Noise Nomads
(Ultra Eczema - UE81) LP $12.00
Jeff Hartford’s live sets are the stuff of legend; one of Ultra Eczema’s favorites involved a strange and confusing Providence show that involved wailing mic feedback, a disappearing act, and the arrival of a gigantic Christmas tree. On paper, maybe not so much, but in real life, the seriously intense vibe was there. Fear of permanent breaks with reality and people getting squeezed to death was in the air. Anyway, side A of this record was recorded years ago -- just voice and Tascam -- and is an amazing swollen beast of sound poetry, gargling, and muffled barking. Side B was recorded a few years later with Hartford on his knees in Dennis Tyfus’s living room screaming thru a bass drum and a contact mic attached to a bunch of pedals. Harsher than a prison full of parrots. Edition of 300
Nose Picker
(RRRecords) LP $15.00
First solo LP from Jeff Hartford (Grey Skull), known and feared for live performances that require a guitar-amp combo to be swung violently and dangerously close to the audience. The gracious overlords at Mimaroglu, with whom it is difficult to disagree, describe the vocals as “caveman-esque sound-poetry” somewhere between François Dufrêne and Cookie Monster, which seems appropriate for the ugly scum-noise excreted by this loveable New England creep.