News from the darkest corners of the musical universe:

◦ Saturday, March 25, 2006 ◦

Out now on Radioactive Records: The Unicorn - Peter Grudzien

"Originally released in 1974 (P.G. 101), The Unicorn is considered to be one of the prime examples of what is now known as 'Outsider Music'. Its creator, New Yorker Peter Grudzien, grew up in the '50s listening to Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and other country music artists. By the '60s he was writing and recording his own country styled tunes and had added rising star Bob Dylan to his list of performers to aspire to. Comprising a selection of lo-fi home recordings made over several years (the earliest being from 1960), The Unicorn has songs of religious visions and redemption, life's struggles, and tales of romance gone wrong (brief references are made to Grudzien's own gay affairs, he 'came out' in song in the '60s). Predominantly rooted in country and bluegrass picking, the music also features electronic experiments, and borrows a few 'classic' tunes here and there in an early attempt at sampling. Intense, claustrophobic, eccentric, challenging, overwhelming, but about all, honest. These are all words that have been used to describe this album. You can add 'unique' too... for all those who prefer their country music with a twist."