THE FLASHING ASTONISHERS - E.P. (2014)

There is a new Flashing Astonishers e.p. available right this very second at Bandcamp

RIYL: Ride, Swervedriver, Trail Of Dead, Yo La Tengo, Wallmen, Sebadoh



This is the first new Flashing Astonishers release since 2002. The songs were written by Musclow/Yeti. Engineered by Andrew Greacen and then mixed and mastered by Jocko at More Sound . The cover photo is by Allison Gates. Get it at Bandcamp.

New Video: Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights - (Someone Will Be Looking) Out For You

New video for an old song, from the 2011 album THE HARVEST BRASS ECHO...



Thanks Randy Tallo/Know The Feeling Productions!

free download: GREGG YETI & THE BEST LIGHTS - THAT = THAT - 7 song e.p. 2013 (KR026)

Download the e.p. for FREE at Bandcamp (link below) or directly from Koala Syndicate! The 26th release by Koala Syndicate is That = That, the last e.p. for Gregg Yeti under the name Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights. The seven songs include some familiar songs to past listeners, songs like "Brighter Than The Sky" and "How To Make A Happy Robot" now just "Happy Robot" redone in a more full band rock style instead of previous stripped down acoustic versions. Included are two cover songs, a amped up rock version of the Guided By Voices classic "Quality Of Armor" and a chill version of the classic traditional song "House Of The Rising Sun." The stand-out track is the opening song "Hold It Down" that is a driving catchy guitar-pop song. Also included is yet another version of "My Narcoleptic Sara" that was recorded especially for a compilation released by the Syracuse radio show "This Is Rock And Roll Radio" (hosted by Dana and Carl - buy that cd here), and a tribute song for legendary Syracuse area DJ and local music supporter Dave Frisina. Good dudes all around.

Why is this the last release from Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights? "The name has run it's course, and it is time for something new," Yeti said while interviewing himself. "The first release under that project name came out in 2004 and ten years is long enough. And I don't really like having my name out front like that. That is that." There is renewed effort at doing The Flashing Astonishers, with a few releases for that band planned in the next year, plus an unfinished Leper Pony album in the works that will have around 100 songs, so Gregg Yeti is not un-busy. The next project by Gregg Yeti that will be a showcase for his songs in the vein of The Best Lights will probably be called The Casual Estates.

The album features stellar drumming from Steve Daniels of the lovely Rochester band Veluxe, and the ep was mostly recorded at Yeti's home studio and at Watchmen Studio with Doug White, with Jocko at More Sound handling mixing and mastering. Randy Tallo sings back-up vocals on "Hold It Down" and Doug White also plays some lovely e-bowed guitar on "House Of The Rising Sun" that he recorded in one take! Physical copies are available on cd in the paper bag format.

Tracklist:
1. Hold It Down
2. Brighter Than The Sky
3. Happy Robot
4. Quality Of Armor
5. Soundcheck With Dave Frisina
6. My Narcoleptic Sara
7. House Of The Rising Sun

Download the e.p. for FREE at Bandcamp or directly from Koala Syndicate!

free full album download: THE FLASHING ASTONISHERS - ON INVOLUNTARY BLISS (2002 KR025)

Click right here for free full album download: THE FLASHING ASTONISHERS - ON INVOLUNTARY BLISS (2002 KR025)

On Involuntary Bliss is the third album by The Flashing Astonishers. Reviews all over the world were favorable, and it marks the first album the band produced with international distribution. Substandard Records (a subsidiary of New Red Archives) of San Francisco released it in March of 2002. It was very exciting to be included in the same organization that released a bunch of albums by Samiam, Anti-Flag, and UK Subs. In 2001 Belvy K of the Substandard band Libertine tapped FA drummer Bob Kane to play drums for a USA tour, and when they reached the west coast Bob handed a FA cd to Substandard label head John Joh, and with the encouragement of Belvy the arrangement to release On Involuntary Bliss was made.

Reviews for the album were largely complimentary. Big Takeover wrote "Layers of discordant guitar distortion come in strange melodies across the raspy vocals and grooves that make it all seem bright and shimmery. Up and down, back and forth; it's a ride, but it's a good one." Jersey Beat said "This is indie rock in the best sense of the term. This is melodic, crisp, highly listenable music. Recommended." The now defunct blog at invisibleyouth.com exclaimed "Good rock and loaded with beautiful melodies. Lots of spaciness and build-ups that will blow you away. Wow, this is really good. The dynamics and feeling on this is so great--- It's a rock record with lots of thought and time invested! There are parts where the simplicity is so comforting while there are parts that there is so much going on that it will carry you to another dimension!! This will win a few more listens at the very least!" Colorado magazine The New Scheme interviewed the band and wrote "With so many mediocre bands in the same arena as these guys doing really well on the college radio circuit, it’s hard to see this record not making a name for these guys."

After On Involuntary Bliss was released, limited east coast touring happened and another album was begun that remains in the vaults, with demoing and pre-production recordings made at Watchmen Studio and Acqrock Studios in Utica. Around this time the band played shows, mostly around upstate NY, with the likes of H2O, Nada Surf, Guided By Voices, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Saves The Day, Motion City Soundtrack, Selby Tigers, Longwave, Cropduster, Radio 4, Sheila Divine, Gam, Wallmen, and Martha Dumptruck Massacre. The New York Times once mentioned The Flashing Astonishers in an article about funny band-names, but they spelled the name wrong. It was funny.

As was true to form during this period of the band, there was a revolving door of cast members during the recording of On Involuntary Bliss, besides the main guitar slinging duo of Dan Musclow and Gregg Yeti. Lead vocalist Musclow recruited his then-girlfriend Allison Gates to sing the ballady "Capsized"; she also added oohs and aahs to "Stress Tank Ten". The bass position was handled alternately by David Kane, Chuck Gwynn, Joshua Lee Loomis and Gregg Yeti himself, who often wrote most of the basslines. Drums were mostly done by Bob Kane, with Chris Gajewski playing on 2 songs. The recording for this album produced the classic lineup that persists to this day of Musclow & Yeti, Bob Kane and Chuck Gwynn. Kane & Gwynn are a tandem machine, who after the nearly decade long hiatus of The Flashing Astonishers went on to play masterfully together for years with the other legendary powerhouse Syracuse band The Mandate Of Heaven.

The Flashing Astonishers disintegrated in early 2003 shortly after Gregg Yeti fled to try to tackle monetary and chemical imbalances. During the eight years the band was inactive, Dan Musclow recorded plenty of home demos that remain unreleased, Bob & Chuck pursued other musical trails, and Gregg Yeti spent the time making thousands of homemade copies of eps and albums with Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights and Leper Pony. Yeti also spent around a year in 2005 playing bass with The Mandate Of Heaven. In 2010 the band reunited for 2 shows, and in 2012 a few shows are scheduled and plans are being made to finish the old recordings and potentially pull together some new songs.

From the record label promo materials: "On Involuntary Bliss reveals THE FLASHING ASTONISHERS in their position as the missing link between indie rock, post-punk, and shoegazer dream pop. THE FLASHING ASTONISHERS own up to such various influences as MOGWAI, SUPERCHUNK, SONIC YOUTH, TEENAGE FANCLUB, & MY BLOODY VALENTINE, eschewing more modern conventional trends and indie-pop flavors. THE FLASHING ASTONISHERS never quite fall into the clone trap so many bands fall into, and this album was born to show the emo kids the art of constructive noise, and that interesting guitar tones override any mundane whining any day. While so many melodic bands try to sound like the taste of the day to "be cool", THE FLASHING ASTONISHERS create minty freshness by mixing old mentalities with new music. To describe the sound of On Involuntary Bliss, think GALAXIE 500 meets early PROMISE RING & PAVEMENT." Sounds about right.

The iconic cover art was a photo shot by John Joh taken of some mannequin in a storefront. The cd was entirely engineered on ADAT machines at Watchmen Studio with Doug White in Lockport, NY. Musclow & Yeti produced & mixed the album with Doug White, while Dave St Onge of DMS handled mastering. The liner notes feature an extremely long thank you list.

You can also get copies of the On Involuntary Bliss compact disc over at Amazon dot com for cheap, and most online shops everywhere (including iTunes). The band's first two albums are also available for download from the Koala Syndicate: Everything Is Gonna Stop (1998 KR002) and The Star Off Machine (1999 KR007)

Click right here for free full album download: THE FLASHING ASTONISHERS - ON INVOLUNTARY BLISS (2002 KR025) This is a high quality 320kbps mp3 download and includes free blessings from the pope. Please share this post with your friends! Look for more stuff from The Flashing Astonishers in the not-too-distant future.

Track Listing:
1. Four Chords
2. Stress Tank Ten
3. Elastomer
4. On Involuntary Bliss
5. Too Many Cigarettes
6. Capsized
7. Cognition
8. Advanced Studies And Seminar In New Trends
9. Pollock
10. Only Gone
11. (Only Gone Bonus Track)

Below is two videos for songs from the album. "Too Many Cigarettes" was shot by Rich Stahle of UVTV in 2002 and "Four Chords" features the audio from the old album with newer video shot at the 2010 reunion show, directed by Randy Tallo of Know The Feeling Productions.

Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights - My Narcoleptic Sara (2012)

OFFICIAL VIDEO for the "The Dana & Carl Version 2012" from the 2012 ep "A Unicorn Wrapped In A Rainbow", a collection of stray recordings and demos. This version of My Narcoleptic Sara is decidedly better than the 4 or 5 other versions in circulation and was recorded for Syracuse DJs Dana & Carl who do a radio show called This Is Rock N Roll Radio on Westcott Community Radio (www.westcottradio.org). Video directed by Randy Tallo and Doug White. The horse's name is Jack and he is 40 years old. He ate my keyboard. Thanks to Doug White & Toni Wolf for the horse and barn, Elise Flanders for the lovely ladyness, Steve Daniels for the suave drummings, and Randy Tallo for his talented editing & shooting. Studio recording at Watchmen Studio, Lockport NY. Check out more of Randy Tallo's work with audio & visuals at knowthefeelingproductions.tumblr.com and download full albums for free at www.koalasyndicate.com

Buy Koala Syndicate Merchandise on Cafe Press

Yep, this is pretty funny. Koala Syndicate Dog Bowls. Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights Thong Underwear. Leper Pony Baby Bibs. This is a collection of hundreds of random stray products that will greatly enhance your life. Buy stuff & support all our free music releases, and be sure to tell your friends please. Buy t-shirts, mugs & gifts from my shop.

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

Click right here for your 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!

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

THE MILDREDS were an early 1990's surf-noise-punk band based in Syracuse who only put out one 7" record. Here's an unreleased song, a cover of a classic Link Wray number, which is one of several buried Mildreds songs that one day may surface. The Mildreds featured members of The Flashing Astonishers, The Electric Chick Magnets, The Dracula Jones, The Ghost Monkeys, etc. etc. Most (or all) of these photo were shot by Jeff Jones, some in NYC and some around Syracuse. 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

"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 conflicts in scheduling, blizzards, computer failure, day jobs, night jobs, 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. Special thanks to Elise Flanders for invaluable set design and assistance!

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

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)

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. Here's a video for the song "Alien" aka "How The Aliens Built The Pyramids" from a VHS camcorder live show taped just before the album came out.

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)

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: Leper Pony - Elementary Bumps And Grinds (2011 KR023)

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

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)

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)

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)

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!

(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!

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!

(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

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

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

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

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

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!