Morning Glories...

Primarily the trio of Christian Gibbs (vocals/guitar), Nicholas Palumbo (bass), and Kenny Savelson (drums), the NYC based Morning Glories existed for a good handful of years in the nineties releasing three under the radar albums on the Headhunter/Cargo label. It’s a little bit surprising as to how little there is out there these days about this band, not even an archived review from some zine or anything for that matter really. Kind of a shame as for three albums they released a solid mixture of trademark nineties jagged indie-rock, blues, and tiny smidge of alt-country worked in for good measure. Typically it seems to work the other way around, but if I had to suggest it I would work backwards through the bands discography starting with their final album in 1997 Let the Body Hang. From there is the bands second album Fully Loaded in ’95 and their Self-Titled debut in 1994.

Morning Glories:
Morning Glories – Pink Fog Assertion [MP3]

Fully Loaded:
Morning Glories – Elizabeth [MP3]
Morning Glories – Tire Iron Serenade [MP3]

Let the Body Hang:
Morning Glories – B.B. Gun [MP3]
Morning Glories – Hickory [MP3]

After breaking up, singer Christian Gibbs would move on to solo work and is currently a member of two different groups, Lucinda Black Bear and The Droves. The Droves also happen to feature former Morning Glories drummer Kenny Savelson as well. All three of the bands albums are still available through Amazon, both new and used. Definitely pick up and album or two if you dig what you hear.

Blood Meridian - Liquidate Paris

Earlier this year I took a trip to the Grand Canyon and Vegas. We opted to drive, which took us through parts of New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada. It being my first trip out there I wasn’t really prepared for how barren and desolate those areas are. Every once and awhile I would drive past these tiny little communities that somehow inexplicably sprung up in the middle of the desert. And every so often you’d see one lonely bar placed off to the edge of the highway, which made me begin to wonder what it would be like to spend my life in one of these places. Trust me, I had plenty of time to think about this as it was all I saw for hours upon hours of scorching hot highway. Pictures of lonely nights sitting with maybe one or two other patrons at a bar staring face down into the bottom of my drink emerged from time to time. And then other times I just envisioned taking the truck I was driving and pulling off onto one of the number of dirt roads that shot off from the highway and then driving aimlessly for miles and miles with the windows down. The only thing missing from this was the perfect soundtrack, which sadly I didn’t have for the trip. However, I believe I have found it, albeit a few months late, but regardless now when I recall those same images all I have to do is put on Liquidate Paris the third and latest album from Vancouver’s Blood Meridian.

I know many albums have encapsulated the idea of the west and its reputation for hard living, blood shed, and the mourning that comes along with it. However, there is something special about the way Blood Meridian has gone about doing it on Liquidate Paris. While their previous album Kick Up the Dust was another fine dose of blues tinged Americana, it’s the slightly added element of smoky psychedelia that truly puts this one on the map for me. While practically all of Blood Meridians music emits a haunting vibe to it, Liquidate Paris hones in on it and delves deeper than ever before. The album contains nine songs that are meant for the scattered mess of broken liquor bottles, cigarettes, and shotgun shells.

Blood Meridian – Walk Through the Door [MP3]

For those looking to pick this up, it’s available currently over at Elevation Recordings. I would suggest picking it up quick as Liquidate Paris has a limited run of only 1000 on both CD and vinyl, so these might not last long. It’s well worth checking out.