KOALA SYNDICATE

The Mildreds - Jack The Ripper (unreleased Link Wray cover, 1995)

2012-01-31T20:51:00.000-08:00

Syracuse's early 1990's surf-noise-punk band, features members of The Flashing Astonishers, The Electric Chick Magnets, The Dracula Jones, The Ghost Monkeys, etc. etc. Photo's by Jeff Jones. Maybe someday this old unreleased stuff by The Mildreds could get released officially? Hear more of The Mildreds by clicking here! (((PS There's a buncha dooshers on You Tube in a band also called The Mildreds who dress in costumes and they suck. I hear they beat old ladies and steal their clothes. SO, know your Mildred before you use her.)))

GREGG YETI & THE BEST LIGHTS - CHRISTMAS QUARANTINE

2011-11-29T18:32:00.000-08:00

"Christmas Quarantine" is featured on the 2011 album by Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights called The Harvest Brass Echo. Here is the video and the audio.

It is believed that it is the first pop song to mention fondue, and there's tons of kazoos all over the place at the end of the song.
Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights - Christmas Quarantine by greggyeti

This video took a few years to produce, because of many annoying problems in scheduling, blizzards, computer failure, day jobs, night jobs, girlfriends, stop animation o.c.d. freakouts, hangovers, hangunders, and shiny-thing collecting. Randy Tallo of Know The Feeling Productions handled the live shooting and editing, while Mr. Gregg Yeti directed and animated.

free e.p. download: THE STAR OFF MACHINE - Red Curtain Sunlight e.p. - 2006 KR024

2011-09-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

This is NOT the similar release by The Gregg Yeti with (almost) the same cover!!! Long story, read on! This is a never been released session available for the first time ever!

free e.p. download: THE STAR OFF MACHINE - Red Curtain Sunlight e.p. - 2006 KR024 - click right here!!!

This little recording appeared within the era of 4 eps by The Gregg Yeti (compiled in the ep collection Wonderbuckets (The 4 eps 2004-2007). If Wonderbuckets included The Star Off Machine project, GoGoSushi and Leper Pony, it would've been "The 7 eps" 2004-2007"!!! It was a busy period...)

After "The Ender's Mind" ep came out in 2005 I met up with Andrea Lee Higgins at one of Ashley Cox's open mic nights here in Syracuse. Soon we two were trying to get a few songs together, and we played Cox's open mic once, and recorded this ep in my apartment and at Watchmen Studios. Andrea liked the name, which came from Dr Seuss via the 2nd album by The Flashing Astonishers; we couldn't agree on anything better at the time. We spent hours spray-painting the covers with star stencils and glitter, and she drew what became the hand stamp that adorns each one. Mostly due to our shared Taurus stubbornness mixed with severe levels of late night intoxication, we split up the duo just before we could release this ep, and start playing any shows. I'll take the blame, I was a drunken mess. Not helping was that a truly horrible California band came out right then with the same band name. I didn't want to waste the work we put into the covers so later that year I made my own ep with my name stamped on it, and it debuted that song "Laughter Be Your Slave" that everyone seems to like. You can hear that version on Wonderbuckets.

Track listing:
1. Red Curtain Sunlight
2. Release
3. My Narcotic Sara
4. Half On The Way

"Red Curtain Sunlight" with Andrea's lead vocal was remixed and appeared on Gregg Yeti's 2011 album "The Harvest Brass Echo". Bob Kane (of Flashing Astonishers/Mandate of Heaven/Monkey Knife Fight/Electric Chick Magnets/Everyone & Your Mom's Band) plays drums. His performance was lifted directly from one of the pre-breakup Flashing Astonishers sessions; the music for this song was basically a reworking of an unreleased Astonishers song I wrote the music for. It took a song that previously sounded kinda like GBV and turning it into a 80's Cure kinda thing.

This version of Andrea Lee's song "Release" has never been released, though she did re-record the song for one of her own releases, and then released it. "My Narcotic Sara" was remixed and redone with Jessica Rudy on background vocals for the subsequent Gregg Yeti version of the Star Off Machine ep. "Half On The Way" was remixed and appeared on "Heart Palpitations Of The Rich & Famous" album in 2008, with Jessica Rudy taking over the lead vocals this time.

Andrea is now making music in Brooklyn now after living in North Carolina after this ep was recorded. Gregg Yeti is stuck in Syracuse until he dies.

These two pix of Gregg and Andrea are from 2005 and were taken by Elizabeth Case Carter.

free e.p. download: THE STAR OFF MACHINE - Red Curtain Sunlight e.p. - 2006 KR024 - click right here!!! Spread the word! Share this with your friends! And, as always, Koala Syndicate mp3 downloads are all encoded at 320 kbps for the best quality! Be sure to check out all the other releases! Cheers!

free full album download: The Flashing Astonishers – Everything Is Gonna Stop (1998 KR002)

2011-09-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

click right here for the free full album download: The Flashing Astonishers – Everything Is Gonna Stop (1998 KR002)

This is the debut album by The Flashing Astonishers. We were so excited, we were going to take over the world. Ha. The sound created drew from the popular flavors of the day, from Pixies & Nirvana punk to Pavement-ish indie with shades of the heavier shoegazer bands thrown in. Influences were worn like a denim jacket covered with patches. It is the most start-to-finish "album" of sorts by the band, as there was only one line-up during the recording sessions, unlike the later two albums with their rotating door of friends joining in...

Track listing:
1. Broken Stained Glass
2. Lipbomb
3. Alien
4. La De Dey
5. King Of Cans
6. Anillo
7. I Come Up, I Go Down
8. I'm Not One

The Flashing Astonishers line up for "Everything Is Gonna Stop" was songwriters Dan Musclow and Gregg Yeti plus the super solid rhythm section Jay Fabbri and Bob Kane. It was recorded and mixed by Doug White at Watchmen Studio, and was mastered by Dave St. Onge. World famous comic artist David Woodson did the graphic design. Jody Kidney drew the yellow and green panel, she used to do tons of drawings like that in her old zines. (Jody's now singing with Dexter Romweber And The New Romans in North Carolina and growing things with cats and drinking like a champ). The cover girl is Jody's younger sister, Jennifer Lee Kidney, who sadly took her own life that year; we put her on the cover as a tribute. We all miss you Jaylee! Emily Martian contributed the ducky back cover photo, and I remember taking the abstract photo when I used to work at the local tex-mex place Alto Cinco... a new pan came in to steam the burrito shells, and after the first night of use it got covered with carbon from the fire. Looked neat.

1000 cds were professionally pressed. Used copies are cheap on Amazon Dot Com, so go get one if ya haven't already.

click right here for the free full album download: The Flashing Astonishers – Everything Is Gonna Stop (1998 KR002)

check out Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights - Heart Palpitations Of The Rich & Famous (2008, Eskimo Kiss Records)

2011-08-09T16:32:00.000-07:00

Click on these here letters to have a gander at Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights' 2008 album "Heart Palpitations Of The Rich And Famous"! Used copies are cheap! The album's showcases are the classic GY&TBL songs "My Narcoleptic Sara" and "Laughter Be Your Slave". Global music journalists were very kind to the album (review quotes below), but budgetary limitations prevented much in terms of world takeover.

"Yeti's first LP is a great listen. With the abundance of forgettable indie music these days, it's always a pleasure to find something that I'll remember, like this keeper." - John Danielowich, The Big Takeover (usa)

"I have a soft spot for melodic, well-written indie rock. Gregg Yeti and the Best Lights doesn't disappoint... begs repeated listens...Gregg Yeti, I don't know who you are or where you came from, but can I keep you?" - Nicole Villeneuve, Broken Pencil(canada)

"Gregg has put together some catchy tunes employing cool recording techniques, catchy melodies, and nice back-up vocals... It's nice to know a dude can be at this game for a really long time and still make interesting music that continues to be inventive and clever." - Ryan Canavan, Hanging Like A Hex (usa)

"Heart Palpitations..." is downloadable from eMusic, iTunes, Amazon, and just about every online distributor. Listen in on Spotify! The album came out on Eskimo Kiss Records out of Atlanta Georgia, and Steven Cerio did the rad cover art. He's done work for everyone from Newsweek to the Residents. The album features guest vocalist Jessica Rudy and guest drummer Shawn Stoyle. Recorded almost entirely in Gregg's home studio, the self made tracks were mixed & mastered with Jocko at Syracuse's More Sound Studio with pre-production mixing done with Doug White at Watchmen Studio in Lockport NY. Below is 2 videos from the album.

Both videos were directed by Randy Tallo.

"This top-notch recording is worthy of any audiophile’s collection." - Matt Mumau, Syracuse New Times (usa)

"Pick Of The Week" - Jersey Beat Magazine (usa)

"Classic lo-fi alt.American creativity and such a pleasure to have this album arrive this week and find he’s sounding better than ever." - The Organ (united kingdom)

"An extremely joyful record." - Whiskey From A Wire (usa)

"A valuable addition to any indie-pop fan's CD collection." - CNY Underground (usa)

"(This album) is the musical equivalent of an iron fist in a velvet glove. (4 stars)" - Muzikreviews.com (usa)

"A tremendously grin-inducing album.(4 stars)" - Jason MacNeil, Allmusic.com

free full album download: GREGG YETI & THE BEST LIGHTS - THE HARVEST BRASS ECHO (2011 KR021)

2011-08-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

free full album download: GREGG YETI & THE BEST LIGHTS - THE HARVEST BRASS ECHO (2011 KR021) The Harvest Brass Echo is the 2nd full length by Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights, and acts as a closet cleaner. The recording of these songs were all started sometime between 2001 and 2007 and never finished in that time. In 2009 & 2010 I forced myself to get them done to help clean out the closets. This explains the randomness of it all…

"Christmas Quarantine" actually started out musically as a song the Flashing Astonishers batted around, but never finished or recorded, back in 1995. "In The Dim Light Of Glowglobes" (the name a Dune reference) was mostly recorded at Watchmen Studio in 2001 as a Flashing Astonishers demo that never came to fruition. "Quality Of Armor" appeared on the "Sing For Your Meat" Guided By Voices Tribute compilation, which you should own. I like the two instrumentals "Wit Of Snails" and "A The Is Me"; they are pretty, like a field of poppies under golden late-afternoon clouds, misty after a midday drizzle. Or something.

"Ura" dates back to my first starts as a home computer recordist in 2003 or so... In 2010 when I was putting the nails in the coffins of all these old songs, I needed a real human drummer to make it real, and Doug White said he spoke to Alex Kerns of Lemuria and he was gonna drive up from where he was staying in New Jersey just to record my stupid songs. I guess he used to like FA back in the day or something, I dunno. Sweet. He played on "Little Scar" and "Ura". Nice guy. All pro. Very glad to have him on board for a minute!

"(Someone Will Be Looking) Out For You" went under the name "The Volleyball Song" for years as it collected dust in my hard drive recording backups, not because I like volleyball but because I wrote the music while playing guitar and watching some weird people play volleyball at a party. “Grey” was written by Rebekah Meek & her band Eberhardt in Durham, NC. They played the Wilmington Exchange Festival in Wilmington NC in 2008 and this song kicked our asses when we saw them play it live.

Then there's the guest vocalists!!! I love bringing female vocals into the mix, and this album features two great ones. Jehn Cerron , who sang on "Little Scar" and contributed the lyrics, does beautiful music out of Florida with her home recording set-up. She’s done plenty of online collaborations featured on her Myspace page & initially caught my ears with her project Eyelight when she played live at WEFest. We recorded this song via email, sending tracks back and forth.

Andrea Lee Higgins sang and wrote lyrics for "Red Curtain Sunlight." She & I misfired a band together for a few months in 2005 called The Star Off Machine (named after the FA album, which was named after the Dr Suess Sneetches reference), and this song is one of the very few things that came out of it alive. She has spent time in CNY, NC, NJ & NYC since then, and has plenty of good songs all over the web. We got an ep recorded, and all the covers done for it too, then it caved. I didn't want to waste all the time put into the packaging, so I just released it under my name and with a few different songs, which is why I have put out an album with FA and a solo ep under the name The Star Off Machine. It is a typical confusion of my life. The ubiquitous Bob Kane played drums on "Red Curtain Sunlight", which at one point was a Flashing Astonishers song also. FA recorded it in 2002 and it sounded like a GBV ripoff of sorts, and I took it back and used Kane's recorded drum tracks, kept mostly the same arrangement, and made it sound like a Cure ripoff, with stoned girly vocals. One day maybe you'll hear the lost FA recording, and maybe I'll post the lost ep by The Star Off Machine one of these days. Why not?

This album has been released and distributed by hand in the paper bag format on cd, with stickers, hand-stamps, and paper inserts. They look neat. So far 1000 have been made, and probably more will be made.

Track Listing:
1. Ura (7:53)
2. Little Scar (3:43)
3. (Someone Will Be Looking) Out For You (1:42)
4. Christmas Quarantine (3:38)
5. Red Curtain Sunlight (3:15)
6. Wit Of Snails (2:04)
7. In The Dim Light Of Glowglobes (5:29)
8. Grey (4:29)
9. Quality Of Armor (2:50)
10. A The Is Me (2:35)
11. Half Is Me (5:53)

Obtain your summer soundtrack of happiness here: FREE full album download: GREGG YETI & THE BEST LIGHTS - THE HARVEST BRASS ECHO (2011 KR021)

Paypal donations can be made to greggyeti@yahoo.com - any and all help is always needed!

free full album download: Leper Pony - Elementary Bumps And Grinds (2011 KR023)

2011-07-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

You may download the free new album by Leper Pony - Elementary Bumps And Grinds - by clicking on this sentence.

This album is less noisy than some previous material and more noisy than some other older material. It uses several other instruments that were not employed on previous efforts, while also using many of the same devices. The album is approximately 61 minutes in length, and 12 dimensions in girth.

Song titles for the album in question:

01 - You're A Bad Pony
02 - Who Invented The Rocket Ship?
03 - Ultra Modern Rabbit Warrens
04 - Radio Mystery
05 - Sundowning
06 - Hope Spots
07 - Some Fucking Whatever
08 - Lemon Wheel
09 - The Singing Caterpillars
10 - Blue Waffle
11 - Have You Ever Seen Well Organized Rain
12 - Mint Whistle
13 - Diamond I Do
14 - Serviettes Perky II
15 - Fun Things Blowing In The Wind
16 - You're So Photoshop
17 - Space Witch
18 - Sexual Athletes
19 - Thirsty Lion Killer
20 - Basil Fresh Herb
21 - Slithey Tores
22 - Get Thee To A Nunnery
23 - Officer Mystical Beast Of The North
24 - The Ghost Shirt Society
25 - Circus of Camelback
26 - Botched Handshakes
27 - Sixty Now
28 - Know Your Coffeemaker
29 - The Truth About Witchcraft Today
30 - Macadamia Snowshoes
31 - My Kitchen Noise
32 - Wish Again
33 - Misericordia
34 - Babes Of The Wild
35 - Tortured Overview Of A Heavy Thicket
36 - DMT Is Everywhere
37 - Trouble With Trolls
38 - Not Sky But Space
39 - Fragile John Richard
40 - Mime Silencer
41 - Line Is Tone

This music was written, performed, engineered, mixed and produced by Gregg Yeti, and mastered by Doug White @ Watchmen Studios, Lockport, NY. The cover design is by Elise Flanders.

Some of this music was used in 2008 as background noise for Jane Cassady’s poetry album The Suddenly Nervous. Jane Cassady is on Myspace, and now lives in Philadelphia.

You may download the free new album by Leper Pony by clicking on this sentence.

listen: THE MILDREDS - 1995 7" vinyl - surf garage noise punk from Syracuse NY

2011-06-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

Laceration:

Riptide:

Syracuse, NY's The Mildreds was a garage-punk surf noise band fueled by copious amounts of Mountain Dew, trucker speed, and nicoteen. The band had two songs out on a split 7" with Crop Circle in 1995, which came out on Coolidge Records out of New Jersey. "Laceration" & "Riptide" were those songs. This was their only release. The Mildreds were a band from 1994-1996.

Band members: Ian Purdy - voice & guitar, Dan Musclow - guitar, Gregg Yeti - bass, Sean Trinkaus - drums. Cover art by Mitch O'Connell.

There is/was another band in California by the same name and is in no way affiliated with The Mildreds from Syracuse NY.

More info, video and songs will be available soon via Koala Syndicate. There's several more songs that were never released.

free full album download: THE FLASHING ASTONISHERS - THE STAR OFF MACHINE (1999 KR007)

2011-05-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

click here for the free full album download: THE FLASHING ASTONISHERS - THE STAR OFF MACHINE (1999 KR007)

This is the 2nd album by The Flashing Astonishers from 1999, released on cd-r to around 1000-2000 people. The Star Off Machine was recorded over a few year period, in bedrooms, bathrooms, and studios. The indie rock gems are plentiful. It features some of the strongest 3 minute pop songs by the band, ("Period Exclamatory," "Stop Right Here," and "The Back Nine" while rest of the package shows the band doing spacey Verve-like 10 minute songs ("Angelfish"), instrumentals ("No News" and "The Villainous Priests of Manchester") and noisy four track bedroom recordings ("If Irritation Persists" and "Only Gone"). These two four-track songs appeared on a very early Clairecords comp cd back in 1998 (fern009).

Track Listing:
1. Stop Right Here
2. The Back Nine
3. Needle Exchange
4. If Irritation Persists
5. Ladles
6. Windbreaker
7. Cats Can See Ghosts
8. Period Exclamatory
9. Less Than Shadow
10. No News
11. Bean
12. For Now
13. Only Gone
14. Angelfish
15. The Villainous Priests Of Manchester

Some of the songs were recorded on ADAT at Doug White's Watchmen Studio, a few were recorded on a $20 used Tascam 4-track cassette recorder, and others were recorded on some old reel-to-reel 1" tape machine we really didn't know how to use....

The list of players on this album shows the varied flux of musicians that happened during the years of 1996-2000. It seemed like every show had a new line up, and there was lots of shows. Other than the main original members Dan Musclow and Gregg Yeti, this collection of recordings features Chris Gajewski, Greg Pier, Fred Cousineau, Bob Kane, Joshua Lee Loomis (who sang lead vocals on "Bean"), and Jay Fabbri. Sean Trinkaus and Ryan Zara both contributed song titles, "Angelfish" and "Cats Can See Ghosts".

As with all the free albums available on Koala Syndicate's blog, the mp3's are encoded at 320kbps and taste like creamy mint ice cream on a summer day. Full album artwork is included.

click here for the free full album download: THE FLASHING ASTONISHERS - THE STAR OFF MACHINE (1999 KR007)

video link: Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights - Quality Of Armor (Guided By Voices cover)

2011-04-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

This cover by Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights appears on SING FOR YOUR MEAT A Guided By Voices Tribute on the No More Fake Labels record label out of North Carolina. Also appearing on the tribute to the best band ever is The Flaming Lips, Lou Barlow (Sebadoh), Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), James Husband (Of Montreal), Blitzen Trapper, Kelley Deal (The Breeders), Superdrag, Elf Power, Crooked Fingers, Sorry About Dresden, Cymbals Eat Guitars, and many more. It is an honor to be included on this compilation! Get the vinyl version!!! Special thanks to Randy Tallo of Know The Feeling Productions.

free download: GREGG YETI & THE BEST LIGHTS - WONDERBUCKETS (The 4 E.P. Collection 2004-2007)

2011-04-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

free download here: GREGG YETI & THE BEST LIGHTS - WONDERBUCKETS (The 4 E.P. Collection 2004-2007) (KR020)
Between 2004-2007 Gregg Yeti made somewhere between 5000-6000 of these eps and handed them out for free to people. They were called "A 32-Branched Candelabra Of Evil", "The Ender's Mind", "The Star Off Machine", and "The Liver Is The Eater". Wonderbuckets is a collection of those 4 eps, plus one bonus song "The Truth Behind Sarcasm". The covers were spray-painted, stickered, hand-stamped, and pretty neat in general. This collection was released by Koala Syndicate in 2010 in a limited edition of 1000 in brown paper bags, and distributed free to record stores all over America. Some of the songs are earlier, more demo-ish versions of songs that appeared on the 2008 album Heart Palpitations Of The Rich & Famous. There's 3 different versions of "My Narcoleptic Sara."

Track Listing:

1. Who Wants To Die? 00:10
2. Christmas Quarantine 03:39
3. My Narcotic Sara 02:06
4. Laughter Be Your Slave (Original Demo) 04:01
5. The Truth Behind Sarcasm 01:51
6. Who's Zoe? 03:07
7. Emotional Jujitsu 03:52
8. Deal With You Perfect (CCCC version) 01:33
9. An Accordion Of Aurora Borealis In The Blood 00:55
10. How To Make A Happy Robot 03:38
11. My Narcoleptic Sara (Original Demo) 02:40
12. Building Houses (For Sarafina) 02:55
13. The Girl With The Expiration Date 02:57
14. Island Nation 02:05
15. Staring The Sun In The Eye 02:32
16. Body Like A Fever (acoustic) 04:16
17. Colonize Your Eyes (version 1) 05:06
18. My Narcoleptic Sara (Woodson Version) 03:12
19. Sky Than The Brighter 01:00

We hope you like it. Share with your friends! Here's the link to the free download!

free download: DEEP FRIED RUBBER BANDS 1999 Koala 90 minute mix cassette!

2011-03-12T11:40:00.000-08:00

(KR005 1999) Between this 90 minute mixtape & the previous one NICE, the last year of the millennium was spent dubbing tapes on dual cassette boom-boxes and trading them for a few bux or beer at bars... We thought we were all doomed from Y2K anyways...

DEEP FRIED RUBBER BANDS, the 4th Koala mix tape, had 29 bands, and came out first on cassette to a few hundred people, then on cd-r a little bit later to a few hundred more people. Cassette cover art by Elise Flanders (If anyone has the whole cassette cover send me an email greggyeti@yahoo.com). It's pretty much the same eclectic deal as the previous mix tapes - from hissy lo-fi 4-track cassette recordings to glossy studio, metal, emo, indie, punk, whatever... Most from Syracuse and the rest from Buffalo, Rochester & Boston, not to mention the amazing Earwhig Spectre from Merrillville, Indiana.

Bands included: Fledgling Death, The Clams, The Disappointments, Big Boote', The Fiascoes, Karnavali, The Flashing Astonishers, Stellar, The Human, Tropical Attitude, Ookla The Mok, FM Cowboys, The Contortionists, Go Sushi, Julio, Planet Singe, Joe Shmoe, Drunken Orgy Of Destruction, Visionstain, The Druggies, Wallmen, Mearle Throttle, Earwhig Spectre, Dirt Electrica 147, Central Nervous System, Curator, Neutral, Funky Worm, and Spooked Horse.

FREE DOWNLOAD - DEEP FRIED RUBBER BANDS!!!!!

ALSO, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE "HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS"-----> OLD POSTS FEATURING OTHER FREE KOALA DOWNLOADS!!! CHEERS! GY

Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights appear on Syracuse University promo mix for SXSW Music Festival!

2011-03-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights are track #5 on SUxSW, a free mix tape download on the Bandcamp website that Syracuse University is releasing to promote the city of Syracuse at the SXSW festival in Austin TX this year. They chose "(Someone Will Be Looking) Out For You" from the 2011 Koala Syndicate album The Harvest Brass Echo. 26 artists appear on the compilation, and all had to have some schooling at the university to be able to get on board. Too bad that no Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, Ra Ra Riot, Pete Yorn, or Vanessa Williams appear also. Check out the mixtape here!

free download: NICE A Very Nice Koala Compilation - 1999 Koala 90 minute mix cassette!

2011-03-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

(KR004 1999) NICE: A Very Nice Koala Compilation - 1999 Koala 90 minute mix cassette! 30 bands & 37 tracks of random fuck-all on our 3rd compilation: punk, phone pranks, recordings of Ryan being a prepubescent goofball, hardcore, electric, emo, metal, home recorded, improv performance art, indie rock... mostly from Syracuse but some stuff is from Long Island, San Francisco & Buffalo and places in between... This is guaranteed to add some NICE pizazz to your mix cassettes of the future. Most all of this is out of print stuff! If 500 of these tapes were made I'd be surprised...

Bands included are: Fuse, This Afternoon, Neutral, The Flashing Astonishers, The Druggies, Sidedoor Johnnies, Joe Schmoe, Mighty Isis, Thee Fiascoes, The Human, Sinker, Lamont Laywell, Dufus, Big Boote', Nade Mickriz, Frank Moore & The Cherotic All-Stars, Soviet, Julio, Wallmen, Karnavali, Ookla The Mok, Bloodbath, Greg Pier, Bob Kane, Joshua Lee Loomis, Cock Robot, Undergang, Ashley Cox, Mearle Throttle, and Dave Kane (sucks).

free download HERE getcha free download HERE!

Be sure to go through the "Historical Documents" -----> and download the many free compilations and releases KOALA SYNDICATE is laying before you.

free download: MONKEY KNIFE FIGHT live at Armory High Syracuse NY in 2001

2011-02-28T10:23:00.000-08:00

MONKEY KNIFE FIGHT "Live at Armory High Syracuse 1-17-01" (KR022) is the only known recording of a band that played maybe a dozen shows in Central New York around the turn of the millennium. The shows generally were overloud alcohol-fueled ragers of noisey punk rock. Generally sound-guys for the bars hated the band, often plugging their ears to the feedback - and these were guys who controlled noise for a living.

Billy Barry (later of Indicies) was the singer & guitarist, Jay Hart played guitar, Gregg Yeti (Flashing Astonishers) played bass, while Greg Pier and Bob Kane (both Flashing Astonishers/Mandate Of Heaven) alternately played drums, depending on availability and who knew the song. For this show Andrew Everding (later of Thursday) plays drums on one song also. Any of the three slingers of stringed instruments shared the seeds for songs, and as was often true for Syracuse bands at that time, tried to just find anyone who was available to play the drums.

Among the original songs on this recording is a scorching cover of "Ex-Lion Tamer" by Wire. Just shortly after this show, Monkey Knife Fight unfortunately went to sleep after the tragic house fire that destroyed the 549 Columbus Ave band house where the little scene had it's headquarters. Extra special thanks to Doug White for mastering, Dave Kane for recording, and Elise Flanders for the cover art. A cd version of this album will eventually be available, in very short limited runs, when we feel like it, in a stack buried beneath the local weekly paper, at a coffee house, bar, or pizza shop near you. Maybe.

FREE DOWNLOAD RIGHT HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!

free download: LEPER PONY - SHOWERED IN A HAIL OF FISTICUFFS and JUNE BLUE LARKSPUR - two cd releases from 2010

2011-02-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

Leper Pony is by Gregg Yeti. Sometimes it is noisy and sometimes it is not. Both albums were released in a limited edition of 500 cd-rs in spray-painted hand-stamped stickered embossed brown paper lunch bags. Designed by Elise Flanders & Gregg Yeti.

free download: LEPER PONY - Showered In A Hail Of Fisticuffs - (kr018 2010)

and

free download: LEPER PONY - June Blue Larkspur - (kr019 2010)

These are the 2nd and 3rd LEPER PONY releases. You may also get a free download of the 1st Leper Pony cd from 2005 by going right here.

Leper Pony also exists on Myspace.

free download: LIQUID HAMBURGER TRAINING PANTS Koala Comp 2001

2011-01-24T15:52:00.000-08:00

2001: This is a quality comp cd-r that came out on Koala Syndicate to a few hundred people. Sorry about the title... Handed out freely at the Torpedofest that year where around 40 bands played in a few days... The cover star is a local streetguy named Art, he was funny, with his super gravelly voice "Hey Boss." Bands included: Worm Quartet, Mil Mulliganos, Dealership, The Flashing Astonishers, The Secession Movement, Hitlist, The Fiascoes, Sought After, Thunderosa, Que Se Dice, Go Sushi, Martha Dumptruck Massacre, Mandate Of Heaven, This Afternoon, Pacer, The Dollar Canon, Molotov Cocktail Inc, Layton Avenue, Mearle Throttle, This Rectangular Planet, McLane's Zoo, & Dufus.

Liquid Hamburger Training Pants free download right here!

free download: Look What The WE FEST Dragged In 2002 compilation cd

2011-01-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

The Wilmington Exchange Festival known as WEFEST has been a Memorial Day tradition since the mid-9teen 9tees, and I've played it something like 5 or 6 times since then. I have made tons of friends, hooked up tons of shows all through networking & partying with the people there. Many bands have played and gone on to major things, like Dismemberment Plan & Lamb Of God, but mostly festival grandfather Kenyata Sullivan started the festival with a stone hard streak of D.I.Y. in his veins. Over the years there's been bands of all shapes & sizes, from metal to folk to crazy homerecording underground tape traders who never play out. There's been film screenings, air hockey tournaments, art shows, poetry readings. Generally a little something for everyone... You can leave the festival with tons of free zine & music & stickers, all piled up on the free merch tables; this was always one of my favorite aspects... The overarching vibe is one of open-mindedness, I have seen 3 piece jug bands that have blown my mind right after an explosive indie punk show on the same stage & it all makes sense. Over the winter I have pleasurable memories of midnight beering and swimming in the ocean until the sun comes up in the neighboring Wrightsville Beach area. Jim Testa of Jersey Beat zine even made a song about WEFest!

I made this comp cd to hand out when the Flashing Astonishers played there for the last time in 2002. I probably only made about 1000, I don't recall. All of the bands are WEFest veterans and mostly are extinct... Bands (and a poet!) included are Kenyata Sullivan, Landspeedrecord!, Punch Drunk Monkeys, Mil Mulliganos, Plug Spark Sanjay, D Michael McNamara, The Secession Movement, Aviso Hara, Sidedoor Johnnies, Cropduster, First Night On Earth, All The Dead Pilots, Astronaut Lost, Pandora's Lunchbox, Worm Quartet, Dufus, Jim Testa, Pacer, 71 Sunbeam, Second Sky, & The Cogs. I should've made a 4 cd box set because I've seen so many good bands there over the years!

free download: Look What The WE FEST Dragged In 2002 compilation cd

Gregg Yeti

free download! HOBBY HORSE mix tape from 1998

2011-01-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

I remember having several boom boxes making dubs all at once sitting on the floor at the 549 Columbus Ave dive house... the release shows for these tapes were always fun, over at East LA or Planet 505 - whatever it was called on Westcott Street back then across the street from Alto Cinco and the movie theater... the cover picture is of a hobby horse someone at the house trash-picked I think - it sat on top of the half-assembled pool table for a while... here's KR003 the 3rd release from Koala Records in 1998. It includes The Fiascoes, Kweezy, Jerry Maliwesky, Fledgling Death, Greg Pier, Monkshood, Jessica Matt, Dirty Vicars, Bobby Budd, Eugene Iosilevich, Ashley Cox, FM Cowboys, Hardcore Fishermen, Delta Of Venus, The Flashing Astonishers... donations via paypal to greggyeti@yahoo.com are greatly appreciated and will get you more swag in the future! Download the mix tape here!

free download: COLOR WHILE YOU LISTEN 7" vinyl Koala Comp!

2011-01-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

2002: The COLOR WHILE YOU LISTEN 7" vinyl comp came with crayons so that you could color the awesome Joey Larkin-drawn cover while you listened to songs by The Flashing Astonishers, Pale Green Stars, Negativ Seaven, Visionstain & Drunken Orgy Of Destruction. Five bands squeezed onto one little 7" and they genres were varied: indie rock, spazz-core, nu-metal, powerpoprock. 500 physical copies were made by Koala in conjunction with Substandard Records of San Francisco, who also released the 3rd Flashing Astonishers album On Involuntary Bliss.

Download the COLOR WHILE YOU LISTEN 7" vinyl comp right here!

free download: NOT DEAD YET - 2010 SYRACUSE OLD SCHOOL REUNION comp cd

2011-01-10T13:28:00.000-08:00

Download the full compilation cd right here!

In 2007 Elise Flanders had an idea, to get a whole bunch of her old friends from Syracuse's halcyon indie & punk days from the 1980's & early 1990's back together all in the same room. People came in from all over the country and met up at Klub Polski, a run-down venue everyone held all-ages shows at back in the old days. Much beer was drunk, old friends met up again, a few bands played, and a great time was had by all. Flash forward to 2010: Elise once again wanted to bring forth the aging scenesters but decided one evening was not enough. Two days were booked over Labor Day Weekend at Syracuse's legendary Half Penny Pub (which just recently and lamely stopped hosting bands). The weekend was labeled "Syracuse Freaks & Geeks" hoping to be more inclusive of people who may not totally label themselves as punk. It's not ALL about the bands either; people had a fun kickball game in the daytime, and shared many meals together. Several bands reunited especially for the occasion, some playing for the first time in 15-20 years! Grisly Fiction, Sound Of My Own Voice, The Fiascoes, and Pagan Love Child all dusted off their guitars & sprang forth from the wheelchairs to show the kids how it is done. Beauty Scene Outlaws played a riveting set of songs of the members old bands (Wallmen & Milton's Disciples). Veteran rockers Undergang tore it up as always with singer Alan Smead the main attraction; the man is a idiosyncratic performer who's been in bands in Syracuse since the 1980's. My favorite band of the weekend was The Fiascoes, led by songwriter Joshua Lee Loomis, Greg Pier (Mandate Of Heaven) and Ethan Jenks (Counterpursuit). Think Buffalo Tom, The Replacements & The Stooges in a blender. Fucking brilliant. Professional Victims & The Legendary Jones Gang both featured solid sets from stalwart Syracuse veterans. A amazing weekend of Northern Rock was enjoyed by a select few hundred people.

Jamie Trecker (Sound Of My Own Voice/Kewpie Dolls) was an instrumental hand in helping Elise bring together the music for the weekend. He also pressed 200 copies of this compilation cd "Not Dead Yet". The cd is out of print forever, but you can get a digital copy right here. The bands included are: Sound Of My Own Voice, The Trend, The Flashing Astonishers, Thunderosa, Pagan Love, Milton's Disciples, Kewpie Dolls, One Death Two, The Wallmen, Spike Penetrator, Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights, Unsound, Professional Victims, The Legendary Jones Gang, and Grisly Fiction.

Here's Ryan Hex's review from his Hanging Like A Hex blog:

V/A, “NOT DEAD YET”
This is a compilation of Syracuse alternative/indie bands from the early 80s up to some more current bands. It leaves a substantial amount of bands out, so I’m guessing it’s sort of based upon favoritism, or at least bands that were of personal relevance to the curator of this comp. What a lot of people don’t know is that Syracuse has had a pretty good history of excellent indie bands over the last couple of decades. Then again, many of these bands don’t or didn’t tour much at all so it’s no wonder no one knows about them. Nevertheless, some of the groups represented here are the Pixies-influenced Flashing Astonishers, the sloppy proto-hardcore punk of 80’s band Milton’s Disciples, the New Wave sounds of 70s/80s group The Trend, down to the Clutch-styled bar rock of Thunderosa. While many of these bands are familiar to me, if by nothing but name, others are completely off my radar, having fallen through the cracks of time in this town. All in all, 15 tracks of history are on this thing, and I’m thinking a volume 2 is in order to further document the scene here past and present. (zippypops@yahoo.com)

There's talk of another reunion in the future, we'll see!

TWO new Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights cds available now!!!

2011-01-06T09:31:00.000-08:00

That's correct. Koala Syndicate has two albums by Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights for this winter's listening. They will be available free at over 40 locations across the country, including several locations in Upstate NY. The two albums will be available digitally by month's end. Physical copies are in a limited handmade edition of 1000 each, packaged with handstamps, stickers & paperbags. They look neat. If you wish to obtain a copy mailed to your door email gregg yeti at greggyeti@yahoo.com - donations are always welcome via paypal to that address!

"The Harvest Brass Echo" is the sophomore full length album by GY&TBL and comes out swinging. The selections of songs are solid and confident while expanding on the familiar sound of previous releases. Songs like "Ura" and "In The Dim Light Of Glowglobes" pack a epic gazey rock while the lights dim for the ballady "Grey" & "Half Is Me". Pop songs are abundant, with the short "(Someone Will Be Looking) Out For You" and "Christmas Quarantine" leading the pack. There's several guests on the album, including Jehn Cerron's lead vocals on "Little Scar," and Andrea Lee Higgins lead voice on "Red Curtain Sunlight" (which also features Bob Kane of Mandate Of Heaven/Flashing Astonishers on drums). Alex Kerns (of the band Lemuria) is a guest on drums on "Ura" & "Little Scar" also.

"Wonderbuckets" is a collection of the 4 eps done between 2004 & 2007, with a bonus new song "The Truth Behind Sarcasm". The collection were remastered by Jocko of More Sound with additional mixing & mastering by Doug White of Watchmen Studio. It features different earlier versions of staples like "My Narcoleptic Sara," "Laughter Be Your Slave," and "Christmas Quarantine," amongst a bunch of mid-fi home recordings and experiments...

You can sample a few songs by clicking here!

Download FREE 1996 demo cassette by The Flashing Astonishers

2010-12-24T21:22:00.000-08:00

click here to download 1996 demo cassette by The Flashing Astonishers

Recorded in the 549 Columbus Ave band house in Syracuse by Jeff Jones (Dracula Jones) and Sean Curley (Wallmen/Druggies/Midget). The reel to reel tape machine was set up in the non-functioning bathroom. I remember we took the tape to Alex Perialis at Pyramid Studio in Ithaca for help with mixing/mastering, the same place big sweet sounding bands like Anthrax & Bad Religion did work and Alex made SUCH A BAD FACE when this came through the speakers... we really had no clue...

Download Self Titled LEPER PONY 2005 ep FREEEEEE!

2010-12-21T22:14:00.000-08:00

FREE LEPER PONY DOWNLOAD

2005 - Noise & Words by Gregg Yeti - This is not pop music. Noise, ambience, spoken word stuff... I found some old diary poetry stuff & just cut it up & made this. One track, "This Tinfoil Hat Keeps The Aliens From Hearing The Voices In My Head" is over 20 minutes long. It features the recently & sadly departed Calvin Wilcox on keyboards & mumbling... RIP dude. In 2010 i remixed this a bit, because it sounded dreadfully like what it is, which means some of my very first computer home-recordings on my own... so if you have one of the original 200 cd-rs burned this is different a little bit. I re-did some of the vocals on the long song & took some of the bad noise out... there will be more stuff like this... 2010 finally saw two new Leper Pony releases, Showered In A Hail Of Fisticuffs & June Blue Larkspur. paypal donations to greggyeti@yahoo.com thanks so much!

FREE LEPER PONY DOWNLOAD RIGHT HERE!

The Complete Koala Syndicate Records Discography

2010-12-21T21:44:00.000-08:00

I just pulled together this list... do you have them all? I don't!

KR001 various artists - Fuzzy Bunny (1998)
KR002 The Flashing Astonishers – Everything Is Gonna Stop (1998)
KR003 various artists - Hobby Horse (1998)
KR004 various artists – A Nice Koala Compilation (1999)
KR005 various artists – Deep Fried Rubber Bands (1999)
KR006 Go Sushi – Fascist Breakfast Delight (1999)
KR007 The Flashing Astonishers – The Star Off Machine (2000)
KR008 various artists – Color While You Listen (2001)
KR009 various artists - Liquid Hamburger Training Pants (2001)
KR010 various artists – Look What The Wefest Dragged In (2002)
KR011 The Gregg Yeti – A 32 Branched Candelabra Of Evil (2004)
KR012 The Gregg Yeti – The Ender’s Mind (2005)
KR013 Go Go Sushi – Better Living With Beer (2005)
KR014 Leper Pony – Leper Pony (2005)
KR015 The Gregg Yeti – The Star Off Machine (2006)
KR016 Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights – Heart Palpitations Of The Rich & Famous (2008)
KR017 The Gregg Yeti – The Liver Is The Eater (2007)
KR018 Leper Pony – Showered In A Hail Of Fisticuffs (2010)
KR019 Leper Pony – June Blue Larkspur (2010)
KR020 Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights – Wonderbuckets (The 4 EP Collection 2004-2007) (2010)
KR021 Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights – The Harvest Brass Echo (2011)

Download FUZZY BUNNY 1998 Koala Mix Tape FREEE!

2010-12-18T06:47:00.000-08:00

Koala done did a whole slew of mix tapes years ago, and this year they will be posted up here for free download... Let's start at the beginning... KR001 - This tape was the first released by Koala back in ye olden days of 1998. Just a couple hundred were made... most of the bands were Syracuse based and Dave Woodson did the cover art. Bands include: The Flashing Astonishers, The Fiascoes, Dracula Jones, Kweezy, Ashley Cox, Delta Of Venus, Ghost Monkeys, Larry Demellier, Ryan Tzara, This Rectangular Planet, Dionne Warwick's Psychic Soldiers, Phil Broikos, & Jeff Jones.

This is your magic link to download Fuzzy Bunny for FREE

Donations of any size should be directed via paypal to greggyeti@yahoo.com - allah will bless you!

WONDERBUCKETS Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights is finally here!

2010-12-17T20:03:00.000-08:00

Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights - Wonderbuckets - The E.P. Collection 2004-2007 collects the 4 eps done by The Gregg Yeti before the debut full length, 2008's Heart Palpitations Of The Rich & Famous.

1000 cds have been made, and one can be yours for a paypal donation of any size to greggyeti@yahoo.com - the cd will be mailed to your address. It's a cd-r package in a brown paper bag with 52 minutes of lovely music on it. With a great cover collage by Ryan Zara. Yippie Skippie.

But, if you are crafty, the cds will be available for free at several locations in Syracuse and also free at several record stores throughout the nation - so, if you want one get it directly or try your hand at getting one through at one of the free drop offs - there is no plans on re-releasing this material after this pressing except digitally. (Unless someone wants to pay for it!)

Cheers, Gregg

Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights - Laughter Be Your Slave video

2010-12-10T23:20:00.000-08:00

ok ok ok enough of the videos! i just wanted to get 'em up here...

Song from the 2008 album "Heart Palpitations of the Rich & Famous" (Eskimo Kiss Records). Fun random video by Randy Tallo!

The Flashing Astonishers - Four Chords (live video from 2010 reunion)

2010-12-10T23:13:00.000-08:00

A video by Randy Tallo - old song + new video :) Song from 2002 album "On Involuntary Bliss" and video from 2010 Syracuse reunion show at The Half Penny Pub - the first show in 8 years!

None of the Flashing Astonishers smoke any cigarettes anymore...

2010-12-10T23:11:00.000-08:00

apparently, we all had too many cigarettes back ye ol' days... we probably would have had 6 albums instead of 3 if we weren't taking so many cigarette breaks all the time... here's the only video we made back then...

Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights - The Erase Her Eraser

2010-12-10T23:09:00.000-08:00

let's watch a video!

video by Randy Tallo 2009 from song on Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights "Heart Palpitations Of The Rich & Famous" album (2008 Eskimo Kiss Records)

Old Video for My Narcoleptic Sara

2010-12-10T21:48:00.000-08:00

For the hell of it, here's an old video of the first version of Gregg Yeti's "My Narcoleptic Sara" done by Syracuse based artist Elliott Mattice back in 2004 from the first e.p. "A 32-Branched Candelabra of Evil" by Gregg Yeti. This song has been re-issued on the 2010 Wonderbuckets compilation.

Hello!

2010-12-07T18:21:00.000-08:00

This is the new Koala Syndicate home. Now let's get to work.