These 15 tracks come from just seven jams that I attended between 2005 and 2009 – six Sheep Fiends events and one guest appearance with the Poker Night String Band. The most notable musical development that occurred during this period was the evolution of the Rumpus Room from a welcoming jam spot into a full-on multitrack studio. This volume of Scratchrock captures the end of the “tape deck” era through our first multitrack recordings. At times somber; at times preposterous, the addition of several new Sheep Fiends participants packs this collection full of surprises.
Four Track Sampler
Track 03 – The Sea Gull (Sheep Fiends)– An unexpected drum machine swings as slide guitar meets a delay pedal on this ornithological instrumental. You can almost see their reflections on the pavement. [Scratch on Guitar]
Track 04 – Uranium (Sheep Fiends)– Back to a more organic sound…and topic. Creepy bass anchors this droner where I celebrate the properties of all natural ingredients, and curse the regulations that get in my way. [Scratch on Vocals]
Track 06 – Theme From 7 on 15 (Sheep Fiends)– A happy little instrumental for a change. Steady drums allow me to try out a myriad of sounds on my Casio guitar from 1989, while a haunting mandolin plinks inside your mind. Kinda funky; kinda quirky, all Sheep Fiends. [Scratch on Casio DG-1 Guitar]
Track 08 – Fission Overlord (Sheep Fiends)– Reminds me of the mating call of the nuclear reactor. The Geiger counter chirps out its warnings. The oscillator screams at a constant dBm. Drums and bass lazily provide a low end to the techno-fission reaction. Is the Overlord here? [Scratch on Bass]
This album primarily captures a freaky weird Sheep Fiends jam from October 2009. Hillbilly adjacent cover songs mesh with menacing instrumentals. Haunting laughter and oddly wrong pop songs. A strong start for a new decade of Sheep Fiends.
Three Track Sampler
Track 04 – Dread Reaper (Sheep Fiends)– Sounds like noise fusion… maybe? A duet of foul intention is conjured from nothing as Faiz and I twist knobs and scrape metal. [Scratch on Guitar]
Track 06– A Different Set of Rules (Sheep Fiends)– An EXPERIMENT blending ambient discussion with random music bits. We were all so passionate at the time, yet I don’t remember what about attribution I was so upset about in the first place. But what you really need to do is make a song out of it. Make a make a song out of it. [Scratch on Bass and Vocals]
Track 08 – Nevermind Now (Sheep Fiends)– About as garage as rock can sound when improvised in a basement. [Scratch on Vocals]
This album catches a fascinating and dark jam from 2008. Fairly experimental groupings and genresploitation keep you guessing; while the ambiance is sparked by Faiz’s army of pedals dedicated to the cause. With our next release we begin the multi-track evolution of the Rumpus Room. And things would never be the same…because we never do the same thing twice…
Track 01 – Ever Ever Still (The Sheep Fiends)– Certainly a bold choice for album opener. Is this really even a song? Or a meditative drone pierced by shrieks of discontent? [Scratch on Guitar]
Track 11– Wench’s Lake (The Sheep Fiends)– Lead mandolin sheds tears as tales of my mid-teenage years are quietly revealed. [Scratch on Vocals, Acoustic Guitar & Giggle Stick]
This is a fairly unique record that includes acoustic guitar and vocals from two-time attendee Des; a freaking trombone player, and rhythmically consistent songs played along with drum samples. We were closing in on our multi-track studio, but this is a strong mix for our two-track era.
Track 06 – Having a Great Fall (The Sheep Fiends)– Acoustic guitar and trombone punctuate this track sung by Sheep Fiend short timer Des based on the legends of Humpty Dumpty. My spooky guitar and Mark’s mandolin add to the ambiance and a few parts actually get a bit reminiscent of Pink Floyd – which you’d expect would happen with the Sheep Fiends sometimes but really does not. [Scratch on Guitar]
Track 13– Weirdos in the Band (The Sheep Fiends)– A sort of theme song with Brian M. summarizing the reality of being a Sheep Fiend. [Scratch on Guitar]
This disc primarily features recordings from 1995 that predate my tenure in the Sheep Fiends. Also included is one track from 2005 that I do play on – but I don’t like the song so we’re going to skip the sample for this release. Really the best thing about all this is the swirling cover.
From the sound of things 2006 was a very abstract year for me. This release suffers from similar mix issues as the April jam CD, but a smaller lineup makes the opportunity for coherence slightly better. Consider this a full length selection of deep cuts.
Track 06 – Don’t Stick Your Head In a Beehive (The Sheep Fiends)– This is quite ridiculous. Something about squirrels and going to hell. About mice in my garage and bugs on the wall. Oh, and the bologna dog. And yet it sounds nothing like you were expecting. [Scratch on Vocals]
Track 09– Shitzadoodle (The Sheep Fiends)– Is it science? Or is it just fatalism? Regardless, there’s a little of it in all of us. [Scratch on Vocals]
Another crazed Rumpus Room gathering from 2006. This is certainly more challenging than many CDs by the band (and that’s saying something) as the mixes for large group performances are pretty disappointing… but art never promised to be pretty…
Track 01 – Going Backwards (The Sheep Fiends)– The mixes on this CD can get a bit harsh, but sometimes the strangeness of it all works – like the unplanned bass solo freakout this song dissolves into for a minute. [Scratch on Bass]
Track 07– Nature of Insurgency (The Sheep Fiends)– Just Brian M. on improvised rhythm guitar/vocals and myself trying to put the urgency in insurgency on lead guitar. [Scratch on Guitar]
For quite a while an acoustic sub-grouping of the Sheep Fiends had been playing Americana standards and the odd cover track. Mark A, Matt C, and Matty formed this nexus of this more traditional style band. I joined in for a few jams at Mark’s apartment that we happened to record (two tracks from which are featured below). This was great time, and created a very distinct vibe from the sounds of the larger more eclectic Sheep Fiends.
Two Track Sampler
Track 03 – St. James Infirmary (The Poker Night String Band)– Mandolin anchors this bouncy track made famous by Louis Armstrong. Rather than the typical straight improvisation of a Sheep Fiends performance we were following some chords. But having never heard the song in my life I think my background electric guitar works on this. [Scratch on Guitar]
Track 16– Just What I Needed (The Poker Night String Band)– Deep in Appalachia one can hear the righteous gospel of our divine Ric Ocasek and his handpicked family The Cars. Presenting a spirited acoustic rendition of this classic rock track. [Scratch on Vocals]
