Things are starting to getting pretty exciting at our original Baltimore location – as these before and after shots of the SVP whiteboard should demonstrate.

A few things:

1. The 2011 Polar Bear Plunge went off without a hitch. Special thanks to Nate of The Squirlons for coming off the bench to help out. CCAN rocks.

2. Twin Peaks Fest will be back again in 2011. SVP will only be tangentially involved (due to breeding and such), but it will be fun. Stay tuned as we at least help spread the word and provide strobe lights.

3. Perverse Osmosis’s Choose-Your-Own-Adventure/AD&D album is getting mixed as we speak! Spring 2011!

Stay Weird Everyone,

SVP

SVP experimental thrashers Perverse Osmosis have emerged from a multi-year hiatus to begin recording of their long awaited follow up to Swarm, Kobold, Swarm! The initial recording session already took place, and 31 of 33 original songs were recorded before the mixer broke inexplicable in the 11th hour. But in a mere two weeks PO will again converge on our Mid-West Regional Headquarters in Kansas City for another 3-day weekend of frantic writing and recording, often in that order. Vale of the Basilisk, a mutli-format, choose-your-own-adventure-style AD&D module album, boasts a stunning array of guest musicians including Utah on violin and maybe Dr. Leanback on backing-vocals. The album is likely to be released online first allowing your to “play” the album and literally choose your path through dungeons and monsters in an attempt to rescue the princess from the basilisk. Every listen will be a unique experience and only a few paths lead you to victory- most lead to a gruesome death. Vale of the Basilisk will be released exclusively on savevspoison.com and probably on perverseosmosis.com too – as soon as we finish it. By the way, if all this D&D nonsense sounds like fun to you, you’ll want to visit perverseosmosis.com ASAP to read the story behind each episode/song. Perverseosmosis.com is also featuring a month-long celebration of all things Slayer in honor of that bands ongoing existence. Watch for an update about the album release soon – and hopefully an opportunity to see this magic live will materialize equally soon.

What else is going on in the world of SVP?
Well, occasionally we still put on our seizure-inducing light show for the residents of Baltimore (and to a lesser extent Vermont and Kansas City). It’s not easy with the 3 primary members of SVP scattered across America, but we try. After blowing minds (and fuses) late into the night at FarmFest, SVP lit up the homecoming show for Baltimore’s The Flying Eyes along with the band we have the biggest crush on in the world, NYC’s The Vandelles. Hopefully this can all happen again soon. But what NOW?

We just received word that Baltimore’s newest sci-fi band experience, Squirlons Attack, will be playing a show on Saturday, Oct. 9th at Towson’s Moose Family Center. Family? Moose on Squirrel Action? Yes and yes. SVP will be there proving lighting and special effects so that all present will have an experience never to be forgotten. See ya there, and stay weird!

xoxo
SVP

Greetings SVP fans,

1. Twin Peaksfest 2010 was a huge success! Thanks to everyone who attended.  Major props to Muscle Twin for writing, recording (!), and performing an entire  EP of Twin Peaks related material: Muscle Twin Peaks. All indications are that the event will be back at The Windup Space again next year- or even sooner. Stay tuned.

2. Recently, SVP provided strobes and other lights for a video shoot by Baltimore band, Avec.  You can now watch that video on YouTube here. Check it out- it’s a good tune.

3. SVP has just signed on to provide lighting and special effects for FarmFest2010. It’s kinda hard to explain if you’re not on Facebook, but basically The Flying Eyes are hosting a huge show on a farm on July 3rd. Our old friend Gavin Elder will be there too, playing early. Details here:

Saturday, July 3rd = FARM FEST 2010
Presented by The Flying Eyes and The Carney Family Farm

Lineup:

THE MORNING AFTER GIRLS
AN ALBATROSS
THE VANDELLES
THE FLYING EYES
Lazlo Lee and The Motherless Children
The Rez
Whoarfrost
The Diamond Center
Sri Aurobindo

Plus special guests:
Gavin Elder
Derek Campbell
DJ Amanda Otto
DJ Poppin’ Pietro
DJ Iggz
DJ Mystikal Weed 420
and more…

$15 admission for:
-Live music from 3pm-3am (gates at 2pm)
-Free camping (and free parking of course)
-Free beer while it lasts for the +21 crowd (but we strongly encourage you to BYOB)
-A day you’ll never forget or never remember (depending)

(Note: There will also be a Farm Fest pre-party on either July 1st or July 2nd. Details tba…)

DIRECTIONS TO FARM FEST:

- Go North on I-83
- Take exit 27 for MD-137/Mt Carmel Rd
- Turn left at MD-137/Mount Carmel Rd
- Turn right at Falls Rd/MD-25 and go 6.2 miles
- Turn left at Hoffmanville Rd
- Turn left at Alesia Rd
(*NOTE*: Do not make the right turn onto the first Alesia Rd. turn you see. Continue underneath the bridge and then make a left onto the second Alesia Rd. turn.)
- Make a right turn into the driveway marked with balloons a.k.a 4600 Alesia Rd

See ya there!

In the grand tradition of end of the year music lists, here’s Save Vs. Poison’s contributions.  Rather than try to tell you what the “best” music is, instead here’s a list of music that may have passed under your radar this millennium (so far). And since we’re in Baltimore just about all these bands are of Baltimore.

10. Perverse Osmosis Vale of the Basilisk

You haven’t heard it yet because it hasn’t been recorded yet. But it’s in the works: 20+ thrashtastic songs arranged as a ‘choose your own adventure’-style D&D campaign. Scheduled to debut in its entirety at next summer’s Math Fest in Pittsburgh.

9. Muscle Twin “Weapons of Mass Destruction”

Yes, it’s their old song, but it’s still my favorite. Muscle Twin is probably going to play at Twin Peaks-fest this year, and it might even be an album release party for their new disc! You may notice a slight Nirvana influence. Play it loud.

8. OFM Sit and Spin Soundtrack

Posthumous candy sampler from Baltimore’s overtly futile mission to bring space rock to the masses. The soundtrack to the art–yarn-educational-DVD makes the show worth watching alone! One of the classiest things that SVP has ever been a part of: google that shit and be in awe of positive reviews from across the globe.

7. Gunwife Gone “Debutante”

This band may or may not still be around. Sometimes they plan in Baltimore, but I think their members have been scattered by the seven winds. If you get the chance- see them. You’ll thank me. Seriously. [Swoon]

6. Chug a Lug Donna “Freshly Squeezed”

This lawsuit-waiting-to-happen only plays their tribute to Angelo Badalmenti and Twin Peaks once or twice a year. In 2010 it’s scheduled to appear at Twin Peaks-fest at the Windup Space in Baltimore on April 10th. And with a newly recorded live CD in tow. “Freshly Squeezed” is not just a straight forward jazz cover, but gets a little prog rock – as do some of their other covers.  And why not?!

5. Abiku

Abiku is constantly touring, so they may be near your hometown soon. If you get the chance you simply MUST see this stuff. Sure, you might hate it, but I assure you- you have never seen anything like this before. And the lady in this band plays THE “coolest” keyboard of all time: The Moog Liberation, a rockin’ keytar. They are MY American Idols.

4. The Flying Eyes

This Baltimore band literally gets better every time they play. SVP is proud to continue to provide special effects and lighting for their exciting shows whenever we can. They offer a great mix of psychedelic blues and rock with impeccable timing and great presence. They have an album but should probably be experienced live.  Headlining the Ottobar on Jan. 15th in Baltimore with a full SVP light show (assuming it works this time!).

3. Avec “Stellar”

SVP recently had the honor of providing special effects for an Avec video shoot. As the guy with his finger on the smoke machine/strobe light trigger, I can tell you that you know a song is good when you hear it 20 times in a row and never get tired of it. Watch for the video in 2010. Their album was produced by J. Robbins, and if you miss Jawbow this will make you feel better.

2. Devil’s Radio

To be honest, I know very little about this band. But when SVP needed someone to fill a slot at our Halloween show these guys answered the call with a blistering rendition of Metallica. Fantastic show by a bunch of fantastic guys. Check it out.

1. Country Fried “The Visit”

The fact that Country Fried was once again passed over by Jazz Fest this year was a sizable tragedy. Their 2005 performance at New Orleans’ Jazz Fest was one of the most solid sets of acoustic rock I have ever witnessed. And it was before an enormous crowd on a gorgeous day – blissful! Maybe next year, when their new album is set to drop, they’ll be back at the Fest. “The Visit” from 2004’s Nowhere No More is the greatest unheard song of the decade.

So, get out there and so see some live local music!

Hope your 2009 was great and 2010 rocks even harder.

Yours in rock,

Mark Ultra

&

Save Vs. Poison Productions

Facebook “users” got an exclusive today as news leaked of an impending Save Vs. Poison Production: an All-Star tribute to Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.”

SVP is now accepting applications for interns to work on this visionary project.

Stay tuned for further announcements- And join us on Facebook for late breaking updates and stuff.

Mark Brock-Cancellieri spent enough time trapped in traffic on the beltway to listen to “The Wall” in its entirety.

9 minutes ago · Comment · Like

Michael Mastropaolo

if you’re going to be stuck in 90 mins of traffic, that is a good way to do it at least

4 minutes ago · Delete

Michael Mastropaolo

isn’t this where we came in?

3 minutes ago · Delete

Mark Brock-Cancellieri

I can’t think of a better way to spend it. Certainly not “Tommy”-pshaw. BTW we’re throwing an all-star tribute to The Wall in Baltimore next year – TBA!

2 minutes ago · Delete

Please note-

There may be some slight line-up changes for the Halloween party. The event will now feature some, but not all, of the following bands:

KING VITAMIN as The Ramones

BENE GESSERIT WITCH w/ Mark Ultra as Devo

RAH RAH REPLICA as Bikini Kill

GAVIN ELDER with EDDIE MANOEUVRE as ”Psi-Mon And Star*Funk-El”

ERIC CRAPTON as himself

PERVERSE OSMOSIS as The Misfits or AC/DC

THE MARK ULTRA PROJECT as Spaceman 3

and

SOME BAND THAT SHAWNA KNOWS as either Megadeth or Metallica

And not necessarily in that or any other order.  Wanna know who’s really playing? Show up! And wear a damn costume.

Eric Crapton as Himself