Extension Chord Records 2013

http://bethbombara.com/extension-chords-records-holiday-package-special/

A happy holiday season to all.
Announcing a year-end special to celebrate the beginning of The Union Electric's new Extension Chord Record label.

The link above will go to our friend Beth Bombara's website where you can order the special discount package of all of the label's 2013 releases.

Extension Chord Records was founded earlier this year by Tim Rakel and Melinda Cooper of The Union Electric. More releases are in the works for next year.

The first two releases this year came out on Record Store Day in April.
The first was a split 7" record between Beth Bombara and Melinda's band Town Cars.
The second was another 7" by The Chainsaw Gentlemen, a band composed of Tim and two members of Rusty Nail, Chad Ross and Alvan Caby.
The third release by The Defeated County hit during the summer. This band is fronted by Langen Neubacher and also includes The Union Electric's guitar player Glenn Burleigh.
The fourth and fifth records from Extension Chord were released in October.
A 7" vinyl EP by The Union Electric in tribute to Samuel Beckett collects four pieces and features guest appearances from The Defeated County's Irene Allen-Sullivan and Grace Basement's Kevin Buckley.
The final release for the year comes from our friends Pretty Little Empire, one of the most talented bands on the Saint Louis scene over the last few years. Their third CD is a self-titled collection that builds on their previous efforts.

All five of these records (two CDs and three 45s) are available as a package for $30 until the end of the year. Shipping is included.

Upcoming schedule:
Town Cars with Nina Diaz of Girl in a Coma at The Heavy Anchor - 9pm - Thursday, December 5 

The Defeated County with Jump Starts at The Heavy Anchor - 9pm - Friday, December 6

The Chainsaw Gentlemen at Urban Chestnut Brewery - 8pm - Saturday, December 7

The Union Electric with Ransom Note and Tok at the Schlafly Tap Room - 8pm - Thursday, December 26

Two shows and one fundraising campaign

Hey everyone,
Two shows to announce this week

Monday, July 8 - Off Broadway (lemp, just north of south broadway) -
The Union Electric opens the show for Milagro Saints, a North Carolina band touring with a new EP of Woody Guthrie cover songs. 7:30PM.

Wednesday, July 10 - Foam (south jefferson at cherokee) -
Tim Rakel solo, trading acoustic sets with Kevin Buckley of Grace Basment and Joe Eisenbraun. Free show at 9PM.

The Union Electric's fundraising campaign ends this Saturday evening, July 13 - act now!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/293659683/new-music-and-vinyl-from-the-union-electric

The Union Electric and Samuel Beckett

The Union Electric is at work on a new EP which will be released on our own Extension Chord Records label.

We are currently raising funds on Kickstarter (link below) and will also be releasing a series of cover songs for free download on Soundcloud throughout the campaign.

A tentative title in tribute to Beckett is "From Bad To Worstward", containing three songs and an appropriated fiddle tune.
a) Left at The Side / Every Word a Stain /
b) Day of the Dead / Nothing to be Done //

I wrote an earlier piece inspired by the play "Endgame" for my first CD in 2001. The song "End. Repeat." took some of its lines from Beckett. From the same source comes a new batch of recordings, being produced in the studio of Kevin Buckley.

"Left at the side" comes from a couple of Samuel Beckett's novels, "Watt" and "Mercier and Camier". Both novels were written in the 1940s with an Irish landscape as their setting. The latter is a precursor to the characters from "Waiting For Godot" which made Beckett famous in the 1950s. Although many of the lines and details come from Beckett, the characters of "the fool and the blind man" were also borrowed from a poem by W.B. Yeats.

"Every word a stain..." employs an Irish fiddle tune called "Man Of The House" to reclaim part of Beckett's work for Ireland. His roots there are apparent throughout much of his writing, including the house and country side in the novel "Watt" from which this track takes it's excerpted pieces of text. Kevin Buckley picked out the reel.

"Day of the dead" started with a quote from Beckett, not from his writing but rather his conversation with a friend who proclaimed upon a walk outside that it was a lovely day. A similar sentiment opens his play "Happy Days". Beckett's response was "I wouldn't go that far" and I took it from there for a sneering rock song.

"Nothing to be done" began as a tune written by Irene Allen for a play by Jason Lauderdale called "Zombozo". I took the music and set to writing a version of "Waiting for Godot" as a drinking song. It's menacing and bleak, sure, but who doesn't look forward to going to the bar?

Cheers,
T.R.
Bloomsday, 2013

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/293659683/new-music-and-vinyl-from-the-union-electric/posts/509356

The May Day Orchestra - new songs (and all the old ones too)

http://themaydayorchestra.bandcamp.com/

All the recordings from The May Day Orchestra are now on-line for listening, download and purchase of physical records. Visit the site above.

'May Day, or Songs for Lucy Parsons' is the 2009 debut, acoustic arrangements featuring members of The Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra to tell the story of the Haymarket affair in 1880s Chicago and the anarchist involvement in the labor movement.

'Ota Benga' tells the tale of the pygmy brought to the Saint Louis World's Fair in 1904. A slightly different line-up presents a folk-rock opera to tell the sad tale. The story of Roger Casement is interwoven into the narrative. This one was recorded in 2010 and is available on CD and LP.

Finally, two new tracks previewing the work in progress: 'Wake'. One strand of the story concerns a little-known 17th century pirate called Yusuf bin Hasan, former sultan of Mombasa. Modern-day Kenyan history plays into the story as well. The band that brought you 'Ota Benga' returns.

The Union Electric - project 3 of 3

The Union Electric will follow up its 2012 CD "Time Is Gold" with a new 45 for Record Store Day. You can hear the two new songs on our bandcamp page as of next week
theunionelectric.bandcamp.com
Vinyl maybe pre-ordered or found at some stores on Saturday, April 20.

"Out In The Streets" and "Mysteries of Saint Louis" were recorded by Kevin Buckley and feature Mic Boshans and Brad Vaughn on drums, side A and B respectively.
The band will be playing about 5PM at Apop Records and again that night at Off Broadway.

The May Day Orchestra - project 2 of 3

The May Day Orchestra, active since a show at Black Bear Bakery in early 2008, has released two full-length albums, "May Day" in 2009 and "Ota Benga in 2010.

The third project was readily conceived but slow to be executed. Two songs, however, will be released as a 7" for Record Store Day to preview our new record still in progress. The band, featuring members of Tenement Ruth who also played on the "Ota Benga" record, will play the new single as well as some other new songs at Off Broadway on the evening of April 20. This single works in the same storyline as The Chainsaw Gentlemen track mentioned in an earlier post. A few songs about a 17th century Muslim pirate will comprise on part of the next record. More recent Kenyan history fills out the rest of the work. More later.

The Chainsaw Gentlemen - project 1 of 3

The Chainsaw Gentlemen, a project started with Chad Ross and Alvy Caby of Rusty Nail, began playing occasional gigs at the Urban Chestnut Brewery in 2011.
This past January we met up learned a new song by Alvy and a new one of mine and set to recording them. Alvy and Chad added mandolin and accordion to my track while I threw in a guitar track with a lot of reverb on theirs.
Side A is called "Rag and Bone Man", the first of a series of songs about a junk collector that Alvy has in the works. My song on Side B is called "A Sort of Buccaneer", one part of a larger work in progress called "Wake" which involves one storyline about a particular Indian Ocean pirate of the 17th century.
The Union Electric's new spin-off label, Extension Chord Records*, will release this first Chainsaw Gentlemen single on Record Store Day 2013. This limited pressing will be on splattered color vinyl. We will also have a batch of t-shirts for the occasion. The group will play at Urban Chestnut on April 13 and again May 3.



*note: Extension Chord Records will also be releasing another single for Record Store Day, a split single by Town Cars and Beth Bombara will be the first of the label's catalog.

every weekend in March and new records on the way

it's been a while but there are shows to announce and new records to mention...

Saturday, March 2 - The May Day Orchestra returns to the Schlafly Tap Room after an absence from the world of live shows. Popular Mechanics and Chateau Nowhere are also on the bill. Free show, 9PM.

Saturday, March 9 - The Union Electric returns to The Blue Agave in Belleville, IL

Friday, March 15 - Off Broadway hosts the third annual Phil Ochs tribute show. Tim Rakel, solo or with minimal accompaniment, will play a couple numbers by the late songwriter.

Saturday, March 23 - Tim Rakel, solo, opening for Tim Lowly and Ribbons of Song. This show will take place at Foam on the corner of Cherokee and South Jefferson.

Saturday, March 30 - The Union Electric plays Plush for the first time, opening for Great Isaac on the occasion of their CD release.


Record Store Day weekend -
Saturday, April 20 - details tba - record store sets and afterparty -
three new 7" records from The May Day Orchestra, The Chainsaw Gentlemen, and The Union Electric to be released amongst the other festivities.

Time Is Gold

The Union Electric will release its first full-length album this July.
The new release is called "Time Is Gold" and the lyrics to the eleven songs follow.

 1 - Truman (or That Great Atomic Power Scared Charlie Louvin More Than God)
 There's a White House war machine, the one Wilson switched on waited long enough and joined the side that won Roosevelt was dying, they had to find a man who would keep things running just like they planned Henry Wallace said what he really thought and there's no room for that no chance for that to move up in Washington When Roosevelt died, they had Truman move in left all the furniture exactly how it had been Independence to Washington Show me a man who would seem to take a stand got the White House blues all across this land MacArthur covers a whole nation's eyes and he waits for William Laurence to come claim his prize Hiroshima to Washington That great atomic power, scared Charlie Louvin, scared him more than God. Drop the little boy and the fat man now you got the whole world with the Marshall Plan The doctrine was in order, they just needed a name almost any other man, it would have been the same it's a shame in Washington Now you have to close your eyes to deny the rumors the working class, we're all consumers Truman left the White House, his job was done left all the furniture for the next one Eisenhauer to Washington The Rosenbergs were still in prison, going to the chair now there's a new man in the White House it doesn't change a thing, in Washington because that great atomic power scared Charlie Louvin scared him more than God.

 2 - Saint Francis Of Illinois (for Vachel Lindsay)
 Saint Francis of Illinois says only poverty will bring our redemption walk the muddy roads like they were the paths of heaven stay away from the main road stay away from the big town beg a meal at five o'clock and find a place to settle down for the night and tell your stories to pass the time when I was the king of birds I slept in the stables of horses tell your stories to pass the time trade them for bread, it's better than toil distance yourself from the machinery of the cities bleeding oil Saint Francis of Illinois says only poverty will bring our redemption walk the muddy roads like they were the paths of heaven When I was the king of birds I slept in the stables of horses

 3 - Center Of The Storm (for Lucy Parsons)
 Up from Waco, where we're not welcome up from Waco to Chicago to the center of the storm to the center of the storm I said I still see slaves with longer chains they said leave town or you will hang you can vote for bread clothes and shelter you can vote but they won't give you these things leaders make the laws and live real comfortable live off you workers like foreign kings what you produce is no guarantee toil and pray your time is gold your time is gold and when you have no means that's what gets sold Up from Waco, where we're not welcome up from Waco to Chicago to the center of the storm to the center of the storm I said I still see slaves with longer chains they said leave town or you will hang

The following will be reprinted soon but can also be found by searching The Union Electric lyrics already posted:
4 - Tunnels (Under the Hotel Imperial)
5 - Thyalcine (written by Stefene Russell)
6 - Bugs (based on the true story of Ross Lessor)

7 - Casino Janitor
 Kinsale to Congo, displacement displayed heavy drinking and a collapse of any structures ever laid out of your element from the farm to the town a wasted life wondering how it all broke down I wonder about the help here and where they came from I wonder what we're doing and how anything gets done

 8 - Bucket Of Blood (based on various tales, including Mr. Townsend's own)
 Henry he hopped that north-bound train jumped off in the yard in east st louis henry was a shoeshine boy fronting for that bootlegging man downtown henry learned to play that mean guitar henry learned to play that sweet guitar had some folks jealous with the way that he played JD Short got him in the back that coward with a knife got him in the back Henry was a bleeding he nearly died when that coward snake got him in the back henry wanted to take his revenge went hunting JD Short through all the joints cornered him at the bucket of blood Henry stepped up and short pulled his knife Henry drew his gun and he took a shot Short jumped up yelled and fell down Henry left the yard same way he'd come in Short lay bleeding hurting on the ground Henry he's an old man now stack-a-lee's been long dead now with many a song to sing and many a tale to tell the city Henry knew it ain't there no more the Booker Washington theatre been torn down the city Henry knew it ain't here no more

 9 - Necklace Of Shoes (for Muntadhar al-Zaidi)
 Roll out all the red carpets Put up a castle out in the sand Put up a throne out in the desert go to hell where you'll bother no one This is a farewell kiss, you dog Now you’ll wear a necklace of shoes A ridiculous disgrace Ridiculous and ready to kill us Keep moving to stay alive Oh, the people… Keep moving while asleep The people are sharks Corrupt but loyal, it’s the customer’s money It’s about money it's a rich land It was a rich land and now it’s a poor one by the sleight of a government magic hand Wars and walls all around ourselves Roll out the carpet so full of sand Put up a throne out in the desert now you're king of a forsaken land This is a farewell kiss, you dog Now you’ll wear a necklace of shoes A ridiculous disgrace Ridiculous and ready to kill us

10 - Sentence (see note above)

11 - The Laughing Song (written by Hunter Brumfield III)
 He's sorry that things turned out as they did, it's a god-forsaken shame small was the box in which that he hid to temper his poisonous brain he reached for the stars, came back with stumps in a downpour, yearning for rain happiness got him once he hit bottom gonna laugh his way through all the pain Believe him it's easy to drink and be sleazy as your conscience just limps along mistaking freedom for license, he screamed in the silence and his echo said boy you're all wrong well, life is absurd, haven't you heard? keep laughing boy, that's your best bet Life is absurd, haven't you heard? keep laughing boy, that's your best bet

The Return of Robert Blake, Robert Sarazin Blake that is

For several years now, Robert Sarazin Blake travels from the northwestern-most corner of the most northwestern state to visit us here in Missouri.

The first show was a chance encounter in a basement. The Seven Shot Screamers and Bad Folk were both asked to play. Members of both bands, but neither band in its complete form, showed up to play acoustic sets. Despite the person who booked the show not being there nor the people who lived in the house above, those that were there in the basement were treated to a nice evening of music.

The following year, Bad Folk, once again without its complete line-up, joined The Adversary Workers in another basement for a show with Robert Blake.

Out of the underground, Blake has staged shows on actual stages in the intervening years. One of my current projects, The Union Electric, played its first show at Off Broadway with Robert Blake and his drummer Jordan Rain in 2009.

Now, seven years after that first basement show, former Bad Folk Tim Rakel, former Seven Shot Screamer Chris Powers, and former Adversary Worker Glenn Burleigh will reconvene with Robert Blake during a series of shows around the area.

Here are the details:
Wednesday, February 22 - RSB at the Urban Chestnut Brewery

Wednesday, February 29 - RSB, Irene Allen, The Union Electric and The Red Headed Strangers at El Lenador. Spend your extra leap year hours drinking Stag beer, won't you...

Thursday, March 1 - The David Mafield Parade, Bob Reuter's Alley Ghost and Robert Sarazin Blake at The Heavy Anchor

Saturday, March 3 - Robert Sarazin Blake and The Griddle Kids (featuring Chris Powers) at Mangia Italiano

Blake / Union Electric tour:
Thursday, March 8 - Springfield, MO with Angry Panda
Friday, March 9 - Columbia, MO
Saturday, March 10 - Kirksville, MO

That Great Atomic Power Scared Charlie Louvin More Than God

"There's a White House war machine, the one Wilson switched on, waited long enough and joined the side that won..."

Thus begins my damning chronicle of the presidential lineage of America's twentieth century. The song was supposed to be specifically about Harry Truman, Missouri's only contribution to the whole mess, but I got carried away by history. I found I couldn't write about the president out of context. It would be like trying to write the biography of Mr. Punch without referring to his beating of Judy and the conquering of his various foes, not to mention his status as puppet under the control of another's story-line.

The process started with the title. I often come up with that before the lyrics are finished, as a guiding inspiration and to keep things focused. Ten or twelve years ago I discovered The Louvin Brothers and their Christian-flavored bluegrass, such as the album "Satan Is Real". Their song "That Great Atomic Power" struck me as an anomaly in their repertoire. They were talking about Jesus again but they were relating it to this political issue at hand.

About the same time, I began reading Howard Zinn's "A People's History of The United States" and began a lengthy list of near verses noting the history of atrocity that was American politics of the twentieth century. It had to be pared down, so I focused on what led to Truman's appointment and the Fifties culture that followed his epoch, all the while keeping a watchful eye on that looming nuclear presence.

Then, my Bad Folk bandmate Joey Gavin and I were playing one day and we started in on "White House Blues", played by many old time musicians including Charlie Poole on the Anthology of American Folk Music. How could I have not thought of ripping off that chord progression for this particular song's purpose?

As we enter another election year, I join many in their disappointment with Barack Obama's term. The second George Bush dragged this song's relevance into this twenty-first century and the current man has also neglected to cut his puppet strings, tying him to this shameful history as well.

"Truman" or "#33"

There's a White House War machine, the one Wilson switched on, waited long enough and joined the side that won. Roosevelt was dying, they had to find a man who would keep things running just like they planned. Henry Wallace said what he really thought and there's no room for that, no chance for that to move up in Washington.
When Roosevelt died, they had Truman move in, left all the furniture exactly how it had been. "Show me" a man who would seem to take a stand, got the White House blues all across this land. MacArthur covers a whole nation's eyes and he waits for William Laurence to come claim his prize, Hiroshima to Washington. That great atomic power, scared Charlie Louvin, scared him more than God.

Drop the little boy and the fat man, now you got the whole world with the Marshall Plan. The doctrines were in order, they just needed a name, almost any other man, it would have been the same, it's a shame in Washington. Now you have to close your eyes to deny the rumors, the working class, we're all consumers. Truman left the White House, his job was done, left all the furniture for the next one, Eisenhauer to Washington. The Rosenbergs were still in prison, going to the chair, now there's a new man in the White House, it doesn't change a thing, in Washington. Because that great atomic power, scared Charlie Louvin, scared him more than God.

The films of Sergei Eisenstein

Monday night, September 19, will be the third of four nights where The Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra will perform a different live score to a silent film. This week, they present Eisenstein's "Strike!", which was made early in his career, right before his better-known "Battleship Potemkin".

Opening the show will be The May Day Orchestra, performing their folk opera "May Day, or Songs For Lucy Parsons". This music will accompany a later, unfinished film by Eisenstein called "Que Viva Mexico!". The German anarchists of Chicago and the customs of Mexico will be united under the roof of El Lenador, a feat no other venue could accomplish.

May Day Orchestra, 10PM -
Rats and People, 11PM -
free show, donations welcome

Next week, The Rats and People will perform their score to "Go West" by Buster Keaton. Mustard Rob will be returning to Saint Louis from his tour to open the final show of this month's residency.

The Handsome Family

The May Day Orchestra will double as a cover band this weekend. Usually I might scoff at such an idea but what if it was a cover band performing the songs of The Handsome Family? Okay then.
Melissa Anderson suggested the idea a while ago. Her band Tenement Ruth already covers "So Much Wine" at their shows, so we decided to go ahead with it and learn a handful more.
This Saturday, therefore, September 17 at noon, in the parking lot of a beer festival, we'll try it out. Schlafly's Hop In The City festival might not yet know what they're in for. Perhaps this will be the one and only time, but perhaps we'll do it again after because their songs are something unique.

The second 7" record, August 2010

Reprinting the lyrics to this 45 record, now that the band is selling more digital copies of these songs than actual records...



Thyalcine (words taken from the poem of the same name by Stefene Russell)

suitcase jaw, knife stripes, they eat the bones
no bloody feathers blowing against the salty grass
and the chimera shadow, the flip book
with jowly wolf head and hindquarters of a tiger
and a middle part that we don't know how to name

suitcase jaw, knife stripes, they eat the bones
the farmer's children slam the closet door
pull the hems of coats and dresses over their eyes
at the thought, at the thought of croupy barking
pull the hems of coats over their eyes

suitcase jaw, knife stripes, they eat the bones
but the gait, three animals put together
the book says awkward, though tireless
like the one who can't keep up, far down the path
three rhythms that trip off a little migraine of the heart

suitcase jaw, knife stripes, they eat the bones


Bugs (adapted from the true story told by Ross Lessor)

the old man worked for the chemical company
when he retired moved out to the country
that old house on the river was infested
called on the phone and siad he had to move
all those years in a blue jump suit, working for the chemical company
mixing, fixing to kill, mixing pheromones with the poison
that's how you kill them, attract them to the posion
one last phone call from that old man
the bugs are killing me

old man worked for the chemical company
mixing, fixing to kill
all those years making DDT until he himself radiates it
built a new house every step by hand
new wood, new ground, up on a hill
but these things are futile if you've been mixing to kill
that's how you kill them, attract them to the posion
one last phone call from that new house
the bugs are killing me, he said

and the heart attack was from the shock of how well it worked
and how they'd come for him in the end
at the end of that dirt road
the bugs are killing me he said
and the neighbors found him dead
shine a light on this infestation
exterminator down

Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat dan Singa in Saint Louis

On Friday, June 3, Arrington de Dionyso will play Saint Louis for the first time in his 15-year musical career. He is touring in support of his newest K Records release "Suara Naga", an album sung in Indonesian.

Saint Louis' own The Union Electric and The Volcanoes (from Saint Charles) will open the show. Doors open at 8PM at the Jefferson Warehouse, 2501 South Jefferson.

Check out Arrington de Dionyso's music. His band Old Time Relijun has released several albums over the past decade. It is wild and compelling music of a sort that you probably don't hear often enough. Unknown to the point of scaring some people, but be brave readers and listeners, it's worth the attention. De Dionyso has also collaborated with Thollem McDonas, a more frequent visitor to Saint Louis, in a group called The Naked Future. I happened to buy this record from McDonas a year ago while he was touring with his band Tsigoti. Malaikat dan Singa fits into this tradition that De Dionyso has created for himself, with rock guitar, strange horns and some throat-singing for good measure.

The Union Electric's new 45, "Tunnels" b/w "An Irish Orphan" will be available at the show before its official release later this summer. Pressed on marbled purple vinyl.

Upcoming shows in Saint Louis

My friend Joe Eisenbraun reminded me that I hadn't updated this blog in months. It's not like I haven't been doing anything worth mentioning - quite the opposite actually.
Both bands have been busy, especially The Union Electric. We went on a short tour in March with Robert Sarazin Blake of Bellingham, Washington, http://sarazinblake.com/ and another in April with the Fervor of Louisville, Kentucky, http://www.thefervor.com/cms/. We opened for Dax Riggs last weekend,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dax_Riggs, and are releasing a new 45 on Rankoutsider Records this summer. The new record will be available, before its official release, at our shows in June.

Speaking of which, some upcoming gigs:

Tim Rakel, solo, trading sets with Alvan Caby and Chad Ross of the band Rusty Nail - Saturday, May 21 at Urban Chestnut Brewery, 3229 Washington (near Compton). 8PM
Rusty Nail's kickstarter project: http://kck.st/eiUgFT

The Union Electric - Friday, June 3 at the Jefferson Warehouse, 2501 S. Jefferson, opening for K Records artist Arrington de Dionyso, best known for his band Old Time Relijun. 9PM
Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat dan Singa: http://krecs.com/html/artists/artistbio.php?interest=60

The Union Electric - Friday, June 17 at Foam, 3359 S. Jefferson. 8PM. Middle Class Fashion and a touring band from Ohio are also on the bill.

The May Day Orchestra - Saturday, June 18 at the Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust. 9PM.
Nighty Night from Carbondale, IL will play after us.

new compilation and other christmas gifts

Pancake Productions and the Bert Dax Calvalcade of Stars have collaborated to release a new edition of a local compilation, "A Very Bert Dax Christmas, Volume 8".
The Union Electric chose to cover a song by the Dutch punk band The Ex, one of my favorite bands. Read more about them here www.theex.nl ---
The song deals with nuclear winter a little more than it does the Christmas holiday, but our guitar player Glenn Burleigh got the riff down and brought out a guitar pedal that had been sitting around a while unused. We think it was a good and worthwhile recording.

Speaking of Christmas and gift-giving...
Physical copies of many records are available by mail. Just inquire by a charming old-fashioned letter or at the e-mail address below.

Tim Rakel
PO Box 63098
Saint Louis 63163

You may send a check or well-concealed cash to the PO Box above. You may also send your virtual funds by PayPal to mystery@kdhx.org or by Amazon payments to graveyardshift@kdhx.org - All prices include shipping, just let me know what you're ordering.

Bad Folk "Propaganda" 7" (2007)
(three songs with a cover drawn by Dana Smith and printed by Firecracker Press) $7

The May Day Orchestra "May Day, or Songs For Lucy Parsons" 12" LP (2009)
(8 songs written and performed by members of Bad Folk, The Rats & People and Theodore) $13

The Union Electric 7" (2009)
(Three songs, "Sentence", "You Have Been Served" and "Ship Out Of Luck", cover painted by Dana Smith) $7

The Union Electric 7" (2010)
(Two song 45, "Thylacine" and "Bugs", cover designed by Sleepy Kitty) $7

The May Day Orchestra "Ota Benga" CD/2xLP (2010)
(Ten songs featuring members of the original May Day Orchestra as well as members of Tenement Ruth) $12 per CD / $20 per double LP (both include shipping)

"A Very Bert Dax Christmas, Volume 8" CD (2010)
(featuring tracks by Beth Bombara, Cassie Morgan, Glass Teeth, and a cover of "Jack Frost Is Innocent" written by The Ex and performed by The Union Electric) $7 while supplies last

Asbestos Sister

Dana Richard Smith, whose blog you can connect to over there to the right...,
has created record covers for my bands a few times now.
The May Day Orchestra has just released an LP and CD sporting a recent painting of his on the front. My old band, Bad Folk, released a 7" record with a series of Dana's historical character drawings in 2007. He even painted a cover for the 2008 full-length by Bad Folk which was never released. Still, a nice painting.
Dana Smith has also done cover art for bands such as The Dirty 30s and Bunnygrunt.
Perhaps my favorite work of his was painted for the first 7" record by The Union Electric, released last December. This painting hangs in Dana's hallway last I was there and his young son Louis was intrigued by the small replicas of the picture I had brought along to give to his dad.
Paintings and Records, that's what I wanted to tell you about.

Art Show / Rock Show
Friday, December 10 - 7PM sharp - Vintage Vinyl - University City, MO
Dana Smith, The Union Electric and Bunnygrunt


Music sets by two rock bands, music-related paintings displayed and up for sale.
CDs and records corresponding to the paintings will also be available since the show's at a record store.

Thanks from the May Day Orchestra

The May Day Orchestra hosted a CD and LP release at the Sheldon this past week and we were impressed by the number of people that showed up to see us along with eight guest musicians and two other bands. Thanks to all who came to listen. Thanks to Theodore and The Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra for their opening sets and for playing along with us. Thanks to Chad, Kevin and Dominique who also joined our ensemble for the evening. Thanks to my family members who worked the door and friends who tried to sell the new records and CDs.

It was certainly a special night for local music in Saint Louis.

We still have copies for sale in many places. The CD will be released nationally on Tuesday, November 16 - ask for it in your favorite record store. They are also available for order through CD Baby.
The vinyl album is available in four independent record stores in Saint Louis. Outside our hometown, this limited pressing of the double 45rpm 12" has to be ordered directly from us. Feel free to contact me at mystery@kdhx.org to have one sent to you. $20, includes shipping.

May Day Orchestra at the Sheldon - Wednesday night only!

The May Day Orchestra's official LP and CD release show happens tomorrow, Wednesday, November 10 at the Sheldon Ballroom.

The May Day Orchestra headlines the show, along with the full "Ota Benga Family Band", a 13-piece ensemble to be witnessed for one night only.

Members of Tenement Ruth, The Union Electric, Grace Basement, Rusty Nail, The Skekses, Theodore and The Rats & People will all join in to perform songs from the new record "Ota Benga".

Doors open at 7PM, cost is $12 cash.
The Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra begins the evening at 8PM with an excerpt from their film score to "Haxan", a surreal Swedish film from the 1920s. The full score will debut with next Friday at the International Film Festival - come get a preview.
Theodore follows with their multiple instruments and great songs - they have dozens to choose from and whichever they play will be good listening.

The new CD will be for sale for a low price of $10 and the double vinyl album for $15. All other related releases from The Union Electric and Tenement Ruth will also be available as well.
Support local music.