The Lounge Lizards - Voice of Chunk & Episodes # 908, 907, 906

Formed in 1978 by Saxophonist John Lurie and pianist and brother Evan Lurie, The Lounge Lizards were part of the underground New York music scene. The band went through line up changes throughout the years and had a devout following in not only the US, but in Europe and Japan as well. The Lounge Lizards were a jazz band, but not your typical jazz band. They challenged jazz conventions. The Lounge Lizards had been described as tongue-in-cheek jazz earlier in their career, but went on to combine different genres mixing elements of sophistication and chaos. John Lurie recently released The History of Bones, his memoir. In the book, he discusses his life as a musician and artist. He holds nothing back. The book covers recording and his time with The Lounge Lizards, his acting, several of the scores he created for films and many other things.

In 1988, The Lounge Lizards recorded an album called Voice of Chunk. A lot of work went into this album, but at the time they couldn’t get a label to release it in the US. It was released in Europe and Japan and selling well, but there was difficulty in the US. In order to promote and sell this album, Lurie decided to release it himself on his Strange & Beautiful Music label. But, to sell it in the US, he decided to record a few infomercials to sell it over the late night TV airwaves through mail order. Voice Of Chunk would be the last album to feature this particular line up of the band. Throughout their career only John and Evan remained constant. This line up on this album features Marc Ribot (guitar/trumpet), Dougie Bowne (drums), Erik Sanko (bass), Roy Nathanson (alto soprano/tenor saxophone), Curtis Fowkles (trombone), E.J. Rodriguez (percussion), Evan Lurie (piano) and of course alto/soprano saxophonist and main composer John Lurie.

The album starts off with the track “Bob the Bob,” a song that has a soulful tranquility to it and one that seems to also draw on jazz and world music rhythms. The song was a written as a tribute as John Lurie’s roommate and friend Kazu Makino, who would later go on to play with Blonde Redhead as the vocalist/rhythm guitarist. The title track is a bit more chaotic and is a good example of how the Voice of Chunk album and song capture a noisy anarchy while at the same time contrasting it with softer, more melodic melodies. The drums played by Dougie Bowne and the bass hold down the chaotic nature of the song as saxophones from John Lurie and Roy Nathanson move with erratic guitar from Marc Ribot to a certain type of sophistication that the listener gets lost in. The title of the song “One Big Yes” was inspired by a personal ad that appeared in the back of the Village Voice that Lurie read. The music on this track is truly captivating as it combines different time signatures and genres in a way that The Lounge Lizards did so well.

“The Hanging” has a cinematic feel to it that could be described as jazz noir. It pulls you in with its sultry charms. “Uncle Jerry” has a calming intensity to it, the song’s title is a reference to Lurie’s uncle of the same name. Halfway through the song, it switches tempos as it builds up to a manic rush before reaching its calming culmination. “A Paper Bag and the Sun” begins with a series of exotic, world music rhythms as noisy guitar and drums come in slowly and juxtapose themselves with the earlier melodies. As the song progresses they seem to carry on throughout the noisy elements of the song in a way that eventually overtakes everything in a feverish style. “Tarantella” changes the pace and stands out as quite different from the rest of the tracks found here. Dominated by the bouncy bass from Erik Sanko and piano played by Evan Lurie, the song exudes an eerie vaudeville nature while also drawing on Italian folk dance music. “Sharks Can’t Sleep” is a claustrophobic and truly frenzied track that is the second last track found on this album. "Travel" ends the album with otherworldly jazz sounds.

On Voice of Chunk, The Lounge Lizards display their avant-garde jazz sounds in what many feel is their best album. It’s hard to disagree with this statement. Every Lounge Lizards album has something to offer that is different. There are always shades of the avant-garde, melodious moments, something that is wild and unpredictable, but each one feels different. Elements of the experimental with the influences of Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, world music and a noisy anarchy that crosses rhythms with more melodic melodies are found on Voice of Chunk. The adventurous nature of their earlier work is present here on this album, but the melodies are stronger, smoother and more sophisticated. With Voice of Chunk, The Lounge Lizards showcase their own inspired brand of beautiful anarchy.

Voice of Chunk Commercial:

John Lurie's memoir The History of Bones.

 

Show 908 (Originally Aired On November 13th, 2021)(Lounge Lizards, Marvin Pontiac, Heavy Trash, Odonis Odonis, Ty Segall):

1.  Andy Shauf - Judy
2.  Jon Mckiel - Cold Hand Becomes The Master
3.  Daniel Romano's Outfit - Tears Through A Sunshine
4.  The Sadies - A Steep Climb
5.  James O-L - East On Your Own
6.  Hot Garbage - X-Ray
7.  Spectres - To The Victor
8.  Odonis Odonis - Impossible
9.  Gal Gracen - Grass Mask
10. Heavy Trash - Bedevilment
11. The Blues Explosion - Rivals
12. Jon Spencer - Do The Trash Can
13. The Contortions - Contort Yourself
14. BADBADNOTGOOD - Mirror City
15. The Lounge Lizards - Incident On South Street
16. The Lounge Lizards - Fat House
17. The Lounge Lizards - My Trip To Ireland
18. The Lounge Lizards - Bob the Bob
19. The Lounge Lizards - Queen of All Ears
20. Marvin Pontiac - Small Car
21. Wavves - Thru Hell
22. Tough Age - "Walk!"
23. Amyl & The Sniffers - Freaks to the Front
24. Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Don't Die
25. Ty Segall - Feel Good

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the November 13 file to download/stream the episode.
 

Show 907 (Originally Aired On November 6th, 2021)(Jarvis Cocker, Tricky Woo, Teenage Cavegirl, Parquet Courts):

1.  Jarvis Cocker - Dans Ma Chambre 
2.  Jarvis Cocker - Contact 
3.  La Luz - I Won't Hesitate
4.  Pointed Sticks - There's The Door
5.  Knoxville Girls - 50 Feet High 50 Feet Down
6.  Ada Lea - Damn 
7.  Possum - Gala at Universe City 
8.  Circuit Des Yeux - Dogma 
9.  Hand Habits - No Difference 
10. Illuminati Hotties - Joni: LA's No. 1 Health Goth 
11. Wolf Alice - Play the Greatest Hits 
12. Dogo Suicide - Ostrava 
13. Wine Lips - In the Clear
14. The Mystery Lights - Can't Get Through My Head 
15. Warm Drag - Butch Things 
16. Teenage Cavegirl - Space Girl 
17. Teenage Cavegirl - No Good/So Bad 
18. The 3Ds - Hey Seuss 
19. Ancient Shapes - My Adidas (Revisited) 
20. Ancient Shapes - Political Rain 
21. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Needle Boy
22. Tricky Woo - Get Around 
23. Tricky Woo - Teach Us American 
24. Tricky Woo - Fly The Orient 
25. Thee Headcoatees - Give It To Me
26. Visibly Choked - A Snake Called Ean 
27. Molchat Doma - Sudno
28. Parquet Courts - Black Widow Spider 
29. Guided By Voices - High in the Rain
30. Fontaines D.C. - Black Angel Death Song
31. RAYS - Lost in the Cage
32. Actors - Strangers
33. Fifth Column - Donna
34. Property! - Running Away 

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the November 6 file to download/stream the episode.

Show 906 (Originally Aired On October 30th, 2021) (Horror Soundtracks Edition):

1.  Howard Shore - Welcome To Videodrome (Videodrome Soundtrack - Varèse Sarabande - 1992)
2.  Colin Stetson - Charlie (Hereditary (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Milan - 2018)
3.  Disasterpiece - It Follows (It Follows (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Milan 2015)
4.  Howard Shore - Head Full of Strangers (Scanners / The Brood - Mondo - 2015)
5.  The Garrys - Djavulen (Haxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages - Grey Records - 2020)
6.  The Garrys - Apelone's Dream (Haxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages - Grey Records - 2020)
7.  Stewart Copeland - Strange Things Happen (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (Music From The Motion Picture) - I.R.S. Records - 1986)
8.  Devo - Let's Talk (Fright Night (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Private I Records - 1985)
9.  Creedence Clearwater Revival - Sinister Purpose (Green Room (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Milan - 2016)
10. Donovan - Hurdy Gurdy Man (Zodiac Soundtrack - Lakeshore Records - 2007)
11. Colin Newman - Alone (Silence of the Lambs Soundtrack - MCA Records - 1991)
12. Tragically Hip - Locked in the Drunk of a Car (Devil's Mile (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - 2014)
13. Little Richard - Keep A Knockin' (Christine (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Motown - 1983)
14. The Cramps - Goo Goo Muck (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (Music From The Motion Picture) - I.R.S. Records - 1986)
15. Joe Tex - The Love You Save (May Be Your Own) (Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) - Maverick/Warner Bros. - 2007)
16. Willy DeVille - It's So Easy  (Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) - Maverick/Warner Bros. - 2007)
17. April March - Chick Habit  (Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) - Maverick/Warner Bros. - 2007)
18. The Cramps - Surfin' Dead (The Return of the Living Dead (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Enigma Records - 1985)
19. Roky Erickson - Burn the Flames (The Return of the Living Dead (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Enigma Records - 1985)
20. Broken Social Scene - Horses (The Tracey Fragments (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Darla Records - 2008)
21. Fembots - Who's Gonna Know Your Name (The Tracey Fragments (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Darla Records - 2008)
22. John Carpenter - Halloween 1978 (Halloween (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Columbia - 1979)
23. E.C. Woodley - Dream #1 (Antiviral (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Lakeshore Records - 2013)
24. E.C. Woodley - Hallucination (Antiviral (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Lakeshore Records - 2013)
25. Ralph Jones - Main Titles (The Slumber Party Massacre (Original Motion Picture Score) - Web Records - 1982)
26. Ennino Morricone - End Titles & Credits (The Thing: The Complete Motion Picture Soundtrack) - LScores/MCA - 2010)

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the October 30 file to download/stream the episode.

For those keeping track, episode 905 was a repeat of episode 904, which featured an interview with The Garrys. You can find that playlist here and download/listen to the episode here.