― ethan, Sunday, 14 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― francesco, Monday, 15 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― your null fame, Monday, 15 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Douglas Wolk, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
As for the rest of their catalog...the Placebo albums are all quite amazing in there own ways. Their S/T 1st album is probably their most varied. There's a bit of everything on it, the hilarious scat- jazz "Uncle Jim" speil...triumphant semi-improv free rock plunderings...mental spoken word spook-outs...utterly beautiful acoustic instrumental shuffles....bleak 4th dimension horn blasts....ambience...and absurd babble-rapping. "My Painted Tomb" and "Rapping Head" are two gems that come to mind. Grotto of Miracles is more focused, and probably more akin to Torch. "Different Kind of Whore" & "Damcar" are the most memorable tunes. Horse Cock Phepner definitely ups the ante, and clues you in as to the insane genius and warped perspective of the Girls. Hearing "Nancy Reagan" alone, is enough to get the picture...although their take on the Fugs' "CIA Man" really gets it into high gear. Often misinterperated as a "political" album, I would consider it more like 1987 Americana, being refracted through the SCG's tweaked prism. And songs like "it's underneath the house" and "passenger seat people" have no political points at all. And although this album owes an obvious debt to The Fugs/Zappa/Deviants trip, it surpasses them all in the process, due to the SCG's sheer intensity, wit and diversity. Probably their 2nd best release.
The list goes down from their.....my love for Box of Chameleons grows with each listen. 3cds, 128 tracks, talk about the gift that keeps on giving. The trick is not to dimiss a single track, be patient. 30,003 Crossdressers...is definitely up there to, but it's a bit of an overindulgence. "Kickin' the Dragon" is essential SCG listening. Libyan Dream is a spottier, less magnificent Torch, but great none the less. Bright Surroundings is brilliant as well, especially venerable song....love the Pink Floyd format, 3 fucking long songs. The 7"s are all good to, just as diverse as the full-lengths. "Eye Mohini" is probably my favorite.
Basically....you're gonna have to take a few stabs in the dark to figure out which SCG style suits you, just be thankful they give you so many chances.
― Benjmain Why Why Why, Wednesday, 26 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Gardo, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― , Saturday, 16 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
http://www.suncitygirls.com/
The sellouts! I'm just kidding. New mailorder-only double CD of their WFMU show available on the site. Damn, it's hard to keep up with these guys.
― Broheems (diamond), Monday, 26 January 2004 00:12 (twenty years ago) link
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 26 January 2004 10:33 (twenty years ago) link
whats the verdict?
― brock (brock), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 19:41 (twenty years ago) link
I know absolutely nothing else about the Sun City Girls, but for that alone, CLASSIC!!
― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 19:52 (twenty years ago) link
― brock (brock), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 20:12 (twenty years ago) link
Man if only there were actually a radio station that sounded like this life would be that much more worth living.
― Broheems (diamond), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 20:19 (twenty years ago) link
easily the most distasteful station ID of all time (bad bad 9/11 joke) followed by a batman theme song cover = rAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAad.
― brock (brock), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 20:54 (twenty years ago) link
― Broheems (diamond), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 20:59 (twenty years ago) link
i say they're classic, and my flave-o-rite is "The Handsome Stranger" double CD.
― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 21:10 (twenty years ago) link
"Napoleon & Josephine" 7" if you can...
― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 22:12 (twenty years ago) link
neung phak s/t is a listen too man. played that for a bunch of line cooks and work. they lost their shit. "TUI TUI TUI TUI TUI TUI" strangled canary action.
― brock (brock), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 23:08 (twenty years ago) link
― Ian John50n (orion), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 21:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― donut debonair (donut), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 21:45 (eighteen years ago) link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000001BER/sr=1-1/qid=1137727725/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-0869921-5030203?%5Fencoding=UTF8
― central waters, Friday, 20 January 2006 03:32 (eighteen years ago) link
but not $100 on CD good.
― Dom iNut (donut), Friday, 20 January 2006 03:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom iNut (donut), Friday, 20 January 2006 03:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 20 January 2006 03:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom iNut (donut), Friday, 20 January 2006 04:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 20 January 2006 09:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― NickB (NickB), Friday, 20 January 2006 09:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dom iNut (donut), Friday, 20 January 2006 10:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 21 February 2007 20:28 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 21 February 2007 21:21 (seventeen years ago) link
― stirmonster, Thursday, 22 February 2007 00:29 (seventeen years ago) link
― sleeve, Thursday, 22 February 2007 07:42 (seventeen years ago) link
― myopic_void, Thursday, 22 February 2007 16:22 (seventeen years ago) link
― myopic_void, Thursday, 22 February 2007 16:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― myopic_void, Thursday, 22 February 2007 16:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― stirmonster, Thursday, 22 February 2007 17:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― hstencil, Thursday, 22 February 2007 18:16 (seventeen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 22 February 2007 21:28 (seventeen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 22 February 2007 21:47 (seventeen years ago) link
― sleeve, Thursday, 22 February 2007 23:15 (seventeen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 22 February 2007 23:17 (seventeen years ago) link
― sleeve, Thursday, 22 February 2007 23:41 (seventeen years ago) link
― doom23, Thursday, 22 February 2007 23:45 (seventeen years ago) link
― brg30, Friday, 23 February 2007 03:12 (seventeen years ago) link
― a passing spacecadet, Friday, 23 February 2007 05:22 (seventeen years ago) link
― chaki, Friday, 23 February 2007 18:48 (seventeen years ago) link
― Mike McGooney-gal, Saturday, 24 February 2007 07:03 (seventeen years ago) link
― sonderangerbot, Friday, 23 March 2007 15:44 (seventeen years ago) link
― ian, Friday, 23 March 2007 15:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― NYCNative, Friday, 23 March 2007 16:07 (seventeen years ago) link
hell yeah, thanks
― sleeve, Wednesday, 6 January 2016 01:08 (eight years ago) link
http://www.youtube.com/embed/bblW8PnkGGg
― sleeve, Saturday, 25 June 2016 22:24 (seven years ago) link
hey i need help finding a specific SCG that i have forgotten the name of. it's a slow, minimal song that is not in english - sounds like a southeast asian language in my memory but i could be wrong. it's just guitar and singing, and in the chorus, it has multiple singing in unison. sounds like it could be a cover or a traditional song instead of a SCG original. i have no idea what album it's from. any ideas?
― na (NA), Thursday, 15 December 2016 16:49 (seven years ago) link
probably one of the singles like "Borungku Si Derita"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5bmVf2xP7U
― sleeve, Thursday, 15 December 2016 16:52 (seven years ago) link
yes that's it! that was so fast! thanks.
― na (NA), Thursday, 15 December 2016 16:54 (seven years ago) link
Original recording is also v beautiful
― his eye is on despair-o (Jon not Jon), Thursday, 15 December 2016 16:56 (seven years ago) link
what is the original recording
― na (NA), Thursday, 15 December 2016 16:58 (seven years ago) link
this i suppose? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th0yvyz3X_s
― na (NA), Thursday, 15 December 2016 17:00 (seven years ago) link
Yeah!
― his eye is on despair-o (Jon not Jon), Thursday, 15 December 2016 18:40 (seven years ago) link
<3 ilm sometimes!
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Thursday, 15 December 2016 20:42 (seven years ago) link
SCG seem to have created a Youtube account, where they're putting up a lot of the 80s cassettes and other stuff that's been OOP forever
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnQi2zVoylHxokBZwLLQzlQ
― Duane Barry, Wednesday, 28 December 2016 01:30 (seven years ago) link
from Richard Bishop's FB page:
"Juggernaut - an unreleased 1994 Ukrainian "art film" by Mark Roman Bodnar and Kyrill Kazemirovitch Protsenko has just been posted to youtube. (Run time: 28 min.) Soundtrack by Sun City Girls. No sub titles. The film is dark, totally bleak, oddly edited, and the timing is, sadly, perfect."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVYiaqUQOYM
― sleeve, Friday, 30 December 2016 02:12 (seven years ago) link
CARNIVAL FOLKLORE RESURRECTION !!! BIG SALE HAPPENING IN SEATTLE ON MARCH 11th and 12th - - The Bishop Brothers are going through storage units and clearing out things to sell. Alan and Richard will be hanging out and holding court for both days. Sale items will include: Musical instruments of all types, miscellaneous Sun City Girls stage & Studio weirdness, t-shirts, clothes, retro Film posters and lobby cards, Artwork, bizarre handicrafts, Records, Maps, practical things many people could use (including you), oddities, and who knows what else? We’re still going through boxes. If you’re anywhere near Seattle this coming weekend, you should probably go to this! PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS IN THE PACIFIC NW.
WHERE: in Seattle at INDIAN SUMMER Vintage (Back Room) 534 Summit Ave E (Capitol Hill).
WHEN: Saturday March 11th 11:00 am - 6:00 pm, and Sunday March 12th 11:00 am - 5:00 pm.
CASH ONLY
― tylerw, Wednesday, 8 March 2017 16:23 (seven years ago) link
new band!
Just Announced: CLANDESTINE QUARTET (Alan Bishop, Richard Bishop, Chris Corsano, Michael Flower) will be performing a live set of new material on September 15th in London. Full details and ticket link on the event page.
"Sun City Girls, was one of the most fiercely independent, challenging and totally unpredictable bands to have operated outside of the mainstream. Sun City Girls embraced and subverted styles and tropes from various genres and cultures, creating a blend of deranged surf, Eastern-but-not-Eastern free improvisation, stateless folk, avant-mysticism and whatever else you want to call it.
Sun City Girls disbanded in 2007, following the death of drummer Charles Gocher. The Sun City name could never be revived without the mad versatile genius of Gocher, a ‘high priest of the outside’ – a line from Alan Bishop’s touching tribute to Gocher in Perfect Sound Forever. The Bishops have only infrequently performed together since, notably on the Brothers Unconnected tour, instead focusing on their personal endeavours: Richard, on free rock outfit Rangda, and solo work under his Sir Richard Bishop guise; Alan, on his project Alvarius B, alongside bands The Invisible Hands, and Dwarfs of East Agouza. And of course, there’s Sublime Frequencies, the label that Alan co-owns with Hisham Mayet, a label that resists any form of cultural gatekeeping, releasing artists and music not represented in any music magazine’s false idea of a ‘canon’.
So how do they go about playing together in a band again, without the deft hand of Charlie Gocher? They’ve enlisted drummer Chris Corsano, an extraordinary percussionist and improvisor, a member of Rangda (with Richard Bishop and Ben Chasny), and known for his work with saxophonist Paul Flaherty. Corsano has performed with Jim O’Rourke, Joe McPhee, Bill Nace (Vampire Belt), Jandek, Bjork, and countless others. They’re also joined by Mick Flower – who has regularly performed with Corsano as Flower-Corsano, and is best known as a member of ecstatic drone ensemble Vibracathedral Orchestra.
Together, they’re hiding away for a week in a studio to write a completely new set of material. And what will it sound like? Who knows. Perhaps the Bishops have found kindred spirits in the form of Flower-Corsano. Or perhaps they’ve just found two new figures to spar with. Whatever the case, this is an unmissable opportunity to witness a performance from the unparalleled brothers of avant-everything".
― sleeve, Tuesday, 25 July 2017 18:15 (six years ago) link
Holy crap. I'm in!
Well, not in the sense of going to London for the concert, but short of that.
― or at night (Jon not Jon), Tuesday, 25 July 2017 19:06 (six years ago) link
as per tylerw's post from March, FB friend posted this, thought it sounded p interesting
Phx/Tempe record collectors. Eastside Records has ... Alan Bishop's map collection from his Wide World of Maps years. 2 bucks a map, naked cash. Those maps are conveniently buried under some rubble near cash register.
not gonna make that London show on Friday but I am going to see Senyawa, who are supporting, the day before. high recommendation
― thirst trap your hare (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 13 September 2017 09:22 (six years ago) link
Was that Torch of The Mystics reissue last year a one off or are there other releases coming?I only have a couple of their cds and would like more if they're as good.
― Stevolende, Wednesday, 13 September 2017 09:35 (six years ago) link
Rick has said a few times recently that he'd love to get the 80s Placebo trilogy (and Dawn of the Devi etc) reissued, but there's nothing official yet.
― Duane Barry, Wednesday, 13 September 2017 20:56 (six years ago) link
yeah those seem like the most obvious candidates to me, Djinn Funnel is another personal favorite that is tough to find
― sleeve, Wednesday, 13 September 2017 20:59 (six years ago) link
JUst looking at prices of cds on Amazon. So hope there is something coming.Have found loads on Spotify which i hadn't really looked at before.Still wondering what determines what turns up on there after seeing which artists have loads of lps up.
― Stevolende, Wednesday, 13 September 2017 21:00 (six years ago) link
https://www.strandedrecords.com/collections/twenty-one-eighty-two-recording-company/products/sun-city-girls-live-at-the-sky-church-september-3rd-2004-lp-dvd
― sleeve, Wednesday, 12 February 2020 19:15 (four years ago) link
Thanks for the heads up, I should pick that up.
Thought the revive would be about the fact that AB and RB recently played two nights as a duo at Zebulon in LA. I'm unsure how many times they've played together since the demise of SCG, but it can't have been often.
― van dyke parks generator (anagram), Thursday, 13 February 2020 08:38 (four years ago) link
Didn't they play a bunch as Brothers Unconnected?
― Paul Ponzi, Thursday, 13 February 2020 11:01 (four years ago) link
Yeah, that's how last week's shows were billed, I didn't know they'd done it previously.
― van dyke parks generator (anagram), Thursday, 13 February 2020 12:00 (four years ago) link
Yeah it was a tour maybe a year or so after charlie died. Saw the nyc one. It was great. They sold a brothers unconnected CDR at it which I haven’t spun in awhile.
― valet doberman (Jon not Jon), Thursday, 13 February 2020 16:42 (four years ago) link
Anyone know what the live set was like around this time? Tempted to buy this, especially with the added bonus of the DVD.
― Paul Ponzi, Friday, 14 February 2020 03:34 (four years ago) link
no predictability whatsoever afaik - I saw them that same year at Berbati's in Portland and it was almost solid gnarly improv madness. Charlie attacked the crowd with a whip. this set sounds interesting for sure.
― sleeve, Friday, 14 February 2020 05:55 (four years ago) link
Yeah there was never a time when it would have been possible to say what their “live set was like at the time”—they moved around behind a gauze scrim for the whole show while a prerecording played —they told redneck jokes —they performed a bunch of what would become 330,003 Crossdressers—they did a set of gnarly trio improv
― valet doberman (Jon not Jon), Friday, 14 February 2020 22:21 (four years ago) link
It's out today: https://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/sun-city-girls-live-at-the-sky-church-september-3rd-2004-lp-dvd/KHZ.1002LP.htmlForced Exposure has it for $18.70, in stock - LP+DVD, whattadealWhile you're at it, get "Dawn of the Devi" too ($15.73 from Forced Exposure...I'm not a shill I swear)
― ernestp, Friday, 12 June 2020 20:06 (three years ago) link
so.... where would one start if they were curious about this band?
― StanM, Friday, 5 March 2021 11:21 (three years ago) link
probably https://suncitygirls.bandcamp.com/album/torch-of-the-mystics
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Friday, 5 March 2021 11:24 (three years ago) link
thanks, will do
― StanM, Friday, 5 March 2021 12:22 (three years ago) link
Their final album is really amazing as well:
https://suncitygirls.bandcamp.com/album/funeral-mariachi
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 5 March 2021 13:15 (three years ago) link
This is quite good entry point - https://suncitygirls.bandcamp.com/album/330003-crossdressers-from-beyond-the-rig-veda-2
This too - https://suncitygirls.bandcamp.com/album/dantes-disneyland-inferno
Both of these pretty much cover the range of the SCG universe, or as near to it as might be possible.
― stirmonster, Friday, 5 March 2021 15:19 (three years ago) link
I'll second Torch of the Mystics, that was my entry point and worked really well.
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 5 March 2021 15:21 (three years ago) link
agree with all of the above recommendations
― I like signing up to dead sites (sleeve), Friday, 5 March 2021 16:09 (three years ago) link
with the beach boys cover (summer dream amherst 2004)
― dogs, Friday, 5 March 2021 16:35 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFWbyuvPImk
also check it out, comrade marc masters has uploaded the whole amherst 2004 show
― dogs, Friday, 5 March 2021 16:43 (three years ago) link
this one too! great stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbAOHq579lw
― tylerw, Friday, 5 March 2021 16:46 (three years ago) link
but yeah, Torch of the Mystics is thee one really.
― stirmonster, Friday, 5 March 2021 18:16 (three years ago) link
The one that is in print, at least. Or was.Examining this band through their first album and their last album is pretty rewarding.First album long oop, unfortunately.
― trip maker, Friday, 5 March 2021 18:23 (three years ago) link
Torch 330,003And the singles comp that includes borungku si derita eye mohini etc
― covidsbundlertanze op. 6 (Jon not Jon), Friday, 5 March 2021 20:39 (three years ago) link
Thank you for the recommendations - very initial impressions: fascinating + a lot less Ween/Zappa than I had somehow expected.
― StanM, Friday, 5 March 2021 21:40 (three years ago) link
The first singles comp, You're Never Alone With a Cigarette, is a nice companion to Torch.
I wish they'd hurry up and re-release the first three.
― Duane Barry, Saturday, 6 March 2021 00:09 (three years ago) link
OK I thought about it walking the dog and here’s my recommendation for a ten album scg chronological swoop:Grotto of Miracles Torch of the Mystics Bright Surroundings Dark BeginningsLive From Planet BoomerangEye Mohini: The Singles Vol. 3330,003 Crossdressers from Beyond the Rig Veda Libyan Dream (carnival folklore resurrection series)Sumatran Electric Chair (carnival folklore resurrection series)Hi Asia Lo Pacific (carnival folklore resurrection series)Flute and MaskFine, eleven it is: throw in Funeral Mariachi to close
― covidsbundlertanze op. 6 (Jon not Jon), Saturday, 6 March 2021 03:40 (three years ago) link
wow! thank you! I'm not ready for the freakout parts of the live videos yet though. Also, some of the less conventional moments on the albums suddenly made me go "what was that 'my pal footfoot' band called again?" but then they shift into a way more complicated thing during the same song - very fascinating
― StanM, Saturday, 6 March 2021 08:00 (three years ago) link
I approve of Jon's recommendationsand might also throw in Severed Finger With A Wedding Ring, also from the CFR series
― I like signing up to dead sites (sleeve), Saturday, 6 March 2021 15:48 (three years ago) link