Seems like only yesterday that multiple organ-admitter Ben Chasny announced the formation of a record label. Hermit Hut impressed with the Bhutanese guitar improv of Tashi Dorji, whose self-titled LP opened the label for business just last month. In an effort to keep up appearances, Chasny has found yet another disc of deranged guitar to hermitically hustle out into the available world.
Australian guitarist Chris Smith is the subject of said hustling. His music seems like a perfect fit for Chasny’s guitar-focused (so far) curation, especially considering most of Smith’s music has not made it out of his native land (it looks like Map Ends: 1995-2001 might have been his only American splash).
In an effort to right this ignorant wrong, Chasny has seen fit to reissue Smith’s 2007 record Bad Orchestra, which had previously only seen a limited CD run on Death Valley. Smith, inspired by The Germs, recorded the album with a full band as a way to work through a period of intense inner turmoil. I am so glad Chasny is not reissuing Smith’s LiveJournal entries from the same era.
Bad Orchestra’s vinyl rebirth will occur on October 14. Until then, enjoy the Crazy Horse frequencies of “Living Dead Blues” below.
Bad Orchestra tracklisting:
01. Goose Run
02. Living Dead Blues
03. Glue Factory
04. Grain Elevator Blues
05. The Orbit
06. Bobby and the Big O
07. Slight Problems (Intermission)
08. Jimmy’s Theme
09. Step Into the Light
10. Your Tunnel
• Hermit Hut: http://www.sixorgans.com/hermit-hut-records