Lach's Antihoot

25/10/2023

Good Intent

Not sure what messages
You’ve recieved since awakening
But I was told by the swaying trees
The forever sun, the laughing breeze
The curious squirrel, a winking bird’s song
That love is here, and has been all along

Editor’s note: stop the poem there.

The newspapers blow down the street
Like tumbleweeds through a town of ghosts
Someone bought control over what you see
We all pay for what’s been lost

The fentanylization of social media
The notification of so-called information
Satellites of Musk, acolytes of mistrust
Goblins and trolls exulting demonisation

Editor’s note: I warned you, it sucks now!

Forgive me for using the dread “tion” rhyme
I just awoke and am only five minutes online
I meant well, and I offer all apologies
For turning on the phone, instead of a tree

Editor’s note: A decent save, but what does turning on a tree even mean!?!

©️2023 Lach www.worldoflach.com

13/10/2023

We saw Antifolk as more punk than punk because it was about the songs, art, poetry as well as truth and a stand against hypocrisy and mediocrity, which punk was when it first started, and why it inspired us. When I opened The Fort on Rivington Street in the early 80’s, Punk had already devolved into dope, coke, fame, posing. Sure, there were still good shows and bands (read: The Bad Brains) and we’d still get new sparks like “Psychocandy”, but overall it had been bought, packaged and regurgitated.
Antifolk brought it back to the atomic nucleus of no trappings, no gimmicks, no hiding behind drums, amps, or sneers. If the song didn’t crack yr skull in three minutes using only six strings on a piece of wood, then you could dance at yr White Wedding or twirl about in yr Hong Kong Garden all you want, it didn’t matter. And it wasn’t just the songs, or other performances, it was the fact that we were gathered in an illegal club on what The Daily News called “The most dangerous block in NYC” at 2am to LISTEN, to be free, and to do it all without any of the trappings of “cool”. We weren’t trying to impress the world, we were exiled misfits gathered around a campfire trying to reach each other.

But it’s all the ethereal wisdom of a burnt match now. The military-industrial-entertainment complex won. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the artist hagiography market, and Spotify won. Good. Let them stand tall over the charred battlefield, over Woodstock lll, over the Netflix Pistols. Please, take it, it’s yours, you can have it.

Me? I’m just looking for a kiss.

08/09/2023

I think it’s so groovy now that people are finally getting together…

Check out Joe Bendik’s Antihoot Reboot at Baker Falls on Monday nights.

1968

22/08/2023

I don’t mind if they’ve won the Silver Star for heroism while being a POW, but I DO prefer my presidential candidates not to be twice-impeached, serial sexual abusers under four different indictments.

But, maybe that’s just me.

Free song about it:

2 track album

19/08/2023

Ten Possible Titles For My Possible Antifolk Book (first thought/best thought style, no edit):

Where The Bodies Are Buried

The History of Antifolk: Part One

Fortitudes

Either Y’know or Y’don’t

It Wasn’t Me

Six Strings and a Piece of Wood

Don’t Meet Me In The Bathroom

What Number Are You On?

The Waitress, The Walls, And The Weirdos

Our Band Could Be Your Wife

19/07/2023

In celebration of being in NYC this week, I’ll be releasing a few of my Bandcamp, fan-exclusive singles to the general public to download for free (or pay-what-you-want). If you’d like my full music catalog, BBC Radio 4 series, and a new song every two weeks, please join my Bandcamp fan club today (at www.Lach.Bandcamp.com)it’s super cheap at around 50 cents a week and is a direct way to help support an artist you enjoy.
Cheers, Lach

For folks who like to peek under the hood…

This is one of my earliest songs. My band Proper Id was playing around with occasional shows at CBGB's and a lot of my early tunes were Punk. Though, the G to Am vamp was a nod to Hello, I Love You by The Doors.
The lyrics were revamped for 2023. As I started working on it a few weeks ago, parts of the old lyrics seemed dated. Then, Tom Verlaine died while I was reading a biography on Kerouac where it talked about Thomas Wolfe being a big influence on Jack. Now the song was less a narrative description of a night out at a punk club and more an abstract canvas holding all these concurrent and old influences together. So the line became "Boys made of neon" as Tom's band before Television was The Neon Boys (The magical drummer for Television, Billy Ficca, was my drummer too). The line "Stumble homeward, sweet angel" is from the title of Wolfe's novel "Look Homeward Angel". I felt it needed something French. Tom's named after the French poet Paul Verlaine, Morrison is buried in France, Kerouac was French-Canadian. I looked at the tombstones of the artists involved but none of the epitaphs worked. Then I remembered a line of Napoleon's that a character in my new novel, "Langdimania", quotes and added it as the last line. It's from Napoleon's farewell to his old guard.

Then, there's the sound collage break. Well, as the lyrics were a collage, why not take it one step further? First I layered five guitar tracks and liked it, but knew it needed something else. I wanted a train sound, a French conductor asking for tickets and a French women. I researched old French movies with no result. I researched movies that are out of copyright and found Hitchcock's 'The Lady Vanishes', perfect! So, I downloaded it and a french version as well. I watched the English version, taking time notes for good bits. Then found those bits in the French version and recorded them using my Rhode mic. Then, the old William Burroughs cut and paste, and Bob's your uncle! The train sounds are from 1920's steam locomotives. The cover art is a photo of Margaret Lockwood from the film. Oh yeah, one trick I'm proud of is that I took the sibilant ess sound at the end of the last "Wrecks" and repeated it fading into the steaming chug-chug of the train to help carry the listener into the scene.
Whew!, that's a lot of stuff for a two minute punk song!" - Lach

1 track album

16/07/2023

Just waking up in NYC. Need copious amounts of coffee before I can fill ya in on the last few daze but wanted to announce this way cool thing as quickly as I could…
A song swap and rocknroll storytelling conversation between me and the truly magical songwriter Chris Barron of The Moldy Peaches (and The Spin Doctors). Hunh, he was in The Moldies? Hellz yeah, learn more about that and what it’s like to sell 25 million records while wearing a funky hat! There’ll also be a Q/A!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/669634915057

This is a FREE event but you MUST register using the link as it’s limited seating. Go ahead and get your seat now, click link to reserve a seat. It’s gonna be a terrific event in NYC on Monday July 17!

Listen to Lach and Chris Barron of The Spin Doctors chat and play tunes together at Moxy East Village.

11/07/2023

I’ll have limited copies of my new novel Langdimania at my gig at Baker Falls (101 Ave.A, NYC) on July 15th to personally sign to you after the show, or get it now from Amazon and bring it with you for signing. OK? OK!

Nice Stuff Folks Are Saying About Langdimania:

“Lach creates a wildly vivid and magical world. So enjoyable!” - Zoë Howe, author

LoveReading4Kids’ Debut Novel of The Month! - “This zany fantasy adventure takes readers on a rollercoaster ride through the wild imagination of its 12-year-old hero. It’s fast, it’s funny!” - Joanne Owen

“Langdimania, like Lach’s songwriting, is sharp, funny and filled with fantastic imagery. Imagine if Jack Kerouac and John Hughes had collaborated on a book together and you start to get the idea of how much fun Langdimania is for kids and grown-ups alike. Buy this book and read it to your kid. Hell, read it to the punk next door. You’ll be aces in their book forever!” - Larry ‘Ratso’ Sloman - New York Times Bestselling Author

“Langdimania is funny, original, exciting, and an absolute page-turner!” - Jeff Zycinski, Former Head of BBC Scotland

Langdimania

10/07/2023

Lach In Concert!
W/ Highly Effective People, Little Cobweb, Natalie Asport!
GRAND OPENING! July 15 8pm Baker Falls 101 Ave A

07/07/2023

Antifolk
Not
Anti-folk
Either y’know or y’don’t!

07/07/2023

NyC Ticket reveal today to members of www. lach.bandcamp.com Revealed to gen pop tomorrow. Membership rocks!

Instantly get everything Lach makes, and then some. Get all the new music I release, plus 65 items from my back-catalog, supporter-only specials, and exclusive access to my fan community.

29/06/2023

Lach & Friends
July 15 2023
NYC East Village
Avenue A
Announcement Imminent
Save. The. Date.

13/06/2023

The Tao of Antifolk 1

Antifolk that can be Googled is not Antifolk

Antifolk creates genres but is not a genre

Antifolk is always ancient and newly born

Ever creative yet not productive

Antifolk is not song, poetry, performance, art, dance, comedy, or a scene

And yet it is all these things

A door of light

©️Lach 2023

29/04/2023

Involved in something brought on by external forces that has me turning the bitter lemons of theft, disrespect, and historical revisionism into the sweet, sweet, lemonade of documented history, I've been watching Antihoots taped at The Fort, and this week I've had the pleasure of seeing incredible performances by:
Sam Camus
Bongo Moses
Matt Sherwood
Muckaferguson
Jen's Revenge
Brook Bartlett
Paula Carino
Gene & Mimi
Mr. Scarecrow
Lenny Molotov
Tomasso
George Moore
The Humans
Todd Deal
The Novellas
Baby Monroe
Junior Miss
Danny Scherr
Danny Fastfingers
Gregg Swan
Dan Emery
Rick and Stomp
Animal Head
Dave Rave and Lauren Agnelli
Psychic Penguin
and Alberto!
And that's just the old VHS tapes of my 1994 TV show, "Lach's Antihoot" as it was first aired on Manhattan Cable TV. Still have boxes of mini-dv tapes to scour through that includes several of the festivals, interviews with folks on the scene and a whole lot more. The truth is out there.
Stay Tooned for further developments on this project...

28/04/2023

Remember Antihoot TV on Manhattan Cable, Saturdays at 11:30pm?

Stayed tooned…