Wolfmanhattan Project is a band made up of Mick Collins (The Gories, The Dirtbombs), Kid Congo Powers (The Cramps, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Gun Club and The Pink Monkey Birds) and drummer Bob Bert (Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore, Lydia Lunch’s Retrovirus) that first had a single out in in 2015. The single which featured the song “Smells Like You” backed with “You Are My Glue”, was described on In The Red Records website as “trashy, swampy, sleazy, damaged music you'd expect from the gentlemen involved." In April of 2019, a full-length album was released from this group entitled Blue Gene Stew. This long awaited debut album creates its own musical atmosphere with elements of garage, punk and no wave. Lyrically, the music often ventures into sci-fi obsessions, conspiracy theories and a psychedelic trippiness.
Blue Gene Stew starts off with “Delay Is The Deadliest”. Sung by Bob Bert, the song features off kilter guitar riffs travelling into punk and no wave territory while lyrically Bert rants over top. “Now Now Now” digs into a deeper psychedelic groove. Kid Congo Powers vocals levitate above the dual guitar attack that he and Collins deliver with the words “What you say is what you do now/Cause what you say is what you do now now now” that repeat themselves in a hallucinogenic fashion. “Braid of Smoke” floats into the listener’s subconscious with a gritty, R&B psych style as Collins sings visual, abstract lyrics. The song ends in an explosion of drums and distorted guitar solos. “I Feel You” features sci-fi sounding effects with cowbell and primal drums throughout this rockabilly rave-up with raunchily poetic lyrics supplied by Powers, “Sticky” is a sleazy garage song with lyrics projecting a modern day paranoia, “Jar in a Suitcase” revels in its strangeness. Featuring Lydia Lunch, the song portrays an experimental spooky, sci-fi funky aesthetic as Lunch and Collins trade off vocals, while “Silver Sun” deflects a grimy garage aesthetic.
“Toynbee Tiles” unwinds itself with the tale of the mystery of the Toynbee Tiles. These tiles began appearing mysteriously in US major cities in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Although their origin is still unknown, these tiles were found embedded in the asphalt in the streets of about two dozen US major cities and places in South America. They bore the message “Toynbee idea/In 2001 movie/Resurrect the dead/On planet Jupiter.” This message appears throughout this song in different variations, sung by Bob Bert in a chant-like way between complex samba rhythms, strange Doppler sound effects and pitch altered vocals that move with a beat poetry make up putting the listener into a trance-like state. The song explores a futuristic, yet surrealist sonic soundscape that could easily apply itself to our modern day outlook of the world. “Last Train to Babylon” ends Blue Gene Stew. This song brings forth a sort of distracted blues with psychedelic sounding guitar effects as the drums hold down the centre. Lyrically, Collins sings, “Flying saucers landing now/Deliver us the newborn king,” and “The towers of Babylon are burning/Board the train and seal the deal” stressing the need for something new among the ongoing chaos and destruction.
Recorded over several sessions, Blue Gene Stew features baritone guitars. This type of guitar differs from a standard guitar. It is a deeper sounding guitar with a longer scale length. The album also features standard guitar, along with drums and other instruments that all add to the overall sound of Blue Gene Stew. While their previous musical foundations still permeate the music on this album, Blue Gene Stew is not exactly what you might expect from Mick Collins, Kid Congo Powers and Bob Bert. With Blue Gene Stew, Wolfmanhattan Project explores a different musical landscape. It is one weird, wild trip that you won’t be able to forget you took.
Listen to Revolution Rock's Interview with Kid Congo Powers here:
Show 795 (Kid Congo Powers Interview):
1. Wilco - Everyone Hides
2. Surf Curse - River's Edge
3. Angel Olsen - What It Is
4. Kurt Vile (Featuring The Sadies) - Baby's Arms
5. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Ghosteen Speaks
6. Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds - Rare as the Yeti
KID CONGO POWERS INTERVIEW PT.I
7. Gun Club - Eternity Is Here
8. The Cramps - Rockin' Bones
9. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - City of Refuge
KID CONGO POWERS INTERVIEW PT.II
10. Wolfmanhattan Project - Now Now Now
11. Teenanger - Bank Account
12. Psychic Void - Dirty Hands (CJAM Session)
13. The Leather Uppers - 1000 Lashes
14. Orville Peck - Winds Change
15. Bloodshot Bill - Be My Own
16. Light Bulb Alley - Roads Must Part
17. Wax Mannequin - Chance to Dance
18. Women - Locust Valley
19. The Cramps - Thee Most Exalted Potentate of Love (Live)
20. Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds - La Arana
To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for October 5.
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