JOE DENINZON & STRATOSPHEERIUS

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius - Game Of Chicken
from the upcoming live album.

THE RESIDENTS - DUCK STAB! ALIVE!

• the residents: duck stab! alive!
      (2021, 2 x 10" & dvd, germany, grand chess)

Sounds ridiculously good. Comes in a 10" cardboard box that contains 2 10" records and one DVD.
Limited (??) edition of 3000 copies?
Also available through Bandcamp.

from Grand Chess' bandcamp page: 

The Residents released DUCK STAB! as a seven inch, 33 1/3 rpm EP in 1978. For the group, the relatively lighthearted EP represented a break from the much more experimental Eskimo recordings which consumed the majority of a four-year period from 1975-79; for Ralph Records it was a much-needed revenue source at a time when the band was not producing much product. To everyone’s surprise, the EP was a hit, selling 50,000 copies in a few months. The demand was so high that Ralph insisted the band record a second EP, Buster & Glen, which they paired with DUCK STAB! to make an LP, which was also quite successful.

Several years later, Night Flight, a program featuring alternative programming on the USA cable channel, aired Residents’ video, including the Hello Skinny music video based on a song from the DUCK STAB! / Buster & Glen album. The program aired from 1981-88 often highlighting The Residents to the extent that many of the group’s fans cited Night Flight as their initial introduction to the band.

Fast forwarding to 2016 when Night Flight resurrected itself as a streaming video service, Night Flight Plus. In recognition of their long-standing connection, Night Flight invited The Residents to create a program in celebration of the service’s 40th Anniversary on June 5, 2021. Since the band was already rehearsing DUCK STAB! as part of their upcoming 50th Anniversary Tour, the forty-year-old EP/LP seemed like a perfect choice for Night Flight.

With a professional camera crew, led by director John Sanborn and director of photography Frazer Bradshaw, The Residents performed the reworked DUCK STAB! ALIVE! music over three days from May 19-21,2021 at the 25th Street Studio in Oakland, CA. The results, as you can hear are spectacular.

GREG RUSSO HAS RELEASED AN UPDATED VERSION OF HIS "COSMIK DEBRIS" BOOK

Andrew's Idiot Bastard website informed me that Greg Russ has released an updated version of his Cosmik Debris book, an essential reference work for every fan of Frank Zappa's music.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0998355046?

STEVE VAI & MOTÖRHEAD

 Steve Vai's new album will be out next month.
Time for a flashback as he also played on two tracks of Motörhead's "Inferno" album, released in 2004.

You can read more here:
https://loudwire.com/steve-vai-on-lemmy-kilmister-he-was-heart-rock-and-roll/

Steve Vai – lead guitar on "Terminal Show", guitar solo on "Down on Me"

FRED HÄNDL - TOVARISHCHI

• fred händl: tovarishchi
      (2021, cd + booklet, --, private release / backer edition)

I re-visited Fred Händl's "Tovashchi" album today.
Early supporters of the album received a bonus booklet. Very nice. 16 pages, quite large and focusing on the 'Thesis IIA' piece.
But it's all about the music. Solo piano. Lyrical.

Available on CD. 

https://nightpianist.com/?p=788

PRAZSKY VYBER II - VYMLACENY ROCKOVY PALICE

• pražský výběr II: vymlácený rockový palice
      (2007, cd, czech republic, columbia)

Pražský Výběr II was the reincarnation of the famous Czech underground band Pražský Výběr.

The track after which Pražský Výběr II’s «Vymlácený Rockový Palice» album was named, quoted “Music Is The Best” from FZ’s ‘Packard Goose’. During the same piece, the band also shouted ‘Frank Zappa Is Our Papa’. The album got released in two editions: as a standard jewel case but also as a digipack.
The Others Of Invention books already mentioned the live DVD from 2008 but apparently the band had already recorded and released a studio version in 2007.

MATS / MORGAN - PUT ANOTHER QUARTER IN!

October 2016, Mats & Morgan released their "35th Anniversary Collection", a 2 CD remastered compilation album.

The Japanese edition of "35th Anniversary Collection" was a 3 CD set. The bonus disc was entitled "Put Another Quarter In!" and presented 16 tracks.

Previously, the "Put Another Quarter In!" had been made available through Bandcamp as a 17 track compilation !!
For obvious reasons, the CD version did not include the 10-minute live version of 'Watch Me Pleasure'.

This CD is included in the 9 CD package that is being offered through Morgan's Bandcamp site.

https://morganagren.bandcamp.com/merch/hard-copy-bundle-9-discs

DWEEZIL ZAPPA

Dweezil Zappa has added two tracks to his "Warts And All" album that he made available through his Reward Music website.
Dweezil started with the "Warts And All" album in 2020 and has been adding material every couple of months or so.
For the moment, with new 'Strictly Genteel' (a 2012 live version) and 'You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch' (from the 'Automatic' album) it collects 18 tracks.

PERCUSSION UNDER CONSTRUCTION

A bit over a year ago, the Percussion Under Construction ensemble started a funding campaign for the new album.
I had seen and heard the ensemble at the Zappanale festival, and as I was told that the album would include the ensemble's version of FZ's 'The Black Page', I did not hesitate.
In the meantime, the recording and the artwork is finished and the album has gone in production. It will become available next February.

Supporters of the campaign received a download a couple of days ago, and I can only confirm my initial thoughts: "This is something I need to hear."

Their renditions of both 'The Black Page #1' and "The Black Page #1 & #2' sound great.
'The Black Page #1' starts with a soundscape ('trash percussion and electronics'), featuring none other than Chris Garcia (who has been touring with Don Preston and Bunk Gardner, performing the music of FZ).
'The Black Page #2' also featuring Chris Garcia and is the perfect mix of vibraphone, marimabe, drums and electronics.

The entire album is an excellent listen (and even includes a Scorpions tune), but the Zappa pieces are outstanding !!
Percussion galore. I love it.
Be sure to keep an eye out for this next February !!

JOHN TABACCO - HOW DOES IT FEEL?

 John Tabacco's latest bandcamp release: "How Does It Feel?"