Glands Of External Secretion – Neck Pillow

It’s astonishing to think that the most recent vinyl full length outing from Glands of External Secretion was the splendiferous Reverse Atheism 2xLP (Butte County Free Music Society, 2011). Not that they’ve been dormant—the BuFMS CDR series and a smattering of 7-inchers and lathes have seen to that. No one’s sitting around the twiddler, waiting for their name to be called. But it must be said: the Glands’ sublime warmth and withering wit really crackle when the tone arm slips the needle down into the grooves on the olde timey record playing machine. Then, just like that, a mysterious huckster lures our heroes to Long Beach, CA in April of 2022, where, it was promised, they could record voices and set down séance tracks in the haunted rooms aboard the Queen Mary. You gotta admit, that’s a pretty good gig. But the would-be higgler’s ruse did not come to pass. The Glands were sold out for a warehouse full of Burns & Schreiber’s Pure B.S.! LPs and the duo found themselves thrust into the Siltbreeze cabal. But fate can also be serendipitous. The label, known for its propensity for bringing meat pies to a cake fight, immediately insisted these recorded tracks get the vinyl treatment. And here we fuckin’ are. If unfamiliar, Glands Of External Secretion are the duo of Barbara Manning (28th Day, World Of Pooh, SF Seals) and S. Glass (Bananafish Magazine, many things BuFMS). Since 1992, they’ve been snatching victory from the jaws of indifference with a pluck that only the most dedicated can intuit. In this world, victory isn’t awards, champagne, and ass-pats. It’s full of gut-flushing probiotics, stores of “the good fats,” one must watch for bones, and there’s gristle. The footing is always unsure. Cut-ups, processed reality, and recollections of memories you never had are all part of the landscape. A hungry tortoise, swinging loveseats, Lowrey organs, kitchen implements, Who stories, Spandau Ballet crooners…. this ain’t the set of a Doritos commercial, friend. If the Puppet Wipes’ Meemaw and Pop-Pop made music, it might come close to the aural delights found on Neck Pillow. What higher commendation could you ask for? Looks like Siltbreeze hits the jackpot again.