• 1.FRED FRITH ELECTRIC GUITAR QUARTET-Ayaya Moses (Ambiances Magnetiques) $15. w/ Nick Didkovsky, Rene Lussier & Mark Stewart, totally amazing!!
• 2.BURT BACHARACH:GREAT JEWISH MUSIC-2 cd tribute (Tzadik 7114) $20. a true labor of love, compiled by Zorn w/ Frith, Sharp, Hirsch, Z.Parkins, Frisell, MMW, W&R Horvitz, Kramer
• 3.JOHN ZORN-New Traditions in East Asian Bar Bands (Tzadik 7311) $14. superb & haunting, features 3 duos w/ Oriental narration-Frith & Frisell, Horvitz & Coleman, Baron & Bennett
• 4.ARTO LINDSAY-Mundo Civilizado (Bar None 082) $14. lovely & similar to the previous one
• 5.DAVID SHEA-Satyricon (Sub Rosa 111) $14. w/ Friedlander, Coleman, Z.Parkins, Pugliese
• 6.THE LAST POETS-Time Has Come (Mercury 534 467) $14. another solid effort, prod. by Bill Laswell, w/ Pharoah Sanders, Aiyb Dieng & DXT.
• 7.JEAN DEROME-La Bete-the Beast Within (Am.Mag.048 ) $15. weird sculpted sounds from great Montreal saxist, w/ Lussier, Joane Hetu & Pierre Tanguay
• 8.RENE LUSSIER/PIERRE TANGUAY-La Vie Qui Bat (Am. Mag.047) $15. wacky duo of free acoustic guitar & drums
• 9.BORAH BERGMAN/A. BRAXTON/P. BROTZMANN-Eight by Three (Mixtery 01) $14. 
• 10.JOE MORRIS QUARTET-You Be Me (Soul Note 121304) $14. w/Matt Maneri, great stuff
• 11.BILL DIXON-Vade Mecum II (Soul Note 121211) $14. amazing! w/ Barry Guy, William Parker & Tony Oxley
• 12.JOEL HARRISON OCTET-Range of Motion (Koch Jazz 7841) $14. w/ Paul McCandless, great guitarist & composer, still waiting for those knuckleheads at Koch to get me a promo...
• 13.BILL LASWELL-city of light (Sub Rosa 114) $14. w/ Coil, Lori Carson & Trilok Gurtu 

Once again, yours truly drove up to the annual VICTORIAVILLE NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL in the the lovely countryside of Quebec, about 2 hours east of Montreal. This was my tenth year of the highly anticipated 1 week per year vacation & once again it was an incredible experience. 23 gigs in 5 days of only adventurous avant/prog/cont. classical/electronic/noise musics. This year I went up with 3 members of my unit (Suburban Bohemia) Jason Roth, Robin & Len Seigfried, and got to hang with a great inter- national crew of characters/friends/musicians/serious music listeners. This is my idea of heaven!! My favorite sets included members of my fave prog band-HENRY COW! The Fred Frith El. Guitar Quartet was incredible on all levels-amazing writing & playing, each member impressive in his unique way-Rene Lussier, Nick Didkovsky & newcomer Mark Stewart (bang-on-a-can all stars). Dagmar Krause was the lead vocalist of Slapp Happy/H.Cow/Art Bears & the last Cow person for me to meet. Her duo set with sampler wiz Marie Goyette was enchanting, moving some of us to tears. Word is that this duo will be performing in NYC sometime this year, Dagmar's first US gig. Also, Slapp Happy will be reforming to do a new recording!! Other gems of the Victo fest include Haino Keiji's FUSHITSUSHA (scary!), Gianni Gebbia trio (ritualistic beauty), Phil Minton Quartet (superb improv), ROVA Sax Octet, Dr. Nerve (ex- cellent composing & improv) w/ Sirius St. Qt., Lee Ranaldo/William Hooker w/ Jim O'Rourke & Gebbia sitting in (explosive!), Gastr del Sol (restrained/droney/lovely), and two exquisite solo piano sets from Irene Schweizer & Borah Bergman, showing a more lyrical side to both.  

The second annual VISION FESTIVAL just ended last nite & once again an amazing array of mostly free jazz, poetry, dance & art on display at the Orensanz Art Center, the oldest synagogue (150 years) in NYC's lower east side. For me, this is as close to a religious experience as one could wish for in this greedy modern day world. Six nights, usually 5 sets per night. If one were silly enough to think that all/most modern jazz sounds similar, this fest proved the amazing diversity of approaches to this cosmic music. Highlights included superb performances from Milford Graves trio, John Zorn & Susie Ibarra (w/ Mark Dresser), William Parker's Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra, Ivo Perelman (w/ Marilyn Crispell & Gerry Hemingway), Thurston Moore trio, Maneri/Morris/Maneri, Prima Materia, Butch Morris conduction & Assif Tsahar trio w/ John Tchicai. I am still buzzing from all these fine sets. The Knitting Factory/Texaco (boo!)/New York Jazz Fest begins in two weeks, still got some time to recover.  

June 3rd marks a new era for Downtown Music Gallery, after 6 years of dues paying, I become the sole owner of DMG. Many good things/changes are in store. We have the entire summer to redo this groovy little store & make it better in many ways. We'll be selling off all dance music vinyl & alternative rock bs, and starting to buy collections (lp's & cd's) again. Myself & Emperor Mike will be tightening up the news- letters, sending them out more regularly & including rare vinyl sale lists. We just started a new section called "Legends of the Guitar", which will feature as many obscure guitar heroes as we can find, a long list list we be mentioned in the next newsletter. I'll leave you with this: is anyone out there hip to late 60's/ early 70's Mel Brown? Perhaps we will get our pal Bill Milkowski to investigate! That's it, love Bruce....  

Welcome to a slightly different version of MIKESSPACE called MIKESBORED. Yes folks, it's time for at least a minor change in the MS format until I get over this malaise. As always, I am Emperor Mike, the Future Leader Of America and this is my self indulgent area of the newsletter that hopes to be (slightly) entertaining and (nah!) informative.  

This edition of MS is dedicated to John Hall who works part-time here at DMG and who sometimes gets on my nerves but has more than made up for that by saving my sorry butt from quite a few minor jams. Also to the 2nd Ave "vendors" who make every night an experience.  

First up is the HOT BABES LIST- I have nothing to report as far as TV goes because ever since the temperature has averaged above 60 I've just not been home, however, the streets are teeming with PYT's and you should leave your screen and get outside to enjoy instead of reading this dreck. Ladies, I'm sorry if you find this little area sexist and I'd give equal time to cute guys except that I'm just not secure enough in my masculinity to do so.  

On to the DI___________ . This edition's chosen entry belongs to Dave Warner and was picked because he sent it in first (and his tastes echo my own). Dave, here are your 15 minutes and your list, verbatim.  

desert island heavy guitar albums.  

in no order (of course):  
 

• 1. melvins: s/t (although any other album is an acceptable substitute)
• 2. zeni geva: freedom bondage
• 3. naked city: leng tch'e
• 4. yona-kit: yona-kit lp
• 5. shellac: at action park (unless i could get my hands on the live album)
• 6. mr. bungle: s/t
• 7. ministry: filth pig (way too overlooked)
• 8. god: anatomy of addiction
• 9. tool: aenima
• 10. metallica: master of puppets (can't beat the classics)
• runner up. praxis: metatron

addendum to heavy guitar list...  

i probably should have put big black's 'songs about fucking' in there too.  

dave.  

My own Desert Island ___________ is Extreme Metal.  
 

• 1) Voivod- Killing Technology (this album CREATED industrial-metal whether you want to admit it or not)
• 2) Meshuggah- Destroy/Erase/Improve (vastly superior to everything in the known universe except old Voivod)
• 3) Emperor- In The Nightside Eclipse (raging extremes and whacked production that transcends all genres and leaves only death) 
• 4) Slayer- Reign In Blood (groundbreaking in its time and still a classic 11 years later, outdone but never outclassed)
• 5) Metallica- Ride the Lightning (we can only look back at the greatness and sigh. Caught Mom tapping her foot to this once)
• 6) Bathory- In The Sign Of Evil (Immortal owe everything they are to this one man act that started Nordic Metal as we know it)
• 7) Neurosis- Through Silver In Blood (one of those albums you know you'll be listening to 10 years from now)
• 8) Destruction- Infernal Overkill (other than Voivod, they were my favorite 80's thrash/death band)
• 9) Cradle Of Filth- The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh (mandatory!!!)
• 10) Mortician- House By The Cemetary (for the laughs)
• 10) Vio-Lence- Eternal Nightmare (the BEST late 80's thrash band hands down, tighter than my wallet, heavier than your mother, it certainly rates a tie)

OK, here's the change, no HAIKU REVIEW this time around this time I think I'll try my hand at CRITIQUE POETIQUE.  

Amber Asylum- The Natural Philosophy Of Love- (Release Entertainment)  
(RIYL: Anchorage, In The Nursery, Projekt Records)  

gorgeousness in empty space/vocals and cello and lilting grace/ chilled with beauty it's touch is daunting/you can't help but love the haunting...  
 

Alastis- The Other Side-(Century Media) 
(RIYL: Moonspell, Tiamat)  

listening closely you won't fail/to notice this band sounds just like Samael buy it though, you'll still be glad/'cuz it'll piss off mom and dad  

Arto Lindsay Remixed- Hyper Civilizado- (Gramavision) 
(RIYL: illbient- whatever that means)  

Arto here gets chopped and looped/tossed in and boiled in the sonic soup and when it came out i liked what i tasted/dubby and blunted and totally wasted  

Satyricon- Nemesis Divina- (Century Media)  
(RIYL: top o' the heap Black Metal)  

this disc amazes and that ain't funny/giving Emperor a run for the money gettin' me hyped up to rage and holler/and willing to part with my hard earned dollar  

Grace- If I Could Fly- (Reprise/Kinetic)  
(RIYL: Saint Etienne, One Dove)  

she really can't sing and still i don't care/her voice and the music make a wonderful pair highly praised this fluff is by me/filling the void left by Opus III  

Namanax- Audiotronic- (Release Entertainment) 
(RIYL: 120hz AC hum)  

cyclical noisewaves are what you have here/augmented by Jimmy from OLD I like this disc and i'll give it a cheer/because the first two left me kinda cold 

Strapping Young Lad- City- (Century Media) 
(RIYL: shotgun blasts near your ear)  

raging thrash to leave you hurt/vocals that wish you dead slitting your neck to see the blood spurt/and heavier than Machine Head  

Sub Dub- Dancehall Malfunction- (Asphodel) 
(RIYL: DJ Spooky, We, Byzar, etc.)  

ambient dubby mushroom trip/illin' on your ears left me too wasted to drive alone/so i'll get the gas, you steer  

Amorphis- My Kantele EP- (Release Entertainment) 
(RIYL: post '89 Metallica)  

half these guys love Floyd and Crimson/the other half Metallica these forces at work killed a great death band/who now play rock normalica  

Ulver- The Madrigal Of Night- (Century Media) 
(RIYL: bad 80's metal demo production ruining great music)  

I really wanted to like this... I'm too choked up to continue. 

The 3rd and the Mortal- 3- (Voices Of Wonder) 
(RIYL: Death In June, Sol Invictus, Black Tape For A Blue Girl)  

surprised was i to get this for free/at import costs i'd have passed this one's good as they always are/but nowhere near "Paintings On Glass"  

Obituary- Back From The Dead- (Roadrunner) 
(RIYL: Obituary)  

best thing i've heard from these guys in ages/not really death but this band still rages quality upheld from beginning to end/in fact this one's the first that i recommend 

Emperor Mike in 2000 
Because America doesn't need government- it needs ruling!!!!!!!!!!