When the next great compendium of “cult bands” is written, please save a giant section of the book for the Sun City Girls if you’re the one who’s writing it. The sub-underground impact of this Seattle-via-Phoenix-via-the globe trio from about the mid-1990s onward was immense, and they did much to sully the loins of fans of improvisational ragas, world esoterica, barely-structured chaos, absurdist comedy and generalized audience baiting. They were a world unto themselves, and fanzines like 2008’s Bixobal #3 and quite a few others like it took no small amount of their cues from the expansive world they defined, and from rejecting the rest of the world said band were so clearly defined against.
That’s a hyper-simplification of this fanzine, no question – yet the first thing I see on its inside front cover is an ad for Bixobal’s in-house record label Ri Be Xibalba’s Charlie Gocher tribute album, and on the back, tour dates for Alan and Rick Bishop’s “The Brothers Unconnected” tour. Incidentally, I’m told that I accompanied some friends to the 5/21/2008 show from this tour at Slim’s in San Francisco. It’s one of the very few nights I spent absolutely hammered over the past two decades; in fact, it’s probably the last time that’s happened. Suffice to say I don’t really remember the show but I’m sure it was an outtacontroller.
Bixobal #3, edited by Eric Lanzilotta in Seattle, I believe, is a point-perfect representation of the insular world defined and wrought by the Sun City Girls, taken into a written direction and done quite well. Rob Millis writes about 78rpm records; he’d soon put out the terrific Victrola Favorites package of some of his favorites. Allan MacInnis nails an extensive interview with Peter Stampfel of the Holy Modal Rounders, definitely a gem worth reading. There’s an interview with German 70s something-or-other Gerd Kraus, and then a mess of reviews, including a few at the end by Patrick Marley of Muckraker.
If I’m being honest, so much of this No Neck Blues Band, formless drone, anti-music music drives me totally bonkers, and it becomes difficult for me at times to understand the line in between “I like this because it’s digging deeper and taking me someplace new” and “I like this because you won’t, and it’s obscure and insular.” I know that’s not an especially notable nor new criticism, now nor ever. I have no such problem with most free jazz and with challenging world musics I’m encountering for the first time, yet I’ve always shuddered a bit when formerly indie rock white guys disappear up their collective anus into music played by others like them that’s premised on & defined by its difficulty and obscurity. Then I wonder if the problem’s me. It probably is me.
Bixobal #3 reviews a few of the newer Sublime Frequencies releases and guess what – they love ‘em. I love that if this world I’m describing is one you cotton to, then you’re in luck – you can still buy this thing for a big $2.50 at the Fusetron music emporium. Load up your cart and tell them Fanzine Hemorrhage sent ya!
Fanzine Hemorrhage 