Bela Lugosi and Elvis Presley both died on Stoo Odom's birthday. The GRAVES BROTHERS DELUXE, disembodied musical spirits from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, thus chose Odom eagerly when looking for host bodies to express themselves. A New Orleans native/ recovering archaeologist/ Pirate Cat Radio personality, Odom shares the current possessée duties with San Franciscans Willy the Mailman, Marco Villalobos, and Allison Lovejoy. Host bodies of GBDLX have put in time with THIN WHITE ROPE, SUBARACHNOID SPACE, THE RESIDENTS, GRANDADDY, and the late NOEL REDDING (yeah, him).
Since their formation in 1998, GBDLX have released a smoldering heap of albums, singles, and EPs, leading them to tours of Japan, Spain, Mexico, and the USA, plus international radio & TV appearances. Most recently, the Brothers were seen performing on ANTHONY BOURDAIN'S NO RESERVATIONS on the Travel Channel.
GBDLX also work in the world of film soundtracks ("Reeling," "Neurotique," and "Madalien the Small"), music videos (by award-winning director Nara Denning), and in 2009 released the self-titled MAHIKARI album, a collaboration with ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE's Kawabata Makoto and the BOREDOMS' Yamamoto Seiichi. Other collaborations are currently underway, including one with Eddie Shaw of '60's icons THE MONKS.
Other some-time host bodies for the Graves include Nolan Cook (the RESIDENTS, DIMESLAND), Drew Cook (DIMESLAND), Bap Pawiftni (TERRIFYING SICKOS), Jai Young Kim (SECRET CHIEFS 3), Sean Greaves (TSOL, JOYKILLER), Roger Kunkel (THIN WHITE ROPE, ACME ROCKET QUARTET), Jozef Becker (THIN WHITE ROPE, TRUE WEST, SIPPY CUPS), and more. Regardless of whoever happens to be possessed on any particular evening, the Graves Brothers Deluxe promise to scare your children into behaving.
Their newest release, SAN MALO, is a post-Hurricane Katrina re-telling of the true story of St Malo, Louisiana, a swamp village founded in 1763 by Filipino deserters of Spanish galleons. The village's struggles, isolation, and 1915 destruction by storm seem all the more relevant in 2010. Celebrated New Orleans artist BUNNY MATTHEWS and New Orleans native Bap Pawiftni provide cover art for the CD and LP respectively. "San Malo" was produced by the legendary GEZA X (Germs, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Elliott Smith) and PAUL ROESSLER (45 Grave, the Screamers).
www.gravesbrothers.com
www.myspace.com/thegravesbrothersdeluxe
www.sonicbids.com/thegravesbrothersdeluxe
SAN MALO NATIONAL ANTHEM (Odom/ Mailman/ Villalobos)
Stoo Odom: bass, keyboard; Willy the Mailman: guitar; Marco Villalobos: drums
I'M FINE (Odom/ Mailman/ Villalobos)
Odom: vocals, bass, keys; Mailman: guitar; Villalobos: drums, vocals; Bap Pawiftni: keys
SPLINTERS (Odom/ Mailman/ Villalobos)
Odom: vocals, bass, goop; Mailman: sax, goop; Villalobos: drums; Pawiftni: keys
FIVE FOOT CATEGORY FIVE (Odom/ Mailman/ Villalobos)
Odom: vocals, bass; Mailman: guitar; Villalobos: drums, percussion
VULTURE SING (Odom/ Chase)
Odom: vocals, bass; Mailman: guitar; Villalobos: drums, percussion, vocals
MY HEART BURNED DOWN TODAY (Odom/ Mailman/ Villalobos)
Odom: vocals, bass, keys; Mailman: guitar; Villalobos: drums, vocals; Sean Greaves: keys
PAPIO PAPIO (THE SWAMP APE AGAIN) (Odom/ Mailman/ Villalobos)
Odom: vocals, bass, guitar; Mailman: electric sitar; Villalobos: drums, vocals; Greaves: keys
THE BALLAD OF SAN MALO (Odom/ Mailman/ Villalobos)
Odom: vocals, bass, keys; Mailman: guitar; Villalobos: drums
NOISY KIND OF NOTHING (Odom)
Odom: vocals, bass; Mailman: guitar; Villalobos: drums; Pawiftni: keys
SONG FOR MATING MAILMEN (Odom/ Mailman/ Villalobos)
Odom: uhh; Mailman: hmm; Villalobos: ooh
Road keys: Allison Lovejoy, Jai Young Kim
Produced by Geza X and Paul Roessler at Satellite Park Studios, Malibu, CA, except tracks 1, 6, 7, 10 by Willy the Mailman at Beast of Baden, South San Francisco. Mastered by Mike Wells.
Bap Pawiftni appears courtesy of Primordial Sid's Sounds From Over There.
© and ℗ 2009 Too Long to Chew Music (BMI)
Cover art by Bunny Matthews
Above and Beyond: our ancestors, Lafcadio Hearn, Boxcar Satan, Those Phillips Girls, Angel Sanchez Borges, Watusi Zombie, Gorch Fock, Karla LaVey and her daddy, Marron-cha & Nao, Las Ultrasónicas, Los BLA, Lost Acapulco, Pirate Cat Radio, Ann Blankenship, Birdman Records, King Brothers, Yamamoto Seiichi, Kawabata Makoto, Tabata & Kaori, Higashi Hiroshi, Makimaki, the Mexican Army. Zena, you want a note?
Read more...