Jackson Milgaten gets a lot of press. Whether it be as co-founder of red-hot San Diego label Single Screen Records, his work promoting and booking shows under the Action Jackson Promotions moniker, or for his omnipresence in a slew of “side projects” that include Cuckoo Chaos, The Paddle Boat, and Maren Parusel’s backing band, a lot of metaphorical ink is spilled on Milgaten’s behalf. So much so, in fact, that it can be hard to remember that his main band, The Vision of a Dying World, is still around and kicking.

In case you do need a reminder, the band will be releasing a new EP, titled I Will Not Fear What I Don’t Understand, this Saturday at the Soda Bar. The songs were recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jackson’s equally busy brother/Vision guitarist Keith Milgaten (also of Black Mamba and Jamuel Saxon fame) and marks the band’s first release since 2007’s Skelephone Call From The Eastern Side. Here’s a little background on the EP from Jackson himself:

This EP was prompted by the solo shows I have been doing over the last year and is meant to be representative of that. I did do some overdubbing on the songs (a lot on one of them) but they are much more stripped down than the electric band on Skelephone. It is not a solo record per se because Keith and Jeremy [Scott] play and sing on it a little bit but it is the closest thing I would ever do to a “solo record”.

[Keith and I] were both so busy and running around like crazy people it’s amazing we got it done in time. But I love working with him and it kind of took me back because it had been so long since we made a Vision record in that fashion. We did it in tiny pockets of time whenever we could fit them in. It was the middle of summer and it must have been a gillion degrees in Keith’s room/studio. He would be so exhausted and hot that he would be passing out while I would do a take, then I’d wake him up and we’d do another one! I had a blast!

The initial hundred copies of the EP feature hand-silk-screened artwork by local artist Eddy Miramontez and also come with a hand-screened poster. You can get your grubby hands on one for just $5, plus the $3 to get in the door. Opening up for Vision will be the reliably awesome Joel P West and Cuckoo Chaos. You can take a peek at the EP artwork below, as well as listen to the track “What Is and What Is Not”.

The Vision of a Dying World will also be opening for none other than Daniel Johnston, the eccentric subject of the acclaimed 2005 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston, on October 23rd at Canes in Mission Beach. This isn’t the band’s first association with Johnston; they covered—and significantly improved upon—his song “Held The Hand” on their Skelephone Call From The Eastern Side EP.

Stream: “What Is and What Is Not” from I Will Not Fear What I Don’t Understand
[audio:vision-whatis.mp3]

Upcoming Shows:

Sep 26 2009 EP Release Show! @ The Soda Bar W/ Joel P West & Cuckoo Chaos San Diego, California
Oct 15 2009 Bar Pink W/ Tape Deck Mountain San Diego, California
Oct 23 2009 Canes W/ Daniel Johnston & The Hymns San Diego, California
Nov 5 2009 The Casbah W/ Or the Whale & Gray Ghosts San Diego, California