Alessi's Brain Bulletin #1

I thought I had well and truly put my pen away after the ninth issue of Brain Bulletin. Having enjoyed putting together the zine for a few years I turned my attention to playing music but I truly take my hat off to Rich Thane for giving me a kind shove and a monthly task. Here, I’ll write about music, new and old and some recommendations. The first recommendation would be to look up a master brain and comic author, Anika Mottershaw, who first brought the band I’ve chosen to home in on, Scary Mansion, to my attention.

After giving Scary Mansion a listen a jigsaw puzzle began to piece together. The whispery, haunting vocals belong to Leah Hayes – the girlfriend of Michael Leviton who I had the pleasure of playing with two summers ago when I split a bill with him at a bar in New York. Ryland of This Is Ivy League pointed me in the direction of Leviton and his ukulele riches. I was looking for somewhere that I could play with my friends Magic Magic and Ryland thought Mr Leviton could help us out. It was a very special evening of music in Alphabet city at Mo Pitkins bar which is now sadly closed. A delayed flight and an almost lost guitar caused my folks and I to land in New York late, too late to join Michael & Leah at one of their monthly get-togethers at their apartment. Friends and locals join them, playing music into the ‘wee hours and I felt in my bones I’d missed something rare that evening as well as not getting to meet Ms Hayes.

I listened to Michael’s album The Perfect Place To Drown, for a good few months. He was quite the comic during his set at Mo Pitkin’s – tall, slight, sweet and curious like an Edward Gorey drawing. On record however, his songs are sentimental and dreamy. Ryland wrote a list of recommendations when he visited London last February and the highlight of the list, was Bad Lobotomy – Leah’s, he explained, latest project. The dark songs were curious, creepy and delicate. I didn’texpect anything less from one half of such a rare, creative couple.

These days, Scary Mansion seems to fill Leah’s time and I’m happy her and Michael’s creations keep weaving in and out of life and conversations.

Be sure to give Scary Mansion’s page a visit and excuse the pun, book a room early! Oh and it’s not all new – my favourite golden oldie at the moment is ‘Frozen Smiles’ by Graham Nash and David Crosby – have a look for it!