Things you can buy soon, soon-ish, and later than that...
The Faceless Forever Boutique will be offering some one-off items from the Cryptic Archives next week. These are fairly rare items, and only one of each will be made available for sale at this time. All items will go live at 9am PST (Los Angeles Time) on Tuesday, April 16th. Check out this announcement video:
In slightly less limited fashion, Record Store Day is coming up, and this year's Cryptic offering is Leftovers Again!? Again!?!?!, which features more previously unheard tracks. This is an RSD First release, so if you want to grab the vinyl you'll need to brave the crowds on Saturday, April 20th. But if you are not a vinyl junkie or are scared of people, rest assured that "RSD First" means that it will probably be released more widely in the future (based on the previous Leftovers compilation, it will probably show up as a digital release next year).
And in broad release, Cherry Red Records has announced the latest in the pREServed series: Demons Dance Alone. This will be a 3-CD edition with plenty of unreleased demos and live tracks as well as the wonderful essays we've come to know and love. Also the album will see its first release on vinyl, a double-disc set. Both versions are due to be released on June 28th wherever good music is sold.
Today, March 29th, is Hardy Fox's birthday. And to commemorate this remarkable person, the Faceless Forever Boutique is holding the first Hardy Party.
Details can be found at: https://www.residents.com/hardyparty/
Yes, The Residents will be performing a condensed version of their classic Eskimo album this Saturday, March 2, as part of A Night of Ideas at the San Francisco Public Library.
Check out this link for more info: https://nightofideas.org/san-francisco/
The event is FREE!!! but... you need to register in order to get in. Registration here: https://events.kqed.org/790/813
Events start at 4PM on Saturday. The Faceless Wonders will be the closing act.
HUH?
Yes, The Residents will be performing at Night of Ideas at the SF PUBLIC LIBRARY (?).
How weird is that?
Check it out: https://nightofideas.org/san-francisco/
Saturday, March 2
With sadness and regret, I informed Nolan of the group's decision. Forever stoic, he took the news with grace, saying he had several other projects he now felt free to pursue and conveyed his appreciation for the nurturing and support the band had provided during their twenty-five year long relationship.
Thanking him again, I wished Nolan well, while expressing a sincere desire that his next pizza delivery job proves more satisfying than the last.
Homer FlynnA few years ago, award-nominated writer Andrew Hook wrote O For Obscurity, Or, The Story Of N, the definitive biography of The Mysterious N Senada, the Bavarian musician who influenced the early music of The Residents, drawn from material discovered in the band's archives long after Senada's death. Now - with the full approval of the band - Hook's eleventh published short story collection, "Commercial Book," will shortly be available from Psychofon Records.
As most people reading this will be fully aware, in 1980 The Residents released Commercial Album, a collection of 40 songs each of exactly one minute in duration. Using these songs as the springboard for fiction, Andrew Hook's Commercial Book presents 40 stories each of exactly 1000 words in length, therefore emulating the restriction which The Residents placed on their songwriting. With each story taking its title from each song and inspired by the music and lyrics, "Commercial Book" is a weird, alter-trip into the depths of the original record, a collaboration wholly in the spirit of The Residents and fully endorsed by them.
The first hundred hand-numbered books come in special Psychofon packaging with the complete Commercial Album Radio Ads CD that was intended for Ralph Records promotion in 1980 as a bonus. You can then read Andrew's stories while listening to the corresponding tracks. Cool!
The book will be available both as a special edition with the CD and also individually from the Psychofon website. The pre-sale starts Wednesday 2/21/24. The official release date is not yet fixed, probably at the end of March.
This is an Eyeball Museum / Psychofon Records Production.
With little to no exception, The Residents found the stories to be absolutely delightful.
- Homer Flynn, President, The Cryptic Corporation
They may be miniatures, but Andrew Hook's globe-spanning, genre-hopping tales conjure entire worlds within 1000 words. His lonely, haunted characters are immersed in dreams and steeped in film and music. 'Commercial Book' is another essential collection from one of our most gifted storytellers.
- Tim Major, author of Jekyll & Hyde: Consulting Detectives
A dissonance of the near sinister thrums inside each beautiful tale.
- Eugen Bacon, twice World Fantasy Award finalist and British Fantasy Award winner
From The Office of The Cryptic Corporation:
It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to call off bringing the God In Three Persons show to the UK and Europe. We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.
Tickets can be refunded from point of purchase.
Star Stunted II "Mahogany Wood" -- a limited edition, 10" black vinyl record out March 8th. PRE-ORDER NOW!
https://www.melodicvirtue.com/products/star-stunted-ii-mahogany-wood-10-single
Created by Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), Rob Crow (Pinback), Roy Mayorga (Ministry), Dren McDonald, Neil Burke (Men's Recovery Project), and Aaron Tanner to celebrate the release of The Residents: A Sight for Sore Eyes, Vol. 2! Also features a mix by GRAMMY Award Winner, Joshua Blair (Paul McCartney, Mark Ronson)!
Remember the Secret Show that was a special one-night performance in San Francisco in January of 2023? The one that took place at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and saw The Residents joined on stage by numerous special guests in celebration of their fifty years of still being around?
Well now you don't have to remember, because the show was recorded and will be made available in February of 2024. More details at: http://cherryred.co/SecretShow
Bubba Hodges, The Residents' personal assistant here. Something curious has been passed over to me so here it goes. Due to a flood last year, Cryptic President Homer Flynn allowed one of THEM to stay in his home while Homer was on vacation. Fortunately no damage was done but Homer has been plagued by an unpleasant feeling that the bed is now haunted. Yes, a HAUNTED BED - go figure. But Homer now says the bed has to go, and the rest of his defiled bedroom furniture (an armoire and a nightstand) must go with it. So here's the deal: Homer prefers to sell all three as a bundle at the once in a lifetime bargain price of $1200, but if there are no bundle buyers, he'll sell them separately but at higher individual prices than the set (Bed alone - $1200; Armoire - $800; Nightstand - $400). Send offers to: crypticorp2000@gmail.com. Final deadline is midnight Pacific Time Monday, Nov 27. The furniture will be available for pickup the weekend of Dec 2&3. (Homer will entertain offers less than the asking price but preference goes to the first bundle offer at full price. Pickup only in San Francisco - no shipping. All sales are final.)
For more sizes, pictures and more info, click here.
Hein Fokker put together this collection of images celebrating Residents friend and collaborator, Chris McGregor.
