Lexicon Devil Records

DARK TOOTH ENCOUNTER - Soft Monsters CD out May 1st
YAWNING MAN – VISTA POINT CD NOW AVAILABLE ON LEXICON DEVIL
Hot on the heels of reissuing Ten East’s Extraterrestrial Highway, we’re proud to present Yawning Man’s Vista Point CD, which groups together their two (now deleted) releases of the last few years, Rock Formations and Pot Head. Yawning Man have been around as an on-and-off-again project for guitarist Gary Arce (Ten East, Sort Of Quartet, Fatso Jetson) and drummer Alfredo Hernandez (Kyuss, QOTSA) for over 20 years, and stand as a defining influence on the so-called “desert-rock” scene which inspired the likes of Kyuss and Queens Of The Stoneage. Yawning Man, however, are quite a different musical beast from those they inspired. Drawing heavily from the SST roster of artists which set the world ablaze in the 1980s – Black Flag, Minutemen, Meat Puppets – their music is caught in the nexus of surf, psychedelia, Krautrock and the Spaghetti Western soundscapes of Ennio Morricone. Or, if you will, a missing link between the worlds of Dick Dale, Syd’s ‘Floyd, instrumental Black Flag and Pell Mell.
On these recordings, Yawning Man also features the bass duties of Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson, Ten East) and Billy Cordell (Unida), and the levels of interplay between all players are sublime. One listen to a song such as “Perpetual Oyster” (track 2) will convince you that Yawning Man are onto something very special indeed. The sheer lyricism of the playing demonstrates their total lack of need for a vocalist.
Yawning Man enjoy a huge cult following throughout Europe and have toured there several times before, regularly selling out 800+ seat venues. Closely aligned to both the stoner-rock scene which adores them (despite their total lack of ‘Sabbath-like riffery), and the SST family of artists which they are linked to (ie. Fatso Jetson, Sort Of Quartet; plus Greg Ginn’s membership in Ten East), their highly vocal fan base runs the gamut from stoners to avant-rockers to even Julian Cope (who mentions the band, and Ten East, in his new Japrocksampler book).
Yawning Man are recording a new album as I write this, due for release on Lexicon Devil in the new year. Until that time comes, you have Vista Point.
ARTIST: Yawning Man
TITLE: Vista Point
CATALOGUE : LEXDEV020
BARCODE: 9326425802601
FORMAT: CD in jewel case with 12-page full-colour booklet on glossy paper stock
CD DURATION: 67 minutes
KEY TRACKS: “Rock Formations”, “Perpetual Oyster”, “Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway”, “Digital Smoke Signal”
FOR FANS OF: Black Flag, Meat Puppets, Fatso Jetson, Kyuss, Sonic Youth, Ventures, Can, early Pink Floyd
lexdev019 TEN EAST - Extraterrestrial Highway CD OUT NOW!!
If ever one was to use the term “supergroup”, I guess now would be the appropriate time. In terms of mining the pipeline of instrumental, multi-layered, psychedelic desert-rock with a heavy-assed backbeat, Ten East has the line-up to die for. On Extraterrestrial Highway, Ten East are: Gary Arce (Yawning Man, Fatso Jetson, Sort Of Quartet), Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson, Yawning Man), Brant Bjork (Kyuss) and Bill Stinson (HOR, Greg Ginn). Their sound is caught somewhere between a jazz-like improvisation and a sense of rock-solid riffery. Taking inspiration from punk, blues, psychedelia, surf and jazz, the band’s sound ably demonstrates creeping influences from such artists as SST standard-bearers Black Flag, Meat Puppets and the Minutemen, as well as the Ventures, Captain Beefheart, Brian Eno, ZZ Top and the improvisations of Monk and Dolphy. If there’s one thing you must never suffer any confusion from, it’s that Ten East are merely a “stoner rock” outfit.
Ten East started off as a one-off recording project for Gary Arce and his friends, but has now taken on a life of its own. Extraterrestrial Highway was recorded in 2006 and is now available exclusively on Lexicon Devil. Since it was recorded the band has toured Europe to huge acclaim and enjoy a dedicated following throughout the continent, regularly packing out 800+seat venues. But there’s more…
Ten East continue with a brand new line-up who are recording right this minute for a new album which will appear on Lexicon Devil in early 2008. Bjork has left the band and none other than Greg Ginn (Black Flag, Gone, SST Records) has replaced him on bass. Gary and co. promise a slab of instrumental fury which will blow brain cells throughout many lands and I’m prone to believe him. Until then, you have Extraterrestrial Highway.
LAME BIO:
The label started on a wing and a prayer in 2000, after a good 18 months spent sitting around thinking what a great idea it would be to, uh, have a label. Mostly it was started to simply reissue a bunch of old F/i LPs I really dug, but then it kinda snowballed and has now released almost 20 CDs. Lexicon Devil releases whatever the hell it pleases. It could've been recorded yesterday or 50 years ago; it could be experimental, punk rock, space-rock, country and western, psych-folk or Cajun polka jams. If I dig it, I do it.
CATALOGUE:
lexdev018 F/i - Paradise Out Here CD
First time on CD for this ultra-rare 1989 LP from these Milwaukee space-rock gods. Features 3 previously unreleased bonus tracks.
lexdev017 Candlesnuffer - Apsomeophone CD
Guitar strangulations, cut-ups and loops from resident everyman genius, Dave Brown (Embers, Bucketrider, Lazy, Dumb and the Ugly, etc.).
lexdev016 F/i - Blanga CD
2005 studio album of slow-burn acid/psych/space-rock from the lads.
lexdev015 Oil Tasters - s/t CD
First time on CD! Contains their lone 1982 LP and both 7"s. Primo No/New Wave jazz/spazz-rock from this legendary Milwaukee bass/sax/drums 'n' vocals trio.
lexdev014 Tar Babies - Face The Music/Respect Your Nightmares CD
First time on CD! Features their first two 12" EPs and a swag of previously unreleased bonus cuts from the period by this great, great, GREAT Wisconsin '80s outfit who later recorded for SST. Fist-shakin' punker aktion for ages.
lexdev013 Hiroshi Nar with Nishinihon - Live 2001 CD
A truly fried live document from these Japanese psych-warrior longhairs, featuring folks from Acid Mothers Temple and Les Ralliez Denudes.
lexdev012 Vibracathedral Orchestra - My Gate's Open, Tremble By My Side CD
CD reissue of a long out-of-print LP from this UK ensemble. First-rate slabs of multilayered drones.
lexdev011 Verdure - Cross & Satellite Station CD
Dare one say "acid-folk" at this juncture? Top-notch Syd-like songcraft from this chap linked up w/ the Jewelled Antler Collective and all their minions.
lexdev010 Currituck Co. - Ghost Man On First CD (DELETED)
Fahey-ish guitar scrapes 'n' journeys from this NYC gent. Now deleted and reissued elsewhere!
lexdev009 Boy Dirt Car - Winter CD
CD reissue of this Milwaukee "noise" band's 1987 LP plus their side to the split LP they shared w/ compadres F/i. Features Keith and Dan from Die Kreuzen. I don't care what you say: Wolf Eyes ripped 'em off.
lexdev007/8 Jennifer Gentle - Ectoplasmic Garden Party 2CD
First two albums from this GREAT Italian psych brigade (now on Sub Pop, ya know) on one double CD.
lexdev006 F/i - Blue Star CD
lexdev005 F/i - The Past Darkly/Future Brightly 2CD
lexdev004 F/i - Why Not Now?... Alan! CD
lexdev003 Boy Dirt Car - Heatrig CD
lexdev002 Vocokesh - Ispepnaibara CD
lexdev001 F/i - Space Mantra CD

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