Browse by Artist: YONKERS, MICHAEL

Artist:	YONKERS, MICHAEL
Title:	Grimwood
Label:	DE STIJL
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	DESTIJL 056CD

"When considering Grimwood, it'd be a mistake to not also give thought to Microminature Love. Recorded in '68 for Sire, MML languished unreleased until the spring of 2002, when we unearthed it swank on wax (later reissued as a Sub Pop CD). Called the greatest psych record of the '60s by more than a few, it's no stretch to say that had it materialized, it would've altered the lay of the land. Tho for various reasons still unclear, the deal fell apart and the band split. Perhaps this was the first in a seemingly endless series of cruel blows for Yonkers. He retreated, and recorded Grimwood. As is said all too often about all too many recs, this is intensely private music. While not immediately recognizable as possessing the radical visionary qualities as MML, there is nevertheless a miracle at work. Usually there is a distance between singer/song. Here the distance is completely revoked. There is an immediate, definite coinciding between Yonkers and his Grimwood. Yonkers suffered a debilitating back injury in a warehouse accident in '71 when a half-ton of scrap metal fell on him. He had strong allergic reactions to a chemical that was injected into his spinal cord in '73,and he almost gave up the ghost. That caused a serious, life long condition called adhesive arachnoiditis. For awhile he retired from music. Tho recorded in '69, Yonkers privately released Grimwood in '74, along with 3 other recs: Goodby Sunball (recorded in '71), Michael Lee Yonkers ('72) and a duo with Jim Woehrle ('73), borders of my mind. If they sold at all, they sold horribly. There is a photo inside Sub Pop's MML CD of Yonkers throwing copies of Grimwood up in the air, as they'd seemingly become disposable, as well as a heavy burden to lug around. Enterprising rec collectors have had a run on Grimwood for some time and it's been impossible to affordably obtain. So here it is, remastered, digitized and priced for the people."

Artist:	YONKERS, MICHAEL
Title:	Lovely Gold
Label:	DRAG CITY
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	DC 428LP

Repressed. "As of late 2009, the legend of Michael Yonkers has taken its place among the great stories of underground rock and roll music. He'd been playing rock and roll for nearly forty years when Microminiature Love was finally issued in 2003 (Sire had taken a pass way back in 1968). A thousand noise-rock ears pricked up -- for Yonkers, a reclusive Minneapolis dancer-musician with a handful of self-released records over the years, had seminally prefigured proto-punk/metal/noise through his own brand of amped up garage rock. Since the revelation, Michael has picked up where he left off, exploring blown-out frequencies with collaborators around the globe, and his work has claimed a seat next to immortals like The Fugs, Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth and even ol' Jimi. What a lot of folks STILL don't know is that Michael put aside his hand-built fuzz boxes and bellowing vocal style in the 1970s to record and self-release some truly curious albums of lilting loner-folk music, including Grimwood, Goodby Sunball and Michael Lee Yonkers. Of this holy trio of albums, only Grimwood has yet seen reissue. Throughout this time, Yonkers layered madrigal-like vocals, simple acoustic guitars, and used electricity in only the most subtle of ways - all to serve his somber, mesmerizing songs. This brings us to Lovely Gold. Planned as the fourth LP in his 70s trilogy, it was never released - a true crime, because it is an exotic work of homespun brilliance. Recorded in 1977 on a four-channel 'tube type' tape recorder that Michael built himself by combining parts of other machines, it is perhaps his most multi-faceted solo album. The trademark Yonkers chug appears (though more stripped-down and dreamlike) and even some spraying acidic guitar on the title track, but the sweeping choral voice arrangements on gorgeous hymns like 'Will It Be' are entirely unique and indeed lovely creations. What's more, while digging through his archives Michael located previously lost cuts intended for the album, including the harrowing, near-Krautrock glide of 'Nevermore.' Utilizing original photos and the exact layout specs/fonts/and notes of the planned 1977 Lovely Gold release, a lost classic at last becomes available -- once again! How many more reside in the Yonkers vaults? Only time (and Michael) will tell..."

Previous Page Index of Artists Next Page