“1980s” (Used 6 times)

Most of us know Bobb Trimble -- well, as much as anyone does -- through the first two LPs of surreal psychedelic folk that the cult figure self-released in his early 20s. Iron Curtain Innocence (1980) and Harvest of Dreams (1982) were either a decade too late, or decades ahead of their time, as they went on to inspire the likes of Ariel Pink and Thurston Moore, fetching up to $1500 on ebay (sez wikipedia). Both were reissued by Secretly Canadian in 2007, and you can preview a track off of each at Bobb Trimble's FMA profile. But all the while, there was a third -- and very different -- Bobb Trimble record from 1983 that had never seen the light of day, because all 500 copies were disposed of in an office park dumpster.

The Crippled Dog Band LP is finally available for the first time ever via Yoga Records. The Crippled Dog Band is also the name of the group of teenage boys who back Bobb up on this recording. Story goes that the band itself wasn't Bobb's idea -- rather he was invited to join, but if you watch this recently excavated live video (below) it's clear that the music is Bobb's vision.

After disappearing for a couple decades, Bobb Trimble returned to the stage backed by a new band of young (but not that young) disciples: the Flying Spiders (Gary War, Nick Branigan, Karina DaCosta, and long-time friend Kris Thompson). In June 2009, Bobb Trimble's Flying Spiders played on my radio show at WFMU in 2009 (mp3s below, 2009 blog post here), and four songs from the Crippled Dog Band-era -- which can be heard here on the FMA -- were surprise favorites from the set. You can also hear Bobb Trimble's Flying Spiders perform at their first-ever but long-overdue NYC appearance (6/25/2009), and a year later at ISSUE Project Room's outdoor courtyard series.

>> Bobb Trimble - The Crippled Dog Band @ Yoga Records

This week, Iceland Airwaves announced the latest additions to their lineup for October 2011, prompting a look & a listen back to KEXP's trip to Reykjavik for Iceland Airwaves 2010 featuring some of Iceland's most exciting artists.

Today I'd like to spotlight the avant-punk band S.H. Draumur from Kópavogur, Iceland. Originally active from 1982-1988, the three-piece was inspired by Pere Ubu, Suicide, Swell Maps, Joy Division and The Birthday Party, as well as by the vibrant Icelandic music scene, where they served as the local opener for Swans and Einsturzende Neubauten. Along with a handful of cassettes and 7"s, S.H. Draumur recorded one LP -- Goð -- over the course of 50 hours spent in a YMCA community center, as bassist/vocalist Dr. Guuni recounts in The Reykjavik Grapevine.

That sought-after LP (picutred R) was reissued by Iceland's Kimi Records in 2010 to coincide with S.H. Draumur's reunion at the Iceland Airwaves Festival. KEXP was there all the way from Seattle (Reykjavik's "sister city") to record the performance (stream it here), and "Nótt Eins Og Þessi" (below) is part of KEXP's Iceland Airwaves MP3 compilation.

KEXP will return to Iceland Airwaves for the third year in a row Oct 12-16th 2011. This year's lineup again features an incredible array of Icelandic artists (including Retro Stefson and Who Knew who are also featured in KEXP's 2010 mix) and internationals (tUnE-yArDs, K-X-P, Liturgy, Dungen, Suuns, and Beach House to name a few). Check out the latest on the 2011 lineup here and more of KEXP's Iceland Airwaves coverage here.

The "Amanda" recordings have emerged as an unexpected cult sensation on my WFMU program over the past two years. The chronicles feature Amanda Whitt, a growling (think Cookie Monster), defiant pre-pubescent with a Southern twang spewing mayhem over 1980s breakbeats and disjointed shards of pop hits. On some tracks Amanda shrieks while clanging pots & pans. The recordings exude undeniable charm, but there's nothing cute about it. Any sentient adult witnessing this behavior would commence punitive action or summon law enforcement.

Power-child Amanda was recorded between 1986-89 at home in Alabama, between ages 8 and 11, by her older (by 7 or 8 years) brother Joseph (a.k.a. Jody). Joseph and Amanda were a couple of hyperactive kids pretending to be, respectively, a music video director and a child star. Most recordings were captured on cassette, others on video cam, in the lowest of lo-fi. The duo sometimes enlisted friends in the frolics, and often drove their parents crazy (with incidents caught on tape). The most durable performances were titled (e.g., "The Pickle People," "Horrible Hybrid Tulips," "Indian Hoots Echo Baby," "Me Swinging in Cookieland") and compiled on "albums," whose design awkwardly replicated the commercial cassette format. Inserts were pasted up and xeroxed, and collections assigned titles (e.g., Primitive Swagger, Monumental Whopper Turmoil Jam, Empires and 5th Dimension Perspective, and Worship Me). The recordings were not circulated beyond friends.