Henry Owings, overseer of Chunklet Industries, has been known to publish a zine, host a comedy tour, and release an EP, among many other activities. Yesterday on Facebook Owings teased his readers with an intriguing announcement: “You - Pylon fan. Me - wanting to share a secret. Sign up here to find out what’s about to go down first!” The message linked to Pylon’s home page and seemed to relate to a single by the band, who, aside from a one-off remix single on DFA in 2011 that also included Deerhunter, haven’t released any material at all since 1990.

The single, “Gravity/Weather Radio,” was recorded at a live show that took place on December 1, 1983, at the Mad Hatter in Athens, Georgia. Chunklet’s Bandcamp page for the project refers to this show as the band’s “final show at the Mad Hatter.” That show was recorded in its entirety “as a pilot for a potential Austin City Limits-style show called Athens Shows,” but the project never got off the ground.
 

Pylon, photographed around 1983 in the Grand Canyon
 
“Gravity” and “Weather Radio” are both songs off of Pylon’s first album Gyrate, which was released on DB Recs in 1980. 

The pressing of the single has been limited to 500 copies as well as 100 copies each in clear vinyl/magenta vinyl (I think that’s right, the page isn’t 100% clear). The price is $6.99 and you can pre-order it now, but you had better move fast. The release date for the single is May 5. You can also order it on Amazon.

The page also notes that Pylon will be releasing a live album called Live this coming summer, with the release date to coincide with the 61st birthday of the band’s bassist, Randy Bewley, who died in 2009 of a heart attack. It seems likely that Live will feature the full recording from that 1983 show at the Mad Hatter, wouldn’t you think? 

Live at the Hurrah nightclub in NYC, shot by Merrill Aldighieri on February 20, 1981

 
More Pylon after the jump…