As a young Rott tot there were many obscure and fun sounds that filled the house I grew up in- I mean, we had a huge hand painted Lord of The Rings Themed mirror in our den-hello?! I mention this environment because I have always held a huge appreciation in my heart for weird gonzo rock jams. Lord Todd Rundgren of Pennsylvania was originally just a golden pop artist for me with gorgeous 70’s denim make out jams like “Hello It’s Me”, “I Saw The Light” and “A Dream  Goes On Forever”.  Life was good for a while, until the moment I heard “International Feel”, and it got…awesome.

I received a starry mix CD from a fan of Rotter and Friends back in 2006, which highlighted the monster track. The spacey motor begins, the eyebrows are raised, and then the whopper melodic junction of hallelujah vibes pops out and hits you! What a tune-if this doesn’t best describe feeling spiritual from a song, I don’t know what does.

I salute Todd for his use of expertly bringing visuals through sound using a perfect blend of classic love stories, mushroom tea joy, and wacked out mystery which is pretty much unmatched. His cosmic work is a huge inspiration and the logo for his label Bearsville rules to boot.  If you can, grab a copy of the die-cut LP A True Wizard, A True Star which features “International Feel”-a must. PS. In 1986, Rundgren scored four episodes of the popular children’s television show Pee Wee’s Playhouse, which is a major feat in itself.

Big smiles and stay colorful.

xx Jess Rotter, Rotter and Friends