52nd City

Peanuts, Grandpa's Ghost and (hey!) 52nd City

It's Eric Hall's world. We're just living in it.

From the aforementioned, who is part of a raft of recently-released recordings.

--------

All releases available in St. Louis at Vintage Vinyl and Apop Records.

Available now from Echolocation Recordings:

Peanuts (Jeremy Brantlinger, Eric Hall, Nazeer Sadeeq Holmes)
A_BIM_CS_FS_C_B_P_BTR
$15 (3 CD-R)
Brand new triple-disc collection containing more than three-and-a-half hours of electroacoustic improvisations from Peanuts (Jeremy Brantlinger, Eric Hall, Nazeer Sadeeq Holmes) performed on all manner of percussion, keyboards, electronics, horns, toys, and everyday objects during seven different live recordings from The Lemp Neighborhood Art Center, CBGB, The Schlafly Tap Room, Mad Art, and KDHX; plus a remix by Precious Movements (Jason Hutto) . Contains everything from the tempered coaxings of the quietest sounds and minute sonic gestures, to lop-sided free grooves, to high-density tone-stacking through real-time sampling and layering. The three CDs come packaged in transparent DVD cases with transparent covers and glossy cardstock inserts and features photography from Thomas Crone and Derrick Lau, text from Brett Lars Underwood, and cover illustrations from Jonathan Holmes.

Grandpa's Ghost
The Prairie Drone Refraction (There Is No Time)
$8 (CD-R EP)
At White Flag Projects on April 1st, 2007 Grandpa's Ghost (whose line-up for this event featured Bill Emerson, Jack Petracek, and Eric Hall; plus Ben Hanna contributing live from New York City via telephone) improvised four 15 minute sets to new video works from Chicago-based video-artist James Fotopoulos. Each set was recorded and then replayed during the following sets until, by the end, all four sets occurred in the space simultaneously. This EP represents that final movement, with the four layers combining into one 15 minute piece with wavering textures, distorted reflections, and displaced depths. The package features artwork from James Fotopoulos. Released in partnership with Phosphorus Recordings.

Available now from Phosphorus Recordings:

Grandpa's Ghost
Harry's Passion / Painted Skull And Other Fun Songs
$18 (2 CD-R)
Harry's Passion is the seemingly stripped down album of a songful Ben Hanna, but behind the intimate vocals and engaging guitar picking hide subtle swirls of sonic enhancements and the rattles of peripheral activities. Bill Emerson, Jack Petracek, Christopher Dee, Tobi Parks, Mark Roebke, Eric Hall, and Janice Rieman also contribute. Painted Skull And Other Fun Songs was created entirely by Bill Emerson at home, and is a collection of straight-ahead rock songs and gentle country ballads that frequently makes some surprising, yet very welcome, left turns. One listen and your head will be stuck in these songs. This double-disc package features photographs by Bill Emerson.

Grandpa's Ghost
Bardot / The Void
$18 (2 CD-R)
Bardot is an instrumental soundtrack to traveling empty country highways; all of which was written, performed, and recorded by Bill Emerson. Each of the four long pieces chug atop heavy drum beats and bass lines as waves of shoegazer fuzz inch up the floodwalls, creating what Emerson calls "Hollow Head Hypnotics." The Void is another collection of Ben Hanna's eloquent songs, abstract compositions, and focused ensemble explorations of tones and textures. Here Hanna's pieces are assisted by Christopher Dee, Tobi Parks, and Eric Hall. This double-disc album features photographs by Bill Emerson.

Grandpa's Ghost
Anesthetize The Dissonance Of Your Cranium
$22 (4 CD-R)
This massive quadruple-disc release contains mostly long-form works. The first disc is Monroe Blues; performed by Bill Emerson, Ben Hanna, and Jack Petracek; and based, in part, on Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart". The second disc is the single hour-long electronic drone / collage piece Mary Mary, performed by Ben Hanna and Bill Emerson. The third disc is Scene Of The Crime, another hour-long piece, which was performed live by Ben Hanna, Bill Emerson, Jack Petracek, Christopher Dee, Tobi Parks, Eric Hall, and Dave Stone as they improvised while surrounded by numerous James Fotopoulos video projections. The fourth disc, Hush! As I Am Trying To Think!, collects two tracks previously available on compilations, along with two never-before-heard pieces. First is Holly Jolly Christmas, from A Very Bert Dax Christmas Volume Three, performed by Ben Hanna, Bill Emerson, Jack Petracek, Christopher Dee, and Eric Hall. Next is SJ1; performed by Ben Hanna, Bill Emerson, Mark Roebke, and Pat Kennett; from everywhen- don't name it. Following those is Would You Please Hush? As I Am Trying To Think!, which is Bill Emerson 's lengthy tone generator examination. The final track is The Colour Red, a dense and enveloping setting for Ben Hanna's spoken word and clean guitar lines constructed by Eric Hall. This four-disc package features photographs by Ben West.

Garrigan, Parks, Hanna
Improvisations Of The Subterranean Sunset Blues
$15 (CD)
This trio improvisation album showcases Tim Garrigan (of Dazzling Killman, You Fantastic! , and Phut) on acoustic guitar, Tobi Parks on bass, and Ben Hanna on electric guitar. Features text by Brett Lars Underwood and cover painting by Marcia Pandolfi.

Available now from 52nd City:

Various Artists
52nd City: SOUND
$8 (CD)
The St. Louis quarterly magazine 52nd City devotes each issue to a different theme, in this case SOUND. Appropriately, the issue cuts down on the print and instead offers a CD of all exclusive material; such as an interview with Ornette Colman by Josh Weinstein, K. Curtis Lyle with Dave Stone , Eric Hall's The Phil Sessions (featuring a tour of St. Louis' sonic identity and vast artistic talent by way of impromptu public performances from Dave Stone, Fred Friction, Jeremy Brantlinger , Sunyatta Marshall, Brett Underwood, Jeremy Kannapell, Jason Hutto, Derrick Mosley, and Eric Hall), Learn, Artist, Cloister, Julie Dill, Cold War, Robert Goetz, The Mad Art Radio Hour, Heidi Dean, James Weber jr. with Ben Hanna, MC401(k), Aaron Belz, and The Private Sector. Packaged in a mini-book by Firecracker Press .