Brick:  “Summer Heat”

"That summer heat makes me want to get down! The moonlight's making it easier for me to see/That it's time for love--or Mother Nature's playing tricks on me!""

Wikipedia page here.

Posted By: Paul - Sun May 28, 2017 - Comments (1)
Category: Music, 1980s, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults

Gregg Peters:  Elvis Impersonator

Let me know when you bail...

Posted By: Paul - Fri May 26, 2017 - Comments (7)
Category: Celebrities, Disguises, Impersonations, Mimics and Forgeries, Music, 1980s, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults

Agave Guitar

Continuing the theme of musical instruments made of odd things (matchstick violins, lobster violin), here's a guitar made out of agave cactus.



Does it really matter what wood you make an electric guitar out of? This site here says it does, and it sounds like hard woods are generally better than soft woods. So I'm assuming that agave wouldn't be the first choice of most guitar players. Though it would be very light.

This guy here makes agave surfboards.

Posted By: Alex - Sun May 21, 2017 - Comments (1)
Category: Music

Captain Sky

His Wikipedia page.

Posted By: Paul - Mon May 15, 2017 - Comments (2)
Category: Aliens, Eccentrics, Music, 1970s

Mildred Our Choir Director

Posted By: Paul - Wed May 10, 2017 - Comments (3)
Category: Humor, Music, 1950s

Salongo

A forgotten early album by the Insane Clown Posse?

Ramsey Lewis at Wikipedia.

Posted By: Paul - Wed May 03, 2017 - Comments (3)
Category: Music, 1970s, Body Painting, Face and Facial Expressions

The Wurlitzer Electric Piano

Pre-digital, this device worked by striking steel reeds.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 30, 2017 - Comments (1)
Category: Music, Technology, 1950s

Musical Prisoner

In 1949, LIFE told us about Frank Grandstaff, who composed a cantata while jailed, and earned a brief release to hear it performed. But what happened afterwards?

Original story here.



Original article here.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 19, 2017 - Comments (6)
Category: Crime, Music, 1940s, 1950s

Vexations by Erik Satie

Eccentric composer Erik Satie wrote "Vexations," a four-line piece of music, around 1893, though that date is a guess because it remained undiscovered until his death in 1925. It was an unexceptional piece of music (by design), except for the instructions he attached that seemed to indicate that it should be played "840 times in succession" by a pianist who should "prepare oneself beforehand, in the deepest silence, by serious immobilities." It's not clear why he chose the number 840.

It was first performed in September 1963 at the Pocket Theater in Manhattan. Composer John Cage arranged for a relay team of 10 pianists to play the entire thing, 840 times. The entire performance lasted 18 hours and 40 minutes.

There was a $5 admission fee for audience members, but you got 5 cents back for every 20 minutes you listened to it. Joel Meltz sat through the whole thing, so ended up getting a refund of $2.80.

It's subsequently been performed a number of times and is, of course, available on YouTube. Check out the video below of the guy who plays the entire thing, alone, in under 10 hours.

San Bernardino County Sun - Sep 11, 1963

Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 17, 2017 - Comments (6)
Category: Boredom, Music, 1960s

The New Colony Six

"Groovin' is easy, if you know how!"

Their Wikipedia entry.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 15, 2017 - Comments (4)
Category: Music, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1960s