Alan Cynic Posted November 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 whoops!!...quite (p) correct!That means I can't wear a santa suit, or go as a (fallen) angel. No suckling of Mark M in Virgin/child scenario either:down: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsby Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 Getting back to your Russian review, let's have some Russian band name puns.Alison Krauss and (Soviet) Union StationCCCP DiddyFighttsar(Sta)Lynn AndersonMos(cow) Def Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted November 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 Fair dos...Kiev RichardsKajagulagSo solid KrushevSputNik KershawSonny and Chernobyl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted November 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 and....John LeninMidge Yuri GagarinSimply Red StarM C Hammer & SickleChris 'n' Kosygin (for Throbbing Gristle fans) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted July 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Got a wee mention in this review from an Australian mag....Various Artists - John Barleycorn Reborn: Dark Britannica (Cold Spring/Woven Wheat Whispers) article Cyclic Defrost Magazine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcn Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 good on you mate, great review. When is your next gig?Jayne x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted July 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 Thanks, Jayne!The next gig is at Cellar 35 on the 20th July (5.30pm). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted August 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 These just in, from Dream Magazine (USA)....The Kitchen Cynics a the bonny bumps and bruises (MySpace.com - Kitchen Cynics - Aberdeen, UK - Folk / Psychedelic / Experimental - www.myspace.com/kitchencynics) Alan Davidson of Aberdeen, Scotland continues to spill his musical creativity like a mad fountain on this twenty two track CD-R of superb songs. Ranging from traditional folkish sounding pieces to psychedelically altered excursions into the ether. Mystery and ghostly emanations abound as Alan narrates his songcraft in his softly distinctive brogue. Irish friend Adrian Crowley co-authored one track, and Mary Hampton and Thomas Truax each helped on one each, Duncan Hart plays cello on one track and Susan Matthew plays piano on two songs, while Mike Napier sings on one and Eion Henderson on another, but otherwise its all Alan on his lonesome, spinning out tales of pain, sorrow, death and a few love songs as well. The Kitchen Cynics The Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak of 1964 / 10 Instrumentals by the Kitchen Cynics (kitchencynics@ecosse.net) This ten track CD-R features some of the more experimental and eerie work yet unleashed upon the world by Alan Davidson aka The Kitchen Cynics. Except for Susan Matthew co-writing and playing piano on two songs its all Alan. Darkly dreamy and hallucinatory stuff, obviously a concept album of sorts. Often poignant and strangely nostalgic, this would be ideal soundtrack material for a series of short films.The Kitchen Cynics Cornkisters (ENF) Since The Kitchen Cynics are so incredibly prolific and the general quality is so high its difficult to single out any one album as standing out, but this seventeen song set is truly exceptional and consistently strong throughout. A mysterious otherworldly sense of slightly ominous menace and unnamable spectral strangeness pervades this disc. Gently psychedelic reveries, with personal folk songs nestling next to eerie ghostly choirs. George ParsonsDream Magazine #9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ghost Of Fudge Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 KITCHEN CYNICS play the Moorings Bar this saturday (aug 30th), btw.with The Son Henry Band and Dave Arcari.from 8.30 or so... three quid entry... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted January 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Here's a review from Terrascope online's January reviews.... After the epic achievement of the Tune-a-day box set of 2007, and given that no reviews appeared from the Terrascope, you might be forgiven for thinking that Alan Davidson took some time off in 2008 and no albums were released. The truth however is that three albums came out in 2008, it has just taken this long for them to arrive at the top of the reviews pile. Opening with an echoed, eerie, drone, it is apparent that Cornkisters is something of a departure for The Kitchen Cynics, sure the folksong feel and intimate touches are still present, but there is a far more psychedelic, otherworldly presence to the songs, the dream like quality of the arrangements, surreal in its construction. Take I Am An Orra Loon for example, layers of electronics and whispered notes are the perfect foil for Alans ever maturing vocal delivery, the tune pulling the listener into the album. A more traditional feel is invoked on Lovin in the Winter Time, but even here the background noises are layered with precision, the recording of this and the rest of the album clear and stately. After the atmospheric, fairy tale of Lizzie and the Fair Folk, the piano improvisation of The Banes of the Auld Horse features Susan Matthew playing the right-hand part, the whole having a strangely old-fashioned ambience. Within The Carousel Hare a simple tale of riding a carousel, there is a deeper more pagan meaning, the stuttering clarinet (?) adding some delightful fills, the song giving way to a splendid version of Blackwaterside, this version having a droned, almost eastern sound. This drone feel is utilised fully on the experimental, hallucinogenic journey that is The Elphin Stane, whilst Sphagnum Hummocks, stretches echoed vocal sounds into a six minute piece that is unlike any other Kitchen Cynics song, yet fits like a glove into his output. One of the first things I heard from Alan was Burning Toast which appeared on a Ptolemaic Terrascope CD, issue 25 , and it was a great pleasure to hear an updated version here, clearer, even more beautiful and with a whole extra minute. As we head for the finish, a strange moment is encountered in the shape of Wee Fly Boys and Spider Girls, the song of the siren updated for your kitchen and weirdly brilliant, whilst, the dissonant drunkenness of The Best That I Could Be, veers off down yet another musical alley. Soothing us home, Sunday Lullaby is a delightful piano duet with vocals gently balanced on top, ending an album that is very possibly the finest Kitchen Cynics album to date. Following similar musical paths, but with some very peculiar lyrical excursions, A The Bonny Bumps and Bruises, can be seen as a companion to Cornkisters, although it is a fine album in its own right, the lyrics seemingly dealing with death as much as anything else, with opening track Maggie Black the Cat, being a perfect example. Elsewhere, Scapegoat is a sad and troubled tale, Sally in the Shadows tells of better times, whilst Here Comes the Bumps (two versions) is a cautionary song, suggesting that death can arrive in an instance. Possibly the finest song on the album is Our Trip to Blunderland, a macabre story of murder, and perversion, which will make you smile during its three minute duration. Purely instrumental, The Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak of 1964 is an atmospheric and haunting collection, based on one of the largest food-borne outbreaks of typhoid recorded in the UK In fact, only a royal visit finally cleansed Aberdeen of its beleaguered reputation. Opening with the quiet electronic pulse of Establishment 25, the album unfolds slowly, from piano duets to discordant drones to soft beauty, until it reaches its heartbeat with the 13 minute The Beleaguered City, a long, time-stretching rolling fog of sound, which coils around you, cold and desolate. Breaking the mood, the happy bassline of 17th June/The All-Clear is Declared, eases the tension, brilliantly mimicking history, you can almost feel the relief all around. To finish, the gentle folk feel of Farewell to William Low, has a majestic, defiant heart, making you realise how important Aberdeen is to the song writing of Alan Davidson, offering him inspiration, his art becoming better and better every year. Yet more essential music from a truly underrated talent. (Simon Lewis) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted March 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Loud Horizon Music had this to say about 'Where are we now?''Psychedelic folk,' is how the KITCHEN CYNICS describe their music on My Space - an interesting marriage of genres indeed. (Personally speaking, if I were 'Psychedelic,' I'd be filing 'Folk,' for divorce on grounds of irretrievable taste, but that's probably just me!)So - this album 'Where Are We Now,' arrives on a CD-R, without any Press Blurb and release date. Maybe it's a 'Best of,' compilation; maybe it's an entirely new offering? To be honest, it doesn't really matter because even though I find listening to 'folk,' music the least favourable thing to do around a campfire, this is a quality album. Even a doorpost couldn't fail to acknowledge that. It's one of those that will in years to come be regarded as a 'lost classic.' Or, more likely, an 'undiscovered classic,' as it will probably not receive the attention it deserves.It's not really my bag, man, but the psychedelic aspects certainly give the vast majority of these fifteen tracks a real credibility. It is all a bit too downbeat for me, but is put together so thoughtfully and majestically that you cannot but admire it for what it is. Conventional and traditional sounding folk instruments are augmented with occasional walls of noise, reverb and other effects that result in a thoroughly modern and different take on 'folk music.'It's not going to be forever on 'repeat,' on my i-Pod, but given that there's a big interest in this type of material, I'm sure it will be for many.(Listen to / look at me! I'm not into folk in any way, can't play any instrument, and here I am passing judgement on a band - well, in the main it's a guy called Alan Davidson - that has been releasing records / cassettes since 1988 ish. What do I know? Mind, I'm sure he / they won't consider this review to be the most exciting ever written about their music. Still, if they can appreciate just how thoughtfully and majestically it has been written, then we'll call it quits!)(Released.... I think!)(8/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted June 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 Here's a new review (of a recent-ish CD-R) from Is This Music?.... By Bernhard Bessing Jun 6th, 2009 Category: jralbums The unpredictable Cynics strike again with their unique brand of soundtracks for urban heritage. The outbreak, which did happen, attempts to generate a feel for the situation that must have existed at the time. Establishment 25? (named after the Argentinian corned beef plant behind the outbreak) is a scary piano piece which I suppose sets the scene.This is an all-instrumental album, 10 tracks, with titles like We played as they closed the roads and The beach is quieter than normal which evoke perfectly what youd imagine the deathly atmosphere in the city was like at the time. Lullaby for the children behind hospital windows is another title which is matched by the music, a mix of ancient and modern sounds that provide a soothing respite.Eventually the beleaguered city gets the all-clear and finally we bid a poignant Farewell to William Low - the supermarket chain which never succeeded after the outbreak which stemmed from its shops. Who says music and education cant mix. The fact that the music is so well played and conceived is a definite bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted June 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 Whoops...I forgot to mention the album is called 'The Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak of 1964' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsby Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 Wow, a Kitchen Cynics concept album, when did this come out?Although you'll do well to beat Scotland the What?'s take on it, "I can mine the typhoid epidemic at it's worst - we never washed our hands unless we'd done the lavvy first." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcn Posted July 19, 2009 Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 I've been playing the new album 'Disconnected' and I have to say it's a real grower. To be honest I put it on as background music the first time so didn't really pay any attention to it. But I find myself wanting to play it again and again. Superb! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted July 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 Thanks for that!!!I should have another one ready by the end of August, hopefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcn Posted July 19, 2009 Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 Thanks for that!!!I should have another one ready by the end of August, hopefully.So how many albums and songs do you have in total then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted July 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 this isn't quite up to date, but it's close......MySpace.com Blogs - Kitchen Cynics MySpace Blog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsby Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 this isn't quite up to date, but it's close......MySpace.com Blogs - Kitchen Cynics MySpace BlogThere's the obvious ommission of the legendary Addicted Angel cassette EP you produced in 1993. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted December 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2009 ....and there have been a couple more.....'I went to an alehouse', which came out a few months ago, and a CD of covers which I've just put together. here's what 'Melody Bar' says about them...I Went to an Alehouse cdr (self-released) 5 Join Kitchen Cynic Alan Davidson on a tour of Aberdeen's hostelries. Recordings of pub conversations are set to music and interspersed with Alan's own songs. Susan Matthew (his bandmate from the Matricarians) plays piano and co-writes on some of these and there are a few covers - two traditionals and a Moondog song. To listen to any of Alan's albums is to enter a captivating world of intimate psych-folk and haunting ballads. And if I am ever in Aberdeen, I shall know to avoid the Snuggery! This comes with another Kitchen Cynics cdr - of Ivor Cutler songs. The "Tune-a-Day" Covers cdr (self-released) 5 What a treat! 29 versions of some very fine songs by Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Ivor Cutler, Love, Bridget St John, Kevin Ayers, Fairport Convention, the Pastels, Chris Bell, the Creation T Rex, TVPs, Roy Harper, Slade and more. Alan Davidson has such a distinctive style and it's a pleasure to hear him cover such an array of great songs. 16 come from the "Tune-a-day" cdrs of 2007, others come from cassettes from the 80s and 90s and a couple of tracks at the end from the De-Quincys. Dreamtime bedroom psych-pop - I'm in heaven. ALSO: Dust cdr (self-released) 4.50 / Hoodie Craw cdr (self-released) 4.50 / Dumbfoundlings cdr (self-released) 4.50 / Master Of The Fuzzy Fadeout cdr (self-released) 4.50 / The Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak of 1964 cdr (self-released) 5 / A Tune-a-day the Kitchen Cynics Way cdr (self-released) 5 / Disconnected cdr (self-released) 5 / A Tune-a-Day the Kitchen Cynics Way 2 cdr (self-released) 5/ I Went to an Alehouse cdr (self-released) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsby Posted December 14, 2009 Report Share Posted December 14, 2009 The "Tune-a-Day" Covers cdr (self-released) 5 What a treat! 29 versions of some very fine songs by Syd Barrett' date=' Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Ivor Cutler, Love, Bridget St John, Kevin Ayers, Fairport Convention, the Pastels, Chris Bell, the Creation T Rex, TVPs, Roy Harper, Slade and more. Alan Davidson has such a distinctive style and it's a pleasure to hear him cover such an array of great songs. 16 come from the "Tune-a-day" cdrs of 2007, others come from cassettes from the 80s and 90s and a couple of tracks at the end from the De-Quincys. Dreamtime bedroom psych-pop - I'm in heaven. ALSO: Dust cdr (self-released) 4.50 / Hoodie Craw cdr (self-released) 4.50 / Dumbfoundlings cdr (self-released) 4.50 / Master Of The Fuzzy Fadeout cdr (self-released) 4.50 / The Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak of 1964 cdr (self-released) 5 / A Tune-a-day the Kitchen Cynics Way cdr (self-released) 5 / Disconnected cdr (self-released) 5 / A Tune-a-Day the Kitchen Cynics Way 2 cdr (self-released) 5/ I Went to an Alehouse cdr (self-released) 5[/i']Pfft, all stuff that's been released already. A (Kitchen) cynical Christmas cash in. Is Simon Cowell managing you now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted December 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2009 Maybe..... (enigmatic smiley)Max Clifford was on the blower too, but I managed to prise him off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delboy Posted December 14, 2009 Report Share Posted December 14, 2009 i really really hope you enter next years britains got talent of the x factor, alan. would love to see cowell's face when you amble onstage and do an obscure syd barrett cover! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsby Posted December 14, 2009 Report Share Posted December 14, 2009 i really really hope you enter next years britains got talent of the x factor, alan. would love to see cowell's face when you amble onstage and do an obscure syd barrett cover!Forget "Su Bo", he's an "Al Da" (in more ways than one). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted December 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2009 I would do well on 'Britain's got malevolent'.I quite like 'Al Da'..........Mash it up, Harry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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