Carpet Floor discs
Carpet Floor has released 4 pressed CD (not CDRs) of crisply recorded free rock instrumentals. Garry Davis (editor of Arcane Candy magazine) and Matt Crane (former Seattle resident) play guitar and drums respectively, but occasionally branch out on other instruments. One of the variations are Garry’s steel rod and steel spring guitar which add said objects to the strings on the neck. The music was all recorded over a period of several years and this is obviously a distillation of the best moments onto 4 CDs. The works are all instrumental and have a kind of Southern California desert soundtrack vibe to them It reminds me a little of early Sonic Youth or Savage Republic. I say this not only for the grooves they freely move through, but also the variety to explore more abstract soundscapes once in a while. They themselves describe the music as “heavy psychedelic rock and abstract improvisation with plenty of free-jazz-influenced drumming and fuzz guitar destruction.” “Blow Out” does in fact have some free jazz moments with guest saxophone player Adam Diller on 5 tracks, but overall the music leans more heavily to the rock side and is easily accessible. It seems like great music for a road trip. Packaged simply in paper sleeves, the discs only sell for $7.00, inviting you to explore their wares. That’s all the same price as the little 64-page book of full color photographs by Garry Davis called “Point and Shoot”. With basically no text except the index at the back, this is a pocket sized collection of concert shots taken between 1999 and 2008. It is a rock photo book for the weirdo set with Ya Ho Wa 13, Keiji Haino + Fushitsusha, James Cecil Davis, Tony Conrad, Stereolab, Don Bolles, James Chance and the Contortions, Rebekah Raff + Just Strings, Val Bertoia, Bardo Pond, Danielson Famile, Jackie-O Motherfucker, Stefano Scodanibbio and Terry Riley, Rod Poole, Sir Richard Bishop, The Wives, Dos, Thurston Moore + White Out, Slint, Carpet Floor, Custom Floor, Lavender Diamond, Pole, Merzbow, Brad Laner, Matt Crane and Tom Swafford, Sonic Youth, Partch, Lance Mountain, White Magic, The Brothers Unconnected and 88 Broadrum. I think Garry said he made only 50 copies of this. - Eric