be a trademark of Trakwerx quality and very tastefully recorded. If there were such a thing as airwaves in the traditional sense then this would or should be all over it. These lysergic folk pop hark back and pull forward at the same time. The result positively shimmers. If they can pull this off live then there are a wealth of REM and Dream Syndicate fans out there that are starved of something substantial. “Beautiful Lie” sounds like something Debbie Harry could use. In fact Meg Maryatt bears quite a striking vocal resemblance throughout.

She also plays accordion which is a big plus point. Heard a feature on the wireless this morning about that instrument being back but it was never away if you knew where to look. (Hi Angel!)

If you want something substantial that has elements of the Radionapper/Brian Jonestown formula then those vibes don’t come much closer than “Just Like Brian Jones”. Being that there’s no consensus anymore, I’m not sure how you get something like this to the people who would go gaga for it. In terms of what I perceive to be broad commercial appeal then this has everything. It doesn’t require hype, it just needs to be heard. It’s one of those things that if you heard it in a record store (remember those?), you’d be up at the counter asking what it was. I don’t believe there’s a higher accolade than that.

“No tambourines were harmed in the making of this album”. Damnit, they’re funny too.

Lindsay Hutton

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Nosferatu makes 2007 Top 10 list



Randy (kyote23 on myspace) has listed his TOP 10 2007 RELEASES

in no particular orders, here is what knocked me out this past year:

del rey & the sun kings - nosferatu (dvd)

einsturzende neubauten - alles wieder offen

the young gods - super ready/fragmente

radiohead - in rainbows

savage republic - 1938

waldteufel - sanguis

sky cries mary - small town

kinski - down below it's chaos

the valley - the valley

the peter brotzmann octet - the complete machine gun sessions

a minority of one - bathe in fiery answer

Cult With No Name makes top 10 list



Mick Mercer lists Cult With No Name's debut release "Paper Wraps Rock" in his top 10 for 2007.

To download his 2007 reviews and interviews (including Erik Stein from Cult With No Name) click on the link below:



Mick Mercer - THE MICK 40

"13 Blackbirds" on The Top 20 Albums of 2007




Lucid Culture lists the 17 Pygmies Double CD release "13 Blackbirds" as one of the top indie releases of 2007!




17 Pygmies - 13 Blackbirds

Farmhouse features The 17th Pygmy


"Last Train" from The 17th Pygmy's newest release Ballade Of Tristram's Last Harping is featured on a cool website called Farmhouse.

Farmhouse Magazine is run by a group of artists and writers who grew up during the information age, we’re using technology to revive the salons of old.

Farmhouse Magazine is dedicated to finding and promoting new and emerging voices in the arts. With every issue, we’re reaching an expanding audience and showcasing the best work that the Open Source Generation has to offer.

Best of all, we’re finding a way to use a wholly synthetic medium to build organic community of artists and writers.



Farmhouse Magazine