Before James Jackson Toth rose to underground acclaim under the moniker Wooden Wand, he recorded as Golden Calves. The project is little known; a Google search uncovers only scraps of info, and the project isn't even mentioned on Toth's Wikipedia entry. Golden Calves will soon be getting a bump in publicity, however, thanks to a new reissue from Woodsist.
Due out January 31, the double LP is called Collection: Money Band + Century Band. The title refers to the fact that this project included music released under two different names: Golden Calves Money Band and Golden Calves Century Band.
In a lengthy statement, Toth explained that he was 18 when he started the project and was inspired by his love of Krautrock, free jazz and noise music. He said this of the releases:
In hindsight, I like to think that the noise scene liked us and responded so positively to us because, in our own naïve way, we were subverting a very rigid paradigm. Touring with noise bands and moving in experimental circles but playing proper "songs" is what made us weird. It was an exciting, unforgettable time.
These are not perfect records. Perhaps worse than so-called "naïve art" is "only-marginally-informed art" and that's what this is. I should have let my talents marinate for a while before rushing out records that now sound to me like thinly-veiled love letters to Siltbreeze. But fuck it, man. I was hopelessly arrogant then and remain so today. Why else would I greenlight this fucking thing?
In other words, buyer beware. Still, those who enjoy Toth's work as Wooden Wand will doubtless be intrigued to hear what he was up to way back in the late '90s.
Due out January 31, the double LP is called Collection: Money Band + Century Band. The title refers to the fact that this project included music released under two different names: Golden Calves Money Band and Golden Calves Century Band.
In a lengthy statement, Toth explained that he was 18 when he started the project and was inspired by his love of Krautrock, free jazz and noise music. He said this of the releases:
In hindsight, I like to think that the noise scene liked us and responded so positively to us because, in our own naïve way, we were subverting a very rigid paradigm. Touring with noise bands and moving in experimental circles but playing proper "songs" is what made us weird. It was an exciting, unforgettable time.
These are not perfect records. Perhaps worse than so-called "naïve art" is "only-marginally-informed art" and that's what this is. I should have let my talents marinate for a while before rushing out records that now sound to me like thinly-veiled love letters to Siltbreeze. But fuck it, man. I was hopelessly arrogant then and remain so today. Why else would I greenlight this fucking thing?
In other words, buyer beware. Still, those who enjoy Toth's work as Wooden Wand will doubtless be intrigued to hear what he was up to way back in the late '90s.
