BAND OF THE WEEK: BLESSURE GRAVE … or … COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH!

BAND OF THE WEEK: BLESSURE GRAVE … or … COUNTRY JOE & THE FISH!

We were all set to declare the infecting menace of BLESSURE GRAVE as the latest band of the week, enamored as we are of their triumphantly creepy death-rock debut, “Judged By Twelve, Carried by Six.” Yet in our research (read: fumbling around online looking for band photos to manipulate), we were shocked to find the following message from band mastermind Toby Grave:

“R.I.P. No need to glamorize it. I am completely over writing and playing songs as Blessure Grave.”

So much for jumping on the Blessure Grave bandwagon. Not that you can’t worship them in death and from beyond the grave (they would probably appreciate that) and dedicate yourself to collecting their entire back catalog. They have no song that doesn’t speak to me (talk about damning with faint praise) and I have, in all likelihood, listened to the song below no less than 150 times. It hasn’t left my car since the first time I heard it. I’ll probably listen to it when I’m done writing this! Join us!

UPDATE! 01.20.11 – BLESSURE GRAVE DOWNLOAD REMOVED AT THE REQUEST OF THE ARTIST.

And in further good news, Mr. Grave has risen from the dead rather immediately, with a new project entitled SOFT KILL. We’ll leave the hypothesizing over what separates Blessure Grave from Soft Kill for another time. For the time being, we’ll just consider ourselves lucky to be able to share the cold wind of winter with the cold sting of death provided by Blessure Grave and Soft Kill.

UPDATE! 01.20.11 – SOFT KILL VIDEO REMOVED JUST FOR THE HELL OF IT.

Of course, while we would sorta like for the “Band of the Week” designation to highlight, if not necessarily “new” bands (length of time together seems like generally poor shorthand for gauging the quality of a band’s work), then perhaps bands with some new material to share.

But … why?

We’ve already featured bands that are not bands at all. Why not an old band? Why can’t it just be an artist of tremendous talent, whether musical or not? Why not just pick the fine fellow who I saw spin a bunch of 7-inches over the weekend, a fellow who also takes some very fine photographs? Instead of searching for a band that fits the ill-defined parameters as the “Band of the Week,” couldn’t we just recommend you go read this great interview with Erik Davis? Why can’t the band of the week be COUNTRY JOE & THE FISH?!?

I don’t know. I don’t care. Neither do you.

“Gray witch goddess, I suspect that you don’t care … but it’s simply a matter of wanting you here by me, here by me.”

– Country Joe & The Fish, “The Return of Sweet Lorraine”

Download “The Return Of Sweet Lorraine” by Country Joe & The Fish

I should point out that the album this great, great song comes from – “C.J. Fish” by Country Joe & The Fish – was purchased for just pennies at one of Richmond’s many fine record stores. Of course, it may be the only record store in the country wherein I can buy my Country Joe & The Fish album AND a double seven-inch from a quiet bunch of minstrels hailing from Pennsylvania … and I may be the only person making such a purchase.

Until next time … enjoy! And if you’re anywhere near Richmond, VA, this coming Friday, January 21, come check out this fun time below (special thanks to the incomparable photographic wizardry of Sarah Morrison Photography).

“The strong man holds in a living blend strongly marked opposites. The idealists are usually not realistic, and the realists are not usually idealistic. The militant are not generally known to be passive, nor the passive to be militant. Seldom are the humble self-assertive, or the self-assertive humble. But life at its best is a creative synthesis of opposites in fruitful harmony. The philosopher Hegel said that truth is found neither in the thesis nor the antithesis, but in the emergent synthesis which reconciles the two.”

– Martin Luther King, Jr., “Strength to Love”