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LP
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CF 123LP
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2020 colored vinyl repress (half swirl/half blue/magenta). "I first heard Michael Yonkers via the Microminature Love reissue (Sub Pop) and was immediately hooked. I started collecting any piece of his legend that I could... some true, some likely not. He had hand-built all of his gear. He had broken his back. He was part of experimental surgery that left him in lifelong pain. He was a dancer. He was still kicking around making some of the oddest and most contrary-to-contemporary-popular-norms type of music. (A man after my own heart) And then I heard Goodby Sunball, recorded and released in 1974, the year I was born. I had and have a very deep connection with this set of songs. I wasn't sure why, but when I finally met Michael, I understood. He was kind and seemingly a pretty regular guy. But he was also a weirdo. A rare bird, waving the true freak music flag, and it didn't matter what kind of music he made, I loved it all. So, this record was recorded as a way to reboot and reconnect with some songs that have heavily inspired me over the years. It was hard to pick from his vast catalog, so I just sort of jumped in, with Tom Dolas, Nick Murray, and Brigid Dawson as my band (along with a bevy of others along the way) and these are the tunes that stuck to the wall. I will forever be grateful to Mr Yonkers for bringing me a little joy with his music and inspiring weirdos everywhere." --John Dwyer, Feb 2020
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LP
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MY 003LP
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Limited restock, last copies... An original sealed pressing of Michael Yonkers's Michael Lee Yonkers from 1974. Self-recorded in 1971 and '72, Michael Lee Yonkers has often been referred to as Michael's "country" album. It is many folks' favorite of his early works, and is likely the weirdest. The roughhewn quality of these recordings has caused listeners to make comparisons with other "real people" outsiders like Grudzien and the Holy Modal Rounders, but there are more obvious, well-known comparisons (Townes Van Zandt) that are at least as appropriate. There are clear references to various classic country stylings in these songs, even as Michael's unique distillation of their influence lends a delightfully skewed mischievousness to the proceedings. Released in 1974 and rescued from deep inside Yonks's storage space/weirdo museum.
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LP
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DC 580LP
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2022 restock. "There's yet another musical color revealed on the uber-rare private press, Michael Lee Yonkers, which was home-recorded in 1971 and '72, while Michael was working in an unheated, hundred year-old warehouse. He ran the forklift and drove the truck for the company, hauling extremely heavy loads of industrial surplus and scrap metal. His co-workers almost exclusively listened to country and western music, which inspired him to create and perform an oddly countrified set on weekends, when he would play in coffeehouses and at house parties. Yonkers would do an acoustic set of original 'country' and 'rock' music for the first part, then he would get out an 'electronic music machine' that he had built himself and play 'electronic music' (quotes all added by Michael himself). Michael Lee Yonkers is a recording of some of the 'country' songs he was doing at the time, as well as a few songs he wrote for the children at the house parties (like 'Mrs. Jennings Fruit Fly Farm,' recorded live, where you can hear the kids going nuts). The tracks were recorded on a variety of tube-type, reel-to-reel tape machines, which give them a unique analogue sound that begs comparisons to outsider hillbillies like Peter Grudzien, Holy Modal Rounders, and The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, as well as beloved longhair outlaws like Townes Van Zandt and Kris Kristofferson (ok, even one St. Johnny Cash too). The original art and labels have been faithfully reproduced and, with a discreet remastering touch, the tracks sound better than ever."
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CD
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RCD 2117CD
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Eyolf Dale and André Roligheten aka Albatrosh are already three albums into their career and showing a maturity in writing and playing that betrays their age considerably. Yonkers was recorded during what the duo describe as a magic late night session in the Oktaven Audio studio in Yonkers just outside New York City. The music is contemporary jazz with threads to both American and European traditions, structured compositions paired with improvisation; playful and melodic, modern and accessible. Eyolf and André met at school in the small town of Skien and have played together since the age of 17. The duo formally started in 2006, followed by rehearsals and concerts. They won the annual JazzIntro prize at Molde Int. Jazz Festival in 2008 and the "Best Band" category at the European Jazz Competition at the North Sea Jazz in 2009, with jury leader Maria Schneider deeming their performance "most original, great interplay and amazing improvisation, effective and colorful compositions." The same year also saw the release of their debut album Seagull Island followed by Mystery Orchestra With Grenager & Tafjord (2010), both receiving great reviews, the latter named "Best Norwegian Jazz Record Of The Year" in national paper, Dagsavisen.
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