Mellotronists

1. Kinks

quixotic-records, another newsgroup here at yahoo! (which spotlights 
psyche and obscure Sixties music) just today uploaded a handful of 
Kinks tunes into their audio files, including one with lots of nice 
cello (I suspect) 'tron. The Kinks "Lavender Hill" from their 1973 
album "The Great Lost Kinks Album".

2. Mortality Rate of Mellotrons

I wonder if the band that took the spill off the embankment could 
have been Spirit Of Christmas. I just found a used copy of 
their "Lies To Live By" LP and I guess this (I believe) British 
Columbia band was active around that time. Some nice Mellotron pops 
up from the thick and lofty conceptual arrangements from time to 
time.

3. Mio Records sent me a package of their initial handful of new 
releases. They seem to specialise in reissuing very obscure and 
localised indie recordings from central/east Europe and the Middle 
East from mostly the 1970's. One from 1977 by Flamen Dialis 
titled "Symptomi Dei" has to be heard to be believed. Lots of 
dramatic and noodling Mellotron amidst other early synth 
sounds...reminds me of Adrian Wagner meets Beaver & Krause at times, 
but a bit craftier--so it cannot be easily related to other projects 
out there. One short track features Dialis hammering away at a M-
400, playing it like a typewriter (not highly recommended for you 
people at home without safety goggles). Lots of mp3's at the 
Miorecords.com website.