Had the honor of being asked to contribute some eye-candy to the Todd Parker and the Witches new release, Martians…even though I have no idea what I’m doing…but at least Parker does. You can read about it in an interview with Parker and get some info about Martianshere, and check out his ‘video album’ for Martianshere.
Todd Parker and the Witches step out of the star chamber, and bring greetings from the red planet on Martians. Martians extends Parker’s hand even more from his ‘return’ on Greetings from The Star Chamber, using its launch pad while still building on his legacy with Tadpoles. It’s a darker album, embracing some ominous tones, but also tipping his hat to a love of pop, of all kinds, both aspects made evident on the admitted Cure-ish Zero Sum. A brooding outing, Zero Sum finds kinship with other moody cuts like the closer, Conduit. Wrapping arms around some throbbing, repetitive drone, Conduit isdeeply tied to Parker’s often big closing statements; Sunrise Ocean Bender from Tadpoles’ swan-song release Whirlaway, the indirect reconnection of Disconnect from Star Chamber. At the same time, it’s a definite new tangent, revealing more detail with each pass. Martians is far from a full-scale downer invasion though. Cuidado, Helium Breeze…cuts rooted in psych pop, but with a stronger loyalty to ‘song’ that frees them from being confined to a strict genre add more waves to the transmissions. In between, tracks like the outstanding Malacandra and the exotic Nakhla meld both sides into a pliant and elastic ensemble. As good as Star Chamber is—as a loose homecoming and album on its own—Martians feels more realized, more conceptually whole though there is none…sort of….That in turn makes Martians come across as more personal. Due partly to Parker approaching Martians as a coven of one as much as being a more current and vital application of where he is now, and how he got here…and there. The production is bubbly thick while paying respect to the space inside the spheres as well as in between them. Rich bass pops and bounces, animating Martians’ dynamics, especially grabbing your attention from the get-go on Malacandra. The bobbing and nodding also points the head toa New Order vibe, a band and, more tellingly, a time that had a big impact on Parker, even when buried under the psych fuzz of Tadpoles. Those kind of vapor trails and trace elements bind with where Parker’s head space is now lending Martians a sheen that’s not tied to one time, but still sounds of the now; familiar and fresh without being transient. If Star Chamber was Parker getting ‘back into the spaceship,’Martians is the sound of the cap’n enjoying the flight without the weight of destination’s payload. Go ahead, stretch the legs inside that tin can.
Parker put down his Tang recently, had an oxygen hit, took a breath and lent his insights to Martians and what makes them tick…and finally addresses the nagging “Seger Question” that has plagued the release of Martians.
How do you perceive Martians, in relation to your ‘return’ on Greetings? Continuation, new flight plan, synthesis…?
Greetings from The Star Chamber was me getting the rust off from sitting basically idle, musically, for a decade. My equipment, other than 1 or 2 guitars, was literally in storage since Tadpoles ended in 2000. So, those tunes were culled from about a 20 year period of unfinished demos, half-baked ideas as well as a few brand new things. Additionally, it was also a reunion with drummer Mike Audino and a renewal of a creative relationship that started the Tadpoles out as a band in the first place. So, there was rust there too. But, I felt like we shook it off with Star Chamber and I was ready to jump back into making music again, albeit in a modified way, essentially as a studio-only entity.
After Star Chamber, Mike proposed that we rework a very old Tadpoles cassette album that had gone unreleased called Beautiful Music For Ugly Children from 1989 (Retitled Evil Bliss for the Witches version). That was the first serious thing he and I did together back then and really led me down a life-altering path in that I moved to NYC to form the group with Mike and went on to meet my other collaborators in the Tadpoles, as well as develop a personal life there, being married, having a daughter. So, since he was into giving that album its “due” after all these years, we decided to go back in time and approach that album again as if we were heading into the studio with our 1989 brains and proceeded to cover ourselves almost note for note, sound for sound to the original cassette version, but with superior equipment and sound quality now. While it was a fun trip back to Weird Wonderland, it wasn’t representative of us currently.
So, It became important to find my modern voice so that the Witches project did not become an exercise in nostalgia for days gone by. As it turned out, it became obvious that Mike and I had wrapped up whatever unfinished creative business we had together through producing Star Chamber and Evil Bliss and we both decided it was time to move on once again. He made some wonderfully quirky videos for the Evil Bliss album that I hope more people get to see over time.
Martians is apparently where I’m at presently. All new songs, all written since Star Chamber. No old demos or rehashed tunes. Didn’t really plan it out, but went with my instincts and it developed song by song that ended up being the running order of the album.
They’re both your babies, both great records, but do you feel Martians is a ‘better’ album in the context of being newer material overall? More of statement than Greetings?
Thanks. I do think Martians is a better album and more of a pure statement than Greetings From the Star Chamber, which, while fun to make, is more of a hodgepodge of styles and sounds from a very wide period. Some good stuff on there, though. I think Disconnect from Star Chamber is one of the best songs I’ve ever recorded. Technically, it was a Tadpoles’ demo from the early 90′s that never saw the light of day, so I finally gave it some light in this new version. But, it was of that era. With David Max playing bass on it, Mike on drums, you have essentially the same core of musicians that recorded the Tadpoles first album, 1994′s He Fell Into The Sky. Martians is probably the most personal album I’ve done. It has little to do with Martians of the little green men variety. But, I love the sci-fi imagery, and possibilities for metaphor in the theme.
Martians has a definite darker tone, aura—Zero Sum, Conduit—but also feels more personal this time around. Was that just a natural tact that emerged on its own, or a conscious choice?
Yes, darker at times. Though there are also a couple of pretty poppy tunes in Cuidado and Helium Breeze. Cuidado even has a real chorus! The personal, probably introspective side to this came naturally, I think, from working totally on my own this time. I haven’t done that over a whole album since way back when I started making songs with my 4-track in my college apartment in the 80′s. Solitude can sometimes bring that 3rd eye introspection. And without the dark, there is no light. So, I acknowledge that too. I also no longer write specifically with a band in mind that needs to play the tunes like I used to do in Tadpoles. So, there are more of the keyboards and instrumentation choices that I used to use back in the 80′s that I stopped using so much with the Tadpoles guitar-based assault.
There’s a definite flow to the record, especially leading up to the close, Conduit. How important is sequencing the record, how much decides itself? Do you think taking the time to sequence a record deeply plays into the overall tone, or message, of the record? It seems pushed to the side frequently these days.
The art of the album is unfortunately becoming a lost art in the digital download era. But, it’s certainly not lost for everyone, and not lost for me. I still appreciate a well-sequenced album that takes you somewhere, rather than a front-loaded selection of individual tracks. Not that every album has to be a concept album per se, but without getting too hippy-dippy here, there is an energy level throughout a well-considered album song sequence that ebbs and flows and directs the listener’s mood and perceptions. I think that as artist, you want to have control over that. Part of the new social network stuff that perplexes me is the idea that artists are having fans vote on song sequences, album titles, whether a song is good or not, whether it needs more or less bass, etc, all in the name of “engagement.” Even Devo, whom I respect immensely, did that for their last one. See, I’d rather hear a Devo album the way Devo wanted it, not the way a random group of fans wanted it. I think they ended up coming to their senses and released their own version as the standard. Anyway, I’m happy to see the resurgence in the interest in vinyl releases as the idea of song sequence was very important on vinyl due to the limitations and the idea that you have essentially two opening tracks, for Side A and Side B. Even though vinyl releases have not been in the limited Bakery (Parker’s label) budget, I’ve always approached all the Tadpoles and Witches stuff that way in terms of sequencing. There is a first half of each album and a second half.
Is there a message with the emphasis on Mars?
Probably a theme I’ve worked on throughout my whole career … kinda out there. On one’s own. Alienation. That sounds kind of dark or negative, right? But, there’s the other side, too. Traveling to inner and outer destinations unknown. Exploration. While waving your Martian freak flag high. I can embrace both. Tadpoles albums, He Fell Into The Sky and Far Out come to mind with those themes. Whirlaway, too. And, I suppose I was locked away for a decade in some far off Star Chamber before sending the Greetings that I was still alive in 2010 when I got back into the spaceship.
After being in the game for more than a few plays, how much impact does what’s going on in the music universe play into where you’re at? Or does that tenure allow you to disconnect from that kind of pressure, or perceived pressure?
At this point, it’s all the bonus round for me. With my work with the Tadpoles in the 90′s, I really achieved what I had set out to do with my music to various degrees. Made a bunch of albums that I’m really proud of, that people still discover and enjoy. I played with a lot of excellent musicians, collaborators and partners, many of whom are still dear friends. I played a bunch of shows all over New York City, did some touring on the east and west coasts, and we presented ourselves as we intended to the best of our abilities and resources. So, really, that was the career. Jumping back into this a few years ago has also been very gratifying. With the technology available now, with the internet, with the social networks, I can really just focus on creating what I want to create and leave it at that. I don’t need anything else from the music universe. And, I’m happy to drop whatever I’ve got cooking into the current cosmic musical stew and I’m satisfied if it has the opportunity to reach some people who might get something from it. And, it’s still fun to meet some of these new people who like what I’ve been serving up.
Was it a conscious choice to release Martians on Bob Seger’s birthday? How do you feel about accusations of coattail riding?
Ha, If I had known that you were going to premiere Martians right on Seger’s birthday, I would have flown over to Richmond and set up a Chooglin’ party right there at the station so I could lead the midnight staff in an accapella rendition of Katmandu. Hey, that’s not a bad idea anyway. Maybe I should do a Kickstarter for that…
Martians is available via BandCamp and the usual suspects. Green or otherwise.
Believe it…Bakery Records, home of Todd Parker & The Witches, Tadpoles, Wigdoor and most recently the long-awaited co-conduit for Tony Mentzer‘s vast catalog, is stepping up to the plate for WRIR, home of Sunrise Ocean Bender, during our fund drive. If you don’t know, the show took its name, and in many ways part of its spirit, from said Tadpoles song. A song, and band, that has had big impact on what goes on around here. And now, Bakery Records is making its own impact on WRIR and asking you to do the same.
Make a difference for independent radio, for independent media, for independent voices…not just in our outpost here in Richmond, but across the globe…and if Bakery Records and I have anything to say about it, across the universe.
All of them.
Here is your flight plan:
During WRIR’s ’13 Spring Fund Drive, if you donate $50 or more you not only get the sweet new WRIR t-shirt, but you’ll get 7 CD’s from one of America’s finest,
PLUS, the opportunity to take a whiff of Tony Mentzer‘s seminal Smell My Finger
Ethel Had A Raincoat, from Smell My Finger:
All you have to do is donate $50 or more online at WRIR,say you dig Sunrise Ocean Bender (so we know who you are…don’t forget) and we’ll ensure the baked goods get to you. With an overwhelming whiff of gratitude and the knowledge that you waved your freak flag high–very high–for a worthy cause.
Fresh out of the oven from ’89 comes Tony Mentzer’s Varicose Brainsfor your baking pleasure. Originally a 90 minute cassette only release, Crabapple Records have teamed up with Bakery Records to bring Mentzer’s 4-track opus up from the deep. A dizzying collection of ambiance, texture, collage, pop and flat-out wood-paneled basement weirdness, Varicose Brains is the first of this joint venture’s campaign to bring Tony’s work from ’89 through the here and now out into the wider open. Whether they strike you as field recordings from the fringe or a cry for help is your call. The last thing on Mentzer’s mind, I’m sure, was how this was going to be received, though at least one smitten recipient apparently back-packed through Europe armed only with VB for sonic digestion. In some skewed way, that’s about as telling about Mentzer’s catalog as anything; minimally armed, setting out on your own, seeing where you end up and taking that for what it is. That said, this isn’t tossed off wankery or thoughtless knob-twiddling pushed off as ‘art.’ Lengthy excursions like Empty-Headed Overture in “C” and 9 Miles From Titan lay those potential accusations to rest, as do the more straight-ahead offerings like the psychy garage pop of Four Leaf Clover. Bereft of mass appeal and sure to alienate as many people now as it did then, VB succeeds on its own terms. And with Mentzer’s output over the years doing the same, that says as much about others’ brains as it does his.
Keeping in line with his prolific condition, Mentzer already has something new out, bringing his catalog full circle to the now without (thankfully) taking the shortest path…don’t take the straightest line and certainly don’t color within them. He doesn’t. Swell on…
In early 1989, Tadpoles (then a duo of Mike Audino and me) produced a cassette-only album on our 4-track called Beautiful Music For Ugly Children and gave it out to a few friends before promptly moving on to the next batch of songs…That’s just how things we done in the days before MP3, the web and file sharing…In the 90′s, two of those songs, Judas, This is Jesus and Old Dirty Mushrooms appeared in freshly recorded form as bonus tracks on Tadpoles Far Out album and the Know Your Ghosts EP.
And that was the last Beautiful Music we ever played for Ugly Children.
Until now…
The Tadpoles, in any form, have always had an off-kilter undercurrent running through them; often buried under layers of neo-psychedelia, often more overt. This loopy bag of tricky whiffs have often been hard to nail down as to where exactly it was coming from. That is, as Parker says, ‘until now.’ In some ways Evil Blisscan loosely be viewed as a bookend to last year’s Feel Like a Freak: A Historical Sideshow of Missing Links, but with a much deeper grasp…and grope. Both reveal possibly overlooked aspects of the ‘tads catalog, but on Evil BlissParker and Audino stick their hands way down deep into the fertile soil; down with the old dirty mushrooms, ants and the ugly children that we all start out as. Though retooled for the modern age, Evil Bliss is inescapably of its time. Not in the stale reheated out-of-fashion fickle oven of time, but in pinpointing where, and what, the ‘tads d/evolved into. Evil Bliss roots them in the same kind of soil and era that birthed other left, right, top and bottom of center outfits like Ween, Flaming Lips and Butthole Surfers, who all in one way or another, morphed into something more tangentially ‘straight-ahead’ without abandoning the grips of their ugly childhoods. Obvious cuts like Judas, This is Jesus and Evil Bliss are signpost heavy, while others like the delightfully chirping What Is Made Is How It Is or Scrotumhead lay out a more circuitous detour prone route through their timeline.
A funny thing happened on the way to recording an album of brand new Witches material. We got sidetracked. Mike always said BMFUC was his favorite Tadpoles album. He wanted to give it another chance.
So we did.
There may be only path to where you are, but nothing says it has to be a straight line. If you look, and listen, closely enough there’s a lot happening between Point A and Point B. God forbid you grow up along the way…in the spirit of pursuing Evil Bliss and in honor of cracked rearview mirrors and fractured prisms, Parker and Audino agreed to another detour…track to track…
> Bastard is Born The Pretty Things began their seminal S.F. Sorrow with S.F. Sorrow is Born, birthing for many the definitive concept album. You delivered Bastard as the lead-in cut…is Evil Bliss a concept record, and if it is, will you admit it?
Todd Parker: That was Jimmee’s birthday song…the Tadpoles’ feisty imaginary manager, mascot and muse. That set the tone for the concept of both album and career!
> Trippingpongballing in NY I can’t say what the #1 rule of the sporting game Fight Club is, but what’s the #1 rule of Trippingpongballing?
TP: The #1 rule of Trippingpongballing is that it is only to be played in honor of Mr. Mishkin while at a picnic for Teddy Bears. Know your Kim Deitch!
Mike Audino: The first and last get switched.
> Old Dirty Mushrooms One of my favorite books when I was a real ugly child was Under a Mushroom. Free associate on this image from a childhood fave:
TP: A scene that plays out under my shoe while we sit in our dusty Staten Island basement rehearsal studio listening to answering machine messages that I feed through my echoplex on infinite loop, totally freaking out our young padawan bass player. Poor kid grew up and became a son of the void.
MA: You may see yourself under there.
> Evil Bliss What’s the opposite of ‘evil bliss?’
TP: Strawberry Shortcake served up fresh on a Perfumed Pillow by your favorite Whirling Dervish.
MA: Wincing Acquiescence.
> King of the Castle If you were adrift on a lifeboat and you had to throw one passenger overboard to make it back, who would you toss: the King of the Castle, Lord of this World or the Master of the Universe? And why.
The ‘lost album’ from Tadpoles, 1989′s Beautiful Music For Ugly Children, gets deconstructed and reconstructed by Todd Parker and the Witches just in time for Summer. Evil Bliss is scheduled to be upon us June 1 from Bakery Records.
Some stuffings for your stockings, or stock your stuffings…Either way you want to roll it, if you need help getting into the spirit (and you know you do) Todd Parker & the Witches and The Luck of Eden Hall might be able to kick over your tired Yule log.
Todd Parker digs even deeper into the Tadpoles’ catalog to unearth, and replant, The Farm Tapes, Vol. 1. The first in a collection of ‘sonic experiments’ The Farm Tapes Vol. 1 give a glimpse through warped colored glasses of where Tadpoles planted those first seeds.
The Farm Tapes Series will feature demos, finished recordings and sonic experiments recorded between 1985 and 2001 by Todd Parker with the only requirement being that the recordings were produced on a cassette 4-track machine. A Fostex X-15 was used until 1989 and from then on a Yamaha MT3X was the primary recorder.
The Farm Tapes, Vol. 1 contain recordings that span the era from 1988′s twisted Dance With the Wicked Witch through the late 90′s psychedelic demos for Percolate and Jimmy Colored Glasses which appeared in re-recorded form on the Tadpoles’ albums, Smoke Ghost and Whirlaway.
Todd Parker Presents The Farm Tapes, Vol 1. is available via Todd Parker/BandCamp
Ride the Soul :: Tadpoles :: Todd Parker Presents The Farm Tapes, Vol 1. (2011, Bakery Records)
Still more tasty activity in the Bakery Records camp…and a reason to wave your flag if you do indeed feel like a freak.
A companion piece to the 2001 best-of retrospective,”Use With Headphones Late At Night,” this compilation features 10 previously unreleased recordings and mixes detailing the more expansive aspects of the distinctive neo-psychedelic space-rock of the Tadpoles.
Bakery Records is making this a free download until the official release date of Sept. 6. So, get some. More info on the release and notes on each track are available at their BandCamp locale.
It goes without saying, and I do say it a lot, that Tadpoles are one of my all out favorite outfits, so this is a real treat. I didn’t cop Sunrise Ocean Bender for nothing…
If you don’t know them, here’s a chance to get a slice of ‘pole pie for nothing and get to know them. These may be alternate takes and mixes, but there is no mistaking who they came from, and where they were aiming. There’s been a flurry of activity over at Bakery, especially with Todd Parker & the Witches’ Greetings from the Star Chamber recently, some psychedelic ukulele and return visits like this with the formidable Tapdoles in various forms.
"This show is 110% … one of the most consistently awesome programs we have come across."
The Sunrise Ocean Bender sets sail every Monday morning, 1 – 3 a.m. on WRIR lp 97.3 FM, to find something for your ears, and something for your head … From psych to prog to pop and whatever tributary we can find on the way … and right back around again. There might be a map, but the destination is up for grabs. If it all goes right, we may just get lost. Meet me at the muster station … it might be a long week.
Todd Parker and the Witches
Fresh out of the oven from ’89 comes Tony Mentzer’s 
The Tadpoles, in any form, have always had an off-kilter undercurrent running through them; often buried under layers of neo-psychedelia, often more overt. This loopy bag of tricky whiffs have often been hard to nail down as to where exactly it was coming from. That is, as Parker says, ‘until now.’ In some ways 
The Farm Tapes Series will feature demos, finished recordings and sonic experiments recorded between 1985 and 2001 by Todd Parker with the only requirement being that the recordings were produced on a cassette 4-track machine. A Fostex X-15 was used until 1989 and from then on a Yamaha MT3X was the primary recorder.
A companion piece to the 2001 best-of retrospective,”Use With Headphones Late At Night,” this compilation features 10 previously unreleased recordings and mixes detailing the more expansive aspects of the distinctive neo-psychedelic space-rock of the Tadpoles.
