COMEDY MINUS ONE

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Headlines: Our second Silkworm re-issue is out next month! CMO now on Bandcamp! Karl Hendricks poster auction! PRF Distro's top ten sellers of 2014!

cmo007 Silkworm "Chokes!" Lp

Coming February 24, 2015!

The basic instrumental tracks for what would become Silkworm's final record "Chokes!" (cmo007) were recorded in 2005 at Electrical Audio, a few weeks before the death of drummer Michael Dahlquist. The songs were finished later that year and issued on compact disc via 12XU at the close of 2006.

Comedy Minus One helped distribute this release digitally two years later but "Chokes!" has been both physically out of print and never pressed on vinyl until now.

Cut by Matthew Barnhart at Chicago Mastering Service and manufactured by Quality Record Pressings, this edition of "Chokes!" is limited to 800 copies and can be ordered here. Shipping now, in stores February 24, 2015. 

The record is housed in a full color jacket and a black/white/grey sleeve.

"Chokes!" comes with a digital download of the record plus a folder of 30+ bootleg SKWM recordings that capture the band live in April of 2001 and March of 2005.

Listen to the record opener "Bar Ice" here.

Our last record leads off with a song called Bar Ice

It’s a great track. One of the top 10 Silkworm ever did.

I made up the bones of Bar Ice and brought them into the band.

I feel comfortable saying that it’s great because its greatness is at least 75% due to the drums.

The drumming on this record is exquisite. I don't know how else to describe it.

I do not think there was a better drummer of music practicing from 1994 to 2005. When you play with a guy day after day for fifteen years, you get accustomed to him doing what he does.

And you note, casually: slow right foot there. Bound to miss the snare and hit the rim on that fill.

But with the advantage of time and the disadvantage of distance, I can hear clearly. Michael played rock music on the drums - songs, with an arc and an ebb and flow - as well as anyone in the world at his extended peak.

There's a moment in Internat'l Harbor of Grace...eh, you figure out where it is. But the song starts to flag about half a notch. Ever vigilant - ta ta ta ta TA TA TA TA. A drum fill lifts it back up again.

Chokes! is littered with moments like that.

A long section of Low Blow is Andy and me just free-associating - no riffs, barely even notes, just moving our hands around to see what happened because...we could. We could afford it. That Slow Right Foot was there as a net and a compass.

When we mixed what ended up being Chokes! a month or two after Michael died...I mean, shit, we were just trying to finish the goddamn thing. It sounded like whatever to me. I had no perspective on it. It felt like odds and sods next to whatever embryonic vision we had for our next album.

Now, well, it just sounds like 30-40% of the next Silkworm album, which would have pushed every one of my buttons and scratched every one of my itches. Just like all the rest of them did.

So I’m glad it’s out. Again.

Thanks to Gerard Cosloy for his unflagging support and help. Thanks to Jon Solomon for releasing this edition. Thanks to Steve Albini and Heather Whinna for translating the sound.

Enjoy.

Tim Midyett
Chicago, Illinois
October 2014

“Chokes!”

Bar Ice
Low Blow
Int’l Harbor Of Grace

Lily White & Cherry Red
Wrote A Song For Everyone
Spanish Harlem Incident

“Wrote A Song…” is originally by CCR and was recorded during the “Lifestyle” sessions.

“Spanish Harlem Incident” (Bob Dylan) was performed by The Crust Brothers (Michael Dahlquist, vocals, Andy Cohen, drums, Tim Midyett, guitar, Stephen Malkmus, guitar) on 12/31/00, at Seattle’s Crocodile Cafe.

Great Scott, Allston, MA – 11.11.2004
Lily White & Cherry Red
Bar Ice 

Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL – 3.18.2005
Is She A Sign
(I Hope U) Don’t Survive
“Don’t Look Back”
Raging Bull
Lily White & Cherry Red
Yr Web
Contempt
Insomnia
Bar Ice
Low Blow
Int’l Harbor Of Grace
Treat The New Guy Right
Shitty Little Yacht
The Operative
Severance Pay
Bloody Eyes

The Triple Rock Social Club – Minneapolis, MN – 03.19.2005
Is She A Sign
(I Hope U) Don’t Survive
“Don’t Look Back”
Raging Bull
Lily White & Cherry Red
Yr Web
Contempt
Insomnia
Bar Ice
Low Blow
Int’l Harbor Of Grace
Treat The New Guy Right
Shitty Little Yacht
The Operative

Comedy Minus One's Bandcamp page is live!

Comedy Minus One has launched a Bandcamp label page that features a first wave of 18 releases, with more on the way.

For the next week all CMO titles are each just $5 to download and free to stream.

Downloads are available in a variety of high quality audio options pulled from production masters, including FLAC, AAC and Ogg Vorbis.

This should satisfy those who have requested alternatives to .mp3s in the past!

For folks who prefer .mp3s, 320 kbps files are also obtainable.

Future Comedy Minus One records will be procurable on Bandcamp in addition to the reliable digital platforms we've used in the past.

If you notice any audio issues or typos on these new pages, please let us know.

The exceptional Mike Budai made a small run of these gorgeous, multi-color silkscreened show posters for last year's Karl Hendricks benefit show featuring Carousel, Line Forms, Tim Midyett, Andy Cohen, The Gotobeds and Dama/Libra.

We have a small stack of these pristine 15"+ x 21"+ gems that we'll be auctioning off via eBay with all proceeds going to Karl's family.

The first poster went up today. You can bid on it here.

PRF Distro’s 2014 Top Ten Sellers!

PRF Distro launched in September of last year. Thank you for your ongoing support of this new venture! 

Here are our year-end top ten sellers from the 100+ titles we offer, with links to stream and purchase accordingly. 

Click on each album's title for more on each record. 

(All Comedy Minus One releases and the Bottomless Pit vinyl we stock have been removed from consideration for this exercise.)

10. The Martha's Vineyard Ferries : "Mass. Grave" LP (Kiam)
09. The Rutabega : "Brother The Lights Don't Work" Lp
08. The Gary : "Remains" Lp (Sick Room)
07. Dis- : "The Historically Troubled Third Album" Lp (My Pal God)
06. Dama/Libra : "Claw" Cd (Northern Spy)
05. Minutes : "Roland" Lp (Michigan Independent Network)
04. Karl Hendricks : "Stan Getz Isn't Coming Back" Chapbook
03. Joel R.L. Phelps & The Downer Trio : "Gala" Lp (12XU)
02. The Gary : "Farewell Foolish Objects" Lp + Cd (Sick Room)
01. Shellac : "Dude Incredible" Lp + Cd (Touch & Go)

Comedy Minus One has a Facebook page and a Twitter handle for those of you who dig such things. More frequent bursts of news can be found there or on the Comedy Minus One blog.

Stores and distributors are welcome to contact us about stocking these titles. Comedy Minus One is distributed directly in North America through Carrot Top, Matador Direct and Revolver.

Canadian and European distribution sought.

Thank you.

Jon Solomon
Comedy Minus One
comedyminusone.com

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