New Cass McCombs Double Album, "Big Wheel and Others"

[internethandle]

oh man he's pulling a damn koz (possibly)

[madness and chaos]

A
Wit's End
Catacombs
Mangy Love
Big Wheel and Others
Humor Risk

I never listened to the others much, but I love Cass. Good news

[pulled pork]

loving the new Skiffle Players album.

[lame sayings]

helllllllllll yeah

[ripersnifle]

Cass McCombs is a transient storyteller interested in words, music and dreams. His ninth full-length album, Tip of the Sphere, is due February 8, 2019 on ANTI- Records.

Tip of the Sphere follows 2016’s Mangy Love. For that record, McCombs made his television debut on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and was featured in The New York Times’ Sunday Arts & Leisure section. It was named a “Best Rock Album of the Year” by Pitchfork, featured in the Washington Post’s “Best Music of 2016,” plus many other best of 2016 lists, and was his overall most critically praised album.

While most of McCombs albums have been pieced together in different studios over an extended period of time, Tip of the Sphere was recorded quickly and with a strong sense of purpose at Shahzad Ismaily’s Figure 8 Studios in Brooklyn. This new approach for McCombs brought his songs a raw immediacy and a special balance of compassion and experimentation with the intent of making a more consistent statement. The rock songs have more fervor, the ballads are more beautiful, the explorations more confident; the sounds of jazz and Latin music creep in through the back window. Engineered by Sam Owens (aka Sam Evian), Tip of the Sphere features the core band of McCombs (guitar, vocals), Dan Horne (bass), Otto Hauser (drums) and Frank LoCrasto (piano, organ, and more), plus a range of guests.

Tip of the Sphere recounts what has unfolded in the wake of Mangy Love’s pre-inaugural prophetic themes. It presents an artist trying to make sense of it all through a relentless, ever searching creative process. Throughout Tip of the Sphere, McCombs floats through a suite of songs driven by a journeying mysticism and dark grace. The thematic centerpiece of the album, “Sleeping Volcanoes,” is a rousing, rock and roll number that uses a distinct lyrical approach to intensify the narrative. On the main refrain, a key phrase of the song is repeated continuously and taken through its possible meanings, almost like a jazz musician repeating a musical phrase through key and chord changes. As described by McCombs, “Sleeping Volcanoes” is about “people passing each other on the sidewalk unaware of the emotional volatility they are brushing past, like a sleeping volcano that could erupt at any moment.”

The ‘Castillo de la Esfera’ is featured inside the vinyl edition of Tip of the Sphere. ‘The ‘Castillo de la Esfera‘ was created by fellow Northern California artist and contemporary Tahiti Pehrson as an homage to Brion Gysin’s dream machine. When the ‘Castillo de la Esfera’ is placed on top of the record player, and as the record is played (with or without a lightbulb cantilevered in the center), thoughts are encouraged to wander.

[ripersnifle]

CASS MCCOMBS BIO (2019)
* NEW PATIENT INTAKE *

Guattari State Psychiatric Hospital
California Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation
AttendingStaff: Dr. Tony Moniz

Patient Name:Cass McCombs
Dateof intake:1/1/19
Age: Unknown, but presents simultaneously as geriatric and childlike
Sex:Almost certainly mostly male
Race: Almost certainly mostly Caucasian

Initial observations: Subject was found by Stockton PD ranting at passers-by on the corner of Channel and Sutter, opposite the bus station.Mostly unintelligible, but what was discerned had to do with apocalyptic visions and messianic delusions. In other words, the usual. Upon arrival at ward, 100mg of Haldol was administered (McCombs was heard to remark, “Ah, that’s the stuff”) which was followed by an immediate relaxation in affect. Entrance evaluation followed.

McCombs claims to be a musician of some popular renown. Quick searches on both Bing and Lycos failed to offer corroboration. McCombs further claims to have a new record, which he says is his ninth, being released “soon.” He says the title is Tip of the Sphere. In this doctor’s estimation, this conversion of the most obvious sphere-image (the planet Earth) into a weapon—a “spear”—argues for an aggressive streak in McCombs and supports strenuous intervention on our part.

A greasy, tattered notebook was found among McCombs’s effects upon initial police search. Seems his fantasy of having a record extends to a series of lyrics for songs with titles such as “Absentee,” “Real Life,” and “Prayer For Another Day.” I must admit, the writing does show some proficiency. Thematic concerns include identity, reincarnation, criminality, Armageddon, and suicide. McCombs will be isolated from the ward while we ascertain whether he intends self-harm.

Update, 1/14/19: Administered a standard Jungian word-association test to McCombs at 10AM after his daily doses of Prolixin, Prozac, Lithium, Thorazine, Albuterol, Insulin, and Penicillin. Results reflecta cooperative personality rather than solipsistic tendencies, which are generally required to be a musician (or any type of artist). Selected responses from McCombs:

Head > Crown Long > Tall To Ask > To Give White > Light Child > Learning To Marry > Devotion To Pray > Meditate Foolish > Jester Family > Faith

The replies “crown” and “jester” imply an obsession with medieval history, perhaps reflected in McCombs’s courtly demeanor, while his reactions of “faith,” “devotion,” and “learning” are touchingly maudlin w/r/t the idea of domesticity—intriguing to see such associations from a shiftless vagabond. His musician phantasy is revealed in the responses “tall” to the prompt “long” (my rendition of “Long Tall Sally” was a highlight of the karaoke performances at last year’s staff holiday party, you’ll remember) and in the response “light” to the prompt “white,” which reminds me of a similarly deluded patient from decades ago (note to self: look up files on a Lewis—or was it Larry?—Reed from my early sixties Long Island state hospital days).

Update, 1/25/19: Well, this is fascinating. A small hard drive was discovered secreted in McCombs’s cheek last night by a midnight-shift orderly.It contains audio files for an 11-song album, with lyrics matching those from McCombs’s notebook. I’m no Nat Hentoff, but I’d say the music is soothing and expertly played, with a soupçon of righteous anger and soulful searching. I wonder where McCombs stole these files. Anyway, he is becoming increasingly agitated and insistent that “his” album is released today. He attempted to bite my hand just now as I wrote these notes. I’m referring him to the surgical ward immediately for a frontal lobotomy. Let’s see how he likes that.

[n.b.:attachedt o this report is a manifesto of sorts that was discovered in McComb’s room, scrawled on toilet paper in what I am assuming is soy sauce purloined from Chinese night in the cafeteria. Its tone of casual grandiosity is quite intriguing. But I’m quite uncertain what he’s on about.

[bro tones]

bring on the cass baby

[ripersnifle]

Quick searches on both Bing and Lycos failed to offer corroboration.

loved this lol

[brent]

new song is great

[techno beats]

Yeah, loving the new song. Pumped to finally see him live

[madness and chaos]

Yeah, loving the new song. Pumped to finally see him live

i've meant to see cass live for ages. I am very bummed I missed a tiny little show in L.A. recently. Woke up to news of this album and tour and it sounds mighty nice

[Brevity]

YES

Love the song, love that artist statement/'bio'

[Brevity]

tracklist

"I Followed The River South To What"
"The Great Pixley Train Robbery"
"Estrella"
"Absentee"
"Real Life"
"Sleeping Volcanoes"
"Sidewalk Bop After Suicide"
"Prayer For Another Day"
"American Canyon Sutra"
"Tying Up Loose Ends"
"Rounder"

[Eugenics]

Mangy Love was an instant favorite. Before it, I don't think I ever thought of any one record better than the other..Like, Wit's End and Catacombs definitely have a specific mood and aren't as carefree listening as Big Wheel And Others.
I Can't really vibe with the Skiffle Players stuff on record, but I'd definitely see them live.
How many loosies does he have out there? I think I've only heard Twins and Minimum Wage, which are both top tier.

[ripersnifle]

"sidewalk bop after suicide" better be a BOP

[ripersnifle]

damnit i'm so happy there's a new thing

[madness and chaos]

I LOVE old cass. Listened to Not The Way EP on the way home today and it was just what I needed.

[brent]

sleeping volcanoes is SO fucking good

I can't wait for this album

[Milquetoaster Strudels]

The most recent Cass is my favorite thing he's done, really digging him mining the sophisti-pop sound. New song sounds good!

[ripersnifle]

yeah this new song owns

[apostrophe]

Agreed. I heard the new song today, it's great

[ripersnifle]

bump

also there's un NOUVEAU CONCERT A EMPORTER for the new songs

[ripersnifle]

bump

[gandhi]

incredibly well done music video

[gandhi]

https://www.npr.org/2019/01/31/68965841 ... the-sphere

here it is

[brent]

!

[gandhi]

there will never be a cass record where i listen to it the first time and go
"hell yeah"
gotta listen to this a ton of times first
Rounder rules though

[southpaw]

!

I didn't hear the singles though, no way I'm not waiting until it's HQ

[gandhi]

also i have a ticket to see him in Boston/Cambridge on 3/9 but I'm out of town that night
if anyone's interested DM me you can have my ticket

[Mandible]

Ahhh that’s the stuff.