Steven R. Smith S/D

Yeah, it is a cool piece. I think Marc Masters does a great job, and it will maybe get S. R. Smith a bunch of listens. Pretty amazing output for one guy, especially with the quality he maintains.

Agree -- he's a good role model for caring about the things that matter to him and also not caring about the things that don't. The Ulaan Markhor album I have is emerging as a personal favorite, over time.

I hope this piece gives him a sales boost! For a while I was starting to get a little embarrassed because I think I bought 3 of his albums within a week or something? It's nice that he has physical releases as well as bandcamp too. If I had to track down all his records, I probably wouldn't have been able to hear them. I dig his approach to the whole thing tbh.

Yeah completely agree, he has a great attitude about it all.

people piss and moan about pitchfork but that marc masters column has turned me on to more good stuff than most of the other places i could think of

I mean, there are great writers on Pitchfork and knowledgable folks, but I really only go there via twitter and facebook at his point. Someone I like posts that they have a new piece up, I go read it, I skip the rest of the site. Basically I have zero problems with Pitchfork now.

I've heard a handful of his solo records and Hala Strana stuff that I thought was pretty good, and a few Thuja records that really didn't leave much of an impression, but I keep coming back to him because most of what I've heard has been interesting enough that I felt like eventually I'd find something in his discography that I'd really enjoy.

Anyway, this morning I heard the first Ulaan Khol record, and it's pretty much exactly what I needed to hear right now. This is like full-on Daniel Fichelscher worship, which the world needs more of (or, if the world already has more of, I need to know about it)!

You should try Ulaan Markhor! It's like the louder/less bongos/more crashing side of Fichelscher iirc.

Also - This is like full-on Daniel Fichelscher worship, which the world needs more of (or, if the world already has more of, I need to know about it)!
I've been working on this, give me some time! I practice every day.

Also fwiw I found Steven R. Smith because I am on a constant hunt for people attempting a very particular aspect of PV's approach to song-making and I feel like he nails it -- generally speaking, the SRS stuff I like best is long passages, repetitive phrases, rhythmic but not busy, melodic but not distractingly so, heavy but not oppressively so, pretty but not repulsively so, etc.

Also watch this if you haven't
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSGWFX84NkQ

I'll definitely check out Ulaan Markhor; thanks for the recommendation! Also will watch that video as soon as I get home!

I think I have PV filed away in my brain as, like, sui generis or whatever, so I never think "I'm going to look for more stuff that sounds like this", so when I do stumble upon it, it kinda blows my mind.

Yeah I mean it comes close -- no one could be all the way there unless they are Fricke and Fichelscher (and friends) tbh. I've decided to settle for bits and pieces of what I'm looking for.

New one! http://worstward.bandcamp.com/album/byzantium-crow

Man that one really deserves cross-posting in the American Popol Vuh thread!

Newsflash: I just learned about another Steven R. Smith -- http://csp.sagepub.com/content/25/4/554.short

He is a disability scholar and once posited (acc to the book I'm reading), "A completely painless existence could also quite plausibly be seen as deficient for most people."

Agree tbh.

i wonder what this guy has been up to

new one!
http://worstward.bandcamp.com/album/spiral-horns-black-onions-et-al

i got an email about it last week or some time ago and just remembered to check it out
sounds good so far!

i like how all of his songs sound kind of underdeveloped
that really beats being overcooked imo

Oh man gotta check this out, thanks for reminding me! Underdeveloped in the best sense, i.e., open to possibilities.

This is the most conventionally rock thing he's done in a long time, isn't it?

I don't know, this is sounding pretty out to me.
I like it a lot!

Oh wait, I am listening to Byzantium Crow.

I'm really enjoying the new one! The way the last 15 seconds or so of The Nocturnal in Daylight basically turns into a different song makes my heart leap. It kinda reminds me of The Church? He has a really great sense of song dynamics imo.

Man, I need to get this.

It's really cool. My first exposure to him! Nice to know there's a deep body of work to get into.

:D that's how i felt when i started this thread
i was like what magical planet did this guy come from (california, i guess)
i still really admire his dedication and work ethic and style and general approach to making music

not really familiar w/ this dude but the ulaan markhor album is killer.

Tyler and Global, there is a LOT to check out in re S.R. Smith. Definitely listen to some Hala Strana (a lot more acoustic playing and great mix of influences), as well as all of the Ulaan ... records (he changes the second word in the name from time to time but the "Ulaan" remains).

I am sure this is posted above, but just for easy reference here is Marc Masters very good profile from "The Out Door", which lots of tunes linked:

http://pitchfork.com/features/the-out-door/9323-genres-of-one/2/

With lots of tunes obviously.

agree
all of my choices are the best ones obvs -- i like the ulaan markhor stuff the best, then SRS self titled stuff (iirc?) and then the more gypsy folky stuff but honestly it's all really good!
"lot to enjoy" otm

Hala Strana 3" CD on Jeweled Antler (collected on the library Series 4CD set) is very very good

everything i have is good. and i have a lot. all vinyl though. probably missing out on some good cd and cdr-only releases.

Scott, probably not your thing too much, but there is a lot available for streaming on his Worstward Recordings bandcamp site. Seems like you have a lot already, but if you were looking to fill in some gaps they may be here (also posted above): https://worstward.bandcamp.com/

thanks for the recs! obviously a whole lot to dig into judging from that bandcamp...

Yeah it is nuts, but very well organized and handy when used in combination with Marc's "Out Door" rundown.

Problem with listening to S.R. Smith in depth is, if you play somewhat similar music yourself you come to realize that he has already been there and generally covered that ground already. And probably done it better.

I want to reiterate the suggestion for "Tableland" mentioned above, a really good one under his own name.

Problem with listening to S.R. Smith in depth is, if you play somewhat similar music yourself you come to realize that he has already been there and generally covered that ground already. And probably done it better.
I have been thinking about this -- I can see it being true from a guitar perspective, but his rhythm section could use some beefing up
good thing this totally random internet person has come to the rescue ;) http://bit.ly/1AgSOjW

Found three SRS CDs I didn't have in a dollar bin. Tableland is sounding pretty good right now. Got that Vuh thing happening but with a little Labradford circia A Stable Reference twang.

ulaan markhor owns

wow, dollar bin! that's good fortune. i've seen a couple more people talking about Steven R Smith and it makes me happy. Apparently he has no interest in playing shows, but I wonder if he could be convinced.

new one!
https://worstward.bandcamp.com/album/light-in-dust-e-p

Ooh nice, gonna check this today! Also, good job on that reworked SR Smith tune random internet person :)

EP sounds pretty nice, with some Vuh-ish piano on the second side. I want that on vinyl.

It's raining out today and I'm listening to Slate Branches. Which is really kind of desert-y but then again so is California anymore.

his new thing (under the moniker Ulaan Khol) on soft abuse is totally great. this guy is fantastic.
http://www.softabuse.com/catalog.php?catno=SAB076

Yeah, he is a force of nature essentially. Glad he keeps putting stuff out there (as hard as it is to keep up).

yeah one of those guys who might have a higher profile if he stuck to one band name and put out just one thing a year. but whatever, he is great.

Seems comfortable with the process and being in control of what he does/when he does it. Nice example actually of someone who seems very much to be a "music first" kind of dude.

Yes! He's the best. Music first!

this is very nice

https://worstward.bandcamp.com/album/triecade

(h/t Elvis Telecom)

Yup, he keeps on keeping on very well.

it reminds me of... the Dirty Three?

This one is quite Dirty Three-like. Of his releases since 2020, my favorites are the one's where he's incorporating horn and reed players. Last year's Olive and Ulaan Passerine - Dawn get me in particular. Was listening to Olive on a night walk, and found myself marveling "how is this simultaneously reminding me of Alman Bros and Penguin Cafe Orchestra?"