Donovan’s Brain
This Montana based recording workshop was formed as a reply to the “anyone can start a band” philosophy found in the mid 80’s local Bozeman music scene. Donovan’s Brain first entered your consciousness in 1994 when they appeared on the premier edition of the Hit The Hay compilations. The path the band has followed over the next two decades has been as complex and unexpected, much like the modern psychedelic sounds they create. Fires Which Burnt Brightly, the sixth full album from Donovan’s Brain, was released on October 20, 2009. You can read reviews here A trip around this site will reveal some of the answers you might be looking for about Donovan’s Brain. You can purchase Donovan’s Brain music at the Career Shop, or the Career Records Discogs Store. The Career Records site and the Donovan’s Brain Face Book page are updated regularly.
When you visit the Career shop check out the discounted bundles they are offering. This is a chance to pick up Donovan’s Brain catalog at a very good price. The shop will build you a custom bundle with the purchase of Brunt Trees In The Snow or the CD box set Convolutions Of The Brain. Just tell them what you want in the notes field on the order page. They will get back to you with the price for your selections.
The Brain made a rare live appearance on July 30 at the premier of the Montana music documentary So Good I Can’t Take It. Kirk LeClare’s film covers the creative period of the 1970s and 1980s in Montana. Ron Sanchez is one of the many principles interviewed, and the Brain have three songs featured. A DVD will be included with the companion album to be released this fall. The 2019 version of Donovan’s Brain was Ron, original member Kels Koch, Beat Nothings drummer Eric Danzer and young Jake Williams on bass.
The first review of Burnt Trees was published today on the I-94 Site
Career Records has scheduled September 1st as the release date. Yet another new Deniz Tek album will be released on the same day.
Donovan’s Brain will have two songs released this fall/winter. The Best Mistake will appear on Hit The Hay Vol 10. Donovan’s Brain and Bobby Sutliff had songs on the debut Hit The Hay collection, 24 years ago. Best Mistake was pulled from the large cache of songs currently under construction. Release should be in November. The Career Shop will have a few copies for sale. It will also be offered by Sound Asleep Records out of Vara Sweden.
The second Brain compilation track will be a part of a Green Monkey holiday benefit comp. Gray Whiskers features Xmas themed lyrics by Kris Hughes. The track with the original lyrics will appear on a future Brain album. Both of these compilation tracks will remain unique to these limited releases.
Several new songs have were written in the last few weeks and will be added to the 20 or so already recorded for the next Donovan’s Brain albums.
The large format 20 page booklet contains a Brain recording history, track details, rare photos and an essay by Malcolm Morley.The DVD size 8 panel cover features more rare photos and original artwork by Richard Treece.
Track details are now posted on the Convolutions Of The Brain Discography Page The Brain are currently working on a track for the 10th volume of Hit The Hay.
A very busy year also conspired against the original date. Shortly after the mixing and mastering, Ron Sanchez did a short East Coast tour with Deniz Tek. A nonstop program of songwriting has followed. Five songs written inn th Summer/Fall of 2016, before work on the box set started, have all now been finalized. At the moment there are 22 songs on the a list, with another 10 pieces which will be reviewed.
Deniz returned to GLEA in August with his studio band and Keith Streng, who is now part of the touring band. Eleven songs were recorded for the new record. Ron Sanchez spent the month of September adding extensive overdubs before the tracks were taken to Australia. Birdman keyboardist Pip Hoyle added piano to a pair of the songs. Mixing will take place this spring at Sugarhill, in Houston. Mort Bradly will engineer.
Matt Piucci has once again agreed to contribute guitar to the new material. Three songs were sent to Matt for consideration, and all were approved. Ron may travel out to California to oversee the sessions.
The next new Brain album should be out in Spring 2019, with a second album shortly after.
Deniz Tek will take over the studio for a few days in August to begin work on his new album. Ric and Ron Sanchez will be joining Deniz and Keith Streng to cut an instrumental surf record. Ron was asked to become part of Deniz’s band for a short east coast tour in April.
Most of the 47 song, three cd set has now been mixed or remixed. The 4 hours of music will include 34 previously unreleased songs. This includes the live in the studio rehearsals with Treece and two more with Deniz Tek. 8 unreleased film soundtrack songs recorded for three film projects are also previously unreleased. 7 rare compilation only tracks have been remixed for the box set. Three album tracks have been remixed. Eclipse and Debris’ Joey’s In The Pouch will appear twice, each featuring a previously unheard Richard Treece guitar track. Still Waiting Still Dreaming aka To One Who Waits has been remixed to include the original vocal track which was omitted from the released version. The cd set will also include an extensive booklet with many previously unseen band photos and complete recording details.
Expect this as yet untitled box set at the end of summer 2017. A new Donovan’s Brain album is scheduled for fall 2018.
Meanwhile Bobby Sutliff and Ron Sanchez have been exchanging new musical ideas. Future plans include an album of new material and another archival release. An album of material recorded with Richard Treece and Dave Walker between 1998 and 2000 will be prepared while work on a new album continues.
Ken Shimamoto has published the first review of the album on his Stash Dauber blog. The new album has also had airplay in Australia and The US.
Richard joined Donovan’s Brain in 1996 after the collapse of the Brain MK2. Richard and Ken Whaley stepped in to salvage the sessions which became Eclipse And Drebris.
He would also contribute to the next three albums Tiny Crustacean Light Show, The Great Leap Forward and A Defeat Of Echoes.
You can expect to see the album and CD at the beginning of October.
Shambaholic is not a new Donovan’s Brain album. The fact that it is finally being released 20 years to the day after it was completed is purely coincidental. Shambaholic might have been the first Brain album, if the band were not so prolific. In the end the album was broken up into smaller pieces and most of it appeared on various Donovan’s Brain releases.
You can read more about it here.
The Brain are heard performing a new song, Bread Man Burning, and Snow In Miami which was was recorded in 1998 for Tiny Crustacean Light Show but never used.
The Nomads cover the unreleased Donovan’s Brain hot rod instrumental No Cops, Haul Ass.
You can read about the three years making of this new album on the History Page.
A video preview can be seen here.
Work on the follow up has already begun.
The Brain can also be heard on the Dwight Twilley Tribute album Twilley Won’t Mind, released in July 2014.