Sun City Girls Albums (18)
What The Critics Say
Phoenix, AZ's most outlandish musical export composed this soundtrack for Hachiro Maki's underground film of the same title and released this LP in 1995 during a heavily prolific period for the band that also produced some of their strangest material. The spectrum of their eclectic and finest work is covered here, from the spaced-out improvisation and ethnic drone to the cutting electric rock of the Torch of the Mystics era. It is safe to say this original soundtrack is inspired by such classics as Zabriskie Point and even some of Ennio Morricone's '70s work. Clearly the Sun City Girls intended this material to be heard outside of the underground cinema -- theirs is such a freakish sound as to invoke its own imagery. ~ Martin Walters, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
First released in 1995 as an LP with a limited pressing of 1,000 copies, Jack's Creek is infamously known as Sun City Girls' "hillbilly record." If you're familiar with SCG (and you probably are if you're reading this), you've already guessed that if these guys ever decided to go hillbilly, they probably did so all the way. Well, you're right. Jack's Creek is probably SCG's least typical and most typical album -- "least" because, really, this music is far removed from what they usually do, but "most" because, broken down to the attitude and humor, this LP (reissued on CD in 2007) is a perfect illustration of what Sun City Girls were about at the time, as long as you had the curiosity to dig deeper than their college radio hits. First up is a 12-minute collage of slack-jawed ramblings about strange odors and odd rumors ("Gurnam"). The rest of the album consists of shorter musical vignettes, mostly played on banjo, honky tonk piano, harmonica, drum kit, and junk percussion. The trio members occasionally stop playing to resume their old-folk ramblings ("Useless Stillborn"). The music translates SCG's warped take on hillbilly music (or what it should be according to them), with the march-like "Double Suicide Over a Saddle" standing out as a particularly apt piece. "Jazz Music of the Civil War," all loose and unfocused, is strongly reminiscent of Eugene Chadbourne, down to the singing -- in fact, Chadbourne's spirit reigns all over Jack's Creek. Definitely not representative nor meant to be a "serious" record, Jack's Creek is still good for a hearty laugh and a puzzling excursion into experimental music, as Sun City Girls foray into a genre that never was and hopefully never will be. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide
'Static from the Outside Set'
Release Date 2/21/2006
Tracks 29
Label Abduction
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What The Critics Say
Static from the Outside Set is the 14th volume in the Carnival Folklore Resurrection series. It seems like it has gone on forever because it has -- well, since 2000, anyway. But issuing 14 recordings in six years is amazing -- especially when one considers that this is a side project for the Sun City Girls; in all, they've released over 40 full-length recordings in 21 years The Carnival Folklore Resurrection albums are editions of actual radio appearances by SCG. This one was recorded for the BBC's Radio Lancashire program On the Wire. Those familiar with the series or SCG, in particular, will know just how insane these broadcasts can be. Essentially, what happens is the band take over the studio and cut loose. The corpse of Mexican film legend Cantinflas hosts the program, and every manner of strange soundbite trimmings from radio and television, rock & roll, freaked out heavy metal improvisation, Appalachian folk, blues, country, reggae, serial film music, Oriental and Occidental traditional musics, and everything else in between. It's sheer insanity, pure fun, and utterly outrageous. The amazing thing about this series is how different each of these recordings are from one another. Here are rare cover versions of tunes like "Gently Johnny" and "Gimme That Wine," some unreleased originals, and some crazy radio bits like "Sacrifice in the USA." For fans this is one is necessary. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'Carnival Folklore Resurrection, Vol. 13: 98.6 Is Death'
Release Date 11/16/2004
Tracks 37
Label Abduction
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'Carnival Folklore Resurrection Radio'
Release Date 11/16/2004
Tracks 29
Label Abduction
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'Bright Surroundings Dark Beginnings'
Release Date 12/9/1997
Tracks 3
Label Majora
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What The Critics Say
The seventh album from this legendary and somewhat cult avant rock trio, the '90s were a particularly prolific period, churning out a stack of LPs and singles in small editions. Long out of print, this LP has been reissued in CD format to equally limited availability. Bright Surroundings Dark Beginnings contains three of their finest extended rock improvisations: the side-long Eastern drone of "The Venerable Song (The Meaning of Which Is No Longer Known)" is a career highlight and "Omani Red Light" sees guitarist Rick Bishop take off into outer limits, resulting in a mesmerizing display of their instrumental prowess. ~ Martin Walters, All Music Guide
'Valentines for Matahari'
Release Date 10/28/1997
Tracks 11
Label Majora
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What The Critics Say
Released as an LP-only in 1993 and later reissued on CD, this is technically the eighth album from the Sun City Girls. While their work covers such a vast range of influence, this is one of their most inspired releases of the classic three-piece rock band. The precedent for this sound could only be Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band, all angular and off-kilter with some logic to its illogic sensibilities. In terms of their '90s output, Valentines for Matahari is right up there with Bright Surroundings Dark Beginnings and Torch of the Mystics. ~ Martin Walters, All Music Guide
'Dante's Disneyland Inferno'
Release Date 5/6/1996
Tracks 35
Label Abduction
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What The Critics Say
Sun City Girls drummer Charles Gocher leads the show on Dante's Disneyland Inferno, not for his usual ethnic percussion battery, but for his deadpan mutterings as lead storyteller. Thirty-five songs that chronicle his twisted visions are backed by acoustic clutter from Alan Bishop, whose 11-minute stream-of-consciousness spiel "The Geography of the Swastika" is outstanding. Sun City Girls don't appear as the psychedelic rock band of Torch of the Mystics in this sequence; it's more like the absurd theater of Jacks Creek, where Kurt Weill meets William S. Burroughs and the two set about composing depraved children's songs. ~ Martin Walters, All Music Guide
'330,003 Crossdressers From Beyond the Big Veda'
Release Date 1/1/1996
Tracks 2
Label Abduction
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What The Critics Say
A great double-CD set from Sun City Girls covers the gamut of their far-reaching eclectic improvisation. Approaches ranging from Indian, surf, free-form noise, and late-night campfire folk make up 266 minutes of music which, in terms of their highly prolific output, is not an overdose of material. 330,003 Crossdressers From Beyond the Big Veda contains more than a few moments of the splatter rock exemplified on their masterpiece, Torch of the Mystics, as well as '60s-era Indian film music, with Alan Bishop's vocals a helium-fueled, sarcastic jabber . On the second disc they step out and serve "Ghost Ghat Trespass/Sussmeier" and "Theme From 'The Swaying Gardens of the Apocalypsia'," which encompass Indian raga drones and distorted electric guitar that touches on Keiji Haino's fuzz overload, and by the end musique concrète tape collage puts the whole thing into a higher key. A highly recommended release in Sun City Girls' cannon, this collection ensures their position as true outsiders. ~ Martin Walters, All Music Guide
'Piasa...Devourer of Men'
Release Date 1/1/1994
Tracks 18
Label Abduction
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