A Thick Mist Justin Snow

 

I think Hindustani tends to be the more popular style of classical Indian music in the west (see: Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, Chatur Lal, Dagar Brothers, etc) so I figured I’d shed some light on the Carnatic side. This episode features some standout Carnatic musicians like supreme violinist L. Subramaniam and veena master Sundaram Balachander as well as some lesser known but just as amazing players like Chinna Moulana and a group recorded by Brigitte Chataignier.

 

00:00:00 Chitti Babu – Ragam Thanam Pallavi (from Swara Raga Sudha)

00:11:56 Dr. L. Subramaniam – Rāga Śivapriya (from Three Ragas For Solo Violin)

00:31:55 Isaimani Sirgazhi S. Govindarajan – Sri Rama Charitha Geetham, Part 2 (from Papanasam Sivan’s Sri Rama Charitha Geetham (Tamil))

00:52:00 Sundaram Balachander – “Gnaana Mosaga Raadha” Raagam Poorvikalyani Roopakam Taalam (from Man From Madras)

01:13:02 Madurai Mani Iyer, T. N. Krishnan, & Vellore Ramabadran – Kamalambam Bajare (Ragam: Kalyani) (from Madurai Mani Iyer)

01:33:31 Sheik Chinna Moulana – Valli Nayakane (Ragam: Shanmugapriya) (from Sheik Chinna Moulana)

01:49:37 Vamanan Namboodiri, Soorya Narayanan, Ananthapadmanabhan, Madhusudanan, Tripunithura Krishnadas, P. Nandakumar, & Kalamandalam Kshemavathi – Sumasayaka (from Inde: Le Chant Du Mohini Attam – Danse Classique Du Kerala = India: Singing The Mohini Attam – Classical Dance Of Kerala)

 

Something I didn’t realize before I made this episode is that a lot of the major country blues stars like Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Lead Belly, and Blind Lemon Jefferson weren’t from the Appalachian region. I guess if I gave it even a second thought, I’d realize that the genre-adjacent delta blues was named after the Mississippi Delta and that the tunes coming from the rural Appalachians leaned more towards the bluegrass style. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to highlight the wide variety rolling down the mountains: everything from the banjo instrumentals of Hobart Smith to the lone black lung vocals of Nimrod Workman. I’ve always been a sucker for banjos, a cappella, and grim vibes, so naturally Appalachian music is 100% my jam.

I tried to stick to the early pre-war stuff and stay away from anything coming out of the 50s/60s folk revival. A lot of these tracks come from compilations by labels like Folkways, Yazoo, Mississippi, and Dust-to-Digital because 1: it’s not like I have a collection of 78s to pull from and 2: they’re the ones helping to preserve this history so that’s where most of us discover these artists. I did my best to find some of the lower profile compilations & songs and, as always, tried to play things that haven’t appeared on A Thick Mist/AGB Radio before (except for Lloyd Chandler’s “A Conversation With Death” that’s just too good to not include). And I veered toward the gloomy tones because obviously but also it’s called the blues for a reason. Also, I tried to stay away from any gospel because I’ll probably end up doing a gospel episode at one point.

I’m not an ethnomusicologist nor am I a historian, so I’m not going to try to offer commentary on individual tracks. I highly recommend you dig into any and every artist and compilation you find here. If you’re looking for suggestions, try either of my favorite sad ladies that bookend the episode or my man Nimrod right in the middle.

There’s probably some stuff on here that might not fit under a strict definition of Appalachian music, but lets not get too bogged down in semantics. Enjoy.

 

00:00:00 Sarah Ogan Gunning – Dreadful Memories (from A Girl Of Constant Sorrow)

00:02:25 Etta Baker – Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad (from Instrumental Music Of The Southern Appalachians)

00:03:47 Peg Leg Howell – Moanin’ And Groanin’ Blues (from “Folks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow!” – Vintage Fiddle Music 1927-1935: Blues, Jazz, Stomps, Shuffles & Rags)

00:07:18 Jean Ritchie – The Unquiet Grave (from Ballads From Her Appalachian Family Tradition)

00:11:16 Floyd Council – I’m Grievin’ And I’m Worryin’ (from Carolina Blues (1937-1947))

00:14:01 Florence Reece / Almanac Singers – Which Side Are You On? (from Classic Labor Songs)

00:16:35 Murphy Gribble, John Lusk, & Albert York – Eighth Of January (from Deep River Of Song: Black Appalachia – String Bands, Songsters And Hoedowns)

00:20:52 Edward Clayborn – Death Is Only A Dream (from Last Kind Words (1926-1953))

00:23:47 Carter Family – Motherless Chidren (from Lead Kindly Light)

00:27:23 Doc Watson & Clarence Ashley – Dark Holler Blues (from Friends Of Old Time Music)

00:32:15 Dock Boggs – Oh Death (from Virginia Traditions: Ballads From British Tradition)

00:35:32 Ruby Glaze – Lonesome Day Blues (from I Can’t Be Satisfied: Early American Women Blues Singers – Town & Country, Vol. 1 – Country)

00:38:46 Hobart Smith – Drunken Hiccups (from Instrumental Music Of The So...

 

Let me just start off by saying this episode is super explicit and not safe for work (unless you’re a sex worker I guess). 99% of the spoken word is people talking about sex stuff like b*****b instructions (from the 50s? 60s?), some offbeat porno poetry, Christians talking about male puberty, hypnotherapy to make your dick bigger, etc. 99% of the music is experimental from 2022 and made by women.

 

00:00:00 Annie Sprinkle – Deep Inside Your Cosmic Body Erotic (from Cyborgasm – Erotica In 3-D Sound)

A former sex worker and current environmental artist (approaching her art from an “ecosexual” perspective) on a very odd compilation from the 90s of spoken word, ambient, and weird erotic shit.

00:02:55 Elin Piel – Heart Walls (from Satsuma Sunday)

Premium modular synth drone.

00:10:45 Meg Mulhearn – Pisces (from Archetypes)

The first in a 12-piece series of “meditations and non-linear reflections on archetypes of the twelve Western zodiacal signs.” Free* and starting off strong.

00:13:03 Unknown artist – Side A (from How To Drive Your Man Wild With Oral Sex)

Absolutely f****n wild 7″ from decades ago that I have a hard time believing actually exists.

00:22:56 Victoria Wizell-Gallagher – Conversation With Cells (from Penis Enlargement Deluxe)

Another one I have a hard time believing exists. This is a 6-session set that aims to help you make your dick bigger by sheer willpower. Accompanied by some chill new age ambient cheese.

00:28:19 Laura Jordan Cocks – Produktionsmittel I (from Field Anatomies)

I didn’t just play this because her last name is Cocks. It’s also fantastic “blisteringly physical work for flutes.” In this case: amplified flute, aluminum foil, glass bottle, and fixed media.

00:48:14 Lori Goldston & Stefan Christoff – Wingspan In The Sunshine (from Punk Equinox)

I was so psyched to discover this one. I’ve always loved Goldston’s cello work but Christoff is new to me. Here he’s playing a Hammond organ. So yeah, cello + organ, obviously my kind shit.

00:58:15 Philip Jeck – As My Shadow Passes… (from Touch 00)

I remember the first Jeck work I heard: Sand (thanks Aquarius Records). It was revelatory. The first time I fully understood how vinyl could be used as an instrument instead of just the delivery method. He will be sorely missed but I’m thankful for all of the music he left behind.

01:07:38 The Christophers – The Problems Of Growing Boys (from Christopher Recordings On Sex Instruction)

The Christophers are an “inspirational” Christian group founded in 1945 by the Roman Catholic/Maryknoll priest James Keller. This is one of their earliest publications (from 1951), intended to educate parents on how to educate their children about sex and puberty.

01:16:42 Astrid Øster Mortensen – Styrsö Kyrkorgel (from Skærsgårdslyd)

New to me Danish artist. Amazing field recording and folk droney sounds.

01:17:37 Matchess – Almost Gone (from Sonescent)

Huge release by Whitney Johnson. Her previous work is excellent but this is next level. Highly recommended.

01:26:13 John Giorno – Pornographic Poem (from Raspberry / Pornographic Poem)

 

It’s only been 7 months since the last A Thick Mist episode, not that anyone’s counting… So here’s the thing. I clearly don’t have room in my life to do radio shows the way I was kinda doing them since the pandemic started (which was basically not at all) so I thought I’d try something new. A new process that might fit into my life and a new approach to curation that might appeal to more people (although that’s besides the point).

The new process involves no spoken commentary during the show. It’s kind of like my Halloween episodes where I just play my stuff for a couple hours so as to not interrupt the vibes. However I will be adding some written commentary here in the playlist when I have anything to say.

The new curation sees an end to my psychotic combinations of black metal followed by Haitian Voodoo rituals followed by zoned out minimalism followed by turn-of-the-century country blues followed by some dude reading about seashells followed by… Instead, each episode will focus on a more unified genre/theme. This is great for those of you who hated the doom but loved the Hindustani ragas. I assume those of you who liked the craziness will still enjoy each episode because the primary content isn’t changing and now you can still listen to A Thick Mist with a migraine, just pick a chill droney episode instead of the one full of Peruvian dances.

Let me know what you think of this new setup. Are you going to miss hearing my super sexy voice? Are you psyched about not spilling your coffee when the caustic black noise jumpscares you?

This first incarnation of the New Way is a metal episode because that’s pretty much all I’ve been listening to lately. Enjoy.

 

00:00:00 Spider God – Forever (from Black Renditions)

Free* record by new-to-me band and it’s black metal covers of pop songs. You won’t believe how f*****g good this is. I chose to highlight their version of Viva Forever by the Spice Girls but I highly recommend checking out their Whitney or their Brittany or their No Doubt or everything else.

00:03:37 Пуща (Pušča) – Ça Brûle (from War Is Hell)

Amazing Ukranian black metal with some clean female vocals. They put out a 2-song single to raise money for Come Back Alive. And while you’re at it, grab their fantastic new EP for just $4.

00:10:03 Mizmor – Wit’s End (from Wit’s End)

Everyone loves Mizmor. New record is the best.

00:24:49 An Evening Redness – The Judge (from An Evening Redness)

New dusty doom drone band inspired by Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian. Into it.

00:35:24 Deathbell – Come To Trouble (from With The Beyond)

Some killer doom from 2018 that I only just learned about. They have one that just came out in February and that’s great too.

00:44:59 Blackwater Holylight – Every Corner (from Silence/Motion)

Amazing record from last year that’s got lots of stoner doom sounds but also plenty of moments of true evil bursting through. Not sure why this song sounds so muffled and quiet in the mix.

 

New Fluisteraars, Yemeni folk, new Sarah Davachi, Godzilla sound effects, ionosphere recordings, Margaret Walker poetry, Cambodian ballads…

 

Background music: Michael Chapman – Homage To Jim Hall (from VDSQ Solo Acoustic Vol. 11)

00:00:00 Talk break

00:02:25 Fluisteraars – Verscheuring In De Schemering (from Gegrepen Door De Geest Der Zielsontluiking)

00:22:34 Daniel Walsh – The Old Miner’s Refrain (from Songs & Ballads Of Anthracite Miners)

00:23:16 Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe – Brianna Says His Name (from Candyman Soundtrack)

00:30:09 Talk break

00:32:14 Saad Kawkabani – Ya Sabooh Al Enab (from Music From Yemen Arabia • Sanaani – Laheji – Adeni)

00:43:00 Lawrence English – Observation Of Breath (from Observation Of Breath)

00:44:58 Niels Lyhne Løkkegaard – Music For 19 Bass Clarinets (from Saturations)

00:45:21 Unknown Giay Woman – Song In Lao Chai Village (from Ethnic Minority Music Of North Vietnam)

01:03:43 Talk break

01:07:45 Sadness – In A Memory (from Agnosia)

01:21:58 High Altitude Sounds Recorded At Various Speeds: Dawn-Chorus, Swishes, Whistlers, Tweeks (from Ionosphere)

01:22:57 Situation Dramas Utilizing Sound Effects (from Sound Effect Of Godzilla: Godzilla And His Friends)

01:31:13 Margaret Walker – Delta (from Margaret Walker Reads Margaret Walker And Langston Hughes)

01:32:31 Sarah Davachi – Magdalena (from Antiphonals)

01:42:27 Talk break

01:46:21 Low – Hey (from Hey What)

01:54:02 Samantha Bumgarner – Georgia Blues (from Hard Times Come Again No More Vol. 1 – Early American Rural Songs Of Hard Times And Hardships)

01:56:58 Mao Sareth – Wounds Of Love (from Wounds Of Love: Khmer Oldies, Vol. 1)

02:01:19 Talk break

 

A live set! First time in forever. It went ok. I think I figured out a setup that works for me.

Got some good shit on this one. I start out with two of my favorite records this year, mix in some Bahamian folk, Bengali spirituals, Japanese weirdness, Greek hymns, Easter Island chants, and of course some killer black metal.

 

Background music: The Ghostwriters – Slow Blue In Horizontal (from Remote Dreaming)

00:00:00 Talk break

Vouna – What Once Was (from Atropos)

Midwife – Promise Ring (from Luminol)

Karen Black – Babe Oh Babe (from Dreaming Of You (1971-1976))

00:29:08 Talk break

Chord – G9-11sus(b2)-F (from Imperfect Authentic Cadence)

Unknown Artists – Cultivate The Human Land (excerpt) (from Religious Songs From Bengal: Songs Of The Bauls And Poems Of Chandidas)

Elie Wiesel – The Song Of The Dead (from Reading From His Works)

Arushi Jain – The Sun Swirls Within You (from Under The Lilac Sky)

01:05:22 Talk break

Joseph Spence – Run Come See Jerusalem (from Encore: Unheard Recordings Of Bahamian Guitar And Singing)

Jose Bedmar – Guitar Improvisation (from Portrait Of Andalusia)

France Jobin – The Fluidity Of Time Does Not Exist Pt. I & Pt. II (excerpt) (from The Fluidity Of Time Does Not Exist)

Asenath Blake – Elemental Materialisation (from Zoëtic Songs)

Tvær – IV (from Uvaer)

01:32:11 Talk break

Ichiko Aoba – Pilgrimage (from Adan No Kaze)

Roxane Métayer – Partie II: Grottes Graciles (from Paroles Cavernicoles)

The Chuch Of The Theotokos Blachernae – Side A (from The Akathistos Hymn And The Veneration Of The Cross)

Amélia Tepano – Kaï Kaï (from Musiques De L’Ile De Pâques)

01:59:55 Talk break