Remembering Roky Erickson on his birthday

Raising a glass to psych legend Roky Erickson on his birthday with a few performances and interviews you may have missed. 

R.I.P. Texas Tornados bassist Miller "Speedy" Sparks

Sadly, Austin legend Speedy Sparks – who played with Doug Sahm, Texas Tornados and ran Dynamic Records – has passed away.  

Remembering Roky Erickson on his birthday

Remembering singer/songwriter Roky Erickson on his birthday with a few performances and an epic tribute from Bongwater. 

Happy Easter and 4/20 from Roky Erickson and The 13th Floor Elevators!

Can't think of celebrating both Easter and 4/20 than with Roky Erickson's 13th Floor Elevators psych classic "Easter Everywhere"

Spacemen 3's Pete Bain joins Flowers Of Hell for Roky Erickson salute

Here's Flowers Of Hell with Pete Bain ripping through the 13th Floor Elevators' "Rollercoaster" at London's 100 Club recently. 

Ty Segall, Billy Gibbons, Margo Price & others salute Roky Erickson

May The Circle Remain Unbroken – out July 17th – was produced by Bill Bentley who also did the Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye tribute in 1990.   

Here's the scoop...

Now more than 30 years since Bill Bentley put together his first multi-artist tribute to 13th Floor Elevators' mainman Roky Erickson – 1990's acclaimed When The Pyramid Meets The Eye – Light In The Attic has tapped the former Warner Bros. publicity executive to assemble May The Circle Remain Unbroken: A Tribute to Roky Erickson. Bentley, who most recently knocked out the coffee-table book of photos Smithsonian Rock and Roll: Seen and Unseen, also penned the notes for the compilation which will include a 16-page booklet with some rare photos and a bonus flexi disc of an unreleased Roky track "Love Hieroglyphics" from the early 70s. Sure it sounds like a tossed in after thought to entice Roky completists but I wouldn't bet against that being the highlight of the set. 

While not quite up to the high-bar Bentley set with his first kick at the can, or even his commendable projects which followed in honour of Skip Spence (1999), Doug Sahm (2009) and Lou Reed (2013), his  new 12-track Roky redux troublingly relies heavily on contributions from alt-country celebs who you would expect to care not for two-headed dogs 'n' such. Jeff Tweedy (remember Wilco?) Neko Case? Margo Price? Lucinda Williams? I don't recall seeing any of those folks in line at Austin's Ironworks to their copy of Openers II signed by Roky. However, I do clearly remember an exasperated book publisher Henry Rollins trying to convince the doubtful Mr. Erickson that a Sharpie was actually a pen for a good ten minutes as the line-up overflow stretched down the street. "Look, Roky, it writes just like a pen. See?" Nope. Nope. That's not a pen. No siree!" 

And what about Brogan Bentley? Who? You may well ask? Why, it's Bill Bentley's son of course! Although Brogan's swell dad took him to the New Orleans Jazz Festival a few times as a toddler, does that really qualify him for placement on a Roky Erickson tribute album? Maybe not. But Brogan also likes getting dressed up in camouflage gear and riding quad bikes in the woods to spooky synth dirges (watch the hilarious video) so perhaps that's what cinched it. Who knew Roky was such a big fan of the Twilight Saga? At least Bill had the good sense to invite a few notable Texans with requisite guitar rippin' skills, namely ZZ Top's Billy F. Gibbons, Austin's Black Angels who backed Roky on various outings during his short-lived comeback bid and Gary Clark Jr.

Lynn Castle duets with Mark Lanegan

It would've been nice to hear Roky's songs revised by some other Texas artists with more familiarity with Roky Erickson's milieu say, Khruangbin, Okkervil River, Alejandro Escovedo, Brownout, Joe Ely, Cotton Mather, Johnny Dowd, Black Pumas, Walter Daniels, Butch Hancock, Geranium Drive, Terry Allen, Golden Dawn Arkestra or ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. It could be that with the possible exception of Escovedo (with whom Bentley worked on 2016's Burn Something Beautiful for Concord), they simply weren't in Bentley's Rolodex. 

And there will be some left wondering why isn't Neil Young involved. You'd think that since Bentley put in serious time as Neil Young's PR rep and continues to write for the Neil Young Archives, it might've been an idea to ask Neil if he'd like to record a song for the compilation. Worth a shot, right? But then again, there may not have been room left for Brogan to stretch out on the title track. There's always a lot to consider when producing this kind of a package.  

At least we know that Sacramento goth rocker Chelsea Wolfe was already familiar with Roky Erickson's work prior to getting the call from Mr. Bentley's people. Just days after Roky died on May 31, 2019, Wolfe shared a haunting acoustic cover of "Night of The Vampire" (which Ty Segall cut for the comp – listen to Chelsea Wolfe's version here). And Mark Lanegan has also previously recorded a great cover Roky's chilling "Burn The Flames" which, for whatever reason, was not included on May The Circle Remain Unbroken. 

However, on the upside, Lanegan is paired with L.A.'s 60s songwriting hairstylist to the stars Lynn Castle who famously cut a few songs with Jack Nitzsche for Lee Hazlewood's LHI label back in 1966. Castle went on to do some soundtrack work using the alias Madelynn von Ritz but hasn't been heard much since she sang "When I Close My Eyes, I See Blood" in William Friedkin's Crusing back in 1980. You can watch Lynn's memorable 1966 appearance on What's My Line? with Frank Sinatra right here. 

May The Circle Remain Unbroken: A Tribute To Roky Erickson will be released on July 17th to coincide with Record Store Day, Drop #2 and thus, not available for pre-order. Check the complete track listing below followed by a few clips Roky Erickson performing his songs.   

    

Various Artists - May The Circle Remain Unbroken: A Tribute To Roky Erickson

Side One

1. Billy F Gibbons - (I've Got) Levitation

2. Mosshart-Sexton - Starry Eyes

3. Jeff Tweedy - For You (I'd Do Anything)

4. Lynn Castle & Mark Lanegan - Clear Night For Love

5. The Black Angels - Don't Fall Down

6. Neko Case - Be And Bring Me Home

Side Two

1. Margo Price - Red Temple Prayer (Two-Headed Dog)

2. Gary Clark Jr. & Eve Monsees - Roller Coaster

3. Ty Segall - Night Of The Vampire

4. Lucinda Williams - You're Gonna Miss Me

5. Chelsea Wolfe - If You Have Ghosts

6. Brogan Bentley - May The Circle Remain Unbroken

Bonus RSD-only flexi disc:

1. Roky Erickson - Love Hieroglyphics

Check out a few of the songs performed as they were originally intended to sound by Roky Erickson and pals. 

That time the True Believers jammed with Roky Erickson

Here's Alejandro Escovedo and crew backing Roky Erickson on a few haunted classics at the Opry House in Austin back in 1986.

Greg Prevost previews new album with 13th Floor Elevators cover

Chesterfield King Greg 'Stackhouse' Prevost cut a great version of the 13th Floor Elevators' "Splash 1" for his new album. Listen below. 

Here's the scoop on Greg's new album...

Songs for These Times is Greg 'Stackhouse' Prevost's third solo album. A live-in-the-studio, acoustic guitar in hand experience, with the sole backing of “brother” Alex Patrick on counterpart slide or acoustic lead. Along with selected favorites that he has always wanted to record acoustically, Prevost has also included some of his own newly written compositions as well, which, as pointed out by David Fricke in the album liner notes— perfectly fit in a track-list of tunes written over half a century ago. "Songs For These Times"-A classy, honest record in which Prevost–with no backing band or electricity--showcases his musical DNA, as well as the style and attitude that have always been his trademark, and will continue being so.

Mastered by Bob Irwin.

Penniman Records have pressed 50 extra copies of the LP on WHITE vinyl! Get yours before it’s too late! Pre-order via www.pennimanrecords.com

Greg 'Stackhouse' Prevost - Songs For These Times

Free As The Wind / Everybody Knows / Tell Me Baby / Distant Thunder Calls / Wade In The Water / Death Don’t Have No Mercy / Colours / One To Seven / Snowblind Friend / I Hear Ya Knockin’ / A Message To Pretty / Ain’t It Hard / Splash 1 / Acid Rain Falling

 

That time Bongwater was joined by Screamin' Jay Hawkins to salute Roky Erickson

Watch Screamin' Jay introduce Bongwater's rendition of Roky Erickson's "You Don't Love Me Yet" sung by Ann Magnuson. 

R.I.P. Roger Kynard "Roky" Erickson, 1947-2019

13th Floor Elevators mainman Roky Erickson passed away in Austin on Friday at the age of 71. We'll definitely miss him. 

A statement from Roky Erickson's management confirmed his passing but did not provide details.

“Erickson had a visionary zeal rarely seen in 1965 when he co-founded the 13th Floor Elevators,” the statement read. “The band’s original songs, many written with lyricist Tommy Hall, coupled with Erickson’s super-charged vocals and guitar, sparked the psychedelic music revolution in the mid-1960s, and led to a new role of what rock could be. Erickson never wavered from that path, and while he faced incredible challenges at different points in his life, his courage always led him on to new musical adventures, one he continued without compromise his entire life.”





LINKS
Variety: Roky Erickson dies at 71
Austin American-Statesman: Texas psychedelic music legend Roky Erickson has died
Austin 360: Roky Erickson, Texas psychedelic music legend, has died

Roky Erickson, White Mystery, Crazy Bones @ Lee's Palace, Monday

The Psychedelic Generations tour with Roky Erickson and White Mystery rolls into town tonight – don't miss it!

Happy Birthday Gary Floyd!

Celebrating Gary Floyd's birthday with two stellar vocal performances you may have missed.

LINKS
Please Bee Nice: A Gary Floyd Memoir
The Dicks 1980-1986
Rank and Revue An Interview with Gary Floyd

13th Floor Elevators live on KAZZ-FM 1966

Courtney vs. Roky: Crazy comeback challenge

For an artist dealing with such deep mental torment, battling demons both real and imagined, the suggestion that a comeback was a remote possibility seems like a huge understatement. At this point, just the simple act of strapping on a guitar and strumming a couple of chords would be an impressive achievement, let alone writing and recording songs for a new album. But enough about Courtney Love for now, Roky Erickson's return from the abyss is no less astonishing.
It really wasn't that long ago that a "performance" by the former 13th Floor Elevators' frontman typically entailed having someone lead him onstage to a microphone where Roky would stand frozen in place with arms tightly folded and bark out the lyrics to You're Gonna Miss Me. I still vividly recall the time when Roky held up a long line of fans at book signing for Openers II while he argued vociferously with his publisher Henry Rollins that the fully-functional ballpoint provided for the event wasn't "a real pen." So to get from such a unravelled state to leading a band on a cross-continent tour singing his post-Elevators classics while deftly accompanying himself on guitar is a genuinely miraculous turnaround.

Erickson's just released True Love Cast Out All Evil (Anti) – his first album of new material in 15 years – won't have anyone trashing their cherished copies of Psychedelic Sounds or Easter Everywhere but it's a much more substantial piece of work than expected and surpasses his patchy 80s releases in content and execution. Pairing him in the studio with Okkervil River proves to be a wise decision as his fellow Austinites do an exemplary job of treading the fine line between providing support and shaping the spooky sound while sticking to the prime directive of allowing Roky to be Roky. Those hoping for a return to his past dalliances with scorching psychedelia or B-movie monster metal may be disappointed with the album's rootsy orientation. However, true to Erickson's typically twisted lyrical turns (even when dealing with the subjects of love or heavenly devotion), the tone remains dark and the Okkervil boys ensure Roky's soulful crooning and haunted howling comes with potent guitar punch. As eccentric as Erickson can still be, there's a unusually spiritual component to Erickson's new songs that appears to arise from a place of inner calm rather than paralyzing fear. The elegiac closer Be And Bring Me Home hits like a gospel hymn, albeit, more like the sort Nick Cave might be inclined to join in rather than say, Yolanda Adams.
Roky's unlikely recovery is clearly tough to top but you can't discount Courtney Love's ability to rebound from horrendous personal trauma against all odds. For someone as ruthlessly driven as Courtney, just knowing that most people are convinced there's no way she can regain her queen of rock stature is fuel enough for her to claw her way back to the throne. Her new Hole album Nobody's Daughter (Mercury/Universal) set for release April 27, is a scary good start.

Initially slated for release on January 1, 2009, the album never officially materialized but a number of songs from the Nobody's Daughter sessions soon began circulating online in what now appears to be varying states of completion. The upfront use of acoustic guitar and a bluesy approach to largely introspective material seemed to confirm early reports that Love was drawing on the inspiration of Bob Dylan's Blood On The Tracks to make a solo album for celebrated song-doctor Linda Perry's Custard Records label that would fit comfortably next to James Blunt's soft rock gag-inducers Back To Bedlam and All The Lost Souls. However, that's not the way it turned out. Somewhere between the initial album demo sessions with Linda Perry and ex-boyfriend Billy Corgan finishing up with Celebrity Skin producer Michael Beinhorn (Marilyn Manson, Cave Dogs, Soundgarden), electric guitars were brought in, amps were turned up past 11 and everything got a lot heavier and angrier. So instead of a potentially disastrous singer/songwriter set of gently strummed sad-sack ballads, Courtney has gone bigger and badder with a boisterous Hole relaunch packing a nasty wallop of fuck-you attitude clearly designed to rock stadiums. The fact that the riff heavy Skinny Little Bitch sounds like it was ripped directly from the Nirvana songbook is no concern for Courtney, in fact, she made it the album's lead single as if to say, "suck on this!" If radio decides to pass, no problem, there's lyrical depth and musical variety enough on Nobody's Daughter to go around. Advantage Love.