When I hear the name Troy Gregory, I think Flotsam and Jetsam. After all, with his resume like Gregory, it’s not hard to think of him as a legend. He has worked with acts such as Spiritualized, Prong, Killing Joke, and Kim Fowley just to name a few. These days when he’s not playing with The Dirtbombs or fronting Super Birthday, he’s still creating. Whether it is film, photography, music, or painting, Gregory can’t help himself from creating something. With his first vinyl solo release Xaviera (for Jett Plastic Recordings), he has found himself combining all of those elements into one single project.
“I Was Wishing” and “Oz Never Did Gimme Nuthin” is ultimately a sampler of all things Troy Gregory.
With an eerie string arrangement, “I Was Wishing” opens like a late 60s Hammer film. Once the gnarly bass riff kicks in with David Bowie-esque vocals, you’re well aware Gregory is all about the plot twists. In fact, every 20-second interval brings its own set of unexpected turns making the track feel more like an opera than a simple song.
The second half, “Oz Never Did Gimme Nuthin” swaps the ominous beauty for wonderful bad vibes. Jumping back and forth between hopeful and dread within the same song seems to be Gregory’s specialty. It can be disorienting for a casual listen, but it’s obvious Xaviera isn’t the kind of music you listen to on a Sunday drive. No, it demands your full attention like a gripping murder mystery.
And that’s just my best description of the songs themselves, the music video is a different story.
It’s not one bit surprising the film version of the release would be a psychedelic journey found in fever dreams and chemical reactions. Gregory just may be the only filmmaker to make a brief scene of feeding his cats, seem nightmarish, while playing bass in a flooded basement feel comforting. I really can’t describe it any other way.
It’s an honor and my pleasure to premiere the music video for I Was Wishing / Oz Never Did Gimme Nuthin’.
Xaviera is available on vinyl exclusively at Jett Plastic Recordings
