Dark Entries and Honey Soundsystem have teamed up to release “Catholic”, the lost opus of disco pioneer Patrick Cowley and Indoor Life vocalist Jorge Socarras. Perhaps one of the most revolutionary and influential people in the cannon of disco music, Cowley created his own brand of Hi-NRG dance music coined "The San Francisco Sound." Born in Buffalo, NY on October 19, 1950, Patrick moved to San Francisco at the age of 21. He studied at the City College of San Francisco and met Jorge Socarras in 1973 through mutual friends. The duo’s first collaboration was a ten-minute trance like piece that Cowley composed for a performance piece by Socarras in 1975. Patrick, who played drums, guitar and keyboards, provided the perfect match for Jorge’s vocal talents. Between 1975 and 1977 they recorded an album’s worth of material before Socarras moved to London and Cowley started playing synthesizers for Sylvester. Upon Jorge’s return to San Francisco in 1979, the duo would re-record some of the “Catholic” songs with Patrick’s newly accumulated equipment. Meanwhile, Socarras met the musicians with whom he would form Indoor Life, and in 1980 Patrick co-produced their first album before the band relocated to New York in 1981. The “Catholic” album was offered to San Francisco’s Megatone Records who passed on it. Fast forward to 2007 when Honey Soundsystem was contacted by John Hedges, former co-owner of Megatone Records. Hedges’ was moving to Palm Springs and invited the crew over to his basement to collect over 2,000 records from his collection. Among the archives were three moldy boxes of quarter inch reel to reel tapes featuring unreleased music by Cowley, including the “Catholic” material. The reel was passed on to Stefan Goldmann of Macro Recordings in Berlin who tracked down Jorge Socarras to clear the rights, and released the album on CD in 2009. 

“Catholic” is a genre-bending concept album that ranges from minimalistic proto-techno to synth-driven post-punk, pre-dating the dance punk acts LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture by almost 30 years.  It shows a much broader range than any Cowley or Socarras material available and gives a totally new perspective to one of the most inspiring eras in music history. Influenced by Tomita, Wendy Carlos, the Velvet Underground and Roxy Music, “Catholic” fills in the gaps between these artists and preempts bands like Talking Heads, Units, The Human League or Chris & Cosey.  Patrick forges his unique electronic sound from his collection of synthesizers, modified guitars and self-constructed equipment while Jorge’s vocals go from hypnotic to camp, singing about gay love juju and tackling classics by Donovan and Stoller & Leiber.  


Featuring over 80 minutes of music, never before released on vinyl, this compilation contains two bonus tracks not on the CD. The tapes were meticulously restored by mastering guru Rashad Becker at D+M, in Berlin, then remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA.  The vinyl comes housed in a glossy dual pocket gatefold featuring the intended album cover from the original “Catholic” photo shoot in 1979 plus original hand-lettering by Arch Connelly aka A. Style for the first 45rpm single that never was. Inside the gatefold sleeve contains lyrics and an essay from Jorge Socarras. For the 32nd anniversary of Patrick's death, Dark Entries and Honey Soundsystem present a glimpse into the innovative minds of two geniuses. These recordings shine a new light on the experimental side of a disco legend who was taken too soon. All proceeds from “Catholic” will be donated to the San Francisco AIDS Housing Alliance. 

16 Hurdy Gurdy Man

De Lux - "Marquee Moon" (Television Cover)

A few months ago, I hit up Micah Van Zandt and suggested we do some covers of a band we both like - T. Rex - to help clear a creative logjam we were both suffering from. The homie was immediately all for it and got right to work on a few deep cuts, and after a few evenings of hard work, we were able to get two of these done by Marc Bolan's birthday! Crazy.

"Hang-Ups" features one of the best guitar solos I've ever played, and Micah's take on "Cosmic Dancer" is indeed cosmic. Maybe people will like this!

Micah played the drums, bass, and screams. I played the guitar, the lead voice, and some background noises.

Hang-Ups (T. Rex Cover)

The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Anemone

Recorded september 13 live at A-Synth Fest 2014
Grabenhalle St. Gallen, CH
All rights remain with the artist
Photo by Katja Ruge Photography

A-Synth Fest

The Space Lady - I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night (The Electric Prunes Cover)

Somebody To Love

Today

Winter 1998, Honeydrippers, demo, Athens, Jenny Kapadai, Meletis Pogas, Leonidas Karakatsanis

Honeydrippers cover - Call The Doctor JJ Cale

DJ Fracture presents . . . “Making Plans”

Moving away from the classic funk and soul grooves of the last couple of mixes, this time flipping the script with a selection leaning towards 70s/80s/90s rock and pop based tunes.
Lots of the records featured here were first heard as a kid at parent’s parties and have now been imprinted forever . . .

1. Girl Guide Intro
2. Tom Tom Club – Genius Of Love
3. Talking Heads – This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)
4. Womack & Womack – Teardrops
5. Prince – Erotic City
6. Steve Miller – Abracadabra
7. Ian Dury & The Blockheads – Wake Up
8. New Order – Ecstasy
9. The Cure – A Forest
10. Phil Lynott – King’s Call
11. Fine Young Cannibals – Johnny
12. XTC – Making Plans For Nigel
13. Tears For Fears – Mad World
14 E.S.G. – Moody
15. Devo – Satisfaction
16. Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak


DJ Fracture Presents - Making Plans

COUNTRY FUZZ isn’t just the name of The Cadillac Three’s new album. It’s also their aesthetic, the phrase that best sums up both the music and lifestyle of singer-guitarist Jaren Johnston, drummer Neil Mason and lap-steel alchemist Kelby Ray, three guys who have become closer than brothers while growing up and playing in bands together in America’s most buzzed-about music city.

Episode #7's theme is three-piece bands.

New episodes air every Friday at 9pm ET at BigMachineRadio.com!

Listen to COUNTRY FUZZ

COUNTRY FUZZ Radio | Episode #7 | “Buena” - Morphine

Sons of Anarchy - Back on the Road

Walk on the Wild Side

Certified Spaghetti Man, creator of the Moldybread Masterworks and inexplicable part of Modesto lore. Firm believer in that sometimes things are deeper than they seem.

Hang-Ups (T. Rex Cover)

Dan Vallerand

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