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This tape was the result of discussions on the subject of doing meditational music. McDonald writes, "I also wanted to stretch in other areas and see what I could do, and so proceeded to sit down and work up the four pieces for side two, which range from spacey music all the way up to stomp jazz. It was a lot of fun to do." Side one is a well-focused realization of ambient loop themes that blend and revolve around one another. Side two changes the pace a bit, while remaining within the realm of meditative music. Most of the percussion is live, by hand, rather than dependent on the sequencers, and as McDonald says, "Getting it down generally required multiple takes - though the furious drumming at the end of "Skeleton Dance" was executied in two passes (causing terrific envy amongst drummers hearing it because it was done so easily; however, I have the advantage of being able to think in Middle Eastern drum patterns)." Steven's current work includes music based on ancient Egyptian themes.

In the tradition of early Violent Femmes, along with DiY groups like Private Studio's Squigbelly Phlegmfoot and Baltimore's Groovy Like a Pig, Lords of Howling is an acoustic conglomeration of folk street band with a punk edge along with some nods to Captain Beefheart and maybe Tom Waits. Great songwriting and playful musical invention make it all work perfectly and still seem completely natural. There's a whole lot of material here that makes Long Dry Spell a sure fire on your regular rotation list. The combination of sheer songwriting talent and musical adventure, with a more than generous amount of craziness makes this release one of the best I've heard all year.

The follow-up to "Long Dry Spell" (reviewed in DiY Report 29) is every bit as perfect a collection of magnetic particles as it was. The guitar work here is simply wonderful, coaxed to play a variety of endless sounds that somehow manage to be musical amongst backcountry story tellers whose stories are the prize -- who cares if they're lies. The music here is an environment. Living and breathing. But musical and full of song. Bits of Waits, Femmes, Beefheart may be used as reference, but you'll start there and never look back. Highly recommended.

GAJOOB began life as a print zine about cassette culture in 1987, edited and published by Bryan F. Baker. It's been online in various forms since 1992. GAJOOB.org is partly archive of many thousands of indie, underground and DiY cassettes, CDRs, vinyl and other albums, as well as letters, photos, and other material sent to GAJOOB over the years. I am busy digitizing and building an online library of it.

GAJOOB also features new releases, focusing, as always, on music with a more or less independent ethic. We list digital-only and netlabel online releases as well. Our listings often include interviews and discussions, embedded streaming audio, video, photos, letters, etc. Artist profiles evolve over time as these things are added. 

See GAJOOB on Youtube  where we vlog about new and old music featured here.

Submission Guide

Send releases by mail to:

GAJOOB
PO Box 25665
Salt Lake City, UT 84125

We welcome homemade or otherwise self-made releases on CDr, cassette or whatever. We also feature releases from small and independent labels.

Digital, online-only releases are listed as well. Please submit them via the contact link under Menu in the top menu bar.

Thank  you.