Conventional Sound

Afterglow - 1968 - Afterglow

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Fri, 23 May 2008 21:11:00 -0500

Afterglow: "Afterglow"
MTA, 1968
(Psych)

Afterglow: "Dream Away"

DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (45.9 MB) .zip

This is a good album for a dream-state or a vacation from yourself. It took repeated listens for me to fully absorb the depth of this record, and I'm so glad I didn't just toss it away. Such a shame that this band never got past their first outing. This album may possess the power to make you smile ... unless you're completely frigid.

Paavoharju - 2008 -Laulu Laakson Kukista

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:13:00 -0500

Paavoharju: "Laulu Laakson Kukista"
Fonal, 2008
(Experimental/Electro-Folk)

Track: "Kirkonväki"

another track... "Pimeänkarkelo"

PURCHASE THIS ALBUM

Beauty is something most people take for granted. It's obvious that some can't comprehend certain things of this nature, which is disappointing to say the least. Light destruction of perfection is something to think about. The operatic vocals of this album will crawl underneath your skin and make you realize how passionate something can feel.

UPDATES / RESTORATION of OLD FILES

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 10:37:00 -0500

More Re-uploads to follow. I am going to start getting everything back up, and I will post telling what albums have been re-uploaded. KEEP CHECKING THIS LIST TO SEE WHAT HAS BEEN UPLOADED.

As soon as everything is back up I have a lot of new albums to post! Hoping to get it all back up by the end of this weekend! Thanks for all of your support!

Linda Perhacs

Kaleidoscope

Bill Fay

Complex

Fifty Foot Hose

Fairfield Parlour

Ferris Wheel

High Rise

Ramases

Bridget St. John

Updates

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:16:00 -0500

Linda Perhacs has been re uploaded.

More Re-uploads to follow. I am going to start getting everything back up, and I will post telling what albums have been re-uploaded!

Podcast #2

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Thu, 6 Sep 2007 19:38:00 -0500

Everything will be re-uploaded. Things were taken down due to a piece of shit person who felt the need to get all of my files removed from divshare.

here is the podcast. Conventional Sound, Episode #2

No talking, but very good songs and sound clips. Details will be posted later, as well as track listing. Thanks for reading, and bear with me through my anti-label fight.

John Fahey - 1965 - The Dance of Death and Other Plantation Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:59:00 -0500

John Fahey: "The Dance of Death and Other Plantation Favorites"
Takoma, 1965
(American Primitive Guitar)

Track: "Worried Blues"

DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (75.18 MB) .zip

I knew that sooner or later I'd post something by John Fahey, although I wasn't sure what it would be. I've decided to start near the beginning. Over the next few weeks I will most likely post more from his catalog, so if you have any requests leave a comment. I'm not going to waste your time or mine by reviewing this because I believe the sample track will speak for itself. If you like it at all, you'll like John Fahey's music. It's as simple as that.

John Fahey's First Recordings:

Track: "Blind Blues"

DOWNLOAD 4 SONGS (11.18 MB) .zip

These are four songs recorded under the name Blind Thomas for Joe Bussard's Fonotone Record label in 1964 (I believe that year is correct).

The Third Rail - 1967 - Id Music

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:14:00 -0500

The Third Rail: "Id Music"
Epic, 1967
(Psych Pop/Bubblegum)

Track: "Run Run Run"

DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (50.44 MB) .zip

The single "Run, Run, Run" hit #53, but that is the highest The Third Rail would ever climb on the charts. This is an album I nearly overlooked due to it's overwhelmingly poppy demeanor. The production of the record is outstanding, and should almost be seen as a stereo-type for how bubblegum pop should have been produced. All-in-all this is a fun album, good for a few listens at the very least. Song highlights include "From a Parachute," "Dream Street," and "The Shape of Things To Come." If you ever need help putting a smile on your face, this is the album to reach for.

*The last 4 tracks on this are bonuses from the Revola re-release.

Lava - 1973 - Tears Are Goin' Home

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 03:17:00 -0500

Lava: "Tears Are Goin' Home"
Brain, 1973
(Prog rock)

Track: "Crimes of Love"

DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (97.24 MB) .zip

First of all, I would like to send my thanks to alienvomit for turning me onto this album. Without her, I'd have probably never heard it.

This is a nearly folky progressive album from a, at one time, promising group called Lava. Conservative would be a good word to describe this in terms of progressive rock, but that is not a bad thing at all. Overall, this is a great example of down to earth prog rock.
|back cover|

State of The Union

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 02:53:00 -0500

I've just set up a guestbook. It's free and has ads, but oh well. I would love if you would sign it. Just say hi to me and let me know where you're reading from. Criticize me, or say anything at all. Just sign!

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately. I promise to pick it back up!

Thanks for checking out my podcast/radio show. Due to the large amount of downloads (200 as of right now!) I will definitely continue to make these, hopefully on a weekly basis. One question though....would you prefer it be longer than it was (40 min.)?

Blog Stats Since June 28th, 2007
Albums DLed: 3,078
Podcast DLs: 200
Page Hits: 4,535

Conventional Sound Radio, Episode 1

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Mon, 6 Aug 2007 05:46:00 -0500

From now on, this will be a weekly item on the Conventional Sound Blog. I will basically host a radio show in the form of a "podcast," which is basically a downloadable version of a radio show. Just one big mp3 with all the songs and chit chat and what not all put together.

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST (82.6 MB)
40 minutes, 43 seconds .mp3

by John Hinkle

I've poured my heart and soul into this. I've never done anything like it. This has a little bit of everything: ranging from metal, to jazz, to hip hop, and all the way back to 60s pop, with weird and often hilarious(!) sound clips thrown in. You'll love it, I swear. Put it on your iPod, listen to it at work, home, burn it to a CD and listen to it in the car. Make copies and spread it to your friends!

And, as always, your comments are appreciated. I will be out of town for two days, so I will see you Wednesday! Enjoy.

Chrome - 1977 - The Visitation

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Wed, 1 Aug 2007 21:57:00 -0500

Chrome: "The Visitation"
Siren, 1977
(Experimental Rock/Punk)

Track: "Return To Zanzibar"

DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (59.57 MB) .zip

Chrome embodies the raw punk aesthetic of the late 70s, although their music was much more adventurous. The band was only together for 6 years, but put out 9 LPs and a slew of EPs and singles. Vocalist and drummer Damon Edge, guitarist John Lambdin, and bassist Garry Spain formed the band in '77, and vocalist/guitarist Helios Creed joined the line-up the following year/album. All of the members played a variety of instruments, ranging from sythesizers to electric violin. This first album is merely a taste of what was to come for Chrome, as their sound would fully develop in the coming albums.
Cover Insert 1 | Cover Insert 2 | Lyrics Sheet

State of The Union

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 03:37:00 -0500

As of This Moment

Stats for the last 30 Days...

Number of Downloaded Albums: 1, 963
Number of Page Hits: 3,316

Stats, galore...

July - 1968 - Second of July

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 01:56:00 -0500

July: "Second of July"
1968
(Psych)

Track: "Look at Her"

DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (41.33 MB) .zip

Collection of rare unreleased material. This is more of a demo of the first album, but it is a very great listen. A bit unpolished, but if you liked the self titled album, you'll like this.

Open Mind - 1969 - The Open Mind

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 23:33:00 -0500

Open Mind: "The Open Mind"
Philips, 1969
(Psych rock)

Track: "Can't You See"

DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (105.0 MB) .zip

Nearly bluesy-sounding at times, this is a very rockin' record. Had this band been around during the British invasion they probably would have been a smash. This is the highlight of my recent finds. "With a singing style rooted in the freakbeat era, rather than the operatic tenor screams hard rock ushered in, and acidic duel guitars, heavier than those of a typical psychedelic act, The Open Mind filled the gap between the beginning of one era and the end of another."

High Rise - 1986 - High Rise II

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:06:00 -0500

High Rise: "High Rise II"
PSF, 1986
(Psych)

Track: "Wipe Out"

DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (52.23 MB) .zip

Psychedelic Speed Freaks. That is what the name of the record label means, and that fairly describes High Rise's Sound. "Monumental performance by Japanese psychedelic garage masters. Incredibly wild and tough guitar sound." This is where the other end of the psych spectrum begins, and it's just as good as every other bit.

p.s. Last update broke the record for # of album downloads!

Various - 1987 - Kraut! Demons! Kraut! - German Psychedelic Underground 1968-1974

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 20:43:00 -0500

Various: "Kraut! Demons! Kraut! - German Psychedelic Underground 1968-1974"
1987
(Krautrock/Psych)

Track: Aero Sound - "Ready For Take Off"

DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (101.3 MB) .zip

Hands down, this is the best Kraut compilation there is. Made up of nearly every Kraut band you've never heard of, it is a great representation of the genre. Good for a kraut lover or someone who is only beginning to get into the genre.

Bridget St. John - 1969 - Ask Me No Questions

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 01:16:00 -0500

Bridget St. John: "Ask Me No Questions"
Dandelion, 1969
(folk)

Download track: "To B Without A Hitch"

DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (70.24 MB) .zip

The emotion in the vocals speaks for itself. Hazy guitars droning over a beautiful, somber voice. This album was produced by John Peel. This album was actually John Peel's first release on his Dandelion label!

Bill Fay - 1966-1970 - From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 17:55:00 -0500

Bill Fay: "From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock
(A Collection of Demos and Outtakes)"
Wooden Hill, 2004 (1966-1970)
(Folk)

Sample Song: "Warwick Town"

DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM (88.64 MB) .zip

By request. For those of you who liked the previous Bill Fay album I posted, you will certainly love this. As far as I know, these are the only other albums of Bill's. Re-issued by the same label (Wooden Hill) as the Complex reissue. If you happen to have any other material by him, I'd appreciate it if you could send it my way so I can share it with everyone.

Mourning Phase - 1971 - Mourning Phase

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 03:11:00 -0500

Mourning Phase: "Mourning Phase"
Private Pressing, 1971
(Psych Folk)

Sample Song: "August Song"

DOWNLOAD (39.1 MB)

Dual male/female vocals set this record apart from most of its time. Kissing Spell Records: "The Mourning Phase demo-LP was discovered in 1992 and later sold for a 4-figure sum to a “collector”. It appeared to be a test pressing, dated 1971, with a hand-made cover. Lyrically interesting, the densely layered acoustic/electric music seems merely to serve as a vehicle for the love/hate relationship of, speculatively, the male and female vocalists. Cynical, misanthropic, (with and occasional cello), and a cover based on an impressionist painting. Mourning Phase is surely the archetypal home-made art-student LP."

Various - 1965-1970 - UK Psych Pop Compilations

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:07:00 -0500

Various: "Pop In, Volume 1 (1966-1970)"
Various: "Piccadilly Sunshine, Part 1 (1965-1970)"
(Psych/pop)

Sample Song: Svensk - "Dream Magazine"

DOWNLOAD Pop In, Vol. 1 (92.9 MB)
DOWNLOAD Piccadilly Sunshine, Vol. 1 (96.25 MB)

Out of the nearly 20 compilations of psych pop I have, these are probably two of my favorites. There's really not a lot to say about these, as there are so many different artists (nearly 50!) and their sounds are very different in most cases. If you only listen to a few songs from these, do yourself a favor and at the very least check out the song "Dream Magazine" by Svensk on the Piccadilly Sunshine comp.

Various - 1967 - With Love: A Pot of Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:44:00 -0500

The Wildflower, Euphoria, The Other Side, The Harbinger Complex: "With Love: A Pot of Flowers"
Mainstream, 1967
(Psych)

Sample Song: The Wildflower - "Wind Dream"

DOWNLOAD (40.86 MB)

This complilation is made up of only four bands: The Wildflower, Euphoria, The Other Side, and The Harbinger Complex. Considered by many collectors to be one of the most enjoyable Mainstream LP's, this compilation runs the gamut from mind-altering psychedelia to jangly folk to Anglophilic rock. The original LP of this goes for well over $100.

In other news, my internet connection has been fixed. Also, I plan to start uploading albums of different genres within the next week or so. Please comment with some things you'd like to see here. Also, let me know if I start posting too many things of other genres and you start to miss the psych albums (which I will still be posting, just not as often as now).

Linda Perhacs - 1970 - Parallelograms

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 23:02:00 -0500

Linda Perhacs: "Parallelograms"
Kapp, 1970
(Psych Folk)

Sample Song: "Chimacum Rain"

DOWNLOAD (53.19 MB)

Although many have written her off as a Joni Mitchell clone, I must beg to differ. Linda Perhacs' vocals are very intimate and bittersweet. Actually, the only way Joni Mitchell could make a record like this would be if she took a large amount of LSD. The multi-tracked vocals are one of the best things about this album. This is very good music that will calm your soul and possibly open your mind.

Greetings / Recent Lack of Updates

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 14:44:00 -0500

I just wanted to let all of you know that the reason for the lack of updates recently is due to my terrible internet connection. I've been having a lot of problems with it over this last week, and hope to have them resolved soon.

Please check back often, and in the meantime take a look at these blogs:

Systems of Romance

Meshes of The Afternoon

Nothing's Going To Happen

Sun of Latin Music

Heron - 1970 - Heron

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 02:25:00 -0500

Heron: "Heron"
Dawn, 1970
(Folk)

Sample Song: "Smiling Ladies"

DOWNLOAD (157.75 MB)

A folk-based band whose music also had a tinge of soul. They remained obscure at the time but the "See For Miles" compilation, which compiles material from their two albums on the Dawn label, suggests that perhaps they deserved better.
Most of their material was self-penned aside from cover versions of Woody Guthrie's Sally Goodin and The Great Dust Storm, and on the whole, their gentle love songs have aged well.

*The last 7 tracks on this album are bonuses that were not included on the original release.

P.S. To you psych lovers, don't fret. I have recently stumbled upon 17 rare psych records that I will be posting to this blog within the next few weeks. Very exciting times!

Michael Hoenig - Departure From The Northern Wasteland

noreply@blogger.com (John Hinkle) — Sun, 8 Jul 2007 21:42:00 -0500

Michael Hoenig: "Departure From The Northern Wasteland"
Kuckuck, 1977
(Progressive Electronic)

Sample Song: "Sun and Moon"

DOWNLOAD (76.42 MB)

Michael Hoenig was one of many composers (one of the few great) to emerge from the underground electronic scene thriving in Germany during the 60s and 70s.
In the early 70s he became a member of the Kraut band Agitation Free, and gained much deserved notoriety. After a short run with Tangerine Dream, Hoenig went on to create what is considered by many to be one of the most important albums to come out of the German electronic movement. He now resides in Los Angeles, California, where he has a career as a composer of film scores.

Conventional Sound

Afterglow - 1968 - Afterglow

Paavoharju - 2008 -Laulu Laakson Kukista

UPDATES / RESTORATION of OLD FILES

Updates

Podcast #2

John Fahey - 1965 - The Dance of Death and Other Plantation Favorites

John Fahey's First Recordings:

The Third Rail - 1967 - Id Music

Lava - 1973 - Tears Are Goin' Home

State of The Union

Conventional Sound Radio, Episode 1

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST (82.6 MB) 40 minutes, 43 seconds .mp3

Chrome - 1977 - The Visitation

State of The Union

As of This Moment

July - 1968 - Second of July

Open Mind - 1969 - The Open Mind

High Rise - 1986 - High Rise II

Various - 1987 - Kraut! Demons! Kraut! - German Psychedelic Underground 1968-1974

Bridget St. John - 1969 - Ask Me No Questions

Bill Fay - 1966-1970 - From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock

Mourning Phase - 1971 - Mourning Phase

Various - 1965-1970 - UK Psych Pop Compilations

Various - 1967 - With Love: A Pot of Flowers

Linda Perhacs - 1970 - Parallelograms

Greetings / Recent Lack of Updates

Heron - 1970 - Heron

Michael Hoenig - Departure From The Northern Wasteland

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST (82.6 MB)
40 minutes, 43 seconds .mp3