Bizarro Jerry's Memphis rap faves

If you like all the rare Memphis rap stuff I post here, you should check this list out:

Bizarro Jerry's Memphis Rap Faves

I made it for the RateYourMusic website, and if you're deep into this shit like I am, it's got some obscurities you might not have heard of. Alternately, if you're just getting into Memphis rap, I think it's a pretty good starting point, since there are also some of the classics.

Rustic Hinge - 'Replicas'

Going back into the vaults today...Tried looking this album up, and only found it on one page (possibly Russian?) and the link seemed to be dead. So, once again, it turns up here so it doesn't get lost in time.

This is a remnant of my proto-punk, punk and post-punk radio program. I probably downloaded it because it's Captain Beefheart-influenced instrumental avant-garde shit, which is a surefire way to piss off radio listeners. Looking back now, the group apparently had members of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and High Tide, both bands I used to be a pretty big fan of, so I don't know why I never found that out before. But oh well.

Basically, that brief description is all I have to say about the release...if you (like me) enjoy some of Captain Beefheart's music, but are fairly annoyed by his vocals, this is something you might dig. The music is fairly similar, and there aren't any vocals...one review credits Arthur Brown with vocals somewhere, but I couldn't find it. 

So, it's very complex, jazz-based math-rock type stuff (before there was such a thing) played with a basic guitar/drums/bass lineup. Some of it actually reminds me of a less-heavy Gore for some reason, and the later tracks veer into Sun City Girls world-music-on-western-instruments territory (which is pretty cool.)

Despite the image all this may conjure up, it's not an unpleasant listen by any means, and some of it (not the concrete noise stuff) could be good background music. Anyhow. Check it out, if ya want. Also, apparently, the whole first side is parts of a movement? Dunno.

Rustic Hinge - 'Replicas'

Tracklist:

1. T on the Lawn for 3

    a. Excitation Wavelength

    b. Litmus Transformation

    c. Opus Pocus

    d. Crystallized Petard

    e. Kinesis

    f. But That Was Then That Was But

    g. ---

2. Last Time

3. High Tide Play Rustic Hinge

4. Rumanian Folk Dance No. 1

5. Macedonia

6. Radio Kabul

7. Rumanian Folk Dance No. 2

8. Mastadon

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Little Stevie McCabe - 'Sweat it Out'

Been a bit. So, here's some more music from the darkest depths of my collection...

I really don't know too much about this one, other than it's fairly bizarre. The download I snagged was from the long-gone (but awesome) Decrepit Tapes blog, and that link is no longer functioning. It apparently comes from 1986. This guy (Little Stevie) has some connection to the lo-fi scene in New Zealand (groups like The Dead C and The 3Ds) and played/plays(??) in a group called Axemen, which is described as 'Half Japanese attempting to play Chrome.'

I haven't heard them, so I can't comment on that, but this album kinda reminds me of Renaldo and the Loaf maybe mixed with a little Half Japanese. Or Ween? I don't know. It's very weird, but not in a 'let's be weird' way...this guy just seems genuinely strange. Some of the songs are pretty catchy, and have an 'old-timey' vibe to them...like maybe he listened to a lot of old swing, jazz and blues while writing this stuff? It also comes off as maybe the home recordings of a teenager, which might be why he adopted the name 'Little Stevie McCabe' for the release (he just goes by Steve McCabe in Axemen.)

Whatever the case, it's some very strange stuff, and it's clearly ALL him...there are no drums for the most part, just out of tune guitars and shaky vocals. I can see similarities between this and some of the weirder New Zealand stuff, like the Tall Dwarfs, but this goes way way way into outsider music territory.

There are a whole shit-ton of songs, too, and most of them are too short to get sick of. Give it a listen if you want to hear something playfully demented.

Little Stevie McCabe - 'Sweat it Out'

Tracklist:

1. Love Feel
2. A Seeker Peeped Into Space
3. Sweat it Out
4. The Place
5. Sea Spray Gets in Your Eyes
6. More
7. Ulterior Locomotive
8. Sparing Partner
9. Take the E-Train
10. Sounds Like...A Drunken Party
11. Your Little Chevrolet
12. Chip On My Shoulder
13. Spring Song
14. Aunty-Anti
15. Clues to a Dream
16. Dirt in the Blood
17. Crazy
18. Life Doesn't Go On
19. We Love Louis
20. Terminal of Love
21. The Call of the Forbidden Sea
22. Noise Must Go On
23. That's Why You're a Human Being
24. Welcome to the Province of Nausea
25. The Way I Walk

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Pine Hill - 'Isolation Album'

Here's another album from the lost days of the Obscuro! radio program.

It seems to only be up a couple places now, so I'm posting it here. Not one of my favorites, but someone will enjoy it I'm sure.

It's very low-key folk-rock with some psychedelic influences, and a very homemade quality to the whole thing. But, it's more like a Guided By Voices record, where the whole thing is cohesive even though it's clearly home demos. The band does come up with some unique studio tricks along the way, like pitch shifted guitars and weirdo percussion.

Some of the tracks are catchy, but most fit the album title, 'Isolation.' It's a very downer album on the whole. I also have no idea what country it comes from, as it does have a lot of British rock influences, but it also feels like it could've been made in the 60's when the release date is '77. A couple of the songs even veer into definite weirdo territory, like 'Insane,' and 'Old Soldiers Never Die.'

Basically, it's perfect for a pleasant drive in the country, somewhere that you can truly experience isolation. I'd be willing to bet these guys holed up in some weird country house to write and record this album. No idea if they did anything afterwards under a different name, either.

Pine Hill - 'Isolation Album'

Tracklist:

1. Apertif
2. Clockwork Apology
3. Priscilla
4. ...Sometimes
5. Roundabout Rosie
6. A Sense of Union
7. Work
8. Hero
9. Personnel
10. Old Soldiers Never Die
11. Beecher Street
12. Insane
13. The Cook's Story
14. Letter From Fiddler's Green

DL

Depressive Tongue Posse - 'Midwest Murdererz' EP

Dropped today.

It's a tribute to old school, murked out Memphis rap, so if you're into that, check it out. They've even got it on a white-label cassette with no case. REALLY lo-fi and evil, and features the newest member of DTP (Boy Froot) fairly prominently.

Get it for free, or get the tape:

Depressive Tongue Posse - 'Midwest Murdererz' EP

Tracklist:

1. Untitled #1
2. Untitled #2
3. Untitled #3
4. Untitled #4
5. Untitled #5
6. Untitled #6
7. Untitled #7 (Ft. Buzz Wallace)
8. Untitled #8
9. Untitled #9
10. Untitled #10
11. Untitled #11
12. 'Highworld' Teaser

Produced by DTP members HATE Noise and Mista Ouija, with artwork by HATE Noise. Bandcamp.

Obscuro! Mixtape #23 - 'Garbage can full of funk 5'

It's been a looonnng time since I did one of these, so, here ya go.

Pretty similar to the other 'garbage can' mixes...lots of murked-out, lo-fi rap. This one's probably a little weirder than the last few, though.

Obscuro! Mixtape #23 - 'Garbage can full of funk 5' by Bizarrojerry on Mixcloud

More Jim Shepard by request...

After getting a couple more requests, here are a few more things from Jim Shepard and his V-3 project.

First up, Shepard's so-called 'suicide note' and final album before his death, 'Motorcycle Movie.' This one's kinda hard to listen to in parts knowing that he went and hung himself probably right after recording something, but it's also got some really rockin' stuff and a few totally hilarious moments. If you dig the V-3 'Next Album' bootleg but haven't heard this one yet, check it out, because it's very similar although a little more abstract. Listen to Shepard's message on 'Burn Forward' and play the whole damn thing.

Jim Shepard - 'Motorcycle Movie'

Tracklist:

1. Birthplace of Aviation
2. Pleasure
3. Burn Forward
4. Bigger Than Sony
5. Interstate/End
6. Some Drink to Remember
7. P.K.D. Entombed
8. Imagine This...
9. For Sharon Tate...(Wherever You Are)
10. Telegraph Hill
11. What a Piece of Work...
12. Heavy Action
13. Cruel Universe

DL

Next, one of the best V-3 releases, although not QUITE as amazing as 'Photograph Burns.' I don't really know if it's a collection of EPs and random shit, but it kinda has that feel to it. Although, it definitely feels like an album in the 'Sebadoh' kinda sense. Whatever the case, it's got some of my favorite tracks on it, including 'Son of Sam Donaldson' and the awesome punk jam 'Your Girlfriend.' Probably the best version of 'Hall of Molds,' too. The sound quality is pretty lo-fi, but not as bad as the 'Pimping in the 90's' stuff. I'd check this one out next if you've only heard 'Photograph Burns.'

V-3 - 'Negotiate Nothing'

Tracklist:

1. Scrap Metal Radio
2. Adam Twelve
3. Girl in a Room
4. Negotiate Nothing
5. Forever Low Man
6. Harry
7. Party at 15th and Summit
8. Super Hero Meltdown
9. Your Uncle
10. Philadelphia E.X.P.
11. Caution!
12. Arrival/Departure
13. My Neighborhood
14. Trouble
15. Your Girlfriend
16. Zapped Like a Bolt
17. Piranhas in the Bathtub
18. In the Hall of Molds
19. Whip That Thing
20. Certain Foods
21. Son of Sam Donaldson

DL

Jim Shepard - 'Picking Through the Wreckage with a Stick'

Just in time for Halloween, here's the creepiest release by Columbus, OH's legendary Jim Shepard. I'm doing this one by request because a reader was unable to find it anywhere else, but it's also really cool and one of my favorites from this dude. Normally, I like his more 'song'-based music better, but this is by far the best of his weird experimental stuff. I know he took a hiatus from making music when he fucked his hand up working at a factory, but I think some of this stuff might be recordings from that time period...I guess I'm basing this on songs with titles like 'Guitar Solo with Right Hand Attached.' Anyhow. Njoi. Oh yeah, as a bonus, you get two clean edits I made for playing on radio because I was too lazy to take them out of the zip file.

Jim Shepard - 'Picking Through the Wreckage with a Stick'

Tracklist:

1. Exile on Brown Street
2. Treena's Strobe Light Party
3. Dali's Lair (Excerpt)
4. Quotients and Numbers
5. Bingle Bangle
6. Dusted
7. A Streetcar Named Depression
8. I Owe You Nothing
9. Space is Deep
10. U.F.O.logy
11. Guitar Solo with Right Hand Attached
12. Too Personal
13. Table for 2, Big Ashtray
14. Pull the Switch, Henry
15. I Thought I'd Seen Everything
16. Peter Tork
17. El Fukko
18. Fat John
19. Your Uncle is Dead
20. Wreckage

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V-3 - 'The Earth Muffin' EP

In the spirit of last week's mixtape, here's another Jim Shepard gem I recently unearthed. I'm not the biggest fan of the V-3 period where Jim's ex-wife sang a lot of the songs...partly because their breakup seems to be a contributing factor to his suicide, but also just because her songs are more goth/new-wave type stuff. That being said, though this EP is definitely of that era, I like it pretty well. It has two of her better tracks, a cool instrumental, and a recording of 'Inside Outpost' I like MUCH better than the one on 'Psychic Dancehall.' It's warmer and less studio-sounding. Whatever the case, if you're a Shepard fan, you'll wanna grab this up just because it's hard as fuck to find.

V-3 - 'The Earth Muffin' EP

Tracklist:

1. Tic-Toc
2. Inside Outpost
3. To Breathe No More
4. Flying

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Obscuro! Mixtape #22 - 'Jim Shepard'

This one's been a long time in the works...unfortunately, Mr. Shepard's discography is so weird and scattered that it's taken me this long just to obtain half of it. It's also all so great that it's hard to pick favorites. Hopefully, this is a good representation of the man's work...the weirdo experimentation, would-be pop classics, and angry-ass punk. I'm not the biggest fan of his droning experimental releases (except 'Picking Through the Wreckage,' which is fantastic) but I still tried not to lean too heavy on the 'poppy' stuff.

If you're not familiar, Shepard was an underground musician from Columbus, OH who just did his own thing for years and years, starting in the 70's. The name changed from Vertical Slit to V-3 but the sound remained similar. Basically, he's like everything Kurt Cobain wasn't. Sure, Cobain always railed against the music industry and fame, but he didn't shun it. Shepard did stuff like release 10 copies of an album and distribute them at pawn shops knowing the 'right' people would find them. His career reads like a fictional story, and that's exactly what he wanted. Unfortunately, he hung himself in '98, leaving people like me to piece together his legacy from obscure mp3-rips and long-disappeared private-press albums. I even made a pilgrimage to his hometown a year back, and managed to find a copy of the 'Voices of Men' single.

So, this is pretty much my favorite rock dude here. Really, do some research for yourself and see if you aren't intrigued. For now, here's a too-brief collection of some of my favorite recordings he did. Don't worry, it'll all fit on one CD-R. It's a Mixcloud podcast so you CAN'T skip tracks.

Obscuro! Mixtape #22 - 'Jim Shepard' by Bizarrojerry on Mixcloud

Tracklist:

Forever Low Man (v-3 - 'Negotiate Nothing')
Pleasure (Jim Shepard - 'Motorcyle Movie')
American Face (V-3 - 'Photograph Burns')
Starlight Investor (Vertical Slit - '...And Beyond')
The Voices of Men (Jim Shepard - 'Voices of Men' single)
Pull the Switch, Henry (Jim Shepard - 'Picking Through the Wreckage with a Stick')
Your Girlfriend (V-3 - 'Negotiate Nothing')
Bristol Girl (V-3 - 'Photograph Burns')
We Got it All (Ego Summit - 'The Room Isn't Big Enough')
Another Exterminator (Eaten By Bugs) (V-3 - 'Psychic Dancehall')
Shady Business Deal (Jim Shepard - 'The Evil Twin')
Birthplace of Aviation (Jim Shepard - 'Motorcycle Movie')
New Thrill/New Pill (Vertical Slit - '...And Beyond')
Fair Exchange (Vertical Slit - 'Slit and Pre-Slit')
A Rock Aesthetic (Jim Shepard - 'Evil Love Deeper')
One Percent of Nothing (Jim Shepard - 'Folk City Aztec Drama, Vol. 1')
Untitled #4 (Jim Shepard - 'V-3: Next Album')
A Streetcar Named Depression (Jim Shepard - 'Picking Through the Wreckage with a Stick')
Checkout Time, Mr. White (V-3 - 'Launchpad Explosion' EP)
Imagine This... (Jim Shepard - 'Motorcycle Movie')
Va-Va-Room (Jim Shepard - 'Amsterdam')
Harry (V-3 - 'Photograph Burns')
Carnage on the Midway (V-3 - 'Pimping in the 90's')
Your Uncle (V-3 - 'Negotiate Nothing')
Pain/Loss (Jim Shepard - 'The Evil Twin')
Son of Sam Donaldson (V-3 - 'Negotiate Nothing')

Lowdown Da Sinista - 'Coming for Your Soul'

More of that evil Memphis sound for ya. This is only up a couple other places, so I'm gonna post it. Lowdown is a little different from the other Memphis rappers in that he has a good time. He's also a loud-ass rapper, which is different than the creepy whispery style of other Memphis dudes. Like I said, he has a good time, so expect lots of party jams. It's pretty much split between super-depressing gangsta tracks and goofy party anthems. One song in particular, 'Blah,' made me laugh a whole bunch. There's basically no other word but 'blah,' but it's still got two verses. Pretty much sounds how I'd imagine my parents hear rap music. A lot of the beats are gloriously weird, too, plus look at that goddamn cover. It's good stuff, and will probably end up in my top 10 favorite Memphis rap releases. Yeah, I know that sounds elitist but there's a LOT of this shit and it's all so good.

Lowdown Da Sinista - 'Coming for Your Soul' (1996)

Tracklist:

1. Intro
2. Coming for Your Soul (Radio Edit)
3. Going Thru a Thing
4. Hell Has Arisen
5. Lowdown is Da Sinista
6. Blah
7. Coming for Your Soul
8. Smoking Out
9. Having Dreams
10. Commercial
11. Confused Man
12. My Bible and My Pistol
13. My Chronic Flow
14. Quotes from the Low
15. I Thought You Knew
16. Final Words
17. My City

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Evol - 'Satan's Poet' (Underground Detroit shit from the 90's)

More downloadzzz for yall. This is some evil-ass lo-fi rap from the ghettos of Detroit. If anyone has info on this, lemme know, because I can't find much. Got it off some dude on Soulseek and it's virtually unavailable on the web. It's gotta be connected to Esham somehow, but maybe just indirectly. I mean, it's pretty unlikely that two dudes would randomly be rapping in the same style about satan at the same time in Detroit without knowing each other at least. Anyhow, this stuff does kinda have an Esham sound to it, but way slower. More like Memphis horrorcore than Detroit horrorcore honestly. There are also very few guest spots. I seem to remember this linked back to Mike Clark, the producer for ICP, but that might've been something else I downloaded.

Whatever the case, it's yours to enjoy now.

Evol - 'Satan's Poet' (1995)

Tracklist:

1. How it is When U Insane
2. 666 on My Mind
3. Burnin' Churches
4. Livin' 4 Sin
5. In Ya Head
6. Let the Shit Go On
7. Shake'M Down
8. Devil Worshipper II
9. Evil Rhyme
10. Layed Back
11. Interlude
12. Dead in the Head
13. 666 Dead Men
14. Crazy But Smooth
15. Smooth Killa
16. Raise Ya Hand

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Bizarro Jerry's Trash Radio, Vol. 18

More vocal effects weirdness, and more fucked-up music of all kinds. Possibly one of the top-5 episodes of the program so far.

Bizarro Jerry's Trash Radio, Vol. 18 by Bizarrojerry on Mixcloud

Obscuro! Mixtape #21 - 'Garbage can full of funk 4'

Check it check it check it

Another Garbage Can for yall.

Evil-ass, lo-fi Memphis rap shit all around this time. Mr. Tinimaine is all over this for some reason. That was unintentional. Whatever, dig it if you like the stuff. A lot of these tracks are more obscure than the past few Garbage Can mixes. DIG IT. Did I mention dig it?

Obscuro! Mixtape #21 - 'Garbage can full of funk 4' by Bizarrojerry on Mixcloud

Obscuro! Mixtape #20 - 'Beech punxxx'

In the spirit of the season, here's another mixtape for ya. This one was inspired by our recent 'summer' episode of Society's Fault, which featured mostly old surf tunes and so-called (So-Cal) 'beach punk.' Not necessarily Californian (although most of it is) this is simply the snottiest skate and surf punk tunes I could dig up. Perfect for sniffing glue and catching waves. Or something like that.

Obscuro! Mixtape #20 - 'Beech punxxx' by Bizarrojerry on Mixcloud

Bizarro Jerry's Trash Radio, Vol. 17

Alriiiiigggght, another week without Jake means another episode of the beloved Trash Radio. Brought my vocal effects again, with some interesting results. The mix is more schizophrenic...less heavy on hip hop and funk and more of the general weirdness y'all folks seem to like.

ENJOY, as the next podcast is back to the same ol' same ol'.

Bizarro Jerry's Trash Radio, Vol. 17 by Bizarrojerry on Mixcloud

Guice - 'Ashes Off My Blunt'

Here's another one that's pretty scarce around the internet. Also, one of my favorite things to come out of the demented Memphis rap scene. The beats on this are sooooo lo-fi and toy-sounding, it's great. 'Fire it Up' is a definite classic, but everything on here is just as good. Apparently this is produced by Blackout, who did some of the straight-up creepiest beats ever put on cassette. This is a totally different production style than his normal fare, but I like it. Enjoy.

Guice - 'Ashes Off My Blunt' (1995)

Tracklist:

1. Intro
2. Murder On They Minds
3. Raised in the Hood
4. Fire it Up
5. Find Myself
6. 9mm
7. Wet Dream

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Obscuro! Mixtape #19 - 'Nightsounds, vol. 3 - instrumentals'

More Nightsounds for ya. Not COMPLETELY instrumental, but the words on this one are few and far between. There's kind of a surf theme throughout, but the tracks come from all over the globe...Pakistan, Thailand, Jamaica, what have ya. There's also quite a bit of instrumental funk thrown in with the surf. Trust me, they go well together. Anyhow...enjoy.

Obscuro! Mixtape #19 - 'Nightsounds, vol. 3 - instrumentals' by Bizarrojerry on Mixcloud

Bizarro Jerry's Trash Radio, Vol. 16

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT!

Another one of these for ya. Went pretty heavy on the gangster rap this time. Also a lot of library music, and some random oddities. I also used vocal effects to make it even weirder. Why not?

Get it.

Bizarro Jerry's Trash Radio, Vol. 16 by Bizarrojerry on Mixcloud

Obscuro! Mixtape #17...'Garbage can full of funk 3 - slow ride'

Third edition of this particular mixtape series....yes, it's lots of Memphis stuff and old school jams, but the mood is slightly different. This compilation is specially designed for getting high and driving around in the summer, because that's obviously what you should be doing in summer. My favorite slowed-down, pimped-out smokin' cuts. Nothing too dark, nothing too angry, just chilled-out gangster vibes. Enjoy.

Obscuro! Mixtape #17 - 'Garbage can full of funk 3 - slow ride' by Bizarrojerry on Mixcloud